.hack/EVA: Catharsis: Shadowplay

Disclaimer: In this universe in the quantum foam, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the .hack series or Neon Genesis Evangelion (or of course, any other GAINAX series I might reference here).

" " denotes speech

'italics' denotes thought

'bold' denotes location names

'bold italics' denotes skill use

Ω Warring City State Lumina Cloth

The Arena—a place where even the most timid of players in The World would revel in the fierceness of battle, where each match was a trial by combat to determine the worthiness of a team to advance towards the exalted throne of Emperor. In this new world where strength and cunning were valued over simply the joy of escaping reality, even an unknown warrior could forge a legend with his or her own hands.

When Lumina Cloth was first revealed to The World, some had feared the fact that it was not connected to any fields, thinking at Omega Server in the new world would be a dull place, but that could not be further from the truth. Because of the relative sanctuary it offered from pursuers, it had come to fill the role of the now destroyed Cultural City Carmina Gadelica, the crossroads of The World, center to trade, gossip, and honorable combat.

Here, legends could be seen roaming the streets along with everyone else, as the Warring City State catered to those of all levels and ranks. Newbies besides Chaotic PKs, newbie-helpers besides feared PKKs…it was even rumored that hackers and Vagrant AIs often wandered the city in borrowed guises to while away the time or broker trades for information.

But as the central attraction of the city was the Arena, it was busiest on days when matches were scheduled between crowd favorites—days such as today, when Skari the Dark Evangel, the notorious PKK would face off against the legendary Tomoyami of the Shadow, said to be the strongest of Chaotic PKs. The pair had become two of the most respected and feared of all The World's players, known for their elegance, their strength in battle, and the strange ferocity they displayed when fighting supposedly superior foes.

'It seems like only yesterday when we saved Skari from Eris in the Hulle Granz Cathedral,' mused a certain jester-like Shadow Warlock, the newbie-helper Arano of Team Aida. 'And now, he is a dothacker fighting to save someone he loves. Speaking of that, I wonder if he's heard about the ghost wandering the fields of The World, who looks very much like Lycoris…'

"Are you sure it's alright for all three of us to go and face Skari in the Arena?" he asked, not wanting to seem dishonorable, but at the same time not wanting to offend his party leader. Annoying one of the most powerful Chaotic PKs in The World tended to be a bad thing, especially when one was forced to spend a great deal of time with her by necessity. "I mean, I know he's strong and you want to make sure he can fight Eris, but I'm not sure he can take on the three of us at…"

He stopped cold as a couple of players walked past him towards the Arena Lobby, or rather, a titan lumbered by in heavy golden armor, while a small girl in a blue one piece outfit shyly followed along, as if walking on eggshells.

'Are those…no way, they couldn't be…'

"Wahahahaha!" the golden protector of justice laughed maniacally, "Come, fellow dothacker Natsume, He of Fair Eyes awaits us in the Arena!"

The green-haired girl with him just gave a simple nod as they warped out, rings of azure light whisking them away.

'Can it really be…?'

"What the…Natsume? Was that the Edgemaniac?" exclaimed Tribal Grappler Aruna, whose face had suddenly paled. "What's another Chaotic PK doing here? And who da heck was that walking tank?"

"Well, that answers your question, Arano," the pigtailed Flick Reaper Tomoyami of the Shadow said sharply. "We don't have to worry about Skari facing us alone in the Arena, since he found two battle companions. So you can fight without guilt now, right?"

But the blond little jester simply stood there, frozen in shock and gibbering incoherently.

"But…Edgemaniac…Chaotic PK…rare item fetish…"

With an annoyed rumble, Aruna poked his friend in the shoulder a couple times, and then when didn't work, elbowed him in the side—which worked to reboot Arano's higher brain functions, albeit with an extra dose of annoyance.

"What did you do that for Aruna?" the Shadow Warlock huff once he was back to normal. "Did you really have to hit me?"

"He hit you because you blanked out again and gentler methods weren't working," related Tomoyami, a strong believer in the tough love technique of showing others you care. (At least, that's how it often seemed with how she treated Aruna in both worlds). "All he did was say the word Edgema…" She cut herself off before Arano had another fit, took a deep breath and continued. "…you know what I want to say. Why are you so traumatized anyway?"

"…I don't want to talk about it," Arano responded, his already pale face losing even more blood than usual, till his skin was lighter than freshly fallen snow. "Let's just say that she isn't quite as nice or shy as she seemed just now, especially if you show her a rare item. And now we're going to be fighting her in the Arena, with all of us wielding rare weapons. We're so screwed…"

"Eh…he does have a point there," Aruna admitted, looking at his gauntlets, Tomoyami's scythe, and Arano's grimoire.

"Hey…aren't you two supposed to be the Invincible Perverts?" their Flick Reaper (and also Chaotic PK) companion asked in exasperation. "Look, we've fought 3 on 3 battles before, 1 on 1 battles…you've even beat Eris in the past. So really, is fighting Natsume that big of a deal?"

"But…but she's a dothacker!" Arano protested, hysterically trying to make Tomoyami see reason. "Part of the legendary party that solved The World's final mystery, AND she's a Chaotic PK. There's no way we can—"

Crack! Whether employed against the Bringer of Strife or a newbie helper, a sharp slap to the face usually served to shut most people up (excepting Siarl or his real life counterpart), and here it caused Arano to focus on the task at hand.

"She may be a dothacker, Arano, but so are we," the pigtailed girl said rather firmly. "The Queen of the Dark did not choose us because we were people who were unwilling to face what scared us. She chose us because she thought we had the courage to face our fears…will you prove her wrong? Don't you want to be worthy of the title of dothacker, and be able to defeat the demons without and within? The Angel Iruel would not have been defeated without our help, so take pride in that…the three of us have fought monsters beyond human ken, so why fear a PK?"

Then her expression shifted to one of those misleadingly dangerous Cheshire Cat smiles as she indicated herself with her hands.

"Besides, if you're going to worry about a Chaotic PK's wrath, wouldn't it be better to worry about the one next to you rather than the one you're fighting?" she asked in a sweet tone laced with arsenic. "After all, I'm about as well known as she is, and just about as vicious too…you saw what I did to Kaotin—and my class is specially made for taking on multiple opponents at once."

"Euh…this must be what they call being trapped between a rock and a hard place," Aruna muttered, scratching the back of his neck as he sighed. "Give it up Arano, if we face the other one, the worst that happens is we lose. If we don't, then the Class Rep makes our life a living hell. I'm not the brightest guy, but I think I know which one I prefer."

As if he had said exactly what she wanted to hear, Tomoyami turned toward the Tribal Grapper and gave him a brilliant smile that made him question whether or not he was already dead—such a heartwarming sight from the cold-hearted tyrant of their association was not possible, was it?

"See, Aruna understands," the Flick Reaper pointed out, her goodwill and amusement still evident. "Just for that, I'll bring you lunch tomorrow."

When Aruna turned to her questioningly, and Arano's eyes were revitalized with a glimmer of mischief, the pigtailed girl knew that she had to act fast or the rumor mill would be kicked into action again.

"D-d-don't take it the wrong way. It's not like I like you or anything," she huffed, crossing her arms and putting her nose in the air. "It's just that I always end up making too much food at home anyway, and since your friends do call you 'The Stomach', I figured that would be a good reward for good use of logic."

So she said anyway, words that were apparently effective enough at their task, as the little jester Arano burst out laughing at his friend, who flushed with a measure of embarrassment, and had just begun his counterattack noogie when she coughed, causing the two to leap apart.

"Come, comrades, if we have differences, let's settle them later, alright? For now, the Arena awaits."

Arena Lobby, Ω Warring City State Lumina Cloth

With a shimmer and a familiar chime, rings of azure light rippled into existence in the Arena Lobby, fading away a moment later to reveal the form of a hulking figure armored in gold, accompanied by a petite girl in blue: the former members of Team Graphics Unbelievable.

Waiting for them was a certain PKK by the name of Skari, a slender Adept Rogue with long silver-blue hair, crimson eyes, and pale skin, wearing silver robes with wisps and curls of red over a dark coat of mail. Dark Evangel, dothacker, and now Bearer of the Twilight Bracelet, he was a boy who had many times carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, who could be as gentle as the waves lapping on the beach, or as deadly as a tsunami crashing upon an unprepared village.

He was Skari, and he had sworn to bring back the Lost Ones, whatever it took. But he was not to be the one who spoke first, not if the great "champion of justice" Piros the 3rd had anything to say about it.

"Greetings to you, young man of good eyes," the golden Lord Partizan spoke, waving his arms expansively. "You, a partner in our quest to bring justice to The World, have called us here today, so please, do take us into your party and work us to the bone!"

"Um, hello, I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Natsume," added the demure Twin Blade beside him. "I hope I'll be of use to you in your battle."

"Of course you will Natsume," the great Piros affirmed, "For you wish for happiness, and that wish is as important as the entire universe."

Skari chose to step in at this moment, lest the two get caught up in their own dialogue, forgetting he existed.

"When we faced each other in the Arena, Rumor mentioned that you were once dothackers, right?" the Adept Rogue asked quietly, his words causing both of his new companions to be quiet and pay attention. "Five years ago, during the Second Network Crisis…you knew a man named Kite, didn't you?"

"Haha, well of course," replied Piros, shooting a sly glance over to Natsume. "My dear old friend here has been stalking that dashing young man for the past few years. She's quite the clingy stalker."

Now Natsume knew the first rule of response when faced with an inconvenient truth, and much like old Shinji might have, she invoked it (for the record, its "deny, deny, deny").

"Wh-what are you talking about?" she sputtered, flushing lightly as she looked away. "I've never stalked anybody in my life!"

"There's no need to be embarrassed," the golden behemoth reassured her, before turning back to Skari. "But yes, I knew that one of fair eyes, ye of fine eyes. Then, I fought beside him as the great Silver White, as I am honored to fight beside you now as the Dull Swift Doberman!"

'Does this Piros character have a thing for eyes or something…? And "dull, swift Doberman?"'

"Then you fought with him, the Bearer of the Bracelet, against the Cursed Wave?" Skari asked intently, gripping his right arm self-consciously. "You were there in the fight to bring back the Lost Ones?"

"Why, yes I was," boasted the hulking titan of gold, his sunglasses flashing in the light of the Chaos gate. "I was even there at the final battle in the Net Slum, when the final Phase of the Wave was at last defeated."

"Then…do you know of Aura, the girl in white?"

"Hmm…you are surprisingly insightful for a simple player, ye of fine eyes," Piros answered, mentally reappraising the Dark Evangel. "Yes, according to the young man, she was one who granted him the power to save his friends. He said something about, salvation or destruction at the user's whim, as I recall."

'Salvation or Destruction…that's exactly what Reimeiki-chan said to me…'

"And do you know of her sister Lycoris, a silver-haired girl in red dress and cape?"

"Hmm…that sounds remarkably like the ghost girl rumored to be wandering the fields," the Lord Partizan recalled. "Almost like Aura indeed…"

"Ghost…girl?" Skari asked, eyes wide with realization and frantic energy. "Have you seen her? Do you know where she is?"

Seeing the shocked looks on the old dothacker's faces, Skari took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, closing his eyes.

"She's…" he began hesitantly, finding the situation hard to talk about with someone he didn't know well. 'But they're dothackers…they should understand.' "The player behind her is…in a coma. And just before her consciousness disappeared, she gave me a Twilight Bracelet, saying those same words. You see…I'm a dothacker too, one of the new ones chosen by…the Queen of the Dark, Helba."

Skari figured that surely, that name would get a reaction from the old dothackers, and so it did, but from the quiet one this time.

"Helba?" repeated the Twin Blade Natsume, tilting her head and half-smiling, though her eyes, as ever, remained closed. "If what you say is true, then I guess I can be of use to you. You see, rare equipment just shows up in my inventory from time to time, and I'm convinced that it's all a strange prank by Helba, since who else would give me things? Anyway, I guess you can have this if you want…."

The petite green-haired girl withdrew an item from her inventory and proffered it to the Adept Rogue, revealing an ebon gunblade inscribed with golden runes, a weapon that even to Skari's eyes seemed to pulse with inner power. It was no surprise then that Skari reached out-and stopped, hesitating before taking it.

"Is it really ok for me to…"

"Take it," Natume insisted gently, slightly embarrassed. "If you are indeed a dothacker and a friend of Helba, you might as well. Helba will likely place something else in my inventory next time I'm not looking anyway."

Nodding once, the Adept Rogue reached out and took the new weapon, the level 78 Demon Slice, his eyes widening as he saw that the stats on it exceeded that of practically every other gunblade available to him (with the exception of the weapon he had acquired during the Inverted Castle run, and he was not yet of a level to use that particular gunblade). With an extra 25% of landing a critical blow, and an added darkness attack, on top of a very hefty attack, Demon Slice was nothing to scoff it, to put it mildly.

'This outclasses even a normal level 130 weapon…' he thought, awestruck but suddenly very thankful that he had thought to contact the old dothackers. 'It must be a simple thing for these legends to find and give away equipment of such rarity and power…but it will be useful, a demonic gunblade to match a demonic scythe...'

"Thank you very much, Natsume," the Adept Rogue said with a smile, bowing slightly to show his deep gratitude. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Erm…if you could help me find Tri-Edge, I'd be grateful to you," the green-haired replied meekly.

"Heh…Tri-Edge…that player should be bound and worse," Piros scoffed, a hint of anger peeking out from behind his sunglasses.

"And what do you have against Tri-Edge?" Skari inquired of the overbearing Lord Partizan, not quite expecting the answer he received in response.

"It's good that you asked, ye of fine eyes, now listen to this," the self-declared Slow Doberman recounted from his own experience. "Let us say, in a completely hypothetical situation, that a graphic designer at a certain game company possessed the greatest confidence in his graphical creations, and that further he logged into his company's game to experience them in their native environment. But one day he saw something he couldn't believe right before his very eyes. His super-amazing ultra incredibly cool graphics that he slaved over for many waking hours had been all etched up with these hideous triangular monstrosities!"

The incredulous hulk was now ranting and raving, drunk with the fires of self-righteousness as he continued on.

"What blasphemy, what lunacy! Now, having transformed into a demon fueled by the fires of revenge, he searches the world for the culprit, and any others who dare to make illegal modifications to his graphical creations, springing into action faster than all!"

This time, Skari literally performed the technique known as a facepalm. Occasionally, it felt as if he were the only sane one among his friends, or the other players of The World, now that Lycoris and Skadi were both out of the picture. And although he accepted the wisdom and talents of the older dothackers as a given…Piros was seriously getting on his nerves.

"Is that story really hypothetical?" he had to ask, beginning to understand why Tomoyami was so often exasperated with idiocy.

"But of course, I said it was, didn't it?" answered the man in gleaming golden armor. "But right now, I search for the ghost girl in red, whose existence I was tipped off to recently."

'That…that might be Reimeiki-chan's form wandering The World, as Aranami-sensei said.'

"I'll help you find Tri-Edge, but I have one condition," the Adept Rogue insisted, staring down the golden one.

"Name it."

"If you find the ghost girl, don't hurt her…let me know where she is instead…" he said at last. "Because…she's someone precious to me—both as the sister of Aura, and as someone I care about deeply."

Piros the 3rd sighed deeply, but nodded his assent.

"Very well, ye of fine eyes, we are of an accord," he said as warmly as he said anything else. "What a fine look in your eyes, such righteous fire and passion. Well then, Dark Evangel, shall we proceed onward to the Arena, where those unscrupulous opponents of yours await? I, the Slow Doberman, Piros the 3rd, am at your service."

"Well then, once again, I'm Natsume," the Twin Blade murmured to Skari. "I hope we work well together."

Without another word, all three of them disappeared into rings of azure of light, as the match was about to begin.

'I…appreciate the support and the new weapon, but maybe, just maybe, I should have tried fighting solo…'

Arena, Ω Warring City State Lumina Cloth

One might expect that after several rounds of the Holy Palace Tournament, the crowds would have settled down, as the novelty of seeing players battle it out in the Arena would have worn off over time, leaving only the diehard fanatics in the audience. But then, one would have been wrong. The previous matches, for all their excitement, involving ritual duels to the (virtual) death, Chaotic PKKs, legendary players, and mysterious swordsmen with one-hit kill techniques, had only whetted the crowd's appetite for a spectacle unlike anything The World had ever seen.

The two teams had not yet arrived in the Arena, and already the atmosphere was tense, an undercurrent of excitement crackling in the air, as rumors, bets, and wild speculation ran rampant in the stands.

"He's going to be here today…the legendary PKK, the Dark Evangel…" whispered one.

"I hear he's been corrupted by something, changed into a malevolent spirit of vengeance, an Alastor of legend," another alleged, repeating what she had heard on the message boards.

"Did you hear…in his last match, he fought his father in single combat…and he won!" yet another of the Skari cheering section recalled.

"That's nothing…his opponent this time is none other than Tomoyami of the Shadow, the Chaotic PK rumored to be the fiercest of them all…she defeated Kaotin in the Shadows, even with a class disadvantage! And she'll defeat that upstart PKK too, I'm sure of it. I'll even bet my rare weapon, Spider's Karma, that she'll win."

"Heh…you're on, and I'll match your Spider's Karma with a Flame Sword."

And then, all of the sudden, there was absolute silence, the buzzing of conversation, the sound of breathing absent as the Commentator rose to his feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen," his distinctive voice boomed out into assembled masses. "Welcome to the Semi-Finals of the Holy Palace Tournament! Our guests today are the legendary sage Morganna…and the enigmatic Gendor!"

"Well well, what do we have here…a clash of legends new and old …" the former goddess murmured.

"May you find your key to the truth," added the Steam Gunner in black.

With the crowds gathered in the Arena thirsty for blood, even a simple statement like that could stoke them into a wild frenzy. And so they roared in anticipation, even as the Commentator continued to speak, introducing the very worthy opponents who would face each other in the ring.

"Here they come, our grand tsunami, one of the undeniable favorites of the tournament," the man proclaimed, as the azure rings warped into sight an Adept Rogue, a Lord Partizan, and a Twin Blade. "The unstoppable power of the cursed wave is about strike once more, with the Skari the Dark Evangel joining forces with the most feared duo to stalk the Lost Grounds and Root Towns, the terror of evildoers and meddlers everywhere…Piros the 3rd and Natsume the Edgemaniac! Their very existence is almost illegal! Ladies and gentlemen, here comes team Dark Evangel!"

Catcalls, howls, and wild yelping burst from the masses above as the three in question were warped to the isle of battle.

"One of future, two of past, together three conjoined in present in the fight against the shadow," Morganna murmured quietly.

'Stubbornness, a goal, a willingness not to give in… an exceptionally strong mind is needed to control one's dark side, Bracelet Bearer…'

"And here's the challenger, the indomitable Tomoyami of the Shadow, a Chaotic PK of unsurpassed power and skill!" the Commentator hollered out into the stands in his over the top style, inviting—and receiving—yet more roars of approval. "An elegant lady of war, a goddess of death, in appearance refined but in ferocity like a demon! It is rumored that anyone who comes close enough to see the sigil of darkness upon her pale face will be slain by the might of the Unyielding Shadow. Together with the Invincible Perverts, once again, the scythe of the reaper is hungry for new blood, as they try to bring down Team Dark Evangel!"

Rings of azure light warped said trio into the Arena, and then to the battle isle, where they stared down their opponents with looks that might have been able to kill on an already sunny day.

"Here she is, the mighty Flick Reaper herself. Tomoyami's team has made her entrance, and they are pumped. Both teams have made it here after impressive battles…the epic clash of the titans is about to begin!"

The thought in all six combatants on the field was the same that day: 'Let's do this!'

"Alright then, let the match begin!" the Commentator roared, signaling the outbreak of battle, as the cries of the spectators called for blood.

"Reaper's Dance!" "Dust Bullet!"

Thosewere the battle cries of Tomoyami and Skari, respectively, choosing to open the match with their most powerful skills, with one leaping at her foe, demonically sharp Scythe poised to strike.

'If I can just get past his longer range and bring him into my sphere of control…'

Twas not to be, as an orb of blue energy slammed into her, a powerful shot that eroded away some of her heavy armor. For as a Flick Reaper, a medium range area attack class, she was weak to long range attacks from a single opponent. Skari knew this, and so was filling the air with shrapnel as he continued to fire, burning his SP shot by shot.

Until at last the two drew together, their weapons colliding with a jarring clang!

As for the others…

"WAHAHAHA! So at long last, we meet, weaklings! Heavenly Rage!"

To start things off, the hulking figure in gold leapt full into the air, and in very aerodynamically improbable series of maneuvers, somersaulted twice and flipped to land in front of Tribal Grappler Arano, his Lance Snake whirling like a drill sharp enough to pierce the heavens.

'What the…who the hell is this guy?ǃ' reeled Aruna, barely dodging the blows with his superior speed, as he sought an opening in his opponent's defense. Lord Partizans aren't supposed to be able to move like that!'

Of course, Aruna wasn't about to let the other usurp his role of fast physical attacker, so he nimbly jumped back again and again to avoid the longer weapon—and then, when a fractional opening came.

"You really think you can win?" the bare-chested Tribal Grappler taunted, almost throwing out his chest at the enemy. "How about a taste of my divine fist? Who the hell do you think I am...punch! Shell Shock!"

But his charged fists only ended up striking cold steel, as Piros the 3rd interposed his spear between himself and the enemy, sneering at him.

"Hah! Not bad for an unknown!" he conceded, slashing once, twice, and then jabbing forward where he predicted the Tribal Grappler might be, the drill sparking as it whirred and struck. "Prepare to die, you scurrilous wretch!"

"Palm Blast!" was all Aruna said in response, gambling by jumping onto his opponent's Lance to launch himself into the air and twisting his body to attack from above.

"Heh. Scarlet Thrust!" countered the hulking figure in gold, sidestepping as he knocked Aruna from the air with his spear.

'Any minute now, Arano is going to use the same strategy he did last time, and cast a confusion spell on these two…right?'

However, it was not to be, as Shadow Warlock Arano had made the fatal mistake of bringing a rare and powerful grimoire to this battle—and if there was anything that could cause Natsume to shift personality from her innocent self into the Edgemaniac, it was the sight of a rare.

"A rare…give it to me! Chaotic Strike!" the Twin Blade shrieked, exploding forward with all the speed inherent in her class, dual swords glowing with an unholy light as they whirled about, whistling towards his unarmored form and promising pain.

"Dek Do! Mumyn Lei!" he managed to yell out in the second before contact, an aura of darkness forming around Natsume and reducing her formidable speed to a level he could deal with, while putting her to sleep.

Or so he thought, as the magical aura emerged and faded, leaving the fierce Edgemaniac…unaffected? Just as her blades slammed into his body, the sheer force in her powerful blows sending him reeling, even as he struggled to cast another spell, but found her could not. Only managing to use his book for an unintended purpose—blocking the waves of successive strikes.

'What the—? Her armor must have a special enhancement that nullifies status effects! But then, my strategy against the supports is…oh shit.'

Battle was not the time to be distracted by stray thoughts, as unexpected kicks to the stomach and side sent him sprawling to the Arena floor.

'I knew going into this that this really wasn't going to end well…'

"Well, if you won't give it to me, I'll just have to take it away from you!" she howled in blood lust, fueling her onslaught with the desire to relieve the Shadow Warlock of his weapon by any means necessary. "Ghost Falcon!"

The not-so-innocent Twin Blade rushed at the fallen caster, full strength and ferocity unsealed by her desire, dual swords gleaming wickedly as they spelled his doom.

'But she made a mistake…since she hasn't hit me again quite yet—I can cast.'

"OrLei Zas!"

From his open hands, a fistful of lightning surged forth, slamming into the onrushing Chaotic PKand knocking her back, buying Arano a moment of respite.

"I'm not out of this yet, Edgemaniac!" he spat defiantly, getting to his feet. "If you want this rare item…come and get it!"

'If I can just hold off a little longer, my equipped accessories will heal me…'

Meanwhile, in the center of the Arena…

"Heavenly Wheel!" Tomoyami howled, having closed the distance so that Skari was now within her threat envelope, and outside of his optimal strike zone. Down swept her scythe, brutally slamming into the robed form of the Adept Rogue—who only grinned, pressing a bayonet into the Flick Reaper's stomach.

'Perfect…she acted as I thought she would…Center the target…and pull the switch!"

"Counterattack! Tempest Blast!" he shouted, unleashing a point blank piercing strike against his foe, the impact throwing her off balance enough for Skari to slide inside her reach, and using all the speed and agility he could gather on short notice, changed weapons, unleashing "Whirlwind!" and "Ghost Falcon!" against his adversary's exposed form. "Finished yet, Tomoyami?"

But the Flick Reaper wasn't completely out of tricks, letting the momentum of his strikes take her in mid-air, so that she could use the moment of inertia they imparted to spin and counter!

"Guh…nice ploy," she acknowledged with a snort, smashing the haft of her scythe into Skari's chest and following up with a vicious kick to the face, "but if you think that's all I've got, you've learned nothing. Don't take me lightly…who the hell do you think I am?"

With a kick to the crotch and a palm to the face, the Adept Rogue was tossed unceremoniously to the ground, with the Chaotic PK giving chase, scythe's blade slicing down—clang!—to meet with the stone of the Arena floor as Skari rolled out of the way!

"I'll admit you're strong," the Adept Rogue and PKK growled, recovering to his feet. "But not strong enough to keep me down! Sphere Bullet!"

A quick weapon change, and a blast of light erupted, streaking from gunblade towards the Chaotic PK, only to be batted out of the way by a scytheas the Dark Evangel fought the demon Tomoyami of the Shadow!

And speaking of hotbloodedness…

"I'm not through with you yet, whoever the hell you think you are!" Tribal Grappler Aruna howled, fists glowing in rage as he charged, sidestepping and ducking low to avoid the rampaging swift Doberman's offhand backhand and spinning spear, closing in—and striking! "King Hammer!"

His gauntleted fists slammed into the heavy golden armor of the Lord Partizan in a wave of percussive blasts, hammering at the hard outer shell to crack it and reach the vulnerable behemoth inside—but he didn't count on a headbutt, or an armored fist in his own solar plexus, the force behind Piros' attack opening up just enough room for—

"Spin on! Piercing Heaven!"

So the golden beast roared, as Piros the 3rd thrust with his over-sized progressive drill, the gigas impact flinging Aruna into the air, with the Swift Doberman following, unleashing his ultimate technique as he catapulted himself upwards and turned his body into a living weapon: Spiral of Death - Piroshi Body Press!

KABOOM!

A titanic CRASH sounded from the center of the Arena, as the Tribal Grappler was smashed into the dirt by the Lord Partizan's incredible bulk, only for the hulk to be tossed off a raging, if wounded, man with a surge of strength lent by desperation.

"Tiger Bite!" he roared, unwilling to admit defeat, gauntlets pummeling the titan again and again in a veritable monsoon of blows. "You think I'm beaten? You think I'll fall? That it's impossible, laughable that I might beat you? Hah…whether it's impossible or absurd, I will fight you to the end, and carve a victory with these hands!"

Up swept the foe-tossing drill spear, spun quickly to serve as a shield, striking the defiant Aruna in side, neck, leg, head.

"Heh…you cannot do so, for I am as a tank, an invincible wall!" Piros laughed in his face. "Indeed, you pathetic human beings not worthy enough to know my name, but nonetheless I tell you so you may know the name of the one who crushed you. The raging swift Doberman, magnificent eagle man of blue cloudy weather, the great golden warrior of justice — Piros the 3rd!"

The tribal grappler was down on one knee now, arms raised in an X-cross to ward off further blows, but he quickly came up with a plan, throwing himself to the floor and executing a flawless leg sweep that took advantage of Piros' top heavy nature to knock the golden titan off balance, sending him down and rolling across the Arena's stone floor.

"Piros the 3rd, eh?" he hissed, following the rolling golden one with theatrics of his own, bounding ahead of the Lord Partizan and stopping him with a flying kick. "You say you're a wall…I'll break you down! I'm not beaten so easily…who the hell do you think I am…KICK?ǃ Now take this...Shell Shock!"

A point blank delivery of raging power finally cracked the shell of the Slow Doberman, even as the other lanced and thrust with his weapon to recover range, wary respect in his eyes hidden behind the sunglasses.

Natsume and Arano's duel, however, was much less full of theatrics and histrionics, and to the Twin Blade's grudging surprise, the Shadow Warlock was managing to hang on. The Edgemaniac had rather thought that once her opponent – a caster not suited to melee – had been downed, it would have been a simple matter to dispose of him, but there was more fight in Arano than it had initially appeared was the case.

"If you want the rare, come at me!" the Shadow Warlock taunted, book and hand upraised while preparing a silent spell cast of the highest order. "OrGan Bolg! OrAni Zot! OrVak Don!"

Grinning maniacally, the Chaotic PK Natsume barreled towards him, blades outstretched—as the stretch of field between them was distorted by the powerful magicks he unleashed, with fireballs raining from the heavens, rocks hurtling upward and then down, and claws of shadow reaching up from the ground to drag any who dared enter to down to the abyss.

In the aftermath of the most powerful combination of spells yet seen, a veil of smoke obscured the area where the Edgemaniac had once stood.

'Heh…I guess I've won,' he thought cockily, smirking as he waited for the smoke to clear. 'She may be immune to status effects, but there's no way she could have survived that!'

He really shouldn't have tempted fate with the last line, as Murphy always found a way to intervene—especially as Arano had more or less repeated the Third Child's mistake against the Fourth Angel.

"Ghost Falcon!" came a furious roar from behind him, as the wounded Chaotic PK's blades tore through his robes as if they were naught but tissue paper. "Another caster did the same thing…and the same trick won't work on me twice! Gale Blade!"

Twas time for a desperation gambit, so the Shadow Warlock threw himself forward and spun around quickly, holding up his precious rare grimoire to block the dual swords hurtling at him, trapping them as they stabbed through the thick leatherbound volume.

"Tomoyami, use it now!" he yelled, hoping against hope that his leader would hear him, since he couldn't hold Natsume off for much longer.

In midair, blinding sparks flew with the speed of sound, as two figures clashed, scythe against blades—two friends locked in a duel to the death to determine who would be worthy of moving to the finals.

Clang! Clash! Whirr! Twang!

Bayonet against Scythe they fought, their individual movements a blur as the battle raged onwards, their feet barely touching the floor as they danced and leapt and twirled, putting their faith into their skill and weapons as they loosed their most powerful of skills once more.

"Dust Bullet! Sphere Bullet!" Skaricalled out, unleashing twin blasts of azure light in an attempt to finish his foe.

But quicker than the eye could see, Tomoyami evaded, her deadly scythe screaming towards the Adept Rogue, as she wove the blade in complex patterns of death.

"Reaper's Dance! Rue Kruz!"

Orbs of water sprung full formed from the aether, hurtling towards the Adept Rogue in time with Tomoyami, and though Skari blocked the scythe, the spell was then rendered unavoidable, orbs striking one after another, hammering and tattering his form—and yet he stood his ground.

And then the Flick Reaper heard the plea of her comrade and leapt back, putting away her weapon as she prepared the most powerful skill her party could use.

"I see…" Tomoyami murmured, eyes flashing as she looked upon her opponent. "You've fought hard, Skari, but I'm afraid all you've done is dig yourself a deeper hole with each skill you use and I've countered with. It looks like you still have much to learn Skari…but be honored that it took this to end you this day!"

And then the ground rumbled, the sky grew dark, as the Flick Reaper summoned the collective might of her party's battle aura with four chilling words:

"Divine Awakening: Plasma Blade!"

As a side effect, Skari and his party could only watch helplessly as they was stripped of any equipment effects that would allow resistance to the damage to come, as Tomoyami of the Shadow called from the very air itself, a gale of plasma, shaping it in her upraised hands to form a scythe of light.

"Here it comes, are you ready?" she taunted, using the full power in her virtual legs to hurtle high into the sky, disappearing from sight like a shooting star—and hurtling down as a glowing plasma meteor from above, the shockwave of fire spilling all over the floating battle isle. "Taste the power of the World! DIE!"

The flames engulfed the entire battle platform, with the audience frozen as they watched what seemed the final blow of the match—but when the plasma storm faded, Skari remained standing, striding from the flames with an unflinching walk, accompanied by his party members, who had also survived, if only just.

"What…but how?" the Flick Reaper looked on helplessly, as the foe renewed their onslaught, with Skari facing her, bayonet in hand. "To survive a Divine Awakening after taking so much…that should be…"

"Impossible?" the Adept Rogue asked with a smirk, declaring his existence to The World at large. "Maybe so, but here I stand. I've lost too much to be beaten here…and even should I be threatened with the terror of death by the reaper herself, by my enemy that is unyielding fate, my feelings will blaze a path to the dawn. Even if the vastness of The World itself was to stand against me, I will stand in defiance, forging my own destiny with these two hands! I am not my father, I am not Eris who gives in to weakness, I am not anybody else…I am myself."

This time, it was the Dark Evangel who put away his gunblade, an unholy light filling his eyes as he returned Tomoyami's earlier favor.

"Really, do you think I'll just run away from responsibility by accepting defeat? Do you really think I won't be able to beat you if you stand between me and saving the Lost Ones? I'll show you my determination...all of the feelings I've carved deep into both worlds are going into this final blast! Because who the hell do you think I am?" he roared, calling the fighting spirit of his comrades to him with four words:

"Divine Awakening: Hellfire Quake!"

Between the hands of the Messenger of Darkness, the Apostle of Destruction, a chaotic orb of dark fire swiftly gathered, a swirling mass of untamed shadow and flame, and then he brought his hands together, shaping from that amorphous blob of pure power a great sword of chaotic fire, which he swung upwards over his shoulder as if to heft it—

—and then slashed forward and down, unleashing a wave motion blast like a flamethrower on steroids that shot from the sword towards his enemies, a surge of heat and light that tore open a dislocation in space itself, literally ripping the surface of the battle isle in half…the energy bleeding from its edges alone proving deadly, as Team AIDA fell to the unexpected onslaught.

When the blinding light faded and all could see once again, it was not the Unyielding Shadow, but the Dark Evangel who stood triumphant, as the crowds erupted into a chorus of cheers, shocked shouts, and applause, (figuratively) blown away by the most epic battle of the Arena...and the promise of even more to come.

Being the gentleman he was, the Commentator allowed them a few moments to talk among themselves before interjecting his own remarks (which was, after all, his job).

"It's…ladies and gentlemen, that was unbelievable!" he bellowed to the crowds, who roared in approval at the spectacle before them. "The winner of this round of the Holy Palace Tournament Semi-Finals, who will face Eris, Bringer of Strife for the title of Emperor is… the unstoppable Dark Evangel!"

"So, he has found his indispensable truth after all," observed Gendor, with the unshaven man having studied the unfolding events carefully. "So this is what he has learned as a result of that battle against me…how interesting. You have shaped things to give him more confidence, even as you make him into a weapon. Just whose side are you on, anyway, Morganna?"

"Yes indeed, he has found it within himself to master light and shadow, the path of Twilight, becoming a weapon by his own choice," replied the enigmatic Morganna. "And as for what side I'm on…the answer would be the same you might give…my own."

In the center of the Arena, the two teams shook hands in a show of respect.

"You didn't hold back after all," commented the pigtailed girl, accepting her defeat with grace. "Well done, Dark Evangel."

"Neither did you, and you almost won, even with the aid of my new allies, the old dothackers," the Adept Rogue replied in turn, deferring to his beaten foe. "You taught me well these few weeks…I am glad to have you as a comrade and a friend."

"Ah, so Arano was right about them," Tomoyami noted, studying the odd couple of Piros the 3rd and Natsume, the latter having reverted to her former self (not remembering the match at all) when Arano handed over a rare blade to sate her thirst for items. "That certainly explains a lot…but you know as well as I that in the heat of battle, almost doesn't count for much."

"Indeed."