In the Octarian Palace, time felt like more than a construct as in comes a blast from the past, the throne room graced with some familiar faces from days of old. The same face now found themselves busy at work outside disrupting Queen Octavio's plans. She watches on lazily from her throne with a bored look, not very entertained by the battles unfolding before her. On the other hand, Charles is sweating buckets watching the action continue, wiping off the bullets that fall like raindrops to the floor. Still unaccustomed to watching fights, he found this to be far more terrifying than the intense sparring sessions between the Royal Guardsmen units that he'd pass by while walking through the palace. In those sessions, he saw the brilliance and power of the Grand Elite trio and understood why they were selected by the queen as her personal guards, believing them to be the strongest people he ever met, but here they were locked in some difficult battles against people who were either supposed legends with stories meant to be fiction or complete strangers, and they were giving the strongest the queen had to offer a run for their money. Out of the trio of fights occurring, the one that caught his eye the most was the duel between May and Han as a battle between a ninja and archer. Both had pace and a considerable amount of skill in evasion and accuracy, which resulted in their attacks mostly being deflected or dodged with reliance on their expertise in ranged combat. However, at the moment, that wasn't much of the case. Han's on the attack throwing a combination of punches and kicks, twisting his body and even taking flight, but each hit is blocked by her bow that she treats like a staff. Han's desperate to get a solid strike, but her defense and elusiveness prove superior with the situation far from favorable for him; attempting to continue this futile offense would only work against him. Several kunai are thrown clashing with several arrows right afterwards, sparks flying on impact. Han's gone like the wind midst the confusion of shooting them down. May scans the proximity with yet another arrow nocked in a readied stance, her head moving like a turret surveying her surroundings. Her precision with the bow is enough to keep Han on his guard even when hiding behind the pillar, careful to stay off her radar after creating some breathing space. He was warned ahead of time by Jonah of her potential, but those words didn't do her justice; as a skilled assassin in espionage, this was the first in a long time that he felt such an intimidating pressure. May takes a few steps forward and begins whistling like a hunter would searching for prey, bending her knees and aiming her bow at some pillars with her gaze at the shadows, looking for anything abstract. Without hesitation, she fires an arrow that pierces the wall; unsure if it was meant to draw him out, the arrow was actually two columns away from where Han was hiding. He reviews everything and pieces together a way to battle her, leaving it to a matter of him having to be quicker if he'll have the edge. She had youth on her side, a better ranged weapon, and she knew the layout of the palace, but he had in his corner that invaluable experience, a plethora of items at his disposal, and a possible edge in close quarter combat should it come to that, noting that her attachment with the bow meant that she'd likely be useless without it. Thinking time is over, as the next arrow shot nearly grazes Han to his left, and to his right, a shadowy figure emerges with firing a shot in mid air. Han's instincts scream for him to run, witnessing the glint in her widened eyes as the first shot glaringly misses his neck. He substitutes himself with a doll of a squid and sneaks a few steps away, hopping between walls and columns to get away; May isn't amused by how much he's running away, and clicking her tongue, she whispers an enchantment-a golden ring appearing under her. With her back straightened and her arms in position, she aims her bow at his shifting back and then releases, her body flying like a thunderbolt towards him without a trace. In a few seconds, Han felt an overwhelming pressure behind and noticed that May closed the distance in an instant; at the last second he threw out another substitute which this time was a log, doing so just in time as May shot several arrows through the log. Han rolls away and arrives at the center of the throne room again, aware he can't continue to avoid her or else she'll catch him eventually. A body does a trio of chain flips and throws a log at the ground that crashes at the feet of Han, the girl standing menacingly with another arrow pulled from her quiver. A sharp gaze on her opponent, she's keen on taking him down within the next set of arrows-that much he could tell; the next time will decide their battle.
Around that time in another corner of the room, Anzi and Hachigo were going at it with a flashy exchange of Anzi's scythe against the arsenal of Hachigo, who had several weapons on her in preparation for this moment. The scythe she wields is like an extension of her body, used for her mobility to closing down the space Hachigo attempted to force when she hit a disadvantage. Several times, Hachigo felt herself become entangled in the traps of Anzi, only escaping due to her quick wits and experience in combat. Right now, Hachigo had a pair of small daggers at her disposal along with her trusty gun at her hip, an elastic whip around her wrist that resembles an over sized bracelet and a strange circular device that she wore on her back that seemed to be octarian tech like the whip. The Grand Elite stood with her shoulders tall and her chin lowered, analyzing her opponent further. No words were said but their glares do the talking, speaking of the unlikely reunion between the two. Anzi recalled Hachigo from years ago when they fought together under DJ Octavio, as that was the last time they ever saw each other. So much has changed. If it wasn't blasphemy enough that Hachigo worked alongside the former king, she also sides with inklings? How far from grace she fell in the eyes of the proud knight of Candice, who could only shake her head with displeasure. Hachigo isn't interested in the idle looks and brings the fight to Anzi instead, the haunting image of Abraham's death returning as she remembered why she couldn't lose there. Anzi does a powerful swing with scythe again like a powerful hurricane they send a gust; Hachigo weaves around the power razor winds, careful not to touch them and risk losing a limb from the bursting air pressure. She throws one dagger at Anzi and then the other, but both miss their mark and bounce off the floor behind her, to which Hachigo does a heaved pulling motion on the run and recalls them, both daggers do minor cuts to her arms on the way back to their master. Anzi doesn't flinch from the sudden sting, but she's a tad surprised that Hachigo had such a trick up her sleeve. As the daggers return, Anzi could see the once invisible wires around her fingers shine in the light now that she showed that card; that's the first and last time she can use that move.
"Such a party trick won't work again, are you sure it was wise to use that so early?"
"I'll take my time."
At the center of the throne room was the fight between Weiden and Jonah. Thus far, the captain of the Resistance used his brute strength to tank most of the strike from Weiden, returning some with tenfold the power, which was why Weiden had to create some space on certain attacks. That wasn't the case of this moment, as Weiden challenged the toughness of Jonah and got in his face attempting a thrust and lunge consecutively, which Jonah could only use hand chops to deflect them, the window to avoid injuring himself on the parrying so marginal it was impressive he was surviving this long against the top swordsman. The speed and strength of Weiden wasn't anything to underestimate however, and Jonah realized it immediately the more he had to focus on defending rather than attacking. Jonah continues the offensive barrage by quickly hammering away at the defenses of Jonah until finally, the octoling can't hold out. A brutal cross body swing slashes his body, but the cut wasn't too deep. "Urgha!" Jonah struggles with a grunt, kicking Weiden away; Sky fires a few shots to create some space between them and hurries over to the captain. He's breathing heavily after that scramble. It was a lucky thing he had Sky on his side. Though she was a little slow on the reaction this time around-likely from the surprise of seeing such a high caliber fight-she was helpful in creating brief moments of recovery for Jonah, who focused on the close combat while she was to stay at a safe distance and alternate, but unfortunately Weiden was fighting in such a way that it was difficult for her to fire a shot without Jonah caught in the line.
Weiden laughs arrogantly, growing louder the longer he watched Jonah struggle to control his breathing. Aware of what they were attempting to do, he found amusing at how quickly the plan was falling apart as Jonah couldn't generate enough offense and Sky became a double-edged sword unable to be utilized. "The amazing soldier who achieved the highest honors, one of the only few I considered to be equal to me in talent, and this is what you've become? Losing an arm for a pathetic inkling? All those years you spent planning for this day and it gets screwed over before it ever began. Jonah, I'm sure you know this will be your final battle."
Sky's upset by his words but Jonah shrugs them off, "If you're talking this much already that must mean we've got you scared, huh? My final battle? Damn, right! After this, I'll spend the rest of my days devoted to rebuilding this broken nation and create paradise for all my brothers and sisters. I will not die!" he declares, inspiring Sky with his refusal to falter.
Weiden rolls his eyes, "Playing tough for the little girl, aren't you...Oh, that reminds me. Child, that spear you carry wouldn't happen to belong to Hatu, would it?" Jonah's face hardened and he looked over to Sky with a look telling her to ignore the enemy's words; Sky kept silent. "Ah, won't talk eh? Fine, then I'll humor you with the truth about Hatu. What he probably never told you." Sky swallows the lump in her throat, prepared for whatever he might say next; "He was a coward, a brat who never had the guts to face us. After his dear sister kicked the bucket, he went into hiding for several years seeking refuge in the villages on the outskirts. For years we wondered why it was near impossible to sweep anyone from there when it was supposed to be the most poverty stricken area, but of course we'd never believe it was Hatu defending that area. Props to you Jonah, I'm sure you had a hand in that." Jonah's got a cold sweat, both from the pain in his missing arm and the pain of remembering Hatu; at a time like now, that invaluable talent he had mattered most. "Years went by that he never attempted revenge on us-I'm sure he told you he was waiting for the right moment to get back at us, but the truth is that he was scared. Scared to face the people who killed Nali, scared to suffer the same fate-if not worse. Hatu was just a scared child who couldn't accept fate, and it marked the end of him when he died trying to save a miserable pest like you, inkling."
After that comment, Sky's eyes widened with her face seething red to the point it looked like she was boiling, her grip on the spear tightening and her heart pumping like pistons. More than anything, she wanted to snap this man in half after what he just said. A coward? Scared? How dare he spew such insults! She only knew him for a few weeks but she understood him well in that brief time. Remembering Hatu, and Shiva, whom she had no clue if all was well on the surface with her, she calmed down and recalled her mistake earlier that cost Jonah an arm; she knew Weiden was only manipulating her in hopes she fed her rage. Unlike earlier when she smelled the death and desperation clogging the airwaves in the village with the smoke, she inhaled the cool air within the throne room and exhaled calmly with a cold glare, her hair glowing as she brings out Midnight under conditions suitable. No ring of fire. No other enemies to fight. Just her and him. "Hatu's last words are the reason I'm here, the legacy of his sister and the legacy he left behind are carried by me." she assumes her battle stance with the spear pointed at Weiden, her guns on her waist and back and a cold fire engulfing her body, "You call me a pest, but I can tell you've never danced with an inkling like me. Allow me to show you why the fear locked up in your heart will be carved out soon enough."
Jonah and Weiden alike are surprised by her words, from tone to demeanor. It didn't feel like some kid was on the battlefield anymore, but rather, a seasoned campaigner who'd already lost their soul the moment they stained their hands with blood. The brutality in her blue irises carried a chilling shine, one of someone who'd seen enough to be prepared for this moment. What she saw ahead of her wasn't Weiden or even the queen, but of a legacy fulfilled by Hatu and Nali and all those who lost their lives for an attainable future where Octaria can be changed for the better, where she could go back home and see her family and friends; With that glimmer of hope within her grasps, Midnight Sky's determination became vibrant! Weiden braces himself, sensing that Jonah wasn't the one he should've focused his strength on, but rather the mystery girl who carried some dangerous weapons of her own. Jonah flashes a hopeful grin, thankful he brought her along, for she might be the very key to capturing victory in this throne room.
While the Grand Elites are busy battling the strongest that the resistance has to offer, Candice Octavio no longer sat lazily in her throne chair and instead sat upright with her chin raised and her eyes critical of every fight. She read the glances of her guards and the movements of the enemy. She liked the serious look of May, and the determined look of Anzi, but she didn't enjoy seeing Weiden's worrisome look, finding it intolerable to have such an attitude against an opponent he stood head and shoulders above both literally and figuratively. She found the movements of the resistance to be amusing as well, giving a titter and giggle watching Han and Jonah struggle. From what DJ Octavio saw from afar, she looked quite too carefree of a leader given the circumstances. After all, her nation was under attack with her forces in battle on two different battlegrounds, her strongest guards were fighting in the very same throne room she sat in with her life in peril, and here she was sitting comfortably enjoying it all as if it were a show. She smirked to herself, a smirk he knew all too well as her former husband that she was up to something even though he couldn't read her thoughts. As she looks his way with a glare at how obvious he was staring, he averts her glare, next time looking up to see her kiss Charles on the cheek as a taunt, which Charles melted immediately; DJ Octavio's head blew off and did a flip. As he calms down, making sure not to get caught up in her antics, he notices that something indeed did seem strange about the configuration of the room, recalling how abstract the patterns of the tile floor differ the closer you approach the throne room; where the tiles were in a vertical dual color pattern, the closer to thee throne chair up the steps, the more the patterns tilted at an angle. Not only that, but the columns also differed from how he recalled them, as they looked less blocky and more curved and then there was the entire throne room itself: spacious beyond belief! He was all about a grand room, but something felt empty about this one. Why all this open space? The other officials weren't anywhere to be seen, which was already suspicious as it is but not so big a deal, but what was this nagging feeling he couldn't shake that he was missing out on something so important?
The giant machines of Octaria are working overtime in handling the resistance, although it was rather late with how deep the enemy forces infested their formation. In the thick of the chaos and panic, the 8 Legs shined on the battlefield. Denise, Roujou and Ayumi were battling Darwin at the moment, and thus far the team chemistry of the two ninja proved effective in slowing down the powerful guard; Darwin was wary of Denise and her capability as the 5th leg, which worked as a great distraction for the duo. The ninjas tossed up everything in their arsenal to keep Darwin at bay while Denise focused on healing anyone nearby who were injured in the battle, occasionally assisting the pair with a thunderous attack that reinforced that of the three to be most concerned with on Darwin's part, it was the octoling with an angelic smile and raw power hidden beneath that facade. Darwin's go to weapon was a morning star, but it didn't do much help in combating a pair of speedster ninjas that constantly had him swinging that metal with spike around deflecting their shuriken and kunai, and when he caught a break with that, the pair breathed ink as a smokescreen and blinded him as well as making the ground before him slippery. Also having a difficult time handling the teamwork of the 8 Legs was Finn, who found that although his dual spear style was advantageous in this situation, his opponent's defense was far stronger than the halfhearted lunges he made. Sigmund, known as "The Tankiest *extended expletive* on the planet" (His words), his impenetrable defensive form coupled with the polished defensive techniques Faye used made them a dual threat of another kind: the defensive specialists facing off against the ultimate offensive specialist. If there was anyone who could break through the strongest of defenses, it'd be Finn and likewise if there was anyone who could tank through anything, it'd be the combined power of Sigmund and Faye. There was one royal guardsmen who wasn't struggling against their opponents in the early stages at least, and that was the top of the chain hierarchy of elite guards right under the Grand Elites. Gnarby's dual blade style was considered to be only second to the swordsmanship of Weiden, boasting more power than May when she wields, though she wasn't exactly who you'd call a swordsman to begin with. From his grip on the hilt to his footwork and concentrated power, every swing he threw felt like a massive building was about to fall on the person, exerting an unbelievable amount of strength and precision in his swings that the air pressure alone was similar to Anzi's when she swung her scythe. Porter and Veronica weren't strangers to such power as they saw it up close when they served the queen, but even after all these years it was still incredible to witness. A task that was worthy of the top 2 within the 8 Legs, Porter and Veronica were joined by Pastelle, who wields Hatu's dagger. At the start of the fight Gnarby noticed it and wondered what her relationship to the late octoling was, insulting her for daring to carry the weapon of an octoling. Spewing racial slurs at the child, he met the fist of Porter, which prompted the battle to get as ferocious as it has been. Throughout the fight, Gnarby drove home that Pastelle didn't belong in the underground and didn't have any business fighting alongside them, telling her to go back to where she came from and butt out of their affairs, but Pastelle's resolve didn't waver in the face of such harsh criticism. Porter and Veronica especially were proud to see the fight in her eyes, recalling her determination carrying a similarity to Hatu in a way. How she spoke of octolings, addressing her seniors and her friends she made along the way as irreplaceable people in her life, she made it clear that she didn't care about the barriers placed between the races nor would she let them define those relationships. With swift reflexes honed from her training as an agent, Pastelle brought a tenacious fight to Gnarby, indifferent of dual blades; she vowed to kill him with Hatu's dagger or suffer a bitter end. After such a declaration, her seniors couldn't let her carry such intensity on her own, and joined her overwhelming Gnarby, but his skill with the sword proved more than enough to be a match.
As battle in Octaria rages on, more people around Octaria take notice in all the ruckus, witnessing the pile of smoke and fireworks off in the distance. Little did they know that the next hour will be an unforgettable experience that will forever change their lives and the face of this country. There are many questions to be answered in the hearts of everyone involved in this battle for the queen's crown. How could Jonah and the others overcome the great wall of the Grand Elites? Can the 8 Legs overcome their monumental obstacles and steer the resistance to victory and join their leader? And what did Candice Octavio have up her sleeve?
