The arena was full of gems once more, this time gems from Yellow's court and gems from Black Diamond's growing court. The clear difference between Yellow's court gems was that the ones that went over to Black's court were all black clothing with a diamond on their chest with a dark color of their former court. Yellow Diamond sat in the middle of the arena in a mediating position while her Pearl stood by her, ignoring the mumbling of the crowd as she waited for her opponent.
'Black, I swear that you will fall this day.' she thought as her gem flashed with energy before dulling down. 'You won't win like you did against Pink and Blue, not with what I have hidden.'
"Why does it feel like today is more serious then the previous battles?" Spinel asked as she looked around to the crowd.
"Because Yellow Diamond is a tough gem, toughest of them all." Lapis said, showing up after flying around the arena. "Beating her in in a fight won't be easy."
"If that's true, then White will be a cake walk after this." Black said with confidence but was still cautious. "I can tell she's been training for this. She more ready for me than Pink and Blue were combined. This is gonna be tough."
"Don't worry. You can do it, Black" Right Rutile said.
"Yeah. You trained too, trust in it." Left Rutile said.
Why were the Rutile twins in the arena floor? Black decided to make a statement and show that he accepts all into his court, even defects and fusions, so he revealed all of the Off Colors were a part of his court as they stood in the arena with him.
'I wonder how White will react to my statement hehe.' Black thought before turning to his inner circle, his closest friends.
"Thanks, guys." Black Diamond said with a smile.
"Any time, nervousness or not." Rhodonite said as she tried to not hide away from all of the eyes on them right now.
"We should head to the stands, it looks like Yellow is about ready to fight." Fluorite said as she looked at Yellow, who stopped meditating and opened her eyes.
Black could tell there was surprise and slight disgust in her eyes but kept her composure before looking to him.
"So you're opening your court to these types of gems, too?" she said calmly to Black.
"It's unsightly, my diamond." Yellow Pearl said as she looked away from the Off Colors.
"Just because they were born different, it doesn't mean they deserve to be treated like they don't even exist. Do you think they wanted to look like that? But no, you and the others don't care. I bet you would shatter any gem who looks slightly misshapen because you can just make another one, right? But I'm different, I see valor in all gems." Black Diamond said with pride.
Every gem in Black's court clapped and cheered for him, some even fusing with another since they don't need to hide it anymore. It even got some cheers from Yellow's side as a few were sneaking off to Black Diamond's side.
"Hmm, interesting words but they are just words." Yellow Diamond said as she stood up, towering over Black, his court in the arena, and her Pearl. "Pearl, you know what to do."
"Yes, my diamond." Yellow Pearl said as she turned and ran out of the arena floor.
"Girls, clear out." Black said to them.
"Your speech will be great, Black." Padparadscha said with a smile.
"We believe in you." Rutile Twins said with smiles.
'I promise I won't. I'm not gonna let any of you down.' He thought, clenching his fist.
The Off-Colors walked off the arena floor with Spinel and Lapis staying to move between Black Diamond and Yellow Diamond. They decided to co-referee and announce the match together. The communication screens were active as usual and zoom in on Lapis an Spinel as they smirked at each other.
"Gems of Homeworld and all of its colonies!" Lapis yelled out.
"The Trial by Combat between Yellow Diamond and Black Diamond is about to begin!" Spinel shouted as they looked to Yellow and Black, seeing that they were ready. "Gems at the ready!"
Yellow cracked her knuckles and popped her neck as Black Diamond radiated his energy, ready to form his astral projection or make any weapon.
"Let the trial by combat!" They both said as Lapis formed her wings and grabbed Spinel, flying them into the air. "BEGIN!"
Spinel formed a horn from her hands and blew into it, signalling the battle to begin.
Yellow Diamond starts by stomping hard on the ground, making the floor break into pieces and go up thanks to the force of it, then she uses her energy to create a shockwave to send all those rocks to Black.
Black Diamond was quick to create 3 clones and give them all weapons along with himself; one with a war hammer, one with a daggers, and one with a bow and arrows while Black had a spiked chain! The group attacked the derby, destroying it but also clouding Black's vision with smoke from all sides.
"Let's see how special you truly think you are." Yellow Diamond said, but her voice seemed less booming for some reason as she used the smoke, sand and dirty cloud to hide.
Black Diamond and his clones form a circle while stood back to back, watching the cloud for any sighs of Yellow Diamond.
'Odd, I can't hear her loud footsteps.' He thought.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure that seemed to be a large hand loomed over them ready to squash him them. Black Diamond sees that and orders the bow clone to shoot energy arrows at it, but then the arrows just go through as the hand recedes and disappears into nothing.
'What the hell was that?' Black thought as he looked around, more on guard than ever.
Black Diamond quickly assumed Yellow must've unlocked some new power just like Blue did. The question is, what was it?
"In front of you." Her voice was heard, making Black gasp.
Black turned to the voice and was punched in the face, sent flying out of the smoke and rolling across the arena! Everyone gasped in shock as more fighting was heard from the clones in the smoke before it stopped. Before long, someone began walking out of smoke.
"Your senses seem to have betrayed you this time, don't you think?" Yellow said, coming out of the smoke looking...smaller?
"What-what?" Black asked in shock, seeing Yellow so small compared to before!
She looked as tall as Pink Diamond or as tall as him!
"It seems your little rebellion has brought forth something good. You showed us that we have more power than we even thought, we just needed the right incentive to find then." Yellow Diamond said as she stopped in the middle of the arena. "For Pink, it was her insecurities. For Blue, it was her emotional weakness."
"And for you?" Black asked as he got up up.
"That's for you to find out." She said before firing her yellow electricity at him.
The smallest diamond quickly created a shield to block it before jumping out of the way, running around Yellow as he created and fired his weapons! She countered and changed her right arm to Diamond size, slapping the weapons away with momentum and gale force!
"All of my strength and speed, compacted into a smaller and more agile form!" Yellow shouted as she blitzed to Black, standing before him! "I've never felt so alive!"
Black grunted as he raised his astral aura, blocking a giant punch that send him flying again!
"Well damn! I didn't know you were a battle junkie!" He shouted to her, stopping himself from falling from the arena and jumped towards Yellow.
Black created armored fists over his arms and slammed down as she blocked with her large arm, cracking the floor below her.
"You punch harder then a giant Ruby fusion, good." She said before throwing a punch with her left arm!
Black managed to block it it as he was sent flying, dragging his feet before he charged at Yellow again!
"Try this!" Black shouted as he charged up and summoning his giant protection and raised his right fist to crush Yellow!
"Gladly." Yellow Diamond said with a smirk, shrinking her right arm back and preparing her other arm.
Black threw his punch as Yellow did the same, expanding her fist upon impact! The two giant fists collided, provoking a powerful shockwave as the air seemed to be cracking under the pressure! Everyone braced themselves against the winds as the fight had barely started and was already so intense!
'She really is the physically strongest! I might not win if I'm not smart!' Black thought as he saw the fist of his projection had cracked from Yellow's power, before adding more power to withstand it!
'I still have more for you, Black! Let's see if you last long enough to see it!' Yellow thought as she add her electricity for more power!
The air cracked even more as the arena floor began to crack under them!
"You can give up if you want, and admit who is the best diamond before I humiliate you in front of those "Off Colors" as you call them!" Yellow told him.
"Not on your gem, Yellow!" Black said as he let his large projection burst apart and change into 20 clones! "Attack!"
"What?" She was surprised, being suddenly swarmed by many clones with different weapons.
She tried using her enlarged arm but they ensnared it with chains to kept her off balance as they attacked her from all sides. While the clones tried to overwhelm her, Black was trying to think up a new strategy to defeat Yellow Diamond. This battle was a bit harder then expected.
'Okay, Yellow Diamond learned to shrink herself into a more compact form, thus her durability is higher than before along with her power and speed being more focused and precise. Her temper seems to be more under control but I can tell she could still be blinded by it.' Black thought as formed a blacklight bow and held back the string, forming energy arrows. 'I'll keep my distance and enrage her for now.'
So, the Mighty Yellow Diamond has more stones then pebbles for once, huh? Looks like getting your ass off that throne did wonders for you." Black said to her.
He fired several arrows at Yellow as she kicked away a clone and grabbed another to use as a shield.
"I've already been this strong! I just didn't need to use it until now!" Yellow said as she shrank her arm, freeing it and blasting 5 clones with electricity!
"How Convinient! Are you sure it's not because I managed to scare you to the point you had to actually TRY to train and strengthen yourself before this fight?" Black Diamond asks as he fires more arrows.
"Don't make me laugh!" Yellow shouted as she dodged the arrows before charging her electricity into a ball, holding it close as the clones changed at her! "NYAAAAAAAAAAH!"
She crushed the ball and expanded her hands, unleashing a charge field and destroying the remaining clones! Black jumped high into the air to dodge and fired more energy arrows, but they were destroyed by the field!
"What happened to the bravado, Black?!" She asked as she jumped towards him, her fist charging with her power!
"It's still here! Just saving it!" Black shouted as he retracted his bow, shrouding himself in a smaller projection!
Their fists clashed once again, an show of lights in the air as their energies fought again! Watching from her spot in the stands, Spinel was worried because the fight was growing longer then the others before it.
"I had no idea Yellow Diamond was this strong." Spinel said.
"Do you think Black has any tricks under his sleeve?" Lapis asks, sitting next to her.
"Black is in for a tough one." Padparadscha said in her "prediction."
"We don't know if he has anything else! What if he's overwhelmed and loses!? Rhodinite said in worry.
"He hasn't lost before, so he can't lose now, right?" Right Rutile asked her sister.
"Right, he won't lose." Left Rutile said but was still worried.
Black creates multiple saw blades from his other hand and launches them, forcing Yellow to dodge and break the clash broke! Both began free falling to the ground as a larger saw blade came right at her! She thought fast and caught it between her hands, inches from her face as she landed on the ground.
"Pathetic!" Yellow shouted as she crushed the saw between her hands.
"Okay!" Black said as he landed in a crouch. "Then try this on for size then!"
Suddenly, his eyes began to change and sparkle like stars before dark eye beams shot towards Yellow! This actually surprised Yellow as she dodged the beams as they cut through the arena floor! Black continued firing beams at Yellow before an energy dome was produced around the arena. This would prevent any damage to the other gems in the stadium.
"Whoa!" Spinel said with stars in her eyes, amazed by this new attack. "That was so cool!"
"It seems Black is still evolving as well." Fluorite said in surprise. "We've never seen him use that power before."
"Those beams, they're almost like White Diamond's, except their for combat." Aquamarine said interest.
"I didn't think diamonds could have the same abilities." Topaz said with a hand over her mouth.
"Well, they don't look EXACTLY the same abilities. I think Black just coped White's to an extent." Lapis theorized.
Back to the arena, Black had stopped his eye beams and smirked at Yellow as his eyes were smoking.
"Emotions, Body, Mind, Status, etc. Each diamond has their own theme in a way, I think it's time I have my own. From this day on, I am going to be the Diamond of Evolution!" He said as he put his fist to his gem!
"Evolution?! YOU?! Don't fool yourself!" Yellow shouted to him!
"Then how about I show you then?" Black said before slamming his hands into the ground, coursing energy into the arena ground.
Yellow Diamond looked at him with caution before she saw the floor around her was glowing in random in different parts.
'A trap?!' Yellow thought before charging in up and producing an electric field around herself for protection.
Suddenly, beams of black energy sprouted from the floor and formed sharp points. Black focused and controlled them to stab at Yellow, but her electric field was holding them back!
"Is that all you have, Yellow? A smaller form?" Black asked, taunting her and thinking this was her limit.
"No, I still have one more trick but I was hoping to save it for the end." Yellow said as her gem glowed and she reached for it, dropping her field of defense.
'What is she doing?' Black thought before gasping, seeing a handle of sorts forming from her gem! 'No way!'
Black Diamond's energy spears got closer to Yellow, but she didn't look worried at all. Instead she smirked as her gem shined even brighter and she pulled something from it!
Everyone gasps in surprise as they see a diamond, the pinnacle of all gems, bring out a weapon! Diamonds were thought to be too powerful to need to a "barbaric" weapon, but it seem they were wrong! Yellow charged it with her power and swung with all her might!
RAAAH!" Yellow shouted as thunder crashed throughout the arena, destroying Black's attack and cracking the dome covering the arena!
The attack was so powerful the shockwave could be felt through the whole planetoid like an earthquake.
Black was sent flying back and almost left the arena before he stopped at the edge, looking up at Yellow as she placed her weapon on her shoulder.
"Surprised, aren't you?" Yellow asked with a chuckle, a bit of her electricity charging through her weapon.
It was a giant kanobo, a spiked club, made of golden metal and crystal. It had a round cross-section, and with the sharp crystal spikes along its upper, bulkier half. The latter tapers somewhat toward the slenderer, spikeless handle, which itself ends in a suspension ring that serves as a pommel.
"No way!" Left Rutile said in shock.
"Yellow Diamond summoned a weapon?" Right rutile asked, shivering in fear.
"And that attack power, it's insane." Lapis said as she was more nervous than before.
"I thought Diamond's could not summon weapons or even needed to." Topaz said in shock.
"Well she needs it now, but if she can summon a weapon, that means the other diamonds summon them as well." Aquamarine said as she rubbed her chin.
Black Diamond slowly rose from the ground, a bit shaken from being thrown back again.
"Get up, you clod. You're not poofed yet." Yellow Diamond said harshly.
Black Diamond groaned as he fully stood up, actually feeling exhausted and pain from this fight compared to the others before.
'If I'm gonna win, I need to hit Yellow with everything I have. EVERYTHING.' He thought as he took a breath and began walking towards Yellow, charging up with energy.
Everyone watched as Black Diamond created a greatsword in his right hand, several blacklight clones of himself with weapons, and making one clone grow to the size of his large astral projection. Yellow wasn't intimidated by this and chuckled at it.
"If you think you're gonna win by using the same things over and over again, you're sorely mistaken." Yellow said.
"You won't know unless you try." Black said with a small smirk. "I think I could win."
"Really?" Then prove it!" Yellow Diamond shouted as she slammed her kanobo into the ground, charging up with her power!
Black did the same as he twirled his sword and charged at Yellow, the rest of his clones doing the same!
'Let's try a combined effort!' Black thought!
Yellow raised her weapon and charged, aiming straight for Black Diamond to end this!
Meanwhile, Spinel looked over the dome separating the arena from the crowd. The cracks from Yellow's last attack hadn't mended yet and if this was was going to have BOTH Diamonds clashing...
"EVERYBODY TAKE COVER!" Spinel screamed to the entire stadium!
Everyone could only duck down and brace themselves as the two diamonds clashed for last time, filling the arena dome with a bright light before it expanded to destroy the dome and shot into the sky! Black's inner circle were among the most struggling as they had front row seats!
"So much power! Can Black really win if things keep going like this?" Topaz said as her visor protected her eyes.
"We don't know but I hope he does!" Rhodinite said in fear, covering her eyes.
"The battle will grow out of control!" Padparadscha shouted as she grabbed and shook Aquamarine by her shirt!
"It already has! And if nothing else, the best we can hope for is a draw!" She said to her and everyone else.
In the pillar of light, Black and Yellow continued their struggle! Yellow was holding off several clones as Black stood in the center! The largest was trying to crush her but it was held back by the gale force winds!
'Damn clod! This one is tougher then I though! How much farther can we keep going?' Black thought!
They pulled apart and clashed their weapons again, destroying the arena under them more as the blacklight clones were breaking apart. Deciding that numbers won't help anymore, Black decided to reabsorb their energy and make his defense and offense stronger.
"I'm going all out." He said, summoning the energy he could into his greatsword!
"GOOD! I'LL CRUSH YOU AT FULL POWER!" Yellow shouted as she pushed him back!
Black Diamond stopped himself and charged again, using his full powered greatsword as Yellow Diamond prepared her kanobo again!
"RAAAAAAAAH!" they shouted as they swung, clashing their weapons in a constant barrage of earth shattering blows!
Gems could only cover their eyes or withstand the light and the winds as they continued to watch the battle! They didn't know who would win this battle or how, but they couldn't just look away now!
"Something bad is gonna happen" Padsparacha said as she gulped nervously.
Everyone in the inner circle turned to her in shock, wondering if she was just predicting too late or actually for the future this time. They hoped that it was too late as they turned back to see Black and Yellow still clashing in constant swings but if one would look closely, they could see Black Diamond's greatsword was beginning to crack!
"You really trained hard, huh?" Black asked, still mocking.
"Harder than you could imagine!" Yellow shouted at him as she swung again, clashing with Black's sword as the cracks grew! "Hard enough to show you and remind ALL of Homeworld of who you're messing with!"
With another swing, Yellow shattered Black's sword and leaving him unarmed!
"VICTORY!" Yellow shouted as she grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground, kicking up dust and dispersing the light around them!
Everyone gasps in surprise and fear as Yellow pulled Black from the ground and held him in the air!
"You fought harder then I thought, I'll give you that much, but you could never beat me!" Yellow shouted at him, squeezing his throat and glared at him. "Any last words before I POOF you?!"
"I...think...I..." Black grunted out.
"Come on! Spit it out!" Yellow shouted, shaking him a bit.
"Gonna...Burp." He finished, confusions Yellow greatly.
"Wait, wh-"
Black Diamond opened his mouth and like the roaring of a beast, he let out a powerful stream of black flames right in Yellow Diamond's face! It was as hot as the surface of the sun that existed on his colony, Earth.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" Yellow screamed in pain, dropping Black Diamond and her weapon as the top half of her body was covered in black flames! "IT BURNS! IT BURNS!"
Black Diamond shut his mouth and stopped his flame attack, feeling his throat burning from being chocked and the new attack, be he refuses to let this chance go! He pushing down his pain and charged again, to start pummeling her in the stomach with a barrage of punches!
"RAAAAAAAAH!" He screamed!
"Aaah!" Yellow screamed again, unable to fight properly and swinging randomly!
The flames were clouding her vision, so she couldn't see right! Dodging a swing, Black Diamond jumpd towards a spin kicked Yellow in the face! Yellow was sent tumbling and rolling to the edge of the arena as the black flames slowly dies down around her upper body. Once she stopped, everyone could see she had various burns around her face and arms along with her shirt in tattered ruins, and her helmet shaped hair was nearly burned all the way off to make her bald or shaved.
"How do you...like that...you...clod?" Black Diamond asked, huffing for "air."
Yellow groaned as she tried to return to her larger form but she couldn't, the damage from those dark flame was too severe and preventing her from doing so.
"What did you do to me? What was that black flame attack?" Yellow asked him.
"Did you think I got conceited after my victories? I was training hard as well to develop my skills further, Yellow. I actually took inspiration from your form disrupting electricity and came up with my own version, scarring fire. They don't stay forever but it will take time for them to fully heal. Even if you reform." Black said as he coughed a bit, letting some more flames out while stepping forward to her. "A good friend helped me create it but got hurt in the process. So, from now on, I'm only using this fire to protect. Not hurt."
Yellow glared up at him, sensing his weak state. He was just as bad as she was but he looked a bit closer to collapsing.
"Y-You can't fool me. You are nearly out of steam as I am. I bet you can't do anything like that fire attack again." Yellow said in between grunts of pain, moving to her knees.
"Maybe not but I do have enough strength for this." Black said as he stopped 2 feet before Yellow, holding up his hand and coating it with energy to make it a weapon. "Yield and you will not be poofed like Pink and Blue."
Yellow growled at him as she looked at her weapon, a great distance away, before it faded away in a flash of light.
"Never." Yellow said, making a few sparks of electricity to intimidate him.
Heh...I do respect your tenacity, Yellow. I think you were the hardest to fight of the Diamonds yet." Black said as he pulled his hand back. "Once I'm done with White, make sure you put that tenacity to good use. To better use than before."
Yellow growled once again, gathering what power she could into her right hand!
"RAH!" She screamed, jumping at Black with her fist back as he moved forward!
Yellow threw her fist at Black, missing as he dodged while taking a knee and STABBING his hand through her stomach!
"Ugh!" Yellow grunted, gritting in pain as she looked to Black. "D-Damn, yo-
POOF!!!!
Yellow Diamond's gem fell to the ground as Black let out a sigh of relief, exhausted from the battle as much as Yellow was. Spinel came into the arena to help Black Diamond up while Lapis flew in to call the results.
"The Trial by Combat is over! The victory goes to Black Diamond!" Lapis said as Yellow Pearl rushed in to pick up Yellow's gem.
