Author's Note:
This chapter was written entirely for fun! It contains spoilers for the last arc of the story, so I recommend you wait until the end to read this particular chapter! I wrote this entire story to Absolute Configuration from the Madoka Magica Rebellion soundtrack, please read the fight with that music, as I feel it sets the mood. This wasn't meant to be anything serious, just me imagining what it would be like if these two finally went all out... and I think it is completely fun to read!
Monty and Over stared the other down. Both of them were combatants that knew their own limits. One, a ghost that couldn't take damage, but with weapons he needed to kill. The other, a dark being fused with the very essence of evil itself, a body made to regenerate from all damage. In a sense, of all the battles they had fought, the only ones that presented a true match for the other stood opposite each of them. The dull lights of Ninjago City around them shone with a brilliant glare as the two readied themselves.
"First one to make the other submit wins," Monty declared, "Don't be upset if I give you a few too many bullets to get there." The SoS shone in a holster on his back.
"A ghost can only be killed by another ghost, yes?" Over nodded, "Then perhaps I will be the first one to ever breach that rule."
"You're funeral," Monty raised a repaired Ebony and Ivory, the two pistols glowing in the moonlight, "I won't even need to use Sanctuary for this one."
"This moment here, Monty," Over extended his right arm, letting his staff once more slide out from the bubbling surface of his palm, "Is where I will show you why not even the one carrying the light could face me. I have fought with my dark matter, my ability, but never have you seen my true element…" Over's purple eyes glistened, "Fighting with none to interrupt our dance."
Monty aimed his pistols. Over held his staff behind him and slowly placed one arm against his chest, giving Monty a long bow, his eyes closed. When he lowered himself down, he was horizontal to the ground. The city around them was deathly quiet. The street itself was empty. The glass shops and displays around them reflected nothing but their bodies, the moonlight, and the ground they would soon fight on. A few seconds stretched to eternity as both fighters waited for the other to finally open up their duel.
It was Monty who fired first, Ivory's clip unloading straight for Over. He watched the bullets fly through the air, right towards where Over lay bowed. Just before they struck him, Over's eyes opened. His body vanished. Monty bit his lip in focus, raising his head. It was that action that showed him a single moment of flash of black in the glass of the building beside him. Monty threw his pistols up over his head, just as Over appeared above him and slammed his staff down onto the two.
The force of the blow blew open all the glass around them. The shards were thrown into the air by the force of impact. The ground under Monty was cracked from it. The moonlight reflected across the shards that flew into the air to highlight the two fighters.
Over disappeared again. The wind sucked towards Monty, wrapping around his body and dragging him faster than his ghostly muscles could ever bring him. He spun around in a circle, firing bullets off with the wind for the triggers. Over appeared and disappeared around Monty, not letting Monty's bullets dare to touch him. When Over appeared for a moment longer than before, Monty threw his body backwards. Over's staff sliced through the air right where his head had been. Wind wrapped around the staff's tip, holding it in place as Monty raised Ebony right at Over's torso. The bullet struck Over's armor, sending Over sliding back. Once he did, the shards in the air fell to the ground.
Over held his staff out behind him, two hands on it. His other two hands flared with dark power, purple aura emanating from his body and blasting out around him as he raced straight towards Monty. Monty leapt into the air and did a backflip, his guns firing off towards Over. Over's dark power blasted towards Monty as Over threw his weight forward and corkscrewed in the air, his staff knocking each bullet aside as he landed on the ground with one hand, spun, and launched himself forward to keep his momentum. Monty's wind spun him in a violent whirl to avoid each blast of darkness. Each one struck the buildings above them, shattering apart entire offices with their sheer force.
As Monty was about to hit the ground, he thrust his left arm out and used a blast of wind to throw himself upright. The wind collected in his feet and sent him sliding across the ground. His momentum, however, didn't stop, as instead he held Ivory behind him and Ebony in front. He fired Ivory, and in turn the wind on his feet sent him skating right across the ground at Over. The dark being threw his weight backwards to let himself simply take each bullet Monty fired from Ebony like a blow from a sword. Monty simply aimed Ivory around to propel him where he wanted to go.
Monty seemed to have the upper hand as he slid across the pavement faster than Over's feet would move him. Each bullet bounced harmlessly off Over's staff, but Over wasn't attacking. Monty, sensing this, reached into his belt and yanked out the metal chord, throwing it straight across the road to impale a wall. With a tug, the chord retracted, sending him and his wind propelled skates right for Over. Over turned to Monty just as Monty slid by him with a speed faster than he could anticipate, Ebony aimed right at his head. Monty fired, throwing Over backwards as the chord brought him right towards the other wall. He gave it a hard yank, removing it from the wall and retracting it into his belt. He fired Ivory several times to steer his skating body instead in an arc to see where Over had gone.
The dark being was nowhere to be seen. Monty ejected Ivory's clip and reloaded it as hastily as he could, doing the same for Ebony. Just as he went to raise the two and look around, however, he felt a presence behind him. When he turned to look, two spikes of darkness struck Ebony and Ivory from his hands. The impact threw Monty backwards, his wind dissipating. When he looked down to where it'd come from, he saw the inside of a building their first attack had shattered open. The lights, now destroyed, let him see only two large purple eyes shining from its inky blackness.
"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you, ghost?" Over's voice dripped from the darkness like a creature crawling from the deep abyss, "This is my dance, and you have barely even begun."
Monty took a moment to grimace at that line, then threw his body backwards to suck Ebony and Ivory into his hands. Over's body launched out from the storefront, staff raised to attack Monty. Monty spun around and held the pistols down his body, firing them to propel him away just as Over's staff struck the ground. A second after impact, dark power blasted up from it like lava from the earth. Monty went to summon his wind to attempt to skate around again, but Over refused to give him that privilege. Before Monty could attack, Over had blasted dark power from his own hands to fly right for his undead foe.
Without time to formulate a strategy, Monty simply raised his guns and fired. As soon as Over reached him, the dark tyrant brought his staff into his hands and spun it, twirling it fast enough the blades on each end made a ringing noise in the air. Monty slid backwards and fired the two guns into the staff, all the bullets reflecting off harmlessly. Once the staff was spinning fast enough, Over lunged in and began to throw his entire body to send the staff cleaving for Monty like a saw. Monty threw his body side to side, firing off bullets when he could. Over's body swayed and lunged like some twisted dancer, each motion flowing into the next and sending the spinning staff wherever it needed to go. Monty reached out with wind to stop the blade, but Over was too fast. This was Over's battle, and Monty was his foe.
Monty was gradually being forced back towards a large four way intersection. As soon as the two reached it, Monty held Ebony and Ivory out to his sides, firing them to send their bullets into two street lamps. The continued impacts weakened them, sending them both creaking and falling straight down for Over. Over simply held his staff out in front of him, and the two lamps struck it together and were split perfectly down the center. Over took a single step forward as the now perfectly carved halves fell around him. Over's dark power began to seep out from him like darkness, grabbing the now four pieces of lamp, heaving them into the air, and sending them straight towards Monty.
The ghost leapt backwards, dodging each other as they impaled into the ground at a perfect angle. Over leapt into the air, landing atop one of the impaled pieces and jumping into the air, his staff burning with purple energy on the end. Over's body snapped downwards, cancelling his forward momentum to send him straight down towards Monty on the ground. Monty formed a pocket of air in front of him and crossed his arms in front of him. When Over struck it, the pocket burst apart and sent them both flying away from the other. Monty snapped his arms open and fired his bullets towards Over's body. A few straw ones managed to graze him, but nothing seemed to slow the dark being down. When Over hit the ground, he slid to a stop with one hand in front of him and his legs behind him, the tip of his staff grazing the ground. A perfect line was cleaved into the pavement by the time Over came to a stop. Monty attempted to hold his guns up again, but Over was coming for him again.
Over's onslaught refused to let up. Each step he took spun his entire body, guiding his massive staff in a beautiful arc that twirled death towards Monty's weapons. Monty jerked his body from side to side, firing off as many bullets as the guns would empty out in the half seconds of time before he was forced to dodge. Each bullet was either deflected up from Over's staff to impale some part of the ground nearby, or slid past him perfectly. The bullets in the ground formed a beautiful swirling pattern as they continued; such was the precision of Over's motions.
The dark being never attacked from the same direction, instead his footwork carrying him around Monty. His staff spun into the ground, cleaving long lines into it as he leapt in and out from attacking Monty. The very street under them was soon covered in long marks of their fight, an elegant shape that Monty could not hope to throw off. Monty thrust Ebony in front of him and fired. Over leapt into the air, his wings extending for a moment to flap and bring him to land perfectly on his feet behind Monty, just to throw his staff forward to strike at him again. Monty blasted wind from his foot just to get away.
Neither combatant had time to truly think of their actions. The time to plan had long since passed. Their battle carried them up and down street after street, blasting apart glass and ripping apart the roads. Both of them were following the other only by a hair's breadth. A single blink would mean the other could gain an advantage, and their powers would be enough to drive the other into submission. Both of them had already pushed the other, and now they were finding their limits truly tested against them. A single blast of power from Over could blast apart an entire floor; the timed bullets of Monty's weapons could paint a perfect shape on any surface. Precision and power, locked in a deadly dance.
Their battle carried them all the way to another intersection. Over once more charged his staff with dark power, ready to blast Monty off his rhythm with it. Monty, sensing this just before his eyes could even truly see it, charged a blast of wind to strike it at the last second. Their combined powers shot the blast of power and wind out to cleave straight through the bottom floor of a large parking garage. The entire structure rumbled. Monty blasted up with his wind towards the falling structure, and Over's speed was happy to oblige.
The structure rumbled as cars began to slide down the concrete floors, gravity taking grip. The two combatants landed on one such floor, still trading blows as the building collapsed. Monty jumped up to hover in the air and rain his bullets right down onto Over. Over let his own shadow put him upright as he ran up the falling floor. As soon as gravity truly took hold to yank the structure down, Monty shot up into the air, flying up what was once the structure's side.
Several cars slid down, ready to send Over down with them. Over instead launched off one floor and shot horizontally towards the other ceiling. Each wall jump shot him from floor to ceiling as the garage fell fully down, turning its floors into its walls. Over shot from one to the other, dodging falling cars that crashed down below with a flourish of sirens and crunches. Dust filled the air as the concrete cracked from the impact. Over shot up with enough speed to climb both walls, and soon he shot out into the sky.
Monty was waiting for him, two massive twisters behind him that he sent forward. His cape flared out behind him, the sound of it flapping almost managing to drown out everything else. Over landed on the small amount of concrete that was once the side of the garage. He blasted one twister apart with dark power, while the other he slammed his staff into the ground upright, leapt up to balance perfectly on the tip in the air, and leapt over the twister. He landed on the next slab of concrete, calling his dark power to yank his staff back in hand. Another jump sent him right for Monty's position.
The two fighters leapt and clashed, jumping across what was once the height of each floor to each slab of concrete as they, horizontally, ascended the parking garage. Blasts of wind and dark power blasted through the fallen building, which had kicked up dust to completely shroud the streets below. The ground was shrouded in darkness and brown as the two blasted and clashed back and forth. They were high enough in the air to see over most of the buildings in the city, and therefore, where the wind could reach them.
Monty had given himself an advantage. He blasted forward with wind, trying to blast Over off by using the air around him. Over's body spun from side to side, attempting to dodge each one. Monty had stopped firing altogether, instead letting wind gather around his hands and blast off to try to knock Over off of the fallen building. One blast managed to strike Over, sending him falling down one of the gaps in their battleground. Over called upon the shadows to form a massive spike from one floor to the other for him to grab onto, swinging his body around to throw himself back into the air. A massive ball of dark power formed in his hand, which he sent straight for Monty.
The ghost dodged by leaping backwards. Over did several backflips in the air from slab to slab, each time hurling darkness that blasted apart most and more of the floors. By the time the two of them had reached the top floor, half of the downed building was blasted open on its side, chunks of concrete large enough to shred what cars remained apart. Monty was about to leap back when he saw that the two had reached the edge of their new arena.
Over readied one final strike to try to blast the ghost off the building. Monty, instead, held his right arm out and thrust it down, sending a blast of wind at his feet to go up into the air with a massive spin. He went perfectly upside down, his cape flapping as he went towards the ground. When he landed, it was with a massive blast of wind all around him, clearing the dust from the fallen building in front of him. Over hunched down and then leapt from the building himself, charging a blast of power around him. Monty crossed his arms in front of his face as Over landed in front of him, blasting a massive hole in the street that showed the darkened dirt under the road from it. Over leapt up from it, landing in front of Monty on the lip of the hole he created. Behind him, the roof of the now fallen parking garage had completely sealed the end of the street they were on.
Monty slammed Ivory and Ebony together, letting them both fire as fast as he could. Over threw his weight backwards and spun around on one foot, his body almost perfectly horizontal. Monty took this chance to blast wind from his hands, sending him flying straight through the air and away from Over. He 'tssked' as he thought about his next move, only to suddenly feel a shadow cast on him. He looked up to see Over had cleared the distance to them, and violently whipped his body around to send a wave of darkness straight for Monty with a yell of rage.
While said darkness did not hit him, it struck the strap of the SoS, and thus Monty was sent hurtling straight for the ground. Over landed on the ground and crouched down, jutting his staff out as he spun to a stop. He carved a perfect circle in the pavement, slamming his foot down to straighten his back and stop his momentum like a beautiful figure skater on ice. With another twirl of his staff and a strike into the ground, the circular piece of rock shattered. Monty pulled himself up to his feet to see Over standing on top of something underneath the rock. Something deadly.
With three clean swipes, the water pipes were burst open. Over swung his staff several times, darkness emanating from it and wrapping around the water that burst forth from it. When he lowered his staff, both it and the air around him was covered in water, the darkness swirling it around him perfectly. Monty took a step back, his expression changing from annoyed, to truly angry.
"Let's make this more fun for us both, ghost," Over nodded his head. He slid forward, his hands and feet moving to spin his body around with the elegance and grace of a true killer. Each time his body spun, darkness saturated with Monty's true weakness was thrown out towards the ghost. Over's dance continued until he struck a piece of the pavement underfoot, launching him into the air with a massive spin that sent the rest of the darkness right for Monty.
Monty placed his hands together and clapped, in turn spreading out a massive viel of wind to catch the water before it could strike him, letting the darkness simply pass through it. His eyes widened, however, as he saw Over's body, framed against the moonlight. The dark Emperor looked down with a single glowing purple eye, the two locking gazes. Monty had just enough time to reach to his shoulder before Over's wings spread out and gave a mighty shove, sending him flying right for Monty with a staff saturated in water.
CLANG! Over's eyes lit up in surprise as Monty held the SoS in his hand, holding back Over's staff. Over landed on the ground with a crash, leaving cracks in it as he did. Monty slid a foot behind him, his cape violently flapping out behind him. Over looked down at Monty as a smile began to spread over his lips, seeing the ghost struggle. Monty just snarled and held him back, even as Over's strength refused to let up.
"And so he finally draws it," Over's lips had curled into a grin, "Now we've made this dance far, far more entertaining."
"I hate you," Monty spat. One hand slid from the SoS and sucked Ebony into his hand, which he raised and pointed right for Over's head. Another clang rang out as Over's staff spun in hand to knock the bullet aside. The two combatants slid away from each other.
Over's eyes sparkled with the challenge. He placed all four arms on his staff, causing it to partially melt and turn into the four long sickly blades, one for each hand. He reared his body back, then shot right for Monty with them. Monty had just enough time to slip the SoS around in hand and deflect Over's blades with a backwards swipe.
The moment that Over locked blades with the SoS, Monty snarled and twisted the blade to focus its glare right against Over. At once, Over felt his body struck by the force of impact his blades had brought down on the sword. Over slid his arms apart and slid back a few feet, holding his blades up. Monty huffed and flipped the SoS back around in his hand.
"Ah… so that is your power, is it?" Over placed on hand against where the pain in his chest had emerged from, "That is Sanctuary, is it?"
"Part of it," Monty hissed, "You want to see the rest?"
"Oh, I very much do," Over laughed, "A sword that reflects damage to the attacker, and an attacker that can heal from his blows. This will be a fine battle, Monty." Over held one hand back, focusing Shadow Control. From the pavement under them, the water main ripped up violently from the concrete, spewing a geyser out across the pavement a few feet behind him.
"God I've wanted to shut up your pretentious mouth for so long…" Monty spun the SoS in his hand, holding Ebony in the other with Ivory hooked onto his belt, "When I'm done, you best hope you can regenerate your face."
Over reared his body back, the balls of darkness infused with water readying along with him. Just as Over readied to throw them, Monty looked down into the gaze of the sword. For a few moments, the gold surface shimmered. A brilliant blue Chi aura flared around Monty and the blade together as he called upon his very essence.
So, you have need of me? The sword chuckled, Evoke my power then, Monty. And we will defeat this foe.
Monty slowly inhaled, then he raised the sword into the air. Over shot forward across the ground, ready to blast him apart. Monty turned the sword so the reflection of the street was shown in it, just as he slammed his lips together into a hard growl.
A blast of blue aura emanated from the sword. Monty opened his eyes, revealing they had turned blue. All around him, the world slowed down. Everything turned blue and white as he saw every possible outcome of their next bout. He saw Over's motion, the slash that would cleave through his body and blast him apart with watery darkness. He saw the projection of fate showing Over's attack, finishing it through to its end. Then every other attack. Every outcome to how Monty would attack him here. Monty inhaled, then blinked.
The world returned to normal. Monty gripped the SoS in both hands and flung himself forward. The sword cleaved right into each of Over's blades, following each motion and knocking each blade perfectly aside. The ghost wove his body through each of Over's attacks, the sound of their weapons hitting the other enough to deafen those unused to the battlefield. Monty had entered Over's dance. Their bodies flashed around the other, spinning, weaving, and slashing at each other in a motion that was practiced only by those that had come to embrace death itself. A dance of death and darkness, guided by the clash of their blades.
Over brought all four blades together against the SoS, slashing them apart to throw Monty back and willing the water filled darkness to flash towards Monty. He summoned wind around the SoS, slashing at each of the projecticles to blast them apart, sliding his feet forward to advance on Over as he did. He brought the SoS down over his head, cleaving through the last projectile to slash down against Over's swords. The moment that Over looked up towards him, Monty snarled and twisted the SoS to show Over's reflection.
All at once,half of each of the multitude of strikes against the blade Over had thrown against the sword struck him. Over's body whipped and cracked backwards as it did, the sound of each impact ripping through the street. Monty refused to let up during it, instead letting go of the SoS with one hand to draw Ebony and surround it in wind. His hand struck Over with the gun, the wind adding to each strike, and firing bullets into Over as he did. Over's purple blood soon painted the tip of Ebony as Monty delivered a final uppercut to Over, throwing him onto his back and holding the SoS down at Over's neck.
For a moment, Monty took a second to try to relax. He held the SoS out, ready for Over to surrender. Instead, the dark Emperor raised his head and slammed his hands into the ground, turning them into shadow as he did. Monty looked up, just in time to see the massive dragon limbs erupt from the ground under him and grab hold of the SoS. Instantly, Monty shouted in rage and held Ebony up, trying to blast the limbs aparts. Over, however, just let his eyes flare with power as his purple darkness shot out towards the erupting water pipe, drenching itself and firing it towards the trapped ghost.
Monty's eyes widened in terror. He gave a long yank, then shut his eyes and opened them to gaze upon the future with Sanctuary. He watched the water speed through the air and blast him apart, claiming his last moments in this afterlife. When Monty opened them, he rapidly blasted wind from his feet, throwing him up into the air. Instead, the dragon limbs snapped down, yanking his arm and the sword towards the ground again. Monty's pupil widened as he saw the water right in his face, ready to claim his life.
With a roar, Monty's chi rushed from the sword, spilling out from the talons to stand in front of him. The dragon's body took the darkness head on, causing its body to snap backwards and scatter it harmlessly from Monty. As Monty blinked in shock, his Chi, filled with the sword's spirit, turned to Monty with one of its red eyes shining powerfully.
Are you alright, my Master? The dragon asked with an angered voice, You have claimed me as your own, I will not let you fail here!
"Wasn't planning on it," Monty huffed, "There's no way I'm… losing to… HIM!"
"Is that so?"
Monty snapped his face to look straight towards Over. The dark Emperor now stood with his darkness around him, the shadows of the buildings grasping several massive cars in their grasp. Over held one hand forward, willing them all to fly straight towards Monty. The ghost spun the SoS around in hand, holding it backwards and throwing up a massive funnel of wind around him. Two of the cars were blasted away, but the third was caught right in front of him. Monty shot straight up through his own funnel into the air, just in time for Over to appear in front of him with four dark blades raised, a hungry look of battle in his eyes.
Over focused, causing his wings to form from his back, but this time the points sharpened to deep blades. Monty's eyes darted into the blade just in time for him to activate Sanctuary. A few seconds of gleaning his future, Monty was ready for it. Over slashed both wing and blade into Monty's guard. The ghost spun the SoS to counter each blow, taking it with speed that only someone without mortal limits could achieve.
With enough of Over's attacks stored, Monty twisted the blade to reflect Over's glare in it as he called upon his Chi aura again. The second he did, Over reached out and grabbed hold of the blade. As soon as the force of his attacks was blasted into him, he and Monty were sent careening off through the sky together. Moty's eyes widened as Over allowed his body to simply be blasted backwards by force. The city flew under them as Monty yanked Ebony from his belt to blast at Over's hand. Even as he did, Over refused to let go.
Over's wings flared out, snapping their momentum to a hard stop. He spun his body around, yanking the SoS -and Monty- along with it. With a few long and hard thrusts of force, Over roared and threw Monty and sword through the sky. Monty blasted wind out from his feet to slow himself down, but Over refused to let up. Over, blades in hand, slashed straight down into the SoS, forcing Monty through the air even still. By the time Monty turned to see where the two had arrived, Over had already charged up a blast of dark power and blasted Monty off with his sword.
Monty went crashing through the upper floors of Borg Tower, skidding to a stop right as he was about to go out the opposite glass wall. He stood up to see Over floating in the window in front of him, a long look on his face. Monty looked down just in time to realize all the lights were off in the room. In all directions, the shadows started to rise up around him. Monty gripped the sword and focused, giving himself the gift of Sanctuary to know Over's attack. Just as the spikes and claws reached up from the shadows to tear the sword from him, Monty gathered his wind in his feet and sped straight across the floor. Even now, he felt exhausted as he burned through yet more Chi just to stay in the fight, three uses of Sanctuary wearing heavily on him.
As Monty went, he slashed the shadows grabbing at him, spinning his body around to do just that. When he arrived at where Over was waiting, the dark being had power charged up in all four of his hands. Monty had just enough time to throw the SoS up in front of his face, reflecting Over's face in its glow. The four beams of purple blasted straight into the sword, causing it to burn with light and illuminate the room to blast the shadows away. Monty set off a pocket of air to go off in front of him, throwing him backwards just as the darkness fully erupted. The two were thrown backwards just as the floor completely erupted, the power destroying its support and causing the tower to rapidly creak as its spine snapped.
Monty was the first to land on the tower as it began to fall forward, right towards the park. The sound of its beams snapping and blasting apart was deafening, and bits and pieces of glass and debris fell to the streets below to crack apart the pavement. Monty simply began to run up the tower as it fell, holding the SoS tightly. Over landed at the very top of the tower, his position turning from vertical to horizontal as the tower fell. He slashed his blades out, sending blasts of dark power straight down the tower at Monty. Monty threw his body back and forth to weave in and out of them, the power cleaving rivets in the building as it did. By the time that Monty reached Over, the section of the tower they were on had entered free fall.
Monty struck first, throwing the SoS out with a long swipe, spinning the sword around in hand once they clashed as he flipped around Over to try to slice the sword across Over's face. Over twisted his body out of the way to reach out and try to crush Monty's hand with one of his hands, shifted to dragon's claws. Gravity began to take Over as the tower fell. Monty attempted to blast up and fly away to let Over fall, yet Over had over plans. With a flash of shadow, a massive tendril of shadow wrapped around the SoS and yanked it tightly, dragging Monty back down. The wind rippled around them as the chopped off building crashed straight into the tops of the first building, through the entire structure to its left. Monty tried to yank himself up, but Over's shadowy claw shot forward to yank hold of Monty's sword with an even firmer grip. Monty, seeing the ground escalating towards them, thought fast.
Monty spun himself into a hard twister of wind, firing bullets out in all directions to add to the speed of his blows. The acceleration was just enough to take him out of the claw's grasp. Over, was yanked free and thrown down as the top of Borg Tower crashed straight into the city below. Monty went careening through the air as the cloud of dust blasted straight through the city streets and up into the air. Both combatants were completely covered in it as the entire city shook with its impact.
Just before Monty could truly get his bearings, a smaller, almost inaudible blast of power shot up from where the tower had fallen, and from it Over shot up like a demon in the night. Over looked through the cloud of dust, scanning for Monty. When he found nothing, he snarled and shot down towards the ground. His mpact was lost amongst all of the others. Buildings around him collapsed, even as he shot his hand down and turned it into shadow. Deep underground, his dragon claw emerged to grasp hold of the water main and crash it through the surface.
Just as Over saw the ground crack from him yanking it up, Monty was on him again. The ghost slashed straight through the air, slamming his full force right into Over. Over shot one of his arms up, his blade merging from inside the arm itself. He threw Monty aside and gave a heave of his body. Behind him, a dragon talon broke through the pavement, yanking up a pipe of spewing water. With his ammunition acquired, Over leapt back through the air and landed behind it, willing the shadows of the city to form a funnel to send the water spewing right off and towards Monty.
Monty, this time, was ready. He landed on the ground as his skating began again, sliding him elegantly towards Over. He twisted the SoS around, his eyes opening blue as Sanctuary activated. He watched his path straight through the street, and right into Over's attack. And when he saw it wouldn't work, he tried again. And again, and again, and again. Until finally, his eyes flashed again and he opened them. Monty threw his body back and brought one of his legs up, a slice of wind cutting through a blast of water and right into Over. In the millisecond Over's attention was diverted, Monty slid the SoS onto his back and instead drew both Ebony and Ivory, heading right for Over. The moment that Over saw him again, Monty brought the pistols up and unloaded, jumping up and over the next blast of water Over guided for him. As the water spewed under him, Monty landed down on top of the water stream, wind gathered in his foot. He skated straight down the beam of water, a sight that caught Over by surprise again. Monty took that surprise to shoot his hand forward, grasping hold of the wind around Over's body and yanking him forward. The two were put right on a collision course as Monty leapt into the air and twisted his foot to collide right with Over's chest.
Monty twisted his entire body with wind, drilling his foot into Over to push him back. Monty landed on the ground and yanked the SoS out, launching up through the air and snapping around to his right before Over could even think of him there. The SoS was plunged right into Over's right shoulder. Monty grasped the handle of it and flipped himself around Over's body, raising his pistols to blast straight through Over's left side. He twisted the SoS up and out of Over's shoulder, slicing right across his back. Over whipped around to slam a shadow down onto him, but Monty slid across the ground to put Ebony up against Over's back. The first blast knocked him forward. The second struck his right shoulder to whip him around. The third grasped Over's head and sent him to the ground as Monty came to a stop.
Not for a second did Monty let up. He could see the water still being guided by shadow, and snapped his body around just in time to dodge it. Over stood up, his wounds slowly stitching themselves back together even as his black skin was now partially splattered by purple. With a roar of frustration, Over summoned his full staff, spun it around, and launched for Monty. Monty swung the SoS up to guard as the two traded blows.
Neither of them refused to back down. Monty slashed as viciously as he could against Over. Over's staff struck like a train, each attack enough to cleave through the rock below them. The water shot in and out of them, throwing Monty back and forth out of its grasp. Monty would fire Ebony whenever he could, using the bulky gun to knock aside Over's weapon to dodge in with the SoS. All the while, Monty's eyes would flash for seconds at a time with Sanctuary, throwing his body into perfect sync with over.
The sound of their clashing filled the streets. None could be around to see it. The force of their attacks was truly scarring the ground around them. The dust threatened to encroach on them, framing them against the death and destruction they could bring. Monty's wind blasted apart shops as he tried to throw Over off, and Over's staff and darkness were enough to throw the SoS back with each turn and snap into the ground under their feet. The two were pushing as hard as they could. It was something far more than a match. It was their absolute configuration.
Over and Monty threw their hands forward at the same time, meeting darkness with wind. The two were blasted apart, sliding away from each other for a few feet. Monty slid to his stop first, throwing the SoS backwards overhead, while Over held on hand out to direct the water from the spewing pipe right up above him, cupped in darkness. The two fighters let out one final cry as they rushed each other. Over swung the water straight down towards Monty, and Monty twisted the SoS to show Over's reflection and blast him with all of his own power. Both of them clashed together as darkness, water, wind and swords all came in one massive clash, the force of the explosion shattering windows down the streets beyond them.
Monty and Over stood, both on the ground, panting for the life of them. At Over's throat, the SoS. At Monty's throat, Over's staff, soaked in water. The two took their breath in. One move and the other was gone. Monty looked no worse for wear, but Ebony and Ivory lay broken on the ground around him. Over's body was battered and bleeding, broken in more than one place and with injuries few could truly walk from. As they stood there, two warriors, panting, truly at their limits, Over slowly growled.
"I believe… we must call this one… a draw," Over shook his head, "I can't see reason for this to continue."
"Speak… for yourself," Monty huffed, "I can keep going…" He tried to activate Sanctuary, yet his Chi was truly drained, and thus, he was.
"Is that so?" Over twisted his staff in the air. Monty pressed the SoS a bit more firmly on Over's neck.
Both of them starred the other down. Both willing the other to give in first. To show their resolve first. But neither of them would. They were too prideful. Too powerful. Too ready to make the other submit to them. Slowly, they both withdrew their blades. They slowly stood up and away from each other, gathering their strength and power once more.
The city around them was ruined. The collapse of the garage, the smashed tower froms the bisected portion of Borg Tower, the streets ripped up from their rampage, it was all in ruins. If there were those that called it home, they would do so no more. Monty looked around for a moment, then sheathed the SoS on his back. Once in place, he crossed his arms and slowly cocked his head with a tired expression.
"What even is this place?" Monty asked.
"A Ninjago City, long since abandoned in this world," Over nodded his head, "The story to this land, I will never know. But there was none here when I came. I figured it was a world suited to our duel. A place we could truly show our full power," Over turned to open his palm, letting his dimensional wristwatch bubble up onto his arm from inside his body, "And none here to stop us, should we go too far."
"Fair enough," Monty sighed, "If the others ask, we never fought. Better they think we got over it than actually end our duel to the actual death in a draw."
"Is that so?" Over chuckled, "You and I are all that know of this universe. No life to speak of, no souls as witness. If that is what you wish, I believe I can adhere to it."
"Let's just go home already," Monty sighed, "I'm finished with this."
"Indeed," Over reached down to tap a few things out on his wristwatch, opening a portal in the ruined ground back to Lloyd's world, "Shall we?"
Monty gave a small roll of his eyes, then jumped into the portal wordlessly. Over looked back for a few moments, then did the same. As the portal shut, their battle shut with it, their destruction left behind in only their memory, their dance to go unwitnessed for all of eternity.