In another part of the castle, Jenos dodged out of the way as the Phantom Star Brigade soldier he was fighting managed to deflect his Excelion's Orichalcum wires with the speed at which he rolled like a spinning wheel at Jenos.
As Jenos landed safely to the side, the cyborg soldier unrolled himself and leered at Jenos.
"All you Numbers do is run away..." The mad soldier hissed before he cackled. "Well, it's no use, anyway. My 'Shell Attack' revolves at ultra-high speeds. It's a defensive move that will reflect any attack and an offensive move all in one!"
"So it seems." Jenos smirked lightly, unfazed by the cyborg's continued assault.
The soldier appeared to glare at Jenos from behind his mask and the soldier muttered scathingly, "You seem awfully cocky for being in such a pinch."
He rolled himself back up into his armour and he shouted as he sped at Jenos once more, "Let me see you filled with fear! I'm through playing. I'm going to crush all your bones to dust! And then you won't be able to look so calm anymore!"
Jenos dodged once again, launching himself far off to the side of the hallway he was fighting in after having become separated from Xiao Li when the Phantom Star Brigade soldiers had appeared in front of the Numbers. The cyborg soldier simply readjusted his path and sped after Jenos again but the Number remained calm to the point that he almost seemed poised as he watched the cyborg come charging toward him.
"My string certainly won't penetrate your armour…" He murmured as he watched the cyborg get steadily closer. "So I'll just do this!"
Suddenly, Jenos flung out his hand, the Orichalcum strings on his Excelion stretching out to the side. The cyborg paid it no heed at first as the strings went completely wide of his path toward Jenos… and that was his mistake. Jenos's wires wrapped around one of the thick stone pillars holding the hallway up and the Orichalcum easily sliced right through the heavy stone like butter. By the time the cyborg realized what was happening, it was too late. With a thunderous crash, the large pieces of stone that the pillar was cut into fell right on top of the soldier and crushed his armour to pieces.
As the dust cleared, the soldier struggled to try and get out from where he was trapped between the stones. He flinched as he saw something dark coming at him from the corner of his eye and he pleaded hurriedly.
"Ah! Wait-!"
But Jenos was done before the cyborg could even finish his plea. The dead soldier collapsed on the stones, multiple cuts suddenly appearing all over his body as the physical evidence of Jenos's quick and silent attack belatedly made themselves known. Excelion's Orichalcum wires were already tucked back into Jenos's glove before the soldier even hit the ground and Jenos stared down at the fallen soldier impassively.
"How pathetic… I'll give you a quick and painless death. If you're lucky, you might be able to be spared from hell… since you're a cyborg." He murmured before he turned and walked away.
'I'm such a nice guy.' Jenos reflected as he made his way back down the hallway he had come during his duel with the Phantom Star Brigade. 'Wish Rins could have seen me be so cool. Now, I wonder how Xiao Li is doing…?''
Jenos stopped in his tracks, his thoughts derailing instantly at the sight he found before him. In the centre of the corridor where he had left Xiao Li earlier, the younger man stood coolly in front of what remained of the cyborg Jenos had seen. The fifteen foot cyborg was now completely and totally dismembered with wires all sticking out and twisted around at the severed ends as metallic fluids and blood dripped out and the severed limbs lay strewn around the hallway.
'... H-He's merciless…' Jenos thought, sweat-dropping as he stared at Xiao Li's back.
"Why… couldn't I win?" The dismembered head of Xiao Li's opponent croaked out from where it was lying a few feet from the main body. "I finally got my invincible body..."
Xiao Li silenced the head with a blow right to the centre of the face using the end of his Seiren. It was also then that the Number noticed Jenos's arrival and he tilted his head questioningly at Jenos's flabbergasted expression.
"What?" Xiao Li asked without inflection. "My opponent wasn't very good… that's all."
"Uh huh..." Jenos answered, slowly shutting his mouth.
'Maybe it's a good thing Lia seems to be taking to Heartnet again after all…'
"You're thinking it's a good thing Lia's probably going to get back together with Black Cat, aren't you?"
"How do you do that?!" Jenos cried in amazement.
Xiao Li just shrugged before he looked off in the direction that the Phantom Star Brigade had appeared from. Where he knew Lia and Train were likely to be.
"He'll have to beat Captain to kill Creed first." Xiao Li pointed out and Jenos recovered.
With a humourless chuckle, the older Number answered dryly, "You know, I shouldn't say so as a Number but I hope he will… and, loathe as I am to admit it, I do hope he'll survive to tell the tale."
Outside the Chamber of the White Snake
Train gnashed his teeth together, his jaw straining as he launched up the side of the building and landed on the roof of the tower.
To say Creed had been... disappointed by Train's refusal to either join him or even show a hint of the cold darkness that had defined Black Cat back in the day, was perhaps just a little bit of an understatement. To say he was murderously enraged was hitting the nail hard on the head.
When Train had arrived at Creed's room, Sephiria had been all but beaten as he'd grimly predicted. In fact, Creed had been just about to deliver the fatal blow to an immobile Sephiria when Train had fired a bullet to Creed's sword, gaining the madman's full attention. Unfortunately, seeing Train - or rather, not seeing the Train he wanted - had snapped whatever tiny shred of sanity Creed might have. Or perhaps tampering with the nanomachines had already derailed Creed's historically tenuous control. It was ironic, therefore, when Creed revealed that the only way to kill him would be to destroy his brain which was the only part of him that couldn't regenerate with the power of the nanomachines.
Either way, Creed's complete loss of his mind was how Train now found himself trying not to be killed as he faced off against a crazy half-man, half-sword intent on his death. It seemed Creed had embraced the old saying batshit crazy fans adhered to of, 'If I can't have him, no-one can'. Only, he'd taken it one step further on the insanity scale to 'if I can't have him, kill him'.
Suddenly, Train felt something behind him and he quickly spun around, lifting Hades just in time. Creed's sword - which was fused with Tao and nanomachine technology directly onto his right arm while an inhuman extension that looked like a right arm protruded out the back of his shoulder and behind his back - smashed down on Train's gun. In the instant they made contact, Train knew he couldn't hold off Creed's attack; he was too strong.
As the thought crossed his mind, his body gave way and Train was flung back. He skid against the roof tiles, bouncing off the hard stone as if he were a rock being skipped across a still lake, before he was smashed into the wall of the belltower that still protruded up the centre of the roof.
The bricks cracked under the impact of his body and Train was certain he'd cracked more than one rib. Gasping, he tried to shake off the pain all while his head rang from hitting the stone building and Creed spoke in a low voice.
"This is… how I dealt with Sephiria's ultimate technique, the Mekkai. With this Imagine Blade Level III..."
Creed slowly approached Train as the former Number tried to regain himself and Creed's burning eyes never left Train even as he continued to speak.
"The Phantom Blade is created from my own spirit. It's power is amplified and synchronizes with my mind, raising my reflexes and speed. And if my Imagine Blade level II was a living sword linked to my conscience, then this ultimate form, my Imagine Blade level III, is a fusion of me and my blade. My body and mind are as one with the blade and I can far surpass the limitations of a human."
As Train remained apparently unmoving, Creed ranted on in an increasingly unhinged voice.
"This is all your fault, Train. It's your fault for making me angry! Time and time again, I came to get your cooperation so it wouldn't come to this. But despite that, all those attempts were futile. ALL of them!"
"You..." Creed stopped at Train's hoarse voice. "You're… being irresponsible… and just saying what you want to be true..."
Train lifted his head as he pushed himself off the small crater he had created when he was smashed into the bell tower and he fell down to his feet on the roof below with a grimace.
"You're the one that started all this, aren't you?" Train straightened up with a wince but his grip on Hades in his right hand was still firm. "A… sword… that's synchronized with your mind, huh? So that means… if I break that sword, I can break your mind."
Creed's jaw clenched and he hissed through gnashed teeth, "Do you really think you can do that?"
Train lifted his gaze, unwavering despite the blood that trickled down the side of his face, and he raised Hades where he now held it determinedly in his dominant left hand.
"It's the only thing I can do!" Train answered grimly. 'For Saya. For everyone Creed will destroy if he wins today. For Lia.'
Creed however scoffed.
"That's impossible." He answered scathingly. "Not even Hades's 'Claw' attack could crush it. Instead of wasting your energy, aim at my head! Not my sword! That's your speciality, isn't it?!"
While that was true once...
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Train asked almost wearily. "I don't mean to kill you."
Creed stared, shocked, while Train continued.
"I can only let you start over to atone for your sins to Saya and to everyone you killed until now… like what I'm doing. Because none of us should get to judge who lives… or dies."
Creed's eyes widened as he saw the look on Train's face, the one he associated with Saya Minatsuki. And then his teeth gnashed together once again and he snarled, "Saya… Saya… what is the big deal about that witch?!"
He launched at Train, who did his best to block Creed's attack. But the blade Creed wielded didn't adhere to any rules of physics as it moved fluidly as Creed willed and Train grunted when the blade curved up and around to stab him in the shoulder.
Train pulled back, evading a deeper cut but he was placed at an instant disadvantage as Creed continued to lash at him both physically and verbally while Train could only defend himself against Creed's slashing sword.
"That woman died at my hands! That proves her way of life was wrong! I've been right all along! Why can't you see that?!"
"Did she ever beg you to spare her life?" Train countered and Creed flinched.
The momentary pause, no matter how minute, was all Train needed. He fired off three bullets, two hitting Creed's sword and forcing him back and away while the last punctured Creed's shoulder. Creed barely felt the wound however as he leapt away and landed across from Train on the rooftop. Instead his entire attention was focused again on Train's gaze, which was as stern as was his tone.
"Saya didn't lose to you. Don't you remember? The three kids you were about to kill..."
Creed frowned as he recalled some tiny little things that had appeared and interrupted his fight with Saya Minatsuki. They had been unimportant but he did remember now that that was how his original sword had been broken as Saya had shot his blade and shattered it from the sword hilt to stop him from attacking the kids.
"They were able to escape thanks to Saya. And after the incident, they told me about Saya's last battle. Even when her own life was at stake, she fought to protect those kids. She held onto her way of life. And she lives on in me… and everyone else she touched. In the end, you couldn't destroy Saya's spirit!"
Train stared at Creed grimly.
"You know that, don't you? That's why you despise her so much even now. Because you couldn't have it your way."
Instantly, Creed's eyes flashed and he seemed to burst into flames the fury around him was so tangible. Train tensed, his grip on Hades tightening again as he was hit by the murderous energy that surrounded Creed. Before Creed could take a step forward, Train moved.
Creed stopped in shock as he felt Train's presence fly passed and he frowned when he felt something wrap around his arm. The rope tightened abruptly and Creed realized that in that short span of time, Train had managed to wrap the elastic rope that usually hung off Hades around his left wrist several times. Train pulled on the rope, forcing Creed to turn and open his body up to Train's assault as Train launched back at Creed with his full power.
Swinging his Hades so rapidly it was impossible to see the movement, Train slashed thrice on Creed's sword as it automatically moved to protect Creed's body. The attack did nothing and Creed was about to mock Train's futility when Train launched up again and, leveraging the rope wrapped around Creed's wrist, slashed again at Creed's sword at the exact same spot.
The force of the double attack caused an impact equivalent to that of a minor bomb and the entire roof shook. Dust and smoke flew up as Train skid away from Creed. His body protested, muscles throbbing from overexertion, but Train didn't allow his mind to rest as he stared into the smoke for any sign that Creed had managed to come out unscatched even from such an attack. It shouldn't be possible, but so far Creed had proven more than a little stubborn. And…
"Hehe..." Train let out a disbelieving laugh. "It's for real..."
Creed was unsmiling completely for once as he stepped out of the smoke, his sword unscathed and his damaged body already repairing. Instead, his face was cold and devoid of any emotion, almost exactly like Train's used to be back when he was a Chronos eraser. Before he had met Lia and Saya.
"You couldn't manage after all." Creed replied before his lips curled into a mirthless smile that was quite deranged on his otherwise expressionless face. "Say, Train. Shall we end it already?"
Train smirked back but his thoughts were far from humorous. How could he do it? How could he defeat Creed if his sword could withstand Train's strongest attack?
Creed took one step forward and Train's eyes widened in shock as Creed's sword expanded and grew to be three times as big as Creed's entire body. Sensing what was to come, Train was able to dodge back in time before Creed swung at him - but he wasn't fast enough to escape when Creed's demon arm swung around behind Train and grabbed his head.
"Ugh!" Train grunted as Creed gripped his head tightly before he flung Train hard across the roof. Once again, Train was sent tumbling along the stone tiles before he was smashed into the wall of the bell tower which trembled ominously. Not that Train felt it as his head threatened to explode from the impact on his skull.
Meanwhile on the Open Corridor
Sven was still battling against the gorilla-like cyborg that just never seemed to run out of firepower. He was starting to realize the entire cyborg's body was jam-packed with explosives; so even if he were to fire at the cyborg's own ammunition to try and beat him, the resulting explosion would be enough to destroy the entire bridge let alone kill all of them. Eve was also struggling against her opponent, whose ability to split off his own body into two separate parts meant Eve was battling two opponents in the air.
Lia meanwhile was sparring with the snake-like cyborg. Apparently, losing most of his left arm had left the cyborg extremely bitter and his offensives now were much stronger than before and left Lia with very little reaction time. She spent most of her time dodging the cyborg and when she did try to attack he backed off from her sharp blade that was the only thing that could pierce him now that he was more mindful about his joints where the armour was weak enough for her bullets to puncture.
As she was fighting, however, Lia suddenly felt a small tug. It wasn't cold like her usual gut feelings tended to be throughout her career. Instead, it was warm, like a friendly hand touching her shoulder to gain her attention. But it was no less insistent and Lia glanced to the side.
'Saya…?' Lia thought, puzzled, as she thought she saw a shimmer ghost of her old friend standing right beside her.
The smile that usually graced the dark-haired woman's face was still in place as bright blue eyes met Lia's before Saya pointed toward the roof. Toward Train, Lia realized.
Lia's heart shot up to her throat as she understood what Saya was saying.
"Where are you looking?!"
The cyborg Lia had been battling screeched as his opponent appeared to lose her focus, staring into empty space and the sky.
"Hehe, guess you'll have to die after-!"
He didn't even get to finish. Before the words were fully out of his mouth, the cyborg - distracted by his own thought of success - was cut apart into pieces that he wouldn't be able to recover from. The flash of metal was the only hint at what had caused his demise but already the black, gold and silver scythe was already gone with the blue-haired woman that was dashing toward the other side of the bridge.
"Julia?!" Sven called out while Eve also looked down in similar surprise.
Echidna, who had been stunned by the speed at which Lia had suddenly moved - as though she had been possessed by some sudden strength-, recovered and she began heatedly, "You won't get through-!"
Echidna broke off in shock as Lia deviated completely and leapt toward the side of the building. Before the other woman could even realize what was happening, Lia was already scaling the side of the building, leaping from window sill to window sill as she made her way speedily up toward the place Saya had indicated.
'Train!' She thought as she went, adrenaline coursing through her.
"No!"
Echidna opened her palm toward Lia and huge dimensional holes appeared in the Number's path.
But still Lia dodged the gaping holes that appeared, using her Elysium to swing herself up and continue her progress if she was unable to land on a window because of Echidna's portals. She also received some surprising help from Eve who used her own nanomachines to extend her hair to reach Lia and create platforms for the Number to leap off of. Echidna meanwhile was also forced to close some of the holes as Sven launched at her, using his own supernatural speed thanks to his Glaspar Eye to get behind his cyborg opponent and at Echidna. After getting over their own surprise, Train's partners had known instinctively that there was only one thing that could have suddenly diverted Lia's attention and they would do whatever they could to help her.
The momentary lapse in Echidna's concentration was all Lia needed to leap over the edge of the building and out onto a balcony out of Echidna's sight. From there, she raced along the side of the building, heading toward where she could hear the distinct noises of battle even while Saya's silent message continued to ring in her ears.
'He needs you, Jules.'
*A/N Song of the Day: Resuscitated Hope, from Gosick. The link is: watch?v=jusOxwAT3T8