Arc IV - Linked Horizons
Chapter 29: Roar of Awakening
And like a pin being dropped, so did my guard.
Mars' right arm came barreling down before me, my legs sinking into the ground before the flaming circulation of fire around his arm, the fissures of orange running under me, all while my motions slowed at the sight, the sensation of a searing flame scorching me through my armor. From his arm released a calamity of fire, the torrent blasting me across the arena in a single line.
My body crashed into the wall of the ruins, my body smoking from the flames that remained in the fractured earth. All while Mars' hand appeared from the smoke, grabbing my faceplate tight enough that even as I blasted him with two bursts of ice, his left hand held my right arm, and I winced at the strain on my aura. I watched through his fingers, the purple claws crushing the blade and tearing the armor off Cognitum's frame.
He threw me to the ground, pressing down with a foot to my spine as the heat grew uncomfortably hot under the metal. With a skate of his boot, he threw me into a roll and back to the center of the ring, the clapping of his metal boots growing closer as I recovered, inspecting the stripped-down gauntlet of mine.
"I'll strip you of my creation one way or another." He warned me. I spun on my knees, swinging my left blade through his abdomen, yet the blade merely scratched his jagged plating, his arm high with a torrent of flames, all of which came slicing down on my left cheek, the fires erupting from below
"Ahhh~!" My body flew into the air, where I shadow waited, and my aura completely shattered, his shin crashing against my body with resounding force and a ring of fire to erupt from the connection, my body driven into the ground and onto the cubic land of the digital zone
"I should clarify, us Horsemen have a little trait of our own, like a Semblance. Mine? Well, I call it..."
[Fissure]
I groaned, pushing my body to rest against my elbows, while my weakened eyes stared up at the Horsemen that slowly walked in my direction.
"A simple name; I can produce a highly volatile chemical from my body that can be triggered to cause a massive eruption of fire, so long as there's an atmosphere, I can do this as many times I can want." He balled his right fist up again. "To put this in simple terms to you..."
I pushed back with my elbows, flipping back to my feet. Gathering fire and ice into my hands, I didn't allow him a chance to finish his taunt, as my own nova of fire and ice accumulated between my palms. Brilliant Flame burst through the cubic land, shattering the land like glass while pushing Mars back slightly, yet to my horror, he hadn't a scratch on him, not even after the large explosion to his face.
"He's not like anything I've fought before! He's armored head-to-toe, I can't even break it!" My thoughts cursed. He had the foresight of Fox's 'Telepathy', with the strength of Coco's 'Hype', It's as if I was fighting all of Team CFVY at once!
"You're not strong enough." A fist collided with my bare palms, my feet struggling to hold me up against his flaming fist that threatened to burn me from within my armor. I spun, my heel crashing into his chest and pushing him back, with two large blasts of ice that coated my own arms, yet froze his movements, yet his tail lashed out, coiling around my leg and throwing me high above Mars. "You're not fast enough."
*Crash-Thud*
His fist sunk into my chest, shattering the plating with a large outward blast that buried in the ground between the center and the barren rock of the ruins. My right arm reached out to pull myself forward, yet something pressed against my back again, slowly driving into my lower back slowly, obviously, it was his foot.
"And you are certainly not smart enough to stop me," Mars concluded his rant, tipping his foot under my stomach and flipping me over to look up at the sky again, with his form looming over me. "I have studied you since day one, boy, you've reached your limit."
. . . . Limit . . . ?
"My...limit?" I spat back, my palms open wide to blast me backward and against a small wall, a few dozen feet from Mars as my shaky hands pulled me up to rest my arms on the wall while my feet pushed the rest of me up again, my armor was broken and torn apart now, sparks flicked about while the crowd grew louder
~And he's back on his feet! Truly a remarkable Huntsman before us!~ Thanks, Professors. I flipped my body around, seeing Mars slowly making his way over to me, his fists bound with the lingering ghosts of cinders
"Don't worry...girls..." I breathed weakly, standing back up with my right arm low, while my remaining blade was drawn back as I bent my elbow. "I'm not done yet!"
*CHEERING!*
"I'm impressed you've survived against so many close proximity explosions, typically without an Aura to protect you, your organs would have me mashed into gunk by now, yet my own creation continues to exceed my expectations, much like you do." Mars complimented, yet I felt two waves of white and red sail over my body, even though my Aura was gone, I could use what remains of Iota's and Eric's
"I got your limit right here!" I bellowed. Between my finger in my right hand gathered fire and ice, the unstable mix stinging my nerves. All while lightning and wind swirled in my left, harmonizing a little better. "Four Tier Dust..."
Mars stood before me, yet he quickly crossed his arms at the sight of my hands crashing together in a mesh of unstable polarities, even my armor groaned at the pressure I made. Yet my exposed right eye gleamed with three shades of color. "...Meltdown!"
*BOOOOM*
The sharp ring of the Dust colliding together made a large cloud of smoke to rise with a bright light of burning embers, sparks of lightning dancing in the harsh winds that rattled my bones with a cold rush of ice to frost over the area and my white locks of hair against my face. My arms were shattered completely, while large gashes covered my thighs and stomach, exposing my clothing underneath, or what remained since most of my skin was exposed under the armor's wounds, while the right side of my helmet was gone, my hair breezing in the smoke.
"Ho-How's that f-for my limit, Mars?" I asked him smugly, the smoke beginning to part the air around us, while the crowd began to climb back down from their screams of entertainment
"It's just as impressive as your previous limit, you did shatter one of my proxies through several buildings after all," My eyes widened, yet a large hand grabbed my head, lifting me off my toes and into the open air for the entire world to see, yet he wasn't letting go, instead, the pressure around my head grew. "Now I've grown bored."
"Argh-Ahhhh!" My scream of pain was all I could really focus on now, his hand was crushing the remains of my helmet against my head, squeezing slowly as I felt pain flurry through my head with untold agony
~I-It seems the competitor as Sky within a powerful hold, and is now attempting to crush his head in order to force Sky to surrender~ I noticed, Oobleck! But Mars wasn't going to do that, he...was going to kill me...
"A-A-AHHHH!" My exposed eye widened in horrific agony as my arms tried in vain to punch or pry Mars' fingers off my head, even as he continued to stare with his emotionless, crimson gaze, the tail swaying slowly with his helmet's decorations
Everything in my vision was growing heavy and dotted with black markings. No...I was...I...help...please...
*Piiiiiing*
The blissful release came with my body crumbling to the ground in a heap, my breathing ragged now as my eye under my helmet zoomed in on a lone figure at the edge of the arena, it was him? The man cloaked in black and grey, his arm was extended with a large, silver handgun, much larger than a normal one, yet with a brass casing atop the receiver and barrel, while two black lines crossed diagonally along the barrel. He then slipped the gun away, and in a single blink, he vanished?
What...was he...?
My right eye, it remained on Mars, seeing him stumbling around at the sizable wound in his arm, the black mist leaking out from the wound while the crowd muttered in shock over the wound and in surprised relief that I wasn't dead, yet my head still spun into that inky blackness of my mind, and I had little control beyond hearing all the voices melt away.
Again, I fell against my back with a scathing pain coursing through me. Above me, sweating just as much as me was the ever-so-cocky grin of Coco, her hazel eyes reflecting my own exhaustion as she held a hand out for me, trying to refrain a chuckle.
"Don't say it…" I groaned, slash, pleaded with her not to say it again, did she listen?
"Again." No, no she didn't. I grabbed her roasting hand, my muscle straining as I was pulled to my feet, feeling my shirt stick to me, refusing to take it off since my scars would be visible to everyone in the gym, sure, Coco knew since she basically threatened me one time, but she didn't bother to ask after that. "Seriously, I thought you'd be used to that move by now?"
Her coy expression didn't match my irritated one. "It's impossible, nothing can counter it." I threw my arms weakly into the air, yet she rolled her eyes, crossing her own arms tight to her sports bra, I still objected though. "Seriously, it's not possible to break it."
Coco sighed, moving to sit on the small bench at the side of the mats, patting the seat next to her, and I immediately felt my legs burn more as I did, sighing softly. She snorted a laugh but grabbed two bottles of water and threw one to me.
"Alright, let me explain; yeah, you can't beat it, nothing can beat that trick except someone who knows it too, like my brother…who always beat me with it, believe me, I know how frustrating it is," Coco sounded just as aggravated as me reciting her own past. "But there's something else."
"That is...?" I motioned for her to continue, obviously she was trying to keep my attention. She took a small sip before looking down at the clear bottle with a look of remembrance written on her face
"Fear. Something inside anyone, it's something that can hold us back or push us in the heat of the moment, whatever that may be," She answered, and I felt nervous at my own thoughts on fear, one that made my chest tighten. "I know yours; I can see why it holds you back, and to be honest I have no idea how you will break free of that."
I didn't reply, so she continued.
"When I was younger, myself and my two brothers decided to play hide-and-seek, and so I hid under the sink in a cabinet, to my surprise, they never found me, heh, back then it was funny, atleast that part…" Coco took a moment and took another drink. "But when I tried to leave my hiding spot I…found the door wouldn't budge, so I was stuck in the dark…cramped space for a while…and it was terrifying, unable to move much and unable to see anything…it's why I hate the dark and being in small spaces,"
"It's as if all my strength just…vanishes into dust, I'm left all alone without any sign of life around me, I don't have that same control anymore – geez," I noticed her holding out her left hand, seeing it tremble a little. "Still a sensitive topic I guess, something as simple as that."
"Why…tell me this?" I asked slowly. Watching her close her hand and release a stiff breath, offering me another smile of confidence. Then with said fist, she punched my arm, my muscles still tender. "Ow…"
"I spill my fears and you brush them off, how cruel?" She joked, yet I was quick to apologize, if not for another soft punch to my gut this time. "I know what you mean, besides, given how I accidentally found out about your secret I guess that's karma,"
"As for why I told you. It's easy to fall into that pit you've created, no one can understand our fears, why we feel weak against them, but its because its up to us to solve them ourselves, figure a way to suppress or use them for the sake of moving forward," Coco elaborated, patting my hand with her own. "You can do it, even if only a bit, you can move past what happened to you someday, trust me, you just have to have a little faith in yourself."
"Have…Faith…" Coco's words...couldn't be truer
I struggled to regain my senses, I had barely any energy left to stand. I needed to try, I was afraid of it, of what the consequences would occur if I used this power again. I had no control last time, yet now, right now more people are put at risk, if I fall here, Mars would leave with a lingering sense of despair in the air, all of it would do more harm than what I could do, my team could stop me, they could do it again.
"Are you sure about this?" Specter...? "If you do this, you can win, but the cost, is it worth it?"
I don't know.
"No, if you are to do this, I want to hear you say it, I want you to be certain of your choice this time, no more doubts in a fight, you have to always be certain of your choices." Specter berated me, but she was right, I was doubting myself as my vision continued to sway between light and dark
"Iota...Eric...ready?" I rasped, coughing while in view of the recovered Mars, his right arm beginning to rise again
"We are." Both replied and I pressed the single button to release the lock I had placed against Cognitum, now, I had no fallback if I failed
"Form Three, Frenzy." Like an echo, the air surrounding me became cold, while my back lurched up as I gagged on the pain of the cold, inky darkness sticking to my body, it stung all over, yet I wasn't fading into my subconscious, I felt my mentality stick with the dark matter again in a more semi-perfect link
My body twisted, and my legs pulled me up to my feet without the need of my arms, their joints twisting back around with two tendrils pushing me back to a straightened stance. I felt my large, red eyes glare back hungrily at Mars, claws sharpened like my teeth against him.
"...F-F-F-frenz-z-z-zy...!" My feral snarl ignited something Mars, I could sense it now, his desirable interest had grown again, interesting...I see it all...his desire for blood...yes...blood...more...more...more!
"Now this is more interesting, please, show me your hatred and give-"
*SCREECH*
My fist was far faster than his gums, I saw it though, my claws sunk through the metal cheek of his helmet, sending the Horseman back a bit, so I came back around with a powerful swipe to his side, and another right hook to his lower jaw. He attempted to swing another flaming fist into my face, so I opened my maw wide, feeling my jaw stretch large enough to devour his fist, the flames seeming to make me stronger again, I was absorbing them? No matter, I had him locked now, there's still a chance!
"S-S-sor-r-r-ry, we bi-i-i-te back!" I sunk my tendrils into the ground, pulling me down onto my back as I threw him with my foot pressed to his gut, slamming him into the ground as my spine seemed to stretch inhumanly, my body resizing back to normal as I slammed my foot against his stomach, pressing down with my tongue hanging out the left side of my jaw. "Hehehehehahahahaha~!"
"Cute." Mars grumbled, his arm shoving me off his body quickly, his heel crashing into my face and sinking me back into the ground, so I twisted my legs around his arm, sinking my claws into his hand as he struggled to pry my thighs off the back of his neck, my legs holding him in a triangle lock
"Want to eradicate humanity! Maybe next time don't give me the power to kick your ass!" I screamed in a feral tone, sounding a little more like me again. "How does it feel? How does it feel you bitch!?"
He lifted me into the air, yet I twisted his hand, flipping my right leg to rested against the back of his helm, with a powerful push my legs drove him into the ground with a resounding crash of stone. I was upright again, now holding his arm high against my chest as I screamed in pure animalistic hatred for the Grimm that has done nothing but cause me pain, now I was going to give him pain. I twisted and pulled with all my might, with Mars gripping the stone tightly in an attempted to pull himself away, yet he grunted painfully, as I screamed a final time, the arm torn from his shoulder completely in a flash.
The crowd went dead silent, the severed arm of Mars landing a hundred yards from us, all while I stumbled back, letting go of the Horseman to finally breathe. But I felt colder, my anger, I nearly lost control of Frenzy, and my grasp on it was slipping still, I needed to end this before I could allow Frenzy control over my mind again.
*CHEERING*
~Sky has left Mars in a complete disadvantage! This fight seems final from here!~ Professor Port stated proudly, while I licked my lips
Seems the crowd is still hopeful, no fear, nothing but a few specs of despair in the air. Sensing all of this was what it meant to be a Grimm then? The senses of good and evil, it truly was scary how emotions constantly flow, even when not focused, maybe that is why I cannot control Frenzy. It feeds on that flow, and it can always change without my accord.
And the fire? I absorbed it from his blows against me, was it Frenzy's trait to do so? If it is, then Mars is without any other optio-!
A flaming wall came barreling into my arms, burning the leathery skin, my hiss matching Mars' own. I was a few feet away now, my feet dug into the tiles while Mars flexed his remaining fingers, coiling them again. Yet just as I guessed, I absorbed the fire, and I felt...energized, my strength was very thin, yet some of it was coming back to me, even while my own fist balled itself up. A toothy grin spread like sunlight over me.
Mars came charging in powerful steps, shattering the ground with flaming concussive blasts under him. I reined my right arm back, my left hand outstretched against him. In a sudden flash, his fist came crashing into my left arm, a sharp snap of bones, and a large cloud of dust pushed past us both, blind-siding the crowd.
~We apologize, we cannot make out what is going on down there!~
The dust drifted into the sky, and to the shocked crowd, and silent prayers, Mars was staring at his fist, the flames all but died around us, while his arm shook a little against my firm grasp. I grinned madly, staring back with a menacing glare.
"Gotcha." With a final cry of defiance, I bent his body down, my right fist crashing into his ribcage with a world-shattering crack of thunder, the sonic boom shattering his armor, and sending the Horseman flying through the ground, uprooting a few of its layers, including the wiring underneath. "You may be smarter than me..."
Frenzy finally vanished back into the confines of Cognitum, my body failing to hold me upright as I crashed to my knees, my clothing torn, thankfully my trousers didn't suffer as much, but I did feel alot colder. "...But I'm stronger!" My final words to Mars, who slowly moved to his feet, armor broken so much I could barely see the damage through the black smog surrounding him
"You win...very impressive, I...haven't had a fight like that in years...bravo, for now," Mars commended me, while I tried to look unfazed, but I was too injured to do so. "Don't try to act tough, you've done more than enough to prove that this world might just have a chance."
"What?" I breathed, but he ignored me
"I warned you of the coming storm, you can't stop the end, no-one can..." He pointed his finger at me, then turned and slowly shambled away. He looked defeated, but I doubt any security would catch him now, not after he snuck in
I was right, the moment I looked back he was gone. Yet I felt okay with that, falling back onto my ass to groan in pain. Even with the collection of feet storming behind me. I turned, and nearly jumped as Ruby tackled me, I held back the urge to wince, feeling a little better with her holding onto me.
"You stupid-" Ow. "Dumb-" Ow. "Jerk!" She struck my head again, but it morphed into her cupping my cheek softly, checking over my bruises and small cuts over my body. "Seriously, what were you thinking! You could have gotten us to kick his butt too!"
"Not going to happen," I replied sternly, yet even as Ruby went to protest, I put a finger to her lips. "Ruby...he is far too powerful for any of you to beat, he broke through mine, Eric, and Iota's Auras, what would he have done to all of you?"
"Fair point...but it still was really reckless." Of course, it was, Blake. I sighed, giving them a smile of assurance as Yang ruffled my hair
"That was still pretty amazing! You completely destroyed him! Where did you learn to do that triangle hold?" Yang begged me to tell her, yet I just remembered it was what Coco had shown me, but she wasn't here, so I just shrugged
"I was overcome with rage, I don't remember half the stuff I did to him." I lied, but they accepted that
"Always quick to jump the gun, aren't you?" Weiss sighed, clearly exhausted from watching the fight. "You had us worried sick, especially Ruby, who was on the brink of tears."
"Heeeeey, you said you wouldn't say anything, Weiss~!?" Ruby cried out, blushing as I gave her a curious look
"You weren't the only one worried sick." Blake had a hand on her chest, while Yang just nodded with a wary smile. I guess I did worry them alot with that, my head nearly being popped like a grape didn't help either
~That was a tremendous display of both will, and power, I swear to you all that even I could not predict such a monumental battle!~ Oobleck ranted, as I chuckled at his baffled look, then Port nodded in agreement
~Although things were rather unfair for Sky, he persevered and had triumphed over the enemy before him. Well done, Sky!~ Thanks, Sir. So I saluted to them where a camera floated
"You know something, Ruby?" I asked her with a stupid grin on my face, quickly kissing her on the lips for a moment of bliss between us, all while Yang's cooed, Weiss and Blake smiled warmly, and Ruby's face went completely red. "I love you."
"I-I-I love you too." She nervously giggled, all while I fell backward to look up at the bright blue sky
"We need a vacation."
"We need a vacation."
"We need a vacation."
To Be Continued...
This took alot of effort since this was a complete rewrite, but I hope you enjoyed the crazy fist fight between these two enemies! Seeya in the next chapter Hunters!
Next Chapter: Words of The Heart
Sometimes, the heart speaks what our minds can't convey.