Clash of the Elements Part 5 (R): The Lover From the Lost Aura

by mewmaster93

Called in to assist an old friend of the original Elemental Overlord, his successor Mew finds himself wrapped up in a battle for control of the ancient city of Sancturia, home to the Aurians and the secrets of their powers. With the friend's daughter Kairi tagging along, Mew shall combat his way through the legendary Planetary Aurians and their leader to liberate this city, or...

9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Oath

At the crack of dawn, no sooner nor later than 8 o'clock, Mew woke up with eyes wide open. He lifted his head off the couch and had a stiff feeling in his neck. While rubbing it he grumbled, "Yep. My bed...this ain't."

He peeked over the couch and saw Auris hard at work in the kitchen. Her back was turned as she cheerfully sounded off a "Good morning" to Mew.

"Good morning...?" It was an odd feeling to say that for once starting the morning. Usually he greeted a machine, not another living being. He finished rubbing the back of his head and shook off that last bit of morning aching in his bones.

After some quick arm stretches to get his blood pumping he sat up and turned away from the couch. Grease started sizzling on a pan, crackling with the sounds of God's greatest gift to mankind – plump, fatty, bacon.

She asked pleasantly "Do you want some breakfast?" but Mew knew it was a facade of normalcy. She was well-aware of what was to transpire this morning. The least she could do is try not to indicate to Kairi that Mew was bailing out early.

So Mew stood up and with half-a-smile remarked, "I think I'll pass."

But she was a fighter, insisting in a firm, motherly tone, "Are you sure? Today's a big day."

"You're making it sound like I'm starting school..." Mew heard the bacon grease sizzling from Auris flipping it in the pan. He bit his teeth and widened a fighting scowl as he turned to the kitchen. Temptations were high, but Mew lashed his arms back and pulled his head away.

"I...can't!" His resilience would not yield to such sinful thoughts of fried pig skins sitting beside a bed of fluffy scrambled eggs. He slowly picked up the pace for the door, where Auris played her last card.

"I even whipped up some strawberry lemon-ade~"

Mew squirmed with one hand biting on the door. He pulled the cloth aside and then fought tooth and nail to say, "I-I'll take a rain check on that!"

He then hurried out the door. He felt safe knowing Kairi hadn't gotten up yet. But little did he know was that she was up, and watching. She poked her head down around the corner of the second floor, then rushed to the door after Mew.

Mew made his way back to the Pyramid and denied any distractions along the way. The skyline had returned to normal and natural daylight settled in. The streets were busy, but Mew easily made a beeline for his destination. From there he climbed the stairs straight up the fourth floor, grateful that the portals stayed out of his way.

This floor was much different than the last three, as there was no need for a portal this go around. Instead a sea of luscious green grass laid beneath a canopy of bright pink petals. An exuberant amount of cherry blossom trees stood in his way, and not a single one showed its age. Timeless like the sky, the bark on the tree trunks acted as pillars against the ceiling.

It was a lovely sight that Mew knew would be spoiled by the spilling of blood. Both his...and Gabriel's.

"...Well, here goes nothing." Mew took a deep breath and made his way into the garden. There was a silent breeze loosening the petals free. Mew reached up, took a petal in hand, and kept walking. He looked at the petal for a few seconds before it fluttered off, carried by a stronger breeze.

Mew curled his fist and looked up. Sitting on the ground in a criss-cross pose was a big green-skinned man. He wore dirt brown samurai armor on his upper body, with plates covering his shoulders and biceps. He had no gloves. He had no socks. The only protection for his feet came in the form of sandals and the bottom lip of his pants.

And nailed to his left hip was a worn down metal sheath, a hilt made of silver sticking out from the end. The contents of his skin may have changed, but his choice of clothes gave away the obvious.

"You arrived on time." Gabriel remarked, sounding surprised.

Mew looked at the man sitting twenty feet away and couldn't help but joke, "Y'know if you showed up to dinner looking like that we could have cut to the chase."

He then grinned and formerly referred to Gabriel as, "Aurian Earth."

Gabriel slowly opened his eyes and stood up. He quietly responded to Mew's formalities with some of his own, "I am the one left ashamed...Elemental Overlord."

He turned his body to leave his sheath out of view, planting one hand upon it. He then bowed slightly and admitted, "I should have known it was you. You are his splitting image."

"Lets say we suck at first impressions and leave it at that?" Mew said while swinging his arms out and balancing on one foot. He then put his foot down and jabbed a pointer finger at Gabriel, "What I wanna know is why the secrecy? What kinda pitch did Gravitus sell to get you on his side?"

Gabriel slanted his eyes and glided his hand to the hilt of his blade. He discarded politeness for a firm spoken warning of, "I am going to give you one chance to turn back and leave Sancturia."

"That a threat?" Mew scoffed at his answers being denied again and then said, "No can do. I already told Auris that I'd handle Gravitus."

He then grinned and growled, "And don't ignore my questions. Do you think that's fair to the princess?"

"You are the Elemental Overlord in name and face only. Your disposition is more akin to a clown's..." Gabriel leaned his head out and spat bitterly in Mew's face, "You are owed none of my respect."

"That's a bummer. Cause she could really use those answers..." Mew nudged his head back and raised his voice, "Right princess?!"

Gabriel froze and lifted his head slightly. Mew then looked back and saw Kairi standing there. He addressed her in a joking manner, "I told you to work on your stealth..."

Her pupils had shrunken as she reached one hand out and mumbled, "G-Gabriel...What...What's going on here? Why are you..."

The trembles of her voice revealed a whirlwind of emotions from confusion to betrayal. She pulled her hand back to her chest and all her emotions culminated in a whimper of, "You're...working for Gravitus."

Gabriel flinched then swiftly closed his eyes to whisper, "You've left me no choice..." as he drew his blade from the sheath. He held it in both hands before his waist and Mew turned to look at it.

Like he guessed from last night's encounter it was a katana. The blade was comprised of a bronze-copper mix that only had a couple chips to its name. Mew could even feel the lingering spirit of thousands of lives coming off the blade.

With a steeled gaze sharp as his blade Gabriel proclaimed, "I invoke the Rite of Singularity!"

Mew suddenly felt a prick in his chest close to his heart. Like a thorn had struck it. Gabriel outsped Mew's inquiring tongue by stating, "So long as the rite stands none shall interfere in our duel, lest they wish to lose their life."

He then narrowed his eyes and stated, "Now draw your sword and face me, intruder."

Mew girded his knees and twisted his body sideways, his eyes locked onto Gabriel. He raised one hand in a halfway gripped manner and placed the other by his chest. He then grinned and told hie foe, "If that's the way you want it then fine. Bring it on."

"Stop it! T-This is ridiculous!" Kairi exclaimed to both parties.

Mew's head didn't budge as he stated, "Its about to get ugly princess. You really out to skedaddle."

"But-!"

"Come on, have a little faith for once," He turned his head back and with a smile assured her, "I'll meet you on the other side. Promise!"

Kairi was too messed up emotionally to respond and thus gave a nod and rushed past the two warriors. Mew let out a sigh of relief and then looked back at Gabriel, who sternly told him, "You are making a terrible mistake."

"At least I'm being honest. What's your excuse Liar McPantsonfire?"

"Enough. If you do not come at me with the full might of your resolve, then this garden shall serve as your grave."

"Tempting..." Mew smiled cockily, "But I got a reservation at Father Time's place and he gets reeeal mad when someone else takes his customers."

"Then you'll have lived and died a fool." Gabriel twisted his grip and pointed the tip of his blade at Mew's face.

"That's a lot of shit-talk for a samurai...But I can tell you can back it up." Mew keeps his posture up and starts to walk clockwise. Gabriel follows his movements and they remain on even ground.

"And you aren't worthy to back up the title you've been erroneously given."

"...We'll see about that." Mew snapped his fingers at his chest. The branches behind Gabriel's head broke and flew straight for him.

He grimaced and pulled his blade behind him, solely held in one hand. The branches laid suspended in the air and then become splintered down to the size of toothpicks. All this, without him even looking.

Mew barreled at Gabriel with one foot forward and the samurai stabbed his blade out to meet him. The heel of Mew's shoe connected with the blade's tip and his body was pushed back. Gabriel used one hand to hold the katana, the other was laid to rest by his hip.

In this cumbersome position Mew grinned and thought, "Alright Mew...showtime!"

Vs. The Last Guardian: Aurian Earth!

Gabriel leveraged the force of Mew's kick against him and flipped him back. Mew responded in kind with a fireball towards his face. The tip of the blade was all Gabriel needed to cut it down. Mew scoffed, landed on his hands, then used them to vault straight up through the cherry blossoms.

He stuck his feet to the ceiling and weighed his options against the pressure of his blood rushing to his head.

"Gotta take him by surprise..." Mew surveyed the blanket of cherry blossoms separating him and Gabriel and sighed, "Not a fan of the silent approach but..."

He held his hands down and launched a few balls of compressed air to hide amongst the trees. He then dove back into battle right as he started to feel dizzy.

Gabriel gently stabbed his blade at Mew's head, but with a quick response Mew jettisoned a flame from his palm to launch back. As he turned to land he looked at the katana and spec'd it out, "I can't feel it coming. Just what's it made of, air?"

Upon landing Mew bounced on one alternating foot at a time and made some quick breaths. Gabriel didn't make a move, his blade remaining centered at his waist. Mew gave his head a quick twist right then said with a smile, "Won't know unless I get close..."

Once both feet were on the ground he sped straight into the face of danger. He got goosebumps riding on his arms as he swung his right fist at Gabriel's face. The samurai moved his katana to push the fist aside, and found he had a clean swing at Mew's face.

He swung down without a moment's notice and Mew pulled out just as fast. He got by with only a nick on the front of his nose.

"Shit that was close!" Mew's heart started racing as he found himself breathing funny, "That's weird...That cut practically missed."

"Your fist shall never reach me. Draw your sword." Gabriel warned, somehow sounding humble as he boasted.

Mew turned sideways and hid a hand behind his hip. With a firm, cocky "Nah" he squeezed his hand. The air he left behind earlier hardened into blunt bullets that shoot down at Gabriel from his surroundings. He winced in surprise for a moment but then seemed to accept his fate.

The sudden collision of all that wind kicked up a bit of dust around the samurai. Mew knew it wouldn't finish him, "But it oughta dent his armor a bit."

But as the dust settled there was no change to his armor nor posture. He hadn't even moved to cut the air.

"No one could react fast enough to hit those point-blank..." Mew gleamed at Gabriel's body and saw a mint-green aura flicker off of it. His eyelids sank as he grumbled, "Oh that's it...His Drive must've done it."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes and remarked, "The power of my Nature Drive nullifies all of your elements. Even-"

Mew swung his hands out and pulled his head away while yelling "Whoa whoa whoa!" to drown him out. He then made a point to tell him, "Don't tell me how your powers work! Figuring them out's part of the fun!"

Gabriel stared wide-eyed and let out a flaccid "What?" before his sense of reason returned to make him say, "I only say this in the dim hope that you will cease these senseless games."

"Well don't get your hopes up," Mew flashed a sly little grin, "I got many tricks up my sleeves, in my pockets, under my hat, go on, take your pick!"

Gabriel closed his eyes and sighed, "Is it pride or arrogance where this attitude stems from?"

"A little of both." Mew dismissively reposed.

"Then if you will not draw your sword..." Gabriel put his katana back in the sheath. He held his feet in a wide berth and leaned forward ever slightly.

"Perish by mine." He quickly drew and sheathed the katana in the blink of an eye.

Mew felt the space around him become distorted and with his teeth grit he slid to the right before dozens of cuts filled the space where he stood. Gabriel repeated this twice, putting the distortions closer to the trees to force Mew to go forward. Around the fourth distortion Mew leaped for the nearest tree and kicked off it hoping to get Gabriel by surprise.

The samurai brought out his blade in one hand and blocked Mew's electrified punch. Mew sent electricity into the blade to try and magnetize it but there was no reaction.

"Shoot!" Mew's gambit left him in a tight spot. He had to keep his knuckles on the harrowing edge of the blade and use it to vault over the man.

Mew held his arms outs and twirled twice. From them he first send out hot water and then tried bullet seeds. Neither of which could bypass the man's aura.

He flipped 'til his feet were downward and landed right as Gabriel pivoted around to attack. Mew pinched down on the dull edges of the blade and he almost felt like his elbow would smash into his shoulder.

"Jesus!" Mew found his body slanting back as he tired to dig his feet into the ground.

Gabriel slowly positioned his whole body forward, adding to his strength. The blade started sliding between Mew's fingers, aided by his sweat.

"He swings this thing like a feather...!" The blade was close enough to Mew's palm that he felt like he had been cut.

"That can cut diamond!" Mew widened his eyes and in a panic lit his right fist on fire and punched it towards Gabriel's face. His stern glare made him particularly vulnerable to the crispy embers, and he had to flutter his eyes to dull the seething pain that came with it.

Mew pulled away and a lightbulb went off in his head, "Of course! Fire! Mother Nature's mortal enemy!"

He wasn't out of danger yet. Even temporarily blinded Gabriel slid forward after him to swing his sword at Mew. Mew had to trust in his eyes to predict the blade's path as his other senses failed him. Gabriel swung down at Mew's arms and chest, and shocked him by cutting him once underneath the right shoulder despite his best efforts to dodge.

Mew held his ground for a second and skid the grass with his foot like a match to a matchbox. The blades of grass ignited into a ring of fire around Gabriel, forcing him to stop in place. Mew then hopped a couple feet back and started to pant. Nice and slowly his breath went in and out.

"A lot of those attacks missed...So why do I feel weaker?" Mew positioned one hand before his face and watched as one stroke of Gabriel's blade put out the flames before him.

"Heh...!" Mew grit his teeth into a smirk and commented, "Your sword's got a nice trick to it!"

Gabriel raised his katana before his chest and said, "Meiyo has been at my side for a long time. We fight as one, and she has been loyal all throughout."

"She has a name?" Mew said, pressing his lips in a desperate attempt not to bust a gut laughing.

"Of course," Gabriel remarked without a hint of shame, "A weapon kills. A tool gives aid. But a partner? A partner is an extension of who you are."

He then pointed his katana at Mew and said, "And to me, your refusal to draw your sword is an admission of shame towards it. It is not a part of you. It is merely your tool."

Mew stood his ground and barked back to his foe, "What can I say, we got a complicated relationship."

"Really? Do you even know your sword's name?" Gabriel asked, his words piercing deeper than his blade ever could.

"W-Well...!" Mew bit his teeth down.

"Of course you don't..." Gabriel sheathed his sword and crossed his arms, "You are merely a shadow of your predecessor, after all."

He then raised his brows and murmured, "And perhaps even that is too much praise."

Mew felt a terrible sensation well up in his gut. He lowered his hand to his chest and closed it into a fist. Then he looked at the samurai and wondered, "So much for you being a Jolly Green Giant. Or is being an asshole just as much of an act?"

"What I am...is not for you to know."

"And the same goes for the princess too huh?"

"Hrmm..." Gabriel's groan signaled to Mew that he had struck a nerve, especially as he reached for his katana and remarked, "So the saying goes...Talk is cheap."

"...Yeah you're right," Mew pounded his fist into an open palm and a wave of heat swept over the garden as his body was surrounded in fire, "I don't care what you're keeping a secret! I'm gonna kick your ass and beat some answers out of you!"

Gabriel takes the same stance he did when he performed those distortions and remarks, "You are welcome to try."

He unsheathes and sheathes his blade to cut the space around where Mew stood. Mew stepped ten feet to the left in a flash and thrust his right fist out to send a blast of fire towards the samurai. He cut the flames in the midst of sheathing his sword for another distortion.

Mew stepped left twice and punched between each movement. He kept moving backwards a few inches at a time while telling himself "Keep your distance" and studying the swing of Gabriel's blade for openings.

Gabriel continued to cut the flames going at him without losing ground. When his distortions seemed insufficient he raised his body up and took his katana in one hand. He gently swung it up and down, pushing the flames away with a powerful, silent gale.

The heat of the flames surrounded him, reflecting scarcely off his armor and eyes. He held his katana backwards and motioned it towards the sheath. But as he pushed the blade in the all the air from there to Mew was sucked towards his sheath.

Mew was dragged straight towards Gabriel whether he wanted to or not. The samurai widened his eyes as the blade locked into place, then declared with triumphant resolve, "Vacuum Slice!"

He ripped the katana free from sheath, the pressure swelling up inside allowing him to cut with incredible force. Mew grit his teeth, pointed the left side of his body towards the man, then raised his hand and summoned his sword to block the slash.

Mew's shoulder rammed into the back of his sword but he was perfectly safe from Gabriel's attack. The katana was locked into place for a moment as the samurai made his sole compliment thus far "Finally." Short sweet and to the point.

Mew clenched his teeth and watched as Gabriel slid his katana down the blunt edge of his blade, igniting tons of sparks that culminated in his blade being set on fire.

"Virtuous Sweep!" He declared as he grazed the bottom of Mew's blade, pushing the whole thing up, then in the same fell stroke swung his blade down towards Mew's legs.

Mew bounced up and with some quick thinking let go of his sword and planted his feet against the blunt edge. He propelled off it and in doing so caused the sword to bludgeon Gabriel's face.

Mew then dispelled the sword and kicked his feet back, summoning the sword to use as support for them. While Gabriel remained dazed he rocketed down and smashed him right across the right cheek with a bare-knuckled punch.

He twisted back and landed on the ground as the mighty samurai staggered. Yet what appeared to be a prime chance to attack him some more proved to be a ruse. When Mew threw out another punch over his head Gabriel held his sword tightly in one hand and sliced upward, using the momentum Mew had delivered right into the palm of his hand to up the attack's lethality.

He firmly planted his feet down and successfully deflected Mew's punch with the swing. But he failed to draw blood, and that minimalist level of pain would never deter one of Mew's stature.

The boy grit his teeth and lunged forward body and all in an attempt to strike Gabriel across the chest with his fist. Gabriel slashed his sword diagonally down and Mew pivoted to the left, avoiding his foe entirely. He let out a gasp as the tip of the blade sliced a few hairs of his head, with a nick of blood emerging underneath a moment later.

Mew spun around and wiped the trickle of blood on two of his fingertips, then shook it off and set himself on fire once more. Gabriel turned around and sliced down towards his head, predicting Mew's leap back to then take a slash towards his legs.

Mew drew his sword to block, but this too was within Gabriel's calculations. Putting his masterful swordsmanship to work he leaned forward ever slightly and swung his blade left and right in quick succession. The swing of his blade seemed to curve in defiance of the laws of physics and got around Mew's defense, cutting him along the top of his shoulders.

All three slashes were performed in the span of a second, and the combined force of them all blew Mew back ten feet. He skid along the ground a few feet more upon landing and stabbed his blade into the ground. He grabbed the handle in both hands and dragged the blade's tip along the ground, building up energy for a grounded projectile.

The wave of energy tunneled along the floor with the speed and force of a locomotive. Unfazed as normal, Gabriel stood up and raised his sword level with his chest. A circular seal with a four-pointed inner circle and kanji symbol for "Cherry Blossoms" in the center appeared before Gabriel's entire body.

"Empty Spring Form..." Were the three dreaded words that sent a chill down Mew's spine.

All the boy could do was raised his brows and utter a "What?!" with genuine surprise as his energy wave hit the seal and time came to a complete stand-still. Gabriel sheathed his sword and leaned back, wagering all of his strength on one decisive strike.

Closing his eyes he lunged forward in an instant and drew his blade up above his right shoulder, a trail of cherry blossom petals appearing in his wake. With a simple utterance of "Fragrant Riposte" time resumed and the residual force of the slash cleaved down the center of Mew's chest, causing blood to spurt out onto the ground.

Mew swiftly dropped to his knees and dispelled his sword, whereas Gabriel couldn't even bring himself to pause. He turned back around and raised his sword over his head in both hands. With a stone-cold look in his eyes he plunged the blade straight for Mew's back.

The boy suddenly turned back and swung his blood drenched right hand up to grab Gabriel's wrists, diverting the blade's path to right in front of his face. Mew's pupils had shrunken and his eyes were as wide as they could be. But he was grinning from cheek-to-cheek and beaming with joy in spite of having to hold one hand on his chest to cauterize the wound in fire.

"Geez, you're a scary one...Where the hell'd you learn that move?" A pleasant question suggested he was trying to push the fear of death away, but that was the furthest from the truth. In Mew's expression rested a look of utter excitement, and a fire in his heart that refused to be put out.

He pressed his knees against the ground and stood right back up, throwing Gabriel's arms out of his grip. The samurai widened his eyes and Mew took full advantage of that to punch him square in the chest. Gabriel was blown back into the nearest tree, splintering the bark at the middle.

Mew then shook his arms down and spit some blood out of the right of his mouth. He then looked down at his shirt and grumbled, "Great, this was my favorite one."

Gabriel pulled himself off the tree and took in a deep breath. He positioned his katana before his waist and then lunged forward, appearing before Mew right as he finished blinking. The samurai swung downward at his chest, hoping to reopen the wound. Mew bounced back and flung a couple fireballs at Gabriel's face.

Both of them were cut by him swerving his blade, then he sheathed the sword and sliced it back out twice, this time compressing his aura into a crescent wave projectile. Mew batted the projectiles aside with the back of his hands, putting him in a leaning forward position.

He raised his head with a red glint in his eyes from the fire now burning off his palms. He cupped both palms together at his right and the flames grew to be the size of his head. He hopped away to avoid a few more of Gabriel's projectiles, making sure to keep his sight centered on the samurai's body.

"You're not the only one who names his moves!" Mew boasted as he thrust his hands out before his chest and unleashed a terrifyingly large beam of fire that he liked to call the "Flame Cannon!"

Gabriel holds his katana a little above his shoulder and thrusts the tip of the blade at the cusp of the beam. The beam's impact makes him lose a little ground but he quickly calls out a technique named "Windmill Reversal!" and uses his blade to guide the flames in a circle around him.

He spins his body around, preventing a single flame from interrupting his carousel dance. His reversal goes by smoothly, sending the flames back at Mew. Mew smirked and saw an opportunity for a little fun.

He leaped atop the flames and grinded along them like a rail in a skate park. He used this to close the gap to Gabriel and then through his sword swing some of those lingering flames up at the samurai's face.

Gabriel learned his lesson and closed his eyes to shun the flames. And from there Mew dove down and started bombarding him with a flurry of spinning kicks. He kicked at him so fast that his feet were set ablaze, adding to the force of his strikes.

But even with his eyes closed Gabriel grazed his blade through the air and deflected every kick from coming within an inch of his body. After Mew had to force a landing on the ground the samurai stabbed straight for his head, missing only by an inch as the boy leaped back.

Mew paused for a second and caught his breath, which was starting to hasten like he was getting exhausted, "I think I get it now...His blade's cutting away at my energy, tiring me out."

"He's going to win a battle of attrition at this rate..." Mew clenched his fists and took a second to scan Gabriel's body. Barely a dent to his armor, and little damage to his skin. But there was something curious about the way his armor was presented. Some of Mew's own blood had gotten on it.

He raised his brows and murmured "That's curious..." and from there he perked his eyes up and with a smile chuckled.

"Oh. That's a dangerous idea...I like it!"

Gabriel positioned his blade at his waist and projected his thoughts through his body. His stalwart stance had no openings. His iron gaze surveyed all. The firm grip of his blade was readied to perform a plethora of techniques.

But no one is invincible. Mew clenched his fists against his hips, and bent down slightly. His heart was racing, the sweat on his brows dripping upon the delicate grass as he leaned towards Gabriel with a fearless grin.

"Lets go..." He whispered as he lunged himself straight as an arrow and thrust his fist at Gabriel's chest. The samurai expected an easy deflection with his blade, but what he got instead was something far more harrowing.

Mew took a cut to his knuckles and grit his teeth to endure the pain. He then pulled both his fists back and let out a huge roar as he thrust them out...dozens of times per second.

Gabriel grunted and swung his blade around to deflect many of those punches, but to expect his thinly blade to endure such an assault was foolhearted on his end. He reduced his strength to increase the speed of his swings, but this was playing right into Mew's crazy plan.

Mew threw his punches out at blistering speeds, leaving only his body visible behind them. And yet Gabriel kept up with each punch thrown. His blade connected with his knuckles and drew trickles of blood from them, some of which splashed down upon his armor.

A clash of equal strength, equal wills. This is a moment where Mew truly felt alive. The indescribable rush of adrenaline overcame his sense of reason, forcing him to take a step back in his head and tell himself, "No focus! Keep him fighting on your terms!"

He bit his lower lip to remind himself a little of what pain was like, then started to throw a bit of electricity into his punches to trigger Gabriel's Drive. At this close a range Mew was able to mark down in his head the increment of "One inch" and then finally ended this clash by jumping back.

The resounding sounds of their clash spread like wildfire across the canopy, dislodging many cherry blossom petals to fall upon the ground. Their slowed descent serving only to exemplify how fast the two's engagement was proceeding.

Mew stomped the ground with both his feet and caused the ground to erupt around his feet, kicking up a ton of dirt in the process. Mew grabs at those bits of dirt and starts shoving them in the wounds on his hands. He bites his teeth down and hisses in his head, "Hooo this better work..."

He rockets right out of the dirt cloud and takes Gabriel by surprise by punching both his fists straight at his face. Gabriel widens his eyes and slashes his sword up gracefully to cut across both fists at once. Mew retreats right as he feels the blade connect, preventing permanent damage to his nerves.

But his blood spills out enough to splash the remaining parts of Gabriel's armor that had gone unstained. Mew lands on the ground and then pinches a couple fingers up before his face. Cracking a wide smirk he yells "Gotcha!" and snaps his fingers.

Gabriel's all but ready to swing his blade when he and Mew hear a boiling sound coming from his chest. Gabriel looks down and watches as large holes are burned away in his armor.

"W-What?" He holds his ground and puts on a facade of being calm, but the stuttering of his voice gave away the truth of his surprise.

Mew clapped his hands dry of blood and then crossed them before his chest. He then closed his eyes and said, "Even if your Drive can block out the elements I use, it looks like you have to activate its power with your mind."

Mew then tapped the side of his head with one finger and with a smug grin said, "You're a powerful warrior, but I bet you never took up biology in Aurian school. Cause if ya did, you'd know that blood is mostly made up of a water!"

He then brandished his finger at Gabriel's armor which has almost fully degraded down to the gi he was seen wearing last night. He then put the piece de resistance on his master plan by loudly stating, "And once I slipped my blood past your defenses all I had to do was snap my fingers and turn it into acid!"

Gabriel, now devoid of his chest armor, positioned his katana squarely in front of his chest and remarked, "I will admit you surprised me with that move..."

His gaze steeled towards Mew's location as he remarked with certainty, "But you cannot beat me with tricks."

"Oh right I forgot to mention!" Mew snapped his fingers again up by his face. Gabriel looked down, feeling a tingling across his chest coming from bits of dirt Mew had mixed in with his blood. In a moment's notice the dirt transformed into seeds that sprouted into a series of one-inch thick, constricting vines.

The vines swarmed all of Gabriel's body down to his feet, restraining his arms and planting him firmly in the ground. Mew then cracked a smirk and remarked, "I also put dirt in my blood. Totally painful, but totally worth it!"

Mew flinched and realized he didn't have much time. Gabriel's rippling biceps weren't just for show, he'd surely break free if given the chance. So Mew rushed in and started roundhouse kicking Gabriel repeatedly in the chest, winding the man and diminishing the strength he'd have available to him.

The kicks build up speed and his feet return to being on fire. By that point he's deliberately burning down the vines to get some more damage onto Gabriel's skin. But by freeing his arms he allowed the samurai to take his katana and swing it straight down at Mew's body.

Mew, twisting his legs together, plants his feet upon Gabriel's gut and springs right off him. He tumbles along the ground but quickly rises to his feet, leaning down like a predator ready to lunge at his prey.

The samurai's clothing is charred but his stature remains tall and resolute. Yet his breathing is heavy, and his hands tremble to hold onto his blade.

Mew too is suffering the consequences from this heated battle. Pushing his body to move at such high speeds caused part of his chest wound to reopen, with an aching pain bolting straight out from where his heart is. He lays a hand flat on his chest and cauterizes the wound once more, but losing just a bit more of his blood caused his vision to fog up a bit.

Gabriel brought his blade to his waist and closed his eyes. At that moment everything in the room just felt like it was still. The wind moved across the grass and trees but didn't make a sound. The breaths of the two warriors became deaf to their own ears. And even Mew, so rampant in his thoughts, didn't utter a word in his mind as he caught his breath, stood upright, and drew his blade in both hands.

He held it in a similar position as his foe. Not out of mockery, but respect. The man clad in resolution and valor opened his eyes as his blade was filled with the soothing glow of his own aura, and then propositioned to his opponent, "One final stroke...to decide it all."

Mew silently nodded his head and smirked, raising the flames of his soul to surround his meaty blade and pointing it straight at Gabriel.

"One last battle it is then..." He whispered.

The two met eye-to-eye as the petals descended around them. They budged their left foot forward, and silently charged towards one another. Their steel wills clashed in a flash of black and white that filled the space they occupied, ending with the two opposite of where they started.

Their blades were held out in the same pose, almost as if they hadn't moved at all. But then blood spurted from a wound in Gabriel's chest, and the warrior dropped to his knees. He planted his sword in the ground beside him, using his left arm to shield it from the blood he spilled in shame.

Mew quietly swung his sword over his head, placed it behind his back, then let it vanish into the ether. He then turned back around and remarked, "I only cut deep enough to incapacitate you. It ain't my style to kill men of honor."

Gabriel weakly cracked a grin and gasped out a response of, "Nor does it seem to be in your interest to give me your all..."

He tilted his head over his shoulder and remarked, "I felt it in our final clash...That familiar, monstrous power you hide deep inside you...I-I never stood a chance."

Mew turned around, ruffled his lips, and then rubbed the back of his head and sighed, "Maaaaan...I reeeeeally don't want to hear that from the guy who held back too."

He wagged a finger at Gabriel and accosted him in an almost bitter fashion, "That was only half of your power. What the hell is that about?!"

Gabriel had a forlorn expression as he turned his head away, with Mew not holding back in his accusations, "You want me dead but you hold back. You treat the princess with respect but lied to her face."

Mew gets right to the bottom of his frustrations by growling at the top of his lungs, "What is your deal?!"

And yet, no answer came. To the very end it seemed that the resolute warrior would keep his answers buried inside of his heart and let not a single word escape. Mew just clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and with a peeved gleam in his eyes muttered, "Fine then..."

He turned around, threw his right arm up by his face, then remarked in a jovial tone, "The princess and I got places to be, tyrants to dethrone..."

But when he put one foot forward, Gabriel wrenched his head back and suddenly raised his voice to say, "You are making a big mistake! To further involve yourself means endangering us all!"

Mew dug his foot into the ground, looked over his shoulder, and said confidently, "Danger's part of the job for me. I think our battle should've made that obvious."

As he turned his head back around Gabriel punched his blood-drenched fist on the ground and exclaimed, "If Lady Kairi is brought to Gravitus it'll be the end of everything!"

Mew froze up and turned his whole body around, uttering a confused "What" as Gabriel struggled to keep his body somewhat upright. He held back his blood, the strain of his scream causing more of it to trickle out.

Mew waved his hands at him and went, "Whoa hang on a second, what do you mean 'If I bring the princess to Gravitus'?"

"...I see...Lady Auris left that part up to me..." Gabriel forced himself to lift his head and struggled to get his words out.

"Gravitus...seeks the power of the Neo Drive. But only one with the blood of the Ten Sages is capable of wielding it."

Mew, recalling what "D." had told him, is quick to point out, "But Gravitus doesn't have the blood of the Ten Sages. He was their servant."

"He doesn't. But Lady Kairi does..." Gabriel noted after a strained gasp, "And I have no doubt in my mind that that monster has devised a workaround to the Neo Drive's restrictions...But still requires her to be in his possession."

Mew lingers on Gabriel's words and the meaning behind them. He also didn't want to push him too far considering the wound, but now that he was being more open he had the opportunity to ask again, "But what I don't understand is...If you are against Gravitus' plans, why work for the guy?"

"...It is a complicated feeling. One that started long, long ago..." Gabriel looked up towards the ceiling and began his long explanation.

"I was born long before Lady Auris, serving under the watchful eye of the Ten Sages. I had no given name, no birth parents...Everything I had I had because of them. In their generosity they saw fit to make me the sworn protector of their next of kin, the ten children of whom would carry on the mantle of the Ten Sages...

But I was naive. A fatal judge of character nearly allowed a devil to return our proud people to a more primordial way of life. I was cursed with an immortal body by this devil, and in turn the Ten Sages cursed me with eternal servitude. But it was a servitude I longed for, begged for...To act out my repentance for the mistake I had made.

Swearing an oath to never let harm come to any who bear the Ten Sages' blood, I continued serving the council for generation after generation, until eventually coming to serve under the rule of Lady Auris' father, Borealis Aurora. In the years I served under him I witnessed Sancturia become embroiled in many battles, many of whom involved the original Elemental Overlord.

In the time of the Overlord's passing, it was solely Lady Auris' decision to bring Sancturia to this planet, where someday she had hoped to intermingle with the people of Earth and carve out a new way of life for us all. But there was one among us whose lust for power finally received an opportunity to be fulfilled. Damascus, now going by the name of Gravitus, turned against us all and proclaimed himself the new ruler of the Aurians.

Lady Auris and I mounted a defense against Gravitus' rise alongside many other of our strongest Aurians...Only for him to deliver to us a sound defeat. And in turn he was allowed to leverage Lady Auris' life, and the oath I had sworn to protect her, against me.

I swore servitude to Gravitus in exchange for him sparing her from his wrath. And time after time again he has abused my oath...

Lady Auris began to raise child after child, many of whom learned of Gravitus' crimes and sought to rebel against him. And every time they rebelled they came to find me waiting for them on this floor. I refused to hurt them, and allowed my body to be bruised and battered by their feelings of rage and betrayal. Many of them saw me as their father...But by the time they passed me by I was less than scum.

And were any of them wrong? Who have I protected with this oath I swore? Not Lady Auris, who suffers in a cage of Gravitus' wicked design...Not her children, who have lived to perish at Gravitus' hands for their failures, or grown to scorn both mother and father alike."

Mew stared quietly at Gabriel and remarked, "So that's why you fought me alone. To keep Kairi from finding out the truth."

"Yes, I thought that if you defeated me, or if I killed you...It would either prevent Lady Kairi from seeing me for what I am, or dissuade her from getting closer to Gravitus." What the man said now came straight from his heart. Feelings of shame, regret, and confusion rested on his words. But there was one other thing Mew took away from all this.

"So you think its better to die than to fight?" He said without a hint of joy in his voice.

"There is no fighting Gravitus. His power eclipses us all." Gabriel firmly retorts.

"There are ways of fighting that don't involve overpowering him..." Mew remarks with a slight know-it-all grin.

Gabriel shook his head slightly and lamented, "You may have beaten me...But you are still a fool. And your inability to recognize that will doom us all."

Mew closed his eyes and yelled out in frustration "Oh shut up already!" and left the samurai completely silent. Mew then waved his hand around his shoulder and remarked, "I don't mind being called a fool, but I'm not gonna be called a fool by an even bigger fool."

He sternly glared at the back of Gabriel's head and told him, "If you ask me your oath is utter horseshit. There's no worth in a promise that ends with someone suffering for it."

Gabriel grabs onto the hilt of his sword and props himself up slightly, growling back at Mew weakly, "And what would you have me do? How am I supposed to protect the people I care about?"

Mew closed his eyes and responded softly, "Gabriel I don't think what the princess needs right now is a guardian angel looking over her shoulder..."

He opened his eyes, looked to the back of the room, and said with a mild smile, "What she needs is...a friend."

Gabriel retracted his angered scowl towards Mew and echoed in a soft voice "A friend..." before turning his head forward and looking at the ground.

Mew then slowly nodded his head and turned back around. He waved his hand up and said, "Think about it. In the mean time, I gotta catch up with the princess and keep going up the Pyramid."

He then looked over his shoulder, flashed a smile and thumbs up and said, "Oh and seriously...Don't worry about Gravitus. I'll kick his ass especially hard for you. You can consider that a promise."

Mew then disappeared behind the cherry blossom trees, leaving Gabriel along in his thoughts.

...Or so he believed.

A slow, methodical clap fills the room, growing ever closer to the vulnerable samurai as a sardonic voice calls to him, "Bravo! Bravo! A stunning performance by the mewling dog..."

Gabriel's teeth tighten into a scowl as he lifts his head up and growls, "You were watching the whole time?"

"Of course I was..." A figure says but a few feet away, their appearance blurred out by the water in Gabriel's eyes, "Your senses have grown as dull as your blade, rabid dog."

Gabriel lowers his eyes and remarks bitterly in turn, "Need I suffer now your insults, Disgraced King?"

The samurai then quickly found the figure behind him, with two sharp, golden blades crossed together below his neck. The mysterious figure, in a suave, wretched tongue, whispered into Gabriel's ear, "I could end your misery right here, if that's what you so desire..."

But the blades swiftly vanished, with Gabriel not even reacting to their harrowing presence. The man of mystery then gestured his hand out and remarked, "But I won't. After all, you are Gravitus' second most cherished plaything."

The man starts snapping his fingers as he diligently spoke in a sing-song voice, "Such a pity that you've been holding back all this time though...I can only begin to imagine how Gravitus shall take this bit of news."

"Once he gets the Neo Drive, hmm...I believe a swift execution shall suffice. A lowly servant deserves no less for his delusions of grandeur."

Gabriel chuckled, cracking a smile as he raised his head up high and started to push his knees off the ground. The man inquired, "What is so funny? Has the blood loss left you mad?"

Barely having the strength to stand up tall, the samurai sheathed his sword and remarked, "Deluded is the king, who sits upon an empty throne."

"...Is that really the best you can muster? Or are you also holding back here too, afraid you'll hurt my feelings?"

Gabriel turned his head forward and said, "I do not need to best you with words anymore. You will fall to the Elemental Overlord, as will your master."

"...Oh I do so look forward to seeing that wretch squirm at my feet. Him and the little ill-blooded wench."

Gabriel gripped the hilt of his blade but the whispers of the wind showed that the man saw his way out before trouble could brew against him. The samurai then collapsed back onto his knees but held one hand down to support himself. He grit his teeth, looked straight ahead, and remarked in the silence of his garden, "Heh...I gravely underestimated you Mew..."

He feels a steady heartbeat on his hand placed upon his chest, then looks skyward and says, "Perhaps...there is still a chance to make things right..."

Next Time: In the Spirit of the Sport