StrikerS: Pursuit of Perfection 17

The young boy closed the door quickly and quietly, turning around in the darkness until he saw the golden head of the staff shimmering from the starlight coming in through the window. He stepped forward cautiously, trying not to make a single sound as he reached out his hand for it. Suddenly the air whistled around him, and he found himself entrapped by orange ropes of energy. The light turned on. "Soran."

"Tch…." The boy didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

"You broke the rule. Never set foot in here without me or your mother present." The man stood between him and the staff. "Well? Are you going to explain yourself?"

"I just wanted to hold it. You saved those miners with it. I just wanted to feel as cool." He stared at the nails in the floorboards.

"Soran, this isn't something you can use carelessly, or even hold." The man lifted the staff out of the levitation field. "This is a weapon, and one that could cause great harm if you're not careful. Every time I pick it up, I have to be prepared to use it and its fearsome power. By coming in here without that resolve, you could easily have destroyed us all."

"I'm sorry." Soran looked away.

The man sighed. "Well, you've mastered the elementals already, so I guess it's as good a time as any." He thrust the head of the staff under the boy's chin. "If you break these bonds and take a hold of my staff, I'll teach you how to use the Casters. But be absolutely sure you're ready, and be devoted to give your very life to control it. Are you prepared for that sacrifice?"

Soran stared at Erio down the barrel of his golden staff. "To use the Casters, you have to be willing to give your very life to control them. Are you prepared to make the same sacrifice as I am? If you are, then take it!" The irony of the situation wasn't wasted on him, smiling inwardly.

Erio's hair stood on end, his internal elemental charge rising. He gritted his teeth and tensed his arm muscles, pouring all of his energy into them. "GUUAAAHHH!" He cried up to the clouded night sky as his electricity sparked, punching holes into his binds, letting him stretch them out until they split, falling to his feet. His hand reached out to the head of the staff, but it stopped within an inch. His hand spread, hovering over the armor. "Kgh." He closed his fist and put it at his side, collapsing to his hands and knees. "I can't."

"You can't what?" Soran said as he clicked the base of his staff on the ground.

"I can't take it. I'm not strong enough to use it. I don't have enough confidence to." Erio shook his head before standing. "I should apologize. Until now, I thought that it was just a strong weapon. I didn't realize just what it entailed for you."

Soran let out a sigh through his nose before letting a small smile out. "Does this mean you've calmed down a bit?"

The redhead nodded. "So this guy really uses Casters? How come I didn't hear that?"

"Casters are S-rank classified info. Need to know basis. I told you because you need to know." Soran lifted the bike up and tried to kickstart it. It sputtered for a second before it died. "Well so much for that. Come on. We're hoofing it." Soran slung his staff over his shoulder and turned towards the stadium.

"U… unh." Erio caught up with him quickly and matched pace. "Hey… Soran…."

"Mmm? Nani?"

"If he's using Casters… how can I beat him?"

"Exactly that. You beat him."

"Huh?"

"It's all a matter of time with charging Casters, and the mantra used to focus the energy."

"Oh!" Erio smacked his fist into his hand. "I get it! I have to stop him from chanting before he can fire!"

"Close… but also wrong."

"Ueh?"

A rumble of thunder echoed through the streets. Soran looked into the sky. "Sounds like rain…. If he's just starting to chant, that's your best time to stop him. But never, never stop him if he's in the middle or end of the charge!"

"Why? What could happen?"

"Oh nothing much, just say the destruction of this dimension and everything in it!" Soran snapped at him. A bolt of lightning pealed across the sky and lit up Erio's stunned visage. "An incomplete Caster charge can go out of control. It's a flaw with singularity weapons, they're unpredictable if not done properly. That's why I said I have to lay my life on the line whenever I use it." Soran's mind wandered for a moment, as he saw himself break free of his father's binds and grabbed the staff. "Teach me! Teach me to be as strong as you!"

"Soran…."

"A Caster user will die for the sake of completing the reaction, or else everyone and everything will be at risk." Soran gripped his staff tight as he lowered his head. It started to drizzle around them.

"As the opponent, you have to have that same mentality. Stop it early or let it complete. If you think it's too far along, run like hell!"

Erio nodded, looking back towards their goal ahead as the rain began to increase.

Melchoir Stadium always had an ethereal white glow to it, making it as much a tourist attraction as the events held inside it. Its glow also helped to save on lighting costs. The glow wasn't enough to illuminate the two figures that stepped forward from the street, only visible through the heavy rain by the lightning. They approached the gate to the parking lot and the taller of the two raised his finger. A ball of swirling light appeared in front of him and he flung it at the lock pad. The panel sizzled and the gate shimmered before dropping. "Was that necessary?"

"Notice there are no alarms?"

"Uh? Then…."

"He's already here." Soran and Erio gripped their weapons in battle position, going back to back as they scanned the area. "Scenario A-21. You know it?"

Erio nodded. "The enemy is in the area and knows the terrain. Tight formations with a wide range of vision."

"The parking lot is empty." Soran whispered. "It's perfect for being sniped at long distances. Kiryu, Garyu, WAS mode." An error message came up on his visor. "Damn!" He pressed his back against the gate doorframe.

"What?"

"Communications blackout. He's put a dampening field around the stadium! I'd lose contact with my weapons if I used my WAS."

"A dampening field of this size? There would have to be at least two generators casting it. What are we going to do?"

Soran bent down and began stretching. "Now, my friend, we run. I'll lead since I'm slower. If there's anyone out there, they'll try shooting at me first." A ring of magical orbs appeared around him. "Once I'm through I'll lay down cover fire so you can dash across."

"Unh."

"You'll know my signal when you see it." Soran crouched low and dashed forward. A bullet entered the ground next to him halfway through, followed by an explosion. "So now you're using a bracket-targeting strategy huh? Egh!" He twirled around the explosion and threw a batch of balls above the building.

"Soran! Kgh! Strada!"

"Explosion!" Strada cocked a cartridge.

As he continued running a bullet whistled past his other ear. "Shit!" He tucked and rolled as another explosive shell followed. "So you're both here! Sora!" He tossed another batch to the opposite side. Scrambling forward, he dashed into the stadium, hiding behind one of the glowing pillars. The last ball floated into his mechanical hand and he crushed it. The others exploded into bright flares. "Let there be light!" He sneered as he looked up. Two metallic forms with sniper rifles withdrew, their positions exposed. "Androids?!"

Erio jetted across with Strada's thrust and landed next to him. "You okay?"

"Yeah… it's just… I didn't expect the snipers to be androids."

"Androids? Where would someone get their hands on that kind of technology?"

"I don't know. Just who are we dealing with here?" Soran took out his staff again. "The point is we're in. We keep moving, but watch out for traps. If you see anything out of the ordinary, say something."

"Got it." Soran and Erio went from pillar to pillar, back to back, weaving as they took cover, trying to make it to the entrance of the field.

When they were at the halfway point, Soran hid behind a glowing pillar and raised his fist. He answered Erio's questioning look. "Look ahead. Don't you find it strange that there is a perfectly clear path to the field? No obstructions whatsoever?"

Erio scratched his cheek. "Now that you mention it…."

"I'd send a blast straight through just to make sure, but that would waste energy." Soran sighed before pulling a coin out of his pocket. "You know, if I have to keep using money to check for traps, I'm gonna need a raise!" He hurled the coin straight forward. It sailed between the pillars until CLINK KFZZZZ! Electricity attacked the penny in midair, spinning it around in the air before it dropped the the ground, sizzling.

"WHA?!"

"Glass walls… electrified glass walls apparently. Honestly, what's with this guy and electrified stuff? Follow in a straight line, but watch our backs." Soran went forward slowly until the coin was at his feet. Picking it up he quickly skipped it to the left. Nine feet ahead, it shorted. "The pillars make a grid system. The walls are in between, so make sure you stay in the center. We're moving one grid left. Make sure you keep the field in sight at all times."

"Ou." Erio nodded, his eyes dashing every which way, trying to detect any enemy presence while Soran blazed them a path.

They continued to zigzag through the deadly maze until the coin hit ground without hitting a barrier. "Uh?" Soran took out another one and hurled it as far as he could. "This is the exit."

"Finally."

Soran sighed through is nose. "Well played…." He looked up at the sign in front of him. "Ramp to grandstands. And we can't see the field entrance any more. Kuso!" He muttered as they slowly went forward.

"Looks like our course has been predetermined."

"Yeah…. Just like what happened with Caro! Kgh!" He clenched his weapon tight.

"Soran, I'm… sorry. I was just too mad at you to realize just how much losing Caro was hurting you in…."

"I can't stand this!" He raised his staff to the ceiling and sent off a rather noisy shot that echoed through the halls. "I know you're watching us! You think this is some sick game for your enjoyment? Why don't you actually come out and face us head on, instead of cowering somewhere in a corner?! Come on!"

He was only answered in silence as Erio frantically surveyed the area. After doing so for a full minute, he stood up straighter. "Feel better now?"

"Maybe just a li-" The tiles they stood under cracked. "ttle."

"Uuaaaahhh!" They both fell down separate shafts. Erio quickly flipped Strada horizontally and forced himself to slow to a stop. He put his back against one side of the wall and his legs against the other, pointing his device straight up. "Strada!"

"Explosion!" It cocked a cartridge and its jets lit up, pulling him out of the hole. He landed and rolled away from the tile.

"Egh. Soran!"

"Up here." The older teen sneered, dangling from Kiryu's blade, shoved into one of the walls. "I overdid it and used my ACS." He swung out from the wall, away from the tiles. "But honestly, how low tech can you get? A pitfall trap?"

The tile re-materialized over the holes, forcing them both to blink. "Not so low tech as you thought." Erio lowered his weapon to his hips. "But that just got me more pissed off. Eh? Soran look!"

From their position, there was a clear staircase through the stands to the field. "Nice try, but it looks like we've won this round." Soran smirked as they stepped down.

An electronic beeping irritated Caro's ears. She winced as she opened her eyes and sat up. She was still in her cell, so she hadn't been moved in her sleep, however past the bars was a green athletic field with stadium seating in the back. Squinting past it, she saw a projector. "So? What is it you want me to see?" No one answered her. Then she saw two humans coming down the steps, one of them had a lance and was wearing a white jacket. "That's...!"

On the other side of the screen, something caught Soran's eye. "Erio, look midfield!"

"That's…!" His eyes went wide as he saw the girl standing behind the bars. "It's Caro!"

Soran quickly clamped his hand on the boy's shoulder before he could get away and squeezed hard. "You already know this is probably another trap, right? Go quickly, but carefully. I'll back you up from the rear."

"Unh." He took the steps three a stride and vaulted over the railing as he rushed the field, Soran bringing up the rear, keeping an eye on every seat he could. "Caro! Egh… Caro!"

"E-Erio-kun? Erio-kun?!" She had to resist gripping the bars and reaching out to him. "What are you doing there?"

"We came to save you! Don't worry, we'll get you out of there, I promise." He said as he panted in front of her. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I don't know…" She shook her head. "I've been treated okay, but I'm still hurt from the fight. Where are you?" She limped to the bars.

"We're in Melchior Stadium. He's agreed to let you go if we win a match against him."

"Win a match? No! Erio-kun, you have to get out of there! You don't realize how strong he is! Forget about me and run! Hurry!"

"I'm not abandoning you, Caro! We're not abandoning you! We'll win this duel and get you home!"

"Erio-kun…." She looked away, blushing, and also slightly disappointed. "Wait… we? Who do you have as backup?" Just then, Soran appeared over Erio's shoulder. She gasped in hope for a second before stumbling backwards. "No! Run, Erio, now!"

"Caro?"

"Run! You have to run! That's not Soran! He killed him! It's a trap, get out of there!"

"HAH?!" The boy whipped around quickly as Kiryu fought against Strada.

Soran sneered. "Good reaction time."

"Erio-kun!" Caro gasped from her ringside seat.

"If you're not Soran, then who the hell are you?" He altered his stance to get more force out of his push. He won the fight between them and swung horizontally while Soran leapt backward.

"Heheh. Hahahahaha! Who says I'm not Soran?!" He lifted his head into the air as he laughed.

"Eh?" Both of the younger kids spoke.

"Because it's true…." The façade dropped, and the black-haired teen was replaced with the green-haired one with black armor and barrier jacket. His tone deepened slightly as he sneered. "I am Soran." He snapped his fingers and the hologram closed up.

"Caro!"

"Erio-kun!" She gasped as the room went dark. She collapsed to the floor, curling her knees against her chest and shivering. "He's going to lose…. Erio-kun is… Erio-kun is…." She began sobbing.

"The Little Princess doesn't need to see this. She already predicted the outcome correctly."

"Don't you dare use that nickname you imposter!" Erio crouched down, preparing to thrust forward. "There's no way in hell that you're Soran, and there's no way you could have infiltrated the base! No one's imitation is that good! Who are you?!"

"You don't listen well, do you kid? I am Soran. Though I'm not the Soran you know, I'm still Soran, so thus I'm Soran, and I can be Soran easily."

A tumbleweed rolled through as a drop of sweat ran down the back of Erio's head. "Come again?"

"Kids these days." The green mop shook. "The Soran you know has the accent on the a. The accent in my name is on the o."

"Are you finished with the grammar lesson?" His device blinked.

"Well it doesn't matter who you are, because I'm bringing you down!" Erio lunged forward and planted his spear into the ground where Soran O once was. He attempted to follow with his eyes as the green blur coalesced as he stopped at the goal line. "Sonic Move? Well then!"

"Sonic Move!" Erio and Strada dove forward at blinding speed until he was above the enemy mage, taking a giant swing down.

The teen turned around and blocked the hit with both his armored arms. "Heheh. Are you going to give me more of an entertaining fight than your girlfriend then?" He balled his left fist as it cocked two cartridges. Pointing his fist at the ground a burst of air sent him straight up, nearly flinging Strada out of Erio's hands. "Or are you going to be monotonous like Soran?" He cocked a third cartridge and swung it down. "Crush!"

"Don't look down on me!" Erio snarled as he swung his blade hard, intersecting the ripple of air. After fighting with it for a few seconds, the ripple split, indenting the stands around him, but leaving him unscathed.

"Uh?"

"Pressure Pulse, failed. The enemy's wind affinity punctured the bubble."

"Interesting."

Strada cocked three cartridges. "Luftmesser."

"Egh!" Erio swung hard in the air, sending a slicing wind towards the enemy. "Just what's your objective?!" As Soran dove he swung again. "You kidnapped Caro, and she says you killed Soran!" He took a hard third swipe as the enemy rolled under the second one and leapt into the air again. "WHY?!"

"Kgh!" The green-haired teen took the blast with his armored right arm and it threw him underneath the upper deck seating. Erio landed at the opposite end of the field and poised for another attack. Soran's voice echoed from the shadows of the covered seating. "The White Devil!"

"Eh?" No sooner had he let out the syllable then six magical bullets hurtled towards him. Erio dashed to his right, trying to avoid the shots. Three of them exploded when they hit the ground, but the others began to give chase.

"She erased me." The enemy was upon him in a half second, sending an ACS Strike forward. The younger boy used his weapon to block, but the impact blew him backwards, into the awaiting magical shots.

"GUAH!" Erio's head reared back in pain before he collapsed to his hands and knees.

"She took everything I held dear and made it vanish in white light." He grabbed the boy's hair and lifted him up, not caring how much he cringed. "Now she'll know the pain of the same!" Erio received his foot in the stomach and was blown to the padded back wall before falling to the turf.

"If it's Nanoha-san you're after…." Erio pushed himself up. "then I'll have to fight you to the death!" Erio squeezed Strada tight. "KURAI!" He hurled his device at the enemy.

Strada's spearhead split open, extending an energy blade. "Stahlmesser."

Soran raised his fist to the wall and his Air Pulse pushed him from it. SHLUK. "Egh!" He grunted as the blade took a stab into his leg. "You little rat." He grunted as he removed the blade, tossing Strada to the side.

"Trajectory changes based on surrounding air currents. Using Air Pulse drew the attack to you."

"Level Two Release!" Erio called out as he got on his feet.

"Gewitter Form!" Strada's airholes extended propulsion cones and disappeared from Soran's side, reappearing in Erio's hands.

"A recall function. That's a new feature." His enemy chuckled. "I'm impressed you were this well prepared."

Erio crouched down, poised for another attack. Strada cocked a full magazine. "I'll do anything and everything to get Caro back and stop you!" Fate's words ran through his head as Strada's engines ignited. "I'll never give up, and I'll never back out! I will have her back!"

"Speerangriff." Strada called out as they thrust forward at blinding speed.

The barrel rotated on Soran's arm. "Element Pulse mode." Around the fist emerged four hatches. "Emergency Armor Activation." Black armored boots with exhaust ports materialized on the teen's legs and Jormungand Zwei raised his fist to bear. "Flare Pulse." A circular wall of flames emerged and expanded from the ID.

"Kgh!" Erio winced as he forced his way through the heated air. As he broke through he saw nothing on the other side. "Nani?!"

"Nice try." Soran whispered from above. Erio looked up to see the teen backflipping over him, using his new boots to enhance his mobility, and raising his fist to his turned back. "Now take it at close range."

"Air Pulse."

Soran was flung to center field. "Oi, Jor! That was supposed to be Flare Pulse!"

"Had a high fatality risk."

Erio grunted as he hit the wall. Instantly he was a streak of light running up the side of the stadium, flying high above the demon Soran. Pointing Strada directly at him, it spoke. "Leitfähigen Nadeln." From its focal points, the ID launched countless needles into a circle on the ground.

The green-haired enemy raised a shield to block those on a direct course, turning the field into a bulls-eye. "Kgh! What the hell kind of attack was that?"

Erio kept Strada raised so he would continue hovering in the air as he focused his magical energies into his right hand. A ball of sparking plasma solidified in his palm and he hurled it at the dark enemy. "LIGHTNING CAGE!" All of the needles began to be struck at random by lightning bolts emerging from the plasma ball with such frequency it became a cage that trapped and shocked Soran.

"Gah! AGH! DYAH!" He winced and twitched as he was electrified at different intervals from the rainsoaked turf. "Jor!"

Thunder rumbled in the dark skies, peals of lightning rolling through the clouds. Erio closed his eyes, focusing his energy. "Depths of the abyss that reach out into the heavens, I invoke your power!" He loaded another magazine of cartridges that Strada downed almost instantly. "Follow my blade into the depths that not even God dare go!" Strada extended a blade on both ends and he hurled it straight through the plasma ball and anything below, increasing the frequency of the cage strikes tenfold. He raised one hand to the sky and a lightning bolt came down from the clouds into it. "Descend now!" The lightning bolt flew out of his hand and into the lightning rod of his staff. "INDIGNATION!" The final focused strike shattered all of the needles and blew out all of the stadium lights, leaving only the natural illumination of the building itself.

Erio's eyes slowly got readjusted to the lower lighting. He was panting and sweating heavily. "Hgk! GUAH!" His arm began convulsing uncontrollably, the nerves sending random signals to the muscles from the excess electricity he had absorbed. The pain was too much and he fell to the ground outside of the crater. "Ku… so! I took… in… too much! But…" He chuckled through the pain. "I did it… Caro… I'll… save you… soon."

"Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa."

"Unh?!" His eyes went wide, the pain he was experiencing instantly an afterthought. The smoke began to clear, revealing a dome of blue and green scrawl.

"Power Shell duration, two shots." Jor spoke as the protectorate fell. "Marked as failure."

"Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa." The dark Soran stood, Jormungand Zwei in Gillium Form.

"He… survived?!" Erio forced himself to stand. "But he can't attack while charging! Now's my chance to…." Jor spread its black wings. "Stop it early or let it complete. If you think it's too far along, run like hell!" Soran's advice rang in his head. "Shit!" He turned tail and started running. "Strada!"

"Javol!" It cocked its reserve cartridge and flew up to him quickly.

"Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa." The barrel rotated as a black ball appeared at the tip, its color slowly shifting to white.

Erio tried his best to grab the staff, but his convulsing hands kept slipping off. "I can't… grip it!"

"Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa. Pagua sunfa." The ball of white light burned hot.

"Egh!" In a bout of desperation, Erio leapt, wrapping his arms and legs around the staff as tightly as possible. "Go Strada! Go!" The device went to full burn.

"Pagua sunfa. White Hole! PAGUA SUN FAIRE!" The light rippled in a wall of particles that stretched out in a pulsating wave, throwing Erio to the grandstands. The pulses continued, faster and faster, pounding the stadium until the foundation gave way and that section collapsed, taking Erio and Strada with it as it was blown into the streets.

The White Hole's energy fizzled out and it disappeared. "Type 6 successful."

"Iguzo, Jor." The black-clad teen looked on unemotionally as he took a little hop, and his new boots coasted him to where the pieces of the grandstand landed. He plucked the boy from the wreckage with his left hand. Erio was already unconscious and bleeding from multiple shrapnel wounds, his arm still twitching. "You took Soran's advice. If you hadn't you'd be dead right now. Jor."

"Acknowledged."

"Kuso… if it weren't for this thunderstorm, we would've been there already." Vita grunted as Zaphila galloped under her.

Synchronized Hayate and Rein was flying low next to them. "It's all we can do, or else we'd be prime targets for lightning strikes. Damn it Soran, why didn't you stop Erio?!"

"They care too much about their comrades." Signum spoke flatly, Akito's wings giving her enough speed to match the other two. "The possibility of rescuing Caro without involving everyone must have been too temp-."

Suddenly there was a flash of light from Melchior Stadium, followed by a large explosion, lit up by bright orange flames. Rein gasped. "Full power to thrusters desu! Hurry!" She and Hayate increased their speed, the others close behind.

Arriving there, they found one corner of the stadium in ruins, toppled into the parking lot and street. However on the field itself, knelt Soran amongst flames and rubble. Kiryu and Garyu were in Stone Biter form, jabbed into what was left of the ground. Soran's barrier jacket was in tatters as he panted heavily.

Hayate and Rein split, each of them floating over to him as fast as they could. "Soran-kun! Soran-kun desu!"

"Berkt-chuui, say something! Anything! Respond!"

"Hayate-san…." He turned his head towards them, blood trickling down both sides of his mouth. "Gomen na…." He lost his grip on the device. "sai…." He pitched forward, his energy gone.