Hello everybody, welcome to the second chapter of MSLOS Redux! Alright, first battle against the Wolkenritter! Let's see how this plays out.
Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Alright, let's go!
Uminari City (December 2nd)
The mage known as Fate Testarossa had done many things in her short life. She had broken multiple laws on both Earth and under the Time-Space Administration Bureau, assaulted officers of said Bureau, stolen several extremely dangerous magical artifacts with the help of her familiar Arf that if misused could have destroyed entire planets, fought against a red-headed, nine-year old girl with an powerful magical Device and her ferret companion for possession of several of said artifacts, ultimately losing to her.
Then she had been abandoned by the mother who had never really been her 'mother' in the first place, joined forces with said nine-year old girl, her ferret companion who was really a young boy and several TSAB agents in stopping her mother from tearing open a hole in space-time in a mad scheme to bring her real daughter Alicia, whom she herself was but a 'failed' clone of. She had then lost her mother to the interdimensional sea, became friends with that red-headed girl (whose name was Nanoha Takamachi), and had been taken off to a fair trial for her crimes.
Her four years of life, despite appearing physically nine, were rather exciting, to say the least.
And now, nary six months after her trial and subsequent release under probation, here she was, not even a full day back on Earth, fighting a red-headed little girl with a powerful magical device, protecting something important to her. It was just like old times.
Well, aside from the fact she was now protecting someone far more important than a couple of jewels and her opponent looked more like she wanted to see her with her face smashed into the ground rather than trying to understand her motives for doing so. But hey, the old times never happened exactly the same way again.
"Fate-chan...Yuuno-kun..."
The blond spared a slight glance behind her, just enough to see that Nanoha was fine, albeit completely out of the fight by the way her white Barrier Jacket was torn and her golden Device Raising Heart was shattered. Next to her, their mutual friend Yuuno Scrya was in his usual outfit, tending to her wounds as green light emitted from his hands.
"Sorry we're late, Nanoha," he told her with a grin. "Took us a little longer to get through that barrier than we thought."
"Tch," the redhead growled, drawing Fate's attention back to the matter. "Who are you two supposed to be? Her chums? Mages from the Adminstration Bureau playing the hero?"
The girl looked even younger than her, with red hair styled into two queues that trailed behind her head and down to her waist, which wasn't much of a feat considering she couldn't have been taller than four feet at the very most, which was being generous. Still, her attire, consisting of a blood-red barrier jacket with black outlines and much more armor-like in appearance than she had ever seen before, coupled with her brilliant blue eyes that seemed to burn with a deep inner fire made it clear that she was far more than what her appearance let known.
"Yes," Fate replied calmly. "And you're going to pay for hurting her."
"Oh yeah?"
Bardiche strained against the enemy's Device, a two-headed hammer that was as long as Fate's own weapon. With a jerk the redhead pulled her weapon back, assuming a guarded stance while her face morphed into a scowl.
"Let's see you try!"
Fate swung her weapon forward. "Bardiche."
[Scythe Form]
Bardiche's axe head flipped up opposite and away from the pole, forming a curved blade of yellow energy like that of a scythe. With that, she assumed a ready stance. "Yuuno, protect Nanoha. I'll deal with her."
She charged even as she heard the mage's affirmative. The hammer girl spat to the side and jumped back outside, using the shattered opening no doubt caused by Nanoha crashing into the office building in the first place.
As soon as she was outside though, she suddenly went flying upwards, courtesy of a kick to the butt that sent her bouncing off the outer walls of the office building. "Shit! What the-"
She righted herself and looked down, seeing a redheaded woman with wolf ears and a tail glaring up at her, cracking her fists. "'Sup?"
"A guardian beast now? What the hell gonna be next?" she asked dumbfounded.
Fate exited the building and smiled at the woman. "Good to see you, Arf."
Her familiar nodded at her before assuming a ready stance. "Watch out Fate!"
The hammer girl scowled again as she summoned four small metal spheres. "Graf Eisen!"
[Schwalbenflug]
Graf Eisen called out before it smashed into the orbs, hurtling them towards the two fighters. Both Arf and Fate immediately separated, dodging the shots as they tried to close the distance, only to be forced to break off as they came flying back at them like homing missiles. Arf threw up a barrier that intercepted the two that came at her, which exploded as they made contact but failed to hurt her.
Fate, on the other hand, managed to narrowly dodge hers again, swinging her scythe directly at the girl who was currently concentrating on bringing the balls back around.
[Arc Saber]
Her Device let loose its energy blade, which transformed into a spinning yellow crescent as it came flying up at the girl, forcing her to lose focus on her previous spell to intercept the oncoming attack. Instead of forming a shield as Fate had thought though, she simply smashed the lightning attack away with a swing of her mallet.
However, it did distract her long enough for Arf to close the distance, drawing her fist back for a punch. Mallet-girl flinched as she swung her weapon in front of herself. "Defend, Graf Eisen!"
[Panzerhindernis]
A red shield sprouted into existence between them, but that didn't deter Arf as she drew her fist back, crackling with yellow power. "Barrier Break!"
Her fist made contact, and after a moment of struggle she tore through the barrier, surprising Mallet-girl before she just got angry again. "Damn you!" she roared, swinging her Device down in an effort to crush the familiar, who barely managed to block it with her own shield but was still knocked back.
That nearly cost her though, as Fate, having dealt with the remaining spheres with two hastily cast Photon Lancers, suddenly appeared behind her with Bardiche's reformed energy blade aimed for her back. She barely managed to turn around to block it, and it was her turn to be sent back slightly at the force behind the blow. Fate didn't let up the assault, the two of them exchanging blows as they flew haphazardly around the airspace, the hammer wielder desperately trying to get some distance to help prepare a counterattack with Fate always hounding her.
Finally, Mallet-girl had enough.
"Graf Eisen! Cartridge load!"
[Explosion]
Fate barely had time to register the device snap up and down before it changed shape, becoming pointed at one end like a spike, and then the girl rocketed forward far faster than she had been going before, smashing her weapon against Fate's. By chance, she avoided being hit by the spike and damaging Bardiche, only with their shafts colliding, but the momentum of the strike still sent her flying back chaotically, and by the time she righted herself she was greeted to the sight of Mallet-girl charging her with hammer in both hands like she was about to crush her skull in.
"You're done-!"
-Only to suddenly jerk back as orange-ish binds appeared on her arms and legs, spreading them out and completely immobilizing her despite her struggles to break free. "Who-?"
Arf just smiled as she held her hand out, a magical circle plain as day and the same color as the binds. "I think the little chibi needs a time out."
"Good job, Arf."
The red-clad girl glared bloody murder as she gave her binds a few more tugs. "Stop calling me chibi!"
"Then why don't you start by telling us who you are and why you attacked our friend," Fate replied calmly, pointing Bardiche at her. "If you start talking and come in quietly, we won't resort to more...drastic measures. Either way, you are officially under arrest for the unprovoked assault with magic upon a civilian of a non-Bureau world."
Mallet-girl just snorted and glared at them, the defiance in her eyes as clear as day. "I ain't telling you anything and over my dead body before I do."
"Have it your way then."
Fate paused when she heard a soft ringing sound, out of place in the night air. Her eyes widened as she realized it was getting louder, and she was already moving even as Arf and Bardiche shouted a dual warning.
[Explosion]
However, as swift as Fate was, the whip-like weapon that suddenly wrapped about her body was even faster. With a violent snap she was thrown aside like a piece of trash towards a building, only just barely catching a glimpse of someone in pink armor before smashing against it. She was certain she heard Arf call out her name, but it was abruptly cut off by a scream and an orange blur tumbling away as if struck.
'This is bad,' was the only thing Fate managed to think as she slowly got back to her feet, glass crunching underneath her as she did so. 'That girl has friends.'
Signum narrowed her eyes as she allowed Laevatein to return to Schwertform, her gaze fixated on where her opponent had crashed into. She spared a glance to her still-bound comrade Vita, who was staring at both her and the silver-haired man who had come with her with wide eyes.
"Signum!" she gasped. "Zafira! What are you two doing here?"
"You were taking far too long," the pinkette replied. "We were starting to become concerned."
"It appears you found the source of the mana signature you detected earlier," Zafira grunted, his dog ears twitching as he spoke. "Bit more troublesome than you thought, huh?"
"Oh shut up. I had it under control before those two got in the way," she replied with a growl, then looked away, obviously not comfortable with needing to be saved like that or being seen in such a vulnerable position. "I still could have handled it."
"No doubt you would have, Vita," Signum nodded. "Zafira, keep that one busy." The male nodded and raced after the one apparently called 'Arf', who had righted herself and was coming back with fists crackling with power. Signum in turn raised her blade and shattered the binds holding her comrade captive, catching and holding Graf Eisen patiently as the red warrior flexed her wrists.
"But think of our Mistress," she continued. "If you were hurt, she would certainly be upset."
Vita flinched at the mention of their Master before she nodded, holding out her hand. Signum handed Graf Eisen back, then paused as the little knight looked away for a moment in silence.
"Before I forget...here," she added, causing Vita to look at her in confusion before she suddenly dropped something on her head, which was quickly revealed to be a red hat with yellow crosses and white bunny heads on both sides. "I found your hat and repaired the damage. Just don't lose it again."
"Yeah...thanks, Signum," she said slowly, though a small smile had started to break out on her face.
Signum nodded, turning back towards the battle in time to watch the blond girl fly out of the building in a beam of yellow light and a large green sphere shoot out of where she assumed was the location of the mana source Vita had sensed, resolving as a ash-blonde boy in white and green that forced Zafira away from the familiar, his hands glowing green with his magic.
"Still, this battle is three-on-three now..." she mused, readying her blade. "And as we both know, a Belkan Knight..."
"Can't lose in a one-on-one!" Vita finished with a smirk as they rocketed towards their fellow, weapons at the ready for combat.
Edgar had to admit, there were few things that got his blood pumping more than flying. Ever since he had been but a boy, he had often seen birds fly through the endless blue yonder, seeming limitless in their freedom from the struggles of those who tread the earth, and had wondered, like so many had, what it was like to soar above others. The fact he had lived a good portion of his life with those who had the ability to do so should have answered that question, but they always said a mere description wouldn't, couldn't do it justice. It was one of those things you had to experience for yourself to understand.
Basically, it was kind of like talking to someone about sex when you hadn't even gotten to first base. You could analyze it all you wanted, listen to a first-hand account, draw up your own conclusions and fantasies, but true understanding only came when you bucked up and did it personally.
Thus, when one of his comrades in OSG actually decided to try and teach him how to fly for real, he had been beyond excited. Sure, he had fallen off plenty of high places and underwent grueling physical and mental preparations, but the end result had been worth it. True, he had only been able to achieve a facsimile to true flight, gathering massive amounts of magical energy into his legs before releasing it in a burst that propelled him up and forward, but it was more than he ever had before and he reveled in every moment of it. Kilometers were now but a breeze as he could cross dozens, even hundreds of meters in a single bound if he so desired, and in this case the lights of the city quickly became obvious as greenery gave way to stone and metal as he played a giant game of leap frog on towards his goal.
"Sir, could you possibly slow down?!"
Of course, he had to remind himself that not everyone agreed with that assumption.
"What's wrong?" he asked, twisting his head to look at his passenger. "I thought you said you wanted to get there fast?"
Sayaka, still in her casual wear as she had yet to use her powers, had a death grip around his neck and waist as she clinged to him for dear life, her jacket partially whipping in the wind built up by their passage through the city towards the disturbance. She shot him a glare that really didn't have any power when she looked like she was about to throw up as well. "Y-Yeah! But not if it means I get si-Watch out!"
With a flex of his legs he released another burst of mana, changing their trajectory to the left to avoid the building right in front of them. Still, his eyes didn't leave her, his face still calm despite his inner turmoil at cracking a smile at her expression. "Oh, that? Don't mind me, I'll get us there in one piece."
"Assuming you don't give me a heart attack first..." Sayaka muttered. Edgar turned around before she could see the smile finally win out, not wanting to make her annoyed enough with him to hit him and cause them to crash into a building, or worse, cause her to lose her grip and fall. The last thing he wanted to do was explain how a teen-aged girl crushed her head in like a melon on the pavement and yet able to walk it off like it was a bruise.
That thought made him drop his smile. "Seriously though, you alright back there? I can stop and let you off to transform if you want to."
Sayaka was silent for a moment, probably caught off guard by his sudden shift in tone and demeanor, but he felt her shake her head.
"Nah, I'm good. I'll change when we get there. You just startled me is all," she answered him. "C'mon Edgar, I've dealt with worse than this. I'll be fine."
He found himself grinning again. That was definitely the Sayaka he remembered.
"Good to hear."
"...Yo boss..."
"Yeah?" he asked as he briefly stopped on a rooftop, using his senses to briefly reevaluate the location of the magical disturbance.
"...Why exactly did Zeltrech pick me for this mission?" Sayaka shifted uncomfortably from her position. "I mean, I just got out of a thirty-five year retirement and I think I'm pretty behind on a lot of things. Why would he want me out of everyone to go with you on a mission to another dimension?"
"...Honestly, I don't know," he answered her, stopping as he picked up the signature just a few hundred meters away, appearing as a black sphere in his mind's eye. "I don't understand half of what that old vampire does, and the other half is stuff I only pierce together through luck, determination and watching the fallout of his previous actions. All I know is that something's here and we have to deal with it."
"And giant spheres in the sky are the perfect starting ground, huh?"
"Eeyup. Take notes Miki-san, because there's a quiz later." He looked back at her. "You wanna use your Soul Gem? It's as good a time as any and I don't think you're gonna have time when we bust that barrier."
Sayaka disentangled herself from his back, stretching her limbs as she touched the roof. Not that she really needed to, but old habits died hard, even if the body doing it wasn't even really 'alive' anymore. She pulled the silver ring on her right hand off and let it transform, revealing her blue Soul Gem's true form. She stared at it for a long moment, especially at the silver frame, then gave him a worried look. "You sure it's safe?"
To be perfectly honest, Edgar had no clue. Of the two of them, Sayaka knew more about the intricacies of the Soul Gem than him, and even her knowledge was spotty aside from first-hand experience with it. It literally contained her soul and life, and if it became too saturated from corruption caused by either magic overuse or overtly negative emotions, it would break and transform into that black jewel form from before (a Grief Seed) and turn her into a monster. The simple fact of the matter was that neither of them had any idea what other effects the Jewel Seed she had absorbed had done to her. Yes, Zeltrech had apparently trusted it enough to be used and then have Sayaka come with him to this dimension, but it had to be said that what Zeltrech thought was a good idea and safe wasn't always synonymous with what most other people did.
Still, what other choice did they have? Sayaka was gonna have to use it and fight eventually, and it was better for it to happen where he could provide assistance if necessary.
"Not really," he finally admitted. "But I'll be there for you if anything goes wrong, count on that."
His statement seemed to provide her with some reassurance, as she looked back at her Gem and took a deep breath before nodding. "Alright then, here goes nothing."
With that, she held it out in front of her with both hands as it flashed a blue light, then pulled it back to her chest just as the light enveloped her body. Edgar watched as it flashed blindingly for a moment or two before fading away, revealing her new attire. His eyes widened as he got a better look at it.
Sayaka's original outfit had consisted of blue shoes, white knee-high stockings, a blue diagonal-cut skirt, dark blue sleeves with white gloves, and a white and blue shoulderless top, meant for ease of movement given her close-range fighting style and designed to the purpose of combat gear. The effect had been enforced with the addition of her white cape, which gave her a very hero-esque look. Her Soul Gem took on a C-shape on her belly button, similar in form to a crescent moon.
Now though, her basic design was still more or less the same, but much more...armored. Silver sabatons and greaves covered her feet and lower legs, leaving her upper legs thighs free and covered by a slightly longer skirt. Her lower body, particularly her belly area, was free of any sort of armor, though blue cloth still covered up her Gem, and her head was bare as well. Her upper chest and whole arms though were once again covered in the same previously mentioned burnished metal, though it thinned around the joints to allow proper movement and was nearly nonexistent, though still enough to provide some protection, around her shoulders and upper arms to allow her free range to swing her weapon in arcs.
Speaking of said weapon, it was different as well. Her original weapon had been a cutlass with a straight edge and gold basket guard to protect her hands, with a blue handle long enough to allow her to use both hands to wield it. This was essentially the same thing...if it was large enough to be used with literally two hands. It was less like a cutlass and more like a giant katana or nodachi with a cutlass guard.
Perhaps the thing that struck him most about the new outfit though was the cape. Unlike the original one, which had been a pristine white and appeared brand new, if somewhat plain, this one was in many ways its antithesis. It was frayed as it it had been damaged in combat, dark blue in color and had a massive plaid collar that extended around Sayaka's neck that was fastened with, of all things a pink bowtie.
Completing the picture, there seemed to be strange marks all over the armor that repeated themselves like a pattern, though they were too small for him to fully make out. All in all, she looked like some sort of knight from fairy tales, ready to risk her lives for the innocent and banish evil wherever it was. The thought actually brought a smile to his face, given what he knew about her deepest wish.
However, that smile slowly faded as he realized that something was oddly familiar about this armor, something that made him start in surprise as he understood why he recognized it.
It was basically a scaled-down, modified version of the armor that her Witch form had worn when it attacked him and his fellows after they came looking for that last time.
Sayaka took a moment to glance down at herself, her face running the gauntlet from apprehension, confusion, surprise, caution and finally to growing appreciation as she rotated to look at herself, pausing to touch her cape and new armor.
"...Well, can't say I don't like the new look..." she admitted, twirling in place for a moment before glancing at her sword, a grimace crossing her face. "But how I am I supposed to use this thing properly?"
"Try summoning one of your other swords," he suggested, forcing his surprise back down. She didn't seem to realize her where her armor's new form came from, and he didn't feel this was the right time to mention it, not when they were about to go into combat.
She complied, forming a new sword, identical to the blades she originally used before, and nodded. "Guess I'll be using these babies," she remarked with a grin. She then grabbed the big cutlass with her free hand and concentrated, causing it to disappear. "Maybe another time for that thing."
Edgar nodded, turning towards where he could sense the disturbance. While the space to the naked eye looked normal, his mind's eye definitely saw a black sphere floating but a few hundred meters away. He summoned forth his own armor, feeling his suit vanish as the familiar weight of metal settled around his form.
"You ready?" he asked her, putting his worries about Sayaka's new appearance on the backburner. If it became a problem, he'd deal with it later, but right now was not the time for doubts.
"I was born ready," she answered with a wicked grin, her eyes alight with the prospect of combat.
Vita growled angrily as Graf Eisen bounced off the blond boy's shield again. "You are dead the moment I break this barrier, kid!" she shouted as she jumped back and summoned more of her metal spheres, launching them directly at him. Each struck with enough force to pulverize concrete, and yet still that damned shield held.
"If you think you're gonna break my shields, you've got another thing coming!" Yuuno shot back, not dropping it even as she rushed forward and continued to smash away, sweat collecting across his brow as he attempted to keep it up while also trying to cast the necessary spell to disrupt this isolation field so they could escape. As much as he hated to admit, he, Fate and Arf just couldn't stand up to these three in one-on-one combat, especially if they wanted to get Nanoha out of here.
He glanced down at his left hand and the green orb floating there, gritting his teeth as he realized he wasn't having any success. This was far above the average barrier, and so far nothing he had tried had worked to break out of it, which was a far cry to when they were breaking in. And even though he could cast the necessary spell to get them all out of here with Nanoha, it was useless as long as this thing was up.
"Damn it, just stop resisting and let me crush you already!" Vita shouted, her attacks coming in faster and harder as his shield stood like an iron wall, unbreakable before her. How was that possible? She was the Knight of the Iron Hammer, for crying out loud! Nothing was too strong for her to break, especially not some kid's magic barrier!
Yuuno bit back the urge to say something in turn, afraid that he'd just make her even angrier and more willing to try something crazy to get at him. "Arf, how are things on your end?" he telepathically asked the familiar as he continued to fend off the redhead's physical assaults and ignore her verbal ones.
"Been better," Arf replied as she bared her fangs against her opponent. "This barrier's a hard nut to crack, especially with this guy breathing down my neck."
Both she and her opponent had transformed into their respective animal forms, both wolves. She had the appearance of light-red canine with a dark red mane and paws, white underbelly with similar coloration at the tips of her ears and tail, and long, white narrow claws. He, while having a similar if more muscular build, was a dark blue-grey with a white mane, along with a similar white underbelly and tail/ear tips. His paws, however, were covered in metal gauntlets for extra protection and striking power. Arf had found the latter part out firsthand, as the warm feeling of blood seeping from her side proved.
For now, the two just circled each other warily midair, blue and red eyes locked as they sought out any sort of weakness to exploit, or failing that, waited for the other to make an error that could be capitalized on.
'I've gotta find a way past this guy,' she thought to herself, wracking her brain for a solution. 'But how?'
Suddenly, both of them paused and turned their heads confusedly. Something was wrong; a strange...shift in the barrier...from the outside. Something that only they, with their enhanced senses, had managed to detect.
'Who-?' Arf wondered before her instincts screamed at her to turn back to the enemy wolf. She did so just in time to get a good look at his dental plan as he lunged for her throat, having recovered from his surprise first. Luckily, the adrenaline rush let her move back enough that all he got was a mouthful of mane, which was still enough to let him drag her onto a rooftop where they devolved into a ball of whirling fur, claws and teeth.
'If those are reinforcements, they better hurry the hell up...' she thought herself as she felt his metal claws dig into her legs and sides with a pained grimace, just as she grinned in pained satisfaction as her own dug and clawed into his sides and her teeth found their mark along one of his ears. Like hell she was gonna be the only one coming out of this fight with scars.
All the while though, even as she fought tooth and claw for victory, she hoped that Fate was having a better time at it than her.
(While Yuuno vs. Vita and Arf vs. Zafira is occurring)
Signum hummed quietly to herself as she traded blows back and forth in the sky with the blond one. While she herself was clearly the more experienced and skilled fighter, the blond's quicker movements and longer reach gave her enough of an advantage to match her, and she had to respect that. It wasn't often she had been able to fight someone who could make her give real effort, and she relished the opportunity each time, especially if they were using a technique she hadn't expected to see in this day and age...
"Interesting, to find a mage not of Belkan descent who specializes in close-quarters combat," she commented, deflecting another blow from her opponent before returning with her own. "I am the leader of the Wolkenritter, Signum, General of the Blazing Fire, and this is my sword, Laevateinn. Young girl, may I be so bold as to know thy own name?"
Despite having a weapon with a longer reach, Fate couldn't completely deflect or dodge Signum's strikes, her lack of skill in comparison to her opponent clearly obvious as she struggled to force Signum's latest blow away. Moving back to get some space, Fate held up Bardiche in axe form and decided to comply with her request.
"Time-Space Administration Bureau temporary mage, Fate Testrarossa and Device Bardiche. As I asked your comrade before, please cease what you and your fellows are doing and turn yourselves in. If there are any problems, we would prefer to solve them under less hostile circumstances."
Signum sighed tiredly. She truly wished things could have been so simple. Then again, if they were, they never would have even met on this night, or any night for that matter. "A shame that is not possible," she answered, then steeled her resolve and words. "But enough talk, have at thee!"
Seeing the knight suddenly close on her, Fate spun the shaft of her Device around her wrist, shortening the reach and aiming a slash for Signum's face. The knight simply spun to avoid it before bringing her own sword to bear right as she came out of it, using the added centripetal force to increase her striking power. The blow would have easily torn into Fate's barrier jacket to draw blood if Bardiche hadn't cast Defenser to block.
While the knight was still bearing down on her shield, Fate quickly charged up a single Photon Lancer on her left fist. "Fire!" she cried out as she punched directly at Signum's unprotected chest.
[Panzergeist]
A purple shield completely enveloped Signum's body, the lightning bullet colliding with it almost immediately after it finished forming. The resulting explosion gave Fate time to put some distance between them, as well as lash out with Bardiche. She then assumed a guarded stance, forming several more Photon Lancers to fire into the smoke cloud.
"Such amazing combat ability for one so young," Signum muttered to herself, still hidden in the smoke, as she traced the small cut in her jacket, Fate's blow not quite strong enough to actually hurt her but still enough to damage her clothing and definitely strike at the flesh beneath. It had been a long time since anyone had visibly marked her, and she felt her respect for Fate grow despite this only being their first meeting. "Perhaps if things had been different-"
She cut that line of thought off. What-ifs could be worried about later. She had an enemy to defeat.
The moment Fate could see Signum's form within the cloud she unleashed her bolts, which crossed the distance in less than a second. To her shock, the pink knight suddenly vanished in a flash before the bolts could strike, and before Fate could fully register her disappearance she appeared again, this time directly in front of her with sword raised.
Once again, Fate cast her shield spell, but this time it was incomplete by the time Signum's sword made contact, tearing through it like tissue paper before being intercepted by Bardiche. Unfortunately for the Intelligent Device, the blow was hard enough to dig into the axe-head and damage the clear yellow-like piece.
"Laevateinn!" the knight shouted as she spun about, sliding the sword off the ax and unleashing her final attack. "Cartridge load!"
[Explosion]
A single empty bullet casing was ejected by the sword before the entire blade was engulfed by flame.
"Shiden Issen!" Signum declared as the fiery blade smashed through, cutting off a large portion of Bardiche's blade and sending Fate crashing to the ground. She stared after her for a moment, feeling once more a slight stab of regret despite having found such a worthy opponent.
She turned her gaze towards where Vita was still fighting the blond boy, deciding to aid her so they could finish this-
"Hi there."
She snapped around with Laevateinn raised to strike, her blade clashing with her unknown assailant, who was wielding a sword of its own. For a moment their blades locked, then her enemy jumped back to a nearby building, landing almost gracefully upon the roof.
Her eyes quickly took in the appearance of this new threat, confusion settling across her face at the sight before her. This man, for she could see it was a man, was clad in a suit of heavy black and silver armor that completely covered his body save for his head. Two silver plates with a clover insignia marked his shoulders, but it was the design of the armor itself that surprised her. Her own clothing, while it also carried the basic design of knight armor, was more 'modern' for lack of a better term, streamlined and meant for movement. This man's armor had a far more archaic look, bulkier and meant for defense, and didn't at all look like what Mid-Childa barrier jackets were designed to be, even the more heavily armored ones.
That was just the first clue that whoever this man was wasn't affiliated with the Administration, and any remaining doubt was destroyed as she glanced at his weapon. It was fashioned as a broadsword, handle and pommel of the darkest black metal, the grip a slightly lighter dark brown and the guard a rusty red. The lower half of the blade was of a blackish-grey, giving the impression of a plain, if rather grand sword.
But it was the upper half that drew her attention and destroyed any semblance of 'normal': It was a blood-red crystal fashioned into the shape of the blade, somehow giving off its own internal light like a heartbeat that light the room in a bloody glow, as if it was somehow alive. Such a bizarre choice for a blade would seem illogical at first, but she could see no sign of damage from where her own blade had made contact.
Assuming it was a Device, it was without a doubt one of the strangest she had ever seen. No Device was designed with a crystal that was nearly as large as itself, and a closer inspection showed that there seemed to be no sign of any movable parts: It was literally an otherwise normal blade with a crystal head.
"Not bad," the man complimented, and Signum took note that he seemed genuine in his praise. "Most people usually hesitate a little bit longer when they hear a voice coming from nowhere. It's nice to see you're one of the ones fast enough to react in time." He ran a hand through his hair, which was white despite the fact he couldn't have been much older than she herself appeared. "You pack one hell of a punch too, if how you managed to block means anything."
"Who are you?" she asked the white-haired stranger, on guard for any action. Even if he had been standing there in nothing but his underwear, she could tell from his stance, relaxed yet ready to spring into action, that he was a warrior with experience, much more than the girl she had been fighting but a moment before.
If things went anymore south, she would have to retreat with Vita and Zafira, regardless if Shamal finished her task in time.
"My name is Edgar Silverstein, if you must know," he replied politely enough. "Now that I've said my name, why not share your own?"
"Knight Signum," she said slowly, watching him for any suspicious movement. "What is your purpose here? Are you from the Bureau?"
The stranger Edgar cocked his head at that, his gaze seemingly traveling from her to the crater where Fate had landed and was now struggling to get out of. "Well, I was just passing on through when I saw a young lady in need of assistance and decided to pitch in. I don't know any 'Bureau' as you call it, but I'm gonna assume that she was a part of it," he noted with an air that seemed to be halfway curious, halfway surprised. "I have to say though, it's pretty brutal what you did to her, and yet you didn't kill her, despite the fact you could have ended it permanently with that last attack."
"I did what I had to do," she replied frostily. There was no need to kill her, so she didn't. She had her honor and pride as a knight, and she refused to sully it like that against one whose only true crime was being ignorant. Still that left the question of who this man was: If he wasn't part of the Bureau, who was he?
"I see..." he answered her, then his gaze seemed to grow hard as he raised his blade. "Well, I suppose then I won't be fighting to kill you."
With a flick of his blade, he pointed it directly at her. "Phozon Lance!"
With that, a burst of crimson energy erupted from his sword in the form of a spear, heading straight for her. Signum immediately threw her hand in front of herself and had Laevateinn cast its shield spell, completing it just in time for the attack to connect. To her shock, she actually felt herself being blasted back from the force behind it even as the shield began to crack under the strain. With a grimace she held on and concentrated, watching as the attack petered out without breaking her defense.
She looked back at the roof where Edgar had stood but a moment before, only to see him coming at her again with raised blade. With narrowed eyes she met his charge with her own, their weapons clashing in a flash of energy. They separated and swung at nearly the same time, their blades clashing yet again with sparks. Signum knocked Edgar back with a kick to his chest and brought Laevateinn up for another blow, only to meet his own blade yet again as he suddenly began falling, causing her to miss her effort at a follow-up.
'He's falling?' she wondered to herself in confusion, then blinked as he suddenly came flying back towards her like a rocket in an explosion of power from his legs, smashing sword against hers yet again. 'No...he's not flying...he's propelling himself through the air with mana bursts!'
An interesting technique, but not one she had often encountered in her centuries of combat or at least from what she could remember...and especially not from any recollection of TSAB-related encounters. Needless to say, her interest was peaked further.
The black-armored warrior suddenly moved upwards in another burst of red mana, catching her off guard as the force exploded over and he gained the high ground before swinging his sword in her direction again, releasing a burst of crimson energy in an arc.
"Shiden Issen!" she cried again, using another cartridge to meet the strike. Fire and energy clashed before she sliced through the attack, racing upwards to meet Edgar once again. She unleashed a flurry of strikes which Edgar struggled to parry, but his movements seemed slower, almost inexperienced...much like anyone who hadn't had much experience fighting in midair before. Her next blow left him wide open as his sword was caught at an awkward guarding position and knocked to his side, and her follow-up cut into his armor and sent him flying towards the ground.
However, Edgar suddenly went flying to the side in another mana explosion, falling onto another roof building and rolling for a second or two before coming to a stop and getting to his feet, seeming none the worse for wear. She didn't let up, racing down to meet him with sword raised. They locked blades once again, and Signum found to her satisfaction that his movements were far more fluid and strong, obviously back in his element.
Their swords danced as they struck and parried, each dedicated to the process of defeating the other. Signum felt her blood pump harder which each swing and she found herself slowly growing more and more into the battle. This wasn't like the battle with Fate: this was a true clash of wills and ability, where one mistake would mean the difference between victory and defeat. This was the sort of fight she loved more than anything.
"Something funny?" Edgar asked her as they continued to clash, a bemused expression on his face. "You seem to be smiling pretty strongly about something."
Signum blinked, not realizing she had been allowing her emotions to bleed on through. "None of your concern," she answered, parrying another of his strikes. "Simply reminiscing."
Two worthy opponents, one young with so much potential, another with experience and skill, in one night. If it weren't for her mission and what she had to do, Signum would have considered this one of her best nights yet.
And that's it for this chapter! I actually nearly made this battle one whole chapter before I realized that it would be over 11K if I did, so I compromised and cut it roughly in half. I hope you'll be looking forward to the conclusion of it next time!
And if anyone is worried that this story is following a little too close to canon so far...well, it kind of has to until I can introduce the elements that change the game plan around. Don't worry, they'll be coming soon enough, so just hold on to your Starlight Breakers until then.
Anyways, review, fave and follow people! Tell me what you guys thought.