Their Final Strategy
Noelle swung her right arm forward, her darkened shadowy claws came inching in closer to Melody. Melody swiftly dodged backwards, letting the slash breeze by her. Melody took another quick two steps back she didn't want to stay face-to-face with Noelle for too long it was already apparent that she wanted Melody dead. Melody supposed that most of the blame for this incident should fall on Shi, not Noelle. Shi was the one who blurted out the lie without thinking about the consequences. Melody would also be upset if someone told her they had killed Michael or Ash. So the same could be said for Noelle, she supposed that the monster had a good reason for trying to kill her.
But that didn't mean she wouldn't defend herself. Melody spun her yo-yo out into the air and then quickly rotated around and brought the small stringed weapon straight down aiming for the top of Noelle's head. Noelle touched the ground and disappeared into it. Melody's sharp yo-yo hit the ground and tore it up with a new burst of strength. She returned the small yo-yo to her side and looked out over to where Noelle was. Noelle had just disappeared into the ground, which worried Melody since now she had no idea where the little girl had disappeared into. Until she realized she knew where she would be re-appearing.
Melody lashed downwards with yo-yo, striking the ground and using the recoil from the impact she forced herself up and into the air. She now had a bird's-eye view of the ground and any place the Evil Human could be hiding. "Come out, come out wherever you are," shouted Shi from his new spot out of the reach of the young maniac. However…it seemed like that was not one-hundred perfect correct. A large black spire shot out of the ground and up at Melody. Melody managed to dodge to the side a little by twisting her body, but without any ground to push against she couldn't dodge it completely. The spire struck into her side and burned through her clothes as well scratching through her skin. Melody landed on the ground pretty safely. When her feet hit the ground she felt her sides tearing themselves up as the recoil shot through her body.
Melody rotated around and sent her yo-yo careening through the air and towards Noelle. The blades shot out of the small contraption and burned through the air towards Noelle. Noelle dove into the ground, disappearing before them without even a second thought. The blades flew through the air and over Noelle's small shadow. Noelle's shadow darted towards Melody. Suddenly her shadow underwent a metamorphosis. Her shadow grew out of the ground and took the form of a giant fist with sharp claws. The dark foggy hand swept through the air and carved open the ground, Melody barely managed to jump back another few feet trying to dodge it, but it proved to do very little. As soon as Melody's feet left the ground, Noelle changed the course of the shadowy hand and aimed it after her. Melody lashed out with her yo-yo once more relying on the force and the recoil to knock her out of the way. She was out of the path of the shadow once more, however, Noelle still wasn't done with her attack. She twisted her body around and shoved the dirt to the side along with the hand and brought it flinging to the side. Melody brought her guard up and gritted her teeth. She braced herself and prepared herself for the moment of impact, she was thrown backwards through the air.
She somersaulted around in order to land on her feet; however, the approaching sight didn't make her feel any better. Noelle had changed directions once more, her glowing eyes were the only hint to her location, but Melody could still sense her. It was strange. Had they really grown this lax with their Soul Perception, none of them had detected the two Evil Humans as a matter of fact Melody still felt a little clouded in that area like something was stopping her from really seeing Noelle's Soul and the Soul of any other being that may be lurking around. It took her a while, but remembered that she did not have the time nor the luxury to be distracted. The ground beneath her had been ripped asunder as Noelle came up, ripping the ground apart as another shadowy spike shot free from the ground, Melody jumped back and into the air.
"You killed Zhavio!" Noelle cursed as she dove at Melody. Noelle's shadowy form smashed downwards into Melody's body forcing the both of them down into the dirt, although Noelle's landing was padded by Melody's. Noelle swept her hand back up into the air and the shadowy form grew anew. This time rather than hand, it transformed into a massive black blade that chopped downwards at the Melody and Shi. Melody struck out, sending her small yo-yo forward and through the air sweeping it around and at her head. Noelle did not stop her attack. It kept coming down with an immense force behind it. Melody swung to the side, desperate to avoid the chop. Her attack barely made it through Noelle's haphazardous attack. It became apparent to Melody that Noelle wasn't even trying to protect herself she had thrown that ideal away and decided to take Melody down.
Melody paused as she looked at the young girl. She noticed something odd…a strange sight that was in front of her. Melody had taken care of several Evil Humans, but she supposed this was the first time she laid eyes on one…who was crying. Wet tears streaked down Noelle's face as she tried to keep her composure, but nonetheless it was impossible to hide it. Her friend had just died and the expression of sadness was obvious on her face. She looked saddened at the thought, but she still charge on. Noelle dashed forward, holding out her hand and letting a pitch black axe extend from it.
The stress on her body was large from doing all these techniques. She wasn't used to fighting, she preferred the calm and calculated approach as did Zhavio, but they were both pawns to their emotions. Zhavio and his desire to kill and Noelle's immense want for revenge, she wanted it more than anything right now. Even if it meant tearing her body apart in order to achieve it.
Noelle immediately pushed herself beneath Melody, Melody panicked and accepted that they had no other choice…they had to go for it now. "Soul Resonance, Shi!" Melody skidded into the ground and brought the Devil's Yo-Yo swinging around in the air, suddenly it sparked to life. The yo-yo as well as its own blades had been engulfed in a brilliant red blaze. Somehow the yo-yo felt different to her, the weight was different it felt heftier…but at the same time lighter. The flames felt hotter as well, something had definitely changed since the last time she had used it. While she wished she had had the time to check it over and properly examine it, she didn't have a choice in the matter. She would have to give it a field test right now.
Melody rushed in just as Noelle did. The two of them weren't going to back down now. They were going to exchange blows any moment now the question was who would come out on top? Melody swung and brought the yo-yo sliding in! At the same time Noelle brought her hand around and it quickly transformed into a large disc similar to Melody's yo-yo, except much larger. Noelle pivoted and brought the large disc towards Melody. Melody leapt into the air and watched as the large disc burned through the air beneath her. Quickly rotating her entire body around she brought her lighter and much faster yo-yo back around and aimed for Noelle's head. Noelle swirled to the side, diving beneath the slicing yo-yo and at the same time bringing her large disc back into her shadowy form. Noelle brought her arm out into the air and immediately it bubbled up and transformed into another devastating weapon, a scythe. Noelle rotated around and brought the scythe mere inches away from Melody's face, it was only thanks to her meister reflexes that she was capable of avoiding it.
Melody tried to take her distance, the little girl was starting to behave more erratically and more reckless than ever before, but it appeared that recklessness only propelled Noelle after Melody even faster and she was immediately on her. Noelle stopped and pivoted, several times bringing her scythe around again and again over and over, slicing through the air. The instant Melody's feet hit the ground, she had to immediately push off of it again just in order to survive against the girl's vicious combinations. Upon seeing the slightest opening Melody tried to lash out in a desperate attempt to end the fight, but while her yo-yo made small impacts against Noelle's shadowy form none of them seemed to have an actual effect on her. She just kept swinging her large scythe around while raising her voice in her saddening war cry, "Zhavio!"
It was by sheer luck that Melody actually managed to stop the attack, she swung Shi towards Noelle. Noelle dodged to the side, but her large scythe was too blocky to get out of the way. Shi's burning yo-yo string hit the scythe and started to spin around it again and again and again. The scythe was slowly get entrapped by the small yo-yo strings all the while the flames of Shi's Soul Resonance burned into. Soon the scythe wad turned into a bonfire. The flames scorched all over the small weapon and while Noelle struggled to break free the weapon wasn't made of tough stuff and broke. "Take that shadow miss!" laughed Shi as ze was freed from scythe and came swinging back to Melody's side. Melody caught Shi and took up a stance, she still highly doubted this fight was over.
"Zhavio…Zhavio…ZHAVIO!" chanted Noelle as her brain was beyond gone. She was originally a calm person, but any sign of that had vanished behind her lost of control due to her raging emotions. The shadowy form broke out as weapons galore sprouted from her body. Scythes, swords, gauntlets, and a yo-yo of her own sprouted from Noelle's small body. A crazed look was on her face, it was hard to tell if she was still crying over the lost of her partner or not as her entire face was drenched from sweat, she was wearing her own body out. It was debatable if she would even be able to live to strike a victory pose. Noelle charge forward sending all of her weapons slicing and crashing forward.
For Melody it was like being stuck in a hurricane each weapon screeched forward and Melody was trying her absolute best to try and avoid each one as they all came crashing in. Melody was fast, but not fast enough to keep up and completely avoid four different weapons that were reacting crazily. There was no way she could completely avoid them. The scythe drew close to her face and cut open her cheek, the sword drew blood from her leg, and the gauntlet nearly crushed her arm several times. Defending was starting to wear her out, she didn't have enough time to think up an attack plan. It was lucky that she already had.
Noelle was blinded not only by her own anger, but by her weapons that were screeching in front of her. She couldn't see anything, which explained why she didn't see that Melody wasn't holding her weapon any more. The yo-yo was a small weapon to begin with, and if it escaped to either side it would be nearly impossible as the only telltale sign would be the paper-thin string. It was a strain on both Shi and Melody as they had to keep the yo-yo in the air while it worked its way around, but it was worth it. Soon the yo-yo was behind Noelle and poised to strike. Melody pulled back on the string and brought the yo-yo buzz-sawing its way to Noelle's neck.
The ability to control the weapon while barely being in contact with it has always confused me, but I figured it would probably suit Melody the best the ability to control the path of the yo-yo, after she's thrown it especially to this degree. My Future Works section on my profile page has once again been updated.
Secondly and this will probably be the depressing part for all of you fans...I have no bloody idea how I'm going to continue this story after the Four Horsemen. I literally have no idea in mind for what is going to happen after it...I don't necessarily want the story to end, but I also don't want to produce sub-par chapters with no real thought or emotion behind them.