Hey everyone.
I want to shout out to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed since the last update. And as always, if you find the story to your liking please consider doing so.
On another note, for those who are interested. I just recently uploaded a spinoff of the main story as a separate work on my profile called 'A Modern Tale of the Princess and Her Peasant'.
Katsu the Combustion! – Chapter One Hundred Four
The luminous rays of the Sun rose majestically over the mountain forest below.
Katsu held her arm over her face as she stepped beyond the tree line and into the morning light.
She gazed up at the magnificent rising sun with her golden eyes widening in awe.
Elle stood alongside her with her backpack slung over her shoulders as she too gazed up at the Sun.
"What…is that amazing orb of light?" Katsu questioned with innocent wonder lacing her voice as she stood staring up at the emerging sun.
Elle turned to stare back at her with her amber eyes widening in disbelief.
"That…that's the Sun. You…don't remember what the Sun looks like?" Elle answered with astonishment in her voice while her widened eyes gazed back at the taller girl's frustrated face.
"It has been so long since I've seen it. I had forgotten what it looked like." Katsu confessed in a self-conscious voice with her golden eyes still staring up at the brightening sun.
Elle still stared at taller girl with her mouth dropping open in a display of sympathy.
As she struggled to process how anyone would be so cruel as to make another human forget the Sun!
Boom!
Several explosions of firebending erupted over the burning fortress.
Team Azula leaped out of the way with their elbows shielding their astonishes faces.
Just as Azula skillfully dodged Katsu's poorly aimed swing before she delivered a kick to the back of the girl's head.
She still stared on with her amber golden eyes agape in disbelief as she watched the younger firebender soar through a broken window.
As her captain stood behind her with her golden eyes wide in equal awe.
"I…don't believe it! She has green firebending!" Azula spoke in a stunned voice with her amber golden eyes staring into the rubble in marvelment.
Never in all her life has she met anyone other than herself that was able to use colored firebending!
Although it really wasn't so much a flame…it was more like…an explosive light!
'Elle was right. That isn't a flame in the traditional sense like father or Zuko is able to produce. It is more along the lines of combustionbending!' The princess thought with her cold gaze still wide in a rare state of astonishment.
"Incredible! That girl is a combustionbender and an exceedingly unique one at that!" Zoi exclaimed with amazement in her golden eyes while she gazed into the burning debris in shock.
Every member of Team Azula stared into the burning building with their eyes wide in amazement.
Nero stood watching with a cruelly pleased smirk on his lips when the sound of rubble being pushed out of the way resonated into the air.
"What...is with that girl! She acts more like a komodo rhino than a human!" Mai asked with bewilderment in her normally deadpan voice while her widened tawny eyes gazed into the smoking rubble.
Just as Katsu stood up from the rubble with splinters of wood in her increasingly disheveled brown hair.
Katsu panted like a wild beast with her maddened golden eyes spinning about to gaze all around her.
As the team stared on with blinking looks of bafflement in their eyes.
"Watch out! She has a tendency to go into animalistic fits of rage!" Elle cried out with worry in her voice while the two older firebenders stared the disturbed girl down.
"I already gathered as much Elle." Azula stated in dismissive voice with her callous eyes ruthlessly staring imposingly back at the manic bomber.
"The only other combustionbender that I have ever met was Mother's late Combustion Man. Until today I never thought that I would meet another bender capable of performing such a rare technique." Zoi remarked in a stoic voice while she gazed back at the girl with intrigued golden eyes.
Only for all of their eyes to widen once more when the girl broke out into another charge at the stunned Mai and Ty Lee.
Elle and her two big sisters watched the girl barrel towards them with their eyes wide in perplexity.
"K-Katsu! It's me Elle! No stop don't! Eep!" Elle stammered in a panicked voice just as a green explosion was lobbed in her frightened face.
And then not a moment later an explosion detonated throughout the center of the burning complex!
Ty Lee gracefully leaped away with the younger girl hanging onto her arm while.
As she gazed back at the rampaging bomber with her brown-gray eyes wide in startlement.
Just as Katsu impacted with Mai while the noblewoman struggled to hold the crazed girl off with her knife.
Mai's tawny eyes flickered with an unnerved gleam as she stared down into Katsu's maddened golden eyes.
"Are you insane kid? You're attacking the wrong people!" Mai spoke in an aggravated voice only to be taken off guard when the girl erupted into a maddened laughter.
Just before she gritted her teeth when a blast of combustionbending went off in her face.
As she flipped away into the cold snow with her boots sliding through the burning rubble.
While a dense smoke now blew through the air.
And the two firebenders broke out into a sprint to assist their rapidly overwhelmed comrades.
Only for the captain and the princess's eyes to grow even wider in shock when Katsu leaped from the smoke straight at the taken aback Ty Lee.
"Katsu! W-wait!" Elle called out in a frightened voice from where she hung on her big sister's shoulder while they slid through the snow.
Katsu's fists lit up with a lethal green glow while the two girls gazed on in wide-eyed alarm.
Just as the princess and the captain intercepted the combustionbender's warpath before they sent the rampaging girl stumbling backwards through the snow with a precise blast of their own firebending.
The two noblewomen and their young friend stared on from behind in disbelief when the girl immediately bounded through the stream of fire!
And the next moment later the captain found herself locking fists with the berserk bomber!
As the two combatants grappled through the snow while the others gaped from the sidelines.
Zoi stared back at the younger firebender in surprise over the girl's incredible power.
"And if I didn't know any better this young warrior might be stronger than the Combustion Man!" Zoi spoke in an impressed voice while Katsu gripped her fists with her golden eyes gazing violently up at her.
A bright combustion light shone before her astonished eyes while the girl grinned madly up at her.
"Bakudan!" Katsu shouted in a wild voice with her hair blowing wildly before her eyes while she detonated a blast of energy in the warrior's shocked face.
And then a thunderous explosion shook the ruined fortress while Team Azula stared on with stunned looks in their eyes.
Azula stared on with her amber golden eyes still flickering in disbelief.
Never would she have ever expected to find such a powerful firebender in this foreign land!
All while Nero watched the battle unfold with his lips still entrenched in an increasingly delighted smile.
"Katsu is no ordinary warrior. What you call benders here we refer to as an aberrant. My Katsu is the only fire aberrant of her kind. She is a berserk fire aberrant!" Nero announced with a demented scientific glee lacing his voice while Team Azula listened in shock.
Just as the captain slid through a broken wall while her comrades stared on with their unconcealed captivation in their awed eyes.
"An aberrant?" Azula questioned under her breath with her ruthless eyes gazing in an intense desire to learn more.
The two noblewomen and their young friend gazed on with stunned looks in their eyes while they watched the girl charge after the captain into the rubble.
"Or as you would call it…a berserk firebender!" Nero boasted with his gloved finger pointing victoriously back at the older girl's perplexed faces.
"A berserk firebender…" Mai trailed off with a twinge of curiosity in her monotone voice.
She dropped down on her booted feet beside Ty Lee and her little sister while she watched through the howling winds in rising interest.
"In other words, a brainless brawler." Azula snorted in a hubristic voice while she directed a sneer back in Nero's direction.
Only for her callous eyes to narrow into murderous slits when the man smiled coldly back at her in mockery.
"Your analysis is pitifully incorrect Azula. Anyone can be a brawler. But only Katsu has the sheer might and talent to adopt such a reckless combat style." Nero explained in a conceited voice with his crimson eyes staring mechanically back into Azula's enraged amber golden eyes.
The others gazed on in trepidation just as the captain jumped from the debris.
As her increasingly excited golden eyes gazing back at her young wild opponent charging towards once again.
Just as Zoi wiped a droplet of blood from her chin while a small smirk began to form upon her lips.
"In simple terms! The longer she fights the stronger her energy becomes!" Nero yelled out with a sadistic scientific joy in his exhilarated eyes while Team Azula's eyes grew wide in pure unadulterated shock.
"He's not lying! You need to knock her out really fast before she gets any further riled up!" Elle advised with her hands over her mouth while her big sisters gazed on at the attacking girl behind her.
"But the battle has only just begun. After all it isn't every day that I get to face off against such an impressive young warrior." Zoi commented in a thrilled voice as she caught Katsu's fist in hand while the girl gazed back up at her with manic golden eyes.
Just as the combustionbender let out an animalistic growl while they plunged through the flames as they started exchanging a flurry of rapid blows.
The princess stared on with her brilliant amber golden eyes paying close attention to the girl's moves.
Team Azula watched with their interest glued solely on Katsu.
The berserk girl swung her glowing fists in the captain's face in a wild effort to land a blow.
Only for Zoi to skillfully sidestep her punches while she stared back at the snarling girl with entertained golden eyes.
Just before her golden eyes widened once more when an explosive fist nearly hit her in the jaw.
Now she understood why the man referred to the girl as his 'berserk bomber'!
"This girl…she's adapting as we fight!" Zoi exclaimed as she stepped back with her focused eyes gazing back at the roaring Katsu.
Azula's amber golden eyes continued to grow wider as she watched the two from the sidelines.
There was no doubt about it!
Even though there was no mistaking that the girl was an imbecile.
She was clearly learning from Zoi the longer they fight!
Just before she stared on with her brows furrowing in surprise when she saw red steam starting to emanate from her captain's body once more.
And then just like that Zoi stood in the flames with her hidden technique activating yet again!
She clenched her fists as she held her head up while she released the aura of her chi.
Mai, Ty Lee and Elle gaped on with their jaws dropping once more while they observed the mighty captain let loose her stored power.
Nero's red eyes widened in excitement as he turned to gaze back at Zoi with his lips parting in astonishment.
Just as Katsu's charge was halted by the release of Zoi's power while her maddened golden eyes widened in bewilderment.
The captain stared back at her with stoic golden eyes as steam continued to pour from her muscles.
"And it is even rarer that I get the chance to use this twice in one day." Zoi spoke with a smirk on her lips while she blocked another swing from the ballistic teenager.
Katsu growled in protest as she tried to wrench her wrist free from the older woman's vice grip.
As the imposing warrior stared down into her confused eyes.
And then mere seconds after that the combustionbender let out a gasp when a powerful fist slammed into her belly.
While spit flew out of her mouth and down into the melted snow at her feet as she began to stagger backwards.
The rest of Team Azula stood rooted to their spots as they gazed on in wide-eyed captivation.
Before the mad bomber was sent hurtling through a burning wall while the captain gazed after her with strikingly calm golden eyes.
And then the berserk plunged straight through the collapsing wall of another blazing building while the highborn women and their young servant still watched in trepidation.
"Is…it over?" Ty Lee questioned in a still taken aback voice as she held Elle under her arm while they gazed into burning flames.
Mai stared on with her cold tawny eyes narrowing ever so slightly in aggravation as she clenched a fist at her hip.
'I must discover what the sage meant when she stated that I could attain greater power.' Mai thought with a frown on her lips while she held her fists at her womanly hips.
Only for all of their eyes to widen when they turned their heads to see the girl already leaping free from the rubble!
And then a mighty aura of energy erupted into the air before Team Azula's astonished eyes.
Azula and Zoi turned to gaze over their shoulders with their eyes widening once more.
As Katsu stood in a crouch with her vibrant golden eyes staring back at them.
Nero continued to survey the battle with a cruel smirk on his pleased lips.
"No. You're going to have to hit her harder than that. Usually, Naoki is the only one who can put her down." Elle murmured while her highborn friends listened to her in bewilderment.
Just as the two firebenders jumped down beside one another while they stared back at the glowing girl with marveled expressions in their eyes.
"I have never seen anything like this before. One moment her bending is a tiny spark and the next it is a raging inferno." Zoi remarked with her fists in a fighting stance while her princess gazed on with perplexed golden eyes.
Before the princess scowled as she firmly planted her boots on the ground while she let out a haughty scoff.
"It doesn't matter Zoi. We'll crush her all the same." Azula stated in a callous voice with her azure flames flaring to life behind her.
And that was all it took for Katsu's vibrant golden eyes to take on a murderous gleam once more while she pulled herself from the rubble.
And then the walls around her exploded into chunks of flying debris while she charged towards the ruthless princess.
Azula glared back with intimidating amber golden eyes as she watched the berserk girl barrel straight at her.
Her lips pulled into a cruel smirk with an inferno of blue fire rearing up all around her.
Zoi covered her face behind her arms as she gazed back at her princess in unconcealed admiration.
The others present watched the battle unfold with suspenseful expressions in their awestruck eyes.
"Why…is that girl so furious at Azula?" Ty Lee pondered in a confused voice with her brown-gray eyes blinking in puzzlement while Katsu released a manic roar.
Katsu charged right through the flames with her howls resonating all throughout the remains of the fortress.
Just as she leaped high into the air with her fists aglow as she dropped down from above the stationary conqueror.
The older firebender stared back up at her with unintimidated amber golden eyes.
Elle bit her lip nervously as she mulled over the question herself with her gentle amber eyes gazing on in worry at her increasingly unstable friend.
Before she turned her eyes to Nero's sadistic face while her lips creased into a frown.
'What did he do to you Katsu?' Elle thought as she shivered in her coat while the cold arctic winds swept through the burning camp once more.
And then the princess's defensive wall of flames took shape around her while she stared up at her descending target.
Just before she casually slid one foot to the side while an intense pillar of blue fire sent the rampaging girl flying backwards.
Only for Katsu to quickly land on her feet in the snow while she let out another roar as she continued her charge.
Azula rolled her intelligent amber golden eyes as she gazed the screaming girl down.
"You are going to have to do better than that brat." Azula snorted in a dismissive voice with her finger sparking in lethal electricity while she glared out at the maddened bomber.
Before she discharged an arc of lightning that sent the bewildered maniac staggering backwards on her shaken feet.
Just as Azula released a large blast of blue firebending in the girl's off-guard face.
Katsu let out another roar of protest before she was sent soaring into the snow onto her back.
And then the girl landed on her ass as she lay panting in the midst of the flames with her angered golden eyes glaring up at her powerful opponent.
Team Azula and the surrounding soldiers still watched from the sidelines in amazement.
The confident princess walked towards her downed opponent while her pointed boots crushed the snow that was beneath her heated feet.
Just as she came to a stop towering over the girl while her arrogant amber golden eyes scrutinized the snarling girl.
And then not a second after that Azula ruthlessly stomped her boot down on the girl's yelping face.
She cruelly ground the girl beneath her heel with her boot resting atop Katsu's humiliated head.
Her childhood friends stared at her back in disapproval while Elle watched with rising distress in her sweet eyes.
"P-please don't be too hard on her Azula-sama!" Elle pleaded in a lovable voice while Mai let out a snort beside her.
And Ty Lee just sighed as she shook her head.
"It is not your place to give me orders peasant!" Azula barked in a pompous voice with her amber golden eyes glaring down at the firebender writing underneath her boot.
She momentarily took great delight in how her young girlfriend quivered in submission to her authority.
But now was not the time to dwell on such weakness.
"While your combustionbending may indeed be a power to be reckoned with. Your defense leaves much to be desired." Azula spoke in a voice of effortless dominance while she stared down at the pinned girl with imposing amber golden eyes.
The girl lay face first in the ground with the princess's boot still pressing down onto her head as she thrashed under the tall woman's unforgiving heel.
"My…defense?" Katsu muttered as she tried to push herself up only for the woman's weight to press her back into the ground.
"Yes, idiot. Your defense." Azula snorted as she rolled her haughty amber golden eyes while she loomed over the humiliated girl.
"What's…an idiot?" Katsu questioned with in a confused voice while she attempted to gaze up at Azula's now speechless face.
And for the most fleeting of moments her golden eyes shook with a tiny sliver of something akin to innocence.
The noblewomen gazed on with returning sympathy in their eyes.
And Elle's amber eyes once again became overcome with a shade of sorrow.
"Ugh. You can't be serious. You can't possibly be that stupid, can you?" Azula mocked with a derisive snort escaping her nostrils while the girl glared up at her.
Only for all eyes to turn to Nero when the cruel man let out a demented chuckle of amusement.
"It means that you are a fool completely devoid of intelligent thought. In other words, she means to imply that you are a mentally handicapped simpleton." Nero responded in a cruel yet educational voice with his arms folded over his chest.
Azula glared at him from the corner of her eye before she turned her incredulous gaze back down to the girl's blank face.
Just before the four highborn women soon found themselves gazing on comically when the girl simply blinked her eyes in confusion.
"Simpleton? I…I don't follow." Katsu stated in a frustrated voice as she gazed around in bewilderment.
Azula blinked down at her with her eyes agape in disbelief.
And even Elle held a palm over her face as she sighed underneath her hand.
"Never mind. I can see that you are." Azula taunted with her blue fire burning over her fists while she smirked down at the girl's face under her boot.
Only for her regal brows to furrow when a green aura began to emanated from under her foot.
Until with no warning whatsoever the girl sprang out from underneath the princess's heel.
And then she landed a savage kick in the princess's surprised cheek.
The princess now slid back through the rubble with her amber golden eyes widened in surprise as she wiped a droplet of blood from her cheek.
As her comrades stared on with shock in their eyes when the girl's green aura began to grow even brighter.
And then to the utter shock of all of Team Azula Katsu held out her hands at her sides in a poor imitation of the princess's firebending stance!
Katsu let out another manic laugh as her palms started to glow while she stared back at Azula's stunned face.
"She's…emulating you, Princess." Zoi stated with her golden eyes staring on in surprise while her princess gazed back at the girl in shock.
Before Azula pursed her lovely lips into another cold scowl while she glared back at her younger opponent.
And then not a second after that she held up her hands in a proper bending stance while she stared the deranged girl down.
"That form of yours is pathetic. You have a lot to learn girl." Azula remarked in a proud voice while Katsu's golden eyes glared back at her.
Just before the two firebenders broke out into a run heading straight towards each other!
While the team watched with their mouths still ajar in shock.
And then just like that the two warriors began to dance through the flames while they exchanged a rapid series of blows.
The princess stepped left and right with her stern amber golden eyes staring back at her roaring opponent.
Only for her amber golden eyes to widen ever so marginally when the girl swung her foot at her face.
And then she slid to the side.
Before her lips parted in shock when she watched through the corner of her eye as the girl's boot began to glow.
And not even seconds later another explosion of combustionbending tore into the air while Zoi's golden eyes widened once more.
"She…just combusted with her feet!" Zoi called out with surprise in her voice while she watched her leader jump from the smoke.
And then Azula landed gracefully on her booted feet with her surprised amber golden eyes still staring back into the inferno in shock.
Just before she turned her head when she heard her loyal serving girl's voice call out to her.
"Azula-sama! H-her power works in stages! And I think she is starting to access the next level!" Elle shouted with her hands over her mouth while her big sisters gazed on with stunned eyes.
As her mistress listened with her amber golden eyes turning to stare imposingly back into the rising smoke.
Just as a series of explosions began to resonate into the air while the whole of Team Azula stood on guard with their eyes glued to the flames.
Only to find themselves staring on in bafflement to see Katsu standing with her foot planted on a barrel while she grinned deviously back at them.
Nero continued to cackle in an increasingly pleased manner.
"Yes! That's it Katsu! Go boom!" Nero chuckled as he held his gloved hands at his hips while the highborn women stared back at him in confusion.
However, before any of them could get a chance to ask the man what he meant.
They watched in bewilderment as a barrel rolled towards them with a faintly ominous glow beginning to radiate from its surface.
"L-look out Azula-sama!" Elle yelled in a devoted voice just as Azula leaped away before the barrel promptly exploded before her shocked eyes.
"Did…she just turn that barrel into a bomb!" Mai exclaimed with disbelief lining her monotone voice while her tawny eyes gaped on in awe.
Azula and Zoi nimbly jumped away as they watched in disbelief as a flurry of explosive debris were now being thrown their way.
"P-please be careful! She can use her power to convert harmless objects into bombs!" Elle blurted out in a frightened voice while her friends gazed on with wide-eyed looks in their eyes.
"Why didn't you tell us that before servant!" Azula bellowed in an annoyed voice while her servant girl shook with her worried eyes gazing at her back.
Before she stomped her boots into the ground while her flames exploded the soaring debris before they could hit her.
Zoi jumped backwards with her focused golden eyes never leaving Katsu's increasingly unstable face.
Mai and Ty Lee jumped aside with Elle crying out as she clung to Ty Lee's neck.
While they frantically evaded Katsu's lethal projectiles.
"Hang on little sister! I've got you!" Ty Lee assured in a protective voice as she skillfully leaped out of the way of the exploding objects.
Before she briefly smiled down at the younger girl when she felt Elle embrace her around the neck.
"Arigatou gozaimasu Ty Lee." Elle mumbled in an adorable voice while Ty Lee bounded through the air with her under her arm.
"Anytime baby sister." Ty Lee cheered in a tender voice with a grin on her lips while the shorter girl smiled up at her.
Mai snorted as she jumped back alongside them with her knives in hand.
"So, basically anything can become her weapon. Isn't that just swell." Mai snorted in a deadpan voice with her annoyed tawny eyes staring back at the girl as she landed on her booted feet.
All while Nero gazed on with a devious smile pulling onto his pale lips.
Just as he took a casual step forward with his crimson eyes gazing back at his prized experiment.
'It would seem that the girl is not yet able to access her full power of her own accord. Well…I suppose I'll just have to give her a helpful nudge.' Nero thought with sadism flashing before his eyes while a cold smile graced his lips.
"Katsu! I have something important to tell you! I didn't want to tell you because I didn't think that your delicate mind could handle it! But that woman!" Nero shouted with his finger pointing back at the princess's callous face while the woman turned to regard him with a frigid eye.
Team Azula turned to the man with confusion in their eyes.
As Katsu paused with her glowing fists at her hips as she listened with her golden eyes turning to stare back at the unapologetically evil man.
"Killed your parents!" Nero shouted in a shameless voice while the team stared back at him in disbelief over his gall.
While Katsu froze up as she turned to gaze back at Azula's aggravated face.
Only for the older firebender to cruelly roll her eyes.
"Oh, please! Just how stupid are you!" Azula snapped in a pitiless voice while she fearlessly met Katsu's erratically furious gaze.
"No, she didn't! He's lying Katsu!" Elle hollered with anger in her eyes while she glared back at the man's remorseless face.
As her big sister's stared on with disgust in their eyes.
"But don't take my word for it. Hear it from Azula herself." Nero stated in a smug voice as he held out his gloved fist with a small recorder in hand.
Before he pressed the play button only for the princess to turn to the device with her amber golden eyes widening in bewilderment when she heard her voice emanate from it.
Team Azula gazed on with their eyes wide in anger as they listened to what seemed to be the princess's voice saying only two words.
Die you worthless peasants.
The group stood in their spots with their mouths agape in confusion.
While the researcher stared back at the shocked bomber with a feigned expression of sorrow on his face.
As the audio continued to repeat the seeming princess's words over and over which was followed up closely by the sound of horrific screams.
Ty Lee and Mai gazed back at the man with a rare expression of indescribable repugnance in their narrowed eyes.
"My…my parents." Katsu repeated in a traumatized voice with her golden eyes staring furiously back at Azula's scoffing face.
"That's right Katsu. She's your tormentor. She murdered your mother and father. And afterwards…she took you back and she tortured you in the cells." Nero concluded as he lowered the recorder while he gazed heartlessly back at Katsu's mortified face.
Just as Team Azula turned to glare back at Nero just after they recovered from their surprise over the man's audacious lie.
"Azula couldn't have! She hadn't even stepped foot into this land until today!" Ty Lee yelled out in an attempt to reason with the furious looking girl.
Katsu's eyes took on a progressively more frightening gleam.
"T-that's not her voice Katsu! He imitated her voice and superimposed it over their screams! Please listen to me!" Elle stammered with a frantic expression in her eyes while Mai grimaced beside her.
"I don't think she hears you kid." Mai commented in a grim voice while she glared in Nero's direction.
"So, that's his game." Zoi muttered as she stood up beside her princess while she glared at the researcher through the corner of her cold eye.
And then not a second after that Katsu screamed out at the top of her lungs like a wild beast while Team Azula gaped back at her in shock.
And just like that her entire body became consumed in her green aura!
Katsu shrieked like a beast with her golden eyes now dancing in an expression of insanity.
Azula and Zoi stared back at the girl with stunned expressions in their widened eyes.
"What phenomenal power!" Zoi spoke with unhidden awe in her voice while Azula stared on in shock beside her.
A bubble of green energy blew out from underneath Katsu's feet as she frantically tore at her brown hair.
Nero now gazed on once more with a victorious smirk on his cruel lips.
"Now that is a splendid battle power." Nero stated in a gratified voice with his crimson eyes staring on in satisfaction.
And then the screaming girl jumped high above the flames with her combustionbending glowing brightly while the two firebenders gazed up at her in shock.
The two warriors stood beside one another with their hardened eyes gazing up at the descending bomber.
Before their own firebending soon flared to life as they jumped backwards into the shattered remains of the fortress.
What little remained of the military base began to explode under the force of the trio's firebending.
Blue and yellow flames collided with a combustive green light while the sounds of deafening explosions erupted into the ears of the astonished bystanders.
And soon enough the soldiers began to back away with their eyes wide in fear.
Before they turned around and fled the destructive scene.
While their leader still stood gazing on at the explosive scene with an absolutely elated smile on his lips.
And the two noblewomen broke out into a run through the smoke with their young friend in hand.
They gazed over their shoulder in still present awe as they watched the powerful explosions of firebending thunder into the air behind them.
"That girl! Her power is monstrous!" Mai exclaimed in a floored voice as she sprinted through the inferno.
Ty Lee gazed back with her mouth ajar in shock while she held her little sister's wrist in hand.
"I-it's him! He's the reason why Katsu is so angered by the sight of Azula-sama's flames! They must have tortured her with a blue flame when they were experimenting on her!" Elle explained in a distraught voice while her big sister's eyes gazed on in understanding.
Just before she quickly pulled her hand free from Ty Lee's wrist while the two nobles turned to stare back at her in alarm.
"Elle! Where are you going!" Ty Lee shouted with worry lacing her sisterly voice while the young girl gazed back at them.
"I can't just leave her to suffer like this! Katsu is innocent! She shouldn't have to live as a weapon!" Elle called out as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her while her big sisters gazed on in disbelief.
But the two highborn women knew better than to protest their young friend's compassionate nature.
"Damn it kid! You're too generous for your own good!" Mai complained as she sprinted back after the girl while her wary eyes watched the green light explode in the distance.
"Wait for us Elle!" Ty Lee yelled as she jumped after the girl with her pink soles darting through the snow.
Katsu bounded high in the air above a collapsing building with her pony tail swaying madly behind her with her entire body glowing an ominous green hue.
Azula and Zoi stood their ground as they jumped down with their eyes still expressing their shock over the girl's released power.
Just as the girl began to drop down above them once more while her lips curved into an expression of madness.
"Life…is an explosion!" Katsu screamed with her arms held out at her sides while the two taken aback firebenders gaped up at her.
And then not a moment after that a thunderous explosion rocketed throughout the landscape with Katsu's shouts ringing out into the air in unison.
Numerous explosions of blue and red firebending were fired off in response.
Elle gazed up in the skies with her amber eyes wide in fright.
Mai and Ty Lee stared into the explosion with unnerved expressions in their startled eyes.
And in the near distance…
Naoki watched from a nearby snowy hill with her white cloak wrapped around her body once more while her brown eyes never once expressed even the slightest hint of emotion.
Her red hair blew in her eyes as she calmly listened to the thunderous explosion detonate in her ears.
And not too far away from the destroyed fortress…
Reiko stood with her arms folded gracefully over her uniformed breasts while her icy blue eyes gazed at the image of her monitor going to static in approval.
Numerous servants stood with their heads bowed faithfully behind her.
Her lips formed a contemplative smirk as she turned to regard a numbered reading on a computer screen.
"My…these children certainly are something to behold." Reiko remarked with a gloved finger curling underneath her thoughtful chin.
Her servants stood silent with their arms bowed over their chests as she let out a soft laugh.
"Victoria, see to it that you recruit both of them." Reiko commanded as she turned to idly glance over her shoulder at her bowing subject.
Victoria lowered to the ground with her head bent in a show of immeasurable reverence.
"It shall be done Lord. I shall relay the message to Andromeda. She is due to arrive with her air force any moment now." Victoria spoke in an obedient voice with a soft smile on her lips while she gazed up at her master's statuesque back.
"Good. I must have them. Most especially Naoki." Reiko stated with a hum while her blue eyes took on something akin to the gaze of an obsessed collector.
She took a refined drink of wine with her tyrannical eyes turning to gaze out her window.
As her warship continued to rapidly soar through the air with her fleet soaring at the forefront.
AN:
Alright, so first allow me to respond to the reviews.
Loligang, I have never watched My Hero Academia so I can only go off what I saw when I looked it up. To answer your question, no Katsu does not produce a literal green flame. At the same time, I don't think I would compare her to Bakugo.
Katsu is able to use her chi to create a green aura that creates explosions. I would compare her power to Karasu from Yu Yu Hakusho, which is a much older anime. The primary difference between Katsu and Karasu is that Katsu is wild and erratic.
There may be a micro amount of fire somewhere deep down inside of her explosive light, but it is mostly a combustive light that she is able to use in all sorts of ways as we saw in this chapter.
KingZilla, you make a good point, it shouldn't take seventy years for anti Fire Nation sentiment to brew in the Earth Kingdom. As for the question about including a fascist movement in the Earth Kingdom in the epic, I will give it some thought.
I don't want to retread the Kuvira plot but with Azula instead, as that would be repetitive and I prefer to for the most part create my own original arcs with only light inspiration from canon.
There will be anti Fire Nation sentiment in the Water Tribe and Earth King both during and after the conclusion of the war. And if you remember, we learned through Silah that there is a growing anti-monarchy movement in the Fire Nation. We haven't gotten to showing that yet, but we will start to touch on that in the next arc and in greater detail in the arcs after that. We are going to explore themes of social status, such as peasants versus nobles and other things like that.
And there will be totalitarian themes throughout the story, most notably with Rieko. While I realize that Rieko is not the Earth Kingdom, she is very much a totalitarian figure, as we will see when we get to know her further.
Now, onto the afterword.
So, in this chapter we learned that benders in Elle's world are called aberrant/aberrations. I thought long and hard over what term to use and that is what I settled on. It shows the difference in culture between the Avatar world and the other Earth.
In the Avatar world, bending is viewed as the norm. In Elle's world, it is viewed as abnormal, and that is why people with powers are called aberrants.
Also, the fact that Nero was watching Azula and Zoe for some time now signifies that he was likely aware of the existence of the World Gateway.
Regarding Katsu, Katsu has a limited vocabulary because of the trauma that she went through, and as a result she is rather dense. Academically, she is probably one of the least book smart characters in the series.
As we saw in the short flashback with her and Elle, Katsu had even forgotten what the sun looked like.
And furthermore, Katsu has the ability to go into a berserker battle state, in this state her vocabulary becomes even more limited than usual.
As of right now, unlike Azula, Zoe and Naoki, Katsu doesn't know how to control her current maximum power at will. As Zoe noted, one moment it is like a small candle and the next moment it is a turbulent inferno.
This is why Nero pushed Katsu over the edge emotionally, because he saw that Katsu didn't stand a chance against Azula and Zoe if she didn't bring out her inner potential.
Essentially, Katsu has a base from and a berserk form, you can consider how she was fighting Team Azula before Nero pushed her over the edge her base form, and the state she entered after that her berserk form.
However, Katsu does have the ability to learn, as we saw when she started to emulate Azula's bending stance. We also saw that her power can be used to turn the environment into her weapon, as we witnessed when she turned the barrels into exploding bombs.
Basically, if anyone is confused about how Katsu's power works. Just imagine it as her aura manifests explosive green light, which she is able to use in a wide host of ways.
I also want to explain some of Katsu's personality traits. Because of her trauma, she is obsessed with bombs and explosions. This was hinted at beforehand when Cynthia refereed to Katsu as the 'explosions maniac'.
Like Elle, Katsu has some Japanese heritage. Which is why she frequently yells out the phrase 'bakudan', which is Japanese for bomb. This is also why she is called a bomber, as if left uncontrolled she would blow up everything within sight.
I just wanted to mention that, just in case anyone is wondering why she has a limited vocabulary. She is like that by design, because she is a rampaging bomb obsessed maniac.
Katsu also serves as an uncomfortable parallel to Azula, and the insanity that she displayed at the end of the series in canon. Right before Azula's eyes is another highly talented firebender, whose insanity is quite possibly worse than her own. As Azula watches Katsu, it serves as a disturbing reminder of what she could become if she doesn't keep herself together.
When it comes to the trio, Naoki is the calculating leader of the group, Elle is the gentle hearted one, and Katsu is the trigger happy maniac.
Also, regarding the end of the chapter when Katsu attacked Azula and Zoe with her full power. I don't want anyone to think that I am cutting Azula and Zoe short here, as they are the two main firebending ladies of the series.
Azula and Zoe were taken by surprise by Katsu's wild animalistic nature, neither of them are used to fighting an opponent with such extreme firepower that pays no mind to strategy and just charges right in. Much like soldiers rushing in to shock the enemy army, Azula and Zoe were shocked by Katsu's rampaging personality. Which led to them being caught off guard by her attack at the end of the chapter.
Lastly, we saw that Rieko is heading for the Porta Base with her own army. So, that means that Azula and Zoe are going to have to take Katsu more seriously, if they want to get out of there before another army arrives.
Anyhow, that is it for now.
Stay tuned for next time.
For chapter one hundred five! The Ultimate Firebending Duo!