"Hunting?" Rebecca blinked a few times.
"Yup." Blair nodded. There was even a smile on her face, which was the most surprising thing about it all. "There's something I want to hunt, and I want you all to come with me. When the others come back. I'll make them a great feast."
"She's so...happy..." Cynthia blinked a few times. "Has she ever been like this?"
"I didn't even know her face had smile muscles...!" Rebecca whispered to the others. This was not something she'd seen before from Blair. It was nice to see her so happy, at least...
"Oh, you guys are in for a treat." Raven said while crossing his arms. "When Blair decides to cook, you know it'll be good."
"She's cooked for us before. Blair's such a great cook, too!" Kleene smiled, her arms behind her back.
"Yes, she's quite skilled." Laguna nodded.
"It's not...that great." Blair grumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed with her food being brought up. This sudden chance in attitude was still odd to the crew of Eden's. Was this the true Blair they were getting a glimpse at...?
"So, what are we hunting?" Laguna asked.
"There are rather large beasts that lives out on the outskirts of the forest." Blair said while walking to the door. "Every few years, they show up, All I need to do is kill one."
"Those things are very terrified of her." Arthur spoke with a chuckle. "She's managed to kill one every two years since she was 10."
"Wha-!?" Rebecca's eyes widened. "Even without your powers?"
"My hunting instinct didn't come from the Therion. I've always been skilled at it." Blair said with a smug grin, placing her hands on her hips. "In fact, just before things went to hell with Vanessa, I just finished killing one of those beasts. So this'll be pretty easy now, two years later."
"How does the meat taste?" Kleene was the one to ask.
"You'll find out." Blair said before walking out of the front door. "Just follow me, and be quick! I'm sure Shiki and the others will be back soon."
"You heard the lady!" Raven said.
"Okay, okay!" Cynthia snickered.
"Seeing Blair like this is so strange...but it's nice." Happy told Pino.
"I agree. I haven't seen her smile once since we met. She has a nice one." Pino nodded in agreement.
"Be safe!" Melissa said while waving the group off. She then let out a content sigh once they walked out for their hunt. "It's so nice to see Blair again. She's made such nice friends..."
"Yes." Arthur had a smile on his face. "It's been two long, hard years for Blair...she deserves to smile once again. I'm happy to see her. Do you think she'll stay?"
"I hope so." Melissa nods. "But she's got a taste of the universe outside of the village. I wonder where it will take her going forward..."
.
.
Outside of the Temple, Weisz was engaged with combat against Percival. Despite her lackadaisical attitude, she was putting up more of a fight than Weisz was expecting. Numerous vines shot up from the ground and began to rush towards Weisz with the intent of slamming into him. "Vine Whip!" Percival exclaimed, watching nature go to work for her. It was pretty fitting for her, actually.
Weisz used his jet boosters to fly around freely, weaving through the incoming vines as they came his way. "You're actually not too bad. But unfortunately, I can't let you stand in my way!" Arsenal was able to weave through the vines unharmed, and once he found an opening, he pointed his arm towards Percival, morphing the suit's hand into a flamethrower. "Atlas Flame!" Flames spewed from the cannon, sweeping over Percival. Since he knew he could burn her plants, he figured that would be an effective strategy. But when he landed on the ground...
A dome of vines surrounded Percival, singed from the flames, but they didn't burn and wither like he expected. "I hope you weren't thinking my plants were simple weeds. These babies are pretty tough, you know!"
"Damn...I should've expected that." Weisz grunted. It was worth a shot, but this made him wonder how he was going to get through that kind of defense. He didn't have time to think about it for long, before numerous vines appeared from the ground and wrapped around his limb, keeping him constricted. "Gah!?" His first instinct was to allow his bladed wings emerge and slice them, which did work, however, Percival was already on him by the time he did this.
The green haired woman spun around, the power of her vines and ether coating her leg. "Power Whip!" With all her momentum and power, she slammed her heel into Weisz's armored chest, her strength throwing him through a few trees.
Weisz tumbled along the ground, his back slamming into a tree. "Gnk...!" He grunted. Luckily Arsenal was durable enough to take that hit, but it did his Ether reserves no favors. If she could hit him like that, he'd be out of a suit and a fight sooner than he thought!
Percival wasn't done. She used a vine to propel herself into the air, and now aimed an axe kick towards Weisz with all the falling speed she had at her disposal. "Trop Kick!" She aimed to finish the fight here and now with a heavy blow to Weisz's skull; one he would no doubt feel even with Arsenal. Unfortunately for her, Weisz evaded this at the last second and she ended up making a crater in the ground. "Damn...I missed."
Weisz wasn't going to waste this opening. He threw his palm forward, a fiery explosion bursting outward, catching Percival right in the middle of it all. "Mortar Crash!" This explosion landed and Percival was sent tumbling along the ground, burned and bruised. "Gotcha!"
"Ooooow..." Percival whined, shaking her head. That actually hurt!
"It's not too late to surrender." Weisz said while taking a heroic tone, still playing the part while taking this seriously. "I really don't wish to harm a beautiful maiden such as yourself! But you're really giving me no choice here."
"No can do." Percival replied while standing and dusting herself off. "You got nice firepower, but Ano knows how that suit works, and so do I. All I have to do is stall you out, right? It eats your ether pretty quickly, even if the power cost is probably well worth it. Seriously that hit hurt..."
Weisz couldn't be surprised that Percival knew he was on a timer. She was aware of how to fight him, and with how defensive she could be, that did pose a problem. "Heh." But he grinned under the mask. "This will be pretty embarrassing for you. Even if you know the ins and outs of my suit, it won't stop you falling to justice!"
"Hm." Percival kicked a rock. "That would suck, huh? Guess that means I gotta go all out then..."
.
.
Lluvi and Jinn were having an intense battle within the first hall of the temple. Jinn leapt into the air and swiped his fingers. "Skymech Ninjutsu Attack: Windstorm Slash!" A blast of wind in the form of an X was fired upon Lluvi, the intense winds making it hard for her to move. Jinn's goal was to pin her down with his wind and strike her where it hurt.
"Can't move..." Lluvi grit her teeth. As expected, Jinn's wind was very potent stuff, but that didn't mean she was out of the game so soon. Her hands gave a blue glow and a blue barrier appeared around her body. The Windstorm Slash struck and left an X shaped crater, but the center, where Lluvi was, was unharmed. "You'll have to do better if you want to break through me, the Barrier of the Eclipse!" The barrier she formed then focused around her hand, and she thrust it forward in the form of a spherical projectile.
"So that's how it is. Rebecca mentioned that." Jinn said, using his speed to dive down to the ground to avoid the barrier that destroyed a part of the room. He then pursued Lluvi at high speeds, reaching her before she could even blink, his palm pressed against her chest. "Windstorm Palm Strike!" Before Lluvi had a chance to react, she was blown away by a fierce cyclone jutting from Jinn's palm.
"Gaaaah!" Lluvi cried out, pushed against the opposing wall and hard. She grit her teeth, forming another barrier that completely shielded her from the damage. "If I let his guy continue hitting me like this, I'll lose. So I'll have to turn my defense into the best offense!" With this in mind, she spread her arms apart, creating a large barrier in front of her, similar to a wall. She then pushed this barrier forward, watching as it closed in on Jinn.
"A mobile barrier?" Jinn summoned a cyclone of wind to try and push the barrier back, but it wasn't working. Soon the barrier slammed into him and carried him across the room in turn, attempting to crush him into the wall. "Tch, I see what she's trying to do! But it won't work..." Jinn's legs were surrounded by wind and he used this to propel himself upwards. It was the obvious and easy escape plan, and that's exactly what Lluvi was expecting. The instant Jinn cleared the barrier, Lluvi was already above him with a fist reared back. "Crap!"
Jinn realized too late that he walked right into a trap. "Barrier Impact!" Lluvi exclaimed, her fist slamming right into Jinn's cheek in a downward motion. This action carried Jinn right into the ground, where he slammed into it hard. Lluvi wasn't finished yet, for she created several walls that surrounded Jinn on all sides to box him in. A barrier then formed at the top and moved down, as she intended to flatten him within this box. "I got you now!"
"Not good..." Jinn realized she had him trapped like a rat, but it wasn't going to be enough to contain him. The Wind of Eden's began to spin around quickly, generating a powerful cyclone with himself as the eye of the storm. The wind pressure was growing strong enough for him to break through Lluvi's barrier, and even throw her around a bit. "Windstorm Dance!" With their fighting, there was plenty of debris now swirling around.
Lluvi's barrier kept her safe from the debris, but Jinn's wind powers were going to be troublesome if she couldn't get in close. He must've known that... "He'll close the distance. With my barrier, he knows he can't finish me like this!" She grinned as Jinn was indeed approaching.
"Windstorm Punch!" Jinn had wind surround his fist and he aimed to sock Lluvi in the jaw. But unfortunately for him, that wasn't going to happen. Two of Lluvi's fingers struck him hard in the chest, causing him to stagger and gasp. "W-W..." His Ether Gear felt unresponsive suddenly. This shock left him open for a few more strikes, all of them striking various points of his body; his chest, his arms, and his torso. The final strike was able to push him backwards a few feet. "Ugh..."
"How'd you like that?" Lluvi said while holding her fighting stance, now feeling more confident that she was able to get some real hits in.
"My Ether Gear...I can't use it?" Jinn said while looking at his arms.
"That's right." Lluvi grinned. "That wind of yours was getting pretty annoying, but now we're on an equal playing field. Can't have you using that Overdrive of yours either. So, what's your next move?"
"..." Jinn remained silent. Clearly, this fight wasn't going to be easy...
.
.
Homura and Lowell's swords clashed in the corridor, sparks flying with each collision of their blades. These two were giving it their all in trying to outmaneuver the other. Lowell jumped back, his sword shifting from the Vorpal Blade to the fiery Flamberge. "Take this! Destruction Field!" Lowell slammed his sword on the ground, creating a wave of fire that shot towards Homura.
"Fire!?" Homura's eyes were wide. She could already feel the heat slowing her down, but she wasn't going to allow it to stop her this time. Last time, the heat got the best of her and it put everyone in danger against Waltz. This time, it wouldn't happen again. She clicked her two swords together and began to spin them around, creating a gust of wind that drew in the flames. "Such a technique will not work on me!"
"What!?" Lowell's eyes were wide at Homura's technique.
"I am not a fan of fire or the heat, but in this instance, it shall prove useful!" Homura's weapon was now a gigantic broadsword, igniting with flames. She pushed forward and raised the sword high over her head. "Warrior Maid Single Sword Attack: Fiery Dragon Flash!"
Lowell knew this would be trouble if it hit him, and he wasn't going to allow it. He spun his sword around, allowing it to change from the Flamberge to a blade that emanated holy light - the Holy Avenger. He stabbed this sword into the ground just as Homura was within striking distance. "Guardian Field!" A white barrier appeared around Lowell, stopping Homura's strike in its tracks.
"W-What..?! I cannot...pierce this!?" Homura was doing her best, but she was ultimately pushed back, harder than expected. She tumbled along the ground, but came to a halt in a crouched position. "That weapon..." Just being near that barrier did damage to her, which she wasn't fond of. Lowell was extremely versatile with just a sword...
"The Seven Star Sword." Lowell said while pulling his sword from the ground. "I don't have Ether Gear like a lot of people. But I make up for it with this blade and my swordplay. I wasn't able to showcase my real strength on Delta Ridge, but I'm more than a match for you." The sword shifted to one with the power of wind, the Ares, and he swung it forward. This sent a compressed blast of azure wind towards Homura. "Azure Storm!" It didn't stop there, Lowell fired blast after blast at Homura to bombard her from afar.
"You are not the the only one with a vast arsenal!" Homura said while leaping forward. She switched to two blades again, cleaving through the Azure Storm attack with ease while closing the gap. She reached Lowell in no time, and just as she was about to swing, she faked him out. Her swords vanished and were instead replaced with claws, surging with lightning. She lunged at Lowell and slashed at him furiously. "Warrior Maid Claw Technique: Wild Lightning Tiger Claw!"
"No way!?" Lowell didn't know Homura could do this with her weapons. She faked him out good, and in turn, he was open to her strikes. He did parry what he could, but in the end, he recieved some heavy slashes along his body, with lightning sparking around his body. "Ngh...not bad..." He turned to face Homura, giving a pained wince. "I should've expected something good. You copied the Fatal Strike, after all. But that was only beginner's luck!"
"I do not leave any of my training to luck." Homura replied, keeping herself at the ready.
"Then let's see...how you handle this one!" Lowell then slammed his sword onto the ground once again. "Azure Blast!" The corridor quaked before erupting underneath Homura's feet, damaging her while launching her directly into the air. She was stunned from the impact, and Lowell used this to his advantage, leaping into the air in pursuit. "Try this on for size: Tiger Blade - Sigma!" Lowell aimed a flurry of slashes, punches, and kicks along Homura's body. She did try to defend herself, but in the end, Lowell's sword collided against her claws, shattering them as she crashed into the ground, hard.
"Kyah!" Homura cried as she slammed into the ground, wincing from the impact. Her claws were broken, but she could repair them no problem. For now, she returned to wielding two blades. "You are indeed strong..."
"You aren't half bad yourself." Lowell said with a grimace. "Most people would've fallen to that."
"I am not most people. I am the Sword of Eden's, and I do not break so easily." Homura said while sliding into a stance.
"I'm the Blade of the Eclipse. I won't break easily either." Lowell said while holding his sword forward.
.
.
Geno and G were flying about in the room, punches colliding. Geno ducked one of G's punches, returning fire with a roaring uppercut to the man's chest. The silver haired male grunted while spinning around, only to land on the ceiling with a grin. "Not bad, Blue Bomber! Ano said you were pretty good!"
"It's Megaman!" Geno corrected.
"Heh, whatever floats your boat!" G pushed off the ceiling and reared his fist back. "Gravity God's Heavy Smash!" He increased his gravity at the last second, making sure he was falling much faster to make his attack hit harder.
Geno recognized this and crossed his arms, an emerald shield appearing in front of him. G's attack did break through it, and it sent him flying, but the shield did sponge a lot of the damage. "Not good enough!" Geno flew back fast, rearing his own fist back. "Iron Knuckle!" The Blue Bomber roared, slamming his fist into G's face to make him recoil. He immediately fired up with a shot from his Megabuster, which struck G in the chest and caused him to fly back. The Megabuster was strong and left him bruised from the impact.
"Oof!" G grunted from the hit, but kept his smile. "Ain't you a trick foe..." G admitted. "You're two people at once, ain'tcha? A human and FMian...which means you're a walking radio wave. Radio waves don't care about gravity, so my usual tricks won't work on you. So I'll have to amp things up a bit..."
"I won't give you the chance!" Geno suddenly vanished, only to reappear to G's left, his left arm extended. Omega had a missile in his mouth and they let it fire. But not just one - multiple. "Missile Barrage!" Geno was hoping for some point blank damage, but he realized this was a mistake. G acted fast enough to create a field of gravity that kept the missiles suspended in the air around him. "Gah!"
"Gravity: infinity!" G turned and waved his hands, now sending these missiles back at Geno one by one. Geno did have to fly around to avoid them and the massive explosions they were causing. G used this chance to shift his gravity and intercept Geno's fligth back, rocketing himself into the air to slam his fist into Geno's stomach. "Gotcha!"
"Hrk!" Geno grunted. Before he had a chance to recover, G spun around and slammed his leg into the back of Geno's head, sending him towards the ground. Geno spun around and stuck the landing, coughing a bit from the blow.
"He's pretty good. He's focusing his gravity to keep us from evading his hits. We can turn into radio waves to avoid a majority of impacts, but gravity can still pull us in slightly. His gravity is strong enough to do that, and I'm sure Shiki's is too." Omega explained. It was a little annoying they'd have to fight this the long and hard way, but there was just no way around it.
"..." Geno remained silent. This wasn't going to be as easy a battle as he expected, but he'd find a way to pull through.
"So, Megaman?" G said while flicking his wrist up, using all of the rubble in the area at his disposal. "You may have beaten a Goldstone...but that guy was nothing compared to me. How do you intend to beat a God?"
.
.
Back in the Eclipse Ark, Ano was overseeing all of the battles taking place, keeping an eye on his crew. "They got the Blue Bomber from Delta Ridge, I never would've seen that coming..." He grumbled. While he was able to piece together Megaman's strengths and weaknesses, he had no idea who was under the mask. But that wasn't important. "G can hold him off for long, but that guy is resilient enough to overcome him. I can't believe this...I need to find a way to disable the Blue Bomber so G can keep Shiki busy. He'll reach the Captain in a matter of moments..."
While Ano was mulling this over...Marshall Izumi, from the Galactic Fleet, was standing right behind him. Whatever defensive measures the Eclipse Ark had to prevent intruders, it didn't matter Marshall slipped right past them. He placed his hand on Ano's shoulders, causing the young man to freeze and tense up in fear. "Hey, kid." Marshall said with a wide, malicious grin. "You've got a nice ship here. If you play nice...I won't stain these walls red with your blood. So...what do you say?"
