I honestly have nothing better to do with my time, guys...
Me thinks you guys will enjoy this chapter!
Enjoy!
Drake hadn't the faintest idea where Nashi might have been, so his looking for her was pretty much useless. But he had to keep looking, the sinking feeling he had refused to go away.
"If I was a pink haired girl who constantly injected myself right in the center of a conflict," Drake said to himself as he stopped and looked around. "Where would I be?"
BOOM!
Drake jumped as the explosion caused the earth beneath him to rumble. Looking in the direction of the sound, he was a gigantic blast of white magic flying directly up into the sky, while golden arcs of light rained down from above. He watched this go on for a few more seconds until both explosions started to die away, leaving nothing but the sound of buildings collapsing and the crowd going absolutely mental. Drake watched the area closely before he laughed.
"Jeez, don't get to hurt over there, Simon..."
The area in a half mile radius of the blasts had been completely eradicated. even the debris from the explosions had been blown to far away to be counted within the blast zone.
And there, within the blast zone, were two people.
And both were lying face down in the dirt around them.
"Oh my God!" Ross shouted. "The combined might of Simon and Nami have knocked both to the ground! Is this going to be a draw?!" There was silence as the crowd waited, everyone watching with baited breath. Neither warrior moved, but Ross understandably delayed his call.
And one of them moved.
Simon could hear Nami struggling to stand and the crowd going nuts as a result, but his body was too weak to respond to his please for movement. He wanted too, he needed too, but his body wouldn't let him.
Come on, at least move and show your still in this!
He used all the willpower and all the strength he had, and it caused his body to move that fraction that very clearly mattered, because Ross did not say he'd lost. Perhaps the shoutcaster as simply awed they could move at all.
Moving his head slightly, he watched as Nami got to her feet, body covered in bleeding wounds and clothes ripped in hundreds of places, but she still stood before him. She walked forward slowly, towards her blade which was still embedded in the earth between them. She reached it, and slowly raised her right arm to grasp. it. She pulled weakly at it before it became dislodged from the earth. She then turned to him and began to walk towards him weakly. Seeing she was intending to knock him out cold, Simon used all the strength he head, and then some. He managed to move upwards, before finally getting himself to his knees and watching Nami approach.
"I've never...Been pushed...To the edge...Like this..." Nami hissed as she took weak steps towards him, doing her best to keep her balance. "You sure don't disappoint."
"..." Simon had no energy to offer her a reply, so he stayed quiet. Nami laughed as she slowly raised her right arm, albeit shakily and wavering, poising it to hit Simon in the temple with the hilt.
"I've got basically nothing left..." She whispered. "But you've got less, from what I can see. So, as much as it pains me, it's time for a nap, Simon!" Her arm didn't move from it's shaky position, so it gave Simon a little bit of time to try and devise a way to avoid the hit.
Nami's arm moved downwards.
And Simon collapsed.
The blade swung high over his head and didn't hit him, only succeeding in making Nami swing her arm all the way around to her other shoulder and growl.
"Come on!" She said. "Just let me win...We've go no energy left after both of us took so much damage..."
"Even so..." Simon hissed. "I'm not going to lose to you..."
"Big words for the guy who's...on his knees." Nami reached down and grabbed a handful of Simon's hair, pulling his head up and taking away the only way he had out of her next swing to hit his temple. She re-positioned her blade and got ready to try and hit him again, this time taking away Simon's ability to dodge her.
What do I do...I'm running on empty...
Simon slowly looked over at the scoreboard. It was displaying all current battles and ones that had recently concluded. As Simon watched the lacrima vision, he noticed something.
No one else...Has fallen yet...
Nashi was still standing while fighting Blake, Elise with Keita, Drake had beaten Rina and Ultear Kyoko. Damien was in a three way fight with Terra and Bella, like he'd been with Nami and Juno before the latter was taken out abruptly.
He was the only one who was going to fall.
The others are still standing...
He could hear the slow whistle of the blade coming closer to his head, hilt poised to knock him out as Nami planned.
So why the hell...
Simon slowly gritted his teeth.
Why the hell...?!
His body started to shudder.
Why the hell am I falling?!
Simon acted quickly.
Using his remaining strength, he swatted at Nami's arm holding up his head so she could hit him. Once she'd let go, surprised by the blow, Simon's left hand glowed and he swatted at the approaching blade, which thanks to the girls weak body, caused the sword to fly from her hands and skid across the ground. Nami watched him in shock as he slowly started to stand up, body shaking and shuddering.
"The others..." He whispered. "...Are still standing."
"Huh? What are you talking about, Scarlet?"
"I'm not...going to fall...if they're... still fucking standing!"
Simon socked Nami in the nose.
The girls staggered back, holding her face in surprise. Once she let go of her face, blood trickled down her face from her nose.
"What the hell...?!" She asked weakly. Simon slowly massaged the arm that had swung at her.
"If you're so confident that I'm going to fall," he said, confidence returning. "I'm sure as hell taking you with me." Nami watched him in shock before a smile formed on her lips.
"So that's how it is." She said. Simon nodded as the girl stretched her arms.
"It's come to it." he agreed. Nami laughed.
"No swords, no armor, no gravity and no light." She said, wiping the blood from her face. "Just our fists." Both watched each other closely, waiting for the other to make a move.
Simon did so.
He ran at her and went in to punch her in the face again, but she stopped his fist with her open hand and went to hit him in the gut. He backed up far enough to prevent this and locked hands with the girl, which made them butt heads as they pushed as hard as they could.
Nami raised her leg and kneed Simon in the stomach, which knocked the air from his lungs. She grabbed him by his arms and tossed him to the ground, walking over to continue attacking him. Simon tried to move, but his bodies terrible state came back to haunt him once more. Nami kicked him in the stomach and he rolled over on his back, staring at the blue sky above, which held a cloud with a suspicious looking hole in it.
Nami straddled him and raised her fist, driving it into his cheek and causing his vision to blur. She did it again with her other fists, making Simon's mouth fill up with blood. He spat it out as she stopped for a moment, panting.
"Holy hell my arm's hurt..." She said. "This is crazy."
"Agreed." Simon said, looking up. "But it's the first time I've ever been in such a fair fight, and I'm not about to spoil it by being the one who caves!" Simon dodged Nami's next fist, causing it to hit the ground next to his head. He used his own arm to punch her in the face, which caused her head to whip violently to the left. Simon raised his legs and used them to kick her off, sending her flying and hit the ground. They both slowly stood, eyeing each other.
Strangely enough, Simon felt his lips curling into a smile. Nami's did the same.
"You hit like a bitch." Nami told him through the smile, spitting her own blood out onto the ground. Simon laughed.
"So do you." he agreed. They approached each other, and Simon raised his fist, striking her. Nami went after him again, but Simon met her halfway and threw as many good punches as he could, getting a few decent ones in. Nami did the same. Nami ducked under another of his punches and swept his legs out from under him, but he rolled out of the way as she tried to use her elbow and drive him into the ground. Getting to his feet as quickly as the pain let him, he waited as she ran at him before catching the punch she threw and spinning her, making her lose balance. The punch he threw after wards into her stomach caused her to double over and Simon to rub his knuckles.
As Nami regained her bearings, She ducked under his attack and drove one into his chin, and Simon felt certain something might have cracked as a result. He would really need Wendy's help after this one. Both weren't holding back whatsoever when they hit, but it only made sense. It the absence of swords and magic, it was all they had.
Nami moved left to avoid his next blow and her elbow hit his face, making his nose bleed. He grabbed her arm as she tried to retract it, and used it as leverage to punch her three times: once in the stomach ,one in the upper body, and another to her face. She staggered back and nearly fell, but kept to her feet. Nami used this moment to wipe blood from her face and cackled.
"This is fucking insane." She said, now grinning like she was crazy. "But god damn I'f I'm not having the most fun I've ever had." Simon smirked.
"I guess you could call this fun." he agreed. "But it needs to end before we kill each other.
"Huh, yeah it does." Nami staggered forward, and Simon did as well.
The two started to senselessly trade blows, the only thing going through Simon's mind being to endure her next hit and hit her back harder. Eventually, the two started to wind up their punches even farther, trying to knock the other flat on their ass. Both struck, and both staggered.
"I'm not..." Nami hissed, rearing back her fist once more.
"...Going too..." Simon said, doing the same.
"LOSE!"
Knuckles resounded against the soft flesh of the cheek. The crowd gasped in reaction to the blow.
The simultaneous blow.
Both Simon and Nami's fist struck each other in the cheek at the same time, and the combatants had frozen in that position. Blood trickled out of Nami's mouth and nose, while Simon appeared to cough it up violently.
"What a showing!" Ross shouted. "Both Simon and Nami are just wailing on each other!"
"It appears, though." Hisui added. "That they've reached an impasse in the fight." Neither warrior moved, both fists still weakly pushing against the cheek of their respective opponents. The only sound punctuating the silence of the crowd in that moment was the slow drip drop of the blood onto the ground underneath both fighters.
And then, they started to fall.
Not Simon.
Not Nami.
Both of them.
"Oh my God!" Ross shouted. "Both of them are going to fall! Will someone stop themselves?!"
No one did.
Because no one had the strength.
Simon and Nami hit the dirt at the same time, and neither one moved as their bodies slowly moved to a spread eagle position, both fighters still not moving.
"IS IT A DRAW?!
Erza watched the scene in front of her unfold quietly, heart going a few miles a minute. Was Simon going to stand?
"Jeez, they might have seriously hurt one another." Juvia said quietly.
"Yeah, someone might need to get down there ASAP." Lucy said. Erza, however, kept her eyes glued to the screen as both bodies randomly twitched from the pain. Ross was obviously suspending judgment for the sake of suspense.
There was no other way." She said, earning everyone's attention as she lowered her gaze and smiled.
They're both warriors, after all. Falling before your opponent in such a fight would've been unacceptable."
Kagura was not expecting to get so worked up over her daughter's fight, but nonetheless she watched the lacrima vision intently, looking for any sign of movement.
"Nyah, they really went after each other." Milliana said from her left. "Do you think she's okay. Kagura?" Kagura did not offer the cat woman a reply right away, partially because her attention was focused on something far more interesting.
"I wouldn't want to get in front of those two." Risley said with a small laugh. "Never underestimate the heart of a proud warrior."
"Yep." Beth said. "Not sure I'd have even been happier if Nami managed to get the drop on him." Kagura listened to the other woman talking, and slowly smiled as Ross still neglected to say if someone had fallen or not.
Heart...of a proud warrior...
Kagura would be the first one to admit Nami was a bit of handful, even at her age. She was childish on purpose just to piss her mother off, and often times forgot the meaning of holding back.
But...
Kagura couldn't help but feel her chest swelling with pride after watching her daughter do her absolute best against someone who rivaled her in strength.
"I'll never say it loud enough for you to hear and mock me, Nami, but I hope you know...I'm so proud of you."
W-Well everyone, after the Queen and I have reviewed the footage a few times, we have reached our conclusion!"
"It would seem it cannot be accurately discerned who feel first." Hisui said. "Therefor we must declare Simon Scarlet vs. Nami Mikazuchi a tie. Both Fairy Tail and Mermaid heel have earned five points!"
Simon just barely heard this announcement, but he didn't react initially. Partially from the pain, and partially because said pain was making it hard to register.
They'd tied.
Not an unacceptable outcome, in his eyes. They'd both gone all out and, even though he'd been hurt beforehand, he'd brought her down to a tie. Not bad. Not bad at all.
"Hey...Scarlet." It was Nami calling out to him.
"What?" he croaked, not moving in the slightest.
"We...tied huh?" He heard her cough and something wet hit the ground, and he hummed in confirmation. "Damn...I wanted to win."
"As did I." He replied, both going quiet for a moment. "I want you to know something though."
"Yeah?" Simon slowly raised his head and looked over at her.
"if I hadn't been the subject of foul play, I'd still be standing." Nami laughed, and then coughed up more blood. Simon did the same.
"That a fact?" She asked. "Sounds like your gloating, Simon. You think you're all that?"
"Maybe I am. Whose to say? We're both down for the count."
"Yeah." Silence came over them as a breeze rolled by. "Sounds like you want to have a go at me once we've healed up." Simon chuckled weakly.
"Would settle this a bit more evenly, I'd think. You needed a handicap to even tie with me."
"Oh yeah? We both know that if I'd seen you drawing those seals for Grand Chariot this would've ended with you face down in a pool of your own blood."
"I'm kind of already doing that." he said.
"I meant with me not joining you, but whatever." More silence, then. "Another thing."
"Yes?"
"...Your a damn good fighter." Simon smiled as he watched the clouds roll in the breeze.
"Yeah...You too."
He'd gained a lot of respect for Nami in the last few minutes, but it wasn't any kind of respect.
It was the respect one gained for someone after having their fist driven into your face repeatedly and responding in kind.
A warriors respect.
Yep, a full chapter detailing the end of Simon and Nami's fight. I quite liked it, how about you guys? I hope you enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get five!