"Why won't you sit still!?"
"I already told you, I'm fine. Leave me alone."
"You took a direct hit from Leo. You are not fine."
"I blocked it!"
"And it still sent you flying across the room!"
Rean chuckled to himself as he took in the spectacle of Laura's attempts to treat Fie with a mixture of healing salves and orbal arts. The older girl's kind and protective nature verses Fie's stubborn catlike refusal to do as she was told. A battle with no victor in sight.
He then realized the error of his ways as his laughter had drawn the attention of both girls who were now staring at him with expectant looks. Clearly they wanted him to mediate their little debate. As much as Rean really didn't want to be put on the spot like this he realized that giving a non-answer would accomplish little save for making him the target of their combined ire.
On one hand he was pretty confident that Fie was right in that she was fine if she had the energy to fight Laura so stubbornly, with only a few lingering scratches and bruises to mark her impromptu flight after getting whacked from her older brother, but he could also understand Laura's need to make sure of that herself. It had been a terrifying moment for him when she got hit and was unable to move in time as Xeno took aim with his rifle on the defenseless girl.
And so he made his decision, "You know I'm pretty sure Laura would already be finished if you just sat still and did as she asked."
"Boo. You suck." Fie's protest was in stark contrast to the victorious hum the Arseid gave, but he didn't fail to notice that the little jaeger's attempts at escape stopped as she finally sat still and allowed Laura to do her thing, albeit with an adorable pout on her face.
With that distraction over Rean's thoughts shifted to their current situation. True to word, the three of them had been sent back to rest with Valimar upon the conclusion of their battle while the rest of their classmates continued onward. He wasn't one to go back on his word, but sitting here again was painful, especially knowing what their classmates would likely face ahead.
He glanced towards the teleporter in the far end of the room yet again, but it continued to remain still. Damn.
"A-Anyways..." Laura coughed awkwardly before returning her attention back to Fie, "Have you any idea what the parting words from those Zephyr members meant?"
The swordsman had a funny suspicion that she had noticed his worried gaze and was trying to make conversation to keep him distracted.
"Not a clue." The heavy frown on the silver-haired girl's face gave away just how much the words had been bothering her, "At first I thought they meant they were looking for a replacement for Boss, but that wouldn't explain why they disbanded the group in the first place. I guess they could be looking for someone from outside the unit, but there were plenty of solid candidates among the regimental commanders."
She shook her head, "None of it makes any sense."
"Doubt we can go back and ask them to clarify, either." He deadpanned, "No offense, but I would rather not see your brothers for a long long time."
"Speaking of which, what the hell, Fie!?" There was something funny about hearing Laura of all people curse like that.
Fie must have thought so too based on the way she was smirking, "What? I didn't want Rean to be stuck facing all their anger-"
"I appreciate it." He ignored Laura's betrayed look easily enough.
"...And I've already accepted that your dad is gonna come after me at some point. It's only fair."
"Hmph!" This time it was Laura who looked away with a pout.
After having a laugh at her expense the Awakener glanced around the spacious room they were in. Seeing nothing amiss his gaze inevitably returned to the still silent teleporter machine. Sure it hadn't been too long since they separated, but even still-
"Stop that."
"Huh?" He found himself staring into the annoyed gaze of the lithe girl.
But it wasn't her who responded, "We're just as worried about them, but constantly glancing that way will accomplish nothing."
"Ah..." He should have known those two would have noticed his constant action, "Sorry. You're right, I know, but I can't help it. If there's anyone still remaining between us and Crow it would be..."
Even though he trailed off, both girls grimaced in thought. McBurn, the Blazing Demon. There was something about that man that instilled a primal terror in him. The thought of their classmates facing off against such a monster...
"I never thought I would be saying this, but trust in Sara. She's far better at this stuff than we are." Fie looked like she had swallowed a lemon, "...Don't tell anyone I said that, either, or you'll be sorry."
"Emma too. She has been hard at work on a spell that can supposedly suppress his flames in case we ran into him again. I don't know if they can prevail against an adversary like him, but at the very least I believe they should be able to get away safely."
Their points were good, but he didn't fail to notice the worry in their eyes. Still, he would allow their words to reassure him in the hopes it would also reassure them, "Sorry. You're right. After everything we've all been through I'm sure they can take care of themselves."
"It's fine. Your caring nature is something I admire about you."
"Overprotective Rean is pretty funny." Fie lowered her voice to a whisper as she turned to Laura, but a whisper he could still clearly hear, "I feel so bad for his sister though." The older girl giggled.
He did his best to ignore that comment. What he did to protect Elise from unscrupulous individuals was an entirely different matter!
Feeling a little better he approached the final occupant of the room, "How are you feeling, Valimar?"
As expected, his words caused the massive robot to awaken, "My mana is fully replenished and all systems are nominal. I am ready."
"Great. It's almost time. I'll be counting on you, partner!"
"Acknowledged. I also find myself looking forward to our rematch with Ordine. I know you shall prevail."
"Hehe. Thanks. But we're a team, remember? If we win it will be because of you too."
The sound of footsteps alerted him to the approach of the two girls, "I'm jealous." Fie muttered, "I want a cool super powerful robot partner too."
"Really? And what would you use it for?" Laura asked curiously, "A quiet place to take a nap?"
"Already planning on doing that with Valimar once we're back at school."
Valimar had no expression to give, but Rean got the feeling that the robot staring at him was now doing so in a questioning manner. Why was he suddenly now the arbitrator of stupid decisions!?
"...I'll leave that decision up to you, Valimar." This time he elected to push the decision onto someone else.
"I... see no problem with allowing it." Despite himself he couldn't help but find Valimar's hesitation to be kind of funny. Not even an ancient machine that's fought in many climactic battles could handle Fie's weird ideas.
"We're back!" Those words caused Rean to grimace in annoyance as he turned to the source. The one time he wasn't glancing at the teleporter and it gets used!
That annoyance quickly gave way to relief, however, once he saw his classmates again. All were present and none looked to be in bad shape save for some visible exhaustion and a little soot.
"What happened?" It was Laura who asked the question that was on all their minds.
"We encountered McBurn, but thankfully were able to make it by him-"
"Only barely!" Elliot said in protest to Emma's words, "I thought we were gonna die for sure! That guy was unstoppable!"
Rean shared a glance with Laura. He shared a glance with Fie. Both looked as confused as he felt, "I'm glad you're all alright, but... how?" He didn't mean to offend any of them by questioning their abilities, but his disbelief at seeing them all alright made his question come out a little blunt.
Luckily for him the others didn't seem to take offense, with Millium even letting out a giggle, "Oh we were definitely screwed! But just as we were about to become tonight's roast dinner your dad appeared and saved us all!" Her finger was pointed towards Laura as she said that.
"F-Father did!?" She was shocked, and Rean couldn't blame her, although in hindsight it made sense considering Toval and the prince were also inside the castle. Victor Arseid was probably the only person he knew save for Master Ka-fai who could stand against an absolute monster like McBurn. That knowledge didn't seem to assuage Laura's concern, naturally, "I-Is he-?
"You should have been there to see it!" Sara cut her off with a wide grin on her face, "He leapt in there with no hesitation and engaged McBurn in one of the craziest sword battles I've ever seen. I'm not one to want to be saved like some hapless maiden, but right now...?" The instructor looked away with a bashful look and a prominent blush on her cheeks, "...I think I'm in love."
"You want to get with Laura's dad? I doubt you have much chance with that, still..." Fie approached the older woman before giving her a pat on the back, "Good luck with that. I'm rooting for ya."
Laura looked aghast, "W-What!?"
"Aww, thanks, Fie. Don't suppose you'd be willing to put in a good word for me, would you? I mean after everything I've done for you..."
"...I'll consider it."
"F-Fie!" Oh look. Laura was starting to turn pale. Perhaps she was envisioning the idea of their teacher getting with her dad? The wide-eyed look of betrayal she was shooting the silver-haired girl ended up looking rather comical because of it.
Rean wasn't sure if Instructor Sara and Fie were doing this to distract Laura from her worries about her father, or if they really were that relaxed despite the situation. Knowing their personalities it could be either, or both. There was even a possibility that they were doing it because despite the urgency of the situation it was clear the others needed a second to catch their breaths after what must have been a major ordeal.
"Are you two quite finished?!" Clearly the annoyed Machias didn't see their actions in as altruistic a light as he did.
"Yep. I'm good." Sara answered succinctly. The older bracer glanced around at each of them before nodding her head, "Alright everyone. I think we're at the home stretch. One final push and we'll all be back home with beer in hand!"
There was so much wrong with that statement, but the general gist of it was right. With a deep breath to calm his nerves Rean stepped onto the teleporter. Given this was the final battle there was no longer any need for a backup team, so all ten of his dear comrades followed suit.
The place they arrived at was still the Infernal Castle, but it was different from the area he had explored earlier. They were definitely nearing the top. There was a sense of finality to this place.
Nearing the top didn't mean they were at the top, however, and the final stretch looked to be the most difficult for the group of teenagers. That the path basically consisted of one giant path of stairs – by far and away the longest Rean had ever seen – meant that each step was quite taxing, and the presence of the most dangerous fiends they had ever encountered made it all the more troublesome. Even having the entirety of Class VII for those battles didn't make them any easier than the previous floors.
They had been fighting nearly nonstop since the operation commenced that morning and it was starting to take its toll upon them. The small breaks, healing arts, and the use of a reserve team had helped a little, but Rean could tell that endurance was starting to fade. Even Instructor Sara was starting to look a little worse for wear. Were it not for the fact they were reaching the end of their journey he would have considered calling for another break, consequences be damned.
Thankfully, as they came across an ominous elevator with a red glow to it, Rean knew they were at the end. Excitement and adrenaline would hopefully suffice to carry them through whatever waited at the top. With only the briefest moment of hesitation to make sure everyone was ready, he and the rest of Class VII stepped onto the elevator and began their final ascent.
If anyone spoke on that final ride he didn't hear it, focused as he was on the feeling of... something from above them. Ordine was there, that much he was sure, but there was also something else. Something powerful. Something dark.
He noticed a tense Emma was sporting a similar look and considered pressing her for details, but the elevator stopped before he could.
"...You really came." The voice he had both longed and dreaded to hear in equal measure greeted them before they even had a chance to gain their bearings.
Crow wasn't alone, either, as Vita stood beside him, "Welcome, all, to our tale's grand finale."
"We're here, Crow!"
"Hard to believe it's been less than three weeks since we last met." Jusis muttered as they gazed upon their erstwhile classmate.
Crow let out a short laugh, "You're tellin' me. You all look so grown up now. All those ordeals you put yourself through have paid off in spades."
"That's certainly one way to look at it." Machias muttered with a scoff, "As much as I hate to admit it, I doubt we could win against you otherwise."
"The trials we faced brought us together and made us stronger. I couldn't be more pleased with what we had to do to come this far."
Fie followed Laura's statement with one of her own. "I was finally able to move forward, too. So, yeah. I like to think I grew up a bit."
"Heheh..." The Azure Chevalier seemed rather happy, all things considered, "A lot of stuff's changed, but you guys ain't one of them."
"And that's not all. We're here on behalf of Towa, Angelica, and George, too." Rean said, "I promised them I'd bring you back and force you to graduate with them... and it's a promise I intend to keep."
His words caused a brief crack in Crow's laid-back facade, "Oh, man. Gimme a break. You telling me you've done all that and it still hasn't dawned on you? Get it through your thick skull – it's not gonna happen."
The sound of giggling was entirely unexpected. That it was coming from Vita even more so, "That's not true, Crow. Those who are confronted with impossible odds can choose to react in one of two ways: abandon hope and accept a pitiful fate... or cling to that hope and forge ahead, overcoming any and all that life throws their way. That's what it means to dream."
"Vita..." While Emma's eyes held a myriad of emotions as she stared at her sister figure, Rean couldn't help but think upon her words. While it probably wasn't the way he would have phrased it he knew she was right. Perhaps Crow was more realistic with his opinion that there was no going back, but it was that goal that had allowed him and all of Class VII to make it to this point.
There was no way he was backing down now. Something his friend turned terrorist seemed to realize as all of their classmates voiced their support to that idea. Come what may none of them were leaving without him.
"My, what a touching spectacle. You work tirelessly to pursue the impossible together; you lose yourself in the passion of the moment... Innocence truly is the privilege of the young."
Rean blinked. In all the excitement and anxiety at seeing Crow again he had failed to take stock of his surroundings. Things such as the presence of Duke Cayenne and a blindfolded Crown Prince Cedric should have been spotted long before now. And behind the two of them was...
"What's that huge, red thing behind him?" A befuddled Machias asked. Huge red thing indeed. From a distance it almost looked like a Divine Knight, but Rean could easily tell the sickly energy he had been feeling was coming from that thing. There was something very not right with the sealed machine.
"That's the Vermillion Knight, Testa-Rossa." Emma provided the answer, "It was sealed away under the capital a long time ago, and it was responsible for countless calamities."
Celine padded forward with a look of uncharacteristic sharpness in her feline eyes as she gazed upon it, "It's often referred to as the 'demon which wields a thousand weapons.' And to expand on what Emma said, the ones who supposedly sealed it away were Dreichels the Lionheart and the Lance Maiden."
"Haha. It certainly was." For some reason the leader of the Noble Alliance looked upon the sickly machine with eager excitement, "And the only ones capable of rousing it from its slumber are descendants of the Arnor bloodline. Thus why His Highness has so graciously chosen to cooperate with us."
The Duke looked back at them with a wide smile on his face, "I have a little dream of my own, you see. A dream my ancestor was unable to reach in his lifetime. One that I will make a reality in his place."
"Wait..." Gaius was the first to connect all the dots, "Was this ancestor alive during the War of the Lions?"
"Precisely!" Exclaimed the mad duke, "Emperor Orthos Reise Arnor, born to the first of the emperor's secondary wives- the daughter of a duke! He occupied Heimdallr at the time of the War of the Lions, but fell to Dreichels and became known as the False Emperor... and I inherit his blood!"
Even as the duke continued his speech Rean couldn't help but glance over towards Crow. Was this the guy he was really supporting? His Azure counterpart seemed to notice the stare as he gave a lopsided grin and a helpless shrug. That gesture made Rean feel a little better – Crow was supporting Duke Cayenne, yes, but for his own purposes and not the insane delusions of a mad man.
"...When the war came to a close, the truth was buried. I suppose it was Emperor Dreichels' way of trying to avoid any further conflict among the nobles." Oh, right. Cayenne was still speaking, "But not a day – not one day – in all these years has my family forgotten the sheer humiliation! And so I dreamed of a future where I would take back the Vermillion Knight and this Infernal Castle. The proofs of ownership over this city that Emperor Orthos had disgracefully stripped away!"
"You occupied Heimdallr and started a civil war, and that's your reason!?" Machias looked disgusted, and for once Rean found himself in complete agreement. This man was just like Jusis' father. Just a greedy vainglorious man seeking to enrich himself at the expense of others.
If the duke of Lamarre noticed their disgusted stares he certainly didn't act it, "Well, the chancellor's death was desirable regardless, and the society's diva provided invaluable assistance. The Imperial Liberation Front proved to be serviceable pawns; the Azure Awakener managed to awaken his knight. The time was right in all regards. Only a fool would idly watch this moment pass."
"I did intend to operate the Vermillion Knight myself, but as I feared, only those of direct descent are capable of doing so. And yet it matters not. I have everything I need to return this city to its original, rightful form as His Highness's guardian... and once my will is done, I shall restore order to Erebonia, returning it to the way it once was and always should have been! That is my ambition – my family's destiny!"
"What nonsense..."
Perhaps the duke wanted to preen more, but Rean was sure that nobody in audience cared one bit about what else he had to day, "I'm afraid I can't even pretend to care about your ambitions. It's not my place to decide how Erebonia should be run, and I'm not here to lecture you on your ancestor's transgressions." Cayenne tilted his head in interest at his words, "We have our own ambitions. We're here because we promised Princess Alfin and Prince Olivert that we would rescue their brother from your clutches. And if putting a stop yo your dream is what it takes to save His Highness the Crown Prince... then that's exactly what we'll do."
"You impudent little..."
Thankfully, before the obnoxious man could go on another tirade Vita stepped forward, "I think everyone has said their piece now."
"You won't be going back on your word to let us handle this part, right?"
"Hmph. Do as you wish." The Noble Alliance's leader replied to Crow before stepping away from the brewing conflict, "It should provide some light entertainment until the ritual is complete. I expect to be amused."
With the bystander out of the way only Crow and Vita remained, "We could skip right to using our knights, but might as well savor the moment while we still can, right? So for the opening act, I'll fight you as I am now. Crow verses Class VII."
"And I'll be fighting alongside him. Seeing as how you have the famed Purple Lightning with you, it wouldn't be much of a fair fight otherwise. Emma, I want you to fight with everything you have. We'll see whether you have the resolve necessary to shoulder a witch's burden."
The class president nodded in agreement, "Don't worry. I will. Not because of the duty I've been given, but to demonstrate the limitless potential I've found within myself!"
Crow drew his saber and Vita her orbal staff, signaling the beginning of the fight. That the two of them possessed a combat link was a surprise, but one he knew they could overcome. A glance showed the same readiness and determination on the faces of his classmates just as the battle began.
Rean considered utilizing Spirit Unification to give himself a big advantage in the fight, but discarded the idea for two reasons. Like Crow had said, this entire fight was just a warm-up for the real fight. Sure he still intended to give it everything he had, but why needlessly exhaust himself in what basically amounted to a glorified spar when there was still the Divine Knight battle to come?
The other reason was that this was a fight for all of Class VII, not just him. They all wanted to prove themselves to Crow, so shouldering the entire burden for himself would only go against that desire. Emma especially had a vested interest in this battle against her sister and he didn't want to take that away from her.
Instead he opted to start the fight with an Arc Slash, allowing the energy blade to join with the myriad bullets, arrows, and arts unleashed by the ranged members of Class VII. A veritable volley of death that accomplished absolutely nothing as Vita muttered a quick invocation and a wall of ice briefly appeared between the two groups to absorb the attacks. Crow charged through the wall as it shattered, but was almost immediately intercepted by Laura and Millium.
Gaius meanwhile had elected to go after Vita with Instructor Sara following suit after switching from gun to sword. Rean hesitated. He knew he was far more useful on the front lines, but the hairs on the back of his neck were standing. Something was coming, and he wasn't sure what it-
"Caw!"
The answer was provided almost immediately as Vita's familiar appeared just behind Alisa and Elliot before transforming into the same form they witnessed in the Spirit Shrine. The bird reared back as it prepared to breath a deadly breath upon the two arts users which compelled him to immediately charge at it before it could.
On one hand he was successful in that the enemy turned to him, deciding he was the bigger threat, but he wasn't fast enough to reach it before it unleashed the attack. All he could do was brace himself and hope for the best.
"Go, Rean!" ...Or that was his plan until Emma used her powers to erect a barrier around him. Reassured by that new layer of defense he charged directly into the maelstrom of Grianos' attack, weathering it with the same casual ease one would weather a particularly windy storm. In a single fluid motion he slashed his tachi and watched as Grianos vanished once again.
He frowned. Something was wrong. Yes the familiar was gone, but he definitely didn't connect with his attack. Thankfully Emma once again had an explanation, "I think Vita unsummoned it. It probably doesn't have the energy to remain in that form for long after our previous battle with it, so she's using him sparingly."
It was good that they weren't forced to fight the same enemy at full strength again, but it was something else they needed to keep an eye on.
With that threat temporarily removed he felt confident to finally join the battle for real. Crow was already fully occupied trying to fend off the combined assault from Laura and Millium, with Jusis and Machias providing ranged support. Not even someone as skilled as him could handle the four of them with ease – something which showed their growth from that first battle beneath Heimdallr.
And yet despite being pressed hard Crow was still able to use the half of his double-bladed saber that wasn't holding back Laura to block his initial strike, "Geez. Not very honorable of ya to gang up on little old me, is it?"
"Are you sure you should be lecturing others about honor?" He asked as he continued to press his assault – even if he was unable to break his rival's guard he could at least hold him in place for the others.
"Haha. Guess you got me there." Despite the light words he could tell that Crow was struggling to keep ahead of them. Just a little more and-
Rean neither saw nor heard the incoming attack, but a slight shift in Crow's eyes towards his link partner gave up the game, "Everyone watch out!"
His warning came at just the right time as a sword would have skewered him had he remained a second longer. It wasn't the only one, either, as the room was filled with dozens of the floating blades, all dancing to a silent tune as they moved about the room.
"I got this!" The dangerous assault met its match when Instructor Sara showed why she was Erebonia's most decorated bracer as she charged through the wave of blades before lunging at Vita. The witch was able to block the direct assault, but in doing so she had to release her hold on the spell, once again allowing Class VII to move freely.
With Laura, Millium, Machias, and Jusis moving to reengage Crow and Instructor Sara, Alisa, Elliot, Gaius, and Emma fighting the Anguis, he was free to-
Wait a second.
A second glance again confirmed those teams. Eyes widened in realization before he quickly formed a combat link with Emma. He did his best to convey his thoughts through the link hoping the young witch would get the idea without giving anything away to their opposition. The confident determination from the other side made him think she had.
Relying on her to do whatever she was planning on doing, the young swordsman moved to reengage Crow. He could see the terrorist leader brace himself for his assault, but more importantly he could hear Emma's incantation from behind him. While he had absolutely no understanding of the words witches used when casting spells, he recognized the ones she was using and prepared himself accordingly.
There was a flash of light.
As Rean regained his bearings he had to give Emma credit – She had gotten a lot better at her teleportation spell since the war started. What other explanation existed for her ability to teleport him behind Vita so precisely?
The Ouroboros agent must have realized her peril as she began to turn to face him, but it was far too late. With a cry Rean swung his blade-
"Oh no you don't!" Only for Crow to block it at the last second. Despite having succeeded in stopping his attack Rean could tell his rival hadn't been able to disengage from his own fight without consequences, judging by the number of cuts now adorning his body. Even still, he grinned cockily, "Didn't think an attack like that would work, did you?"
Even though his attack had failed Rean couldn't help but grin in return, "You're right. I didn't."
"Checkmate." In all the chaos of battle a single member of the class had vanished without anyone noticing. He hadn't known her plan, but he knew she was seeking out an opening to exploit. An opening he had just provided.
"Oh, my... I didn't see this coming." Despite having a pair of gunblades pressed into her side courtesy of the now reappeared Fie Vita didn't look all that bothered. Something which was explained when the Ouroboros witch somehow managed to teleport herself away from the dangerous situation without even an incantation.
And yet neither she nor Crow looked ready to resume the fight as the latter relaxed with a laugh, "What'd I tell you? Don't underestimate my classmates. They're a tough crowd for being all dreams and sunshine."
"Crow..." As much as he claimed otherwise it was painfully obvious to Rean that he still cared about his time with Class VII. Was his need for revenge truly so strong as to keep him away?
"Ugh... Enough of this nonsense!" He blinked, having completely forgotten about Duke Cayenne, "I need not remind you how if you were to lose against them, our contract wo-"
"Butt out, you."
"I-I beg your pardon?" Were the situation not so dangerous he might have found humor in the way the noble recoiled at Crow's interruption.
Sadly, it was a dangerous situation, something which was reflected on Crow's face for the briefest of moments before fixing his gaze upon the swordsman, "All right, Let's wrap this up. This is it, Rean. You ready for the finale?"
Despite the thundering of his heart he couldn't help but smile in response, "Ready? I was waiting on you!" Closing his eyes he sought out the familiar sensation of his mechanical partner before drawing it forth, one final time. "Heed my call... Valimar, the Ashen Knight!"
"Acknowledged!" As always the machine appeared in a flash of light. After shooting one final reassuring look towards his dear classmates the Schwarzer led Celine to the knight before entering it. Opposite him Crow did the same, his Azure a sleek contrast to Rean's Ashen.
Seeing Ordine draw its double-bladed saber, Rean did the same with his new tachi. That action caused Crow to whistle, "Is that the sword you forged from Zemurian Ore? Pretty impressive. Guess I don't have to hold back anymore."
Even with that declaration Rean hesitated. Deep down he knew this would be their final duel and that gave him pause - No matter how the next few minutes transpired, things would never be the same between them.
"Don't act so spoiled!" Telling his rival those thoughts earned him a surprisingly harsh response from the laid-back second year, "The future you want is only gonna happen by making the most of the present! Whatever happened to dragging me back to the academy and forcing me to graduate?"
"Haha. You're right." To think he had to get lectured from Crow of all people, "This time, I'm not going to hold back. This isn't a fight for this nation's future, and it's got nothing to do with our classmates..." He guided Valimar into his ready stance, "This is a fight for me. And right now, all that matters to me is surpassing you!"
"I wouldn't have it any other way. Okay, we've talked long enough. I won't let anyone interfere! This is going to be our final battle!" To accentuate the point Ordine opened up with a thrum of blue energy, same as that time when he thoroughly overpowered Rean back at Trista.
But this time, he wasn't going to be overpowered. Focusing his energy into his new Zemurian Ore blade caused it to gleam in a golden light, providing his response to Crow's power up, "That's exactly how I want it to be! We'll fight until we can fight no more... until our strength runs dry and our souls burn out!"
With that final cry he guided his machine towards Crow and the final battle began.
Showing that he wasn't messing around this time Ordine immediately dashed towards him, saber poised to strike. Instinctively Rean raised his tachi to block, causing a loud clang to resonate through the entire arena. Despite the force of the attack he couldn't help but smile slightly inside Valimar's cockpit – Taking the same action with a soldat weapon had cost him dearly in the past, but his new weapon, further enhanced by mana, was able to ward off the strike with contemptuous ease.
Of course this was merely evening the encounter, as his attempt at a counter strike met the same fate. What's worse, the larger size of Crow's weapon meant the older teen could apply more power to his moves, leading to Valimar being pushed back. Undeterred he tried to strike again, but Crow expertly deflected his strike with one end of his saber before forcing the Ashen pilot to beat a hasty retreat with the other.
Rean narrowed his eyes in annoyance. That double-bladed saber was going to be a major problem. The esoteric weapon provided his rival with greater power while still possessing nimbleness thanks to the twin blades it possessed. He had wondered how Crow had trained himself in such a unique weapon, but even after facing it many times it hadn't gotten much easier to overcome...
Instead he opted to rely on his Eight Leaves training and launched an Arc Slash towards his foe. Not only did it fail to connect, but Crow responded with a similar attack of his own, forcing Rean to dodge, "I hope you weren't expecting something like that to work on me?" The Azure Awakener asked him.
He let out a small laugh, "I suppose not, but can you blame me for trying? It's nice being able to use my techniques like this."
"I guess not, but I hope you've got a technique for this!" This being a burst of speed that put Ordine in close combat faster than he could react, blade ready for a wipe sweep. Rean tried to adopt the fifth form to better counter the incoming assault, but wasn't quite fast enough and found himself instead forced into putting up a hasty block.
While he was successful in warding the blow away from his body, he winced as the tip of Crow's saber traced down his sword arm. While Valimar was made of sterner stuff and could endure such a blow, the sensation of his flesh being flayed off his arm was almost too much to handle, even if the majority of the pain was merely neural feedback from the Divine Knight itself. Still, he managed to keep his focus as he drove back Ordine using Valimar's free hand and his knowledge of the unarmed form Master Ka-fai forced him to learn.
"You aren't inspiring much confidence here." Because of the tense duel he had almost forgotten about Celine as she sat next to him. Glancing at the magical feline revealed a look that seemed to convey concern, although Rean wasn't sure if it was for him or merely for her being stuck inside the knight with him.
Either way, he sought to reassure her, "I'm fine. I have a plan... I think."
"You think?!" Clearly he had failed in that endeavor, "We're doomed, aren't we?"
He might have responded, but Crow chose that moment to attack again. This time he was successful in utilizing the Morning Moon to fend off the more experienced Awakener, but he knew Crow was too crafty to be kept at bay like that for long.
Still, even gaining a little breathing room was enough for him now. He hadn't lied to Celine when he said he had a plan. He had one. Or at least he had an idea of one. He simply needed to find an opening to utilize it. And to do that he needed to stay alive until Crow presented one to him.
Rean cleared his mind of outside thought. Until Crow presented that opening he would simply need to rely on his training and his instincts. For the sake of everyone he was fighting for, it would need to be enough.
"The hell's he doing!?" Fie hissed out angrily.
Beside her Laura couldn't help but feel the same frustration boiling inside of her. The battle between Divine Knights had been ongoing for over five minutes, and while Rean had held his own thus far it was readily apparent to her that he was slowly being overwhelmed. That – while concerning – wouldn't explain for the frustration both girls were feeling.
It was the fact that thus far Rean had not used any of the combat links he had formed and nurtured over the ongoing war.
"He did say he wanted to fight Crow as equals..." And yet despite coming from her mouth even she found the claim dubious. There was no way he would refuse to use his only advantage in a fight with stakes this high... right?
Something which the other girl seemed to agree with as she shook her head emphatically, "No chance. He might be a moron at times, but even he knows better. He said as much to us a couple days ago, remember?"
She let out a hum of agreement. He had readily admitted that he didn't think he could match Crow's experience on his own and that he would be relying on them when the time came. So that must mean... "He must have a plan."
"He'd better, or I'm gonna kick his ass after all this." Fie groused quietly.
The two lapsed into silence as the battle proceeded. It was so frustrating to not be able to help, especially as Rean found himself on the losing end of most clashes. One particularly nasty chain of blows ended with Ordine sweeping Valimar's legs with his weapon, sending Rean to the ground with a crash. Although he was quick to regain his footing it still left her needing to fight hard the urge to charge over there and assault Crow by herself.
Fie must have felt similarly given how she grasped her hand worryingly in that moment.
Things finally came to a head when Rean overextended with an attack, leaving him open for Crow to slash Valimar's abdomen with his saber. Instinctively the swordsman hunched down after the blow, leaving him completely exposed.
It was an opening which Crow was too savvy to not take advantage of. Leaping back, Ordine's weapon began to glow a sickening red hue , "Shoulder the cross of your demise!" He took two swings at the air in front of him, causing a trail of energy to form into a cross in front of him. With one final swing the attack was launched towards Rean, "Deadly Cross!"
Laura watched wide-eyed as the attack flew towards Rean. There was no way he could avoid it...!
"Ah...!" Suddenly the hand that had been gripping hers with dangerous force slackened considerably. That gesture plus Fie's gasp of surprise was just enough to cause Laura to turn away from the battle for the briefest of moments. What she saw, however, made it all worthwhile.
Fie's ARCUS unit was glowing a radiant light. Finally Rean had elected to form a link. And if he was doing so with Fie then that meant-
Despite being unbalanced and presumably in a lot of pain Rean managed to right Valimar and expertly swerved around the deadly attack milliseconds before it impacted with him. Not waiting around Valimar broke into a full sprint, utilizing Fie's prodigious speed to close the gap in an instant.
Everything made sense to Laura in that moment. The reason he hadn't formed links with anyone prior to that moment was because he wanted to surprise Crow with the boost. Although he had utilized it briefly during their first encounter he had been so over-matched that it failed to even the odds. Now, however, things were different. Crow had been lulled into a false sense of security by the fight up to that point and now Rean was poised to make him pay. She had no doubt that the Azure Awakener would adjust to this new boost given time, so Rean needed to end it here and now.
Fie's ARCUS dimmed just as hers began to glow in turn. So he wished to borrow her strength for this final assault? Closing her eyes she willingly offered everything she had into the connection, praying to the Goddess that it would be enough to grant him victory.
Immediately his Zemurian Ore weapon began to glow even brighter as he raised it overheard. It was a move she had never seen him use before, but through their formed link she understood his intent. And with it, a name.
Ordine tried to erect a hasty guard at the last second, but it proved to be no match for Rean's Dragon Blade as he slammed it down upon his rival, shattering the feeble defense and impacting square upon the Azure machine's body. The effects of the overwhelming attack were immediate as Ordine slumped to the ground with the saber falling from his grip. There was no movement from the Divine Knight.
Silence filled the arena. The situation had changed so rapidly in such a short period of time that everyone was at a loss for words. Slowly, however, reality began to sink in for her and the others standing alongside her.
Rean... had won!
Hurray! Rean won! I love happy endings, don't you? It seems that things are finally looking up for Class VII...