Year 897—Mountains of Algus
"Damn you…Damn you, Vincent…"
Isak trudged through the blistering storm that circled around the top of Mt. Algus. For any other Scyther, it would've been an early grave to travel alone in such conditions, but Algusian blood ran strong in his veins. He braved these cold weathers without fail, persevering without rest.
He needed to, otherwise death would be certain.
His injuries were still fresh. The cold wind had dried the blood running down his face and numbed the bruising across his skin. His claws were chipped and withered fighting so vigorously for his life. To think he, the older brother, would fail so spectacularly against the younger brother. His ambitious thirteen-year-old brother, always striving to prove his strength. He was violence incarnate, that Vincent.
It was Isak's birthright as the oldest. He was supposed to receive the steel coating like his father before him. He was supposed to become the next generation of Scizor, stronger than the last.
Vincent…had other ideas. He wanted it for himself, thus he challenged Isak to single combat for the right.
Isak was supposed to be stronger.
He was supposed to be stronger.
Master Cecilia taught him more than he anticipated.
Vincent brutalized his older brother with little effort. Isak had to claw and tear through that fight just to land any significant damage against his pest of a brother, but it was all in vain.
The agreement was honored, and Vincent would be granted the right to wear the steel coating.
Isak saw no point in staying. His honor had been thoroughly destroyed. Left to fester in his injuries out in the snow, an unworthy sight for warriors destined for the Hall of Glory in the next life. If it had been a real death match, Vincent could've killed him.
Isak wanted nothing to do with his family anymore. His birthright was stolen from him by his ambitious brother, and now he had no honor left to carry on his shoulders.
With nothing left of his honor, he had to reclaim it somehow. The only place left for him was the Hall of Glory.
Death as a warrior.
Thus, he set his sights somewhere that would grant him such a glorious death.
He sought…New Chariot.
Sparks of blue and orange erupted across the city. The many battles that divided up the invasion on Telo Martius briefly paused to gaze upon the flashes of light hurtling into each other at breakneck speed. Many tried to keep up with the dancing lights, only to be caught in a hurricane of slashes. Buildings were lacerated to pieces in the presence of these forces and rent to dust as if caught in a group of ancient Weavile's hunting path.
From the blistering winds of razor-sharp blades came the newly evolved Jet and Terminus as they traded blows with their signature weapons. An aura of slashes screeched across the air, dicing up the water beneath them and forming an arena of semi-dry land to fight on.
"Fatal Wind: Cleave!" Terminus swung his arm and cast a visible air blade that split the street in two,
Jet crossed his scalchops together. "Mist Dance!" Right as the air blade struck, he slashed into it, ripping the attack to shreds and letting its remnants eviscerate the environment around him. "Typhoon Fury!" He channeled water around both shells, forming tighter and faster drills, and launched at Terminus.
The Kleavor blocked with his axes and held his ground. Doesn't matter if he evolved or not. He still can't break through my—
"Inverted Waterfall!" Jet kicked his leg up and struck Terminus in the chin, followed by a heavy blade of water slashing across his carapace.
"Agh!" Terminus gasped.
Jet spun and brought the back of his foot back down into an axe kick. "Spear Dive!" A second burst of sharpened water slammed down on Terminus' head.
Annoyed, he clashed his axes together and blasted Jet away with a gust of slashing air. "Fatal Maelstrom!"
Jet blocked with his armored feet, riding along the wind on a trail of sparks, and kicked off into a wall. Upon landing, he concentrated water through the soles of his feet. "Now, High-Speed Flow!" Water jets erupted from his feet and propelled him forward.
Terminus quickly slashed at the fast-moving Dewott and countered a shell slash. He watched as Jet turned tight corners through the streets, flying with impeccable skill unlike his regular usage of Aqua Jet. If he hadn't mastered such a skill before, the Dewott had now gained the power of high-speed mobility and flight.
He's combining Hydro Pump with his Aqua Jet to create that propulsion. He's faster than ever. Terminus shook off his surprise and reared his axes back. "Fatal Edge!" He swung and fired off a volley of blazing rock, guiding them around the corners to snipe the thief down.
Jet's eyes blazed in silver aura, rapidly taking in the approaching attacks with his increased perception. He fired jets of water from his hands, making tight spirals and flips to weave around the exploding rocks. He increased his propulsion and turned a corner, rocketing himself into Terminus' blind spot.
"Tidal Slash!" He spun and slashed into Terminus' side, quickly followed by a water slash that threw the Kleavor back.
Terminus dragged his axe down to catch himself and fired back with Fatal Edge. Jet took off into the air, kicking and weaving through the rocks, but Terminus fired another cluster that ricocheted off the first wave with an early detonation. They propelled faster into Jet, forcing him to defend.
He went flying in a heavy blaze of aura, but shook off the smoke and landed safely with a few bursts of water. He checked himself over, noting the mutated shell armor he received. Not only was he channeling Razor Shell through anywhere on his body adorned with shells, but it even toughed his skin considerably. While the shells themselves were relatively unscathed, his fur and skin only suffered minor scuffs the closer they were to the mutated areas.
"This is what I've been holding back?" Jet clenched his teeth and growled. "Unforgiveable. I had this kind of potential locked away for years when I could've been using it to serve Jason and Harlow more efficiently? I'll never forgive myself for my arrogance—"
"Fatal Break!"
Jet cast an unamused glare at the blazing axe hurtling in his direction. He lifted his arm, steadied his stance, and tanked the attack head-on. The shell armor kept the blade from flaying his arm open, suffering only the tiniest of cuts against the jagged stone.
"But I won't forgive you for mocking them," he growled.
Terminus glared. "Will you master this power in time to defeat me?"
"Can you keep up?" Jet stomped the ground and blasted himself back with a jet of water. He clenched his fingers and performed slashing motions at the air. "Slash Wave!"
Crescent blades of water took shape in the air and slashed across Terminus' body. He held his ground, his carapace unbroken, but collapsed from their pressure alone. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that one of the blades had shaved off the corner of a building.
They've grown sharper in the short time he's had. Tch. He jumped back and channeled an aura of wind around his axes. "Fatal Edge: Raining Omen!" He slashed the air and called forth dozens of blazing rock projectiles, each one erratically twisting through the air on a direct course for the Dewott.
Jet backflipped from the raining projectiles before launching himself skyward upon reaching the edge. "Crow Rain!" He kicked his legs furiously and called down several mini-slashes, dicing up the rock projectiles and detonating them across the air. He turned his feet skyward and rocketed down on jets of water. "High-Speed Flow!"
Terminus took grand leaps across the city, hopping backwards as he fired off Fatal Edges. Many of them flew off course, some aiming to bombard nearby knights and Foresters. Jet, however, wasn't having it as he intercepted each and every projectile, expertly cutting them down and sending their fragments into the water.
Among the parties he saved, Blitz and Sadie were among the first to notice. Sadie chucked metal armor fragments back at the soldiers right as she noticed the save. "What the?!"
"Was that Jet?" Blitz asked as he fired a few exploding arrows into the crowd. "I barely had a moment to detect his presence."
Sadie winced. "Uh…I don't know? I barely recognized him for a moment, but I could've sworn he was…a Dewott?"
Blitz grinned. "I knew it."
"Huh?"
"Looks like we got ourselves a wild card of a guardian angel."
Jet brought down every single of Terminus' attacks until they reached a less populated part of the city. There, Terminus used his Tailwind to take cover around the taller clusters of buildings. Annoyed, Jet sped up and drew his scalchops back.
"Hiding? Really? Tidal Slash!" He rammed into the buildings and sent out a slashing wave that sliced the tops of the buildings off.
"Yes. Really." Jet turned his eyes open, catching the Kleavor hiding within one of the severed floors. "Fatal Edge: Raining Omen!"
Jet braced himself as a twisting downpour of rock bombarded him, blasting him into the flooded street. Explosions detonated on top of him, but he was able to move his body faster in the water. He spun and whipped up a whirlpool of slashing water that diced the explosions themselves to pieces. He then fired water jets from his hands and flew out of the water.
"Rain World!" He landed on a building and proceeded to spin atop his hands, releasing geysers of spraying water from his feet that spread along the air in a thicker mist, adding on to the mist still lingering in the air.
Terminus landed and fanned the air from his face as everything became increasingly obscure. He glared. He must've performed a sacrificial move change when he evolved. One of those moves has to be Soak. He's adding more moisture into the air. Now I get it. Any water that comes in contact with those shells becomes sharp, and that power increases further if it comes in contact with even more moisture. He's turning the entire city into an armory of misty blades.
With fresh moisture added to the air, Jet increased his speed further, spinning on one hand as water built up around him. "Storm Guillotine!" With a hard stop, he swiped his leg and unleashed a powerful wave of cutting water through the air.
Terminus crossed his arms and endured the attack, reinforcing his axes with his aura on contact. His body nearly went flying back in the blast. He dug his feet into the ground, growling through the pain wracking across his body. With a howling cry, he swiped his axes and split the water blade apart, dividing its path into two nearby buildings and slicing them down.
Jet hurtled himself forward on his water propulsion, swinging a kick into the stone mantis' face. Terminus grunted, feeling the sharpened water grinding against his carapace, before striking back with his Fatal Break. Jet blocked with his arm before being sent flying. He softened his landing with propulsion before ducking off behind another street.
"Fatal Wind: Cleave!" Terminus swung and sliced in the Dewott's presumed direction, splitting a building in two.
In actuality, Jet flew circles around the area before appearing directly behind the mantis. "Wrathful Wave—"
Terminus, however, didn't fall for the maneuver so readily. After missing his wind slash, he twisted his other arm and projected a whirlwind of cutting air around himself. "Fatal Maelstrom!"
"Cleave!" Large volumes of water gathered around Jet's scalchop before being brought down against the wind barrier. His water blade shattered on impact with the lacerating currents. "Crap—"
"Fatal Break!" Terminus whipped his arm around and delivered a heavy blow to the Dewott, who blocked with his arms. "And…Fatal Edge!" Combining his ranged attack, he sent Jet hurtling through the street on a storm of blazing rock.
Jet kicked off from the projectiles and weaved around them with his water propulsion. He launched himself into the ground and slid under the remaining projectiles before they detonated. The heat of the aura whipped across his back as he slid back onto his feet, the smoke tracing across his matted fur.
"Tch." He stood up and brandished his scalchops together. "Now look who can't cut who."
Terminus scoffed. "You may want to reexamine yourself. Your skin's tougher, but not unbreakable."
Jet examined his arms again, noting the blood dripping down. Despite this, he scoffed and turned his Razor Shell toward the mantis. "These are nothing."
"Hmph." Terminus' aura flared hotter around his axes. "What drives you to fight for your leaders? What debt do you owe them that cannot be repaid?"
Jet scoffed. "The debt I owe can't compare to anything. I'll gladly dedicate my body and soul to their cause." He pointed his scalchop at the mantis and declared, "Because I know Harlow will be the one to bring prosperity back to Virdis! She will become the savior of this region, and I'll cut down anything that stands in my way!"
"I'll cut down anything that stands in your way, Lord Nero."
Terminus narrowed his eyes, a flash of a nearly broken and beaten Scyther kneeling before the future emperor of Telo Martius, spared of imprisonment and execution. Instead, the young lord stood before the mantis with his hand out-stretched and almost seemingly adorned in a heavenly glow.
Loss without purpose. Ready to die to regain some semblance of glory.
Nero offered a different path.
A kindness Terminus will never be able to repay.
"Tch. Don't get cocky." Terminus raised his axes and ignited them to their limit. "Emperor Nero will be the one to bring glory back to this poisoned land!"
Jet crossed his arms together and lit himself up in a fierce blue aura that erupted from his scalchops. "Then I'll be sure to cut those dreams to ribbons!"
"Now! Fatal Edge: God's Punishment!" Scarring the air once more with his axes, he sent forth an array of blazing, spear-like rock that moved and burned like magma.
Jet tensed his muscles before bursting forth into the storm of rock. "Tsunami—" He twisted his body and sent out a myriad of waves across the area. "Slasher!" All around him, multiple water slashes opened up across every conceivable surface within his range, dicing them into pieces.
The rock projectiles succumbed to this slashing field, lacerated into hot pebbles. They still continued on course and rained down on Jet, but he tanked them with far greater ease.
"Fatal Break—" Through the ash and flames, Terminus cut through his own lingering aura and brought his gigantic stone axe down on Dewott. "Tyrant's Wing!"
Jet blocked with his scalchops before being slammed into the ground. He braced his legs and pushed back against the giant axe, screaming in pain as he contended with the mantis' greater size. Old wounds that had sporadically healed upon evolution started to open up, spraying blood the harder he tensed his body.
Terminus pressed down the full might of his weight onto his attack, roaring with just as much fervor as his aura erupted around himself. "You will perish, Loyal Soldier!"
Jet nearly fell to his knees from the considerable strain, but thoughts of Jason and Melissa flashed before his mind. His aura flared with even greater intensity. He refused to fall to his knees, not when those two were waiting for him to bring home victory.
"I'm no mere soldier…!" Jet pushed back against the Kleavor's axe as a silver glow encompassed his Razor Shell. "I…am a KING!"
Terminus winced. "What the—"
"Infinite Edge—" A mist erupted from his scalchops, blasting back Terminus' attack by pressure alone. "Hell Flood!" With but a single swing his scalchop, he fired a straight beam of mist across Terminus' side, an attack he was barely able to avoid.
"AAAAGH!" Even after dodging the brunt of the attack, Terminus gazed upon the hissing mist clinging against him. It felt like an endless array of knives were slashing at his carapace. It wasn't just pain he was feeling, but it felt like the mist that clung to him was still slashing against him.
He can create blades of mist? No, there's something off about this one. It feels different to all his other attacks. This doesn't even feel like a normal enhanced technique—
His eyes widened as the mist began to part. Barely noticeable across his side, there was a gash made in the carapace. Blood dripped over his greaves. His blood.
He…He cut through my armor?
He jumped further down the street, glaring at the Dewott who seemed out of breath from his last attack. Quickly, he grabbed a damp cloth in the street and clumsily tied it around his waist, a difficult task when one has blades for hands. Fortunately, years of practice made one adept at overcoming such obstacles.
I can't let him think that pierced my carapace. Then again, it looks like that's the first time he's pulled a move like that. He growled. There's something off about that last technique. That cutting power. It didn't just pierce my armor. It's almost like it…deleted it. No, not the armor itself, but its durability. An attack that can cut through anything?
Jet finished catching his breath and glared at the Kleavor. "What's…What's the matter? Too much for ya?"
Terminus huffed. "That puny attack was nothing." Information gathering is just as important as physical ability. That's what Nero taught me. If I keep him thinking that attack didn't do anything, he won't have any incentive to use it again. For now, I just need to work on breaking past his armor. As long as I can avoid taking more damage on my left side, I should be fine.
"Be reduced to nothing! Fatal Maelstrom!" He swung his axes and called forth another hurricane of lacerating wind.
Jet scoffed. "Alright." He burst forth with his propulsion and tucked himself into a ball. "Riptide Slicer!" With his body acting as the epicenter, a vertical blade of water surrounded him. He sliced down the middle of the lacerating wind and struck into Terminus.
The Kleavor blocked with a single Fatal Break, growling through the curtain of sparks between them. "What versatility you possess, being able to come up with some many techniques on the fly—" His eyes widened as two more Riptide Slicers flew in from behind Jet and struck down on both of Terminus' sides. Agh! His scalchops, too?!
Jet broke from his water slicer and dropped an axe kick down on the mantis' shoulder. "Spear Dive!"
Terminus faltered slightly, causing the two Riptides to change angle and grind against his neck. He endured their slicing for a few seconds before creating space with another Fatal Maelstrom. Jet flew back from the attack before landing and catching his returning scalchops.
"Rain of Savagery!" Wildly swinging his scalchops, he fired off a storm of machete-sized water blades against Terminus.
In response, he sprung to his feet and plowed through the water blades with twin Fatal Breaks. He rushed through the unending storm of blades and dragged one axe through the ground, slicing up a mound of wet dirt that splashed across Jet's face.
"Agh!" Jet reached to clean his eyes, but spat up blood as Terminus used the distraction to hammer his Fatal Break against his stomach.
"Fatal Break: Sundering God!" The stone armor around his axe exploded into a close-range burst of shrapnel. The pieces of rock sliced against Jet as he was launched away, cutting up his skin. Terminus scowled. "Rookie mistake. Instinct is both a weapon on the battlefield and a weakness for the unprepared."
Jet plunged his scalchops through the ground and dragged himself to a stop. He flicked the mud from his face and huffed. "Crap…" He touched his stomach, feeling blood dripping between his fingers and to his waist. "Don't get careless, Jet. This newfound power is another weapon in your arsenal, not a gift of victory," he mumbled under his breath.
Terminus applied jagged armor over his axes and lunged through the street. "Fatal Break: Twin Tyrant's Wing!" He spun through the air, building up momentum, and hammered his twin axes down on the Dewott.
Jet raised his leg in an arc and countered with a blade of water. "Not that attack again! Storm Guillotine!" Putting more force through his leg, he reversed Terminus' attack with an even larger water blade, staggering the stone mantis back.
"Agh…!"
"Slash Wave!" He curled his fingers and sent Terminus flying with three water blades.
Terminus cut through the attacks before he slammed into a building. "Fatal Edge: Raining Omen!" He fired the twisting projectiles of blazing rock, calling them down from all directions.
"Rain of Savagery!" Jet spun on his foot and fired off multiple water blades around himself, slicing up the projectiles and detonating them around himself in a ring of smoke. "And, Rain World!" He flipped onto his hands and sprayed out water from his feet, filling the air in another cloud of vapor.
Terminus reared his arm back. "Fatal Wind: Maximum Cleave!" He swung, firing off a blade of wind that plowed a trench through the street ahead.
Jet launched off his hands and reared his scalchops back. "Wrathful Wave Cleave!" He fired off his own massive slashing attack, meeting Terminus' in the middle. The two colliding forces pushed back and forth on each other, twisting in a storm of slashing elements that eradicated more of the immediate area before dissipating.
Terminus rushed through the dust and leapt at Jet. "Fatal Break!" Without giving him a second to react, the mantis hammered his axe into Jet's face. He expected his attack to rip through the Dewott's skin, but Jet's willpower was unrivaled.
In a bold act of improvisation, Jet caught the jagged axe in his teeth. He laced his teeth with razor-sharp water to protect them, biting down with enough force to crack the stone.
"Wrathful Wave—" With his prey held in place, Jet swung his scalchop and slammed it across Terminus' left side. "Cleave!"
The stone shattered off his axe, and Terminus bit back a wail of pain. He had been struck where his armor was chipped. He hurtled across buildings, his body slamming off the edges of roofs, and crashed into a flooded part of the city. Right before he sunk, he saw the effects of his Fatal Maelstrom lift, dropping the water back down over the area.
No sooner had he recovered from his plunge, Jet had already caught up and dove after him, landing a kick that pushed Terminus deeper below. "You're fast, but I'm faster down here!" Jet kicked off the mantis and sped around the water with High-Speed Flow.
Terminus tried to keep track of the Dewott's movements as his eyes from the water. His body jolted and shook with each slash delivered from the speedy otter's hit-and-run shots. Terminus found his bearings and attempted to launch Fatal Edge, but he couldn't swing his arm with nearly as much force as on the surface. Jet evaded the projectiles that fired with ease and kicked Terminus in the neck.
AGH! Terminus gasped, letting loose his breath. Almighty Gods, I'm going to drown if this keeps up!
Terminus could only defend as Jet continued his imperceptible beatdown on the stone mantis, who floated helplessly in the water trying to find an out. How was it that he was so close to putting the Oshawott on death's door that he came back even stronger within his second stage? The insane willpower he was contending with was unreal.
I faced powerful adversaries for Emperor Nero in the past. This should be nothing to me. He gritted his teeth. Was this second chance he gave me wasted? How could I show my face to him? To lose such an important battle? No. I will not allow it! You gave me a chance to strip away my pointless crusade for honor!
Jet stopped attacking as Terminus started to twist his arms around.
I swore to fight for your ideals until the very end! My body…is a small sacrifice!
"Fatal Maelstrom: Oblivion Vortex!"
Year 897 – Martius Palace, Telo Martius
"So, this is the troublemaker that has been wreaking havoc outside the capital?"
"Indeed, Emperor Tiberius. He was a most troublesome creature to restrain."
Isak hung limply by his arms as the two soldiers dragged him in front of the palace entrance, where the emperor and his two sons awaited: Lord Nero, an unassuming Krokorok who lazily scratched his chest as if just waking up, and Lord Mercurius, a dignified Dusk Lycanroc who still by his father's side with an air of regality.
Tiberius glared at Commander Nemesis. "And you said it took you four hours to finally apprehend him?"
Nemesis bowed. "My sincerest apologies for our inefficiency, Emperor Tiberius. He was much stronger than we thought, and quicker. He had been evading us for the better half of those hours, but we eventually cornered him once he breached the city. We intended to execute him on the spot, but we felt it was only fair to get you input on the matter first."
The one-armed Krookodile scratched his chin thoughtfully. "This is quite the grave offense. Still, such strength could be put to use in the colosseum. If it is battle he sought, he'll get his fill in the Centum Death Ring."
"…" Isak closed his eyes and sighed. Beaten worse than he already was, he resigned himself to his eventual fate.
Mercurius glanced at his father and said, "Surely it would be better to throw him in the cells first. He looks to be half-dead. I suggest we take a couple weeks to deliberate the matter."
"Mercurius, he illegally entered the city. This isn't a matter of deliberation."
"I am merely putting forth an alternative than throwing him directly into the colosseum. With the right procedures, we could gain useful information out of him—"
Nero groaned. "Will you two quit yapping? He's not an Algus spy or anything."
Mercurius glared. "Nero, while I appreciate your input, this isn't the time to make unfounded guesses on his intentions—"
"He could've broken into the city any time he wanted, and the time he spent here was just to pick more fights with the soldiers. He clearly didn't have a greater objective in mind." Nero narrowed his eyes on the bloodied Scyther. "Except for one end goal, I imagine."
"…" Isak looked away.
Nero approached the Scyther and knelt before him. "You know, we do have spies who roam through those mountains, so why don't you cut the nonsense and just tell us why you're really here, Prince Isak?"
Tiberius glared. "Prince Isak? As in the eldest son of King Stellan Widforss?"
"No Father, it's the other Prince Isak who runs a floral shop," Nero mumbled.
Mercurius snorted, earning him a glare from his father. "Ahem, uh…sorry."
Nero focused back on Isak and grinned. "So, what brings a prince all the way to our territory? By the looks of some of those injuries, you weren't just roughened by our soldiers, right?"
"…" Isak glared. "I—"
"Ah, but that doesn't really matter." Nero laughed. "No, you came here for one thing, didn't you? That Algus pride, I take it. Always striving to be glorious warriors with beliefs your actions will put you within the great hall as you call it. A form of heaven for only the bravest warriors." He grinned. "You came here to die, didn't you?"
"…" Isak looked down.
"I am admittedly curious what brought you to this point, but suicide by enemy soldiers doesn't seem like a fitting end to a warrior's legacy. What happened back at home that would push you to this point?"
"…" Isak closed his eyes. "There is no honor left for me. No purpose. I came here to die a warrior's death. That is all."
"I see." Nero gently raised his hand, then chopped the Scyther hard in the head, causing him to faceplant.
Tiberius and Nemesis winced. "Son/Milord?!" they shouted.
Mercurius sighed. "There he goes…"
Nero picked the disoriented Scyther back up and dusted him off. "Idiot. That's not a warrior's death. You would rather die with a hollow purpose than reclaiming your glory? It's a waste of talent, especially for someone who can survive a near four-hour duel with our soldiers."
Isak reclaimed his senses and sighed. "Then throw me into your colosseum. I shall fight until I die…"
Nero grinned. "Nah. I like you. You've got moxie." He stood up and dusted his toga off. "What are ya? Fifteen? Sixteen? About my age, really. It'd be nice to have someone like you around. Makes things interesting."
"…Huh?" Isak finally looked up at the Krokorok, his eyes wide in surprise. "What are you saying?"
The young lord snickered. "You want honor? A purpose? Why don't you stand by my side?"
"Wha…?"
"The empire lives strong, and my brother will one day become emperor. I have no desire to take the seat of power, but I love everything about the empire. If I'm not to be a ruler, I want to be a lord who can do right by his people, and that means protecting them. A great lord needs an even mightier warrior to stand beside him, right? Why don't you cast aside those worthless ambitions for a meaningless honor and forge a new path for yourself? Though you would be my subordinate, you make your own destiny."
Isak stared up at the lord in awe. Within the light of the afternoon sun, a halo shined from behind the Krokorok as he held his hand out to the wounded Scyther.
"What do you say? Will you be my wings so that we can protect the priceless treasures of our glorious empire?"
Terminus rose with renowned vigor, his voice trembling across the ripping currents erupting around him. Jet guarded himself as he was lifted into the air within the center of a lacerating cyclone, so tightly woven that he couldn't see beyond the high winds.
The cyclone's size increased, spreading over the street and passing over ruined buildings. Water and debris were carried up along the winds, solid debris being slowly grinded down under the immense pressure of cutting waves.
Terminus picked himself up, panting as his own attack slashed at his armor, but his hardened carapace kept him safe. He turned his gaze upward and glared at the suspended Dewott. "Be turned to rubble, Loyal Soldier!" He kicked off into the air and surrounded his axes in jagged stones. "Fatal Break: Twin Tyrant's Wing!"
Jet grabbed one scalchop and wielded it behind his hip. "Frigid Slash!" He fired High-Speed Flow from his feet and rocketed toward Terminus. With a quickdraw of his scalchop, he flew past the mantis with a chilling crescent flowing off his shell. His attack landed, freezing a solid line through Terminus' arms and chest.
Terminus grunted. Another technique? It didn't pierce my carapace, and it didn't feel as strong that time, but the cold is undeniable. Is it possible another move he sacrificed…was for Sacred Sword?
Thinking about it, that would explain that Infinite Edge technique. Razor Shell had a high chance of breaking defenses, and Sacred Sword ignored such boosts entirely.
But was that combination of moves really that strong together, or was there something else at play?
"Regardless—" The ice shattered off Terminus due to the cutting winds, and he whipped his attack around. "It's all in vain!"
Jet raised his arm and growled through the pain before being thrown into the walls of the cyclone. He howled in agony as the cutting winds grinded against his back, shredding against the shell armor atop his spine. It sliced into his toughened skin, slowly digging its way through.
Terminus hopped along disintegrating debris and launched himself at Jet, slamming his Fatal Break against his stomach and pushing him harder against the cyclone's wall. He slammed his other axe against Jet's face and shoved his cheek against the wall.
"Your dust will spread across Telo Martius!" Terminus shouted.
Jet clenched his teeth. "Oh, shut up!" He warped sharpened water around his scalchop and slammed it into Terminus' stomach. "Typhoon Fury!"
Terminus howled in pain as the drill grazed against his damaged side. He kicked off the wind wall, but this allowed Jet to fly off and take cover behind the disintegrating debris.
"Tch!" Terminus crashed down on a section of roof and fired a massive wind blade. "Fatal Wind: Cleave!"
He sliced through Jet's hiding spotting, forcing the Dewott to take off again. Over and over, Terminus fired wind blades while Jet flew circles around the cutting cyclone. He dragged the wind along his axe and fired another beam-like blade of wind.
"Storm—" Jet lifted his leg and split the cutting wave in two. "Guillotine!"
Terminus continued hopping along debris, panting heavier and heavier as he climbed the cyclone. My stamina is fading. Attack after attack, I've been depleting my energy. All the boosts I've gotten from Fatal Break are the only thing keeping me in the game, and he has to be wearing thin, too.
Jet landed on a flying chunk of stone, proving Terminus' deductions correct as the Dewott was reaching his breaking point. I'm still winded from all the earlier damage. Ugh, crap. He clenched his teeth into a scowl. Thinking about that pisses me off! I just need to hit him harder!
"High-Speed Flow!" Jet took off high above the cyclone and whipped out his scalchops. "Tidal—" He propelled himself down and swung with trails of sharpened water following behind. "Slash!"
Terminus blocked, but the force of Jet's attack sent them both careening back onto the ground. Terminus braced his legs, the ground depressing under his landing as he held back the waterfall of blades pushing down on him.
Jet smirked. "You're looking desperate! What's wrong?! I thought you said I couldn't cut you!"
Terminus clenched his teeth. "Damn you!" He pulled one arm free and swung it around, striking across Jet's side. "Burn in hell! Fatal Break: Sundering God!"
The rock armor around his axe detonated against Jet and blasted him against the enhanced Fatal Maelstrom's wall. Jet hissed from the burns on his back, but bounced back to his feet.
"Fatal Break—" Terminus hurtled himself across the ruined street. "Tyrant's Wing!"
Jet scoffed and rapidly swung his hands at the air, calling forth a folding grid of water slashes from behind himself. "Thousandfold—"
Terminus recoiled as the attack slammed into him, bringing down the might of several thousand slashes all overlapping each other. The ground and whatever remained standing were sliced and diced all around the mantis, throwing him through a war-torn grid of stone.
"Surging Slash!"
Terminus staggered the moment his feet touched solid ground. Without thinking, his mind exploding on pure instinct, he charged through the fist with both his axes blazing in bright orange aura. Eyes sparking with determination, he twisted his body and brought down a crushing blow atop of Jet.
The Dewott barely guarded with his scalchops in time, feeling the ground sink and crack under his feet. His scalchops grinded against the fierce power exuding from the mantis' pressure alone. Had he been a second slower, Jet would've been crushed.
"Inverted Waterfall!" Acting fast, he kicked his leg up and delivered a vertical water slash into Terminus' jaw. Though it didn't break the stalemate, it allowed him to slam his foot into the mantis' chest. "High-Speed Flow!"
Terminus' axes struck down into the ground, rending the earth before him. For a split second, he thought he turned the Dewott into a blood smear, but realized the truth as Jet sped around on jets of water, circling back on the mantis and kicking him in the back of the neck.
"AGH!" Terminus slammed his foot down and whipped his axe around. "Fatal Break!"
He struck back at Jet in the stomach, but the Dewott responded with a Storm Guillotine to the face, blasting each other apart. They slammed their feet down, dragging their weapons through the ground, and stopped themselves short of crashing into the ruined buildings.
The two foes trembled, pushing themselves to their feet, and glared each other down with haggard breaths. Both warriors pushing themselves to their limit, one decisive blow away from victory. The tipping point for success was clear. Soldiers born and raised with unlimited determination for anything they set their minds to.
Blades of their rulers who will destroy anything that stood in their way.
Who would be the sharpest?
Tch. Terminus struck his axes down, lighting his body in a dense cloak of aura. "RAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" He tensed his legs and leapt into the sky.
Jet shielded his eyes from the hurricane-like wind blowing back against him. Peeking over his arm, he watched the stone mantis climb higher and higher into the sky, nothing but a speck radiating like a star above Telo Martius. The winds swirled around Terminus, concentrating into his raised hand.
"Roar, howl, and tear! Displaced boundaries! Radiant earth! Incinerate!"
Rings of orange light encircled his axe hand, growing larger and larger with the winds howling louder. Dust filled the sky, forming clouds above Telo Martius with the stone mantis' energy crackling through the atmosphere.
"Witness my power, Loyal Soldier! You shall be remembered…as a truly worthy adversary!"
Jet narrowed his eyes, staring defiantly at the raging storm. He bent his leg back, crossed his scalchops behind himself with Endless Ocean activated. "I'll carve your name through the city itself. Best hope you stay alive long enough to witness it! High-Speed Flow!" Jet launched ahead and kicked off into the air.
Terminus' body convulsed as he concentrated the full brunt of his aura through his hand. "Now suffer your end! Fatal Edge: Apocalypse!" With one swing across the sky, he left a mighty scar of aura that projected meteor-like spears of rock through the air. Dozens split into hundreds of hurtling rock projectiles, painting the atmosphere in a radiant orange as if hellfire was to submerge the city.
The sight quelled the fighting on both sides, all eyes turning toward the sky at the harrowing rain of deadly rock streaking over Telo Martius. "Is that Commander Terminus?!" a soldier shouted.
"He's going to blister the entire city if that attack lands!" another shouted.
Tadhg and Melissa jumped back from their fight with Nemesis to observe the raining rock shower. Tadhg grimaced. "That's bad. I need to stop that before it lands." However, before he could project his domain, Melissa put a hand over his arm. "Hmm?"
Melissa turned her eyes toward a streak of blue rushing headlong toward the storm. "Nah, don't worry about that." She grinned. "Jet's going to win. After all, he never breaks his promise."
Streaks of hot stone blazed through the sky, all in an attempt to crush the defiant Dewott that stood in Terminus' way. In response, Jet charged into the fray, climbing higher and higher through the air with unwavering confidence. He could feel the pressure of the storm blasting down on him, yet he maintained his flight path.
The attack will inevitably cause devastation to a quarter of Telo Martius, the least populated area, but he could already sense the potential fallout. The combined cluster of rock will no doubt spread across the city, disorienting everyone with tremors and destruction from the shockwaves alone. Foe and ally alike would be affected in the aftermath.
Thus, Jet's objective was set in stone.
He would just have to cut down every single rock.
"Riptide—" He spun his scalchops, forming discs of razor sharp water around them that expanded in massive saucers. "Slicer!" He chucked both slicers ahead, then launched himself even faster through the air, curling into his own Riptide Slicer.
A flurry of slashes exploded over the air, cutting through the seemingly endless storm of rock that littered the visible sky. Every single one of the first wave, through speed and precision, were cut down into harmless pebbles that clouded the air in dust. Jet didn't leave a single one unscathed, always looking ahead for the optimal path for guaranteed victory.
Seeing his first wave being cut down, Terminus pushed through the strain on his body and fired a concentrated cluster solely on Jet. "DIE!"
With his first objective complete, Jet uncurled himself and faced the barrage heading toward him. He boosted off a piece of rock and rocketed into the oncoming attack. He caught his returning scalchops and twisted into the first rock. His body spun into a triple slicer, spiraling around the massive spear of rock and catapulting himself to the next as the rock was shredded to pieces behind him.
One by one, he climbed the meteor shower, cutting his way through simultaneously. The heat of Terminus' aura blazed off Jet's fur, but he shrugged off the pain and continued his destructive climb to the top.
No matter how many aimed his way, he continued his brutal ascension without fail. Nothing could slow him down. He would keep pushing further and further until he saw victory in his sightlines.
"TERMINUS!" Jet screaming, cutting through the last rock and blasting off with High-Speed Flow.
"RAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Amplifying his aura to the max, Terminus fired one last projectile, the largest spear of rock he could conjure. It resembled a small hill that had been sliced from the earth and thrown from the heavens. Though held back by air resistance in its flight, its speed was not to be undersold.
Jet, however, would not be intimidated.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Rearing his scalchops back, he channeled the full might of his Endless Ocean through them and struck into the hill-sized projectile.
The massive boulder stalled briefly in the air before being torn asunder in a whirlpool of slashes that drilled a path through the other side. Jet rocketed out from the crumbling rock with his legs fully enveloped in water, blasting him higher and faster through the sky.
He pulled his scalchops over his shoulders with mist hissing off the edges and through his clenched teeth. "Infinite Edge—"
Terminus' body swelled with power, his form convulsing from the overabundance of power fueling him. "This is it! LOYAL SOLDIER!" He concentrated all his energy through his right axe hand and propelled himself down on a burst of Tailwind.
Jet's eye glowed silver with a fierce blue aura blazing out. The mist trailing off his scalchops took shape into two giant buster blades. His High-Speed Flow continued to increase, pushing him faster through the sky as he closed in on the careening mantis.
"Leviathan…PURGATORY!" With one final push with his High-Speed Flow, he exploded through the sky in a trail of silver and blue aura.
Terminus roared, gathering the largest cluster of rock around his axe, easily tripling in size compared to his strongest attacks. The energy was so immense that natural vents opened within the jagged stone to release stored pressure.
"Fatal Break: TYRANT'S HEAVENLY WAR WING!" With another burst of Tailwind, he catapulted himself on a blazing trail of orange aura.
The two forces streak through the sky, the sheer might of their auras whistling against the air. One final clash to decide. Who will live to carry out their superior's dreams?
With only a moment's pause as if reality itself wanted to take a moment to capture the glorious sight before impact…
The two warriors struck.
A massive flash of light erupted over the city, crackles of the two opposing auras scorching the artificial clouds. All below on the surface shielded their eyes from the illuminating assault while the pressures of their combined attacks carried down over the city, slicing into buildings and streets and startling civilians.
It was like witnessing two gods throwing javelins at each other with the power to rend the earth if thrown carelessly. A collision that felt like it could go on forever, burned into their memories for its grandiose and awe, yet knowing it was only a fleeting moment.
Who would be the first to break?
A fierce crackle of orange light engulfed the blinding flash, seemingly determining the fate of the battle as it aimed to swallow the light.
…And then a blue, X-shaped scar cleaved through that light.
Flying out through the other side of the flash was the true victor of the clash.
Jet Fyrewalker.
The flash instantly dissipated, dispersing back into the atmosphere and leaving behind the remaining occupant of the climatic clash.
Terminus spat blood. His eyes whited out from the shock of the blow as a giant X had been cleaved through the chest of his carapace with blood spraying out. His attack had not only been overcome, but his right hand had been utterly decimated, leaving behind a shattered axe riddled with cuts.
"Em…Emperor…Nero…" Terminus gasped as his body plummeted along with the rest of the scattered rock in the sky.
Jet paid no mind to his fallen adversary, leaving his fate up to chance as the stone mantis disappeared into the flooded ruins below. Instead, he set his gaze on the armies below, an uneasy calm settling at the forefront of his mind. When was the last time he felt such unparalleled clarity? He felt one with the world around him.
He finally felt like…he understood himself.
He will continue to devote himself to Jason and Melissa's cause…
But he'll do it his way from now on.
I am…the Flood Blade King.
Jet dove into the middle of a battle, using his High-Speed Flow to slow his descent. Knights, Foresters, and solders alike jumped back as the Dewott landed in the middle, instantly spinning on his hands and firing off water blades that passed through the entire conflicting army.
A second after, many New Chariot soldiers recoiled from a sudden burst of slashing attacks. The knights and Foresters inspected themselves, but found no cuts on their bodies, even those who were hit with the same water blade as an enemy soldier.
"Only the enemy was cut down," a knight gasped.
Shingo, who was among the group, inspected his soaked uniform with a smirk. "A true swordsman can cut through everything and nothing. A blade in a true master will only cut when they desire."
Jet rose to his feet, rolling out the aches in his body and taking a moment to breathe. Though his body was still wracked with pain, he still had some energy left in him. His battle wasn't over yet. It will never be over until all threats have been neutralized. Terminus…was just another enemy.
The soldiers who remained standing turned their spears toward the Dewott with their shields raised, sensing the power brimming off the watery aura encasing him. Jet glanced ever so slightly over his shoulder, the hue of his silver eye hidden in a small cast of shadow over his face. An emotionless presence with only victory as his objective.
"Next."