Flashback – Castle Foirbeis Training Hall

"Flow of the Universe?"

Melissa followed Marie's movements as she demonstrated flowing motions with the arms. They danced in sync with each other, stepping side-by-side, as they let their arms flow along the air like a gentle breeze.

Marie nodded. "This is a technique I developed for non-lethal purposes."

Melissa winced. "Non-lethal?"

"Stay on topic."

"Sorry."

Marie sighed. "Feel yourself becoming like water. The push and pull of the tides with the rise and fall of the moon. The flow of the wind guiding you along. It's all about channeling the energy around you, taming it as your own. This is a technique designed to be the ultimate counter against even the strongest opponents. Teaching you everything I know about this technique would take months, and simply copying it without learning first wouldn't do it justice. For now, I'm teaching you the basic principles."

Melissa frowned. "So, if I perform this correctly, I can counter any attack?"

"Theoretically."

"Theoretically?!"

Marie glared. "This isn't a technique to take lightly, hon. Once you commit, you have to commit. One misstep or the slightest bit of hesitation could make the difference between a failed counterattack and a blown off arm."

"Thanks for that mental image…"

Marie stretched her arms, pushing and pulling softly against the air. "I learned this technique from studying Counter. I've learned how to use it through Pain Split and Payback. Take what I'm teaching you with the utmost seriousness. I wouldn't want you to have to first use this against something that'll literally kill you."

Melissa gulped. "So, only as a last resort?"

"I'm not comfortable with you using this without a reason. Just trust in my other lessons, and you should be golden from there."

Melissa smiled sweetly. "Thanks for training me, Marie. I couldn't ask for a better mentor than you."

"…" Marie looked aside, hiding her reddened cheeks. "Well, let's hope you still think highly of me after the mission."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Keep doing your exercises. We'll start on practical application soon."

Melissa made the first move, skipping forward in a zigzag motion with blinding speed. With her shield primed, she bashed it against Nero, who immediately countered with a well-timed twist of his spear. He spun the spear around and redirected the Buneary away from him.

Melissa slid atop her shield, sprang to her feet, and rushed him down while his back was turned. However, Nero stomped the ground with his heel and erected a wall of Stone Edge to block her off. She landed against it with the soles of her feet and sprung away right as Nero thrusted his spear through the rocks, shattering them instantly.

Nero laughed. "Running and dodging won't win you the battle, Skill Hunter. I do hope you can put up a better fight on land than on a rickety chariot."

Melissa scowled. "Keep laughing, jerk." She sprung off again, this time racing circles around Nero. I shouldn't be surprised he was suspicious of us and took measures to investigate the plan, but it seems he's unaware of the flooding scheme. However, our plan hasn't been thrown into disarray yet.

Nero lazily tracked her speedy movements before gripping his spear in both hands. "Ebony Soul: Storm!" He channeled a ring of darkness around himself as he spun, then expelled it out as a violent shockwave.

Melissa instantly launched herself into the air, dodging the attack, and fired Abyss Cloud from under her shield, latching onto the ground. After putting some tension through the dark threads, she shot herself out of the air and divebombed on top of Nero with a powerful Mega Kick.

Nero braced himself with his spear while the ground cracked under his feet. He smirked. "There it is." Standing his ground, he poured energy through his spear, enhancing its durability. He subtly twisted his spear, causing Melissa's attack to slide off, and bashed her in the back with the end of the spear.

"GAH!" Melissa cried, bouncing across the ground.

"Ebony Soul: Consume!" Nero stomped one foot forward and raised a surging wave of dark rock.

Melissa bounced to her feet and threw her equipment into the air. "Shingo Style: Shadow in the Void!" Performing a hand sign, she expelled a high volume of smoke below herself.

The surging rocks pierced through the smoke cloud, but with no Buneary in sight. Nero rested his spear over his shoulder and casually approached the dissipating smoke. His stance almost felt unguarded, but only a fool would dare take this as a sign of vulnerability. Assuredness coupled with his years of battle experience, Nero could carry himself into any unknown danger without fear of retaliation.

"There's only so many places for you to run, Skill Hunter." He blew the last of the smoke aside with a swipe of his spear and found a hole in the ground. He smirked. "And nowhere is safe from me." He slammed his foot down, triggering an Earthquake across the arena and rattling the tunnel below him.

However—

"Fangs of Groudon!" The wall of sharp stone behind Nero suddenly exploded open. Melissa leapt out with her arms wrapped in an aura of heat. "Got you!"

Nero spun his spear behind himself without looking and parried Melissa's claws. "Did you really think—" Taking his spear in both hands, he activated Brutal Swing and bashed the weapon across her side. "I could be so easily snuck up on?"

Melissa's body folded against the powerful swing before dispersing into a pile of gray goo. Nero shielded his face as he watched the Buneary fall apart in front of him.

"Substitute, eh?" He stomped the ground again, raising a perimeter of sharp stone around himself. "She's got more tricks than I expected—"

The ground cracked under him, and Melissa came flying out, uppercutting Nero with her ears. "Take that!"

Nero's head snapped back from the force, but he laughed through the pain. "Ohhh, that's just great!"

Melissa gasped as he immediately seized her by the ears and pressed her against the stone wall. Nero impaled his spear into the ground, wound his fist back, and hammered it into Melissa's back.

"Ebony Soul!"

The energy crackled through the other side of the rock, blasting a hole open as Melissa went flying out gasping in pain. Nero burst out from the rock, caught up with the flying Buneary, and hammered his fist down on her again. Melissa screamed out in agony until her body once again collapsed into a pile of gray goo.

Nero smirked, stood up, and shook the goop off his fist. "Are you scared of fighting me up close, Skill Hunter?"

The real Melissa was safely tucked behind the wall of sharp rocks previously fired. She kept her voice down and breathing steady as she listened out for the emperor's location. Her battle on the chariots gave her enough insight into Nero's strength, and she realized she would lose in a drawn-out, physical conflict. Wearing him down seemed like her only option, but that seemed nearly impossible given his resolute nature.

Not much to work with. She sheathed her sword and shieled over her back, then kicked out a few rocks from the Stone Edge wall. I'll need to stay within midrange.

She rushed out from hiding, channeling energy through the rocks she gathered. "Sadie Style—"

"Ebony Soul: Consume!" Nero punched the ground and sent out another surge of darkened rock at her.

Melissa flipped off one hand and catapulted over the rock surge. "Assisted Destruction!" She threw the rocks, launching from her hand like cannonballs blazing through the air in orange and blue streaks.

"Ebony Soul—" Nero spun his spear, channeling a film of dark aura in front of him and destroying the rocks on contact. "Barrier!"

Melissa fired Abyss Cloud into the rocks and reeled herself in as she landed, sending her skating in an arc across the ground. Once she built up momentum, she flung herself at Nero's flank and slammed into him, her feet blazing in a white hot aura.

"Mega Crash!"

Nero tightened his stance, summoning a cluster of Stone Edge around his feet to keep himself anchored. "Ebony Soul!" He tightened his fist, crackling with dark energy, and swung for the Buneary's face.

Melissa catapulted off his side and leaned her head back, narrowly avoiding his strike. "Abyss Cloud!" She fired several tendrils of dark clouds behind herself, latching onto the ground, and flung herself back right as Nero went for a spear strike.

Nero smirked. "Ebony Soul—" He stomped forward, triggering a rupturing shockwave of darkness to chase after the flying rabbit. "Afterburst!"

Melissa flinched as the shockwave drew closer. She snapped the cloud tendrils and fired another set, reeling herself out of the way. The shockwave reached her last position and erupted outward into a massive, serrated pillar of rock. "Gah!"

Nero used Brutal Swing on a nearby weapon rack, scattering a myriad of blades and shields into the air. "Ebony Soul: Storm!" He swung his spear into the falling weapons and used the force of the impending shockwave to send them scattering forward.

"Crap!" Melissa landed and twisted her body through the barrage of weapons, weaving around swords and ducking under shields. As she settled, Nero had already crossed the distance and thrusted his spear at her.

"Ebony Soul: Arrow!"

Melissa jumped back, flying out of the spear's immediate reach. He's relentless. Her eyes widened as the spear suddenly extended after her. She narrowly tilted her head out of the way, wincing as the spearhead sliced the surface of her cheek. Her eyes flickered to the emperor's hand, revealing that he extended the spear by gripping onto the rear of his weapon, giving him far greater reach. So fast. I barely had time to react.

Nero smirked. "Storm." Still gripping to the end of his spear, he swung it around and bashed it across Melissa's side before sending her flying into the shockwave.

"AAAAH!" Melissa skipped off the ground, tumbling over herself before crashing into the far wall.

Nero pulled his spear back and spun it deftly as he approached the fallen Buneary. "What are you hoping to accomplish here? All you've proven to me is that you don't have the guts to take on the bigger threats. You want to play things out the nice way, thinking the world will just bend to your words because you shower them with the promise of peace. How can you start to back up your promises when you lack the strength to carry out your convictions?"

Melissa pressed her hand down and trembled as she stood. "There are good people…who need my help."

He laughed. "And you think my empire doesn't? I do what I do because I can't be spared to trust the other kingdoms. Their petty little squabbles and backstabbing. There's no decorum in negotiation anymore. It's all about being deceitful and clever. But that's the funny part: I'm more than capable of such treachery. I just prefer my enemy to know exactly what they're getting into when dealing with me. You thieves only have your lies to keep you afloat."

"…" Melissa lifted her glare toward him.

"Heh. Oh, and by the way: we'll be crushing that little army waiting outside the capital real soon. Amazing you cobbled together some scraps from the Umbra Clock Kingdom just to pass for a threat. Our scouts say the king is leading the charge. Oh, that takes me back. As I recall, Commander Nemesis killed their last king."

"…" Melissa clenched her fists.

"Do you hate me, Skill Hunter? Good. Let the urge to retaliate take over. I'll just keep knocking you down over and over until I get what I want."

"…How did you know about our scheme?"

He smirked. "You admit as much? Honestly, you think I never suspected something? I didn't trust you thieves for a second, and your new allies got suckered into whatever ploy you cooked up. You're going to get them all killed just for…what, exactly?" He laughed. "And the moment Stormbreaker drops the act, the order will be sent to kill your friends up on the fort. I wonder how committed he is to watch me crush you."

"…" Melissa stood up and rolled her shoulders. "You have no idea how strong I really am." She wiped the blood off her cheek. "Because my strength comes from my friends. My experiences."

Nero laughed. "Adorable. Absolutely adorable." He kicked off the ground and rushed her down. "All of that means nothing if you can't stand on your own legs!"

Melissa took her stance. The longer we fight, the more comfortable I'll get reading his fighting style. Marie said I shouldn't rely on Adaptive Foresight or Faithless Imitation too much. They're tools, not just weapons. Trust what I've learned. Trust my own abilities. Turn that faithlessness…into a faith in my own skills!

Melissa pivoted on her heel and dodged Nero's first strike, feeling the breeze of his spear rushing across her cheek. Her eyes shined in silver, feeling the world slowing ever so slightly. Inherited Will, to compensate for the accelerated processing power to handle the enhanced state of their desired move, granted a slight increase in perception and reaction time. Nothing too drastic, but just enough to give an edge against an equally skilled opponent.

Nero was beyond that of a skilled individual. He was one who honed his skills since hatching.

Nero instantly switched up his thrusting attack and swung his spear. Melissa bent to the side, letting the weapon sail over her. She spun on her hands and kicked the croc in the stomach. Nero endured and brought his fist down. She rolled out of the way and shielded herself as the ground shattered against his punch.

"Ebony Soul—" He leaned his punch further down, performing a one-inch strike that caused the ground to overturn around him in a violent shockwave. "Devour!"

Half of the arena was swept up in his technique. The ground flipped and shifted into itself, grinding up the weapon racks, obstacle courses, and the remains of their broken chariots. The shockwaves carried out over one side of the colosseum, startling the audience in the rumbling.

Melissa immediately fired Abyss Cloud to a safe spot before she touched the ground, flinging herself out of danger. All of that with a one-inch punch after missing his attack? His skill is undeniable.

As the trembling dampened, Nero pulled his fist out of the earth and laughed to himself. This one. Just when you think you have her figured out, she pulls another trick out of her hat. She has a mind for strategizing on the fly, so much so that I'm willing to bet she comes up with these schemes not intending to have a backup plan. So unpredictable that she fumbles through her own crazy.

Melissa landed and dispelled Abyss Cloud. Tadhg said to analyze a technique and determine its components through process of elimination. Stone Edge, Brutal Swing, Power Trip, Earthquake. These are the moves I know for certain. His main technique? It's likely a combination of Power Trip and…based on the random power fluctuations, it has to be a move that varies under certain conditions. Likely candidate is Frustration.

She curled her fist and punched into her palm, creating a brief flash of black sparks.

A focused strike that shoots kinetic energy through a target. It carries no more force than a normal punch, but the impact hits like lightning through the nerves. It's designed specifically for brutal beatdowns, not all-powerful brawls.

Nero spun his spear and wound himself up. "Ebony Soul: Storm!" He swiped at the air, sending forth a wide-reaching shockwave with a trail of dust surging under it.

Melissa tensed her leg muscles. Frantic Bunny Hop. She dashed forward with explosive speed, meeting the shockwave head on. And…Ivone Style: Purified Luster! An iridescent light shined across her fur. She tucked her head under her arms and breached through Nero's attack.

"A defensive counterattack, eh?" Nero rushed her down, rearing back his spear. "Ebony Soul: Arrow!" He thrusted his spear ahead, dark energy crackling off the tip.

Melissa crossed her arms and blocked the spear. She growled through the searing pain, feeling the point digging against her skin but never breaching. She uncrossed her arms and grabbed the neck of the spear. Carefully, she undid Purified Luster and started channeling intense heat through her left hand as she kept the spear inches from her body.

"Tank Style—" Clenching her fist over the swelling heat, she kicked Nero's spear out of the way and lunged at him. "Forge's Retaliation!"

Nero raised his arm and tanked the explosive wave igniting off the Buneary's punch. Set aflame in its destructive glow, the explosion sent him skidding across the arena, his feet staying firmly rooted into the ground. As he stopped, he swiped his arm and used the pressure of Brutal Swing to blow the flames off.

"Heh…heh…heh…" Nero laughed through the smoldering pain of his burnt arm. "Nice. Very nice."

Melissa bounced on her toes, waving the smoke off her fist. "Ugh. Does nothing faze him?"

Fortuna gripped tightly to the edge of the observation booth. "Dammit Nero, stop being so reckless."

Ceres glared at the nervous Pachirisu. "Yeesh. What's got you all wound up, Lucky Tail? Nero's taken a bigger beating than this before."

She clenched her teeth. "I rather not talk about it…"

Gemini narrowed his eyes, sharing a glance with Jason. "She's a talented sort, that one. She's lasted the longest out of all of Emperor Nero's past opponents."

"…" Jason narrowed his eyes. "Gemini, a word."

"Hmm?"

"Why do you hold such faith in Nero? Surely even you must see the disastrous path of his ideals. An endless war cannot be sustained."

"…" Gemini glared down at the fight. "Truth be told, I've voiced my concerns once or twice to the young emperor when he took power. However, I have no doubts of his convictions. He is a man who will carry out his will regardless of the danger it puts him in."

"Hmm."

"His one and only concern is the pride and happiness of his people. We are a people born for war, and we do not trust the ideals of the other kingdoms. Peace and war…are both unsustainable, thus we choose the option that gives immediate benefit to the people. Nero never wavers in his decision. He knows what he wants, and he will proudly accept the consequences that follow."

"…" Jason's glare deepened. Those two. They really are more alike than they wish to admit.

"Frantic Bunny Hop!" Melissa burst across the arena, striking into Nero's burnt arm.

He grunted through his grin, fighting against the searing pain flaring up over him. He quickly twisted his arm, caught the rabbit's leg, and swung her into the ground. Melissa bounced off the ground, gasping in pain, then went flying from a heavy punch to the stomach.

"Ebony Soul: Consume!" Nero stomped the ground and sent out a surging wave of sharpened rock at the flying bunny.

Melissa regained her balance, landed against the wall, and sprung into the air as the rocks crashed under her. Using Abyss Cloud, she grappled atop the rocks and flung herself across the arena with Nero giving chase below. She soared closer and closer to the ground with Nero catching up, charging his spear with dark energy.

"Ebony Soul: Arrow!" He thrusted his weapon forward with Melissa an inch away from touching the ground.

Got you. Melissa raised her hands. "Lambert Style: Trick Switch!"

CLAP!

The two instantly swapped places with Melissa taking hold of Nero's charged spear. She tensed her leg muscles and added another dose of explosive speed into the spear's momentum. With barely half a second to process the switch, Nero shifted his weight and avoided the brunt of the spear's attack. It slashed across his side, drawing out a line of blood splashing over his weapon and across Melissa's face.

After the first second of the attack, Nero seized his spear and stopped the explosive momentum with his raw strength alone, staggering Melissa. Before she could flee, he caught her by the neck and lifted her to eye level.

His eyes shined with a torrent of red aura that carried a spiteful and furious rage beneath his savvy, confident grin. However, to say it was a sign of the emperor cracking from stress was an ignorant assessment. It wasn't rage at the thought of losing, that much Melissa could tell. It was a hunger for battle. They were the eyes of a war god.

"That's good. That's real good," he whispered. "Now you're thinking like a tyrant, Skill Hunter."

Her eyes widened. "Wha—"

Nero let go of her and immediately cracked his fist across her face, a violent wave of black flashes crackling over the air. "Ebony Soul!"

Melissa had barely activated Purified Luster in response, but it hardly did anything to negate the damage. Blood trickled out from her nose, and the technique flickered as a migraine erupted within her mind. Agh…!

Before she could even touch the ground, Nero followed it up with a second swing, cracking his crackling fist into her gut. He delivered a third strike to her back, slamming her into the ground.

Melissa doubled over at his feet and vomited, shuddering from the bursts of pain scattering across her nerves. As she tried to rise, Nero kicked her in the face with another burst of Ebony Soul and sent her skidding back. Her muscles twitched and ached with dark sparks crackling through her fur.

"Aaaaagh…" she groaned.

The crowd cheered on for Nero as he picked up his spear and approached the fallen Buneary. He ran his hand across the gash in his side and painted the blood across his face and snout. "How can you hope to make those lofty ambitions come true if you can't defeat me? The moment you show weakness, that's when you're at your most vulnerable. I've suffered a great number of grievous wounds. I haven't just been spending my days in my room bathing in the lap of luxury. I honed every aspect of my body to perfect. I've endured the vilest pains."

"Aaaaagh…"

Nero picked her up by the ears and laughed. "The hatred the region has for me gives me strength. As long as those like you continue to hate me, my hate for them grows in turn. You have no idea just how much fury I'm holding back."

"…" Melissa grimaced. "You created Ebony Soul…to turn aggression into power. Even in its most basic form, it's such a simple, yet remarkable technique."

Nero smirked. "You're quite the study, Skill Hunter."

"I have to…" Melissa clenched her fist, sending crackles of dark energy up her arm. "I have to always be one step ahead."

Nero glared. "What the—"

Getting her second wind, she shot a fierce glare at the emperor as she reared her fist back. "Then let me show you…just how much I hate you! Nero Style—"

BAM!

She cracked her fist against his snout, releasing a violent wave of black flashes across the air. Nero recoiled from the blow, releasing his grip over her ears. The crowd gasped into silence, watching the ripples of darkness rain down around the two warriors.

"Ebony Soul!"

The two separated from each other. Melissa bounced back on her heels and paused to catch her breath, watching as Nero faltered in place. Crackles delivered from his own replicated attack surged across his skin. Blood gushed from his nose and dripped off his chin. A small, yet impactful imprint of Melissa's fist sat across his snout, smoking from the release of energy upon collision.

"…Heh."

Melissa growled. "Of course…"

Nero relaxed his muscles and straightened himself back up. Little by little, he took hold of himself and cracked out the tension in his bones and muscles. He wiped the blood off his nose, dirtying his armor as he wiped his arm clean, and brushed a claw over the impact point.

"You really are a violent bunny," he taunted.

"Urgh." Melissa kicked off, rearing his fist back. "No matter what stands in my way, I'll do all that I can to make my ideals a reality!"

Nero reared his back in response, laughing through his smirk. "Don't say shit you can't back up, little bunny!"

"Ebony Soul!"

Their fists collided, corrupting the air around them in a violent torrent of black sparks. Energy spilled out over the ground, the force of their collision mowing the earth away from them. Even their fists were being pushed away from each other, clashing with the intense pressure exuding between them as they held their grounds.

"I…I don't even know what to say at his point!" the announcer blared over the colosseum. "I'm so stunned that I can't find the words to commentate!"

The wind rushed across Melissa and Nero's faces as they glared through the distorting air between them. "What do you think of me now, huh?!" Melissa yelled.

Nero growled excitedly. "You cheeky little bunny. Stealing my technique. You just don't stop, do you?" He slammed his foot back and hardened his stance. "But surely you must know that copying a technique isn't the same as mastering it!"

Melissa's eyes widened as the energy spilling out haphazardly from his fist was now bending and coiling into rings around his arm and fingers.

"Ebony Soul: Fang!"

He eased off his attack, causing Melissa to fly forward. He whipped his arm back and hammered it across her stomach. The rotating energy grinded against her, igniting into concentrated bursts of dark energy. She screamed out in pain as Nero let loose the full force of his attack and sent her flying with an explosive wave of energy.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" She immediately activated Purified Luster, but it instantly shattered the second she crashed into the arena wall. Aaaagh. I'm overexerting Faithless Imitation. I can't maintain the techniques.

Nero raced toward her, grabbing another spear off the ground and channeling the rings of dark energy across the pole. "Dodge this!" He threw the spear forward. The rings ignited and propelled the spear even faster in a spiraling, propulsive wave.

Melissa crouched down. "Frantic Bunny Hop!" She vanished in a burst of speed, narrowly avoiding the spear as it decimated the wall in her place. Ripples traveled over a quarter of the arena wall, sending cracks along the surface and into the stands. The audience members within those seats jolted back as small fissures opened under them.

All that excess energy is being converted into rotational force around his arms. It applies the same principle as his Storm variant, but in a condensed scale. For such a simple technique, the ways he learned to master it are…unparalleled to anything I've seen.

Nero sprinted after her, dragging his claws through the ground with a trail of destruction racing behind him. "The culmination of perfection! The truest essence of war! Mastery over even the most basic principles of combat!"

Melissa immediately sprung back after landing, dodging Nero's rising claw swipe. The rotational energy carried across the ground, imbedding itself through the walls ahead, and detonated. She backflipped off her hands, hovering above the ground as she flew back. Nero burst out from the dust, hunting her down with energy wildly crackling from his eyes.

"Ebony Soul—"

Melissa's eyes widened as the rotating energy spun faster, wrapping around his arm like a twister. Crap!

"Repeating Fang!"

She fired a weak strand of Abyss Cloud, causing her to spit up blood, and pulled herself out of the way. Nero's fist collided with the ground, drilling down to his elbow in a single strike. He ripped his arms free and continued to the chase, applying the technique over both arms.

"Frantic Bunny Hop!" Melissa landed and took off, skipping all over the arena with hurried bursts of speed.

Nero stopped and excitedly flickered his eyes around, tracking the bursts of dust kicking up between launches. "You're getting better with that little technique. I can barely keep track of you."

Melissa landed outside of Nero's blind spot and tensed against the wall. I need to hold off on using Faithless Imitation for a moment. Switching between so many styles is still an obstacle to overcome.

She burst off the wall and extended her feet out, setting them ablaze in white hot aura. "Mega Crash!"

She landed a direct hit onto Nero's back, knocking him off his feet. She carried his body across the air before slamming her foot onto his head and dragging him through the ground.

"Super Springy Flurry Kick!" As they skidded across the arena, she peppered down on him with a hurried barrage of kicks, beating him deeper and deeper through the ground.

Nero finally fished his hand out from beneath himself and clawed through the ground. With the addition of the spiraling energy around his fingertips, he jerked to the side, pivoting along his claw and throwing Melissa off balance. He slid onto his face and drove him toward the airborne Buneary, slamming his spiraling fist into her stomach.

"Repeating Fang!"

"GAH!" Melissa went flying back, wincing from the smoldering, spiral-shaped burn over her stomach. She tumbled and rolled upon landing, but managed to spring back to her feet. She barely had a second to breathe as Nero came at her again, dodging his rising claw swipe.

Nero smirked. "Seems you have a limit on how long you can use those stolen techniques." He changed up his attack on the fly and whipped his arm across her side. "Why else would you rely on such useless maneuvers?!"

"AAAAGH!" Melissa skipped over the ground and landed on her face. She gripped her side, feeling the smoldering burns dealt to her. "Absolutely…brutal."

Nero slammed his fists together and rushed her down again. "Ebony Soul: Repeating Fang!" The energy spiraled tighter around his arms, practically resembling two drills.

Melissa closed her eyes and raised her ears. Focus on your breathing, Melissa. Get a grip on yourself. I will master Faithless Imitation. I will unlock the full extent of its potential, and I will overcome this weakness.

"Let's see you handle this, little bunny!" Nero yelled, shooting his fist toward her back.

"Frediano Style—"

She slammed her arms down as dark ice formed over them, then she sprung off a pillar of ice and catapulted over Nero's head. The ice grew and took shape into a giant pair of icy claws.

"Dark Frostbite Claws!"

Nero eased the rotating energy around his arms, returning them to their Fang state. "Oh good, another one."

Melissa landed and brandished her new set of claws. I just need to hold off on switching too much. I should be able to rely on this until I'm raring to go again. She dashed forward. "Let the show continue, Nero!"

Nero laughed and rushed her down as well. Meeting each other halfway, they clashed fists. Nero's punch slowly grinded through the icy claws, working his way down to Melissa's arm. "A pair of ice claws? You must be desperate."

Melissa grinned. "Do not underestimate the soul of a performer, Nero!" She bent her arm back and molded her other ice claw into a sickle. "Because we can improvise through the unexpected!"

Nero let off on his attack and jumped back from her sickle swipe. She quickly regrew her ice claw and chased him down, sharpening and stretching the claws out. She extended them outward and slashed over the air, catching Nero before he could escape.

"Up and—" She swung him high over head and smashed him into the ground. "Down you go!"

"Shatter!" Nero slammed his index claw into one of the ice claws and instantly shattered it. He ripped himself free from the other claw and raced up the length. "Fang!" He expelled excess energy through his arm and coiled it into rotating rings.

Melissa detached part of the claws and bounced back, ducking out of his reach. She regrew the claws and slammed them together into a tight cluster. "Flying Claws of Majesty!" She fired out a barrage of icicles at the emperor.

He rushed through them, breaking open a path with a flurry of punches. "Consume!" As he stopped and kept up his guard, he stomped his foot forward and sent surging rock toward where the rabbit would land.

Melissa stopped firing and morphed the claws into a barrier, blocking the sharpened rock as it grinded past her. Nero used the momentary reprieve to lunge her way and seize her by the ears.

"Repeating Fang!" He tightened the rotating energy rings into a condensed twister and went for the attack.

"HA!" However, Melissa twisted within his hold and slashed over his shoulder, leaving a thick film of ice over his right side. This greatly reduced his speed, allowing her to barely tank the hit with her other set of claws. The ice shattered, causing her to fly free from his hold.

Nero stepped back, watching the ice crawl over his skin. He flicked his shoulder, sending out a vibration that shattered it off. "What an annoying technique."

Melissa sprung around the arena, keeping her eyes trained on Nero. I'm getting better at reading his movements, but Marie was right. Just because I can predict how he'll attack doesn't mean I'll always be able to avoid him. Nero's definitely a fighting genius. The amount of ways he can defend and counterattack, not to mention tank whatever damage he takes. He lives up to his reputation.

Nero stomped the ground, causing pillars of Stone Edge to rise in front of him. "Ebony Soul—" Striking the rocks with both fists, he destroyed them, causing barrages of sharpened rock layered in spiraling energy to scatter forward. "Hundred Fang!"

Melissa raced into the storm, using her ice claws to carve a path through. Though not strong enough to destroy the rocks, she struck and parried just enough to redirect their movements while rebuilding her shattered claws. One nearly took her head off, but she sidestepped around it and felt it shave the hairs off her cheek.

Nero leapt over the shattered rock and charged down the rabbit. "Repeating Fang!"

Melissa flipped forward and dropped to the ground, sliding under his punch and kicking his legs out from under him. She dug her claws down, spun herself back around, and lunged at the falling croc. In response, Nero slammed his hand down to catch himself and swung his foot in retaliation. Melissa quickly blocked with her ice claws, feeling the weight of his kick shattering through.

Nero flipped back onto his feet and threw a punch. "Fang!"

With her unbroken claw, she shielded against the shredding energy and pivoted around it right as the ice shattered. Just as she did, her eyes glimmered with silver once again. She could feel her focus returning, and her hold over Faithless Imitation renewing.

"Nero Style—" She reared her fist around and nailed him in the back. "Ebony Soul!"

The explosive wave of energy cracked through the air, its power shooting through Nero like a bullet. He coughed up blood as he staggered forward, but hardened his stance and whipped his tail to smack the bunny aside.

"Don't slow down yet. This fight is getting good!" His eyes blazed with crackles of black energy, his stripes blinking gradually in red. "A fight to the death! What a way to go out, huh?!" Clashing his fists together, he went on the warpath yet again.

Melissa took her stance just as Nero entered her range. With little time to activate a technique, she focused solely on defending herself. She weaved in and out of Nero's punches and tail swipes, peppering in her own punches and kicks. Her eyes flickered wildly, keeping track of the shifting patterns for each new attack, hurriedly determining which maneuver he will perform next. It was almost too much to take in. Even with her predictions on point, the gap between the prediction and the attack was tight. Nero was moving faster and faster the more excited he got.

There was a potent bloodlust emanating around him.

"This is what I live for!" Nero shouted. "I don't want this feeling to ever stop! Let's keep doing this until we both drop dead, huh?!"

Melissa started to sweat as his attack became more erratic and heavier. This is getting crazy!

That's when she noticed something.

For a brief moment, something shimmered past her eyes, nearly blinding her. Confused, her gaze darted in the light's direction, tracking it above the colosseum. There, she spotted Jason holding a small mirror within his palm, blinking a pattern of lights in her direction.

A code. A code practiced between them before the mission started.

That, and the look she could read even with that brief glance in his direction…

It was time to begin.

"HA!" Melissa parried the last of Nero's strikes and instantly bounced out of his reach. "Is that all you got, Nero?! I've taken on worse hits than those!"

Nero laughed. "You're not a good liar, Skill Hunter." He rushed her down, rearing back his spiraling claws. "I can see the fear in those eyes! You're starting to lose your edge!"

Melissa skipped backwards, keeping out of the wild croc's range. His claws dragged through the earth with each swing, raising walls of dirt rent through the air. She pivoted on her heel, dodging a swift jab spiraling with force, and bounced even further away from the emperor.

"This duel won't end the way you think it will!" Melissa yelled.

"Sure, it will!" Nero burst from the dust, brandishing his claws as he chased her down. "If you have any self-respect for this future of yours, you better have the guts to bring me down!"

Melissa tried to get away again, but Nero stomped the ground and caught her in his Consume technique. The rushing rocks nicked her across the side, sending her spinning through the air. He lunged during her vulnerable state and hammered his spiraling fist into her.

"Ebony Soul: Repeating Fang!"

"AAAAAAGH!" Melissa screamed, flying back from his punch. She dragged her fingers through the ground to catch herself and nearly doubled over from the burning pain across her chest. "Agh…!"

Nero kept on the offensive, rushing her down with malicious laughter. "You can't half-ass such lousy ambitions! If you're going to steal this world for your own, you need to have more than dreams guiding you! You need to take hold of the world by its reins, seizing everything for your goal!"

Melissa dodged another deadly punch and launched herself toward some scattered equipment. She kicked up swords, shields, and spears and threw them at the rampaging croc.

"You need to be ruthless in your pursuit, not just kind!" Nero tore through the weapons with ease, scattering their parts over the air. "Nothing short of absolute victory, taking hold of your prize knowing it was claimed by your own bloodied hands." He caught a spear out of the air and channeled his energy down the length. "Undeniable truth from both ally and enemy of your status! You cannot waver! You cannot hesitate!"

He rushed her down, channeling the full brunt of his Repeating Fang technique and turning his spear into a powerful energy drill.

"That's what someone with real strength looks like!"

Melissa could fear her heart trembling with suppressed fear, knowing that one direct shot from that spear could do lethal damage to her. She was about ready to dodge again, knowing she could evade him, but it wouldn't be enough. With all the damage Nero accumulated, he shouldn't be standing, yet he still had this monstrous tenacity keeping him going. It was all overwhelming, and dodging all day would only delay the mission.

Something about the croc's taunts struck a chord with her, one where she couldn't help agreeing with his brash statements. She took on this challenge not only as a means to get most of Telo Martius' attention on her, but to perhaps find some way to break through their emperor's adamant personality.

But now it seems to be all for naught.

Was Nero really beyond reasoning? Or were they simply incompatible to agree on anything?

Melissa never liked the idea of going to war. She hated that she had to perform all this deception, staging everything with the intent to cause severe, crippling damage to the empire even if they were the enemy. All of this just to push Nero into surrendering. But as he said, New Chariot was made up of a hardy, unyielding people. They knew the risks. They were a culture built up on praising their military might.

Such a ruthless and proud culture had to be met with an equally ruthless response.

And if there was one thing Melissa was good at, it was imitating a ruthless nature.

As the attack drew nearer and nearer, she relaxed her body and let her arms flow gently through the air. Fluid motions swinging along the air as she let herself relax with the natural flow and rhythm of the atmosphere. She kept her eyes trained on the tip of the spear, feeling its raging power blasting across her face from the pressure alone. The sheer magnitude of energy spilling from the weapon eclipsed her vision in a sea of black with red sparks occasionally surging through.

It was a foreboding presence, one that would sooner claim the life of those who helpless fall victim to its unyielding current. A firm stance would lead to certain disaster, but if one were to move with the flow of such ferocity…

Marie Style—

Melissa relaxed her breathing and moved into position, placing one foot ahead and guiding her arms around the distorting air current as the spear drew closer and closer with each ticking millisecond.

"Don't take the attack head on. You need to guide it with the flow. Strike and match its rhythm. Direct it away from you and let your body flow with the force."

Melissa waved her arms as the spear drew nearer and nearer. A steely-dark aura surrounded her as she intercepted the spear with the back of her hand. A gentle, subtle strike, causing the spear to move an inch off course and glide past her face.

Flow of the Universe.

The spear rocketed Melissa, throwing Nero off balance and briefly bringing him out of his bloodlust. All his forward momentum suddenly cancelled out. "Huh?"

Melissa twisted atop her heel, spinning herself around as energy crackled up her arm and swirled beneath her chest. She gritted her teeth, feeling the overwhelming surge of power rumbling within her. She continued to move with the internal flow, never letting it wrestle control and never letting it run wild. She had to be at one with the explosive force within her.

"This is the most dangerous part, but it becomes more natural with practice. All that kinetic energy you redirected will be transferred through you, and it has to be released somewhere. Don't fight it. Move with it. Don't hold it within you for too long. Think of it like a lightning rod. Move with it like the rapids in a rocky stream."

Little by little, the energy flowed out to Melissa's other arm. She spun faster and faster before the stunned croc before stopping on her heel and swinging her energized arm back at him.

"After that, release it at your desired target, and it'll flow out on its own. I designed this technique after Counter. It won't increase the damage, but instead use the raw force of someone's own energy without any harm to you if done correctly."

"HA!" Melissa slammed her palm into Nero's chest, releasing a blinding flash of darkness upon the surrounding air.

"That…is the Flow of the Universe!"

"GAAAAH!"

Nero disappeared in a flash, hurtling across the arena and hammering into the far wall. The audience screamed in horror as cracks ruptured over the walls, shaking up half the colosseum. Soldiers immediately raised their weapons, looking at each other in distress. The low groan of the rumbling echoed throughout the colosseum, silencing the audience into concern once their screams died down.

Nero staggered out from the wall, stumbling ahead with blood dripping down his arms and head. A smoldering, spiral-shaped burn etched itself into his chest, the solidity of the strike still burning in his memory. He staggered for ten more steps before his legs gave out, sending him crashing onto his back.

He panted heavily, his eyes wincing under the harsh glow of the sun. Every inch of his body screamed out in agony. The very act of breathing was a herculean task, each breath feeling like he was inhaling lava. Ringing blared through his ears, distorting whatever horrified chatter that was echoing from the stands.

That…

All this pain…brought a smile to his face.

That…was incredible.

A shadow loomed over him. After blinking his vision back to normal, he snickered quietly at the Buneary with his broken spear in hand. Her expression was cold and determined, a familiar set of eyes he once wore himself. He was almost proud of the ruthless expression she adopted.

His smirk grew. "Take…your prize, Skill Hunter. Let this end…a good fight."

Melissa flipped the broken spear downward, took a deep breath, and stabbed it down.

A brief gasp echoed over the audience, and a certain Pachirisu fainted instantly into the concerned arms of her fellow harem girls.

"…You're a disappointment, Skill Hunter."

She drove the spear into the ground an inch away from Nero's head. Not even a flinch, just a slightly irritated expression. She pressed her foot down on his chest and leaned in close to his face.

"I'm not playing by your rules. I win. You lose. That's how I show real strength."

She stepped off and turned her back to him, walking away. Confused, yet relieved chattered rumbled over the colosseum as the audience awed at the Buneary's show of mercy. It was unbecoming of a death match for the opponents to show such restraint. It was an entirely different outcome to what they were dreading.

Nero closed his eyes and laughed. "I'll give you that, Skill Hunter. You're trying really hard to prove you're not a hypocrite. Even so—"

Melissa felt the wind rush behind her. Wordlessly, she glared over her shoulder just as Nero sprung off the ground in his second wind and rushed her down with the broken spear.

"This is still a death match!"

The spear tip stopped an inch from striking her face, the wind brushing against her unfazed glare. Nero glared at the yellow hand that caught his wrist and turned to face Jason, his fur standing with electricity.

"Take your defeat with some humility, my liege," Jason hissed, shoving the croc away.

Nero stumbled briefly, laughing quietly. "And there it is." He tossed the spearhead away.

Jason glanced at Melissa. "You good, Hars?"

She chuckled softly. "Yeah. I was wondering when you were going to step in, but I knew you would."

"Clearly," he mumbled, noting the frantic buckling of her legs that she desperately tried to hide them.

SNAP!

The two raised their heads as soldiers started pouring into the arena at the emperor's command, encircling them in a wall of spears. Soldiers above the arena armed themselves with crossbows and trained their sights on the center, ready to fire at the slightest twitch.

Nero entered the inner circle of spears and laughed as he clutched his bleeding side. "I'm almost sorry it has to end like this. That was one of the best fights I've had in a long time." His eyes shimmered with a delightful red. "But it's time we crush your little rebellion."

Jason glared. "He knows?"

"Yep. Guess our acting wasn't as convincing as we hoped," Melissa said.

"Can't be helped. I suppose our demands were a bit suspicious."

"Seems so."

Nero smirked. "Don't take it personally. I just can't have anyone endangering my empire. Got to crush any loose ends before they start getting ideas. By now, that little army you cobbled together outside the capital will have been dealt with. A shame you brought the Umbra Clock Kingdom to their early demise, but we'll be sure to give you some final words to the new king's corpse before you join him in the afterlife."

"…" Melissa and Jason shared a look with each other.

"I'm not sure what you were hoping to accomplish, but New Chariot can overcome whatever army you throw at it. Seems your perfect scheme couldn't account for everything. Tell me, were you expecting it to fail this badly?"

"…No."

Nero laughed at the Pikachu's response. "Exactly. Because when it comes to war, no one surpasses the empire—"

"You're mistaken."

Nero paused. "Heh?"

Jason lifted his gaze as he pulled a slingshot and woven-shelled bomb from behind himself. "We didn't expect it to go this badly…because this was within our expectations."

BOOOM!

A distant explosion sounded from outside the colosseum, startling the audience and the soldiers. Nero glared up at the watchtowers above the colosseum. "What the hell was that?!"

"M-My liege!" one of the soldiers above yelled. "Umbra Clock's forces…! They breached the northern wall!"

Nero glared. "What?"

"From where?!" he heard Gemini yell from the royal booth. "That's impossible! Umbra Clock was sighted in the south!"

"…" Nero glared back at the Forester duo. "What did you do?"

Melissa smirked. "We happen to have the smartest man in Virdis as our tactician, and you overplayed your hand by making Umbra Clock suffer for so long. We knew you were going to eventually back us into a corner."

"That's why we made preparations before we ever entered the capital." Jason pulled on the elastic and aimed his slingshot toward the sky. "We kept your attention on us and our obvious scheme to focus on our real objective!"

He fired the orb into the sky, igniting it with his electricity. It soared above the colosseum, detonating into a blinding flare of green light. The audience screamed and covered their eyes from the harsh glow.

Melissa raised her arm. "Emperor Nero Martius of New Chariot—"

Jason raised his arm alongside hers. "As of this moment—"

They pointed at him and yelled, "The Umbra Forest Alliance declares war on the empire!"