Translator

Still inside the very same building
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{The Big Escape III (Golden Palace)}
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Copen, Lola and Prado
Versus
Serpentine, Nova and Asimov.
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Ready?

Strike!

"Now then, let's make sure this bout lasts longer than the first one!"

To Copen's immense displeasure, Serpentine activates her haze-walk the moment the fight starts. Aware of her lack of armor and how one good GS shot would end it all, she disappears into the mist while the two main illusions immediately storm the room with various attacks.

"This is unfair." The muse says in frustration, gritting her teeth as the flash-shield surrounding her and Copen winces against the onslaught of purple energy balls coming from Nova aiming one hand in their general direction, his other fiddling his hair while looking at them with a cocky expression. The shield stays strong, but even so the duo has to rapidly move in order to avoid the mad dashes from a certain azure striker trying to fry them with his own electric aura. Confident that his own flash-field is superior to its mimic, something the two fighters don't want to test. Even worse than that, it's clear that all of this is only the warm-up.

"Don't lose focus, Lola. We've got far more options now." Copen comments to her complaint, none too blind to the catch 22 of the current situation. They can't use GS bullets because Nova can use his Psychokinesis to control them, but they can't use ex-weapons either without losing the flash-field which is the only thing protecting them against his attacks as they cannot dodge both that and the evasion-piercing lightning attacks from Asimov at the same time. How neat.

"Yeah, but even so. Three bosses at once is just cheating!" She pouts, a sentiment Copen can't really relate to, because if she has time to complain then they're not that much in trouble.

"Just got to take one of them down first." He snarls as a flash of thunder strikes at a spot far too close for comfort, the piercing shrill harming his ears but doing nothing to his aim as he returns the favour by shooting seven rays of photonic light at the one responsible. Attacks which don't do any damage as the Azure Striker flashes blue as it harmlessly passes by.

"Is that all you got brat?" Asimov says with disgust as he folds his arms in disappointment, "Because if the only things you've gained are more toys to play with, then you're no different from the child that failed to beat me that day and a never-ending proof of adept superiority!"

"I've gained far more than that." Copen shrugs indifferently to his claim, half-confused at how his foe doesn't seem up to date even though he's made from his memories. "Experience."

"And me!" Lola adds in, thumbs up pointed at herself as if she's a massive boon, which she is.

And knowing how to make a distraction. "Hyah!" one taking advantage of by Prado as she smacks the surprised look off Asimov's face with the flat side of a flaming sword, energy-based attacks always being the bane of those who overly rely on their evasion. "I have you!"

"Taste my blade!" she shouts as she continues with a downwards strike meant to cut the man in half stopped only moments by the swift appearance of a riffle used as an improvised shield, even so Prado clearly has more strength in her as Asimov's glowy eyes show signs of struggle during their two-man weapon wrestle, both trying to disarm the other to gain the upper-hand.

That short moment of relief from the latter's attacks is immediately used by Copen as he dashes past three purple loops through their center to reach Nova, the latter amused by the bold move sidesteps the golden drills coming for him by doing the same gesture as he grabs the slayer's arm before he can be stabbed by his gun's red spikes and throws him to the other side of the room so that all combatants can focus on their respective opponent. "I must admit, your style is familiar." He says as he looks down at his opponent who harmlessly landed.

"It should be, it was inspired by one of your generals." Copen replies, only glancing for a moment at a menu listing his ex-weapons to try and remember which one kinetics are weak to, before deciding on Stellar Spark as it's a direct attack who's matter is too fast to control.

"Jota you mean? I see…" Nova's eyes look thoughtful for a moment even though his smile and posture remain unflinching and steadfast as his hands surge with septimal energy. "Care for some banter or shall we kill each other in silence? I'd prefer the former myself, if possible."

"I am a true lover of lengthy speeches in combat, talk as much as you want." Copen replies with the driest tone of voice he can muster, just awaiting a slip of attention to abuse, which if it doesn't come in three seconds or more, he'll just interrupt the talk with a surprise attack.

"Thank you." Nova replies with what must be sarcasm yet feels genuine due to the affableness in his voice and demeanor. "Then let me ask you this: How is your crusade going?" he asks like one does the weather and at the same time, shoots out another barrage of psycho-orbs.

"It's going ok." Copen replies as he rushes towards the Adept, zigzagging past the shots and finally dashing straight up once he's under him. "Less shocking than I thought it would be." Lola's p-bits surround Nova after he says that and shoot out trails of thunder from all angles.

That gets a good-natured laugh out of Nova, who's now standing right behind Copen as he looks out of a window to observe the landscape. "That's nice to know." He teleported so swiftly that the slayer jumps back in shock and quickly points his gun at him again. "But.."

"If that's the case, then why are adepts still a thing?" blatant disappointment rings in his voice, but at the level of having an employee turn in a report a minute too late. "I'm sure a lot of time has passed since my failure to pacify them, have humans become a minority now?"

"You should know that already, seeing what made you." Copen snarls, refusing to waste more time explaining nonsense the latter should already know. "Or are you not Nova after all?" he asks the question with mild hope it might cause an identity crisis, blasting his gun once more.

"I'm pretty sure I am." The adept replies as the floor tiles below him tear apart to make a quick shield, followed by other instruments blocking the way of the photon shots by themselves. "Or at least I am a Nova that you remember, not the real deal if the lack of memories indicate it." Whether it's a testament of his will or if he simply does not care about his identity, Copen does not know, even so the adept continues speaking as they fight. "Retrospection of my sloppy creation aside, you haven't answered my question. What happened to your kill-em-all goal? I'm pretty confident that following the attacks of emboldened adepts around the world, it'd be an easy feat for you to find company amongst like-minded individuals if not have your own private army after a year or two. At least, that's what I would have done, were I you."

"But you're not." Copen rejects the logic, his will turning ablaze as his attacks become fiercer and he has grown accustomed to Nova's attack patterns. "Many have tried to take over the world by now, that is true. I'm outnumbered and there might be allies out there, that's true as well. However, for my goal I only need two people. That is Lola and me. No more and no less."

"So, it's you against everyone? If you don't pick a side, then you're a threat to Sumeragi too." Noticing the increase in pace, Nova changes to more varied and complicated attacks such as orbs that surround the slayer from all sides before trying to impact him, a temporary shield that while it's active transforms all photon shots into purple blades launched back to him, etc.

"Good, because once all adepts are gone. They'll be next." Even so Copen keeps moving, shooting and dodging, knowing that he only has to wait for the adept to exhaust himself or get impatient before striking through the opening for a fatal strike, once he's gone GS bullets will be part of the game again and seeing how they one-shot adepts, will guarantee his victory.

"So, after the Ethnic Cleansing, you'll go for Terrorism?" Nova asks but in a tone that makes it more a disapproving statement than a real question, "Does the former include Gunvolt?"

"Not really." Copen scoffs, then seeing Lola's gaze, realizes he wasted enough time chatting with his opponent, so after another attempt at tagging he just lets her spam the lightning.

"Ahah, but if he's not dead then you can't say you've killed all adepts." Nova wiggles his finger like one would to a child eating crayons, all the while dodging several pods blasting lightning at him, pods which to his surprise he can't control due to the small EM fields around them. No matter he can still smack them aside by dashing into them or throwing objects at them, etc.

"Septima-removal is pretty advanced these days." Copen replies, dashing in the moment Nova dodges another lightning call, successfully closing the distance and stabbing him with a mark.

"Oh-agh!" Nova flinches in pain, but quickly repels the slayer with another blast of power.
The spike is firmly attached to his shoulder and makes all the shots his way bend and twist around obstacles he sets in their path to assault him with more burning stings. Even so, he still has the composure to know NOT to remove the spike lest he risks bleeding out and still chats as if unaffected. "N-now that's a clever loophole. What if he doesn't consent to it though?"

"He won't get the chance to refuse." Copen dashes twice after saying that, once to avoid a barrage of shots and twice to avoid the impromptu spike wall Nova made where he predicted he would land. Finally, Nova lets out a cry of pain and a flash after taking one more shot.

"Okay, I'm satisfied with that." Nova concludes as he warps to the center of the room, septimal energy concentrating within him for something big. "Now to switch things up."

And by that he means use his power to twist the entire room upside down, not gravity wise but by ripping apart the walls through sheer force as objects thrash around, water spits out disconnected pipes and garbage stains the now wet floor. Copen simply jumps and hovers in the air to avoid the whole barrage before landing once it's all over, back in the center too.

Only to reunite with Prado there, by that he means for one second there's a sound of lightning and the next a small ice-berg lands next to him, out of which jumps out the Dual Knight, her appearance frazzled and static yet not too badly harmed if the way she moves to stand back-to back with him while wielding two blades of opposing elements with a proud grin says anything.

"Surprised to see me?" She asks and to be honest he kind of is, all logic dictates to him that an un-armoured opponent should be one thunder-strike away from death against a Striker.

"We entered the room together." Copen simply states and ends the conversation there.

A snarl and buzzes of a flash-field blaring is heard as Asimov joins the fight again after a dramatic entrance, clearly displeased about the endurance of his foe. Nova simply floats with a smile at the opposing direction, if only so the two can surround the tiger and knight at once.

"Looks like it's finally going to be a two versus two again, you ready?" Prado asks.

"Three." Copen replies, already getting tired of the fight but aware it barely begun.

"Looks like it's finally going to be a three versus three again, you ready?" Prado corrects.

Copen just sighs. But his attention snaps back when Lola warn him of a rise in power coming from their opponents, a reason quickly figured out at the sight of them posing in unison.

One's thunder True Law.

One's mind Emperor's Divinity.

"They're doing a special attack, brace yourselves!" Lola shouts in apprehension.

"Of course they are, and naturally they can't be attacked until they're finished." Copen half-questions why any temporary surge in power can cause of a short period of invincibility.

"Well, why don't we follow in kind?" Prado offers, continuing when she only gets a look. "Come now, if our foes can do an combination attack then why can't we? It will be legendary!"

Copen's look turns into a blank stare at the offer, unamused by the prospect. "You're kidding."

Blades born from Mist shall return all to Dust.

"Am not!" She insists, and starts talking quicker because they don't have much time to argue about it. "Look! We will do this nice and proper! I'm going to jump into the air while spouting some fancy quip, and you're gonna be like 'we are the hero team, roar!' or something."

"…." Copen's mind registers the pros and cons of playing along in his head, "….ok…."

She leaps into the air… only to fall back down. "What name do you want the attack to be?"

"Anything is fine, just hurry up! Both of you!" Lola interrupts, as time is running out.

Copen nods, already regretting this but jumping into the air regardless, one hand holding tightly onto his gun while the other covers his face to make a split-second dramatic pose.

Lola floats right behind him, not sure what kind of pose to take, so she simply spreads her wings and arms as if she's in the middle of some photo-session. Like some sort of flower.

Prado jumps as well, with surprising vigor she creates a blade made of fire and ice coming from each side and holds it close to her chest with both hands, making a pose just as cool-looking.

The three of them, back-to-back in the air, gather their energy and declare their Special Attack!

Dancing Servants empowered by Symphony.

Claws made of Ice and Fire their instrument.

To judge all with their Twin Waltz!

Their chant no matter how fast, still does not trigger before those of their foes. Because time is like a river, except it is not a river. Because one cannot compare a concept to an actual terrain.

VOLTAIC AETHER!

The combined power of Nova and Asimov is one of the fiercest things Copen has ever seen. Beyond just chains filling the screen that electrocute ensnared opponents and orb made of sheer willpower harassing one's prey from every possible angle. The Duo SP attack causes the creation of one gigantic ball made of thunder surrounded by a purple aura, flashes of lightning blasts around it's proximity before it's launched with all its might to invoke the promise given.
Anyone hit by such an attack would die on the spot and leave no corpse behind to ever burry.

Then just dodge it! Some might say, however even that won't be possible. As the ball moves forward, the purple hue surrounding intensifies. Causing the gigantic ball to split into three huge ones instead, who are in turn fuelled by the chains coming for them to create a slow but never-ending cycle of gigantic balls breaking down to create smaller balls that become bigger.

Just leave the room then? Impossible as well! For every exit is covered by similar chains. One could call this cheating, but in the end, does the manner truly matter if it delivers one victory?

To answer that question, let's just say. The only way to solve violence is with more of it!

TWIN SHREDDER!

A flash of light blinds the room for an instant, after which the room is revealed to be covered head to toe in ice with an outright statue in the center off it now. The statue imprisoning both adepts like what a beautiful rose looks like, but even then, that visual is short-lived. For with the same insane speed, dozens of red-coloured claws cut the creature apart like saws surrounding a tree, shattering all the thunder balls inside into cubicles of ice while the surviving adepts receive a flaming slash from above, a red line passing through them as for a very short moment, a tiger made of flames roars in the room before it disappears. Taking the latter two as it's company to hell as they both show cracks out of which light begins shining.

"The play is over." Prado begins while sheathing a red sword that dissipates.

"Time for the curtain call." Copen ends, p-bits returning to his sides and his shields detaching from his arms, no longer needing to be used as claws. "Don't make me wait, Serpent-"

He doesn't need to finish that sentence, as the moment both adepts explode into sparkles, a feeling of extreme pain and discomfort pierces through his left chest. That is, if he didn't dodge at the last second, grabbed the staff trying to impale him with one hand and used the other to grab the sorceress going for a cheap backstab by the neck, then crushed it without mercy.

"Did you enjoy my present?" Serpentine asks, seated at the one spot where the room isn't completely wrecked while her mist form-copy falls to the ground with a broken neck before vanishing. A sight at which her sly smile widens a bit. "I'm asking cause you seem a bit angry."

"Steal!" he doesn't answer, at least not in an appropriate way if quickly raising your gun and trying to shoot the person talking only to stumble from the sudden motion says anything.

"What? I-" Copen's head feel like it's ringing, his stomach is twisting in pain, and his legs are about to fail him while the entire room is slowly spinning. "W-what did you do to me?!"

"Huh, boss what's wrong?" Lola asks, completely unaffected by whatever the attack is.

"Ugh, I'm s-seeing double." Prado's leaning onto a sword made of ice, desperately trying to balance herself as her cheeks burn red and her forehead starts to sweat. "Why you…"

"P-Prado, you too? What is happening here! What did she do to you two?" Lola asks again.

"You still haven't figured it out?" Serpentine raises an eyebrow, an all-too smug smile on her face as she reveals a green glass bottle next to her. "I've made them both drunk, stupid bot."

"Alcohol?!" Lola guesses correctly while the other two fall to the ground, intoxicated.

"My [Phantom Mist] allows me to create illusions out of fog, amongst many side-abilities. One of them being the ability to turn myself and into other objects into haze, thus letting me inject alcohol into the very mist. A mist you've all been breathing in for several minutes!"

"I-it's like an anaesthetic that goes directly to the brain when you breathe it in." Copen replies while trying to stand up again, yet can't go further than being on his knees. "The two illusions were nothing more than distractions to encourage us to increase our blood flow." The only reason he's explaining this being for Lola's sake and to buy time to find a way out.

"W-what a cowardly move! Do you think this state will do me in Snowflake?" Prado growls, as she slowly but assuredly makes her way to finding a way to stand back up, sword ready.

A flying disk embeds into Prado's shoulder for that remark, forcing her back to the ground. "You sure have some gal ruining my fun, Prado." Serpentine comments with venom as she looks down on her opponents from her 'comfy seat'. "Well, if you want to be part of the show so badly, then you'll have to join the ending as well!" even so, she does not approach them.

"Of course, I am no fool." She instead twirls her staff as she raises in the air, ominous energy gathering around her. "I've had many targets during the older days and each of them, every single one of them tried the exact same act of trying one last desperate move when their life was about to end. Normally I'd allow you to do the same, Copen. But alas, even at your young age you're already too much of a threat to be underestimated in such a dumb way." Her hands are put in the form of some monk-like prayer. "I respect that, you would have made a wonderful adult. So let my secret art be the one to send you to the next world!"

Incarnation of the six teachings come from Nirvana

My power, become my current flesh

Pierce through the Universe to punish heresy

MYSTIC MANDALA!

"Gya-ten…Gya-ten…" foul prayers reverberate across the room with otherworldly power, stiffening the hair of all those who hear it like a bell that tolls to signal the apocalypse. The Shohei surrounds herself with a blue mandala, its center a lotus with leaves adorned by symbols the slayer recognizes as part of the Siddham script (Tl: Perfection). A sign that the technique is one she considers the perfect killing blow. Every prayer summons a blue-scaled spectre to the Undine's call, only stopping once there are three of them on each side of her.

Well, he thinks there's three, his vision already wavy and unreliable.

Purple flaming circles appear as well, ready to be launched at anyone who dares to disturb the ritual. Even so, Serpentine does not use them as her prey can only squirm on the ground.

The real kicker? She's basically using her own version of Doppler Destroyer against him.

"Boss, get up!" Lola's voice thunders with a hint of desperation, knowing that if he does not move NOW then this is where their journey will end. "Come on, just let me sing already!" she offers as whatever reason he has for not wanting her to do so can't possibly beat being dead.

"…Fine." Copen replies a bit too softly, frustration drawn all over his kneeled posture. He can't be sure if everything has been planned to this extent, but even so, she's right, he has to live.

"Boss?" Lola asks again, to confirm his answer. Which makes him think even more about it.

*Without the use of healing to remove the alcohol, I won't have much time until the rush of Anthem may make the condition even worse due to its nature as a conscience-affecting ability. Worst-case scenario I won't have more than 10 seconds to deal the killing blow…no, the true worst-case scenario would be one where ZedΩ tries to jump in at the last second, in which case I may have only 5 seconds to turn this around and kill Serpentine. Another 1 to use Prado as a hostage to stall for time and…no, there's no point in thinking further at this point.*

*All I need to do is kill the Adept, everything else comes second.*

"Sing for me Lola." He says the words with resignation and grim determination. "Give me the boost I need and let's do this." He requests, his eyes shut as he gathers his last winds.

The way he said it makes her wings flutter, in excitement and offense as he said it in a way that implies he's somehow losing by doing this. She lets it be for now. "Yeah, we can do this! First, we kick this monk's butt and then home we go! Out with the limiters and in with the power!"

ANTHEM!
(Igniter-any version.)

Suddenly, all is energy. Waves of crimson surge out of the Slayer's body, forming a red X on the front and center of his costume as the music sets his mind and soul into Overdrive. His shields attach themselves to his back, every single jet of his ready to abuse the unlimited energy for constant flight and never-ending evasions alongside many other boons. As long as his muse is by his side, there is nothing he can't do, no obstacle or foe he cannot defeat.

He can do this.

"One second has passed."

He sees two spears held by two foes trying to behead him in synch, inches away from his head yet too slow to stop him from leaving the ground, flip in the air and land back safely before the fire beneath him throws him forward, like a cat leaping over a fence meant to contain him.

"Two seconds have passed."

He sees everything, the way their eyes dilate in surprise, the way their bodies twist when cut apart, fractions of seconds, mere sliver of motions, everything is laid bare before him.

"Three seconds have passed."

More movement comes, circular orbs filled with hexes and malice that he twists by, an explosion of fiery grudges where the two clones once stood, the other four moving to block the path to their master, a futile effort for he's already passed them and they're already dead.

"Four seconds have passed."

He sees two figures try to rush him, golden sand aimed at his feet to slow and pink bullets aimed at the head to knock out, he ignores them, splitting into two tigers whose gazes do not shift from their destined prey, a golden feather appears in his path and before the man who's arrival it signals comes, another dash gets him close enough to bare his fangs and claws.

Serpentine sees him and is already in the process of turning to mist, unnecessary as the golden feathers on her forehead shines with the same intent. Useless still as neither will save her.

A high pitch sound crawls to his ears, shining with a red tinge, the gun once held by his father purrs in approval as the trigger is pressed, roars in joy as the purple bullet hit's its mark.

"Five seconds have passed."

Serpentine's eyes turn to shock, her mouth dumbly gapes open as the bullet goes through her forehead, emptying it of all the memories she may have and naturally her brain matter. But that's not enough, not nearly, in what may seem like an instant to everyone else, the tiger toys with his prey by cutting the legs so she falls down, her hands so she can't grab onto anything and finally heads for the extra mile and carves a straight iX through the center of her corpse.

"Mission accomplished."

Author note:
And Serpentine is dead! Anything else would have been out of character for Copen in this point of time and letting her live would have made her super stronk at this point.
(Still, it's a courtesy to those doomed to die to at least get some cool scenes first)

A shame he doesn't have to deal with the fall-out of having his identity revealed (yet) but at least he managed to properly antagonize ATEMS…while still being in the same room as them.

Next chapter is the last one concerning the Escape Attempt, will Copen find his way back to Japan or will he get slaughtered in Agrabah? Find out next time on GCDS!

Oh and in case you're asking, yes there will be an Ex-weapon made out of her septima if and or when Copen has the time to do so.