"What's the matter short stack!?" Nakri would shout as she blocked an attack from Reitia, her grin wide as she regarded the Slayer. "This really all you got?"
"Shut up you shark faced loud mouth!" Reitia shouted in return, bringing her leg up for an energy enhanced kick. However the Hunter had easily blocked with one of her disks, knocking her leg back down and stunning the Slayer before slamming the ends of her weapons into Reitia's chest.
The Slayer coughed out at the impact she suffered, unable to react in time for Nakri's own kick to her head, sending her skidding across the ground on her back. She'd attempt to push herself up, but as she felt her energy diminish her Hundred would vanish, the variable falling to the ground as Reitia passed out from her injuries.
"Reitia…" Jackson groaned as he held a hand on his shoulder, an open wound he suffered from the initial attack of the Hunters. He was against a nearby tree, covered in brushes and scratches after Nesat's final attack against him. When his variable stone fell, the Hunter had quickly caught it, knocking him away as to prevent any further retaliation from him.
Both Wendy and Aly were knocked out right away, the victims of the Hunter's ambush. And with both him and Reitia down, that left Liddy as the sole active Slayer in the fight.
'The whole team's already down.' Liddy winced as she blocked an attack from Krovanh, stepping past him and swinging with her lance at his body. The Hunter grinned excitedly as she attacked, knocking the weapon's tip to the side as he lunged at her.
Both their foreheads collided, a shockwave of pressure going off as Liddy returned the attack with equal vigor. Their energy would slowly begin to build up as they pushed against each other, vibrant green and violet clashing as the ground began to crack around them. All the while, Krovanh's eyes would widen, an insane glint in them as his eyes slowly turned golden.
"You've been really something, fighting as well as you are. But a Slayer dog like you can't match against us!" Krovanh said as his aura doubled in size, overwhelming Liddy's energy and pushing forward, flipping over her as he gripped his Hundred with both hands.
"This is it!" He'd grin, stabbing his lower blade behind him in an attempt to impale the Slayer. But as he did, Liddy moved her body to the side enough to avoid the sword and catch it with her shield. The Hunter looked back in confusion in time for Liddy to rear her leg back, delivering a heavy kick to the side of his head that caused him to skid on his feet across the mud.
Grunting, Krovanh would wipe his thumb across his lip by instinct, no actual blood but the blow being enough to be notable to him.
"Whatever abilities you may possess, do not imagine you will be able to defeat me so easily with a single blow."
"Oh ho, you're going to be fun." Krovanh chuckled as he stood up, his aura returning in full force as he stared at Liddy with excitement in his eyes. Liddy stood at the ready, her shield up as she watched for any movement from the Hunter. When he took a single step, her eyes snapped to the side as he moved at high speed, appearing next to her and swinging his double-bladed greatsword at her.
Sparks flied as she blocked, the Hunter spinning his blade as he struck twice in quick succession. Liddy showed impressive reaction speed, blocking both blows before piercing her lance forward. Krovanh would parry the attack by grinding the weapon across his handle's guard, attempting to open her guard but was stopped as she swung to the side in the midst of her attack. He would get pushed back, planting his feet down as Liddy quickly followed and threw her lance forward.
The Hunter this time was forced to block with the flat end of his Hundred, his feet slipping back in the mud as he remained standing his ground. Liddy's eyes would narrow as she activated the rotation in her lance, sparks flying in every direction as her energy would increase along with her aura. Krovanh's teeth would grind against each other as he pushed back, refusing to give in to Liddy's push even as he was getting pushed back.
"This… is… nothing!" He'd shout, parrying her weapon to the side and bringing his blade around, slamming it against her side and sending her sliding back across the mud.
Liddy would cough out from the impact, the blow hurting but not nearly enough to keep her down. As she was getting up her eyes would meet Krovanh's, the Hunter having closed the gap and attempting to slam his blade down on her. Rolling to the side, Liddy would dodge his attack and kick her leg out, kicking the side of his knee and getting his posture to buckle.
He would retaliate by swinging at her, sending a slash of energy as she dodged back. She would in turn hold her shield out in front of her and summon an E-barrier, blocking the energy and dismissing it as she kept her arm up. Her stare was heated but focused, her adrenaline managing to help her keep up with his movements despite his Variant enhancements.
"Damn Slayer dog, moving quicker than I thought." Krovanh grunted, spitting to the ground as he glared at Liddy. His eyes would then look to his right, Nakri standing at the ready with her disks in hand. A single look to his left saw Nesat give her own nod, a Hundred to Nakri's forming in her hands. He then gave one nod, and then took off to rush right at Liddy.
The Slayer would attempt to bring her shield up, but was interrupted as Nesat threw her disks, knocking it back to her side. As Krovanh got closer she would then go to pierce him with her lance, however that was set off course by Nakri's disks. She was now wide open as Krovanh approached, his eyes wide in rage as he prepped his sword back, energy forming around it as he readied to take the Slayer down.
"This is the end! Slayer dog!" Liddy's eyes were wide in fear as Krovanh swung his blade, the path aiming for her neck as she was left unable to protect herself. However just as the blade was about to connect, a sharp ring went off when something collided against it, forcing Krovanh's arm back to his side as he stumbled a few steps back.
"The hell?" He spoke, looking to see Artorian's sword impaled in front of him. When he realized it wasn't a Hundred, his confusion turned to shock, stomping a foot to the ground as he jumped forward for Liddy. "No damn it!" As he was about to attempt another swing, he was blocked as Artorian landed between him and Liddy in force, blocking Krovanh's Hundred with his own. The impact caused his father's sword to shoot out from the mud, to which he caught with his free hand and slashed it forward, striking his side and knocking him back several meters.
"Hands off brat. The artwork is to be looked at and admired, not touched." He would say, shifting his feet into his stance as he crossed his Hundred horizontally, aiming his father's sword at the Hunter with it over it.
"Artorian?" Liddy would say, surprised to see the Abysswalker appear. "How did you know we were under attack?"
"When they attacked, did your energy spike at the activation of your Hundred?"
"Yes, it normally does. Why?"
"My own energy flared out of nowhere, likely with the link of you being my Vessel to give me a signal." He answered, his eyes narrowing as he looked between the three Hunters that surrounded them. "I knew it had to be the Hunters and sent Claire to go back to camp to get Erica and Emilia. They'll be a few minutes."
"You, you're that bastard." Krovanh growled as he looked at Artorian, flaring his teeth at the Slayer as his eyes were wide in rage.
"Aw, you remember me. I'm touched, truly I am." Artorian said, cracking his neck as he loosened his muscles. "Still with me on this Liddy? Or do you need a breather?"
"Like I'd let you fight a three on one by yourself." Liddy stated, stepping up next to Artorian with her shield at her front, her eyes shifting between Nesat and Krovanh. "How are we handling this?"
"Hit anyone that has green on them."
"…"
"Glowing, green. Fucking hell, literal bitches all of you." Artorian mumbled, Liddy referencing her green hair at the comment. "Just hit anyone shorter than you, that'll be good enough."
"Oh, think you two can fight all three of us at once?" Nakri laughed, her grin wide as her eyes began to glow gold. "Did you forget your last fight with us, Abyssal?" She would drop his name, attempting to get a reaction from him.
"…" Artorian closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply, appearing to attempt to control himself as he did. "Yep." In the next second, Nakri's eyes widened in shock as Artorian lunged at her, bringing his Hundred to strike her in the torso. She was hit by the full force of the blow, sending her crashing into a tree.
"Nakri!" Krovanh shouted as his aura exploded out, lunging for Artorian as his back was turned. Before he could reach however Liddy interrupted, getting between them and blocking with her shield. "Get out of the way Slayer bitch!" He would then push them apart, slashing at her head that she blocked with her lance.
"You bastard!" Nakri shouted, throwing her two disks at him at the same time Nesat jumped over Krovanh and Liddy, throwing her own at his back. Spinning on his heel, Artorian would deflect both sets of disks and send them at the other Hunters, both catching them and rushing right at him. The two would move swiftly as they swung at him, Artorian blocking with a sword on each.
Nesat would start with a twist of her body, combining several sudden hits along with Nakri's heavy blows on the Slayer's left. The Abysswalker would twist his blades in his hands, enhancing his speed with his energy as a means to keep up with the two Hunters. After blocking for four seconds of sudden slashes, he would deflect Nakri's disks down and kick his right leg back, the impact causing Nesat's disks to escape her grasp and go into the air.
Continuing on, he'd flip over Nakri's back and in the same motion kick her side, sending her towards Nesat. Seeing her cousin come at her, Nesat's eyepatch would shift open and reveal her golden eye, the two disks in Nakri's hands vanishing. She would then catch onto her hands and spin, surprising Artorian as she threw Nakri up in the air and towards Liddy, the thrown Hunter catching her original disks as she twisted her body in the air.
"Damn it!" Artorian shouted as he lunged after Nakri, bringing his swords around for a double slash. However he was interrupted as Nesat jumped to intercept him, her right hand creating an energy barrier to block him while her left was held behind her.
"…Hundred On." She'd say, an in that moment a Hundred identical to her brother's formed in her grasp, Artorian's eyes widening in realization as she swung forward.
'She can copy Hundreds like Emilia!' he'd cross his swords to block Nesat's swing, but with energy infused into the blade her strike managed to break Artorian's guard. However the Lord recovered quickly and swung with his father's sword, blocking the Hunter's next swing as they began to fall to the ground.
As he began to battle with Nesat, Liddy would jump back from Krovanh as Nakri landed, bringing her shield up to block a flurry of attacks from the female Hunter. As the barrage ended, she'd turn to her side to see Krovanh approach, his sword already mid-swing as she did. Reacting the quickest she could, she'd begin the spiral in her lance and block, sparks flying in every direction as she attempted to ward off the Hunters.
However as their auras grew in size, the Hunters would outmatch her strength and break her guard, Krovanh landing a solid punch to her gut while Nakri snapped her leg up for a heavy kick to her head. The combined blows disoriented Liddy, the Slayer left open as Krovanh opened his hand and fired a shockwave of his energy, sending her crashing back into a tree that nearly broke apart at her impact.
Her variable suit took most of the impact off her, however Liddy still coughed a bit of blood out from Krovanh's punch, a small cut on her forehead visible from Nakri's scraping her. Standing back up, Liddy would immediately dodge to the side, Krovanh slashing out at her and obliterating the tree with his energy enhanced attack. She then threw her shield arm to the side, pushing against Nakri's next attack and managing to break her posture.
However as Krovanh would follow with another attack, Liddy would be unable to capitalize on her opening and was forced to retreat back, however landing her own kick on Krovanh's chest to propel herself back.
The Hunter took a step to recollect himself, but quickly lunged forward along with his cousin, the two ready to clash against Liddy as they approached. However a subtle change in their glance told Liddy all she needed to know, the Slayer ducking down and turning to behind her as Artorian flipped over her, using each other's backs to counter balance themselves and bring their shared attacks up. With Artorian's swords colliding with Krovanh and Nakri while Liddy threw her spear forward to match Nesat's swing down, a dual shockwave of their energy would go off, mud and rock going in every direction.
None of the fighters present wished to give any ground, pushing against each other with all their strength in an attempt to gain ground. With their surpluses of energy, the three Hunters and Liddy's auras would clash, Artorian's energy limited to just remain at his legs as he used his lower body to aid in the struggle.
The continued struggle of energy would begin to cause the ground to crack, the dirt shifting under the pressure of the battle. As they fought for control, the Lord would feel a single drop of water hit the back of his head, his eyes widening in realization before he grinned. A second went by went before another drop came, followed by another and another until it suddenly started to pour all around them.
In the small moment the rain began to pour, Krovanh and Nakri's energy would react with the water and flicker, giving Artorian the opening he needed. Transferring his energy to his arms, Artorian would break off the two from him and get his swords between them before swinging outwards in opposite directions, striking their sides and sending them in opposite directions.
He'd then bring his right sword behind him, clashing it against Liddy's spiraling spear and causing a storm of sparks to go off, Nesat closing her eyes to protect herself and giving Liddy an opportunity to deliver a shield bash to the Hunter.
"The rain is going to make projectiles a problem." Liddy stated, hinting toward Claire's offensive capabilities being drastically brought down in this condition.
"Guess it was the right call for me to come after all." Artorian responded, flipping the hilt of his sword a full spin to loosen himself up more as he stared between Krovanh and Nakri.
"Think they'll be here soon?"
"Eh, any minute now would be my guess. I did leave Claire naked by the lake."
"…Do you… wanna rephrase that?"
"Nah, I like that phrasing better."
"That's it…" Krovanh would mutter out, his eyes bloodshot as he glared heatedly at Artorian. "You've hurt my sister and cousin enough, I'm going to rip you to blood ribbons for laying a finger on them."
"That's my line." Artorian said, pointing a sword to Krovanh. "I still have to pay you back for kicking Emile, and for punching my stomach."
"You should be more concerned about leaving here alive!" Krovanh shouted in rage, his aura exploding beyond it's previous limit as the energy in his variable suit went ballistic. His energy was growing more and more rapidly, the feeling alone catching Artorian and Liddy off guard. "Limit Out!" With his scream, a new layer of armor began to form on the Hunter, armor going up his arms until jagged shoulder gear formed as the rest of his legs became covered in armor.
"Shit, Full-Body Armament!" Artorian realized, pushing Liddy to the side as Krovanh shot out in a burst right for them, the Abysswalker just following the movements but unable to protect himself. The Hunter then struck him with the center of his Hundred, the initial impact alone causing Artorian to cough out blood before Krovanh brought his blade in a wide arc and struck the Slayer's side.
The Lord would get sent flying back, recovering as he impaled a sword into the ground and lunged forward, Krovanh quickly approaching and the two swung their weapons, the collision causing their blades to bounce off before Artorian struck out with his father's sword to counter Krovanh's next move. Artorian would then begin to trade blows with Krovanh, each swing he sent was met with another he had to block, the exploding energy from the Hunter enhancing him past what could have been his previous limits.
'This is bad, with Full-Body Armament matching him blow for blow is going to turn up short.' Artorian thought, feeling his feet slowly drag back from the constant pressure of competing against the Hunter. 'Even artificial, his ability to control his Variant energy's going to have him outlast me. I need to think of something, and now!'
As Artorian's eyes turned to Krovanh's blade, he'd see the subtlest sign of damage, a mark from when Liddy struck the flat with her lance in rotation. The sight caused him to grin, a fire lighting in his eyes as he knew what his plan was now. Throwing his right arm forward, Artorian's swing would hit against Krovanh's sword, the Hunter blocking it with the center and catching it in the gap between the dual-blades.
"Gotcha!" Krovanh would shout, twisting the Hundred sword out of Artorian's grip and tossing it to the side as he spun his own sword in preparation. "You're as good as dead, dog of Little-BAH!" As Krovanh swung down, Artorian would bring his now free arm forward, knocking Krovanh's sword nearly out of his grasp to break his guard. The next thing he knew, the Lord's fist was buried into his stomach, the variable suit barely taking the punishment as Krovanh coughed out spit from the pain, the air getting knocked right out of his lungs.
Artorian's arm was now bleeding across his forearm past his elbow, but the Lord showed no concern as he brought his father's sword up and slammed the flat of the blade into Krovanh's face. This time the Hunter took the full force and was sent skidding on his back across the field, grunting in pain as he felt his vision shake from the impact.
"Heh, how'd that taste?" Artorian would say, grunting as he gripped his cut, feeling the blood flow down his arm and drip into the mud, the rain causing the red to spread and stain across his skin and glove.
"Bastard!" Artorian's eyes widened as he turned to see Nakri rush him, moving his sword to block but coming up late as Nakri's disks cut across his shoulders, adding a sudden pulse of energy and bringing the blade back lower to cut more of his arms. As Artorian would retaliate with a kick, Nakri would throw her right disk at his face, the Lord barely moving to the side to avoid a serious injury.
However he would wince in pain and step several paces back, a deep cut present on his left cheek from Nakri's disk. He'd then fall to a single knee as the momentary weakness from all his injuries took over, leaving him open as Nakri caught her disk again.
"I won't let you get away with hurting Krovanh!" Nakri screamed, her eyes glowing vibrant as energy began to coat the edges of her disks, enhanced energy blades to the Hundred. As she moved to attack again, Liddy would interrupt by striking the flat end of her left disk, the Slayer sliding in front of her and blocking the Hunter's retaliation.
The two then collided lance and disk several times, sparks and energy going off before they delivered and matched an energy enhanced blow to the other, causing a small explosion that sent the two skidding back. While Krovanh and Nesat both moved and caught Nakri, Liddy would stop herself short of Artorian and get back into a readied stance, her eyes narrowed as she remained steadfast against the Hunters.
"How bad?" Liddy would ask, already aware of Artorian's injuries.
"I'll live, just a few deep cuts." Artorian would say, closing and opening his right arm a few times to regain feeling in it, the limb having felt numb after all the taken attacks. "I just need a minute is all."
"Like you're going to get that!" Nakri shouted, her and Krovanh lunging forward, Nesat transforming her sword into disks again and throwing them ahead, Liddy focusing her energy into her shield to assist with the block. However the pressure was too much, and she was knocked back into Artorian, the impact causing them to slide back until the Lord's back hit the cliffside.
"Their energy just keeps rising, what the hell have they been through to get control like this?" Liddy asked while wincing, moving off of Artorian to get up to a knee. As she did, Krovanh appeared right in front of her, his sword held up as he coursed his energy across his entire blade.
"Liddy!" Pulling the Slayer back, Artorian would move forward without a plan, his left arm going numb and forcing him to drop his father's sword. He was now defenseless; however he showed no hesitation as he focused his energy into his right arm, willing to clash with the Hunter's blade with nothing but his fist.
As their energy was about to collide, the Hunter would be taken off guard as he was sent to the side, hitting against a tree as a clawed hook gripped around his entire body. Both Liddy and the Lord recognized Erica's Everlasting, the Slayer landing in the open field shortly after trapping the Hunter.
Nakri and Nesat were both about to move in to attack her, but jumped back as a storm of green and teal energy bolts shot at the ground. Claire and Emilia were next to enter the fray, Emilia landing in front of Liddy and Artorian while Claire landed next to Erica. Claudia was the last to arrive, planting her feet into the mud while holding her Tudor Rose to her side.
"About time, I was beginning to think I would have to hog all the spotlight." Artorian chuckled, wincing as he let his arm fall back down, his energy calming as he took a moment to recollect himself.
"Liddy, what are the conditions of your team?" Claire asked, keeping her focus on the three Hunters.
"Aly, Reitia and Wendy are all unconscious, Jackson is holding on however they've all lost their variable stones." Liddy would answer, moving to check on Artorian's wounds when she got back up. "Artorian's take several hits, however he appears stable enough that he isn't in critical condition."
"Thank god, we made it in time." Emilia sighed with relief, turning to look to the boy as she did. "Why do you have to be this reckless?"
"What can I say? I enjoy saving damsels in distress."
"I'm sorry to ask this of all of you, but I'll need you to take the fight directly." Claire would say, regarding to the fresh Slayers. "My combat abilities are at their lowest in this rain, even with activating my Full-Body Armament. I will provide support if I can, but protecting the injured will take my priority."
"No problem Prez, I got a score to settle here anyways." Emilia would say, narrowing her eyes as she stared down with Krovanh.
"You wanna go snow-hair!?" Krovanh growled, his energy remaining strong even in the grasp of Erica's Everlasting.
"With pleasure." She would respond, transforming her Hundred and forming dual swords in her hands.
"Get in line Emile, I ain't done with him yet." Artorian stated, wincing as he stood back up, the Lord feeling his arms strength return before picking his sword up.
"Artorian, but you aren't in any condition to…" She would start, looking back to Artorian before seeing his firm stare. After the hits he took, the Lord should be as far from a fight as he could, one of the cuts on his shoulders nearly hitting bone. But looking to him, the Variant knew that telling him to stay back was something just beyond what could be done. It never worked in the past, and in the heat of battle she couldn't risk him lunging out in the middle of everything. "Can I not convince you on fighting either of the others?"
"Nope." He grinned, stepping forward to be by her side. "If it'll make you feel better, I know how to loosen his threat level. I just can't focus on him with the two others interrupting every other second."
"Leave it to you to look at the biggest threat and want to run in head first." Emilia sighed, albeit with a smile as she turned to Nesat and Nakri, crossing her blades as she readied herself. "I'll see what I can to keep them off you."
"You can leave one of them to me." Liddy stated, planting her feet as she stepped next to the pair. "I still have enough strength to fight. You don't need to fight them by yourself Crossfode."
"Liddy?"
"They rely on outnumbering their opponents, a two on one would be a problem for you regardless."
"Thanks." Emilia grinned, trusting the Slayer to cover for her with one of the Hunters. "Good to have you on the front lines Liddy."
"Likewise Crossfode."
"That's enough!" Krovanh screamed, pulsing his energy and pushing his arms forward, breaking Everlasting's hold on him and shattering the tree behind him. "It doesn't matter how many Slayers show up, I'll destroy all of you!"
"You can't even destroy me, it'd be a cold day in hell before you beat any of them!" Artorian glared as he lunged forward, seeing Krovanh charged towards them.
The moment the two collided, Emilia and Liddy would rush forward after Nesat and Nakri. Spinning into action, Nakri would immediately begin to trade blows with the lancer, Liddy's shield sparking as she parried multiple attacks. At the same time, Emilia would go on the offensive with Nesat, the Hunter's eye glowing as she attempted to copy the Slayer's own Hundred.
However due to the nature of Emilia's Arms Shroud, Nesat's attempt came ineffective, shocking her. She would then shift her attention to Liddy, copying the lance and shield to block Emilia's first swing just as the Hundred materialized.
'She let me get this close before using her Hundred?' Emilia would wonder, getting pushed back by Nesat but quickly going on the offensive. The white-haired girl would swing multiple times, Nesat blocking both with her shield and lance, the two showing an impressive display of reaction timing as they traded swings.
Parrying a blow from Emilia, Nesat would activate the spiral of her lance and pierce forward. Emilia would release the sword that was knocked to the side, transforming the weapon into a shield that she slammed her forearm onto, blocking Nesat's attack and standing her ground amidst the sparks and rain. She would then push the lance to the side, bringing her sword up to strike the Hunter.
Nesat would block the attack in return, pushing her arms to the side and kicking up, Emilia taking the blow and wincing as she took a step back. However she quickly dodged to the side, her eyes narrowed as the lance passed just by her face. She would then duck down in Nesat's side arc swing. Emilia would then transform her Hundred into a martial arts type, her arms and legs forming more combative armor as she swung forward.
Nesat would just bring her shield up, the blow amplified as Emilia's energy pulsed through the gauntlet and sent her skidding back on her heels. Planting her feet down, Emilia would begin to send blow after blow at Nesat, the Hunter blocking each punch with her shield. However it was visible that her defenses were suffering amidst the onslaught of blows.
When Emilia would jump up and spin, she'd throw an energy enhanced kick that would pulse with power, sending Nesat back skidding onto a single knee. The Hunter, now with a gap between them, would look to Claudia, her eye glowing once more as her Hundred reassembled to a duplicate of Tudor Rose.
'She isn't altering her Hundred right away either.' Emilia noted, standing straight and changing her Hundred to a scythe, the blade glowing blue as she focused her energy. 'She has an innocence type like me, but she's lacking in variety, with a Hundred type like ours that shouldn't be possible. Unless… she can only copy Hundreds she can see.'
Placing a foot forward, Emilia would take off quickly, spinning her scythe and slashing out as Nesat fired her flail out. The two collided, and the moment the Slayer's feet touched the ground again she'd twist her scythe around her body before sending a slash of energy out, Nesat using her armored gauntlet to protect herself from the attack.
When she took her arm down, the Hunter saw Emilia rush her, this time with dual daggers gripped in reverse. She'd recall her flail and use it to block the incoming flurry of slashes, losing ground with each swing as she was forced to step back. Emilia's assault was proving affective, as Nesat was left backed against a tree in a matter of seconds. Once she had nowhere to go, Nesat would quickly punch her flail to the side, knocking both daggers out of Emilia's hands and would launch it, attempting to land a decisive blow on the Slayer.
When she lost her daggers, Emilia's eyes would turn gold as she released her Variant energy, the temporary burst causing Nesat's flail to bounce back and nearly hit her, striking through the tree. Emilia would then quickly jump up, kicking off Nesat and recalling her Hundred, transforming the daggers and two of her feathers back into gun pods.
Even with the rain, focusing enough of her energy would allow her to fire a full charged blast of energy at the Hunter, Nesat unable to do more than cross her arms and take the blow, flipping over the destroyed tree and drop onto the ground on her back. Nesat winced in pain as her Hundred vanished, the girl slowly pushing herself up to sit in time to look up, her whole body freezing as Emilia transformed her canons into a single rapier, holding it just short of her replacement eye.
"Your Hundred is an innocence type like mine, but you have a glaring weakness." Emilia would say, keeping her blade aimed at the Hunter as she did. "You can't just create Hundreds, you require a visible base. Am hitting in the park?" She'd then question, Nesat frozen stiff at the sight of the blade's tip. "So does that mean if I take care of that golden eye of yours, you'll be unable to use your Hundred period?"
"P-Please…" Nesat would mutter out, the fear in Nesat's eye surprising Emilia. Her whole body was shaking, the girl bringing her hand up to cover her right eye. "I… I'll surrender. Just please, don't take my eye again."
Seeing the girl's fear, Emilia's face would turn somber, her sword still pointed to Nesat's eye but with no intent to push forward. "Why do you have eyes? Aren't they to see the beauty of the world?" She would ask, confusing Nesat as she looked up to Emilia. "You have a gift that is meant to appreciate everything, but you twisted it to hurt others. How can you fight against people trying to protect the world with such a weapon?"
"You… you wouldn't understand." Nesat would respond, looking down as tears escaped her left eye. "A Slayer like you is blind to the world. You say an eye is to see the beauty, but what about the ugly? How do I respond to what's wrong with this world? What people like you refuse to acknowledge."
"…" Emilia remained silent in face of the question, her eyes returning to normal as she looked to the Hunter. "I don't know. I haven't experienced the ugly of the world, but there's someone I know that has." She'd then look to Artorian, the Lord battling against Krovanh while remaining on the defensive.
'The one Vitaly is concerned about? Abyssal?' Nesat thought, following Emilia's gaze.
"Outside of a fight, you can see in his eyes that he's seen a lot wrong with the world." The Slayer would say, her gaze remaining somber, yet a smile formed over her lips as she had faith in Artorian's abilities. "But even then, he's still fighting on. He has a will that I have yet to see be matched, brushing off the pain he feels in order to get one more swing, one more punch, anything to change the tide. He doesn't want to be one, but I know if anyone here can be a hero to this world, it's him."
'A hero… him?' The Hunter would wonder, before her attention was taken as she heard Nakri scream, seeing her cousin get knocked down after a powerful thrust from Liddy. The Hunter would remain conscious, but as she fell to her back, her Hundred deactivated, leaving her in the same condition as Nesat.
"Nakri!"
"Remain down, it's for your best interest." Liddy would say, standing in her readied stance. She knew Nakri would have little energy after being knocked out of her Hundred, but as an Artificial Variant she couldn't be too careful.
"N-No, if Krovanh's still fighting… than I can't…!" Nakri would try to say, pushing herself up to her feet. However a few seconds into standing her legs gave up on her, falling to her front. "D-Damn it… why can't I move?"
"Nakri, please don't move anymore." Both Emilia and Liddy would react and turn their attention to Nesat as she got up, however relaxed their posture as she ran for her cousin, helping sit her so that she wasn't face down in the mud. "You're hurt, just take it slow."
"Nesat… I'm sorry." Nakri said, tears entering her eyes as she looked to her elder cousin. "I… I was too weak again. I couldn't… keep up with them on my own."
"It's okay, you fought as hard as you could." Nesat responded, comforting her cousin as she did. "You don't need to feel responsible."
"All that's left is the boy in their group." Liddy would note, turning to see Artorian clash blades with Krovanh, the Lord taking a protective posture as the Hunter was swinging wildly. "Should we move in to assist?"
"No, he'll be alright." Emilia smiled, her eyes staring with certainty. "He won't lose, not to the same person twice."
"You damn Slayers!" Krovanh would shout, his assault continuing to push Artorian back as he swung with both his blades fiercely. "Scum like you shouldn't exist, not with the authority you've been given!"
"Where do you get off?" Artorian grunted, Krovanh's latest strike sending his skidding back and falling to a knee, the mud at his feet giving him and having him lose balance. "You're the one going around attacking anything that moves, kettle calling the pot black with comments like that you brat."
"Like you'd ever understand!" Krovanh screamed in furry, his energy growing more rapidly as he rushed Artorian, swinging his sword down with fury as the two clashed, pushing their blades against each other. "You Slayers cause nothing but pain everywhere you go! You act without a second thought, no matter how drastic it hurts everyone around you!" The Hunter would then begin to swing down in quick succession, the speed of the blows preventing Artorian from countering.
"The suffering that have spawned from Slayers like you! Past and current generations! Everyone who isn't strong gets blown away if they don't conform! Denying what you preach is sin! Defending yourself from you is heresy! This whole world has gone wrong and needs to be fixed! So I'll rip it apart! I'll rip the whole world from the seams and put it back together! And bastards like you won't stand in the way! I'll fix this world even if it kills me!"
"Like hell you know anything!' Artorian shouted back, summoning his energy as he found and opening and slashed up. "You think you're able to fix this world!? Bullshit! This whole world is screwed because of not Slayers, but just the people in it!" Artorian would then stand up, pushing against Krovanh as he stared the Hunter in the eyes, knowing he had a short window ahead of him. "Trying to fix it is pointless! The world doesn't want to be fixed! What the fuck would a stupid kid like you manage to do that everyone else has failed!?"
"Because I know what needs to be done!" Krovanh shouted, blood trailing from his lip as his eyes went bloodshot, the glow of his eyes turning more and more overbearing as he pushed against Artorian. "I won't let this world fall apart! Because there's people like me that need help still! Bastards and Slayers refuse to change what is needed because of the inconvenience it would be! They refuse to do the right thing, so I'll kill you all and rebuild what was made! I won't let this world be torn apart by the failures of humanity!"
"You stupid shit, you don't know the first thing about this world!"
"I know more than you ever would!"
As the two clashed, their energy would begin to collide, green pushing against blue as they battled for control. As they did, Artorian's eyes would widen in focus, time slowing to a crawl to him as he felt the energy begin to meld. His whole body remained firmly in place, but he felt as though he was now completely out of place.
In a single blink, he'd see the entire terrain shift around him, the raining forest transforming into a desert wasteland. Looking around, he'd remain confused before he turned around, his eyes widening as he saw a caravan of people, most in ragged clothes while a select few were in variable suits and military uniforms.
'That's… Al-Salaam's designs.' Artorian realized, just as a person in the middle of the group fall over.
"Hey what do you think you're doing?" The one of the men in variable suits questioned, the whole group stopping in fear as he approached the fallen person.
"Please, don't be mad!" One of the other figures pleaded, a girl's voice as she moved to defend the fallen kid. "Nakri's just weak from the travel! She just needs a second to-!"
"Who said you could talk!?" The Slayer shouted, smacking the girl away in the midst of her plea.
"Hey!" Artorian growled as he ran forward, throwing his fist and becoming confused as he went right through the man. "What the hell?" He'd then turn back, seeing that no one was even reacting to his presence, as if the hybrid wasn't even present.
'What the hell is going on?'
"Nesat!" A young boy's voice would shout out, a third kid in rags shouting as he rushed after the man. "Leave them alone you bastard!"
"What did you say to me!?" The Slayer demanded, striking the boy and knocking him down. "Hundred On!" The man then pulled out a variable stone, throwing it and forming a whip Hundred. "Getting rather cocky again, huh punk? I guess I have to shape you up again."
"Go ahead and try you bast-AAHHHH!" The boy would try to say, but was interrupted as the Slayer whipped him harshly across the back, his clothes ripping and revealing a cut from the attack.
"Krovanh!" Both girls screamed in fear, watching as the Slayer continued to whip the boy's back.
'Wait… Krovanh? The Hunter?' Artorian would think, turning to see the faces of Nesat and Nakri, recognizing the trio of Hunters. 'What the hell is going on? Am I… seeing his memories?'
"You should remember your place, you worthless hunk of flesh!" The Slayer would say, watching as Krovanh quivered on the ground, several gashes in his back from the whip's strikes. "You serve us, to the letter! Any deviation will be met with punishment! All of you remember this!"
It was a rough but well-known topic that Al-Salaam, even to this day, still practiced is slavery. Attempts were made to stop it, however it and the rest of the countries in the Middle East proved to be rather resilient. They lacked resources, but their average fighters were nothing to scoff at, it's what allowed them to remain one of Warslran's top rivals.
The location would then shift again, Artorian turning to see Krovanh hanging by his wrists with metal chains, suffering several whips as the gashes in his back appeared larger than before.
"You're a rather odd one, seventeen times you've tried to break free, and every time is a failure!" The same Slayer from before shouted, ending his sentence with another whip, resulting in a pained cry from Krovanh. "What is a brat like you thinking you can do? This encampment is fortified with Slayers and soldier alike in the middle of nowhere! Escape is pointless even if you managed it!"
"You say that, but I seem to notice two are gone…" Krovanh would cough hoarsely, a weak grin on his face as he did. "Don't tell me, you brought me here again cause you… realized my plan was to get them out… huh?"
"Bastard, where'd they go!" The Slayer shouted, whipping Krovanh again, getting straight to the point as the boy called him out. "We know they're your family, you wouldn't just send them anywhere! So where. Did. They. GO!?"
"Someplace… safe… away from you."
"A tough guy, you've got spine if not anything else." The Slayer said, a sadistic grin widening on his face as he reared his arm again. "I'll enjoy fixing that over the next few days! Once I'm done, you'll sing like a bird!" The sound of the door opening would then be heard, the Slayer appearing annoyed while Artorian looked to the source in surprise. "I told you not to enter! If anyone's getting him to talk it'll be-gah!"
"Get away from my little brother!" Nesat would scream, the girl plunging a knife into the back of the Slayer's knee as she ran in with fury.
"Damn, brat!" The Slayer grunted, turning and attempting to kick her away. Nesat would avoid it however, pulling the knife out and stabbing it into his other leg. As his balance shifted, Nakri would suddenly run in throwing a rock, hitting him in the face and knocking him over.
"Krovanh!" Nakri would shout in concern, seeing her cousin being held up with the chains before running to him."
"N…Nakri? Nesat? What are you… doing…?" The boy would attempt to say, coughing in pain as Nakri reached into her ragged clothes, pulling out a set of keys.
"We came back to save you! We couldn't leave you behind!" She'd answer, fumbling with her keys as she tried to find the right one. When she did, she'd get it into the cuffs surrounding Krovanh's wrists, unlocking it and catching him before he collapsed.
"You need to… run…" Krovanh gasped, coughing out blood as he felt his vision fading.
"No! Not without you!"
During the whole process, Artorian could feel everything from Krovanh's perspective. The blistering pain in his back from the whipping, the deathly weakness from being left without food or water for several days, even the droplets of tears falling on him from Nakri were felt by the hybrid in full detail.
"Nakri… run…!" Krovanh would attempt to warn, but was too late as the Slayer appeared and struck the girl from behind, knocking both her and Krovanh over.
"Ahh!"
"Damn, worthless brats!" The Slayer growled, his legs bleeding yet he remained active after punching Nesat off. "I knew the benefits from shits like you wasn't worth it! I should have gotten rid of you from the start!" He'd then raise his whip, sending it down and just grazing Nakri's shoulder as Nesat tackled him by his legs and stabbing his side with the knife.
"AAHHHHH!"
"Damn fucking bitch!" The Slayer shouted, pushing Nesat back and punching her in the eye, the girl screaming in pain as he kicked her away. Reaching for the knife and pulling it out, he'd walk over to the girl, kicking her side to force her onto her back before getting on top of her. "You seem to like this knife? How about you get a closer look?"
The Slayer would then grin darkly as he flipped the knife to hold it in a reverse grip, Nesat fighting against him but unable to budge him off from his strength and weight.
"N-N-No! Get off!" Nesat would scream, reaching her hands up and attempting to push the knife away. However no matter what she did, the man's natural strength alone would give him the edge over the kid, forcing her to watch as he inched the tip of the knife closer and closer to her face.
"Making demands huh? I guess there really is no fixing you." The Slayer grinned, his eyes bloodshot as he pushed against her hands, the knife just and inch from her right eye. "Say goodbye to that pretty little eye of yours!"
"A-AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Nesat would scream in agony as the knife dug into her eye, the man slowly pushing it in more to have her suffer through it all. He'd leave the knife in for several seconds, her cries of pain getting a reaction from Krovanh as he looked up from his down's position.
"…Ne…sat…"
"Such a shame, you would've made a great whore when you grew older." The Slayer commented, ripping the knife out and getting one more pained cry from Nesat, her eye being ripped out along with it. "And now, for the other eye."
"Get away from my sister!" Krovanh screamed in fury, the Slayer being caught off guard as he tackled hi, forcing him to drop the knife. The two rolled on the ground before the Slayer got the upper hand, punching Krovanh's gut and forcing the boy to cough out blood.
"Fucking brat! Don't know when to quit!" The Slayer growled, punching his stomach again before grabbing his throat, throwing him across the torture room. "All of you, fucking worthless excuses of humans! Not one with a lick of energy and too weak to even be useful workers! You were lucky to be alive for this long!" He then would reach down, grabbing Krovanh by his hair and holding him up. "You're nothing, you'll always be nothing! All because you have no power!"
"M…Maybe… but at least we'll… be alive!" Krovanh would shout, twisting his whole body and brandishing the knife, slashing it across the Slayer's throat. The man wouldfeel the blade cut through his skin, releasing Krovanh and grabbing his neck in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. The boy wouldn't allow that however, as he tackled the man again with his remaining strength, sitting up on him and plunging the knife repeatedly into his chest.
"Fucking horrid excuse of a human! What the fuck makes you so special! You think you can torture us! Abuse us! Treat us like garbage! And why!? Because you're a damn Slayer!? You're nothing but a human with energy, your only difference is you were gifted by a damn virus with all benefits and no negatives! You're nothing! Just a waste of flesh! A bastard! A monster! A FUCKING DOG!"
After plunging the knife into the Slayer's chest for the twentieth time, Krovanh would feel his strength leave him and he'd collapse to his side, the Slayer now dead from the loss of blood and repeated stabbing.
"K-Krovanh!" Nakri would yell in fear, going to the boy as she fought against the pain from the large gash in her shoulder. Nesat would follow, the pain from her removed eye unbearable but she fought against it, concerned for her younger brother. "Krovanh! Krovanh! Please get up!"
"I… told you to… never come back…" Krovanh croaked out, the boy barely able to move as he looked up to his sister and cousin.
"…W…We couldn't just… run away." Nesat cried, relieved to see him breathing. "…We ran into someone… she helped us… get in. We got to you… because of her."
"She?"
"That would be me." A woman's voice would speak up, walking into the room. The woman was wrapped in a ragged cloak that hid most of her body from the outside environment. However her head was completely exposed, revealing long red hair, her eyes yellow with a sharp look to them. Artorian noted that from her pale skin she wasn't from Al-Salaam, what's more her features appeared almost familiar to him.
"W-Who are… you…?"
"Vitaly Tynyanov. You must be Krovanh." Artorian's eyes would widen in realization, him now having a face to the woman who had experimented on Sakura back then. "Tell me, you killed that Slayer, correct?"
"What… about it?"
"That was rather impressive, for three kids. I have a need for such talent, and I feel you three will provide important results for my work."
"What're… you trying to… do?"
"Hmph." Vitaly would chuckle, brushing a bit of her hair behind her ear as she smiled sinisterly at them. "Create a world where Slayers aren't needed anymore. Where Gods and Savage alike fall before the might of humanity, without giving up what makes us humans."
The whole world would then begin to crack, Artorian's eyes registering the sudden shifting just as everything broke away, and in that second he was back to clashing with Krovanh, the Hunter pushing with everything he had as blood continued to come out of his mouth.
"We don't need Slayers! Once we get enough variable stones there won't be a need for freaks like us! And then we can finally all be free!" Krovanh screamed, coughing out blood but continuing on as he went against Artorian.
"…You're a damn idiot." Artorian said sympathetically, closing his eyes as he held his ground. "I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
"You suffered at the hands of a monster pretending to be human. You now register that anger from that day and shift it onto Slayers because of what he did to your cousin, your sister. I understand that." Artorian would then dig his feet in, his energy growing stronger as he began to push against Krovanh. "Another time, another life, I may have joined you. I might have BEEN you. But!"
Thoughts of Karen would then go through Artorian's mind, recalling back to the first moments of seeing her. Her laughter, her smile, her tears, her cries, the thoughts lit a flame in him as he opened his eyes wide, both his energy and sword pushing Krovanh back. "I can't lose!" He'd then push with all his strength, forcing Krovanh to stumble back.
"I don't have the option of losing!" He'd shout, swinging his blade and striking Krovanh's blade, the Hunter getting back into his stance and returning the swing as they recoiled. "I made a promise, and I intend to keep it!" He'd then strike the same place on the blade, his eyes narrowing as he saw the crack on Krovanh's sword spread. "I won't let her down! I won't let you or anyone else steal away her future!"
"She won't have a future as long as you're alive!" Krovanh shouted in response, the two swinging again, the Hunter's eyes widening as he felt a powerful vibration go from his sword up his arms.
"I will get her there!" Artorian screamed in fury, swinging with all his strength and striking Krovanh's sword in synch with the vibrations, the Hunter returning and cutting across his neck. The Hunter's blade would break off from the crack, and Artorian's collar and suit underneath would give in, Krovanh's blade just barely getting knocked down and cutting across his collarbone.
Artorian grunted as he felt the cut go through his flesh and graze bone, but powered through it and struck Krovanh's side with his sword, the Hunter coughing out blood from the blow. Artorian then quickly followed it with an energy infused punch, slamming it into Krovanh's gut and sending him crashing into the cliffside.
Both Krovanh and Artorian's Hundred would then disappear, the variable stones falling into the mud as their energy ran out. The Lord was still standing, albeit covered in sweat, rain and his blood as he panted heavily. He watched as Krovanh pushed himself up to sit against the cliffside, placing a hand on his chest as he felt several ribs crack.
"It's… over…" Artorian panted, stabbing his sword into the ground to keep himself up. "You… lost."
"N-N-No… it's not… over yet. Blegh!" Krovanh would feel his insides spike with pain, forcing him to cough out blood when he attempted to get back up. "D-Damn it!"
"Krovanh, please don't!" Nakri cried out, seeing her cousin in so much pain causing her to cry. "Just stop! Please, don't hurt yourself anymore! Please!"
"Nakri…"
"…Krovanh, we lost." Nesat would add in, the oldest of the three looking to her brother in concern. "Please, no more."
"Nesat… ngh!" Krovanh would grunt as he clutched his side tight, looking back over to Artorian as he remained standing. "…I give up."
"Smart… choice…" Artorian would chuckle, feeling his kegs about ready to give in as he did. "Damn… haven't felt this trashed since… Claire. You got a sharp blade."
"Not sharp enough."
"Hehe, it'll take more than that to kill me Sharkface. Not a bad attempt though."
"Here, I got you." Emilia would say, getting underneath Artorian's right arm to help keep him up as he was about to collapse.
"Thanks…"
"No problem." She'd smile, relieved that he had managed to win.
"Claire, I still can't get a signal out." Erica would say, looking to the blonde as a bolt of lightning went across the sky.
"…We had a jammer." Nesat spoke up, revealing the tool the Hunters had used. "It kept you from warning each other."
"Then shut it off." Liddy ordered.
"…It was." Nesat said, looking to the Slayers in confusion. "When our energy went away, it should've shut off. The signal isn't going through?"
"No, it isn't." Claire responded, several more strikes of lightning going off in the sky. "The storm's getting worse, we need to start moving everyone into cover."
"Right away." Erica nodded. "Lowetti, help me get the others before the storm picks up."
"…" Claudia would look over to the vice president before turning back to Emilia, seeing the girl smiling as she looked to Artorian. Her eyes were down casted at seeing her princess give such a look to someone else, but it was undeniable at this point that she felt more for him than she ever would for her.
'I… guess I lost.'
"Lowetti?"
"…Yeah, I'm coming." Claudia would say, grateful for the rain as she would go to help up Reitia. As she was about to however, all of the rain would suddenly stop, confusing everyone before six bolts of lightning came down in the surrounding area.
The impact alone from the lightning caused everyone to fly back, Claire being the only one to remain on her feet as she fought against the torrent winds that followed. The entire battlefield's terrain would have hardened, the mud being instantly burned solid from the lightning strikes. And as the winds spread drastically like a shockwave, everyone could only protect themselves from the forces as everything went crazy.
And just as quickly as the lightning and wind started, it went away. Lightning was still going off in the sky, however the bolts traveled across the sky and struck further away from them. Among the Slayers, Liddy, Erica and Claudia were able to rise to their feet immediately after the torrent winds went down, Emilia getting up to her knees as she helped Artorian rise up off the ground.
"What was that?" Erica muttered. "The chances of six lightning bolts hitting like that all at once is astronomically low, it's impossible to happen naturally."
"A rather interesting display, I'm impressed." Everyone would freeze at the sound of a man's voice, feeling the ground shake at the same time. Looking across the field, they'd see a massive man step out of the tree line, each step coursing green lightning across his body and armor. In his hand was a massive spear with a sword at the end, the polearm black with the blade glowing fluorescent green.
"Oh… fuck…" Artorian muttered, realizing right away what was happening.
"Artorian?" Emilia asked looking down and being shocked as she saw Artorian's terrified stare.
"So you recognize me? That must mean you're a hybrid as well. And an Akin at that, you are a worthy find among your peers." The distinguishable Lord said, his entire presence broadcasting power as he remained across the terrain from them.
"Artorian, who is he?' Claire would question, keeping her focus on the new Lord as her pods aimed at him.
"We need to leave. Right. Now."
"Oh, but I had just arrived. I had been very patient on getting to meet you." The Lord said, the smirk heard from his voice as he did. "And besides, you wouldn't want to leave right now. What about your friend?"
At his question, Oristin and Ato would step out from the right of the field, the human throwing a person off his shoulder and closer to the Slayers.
"Matthew!" Claire called out, seeing the hybrid covered in cuts and bruises.
"Damn it…" Artorian grunted as he saw Matthew barely breathing, the hybrid being conscious or not unknown from the extent of his injuries. "He's not going to make this easy on us."
"Artorian, who is he?" Emilia asked, seeing Artorian begin to sweat as he stared at the Lord across from them.
"A Scorned… no, THE Scorned." Artorian said, a flash of lightning going behind the Lord and revealing his glowing green eyes amidst the shadows for a split second.
"The Nameless King."
(A/N): God damn, this chapter started slow for me but before long I couldn't stop myself. I have to say, this is a chapter where I said I was excited for it and felt it came out near exactly as I intended for it. And in all honesty, I am proud of this chapter for a few reasons. The first reason, it gave Liddy a bit of light to shine, as in the canon series most people will know she doesn't get much opportunity to fight, and I was more than glad to give it. Another is the Hunters, as I enjoy actually writing them and wanted to give them a good action sequence in this. Also with a bit of change in the trio's background.
I was also glad to give Emilia a real sequence of combat than just a thirty second beat down on two of the Hunters. I recognize that in terms of all the other girls, Emilia is one of the least liked. And to an extent I agree, as for a main girl she's got a rather bland background. However I felt with her Hundred she has a lot of opportunity to be a good character, just suffering from not getting much attention in fights and even less with her Variant abilities mostly being ignored in canon until later. And I always wondered why she rarely used it, Hayato spams it in canon and yet she never does, felt like wasted potential to me. Something I'm hoping to fix in this story.
Which kind of spans to a point of me making this story. I'm not sure how many have seen the LN of Hundred or understand what I mean, but I feel a lot of the conflicts are solved solely by Hayato. Not only that, but he gets his power-ups pretty early on, with controlling the Variant Virus and unlocking Full-Body Armament so early on. I don't mind having strong characters early on, but powers like that should be saved for moments of importance, using it in the Claire fight and in the Trenta battle immediately after and then have them controlled felt hollow. That for the most part is why Artorian has yet to master his Variant Virus or even come close to activating Full-Body Armament. Which funny enough, I almost felt instinctively required to remind myself when writing that Artorian doesn't activate the Variant Virus and that he doesn't have as much starting energy as everyone else because in Hundred it's just thrown around so much for Hayato. But I feel I should get into that on its own time in another A/N that isn't so long.
But outside of that, the latest introduction in this chapter will certainly give us an interesting sight to see in the next. Much like this chapter I have been looking forward to this next one, and I'll certainly enjoy it when it goes through. Anyways, I just wanted to say a few things in regards to this, so for now I'll be signing off. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one. Peace!"