Fruits of the Second Origin ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Diana's Room, Neuschwanstein Castle, Island of Creation It had taken some time for Diana Angelinous to finally compose herself. But she did it. No one could have been angry with her for reacting the way she did. After all how many people would actually be brought back from the grave like that? It was a shock and a horror. Especially for Diana, who was always so kind and gentle in her true nature. The young woman had woken up early last night after her second argument with 'Zephaniah' about his actions. The first thing she did was take a look at the vanity mirror in her room. She looked awful, really. There were dried tear tracks all over her face; and her eyes looked so red and puffy. Not to mention the fact that the sole dress she had been wearing was all wrinkled and matted. So Diana made an effort to sort herself out. She was in no way happy about anything that was happening to her. But this was a distraction from her problems. It was nothing more than that. She had shed her pure white dress and bathed in the side bathroom attached to her living quarters. After spending a while in there; Diana re-dressed in a long navy-blue dress that had been left for her by one of her personal maids who kept buzzing in and out of the room every now and again. It took her mind away from her problems for just a couple of hours. Today it was no relief whatsoever. All she could think about was how strange things had become for her. She now had magical powers. The once peaceful Aesus had now become the dreadful knight Zephaniah. He was leader of some powerful organization. Diana herself had been brought back to life via the research and technology of this group. What had happened to the days when she was just a normal girl in Bristol, Neo-England, working at a flower shop? When she and Aesus had plans to marry and live together? Diana stood up off the bed she had been sitting on and walked over to the open slit window on the other side of the room. She looked out at the scene. Of the great emerald grass fields that surrounded Neuschwanstein Castle. Diana didn't exactly know where she was but she knew that this definitely wasn't Neo-England. That country had been enveloped in leagues and leagues of snow ever since the landing of the Genesis Comet. This place seemed quite bright and cheerful, despite the events that had taken place here. But then, like always, the minute that she stopped thinking of him, Zephaniah came back into mind. Diana couldn't give up on him. She loved him. Maybe there was still a way to show Zephaniah that he had to have faith in what was left of humanity. "...I know I can reach him if I try hard enough. I know I can. If he is still capable of loving me then I know that he is capable of loving others. I just have to find a way..." And Diana settled the idea in her head. She had to help him. If it meant the ruination of his monstrous plans then she had little choice in the matter. The Neo-English woman walked over to the edge of her bed and withdrew that pair of shoes she had been wearing earlier yesterday. She slipped them back on and then went for the door. Zephaniah was fighting up above in some additional match to the tournament he was staging on this island. Diana had to find him and stop this madness before it was too late. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Central Courtyard, Neuschwanstein Castle, Island of Creation "...Uggghhh..." Slowly but surely, Setsuya's cream brown eyes began to flutter open. He looked over at his surroundings. He was in the Courtyard. Zephaniah was across; leisurely walking towards Setsuya's slumped position against the smashed wall. Then Setsuya felt the taste of blood on his tongue and lips. He remembered. He had been struck by that attack of Zephaniah's. That thing he called Arcus Nova. Such a powerful technique. It cut right through the Burn Shell that the Fire Cutter had cast and smashed Setsuya up into this wall. What kind of power did this man have if he were able to do something like that? Setsuya had known that Zephaniah was in possession of a strong aura, but... Nevertheless, Setsuya couldn't allow himself to be beaten. Not now that he knew just what Zephaniah was up to. If he didn't stop this guy he would bring calamity and nightmare to a world which had suffered enough already. Setsuya groaned a little, nudging his neck up, and thrust the Fire Cutter into one of the flagstones of the courtyard and used it as a strong leverage. He hoisted himself up with the support of his sword. Into a standing position from which he could remain under his own power. Setsuya then withdrew the sword from the ground and faced off with Zephaniah once again, gritting his teeth and tightening his hold over the Fire Cutter. The Great Knight stopped walking and watched. "Ah!" He smiled behind his helmet, "You have risen! Not many people can stand after being struck with the force of my Arcus Nova. You are clearly greater than the average warrior. But know this; to me you are nothing." Blood dripped freely from one of Setsuya's nostrils. "We'll just see about that!" From that position, Setsuya thrust himself towards Zephaniah and his might Shadow Edge blade. The boots of the Japanese man charged straight ahead with the utmost of the speed he could muster. Until he reached within attacking distance of the Great Knight. The older man acted first by grabbing Shadow Edge in a one handed grip and swinging it around in a half-moon motion. Setsuya ducked under the swipe, mid-run, and turned his shoulder inwards. Right before casting a powerful slice across the amethyst tone chest of his armour. A streak of golden friction passed along the armour in the path set by the slash. But that slash hadn't even managed to scratch the chest plate. Setsuya narrowed his eyes at this. His attack failed? Zephaniah skidded backwards over the flagstone courtyard floor and re-gripped the Shadow Edge. Setsuya's attack had done nothing to his armour. Even though he was using one of the Four Sacred Swords. And he expected no less than that. Then he drew back his free hand and curled it into a fist. Setsuya cried out as Zephaniah's iron covered knuckles punched his straight across the face and turning his cheek a dark purple instantly. The Japanese youth stumbled and fell backwards from the strength of the punch. While Zephaniah himself hoisted that large Shadow Edge blade into the air with ease in a double handed grip. He gave his body one boost of adrenalin and thrust the sword down in a cleaving strike. The bruised Setsuya saw the thick dark blade of Shadow Edge about to come down on him. He swiftly rolled his whole body to one side to avoid the blow. The Shadow Edge crushed the stone beneath it from the strength of the attack. Setsuya kept rolling and rolling on his side until he had gotten far enough away and then leapt up into a running stride. He looked over at the poised Zephaniah and kept running. But his run followed a path that was cut around the Neo-English Monster. Setsuya stopped running now that a safe distance of about thirty metres had been put between them. And he took the time that gave him to catch his breath. Zephaniah had haunting strength. That armour he was wearing was obviously made from some super tough metals. Not even the sleek edge of the Fire Cutter seemed to be able to pierce it. Now the issue of this fight had changed. Before he had been hoping to drag the fight on to give Aarin more time in rescuing Lin-Lin. Now Setsuya was struggling just to stay in the game. The Master of the Yuuga School had once told he and Aarin that one day their lives would depend on their skills with the sword. Now it looked like that day had come for Setsuya. Never before had he fought in a death match. But one of them had to die here. And Setsuya had to make sure that it was Zephaniah who fell under the scythe of the Grim Reaper. But with that durable armour and that powerful Shadow Edge... how could Setsuya win? "I could attempt an Inferno Phoenix," Setsuya said to himself, "But I'd need time to charge it and I don't think this bastard is going to wait around for me to burn him into cinders. I know I have to do something. But what...?" Then Setsuya stopped to pay attention to Zephaniah. When he noticed that by now, he had lifted Shadow Edge above his head. Its tip pointing straight upwards into the bright sunny sky. What on Earth was he planning to do now? Zephaniah's voice bellowed out into the vastness of the Central Courtyard. "It is high time that you learned about some of the immense powers of the Shadow Edge, boy! Lets see if you can handle them!" His whole body tensed up. All the muscles is Zephaniah's body reacted. His tendons tightened. His calves loosened. His abs puckered outwards. His biceps bulged. A thick and bestial growl rumbled within the core of this throat. His lips spread open as his blunt white teeth clenched together. And the veins at his temple and neck soon began to throb with the increase of his blood flow. Then the fanatical tautness of grip that the armour-clad man had over his Shadow Edge's handle grew stronger and stronger. If it were possible, Setsuya would have seen the man's knuckles whiten. The free hand of the Knight clenched into a fist. His steel boots lodged so firmly into the ground that the flagstone he was standing on were beginning to crack. The sound of shattering stone interconnected well with the sound of Zephaniah's dark cries of momentum. At the side of his torso, his fist shook. His whole body followed suit. The dark amethyst armour he was wearing soon began to shake with the rest of his body. All but the Shadow Edge. The runic symbols that had been carved into the blade of the sword soon began shimmering. With an ashen white light that contrasted the dark ebony colour of the sword itself. Setsuya felt himself shake too. From fear. The Shadow Edge was giving off a kind of spiritual power that was chilling and deep. As if it had existed for all of time and briefly, just briefly, could mirror the sadness, misery and nothingness it saw for itself through all those billions upon billions of years. It was truly a weapon like no other. "Do you feel that!?" Zephaniah called out, "It's the agony of billions of lost souls! You are going to feel its power, Seisuji! This castle of Neuschwanstein shall be your tombstone!" He shouted again to call out the attack. "Earthquake!" And there was a deafening roar the second that Zephaniah had spoken that. Dark light surrounded the body of the metal-enswathed knight. A light that blocked him from view to anyone else. But that was not the attack itself. The ground itself began to shake like never before. Setsuya felt himself be thrown off his own weight and was hurled to the ground. He collapsed downwards and rolled into the floor with his back. The ground itself was trembling from the savageness of this Earthquake. Setsuya couldn't stay still long enough to think straight. The flagstones of the courtyard all began to crack and separate. Loose rock began popping up from gaps between those stones and shot out elsewhere. The walls joined the floor in their agony. The stone that made up the whole of the courtyard soon shuddered for what the Shadow Edge had begun. The English flags that had been erected at the far walls of that surrounded the courtyard were ripped from their holsters and then tumbled to the quaking ground below. Setsuya rolled out of the way as one came down for him. It spiked the ground like an arrow. But Setsuya managed to avoid being impaled by one. This was like nothing Setsuya had ever seen before. It felt like the very foundations of the castle were coming apart. Which would put Lin-Lin, Aarin and Ingrid in danger. The Japanese fighter rolled back onto his knees and tried his hardest to speak, his voice being drowned out by the noise of the tremor. "Stop it!" Setsuya tried yelling as loudly as possibly, "You lunatic! You're gonna kill every single one of us in this castle if you don't stop it this now!" If Zephaniah even heard that he pretended not to because he didn't stop. Or maybe he just didn't care. Either way; Setsuya was prevented from trying a second attempt at reasoning. His eyes locked onto a huge gap that was forming from about a metre away. The large crack that broke open at about a metre's width grew and grew until it smashed through all the flagstones in its way and began ripping the courtyard into two halves. The large divide kept crushing through all the stone and rock. And it was heading Setsuya's way. He grit his teeth and did his best to stand. Then jumped upwards at the instant that the divide reached his ankles. Any longer in that spot and he would had been swallowed up into the lower levels of the castle. While hovering in the air, mid-jump, Setsuya looked down at the sheer power of the Shadow Edge. It had ripped open a twenty-two metre long tear in the stone of the courtyard floor. He could have easily fallen into that. At the starting point of that tear was Zephaniah. That clever bastard had actually mastered the dark powers of the Shadow Edge. It clearly outmatched the Fire Cutter, Wind Soul and Lightning Tooth. Soon after that Setsuya began to land. At the eastern half of the great divide that had split open the courtyard. By now the tremors and shaking had begun to end. So Setsuya came down swiftly and seriously, able to stand normally. But the courtyard itself was now wrecked. Battered and ruined. Much of the rock and stone that had been broken or loosened was smeared over the scene. That was the ruthless power of the Shadow Edge. It chilled Setsuya to the bone to think of what might happen if someone ever got their hands on all four of the swords. Which was Zephaniah's intention. This madman had to be stopped at all costs before something like that ever happened. Zephaniah lowered the Shadow Edge and looked over at Setsuya. "You are quick on your feet. Not very bad, son. Not very bad at all. But you have laid yourself open for my next attack. You see, your father didn't quite complete all his research to the best of his ability. After all... if he had... then he would have learned some of the other powers that the Shadow Edge has at its disposal." "And just what do you mean by that?" Setsuya questioned. "The Shadow Edge can do more than simply produce tremors," The Great Knight evened out the sword so that it was held horizontally before him. Which presented to Setsuya the fact that its white runic symbols had not stopped glowing, "It has the power to shift objects as well as destroy them! Allow me to present a demonstration! Thunder Hail!" Setsuya blinked. What could that mean? He was about to find out. There was eight loose fragments of stone left around Zephaniah's feet. Broken from the surrounding walls and from the flagstones that made up the courtyard. Those fragments did not stay dormant forever. Much to Setsuya's surprised and utter disbelief; those eight fragments of stone began to rise from the ground. Zephaniah smiled from behind his metal visor as the rubble floated around his body. Suspended in mid air by the magical properties of the Shadow Edge. Then they surged ahead. Right for the target that had been made for them. A rush of momentum filled the Japanese youth. The rock were heading for him with great speed. He hauled off and ducked the first rock that came at his like a cannonball. It went over his head and smashed into the wall behind him, shattering into chips of rock and dust. The second came from his left. Setsuya crouched down in an attacking stance and slashed straight through it with the Fire Cutter. The two halves of the stone stopped and clattered to the battered ground. A third came from the right. Setsuya turned himself around to meet with it. But before he even got the chance to attack; the fourth rock came screaming in from behind him. It smashed into his back, eliciting a furious shriek of agony from Setsuya. He lurched forward in the pain only to be hit by the third rock he had forgotten. It flew into his face and smacked him backward. A geyser of blood was knocked from the boy's nose as he fell backwards to the ground. The remaining four rocks all came at once and battered the nineteen-year-old over and over again. His body was knocked to and fro with each blow sustained, each hit drawing a new bruise, cut or gash. By the time the four rocks had beaten themselves into Setsuya eighteen times, they all dropped to the ground. Leaving Setsuya groaning and rolling in pain. Zephaniah lowered Shadow Edge as the symbols began to fade. "Nothing can match my power," He quipped, but he was in for a surprise... "Huh?!" Setsuya, with his nose bleeding, his face bruised, his limbs weak and his deep chest wound dripping down blood, stood up with the Fire Cutter in a loose grip. He shut one of his eyes and gave a defiant smile to the confused Great Knight. The Japanese boy grinned tiredly. "It'll take more... than a few rocks... to keep me down. You'd better strap yourself in, bastard... 'cause a Seisuji don't give in... so easily..." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Holding Cell Chambers, Neuschwanstein Castle, Island of Creation "Did you feel that, Aarin? It was like a quake!" Aarin and Ingrid dashed down the long corridor of the holding cells. They were looking for number eight. That was the one that was holding the Chinese girl, Lin-Lin. But there were many cells around. This place was deep below the restricted area of the castle. So far he and Ingrid hadn't been caught yet. But it was only a matter of time before someone found out that they were missing. So he and Ingrid had to be quick. Hopefully Setsuya was holding his own up in the courtyard with Zephaniah. Aarin spoke as he ran. "I have a feeling that the vibration we felt was cause by the Shadow Edge sword. It's just like your Lightning Tooth and my Wind Soul. But its magic can cause earthquakes and shockwaves. Lets just hope that Setsuya is okay up there." "Look!" Ingrid pointed to a door at their left, "That door is number eight! That must be the one we are looking for." Aarin breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness." The two Highland Siblings skidded to a stop. Right in front of that large iron door. They could not see inside it. The door had no window or bars. None the less, Aarin didn't give a damn. The Japanese-trained fighter gripped the handle of Wind Soul then withdrew it in one quick strike. He made a four sharp strokes with the blade. It formed a rectangular shape that cut the door open. The large door fell outwards and crashed into the dusty stone ground. Aarin and Ingrid stepped into the cell quickly and saw Lin-Lin for the first time. The petite young woman was cringing in the corner in fear. According to Setsuya; she had been kidnapped about three months ago. She had actually spend one ¼ of a year with these people. She was bound to be frightened. Lin-Lin pulled her long black hair to one side and scowled at the Highland Siblings. She was scared but she was still pretty angry. And more than brave enough to display this anger. "Leave me alone! I haven't done anything wrong! Just leave me alone!" Aarin sheathed his sword, cautiously. "Do not be alarmed. I am Aarin Highland. This is my sister, Ingrid Highland. We are friends of Setsuya. And we have come to rescue you." Lin-Lin blinked. "Setsuya? Is he here?" "Yes," Ingrid pointed upwards, "But he's fighting the leader of the group that kidnapped you up there in the courtyard." Aarin spoke next. "That's why we must get you out of this place, Miss Lin-Lin. The sooner we get out of here the sooner we can get you back home to your family." A smile finally reached Lin-Lin's face. "Oh thank you! I just knew Setsuya would come for me. Thank you so much for helping me... I owe you so much." "Save it for later!" Ingrid said quickly, "Right now we've got to leave!" Lin-Lin nodded then got off the floor of the cell. She followed Ingrid out of the prison room. Then Aarin came out of it as well. But he moved slowly. And there was a pensive expression on his face. Ingrid and Lin-Lin stopped to look back at the Neo-Englishman. They had no time for this now. "Aarin!" Ingrid snapped, irritably, "This is no time to be daydreaming! We have to get out of this goddamned castle now!" The blonde boy looked over at his sister, honestly. "I want you to take Lin-Lin out of this place. Go straight to South Beach. The two of you have been involved in this long enough. I have to make sure these people can't do this to anyone else." "What are you talking about?" Ingrid asked. Aarin rested a hand on his waist. "I am going to help Setsuya. I can feel something. He and I have a link. I know when he is in trouble. And he is. I can tell that he won't be able to beat this Zephaniah character alone. He needs my help." Ingrid scowled at Aarin. "Don't be insane! I'm not leaving you alone in here!" But this wasn't a matter of discussion anymore. Aarin left a stern expression over his face and walked up to the younger girl. He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave the severity of the situation to her. "I can't allow anymore lives to be lost or ruined by the Shougatsu Financial Group! And Setsuya is my best friend! I can't allow him to be killed like this! And even more than that! I have to protect you, Ingrid! I have to protect you and the rest of my family from these criminals! They are sure to come after us again because of what we know about them! Unless I help put an end to it here and now!" Ingrid blinked, shocked at Aarin's sudden burst of emotion. "But... I just don't want to lose you... you're my brother..." "Ingrid..." Aarin brought his sister to his chest and smiled. A smile of genuine happiness. His family was what his sword had to be used for. To protect them, "I will be fine. Do not worry about me. I don't intend on dying in this place. Now you must go with Lin-Lin to South Beach. Protect the girl with the power of the Lightning Tooth. Once Setsuya and I take care of Zephaniah, we will catch up with you. Understand?" Ingrid nodded slowly. She understood very well. The blonde girl left the embrace of her brother and then walked up to Lin-Lin. She took one last look at her brother before running down the corridor towards the staircase. Ingrid could take care of Lin-Lin from here. And as long as they kept their wits they would be able to escape Neuschwanstein Castle before getting caught. Aarin then transform his smile back into a serious expression. Now that Lin-Lin was accounted for; Setsuya had to be helped. Aarin turned and followed the other exit out of the holding cell chambers. He turned a corner and ran down that path. It let to a second staircase. One that climbed upwards. Thankfully, he had studied Chizuru's map of the castle and memorized his way around it. Aarin climbed the steps of the staircase in a run and kept pacing and pacing until he got to a whole new level. Out of the holding cells and up to a more residential part of the castle. Aarin strode through the archway that led out from that staircase into a new corridor. But he froze the second he saw someone standing across from him. A woman. A rather pale skinned woman, dressed in a navy blue dress and carrying a haunted expression over her face. Aarin devoured her in a reverie. She was absolutely beautiful. That silver-blonde hair, her high cheekbones, gentle eyes. What would such a stunning woman be doing in a horrible place like this? Aarin couldn't help but ask, "...W-Who are you?" The girl lowered her face, catching her breath. She had been running. "My name is Diana Angelinous. I am looking for... Aesus..." "Aesus...?" Diana shook her head as if she made a mistake. "I-I mean 'Zephaniah'. I must find him and speak with him. Before he does something he will regret." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Omi-Aorta, Coast of Kuji, Neo-Japan Both Ras and Julia were stunned to look at Julia now. She was now fully in control of all her magical powers. The power of darkness. Ever since she had been imprisoned inside the Shougatsu Financial Group's Neo-Japanese Research Department, she had been injected with some sort of chemical that kept her powers under control and unable for her to use. But this was not a permanent change. She had to be injected with the chemical again for its effects to keep going. Now the effects of the previous injection were gone. Or maybe, Julia's fury had actually overpowered the effects of the chemicals that lingered in her blood stream. Whatever the reason, Julia was fully armed in a way that Ayame would have never expected. Or even Ras es-Shamrah for that matter. They were both astounded by what they were seeing. And Ayame finally began to realize why the Shougatsu wanted the British girl back so badly. Her power was more radical than any other belonging to a magic user in this world. With his plasma Naginata in hand, Ras began to step forwards toward Julia. The glow of Baga'enka's blade grew. Which Ayame also realized was a sign of Ras continual evolution. Ras was going to get even stronger if another fight occurred. "Julia!" The former Dark Katana yelled, "Get away from here! That thing will be even more powerful than before! You've got to get away while you still can!" But whatever fear that Julia previously held for Ras was gone. There was no more fear. No more sadness. No more tears. Just the staunch feeling that something had to be done. That there were ones who needed to be protected. And ones that needed to be defeated to protect the lives of others. Ras marched onwards until it and the flaming Julia were face to face. Breathing the same air, gazing into each other's eyes. "I was ordered to bring you back alive," Ras said calmly, "But I will use force to take you back to the Research Facility if need be. The plans of Dr. Bai and Master Zephaniah must not be effected by your newfound independence." Julia's flaming purple eyes looked up at him with pity. "...You cannot see it... you... believe yourself to be a crusader for your master's new age. But to him... and to the one who created you... you're nothing more than a toy. A scientific reject born of experimentation. Whose only use is the brute force needed to bring me back. You have no idea how worthless you actually are to them, do you?" If there was a part of Ras es-Shamrah that could feel anger, it certainly felt it then. The bio-tech titan growled under its breath and thrust Baga'enka straight at the smaller woman. Julia flicked her right arm downwards with a single stroke and a paper thin shield of magical energy appeared before her. Baga'enka's blade bounced off it like nothing at all. And the glow of Ras' eyes grew in depth. But not of some great display of power. No. That was born of pure shock. "A... Hi-Barrier Shield..." It commented, "...How could you use something like that when my data classifies you as a low-level magic user?" Julia floated backwards to put some space between the two of them while she spoke to the started entity. "...You think that scraps of data gathered by your masters can predict the outcomes of life? There is far more to the world than either you or me can understand." Ras growled again, but this time with far more zeal. "Regardless! My mission is to re-capture you! You will come with me now!" And he acted on that anger. The frustrated freak swung Baga'enka around its body as it lunged at the now floating Julia. His blade hit nothing but air. Julia danced around the plasma Naginata like she would a limbo stick. And before either of them knew what was going on, she was standing behind him. She slowly pulled up her right arm and pointed it at her nemesis. The purple flames that surrounded it grew in size. Until her whole arm was swallowed up in them. Those flames reformed into a weapon. Made only of Julia's translucent purple magic energy. And it was the shape of a sword. Ras turned around and slashed at Julia. The mistress of Darkness Magic parried the blow with her Dark Blade magic and their weapons ended up locking against each other. Ras struggled to overpower Julia with grunts and yells of effort. While the Scottish girl stood silently, holding off Ras es-Shamrah with little to no exertion at all. But as Ras continued his struggle... Julia pulled up her free arm and pointed at Ras again. "Black Moon Burst!" A glorious burst of purple light surrounded the Omi-Aorta as Julia's free hand exploded with magnificent force. Ras let out something that resembled a scream and was thrown back by the enormous explosion of amethyst energy. Baga'enka's blade suddenly dissipated and Ras was shot past the railing overhanging the western Neo-Japanese sea. His body froze in mid-air before it could fall into the ocean. Suspended in the air by Julia's magic. The Dark Blade in her hands faded away as though it had never been. But her hand still sparkled with that flame of her magic. The magic that was preventing Ras from falling into the sea. Julia then lifted her free arm into the air and began a series of hand gestures. Ayame looked on while Julia did this. Each time she flicked her hand in a certain direction, Ras' body was slashed with more magical energy. Over and over and over and over again. Within the space of minutes, Ras was screaming like an infant. Its green blood was tossed into the air as new gashes were administered to its greyish skin. The smoky armour that had once protected the beast was now being sliced into pieces by magical power that was as sharp and precise as a millimetre thick knife. It all came to an end as Ayame yelled out to Julia. "Finish it now, Julia! Kill the bastard!" Julia halted in that instant, her face as stern as the iron that made up the Omi-Aorta. "...No." "What do you mean no?!" Ayame was thrown for six, "That thing has been stalking us for months! It killed your Father! You can't let that animal walk the earth anymore than it already has!" While the battered Ras dangled in the air, suspended by Julia's magic, the Scottish woman spoke on. "Ayame. Do you remember what I said to you the day we first met Ras?" "...Something about forgiving people to end hatred." She replied. "Yes," Julia closed her eyes, still beaming purple, "Nothing comes of it. Of hatred. There are some people who can only be reasoned with by force. And I accept that. But my way is never to live my life like that. I'm taking no pleasure in doing this. But... I won't betray my sense of right and wrong because of my Father's death. I'll honour him not with revenge... but with the knowledge that I fulfilled his dream of me getting home safely. And finding love. The love of a woman who can protect me." Something about all of that made a chilling kind of sense to Ayame. If she could have gotten revenge for her parent's death, she would have done it long ago. But Julia was different. She would suppress her own feelings of sadness and anger for the greater good. Even if it meant sparing the one whom had killed her father. Now Ayame was beginning to understand how truly special Julia McAmish really was. Then Julia turned to Ras es-Shamrah, beaten and bleeding. "...I'm not going to kill you. But I cannot let you run free either. You'd just recover, strengthen yourself, and then come after Ayame and I again. So you'll just have to waste away in a place where you can harm no one else." Julia used her free hand and looked over at the space of air next to Ras. Her hand gripped into a fist. And suddenly new magic was awakened. A circular cluster of bright purple force broke open in the air. Which wasn't an attack. But rather a gateway. To somewhere that not even Ras es-Shamrah could escape from. With her other upheld arm, Julia swung her hand. And Ras' body was thrown with that movement straight into the portal. The bio-tech being gave its last cry and tumbled into that void, which Julia sealed up seconds later. And a thick silence filled the air. Only broken by the occasional cry of the seagulls and the waves of the sea. Ayame blinked at Julia's power. She would have never guessed that she was so strong when it came to magic. But it had its limits. Julia's eyes fluttered and she drooped down with tiredness, obviously stretched by the powers of her own magic. Ayame quickly ran over to the girl and caught her before she collapsed. Julia slumped into her love's arms and smiled softly. "...Did... I do well...?" "Of course," Ayame confirmed, bringing Julia closer to her, "...I'm just glad that you're okay. I never expected to see anything like that from you. Where did you send Ras?" The brown-haired magic user shook her head. "I have no idea. Sealing magic can be very unpredictable. He is most likely in a place that nobody will ever reach. He'll eventually get free... such spells never last. But that won't be for centuries to come. And by then..." "He won't be much of a threat anymore..." Ayame chuckled to herself, "Humph. It's ironic. I was hired to protect you from danger. But in the end... you were the one who had to save my bacon. I guess my days as the Dark Katana really are over." "Does that bother you...?" Julia questioned. "Nope," And she stared into Julia's eyes to say this, "Because I found something far more important to me than money. Happiness. With you. And I'll ask for nothing more than that." A sentiment that Julia fully understood. Julia closed her eyes, which now reverted back to their normal colour of green, and settled into her love's embrace. "...Ayame..." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Central Courtyard, Neuschwanstein Castle, Island of Creation "Burn Shell!" The swirling shot of burning fire came at Zephaniah speedily, roasting the air around it. It became more focused as it headed for the Great Knight; the twirl growing in intensity and the fire burning more sharply. Zephaniah scowled at the attack and rushed ahead. The moment it came within a metre of him; Zephaniah stepped around the flaming shot with a frightening swiftness. The Burn Shell sailed straight past Zephaniah and shot into the far wall from him. It exploded upon contact, blowing away waves of dust and burnt rock. And also had the added effect of setting that wall on fire. Zephaniah rushed forwards with the Shadow Edge behind him in a two-handed grip. He had Setsuya off guard. The Monster of Neo-England swung his mighty sword around him in a half-circle motion. It sliced straight through that image of Setsuya. But did nothing. Zephaniah's eyes widened in surprise. The image of Setsuya standing there, unguarded, faded away. "What trickery is this?!" The Knight bellowed, "An After Image!?" "Yaaah!" The real Setsuya wasn't quite so foolish. The younger man came down at Zephaniah from above; with the Fire Cutter aiming downwards. Zephaniah looked upwards and saw this. He swung Shadow Edge back around and then above him to block. The two swords came to clash with an echoing bang; but Fire Cutter could not stand its ground. Setsuya and his weapon almost bounced off the Shadow Edge from the power of the collision. He fell back and skidded into the ground. The back of his brown bomber jacket scraped at the floor of the Central Courtyard. That Shadow Edge was more powerful than Setsuya could have ever imagined. The young lad skidded backwards until he flipped his legs up. His body curled along with it and leapt up into a stand. On two feet. Zephaniah growled to himself and went on the attack. Something that Setsuya would not have predicted from a fairly defensive fighter. The Knight gave another two-handed grip over the Shadow Edge and swung for Setsuya. He stepped back and rotated his body around it, dodging and darting as Zephaniah angrily tried to land continuous killing blows. It looked like Zephaniah was getting a little angry that Setsuya had been able to last against him. For that, the Japanese boy was grateful. And least if he died here he could rest assured in the idea that he had managed to piss this guy off. Setsuya continued stepping backwards, ducking and dodging all the attacks that Zephaniah could manage against him. One final slash came with the Shadow Edge came. Setsuya ducked under it. It passed over his head, just about shaving off a hair of his chocolate brown ponytail. Setsuya sidestepped cautiously around the blade and moved to one side. He brought up the Fire Cutter with a double-handed grip and curved it over his head. "Yah!" The Fire Cutter came down in a sharp strike. Hitting the purple-coloured armour of the shoulder. The sword rebounded off the armour in the same way it had done with the Shadow Edge. Setsuya stepped back from the force and scowled. If things kept going like this then he didn't stand a chance. Even if he was faster than his opponent. This time around Zephaniah attacked with the back of his iron knuckles. Setsuya tugged his head back and dodged the Knight's backhanded punch. He continued his pace backwards and followed away from the Neo-Englishman. But not so quickly. He was beginning to tire out. And Zephaniah could see it. The loss of blood from the gash across Setsuya's chest and the battering he got from the Thunder Hail had taken its toll. And it was beginning to show. This time Zephaniah held nothing back and attacked with all he could do. The older man hauled Shadow Edge over him then back down and slashed straight at Setsuya's shoulder. The Japanese man grunted as the tip of the blade sliced through his jacket and cut him open. A squirt of blood followed the blade out of his path, that spilled on the cracked flagstones of the courtyard. Setsuya stepped back and grit his teeth. He shut an eyelid and gripped the fresh new wound at his shoulder. He was running out of energy. Fast. "...This ain't good," Setsuya mumbled to himself, "...I shouldn't have used up so much energy when I fought Aarin yesterday... if only I had more to give today..." Zephaniah hoisted Shadow Edge up for a second strike. "Time to die, boy!" "Wind Cluster!" A familiar sound of circling wind could be heard coming down from above. But Zephaniah had no idea what it meant. Even though Setsuya did. The wave of warped air shot down sharply and banged into the thick metal of Zephaniah's helmet. Enough of a blow to make even him sit up and notice. The Great Knight stumbled back from the suddenness of the wind strike, protecting Setsuya from harm in that brief instant. Setsuya looked over at the ledge of the wall to the left. On top of it, with his form gleaming in the sun behind him, was Aarin Highland. With the Wind Soul unsheathed and ready to go. Setsuya smiled happily. "Aarin!" There was also someone else. A short distance from Aarin was a slightly older woman of about four or three years. She seemed rather distressed at what she was seeing. But while Setsuya didn't know who that woman was, Zephaniah did. The armoured warrior looked over at the far wall in anger of the one who had struck him with magic. But his resolve weakened the second he saw the one next to her. "Diana!" Zephaniah yelled, "What are you doing here!?" She froze. The girl was so shocked by what she was seeing that she couldn't move or speak. But that wasn't Aarin's problem. The young man didn't run down the steps of the wall that led to the courtyard. He acrobatically somersaulted forward and jumped off the ledge. He flipped around swiftly in the warming air and landed down into a crouched position on the flagstones of the courtyard. With the Wind Soul at hand. Setsuya smiled and walked around the periodically dazed Zephaniah, to meet with his friend. Setsuya came to a stop when they reached each other. "Ah, it's good to see you, my friend. This little match isn't quite the picnic I imagined it would be." "I guessed as much," Aarin commented, "You do not need to worry. Ingrid and I freed the girl Lin-Lin. She is safe and unharmed. Ingrid is escaping with her as we speak. And I think we should join them. Just as soon as we take care of this megalomaniac." Setsuya turned to face Zephaniah. "You don't know the half of it. This man has dangerous plans. If he ever gets his hands on the four swords we can kiss our lives goodbye. He has to die before he can do that damage. But he's stronger than he looks. Even my Burn Shell doesn't work on him and the Wind Cluster just stunned him for a little bit." "Then what exactly do you suggest we do?" "Buy me some time to charge an Inferno Phoenix," Setsuya suggested, "It's my best attack. If that can't beat him, nothing can. I know its selfish of me to ask you this; because it may cost you... your life. But can you do that for me, Aarin?" Aarin smiled. "Count on it." Setsuya smiled back to him. "Okay then! Let's rock!" And so Aarin did. The Englishman's boots strode forwards from a stroll into a run. He paced and paced towards the dark Zephaniah. While Setsuya began the process of the Inferno Phoenix. He evened himself out and stood upright. Setsuya took a deep breath and concentrated his mind on the Fire Cutter. This had to be the shot that counted. So he had to take it seriously. And put every single ounce of power he had left into it. The Japanese swordsman pulled up the Fire Cutter in one sleek motion. He shut his eyes closed and then held the Fire Cutter out in front of him in a horizontal position. The hilt was gripped at the handle with both hands. He sucked in air then released it slowly. The earliest part of the Inferno Phoenix Attack. Setsuya had to be very calm if he were ever going to be able to get the maximum out of the move. He blocked everything else out and just concentrated on the task at hand. Nothing else mattered now that Lin-Lin was safe. All he had to do was stop the insidious Zephaniah before he carried out his nightmarish plans. While Setsuya began charging the Inferno Phoenix, Aarin Highland stopped just ahead of the Great Knight. The two Neo-English borne fighters stopped and watched each other. Aarin had suspected that this man was significant for sometime but didn't really pay any attention to his instincts. But now they were proved right. Zephaniah was no ordinary fighter. Just the fact that he mastered handling the Shadow Edge was proof of that much. But the fact that he was able to beat up on Setsuya like he was a novice...? That pushed the nail straight into the coffin. Now he needed to take this guy on to buy Setsuya some more time for the Inferno Phoenix. Aarin scowled at the taller man. "So you are the one behind the tournament and all this madness. I should have thought that you were untrustworthy. For what reason would someone host a tournament where the matches are un-monitored on a remote island?" Zephaniah chortled. "Silly boy. You have done nothing more than dance to my tune. Bringing the Wind Soul here was a fatal mistake for you. But it will lead to the ultimate fulfilment of my intentions. The new world that I will shape is coming. It will be here soon and you and your fellow people shall never lay your eyes upon it." "That's right, we won't," Aarin replied, "Because I'm going to see to it that you never get away with what you've planned. It's time you saw what a Yuuga swordfighter can do!" "You have nothing. I've already made your friend look like a joke. I am going to kill the pair of you pesky gnats. You've caused me far too much trouble already. I will destroy you and then take your sword! Then move on to that sister of yours with the Lightning Tooth!" "You lay a hand on my Sister and I'll make you beg to die!" Aarin re-sheathed the Wind Soul in the long scabbard by his waist. He then gripped the hilt again and focused his mind. He would never let this psycho touch his sister or any other member of his family. It was time for some of the Highland Bravado that they had become so well known for. The poised Aarin then drew his sword a second later a slashed brutally through the air with a battle cry. A flash of friction passed over the metal of Zephaniah's chest plate. But not a single scratch was made. Aarin looked on with confusion. The Air Wave Stroke hadn't so much as dented that armour. What was it even made of? Zephaniah smirked behind his metal visor. "A skilful attack. But nothing can pierce the hide of my Iron Valkyrie Armour. I am untouchable. And you will die." Aarin begged to differ. The Neo-Englishman jumped backwards in a somersault without sheathing the Wind Soul. He landed just a short distance back from his previous position and settled. He grabbed the hilt of his sword in a double grip and locked his attentions back on Zephaniah. His sword and the space around him was soon taken over by the power of the wind. It swirled around his body and waves of dust were pushed away from his boots. Along with the rubble that had been created by the Earthquake attack from the Shadow Edge. Aarin's sword soon began glowing with white light. "I used to be heartless. I really didn't care about anything other than improving my sword skills. Ironically it made me weaker than I would have wanted or have been able to tolerate. But I see the truth now. True strength comes from having something to protect. From having purpose. You and your sword are misguided. This is why... you cannot win! Wind Cluster!" Aarin slashed downwards and invoked the power of his magical attack, the Wind Cluster. But rather than shirk from the magical wind, Zephaniah stood his ground. He brought the Shadow Edge close to his body in a vertical position. The swerving burst of compressed wind power heaved into the thick blade of the enemy. And then the Great Knight swept the sword back downwards. The gust of wind was batted away like it was nothing. Aarin blinked at the speed and power with which this was done. Not even Setsuya could dismiss the Wind Cluster like that. "Fool!" Zephaniah barked loudly, "I too have a purpose. Though it might not be as simple or as childish as yours. I have seen true darkness. The darkness of mankind. A people so frightened by the devastation caused by the Genesis Comet that they are able to shirk their own morals for personal gain. Rather than gather their efforts and attempt at some form of revival for their home world... they bicker and fight over it like dogs. They rape and pillage those of good intention. And those who are not heartless enough to play that game are left at the wayside. I will destroy all of this. My perfect world will be born from the ruins of this one. Such is not only my will... but my fate." Aarin pushed his right leg back and braced himself. "Your fate is death, if I have anything to say about it!" The blonde one pushed ahead and slashed at Zephaniah with the Wind Soul. The Knight parried the blow with the Shadow Edge and began a chain of clashes. Aarin sliced and stabbed roughly in the hopes of breaking the guard of this larger fighter. It wasn't working. In fact, Aarin wasn't gaining any ground here at all. The younger man scowled and forced more power into his strikes but it was no use. Zephaniah summarily countered each strike with halting return blows. It ended with the Wind Soul locking swords with the large Shadow Edge. Aarin leaned backwards and maintained his efforts with difficultly as the larger, more experienced Zephaniah bore down upon him with the larger sword. A frontal battle--strength against strength--would not work against him. Setsuya really was not kidding about this man's vigour. Zephaniah forced Aarin out of the sword lock with one final push. Aarin stumbled back, only to be hit squarely in the face by the metal elbow of the Iron Valkyrie armour. The elbow attack pushed the eldest of the Highland Siblings back. Leaving him wide open for a follow up. Zephaniah growled bestially. The Shadow Edge came around in a half-circle motion again. But this time it didn't miss its mark. That mighty blade slashed right through Aarin's garb, cutting him open at the abdomen. Blood spurted outwardly as the sword swept away. While Aarin stifled his shot of pain as best he could. But he couldn't help from lurching forward. Aarin's head managed to look up, with one eye closed, but smiled. For all his pain, he smiled. Zephaniah frowned at this and grabbed Aarin by the collar of his jacket. "Hmph. You have nothing to smile about, boy. You are going to die here." "Heh..." Aarin nudged his head backwards, over his shoulder, "...I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were in your position... you psychopathic bastard..." It was then that the Great Knight looked over at what Aarin had been pointing at. And his blood red eyes widened behind his visor when he saw what was there. Across from where he and Aarin were; was Setsuya Seisuji. The boy held up the Fire Cutter in front of him. Which was now burning with the runic symbols akin to those of the Shadow Edge. Around his beaten body were the flames that had risen from the Fire Cutter. They circled his body over and over again at a fair distance. And those flames cast a glow of power on him that indicated everything to anyone who could have seen it. Even Diana, who still stood up above on the left ledge of the surrounding wall, cast her eyes to the sight of the Seisuji-boy being bathed in hot fire. The ears of all four people in that courtyard soon buzzed with that distinct sound of a shriek. The shriek of a great bird. And just like the phoenix that rose up from the ashes of its own destruction, Setsuya was filled with all new faith and readiness. "Aarin, get out of the way!" Setsuya gave the plea before screaming, "Inferno Phoenix!" A second shriek bellowed out into that vast courtyard. As well as a great rumbling noise that came from the awakening of the Great Bird of Fire. The flames that surrounded Setsuya burst into new life and took on a whole new form. The fire spread out wings from both sides and a formed at flaming head at the summit. And the flapping of those flaming wings caused a mighty gust to pour through the courtyard. Giving Aarin enough time to dislodge himself from Zephaniah's grip and rolled backwards, out of the way. The Inferno Phoenix rose up and flew straight from Setsuya over to Zephaniah. Shooting itself ahead like a fiery missile. No defence could have been made against something like that. Setsuya, Aarin and Diana all looked on as the Great Knight Zephaniah was engulfed by the furious molten power of the Inferno Phoenix. All had to cover their eyes from the flaming light. But all could hear Zephaniah's shrieks and screams of agony from the heat of the attack as he was swallowed up by it. The phoenix of flames left behind a blackened trail of ash as it threw Zephaniah backwards over the courtyard. And a gigantic explosion hit the wall when the Inferno Phoenix collided with it. Aarin, Setsuya and Diana all got down as the enormous explosion made the entire castle of Neuschwanstein shake. It had already been damaged by the Earthquake attack of the Shadow Edge. It was weakened even further. When Aarin and the others finally got back up and looked at the damage, it was proved to be immense. Fire was all across the courtyard. Insatiable fire and damaged stone. Nothing else. The air was warping from the heat, moving in waves. Thick clouds of smoke rose into the skies above. And that shaking the castle underwent previously was happening again. But all eyes were on the fate of Zephaniah. The three looked over at the wall he had been blown into. The wall was burning with the flames of the phoenix, blackened like charcoal. Zephaniah was inside it. His legs hung out of the hole in the wall while his body was left inside it in a nasty position. The front of his armour had been burned right off in the centre. The flesh of his stomach was now showing. But it was covered in blood and singed scraps of his skin. His armour was now a dark blue colour; burned by the Phoenix. His helmet had been blown off. And his strong face had been charred by the force of Fire Cutter's attack. Zephaniah was alive. But just barely. Aarin stood up and slowly walked over to the dying body. He sheathed the Wind Soul and gripped the wound at his waist. Setsuya did the same, walking between the fires that had sprung from the burning wings of the savage Inferno Phoenix. For the first time he truly grasped the power of these weapons. And how dangerous they really were. Setsuya and Aarin walked up to the crater in the wall. To see Zephaniah there, clinging to life. He was defeated. But neither Aarin nor Setsuya felt very proud about it. "S-So..." Zephaniah coughed up blood as he spoke, "...Y-You've won... the match... but you will... regret this... I... swear it. Your actions... have allowed... a sinful world... to continue without punishment... the world that had me watch... my fiancé... raped and killed... the world that... allows the greedy to be fed... and the poor to be... exploited... human beings... will ruin what is... left of the world... until nothing... can be saved... are you happy... with that idea...? Are you proud... of yourselves... now that you... have sacrificed... my utopia... to the flames...?" Aarin scowled at him. "You're not the judge of mankind. We can shape our own paths in life. The only way things are ever going to get better is if we instil faith in our fellow man. What's the point of living in a world of many when you cannot have faith in others? I finally see that now." Setsuya nodded. "It's over for you, man. With all the power you've amassed you could have helped bring about a peaceful revival of the world. But you let your damned hatred take over. And now you're gonna die in the flames of your own little empire." Zephaniah pulled his face into a smile. "...I-Idiots... one day... y-you will see... the true nature of this w-world... and you will regret... that you... opposed me..." The man's body feel silent. While the flames behind them soon became far more urgent. Setsuya and Aarin turned to each other as the fires grew to a fever pitch. Rubble was falling down from the surrounding walls and smoke grew thicker and thicker. But though he was concerned with that; Aarin was even more concerned when he looked up at the left ledge. Diana wasn't there anymore. Where on earth could she have gone? Setsuya coughed a little. "We better get out of here, Aarin! This whole castle is gonna burn down and we'll go along with it if we don't move!" "...Yes... sure..." There was no choice left in the matter. The two Yuuga Fighters dashed away the corpse of Zephaniah and towards the door at the other side of the courtyard to make their escape. But Diana had not vacated the place. The young woman, tears passing down her eyes, stood in the flames of destruction. Apparently she was learning more about her powers. Because she was unfazed by the flames that surrounded her. All she could see was her love, Aesus. The man who had become the Great Knight Zephaniah. He was dying. The blonde woman stepped over the broken stone and looked into the hole that her love had been knocked through. And saw one of his eyes open to stare at her. "Aesus..." A tear was already passing down her face. "D-Diana..." Zephaniah strained to speak whilst dying. And Diana's tear slipped down from her cheek onto his own, "If... I must... die like this... then I am... glad I... at least... got to see... your beautiful face again... I only wanted to create a world... where pure, innocent people... like you... can live in peace... but it was not to be..." Diana slowly took up the Knight's charred hand and brought it to her face. "...I'm sorry... I said such horrible things to you... I love you so much..." His hand trembled at her smooth ashen-tone cheek. "...I... love you... also... please... never lose... that sparkle of... purity... about you... that makes me... feel this way..." And so the Great Knight Zephaniah took his last breath. Diana watched his head fall limp and his heartbeat stop. Dead. Her love was dead. The heartbroken Diana went into fresh new sobs as the burning fires around her swallowed up the entire courtyard. But she didn't care if she were burned to a crisp along with it. All she was aware of, all she could think of, was the fact that the man she loved was dead. It tore her apart. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Front Gate, Neuschwanstein Castle, Island of Creation As they stood in front of its large metal gate, Ingrid and Lin-Lin looked up at the top of Neuschwanstein Castle. It was in flames. And a huge tower of smoke was climbing into the sky from it. Ingrid didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that the Fire Cutter had its hand in some of that fire. But what did that mean? Aarin said he was going to help with the fight against Zephaniah. Did he get caught up in that mess too? Ingrid hated the idea. She couldn't stand the thought that her brother might actually be suffering up there while she could do nothing to prevent it. Part of her was actually commanding her to go back into the castle and find him. But Ingrid had made a promise to Aarin. That she would guard the girl Lin-Lin from harm. It was that promise that kept Ingrid from going in there again. By now the flames of the castle were now burning on some of the lower levels. Lin-Lin gasped. "You don't think... that the boys might be in trouble... do you?" Ingrid honestly didn't know. "I'm not sure. Lets hope not." But a ray of sunshine hit them in the form of relief. The drawbridge of the castle was done. The main archway was unblocked and could be entered through easily. The second Ingrid looked at it the archway she was filled with joy. As was Lin-Lin. Two small figure appeared from the darkness of that burning castle. Setsuya and Aarin. The two fighters, bruised, cut and battered, stepped through the archway and towards the front gardens that Ingrid and Lin-Lin were waiting in. The sweet chocolate eyes of Lin-Lin watered as she saw the tired Setsuya step across the drawbridge. She couldn't believe what this man had done for her. He had thrown himself head-first into the hurricane just rescue her. Setsuya and Aarin unhurriedly walked up to the girls. And Setsuya gave a lazy smile at his Chinese girlfriend. Seeing her for the first time in almost eight months. She looked even more cute and pure than she did the first time they met. Quite a sight for sore eyes. Knowing that she was safe was complete justification for everything he had suffered through to get this far. "Hey there, Lin-Lin," He said, simply, "Sorry I'm late." Lin-Lin's smile of joy grew brighter as she ran over to the taller guy and wrapped her arms around him eagerly. The girl laughed and cried at the same time. To think that she had fallen for a man that was willing to suffer to the utmost for her. No set of words could ever present the joy and gratefulness she had for Setsuya. The Chinese woman sobbed into his strong chest and let it all out. "Oh, Setsuya..." She said, her voice muffled, "Thank you so much... I don't know what would have happened to me if... you hadn't..." The taller Setsuya wrapped his own arms around the shorter Lin-Lin and held her in a tight embrace. "It's okay, Lin-Lin. I'd do anything for you. You know that." Aarin and Ingrid smiled at the two of them as they held each other. But they couldn't stay here for long. That fire up in Neuschwanstein Castle was bound to spread. It was time to leave the Island of Creation. Ten Sekai Sentou Kyousou was over. Ingrid looked up at her brother, who by now, had his protective arm draped over her shoulder. "Is it over?" Ingrid asked him, "Did you take care of it?" Aarin looked up at the burning castle. "...We stopped the leader. But... the actions of the organization...we can't predict what will happen next. But we are safe for now. Let'get out of this wretched place."
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