Chapter 30: Dark Dance

-Hey, Rye?

-Yes, Gee?

-Tell me what I'm supposed to be looking for again.

-I've told you countless times: we're looking for something that Balthazar is looking for in Soula. It's an object of great importance, for him to have deployed three Elites to thin out our forces to allow him to look for it.

-Ok, that I get. What I don't get is what we're doing stuck in the Academy's library and not looking around Soula like Eldus, Terri and Sobek are. My allergies are acting up, and...and...ah..ah..!

A loud sneeze reverberated throughout the library. A collective "Shh!" was shot at him from Academics all around the tables, studying. Gee gave them and the frowning librarian a shaky, apologetic smile. The dark blue-haired man was standing on a tall ladder as the dust from the countless books that filled the tall shelves up to the ceiling invaded his nostrils while Rye stood at the bottom, looking through the lower-leveled shelves.

-Well, Eldus, Terri and Sobek are investigating the five temples around Soula. After Guy's story at the Temple of Pyre, they suspect that some kind of artifact that enables gods to speak with humans could be there and that may be what Balthazar is looking for.

-I thought gods speaking with humans is something they can just do, not requiring some treasure.

-Well, but according to Guy's story, Pyre created an illusion where he tested him. And that other people had come in contact with the god, but had their memories taken from them. A god physically engaging with humans is something unrecorded of. Because they don't share the space as us. After the war in Gaia's genesis, they disappeared to...somewhere. Somewhere they can speak to us from, but they can't actually touch us. So that no one can use them for their own designs.

-And you think that's what Balthazar is looking for? For a way to reach the gods and use them? Seems kinda exaggerated.

-It's Balthazar we're speaking of. While his codename is the "Emperor", I've heard that he often calls himself the "Angel of the Order". People like him see apotheosis as something in their weekly chore list. So, we were sent to the library to look for information. Something that could lead us to finding that something.

-Oh joy.- he went back to searching through the various book tittles.- Sobek gets to hang out with beautiful Terri and I'm stuck with a bag of testosterone in a dusty library.

-Ha! You're breaking my heart, Gee.- Rye smirked- I always thought we had something special between us.

-A whole lot of sweat and dojo repair bills are the only things we share between us. Well, that and some students. Thankfully, we've been getting more admissions once people learned that Noah studies there. Soon, we're going to hit it big and then...oh...that's when we're going to get busy~!- he grinned down at the grizzly man, who chuckled and shook the stairs lightly, making his scrawny companion wobble a bit. -Ok, back to searching..."Soula - A History", "Gaia's Architectural Wonders", "Famous and Infamous Sages", "Souls, Dreams and their Relationships" "Tales of the Divine"... Ok, this is getting dumb. I'm not even sure what we should read. Everything here sounds both important and unimportant. If we knew what kind of thing Balthazar is looking for, we could thin out our search. All that we know is that it's something "important".

-Hmm, you're correct on this Gee. I also can't find anything. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack. We might as well get back together with the others and discuss this. Maybe they've found some clues.- with this, he began walking away from the ladder.

-I second that. I'm right after---huh?- Gee was about to put one of the books back and go down the ladder when he noticed something that caught his eye. An especially dusty book spine, just behind the space he took the book he held from. Why was it hidden like that? He took it out and blew the dust off, coughing slightly. -What the...

He opened the thick book but all the pages were covered by strange symbols. While he couldn't understand what they meant, he recognized what they were.

-Runes...I've seen Eldus work with similar symbols...- he closed the book. While the tittle was also composed of runes, there was a small paper note stuck on the back of the cover.- "Key to Core - Alpha" -..."Alpha"...

-Hey Gee, you coming?- Rye's voice sounded from near the entrance. Gee jumped slightly and quickly placed the books back in the shelf, climbing down the ladder.

"Either way, only Sages can read runes. Many ancient books are written like this, but why isn't this one in Eldus' office? Seems like a bother to go to the library and climb this shelf to go read it. It must have been him that made this note, because he's the only Sage in Soula...Better make a mental note of this..."

With those thoughts gnawing at him, Gee quickly followed his companion out of the library.

*

Nightingale and Niflheim clashed against one another, but this time Merceny had the advantage since Hanzo was still off-balance. The Mercenary's gambit had payed off and now was his chance to turn to the tide of the battle to his favor! He leaned all of his weight into the clash and managed to push Hanzo away, his body falling on the burnt floor. That gave Merceny a change to check the Elite's boots' soles. While the rest was black, the soles were permeated in a white color. It wasn't like he had stepped in snow and some had stuck there, it was literally a thin and uniform layer of ice stuck to it.

"Quite the clever little trick... Creating a layer of frost on the soles of your boots so you can slide around the battlefield, gaining you the speed advantage against most foes. And the choice of the battlefield...in this snowy place, no one would notice that you were using ice to move around, because they'd be too busy with the snow slowing their movements down. To them, it would seem unnatural that you'd be able to move so fast, and by the time they'd notice your trick, they'd already be dead. You turn a disadvantage into your ace in the hole. But you were so obsessed with defeating Noah that you forgot that I was still conscious enough to perceive your strategy. And Noah's platforms were the key. You wouldn't step on them, even though anyone would chose to instead of walking in the snow. And a careful ear to the ground would denounce your steps as your boots step on the ice. You must create an outward layer of ice from the boots so you have more space to move around. But if you had stepped on the platforms, you would have slipped, giving Noah time to counterattack. You tried to be careful, but now that I've discovered your trick, I can nullify any ice around you, so you can't zip around anymore. I can still turn this around."

Hanzo stood up, shaking his head and positioning himself back for a fight, Niflheim position in a reverse hand grip, parallel to his chest.

-Noah.- Merceny looked at the boy from the corner of his eye- You better back away while you're still conscious. This might get a little ugly.

Noah slowly got up, smiling slightly.

-Oh wow, you're actually caring for me now? And to think that just a few days ago, you wanted my head on a silver plater.

-Hmph, I still do, don't you worry. But you're of no use to me if you're dead. Now, get inside the ship. I'll hold him off.- he said.

Noah nodded and began running back towards the broken wooden ship. But Hanzo wouldn't have it as he leaned in and jumped, a crystal platform beneath his feet acting as a spring. Soon, he was above Noah, about to swing his sword down on him.

-I won't let you, Diamond !- Merceny shouted. Reeling Nightingale back, his feet spun in place and he jumped, his body twisting around to face Hanzo as he flew towards his direction. He was closer to Noah, so he got there just in time to swing at Hanzo's back. The Order Elite managed to correct his trajectory mid-air as soon as he noticed the approaching object, Niflheim clashing against Merceny's Blade, but the mercenary's sheer momentum won out, throwing Hanzo on the ground again. While the Elite dropped on the snow with a "thud", Merceny landed somewhat softly.

Hanzo stood up and turned towards Merceny, his expression clearly annoyed.

-You meddlesome... Fine. I'll just kill you first before I deal with the Alpha.- he said, zooming towards Merceny. Again, the Merceny swiped the ground in front of him with his foot, a small wave to dark fire shooting out in an arc to melt the snow around the area. Hanzo grunted and simply jumped above it. But before he could land, ice platforms suddenly formed beneath his feet and extended towards his opponent, allowing him to skate over them, reaching Merceny before he could react and deliver a kick to his temple, throwing him aside.

Merceny fell to the snow but before he could stand up, Hanzo was already above him, thrusting his Blade down into Merceny's chest. The mercenary quickly rolled to the side, the sword's edge missing him and burying itself on the snow. Merceny jumped up and quickly stood up, charging towards Hanzo. He swung Nightingale, but the Elite easily recomposed himself and blocked it this time, the Blades clashing once again and entering another power struggle.

But Hanzo knew his lighter Blade couldn't win in a straight-on clash, so he simply leaned to the side and disappeared in a puff of snow. Merceny could sense him, zigzagging around and awaited for the moment he'd strike, probably from a blind spot. Or maybe that's what he'd want the mercenary to think... Suddenly, he appeared square in front of him! Then he dissipated... The slipping sound behind him! Merceny looked back, but there was no one... A zooming sound to the side! Not a thing... Suddenly, a cloud of snow rose from all around him, clouding his view. It began creating a current, as the Elite began circling around him with incredible speed, making it near impossible to pinpoint his exact location. If Merceny swung Nightingale, he'd most likely miss and retrieving the heavier Blade back into a neutral stance would take just long enough for Hanzo to seize that chance and strike. But if he did nothing, it was only a matter of time before Hanzo struck him on a blind spot. Merceny certainly couldn't keep up with his speed, making him full of weak spots...

He'd have to get out of that vortex, somehow.

-Tch...If that's how you wanna play...

...let's dance!

A surge of fire erupted from his left hand and he quickly swiped it along Nightingale's blade, coating it flames, creating the longsword he had used against Noah in the arena. Without wasting any time, he placed it by his waist and arched it behind his back and swung, spinning around himself, the trail of fire creating a ring around him that struck the entire vortex.

"CLANG"

"SLIP"

Merceny looked behind him. There he was! Staggered by the sudden attack, he didn't have time to dodge Merceny's next attack, as the mercenary quickly spun around himself again, Blade arched back, above his right shoulder. He swung to the left in a downward angle. Hanzo, quickly blocked it, but the sheer power of the full swing left him reeling from it. The dark fire would cut through the thick snow and come back intact. Again, Merceny spun, his feet far apart and invading Hanzo's space, and he swung again, to the bottom left corner. Hanzo gritted his teeth and jumped, an ice platform springing him away, Nightingale hitting nothing but air, a trail of fire left by the sword.

But Merceny did not stop.

He spun again, his feet bursting with dark flames, melting the snow around him, his nimble footwork launching him towards Hanzo's space. He reeled Nightingale back, above his right shoulder and swung to the bottom left corner, the longsword covering the rest of the range to ensure that he'd land the steel on Hanzo's left shoulder. Hanzo landed at the last second and slid away, the sword missing him again. He leaned and began sliding to the side, in order to escape the angle and counter from a blind spot to Merceny's right.

But Merceny did not stop.

Stubbornly, his quick footwork would correct his stance, turning him to the right with a spin, his feet melting the snow in an arc as he again was on top of Hanzo. He yet again leaned the Blade back above his right shoulder and unleashed another powerful slash. Hanzo had no choice but to block that, still unable to properly plant his feet on the ground. The Blades clanged together, the enhanced Nightingale leaving Hanzo in a tough spot, his guard nearly breaking.

And again Merceny would spin. And slash. It was such a quick and compact movement that Hanzo could not react any other way except block. As he'd do it, he'd get staggered, the next slash coming quickly and forcing him to raise his guard again, leading to another clash.

But now Merceny applied more force to the clash, sending the Elite flying back, his feet leaving the ground, leaving him without any space to skate on. Merceny would spin after him and slash. Hanzo would block and would be carried further back. And again Merceny would spin. And again Hanzo would block by the skin of his teeth and be propelled back. The trail of flames would spiral behind Nightingale, creating a telephone wire-like pattern. Circular trails would be left on the snow as Merceny would melt his way towards Hanzo. Merceny would keep swinging like a saw blade and Hanzo could do nothing but try to avoid the most damage by simply and desperately blocking.

-Darkness! Wave!- Merceny shouted at the end of his last rotation and the clash resultant released a burst of dark fire, that sent Hanzo flying back and hitting the ground hard his body curled slightly. But he slowly got up, although it was clear that the wave of attacks had taken a toll on him. Noah was dumbfounded. What a strange technique..! Even if Merceny was repeating the same attack over and over, the speed and forcefulness of his step-ins and rotations prevented Hanzo from properly reacting and blocking! But why didn't he use that against Noah back at the arena? The boy knew that Merceny's superior skill could easily make him fall into that rhythm...

"I also had skipped alot of steps, in my prideful rage. I wasn't fighting in my usual way either."

Could that have been what he meant? He was pretty mad at Noah back then, so maybe that prevented him from starting that technique? Just what level of concentration did it require?

Hanzo staggered slightly, still trying to find his footing. But he quickly re-assumed his stance, positioning Niflheim close to his chest.

-So...she thought you the Dance too, huh?

Merceny nodded, returning to a more neutral stance, Nightingale placed above his left shoulder, pointed at Hanzo.

-My sister and I...are both successors of Lucy's style, you can say. It was actually the first thing she thought us to do, when we began learning under her. Rotations, step-ins, repeating the same movement over and over. At first, I didn't know why I was being thought that. I was hasty, I wanted to protect my sister and smash my way to victory. Lucy quickly saw through that and suppressed that desire by forcing me to keep repeating the same swings over and over, like a martial artist throwing his jabs over and over. Until that movement got engraved in my muscles.

-So that, when you throw it over and over during the rotations, it won't lose any power as it goes on.- Hanzo cut him off and began walking towards the mercenary- I am familiar with the Angel's Dance. It was Lucy's technique of choice. Its purpose is to overwhelm the opponent with its forceful step-ins closer to him or her and trap him or her into its rhythm. Even if the movement is the same, the sheer speed of the attacks is supposed to minimize the chances of the opponent dodging out of the way. It requires an amazing amount of speed and stability, in order to make throwing out the same attacks an actual viable technique. But...

He soon reached Merceny's Blade's range and stepped even closer, fearless, until he was inches from the blonde's face.

-It's not invincible. Come. Try and hit me again. I will dismantle that dance.- he said. Merceny gritted his teeth and jumped back, leaning Nightingale above his left shoulder and swinging down towards the right corner now. Hanzo easily slid back, and Merceny used the rotations to burn the snow on Hanzo's feet, preventing him from skating away, throwing out more swings, their sheer speed preventing Hanzo from doing anything else than to step back. But...this time seemed different! Hanzo was not stepping back out of desperation, he seemed...calmer.

-Predictable.- he simply said and, when Merceny was gearing up for his next swing, he nimbly jumped to the mercenary's left, the swing missing him completely. Merceny quickly reacting by spinning to his left, swinging down towards the left corner. Hanzo calmly stepped back and then he jumped to Merceny's right, the attack missing him again. Merceny pursued but he was met with Hanzo lunging towards him, Niflheim cutting through his mid-section. Merceny grunted in pain and stopped the Dance, staggering slightly. Hanzo took that pause to keep slashing at Merceny, the blonde holding up his Blade to desperately stop the Elite's attacks.

-Effective, yet forceful, artificial and clumsy. Your angel flies on wax wings. Get too close to the sun...- he stopped his attack, allowing Merceny to step in and begin his rotation, swinging to the bottom right corner, but Hanzo simply leaned to the left and dodged the Blade. He leaned back into the middle, but he'd nimbly dodge the next rotation. All while calmly stepping back, returning to a neutral stance as if taunting Merceny.- ...and you'll melt and plummet back to the depths of darkness.

Dodging the last rotation, he nimbly flicked Niflheim towards a falling Nightingale's side, knocking it away from Merceny's hands, the Blade falling uselessly in the snow. He spun his katana and daftly pointed it to the blonde's chin.

-In the end, it's still a skill created by Lucy, for Lucy. You won't be able to master nor you really shouldn't, as it won't help you anymore.

Merceny glared back at him.

-What do you mean? Are you saying you've surpassed the Angel's Dance ?

Hanzo took a slow inhale.

-An angel's dance is both graceful and deadly. And so will my ice become.- he simply said.

-Yes, I've heard your little mantra before. So what? You saying you've created your own dance? You really are a copycat.- the mercenary spat.

-Not copied. Surpassed. The Dance, while easy to get lost into during the first steps, becomes quite boring and predictable during the later parts. No matter how forceful your step-ins are, everybody has a certain rhythm. A certain speed, a certain limit they're not willing to go over and injure themselves with. Once one figures that out, its easy to dismantle your little ballet. It's still a rhythm. And those are the easiest to counter.

To Noah's surprise, Merceny smirked.

-Awesome. Then you'll love this.

Nightingale suddenly appeared on his hands, but Hanzo was quicker, thrusting his Blade towards Merceny's neck. But the mercenary quickly leaned back, lowering his back like he was playing limbo. In a swift movement, Merceny swept Hanzo's feet and spun around himself to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick to his stomach, sending the Elite flying back. Once Merceny was facing Hanzo again, he clutched Nightingale and jumped towards him, initiating another spin, this one sideways to Merceny's right, towards the left side of Hanzo's stomach.

But Hanzo quickly regained his footing, the ice spreading under his boot and he began sliding to the right, in order to escape the Blade's arc before the swing beg---

"BOOM"

Nightingale lodged itself on Hanzo's side, but...

It was on the right side!

Noah's eyes widened.

"What?! How?! But he was mid-swing towards the complete opposite direction!"

Even Hanzo seemed surprised, not even moving an inch, blood beginning to coat Merceny's sword.

-But...how?!- he asked.

Merceny huffed.

-I simply switched the tune.

It was then that Noah noticed: a coat of black flames behind Merceny, lodged into his left trapezium. Then it vanished into the cold air. Hanzo stumbled back, clutching his wound.

-Tch...smart. I didn't realize that Darkus...also possessed that. Is this your answer, then? Is this how you'll evolve the Dance ?

Merceny took his Blade back towards him and spun it with a flick of the wrist, the blood splattering off of it, falling into the snow. He seemed...calm, despite the violent attack. He took a deep breath and then looked back towards Hanzo.

-You are right on one thing, Hanzo: the Angel's Dance is Lucy's technique. Hers to master. So only the basics of it were taught to us. From there it was our task to evolve it: you may not have seen it during my fight with Noah, so I'll give you front row seat to my performance.- he said, positioning the Blade horizontally, holding it above his left shoulder. And then, he quickly stepped in.

Hanzo stepped back and dodged the first rotations. His movements were wobbly because he was still clutching his side, allowing Merceny to build up his momentum.

-Stop being so pretentious.- he said and jumped to the side, a thin layer of ice spreading on the snow-less floor beneath his boot, which began skating on them. Merceny kept following him and Hanzo kept swaying to each side, but he was clearly struggling as his legs began to shake. - I've observed you... Black Feather. Yes, you're strong, but you get... a big head when you think you have the upper hand. And when you realize... that you're not so strong, you get... mad and put yourself at an even worse situation. You can never achieve your...full potential, if your mind isn't trained..!

He jumped backwards, creating some distance between both of them. Merceny finished his rotation and geared towards another one, placing his Blade above his head for a downwards vertical slice. With the momentum of the last rotation carrying him, he leaped towards Hanzo, who began to place Niflheim horizontally in front of his face, the hand that was clutching his wound moving to place itself on the edge of the katana to better brace for impact.

But another sudden shift happened: another explosion was created behind Merceny and suddenly he was already on the ground! And Hanzo was staggering, clearly having taken the slice before he was ready to fully block it!

Merceny didn't stop. He geared up for another rotation, his next slice horizontal and towards Hanzo's right side. The Elite's arms began moving to protect his wound, but another torrent of flames exploded from Merceny's back, suddenly and violently shifting his movements so that he was slicing towards the left side! Hanzo barely had time to react and a crude wall of ice was erected between his body and Nightingale, which easily cut through it but gave Hanzo enough time to jump to his right, avoiding the swing.

Again, Merceny resumed his rotations. Noah could only watch in awe: Hanzo barely had time to react! The forceful step-ins of the Dance were still there, but the threat of Merceny being able to shift the trajectory of his attacks mid-swing made it twice as dangerous! Hanzo could only skate away or block as Merceny would swing downwards and switch towards an upwards slash. A rotation around himself could become a powerful upwards thrust. A direct thrust towards the heart suddenly became a diagonal slash towards Hanzo's shoulder and even that could be an additional feint towards a Darkness Wave at point-black range. It was, for the lack of a better term, a spectacle, as Nightingale left trails of dark flames behind it. Trails without pattern, filled with violence but so gracious that it couldn't help but show a certain calmness in the mind of its user.

-Enough!- Hanzo exclaimed as back flipped, a group of ice spikes erupting from the ground, standing between him and Merceny, but the mercenary would leap over them and dive towards the Elite with a thrust. Hanzo quickly brought his Blade up, horizontally, but this time, instead of using it to block, the distance was just right enough to shift it into an ice bow and arrow, quickly shooting the object towards Merceny. But again, Merceny would be moved to the side by a sudden wave of fire and a second one would direct him downwards with a side slash towards Hanzo, who would jump out of the way just in time, Merceny's attack lifting up a huge puff of snow.

The Elite stopped, panting lightly.

-Even...in midair? You're using them well, despite them not being created for us mortals.- he stood up, seeming relaxed, the wound gone from his side!

The puff of snow dissipated from around Merceny, revealing the veil of flames still behind him. They soon also faded out. A loud flap could be heard.

-I still feel estranged to them. I only use them for this. And I only use this when I'm serious. If I whipped them out in Soula, I would get in a heap of trouble with the more religious folk, after all.- he said.

Protruding from his back, ripping through his snow jacket stood, tall and proud a pair of black wings, the length of just one not being too far from their owner's height. They flapped lightly before dissipating into flames. Merceny unbuttoned his jacket and threw it aside, revealing his usual black sleeveless undershirt which he wore under his usual coat.

-I see. But you still manage to make that limited use something viable. I'm guessing the wings themselves can conduct Darkus as well, so you use a quick but violent explosion of flames from them to suddenly shift your trajectory, which forces you to release them in the moment. An angel, sacrificing its wings in order to survive. How oddly fitting.

-There's no sacrificing here, Hanzo. Not anymore. I'm using all my resources in order to beat you. Stick around and you might see me use my wings to the fullest in the later steps of my style.- he smirked.

Hanzo positioned himself, Niflheim turned still on a reverse grip, diagonally across his chest, ready for another round.

-Then, do you feel confident, Black Feather?

Merceny took his cue and readied his stance as well, Nightingale positioned horizontally above his left shoulder.

-Quite. But I'm not going to let that "swell my head", Diamond. I'm not...I don't want to be the man I once was. Blindly seeking strength, pushing others away.

-What are you seeking, then?

Merceny closed his eyes.

-I do...want power. I can't lie to myself on that. But there's got to be a better way. Something with a bit more...substance to it. That allows me to survive in the long run against you big fish. Something graceful, eternal, that lets me pace myself for more challenges and greater heights. Like these wings...

"...like this 'Dark Dance'"