Chapter 32: Blossom in Darkness

Noah couldn't believe his eyes! Hanzo...was still standing! All the while, repeating those ominous words...

-Damn you...Diamond...Just go down already!- Merceny managed to stand back up and summoned Nightingale, his wings sprouting again. But it was clearly too much strain on him. He could barely stand.

Hanzo eyes were vacant as he spoke but then he blinked, his focus returning and his glare returning as well, towards Merceny. He placed his hand on his chest and reformed the ice armor.

-I take back what I said before, Black Feather. You are a worthy adversary. One I must defeat. Even if costs me my life!

He clenched his fist and a wave of pressure hit Merceny. Once again, Soul Crash!

-Without the Attilan Method, it is often referred as Burst Soul Crash. It's hard to control and it may have advert effects on your body but it's useful if you want to enter Soul Crash for just a few seconds and can't assume the stance in critical instances.- Merceny said, between pants- I used it and managed to maintain it for much longer than I thought. But you...you have used Soul Crash properly before and now you're forcing it out in Burst! Your body won't be able to take it!

-Who do you take me for? I'm an Order Elite.- he raised Niflheim and created the bow, pointing a new arrow towards Merceny.- Regular rules do not apply to us. We're geniuses. Monsters raised from infancy, shaped by this cruel world!

-Big whoop. Half the world is orphan anyways, after the BladeMaster War.- Merceny spat- I think I left the world's smallest violin in my room, but if you want, I can go back to Soula and get it in order to play you a song.

-You mock me, but you're the one that's barely standing, Black Feather.

Noah then noticed it: the arrow...it kept growing, becoming more defined and sharp-looking. The air around the bow began freezing up yet again, the translucent mirrors appearing. It shone almost like...a diamond.

-Diamond...

-Oh yeah? Let's rumble!- Merceny said, the flames erupting from within him, forming the flame crow yet again. It shrieked towards Hanzo.- Let's go!

-Dust.

Before Merceny could move a step, a sharp zipping sound shot right past him. The boy could only stand there...as his crow was no longer there. Behind him, something crashed violently.

Merceny looked back, trying to understand what had happened when Hanzo stepped close to him and delivered a slash to Merceny's chest with the blade that had erupted from the ice layer on his boots, sending the mercenary stumbling back with a groan of pain.

-Bastard! What...what did you do?!- he shouted, looking up at him as slowly stood back up.

Hanzo simply pointed the bow towards him.

-I'm simply doing what you did. Pushing my limits. So I can defeat you and become stronger...better...the best...- he said, his words returning to that trance-like tone.- Ultima Soul...

Merceny's eyes shot wide.

-What did you say..?!

-Diamond Dust Arrow.

Merceny couldn't do anything. He didn't have any more strength left him in. He tried to back away, but he couldn't move!

"No!"

Noah ran out of the boat, towards the duo. He had to do something! Anything! If he didn't, the arrow would pierce the mercenary's heart. Yeah, they weren't on best terms with each other, a few days ago, he thought Merceny was a jerk, but still! Nobody should die! Hanzo was there to test them, not kill them, right?

"No...I'm being naive. A BladeMaster should always fight seriously. Merceny pushed Hanzo this far...And Hanzo is properly ending this battle! But not if I can do something! Come on, Tera! Work with me!"

He extended his palm towards the duo, trying to summon something, anything, to save Merceny. A pillar, a hand, some random rock! But nothing was coming out, except a huge headache. Noah gritted his teeth. He shouldn't care about the Backlash! He had to push past his limits too! Even if it cost him his life, he couldn't let Merceny die! He couldn't let anybody die like that!

"Please! Anything! I have to save him! Anything at all! Even something small! Tera, work with me!"

Blood began trickling down his lips as he kept pushing past the pain. He shouldn't care! He couldn't care! He had to! Anything at all!

Hanzo shot the arrow, the projectile cutting through the wind, ripples reverberating in the air around it.

"PLEASE!"

Then...time seemed to slow down. The world faded away, leaving only Merceny, Hanzo and Noah. He then felt something...course along his arm. His eyes darted to it and he saw it: the familiar translucent aura of...

"Astral Soul..."

But it was not all. Soon, small orange sparks appeared from his arm and clashed with the translucent aura. They then fused together, coursing together until they left Noah's fingertips..!

It didn't make a sound. It was so gentle.

But he saw it.

A light shade of pink, fluttering forward. Noah recognized the shape. He had seen it while on the mall with Lucy.

"It's...a petal? But I've never seen one of this pink color before...What kind of plant gives off petals this...pretty?"

Try as he might, he couldn't produce anymore. He could only stand there, time frozen around him as the petal slowly drifted towards the arrow. It gently placed itself on its tip and then...it began moving it. Slightly to the side. Just slightly.

Then, time resumed. The arrow kept zipping towards Merceny but it did not hit his chest, but his right wing! The boy was sent flying as the arrow froze and dragged his wing with it until he hit a nearby rock and collapsed, unconscious. But still alive, hopefully.

Hanzo just stood there, befuddled and lowered his bow. He turned towards Noah and began walking towards him.

-What...did you do?

Noah curled up his lips.

-That's what I'd like to know...H-hey, stay away!- he said, summoning and pointing Warrior's Heart towards Hanzo. But it was quickly shot off by the swift Elite's arrow.

-Typical. Noah Eon pulls out another crazy power out of his ass in order to save the day. Do you even know the meaning of "training" and "effort"?

Noah stepped forward.

-Oh please, not this again! I do train! I do put effort! You can't just bash me, who has just come into this life two months ago, for not having your lifetime of training! It's unfair!

-Yet you still brandish power after power. Miracle after miracle. Like it's nothing.

-Well, I can't help it! I do it to survive! It could help a little if you told me what I am!

Hanzo sighed and pointed Niflheim at Noah.

-Come with me peacefully. Or do you want to fight me?

-I-I'd much rather fight than to meet this Balthazar! He's done many terrible things to Lucy! To her brother! He's trying to overtake this kingdom and I can't approve of it! Neither can you, Hanzo! That's why you keep insisting on being this roundabout! Pick a side already!

Hanzo shook his head.

-I'm only loyal to the stronger power. Let's say I choose to be your enemy. Would you be ready to fight me, then? Would you be ready to...kill me?

Noah blinked.

-I-I...

-That's right. You can't. You call yourself a BladeMaster but you can't accept that you have to get your hands dirty! All this talk about "saving the Elites"...pfftt, what a joke! Just be honest with yourselves! I will more gladly submit than to be saved! That's how I always lived! And if I don't submit, then kill me, Noah! If you can fight me, you can kill me!

Noah gritted his teeth.

-I-I can't..!

-Because you're an immature brat, just like Black Feather!- he stepped forward and clutched Noah's neck, placing pressure on it. Noah kicked his legs, unable to breathe, clutching Hanzo's arm.

-Lucy would kill me no problem! Because she's the merciless angel of the battlefield! Justice and Power incarnate! The person I most admire! If you've been under her teachings for so long, you must have learned how to kill!

-Y-you're being...ridiculous...how does one...learn how to kill..?!

-Out of necessity you drop your silly morals, Noah! I was only taught how to fight and survive, ever since my days as an orphan, in these frigid lands! And that's why I stand as the most powerful!

-Then you're more miserable and...deluded than I thought...

-W-what?

-Lucy...teaches me to fight...to protect...not to kill for some...silly morals or lack thereof...You're not an elegant BladeMaster...you're just a copycat!

Noah's face was met with Hanzo's fist. The boy tumbled onto the ground. He glared at Hanzo, blood trickling down his nostrils. He had to fight him. If not with Blades, then..!

-Copycat?! I have surpassed Lucy!

Noah stood up.

-Please! You've spent your whole life latching onto styles and ideals, Hanzo! You say you follow the will of the stronger power but you...you just can't think for yourself! That's what Lucy wants me to do! Kill or not...it'll be my decision. Nobody will order me around! I'm no flawless, soulless diamond like you! I want to save you! Please, let's just talk without Blades pointed at each other!

Hanzo clenched his fist. His calm persona was shattering as he clutched his face, teeth gritted.

-First Black Feather sees the Angel's Dance, the epitome of fighting, as a mere stepping stone. And now you tell me that I'm a simple puppet? That I cannot surpass the ideals of those whose styles I improve upon?!

-Because...because each style is everyone's own words! When people fight, they put their ideals on the line of battle, using their Blades to exchange them! As long as you use borrowed words, you've already lost to me, Hanzo, no matter how undeserving of this power and how unexperienced I am! Because I, for one, use my power with my free will! You're just being a big baby! Throwing a tantrum because the world doesn't let you bow down to it and drift away in a life of thoughtlessness and blood! You're not even human, let alone a BladeMaster, let alone a Diamond, let alone an Angel!

Hanzo dropped Niflheim and threw another punch at Noah. Noah decided to charge too. If it was a fight based on reflexes! He could defend himself!

-You know nothing about this world!- Hanzo said, his fist landing on Noah's gut.

-At least I'm willing to view it with my own eyes, unlike a certain moody red-head!- Noah shouted, ignoring the pain and throwing a punch at Hanzo, who grabbed his fist and pushed him back.

-You have no idea what we, the Elites and the war orphans around the world suffered! Your idealism only sits pretty when you have food in your stomach and a warm blanket!- he said, socking Noah in the face!

-At least you know who you are! I don't know who I am, if I was a bad guy in the past, but I still try to make my best, despite that! Despite my cowardice...despite my desire to just laze around and forget...despite these odds that are stacked against me!- he clenched his fist.- I can clearly say who I am! But you? Who are you today? Lucy? Sobek? Terri? Balthazar? Who are you going to copy next in your search for perfection?! I don't care about such things! I carve my own path! Because I'm..!

Noah stepped in and threw a punch towards Hanzo's face. The Elite began to weave to the side, but he soon found Noah's fist lodging on his cheek!

-Noah! Eon!- he shouted and punched him in the face again. And again. And again. And again. And again. Hanzo couldn't react. Each punch carried more speed and power than the next!

-"Alpha",huh? I'll find out the truth! With my own eyes! With no mask! Because that's what Lucy and my friends taught me, not me stealing from them! Because that's not the way Noah Eon does things!- he said as he kept punching him. Unbeknownst to Noah, the same translucent aura was filling his entire body.

His strong desires.

Had recovered the first step that was Astral Soul.

-I don't want to kill...-he said, gearing up for a final punch, his knuckles bloody through his gloves and the aura gathering up on his right fist-...but that won't stop me for beating your "perfect" self silly! HANZO!!!

With a final shout, Noah threw the final punch.

A loud sound of breaking glass echoed throughout the snowy tundra as Noah's fist broke through Hanzo's armor, delivering the decisive punch square in the middle of Hanzo's face . The rest of the armor shattered into the ground, unable to withstand the power of his convictions.

Hanzo feel to the ground, unconscious and blood jutting out of his nose. It was just one real punch but Noah felt satisfied either way...He sighed and walked away towards Merceny. The boy was still lodged by his wing to the rock.

-Merceny!- Noah ran over to him.

-Heh...I guess...you do have guts...after all...- Merceny smirked but then coughed blood.

-Yeah, very funny. Like the new haircut, by the way.

-Shut up...and break my wing. Don't worry, I can restore it easily.- he said. Noah nodded with a gulp and summoned Warrior's Heart, swinging it down the frozen wing and shattering it, Merceny's body slumping to the ground, his remaining wing dissipating.

-Let's go now...We should return to the ship.- Noah said, placing Merceny's body over his shoulder.

Merceny nodded and the duo began their return to the ship...

"ZIIIP"

Something flew right by Noah and shattered the rock Merceny was against a second ago. The duo looked over to the origin of the sound.

-No freaking way.

-No fucking way.

Hanzo was standing yet again, a crazed look on his eyes. Well, you couldn't say he wasn't resilient.

-I'm not...a puppet! I am...all-powerful...like an angel! More powerful than that, even! My ice is more deadly and graceful than any angel on this damned sky!- he shouted, his aura flaring up and sending waves of cold towards the duo.

-Does this guy ever give up?!- Noah said.

-Guys like him, without any road to follow...are often the most resilient. They have nothing to gain...but also nothing to lose.

-But how do we fight him?!

-I...dunno...-the mercenary slumped over, drifting in and out of consciousness.

-M-Merceny, stay with me!- Noah said, shaking him.

Meanwhile, Hanzo prepared another Diamond Dust Arrow. Just how big was this guy's pool of power?!

-I AM! THE DIAMOND!-he shouted and shot the projectile at the duo. Noah firmly shut his eyes, curling up his lips.

-Really, now? A girl loves diamonds, but you're seeming more like coal, Hanzo buddy!

A big crash echoed throughout the area as the arrow hit something. But as Noah opened his eyes, he found that it wasn't him or Merceny. He looked up. A figure stood between them.

-Lu...-he began.

-Lucy...-Merceny finished.

Tall, proud and her cocky smirk ever present, Lucy stood between them and Hanzo, Genesis in hand, having deflected the Arrow.

-Sorry for the wait. I'm not a walking map, so I got lost in the blizzard. Thankfully, I followed the sounds of battle and ended up here! How lucky I am to find you both alive and well!

-Define "well".- Noah said.

-Define "alive".- Merceny said.

Hanzo visibly shook.

-Lu...cy...

Lucy turned to Hanzo, a frown on her face.

-Here I am, Hanzo. Order's Angel. Ready to give you the whooping of a lifetime.

Hanzo clutched his face and let out a crazed laugh. It seemed that the loss of blood was making him go coo coo.

-"Whooping"? Lucy, I'm about to show you utter perfection as I surpass you!

-The only thing perfect here is my hair,my nails, the twins, the moneymaker and these slender legs.- she said, taking the long winter jacket she was wearing and throwing it to the side (more like on top of Noah's face). Under it, surprise, was her regular outfit.

-Always the joker, are you?!- Hanzo shouted.

-Hanzo, talking like that, you're seeming like the joker here.- she sighed and pointed Genesis at him.- But worry not. I'll still make good on my words! No matter where on life I may stand! I'll correct my sins! I'll surpass my past! And I will...

"...save you!"