Exiting the Abyss

*Clank* Skirk stopped Allen's slash with one finger.

"Change!" Allen stepped backward, Ajax charging at Skirk from the opposite side, slashing at with his daggers at her.

Without even seeing him, Skirk jumped into the air, avoiding Ajax doing a 180º spin and flickering her finger, hitting Ajax's back head.

"Change!" Ajax shouted before being hit and thrown over 5 meters to the ground.

Allen with his sword sheathed, charged forward, drawing three beautiful arcs with it "Kabuki!"

*Clank* *Clank* *Clank* Even in mid-air and using only one finger, Skirk was able to parry them all while correcting her posture and landing.

Skirk was incredibly strong, Allen knowing perfectly well that he had no way to win against her even when thanks to their training, his physical strength has increased quite a lot, his normal speed and strength being comparable to the burst of using his Vision.

It wasn't only about her power but also her immense technique and experience. That was precisely why Allen and Ajax faced her in turns, because when they tried to fight her at the same time, she used each one against the other, being even more difficult the fight. It didn't matter the coordination between Ajax and Allen, she could easily destroy it.

"Go all out!" Allen ordered as he clenched his sword, if they wanted to force her to use more of her strength they needed to risk it.

"Foul Legacy!" Ajax activated his technique, absorbing the air of his surroundings and forming gauntlets over his hands as he charged against her.

After these months of training, Ajax was able to finally materialize an armor, however, it was not very useful. It was only the arms and he couldn't last more than 3 seconds, letting him weaken after them.

But the power was the real deal, the strength of his arms reaching a new level that Skirk wasn't able to block.

'Remember the essence behind it' Allen's eyes shined as he stepped forward and started to swing his sword, ready to unleash his new technique at the same time that Ajax.

However, just as both were about to reach Skirk, she twisted her body while flickering parrying Ajax's gauntlet that while it wasn't stopped, it was enough for him to lose his control, directly sending him over Allen who was unable to stop the attack in the middle of it.

*Clank* before Allen could unleash his slash, he found his sword completely blocked with Skirk's left hand catching it.

*Pam* *Pam* Skirk spun her body, kicking both of them away crashing to the ground.

"I used both hands, so you can take it as your win" Skirk announced with a smile.

"Really?" Allen looked down "You used it for me to stop cutting Ajax, it was for our own safety not yours."

"Yes! Yes! It's invalid!" Ajax shouted pissed.

"It doesn't matter the reason, it's your win." Skirk waved her hand "You have become quite strong over this time, you are already ready to leave this place."

"But I want to stay here!" Ajax complained "I want to win against you."

"If you truly want to be strong, is not only about power, you need to experience the outside world, sadness, happiness and all type of experiences. Filling your spirit, you will gain a new goal." Skirk adviced.

"But!"

"Go outside and become strong enough for at least forcing me to use both of my hands alone, without any trick." Skirk told "Until that time don't dare to present yourself beside me."

"Yes!" Ajax nodded with serious eyes, shining with the resolution to become stronger. 'Yes, master is strong. But I want to fight other strong people outside.'

"Rest for today and prepare to leave tomorrow."

""Yes!""

...

'9 months' Allen thought of their time spent here. If he didn't remember wrong Ajax's training in canon was 3 months, meaning that his interruption had caused for it to last more 'Would Ajax be stronger now? I suppose that it should be, I also helped in his training.'

Ajax had started as uncontrolable beast and figthing against and with Allen had helped to hone his techniques and be more aware of his surroundings.

'But really, who is Skirk?' Allen couldn't help thinking about the woman that guarded the Abyss all alone, that strong and carefree front of her and her sudden sad and longing looks. 'I think that the reason that she trained us was because Ajax remembered of herself and I make her remember someone important. Anyway..."

"Thank you!" Allen lowered his head "Thanks for taking care of me and for the opportunity"

"Thanks, master!" Both boys thanked her as they said their goodbyes, completely ready for their return trip.

"Good luck. Live your life and better forget about this place" Skirk said goodbye with a smile, for their own good, she really wanted for them to never meet her again or enter the Abyss.

Both boys looked at each other and nodded before returning to her with a smile ""We won't!""

"These boys" Skirk sighed but didn't hide her smile. "Take this!" She threw them some black weapons, a sword for Allen and two daggers for Ajax.

"Why?" Allen didn't understood, they were good weapons but weren't nothing exceptional, he still preferred to use Tomoki's one.

"The Abyss has corrupted properties. Your weapon is quite good Allen so it's able to last in here, but if you were to use it against monsters, it would be damaged in the process." Skirk signaled at Ajax's sword.

The iron sword which he came in the Abyss was now completely corroded and useless, the only reason that he wanted to bring it with him was that it was a reminder of his father's adventures.

"They will disappear once you leave the Abyss, so don't worry too much about them" Skirk said "Oh? And one last thing." She advised "You have already experienced how twisted the space in the Abyss is, but it's not the only thing, time is also being affected. It could be say that no time concept exists here."

"And how exactly would it affect us?" Allen asked "I hadn't noticed anything."

"You will discover once you go outside" Skirk stated "A day, a month, a decade... even reaching the past, everything is possible. So don't be too surprised once you leave."

That made Allen worried 'I thought that time here would be slower, but if it's totally random, it could be dangerous. I might not only have lost my opportunity to face a Harbinger, maybe even the time to safe Ellen had passed'

"Calm down and assert the situation." Skirk advised seeing Allen's state "You can worry once you find yourself in a problem."

"Yes" Allen nodded calming down.

"Everything said. Goodbye" Skirk said and disappeared, cutting any possibility of a touching depart. It wasn't only her, but all her layer that had gone.

'Of course, she won't let us return easily' Allen sighed and turned to Ajax "Let's go"

"Hum!" Ajax nodded, both boys starting their way to outside.

...

The trip had gone quite well, all the time following the ground and avoiding, even when there wasn't any need, the sudden disturbance in the space without facing any monster in their way.

After some days of running, they were finally able to see the exit, that black film that Allen remembered having entered.

"We're finally here!" Ajax shouted exited "What a boring trip without any enem-" Before he could even finish his phrase, a portal opened between them and the exit, a werewolf appearing from it.

"You really jinxed" Allen sighed "Could you stop him for a second? I want to try my attack with it."

"Okay. Foul Legacy!" Ajax clapped his punches, gauntlets appearing over his arm. He charged directly to the werewolf, catching its sharp claws and blocking its movements, showing his greater strength.

"Let's try it on" Allen put his hand over his sword.

...

"Buff, a dangerous attack!" Ajax smiled as he rested on the floor, his arms a little painful after using the Foul Legacy.

"Do you want to try it yourself?" Allen grinned pointing at him

"I'll pass for now. I don't want to end like him!" He said signaling the werewolf whose body was cut completely in half and started disappearing. "But I'll stop in the future, you can be sure of it."

"Whatever you said" Allen sheathed the sword 'It really feels good to be able to cut a monster' Until now Allen was more about technique, needing to slowly damage his enemies or point at their vitals, cutting in half a body was something impossible for him even with his Vision. But now it was possible 'Having a body that can follow my control really feels rare and good at the same time.'

"Let's go!" Ajax stood up and pushed Allen to the exit "I will present my family, I'm sure that they will like you and you must present me yours."

"Yes" Allen nodded 'I'll save Ellen'

Then both boys stepped over the door, being swallowed by its darkness, seeing as Skirk's weapon lost their form become lumps pieces of black metal.

"What's happening!?" Ajax pointed at Allen "You are disappearing!"

Allen looked confused, nothing happened to him but once he looked at Ajax, he found him become more transparent as he started to disappear. Yes, for their own vision, it was the other who disappeared.

"What is the meaning of it?" Allen was really confused 'Will we appear in different places?'

"Allen!" "Ajax!" Both boys looked at each and smiled.

""Let's meet again!"" They said before disappearing finding each one completely alone.

...

"What's this?" Just as he was outside, a blue jewel floated in front of Ajax, an Hydro Vision!

...

"I've returned."

*Fush* From the sky, a pillar of pale blue light fell over Allen as he left the cave. As he looked upwards to the sky, he could see his constellation, Gladius Scutum, with two stars shining brightly.