OoC: ANd now we're one step closer to this being over. SOrry it took me so long. @_@ Long story as to the fact I've been lazy.

BiC: Heaven trembled. Great tremors of power exploded from any number of things, but one focal point remained dangerous and ever explosive. Like a powder keg placed upon a wooden bridge, the smallest spark threatened to destroy the very fabric of the pathway. Once that pathway was gone, it would take time to repair. This, however, wasn't just a bridge. This was dynamite being used to blow a hole in a mountain. That seemed to be the goal here, at least to Zorlo.

o=)----------- Zach ----------(=o

As power flooded from the Ice Elemental, his blade having flowing with radiant ice energy as the blade arced over his head. The flash and clash of blades of golden flame and shining snow flittered in the wind as the clash of metals emitted a high pitch sound. A powerful strike hit the red haired warrior's sword and knocked him back on his heels, causing the young warrior to recoil a bit as he struck a wall. The green clothed angel smiled.

"Not quite there yet," Darien whispered as he moved towards Zachary. "But your tenacity clearly makes up for your lack of strength."

"We'll see who's lacking strength," the ice innate stated as he swiped his hand at the man, launching a series of ice spikes at the angel. As fast as he had attacked, the Half Elemental rushed for the door inwards. The one that would lead him to Zorlo and glory. Still, this guy didn't seem to want to stay beaten.

The angel flared his wings out quickly and released a powerful gust of golden wind, which quickly sliced the ice into shards. The green angel smiled as he vanished and appeared in front of Zach, kneeing the warrior hard in the stomach. "You're not ready yet!"

As the ice warrior's body recoiled upwards slightly and floated towards the ground. His feet barely touched the ground as he fell backwards onto his back. Pain seeped into every part of his body, and the ice innate found himself drifting through what almost felt like consciousness. He quickly cast off that notion and pushed his free hand against the ground and lifted himself to a sitting position.

"Perhaps you should give up?" Zachary heard a voice state. His eyes went wide, at first with shock, and then narrowed back into anger.

"No chance in hell!" the ice warrior yelled as he hefted his sword in his right hand with all of his might and slashed at the angel, only to barely nick his robes. "I can't lose... I've got too much riding on this battle!" Zachary yelled as magical energy erupted from within him as he moved again. With a powerful spin, a mighty slash erupted from the long blade of the ice innate.

"I'll not be slain so easily!" the angel responded as he slashed his sword across. Their blades struck and golden flame and particles of snow and ice erupted around them, engulfing them in almost a sphere of energy. Slowly, the bright light from the attack faded as the two appeared standing near each other. "You're not quite there yet, but that will do for today," he stated as Zachary's hair returned to its normal red.

The ice innate fell to one knee and stabbed his sword into the ground. He was so tired, and he'd used up almost all of his energy in that last attack. Despite that, he felt and unnerving calm sweep over him. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he did accept that this was his breaking point.

"Go forwards and help the green one."

The words caught Zachary by surprise. At first, they settled in his head as the contemplated what the man meant, but as it set in, words meant nothing. Zachary rushed forwards past the courtyard, which now lay in ruins, and towards where he had seen Zorlo run off to. He had a lot of catching up to do.

"Perhaps I stalled him a bit too long. Still, this will add to the excitement," Darien said as he floated up and flew off.

o=)---------- Zorlo ----------(=o

The first clash of swords brought forth almost untold chaos in its wake. The focal point where their swords met caused existence itself in this world to tremble. Great darkness seeped from the king's blade as it tried to steal the light from the Aura Master's, but the great power that was held within the green haired man exploded with equal promise, pushing the king back. After a powerful impulse, the king found himself buried into a wall, only not being thrown through thanks to his great wings.

Massive, inky blackness rushed towards the green haired man, swallowing up the floor as it moved towards the fencer. The Aura Master jetted into the air, floating above the dark ocean that had swallowed up the ground. The fencer shifted himself and caused him to move into a free fall towards the king. With a shift of his now demonic hand, the king caused tentacles of blackness to rise from the ocean of darkness and reach out towards the fencer.

Quickly evading the attacks with his best aerial movement that Zorlo could muster to evade the ever increasing dark tentacles. Finally, the green haired man stopped to try to gather a counteroffensive to even the battlefield. The fencer slashed his blade quickly as he launched several Aura Getsugas towards the king. A massive black wave rose up and intercepted the blasts, pulling them all down into the darkness. The fencer sighed as he looked at the approaching tentacles and pushed upwards.

As the green haired man floated upwards, taking a few breaths, trying to catch his breath. The fencer moved his wings over his body and opened his wings and firing off the feathers on his wings. "Take this!" Zorlo yelled as a massive wall of darkness had the feathers sink into the wall. The Aura Master fought against the growing darkness, slowly feeling even his aura being swallowed up.

What is this darkness? How... how can I fight against this? I... I'm out of options... I can't... I can't escaped... but I have to. I have to defeat them.
In a sudden and unseen move, massive spires of darkness erupted and smashed into the Aura Master from all sides and sought to crush him.

"Too bad, fencer. I knew your weakness, and now, it will destroy y-..." the king stopped as he looked at the ball of darkness as it began to crack and then shatter, followed by an eruption of countless Aura Getsugas.

The green haired man floated down as lightning rushed from his pendant and created a bright glow in the fencer's eyes and a powerful static electrical force dancing around him. "Time to pay for your great evil. Vanish into the pits of darkness where you came from!" the Aura Master stated as he floated down and scattered the black ocean where he hand landed. "Let me start with your ocean!" Zorlo yelled as he slammed his fist into the ground and released a massive web of lightning.

Lightning ripped through the ground and tore through the blackness and towards the king. A massive group of lightning lanced towards the king. A massive wall of darkness rose, but as the lightning struck it, the black ocean wall cracked and turned into dust. However, lucky to the king, only a single bolt of lightning ripped through the wall and through the chest of the king, leaving a great burn.

However, the fencer didn't escape unharmed. From that move, a powerful blade of darkness moved towards the fencer and ripped through the Aura Master's abdomen. Aura lightning flowed into his body and healed a little bit of the wound, but the lightning slowly flickered out and the fencer fell to his knees.

The king fell to his knees as well, all that remained of his darkness being a black mist encircling him. "I'll kill you!" the king roared as he rushed towards the fencer. Zorlo's eyes sparkled as he grasped his sword tightly and rushed towards the king. In a flash, their swords clashed and power met raw power. Still, as the two passed, the golden blade landed near the entrance of the room, the side the king now stood upon.

The fencer turned and grabbed the handle of Sapphire. His body shook in pain, his eyes still bright and his smile still upon his face. "I've got one trick left," the Aura Master stated as small flecks of gold and emerald floated around his body. "Allow me to show you... my final power. I've been saving it for too long to not use it now... Ready to begone?" the fencer asked as he drew Sapphire, the sword immediately resisting. "This all comes down to the next move."