Alliances of Chance (Nikuvillain)

Sun rays shone in through the hole in the cavern roof. The world was silent for a moment on the small island. Everything from earlier that day, or was it the day before... well, from the earlier hours of the day or late hours of the night had past like a bad dream. Now, there was only a calm and serene feeling sweeping over the cave itself.

The sun brightened and warmed up the small island, causing water to drip from the cavern ceiling. The once frozen cave now found itself slowly thawing out like an icebox left in the sun. The people that had taken residence in the cavern, the four of them there were, were all still asleep. Or, to be more exact, they were all passed out or knocked out. what had happened earlier hadn't been a party, but instead, utter chaos engulfing the small areas of the island.

Several rocks covered the body of a young, red haired boy that lay unconscious from a large stone to the head. He had been exhausted anyway. His body shifted slightly as he rolled a bit, some of the rocks moving off of his body and he rolled onto his side, apparently still very much asleep. Despite the large red bump on his head and a few scattered wounds, he didn't seem any worse for the wear in the long run. Still the red haired boy had also been what had frozen this cavern.

Not far from him lay a man clothed in black. His long coat in tatters, with but a few bullets still hanging onto the remains of threads from the intense fight that had just come to an end for him. On his belt sat two things: A sword handle and a small box. Aside from that, he held a six shooters, his Revolver, a Single Action Army, firmly in his left hand, the slugs in which had all been made useless by the intense flames that had carried him away. Still, aside from a few minor wounds, the man in black was no worse for the wear.

Quickly passing over the cavern and through the path of the sun. Through the sky fell a shirt that slowly floated downwards. Soon after it had been dropped, the shirt found its way onto the woman who's shirt had been destroyed. Still, one thing left this full powder keg alone. The single spark to start the explosion. And it all started with a drop of water hitting each person in the cavern suddenly and noticeably.

Kaien still lightheaded from the fight and the cave-in from the day before? He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out but the dirt that covered the shield he made weighted him down. He slowly changed his shield into a stick that stuck out of the dirt. He had to be careful not to pile the dirt all over his body at once. The stick than fanned out pushing the pile off of him. Getting up from the ground he peaked his head from the little hole that he made.

Hmm…it seems that I’m the first to wake up. That good, but damn that man. Kaien thought to himself glancing around before stopping to see the woman laying on the ground without a shirt. She seems like an interesting one too. I wonder why her shirt is off. He asked himself before continue to look around finding the other man not as interesting.

I wonder if these two been fighting up above us the whole time. He pulled himself out of the dirt hole before brushing himself off. Grabbing hold of the stick he changed it back to his necklace before walking over to the uninteresting one of the group. Even though the girl was closer and seem more interesting he could bring himself to touch a woman without a shirt on.

“Let see what happen?” he said resting his hand on the arm of Monroe. He heard a noise before he got a chance to dive in. The young woman had moved, she was beginning to come to. As he looked over in shock he felt the arm of the young man move.

“What happen?” Jezebel asked as she sat up. Her eyes where still out of focus, but she was able to feel and see the new shirt of her. “Where is that man!?” She yelled pulling her shirt over her man.

Man? Kaien thought as he jumped back near the man he had just fought. This can’t be good, the awaken thought as he tapped his foot against the Ice mage. “Wake up.”

Zachary groaned as he rolled over and hefted himself up, the color in his eyes dulled as he slowly shook off the grogginess. He blinked once, and then looked at the person that had been kicking his foot. "What?" he asked, looking at the man he had just been fighting. The ice innate's brain seemed to stop for a moment, but he shook the feeling he had that this guy wanted to fight more from his mind and stood up. "Why did you wake me up?" the red haired boy asked the Awaken.

Kaien pointed at the dark clad warrior and the woman that was standing up and looked then at Zachary. "I think we've got company," he said with a joking bit of sarcasm. The ice mage merely shrugged the joke off and kicked a stone off of Mobius and bent down to take the sword. Suddenly, chains erupted from the ground and locked the sword in place.

"I've found you!" the red haired woman said as chains began to appear out of her arms. Her eyes were narrowed at him as she readied to strike.

"Guess our fight is over. Looks like this woman is more interested in fighting us," the Ice Elemental told his associate as he began to try to yank his sword free. "Now if only I could get my sword free," Zachary stated in annoyance as he tried to yank it out again.

"It gets worse," Kaien stated as he pointed at Monroe, whom Zachary turned to see. "He's here to get you too."

The firebrand waved off Monroe dismissively. "I know him. He's harmless," the red haired warrior said as he kept trying to free his sword. After all, he felt it. His magical power was still low.

A click echoed through the cavern remains. The group turned to look at Monroe stood bravely, smirking as he pointed his gun at Zach. "Say that now," the dark clad man said as he pulled the trigger. There was another click, but no bang. The bounty hunter opened the weapons chamber angrily and found out why: the powder in his bullets had already all been ignited.

"That's annoying," Monroe said as he emptied the gun and holstered it, tossing the holster out of the cavern. "Guess that just leaves one choice," the bounty hunter said as he flicked his Photon Sword into his hand and turned the blade on. "I'm gonna have to kill you the fun way."

Zachary forced magic into his sword and froze the chains, shattering them as he freed Mobius and held the sword in front of himself. He looked at Kaien and smirked. "I'm Zachary Leos, if I haven't told you already. If I were you, I'd get out of here. They're trying to kill me, so if you don't want to get caught in the crossfire, you should get going," the red haired warrior said as he stood his ground. It was do or die time.

Kaien just chuckled under his breath watching the two new comes get ready to attack his foe. “Well I guess there isn’t much of a choice then,” he said raising his hand up to his neck. A strange smile came over his face staring at the woman across from him. “She cute by the way Zachary if you knock her out,” the young awaken said strangely; dashing in front of the young ice warrior.

“What? Like I’d lose,” Jezebel shouted out launching a chain towards the young awaken’s head. It clashed with a sword, but not the sword of the awaken. Zachary stood between her and him as he continued his way to Monroe.

Kaien formed a sword from his necklace as he blocked the on coming attack from the Photon Sword. It buzzed rapidly as it tried to break through the sword. Kaien without thought spun down and kicked the back of the hunter’s legs out.

“I guess that leaves me with the prey,” Jezebel jokily said making her chain disappear. She hadn’t fully recovered from the last battle with the fool that was now on his ass. She glared at the ice warrior watching for him to make a move. From what she saw already her normal chains weren’t going to have much of an effect against the man that stood before her. Spots of her arms still showed the burned marks of her chains.

“This isn’t going to be as easy thanks to him,” she said lower her body a bit to have a better reaction to an attack. She was ready waiting for his next move.

Bah, this was all a lot of work. And for Zachary, who had already greatly expended most of magic the day before, or earlier in the day (he didn't know which), this wouldn't be easy. This was one of those bad times where he'd need to almost fully rely on his skills as a swordsman. Against normal humans, that would be so bad. Against people like Monroe, however, such skills were almost folly. After all, in a battle of strength, the winner is the stronger person.

Zachary gripped his sword firmly as he stepped forwards, almost breaking into a run as he moved forwards, his sword blade hanging low to the ground, almost touching it. The ice innate leapt into the air as high as he could and slammed down his sword. The clang of his blade against chains echoed out into the room as Jezebel pushed his sword back. The firebrand, losing none of the momentum he had, quickly swung his sword back and unleashed a powerful horizontal strike. The priestess stepped back from the tip as the ice mage stopped the sword as it finishes its move and readied to strike again.

The red haired woman brought up her hand and crossed it over her chest, quickly swinging the back of her hand towards Zachary. Despite the range between the two, she smirked as three chains shot from around her hand at the ice warrior. The ice mage quickly turned his sword and felt the tips of the chains pushing him back as they struck his sword. With a powerful push, the chains moved away and the Ice Elemental took to the counteroffensive. Zachary swung the sword down towards the woman with all of the force he could muster. This was a fight of pure strength and tenacity.

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

The sword moved past Monroe as he stepped back, narrowly evading the attack again. A small cut formed as the tip scraped against his vest, but the modern fencer's body escaped almost all of the damage. The Awaken swung his sword fiercely to the side, only to have it swatted away by the bounty hunter's photon sword. This kid wasn't Monroe's real target, but still, he was an obstacle that needed to be overcome.

As Kaien's sword stuck the ground, the mercenary tsked. He was getting annoyed by this kid. It was enough of this guy trying to get in his way. "That's it, I'm gonna end this in one move," the fighter stated as his body vanished. Less than a second later, the bounty hunter almost floated a few inches off the ground and a few inches away from his foe. The buzzing blade moved quickly, striking at the Awaken warrior.

The sound of the sword buzzing against the warrior's sword told the enhanced human that his target had somehow figured out what he was going to do. Monroe kicked his leg forwards and used his boot to Kaien's back to toss the amateur warrior forward onto his face. "Tsk." This wasn't going to be any fun fighting like he normally did. That meant there was only one thing he could do to make this enjoyable. At least until Jezebel let her guard down and he took over killing Zachary.

The buzzing from the sword stopped. Monroe placed the now bladeless handle on his belt where it belonged and cracked his knuckles. Holding out his right hand, the bounty hunter waved his foe on. "Come get some." Hand to hand fighting would make this great fun.

Jezebel hoped back letting the sword crash to the ground as she begun to get into the fight. She smiled a bit as she brushed her hand against her cheeky and letting it hit her hair. It was funny how the world cursed her and blushed her at the same time as she skipped back once again from the red hair boy. She found it odd that her target would have the same color hair as she did, but that was only a thought.

Flipping her hand down she formed other chain at whipped at the ice warrior as he swung his sword down again. The chains rested in the thin line of the blade stopping suddenly in the air. It snaked around the blade wrapping it; taking the sword under its control. The chain begun to cool and Jezebel could feel the coolness reach her skin.

Quickly the chain disappeared and she jumped back from the man feeling her skin. It was cold, but she didn’t understand how. She glared at the icy mage thinking of her next move carefully. She knew if the ice reached her she was done for. She just stared at the red head man as she formed a small flaming spike in her hand. The flames danced in her palm; flipping her hand over and letting the normal chain slowly drop the spike.

“This should help,” she said glaring at her target, whipping her arm and letting the chain fly.

***

Hmm… the young awaken thought watching his odd foe put away his weapon. Fighting wasn’t something he did often yet it seems in these last few days/hours he’d been doing a lot of it. Though, he wasn’t mad anymore at the foe he was fighting just a few hours ago he’d learned a lot from him. Changing he weapon back to the silver necklace he normally wore around his neck he put his fist up as well. He’d never really fought with his fist and thought it would be a good time to learn more as he opened his mind.

I can take care of two things by fighting him with my fist. Though, I don’t know how well the other thing going to turn out I’ll still learn how to fight better, he thought taking a form as if he was still holding his sword.

Monroe dashed forward throwing a straight punch to the awaken face. The young awaken blocked with both arms covering his face being pulled back by the force of the punch. As he recovered from the first punch he found other one coming for him and he dodge to the side as if he way letting his sword block. Then he threw a quick punch to the jaw grabbing Monroe arm to keep his balance. Rolling around his foe back he jumped back from him readying himself for other attack.

"A flaming spike... that's new," the ice innate muttered to himself as he shifted his weight, dragging his sword along the ground until the weapon hung on the ground to his right. "Err..." Zachary muttered as he began to run, the blade of his sword sparking along the ground as he charged. "I'm not about to lose to some woman who appeared out of nowhere. I'm not gonna lose to Monroe. I'm gonna defeat you both!" the avenger said as he swung his sword horizontally.

A flaming chain met with the ice sword, creating a mist to form as the two weapons hissed. "Fire?" the red haired boy noted as he felt a force pushing against his sword. The ice mage stepped back and swung his sword horizontally again; however, this time instead of blocking, the woman merely stepped back as her fire chain shot towards him. There wasn't time enough to prepare a defense. All there was time enough to do was to stand his ground.

The chain sizzled as it reached an oddly dense barrier of cold air. The fire extinguished but the chain went through, piercing through the ice innate's collarbone. A shriek of pain echoed from his lungs as he yanked the chain out, the priestess stepping back to look at the chain. Where had the fire gone.

The Ice Elemental placed his hand on the wound, ice magic rushing into the newly formed hole and filling it. Although that method would be more painful now, the wound would heal faster. The red haired boy's left hand grabbed the handle of his sword and hefted the blade up, pain rushing through his left arm as he did. "Don't think fire will work against me," Zachary said as he held the sword in front of himself. "I've got protection that goes beyond magic."

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

Monroe cracked his knuckles as he slid his right foot back. The modern fencer smirked as he brought his right arm in front of himself defensively with his left arm tucked back, elbow against his side. The bounty hunter turned his right foot in and the dash began. His right fist shot past the man's face as his head moved slightly, the Awaken narrowly evading the attack.

Kaien quickly punched back, but like most things he did, he wound up narrowly missing. Monroe, however, at this range, would not miss. His left fist moved quickly, plowing itself into the warrior's chest. The brown haired copycat recoiled from the attack and stepped back, holding his chest. Monroe smiled as he spun around quickly, driving his leg into the side of Kaien's head and knocking him away.

Monroe lightly slight jumped on his feet as he moved away and crossed his arms. "Come on now, you're boring me. Now then, get up and take up your sword. That's your only chance. Now then, are you going to be serious or am I going to kill you with my next series of attacks?"

As if you could, Kaien thought getting up from the ground. The awaken wasn’t use to fighting above normal humans before. He knew now that he would have to stop taking it so easy on this man if he was going to have any hope of winning. With a kind of odd smile, he turned around letting his foe image reach his eyes. Tsk.

Kaien grabbed for the silver chain around his neck and a flash of light quickly shot through the air as he formed a Kanata in his hands. He swung the blade down letting the tip just touch the ground. He knew ever well now how to handle a sword. “You meant be interesting after all,” the awaken said rising the sword in front of him with the blade point down.

Closing his eyes, he cleared his mind letting it open up freely to learn anything new while he fought the man. He doubted that he would learn anything of usefulness, but he could never be to sure. “Come,” he said taking hold of the hilt of the sword with his other hand.

His foe dashed forward with great speed and the awaken followed dropping the sword down to follow alongside the ground. Monroe threw a punch and Kaien bent back just dodging as a kick came from his mid section. He blocked it with his sword that was soaring up to attack the warrior. His strange foe didn’t take long to regain his footing, sending a direct blow to the gut of the awaken. He dodged it doing a back handstand, kicking him in the jaw.

Monroe didn’t waste a second as he dashed forward and sent a powerful punch to the back of the awaken knocking him on the ground. It was clear who was more skilled in fight, but Kaien wasn’t giving up yet as he stood up grabbing his sword again. Damn.

***

“Like god would save you,” Jezebel said knowing that there was no such thing as a god. If there was, she wouldn’t be a salve of a church. Force to do their dirt work because they were too weak to do it themselves. She let a new chain form in her palm and the smell of roasted skin became stronger in her noise. The burns hurt so much, but she didn’t let it show taking hold of the spike in her hand.

“Die!” she yelled darting the fire chain at the ice mage. This time he dodged the spike and the chain and dashed after the chain user. She tossed another out from her other hand while the first one changed course . Zachary tossed the second chain out his way and jumped in the air swinging down from above. Jezebel dispelled the other chains and formed and flaming wall of chains between her and him. As the sword came down on the wall steam covered the area around them.

The tip of the sword brushed past the bounty hunter with each pass of the warrior. The young warrior had some skill with his blade, but he needed to refine it. Aside from that, this guy simply wasn't fast or strong enough to defeat the dark clad man. This Monroe knew. It was just a matter of time. Still, that didn't mean the mercenary had to end this quickly. He'd simply wrap it up when Zachary was almost dead.

The katana cut overhead and moved in a diagonal strike, brushing against the enhanced human's vest, brushing against the fiber and cutting it slightly. "Tsk," Monroe muttered as he stepped forwards as Kaien turned the sword to the side to cut again, but before he could, the dark clad man's fist drilled its way into his stomach, pushing the warrior a few inches off the ground. As Monroe pulled his fist back, the Awaken fell to the ground, his sword falling onto the ground.

"Come on, kid. You're not very much fun. After all, you haven't even managed to hit me yet. Still, you're getting closer. Maybe eventually you'll get past my vest and actually cut my skin. Give it a try!" the bounty hunter mocked as he crossed his arms, taking a step forwards.

The sound of a sword scraping against the ground echoed out as the dark warrior stepped back, avoiding the Awaken's sword narrowly again. "Getting closer," the bounty hunter said as the brown haired boy leapt into the air and swung his sword down towards the mercenary. As the attack fell, the blade was stopped, gripped between the fighter's hands. "Come on, you can do better than this. I'm sure of it!" After these words, Monroe seemed to vanish.

Monroe stood behind the man's back and grabbed his shoulder, tossing the warrior against the stone wall. "That's called Flash Step. Don't forget it," Monroe mocked as he crossed his arms. "Now then, are you done yet?"

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

Zachary pressed the blade of his sword hard against the wall of flaming chains. It was a few seconds before the ice mage jumped back, breathing harder. He had covered the edge of his sword with magic to try to cleave through the chains, but that hadn't worked either. "Dammit," Zachary muttered as the chain wall vanished and left the woman open. The ice warrior leapt upwards and slashed his sword down again, this time clashing with a flaming chain that acted like a sword, it seemed.

"Dammit," the firebrand muttered as he stepped back and slashed his sword, the two weapons striking together. The blade hissed as it struck the chain and the red haired boy stepped back. The chains that had made the blade unraveled into three chains and shot towards the ice innate, who quickly slashed them away. Still, as they floated towards the ground, they redirected themselves and all aimed at the red haired boy.

The Ice Elemental stepped back as the chains moved quickly. Within a few seconds, the flames were extinguished, but the blades had cut through Zachary. One on his abdomen had struck his side, another across his cheek, and the final had pierced into his lower left forearm. Pain rushed through Zach's arm as he pulled the chain out and stepped back, covering his wound in ice as he tried to take his sword in both hands. He winced, feeling the pain of his wound, but ignoring it. "I have to win," he whispered as he readied to attack.

“Flash step huh,” the awaken said getting back on his feet. It was try that he wasn’t has skilled as the man, but he did have one thing on his side. He thought about what he seen, playing it back in his mind letting his open mind learn the new skill. It was useful, but it would take him a few more times to fully understand how it worked.

“Give up?”

The awaken could almost laugh at the question he was asked. Like he could give up without letting his true strength from shining out. It was too dumb to answer with words he felt as he picked his sword back up. “How this for an answer,” he said changing the sword into a whip and he lashed at the warrior jumped back hearing the man answer.

“Guess not,” Monroe answered dashing towards the awaken really to pound him into the ground. Kaien whipped his arm back as he made sharp ice needles and darted them at the incoming foe. The man jumped to the side continuing to head towards the awaken.

Kaien made more and more ice needles forcing the warrior away from him. The young hunter couldn’t get in with a normal dash as he disappeared. Kaien could see it more clearly now as he changed the whip into a bat and swung it hard behind him. He hit the arm of his foe just missing the attack from behind. Quickly he changed the bat into the Kanata as he swung around for another attack. The hunter as no choice, but to jump back and Kaien unleashed a mist of ice needles at him.

***

Jezebel gripped her hands into fists feeling the burns grow even more dangerous to her. If she didn’t end this quickly, she may never be able to use her hands again. Not wanting that to happen she formed a small chain from out of her arm. It was smaller than the rest, but she thought it might be able to find it way to his heart easier.

“What wrong? Giving up already?” she asked jumping back as an Ice needle flew passed her face. She knew it had to come from one of the other two since the ice warrior hadn’t moved yet. “Must be that man. Maybe, he’ll kill him for me,” she said to herself as she let the small chain zoom through the air.

It moved much quicker than she only chains as it found its self against the cold blade of the red head man. The small chain pushed him back and before he could think, it flew up above the sword coming down from above. He dodged out the way as it pierced the ground with great ease.

Monroe smiled at the wave of ice needles as his body seemed to leave an almost as he dodged to the side, the needles piercing clean through a body that was just an illusions caused by bent light. The bounty hunter's feet skidded as he spun around low to the ground and threw a quick uppercut into the Awaken's jaw, cascading him through the air. The mercenary wasted no time spinning around and driving the his shin into the back of the young swordsman, tossing him into the rocky wall.

A small bit of blood trailed down the fighter's body as he slowly stood up and cast his glance at the dark clad man, who merely smiled. Slowly, he realized something that he hadn't quite conceptualized until just that moment: just what Kaien had been throwing at him. The walls now had very thin needles of ice engraved along their distance. Zachary hadn't done it, since he had been fighting Jezebel to this moment, so it seemed that boy had, at some point, copied the ice innate's attack.

"Not bad, kid," Monroe said as he used Stealth Step to avoid another barrage of needles, continuing to walk as the visual distortion was skewered with the needles. "You might be more interesting than I thought," the dark clad man said as he raised his hands and caught the katana that was swung at him between his hands. "After all, it isn't every day I meet a punk that can copy attacks," Monroe stated as he smirked and drove his shin into the copycat's back.

"So, care to try one of my attacks, or do you need more time?" the fighter mocked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

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

Zachary hobbled back a little bit, gripping his sword tightly as he looked at the hole from the chain and took a few breaths. That woman was getting more and more fierce as the battle drew onwards, and that proved only one thing to be true: she was determined, beyond everything else, to kill him. "No... damn sense," the ice innate muttered as he held his sword tightly and looked up. "You don't make any damn sense!" he yelled over to her, resting his sword to his right side, readying to charge, the tip resting against the ground.

"You've come all the way here... and for what?! To fight with me? You haven't even given me a damn name or reason to fight with me! Why in the world are you taking time out of our lives to waste it on this crap! Why are you wasting your life on trying to defeat me? Do you even know?!" Zachary asked, his voice filled with contempt and anger as he did so.

"At least for Monroe and Kaien it makes sense as to why they fought or want to fight me. I almost harmed Kaien and Monroe and I are enemies. But you?! What good reason do you have to fight me!" the Ice Elemental asked as he rushed at the female chain-user, his sword skidding along the ground. With a powerful heave, the ice warrior pulled his sword over his shoulder and swung it down, colliding with another sword chain, but the force of his attack knocking the red haired woman back.

"What's your damn reason!" he cried out as he swung his sword horizontally into her chain sword, the two blades locking as Zachary trying to push her back. "At least give me that!"

The anger and misunderstanding in the man’s eyes pierced into her very soul. The answer he seek was one that wouldn’t be understood easily. As she sight down into his blood shot eyes she couldn’t help, but feel sadness for him. She understood herself of the feeling of not understanding why or why not something was happening. Tears could have run down her cheeks if she wasn’t so in control of herself. Jumping back letting the force of the chain give way.

“That,” she spoke finally to the man she was sent to kill. Her eyes couldn’t bare to look into his eyes anymore; choosing to stare at his chest and feet while she talked. He rose up from the ground lifting his sword out from the hole it created. “That, you wouldn’t understand.” Her chain disappearing back into her body.

“Bullsh**!” the red hair man shouted with more anger in his voice than before. “Don’t give me that bull!”

Even for what more seemed to view as cold heart she was having trouble not showing her true feeling. This fight it went again her rules, her laws that she built to justify her orders. This, it didn’t feel right, as if she was being punish for something she had done. “Jezebel, it’s the only thing you’ll get from me. My reason for fighting you doesn’t matter,” she said glaring back in the eyes.

***

Quick one, Kaien thought kneeling down on the ground. He knew he wouldn’t be able to throw him off anymore now that he knew he could copy attacks. He also knew it was only a matter of time if he didn’t do something he would lose this fight. The right path wasn’t clearly marked for him, but he now had more skills he could use to help him win.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said almost laughing in his foe face. “I have always be able to do that.” A smirk formed on the awakens faces as he grabbed the fighter’s leg. His eyes showed a blink look and he seemed to be out of this world.

“What are you planning now?” The man asked kicking the awaken away from him. Kaien blinked his eyes a bit finding himself crashing to the ground. Through, he did get what he wanted and more.

“So, both of you are after the same man. You’ve fought for the right to hunt him and here you are fighting me,” the awaken asked laughing as he got up from the ground. “And you would have lost to that woman if you didn’t fall down here to meet us.” Not only did he see the fight between Jezebel and Monroe he took the chance to finally learned the skill Monroe called flash step. However, he wouldn’t use it yet.

"Zachary Leos," he responded to her. That was the only thing he could say after she gave him her name, even if it were the only thing she would tell him. "Now that you've at least told me something, its time to move on," the red haired youth said as he hefted his sword in front of him and narrowed his eyes, focusing all of the magical power he had into his sword, but then retracting it back into his body. This method helped the firebrand to know just how much of his magic he had left.

The red haired warrior rushed forwards, leaping into the air and bringing down his sword fiercely. The priestess side dodged quickly enough to escape the blade as it sliced the ground. The ice innate didn't give up his chase, charging forwards and slashing his sword horizontally at her. The slash missed completely as the woman stepped back again, the tip brushing against her clothing, but not cutting it. The ice warrior groaned in annoyance as he found himself charging again.

"Enough!" the red haired woman stated as chains fell from her hand and she whipped them at the swordsman, who merely jumped to the side slightly and kept on his dash. With a powerful heave, the firebrand's sword moved forwards again, but was met this time by a group of chains the woman held in front of her. Jezebel pressed her toes against the ground as the Ice Elemental pushed his sword forwards, an almost beastly fierce look and strength coming from him suddenly.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Jezebel shattered as a flash of blue energy erupted and she was shot backwards into a wall. The sound of stone cracking emanated as she fell to the ground, looking at the vicious fire burning in the boy's eyes. It wasn't a normal fire that engulfed everything, but something like the flames of hell, which seek out only one target. At this moment, this woman was his target, and so she was in his sights. Only for now though. Bigger fish needed frying.

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

Monroe looked at the warrior and smiled. Oh, he thought he was so clever, using his postcognative powers to see what had transpired. But that left only one desired thought for the boy that Monroe had: "You're wrong."

The bounty hunter's voice was strong and firm as to what he was saying as the absolute truth as he saw it. "That woman, if she and I continued to fight, would have died a painful, painful death at the hands of my weapons. Her magic is the only reason she's made it this far. As for you, you don't have any magic or cool tricks of your own. You're just a copycat, someone who needs to steal the techniques of others to make himself strong. Still, I doubt you could fully copy my speed," Monroe stated as his body seemed to blur suddenly.

The Awaken's eyes widened considerably as a knee was thrust into his chest, the warrior nearly dropping his sword in the transaction that involved the blow to his chest, and shooting the brown haired warrior through the air. The sound of a body hitting a rock wall made Monroe crack another smile as he thrust his hands into the pockets of his pants and walked over quietly. The swordsman rose and swung his sword again, the bounty hunter ducking under the diagonal slash and uppercutting the man with enough force to send him spiraling towards the ground afterwards. The sound of a head hitting rock echoed next as the man skidded across the ground.

"Listen carefully, sonny!" Monroe said condescendingly as he walked towards the grounded warrior. "You're an appetizer and that kid over there is the main course. When I'm done bloodying my hands with her face, I'll go send that woman to do something useful and mop you up. After all, it isn't like you're too far from the grave right now anyway," Monroe said mocking as he kicked Kaien once in the side. "Now then, stay down or I'll smash your head into the floor!"

Pain… The sweet taste of pain finally filled his body. It’s been so long since he’d found a human skilled enough and willing enough to fight. “The world is soft now, Cough,” The awaken spoke coughing up blood splitting it up on the ground. “So long it been… since I’ve found people will to fight.”

Feeling his bones shaking, on the edge, wanting to fight on at all cost. The man glanced down at the stupid fool that laid down on the ground beaten. “You still have enough strength to talk. Stay down and you’ll be able to keep you’re life.”

Kaien willed himself to move his beaten body. Slowly his head rose up only to eat dirt with the hunter foot holding it down. His arms pushed off the ground fighting the weight of his foe’s foot on his head. His body and head slipped up from under his foot and with one quick movement, Kaien grabbed his foe’s legs and chopped the back of his kneecap. Feeling his foe lose his foot the awaken rolled against the other leg and popped up.

Kaien leaped on top of the fallen warrior and wrapped his arms around his neck. “I won’t ever give in. Not to you and not to that boy!” Kaien yelled as and pulled back choking his foe.

***

Jezebel rose from the ground, dirt and rocks fell off her and she watched the flames dance between them. She could help, but laugh at the flames around her. Burning her wasn’t anything new to her. She glanced down at her hand and smiled. “Flames with flames?” she asked herself unsure if it’s the right move.

As she thought about it, a small chain clawed out of her hand. At first, it moved around her hand and arm like a snake hunting for food. Glaring back at the boy the small thin chain grew into a hug thick monster of a chain and flames danced all around it.

“Flames?”

Monroe grabbed the man's arm as he struggled to keep a firm grip around the dark clad man's throat. The bounty hunter gripped the man's arms and tightened his grip. Kaien let out a yelp of pain as his grip loosened and the enhanced human smirked. The scientific soldier lifted the man's arms, and body, upwards and tossed him onto the ground.

The cracks in the ground and the faker hit the ground, followed by the bone shattering collision, helped the bounty hunter to know that he had done some damage. Still, his vision blurred slightly and his knee buckled ever so slightly. He was starting to see double, and felt almost as if he would soon collapse.

Monroe shook his head and tried to adjust his vision. Even despite his enhanced, super human capacities, his body could only handle so much strain. This fight was almost over, for one of them. The dark clad man was intent on making sure his foe was quite dead first.

"Sorry, guy, but you have to die now. Wish it didn't have to end this way," the bounty hunter said as he smiled and lifted his foot up. "Good bye."

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

Zachary stared at the flames. What had once been an enraged, passionate, energized look in his eyes, the great fire that had burned in his heart and soul, had almost been totally extinguished in the moments after the attack. The swordsman held his blade tightly and tried to lift the weapon up. He chuckled a little as he realized he could barely hold himself upright.

I... burned up so much of my energy. I can barely see straight anymore. What the hell am I going to do? the ice mage asked as he looked at the raging inferno around the woman. "Shatter into the Northern Winds!" Zachary's voice echoed out as his sword burst into a thousand shards and began to dance around his body. "I'll use this... to fight you," he stated as the blades all moved toward the woman. This was his last, and
best, offensive he could produce. At least until his body gave out.