Ch 10: Test of Strength

Armed with his Void Charge, Grey confronts Fox. Pulling out all the stops with his Arma Fusile, Fox seems to be having the time of his life, but Grey can't help but wonder about why they must fight.

            After an equivalent of three days in the timeless dimension, Grey stood before the training dummies ready to show what he’d learned. Raising his hand and channeling EDE into it, it glowed for a moment as Grey quickly charged his attack with his Void Charge by layering EDE within EDE, and then in a single shot he fired five spheres of powerful light energy at the training dummies before him. Then using telekinesis, he directed them to strike a bullseye on each one. Clapping from the sidelines, Eazel exclaimed, “Well done my young friend, well done! Not only have you learned your Void Charge, but you’ve mastered quite a handy trick with your telekinetic abilities as well!” Flashing a grin, Grey said, “Piece of cake!” Chuckling in amusement, Eazel replied, “Do you feel ready to face the younger Marcellus brother yet? You may stay here and train for a good while yet, though it’s ill-advised for mortals to be in this dimension for longer than a two week period.” Shaking his head, Grey said, “It’s time to go back. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Nodding as he quietly chuckled to himself, Eazel replied, “Very well, I feel quite certain you’re ready as well. Yes, quite certain…” 

Remembering something he’d been wondering about, Grey asked, “I don’t suppose Void Charge could be used to increase the power of an EDE charged punch or anything can it?” With a thoughtful look, Eazel replied, “Hmm, I don’t really know… Amanus never fought unarmed, so it’s truly a good question. Do you wish to stay here and attempt to hone such an ability?” Considering it a moment, Grey finally shrugged and said, “Nah. If it actually works, I’ll figure it out as I go. It was just a thought.” Grinning, Eazel extended his hand and said, “Well, suit yourself. Just remember that you’re always welcome to come back here and train. Just call my name! I’ll have the cafeteria open and waiting for you!” Grinning back at him, Grey said, “Thanks, I’ll make sure to stop by!” As he grasped Eazel’s hand, the world around Grey faded away once more and he found himself alone in the desert, the oasis just a short ways away.

            Rushing into the oasis, Grey looked around but saw nothing but the shallow pond of water, a few small trees and nice sized rocks, and a towering rock formation. Then he noticed a hooded figure standing atop the tall rock formation, staring down at him. From underneath the hood, Fox’s voice called out to him, “Looks like you made it hotshot! You must be pretty strong to scare off old Grave! I think I’m getting excited!” Glaring up at him, Grey shouted, “Get down here already! I’m gonna kick your a*s!” Leaping off the rock formation and high into the air, his fists trailed fire as Fox sped down at Grey and shouted, “That’s right! Give me everything you’ve got hotshot!” Quickly moving aside as he came down with an explosive punch, Grey said, “Void Energy, Level 2!” Powered up with Void Energy, Grey stood ready to face him, and as the dust cleared, Fox stood up and cast aside his hooded cloak. Clad in red armor, Fox grinned wickedly and said, “I’m going all out with my Arma Fusile, and I won’t take anything less from you!” Then channeling EDE into his steel gauntlet, Fox balled it into a fist and rushed at Grey with a powerful punch. 

Forming his swords, Grey used one of his arms to block his fist, dispelling the explosion that accompanied his attack with his EDE Dissipation. He then attacked with a thrust from his other sword, but Fox dodged and spun his body in a roundhouse kick that caught Grey in the face. Swiftly Fox followed with another punch and pummeled Grey’s face yet again, and an explosive aftershock that might have killed a lesser energist blew Grey sailing across the shallow pond behind him. Flipping in the air as he sailed over the water, Grey came out on his feet with a splash, wincing a moment from the painful burns he’d suffered. Shrugging it off, he channeled EDE into one of his blades, quickly enhancing it with Void Charge. As he swung the blade vertically at Fox, he unleashed a shining wave of light energy that was twice as powerful as usual. It tore through the air between them, but channeling EDE into his hand, Fox reached out and simply grasped his energy wave with it and flung it aside. With flames trailing from his fists, Fox quickly charged at Grey, who just as quickly chanted, “Pluvia Eversio, Vultus Aqua!” Blue runes running across his blade as he took aim, a torrent of arrows made from piercing water shot out at Fox from the tip of Grey’s blade, and Fox raised his hand to return fire with a barrage of fireballs. The attacks extinguishing each other in an explosion of steam, the aftermath quickly parted as Fox burst through it and fired another punch. Grey speedily leaped up onto his fist, and jumping again, he landed behind Fox and quickly spun around with a powerful slash. 

Turning just as quickly, Fox blocked his blade with his armored arm, and after they’d grappled a moment they both broke away from each other. Then as Grey fired another energy wave, Fox leaped over it into the air and Grey ducked aside as he brought his fist crashing down. Leaping away as Fox turned and swung at him again, Grey took aim and fired five spheres of shining light energy, using telekinesis to will them to spread out and come at Fox from above and both sides. Quickly Fox did a back flip as he jumped back, deflecting the sphere that came down at him with an airborne upside down kick in the process. As two of the other spheres struck where he’d stood, the remaining two closed in, but Fox quickly deflected them with EDE charged hands, knocking them into the ground on either side of him where they exploded. Meanwhile, Grey chanted, “Cesso, Susicivus Septimo Spiritus Lux Quod Glacies!” Forming flames in his hands, Fox called out, “Wanna duke it out with your famous Rune Swordsmanship spells and energy attacks huh?! Not my style, but I won’t be topped!” Grey simply smirked as he guided the energy sphere Fox had kicked away straight back to him. As the sphere struck him from behind, Fox was protected somewhat by the armor of his Arma Fusile, but still got knocked flat on his face. As Fox looked up, he heard Grey shout, “Iacio!” From above Fox, a ray of light carved a circle in the ground around him, and knowing what was coming, Fox simply muttered, “Uh-oh…”

            The ground around Fox exploded in a freezing blast of ice as Grey landed, having leaped into the air to trace his destructive circle. Having used his Susicivus spell, which is similar to Additio in that it adds extra effects, to add a freezing effect to the blast, Grey still was quite sure it wasn’t over that easily. Mist hung in the icy explosion’s wake for a moment, and then Grey quickly moved away as fireballs shot out of it at him. Firing away at Grey as he broke his legs free from frozen ground, melting ice speckled across his body, Fox called out, “That was real cold hotshot! Attacking a guy from behind like that just ain’t right!” Grey began deflecting Fox’s fireballs as he chanted, “Geminus, Ego Voco Vos, Lux Acies! One of his swords became a sword of light as Grey deflected the last fireball and charged at Fox, quickly chanting, “Geminus, Ego Voco Vos…” Having stopped his fireball barrage to muster EDE for a more powerful attack, Fox raised both his flaming hands and fired a massive wave of flames at Grey. As Grey leaped over it just as he had expected, Fox aimed up with a smug grin and fired a second flame wave at him. Fox’s smug grin disappeared quickly as Grey chanted, “Aqua Acies!” A blast of water fired from Grey’s now water enchanted sword stopped the flame wave in its tracks, and Fox ducked aside as Grey came down on him and swung his light sword down powerfully. Backing away as Grey followed with a flurry of sword strikes, Fox held his hand flat and channeled EDE into it, and shooting out of his hand burst a long stream of flames shaped like a sword blade. Quickly the flames solidified around his hand, and Fox’s hand became a black blade of ash, cinders smoldering within it. Parrying another of Grey’s strikes with his cinder blade, Fox said, “Swordplay now? Ok, let’s see what you got!” 

Soon the two were locked in an epic swordfight as they traded quick and powerful blows. Clashing with Grey again, Fox knocked him back, and with a mighty upwards swing he knocked the swords from his hands. Then Fox lunged forward and fired an explosive punch into Grey’s chest with his free hand, sending him flying. Leaping back and proceeding to jump up the side of the large rock formation, Fox made his way to the top and stared down at Grey, who’d crashed into the side of a large rock and was struggling against great pain to pick himself up. Returning his cinder blade hand to normal, Fox called out, “Since this is a party, I think it’s time for the fireworks!” Fox raised a hand, and for a moment flames sparked within it. Then from his hand, a single bolt of fire shot into the air, sailing high up and bursting into hundreds of small fireballs, and with a wave of his hand Fox directed them all down at Grey. Having struggled to his feet, as he stared up at the rain of fire shooting down at him, Grey could sense Corrupted EDE had been entwined with the flames. With no hope of escape, he quickly called his water blade back to him with telekinesis. Kneeling down and stabbing his water blade into the ground, with all due haste, Grey chanted, “Septimo Spiritus Aqua!” A giant blue rune circle appeared beneath him and water flowed forth from it across the ground, and with all the concentration he could muster, Grey used his telekinesis and lifted the water from the ground, creating a wall of water to defend himself from the oncoming flames. He barely maintained his control over it long enough for the flames to extinguish themselves upon it, filling the air with steam.

            Without warning, Fox dropped down through the steam with an explosive punch as Grey’s water wall fell, and Grey leaped aside just in time. Dropping his water blade in the reckless dive, Grey stood quickly and charged his fists with EDE as Fox came at him before he could recall his swords. Ducking Fox’s strike, Grey launched his own, and Fox grinned as he blocked his fist and said, “Oh, you wanna fist fight now?! That’s more like it!” Blocking and exchanging blows, Grey struggled to use his EDE Dissipation with his arms every time he blocked Fox’s explosive punches, all the while trying to keep up with Fox’s speed. Suddenly leaping up into the air as Grey struck at him again, as Fox started to come back down, fire enveloped his body and he shouted, “Meteor Strike!” Grey turned and ran for his weapons as Fox came down to strike the ground with a powerful body slam, unleashing a cataclysmic explosion of fire. Knocked flat on his face by the sheer force emanating from the blast, Grey had almost reached his swords. Calling them to his hands with telekinesis, he jumped to his feet as Fox stepped out of the flames. Channeling EDE into his arms, Fox slammed his fists into the ground and the earth began to quake as he grinned and said, “Let’s heat things up…” The ground around the oasis seemed to crack, and fire began to spew forth, enclosing the area with towering walls of flame. Looking around uneasily as even more fire started bursting out randomly across the oasis, Grey shouted, “What the hell?! Are you trying to kill us both?!” Fox simply grinned wider and said, “In case you didn’t notice, fire’s my thing. Like they say, can’t handle the heat, stay outta the kitchen!”

Gritting his teeth, Grey rushed forward and struck out with his swords, knowing he had to end this quickly. Blocking the water blade with his armored arm and the light blade with his open hand, Fox grasped the light blade and heated his gauntlet until the shining blade of the sword melted in his hand. Backing away as Fox swung a burning fist at him, Grey cast aside his melted blade and raised his hand to fire an energy attack, but the ground between them split apart as fire erupted from it and Grey quickly backed away. As the flames died down, Grey shouted in frustration, “D****t, I don’t get you! I know I killed your brother, but didn’t you say you’ve realized what he was doing was wrong?! That Altera Veritas corrupted him and killed your friend?! If you wanna fight so badly, then why not fight against them?!” A shadow fell over Fox’s face as he said, “Because I can’t. I’m a Revenant. My life rests in Alastor’s hands. I’ll admit I want revenge, but at the same time I know you were in the right. So why am I doing this?” Suddenly looking at Grey with a determined grin, Fox said, “It’s because I want to make sure! I want to know for sure that my brother didn’t die in vain, that all your heroics won’t be a waste of time!” Raising a hand and balling it into a fist, Fox shouted, “I want you to show me you’ve got what it takes! Find the power within and become strong enough to beat down Altera Veritas in my place!” Staring in disbelief, Grey could only exclaim, “All this for that…?! Are you insane?!” Flames gathering within his hands, Fox replied, “Is it so strange?! People like us, we only grow stronger when faced with a challenge! If you can’t overcome me, then there’s no chance! You have to become stronger, strong enough to win this! Now shut the hell up and give me all you’ve got!”

            Fox fired twin waves of flame from his hands, but with a sweep of his water sword Grey extinguished them with a wave of water. Unable to understand why he was doing this, Grey called out, “D****t you knucklehead, wait! If that’s all you’re trying to accomplish, why the hell couldn’t we have just had some sort of friendly competition?! What’s the point of turning things into a death match?!” Fox charged at Grey, shouting, “No way hotshot! This is how it has to be!” Leaping through the fire at him, Fox brought his fist down in a powerful punch, and jumping into the air to evade, Grey formed his wings of light at his heels using his remaining sword. Streams of flames erupting at his feet, Fox rose into the air and flew after him riding a skateboard of fire and shouted, “I want you fighting one-hundred percent seriously, pushing your limits to the edge!” Raising his hand at Fox, Grey began firing clusters of energy spheres at him as he exclaimed, “Damned idiot!” 

Swerving away as the energy spheres chased after him, Fox merely grinned. Turning in flight, Fox began to shoot the energy spheres down with fire bolts. Then he raised his hand and summoned up all the fire from the ground below them, forming it into a giant spear of flames and hefting it over his head to hurl it at Grey with all his strength. Raising his hand, Grey quickly activated his EDE Dissipation and blocked it, causing it to evaporate upon striking his palm. Just as the spear had been destroyed though, Fox closed the distance with incredible speed, forming a black cinder blade around his hand again. Grey barely blocked with his water sword, and grinning ear to ear, Fox said, “That EDE Dissipation’s really something! You’re pretty fast too, keeping up with me despite my Fireflash Speed! Let’s see if you’re fast enough to handle me at full speed!” Shoving Grey away from him, Fox soared high in the sky and dove down at Grey again in a high speed nosedive. Dodging narrowly, as Fox shot past him, Grey said “Accelerate!” Speeding after Fox, the two began zipping back and forth at each other, clashing and breaking away to launch their next attack time and time again. Then as they both sped at each other again, Grey chanted under his breath, “Cesso, Septimo Spiritus Terra!” Their blades met with a resounding clang, and quickly Grey shouted, “Iacio!” A mighty sonic shockwave erupted from Grey’s sword, all its power directed in Fox’s direction, and Fox went hurtling through the air, stunned by the sonic blast. Speeding into the sky and then shooting down at Fox as he tumbled through the air, Grey hit Fox with a falling kick enhanced by the full momentum of his speed boost. As Fox went shooting back to the ground like a bullet, he stirred up a cloud of dust upon impact and disappeared from sight. Grey knew it could not be over though, and in preparation he quickly chanted, “Cesso, Aqua Fervens Numen Es Detrahendum Purgare Malitiam Saeculi Huius!” 

Shooting out of the dust cloud on his flame board, Fox heated the blade of his cinder blade to high temperature as he soared up at Grey with a fiery look in his eyes. Taking aim at him, Grey shouted, “Iacio!” Shooting from the tip of Grey’s blade as blue runes danced across it, a wide, pointed stream of pressurized water poured out at Fox, spinning violently like a drill. Meeting the water drill with the tip of his cinder blade, Fox pushed against it as he shouted, “A little something to remember hotshot! Water isn’t a win all strategy against a skilled fire user! It’s time for a Heat Wave!” Tearing through Grey’s water drill, a deadly beam of pure heat shot from the tip of the cinder blade and evaporated the water itself. Barely moving out of the direct path of the beam in time, Grey raised his arms instinctively to shield himself from the lesser amount of heat being emanated from the beam as it passed by. Just as the beam had passed and he’d lowered his arms, Fox came out of nowhere with an explosive punch that caught Grey full in the chest and sent him crashing into the side of the rock formation behind him. Quickly raising his hand, Fox fired into the sky another round of his fireworks, and as the hundreds of fire bolts rained down on Grey, he could not avoid. Struggling to pull himself together in time, he managed to barely chant, “Tunica Aqua Custos.” Striking the rock formation relentlessly, hundreds of explosions reduced it to rubble, Grey buried within. Watching him disappear beneath the storm of fireballs with a disappointed look, certain that Grey could not have survived a direct hit, Fox muttered, “That’s all you’ve got, huh hotshot?”

            Landing back on the ground and letting his cinder blade disappear, Fox stared at the destroyed rock formation for a moment, and then he turned away and muttered, “I guess that’s just how it is…” Suddenly, a watery blade rose out of the rubble behind him, and Grey’s voice shouted, “Ein Soph Aur!” Fox whirled around to see a powerful energy wave sailing towards him. Grinning widely, Fox obliterated the wave with an explosive punch as he exclaimed, “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Yet bursting across the distance with incredible speed by pushing off from the rubble with Void Charge empowered legs, Grey, having survived thanks to a spell that had coated him with a watery layer of minor protection, slammed a powerful Void Charge enhanced punch into Fox’s face before he could react. Sent flying like a bullet, Fox crashed hard into the side of a large rock. Before Fox could even try to get up, spheres of light energy fired from Grey’s hand rained down on him with their explosive power. Rasing his arms in defense and relying on his armor to shield himself, as the dust cleared Fox looked up to see Grey coming down from above with another Void Charge punch, the power shining around his fist as he shouted, “You wanna see my strength?! HERE!” Grey landed his punch into Fox’s chest, shattering his armor, and as he took the hit, Fox’s eyes went wide and a trail of blood ran from his mouth as he gasped, “Ni…ce… one…” As Fox slipped from consciousness, Grey, exhausted and still recovering from numerous injuries himself, sat down next to him and shook his head, muttering, “Damned idiot…”

            Shaking Fox awake, Grey shouted, “Wake up already and tell me where she is!” Opening his eyes slowly, Fox grinned and muttered, “You know hotshot, you really shouldn’t do that to somebody who’s injured…” With an unsympathetic glare, Grey said, “Want me to throw you into the pond then?!” Laughing weakly, Fox said, “Nah, I’ll pass… Your sister is over in a cave at the foot of the nearby mountain north of here. It’s kinda my hideout from Altera Veritas…” Getting up, as Grey turned to go, Fox said, “Not gonna finish me?” Glaring back at him, Grey said, “Sorry, but that’s not my style, no matter how much of a pain in the neck you’ve been… I still don’t understand what you thought you were doing, but please don’t do me any more favors!” Having thought about this for a while, Grey added, “To answer your question, I don’t know how I’m going to follow my ideals and make a better world for everyone. All I can do is what I can do here and now. But I do know that I’m not gonna wind up like Alastor or your brother! My parents taught me better, and I’ve already seen what happens when you lose sight of simple right and wrong! Besides, I won’t be doing it alone. If I ever lose sight of the path, my friends will be there to set me straight…” Turning to face Fox, Grey offered his hand and said, “You may be a total nut job, but if you wanna fight against Alastor and what he’s doing, then don’t let things like being a Revenant stop you! You’re your own person, and if Alexander can do it, maybe you can too!” For a moment, Fox simply stared. Then with a smug grin, he reached out and took Grey’s hand as he said, “You really are the real deal… hotshot…”