Writing in 38°C is not fun... -.-'

Clash and Burn

Nick: "Okay… careful…"

Veevan: "Ugh…"

Nick: "Are you okay?"

Veevan: "Y-Yes… It still feels a little strange though."

Nick: "Sorry, I’ll slow down."

Veevan: "…"

Nick: "How about now? Is it good?"

Veevan: "… Yes, it’s okay. It doesn’t hurt."

Nick: "Glad to hear it. Can I put a little more strength into it now?"

Veevan: "Y-Yes..."

Nick: "Okay. Hold on tight."

Veevan: "…"

Veevan: "O-ow…"

Nick: "Ah, I was too rough, wasn’t I? Sorry, let’s stop here for now."

Veevan: "…"

For a few moments, the two looked at each other in mild daze, then the man abruptly glanced at the side.

Nick: "How was it? Veetu?"

Veetu: "I would say you guys were somewhere around eighty percent."

Nick: "Awesome. You did really well, Veevan. I’m really proud of your progress."

Veevan: "T-Thank you."

At last, the mercenary let go of the girl’s hand, who let out a relieved sigh in response. This was something they kept doing almost nonstop in the past few days behind the archbishop’s back; private synchronization-exercises.

Veetu: "All right, my turn."

After sending a few inconspicuous glances at each other, Veevan somewhat grudgingly stood up as her sister moved in to take her place.

Nick: "…"

In the last few days Nicolai had noticed a slight change in the twins’ behavior. They acted more or less as before, but he could never see them doing their wordless gaze-discussions anymore. He decided not to be bothered about it though. It meant they started voicing their separate opinions more frequently after all, a change he was actually quite fond of. Nevertheless, Veetu took her place sitting beside him on his bed and extended her hand.

Veetu: "Let’s aim for ninety percent."

Nick: "Wow. Are you guys having a competitive streak again?"

The girls glanced at each other for a second, but averted their gazes right as they met.

Veevan & Veetu: "No."

Nick: "… You guys are weird."

There was no reaction to the offhand reply, but Veetu soon forcefully took hold of the man’s hand by herself.

Veetu: "Let’s get on with it."

Nick: "Fine, fine. Geez girl, it’s not like we are in a hurry…"

Veetu: "But we are! The practical test is-!"

Nick: "*sigh* Yes, but it’s okay! We already have the synchrony level the old coot is expecting, there is no need to rush. Remember? You said that this is supposed to be a very special and intimate thing when we first did it, right? I think so too, so let’s just take it nice and slow and sensual and-."

Veetu: "… You are doing that on purpose."

Nick: "What?"

Veetu: "The innuendos."

Nick: "Nah, it’s just your imagination."

The small wink at the end of his sentence almost made the girl groan.

Veetu: "*sigh* It’s so sad that I already got used to this."

Nick: "It must be because of my charms."

Veetu: "Wha…? I-Idiot! Stop messing around already!"

Nick: "Fufu… As you wish, princess."

Veetu: "Aaaagh! I just told you to-!"

Veevan: "*cough*"

Nick: "?"

Their usual bickering was cut short by the other twin’s sudden interjection.

Veevan: "Actually, we need to change too, and then do a test like that too, so… we really should hurry up."

Nick: "Ah, you are right. Let’s get on with it."

Veetu: "… *mumble*"

Nick: "*sigh* What is it this time?"

Veetu: "How come you always argue with me whatever I say, but when my sister says the same you agree immediately?"

Nick: "I’m not."

Veetu: "…"

Nick: "Hey! Don’t pout!"

Veetu: "I’m…! *sigh* Whatever."

Before he could respond, Nicolai' words were stolen away by the now familiar feeling of the girl’s mana rushing into his body. It immediately made him remember the first time, when he almost went berserk from the abnormal feeling. It was his second worst experience regarding synchronization, the first being the first time he tried to synchronize with both of them at the same time, but thankfully there were no such complication this time around.

Nick: "Ugh… Heavy as ever."

Her mana-flow was very different from her sister’s. If Veevan’s mana was a slowly flowing but constant river, Veetu’s was a break in a dam. It was fast and heavy, burning with explosive power, but it only worked in quick rushes. In retrospect it quickly became obvious why no one else could control these two. They might have been twins, but the flow of their mana couldn’t have been more different. At first even controlling one of them seemed like a monumental task, but doing both at the same time? Even at this point it felt like a doomed endeavor, but it didn’t change the fact that the mercenary was doing his best to accomplish it.

Nick: "Okay, I’ve got the flow under control. You can speed up."

Veetu: "Roger."

This was just one more of the differences. Unlike with Veevan, where he was the one who needed to draw the mana out of her, in Veetu’s case he had to block off part of her reserve to in order to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Nick: "*phew* I think we are doing pretty well. How about the synchronization rate?"

Veevan: "Roughly seventy percent."

Nick: "Oh, that’s pretty good too."

Veetu: "Not good enough."

Nick: "Wha…?! Hey, slow down!"

The sudden influx of mana made him dizzy for a moment. The feeling was incredibly hard to describe, something akin to when someone drinks way too much water and was about to throw up, except the sensation filled every single corner of his body. However, at this point he was more or less used to this kind of ordeal, and the man quickly managed to regain his composure. After taking a huge breath and getting his havocking mind under control, he immediately sent and angry glance at the girl at his side.

Nick: "What the hell!? I told you a thousand times already! Don’t rush it!"

At first it seemed like Veetu wanted to argue back, but she quickly backed down in front of the man’s scowl.

Veetu: "… Sorry. I’ll be more careful."

In parallel to those words, the mercenary could feel the change in the girl’s mana, prompting an equally sudden change in his expression.

Nick: "Ah, that’s it! Keep it like that!"

Veetu: "You mean, the flow?"

Nick: "Of course I mean the flow! It’s perfect now!"

Veetu sharply nodded at the man’s words, and they both closed their eyes, as if meditating. After a few seconds of silence, Nicolai finally spoke up.

Nick: "Veevan?"

Veevan: "I don’t really know… It’s around the same level as mine."

Nick: "So around eighty? Nice."

The man quietly nodded at the girl’s assessment. He couldn’t tell their level of synchronization from the inside, hence the need for an outside observer, but he thought that it was around the same as the other girl’s as well, even if the actual feeling was completely different.

Nick: "Okay Veetu, let’s stop here."

Veetu: "Are you sure? I think I can still-"

Nick: "No. Let’s play it safe. After all, who is going to get you out of here if you melt my brain?"

After a few moments of hesitation the girl meekly let go of his hand. The sudden loss of the flow and the connection between them made him feel somewhat lightheaded, but it only lasted for a moment.

Veetu: "*sigh* I guess that’s our limit for now."

Veevan: "But it’s been less than a week since our first synchronization. I think we are doing really well."

Nick: "Point goes to Veevan. We really came a long way in a short time."

Veetu: "Leave the fanfares for after we have finished the practical test."

Nick: "Argh! Stop raining on our parade! At this point we should get through that test with our eyes closed."

The two didn’t answer, but it was obvious they were still nervous.

Nick: "Come on, we can do this! It won’t be that hard."

Veevan: "But His Excellency said-"

Nick: "Oh, forget about that grumpy old man! It won’t be dangerous at all! We have already took our safety measures, remember?"

Mentioning the safety measures apparently made the two even more nervous.

Veevan: "About that… Are you sure it’s going to work?"

Nick: "One hundred percent sure. As long as you two make perfect copies, there is nothing to worry about, and even if they don’t like it, I’ll talk our way out of trouble. Just trust me, okay?"

Strangely, the two nodded at him without the slightest hint of doubt. The spectacle made the man both relieved and a little worried. It felt good that they trusted him this much, but he couldn’t help but worry still about them a little at the same time. In the end he quickly shook off the sentiment and promptly turned his back on the two.

Nick: "Okay, let’s speed up things a little. Please change."

Even though he couldn’t see them, Nicolai could almost feel the twins’ questioning gazes on his back.

Veetu: "Wait, aren’t we going to do a paired synchronization first?"

Nick: "No, I just said we skip that."

Veevan: "But…"

Nick: "Listen, I just want to concentrate on the important part. Also, please change already, it feels weird to talk to you with my back turned."

For a few seconds, there was no answer, but just as the mercenary was about to turn around…

Veevan: "Okay."

Veetu: "Okay?"

Veetu’s voice seemed quite surprised, especially in contrast of her sister’s calm tone.

Veevan: "If Nick says so, I’m okay with skipping a step."

Veetu: "… *sigh* Whatever."

Like that, the mercenary could already hear the rustling of clothes as the girls began peeling themselves out of their outfits.

Veetu: "Don’t turn around!"

Nick: "I won’t! I thought we are already over this…"

Veetu: "Then why were you peeking yesterday?"

Nick: "For the hundredth time, I wasn’t peeking!"

Veetu: "But I know you want to!"

Nick: "Stop it alr-"

Veevan: "I’m putting my underwear over there. Is that okay?"

Nick: "Over whe-?"

Veetu: "No peeping!"

Nick: "I wasn’t going to…!"

Veevan: "I don’t mind."

Nick & Veetu: "You are not helping!"

Veevan: "…"

Veetu: "Argh! Let’s get this over with!

At last the commotion died down as the mercenary could see the familiar green light in the corner of his eyes. After the flash subsided, he ever so slowly turned around with a worried expression, but his fears were proven ungrounded.

Nick: "Great. At least it looks good this far."

The man swiftly walked up to his partners, and as he took them into his hands, a mischievous smile conquered his lips.

Nick: "(I wonder what the old coot will say once he takes a look at this… Hehe. I can’t wait to see his face…)"

And with that, he began his final preparations before the upcoming trial…

----------

Zara: "He’s late."

Baran: "Indeed."

The old man and his bodyguard were standing in the middle of the testing room, surrounded by the excited and somewhat anxious buzzing of a dozen or so technicians. They had already finished setting up the equipment needed for the test and were all waiting for the mercenary’s arrival.

Zara: "Fufu… I wonder how he will do this time."

Baran: "All things considered, I assume he is going to do quite well."

Zara: "Oh?"

The man’s trademark smile withered for a moment in surprise, but then came back all the stronger a split-second later.

Zara: "Fufufu… Was that pride I’ve just heard in your voice?"

Baran: "Pride, you say?"

The old man finally raised his eyes upon the swordsman as his lips slowly curved into a faint smile.

Baran: "Isn’t it natural for a man take pride in his work?"

Zara: "Oh, I see. Fufufu…"

Baran: "What is it this time?"

The archbishop knit his brows at the man’s unnerving chuckling, but Zara effortlessly brushed his reprimanding tone off.

Zara: "I just find it amusing. I haven’t seen you so excited since the first test."

Baran: "…"

Baran slowly turned away from the man without saying a word. Most people had a hard time reading the old man’s expressions, so being so open to his bodyguard always made him a little uneasy. In the end though, he was right. It’s been a long time since he felt so alive.

Zara: "Hmm… I wonder why he isn’t here yet?"

The archbishop once again raised his gaze upon the smiling man with a calm face.

Baran: "Impatient as always."

Zara: "Oh, am I? Fufu… Maybe."

Baran: "…"

Zara: "Well, while we wait, can I ask you something?"

Baran: "What is it?"

Zara: "I've been wondering for a long time, but why did you let him do the transformation training in private?"

Baran: "… He said the girls were too embarrassed to do it in front of the entire faculty."

Zara: "Really? Fufu… How considerate. I don’t remember them having such problems the first time though."

Baran: "Their form is not a critical issue. I decided it was a reasonable request and it held no negative repercussions."

Zara: "I see. So you let the leash out of your hand yet again."

The air seemed to freeze between the two for a moment as the old man’s voice gained a new, scary undertone.

Baran: "What are you implying?"

After a brief moment of pondering, the swordsman’s grin all but disappeared as his eyes gained a dangerous gleam to them.

Zara: "You are getting soft. You are giving him more and more freedom. Wolfs are notorious for biting the hand feeding them."

Baran: "…"

The old man fell silent. He had no comeback. Even he had to admit that he was uncharacteristically mellow towards Nicolai, but he had his reasons. Ever since the mercenary’s appearance his plans have been falling in place beautifully, and even though Nicolai was a hard man to deal with sometimes, his presence became the cornerstone of his life’s work.

Baran: "Are you saying you don’t trust my judgment anymore?"

In face of the question, the usual smile instantly returned to the man’s face.

Zara: "Fufu… Oh my? When did I ever say that?"

Baran: "Then?"

Zara: "… You must forgive me; you of all people should know that it’s part of my job to be paranoid."

Baran: "True."

Zara: "I just want you to be aware that he is a mercenary. Putting too much trust in someone like him is nothing more than a backstab in the waiting."

Baran: "…"

Once again, the archbishop fell silent in contemplation; however before he could respond to Zara, their attention was abruptly drawn to the entrance of the chamber.

Nick: "Sorry guys, I’m late. I had a few minor complications. I had to get my “I mean business” clothes."

The mercenary’s arrival immediately silenced everyone, not small part thanks to his unusual attire. Unlike his usual, quite casual clothes, he was wearing a tight shirt with two thick, padded gauntlets and a loose black trouser with a pair of sturdy-looking ankle-boots. In fact his outfit was quite reminiscent of Zara’s Walker outfit, save for the different color scheme and the lack of the swordsman’s standard overcoat.

Zara: "Fufu… How fashionable."

Nick: "*sigh* Haven’t we been over this already? There is no point to your flattery, I do not swing that way."

Zara: "Oh, that joke again? Fufufu… I have I feeling I’m going to enjoy this a lot more than I should be."

Nick: "First off; ew. Also, be my guest. Oh, and finally; eeeew."

The swordsman slowly reached for the blade on his back while Nicolai absentmindedly grabbed hold of the twin blades on his side and brandished them in a blindingly fast yet incredibly graceful fashion. However, before either one of them could say any more, the archbishop forcefully stepped between the two bickering men, cutting them short in the process. It seemed quite strange, but the old man’s presence was easily able to overpower the tense air between the two.

Baran: "It’s about time, Wolf. Where are your partners?"

His tone was calm on the surface, but the mercenary easily noticed the sharp light of expectation in the old man’s eyes, which instantly brought an amused smile to his face.

Nick: "The girls? They are right here."

Once again, the man extended his hands and swung his blades. In a few moments, the staff slowly began to murmur amongst themselves, but no matter how they looked at it, the twin-blades were the same as usual. In the end it was Baran that raised his voice first, with eyes wide open.

Baran: "… Oh, I see."

It took a moment for the realization to finally set in, but it immediately brought a surprisingly satisfied a smile to the old man’s face.

Baran: "Really clever."

Nick: "Thank you."

In the meantime, the sight of the Fangs brimming with power in the man’s hand brought an incredibly menacing smile onto the grinning swordsman’s face.

Zara: "Fufufu… I see. This is going to really be interesting."

Baran: "Indeed."

Even the swordsman was surprised by the almost childish glee in the old man’s voice, but the silence only lasted for a second.

Baran: "Very well. Now we are going to leave you two to your work. I trust you remember the rules."

Nick: "Sure. No rules save for not killing each other, not even accidentally. Got it."

Baran: "…"

Instead of answering, the old man promptly turned around after hearing the answer, and left the chamber alongside of the rest of the technicians. For a few tense seconds the mercenary and the smiling man kept staring at each other in grave silence, which was soon broken by the familiar crackling of the loudspeaker.

Baran: "Very well. All systems are operational. Please proceed with the test."

The moment he got the order, Zara’s right hand was already on the handle of his sword, but it seemed like he didn’t want to move yet.

Zara: "Fufu… Finally. I was waiting for this sparring match all week."

Nick: "Ah, yes. A “sparring match” where we both use deadly weapons and freakish powers that could kill someone ten times over in the blink of the eye under normal circumstances…"

Zara: "… Did you just air-quote me?"

Nick: "Actually, yes. I pretty much did just that."

Zara: "…"

Nick: "…"

The two kept on staring at each other, apparently waiting for the other to make their first move. The silence in the room became more than suffocating as Baran and his men kept on studying the two from the presumed safety of their observation chamber. However, there was one place...

[Veevan]: "Come on! What are we waiting for?!"

[Nick]: "Patience. We shouldn’t rush this."

Thanks to the mind crossing, the inside of Nicolai’s head was anything but quiet, albeit saying that it was noisy was a gross misunderstanding as well, since there were no real voices to speak of… That of course did not mean that they were any less distracting.

[Veevan]: "But look how he is grinning! He is taunting us!"

[Nick]: "… No, I’m quite sure that is his usual smile…"

[Veevan]: "But look! Those shifty eyes and-"

[Nick]: "Nope, still the same as usual."

[Veevan]: "… Are you sure you and I are seeing the same thing?"

[Nick]: "When we are like this you are looking through my eyes, so I’m pretty sure, yes."

[Veevan]: "But-"

[Veetu]: "Argh! Stop it already, you two! I can’t concentrate on my flow in this noise!"

[Nick]: "*sigh* Sorry, we are-"

[Veevan]: "Shut up, sis."

[Veetu]: "Wha-What did you say?!"

[Veevan]: "We are talking here, don’t interrupt us!"

[Veetu]: "Ooooooh!!! That does it; I’m so going to-!"

[Nick]: "Hey, calm down! Both of you! Sisters shouldn’t fight like that!"

[Veevan & Veetu]: "Hmpf."

[Nick]: "*sigh* Argh… We haven’t even begun and my head already hurts..."

[Veetu]: "Excuse me?"

[Nick]: "…"

[Nick]: "Oh crap… You… You heard that, didn’t you?"

[Veevan & Veetu]: "…"

[Nick]: "Ugh… Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I just still cannot get used to this mind-crossing-thing…"

[Veevan & Veetu]: "…"

After a moment’s silence the man let out a huge sigh. As things stood, even though he could easily deal with the two normally, they became uncontrollable when they started arguing in this state. Veevan in particular always went under this abrupt change of demeanor, so much so that at first Nicolai could hardly believe she was the same, quiet person he got to know. When they talked like this she was incredibly forceful and direct, and she seemingly got into fights with her hard-headed sister regularly. Needless to say, this didn’t make keeping their mana-flows steady any easier…

[Nick]: "Okay, seriously now. We need to concentrate here, so stop fighting. We’ll sort this out once this battle is over, okay?"

[Veevan & Veetu]: "…"

The girls didn’t answer directly, but the slowly changing flow of their mana was a response enough.

[Nick]: "Good. Now listen; this is going to be your first actual battle, so follow my instructions. We need to balance our load. I’m not one hundred percent confident I can control both your flows while in a situation like this yet, so you have to show some restraint. We are going to slowly increase the flow intensity first, and move onto the main dish once we are all limbered up."

[Veevan]: "Okay. Where do we start?"

[Nick]: "From right here, and we’ll slowly raise it as the situation demands it."

[Veetu]: "I’m okay with that, but I think he is about to say something."

[Nick]: "He? Ah, yes, I got it."

Zara: "Fufu… So, you made them take the form of your old swords? How come?"

For a moment, it seemed like Nicolai was taken a little aback, but after a split-second of consideration, he answered with a brisk smile.

Nick: "Well, I’m just too used to them. I have been wielding them for the last few years; I thought it would be uncomfortable to use any other weapon."

Zara: "I see. You are surprisingly sentimental, aren’t you?"

Nick: "Yep, something like that, not to mention this setup has some obvious benefits… By the way, did you just shift your weight onto your right leg?"

Zara: "Did I?"

The words hardly ever left his lips when the smiling swordsman was suddenly propelled towards his opponent with a seemingly impossible rush. However, almost as surprisingly, Nicolai also kicked off the ground and gracefully slid under the incoming blade, ending up about two steps behind the grinning man.

Nick: "Yes. Yes you did."

The mercenary’s confident words quietly echoed in the chamber as his opponent turned to face him yet again. However, on the inside…

[Nick]: "Holy crap, that was fast! He almost chopped my freaking head off!"

[Veetu]: "What happened?! I couldn’t even see it!"

[Nick]: "I just told you, he was freakishly fast! Damn, if I didn’t use your mana instead of your sisters, I would be one head shorter right now! What the hell!?"

[Veevan]: "…"

Veevan didn’t say a thing, but all three of them knew that Nicolai was right. Veevan’s mana was good for general enhancements that required a constant and steady flow, but it was Veetu’s mana that allowed him the short burst of power needed for reaching speeds like that. However, using her power like that had its own drawbacks as well, not to mention switching between the two on the fly was an entirely new kind of trouble to worry about…

[Nick]: "Okay, this is not good. Last time his speed was nowhere like this until he got serious."

[Veetu]: "Doesn’t that just mean that now he is serious from the beginning? Also, stop showing off."

[Nick]: "That’s not the point here. What if he decides to turn even more serious? Please double your output."

[Veevan]: "Already?"

[Nick]: "Yes. I would rather not die during this “friendly sparring”."

[Veetu]: "Were those air-quotes? In your head?"

[Nick]: "Argh! Not you too!"

Zara: "*cough* Can we proceed?"

Nick: "Huh?"

The mercenary involuntarily blinked in surprise at Zara. He still wasn’t used to the time-dilatation effect of the mind-crossing, amongst many other things, but it was still unnerving how easy it was to knock him off-balance.

Nick: "Sorry, I’m still in my learning period."

Zara: "I see. Fufu… No problem, you will get used to it with time and practice."

Nick: "…"

Zara: "Speaking of practice…"

Once again, the swordsman abruptly raised his blade and lunged at the mercenary. This time, however, he did not dodge the attack, but raised his own swords in response.

*clash*

The two blades only touched each other for a split-second as Nicolai seemingly effortlessly deflected his opponent’s huge sword.

[Veevan]: "Ouch."

[Nick]: "!? Are you okay?"

[Veevan]: "I’m fine. It didn’t really hurt; I was just surprised by the shock."

[Nick]: "Geez girl, don’t scare me like that! It’s bad for my heart!"

[Veetu]: "Stop talking, the next strike is coming!"

[Nick]: "Oh shi-!"

*clash-clang-clang*

The mercenary once again managed to deflect the three blows aimed at him, but was forced a few steps back by the sheer force of the swings.

Zara: "Fufu… Not bad."

Nick: "…"

Instead of answering, Nicolai finally switched to the offensive. At his opponent’s sincerest surprise, he switched his hold on his left blade into a reverse-grip and threw himself at his opponent with a blindingly-fast flurry of blows.

*cling-cling-clang*

The swordsman didn’t take Nicolai’s strikes standing, and instead began circling around him. Just like last time, the battle slowly started to became more and more hectic as the two fighters began their dance-like combat. Zara, as before, was keeping the mercenary at distance with the wide-arcing but extremely fast strikes of his heavy sword while Nicolai was blocking and redirecting each one of those with surgical precision, opting for quick rushes and precise counterattacks. However, compared to their previous match, there were two major differences: their raw speed, and the power behind their strikes.

Baran: "…"

As the battle raged on, the archbishop and his men in the observation room slowly started to lose grip on the unfolding events. The two men’s tempo kept on steadily increasing, and each time their weapons met, the roar of their clash shook the air of entire chamber.

*crash*

Suddenly, an even more powerful impact shook the complex, drawing the staff’s eyes onto the eastern corner of the room. The walls looked as if they suffered a hit by an artillery shell. However, the mercenary’s form soon emerged from the rubble as he embarrassedly dusted himself.

Nick: "Ouch-ouch. Damn… Sorry for the wall, it wasn’t intentional."

The man’s emergence brought a wave of surprised whispers onto the lips of the researchers. It was only natural though, taken the reason of his impact.

Zara: "Fufu… Did you lose control? Shall I slow down a little?"

Nicolai’s face gave way to a small frown, but he still answered in his usual, nonchalant manner.

Nick: "Nah, just a little misstep. I told you I’m still learning."

He wasn’t lying. Even after all the training, he still had a hard time controlling his speed and movements when using Veetu’s bursts. It wasn’t the girl’s fault though. The reason was a lot simpler than that: he might had been a seasoned fighter and had his intuition at his disposal, fighting at such speeds still required practice, something he just didn’t have. His perceptions were simply not up to the task yet and his innate ability only helped him detect and avoid danger in battle. It still lifted a tremendous weight off his burdened mind, working on the twins’ output and the battle in tandem, but it just couldn’t substitute for actual experience with such inhumanly high-speed combat. Nevertheless, he was learning all the time just as he was saying, and this was just another experience he needed to reflect upon. As such, Nicolai slightly shook his head, brushing off the few small pieces of debris that still clung to his hair, and focused his attention onto the tauntingly inactive man at the middle of the chamber.

Nick: "Okay, let’s try this again!"

Suddenly, the mercenary’s form blurred as he kicked off the ground without warning, reminiscent of the smiling man’s first strike.

*clang-clink-clang*

The battle became exceedingly chaotic once again, and subsequently nearly impossible to follow by the men in the observation chamber. At first it was manageable. The two men were fighting like regular humans would, with technique and finesse, except a lot faster. However the battle soon escalated into the waters of incomprehensibility…

Nick: "Not the legs again!"

It was the mercenary that jumped first. To avoid a low-swing he threw himself into the air, only to dive at his opponent like a bird of prey. However, Zara soon followed his example…

Baran: "How excessive…"

As the seconds passed, it became more and more obvious: for them, such things as inertia and gravity were nothing but trifling concerns. It was quite possible that even they themselves haven’t realized it while being caught in the heat of the battle, but only after two minutes of constant clashes, their feet had barely touched the ground anymore. Their battlefield wasn’t just the floor at this point; the walls, the ceiling, the very air of the chamber were their arena.

Zara: "Fufu… You missed again."

Nick: "Would you believe if I said it was on purpose?"

Zara: "Let me see… No."

Nick: "…"

*clang*

Zara: "Ah, missed again."

Nick: "Ah, sorry. That actually was my bad. I promise the next one will be more accurate."

Zara: "Fufufu…"

*clank-crash*

As their duel slowly neared its climax, one could literally see the air of the chamber crackle with the discharged mana of the two warriors, but they seldom cared. Their speed was still on the rising, and their clashes shook the very walls of the chamber. Not only that, but as the battle progressed, the lights started fading out one after the other; cut, crushed or otherwise destroyed by the eldritch force of the two combatants.

Baran: "…"

Thanks to their constant bouncing around the room, most of the walls were already scarred by the impact of their feet and weapons, creating a surreal image in the eyes of the men behind the observation-chamber’s thick walls. The dark, stygian room with two, blindingly fast things bouncing and colliding all around the place. All the walls and even parts of the ceiling were positively in shambles around them, yet the two kept on fighting without the slightest concern… and it had only been four minutes. If they didn’t see it with their own eyes, the researchers probably wouldn’t have even believed that humans could cause so much damage in so little time, especially unintentionally. Yet, it was there, right in front of them. A battle beyond comprehension, where both participants were beyond human understanding; two barely perceptible clusters of power. And that wasn’t the scariest part. No, that title belonged to their manner…

Nick: "Oh, look, you broke that thing."

Zara: "What thing?"

*whuump-boom*

Nick: "The one that used to be where you are standing."

Zara: "Ah, really? I hope no one saw it. Would you cover for me?"

Nick: "Depends. Can I cut one of your limbs off in exchange?"

Zara: "Fufu… I’m sorry, but that goes against my policy. I like my limbs."

*clash*

Nick: "Oh, I see. Not even a little cut?"

*boom*

Zara: "I hate to disappoint you, but I have to."

Nick: "Aw, what a pity. I guess you’ll just have to suck it up and pay for it."

*clash-clash-craaaang!*

Zara: "Fufufu… How mortifying."

As the archbishop looked at his side, all he could see were frozen men, with their eyes wide open. The sight of the mercenary and the swordsman fighting while engaged in small-talk was about as anachronistic and bizarre as it could get. In the end, it was more than enough to petrify all the onlookers.

Technician: "…monsters…"

The faint whisper leaving his subordinate’s lips almost made the old man chuckle. However, he could sympathize with the man. After all, he was a relatively new member of his staff, one who had never seen a battle between Alternate-wielding warriors. Not that there were anyone beside him in the room whom could pride themselves with this doubtful honor. After all, Alternates were exceedingly rare. Even Baran had only seen one more such event, the battle that decided upon the bearer of the title of Soketsu, the honorary name and rank of the princeps of the Walkers and the symbol of the martial prowess of the Order itself.

Nick: "Ah, your shoelaces!"

Zara: "Fufu… Nice try, but I’m wearing boots."

Nick: "Oh, right. Sorry. I meant: Ah, your bootlaces!"

*clink-clank-clink-whoosh*

After their last clash, the two combatants were both thrown to the opposite ends of the room. Amazingly, even though the place was in shambles, neither of them seemed to be worse for wear. Actually, in the swordsman’s case it was safe to say that he didn’t even break a sweat.

[Nick]: "The bastard is still holding back."

[Veetu]: "We know! Stop taunting him already!"

[Nick]: "But it’s annoying me."

[Veevan]: "But we are doing well this far, right?"

[Nick]: "Yep, I give that to you. We are actually holding up a lot better than I expected we would. Nice job girls."

[Veevan]: "*giggle*"

[Veetu]: "Stop giggling and focus! He can attack at any moment."

[Veevan]: "What are you talking about? He won’t attack, he is talking."

[Nick]: "Talking? Ah, right…"

Once again, abruptly changing his focus onto the real world instead of his inner conversation made the mercenary a bit light-headed for a moment. It wasn’t really a conscious switch to speak of, as he could still hear the twins’ bickering, but it still had a strange effect on his perception, like as if someone was playing with the remote-controller of reality, slowing down and speeding up the world around him during these moments. It wasn’t exactly a physical phenomenon, but it was unpleasant and unnerving nevertheless.

Zara: "You are doing quite well. I’m honestly surprised. Last time you were beaten only by twenty-five percent of my power. It was kind of la-"

Nick: "Wait! Wait-wait-wait! You mean your synchronization percentage, right? Because, you know, saying that you used 25% of your power would be just… I don’t even know. Weird? Creepy? Stupid? All of the above?"

Zara: "… Fufufu. I see. How about we raise the stakes and-"

Nick: "Whoa! Wait a minute! If you want to tell me that you will now use fifty percent of your power and transform into a horned monster-thing, I’m leaving right now!"

Zara: "…"

After a few brief seconds of incomprehension, the swordsman’s smile slowly widened with an almost audible groan as he silently raised his sword over his head.

Zara: "Did I ever tell you that I hate it when people interrupt me?"

[Veetu]: "Ah! I told you to stop taunting him!"

Zara: "Ever One…"

Nick: "!!!"

Time seemingly came to a standstill. The mercenary’s eyes opened wide, but even before the actual meaning of the words could reach his mind, his legs were already propelling him to the side, and not a moment too soon.

Zara: "… Straight Pulse!"

*KABOOM*

A wave of pressure like he had never experienced before tore into the mercenary’s side, and he was easily blown away by the brutal force of the attack. However, that wasn’t the scary part. What really made the hair stand on its end on the back of his neck was the fact that he actually did dodge the attack, yet was still swept away.

Nick: "… You’ve got to be kidding me…"

It only took Nicolai a split-second to assess the situation, and there was no question about it: he was just on the receiving end of one of the Holy Imprints. Even though he had never seen one in person before, he recognized the move from the tales and stories he heard as a kid. It was one of the seventeen nigh-legendary techniques that were said to be Nov-Elsfaan’s gifts to humanity. On a more earthbound note, some claimed they were only expert-level, mana-fueled special attacks developed by the Order after the Devastation, but frankly speaking, the truth of the matter was inconsequential for him at the moment. All he knew was that a single swing literally annihilated the place he was standing at only a moment ago, and it did so from a distance. Was it air-pressure, a mana-outburst or something even more incomprehensible? Frankly, he didn’t really care. However, before he could open his mouth again, a familiar voice yelled out to them from one of the surviving loudspeakers.

Baran: "Zara! What do you think you are doing?!"

For a moment, even the grinning man seemed to falter in face of the old man’s furious words, but in the end he just brushed them off as usual.

Zara: "Fufufu… What do you mean?"

Baran: "I didn’t give you permission to use the Imprints! Are you trying to kill him?!"

Zara: "Me? What gave you that idea? You could see his capabilities as well, I was confident in his ability to dodge such a straightforward attack."

Baran: "…"

The old man fell silent. Nicolai, on the other hand…

Nick: "Wait a second! So that really was a Holy Imprint?! Why?! How?!"

Zara: "Fufu… I told you I was nominated to become the Soketsu, didn’t I?"

Nick: "Wait… So you want to tell me that you were only a runner-up, and you somehow still got an Imprint?!"

Zara: "Four, to be exact."

Nick: "…"

Zara: "Yes? Is there something you want to say?"

Nick: "Broken."

Zara: "…?"

Nick: "YOU ARE BROKEN!"

Zara: "… Excuse me?"

Nick: "Don’t excuse me at me! This was ridiculous already, but now you tell me you know four of the Imprints? Just what kind of monster was chosen as the Soketsu if even that wasn’t enough!?"

Momentarily, Zara’s face darkened and seemed to be struggling to keep his smile from withering, but the answer leaving his mouth was calm as ever.

Zara: "The current Soketsu mastered all seventeen of them by the age of fourteen."

It took a few seconds for the words to slowly sink in, but in the end Nicolai shrugged his shoulders in resignation with a groan.

Nick: "… It’s official now. This word is crazy."

Zara: "Fufufu… Indeed. So, can we continue now?"

Nick: "Ah, the “sparring match” where you were just about to blow me into pieces with an anti-fortress level attack? Sure, why not, I’ll be delighted to get back to it."

Zara: "Oh, air quotes? Again? Fufufu… Are you getting tired?"

Nick: "… Just shut up and get on with it. We still have one last thing to test here."

Zara: "…"

Without uttering a single word, Zara once again raised his blade. Nicolai, in contrast, crossed his blades in front of himself.

[Nick]: "Okay girls, are you ready?"

The girls didn’t say anything in response, but it was an answer in itself. The mercenary took one final breath, and slowly began the cross-synchronization.

Nick: "!"

The process wreaked havoc on his perception of time yet again, but it was the smallest of his concerns at the moment. The cross-synchronization was way, way more difficult than controlling the girls’ power individually.

Nick: "Ugh…"

As the archbishop explained to him, mixing the mana of two Alternates directly is nigh-impossible unless they have the exact same mana-density. However, still according to the old man, it was something that they couldn’t influence, as the density of said mana was a result of countless outside factors. Because of that, combining the power of two alternates was thought to be impossible under normal circumstances… and it was his duty to create those abnormal conditions by precisely balancing them in his own mana-pool. A daunting task that he was far from mastering, yet…

Nick: "Okay, now I’m ready!"

The man’s eyes suddenly flared up, and did so quite literally. In the next moment, he firmly swung his blades back, and then, after lowering his center of gravity…

*whoosh*

Zara: "!!!"

*CLANG*

Baran: "Oh?"

The spectacle was enough to make even the archbishop voice his surprise. In a split-second, the mercenary covered the distance between him and his opponent, and slammed him with both his blades at the same time. Zara was able to block the attack, but it still swept him off his feet, throwing him aside like a ragdoll. However, after the first moment of surprise, he quickly regained his footing and landed with grace.

Zara: "Fufufu… Scary."

Nick: "…"

The cross-synchronization was successful. Nicolai could feel both of the twins’ mana flowing into his body at the same time. It was incredibly hard to maintain the balance between the two, but it worked and the power filling his body was unlike anything he had ever felt.

Nick: "All right, let’s get this over-"

*CLANG!*

Nick: "-with…?!"

Before he could finish his sentence, the sudden yet all too familiar impact of the enormous sword swept him off his feet. It took him a split-second to regain his balance, but he managed to land softly in the end. As he looked back over his shoulder, the swordsman was just about to raise his blade again.

Zara: "Pushing people around is bad manners. Now we are even."

Nick: "Tch."

Without any further ado, Nicolai raised his blades as well, and the two continued their battle like it was the most natural thing in the world. As the opening move, the mercenary once again bent his knees, but this time he was aiming up instead of towards his opponent when leaping. He reached the ceiling in the blink of an eye, but immediately kicked himself off of it, propelling himself towards the swordsman like a bullet. In his extended right hand, the blade of his weapon appeared to be sheathed in crimson flames as he dived onto his foe.

Zara: "Fufu."

Not even flinching, the swordsman calmly sidestepped his opponent the very last moment. However…

*BOOM*

A sudden explosion shook the air around the two as the flames around Nicolai’s blade abruptly exploded to the side, stopping the falling mercenary on the spot. However, before he even touched the ground, his left was already swinging his other blade. In face of the unexpected move, Zara only barely managed to jerk his blade back and block the incoming strike. Without leverage, the power of the attack was not that great, but it wasn’t its main purpose on the first place. Without a moment of hesitation, Nicolai planted his feet the second he landed, and immediately pushed his assault.

Zara: "!?"

Just a split-second before the swing was about to connect, Zara stepped back and twisted his body out of the way. However, it was just not enough. Before he could even raise his blade in retaliation, the mercenary has already began his next move. It was an impossible strike, delivered during a half-turn while stepping right up to the swordsman yet again. The smiling man, once again, barely managed to pull his blade into the way of his opponent’s attack. This far, all went according to Nicolai’s plan. He knew that if he wanted to overpower his opponent, he needed to stay as close as possible and rob him of any chance to swing his weapon. It wasn’t a refined tactic, but an effective on nevertheless.

Nick: "Come on, don’t slow down on me…!"

It was a request laced in obvious sarcasm. They both knew that it was not Zara who slowed down, but Nicolai who got faster. In fact, it wasn’t a big stretch to say that they were more or less standing on equal footing at the moment.

*clang-clang-whoosh-clink*

Zara: "Fufufu. Not bad at all."

Nick: "Oh, thank you."

*clank*

Contrary to their previous vigor, the two of them were seemingly rooted in place. That didn’t mean they stopped fighting though. In fact, their battle became many times more intense, even though the researchers couldn’t even see most of it. The two fighters’ hands were moving with such a speed that one could barely catch more than a blurry glimpse of them during the times they clashed, and the air around them was rippling with the roar of continuous impacts, as if someone was constantly firing an entire regiment’s worth of artillery cannons around them. Their stationary battle was broken a few times, like when the mercenary kicked one of the swordsman’s legs out from under him, but Zara just used his weapon as a cane for a moment and whirled around his opponent’s attack for a moment before regaining his footing. However, before the swordsman could launch his own assault, Nicolai was already bearing down on him again.

Nick: "Damn! Stop dancing around! This is serious!"

Zara: "Fufu..."

*clash*

[Veevan]: "That’s it! We can beat him like this!"

[Veetu]: "Hey, don’t talk! We need to concentrate!"

[Nick]: "…"

For a few moments, the entire staff was mesmerized by the display of skill and power the two provided. Even Baran’s eyes were sparkling with excitement as he looked upon the two. However, the standoff didn’t last for long…

Nick: "Ugh…"

All of a sudden, the mercenary seemingly lost his balance. Surprisingly, the moment he had noticed his adversary’s condition, Zara’s sword stopped on its track like it was frozen in time. For a fleeting second, both of them stood completely still, but as the mercenary’s legs started to buckle, Zara quickly pulled back his sword.

Nick: "Damn… it…"

[Veevan]: "Nick? What’s going on? Nick?!"

[Veetu]: "*gasp*"

With his hands shaking, Nicolai reached for his chest, accompanied by the sharp sound of his blades hitting the ground. The feeling assaulting his senses was something that was nigh-impossible to describe. It was the same sensation as when he was about to be overwhelmed by Veetu’s mana, except on the third power. It was nauseating, suffocating and wholly unnatural, like he was about to be blown apart from the inside. He had a vague idea of the source of the crisis, which was all the more reason for him why to break out in cold sweat.

Bara: "Wolf?!"

The archbishop’s surprised voice could barely penetrate the shroud around his mind as his consciousness started sinking. However, with the will slowly fading, a new force took over his body: pure, uncaring, primal instinct.

Nick: "AAARGH!"

Zara: "Gah!!"

*KABOOOOM!!!*

Baran: "What-?!"

The earth-shattering explosion made even the biggest impact of the earlier fight pale in comparison. Accompanied by a blinding viridian light, the blast shook not only the chamber but the very complex around them, knocking even the lights of the observation chamber off for a few seconds.

Baran: "Is everyone okay?"

Technician: "Yes sir."

Baran: "…"

After looking over his men, the archbishop’s attention swiftly returned to the other chamber, and for a moment even he had lost his breath.

Nick: "Haah… Haah… What the fuck…?"

The sight was surreal. Nicolai, with his blades at his feet, was leaning forward with his right fist thrust out. At the other end of the chamber stood Zara, though he wasn’t exactly standing by the strictest definition of the word.

Zara: "…"

The not exactly smiling swordsman was still holding the flat of his blade in front of himself like a shield, even though he was literally embedded into the concrete wall of the chamber, with three deep furrows in the concrete floor connecting him to the spot he was standing only a few moments ago… However, only a second later, he nonchalantly jumped to his feet like nothing had happened.

Zara: "Fufu. That was fun."

Nick: "Fu… n?"

The swordsman tauntingly nodded at the man and leisurely stared walking towards him while inspecting his blade.

Zara: "Oh…? You hurt my poor Emara… How cruel of you."

Still breathing heavily and confused, the mercenary slowly straightened himself and looked around in the ruined room. However, before he could utter a word, the heavy groaning of metal caught his ears and he reflexively turned towards the entrance.

Baran: "Are you two all right?"

The entering archbishop seemed almost flustered as he walked over the two worn-out fighters, accompanied by about two dozen technicians.

Nick: "Hey, gramps! What the hell was that!?"

Baran: "Answer my question first. Are you all right?"

The mercenary sent an annoyed glance at the old man and scooped up his blades before answering.

Nick: "I’m okay, I think. A little dizzy, but nothing serious. The girls are fine too."

Zara: "Fufu… You should know it takes more than that to be worried about my health."

The boastful words of the swordsman made Nicolai shrug his shoulder.

Nick: "… Showoff."

Baran: "Are you sure? How fascinating!"

Nick: "That he is a showoff? Yes, I’m quite sure."

Zara: "Fufufu… I’m glad to see you still have your edge."

Nick: "The feeling is mutual. I’m glad I still have my edge."

Zara: "Fufufu…"

Nick: "And stop giggling! It’s annoying!"

Completely disregarding the two’s bickering; the old man started inspecting the mercenary like a child who just got a new toy.

Baran: "How intriguing…"

Nick: "… Right, sure, if you say so. I still don’t get it though. What the hell just happened? And why are you ogling me like that…?"

At first it seemed the old man was completely ignoring his questions, but a few seconds after Nicolai sheathed his blades and the staff began buzzing around the two, the archbishop finally spoke up.

Baran: "You really are special, my friend."

Nick: "Special? Friend?"

Baran: "You apparently just survived a Mana Blaze, and without any visible injuries to boot. Incredible."

Nick: "Wha-whe-wha?! Mana Blaze? What are you talking about?!"

The old man’s eyes narrowed as he cleared his throat, then spoke up with his usual dignified voice, like his previous excitement was just a lie.

Baran: "It is one of the possible effects of mixing two mana-flows of different density, whereas the two flows’ fusion reaches a critical point, resulting in a cataclysmic rejection cascade."

Nick: "… Sooooo… if the mana flows are mixed incorrectly… they explode?"

Baran: "In short, yes."

Nick: "…"

The mercenary visibly pondered for a moment, and then lightly cleared his throat.

Nick: "*cough* Excuse me for asking, but HOW COME THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE HEARD ABOUT THIS!?!?"

Baran was momentarily fazed by the sudden outburst, but quickly regained his composure.

Baran: "What do you mean? It was covered in the sixth section of the General Research Description you’ve read during orientation the first day. It’s on page three-hundred fifty-six, third paragraph, to be precise."

Nick: "… Couldn’t at least remind me of this before I almost turned my body into a bomb?!"

Baran: "I expected your abilities would allow you to avoid it, and even if it happened, there was nothing we could do about it. Well, at least that’s what we thought until now."

Nick: "…"

Baran: "Speaking of which, could you tell me about how your Blaze occurred? As survivor, your report would be highly beneficial for this research."

For a few moments, Nick kept staring daggers at the old man, but in the end he just let out a huge sigh.

Nick: "Sure, whatever, but later. My head hurts from all this crap. Not to mention my hands..."

Baran: "Your hands…?"

The old man squinted as he stole a glance at the Nicolai’s gloved hands.

Baran: "Do you require medical attention?"

Nick: "Nah, it’s nothing serious."

Baran: "Are you sure?"

Nick: "Yes. Now if you excuse me, we need some rest. I’ll be back at our room."

Baran: "Very well. You might be called upon later today, so please-"

Nick: "Yeah, sure, whatever."

Gotten used to the man’s manners already, the staff wasn’t even surprised by how the mercenary just walked out on them, and continued on with their respective tasks. Meanwhile, the smiling swordsman walked up to the archbishop with an unusually weary grin.

Zara: "Ouch."

Baran: "Oh? So you are hurt after all?"

Zara: "Just a scratch."

Baran: "Remarkable, isn’t he? To instinctively know how to expel the surplus mana from his system and even turn it into an attack… I never even thought it was possible, not even with his Innate Ability."

Zara: "…"

Baran: "Very well, we should stop standing around! I can’t wait to see the data we collected!"

The old man turned heel and moved over to the technicians right in the middle of extracting the black-boxes of the different detectors from around the room. His bodyguard on the other hand slowly raised his massive blade and carefully ran his fingers over the flat of his blade. As his hand finally reached the middle-portion his smile wavered for a moment, but only to take an even more menacing shape as he silently whispered to himself.

Zara: "Remarkable indeed…"

With a quick motion he once again ran his hand over the blade, then casually threw the sword onto his back, securing it into its harness in the process, and revealing the faint, barely visible imprint of a fist upon its surface…

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