The Red Hand

Chapter 263 – Halifax v. Avahn.

"Well, I guess that's not really surprising." Eris said as she took a sip of soda. She and a group of players were relaxing in an air conditioned booth and watching the fights from a nice vantage point opposite Akagi's commentator booth. "But Jesus, I look away for two seconds, and Zef's got something akin to ultimate fucking power." She sighed. "Why the hell didn't she use that during the fight with Serval? We really could've used this back then."

{Was that idiot just playing around?!?} (Eris)

"Probably because she got a kick out of watching us mere mortals struggle." Ayame giggled. "That idiot probably enjoyed seeing us fight against such a beast."

"Knowing her, that might be accurate." Eris rolled her eyes. She knew Zephiria well enough that she couldn't count out such a possibility.

"I know that she got power from Akagi, but did that really make her this powerful?" Elna asked. She was still covering her face, but by this point, every one of the players knew who she really was, which caused a small fight the previous night.

"How about you bring up Spellhauser to her again and find out for yourself." Superbia smirked as she listened to Akagi speak on screen.

"Yeah, that was definitely a room-temperature IQ moment, Elna." Eris said as she turned and looked at the Elf. "You know how much she hated her, so why the fuck would you bring her up like that?" The two's disputes were well-known in the game and was the primary reason why Zephiria rarely worked alongside the Assault Team.

"I knew they didn't get along, but I always thought it was one of those things where they just needed to get a room." Elna shrugged, figuring that it was some kind of romantic tension that made them fight.

"Ohhhh..." Superbia started laughing at Elna's comment. "Don't ever let Zef hear you say that. Otherwise, you're gonna wish you got eaten by Akagi."

{Boy, how fucking dense do you need to be to say something as stupid as that, Elna.} (Superbia)

"Yeah... If that's what you thought was going on, then you really misread things..." Ayame put her head in her hands as she sighed and explained the truth. "Zef knew Spellhauser from back before FWO, Elna. The two grew up in the same town, and due to certain... family issues, Zef did not have it easy growing up. Spellhauser decided to use that in her bullying and essentially made it her mission to make Zef miserable for years." She recalled some of the stories that the blonde-haired girl told her over the years.

{I never understood why people would target a child for how fucked up their parents are...} (Ayame)

"I mean, bullying sucks but it's not exactly uncommon." Elna didn't really see the big deal.

"Considering everything you've done and your toxic personality, I'm not surprised you don't give a fuck." Eris growled, reaching the limit of what she was going to tolerate from the Elf. "I was hoping that you'd changed for the better during your time in captivity, but I see you're just as bad as you ever were."

{Why did we ever hope that Elna of all people would somehow do a 180?} (Eris)

"I'm quite literally restrained by Akagi and I've had the fear of fucking god put into me, so that's somewhat of a change." Elna quipped that she wasn't in any position to cause problems anymore.

"Being cowed into submission by Akagi isn't growth or improvement, you idiot” Ayame jumped into prevent her wife from going off. “It just means that if it wasn't for the Demon Lord from hell holding your leash, that you'd go right back to doing the same stupid shit you did earlier this year!" Ayame raised her voice slightly. She'd known a few people that died during the Libra attacks and wanted to see all of the remaining members done away with as punishment. "I still have no fucking idea why Akagi broke you out of jail and leashed you. As far as I'm concerned she should've just ended your stupid ass in February and been done with it!"

{Was it just for entertainment? Would Akagi really take this idiot under her wing for nothing else but her own personal fun?} (Ayame)

"Nah, she should've been thrown in with Armalthy." Superbia commented that death was too lenient of a punishment.

"Hey! That's some fucked up shit your wishin' on me, Superbia!" Elna protested. "You and I both know what she's doing to him!" She'd heard the sounds of Armathy's screams, and Akagi had given her graphic details of his eternal torment.

{I DON'T WANT TO HAVE MY INSIDES MADE INTO MY OUTSIDES!} (Elna)

"Yes, and?" Superbia shrugged. "Need I remind you that you went fucking postal, killed a fuckton of innocent people, and were part of a major crisis that made a hell of a lot of people hate the other returnees! So why the fuck should I care what Akagi does to you?!? “ Superbia snapped at her, having had enough. “If anything, Akagi should've thrown you and all the rest of Libra into that same place!" She'd already talked to Elna privately with Excelsior, and although they tried to sort out some of their issues as former 'friends', Elna was just as bad as she always was.

{Dammit! Why did I ever think of this girl as my friend?!?} (Superbia)

"And just when I see you've gotten happy again, you go and say shit like that." Elna grumbled that Superbia was as gruff and irritable as always.

"Listen, either you shape the fuck up, Elna, or one of these days somebody is gonna stick a blade in your back." Superbia's glare grew sharp.

"What and kill one Akagi's toys?" Elna scoffed at the thought, figuring that nobody was dumb enough to try something so brazen.

"Akagi isn't going to protect you from your own stupidity." Superbia replied curtly. "If you go mouthing off to the wrong person, there's no guarantee that she's going to do anything but laugh at you as they hack you to pieces." She flashed from her seat, sticking her blade to Elna's neck. "So either knock your shit off, take a step back, and look in the mirror..." She pushed her blade forward slightly, drawing a bit of blood from Elna's neck. "Or I will end you, permanently."

"You wouldn't..." Elna couldn't believe that her former friend was threatening to kill her, a drop of sweat dripping down her hidden face as the cold metal touched her.

{Would she?} (Elna)

"Fucking try me." Superbia put her blade away and sat back down.

{Now, Now. There's no need to get all worked up.} (Munechika)

{I know, I know... I'm just angry... Angry that somebody we used to be friends with... became somebody like this... Perhaps she was always like this, and we just didn't see it?} (Superbia)

{I think there's still good in her, so don't give up on Elna just yet, OK?} (Munechika)

{Only because you asked, Moonie.} (Superbia)

_____________________________________________________________________________

"I hope you won't go running away screaming like that last girl." Avahn smirked as she drew her Oda from her back, the massive blade's tip smacking into the arena floor, creating a minor shockwave. "I'd like a real fight to warm me up before Hishya."

"Oh? And what makes you so confident that you'll get the chance to fight her?" Halifax smiled, clearly not happy with being underestimated.

"Experience and I know just what I'm capable of." Avahn replied as she spun her Oda around in her hand, easily. "Fair warning, I tend to get a bit overzealous during my battles, so don't blame me if I rip that pretty face apart." Her abilities had a tendency to get away from her, and her own personality was... twisted.

{I can sense a dangerous aura about this girl, not to mention that blade of hers... It's possessed by some kind of vengeful Spirit.} Halifax caught a brief glimpse of the Spirit that inhabited Avahn's Oda, which looked like a disfigured old warrior in Samurai armor.

"You don't need to worry about me." Halifax giggled. "I've dealt with many opponents over my life, so I think I can handle whatever you've got."

"Are the contestants ready?" Kira looked between the two of them, eerily aware of the tension brewing.

"As always." Halifax nodded.

"Let's go already!" Avahn stomped on the ground, eager to fight.

"Then.... Begin!" Kira signaled the start of the match, and as per her usual style, Avahn flashed forward at high speed, activating her Demonic powers, and moving in for a quick and lethal strike.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Avahn cackled, her eyes showing the madness associated with her abilites. "I'd advise dodging this one if I were you!" She swung her blade down at Halifax, who hadn't even drawn her sword, and just as she was about to make contact with her opponent's head, Halifax smirked as she easily sidestepped Avahn's attack, which slammed into the ground, causing a large crater.

"Dodged!" Halifax giggled as she sidestepped another and then another of Avahn's strikes.

*SWISH* *WOOSH* *SWOOSH*

"STOP DODGING!" Avahn growled as her blade continued to miss her target, sometimes by mere inches. Halifax's speed was too much for her, and it was no surprise that the Sword had complete mastery of her own bodily movements.

"First, you tell me to dodge, then you tell me not to." Halifax laughed as he continued dancing around Avahn's blade. "Which is it?"

"DIE!" Avahn roared as she channeled more power into her next blow.

*CLANG*

“Eh?!?” Avahn was briefly stunned as Halifax's blade blocked her own, bringing her to a complete stop.

"Sorry, but that isn't something I can do." Halifax smiled as she looked the angry cat in the eyes.

{Her power is highly volatile, and I swear that I've seen something like it before, but I can't seem to remember where. Argh... It's on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't quite remember it.} (Halifax)

"Think your hot shit just because you stopped my attack?!?" Avahn grinned as she leaped backward.

"Maybe a little?" Halifax giggled as she placed her blade back in its holster. "That look on your face when I stopped you cold was funny though." She wasn't entirely playing around, but it was clear to outsiders that she wasn't taking things seriously either.

"You son of a bitch! Don't you fucking mock me!" Avahn's power roared to life, a black and red aura erupting around her, making it seem like she was engulfed in living anger. "NOW YOU'VE MADE ME MAD!" In an instant, she found herself in front of Halifax, who blocked the cat's blade with her own, and the two began a high-speed duel that encompassed the entire arena.

*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

The two rocketed around at blistering speed and were moving so fast that even some members of the audience were struggling to see them, even with technological or magical support.

Each clash devastated the ground beneath the two fighters, and a few areas of the arena even started to melt due to the intense heat and pressure unleashed with each clash. As things continued Avahn began delving deeper into her dark power, and as her level of anger increased, so did her power. However, despite her slow increase in strength, Halifax seemed to have no trouble blocking each and every one of the raging cat's strikes. Her blade always seemed to be positioned perfectly to stop each incoming strike, and the few times Avahn tried to kick or punch her, Halifax easily avoided or deflected such blows.

{WHY CAN'T I HIT HER?!?} Avahn screamed in her mind, angry that Halifax was embarrassing her by making her attacks ineffective.

{Perhaps you should try using other types of attacks? This woman is obviously a master duelist, and it looks like she specializes in defensive fighting styles.} Furui, the Spirit with her blade, spoke to her via telepathy.

"Fine..." Avahn growled as she disengaged from Halifax. "But if this doesn't work, we're going all out." She glared at the blade in her hand.

{If that is what you think is needed, then I won't try and dissuade you. It's not like I care about how deep into the power you go since I get to enjoy the show either way.} Avahn could feel just the slightest bit of worry from her blade, knowing that he was a tsundere at heart.

"We've done it enough times over the years, so don't worry." Avahn gave a scary smile as she turned back toward Halifax. "Besides, it just means you'll get to feed."

{Don't go threatening me with a good time now.} (Furui)

"Given up yet?" Halifax said as she spun her blade in her hand and rested it on her shoulder. "That's too bad. I was hoping to get a decent warm-up in before the real fighters showed up." She grinned, knowing that her comments would only serve to enrage the cat.

"Oh, you mother..." Avahn bit back the urge to scream all the profanity in her mind. "No, I'm not giving up." She clicked her tongue as she pulled off her left glove and sliced open her palm with her Oda. "I just needed a moment for something, that's all." She smirked as the blade erupted with even more dark energy.

"That's good." Halifax smiled. "Show me what you've got, kitty."

"Demonic Art, Hell Slash!" Avahn swung her blade, causing an eruption of fire and lighting to scream toward Halifax at high speed. Each bolt was faster than lightning, and the noise they made upon appearing reminded many of depictions of screaming souls from horror movies.

Hell Slash was a technique that mixed Avahn's own lighting and fire abilities with the dark powers of Demons, transforming her one strike into hundreds of more powerful attacks that would all strike an opponent simultaneously. She normally only used it on hordes of enemies as it wasn't great against single-target boss monsters, but she figured that Halifax wouldn't be able to so easily dodge and block so many high-powered attacks.

“Take this!” Avahn roared as her attacks zipped forward.

"Not bad." Halifax smiled as hundreds of attacks came straight for her. "So, as a reward for all your hard work, allow me to show you one of my techniques." She spun her blade in her hand before stopping it an angle perpendicular to her body, gripping it with one hand. "One Hundred and Twenty-Second form of the Divine Blade..." Halifax's hair turned blue, and lightning began to spark around her body. "Kataigída!"

For a moment, it seemed as if time itself stopped in the arena. The air got heavy, and there was a collective feeling of anxiety amongst practically everyone who watched. Most people described this moment as something to akin to the feeling in one's stomach when they think they're about to fall from a high place, but just as fast as this feeling came on, it stopped.

"W-What..." Avahn stood completely lost for words as every single one of her slashes disappeared. One of her most powerful moves was completely nullified in an instant, and she didn't even know what happened. "What did you do?!?" All of Hell Slash's attacks had vanished without a trace, and all that remained was the distant sound of thunder and a very electrified Halifax, who caught her falling sword with her left hand.

{I... Even I couldn't see what just happened...} Furui was similarly stunned by this unexpected turn of events. He'd seen many powerful opponents during his life, but never one that could destroy so many powerful attacks with what seemed like little effort.

"That was an excellent attack, Avahn." Halifax flicked her blade as she reverted to her usual appearance. "I commend you for having such precise control over that much power. Kataigída is something I haven't had to bring out in a very long time, so you should feel great pride in making me use it." She smiled, genuinely praising Avahn for her efforts.

{Having to destroy so many attacks at once was a challenge, but in the end, I was able to handle it. This girl truly has extraordinary power, and I can only imagine it will grow stronger in time.} (Halifax)

"She..." Avahn's face turned dark as more anger swelled within. Halifax's praise may have been genuine, but she felt humiliated by the Sword.

"However, I think it's time to end things." Halifax began walking toward her slowly. "You're a great fighter, and I can see you becoming even stronger in the future, so make sure you keep up your training." With a swift kick off the arena floor, Halifax found herself in front of Avahn, her blade bearing down on the angry cat's shoulder. "Please bear with the pain. I promise you won't feel it for very long." She smiled as her blade moved toward Avahn's shoulder, but rather than make contact it was stopped a few inches above, blocked by what seemed like a force field.

{WHAT?!?} Halifax was surprised. Her blade couldn't move down any further and it was as if it was being blocked by an incredibly powerful force.

{Furui.} Avahn thought one word, and her partner didn't even speak a word in response as he already knew what to do next.

As Halifax tried to break past the protective barrier, anger, power, and rage began to swell within Avahn, causing an eruption of power that shot into the sky, blasting away the clouds. Seeing that something bad was going to happen Halifax quickly backed off, surprised and confused.

"What's going on? Her power just spiked like crazy!" Halifax looked on as Avahn's power went higher and higher.

{And why am I getting such a feeling of De ja vu?!?} (Halifax)

"I'm not going to make it quick." Avahn's angry voice echoed throughout the stadium, and as she stepped out of the raging inferno of energy, Halfiax was smacked with a feeling of dread. "You will suffer for the humiliation you caused me." In an instant, the kitty was gone, appearing in front of Halifax, her blade being only barely blocked by a quick lifting of Halifax's sword.

*BOOM!*

The single collision of the fighter's blades caused a massive shock wave that tore the entire arena apart, chunks started flying off in different directions, and parts collapsed onto the clay floor below.

"W-What's going on?!? Where did all this power come from?!?" Halifax groaned as she held off Avahn's attack.

{How could she get this powerful?!? I couldn't detect any hidden reserves of power, especially not ones THIS big!} (Halifax)

"This?" Avahn gave a chuckle that could make a man's skin crawl. "This is all of it."

"All of what?" Halifax asked as she pushed Avahn away. "What is that power?!?"

"Hatred." Avahn's single word sent chills down Halifax's spine.

_____________________________________________________________________________

<Akagi POV>

"Well damn. She actually had to resort to using it." Akagi whistled in surprise as she watched the two duke it out. "Halifax really pushed her buttons enough to bring it all out. Have fun!" She laughed.

"What the fucking hell is that?!?" Silfana scrambled to understand what was going on. "Since when did that weird cat have this kind of power?!?" At this point, she was certian that even she wouldn't be able to win against Avahn with how much power was flowing out of the Demon cat.

"That." Akagi pointed to Avahn who was now engaged in another set of high-speed clashes with Halifax. "Is what happens when you stack an ungodly number of multipliers on top of an already incredibly broken skill." She chuckled. "Avahn is already the Avatar of Rage courtesy of some interesting choices and events during FWO, so its only natural that she has such power."

"Wait, what?!?" Silfana was again, confused. "What the fuck is an Avatar of Rage?!?"

{???} (Slifana)

"Put simply, she became the embodiment of that emotion via some events, and her power is directly tied to it." Akagi explained what was going on. "Avahn is quite literally a being that runs on anger, and thus the more pissed off she gets the more powerful she becomes. Combine that with her little sword friend who also has abilities that multiply Avahn's power based on that inherent rage alongside her other gear, and..." Akagi made an exploding noise and small effect in front of her.

"Why did she never use this power before then?!?" Silfana was screaming the same question that most other players were. "She could've helped crush Serval much quicker!"

"Because said power has the slight downside of making her slowly go mad the longer she uses it." Akagi did a tee-hee pero. "It's not exactly great to funnel all the anger into one's mind and body for very long since there's always a chance she'll become consumed by it." She figured that no matter how strong Avahn was mentally that she was simply incapable of handling such raw emotion for long periods of time without issue.

"What the fuck..." Silfana watched in complete awe as Avahn and Halifax raced around the area at speeds that defied her expectations.

{Just what kind of monster is Avahn, and what kind of existence is Halifax if she's keeping up with that insanity?!?} (Slifana)

_____________________________________________________________________________

"RWAWR!" Avahn screamed as she chased Halifax around the arena. She still had yet to land a proper blow on her opponent, but it was clear that Halifax couldn't easily dodge her anymore. "I'M GOING TO DRINK YOUR FUCKING BLOOD FROM A SILLY STRAW!"

{I don't have any blood, but that's beside the point...} Halifax wasn't afraid of Avahn, if anything, this sudden increase in power only excited her.

"It looks like Hishya isn't the only one I needed to watch out for." Halifax giggled as she sidestepped one of Avahn's attacks and swept her feet out from under the angry cat, causing her to stumble forward. "Four Hundred and Sixty-Third form of the Divine Blade, Irida!" Halifax's hair changed into a rainbow of different colors, and wings with similarly diverse feathers sprouted from her back. "Let's put you down quickly." She switched her blade around in her hand, holding it in a reverse grip as she drove it straight through Avahn's back and causing it to erupt from the other side. "Skázo." Halifax uttered one word, and a massive rainbow explosion erupted inside Avahn, with light of all colors pouring from her eyes, shooting into the air.

"There." Halifax withdrew her blade from Avahn, who collapsed onto the ground like a puppet who's strings had been cut. "I'd advise surrendering before your wounds-" Her request was cut short as Avahn quickly got back up and went right back to fighting as if nothing had happened.

"What?!?" Halifax hadn't expected this. "How are you unharmed?!?" She looked down at Avahn's stomach, and that while she saw the hole in her gear where her blade had run the cat through, there was no visible wound.

"AHAHAAHH!" Avahn cackled manically as the two flashed around the arena at ludicrous speed. "You think you can kill me? HOW CUTE!" She brought her blade down, pinning her rainbow-winged opponent down. "I CANNOT DIE! I AM DEATH ITSELF! I AM ANGER AND HATRED GAVE FORM! I CANNOT DIE! THERE IS NO WOUND YOU CAN INFLICT UPON ME THAT WILL LAST!" She continued to laugh as she slammed her blade into Halifax's again and again.

"How is that even possible?" Halifax said to herself as she continued to deflect Avahn's blows.

{If that's true then... What can I do?} Halifax wracked her brain for a solution, but for the first time in a while, she had no answer. {An enemy that regenerates too fast to kill. How can I possibly-}

"AH-HA!" Halifax smirked as something in her mind fell into place. "I finally remember what your power reminds me of!" She put extra power into her next strike, sending Avahn flying away for a moment.

{She has the same kind of power as Kirios! That fucking spear was an absolute pain in the ass, but if she's anything like him...} Halifax discharged her wings and reverted to normal. "Then perhaps that means that she shares the same weakness."

"IT MATTERS NOT IF YOU'VE SEEN MY POWER BEFORE!" Avahn sped back over to her. "I AM UNKILLABLE! YOU CAN NEVER HOPE TO DEFEAT ME! SO JUST GIVE UP, AND PERHAPS YOU WILL LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO REGRET MOCKING ME!"

{Man she's really gotten lost in the sauce, huh?} (Halifax)

"Well, here goes nothing." Halifax sighed. Deep within, she was nervous. There was no guarantee that her plan would work, and she was going off the assumption that Avahn's power worked like her fellow Divine Weapon's ability. If she was right, then she would win, but if she was wrong...

"I suppose I just need to try." Halifax took a deep breath, dropped her stance, and looked straight at the very angry kitty that was coming at her in a psychotic rage. "Nine Hundred and Ninety Ninth form of the Divine Blade..." Avahn reached her the next moment, baring down on her with every ounce of power that the angry Cat had. "Anathema." With a single word, Halifax's appearance changed yet again. Her hair turned stark white, her eyes changed from their usual blue to a vibrant gold, and her entire body became wrapped in a thin layer of white fire.

*SWISH!*

With a single stroke of her blade, she sliced through Avahn, who continued past her before crashing into the ground. Slowly turning around, Halifax saw Avahn try and get up, but the cat was only able to flip onto her back.

"What did you do to me?!?" Avahn attempted to stand up but found that her body would no longer listen to her. “Why can't I move?!?”

"Simple." Halifax answered as she walked over to her. "I disrupted your soul's connection to your body."

"But I can't take damage!" Avahn struggled again but got nowhere. “You shouldn't be able to harm me! And even if you do, then I'd just regenerate!” She didn't understand why her body wasn't repairing itself from whatever damage she'd taken.

"One of my siblings had the power to grant a power similar to yours to others." Halifax said. "It is truly an awesome power, and it turns those who receive such an ability into a nearly unstoppable war machine." She gave a wry smile as she recalled a few past events that tended to end with massive craters and high body counts. "But..." She continued. "Such strengthening of the flesh does nothing to protect one's spirit." Halifax shook her head.

“What?!?” Avahn found herself able to move even less, and still didn't really understand what was going on.

"Anathema is a very unique piece of my arsenal." She moved her blade so that Avahn could see it clearly. It was transformed like her, being as white as her hair was, and from what Avahn could tell, it seemed to be flickering and semi-translucent. "It's the only form of my blade that allows attacking such a nearly unassailable part of one's existence."

{The soul is almost impossible to interact with, and this very form was how I managed to take Vikes down so long ago. How long has it been since I used this blade? A thousand years or more?} (Halifax)

"Well, you're gonna have to do more than just make me immobile to win!" Avahn wouldn't concede even if she couldn't move. "I'm still alive, and you can't kill me! So I guess nobody wins!"

"Oh, I don't know about that." Halifax flipped her blade around in her hand and jammed it into Avah's stomach, knocking her unconscious and ending her rage-fueled rampage. "Don't worry, you'll wake up later. Though you'll probably be groggy and a bit wobbly on your feet." She giggled as Kira called the match.

"That was an amazing fight, Avahn." Halifax smiled as she withdrew her blade. "I'd like to fight you again if you don't mind. Though perhaps you shouldn't go completely crazy during the next one." She then turned and looked up at Hishya, who was staring back at her from the VIP booth.

{But before all that I have a Dragon to slay.} (Halifax)