[Nightengale]

Okay, I lied...again. It's only really Isdera/Signum, since it turned out longer than what I'd thought...AGAIN. And I even cut out it's original "one-man-stand" ending and decided it's better off when they fight again in the current timeline. BOO!

Spoiler for Part 12.75 : The :

~Part XII Verse 13 ~ Pride x Faith ~

~Astra~

!!!!

This feeling…like a sudden void in the air, the putrid feeling in the air…like a sudden wound that is not painful, not bleeding, but can be felt…

Wira’s life force… has almost completely diminished…

But there is still something left…something vague, almost inexistent…but his presence is still there.

“Saga…”

“I know… but right now…all we can do is to trust them…Let’s go.”

We continued flying upwards, within the gigantic castle...maneuvering the complex star way of the castle courts, an unnatural extension of magical roadways…

Isdera…

~Isdera~

Where…am I… Everything is dark… I can’t feel…

But, for an instance, I felt something… a sudden surge, a sudden influx of magical distortion… this scent of blood…Wira?

What…happened?

“Looks…li…Vita….done….there…. as….ell…”

Signum’s voice rang through my head…Vita? The Iron Count? Does that mean…Wira has lost? Wira’s dead…?

You gave it your all, didn’t you, Wira? Even though I can’t see, nor can I sense…I can feel it. Maybe it was just my imaginations…but for some reason, I can feel that you gave it your all, your struggles, your cries, everything…

That’s right… I too, need to give it my all…so, stand up! Stand up!

Even if I have to die doing so! Listen to me! Stand up!!!

~Signum~

I reached down to take a look at his body…the last Storm Falcon’s direct hit has injured him badly. He won’t die, but it’s impossible for him to continue fighting.

Now that Vita’s done at her side as well…I better go to the Princess’s side.

“You were a good opponent, Saleen. I’m moving on to the next battle.”

“ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~!!!!!”

It all happened in an instant. Just as I was about to leap up to the sky, my leg was grabbed, and with an inhuman force, I was turned upside down legs up, and with a fiery force, I was thrown to the outer castle walls, the walls behind shattering…

And that war cry…Isdera… what a powerful tenacity.

But…it’s impossible. He should’ve been severely weakened and injured from the Falcon… for him to be able to go on lik-

!!!!!

His body… is physically leaking out a form of energy..it’s not magic…it’s!

“Your…life-force!?”

~Isdera~

God…I’ve finally stood up. How many years did I burn off my life just to force out enough energy to be able to stand and throw her there?

No matter…it’s not like I’ll need it much longer… I stopped the forceful leak of energy…as I feel my body becoming weak again.

“Why did you stop that?”

…

“Do you remember that time…when I gashed your shoulder, at that burning mountain?”

The one time I used my manipulated energy sword, Myst…against her. The only time when I felt no honor of fighting her…I just wanted to kill her.

“ I have lost many things of myself, my wings, my strength… I thought the one thing I still held on strongly was my sword.

Yet, ironically, the one thing I gain from it…comes from letting go of what makes me myself….

It may have made our fight a draw…but never once, had I hated myself so…for letting myself to do that to you. Pathetic, isn’t it?”

“No… That is because of your pride, honor and faith as a knight. Just as you hold your pride as a Sword Knight for your General and your beliefs, I too…hold on to my pride and faith as the Knight of the Princess…

But even so…I will not lose.”

Spoken like a true Belkan Knight... I have one cartridge left… and I only have enough stamina for one last strike…it’s now or never.

“Let’s put our all into one final clash, Signum…Let this be our last.”

Grabbing my last bullet, I inserted it inside Zulfiqar as I readied my pose, ready in a side-thrust position, my weight placed on my legs for a boost, just as Signum sheathed her sword…in a quick-draw pose.

“I accept your challenge.”

Neither of us moved an inch… Just the silent of the winds, that accompanied us, as we never so much blinked…How long had passed? A minute? Or 2? It didn’t matter…

We were at the peak of our concentration…just waiting for the moment, like the falling sands of a time clock…

I don’t know what triggered it… I don’t think she knew either. It just happened in its moment, as we both ran and rushed forward, full speed ahead, spearheading one another…

One step….2 steps… 3 steps… And the sounds of pistons and metal…together as one…

[Load Cartridge!]

Everything happened instantly…my sword was horizontal, as I pushed, thrusting the edge of my sword towards Signum, as sharp and relentless as I could… however, using the sheath of her sword, she quickly removed her sword from it, and instead…sheathed Zulfiqar through it. It was an awkward fitting, the walls of the sheath crackling from the forceful entry of my sword, mismatched in size…but its purpose was done, as using the inertia…she repelled my sword, away, my hand now empty, as Zulfiqar swung up in the sky, along with her sheath, and my body’s center point...now instable, as she swung her sword towards my neck…

Her sharp swing threatened to chop my neck off…but just millimeters away, it stopped… the sword did not connect, as my fist connected deep at Signum’s ribs… her ribcage broken from the impact, as the force blew her back…

She was lying there, cringing in pain from my strike…while I dropped down to my knees... It was exhausting, but I…have…won.

It was… a most dangerous gamble. I would’ve lost had I hesitated for even a second…

“Urgh…what happened…?”

“It is like you said…Signum. I had no more strength to deliver a final blow…Even if I had, it wouldn’t have been enough. So, I used your strength instead. That last strike of mine… I took advantage of the fact that your strength would definitely at its peak once I was open, and countered your attack accordingly with all my strength just before yours strike… I had to be faster than your sword…that’s why I allowed my sword to be thrown away.”

“You…anticipated that…much?”

“No…because it’s you. Because it’s you …that is why I know that you definitely will.”

“I see…I lost because of my own weakness…”

“No… the truth is that…I would’ve lost. Had you chosen to maintain your range with Falcon, or even force an aerial battle…I would’ve lost. That is why…I must thank you for choosing to fight it this way with me, even at the very end.”

I fell down to the ground…tired and battered… Damn…

I’ve done my best…it’s up to you now, Saga…for now…I’ll rest a while…

The ending wasn't very good, imo, but I've cut out like 1000 words worth of an ending since it originally tied in with Tiara meeting Saga at the same time at the end of their battle. I will still include that ending scene, but it won't be in this timeline. I'll save it for when the Revive Reinforce arc starts its gear with the players joining in.

Next time, will either be the end or the 2nd to the end of Part 12. Saga/Tiara and Astra/Shamal SOON! :3

After that, we'll have Part 13 : Dreams, Part 14 : End of Dreams, and Part 15 : Painful Aftermath which will close this part of the story officially.

@KBT... The thing about Mabiko being the dimensional traveler...I actually already have Saga doing that with extra motives and reasons for doing so for the last 10 years from A's to StrikerS so I'm not so sure......