Chapter 263 – Halifax v. Avahn.

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."Updated chapters at novelhall.com

"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)

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"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.

{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.

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<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)

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"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)