Alice looked up as Cross entered the waiting area.
"That took longer than I expected. I was almost worried you ran away to hide." Alice tilted her head towards the arena. "The closing ceremonies are just finishing up now.
Cross didn't rise to her bait. "I won't run."
"I hope not. I hate having to chase after what I want." Alice leaned towards him. "So Cross, what is your decision. Will you fight?"
Cross met her eye. "I'll fight."
Alice clapped her hands together. "Wonderful!"
"That is good to hear. I would hate to have to call off a fight," Octavious said as he entered the room. "I shall begin the preparations, then?"
"I do have one more request, though. If you don't mind, Octavious," Alice said, stopping the old man as he turned to head back out.
"Yes?"
"Considering the closing ceremonies have already finished, this will not be considered an official contest of the Dance of Blades, am I correct in saying that?"
Octavious nodded. "That is correct."
"Then, if we are going to do this, I would like to do it right," Alice said. "I want Cross to be able to fight me with everything he has. No restrictions. No holding back."
"As it is not an official tournament match, I have no issues with it." Octavious looked to Cross. "So long as Cross gives his consent."
"No holding back?" Cross stared at Alice.
"No holding back." She nodded. "I want to see everything you have. Show me something interesting, Cross."
"Magic.”
Alice only smiled in response.
"Fine," Cross reached up and toyed with one of tassels on his scarf. "Everything I have. No holding back. But that goes for you as well."
Alice tilted her head. "Whatever do you mean?"
Cross's eyes flicked down to her hands. "You've been fighting with your right hand."
"Yes, I have been. What of it?"
"You're not right-handed." Cross said with a pointed look at her sword.
Alice hesitated before breaking into a laugh. She pulled the sword from her hip and held it aloft with her left hand. "I can't believe you remembered. Alright, then, no more holding back."
"Right, then," Cross nodded and settled the scarf over his face. "No more holding back."
xXx
"Hey, where the hell have you been? It's about to start!" Romeo said as Lexi returned to her seat, her chest heaving slightly.
"I needed to get something," Lexi said simply.
"What, like a snack?"
"Shut up, moron," Makina hissed as Cross and Alice entered the arena.
xXx
"I present you a very special match to close out the day." Octavious's voice carried through the arena. "Looking at this young lady beside me, you may not feel much more than a tickle against your memory. A hazy recollection of a warrior that danced for you not so long ago. Though she initially asked me to keep it quiet, finally! Finally, I may speak her true name. Doubtless you will remember the way her blade sang as she tore through her opponents as they were nothing more than stalks of wheat against the scythe. How she swept across the battlefield like an unstoppable storm.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you youngest ever winner of the Dance of Blades. The Undefeated Lightning Strike, the Singing Sword of Devastation… Ladies and Gentlemen, Alice Mara, the Silver Tempest of Voy!”
The roar that followed was deafening, growing even louder as Alice stepped forward and gave the smallest of waves, a gentle smile on her face. Octavious allowed the display to continue for a few moments longer before raising his hands for silence.
“Her opponent on this fateful day also hails from Voy. You’ve seen him battle side by side and has he not given you quite a show? Ladies and gentlemen, the only man brave enough to stand alone against a tempest, I give you The Courier, Cross Drachen of the Sleeping Dragons!”
xXx
"Wow, Cross really has a lame title," Banksy snorted even as he clapped his hands together with vigor.
"It's fitting though. I like it!" Romeo said as Octavious moved out of the arena and into the stands.
"The combatants are set and I know you have long been ready! So as the Dance comes to a close let the final match… Begin!”
The crowd let out a cheer that almost immediately died out as neither Cross, nor Alice made any attempt to move. As the seconds dragged by into minutes, Makina began to grow antsy. She looked to Lexi, but the mage was completely focused on the battle.
Seeing Makina's distress, Servilia leaned down.
"This is part of the fight.”
"How? They are not even moving. Shouldn't they at least draw their weapons?"
"Look." Servilia lifted her delicate finger as Alice and Cross began to slowly circle. With each revolution they came closer, but still neither did anything more than place their hands on the hilt of their respective swords.
"What is the point of this?"
"It's a game we used to play at the guild. The first to draw their weapon loses."
"So, it is a test of nerves?"
"Yes, in a sense, but it also requires strategy. If you wait too long, you may end up never drawing your weapon and giving your opponent an easy kill." Servilia shook her head. "It is a foolish game, but still, I doubt either of them will want to lose."
"True it is quite foolish, yet it will set the tone for the rest of the battle," Jiana said softly, drawing the surprised attention of the group. She smiled down at them as they turned to look at her. "My conference with the mayor took longer than expected, though it seems I am just in time for the real battle to begin."
xXx
Cross came to an abrupt stop less than a sword length away from Alice. On the exact same step, Alice ceased moving. Cross's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword and he lifted the blade an inch or so from the sheath before pausing.
Alice stared at him with wide, amused eyes.
"Come now, Cross." Alice's voice was soft, but it carried easily between them. "Don't make me wait. You know how much I hate waiting."
Cross wavered for a moment before whipping up his left wrist and flicking his ring finger. A ball of fire spat from his bracer, burning through his coat and heading on a direct line for Alice's face.
With widening eyes, Alice whipped her sword up to deflect the small projectile only to have it explode in a small shower of sparks and smoke as soon as she made contact. A yelp of surprise escaped her lips and she took a single step back.
With a soft breath Cross he drew his sword and swung towards Alice in one smooth motion.
Despite her moment of distress Alice recovered quickly and blocked the attack. Cross pressed, leading with a quick one, two thrust that Alice deflected before he was able to force her back with a powerful upward slash.
"Impressive!" Alice said as she jumped back and regarded Cross. Her eyes fell to his sword. "I thought something was different."
Silent, Cross brought the blade up defensively and waited.
xXx
"Hey! Cross changed swords!" Romeo cried as he lifted up a hand to point.
"So he did. I did not expect that." Jiana smiled and looked down at Lexi. "Is that what you were doing at the guild, Alexis?"
Lexi nodded but did not look away from the fight.
"What kind of sword is that?" Romeo said as he craned his neck to get a better view.
The sword in question was rather simple. Unlike Cross's previous weapon, this one lacked a cross guard and had a considerably thicker blade. Singled edged and set into a polished wooden grip, it tapered down to a jagged, slanted point, almost as if it had been broken in the past and never fully repaired.
Compared to his earlier sword, it could be considered very plain, if not ugly.
"It is an older design. Tejkin, I believe," Servilia said, looking to Jiana for confirmation.
"Yes, it is of Tejkin origin.” Jiana leaned forward with interest.
xXx
Cross ejected his spent cartridge and deftly loaded another from his belt. Alice gave him the time, her rapier spinning around and around.
"Shall we continue?" Alice said. She brought her weapons rotation to a stop. "Don't forget, a trick will only work once."
"We'll see.”
"I have no doubt we will!" Alice cried as she lunged forward and thrust her sword out.
Cross batted the attack up high and returned with a quick downwards slash. Alice deflected the blow to the side, along with Cross's follow up attempt, before stepping forward and grazing Cross on the thigh with the tip of her blade.
"First blood goes to me," Alice grinned as she took a step back to avoid Cross's furious return swipe.
Cross felt his skin grow hot. His fingers tightened around his sword and he lifted his foot to charge towards Alice before slamming it back against the ground. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to take a deep breath and step back. Slowly, he loosened his grip on his sword and relaxed his posture.
Letting the breath out through his nose, the noise of the arena faded away.
His mind went blank.
Alice took a step forward to open the next round. Stepping forward, she feigned a thrust to draw Cross to guard before landing a quick slash to his arm.
Alice took a step towards him.
As her arm cocked back to deliver a thrust, Cross threw himself forward and swung his sword around high, aiming for her a slash across her chest. Alice's eyes widened and she brought her sword back to block, but not before Cross managed to land a glancing blow to her shoulder, the blade easily slicing through her shirt and into her flesh and leaving a perfect, red line.
"Second blood to me," Cross said softly as he drew his blade back.
Alice's eyes lit up and for a moment Cross saw a twinge of anger pass across her face, but it was almost immediately replaced by an excited smile.
"Very good, Cross," Alice breathed. “But far from enough!”
Alice launched herself at Cross and threw out a dizzying display of combinations that forced Cross onto the defensive. However, even as she managed to force him back step by step, she was unable to find any opening in his defense to land a decisive killing blow.
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"So you have gotten better," Alice commented lightly as Cross tilted his head to the side, allowing Alice's blade to pass by him harmlessly, the force of the strike rustling his hair. Cross responded with a slash towards her stomach, forcing her to jump back, though she threw out another thrust as she did so, stopping Cross from following up with another attack.
"Maybe you got slow," Cross said, pivoting with Alice as she began to circle him.
"Perhaps," Alice glanced over Cross's shoulder. She threw out a quick strike that Cross blocked with ease. Her head tilted and she threw out another attack, this one a quick feign up high before she struck with a low slash towards his legs, though she barely looked at him as she did so.
Cross blocked the attempt again.
"Interesting. I believe I understand now. " Alice nodded.
Stepping forward she threw out a weak thrust that Cross batted to the side. Just as their blades touched Alice slipped forward and threw a punch with her off hand. Cross tilted his head back, but a fraction of a second too soon and Alice clipped him on the chin. The blow spun Cross around and Alice pounced, stabbing towards his exposed back. Cross's arm jerked up and he spun his sword behind his back. The tip of Alice's rapier connected with the flat of his blade, saving him from being impaled, but not from the follow up kick that connected with his lower back.
Cross stumbled forward and spun around, bringing up his sword to guard, but Alice did not follow after him. She did not even look at him. Instead, she stared intently at the large crystals set in the arena walls that had flashed red for a moment before fading back to their bluish hue.
"Yes, I see now." Alice smirked at Cross. "You can only see the future as it is decided in that moment. I thought that's how it was, but you have been blocking every one of my attacks with such precision that didn't seem possible."
Cross remained silent and kept his sword ready.
"But I was right the first time." Alice nodded and began to pace, swishing her sword back and forth thoughtfully. "You don't actually have definite knowledge of what is going to happen, only what is going to happen in the current timeline. It is my commitment to the attack that truly decides if it is the future or not. If I change the attack, you must look into the future again. That causes the crystals to flash. Am I wrong?"
Alice laughed when Cross refused to speak though his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Oh., I know that look, Cross. That means I have you figured out completely. I am very impressed though. That is an incredible ability you possess. However, I remember in the past, if you used your Clairvoyance even a little bit you were left with quite a painful headache, isn't that right?
She was right and they both knew it. The dull ache in Cross's head had quickly grown into a painful spike that throbbed with every beat of his heart. A thin trail of blood was already trailing from his nose and staining the scarf.
Still, he wasn't at his limit yet.
Misa had trained him well.
He could still fight.
He could still beat Alice.
He could still win.
"Let's see how long you last," Alice said as she slid forward and resumed the battle.
As the two danced around each other, blades flashing faster than the eye could follow, the crystals in the arena flashed so rapidly they seemed to simply glow a continuous red.
Cross received a stab across the stomach that nearly sent him reeling, but was able to recover in time to stop Alice's finishing strike to his chest and respond with an off-balance slash that managed to slip through Alice's guard and catch her high on the arm.
Cross felt a grim sense of satisfaction as she bared her teeth in pain before resuming her barrage and managing to land another glancing blow to his torso.
xXx
"She's so fast," Makina breathed as Cross tried to put a small amount of distance between himself and Alice.
"Alice is not only fast, she is incredibly skilled," Jiana said as Cross ducked under a slash and came up to Alice's right. He aimed for a thrust to her exposed side, but Alice's rapier came across to block. "She is without a doubt the most naturally talented swordswoman I have ever met. Her innate ability to respond to an unknown situation and adapt her strategy to combat it is astonishing. Even as a child she was able to defeat opponents many times her age with far more experience."
"And from each one she learned," Servilia added. "Alice rarely falls for the same trick twice."
"She is also quite the trickster herself." Jiana nodded. "Alice will do anything to obtain a victory. Often, she can win a battle long before her blade is drawn. Her ability to exploit her opponents’ mental weaknesses is second to none. She has no doubt been playing with Cross this entire match and likely before it."
"How would she do that?” Makina asked.
“There are many ways,” Servilia said, lifting up her fingers and counting off to herself mentally. “Though the most effective would be to make him angry.”
"Cross does not fight well when he is angry," Jiana said. "He will often do his best to stay calm. It takes quite a bit of prodding to break his concentration. Unfortunately, Alice knows exactly where the cracks in his armour are."
Banksy let out a heavy sigh. "So Cross is screwed then?"
"I did not say that," Jiana said even as Cross faltered and Alice caught him on the leg, dropping him down to one knee.
xXx
Alice took the momentary reprieve to skip back a handful of steps, easily avoiding Cross’s defensive swipes. She pushed back a few strands of loose hair from her face and look at the crystals. The flashes had grown sparse.
"Getting tired?" She called as Cross worked his way back to his feet, his shoulders tightly hunched together. “This can’t be everything you have? Not after so long? No… there must be something more, right Cross?”
Behind his scarf, Cross bared his teeth at her, but he lacked the energy to do much more. Truth be told, he was tired. Extremely so. Exhausted even. But more than that… more than that he was frustrated.
Even with his Sight he had been unable to land more than a glancing blow on Alice and with every engagement she was growing closer and closer to breaking through his guard.
It was infuriating. She was toying with him in front of the entire arena.
In front of his guild.
In front of his team.
His entire body was growing hot. Anger coiled tight in his belly like a snake, more than ready to strike and that in itself only made him angrier. He knew that was exactly what Alice wanted. He knew that and yet here he was, falling for her taunts like he was nothing more than a child.
So Cross did the only thing he could do.
He breathed.
Tilting his head back and looking up at the sky, he sucked in a deep breath and held it until he was sure his chest would burst and then another moment longer before letting it out through his nose.
In.
The tension fell from his shoulders.
Out.
He brought his head back down.
In.
He took up his stance.
Out.
Alice stared at him and he stared right back.
Now, with his head cleared, he finally saw it. There, burning in her eyes and creeping through the cracks in her cheerful façade.
Of course.
Anger.
Alice was angry. She wanted this battle to end. She wanted a decisive victory. Simply the fact that he was able to stand up to her for this long, that he had landed even a few strikes was an insult to her.
"Right, then," Cross sighed and brought his free hand up. With a small smile, he beckoned Alice towards him.
Alice's eyebrow went up for a moment before she smiled.
"Alright, then, Cross. As you wish."
Alice surged forward and let her sword trail out behind her. Cross watched her through narrowed eyes. Alice was deceptively fast. He knew that. He knew that better than anyone. She would let the sword hang back until the last second hoping to bait him into trying to attack. When he did, she would read his movement and counter.
Cross held his ground.
The grin on Alice's face grew as her gambit failed. Undeterred, she continued towards him. Her arm tilted slightly and Cross readied himself, the blade gripped tight in his hand.
Alice brought up her sword and extended into a thrust. With a single step forward, Cross met her blade head on, angling it off to the side. They locked together for only a moment before Cross brought up his open hand and slammed it against her stomach.
"Han!"
The air around the point of contact between them bent before Alice was blown backwards with a cry. Her feet lightly skipped against the ground before she came to a stop a few feet away and doubled over. She let out a pained cough and grabbed at her stomach with one hand.
xXx
"What was that?" Makina asked as she jumped up from her seat, her eyes fixed on the battle below. "What did Cross do? Was that magic?"
"No, it wasn't magic," Lexi said softly, her eyes glancing to the crystals that remained blue. Her brow furrowed.
"It seems Cross very much wants to win this," Jiana said as she leaned forward.
"What was it?" Makina demanded.
"Tejko Tenchi. The Shrouded Blade. An ancient style of martial arts developed to combat magic users, though it can be just as effective against non-users as well."
"I was not aware Cross knew such a style," Servilia said.
"He has been training with me since he was quite young," Jiana said with a small smile. "I suppose he simply forgot to mention it."
"But what did he do?" Makina urged.
Jiana held up her hand. "All beings possess energy. Tenchi practitioners are able to harness this energy and focus it into a tangible form. Cross may still a novice, but even he can use the first form. Han. The Fist."
"It sounds like magic to me," Makina said.
"The principles are not so different. It was by studying magic that Tenchi was created.”
xXx
Alice recovered slowly, pulling her hand away from her stomach and revealing the large hole Cross had blasted in her shirt. A bruise, the perfect imprint of Cross's palm, was already visibly forming against her pale skin.
"Well." Alice coughed and brought her sword around. "That is something new."
Cross let out a small sniff and charged at Alice. She met him head on, slamming her sword against his before she pivoted her blade and sliced along the top of his hand. Cross immediately threw up his arm and fired off a flashbang that detonated as soon as it left the chamber. Though it blinded him as well as Alice, it kept her from attacking and gave him the chance to escape to a relatively safe distance.
Swallowing hard Cross looked down at his hand. The cut was minor. A seemingly innocent injury that could all but give Alice the fight.
Even without his Sight he could see it. His grip would fail. The sword would slip from his finger. Alice would end it, smirk plastered on her face, as she pierced him through the heart.
"So, they have different fuse times. Very smart of you to mix them up." Alice nodded as she rubbed her eyes clear and filed the information away. She gave a pointed look at his sword hand. "I hope that doesn't hurt too bad. Do you need a bandage?"
"Bandage…" Cross said slowly before he reached up ran his fingers along the scarf still wrapped along his face.
Cross ripped the scarf from his face and whipped it out to the side. Keeping his eyes on Alice he tightly wrapped the strip of fabric around his hand and sword, locking the two together.
"When you're ready," Cross called out as he settled back into his stance
"Clever," Alice sniffed.
In a breath she was on him again. She came exactly as he knew she would. Her sword moved with swift, deliberate strikes meant to dislodge his weapon. Cross held on tightly and swung back with renewed vigor, trying to drive Alice back. Alice would not be denied, however, and kept the momentum rolling in her favor and soon Cross was falling back, unable to break through offense. He felt his sword begin to slip from his fingers, his grip lasting only by the aid given from the scarf wrapped tightly around his fist.
Growing desperate, Cross adjusted his grip and brought down a powerful swing towards Alice.
The crystals on the wall behind Cross lit up just as Alice parried his slash. She spun to the side and ducked down just as he swung his fist to meet her. She smiled in triumph as she came up behind him and brought her sword back to deliver a finishing thrust when Cross's foot snapped back.
"Zan!"
Though Cross's foot never made contact with her body, Alice was still blown back a number of steps as the invisible force of the attack hit her. She let out a gasp as the air was driven forcibly from her lungs.
Cross did not press his advantage as he dropped down to one knee and placed his hand on his chest as his heart beat a painfully rapid rhythm against his ribs. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth and black ate at the edges of his vision.
xXx
Lexi stood up and leaned over the railing. "What's wrong with him?"
"The Tenchi style requires very large amounts of energy. Just as Cross's Sight wears on his body, so does the Tenchi style," Jiana explained. "There is a reason you have never seen him use it before. Beyond the necessity of his sword as a focal point, there are requirements that he must meet or using the style would result in nothing more than a defeat or even his death. If this wasn't a tournament, I doubt he would have attempted it at all."
Lexi's hand gripped the handrails until her knuckles turned white. "Get up, Cross. Get up!"
xXx
It was Alice who recovered first, straightening up with considerable effort. Frowning, she reached down to touch her ruined shirt.
"This has been more interesting than I expected, Cross, but I do think it's time to bring this to an end."
Bringing about her sword she walked towards him with slow, deliberate steps. Cross tried to rise to his feet, but only managed to stumble back down to one knee before a cough rattled through his chest and sent him back down to the ground on all fours.
The sound of Alice’s boots crunching against the ground was almost deafening.
He had to get up.
He couldn’t lose.
Not like this.
Stabbing his sword into the ground, Cross forced himself back to his feet. His left eye shut against the pain, he wiped his sleeve across his face to clear the blood and waiting.
In his mind he saw hundreds of scenarios play out as Alice forcibly changed her fate time and time again. A bead of sweat fell down his brow and the blood roared in his ears as he tried to keep the future and present from blurring together even as the black spots dancing in his vision grew.
He was at his limit and could not rely on magic or the Tenchi style for more than one more attack.
Alice was right.
One way or another this battle would end soon.
Alice swung her sword high and Cross threw his blade up to block. The two met, then met again and again and again as they raced each other towards the end.
However, even as Cross managed to keep himself in the fight, it was quickly becoming clear who held the advantage.
He stumbled as Alice's blade stabbed him in the thigh. Throwing himself to the side he avoided her follow up attack and rolled back to his feet. Alice caught him just as he rose, knocking his sword to the side and kicking him high in the chest, sending him back to the ground. Cross allowed his body to roll all the way over and came to rest on one knee. Angling his right wrist towards her, he blindly fired off his last flashbang, but Alice simply sidestepped the projectile and it harmlessly exploded against the arena wall behind her.
His arm fell back down to his side and his breath came in short, sharp bursts. The sword in his hand felt like it held the weight of the world. He lifted his head as Alice lunged towards him. There was fire in her eyes as she thrust her rapier towards him. She already knew he couldn't bring his sword up to block, not in time.
Forcing in the deepest breath he could manage, Cross wrenched his left hand up to meet Alice’s thrust. He felt the tip of the blade enter his palm with a sharp, burning pain. He closed his eyes and threw his body forward, feeling the blade slide deeper into his flesh. He focused on the pain, felt it course through his entire being.
"Han!"
Alice cried out as the blade of her rapier shattered, the shards of metal exploding out in every direction. Cross roared as he slammed into her, sending them both tumbling.
In a tangle of limbs, they skidded across the bloodied ground.
As they rolled Alice thrashed wildly, catching Cross's injured sword hand and knocking the blade free from his grip. With his hand now free, Cross threw out his arm and stopped their momentum. They came to a stop with Alice lying beneath him. A warning pang twisted through Cross's mind and his hand blindly shot out to catch Alice's left wrist before she could slam the remains of her weapon into his side.
Alice struggled to free herself from his grip, but Cross was too strong. She swung her free hand around to strike him in the side of the head, but he tucked his head into his shoulder and accepted the punishment again and again until her Alice's blows grew weak and the attacks slowed until her arm could only rest lightly around the back of his neck.
Breathing hard Cross stared into Alice's eyes and she stared right back. He expected to find it, that spark of anger, that irritation that he wouldn't just let her win.
But he didn't.
Instead he saw something that made his stomach twist. He saw a glimmer. A twinkle that danced in her eyes as a tiny smile crept onto her face. He didn't even feel her arm behind his neck tighten before Alice tugged him down closer as she pushed up meet him until…
Her lips brushed against his.
Cross's mind went completely blank as Alice pressed her mouth harder against his, deepening the kiss before she pulled away. There was just the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks as she stared up at him.
"You really have grown up, Cross," Alice breathed before she wrenched her hand free from his slack grip and slammed the broken rapier into his side. The blade passed between his ribs and into his heart, knocking him unconscious immediately. Alice rolled him to the side and slowly moved onto her knees. Gently she turned Cross onto his back and brushed the mused hair from his face. "But you still have a lot to learn.”
xXx
"W-what was that!" Makina yelled as Alice stood up and bowed to the cheering crowd. "That… that must be against the rules! I demand that woman be held accountable for….for…for such lewd public behavior!"
"Alice will do anything to win," Jiana sighed. "How very unfortunate for Cross. This fight meant so much to him. Such is life, I suppose."
“Mistress….” Lexi opened her mouth to say something more before going silent. With a short nod to Jiana, she leapt from the railing and landed lightly in the arena.