The Beetle hovered above them like a dark star, her presence heavy as a mountain despite her still-dormant aura. Sleeser could feel his heart hammering against his ribs as he watched her twist her arms in a fluid motion. The ground beneath their feet groaned and buckled as massive chunks of earth tore free, rising into the air like angry giants.
"Scatter!" Sleeser shouted, his voice cracking with urgency.
The three warriors leapt apart just as the earthen missiles crashed down. Axel became a blue blur, his evolved speed letting him dance between the impacts. Force met his chunk head-on, his remaining good arm snapping forward in a punch that shattered stone into rubble.
Sleeser combined agile movement with his own earth manipulation, though the difference in power was painfully clear - where the Beetle commanded, he merely suggested.
Panting slightly, Sleeser forced bravado into his voice: "You'll need more than that to take us out!"
"Oh, very well." The Beetle's sigh carried centuries of boredom. Then she vanished.
Sleeser's eyes widened a fraction before her fist buried itself in his gut. The impact felt like being hit by a speeding truck - all his breath exploded out as the force rippled through him. Concrete cracked behind him before his body went flying, tumbling across the broken pavement like a discarded toy.
Force and Axel surged forward as one, desperation driving them to perfect coordination. Force's strikes carried mountain-crushing power even with one arm, while Axel's blinding speed kept the Beetle from targeting his partner's injury. But Sleeser could see the growing frustration in her movements, the way her attacks grew sharper, more precise.
The sun caught a metallic gleam as she refined her stone gauntlets into razor edges. "Now you die," she growled, slashing toward Force's vulnerable arm.
"Not yet!" Force's voice carried raw defiance as his aura exploded outward. "Reverse Pull!"
The gravity around him inverted violently, creating a shockwave that cratered the ground and sent the Beetle tumbling backward through the air. She caught herself with casual grace, brushing dust from her clothes as if they were having a pleasant sparring match.
"Not too shabby." Her complement carried poison. With a gesture that looked almost lazy, she commanded a forest of stone spikes to erupt where Force stood.
He twisted away with battle-forged instinct, but one spike found its mark. The golden cast Sleeser had made shattered as stone pierced Force's shoulder, drawing a grunt of pain that spoke volumes about his will of iron.
"Force!" Axel's cry carried raw fury. His evolved aura blazed brighter as he accelerated, becoming a tornado of blue light that circled their opponent with dizzying speed.
Sleeser's voice cut through their mental link, carrying desperate strategy: "Buy me thirty seconds!"
"Roger." Force's response was tight with pain but unwavering. Emerald energy gathered in his good hand, creating a sphere of concentrated gravity that began pulling in debris like a hungry mouth.
The Beetle's annoyance finally showed as she thrust both hands outward. Stone walls erupted around her in a perfect circle, cutting through Axel's path like the teeth of a trap. He couldn't adjust in time - his incredible speed became a liability as he crashed hard into unyielding rock.
She stalked toward his crumpled form with predatory grace, but suddenly hesitated. Force's attack had grown into something that made the air itself feel heavy, drawing even light into its depths.
"BLACK HOLE!" The name became a battle cry as Force hurled his creation.
The Beetle tried to dodge, but her enhanced stone gauntlets betrayed her - their density made them perfect targets for Force's gravitational attack. The dark sphere caught her like a fly in amber, holding her in place as her face twisted with the first real concern they'd seen.
Behind them, Sleeser stood like a statue coming to life. His spread hands began to glow - one palm building up fire like a tiny supernova, the other holding lightning that crackled and jumped between his fingers. With agonizing care, he brought his hands together. The elements fought each other at first, fire and lightning twisting away like magnets with opposing poles. But Sleeser forced them to merge, adding streams of his pure energy that flowed like water, binding the volatile mixture together. As a final touch, he poured molten gold into the sphere, the liquid metal moving like honey as it wove through the other elements.
The cost was immediate and brutal. Blood ran freely from his mouth and reopened wounds, painting dark patterns down his clothes. His evolved state flickered like a candle in strong wind as he pushed it far beyond safe limits. But his eyes... his eyes burned with something beyond pain or exhaustion - the absolute certainty of a warrior about to unleash everything he had.
"Force! Axel!" His voice cracked through the air like a whip. "Clear out - NOW!" The command carried such raw authority that his companions moved before conscious thought could catch up. And in that moment of perfect clarity, Sleeser spoke the words that would reshape the battlefield:
"Take this - NATURE'S FURY!"
Pure energy, wild and untamed, combined with the elements he'd gathered - fire hot enough to melt stone, lightning that made the air itself scream, and streams of molten gold that moved like living metal. The devastating mixture erupted from his hands in a beam that erased everything it touched. His attack roared across the battlefield like a force of nature given purpose, swallowing Force's black hole before the concentrated gravity yanked it inward.
The two techniques merged for a heartbeat before detonating with the force of a small sun. Lightning arced through the clouds of dust and debris like nature's own celebration of their victory. When it finally began to clear, their enemy was nowhere to be seen.
"Did... did we do it?" Axel pushed himself up from the rubble, his voice carrying desperate hope. "Is it over?"
A muffled voice answered from behind them, turning their blood to ice: "Of course not. What do you take me for?"
The ground erupted as the Beetle rose like a vengeful spirit, her stone armor gone but otherwise unharmed. Their shock must have shown clearly on their faces because her smile grew wider, sharper.
"She sacrificed her armor to escape," Force's observation carried bitter understanding.
"I have to say, most impressive indeed." Her praise felt like salt in their wounds. "Now I know exactly who you are." The words hit them like physical blows. "Don't underestimate the Sundering Flames' intelligence network. We know quite a bit."
She pointed at Axel with casual precision. "You, the blue one - codename Sonic."
Axel's face drained of color as she turned to Force. "The green one with gravity powers - you must be Graviton."
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Finally, her finger settled on Sleeser with terrible certainty. "And you, master of multiple elements - Father Nature himself."
Sleeser forced his trademark smirk despite the blood painting his face. "Your intelligence gathering is truly commendable."
"Indeed." Her satisfaction was palpable. "Though we didn't realize three such esteemed Aurons belonged to the same squad." Her next words fell like hammer blows: "Under Sigma's command, no less!"
Their shocked expressions must have been obvious because her smile turned predatory. "Why so surprised? I heard every word you said." She practically purred with satisfaction. "You must miss him terribly."
Sleeser's mind raced back to his distress call. "That's impossible - you weren't within earshot."
"Oh, I have my ways." Her chuckle carried dark promise.
Something shifted in Sleeser's expression as an idea took root. "What if I told you Sigma is alive and well?"
The effect was instant - color drained from her face as fury twisted her features. "What?! We sacrificed a Master Rank to eliminate him! You expect me to believe such nonsense?!"
"A trade then." Sleeser's voice carried careful calculation. "Tell me how you heard us, and I'll share Sigma's location. Whoever survives this battle can act on the other's information."
Her confidence returned like a tide. "An entertaining proposition. Very well - I'll play along." She tapped her ear with one finger. "I created earbuds from earth earlier. When you speak near stone or concrete, the vibrations travel through it. My earbuds recreate those vibrations - similar to your communication devices, but using the ground itself as a conductor."
"I see." Understanding dawned in Sleeser's eyes. "That's how you knew we were behind that corner."
"Very perceptive." Her praise carried ice. "Now, tell me the truth about Sigma. Your answer will determine how painful your deaths become."
Sleeser's answering smile carried secrets like hidden knives.
----------------------------------------
[Meanwhile in Novaria]
Red's rampage continued in the background, his laughter mixing with screams to create a terrible symphony. The ice-armored terrorist would have helped his men, but Angelo stood between them like an impassable wall.
The terrorist's grip tightened on his twin ice blades, frost spreading from his fingers across the crystalline weapons. Angelo settled into his stance, double-scythe at the ready. Their weapons met in a clash that sent sparks of energy dancing through the air, but Angelo's inexperience showed - his movements with the scythe were more theatrical than practical.
With a fluid spin that looked almost casual, the ice Auron knocked Angelo's weapon away. It spun through the air before dissolving into particles of orange light.
"Why does this keep happening?" Angelo muttered to himself as he leapt skyward, leaving a trail of azure smoke where he'd been standing. The ice blades whistled through empty air.
The terrorist spun to deliver another strike, but suddenly powerful arms locked around him from behind. Joe, still watching from his spot among the rubble, couldn't help but grin as he realized what had happened - Blue had materialized from the smoke Angelo left behind, catching their opponent in a perfect trap.
Angelo didn't waste the opportunity. Forged energy crystallized around his fists into dense gauntlets as he unleashed a brutal combination of strikes. Each punch landed with crushing force against the terrorist's face and torso, drawing pained grunts that suggested even that impressive armor had weak points.
Finally, the ice Auron recovered from his surprise. Raw strength let him break Blue's hold with a violent spin, ice blades flashing - but Blue had already dissolved back into smoke, leaving the terrorist striking at empty air.
That moment of confusion was all Angelo needed. He channeled power into his leg for a devastating kick that sent the terrorist flying... but also launched Angelo in the opposite direction thanks to that cursed rebound ability. Even as he tumbled backward, Angelo gathered energy around his arm, unleashing a concentrated blast at his airborne opponent.
A cruel smile spread across the terrorist's face as he formed an ice construct full of sharp angles. Angelo's energy wave hit the barrier and got shredded, completely neutralized. When Angelo regained his feet, his gauntlets were covered in spiderweb cracks, pieces crumbling away like broken pottery.
"Hahaha!" The terrorist's laughter carried vicious satisfaction. "My Kinetic Ice is too tough for you! Look - not a scratch on me while your fancy gloves fall apart!"
"Your bleeding nose suggests otherwise," Angelo replied, his voice carrying deadly calm.
The terrorist wiped his armored hand across his face, genuine surprise showing when it came away red. "Sh-shut up! You'll pay for that!"
"Angelo." Blue's voice cut through their mental link, somehow maintaining its scholarly precision even now. "Don't revert the forged energy back to normal energy in front of him. It will ruin my strategy."
"Oh? And when were you planning to share this strategy?" Angelo's internal response carried clear annoyance.
He had no time to hear Blue's answer as the terrorist attacked again, ice blades singing through the air. Angelo focused on defense, manifesting quick shields and dodging what he couldn't block while trying to maintain their mental conversation.
"There must be a limit to his rebound ability," Blue continued with infuriating calm. "I believe our best option is one concentrated attack. This time, you can benefit from my experience. How does that sound?"
"That - sounds - great - and all!" Each word came between desperate dodges.
Angelo spread his wings of forged energy, launching himself skyward as he rained down energy blasts, forcing the terrorist to move. But his opponent just stood there with crossed arms, letting the attacks bounce harmlessly off his armor.
"Alright, now that he's showing off, what's the actual plan?" Angelo pressed.
Blue explained quickly, finishing just as the terrorist's patience ran out. Ice arrows screamed toward Angelo, forcing him to wrap his wings around himself like a cocoon. The projectiles pierced through but got stuck, their momentum spent before they could reach him. When Angelo landed, his dissipating wings released a rain of ice arrows.
Blue had already slipped away, taking position behind a broken wall in a nearby building. His fingers formed into the shape of a gun as azure energy gathered at the tip, condensing into a sphere no bigger than a marble. His eyes blazed with sniper's focus as he waited for the perfect shot.
The terrorist charged in with his blades. Angelo manifested a shield, which caught the strike but gained a deep gash for its trouble. As he jumped back, letting the damaged construct fade, a new gauntlet formed around his right hand, glowing with contained power.
The battle continued as Angelo defended against an onslaught of attacks - water jets, ice spikes, and those deadly blades. His gauntlet grew brighter with each passing second, and when he was forced to block another blade strike, the weapon only left a shallow scratch instead of cutting deep.
"I see," the terrorist's voice carried smug understanding. "You made it denser for better defense. That won't save you."
"No?" Angelo's free hand snapped forward. "Then how about this!"
The terrorist raised his defense, but instead of an attack, only orange smoke poured forth. "What... smoke?" Confusion colored his voice.
Angelo surged forward, that glowing gauntlet cocked back for a devastating punch. But the terrorist's ice-covered arm caught it easily, and Angelo felt the familiar pain of his own force rebounding through him.
"Ah, cunning!" The terrorist's satisfaction dripped like poison. "But I'm too smart for you, it seems!"
"Tch," Angelo disengaged with a grunt of frustration, launching another energy blast followed by more smoke. This time the terrorist didn't even try to dodge.
"Ha! You think I'd fall for that twice? Now that's just insulting." He stood proudly in the middle of the smokescreen.
"Guess I underestimated you..." Angelo's words carried false defeat. "Can you feel it, Blue?"
"I can. Just keep him still for one more moment." Blue was focusing on Angelo's suspended energy particles around their opponent.
"Ha! Yes you did!" The leader began,
"Precision Shot." Blue's whisper carried deadly purpose.
"Now then, I think its high time I wra—" The terrorist's victory speech was cut brutally short as Blue's condensed energy bullet pierced through the wall. It found the tiny gap between armor segments at the base of his neck, striking with surgical precision. The terrorist's words died in his throat as his nervous system misfired, creating a precious few seconds of paralysis.
Angelo didn't waste the opening. His gauntlet of forged energy dissolved back into his normal energy, compressing into an orange sphere about the size of an apple. He crossed the distance between them in two heartbeats, slamming the condensed energy straight into his opponent's armored chest. The kinetic ice fought back, trying to deflect his power. Each pulse of Angelo's energy sent painful shockwaves through both of them.
With a roar that felt like it would tear his throat apart, Angelo forced every scrap of power he had into that single point of contact. The energy finally burst through, punching clean through armor and flesh alike. It left a hole big enough to fit a melon.
As his opponent's armor crumbled away, Angelo's stomach twisted. The terrorist was barely older than him - just another young soldier fighting for what he thought was right. One more death to add to the Angel of Death's growing ledger. Behind him, Red's deadly performance painted the street in ever-darker shades of crimson, that horrible mask's grin promising there would be no one left to mourn this latest victim.