The tension in the air was heavier than ever. Battle cries, screams, and loud bangs echoed everywhere. This fight was real. Nyah, Phiona, and Sam, with the help of the E.E.E., were facing the Pure Eidolons. Xavier was up against Avon, and Ace was fighting Victor.
Xavier was breathing heavily after trading a series of brutal attacks with Avon. She was still standing strong, though also a bit out of breath. This battle was far from over.
"Such a shame," Avon said, a smirk playing on her lips as she readied herself for more. "I would have to kill a guy with such an impressive build. I bet you look good under that mask of yours too."
"Huh?" Xavier grunted, adjusting his grip on his broken katana.
"Oh, no need to sound so surprised," Avon said with immense pride and confidence. "I've killed more men than you've had battles, let alone victories." She then dashed towards Xavier, throwing a punch straight at his head. He raised his arm, bracing it with his other to completely stop the blow. Avon immediately went for another punch, this time to his ribs. Xavier, reacting fast as always, back-stepped and slashed with his half-katana, the blade cutting into her skin. Seeing an opening, Xavier pressed his advantage, kicking Avon hard in the side and sending her skidding some distance away. He followed instantly, not letting her rest, and instinctively stabbed down where she'd been. But she rolled away, dodging the attack. He struck again; she rolled once more and then quickly got to her feet with a little backflip.
They both rushed each other, attacking with incredible speed, but it was clear Xavier was faster. This gave him an edge, landing more and more hits on her. Now, several cuts were visible on her body, though none looked deadly. Xavier went in again to engage further, but Avon suddenly took a defensive stance and started countering every one of Xavier's attacks. It seemed their speed had just evened out all of a sudden. That's when Avon knew it was time. She leaped back very high, landing on a nearby building, and let out a loud, piercing scream, signaling to Victor that the moment had come.
"Hahaha, finally! It should kick in anytime soon," Victor snarled, turning to look at Ace with a wild grin. "You're dead."
Avon jumped from the building, launching a powerful strike directly at Xavier's head, slamming his face into the ground. She pulled him up by his neck; his suit was now ripped all over. Holding him clear off the ground, she leaped into the air. In mid-flight, she released him and then punched him straight down through the roof of a building. He crashed through, landing on the first floor. She followed with tremendous force, landing another devastating punch that sent him smashing down to the floor below. As he landed, he desperately tried to get his footing. He managed to stumble up and started moving quickly, unable to run, blood dripping everywhere from his wounds.
"Hey," Avon called out, a slight laugh in her voice. "You know, you never really told me your name."
Cough, cough. "How…?" Xavier choked out, coughing blood. "Just a moment ago, I was sure I was getting the better of you. But all of a sudden, you didn't just match me, you surpassed me in mere seconds."
"Oh, curious, aren't you? Want to know the secret?" Avon said, her voice full of confidence and pride. "Well, it's not much of a secret, and you might as well know. I don't see any harm in telling a dead man walking how I'll finish him."
She paused for effect. "You see, just like regular Eidolons, the Masked, and even the Escaped, we Originals all have something in common: 'instant developing muscles.' It means we can force our muscles to do certain things for us. Think about it: when humans repeat an action constantly, they get used to it, sometimes doing things without even thinking. For Eidolons, this ability is stronger, but not as strong as it is for us. We can force our muscles to develop in a specific way that gives us a huge power-up, a buff that can last for days. The only catch is that we have to be pushed to our very limit to activate it. We call it 'First Release'," Avon explained, all while preparing to deliver the final blow to Xavier. "And also, you still haven't told me your name."
"So, you're telling me that right now, Ace is fighting a much stronger version of that other Original?" Xavier asked, ignoring her question about his name, his mind racing.
"Oh, you mean Victor?" Avon scoffed. "If he activated his First Release while fighting your friend, then your friend is definitely dead by now." She started laughing and closed the distance to Xavier. He swung his half-katana with the last bit of strength in his body, but Avon simply smacked the weapon aside, leaving Xavier defenseless. She began to smash his head with her fists, her blows getting faster and faster, each one carrying tremendous power.
Then, CRACK!
She was still punching when the next blow shattered Xavier's mask, revealing his face. And then, something snapped. The mask, which had been holding back Xavier's inner power, was broken. With Xavier half-unconscious, the battle was left to pure instinct. As Avon was about to land another punch, her fist went right through empty air.
"Huh? What just happe—" Before she could finish, a heavy kick slammed into her head, sending her flying into another room. Xavier's speed was unreal. He moved so fast the ground itself seemed to tear open beneath his feet. Another punch landed squarely on her spine, instantly paralyzing her. He walked up to her, looked down at her prone form without a word, then leaped high into the air. He came crashing down on her head, shattering her skull and driving her body right through the floor to the level below. As he landed, he looked at Avon's lifeless, brutally broken body. Before he could do anything else, he dropped straight to the floor, unconscious. He had definitely exceeded his limit, and it was clearly going to take a heavy toll on him.
Back on the main battlefield, Victor stood over Ace, who lay motionless on the ground.
"You are going to die by your own blade," Victor sneered, picking up one of Ace's twin blades.
Ace! Stand up! Alexos's voice roared in his mind, a desperate, urgent command. Fight! FIGHT! This isn't you! You don't want to be a dead man, I know it! Fight for those you care about! Fight for Pisce!
Victor raised the gleaming blade high, ready to bring it down. The polished steel reflected the chaotic fires of the ruined city.
FIGHT!!!
The blade began its descent, a silver blur aimed straight for Ace's exposed neck—