"A Grand Fracture??" Phoenix shouts as Moshiro looks worried while they run.
"You mean like the one we fought at the dorms that one night?" Wolf asks.
"Not even close. Grand Fractures have particular markings on their pale bodies. That's how you can tell." Moshiro explains.
"Doesn't that mean we should help that human? Won't he need it?" Yoko asks. Moshiro just shakes her head.
"Us getting in the middle of a fight of that caliber will only cause more problems. We don't stand a chance." Moshiro says as Phoenix looks worried. "But a Director is different. I have no doubt Axe and Komori will win, but that doesn't mean they won't level the city doing so. We need to focus on evacuation." Moshiro says as everyone looks determined.
"Right!" they say together.
"Yoko, stay up high and keep an eye out for anyone lost or approaching the area. Moshiro, keep people off the main streets but heading north towards the mountains. Phoenix and I will lead people to you." Wolf plans in a snap. Phoenix smiles a bit at her.
"You sound like Killian." She says as Wolf rolls her eyes.
"Let's go!" Wolf shouts as they do just that.
Axe grunts as the Grand Fracture is slammed into the ground, creating a huge cloud of dust. As Axe falls through the air, the head arm extends outwards with snapping speed but focused this time, Axe causally leans back before swiping and cutting it off. Axe hits the ground on his feet as the Grand Fracture stands up, instantly healing the head arm.
"When was the last time we saw a Grand Fracture?" Axe asks.
"A little over 100 years ago." Komori responds.
"Huh. Good to know." Axe says casually before lifting Komori its way. "Hey, creepy. I don't have very good aim but this blade here is really big. So just hand over the drive and I'll end this quickly." Axe says before the Grand Fracture lifts its arms to fire at him so Axe dashes right before the Grand Fracture and slashes it across its chest deeply. It falls back as the small bag the man had falls to the ground. Axe goes to grab it when the Grand Fracture lifts its left arm and prepares to fire a blast but Axe swiftly slashes the arm in half down the middle with an upward swing. Just then, the head arm snaps at him to strike, but Axe uses Komori to block the attack, causing him to slide far back.
"Axe, don't take this lightly. There's no one left to call if things go south." Komori warns as Axe smirks.
"Eh, it's fine. I've seen what this thing can do. Both those kids walked off its blasts, and it doesn't punch much harder." Axe says as Komori looks worried in her floating black weapon space.
"Still… not just any Soul can become a Grand Fracture." She says as the Fracture reaches down and grabs something from the bag. It lifts up a hard drive as Axe's gaze sharpens. The Fracture lifts it out in front of itself before shoving it deep into its own chest thanks to the open cut Axe delivered. Immediately after, the wounds close up entirely.
"Great. Now I'm gonna have to tear it apart." Axe says with a droop.
In a snap, the Fracture blasts its head arm at him, so Axe blocks the attack with Komori's blade but is sent flying back through a building. Appearing above him with blitzing speed and a sound like tearing a zipping, the Fracture extends its arm to fire a blast at him but Axe swiftly counters by slicing its arm off again.
Axe slides back before Komori transforms into a katar blade and Axe punches at the head arm, slicing it off. He then quickly throws a punch with his other arm, Komori shifting around his arms to appear as a katar in his other hand, slicing the Fracture's right arm off.
The moment its arm is detached, it slams its open palm into the side of Axe's head, sending him flying back, but he flips and slides to a stop. He stands tall before cracking his neck with a smirk. The Fracture instantly heals once more before lifting both its hands at him, but as fast as it does, Axe slashes both its arms off from the side with Komori's knife blade form.
Axe then grabs onto her with his left hand as she starts to glow a bright purple color. He then swings her sharply at the Fracture, slashing it right in the chest.
"Waning Crescent." He says as the energy slash blasts off in a crescent shape, sending the Fracture flying back into the air, black goop blood spilling as it goes. "Flywalk." Axe says as little circles of bright purple energy form under his feet and he dashes into the air, stepping on the air itself as small bursts of air push out with each step.
As Axe dashes through the air, the Fracture shoots out its head arm at him but he spins and dashes right up to it. He drives his fist into its body with tremendous strength, causing blood to spill from its severed neck area and the hole in its chest.
Axe then spins and slams a heavy metal bar against its stomach before revealing Komori as a huge pair of scissors. He goes to chop the Fracture in half but it backhands him across the face, causing him to hesitate for just a moment. The attack seemingly has no effect other than allowing the Fracture to escape the grasp of the scissors.
It then turns and prepares to fire a blast at Axe but he quickly lobs its arm off at the elbow with the scissors before swinging them around and slamming them into its side as a blunt attack.
In quick response, the Fracture extends its head arm but instead of going for an attack, it wraps around Axe's neck before slamming its left arm across his face. Again, the strike seems to do little but the Fracture doesn't stop and lifts its right arm to fire a point blank blast at him. Instantly, Axe cuts both its arm and head arm off with Komori as a bowie knife, freeing him.
"If it's smart enough to keep the drive from you, it's smart enough to use tricks. Stay focused." Komori warns as Axe dashes forward and impales the Fracture swiftly before pulling it out, twist dodging a swipe and impaling it twice more in the side.
"I guess but it sure doesn't seem to know how to fight." Axe says as it lifts its left arm to blast him but he just stabs the hole in its hand, canceling it, before Komori transforms into a katana and Axe cuts its arm off once again. "So I'll just keep wearing it down until-"
As he speaks, he counters and blocks multiple attacks until one particular attack. The Fracture extends its arm to blast him once again but feeling the flow of the fight, Axe casually spins Komori around, using the handle to shove the Fracture's arm to the side, letting it blast into the air simply missing its target.
Although expecting the blast to go off, Axe's eyes suddenly widen as a blindly bright light goes off. Despite the darkness of the night, only illuminated by the moon and the stars, it suddenly seems as though its day.
Phoenix rushes into a small restaurant with patrons inside as she quickly starts speaking clearly to them.
"Hi, everyone? I'm a Vanguard from the ASA. There's currently a Torn attack happening nearby, if everyone could quickly just-"
Suddenly, the same bright light flashes, blinding everyone as Phoenix covers her eyes for a moment as she turns around shocked. The light goes away as fast as it came when Phoenix's eyes widen as she sharply spins and shouts.
"Everyone, down!" She screams as a deafening boom bursts out, shattering the glass of the restaurant and shaking the very foundations of the buildings around. Outside, somewhere else, a woman is knocked over the side of her balcony but then Wolf jumps up and catches her, landing softly.
"Careful now! It's okay, you're safe. Follow those crowds, you're being led to safety by other agents. Quickly, go!" Wolf says firmly as the lady nods and rushes off along with many others now shocked by the loud boom. Wolf looks up with a horrified look. "What the fuck was that?.." she asks under her breath.
Axe watches as an explosion nearly the size of an atomic bomb goes off deep into the sky above the District. The clouds for kilometers are all blown away as the smoke rises and falls in all directions. Axe stares for a moment before the Fracture grabs his face and slams him into the ground.
Out of the dust cloud, the Fracture is sent flying as it smashes into a nearby building.
"It can control the strength of its explosions. Got it." Axe says as he steps out.
"Axe! An explosion like that…" Komori says with worry in her voice as Axe looks serious.
"I know. Congratulations pal. You just earned yourself a place on the Calamity Scale. Category Tower." Axe shouts out to the Fracture as it steps out as well.
"It could kill millions if left unchecked. You or I could take a hit like that no problem but the city? The entire Disctrict?.." Komori says with fear starting to well up in her chest.
"Yeah. I guess I better keep its attention on me then." Axe says before suddenly they both dash straight for each other, ready to strike the other down.
In a different area of the city, Phoenix rushes people around, helping find evacuation points as she sweats and pants a little.
"We're gonna need more than us… where's the rest of the Academy?.." Phoenix asks herself under her breath.
"Phoenix!" Moshiro calls out as they look at each other. "What was that explosion?" Moshiro asks rapidly. Phoenix sweats.
"I think that was the Grand Fracture.." Phoenix says quietly. Moshiro looks up at the large smoke cloud in the air with wide eyes.
"Oh gods…"
"We have to call for backup. There's too many people. There's no way we could-"
As Phoenix talks, she's interrupted by something bursting from the ground. From under the asphalt comes a claw. A Torn comes digging its way out from the ground as the girls look shocked.
"Torn?" Phoenix asks.
"Why the hell is that here?" Moshiro asks aggressively before another one drops down and smashes a car beside them. The Torn stare at them with their deformed bodies before charging their way.
Phoenix blocks the one of the left with her energy shield before dropping it and slamming her flame energy covered fist into its body, sending it flying. Moshiro side steps the other's strike before grabbing its wrist, striking it across the face and swinging her other fist into its face again, sending it flying back.
"What on Airia is going on??" Phoenix shouts as she attacks.
"A Grand Fracture and multiple Torn attacks. This isn't right. We need to protect the people!" Moshiro says back to Phoenix who nods in response as the Torn get back up with vicious looks.
Elsewhere, Axe and the Grand Fracture trade blows, clashing at absurd speeds, causing minor destruction to the surrounding area. Axe counters back and forth with Komori katana before swiping the Fracture across the chest. It falls back a bit but the head arm aims and snaps out, hitting Axe across the face, causing him to fall back too.
The Fracture quickly lifts its arm to fire a blast but its cut off instantly as Axe turns his blade and slashes repeatedly so fast the blade disappears leaving only a soft purple flash in its trace. Axe slashes its arms down over and over until they're cut down to the shoulder where he then slashes deep and heavy across the upper chest of the Fracture.
Its upper chest lifts off the rest of the body for a moment revealing the drive hidden with its chest. Axe's eyes grow wide a bit, noting the drive, before the black goop blood snaps onto the upper part of its body and healing then slamming its hand into Axe's face, sending him flying back.
Axe slides back before Komori turns into a spear and Axe thrusts her at the Fracture but suddenly it disappears with a tearing sound. Axe's eyes grow wide again with shock.
'Saido?'
He thinks as the Fracture attacks him from behind but he quickly turns and collides Komori as a machete against its strike, blocking the attack. He pushes it back then slashes at it before it disappears with a dash again, trying to strike him from behind but Axe disappears with a whooshing sound compared to the tearing sound of the Fracture's movement and the collide again.
Over and over, they repeat this, attacking the other, disappearing with ripping speed and trying to strike the other only to collide attacks, until Axe is struck across the head downwards. He is stunned for only a moment before the Fracture slams its hand against his face, firing off a large blast to Axe's horror.
The entire neighborhood behind Axe is blown away in an instant but fortunately this explosion wasn't nearly as large as the one before. Still though, Axe stands a good bit away, blown back by the explosion, as he pants, a little ruffed up. He looks back with wide eyes at the destruction of the surrounding area.
"Oh no…" he says under his breath as the Fracture's head arm snaps out but Axe casually dodges it by tilting his head. He wipes the sweat and dirt away from his mouth with sharp eyes. "It's learned to use Saido. At this rate it won't be long before it uses Kozen Obscura. I need to end this." Axe says, grabbing onto Komori Giant Knife with both hands.
In the blink of an eye, Axe has blitzed close to it and slashes down across its body but this time, in response the Fracture puts its arms up to block the slash. It bleeds from the cut but the slash doesn't go all the way through like before. Axe is shocked once again.
'Its flesh has hardened too?' He thinks before the Fracture lifts its hand again, preparing to blast. On instinct, Axe grabs onto its hand with his own and counters the explosion, containing the blast. Out of the smoke, Axe flies back with his arm a bit scuffed up as the Fracture stumbles back with its arm destroyed.
It instantly regenerates the limb before snapping the head arm at him so Axe lifts Komori and blocks the attack with the broad side of the blade. He's pushed back far and smashed through multiple buildings as he guards.
'I need to focus on protecting the city and its people. I need to finish it before it can cause any more damage, fast.' Axe thinks.
"Right!" Komori shouts out as a slash bursts out, chopping the head arm once again and stopping the attack. Suddenly, Axe stances up with Komori Giant Knife pointed right at the Fracture next to Axe's head. They start glowing a bright purple color before speed blitzing right up to the Fracture with Komori pulled down and ready to strike with a devastating blow.
"Lunar Eclipse..-" Axe says when suddenly, out of nowhere and faster than Axe can fully react, another man comes diving right at him with a wicked look and his arm pulled back ready to strike.
"Axe, look out!" Komori screams as Axe barely has enough time to look over before being narrowly struck across the face, stopping his attack.
He stumbles over a bit with his back facing them as this new attacker lands and stands tall. His wicked eyes only widen as his smile grows.
"You are strong, human." The man says as Komori looks extremely worried.
"Axe!.." Komori says as Axe turns around to look at the attacker and the Fracture, revealing his face to be missing a portion of it.
"I'm not." Axe says intensely with sharp eyes. His cheek is gone, revealing the teeth in his mouth as blood pools around his wound and dripping off his face.