Chapter CIII: Unstoppable Forces

As Mertron's blade arced through the air, Xaijin shifted his weight. Balancing on the balls of his feet, he bobbed momentarily, and then at precisely the right moment he sprang backwards. The mercenary's sword crashed into the ground, missing by miles. Smirking as he easily dodged the clumsy stroke, Xaijin tapped down lightly on the ground as he gathered chi into his fists for a counterattack.

There was almost a full second between Mertron slicing his sword upward and Xaijin realizing he had been hit.

A pulse of shining, golden light shot forth from the blade as it was pulled free from the frost-covered ground. It swept outwards from the point, creating a wave which blasted forth with intensity that tore the rocks apart. Xaijin did not even register what had happened before the blast took him full in the chest, tearing him off his feet and tossing him like a rag doll into the air. Contorting his body, the Elvaan touched down on the ground again, his feet and fingers leaving a trail as he skidded to a halt, several yards from where he landed.

His eyes shot up, only to find Mertron already bearing down upon him. The air around his sword shimmered with a golden light as he brought it down on the Monk's head. A plume of dust and ice shards burst at Xaijin's feet as he sprung backwards, the blade missing him and tearing a trench into the ground. Again, Mertron tore it free as if the frost-covered rocks were melted butter, and once again a plume of shimmering energy exploded forth.

"Rrrrr - ragggh!" Xaijin roared, bringing his chi to bear. White light blossomed from his palms as his aura flared bright red around him. The blast took him dead on, shattering the rocks at his feet and scarring the ground. A cloud of smoke flared up around him, encircling the Elvaan as Mertron's blast halted. A frigid wind stirred, carrying the smoke away and revealing Xaijin's still-outstretched hand.

His palm was completely black, scarred from the impact of Mertron's power. He ground his teeth, a guttural growl escaping his throat as he clenched his fingers. The skin on his hand was smoking, and the scent of burned flesh wafted through the air. Parts of his already-tattered garb had been blasted away, leaving similar burns on his shoulders and forearms. The red-haired Elvaan was panting, steam pouring from his body as his aura heated the air.

"Alright, that's impressive," Mertron said, tapping his blade against his shoulder. That he could heft the enormous thing with one hand was absurd, but he looked to be giving it no more effort than if it were a simple stick. "Ragnarok here throws out enough energy to cleave a Gigas in two." He lowered the golden sword, leaning against its hilt as it sank into the ground. "I'm gonna bottom line this. You can't win, and it'll be painful if you try. If you just turned and left, I'll probably forget you were ever here."

Xaijin drew back his burned hand, flesh still sizzling. His skin cracked and flaked off as he stretched his fingers, a grimace of pain slicing through his features. Suddenly, his face contorted and a senses-shattering eruption of chi arced across his body, glowing white-hot with intensity. The energy exploded off of him, and in an instant the burns covering his torso sealed over with clean, unbroken skin. He exhaled slowly, flashes of his power surging across his dark eyes.

"That's pretty - " Mertron started, and then never finished.

Xaijin's fists exploded into his chest with force which would tear a bugard in two. The distance separating the two of them had been closed in less than an eyeblink. The mercenary was torn from his feet, but no sooner did he leave the ground than Xaijin's foot lashed out, whip-like, catching him across the back. His body flew forward, but even as he sailed through the air, the Monk was still upon him.

"You wasted time talking," Xaijin muttered into the other Elvaan's ear, "and now you're going to die." As he uttered the last word, his fist came down, crushing Mertron back into the ground. He skidded to a halt several feet away, immediately rushing back to the shallow crater the mercenary's impact had made. Chi erupted from his fist, and when he brought it down it howled through the air as he sought to crush Mertron's skull.

His knuckles made contact, and a volcanic surge of energy shot up into the air. In Castle Oztroja, light poured in through every window, the blinding eruption mimicking the long-absent sun. A wave of heat followed afterward, blasting across the landscape and melting the frost, causing a torrent of newly-created streams to drench the barren rocks of Meriphataud. The ground heaved once, rumbling in protest to the forces being unleashed upon it. Finally, a moment of stillness settled across the mountain range, eerie in the juxtaposition to the raging violence which had just been unleashed.

Xaijin pulled back his bloody knuckles, face contorted in pain as Mertron shifted Ragnarok away, pulling himself to his feet.

"That wasn't smart," he commented, the blade bursting into golden flame. He swung fiercely, the flat of his sword catching the Monk directly under his ribs.

Like a bolt of lightning, Xaijin arced through the air, bouncing feebly against the ground when he made contact. His ribs felt like they were on fire, and blood trickled down from his lips. He threw his eyes up angrily, finding Mertron already rushing him, sword ready to swing. Defiantly, he threw himself forward, charging towards the other Elvaan at breakneck speeds. Mertron swung, missing as Xaijin ducked underneath the slice and delivered a fist straight into the mercenary's gut. He skidded back, but then blindly struck with his sword, the waves of energy it cast cutting through the air. Bringing his arms up in defense, Xaijin winced as he felt his forearms burning as Ragnarok's energy struck them.

Mertron regained his balance, immediately coming forward again. Xaijin let him in close, ducking and weaving each of the great sword's attacks. Each cascade of energy emerged from its point, and so he stayed well within the length of the sword itself. However, even in the midst of attacking himself, Mertron still twisted and spun his body to avoid all of the Monk's counter attacks. The landscape around them was trembling, shuddering beneath the weight of their monumental chi colliding. They seemed not to notice, locked in their battle of life or death, as the ground rumbled and fissures split open around them.

Xaijin landed a graze, fist scraping against Mertron's chin. He moved with the force of the strike, spinning around and shifting his sword grasp to slash through with the momentum, nearly cutting the Monk in two. Xaijin arched backwards to avoid the strike, flipping away and then immediately coming forward again, trying to stay in the pocket where Ragnarok's energy releases could not reach him. He swept Mertron's feet out, but the mercenary planted the blade of his sword, bracing himself and preventing a fall. Immediately he swung the golden sword up again, hair from Xaijin's long red mane sailing into the wind as it brushed millimeters from his face.

Mertron suddenly shifted his grasp, and brought the hilt of his sword up, slamming it into Xaijin's chest. The Monk stumbled back, even as the other Elvaan caught him again with the flat of his blade. This time, Xaijin managed to get an arm up, but he could feel his bones strain as he skidded across the ground. He stopped at the end of Mertron's arm length, a half-circle dug into the ground where he had attempted to block the strike. The sword dropped away, and pain shot like lightning through Xaijin's body. Shuffling back quickly, his right arm hung dead at his side, resisting his attempts to lift it. Scowling, he lashed out with a sinewy leg, his chi riding along the strike like a cannon blast.

The ground itself tore open at Xaijin's kick, sending a shockwave of erupting earth towards Mertron at incredible speed. Eyes widening, he brought Ragnarok up defensively as the strike overcame him. He was pushed back, Xaijin's energy forcing him backwards. With a snarl, a bloom of golden energy surged out of his great sword, and he contemptously slashed through Xaijin's assault. The rising earth split off in either direction, leaving Mertron unharmed in its center. The mercenary was staring hard at Xaijin, however, letting Ragnarok's point dip close to the ground as he held it in one hand.

"You shouldn't be that strong," he protested. "Where does all that power come from?"

"I thought you said you knew who I was," Xaijin replied.

Mertron hefted his sword up again, tapping it against his shoulders. "Of course I do," he answered, "you're Xaijin."

"Yes," he said, and once again his lips started curling back in a smile." Now let me show you what that means!"

The next thing Mertron knew, he was doubled over as Xaijin's fist dug into his exposed gut. Blood shot from his mouth as he gasped, but in the next moment he was arching backwards from an uppercut to his chin. As he flipped over, Xaijin spun around, lashing his foot out once again. The kick caught the other Elvaan in his side, and a thunderous impact cracked the mercenary's ribs. He spun around rapidly in the air, crashing down to the ground with force that kicked up a cloud of dust around him. Xaijin drew back his left arm, his aura burning red around it like an inferno. With a shout of anger, a blast of concentrated chi shot forth, exploding as it struck Mertron dead on.

It then dissipated as the Elvaan sliced through it, still wielding Ragnarok and already back on his feet. The bored look had fallen away from his face, replaced by a hard, angry glare. He held his sword in one hand, the other clutching at his ribs. Growling, he sliced rapidly towards the Monk, each slice throwing out a wave of golden light. Xaijin spun to one side, dodging one, then leaped quickly in the air to avoid another. One came at him as he jumped, and he threw himself backwards, landing on his hands and propelling himself forward just as another wave approached. Gritting his teeth, he let loose his own chi with a roar, and with a devasting spin kick he broke the energy wave into pieces, the golden light fading away to harmless sparkles in the air.

His skin was blackened where his leg had struck Ragnarok's blast, burned and blistered. He winced as he put weight on it, hobbling momentarily before regaining his balance. Mertron leveled his sword at the Monk, taking a step forward.

"Look, I know you're a tough S.O.B., you don't have to prove that to me." To Xaijin's surprise, he lowered his sword and started rifling around in his shirt. After a moment, he produced a cigarette, resting it in his lips and then patting himself searchingly. "You don't have a match, do you?"

"Sorry," Xaijin replied, "just got out of jail."

"Really? I gotta hear that story." Sighing, he lifted a finger, which produced a tiny flame from its tip. "Not much good at magic, myself, but I can do the important stuff." He took a drag from his lit cigarette, blowing a cloud of smoke into the freezing air. "Alright, so here's the deal. I'm only getting paid to take out that castle right there. I didn't think to negotiate fighting a living legend into my contract."

"I'm going to tear your head from your neck if you don't get to the point in about three seconds," Xaijin told him flatly.

"Right, right," he waved one hand dismissively, taking another puff. "So look; I'm just going to put this out there. You want to walk away from this, I'm not gonna go after you. Just walk off into the sunset or something - well, there are no sunsets anymore, but you get my point - and we'll both forget the other person exists."

Xaijin lowered his guard. His right arm still felt dead at his side, stunned from direct impact with Ragnarok. It was a struggle to keep his leg straight after blocking the barrage of energy from the sword. At this rate, sooner or later he'd be unable to properly attack or defend. Worse, he'd delivered strikes he was fairly certain would rip a Behemoth in half, and yet Mertron was still on his feet. The sword's power was no doubt extending itself to its owner, protecting him from the worst of the attacks. If the two of them continued at their current rate, time was on the mercenary's side.

"So I just walk away," Xaijin said, "and no one comes after me? I'm free to go?"

Mertron tapped a long trail of ash from his cigarette. "You got it, chief. Deal?"

"Of course not, you idiot." Xaijin's muscles tensed, and the rocks at his feet shattered to dust. "I just needed another few moments before I could do this again."

Once more, a white-hot fire of chi burned across the Monk's body. His long red hair flared back as the sigils representing his chakra etched themselves in the air. In a flash, his burns and bruises disappeared, and feeling snaked back into his right arm. Then his aura went from white to red, whips of lightning-like energy leaving scars across the ground. His eyes glowed the color of blood as he leveled his gaze at Mertron, a grim smile curling back his lips. A hellish, unnatural howl filled the air as the space surrounding Xaijin went black, and the halo of Souleater's power chilled the area more than the lack of sunlight could ever do.

"Great," Mertron complained, flicking his spent cigarette away. "Looks like I've got no choice." He hefted Ragnarok in front of him, and in the next moment everything surrounding him was burning in the intensity of a blinding golden light. "You could've walked away from this, Xaijin!" He shouted. "It's too late now!"

"Yes," Xaijin agreed, "it is much too late."

"Ragnarok," Mertron intoned, his voice steady as he drew the blade back, "Scourge."

The ground rumbled as the mercenary launched forward, golden light swirling fiercely around his unstoppable sword. His eyes were glowing like lighthouse beacons as he stormed forward, each rushed step issuing forth a tremor in his wake. With each heartbeat, the storm of energy around him condensed and focused into the sword's point. The blade was consumed with the flames of its own power, cutting through the air itself and leaving a vacuum behind it.

Xaijin charged forward in response, the clouds above parting as he moved. The entire valley in Meriphataud was shaking as pitch-black energy laced with streaks of red lightning focused in his fists. The land around him began breaking apart, disintegrating as it came into contact with his overwhelming aura. Each thunderous step he took left a crater behind him from the force of impact. As he rushed towards Mertron's burning sword, he drew back each clenched fist, and the power he had gathered rushed into his hands, screaming to be released.

Mertron swung his sword forward as Xaijin's fist breached his aura, and for a moment the entire area went deathly still.

In the next instant, Meriphataud Mountains lit up with an intensity to shame the shrouded sun. Castle Oztroja shook down to its foundations, massive stones falling from parapets as inside glass shattered, wooden objects splintered, and anything not bolted down was thrown over. A dome of pure chi was rising up from the point of impact, rapidly spreading, undulating between bright gold and deep black. Miles away, the army closing in on the castle was thrown into turmoil as the ground split open at their feet, fissures separating units and swallowing some unfortunate beastmen whole. Demons shrieked and fell from the air, overcome by the waves of energy sweeping over them.

In one shattering moment, the dome of power contracted, and then violently burst outwards, dissipating into the wind with one final surge of unfathomable might.

Xaijin and Mertron were both standing, their backs to one another, on the opposite side of where they had begun. Neither moved, nor said a word. A wind, shining with the remnants of their combined chi still in the air, brushed lightly between them.

The stillness was broken as Ragnarok clattered to the ground.

"Well that sucks," Mertron muttered, collapsing to his knees. He let out a sharp cry as he hit the ground, gritting his teeth in pain. "You broke my arms, you Monk bastard. I can't believe it." He started to sigh, but then hacked in pain, globs of dark blood shooting from his mouth. "How am I supposed to light a cigarette now?"

"That's not really my problem," Xaijin replied. He took one step forward, and then stopped. He hovered where he was for a second or two, and then coughed.

A spray of blood shot out from his torso where Ragnarok had sliced him, opening him up from shoulder to stomach. He too fell to his knees, blood pooling around him.

"You got guys coming to help you?" Mertron asked, falling forward into the dirt.

"Guess so," Xaijin replied weakly, his body shivering.

"Me too," he said. "I hope they get here soon."

The Monk didn't respond, concentrating instead on keeping his insides where they were.

"Man, you really screwed this up for me," Mertron complained. "But I guess I should've known. You are Xaijin, after all."

"Yeah," he coughed. "Get what that means now?"

"I do," The mercenary affirmed, suppressing a cry of pain as he inched forward on the ground.

They both laid there on the ground, bleeding in silence, for several moments before the sounds of movement approached them from both directions. The beating of leathery wings approached from where Mertron lay, and a rush of hurried feet carried across the wind, headed towards Xaijin.

"Hey man," Mertron coughed again, "that was a good fight."

"Yeah," Xaijin agreed. "It was a good one."

"Just sucks though," the Elvaan told his opponent as a demon suddenly dropped down next to him. The creature lifted Mertron up, ignoring his cry of pain as he hefted him by one arm. Another demon landed beside it, grabbing his other hand and spreading his fingers open for him, wrapping his hand around Ragnarok. It began glowing again as soon as he touched it, and it dangled from his grasp.

"What's that?" Xaijin asked, his vision blurring just as figures started appearing in the distance, quickly racing towards him.

"After all that," Mertron told him, even as the demons started carrying him off, "now we're both gonna miss the war."

Xaijin felt darkness rush over him, swallowing him in its cold embrace. Even then, his last thoughts were that he couldn't help but agree.