Suiren’s eyes quickly moved to Butler who appeared beside her, “No. And whatever you do, do not fight him or anyone else here, especially if you see an old man.” She was dead serious, Butler might be strong, but wherever the Saint was the guard would be sure to also be.
And if that man was here it would be the worst scenario for him.
Her eyes moved back to the Saint. And then he spoke, “It seems you are in this place as well Suiren.” He simply stated. But Suiren did not have any words for him.
Instead she chose action.
Suiren exploded with into movement and rushed to the Saint. And then, far before she reached him she swung out her fist with all her might as her body twisted into the blow.
The strike met a wall, and the air shook and exploded between it and her fist. Then, using the momentum of the charge she followed through with the punch, her body spun and her leg lashed out, striking the barrier with titanic force.
Again the air exploded, but the Saint did not even flinch at the strikes.
And then the Saint raised his hand, and a surge of light exploded outward from a quickly formed sphere, sending her flying back.
As Suiren flew and landed into a roll, the Saint gave her no reprieve, and immediately fired a spear of cleansing light. Time seemed to slow as it raced at Suiren’s head, closer and closer. And then she moved, her body spun, and with a hand coated in golden light she grabbed the spear of light from the air.
The white began to surge with gold as Suiren continued to spin, pivoting on her feet, and then with all her might, she flung the spear back at her opponent.
The spear traveled unopposed, but the moment it hit Hamara it harmlessly broke upon his form.
And Suiren simply glared as they two returned to a standstill, Suiren’s smoking and burnt right palm the only trace of the clash.
“Let’s see how you like this, Saint.” Suiren declared as the golden light danced around her form with greater intensity, the earth shook as the pulse of the earth flowed into her. And again, and again. It kept flowing into her, and the light intensified.
And in a burst of moment appeared a couple of meters away from the Saint. And the man did not even respond. “GOLDEN MOUNTAIN FISTS: EARTH SHAKING GOLDEN AVALANCH!”” And a fist shot forward and hit the barrier.
The air shook and floor cracked, the glass broke, and everything was blown away. An explosion of force which broke the world simply by existing was released. But the the Saint did not move. And then another fist struck, and another, and again.
A flurry of golden blows struck against a now visible but translucent white barrier, and slowly the Saint was pushed back. And then it stopped, and at that moment Suiren took a stance. “Golden Mountain Fist: SUPPREME PEAK!”
A fist struck and the force of countless blows struck the barrier, and with a shockwave the Saint in territory was launched, being shot out of the building like a comet.
The white sphere, now obvious from all sides, shot from the building, before it came to an almost immediate stop and floated in the air. Hovering in the center was the Saint, untouched and unaffected, with his arms outstretched.
And a golden blur shot out from the building, and in the air above his sanctuary Suiren fell. “I’M NOT DONE YET!” And the golden light again increased, as the pulse of the sky flowed into her, though what appeared to be golden cracks in the air they floated.
“GOLDEN HEAVEN STRIKE!” He leg was raised high, the golden light collecting into it, “FALLING GOLDEN STAR!” And it fell.
And again the air shook, and the Temple of the Saint was shot to the earth, a sonic boom shattering the windows of the surrounding buildings. And like a meteor it crashed into the earth, shattering and tearing up the pavement, filling the area with dust.
Suiren fell from the sky, and with a small tap she landed near the edge of the crater. Her eyes never moving from the cloud. And suddenly a flash of brilliant light, a spear of white, raced towards her. And her fist rose to meet it.
The golden light of the fist clashed against the white of the spear, and with a horrible crunch the spear seemed to break, dissipating into nothing.
Suiren’s eyes did not even move however, “A sneak attack Saint? I know you don’t need tactics like that. Stop fucking with me.” She called out, ignoring the screams as the people ran from the scene. And then brilliant light shined from the crater, forcing her to shield her eyes.
The light hit her form and it began to burn, smoke rose from her clothes and she felt pain. But she was far enough, far enough from the source of the light it would do nothing more.
And when it subsided Suiren lowered her arms, and in the center of the crater stood Hamara, not a speck of dirt or filth on his pristine white robe. He simple stood there, looking at her with an odd look on his face.
Then he raised a hand and the spears flew. Uncountable numbers, unrelenting, shot at Suiren, and her fists rose to meet them.
Fist and Spear, Gold and White, Creation and Existence. These things clashed in a dance of light. The fists moved, striking all spears that got close. A dance where if Suiren missed a step it would mean her life was forfeit. A dance of death and a dance she would not fail.
Time passed, and the spears stopped. And Suiren’s eyes found the Saint, still standing there, in the center of the creator. And there he stood there, watching her, waiting for her.
Why was he waiting? Who knew?
Suiren felt her blood boil. This… this man did not take her seriously, did not even consider her a threat, not to him, and not even to humans. If she was anyone else the Saint would hold no quarter.
“That’s enough Suiren.” Hamara spoke, “Such attacks will do nothing, if you truly desire to defeat me, you must become greater.” His voice was flat; there was no inclination of emotion.
“You… you... YOU!” Suiren trembled with rage. How dare this man lecture her, how dare he act like she was not even worth his time, “FINE! I’LL SHOW YOU! I’LL SHOW YOU MY WILL AS THE MIGHTIEST, AS THE STONGEST!” She screamed as she took up a stance.
She was the Empress, she would not be denied, not be insulted like this!
Then her fist began to glow, and with it the world began to scream.
The earth shook, the air spun and became erratic, light flicked as it bent around the fist, and the loose elements of the world began to spin around her, like dust caught in a tornado. But it still grew.
Hamara waited, he waited for the attack to grow further, and after some time he simply held out his arm to the side, and at that moment a spear began to form, brilliant light became hard and defined as it collected, and it emanated purity and power. It was the same as the spear that stroke down the dragon earlier that day.
But then he continued to wait, for moments that seemed like hours, he waited as the light of Suiren’s fist continued to increase. A brilliant golden light. There was something innately beautiful about it, about the essence of one person, of them reaching new heights, of them putting it all into one strike.
And not even Hamara could deny it…
But the truth will.
Suiren’s legs tensed the earth beneath her cracked as she looked down at Hamara in the crater. Anger, hatred, and some other emotion filled her eyes. And then she began to move, she ran, to the edge of the crater and then using the ledge as a jumping board she leapt at him, ready to strike though his attack.
Her Existence would surpass truth. “WORLD BREAKING EMPRESS FIST!”
“Peirce” Hamara said in response and flicked his arm forward, and the spear launched.
And then the spear and fist meet.
In that moment, in the brief moment, the moment that seemed to last forever, the world went silent. Gold and White clashed, Existance and Creation met.
Then in the next moment the World roared out, golden cracks spread though the earth and air, the clouds in the sky were pushed away by the excess of rising energy. Spiraling winds, clouds of dust and stone, melting pavement, and brilliant lighting flashed from the clash.
Anyone who was sensitive, anyone who could detect such things could feel it, no matter where they are in this massive city. Space cracked, time bent, and the world screamed in pain.
And over the sound, the sound that overwhelmed all others, a voice screamed out. “I WON’T LOSE! I WON’T! I WILL OVERCOME YOU! NO MATTER WHAT I WILL MAKE YOU YIELD!”
And then existence collapsed.
The golden light vanished, and the brilliant white of the spear ripped through Suiren’s arm. And flew into the air where it exploded. Illuminating the sky of the nexus as if it was a second sun.
A moment later Suiren fell back, knocked back in the air, and plummeted to the ground. In the crater she landed, half way between the Saint and the edge of it.
There she laid, blood pouring out of the wound. There she laid still, her arm cleansed by the Rite of Creation.
“Cold… why do I feel so cold?” Suiren mumbled, dead to the world. She could not feel the pain; she could not feel the cold air, not the stone, not the wetness of the blood that seeped into her clothing.
She just felt a cold, a cold in the deepest part of her. Her strength was bested; the greatest thing she could muster was overcome. And she could not surpass that man this time. Just like she could not before.
She was still weak, why was she still so weak.
And for a moment a flicker of silver passed over her form, and golden light danced from the stub of her arm, before they faded without anyone noticing.
Hamara looked at the body of the woman named Suiren. She would not die, she was stronger than that. Even a missing arm, she could recover from that.
The Creation within her would make it so.
So he turned around and began to walk away, stairs of light forming to allow him to leave the crater. “Fallen one.” He called out to the skeletal man that accompanied Suiren, knowing he could hear him, “Care to her, she will live.”
As he reached the edge of the crater he stopped for a moment, he hesitated, and then he called out one more time, “Tell her… ‘You have gotten very strong Suiren.’” And with that he began to walk away.
