Behind the visor, R.D.'s eyes widened in shock, only for the beam to slam into his body and explode. His grip on the Phase Scythe weakened, and the weapon flew through the air, striking the ground near Helena at an angle. R.D. soared back through the air, bouncing off the ground once before rolling violently to a stop. Recovering quickly, he pushed himself up with one arm, staying in a kneeling position as he thrust his right fist out, the ring and energy pistons appearing on his forearm. The pistons began slamming down one at a time at a rapid pace, a beam of energy shooting out at Malvettix with each cycle.

Helena let out a small cry as R.D.'s Phase Scythe struck the ground next to her. Is that...R.D.'s weapon? She glanced toward the wall of shadow looming over them all, the one Matt was advancing toward now. Did he need help? Would Matt need help? Oh...

Malvettix tipped his head back as R.D. shot backwards. "You are persistent." He gestured with his free hand, raising his shadow into angled wings to block the lasers. "But I think I'll end this now." He raised his scythe. "Nightmare-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAH-!"

Malvettix's gaze shot up as Matt Willard, plummeting from the sky mid-arc from his bound over the wall of blades, led the way with his foot, his entire body surrounding in a burning energy field. "DEEP IMPACT!"

He smashed into the earth with a resounding noise, creating a jagged crater spreading from the point of impact-the world shook in response. From the tremendous dust, Matt charged at his dark clone. "Your ass is MINE!"

R.D. quickly got to both feet and ran over to Matt. As he watched his friend shoot forward, he realized that Malvettix would have the advantage the moment the clone touched Matt. He'd need help.

R.D. spread his legs out evenly, stretching his right arm forward. The matter converter, hidden within the Dragon King Armor itself, activated as R.D. closed his open hand into a fist, one finger at a time. The fabric beneath the gauntlet stretched as his fist clenched, and suddenly the air around him burst into a prismatic shine. Chunks of the ground were ripped away, disintegrating into thousands of particles that swirled in around him. You can thank Matt for the idea, bastard, he thought smugly as he concentrated on reforming the particles into a new, unique weapon.

"Well then," Meta replied to Awai, "I suppose I am not sane then in your book." She said, completely and utterly calm and serious-sounding.

“Hey if Kalmar’s in, I am.” Blazen said proudly. He grew a large smirk, a cocky one for sure. Blazen, if it weren’t already obvious, was a cocky one. Hardly anything made him quiver, shake, or flee in fear. Not even Kuro could make Blazen rethink him standing in his way.

“So, what would be your pleasure?” Blazen then asked, basicly repeating Kalmar.

Yeah, whatever. Meta thought, as Awai made his leave. She showed no signs of willingness to leave at the moment, not even as much as standing up, just keeping sitting there. I wonder if someone else is coming to have a little chat with me, now. It'd be like a Christmas Carol, but with no spirits and they're all of the present. She thought to herself. Well, except for those whose minds are moreso set on the past or the future for a great deal.

Malvettix's eyes widened as Matt barrelled toward him. There you are...! Almost with a shudder, Malvettix raised his scythe, and swung at Matt.

"I don't think so!" With a vicious backhand, Matt knocked the scythe away, and as it spiralled through the air he began his attack. "Daaaaaah-!"

His punches cut the air, sweeping at Malvettix from changing angles. Blocking each blow with feverent passion, Malvettix struck back, stabbing with knifehands or raking his fingers past Matt like claws. Suddenly, with a cry Matt chopped with an overhead kick-as Malvettix caught the blow, he leapt up, swinging his other foot into his clone's face, sending them both tumbling to the earth. Kicking up dirt, Matt scampered over to his fallen opponent with fist flying-it tore into the earth as Malvettix rolled away.

"Get back here!" Matt snapped, livid, as he smashed his fists like hammers, trying to strike his foe.

The particles swarmed around through the air, spiraling around R.D.'s back. With sharp hums, three flattened, curved spikes, the color of gold, materialized on the right side of his back. The top spike had a blunted end, while the middle appeared to be the longest.

R.D. grit his teeth and growled as more of the particles swirled around his extended arm. Bands of yellow light appeared in the air around the arm, each of them constricting onto the armored arm and tightening. Prismatic light blazed between these bands as additional armor materialized, a jagged line appearing down the middle of the forearm. The gauntleted hand shined last, the armor around it becoming claw-like. With the transfiguration complete, R.D. clenched his hand once and grinned behind the visor.

"Let's see how you like the taste of my Shell Bullet," he stated, grinning. R.D. punched the ground with his right arm hard, shattering it underneath him as he was propelled into the air. His form hung in the air as he aimed his arm down at Malvettix. "Out of the way, Matt!" he shouted as he fell forward. It was time for him to try out his new weapon, the one Matt inspired during his battle with Wulfe. The plates on his arm sprang out, spikes jutting out backwards diagonally.

"Shocking First Bullet!"

The lowest spike on R.D.'s back seemed to disintegrate into prismatic light, unleashing a massive torrent of emerald-green flame. Propelled by the fire, R.D. spun in the air as he rocketed down at Malvettix and swung his fist forward.

===In Germany===

"Blazen, I'm sure you heard a lot of stories as a kid," Ellie said, resting her right hand on her hip. "Have you ever heard of the Seven Perfect Weapons?"

===In Japan===

Alasea sighed and stretched, perched on a nearby rock. Since her friends had departed, she had been instructed by two of the Daughters of Dawn, Aisha and Tomoko, on how to control her ability of creation. As she studied and worked, she slowly made a home for herself, reminiscent of the western styles. After all, if she was going to be living here, she'd need a house, wouldn't she?

She also used her powers to start healing the land. The destruction wrought here in the past had been extensive, a lot of the land being dead and barren. The Pillar of Dawn changed that, and now a small, sparse forest thrived near her home.

As the day had passed, she learned much about her new powers, and was slowly realizing just how powerful she would become. But still, now that she was here, she was lonely. She missed her friends, having grown quite accustomed to Matt's insane antics and R.D.'s dry humor, Hugo's foul mouth and Helena's shy friendliness. Despite how depressed she felt, she clinged to the hope that R.D. had given her; his promise that he'd come back for her.

Night came and went, and as the sun slowly rose over the waters, Alasea created breakfast, ate, and proceeded to the Pillar of Dawn, ready for more of her instruction by her new comrades. And so her routine went, day after day. Pretty soon, four weeks had passed.

Edited by RisingDragon on September 5, 2007 at 19:56:17.

A few minutes after Awai had left, Meta stood up, picked her swords up, pulling them out of the rockhard sands right outside of the crater, and sheathed them back where they belonged. "I suppose no-one else is coming for a chat with me. Guess not everything comes in groups of three." She said, and then turned, ready to go back to camp and to see if the others were ready, also.


(OOC: Yeah, that's actually kind of a hint there. >.>)

Edited by Morphman on July 13, 2007 at 6:45:07.

Alasea quickly heard the crackle of flames and spun around, her eyes widening as she saw the forest ablaze and a very familiar demoness above it in the air. Her eyes narrowed hatefully and she drank in the Pillar's might, throwing it over the forest. Instantly the flames were dispelled and the trees healed. Her angry shout carried in the air.

"You've got some nerve, showing your face at my home, skank!"

(OOC: It was more of a hint towards anybody, really. Learn to recognise hints, especially if it's said that it's a hint. )

Matt heard the call. He didn't want to move, he wanted to rip Malvettix apart, but if R.D. was comin' in with something big, he'd better move and quick. Standing up as Malvettix did, he twisted his body to avoid a shadow blade, and rolled to the left. Malvettix only had a few seconds to realize that R.D. was flying down at him, until impact-Shocking First Bullet slammed into his shoulder, cutting through his body as the attack hit the earth, kicking up dirt.

Matt shielded his eyes as he was tossed aside by the force of the blow, rolling clumsily for a bit until he stopped, glancing back at where Malvettix was. Did it work?

R.D. skid backwards out of the dust cloud, coming to a stop near Matt. He immediately brought his fists up into a fighting stance while his scanner began searching for Malvettix within the maelstrom. "I hit him, but I don't know if I finished him," he muttered to Matt while he continued the search.

===In Japan===

"You're not taking anything from me, demon," Alasea spat, calmly reaching over and drawing her new sword, the Megami Tsurugi, from its sheathe on her left hip. Its white blade gleamed with power. "This land belongs to the planet. Not you and not Gouki. So just get lost. You don't know what you're dealing with anymore. I'm not the 'little girl' you fought on Persior."

A stream of darkness shot from the cloud of dust, and formed jagged claws that seized R.D. with its massive grip.

"R.D.!" Matt shouted, eyes wide, as the claw retracted, dragging his friend into the dust cloud.

At the end awaited Malvettix. His eyes narrowed, he held R.D. aloft easily, bearing the weight of the Dragon King armor easily in his malformed hand. His shoulder was still split as a result of the Shocking First Bullet.

"You're persistent...but foolhardy." As Malvettix spoke, his grevious wound began to close, his shadowy essence reforming as if R.D. had never struck him at all. "You can't kill me. You can't kill a feeling. An idea. I am the nightmare..."

The nightmare serpents rose upwards, opening their maws at R.D. and gathering black energy. "...and I will break everyone."

The serpents attacked with their powerful beams, up-close, where a successful blow would send an enemy hurtling away.

Edited by The Helldragon on July 13, 2007 at 20:35:05.

R.D. cried out as he was struck by the claw, and he struggled to break free. He managed to pull his right arm loose and chambering it back, readying a second attack, but then the nightmarish serpents rose up around him. "Dammit," he growled in frustration, redoubling his efforts to escape.

He shouted as the beasts lashed out at him, "No!" However, it was too late and he screamed as the snakes' blasted him out of Malvettix' grip.

===In Japan===

"Why don't you go back to Hell?" Alasea muttered, stepping back and watching the flame travel into the sky. As the flames came raining down, Alasea made a gesture with her left arm, and the heavens rumbled. A vortex of wind swirled across the sky, raging faster and faster as it dispelled the falling flames.

As the vortex appeared, Alasea's sword was glowing a bright white, and she aimed its tip forward at Cora. The Aura Strafe blasted out a single, concentrated beam of pure energy that threatened to incinerate anything it touched right at Cora.

"R.D.!"

Helpless, Matt watched R.D. sail through the air as the black beams faded. The dust cloud continued to disperse, he forced himself to glare at it. Malvettix.

From the mist, Malvettix walked foward, coat dancing in the wind. His eyes were also focused, staring at his destined enemy. It was just them, opposing forces in the classic battle of good and evil. Not that it mattered to him-he was a creature of instinct and habit, and pain was all he knew, all he really desired, and torment his bread and wine. As long as he could indulge, nothing mattered.

"Your ass is mine," Matt muttered.

"The fight is all I desire," Malvettix whispered.

"Then I'll give you one hell of a fight before I kill you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Matt suddenly shouted a battle cry, and broke into a full-fledged run, his fingers curled in anger. Malvettix responded in kind, anticipation clear in his eyes.

R.D. let out a strangled cry as his body struck the ground hard, the ground cratering upon impact. His body bounced once before rolling to a stop, his a bit of the armor on his right arm fractured.

===In Japan===

When the Aura Strafe struck the weapon, the blade flashed and disintegrated.

"No," Alasea said, shrugging as she slowly circled around Cora, expecting her to follow suit, "I'm just testing my powers out. You'll make great target practice."

Edited by RisingDragon on July 15, 2007 at 16:44:49.

X figured it was time to stop taking potshots the enemies, especially since it seemed few of them had done anything. His computer systems told him something was up, but he distracted him by convincing it to play Pong against itself.

Stupid, stupid computer.

X retracted his buster into a hand and pulled a large sword from a compartment on his chest. The blade looked to be made out of some kind of prism, but was as hard as steel.

He readied the sword and charged for the far side of the army, hoping to take out several of them on the way to a better vantage point.

Edited by Mega X.exe on July 16, 2007 at 0:22:21.

Though the Heartless, still swarming toward them, tried to attack X as he ran past them, they were easily cut down. Hugo saw this and shouted, "Where the hell are you going, X?"

Also watching X move, Helena's mind made itself up. "I'm going to help Matt, Hugo!"

"Oh, thanks a lot!" the Mettaur snapped, his gun still firing. "Leave me here by myself to fight off all these bastards-"

"If you want to come, I'll take you with me," Helena said. "But I can't just stand back anymore!"

Hugo fired one last shot, and pointed his pickaxe toward the air. "All right! Let's go!" He raised his voice again toward the retreating X. "X, we'll be right back!"

*****

"Aerosmith!" Extending his arms outward, the specter of a six-winged biplane emerged from Matt. Machine guns mounted on the wings of the plane began to fire wildly, and shots danced all over trying to hit the advancing Malvettix.

"That won't work on me!" Malvettix shouted. As he ran, bullets tore into him with bursts of black blood, but he didn't seem to slow down a bit. Leaping foward, his clawed hand raked the air, attempting to strike Matt.

Thinking quickly, Matt swept his leg in front of him, knocking aside Malvettix's claw by striking with his foot. As he set down his leg he spun into a heavy punch right in Malvettix's face, knocking the dark clone back a good distance.

There was a blinding flash of light to the left of Meta and a ball of light unfurled itself showing a girl in a Roman styled toga. She got up from her knees and looked around. A look of dissapointment came across her face as what she had been looking for was obviously not there. Riul gave a faint sigh and approached Meta. "Sorry for the intrusion; I was just hoping to catch Awai before he left... I suppose I missed him and there's no point in trying to catch up with him now. Best thing to do now is just wait for him to come back, err, would you mind?"

Edited by Ribitta on July 15, 2007 at 17:50:14.

Black tendrils slithered from Malvettix's jacket and stabbed the earth, slowing his flight back until he was able to land on hands and feet. Matt wasn't finished yet, though-as he leapt into the air, a multicolored form of energy appeared above him, restructing itself into a heavy weapon.

Grabbing the weapon as he reached the height of his jump, Matt pointed it at Malvettix. "Rocket Lounger!"

Malvettix dashed toward Matt again, and his curving blades smacked asided the rockets fired at him, where they exploded in the distance. With an explosive jump, his blade slashed across Matt's chest, and blood arced in the air as the boy fell back.

R.D. grunted as he suddenly came to. Using his fist, he pushed himself up, and quickly examined his right arm. There were a few cracks in it, but it had taken the blow better than he had hoped. He smirked and looked back at the ongoing fight between Matt and Malvettix.

"Time to piss him off some more," he muttered, charging back into the fray. As he ran, his eyes widened as Malvettix leapt in and struck Matt with a shadow blade. "No!" he shouted. The middle spike on his back disintegrated away in chunks, releasing a second wave of emerald fire. R.D. rocketed through the air at Malvettix, hand chambered back.

"Annihilating Second Bullet!" he roared, the armor splitting open as he sent a vicious punch at Malvettix.

Edited by RisingDragon on July 15, 2007 at 20:34:39.