Azdin struggled to his feet, a violent fit of coughing wracking his body as a heavy amount of blood spilled from his mouth. Beneath him, fragments of the steel plate that had protected him from the marine's devastating back kick clattered against the ground, the battered pieces breaking apart completely as they fell.
He staggered, one hand pressed against his fractured torso, his breathing ragged beneath the veil of drifting black feathers. Hugo raised a hand, already preparing to teleport him out of the marines reach. But before he could act, Azdin shot him a vicious glare.
He froze. There was something in those eyes, something he hadn't seen in a long time. The sheer hostility, the stubborn refusal to back down, the unspoken promise that he'd rather break then allow himself to be saved. It was a look that reminded Hugo of the boy Azdin used to be. It was a warning not to interfere.
"I wonder how much people distrust you, with a flaw like that? I bet you couldn't keep a secret for your life!"
Their original plan was to make the marine drop her guard and provide an opening for the nameless one. Although they were able to get some hits in earlier, that was due to a combination of their unique talents and the marines own inexperience.
However, she had gotten used to Hugo's aspect now, as evidenced with the blow she delt to Azdin. So continuing to fight her alone was not enough.
If he wanted to win, then he needed to change the way he fought.
Azdin wielded two weapons. His sword, and his words.
Although he had tried to reason with her before, he failed because she possessed no intention of sparing them.
So instead, he was going to fan the flames of a different desire. Her desire to destroy them, he'd push it to the brink and make it the cause of her own demise.
"Saying your thoughts you wouldn't want anybody to hear out loud, confessing every dark secret the moment it came to mind. I bet people are just embarrassed to even talk with you?"
If there was one thing he knew every Awakened wanted to keep secret, it was their flaw.
He found it strange that she wouldn't stop talking, even as the battle went on. It wasn't like she was always saying the first thing that came to her mind every single time, but the information she divulged was always personal in some way. She even leaked some of the moves that she'd make next, which had saved his life once or twice.
Something obvious like that had to be her flaw.
Judging from her reaction, he was correct.
So what he had to do next was obvious.
"I wonder how many friends you've lost, because you couldn't keep that mouth of yours shut?"
Although he did feel a little bad, the horrible pain that he felt in his chest quickly made him forget.
This enemy was able to fight them as boiling with rage as she was this effectively already, but how much more could she endure? Now would be the ultimate test.
"You! Shut.. shut your mouth! Don't pretend like you know what your talking about!"
She blinked out of sight, as the ground beneath her feet erupted in a violent explosion of shattered wood and dust. Azdin barely had time to register her disappearance before the world around him began to slow. A fraction of a second stretching into something that felt like an entire minute, every detail becoming unnervingly clear. The black feathers dancing through the air came to a standstill, suspended in place like flecks of ink frozen against an invisible canvas. Even the fragments of debris from the shattered ground seemed to hang motionless, each piece caught in the midst of its trajectory.
Yet Azdin could still perceive the passage of time, each sluggish heartbeat pounding heavily in his chest as his battered body struggled to keep up with his racing thoughts.
But he was certain of one thing. At any instant now, her fist would punch a hole clean through him. His attempt at enraging her was a little too effective it seemed.
'I never want to fight an Ascendent again!'
She had recovered from her injured leg much more than he had initially thought too, and because of that her speed had almost reached what it used to be. Really, fighting against her was a terrible experience.
But it was experience nonetheless. Precious experience for someone like him.
While the marine had gradually been learning and getting used to Hugo's aspect, Azdin inturn had been learning from her.
If there was one thing they all lacked in this battle, it was experience. However, Azdin was different from them all.
He was a fast learner. A frighteningly fast one.
Once he learned something, Adapting and evolving was only a matter of time.
This was his first battle against an Ascendent, so it took some time getting used too. But with every failure, with every blow he tried to exchange and every attack that he missed, he was learning.
Gradually and slowly, like a feeble river wearing down a mountain throughout the passage of time. He was slowly whittling away at that imposing wall.
Azdin still couldn't see her, but he could predict what she'd do. If he knew where she'd go, and what she'd do to a tee, he would live.
And so..
His true talent began to shine through.
Azdin wrenched his body backward at the very last instant, forcing his battered muscles to respond despite the pain coursing through him. In turn, the marine's fist swept past his face, missing by a hair's breadth as the force behind the punch sent a sharp gust of air across his skin.
For the first time since they had met, Azdin could see that familiar blue light highlighting all of her vulnerabilities. They revealed the more subtle injuries she had built up over the fight, her more fatigued muscles highlighted in a deeper blue.
But the most prominent one, was her neck. Lost in her own anger, the marine had made it difficult for her to even control her own speed.
All he had to do was lift up his blade a couple inches, and the Ascendent would end up plunging it into her throat herself.
He could take her life so easily. Despite only being an Awakened, the situation was entirely in the palm of his hand. With but a simply flick of the wrist this conflict would come to an abrupt end.
But..
'I'm not that kind of person anymore.'
With her punch still sailing overhead, Azdin seized the opportunity. Letting go of the Azure blade, his hands clamped around her extended arm, as he twisted his battered body, pivoting beneath her center of gravity to redirect the force of her own attack. Using her forward momentum against her, he hooked her over his shoulder and hurled her down with a sudden, explosive motion. The marine had barely a moment to react before her back slammed into the ship's deck with a deafening crash.
A spider web of cracks burst outward from the point of impact, splintering across the wooden planks as the entire deck groaned beneath the force.
He was a little amazed himself at how much force he was able to to control, but the feeling was brief once he noticed she was already trying get back up.
Knowing that though, he fell down. Completely drained, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He could finally rest now, because he'd done his job.
The moment she arose, the world around her changed. Right away, she recognised it's cause as well as her own mistake.
Tilting her head back slightly, she saw the Nameless Awakened already mid-swing, her punch moving toward her with devastating force. A furious red light was seeping through the countless scars etched across her body, illuminating the lines that traced her back and extended to the backs of her arms. The glow intensified with every passing instant, pulsing beneath her skin like molten veins as the air around her seemed to grow heavy with the sheer pressure of her power.
Her scars.. they weren't scars at all.
No, they were scars. It's just that these scars weren't just scars alone.
"You! You're a—"
It was runic sorcery, carved into flesh.
Once she realized the truth, the crushing blow connected squarely with her back, unleashing an explosion of force far beyond anything an Awakened should have been capable of. The impact thundered across the ship, sending a violent shockwave rippling through the deck as the marine was launched into the air. Her body hurtled across, crashing straight through the first mast with a deafening crack before plowing through the next, splintered wood and twisted debris scattering in her wake.
The sheer momentum carried her onward, leaving destruction in a straight line behind her until she slammed into the ship's bridge, the collision shaking the entire structure as fragments of timber and shattered fittings rained down.