Of Mercs and Knights – Yuri Lowell vs. Zael

: Alright, our fighters are ready.

Catch the Prelude Here: Of Mercs and Knights – PRELUDE

: Which of these moral swordsmen will win out in a duel of fate?

: Let’s find out in the Clash! Honestly, I like either character, so I’ll let you pick who you’ll play as first.

: Easy. I’m going with Yuri. I like the cut of his jib.

: I’ll go with Zael then. I don’t quite get how to use his Gathering gimmick, but I’ll probably get used to it.

***

Location: Ruined Castle, 4 pm

Atop the tallest floor of the ruin is where he stands: The Outsider King. He gazes over the lands below him with melancholic eyes. The thick canopies of birch and oak coat the once thriving castle grounds, as well as the de-saturated grey of stone walls, or what was left of them, overlooking these once thriving gardens. Dead leaves swathe the ground like a blanket. The castle is now little more than floors of stone, looters having taken all the meat off the throne’s bones. The only decor that remains are the carefully carved columns, ensuring the building’s structure stands the test of time. Seeing them still standing while the rest of the castle is in such ruin is truly a sad irony. Stains of black are scattered across the building, scars of an ever-consuming fire staining stone.

“What an unfortunate castle this is…”

Zael’s frown only deepens after taking it all in. To another, it would be seen as a lush paradise of green and life. But, to a king, it was like stepping into a mausoleum of dreams. He turns his attention to the skies, which darken with menacing black clouds. The storm seems to have come out of nowhere, much to Zael’s displeasure.

“The wind is picking up…” The knight mutters to himself. “The storm is fast approaching. I’d better return.”

He is on leave from Lazulis Island, given a vacation by his beloved for his efforts in protecting the world. Deciding to travel to expose himself to the lands was also Calista’s idea, and while he was afraid of the prospect of being so far from a place he could finally call home, he surprised himself and enjoyed his time exploring other kingdoms, as well as the ruins of ancient ones. He definitely sees what Calista had in mind, for seeing the dilapidated homes of former kings is truly a bewildering sight that humbled him and helped him appreciate what he has and was able to do to save his own kingdom.

Today, he inspects an old castle once owned by a kind and virtuous knight, whose powers were used to save the valley from floods. According to the history books, he had formed a large hole where the water could empty into, making a lake. The neighboring townsfolk thanked him for his generosity, but the knight took their gifts for granted. From then on, he expected tribute daily, not caring if it was at the expense of the townsfolk. Maddened by his greed, he summoned a storm that overflowed the lake in hopes to drown the village. With his castle so close to the lake, however, he drowned himself in his fit of rage before he could the townsfolk. His greed caused his downfall, and the waters got their revenge, taking him away as he had taken the rains.

“It’s a shame,” Zael says as he turns and descends the stairs. “To think this castle could have still been standing today, but the greed of a tyrant led to its ruin.”

Zael grits his teeth as he returns to what was once the foyer.

“Greedy ambition? I know how deadly that can be.”

As Zael steps into the wide and crumbling room, a figure steps in and responds to the quiet musings of the king. His clothes are nothing like Zael had ever seen, appearing almost oriental. The man’s long, purple hair makes the knight think he was a woman, until he re-evaluates the masculine voice, body, and mannerisms. What alerts Zael the most was the blade sheathed in the foreigner’s hand, dangling lackadaisically.

“Oh, hey,” The man says. “So that voice belongs to a proper knight-looking type. This place echoes easily, so I’m sorry for eavesdropping.”

“You… Don’t look like any of the locals around here,” Zael says. “You must have come far from home to have reached this place. I came here out of curiosity, wondering what the destruction of greed looked like if left unchecked. And you?”

“Dreary, aren’t we?” The man says. “Anyway, I’m here looking for something. I was told I’d have a bit of trouble finding it, seeing as a guard would be protecting it.”

“Protecting… Something?” Zael asks. “I think you’re mistaken, I don’t know of anything here worth protecting. This castle is long past its prime, what could possibly be stored here?”

“I heard differently,” The man says. “It’s something a little newer than these ruins would suggest. Playing coy to protect the blue power won’t help you.”

Zael immediately tenses up, something the opposing man clearly notices.

Does he mean the Outsider’s Mark? Zael thinks. He’s looking for that? How did he even know to come out this way? I’ve only been here for a few days!

“Thought you’d be hiding it…” The man says. “It’s all over your face. ‘How did he find me out?’ You’re probably wondering how I knew about it, am I right?”

Zael glares, which was enough confirmation for the mysterious man. Realizing this, Zael tries to reason with him.

“I’m not hiding it,” Zael says, generating a black and blue glowing crest above his right hand. “It’s my power, a gift from the Outsider. But how did you know that?”

“No clue what the Outsider is,” The man says, gripping the handle of his Second Star. “But my client wants it gone. He says it will threaten the balance of the world and cause wars over its near limitless potential. I’m sorry, but I have to remove it. If that means removing you? Well, nothing personal.”

“You don’t understand–” Zael begins but is cut off.

“No, I think I do,” The man says. “I’m Yuri Lowell! A member of Brave Vesperia, a mercenary guild.”

“Yuri… Lowell?” Zael mumbles before recalling the name. “Mercenary Guild…? Wait, you were on that wanted poster in town!”

“I’m flattered you would care about a measly wanted poster,” Yuri states. “Especially one with such a low bounty. I mean seriously, a thousand Gald? Didn’t know I’m worth chump change.”

“You’re wanted on counts of manslaughter,” Zael says, tensing up. “You killed a knight captain and his men in the nearby city.”

“Well, that poor excuse of a captain actively participated in stabbing and cutting down the poor for his own amusement,” Yuri states. “His men would gamble on who died from blood loss first. Who do you think won between an old man of skin and bones and a little girl no older than six?”

Zael’s fists clench and a bead of sweat rolls down his face.

“See what I mean?” Yuri says. “The scum of the land who take advantage of those weaker and less fortunate deserve nothing better than the total and absolute relinquishing of that privilege. the only way that’s permanently possible, especially for such empathically-incapable torturers, is through death.”

“So you murdered them?” Zael asks, his nails drawing blood from how hard he digs them into his palm. “There’s systems in place to prevent that from happening! Trials that will hold them accountable! Dungeons to lock them in so they have time to think on the evil they have done! For truly inhuman crimes, they can be executed officially, but it’s not your choice to make alone!”

“You sound a lot like someone I know,” Yuri spits. “Anyway, it’s highly unlikely that the government will handle the situation at all. After all, not all kingdoms are as utopian as yours Mr. Outsider King.”

Zael stands in shock. He has no retort for that. He made his home a fair and just place, but that didn’t mean the rest of the world was just and fair either. He can see it in the streets of the nearby town. He saw children in the alleys being beaten by the nobility, and when he intervened and tried to help the nobles ran as the kids bled on the pavement. The police did not care, their pockets possibly lined by the very nobles that performed such heinous activities.

“I agree, it’s not right,” Zael says, gritting his teeth. “But the problem is then with the government’s laws! We have to change them!”

“Why arrest the criminal tomorrow if he will kill twenty more people by then?” Yuri says coldly. “Do you want me to just tell the victims ‘Sorry you have to die, but we’re working on it?’ To let these sick bastards get off scott-free at the expense of human lives?”

“Not at all–” Zael says.

“I do what must be done,” Yuri snaps. “Even if it puts me on the wrong side of the law.”

“And what gives you the right to enact your own justice?” Zael spits back. “How is your morality so incorruptible that you know better than a consensus of people? How can one person decide what’s best for everyone? That’s just tyranny, the same greed and pride that leads to the downfall of governments like the one where we stand now!”

“And what gives the majority the right to suspend justice in light of corruption?” Yuri spits back. “I heard about what happened at Lazulis Island. Generations of war was stopped with the figureheads heads on a platter. I wonder who killed the Count and the Gurak’s Leader without the consultation of a council?”

“That’s different!” Zael replies. “We were all at war! Peace was the option we had to reach, while peace on the streets is something to be maintained!”

“Shows how much you really see,” Yuri says with an apathetic chuckle. “For these oppressed, every day is war. There is no peace to maintain for them, there isn’t peace at all. So what’s wrong with cutting the head of their suffrage?”

“That’s enough,” Zael says, brandishing his Chaos Blade. “I already know what you’re trying to say. The ends justify the means to you. No matter who I am, if you see me as a threat to peace then I’m a corpse walking. You may use the pretense of an assassination contract to end my life, but it’s deeper to you than just some words on paper. Even if I use this power for the sake of others, for peace, you would still kill me out of its history of war? Am I correct?”

“Now you’re getting the picture,” Yuri replies. “You could be the nicest man alive, a real philanthropist, but all you can offer me are platitudes. Our encounter only has one fate.”

“Fine then,” Zael responds. “If we cannot handle this with words…”

Zael clenches his right hand tightly, a nova of blue energy erupting from it and striking Yuri. The mercenary is barely phased by the Gathering, but begins brandishing Second Star in anticipation of the incoming attack from his foe.

“Then we use our swords!” Zael shouts as he runs at his adversary. “I will make you understand!”

“I can get behind that!” Yuri says with a smirk. “But I’d sooner die than give into a kingslayer’s beliefs.”

***

***

Zael leads with a heavy overhead slash, which Yuri parries. The two clash blades, the clanging of the vicious steel ringing through the hollow ruins. Parry after parry, they trade blows until Yuri leans into a thrust. Zael quickly leans away from the incoming blade and plants his foot in Yuri’s stomach, pushing the agile swordsman away.

“Grh!” Yuri mutters, gritting his teeth. “Not bad!”

Following up with a wide slash, Zael closes the distance. Yuri sees through this and lowers his blade.

“AZURE EDGE!”

Yuri swings his blade up swiftly, causing a wave of blue energy to erupt from his blade. Zael narrowly avoids the attack, but Yuri follows-up with…

“DRAGON SWARM!”

Spinning, Yuri kicks and slashes at Zael, who blocks and avoids the attacks except the final kick which sails cleanly into Zael’s jaw. Zael rebounds quickly from the attack and slashes at Yuri but misses. Widening the gap between them, Yuri leaps backward onto the stairs.

“Running away?” Zael asks.

“Depends on you,” Yuri replies coyly. “It’s not running away if you give chase!”

Zael quickdraws his Crossbow and fires a Paralysis Arrow at his foe, only for Yuri to slice it in two without any effort.

“You’ll have to do better than that–” Yuri says, but is cut off by Zael approaching at ludicrous speeds.

“How about a taste of Gale?” He says as he stops abruptly next to Yuri.

The Outsider King lets loose a wide slash which generates an intense gust of wind, launching the purple-haired swordsman up the steps onto his back.

“That didn’t hurt that much,” Yuri mutters as he picks himself up and continues moving up the steps. “And thanks for the boost!”

Yuri disappears from view and Zael is about to give chase, but hesitates a moment. He drops a slew of arrows to the ground around him, tossing some others into the hall as well.

Now, Zael gives chase, aiming his Crossbow prepared with Burst Arrows. Yuri hazards a look back, only for one of the exploding arrows to barely miss his cheek before blowing up the stairs in front of him. Shielding himself from the blaze, Yuri leaps over the newly-made gap in the stairs and continues up, Zael following closely behind, dropping another arrow behind him…

“If explosions are fair game,” Yuri says, pivoting and leaping down the steps to Zael. “Then by all means!”

The founding member of Brave Vesperia aims his blade squarely where Zael climbs. The knight of Lazulis fires another Paralysis Arrow in retaliation, but Yuri easily ducks under it. Yuri swings his blade down with great force and exclaims…

“DESTRUCTION FIELD!”

Yuri launches the attack with the intent to massacre the stairwell and cause Zael to fall, but somehow he aims up higher at Zael himself. Yuri didn’t plan for that, but he seemed to do so regardless. The knight closes the distance quickly and grabs Yuri’s sword hand before he could land the hit. About to stab the purple-haired swordsman, Zael feels a warm wind sweep through his hair one moment, and keels over the next moment, breathing hard. The blue energy surrounding Zael’s hand shatters like glass.

“What the…?” Zael mutters, shaking his head as though he were in a haze. “What did… You do to me…?”

“Sorceror’s Ring,” Yuri says. “Fires a blast of Aer that can stun any creature, big or small, by assaulting its metabolism directly. Nifty gadget courtesy of Rita Mordio. I shot it point-blank in your face when you closed the distance.”

Yuri kicks Zael in the face, causing him to fall down several steps before the Aer’s effects can wear off. He stands up and reactivates his Gathering after shaking the haze out of his head. Yuri starts running again, confused at what happened earlier.

What the hell just happened? Yuri thought. It’s like I can’t attack anything but him. Is that his power? Some kind of magnet for attacks or ill-intent? What the hell kind of power is that anyway?

Zael takes a few hesitant steps, still feeling bizarre, then glides into a full sprint. Yuri turns presenting his chest as if to invite Zael The wielder of the Outsider’s power falters, thinking his opponent set a trap on the steps, and skids to a stop. Yuri takes advantage of the mind game and rushes quickly forward and kicks Zael in the gut, lifting him off the ground.

“BRUTAL FANG!”

Yuri throws his sword back and lets fly a salvo of punches, landing them all across Zael’s body, the Outsider Mark shatters once again. On the two-hundredth punch, Zael falls backward, sliding down the steps again. Yuri smirks and he pulls his sword out of the stone floor.

Seems his ability deactivates when he takes enough damage, Yuri mentally notes. That’s good, looks like I can take advantage of that.

Zael gets up again, but before he can reactivate Gathering…

“FINAL GALE!”

A wind blade slashes open Zael’s right arm. Blood drips down his hand and onto his blade. Yuri leaps with a howl as he struck the ground where Zael was standing.

“DESTRUCTION FIELD!”

The floor erupts into flames as Zael backflips out of the way to safety. Yuri gives chase, clashing blades with Zael once more. The two push, neither one gaining the upper hand.

“You fight well for a criminal!” Zael mutters.

“You fight well for a bleeding heart!” Yuri replies.

Yuri breaks the struggle and strikes Zael’s back with the pommel of his sword. He follows up quickly with a knee to the gut and a slash to the abdomen, causing Zael to staggers up the last few steps up to the second floor.

“I think it’s about time I ended this,” Yuri says. “Even if it’s been a fun fight.”

Energy explodes out from Yuri, pushing Zael back further across the second storey. A reddish-orange aura engulfs the mercenary for a moment: The Over Limit. Zael quickly activates Gathering again with the chance he’d been given as Yuri gives his adversary a sinister glare.

“Sorry, but that’s not going to help you anymore…” Yuri says, readying his blade.

Even though Zael watches his foe carefully, the mercenary suddenly vanishes from sight. A small gust of wind was the only indication Zael’s opponent had moved. The knight turns in a panic, covering his blind spots, until he took a slash to the back. He winces, and when he looks back to see his assailant, his eyes meet nothing.

“What the…?” Zael mutters.

His words are cut short as another slash rends his thigh, and another took on his calf. Zael falls to the floor, kneeling and cringing, taking a quick slice to the chest and then his back again. Left leg, right arm, left arm, right arm, back, chest, left knee, etc.

“Oh brilliant blade of coldest steel…” Yuri says while slashing Zael from every possible angle. “Rend the infinite darkness…”

Zael covers his vitals as he takes slashes all over, putting away his Chaos Blade and pulling out a thinner, more ornamental blade as his body takes rends from everywhere at once.

“And crush my enemies to nothing!” Yuri exclaims, with a final slash. “SAVAGE WOLF FURY–”

Yuri stops in the middle of his monologue and grips his sword arm tightly, falling hard to the ground and sliding a distance away from Zael. Yuri cringes and held his arm close, inspecting it as it bleeds profusely with a cut straight down to the bone. Yuri turns to Zael to find his adversary’s new blade, the Traive, dripping with blood at the tip and glowing blue by the handle.

“What the hell? That’s a ceremonial sword, isn’t it?” Yuri asks, struggling to his feet as blood pours into his shirt. “I wasn’t expecting such a sharp, lethal blade from such a fragile thing.”

“It’s far from fragile, the way Dagran kept the sword in top shape,” Zael says, turning to Yuri.

“What the…?” Yuri sputters, taking a step back upon seeing Zael’s body. “How…? You should be ribbons…”

The mercenary is at a loss for words as he beholds the knight’s wounded body. Zael was no longer bleeding profusely from his onslaught of slashes, his wounds healing until they close slightly, each still dribbling a small amount of sanguine liquid.

“I’m sorry, but being fast isn’t nearly enough to take me down,” Zael states, sheathing his Traive and brandishing his Chaos Blade once more.

“I’m sorry too,” Yuri says before stabbing his own sword into the ground in front of him. “GUARDIAN FIELD!”

A circle of light rises up and envelopes Yuri. His cut wound slowly closes up, leaving behind a long, still tender scar. Yuri pulls his blade back and smiles genuinely.

“Sorry I underestimated you,” Yuri says, dashing forward at the drop of the last vowel.

Zael grits his teeth as Yuri crashes into him at high speed. The Chaos Blade holds off the Second Star in an embrace once more, but Zael never could expect what comes next.

Yuri lets go of the katana and ducks, letting Zael’s momentum carry him forward as the purple-haired swordsman brandishes another sword, one crimson in appearance.

No! Zael exclaims mentally. I’m off-balance! I can’t pull away in time!

Yuri plants the blade into Zael’s chest as the Outsider’s chosen steps backward to pull himself away from the sword, leaving a deep puncture wound in the knight’s torso. Zael staggers back, blood dribbling in the corners of his mouth, and he covers the wound, trying his hardest to fend off Yuri’s follow up dancing slashes. He lunges with a kick, punting Yuri back a few steps so the knight could collect his thoughts.

Damn… Zael thinks. He cut right through a rib… His strength improved with the use of that new sword. It’s dangerous, I should be careful.

“GHOST WOLF!”

Interrupting Zael’s thoughts, Yuri tackles him at blistering speeds, knocking him off his feet and causing the Outsider’s insignia to shatter once again. Careening into the next flight of stairs going up, Zael pulls his Crossbow out once more, firing five Burst Arrows at the pursuing foe. Yuri simply slashes the explosive arrows apart, each half of each arrow flying into a pillar behind him and exploding.

“Is that it?” Yuri asks. “Is that really all you can do? Just rehash the same strategy over and over?”

The Outsider King smiles as the floor above them cracks and churns. Yuri looks back to find the columns crumbling thanks to the arrows. A chunk of stone falls, aiming directly at Yuri’s head, but the sellsword slashes the rock in half before it can crush him. Before he can duck out of the way of the other rocks, Zael lands a brutal dropkick on Yuri, launching him further into the collapsing debris. Yuri struggles to collect the wind that was just knocked out of his lungs, but the stones from above rain on the guild member, burying him alive.

“Hmph,” Zael mutters, making his way to the stairs. “Stop lying, you never stopped underestimating my abilities.”

As Zael reaches the steps, he hears a brief rumble and turns to find a rock fly at him with a tremendous velocity. He avoids the projectile, moving closer to the stairs leading to the third floor. He tries to activate Gathering, but Yuri is too fast for him.

“GHOST WOLF!”

Yuri speeds out of the rubble pile and hits naught but air. He looks up the steps to find Zael was already at the top, wind pulsing around him as he limps out of view.

“That ‘Gale’ move of his, huh?” Yuri mutters as he gives chase. “Didn’t think he’d use it to make some distance between us. Not bad at all.”

The founder of Brave Vesperia reaches the top of the stairs to find Zael standing in the place he stood while overlooking the valley earlier. He watches the swirling, sparking clouds in the sky as they darken. He returns his attention to Yuri, grinning.

That’s odd… Yuri thinks. His demeanor is totally different. It’s as though he thinks he has the upper hand. Wait… Hand? That mark on his hand… What if that’s the key to his–

“Twenty,” Zael says, interrupting Yuri’s thought.

“Huh?” Yuri mutters, visibly confused. “Twenty what?”

“Burst Arrows,” Zael says. “I only have twenty. My other arrows may as well not be useful at all compared to your speed. I thought you should know how even a fight this is now.”

“How generous,” Yuri says in a mocking tone. “I think it will be more even when I lop off that sword arm of yours, especially with that power it holds.”

“I might ask a question then,” Zael says. “What would you do if you were given this power only to find, as you claim, it would destroy the world?”

Yuri stands still for a moment, surprised. After a second or two, he chuckles.

“I doubt you would kill yourself,” Zael continues. “As you would kill me. After all, then who would fight for what’s right?”

“Hey,” Yuri says with a sinister glint in his eye. “Don’t underestimate my resolve.”

Those words drip like hot magma. Zael’s eyes narrow, sensing some hidden hesitation in those words.

“Enough,” Zael says, wounds nearly healed. “Let’s finish this.”

“Wait a second!” Yuri exclaims, now noticing the wounds on Zael’s body having slowly vanished. “What the hell is up with that!? You have some kind of regeneration power or something?”

“Something like that,” Zael says, blue chains coursing around his body and his mark glowing cobalt.

“Hmph, whatever,” Yuri mutters as he spins into a diagonal slash.

Zael parries the attack and ducks under the following swipe. He strikes Yuri’s Blazor Edge: Abyssion, knocking it further from his center of balance and takes a swipe at Yuri’s chest. Yuri takes a superficial cut to the chest as he steps back. His foot slams the floor and he rushes forward again.

“DRAGON SWARM!”

Zael backsteps the spinning top Yuri becomes until the two stop, Zael at the edge with a long drop at his back and Yuri with his blade’s tip floorbound. The knight hazards a look back for more footholds, but Yuri knows what he could do to gain the advantage.

“AZURE EDGE!”

Yuri knocks the Chaos Blade out of Zael’s hands by the vacuum wave and Yuri body slams Zael into the ground, sword pointed closely at Zael’s throat. The Gathering is down. The Chaos Blade spins in the humid air, falling into the castle grounds below. Raindrops follow it, as well as falls on the fighters in their silence until a blasting downpour soaks them both.

“I think our little fight is over,” Yuri says. “But since you put up a good fight nonetheless and at least have a conscience compared to some of the scum I’ve killed, I’ll let you change your last words from ‘something like that’ to something braver.”

“Thanks,” Zael says, gripping something beneath him. “I’ll only say it once more, I used up all of my twenty Burst Arrows.”

“Poor words to go out on,” Yuri replies. “I gave you a shot and you blew it. What a shame.”

He is about to push the crimson blade into Zael’s throat when something rings out wrong in his mind. He remembers getting shot by two arrows early on, and five when he sliced the volley all in half. That was only seven arrows though, not adding up to the twenty mentioned.

“Quick question,” Yuri says. “What happened to those other thirteen arrows?”

However, instead of answering his question, Zael smirks and looks at the remains of the roof, above Yuri.

No way, Yuri thinks. Is this…?

“NOW!” Zael cries.

“…An ambush!?” Yuri exclaims, looking at where Zael looked, only to find nobody there. “Wait, what?”

Zael’s foot connects with Yuri’s face, causing the hero of Terca Lumireis to reel back, caressing his nose. Zael stands up, brandishing a giant club of a weapon with sharp points and a long, sharp tip, as well as more handle than Zael would ever need in a weapon.

“You tricked me…” Yuri says, his voice slightly off from his bloody nose. “Boy do I feel like I have egg on my face.”

“Of course,” Zael says. “I didn’t want to have ANY last words there.”

“So you lied about the arrows,” Yuri says. “You still have them. You didn’t leave them for reinforcements to use or to distract me with them after all!”

“No, I definitely used them.” Zael claims. “I have no Burst Arrows on my person at all. I’m trapped at the top of this dilapidated tower of a castle and my only way out is down this unstable edge. After all, I’m not fast enough to get by you.”

“So you intentionally messed up your chances of winning this fight?” Yuri’s eyes narrow, not quite following the inane explanation.

“Not quite,” Zael says.

“I still don’t get what you mean, though. You actually did lie about not having the arrows?” Yuri mutters.

“This building is old and quite fragile,” Zael continues. “If something were to… Startle the castle, perhaps?”

Suddenly, Yuri’s eyes widen as though the puzzle pieces finally connected. Yuri looked back at the stairs, finding a Burst Arrow lying on the last step.

This guy…! Yuri thinks. He must’ve used the time I’d been caught off guard or when he was out of sight to plant them!

Zael inches closer to the edge, Zan Lance in one hand and Crossbow in the other. A bead of sweat runs down Yuri’s brow. It was a one-sided standoff. Yuri’s hand shakes slightly as Zael lazily aims his arrow, having the perfect vantage point from where he stood.

“What do you say we re-purpose these ruins?” Zael says with a smirk.

“Dammit!” Yuri cries, closing the distance again.

The knight squeezes the trigger and a line of explosions climb the crumbling castle until an explosion erupts from below them. In one fell swoop, Zael turns this ancient monument into a debris volcano.

“Son of a bitch!” Yuri cusses, burns covering his exposed skin.

Zael sails motionless in the air, a large gash on his forehead. Yuri notices this and thinks of only getting to more secure footing.

“He killed himself trying to finish me off…” Yuri mutters. “Insane bastard…”

As Yuri lands on a foothold, blue chains envelop Zael’s body and the knight’s eyes shot open. The two are separated by the explosion’s billowing cloud as Yuri leaps to safety.

It won’t be enough to just stand on one of these rocks and fall to the ground… Yuri thinks. I need a stationary foothold. I should get back to whatever is leftover of the ruins.

He lands on a piece of falling debris and catches his breath. He leaps from that to another piece of debris, and then another. He stops momentarily, weighed down by his heavy breathing and the rain. His foothold didn’t serve for long, so he leaps to another piece, that has a banana peel on it.

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me!” Yuri cries as he lands on it and slips uncontrollably off the chunk. “Of all the things, why a banana peel!?”

Zael appears from the cloud of dust and smoke and tries to impale Yuri, only managing to graze Yuri’s side and pulverize the rock behind him.

“Miss me?” Zael asks.

Another swing, but Yuri avoids the strike in time and clashes blades with Outsider King midair, the two unleashing a furious song of steel on stone.

“You’re crazy!” Yuri says between the hard ringing of metal. “You had no qualms about blowing me sky high since your power could bring you back to life. And you claim this fight got a helluva lot more even? Bullshit!”

“Well, I have to make my abilities count,” Zael replies, pivoting his head out of the way of an onslaught of attempted thrusts. “I still have four lives left after all. If you can’t make them count, then what’s the point?”

“What are you, a fucking cat person!?” Yuri cries between strikes. “Looks like I really do need to take out that sword arm of yours if I’m going to stand a chance!”

Yuri’s body glows reddish-orange once more and he leaps backward onto a piece of falling debris.

“Oh brilliant blade of coldest steel…” Yuri says, leaping with tremendous speed and slashing Zael. “Rend the infinite darkness…”

All Zael could do was block the attacks, taking chip damage from each slash as he falls through the air. Yuri leaps from falling debris to falling debris, keeping his momentum rocketing higher and higher. The Gathering burns brightly on Zael’s arm, causing the knight to grin.

“And crush my enemies to nothing!” Yuri says, hurtling at Zael faster than before. “SAVAGE WOLF FURY!”

Yuri strikes Zael with enough force to create a shockwave, the rain around them dissipating around the two fighters, the smoke following suit as well. Zael rockets into the ground below, a sanguine trail following him and a pale limb falling through the clear air.

“Let’s see you use that power of yours without the hand that holds it…” Yuri mutters as he falls after Zael.

Zael looks up to find his arm hurtling down from the sky. He grunts and whimpered from the pain, but manages to get up on his knee. Yuri wonders why and Zael simply pulled out Dagran’s Traive and points it at Yuri.

“Still!?” Yuri exclaims, until he notices something.

The arm falling through the sky was Zael’s left arm.

“He blocked my attack on his marked arm by sacrificing his other arm?” Yuri mutters. “What… Determination…”

Zael releases a large burst of energy, shockwaves erupting from his body while the rain resumes in pelting the fighters from above. With Accelerate, Zael leaps up to meet his agile adversary at speeds rivaled by Yuri’s own. The blue glow from his hand’s sigil illuminates the man’s willpower, glowing brightly.

“I will end this petty squabble,” Zael declares, Traive by his heart and pointed at Yuri. “By my honor, my fallen friends, and my country, I will do my best!”

“Alright then!” Yuri says, trailing behind him a blue blade. “Taste my steel, stained with the hopes of a better tomorrow and tempered by the dreams of Brave Vesperia!”

With a burst of light, the blue blade, the Vesperia No. 2, elongates and expands until it becomes like a giant feather. Yuri swings the blade over his head, cleaving through the rain clouds as the blade gives chase to Zael, thin beams of sunlight barely shining through the storm.

“By my sword, I will cut you at the speed of light!” Yuri exclaims, the blade mere inches from Zael’s face. “HEAVENLY BLADEWING!”

Suddenly, Zael’s mark manifests a volley of chains that sought Yuri out, searing his chest with their potent energies. Yuri convulses slightly, but pushes through the odd sensation.

However, Yuri’s body did not move.

No matter how hard the man tries to escape his midair, stationary prison, he could not.

“I already told you,” Zael says, sheathing the Traive. “It doesn’t matter how fast you are.”

The Heavenly Bladewing disperses into particles of light. Yuri felt his body going numb.

“This is the last story,” Zael says coldly as blood trickles down his lip. “You will experience.”

Once Zael is out of sight, Yuri’s body returns to normal speed.

“Do some more good with that power of yours then,” Yuri says, his face sliding apart.

His whole body falls apart, bisected lengthwise. The two halves fall to the muddy ground and watch as the clouds bisect as well, parting to shine the setting sun on Yuri’s lifeless body one last time, the clouds cut in a cross shape from both fighters’ magnificent slashes.

Zael walks on, until he passes out from blood loss from his arm. He won the battle, and now he had to work to bring peace to all people.

***

***

: Eyyyy, I win! Finally killed off your win streak!

: All good things must come to an end I suppose.

: Anyway Mr. Brainiac, go ahead and do the smart math shit.

: Yeah, yeah. As equal a fight this may seem at first glance, Zael was simply better equipped in every possible way to counter Yuri’s entire fighting-style. The knight even held a massive advantage in several categories that helped him pull through in this fight. Let’s start with their Attack Potency.

: Zael’s abilities draw power from the Outsider, a being that can birth planets on a whim as it sails aimlessly through the cosmos. We can assume the yield for this is anywhere between Small Planet Level and Large Planet Level. If we low-ball Zael’s AP to be Small Planet Level, then Yuri should easily win by virtue of slaying the Adephagos, a Planet Level threat, right?

: Yuri defeated the Adephagos, that’s true, but the Planet Level feat is not a solo feat performed by Yuri alone. To create the Heavenly Bladewing to slay the Adephagos, Yuri needed to use the four elemental Spirits, every Blastia in the world, Duke’s power, and Dein Nomos. As we don’t allow for outside help, Yuri can’t replicate this degree of power, getting only as far as incorporating Dein Nomos.

: Hit ’em with the ‘however’ man!

: *Ahem* HOWEVER, we can use proportions to compare the Heavenly Bladewing used to kill the Adephagos, dubbed herein as the ‘Adephagos Bladewing’, with the Heavenly Bladewing Yuri can use without assistance, dubbed herein the ‘Solo Bladewing.’ Finding the Adephagos Bladewing’s length by comparing it to the curvature of the planet, while also assuming Terca Lumireis’ circumference is equal to Earth’s, as well as comparing the Solo Bladewing’s size to Yuri’s 5’11” frame, and using those proportions to scale down the high-balled Planet Level feat of 2.7 Yottatons, we find the AP of the Solo Bladewing to be–

: 1.34 Exatons! Which is Multi-Continent Level, significantly lower than Zael’s low-balled AP of Small Planet Level. Yuri’s strongest attack is about 323 times weaker than Zael’s lowest-balled iteration. While Zael still needs to invoke the Outsider’s power to achieve this degree of AP, he can do so on a whim. Yuri, on the other hand, has to charge up his Over Limit to at least level three before he can perform Mystic Artes, further limiting his AP.

: If you’re wondering why we don’t just multiply the 1.34 Exatons by the approx. 19x power boost from the Blazor Edge: Abyssion, that’s because Heavenly Bladewing can only be performed with Vesperia No. 2. If we use Yuri’s highest AP outside of Heavenly Bladewing, he’s approx. Mountain Level with the Second Star. By using the 19x multiplier, we can find his base AP is boosted to Island Level, even lower than the Multi-Continent Level aforementioned.

: Next up, the speed category! Their reaction speeds are equally Speed of Light thanks to reacting to beams of light. However, while Yuri’s movement speed came out at a hefty 37.55% the Speed of Light, Relativistic, Zael, even with his Accelerate, could only manage Supersonic speeds of 437.6 m/s, or Mach 1.27. Pathetic in comparison.

: Yeah, that ‘by all accounts it doesn’t make sense’ Spear Feat was actually calculable… For the most part. Since it was in slow motion, it was a pain in the ass to find the answer. By using Zael’s max Subsonic speeds as a base for reference, we could find that he had to move faster than Subsonic+ speeds to outrun the Cocoon’s spear. Then we just doubled the result as per the Acceleration multiplier to find he’s actually Supersonic at his maximum potential. What a painful calc.

: And while the argument could be made that Zael can scale to the Outsider as his power is directly linked to it, there isn’t much in terms of evidence for this to be accepted. It’d be nice though, since it would give Zael a ludicrous top speed of 36.8 Billion times the Speed of Light, or Massively FTL+ since the Outsider took around a week, a generous sum of time as per the urgency of Arganan’s summoning, to travel to Lazulis Island from another galaxy away.

: But then you must be asking why Yuri didn’t just speed blitz Zael in the fight? The answer is quite simple actually. With Zael’s SoL reaction time and Yuri’s Relativistic speeds, Zael could tank enough damage to activate a max Gathering Burst, nullifying any speed advantage Yuri has in the first place. To reiterate, Gathering Burst slows the foe down more intensely based on how much faster the foe is. Orbs that moved Subsonic speeds were rendered near immobile. If it were to hit Yuri, then the swordsman would clearly be rendered frozen in time.

: Not to mention that the chains are constructs of light, and seeing as other things powered by the Outsider are capable of Speed of Light attacks, Zael is no exception, especially when the chains are a direct manifestation of the Outsider’s power. Yep, we got another anti-speed blitzer like Paper Mario here. You think there’ll be a tier for anti-speed blitzers so people can start taking speed into account, or do you think everyone is going to keep going the lazy route by equalizing speed?

: Who knows. Regardless, we’re missing one key detail: Yuri would have to deal considerable damage to Zael for this tactic to even work. So that leaves us with the question: CAN Zael tank Yuri’s attacks?

: Spoilers: The answer is yes. Zael was able to take on Zangurak and Dagran, both wielders of the Outsider’s Mark as well. Which means, at the minimum, they could throw around shots dishing out Small Planet Level yields. Yuri on the other hand was able to tank a fat blast of magic from Estelle, enough of a yield to take out more than a mountain and even launch Ba’ul across a city.

: While there is no exact estimate for how many tons of TNT were on display, we can assume that it was more than enough to wipe out the Shrine of Baction. Estelle was used to level that location, but had visibly less fuel to work with, as well as the action causing less of an adverse effect in Baction than in Zaphias. So, we can confirm the blast is far higher in TNT tonnage than a Mountain Level yield attack.

: But, even then, if we generously assume it is a Large Island Level feat of durability, two tiers up, it still doesn’t compare to something like Small Planet Level. So, in short, Zael can tank plenty of hits to have access to Gathering Burst, while Yuri can’t tank a single hit from Zael’s low-balled best.

: Even in terms of sustainability, Zael wins out. Gathering and Traive can replenish lots of health just by dishing damage out, while the Chaos Blade passively restores health. Thanks to these quirks, he can simultaneously fight and heal at the same time. Yuri has Guardian Field, but that requires he stay a sitting duck for Zael to fire pot-shot Paralysis Arrows at him to further restrict his mobility. For Yuri to use his only healing ability would be a death sentence.

: In terms of versatility, Zael also reigns supreme. He has a Crossbow with  many differing arrows, a variety of swords with their own uses, and a number of supportive techniques and the Gathering to keep the enemy on their toes as well as assist Zael. Yuri only really had swords, the Sorceror’s Ring which had limited use in a fight like this with its slow projectile speed, and melee techniques to rely on. Even if his Over Limit gave him invulnerability on the fourth level, it only lasts twelve seconds and he would need to dish out and tank damage to charge it up, something we’ve already proven to be impossible for him.

: Experience between the two is about even, however. Yuri was formally trained to be a knight for a few years of his life before he quit being a knight and pursued his own, self-learned sword-style. Zael fought all his life with self-taught techniques and swordplay, while getting a later and complete education in knighthood by General Asthar and Sir Therius. They both have years of battlefield experience under their belts, but there is no discernable advantage either bring to the table in terms of experience.

: But even if Yuri managed to overcome Zael’s Gathering Burst and land a finishing blow on him, there’s still another four lives Yuri has to get through to take out Zael for good, no thanks to Cure. Though Yuri could try to cut off Zael’s arm to remove the Outsider’s Power, Zael has seen that he can retake it for himself if necessary, similar to how Dagran was able to inherit it from Zanguark’s amputated arm.

: As we previously stated, Zael just countered Yuri in every possible way, even turning Yuri’s greatest advantage, speed, into something Zael could take advantage of.

: I guess you could say that this fight was over as soon as Zael reached The Last Storey. Eugh, that one was so bad I that even I cringed.

: The winner is: Zael