Iron Will

“Yuna, does the Realm have a threshold for the barriers? Is there a limit where it may shatter or break?” Queen Aurora asks as she assess Yuna’s specs for the Realm.

“Currently I’m not sure your highness. We would need extensive research, and the Realm would have to go a battery of tests. I think if we implement the Realm technology into the facilities it could help quantify the data I need to provide an accurate answer.”

“Very well, it sounds promising. I will instruct your team here to begin installation of the Realm technology into our facilities. Please look over the new request I submitted to you. If things go well, we may utilize this for the kingdom. Please do not disclose this to anyone, keep it confidential. I will send over the encrypted file soon. You have my authorization to stay with Elsa and the others for the Rite and gather as much information that you can from the Arck.”

“Understood, your highness. I will support Elsa and the others as much as I can.”

“Thank you. Could you please patch me through the others. I would like a word with them to express my gratitude for their efforts.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Yuna begins to transfer the queen to the others.

Incoming call flashes on all the Radials halting everyone in their tracks. Lori answers the call as well as Aiko, and they prompt a window up for those around them to see. Elsa listens in to the conversation as she inspects with Yuna the Realms integrity from the fight between Lori and Irin.

“Hello, mother?! I mean hello your majesty.” Lori catches herself changes her greeting midway.

“Greetings everyone. Thank you for all your efforts supporting my daughter’s venture to the Rite. I know how much this means to her. Please do not hesitate to ask for anything you require, I have given instructions to Elsa and Aiko for the next few days as you attend the events on Juniper. Preparations are being done by Yuna, and I am sending two more candidates that we recruited to participate with you in the Rite.”

“Thank you, your majesty.” Lori bows her head.

“Irin, I hope that you and Crimzon will think about the offer that Lori proposed. But I also respect your wishes if you do not come to Aurora. Regardless of your choice I hope that I may meet all three of you someday soon.”

“Thank you, Queen Aurora.”

“Ah, Crimzon. I understand that you are not the same person, but nevertheless I want to truly thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my daughter, Lori, on the day the chimera attacked.” Queen Aurora bows her head.

“Ah, there is no need your majesty. I hope to be able to be of help to your daughter and others at the Rite.” Crimzon bows his head.

“Thank you Crimzon and thank you everyone I look forward to your performance at the Rite. Good day and goodbye for now.” The queen waves as she logs off the call.

Just then another window pops up, it’s Elsa.

“Crimzon, we would like you to train in the Realm. The queen understands you have not unlocked your Gift quite yet. We should take this time and make use of the Realm, we also need to gather more data on it. Any volunteers?”

“I will Elsa.” Kana raises her hand.

“Very well. I’ll have your weapons at the center of the Realm.” Elsa’s window blinks closed.

“Hold on Kana. Let me take a look at Crimzon first.” Shiori makes her way.

Shiori walks up to Crimzon and presses a button on her Radial activating a small eye piece extending from the headset she’s wearing. The eye piece magnifies into Crimzon’s pupil and Shiori pulls up a window displaying his brain activity. She zooms in and out of the images and closes the window. The eyepiece retracts and she pulls down her headset down to her neck.

“I’m going to use my Gift on you. You may feel something inside your head, hopefully it is not too painful.” Shiori places her hands on his head and activates her Gift, Blessing.

A green glow emits over Crimzon’s head and in some parts the glow is more focused. Then suddenly like a thread snapping abruptly he flinches and grabs his head with a sharp pain that races through his mind. The pain is sharp, but brief. Crimzon’s Radial begins to flash in sequence with everyone else’s Radial. In the Iris+1, the peripherals show the Gift unlocked.

GIFT UNLOCKED: Inheritance

USER: Crimzon

ABILITY RESTORED: Flash Step

ABILITY RESTORED: Nova

ABILITY RESTORED: Devour

GIFT UNLOCKED: Indomitable

“Ability restored.” Aiko whispers to herself as she reads the abilities Crimzon obtained. As she expected she smiles. “I knew it was you.”

Mirai looks at Aiko noticing she looks overjoyed, “Miss Aiko, you look excited. This is good for him, right?”

She pats Mirai on the head and offers some more snacks, “Yes, this is amazing.”

“Whoa, Shiori what did you do to him?!” Kana is a little taken back.

“I think I was able to use my Gift, Blessing to heal a part of Crimzon’s brain. This may have sealed off what may have caused his memory sickness Astray-Walker. In doing so, it may have pulled or unlocked his Gifts for this world.”

“But ‘Ability Restored?’” Lori asks. “It’s like he had these abilities but were taken away or unable to use it.”

Yuna chimes in, “From my standpoint, technically, it’s like Shiori restored his software file and now he has access or is able to use it.”

“You mean like a computer program.” Irin asks dumbfoundedly.

“Yes, in a way, but figuratively speaking.” Yuna displays an example of a program she restored.

Aiko’s voice slides into the conversation, “Or in this case whatever Shiori was able to do with her Gift, Blessing, she may have reconnected all of Crimson’s consciousness from the previous world.”

“EH?! Crimzon you had this kind of power in your world?!” Kana says in awe, “Amazing!”

“Not exactly. These were from a game I used to play?” Crimzon has no other way to explain it, so he shrugs his shoulders.

“I can’t wait to see what they are, lets go!” Kana walks away proudly to the Realm.

At the center of the Realm, Kana grabs her sword that appears as a single modern broadsword. Crimzon grabs his sword, a straight edge sword with a blade sharpened on one side, and a Light pistol. The two gear up and adjust their fittings. They both synch their IRL as it uploads with new information, and the Iris+1 updates.

<Name: Crimzon Age: 17>

GIFTS: Inheritance, and Indomitable

<Name: Kana Age: 18>

GIFTS: Iron Will, and Paladin

Crimzon and Kana take their places awaiting Yuna’s instructions to begin their bout. Crimzon holds his sword reversed by the handle as the straight edge runs against his arm, the blade faces Kana. Kana takes her stance her legs wide for balance with the sword’s tip on the ground ready to swing.

Yuna’s voice cracks into the IRL, “Okay, Crimzon and Kana ready! Realm is stable. We are a go in three, two, one. Go!”

Kana dashes at Crimzon swinging her sword, sparks fly as Crimzon deflects with his blade. Kana uses her momentum form her swing to plant the sword using it to catapult herself as she lands three kicks consecutively pushing Crimzon back. They both charge exchanging in a sparkling dance as their blades slide along each other perfectly placed countering the other’s attacks.

“Oooh. Kana is going all in! She’s pressing Crimzon.” Irin takes in Kana’s movements utilizing the sword almost dancing with every strike pushing her opponent back in position.

After years of training with Kana and witnessing firsthand her sword techniques, Lori knows Kana is just getting warmed up.

“Kana is just warming up. I hope Crimzon can keep up.” Says Lori watching intently.

Irin looks at Lori’s reaction and begins to show concern.

Aiko’s Radial flashes and prompts a small window on the side as she answers Elsa, “Ah Elsa! Are you enjoying this?”

“Did you teach him these moves with the sword Aiko?”

Aiko playfully says, “Negative. That there is Crimzon, Founder of our clan, Sanctum of Nine. This is all his techniques with the sword.”

“Really? It’s very unorthodox. But he’s able to keep up so far with Kana. Do you think he’ll be able to sustain this when Kana turns it up?” Elsa keeps a calm demeanor, but her expression give off that she is very interested in this fight as she also wields the sword.

Throughout all of Aurora the top three ranked using the sword is Third, Kana, then second is Elsa, and first ranked is Aiko. Although Elsa is second to Aiko, Aiko has always been able to separate herself from the others. Especially recently with her Gift.

“You know Elsa, Crimzon and I never went head-to-head, but I’m sure it’d be pretty close.” Laughs Aiko.

“Seriously?...” Elsa’s focus shifts to the fight and grins, “Then I hope one day I get to cross swords with him just for fun!”

The battle in the Realm continues as everyone follows the sparks flying, streaks of red and green swing echoing the clashing of their swords. Red, from Crimzon and green from Kana. The tension to strike the other escalates as they have perfectly countered and parried each other’s weapons. Then as their blades meet, they push off separating.

Crimzon quickly takes a deep breath to recover his rhythm as Kana plants her sword in front of her she takes off her outer layer and dusts off her hands.

Kana begins to stretch seemingly ready to engage again.

Crimzon now recovered begins to adjust his gear and now places his Light pistol holster in front angled on his left side with the pistol’s handle facing the middle of his body. He begins to analyze their encounter so far, just then.

“Are you ready Crimzon, I’m going to go all out now. I hope you can keep up!”

Kana smiles and grabs the handle of her sword to reveal that it splits into two swords. Crimzon takes note of Kana discarding her outer layer and now her sword becomes two. He smiles at Kana and cracks his neck to loosen up.

“Ho, I love your aura Crimzon! Ready when you are!”

“Roger. Ready!”

They both stand still ready in their stance. This time Kana holds one of her blades reversed like Crimzon and the other one points forward towards him. The wind blows and just as it settles, they dash forward only leaving theirs streaks and sparks to trace back to them.

As they engage Crimzon is surprised at the change in speed from Kana. “She’s faster, much faster”, he thought countering two attacks now instead of one. A second attack from Kana catches him off guard, then a stray shot of energy deflects. But Kana is unfazed. Now the streaks of light from their movements are mixed as the choreography of their battle has an added element, white traces from the Light pistol dashes into the rippling barrier. As they continue their fight begins to resemble a dance of lights filling the Realm.

“Wow it’s like a light show Aiko!” Mirai watches in amazement.

“Is he deflecting with a Light pistol?” Elsa asks Aiko over the IRL.

“Yes. I’m amazed myself that its working against Kana at this stage, unless”

Aiko zooms in on the footage in another window and examines a faint light under Crimzon’s feet.

“Ah, very well played.”

“Did you find something Aiko?”

Aiko shares the footage with Elsa to reveal that Crimzon is keeping up using his ability Flash Step, increasing his speed and distancing himself just enough from Kana. Elsa is taken back and is drawn back to the fight.

“Irin, have you ever seen him move this fast?”

“No, I haven’t. He truly is someone else from another world. I would’ve never thought use a Light pistol like that.”

“Incredible speed and accuracy.”

Then a sudden flash from Kana erupts dispersing crackling lines of energy covering her with a green aura. She explodes at Crimzon pressing him, invading closer into his space to cancel his strategy of the Light pistol. Then Kana connects with three consecutive slashes, the blade of her sword glows with the protective barrier of the blade allowing for clean hits landing, while not piece the flesh.

Irin lets out a sigh of relief.

“I thought he was going to get killed by those hits.”

Lori reassures her, “Don’t worry that’s the safety feature of the weapons in the Rite. Blades won’t cut you, but you will feel the equivalent of the damage dealt when it hits you. The same with projectiles like the rounds of his Light pistol. Those rounds he’s fifing off will impact and stun with the equivalent impact but not fatally hurting them.”

Irin is relieved as well as Mirai who is anxiously watching with Aiko.

“Lori, that glow around Kana, is that her Gift Iron Will?”

“Yes, it amplifies her physical abilities and provides her with barrier than lessens the effect of the attacks she absorbs. It’s similar to your Grid. However, there is one more ability to it that we know of. Kana can also create energy blasts while Iron Will is activated.”

“EH! Really?” Irin cannot imagine what that would look like.

Just then Kana begins to build up energy, green particles gather to her making her glow more immense as energy begins to crackle around her sparking. Kana swings her swords as they release energy waves attacking Crimzon as he repels them with his sword, but he can feel the energy surging and building around Kana. With every swing of her swords the energy wave released grows crashing into the barriers of the Realm. Finally, Kana plants her swords into the ground and raising both hands in the air all the energy surge to her palms.

“Get ready Crimzon! Here it comes. Unleash Oblivion!” Kana drops her hands an unleashes all her gathered energy releasing an overwhelming green beam of destruction.

Crimzon in midair throws his sword to the ground, planting it below him. He uses Flash Step to keep him in the air almost at a slow descendance. He holds out his right arm with his left as red particles spiral into his hand. Kana’s Oblivion runs rampantly closer and just as it’s about to consume Crimzon.

“Nova Lance”

A sudden burst of red energy unleashes colliding with the green energy. The two attacks violently clash and crackle as they consume each other until, a hum. Then in an instant a blind white flash followed by a thundering explosion fills the Realm. The explosion creates a vacuum sucking in all the surrounding air into the Realm and suddenly disperses. Everyone outside the Realm is protected by a barrier, thanks to Yuna’s quick thinking to deploy her drones to the others.

The deafening thunder of the explosion subsides, and the dust begins to settle. Two figures can be seen standing through the cloud of dust clearing. Kanna stands firm holding her two swords back together as one, anticipates Crimzon walking toward her with his sword in hand. Both of their clothes frayed and torn by the explosion of their two attacks. Kana and Crimzon meet each other in the middle of the Realm, visually assessing each other’s bodies scratched by the flying debris.

“Impressive.” Crimzon reaches out his hand toward Kana.

“Indeed. I just might have to confess my feelings for you after that.”

Everyone approaches into the Realm as Yuna begins to power down the barriers and retract the sensors. Yuna begins to overlook the data collected from the two sparing matches they had. Lori begins to interrogate Kana about expressing her feelings to Crimzon.

“Kana don’t you think about confessing to him. He just got to our world!” Lori continues to pester Kana.

Elsa approaches Crimzon, “Very impressive Crimzon. Your technique is unorthodox using the sword. I would like a match sometime in the future if you’re up for it?”

“Sure, perhaps after the Rite.”

“Challenge accepted. I look forward to it.” Elsa heads back to assist Yuna with the assessment of the usage for the Realm.

“I see you still remember how to use your ‘Unique Skills’ founder.”

“Aiko. You know who I am, don’t you?”

“Yes. I’m just not sure if we’re from the same exact timeline.”

“Who are you?”

“I am Silent Flash.” Aiko bows, “It’s a pleasure to be with you again, founder!”

“Silent Flash, from…”

“Correct. From Sanctum of Nine.”