Epics of Noche 5, Reflection

EON CH 09

BLACK HOLE CORRUPTION.

1777, APRIL 04th, MONDAY 11:39am.

Drive was let loose by both Noche and Vida as both girls landed back on the dirt. The pressure from this ocean of energy cracked the ground itself – flattening everything unable to withstand its weight. Distant trees snapped, rocks crumbled, and the ground reshaped itself like clay. Like two tectonic plates were clashing, Noche's half of the ground sank while Vida's half rose.

The blonde jumped while Vida fell over the edge of her rising mountain. Wind surrounded Noche's body as her feet slammed into the rock wall — she ran up the miniature cliffside and toward the falling star that was Vida. The two clashed and rocks shattered.

Noche's dark sword swung after the blind girl who grinned in response. She danced and spun to avoid the blade before sticking out her tongue and laughing. The blonde scowled and moved her weapon faster than lightning. Instead of dodging Vida did the opposite, she purposefully stuck out her right arm — it sliced clean off.

The blind girl giggled manically as her severed arm flopped onto the rock a moment before she did. She took her left hand, pressed it against the blood-gushing stump, and then smeared it all over her face in shuddering pleasure. Fire erupted from the stump, engulfed the detached limb, and in a flash the blaze disappeared. In its place was a fully healed and reattached arm.

"Come on Noche, you'll have to do better than that," Vida said. "I want to die in battle with glory. I want to die gloriously. You'll need to do more than cut off a few of my limbs. Peel me apart, pull my arms and legs off, break my bones. Come on. Hurt me! Make me suffer."

With that, she laughed, and it was a twisted, sick, maniacal sort of cackle. An explosion of flame filled the air and Noche was blinded. However, her training kicked in, she could sense Vida's incoming blows. The blonde ducked and dodged Vida's attacks even without the use of her eyes.

"I didn't know you could fight blind too," Vida grinned. "When you close your eyes do you see raging flames too? Fire is the last thing I saw you know. Even now it fills my mind."

The fires died down and the two clashed again. They traded blow after blow — each impact making a shockwave that turned rock to dust. Vida raised her hands and hundreds of small meteors made of pure fire came crashing down. The blonde dodged each one using instant riptide.

She stopped, pivoted, and swung her extended blade — Vida dodged to the side and threw ouroboros. Noche managed to avoid the wheel before it hit her, but the fire singed her face. Their attacks leveled the environment and each blow sounded like thunder.

If one was to look at their battlefield from a hundred miles away all they would see would be dark storm clouds, crackling lightning, and a field of lava. Most of the statues that had filled the graveyard had been destroyed or toppled over.

Noche raised her sole arm and water gathered in the air — within seconds there was a city-sized orb of water. Vida in returned raised one arm and snapped her fingers.

"Nine circles of the first flame. Level six, release. Sun."

Within the gargantuan orb emerged a red light. It started as a tiny flame trapped within an azure crystal. Then all the water started to bubble and boil. The crimson ball grew bigger and hotter — the water exploded in a shockwave of steam.

At its core was a blazing, miniature sun. The magnitude of its heat melting the rocks hundreds of feet below it. Whipping yellow flares covered the surface of this burning star as the air shimmered and steamed.