Bruce brought down the forward foot he'd used to kick to the floor, snapping his head forward and using that momentum to flip forward over the hand he'd been using to cover his face. Twisting in the instant before rolling, he slashed backward with his blade at Nexus' shins with a flying Ki wave.
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Bruce slashed vertically with his blade, sending out a wave of Ki, not for harm, but to vibrate the air and disturb the spear's path, the Ki dissolving quickly as Nexus passed through the second gate.
Already Bruce had taken a step forward, back foot over his front. He leaned his head back as he brought his front foot up and in an arc, pivoting on the foot holding his weight. The aura condensed in his body surfaced about his shin into the familiar form of his mace, bearing down for where Nexus' hip would be for his attack.
Bruce kept his blade behind him in his lowered right hand, his left arm covering his face, new material swirling beneath his robe sleeve.
Already Bruce had taken a step forward, back foot over his front. He leaned his head back as he brought his front foot up and in an arc, pivoting on the foot holding his weight. The aura condensed in his body surfaced about his shin into the familiar form of his mace, bearing down for where Nexus' hip would be for his attack.
Bruce kept his blade behind him in his lowered right hand, his left arm covering his face, new material swirling beneath his robe sleeve.
Bruce glanced at the chains Nexus spawned, watching them encircle him. Faint whispers guided his actions, familiarizing him to his new power.
Earthen stone, with such fluid movement as to appear viscous, appeared around Bruce, encasing him and liquifying into mud that pooled on the floor.
Ki and heat seemed to vanish, reappearing in the remnants of the Colussus Bruce had called a minute before. Bruce himself came streaking out of said debris, the material dissipating behind him.
His own Ki chains flew from his robe, arching over Nexus. Like raining fire, Ki dripped off the chains once they passed over him, each drop changing into daggers with blades that grew in weight and size the farther they fell. The chains grew, snagging links on the spikes on Nexus' imitation and going taut.
Earthen stone, with such fluid movement as to appear viscous, appeared around Bruce, encasing him and liquifying into mud that pooled on the floor.
Ki and heat seemed to vanish, reappearing in the remnants of the Colussus Bruce had called a minute before. Bruce himself came streaking out of said debris, the material dissipating behind him.
His own Ki chains flew from his robe, arching over Nexus. Like raining fire, Ki dripped off the chains once they passed over him, each drop changing into daggers with blades that grew in weight and size the farther they fell. The chains grew, snagging links on the spikes on Nexus' imitation and going taut.
Bruce formed his blade in his outstretched right hand, particle by charged particle, Ki layered, folded and stronger than in any of his previous weapons.
'Limits.' The word stuck in his mind as he assessed the energy flowing inside the spear flying for him. Bruce took a leap backward, outside of its downward path and loosed a horizontal flying slash of Ki to intercept the fan of daggers.
He reflected on something Ross had told him, on a day that felt months old now.
"All right, listen close," Ross said, squaring his broad shoulders on their walk around the guild's walls. "The Earth was formed in a competition between giant space rocks bashing against each other till one had enough mass for its own gravity. What you're walking on is just a boulder that won."
"But," Ross tapped the heel of his foot into the ground. "It's also alive. The Earth remembers every imprint we make, even if it's washed away from sight. And the ones who respect her, give her the regard she deserves, get the privilege of possessing her strength," his skin darkened into a tone of sandstone.
"We literally become part of the Earth. You're strong, Bruce, but there have been a couple who were able to go beyond emulating the properties of stone. Some could become the Earth. Those guys? Make Earth Sages look like whipped puppies."
Time had never been on their side since they made their stand to save their world. Bruce didn't get the luxury of forcing himself into a corner, or achieving the power to fight the Order through mental and physical self-discipline. He'd gotten a few hours of meditation on the subject.
He had to go beyond.
So instead of breathing with the Earth's heartbeat, he listened to the vacuum that existed between each pulse. He didn't strain, practicing the peace Nexus himself had encouraged. He trod inside the space of that obsolete wall, neither on one side or the other. Grounded and disconnected. Light and heavy. Dead and alive.
Bruce's eyes cast a faint glow, and his aura shrank, brewing beneath the surface of his hardened skin like magma. When he spoke, his voice hadn't changed, but the echo of a million souls through a million moments joined it.
'Limits.' The word stuck in his mind as he assessed the energy flowing inside the spear flying for him. Bruce took a leap backward, outside of its downward path and loosed a horizontal flying slash of Ki to intercept the fan of daggers.
He reflected on something Ross had told him, on a day that felt months old now.
"All right, listen close," Ross said, squaring his broad shoulders on their walk around the guild's walls. "The Earth was formed in a competition between giant space rocks bashing against each other till one had enough mass for its own gravity. What you're walking on is just a boulder that won."
"But," Ross tapped the heel of his foot into the ground. "It's also alive. The Earth remembers every imprint we make, even if it's washed away from sight. And the ones who respect her, give her the regard she deserves, get the privilege of possessing her strength," his skin darkened into a tone of sandstone.
"We literally become part of the Earth. You're strong, Bruce, but there have been a couple who were able to go beyond emulating the properties of stone. Some could become the Earth. Those guys? Make Earth Sages look like whipped puppies."
Time had never been on their side since they made their stand to save their world. Bruce didn't get the luxury of forcing himself into a corner, or achieving the power to fight the Order through mental and physical self-discipline. He'd gotten a few hours of meditation on the subject.
He had to go beyond.
So instead of breathing with the Earth's heartbeat, he listened to the vacuum that existed between each pulse. He didn't strain, practicing the peace Nexus himself had encouraged. He trod inside the space of that obsolete wall, neither on one side or the other. Grounded and disconnected. Light and heavy. Dead and alive.
Bruce's eyes cast a faint glow, and his aura shrank, brewing beneath the surface of his hardened skin like magma. When he spoke, his voice hadn't changed, but the echo of a million souls through a million moments joined it.
"Ascension"
Bruce landed on his feet. The gem-like quality of Nexus' armor shone in the vacuous chamber, like stars in the night sky.
'How fitting,' Bruce thought, reasserting his Sage state, the scent of the earth flooding his senses and empowering his soul, his Ki singing at a cacophonous volume without loss of clarity. 'The Earth shall clash against the Sky. One who climbs against he who flies.'
"Terran" Bruce's voice echoed, sand pooling up to Nexus' heels at an alarming rate and hardening. "Colossus."
Teeth, gnarled, concave, jagged and razor sharp, shot up from the floor. Petals of earthen material, dense as concrete, snapped up around Nexus on all sides, threatening to smother him in spikes.
'How fitting,' Bruce thought, reasserting his Sage state, the scent of the earth flooding his senses and empowering his soul, his Ki singing at a cacophonous volume without loss of clarity. 'The Earth shall clash against the Sky. One who climbs against he who flies.'
"Terran" Bruce's voice echoed, sand pooling up to Nexus' heels at an alarming rate and hardening. "Colossus."
Teeth, gnarled, concave, jagged and razor sharp, shot up from the floor. Petals of earthen material, dense as concrete, snapped up around Nexus on all sides, threatening to smother him in spikes.
Bruce's powers returning felt akin to a fish being returned to water, or a mammal coming up for air. Sensing the earth again was like having his heart restarted.
He took a breath to reconcile with the volume of his Ki. A chain shot out and snagged the sharp end of Nexus' notched projectile in one link. It was whipped to one side to the floor.
He dissipated the blades Nexus had broken, forging fresh one that had all the teachings he'd acquired backed by his fullest power. The valleys and peaks of his Ki were imperceptibly small, but strong. Bruce crouched like a sprinter, the material he'd scattered earlier gathering rapidly into a small ramp that he kicked off of to sprint after Nexus.
There wasn't time to pause or talk.
Bruce's skin turned a darker hue, hardening into his Sage state as he leveled a flying diagonal slash at his opponent. Chains hovered at the ready from beneath his left sleeve.
'My resolve has to go further.'
He took a breath to reconcile with the volume of his Ki. A chain shot out and snagged the sharp end of Nexus' notched projectile in one link. It was whipped to one side to the floor.
He dissipated the blades Nexus had broken, forging fresh one that had all the teachings he'd acquired backed by his fullest power. The valleys and peaks of his Ki were imperceptibly small, but strong. Bruce crouched like a sprinter, the material he'd scattered earlier gathering rapidly into a small ramp that he kicked off of to sprint after Nexus.
There wasn't time to pause or talk.
Bruce's skin turned a darker hue, hardening into his Sage state as he leveled a flying diagonal slash at his opponent. Chains hovered at the ready from beneath his left sleeve.
'My resolve has to go further.'
Bruce, the chain on his forearm liberated from his forearm, took the blade that Nexus had held instead and deflected the incoming dagger.
Pressing the moment that he'd been afforded, knowing it wouldn't happen a second time so fortuitously or at such a relatively low cost, he swept his feet toward Nexus' one in front of the other to reduce the distance between them. He slid his right leg between Nexus' and twisted his right foot to sit perpendicular to Nexus' left foot, giving his opponent another obstacle between him and rediscovering balance on the floor.
With his right blade, Bruce slashed crosswise toward Nexus' now empty left hand, the cut on route for the digits of his fingers. He held his left arm above his right as it crossed his chest, thrusting the tip toward Nexus' right eye, the sharp edge of the blade facing Nexus' right arm.
Pressing the moment that he'd been afforded, knowing it wouldn't happen a second time so fortuitously or at such a relatively low cost, he swept his feet toward Nexus' one in front of the other to reduce the distance between them. He slid his right leg between Nexus' and twisted his right foot to sit perpendicular to Nexus' left foot, giving his opponent another obstacle between him and rediscovering balance on the floor.
With his right blade, Bruce slashed crosswise toward Nexus' now empty left hand, the cut on route for the digits of his fingers. He held his left arm above his right as it crossed his chest, thrusting the tip toward Nexus' right eye, the sharp edge of the blade facing Nexus' right arm.
The second Bruce's blade was caught, he knew he had to act. Nexus had poured too many points into his style of fighting for him to believe that there wouldn't be multiple moves in the next instant.
So, as Nexus' dagger slid up the length of Bruce's sword, he released the hilt to give his left arm room to maneuver. Before the chain went taut as the spiked ball flew by the ducking target, Bruce circled his left hand around Nexus' in a clockwise motion, leaving the actual catch of his opponent's appendage to momentum.
Bruce had bent his knees a bit more to jump as he did this, but still took another moment before he could reliably get the push and the air he required. Nexus' strike, therefore, found some purchase in the right side of his torso before Bruce leapt up. He grit his teeth, however, and gripped Nexus' left shoulder with his right arm to flip overhead.
Short of being cleaved in half or decapitated, one cut wouldn't end the fight.
Once the toe of Bruce's sandal touched the floor, he snapped his left hand back to the hilt still restrained by Nexus. Though the blade was caught, if he could maintain the chain that kept their left arms together, Bruce could manipulate it as some minor defense, the blade pointing downward.
He formed a fresh sword of Ki in his right hand for another offensive horizontal slash.
So, as Nexus' dagger slid up the length of Bruce's sword, he released the hilt to give his left arm room to maneuver. Before the chain went taut as the spiked ball flew by the ducking target, Bruce circled his left hand around Nexus' in a clockwise motion, leaving the actual catch of his opponent's appendage to momentum.
Bruce had bent his knees a bit more to jump as he did this, but still took another moment before he could reliably get the push and the air he required. Nexus' strike, therefore, found some purchase in the right side of his torso before Bruce leapt up. He grit his teeth, however, and gripped Nexus' left shoulder with his right arm to flip overhead.
Short of being cleaved in half or decapitated, one cut wouldn't end the fight.
Once the toe of Bruce's sandal touched the floor, he snapped his left hand back to the hilt still restrained by Nexus. Though the blade was caught, if he could maintain the chain that kept their left arms together, Bruce could manipulate it as some minor defense, the blade pointing downward.
He formed a fresh sword of Ki in his right hand for another offensive horizontal slash.
Bruce didn't hesitate to retract his blade once Nexus pushed it down. He pivoted on the sole of his left foot in a full counterclockwise circle. The spiked ball and chain flew around him in an arc, trailing a bit behind his sword. Bruce used that split second difference to direct a thrust of his blade, which went under the chain that connected the spiked mace to his left forearm, toward Nexus' left hand. The spiked ball had flown upward in its transit, on a collision course with the right side of Nexus' head.
Bruce, from his lunge position, brought his back leg forward and leaned backward with his shoulders tucked so he rolled. He only caught a glimpse of the notched Ki being thrown his way as he went down, the edge grazing the fabric of his robe. Keeping his knees tucked to avoid doing a full backward somersault and give Nexus an easy strike to his lower extremities, Bruce shifted his weight onto his right side, aiding his change in direction by circling his left shoulder around to push the spiked ball against the floor.
Narrowly avoiding the dual sword strikes, his feet touched ground again roughly 90 degrees to Nexus' left, immediately following with an upward slash of his blade, putting the strength of his legs into the strike as he stood up.
Narrowly avoiding the dual sword strikes, his feet touched ground again roughly 90 degrees to Nexus' left, immediately following with an upward slash of his blade, putting the strength of his legs into the strike as he stood up.
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