Kazimir’s Expression remained as it had been before. Even with the many battles, the boy had taken part in, even with how many he’d killed. His flesh and blood ending up being one of those he’d come to fight against, as he saw it, one of his enemies. Even if he hadn’t said it outright, he was still struggling to come to terms with this, Amelia opened her hands, and her arms, as she looked up at her child.

“You being my son and all… perhaps we could reach an agreement, join me. As of now, house Livert has no heir… You could easily fill that role. All we need to do is clear away the coalition, and the ones you came here with.”

Kazimir snapped back to reality, he floated above for some moments in silence, as if he’d begun to contemplate. But such thoughts were pushed out of his head, as the red light began swarming around him once again, he clenched his fists.

“Did you think that because you told me that, I'd join you?! Regardless of who you are to me… you're with the group that not only caused the war but the death of the rest of my family!!!”

She scoffed at Kazimir's words.

“You don't get it, do you, I am family… But if you decide to keep fighting, I won't hold back against you…”

The light around Kazimir began to intensify, as the ground around them began to rumble, though subtly.

“ It's unfortunate that it had to end up like this. I'll ask you just one thing, Amelia Livert. Will you continue to support the Kaemerge?”

Taking note of both his words and his physical response, the woman crossed her arms once again, as a light swirled around her as well, spreading as it came to meet his.

“But of course, I would not betray ardam so easily.”

Kazimir arched his brows as a frown formed on his face.

“If that's the case, then my view is quite simple… You are my enemy, nothing more.”

“Good... It seems the son of house Livert is no weakling.”

What was at first subtle shaking became much more pronounced, as the ground around the two began to break apart, with what little buildings that remained following suit, as both of the fighters began to levitate, gradually speeding up as they did so, before stopping in front of them, above the edges of the gorge itself. Kazimir focused his gaze on her as he thought.

“You can't hesitate… Not after you've gotten this far. All that training and fighting, It won’t go to waste!! You didn’t spend all those years building your strength up”

The two faced off for some moments, before they both clasped their hands, with wave after wave of debris coming up to surround them both. And as the two opened their hands, out went their respective attacks. The rubble crashed between them, dust kicking up as they crashed into one another, and the resulting pieces coming from the impacts soon glowing as well, before flying at their respective opponents. For some time, neither would move, instead opting to break off debris from the earth, the buildings of tsugashuan, and even, From the wall of the gorge. Eventually, Kazimir grew impatient, he would soon burst forward in an attempt to close the range between them once again. He weaved around the objects sent at him, as rubble began to blur around him, as if it’d orbited him, once again. He soon began to speed up once again, yelling out but two words.

“Esper’s Fist!!!”

Amelia threw her arms out, her palms now faced him.

“Not this time!!!”

Before Kazimir got into melee range, he soon found that a cell of red Hexagons, almost like a honeycomb, appeared in front of him, it’s size dwarfing him. Amelia’s barrier did not stop there, however. Multiple identical fields appeared behind it, covering the woman from his attack, and though, with the force of his punch, he shattered 3 of the layers, he eventually stopped, withdrawing for a short moment. However, he would steel himself, as he formed his left fist once again. Before continuing his charge, shattering layer after layer. Until he found himself covered in a lighter red glow, Courtesy of Amelia, his charge stopped as he was thrown back.

“Dammit. What am I doing?! It’s as if my body is unconsciously trying to stop me… Even so- I won’t allow that to happen-”

His thoughts were interrupted, as the field in front of him disappeared, as the light intensified around Amelia’s palms.

Amelia: Psi-Wave!!!

A flash of red soon flew forward, as Kazimir’s eyes widened, a field of red combs appeared in front of him, his attempt to stop the attack in its tracks. However, it was ineffective at best, as the blast plowed right through it, as the red shattered and dissipated, barreling toward the youth. Within moments, it reached him, he grunted with effort, as he put his focus on not being thrown back by the beam. He found that not only was his jacket ripped by the force, but he also found that patches of his skin were damaged as well

“If I let this continue… The constant stream of energy will be a problem. If I can redirect it, for even a moment.”

He began to put his plan in action, slowly, but surely, he began to move his arms, Extending them past his body, and showing his palms, before yet another field appeared in front of him, him slowly, but surely- move his hands, before showing his palms, and creating a shield directly in front of him. Amelia squinted her eyes as she took notice… And though the shield was beginning to break down some moments after, it was more than enough for Kazimir to dive out of the way before it broke, beginning his charge at Amelia. Her eyes darted to the boy, who now charged at her from her left.

“Tch.”

As the shield shattered, the beam continued to fly forward, for a moment… But it would soon bend! Moving to follow Kazimir. As he glanced over his shoulder, having picked up on the sound of the beam, he’d taken notice. He said nothing as he soon began to change his flight path, weaving around, while the beam followed him. He would soon begin putting rubble in the beam’s path. To the untrained eye, it looked like it was plowing through his defenses with no effect. However, the direction of the blast began to change, at every impact, though subtly. As more pieces of the rubble came to his defense, however, the effect became much more pronounced, as he continued to avoid the woman’s attacks, again and again.

“It may look like a desperate defense…. But it seems to me that that beam of yours tends to either avoid obstacles or plow through them… if I continue to weave around as well- her advance will be weakened!”

Amelia would soon close her eyes, as the light around her began to intensify once again… As she opened them, the beams would not hit the obstacle placed in front of them, instead, they opted for splitting up into four smaller ones! This took Kazimir by surprise.

“What?!”

A smirk covered Amelia’s face.

“I know very well what you’re trying to do!!”

The respective beams soon sped up as they weaved around Kazimir’s shield of debris, the 1st hit, catching him in the arm, the second was dodged, given that he’d sensed it, the third caught him, and the fourth was avoided.

Part B

Years beforehand, within a house in the center of Nizhny Novgorod, though somewhat damaged by age, it was still standing quite well. Within this very house, was a young Kazimir standing to the right of a black-haired man, within a rather empty room. The boy stared up at his father, Vadim Rhuskov. His blue orbs looked outside, his gaze falling on the buildings outside their house, which mostly dwarfed the humble home. The man had changed quite a bit, now sporting a rather thick beard. The boy had something he’d thought about for some time, only now deciding to ask.

“Dad…”

This caught Vadim’s Attention, he looked down upon the boy.

“Where-- Did mother go? Why did she leave? “

Vadim turned in his chair, his legs now swinging over the side, as he placed his hand on the boy’s head. Kazimir’s gaze went further upward due to this, as his father simply smiled.

“Your mother had her reasons for leaving. As for why, well, she felt that… It would be better for you if she left… But, believe me, you will meet your mother… One way or another.”

Kazimir frowned as he came back from his thoughts of the past, he needed to stay focused on the task at hand. His hardened gaze stayed on Amelia as he began to pound the same thing he’d believed before back into his head.

“That same bodily response… If I'm to win, I need to push any hesitation away… she does not care, if you allow her to get the advantage, you will die, Kazimir…”

“All this time... I lived with the cloth pulled over my eyes… “She felt that it would be better for you…” As if… Now that I have destroyed that cloth, I shall destroy you as well!!!”

The light around him flared up once again. The woman hardened her gaze as well. Even if she hadn’t seen him for a while, she could see the signs, whatever happened, any hesitation he had was pushed away, she had but one thing to say.

“Is that so? Then come and try it.”

“I will not try, I will succeed!”

Kazimir soon withdrew from her range, as debris flew to surround him once again. However, unlike last time, he did not use it to defend himself, rather, he clasped his hand, with the resulting rubble flying at her from all directions, as her eyes shot around, she formed yet another shield around herself, stopping the attack, but, not for long. The shields soon crack under the pressure, as Kazimir tightens his fists. Amelia, however, was not willing to allow this to happen, she soon flashed out of the attack’s range, leaving the debris to crash into each other. However, Kazimir's eyes flew to her new location, as the now smaller pieces flew out of the dust of the larger, barreling toward the apostle. However, the woman would soon follow this up by throwing her hand out, attempting to seize control of the objects herself, as she threw her hands out, and the lighter glow washed the objects she’d sent. The two gritting their teeth with effort, as they attempted time and time again to force their control over the objects… That was until Kazimir released his control, beginning his ascent far above his opponent.

“You want control over that rubble, you can have it, I have something better for you!”

Amelia’s eyes moved up to follow him, she grew suspicious with his actions, what did he gain from giving her control? She thought for some moments until it came to her.

“He’s planning a different attack, that was a distraction!”

Indeed it was, as more debris flew off the walls of the gorge, as a mass formed in front of him, A gigantic stone slab, orange like the sands that surrounded them. As Kazimir threw his hands forward, the slab would begin barreling down at his opponent. However, the woman simply released her control, instead, opting to take the slab for herself… Just what he was waiting for. The light around him began to grow more violent, as it began to expand around him, entire buildings rose, as the light of his growing aura lit up the night sky, catching the attention of many of those left within the city. Elsewhere, a squad of the coalition's soldiers, four in total, sat within the ruins of a building, their gauss rifles in hand, it was dimly lit, the tallest of the four looked toward the west, watching for any enemies that might appear.

“Those Apostles or whatever they call 'em pack a punch...Haven’t even been able to advance with those two slugging it out.”

The shortest of those there, a woman, looked out into the street, observing what he’d spoken about, as dangerous as it was, she could not pry her eyes from the battle that was happening, even knowing that it could’ve distracted her… But her staring stopped as the red light that soon flew out hurt her eyes, nearly blinding her, she looked down, stepping back.

“Speaking of that… It looks to me like something’s going on with that guy that’s fighting the apostle.”

The other soldiers looked at her, and now took notice of the intensifying light, they soon looked up as well, though they put their visors down first… Elsewhere, Zhao watched this from one of Rizian’s many floors. His look was one of confusion, to say the least, he’d seen the man practicing some sort of technique when they were on Yatahari, as had the others. Though he refused to use it on them, or tell them what it was… But the signs surely looked familiar.

“Kazimir…”

Miyamoto and Valerie stood on one of the smaller buildings, about 5 stories in height, watching this take place as well. Miyamoto soon shot upward, leaving a crater in the roof, with her violet locks flowing as she did so. She soon stopped as she had a clear view of the battle.

“What’s he doing?!”

Valerie soon flew up as well, coming to join her.

“Whatever it is, I'm sensing more protomis coming out of him.”

Jirou, Liang, and Lafeyah floated above the city as well, watching this take place. Kazimir began to speak quietly, as he saw his mother’s face one last time, as the slab barreled toward him. Her expression was one of confusion, where did he get this power from? From what little she gathered, she knew they’d trained, but this was far beyond her expectations.

“I need full concentration to pull this off… And I have it.”

He began to yell.

“We end this here, Atomic Dive!!!”

The light soon flashed forward, as all in front of Kazimir was soon washed over by the light, the objects soon began warping, before they seemed to disintegrate… Nothing in the man’s path was safe. Buildings, the soldiers and assets remained, what little civilians had remained above ground, unable to get to the shelters. The display left Amelia’s mouth agape in her surprise. She was quiet as the light barreled toward her, but she soon regained her composure, as she spoke.

“What?! That’s… My technique? He’s evolved that far?”

Kazimir said nothing as he continued his attack, instead, he simply thought.

“There’s no way for you to defend against this-- I’ll warp your molecules as a whole- It’s over!!!!”

Amelia put up one more last-ditch effort to secure her survival, a field of cells raised in front of her, once again, for a moment, it stopped the light from reaching her. She grunted with effort as she attempted to keep her last line up, but it was ultimately ineffective. The shield gave way, and the light barreled toward her. She almost seemed like a deer in headlights, bereft of any chances to escape… As the light reached her, her body began to warp, limbs changed size, shrinking and expanding rapidly, wounds began to spread farther throughout her body, but it was not limited to her outer layers, her organs expanded and contracted, moved, some even looked to have fused, though this wasn’t visible to Kazimir… It was painful, no doubt, and yet, no screams came out. Rather, the woman simply remained in her thoughts.

“I’ve lost… This shouldn’t be possible… No, No, this just means he has overpowered. I’ve just succeeded as a parent. That’s all this means… I’ve--- Succeeded… And he has as well.It’s unfortunate that he refuses to join us. But either way… This feeling, is this what pride feels like?”

For a moment, her thoughts stopped.

“Yes… That must be it. But then again, even if I could tell him, what does that mean coming from me? It looks like I’ll be gone soon, I guess this is how it ends…”

The woman’s thoughts went silent, as the sky returned to its normal darkened state. Amelia’s body, now no longer kept afloat by her abilities, the corpse soon began to descend, crashing on the ground with a thud. With the high of his adrenaline gone, as Rhuskov’s eyes fell upon the deceased woman, his expression changed, rather than enraged, he was simply mortified… Kazimir soon descended, and, as he landed beside the woman, he fell to his knees, before he keeled over, Punching the ground below him, as it gave way under the force. With the display, he was reduced to what was simply frustration, he had but one thing to say at that point.

“DAMNITTTTTT!!!!”

To Be Continued

Elsewhere within the city, several men sat within one of the Kaemerge’s remaining shelters, separate from the mass amounts of people behind them. Luckily for those inside, it had remained untouched by the constant battles that happened around them. However, rather than what these troops had normally been, organized, and stoic, or at least, visibly so. There was confusion, to say the least. Chatters about their situation began, as many of the men raised their visors, some even moving to take off their helmets.

“What am I doing in this Armor?”

“: I’d never fight for the nobles, nor the apostles… I’m not sure what happened, my memory is blanking around after I got called to Rizian.”

Another soldier, a man of dark skin came to his side.

“It was the same for me. I’ve heard that Apostle Livert had some abilities, she was kind of like an esper. You think she had something to do with this?”

Another came forward, a fair-skinned man with green hair.

“It’s possible… But we need to gain our bearings first. We don’t know who our allies and enemies are.”

The one who spoke first removed his helmet, revealing a bald head underneath.

“If that's the case, we need to group up with everyone else, and see what else we can get.”

The four soon began to run toward the metal blast doors that lead to the entrance.