As Augusto lay in the crater formed by Arctaius’ assault... The emotion he did at first not recognize, began to become much more pronounced. These heretics, they’d dare come in, desecrate the domain Ardam had created for them… Kill his men, his few subordinates he could be around, caused the death of his civilians... He recognized what he’d felt at last. Rage. His rage boiled over as he stood, slowly levitating out of the crater, and landing in front of it. Down the street, Jirou watched this take place.

“Should've known it wouldn't be that easy…”

Augusto’s stern gaze went between his two opponents. Who returned his with their own. It looked to him like he’d need to go a level above simply being serious. He soon clenched his fist, as he began to move his head, cracking his neck. Soon, he began to brush his black locks out of his forehead, revealing an object seemingly inserted in, somewhat resembling a gem. For a moment, nothing happened, building up the tension between them...What was his plan from here? And that gem looking thing. Whatever it was, what did it do? Their questions were soon answered as the gem began to glow, as a blue light began swirling around him once again, forming what looked to be an aura. Looks of surprise covered the faces of Arctaius and Jirou, and the rest of those there soon after this. Arctaius tightened his fist, as he put his arms up in his defense.

“His Protomis just jumped… It looks like he had another trick up his sleeve.”

Augusto’s gaze shot over to him.

“This is no trick… It is the peak of Kaemerge engineering… This machination is known as the Afius core… Combining the artificial Protomis made by the Research Division, and Protomis extracted from my opponents these 70 odd years… You will be eliminated, swiftly, and thoroughly.”

As the man spoke, the rage in his voice was evident. However, his opponents stood undisturbed by this display. They’d fought him for what felt like hours, A little hissy fit wouldn’t make them cower. Arctaius’ eyes bored into the man as he made his statement. His muscles twitched as he tightened his fist.

“No, The opposite shall happen here, I will not allow you to survive… If you continue to grow stronger, I’ll do the same!”

The two glared at one another, before Arctaius flashed forward, letting out a war cry as he did so. Augusto soon did the same in response, as the two arrived within feet of each other, they did not hesitate to begin their attacks. Jirou, elsewhere, opened his palms once again as he began to observe their strikes. Arctaius sent a strike at Augusto’s cheek. With his opponent responding by sending his fist toward his stomach. Jirou squinted his eyes, as elsewhere, Augusto’s fist stopped its ascent for a moment… But within a second, its advance continued. Jirou looked upon this in surprise. Augusto, rather than continue his strike, moved to intercept Arctaius’ strike, stopping it in its tracks. As he took notice, his opponent began to jump back, but he found that his retreat was too slow, with Agusuto’s mechanical arm slamming into his stomach. His mouth forced open, as blood began to drip out once again, he did not stop his assault there, however. The emperor continued to slam his fists into the man’s stomach, occasionally drifting over to the ribs. Eventually, he would stop his onslaught, before bringing his left palm to Arctaius’ chest, As a blue glow began to surround it once again.

Arctaius’ eyes drifted down to the hand, as the sound of its charging filled his ears. He clenched his fists as the golden light swirled around him once again. Even so, the blast crashed into him, sending him barreling backward. Once again, patches of blackened skin appeared on his body as it made contact with the plasma. Though the growth of the patches slowed down. He’d stopped some of the beam, that was a start. Jirou raised his palms, ignoring Arctaius as he flew past him.

“This doesn't look good… It looks like I’ll have to increase the G-Force. Otherwise, we won’t get anywhere. Formula-”

However, before he finished his statement, Augusto began to weave his arm, before he felt a chill run through him, and Augusto was in front of him. He shifted his hips back, and as he sent his fist at the Youth’s chest, he shifted forward. Jirou lurched back as a result, but would soon attempt a counterattack, launching a kick at Augusto’s side, only to be stopped. Arctaius soon arrived behind Augusto, throwing a punch at his back, but the man twisted his body, stopping his strike as well. The three stood unmoving, the emperor not willing to release his vice grip on their limbs. However, the two were even less willing to allow him to keep them in place, they began to throw strikes at him with their free limbs. The man stood undisturbed at first, but his grip on the two soon began to loosen as the strikes continued to fall upon him. Eventually, it was just enough for the two to get away, as they slipped out of his grasp, Jirou ducked under Augusto, clenching his fist as he sprung up, with his fist thrust into his chin. His head fell back as the force of the punch carried him upward, sending him barreling into the sky. Even so, he looked undisturbed by the punch, as if he’d barely even felt it. Though the two had not taken notice and simply continued their pursuit. As they prepared to strike him, the man lifted his head, looking down on them once again… He soon charged at them as well. The resulting exchange of strikes carried them across the city, with their punches sending one another flying time and time again, as they dashed to attempt to press their advantage. However, it became more than clear that Augusto held the advantage, given that he continued to speak as he moved.

“You are indeed troublesome... Just like that grandfather of yours. It was him that took this arm you know. “

Arctaius began to slow down at the mention of his grandfather.

“It was a good thing I killed him when I did... It seems all members of that family of yours just love to stand in my way...With you, that’s three whole generations. But it’s no problem, you will face the same fate!”

Arctaius arched his brows.

“We’ll see about that, Selenium Ignatius!!”

Arctaius was soon knocked down into one of the buildings below, courtesy of a right hook from Ignatius… As he glared up at him, the same golden light began swirling around him once more. The concrete from the building below began to melt as the aura reached it. His ally took notice and floated above as to not get caught within the field of heat. He thrust his hand forward once again as he fixed his gaze on Augusto.

“I’m going to use formula 200… In this state, it will require my full concentration, can you hold him back until then?”

Arctaius glanced up at him.

“Hold him back? You seem to have the wrong idea here. I will kill this one myself, I already discarded my earlier statement by allowing you to join… But I will not allow anyone else to get the last strike!!! “

However, their conversation stopped as they heard the air move once again. Though their allies flew over the city, to get closer to their current battlefield, that was not where their focus was. Rather, it was Augusto’s quick ascent. And then, a blue glow beginning to surround his steel arm… As sparks began to run along it, growing more intense as time went on. As did the sphere of blue light that appeared in his palm. Expressions of shock made their way onto their faces, as their gaze focused on the arm. Their allies stopped, staying suspended over one of the streets.

“I believe that neither of you will be getting the Last strike… That Shall be me.”

Alarick floated past the rest as he tsked at the new development.

“His protomis has jumped again…”

Kazimir put his hand on his chin.

“This just got worse, again… But that just brings up another question, what is he planning?”

Bijan brushed strands of his hair away from his eyes as he floated to Alarick’s side.

“Whatever it is, It’s not good for us.”

Part B

Augusto continued to float over the two, with the light having grown more intense, so did the sparks that surrounded his arm. He looked down upon the two once again. He arched his brows as he did so. His apparent distaste was very clear to them.

“I have allowed this to go on for much too long. It is time that I pull the curtain down on this foolishness….”

Jirou tsked as he put his arms out once again, he wouldn’t let him finish whatever he planned to do! Elsewhere, Liang shook his head at their apparent failure.

“Those fools…If they hadn't begun squabbling… they likely would have killed him, or at least kept him from starting something.”

As the conversation continued. One of them, in particular, sat there, tuning the sound out. Zhao closed his eyes, as he tried to move further into the future. At this point, anything would work in terms of finding a way to stop whatever he was planning. For some time, he was simply left with bits and pieces of simple conversations, the one those around him would have, nothing useful. He grew frustrated as his attempts to gain more info continued...Until he saw it. Tsugashuan and the desert around it essentially reduced to a glass floor, bodies ripped apart by the explosive force. Enemy, and allied. How it wouldn’t stop there, spreading into the region surrounding it, the destruction continuing from there… The Forests of Villiere, the savannas of Ridillis, the steppes of Northern Cui…. Following this, he stood in silence for some moments. As he came to terms with what he’d just seen. But, he couldn’t afford to keep this to himself, he needed to spread the info. Zhao opened his eyes.

“This isn’t good… Not in the least-- According to my precognition… That attack he’s preparing, the deaths we’ll see, will make world war 3 look insignificant in comparison…”

As they heard his somewhat shaky voice, their gazes shot over to him. They now realized it, the stakes had become much higher than before. If that were even possible. Valerie put her hand on her head in her confusion as she spoke.

“More than… World war 3?!”

The other martial artist standing in their midst chimed in.

“This could prove to be a problem for everyone involved. What does he plan to achieve by doing that?”

A red glow began to surround Kazimir, as his auburn hair began to flow as the glow came to it.

“I don’t know about his endgame… But what I do know is, as you said, it will be an issue… Now, I don’t know about you all, but I'm not going to sit here and let him finish!”

Kazimir soon dashed off to join the fray. Alarick watched him as he left.

“We may not agree on much, Dreckskerl…But I’m with you on that!”

Alarick soon flew to join them as well. Bijan’s eyes seemed to fill with determination as he flew into the battle as well.

“Don’t forget me!”

Zhao, Liang, Miyamoto, and Valerie soon went to join as well. Augusto took notice of the approaching presence and frowned at the development. But he decidedly kept his focus on the task at hand. The light intensified once again, as his free arm shot out to join the charging of the attack.

“You’re too late, it’s over!”

“Die… Epsilon Ray!!!”

As his yelling resounded through their ears, the sphere of light in front of him soon exploded into a beam of light, its size eclipsing the size of the building around them. Many of which were ripped apart, crushed into rubble by the force that flew outward. Within the range of the beam, there sat ships of varying size, floating over the ruined city. Within the bridge of one of the destroyers, they looked upon the oncoming light, before the bridge’s window shattered, and all of those within were obliterated. The very same happening to the shops around them… Arctaius gritted his teeth as he watched the downright gigantic beam barrel toward him.

“Dammit!!! If I'm hit by that dead-on, it’s over, and dodging isn’t a possibility…I’ll have to do this, I may not be able to absorb it all, But I will at the very least, mitigate the damage.”

As arctaius tightened his fist, the golden light around him began to swirl much more intensely, as it grew to encompass the street around him… He soon threw his arms forward, as the light continued its advance.

“Unfortunately for you... Plasma is under my realm of control as well!!! By using what you’ve given me-- I can easily convert it into pure protomis!!!”

As the beam finally reached Arctaius, he struggled to keep himself standing. His body quaked under the force, his legs becoming less and less stable as time went on. The patches of burned skin continued to expand, though, little by little… Though the expansion slowed as well. Augusto continued to gaze upon the youth as he resisted the force of his attack.

“You are hard to kill boy, I’ll give you that… But that won't change your fate!!!”

As he yelled, however, his allies arrived, as a red glow surrounded his body, courtesy of the oncoming esper.

“Tch... There’s too much energy to block out with my field. You’ll have to help me out here, Zhao, Liang!!”

Liang nodded, as did Zhao.

“Right!”

The two soon flew past him, Liang reached to his side, drawing his trusty Jian, that gleamed in the light of the man’s beam. Zhao reached for his Dao, taking it out of his hilt. They soon moved past him, driving their blades into Augusto’s arm, in what was a clear attempt to stop his attack. The man seemed to roar, as another burst of light came from the arm, the force knocking them back. However, he soon returned his attention forward as he took notice of something, the light of his beam was beginning to dwindle, the sounds of destruction began to become less pronounced. His gaze shot forward as he took notice of it, a field of red combs stopping his attack! As the remnant of the beam began to dissipate, his gaze fell onto his arm... Which showed signs of wear and tear, outside of where the two’s blades had entered. It was nearly ripped apart, looking more like a mangled hunk of steel than any prosthetic.

“Dammit! The reactions from my protomis must have destroyed it. I overestimated how much stress it could take.”

However, his gaze shot forward, as, with a resounding yell, a certain youth began a swift advance toward him, the golden light around him continuing to swirl, more intense than before! Though he would begin to move, Arctaius squinted his eyes as he took notice, his advance simply quickening.

“This ends now!!!”

As he outstretched his fist, he uttered three words.

“Solis… Flare… MAGNUM!!!!”

He soon reached Augusto, his fist driven into his ribs, and, as a snap echoed through the air around them. Augusto coughed, with red liquid flying out and landing on Arctaius… However, as the air around him simmered, the blood seemed to disappear. Patches of Augusto’s skin soon became darkened and red as the heat continued to scald him. Arctaius soon drew back, glaring down at the man for a second, before jabbing his elbow onto the top of his skull. Sending him crashing into the ground, Which gave way as he landed, extending across not just 1, but multiple blocks. Leaving yet another section of the city destroyed… Above, Arctaius floated, huffing as he looked down on his handiwork. To say that battle took a lot out of him would be an understatement. Though, he had more than enough to speak once again.

“Now Then… How's that for…As you said it- “A boy filled with hubris”.”

To Be Continued