Metal to Mettle Part 3

Ferra Pov

Ever since that massacre, I'd all but buried all aspects of my culture, thinking I was alone till the very end. But it seems that today one of my father's last quotes finally came to pass.

"The Earth Province may focus on history, but it is we who have mastered it. The people of Metallica put their very soul in their element so that all our feelings are out there for all to see, for a legacy eternal."

I didn't get that until I finally got to absorb who Aphele is. We both lost our people in that massacre, but Aphele took it in all of the wrong ways. Our people are gone, nothing is going to change that, and yet all his life, he's sought to chain himself to a legacy he's never known; to be an outsider doomed to our inevitable fate of extinction. And even when he's looked back at me, he still doesn't get it. I cast the shackles of my people long ago, and I escaped my fate. Because the only thing I will pass from my people is their end, a trail of broken, bloodied, and battered bodies with the same brutality destiny gave us. I'm already going to die anyway, so why not take as many as possible in the most freeing way possible?

It was through this liberation that I managed to deal with my dislocated left arm. In a groaned awakening, I quickly noticed my surroundings, realizing that I still wasn't even sure of what blindsided me. Somehow the blow managed to knock me from the cliff to the edge of this river. I didn't have time to take the environment further because using my strands; I narrowly avoided the quaking landing of a new figure! Once I touched down with a pained grunt, my sense seemed to come all the more alive at the presence of this new threat. Or should I say old threat as the dust settled to reveal Brandon in a whole new light.

My stimulation grew all the greater as I saw that in his cornered state, the little cub had turned into a predator. His torn shirt revealed bulging muscles and veins that pulsed with an almost blazing blue aura. Dark red eyes almost twinkled as Aphele's remaining armor held strong in its glow. I heard of the story plenty of times but have never seen it myself. Some say that it's a fate for all those trying to use the Spirit element to settle the score; others say that the phenomenon was an evolution of the element. Either way, it's going to be Brandon's one-way ticket to the other side, for he has finally awakened the Berserker Soul!

Any sane person probably would've been afraid, even cautious. But instead, my armor rattled out of primal excitement; I've been waiting oh so long for a target like this. The ones with the most resilience are always the most fun to break. A thousand fates circled my mind at the thought, only to get all completely shattered as soon as we locked eyes. Wild rage rivaling my own sprung forth in a swift dash and untamed snarl that makes the distance all the more palpable. Time slowed down to a tense crawl as I motioned my right arm for an augmented block. Aphele's gauntlet, Brandon's might, and my armor all meet in a trembling collision so forceful it sends me flying! My right arm throbbed in pain as the armor around it started flying in pieces. Yet I couldn't even think about for much longer as Brandon was already closing in with his now unarmored right hand!

Using my momentum to its advantage, I turned my armor to string and wrapped it around a passing tree. Once I added a little spin on it, I swung around and delivered a powerful kick to the beast's back! Yet that didn't stop Brandon for a second as the only reason why he didn't already come prowling back was through my Metal Marionette! In that small window, my strings anchored Brandon through the trees as I started to collect myself.

My Titania Thread was strong but hard to set up, and I was already out of range of the previous one, which means I had to stall. By that, I focused my remaining armor on my left arm to relocate it. That second weakness was something Brandon took full advantage of, pulling on the threads so hard that it not only did they dig into him, but even the trees gave way to form deadly projectiles. The first one slingshotted from above, crashing into where I once was with enough force to rend it to splinters! However, in my retreat, my blindspot grew bothersome as I barely noticed the other trunk speeding in like a freight train! But by then, my vambrace was fully formed, answering my will in a subsonic strike that resets my arm! Amidst the volley of fragmented splinters, Brandon charged simultaneously, but now I was ready. Spiked boots dig into the ground, bracing myself for Bradon's full fury!

Hundreds of leaves flew into the air as we both our death grips held on tight. Time once again slowed down as our hands shook, and I let out a single sentence.

"Game's over," I say venomously.

In that same move, I took all of that momentum of his and threw him aside to a huge nearby boulder! An almost robotic focus started to take over my body as I walked towards my dead man walking. Like a living corpse, Brandon got back up, completely ignoring his wounds as his strength grew even greater! Like the animal he now was, he started breaking apart the boulder to create a crashing cascade of stone. With a simple gesture, I summoned another Demon Work: Shuriken Shield. Offense turns to defense as dozens of small strong shurikens shredded and tanked each hit with equal speed. However, that all became moot once an even larger rock got thrown. Meeting the challenge head-on, I fired all of my shurikens at the rock and simply moved it to the side. Through that change in perspective, I managed to see Brandon already revving up his next attack!

Despite his fierce face, I noticed his damaged right leg was starting to affect him, telegraphing his attack just enough to manipulate my metal arm to move out of the way! Once I touched down, though, my Titania Thread soon came to full effect again, raising our battles to the skies! From there, we engaged in a deadly dance; our speed grew all the more with each step, causing the leaves to start swirling amid our race. Through Brandon's face, I saw his eyes just as determined as I was, his body still going long after it's reached its limits. But that only strengthened my resolve all the more because I was a survivor as well, and I know there is far more destruction fated for me! With brute force out of the picture, I decided to swing upwards in tensing speed above the trees. Brandon followed suit unsurprisingly, but because of my cables, I had the advantage, circling him just enough to aim a kunai straight for his eyes!

Mana commanded my muscles to grow stronger as with no hesitation; I pierced through! Or at least, I would if the beast didn't do the impossible. With one strong punch to his left hand, Aphele's armor shattered. And using said shard Brandon stopped my pierce dead in its tracks! Disbelief destroyed all concentration, which nearly proved fatal when Brandon unleashed a scissor hold! All at once, our combined speed hit us, forming a vortex of wind and leaves! But I think my mind was whirling faster than my body!

The Berserker Soul isn't some common occurrence; it was a power that defied common sense. An ability made for those who would attain victory at any cost, including their humanity. But that move was beyond instinct; that was strategy. And if that brat's will is so strong he can still think, then I have to win at any cost before he grows even further! However, in the presence of such speed, my body was nothing more than a prison. But my vambrace was necessarily a part of my body. Forgoing all caution, I used the vambrace to hit Bradon'e right leg with inhuman reflex, forcing him off just enough to send me hurtling outside of the barrier. Brittle leaves felt like asphalt as I'm sent hurtling far out of Brandon's reach! Though, in the presence of such primordial brawn, I couldn't help but enter back in the fight! I said that Bradon would die when I say so, and that time is now!

Using my threads, I stitched all the nearby leaves together into a makeshift spring! Once I made contact for a final time started to slow down as in a start, the stress on my body increased three times over! The air around me started to strain into a cone-shaped barrier until finally, I passed through! My bones rattled like instruments with the wind itself, attacking my eyes like nails! Which means I had to rely on my arm once again! Again my vambrace moved on its own regardless of the damage shielded my eyes just enough to dive through the precious barrier. And in that supersonic split second, I unraveled my safeguard to form a tightly knit noose.

With my remaining mana, I took the noose around Brandon's neck and let our speed do the rest! By the time we got back to the earlier river, I had focused all my remaining strength towards my left arm and somersaulted him over to slam Bradon back down to Earth! But at the price of such an action, blood, tissue, and muscle all sprung forth my arm, like a crumbling stone as I descended to the ground below.

Blackness started to form around my person bit by bit. It started to claim my very being. But just when I thought it was all over, a violent buzzing from the ground shocked me back to life! Burning pain erupted from my arm like a volcano, but miraculously, the various wounds were already tied and stitched through metal. I would've busted a gut if it didn't hurt to laugh so much. I took the chance, and it paid off beautifully. In my freedom, I gained full control over my fate and spat over my nameless assassin. And through it, much like autumn, I could end the growth of life. I could fully dictate who lives and who died. But I wasn't the only one who had also survived, as, through my pain, I could still sense Bradon's resilient breathing! Again I was about to kill him right then there, but my Demon Works still wasn't done with him yet. Through the muddy crater we made I walked straight through, forming one last kunai.

"It was a close game, Brandon, but I fortune favors the bold; I hope you take that lesson to the-"

Before I could even finish, the surrounding water erupted like a geyser beneath me! I couldn't even understand what was about to happen next as from on high; I saw something that made my entire being stop in its tracks. Because from on high, as if sent from on high itself, a crashing thunderbolt ended my consciousness like the decay of autumn itself.