Duo

Just as he saw her weapon changing form and clenching it, Allen knew it, he couldn't stop her. Allen forced his body, lowering it backward just as Columbina's slash was unleashed, cutting everything in view with her horizontal slash, including Allen's attack that was unable to even cause any resistance against her.

Allen put his hand over the ground, pushing and twirling his body, jumping backwards and creating space between both.

*Clack* Just as he stopped, Allen saw his sword snapping in two parts, the upper one falling with a little sound on the ground.

At this time, looking at the perfect clean cut over his sword, Allen realized Columbina's attack monstrosity, cutting everything so perfectly that it wasn't possible to discover unless it moved. It wasn't only his sword, every seat of the Harbingers in her direction was cut, but they stayed immobile as if nothing happened.

'If I hadn't avoided it, I'll be dead now' Allen was sure of it. He didn't know why she had this change, but one thing was sure and it was that she wasn't scared of the punishment for going against the rules and killing him, her playing had stopped.

'Master...' Allen looked at his broken sword before quickly returning toward Columbina. The sword created by his master was certainly special for him, but now wasn't the time to let his feelings cloud his mind.

'That style is similar to the Kamisato Art' Allen deducted seeing her attack. One of the reasons that he was able to avoid it just in time was because he expected the attack seeing her stance, being similar to Ayato's Shunsuiken attack, but the power behind them couldn't be compared. 'But there's something different in her style, being sharper and more aggressive. Is this what is to reach its peak?'

"That little and useless mumbling of your mind, wandering around and interrupting our recital, our Tartagglia nº 72." Columbina walked forward, the Cello's bow in her hips "We thought that you were one of many ants, being trampled by our mere pass, but you posed to be a more irritating mosquito."

Allen tensed and lifted his broken sword, condensing it in full form using his Vision, fully focused on Columbina's next attack.

"We shall act as you desire and personally bring your death." Columbina's right hand slowly approached her Cello's bow, barely touching the screw. *♪*

A low sound and a twirling flash of light approached him at a speed that if Allen had blinked, he would have lost it, these were the only signs of her attack, showing Allen that any resistance was futile.

*Csh!* Blood surged from all over Allen's body, hundreds of small cuts appearing around his body, they were shallow cuts all around him, seemingly as if she had drawn his frame with them.

"Buag!* Allen fell to his knees vomiting blood as he felt the blood in his body raging, increasing its temperature and trying to reverse its flow.

'This with only one attack' Allen was clear, if she had wanted to now finish him, she was far enough capable with a single move, but the thing that got him shocked was the power behind her attacks, with a little vibration forcing him into that state.

'Now I understand. At first, she wasn't even attacking me. She was simply performing for everyone, all the Harbingers would have been exposed to that song effect even more than I who was ignored but I was unable to cope with the collateral of her music.' Allen discovered.

'I can't learn anything from this. Our difference in levels are too wide' " I su-" Allen realized, opening his mouth to declare her victory. However, before he could, Columbina pulled her bow, strings made of hydro forming along its movement by her left hand, causing her music *♪*

"Buag!" Allen vomited even more blood, his blood running rampant again, making it impossible to say anything.

'Why?' Allen looked over Columbina with a gaze showing horror and anger.

"We will not lend a mosquito the honor to decide the end of our recital. Everyone shall stay until the end."

*♪* *♪* Columbina continued her song, slashing at a speed higher than Allen could see, the wounds over Allen increasing.

'I can't really see anything, she is too fast' "Hg!" Allen groaned in pain 'I can't really react at al- Wait a moment.'

*♪♫♫♫♪* Columbina continued her performance completely ignoring Allen's futile resistance when suddenly *♮♪* The pitch of her song changed, the slash at Allen failing to hit its objective.

'What happened?' Columbina's attention returned to Allen, looking at him who had his eyes closed while lifting tall his sword with a little fragile stance due to his wounds.

*♮♪* A new change in pitch, but this time Columbina was able to perfectly sense the reason. Allen had moved, the perfect movement to barely parry her attack, escaping from it.

Columbina barraged at Allen with slashes, Allen parrying some of them while causing distorted music.

"How did you do? Are you a musical genius?" 'Has he discovered the rhythm behind? 'Columbina's song gradually started changing, lowering her tempo, her slashes gradually becoming slower, all of them hitting true at Allen "No, you aren't" However, once she stopped changing, her attacks started to fail sometimes surprising Columbina for the first time "That is...?!"

"I've got you!" Allen's eyes shot open.

*Clank* The sound of both 'swords' hitting each other resounded over the place, the music completely stopping.

Finally, Allen was able to stop her. It was true that Allen was unable to follow her movements with his sight, but that didn't mean that there was no way to cope with them.

'Let the body act' Allen stopped thinking about it, letting his body learn from it with each wound rather than seeing it, until it finally devoured, learning it.

"This is!" *♪♫♫♪* Columbina didn't stop her attack, but her attacks became slower to the point that Allen was able to imitate with his speed. The music started again, but this time Allen follow it, his slashes and movements parrying her, avoiding any damage while the music continued as a big grin was appearing over Columbina's lips.

If Allen had a musical weapon like Columbina, they would have sounded a perfect synchronized duo, Allen perfectly following her even when she changed the tempo as long his physical limits let him.

*𝄻* Suddenly, Columbina stopped, the music taking a rest to let Allen an opportunity to attack. "We know what you are. Show us what you are capable of..."

'My last opportunity' Allen put all his strength over his broken sword, focusing all his physical and elemental strength on it. It did not matter that Columbina had let him attack, he was at his limit, so he will use everything in this last attack.

'Musou no Hitotachi!' Allen slashed at Columbina with his attack that seemed to cut even space.

'Beel's attack' Columbina smiled widely discovering the truth behind Allen's attack as she draw her sword, sword qi blooming over it, surrounding Allen's sword "...Sword Eater."

*Cl* Columbina's attack swallowed Allen's slash, taking most of its power and destroying the essence behind it, easily stopping with her sword.

'She is truly strong' Allen smiled as he felt he had reached his limit. In Columbina's last attack, she had lowered her speed and strength to his and without using an ounce of elemental power, she was able to stop it, showing a clear superior style and technique.

'It was a good fight in the end' Allen closed his eyes and let his body fall as his consciousness started to fail.

*♪* The musical sound resounded all over Allen, his blood starting rising, surging all over to his right hand.

"Now it is your time to perform" Columbina's whispered.

*Fush* Allen's arm moved, swinging his sword at a speed and strength he thought impossible, cutting through Columbina's bow as nothing before slashing her neck, cleanly decapitating her, her head spinning over the arena, drawing an arc before it reached the ground.

*Tut* *Tut* Her head rebounded two times, resounding all over the silent arena, before stopping, causing shock to all the Harbingers, albeit at different levels.

*Paf* *Clack* Allen fell to his knees, his broken sword falling to the ground as he clenched his right arm with his left hand while looking over Columbina's decapitated and smiling head "What happened?"