15th CARD › “Absolution ZERO”
Blue Crimson was a name that struck fear into the hearts of evil-doers all across New Eden and beyond. No, it wasn’t the name of a superhero battling injustice. Not exactly. ‘Blue Crimson’ was the nickname given to two individuals; Giotto Jaeger and Faye Star.
Once they entered the Houses and rose to stardom as King and Queen of Hearts, these two made a name for themselves as being one of the strongest duos in New Eden. Their powers as a team were able to topple Chaotics and Rogue Espers with ease. Whether they were up against one or one-hundred, none stood close.
Their dual attacks were so perfect and in sync that onlookers couldn’t even tell who was the master of ice and who was the master of flame. For a while, some even thought that Gio wielded the fire and Faye the frost.
That was of course not the case.
Faye’s The Fiery ability was the top fire elemental ability in all of the Houses, while many hailed Gio’s Absolution Zero ability as a rival to Victor’s Adamant Charge for the strongest power in the all of New Eden.
Who would have thought that these powers would one-day clash, where so much – even their own lives – were on the line.
“Damnit, why aren’t you driving any faster?!” Sera’s voice peaked like nails driving into Leon’s skull.
“I-It’s not easy, you know. Don’t worry, Miss Sera, we’ll get there soo—”
“—Soon doesn’t cut it! Just let me drive!!”
Sera tried to reach the steering wheel of the black SUV from the backseat, but Leon’s reactive swerving sent her crashing back into her seat.
“Hey, Sera, just let him dri—”
Kenny’s voice fell silent as Sera’s glare pierced into his soul. Not even his Queen, Lenna, could break him that easily.
The trio had commandeered an SUV back at the scene where the hunters were being taken into custody. There was no time to get a helicopter to the slums, and with Sera tagging along as well they needed to get a vehicle. Their obvious destination was, of course, the current battle ground atop Diamonds HQ.
“Damnit, damnit, damnit!!”
Sera’s fist slammed into her car door, ripping through the interior and tearing through the steel of the car frame. Her physical prowess was obvious, as was her frustration. Gio had been captured by Victor, and Sera thought that the blame could easily rest with her. Perhaps Gio would have escaped if he had left her behind.
The two Kings whom sat in the front of the car knew perfectly well what she was feeling.
Leon and Kenny had both decided to intervene when Gio’s bounty was sent out. They were willing to risk it all for someone they felt was innocent in his charges. Willing to bring forth civil war. They had seen all the good he had done.
Unfortunately, they arrived on the scene just a few moments too late.
Since Victor and Rose had arrived, taking Gio, there was nothing that could be done then and there. If they had done anything it could have escalated into a massive battle that completely ruptured the structured system of New Eden. The entire city could have collapsed in on itself.
They had been willing to start a civil war, but at the one moment they had to act they hesitated. Their resolve to face their fellow Kings weakened at the last possible instant.
Now, news of the battle atop Diamonds HQ had spread to all Houses. A State of Emergency had been signaled throughout the city. Civilians were told to stay in their homes as Espers flooded the streets, all Houses converging on the warzone.
In looking to avoid a massive battle they were now driving towards one.
“Look!! There!!”
Sera pointed out the front windshield, spotting the glistening spire resting atop the penthouse suite at Diamonds. She even spotted the sparks of lightning lashing out from the structure.
Then, they all noticed the ice glistening in the light of morning.
“What is that? Is that… snow?” Her anger momentarily gave way to confusion.
Sera had no idea about Gio’s own personal power, but the sight of it caused both Leon and Kenny to share a worried gaze. The two of them had no idea if seeing that power unleashed was a good or bad thing.
For a certainty it did mean one thing – the battle above was being waged by two of the strongest forces on record.
« — »
Spears of lightning gathered like hornets from a rattled nest. They filled the open air in massive numbers, surrounding Gio and leaving him with no escape. The feat was incredible and the power displayed nearly unmatched, but the shade wearer remained still.
“It matters not if you use that power of old, Jaeger. Even with it you are still no match for two Kings, let alone my Adamant Charge!”
Lightning spears rushed, cutting through the air, while Rose used the chance to raise up a herd of thorn whips through the ice-covered floor. Each vine grew larger than the last, the thorns that rested upon them being the strongest Rose could muster. The thorns were not only capable of cutting through steel like tissue paper, but the poison which now coated them was lethal to even Chaotics.
The dual attack from above and below seemed sure to spell the Wild Card’s doom.
“Frost!”
Gio spun his body around, slashing his ice blade across the ground and then swinging upwards – a move that triggered blue and white lights mixing together in a cross-shaped pattern, spreading out and engulfing the three separate fighters.
Victor and Rose reacted perfectly, leaping back to dodge the wave of ice that consumed where they just were.
.. Though, they didn’t exactly expect that the ice would have been strong enough to stop both their attacks.
Surrounding Gio was a spiked wall of ice, one which didn’t seem to crack whatsoever under the mighty force of Victor’s lightning. Even the vines that shredded steel were captured, frozen in place by the frost magic that burst forth.
The crystal formation then scattered to the winds like a snow flurry. Gio stepped forth, seemingly unfazed by the joint attacks. It was as if his physical condition was entirely different.
Closer examination showed his wounds from before that had bled so considerably were now covered by a thin layer of ice. Gio had stopped his blood loss by freezing those parts of his body. A temporary fix at best.
“It’s going to take a bit more than that, Old Ma—”
Victor didn’t give him the chance to speak further, rushing forward with lightning blade in hand. He slashed downwards, aiming to cut through Gio from the shoulder down, but spires of ice exploded upwards and slammed into the Diamond King.
Ice sliced against Victor’s forearm, further damage only being avoided by his quick retreat back.
“Father!”
Rose gathered her own personal thorn whip in her hand, lashing out, but a slash of Gio’s sword sent spears of ice flying at her path. She wasn’t backing down that easily.
“Not good enough, Rogue!”
Rose followed the rules of dip, duck, and dodge. The flying spears, while fast and plentiful, were avoided. She had a clear shot at Gio!
“!!!”
Gio used the time she had to dodge to form a second blade of ice, now wielding two identical one handed swords. He then rushed to meet Rose head on, slashing with both weapons as her whip spun with a mind of its own. Ice chipped away from the swords, showing the incredible cutting power of Rose’s whip, but the blades were rapidly repaired within a second of being damaged.
The speed at which the magical frost moved and formed was incredible.
Back behind Rose, Victor’s body gave off a flash of blue light. He then sprinted forward, as if charging at his daughter’s back, but his entire body then burst into the very lightning that he wielded. It bounced wildly around the ruined home until his body flashed back into existence at Gio’s blindside.
“Giotto!!” Victor cried out, his emotions overcoming his typically calm demeanor, and his bloodied arm cut towards Gio’s back.
Lightning sparked furiously, as a constant barrage of electricity coursed through the air.
The shade wearer then pivoted, using one sword to match Rose’s whip and another to meet Victor’s blade head on. The change in position caused Gio to momentarily have his defense pushed back, but he recovered and showed his dexterity. He wasn’t going to let them get the best of him.
“You cannot best the both of us! Today your destructive, cursed presence, comes to an end!”
Victor was determined to give it his all in the end, but even with his determination and desire to see it through, he felt a momentary hesitation. He remembered the words that his fellow Kings spoke in defense of Gio. Images of a past with Giotto, in which Victor saw him as a King not unlike himself, came flooding back to him.
Even so, he had to press on. He had come too far to stop now.
“Father! We have to use it, there is no other way!” Rose pleaded, her own whip continuing to grind against the blade of ice that halted her progress so tirelessly.
Victor gave a sudden, reassuring nod.
Just what it was remained to be seen, but clearly the two of them had something up their sleeve. In this battle that was so drastically turned in the other direction they needed to use whatever they had in the tank.
“I won’t allow you to continue your existence!” Victor’s momentary lapse in confidence was replaced by that Diamond willpower of his. He knew what he had to do and his daughter was here to give him that push he needed. “If it calls for it, I shall unleash all that I have—“
Those words were like a trigger, or perhaps a warning.
Gio frantically pushed off the ground backwards, flipping quickly as his blades continued to match his opponents’ movements, and his feet landed against a newly formed wall of ice perpendicular to the ground. His body that should have fallen remained stationary, surely with his feet frozen to that wall.
No time left, I need to end this now, Gio’s own thoughts were as frantic as his sudden moves.
The odd tactic left a single moment’s hesitation from the two Kings and their attacks.
It was an opening that Gio would take full advantage of before his enemy could play their trump card.
He pushed off his ice wall, adjusting both swords to extend outwards and away from his body while his arms were tucked close.
“Cyclonic Frost!”
His body then spun rapidly like the name cyclonic suggested, and as his blades trailed in the air they released pulsing waves of ice. These flashes of silvery light shot outwards, piercing everything and anything in their path for a fifty-foot radius. Bursts of ice spewed forth and ripped through any parts of the penthouse that remained, skewering the ground and roof alike. The spires of ice reached high into the sky.
This wasn’t just a casual attack. It was a finishing move meant to end the fight before it had the chance to spin further out of control.
For those watching, the crystal clear ice which continued to manifest looked almost like a series of diamond towers atop what was in fact the Diamonds HQ.
Gio’s own body was lost in the initial chaos, but twenty or so seconds later he landed comfortably on the other side of the ruined floor. It was about sixty or so feet from where his attack had begun.
He did well to hide his fatigue. The urge to fall to his knees was overwhelming.
Not only were his wounds and the fight dragging him down, but his own maneuvers took a toll. His Absolution Zero ability had resurfaced in his arsenal and clearly he was stronger for it, but he also hadn’t used it in years. This power was almost new to him and using it was difficult.
That was why he poured just about everything he had into his last attack. If he could finish it, especially before the Kings used their own tricks, perhaps that would bring this battle to a close. He had to hope his attack succeeded or he might not have lasted long enough to try it again.
Fortunately, both Victor and Rose had fallen victim to the raging cyclone of ice. Two figures, two Kings, lay frozen in the wake of Gio’s assault. The lord of lightning and his daughter were statues that marked their defeat.
If it had been just a few moments later, perhaps even sooner than that, Gio would probably be the one in their position. That secret weapon of theirs was lying in wait and Victor had been driven just far enough into that wall to use it. The frantic finisher seemed to work.
Now it was time to let the curtain fall. The show was over.
“.. Release.”
His command resonated with the ice which covered the rooftop. Like a fine set of glassware dropping to the floor, all of the beautiful frost and snow scattered to the winds, shattering in an instant. It freed both Rose and Victor as well, both of whom flopped to the ruptured ground at their feet.
In what was seemingly a handicap match, two Kings against a single man, Gio emerged victorious. His techniques, his Absolution Zero, proving to be absolute in its power. For the most part, at least.
There was no question that Gio wanted to end the fight as quickly as possible. Once his power returned to him and he could feel that edge he possessed, he knew he had to take advantage. Because he knew a secret that few others knew about the Kings of New Eden – that their boundless strength was, in fact, bound.
When one became a King it signaled their ascension to a throne of power, but it also meant they themselves possessed unrivaled strength. This strength, if left unchecked, could and would spell certain disaster for the city itself. Any battle had the potential to have their power spill over.
Hence the limiter placed on Kings. A limiter that had to be removed.
It wasn’t terribly difficult to do, not in the slightest, but to do so was dangerous. Especially in the heat of battle. All at once that energy would come to them – and potentially it could become wild and destructive.
Gio acted before such an event could take place.
The downed Kings remained motionless, save for the slight elevation in their chest that signaled they were both alive.
The fight was over.
Only the occasional snowflake remained, twirling around the destruction.
This was the strength which Gio possessed. A power that was as destructive and merciless as it was beautiful and captivating. Absolution Zero, his original ability, was one which drew the attention of all other Espers. It wasn’t even just about the overall strength.
What was truly amusing about Absolution Zero was the seemingly bottomless well of energy within Gio. This energy had been stretched to its limits time and time again, but each time it seemed to grow exponentially. When he hit a wall he would suddenly rebound and smash right through it. Time and time again this process continued.
It was as if Gio’s greatest strength, a power that lay within him before he became the Wild Card, was his near boundless potential. An energy coursing through his entire being unlike most others. Energy that was truly—
“—Limitless. You truly are one of limitless potential, dearest Giotto…”
Gio’s body moved without him even thinking. He spun, slashing both ice blades in unison – but they were shattered by the outstretched hands of the cloaked figure now standing before him.
“Y-You—”
Gio moved as he spoke, forming two fresh blades once more, but their upwards slashing motion was halted as they shattered once more. Despair was setting in.
“You remembered, yes? Just as I had hoped...”
The plan of attack changed, bringing with it spires of ice that shot upwards from the ground as Gio stepped towards the figure. This time the enemy phased through the attack entirely, his body becoming a black smoke that dispersed into the air.
“What the hell are you?!”
His body tensed as the blackened hand reached out, running gently across his back.
“I am the one who brought you to the here and now. It was such a long game, but the pawns finally pranced to the finish.”
Gio had become incapacitated, a feeling that he now fully remembered from four years ago. This enemy, surely the same from back then, couldn’t be human. It wasn’t possible. Its voice and presence were enough to paralyze others with fear. He couldn’t remember the details from back then and he couldn’t even piece together the entire scene from four years ago, but he remembered this feeling.
It didn’t appear to be an Esper ability, or at least, there wasn’t one like this on record. The truth was, though, that such a feat didn’t feel like an ability. There was little doubt that this effect was solely due to the being’s presence. It was preposterous to think that a human or even an Esper could do such a thing.
Despite the feeling that disabled him, Gio knew this was the one – the same being who brought about his transformation into the Wild Card.
The same one who took everything from him.
“I know it might be a tad difficult to show how you’re really feeling, dearest Giotto, but I want you to know we’re finally moving forward. Together this time.”
The cloaked figure stepped around Gio, leaving him and walking to stand over the defeated Kings. He then turned back while pointing his hands down at the fallen foes.
“These two served my needs well, bringing out that power of yours… but I know they must have caused you a great deal of distress. Since their usefulness to me is over, dearest Giotto, how would you like me to kill them both as a show of good faith?”
Gio tried to speak, but he couldn’t muster the words.
It wasn’t that he wanted them to be struck down or even that he was hesitant. It was his voice that was lost. The fear which gripped him tight was quite literally choking him.
That silence seemed to give the cloaked being all the permission he needed.
Blades of blackened light burst forth from his sleeves, stretching out and merging with his charcoal colored hands. The blades of black light were highly concentrated energy and their radiating power could be felt pulsing all around the four figures.
It was clear that this energy the figure used was of an incredibly high level. Perhaps even greater than Victor’s lightning or Gio’s ice.
“As you wish, dearest Giotto—”
The cloaked figure ducked down, raising both blades of light upwards. He then snickered, ever so slightly, as his blades slashed mercilessly downwards at the necks of the fallen.
An execution fit for a King, as twin geysers of red erupted.
~ END 15TH CARD ~