The Azra-El Series Ch. 19

She had to do it.

After a particularly heavy sweep of her bardiche that sent him skidding backwards, she began to channel her energy into her weapon. A thin gleam of silvery light began to cover her blade and the shaft, but it was far too faint to notice it from afar. Blaze saw the sheen, but his berserking mind was in no state to understand it.

Her energy shields got weaker and weaker each moment, and it only encouraged him to push on.

Tightly gripping his weapons, he battered her with attacks that left her with no room to retaliate. He had always been a brawler, and in a pure brawl, he had never been defeated, even against Elyssa.

Anyone else in the USMAT would've been overwhelmed under his barrage, but Nikolett weathered his blows with her staff and her energy shields, taking every moment of respite between the blows to channel more and more energy into her weapon.

Jumping back after warding off a nasty thrust of the Txiki needle, she pushed Blaze and his falchion away from herself, before thrusting her bardiche into his stomach.

He sidestepped and parried the blade to side, swiveling against the shaft of the blade to slash his falchion at her neck.

~Success is my only motherfreaking option- failure's not

You better lose yourself in the music

The moment, you own it, you better never let it go

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a Blaze-time, yo

You better...

A flimsy shield popped up to protect her neck, but it was only enough to make his attack pause for a moment. She used that fraction of a second to lunge forwards and throw a punch in his face.

The fist connected, but Blaze weathered it like the "man" he was. Dropping the needle, he grabbed her shoulder, and ploughed his forehead into hers.

It left them both reeling.

However, it seemed like Nikolett anticipated the move. She planted the blade of the bardiche into the ground, and hopped over to the other side to put some distance between them.

As Blaze turned around, his step faltered for a second. Despite body reinforcement, a punch in the face and a headbutt were not something he could simply weather without any side effects.

Suddenly, he saw the butt of the bardiche being pointed towards him. The hole in the shaft suddenly made sense as it began to glow like a miniature star.

Shit!

BOOM! It erupted.

Blaze managed to bring up his steel wings, but the energy tore through his feathers and hit him right in the face. His body reinforcement broke.

Sky is mine! His mind adamantly screamed.

His neck snapped back with a sickening crack, and darkness overtook him.

***

Blaze's falchion teetered and collapsed out of existence. His empty eyes seemed to glare at Nikolett for a moment, before they rolled back into his lids, and his body flopped to the ground.

"Match decided. Victory: Nikolet Lovag."

Those words sent three sides of the stadium into an eruption of celebration, while the Aranyans, the pixies, and the Undine went quiet. It had been going so well until that last moment.

How? Weren't rifles banned in the tournament?

Jie Er, Rebecca, Elyssa, and Siofra rushed into the field as the umpire and a medic flew over to Blaze.

Jie Er reached him first and fell beside him to cradle his head in her arms. She checked him, and relief visibly spread over her face as soon as she confirmed that he was simply knocked out.

"How could she do that? Are rifles not banned?!" Siofra asked Elyssa, who was currently glaring daggers at Nikolett.

Rage began to boil inside Siofra. More than she had ever felt in her life. Even when she had been bullied and discriminated against by the angels, she hadn't felt as much emotion as she did at that moment.

"It is not really a rifle," Elyssa muttered through gritted teeth. "She simply used the groove in her bardiche to direct her energy. There is no energy stone, and the shot is only effective in short ranges. Seems like it has been approved by the organizers..."

"That is just semantics! A rifle is a rifle."

Siofra was pissed. Blaze had been the better fighter in that match. How could one unanticipated move cost him his beloved Quetzal? She refused to accept it. It was absolute injustice. Sky was his to begin with, and Nikolett had used a cheap shot to rob them of their friend.

Siofra had seen Blaze use similar tactics throughout the tournament, but logic often did not prevail when it came to family or loved ones. A fury raged inside her, and she saw only one way to release it. A way that the Pixie Princess had once mentioned to her.

Thus, she made a vow.

Jie Er passed Blaze into Rebecca's arms, and began to stand up to speak to the crowd, and the dignitaries present at the stadium, but the glow that suddenly surged out of Siofra made her pause.

Nikolett, who had been glumly staring at the unconscious Blaze, noticed the change in the pixie almost instantly. Her eyes flared wide like saucers.

The stadium once again began to grow quiet, as one by one, the angels noticed the pixie. A bright yellow light began to radiate from her body. Not blindingly bright, but bright enough to blur her form.

"Righteous Fury!" Priscilla sucked in her breath.

Fiora and Alice nodded. All three of them had witnessed Blaze's Righteous Fury. Though Blaze's fury had been white hot, they could feel the similarity.

A melancholic smile sprouted on the Pixie Princess, as she watched the event unfold.

A little away from the Pixie Princess, Cardinal Amanah Tudor, sitting with the Cardinal Superior of the Malakim, held a vastly different expression.

"How can she display the Righteous Fury? She is her friend, and we have done no injustice!" Amanah asked the Superior.

Gabriel Sephirah was silent for a moment, before she spoke. "It may not be a true Righteous Fury. There is a way to force it..."

"Oh?"

"However, even if it is not a true Righteous Fury, it still implies that the world energy has recognized an injustice."

Whispers ran around the stadium, as Siofra slowly walked towards the Txiki needle that had fallen out of Blaze's hand.

Picking it up, she sneaked her fingers through its needle-head-like grip and gently caressed along the length of the crystalline needle. The Txiki needle was light, yet it felt heavy. The look of longing in her eyes was visible, even from the stands.

Wielding a Txiki needle had always been a dream of hers, yet, when Blaze had proffered her the weapon, she had declined it. She had wanted to earn it. Yet, now, none of that mattered. She raised her needle at Nikolett, and spoke.

"You have no right to take Sky away from Blaze. Fight me!" she said, her tiny voice somehow booming in the ears of everyone in the stadium. The yellowish-golden aura around her brightened with her words.

"Okay," Nikolett agreed, bringing out her silvery wings and hopping back into the sky.

The umpire had no obligation to oversee the match, but the power of Righteous Fury compelled her.

Siofra unfurled her beautiful, translucent, butterfly wings, and followed Nikolett into the sky. Her wings were red and orange, while Blaze's were red and white. The similarity was not lost on the audience.

"What is that ivka doing?!" Amanah cried, jumping to her feet. "We have no obligation to take up her challenge. The Quetzal is ours, according to the agreement," she huffed, bringing out her wings, intent on going into the arena and stopping the duel. She was confident in Nikolett's ability, but the Righteous Fury brought her doubt.

"Stop," Gabriel commanded. "Let them duel, Amanah."

"Begin!" the umpire shouted, as soon as the two duelers got into position.

A shield knight like Priscilla countered Siofra's fighting style, but a Pegasi knight who was not on a Quetzal could only be a warrior, and Siofra countered warriors.

Nikolett charged towards Siofra as soon as she heard the umpire's cue. She wasn't going to make the same mistake she had made with Blaze. On reaching the pixie, she swept her bardiche at her midriff.

Siofra's wings fluttered, making her disappear from Nikolett's sight. Flutter was a pixie technique that made it almost impossible to anticipate the direction of a pixie's movements.

The pixie swooped in with a sharp thrust from Nikolett's blind spot, but even before she was inside her range, Nike's bardiche swept back at her. Siofra took the blade with her needle but was thrown away by the force of contact.

However, Siofra did not lose her balance. Blaze had done it to her way too many times for her to lose balance.

Nikolett's bardiche came at her in a thrust, and Siofra once again disappeared. She tried to get inside Nike's guard again, but she was once again met by the bardiche.

Siofra was like a sturdy kite in a strong gale. Nikolett's attacks could easily overwhelm her, but she flowed between them. Her pixie wings also aided in dampening Nike's attacks, by flowing with the direction of her swings.

Suddenly, a voice erupted from the stands. Rachel had grabbed the VP from Kida's hand, and began to sing acapella. She had once seen Siofra as an outsider, but now, she realized that they were all friends, who supported one another, no matter what.

~Yo

Yo! Her hands are mighty, she's meek but her arms are heavy

There's energy on her chest already: its steady

Rachel's voice cracked, but the Blazing Band came to life as they realized that their work was not yet over.

She may look nervous, but she's calm and ready

To drop bombs, but she keeps on forgetting

What she wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud

She opens her mouth, and the words just come out

Nobody is joking now, that stupid angel will be choking, now

The clock's run out, time's up, over—blaow!

Slowly, the crowd around the band began to join in, and the stadium came alive in song.

Suddenly, the weight of the Txiki needle in Siofra's hands lifted. Her whole life, she had no one to watch her back. She had never felt a true sense of belonging with anyone or any place-- even with the pixies. Now, she not only had pixies watching her back, but also angels and merangels.

She didn't want to be a mere kite in the wind anymore. She wanted to be the spear that could pierce through any storm.

The next time Nikolett's sweep reached her, she fluttered, ducked under it, and rushed towards the angel. Nikolett pulled back her weapon to tag her with the sharp lower edge of her blade.

Siofra weathered the blade cutting through her body reinforcement and used the force to thrust the needle at Nikolett.

Pixie Prick!

An inch-thick, silver shield materialized in front of the angel to block the needle. At first, it seemed like the shield blocked the thrust, but the next moment, it shimmered and collapsed. The needle dug into Nike's body-reinforced chest.

Startled, Nike hastily retreated. Though the needle had not been able to pierce her skin, it stung. She quickly realized what had happened. The Pixie Prick was multiple thrusts in one attack, aimed at the same spot, made possible by synchronizing the thrusts with the rapid back and forth movements of a pixie. It was very effective against energy shields.

Nikolett's eyes narrowed as she seemed to realize that the duel had just become harder. She had been confident in her ability to block the Pixie's attacks with her shields, but now, they had become vulnerable.

She had just fought a grueling battle with Blaze, and her energy resources were running low. Her movements had also grown a little sluggish. In contrast, Siofra was fighting at her peak.

However, Nikolett was not one to make excuses. If a pixie didn't care about taking a blow to land an attack on her opponent, then how could she back down?

The next time Siofra managed to get inside her guard, she angled her shield just enough to divert the needle. The needle grazed her shoulder, cutting through her sleeve and body reinforcement, and drawing blood. However, Nike found the opening she was looking for.

She kicked as hard as she could, into Siofra's gut.

Siofra doubled back as the blow managed to take her breath out of her lungs. The next moment, Nikolett's bardiche came sweeping at her midriff. She fluttered back just in time to avoid the blade, but her top was not as lucky. Uncaring, she shot forward for more.

For fifteen minutes, the angel and the pixie fought without inhibition, neither backing down, no matter the amount of damage they took. Their clothes were reduced to tatters, and their bodies were covered in bruises, scrapes, and streaks of blood.

"Stop!" the umpire finally called.

Nikolett and Siofra came to a halt in mid-fight, the needle set to strike Nikolett in the face, and the butt of the bardiche poised to ram into Siofra's chin. The Blazing Band finally grew quiet.

The two duelists backed away from each other, and Siofra immediately flew to the ground. The radiance around her body quickly receded and lethargy immediately set in. Her wings flickered and collapsed out of existence, and she sat down, feeling woozy.

"Siofra Eoiwagn, 58 points," the umpire announced from the air. "Nikolett Lovag, 56 points. Winner: Siofra Eoiwagn!"

The southern stands erupted, and Siofra fell on her back with a wide smile on her face, and tears streaming down her cheeks. Though she had fought a weakened opponent, she had fought and won against Nikolett Lovag. More importantly, she had won for Blaze!

"What a thrilling match!" a voice boomed through the sound horns around the stadium, bringing Siofra out of her musing.

She sat up to find Cardinal Tudor standing at the topmost level of the stands on the Malakim's side and speaking into a VP.

"It has been a thrilling match. The pixie has exceeded our expectations and won. I commend her wholeheartedly!" Amanah said, giving a pause for the Aranyans and pixies to celebrate.

"However, this was not an official duel, and Ms. Lovag had to fight two opponents one after the other. Ms. Eoiwagn has won, but it is of no consequence to the result of Ms. Lovag's match against Ms. Lokra. So, as agreed at the delegate meeting at Sekat, the Quetzal's custody shall from this day forth be handed over to the Malakim."

The cheers from the Aranyan side quickly receded, but most of the Caledonians did not celebrate either. Siofra's Righteous Fury had put a damper on their convictions.

Anger resurged in Siofra's heart as she tried to stand up in protest. She had won! If anything, Sky should be hers. However, before she could say anything, she heard a flutter of wings behind her. Jie Er and Rebecca landed beside her, with Blaze comfortably asleep in Rebecca's arms.

Jie Er placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and Siofra glanced up at her.

She was taken aback.

Four grand, beautiful, and impossibly white wings projected out of Jie Er's back. Their expanse, which spread behind the four angels, almost protectively, was enough to cocoon all four of them. Siofra felt tiny under their presence.

As Jie Er stood gazing at the audience, particularly at the Malakim, Siofra noticed that her black wig was finally gone, and her long, platinum blonde hair flowed behind her like a waterfall. However, it was neither her hair nor her archangel wings that amazed Siofra. Instead, it was her demeanor that awed her and everyone watching them.

Jie Er had always possessed a calm and composed personality, and she had always felt amiable and amenable. No one felt small or insecure beside her, but now, everything was different. There was only one word to describe her at that moment: Noble.

"I Am," Jie Er's voice boomed through the stadium, even without the help of a voice projector. The entire stadium fell silent. It was obvious that Jie Er was a fully matured archangel, but the impressive part was that she was a really young archangel. "I Am Princess Ying Jie Shangdi Of Xian!" she declared.

The silence grew louder, before whispers began to course through the stands. Many stood up in their seats. Siofra looked at Jie Er in a daze, with her mouth hanging open. Nikolett's expression fell as she suddenly realized her misunderstanding over Jie Er's identity.

"It is no wonder that I found her so familiar," the Cardinal Superior spoke in her seat. "She does not look the same without her royal attire."

"This... This is true?" the Cardinal stuttered.

"Do you need more proof?" the Cardinal Superior replied, glancing at Princess Ying Yue Shangdi and CG flying out into the arena to join Jie Er. A contingent of Xian soldiers followed behind them.

"Yes, yes, yes!" a squeal of delight rang from Tir's stands. Elyssa, who was standing beside her mother, was skipping on her feet and pumping her fist in the air.

"Jie Er," Ying Yue smiled at Jie Er, as she landed near them, along with her daughter. "How have you been?"

"It has been a while, elder sister," Jie Er nodded and glanced at Chenguang.

"It is a pleasure to finally talk to you, Aunt Ying Jie. I have been pining to meet you ever since I met Fenghuang at Tir, but mother forbade me from approaching you," Chenguang said, solemnly.

"Feel free to call me 'auntie'," Jie Er said, her lips widening into a smile that did not seem to extend towards CG's mother. "We will have plenty of time to make up for the time we have missed. For now, I must attend to this matter at hand."

"Yes, auntie," CG nodded.

Jie Er turned to the crowd to address them again. "Blaze Er Lokra is my daughter. The name bestowed upon her by the Empress of Xian is Fenghuang Shangdi. As a granddaughter of the Empress, my daughter is also a princess.

"As many of you may know, Xian is a sovereign nation. As such, the Heavenly Union has no claim over any property of the imperial household. Sky, the quetzal, is a possession of my child, and it will remain so."

"No!" Cardinal Tudor screeched from the stands. "Princess Ying Yue Shangdi herself presided over that meeting and agreed on the terms of this duel. It is un-angelic to go back on the terms of a fair duel. You cannot do this!"

"You are wrong. I can do this. I never agreed to this sham of a match. Moreover, my sister was unaware of Blaze's identity when she presided over that meeting. As for fairness, you dare call a duel between a twenty-year-old and a fifty-year-old fair? I only waited this long to see how far you would take this, Cardinal. Do not push me too far."

Jie Er's voice was calm and steady, but that only made it even more threatening.

"Let it be, Cardinal," Gabriel sighed to Amanah. "We cannot force this anymore. Look at Nikolett. She is conflicted. Pushing this any further will only affect her mindset. There is something more important than the Quetzal that she must obtain. Do not forget it."

Cardinal Tudor took a deep breath to calm herself, as the Cardinal Superior stood up to address the crowd and the rest of the Heavenly Union.

"The Malakim forgo their claim of the first angelic Quetzal," she announced, bringing a cheer from the students of Tir and the Undine. However, the Aranyans were silent as they slowly began to realize that their Blazing Fury was, in fact, a Xian.

"I believe the Fury has displayed adequate talent to retain her right to raise the Quetzal. I hope she can carry the hopes of the peoples of the Heavenly Union. The Malakim will always strive for the good and the ultimate glory of the Union," the Cardinal Superior finished, and sat down.