Frayed Nerves and Violent Responses
Featuring
Lucas and
GwenBefore we witness the former librarian’s reaction to such a brazen challenge, let’s turn back the clock for a few moments, an hour to be exact.
To say that Lucas is not pleased at his ‘forced temporary retirement’ at the library is an understatement, he may still have access to all of the books inside the place thanks to his divinely gifted item but nothing could replace the atmosphere that was provided by Rosletta Library.
But he can make peace with that, because admittedly he had been pretty lax at searching the said site and perhaps this was the push he needed to stay focused.
But why did he need to work with Gwen ‘walking public indecency charges’ Óðnskaðe, to be honest he doesn’t need the aid. He had been working alone before he became one of the founders of Fenix Tear and he proved in his earlier adventures that he could do missions with minimal help.
He could work with her for a mission of two but them working together for an entire year? He would devour Snow White’s frozen apple or wear the wicked queen’s iron slippers and dance to her death.
So when they met again at the airship and started throwing barbs as usual he didn’t bother filtering his mouth.
“So princess, how many strings did you pull to get this job, definitely not a lot since you’re related to Saint Ur & Crime Sorcière’s leader, Ultear.” He wasn’t really sure why but it seemed that Gwen took his words so poorly that the resulting sparks became more intense than usual. Maybe we should pass the spotlight for and let the walking public indecency tell her own side of the story.
And so that's how it started, comparison just because of nobility and bloodline, Gwen 's by no means immediately related to neither Ur, the third-ranking wizard saint nor Ultear, the leader of Crime Sorcière, they're only related by clan.
Gwen got this Quest because she wanted to and it's her own merit, she volunteered even though Azuria had it in mind for her to be included. She was enthusiastic about working with Eris but that excitement just dropped when Lucas was included by the wise tactics of Azuria. Jericho alone would have been sufficient but more participants in this Quest were breaking her ambivert meter.
To wind it back, she's glad to know that the Quest she wanted to take that was out of bounds because it's an S-Class Quest only was like an answered prayer.
Understanding the tense relations between Iceberg & Pergrande are no-brainer. If one was to describe Iceberg & Pergrande, one likens to a love-hate relationship that will only unite against a common foe. Any day is going to be a hostile one since Iceberg indiscriminately kills anyone who passes by their border due to the ordinance of the ruler, the Pontifex. To pass by the border is to gain trust, this is done by appointment setting or in Gwen's case, her family's sign that's engraved in her torso.
“Don't get the wrong idea, Mr. Founder, by that logic, you also get more jobs by virtue of being one of the guild's founders!” She banged the dining table that she's seated next to Ayuna and Zeire. She wasted no time, launching herself on Lucas, delivering a cold-fisted ice punch to his guts.
The librarian somehow managed the blow by a hair as he took a few steps back, that was unnecessarily aggressive. It seems the lady had begun showing her true colors.
But she wants a fight then fine, he’ll give it until she becomes obedient.
“Pillar!” He commanded as a pillar of light formed, launching the noble to the air, giving them distance and more importantly time to cast their spells.
“Glyph: Cannon!” he shouted as he launched a powerful blast to the still airborne Gwen like they usually do outside the library.
Gwen hasn't even stripped yet.
“Ice Cannon!” Gwen's quickest response was an equivalent force, using Ice-Make, the impact of their clash, resulting in a foggy steam.
Alchimia: Creo Lumen | Light-Make
Gwen then sends projectiles of light spears against Lucas, reshaping them into afterimages of herself. Afterimages were airborne shockwave images of Gwen that's meant to confuse Lucas. If he misses, said afterimages, they will explode into a flash of light.
Alchimia: Creo Ignis | Fire-Make
The “real” Gwen moved quickly and was behind Lucas, charging her fist that's clad in blue flames.
Or is it now? Whether this is light or akin to a Thought Projection, something wasn't right to get that opening blind spot.
Lucas covered his eyes as steam began to emerge, when he looked around he saw the countless illusions the woman employed. Well it doesn’t matter if he cannot find the real Gwen
Glyph Magic:Shield
A wall of light surrounded Lucas but he wasn’t planning to defend himself, not at all.
Glyph Shape Light
That wall of light exploded, hitting all of the illusions and unbeknownst to him the real one. The real one that is still positioned to attack him as the sudden influx of brightness assaulted his eyes.
As their battle ends up more serious than intended, the two seemingly forget where exactly they are.
And that they have spectators.
Taking advantage of what seemed to be a “flashbang’d” Lucas, she knew she had to be careful.
Alchimia: Creo Sanguinis | Blood-Make
Her pain tolerance may not be as grand as Ayuna but Gwen went ahead and took the risk by biting her hand like a certain titan.
Tendrils, if not, a rush of barraging blood whips was used for a linear diversion.
Meanwhile, Azuria sighed at the sight she witnessed, six years and these two just don't get along. She heard stories about Gray and Natsu's rivalry, is this what it's like to be?
Izuki wanted to intervene but Azuria stopped her.
“No. Let's see their resolve.”“Ice-Make: Rosen Krone!” Gwen’s main move.
Icy thorns of roses erupted from the ground, hoping that it would encase Lucas.
Lucas failed to recover in time and found himself surrounded by thorn shaped ice, slowly surrounding him. Too little time to build the armor or shield to protect himself, a risk of leaving himself if forced to break himself out.
Fine Gwen, you want me to feel pain.
Glyph Magic Pillar
Glyph Shape LightCountless pillars filled the roof before slowly turning into countless arrows, it is clear that Lucas is using a lot of mana for this spell.
The Librarian grunted in pain as thorns began tearing into his skin and clothes but he kept his focus.
Glyph Weave: Endless Damocles The arrows began falling down, destroying the icy roses, the floor and raining down on Gwen.
Gwen took it to heart that Lucas is slightly faster at casting spells, she made a run for the arrows, dodging the raining arrows and taking some hits, putting up with layered ice shields way too late, that it also broke & that's how she got some bruises.
She smirked at the excitement.
“No pain, no game.” Gwen strips fully.
Azuria immediately cast a barrier for the fight, knowing it may just damage their surroundings even more, she could have done it earlier but their clash earlier just mowed the ceiling, the reception and half the walls destroyed.
Gwen freezes the entire floor around them including Lucas’ legs for good measure, the air around them and also lit everything in a burning sea of blue flames, to thicken the air, an environment that Gwen is used to, breathing in such a low pressure area.
She took advantage of the terrain that she made, she was skating with the ice and jet propelled by the blue flames, heading straight to Lucas.
“Ice-Blade: Seven Slices Dance” She may not be a physical powerhouse like Eris but having deducted that mid and long range spells will only stalemate, Gwen attacked Lucas on close range.
Lucas was so focused on making sure his swords would land accurately to dodge the creeping ice on the floor, this forced him to waste a few crucial seconds to get his leg unstuck when his onslaught ended.
So when he saw Gwen charging at him with blades out of ice he knew that the only thing he could do was defend.
A pillar got sliced as Gwen went closer and closer.
One…
His shields fared a little better taking two slashes to be finally taken down.
Two… Three…
He called upon his armor and while it protected him from the blades two times, he was not protected from concussion nor the fragments which would explain the wounds on his body at the present moment.
Four… Five…
A small spiteful plan in his mind, he allowed himself to be slashed in the chest further ruining his clothes.
Six…
He stretched his arm to Gwen's face, as Glyphs began to take shape in front of her.
Seven… Glyph Magic: CanonThe two techniques swung at the same time, never clashing, just moving as fast as they could to the intended target.
The fight was eventually stopped by Izuki, who shuts off their magic, faster than the eye could see, with her runic spear.
The 14 year-old S-Class signaled Ifrit to trap them into a prisonic realm of invisible runes, where they can't use magic.
Before the S-Class closed the door and locked them in, she glared at the two and spoke.
“The two of you will work together for a year, either the two of you find to get along or you will be spending the entire trip together in this box.”With those parting words the door shut closed and with few pushing of the clock’s hands the two found themselves at the present moment, where Gwen is challenging Lucas for a second no-magic round of their fight.
“That is stupid.” Lucas spoke bluntly, referring both to the provocation and the idea he won't hit her because she's a woman. He was about to launch a non-lethal cannon to her face after all. Imagine trying to rule the world but not hitting the Chancellor because she is a woman.
“You might as well go dig your grave if you reserve your hands exclusive to a half of the demographic.” as the 6th Gutenberg learned who got distracted by womanly charms to not notice the axe about to decapitate him according to the records of his daughter the 7th Gutenberg and first of the female Gutenbergs.
“And we're supposed to reconcile, not fight!” he spoke until a particular mission crossed his mind during the founding days of Fenix Tear. His face distorted a little before he spoke with unprecedented sincerity.
“There was a town always besieged by monsters, every year they ask the guilds to protect them for an entire day while they celebrate their sacred festival.” he paused a little for dramatic effect.
“That sacred festival is all of them beating the crap out of each other. Everyone who lived there threw some hands with someone regardless if they're a man, woman, children or somebody’s grandma and some of the mission takers got involved as well. Do you know what they said when I asked what exactly is the purpose of that festival?”“They said it was to let the grudge of everyone be out and allow everyone to be friends. It was stupid, idiotic and quite frankly just a senseless way to let go of rage.”He then looked at her and grabbed her by the shoulders.
“But quite frankly, it might be what we needed.” he finished, headbutting Gwen with the last words.
If he's going to work with her for a year then he will make sure that he gets his pound of flesh for all the frustrations he has with her.
Okay that hurt. Gwen got what she wanted but was groggy from the impact.
He really did mean his words, something that paid tribute to Iceberg’s equality between man and woman.
“In Iceberg, there's no distinction either.” She muttered.
“Yeah, it might be what we needed.” Gwen delivered a kick to his groin.
Lucas could have a sharp amount of pain between his legs, that was a low blow but quite that's what it means to enter a no holds barred fight.
So he took a few steps back and returned the favor with a blind right punch if Gwen tried to charge him. God he wish he could land this because he never had experience with this fighting without magic.
Perhaps he needs to work on that as well.
Gwen blindly rushed and took that punch, she fought in the demonic fog raids, so this was nothing new.
She got a basic understanding about CQC as a Magic Knight before joining the guild, admittedly, she relied too much on her magic.
She took the brunt in the face, she spitted out a tooth from that impact and her nose and mouth were bleeding.
“I could kick your balls one more time but let me say this, if our fists are something, then my kick would have ended your bloodline right here.” Gwen implied, rather bluffed about the implications of what she just said.
“We both know how spiteful I am. We really should reconcile, my eternal rival. How about I continue your bloodline?”[/color] She teased Lucas.
Lucas rolled his eyes at her innuendo, he had been at the receiving end of this thing too much that he found himself desensitized to her teasing.
“So you're surrendering?” he asked as he looked at the spitted tooth? Is he really that strong to knock permanent teeth out?
No wasn't, he was fit for travel but not for fighting.
“Oh no I'm not.” She hummed.
“Ok, I half-regret saying that, it feels weird like my heart skipped a beat. Like hell no!”Getting such intrusive thoughts only made her flustered.
Gwen chewed the scenery and observed the structure of Lucas.
“We've been at this for 6 years, how time flies, hard to call you a runt now, when you're a head taller. Can't say the same down there, when I just kicked it.” She trolled.
Gwen reminisced.
Lucas considered throwing another punch at the reminiscing Gwen as she talks to herself. He wondered what exactly is the thing she was being nostalgic about.
Regardless it took the fight out of him, you can't call kicking someone while their head is in the clouds fair.
He decided to sit down on the floor, momentum clearly out of his mind.
“You were strangely aggressive this time, did I say something that pissed you off?" he asked, offering an olive branch.
He was satisfied now, time to think about the future.
The invisible prisonic realm dispelled.
“Tch. I won't say much, Dear Librarian.”The librarian felt cold air as they finalize their temporary truce, something tells him there is something important he is missing.
But it can also just be the wind outside the prison, definitely that.
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