Archaeological Activity Interrupted. [Private/Killua/Digit v2]

A loud groan could be heard as a white-haired kid walked on the dirt road towards his destination, the burning sun showering him, as the heat was getting unbearable for the teen. He was dressed in his casual shorts and T-shirt, the only new thing about it was the hat the was pushing his hair down as he used to protect himself slightly from the sunlight.. or at least he was able to see without the sun getting in his eyes. It was far too hot for him to wear his military outfit, which he would prefer for this situation to not give a profile of himself if someone caught sight of him, which now it was bound to happen.

His target? It was some dig site, apparently, the archeological team there had unearthed some artifact, or at least it was something valuable, from what the limited information the underground had on the matter when they gave him the job. Either way, it piqued his interest in it, it could either be useful to him or he would just give it for money, he saw it as a win both ways. Not many guards were stationed and it was mostly an archeological team. The other win was that it was in some ruins, completely uncovered, a few temple-like buildings and other smaller ones around it.

As he approached the dig site, he laid in the dirt, observing the area. The buildings and ruins themselves were in a man-made crater, as they dug them out. He could see most of the people there, some guards not heavily armed, that didn't matter though, if he had to he would use lethal force, not against the civilians though or at least if they didn't try anything funny, it was rare for him to kill unarmed people or people that didn't prove to be a threat, even though he's fucked up childhood, some say he still had somewhat of a moral compass, albeit it was quite broken.

Exhaling, he got up, dust now covering his gray-ish T-shirt and pants, the white-haired teen didn't bother dusting himself, instead just sliding down into the crater, and casually walking into the compound as if he was part or with someone from the team, he could pass as a kid, but the closer he got, the faster he realized that this won't work for long, as there were no other kids.

As he walked by, he passed a set of guards, they had given him suspicious looks but paid him no more attention, at first.

"Hey! Kid, come over her." A man suddenly yelled from behind him, turning around, he faked an innocent smile, before. "You shouldn't be here kid, can you show me a clearance card?" The man asked, as Kil got close to them, they both grabbed him by his arms. "I know you don't have one kid, we've been here for weeks we would know if we have any kids here."

"I would have asked nicely, but.." He said, as electricity charged up and both men got electrocuted heavily, both falling to the ground releasing him in the process. Whether they were dead or alive, he didn't care, he didn't bother checking. He moved forward towards the main ruin, it looked like it was there from the faint energy source.

A few more guards had appeared along his way, all faced the same faith, electrocuted, they were still alive, though they will be out for some time, there was only 1 guard left and from the looks of it, it was the boss of the security team. The guard stood between Killua and a female dressed in whiteish clothing, with some streaks of black, the guard himself wore an open sleeve black jacket, grayish short pants. "Miss Blair, please stay back, this individual is dangerous." He said as he prepared a giant metal club, with spikes, ready for the young dark mage to dash at any given moment.

"You know if you just show me the artifact I'll let you live." The young one said as electricity danced between his arms. "Not a chance buddy, I'll die if I have to let these people live." The bold claim, earned a sigh from the young teen, he didn't plan on killing anyone initially, if some died from the electrical shock it was because they were weak, but he doubted that this giant would stay down. "Impress me and I'll let her get away after I'm done here." most of the archeological team had already evacuated, most likely she was the only one close to the artifact from what Kil could piece, that was the only logical conclusion.

As the man charged with a roar, Kil moved forward as well, due to his size, he had a big advantage, easily dodging the club while maintaining his position to follow it with his body, making himself hard to see. As the giant guard took a few more swings, Kil used this opportunity to counter, after dodging the first strike he quickly sent a few jabs to his right leg before finishing with the last fist going into his abdomen, bringing the giant to his feet.

Kil requiped a suppressed pistol, and put it to the head of the now kneeling giant, blue looked into the man's own brown eyes. "This could have been avoided." He whispered as he pulled the trigger, the life leaving the guard's eyes, as he slumped forward.

Looking around, yet another sigh escaped from him as the woman had gotten away. What hassle, I was gonna let her life anyway. His eyes shifted back to his target, the main building and he went towards it. As he entered, he noticed the strange energy barrier around a peculiar blue gem, at closer inspections, the barrier circled around the gem in a defensive manner and it looked like it was made of lightning, coating an arm with his own black lightning, he attempted to pierce the barrier, his hand slowly going through it, attempting to grab the gem...

@Digit v2

WC:1012
Kil talking is in blue

The woman who had managed to escape the terrifying lightning user had done so at the cost of her chief of security. Unlike the other guards, who still seemed to be alive, well most of them, she had seen the strange youngster shoot the security leader in the head. As she fled, she knew that there was nothing she could do to stop the dark mage from taking the artifact, by herself. However, she had a plan. Hopefully, it would not be too late.

Whipping out a communication device, she dialed a number, as her hurried steps slowed down. The lightning mage had not followed her, so she was safe... for now. A voice spoke up at the other end, and Miss Blair let loose a stream of words without waiting to even hear what the person was saying.

"No doubt you saw everything on the ocular lacrima. I told you that something like this needed a strong mage on security detail. Now some dark mage has killed off all the guards and is trying to get the artifact..."

The voice at the other end, a deep gruff voice, let her finish, before asking: "What of the transportation device? Is it intact?"

"I believe so," she replied. "The assailant seemed to be only interested in getting into the building, so it should be untouched."

"Fine. We're sending a reserve unit to the area." The person at the other end hung up.

"Your 'reserve unit' better be strong," Miss Blair muttered, as she resumed her escape, putting as much of a distance as she could between herself and the white haired dark mage.

---

There was a flash and a dull boom, as a small pedestal flashed to life and let out a pulse of magic energy. The pulse was obviously a transportation wave, for where it flashed, it brought along with it the forms of three people. The shortest of the three sprung off the pedestal and scanned the area, his long ears cocked up, listening for signs of movement.

"Trust the Magic Council to call us in when the party's done," Bayne huffed disapprovingly. The other two stepped off the pedestal as well, surveying the incapacitated bodies of the guards and the ruins around them. Then they looked at each other, an unspoken thought passing between them, and the woman nodded.

"The culprit is still here," Goethe said, as he strode towards the largest of the ruins. With his 'Sight of the Claviger', he could sense that whoever he had been sent after was already within the ruins, interacting with a source of energy that his normal magic sense could easily detect. He was the "reserve unit", the last line of defense for this archaeological rig, though he felt that he had been called in a little too late. Due to the desire to minimize costs, the funder of the archaeological expedition had not wanted any powerful mages, as paying them would deal his pockets a huge blow. However, Miss Blair, the head of the team, insisted that they needed a strong mage, just in case their work attracted a dark one. So, the funder had opted for the reserve unit; Goethe would hang around back at the head quarters, and if there was no incident, the only thing the funder would have to pay for would be Goethe's feeding and a little extra. But Miss Blair had been right.

Goethe paused by the body of the dead guard, his face pensively moody, as he looked down at the fresh corpse. Then slowly, he raised his head and looked straight into the building. He saw a short person, back turned to him, attempting to bypass a powerful barrier from the looks of it. Goethe noticed the strange form of electricity that enveloped the intruder's arm. It was black.

"Slayer magic? That electricity is black. Likely a Godslayer..."

"Mages of different sorts channel elements with different colors and characteristics," Arnoba replied directly in his mind. "Slayer or no, be careful. You might want to postpone scientific observations till after this battle."

Goethe nodded, as he opened his right hand, with his palm facing the ground. A large brick, part of what had been a wall or something, was yanked off the ground by a telekinetic power. as it stopped inches from his hand, he raised that hand, pointing the open palm towards the intruder's back. The brick followed his palm, rotating slowly in the air in front of his hand, so that a straight line now existed between the white haired youth and the brick. Then Goethe flicked a finger, and the brick shot through the air at a swift speed. It was more than capable of knocking the average person out senseless, and would leave a nasty bump. For a mage, who was hardier than the normal person, it would hurt bad. Weaker mages would probably be smitten senseless by the projectile. The intruder's reaction would give Goethe a guess at the level of opponent he was up against, but if he could kill the chief of security pretty quickly, he was no pushover.

Unless the white haired boy was completely focused on getting the blue gem, he would have sensed Goethe's magic signature, for the young man had done nothing to hide his presence. Speaking up, just as he launched his projectile, Goethe said:

"Now, now; you should know it's not good manners to touch other people's stuff."

He was excited as the two energy's collided against each other, it wasn't hurting him at all, just tingling a bit, and for some reason, he felt drawn to the little blue gem inside the force field of electricity, he was almost there, his finger almost being able to touch it. Was it pure interest at this point that was drawing him to the gem or something external, he began to wonder, it felt like.. it was calling him, he was pulled out of his thoughts however as he felt a magic signature for the first in the whole compound that drew his attention, it was larger than the guards and it felt like it was coming for him.

As his concentration dwindled on the force field due to the energy source he felt as he lost progress, the electricity pushing him backwards, irritation was building up in him, he should have had the gem by now. And now everything was lost as he moved his hand out of the force field and his head to the side, a brick disintegrating into the blue lightning that was around the gem.

He turned back as the new person spoke, eying him, examining him from head to toe. Nothing particular grabbed his attention until he focused clearly on his magic signature. 'Strong' He thought as he smirked in the process.

Putting one hand behind his back and another to his chin, mimicking a thinking pose, he spoke back. "Technically I didn't touch it and I don't see other people, so I thought why not?" He spoke with a playful tone. It was all an idea to distract the other white-haired man as a circular ball appeared in his hand. It was his Roller Mine, subtly he dropped it behind his back, sliding back his leg as he put it back a bit, activating in the process. Since it was controlled by the user it easily moved around them, making an attempt to reach the other mage.

"You know it's also bad manners to throw bricks at people, like seriously if that hit me, it could have caused some brain damage, am good as it is, I don't need more." He said as he shrugged. As he finished speaking, the mine had rolled up to his assailant, releasing 2 beeping noises, before it turned steaming red and exploded, attempting to catch him in it if he didn't react fast enough or knew about the mine.

"Oops" Kil said playfully. "That may have been mine."

WC: 421
TWC: 2342
@Digit v2

The easy way with which the boy evaded his brick pointed to the fact that he was no pushover. Goethe had not planned to underestimate him from the get go, what with the ease with which he had killed Miss Blair's head of security... and the woman had been full of praise for the man. Thus, if that was anything to go by, he would have to take this dark mage seriously.

There was another testament to the white haired boy's strength: the way he had interacted with the electrical defense surrounding his target. While Goethe had no idea of what the gem was capable of, the mere fact that the boy could invade the electrical field was more proof of his strength. Being a master of elemental magic didn't matter to such fields; once one was not strong enough to break through them, their control over the element would be useless. With the way the brick was atomized by the electrical field, it should have done a number on the boy's hand, if he was not powerful enough.

"Right..." Goethe replied, with a smirk and a nod, obviously not taken in by the boy's ironic statement. The boy had a sense of humor, and Goethe would have liked that, had he not been at variance with him at this point. The smile on his faded into something more serious. "I'm not going to ask you why you're after that artifact, though I would be very much pleased if you told me. Still, you didn't have to kill that man. I'm afraid I'll have to arrest..."

He was interrupted by two beeping sounds, looking down in time just to see a strange device just at his feet. "You sneaky...!" Whatever he wanted to say was muffled by a loud boom, the resultant sound from the explosion caused by the mine. Baynard, who was on the other side of Goethe, sprang away from the explosion, suffering no harm, save perhaps for a little singed hair. The smoke and dust of the blast obscured Goethe for a bit, but as it cleared away, it revealed the crouching form of the young man. Through the dust and smoke, any observer would be able to make out a glow, even before they saw Goethe. The radiance came from a massive tower shield, outlined by runic symbols and seemingly crafted from energy. It was obvious that this shield had been created between Goethe and the mine at the last moment, and with the size of the shield, he could duck safely behind it and enjoy protection from the explosion. The runes pulled away from the shield and began to revolve around Goethe, while the tower shield faded away and vanished.

"Quick thinking, but that was a close one," Bayne said, as he thrust his hands into the gloves holstered at his sides. "Yeah. Good think I didn't plan on underestimating him. Looks like he likes sneaky attacks, but I've got the solution for that. Sight of the Claviger, activate!"

As his powers kicked in, Goethe decided that he would keep the Sight active until the battle was done, so that he would not be taken off guard by any secret or hidden attack... at least, as much as was possible. He straightened into a standing position. "Okay, you almost got me, I'll give you that. Let's see if I can't pull a few tricks of my own." He took a ready stance.

"My turn, kid." With that, he charged.

Goethe was not much older than the white haired boy (at least from looks alone), but he could play on the age and height cards to attempt to get the boy riled up. It was a double edged strategy: the opponent would get angry and less prudent, but that meant there would be more violence behind their attacks. As he approached, he drew back his hand and threw a blow at the manipulator of the thunder element. However, something about that blow was off. Goethe was not even in melee range, so he was not supposed to have any business throwing blows so far away. Unless...

The white haired boy would not see anything out of the ordinary, but he would sense it instead: a powerful force, like a wave, rushing towards him, trailing the path of Goethe's blow. Goethe liked his telekinetic attacks. They were almost like an extension of himself, and they packed a pretty punch. If the boy stood there waiting to see a physical manifestation of an attack, he would be in for a rude shock.

Kil eyes the explosion lighting up the room, a few quakes could be felt throughout the building but it was steady, a quick glance behind him and he noticed that the force field wasn't disrupted in any way. He hoped that it would a bit, making it easier for him to snatch the gem but it wasn't going to happen now. Turning back towards the now clearing up smokescreen, he noticed the glow that was coming from it, tilting his head, he waited as the smoke cleared, it looked like that guy wasn't a pushover.

As the smoke cleared, Kil let out a whistle at the giant tower shield that stopped any damage being delivered by the Roller Mine. "I don't think I'll get you with another one of those, so let's entertain each other a little bit, as for your question, I just heard about it and decided to check it out, also I told him that I wouldn't kill him if he got out of my way, he chose wrong." He said as he walked forward a bit, he wasn't going to continue, he still had no idea what magic his opponent used or anything concrete of the type of fighter he is.

"Let's see what you've got." He replied as the other mage charged at him, he didn't mind being called a kid, he was still pretty much one when you take all his powers and killing. However yet again Kil tilted his head in confusion as the other male had charged, he has stopped somewhat mid-way, throwing a fist into the air towards him. "Are you jok-" There was no chance for him to finish that sentence as he felt a strong wave brush against him, before being sent backward towards the gem, colliding with the wall next to the gem, the force field flickering a few times from the impact.

As the dust settled, Kil could be seen pulling himself out of the wall, rubbing his left cheek as he spat out a bit of blood. "Jesus, can you stop aiming for the head, I'm damaged enough up there." He said with a smirk, he was strong and Kil appreciated that, even though he tried to cave in his head into the wall. "My turn." The dark mage said as he raised his right hand.  Killua focused black lightning at the tip of his index finger, raising his thumb above his fist to act as a hammer, and the index finger extended forward to mimic a gun, aimed at his assailant, bringing his thumb down a concentrated blast of electricity was released, aimed at his chest.

"Let's see you dodge this." He said with a smile as he prepared for the other white-haired teen's next move, he was sure that even if he did hit him, he wasn't going to stay down from something like this.

WC: 481
Total WC: 3587

Goethe was quite pleased that his attack had hit home. He had to admit that his Spirit Arms had one major flaw: invisible as it was, it could be detected by anyone alive. As long as the person had a soul, they would be able to sense it coming... unless they were pretty distracted, or the concept of the attack was new and confusing to them. He was sure that as far as the white haired dark mage was concerned, the latter was obviously the case, though he had actually expected the boy to dodge it.

"Well, that was rich. He tanked your punch with his face," Bayne observed.

"I don't expect him to be down and out," Goethe replied. "He's strong enough to force his way through that barrier, and he killed Miss Blair's head of security without breaking a sweat. I'd say he was trying to test my abilities. That's cocky, in my opinion, but it's a hint at the fact that he shouldn't be taken lightly."

The telekinetic punch had raised a copious amount of dust at the point where the dark mage had collided with the wall from the force of the attack, and as the dust cleared, Goethe could see that he was already on his feet.

"See?" he said to Bayne.

Chuckling at what the boy had said, Goethe readied himself for the boy's retaliatory strike. "Yeah, most of us are damaged in the head one way or the other. I get your point. I'll aim for your feet, then."

"Or his groin...?" Bayne offered. Goethe stared at him incredulously. "You horrible little...! No! Just, no!" Bayne gave a short laugh, then became stern. "Heads up, Goethe."

Goethe was aware that the boy was making his move. If anything, his words confirmed it. He watched the boy point his finger at him, redolent of a gun, the type that came with a hammer. The obsidian lightning crackling at the tip of his finger surely was meant to be fired at him. Goethe considered using the Spectral Shield once again, but he thought that it might just be a straightforward attack that might be easy to evade.

The boy fired.

Yes, Goethe was right: it was a straightforward attack. No, Goethe was very wrong: it was not easy to evade. In fact, he would later on surmise that what the spell lacked in perplexity, complexity or bewilderment, it made up for in speed. Goethe moved to avoid the attack, but he was not fast enough. In a black flash, the spell was done. He would have said he dodged it, if he didn't feel a searing pain shoot through his shoulder. He looked down at the spot, which emitted a thin wisp of acrid smoke, and he could smell the burning of his flesh in it. Then he looked over his shoulder at the hole in the wall behind him, which released its own trail of smoke and dust. The surprised look on his face waned as he turned to look the boy in the eye.

"Can we draw out some very important rules, here and now?" he said in a calm voice. "I don't aim for your head, and you don't punch holes in my jacket. Do you know how many Jewels it costs to get a comfy jacket that launders well and doesn't shrink or lose color over time?"

He sighed and pulled off the jacket, studying the hole with a solemn expression on his face. Bayne, on the other hand, was a bit more ruffled. "Don't make light of that injury, silly! It might cost you a lot more than a hole and a jacket." He clenched his gloved hands and raised them in an offensive stance. Goethe nodded without looking at his friend. "Yeah, I got'cha." He suddenly heard Arnoba's voice in his thoughts:

"What on earth are you doing, Goethe Ackermann?! This is not someone you should be playing around with..."

"I can see that, Arnie," he answered aloud. "No, you and Bayne sit this one out. He's only one. I want this to be a fair fight."

"If you're underestimating him again..."

"Nah, I can't do that. I respect the power I'm sensing from him. But I'm no green horn myself. If you want to help, you can keep the jacket until I'm done." he threw the jacket at Bayne, who did not deign to touch it. However, as it was going to plop so rudely over his head, he clicked a finger and it vanished. "If you want to see that jacket again, it's going to cost you, punk."

Goethe rolled his eyes, as he started walking towards the boy. "So much for friends," he said in a mock offended tone. Then he faced the white haired mage. "I'm Goethe Ackermann. I want to fight you as an equal, so I'd like to know your name."

He slowly raised his hands into a boxer's stance. "You'll have to forgive me, but my magic is kind of a one-track pony. I've got just a few moves... like this!"

Goethe thrust out an open palm towards the boy, clenching his fist as he did so. If he had not learned his lesson, the dark mage would feel a crushing grip wrap around his body and lift him off the floor. And if he was unfortunate to be caught in that invisible, unyielding grip, Goethe would attempt to hurl him across the room, like one would hurl a baseball.

A pleasant smile appeared on his head as his attack struck, it was obvious that he didn't expect the speed behind it, but most likely this was the last time he would get him from such a distance, but it was still a win, it wasn't just him taking damage now "Oi, a piece of fabric and someone's head are two entirely different things, and you removed the jacket so how is that fair." He said with another smirk, the other white-haired mage had some spunk and wasn't afraid to bicker with him, even though at the current moment he was trying to arrest him and they were basically enemies. At the least, Kil wasn't going to leave completely disappointed if he didn't get the strange shiny blue gem, getting the chance to relieve some of the stress that's been building up in an even or slightly uneven battle was enough for him, he was pretty sure that he was getting out of this, one way or another.

"Look I can take the gem and we can call it even for trying to cave in my head." He said as he noticed the other mage walking forward a bit and introduced himself. Eying the now know Goethe, he walked forward, as black lightning danced around him, before engulfing him, his hair electrifying, looking whiter than before. The fight was getting kicked up a notch from the looks of things and he knew there was no time for him to play around here, so he answered as he removed any restraints that he had. He chucked a bit at his remark for friends. "Maybe another time we could be. My name is Killua, Killua Keener, the pleasure's mine Goethe, now let's continue, and I'll give you a hint for mine, it's what you'd call a slayer magic."

As he finished introducing himself, Goethe was the first one to attack, and this time Kil had no intention to get hit by it, as he extended his senses and felt the attack vibrate through the space between them, it was quick for him, moving to the side with his now enhanced speed from his god slayer magic. "You say it's a one-trick pony, but I feel like there's more to it, other than the fact that you can't see it." He remarked, charging swiftly towards Goethe, mid-way, however, he stopped or rather spun in one place, one leg extended in the air as electricity gathered around it, now it was the time for his attack, as he spun his leg through the empty air, an electricity field filled the area, going in a full circle around him attempting to reach Goethe and at the same time to disrupt the energy field, that was also his underlying plan. If he had to run, at least get the gem with him.

Dust kicked off from his attack as they were still in the old ruins of the archeological site, waiting for a chance to admire his handiwork when the dust settled, this attack was slower than the last, so he was pretty sure that his enemy would come out unscathed from it. "I hope you're alive and kicking cause it's gonna get boring if your not." He called out through the dust, it was slightly a double-edged sword, revealing his exact location, but he cared little for it at the moment, all he wanted was a good fight, win or lose, it was some time since he got to stretch out like this.

WC 588
TWC: 5094

The spell used for reference: Thunder God's Whirlwind S-rank

Goethe chuckled. "Come now, I've heard of some place where people go to fix their heads when what's in there is cracked or something. I'd have given you their business card or something, but I think the guy also needs a shrink. As for a good jacket, well, sewing can be rather difficult, you know?"

Goethe shook his head when the white haired dark mage proposed his offer to take the strange jewel and call it even. "That would be a smear on my professionality, don't you think? Here's a counter-proposal: you give up quietly, I arrest you, you serve your time like a good citizen. A little more work, yeah, but I'm sure the long term rewards are rather... rewarding."

Baynard gave an amused scoff. "That last part was rich."

Goethe gave him a glare of mock irritation, then focused on Killua. "Well, Killua Keener, should you be telling me the specifics of your magic? What if I had a really good counter against slayer magics?"

Truth was, he did not expect his attack to get Killua; he just wanted to make the dark mage move about. Thus, he wasn't surprised when the young man avoided it. "A perceptive one. I like smart people. We could be friends, you know..." An observer would not have seen anything, save some dislodged bricks crumble away, as though a ghost had toyed with them. Having avoided his attack, Killua was making his counter-offensive, and this time, Goethe did not plan to fall victim to this attack.

The attack came in the form of a black-lightning laced kick, which although seemed more sluggish than the previous attack that had skewered his shoulder, somehow seemed more menacing. Goethe was sure that it was one of those techniques that might be easy to evade, but proved to be very decimating when they struck. As one, Goethe and Baynard dashed away from the incoming electricity, putting some distance between the attack and themselves.

The report of the lightning striking the walls of the ruins, as well as the amount of damage it caused to the structure was proof that Goethe had not made a mistake in escaping this attack. it had kicked up a lot of dust, but even through it all, he could see, or rather, sense, with his Sight of the Claviger, that the attack had disrupted the forcefield that protected the gem. Was that an added objective of Killua's attack? The boy was really using his brain. Goethe, however, had a few tricks up is sleeve.

No sooner had the attack dissipated than Goethe and Baynard rushed back in, heading for Killua. Goethe wondered whether it would be safe taking on a Slayer in close quarter combat. True, he had some nifty techniques, but he didn't want to be at the disadvantage, if his enemy began coating his body with black lightning, which was obviously very possible.

"Your moves ain't bad yourself. However, you overlooked something. If you've busted the barrier, then I can take the gem, right?"

So saying, Goethe reached out with his Spirit Arms, attempting to snatch up the gem from the pedestal it was and throw it towards himself. At the same time, Baynard suddenly clapped, sending a rippling wave of energy towards Killua. "Dimension Magic: Dispatial Rend!" That would distract him from focusing on the gem, and giving Goethe a chance to use his Spirit Arms to hurl the artifact through the air and towards Arnoba, who would catch it with Spirit Arms of her own and retreat out of attack range. The Dispatial Rend was more visible than the Spirit Arms, and kind of more dangerous, blasting a hole through the wall of the ruins against which it impacted.

"Sorry, it looks like a gang up, right? Apologies, but I really don't want you holding on to that bauble. Who knows what you could do with it?" Goethe said with an apologetic smile. Then the smile faded. "I think I'll be getting serious now. Please, prepare to be arrested."

Kil chuckles, before pausing a bit. "What do you mean sewing can be rather difficult, I think finding someone that can repair brain damage is way more difficult than someone that can sew well. If you know someone a bit under the radar that can fix brain damage though, give me a call." He said with a smirk.

The god slayer chuckled again as the other mage had made him a counteroffer. "But jail time seems so boring, and giving up is so dull, and, and being a good citizen also sounds boring when your not even a citizen of Fiore, this is rewarding enough for me."

"I'm fairly certain you don't have a counter for it, it would have surfaced already, or you're just having fun before you go all out, but let's see how long we can go on like this." He said with a smile.

As the dust cleared, Kil cursed under his breath as he watched the gem being snatched away. "It was perfectly planned, your probably cheating somehow." He said playfully, he still had a chance to get it, from what he could tell Goethe was the main threat to the others around him, not so much, however, he had his doubts, that creature looked strange, probably had something that could make him run for his money.

"You know it's kinda unfair that it's not 1 on 1 you know, so let's level the playing field a bit." He said while he didn't summon anything to help him, a strange syringe appeared in his hand from his requip space, the red liquid clearly being seen from the glass portion of it, without a second thought he injected himself with it and he was feeling his blood circulating even faster then before as the red liquid entered his system, it was a stimpack, if anyone could get a closer inspection of it, there would be a small tape on it, spelling 'Hunt'.

Using his newfound speed alongside his Godspeed, as electricity now fully coated him from head to toe, he dodged what felt like a crushing force being sent at him, from this weird dimensional spell that was being hurled at him, unlike the other's this one at least had some visual markings, making it easier to dodge.

As he moved to the side, he requiped the MRAD sniper, electricity pouring quickly into a special socket supercharging the next round, it didn't take him long to aim at the hand where the creature clutched the gem, and he shot the round "Let's see you outrun this." The creature was yet to get out of his range, attempting to at least knock the gem out of its hands. Just as quickly as he had done this, he threw the sniper to the side, the gun itself dissipating in a faint light, returning to his requip space.

And with that the young dark mage dashed, with all his speed that was currently available to him, attempting to run along with the shot, should it be successful he would snatch the gem, and retreat a bit to a bit of a safe distance to observe his opponents or only retreat, should it be deflected.

WC: 535
TWC: 6302
Note:
Spells used: Rogue's Hunt(S-rank) and MRAD sniper A+ rank,(Overcharged shot)

Goethe frowned contemplatively as Killua produced a suspicious looking syringe, his solution to leveling the playing field, as he had just said. The contents of the apparatus looked like blood, but Goethe was sure that it was bound to serve a purpose in probably increasing Killua's battle potential...

"Hmmm... I bet he's going to inject himself with that stuff," Baynard ventured, trying to guess what the contents of the syringe was supposed to do. "Maybe he'll transform into something..."

Killua suddenly moved at a surprising speed, avoiding the Dispatial Rend and requipping a weapon, some sort of gun. Of course, Goethe knew what a gun was, but what he didn't know was the special ability it was probably capable of. Most requip weapons had some sort of ability that separated them from mundane tools and gadgets. And requipping a gun meant that Killua was aiming for a target out of range with an instantaneous attack.

At first, he thought that either Baynard or Arnoba might be in danger, but just a moment later, he realized who, or rather, what the real target was. With a loud clink, much like the sound of a metal object interacting with glass, the airborne gem suddenly changed direction sharply. That was a smart move. If Killua had fired at Baynard or Arnoba, it would have been a move borne out of spite. With everyone busy juggling gems or firing dimension blasts, the attack would likely have hit home, but would have only succeeded in injuring the target and annoying Goethe to no end. The true target Killua was after, the gem, would have been lost. Instead, Killua had fired at the gem. Inwardly, Goethe praised his choice of actions, but concluded that it might still not be sufficient to get the gem back for himself. This wasn't because Killua was less experienced or more handicapped; it just came from that simple, annoying disadvantage of being outnumbered.

Arnoba gave a silent gasp as the gem was knocked out of her psychic grip, but Goethe did not bother going for the gem. His allies were capable enough. Instead, his Spectral Shield contorted and wrapped itself around his left arm, forming a gauntlet that reached up to his shoulder. As it did so, he activated the Tactile Telekinesis that came with the shield, all three versions, and rushed to intercept Killua before he could lay his hands on the gem. Still, it was better to discourage Killua's attempt with something more far reaching, something faster than the Spirit Arms. Besides, Killua was getting dangerously close to Arnoba, and while the goddess was capable of defending herself physically if she had to, she really disliked close quarter combat.

"Forget the gem, Arnoba!" Goethe mentally commanded, because he sensed that her duty to him surpassed her own sense of self-preservation. Fluidly, as though she had it planned all along, Arnoba backed away, retreating beyond the walls of the ruins into the space beyond. Goethe, meanwhile, threw forward an open palm towards Killua, a burst of telekinetic destruction surging out and roaring towards the dark mage. He didn't know whether Killua would be able to get the jewel in time, but having asked Arnie to break away, even though she was closer, it had increased the chances of the dark mage. Still, the youth would have to be careful. If he focused on retrieving the gem, he would have less time and space to react to the incoming attack. If he dodged the incoming attack, his chances of getting the gem would be seriously hindered.

Goethe wanted to crank up the action, but he knew that Arnoba would not approve of what he wanted to do. Still, it was his way of showing that he intended to bring a fight to a decisive end. If Killua managed to get the gem, perhaps he would have to break his body's limits...

WC: 650
TPWC: 3915
TWC: 6952

Spells used: Spectral Shield (passives); Psybeam.

Mid-dash Killua smiled as his shot hit, the gem was now suspended in the air, if it wasn't completely broken, but from the looks of it, at least from a distance, it looked intact, whatever it was, it was for sure tough, if he got out of here with it, he would need to investigate and see what's so special about it."Sorry but I really want the shiny rock." Alongside his shot hitting, he also dodged the weird spatial magic that was sent against him, his opponent was proving tougher and tougher, and from the looks of things, the dark mage was weaker or at least sustained more damage than the other mage.

It felt like Goethe wasn't even starting yet, that he could still kick the fight up a notch, and then it would be hard for the dark mage to deal with the situation, he was yet to unleash a more serious attack, one that would be hard for the young mage to dodge. Still, he would take what he was getting, but he knew that sooner or later, he was the one that would need to flee the battle and not Goethe, now the point was, would he be able to do it with the gem in hand? It was still a win for him if he got out with the gem in hand, and minor injuries.

As he was running, he felt magic charge up in the area, with a slight look, he noticed that Goethe was doing something, at the same time, his companion backed off from the gem retreating out of view, using the walls as cover, the gem in question still soaring through the air. What he didn't expect was the sudden burst in speed that was coming out from his opponent, rushing towards him, Kil ramped it up a bit, trying to reach the gem before the other mage could reach him. However, that thought was suppressed quickly as he felt a burst of magic was about to hit him.

Quickly thinking on his feet, Kil produced a long whip made of his black lightning, wrapped around his right arm, with a single motion he threw it towards the gem, the whip itself wrapping around the gem, successfully securing it. The other thing that he did was turn towards Goethe, his free arm, he used to guard himself, attempting to defend as best as he could, as Goethe's attack just about collided with him.

Crack!

A sickening crack was heard, as the white-haired kid was sent flying into a nearby collum, the force making the collum collapsed on the side, throwing debris around the area. As he lay beneath the rubble, Killua attempted to push the rubble with his left hand, a grunt of pain filled the area, as he felt like he had to use all his strength to push the rock from himself. As he got himself out of the rubble, his left arm fell limp on his side. It was broken, taking the front of that attack without any protection was too much for him at the current moment. Spitting out some blood, Kil still managed to grin as he showed his right hand to Goethe, the gem brightly shining in his palm.

"I'm not gonna lie, you hit pretty hard, maybe if I knew I would have avoided a fight completely. But I can't stop now can I?" As he spoke, a faint light surrounded his body, and soon, his attire changed completely, a suit yellowish suit, with a small chest plate, a jetpack, that had wings coming out of it, and a rocket salvo on each side, and finally a helmet that looked like it had no holes for eyes, instead there were two miniature cameras that displayed everything outside inside the helmet's visor. A small compartment opened up and he slid the gem inside, with his right arm now free, he gripped a joystick that was sticking out of the wrist controllers, it had a few buttons on it, with one red button at the top part that was semi-visible from the cover. "I hope you don't mind me having a bit of fun as well now." As he spoke the two salvos on the jetpack armed and moved the way he moved the joystick, a faint rumbling could be heard as the jetpack itself was charging up. "Let's clear the area a bit, so I can track all of you" He said with a smile, but it was obscured by the helmet that covered his head fully. With that, he pressed the red button on the joystick and the salvos unleashed 4 each, as they flew at Goethe and the ruins so he could cover the area.

And with that, he pulled another trigger, and the jetpack fully armed, as thrust began to be expelled by the three exit points, Killua was shot into the air, stopping a bit in the air, hovering, observing his handy work, waiting to see what Goethe would do.

WC: 839
Total WC: 7791
Spells used: Thunder God Slayer's Scourge (S-rank) Experimental Flight Suit (Advanced Spell) (Hailstorm Salvo)

"Your friend is insane, alright. Crazy and reckless. But he's ingenious; I'll give him that," Baynard commented, with a shake of his head, a sign of slight disapproval and yet admiration also. Like his "first mate", Goethe found Killua's choice of actions a little bit extreme, but no one could gainsay the results. Killua had sacrificed getting the gem for being hit by his Psybeam, which, unfortunately for Killua, was more powerful than his Spirit Arms. It would have been better if he had tried to put up a shield to protect himself, but that might have jeopardized his attempt to secure the gem. Still, Killua was fortunate that what Goethe had thrown his way was not enough to decimate him on the spot. Okay, truth be told, Goethe was not sure he had any spells that could one-shot an opponent... apart from his Limiter Breaks, but his offensive techniques were considered powerful enough.

Or, maybe he had actually blasted the white haired boy into next week. Goethe considered this as he looked at the ruins Killua had been struck into. Well, if this was over, he would be retrieving the gem, arresting the dark mage, and getting out of there. If Killua was down and out, perhaps his tactics were not so sound. Escaping demanded that one was conscious to attempt the endeavor, and it wasn't really bright to take an attack head on without having a technique or ability to mitigate damage...

For some odd reason, movement in the rubble gave Goethe some form of relief. He might not want to admit it, and this was sure to only make his mission stretched out more, but he was inwardly pleased that Killua could still stand, after the Psybeam. Goethe enjoyed pitting himself against strong opponents. This was obviously one of them As the youth picked himself up and displayed the jewel, Goethe shrugged. "I would say that was crazy, but you've already said you've lost a few marbles, so I'll just go ahead and compliment you for getting that stone. Good work, Killua. That was dangerous, but smart thinking. Now that I've buttered you up a bit with some well meant, and somewhat deserved flattery, could you be a dear and throw the stone over? You look like you can barely stand..."

That last statement was to get Killua to show if he still had any aces up his sleeve that he could use. From Killua's behavior, Goethe knew that trying to rile him up wouldn't work, but who could back down from the age old "give up, you're too weak to stand up" taunt? Well, Killua did have something else to rely on, and Goethe gave a low whistle as the armor appeared. Baynard glanced up at him.

"Wicked tech, right?"

"Yeah. That, and the fact that it can probably fly, which kind of puts me at a disadvantage." He smiled. "Let's see how I fare against an airborne opponent."

When Killua gripped the joystick, Baynard chuckled nervously. "I know now is not the time to mention this, but I kind of noticed that all missile launching tech, or similar heavy hitting stuff, have a red button. Always wondered why it wasn't green or blue..."

From the yellow battle suit, eight rockets were launched, four from each of the two missile ports. Baynard's Absolute Space was not going to work against this kind of attack, because its loophole was that it was limited to displacing two objects only. Arnoba was not going to be in much of a pickle, because she was outside the ruins, but it was Baynard Goethe was more concerned for. Fortunately for him, his lagomorphic ally was close enough. Perhaps with his current speed, he could outrun the rockets, but with their trajectory, he couldn't tell whether they were homing or not, and would not simply follow him as he tried to escape. Besides, if they struck close by, Baynard and himself could be caught in the explosion. No, he would stand where he was and take the attacks head on.

Quickly, he spun on his heel, so that his back was to Killua, then dropped to a crouch and shielded the much smaller Baynard with his body. If Killua looked closely, he would notice a flash of energy just before the rockets met their mark. The explosions that rocked the area were enough to completely level the ruins they had been fighting in, so that their battle would continue under the open sky. For a moment, a thick plume of smoke and dust rose from where Goethe had stood, then it was suddenly blown away, as though a gust of wind had driven it away. Goethe was standing up now, but his body was wrapped in a trench coat-like jacket. His Spectral Shield still remained equipped as a gauntlet, which could be seen beneath the haori. But as he turned to face Killua, the airborne mage would notice that Goethe had put on some serious muscle mass. And apart from a little splash damage of the explosion to his face and hands, the Ackermann lad was pretty much unhurt. Goethe had activated his Initial Limiter Break: Drive I. Things were bound to get hot from here on out.

"I almost broke a sweat there, Killua. I hope you've still got a lot of things to show me... because I'm just getting started."

So saying, he reached out with his telekinesis, as he extended his hands to both sides. Then he raised them sharply, and rocks, pillars and other debris that was not firmly attached to the ground was lifted into the air and hurled at Killua. He was stretching his Spirit Arms as far as they would go, so Killua might find it difficult just flying out of range to avoid the attack.


Spells Used: Spectral Shield (still equipped; passives), Avatar of the Ancients (to protect Baynard from the explosion and show off), Initial Limiter Break: Drive I, one massive Spirit Arms attack.

Killua smirked as there was now dust everywhere, most of the ruins had collapsed, some stray walls and pillars still stayed up, but for the most part, the area was cleared and most importantly it was visible, he could track them easily, three vs one wasn't his most favorite predicaments but it wasn't the worst, it didn't look like his companions were that big of a threat.

Goethe on the other hand posed a threat to the young dark mage, he was yet to land a significant hit on him that would hinder the other white-haired teen, but now he had air advantage, something he became quite adept at using. As the smoke started clearing, he scanned the area, his visor giving him a slight advantage, looking for Goethe, he was most likely unharmed, while the smoke cleared, he took the time to make sure the second set of rockets was available if he needed to use them.

As the smoke cleared, Kil rolled his eyes as his opponent came out unharmed, seemingly being powered up even. "Can't you stay down for a bit, I was gonna leave if you had you know and we all would have been happy, mostly me cause I got what I came for.." He said as from his Requip space he pulled out a small canister with a greenish substance, looking more like a cloud than a liquid. Shattering it with his arm, the cloud exited and circled around the young dark mage, upon closer inspection one could see that it was going under his armor. The truth was, that in that greenish cloud there were Nano-bots, that were filled with a special healing substance. Soon the limp arm from before grabbed the other joystick as if it was never broken. He did still feel sore and there was some pain, but the main issue was gone.

This time he fully extended his senses, if Goethe was powering up, he needed to use the full extent of his God Slayer abilities. He felt the giant energy that was coming towards him, extending further and further so he may have difficulty flying out of it. What Goethe was underestimating was the speed he could pull off and maneuverability, gripping tightly his controllers, he pulled on the lower levers as the engine kicked off, moving slightly over the telekinetic energy, cutting his engine just above it, to do an air flip before kickstarting it again, to move behind Goethe. Requiping another this time his M4, he didn't stop his assault for a second, loading a magazine into it, that had red tape at the bottom and the two letters 'SP'. He opened fire on the other mage, still hovering in the air. "Let's hope the last few words weren't just empty  talk." He said, as the bullets hailed, if any landed in the sand/dirt they would kick up more dust than the usual rounds, as the dark mage had loaded stronger bullets into his gun. Kil would also attempt to follow Goethe with his gun if he moved, loading a new mag once the current one is out.

WC 522
TWC: 9314
Spells Used: Chem Vial: Reinforcer (Healing)Requip: M4A1 CQB(Stopping power ability)

"Well, what do you know...?" Goethe muttered, as Killua broke open a small cannister, and seemed to heal himself with its contents. At least, that was what it looked like, because his injured arm, which had been hanging limp, suddenly received the stength and enthusiasm to grip the second joystick that had hitherto been inoperative, due to Killua's damaged limb. "Okay, Killua, let's make a deal. Toss over the crystal, and I'll lie down like a good boy and let you escape. That way, I stay down, you get away... everyone isn't delirious with joy, but at least we all get some form of satisfaction, no?" he replied to the dark mage's "complaint".

That armor that Killua had requipped was something to be envied. Its ability to remain airborne indefinitely in itself was enough to skewer the odds of the battle in the dark mage's favor, not to mention its ensemble of high tech weaponry. Goethe considered that he might just be the one at a disadvantage. But this was why he liked battles: they stretched one to his limits, and showed him the areas he was handicapped in. After this skirmish, he would be sure to do something about his inability to fly. Come to think of it, he did have a weapon that could have helped him overcome Killua's flying advantage, but he hadn't bothered to bring it along. Maybe after this, it would be his constant companion on missions...

There was no time to ruminate on what could have been, because Killua was intent on pressing his own attacks, after avoiding the Spirit Arms attack. Looked like he had figured out the flaw of Goethe's much depended on ability: once the target got out of the range of his telekinesis, that pretty much negated Goethe's ability to injure them. The young man found himself grinning from ear to ear. It had been a while he had been in this kind of fight.

"While you're grinning like the Chesire Cat on steroids, our friend seems to be planning something..." Baynard pointed out. "I noticed. Hop on! It's time to do something reckless."

Baynard gripped Goethe's shirt firmly, hanging onto his back, as once again, Goethe activated the Spirit Arms, and started running, just as Killua opened fire. "Ancillary Limiter Break: Drive X! Ancillary Limiter Break: Drive Y! Activate!" Instantly, Goethe lurched forward, his legs moving at an inhuman speed as he dashed around the battle field, all the while avoiding the shrapnel from Killua's weapon. Killua would notice that several objects from the ruins had floated into the air, but had refused to fall back to the earth, and it was on these that Goethe soon started springing onto, as he sought to close the distance between himself and his flying opponent. The higher he went, the higher he lifted his stepping stones all around, so that he was like a strange, speeding planet, hurtling along this universe of battle, while his moons, the rocks, fallen walls and pillars that had been separated from the ruins, floated up to meet him.

This was Goethe's plan: with this speed, he would likely be faster than Killua, and thus, he would continue to keep as close to the dark mage as possible, just to ensure that Killua remained within, or at least, close to his Spirit Arms' range. All the debris he lifted into the air would serve as his supports from which he could jump, dodge and attack. To be honest, he didn't know how long he could keep moving, but this would be a good way to find out.

"Here goes, Bayne!"

He thrust himself off a floating rock, hurling himself straight at Killua. He raised his arms to shield his face, while Bayne put himself as much as possible out of the dark mage's  line of sight. If all went well, he would tackle the young man out of the air, and the fight could continue on his own terms. Otherwise, well... he would just have to improvise, wouldn't he?


Spells used: Ancillary Limiter Break X, Ancillary Limiter Break Y (much faster now, yo!), Spirit Arms to lift stuff so he can run/jump onto.

"Nah, I don't feel like bargaining, and that also sounds like a real bad one for me, you gotta work on those skills, it's not a situation that I can't get out off for you to give me the bad end of the deal.." He said with a small smile, he was enjoying himself and if they weren't enemies they would probably hit it off good, but the case was different. One was bred and born to kill and the other, well from what he could tell, he was on the side of 'justice' and wanted to bring the young dark mage in.

Smoke rose from the M4 that Kil had in his hands as the magazine was emptied, he released it, letting it fall freely to the ground before pulling out a new one, with the same red tape around it from his requip space. "Oooh, you've gotten faster, nice one." The dark mage remarked, he was getting a lot out of this fight, he was going to have to train more, keeping track of his enemies and predicting where to shoot. At this point, it wasn't just aiming at them, not with such speeds. For the moment he had the advantage, but that wouldn't be long as from the trail that Goethe left, objects had risen to the air, debris, chunks of rocks, and whatnot. At first, the young mage thought his opponent would attempt to knock him out of the air again with a ranged attack.

He was surprised when he used them to propel himself towards him, Kil focused, his helmet was giving him an advantage, his eyes were protected from everything that could distract or make him squint. He was planning something, he couldn't just think of blindly charging him on, even with his speed, Kil could still see him, speed was something the dark mage valued a lot and trained in it, in his world the slower you were, whether to pull the trigger or just move, you were dead. He analyzed the situation for the few seconds he had before he had to act, it looked like his opponent had no way of navigating spaces without solid ground, so he wouldn't be able to change his trajectory.

With that thought the armored teen grinned, although obscured from the mask, as Goethe got closer, Killua tilted back a bit and readied his weapon, pulling the bolt of the weapon back, chambering the gun, ready to fire at any given moment. As they were about to collide, all power that was keeping the jetpack active was cut, making Kil fall towards the ground, now under Goethe, as he aimed to his now airborne target. "Let's see you dodge this time, and don't let me down I'm having a lot of fun." And with that, he unloaded again, releasing a flurry of bullets. Kil laughed slightly as he released the flurry.

As he got closer to the ground he stopped his attack, and grabbed the left joystick with his free hand now, activating it again to stop his drop. This time instead of hovering in the air, he glided slowly to the ground and stood, inspecting the area for Goethe as he wasn't sure where he landed afterward. "Come on, come on, I know that didn't take you down, it's time for round 2." He yelled out as he awaited his opponent.

WC: 566
Spells: Requip: M4A1 CQB(Stopping power ability) - still active
Experimental Flight Suit - still active.

Goethe was the kind of person to have a back up plan, most of the time. Even if he was reckless, he never went in head first without coming up with something to fall back on. In this fight with Killua, he could see that while Killua had the advantage of flight, he had the advantage of speed. That made it easier for him to avoid Killua's slower attacks without having to rely on magic. And even if there was an attack that proved too fast for him, he had his two trusty shields to keep him safe. Oh yes, he had another advantage, two others, to be more precise, but he wanted this battle to be a little fair to Killua. If it was a more serious situation, he would have asked Arnoba to pitch in, but then, he might not be able to tell just how much he had improved as a person. Baynard was the other advantage. And that advantage would be used to cancel out the edge that flight gave Killua... provided he played his cards right.

Noticing that Killua was not pouring all the shrapnel in his gun into Goethe as he made the jump, Goethe realized that Killua had a plan of his own. Well, in battle, one had to place a piece on the table, watch the piece his opponent answered with, and develop a strategy around such actions. If the unexpected happened, one had to be ready to play it by ear, though a master tactician would always have a modification prepared to challenge any change in the battle mechanics.

Killua allowed him to close the distance between them, and Goethe understood that the reason for that was because he knew Goethe couldn't fly, and intended to use his lack of maneuverability in the air against him. In the nick of time. Killua dropped, and Goethe missed him by mere inches. So, that was the plan. Goethe had seen something like that in a lacrima vid he had watched as a child: the hero of the story fought against a powerful lizard with  impenetrable scales, and so he managed to find his way to the beast's underbelly which was soft, and he slew the monster. Well, Goethe was no lizard, and as for his underbelly...

Despite the fact that he was disadvantaged in the air, that did not reduce Goethe's reaction time, and by this time, what with his speed augmentations, he could more than keep up with Killua's bullets, especially from this particular gun. Besides, as he had been evading and running to and fro, he had been observing the impact of the bullets on the surroundings with his Eyes of the Claviger. They did pack a punch, but it seemed that his Avatar of the Ancients, or even his Spectral Shield, could withstand them. The Spectral Shield instantly transformed as Killua slipped below him, turning into a large shield that easily protected his entire body from the barrage of bullets. All he had to do was tuck his feet behind the shield, in case the Avatar of the Ancients let a foot slip out of protection.

Goethe's arm that wielded the Spectral Shield felt the recoil as the bullets smote the protective armor, but they did not manage to get through. He considered peeking out from behind his defense and firing off an attack of his own, probably the Psybeam, but then he had another idea. Employing his Spirit Link, so that Killua would not be any wiser against his next move, he notified Baynard.

"Baynard, warp!"

He could have waited for gravity to do its work and bring him back to the ground, but that would be slower than what he had planned. Goethe suddenly vanished, replaced by a small rock that lay on the ground a few feet away from Killua. And while the rock continued his trajectory high up above, Goethe reappeared in a crouch, right where the rock should have been. the moment he felt the earth beneath his feet, he charged at Killua, his  right arm drawn back and ready to execute a punch at his face. And if Killua managed to dodge that one, he would instantly pivot on the foot that was currently in touch with the ground, using the torque of his initial blow to execute a spinning kick that ought to deter any planned counterattack.

"If you've been holding back, now might be a good time to go all out. Your attacks are barely having an effect on me anymore."

That was only partially true. Goethe wouldn't risk proving his point by taking a bullet to the face, but with the two shielding spells he had active, Killua might want to whip out something faster and harder hitting, if he wanted to put a dent in Goethe's armor.


Spells used: Spectral Shield (still active), Ancillary Limiter Break X (still active), Ancillary Limiter Break Y (still active), Avatar of the Ancients (still active), Initial Limiter Break: Drive 1 (still active), Dimension Magic: Absolute Space.

Even with the boast, in the end, he knew that it was mostly cosmetic, him just yelling out to have fun, he noticed that the bullets didn't do much damage or any damage at all, he had too many protective spells up his sleeve, and the difference in power was obvious for the moment. The young dark mage would be able to hold his ground if he boosted another time, but without Slayer Force, it will quickly turn into a losing fight in the end for him. There weren't many choices left for him, he had to go all out, pull out every trick he had under his sleeve or it would get messy for him real fast. He was fairly certain that his opponent still had more to give out and even at full power he wouldn't be able to take him on if he as well as going all out.

As Killua unloaded yet another empty mag, he noticed something there was no longer a soaring human above him, instead, there was a rock that was flying upwards, due to his enhanced hearing he was able to pick up the low sound behind him, and reacted before the magical source was registered, he was trained for years to react on hair triggers, every little thing that moved or made noise. He turned around, just in time to move out of the way, the fist scratching his helmet a bit, but it wasn't long before Goethe had pivoted and gone for a spinning kick with his moment. This time he wouldn't be so lucky, as he brought his guard up, he also laced himself with protective lightning, covering his whole body. As the kick hit home, he felt the force behind it, but the damage itself was absorbed by the lightning around him.

"I'll really need to do everything possible if I want to get out of this, won't I?" He said, smirking a bit as he removed his helmet, throwing it to the side as it disappeared in a blueish light. Dark Lightning soon began to circle around his arms and legs, soon moving towards the upper and lower portions of his body, his hair gaining a more spiky look as it was now held in place the current static and high voltage generated by him. "Well, let's see if I can keep up now. Sacred Art: True Godspeed." He mumbled the last part out as another spark of dark lightning was sent around him. "Let's get this show started." As he said that, black lightning generated in his mouth, with a single movement, he shot the lightning through his mouth, his Bellow of the Thunder God, the intensity greater than before.  Wasting no time Kil dashed to the side, waiting for Goethe to move if he would move, the young dark mage would move to intercept with a spinning kick in order to generate more force behind his attack.

WC: 492

Spells: Experimental Flight Suit - still active. Lightning Deffense- Shield, Secred Art True Godspeed - Buff, Bellow of the Thunder God

It was obvious that the difference between them in speed was now very glaring. Killua had barely managed to dodge his punch, though it managed to graze off his helmet. The follow up spinning kick that came next was a well thought out strategy, because Killua had not broken away from the fight. Just throwing the blow and stopping there would have left him exposed, and even though the Avatar of the Ancients was a very powerful, protective spell, there were still parts of him that were not covered, like his face. Goethe's kick hit home, but he noticed that there was some sort of black lightning barrier that had interjected itself between Killua's body and his kick, at the last moment. As his limb struck the electricity, he could sense that it had more physical properties than energy. A lightning shield.

The shield took the brunt of Goethe's kick, because without any form of defense, even large opponents found themselves flying when struck with a Drive I enhanced attack. Killua was not thrown backwards; nay, he got out of this one completely unscathed. Goethe straightened his body from the alert stance he had settled into after the kick, and watched Killua take off the helmet, a small smile playing on his features. He was pleased to see that Killua had adapted an offensive element into a purely defensive spell. It would take some degree of control to be able to compress lightning to the point that it could serve as a protective layer. Once again, he told himself that Killua wasn't half bad. Still, he wasn't giving this fight his complete all.

Goethe's smile widened at Killua's words. "So, you haven't been doing everything possible!" That meant Killua still had one or two things he could use to make this fight less one-sided... apart from flying. "Well, if I were you, I'd want to go all out. Show me the full extent of your power, if you please."

Baynard, who was still hanging on to Goethe, glanced down at his friend with an eyebrow raised. To him, Goethe was starting to sound like those crazy martial artists who went about trying to prove their fighting style was the greatest. Still, he could understand, to some extent, Goethe's excitement at seeing Killua fighting at his fullest capacity. Every warrior, who did not indulge in self-deception, always wanted to take on their opponent at full capacity, so as to see how well they could fare in combat.

While the smile did not waver, Goethe's eyes widened slightly as he saw the dark currents of chaotic energy whip around Killua's form. Then, they narrowed, still with the smile retained, giving him an expectant and pleased, yet resolute expression. "Well, come on then, Sparky. Show me what you've got!"

"Godspeed, huh?" he thought to himself. "Two billion jewels he's going to get faster. Let's see if he can keep up with me, then."

The next thing the dark mage did was to gather electricity in his mouth. Goethe was sure of what was coming next. If it had been a Dragon Slayer, it would have been a Roar. If a Devil Slayer, it would have been a Rage. Being a God Slayer, it was going to be a Bellow. Goethe knew that much. He often wondered why the caster always fired the signature technique of Slayers from their mouth. Most likely, it was to emulate the Dragons, who just loved their breath attacks.

Goethe's increased speed meant that an attack of this level, no matter how powerful it probably was, could not still keep up with his speed. He danced to the side, out of range of the attack, and chuckled, though his voice was a bit sterner than his face. "Killua, I told you your attacks are too slow. You'll need something like, real quick if you want to..." Killua had been waiting for him to make his move, and reacted accordingly. The boy's speed had increased; it was very clear, and he left a trail of lightning when he moved. Goethe smiled.

He raised his left, gauntleted arm to deflect the kick. "You've become faster, I'll give you that... but you're still not fast enough if you want to go toe to toe with me!" So saying, using the arm he had employed to defend against the kick, Goethe would try to grab Killua's ankle. At this point, his physical strength was inhuman, so lifting the dark mage would be no problem for him. If Killua was not fast or fortunate enough to avoid the grab, Goethe would whip him overhead, still holding onto his leg, to slam him into the ground on his other side. If, however, Killua avoided being grasped, Goethe would take a step forward, throwing a downward blow with his right arm.

Whichever option the battle took, Goethe would press on, aiming blows at Killua, since he had brought himself within striking range. If the young dark mage was not careful, he would find himself quickly overrun by a flurry of punches.

The young dark mage grinned, even though his kick was blocked, he was having fun, well knowing that this fight wasn't in his favor and it wouldn't be long before he needed to retreat and get out of here. His opponent was no pushover, he had everything to back him up in this fight. "Yea yea, I know, your not telling me anything new, mister "I'll power up a few more times"." He responded to Goethe's mock, he wasn't rilled up even one bit, he knew his opponent was stronger, there was nothing to get mad about now, more experience most of the time clamped everything else. "Maybe don't power up so much and you might break a sweat." He said, pulling away from Goethe's attempt to grab him, but he was quickly being overwhelmed, the downward punch was dodged as well, by a hair's distance, however, he wasn't so lucky with the incoming punches, some were dodged, some were blocked. He felt the shield weakening, he still had his armor to protect him, however, he didn't want to damage it majorly, he still had to escape with it.

The young soldier didn't have a chance to get even a word out, blow after blow came from Goethe, each step he moved back was countered, some blows were blocked, some were dodged on pure hair-trigger reflex alone, but most of them landed home, hitting him either in his guard or exposed areas. Trying to defend himself best from the older mage's blows, he searched for an opening, wondering how to get out of his current predicament, while attempting to preserve the lightning shield around him, it was fading, being chipped away with each flurry. As an idea finally popped into his head, his body slightly began to glow with dark lightning, lightning soon released itself in a circle, Thunder God's Repulsion, tendrils of lightning colliding with each other to create a bright flash to blind his opponent.

In that split moment, Killua slid to the ground, followed by a light spin, dragging his leg in the sand to create a makeshift smokescreen. Quickly he requiped his helmet back on to have an advantage in the small smoke. Using the moment he gathers black lightning on his fingertips, each connected resembling a spear tip. A technique specifically made to bypass shields and damage the opponent, he attempted to plunge Goethe with it, if the attack was successful or not, he would jump back to create a bit of distance between them in order to think of his next move.

"You know it's not really fun to receive punch after punch, even if I wasn't feeling them as heavy as the first ones." He said, he still had a small smile on his face, even though he was losing currently, it was obvious he had sustained more damage, the damage Goethe sustained in the start was by pure surprise, he still had to do damage to his opponent and with his shield almost out, he wasn't certain how many more attempts he would have before he had to get out of here.

WC:520
TWC: 13218
Spells: Experimental Flight Suit - still active. Lightning Deffense- Shield, Secred Art True Godspeed - Buff, Thunder God's Repulsion - S-rank, Thunder God's Speartip - A rank.

Killua was going to find himself in a really messed up position if he didn't think fast. He had made a mistake in losing his aerial advantage, since Goethe was taking this fight very physically, at this point in time. Well, he couldn't be blamed for that, since his enemy was on a higher level than he was. Since that was the case, Goethe wanted to see whether Killua was a smart fighter, or he was like one of those dumb ones that thought that fighting did not require strategy. He had seen Killua utilize some tactics, but now, being pushed to the wall, most people tended to panic and freeze up at the point it mattered the most. If Kil did not think fast, the battle would quickly end with a blow to the face, Goethe would retrieve both jewel and dark mage, and the mission  would be done. If, however, he did otherwise, he would stay on his feet, and might perhaps still escape this in one piece. Goethe found himself surprised (a little) that he hoped Killua would be a tactician on the battlefield.

he could feel it; Killua's defenses were faltering. The black lightning armor was really a very helpful ability, as some of those blows that landed directly might have crippled the dark mage in its absence, but they both knew that the shield was not going to hold up much longer. A part of Goethe wanted to let up a little, just to make the fight easier for him, but he thought against it. He had told the lad that he intended to face him as an equal, just before the fight commenced. If he held back, Killua might feel insulted. He knew that there were some people that wouldn't mind taking advantage of such an opportunity if it was presented to them, and being the dark mage that Killua was, the idea might not be so far fetched. So, he would kill two birds with one stone: he would not give that opportunity to be exploited, and he wouldn't end up disrespecting Killua as a warrior.

The lightning around Killua's body intensified suddenly, and Goethe knew that the boy was making his move. At point blank range, trying  to avoid this attack was not too safe. Actually, being faster than many a spell at this point, Goethe could have tried to outrun it, but he was not the type to be engrossed with hubris. He had seen some really quick spells whipped out  by this user of black lightning, and besides, lightning was known for its speed and ferocity. By trying to escape, he might just get blasted by a bolt that moved faster than he could run. He spread his feet to take a more grounded stance, then raised his arms to cover his face and head. He managed to close his eyes in time to avoid the flash of light that the Repulsion let out, and he felt the energy batter against his Avatar of the Ancients, but his personal shield protected him from the attack.

As he opened his eyes, he realized that the lightning technique that Killua had used as a deterrent to getting overwhelmed was actually a dual purpose maneuver. Not only had it stopped Goethe from continuing his onslaught, it had opened him to the dark mage's counter attack. He noticed something that looked like a spear of black electricity coating Killua's hand, and that hand was extended against him like a spear. Hmmm, a bit straightforward, this move, and it lacked in range. Maybe that quick thinking of Killua's was not going to favor him in the end. Goethe already had the plan set out in his head: take the attack head on  with his trusty shield, grab Killua as he was making the attack, and powerbomb him into the ground.

Yeah, that's what he thought. That is what did not happen.

As Goethe reached out to lay hands on the white haired mage, he noticed at the last instant, that wile his shield did its work, the lightning spear still pierced through it. What was meant to be a grapple hastily changed into a swipe, only managing to knock Killua's hand off course right at the moment it connected with his chest. The spear ran a jagged line diagonally down Goethe's torso, from his chest to his waist on the left side. And the dark mage quickly broke away once he was done, in case Goethe had any plans to reattempt the powerbomb maneuver.

Goethe looked down at the line of singed flesh that ran along his body, then he looked up at the Godslayer and smiled, despite himself. "Yeah well, you ruined my shirt, so I guess we're even," Goethe replied to Killua's lighthearted rebuke. "Come to think of it, why is it that whenever I land you a good it, you retaliate by attacking my clothes, which have done you no wrong? You do know that if I'm right, your next target would be my pants, and that would cause some really awkward moments..." He clutched what was left of his shirt and tore it off  his body in one move. "Color me impressed, Killua. I must say that twice now, you've caught me off guard. Bravo!" He clapped three times. "Now that I'm done praising you, could you turn yourself in, so that we'll both be happy? And if you're not feeling comfortable with just handing over to the good guys, due to some clause in the evil doers' manual, you could always let me knock you out, to avoid the stain on your conscience.  It won't hurt, I promise. Okay, maybe it will, but you'll be too knocked out to feel it, right?"

Goethe suddenly ran towards Killua, as though he was going to attempt close quarter combat again. However, he had one more trick to go with this. As he approached, he suddenly let his spiritual pressure flare out, which manifested itself as a pale blue, spherical aura. He had often been told that his magic power could be a little stifling, sometimes, and he had crafted that knowledge into a weapon. If Killua got caught by the Intimidation aura, he would find his body unable to move for just a moment, due to the overwhelming pressure. But that singular, short moment might decide his fate, as Goethe would try to grapple or strike him to ground.

Killua smiled under his helmet, this was the second time he could do any actual damage to the telekinesis user, the difference was obvious between the two mages and the time for the dark mage to run was coming in hot. He didn't want to lose the gem, he also didn't want to get taken in custody. He doubted that a profile was written about him and they would 100% match it with the killing of that noble mage that was broadcasted, but he didn't want to take his chances. If they did, he may end up spending some time in jail before he could get out and that was no fun for the young one.

"You know it's your fault for moving like that, if you stayed in one place, you would just have one hole in the shirt not a line, and maybe a bloody hole but who cares about that one. Oh and you're a pervert, cause it's gonna be your fault your pants are ripped" He said with a smirk. "Now let's just walk away, and we can meet somewhere else, maybe a bit less aggressive, eh. What do you say?"He asked, already knowing that the answer would be to his question. He knew that he wouldn't catch him another time off-guard, he had used most of the techniques that he had under his sleeve. One thing was for sure, he would need to work on his speed afterward.

As Goethe charged back, Kil prepared, he was ready to use his jetpack to get the aerial advantage. "I guess that's a no?" He said as he prepared himself for Goethe's next move, what happened was something he didn't expect, an aura of some sort had made him stiffen, unable to move, as Goethe got closer, Kil was finally able to break the aura, but he was a little late. He put his guard up taking a step back an attempt was made to dodge, but Goethe's fist struck, sending him into the ground as the Lightning Shield finally broke, he felt the fist through his suit, but it still took most of the attack.

He was having a hard time breaking the fist off so he could move out, it was getting out of his hands and he felt like the other mage could still pull off more than he had shown. He forced magic into his jetpack, making the wings align slightly in order to not scrape the ground fully, forcing the jetpack to release a burst making the wings scrape with the sand, but he was able to get out of the ground, going back to his feet.

"You know, I would love to play more, but I feel like your just going to fully pummel me into the ground without a break." He said with a smirk grabbing both joysticks, as the rocket salvos aligned to shoot a Goethe. "I'll give you a parting gift, and we can meet again sometime, maybe at an even ground, ey?" He said as he shot another Salvo of Hailstorm rockets at the mage, before pumping magic into his Jetpack, making him shoot high into the air as fast as possible, giving a peace sign as he sent off before going high into the clouds, disappearing from sight.

WC: 551
TWC: 14846

Spells used: Hailstorm Salvo

Goethe banked on this strategy that relied on the fact that Killua had not witnessed his Intimidation before. It was one of those techniques he liked to use to bypass pesky defenses. People had different sorts of shields, armors and protective abilities, but the Intimidation power could creep pass all those and freeze a target in place, long enough for Goethe to push in the real attack he wanted to use. It was much like the left handed jabs of a right handed boxer, building up and opening an opportunity to use a devastating right hook. It was also a less violent way of suppressing antagonists who were not very strong of will, as it could overpower people’s consciousness and knock them out without any form of visible or physical damage. He knew, though, that even if Killua got caught in the psychic field, it wouldn’t be enough to take him down on its own. He had met such stubborn combatants before, people who were much harder to shake than the average fellow. Despite that, the Intimidation still had an advantageous effect against people such as this dark mage.

Killua had wanted to react to Goethe’s attack, which was more or less a good tactic in this kind of fight, where Goethe had the upper hand. However, he did not expect the danger that the incorporeal wave posed. The plan worked perfectly; for a moment, Killua was immobilized, and thus could not use his pesky jetpacks to fly out of reach. Goethe’s blow caught him in the chest, driving him easily into the ground and creating a small depression beneath them. Quickly, Goethe splayed open the fingers of his right hand, the one he had used to attack, without drawing back him arm, so that his palm was planted firmly on the dark mage’s torso, and he began to exert physical pressure. Since Killua had previously proved difficult to hit, thanks to his aerial maneuvering system, the best thing to do would be to pin him underneath himself, and wallop him till he said “uncle”. But that was only the first part of the plan. Goethe wanted a firmer hold on the white haired boy, so that he would not be able to slip out from his grasp. If he held on to Killua with both arms, he might have to resort to headbutting, and while his physical strength had been quite augmented, he was unsure whether Killua’s helmet would give out before his head did. He briefly considered a bear hug, but quickly decided against it. Killua was wearing armor, and perhaps if he entered his Final Limiter Break, he might be able to crush him within it, but with the Initial Limiter Break, it might not yield fruit quickly. Besides, he wanted a clean, direct hit to the lad’s head, or a few repeated powerful strikes. Yes, he had complained more than once about Goethe aiming for his head, but Goethe had found out, in the heat of battle, that all those vids that showed people knocked unconscious by getting a powerful blow to the tummy had no idea of what they were portraying. The easiest way to send someone to sleep was an attack to the head. At this point, Goethe did not care much for being electrocuted. Being a Thunder Godslayer, Killua could easily have tried frying him, thanks to their very close proximity, but Goethe hoped to hit him first, or hit him despite the shock. He didn’t want to admit it, but while he had been on top of the battle for the most part, many of his spells were rather magic power cost intensive, and Goethe knew without a doubt that he was already beyond using half of his total magic power. The Limiter Breaks alone were very exhaustive.

Goethe moved his body forward, intent on pinning Killua beneath him by sitting on his stomach. If he managed to clinch the move, this battle could be well decided as over. It was very rare for a combatant, who found themselves beneath their opponent, to still come out victorious. True, other factors could turn the tide of the battle, but Goethe hoped he was well prepared for those “other factors”. Quite honestly, he was not. He had expected the young dark mage to kick and thrash like a cornered dragon, focusing on blocking Goethe’s attacks and trying to get Goethe off him, but instead, Killua employed a different ploy, which was even more effective. Instead of trying to remove Goethe from on top of him, he attempted to remove himself from beneath the light mage. Both would yield pretty much the same result, but being different in technique execution, their successes would be different. Goethe was banking on the former, and thus was not prepared for Killua’s jetpack suddenly kicking to life. At once, Killua moved, and slipped away from him. Goethe grasped at the young lad’s legs, but his loss of balance due to having someone zip out from below him made his aim rather unreliable.

Once again, Killua quickly put some distance between them.

Goethe exhaled with a huff, and then got to his feet. He almost had him. As he prepared to try something else more decisive, he heard Arnoba’s voice in his thoughts: ”You are not going to believe this Goethe, but the Command Center wants you to break off the fight with Keener here.” The frown of displeasure was very evident on Goethe’s face. ”Whatever for?” And at that moment, Killua started speaking. Distracted, Goethe looked at his adversary, and noticed that he was clutching both of the joysticks attached to his armor. The last time he had done that, Goethe had seen missiles fly. So, it was going to be the same thing again.

”Uh-oh...”

With the hiss of expelled propellant, not four but eight missiles came at Goethe, as Killua had launched both of the rocket carriers, this time. He wasn’t using this as another attack to gain the upper hand or prolong the fight, but he wanted to make good his escape. Naturally, Goethe would have attempted to detain him and battle him until he was tired out, surrendered or was knocked out. However, this new turn of events introduced by Arnoba’s notification made him lose interest in this fight. Perhaps, as a good guy, necessity was laid on him to arrest dark mages wherever he found them. After all, the less there were wandering about, the safer this world would be. However, he didn’t want to seem unamenable to higher authority, as that might affect his ability to take on more missions in the future. Come to think of it, weren’t some rockets coming his way?

Goethe whipped out his hand, as if he was slashing at the air with his arm. The power of the Avatar of the Ancients activated at the last moment, and the incoming missiles weaved around him and spiraled upwards into the air, where they clashed together and exploded harmlessly, with no damage done to person or property. Well, no further damage, anyway. His eyes stayed on Killua as the boy rose rapidly, and while he could have attempted a shot at him with his Psybeam, Goethe refrained. He was silent until he could see the lad no more, then his eyes fell to survey the damage they had caused around the ruins. Baynard jumped of Goethe’s back.

”Well, wasn’t that fun?” he commented, as the two of them had a look around. Then Goethe finally spoke. ”Arnie, what’s up with these people? Why would they call off the fight, and with a dark mage, no less?”

Arnoba appeared, holding a communication device, which she held out to him. ”I believe you are permitted to call them and air your grievances.”

He took the device and put it to his ear. ”Hello, High Command. What the actual heck? A dark mage got away on account of your distraction.”

The same gruff voice that answered Miss Blair when she called for backup replied. Goethe knew the man. Large, very emotionless fellow, who looked like something deep down utterly disgusted him, but he was trying to be nice for the sake of politeness. Goethe had taken to calling him “High Command”, but if the name annoyed or pleased him, it did not show. ”Yes, that is very... regrettable, Mr. Ackermann. However, your continued battle was advantageous in a way, until it started becoming detrimental to our work.”

”I would be delighted if you could give me the details, please. It might help me live with the fact that I did not do Fiore a favor and lock away a criminal.”

”Very well. Before I indulge you, you recall, that you were employed on this outfit as a reserve bodyguard, and not a policeman, so having the kid escape was not a breach of your professionalism. Now, as you recall, the entire squabble was over that little rock that our thief made away with. We discovered that his interaction with the energy field that defended it was quite enlightening, and your subsequent battle actually unearthed a few more mysteries we would like to unravel. As the both of you seemed to have a complete disregard for the safety of the environment, we decided to call you off, before either of you decided to destroy the whole place. There are a lot of valuable things still left here, some of which you already damaged.”

”Gee, glad to see I could be of service to science.”

”Your sarcasm is delightful, as always, Mr. Ackermann. Miss Blair requested that you hang around while the scientists that aren’t overcome by fear make a few sweeps of the area, recover what you uncovered... and destroyed, of course, and also take some energy readings.”

Goethe shrugged. ”Yeah, that’s what I’m here for. Well, I’ll be on my merry way, High Command. Thanks for putting my heart at rest.”

By this time, scientists and other security guards had returned to the area. Lightning does not strike the same place twice, so people say, and it was with that hope that they expected that another dark mage would not be interested in the information that had been revealed, thanks to Killua’s explosives, and Goethe’s telekinesis. Goethe found himself another shirt and hung around, but it wouldn’t have mattered even if he left; nothing more of event happened that day. For him, anyway.

More often than not, his mind returned to the black lightning user, and he wondered what would happened when they met again, and what sort of rematch it would be. He found himself smiling. He needed to work on being more versatile in combat, as he was sure that Killua would do, too. And when next they met, they would probably have more surprises for each other.


Spell used: Avatar of the Ancients (Redirection).