User blog:Seieireppa/God Eater:Universitas, chapter 40: Between One and Zero, part 5

With an unholy fury to rend the heavens themselves, Feldman drew his Boundary God Arc and charged at Sigma.

This was it, Sigma realized. Either they killed Feldman here, or he and Nanako would massacre them all and move on to do the same to all who stood in their way using the Boundary Aragami. This was truly the ultimate moment of truth.

And as Feldman reached Sigma and brought his Boundary God Arc to bear, the latter did something he had not done in a very long time.

Reaching out his hand to intercept the path of Feldman’s blade, he grasped it tightly as he held out his other hand before him. The air crackled with energy as Sigma’s hand began to warp and twist, suddenly forming the shape of a blade from his hand, a brilliant blade of purest white and impossible sharpness.

“Oh?” mused Feldman. “You’ve finally produced that God Arc of yours. Not even I’ve seen that… not that it matters, of course. My power now eclipses yours completely and utterly! On this day, here and now, I will finally be rid of your existence!”

“Wanna bet, monster?” Sigma grinned, gritting his teeth and repelling Feldman with a swing of his God Arc. “You’ve forced my hand… and now I’ve got no choice but to destroy you as quickly as possible. Can’t waste any time, you see. And speaking of time…”

Sigma gripped his free hand, and in that instant, his time erasure began. All the paths of Feldman’s actions were clearly visible to him as he moved to flank Feldman from the rear—but the sight of Feldman’s eyes clearly following him as he moved brought Sigma’s mind to a halt.

“What is this… Feldman, what did you do in the Horizon?!” Sigma exclaimed, as Feldman, still within the erased time, assaulted Sigma with the malefic blade of his Boundary God Arc. Sigma could only parry as Feldman bore down on him with truly overpowering force, force that brought Sigma to his knees as the time erasure ended.

“Damn…it……Feldman…!” Sigma growled, as Feldman laid into Sigma with strike after brutal strike, all of which Sigma only barely managed to parry with his own God Arc.

“Soon, Sigma…” Feldman spoke, his face a picture of twisted mania and rage. “Soon, it will all be over… finally…!”

As Feldman was locked in battle with Sigma, meanwhile, Nanako faced down the three remaining members of the task force who had yet to receive the Horizon’s power—Lyrr, Blake, and Jack. They moved to surround her as she brandished her two God Arcs with expert finesse.

“Dammit, Nanako,” exclaimed Blake, preparing his God Arc for battle and gritting his teeth. “I trusted you! I thought you were going to help me prevent the Great Fall and save humanity’s future. Isn’t that what you wanted? What happened to that, huh!?”

“Miss Nanako,” spoke Jack, who trained his gun upon Nanako. “If what my grandson here tells me is true, the world will fall victim to a terrible calamity because of this man, Isaac Feldman. If that is the case, I cannot allow you to continue!”

“Just give the word, Sigma” added Lyrr, who looked down the sights of his sniper rifle at Nanako. “I prime the barrel, I load the ammo, and I take aim, but without your judgment I cannot pull the trigger. So do it! Give me the order!”

Sigma gritted his teeth. Of all the God Eaters he had ever known in his life, Nanako had been the first to truly make him question himself. He had been by her side in some form for half of her life, and the last thing he wanted was to see harm come to her. Nonetheless, for the sake of humanity’s future…

“Do it…” spoke Sigma, straining against Feldman’s blade as a single tear rolled down his cheek. “Do it! Pull the trigger! Kill her!”

At that moment, the three God Eaters surrounding Nanako took action. Lyrr and Jack fired upon her simultaneously, while Blake dashed forward, preparing to strike—

—However, Lyrr and Jack found their shots blocked by Nanako, who had taken a low stance and deflected their bullets with the flat of her buster blade. And as Blake approached Nanako, his God Arc ready to strike, Nanako flicked her variant scythe upwards, knocking his God Arc out of his hand and sending it clattering to the ground a short distance away.

Without missing a beat, Blake changed directions and dashed towards where his God Arc had fallen—only to find himself blocked by Nanako’s scythe, which she had extended to intercept Blake’s path. Thinking quickly, he dropped low and slid under the blade of Nanako’s scythe, running towards and picking up his fallen God Arc. However, he had put a good deal of distance between himself and Nanako, and likely wouldn’t be able to reach her before she could mount a counterattack. And as for Jack and Lyrr, Nanako could likely deflect their bullets all day, what with the impossible speed with which she could wield that buster blade of hers.

“Only Blake has ever seen me fight,” Nanako began, “and that was one attack against the Boundary Marduk back at the Den. Did you honestly think you could defeat me with even three of you should I exercise the full extent of my abilities as a God Eater?”

The three God Eaters facing down Nanako simultaneously swallowed. Nanako’s battle experience was truly impressive. Compared to the rest of them… god, how was this even possible?

In one swift instant, Nanako executed a flawless Round Fang with her variant scythe, prompting the three other God Eaters to leap into the air to avoid it—but in that moment, Nanako pulled off a Charge Crush, her aura-enhanced buster blade meeting Blake’s God Arc in midair and sending him crashing to the ground.

“God, where are the others?” exclaimed Lyrr. “Why haven’t they come to help us by now?!”

“Hell if I know,” came Sigma’s shouted reply. “I spoke to them through the Horizon earlier… they should be here by now!”

Sigma’s words were interrupted by Feldman redoubling his strength, pushing Sigma into the ground with the full force of his Horizon-enhanced strength as a barrier erupted around the two of them.

“Now,” Feldman began, “no one can interrupt us as I deal the finishing blow…  I will make your death long and painful, and I will enjoy every bit of—“

But at that moment, they all heard it. The telltale sound of a timespace portal opening in the air above them.

“This is it!” Sigma called out. “Feldman’s barrier is up…  Nanako! Idenn! Do it now!!”

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