It had taken Noel quite a while to recover from this most recent explosion. The last time she had gone nuclear was when a piece of shit named Armie George had had the gall to call her dad a pedo who deserved to rot in hell only two weeks after his death. Armie had made it out okay, but Noel's right big toe had not, as she had come to her senses as she kicked one of those metal trash cans that littered most public areas back home. She had thought it had been that bitch's smug face she was caving in.

This latest rampage was much the same, only this time, it was a steel shipping crate she was kicking. And nothing was broken. Yet. 

How she had thought of opening her hand in the crate, even she didn't know. It was just an idea that popped into her head as she tried to catch her breath, from her brain to her head in an instant. 

She had no idea where her staff was. Luckily, she had a few hazy memories that were as clear as an old film covered in Vaseline, so she knew she had thrown it away somewhere. 

When she executed her improvised plan, it was immensely satisfying to see the look of complete shock on Darris's face as her staff tore into his shoulder. But his surprise quickly shifted into a dark grin. His eyes sparkled with…enjoyment. Was he having fun? The thought sent new waves of rage through Noel.

"Do you know," said Darris, his voice dangerously soft as his fingers brushed the rip in his sleeve, "how difficult it is to find clothes in my size? Well, do you?" He took a step forward, hands curling into fists.

"Like I care." She readied her staff.

Darris smirked, "Go ahead then, girl, hit me with another one of your useless spells. If I'm lucky, the next one will mend my coat for me."

Noel looked at the rip in his shoulder. She was disappointed to see that not a drop of dark blue blood stained the red coat. Wait a second… She looked at his face. Wasn't he bleeding before? That's right. Azrath had clawed several gashes into his face right before he…

She didn't want to think about it. Azrath was alive. 

No trace of injury marked his soft face. And what was worse was that as Noel looked back to his shoulder, the tear in his coat was slowly closing. 

"Well, will you look at that?" Darris had noticed his coat repairing, too. "I suppose I won't need another spell after all." He looked back at her and put his hands in his pocket. "How unfortunate."

His foot shot out, quick as lightning catching her square in the chest before she had any time to react. Noel expected to fly backward again, but Darris had clearly held back as she only stumbled. 

"You left yourself wide open," said Darris, "You have to be prepared for an attack at any moment and from anywhere. Like here:"

Noel tried to defend herself as she staggered, but then she felt a sharp jab on her left side that was forceful enough to change the direction of her stumble. Though she could not see it, she could tell it was an attack from Darris though his hands remained in his pockets.

"And here." 

Another jab to her upper left shoulder. Once again, it changed her momentum. 

"And here. And here. Here as well."

Three attacks in a row. On Noel's left leg, the center of her stomach, then her right arm. All the while, his hands stayed where they were. 

Noel's anger was growing again as she was knocked around. Was he using some type of power, or was he moving so fast she couldn't see him? He had done something like this in her hazy memories. So, it could be either. 

She didn't even bother to gain her footing as she swung her staff towards him. She was aiming for his left arm. But her attack was blocked by Darris's right hand, which appeared out of thin air. Noel heard the familiar sizzle as the staff burned his extended index finger. Once again, Darris gave no reaction to the pain. 

"Your attacks are too erratic and wild," he said as he casually pushed back on her staff, "You leave yourself vulnerable in so many vital areas. Watch closely."

Darris pulled his left hand from his pocket, index finger also extended. Then his arm shot forward slow enough for her to see, though still blurred, as he poked her in what felt like several areas at once. Her stomach again, her throat, an outer thigh, and both her upper arms. None of them hurt, though Noel still tried to pull away. However, Darris's finger had curled around her staff and held it in place. She refused to let Darris have her staff, so she held on and endured. It'll end soon. Then she'd counter. Somehow. 

Then Darris made a show of winding back his next poke. Noel followed his trajectory with her eyes and flinched as Darris's finger targeted her chest. She waited for the jab to happen, but Darris's finger stopped, hovering right in front of her rib cage, over her heart.  

"I'm nothing if not a gentleman," said Darris with another smirk. He lifted his hand from her breast. She hadn't even realized where he had been about to touch. She sent him an extra helping of hatred from her eyes. 

He continued, ignoring her scowl. "Besides, this is far more vulnerable." The knuckle of his finger came to rest in the center of her forehead. There was a brief pause. Then he flicked her forehead with enough force that her hands were pulled from her staff as she was knocked flat on her back. 

Noel only skidded a few feet and immediately lifted her head to find Darris looking down at her, staff in hand. 

"Here." He tossed the staff at her, which landed at her feet with a clatter. "Try again."

Noel's face burned hot with anger and embarrassment. When would he stop toying with her? Just thinking about him knocking her back down over and over again pissed her off to an almost dangerous level. 

She snatched up the staff and hopped to her feet. She'd show him. Noel was not someone to be mocked. Her grip tightened on the staff.

Then words came to her. They were different words than the last spell, born from a different place in her head than Holy Light Beam. Noel curled her lips as she stared daggers at Darris, who looked back at her with an expectant smile. 

With as much determination as possible, Noel pointed the staff at Darris once more and let the words fall from her lips.

"HEAVEN'S WRATH!"

Instead of erupting into a beam of light, as she had expected, the staff pulled itself out of Noel's hands and rose gently into the air. Noel stood frozen as both she and Darris watched the staff rise higher and higher. Then the staff stopped several feet above Darris's head and began to glow.

A pulsing red light emanated from the entire staff, glowing brighter and brighter with each flash. Heat waves radiated outward, blowing into Noel's face like a furnace and growing even hotter.

Noel had no idea what was happening, but at least Darris was no longer smiling. Instead, his eyes were wide, and his eyebrows were knitted together as his eyes stared deeply into the light of the staff. He wasn't afraid, more curious. Then, as if coming out of a trance, his already bulging eyes widened even further as they returned to Noel.

Now there was fear in his eyes, but Noel found herself unable to care as her knees buckled, cold sweat running down her face and back. It wasn't from the now blistering heat coming from the bright red staff. She no longer felt the heat. In fact, she didn't feel much of anything as a wave of numbness washed over her.

"NO!"

Noel looked up at Darris woozily. Why was she so tired...? It took her a second to realize that it was he who had shouted and only half a second longer to see the giant charging at her, hand stretched out.

For one wild moment, Noel thought Darris had come to let her fall gently into his arms as she fell into unconsciousness. Instead, his fingers closed in her hair as he sank the fist of his other hand into her stomach. The powerful blow knocked the breath out of her. But it also sent a deep shockwave into her body, instantly jolting her back into consciousness. The intense heat left the air almost instantaneously as the staff fell to the ground with a clang.

Darris let go of her hair, allowing Noel to stagger back, clutching her stomach in pain. Noel sank to her knees, unable to hold her own weight. She still felt so exhausted, though. It was a struggle to even remain on her knees.

"Didn't I tell you to stop shouting the names of your attacks before you do them?"

Noel looked up to see Darris's head turned away from her, but he was still looking down at her out of the corner of one eye. For one brief moment, Noel thought she saw Darris's pupil dilate, becoming large and round, as he stared at her. But as he looked away to focus back on the staff, his pupil was once again cat-like.

"That was a most unusual spell, girl," Darris said, "And one beyond your means. If I hadn't stopped you…." 

He went quiet, apparently deep in thought. Noel gritted her teeth and tried to rise, but her legs felt heavy and barely moved. Darris's ear twitched as Noel's boot scraped across the concrete. He turned his head slightly toward her, though his eyes remained on the staff.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said, without looking at her, "You might hurt yourself if you try to move."

Noel blinked in surprise. Was he concerned about her? Like, actually concerned?

But then Darris continued, "We're on the precipice of something here. Any harm that comes to you may have consequences on Urzuran's power, especially if you die. Indeed, I wonder if Urzuran's power would vanish then." Darris's eyes were on the staff, but Noel could tell they were not looking at it. They were once again filled with that same primal hunger. "We have a wealth of possibilities here, girl. I need you alive in order to explore them. Isn't that wonderful news?"

It was most certainly not wonderful news! Noel would rather die than become Darris's plaything. She felt like an idiot for thinking that this monster would actually care about her in any way beyond her power. It didn't matter how many times she was knocked down. She would keep fighting. For her sake and for Azrath's.

She felt a surge of strength course through her. It didn't feel like enough as she pulled her leg out from beneath her and placed her foot firmly onto the concrete. Noel was struck with a bout of dizziness, but she fought through it and began to rise again. 

Darris sighed, then turned to look at her fully with a smile on his face. It seemed forced. 

"How cute. You still think you can still stand up against me?" 

"As many times as it takes, asshole!" 

"Enough. You need to stay down."

Noel continued to rise. 

"Seriously. Stop." Darris continued to watch her wobble her way to her feet. "I said stop."

Her legs shook, and her muscles ached in protest, but she continued to rise until she stood completely. Noel swayed back and forth like she was one of the drunks in the alley, but she stood, nonetheless, glaring at Darris in defiance.

"No." 

A look of fury passed over Darris's face for an instant. His right hand jerked upward; Noel assumed toward the handle of his sword. Then his hand lowered. Obviously, Darris wasn't someone you just say no to, but Noel felt insanely satisfied to defy him to his face. Though there was a twinge of inexplicable disappointment as Darris took his hand away from his sword. Darris's smile returned.

"There is a difference between bravery and recklessness, girl. A true warrior knows the difference." He paused, "and girls should not be so crude in their language. It's unsightly."

"Fuck you!"

"Oh my." His smirk morphed into a genuine smile. He looked to be on the verge of laughter. "I like your gumption, girl. But I say the fight is over."

And then he was gone. Noel whirled around, the world continuing to spin even when she stopped. She felt a yank on her hair as she was forced backward, her spine arching so that she was looking up at Darris's grinning face. Noel tried to struggle, but then she felt Darris's hand grab both her arms to lock her into place. His grip was soft but firm like iron.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. I was rudely interrupted before, wasn't I? I never told you why I am called indomitable: It's because no matter who I fight or what challenges I come across, I always win... No matter how long it takes, no matter who my opponent is, in the end, girl, I always win."

He pursed his lips as he audibly took air into his lungs. Then he exhaled, right into Noel's face. His breath was still musty, though there was a new smell mixed in. It smelled grossly sweet, like when someone sprays too much air freshener. And suddenly, the world began to blacken as her exhaustion overwhelmed her. 

"Now sleep, girl. Sleep and regain your strength. For your future is now in my hands."

Was this exhaustion another hidden power of his? And what did he mean by his hands? Why were his hands so gentle as he lay her down on the concrete? Why was…

And darkness consumed her.