A Wanderer's Lies - Chapter 118: Nothing Happened

-CLANG

-CLANG

-CLANG

Marshall stated with furrowed eyebrows, completely enveloped in the battle he was engaged in as Lucy constantly blocked every one of his attacks.

Despite his two swords moving at rapid speeds, Lucy’s three swords always found a way to block.

Whether it was the one in her mouth protecting her neck and anything above or the two in her hand that proficiently switched between offence and defence, Marshall felt as though he was fighting multiple swordsmen at once.

-CLANG

Marshall blocked an attack, only to witness Lucy fix herself into a familiar pose.

“Onigiri!”

She yelled, dashing at Marshall at frightening speeds as he was able to predict this and barely dodge.

Yet, despite his efforts, Lucy came to an abrupt stop and she turned.

‘She faked the attack?!’

Lucy suddenly and unexpectedly stepped forward, crossing her two swords over each other and swinging in a circular motion.

“Triple Sword Soaring Phoenix.”

A twisting dragon-like compression of air shot forward, cutting through the air as Marshall leapt backwards.

But he didn’t seem to be quick enough…

“Switcheroo.”

‘It’s over for you.’

The brunette Priest watched from the side as she smirked.

In an act that defied all physics, Lucy’s attack abruptly changed its angle, shooting into the sky.

“Pretty neat, huh?”

Marshall gloated.

“It’s like I can see the battlefield in a third person point of view, moving anything I please like chess pieces.”

“The first time I used this was against a classmate of mine. Even when using it for the first time, I had such proficiency over the ability that I was able to control the insides of the student.”

“I was able to make his knees weak and his arms heavy. He ended up hurling all over himself, his mum’s spaghetti, I assume it was.”

As Marshall spoke, Lucy stayed quiet as she stared, interrupting soon after.

“Are you sure about that? Your breathing seems a little heavy and…”

Lucy pointed with her sword to his face as he traced a finger over his cheek, feeling the sting and seeing the blood.

And before Marshall could say anything, he paused as he felt something inside, turning his gaze to Lucy.

“Lethal Poison harvested from the wielder of the Venom-Venom Fruit…”

“Hahahahaha!”

Before Lucy could finish, Marshall fell into a fit of laughter, holding his stomach.

“I gotta say, that’s cute. Poison? I didn’t think you had that in you.”

Lucy watched as the cut on Marshall’s cheek healed, causing her to pause, realising something.

“Tell me, have you ever heard of an Immortal? If you haven’t, you’ll have a good idea of what it is after today.”

-BANG

Marshall shot towards Lucy as she prepared, swinging her swords.

However…

“Switcheroo!”

Despite swinging both swords in a downward vertical motion, in the next second, Lucy witnessed her swords appear off course, simply cutting Marshall where it should have once severed him in half.

-SLICE

Blood gushed as Marshall slashed both his swords across Lucy’s torso.

Despite this, Lucy stood her ground as she pulled back her swords, swinging her sword vertically once again.

“Ni Gorrila.”

-WHOOSH

Lucy’s biceps visibly bulged as she swung with more power than she had done through this battle.

“Switcheroo.”

Once again, all this effort amounted to a simple cut, Lucy’s attack missing by a wide margin.

-SLICE

Marshall grinned widely as his swords tore through Lucy once again, causing copious amounts of blood to flood out, this time making her stagger.

Yet, she was still strong enough to swing again.

-WHOOSH

“Switcheroo!”

-SLICE

-WHOOSH

“Switcheroo!”

-SLICE

‘There’s no way anyone can beat him when he gets going. This area is his domain and those small cuts aren’t even a threat to him as they heal instantly.’

The brunette thought, seeing the one-sided slaughter ensuing.

It wasn’t until Lucy leapt backwards, landing a few metres away, dozens of gashes on her that a lull enveloped the battlefield.

“You’re still standing. Your endurance is something else.” Marshall, his breathing uneven, commented.

“I could say the same for you,” Lucy replied, noting his heavy breathing.

“You’re heaving like a mule and the more you use that ability, the closer my attack attacks get and the larger the cuts become.”

Essentially, this was a battle of endurance. And after Lucy’s comment, they both knew this.

“Fine, then let’s end this now. One last clash.”

This deal highly benefited Marshall. Since he was outclassed in swordsmanship, if he couldn’t use this ability, he’d lose.

And judging from his demeanour, he only had a few more left in him.

Yet…

“I accept.”

Lucy rose to her feet, holding both swords as well as the third between her teeth.

‘Idiot.’

The brunette snorted inwardly with a smirk.

For a few seconds, silence prevailed as the two fighters stared at each other, simultaneously bending their legs and bringing up their swords.

‘4 minutes. 4 minutes left before I have to go save Ava. 4 minutes…’

-BANG

Marshall was the first to kick off the ground with a BANG as he shot toward Lucy like a hungry predator.

“I, Marshall Mathers, Win!”

“Lucy Vanheart shall teleport 10 feet toward the direction she is looking.”

-ZOOM

‘What!’

Marshall yelled inwardly, witnessing Lucy suddenly appear before him in an instant, her eyes seemingly glowing a dark shade of purple as she pulled back her sword as far as she could.

“S-Switcheroo…”

Before Marshall could make the command, a lightning pain shot through his brain as he groaned.

‘Shit, I won’t make it in time. I’ve overexerted myself…wait, did she plan for this? Did she…know this would happen?’

Marshall thought, seeing Lucy charging forward.

‘I can still block.’

Marshall brought both his sword to block the blades aimed at his torso.

However, to the surprise of everyone present, Lucy…let go of her swords.

***

“Mommy, Mommy, I wanna be a superhero!”

“Do you know? Who would you save?”

“Well, who else? I’d save the innocent people from all the bad guys.”

“Is that so? Well, I do not doubt that you’ll scare them all away, Lucy.”

“Thanks, Mommy.”

A superhero.

That was all Lucy ever wanted to be.

From childhood, nothing fascinated her more than a single superhero saving the day and ridding the world of the darkness.

Whether it was the joy that came from seeing the relieved and grateful smiles of the innocents or the responsibility and sense of meaning one felt when they were trusted and accepted by the people.

She didn’t know what it was specifically, but whatever it was, it was like a drug to her that she could never get enough of.

“Remember Lucy, just saving the innocents isn’t what matters. You have to have the ‘Light’ inside you.”

“The Light?”

“Yes. The Light that comes with being a superhero. The Light that can make everyone feel safe, make them smile and make them accept you as a Hero.”

These were some of the last memories Lucy had of her mother. The last one was her younger self holding her father’s cold hands as they both stood over her mother’s grave.

It was that day when everything changed.

“Daddy, Daddy, look what I made. A superhero!”

“What? What is this nonsense? Seize this at once and go back to your studies.”

It was that day that the Light in Lucy dwindled.

“Superheroes don’t exist.”

“You’re an embarrassment.”

“Your mother would be disappointed in you.”

As time went on, Lucy’s bright and warm personality morphed as she started to take after her father.

His distant nature, cold eyes and unapproachable demeanour.

Before she knew it, she’d become almost identical to him.

“She’s so much like her father.”

“Yeah, a little too much. I’ve never even seen her talk.”

“Her eyes almost make me think she’s plotting something evil.”

The greatest disappointments in her life had weighed greatly on her.

Losing her Light.

Failing to ever make her father smile.

And not being able to save her mother.

Despite this all…

Deep down, she sometimes felt it…

The little girl trying to break free…

And today, upon Amara asking for her help, it was as if she felt a spark light inside her.

***

-SLAP

Silence prevailed as Lucy and Marshall appeared on opposite ends, facing away from each other.

With both her swords on the ground, Lucy stood, her face darkened.

‘4 minutes to be a hero.’

-SHING

Blood gushed out, spraying on the ground as Lucy dropped to her knees, an X-shaped deep gashes fashioned on her chest.

She spit blood as her body went limp.

Marshall straightened his body as he soon turned his head.

“Did you just…slap me? You sacrificed your only chance at a win to…slap me?”

Marshall asked, glaring at her with narrow eyes.

But much to his surprise, he was answered.

“The slap wasn’t what was important. It was the touch.”

Turning her head, her face still somehow indifferent, she spoke.

“Marshall Mathers shall become a mortal.”

[Orders: 

Marshall Mathers shall become a Mortal (Active)

Any external damage inflicted upon anyone close to Lucy Vanheart shall be redirected toward her (Active)]

“Mortal? What are you talking about…”

Just as Marshall asked this, he felt a burning sensation run through his body. A burning sensation he knew.

“The poisen…but how…”

However, Marshall had already started to answer his own questions before Lucy even spoke.

‘She knew she’d take away my Immortality…that’s why she kept poisoning me with those small cuts…she was filling me with poison for this moment.’

Marshall’s vision started to dizzy as he dropped to one knee.

“Queen Asura…what are you?”

Lucy started for a few seconds.

“I don’t like that name. The Hero Asura sounds better.”

[Name: Lucy Vanheart]

[Inherited Character: Cathleen Bate (Star and Stripes)]

[Verse: My Hero Academia]

Marshall dropped to the ground as he struggled to keep his eyes open, soon shutting them as he took his last breath.

‘The damage done to me is severe. I had no choice but to release my Body Strengthening Order. I’m surprised I’m still conscious.’

As Lucy thought this, she heard the clattering of what seemed like teeth rapidly tapping each other.

“W-What just happened?”

Lucy turned her head to the brunette who watched with a gaping mouth and wide eyes.

‘Why are these kids…so strong?’

“What happened, you ask? Well, that’s simple.”

Lucy rose to her feet, grabbing both swords as she stared, continuing.

“Nothing happened.”

The brunette stared taking a step back. Wasn’t long until a green hue enveloped her as she shot off the ground, soaring away.

Lucy simply followed with her eyes. In the next seond, she held out her hand, staring at the flying women.

[Orders: 

Marshall Mathers shall become a Mortal (Active)

Any external damage inflicted upon anyone close to Lucy Vanheart shall be redirected toward her (Active)]

Lucy didn’t know what the consequences of releasing the first Order could have. Therefore…

“Sorry everyone.” She mumbled.

“The air 54 feet before Lucy Vanheart shall explode.”

-BOOM!!

Lucy watched the brunette dissappear within the devastating explosion, the orange light from it lightung up the area as her hair danced in the shockwaves.

-CLANK

She dropped her swords, soon dropping to the ground face-first with a THUD.

“Are you proud, mother?”

Lucy mumbled to herself.

“I think I’m finally doing it…I think I’m finally regaining my Light.”

As she said this, her eyes started to shut, her consciousness fading. With it, she was able to let out one last command.

“Lucy Vanheart shall heal.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Is it just me or was I practically spoon feeding this to you I the last fee chapters.

I mean, I thought it was over when she said she wants to be a Hero.

Next chapter title: The World!

NNext chapter title: Take Control, Thing

NNNext chapter title: I Am Atomic

Also, I did say that there were gonna be no more chapters without Isaac, then this and all I gotta say is…womp womp

JUST GIMME DEM POWERSTONESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS