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Walking through the streets with an alert, watchful eye, Colonel Roy Mustang was currently wrapped in his own thoughts. For the past week, he’d been getting reports of a strange, masked figure haunting the streets at night. From what he’d read, this person had been assaulting members of the Amestrian military, and whoever they were, they bore a strong resemblance to a legend from the east: a being called the Blue Spirit.
Word had traveled fast among the military, with many trying to figure out who this was and why they were attacking. Were they an agent from Drachma trying to weaken the military? Some rebellious punk unhappy with the army’s restructuring? Or maybe the legends were true, and this was some kind of vengeful ghost haunting the streets?
From the start, Mustang had instantly brushed off that last one. From his world-weary experience, he knew for a fact that ghosts and spirits weren’t real. Still, he did have to admit his curiosity was piqued.
‘Perhaps we could discuss this soon. Preferably once he’s stepped out of the shadows.’ Mustang thought as he looked over his shoulder, his peripheral vision catching a blur taking cover behind a nearby rooftop. Roy smirked, realizing his suspicions were confirmed.
He’d felt it the moment he left Central Command for the night, the feeling that someone- or something- was watching him from afar. The subtle rattling of roof tiles and stone certainly added credence to the idea. But anytime Mustang looked toward its direction, he saw nothing. This failed to alleviate his concerns. Just because he couldn’t see his stalker didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of their presence. And with everything going on right now, he knew that sooner or later, one of them would have to draw the other out.
‘And if he won’t take incentive…’ Mustang looked toward a nearby rooftop and outstretched his right arm. He snapped his gloved fingers, and a brilliant explosion of yellow and orange engulfed the top. A shadowy figure was sent flying out of the explosion, unable to control their flight path as they were sent rocketing off of the building and into the streets below. With a quick backflip, they managed to gain control, landing only 8 feet from Mustang.
Now that his stalker lay visible in front of him, Mustang knew his suspicions were confirmed. The blue, monstrous mask obscuring his face, the black robes that covered most of his body, and the swords at his side… all of them matched the reports.
“I never thought I’d be subject to a poltergeist. Then again, I never did believe in ghosts either.” Roy said nonchalantly, eyeing the vigilante suspiciously. “So, Blue Spirit, why don’t you start by explaining why you’re here?”
The Blue Spirit gave no response, though Roy could tell he seemed somewhat wary.
“What’s wrong? Too shocked for words? Or are you just realizing your mistake in challenging the Flame Alchemist?” Roy asked with a smirk. Though he couldn’t see his eyes, he could tell the vigilante wasn’t amused. The Spirit instead reached behind himself, and with a swift, fluid motion, unsheathed his dual swords. Pointing one of them at Mustang, he gave a taunting “come on” gesture.
Roy stifled a chuckle at this. “Suit yourself.”
His eyes widening in shock, Mustang threw himself to the right, feeling the dao’s tip nick his jacket. Now forced on the defensive, Roy did his best to dodge the three oncoming slices, twisting his body or leaning back as he tried to move out of the way.
‘Whoever he is, he’s definitely got some skill. If he keeps this up, I might be in trouble.’ Mustang thought to himself as he eyed the swords. While he couldn’t tell exactly where they were from, he could guess their length just from a glance, and seeing them in action, this guy seemed to favor swift and fluid slashes above all else.
‘Need to put some space between us. Just enough to rethink my strategy.’ Roy thought as he leapt back, narrowly avoiding a slash to his chest. As his boots scraped against the concrete, Mustang reached for the firearm at his side and whipped it out. Training its muzzle on the sword-wielding vigilante, Mustang fired off a shot, which seemed to surprise the Spirit. Quickly pulling his leg back, the Spirit narrowly avoided having a bullet lodge itself in his leg, watching as the slug embedded itself into concrete.
Returning his gaze to Mustang, the Blue Spirit swung his swords, using them to intercept the colonel’s next two shots. However, his luck would soon run out when a third bullet rushed past his defenses, grazing his arm. The pain caused a brief lapse in strength, and as his grip on one sword loosened, Mustang seized the opportunity. With one shot, he sent one sword flying from the Spirit’s grip, and before his opponent could steady his grip on the other, that too was shot out of his hand.
Now left completely defenseless, the Blue Spirit watched as Mustang trained the muzzle on him. Taking aim at the vigilante’s leg, Mustang pulled the trigger.
CLICK!
Unfortunately, it was at that moment the pistol jammed. Realization dawned on Mustang’s face, and the Blue Spirit seemed to notice. Moving swiftly, the intruder rushed toward Mustang, trying to catch him off guard, but Roy was quicker on the draw.
Realizing he wouldn’t be able to fix the pistol in time, Mustang stashed it away and raised his arm, slamming his elbow into the Blue Spirit’s approaching fist. With his opponent’s aim thrown off, Roy landed a punch to the side, then ducked beneath him and moved out of the way.
Not one to give up so easily, the Spirit threw out a roundhouse kick that Mustang twisted his body to avoid. As he felt the leg fly past him, Mustang strafed to the side, then went in with a punch to the gut. The Blue Spirit briefly doubled over, but quickly regained control by grabbing Mustang’s arm, pulling him close, and flipping him over.
Mustang slammed into the concrete, letting out a grunt as pain flared through his back. He looked back up just in time to see the Blue Spirit’s foot slam into him!
WHACK!
Another grunt escaped his lips, this one more out of irritation than pain. Gritting his teeth, Roy snapped with his right glove, unleashing an explosion directly in front of the Blue Spirit’s face. The vigilante’s head snapped back from the force, and in his pain, he was forced to release Mustang’s arm.
Quick to secure his freedom, Roy pulled his arm back towards himself and rolled forward. Then, as he spun back toward his opponent, the Flame Alchemist snapped his fingers four more times. On cue, four explosions struck the Blue Spirit, each one small enough to pinpoint an exact part of the body.
The first hit his stomach, forcing him to lurch over. The second and third served as a quick one-two combo to the side and chest, forcing him to seize up. And then came the final explosion. Before the Spirit’s very eyes, the air in front of him suddenly combusted into a blaze of orange, yellow, and smoke, knocking him away and tearing off a chunk of his mask.
As his masked assailant struggled to regain his senses, Mustang took note of the damage. A series of cracks had begun to form on the mask, and its plastic frame was slowly crumbling, partially exposing the wearer’s lower jaw.
“So the ghost was really just a man after all?” Mustang asked with a mirthful smirk. “Then why don’t we see what’s really behind that mask?”
Mustang unleashed another snap, causing the Blue Spirit to grunt as a fifth explosion struck him. His head snapped back from the force, and he could hear plastic chunks clattering to the ground.
[Stop]
Instinctively, the vigilante covered his exposed face, shaking his head to try and regain his bearings. Once his vision had returned, he lowered his hand, giving Roy a better look at his true identity.
The boy had a long burn scar marking the left side of his face, and his gold eyes glared at Roy in irritation. As he removed his hand from his face, any doubts of the Spirit’s true name instantly vanished from Mustang’s mind.
“The disgraced prince of the Fire Nation.” Mustang said matter-of-factly. “What brings you this far out west?”
“I’ve been investigating rumors, trying to find leads.” Zuko explained, eyeing the colonel’s outfit. “And going by your clothes, I think you might be able to help out.”
“If you’re about to ask me to help you track down the Avatar, I’m afraid I won’t be of much help.” Mustang said bluntly.
Zuko shook his head. “No, it’s nothing like that. My reasons for being here involve your country and the rumors that’ve cropped up lately.”
“Rumors?” Mustang raised an eyebrow.
“You remember the solar eclipse that happened a month ago?” Mustang nodded in response. “The moment it happened, the surrounding nations say a shadowy giant emerged from underground, and it pulled something out of the sky before vanishing. Does any of that sound familiar to you?”
“I was at ground zero when it happened, so yes, it does.” Mustang affirmed. “Is that why you’re here? To investigate rumors on something from a month ago?”
“As strange as it might sound, yes. I want to know more about what you saw that day.”
“Unfortunately for you, I’m not one to relay classified information. Besides, I have no idea why you’d want to concern yourself with these rumors in the first place.”
“I’m just looking out for the Fire Nation’s safety, and trying to make sure yours couldn’t become a threat.”
“A threat?” Mustang repeated, sounding skeptical. “I’m afraid the only threat here is the kid who thinks he can get away with assaulting our men and officers. Now, are you going to come quietly,” he tightened his gloves, “or do you want to add more to your charges?”
Zuko lowered himself into a fight stance. “I think I’ll take my chances.”
With a swift jab, Zuko sent a massive ball of fire Mustang’s way. The colonel’s eyes widened upon seeing the flaming orb that was nearly his height, but his gaze intensified as he snapped his fingers. The ball erupted midway, exploding into two separate paths of flame. Quickly using this to his advantage, Zuko lunged to the side and threw out a kick, turning a portion of the path into an arc-shaped wave that flew Roy’s way.
Diving to the ground, Roy felt the heat rush past his head, and as he got back to his feet, he found that Zuko was ready for him, redirecting the remaining fire into a series of medium blasts. As these fireballs and arcs raced toward him, Roy’s increased the temperature around the first one and snapped his fingers. The fireball exploded into a blitz of cinders and smoke, and with their close proximity, the remaining projectiles immediately followed suit. One by one, they popped like balloons, creating a loud FWOOSH as they dispersed into smoke. By the time it ended, the street was coated in a massive smokescreen, so thick that neither man could see the other.
Using this to his advantage, Zuko rushed across the battlefield, recovering his swords before the smoke could fully settle. And it was a good thing he had. By the time he’d sheathed his other dao, the smoke had cleared up enough that he could see Mustang searching for him. The colonel’s head turned left and right as he scanned the area, and right when he was about to locate Zuko, the scarred prince burst into the air, a trail of flames rocketing behind him.
Using his airtime and momentum, Zuko repositioned himself, aiming to strike Mustang in his current blind spot. Zuko threw his leg out, unleashing a powerful drop kick that sent forth a vertical arc of fire. Feeling an intense heat above him, Mustang looked toward its direction, his eyes widening in shock at the sheer size of Zuko’s attack. With impending death descending from above, Mustang snapped with his right hand, sending his own wave of flames to counter Zuko’s.
The Flame Alchemist’s stream instantly collided with the prince’s, swiftly consuming the opposing flames and heading straight for Zuko. Rather than show any signs of worry, Zuko eyed the fire with a steely expression and reached out, grabbing it with his bare hands! Then, to further Roy’s shock, Zuko brought both hands above his head, taking the flames with him before slamming his fists into the ground!
The instant Zuko’s hands touched the concrete, the street was set ablaze as his redirected fire spread throughout the block. It wouldn’t get too far, as a snap from Mustang’s right glove caused it to erupt into a massive puff of smoke.
As the remaining flames settled, Mustang stepped out from the smoke, eyeing Zuko with an amused smirk.
“Not bad. Those flames of yours are nothing to scoff at. But when it comes down to it, I’m afraid alchemy has it beat.” Mustang boasted as he snapped his fingers. Instinctively, Zuko raised both hands in front of himself, conjuring a shield of fire, but it did little to help as he was launched back.
“You see, fire is a fickle mistress.” Mustang emphasized his point by creating another explosion. “It can destroy all, including its own creator, but I’ve learned to keep the flames under MY thumb.” With a smirk, he asked, “Can you say the same, prince Zuko?”
A stream of fire was launched toward the scarred teenager, which Zuko responded to with an overhead chop. The moment he touched the oncoming plume of fire, it parted like the Red Sea, spreading the flames on both sides of the two warriors.
“Does that answer your question?” Zuko asked, giving a smirk of his own.
“An impressive show.” Roy commended with a sarcastic clap. “It just makes me wish your style had a bit more flair to it.”
“Flair?” Zuko scoffed as he threw out a flip kick, sending a wave of fire Roy’s way. Mustang returned fire with an explosion, dispersing it halfway.
“Style, finesse.” Mustang explained as he strafed to the side, avoiding a faster, second arc. “You’re representing an entire nation, and all you do is throw and redirect flames?”
“Firebending’s not about style.” Zuko countered. “It’s about focus, concentration, years of training. It’s not something you can do by just snapping your fingers!”
As he explained this, Zuko threw out three more kicks, sending streams of fire soaring right through the smokescreen. Though Mustang countered the first and dodged the second, the third was just too fast for him! With little time to react, all he could do was take them head-on!
The moment it struck, Mustang had to do all he could to suppress his screams. His sleeves were instantly set ablaze, and the flaming leather was already eating away at his skin. The flesh on his forearms turned a bright red, and the fire had already spread up to his elbows. A few seconds later, the fireball dispersed, and he looked back up. It was a good thing he had, too, since Zuko was already charging toward him, jets of flames propelling from his feet.
Though he managed to block it, pain still shot through Mustang’s reddened forearms as Zuko hit him with a knee strike. A jab to the gut followed this, forcing him to bend over, but he kept his position steady. Undeterred, Zuko chipped away at Roy’s guard with four hooks, then forced him to give with a jump kick! Roy’s defenses shattered, and as he reeled back, two hard kicks struck him in the stomach and chest. Zuko then spun around, ending the combo with a roundhouse to the face. Mustang grimaced as the kick launched him into the air. His body flipped as it ascended, only to just as quickly hit the concrete face-first.
“You can mock the movements of Firebending all you’d like. But at least it lives up to its name, ‘Flame’ Alchemist!” Zuko called out to him as he took a few steps closer, watching Mustang slowly rise to his knees.
“Sorry to hear you’re disappointed, oh exalted prince.” Roy said sarcastically. “Perhaps a proper demonstration would please his Majesty?” He gave a light smirk and threw out his left hand. With a snap, a stream of fire erupted from his fingertips and barreled toward Zuko’s chest. The prince responded by bringing both hands in front of himself, meeting the flames head-on with a Fireshield! For a few moments, Zuko felt his boots scrape against the ground as the alchemy pushed him back, but he quickly gathered himself.
Planting his feet firmly against the ground, Zuko focused his chi into redirecting the opposing stream. He allowed the Flame Alchemy’s full power to enter into himself, letting it surround him in a fiery aura. He then let out a powerful cry and threw his arms forward, sending two intertwining streams of fire toward Mustang!
Swearing under his breath, the colonel quickly clapped both hands together, creating a hollow ringing noise as electricity surged around his hands. Both palms slammed against the ground just before the flames made contact, exploding into a red and yellow blaze.
The walls of the two buildings behind Mustang were instantly set ablaze, spreading flames across their brick walls. The fire raged against the stone surfaces, consuming the brick and mortar, but the further it spread the more its power waned. In a matter of seconds, the flames reached their limits, petering out only five feet from where they’d landed.
[Stop]
As the flames settled, Zuko sighed.
“How sad. All that bravado, and in the end you couldn’t take what you threw out. I guess you were just all talk.” He said in annoyance, but as the smoke cleared up, a familiar voice called out to him.
“Don’t count me out just yet, kid.”
“Huh?” Zuko’s eyes widened in shock. That shouldn’t have been possible! Roy should’ve been burnt to a crisp! How could he still be standing after that?!
He’d get his answer when the smoke cleared, allowing him to see a large slab of rock where Mustang had stood. It appeared to have been created from the concrete itself, but Zuko wouldn’t get a chance to study it for too long, as it soon sank back into the ground. Roy then removed his hands from the ground and stood back up, giving Zuko a sly grin.
“How did you do that?” Zuko asked in shock. “I thought the Avatar was the only one who could bend more than one element!”
“Then it sounds to me like the Avatar isn’t all he’s cracked up to be.” Roy’s smirk widened. “If all it takes is controlling more than one element, then even the average State Alchemist could be the Avatar.”
“Hardly. I’ve seen what he can do, and your clapping magic doesn’t even come close!” Zuko snapped, causing Mustang to raise an eyebrow.
‘Clapping magic?’ Roy thought in bewilderment.
“What you’re doing is taking the easy way out! All you do is snap your fingers and clap your hands! Where’s the training? Where’s your skill?” While he spoke, Zuko threw his arms forward, throwing out a barrage of punches. In tandem with these air punches, bursts of fire shot out from his hands, flying toward Mustang.
With quick reactions, Roy snapped with his right hand, countering Zuko’s volley with his own stream of fire. Five of the projectiles crashed against the wave of fire, which dispersed within seconds of its creation. Once the flames had settled and the smoke cleared, Mustang gave Zuko a wider grin.
“Oh, you’ll find I’m quite skilled!” The Flame Alchemist gloated. “Tell me, how does it feel knowing that with all those years of training and finesse, I can match it,” he snapped his fingers, creating a massive explosion that knocked Zuko back, “just like that?”
Zuko rose back up, smoke curling from his now ruined outfit as he glared at Mustang. “Maybe your Flame Alchemy can match Firebending when it comes to raw power-“
“But raw power isn’t all I’ve got!”
The flames in Zuko’s hand began to take on a different shape, becoming more focused as he reeled his arm back. Not willing to give the boy a chance, Mustang reacted by heating the air around Zuko. Zuko’s arm flew through the air, ready to unleash a stream of concentrated fire! But the instant the flames escaped his palm, the air in front of him suddenly combusted!
A surprised, pained grunt escaped Zuko’s lips as he was thrown back, while Mustang’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
‘What just happened?’ They both thought, dumbfounded by what they had just seen.
‘I didn’t even snap my fingers that time-‘ Mustang thought, unaware his opponent was thinking the same thing.
‘But then what caused that explosion?’ Zuko wondered as he pushed himself up. Though his mind raced as he tried to come up with answers, on the outside Mustang did his best to appear oblivious. His expression relaxed, and he shot Zuko a coy smile.
“Quite the interesting technique you’ve got there.” Roy chuckled. “Though I’m not sure how blowing yourself up proves your point.”
“Shut up!” Zuko snapped as he pushed himself to his feet. “I don’t know what happened just now,” he began as he balled his fist up.
His confidence was intercepted as something in the air disrupted his flame-enhanced haymaker. The fireball in his fist suddenly exploded, sending Zuko back as he let out another cry of pain.
The young Fire Lord flew several feet before landing on his back. Clenching his teeth, he pushed himself back up and tried again. This time the fireball flew three feet, only to combust mid-flight.
‘I see.’ Roy thought as he heated up the air, watching a confused Zuko throw two fireballs, to no avail. ‘So that’s your secret!’
‘How does this keep happening?’ Zuko thought as he leapt away from Roy’s latest explosion, gritting his teeth as he was caught in its shockwave. With some quick thinking, Zuko caught himself mid-flight and leapt further out of the way. Jets of flame flew out of his feet as he propelled himself through the air, but Mustang was still hot on his trail.
‘Whenever my flames get near him, they just seem to stop, almost like something’s interrupting them. Is he doing that? And if he is, how’s that possible?’ Zuko wondered as he boosted toward the right, trying to catch Roy off guard. He’d get his answer a few seconds later, when… something went wrong with the air. He couldn’t explain it, but all of a sudden there was this strange… constriction in his throat, and it caused him to let out a shallow gasp.
With his concentration broken and his oxygen levels unsteady, Zuko‘s flames died for a moment, and his body sank like a rock. His eyes widened as a surprised “Whoa!” escaped his lips. His arms flailed unevenly, but then the strange constriction over his throat passed. Now back in control, Zuko’s gaze hardened as he righted his position with a flip and threw out a trio of spin kicks. Arcs of fire roared toward Mustang, but each one detonated with a snap of his fingers.
While Roy preoccupied himself with that, Zuko landed on the ground, performing a swift roll to bring himself to his feet. At the same time, he swung his right arm through the air, and a stream of fire appeared in front of him, mimicking his movements.
‘Now I’ve got you!’ Zuko thought triumphantly as he threw his arm in a sweeping arc. Noticing the teenager out of the corner of his eye, Mustang turned to face him, only for his eyes to widen at the fiery whip headed his way!
His instincts kicking into high gear, Mustang dove to the ground, feeling the whip’s heat radiate against his back before it landed with a sizzling CRACK! Zuko reeled it back, and Mustang used the opportunity to push himself back up. Zuko threw his whip forward, with Roy just barely turning fast enough to avoid getting lashed. He did this once, then twice, his expression going from unease to a more confident smile.
As he watched Zuko wind up his whip again, Mustang got ready to counter. He pressed his index and middle fingers against his thumb and heated up the air. With the Transmutation Circles on his gloves glowing a bright red, Roy snapped his fingers right as Zuko unleashed his next lash. The spark and the fire whip converged, igniting the air between them and creating a deafening BOOM!
FFFSSSSHHH!
“Agh!” Mustang cried out as the lingering wisp of fire emerged from the smokescreen, searing itself across his chest! A long, diagonal scorch mark had formed from his left pec down to his ribs, and it hurt like Hell! Mustang cursed himself for being so careless, but he could shake it off. The whip might’ve given that kid a lucky shot, but the explosion should’ve distracted him enough for Roy to make his recove-
FFFSSSHHH!
Roy’s hopes were dashed when a second fire whip shot out from the smoke, striking him in the chest. A pained, angered scream left his lips as he stepped back. Clenching his teeth as he clutched his now burning chest, Roy peered cautiously into the smoke. He watched as it slowly cleared away, and in its epicenter stood Zuko, now dual wielding two fiery whips.
With a harder glare, Zuko guided the whips as they rapidly struck Roy. Pain seared through Mustang’s body with every lash, but he pushed it aside to focus on Zuko’s movements. The fluid, graceful swings of each lash carried a ton of power behind them, but the longer he watched, the more Mustang began to notice something.
It was brief, but there seemed to be a short disparity between Zuko guiding his whips and them following suit. From what Roy could tell, it was only a second long, but that second was all he needed!
With his gloves’ Transmutation Circles once again sparking to life, Mustang threw out a series of four quick snaps. Like clockwork, this sparked a chain reaction against Zuko’s whip, with each snap dispersing part of the construct before reaching Zuko himself. An angered grunt escaped the prince’s lips as he was blown back, but he forced himself to a halt. Zuko watched Roy bring his arm back, pressing his index and middle fingers against his thumb. The air around Zuko heated up, and his eyes widened in realization. The Transmutation Circles glowed brighter, and as Mustang unleashed his snap, Zuko leapt into the air! He flew forward roughly three feet, missing the explosion’s epicenter, but it wasn’t enough to fully save him.
A powerful burst of orange and red erupted behind Zuko, hitting him in the back and knocking him forward. He rode the shockwave, letting it drag him closer to Mustang. His leg flew forward, ready to strike the Flame Alchemist with a powerful dive kick.
As he watched the Fire Lord descend toward him, Roy did his best to brace for impact and raised both arms. Zuko’s boot slammed against his forearms, and though he managed to block most of it, the force still left him skidding back. Looking up, Roy watched as Zuko rushed toward him, fluidly unsheathing both dao before performing a lunging slash.
Thinking quickly, Mustang sidestepped the attack, watching the blade narrowly miss his side. Seeking to correct this mistake, Zuko unleashed three hard slashes. Roy’s reactions were quick as he ducked or weaved between them.
In an effort to put some space in between them, Mustang clapped his hands and slammed them against the ground. Like before, a pillar of cement shot out from below, but Zuko immediately arched his back. The slab of cement brushed past his chin, and once it had passed by him, Zuko rose back to full height and spun his blades. A quick trio of slashes carved a Z through the stone wall, and a hard kick from Zuko blasted through it. His foot buried itself in Mustang’s gut, striking with such intensity that the Flame Alchemist was sent flying back.
Landing on his back, Mustang immediately pushed himself up, throwing himself to the right to avoid a downward swing from Zuko. Roy then pulled his arm back, feeling the air whoosh past him from a slash that almost grazed his right arm. Keeping his arms close to his body, Mustang assumed a boxing stance as he watched Zuko, moving his body side to side whenever the prince swung at him.
Fighting up close had never been Mustang’s forte, and his performance against Zuko was clearly showing it. Though he was decent at keeping the swords at bay, it was clear his focus was slipping. Zuko’s swings were becoming harder to avoid- the cuts on his cheek and forearms were proof of that. And while he kept an eye out for openings in Zuko’s stance, capitalizing on them was a different story.
The kid was just too damn well-trained! For every one blow Roy landed, Zuko seemed to land three. His movements were more fluid and focused compared to Mustang’s more static and underdeveloped punches, and his robes gave him far more mobility than Roy’s more constricting uniform. Even Mustang’s attempts at swaying the encounter with Flame Alchemy proved ineffective! Any time he so much as pressed a finger together, a swing from Zuko’s dao ended the attempt prematurely.
After nearly a minute of struggling, Mustang came to a realization. If he wanted to come out of this on top, he’d have to take a dangerous risk! And as his eyes narrowed in determination, he did just that.
Pressing the fingers of his left hand against his thumb, he watched as Zuko sent a sword in the direction of his hand. At the same time, Mustang repeated this action with his right hand, and he quickly swung both arms forward, aiming them right at Zuko’s face!
SNAP!
Both fingers snapped, unleashing a massive burst of fire and smoke right in front of Zuko. Zuko screamed in pain as he skidded back, the right side of his face now slightly burned. Before he could recover, Mustang lunged forward and jabbed him in the face!
“I’ll admit, I find it a bit funny that nothing’s changed for you!” Mustang began as he threw out two more punches, staggering Zuko even more. Quickly regaining his balance, Zuko thrust his blade at Mustang’s left arm, which the colonel had been reeling back. With a smug look, Mustang spun around.
“First, your father sent you on a fool’s errand, and now here you are, chasing yet another ghost from the past!” Using his momentum, Roy bashed Zuko in the cheek with an elbow strike. Zuko’s head snapped to the side, and Roy spun back around, continuing with, “Even after becoming king, you left to investigate rumors of something that no longer exists!”
In tandem with this, Mustang snapped with his right hand, engulfing Zuko in a massive explosion. The prince yelled in pain and fury as he crashed into the ground back-first, his impact causing him to accidentally drop his swords before landing in fetal position.
“I can see why your father sent you away.” Mustang’s voice called out to him as he stepped forward. Zuko looked back up to see the Flame Alchemist’s shadow looming over him, his eyes looking down judgmentally. “You’re nothing but a liability to your own nation!”
The sound of tearing fabric echoed in Mustang’s ears, and he felt a stinging pain in his hand.
“I’m no longer chasing ghosts!” Zuko announced as he kicked Roy away. As the Flame Alchemist staggered back, Zuko pulled the dao from Mustang’s palm and flicked his wrist. The sword’s tip sliced through the rest of the glove, peeling it off Mustang and sending it to the ground.
“I’m fighting for who I am,” Zuko continued as he rushed in. Mustang clutched his injured hand, his fingers rubbing around the open wound, but Zuko put a stop to it as he closed in! Five slashes ripped across Roy’s chest and stomach, each one drawing more blood. Mustang grit his teeth as he raised his left arm. He snapped his fingers, sending a stream of fire Zuko’s way, but the teenager sidestepped it and- with a spinning outward thrust- stabbed Roy through the back of the hand!
“And I don’t need a nation to define me!” Zuko declared, severing Roy’s other glove while throwing a two kick combo to the chest and face. Mustang tried to throw a punch, only to be punished with a heel kick to the jaw and a sweeping slash to the chest. Roy grit his teeth, glaring at Zuko as he clutched this new scar with his left arm. His arm nearly fell, but he stabilized it by clutching his hand with his right. His fingers seemed to be twitching erratically, but whatever the reason was, it didn’t matter!
Filled with a burning anger that was just begging to be released, Zuko channeled the unrestrained, raw power of his fire through his blades and spun around. Mustang watched as flames trailed through the swords, coating them like some kind of aura as they sailed through the air.
“THIS IS THE PATH I’VE FORGED FOR MYSELF! DON’T YOU FORGET IT!”
Two enormous arcs of fire roared toward Mustang, who barely had time to defend himself! The fiery waves crashed into him, and with a deafening BOOM, they erupted into a magnificent wildfire that spread across the entire block!
As the blinding smokescreen cleared, Zuko stood there, breathing heavily as he waited for some sign of Mustang. After a couple seconds, a familiar silhouette emerged, and Zuko’s eyes widened in alarm. There was a familiar SNAP, and then-
BOOOOOOM!
Zuko grunted in pain as he was thrown back, his dao being forcibly ripped away in the process. He grit his teeth, letting out a strained grunt as he pushed himself back up.
A second explosion hit Zuko in the face, eliciting another cry.
“Make sure it actually ends the fight!” Mustang finished, punctuating his statement with a third explosion. He then launched a flame attack, scorching the upper half of Zuko’s body, before snapping both fingers to create a violent blast of explosive flame.
Regardless of what attack he used, each one hit Zuko with the same power as its predecessor, enough that he couldn’t even fight through the pain! All he could do was scream as Mustang bombarded him. With how mercilessly he was attacking, it was as if Roy was on some kind of warpath! And for good reason!
Even with the onslaught of Flame Alchemy currently pelting Zuko, Roy was still in a far worse condition. Being at such a close range to that massive explosion had nearly drained Mustang. The heat from his own attacks buffeted his skin, causing his wounds to flare back up with each attack he threw. Every movement caused his muscles to ache, and it took everything he had not to collapse on the spot. But even in these conditions, Mustang refused to let himself fall so easily! It didn’t matter what condition he was in by the end of this. All he knew was he’d make damn sure Zuko matched it!
As the sixteenth explosion finally settled, the two men stood there, letting out ragged breaths. Zuko’s posture was more hunched over compared to Roy’s more upright position, but after a few seconds the colonel’s injuries caught up with him. His arm went slack, and both he and Zuko fell to their knees. Their chests heaved as they breathed in and out, trying to catch their breath.
“I have to admit… You’re pretty resilient.” Mustang commended. “Not many people would still be conscious… after what you just went through.”
“Thanks. I could say… the same to you.” Zuko replied. He looked up at Roy, and his eyes were immediately drawn to the Transmutation Circles on the backs of his hands. Unlike the gloves Mustang had used before, now the strange sigils had been painted on with his own blood!
‘But that doesn’t make sense! When did he-‘ Zuko began thinking, only for his eyes to widen in realization. When he first stabbed Roy and tore off that glove, the colonel had begun clutching and rubbing his hand! And when he destroyed the left glove, Mustang had done the same there!
‘So even now, he’s been pulling me along! Playing me for a fool!’ Rage flowed through Zuko’s mind once more, and he could feel flames starting to blaze to life within his palms. Mustang noticed this, his eyes widening in shock.
‘He still has some fight left in him?!’ Roy wondered, completely caught off guard by what he was seeing. Looking down at himself once again, the Flame Alchemist noted the bloody open wounds and burns trailing across his entire body. ‘In my current state, I wouldn’t be able to match him. But if I had enough time, I could…’
Mustang’s thoughts trailed off. What he was considering was certainly risky, but in his current situation, there wasn’t much else he could do if Zuko tried to attack. He snapped with his left hand, immediately alerting Zuko, but the flame attack never came. Instead, small plumes of fire shot out from Roy’s fingertips, each one only a few inches long. Zuko kept his guard up, waiting to see what Mustang would do next. For all he knew, this could be some sort of attack, or maybe a distraction?
His answer came almost immediately, as Mustang turned his arm toward himself and pushed his burning fingers against his own chest! Agonizing, horrific screams escaped Roy’s lips as he forcibly seared his wounds shut! Zuko watched, frozen in a mix of horror and bewilderment at what he was seeing!
“Are you crazy?!” He asked in shock. “After everything you’ve gone through… you resorted to that?”
“Don’t act so surprised, your highness.” Mustang pulled his arm away as he finished cauterizing the final wound. “I know damn well what risks are involved in that. Hell, I nearly passed out while doing it.”
“Then why-“
“Because I’m willing to do whatever I need to help my country. I’ll endure whatever pain I have to in order to reach that goal, even if it means going through Hell itself.” Mustang said, his eyes shining with conviction as he stared Zuko down. The moment he finished speaking, lightning crashed down from the heavens behind him, briefly illuminating him in a white flash.
As he took in Roy’s words, something about them seemed to resonate with Zuko. His expression became a bit more relaxed.
Mustang’s eyes widened in surprise at what he was hearing, but then he gave a more understanding look. “It seems we have more in common than I realized. All these years, I’ve been trying to do the same thing, starting from the bottom and working my way up to becoming Fuhrer.”
Zuko nodded in understanding.
[Stop]
Zuko rushed forward, throwing a flame-enhanced jab that Mustang barely dodged. Elbowing the outstretched arm aside, Mustang went in with an attempted left hook, only for Zuko to parry it. The two then engaged in a brief clash of punches, their fists moving so quickly they could barely be seen. Roy attacked with more of a brawler approach, aiming for punches that would hit hard and set Zuko up for the next blow. Occasionally he’d pepper in some Flame Alchemy, using mini explosions and wisps of flame to distract Zuko before the next blow.
Zuko, meanwhile, focused more on counters. He blocked and parried the colonel’s blows, striking only when the opportunity arose. Whether it was a punch or kick, he targeted the vital areas of Roy’s body or hit the exposed burns on his torso. The occasional use of Firebending aided in these efforts, but unlike before, something was different. The flames seemed more focused, more concentrated, whenever Zuko threw them out. Rather than the elaborate constructs he’d created before, now he was using them for more simplistic strategies. They coated his hands and feet whenever he threw an attack, and he’d launch streams from his feet to force Mustang back.
As their clash dragged on, both men slowly realized how rough this was becoming. Neither one was in their prime condition, their breathing had grown heavy with exhaustion, and the heat from each other’s attacks further irritated their burn-ridden skin. If they wanted to come out on top, they’d need to end this quick!
This was the impetus that caused Mustang to eventually throw out his left arm, but right before he could snap, Zuko kicked it to the side. With his opponent’s aim now thrown off, Zuko used his other leg to follow up with a sweep kick. Roy staggered back, his balance briefly thrown off, and as he was in the midst of regaining it, Zuko threw out a fire-infused donkey kick. The force launched Mustang back, but he ground himself to a halt. The muscles in his leg tensed up before he lunged forward, throwing out a haymaker. It flew toward Zuko’s face…
Only for the prince to grab it mid-strike and sidestep the blow. Using Mustang’s own momentum against him, Zuko pulled him in to a swift knee strike to the stomach, then followed with a kick to the chest. As Roy doubled over, Zuko released his grip and flipped to the opposite side, delivering a two kick combo to the stomach and face.
Pushing through the pain, Roy turned to face Zuko, attempting to hit the fiery youth with a hard backfist. Zuko ducked beneath it, countering with an elbow strike. As Mustang doubled over, Zuko took the opportunity to grab his arm and threw him over his shoulder. Roy slammed into the ground, the impact causing him to spit up blood, but he quickly put that aside.
The colonel got ready to snap his fingers, but this time Zuko was ready! Leaping back as he heard the familiar SNAP, Zuko avoided a massive explosion, kicking with his feet to unleash rapid arcs of spiraling flames. Though Mustang did his best to disperse them, they eventually became too much as they rained down, pelting his body and scorching him even further!
As he watched this from above, Zuko could hear something even further above. The deafening roar of thunder filled the night sky, and when he looked up, he watched as lightning flashed in the air!
Reaching his right hand toward the sky, a bolt of lightning shot down, striking his fingertips directly. Remembering his uncle’s teachings, he guided the lightning down his outstretched arm and felt it settle in the pit of his stomach. He then reached out with his other arm, extending his index and middle fingers before firing the redirected lightning directly at Mustang!
Roy’s eyes widened in shock, but he quickly steeled himself and snapped with both hands. The lightning bolt was already three feet away when a small explosion, barely visible to the naked eye, suddenly erupted in front it. The explosion hit the bolt directly, and it split apart. Four separate arcs rained down from where the lightning had been, each one crashing into the pavement around Mustang.
Now out of danger, at least for the moment, Mustang finally collapsed onto one knee and began heaving. He could feel the pain of his injuries starting to set in, and his vision was slowly going black. It was only through sheer willpower and determination that he was still conscious, but even that might not be enough. At this rate, passing out was a matter of “when” and not “if,” but he’d be damned if he didn’t go down without a fight!
Watching as Zuko landed some twelve feet away, Mustang clenched his fists in anger. He slowly brought his left arm up, reeling it back as he raised it to his shoulder. His index and middle fingers pressed firmly against his thumb, the Flame Alchemist grit his teeth. Then, with a bloody roar of fury, he swung out and unleashed all of his energy in a final snap!
The resulting torrent of fire was absolutely massive, encompassing the entire street as it flew toward Zuko. As it approached the Fire Lord, the stream took on a different form, its flames converging into the shape of a massive dragon. The dragon opened its mouth, letting out a roar of crackling flames as it charged toward Zuko.
Taking a deep breath, Zuko focused his chi, channeling it through his entire body. Mustang’s flaming dragon drew closer, its mouth open and ready to clamp its jaws down on the young prince! But right as it was about to bite down, Zuko reached out, seizing the fiery beast by its teeth!
Gritting his teeth, Zuko pushed back against Mustang’s final assault. The muscles in his legs tensed up, strengthening as he refused to yield! He stared at the raging beast in front of him, looking it dead in the eye.
‘No, this isn’t a beast.’ Zuko thought as he closed his eyes. ‘It’s only fire. Nothing more, and nothing less!’
Concentrating his chi, Zuko pulled against the flaming construct, forcing the dragon to buck to the right. Keeping his hands clenched on its maw, Zuko continued dragging it around himself, and the further he pulled it, the more it lost its definition. First its eyes faded away, then its snout slowly disappeared, morphing back to immaterial flame. Yet this wasn’t enough for Zuko. He spun the flaming stream round and round, slowly at first, but gradually picking up speed.
The flames encircled around him as he dragged them through the air, slowly reaching higher and higher. They picked up in both strength and speed as they wrapped around him, with each rotation giving way to a larger circle of flame. They extended higher and higher, and their intensity seemed to double the higher it went! Within seconds, the flames had reached their peak as they swirled around Zuko, no longer in the form of a dragon, but as a mighty tornado of fire!
With the sweltering heat rising, Mustang could feel the bloody sigils on his hands drying and chipping away, but he gave it no mind. He was fully prepared to turn the searing ball of flame against its wielder.
Zuko let loose a powerful scream as he threw his arms down, using his chi to guide the fireball. As it descended, the sun-like sphere lost its shape, morphing into a fan-like wave of flames that burned across the ground! The streets were instantly set ablaze, the concrete melting to slag as the flames raced toward Mustang.
Roy let out a scream of his own as he clapped his hands, electricity flowing around his hands once more as he unleashed a powerful SNAP! The air, already superheated by the intensity of Zuko’s flames, reached a fever pitch, and then-
BOOOOOOM!
A deafening roar echoed throughout the city as an explosion of fire and smoke erupted through the air, expanding for miles on end. Cars were launched through the air, buildings crumbled into shards of glass and chunks of stone, and even the ground itself was consumed in flames! The explosion went on for several seconds, its range expanding until it encompassed several city blocks, and just as quickly as it appeared, it began to settle.
A thick cloud of smoke coated the streets, dense enough that any who were caught in it would’ve found themselves blinded. But after a few seconds, it slowly settled, revealing what had become of the two pyrokinetic warriors.
Mustang laid at the edge of the crater, panting heavily as he surveyed the damage. The entire street looked as if it had been razed to the ground. Toppled, crushed vehicles; mountains of debris, and streaks of flame coated the street as far as the eye could see. And in the middle of it laid Zuko, his body having taken the full brunt of the explosion. He was completely covered in burns, and his only clothing had been reduced to useless, tattered fabric. His mouth hung open in an eternal state of mid-screaming, and his eyes had gone completely blank.
‘I guess I was wrong. With that power, you were more than what your nation led me to believe. I just hope you find some peace wherever you end up.’
Man, talk about getting burned! Poor Zuko, though. That was a pretty rough way to go!
Some of you might be a bit surprised by this result, and in all honesty, so was I. This was one of the hardest fights I’ve had to call, and for good reason. Remember how back in Knives vs Jin I said the verdict kept changing because people were upgrading and downgrading Blazblue’s stats like crazy? Yeah, imagine that happening with both series and you’ve got what it was like trying to figure this one out!
At first Mustang took the lead in strength and durability, while Zuko was the faster of the two. Then Zuko got buffs that lessened the strength gap, and FMA was downgraded to the point where he would’ve one-shot. Then not only did FMA get AP and speed upgrades, but one of the main feats I was going to use for Zuko got recontextualized to put him higher. Then about three weeks later, FMA got buffed even further, with a potentially better speed feat! So what were these feats that led to Mustang taking the win?
And ignoring that, there’s another way for Roy to counter Zuko’s edge in close-range: igniting the fluid in his eyes. Doing this would leave Zuko blinded, and since he lacks any experience in fighting blind, this would make it impossible for him to land proper hits on Mustang. There’s just one major problem with this method: it wouldn’t be in-character for Roy to use this in a regular fight. The only time he used this strategy in canon was against Envy, the monster that killed his best friend and mocked his death. He wouldn’t really have a reason to use it against Zuko, someone he’s never met and would hold no resentment toward.
But even without that, it wouldn’t change the fact that Roy ultimately had everything he needed to win here. With his massive edge in strength, slight speed advantage, better pain tolerance, larger arsenal, and various counters to Zuko’s arsenal, it was only a matter of time before Mustang took the lead.
It must sting for Zuko that he was so Roy-ally screwed. Hopefully he won’t be too burned at the fact that his chances of victory went up in flames.
The winner is Roy Mustang.
Brendan’s Versus Battles 
