"It's time to face yourself, Alex Mustang."

With that being said, Kurome vanished leaving Alex little to no time to process what she meant by that as he had to immediately dodge an attack from Alex Õ who came in at a blistering high speed.

'Christ! He's a hell of a lot faster than me.' Thought Alex as he prepared to dodge another attack, only to see Alex Õ's left hand get coated in electricity as well and swing his arm in an arc in front of him.

"Chidori Senbon!"

In an instant, thousanda of bright electrical needles were shot at high speed towards Alex.

Alex had little time to react as he hastily tried to maneuver around the needles as he avoided a few but got punctured in a few areas.

As soon as they hit, it paralyzed Alex for a bit as Alex Õ's left hand coated in electricity increased in size

Alex Õ took off as if he had been launched out of a rocket and thrusted his hand into Alex's gut.

"Chidori!'

Alex was launched back and smacked harshly against a tree as he slid to the ground, struggling to even lift himself.

Alex Õ saw this and merely walked forward, only for Alex to suddenly snap his fingers as fire was launched immediately at Alex Õ as the flames bursted into an explosion.

Alex thought he had landed a good strike on him, only to see Alex Õ had blocked it as he was covered in a black, ghastly ribcage.

"That was close. Seems quick wit is something that neither of us lacks." Said Alex Õ as Alex had just begun to get up.

"I was intrested to see what powers the me in this dimension could have. Unfortunately I'm disappointed. While you can wield fire and the earth, you lack in what I have. Your defense is also very lacking as well as your reaction speed."

Alex Õ had stood in front of Alex as he was barely standing and had to use the tree to assist him.

"Be glad. Kurome doesn't want you dead. She wants you to help her. Though, she did say that if absolutely nothing worked, it's off with your head."

Alex Õ reach a hand out to Alex.

Alex looked at it for a brief moment, until he grabbed it.

"Glad to see that your willing to-."

Alex Õ was cutoff as Alex clobbered him on in the face and kicked him in the gut causing Alex Õ to hunch over and received a kick to the face knocking him back.

Alex Õ groaned and stood up seeing Alex walk away from the tree.

"Me talking down on myself? Thankfully I do that already everyday. Now then, let's begin."

Alex transmuted the ground and brought up his own sword to wield.

This time, he was the one who charged foward and much to Alex Õ's surprise, was able to outduel him in swordsplay.

Alex was able to pierce and strike quickly as well as get in fast slashes and parried any attack Alex Õ had attempted with his sword.

The difference was drastic, especially since Alex had been trained by Btadley in precise and fast sword strikes.

After a clash, Alex Õ backed away and put his sword away, and held both hands out in front of him, palms facing each other as something began to form

Alex grew cautious as Alex Õ dashed ahead once more at a high speed.

"Rasengan!"

In an instant, Alex Õ's blue sphere collided and was in a stalemate with Alex's sword

At first no one had an advantage until Alex Õ began to push Alex back.

Right as the sphere was about to hit, Alex snapped his fingers on his right hand at Alex Õ causing a small burst of flames to separate the two.

This only made Alex Õ more furious as his left hand was engulfed once more in electricity only this time in the shape of a blade

Alex Õ held his hand in front of him as the electricity grew as it shot past the flames in an attempt to catch Alex off guard.

It did as Alex got pierced through the gut and immediately retaliated by snapping his fingers on his left hand.

This caught Alex Õ off guard as well as he wasn't able to block the sudden burst of flames engulfing him.

This caused the large electrical pierce to go away as Alex coughed a few drops of blood and got onto his knees as Alex Õ was covered in ashes and coughed up smoke.

Alex struggled to stand up but eventually did as Alex Õ pounded the ground.

"W-What the hell is this? I, have more than you! More strength! More power! You don't know what I've gone through! I lost my home, my parents, or any family! My sister is all I have left! I won't let you, an inferior version, beat me!"

Alex heard all that and then noticed his eyes morph

In an instant, Alex Õ screamed loudly an suddenly, something Alex couldn't describe surrounded him

A large, ghostly upper body covered in armor with a shield and holding a sword engulfed Alex Õ as he panted but had a smirk.

"Might as well give up now! It's over with the Susanoo unleashed!"

It took Alex a moment to process if what he was seeing was real, but eventually it was as he took a deep breath.

He had to go there.

Far beyond the limist of any Alchemist, even far beyond that of a Philosopher's Stone.

He closed his eyes.

Background Music:

"Truth. I'm ready. I'm ready to break past my limits."

"So the day's finally come. Are you sure that your willing to use the full power of the gate? If you last for too long you could end up being permanently disabled and could even die."

"I'm ready."

"Very well then. I've summoned the item to unleash the gate in your hands. Good luck Alex."

Alex looked at his hand and saw the item he needed to use

According to Truth, it wasn't a real gun.

As long as Alex focused, he'd unleash his full power.

Alex Õ saw this and was intrigued so he waited to see what happened

'I understand it clearly now.' Thought Alex as he looked ahead at Alex Õ.

'Regardless of the fact that we come from different worlds, your me, and I'm you. Nothing will change that. We've both been forced to suffer through death and pain. We're alike. The same. Which is why...'

Alex slowly pointed the item at his head.

A gun to his head, as his finger was on the trigger.

He took deep breathes, until he opened his eyes.

"I need to win this fight!"

Alex pulled the trigger

A large bright light behind Alex appeared as from the light, emerged a large gate, as the two doors opened and then eventually dispersed

The limiter had been unlocked as beneath Alex, where his shadow would've been, this appeared

Alex continued to pant as this was the first ever time he had to break past his limits, so he obviously didn't have much time to stay in this powered state, but, he knew that Alex Õ neither had much time in his.

This had turned into a battle of trying to win on borrowed time.

Alex Õ took the first strike as he used his Susanoo to launch a large, dark arrow at Alex, only fot Alex to stretch an arm out, as a black shadow stretched out and shockingly grabbed the arrow and held it in place.

This shocked Alex Õ a ton.

'W-What!? No this isn't possible! He isn't me! No way in hell!'

Alex Õ charged at Alex and used his Suasnoo to give a heavy slash at him, only for Alex to used two other dark shadow to hold the Suasnoo's arms in place.

This left Alex Õ in a defenseless situation as without even needing to touch the ground, Alex transmuted a giant pillar to raise and smash hard into the Susanoo's side as it launched Alex Õ away.

He had tons of pain and saw his Susanoo with tons of cracks from just one attack.

Alex Õ was no longer thinking straight as he wasted the remainder of his energy shooting countless arrows at Alex.

"Die! Die! Just lay down already!"

After the last arrow, all power was effectively gone as Alex used his shadows to trip up Alex Õ and pinned him to the ground.

Background Music Ends Here

He formed a transmutation circle with the shadows and somehow summoned a Philosopher's Stone as he walked into the circle stating down at Alex Õ.

He simply didn't say a word as Alex smiled.

"I'll free you."

Chapter 14: End