Ellen POV:
Another hit on the jaw.
Another slash barely avoided.
Another devastating strike flew by my side.
This is good. This is perfect.
Who could've thought that the
The tremendous power she demonstrated a few times through the report is astounding… and yet, compared to now, all those reports are merely speculation.
She can easily overpower me, beating me to a pulp, and most importantly—proving Ike points to the world.
This level of destruction is unheard of, not ever since the creation of Ike's first creation—
A power truly befitting his vision, a power beyond everything I've ever seen even compared to the other.
Even with
And this is not even her best state. No, not yet.
From all the affection she shows toward that civilian… I can push her further. She is, after all, the first one to show off anything other than annoying.
And when that moment comes, when she finally falls from grace, if there is one… I shall smite her in all of his glory.
Fufu…
Tome POV:
Kuh…!! Why can she just—?!
I stood beyond the mess that once the arrogant being… which still is.
That damn mess is barely there, hanging on by mere thread.
"Kuh… you're good, Princes—"
Another swept, everything detached.
The mess barely avoided the strike, but not completely. She still has her wound, her cut, and her damages.
The impact still there, the mess still being blown away. Far from here. Far from where I last saw him.
"Good… You're good,
Still not disappearing. Still not resting. Still struggling. Still as annoying as ever.
No matter how much slashes I aimed at her, that damn mess still avoided them all barely.
The injuries are there, yes, but she somehow still functions with all that build up, unlike those mecha mecha squad.
I even cut her arm clean, yet she was still moving as if all that wasn't the issue…
… And she even turns annoying'er with each wound build up.
But I don't care. I have no energy, or even ideal, to care for anything more.
All I wanted to see now, as this very moment since my birth, is to see her break down in a puddle of blood and flesh, dying right before my eyes.
And at that time, I can truly be satisfied. I can ease this burning sensation in my chest, seeing her lifeless mess scatter around here, never breathing again…
That was death. That is the absence of everything. That was everything I was trying to do…
I can still feel it inside even now, even as rage overtook all my senses. And it was familiar.
Death was just like all the time I'm not here. Surrounded by nothingness, being detached.
Forever silent. Forever alone. And that fate… is on him, forever.
… And I just dragged him into this fate. I dragged him into my fight.
I… I kill him. Just like the other ones.
… So that's why, Shido—
"
—I'll finish this once and for all…
The
Without uttering another word, I held the Final Sword that brightened the sky, taking one last glance at that mess that took everything… my chance… from me…
I won't forgive her. Ever.
With the hatred, the anguish, the annoying feeling squirming inside, I swing
And then, there's nothing else but light… along with a loud bang.
… But to my annoyance, that strike—-didn't end it all. It didn't even harm her much.
She dodged it, barely, with my strike only taking away her arm.
A second later, blood quickly spilled out of the wound, as her arm now dropped down the ruins beneath…
Tch…!!
Ellen POV:
No way… Absolutely no way!
She… A Spirit… cut my arm?!
That damn
I'm the strongest Wizard there is, the one that never fails… and she just did that?!
Not only that, she even slash on my belly and blew me away—like a ping pong.
If not for my quick reaction to harden the
… Died? to a Spirit?
Tch…!
Utilizing a brief moment of her halt, I swung the
And then, that Spirit does something that not even I anticipated, that no other has done for the past 30 years.
She kicked me.
With a heavy blow on my unguarded belly, she kicked down away down the ground.
The impact is painful is the least to say, as I momentarily dispel the
Kuh…
Before I could fully stop the pain, I saw that.
That same light. That same Reiryoku concentration. That same gesture.
That same empty gaze.
She's charging up the same attack, now with even more power, even deadlier…
… She's trying to end me with this attack. And I can't feel anything.
I can't move my limbs, I can't deploy
I… I'm stuck. I have no option, no way out.
I'm going to die here, against a Spirit nonetheless.
Those thoughts shook me to the very core, one that I can't accept, not even at the death door.
… I won't die. I can't die. Not here, not now, not before her!!!
"
With an almost silent voice and a surprisingly calm demeanor, I tried to contact the
No response. The line's still dead.
… And with that, my last hope disappears.
Within moments, the Reiryoku finished charging, with the bright column that lit the darkened sky beyond from her blade.
"Die."
And then, without further delay, the light fell down on me… enveloping everything in an intense bright light…
Ike—
Tome POV:
Seeing her squirming beneath the ground, I immediately charged up another Final Slash.
A bright light quickly shot up from the
This is my all, this is my everything, this is what I could achieve… and with this, I will mark her end.
No matter what trick she has left, she can't possibly escape this.
I can do this… I can do this…!! I can do this!!!
"Die."
Without even acknowledging that line, I dropped the Final Slash down on her—-
—-And then, for a brief moment, everything… gone. Blinded by light.
Another moment later, and everything returned to how they should've been… minus that damn mess.
There's nothing left at the crater, nothing of her remaining beside a puddle of blood.
"… Ha."
I let out a dry chuckle, finally satisfied in killing her… finally able to end her miserable life.
… And yet, this… I… still didn't feel better.
I still feel empty… I did it, I killed her, I avenged him… and yet…
… It doesn't matter, isn't it? None of this matters.
No matter how much I ended her, no matter how much I put my all in… it all useless.
He died, in front of me, forever.
"Mom…?"
A silent cry falls into my ear, as I slowly turn around.
Standing way over there, among the rubble, is a tiny figure wandering around.
Her clothes tattered… and tainted with blood, as her eyes filled with tears and screaming with worry.
"Mom… where are you…?"
With a nearly haunted voice, she kept wandering and looking around, ignoring me entirely.
And I… slowly realized her. Despite the tattered state she's in, I can still say that.
That's the lost girl earlier, the one Shido took care of.
… But why is she here? Shouldn't she—huh?
I suddenly realized something and took a quick glance around… all the while slowly dreading.
'Cause here… this place… is the same street I used to be.
The same busy street, where I kinda (?) enjoy walking with him—now in ruins.
The ground torn apart, the building collapsed, fires everywhere… and worst of all, blood.
From beneath the rubble around the place… leaking the blood, the same red liquid I saw that day…
… The day I kill someone else.
Did I… Am I… But…
… I did this? I—destroy this place? I—hurted them?
"Ah… "
The kid's voice came to a halt as I turned to her again… And then come the screams.
I slowly walked toward the little kid over there—only to stop abruptly. For I have seen it.
A single twisted arm poked out from beneath the building. One painted in blood and burns.
I try to focus more on that, but it's just an arm. Looking horrible, I admit, but nothing weird about it.
And yet, despite merely an arm, that girl is still crying while looking at it painfully… for some reason.
"… Mom…"
Unable to hear the cry anymore, I took the step by lifting the whole thing up and threw it away—and winced in shock.
What lies beneath it, what was once being the "Mom" … isn't pleasant to look at, at all.
"A…"
The girl widened her eyes in shock, staring down the bloody, tangle, twisted pulp, one that clearly isn't human, and stuttered as the tear dropped down.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And then, the broken scream. The scream that I never heard, one that exceeds what she did earlier.
One that should solidify my resolve… one that should make me realize the futility…
… And yet, that isn't the one to knock me up.
In fact, I can't even hear her cry, I can't see the fire, I can't understand everything else.
All I can hear… All I can see… All I can understand… are all on what lies beneath.
This is… her mom? Her loved one? In this state…?
And then—it clicked.
Someone that will love us, someone who will never leave us behind—as Shido said so.
And I… in my fit of rage against her… kill this child mom.
I stole her mom, I stole someone that loved her, I… made her… me.
I pushed to the path of loneliness, of nothing short but just be… oneself.
… I did this… I just did.
I let my hatred, my wrath take over myself… and destroy everything from her.
["Monster…"]
…
I see… It was so obvious.
It's truly obvious—and I ignore it whole.
I am, as they said… merely a monster.
I exist only to harm those around… I killed this child mom, the other guy—
—And Shido himself.
I dragged him into this mess… I forced him to be with this monster…
Why bother concerning myself with them? Why bother trying to fit in? Why bother… to hinder my nature?
… I don't know how to feel about that. I don't know how to face this again. I just… don't get it.
Should I be… angry? Should I be… sad? Should I… hate myself?
"Tome-san."
That voice…?
I slowly lifted my head, and turned around.And as I did, I slowly something weird—on my skin.
Something new. A weird sensation lingers on my skin despite the
I don't know what it is, or how it can go through my Astral Dres… but I honestly didn't care about it. Not anymore.
As I finally turned my head around—-I saw her.
Arrive in a fiery spirit, donned a white horns and the crimson gaze, all in an overall fiery feeling… is someone familiar.
Not just because she's emitting the same feel as me and bearing a rather revealing piece of cloth with the same feels to my own armor… but I knew her personally.
"I believe that this is our second time, isn't it?"
With a… weird grin, she opens the first line.
… And I, at that moment, can only look down in shame.
"Why are you here?"
I asked her with an empty tone, one that I never acknowledge. Not that it matters anyway.
"… I just wanna talk."
"Talk? About what?"
"… Shido."
"… Are you trying to blame me?"
I asked her back with the same mono tone, my gaze (still not realized) wavering away.
"No."
The girl… Kotori, answering without pause, her smile disappeared mid way through.
"Specifically, I wanted you to have a proper talk with Shido…"
In that instant, I noticed someone else stepping out from behind Kotori, among the flames that were dancing around he—
"Tome."
I stop.
And stare.
For the one voice that I never thought of hearing again from… is here.
But better yet… or worse, is that someone I just saw… was him.
Shido.
He's here. He's still here.
"You…"
The world stopped. Everything ceases to be.
For a moment, I forgot my guilt, my decision… and instead, all I know, all I see here—was him.
I even stretch my hand toward him, trying to touch—
—But in the end… I just can't do it.
I… Could I… Can I… be happy with… this?
"… You were right, Kotori."
I lowered my gaze down and said the line… as if trying to hide from them.
… And at that time, I finally felt it. Something other than joy, other than relief. And this time, I finally know what it's called.
Fear.
Kotori POV:
"You're right, Kotori."
… Huh?
What… what did she say?
I'm… right?
"You once said that the act of killing is nothing sort of monstrous…"
["'Cause at the end of the day, the very act of killing… is nothing sort of monstrous!"]
Huh?
Why… why did I remember that… again?
My own words from that day… from when I—being too arrogant?
"I… was thinking a lot… about what you said…"
["That thing… were too ignorance…"]
Again… why…?
Why did I… remember that…?
That… that was true! That was nothing less than a fact!
… And at the same time, my biggest mistake.
I run my mouth too far at that, believing that all it did is truly on the other side—without considering everything else.
I didn't think that she would do that on her own. I believe that it makes her do this.
In the end, I—just wanna believe in the fact that she… didn't. That she's just… like me…
I was naive. Too naive. Despite all the training, all the effort… I am naive.
Naive to think that she knew what killing meant. Naive to think that it's behind the event. Naive to say such a statement.
… It's hilarious, really. To think that I was supposed to defuse the situation here… only to be involved in more ways than one.
I even bravely declare my support for Shido here… Yet not even I can do anything to help here.
Because everything is true. I was naive. Truly naive… Ever since that da—
["When you wear these ribbons. Kotori will be… a strong girl…"]
"No…"
I shake away that thought from my mind, and remember his words.
I can do this… Be patient… I can resolve everything here, as long as I'm still wearing his gifts…
Ever since I swore to myself that day, I won't let him down again!!
"No."
… Huh?
Tome POV:
"… What do you mean by that?"
I lift my head up and stare straight at the speaker… and flinch.
For his gaze at that moment is even stronger than what I ever saw.
A burning gaze that dares to take down the strongest of all, yet gentle enough to calm the soothing rage.
Shido… can he make such a look?
"You're wrong."
"What do you mean by that? Can't you see… Can't you see what I did?!"
I wave my hand around for him to see, for him to realize how dangerous… and how dumb his words are.
Everything fell into ruins. Everything is destroyed. And everyone… die…
They cry, they yearn, they mourn, they scream!
I destroyed the very peace I wanted to be! I bring them nothing but dead! I crave nothing but blood and sorrow!!
And yet… why are you—why didn't you hate me?
"… I did."
"Then why?! Why didn't you just…"
My throat stuck at the words I know are true, that I know should've happened… like with those mecha Mecha Squad all those time ago…
["Die!!!"]
… Especially her.
Heh, can't believe that there will be a day that I… understand her rage all those times encountered.
I used to think that her hatred was weird, that her rage was merely nonsensical. But right now, right her—I finally get that.
That I can't be with them, that my fate should be being hunted, that I… didn't deserve Shido.
"… Hated me?"
Finally, with all intent and purpose, I utter the words with an almost silent voice…
"I can't."
But, just as quickly as I finish the word, his voice, sternly and soundly, responds back.
"What…?"
Mumbling me in total consideration, unable to understand the meaning behind his simple word of denial.
And at the same time, I… feel something from him. Something weird, something unnatural.
Something… disgusting.
Like an after-taste of that sweet I had earlier, one that was supposed to maintain the sweetness to it—but only bitterness remains afterward.
… He's lying.
… That must be it.
He… must be lying… He must be lying. How can he live with that?! How can he forgive me for that?! How can he sweep it all away?!
Because, I, with this hand—
"But… why? Why… why can't you… be like her?!"
I let out a scream of pure desperation in the state of shock, unknowingly startling Shido, Kotori… and everyone alive around here.
"Tome…"
"I did this!! I ruined them!! I kill them in cold blood!!!! Why didn't you just tell me the truth?!"
I scream straight back at a shocked Shido, with all the being and emotion straight at him.
I was alone. I am alone. I will be alone.
I wanted to reject that. I wanted to deny that.
And yet, with everything that happened today, with how much catastrophe I brought upon this land… I just—can't.
I can't deny the fact I did that. I can't deny the fact I ruined my own chance here. I can't deny the fact that I… kill.
"… You know what worse Shido?"
I drop all on my knee, my head facing the cracking ground… the once line-up ground that I walked on, now all destroyed by my hand, and asked.
"I…"
"On top of everything else… I—kill you."
And with that, I—decided on the decision. One that I should've concluded long ago…