The Wind Path carried Asari, moving him toward Luka by command. A quick swing of the glowing blade blasted a wind that uprooted the trees behind Luka, but he didn't even flinch.
In a flash, Luka instantly closed the gap. He threw a deafening punch, but the Wind Path in its Soul Tamer Form was too fast—it dodged easily and slammed Luka back with a counter-hit.
Luka laughed, wiped the blood from his nose, and charged again.
Luka's fists kept blocking the Wind Path blade. The Wind Path looked annoyed, but its strikes were constant. The crushing winds from their fight tore up the forest.
Rem watched their insane speed. It was impossible to keep up. Their simple moves were so fast he saw muscle twitches only after they had already moved.
Sparks flew from every collision, turning the fight area into shattered trees and gouged earth.
"Gonna help, ugly? Asari's having a rough time. Not because of me, of course, but this human is totally nuts," the Wind Path said, pushing Luka's punch away.
"Is the kid joining in?~"
Luka grinned, giving Rem a gross, hungry look. Before Rem could react, Luka was in front of him, his hand aiming for Rem's chest until the Wind Path's gale shoved it off course.
"Snap out of it and move!"
Rem grabbed the Judgment Blade with both hands, and the curse aura flared. He took a deep breath, pulled his sword back, and reversed his stance.
"A dance..."
The Wind Path and Luka couldn't follow Rem. All they saw was a trail of fire he left behind.
Rem was running in crazy, sharp turns. Every time he hit the ground and changed direction, he got faster.
"Did he turn into a rabbit?" Luka mocked, laughing.
The Judgment Blade sliced Luka's neck. Luka countered with a huge wind punch that slammed Rem backward, but Rem had already dodged and cut Luka across the back, leaving a wide gash.
Rem stopped fast, looking at the burnt trail. He was breathing hard, steam pouring off his body.
The Wind Path looked surprised by Rem's speed, but then narrowed its eyes at Rem's struggling face.
"You hit your limit, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Don't use moves that trash your body that fast, you stupid kid!"
"That move... was awesome!" Luka's voice rose excitedly, like a kid loving a street brawl.
With a wide, fang-showing smile, Luka started bouncing around, warming up.
He vanished before he even left the ground. All what the Wind Path and Rem saw was a blur of luck's blue aura.
Luka's hits came from everywhere, smashing into Rem and the Wind Path like bombs. Their bodies were already aching from the force.
Rem's legs were shaking from his technique; he couldn't move. The Wind Path kept shielding Rem from the worst hits but was taking damage, too.
Luka suddenly stopped, his face showing disappointment, not anger.
All the power Rem and the Wind Path showed, and the damage they caused, was nothing compared to the first move Luka made. They were broken, and he was fine.
"This isn't fun... why aren't you fighting like before?"
"What is this psycho talking about..." the Wind Path said flatly, looking annoyed by Luka's nonsense.
"He honestly thinks we're freaks like him," Rem answered with the same deadpan look.
Luka's aura surged, choking the air around them.
The last leaves fell, and all the birds in the forest—even the nearby city—fled what was coming.
The Wind Path and Rem got ready, their eyes focused as if facing a being they weren't ready for.
Luka's intense aura covered his five necklaces. His fangs and claws grew longer, and he screamed as loud as he could.
It wasn't a scream—it was a roar. That roar cut Rem and the Wind Path to their core, throwing fear deep inside them.
"It's here... The thing Asari faced years ago... The thing that killed Darma!"
Luka exploded in a rush, bouncing off trees. His moves were pure animal rage. His claw attacks carved marks into the Wind Path and Rem.
With every rebound, Luka's attack left a new cut. The Wind Path was stuck in a tight spot, and Rem could barely twitch.
"This is seriously annoying!" the Wind Path yelled in frustration, looking at the cuts on its hands and its ripped clothes. Rem stared in surprise.
"You guys move like you're faster than me! I am the Wind Path, damn it! You human trash are not on my level!"
The Wind Path's calm aura snapped. The Wind Path was furious.
"You beast, I swear that i will take you up to heaven, then drop you straight to the gates of hell!"
With one swipe, the Wind Path split the whole forest in half. The cut was a deep chasm that could swallow all of Arashia.
Rem was stunned, jaw dropped. Luka dodged the attack with his speed, but it forced him to back off.
"That was just a warning... the next one is coming."
The Wind Path vanished and appeared right in front of Luka.
A fierce back kick sent Luka flying into the air. The Wind Path instantly appeared above him and slammed him back to the ground with a powerful hammer-kick, burying him deep.
"Did you make it to hell yet?"
Luka climbed out of the crater, blood dripping from his mouth, but he licked it and smiled wide.
"Not yet."
The two auras clashed in a shockwave that wrecked the entire Arashia forest. There wasn't a single tree left standing all the way to the city.
"This... is crazy."
...
Nadya woke up to the sound of birds flying away. She ran out of the cart to find Rem and Asari, but only found Ramona.
"Who are you... where's my brother?" Nadya hesitated at first, but with every loud crash from the forest, Ramona flinched and shook in fear.
"Is my brother making those sounds?"
Ramona nodded yes.
Nadya walked up to Ramona and took her hand. Nadya's small hand was warm, and her smile made the sounds from the forest seem quiet.
"Is my brother fighting against you or for you?"
"What's the difference?"
"If he's fighting for you, don't worry, he always wins. But if he's fighting against you, I'm sorry... your family might be burning right now."
Ramona flinched back from the small girl's words, but that sweet smile couldn't be evil.
"He's fighting for me..."
Nadya giggled softly. She was truly gentle, her white hair framing her eyes.
"Then you don't need to worry~"
"Are you Rem's sister?"
"Yes."
"You have the same face, but the hair..."
"It's from my father... I'm my mother's daughter. I'm the prettiest, of course."
"Heh, of course, you are."
"Because in the end..." Nadya leaned close to Ramona and held her hand. For some reason, Ramona felt a fear she didn't feel even when Luka showed up. That cute smile suddenly became terrifying.
"We Queens must stick together..."
Ramona didn't say anything. Nadya laughed and left the cart, humming along with the loud crashing sounds from the forest, and whispered:
"Argon... her nation might be interesting to rule~"
...
Rem was lost between the powerful auras of the Wind Path and Luka, fighting just to stay grounded.
"I have to help Asari." That thought hammered in Rem's head, but he couldn't move with everything going on.
Any move he made would just get in the Wind Path's way, and the fiery white eyes of the Wind Path told Rem it didn't need him.
The Wind Path and Luka hit each other hundreds, thousands of times. The cuts and bruises on their bodies proved how brutal the fight was.
It was a clash between massive forces. The weak should not interfere . Rem wasn't weak...
"Break..."
The aura flowing from the Judgment Blade twisted and pulled inward. When it faded, it revealed what it had grown inside: Point Zero, Regam's sword that Williams left Rem.
Point Zero was different—shorter and sharper. But the moment Rem grabbed it, the rot on his hands infected the sword up to its middle.
The curse aura was sucking in Point Zero. It began to leak from the blade's edge, and Rem felt all the Enza that had ever been in that sword rush into him.
With one jump, Rem felt like he was walking on air. With a dual swing, he knocked Luka to the ground, leaving two deep, bloody cuts on his stomach.
Rem floated, held up by the dark aura. The rot completely consumed Point Zero, and now it also gave off the curse aura.
Above the Arashia forests stood the Yin and Yang who met by destiny: the Game of Wind that moves by its own will, and the Dark Curse that twists the wind and reality with one blast of its fiery rage.