Ruhen bursted at us, a maniacal smile on his face as he left behind trails of crimson sparks.
He was fast, immensely so.
Within a fraction of a second, he had closed the distance. Even Kai had barely reacted in time.
SHHHK.
A streak of crimson tore through the air, leaving behind a hot trail of the heated claw that seared a jagged line across my face in an uneven line. The warmth of my blood was felt before the sting had registered. Kai moved instantly, finding a crouched position, circling wide as he maneuvered around in a circular motion and brought himself down in a thunderous arc, the katana held high up above his head.
CLANG!
Ruhen's claws collided with Kai's blade, each pushing against the other with brutal force.
"This is how it's meant to be! You're good, Kai!!"
"I don't need compliments from you!"
He pressed down further.
Now's my chance. I lunged at Ruhen, crackling fists held behind my shoulder as they swung down.
SLAM!
Ruhen's posture became an unseemly sprawl as his feet scrabbled along the dusty ground, yet all of a sudden, he dug his talons into the soil. In one explosive push, he braced himself, straightening his spine as he realigned his posture.
"As I thought."
Damn it. He's...
"You're not capable of being a hero."
Completely unaffected.
FWOOSH.
The world blurred into a red smear as he drove his fist straight into my gut, the force of the blow folding me in half.
"Gagh!!"
My eyes went blank, and the taste of metal filled my mouth as a thick crimson welled from between my lips and stained the ground.
"AKIO!"
He swung his second claw horizontally at me in an attempt to split me open from side to side across my ribcage. I raised my arms instinctively, forming an arc of sparking light as the blow landed on me. The impact jarred my teeth, I couldn't stop here.
Shoving back with all I had, I snapped my fingers, my aim directly upon his face. The snap produced a small ripple of white light, an amount sufficient enough to push him backwards into the dirt.
I breathed frantically as Kai arrives at my side.
"You good?"
"Somewhat, whew."
Ruhen raised himself off the ground, brushing off the dust over his shoulder.
"Haha! Good, good! This is getting as fun as I hoped it to be."
Even like this, he was having fun. I glared at the hostages, now a fair distance away. None of them spoke, or even moved.
"Because I'm quite certain the rest would be happier dead."
No. What's at stake here are human lives, death won't bring them happiness.
It's a permanent solution to temporary problems.
"Akio, move!"
Kai's palm slammed against my shoulder, shoving me away as Ruhen's shadow descended upon us. He dug his heels into the earth as his sword swung a rising arc to intercept the coming rush of crimson. The clash of energy filled the air as Kai gritted his teeth against the immense pressure that came from Ruhen's onslaught.
"Nghh!"
"Good, Kai! Good!"
They leaped backwards as I turn my back to Kai's.
"Well, then."
Ruhen's arms slowly raised.
"Let's see if you can survive the real deal."
He clapped his wrists against one another, the hum of an explosive energy building between his hands. A small speck of light appeared in the space between his palms before it began to swell, gorging on the air until the glow blinded.
"Wh-What the hell is that!?"
The burst of light disappeared, replaced by a roiling sphere of crimson static that towered over us. The electrifying outer layer crackled like a million contained bolts of lightning, its massive form throbbing rhythmically like Ruhen's silhouette.
"Let's see what you do about this!"
And then.
Release.
Kai moved, his feet swiftly dodging the blast before us. As he drifted away, his hands reached out, sweat trickling down his face.
"AKIO!!"
I was too slow. I couldn't dodge this.
It was too much. I'm too weak.
I can't even stand against someone as pathetic as him.
The illuminating rays of crimson connected with my skin, the impact resonating throughout my whole body.
"AARGHH!!"
White hot fire shot through my nerves, a pain so intense it burned like molten lead inside me.
I collapsed, falling to the floor on all fours, my legs giving out beneath me.
My breath hitched until my lungs collapsed. Eyes darting across the night sky.
Would I really...
be able to achieve anything?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Rghh. Akio!"
I burst towards his body before a spark of crimson interrupted my path.
"Leave deadweight out the battle. It's just us now, Kai."
"You... what the hell is wrong with you!"
"Must you also spout the same nonsense he did? I've established this already. I'm not wrong. Nobody is."
My eyes squint irritatedly.
"We're all just people that are trying to stay true to our beliefs, aren't we?"
"Bullshit, you're just using that as an excuse to-"
"Justify my gruesome actions? Perhaps so. But what about you?"
About me?
"Both of you. You're trying to justify something as well, aren't you?"
My grip tightened, the katana stood firm in my hand.
"Yes. Yes, you are. You've done something just as bad as I did, haven't you!?"
He laughed.
"And you're trying to act all goody now to make up for it!! It's ironic, isn't it!!"
Shut up.
Shut the hell up.
What would you know about me?
What would you know about Akio?
Does anything drive you? Does anything sit so deep in your heart you just can't possibly let go?
Of course it doesn't.
"Make up for it?"
"Yes. Make up for it."
"Why don't you just keep that filthy mouth of yours shut!"
It's more than making up for something. It's more than just trying to be better.
I want to feel...
at ease.
"How about you try shut it yourself then. Come at me."
I breathed in.
The stroke of my sword was swift and vicious, the sound of the blade whistling to a halt as two glowing disks sliced through the air. Ruhen didn't flinch; instead, he held his gloves out, intercepting the blades with a clanging noise that echoed through the grounds. In an instant, he lunged at me, crimson streaks of blood trailing behind him.
CLANG!
"RAGGHH!"
I swerved his claws to the right as I bring down my sword.
He evaded.
An uppercut.
Contact.
The impact propelled me upward as the world turned into a whirl of dizzying colors before gravity took hold of me again. The sound of my bones cracking resonate as I landed hard on the ground, the shock of my loosening my grip.
"Rgh."
My body convulsed as I struggled to secure myself to the ground. I forced my shattered limbs into function, the sound of bones scraping against each other planting a sickening heat in my shoulder. I moved up, my left arm hanging without weight while my right knee bucked, just managing to keep me upright.
"I'm.. not done... I have to save them."
Then, like a hollow call reaching out. A soft voice broke through the fight.
"A-are you really going to save us, mister?"
I turn backwards, my eyes landing on the boy from before.
Untouched.
My eyes peeled open.
"What are you doing over here, kid! Get away-"
"I- I want to know! Everyone is hurting, that man did horrible things to us! So, please tell me you'll save us!"
"Well, why don't you go ahead and answer the boy. Kai?"
I bit into my lips until the metallic tang of copper flooded my mouth. My sight hazed, barely managing to raise my sight, locked on the boy's eyes without wincing.
That's right. What I have to do is clear. For this boy. For the many hostages left back there.
For Akio.
And for him.
A slow smile pulled at my face, my lips stretching into a jagged arc.
"What's your name?"
"K-Kora."
"You're right. Kora."
I inhaled.
"I'm going to save you. And everyone else."
Concentrate, focus my energy. Let something new form.
Something strong.
Orange sparks hissed along the length of the steel, the static hum swelling until the blade ignited, birthing a roar of living fire that licked at the air.
Evolve.
The dull grey of my blade shattered as veins of flickering orange bled across. I lifted the blade, a trail of flames following.
Ruhen watched in amazement as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Great! Great! Your charm is evolving! Magnificent, Kai!"
"We're finishing this. Now."
"As you wish!!"
Ruhen's wrists slam against each other once more, the same attack as last time. But this time, I can push back.
I heaved the blade upward, a wide arc of fire trailing in its wake like a dying sun. The sparks didn't just flicker; they surged, twisting and roaring into the empty air until the heat coalesced into the jagged, shimmering scales of a dragon.
[Dragon Rush]
Faint whimpering could be heard behind me.
"M-mister, I'm scared!"
"Kid. Listen close."
His button-like eyes focused on me.
"You can run."
It's okay to escape.
"You can be afraid."
It's okay to cry.
"But even if all that awaits is darkness, march forward, unwavering."
Without rest.
"Even if nobody cares, even if nobody believes in you. If you can't believe in anyone else."
My flames drag themselves across the air, as Ruhen's energy had finally gathered.
"As long as you can depend on yourself, the life you lived mattered. If you can be important to someone, even if that person is yourself, it's worth it."
In the end, we can save others all we want.
But the only person that can save us is ourselves.
And so I'll choose this.
"Run away quick! Kora!"
He nodded in a haste as he began rushing away.
And then, release.
Contact.
I have to save them.
I have to make up for it. I have to make things better.
SAVE THEM—