I followed the voice and brought my blade to my left—timed with the wind's arrival.
The impact travelled through my arms, leaving my blade trembling as I pushed back against the handle with my upper hand—the weight lessening as I distanced from Arih, leaving a trail on the ground in front of me.
"Good job!" His eyes widened.
Not a single moment was wasted before he finished with the gust that came.
'Left.'
Huh again?
I chose to trust it again.
An even heavier impact reached my knees, blasting me back even further.
Before my trembling knees calmed his words reached me,
"YOU can finally keep up?!" His eyes had narrowed, with the corners of his lips almost reaching his ears.
"It's time for the next step then." He unsheathed his knife as he vanished.
Can he keep this up for long?
'Above.'
Where is this voice coming from? No one stood around me.
A grin broke through,
As long as I survive.
Both blades trembled as they met—the weight of the strike was enough to compress the ground underneath me as the impact travelled from my body into the rippling dirt around me.
"Wait... you're not just guessing?" His lips were starting to gather as the light in his eyes shone even brighter.
Wait... he can't hear the voice?
...It doesn't matter. I repositioned my feet as a gust of wind came from my right—it was not aimed for me as it gathered around Arih.
Around his lost arm.
There is nothing there, what is this...
The air formed layers, with each layer stacking—from his elbow to fingers.
It seemed like flesh itself was being created as his grew from his elbows to his wrists, reaching all the way to his fingers.
He rhythmically moved his fingers around and said,
"This really makes it easier. But it's a shame—" He took hold of the knife that was carried to him.
"This is your end... but don't forget me—I won't forget you after all..." His voice was carried by the wind, it came from all sides.
Can I still keep up? It was impossible already...
Can I do it?
And as if warm fingers wrapped around my shoulders, the trembling stopped,
'Don't worry I'm with you.'
I swallowed the lump formed in my throat, and waited for the next command.
'Watch out he is coming from the right!'
I followed it, deflecting his attack, and before Arih could even follow up—the next command came, making me deflect each attack thrown in this relentless storm.
'NOW!'
As if my body wasn't mine, I followed through.
The tearing of clothes reached my ears, with the tip of my blade shining red.
I can keep u—
'Tsk... too shallow.'
As if my thoughts got replaced, it was the first emotion I heard from the voice.
"Wait... how are y-ou keepi-ng up now!? It shou-ld be imp-ossible for you." He kept breathing as he spoke, with wind forming around his cut.
A drop of sweat fell on the ground.
'He can't keep up for much longer.'
'I wanted to say so—I will hold on.'
'Then you know what is coming right...?'
'Of course I do it's—'
We both knew—no.
All three of us knew,
'—The final exchange.'
As soon as he healed he disappeared—no time could be wasted.
I followed each command given, each attack became more relentless, heavier, and faster than the one before.
I was the outlier here—the only one who could not keep up with those two.
Each deflection got followed by a cut, or deepening those I already had with blood running down my left armpit—holding my own sword had become its own separate task.
Winning was not a thought anymore,
I need to limit my wounds.
Arih didn't need to take a single breathe.
Each attack I deflected was followed by two cuts—some deep, while others shallow,
Please...
'TJER!'
A grin appeared on Arih's face.
Some of my fingers had already let go, while others still hung on.
Each of his cuts were calculated—none were fatal, each one meant to slow me down.
Even now he is just toying with me...
'NOW!'
The sound similar to that of a bell rang.
Loud enough to reach even the towns beyond mine.
I couldn't hold my sword up any longer.
It was an impossible bridge to cross—no matter who helped me.
But there was no blade descending on me.
It was clear.
Luck had been on my side.
I lifted my head up, looking at Arih—whose crown had started to show cracks during our fight—a single hit was all I needed to shatter his crown.
The shattered parts dropped down onto the ground of Kage, turning back into the green light before reaching the ground, returning onto Arih's body.
As the light disappeared, Arih fell down.
He was no longer supported by the wind—his wounds returned, and his arm lay right next to him.
The sounds of bubbles popping could be heard—with his face sinking into the layered ground, while forming another layer of his own blood.
The fight is over...
There was a single thing left.
The winner's right.
His head.
I can't move. The only thing that kept me standing was the sight of Arih's body that lay at my feet, and the support of my sword.
I need to do this...
I tensed everything in my body,
forcing anything to move, even a single finger.
But it was impossible.
The only thing I could feel were the shivers that came from the pain pulsing through my body.
Why—why won't my body heal like it always does...? Not even the scratches were being healed.
There was something else that had to be done—one that I had wanted to forget,
'Who are you?'
It was a voice only I could hear,
'Why me?'
'...'
'I don't know... sorry'
'How can you forget?!'
'I just can't remember anything...'
'Why can't you?'
'I don't know... the only thing I know is that I remember nothing.'
'But you still remembered how to fight, right...?'
'I just knew what to do...'
'...Maybe what you're saying is true, but the time you came out was too perfect...'
'I've been watching for a while, and I just screamed it out—not knowing you could hear me.'
'But maybe the cracks that have been forming explains it.'
'Cracks...?'
'Yes... the first one came when you held the sword for the first time.'
'It was the first time I could see.'
He knows everything about me...
'I'll believe you for now...'
"Wh-y a-re y—u st-ill her-e?" Arih said, having turned his head away from the ground.
"Ju-st sta-y sile-nt." I was supposed to lay next to him.
Or rather—I was supposed to lay alone as one of the many.
Why did he not just kill me?
"K-ill m-e, y-ou won."
I shifted my eyes away from him, he left me no other choice than to respect his words.
"That's exactly how it is, young Arih."
What...? The entire area got lit up by a light that appeared out of nothingness.
A light that carried the same color as Arih's—one that would make his look like a shadow.
"I need to thank you young boy, Tjer."
'...'
"Be careful in this life, young Tjer."
"But you know that much already."
"W-who a-re you?" A weight forced my head down at the illuminated ground beneath me.
"It's of no concern yet."
"Can you still afford to stay here?"
I fell down.
"You forget the most important thing—"
I tried to crawl forward, but my body didn't move.
"Your little sister."
"MIM!" I screamed out, my mouth filled with the dirt.
But no matter what I tried, whatever movement I did—nothing worked/
I was detached from my own body.
"Pitiful child."
"Let me leave you a thank you gift, while also my payment."
The rubble had started to move around as the wind picked up—it came right at me.
I closed my eyes as it approached me,
I can't do anything... It wasn't just my body that limited me.
It's far beyond Arih.
The wind fluttered my clothes, and a cold shiver ran down my spine—but then a warm feeling flooded over me.
It was one I had felt before,
The feeling at the Sonian Forest.
I opened my eyes, with the same sight appearing in front of me.
Smoke was being emitted as my wounds closed.
While the smoke carried the same colors as before—this one was given by the winds themselves.
I was able to move my fingers around—pain still coursing through my body as I lifted my body up.
I sat on my knees and looked at the scene in front of me.
It had no body—it was pure light.
What is happening...? The wounds had stopped closing themselves—with just my muscles having been stitched together.
"You are ..." While it looked at me—its gaze still went beyond.
Its gaze returned to me, saying,
"Consider my debt paid—take care Tjer." It lifted Arih up into the air,
"We'll meet again." And it disappeared in the same way it arrived.
I tried to stand up, but my legs were numb—I could only feel their trembling—unable to forget what stood opposite of us.
"Mim, don't worry... I'm coming." I muttered as I dug my fingers into the ground, pulling myself forward with everything I could muster.
I scraped my body past the broken glass, and splintered wood—unable to see the houses themselves,
But the bodies would show what I needed.
I pushed myself forward using my legs as feeling started to return, and I lifted myself up while crawling forward.
Until my legs were able to handle the weight of my body—lifting me up with the support of my sword.
With the sight of fresh corpses appearing, the beating of my heart reached my throat, with heat spreading through my entire body.
I rushed over—no longer needing support from my sword.
I walked over the corpses left in my path,
"Mim! Mim, are you alright?!" My throat trembled as I entered the house.
The door creaked as I pushed it open.
Light crept into the room, revealing the veiled corpses, until it reached my parents.
It showed the small hands that held them both.
And then she appeared.
No emotions were shown on her face.
The skin surrounding her dried eyes had burned away.
She didn't say anything—she didn't even look up.
She just sat there—empty eyes while she embraced her parents who lay at her feet, having pulled them to her while she sat upright.
I ran over, almost tripping over my father's body, and pulled her into my arms.
"I told you I'd come back..."
She was silent, her eyes hadn't left the bodies of her parents.
While my own blood colored her clothes.
"Ple-ase M-im... re-spond pl-eas-e..."
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
I couldn't hold myself up—weighing down onto Mim.
But even then she did not respond.
Why now... wasn't I healed enough...?
I couldn't feel the opening of my old wounds, nor the creation of new ones.
Only the cold that spread through my body.
Please... hold yourself... don't fall down... please...
The pain had started to spread to every single muscle I held, and even more of me weighed down on Mim.
Until darkness started to cover my sight.
No... n—t yet...
I looked into her eyes, and didn't let go of her,
"Don't w—rry... I won't lea-ve you alon-e..." Even as my conscious left me—even with all my muscles giving out—I continued to speak.
The final thing I felt, were her small fingers that reached my skin—feeling my sleeve being pulled albeit slightly.
"I'm he— boy. Ho— am I too la—" A familiar voice appeared—an untrustworthy voice seemed to be loud enough to be deafening, repeatedly echoing through my head as my consciousness drifted away.
He will keep her safe.
"I need to thank you young boy, Tjer"
'....'
Tjer...
That name... I remember it...
It's not just the boy's name.
Have I met another Tjer before...?