Within a second, it was gone. Large pieces of rubble left nothing more than dust in the air and my aching hand. Damn it! Should've used the feet! Now my hands hurt.
Beyond the smokes of a fallen banquet hall, a silver strand of hair gleamed in the morning light. Her golden eyes shined ever brighter on a battlefield. Well.. that's how I'd describe her, but honestly, she's standing completely still! Thought that was like the ONE rule archers should follow, to not be seen!
What is she planning? I have enough faith that she knows what she's doing, but... what is she doing?
As if mother nature was watching, the wind blew my way engulfing me in smoke. Even the light of the sun can't reach me here. All I could see is the marble floor and some ripped carpet near me. Slowly I slid back, my hands grasped for anything that wasn't damn smoke until... it found a strange wooden texture. A stick? No-
"Whatcha doing?" A familiar pink eye glowed through the smoke. It was a staff!
Instantly I jumped back, hiding in the smoke.
"Scared?" She asked. Faintly I could see the silhouette of a girl a little bit shorter than me. Maybe... black hair. No... definitely black hair. I don't need my sight to confirm her appearance. It's already burnt into my soul.
"Kila," I muttered. It was instincts. Like I knew exactly who she was. Like I've seen her thousands of times before. Of course... that's not true. I remember her now. I've only heard that name once.
Maybe... once is one too many when you keep replaying the memory. The demon king's hall... how can I ever forget?
She tried to kill me...
She tried to kill Hiroto.
Suddenly, my hands flew at her. Piercing pain ran down my body as she blocked the barrage of attacks I threw with her staff.
It hurts.
The staff was harder than any concrete or steel.
It hurts.
Slowly the surface of my skin started to peel off.
It hurts.
My fist started to bleed, but that wasn't what hurts. The sinking emptiness in my heart grew, urging me to attack. Why? Why am I hurting myself for nothing? She'll continue blocking without sweat and once I get tired, she'll kill me. I didn't understand, but tears burnt my eyes.
It was you. It was you. It was you.
My thoughts repeated meaninglessly.
"Forge!" I extended the blade through my hands to meet her unflinching staff before the blade itself broke.
"Forge!" I repeated the same thing again and again and again. Why? There's not even a scratch on it. Why am I trying?
Finally, I grabbed onto the staff, using the only trick I had in my mind, "Freeze!".
The staff turned to ice, but it was unbroken. Not a single damage from a drastic change in temperature. What the hell?
"Forg-"
"That's enough," Kila sighed, "Why are you still fighting?" She wasn't taunting me... she wasn't even saying it playfully. I don't feel like she directed any hostility in those words... it's just... pity?
You? Pity me? Seriously?
My response was only the silence between the screams of the distant crowd. I don't intend to hold a conversation. Not to her. My constant attacks continued, hopelessly withering my own strength away. I thought I was strong enough... enough to beat anyone. Curse me for ever daring to think I was enough.
But I have a feeling this pain in my chest will finally disappear if you do-
"What do you have left to protect?"
Suddenly, I stopped. "What do you mean?"
"You're not attacking me because I tried to hurt you, you're not the type. You're just trying to avenge that boy... right? It's not like trying to hurt me would heal him." Her tone was so calm. Her voice was so quiet.
"He can do that himself," I exhaled, catching sight of my own warm breath. Right... freeze's consequences. The moment I remembered, the excruciating pain came back.
Damn it... why now?
Damn it...
Damn it...
Damn it...
"I won't need this anymore," She cracked a careless expression, "I get it now. The info I got about cha was accurate after all. You're delusional."
Suddenly, all the sounds from my surrounding became muffled. The world turned into a blur and eventually black.