"I don't need anything else but my knowledge," Gray said. "Everything else is useless. Knowledge is power. Power is strength. Strength is everything."
"Why are you telling us this," I asked. "Are you trying to get us to sympathize with you?"
"The opposite actually. I want to know just how much hatred you have for me. I just can't help but have so much fun teasing you guys. The knowledge I get out of it makes it all worth while. I mean, that's the only reason as to why I decided to be a part of that fake goddess's plan."
Gleam.
"You said that you only wanted entertainment," I said. "So you didn't get that by fighting, but by learning?"
"Well of course. Do you really think that you can survive off of strength alone? No. You need to know how to avoid it or end it. You know how the saying goes: 'Brains beats bronze'."
"Want to put that to the test?"
I raised both Shana and Wrath back up and tightened my grip. I got into a more loose and comfortable stance as I readied myself to charge straight at Gray.
"You sure about this," he asked. "The outcome will be different, because-"
"Shut up!"
The roaring black flames were already engulfing my entire body as the heat surged through my blood and veins. My flesh and bones. My skin started to sweat as the heat grew more and more intense with each wavering second.
And one thunderous step later, I began to charge.
As I crept closer and closer to Gray, I started to hear him finish then sentence that I interrupted.
"The outcome will be different, because..."
I launched myself up into the air and swung both Shana and Wrath with a 360 momentum spin, but I suddenly felt a painful thunderous boom echo from my stomach.
"...I know how you fight."
The booming impact sent me flying back into an icy wall. I winced in pain as I slowly lifted my head up and saw the ice begin to form cracks that went upwards toward the roof.
"You can swing those scary sword at me all you want, but I can guarantee you that not a single swing will hit me," Gray said. " You're too naive. Impatient. Short-circuited. One-track-minded. Uncoordinated. Inefficient. And, above all, slow. You have no knowledge of your opponent, so how are you supposed to know how to counter? This isn't like some video game where you can see your enemies strengths and weaknesses, this is real kid."
"You sound like your trying to help me," I grunted."
"Well, that's because I am. And I'm hoping you would consider doing the same."
...
"What?"
We all stuttered out the same word with the most confused voices echoing throughout the icy castle.
"You'd be surprised if I told you the amount of times that I was misjudged," Gray said. "Everyone's looks at me and only sees a freak. Though, I'll admit, I did become one when I was with that woman."
I didn't like a single thing that this guy was saying, but I need to keep my cool. I can't go berserk with these suits on.
"Dusk is going to torture you when she sees you." I said.
"He, yeah probably," he snorted. "However, I kinda do deserve to be tortured to death after all I've done. I've even stopped so low as to let myself get corrupted by that disgusting woman."
Wait, corrupted?
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
Gray, then, rolled up his jacket sleeve and revealed a huge scar that was colored an ugly purple.
I remembered the corrupted wolf that I tried to fight long ago. It had the same purple veins running across its body.
"The color look familiar?" Gray asked.
I nodded.
"He's a Sin," Aria said. "So of course he'd be able to survive that."
"I don't even think I have a right to call myself that anymore," Gray said. "Any other Sin would be able to just shake this stuff off in a flash with no marks, but I got too...greedy. She promised me knowledge and I blindly accepted. However, that corrupted power turned me into some disgusting monster that hungered for death and power. I, eventually, was able to shake that power off, but by then the damage was already done..."
Gray started to trail off from his story, then he suddenly fell to his knees and looked like he was about to burst into tears.
Suddenly, Wrath manifested himself from a sword back to a human being.
"I knew there was something wrong with you," Wrath said to him. "That kind of power back then wasn't something that you owned."
"I'm so sorry my friend," Gray said. "I let that woman manipulate me and caused so much pain for you wielder and his friends. Any punishment that isn't death wouldn't be enough for me."
Wrath walked over to him. Gray braced himself for a heavy blow, but instead got a tiny tick and a head pat instead.
"Seriously, when will you stop downing yourself," Wrath said. "You're as much as a pain as that crybaby over there."
I felt that one a little.
Wrath then pulled Gray in for a hug.
"I'm just glad to have my friend back."
Gray's arms slowly went upward and then met around Wrath's back. He began to cry as he blurted out as many apologies as he could while he cursed himself into oblivion.
"Let's leave them for a bit." I said as a headed out of the room.
We all left the room and waited until they finished catching up.
"You still don't trust him." Yuno said me, as a statement.
I scratched the back of my head.
"I don't know what to feel right now," I said. "On one hand, he's the cunt who kidnapped Xylvia and killed Dusk's sister, but on the other hand, his story along with the feelings he put into him as well as the tears he shed all were genuine."
"So you believe his story?"
"Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if Gleam actually corrupted Gray, but I can't just forgive him for what he did just like that. He has to earn my trust if he wants my forgiveness."
"I'm with Hiro on this one," Xylvia said. "He's strange, corrupted or not, but he definitely sounds genuine."
"Same here." Aria said.
"You've gotta wonder if he killed more people than you think." Yuno said.
"Well, if that's true, then Wrath's right. I really am just like Gray."