Minimus said while confused. "Asterios?" He then said sternly. "I don't care what your new name is! You are still Alex Maxidus!" He pointed his finger at Asterios and said. "You are still my enemy!"
Asterios said. "Enemies? So do you wish to fight me then?"
Minimus declared. "Yes! I will fight you! I don't care how strong you are! I can't let you kill, Maximus!"
Asterios laughed joyfully and said. "I admire your resolve!" He grabbed the hilt of his sword with his right hand and said. "Very well then."
Minimus instinctively backed up. He felt a frightening aura from Asterios's words.
Asterios grabbed his sword from his back. He looked at Minimus with his sword in his hand and frowned. He then stabbed his sword into the ground in front of him.
Asterios's sword was a black greatsword. It was about six feet long and about one foot wide. On the blade of the greatsword was a symbol. The symbol was a helmet with a spear going through its left side.
Minimus looked at Asterios and said. "Why did you do that?"
Asterios said. "If you can lift my sword I will fight you."
Minimus walked up to the sword and said. "Fine then. I'll cut you down with your own blade!" He stood next to the sword and grabbed the hilt with both hands. He attempted to pull it up with all his might but it didn't even move an inch. He looked at the sword and thought. "No way. I can't even move it!" He looked at Asterios and thought. "How can he lift it with just one hand?"
Asterios said. "Since you can't fight we are not enemies."
Minimus said while shocked. "What but that can't be..." He pointed at Asterius and said. "You're Alex Maxidus! You're my enemy!"
The armor Asterius wore creaked as Asterios began to get up. Asterios stood up and looked at Minimus as he said. "My name is Asterios. I go by no other name. I fight for the sake of fighting. My only enemies are the warriors I fight."
Minimus said. "What?" He thought. "What is he talking about?"
Asterios picked up his sword with his right hand and put it back on his back as he said. "Since we can't fight I have no reason to stay." He turned his back to Minimus.
Minimus said. "Wait! You can't leave! I can't let you kill Maximus!"
Asterios said with his back facing Minimus. "I only kill who I choose to kill. I only fight who I choose to fight." He began to walk away. The ground shook beneath his feet as he walked.
Minimus said. "Hold on! You're not making any sense. What do you mean?"
Asterios continued to walk and the ground continued to shake beneath his feet. He said as he walked. "I fight only those who confront me." He stopped walking and said with his back facing Minimus. "I do not fight as a Maxidus. I only fight as Asterios."
Minimus stood and stared at Asterios. He stared at Asterios with both shock and amazement. He thought as he stared. "I see now." He suddenly bowed and said. "Thank you, Asterios!"
Asterios remained silent and began to walk again. Once again the ground began to shake as he walked.
Minimus looked up at Asterios with admiration and thought. "He truly is a warrior. He cares more about fighting than his own titles. As long as Maximus doesn't confront him, Maximus won't die." He smiled and thought with resolve. "So, I just need to make sure they don't confront each other."
Asterios continued to walk further away from Minimus. He continued to walk toward the sun on the horizon.
Minimus said. "Asterios, wait up! I'm coming with you!" He ran across the desert sand as he began to pursue Asterios.
Asterios stopped walking and looked over his shoulder at Minimus who was trying to catch up to him. He said to Minimus. "You're coming with me?" He looked forward and began to walk again as he said. "Very well then. Do what you wish."
Minimus continued to run after Asterios until he finally ended up catching up to him. He quickly caught his breath and then said. "So, where are we going first?"
Asterios continued walking and then after a whole minute said. "To find my wife."
Minimus said while surprised. "Wait! You have a wife?" He thought. "He has a wife? I was never told about this. How strange."
Asterios replied. "Not officially."
Minimus said. "What? What do you mean 'not officially'? What is that supposed to mean?"
Asterios remained silent.
Minimus said. "I don't understand. Why would your wife be here? You said this is a different world didn't you?"
Asterios replied. "This is a world where people fight in groups. A world where people use ranged weapons. And a world where a concept such as 'honor' no longer exists. This is the world we currently reside in. The world I was sent to."
Minimus stopped walking. He looked over at Asterios as he said with shock. "Wait! You were sent here?!"
Asterios stopped walking. He said as he looked over at Minimus. "Yes. I was sent here by the Nameless One." He looked forward and began to walk again as he said. "I was told I could find her here."
Minimus thought. "The Nameless One? Isn't that who Mars was talking about? What is their connection to all of this?" He looked at Asterios.
Asterios was still walking and was already a few yards away from Minimus.
Minimus said. "Hey! Wait up!" He ran after Asterios again.
Asterios stopped and said with his back facing Minimus. "How is someone who bears no weapons or armor moving so slowly? All you carry is a blanket." He began to walk again.
Minimus stopped running and looked at the blanket on his shoulders. He then looked back at Asterios and thought. "He's right. I didn't notice before but all the stuff he carries is way heavier than what I have. So then why is he so much faster?"
Minimus saw a bag flying towards his face but was unable to react in time. The bag smacked straight into his face, and he was sent crashing into the ground.
Minimus groaned. The bag was sitting directly on top of his face. He grabbed the bag and moved it off of himself. He sat up and looked at his surroundings.
Asterios was standing a few yards away from Minimus. He said as he looked back at Minimus. "Carry that." He then looked forward and began to walk again.
Minimus yelled out. "Hey! Why do I have to carry your stuff?!"
Asterios stopped walking. He said with his back facing Minimus. "There is a knife in there."
Minimus had a confused expression on his face as he said. "A knife? But I'm a swordsman."
Asterios said with his back facing Minimus. "The only sword I possess is the sword on my back."
Minimus grabbed the knife out of the bag. He said as he analyzed the knife with his eyes. "But why did you give me this?"
Asterios said as he looked off into the distance. "To fight."
Minimus said. "'To fight'? To fight what?"
Asterios remained silent. His gaze remained fixated on something in the distance.
Minimus thought. "What is he looking at?" He stood up. He grabbed the bag from off the ground and slung it over his right shoulder. Minimus looked off into the distance.
In the distance was a giant black building. It appeared to be directly under the rising sun.
Asterios said as he grabbed the hilt of his sword with his right hand. "To fight the ranged warriors."