- An eye to eye will leave someone blind...
"It has been a long time already isn't it, Caeruleus?"
It has been a long time since Inzary and Caeruleus separated their paths. Unfortunately, the friendship they have built for as long as they could remember crumbled down. The bond between them was as strong as everyone could imagine has disintegrated - all down to a pile of rocks and dust.
"Yes, indeed, Inzary. It has been a very long time." Both of them exchanged gazes and glares as they walked in a circle.
"Do you still know what am I planning to do?" Inzary said. His voice giggled hysterically.
"Yes, I do. I clearly do. You told me that day... that very day where you told me you'd turn your back against everyone." Caeruleus' voice got fiercer. "Along with that, you also revealed every single diabolical plan you'll fulfill and swear to make it happen."
"What's with the voice, Caeruleus? I should be the one who's feeling what you are feeling right now! You do not have the right to be angry nor be infuriated on what I act and what I will act!"
"The end does not justify the means, Inzary!" Caeruleus suddenly struck his sword deep into the ground out of his anger. "Your plans will cost every innocent people who have no idea what this hell of a kingdom is secretly doing! You have to reconsider everything, Inzary. We could change the innocent ones if you could have consideration for them."
While Caeruleus is still speaking, Inzary immediately burst out laughing. Inzary saw Caeruleus as a mere joke - as someone that shouldn't be taken seriously. Inzary's laughter lasted for almost a minute before calming down.
"Are you kidding me, Caeruleus?! HAH HAH HAH HAH!!" Inzary once again burst out laughing hysterically. "Them?! Those 'innocent' people? The same 'innocent' people who killed my loved ones?! Those 'innocent' people who did not do anything but watch every single person important to me desperately beg for them to be saved?! Caeruleus, I never thought you'd grow up as a clown! HAH HAH HAH HAH!"
"Enough, Inzary... you don't know what you're saying..." Caeruleus replied.
"Oh, yes I do, Caeruleus! I am clearly aware of what I am saying and I know for the love of Eternal Primes what I am doing! This is just the start, Caeruleus! I am just getting started!"
"Then so be it, Inzary! I'll end this right here and right now!"
Caeruleus immediately pulled out his sword he stuck on the ground. Shortly after, he leaped towards Inzary, ready to slice him in half.
"Sigh, Caeruleus. It looks like you don't know me, after all."
Inzary, on the other hand, extended both of his arms in front of him and aimed them toward Caeruleus. At that moment, a beam of fire and ice made its way from Inzary's hands to Caeruleus' chest.
Caeruleus' reflexes were fast enough to block the incoming attack using his sword. The impact of Inzary's attack was strong enough to blast Caeruleus a
away with a significant distance.
Caeruleus fell from his back, but he stood up without any further ado. After standing up, he generated a shield from thin air. The shield's length extends from Caeruleus' chest to the ground.
"Yes, Inzary. You're right, I don't know you," Caeruleus said. His voice was as serious as a wolf's. "But there's also one thing you haven't realized."
"Come one, Caeruleus," Inzary taunted. His voice sounded wicked. "Tell me what it is, enlighten your former friend!"
Caeruleus immediately put his shield in front of him with his sword behind. "You clearly do not know me too, Inzary."
Caeruleus exerted every force he could put in his legs and charge toward Inzary. One could estimate that his charge can easily break through an enormous rock, comparable to that of the size of the meteor.
"Your attacks are very predictable, Caeruleus!" Inzary once again taunted him. "I thought you were the most skillful swordsman I have ever known. You let my expectations down!"
Inzary vanished instantly, teleporting behind Caeruleus as he was in mid-air.
"Take this, Caeruleus!" HAH HAH HAH!!"
He extended his right arm in front of him and aimed towards Caeruleus, the same thing he did earlier. His palm released a huge beam of blue fire that can easily engulf an entire house within a matter of seconds.
"Stop wasting your magic, Inzary," Caeruleus taunted him for the first time as he smirked. "You will lose once you completely drained every bit of your magic energy."
Caeruleus stopped charging and looked behind him with his shield still in front of him. He saw the incoming attack and made a chant.
"Aporrofiste tin epithesi."
His shield instantly absorbed the fire Inzary made. Inzary was surprised by what Inzary has done. It was quite unexpected for him to see Caeruleus do that.
"I-impossible..." Inzary denied it to himself. "All of that down to the drain?!"
"I have told you, Inzary," Caeruleus taunted as he smirked, "you don't know how much hell I went through just to improve. You clearly don't know me."
Caeruleus then swung his sword. He swung it hard enough to generate a shock wave that can easily cut through the hardest objects possible.
"What's with the face, Inzary?" Caeruleus insultingly asked. "Everyone knows that teleportation while in mid-air is impossible to do."
"S-shut up..." Inzary is pissed off at this moment. "I said shut up!!"
Just as before the shock wave Caeruleus has made, Inzary immediately generated a barrier out of thin air as an attempt to block the incoming attack, but it was to no avail. The shock wave penetrated Inzary's barrier and blasted him away.
"I am not yet finished, Inzary!" shouts Caeruleus. "As a form of gratitude, I will return what you gave me back to you."
Bang!
Caeruleus clashed his sword onto his shield with full force. He aimed the shield at where Inzary is before clashing his sword onto it.
"Are you surprised, Inzary?" Caeruleus asked. "Unfortunately, I am not the Caeruleus you always knew back then. I went through worst hells before I could get on this kind of level, and I'm glad I will get to use it at this moment."
The instant Caeruleus' sword made contact with his shield, his shield immediately released an enormous burst of blue fire. It was the same blue fire Inzary has made earlier.
"HAH HAH HAH!!" Inzary hysterically laughed, ridiculing what Caeruleus did. "T-that's it?! That's all you got?! HAH HAH HAH!! Caeruleus, I went through the same hell you claim you went through! You don't know how much blood and tears I have dedicated, the moment you abandoned my side!!"
Inzary eventually levitated in the air. As he saw the incoming attack made by Caeruleus, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He clenched his fist and exhaled.
"Caeruleus, I'm going to be fair this time," Inzary opens his eyes. His iris revealed a seemingly red halo around his pupil. "I won't use magic this time. Well, I will, but not that often now! Hah hah hah hah!"
Inzary extended his arms in front of him, his palms in front. The burst of fire engulfed Inzary whole, but his palms absorbed the fire that engulfed him.
To Caeruleus' surprise, he saw Inzary absorb his counterattack. Both of Inzary's elbow is now engulfed in blue flame. A red, glowing halo formed around his pupil inside his iris. Caeruleus could only assume that Inzary made his own technique as he did not encounter such kind of strategy.
"What now, Caeruleus? Surprised? Hah hah hah!" Inzary taunted. He slowly descended to the ground while he approached Caeruleus. "I never told you that I also practiced physical combat along with my attempt to improve my magical skills. I am already at your level now, Caeruleus!"
"Interesting technique, Inzary. I'll give you a credit for your efforts," Caeruleus replied as put his shield in front of him. He lowered his body and performed a defending stance. "However, Inzary, I, too, practiced honing my magical skills along with improving my physical combat. Just like you, we are at the same level."
"Ooohhh, interesting indeed, Caeruleus! It looks like we are both well-trained already!"
"Yes, you are right, Inzary. We are both well-trained. Unlike you, however..."
Before Caeruleus finished speaking, he instantly vanished. Inzary heard a loud crack on the ground before Caeruleus disappeared from his sight. As such, he also performed a defending stance and lowered his body, with both of his forearms in front of him.
"...unlike you, I don't need any kind of form. I just rely on my physical strength and all. That is the very thing that makes me better than you."
Before Inzary could react, Caeruleus is already in front of him. Caeruleus gave his deadly stare and gazed into Inzary's manic eyes as he is about to stab Inzary through his chest.
Caeruleus did not see what Inzary react, but judging from his eyes, Inzary probably smiled ear to ear.
"It doesn't matter if you are better than me," says Inzary. His voice shakes in insanity, "what really matters right now is who will last longer! Come forth and bring it on, Caeruleus!"
Inzary leaped backward before the tip of Caeruleus' sword touch him. He made enough distance to evade Caeruleus' enormous sword that could have been taken his life right then and there.
He dashed underneath Caeruleus' sword the moment Caeruleus pulls his sword back. He delivered a blow to Caeruleus' chest using his flaming fist, but Caeruleus reacted fast enough to use his shield. The blow could have punctured his tough armor with ease.
"What speed, Inzary!" Caeruleus commended. "You really did train yourself on physical combat."
Inzary did not reply and proceeded to deliver his blows on Inzary.
He swayed his left foot upward and kicked Caeruleus' head, but it was to no avail. Caeruleus always reacts fast enough to block Inzary's attack. Caeruleus knew Inzary's blow will be fatal once it hit him, making him speechless from Inzary's improvements.
Caeruleus successfully blocked Inzary's kick. As such, he proceeded to turn around and swing his sword towards Inzary. He knew both of them will fight to the death. He has no choice. It is to kill or to be killed.
Just like how fast Caeruleus reacts, Inzary is the same. He evaded Caeruleus' sword and delivered another blow.
Their fight is never-ending. Both sides seem to have equal strength and willpower. Their victory and their defeat are undecided. Both of them fight with full force and they exchanged blows and will exchange blows until they cannot. Just as how strong the one is, the other one is the same.
"Die! Die, Caeruleus!" Inzary shouted as he deliver his attacks.
"You don't deserve to live! I thought you were my friend, but all you did was stop my plans!" he shouted once again.
"You are a coward! Your cowardice will never stop me now. Nothing can stop me. If I said nothing, I mean it! I MEAN IT!!" he shouted for the last time.
Inzary continued delivering his blows and attacks. He is already panting heavily to the point that he spat blood.
He is sweating no more, and his body could already give up any moment now, but Inzary did not stop. Something drives him to fight and fight and fight. Judging from how he acts, it seems that he will fight even if he cannot fight anymore.
"Inzary, you are wrong about what you are saying." At last, Caeruleus replied. "I am not a coward. Quite the contrary if I were to ask."
Inzary did not respond and continued attacking Caeruleus. The flame on his hands almost melted Caeruleus' armor due to constant punching.
"You keep continuing seeking revenge," Caeruleus said. "After that tragedy, the only thing that kept your sanity is your desire to seek vengeance. You know it's wrong, but you ignored that fact. The fact that your very plan will take the innocent's lives whom we know did nothing wrong with you. That is the fact you ignored and kept ignoring until now."
"Shut up... shut up! I SAID SHUT UP!!" Inzary's blows got stronger and stronger to the point that he bent Caeruleus' shield. His attacks also got stronger.
"No, I will not. You know why, Inzary? I want you to know that I am not a coward for doing what you are planning to do. Yes, the government did you wrong, but it doesn't change the fact that there are many innocent lives out there who are also blind from this hell of a government's wrongdoings will vanish! It is you who is a coward for ignoring that. It is you, and it was you who's a coward. It has been you all along, Inzary, not me."
"I SAID SHUT UP, CAERULEUS!!"
Inzary finally snapped. The flames on his forearms got stronger. Out of his anger, he palpitated and panted quickly. His attacks got faster to the point that Caeruleus can keep up no more.
Inzary delivered his final blow and it punctured Caeruleus' shield. Caeruleus was surprised and got distracted by what Inzary did. As such, he was blown away.
Inzary fell from his back, but Inzary went for him immediately after he fell. He cannot stand up, and all he can do now is to block Inzary's potential attacks.
"You don't know what I felt during that time!" Inzary shouted, infuriated by what Caeruleus told him.
"You don't know how much it hurts, right?! You don't know! You don't have even a single ounce of idea how much it destroyed me!!" he shouted. He continued shouting as he attacks Caeruleus with his fist with all of his might.
"You were not by my side when I told you my plans. You swore too, right?! You also swore to destroy the government itself after what happened, but what?! Where is it?! I don't see you fulfilling your promise. Do you wanna know why?! You chose to be blind!! You chose to work for the enemy because you are afraid of the consequences of what we will do!! I am not the coward here, you are!! YOU ARE!! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!!"
Inzary raised his right arm. The flames on his forearm got to their greatest extent. Caeruleus could feel the heat already. Even if he protected himself, it will still engulf his arms. He had no choice. He had to choose his fate whether he likes it or not.
"Goodbye, Caeruleus," Inzary said as he is about to deliver his fatal blow. "You gave me the greatest fight of all. I will remember this, but I have to stop you from stopping me from my plans. You are in my way, and I have to take care of that now..."
Inzary will take Caeruleus' life now. At first, he had doubts about doing it, but knowing that Caeruleus will be the person who will stop him from doing his plans eliminated the doubts about taking away his life.
"Goodbye, Caeruleus..."
Swooosh!
Just before Inzary delivers his final attack, an arrow from an unknown person has hit his forearm. The arrow went so fast it penetrated Inzary's bone. The arrow quickly disintegrated due to the flames his forearm has.
"No... not you. It cannot be... also you...?"
He turned his head from his east and there, he saw his very own son before his eyes holding a double-bladed sword that can also act as a bow at the same time. It was none other than Kisei, Kisei Azumaora.
"N-no son, yo-you don't get my intentions. Y-you see-"
Inzary approached Kisei, but the moment he took his first step, Kisei fired another arrow at his father with pinpoint accuracy. The arrow hit Inzary's shoulder, and that was fired by a blind kid.
"Inzary, please?" Caeruleus said as he stood up. "This is where we are crossing the line."
"N-no! I did not cross any lin-"
"Inzary, stop already, please? You have already done enough damage..." Caeruleus interrupted. Tears came falling down his cheeks.
"Think of your son, Inzary... even he turned his back against you. Inzary, I want you to think about everything, please..."