The sky was an eerie red. No movement was made as everyone took in their new surroundings. They were no longer standing in Zariel.
"Welcome to my domain. In here, I am God." Aiden finally said.
An incredible smirk could be seen on his face. Shu had never seen his captain look so demented. Of course, everyone had their own quirks, so he wouldn't mention it. The figures in white looked around with caution. They were prepared for any sneak attacks.
"You've touched the boundary of Legendary, I see. If left unchecked, you would definitely ascend in the coming years. Unfortunately, you interrupted our plans and must die here." The figure on the right spoke.
"Your element…is water?" The figure on the left realized.
It was obvious. Looking down, they could all see what they were standing on. The solid ground was actually an ocean, stretching across the horizon. Beautiful water bubbles floated around in droves. The sight was ominous but sublime at the same time.
"Indeed. Did you expect your death to come from such a gentle element?" The red eyed commander asked.
As Aiden spoke, he raised his right hand. The water below him rippled before a pillar of water shot to the sky with intensity. He then stuck his hand inside the column of ascending water, causing it to disperse.
Now resting in his hand was an extremely thin black spear. Both ends were incredibly sharp, a red glow on the edges. While twirling the pulsing weapon in his hands, Aiden floated up into the sky. Each twirl of his spear left deep scars in the tranquil waters. It was as if the ocean reacted to his movements.
"My death won't be today. In fact, it will be you who perishes today. You've learned too much. Corinne, deal with the Sword Demon."
Without saying another word, the man accelerated and appeared beside Aiden. The captain cleaved with his spear, leaving a deep gorge in the still waters. It was evaded with minimal movement. The white robed figure quickly closed the distance between them and raised his hand.
A white pistol materialized and the barrel was already resting on Aiden's temple. Such fluid movement left the captain wide eyed. The man pulled the trigger.
ZZZZT
The sky brightened as a white hyper beam shot out of the barrel. Its force was so powerful that it made the shooter's hood fly off. An old man with grey hair and a mustache was revealed. It didn't seem like Aiden's display of strength had intimidated him at all.
A blazing heat was emitted from the beam, forcing Shu and the woman to jump away. The two groups were now separated to focus on their own battles. The mysterious woman known as Corinne finally turned to the young samurai.
"Sword Demon. I hope you've made peace with your loved ones." She said. Her voice was gentle and soft.
"...You said that you were sent specifically to deal with me?" Shu asked. It didn't seem as if he was worried.
"That's correct." She nodded. The sleepy man smirked under his mask.
"I'd like to see…" He trailed off before flashing beside her. "...what makes you so confident."
SLASH
Shu utilized the quickdraw, cleaving her in half. A frown soon adorned his face. It didn't feel like he'd cut anything. Her body burst into millions of white runes that swarmed his figure. For some reason, the young samurai couldn't utilize his speed to evade.
The heavenly runes wrapped around him, leaving him immobile. Corinne soon appeared behind him, her soft arms wrapping around his neck. She couldn't help but lean into him. Her silky black hair and green eyes had been revealed.
"As you wish. Chains of fate." She whispered in his ear.
Immediately, runes swarmed around them. They formed white chains that quickly wrapped around his body. Shu had become a mummy in only a second.
"Mmmmmm!" Shu's roar was muted by the chains wrapped around his mouth. He could feel his mana being sealed away. It was painful.
Without wasting a second, the young samurai released his true strength. Holding back wasn't an option here. A pillar of iridescent light shot out, freeing him from the chains. His figure was revealed, showing his horns and glowing eyes.
'This woman is…strong.' He thought.
Corinne's expression was serene as she walked toward him. Shu slowly backed away with his katana at the ready. He didn't know what she would do next, and needed to stay cautious. That single moment had cost him a third of his mana.
"Where are you going? You should be grateful to be held in my embrace." She spoke eloquently.
"Cut the crap. What the hell are you?" He retorted.
"Fufufu! What am I? I'm the one that should be asking you that. I'm sure the Althana would be delighted to know that another Hikarimono still exists."
Shu's expression turned solemn. She was right. If he didn't kill her right here and now, that damn organization would know his origins. It was time to put up or shut up.
The swordmaster planted his feet and crouched down. In an instant, he appeared beside her. Time was almost frozen as he moved. His sheath slammed down onto her head.
BOOOM
A massive wind pressure was released in the direction of his attack. Unfortunately, a barrier of runes had defended her from the blow. Shu's eyes narrowed as he tried to learn which rune did certain functions. Corinne looked at him with a smile.
"Why do you want to end this so fast? Let's enjoy ourselves! You should be ecstatic to be in such a beautiful woman's presence." She joked. Her dainty hand raised toward his face.
Shu quickly flashed away, not wanting to be touched by her. For some reason, her touch made it impossible to move. He was wary of her mysterious power.
Corinne slowly turned her head in the direction he appeared. Her steps resumed, as she approached him once more. Her arms were spread wide as she called out.
"Sword Demon, I must say…" Suddenly, her voice was right beside his ear. Shu immediately turned to see a massive warhammer made of heavenly runes smashing down on him. "...that nervous expression of yours is really exciting!"
The young samurai swung his katana to meet her rune weapon. It was like an armageddon as the air detonated with the force of a nuclear bomb. The water below them sank, leaving an abyssal hole in the still ocean. Even though it was just their weapons clashing, he could feel the runes' energy seeping into his body.
'Note to self, don't touch the weapons either.' He thought.
In an instant, multiple attacks were exchanged. Corinne formed many types of weapons from her runes, utilizing each one with mastery. Shu dodged every one of her swipes with minimal movement. It was a dangerous dance. A single graze was all it would take for him to lose another chunk of mana.
As the battle continued, Shu's brain moved at incredible speeds, studying the runes. He eventually found an opening in the creation of her runes. Flipping over a low slash from her rune swords, he kicked her right in the face.
BAM
Her body flew across the water before bursting into heavenly motes of light. Shu was once again surrounded by millions of runes. Time slowed to a crawl as he studied each and every single one.
Suddenly, one of them flashed with energy. Shu immediately noticed this time. His blade cleaved toward the rune. Right before it connected, Corinne materialized from the rune. Her eyes widened with panic upon seeing the sword. It cut into her shoulder, causing a wisp of blood to shoot out.
"You…you cut me." She commented while holding the wound.
"...What's wrong? We've only just begun. My blade wants to taste a lot more blood than that." He spoke lazily.
"How barbaric. You would harm a beautiful woman like me?" She mewled.
As she spoke, a powerful aura was emitted from her body. It seemed like she was getting serious. That attack had angered her, even if it didn't show on her face.
"Here, I'll do it again." Shu mocked before cleaving once more.
Multiple runes came to her defense as the woman floated into the air. Her clothing became only runes, and her hair was now held up by them. The young samurai felt like he was fighting a god's avatar. Corinne pointed her hand, and thousands of heavenly rune lances materialized in the sky. Chains were attached to the back of them.
"Judgement." She muttered.
Like shooting stars, the lances shot off toward him. Shu dodged as many as he could, but eventually had to start parrying with his katana. The distance between them shortened. Every time Shu's weapon touched a hurtling lance, his mana would be sealed even more.
Rips and tears appeared on his clothes. Blood was slowly covering his body as some of the lances met with skin. By the time he reached her, he was bleeding all over and his mana was almost gone.
Two rune blades appeared in Corinne's hands. They were so long that they spanned the horizon. It was like she was just holding runes and not swords. She waved her hands, forcing Shu to flip in between the two attacks. His body spun in midair like a drill as the blades passed above and below him.
They were now point blank. Shu's katana finally found its target, piercing the godlike maiden right through the heart. Every rune in the vicinity shattered like glass. Blood spurt out of Corinne's mouth, and her now weak body leaned against his. Both fighters were exhausted. One was weak and dying, while the other had the majority of his mana core sealed away.
Both of them slowly floated to the ground. Shu held her in his embrace, for some reason feeling a sour taste now that he won. It didn't feel like she was supposed to die here. Such a prodigy like her, she didn't deserve an ending like this.
"Of all the things you could have achieved in life, why did you choose to join the Althana? You've thrown your life away!" Shu finally said. Corinne smiled.
"It was not a choice. Fufufu…Are you feeling sad for me? Please don't. In a way, you've freed me."
"Freed you? Was death your only way out?" He asked.
The mysterious woman raised her hand and ruffled his hair. This time, Shu didn't evade her touch. As soon as the battle began, he understood that she wasn't like the others.
"Don't act soft now, you…you idiot. I'm one with fate. Do you really think I'll die here? You've only freed me from Althana's control." She revealed.
"Does that mean we'll no longer be enemies?"
"Yes. The next time we meet…we'll be the best of friends."
"...Did you play a part in the destruction of my race?" He asked.
Her answer would decide if he would kill her a second time. Even if she was controlled, forced, or whatever the fuck, she would die. Nobody kills his kin and gets away with it. Corinne shook her head.
"I did not. Are you relieved?"
"..........."
"Hikarimono, may I have the honor of knowing your name?"
"...Shu."
"Shu, be wary of the church…and thank you."
With those final words, her hand fell down without strength. Her eyes closed and the life seeped from her body. Slowly, her body began to disintegrate into white particles.
Shu stood up and turned to the other side of the realm, where the other battle was taking place. White hyper beams and water slashes were flying all over the place. As he slowly approached to get a good view, a single rune floated over to him. Shu held out his hand, and the rune landed in his palm. It entered his bloodstream and vanished.