The scene now showed Zan sitting in his room at his Uncle Ananse's, in the darkness, with the lights out and the windows open, weeping silently and angrily. A chilly wind began to blow and the white curtains fluttered eerily. It began to drizzle slowly, then with a sudden flash of lightning and a thunderclap that cracked the glass window of the room, it began to rain heavily.
"Would she go that far just to keep me within arm's length…in case I became a threat? Was I always on a leash without realizing it? How long has Ayumi known? How could she bear to look me in the eyes every single day knowing that…she was the one that…! UNNGHHH!!!" Zan growled and hit the wall with the side of his fist. "So you've also always believed that…I am an abomination that doesn't deserve to live, haven't you…Ayu?" Zan muttered sadly and buried his face in his knees.
He appeared to be torn between loving and hating Ayumi.
The next scene showed the Kirisawa Residence. Apparently, the feeling was mutual. Ayumi was bedridden, almost paralyzed. She in fact appeared to be feeling much worse than Zan was. Ai sat beside her to comfort her. Mr Kirisawa who had arrived home to see her in so much pain had left for the Dream World to seek answers from Bamané. Ai remained beside her sister to comfort her.
"He hates me. He really hates me. Zan hates me" Ayumi wept.
Ai brought her some food to eat but she wasn't interested in eating anything.
"Ayu, you've got to eat something. At least try to recover some strength" Ai said.
"Maybe it would be better if I just died. I don't deserve to live. I…" Ayumi continued to cry.
"Don't say that! If you don't want to think about yourself, at least think about how dad and I would feel?! Think about Mom! Do you want her sacrifice to be in vain?! She died to protect us! If you die, you'll throw away her feelings! Think about Zan too! He may hate you now but I'm sure even he would not wish for your death!" Ai scolded Ayumi.
Ayumi covered her eyes with the back of her hand.
"How can I live knowing that Zan hates me?" she said.
"I never thought I'd hear those words escape your lips" Ai muttered with a bored expression on her face.
Ayumi ignored her.
"If you care that much about Zan, why do you just want to give up and die?! You think it'd satisfy him?! The fact that you're just trying to run away?! Why don't you try to earn his forgiveness?! No matter how slim it is, I'm sure Zan has a big enough heart to forgive you and I'm pretty sure he still loves you" Ai said.
"It's impossible. It's like asking us to forgive Zanfar for killing mum" Ayumi said with a trembling voice.
"Ayumi Kirisawa, I have not said this in a while but…get a grip before I smack you silly!" Ai threatened as she allowed her intimidating fighting spirit to emanate all around the house.
Ayumi stared at Ai in fear and took in a deep breath. Ayumi suddenly appeared uncomfortable. In the next instant, she was forced to clutch her head in pain.
"What's wrong Ayumi?!" Ai called worriedly as her fighting spirit faded.
Ayumi could not reply. She screamed as silver-vein like structures began to extend to her neck. She struggled with the pain for a while and lost consciousness.
In Zan's room, he felt terrible. He seemed to have trouble breathing. The chilly wind appeared to be unbearable though the windows were shut and Zan was shivering.
"Why am I getting such bad vibes?" Zan wondered. "Nothing worse could possibly happen now?" Zan said to himself but suddenly a crack of thunder followed by a strong wind smashed a nearby tree branch into his window.
"TCH! Like I care!" Zan muttered and lay on his bed drawing the blanket over his head.
The next scene showed Mr Kirisawa conversing with Bamané. She seemed irritated by his presence.
"You've finally appeared before me again, haven't you Ryuuji?! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you whole Kirisawa lot into a swarm of frogs?! You were the ones that killed Wanye weren't you?! And that daughter of yours had the nerve to cast her charms on Ayzan as well! This is one situation I absolutely won't help you with!" Bamané denied Ryuuji before he could even bring forward his request.
"I have not even told you why I've come" Ryuuji said.
"And I don't want to hear it if it has to do with your daughter! Even from here, I can feel Ayzan's malice and it isn't so different from Zanviel's grudge! This is why I warned you in the first place!" Bamané yelled.
"Please listen to me Bamané! This is a situation of life and death! My daughter's life may depend on you now!" Ryuuji pleaded.
"Ryuuji, you still do not seem to understand why it is that evil forces have tried to preserve your daughter's life for this long and why it seems forces of good rather threaten her. The reason Ayumi's life is tied with the apocalypse is because two choices are what will unleash it. The first choice was the choice Ayumi made to take Wanye's life. By the laws of retribution and justice, Ayumi's life should be taken as atonement…however…" Bamané left the sentence hanging.
"Whatever the reason is doesn't matter to me! As a father, I will protect my daughter, even if it destroys the world! That is non-negotiable!" Ryuuji declared stubbornly.
Bamané sighed.
"Ayzan sure is a weird kid…if two months of living with him can make you this passionate about protecting something" Bamané said. "By all rights you deserve to be transformed into the wartiest of toads this instant" Bamane said.
"I know. You can just do that later" Ryuuji laughed.
"Well, I'm not so big on watching kids die either. Chaotic resonance; that is the bane inflicted on your daughter. It is a curse characteristic of the fourth soul of evil Chaos. It utilizes internal turmoil, self-hatred, guilt and identity crisis to cripple the one on whom it is inflicted. It is a curse that slowly eats away at the spirit. It is quite similar to what your wife endured but with one great difference" Bamané said.
"What is this difference?" Ryuuji asked.
"It's this. Zanfar's curse on your wife was inflicted on her soul and manifested in her body. Unlike Zanfar's curse which acts slowly and is almost undetectable until it's too late, Chaos' curse was cast on the soul and manifested in the girl's spirit. The curse is cast in two stages. The first stage is to make the victim aware of alternate realities. In other words, it's similar to what you humans would call 'hallucinations' or 'insanity'. After rooting the person's soul in an alternate reality and bringing the person to the point where one denies the reality of one's life, the second bane is cast. In other words, Ayumi is wishing for a reality that isn't the one she lives in and since she's already experienced another reality that freed her from the weight of her guilt, she longs for that reality and denies this one unconsciously. Unlike the body and soul that adjust to time and flow within it, the spirit transcends time thus it is possible for the spirit to perceive even if faintly, alternate realities, as well as the past and future, and that is the front on which the forces operate" Bamané explained.
"I don't think I understand it" Ryuuji explained.
"Let me make this simple for you. Body and soul can be confined to the space in which the person inhabits in the world currently but spirit acts where the soul longs for. In other words, when you're thinking of something, your spirit acts around that thing but this can have either positive or negative connotations. It means dwelling on evil draws evil and dwelling on good draws good but in this case, Ayumi is dwelling on her guilt and longing for another reality so her body and soul inhabit this plane but her spirit is acting in totally different planes. There is no way to save her if her spirit cannot be rooted to the existence she was born into but I do not know how to do this or if it is even possible however, there is one person who might have the answer you're seeking" Bamané said.
"The Nightmare King?" Ryuuji asked.
Bamané nodded.
"Thank you Bamané. You've been of great help to me. I will never forget this" Ryuuji said as he bowed respectfully and headed out.
The scene that followed showed the Kirisawa mansion. Face and Victoria had arrived and they were surprised to see Ayumi in the condition she was in.
"What are those weird silver lines?" Face asked curiously as he attempted to touch the silver vein-like lines on Ayumi's neck.
Victoria caught his forefinger and twisted it hard enough to make him scream.
"What's with you Vikki?!" Face roared angrily.
"Don't even think of laying a finger on Ayumi Face!" she threatened angrily.
"Yeesh! What's your problem?! Stop acting like you know me well enough to make wild assumptions! I'm just curious about those vein-like structures on her neck, that's all!" Face yelled back.
"Whatever" Vikki did not seem to be paying attention.
"Yeesh Vikki! The day you'll ever say something nice to me, an unlikely miracle will occur!" Face grumbled.
"Like that will ever happen. That would be an unlikely miracle in itself" Victoria teased.
Ai giggled.
"Eh? What's that supposed to mean Ai?" Face glared at her suspiciously.
"You two really get along, don't you?" she asked.
"Eh?! Which part of this setting makes you think we get along?!" Face scoffed at Victoria.
"For once, I agree with this blockhead" Victoria retorted.
"Okay, so are you finally done with the married couple routine?" Ai teased.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING NOW?!" Face and Victoria roared in unison and then without warning, Victoria sucker punched Face to the ground.
"Don't start digging an early grave for me Ai" Face pleaded.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Victoria scoffed.
"TCH! It's none of your beeswax! Besides, we're not a couple so quit hitting me already!" Face yelled back.
"Fool!" Victoria sneered and lifted her nose high.
"You guys, I need your help" Ai suddenly said seriously.
Face and Victoria regained their composures. Ai turned to look at the unconscious Ayumi and Face and Victoria did the same.
"What's wrong with her?" Face asked.
"I don't really know. Zan finally discovered that it was Ayumi that killed his gramps. I believe this is all part of a greater plot. The timing was far too convenient for our enemies. We've already gathered four out of the seven elemental stones. Three remain. One of Zan's friends and classmate, my friend, Prince Asante was slain by the fifth soul of evil, Decay and…I believe even Zanfar has begun to move. In the midst of all this, I was somehow tricked into bringing Zan to the realization of Ayumi's crime. Everything was coordinated…and I believe this plot extends even further into the past than we'd originally imagined. We'll have to face the realization that…even Zanfar…may be a pawn" Ai said.
Victoria and Face opened their eyes in horror.
"What do we do now?" Face asked.
"Somehow, I believe Zan lies at the centre of all this. If the forces of evil manage to convert him to the darkness, they will awaken an evil even greater than Zanfar alone. We must make sure Zan does not lose hope in life…and in humanity. We must find a way to bring him to forgive Ayumi" Ai declared.
"How is that going to help? I find it hard to believe that one person's grudge can lead to the end of the world. I mean, think about it logically" Face said trying to deny the reality Ai was placing before them.
"Is it illogical for a mound of sand to become a mountain even after centuries? Is it illogical for tribes to war because of the grudge of two men…and is it impossible for that grudge to become an international conflict? Follow the traces of destruction and it becomes almost impossible to discover the spark that became an inferno. It appears we've been dealing with a force that doesn't mind waiting to destroy everything; a much more meticulous force than Zanfar alone; that has been acting in a seemingly random fashion. A few isolated random bushfires cannot cause much harm but…when the flames spread out enough…and start to converge…the inferno will become much hotter than the sum of the individual flames" Ai said.
The others seemed to realize that Ai had given the matter much thought.
"The only solution I can imagine is to put out the isolated flames we can before they become an inferno…though it's much harder to imagine how to do that, don't you think?" Ai said with a smile.
"So what are you up to Ai Kirisawa?" Victoria asked with a sly smile.
"I think we should find a way to help Ayumi recover and since Zan is the Dreamweaver and the son of the Nightmare King, I think he might be able to help" Ai said.
"Piece of cake, get Zan to get over the fact that Ayumi killed his gramps, no biggie" Face said.
"Can you help me with that?" Ai asked.
She looked much serious now than Ayumi had ever looked.
"You know Ai, if this evil you're referring to has been planning an apocalypse since time immemorial, then whatever we might do now might just advance its plans" Face sighed and said.
"I've considered that as well but if we do nothing…we're definitely helping it" Ai said.
"Haaah, there's no arguing with you, is there? You're just like Ayumi. Fine, I think I might be able to convince Zan, and if he doesn't come to his senses…heh…" Face said as he cracked his knuckles threateningly.
"I don't think I like the ambiguity of that statement!" Victoria yelled at him.
Ai smiled.
"Thank you. I knew I could count on you. Take this, it might help. You remember it don't you?" Ai said as she handed the Princess Of Dreams' diary to them.
"How can I forget? It nearly cost me my life" Face said as he snatched it.
"I don't want to remember" Victoria murmured.
In the scene that followed, Ryuuji Kirisawa now stood in the presence of the Nightmare King within the Nightmare King's Castle.
"What is it you want now, Ryuuji Kirisawa?" the Nightmare King said seriously.
"Heh, though you say that…you already know why I'm here, don't you?" Ryuuji said with a humorous expression.
"You're finally learning" the Nightmare king said expressionlessly.
"Besides, we just had breakfast together yesterday in my house San!" Ryuuji roared.
"Ryuuji…I don't need to remind you, do I? Do not confuse matters of a social nature with state affairs" the Nightmare King said with a slight sneer.
"And what state are we talking about now?" Ryuuji teased.
"You'll never grow up will you Ryuuji?" the Nightmare King asked.
"You can thank your son for that. And I tried so hard for ten years now until that boy entered my life. You Nightbane lot are an interesting bunch" Ryuuji said.
"You have something to say, don't you Ryuuji?" the Nightmare king pressed him.
"Yes…Sanziri Nightbane. You do know by now that…I am responsible for the death of one of your descendants, Zan's mortal guardian to be precise" Ryuuji said with a bit of fear in his voice.
"I do Ryuuji, and I also know that this deed was carried out by your daughter. Knowing you however…the man I knew would never ask his daughter to carry out such a despicable act. You became quite petty after the death of your wife didn't you, Ryuuji?" the Nightmare King said with an underlying tone of anger in his voice.
"I did. I will not deny it. Watching you mourn your wife and then take on a defensive stance against our forces infuriated me even more. How could you watch what your son had to endure for twenty years?" Ryuuji asked.
"I see. You believed I valued my duties above Ayzan's welfare. In a way, you might have deluded yourself into believing I might make a move if you attacked my son. But all you did was out of the petty rage you felt for me for the fact that I did not revive your wife, wasn't it? I wonder if Zanfar thinks same. If he does…then I truly feel sorry for him" the Nightmare King said with a smirk.
"What do you mean by that last statement?" Ryuuji asked.
"You have come a long way Ryuuji and endured much. You are a man of valour and great honour. I do not show as much respect for any Knight as I have for your family. But Zan has to grow up…and he must become much stronger. He must learn to face not only the pain of others…but his own. I did not cast Zan into the realm of humans because I could not protect him from you Dream Knights. I prove otherwise in the Battle Of Black Water Bridge. I did so to protect him from Zanfar's influence, from himself. The Dream World and the Human World aren't so different but for one distinct feature that characterizes them…the influences of good and evil are not felt as acutely in the Human World as they are in the Dream World. The lines of good and evil in the Dream World are as clear as black and white but in the Human World, there is much more to do to decipher them. In the world of Dreams, good manifests physically as forces of good, and evil as forces of evil but in the world of humanity, they are almost reduced to intentions and are invisible to most" the Nightmare King said.
"But following that logic…?! Sanziri Nightbane…you really are a demon!" Ryuuji exclaimed in shock.
"Do you finally understand why Zan is such a fearful force, Ryuuji?" the Nightmare King asked.
"He is not only part Dream and part Nightmare…he is completely human…" Ryuuji exclaimed in shock. "But following your logic Sanziri Nightbane…you cast Zan where the fighting was most fierce! If he has to worry about deciphering good and evil instead of knowing one from the other…in a world where good deeds are made evil by intentions and evil deeds are considered good…as long as they profit many; in essence…Sanziri Nightbane, you bastard…YOU CAST YOUR SON INTO ZANFAR'S BELLY!!!" Ryuuji roared as he summoned his sigils.
The Nightmare King finally stood up and walked to the window in his castle that faced the Eternal Mirror Gate.
"I cannot foresee your intentions San! Do you really want to save humanity?!" Ryuuji roared.
"Save humanity? Don't get me wrong. That has never been my intention. I've only tried to guide those who wished to do so but you all keep disappointing me" the Nightmare King said.
"What are your intentions Sanziri?!" Ryuuji asked.
The Nightmare King turned to face Ryuuji.
"My son turned out alright…didn't he Ryuuji?" the Nightmare King asked.
Ryuuji was taken aback by the sudden shift in the Nightmare King's tone. He actually sounded concerned. Ryuuji remained silent and observed.
"If he would not kill Ayumi even after discovering the truth…even a month after Wanye's death…then my son…really became the Lion I've always wanted him to be. He is my pride…and the pride of his clan. With the destiny placed on his shoulders by the love my wife and I share, we had to cast him into a world where he'd have to learn to discern good and evil with his soul…instead of through glancing at forms and labelling them…like you Dream Knights do. To protect my son…I risked casting him into the danger…instead of hiding him from it and believed in his strength to overcome it, and he turned out much better than I expected. From this moment Zan…as your father I swear…that you…are not alone…for I am with you!" the Nightmare King declared.
Ryuuji sighed and allowed his sigils to disappear.
"You always are melodramatic aren't you San. But this time I really have to call you insane!" Ryuuji scolded.
"But that isn't why you came. You wish to save your daughter from the Chaotic Resonance. But do not be disturbed. The one the curse was cast to harm…wasn't your daughter. She is in danger…but not mortal danger" the Nightmare King said.
"Explain" Ryuuji said.
"Your daughter's guilt…and Zan's rage; they are the forces that have kept her spirit trapped in a stasis. But not just hers...Zan's as well to an extent. Their spirits that should not be subject to time have been frozen by their fears and pain even while still dwelling beyond time. The curse will not manifest in a literal sense in Zan as it did in Ayumi but if nothing is done soon…Ayumi will be imprisoned within her own consciousness forever" the Nightmare King said.
"What?! Is there any way to save her?!" Ryuuji exclaimed in horror.
"Just one; and only one way. It's something Zanfar will definitely anticipate. Without any doubt…it will certainly advance his plans. The reason this curse is called Chaotic Resonance is not because it endangers your daughter…but because it endangers my son" the Nightmare King said.
The next scene showed Zan resting in the field of Lunar Flowers. Sunset was approaching. Zan was asleep.
"Hey, wake up Zan. Wake up, Team member Zan" Victoria called to Zan.
Her voice didn't sound as rude as usual and she was with Face,
"Vikki, Face?" Zan muttered.
"Boy…you sure drool in your sleep" Face said.
Zan opened his eyes suddenly and sat up. He wiped the sides of his mouth with his sleeves and turned his face away from them.
"When were you ever this self-conscious?" Face joked.
"You have no idea" Zan muttered.
"It's been a while since we hung out. Let's go somewhere and talk" Face offered.
"No, I'm staying right here, where the world still makes tons of sense" Zan said and folded his arms and legs adamantly.
"Aren't you at least going to wash your face?" Victoria sighed.
"Says the ones who want me to walk around town with this face" Zan said glumly.
"Heh, at least we know, even depressed, you still retain your sense of humour" Victoria laughed.
"And you're being so nice it's weird" Zan retorted.
"Ggggrrrrhhh! Hey! Listen you!" Victoria yelled.
"You must admit, he really got you there" Face laughed.
"Don't even start with me!" Victoria growled.
Zan stood up and took in a breath of fresh air.
"Well, there's no reason for me to be a jerk to Face and Victoria my friends, but if it's Dream Knight Business, forget it. You have a much better chance at convincing Zanfar not to annihilate humanity" he said.
"Well, it's not Dream Knight Business" Face said.
"So…what's up guys?" Zan said with a goofy smile.
"Fast! That was a quick switch" Face seemed surprised.
"Ayumi is sick" Victoria said.
"Get lost" Zan turned away from them.
"Even quicker" Face said.
"Tell us what happened Zan. We want to hear it from you" Victoria said with concern in her voice.
"Well, nothing much, except Ayu killed my gramps, strategically got me indebted to her and then like some chicken heading to the slaughterhouse, I fell for her. Yep, that's about it, a nice Disney story. And here I am at the part where I'm supposed to be depressed…so get lost and let me mope alone" Zan muttered and sat down again, folding his arms and legs adamantly.
"Zan, if you don't do something, Ayumi's going to die" Victoria said.
"You almost sound like Nala" Zan retorted.
"Wait what? We're doing Lion King now?" Face seemed amused.
"Ayumi has been cursed" Victoria said.
"I'm not her prince" Zan retorted.
"So now it's Sleeping Beauty huh?" Face seemed bored.
"You don't have to be her prince! Help her survive this!" Victoria pleaded.
"No references" Zan retorted.
"This is not the time for jokes Zan!" Victoria yelled.
"Overrated cliché" Zan retorted.
"Victoria, you're handling this all wrong. Let me have a go at this" Face said.
"And now they tag team it up. Good luck" Zan said indifferently.
"Prince Ayzan Nightbane, you know the sort of trouble…" Face was saying when Zan cut him off.
"James Pleiades Hawkings! Sounds like something out of Treasure Planet" Zan retorted.
"Okay, let me re-strategize. Zan, if you don't overcome this…you will never master…!" Face was saying when Zan cut him short.
"Don't you even dare make any anime references or so help me God, I'll bury you!" Zan threatened.
"Fine then, I guess there is only one way to resolve this" Face sighed.
"There is, leave and forget you ever had anything to do with me!" Zan ordered.
In the next instant, Zan was flying through the air.
"Oh, I'm flying through the air again. Looks like I was hit…but this time it was not Ayumi" Zan said in boredom as he crashed to the ground.
Face cracked his knuckles.
"Face! This was not a part of our plan!" Victoria roared angrily.
"Oh, so we had plans now? Listen Zan! It's simple. If you're a man, let's settle this with our fists!" Face declared.
Zan stood up and spat out some blood. He wiped his lips and took in a deep breath. He smiled as a familiar sinister glow appeared in his eyes.
"You've got my attention. It's a death match Boniface Kenyah! We'll settle this today…in a fight to the death! I warned you that…if you dared to make any anime references…I would bury you alive!" Zan said.
His voice was darker now, more sinister…and even his accent had changed slightly.
"You never said that! Besides, how do you bury someone alive after a death match?!" Victoria roared.
"Oh, you're right. Then we'll just go with the usual requiem!" Zan roared.
"Interesting, then let's get this started Zan…Just Zan!" Face said with a sinister smile as well.
"Ugh! Boys! You all need to be re-educated on your communication skills!" Victoria complained.
A brief scene showed Ayumi sleeping peacefully in her room in the Kirisawa mansion.
"I'm rooting for you Zan…" she muttered.
The scene that followed showed Zan, Victoria and Face in the Kenyah Residence.
"I reserve my comments. Boys are just morons" Victoria sighed. "I know they said death match…but…IN A GAME OF SOUL CALIBUR 2?! YOU GUYS ARE SICK IN YOUR ARCHIVES!" Victoria yelled.
"This is our fifty-first match. Don't think I will lose to you! It's twenty five scores each! This will settle it!" Face and Zan roared as their eyes flashed threateningly.
"Heheheh! I will warn you though Zan, I've been holding back on you. When I use the directional buttons, my fighting style is more acute but my movements are stiffer. When I use the analog, my movements are swifter but my fighting style is more random. Prepare yourself, I am going to use my ultimate technique now…A COMBINATION OF THE ANALOG AND DIRECTIONAL BUTTONS!" Face roared.
"Ppphh! Am I supposed to be scared?! You've been using the monstrous characters with greater attack power. I thought I'd go easy on you by picking characters I'm not familiar with. I guess now I'll bring out my strongest card, Heishiro Mitsurugi, it's time for you to make your appearance!" Zan declared.
"And how's that going to help you?!" Face roared.
"Hmm hmm hmm, looks like you haven't figured it out. Soul Calibur is not just a game…it's a battle simulation of many different battle styles. The mind to hand coordination and perfect execution of battle techniques…it's almost like the game executes directly from my nerve pulses and I don't even have to dreamweave! Besides, that ultimate move you're talking about…I've been using it since Soul Blade. I'm just an ordinary guy Face…no money in my pockets and I'm a hell of a lot shy…so who do you think taught me how to wield a sword…Heishiro Mitsurugi of course…or rather…I should say…Soul Calibur!" Zan roared as his eyes flashed.
"Soul Calibur is your weaponry master? That's sinister dude. You might not realize it but if…Soul Edge really did teach you…there's no doubt you're yanderic!" Face roared.
"Stop twisting my words! What are you, Emma Colette?! Let's settle this!" Face roared.
In the next instant…
"Wh-What happened? I lost…in my own house…to my own game…with my own gamepads…life is not fair! At least death is impartial! Take me now!" Face screamed.
"Oh, there is one more thing I forgot to mention. My ultimate move is neither the analog nor directional buttons. It's not even the fact that I combine the fastest reacting horizontal and vertical combos or the fact that I can read your moves and dodge them and hence do not need to concern myself with reading preset moves to master them…it's something much more fundamental. When you get excited Face, you pull on your gamepad. Why do you think my foot is resting right before the PS2 console?" Zan muttered with a smirk.
Below is a short demonstration of the phenomenon.
"CHEAT! YOU CHEATED ZAN!" Face roared.
"Naïve! This is a street fight not an official sports match! Anything goes in a street fight!" Zan roared in reply.
"I'm shocked to the point of being impressed. He defeated you in a game by setting traps in reality. If the Dreamweaver's ultimate ability is to merge dreams with reality, I'm quite honoured to be the first to witness it first-hand. Indeed, this is a legend in the making. You were defeated Face, deal with it" Victoria said.
"Finally, you appear to understand Face. My ultimate move is not limited to just one videogame…and its name is…THE STRATEGICALLY ANNOYING BUT EVER USEFUL…UNDETECTABLY STEALTHY…DISCONNECT WITH NO WARRANTIES!" Zan said with a smirk.
"I lost" Face collapsed to the ground.
Zan laughed sinisterly while Face sat on the ground with a depressed look in his eyes.
"Zan, have you finally calmed down?" Victoria asked with a concerned look.
Zan frowned and turned away from her.
"You happy now? We fought fifty death matches and it didn't end with a draw" Face said angrily.
Zan seemed to think about it.
"Playing games with you with Victoria watching. It certainly doesn't happen every day. It might be more fun to have something more of an eight player team battle or two player elimination rounds. It's definitely more fun than playing alone" Zan said.
"Is there a "but" coming in somewhere?" Face asked suspiciously.
"Well, that amateurish fool there lost in his own house to his own game while using his own gamepads so he has no excuses" Zan said with a smirk.
"Except that you cheated!" Face roared.
"What kind of death match extends through fifty one rounds idiot! If we'd wanted a fair death match in Soul Calibur 2, we'd have fought with infinite Health Points until one of us was ringed out in a setting we both know if you fell out of the ring you'd most certainly die or one of us got tired and quit in reality!" Zan roared.
"He's certainly right" Victoria said with a smirk.
"In that case, it would have been almost impossible to use my ultimate jutsu" Zan chuckled sinisterly.
"So is there a "but" or not?!" Face roared.
"You certainly didn't want to lose did you? It was a nice match. I didn't give Ayumi a chance to defend herself. I want to hear, for myself, from her, what motivated her actions" Zan said with a slight look of anguish in his eyes.
"Will you help her?" Victoria asked.
"I don't know if I can. But regardless of whether she killed Wanye or not…or I forgive her or not, one thing I know is that I certainly do not want her to die. I'll help her if I can but…don't expect me to forgive her" Zan said.
"That is enough for now Zan. We can't expect that much from you" Victoria said.
"Heh, so did you really understand my feelings from the clashing of our blades?" Face joked.
"No, but I felt your desperation and fear of losing to your own game from the way you handled the gamepad" Zan teased.
Victoria laughed.
"Fair enough" Face finally gave up and they all laughed.
In the next scene, Zan, Face, Victoria, Ai and Mr Kirisawa stood before the door to Ayumi's room. Zan took in a deep breath. He raised his hand and held the handle to the door. He exhaled and opened the door. When the door was finally open, Zan saw Ayumi lying in her bed. He seemed to have noticed the familiarity of the scene. However, unlike the dark room in the altered timeline where Ayumi lay alone, with only Victoria to care for her, this was a brighter setting where Ayumi was surrounded by people who cared about her. Tears escaped Zan's eyes as he hid his face from everyone. Zan approached her and noticed the silver markings on her body. Even bits of her hair had begun to turn silver.
Zan sat beside her and picked up her hand. Victoria seemed to realize the familiarity of the scene as well. Zan once more seemed torn between loving and hating Ayumi.
The voice of Zanfar began to sound within the scene, a voice only Zan and the three students could hear.
"A lion eats meat, a sheep eats grass, stars shine in the sky and dust covers the ground. Everything in nature yields to its true nature. A demon will always remain a demon! Hatred remains hatred! Love remains love! Evil will remain evil and good, good. No one can fight their natures Zan! Do you finally understand? Your feelings for Ayumi have also been in accordance with my plan. If you save her…" the sinister voice of Zanfar said.
"Zan…the curse Ayumi is experiencing now. It's called…" Mr Kirisawa was about to say.
"Chaotic Resonance" Zan replied.
Mr Kirisawa seemed shocked.
"How do you know that?!" he exclaimed.
"I hate to admit it…Mr Kirisawa but…at this point…I know almost everything Zanfar does. I know why he despises humanity and I know even the role I must fulfil in his grudge and how I will fulfil that role. I know so much that I even know that…there's no such thing as a Dreamweaver. It's a term Zanfar devised to give everyone a name of contempt with which they could refer to me. I even know that…it is my love for Ayumi that ends up destroying the world. See Mr Kirisawa…I am Zanfar so I can take back the curse but…" Zan paused as tears flowed down his eyes.
"If you do…you'll break the Seal Of Truth your Mother placed on you, won't you?" Mr Kirisawa asked.
Zan hanged my head sorrowfully.
"The only reason I haven't been able to become Zanfar is because…I possess two hearts. My dark crimson heart filled with Zanviel's and Zanfar's grudges for humanity…and my mother's Golden Heart Of Love for me, my father and all life. When my mother cast me through the Mirror Gate, she broke six of Zanfar's seals, then transferred her heart to me, the Seal Of Truth. The Seal Of Truth is Love. Love is what coordinates the Seven Souls Of Virtue and it is what kept my evil heart at bay. My Love for Wanye, Ayumi, my parents, the Kirisawas and the Dream Knights whom I thought were my comrades. However, Zanfar took everything from me. My parents, Wanye, the Dream Knights, you all…and finally…even Ayumi by using the Soul Of Evil, Lies, who coordinates all evil through hatred but he cannot conquer the love my parents had for me. Zanfar's curse is a one way ticket for Ayumi. The only one that can take it away is me because I possess two hearts. Ayumi lost a great portion of her heart, her spirit when she was trapped by Chaos in an alternate timeline. She has been forced to carry feelings of fear and guilt from both timelines. More than any human can bear and thus her spirit is being slowly consumed. To save her, I need to supplement what she has lost by using my Mother's Golden Heart Of Love to root Ayumi's spirit to the reality she was born to experience" Zan said sadly.
"But if you do that…!" Face and Victoria screamed in horror.
"Yes, I will save Ayumi…but in time, I will become Zanfar, and then…I will become an even greater force than Zanfar alone; The Deplorable Dream, Zanböngfar. The true legacy of the one who bears the title "Dreamweaver". Dreamweaver was the title given to The Beautiful Dream Zanviel, but he succumbed to Zanfar's grudge and became Zanböngfar. What finally turns us into Zanböngfar is when we decide to forsake our title Dreamweaver…and to save Ayumi…I must turn her into a Demi-Dreamweaver!" Zan declared.
"What?! Is that even possible?!" Ai exclaimed in shock.
"It is. All I need to do is surrender the love my mother had for me…to her" Zan said.
"In essence, I'd be 'giving her my heart', in a more literal sense than you might have imagined" Zan said.
"I'm sorry Zan" Mr Kirisawa said.
"You don't need to be" Zan said.
"I truly am sorry for everything. You brought happiness back to our lives, and especially to Ayumi's. And in the end, the only way I can repay you is to ask you to sacrifice your humanity for her life" Mr Kirisawa said.
Tears were beginning to build up in his eyes.
"So what will you do Dreamweaver Zan? Will you yield to your nature and save the life of the one you love…or will you defy it and let her die? What is your answer…Dreamweaver?" Zanfar's voice sounded within Zan's mind.
"I will make the third choice and save Ayumi of my own volition…not because I have to! And I have no intention of losing to you. I may follow your plans and I may be predictable to a being of great intelligence as yourself. I will do what you want and save Ayumi…but don't expect things to turn out the way you've planned out! Your centuries of planning, your millennia of strategizing…will all be ruined because…I forgive Ayumi. I still love her, and I'll save her because I'm a human…and the Dreamweaver!" Zan roared as he placed his forehead on Ayumi's.
He held both of her hands. He gently raised her left hand and placed their left hands on his chest with the back of hers touching his and the back of his right hand touching her chest with their hands clasped.
"Ayumi, to save you from the curse of the Nightmare, I bless you with my curse of a Dream. I impart to you my Courage and accept your Cowardice. Take my Freedom and trade me your Enslavement. I present you with Hope. All I ask for in return is your Despair. Accept my Forgiveness and hand to me the Chaos within yourself. To save you from Decay, I hand to you my Conscience. To prevent you from falling to the evil of a false sense of security and laxity, I offer to you all my goodness. I see the Light within you and give you mine. You've known my darkness, now I'll take that burden from you. Finally Ayumi, to save you from the curse of the Seven Souls of Ultimate Evil, I bless you with the curses of the Seven Souls Of Virtue. They are curses for they are harder to cling to than the souls of evil. Dreamweaver Zan Nightbane the Human's most sacred art…BETTER HALF IS NOW INVOKED!!!" Zan called out as a bright golden light enveloped them both.
The silver markings on Ayumi's body turned crimson.
Zan now stood within Ayumi's memories. He finally understood how different, yet similar they were. He finally, truly understood Ayumi. He saw her memories of her parents and what she endured as a child. He saw her memories of the evil souls, of Cowardice and Chaos and her dreams and fears of watching him turn into Zanfar and slay her. He saw her murder Wanye and saw all the guilt that came from it…and he finally saw that Ayumi really did love him. It wasn't guilt that made her take him into her household. It was concern. Zan's love for her was of his own volition and she didn't know until after Enslavement's defeat that she was the one that killed Wanye. All this time he'd fought for Ayumi's love and felt it get farther and farther from his reach. The only thing that kept her from confessing her love for him was the fear she had of him believing what he now believed, that she'd only manipulated him to protect herself. He was the only obstacle to Ayumi's love for him.
Zan sighed and fell on his knees as tears flowed down his eyes. Zan shut his eyes and tried to regain his composure. He took in a deep breath and calmed down.
"Ayumi!" he called.
He had to find her and break her free from the prison of her own feelings.
"Ayumi!" he called again.
He ran through her mind, through her memories, seeking her. He searched her good memories which were quite many but mostly suppressed and her bad memories which were much more and running amok in her mind.
"Ayumi!" he called over and over again.
He looked everywhere and finally found something. In a memory she had that appeared to be different from the others were four songs. Two appeared to be unique. They stretched in the form of musical notes into even deeper memories. One song appeared to be a song Ayumi liked but did not give much thought to and the fourth song appeared to be broken, yet transcendent. It might have been a song she knew in her past and forgot. The three songs were songs Zan had sang to Ayumi, "Possible", "Dawn Of God With Human Beings", and "Lunar Flower". The final song was a song Zan did not recognize but seemed strangely familiar. The melody was something he recalled but its lyrics were something he couldn't hear no matter how much he tried. It might have been a song her mother sang to her as a child, Zan thought.
The broken song lowered itself before Zan and became a flight of stairs. He climbed the notes of the broken song and followed its path. But when he reached the break in the song, it was like a wide chasm he couldn't cross.
"This is a song Ayumi deeply treasures. In fact, it is the song she treasures the most" Zan thought.
He smiled.
"I don't know the lyrics but looking at the progression of the sounds, it appears the next notes would be…" Zan said as he hummed the melodies he had stepped on so far and finally added in what he felt the song should be like.
As he did that, his own memories became mixed in with Ayumi's. He realized he had definitely heard that song before. The reason he couldn't recall its lyrics was because he was too young then to comprehend words. As his memories and Ayumi's began to mix together, the melody of the song in his memories fused with the words in Ayumi's and he finally understood the song.
"I finally see it. This song is not just a song, but a saga…a myth of elements and the trials of fire, water, light and darkness" Zan thought.
But the song in itself did not appear to be complete. It spoke only of three elements of virtue and the corresponding soul of evil to only one of the mentioned. Zan however seemed to feel that to complete the song, it might have to speak of Seven Souls Of Virtue and the seven souls of evil. Along the song's path, a new melody became interweaved with the original melody. It wasn't exactly as though they merged but the other song that mixed itself within the song was a song Zan had sang to Ayumi. He could not seem to understand what he was feeling and he did not believe he would, so he treasured it within himself and walked on.
Eventually, the songs led Zan to a silver orb with runes of terror written all over them. The orb was thick as mist and he couldn't see anything within it.
"Ayumi! Are you in there?!" Zan called to her.
"Z-Zan?" Ayumi's sorrowful voice was heard.
Through the songs, Zan could feel Ayumi's anguish.
"Ayumi!" Zan called to her.
"Zan! Is that really you?" Zan heard her call sorrowfully.
"Yes, it's me, Zan. Are you okay?" Zan asked her.
"What are you doing here? You hate me. You have no reason to be here and I don't blame you" Ayumi said.
"I know" Zan said. "I've come to get you out of here" he said.
"I don't think you can. I don't want to leave. I don't want to wake up in a world where you hate me" Ayumi said.
"You sound so childish when you say that. You're not really as merciless as you make yourself look. You know that, don't you?" Zan asked her.
"I was so selfish. Even after you told me in another timeline to tell you the truth…I couldn't. I even accepted help from Chaos…and look where it has landed me" Ayumi said.
Zan remained silent.
"I'm a foolish girl who remains naïve even after seeing so much. After my experiences with Cowardice, I fell for Chaos' lies as well" Ayumi said.
"Well…I'm not sure Chaos was lying. He said he'd help you with me. And I'm here even after knowing the truth…aren't I?" Zan asked Ayumi.
Zan heard Ayumi stand up and approach him from within the orb.
"Where are you Zan? I can't see you" Zan heard her call to him.
"I'm right beside you" Zan reassured her.
"How do I know it's really you? It's impossible to forgive me for what I've done to you. I took away your only family! Can you truly forgive me? It's impossible Zan!" Ayumi said.
"Well…are you sorry?" Zan asked her.
He was doing quite a good job of hiding the anguish in his voice. It was a good thing Ayumi could not see his face then.
"I am" Ayumi said.
"Tell me, why did you do it Ayu?" Zan asked her.
"I thought at the time…I feel really foolish admitting it now Zan but I felt…it was justice. One life could not possibly be worth more than the lives of all of humanity. Since the day I became a Dream Knight Zan, I've always referred to you as an abomination. I almost never actually called you 'Dreamweaver'" Zan heard Ayumi say.
"You felt…it was justice" Zan muttered.
"Now I realize…it might have indeed been justice…but it still does not change the fact that it was murder" Ayumi said.
Zan heard her fall to the ground.
"Are you okay Ayu?!" he called worriedly.
"Ayu? I don't know why. After beating you and telling you not to call me that for so long…it sounds so reassuring" Ayumi said.
"Ayu, if I told you now that I've forgiven you, it would most likely be a spur of the moment thing. It might be a lie in the end you know?" Zan said.
"I know" Ayumi said with a sigh.
Zan slumped to the ground and sat with his back against the orb. Now he and Ayumi sat back to back.
"Killing you would be justice you know? An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" Zan muttered.
"I know" Ayumi said.
"And if I decided to do it…you'd just accept it?" Zan asked her.
"It is justice…a life for a life" Ayumi said.
"You're insane" Zan said.
"If you don't want to hear stuff like that, try not to be so straightforward" Zan heard Ayumi say.
"I'm not going to lie to you Ayu. Right now, I want to kill you" Zan said.
"I know" Ayumi said.
"And stop saying you know and listen, it's starting to sound really creepy" Zan said.
"I'm sorry" Ayumi said.
"I want to kill you Ayu but…I just can't bring myself to picture your death" Zan said.
Ayumi remained silent.
"I can't bring myself to wish death upon you Ayu. I want you to live, even without me by your side…but I can't say that I forgive you just yet" Zan said.
Behind the orb, Ayumi was in tears.
"So Ayumi, if instead of killing you, I asked you to live…would you accept it?" Zan asked her.
"Y-You really want me…to live?" she asked Zan.
"I do" Zan said.
"And how do I do that. How can I live knowing I took your only family from you" Ayumi said.
"Don't be so dramatic Ayu. Heh, you're forgetting my dad's still alive" Zan laughed.
"It's impossible to believe. How can you just forgive me and let me go without any punishment" Ayumi asked.
"You're not getting off scot free Ayu. You said you're sorry. Now you're going to have to live the rest of your life with the weight of that sin on your conscience. You'll have to face it and the fear that comes from it Ayu. Besides, if it makes you feel better, think of it this way…I'm letting you live until I become Zanfar and destroy the world" Zan said with a forced laugh.
Somehow, Ayumi saw through his laughter.
"You're such a bad liar" she said.
"What's your problem?! I the one who's supposed to be depressed, say I want you the one who is supposed to be begging to live so why do you want to play the role of the depressed one instead?! Don't make me come in there and whack some sense into that head of yours Ayu cos I will!" Zan threatened her.
"How are you going to save me? Have you even thought about that?" Ayumi asked him.
"Heh…it's easy. I've been doing it all along. I just have to give you my heart…but it has always belonged to you Ayu" Zan laughed.
Zan could hear Ayumi sob.
"I give you my heart Ayu. Every part of me that loves you truly, will you accept my heart?" Zan asked her.
"Dumbass…my heart has always belonged to you. How could you even ask that?" Zan heard Ayumi say as the orb slowly began to turn crimson, then bright orange…then it melted away.
Scenes of the Zan in the other timeline singing 'Possible' to the other timeline's Ayumi mixed in with the scene. If both timelines were aligned, these two events were simultaneously occurring.
When the orb had finally vanished, Ayumi and Zan sat back to back.
Zan turned around to face her as she turned to face him.
"Ayu" he called to her gently.
"Zan!" she cried as she hugged him tightly and burst into tears.
A bright golden light began to flow from his heart into hers and the light from his eyes flowed into hers. The bright light flashed through both their minds and then they both began to feel an excruciating pain. Zan clenched his jaw to deal with the pain. Ayumi shut her eyes and clenched her jaw as well.
"What's happening" she said in concern.
"Our hearts are binding. It's definitely got to be painful. It means you understand the pain I feel…as much as I understand yours. Oh…and one more thing, from now on…you're no longer just Ayumi the Flame Knight. You're a Dreamweaver as well so there, I suckered you into becoming the abomination you always thought I was" Zan laughed.
Ayumi laughed as well.
On the outside, there was a sudden release of energy and Zan was thrown to the ground.
"Ouch!" he screamed in pain.
He shut his eyes. They were hurting.
He heard Ayumi's breath become stronger.
"She's starting to look much healthier!" Ai exclaimed happily.
"Those marks are completely gone too!" Face said.
"But what happened to her hair? It's completely changed colour. Her dark hair is now golden brown in colour" Victoria said.
"Zan, are you alright?!" Mr Kirisawa called to Zan with concern.
Zan opened his eyes. He couldn't see his surroundings clearly. Everything looked blurred.
"Zan, are you okay?!" Mr Kirisawa called to him.
"I'm fine" Zan said as he shook his head and tried to focus his vision.
In time, he began to see more clearly.
"Zan, what happened to you? Whoa…your eyes. They're no longer…golden. They now look dark brown" Face said.
At that moment, Zan heard Ayumi sit up and turned to face her.
She took in a deep breath. She also appeared to have a little difficulty seeing because she was rubbing her eyes. She attempted to open her eyes but it appeared the light from even the last sliver of sunlight was too much for her. Zan drew the curtains in her room facing outside.
"Th-Thank you…Zan" she said as she raised her eyes to look at her surroundings.
Zan gasped.
"A-Ayumi?" he exclaimed.
"Whoa! What happened?! Did those two switch eyes?! I hope they didn't switch Zanfar as well or we might be facing one mean lady in our final battle!" Face joked.
"Watch your mouth Face!" Victoria warned.
"Don't worry. Zanfar won't come after Ayumi. He's after much more than just the power of a Dreamweaver. Besides, Ayumi is a Demi-Dreamweaver now" Zan said.
"I thought you said Dreamweaver was just…" Victoria was about to say when…
"Whatever the case, it's not a title I intend to throw away just yet. Even if it is a term Zanfar coined, I am the Dreamweaver…on my own terms!" Zan declared.
"You have a really tenacious will Zan. I admire your courage" Mr Kirisawa said.
Ayumi picked up a mirror and stared at her reflection.
"Z-Zan? Wh-What just happened?" she asked me.
"Don't worry" Zan said as he faced her.
His eyes were now not so different from the usual colours human eyes normally possessed.
Ayumi exclaimed in horror.
"What have I done to you Zan?" she asked worriedly.
"I chose to hand everything my Mom gave me to you to preserve your life. I handed the love that preserved my own heart to you. But don't worry, I'll survive" Zan laughed just before he collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.
"Zan!" Ayumi called worriedly.
When he finally opened his eyes, it was night. He was back in his old room, where his life with the Kirisawas began. Ayumi sat beside him. He looked around. The room brought to him a strange feeling of nostalgia even though he had only left it a few days ago.
"Oh I see, my life is finally flashing before my eyes" Zan seemed to think to himself.
"Zan, you're finally awake" Ayumi said.
Zan turned to look at her. Her eyes were lowered and she was trying as hard as possible to avoid looking into his.
"How are you feeling Ayu?" Zan asked her.
"I should be the one asking! I didn't understand what you meant by, you were giving me your heart! I finally learnt what you meant from my dad. If I had known…I really wouldn't have…" Ayumi was saying when Zan interrupted her.
"Ayu, why do you think I phrased it in more romantic terms than saying, 'Hey Ayu, if I give you my heart, I'll turn into Zanfar and destroy the world while screaming out the usual final boss sentiments'" Zan said with a laugh.
"You're really cruel, you know?" Ayumi said.
She looked like she was going to cry again.
"I don't intend to die Ayu. I'm not a fan of tragedies, especially when they are directly tied to my life. If you think I'm trying to throw my life away, you're wrong. I've got a lot of reasons to keep living, and you are one of them" Zan said with a smile.
Ayumi stared at Zan in surprise.
"By the way Ayu, you have one messed up mind. Finding you in all of that was enough trouble" Zan teased her.
Ayumi began to growl angrily.
"And as usual, you always know how to make people angry" she said while clenching a fist.
"That's cruel Ayu. You can't solve every problem by hitting people you know?" Zan smart mouthed her.
"Heh, luckily, every problem concerning you can be solved by hitting you!" Ayumi roared.
"Aah! Dreamweaver smart-mouthed reversal?! I really shouldn't have handed you that part of myself. Give me back my heart Ayumi!" Zan declared.
"It's too late for that Zan, it's exclusively mine and I'm not sharing it, not even with you. You can have the fraction of mine I've given you" Ayumi teased.
"But there is one last thing we need to do Ayumi. I still cannot forgive you. Not until…WE HAVE A SHOWDOWN!" Zan challenged.
Ayumi looked surprised, then sad. The room remained silent for a while.
"Is…that what you really want Zan? You want to fight me?" she looked depressed.
At that moment, Victoria walked in. She noticed the awkward atmosphere.
"What's going on? You guys were laughing just moments before. I just came to check whether you guys were alright or not?" Victoria said.
"Zan wants to fight me" Ayumi said.
And here's a short demonstration of Victoria's expression after hearing that.
"That so huh? I hope you have a field day. I know I certainly did" Victoria said and walked out of the room while slamming the door very hard.
In the next scene, Zan and Ayumi stood with Victoria and Face.
"Aah, I figured as much" Victoria muttered.
"When you said we were going to fight, I didn't think it'd be in a game of Soul Calibur" Ayumi said.
"Let's play!" Zan declared.
"How did the Soul Calibur disc get here Face?!" Victoria looked really annoyed.
"Umm, you know…I thought it would be productive to get some more practice since Zan beat me" Face said nervously.
"You finally admit it huh?" Zan chuckled sinisterly.
Ayu and Zan had finally decided on players. Mitsurugi vs Taki and Zan being as kind as he thought he was selected Shamshir, the longest blade for Mitsurugi he had garnered so far.
"And he wastes no time in gloating about it!" Face roared.
"Ayu, we'll finish this with a single hit deathmatch" Zan declared.
"Hmm, if you say so" Ayumi said.
"Don't listen to him Ayu! Go for an infinite life battle with the only possible win being a ring out! There is a reason that jerk is called the Dreamweaver! He can cause miracles in the game by using reality as a weapon and he doesn't even need to modify the game's code!" Face declared.
"Temae Face, what stunt are you trying to pull here moron!" Zan growled angrily.
"Looks like that's useful advice then. An infinite life showdown with no excuses" Ayumi said.
In the next instant…
Player 2 wins!
Zan let go of the controller.
"I know we said infinite life…but that's just ridiculous. I couldn't even land a hit. It's inhumanly unfair!" Zan said.
He fell to the ground.
"How could I lose?! My world! My thirty hours spent on edge master mode. My experience! It hath all been for naught. This world…it must be erased! I WILL RECREATE THE RULING STRUCTURE OF THE…" Zan was saying when.
"MORON!" Zan received a blow from Face that sent him flying. "Even if you're joking, saying something like that sounds a hell of a lot too scary! Let's accept our losses like good men and move on. We'll become stronger!" Face declared.
"By the way Face, tomorrow I'm confiscating your memory card" Victoria said nonchalantly.
"So cruel! Just what limit is there to your cruelty Victoria! Wait a sec…I didn't realize it Zan but doesn't she act just like her name?" Face roared.
"She acts just like Xena. Victori-a will be ours!" Zan screamed.
"It's more like… "Everyone! Charge into battle! It is our destiny to win! Our destiny to be Victori-aus!" Face added.
"Grant us Victori-a in this battle Zeus!" Zan added.
"It's either Victori-a or death!" Face screamed.
"Y-O-O-O-U-U-U GU-U-U-UUYS!" Victoria growled. "I'VE NEVER BEEN SO MAD IN MY LIFE!"
"What did you hear Zan?" Face asked.
"T-E-E-E-MAE DA!!! SHINEEEE!!! (Bastards! Die!)" Zan said.
"I must definitely watch them anime in subs. Sometimes the subs are even more brutal than the actual words" Face said.
"I completely agree" Zan said while cleaning out his ear with his little finger.
"Ayu, let's have a real tag showdown with Face and Vikki" Zan suggested.
"A rematch in reality huh? That sounds quite interesting. Let's end this, my old nemesis" Face said with a sinister smile.
"Has our sense of friendship become that warped?" Zan asked expressionlessly. "I offer you my condolences then. I was thinking of tag teaming it up with you but if you're okay with teaming up with the Avatar Of Pain, good luck my good friend."
Face turned to look at Victoria. Here's a short illustration of the scenario.
"NO! NOT THE AVATAR OF PAIN!" Face screamed.
The next scene showed them all in the Kirisawa gardens.
"Wait what? We're going to fight in the garden? HOW INSENSITIVE COULD YOU GUYS POSSIBLY BE?!" Victoria screamed angrily.
"Sorry, Vikki" Zan and Face apologized.
She scolded Face and Zan so much they had to move it to the fields.
Face and Zan sighed.
"The Avatar Of Pain strikes again" they muttered.
"Let's call forth our sigils then. You guys got me involved in something bothersome" Victoria said.
She was already fed up.
"I'm really sorry about that Victoria. I'd be grateful if you could just bear with us for a few minutes" Ayumi apologized.
"Haaah! Did she just say…?!" Zan exclaimed.
"I think she did" Face frowned.
"Huh?" Ayumi seemed surprised.
"Kirisawa Ayumi, are you trying to insinuate that you'll beat us in a few minutes?! In other words…!" Zan declared.
"You're saying we're that weak. Don't blame us…if someone doesn't come out of this alive!" Face declared and his Double Tomahawk was out in an instant.
"We'll see about that Face, Zan. You'll be lucky to be able to land within striking range of Ayumi's sigil" Victoria said as she summoned her crossbow.
"And I forgot she had a bothersome weapon as well" Face said with a smirk.
"What are you guys waiting for?!" Face yelled.
"Let's get this over with! Get your sigils out already, Zan! Ayumi!" Victoria agreed.
"Uh-um…how do I say this…I've forgotten what my sigil looks like. I can't even remember what it was called or the words used to summon it" Zan said with a nervous look on his face.
"Ayumi, could you please teach him how? I don't want to waste time teaching him the basics" Victoria said.
"Actually…I also forgot" Ayumi looked surprised.
"What?! What's going on here?!" Victoria roared angrily.
"Are you two for real?" Face agreed.
"Wait…I think it's coming back to me. I AM ZAN NIGHTBANE!" Zan called.
"I AYUMI KIRISAWA…SUCCESSOR TO THE PATH OF THE CLEANSING BLAZE" Ayumi called.
"Aren't their words all messed up?" Face asked.
"IN MY TIME OF NEED DO I CALL ON THEE" Zan called.
"DO CALL UPON THEE, SYMBOL OF THE BURNING STARLIGHT!" Ayumi called.
"Now I know they're definitely messing the words up" Face said.
"PYROSTELLIS LUMINARES!!!" Ayumi and Zan called out together.
"Wait! They just called out the same name!" Victoria seemed surprised.
There was a loud explosion in the sky as the clouds suddenly disappeared. The moon appeared brightly. Surrounding the moon was a host of uncountable stars. As they raised their eyes to the sky, the world they stood on appeared to grow smaller and smaller, until it seemed as though they were among the stars themselves. The universe flowed around them in harmony. As they watched, twin blades of unimaginable power fell to the earth. Ayumi and Zan stared at one another.
"Finally…our sigils are one. We are now completely a part of one another" Ayumi said as she grabbed hold of one of the blades.
It was a blade with the colour of the day and surrounded by an intense golden flame. Zan grabbed hold of the other blade. It was a blade, the colour of night with a host of stars floating all about it like sparks. When both blades were in their hands, a cord appeared on their hilts binding Zan's arm and blade to Ayumi's. The cord appeared to be capable of stretching almost endlessly, binding them, yet without imprisoning them.
"PYROSTELLIS LUMINARES! FULLY UNLEASHED!" Zan and Ayumi declared as the two blades resonated with one another.
"I don't know how you guys did that…but that's cheating! We don't even know the properties of your blade and we've never seen anything like that! How are we supposed to fight that?!" Face roared.
"I suppose since the blades bind us together. It would be unreasonable for us to try and fight one another. It would almost be like attempting to commit suicide" Ayumi said.
"But I still can't quite imagine how to fight with…this" Zan said.
"Heheh! Chance!" Victoria roared as she aimed her bow at Ayumi and Zan.
"H-Hey! Wait a minute Vikki! You could kill us!" Zan screamed worriedly but Victoria wouldn't listen.
"An arrow is a versatile weapon but inexperienced as Victoria is, she only knows how to aim at something lying within a fixed trajectory. A weapon wielded without skill is about as useless as a stone being thrown by a child" Ayumi's voice rang within Zan's head.
The three students could hear their thoughts as well.
"Wait! Am I hearing your thoughts Ayu?" Zan exclaimed silently.
"I see, so this new sigil of ours allows us to share our thoughts" Ayumi said.
"And we're not even married yet" Zan said sarcastically.
"Here it comes, try not to die" Victoria declared as she shot two arrows simultaneously.
Her arrows headed for Ayumi and Zan.
"She's actually really good. It's not so easy to shoot two arrows at multiple targets. I can't even begin to picture how it's done since I haven't had much interest in archery" Ayumi's thoughts flowed into Zan.
"Are we actually just standing here talking about it while two deadly arrows are heading our way?" Zan laughed nervously as his thoughts flowed into Ayumi.
"You're right. Maybe…it's about time we dodge" Ayumi thought.
"ABOUT TIME?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Zan screamed out loud.
In an instant, Zan was out of the path of the arrows just as the other one missed Ayumi.
"What just happened?" Zan asked in surprise.
"Listen Zan. I think I'm beginning to figure Pyrostellis out" Ayumi thought.
"That was quick!" Zan thought back.
Face charged to attack them now. Zan and Ayumi stood their ground observing Face and Victoria.
"Ayu, isn't Face a bit slower than usual?" Zan asked her.
"He looks pretty normal to me" Ayumi replied.
"I see" Zan muttered.
Victoria aimed an arrow at Zan while Face charged for Ayumi.
"They won't be able to react if we attack them simultaneously!" Victoria ordered.
"Thoughts travel faster than words spoken. We only believe we are as fast as our thoughts because our thoughts have to infinitely slow themselves down for the body to process. In reality, we process more than a million thoughts every moment but our body can't keep up with all those thoughts so they are logically filtered and their speed is suppressed" Ayumi thought to Zan. "That's why with Pyrostellis and Luminares acting as the linchpin, we are allowed to communicate our thoughts much faster than the body can process. It's not logical. That's precisely why Face and Victoria's movements seem slower" Zan understood what Ayumi was trying to say.
"And our thoughts do not always necessarily need to be expressed in words" Ayumi said as Zan instantly dodged Victoria's arrow.
Face's Tomahawk was raised. He was about to bring it down on Ayumi. Zan stepped back and observed Ayumi's body react instantaneously to Face's strike. Face's sigil hit the ground. Zan stepped forward and reached for Face's Tomahawk, his hand grabbed Face's. He used his own force to move Face towards the path he was headed while using Face's forward motion to propel his own effort to get behind Face. As Face's body continued its motion forward, Zan placed his foot in Face's path breaking his stance. As Face reeled forward, he was compelled to let go of his sigil. To ensure his safe fall, Zan caught him from behind and used the force of his weight to pull Face back. Before Face could fall, Zan's foot was in his path again and Face was thrown backwards while his sigil continued to roll forward in the air. Ayumi executed this perfectly.
"With the weight of his sigil, Face's centre of gravity is in complete chaos when he raises it" Zan thought to Ayumi.
"Thanks Zan. I might not have been able to react to that as well since there is a difference in our physical strength" Ayumi said.
"Wait, so Pyrostellis Luminares allows us not only to share our thoughts but everything from reflexes and experience, even strength" Zan thought in awe.
"It draws out and compares from the experiences of two linked souls which is the best way to react to any given situation and implements it. Of course, that depends on how willing the other party is to disclose that information" Ayumi explained. "But it also compensates for the strength the other party lacks to implement the solution by drawing the needed strength from the party doing the giving and balancing enough between both parties to ensure that their spiritual fortitude is always optimum. It is indeed the Dreamweaver's greatest weapon but I guess the only reason you've not been able to use it until now is that the only way to use it is to share it" Ayumi said with a smile.
"I guess so" Zan sighed.
"What's going on?! It's like you're not even paying attention to us yet you're reacting to everything we do!" Face declared.
In an instant, Ayumi and Zan stood before Victoria and him. Pyrostellis Luminares was close enough to their throats to send a clear message.
"You're wrong Face, we are paying attention" Ayumi said with a frightening look in her eyes.
"Haah, it's like you two are just playing. If we're not fighting for real, I give up" Face sighed.
"Victori-a is ours Face!" Zan said with a smirk. "That makes it my second win today".
"Whatever" Face muttered and walked away.
"Yeah, you were the ones that wanted to fight in the first place. Some of us need to get some rest you know. We've got to manage both our Dream Business and our human affairs" Victoria grumbled.
"Don't go firing anyone tomorrow morning" Face advised her as they walked to the park to get their cars.
"You guys" Ayumi laughed at them.
"Well, I've got to head back home as well. I'm with my Uncle Ananse now" Zan said.
Ayumi turned to look at him. She looked disappointed.
"Hey, a man's got to survive on his own you know or his pride will be crushed. Besides, with the crazy stunt your dad and mine pulled the other day, I won't be surprised if the next thing I sign will be adoption papers and out through the window goes my plans of wedding you in the future" Zan laughed. "Goodnight Ayu, and Merry Christmas" Zan said and started to walk away.
"Goodnight Zan" Ayumi said.
"Don't worry. If you need to say something, just think of me and your message will be conveyed through Pyrostellis Luminares" Zan waved.
"You're insane! We're going to have to set some rules now that something like Pyrostellis Luminares exists!" Ayumi declared.