Cain relentlessly attacked Garrett without pause, each strike forming an unbroken chain. With every move, he forced the pirate backward.
As Garrett's water pillar spun and swayed, its foundation crumbled, making it increasingly unstable.
Cain's attacks appeared graceful, but in reality, they were brutish. Simple moves that could be easily linked together. He moved across the sky, seemingly stepping on air, his footwork resembling a teardrop.
Garrett struggled against this assault, injuries piling up. He wore a thin layer of water that acted as armor, but against Cain's sharp blades, it was as effective as being butter.
Cain replicated movements from his mind, occasionally closing his eyes to anticipate the next steps before continuing. The wistful shadow technique had originally comprised 10 forms, but now it consisted of 19 movements that seamlessly flowed into each other, allowing for countless variations of attacks.
Piece by piece, the water pillar lost its solid foundation, and Garrett found himself on his last legs. The mist closed in, eroding his skin slowly. Then, an epiphany struck him.
"This smell... blood! Is this mist formed from your own body?! But... blood!" He erupted into insane laughter. "You're finished!"
In that moment, Cain felt an odd sensation. It was as if parts of him were being ensnared and controlled by something other than himself. He realized that portions of his mist were being siphoned away.
"You fool! Blood is mine to control! My master was a bloodmancer! You're destined to become my puppet! Hehe!"
Cain clenched his teeth. "I won't become anyone's puppet, especially not to a man named Ivette."
Garrett's face flushed crimson. "Die!"
Garrett's face twisted in concentration as he channeled Cain's mist into his blade. The sword hummed and glowed red, thirsty for blood.
With a guttural cry, he lunged forward in a blur, his sword aimed at Cain's heart.
The clash of swords rang out, echoing across the sea. Blood sizzled as it dripped into the ocean below. Cain inhaled the metallic scent, his nostrils flaring. The attack repelled Cain's blades, stopping his movements and breaking his chain of movements.
In that moment, Garrett found his mark, driving his sword into Cain's chest.
Blood flowed, bubbling and turning into a crimson haze. However, instead of returning to his body, it fueled the very person who had shed it.
Cain winced, letting out a wild scream. Unlike the previous version of himself who endured prolonged torture from Victor, his tolerance was limited.
Garrett continued draining Cain's mist, using the gained power to strengthen his sword and mercilessly rend Cain's body, akin to a chainsaw. With no means to retaliate, Cain could only scream in agony as more of his mist fell into the hands of this vile pirate.
Connie steadied her four arms, two grasping the rifle while the other pair loaded the round. Her beady eyes narrowed, focusing on the pirate who dared harm her savior.
BANG
A gunshot resounded, and Garrett looked in the direction of the sound. Heat spread from his chest, turning into a torrent of blood. He glanced down to see a four-armed Huogg aiming a rifle at him.
The wound gushed as he clutched his chest.
Struggling to retain control of Cain's mist, Garrett attempted to heal his wounds, redirecting his blood to seal the wound. This divided focus provided Cain with the opening he needed. With a fierce battle cry, Garrett's cutlass shed the red material encircling it, returning it to its rightful owner.
Consumed by rage, the liberated crimson surged forth, launching an assault. The haze enveloped the pirate captain, forming red droplets that cascaded down his skin.
As though alive, the droplets infiltrated every pore, seizing control of his body and mind. A connection formed between Garrett and Cain, granting Cain access to Garrett's mind. The mist acted as a conduit, and with a stable pathway established, Cain stepped into the mind of another, a move he wished he could avoid.
...
Garrett awoke, sand clinging to his clothes. Panicking, he sat up and realized he was on an island amid a vast sea.
Shielding his eyes, he struggled against the glare of the bright moons shining down on him. But suddenly, the light waned, the sky darkened, and soft moonlight pierced through the clouds, falling upon his skin. The shift was rapid, unsettling Garrett further in this unfamiliar environment.
The ocean roiled and churned as erratic waves crashed against the shore. A colossal, wrecked ship emerged in the distance, its presence blotting out the sky.
From the ship's heights, planks descended, and a figure made its way down to the beach.
Garrett recognized the figure, but he remained speechless. Shock held his mouth agape, locking him in place.
Cain's bare feet touched the sand, clad only in a green toga adorned with symbols of life and redemption. He exuded an aura of holiness and purity.
"My apologies for the dramatic entrance. I was curious about how much I could change. Of course, this landscape is of your creation," Cain behaved like a newcomer, almost trying to mimic a specific person.
"Enough of this! What is this place-"
"No... no. You needn't ask. I will explain once, but please, cease your actions, redeem yourself, and recall your crew. It doesn't have to be this way."
"What?! Cut the priest act! Just tell me where the hell we are!"
Cain met Garrett's gaze, his demeanor shifting from one of divine radiance to one of sorrow and melancholy.
"I act this way to effect change. It's that simple. To redeem myself, I must undergo a profound transformation. So, I implore you, take the first step in liberating yourself from the dictates of the world. You need not conform to others' desires, nor be molded by your surroundings!"
"Hahaha! I've encountered someone like you before. They tried to atone by playing the priest and aiding others. Do you know what happened? The very person they tried to help killed them. And that person was a product of the evil they themselves had sown!"
Cain closed his eyes, a single tear escaping. "Then, I apologize. Time doesn't permit me to alter your perspective. I can only offer you peace in your final moments."
"Wait, what does that—"
Before his eyes, Garrett watched Cain and his surroundings dissolve into dust, as if a painting had been scattered. Suddenly, he found himself in a golden field beneath a tree.
Fragrant flowers lined the road, birds hummed softly, and the ground felt gentle beneath him.
Garrett had seemed to have forgotten everything that had just transpired. He drew in deep breaths, relaxing as a sense of tranquility enveloped him. Closing his eyes, he felt reality growing faint, and he allowed himself to be embraced by the fading world around him.
...
Cain stood before mirrors reflecting countless memories in a desolate environment. The ocean dried up, the sky fractured, and his mind trembled. He remained within Garrett's crumbling psyche.
Bits of the owner's memories came into view—something he could scarcely achieve before, but now he could delve even deeper.
As Cain delved into Garrett's memories, he pondered how different Garrett's life would have been if his childhood had been different. Though they came from different places, both had seen innocence shattered and sought purpose in darkness.
'How far must one fall before redemption becomes impossible? Perhaps it's different for everyone' He wondered.
Cain glimpsed into the shards of Garrett's mind, an old man saving him in one scene. In another, that same man wrecked his home, collecting the blood of his victims.
The old man cared for Garrett with a sorrowful gaze. Behind his back, Garrett prepared to kill him.
It was the story of Garrett and his master. From what Cain observed, Garrett destroyed his own home in his youth, and as a teenager, while working as a mercenary, he was injured and taken in by the man. From that point, Garrett harbored a desire to kill the person who had destroyed his family and home.
Garrett's mind was a fractured mirror. Each shard reflected a sliver of his life. The patience of years spent hiding his urge to kill the one who had shattered his innocence. For too long, vengeance was his only purpose.
Years seemed to pass in moments as Cain absorbed the story. Garrett learned from the man, eventually becoming more skilled in hydromancy, with a few blood manipulation spells added. Yet, he was impatient and grew tired of waiting.
During an outing, Garrett finally acted. plunging a dagger into his master's side as the old man bent down to smell a flower. The flower turned red, and the old man's face shifted from shock to understanding. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he murmured two words before his eyes dimmed.
Cain read his lips as they translated in his mind. The words were, "I knew."
In that moment, his view of Garrett irrevocably shifted. The pirate was no mindless killer - he was a man shattered by cruelty who clung to revenge as his only purpose.
For the first time, Cain saw himself reflected in someone else. Two souls trapped by violence, seeking purpose. Only, Garrett got lost in finding what he sought and ended up becoming what he was now.
Pity was the only thing he felt for the pirate Captain Garrett. Tragedy bred tragedy until the cycle seemed inescapable. Was redemption impossible for a soul soaked in blood?
Cain alone could not answer such questions.
The shards turned black, and Cain found his surroundings growing bleak. He was no longer on solid ground, and the sky crumbled, fragments falling into an abyss below. He focused and hastily left Garrett's mind.
...
Upon opening his eyes, a fog vortex swirled around Cain, entering the wound in his chest. It healed him in an instant, leaving only a torn hole in his clothing.
He surveyed his surroundings, witnessing four sinking ships as pirates and crewmates swam toward floating debris. The battle had ended in their victory, driving away the pirate fleet, eliminating the remaining pirates, and rescuing their own. Cain could only watch, his vision blurring, before he collapsed on deck.
When he regained consciousness, it was dinner time. He was informed of the battle's outcome and recounted every detail.
"After the Captain shot the pirate you were fighting, she leaped from ship to ship, wreaking havoc among the raiders. It took just an hour to finish! We did lose one more ship, but it was already in ruins by the time you were suspended in the air with that red mist around the hydromancer guy," Jaxith recounted the battle.
According to what Cain was told, once his mist enveloped Garrett, the crew managed to defeat the rest of the pirates and eliminate them, salvaging what they could.
By the time Cain exited Garrett's mind, the battle was already over, and Garrett's body fell into the sea as the crimson fog returned to heal Cain. From there, he knew the rest.
"We thought you were a goner. We had no idea you would struggle against a hydromancer," Dolion commented, speaking while munching on bread and jotting in his notebook.
"I doubt something like that will happen again. That guy was an exceptional case. Though I'd prefer if we didn't encounter any more pirates. I simply want to complete the mission and return."
"Well, we'll be entering Deep One territory tomorrow, so from here on, it should be monsters we're dealing with."
The crew ate and conversed as usual.
Finishing his food, Cain retreated to his quarters, emotionally drained. Killing Garrett left him hollow, knowing how alike they were. Tragedy-bred tragedy, all he could do was keep fighting, striving to spread mercy instead of malice.
However long the road, he would walk it as proof one could change. He would redeem not just himself, but any soul still capable of transformation.