"Haa... haa..." Julian finally reached the top of the hill, panting. "I'm finally here, Eudora! I managed to find you by sensing your mana!"
He stopped dead in his tracks.
"Julian..."
It was a surprise to see that she was even alive. She looked like a mangled corpse.
"Eudora! Wh-who did this!?" he yelled out, rushing to her side. There was not much he could salvage. She was bleeding all over, her clothes stained in red. Her legs were bent the other way, her shoulders pinned to the tree, and her chest almost opened.
"..."
"That fucking... headmaster. He couldn't settle with killing you, so he brutalized you like this..."
"I'm sorry... Julian."
"There's no reason for you to be sorry, Eudora."
Julian embraced her, holding her tight. It was her dying moments, after all.
"If I were... strong enough... fast enough..."
The tough facade was starting to break. Coming to reality, Julian began to tear up, the water slowly trickling from his cheeks.
"It's bittersweet... seeing someone cry for me. Seeing you sad, but knowing you care for me."
"..."
She held on tighter to Julian, with the slivers of strength that she still had left.
"I'm scared of being alone, Julian. That's why I stay near you so often. Even if I'm silent, and we aren't talking, it's your presence that's comforting."
Julian's sobs became louder.
"Maybe it's because I felt that we were similar in a way. Perhaps, I should have got to know you better."
Her shirt had become stained with blood and tears.
"If... only I was stronger. It's my fault... it's my fault."
His tears fell harder, faster.
Slowly, her grip started to loosen. The light in her eye disappeared. She stopped moving.
⏤ In the end... it's my fault.
From the roots of his hair to the tip, his hair faded, becoming a pale color. White.
His eyes shifted from the crimson red into the same, emerald green eyes as Eudora.
He paused for a moment, standing up.
"Why... am I crying so hard? And what's causing this sad feeling of mine?"
. . .
. .
.
"Jeez. Sometimes I love the chase, but that woman was running way too much."
Beiric skipped a rock across the lake.
[Spirit Cast: Fireball]
Fwsh!
A ball of fire shot past Beirics head. The fireball didn't miss ⏤ Beiric dodged the ball.
"It's you. Who killed her, right? The blood on your body shows it."
Beiric looked at Julian's blood-stained body.
"New hair dye?"
"I understand what was making me sad. My memories aren't up to par at times."
"Is this guy... talking to himself? Now that I remember, the headmaster said you were someone that needed to be dealt with."
[Cast: Grand Light Bolt]
Beiric held his palm out, energy of light gathering at one point.
⏤ That attack is slow.
[Spirit Cast: Steel Wall]
⏤ With Gulian in check, my synchronization is much stronger.
The light bolt struck the steel wall, ripping a hole into it. Julian was not in the spot that had been burst open.
⏤ Light... I won't be able to dodge attacks like that.
He dived out of the hole, jumping at Beiric. It caught him off guard.
[Spirit Cast: Flame Grab]
Julian's open palm rushed at Beirics neck.
Quickly, he pushed him off. He unsheathed his daggers.
[Spirit Cast: Blink]
Swsh!
Crck!
Beiric narrowly dodged the quick strike with the hilt of his daggers.
"You aren't fast enough."
"I'm aware."
[Spirit Cast: Lightning Disk]
Julian backed away.
"Dual-elementalist? You're more talented than I expected."
Zing!
He threw the disk of lightning at Beiric.
As expected, he dodged the attack, ducking.
[Spirit Cast: Rising Rock]
Out of the ground, a fast-moving pillar of stone just barely struck Beiric, slamming into his nose.
Beiric narrowly dodged it. It scraped his nose.
"Tri-elementalist..."
He wiped the blood off his nose.
"You managed to touch me. You're at least more competent than that useless woman over there."
"..."
[Spirit Cast: Leap]
Julian sprang into the air.
[Spirit Cast: Flame Bow]
He shot 5 arrows.
As expected, he dodged all of them with relative ease.
[Spirit Cast: Flame Authority]
The arrows busted into larger flames.
"!"
Beiric was caught in the middle of the explosion. It scorched his skin, burning his uniform as well.
"Keuk!-"
He was sent back.
[Cast: Lightstep]
In an instant, the distance between Beiric and Julian was cleared.
"!"
Swsh!
He cut off Julian's uniform in one slice, narrowly missing his actual body.
⏤ If I hadn't dodged...
[Cast: Star Lance]
Beiric threw a lance of light toward Julian's direction. With it's speed, it was unavoidable.
Crsh!
It slammed into Julian's body.
"For a second, I thought I was gonna have to take you seriously."
[Cast: Star Lance: Rapid]
It looked more like beams of light than a spear of light being thrown.
Each spear hit harder than the last. It was a surprise that the spears weren't completely piercing through his body.
"Keugh!-"
Julian threw up blood, his body being rattled by the spears of light. His consciousness was starting to fade.
[Cast: Lightstep]
Beiric teleported toward Julian, bashing his head into the ground.
Julian smashed into the dirt, chin-first.
"..."
[Cast: Lumen Axe Kick]
Beiric's fast, light-enhanced kick, smashed Julian even further into the dirt.