Chapter 43 - Butterflies- War for Academies arc

Darkness Existence is vast. Even just the world is vast. If we go even lower, it would be clear that even a country is vast. A butterfly is small, yet the flap of its wings can lead to catastrophic consequences. The flap of its wings can lead to the end of existence itself, irrevocably rewriting the very threads of fate. Size, power, intellect, and all of the other facets of a person's ego are merely things they cling to for self-worth. The truth is, nothing cares about you. You are nothing. Everything is just a vast pit of nothing. Everything can be changed by the smallest thing. Miko I could do nothing but watch as this droplet of darkness paralyzed me. Its ineffable malice, its vicious gaze from colorless red eyes. Its bottomless, ever-present smile. Its shriek pierced the landscape as it charged towards me, flailing its arms of darkness as they turned into swords. So he even kept his powers... Could I face this darkness? This darkness that is so overwhelming it doesn't make sense? [Don't allow yourself to drown in the future kid. Remember, this inbred is nothing but a false replica of true darkness.] Right. My movements exceeding light itself, I raised my sword against his. Metal clashed on metal, sparks flew in the air. With every strike, its bottomless smile only grew. With every strike it only grew stronger as it fed off the darkness surrounding everything. It laughed as it completely overwhelmed me. This laughter returned to the cry, to the bloody tears of before, as it sprouted a sword from its stomach. A strike that only instinct could block. Like many times before, a part of me that felt distinctly separate took over. A part that knew the precise movements to make on the path to victory. The part of me that would destroy darkness. (darkness is everything) With a guttural scream, I let instinct take the offensive. As swords blasted from its stomach, its arms, its legs, and even its smile, I blocked each and every attack. I needed blood. The demon returned my scream with one of its own, a cry of utter anguish. Tears of blood began flowing down its eyes as though it was a river. The tears traveled its eternal journey down the demon's face and into its mouth. The more the tears traveled, the more the demon absorbed the darkness. As I grew stronger the demon was growing exponentially stronger. But I would not be overrun. Check mana. 9/40 mp How much longer for the last mana to regenerate? [About 15 seconds kid. Or in other words, an eternity.] Just as before, battles would be decided within instants. As we continued trading clashes I knew I would never be able to falter. If one of these swords of darkness touched me, my body would simply cease to exist. I don't know how I knew this, but I knew it as if it was a common fact. More common than even the knowledge that the sky is blue. So an absolute concentration was imperative. As his onslaught ensued, as even darkness roared from his sheer ferocity, I responded in kind. A blur of a blur. A speed beyond speed. Deeper. As his attacks sped up, as his force became even more overwhelming, mine did the same. He was no longer overwhelmingly powerful simply because I denied inferiority. My will, my defiance, my strength made us equals. Still, he went even faster. Unlike his partner from earlier, it did not appear that he would slow down his assault at all. In fact, the exact opposite was occurring. With every parry, with every dodge, I felt his knives that erase existence approach closer and closer to me. But even as they were near millimeters from me, the distance might as well have still been infinite. Because I refuse to fall here. I refuse darkness! 8 seconds until mana regeneration. That long? His attacks reached an even higher gear, and though my defense followed suit it lagged just a micro moment behind. I felt one of his knives cut clean through my armor, narrowly missing skin. No, it grazed my skin. The wound it created was instantly cauterized from the power of the void. There would be no bleeding because the wound no longer existed. The skin that was once there no longer existed. The scar created would forever remain, as you can't heal something that doesn't exist. I could not allow his blade to make a substantial wound. Letting loose a harrowing howl that shook even the nothingness of the subspace, this time I was the one to reach a higher gear. Slashing through his seemingly infinite knives I closed the distance between us, threatening to cut down this demon. I swung my demon sword with the force of a meteor, a meteor that would wipe out all life on the planet. As my sword rang through the air, I felt certain that he would be unable to block my strike. His colorless red formless eyes finally found a place in reality, as they grew wide with fear. I smirked, feeling the battle was won. Then at the last second, a shield sprouted from the darkness. Although my strike shattered it into a million pieces, the demon had managed to survive. Still, I made this speck of darkness retreat. I felt an aura of red encompass me as I approached him. The red glint radiated even off of his nothingness, enveloping the entire subspace with my existence. Again, the speck of darkness felt fear. For the first time since obtaining the system, I said "release." Aruna I looked around the dusky cellar. Same stupid walls, same stupid spider. I hate spiders. Ignoring my shudder, I focused on the clasp around my left hand. The clasp I was so close to breaking. I hope I don't have to kill that one guard. He's been nice. The rest I have no problem killing though. Even though I didn't think any of the others allowed themselves to be captured, I still included them as part of my escape plan. Miko, Roan. Farv. If you're here, just wait. Even if I'm the damn princess I'll rescue you! Smiling to myself, I was going to return my attention to the clasp when I heard the door rustle. A guard! Falling into a fake sleep, I listened intently as the person walked in. It wasn't my new 'friend'. The person crept around the room. Hearing his hand brush along the walls, hearing the clicks of his shoes hitting the ground, I knew that he didn't believe I was sleeping. Whoever this was, he clearly relished in my discomfort. "Bitch." My insult was only met with laughter. "You've got a sharp tongue, huh?" I flinched as I felt his hand coarse through the air in a swift motion. I knew that voice, but from where? Unwilling to open my eyes, I prepared to feel the sting of being slapped in the face. Instead, I felt a sudden grip form around my wrist. SHIT! "Oh, that's no good. What guard would allow such discomfort to befall you? I'll have to punish him for this." Punish? I felt my body shake as the weight of those words hung over my body. For the first time, I couldn't ignore the pain of the clasp. I- I was going to get that guard killed! "I- I-" You mustn't draw unwanted attention upon yourself! You must maintain the image of a docile flower at all times! You may never show your thorns, you may never show your strength! Otherwise, I raised you for nothing! Otherwise, your mother died for nothing! I slammed my eyes tighter as my father's command forced my silence. The only additional response I gave was endless tears flowing down my face. S-sorry... It felt like centuries passed as his footsteps continued circling around me. The endless, tantalizing clicks. The slow, steady breathing juxtaposed with my nervous inhales and exhales. Finally, he spoke. "It sounded like you wanted to say something there." I do... But I'm a coward! The coward my father raised me to be. A good little girl. No matter how many rebellious phases I go through. "Aruna, was there something you wanted to say?" Aruna? Who the hell is this to know my real name? Only those close to me should know. My father gave me a fake name as one of his many attempts to save me. "Aruna is your name, right? That is the name your father gave me, but well. After people's minds are destroyed, they aren't always reliable." Father? Mind destroyed? He's dead... you asshole! But then... how does he know my name... Opening my eyes with an endless venom, I screamed "My father was killed, you bastard!" The person just smiled. "No, he's very much alive. I could bring him to you right now if you'd like." What?! Paying no mind to my widened eyes, he waved, adding "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm rude, aren't I? I haven't even told you my name, even though I know yours. To be fair to me, we did meet before. When I slashed my father's neck open, I mean." Realization crossed my face as he said "Hi Aruna. I'm Yuko."