[Chapter 8] One Way Out

[South Korea, One of White Tiger's Warehouse] 

[Afternoon 12:15 pm] 

[~3 Days Before the Wolfie's Assault~] 

...

Ignoring the mutters and look of distain from some of the elders, Argon avoids yet another one of Victor's fireballs. 

Victor: "C'mon on Argon, fight me!" 

He summons a giant gale of white flames in his left palm and blue waves of water in his right palm before slamming them shut together to fuse them before eventually sending it to Argon's direction. 

Chelsea: {His control is immaculate.} 

Yulius: {Hm, for a dying man.} 

She agreed as she observed the White Tiger's patriarch next move. He cannot dodge because if he does, then his twin's attack will reach a rehabilitation center where non awakeners are residing, but he can't afford tanking another one of Victor's attacks. 

Moreover, his brother carelessness over the value of a human life angers him greatly. Naturally, he wouldn't think twice of hurting someone if it meant protecting one of his own, but this is Victor he's talking about, his own brother. 

Shrouded in his naive thinking that his twin was in fact still redeemable with words, he decided against any physical form of harm intended for him. But at what cost? To save Victor from his own madness, is it right to sacrifice innocent civilians in response? 

The answer is no. 

But we live in a world of betrayals. All awakeners know is betrayals. So, what is a couple of lives for his brother. It makes no difference from the many innocents he casually sent straight to their death. Or the hundreds he slain. 

All for his 'dear' brother, right?

The one trying to kill him as of this moment. 

The one trying to usurp the throne. 

The one who wouldn't blink an eye when taking thousands of lives. 

The one trying to erase all forms of his existence. 

The one who loves him, right? 

'.....'

That's when it hit him. Does his brother even love him anymore? The one person who return his love the second he gave him his. The only person who ever loved him for, well him.

If not, then what purpose does he serve if not that. All Argon life he had tall expectation placed on his shoulders. One after another and he's grown tired of meeting each and every one, growing harder and harder by the next. 

In his mind, it was the time spend with Victor that he's able to cherish what life has to offer which makes every difficult challenge he faces worth it. But apparently, that too was not enough. 

It's never enough, as a matter of fact. 

Victor's existence is proof. 

Chelsea: {This set of twins are really depressing.} 

Yulius: {Hm, all because of misunderstandings.} 

One brother working hard hours to secure a better future for the both of them while the other is tarnish for being the lesser, more incompetent one causing him to question his existence. One way or another, both brothers were expected to break down as no one can, should handle such a burden. 

It just so happens, no surprise there, that the one treated like trash broke first. 

Chelsea: {Victor really reminds me of Kai Parker from The Vampire Daries.} 

Yulius: {Hm, you don't say. Being a siphoner in the Gemini Coven was truly a curse.} 

Chelsea: {Lizzie and Josie Saltzman were really lucky to not be raise in such an environment.} 

Yulius: {Hm, but they still had a sh*tty father.} 

Chelsea: {Right?! He's not only a sh*tty father but also a sh*tty principal. The nerve of this dude to bring up Hope's dead parents all because she went behind his back.} 

Yulius: {And let's not forget the blood fountain underneath the school that disable magic.} 

Chelsea: {Yeah! Such a person is not fit to be a guardian.} 

Yulius: {If Caroline wasn't looking for a cure for the Merge, I think the students at Salvatore Boarding School would've had it much better.} 

Chelsea: {Hm, Hm!} 

...

(A/n~ Sorry for going off topic but Alaric Saltzman was really sh*tty! And he still is!) 

...

Back to brother's brawl, Argon is trying to find a solution to defending against Victor's assault but has yet to find one. The only option that is most effective is to confront Victor's attack by disrupting his control. The problem with that is Victor may sustain damage from it which is why Argon is hesitant on taking that method. 

Too bad time is not on his side and forces his hand to choose the most effective option as it's the only one that ensures his and his clan members safety. Even if it means harming his brother by a little. 

Argon summons a pit of fire underneath Victor's position and shoots it upward forcing Victor to avoid the attack in the most awkward position ever, causing his concentration on his attack to lessen as he misses his original target and ends up hitting further left of it. 

No one sustain substantial injuries except for Victor whose palms were burning fury red. Victor glance to his brother who finally decided to fight back, and grin insanely filled with madness. 

Victor: "Finally had enough of these games and decided to fight back now, brother?" 

Argon gave no reply as he winces at his brother's injuries. Victor who saw this chose to ignore Argon's sincere worries, thinking his twin's genuine act were nothing more but a ploy to manipulate his emotions. 

How wrong he was that he'll soon regret. 

Argon on the other hand finally realized that in order to get his words through to Victor he must fight back. Not with words, but with his fists. Even if it pains him, he must take down his brother to stop his madness and lessen the damages against his people. 

The question is, will he be able to do so? 

No, he must. He has to. The sake of the White Tiger Clan is riding on his shoulders. He knows after seeing Victor's attitude towards a human life that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and nobody will get in his way. 

And right now, he is the one thing standing in his way. 

Argon: "Let's do this!" 

He brought his fist up, conjuring waves of fireballs and shot them towards Victor. Understanding that Victor has the advantage in power that he gets from powering up his white flames, he decided it's best to prevent Victor from doing so. So, in rapidly striking Victor with his flames, he is able to distract Victor, preventing him from making any powerful moves. 

Victor dodges the incoming fireballs coolly before summoning waves of water to flood the entire room. Everyone was quick to evacuate while the other set of twins stayed with their infinity activated. 

"Ugh, are you guys not leaving?" Asked purple to the Eminence representatives who did not move an inch in the face of a tsunami. "Hm, we're good." Answer one of them. "Suit yourself." And with that, purple left with the rest. 

The raging waves after reaching new heights came crashing down, utterly destroying the entire room. The pressure became too much for the walls to bear, it broke into thousands of pieces, letting the floods of water run free with debris running along the waves. 

To defend himself against the onslaught, Argon cast himself in a water bubble surrounding him with tiny air pockets for him to breath. Victor's attack succeeding pushed Argon out slightly, but he held on and overcame Victor's assault. Once Victor's attack was over, he deactivated it, leaving him wet all over.

Both Argon and Victor are left standing in the middle of a destroy warehouse with every member soaking wet. All but the Eminence representatives who stood there coolly and dried. 

Chelsea: {Thank god we put up a curtain before started negotiation.} 

Yulius: {Hm.} 

She looked around and agreed. The damages would've definitely been worse if they didn't use, "Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure." In a way the curtain is like a spatial isolation but better since nobody, but the caster can see it. And those who possesses sixth eyes or Rikugan, but those belong to our MCs and only our MCs. 

The second the water cleared, and the 2 brothers made eye contact, the battle continued. 

Argon wanted to continue his strategy, but Victor beat him to it. He shot multiple white flames towards him. He avoids some but due to his injured condition he had to use his energy to create water balls to cancel out the flames. 

Unfortunately, even that was not enough as one of Victor's flames overpowers his water ball pushing through towards his right shoulder blade. It makes a direct hit, burning through his flesh. "Arhhh!" He wops in pain, much to Victor's pleasure. 

Victor: "Do you finally see the difference between us brother! I am everything you cannot become!" 

He increases the velocity of his aura, burning through the last of his life spans causing his sky-black hair to turn old white. It was then that it hit Argon, the power that Victor wields is killing him. And it seems he's too late to make any significant impact to stop him all together. 

Argon: "Victor, stop this madness! You're killing yourself!" 

He warns, to no avail. 

Victor: "Shut up! See how all mighty I can become. Nothing like your pathetic self!" 

His aura increases 10-folds, turning his white-blue-ish aura into a dark red. Then a dark blue. Then white, and then light red, dark green, light blue, white again, and green. Finally, it reverted back to his white aura that seem to shimmer brightly like he was going to blow. 

'No!' 

Argon: "Victor!" 

Upon realization, he reached out his hand to grasp Victor's, but he made contact with nothing. "VICTOR!" Were his last words before everything went white.

*BAM*

Everyone took cover and made a barrier to protect themselves against the explosion. Yulius and Chelsea sat it out, putting on non-existent black out sunglasses to watch the explosion in 3D as the wind picked up and blew at everyone and anything in its path. Destruction coursing in all directions.

Chelsea: {Once again, thank god we put up a curtain.} 

Yulius: {Hm.} 

*BOOOM* 

...