Chapter 125 - Shattered Past.
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[Adam C. POV]
After a short debriefing with Ichiya, who explained the situation with the help of the Trimens in detail, we embarked on our quest. Destroying Nirvana.
Though, if I had to be honest, I wasn't very interested in that.
I had a goal of my own to accomplish today.
Gildarts alone was more than enough to deal with the Nirvana situation.
Laxus was more than enough.
I knew the only reason the master had sent them was to keep me grounded.
I appreciated the sentiment.
I knew they cared.
I knew, because I cared.
I just needed to do this, more than anything else right now. It wasn't that hate was consuming me, it was that I needed this closure, I needed Zero to disappear from my life.
I needed my vengeance.
At one point of my life, all I ever wanted was to have my revenge.
That point of my life was behind me now.
Now, I wanted vengeance.
There was a subtle difference between the two.
Revenge is an act of passion, vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.
"Kid, are you sure you want to do this alone?" Gildarts asked, interrupting my thoughts.
I turned to him. "I do. Besides, you're here to knock some sense into me if I get too edgy, right?"
Gildarts' face lit up with a warm, full-bodied laugh as his eyes glinted. "Of course, kiddo. That's what dads are for." He beamed proudly.
I nodded and turned to leave, but Laxus stepped in front of me. "I'm coming with you," he said firmly.
I looked at him. "Laxus, I appreciate the offer, but I want to do this alone."
Laxus's face hardened as he crossed his arms, his face breaking into a small grin. "I know, I'm just going to make sure nobody tries to intervene with you and Zero."
"They might need you to destroy Nirvana," I replied.
Laxus snorted. "Don't fucking patronize me, you know very well that Gildarts alone is more than enough, you know very well that gramps sent us just to make sure you could do what you had to do uninterrupted. Had he sent you alone, the alliance would have slowed you down."
"I know, I am awesome," Gildarts nodded.
I chuckled.
He was right on more than one level. If I had come to this mission alone, the alliance would have become a liability, limiting my range of action.
The fact that Erza, Laxus, and Gildarts were here made it possible for me to be a little selfish, because I knew everyone would be okay without me.
"Very well," I replied, finding no reason to deny his request to accompany me. As long as I got to fight Zero alone, I was completely fine with any arrangement.
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[Third Person. POV.]
Mission at hand, Adam raced forward, hurtling across the forest like an unstoppable comet making his towards Oracion Seis, leaving the allies who had gathered with the singular purpose of destroying Oracion Seis and Nirvana shocked as his power reverberated across the entire place like a force of nature, for miles and miles beyond their reach.
At the same time, a few miles away, Zero could be seen, perched atop a massive boulder, sensing the oncoming storm of power that was quickly making its way towards his location.
Feeling this, he turned slowly, a glint of recognition sparking in his eyes.
"So, he finally comes," Zero muttered.
The corners of his lips curled upward, revealing a sinister smile. This was the confrontation he had been yearning for, an opportunity to mend his mistake.
Suddenly, Adam slams into the ground behind Zero, his landing accompanied by a resounding impact that reverberated through the surroundings, cracking the earth open.
The force of his descent leaving a small crater in its wake, as the earth trembled in submission. Adam stood tall, an imposing figure that radiated an aura of controlled fury.
"It's been a few years, Zero," Adam spoke with a voice laced with the weight of their history. His words hung in the air, charged with memories of his time in the Tower, their history.
Zero's grin widened. His piercing gaze met Adam's; a challenge unspoken but understood between them.
However, before any of the two could make a single move, the members of Oracion Seis, Cobra, Midnight, Angel, Racer, and Hoteye drop down on Adam from all angles.
With Racer mocking Adam, by saying. "You truly think you can take on all of us alone, boy? Your arrogance will be your downfall! You're not fast enough to deal with us!"
Adam's response was calm, his face showing no concern for their presence. "They are all yours, Laxus."
In an instant, the air became charged with an otherworldly energy, as Laxus descended on them from the heavens with a blinding explosion of lightning, engulfing each of them in a maelstrom of raw power before blasting them away.
"I'll be your opponent, freaks," Laxus bellowed, between crossed arms.
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[Adam C. POV.]
The ground beneath my boots feels both solid and fleeting, like the whispered echo of a thousand memories. Each step resonated with the weight of vengeance that has accumulated over the years.
I was finally here.
I was finally... here.
Leaving Laxus to deal with the trash, I made my advance, one step at a time, my eyes on Zero, noticing the smugness in his grin, the same wicked grin I remembered.
He had that same vile smirk that had haunted my dreams, that had been the ghost at the back of my eyelids, the embodiment of every nightmare, every tear, every helpless scream.
The object of my undying hate.
I chuckled dryly. The air felt pregnant with anticipation as a single crow took off in the distance, its wings beating against the deafening silence that had fallen over the room.
Taking a deep breath, my right hand reaches out and grips the hilt of my blade. I could feel Zanryuzuki vibrating, barely containing herself.
Begging me, demanding me to cut him, over and over... and over again, until there's nothing left to cut, until there's nothing left of him.
Smiling at the thought, I draw my Zanpakuto out. The metallic rasp tearing through the air, singing a dirge of retribution.
The world just melts away; it's just me, him, and this moment, this single fragment of eternity.
"It's been a while, slave, but it seems our time apart has led you to believe you are something you're not, so allow me to fix that!" Zero spat, his voice dripping with contempt.
"Ah, the sweet, misguided confidence of an ant believing it can topple a giant. I will enjoy this more than I will ever care to admit," I replied, holding my blade out, pointing its unforgiving edge at him.
Zero laughed, his voice echoing in the empty room. "Oh, you always did have a way with words. But let's see if you can back it up."
With that, he charged at me, releasing a series of energy beams in my direction.
I sidestepped his attack with ease, swinging my blade in a wide arc towards his torso. He managed to dodge it, but just barely, and in doing so, left himself open for a split second.
I took the opportunity and blasted him with Hado# 1 Sho, sending him flying across the room and crashing into a wall.
He hadn't gotten any stronger since the last time I saw him.
My ability to kill him was never in question, but now it has become painfully evident that I could end him in a single strike if I wanted to, but the thing is… I don't want that, not yet.
He needs to suffer a bit before he gets such mercy.
"Blame only yourself, for what is to come, Zero," I said, walking towards him.
I would enjoy every moment of this.
Perhaps this was wrong.
But I couldn't care less if it was.
I had earned this, every moment of this, I had paid in blood.