Matricide

Chapter 14

'Now that the warmth of your arms is gone, only the darkness comforts me...'

'...but at least it's here'

-A sad young man.

There was a time when I used to cry. A time when my heart couldn't feel anything but pain, and my body covered in scars, a time I never cherished, and I regret it.

Takeshi stood before the man with red hair, with pure hatred and determination in his eyes for the person before him, and to make it worse, this person didn't even remember him.

'I'm talking to you green hair!!' He said taking another cigarette.

Takeshi's anger grew even wilder. 'You took everything from me! You destroyed everything, I swore I'd have my revenge and you can't even remember my name!!!'.

The redhead left out a puff of smoke, not even listening to what Takeshi is saying. 'It's gonna rain huh?.

'I love it when the smell of petrichor mixes with blood. Won't you give me yours' He said twisting his neck to face Takeshi.

'You know my father had a saying, men and kings are equal. Let's see how true he was huh?'

Takeshi couldn't stand it anymore, the malice and killing intent that filled him were beyond words, he began to draw his sword, but then he felt a hand stop him, he looked beside him to see who it was. It was Reno's hand.

'Ma-master?'

'Takeshi, stay back' He said calmly, directing all his attention to the smoker before him, Reno had never been as serious as this. But this wasn't something Takeshi could decide for himself, this was something he had to do.

'Master, please I beg you to let me fight-

'Takeshi, get behind me. That's an order!'

The strictness of Reno's voice frightened Takeshi, and by his master's command, he stepped back. Reno's expression looked cool and blank, but on the inside, the flame of vengeance burned fiercely. He took a step forward. Just then did the smoker notice him.

'Yo! Ren, it's been a while'

Reno's expression, unchanged but his anger growing wildly. 'Akuno..'

'...what are you doing here'

The smoker let out another puff, 'I was ordered too. Even if I knew you were here I might have come' he said with an accent on the might.

'I see' Reno replied softly.

Akuno drew his scythe closer. Reno looked at this unfamiliar person in front of him and compared it with the "Akuno" he once knew. Apart from his shiny red hair, there was no resemblance. The Akuno he knew, the wise Akuno, the disciplined Akuno, the murderer Akuno, His brother Akuno.

Remo took a deep breath inhaling the sickening scent of what life had dropped before him. 'You made a promise to me Akuno. I will only spare you if you kept that promise'.

Akuno laughed at his brother's words. 'Hahaha, it's funny Ren, at the new place I'm known as, Akuno the matricide' matricide? a word Reno heard far too much in his childhood.

Reno used to look up to his brother, but now he felt nothing but hate for the piece of trash standing before him, but that wasn't the only thing that enraged Reno. It was the symbol on Akuno's headband, a white crown and a sword in it, the Gaiden's symbol.

Reno tried his best to compose himself but after seeing that symbol everything changed. He tried harder to think rationally but his mind was clouded with only hatred.

Close to him, the girl who welcomed him to Ladinglade, lied on the ground with bullet holes running through her and blood flowing out of her like a stream. Akuno walked closer, she asked him for help, she held out her hand and he held out his.

Before their hands could meet, Reno slapped her out of the way. Now he was face to face with the matricide Akuno. 'You've...grown taller?' Akuno said looking over him. 'Surprised to even see you walking around...'

'...after all, I'm the one that buried you b@stard'

Reno lost it.

'Summon great sword; Titan. Summon; Acadia'

'A sword named after our mother, how nice'

But Reno still wasn't done, he had no idea if it would work but he did it anyway, he combined summons. 'Combine summons: Titan of Acadia' dark energy from all around concentrated on his sword, oozing from the ground. However, he didn't use this sword, he left it to gather more energy.

Instead, he summoned two ordinary sabre's and left two summon holes open beside him. He struck Akuno, but he caught it with his fingers alone, and then the sword wilted becoming dust. Reno expected that. He summoned another sword in its place, landing strike after strike, running through more and more swords. The soldiers wished to join too. That's when Damian, Hade and Killin arrived.

Hade and Killin observed Akuno's eyes; they sensed something, something familiar. Killin glanced over to Hade to make sure she understood what was going on, she looked back at Killin signifying she understood.

'So that's Akuno...' Damian said observing their battle. 'We have to help him' Killin suggested. 'No' Damian replied bluntly. 'No?' Killin asked. 'If you watch close enough you'll understand why only Reno can defeat him!'.

The two continued their battle with the pace quickening a bit, Reno was losing ground and fast, at this point he summoned dozens of swords each getting broken by Akuno's strange ability.

The only thing Reno had as an advantage, was the fact that he had Acadia drawing more power. And that he was learning, advancing himself and about Akuno. He was able to assess all his weak points and flaws, but he couldn't do the same with Akuno, and Akuno hasn't even used his weapon yet.

Wherever he would strike, Akuno's hand would be there to stop it, and aiming for his talisman was close to impossible.

Reno had to come up with a strategy, and fast. Akuno's a lot like Reno after just a few minutes of fighting with Reno, he got bored. He looked over and saw Acadia powering up.

'I didn't think you had the guts, but then again we are related'.

'I don't want to hear you speak!!'

'Tell me Reno, what do you call a son who kills his father?'