Episode 60 - The Guardian of Harmony Pt 2

Luiz landed on what was left of the cliff and shook his head, coming back to his senses.

Luiz: Mom!

Regardless of using armor or not, she was still a normal woman. Luiz ran to her, praying to every single divinity in the universe for her to be alright.

Luiz: Please don't tell me I killed my own mother...

He reaches for her and she's on her knees, damaged, but alive.

Luiz: Mom!

Simone: What was that attack, eh?

Luiz goes to her, deeply worried of she needed medical attention or not and helped her stand up.

He holds her by the hips and she wraps her arm around his shoulder, gaining balance as they both slowly walk back.

Luiz: How are you--

Simone: Harmony Guardian Skill.

Luiz: But you're powerless...

Simone: My armor, you dummy.

Luiz: Right... I'm... I'm sorry... It was overkill.

Simone: Don't apologize for a killer attack made exceptionally well. If I didn't have my Guardian Skill, I would be dead.

Luiz: That's the point! I didn't want to kill you, maybe just kick your ass or something, but certainly not that!

Simone laughs and he looks at her with a confused face. The Guardians quickly come to them, ready to help.

Simone: You know, as a Boss, I'm terribly disappointed in you.

Luiz looks down.

Simone: But, as your mother, I couldn't be more proud.

Luiz looks at her in surprise.

Simone: My own son defeated me. After years of taking down the worst scum in this country, my first loss, since the day I became a boss, was to my boy.

She laughs more and Utu uses his healing powers on her.

Utu: No... You'll need to go to the hospital. The wounds were deep.

Luiz: What?!

Utu: It's nothing major, don't worry, but it is enough to render healing powers useless.

Enki: She is normal after all.

Simone: Thanks for ruining the moment, dipshits.

Luiz: So... What now?

Simone: Go home and get some sleep. Those dark markings under those dead fish eyes of yours aren't attractive in the slightest.

Luiz: I was talking about the Harmony Trial.

Simone: Meet me here tomorrow morning. I'll teach you my guardian skill.

Luiz: You're assuming the Harmony Deity will accept me.

Simone: You're assuming it won't. Hey you passed on a Dragon's test, remember? The test where you would literally die if you failed.

Luiz: I suppose...

Simone: Now, go home and get some sleep. That's an order.

Luiz flies back home and the rest look at him.

Simone: Is he gone?

Gibil: Yes.

Simone: AAAAAAAAAAAH! FUCK! THAT HURTS LIKE A BITCH! I'm his fucking mother! He could at least hold back a little! God damn, my whole body is hurting like hell!

They proceed to go to the hospital.

Enki: That thing where he concentrates the natural shield on one part of the body is genius, I will start using that as well.

Gibil: You are really impressed by that, huh?

Enki: Well, it is possible.

Utu: Ki, you are our close combat specialist, what was that fighting style? I know that he adapted his summons for both close and ranged combat, but speaking just about throwing hands, what was that?

Ki: It's hard to decipher, really. By watching his battles, he always utilized a relatively aggressive style, simple, strong punches. He was always mostly about how to punch someone as hard and as fast possible.

Enlil: But...?

Ki: But, when he uses his father's fighting style, he becomes more passive and swifty, more about countering or negating attacks with his palms and deals relatively less noticeable internal damage to the opponent rather than brute force.

Ki crosses his arms and sighs in frustration, trying his best to decipher her boss' son.

Ki: There is no actual nameI can give, he mixed and switched between two distinctive fighting styles.

Iah: Like "Yin and Yang".

Ki: Yeah, that. One is all about explosive, deadly blows while the other is more passive using softness to counter strength, all that paired with his monster summon.

Enlil: To mix two polar opposites into one single original style and easily switch between the 3 of them... That took some heavy creativity.

Simone: He still has to learn my skill, so it's not over yet.

Meanwhile, in a large mansion at the city center, Hail was finishing her bath and getting ready to sleep. She puts on her pajamas, leaves the bathroom of her bedroom and starts to brush her hair in front of her mirror.

When she finishes, she opens her notebook and starts a video conference with her father.

January: You're 5 minutes late.

Hail: Well, I should be in bed by now, what do you want, father?

January: Just checking in, seeing if my little girl is ok.

Hail: You can literally fly and you are just one state away. If you really wanted to see me, you could come and go back.

January: Don't be like that, princess.

Hail: Don't call me that.

January: Why wouldn't I? Have you forgotten who is going to inherit this country?

Hail: We already talked about that. Just because you own the most rich and important company in Brazil, that doesn't mean you own the country. You are not above the law.

Her father looked at her with a smug face and she sighed.

Hail: Well, you shouldn't be, for starters.

January: Anyway, I heard you'll be having the final round of an honor battle tomorrow.

Hail: You "heard about"?

January: Also, it came to my attention that your opponent is the son of Simone Medici.

Hail: He is her son? Well, I had the... "Unpleasure" of meeting him personally and he's nothing like her.

January: Still, it would be great if you won.

Hail: Of course I'm going to win. But why is this your concern, doesn't your company make business with the Escarletto Family?

January: We do, actually, well, the not so legal side of my company does.

Hail: So why does it matter?

January: Money, of course. If my daughter beats the first candidate to be the 27th boss of Escarletto's weapon business, it would be great for future deals.

Hail: I don't even want to know why... You are just a filthy criminal, father. 75% of your business is legal, but your company is just another Mafia family.

January: 85% is legal. Give your old man some credit, will you?

Hail looks visibly sad.

January: What's the matter, princess?

Hail: My victory... Means nothing to you aside from underworld politics and money to you?

January: Huh?

Hail: You could watch me fight and cheer for me because, you know, I'm your daughter... You know what, forget about it.

She ends the call and closes the notebook.

Day of the Final Round. Luiz vs Hail - Harmony Battle.

Luiz got back to that forest where he faced his mother and she was waiting there with all her guardians.

Simone: I take it that your friends already told you what to expect.

Luiz: They did. I will face my demons in some sort of purgatory like realm and the divine being there will turn into the person that makes my heart heavy.

Simone: Yes, good luck.

All of Simone's Guardians aim their hands at Luiz' direction and release an energy like beam at his chest, making him fall unconscious.

When he wakes up again, he's sitting in an open field of white orchids with an orange sky. He slowly stands up, seeing that there were only those flowers as far as the eye can see.

Luiz: Kinda weird, but, alright...

He cleans his jeans.

Luiz: According to my friends, I'll see whatever holds the most weight in my heart and mind and--

Luiz turns around and stops talking as he sees an exact copy of himself that was also turning around. Obviously startled, he jumps back, with the copy doing the same exact thing.

Luiz: What in the...

The copy doesn't talk, but makes the same lip synch. Luiz gets closer to the fake one, staring in awe, touching his belly and hair, checking up each part of his body and the copy mimics every move, like some kind of mirror.

However, it's not a perfect one. The copy had a way more messier hair, with a darker grey tone instead of black and an orange coat instead of Luiz' typical blue one. Also while the real Luiz had a white shirt with a black spade, the fake one had a black shirt with a red heart.

But there were two things that made Luiz realize this really wasn't just a distorted mirror. The fake one had green eyes with slit pupils and, most of all, he had hands, real flesh hands.

Luiz looks at his green gloves, the ones that hide his metal hands, and sighs.

Luiz: You must be the Harmony Deity...

"Luiz": No, I'm you.

Luiz: No, pal, cut the bs. I know about your thing.

"Luiz": And I'm saying that I am you.

Luiz: What? No, you're not.

???: No, no, he's right...

The two look to their side and see an orange light being.

???: That is completely unprecedented...

Luiz: Wait, if you are the Harmony Deity, then who's...

"Luiz": As I said... I am you. At least, what you used to be.

The fake Luiz waves his arm and a lone tree appears, throwing the orange deity against it and trapping it.

???: Wait! What are you doing?!

"Luiz": Silence, kid, mom and daddy are talking.

???: What?

The tree branches cover the place that is supposed to be the deity's mouth.

Luiz: Ok, this is getting weird, so...

"Luiz": Well, it's not our fault if the Harmony Guardian is so dissonant with himself.

Luiz: What do you...

"Luiz": Right, the great Luiz Bright doesn't know what I mean here.

Luiz: Dude, can you cut the crap and go straight to the point? I have, like, an important battle tonight. How about you tell me exactly what's wrong instead of doing this anime and Hollywood cliche that you...

Luiz makes a sarcastic voice and crosses his fingers in the air.

Luiz: ...speak in riddles until I get an existential epiphany and realize my mistakes with sad music in the background.

"Luiz": Sorry to pop your bubble body, but you're not leaving this realm until you get recognized as worthy of being the harmony guardian.

Luiz: So hurry the fuck up!

"Luiz": Being impatient won't get you anywhere, you will listen to what I have to say.

Luiz snaps his fingers and one of his monsters appears, turning into a chair, where he sits and crosses his arms and legs.

"Luiz": What are you doing?

Luiz: You said you wanted me to listen to you, so, what's the deal here? Why are you so angry?

"Luiz": Because you left me behind?

Luiz: How can I leave myself behind?

"Luiz": When you got your powers, of course! You changed!

Luiz: I fail to see how that's a bad thing.

"Luiz": Argh! You're impossible!

Luiz: So go to the point already!

"Luiz": The point is that you forgot who you are! You were this nice and happy kid! Now you're just this edgy prick with those dead fish eyes! Started to work solo, avoid other people and only joined Luminary because you were ordered to!

Luiz: People change when they go through a traumatic experience.

"Luiz": Oh, boo-hoo, your girlfriend was cheating on you, that's so sad... She looked in your eyes and said that she loved you and you believed.

Luiz: Wait, you think Ran is my trauma?

"Luiz": Let me tell ya something, buddy, every man will be cucked at least once in their lives. Those who weren't either just don't know it or never dated someone.

Luiz: Do you even realize how stupid that sounds? And I'm way over Ran! When I said "trauma", I mean that I almost literally died!

Luiz stands up and starts screaming in anger.

Luiz: You know, when I lost my hands and was left to die of blood loss on the top of a freezing mountain?! Does that ring any fucking bell to you?!

"Luiz": And you really allowed such trivial events to change who you are!

Luiz: Trivial?! I realized that I, that YOU, were just betrayed by a psychopath and could die! I got my powers, yes, but at what cost? Oh yeah, my dignity, my sanity and my FUCKING HANDS! Forgive me, you ignorant fuck!

???: Crickey! This getting good.

"Luiz": Don't put the blame on me for that!

Luiz: Didn't you say you were me before getting powers? Because, holy and behold, it was you who allowed Ran to seduce us for her disguise! It was you who trusted her and it was you who was weak!

"Luiz": But--

Luiz: And you have the gal, THE GAL, to blame me for having a radical change of personality?! What did you expect me to do? Return with a big stupid smile on my face like nothing ever happened?!

"Luiz": That's not the problem!

Luiz: So what is it then?!

"Luiz": The problem is that you became someone else! You didn't have to cut me off, continue your life like it never happened and that we were nothing!

Luiz doesn't reply to that.

"Luiz": But you just had to treat me like a stranger, didn't you? Like your "dark past", like a nuisance, like a weak version of you and like just a painful memory!

The past Luiz clears some tears with his arm.

"Luiz": I thought that maybe if we saw face to face I could convince you, but I was wrong. This person in front of me is just somebody that I used to know.

Luiz: What did you want me to do then?

"Luiz": To allow me to be in your life again! All this time I was right here, in your mind, in your heart, just waiting. Waiting for you to bring your fairytale my way. But, no, you just kept living in a fantasy without meaning and you know what? That's not okay and I don't feel safe.

Luiz: Aaaaaaah! Why do you play me like a game? That is your problem! Always having someone else to blame for anything and now you blame me?!

The past Luiz makes a sad expression.

"Luiz": I just wanted to be you again...

He walks away and sits in the middle of the orchids. The Harmony Deity gets free from the tree and walks to the real Luiz' side.

???: Aren't you going to say anything?

Luiz: What else is there to say... I grew up and changed, that happens, can you blame me for wanting to leave this child behind?

???: That child is still you.

Luiz: So why does he look like a distorted version of me?

???: Because you still see your past as distorted. You still see everything that happens before you get your powers as something you should forget, like it didn't happen, like a negative thing.

Luiz looks at the past him.

???: And so, here he is. The negative past you wanted so hard to hate. The distorted weak, emotional, sensible and pathetic version of you that you loathe so much.

Luiz: Oh...

???: Why do you hate yourself so much?

Luiz: I don't...

???: You got powers, that's all that changed, but you are still you. So hating your past, means you also hate your present and future, because they are still you. So tell me, why do you hate yourself so much?

Luiz: Because... Because I deserve it...

???: You do?

Luiz: Yes... I'm a horrible person... Should have never been born... And should have died at the top of that mountain... Because that was my fault. It's all my fault.

???: So, if you hate yourself for your mistakes, why don't you forgive yourself for them?

Luiz: Huh? That doesn't make sense...

???: When you make a mistake with someone, you apologize, right? If you screwed up with yourself, why not apologize to yourself?

Luiz: I can't speak to myself.

???: Weird, I could've sworn that a part of you was sitting over there.

Luiz looks at his past self and the wind begins to blow, shaking the orchids and his coat.

Luiz: Hey...

"Luiz": Go away... Just get the approval of the deity and go back to your world.

Luiz: I... I... I guess I have to face that... I was wrong.

The past Luiz doesn't move.

Luiz: Since I got my powers... Since I joined Luminary... I always felt this need to always give the impression that I had the answers for everything.

"Luiz": Hmph...

Luiz: I tried to not disappoint anyone... I didn't want to... But I guess that... In the end... I did... I disappointed the one person I didn't think I could... You.

"Luiz": Me?

Luiz: You were so disappointed to see me unravel so easily in this awful place. But it's only my need for change. Only everything I know. You can't blame me for that, can you? Even the things that seem still are still changing.

"Luiz": I guess we always tried to change for the better.

Luiz: But I shouldn't have done that at the cost of losing myself... I'm... I'm sorry...

"Luiz": What did you say?

Luiz looked at his past self, he started to look more like him, the right black hair, the right blue coat, the right everything, all except the hands.

Luiz: I'm asking if you can forgive this stupid piece of shit... Since I got my powers, I was so focused on saving others that... I forgot to save myself.

"Luiz": I can only forgive you, if you are willing to forgive me too.

They walk close to each other.

Luiz: I am.

"Luiz": We are.

The two hug each other as all the orchids begin to be blown away by an intense wind.

Luiz: Let's keep moving forward together, alright?

"Luiz": Always.

Luiz wakes up on the forest.

Enki: He's awake!

Gibil: About time!

Luiz: The battle! I still got time?

Iah: Yes, hopefully your mother can teach you her skill in time for the battle.

Simone: Wait. Show me your hand.

Luiz: My hand?

Luiz raised his hands. In the left one, his wedding ring, then he looked at his right hand and saw a metal ring with an orange stone, shining in it's orange light and two silver wings coming out from the stone.

As usual, like all other Luminary Guardians, the accessory was shining along with the pendant.

Simone: The Sky Harmony Ring...

Luiz: ...it symbolizes that I was recognized by the trial deity, makes my special moves stronger and shines in orange light when use my powers.

Simone: Um... Yeah, that.

Luiz: Yeah, the others told me everything.

Night of the Final Round. Luiz vs Hail - Harmony Battle.

On the night of the battle, the arena was crowded. The anticipation was big and even TV helicopters were there to record everything live. Luminary sees a bunch of familiar faces on the crowd as the protective shield raises around the battlefield.

Leo: Where's Nana?

Paris: Right there.

Nana was sitting in the crowd, talking to Renne and her Father in Law.

Leo: Even his dad came to see the fight... But I don't see Simone or our mentors anywhere...

Allen: They're late actually.

They looked at the arena and Hail was there with her hands in her pockets, Jade didn't want to look at her.

Allen: What's the matter, little goddess?

Jade: It's nothing.

Allen knew very well when Jade was lying, but chose not to pry as Jade got closer and snuggled him.

Commander: 5 minutes left. If the Luminary's Guardian of Harmony don't appear, they will be disqualified.

Hail: It seems that your friend isn't a fox, but a chicken instead.

She mocks Luminary and laughs.

Commander: One minute left--

A pillar of Blue Flame comes down from the sky and lands in the arena emanating a strong balanced aura.

Hail: So you came after all...

The blue colors fades and Luiz appears clenching his right fist and with a monster hand covering his left one. His Luminary's Harmony Pendant was shining in a bright Orange light, his monsters were circling around him and he looked at Hail as Simone and her guardians sat on the grandstands close to Nana and Renne.

Nana: With his brow ever furrowed and wielding his fists as though in prayer. That's him, Luiz Bright.

Hail and Luiz look at each other and the fight is about to start.