THE WARMTH OF A BRO-HUG

THE WARMTH OF A BRO-HUG

The night is still dark and full of terror. All the flames from the burnt houses are no more. Only the blinking streetlamps are the source of light in this place. There are multiple craters around this highway due to my outrageous fight with Diadem. That devil really made this small village a mess.

Now that my true enemy is gone, my eyes are fixated on the shrine maiden in front of me.

Tiara Hikari.

I… Do I love her?

Really, Alaric?

Don't make me laugh!

ALL I CAN THINK OF IS TO CUT THIS WOMAN'S LIMBS INTO SHREDS AND HEAR HER DYING SCREAM AS I SLIT HER THROAT!!!

"...It's over now, Rikkun…" Tiara muttered. She was still hiding her face by keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Traitor!" I shouted.

"It's not what you think, Rikkun!" She cried as she clenched her fist. "Diadem's mind is just corrupted by an Eidolon! I… I can still turn him back!!!... I-If you want… I'll atone for the sins of my twin brother!"

"Well then…" I positioned my giant katana and charged it with wind energy. "<Aero Twirl>!!!"

"Kyaaaaah!" Tiara uttered a loud cry! She didn't even think about blocking or evading. She directly caught the attack, which made her shrine maiden clothes tattered like a dirty rag. She even has multiple cuts all over her wrist, shoulders, legs, and body!

But she stood there, not backing down. Blood dripped from her wounds, and tears fell from her eyes.

"That's not enough!" I shouted. "Chrisprel, Ranley, Daughty… They are all my brothers! Your brother should suffer the pain of death, three times!"

I am no longer thinking straight. All I have in my mind, body, and soul commands me to kill this woman! That's right. By killing his precious twin sister, I shall inflict a third of my pain to Diadem!

My giant katana absorbed darkness from the sky. The ground was shattered by the tremendous energy. It's now ready for my most powerful spell as a Fake God!

"<Void Art: Limbo Spiral>!!!"

A hurricane made up of dark force drilled towards the defenseless shrine maiden! Due to her instinct, she caught the projectile with her hand and used <Assimilate> in an attempt to completely repel it. But she was only able to absorb a half of my special attack!

"Kah!"

The residue dark gusts gave her slices all over her body. There are a lot of cuts on her shrine maiden uniform, and the blood of her wounds created red spots on her white outfit.

It may be my imagination, but I saw Tiara's eyes glowing red. No, it's real! Her eyes are crimson! But the golden cross sigil retained on her irises!

Suddenly, her long black hair warped into a silver one, just like her evil twin brother. Now the devil siblings look the same, except that Tiara has this silver fox tail on her back. But how many times I look at it, I can only conclude that she's also a Cursed Guardian!

Interesting… Hahaha! Interesting indeed! So my <Presage> was correct after all! She is the one who will torment me till the end of time!

"So you have finally shown your true colors, Brightmore Witch!" I shouted with a fake smile on my face. I'm trembling with hatred and disgust.

"N-No!" Tiara cried and shook her head in denial. "I-I-It's not what you think!"

I may be a little out of my mind due to wrath consuming my mind and heart, but I can still formulate battle tactics. I noticed that there's a limit to her <Assimilate> and Void Spells can never be absorbed as a whole!

"I'll slice you to tidbits and burn you into a human barbecue, just like how your mother turned out to be!" I cried like a madman. "<Void Art: Limbo Spiral>!!!"

"<Assimilate>!!!" Tiara caught the attack again, and it resulted in more wounds! She can now only absorb 30% of the total attack power of my spell, so it means her absorbing powers are weakening!

"One more! <Limbo Spiral>!!!"

Suddenly, there was a golden streak that clashed with my crimson tornado! Due to the impact, my attack was redirected and blasted a random house!

"Ric, calm down!" Amy the friggin bitch finally arrived in the scene. She was with fully geared Helena, Key, and that fuckboy Kristoff who is wielding a bow and arrow.

"Don't interrupt me! I still have to kill this woman!" I shouted. Then I prepared my sword stance to cast another spell!

Amy was already impatient. She spread out her hand pointing at me, and used her Guardian Ability!

"By the power of my <Royal Imperative>, I order you, Alaric Eisenhower, to calm down!!!"

Invisible energy dragged me. I feel like the gravity has been increased twentyfold! I crashed to the ground, but I still managed to get back on my feet.

My eyes are getting dizzy, and I'm slowly losing the will to fight. But not yet! Maybe I can fight off <Royal Imperative> if I kill that bitch Amy!

I commanded my elastic tentacles on my right arm to whip that blonde runt. In the nick of time, she covered herself with her arms. But because of the tremendous force, she was launched in the air and crashed on a ruined house.

Seeing this, her allies immediately acted!

"<Lightning Jolt>!!!" Helena stabbed my right shoulder with her sword, and then the blade itself released a million volts! It made my muscles paralyzed, but I still managed to stand!

"<Phantom Impaler>!!!" Kristoff pierced my left and right legs to the ground using his dark-infused arrows!

These guys are ganging up on me!

"Rikkun… Please let me explain…" Tiara is now acting like a goody-shoe saint as she held her hands together. She's slowly walking to my position.

I can still kill the damned fox witch!

"Die!" I yelled. "<Cosmic Hellflare>!!!"

The giant eye on my chest charged a basketball-sized sun that rushed to Tiara! Her eyes widened and she was left defenseless due to the surprise attack! That should have ended her life, but...

"<Hologram Shell>!!!" Key shouted. A rectangular glass was projected by her drones to repel my final attack!

As the smoke and the explosion faded, all the Gate Guardians that have been working hard to neutralize me are angrily glaring at me with contempt. Helena, Key, and Kristoff… They couldn't believe that I will act with treachery and kill Tiara when she's perfectly wide open and unwilling to fight.

Suddenly, a close friend of mine rushed to me and hugged me tightly.

"Ric… Calm down…. Tiara has nothing to do with it…"

It was Heushac, now crying his tears out like a womanly man.

"Heu...shac…" Tears fell down from my eyes. I couldn't believe that my willpower's weakness is the warmth of a bro-hug.

Amy went in front of my face and reached out her hand. For the second time, she tried to tranquilize me for good. "By the power of my <Royal Imperative>, I command you… Ric… please calm down and sleep in peace."

My eyes went heavy as I realized I could no longer fight.

The last thing I saw before falling into a deep slumber is Tiara, who was reverted back to her black-haired normal form. She fell on her knees, holding her chest like she's having a heart attack. But in reality, she's suffering from the tremendous pain that burst from the depths of her heart.

Her watery eyes… are full of despair, loneliness, and guilt.

Everything is red… and black.

<>

I'm dreaming.

I was here again, in this realm of the Frozen Soul. A white-haired teenager was examining every detail of the iced woman who was endlessly singing telepathically. He stopped when he finally saw me.

"Are you happy that you changed Heushac and Mr. Kent's fate?" He smiled.

"I did what you wanted. I formed a contract with you... You can control time, right? Now bring my friends back!" I shouted.

"Whoa, relax there, young lad. I'm not a genie." The Outsider made an obnoxious laugh. "All I can do is to give you the power to change your destiny. It's still up to you what your ending would be."

"I don't care about fate. I just wanted my vendetta." I looked away, and about to make the first step, but he spoke again.

"Maybe you're frustrated that you failed to kill Diadem and got betrayed by the Brightmore Witch. But I'm sure that one day, your vengeance will be fulfilled. I will help you gain that wicked Cursed Guardian's head as a trophy so that you can celebrate that sweet victory."

"When!?" I looked at him back. He got this devilish smile on his face as if he's teasing me.

"When the time is right." The Outsider swiped his hands, which formed a Gate. "When the Frozen Soul finally reaches the chorus of her song."

Then a blinding flash emerged, which made me come back to reality.