Chapter 67

Tyson's blade was deep embedded into the frozen ground beneath them. Having run itself straight through Hide's chest. Glaring down deep into the man's deep, cold, blue eyes that seemed to carry a hint of warmth behind them as if he had long accepted the out come that was before him already. Something about the peaceful glint in his eye seemed to stir something in Tyson's chest as the solid ice around them stopped enclosing around them and remained still.

"You're not planning to take me down with you?" Tyson asked simply as he kept a firm grasp on his weapon. Keeping it exactly where it was, pinning Hide to the cold, ice covered, ground. Having expected Hide to put up more of a fight against him he could only wonder why the man in the last moment would pull back and refrain from taking his opponent down with him.

"Ha.." Hide's face lit up with a faint smile as a small bit of blood began to make its way out his mouth from the internal damage done to him. His eyes seemed to quiver as if what he thought about seemed to pain him slightly. Regrets catching up to him as he lay there without any hint of resistance because he knew it was futile for him.

"I have no reason to take you with me into the afterlife.. Why should I allow my very death to be forced into bringing someone with me.. If I am forced to kill in my final moment, I would rather die alone.. as long as he is safe." Hide forced the words out as he reached up and grabbed hold of Tyson's weapon. Not to remove it but simply to pull his attention to him as he spoke. Ice began to leave his hand and freeze the dual blade, just around the part he was holding onto. He was finding it difficult to control his own ability as he weakened by the seconds that passed.

Tyson felt slightly startled by the words that Hide had spoken. He never thought the man would think so far. Hide knew that he was going to die regardless of struggling, so he was willing to lay there and accept his fate. There was no interest in his mind to be forced even in his final moments into killing someone else for Numen's Garden. If he was to die he wanted it to be of his own volition even if he had to die alone.

"Can I ask you something before I die.." Hide could not help but allow his curiosity to surface as he knew there was no reason left to hold himself back from asking what he wanted to know. "You spoke.. as if you had someone you wish to protect as well.."

Tyson thought for a moment before removing his weapon from Hide's chest. Coughing blood up at the rough removal of the weapon Hide instinctively held his hand up against the wound. There was nothing he could do about the wound but he could not stop his own instincts from trying to seal it up with his hand.

As his hand touched his wound it caused the outside of the wound to freeze as he grit his teeth with a rough grunt from the pain. It would not stop him from dying but would merely delay his death. To Tyson he even considered the thought that it possibly made it even more painful for Hide from the look on his face but it was the man's own decision to freeze his wound shut.

"I did have.. once." Tyson answered honestly as he watched the dying man in pain before him freezing his wound.

"I see.." Hide uttered with understanding. Knowing that Tyson once had someone he too cared about made him realize that just maybe Tyson understood a bit more then he realized at the start of everything. What was done could not be undone, however, so it did not matter to his situation.

Things got quiet between them both as Tyson stood there by Hide. Watching over his condition while things ran through his mind.

"Though I failed to protect what was important to me back then.. I have someone now as well.. Though what I feel for them is a different kind of protection I wish to give them.. I have no intention to fail to send them home.. and avenge what was once taken from me." Every word Tyson spoke came from his heart as he could feel that the type of affection he felt for Chi was something else entirely then a simple friend or family connection. What he felt for Chi was much deeper. He would not admit it out loud in front of anyone else, but he knew that being honest in that moment in front of Hide since the man was a dying man, it did not matter what he said in front of him.

"Hah.. I see.. I understand.. But if I may ask.. if a time ever comes.." For Hide the time was coming for him as his vision began to blur. In the back of his mind he could see the face of his younger twin smiling and calling out to him. It did not take much for Tyson to know where the man wanted to go with his words even though it was becoming harder for him to speak. The state of his wound was worsening and it would not be long for him.

"I will do my best to protect him when the time comes. You have my word. When I destroy this dimension your brother will safely leave this place and never see it again." Tyson spoke every word with confidence. It was not that he felt a hundred percent sure that he could defeat Numen's Garden, but he knew that what Hide was seeking was something in his final moments to make him worry less about the state of his brother without him around.

Tears filled Hide's eyes at the words that Tyson had spoke to him. They both knew the conditions behind what lead them to their current situation and neither of them could find fault to blame each other. Even if Tyson had been the one to end his life he could not feel any more thankful to Tyson then he did in that moment as a tear slid down his face and fell onto the frozen ground beneath him.

A faint laugh in the back of his mind as a weak smile made its way onto his face as he recalled the final words his brother had said to him. The very last memory he had with Nova was when his brother was forcing him to leave the armored car while calling him a lolicon out of anger. Something about it just seemed to warm his heart because he knew the truth that his brother was never really angry with him.

What hint of life was left in Hide's tear filled eyes faded away until there was none at all.

All ice that had once been entrapping the two of them collapsed into a pool of water that soaked the ground from all around. Leaving Tyson standing there by Hide's cold body that was left in a pool of melted ice and mud. Something about the sight caused Tyson's chest to tighten as if he had been the one that got fatally stabbed. He had never regretted killing anyone in such a long time but everything about the way that Numen and Zeref had forced him and Hide into such a situation had destroyed him emotionally.

All eyes were on Tyson as he stood there with a dark expression on his face and a painful promise he had just made to a man who's blood now stained his own hands. From his expression everyone was too scared to move let alone call out to him.