Chapter 17

I took a step towards the entrance, my breath beginning to fade slowly. This was it. The last place I had to take down. Before I could even open the door it was pushed open menacingly, a familiar face looking down at me. "I knew you'd come here eventually Bloodshed." The voice said somberly. "You know I had no other option Renfro we're all a part of the problem and the solution, it would have to be done eventually." I replied steadily. Renfro shook his head disappointedly. "Everything was working perfectly until you decided that we were the problem; how could you betray the people who gave you your power?" Renfro asked looking for an answer he knew he would never receive. "I didn't betray our cause, if anything I've made sure that our purpose has been fulfilled." Renfro seemed to understand but still looked at me as though he wanted me to change my mind. "I don't want to fight you, but you realize that I'm not going to die easily don't you?" I nodded reverently, not wanting to kill him but knowing there was no other way to finish what I started. Renfro sighed and a throwing knife spiraled towards me deafeningly fast from the sleeve of his silver cloak that he was wearing and I barely parried it with the beginning edge of my sword, sending it flying jaggedly away from me. Renfro ran towards me silently with a chain-sickle in hand swinging the other sickle swiftly showing his experience wielding his weapon. I yelled out and ducked back then lunged forward attacking Renfro from the side trying to get some sort of advantage on him, instead I got sliced on my face above my eye and on my thigh. I got angry and charged him vigorously attacking from everywhere I could; High, low, middle and anywhere in between I had him guarding. Renfro attacked back when he got a chance and slung his sickle out towards my neck, I got an opening from that attack after I dodged pulling the chain away. I grabbed him and tossed him in the air and reverse kicked a red bolt of electricity towards him shocking him and paralyzing him. Bloodshed walked towards Renfro and picked him up and hugged him. Tears ran down Bloodshed's face, "I didn't want to have to do this I had no other choice." Bloodshed felt a sharp stabbing pain in his back and slumped backwards on the ground. Renfro got up shakily and replied, "I know, but you're not going to kill me. I'll grant you a peaceful death, even though you've killed many it was meant for the good of everyone." Renfro came over and my heart started beating faster in fear. He said, "Rest in Peace Bethelod Shed, one day your goal will be complete but not in this lifetime." I tried to move but was stuck in place. Renfro started swinging the chains and took a step towards me, my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest and my mind was going crazy, it felt as though I were going everywhere at once without moving at all. I heard the snap of the chain and I felt nothing. I looked back and saw a figure of Opet with a sickle coming out of her chest. Renfro looked stunned and I looked back with both eyes glowing white and the figure I made took the sickle out of her chest and took his other sickle and stuck one in his back and one in his chest. I walked over to Renfro and said, "My goal will be complete, no matter how much pain I go through it will all end by my hand in death and bloodshed." With that the blades pushed all the way in and Renfro fell lifeless. Bloodshed walked into the Battlegrounds and took down anyone that stood in his way with Opet's figure at his side fighting alongside him. Bloodshed eventually got into the Final Archive and found Pirouette standing alone with no weapons to defend herself with, her eyes looking down to the cold ground. "If you're going to kill me Bloodshed, then at least grant me a final request." I looked at Pirouette and said, "I'm not a monster, I just want to end it all and bring peace." She looked at me and said, "I know, that's why I'm not going to fight you." I turned away sadly not wanting to keep going anymore, but knowing I had to. "What is your request?" I asked forlornly. "Tell my family that I love them and that I'm sorry that I wasn't able to be there for them. Tell them I'll be waiting for them and that they'll always be with me. You'll find their names and information in my life book." With that I unsheathed my swords and pointed them at Pirouette with elegance and asked, "Are you ready?" She looked up and closed her eyes and said, "As ready as I'll ever be." Bloodshed ran both blades through Pirouette's back and saw blood drip from her mouth and released the swords from her and caught her before she fell. He laid her left arm down and placed her right arm on top of it and closed her lifeless eyes. "I promise I'll tell them everything you needed to say and more." He stood up and said " 'Til next we meet Pirouette." And left slowly and respectfully. Bloodshed was finally almost done with this endless amount of death and destruction that needed to take place in order to protect the world from the threat of becoming corrupt again at the cost of his own soul becoming corrupt. He hoped that maybe he would be forgiven because his actions were meant to bring peace but he felt as though he were damned with no chance of becoming redeemed for his terrible path. Bloodshed continued onward and found Arquis armed and seething with rage, the last person who he needed to vanquish before he could be done with his mission. Arquis screamed at Bloodshed, "This is what you wanted all along?! To betray us and take everyone down with you?!! And for what? Vengeance for Opet? She's dead Bloodshed, she's never coming back. I told you things about me I never told anyone else because you were like a brother to me!" He ran at me and swung his staff violently and I kept dodging and parrying not trying to kill him yet. "I saw you becoming distant and emotionless like I was and I didn't want you to be like me.." Arquis stopped and his hands were shaking and he had tears running down his face. I could tell he didn't want to fight me either. I felt ashamed and tried to explain, "I didn't want to do this, I had to. It was the only way to make sure no one evil was left to take over the world. Arquis looked at me unbelievingly, "You think I'm evil? That Renfro and Pirouette and all of us that helped you are evil?" I answered back, "No. I know you're not evil, but I couldn't risk anyone being able to come to power no matter how much I cared for them I had to make sure Opet didn't die in vain." Arquis seemed to understand, but at the same time he looked as though he wanted to kill me. "You may have had good intentions but what if you become evil? All of this will only make you the evil you want to destroy." I answered knowing my final answer was the hardest one. "That's why after all this is over and I've scoured every inch of the Blood Ruby Nation and everywhere else to make sure no one is left I will live only to make sure no one else rises to power and takes over. I will only be able to rest once I've made sure no one else died for nothing." Arquis saw the pain and suffering that I was going through just for the sake of the rest of the world. "Why would you take on such a burden by yourself?" I answered, "Because that's what we're here for, to protect what we love and hold dear to us. I don't expect everyone to lay their life down and let me kill them, no one wants to die and I didn't want to take their lives. I did what I felt was my purpose and no one else can take that from me." Arquis knew I spoke from the heart and said, "I forgive you, I see what your purpose was. I will fight til my last breath to vanquish you, and should I win I will give you an honorable funeral." I replied, "And so shall I if I win." We both looked at each our eyes locked and our purpose clear. The only thing left was to fight."