Charlie VS Genesis (1)

"Even in the end, you still find a way to survive everything that's happened to you. To heal to full capacity, to lead those people I tried to rile up... you always get in the way of everything..." Genesis mumbled, slightly walking to the left.

"Charlotte... get to Ultima Tower, I'll catch up with you," I told her.

"But!" I stopped her by holding my hand up.

"I'm not saying that because I want you away from here... I'm saying that because Genesis is trying to stop us from getting there soon. You're waiting it out, aren't you? Waiting for all the people to come back...?" I asked him.

"You're a smart kid, Charlie. It's a shame I have to kill you, you would've been fun to load up with a ton of abilities... but neither of you is getting out of here alive," Genesis told us.

I reacted to his threat by closing the distance instantly, trying to slide my sword against his.

From what I remember, Genesis is an interesting individual, where he would take hits when necessary, and dodge them when he couldn't find a reason to take them.

He'll have to come up with one really quick.

I feinted the hit of my sword, grabbed onto his wrist, and pulled off the glove from his left hand.

As soon as it was off, I redirected the sword toward the White Stone on his left hand, and purple sparks shot out, just as I remember. Genesis winced in any slight amount of pain that was caused, and I kicked the back of his knee.

He was letting me do this... I knew he was. I had to find the moment he was planning to strike...

Charlotte turned around as I was clashing with him and began to run. That's when I felt him smile through all of the messed-up layers of evil he had.

He pointed the White Stone at Charlotte as purple sparks started to come out of it, and I slammed the tip of my sword through it, cracking it, and causing a large explosion of strands to be released.

I was violently launched to the ground, and Charlotte was launched even further away, meaning that it wasn't up to Genesis to stop her... it was up to Genesis to stop me.

With sweat already trickling down my forehead, I smiled, picking up the sword that fell right next to me, and holding it widely, waiting for Genesis's move.

"Above all else... you are quite inventive, Charlie. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, I can't be beaten. You know that, don't you? This is a hopeless struggle you're attempting... one that will surely be met with death," Genesis told me.

"I know... you're going to kill me, or whatever. I'll tell you right now, Genesis... I made you a promise already. Sky tamed one Asterio, I'll get the next," I told him.

"So be it, let's see what you're made of, Charlie. I'll even make this an even playing field," Genesis muttered.

He ran at me with a weird weapon. It was imperceivable to my eyes, hiding behind a bending reality around a saber handle. He was going to hit me with something I couldn't see... what better way to throw him off than to run straight at him?!

I launched off the ground with my sword wide, bouncing off of the upturning dirt, and I swung upwards as he swung downwards.

The two blades clashed and his saber finally shifted back into the reality that I could understand. After doing so, his saber phased through my sword and started to head toward my shoulder.

I quickly kicked out his ankles and dove to the left-hand side, avoiding the attack, and repositioning myself.

"When Arkians are in danger, their prowess comes out, and they become more powerful, do you feel that? That blood surging through your arms, your body, your veins? That's your prowess... you're more useful than you think, even if you're not an Asterio," Genesis said with a slight annoyance in his tone. He closed the distance again.

I went on defense, deflecting attacks instead of trying to attack, analyzing his pattern. Every time his sword collided with mine, something with a bright-blue color ignited his pupils.

Every time they ignited, I felt his strength increase by a little. He was able to dodge attacks preemptively before I even threw them... that was Hikari at work.

A pattern recognition A.I., paired with a man who can't take damage... what's the trick here?

Trading blows without actually taking damage would mean this is a battle of attrition, I don't have strands, I can't heal my missing body parts, my stamina, my strength... I would lose attrition. Think Charlie... what is one weakness you know of Genesis?!

Heart... stomach... both shoulders...

I acted like I was going to swing upward toward him, and he cockily backed up with a quick step.

While he was in midair, I threw my sword through his right boot and charged my fist back.

In quick succession, I hit him right over his head with a light tap, once in his stomach, and then twice in his shoulders.

After the second hit to his last shoulder, the blue in his eyes vanished.

I grabbed the sword up out of his boot, flipped the way I was gripping onto it, and swung it through the bottom of his jaw.

I wasn't used to this much gore, but after the hit connected and tore his jaw in half up to his nose, I felt blood leak onto my face, and a hateful glance fixated onto my eyes now.

The blue wasn't returning, so I didn't hold up, coming in for two more swings over his chest.

I swung in an x-pattern, and almost stabbed straight through him, before Genesis grabbed onto the sword with his hands, and snapped it in half.

He kicked me in the chest as I tried to swing again, and then sent the broken sword piece over to me while I was on the ground.

I pushed my body up, caught the blade as it flew toward me, and cut the palm of my hand throwing it back toward Genesis.

It landed straight in his eye socket, getting stuck in his head, and stunning him in place.