Chapter 22: Death and War

This is it. The long awaited battle of two siblings, two twins of blood. One seeks revenge and one seeks power, who will stand and who will fall.

Twins crashed landed into the open streets, and civilians began to run away from them. Alex lands on his feet further from Rena while she stands the opposite.

Her body is covered in flames but it didn't harm her, and her psychotic smile is ever present she stares at herself from power she gained.

"Rena....Why?!!!"

She looks up at her brother with once glee to a frown.

"All the work I've done up to now, just look the power I gained. I'm strong, strong as you, perhaps stronger, but to know the peak of my power, I have to defeat you at your worst."

"Do you really want my worst? I mean to destroy you!!!" Alex said with venom in his voice.

"Would you?" Rena asked.

Alex's face soften up a little and pondered.

"You didn't have that look from when I kicked your ass back at your base, and when you had me pinned down with your blade, you could've killed me. Are you actually turning your back on your revenge after coming this far?"

Alex stood there in silence as she awaits his answer.

Then after a minute, his fist tightens and began to walk towards her. He looked at her with angry and determined eyes.

This brings a smile on Rena's face as she too approached Alex.

Two twins walked towards each other.

'Rena...' Alex mentally said in his mind as he pulled out his scythe in its pocket form.

'Alex...' Rena mentally said in her mind as she placed her hand at the hilt of her sword.

'...for you to pay for what you've done...' Alex activated his weapon into polearm form.

'...for me to become the strongest...' Rena unsheathed her sword and ignites it.

Alex and Rena ran to each other and clashed their weapon together and screamed in their hearts

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

After their weapons clashed, they jumped and backed off from each other

Alex was the first to rush at Rena and swings his scythe followed with a downward slash, Rena parries the two strikes before upper slashing at him which Alex brought up his scythe to block it. Alex jumped back before she thrust her sword forward.

Rena laughs in glee as she ignites her sword and swings three times, waves of fire that projectiles from each swing comes for Alex.

He managed to swat the projectiles away, but when he destroyed the third one, Rena was already on to him. Her sword is already in her sheath and positioned into an Iaido technique.

She quickly draws her sword slice her brother but luckily, Alex planted his feet to the ground, used his magic ability to turn into a black and red mist and teleported upwards before Rena could complete the draw, the same trick he pulled to kill Caine while she distracted him. Rena looked up and saw Alex appearing from his mist and raised his scythe for an overhead slam.

As Alex descends quickly for the attack, she managed to roll out of the way before Alex slams the ground, leaving a crater beneath his feet.

The two stand up and Rena applauded him.

"Hehe! Where was that when we fought at the gym. You would've overpowered me back then, but now I'm not holding back anymore." she taunts him.

She then jumped in the air, ignited her sword again and released wave projectiles towards him. Alex sprints back and circled around as the fire waves misses him before leaping towards her.

Rena was about to slash Alex when he gets close enough, but then Alex transformed into mist and phased through her and changed back. He hurled a spirit like projectile at her, she blocks it but it knocks her back and landed on the ground.

Alex used the mists to dash towards Rena at full speed and struck at her hard, creating a giant crater at their feet and dust began to smoke the area.

When the dust clears, his eyes widened in surprise. He did not hit her, he found the blade hitting the fiery barrier, and Rena with her sword raised as if she finished a slash. She created an impenetrable shield with just her sword swing.

"Amazing, I can't wait to see what else this power can do." Rena said with astonishment.

His danger instincts rang loudly, which caused him to pull his scythe and bounced away from her. When he landed and looked at her, he was shocked to see that Rena is already dashing at him.

"TOO LATE!!!" she shouted as she draws her fiery sword for an attack. He tries to block it but her first attack immediately broke his defense, staggering him. Then her second attack fully carved his back, causing him to grunt. Then her third blow drove her sword by his gut, which he coughed out blood, the sword lights up and exploded and sent him flying through the street then crashed into a car.

Rena looks at her sword, intact and smiled.

"Neat! I think I'll call this move, Dance of Wrath."

She looks back to Alex, who gets up from the car. He took off his cloak, which his grey shirt and black jeans is tattered and bloody. He gritted his teeth with a glare and gripped his scythe.

Rena puts her sword back in the sheath, she grabbed the car and with her immense strength, lifted it and threw it him. Alex leaps forward and while he prepares for a swing, he cuts the incoming car clean and there comes Rena with sword two handed.

Alex countered it with his followup swing and both weapons struck each other so hard that the shockwave decimated the glass and parts of the walls of nearby buildings, before both wielders landed on the ground on opposite sides to each other.

The twins jumped upwards, using the fallen debris as stepping stones, all while clashing blades in mid air. When they reached the biggest debris on the top, they locked on the close combat on the falling piece of a wall.

After Rena's last strike, he jumped back then tried to slash at her, but she jumps up and raised her sword above her head with two hands. She gathers all her fire into the blade and slams down at Alex like a comet. He's able to block it but they broke the platform they stand on and he was pushed down to the ground while Rena uses her fire to propel down at full speed.

'Dammit! It's like she's getting stronger at each second. I have to end this now.' Alex thinks to himself before turning into mist form and escape before they hit the ground.

Alex recovered but Rena closed in on him. She strikes Alex very hard even though he blocked, she strikes again and he was starting to get overwhelmed by her strength until he's on his knee. Rena keeps striking at the same spot of the pole of Alex's weapon then raised her sword over her head.

"USELESS!!!" She screams.

She swings down with all her might and the force shattered the scythe in pieces, leaving Alex stunned.

Akindele's first creation given to him, gone.

Then the next he knows, Rena kicked him which sent him flying and crashed to the ground.

"So where has your investigation left you?" she asked.

Alex is still on the ground, he coughed then slowly picking himself up. Rena is walking towards him as she continues to speak.

"Didn't you notice, that the longer I'm engaged in this battle, the stronger I become. It was her signature power after all."

Alex's eyes widened upon realization on what she meant. "Tezrian."

Rena grins when he caught on.

"They experimented on me with her power. Then I heard her call out to me, she would give me strength to become stronger. I only needed to destroy her body and allow her soul to accept me. Her rage and desire for war became my own, mixed with my desire for power. While it didn't go the way they planned it, I still am the first successful weapon of Project Ares."

She stops the in front of him as Alex got to his knees.

"You and Caine, I couldn't made it this far without you both. But now brother, you must die."

Rena raised her sword for a fatal strike, Alex kept his head low as he was about to meet his end. Funny, everything he's done, causing the death of others only to meet his by the hands of his kin. Could this be the end?

"DIE!!!" Rena yelled she is about to swing down her sword to end his life.

But.....

... it's not over yet.

Alex suddenly released a power surge, black and red wisps began to seep out of her and went to Alex himself.

"What?!" Rena gasped.

Before could process what was going on, she starts to feel weaker and weaker, a rush of fatigue slam into her as the wisps leave her body, and that's when she realizes. He's draining her strength or specifically, her life force.

Alex looked at her menacingly with his glowing red eyes as he slowly got up, Rena tried to attack him but Alex blocked her strike and pushed her off to gain distance.

Alex stands with newfound strength and resolve, his body covered with black and red flame-like shadow aura, his wounds were healing rapidly. Any damage done by her sister was undone, and this only caused Rena to glare in anger.

"You dare to be stubborn, brother."

"I'm not your brother, I see right through you now." Alex says indifferently.

His eyes glowed red like a raging sun and through his eyes, he saw a wisp of orange and black that burned like a fire, but there's also a hint of bright blue light that shines through the blackness.

That wisp he sees in a person is a soul or a person's life force, and Alex can see the souls of people. He understood now, the whole time Tezrian's dark soul had indeed corrupted her.

"Rena, Tezrian, whoever you are, even if this kills me, I'll end this now." Alex challenged the goddess of war.

Rena seethes in anger then lets out a battle cry before charging at him. She swings horizontally and Alex ducks under it and punches Rena square in the face, she staggers. Alex decides to use his fist infused with dark eldritch magic to counter and beat Rena up. Red orbs start to come out of every hit Alex dishes out and he absorbs them.

'What the hell is going on, every time he hits me, I feel my life slipping away...I feel dizzy. I can't let him have his way!' she thinks as she took his punches.

Despite her immense strength and power, she couldn't fight back. Alex used his own left hand and conjured a red and black demon claw of sorts, he swipes at her, more red orbs came out of her for him to absorb, and knock her back.

She gets up, frustrated when he managed to overwhelm her at the brink of her victory. She glares at him while he stood calm and collected with his stoic expression, and that royally pisses her off.

"Enough of this!!! I am the Crimson Warrior, and I set out to be the strongest. I will not lose to you!!!" she shouts with a hint of desperation.

She surges her power and releases a wave of fire that spreads, Alex had to shield his eyes Once the fire is gone, he opened his eyes become shocked. In Rena's place stands an infernal demoness, who grew bigger in size, her skin is literally made of fire, she wore red and gold demonic armor around her torso, shoulders, arms and legs, her facial features is still recognizable, only her hair is literally made of fire and the same marking glows on her forehead.

Rena just entered her Chaos Form.

Rena entered her sword stance, ready for her attack and Alex leaned his posture readying his own attack.

"I'LL OBLITERATE YOU!!!" Chaos Rena shouted as sprints for Alex as he still stands there, unflinching. When she got close, she swing her sword downwards for the killing blow.

But in the last second, Alex leaped towards the sword, turned into mist and phased through the attack. She became shocked when this is happening. He turned back to his base form and already positioning behind her, he formed an black and red ethereal scythe out of his own spirit form and the blade is positioned by her right bicep, he roughly pulled the scythe and sliced Rena's right arm clean off.

Alex landed on the ground, followed by Rena's severed arm hitting the ground. Rena screamed in pain and immediately held her stump. Then suddenly her fire begins to fade and she reverts back to her human form, her pupils shrunk and her expression showed evident anger and pain.

Despite this, Rena tried to run to Alex in desperation to attack him, but Alex sidestepped and scraped the back of her knees, causing her to fall and render her immobilized.

Rena uses her intact left hand to push herself up and sat on her knees, breathing heavily. She looks ups at Alex, who now towers and staring down at her with his ethereal scythe in his hand.

She chuckles at the irony. This is the same scene where she betrayed him, and now tables have turned. Her limbs are weak, and any attack she throws at him, he'll cut them down. Rena finally acknowledges defeat.

"What starts with war..." Rena began.

"...ends with death." Alex finishes.

"I guess you're going to kill me now. Have your revenge."

Alex stayed silent for a moment before she sighs and continues speaking.

"I never even wanted power, I just wanted to be as equal as you. Because of what you've been through to gain strength and love, I felt lesser than you. But then we lost everything, our parents, our home, and everyone hated us. But you kept on fighting, and when I did, I fell down hard just like now. So why? Why did you rise while I fell?"

Alex knew the answer but wasn't sure if it was the right one. "Because I fought for something I believe in, like dad taught us."

"If there's something you wish to be, something to believe in, you have to fight for it, tooth and nail." She responded and asked.

"Is this what was waiting for you in what you believe in brother?"

Alex stood silently and turned his gaze away. Rena knew this response.

"You don't even know anymore do you? I suppose that's your problem and this is my punishment, I accept that. Brother, you must be the one to kill me, the power, I can't control it any longer, I'll go on a rampage. Kill me please."

Alex gripped his ethereal scythe tight. He had no idea she was going through all this, and now this had to be done. Had they talk more, maybe things would be different.

"Alex, can I ask something? Is it meaningless to apologize?"

Alex didn't need to say a sentence, nor give meaning, he only said one word.

"Never."

"I'm sorry....brother." Rena breathed out in sorrow and shed a tear letting it slide her cheek.

Alex raised his scythe for execution. Rena made no resistance. Time passed for a long moment as the markings on Rena skin began to spread. No words, no emotions, not a single shred of joy in this act, only Rena smiled peacefully.

Alex finally swings his scythe and all the crows that perched from street lights and signs flew away at once.

No noise, just utter silence. Rain began to fell on the city as it extinguishes nearby fire. Alex couldn't feel a thing, except regret and sorrow. Despite all she did, despite his anger, he loved her all the same.

Tears began to fall from his eyes, then he fell down to his knees and weep silently as the rain showers over him and his fallen sister, his family.

In the end.....he's all alone.