Darkness

|Gary|

As the realisation set in, I grimly acknowledged the direness of the situation. Jezebeth had successfully neutralised our combined assault, outlasting Lancelot's transformative power. We had underestimated his resilience.

Without hesitation, I tapped into my mastery of spatium, utilising its teleportation abilities to whisk both Lancelot and myself away from Jezebeth's immediate reach. The strain of the transformation took its toll on Lancelot, causing his body to convulse in pain. Knowing I lacked the mana reserves to heal him, I made a quick decision and directed him towards Rachel, trusting her restorative abilities to mend his wounds.

Jezebeth's own power waned significantly, mirroring my own depletion. At this juncture, we stood as equals, our fates hanging in the balance. The decisive victor would soon emerge from the impending clash.

With an unwavering resolve, I recognised the gravity of the moment. This final assault would be a perilous gamble, one that might claim my own life in the process. However, my sole purpose now rested upon extinguishing Jezebeth's existence, even if it meant sacrificing myself in the process.

A chilling iciness settled in my eyes as I locked my gaze upon the target, fixated on the imminent strike that would decide our fates.

Concentrating all the radiant power of the light magic that enveloped me, I channeled it into Dusk's Shadowfang, causing the majestic blade to undergo a transformative metamorphosis. It grew into a colossal, gleaming sword of resplendent gold and luminous radiance.

Jezebeth mirrored my determination, adopting his own formidable stance, prepared to bring the battle to its final climax in our next exchange.

The atmosphere crackled with tension as the clash of titans loomed, a culmination of our entire struggle hanging in the balance.

Harnessing the immense power within me, I summoned the fifth movement of the Keiki Style: Space Splitter. The forces of spatium surged through my mana and aether cores, causing a violent tremor that reverberated throughout my being.

Cracks tore through the very fabric of space itself as I propelled my transformed sword towards Jezebeth with relentless determination. Simultaneously, Jezebeth's fist materialised a concentrated amalgamation of black flames and decay mana, aiming to annihilate me in a single blow.

As space shattered, radiant light burst forth from the fractures, bombarding my adversary relentlessly. Undeterred by the onslaught, Jezebeth displayed an unnerving resilience, disregarding the damage inflicted upon him. With swift precision, he crushed my sword with his fist, the threat of his strike aimed directly at my heart.

Yet, I remained undeterred by the imminent peril, my focus solely fixed on extinguishing the life of my sworn enemy. The danger that loomed over me was inconsequential as I channeled the power of light to strike at Jezebeth with unwavering resolve, aware that my own demise was just a heartbeat away.

BOOM!

|Arthur|

The climactic battle between Gary and Jezebeth had reached its peak after Lancelot's defeat. Gary unveiled a powerful swordsmanship technique imbued with the power of light, while Jezebeth countered with his full might, determined to end Gary's life.

Jezebeth was bombarded by lances of radiant light that manifested from the fractures in the fabric of reality caused by Gary's spatium. Golden ichor dripped from his pores as he forced himself to push against the overwhelming power.

However, Jezebeth was not defeated yet. He penetrated through the sword of light with his fist, which was clad in black flames, aiming for Gary's vital organs.

Suddenly, there was a deafening explosion, engulfing the entire battlefield. When the dust settled, Jezebeth stood victorious over Gary, but his enemy had not gone down without a fight. Gary's body was crumbling, barely hanging on, and disintegrating into nothingness. Meanwhile, Jezebeth's injuries were grave, and he was gasping for air while bathing in ichor.

"Quick!" Varay's voice thundered, breaking the chaotic haze that had clouded my mind. "We must end that boy's life! We cannot allow such a powerful enemy to grow!"

Her words snapped me back to reality, and I immediately recognized the urgency of the situation. The three Lances, including Varay, surged forward to attack the exhausted Jezebeth. However, their advance was abruptly halted by the unexpected appearance of Uto.

"Silence, Lessers!" Uto's voice boomed as he effortlessly held off the three Lances, displaying his own formidable power. Rachel, ever vigilant, focused on healing Lancelot, preventing him from succumbing to his wounds. Meanwhile, Alistair and I were in no condition to continue the fight.

Claire appeared beside me, offering her support in the midst of the chaos. Her presence reassured me, but I couldn't shake off my disappointment in myself. I felt that I had done little to contribute to the battle, serving merely as Uto's test dummy. I yearned to become stronger, much stronger.

In the midst of our contemplation, a sudden spike skewered Claire, piercing through her heart right before my eyes. Shocked and enraged, I turned to face Kai, the perpetrator of this treacherous act.

Without hesitation, Kathlyn unleashed an arrow of ice towards him, but I moved even faster. Despite my body being pushed to its limits, I soared through the air with a burst of energy, determined to eliminate the threat.

Realmheart surged within me, empowering my every move as I tore through Kai's metallic spikes, shredding his body apart. Fueled by a mix of rage and confusion, I relentlessly demanded answers, questioning why he would commit such an act even in defeat.

"It's time to witness the face of despair," Kai's voice whispered, his words dripping with malice, as his life met its end at my hands. Once the deed was done, I deactivated Realmheart, the recoil surging through my body, causing me pain. Yet, in that pain, I felt a strange sense of vitality—a reminder that I was still alive.

Kathlyn, attempting to offer words of condolences, spoke to me, but I paid her no heed. Instead, I walked past her, my focus fixated on Claire. I shattered the metallic spike that had impaled her, freeing her from its grasp.

Her lifeless body draped over mine, cold and limp. I felt her weight, but it was as if all strength had left her, leaving behind only a shell. No rise and fall of the chest, no heartbeat, no sign of life.

She was dead.

I had thought I had grown accustomed to death and killing. The loss of my best friend Cecily at my own hands, as well as the deaths of countless others, should have numbed me to the pain. But as I held her, I couldn't help the flood of emotions that threatened to consume me.

Why was my heart beating so fast, threatening to burst out of my chest? Why were memories of our time together flooding my mind, refusing to let me move on?

Is this what grief feels like? I wondered, my mind clouded and unable to process anything else.

The voice in my ear was all too familiar, taunting me with accusations of weakness and emotional instability. Grey, the entity that resided within me, had always been a source of internal conflict, but now his words were tempting.

"Get out of my head, Grey. You're evil," I spat, trying to push the voice away.

Grey only chuckled. "Yes, I'm evil. But what does that make you, Arthur? You judge me while you've lived a life of privilege for twelve years. I've been trapped in this body with you, and every atom in my being wants to kill you. But we're one and the same, Arthur. You can't deny me forever. Accept my offer."

The offer was seductive, promising power to protect those I loved, a mask to hide my emotions, and freedom from the burden of grief.

If only I hadn't been pushed to the brink, I might have resisted the temptation.

"If I accept your offer, is it really possible?" I asked, my inner self grinning with madness at the prospect.

"Of course it is! With both of us combined, you could achieve anything you desire," Grey replied, his tone dripping with malevolence.

I knew that accepting Grey's offer would come at a terrible cost. But in that moment of weakness, the promise of power was too great to resist.

"Trust me, Arthur Leywin. Give yourself to me and let go," Grey whispered, his hand extended in front of him, beckoning me to take it.

Despite the warning whispers of my loved ones ringing in my ears, I took a step forward. Their voices grew louder and more insistent, begging me not to trust the monster before me.

For a moment, their pleas almost worked. I turned to look back at the colorful world behind me, filled with happy memories and loved ones. "Yes," I thought, "This is the life I want. A life with color, with everyone happy. I should—"

But before I could finish my thought, the colorful world exploded in a deafening boom. The world turned grey, and blood-red images of mutilated limbs and chopped-off bodies filled my vision.

My horror was palpable as I stumbled back, almost falling to the ground. "W-what happened?" I gasped, my heart racing with fear.

"This is what will happen in the future if you don't follow me, Arthur!" Grey boomed, his voice echoing around me. "All your loved ones will die one by one in front of you, with your emotions and lack of training stopping you from doing anything to help them."

I cried out in despair. "No, please not that! Anything but that!"

"Good to know we have the same opinion," Grey smirked. "Come, hold my hand and I'll free you from this future."

I knew what I had to do. Despite the pleas of my loved ones, I took Grey's hand. The world around me turned black, and I felt a surge of power and determination coursing through me.

"I'm sorry," I thought, "But I'll do anything to protect that happiness of yours."

The whispers faded away as Grey's grip tightened. "Good," he said, and the darkness consumed us both.