Chapter 12: Wizard of Dualism 

   I was scared of myself.

   It was different from the moment I was using lightning magic.

   I felt that I knew myself more and more, at the same time that this new feeling brought a sense of not knowing myself.

   The only thing I knew was that I had finally become a proper Wizard.

   Each of my hands held a sword.

   No, these were no ordinary swords.

   Instead of a normal bar to separate the handle from the blade, the bar was shaped like a tadpole.

   But it was no more than half of a circumference, shaped like each of the parts of the Yin and Yang symbol. Adjacent to the bar was a kind of trigger, with a small barrel visible on the side of the bar.

   Swords that at the same time were pistols. Gunblades.

   These were different from the ones destroyed by Marino moments ago. Although it had the rectangular blade shape that resembled an arts stiletto, the coloring was not a metallic silver. 

   The gunblade in my left hand was completely black, like the most beautiful piece of mica. While the gunblade in my right hand was white, more than any pearl or diamond. The bar of each gunblade was half of the Yin and Yang symbol that matched its coloring. 

   Marino had been watching me intently from the moment my old gunblades were destroyed. The gunblades I had built thanks to her three years ago. 

   -Marino, what do you gain by joining humanity?

   -I have already made it clear that I have no reason to tell you. But to quell your curiosity a little, it is to pay for some mistakes I have made.

   This was already starting to get on my nerves. 

   -Pay for some mistakes? You mean you have to contribute to a war for that?

   -I don't want to hear a lecture from someone who was never interested in the war that circled our lives like the wind. Don't you think you should review your concepts? It was this reluctance that took the life of a friend.

   Bitch.

   -And more... -What a hypocritical speech about moving between the two sides! Keyner, you are a Wizard, no matter how much you don't want to accept it. At some point or another you'll be contributing to the destruction of human lives.

   Indeed. I was basing myself on a utopian and hypocritical speech. Utopian because as long as humans exist, wizards will be hunted. Hypocritical because I have already killed three humans.

   But the point was not to take a side, because I hate humans and I don't trust wizards. I mean, I don't trust any wizard I know. And what good would trust from a former human who was always a wizard? Would there be anyone who would trust me? No, the question is...

   ... would there be someone who would not use me or deceive me?

   Five years. That is my life span.

   Right now, I would love to see Techmetriun and all the other nations of humans around the world burn for rejecting me.

   But I would also love to receive the news that the Wizards have been exterminated, for having made a puppet of me.

   Not even if I died afterwards.

   I lived to become someone who could live for others, protect others. But on top of that ...

   ... to have a place in the world to call my own.

   Well, it doesn't take much effort to realize that this is irrelevant now.

   I need to get out of the forest alive first. 

   -It doesn't matter if it's a hypocritical speech, because I'm going to live up to my miserable ambitions. As for you...

   I focus my gaze completely on Marino, erasing from my mind everything that could interrupt this moment, be it memories, regrets, or desires. I go into guard, with my right hand extended to the left holding the gunblade like a dagger, while my right hand with the gunblade lying horizontally.

   -Since you are so determined to pay for your sins, I hope you are ready. You will pay for them with your life here!

When I finished speaking, Marino went on guard. Given her facial expression, she wanted to end it as quickly as possible. It is easier for me to do this, since I also want to do it. 

   -What do you want to do, dear? Miserable ambitions can't be achieved with the ridiculous amount of time you have left to live.

   -It doesn't matter. I'd rather live alone than surrounded by people who manipulate you.

   Marino lets out a disappointed sigh.

   -Using people is a natural thing to achieve any goal. I don't think you'll live to understand this, but take it as a truth to your grave.

   Marino kicks the ground, coming towards me and striking an X-shaped blow with his two double-bladed swords. I block the attack using my gunblades, but soon have to lower my face to dodge a side kick that Marino throws. 

   I realized that wasn't enough, so subtly moving my gunblade, I took a shot at Marino's leg. I had not imbued the shot with mana, but it went through her leg. The pain of this shot must have been the reason for the strength in her arms to lose strength, which gave me the opportunity to enjoy a punch to her face.

   She recoiled from the punch, and went into guard again. This time, her swords began to glow the color that their blades were, and the pulses of mana coming out indicated to me that she had become angry.

   -It seems that I let my guard down too much. But don't get overconfident just by-

   *BANG*

   A flickering shot grazed Marino's left arm, interrupting her.

   -I'm sorry, I think my finger slipped. But since you weren't going to say anything profitable, I guess it's no problem.

   -You bastard!

   A strong wind was coming towards me, as a result of Marino letting more mana escape from his body. Really, I was confident, but I think I should reduce my provocations a little. 

   -Arcanic Art: Forge of Hephaestus!

   The ground within a radius of 20 feet of Marino's feet glowed. A great pressure was falling on my body, almost bringing me to my knees again. Not for nothing, since she was a Mastrea, but I thought that by awakening my Arcana, this would be solved.

   Several swords of earth were coming out of the ground from the area that Marino bathed with his mana. Not only from the ground, but the wind around them had turned into several swords. I knew how to face these swords, the problem was really the quantity.

   I moved toward Marino. If I let her release any more mana, the entire battlefield would be used as a weapon against me. I had no idea how much mana she possessed, but since I didn't give her any trouble before she fainted, counting on her mana running out now was out of the question. 

   The swords start coming into my attack range. I couldn't get too close to her at the moment, as this would create blind spots in my defense.

    They were fast, more so than before. I was able to start destroying them after receiving at least ten glancing blows. Striking with a blade, and deflecting the path of the swords with shots, all in the same second. I didn't care if I was panting, I didn't care about my injuries. I had to destroy these swords.

   Sword by sword. They were seeing at least five swords per second. Either I would destroy them all, or I would die. As I struck the swords with my gunblades, I would take a shot to destroy the ones that were still coming.

   My eyes had to be aware of what was around me and in front of me. Every inhale and exhale was synchronized with my defensive instances.

   My shots were imbued with mana. But not with lightning mana as before.

   Light mana. My right gunblade was imbued with light, while the left, with darkness.

   That was what it meant to transition between light and darkness. To use two opposing forces. That was what it meant to be the Wizard of Dualism.

Not caring about extremes, such as wizards or humans. Not taking sides one-sidedly, like destroying or helping humanity.

   I don't care what will happen to them at the moment. I know that I will be called a hypocrite because at some point I will do something that will benefit one of these two sides.

   But if I do, it will be of my own free will. Without anything or anyone using me as a puppet or encouraging me with lies.

   The swords kept coming, and my body was full of cuts. My shots imbued with light generate small explosions capable of destroying up to two swords, but it was not enough. What saved me from being impaled in the back was my shadow.

   Putting mana into my own shadow causes blind spots in its range to be eliminated. It was as if my senses passed into it, so that I could sense or foresee something that my normal body could not.

   The swords finally came to an end. I was bruised, with several cuts and punctures on the side of my rib cage, legs and abdomen. But my wounds were not self-healing or imploding, which confirmed that my link with Quill was broken.

   Scanning my surroundings carefully, I see Marino a little out of breath. Her steady gaze was unfocused, probably a result of the flashes of light from my shots.

   I take advantage of this and advance on her, making a side attack aimed at her arm. She blocks, and we start a sequence of attacks trying to hit each other.

   Our two-sword fighting style was considered inelegant, but quite versatile. We were able to compensate for the lack of strength placed under the swords with speed and defense at various points.

   It was the first time I had exchanged blows on equal terms with her. Although we were trying to kill each other, it was a feeling I was always looking for: to be on par with her in fencing.

   Of course, our skills were not equally leveled, since even using the artifice of taking shots to disrupt the enemy's movements, she had no problem with it, and not many with my sword.

   "Not many" because I managed to land a few blows on her, but creating openings for her to pierce my two shoulders, but in such a way that it was still possible for me to use the gunblades. Probably because she was aiming at my neck.

   But it was only a matter of time before she took the lead in the fight again. When she pierces me not with her traditional swords, but with two rapiers, I end up retreating with my hand under the wound in my belly.

   I had no time to staunch the wound with mana. She kept attacking me with strokes and blocking my shots with precise responses as she aimed at my hands. 

   It was the first time I had seen Marino using this type of fencing, so I had to understand her attack pattern from scratch. At least that was what I planned before she changed her rapiers to medieval swords and again changed her fighting style.

   I was almost impaled in the heart with her sudden change of instance, but with the two gunblades I managed to block the two swords that Marino tried to drive into my chest. In defending the attack, I am kicked in the stomach, being thrown far away and colliding with a tree. 

   I spit blood from the impact, but my spine and ribs were fine.

   I couldn't rely on fencing alone against Marino, so I had to try whatever came to mind.

   With my black gunblade, I start taking several shots at Marino. She dodges some and intercepts others with her swords, already in their normal forms.

   I attack Marino, now with my white gunblade. She blocks my blow with both swords with an upward thrust, throwing me upward on impact. I try to shoot with the black gunblade, but Marino hits the side of my body with the hilt of his sword, causing the shot to hit the ground. 

   -What kind of trick are you trying to use now?

I stood up from the last fall I had. But with a small smile on my face.

   -Arcanic Art...

   -But what-

   Tricks. If that's not what a Wizard uses, I don't know what else to appeal to. But she was right. It was a trick.

   -... shadow traveler!

   Several dark mana bullets came from behind Marino. Two ended up hitting her, but she managed to avoid the others.

   -Where did this come from?

   She didn't have much time to speak, as several dark mana bullets came again, but now from her left side. As she was again taken by surprise, some of them ended up hitting her, but not enough to make her fall.

   As she intercepted the bullets or even was hit by them, the size of the rain of bullets diminished. It was then that she realized what it was all about.

   I made the bullets travel from one shadow to another. And since our field is surrounded by a forest, the trees produced enough shadows that my attack had almost 360° range.

   She stopped trying to dodge the bullets and started to destroy them. It didn't last five seconds and all the black bullets were gone.

   Or at least that's what she must have thought.

   She is hit hard in the back of the thigh, when a bullet came out of her own shadow. Her shadow that I had put some of my own in the shot that I had missed a while back. 

   Now it was all or nothing.

   -Arcanic Art: Alter.

   I kick back and launch my black gunblade at Marino. She easily blocks, so I take advantage and make a shot, which causes her to block with her other sword.

   Her fatal mistake.

   *BANG*

   Marino ends up being shot in the back, but her surprise was not how the bullet had hit her, since it was a light bullet that could not travel in the shadows.

   It was the fact that at the same time he was blocking his swords from the front and was attacking from behind. 

   Two of my own. Only one with the black gunblade, while the other with the white gunblade. 

   She turns to strike a blow with her two swords at the me of light. I intercept the blow by holding the gunblade with both hands and creating the tribe on the ground so as not to be thrown.

   But just as I began to create friction, I struck her from the front, but now with the black gunblade.

   I had not switched gunblades with my alter, but rather switched places with him.

   Marino now uses only one of his swords for each of my versions. However, when I attack one, it is replaced by the other that was free to attack, thus giving Marino no opportunity to attack the other alter or defend himself.

   I started attacking her laterally with both Alter's. She blocked my attacks for a while, until she separates her swords, again turning her two double-bladed swords into four swords.

   Using one sword in each hand, while the remaining two are naturally controlled with their mana, she tried to attack the rear of each of my Alter's. It was useless, since when one was attacked from behind, I just replaced it with another one blocking the attack.

   -One of you was already repulsive, now two...

   -I'm sorry. I thought the double fun would be more interesting.

   The two Alter's let slip with a serious tone, as provocative as the speech was.

   -Uya. Since it's like this...

   Marino lets a mischievous smile escape his face while keeping his eyes wide on the Alter's. Again, the pressure of his mana attacked my body.

   -Hephaestus' forge!

   Several swords, but now of pure mana were surrounding me. This time, the speed at which they were coming was something unthinkable until moments ago. As if that wasn't enough, Marino didn't stand still and started attacking the Alter's.   

   The Alter's replacements were now my best weapon. Destroying swords of pure energy and avoiding the AWA captain who stood before me. In case I missed anything, Marino would kick the sword and it would come back with more speed than before.

It was as if I was in the middle of a gunfight. It was all very fast. To survive, I used some of my muscle memory that I acquired by intercepting her old attacks, basing myself on her patterns. 

   The swords were heavier now, as they were made of pure energy. A cut from them was as hot as fire itself, and would break my flesh like butter. I experienced this with a grazing cut that went through my shoulder.

   100 swords. This was the number of energy swords that Marino conjured up. When he finished destroying them, Marino went back to exchanging blows with the Alter's, more ferocious blows and using the best of his fencing.

   Ascending blows, lateral blows, descending blows, strokes, feints... All with mastery coming from Marino. Without a doubt she was the best swordsman I knew.

   Marino intercepts a joint attack by the two Alter's, keeping his swords under pressure with hers.

   -I'm going to give you a chance to resist. Those clones of yours or whatever are starting to lose their own image sharpness, which means your mana is at its end.

   -In fact, that was my last attack. However...

   My two Alter's speak at the same time, and Marino quickly realizes that he was in trouble. 

   -You don't want to tell me what I have to do.

   Marino was putting pressure not on my gunblades, but on my swords.

   The two Alter's each point a pistol of the same color as the blade of her gunblade, firing at her belly.

   -Argh!

   Marino is thrown backwards with the shot. The shots caused small holes in Marino's abdomen, and it was noticeable how much blood she had spat out from crashing into a tree. 

   The two Alter's begin to vibrate. As they get closer, they become just one me again, with my swords in my hands. Before Marino could do anything, I unite my swords with the pistols, now so that they both glowed and merged magically.

   I was out of mana, practically. What I still had left was to try to close my most serious wounds, but I lacked experience in that.

   -Now, I'm going to listen to what-

   I ran out of breath and ended up falling to the ground before I finished what I was going to say. I was having trouble breathing, and my chest was hurting badly.

   -Uya. It's about time.

   I ended up spitting blood. My heart was hurting and my lungs were throbbing with pain as I breathed. The adrenaline that made my heart beat faster was making my pain worse. My difficulty in breathing was increased as I felt pain inside my throat.

   -I understand that you are having some difficulty breathing, but it's not a surprise to me. When I say that everything in this world is a sword for me...

   Marino spoke while still leaning against the tree I had thrown her from, but with a victorious smile.

   -...your blood is no exception. 

   She... used my blood to start destroying my internal organs. 

   Knowing that I didn't want to kill her at first, she must have done it little by little. Or else because it was impossible to do on a large scale.

   I try to go on guard to attack Marino while she was unable to move, but my blood that was on the ground is transformed into small swords. I try to dodge them, but thinking they were aiming at some other vital point, I leave my wrists unprotected, the latter being the targets.

   After being cut, I use more than half of the mana I had left to prevent bleeding, but at the price of making my old injuries worse. That damn body of mine is not used to using mana yet. Not being able to finish Marino while the Altar was active may have sealed my death now.

   And I could be right. I feel two bodies of mana, and as I turn my gaze back, Marino's swords were with accumulated mana and coming at high speed toward me.

I was having trouble predicting the movements of the swords, because they were moving as if they were two reverse waves, in a zigzag pattern exchanging their positions. 

   -Cof. 

   Marino's situation was not very good either. She must have used up too much mana, because she was panting more and her wounds were bleeding more and more. This was reflected in the swords that were losing some speed and the mana that was already imbued in them.

   They were getting closer and closer, all in a matter of a few seconds. But the loss of speed gave me a window of opportunity to dodge them.

   I took one last look at Marino to make sure she wasn't planning anything and not to make a false move.

   She...

   She had a smile on her face.

   A serene smile of someone who had won a fight or even a war.

   I didn't understand why, since I was going to be able to dodge her attack, and if she didn't stop it, she would be hit instead.

   I prepare to dodge at the last moment her swords.

   "No matter what kind of drug she used, you were going to be unconscious for hours thanks to the absurd amount of mana I gave you at the time of the pact."

   Quill's words about Marino drugging me came back to my mind.

   Not only that, but also the fact that she lied about the position of the camp.

   And most confusing of all, was her justification of having joined humanity to pay for some mistakes she had made.

   If she didn't move, it was risky that her attack would hit her.

   But if it did, I might not be able to get answers.

   The moment I have to decide about deflecting, I remember moments from a week ago. 

   Not about Jack's death, but also not about my statement to her. And yes about the worried look she had on her face when she had commented on her platoon being dismissed.

   And her smile, as serene as it was, was bringing that concern. 

   And the serenity of that smile brought a sense of pride of accomplishment. I know this because I know this girl's expressions.

   Looking at her I didn't need to turn my attention to the swords coming my way. 

   I didn't dodge, but I didn't let myself die either.

   I let the blades go through the palm of my hands, so that I could grab the bar of the swords and prevent the blades from reaching my heart. 

   Marino was already passed out thanks to her injuries, and it was her passing out that prevented even the bar of the swords from going through my hands.

   When the mana from the swords dispersed, the swords turned into small particles of energy, disappearing.  

   I wanted to drag Marino to the camp, but I was out of mana. I used what my body would allow me to stop the swords, and now I had holes in each of my hands. 

   I fall to the ground, with no strength to stand and even to stay awake. 

   I know I've passed out enough in the last few days, but at least in fulfilled something to say I wasn't worthless. 

   -I wish I had the strength to make this wretch pay for cheating on me.

   My mind blacks out, with my consciousness going into darkness. Only with the feeling of work done for preventing Marino Sasaki from committing suicide.