Crimson Twilight

Author's Notes: Well, here comes the next chapter. Haseo vs Kuhn, and a harrowing battle between their Avatars. (And by the way, there is NO yaoi intent in this fanfic - so all you het fans, breathe a collective sigh of relief. ;p There WILL be a lot of friendly hugging/comforting between guys, though, so try not to misinterpret it. XD)

Disclaimer: I own nothing. NOTHING! So no suing, okay? D;

X Chapter 10: Mistake X

The next morning was relatively normal... except for one thing. Atoli had decided to take up residence in Haseo's room, sleeping on the floor near his bed, and he found out the hard way when he almost stepped on her while getting out of bed. It didn't take long for them both to burst out laughing at Haseo's mistake; however, he soon apologized and headed downstairs.

As usual, Atoli prepared breakfast, then after eating at the table with Haseo, fed her pets and cleaned the birdcages. She was taking the dog out for a walk when she was intercepted by a cheerful Silabus.

"Hello, Atoli!"

The Cleric smiled and waved at her friend. "Good morning, Silabus. I didn't expect to see you here at this time..."

"Well, I wanted to come visit Haseo," Silabus said. "You got into an argument with him last night, didn't you?"

"We made up," Atoli said simply, still smiling. Silabus laughed and scratched the back of his neck.

However, before he could progress any further, he was tackled over by the dog Atoli was walking. Silabus was surprised when he received a thorough face-licking from Ren, struggling to push the rather large puppy off and laughing at the same time.

Once Silabus had managed to get back on his feet, he patted Ren on the head. "It seems like your dog is very friendly."

"He is," Atoli said. "Haseo found out the hard way... hehe..."

"He must be a great companion," Silabus commented. "...By the way, I wanted to inform you about the finals in the arena tournament. Kuhn is..."

"Yes, I understand," Atoli said. "You're nervous about facing Kuhn, aren't you? Well... to be honest, so am I..."

"I wonder how Haseo feels about it," Silabus pondered. "He doesn't usually show much emotion to his enemies, but I just simply can't imagine he'll be the same when it's someone he's friends with..."

"Yeah, you're right," Atoli agreed. "...May I please finish walking my dog? You can come along if you like..."

Silabus shook his head. "No, that's alright. You go on ahead. I want to talk to Haseo..."

"Okay," Atoli said, not understanding why Silabus suddenly acted so downtrodden. She knew that Silabus was close friends with Kuhn, but just how close were they...?

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The conversation between Haseo and Silabus was brief and ended in Haseo getting aggravated again. Silabus left, knowing that talking to Haseo in that state would only get him more upset than he already was.

Until the arena match, things were relatively quiet. Atoli finished her daily chores, then headed to the arena city to make her preparations. She was surprised to find Silabus and Haseo arriving soon after; it was almost an hour before the finals, so why were they here already?

"Hey, Atoli." Haseo waved casually, not taking a second glance at Silabus. "You getting ready too?"

Atoli nodded. "Yes, I am. Why are you and Silabus here so early?"

"Well, truth be told, I wanted to settle my nerves a little before the match," Silabus said. "Haseo came along, even though he doesn't want anything to do with me..."

"...What happened between you two?" Atoli questioned.

"Well, we got into a fight," Silabus replied. "...A fight over how we were going to handle the tournament match."

"...Haseo," Atoli said sternly, glaring at him. Haseo sighed, turning away.

"...Silabus is getting too soft in regards to this whole arena battle crap. He's been considering not joining our team this time because he doesn't want to fight Kuhn. Doesn't he understand, though-"

Atoli cut him off. "Let him do what he wants. Besides, you shouldn't be so obsessed with winning anyhow."

Deciding not to start a fight with Atoli, Haseo remained silent. He walked up to the counter, placing his entry, then walking off somewhere.

"I wonder where Kuhn is," Silabus said, looking around the bustling city. "I hope that I can talk to him before the match..."

"I'm sure you'll be able to," Atoli reassured. "And... don't mind Haseo. He's been through a lot, and he..."

Silabus nodded. "I'm not holding it against him. I just... don't want him to hate me."

"He doesn't hate you, Silabus," Atoli said. "I think he's trying to consider your feelings even though he's angry with you. Things might get heated in the arena, and he knows that you won't be able to fight Kuhn head-on..."

"Yes, but he didn't indicate he wanted me to leave the team," Silabus said. "...He doesn't seem to care about my feelings at all..."

Atoli sighed. "He's been through a lot, okay? Please try not to get into any more fights with him. I'm sure he'll forgive you once the match is over..."

"...Yeah, you're right," Silabus agreed. "...I'm going to go look for Kuhn..."

"Good luck," Atoli said, waving to Silabus as he walked off.

She hung her head. What happened to Haseo? Why is he so... irritable all of a sudden? What's wrong with him...?

aba

The commentator's incessant rambling was unheard by the competitors. As Atoli and Silabus entered the arena, Atoli turned to her friend with a look of inquiry.

"I tried to find him," Silabus said. "But... I couldn't. Nothing I can do now..."

Atoli nodded in comprehension, looking past Haseo and at the other side of the arena.

"...and here comes the opposing team, Thunder Storm! Its leader, Kuhn, is a skilled gunman with ten years of experience behind him!"

"Ten years?" Haseo pondered. "You mean he's been shooting since he was 14? Man, I guess I underestimated him."

"His two teammates are Pi and Mira," the commentator continued. "It doesn't surprise the ladies in the crowd that Kuhn would bring two women along with him. But he's already married! Is he an unfaithful cheater, or are his advances intended as some sort of cruel joke to his wife?"

Silabus let out a small snicker at that comment. "Trust me, Commentator, I've known him for longer than you have. He was a flirt even before he got married."

The gunman on the opposing team looked at Silabus, speaking with a hint of concern in his voice. "I'm sorry, Silabus. I would've dropped out of the tournament so you didn't have to fight me, but I have a lesson to teach to a certain Adept friend of yours."

"What now?" Haseo growled, drawing his broadsword. "You're not gonna keep me from fighting Endrance, are you?"

Silabus sighed. "He's obsessed with winning. I hope you'll be alright, Kuhn..."

"I'll be fine," Kuhn insisted. "Now, Haseo." His tone turned sharp as he glanced at the younger warrior. "You nearly sealed Alkaid in the last match through the power of your one attack. She's lucky to be alive... she's still recovering in the infirmary... thanks to you."

Haseo snarled. "Whaddya mean? Why do I care about that stuck-up brat? She tried to kill me herself, I'll have you know!"

"You don't understand, Haseo," Kuhn said. "...You don't get it. You just don't get it!"

"It seems as if things are heating up between the two leaders," the commentator shouted. "Now, let the match begin!"

Kuhn made the first move; in a split second, he had drawn his bayonet, aimed it and fired it straight at Haseo. Before the Adept had time to react, he was knocked back by the force of a non-lethal bullet, flying into the arena wall and struggling to get back up. The moment he recovered, Haseo charged, swinging his broadsword at Kuhn.

He heard a squeal from elsewhere in the arena, and lost his focus for just a moment. Kuhn took the opportunity to kick Haseo in the stomach, sending him soaring across the battlefield again, and once again he slammed into the wall. Haseo groaned, trying to get back up, but failing. He looked over to see that the blades of Mira's scythe were hovering dangerously close to Atoli's neck.

They're not holding back... I would've figured that Kuhn would be more willing to hold back in a fight against someone he considered a friend, but...

"...Damn it... don't you dare kill her!" Haseo picked himself up, purely on instinct, but was knocked back when a fist collided with his chest... a bladed fist. As he struggled to catch his breath, he noticed that Pi had attacked him.

"If you don't want her to die, why don't you save her yourself?" Mira taunted. Pi nodded, turning to Silabus and giving the same treatment to him that she had to Haseo.

The swordsman was unable to get back up. He had been knocked out cold, and Pi was standing over him with a menacing expression on her face. Finally catching his breath, Haseo realized that the blade of Pi's gauntlet had cut through his skin; it wasn't too deep, just enough to make him bleed.

"You..." Haseo's eyes began to glow; this time, he didn't try to hold it back. He was too enraged to care at this point. He knew that Kuhn had been the one who gave them those orders... and he also knew that this time, Kuhn would pay.

"...Here it comes," Kuhn stated, preparing himself. "...Just like I thought..."

The crimson markings pushed their way through Haseo's skin moments before his Avatar forced its way out of his body. Kuhn's expression turned grim as he ordered Mira and Pi to stand back.

"I'll handle this one."

Placing his hand over his chest, Kuhn closed his eyes. The familiar sensation of power swept through him as he calmly called it forth. Yellow patterns appeared on his body while he summoned his own Avatar.

"Come on! My... Magus!"

Haseo took the opportunity to charge the second Kuhn's Avatar came out. He was immediately deflected off of a green shield that Magus had put up using the leaves on its arms; Skeith flew back, shooting at the shield and attempting to break it.

"...You did that on purpose, telling your teammates to go after mine? You dirty...!"

Magus unleashed a barrage of spirit bullets upon Skeith, knocking it back only for a moment. Haseo let out a feral roar as he ordered Skeith forward again, this time crashing through the shield Magus had put up and slashing at its defenseless body.

"It was all I could do," Kuhn replied. "...All I could do... to make you understand. Besides, I know you... you'd do the same. After all, winning is more important than your friends, isn't it?"

Haseo growled in response, backing off and aiming Skeith's left arm at Magus once again. Swiftly, Kuhn ordered Magus to put up another shield before Skeith fired; his Avatar complied without hesitation, leaving Haseo to wonder just how much control Kuhn had over Magus.

"...Damn it, Kuhn... you want to stop me from winning by picking off my teammates? You... you bastard!"

Kuhn's voice remained calm. "Haseo, you don't understand anything about this world. About the Avatars, or AIDA, or anything... you're driven by your reckless emotions. You should try listening to other people for once."

"...Kuhn!" Haseo roared, ordering Skeith to headbutt Magus' shield. The shield shattered in a matter of seconds, and Skeith began to attack Magus again. Kuhn could feel the emotions in Haseo's aura growing more and more sinister... he knew that soon, Haseo would lose control of his Avatar. He just had to hold out until then...

Haseo didn't notice the number of small seeds that Magus had summoned not long before he attacked. However, this time, he was forced to notice them. A massive explosion, caused by all of the seeds combusting at the same time, threw Skeith back, damaging it heavily.

He was so enraged at this point that he didn't notice his control over Skeith gradually slipping. The Avatar was going off on its own with the intention to kill.

"Haseo... now do you understand?" Kuhn spoke one last time before he felt Skeith's aura detach completely from Haseo's. "Now do you understand... why I did this?"

Haseo looked on, feeling the rage-fueled power that he possessed leaving his body entirely. He didn't realize just how helpless he felt without Skeith backing him... the Avatar had slipped out of his grasp, and it had taken him this long to understand what Kuhn had meant.

Skeith charged toward Magus, no longer suppressed by its user's emotion. The green-colored Avatar was quickly torn apart by Skeith's claws and scythe, while Haseo stood back and watched and listened powerlessly. Kuhn was screaming in pain, and he couldn't do anything to stop it...

Before the barrier surrounding Magus completely shattered, Kuhn mustered his strength one last time, ordering it to create a copy using its ability. The real Kuhn and Magus slowly drifted away as Skeith completely absorbed the copy and its spirit power.

Haseo didn't see any of this happening, however. He watched as the two Avatars dissipated; Magus had been destroyed entirely, and Skeith vanished back into its own world. Kuhn fell to the ground, bleeding from numerous cuts and scrapes on his body.

"...Kuhn..." Haseo ran forward, kneeling beside his companion. "...Kuhn, are you okay?"

Pi and Mira walked over to Kuhn, kneeling beside him as well. Mira began to administer first aid while Pi glared indignantly at Haseo.

"His spirit power could've been completely drained, had he not used Magus' ability."

"Completely drained?" Haseo questioned. "You mean... he'd vanish from existence?"

"Yes," Pi replied. "...Spirit and all. He literally wouldn't exist anymore. That's how dangerous a berserk Avatar is."

"But... he's still alive," Haseo pointed out.

Pi nodded. "Yes... that's because he used his Avatar's ability. You see, Magus has the ability to... create a copy of virtually anything, including itself. So it was that copy that Skeith destroyed and not Kuhn himself."

"It was extremely dangerous," Mira said. "But it was all he could do once you called out your Avatar."

"...damn it..." Haseo swore to himself, looking down at Kuhn's unconscious body. "...I'm sorry, Kuhn..."

Silabus had started to wake up; Atoli crawled out from her corner of the arena, immediately rushing to Silabus' aid. It didn't take long for the swordsman to heal, and as soon as his strength had returned, he fled to Kuhn's side as well.

However, the gunman soon awoke. He lifted his head, slowly dragging himself to his feet. "Oh, hey there. I almost took a trip to the middle of nowhere, thanks to you, Haseo."

"Now's not the time to be joking!" Haseo growled, picking himself up. "...Kuhn, I wanted to apologize..."

"No need," Kuhn insisted. "...I understand how you feel. However, at the same time, I'm hoping you get it now... Avatars shouldn't just be used. They're very dangerous, and as I said before, Alkaid was lucky to have come out alive. You didn't care much then until Atoli chewed you out... I figured that you'd be a little more hesitant if you actually knew the person."

"...damn it... I'm so sorry, Kuhn..." Haseo seemed as if he was about to burst into tears. "...I didn't... I didn't know... I didn't know myself, let alone my Avatar!"

Kuhn hugged Haseo, patting his back. "It's alright, Haseo. Don't worry about it. What's happened has happened, and I'm still alive. Don't worry about the 'what-if's... it's gonna be alright, Haseo. It's gonna be alright."

"...Kuhn..." Haseo latched onto his older companion, crying on his shoulder. "...I'm sorry, Kuhn... I'm sorry..."

"Y'know, normally I'd just pass this off as male bonding, but you two are getting a little too comfy with each other," Pi remarked. "You really shouldn't give the wrong ideas to the crowd, Kuhn."

"Haha..." Kuhn laughed, letting go of Haseo. "Yeah, I guess it did kinda look like that, but Haseo just needed a crying shoulder. He'll be alright, he just needs to calm down."

Pi sighed. "Yeah, yeah... excuses, excuses. Mira must get jealous every time you hug a guy."

"I don't mind," Mira said. "Kuhn's straight as an iron rod. I don't need to worry about him cheating on me with some guy."

"The girls are another story," Pi said, earning herself a glare from Mira.

"...Look, Haseo, it's alright," Kuhn said. "Settle down. You didn't kill me, so all's well and good, right?"

Haseo nodded. "Y-yeah, I guess... thanks, Kuhn."

"No problem," Kuhn said, laughing. "Now, come on. We gotta settle down and get ready for the title match! You won, so you'll be taking on the responsibilities of my group. I hope you don't mind."

"Yeah, thanks," Haseo said. "...Well, at least I get to fight Endrance. I've been wanting to show that jerk who's boss."

Kuhn gave Haseo a thumbs-up. "Yeah! You go kick his ass!"

"...Thanks, Kuhn," Haseo said confidently. "Without you, I don't think I ever would've been ready to fight Endrance. See you later..."

"See ya," Kuhn said, turning to leave. He had a broad grin on his face, which Pi would likely berate him for later.

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Author's Note: Next up is the tournament match against Endrance, as you probably guessed. But first, there's a little treat coming up for all you Haseo x Atoli fans! ;D