Note: This is the final chapter of the Gemini arc. Please review it (including the Gemini vs Johan duel).
Chapter 25: Broken Shell
The group watched Sakai Yuji and Gemini Yuji on the Haridan with anticipation. The two Mystes stood on the bridge with some distance between them, waiting for the other to attempt the first move. Since it was midnight, there were barely any cars on the structure, leaving plenty of open fighting space.
Shana was practically sitting on the holographic bridge, clenching her fists in anxiousness.
"Where's Konoe-san?" Ogata whispered.
"Right where she's supposed to be," Margery replied, pointing to a fiery figure at the top of a tower that supported the bridge's suspender cables.
"Wouldn't Gemini sense her?" Chigusa asked.
"She'll be able to suppress her presence if she stays still," Wilhelmina answered. "And Gemini's too busy with the Mystes to notice anything else."
"'The Mystes'?" Ogata said. "Do you always call him that?"
Wilhelmina didn't say anything. She just nodded once.
They continued to watch as the tension rose between the two Mystes.
SMWO
"What are you doing, getting in my way? I can sense your Killing Intent again, boiling like a kettle at melting temperature, since that spell was only cast on Johan, leaving you without an advantage," Gemini said. "You've already lost. I've gained infinite power!"
"Infinite power doesn't make you undefeatable," Yuji said. "And I'll prove it."
Gemini charged at Yuji with astonishing speed. Each step he took warped the ground beneath him. He threw a punch, which Yuji dodged, but he was not able to evade the second blow, which sent him flying backwards.
He's quick, since he's using Power of Existence to enhance his body beyond its limit, Yuji thought. If I did that for too long, I'd disappear, but he just keeps getting filled with Power.
"Hey, I thought you were going to prove I was undefeatable," Gemini taunted. Yuji did not reply, but gave him a cold glare.
Gemini came at Yuji again. As he did, he unleashed an uncountable amount of heavy white chains towards his foe. Yuji knocked every single one away by releasing a strong wave of silver fire. But once they were repelled, Gemini came into view. He had leaped at Yuji, wielding Blutsauger, while he was busy fending off the chains.
"So predictable," he said as he was about to strike.
He thrusted his blade, but it suddenly struck metal. Yuji had managed to summon Blutsauger and block the attack with the side of the sword, in less than a split-second.
But if I focus, I can enhance my speed at just the right instant and counter any attack efficiently and effectively, Yuji thought. Thanks for the lessons Shana!
He charged Blutsauger, causing several wounds to appear on the body of Gemini, who was still surprised that Yuji had managed to block the attack. Yuji swung his sword, but Gemini, who recovered immediately, leaped over it. Coming down, Gemini chopped, but Yuji dodged and countered with a strong punch, knocking Gemini back a few paces.
Yuji took the chance to jump back, moving a little closer towards the center of the bridge.
"What are you doing? Why do you continue to fight?" Gemini said, rapidly losing his patience.
Yuji did not answer, but still gave Gemini a cold glare. He beckoned his foe to attack.
Gemini charged at Yuji and slashed with his sword. Yuji jumped back, evading the attack. Gemini threw a thick chain at Yuji, who parried it with a charged Blutsauger. The power of the sword traveled through the chain and wounds seared across Gemini's body.
When your enemy begins to become impatient and furious, he may tend to attack before thinking. Those were Shana's words during one of Yuji's training sessions.
While Gemini was still vulnerable, Yuji hurled Blutsauger at his enemy. The great sword impaled the doppelganger in the chest, causing him to stagger. Yuji swiftly followed the path of his blade and leaped onto Gemini's chest. He quickly pulled out his sword with his right hand and, whirling around using the same momentum, sliced Gemini in half across his waist. He then knocked away his opponent's False Blutsauger with impressive force, sending it over the bridge and into the river.
Gemini fused back together and recovered in no time. While the False Blutsauger sailed over the rails at the side of the road, Gemini rammed his fist into Yuji, blasting him back.
After landing on his back, Yuji leaped up again. But as he did, Gemini wrapped a few chains around Blutsauger. Yuji charged it with Power of Existence. Once again, wounds ravaged Gemini's body, but this time, he barely flinched from the pain, as if he did not even care.
With overpowering strength and force, Gemini pulled at the chains, flinging Blutsauger aside. The blade embedded itself in the concrete at the side of the road.
Gemini dashed forward in a blur and tackled Yuji. Yuji managed to throw his foe backwards, but Gemini landed on his feet. The Demon Mystes punched Yuji in the gut then threw him towards one of the metal supports of a bridge tower. When his body slammed into the support, leaving a large dent, he felt Power of Existence drain from him. He now realized that each blow took away his health, his life force, his Existence.
But now was not the time to run away just because of that. Yuji had vowed before that he would defend the city and his loved ones no matter the cost. He stood up and prepared to continue his fight with an indestructible foe.
Gemini closed the space between the two Mystes quickly. With lightning-fast speed, completely enhanced by Power of Existence, he threw a punch. Yuji was fortunate to have managed to narrowly avoid the blow that created a deep dent in the support.
Gemini punched twice more, his fist ripping through the steel wall like it was just paper. Yuji, completely focused on his enemy's movements, had dodged one strike then ducked under the other. Seizing a chance to retaliate while he was still below his opponent, Yuji thrust his elbow into Gemini's chest, causing him to step back.
The Mystes then tried to kick while there was still an opening, but Gemini caught his foot. He spun around once and threw Yuji like he barely weighed anything, towards the center of the bridge. The unfortunate boy skidded and tumbled upon coming contact with solid concrete.
Trying to rise again, Yuji saw Gemini leap high in the air with his fist raised. Yuji rolled to the side as Gemini brought his fist down with explosive force. The sheer strength of the attack produced a shockwave and left a deep crater in the place the Demon Mystes smashed.
Yuji leaped to his feet and threw a punch, but Gemini caught his foe's arm and locked onto it. He then proceeded to pound Yuji a few times before throwing him forward. Yuji fell flat on his face.
Yuji struggled to get up again.
"Why? Why do you keep fighting?" Gemini said, advancing towards his opponent.
He punched twice. Yuji dodged both attacks, and counterattacked with his own punch. But Gemini caught his fist in his hand head on, then bashed it on Yuji's head. Next, Gemini kicked his stunned foe at the shin, causing him to stagger, then delivered a stronger kick that launched Yuji flying back. Again, Yuji stood up after falling on the floor.
"Why get up?" Gemini said as he approached him once more.
Gemini threw two simultaneous punches. The dazed Mystes still tried to defend himself but only managed to block one attack, the other struck him in the gut, stunning him. Gemini mercilessly brought down a rain of punches on his upper body before striking his chin with a powerful uppercut. Once again, Yuji was sent spinning high into the air before falling down on the hard ground.
Yuji tried to stand again, but found that his strength was quickly weakening. It was a wonder that he had survived this long after bearing so much punishment.
No, it was a miracle.
However, he was still too weak to get back on his feet quickly. As he wearily tried to pick himself up, Gemini loomed over him. Yuji looked up at his enemy, who had the look of a lion about to devour its prey.
"Why do you persist?" Gemini said.
Before Yuji could even get back on his feet, Gemini kicked him hard. Yuji's aching body shot over the road and crashed into a car.
"You have already lost this battle before it even began," Gemini continued as Yuji pulled himself out of the wrecked vehicle. "Why do you continue to fight so stubbornly?"
No Yuji! Don't give in. You have to come back to us!
"Huh? Shana?" Yuji mumbled. He had no special link with her like the one he had with Hecate, but somehow, he felt her, and heard her voice crying out to him.
Remember that I will always be with you.
Mustering his strength, he faced his opponent again.
"Why, Sakai Yuji? Why? Why? Why do you persist?!" Gemini yelled, gritting his teeth. His tone now showed not only anger, but fear as well.
He charged at Yuji, who jumped back over the car behind him. Gemini flung the car aside and swung his fist, which Yuji dodged. Gemini then used a high reverse roundhouse kick, but Yuji avoided it by leaning back. But Yuji was not lucky the third time. Gemini landed a punch on him, followed by many others. But no matter how many strong blows fell on him, Yuji would not be defeated.
"Why? Why?! Why won't you die?!" Gemini cried as he continued to unleash the merciless barrage of fists.
Yuji soon saw his chance to counter. He caught one of Gemini's arms then threw him down before slamming his fist into his stomach. The Demon Mystes may have been indestructible, but the attack still hurt, a lot.
"Konoe-san, now!" Yuji mentally signaled to the Priestess, who still sat atop a support tower over them.
Yuji jumped out of the way as Hecate swooped down. She fired continuous Aster rays at Gemini like a machine gun. At the same time, she dropped a ball of ribbons.
YGYG
"That's our cue!" Margery said, seeing the ball dropped onto the bridge. Shana jumped off the Haridan and the humans stepped back.
"Deploy trap," Tiamat said. Wilhelmina closed her eyes and concentrated on activating the ribbon ball while Margery opened Marcosias' vessel and chanted beside her.
"The forest sways, the forest swoons,
The forest howls in the noon,
The trees connect, their branches creep,
Their webs go wide and deep!"
In an instant, as seen on the Haridan, the ball exploded into a thick, complex network of spellbound ribbons covered the area around Gemini. This special web was designed earlier by Margery Daw and Wilhelmina Carmel to prevent Gemini from finding his enemies visually and through special senses.
"We may not be able to fight, but at least we can do this," Wilhelmina said. "Now we just leave it to those two."
MWMW
Completely lost in the sea of ribbons, Gemini threw away all rationality. These ribbons were able to block his line of sight, as well as hide Yuji and Hecate's presences. The Demon Mystes roared as he proceeded to burn his way through. It was a slow process that would have been many times quicker if he still had his False Blutsauger.
Powerful beams suddenly exploded on him. He looked up to see Hecate fly over him. He was about to attack when another beam struck him from behind. He turned around to see Yuji run back into the forest of ribbons. Looking up, he saw that Hecate had also disappeared quickly.
This whirlwind of hit-and-run attacks continued, with both Yuji and Hecate attacking a bewildered Gemini from all directions.
Hecate swooped in again, firing Aster continuously from her Trigon. At the same time, Yuji jumped over Gemini to meet her in the air and take something from her hand. Hecate retreated into the net of ribbons, and just before Gemini could chase after her, he felt cold metal at the back of his neck. It was the barrel of Trigger Happy, held by none other than Sakai Yuji.
Their plan had been simple, yet complex at the same time. The first step was for Yuji to remove the False Blutsauger from Gemini's hands, making sure that he could not cut through the net of ribbons. The second step was to infuriate Gemini to make him more reckless while luring him to an ideal area for Hecate to make her move, which was the center of the bridge. Third, the two would use hit-and-run tactics to confuse Gemini. Finally, Hecate would pass Trigger Happy to Yuji at the right moment.
The timing between Yuji and Hecate had been perfect, thanks to their psychic link. And now Yuji had a perfect shot at point-blank range.
"I'm sorry," Yuji said as pulled the trigger. Gemini Yuji's outer shell immediately shattered and white flames erupted from it, scorching every ribbon within range. If it was not for Azure, Yuji would also have been badly burned.
The ribbons went limp. They were not designed to hold up for too long. Hecate supported Yuji as they walked away from the site. The fight was finally over.
Or so they thought. The flames that had burst out from the Demon Mystes' shell came together, with the False Reiji Maigo at the center of it all. It still produced a Fountain of Existence open only to its holder. Pretty soon, the flames formed into a great white ball of fire.
"It looks like a sun," Yuji said.
"That is the form of a powerful Demon Mystes without a vessel," Hecate said.
"You fools! Did you really think you could defeat me that easily?" the white fireball said with an echoing voice.
"Shall we go for Plan B?" Hecate asked Yuji.
"Do we really have a choice?" Yuji replied. He raised his hand and called out. "Come back to me, Blutsauger!"
The great sword teleported into Yuji's hand as he charged at Gemini.
"Do you really think you can harm me while I am in the form of pure fire?" Gemini gloated.
Yuji channeled the Anti-Flame power of Azure into Blutsauger and slashed. Gemini screamed in agony.
"How dare you!" he cried.
He unleashed hundreds of chains on Yuji alone and stripped him of his weapon. He then threw him towards one of the supporting bridge towers. Yuji landed right beneath it.
Gemini shot a ball of flame from his fiery surface. This fireball exploded on the tower above Yuji and caused it to shatter over him.
"No! Yuji!" Hecate cried as she tried to save him, but Gemini wrapped several thick chains around her. "YUJI!!"
Little did the Priestess know that at that moment, Shana had let out the exact same scream.
"Is this how it ends?" Yuji asked himself as the avalanche of steel fell upon him.
Gemini squeezed Hecate with his chains and laughed in triumph. Hecate began to cry.
"I've finally won!" Gemini said victoriously. Hecate continued to struggle in his grasp.
"I remember you well, Hecate, with my own memories," Gemini said, noticing her movements. "You sealed me in my own Hougu when it resurfaced. At that time, I was trying to copy you, wasn't I?"
This was true. For the Demon Mystes could only be sealed in his Hougu during a certain condition: when he would attempt to copy someone, or when he had already copied another Mystes but had only one Hougu in him.
Hecate did not reply to Gemini's statement and just looked away.
"You know, I can kill you in an instant," Gemini continued, "but there is still something I want from you. The reason you and Sakai Yuji have survived this long must have been because of your special psychic connection. I want you to connect to me now, and together, we will burn this pitiful world!"
"Never!" Hecate answered. "Yuji, help!"
YHGS
Yuji still lay breathing under the heavy pile of steel.
"Is this it? Have we lost?" Yuji mumbled, no longer having the strength to break out of the massive heap over him. Slowly but surely, the steel on top of his body crushed him. It was a miracle that he even survived when the tower had toppled over him.
"Yuji, help! Please help me…"
"Konoe-san?" Yuji said aloud. She was calling out to him, but hers was not the only voice he heard.
"Sakai-kun, you can't die now."
"I know you can do it, Yu-chan."
"Keep fighting, my son."
"Yoshida-san? Mom? Dad?" Yuji said aloud. He realized that he still carried one of Margery's contacting bookmarks.
"Get up Mystes."
"Come on kid, keep at it."
"You can't lose just yet Sakai."
"Carmel-san, Margery-san, Satou…"
"Fight on!"
"You can do this."
"We're all counting on you, Sakai."
"Ogata-san, Tanaka-kun, Ike…"
"You made a promise to protect this city, now hold to that promise!"
"Only you can stop that freak now."
"Please continue."
"Alastor, Marco-san, and even Tiamat-san…"
"Yuji, if you die on us now, I won't forgive you!"
"Shana!"
"Keep fighting Yuji!"
"Shana, everyone…" Yuji muttered. "There all counting on me. I can't lose now!"
He sighed. "But I lack the energy to even get out of this.
"Perhaps I could be of some assistance?" said a deep, metallic voice within him.
"Silver?"
"Would you truly do anything you can to protect those you love?"
"Of course!"
"Then call out to me. Call out my power."
"Yes… Help me. Give me power!"
Yuji felt more power come from within. He also saw what looked like black ashes floating around him.
"What is this?" Yuji asked.
"Those ashes are negative Power of Existence released by your body," the Silver answered. "Negative Power of Existence is like waste left behind from beings who need Power of Existence to support their lives. There is a great capacity for Power of Existence within you, and you also have the same near-bottomless capacity for negative Power of Existence. But like the bladder of a human has a limited capacity for waste, some negative Power of Existence must be released every now and then. This is done in the form of ashes that flow out from anywhere on your outer body.
"But only one capable of wielding negative Power of Existence is able to see these ashes. Unfortunately, these ashes can no longer be harnessed or manipulated, except by a few Flame Haze who can use them," the Silver continued. "Because you have tapped deeper into my power, you now have this ability to use the negative Power of Existence within you. You will be able to enhance your strength and speed once again. You will also be able to use new special powers. And don't be afraid to use it all up, for, unlike Power of Existence, you do not need this to support your life."
"Now cry out with all your feelings. Roar like the warrior you are as you summon your power."
YSYS
"Why won't you connect with me?" Gemini said, he still had Hecate wrapped in his chains. "I also have Sakai Yuji's Existence Signature, so the connection we will share should also be strong. He is after all, your Engaged Link."
"I'm not sure about that," Hecate said. "But my link with Yuji is strong not because his Signature matches mine, but because our feelings and thoughts are one!"
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. The great heap of steel that had buried Sakai Yuji was blasted away. In the middle of it, the Mystes stood, with great black flames emanating from him. He threw a large black fireball at the chains coiled around Hecate. They shattered instantly.
"No. No!" Gemini yelled out, now with more fear than anger. "How can you still be alive?!"
"Do you know why I keep fighting?" Yuji said. "It's because I want to protect those most important to me. Although they are far away, they still lend me strength."
"Every one you had defeated in the past, Gemini, lacked the resolve and determination Yuji possesses," said Hecate, who, upon her liberation, had flown to Yuji's side.
"That is why I continue to fight," Yuji continued. "That is why you cannot destroy me."
Gemini growled loudly.
"For threatening the lives of the people closest to me, I will not let you leave this city alive," Yuji said. "Let's end this, Gemini."
As he said those two sentences, his voice changed. It became deeper, and it echoed. His hair also changed, they became white and even floated like there was no gravity. And his eyes, they turned crimson in a blink.
Gemini unleashed a wave of a hundred white chains at Yuji. In response, Yuji just raised up his hand and a silver jet of gas came out from it. Every single chain froze in silver ice.
"Ice?!" Gemini said with great surprise.
With a cold expression, Yuji stretched his hands towards the sides of the bridge. The river began to freeze, and as it did, it came over the great ball of fire that was Gemini, and confined him in a thick silver glacier. Only one spot on Gemini was still exposed.
Yuji dashed forward, jumped onto the glacier, and drove his right hand deep into the exposed area. He felt the False Reiji Maigo in his grasp. The Anti-Flame Ring on his finger blocked out the constant flow of Power of Existence from it, allowing him to remove it.
"No! Not that!" Gemini begged helplessly. Yuji's expression did not change.
"You don't deserve this, doppelganger," he said as he pulled out the False Hougu and leaped back.
"NO!!" Gemini screamed as he unleashed a supernova of white flame that melted the ice around him. Unfortunately, it taxed plenty of the Power of Existence he had within him. It was too late when he realized that he no longer had unlimited power, and that he had to use it sparingly. And now that he had used up so much of his power, he could barely keep his form together. He decided to reconstruct his vessel, once again taking the humanoid form of Sakai Yuji. It only took a few moments to do so.
"You'll pay for this!" Gemini yelled as soon as his body was repaired. He came at Yuji furiously and threw a punch, but Yuji parried it with only his left hand. Gemini punched and kicked many times more, but Yuji blocked them all, still using only his left hand. The Mystes was not afraid to keep enhancing his mind and arm speed because he was using negative Power of Existence to do so.
When Gemini recklessly made an opening, Yuji kicked him in the chest with his leg enhanced. Gemini flew back due to the strength of the blow and fell to the ground.
"Seal him now, Hecate," Yuji commanded the Priestess.
Hecate flew over to Gemini and stood over him with a chilling face. She tapped Gemini Yuji's chest with her staff, Trigon. Rings of spell insignias encircled the Demon Mystes and he was slowly being sucked into the only other Hougu left in him, the Parallel Mirror, which had resurfaced once Yuji had pulled out the False Reiji Maigo.
Gemini could not move while he was being sealed. Seeing Yuji approach, he decided that though he had lost, he could still leave a scar on his arch foe, with words.
"You truly are a monster, Sakai Yuji," he said.
At those words, the Mystes gasped. His hair and eyes turned back to normal. Those words would linger in him for the rest of his life.
The Parallel Mirror soon absorbed Gemini completely. It was a small, two sided hand mirror. Hecate slammed the butt of Trigon on the Hougu, completely locking the Demon Mystes in it. She heard Yuji mumble behind her.
"It's finally over," Yuji said weakly before dropping on the ground and passing out from exhaustion and fatigue.
Note: I hope you all enjoyed this battle, which probably lasted as long as the Sabrac battle in SnS II. I had been looking forward to writing these last two chapters since I began this arc. But this is not yet the end of Eternity. The real battle has just begun.