Chapter Twenty Seven – Fate of the Accused

"Kuroe, I need you to flee this place. Now..." Nitroplus instructed to the young boy.

"H-huh…? Wait, what about-…?"

"She's right, Kuroe. Even I don't want you getting caught in our crossfire." Sherman said calmly without letting his guard down towards Nitroplus.

"B-but where should I be heading…?"

But before Nitroplus answered Kuroe, she gave off a small grin first at the young boy.

"Yuu is waiting for you, Kuroe. Go and catch up with her."

Kuroe was a little confused when he heard those words from Nitroplus. He gave it some thoughts though before coming to a conclusion to what Nitroplus wants to say.

"O-okay then…. I'll go look for Yuu. Good luck, mam…."

And with that, Kuroe ran out of the demolished room without looking back.

"I just hope you don't go after him, Sherman." Nitroplus said with a warning tone as she returns her gaze at the man. "Kuroe has nothing to do with this. He's simply looking for Yuu, that's all."

"You have nothing to worry about. It is not in my nature to harm the innocent." Sherman said calmly without letting his guard down.

"Heh. But you seem fine in harming me. I'm innocent too…." Nitroplus said frustratingly with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Oh, I have my reasons for this." Sherman clarified to Nitroplus. "And I would advise that you give your best shot. For if you don't, your imminent death awaits."

"Why you…BASTARD!"

Suddenly filled with rage, Nitroplus' entire body got engulfed by flames before she kicked the floor underneath her to lunge at Sherman with full force.

But the fencer in white was prepared and used his own powers to block Nitroplus' attack.

*Boom!*

The impact from their forces colliding with each was so devastatingly strong that it created an explosion between the two, further demolishing the apartment building.

Due to the force of the explosion however, the two fencers got thrown away in opposite directions.

"Heh. I'm glad you're going all out on me, miss Nit- no, Sachika." Sherman said unfazed after he landed on his two feet of the ground after the devastating collision of their powers.

"And I'm done just yet!" Yelled Nitroplus as she emerged from the smoking building, heading straight towards Sherman like a comet due to the flames around her body.

"Then come at me." Sherman said as he prepares to clash swords with Nitroplus.

"Then feel the fury of my roaring flames!" Nitroplus yelled as she slashed down on Sherman with a large band of flame.

Sherman didn't move and simply parried the attack.

"?! Ghh…!"

The attack, however, was so powerful that Sherman's knees buckled a bit due to the sheer force of Nitroplus' flames.

"Excellent…. I'm really… feeling the power and heat of your resolve, Sachika…." Sherman said with a grunt as he pushes back Nitroplus. He can really feel the heat of her attack as tongues of flames almost licks his clothing on either side. "But I won't be overwhelmed easily…."

Using his powers of light, he gathered it all on his Fury and concentrated it there.

"Haaaaaaa!"

With one strong push, Sherman was successfully able to throw away Nitroplus and repel her attack.

"Gh! What the heck…?" Nitroplus muttered as she staggered from Sherman's defensive maneuver.

"Ryushin…, Sky Slash!"

After his sword and his body got surrounded by his light energy, Sherman swiftly dashes straight towards the staggering Nitroplus and bombarded her with swift, strong slashes.

"Ghh…! Damn this technique of his…!" Nitroplus cursed in her mind as she parries Sherman's swift sword slashes with great difficulty. "I may be fast thanks to Rawmeat but his agility with this technique way surpasses my own agility…!"

"Haaaa…!"

With one strong swing of his sword, Sherman was able to repel and extinguish Nitroplus' defensive flames around her body.

"Tch…. Damn it…!" Nitroplus cursed as she staggers from the attack.

Sherman, however, remains calm, confident and composed as he prepares to attack Nitroplus once more.

"Why you…!"

Reigniting her flames around her body, Nitroplus kicks the ground underneath her and lunges toward Sherman with great force, followed by a series of sword slashes imbued with her roaring flames.

But Sherman was prepared for it and started parrying every sword attack Nitroplus threw at him.

"Your attacks have always been strong, Sachika. I do not doubt about it." Sherman said while defending himself from the volley of furious sword slashes from Nitroplus. After seeing an opening, however, he poured a lot of his energy onto his sword and repelled the girl once again with one strong slash.

"But you're attacks right now all feels off. You're hesitating." Sherman said calmly.

"That's nonsense…." Nitroplus huffed as she regains her composure.

"No, you are hesitating." Sherman repeated, sounding a bit disappointed. "Did I not mentioned that you give it your all?"

Nitroplus went silent for a moment after hearing those words from Sherman. Then slowly, she grasped the handle of her sword so tightly that her hand was shaking. And then, she uttered what was really going on in her mind….

"It's because I don't really have the courage to harm the person who helped and looked after me and Yuu when we're both in the state of confusion and helplessness…."

Sherman stayed silent after hearing those words from Nitroplus. But his expression remained the same, a calm and composed look.

"Yuu and I have been grateful for your continuous help. Because of Sherman, even though I don't have my memories up to now, me and Yuu were able to live and be accepted here at Dorfa…." Nitroplus stated before her voice starts to tremble as she goes on. "I'm still grateful with you…. That's why when all of this accusations fell upon me, I was anxiously waiting for you to come and aid me…. But what did I get…?"

Nitroplus then looked up at Sherman with a furious expression, however her eyes are starting to become watery as she speaks.

"I was expecting to get hunted down by my comrades…. But I never expected that it'd be you, Sherman…. And you're even willing to kill me…. So after all those times of helping me…, just because of an obvious frame up you'll just blindly charge in and kill the me due to unproven accusations and without even knowing my side of the story first?!"

"I am merely following the orders given to me, Sachika." Sherman said calmly, assuming his usual battle stance. "Now fight me without hesitation this time. If you wish to survive this ordeal, then defeat me."

"I thought I can fight you with all I have, Sherman…. I even mustered all my strength out to face you…. I steeled my heart in order to do a serious battle with you…. But I can't…. I really can't do it to the person I'm indebted with my life…." Nitroplus said meekly. "I know you're loyal to Dorfa…. And you're a warrior that believes in peace and justice. So instead of fighting…, please hear me out, Sherman…."

Sherman paused for a moment while looking at the girl with his calm expression. And slowly but surely, Sherman eases his body from a battle stance to a calm and normal stance.

"Is that so, Sachika…?"

Seeing Sherman move away from a battle stance, the heavy feeling in Nitroplus' chest immediately lighten up. For her, it was a glimmer of hope. She knew Sherman is the kind of person that is willing to hear out her side of the story amongst the accusations being thrown at her. And so with that, Nitroplus lowered her guard down and was ready to tell Sherman what really happened and that the accusations of betrayal to the government are all false.

"Sherman…. Thank you…! I knew you'd-…"

*Slash!*

All of a sudden, blood started gushing out of Nitroplus' body and is immediately soaking her clothes fast after receiving a swift but powerful attack as she goes near Sherman. Her face showing an expression of confusion and surprise.

"Gh…. Wh-whaa…."

That was all Nitroplus could mutter before falling down into the ground like a rag doll.

"My apologies. But I did warned you…."

It was Sherman who dealt the fatal blow at Nitroplus. He took advantage of Nitroplus' lowered guard and slashed the girl in the body with one quick maneuver.

"I have given you the options of your fate…. And this is what you have chosen…. I am sorry, Sachika." Sherman muttered as he gazes calmly at the face down body of Nitroplus, a pool of blood already forming underneath her fatally damaged body.

"May Celestia guide your soul..."

To be continued….