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Chapter 23: Blake
He kept killing her. Every time, the scene repeated. He always killed her. Sometimes he was a bystander in the scene; unable to move due to his shaking body and unable to stop the other version of him from killing the woman he loved. Other times when he did finally jump in to save her, he ended up being the one to kill her instead. It felt like the world was punishing him. Over and over and over again, he watched his love die. It was as if it were destiny.
Each time she died, Einsbern appeared in her Sage form and asked her to join him. She told him it would all stop if he did. Each time he refused. Yet, as time went on, and Rin died again and again, he felt his will to say no start to crumble.
He knew it wasn't real. It couldn't be, yet as the magus continued to die repeatedly, the slim grasp of reality that he had been able to maintain began to slip. He could feel himself slowly reaching the ends of his sanity. He couldn't save her. He couldn't do nothing. She died regardless.
Rin screamed her death throw and Blake turned away, falling to his knees. He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't stand to see the woman he loved die anymore. He threw his head back and cried out. Once he started, he couldn't stop. He was shattering. Why did Rin always have to die? Why did it have to be her? Why did the world hate her? Was it because He had tried to change fate? Why did it always end up like this?
"Blake!" Rin's voice cried out from behind him. "Stop! You're going to kill me! Why are you going to kill me again?!"
All he could do was kneel there with his back turned. The other version of him appeared with its Ace of Swords in its hand and approached the crying girl. He couldn't save her. Even if he moved, even I'd he tried to stop himself, she would die.
Blake hung his head. There was nothing he could do, but he had to try and save her. No matter how many times he failed. If he could just save her once, he would.
So the diviner rose and stepped towards the other him.
Before he he could take a step a voice sounded in his head.
"White!" It yelled. "Stop! Think for a minute!"
Blake stopped. It had been his own voice. That meant-
"Black?!" He asked, feeling irritated. Why was Black trying to stop him?
"Yeah, it's me, numbnuts," the voice of Black responded. "Now listen."
"Rin's about to die," Blake snarled. "I don't have time for this."
"That's just it!" Black shot. "That isn't Rin! Einsbern is just messing with your head! She's trying to break you down so that she can take you over."
Black's words pulled at something in Blake, but he couldn't ignore what was in front of him.
"What are you talking about?!" Blake yelled in his head. "Of course that's Rin! Or maybe you just enjoy seeing her die. I only ever killed her because of you!"
There was a moment of silence.
"And I'll carry that for the rest of our life," Black finally said. "But I love Rin just as much as you. I am you! So think rationally about this!"
Blake paused and allowed his anger to ebb.
"What do you mean?" He finally asked.
"Think about it," Black sighed. "Rin is in the Realm of Life and Einsbern has been stuck in your head as a non-physical being. A phantom of what she used to be. How could she have possibly brought Rin here? Spoiler, she didn't. It's all an illusion."
Suddenly, everything came crashing back, and Blake realized that Black was right. Rin couldn't be here. She was safe and sound in the Realm of Life. Einsbern couldn't have brought Rin here at all.
"Blake! I'm going to die!" The fake Rin called out.
The diviner closed his eyes and focused all of his energy.
When his eyes snapped open, he saw everything. Where the fake Rin had been there was nothing but a vacant space. Even the room had shifted to nothing but empty darkness.
That's when he felt her. That disgusting feeling he got whenever she would talk in his head radiated from a point behind him.
He had control back and he could feel his power flowing correctly.
"Blake!" Einsbern called out in a perfectly mimicked Rin voice. "I'm going to die! Save me."
"Right," he sighed. "At least you would if you were actually Rin."
"Wha-"
"Eat shit and die bitch," he said.
With that he pulled a card and closed his eyes.
"Oh Higher Arcana!" He called. "Hear me and obey! "
"Blake!" Einsbern called, convinced she still had him under her illusion. "What are you doing?!"
"Judge my enemies to the full extent of your power and smite them for their wrong doings!" Blake continued.
"Stop!" She cried. "Don't do this! Blake!"
His eyes snapped open and aimed his hand back to where he felt her.
"I call forth the Mastered Arcana! Judgement!"
Light enveloped the entire room.
——
Pain met the diviner as he opened his eyes. The red rope was still tightly wrapped around his neck.
He was on the ground, but the pain from the red rope kept him downed.
"Well that certainly was unexpected," Einsbern's voice sounded with annoyance. "I truly hate that card."
Pain, so intense that it made his mind go numb, struck through his body like lightning. All he could feel was the burning agony.
"I guess I'll have to break you this way," she sighed. "The pain will double every ten seconds until you agree to join me. Much. Like. This."
The pain shot to an even greater height. Blake felt as if his entire body had caught on fire from the inside. Burning white flame seared through him, but he wouldn't give in.
"You see, this is where a pet belongs," the phantom giggled. "On the floor, before his mistress. If you don't join me, you're just as good dead as you are alive. The pain will eventually kill you. May it be mentally or physically. So I'd suggest you hurry up and answer."
Was it just him, or was she starting to sound panicked? Could she be bluffing? Through his pain he could tell that her voice had heightened in pitch.
"Fuck...you..." he spat out.
"Ohhh," she mocked. "Well that's quite vulgar of you."
The burning inside him blazed even more, and he found screams being pulled from his throat.
"That's right, my pet," she cooed. "Let it all out. Succumb to the pain."
"I'd...rath...er...die," he got out.
"That can be arranged," she shot.
Yes, it was most definitely there. Panic. She was bluffing. If he died, then she most likely would die as well.
Another wave of pain hit and his mind sank into blackness.
Was this it? After everything that had happened, was this where he would end? Killed by an enemy he had already defeated? It was laughable at best. But oh well. It wasn't a bad way to go. Struggling to get back to his friends. Struggling to get back to Rin…
No! He couldn't think like that! He had to keep fighting, but he just didn't know how. Would his downfall always be to Einsbern?
That's when he heard the voices.
"Are you really going to get beat by this bitch?" A voice sounded in his head.
Ben's face appeared before him.
"You're so much stronger than her now. Is that really it?" He reprimanded.
"Come on, master," another voice sounded.
Lancer now appeared.
"She isn't any stronger than she was before," he chided. "You can defeat her."
"He's right."
Black appeared.
"You're the one with all of our power," he smiled.
Integra appeared.
And Arcan appeared.
The Judgement spirits appeared.
His family.
Rin.
And finally...
"I know you can do it, Blake," she said. "No matter what you do, I'll love you always and will always be proud of you. Don't join me too soon, ok?"
Blake's eyes snapped open and he fully accepted the pain. He allowed it to take completely complete control and numb out his pain receptors. Then he used whatever was left to fuel his rage.
Slowly he struggled to his hands and knees.
"That's impossible," he heard Einsbern gasp somewhere through the vale of his pain. "How could you possibly even move?!"
He struggled to his knees. He would destroy her for all the pain she had brought into his life.
"How are you doing this, pet!" She yelled. "Answer me!"
He could practically feel the panic rolling off of her now.
He struggled to his feet, nothing else moving him but his pure, unadulterated, intent to kill.
"You're a monster!" She yelled. "That's what you are! That's what all monsters are!"
Good. She was scared. For once, the shoe was on the opposite foot.
He moved towards her.
"Stop!" She screamed, sending more pain through the rope.
The pain only fueled his rage. Without realizing it, he called forth his ace of swords. He would kill her for what she made him do to Rin. For what she did to Ben. For what she did to him!
He was closing in on her.
"Stop!" She squealed. "What are you doing! You can't do this! You couldn't possibly be able to withstand this!"
He would kill her for the nightmares, for causing him to be away from Rin, for everything!
The ground began to crack beneath him with every step. The rubble that broke loose began to rise around him as the pressure around him grew. White and black electricity arched all around him.
He was within striking range. Now she would taste the full potential and willpower of an enraged diviner.
"Stop!" She screamed. "No! Please! Have mercy! Please! Sto-"
His blade arched through the air and her head hit the floor.
For a second, a choked scream tried to make its way from her mouth, but then her face went slack and the phantom, with her glowing red rope, dissipated into nothingness.
Blake's anger ebbed from his body, and finally, all of the pain hit him.
He blacked out.
——
When Blake came to, he found Black standing over him with a smile on his face.
"You performed admirably," the dark half chuckled. "Thank god you purged that bitch from us. She's been giving me issues for months."
"For months?" Blake spat. "She had you captured for that long?!"
Black broke out into laughter.
"Had me trapped?!" He wheezed. "No way! As a phantom, that bitch couldn't catch even a fly!"
Blake looked at him in confusion.
"But she had you tied up!" He argued.
"She only pretended to have me captured," Black laughed more. "I just went along with it so that you'd get rid of her. I couldn't make her leave, but you sure as hell could."
"Why's that?" Blake asked.
"Because this is within your own mind," Black answered. "As the owner of the world, you can destroy anyone or anything."
"How'd she even get in here?" Blake asked.
Black thought for a moment.
"The World Domain represents your inner psyche," he responded. "When she took control of me, and by extent you, during the grail war, she tethered a piece of herself to your mind so that she could have a way to take control of you again and maybe come back to life. She tried taking me again, but since she had no physical form, that was impossible."
"I see," Blake nodded. But in actuality, he didn't really get it at all.
"But anyways," Black continued. "Defeating her was your task. I will submit to you. Congrats, you have now achieved mastery over Higher Arcana: The World."
"This all feels really lackluster," Blake sighed. "Is that really it? I go back and I'm free to return to the Realm of Life?"
Black chucked and shrugged. "Yeah, that's it. You've recovered all of your life years. I don't know what to say."
Blake shook his head in amazement. That was it. Once he got back to the Diviner Realm, he could return to the Realm of Life. He could return everyone's memories and things could be how they should have been.
Yet, he couldn't help but feel that something else was coming.
He sighed. "Well, I guess I'll be off."
"Tell Rin hi for me, will ya?" Black asked as
the gate opened.
"Will do."
Throwing up his hood, Blake stepped through.
—-
When Blake opened his eyes. He gave a sigh and smiled. He was excited. He could finally return home and reclaim his life. At least he could be there for his family now.
Before he had time to think more on the fact, a loud banging came at his door.
"Ryan!" Integra shouted. "Someone has breached the Diviner Realm! We need you to go check it out."
Blake cursed as he shot to his feet and bolted to the door; opening it to reveal an out of breath Integra.
"Where?" He asked.
"In the outskirts!" Integra responded. "Go! Now!"
From the time of her voice, he could tell that there was no time for questions.
He bolted past her, threw up his hood, and opened a gate.
He gave one last look at Integra before he stepped through.
As he stepped out of the gate, he could immediately tell that something was off. Something was definitely in the Diviner Realm that didn't belong, yet, he knew this feeling. He knew that mana signature.
The gate closed behind him and his eyes went wide as they fell upon the person before him.
Her long dark hair hung around her shoulders with a portion of it tied up. A red coat fell down around a maroon button up shirt and black skirt. She wore leggings and black boots, and her pale skin shined in the moonlight of the Diviner Realm.
Two bright, turquoise eyes stared intensely at his own that were shadowed by the hood.
"Rin?"
A/N: Reunited at last! What events will this bring about?! Find out next time!
Thank you all for baring with me on the wait. I've been super busy now that I am up and running again! Like always please leave a review and let me know what you think! I do read them and they mean a lot to me!
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I hope you all have a wonderful day!
-B