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Chapter 35: Rin

Rin stepped through the gate with Integra's arm draped over her shoulders.

Her eyes went wide as she took in her surroundings. She recognized this place. It was the Ryan household; more specifically it was the room she had found Charlotte and her husband in after they had been killed.

The magus grit her teeth. She had failed those two and now she had just abandoned their son. Yes, she had to get Integra out of there, but she couldn't abandon Blake now. Especially in his current state. He needed her now more than ever.

She looked over her shoulder at the glowing gate she had just come through.

She knew that she would just get in the way. She knew she couldn't help. She knew that Vollu was too powerful for her. She knew all of that. His power was truly terrifying. Yet-

"Please..." a voice groaned.

Her eyes widened as she looked over at Integra's slumped head. The diviness's eyes were cracked open and she could see the pain on the woman's face. Not only that, but she could see something else. She saw concern.

"Please...save...him..." the woman struggled out. "He is...in...so much...pain..." A tear fell from her eye. "I can...feel it...from...here... He...needs...you... So...please...save him... Rin..."

The woman's head drooped and her eyes fell closed.

Rin's heart dropped for a moment and then she felt the woman's chest rise and fall.

She was still alive. She just passed out again.

Rin closed her eyes and took a breath. Blake needed her. She may not have the strength to fight Vollu, but Blake needed her. That was all the reason she needed to go back.

The magus carried Integra over to the bed and set her down, placing a red gem over the woman's wound. Instantly, threads of turquoise mana began to go to work and seal the wound.

Rin stepped away after her work was done and covered the diviness with a blanket.

"I'll save him," she whispered to the unconscious woman. "I promise."

Rin turned and ran back through the gate.

——————-

"You just signed your death warrant, boy." Vollu sneered. "I'll enjoy killing you very much."

The shogun took his stance and energy exploded behind him once more. But this time, Blake was ready. He'd seen the move before. He wouldn't die. He had something to live for and he'd be damned if he fell here. And besides, his anger would keep him going even after his consciousness faded.

There was a window of time between when Vollu took his stance, and when he actually drew his blade. Blake would just have to hit that window.

The dark knight sighed. It was getting hard to concentrate. He could feel the black mana eating away at his rational thinking. He was expending too much concentration on fighting off his own rage. Now that Rin was gone, he was free to let loose.

He would give himself to the rage that burned within.

The black flame inside of him erupted with new lightlessness.

Kill.

Destroy.

Tear apart.

Annihilate.

Vollu put his hand on his hilt and the dark knight shot forward. He had to hit that window or he'd be majorly screwed.

He let the rage take over. He gave in to the red. Gave in to the blood rushing through his veins. Gave in to the pulse pounding in his ears. Gave in to his thirst for Vollu's blood. Gave in to the black flame in his heart.

Kill.

The elder man slammed his foot back.

The dark knight was almost there. Just a little further. Faster! He had to go faster. He had to let his rage give him the power and speed that he needed.

Kill!

Power boomed behind Vollu.

Almost there! He was going to make it!

KILL!!!

Vollu disappeared from sight as the dark knight passed through where the elder had just been. His eyes went wide.

He had missed his window.

For a few painful seconds, nothing happened, then an enormous slash mark opened along the knight's body and his armor completely shattered away. He could vaguely hear the sound of Vollu flick blood off of his blade and sheath it.

He was falling now. And as he fell, time seemed to slow.

He had lost.

Even though he had decided to live, he had lost.

Was it because he had lost control of his emotions? Because he let his anger consume him.

Had he really lost...?

There was no way...

His body hit the ground with a thud.

It looked like he wouldn't be able to keep his promise.

———

As Blake's vision went dark, he heard a voice that had become so familiar to him.

"What's wrong, White?" The voice echoed. "You're giving up already?"

"Black?" Blake's voice echoed back.

"In the flesh..." the voice paused for a second. "Or spirit I guess. Anyways, you didn't answer my question. Are you giving up? Letting yourself be defeated by this grimy old man?"

"It's not like that!" Blake argued. Then he hesitated. "He's just too strong. He defeated me like it was nothing."

"So is that it?" The alternate Blake asked. "You get hit and you're just done? Rin would be disappointed."

"Well Rin's not here right now." Blake shot back.

"Oh I beg to differ," Black pointed.

An image of his previous battlefield appeared out of the dark space that surrounded the two.

There, he saw the scene that made his heart drop.

For some reason, the gate that Rin had left through was still open and as he watched it, he saw the magus walk out of it with all the grace she normally carried.

"Rin!" He yelled. "What are you doing, you idiot! I told you to get out of here!"

—————

As Rin walked through the gate, the sight she took in made her gut twist.

Walking towards her, in his full shogun armor, was Vollu. Behind him, face down in a pool of blood, in broken black armor, was Blake.

Rin fought back the panic in her heart and instead assessed the mana in the area. From Vollu emanated an enormous amount of red and black mana. And from Blake emanated an unusually large amount of black mana with only a wink of white.

That wasn't right. Blake's mana contained an equal balance of the two. How had he let the black mana consume him so much? Had Integra's injury really brought him to this point?

"Looks like you've come back for some more fun, girl," Vollu sneered. "I just finished up with my last toy. Average entertainment, 2.5/5 stars."

Rin ignored him and directed her voice at Blake. "Didn't I tell you to come back alive?!" She yelled. "You're doing an awfully good job of that, right now! Are you really just going to lay there?!"

"He can't hear you," Vollu laughed. "He's lost consciousness from the blood loss, and will soon die. Much like you."

She smirked at the diviner. Gods she was scared. "Hit me with your best shot."

Vollu flashed towards Rin, but she was ready. While she had been yelling at Blake, she had been enhancing her body with her mana. Not to mention that she had swallowed a couple of mana crystals to replenish her previously consumed power.

The magus flipped sideways to dodge the rush and threw two gems at the passing diviner while in midair.

The shogun cut the two gems in half but both exploded, kicking up dust and debris.

Rin then spun around and threw up an emerald gem shield right as Vollu appeared behind her to run her through. His blade sunk into the shield and he realized too late that she had used her two-layered shield. His own blade shot back out from the shield's surface and he was forced to pull his shorter blade to block it.

"You're a tricky one, I'll give you that," Vollu smiled grimly. "Every time we've fought, you've adapted a little bit more. I'm impressed."

Rin responded with the most unladylike gesture she could think of and blasted a gandr shot at him.

———

Blake began to struggle. He tried to wake up. Tried to do anything. But it didn't seem like he could.

"Didn't you say he was too strong?" Black mocked. "I thought you had given up. He beat you didn't he?"

"But I have to help her!" Blake yelled. "She needs me!"

"Unless you get up with the intention of victory, it's not worth you getting up," Black sighed. "You both will die anyways."

"None of that matters!" Blake yelled more. "I have to stop this! If he touches her, I'll kill him!"

"And it is for that reason that you lost in the first place." Black glared. "Can you look me in the eyes, quell your rage, and then tell me that you will defeat him? If your answer is no. If you aren't willing to do whatever it takes to win, then I can't let you go back out there."

"Let me?" Blake stared. "You're keeping me in here?!"

Black sighed as he kept his eyes on Rin and Vollu's fight. "When you activated Necro form, you drew all of my power out and completely neglected your own. You let your darkest and most destructive emotions take hold of you. You even gave in to them. Now what is the embodiment of all those emotions?"

Blake paused as realization hit him. "You."

"Yes," Black nodded. "So by giving in to the black mana within yourself, you limited your white mana, the mana that comes from you naturally, and gave me control. So when I say, I can't let you leave, that doesn't mean I can stop you if you tried to break out with your own power. The power you started neglecting when you saw our master go down."

Blake could only stare. The one who was preventing him from going out there was himself? The one who was limiting his power right now was himself? Was he really so afraid and did really expect to lose to the point where he had limited his power?

After Integra had fallen, he had subconsciously given up the desire to win. All he had cared about was vengeance. Even if he died at the end of it, he hadn't cared.

"Now until you're ready to break out, save our girl, and even more, win, sit down, shut up, and watch," Black sighed.

———-

Rin was running out of tricks. She knew she couldn't win. She had started out strong, but the diviner before her seemed to have an unlimited mana reservoir. She could already feel herself approaching her bottom line.

"What's wrong, little girl," Vollu mocked. "Running out of steam already?"

The magus grit her teeth and yelled to Blake's motionless body again. "So much for all that training that you endured! I guess finding you was all for nothing! You just let a guy like this beat you! This will be embarrassing for you if you let me defeat him! Guess you haven't really improved that much from the weak guy that I trained on the roof! You hear me? You're just as pathetic as ever!"

"Ouch," Vollu laughed. "That one even cut me a bit deep. But if you think you'll defeat me, you're sorely mistaken."

Rin smiled. "That so?" Gods she was dead if Blake didn't get up.

—————-

As Black watched the fight, he felt the energy begin to roll off of his counterpart. He looked over to White.

His counterpart wore a smile on his face, but he saw the irritation and determination in his eyes. He even could have sworn he saw his eyebrow twitching.

"Oh she thinks that she can just say whatever while I'm on the floor, huh?" Blake smirked wickedly. "She thinks I'm pathetic huh?" A white glow began to surround the man. "I haven't gotten any stronger? I'll show you stronger!" The glow turned into energy as it began to pour out of the man like a dam being released. "I'll show you all of my strength!"

The white energy exploded out of the man, bathing their inner psyche with light.

"Really," Black sighed. "It took her shit-talking you to get you to release your power." Black shook his head. "Whatever, let's do this."

Black let his power explode forth as well.

———-

Rin's breathing had become ragged. She had been able to evade Vollu so far, but she knew she would soon be done for. She was on her last gem, and she had next to no mana. It was even starting to get difficult to stand.

"So that's it?" Vollu laughed. "I will say that you put up a better fight than he ever did! So congratulations on that. But your time has run out. You failed!"

That's when she started to feel it. "Oh? I don't think I have."

A sudden pressure crashed down on the both of them, causing Rin to fall to her knees and Vollu to shutter from the strain. Yet Rin was staring past him.

"What?!" He yelled as he looked back at where she was staring.

White and black energy swirled in a tornado of power over where Blake was laying.

"That's impossible!" Vollu growled. "I put him down!"

"True," Rin smirked. "But you didn't finish the job. You'll come to find that he's awfully resilient and very competitive."

The white and black energy of the tornado unwound from each other and took on the form of gigantic wings and attached to the man on the ground.

The young diviner's fingers flexed as they gripped the dirt and the diviner pushed himself up. "RIIIIIINNNNNNNN!!!!" The diviner bellowed as the wings on his back began to shrink down into the diviner the more he got up. As he regained his feet, the wings fully scaled themselves to him.

His eyes were still closed, but Vollu watched in horror as the wound on his chest closed and the remainder of his Necro armor vanished.

"Seems like I need to put him down permanently, then," Vollu growled as he lunged towards the younger diviner.

As Blake finally stood up straight, his eyes snapped open, causing twin lightning bolts to fall from the sky and strike Vollu mid-stride.

"What the-" the elder cried out as he flew backwards from the impact.

A whirlwind of power covered the diviner once more, sending dust and debris flying everywhere. Rin had to hit the deck just to not be thrown away in the wind. Vollu who had just regained his footing, was once again thrown backwards.

"Damn you!" The elder screamed.

When the dust cleared, Blake had taken up new armor. Not the demonic and cruelly spiked armor that he had dawned before, but a more sleek and shining armor made of white mana and black mana trim. The sword he wielded was elegant and glowing white with the black symbol of infinity designed into its cross-guard and pommel. The shield he bore was no longer spiked and brutal, but sleek and almond shaped with the same black symbol of infinity welded into the center. He looked magnificent and powerful. Like an angel of justice come down to earth.

"Tarot Art Infinium: Divine Knight."

"I see," Vollu groaned as he stood. "So you've finally unleashed your true Mastery Form. To bad it won't be-"

In a flash, Blake appeared under Vollu's guard and slammed his shield into the elder diviner, sending the shogun flying back several meters. Then, before Rin could blink, he was next to her.

"How's that for weak," he growled.

"Took you long enough to get up, idiot," she waved off. "I was about to finish him off myself."

"You just can't give me anything, can you!" Blake huffed.

In a blink, the sound of sword against shield sounded out, and when she looked over, she saw that Blake had unflinchingly blocked a strike from Vollu, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Can't you see.." Blake raised his leg in a lightning fast motion and kicked Vollu backwards with relentless force. "...that we're having a conversation!"

"Fine, I'll admit," Rin smirked. "I'm a bit impressed."

"Thank you!" Blake exasperated. "Can I go get him now?"

"Have at it," she smiled.

Blake flashed out of sight and brought his sword down on the recovering Vollu. The elder diviner parried the blow and pulled his shorter sword to swing at Blake's midsection. The knight moved his shield and blocked the attack, summoning ten swords and firing them at the shogun. Vollu activated six pentacles that formed in a sphere around him and halted them to attack.

"Reverse fire!" The elder commanded.

Yet, before the swords could reorient themselves Blake dispelled them and swung at the sphere with his own sword, slicing right through it. Vollu used the opportunity to jump backwards and slam his back foot down, sheathing his blade and preparing for a draw.

Mana exploded behind the samurai, but before he could pull his blade free, Blake was in front of him with his hand on the pommel of Vollu's sword, preventing him from drawing his blade.

The knight slammed his elbow into Vollu's chin, sending him flying into the air and then began to land blow after blow with fist and shield into the man's stomach, finishing the barrage with a high kick to the face, sending him flying.

The elder landed on his stomach several meters away and began to cough up blood through his face mask as he rose.

"You cheeky little prick!" Vollu laughed. "If that had been against anyone else, they could have died! The time for play is over though! I can't afford to mess around anymore. It's time I end this!"

Vollu rose to his feet and crossed his swords.

"Tarot Art Infinium! Third Release!" The shogun called out. "Divine Emperor!"

The area around the diviner exploded into a red brilliance and from it emerged a glowing crimson samurai. Mana was erupting from nearly every orifice of his body and his aura was so intense that it almost brought Blake to his knees.

"This is my highest stage of the Mastery form!" Vollu's voice echoed with godly resonance. "Now finally face your death, Blake Ryan! Know how inferior you truly are!"

The world seemed to tear apart as Vollu exploded toward the younger diviner.

There was no escape. Blake knew he couldn't dodge and he definitely couldn't block the attack. It was too much. If he tried to dodge, Rin could get caught up in the attack. If he tried to block it, he was certain that he would be cut down. That only left him one option.

"Live on, Master Ryan." Integra's voice echoed in his head.

Blake grit his teeth and activated every ability he knew. He threw up every pentacle he could, he activated every cup he could, he activated every wand with defensive spells that he could, and he activated every sword and formed them into a drill formation in front of everything. Then he activated Strength's ability to increase everything's defense.

He wasn't allowed to die here. He had to protect Rin. He had to survive to see Ben again. He had to survive!

The diviner charged forward towards Vollu, activating his chariot card.

"How quaint!" Vollu laughed. "This is where you finally die! This is what I've been waiting for all these years!"

Blake blurred into a drill of white and black and Vollu blurred into an arrow of pure red.

The two forces clashed in an incredible explosion, illuminating the entire Mirror Realm in red and white light that seemed to blur out everything.

It was then that Blake found himself being pulled into somewhere he hadn't expected.

For a moment, everything went dark and Blake found himself standing in a burning city over-casted with smoke and clouds. Dead bodies littered the streets and rain had begun to poor down, staining the streets with blood.

Before him, a familiar looking clock tower stood in crumbling beauty. And between him and the tower, stood a figure he recognized all too well.

The figure's tattered clothes were soaked in blood that wasn't his own and his chest rose and fell with previously exerted effort. A black and white, blood-stained, ace sword hung loosely in his grasp and blank brown eyes stared up into the crying sky.

The diviner suddenly was dragged back into the blinding crimson and white light.

And as the light cleared Blake found himself still standing with his sword dissipating.

Yet, the world around him wasn't the Mirror Realm anymore. As if they had ripped free from that realm, Blake now found himself standing on the ledge of a tower, overlooking a glowing city.

He was in London.

What had he just seen?

Was that vision Vollu's reason for hating him?

Vollu was nowhere to be seen, but the younger diviner grit his teeth as he anticipated what came next.

Thousands of shallow cuts opened up all over his body and blood began to gush out from each one. Yet he still kept his footing.

"Blake!" He heard a voice call out.

As he moved to turn towards the voice, his legs gave out and he found himself falling. Before he could hit the ground, he heard a sliding sound underneath him and his head landed onto something soft.

His armor was gone now, completely shattered away from the clash, and he felt completely drained. He had used everything he had left.

His vision had become blurry, but as he looked up he saw those beautiful turquoise eyes staring down at him with concern.

"Where's Vollu?" he asked.

"It doesn't seem like he's here," Rin responded, looking around. "He may have gotten ejected somewhere else."

"Let's hope that that's the case," Blake sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, I'm all out of juice. I don't think I could even summon a sword at this point."

"How fortunate for me," the most dreaded voice that Blake could think of spoke.

As he turned his head, he saw a bloodied Vollu. Vollu's armor had also vanished and the elder was breathing raggedly. Blood was slowly soaking through the older man's robes and anger painted his features.

"You really did it this time, boy." Vollu groaned. He had definitely not been as badly wounded as Blake, but there were still several cuts covering his body.

Rin moved to get up, but she was too slow and too worn down to move quickly enough.

Blake propped himself up to block her body.

"Now die with the satisfaction that you withstood my most powerful attack," The older diviner said without humor as a red card materialized next to him. "Any last words, old man?"

The younger diviner's eyebrows shot up at how Vollu had addressed him, but what surprised him even more was the card in the man's hand.

"You don't have the strength left," Blake stuttered.

"That's why I'll be taking yours," Vollu smiled.

Rin got up and attempted a gandr shot, but her magic sputtered like a spout without any water left.

Vollu made a fist and connected it with her face, knocking her behind Blake.

Blake clenched his fist and stood to swing it at Vollu.

"You bast-"

The sound of ripping flesh and bone echoed around the balcony.

Blood trickled down Blake's chin as he looked down at the hand jammed in his chest.

"Oh Higher Arcana, hear me and obey," Vollu chanted. Blake's chest began to glow red as the card buried in him activated. "Tear apart and reorient my foe's power into my own. Strip them all purpose and power. Strip them of their identity and strength. Make them suffer in despair. Mastered Arcana: The Magician!"

Blake could feel it. He could feel his diviner powers being stripped from him slowly and painfully. He screamed as the feeling of his very being getting torn in half ripped through his body. It felt as if his spirit was being pulled from his body.

"No," he groaned. "I won't let you."

He imagined hands gripping around his power and began to pull it back, but it was no use. It felt as if he couldn't get a grip on it. As the power slipped out of him it seemed to turn red and black; making it untouchable for him. He tried desperately to pull it back, but he couldn't.

More than that, he could feel his life force fading. Not only was he losing his power, he was losing his life as well. He had promised. He had promised he wouldn't die.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise, Rin..."

He couldn't stop his mana from leaving him. He was out of strength. He had no options left.

This truly was his end.

"Sorry to disappoint you, man, but you're not gonna die today." A familiar voice echoed.

The blood that had been puddling under Blake began to bubble and glow, and Blake found himself falling through it.

Before he could pull Vollu with him, Blake put the rest of his strength into pulling the man's hand out of his chest.

With a sickening splat, the hand came free and Blake fell.

"Damn you..." Vollu growled. "Damn you father!!!"

Blake fell onto a bed. His vision was starting to go dark. All he could see was shapes at that point. Was he dying? He felt so cold. He could no longer feel the pain of the cuts on his body nor the wound in his chest. All he felt was numbness.

Was this what death felt like? If so, it wasn't too bad.

"Blake!" A voice called as darkness took his sight.

A/N: The battle is over! But was the cost? Find out next time!

Only one chapter left until the conclusion of this part! If you've enjoyed it so far! Drop a review and let me know! I'm happy to hear what people think! Thank you for reading and I hope you all have an awesome day!

-B