Thank you all for the support! It means a lot to me that you enjoy what I'm doing. I hope you will tag along on this journey as the story continues. I'm still busy with plotting the events but the overall story is more or less already finished - at least inside my brain. Just need to write it down 😅
Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter 😊
PS: I really tried to split this chapter into two or even three parts since it's so long but none of the split-ups worked how I wanted them to. The chapter's flow was always interrupted so I decided to let it be as it is. To make things short I hope you don't mind reading an 11 k monster 😅
Snow danced around Law, limiting his view and hiding the events only metres away from him. The others were most likely in the same boat as he is. It would have been dangerous had they faced a pack of Zeugles, coming to aid their leader, surrounding them from all sides and always at the ready to pounce on them. But the new participant had no intention of being sneaky about their presence. They had stormed right in front of them, blocking the path between the group of five and the albino wolf Zeugle.
With the wall of white in front of him, there was not much he could do at the moment, other than to wait. Running mindlessly and blinded into the fight wouldn't do him or the others any good. So he waited until the snow would eventually fade away.
Rinwell was the first person he could make out when the storm calmed down at a fast tempo. She had her book open and incantation was already on her lips. Next came Shionne. She was looking through the lens and tried to find her target amidst the blizzard, her finger already at the trigger.
Lastly, his eyes found Alphen to his left. And to put it bluntly, he was looking bad, very bad. Whatever has rushed into the battle did a good number on him. Somehow Law was glad about the fact, that Alphen couldn't feel any pain. Otherwise, he would be a screaming human mess right now.
It further proofed Law's perception from earlier to be correct. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw a sudden twist of the object mid-air. Next, sickening sounds of bones breaking filled the small clearing before Alphen was kicked away against a tree. Then everything was white but it slowly dispersed and revealed the horrific state Alphen was in.
His right arm dangled uselessly by his side, not listening to his commands. He might feel no pain but that doesn't automatically mean he can do simply what he wants. There are still limits even though he doesn't notice when he oversteps them. And by the confused look on his face, he hadn't an idea what was going on and why he couldn't lift his right arm anymore.
"Why can't I move my arm anymore?" Alphen asked himself. It was probably meant only for his ears but the confusion boosted the volume of his voice so Law could hear too, confirming his fears. Maybe this right arm of his is even beyond any help. The impact was too much and honestly, Alphen should consider himself lucky to be still in one piece. Natural means are unable to fix this kind of injury, leaving only Shionne with her healing Artes. But Law has to wonder.
'Can healing Artes tend such a grievous wound?' he silently thought to himself.
If Alphen can't move his arm anymore, even though he's immune to the sensation of pain, must mean his nerves are affected as well, most likely cleanly severed. That would be the end of the line and render this right arm of his for the rest of his life useless but maybe Shionne has some aces left up to her sleeve. She managed to reattach the very same arm back to its body some days earlier, after all.
From what Law could see his right side was not fairing any better. Maybe it was even worse if some of Alphen's ribs have shattered and caused internal bleeding. Either way, Shionne has her workload cut out and needs to treat him as fast as possible. If they don't find enough time to create an opening for Shionne, Alphen will most likely die. Another dead body on his count because he was unable to do a fucking thing just as it has been the case with his father some days earlier.
Apparently, wherever he goes good people die sooner than later and he makes it out one way or another, unscratched. With the death of his father still being raw as it was he was unable to see any good in his existence. It's just like he said earlier this day, no matter how much Alphen tries to convince him otherwise. He should have been the one dying on that day. His father could turn around this dire situation in no time while he failed again and simply stood still, paralysed by his own incompetence.
"I'm a complete failure, through and through," he mumbled to himself. But even so, Alphen saw something inside him, that Law didn't see. To honour this he needs to get his shit together for now and concentrate on the events occurring right in front of him!
Easier said than done, though.
Law was unable to decide what was more surprising for him in the brief moment when the wall of white had finally dispersed unmitigated, revealing what – who they were facing now. The others felt probably the same. And even if he had enough time to mull the new information around his head back and forth he still would have trouble sorting this into a logical order. Simply because what he saw doesn't make any sense... couldn't make any sense.
The first thing he was able to make out was a pair of mismatched eyes glaring at them. The left eye was coloured in soft hazelnut hues of brown, equal to those of a freshly born deer. Its sibling was a deep blue, a blue that could only be found at the deepest location of the Dahnan ocean, well protected from any prying observers. One might even call it the embodiment of the ocean itself, much like the Zeugle behind her was the embodiment of winter. The longer he looked into her blueish eye the more he felt as his thoughts dispersed, pulled in by the seemingly endless vastness resting within her right visual orb.
Her shoulder-length hair was a mirror of sunshine. Law couldn't find any other words to describe the shade of the hair swaying softly in the arctic wind. It was the same yellow one could only find in a field of sunflowers kissed by the sun on a warm and pleasant summer day at high noon with the blue sky expanding beyond the horizon and only a few clouds dancing across heaven. That is the image that comes to his mind when he sees her hair.
Two small and fine braids ran alongside her head, twirling some of her strands together. Together with her sharp jawlines and squinted yet sharp eyes, they radiated an illustration of strength. Even if he wanted to he couldn't take his eyes off her and he doubted that the only reason for this was her flashy entrance. The sight offered to him was simply captivating.
One aspect was funny for him though but it brought some sort of relief as well. When he was born neither of his parents could tell the reason why he was gifted with another set of hair colours. Most of his hair was a simple brown, the same as his mother. It was nothing extraordinary. From his father, he inherited the spikiness and unruliness that could be a gift or a curse depending on the situation. He doesn't need to spend much time on hairstyling, his hair is taking care of this morning routine all by itself. The problem comes if he has to wash it. Not only does it take hours until it's dry because he simply can't get to the roots of his hair. It also continues to defy gravity but only half-hearted. In those moments his hair is literally half spiked and he can't do a damn thing about it. It simply looks ridiculous, so painfully ridiculous that he wants to cry.
But this is not the feature given to him, that sticks out the most. Nobody does know why but he has a few strands of the pinkest hair imaginable. And he has not many fond memories of them. The adults never said anything about it, most likely they didn't care a bit about it.
The other children are a different story. There's a certain adage about children.
It refers to children being cruel and he agrees with that without needing a second to think. He remembers the words they used for him so vividly as if they were thrown at him the day before. Sometimes they even haunt his dreams, making it all but impossible to get a moment's rest. Back then he simply wanted to have friends, desired the feeling of belonging but they disdained him, calling him names that felt like punches to the gut. They hurt, they hurt so fucking much that he cried when he was alone. He doesn't know whether his parents were aware of this or not since he never told them a thing about what was going on between him and the other children of the town.
Instead, he hid in the darkest and most destitute place he could find and let his tears fall, too ashamed of himself to tell anybody about this – men don't cry after all - and too afraid of what the answer might be if he mentioned his bullying. They were right after all when they said that neither of his parents has pink hair and rightfully doubted the relationship between him and them. They compared him to the mighty Zephyr, a fight he could not possibly win. He couldn't back then and can't now either. So maybe nature gave him his pink strands to mark him as the eternal loser he is.
That's why the scenery before him hit him hard and deep. For others, it may be nothing but therefore it's everything for him. The blond hair of the girl was rarely interrupted by the softest hues of blue capturing her strands. Calling the flowery field back into his mind the blue was the same as the blue embracing the warm sky in this canvas. So delicate, that he had to make a double-check whether his eyes were simply playing mind games with him or not. They didn't. Seeing someone similar to him – independently of the circumstances – brought a strange feeling of tranquillity over him, knowing he was not alone in this world, punished by gifts that were more curse than anything else.
However, the wrath dripping from her mismatched eyes destroyed the path for any further harmonic thoughts. The one Law had just now must be enough. Wishing for more would be too greedy in the world they are living in. Dahnans such as him simply have no such luxury in their individual lives. When they think their life has finally taken a turn for the better, fate awaits them around the next corner and reminds them why this is nothing more than a distant dream. In his case it manifested as a girl most likely the same age he is, giving him the most threatening death glare he has ever seen – Zeugles included.
But the anger emitting from her crouched form made one thing clear. She didn't appear without reason out of anywhere and remembering the small changes in the albino ice wolf's expression Law could only make one plausible conclusion.
For a reason unknown these two know each other, maybe even share a close relationship with each other and somehow she noticed what was going on with her friend, maybe even felt it and rushed into the scene to save her companion. Only thinking this and Law wanted to laugh about himself. It sounds ridiculous. A human and Zeugle being besties. Not even the Renans have this kind of relationship with their created guard monsters but apparently, these two are different. And he had to doubt that the girl was a Renan in the first place. If she was then what was she doing all the way out here instead of being an asshole torturing her slaves in the cruellest ways possible?
Blocking the path in front of him therefore must mean she's a Dahnan. But that also seems crazy since Zeugles have a tendency to kill Dahnans on sight. That's the whole reason they have been made in the first place.
Either way, there's one thing Law can be certain of. Something is off about this whole situation, no matter from where he looks at the current event. In order to be prepared in case she pulls off another flashy move, he raised his fists, ready to attack her or defend himself and the others the moment it calls for action.
But then she decided to lift herself up from her crouched position, making Law lower his fists, he calls his weapons, again. From the startled gasps of Shionne and Rinwell, he understood he was not seeing any things over here. Even Alphen, who couldn't feel any pain, cold and heat included in the mix as well, looked bewildered by the scene.
Without a doubt, the temperatures were freezing outside. It was so damn cold that he feared to turn into a living ice figure any moment, the exhaustion from the day accumulated on top making the sensation so much worse. That's what Law has thought so far until the girl straightened herself up.
Immediately he noticed how tall she was. Naturally, he could only assess her height from the distance but if he has to take a guess he can't be taller than four to five centimetres. Since he stands at 169 centimetres at the moment, not counting his spiky hair, that would make her round about 165 centimetres. He can't say for sure why he noticed this. It's not that he has anything against tall girls. Maybe the few days he has spent with Rinwell and Shionne had caused him to grown accustomed to the fact that he was taller than both of them. That was also the case for the girl but give it half a year and the tables might have turned by then and he's the one who needs to look up.
However, her height was not what threw him so of. It was her clothing or rather the lack of it. Honestly, why does she even bother to wear anything instead of admitting that she's a full-blown nudist? Realising what that automatically means made him blush ever so slightly, forcing him to push the scandalous pictures invading his young teenager mind away. But still. This train of thought is not that far-fetched when he looks at the girl.
It's freezing outside but apparently, she doesn't give a flying fuck about that. From all the things she could have done she decided to wear nothing more but navy-blue shorts with a patch of black on the right leg, a silver wolf head sewn on top and a plain, short-sleeved, black shirt. That's it. Nothing more and nothing less. She doesn't even wear shoes or boots or anything else to cover her feet and instead runs barefoot through this land of ice. Whether she's actually a nudist or not has yet to be discovered. But at the very least it's safe to say that she's mad, totally mad!
Law feared he would shock freeze because simply looking at her and his body was shivering like hell. Each of his breaths froze the moment it left his hot mouth but for a reason unknown the cold seemingly doesn't affect her. Or maybe she's just plain out dumb and her brain had frozen at one point, making her immune to the feeling. Could be an explanation as well. He also thought about the Zeugle behind her. That beast was an embodiment of ice, so assuming that they live together this could be a reason as well.
Putting all of this to the side Law has to admit one thing, now that he can look at her for real. If they had met in another place under different conditions he would have tried to steal one or two more glances at her...
Actually, screw that. He would have done everything that's legally possible to see her as much as possible even if it's from the distance. Something about her caught his interest. Whether it was the similarities they shared in terms of hair properties, the same age, the same height or something entirely else he couldn't say. What he knew was when it meant to look a bit more at her means he has to hide in a stinky trash bin then so be it! You live only once, after all.
Beautiful is probably the word he's searching for. She just radiates a natural elegance that's rather captivating. Especially, so when you're still a young teenager at the age of sixteen and have to deal with tremendous mood swings due to your raging hormones.
Despite all of this, the girl in front of him was not finished with letting his mouth stand agape for different reasons yet and surprised him once more.
Red. It's a colour he has seen way too often in his young age already, as every Dahnan has. And only a few days earlier a whole pool had formed before his eyes, housing countless corpses of his kin. Red occurs naturally in nature, be it beautiful flowers or exotic birds he has never seen before.
Yet the only red he has experienced is the one dwelling inside blood. The colour death is drenched in. The same colour covering his father before they were separated forever before they had the slightest chance of reconnecting the bond they had lost.
Red was the colour he suffered most from physically and mentally on the worst day in his life. And now it had returned, reminding him that there's no escape route for him no matter how far he may walk.
Red fluid ran down her left side, oozing out of a ragged, fresh wound. Law was unable to decipher the amount of damage she must have taken only a short while ago before their encounter but either way, one thing was obvious, even for the eyes of a medical amateur like him.
Her injury is fatal. How she still stands is beyond Law's comprehensible capabilities. She should, by all means, lay on the ground, screaming and twisting in agony or be dead. But she refuses to do so and blocks their path instead. Somehow seeing this obscure picture, her protecting the wolf Zeugle, forced long-forgotten memories back into his head and in front of his inner eye, turning them into a scroll of his past.
The memories of the fateful day he collapsed, surrounded by everlasting white and icy chills, scratching at death's door, ready and prepared to crawl the final distance before red gleaming eyes invaded his blackening vision and prevailed him from any further progress in that matter. Back then he thought he sensed another set of eyes staring at him but he was unable to confirm. His strength was long depleted at that moment in time so it was no wonder his body yielded and submitted to unconsciousness, preventing him from any further investigation.
But by now, after having seen the white wolf, he's pretty sure that the majestic creature behind the girl is the same as the one from that day. Consequently, the presence he picked up along the four-legged beast must belong to the blond girl. It's the only explanation he can come up with, as weird as it may be. Everything else would be even more strange, at least for him. So he settled with this conclusion. Maybe one day his memory will kick in and show him all events from this day.
For now, the small flashback he had just now must suffice. However, with these new thoughts scrambling at a steady pace through his brain, Law grew more and more uncomfortable with the turnout of the current situation.
It may build only on the foundation of mere accusations his mind fumbled together from various information. He could have hit the bullseye but then again he may as well connected the dots in false order, creating a paradox that lead him down the false path. Despite that, his desire to actually have to fight the girl was met with bitter rejection from his whole body.
Even if this day wouldn't haunt him he still had no desire to engage in combat. The girl was, unlike all of them with the exception of Alphen, badly hurt. He's a martial artist. People like him hone their skills and physical prowess by steady and repetitive training, day in and day out, on sunny days and on stormy days as well. But more than anything they hold their honour above everything. And if it comes down to, that they have to choose between either a life without honour or death and keeping their honour, they will always choose the latter. Law's thoughts differ from that perspective.
First of all, he's a Dahnan. From the moment he has seen the light of the world for the first time he was forced to fight for his life over and over again. Earlier this day he broke down and wanted everything to simply end but surprisingly it was the death's reaper setting ablaze the embers within his heart, fuelling his will to live back to old strength but not to butcher a girl who might has saved this life once before.
Further, he gives a damn about honour, working for the Bureau of Observation has taken it all away anyway but he still has his pride. And his pride forbids him to lift his hand against a wounded opponent, especially if the said opponent is a girl. That's what he has been taught for as long as he can remember.
Men don't raise their hands against women. They don't hit them, they don't mistreat. It was a daily mantra he had to listen to almost every day, from both of his parents as well as all the other adults.
Law didn't like that one bit, not back then in the past, not now in the present and not in the future as well. If he has to change his persona or act differently in the presence of girls and women, instead of being his normal self he is around other men, isn't that some sort of mistreatment as well? Isn't that the same as saying that women are not worth seeing him how he truly is? Law tried to the best of his abilities to block out every conversation and lecture about this topic. His whole body abhors the idea of women being anything less than men. In his eyes, both sexes are equal so there's no reason for him to act differently from normal only because the other gender is around.
And if any men have trouble seeing this, they should take a look at the girl standing opposite from him. If she's not an epitome of strength then Law doesn't know what to believe anymore. Her side is ripped open and must hurt, hurt so much that he can't even begin to try and understand how she must feel at the moment. Yet she makes no sound of pain. And if that shouldn't be enough he will help out a little bit with some punched there and another few here.
The sudden click of a gun pulled him back into the here and now. How long has he been away? The fact that he couldn't remember anything frighted him. Never before did he lose focus during a battle but he couldn't dwell long on this. The cogs in his brain started to move again, allowing him to understand that they only had one guns woman in their small team, meaning the sound could have come only from Shionne's rifle. Law didn't even need to turn his head completely to see what was going on.
Shionne, being the ever nice person she is, had pointed her gun at the girl, finger on the trigger and always at the ready to shoot the girl. She was cautious but more than anything else confused, It was easy enough to detect for Law. Rinwell and Alphen were in the same boat as well, uncertain what they should do out of the whole mess they are currently in. The tension increased since neither of the participants did anything but eventually one broke it down.
And who else than Alphen, always the helpful saint, would be the person to act first. From what Law has seen so far Alphen has a strong desire to protect others and puts them always before his own well-being. He himself is no exception to this. Actually, it's the reason he's here in the first place. If it hadn't been for Alphen convincing him to tag along for the time being who knows what would have happened to him by now. Weighting the possible solutions he comes to the conclusion that he would most likely lay dead somewhere. Alphen had prevented this outcome for the time being but maybe the tables have turned already against them.
"Watch out! There's a Zeugle right behind you! Run!" he screamed, trying to reach the girl as fast as possible so he could pull her away from the danger. People call him stupid but when Law witnessed, what was going to happen at any moment, he thought that they should reconsider their opinion about him. Seemingly there is an even bigger fool than him.
Also, he wonders why Alphen looks out for others so profoundly. Is it because he can't feel any pain? Is that the reason he tries to take away the suffering from others? Maybe. Law can't say for certain. Most likely, if questioned, Alphen himself couldn't give an answer to this inquiry. Whatever the reason for this desperate drive is, there's one problem. It makes him blind to obvious circumstances and as Law continued to watch in horror as Alphen focused his entire attention solely on the ice wolf Zeugle and didn't spare the girl a second glance, what happened next came to no surprise to him.
His body was stiff, refusing to move. He wanted to at least warn him of what he has observed so far and share his assumptions but his lips felt dry, licking them did not improve the dire situation.
"Alphen! Look out!" It was Rinwell who voiced out the warning, while she was already performing an incantation for a new spell. But she wouldn't make it in time. Law's not that much of a fan when it comes to reading books but he won't deny that absorbing their content has some perks. Rinwell is pretty smart for her young age. That's what he thinks about her. But somehow he gets the feeling there's more to her than the open eye can tell.
Well, everyone in their small team – the only exception most likely this annoying ball of puffy feathers, oh how he hates this annoying pest already, Hootle - have their own secrets to carry around, burdens nobody is supposed to know about. In Rinwell's case, it's constantly eating away at her substance, so Law didn't miss the small amount of despair in her voice when she tried to warn Alphen in time. It must originate from the fact that she lost countless people she called friends on that Plaza a few days earlier. So seeing someone die in front of her again was probably too much for her to endure.
However, her warning came far too late. Alphen was only able to turn his head around to see what was about to happen. Shifting her stance, diverting her weight from one foot to the other one, the girl flexed her muscles and clenched her hand to an iron-tight fist. Like a lighting cutting through a heavily clouded sky, her fist surged forward and punched Alphen directly into his stomach - luckily. If the same strike had hit his chest... Law doesn't want to go down this trail of thoughts. He has seen enough death for the time being.
Still, Alphen fell to his knees, his one eye not hidden beneath the iron mask wide by the shock as he gasped for air. He might not feel pain but that doesn't automatically mean his body won't react, the genetic orders how one is supposed to behave in certain circumstances not caring a bit whether pain could be detected or not. Instinctively he grasped the area the blond girl had hit him, the other hand supporting his body so he wouldn't fall any further.
The confusion capturing his head was very much visible. Normally, people are happy if someone wants to help them. This time was different though. Instead of gratitude, the only thing Alphen received was loath and nothing else. It must be quite some shock for him but Law can't dwell any longer on this when he saw what their new enemy was about to do.
Swiftly she had located herself behind Alphen, still reeling from her sucker punch. Her left hand gripped Alphen's chin and her right hand took a hold of his head. Then she began to twist his head sideways.
'Oh no! This is!' Being a martial artist Law immediately understood the gravity of Alphen's predicament. This hold has only one specific reason. To kill someone. His father had shown him the same move once when he trained him so he could obtain strength and protect himself in all kinds of situations. A normal wolf Zeugel had attacked them and his father told him to stand still and watch.
Despite his size he easily dodged every attack of the Zeugel, waiting for his opportunity to strike on his own. When he had found the window he needed he pushed the Zeugle on the floor, using his body weight to restrain him and took a hold of the Zeugle's head in a similar motion as the girl had taken Alphen's head. A nauseating crack impregnated the air next before the Zeugle fell lifeless on the ground, his neck cleanly broken. By the sight Law almost vomited.
It's terrifying how easily a life can be taken away, snuffed out for eternity. All the thoughts, all the memories, all the relationships – simply gone. A mere twist of the neck is everything needed to fulfil the requirements and right now this girl was about to do exactly this. To erase yet another life from the face of this planet.
Law's body moved on its own accord. Shionne might miss and Rinwell needed more time. Alphen was too good of a person to do anything so he is the only one left. Pushing the strength of his whole body into his legs, he dug his feet into the deep snow, luckily making contact with the frozen floor, granting him the steady surface he needed. He jumped and darted forward like a green arrow and aimed a fist at the girl. He may feel reluctant about fighting her but he won't stand still and simply watch as she slaughters them either.
"Get away from him!" he roared at the girl, effectively catching her full attention. Seeing what was coming next she released her deadly grip and jumped backwards, avoiding his attack all together but this has not been his aim anyway. He just wanted to force her away from Alphen.
"Law... What are you doing?" Alphen asked him and Law could hardly believe what he was hearing. Just how much of an optimistic fool can he be?! He almost got his neck twisted just now! Turnings towards him, Law barked enraged at Alphen.
"Goddammit Alphen! Get your shit together, you dummy. Have you not realised that she was about to kill you?! Your optimism is wrong plac-"
It proofed to be a fatal mistake in his behave to shift his gaze away from the girl. Alphen may be an idiot but he's one as well. It's only a matter of who is the bigger one between the two of them. His furious yells were abruptly interrupted by a fist rearranging his face. The hit was hard and fast, without a shred of mercy.
Law flew through the air, his face throbbing in pain. Twisting his body mid-air he somehow managed to land on three of his limbs, the remaining one used to regain his balance and stabilise himself.
'Goddammit! This girl packs one hell of a punch!' he berated himself for screwing up big times. Warmth flooded from his nostrils and when he wiped it away, his gloves were drenched in blood, his blood. Hopefully, his nose is not broken. That is the last thing he needs right now.
Suddenly he heard as thunder danced across the battlefield, the power inside every single flash making the air hot and heavy to breathe as they searched for their destined target. It was one of Rinwell's magical spells. The new form of attacking forced the girl to retreat as she dodged each electrical strike aimed at her with a swift graze Law could only admire. Even with her grave injuries she still has an elegance to her movement patterns, avoiding unnecessary actions as much as possible. It was like she was dancing across the battlefield.
Shionne used this opportunity and hurried to a still stupefied Alphen, leaving her rifle on the fluffy floor in favour of her free hands casting white light at Alphen's arm and side. She frowned in concentration as she performed her Healing Artes. If the extent of a wound is equal to the amount of concentration Shionne needs to pour into her Artes to not mess up, then Alphen's condition was even worse than what he had expected. Her veins visibly bulged and it was obvious that any interruption would cause terrific consequences for both of them. They need to make sure this doesn't happen.
Easier said than done though. Only when Law picked up Hootle's panic-stricken chirps he realised that the sound of thunder had vanished, meaning Rinwell's spell was over, leaving her for a short moment defenceless until she could cast a new one. That's why they work together as a team. Alphen and him taking the enemies upfront and Shionne and Rinwell dealing damage from the distance. It has worked quite well so far. But this also means that currently neither he nor Alphen is at the front line!
"Rinwell!" Alphen's scream worsened his fears and when he redirected his gaze to the battle scene they proofed to be correct. Hootle flew helplessly around, pecking at the girl's arm before he was swatted away by the back of his hand, knocking him out cold. As much as Law loathes this feather ball he still pitied the poor creature. He does not deserve such harsh treatment.
Hootle's partner was not fairing any better. Rinwell dangled helplessly in the air, flinging around her limbs in a desperate attempt to release the iron-tight grip their enemy had taken on her throat, preventing her from taking in much-needed oxygen.
Apparently, Rinwell's magic did nothing to impress the other girl. Effective and destructive as it may be, as long as the spells don't hit their target it's not much of a threat. Instead, they offer the opponent an opening when one incantation ends and the next is prepared. And with no one to prevent the enemy from getting close enough Rinwell's fate was sealed from the beginning.
Gurgled noises left her mouth, saliva dripped from her lips and tears formed in the corners of her eyes as her throat was squeezed tighter and tighter with every passing moment. The blond girl was out for blood, that much is clear by the emotionless cold glare she cast at her current victim.
Law's body moved yet again without thinking. Alphen and Shionne can't intervene leaving only him to safe Rinwell's life from the grasp of death.
"Let go of her!" he screamed out of reflex, knowing that she wouldn't do that anyway. But at least it caught her attention for the moment, her eyes leaving Rinwell and focused on him instead, trying to decide on the best plan of action she should take now. Law could only hope that he would be fast enough before Rinwell's neck is snapped^in half, glad that his vocal note bought him the smallest amount of time. It may be insignificant at first glance but in this sort of situation, even the tiniest fraction of a second can be crucial.
But their enemy was not nice enough to simply stand still and watch. She let go of Rinwell's throat, allowing Law the slightest glimpse of hope before she twisted her body, performing a roundhouse kick and hit the smaller girl in the centre of her body. The shock of the impact was strong enough to beat Rinwell immediately into unconsciousness. Her magic is strong but her body is not. Still in a state of growth, such a devastating strike was simply too much for her fragile frame to endure.
She was catapulted through the air like a rag doll and would have been smashed against a tree bark if Law hadn't reacted with his lighting fast reflexes. He caught her mid-air, their bodies crashing against each other making him wince in pain, the damage from the slam he had received prior by the Zeugle this day has not healed fully despite Shionne's best efforts. Law and a passed out Rinwell rolled across the ground covered in snow, slowing them down until a tree put an end to their roller coaster.
To ensure Rinwell wouldn't suffer any more damage he had pressed her tightly against his body, protecting her to the best of his abilities. His back ached from the painful contact with the wood. Surely it would leave a large bruise but it was worth it if it meant he could be useful for once. Allowing himself a second to take a deep breath he never lost focus on the other girl.
She kept her distance for the moment, mulling over the options she had in her head. It was time enough for Law to pull Rinwell out of his lap and lay her gently onto the snow before he stood up and raised his fists.
Rinwell couldn't fight any time soon even if she was awake, Shionne was still busy healing Alphen and the said man was useless until his arm and side are not completely healed. In other words, only Law is able to face the relentless girl. Apparently, she came to the same conclusion because she took a similar stance like he did.
Law had figured so from what he has seen up to this moment but now seeing her like this was the proof he needed. Just like him, the blond girl uses her body as a weapon. She's a martial artist and despite her age uses a highly advanced technique. On top she couldn't be at full strength, her wounds acting like shackles holding her down. Nevertheless, she had the upper hand so far in this battle and did a great job in making fools out of them.
But being a martial artist as well allows Law to a certain extent to predict her movements but the same applies to her. It was an advantage and disadvantage at the same time so he hoped they would continue to stare each other down until Alphen's ready to go again. As if reading his mind the girl shifted her attention suddenly to Alphen and Shionne.
Law cursed inwardly when he saw this. It was only a small notion but enough to destroy his hope. His opponent was not some sort of barbarian but quite smart from what he has seen, able to make rational decisions based on the information she collected. If Shionne's healing Arte is interrupted who knows what's going to happen so Law was forced to act now!
Digging his feet into the ground he jumped forward, sprinting at the girl so he could tackle her in close combat and prevent everything that's going through her mind. His haste approach went not unnoticed as the girl prepared herself, making sure to turn her left side away from him. Law charged in with a battle cry but she merely bounced a step to the side, rendering his frontal assault useless. In response, she threw her own jab towards the boy in front of her but now it was his turn to dodge.
Law didn't just charge at her like a mindless dog. He attacked her while fully expecting that she prevents his strike one way or another and goes in for the counter. If she had let herself hit that would have been surprising for him but she acted like she was supposed to so avoiding her fist was mere child's play. Ducking out of the way he aimed for her chin but only met air.
What followed next was a wild dance of flying fists and legs. Each punch was rendered useless, either avoided or blocked and each kick jumped over or neutralised. Until now Law hadn't realised just how exhausted he really was. His breathing was ragged and his heartbeat so fast that his chest hurt from the rapid rhythm. Even though he was in Cyslodia it was so hot, hotter than even the most scorching temperatures in Calaglia. He sweated from every pore of his body, only adding to his fatigue. This girl is good, very good, so good that he can't say who has the upper hand at the moment.
At least she was in the same situation as he. Her breaths came out in puffs, the liqueur freezing the moment they left her mouth, looking like small clouds. The fight had turned into a contest of attrition. Both were unable to land a strike on each other so it came down to it who would falter first from the intense fighting and screw up, granting the other with enough of an opening. Being the failure he is it's going to be most likely him so he has to do something and fast.
His father once told him that in the heat of battle his fighting spirit would awaken as long as he keeps his focus, increasing his strength, his abilities, his durability, simply his everything. At first, he hadn't a clue what Zephyr was talking about but was fascinated nonetheless. It sounded so cool! But the more he trained, the more he lived in this world of inequality, the more he understood what his father and teacher meant.
Each living being has a spirit, lying dormant inside the body, representing its whole existence in all its raw glory. It never lies and always shows the truth. Many are never able to communicate with this part of themselves and even fewer are able to call this portion of their existence forth. Due to his hard training Law had successfully mastered the process of summoning his spirit into the real world from the depths of his soul. It was the ace up his sleeve in the repertoire of techniques he possesses.
The downside is that he can't use this form of attack at any given moment. He needs to be in battle and he must avoid every hit. Even the smallest of scratches is enough and he has to start the upbuilding of his focus again. But calling agility one of his strong suits, he's able to do it.
When they were about to clash fists again he allowed himself a small smirk. Having received no damage since their dance started, his focus had gradually built up, connecting him to his spirit and allowing him to pull the enhancement to the surface.
His spirit flared up like Alphen's blazing sword always does the moment the dormant bond to Shionne's master Core is invoked, engulfing his fist into bright yellowish light. It looked like his hand was on fire. The first time he managed to summon his spirit he freaked out, screaming like a maniac in fear of his hand turning to ash. Over time he got used to the feeling until it was second nature for him and he was able to dent solid steel with his bare fists.
Both their fists connected with such force that a shock wave was created by their clash. The weightless snow around them whirled up and covered the whole clearing in a veil of white. He could hear how his name was called but it sounded so far away that he barely registered it, to begin with.
His whole body – no, his whole being including his soul was hugged by a sensation he has never felt before. It was so... deep, intimate. It felt like the dream he has from time to time. The dream where he allows himself to be happy, creating his own world where he has found the person he loves the most, the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with, the person he shares loving kisses with. It's silly. He knows that. That's something that will never happen anyway. Who would love a useless loser like him anyway? But he's a boy as well and has his dreams.
So why does he sense the intimate feelings from those dreams right now? What's going on? Suddenly Law noticed that something was off. With all the white it was hard to notice yet somehow it seemed that his view was cut in half. The pictures send from his left eye didn't match up with the ones from his right eye. He considered it to be some sort of mind game his brain had conjured since he got punched real good earlier but when the snow slowly started to settle down and more and more was visible, Law understood that this was not a mind game.
As unbelievable as it was but his left eye didn't betray him. Simply said it was not his eye that send the mismatched pictures. It was hers. Whatever has happened somehow was able to split their views into half and switch one half between them. So Law could see her startled expression as much as he could see his own. That's probably not something either of them expected to happen, throwing up the question of what possibly could be the origin of such a phenomenal occurrence.
Law directed his gaze at their connected fists, knowing she would see this as well. What he saw rather seemed more like an imaginary phrase used in a book than an aspect of reality. Law couldn't decide what he should be more surprised about.
First of all, their fists didn't touch each other, there was still a small distance between them. However, her fist flickered in a similar fashion like his does, making one thing clear. She's able to call forth her spirit as well, just like him. But whereas his has the colour of lightning hers is an extension of her right eye, the same deep ocean-blue one can lose himself into. They flickered around and mixed as they danced around each other, exchanging soft and careful first touches with each other.
The spirit is the raw essence of every living being, basically the core of one's soul. And right now both of their cores were connected to each other. Is this the reason for the current event?
Suddenly the scene shifted but only on his left side, meaning it was something related to her. The weather was the same as today, bitter cold with a raging blizzard tormenting the world of Cyslodia. Law stood next to the large albino ice wolf perfectly calm as this was nothing out of the ordinary – no wait, it must be her. The scenery seemed familiar somehow and Law had to wonder. Could this be her memories? Maybe. Honestly, it wouldn't be that surprising anymore. If they can switch their sights with each other then why not their memories as well?
He could make out a small frame lying in the snow, the person's clothes not suited for a walk through the land of Cyslodia. They were basically only rags. Said person lifted his head and suddenly everything fitted together. Law gazed at a pair of crystal teal-coloured eyes he knew all too well.
They were his own.
So the feeling that was bugging him the whole time, the thought of having met the ice wolf Zeugle somewhere before, the feeling of someone else nearby- it all was correct, meaning that he was fighting his saviour right now. The shock about this revelation was equal to a punch in his gut, forcing his spirit back into his body while hers remained in the outer world, shifting and enlarging.
She stared at him with fury and for the first time in this fight her lips parted and her soft voice filled his ears. "I don't have a fucking clue what just happened but when did I give you permission to invade my memories, you fucking psycho hipster hedgehog?!"
Before he had any time to react a spirit infused fist connected with his face. Blood spurted at the floor, tainting the pure snow. Another fist followed and then came the next. Like a flood, the blows rained down at Law, showing not an ounce of mercy. He tried to defend himself but against an onslaught of such magnitude, he was utterly helpless. She would beat him to death.
But maybe this is for the best. Once she had saved his life and he thanked her for it by hurting her friend, almost killing him only to get some good materials for his revenge on the bastard who killed his father. He was not a bit better than Ganabelt so this is what he deserves. Accepting his fate Law gave in to the relentless assault, taking in the punishment but as it has happened before countless times a higher force intervened once again and saved him from death's clutches.
"Stop it! He's my friend!" Suddenly someone screamed and in the next moment a sword of fire aimed at the girl. It was Alphen, Only he could wield the hellish sword and only he would even think about calling him his friend. So Shionne must have managed to fix him up.
Lost in her rage she noticed the attack too late and dodged not fast enough. The burning sword graced her not directly but the heat emitting from its fiery blade did and burned her already fatal wounds ever so slightly. Under normal circumstances, it would probably only be a sharp sting-like pain but with wounds like this, it must feel as if someone had poured acid over her body. Yet, there was no scream of pain, only a barely noticeable wince of pain probably only he noticed.
'What inner strength,' Law thought to himself as he admired her. Not many people could endure this without turning into a screaming mess. It's an epitome of an unwavering will.
"You okay there, Law?" Alphen's soft voice called out to him, worry laced within the gentle acoustic hues. The older man's inquiry pulled Law out of his thoughts and back into the here and now. With his whole body aching in agony he couldn't answer with a simple 'I'm fine', the lie would be too obvious.
"I will manage somehow," is what he settled with. Not the whole truth but not a fraud either. Also, there were more pressing matters at the moment than his well being. With the truth bare and out in the open now, what was he supposed to do? No matter what, this girl has saved his life once so he couldn't fight her. His pride won't allow such actions.
On the other hand, he could not simply watch as the fight continues. But the forces working against the young teenager were stronger than the strength he could muster against them. After he had the reassurance that Law was doing as good as he could at the moment, Alphen charged at the culprit responsible for his friends' pain. Gone were the compassion and worry he felt earlier and was replaced by a seething rage. From his point of view, they had done nothing wrong and the girl attacked them without reason.
Unforgivable! He will make sure that this girl pays the prize for Rinwell's, Hootle's and Law's pain and Shionne's sacrifice. She used up all of her energy to fix him back into one piece, barely able to cling to life on her own now.
"Better make it worth." she had said to him before she collapsed on her hand and knees, sweat dripping from her face and exhausted gasps freezing in the chilly air. All because of the unreasonable actions of one girl threatening his friends. He won't allow anyone to die in front of his eyes as long as he still draws breath for the rest of his life.
Alphen swung the blazing sword like a man possessed by a vengeful spirit but the girl had already adjusted the order of her movements, avoiding not only the burning blade but the scorching heat as well. Earlier Law had called her good but that was false on his part. She's better than that. She's superb - able to adapt this fast to a new fight under more difficult conditions.
But still, as Law watched the fight getting fiercer and fiercer began to worry. Normally, Alphen was gentle and always looking out for everyone's well-being. Even with enemies, he made sure to end it quickly no matter whether it was Renan soldier or Zeugle. The man fighting in front of his eyes seemed like a changed person compared to the one Law remembered. He was more like the raging fire spilling continuously from his sword. Is that really Alphen or was he replaced by someone else? For the fraction of a second Law even thought this was one of Ganabelt's schemes to pry them apart but this couldn't be. Copying a complete person certainly is above his abilities. Nevertheless, Law was still in the dark about what he should do.
"How am I supposed to stop this?" he asked himself, hoping that stating the question aloud would grant him the answer. Sadly it didn't do a damn thing to help him in this matter and even if it had there was not enough time left for a potential plan to take fruition.
In the duration of the battle, especially in the quarrel between only him and the other teenager, Law had noticed how every movement from her was mainly focused on her right side. When she jumped she used her right leg to jump and land when she punched she put her body weight on her right foot and she did the same when she blocked one of his attacks. All in order to lessen the burden on her injured left side. He still picked up how she would grit her teeth from time to time or how she frowned when one of his blows was too fast to avoid and she had to block it.
So Law was the first one to realise what was about to happen. The battle, at last, took its toll on her and she messed up her steps. She dodged one of Alphen's furious strikes with a backwards jump but instead of preparing for the landing with her right leg, she did so with her left. The moment her foot connected with the ground she immediately collapsed, sinking together like a pillar falling to dust in an instant. This time she screamed in pain as fresh blood spurted out of her wounds. She supported her upper body with her left hand and applied pressure on the gaping hole in her body with her right hand in order to stop the renewed bleeding.
Alphen, out of his mind as he was, did not stop how he normally would have done. He's not the kind of person to attack a helpless enemy but this one time he seemingly didn't care and lifted the blazing sword high above his head with both of his hands tightly clutching the hilt. When Law realised Alphen was going in for the kill it was far too late for any physical interference. So he did the one thing he was still able to do.
Screaming and telling the truth while doing so, as absurd as it may sound.
"Alphen, please stop! She's not our enemy! It's our own fault that she has attacked us!" It was his desperate attempt to stop Alphen from the atrocity he was about to commit but his pleading fell on deaf ears. Unconcerned by Law's reveal, Alphen lost in his rage swung his blazing blade downwards, ready to behead a young girl without a second thought.
Moments before her head would be chopped off she raised her gaze from the floor and their eyes found each other. It was such a small period of time, yet it felt endlessly for Law. Confusion swirled inside her mismatched pair of eyes, uncertain why he had begged to spare her life. Also, there was a tiny amount of gratitude about what he has said but more than anything a strong conviction filled her expression. Despite the dire situation she has not given up yet.
Their magical moment vanished as fast as it had appeared and time returned to its normal flow and with it the silent but audible phrases her mouth released upon the world.
"No matter the form, water is my ally. Has always been and will ever be." Whether this was solely a statement or not, Law couldn't tell. The only thing he could grasp was that the situation turned around instantly after the words had left her rosy lips.
The raging blizzard stopped for the briefest moment before it returned stronger than ever before. But instead of diverting its force across a wide area, it stormed like a flood against Alphen. Soft snowflakes morphed into razor-sharp blades cutting through his clothes and flesh like a hot knife cuts through butter. The blazing sword was stopped by a torrent of swirling water that had formed around the girl, protecting her from the deadly blade. Alphen gritted his teeth in exertion, pouring every ounce of strength he could muster into his blade but it was in vain. The watery barrier didn't give in to the scorching heat and instead pushed him off effortlessly, almost as if he was nothing more than a pesky fly.
If someone had told him this as a story and tried to sell this to him as truth, he would have laughed his ass off. No way an event like that could be part of the real world.
But his own eyes showed to him how wrong he would have been with this kind of opinion because the mentioned event took place directly in front of him and still he could hardly believe this. Where did all this water come from in this land of frozen snow? Is this maybe even an Astral Arte? Is this girl a Renan? No, this couldn't be the case. None of her eyes shined, indicating that she was indeed a Renan. It seemed like the water was acting on its own accord in order to protect the young teenager.
With every passing moment the blizzard became more furious and the water more restless. Then icy winds howled across the battlefield, swirling around Alphen's hands and sword, holding him down right where he stood. It was as if winter itself had taken a hold of Alphen and the blazing weapon. Suddenly there was a gasp on the other side of the clearing. It originated from Shionne, ajar against a small boulder and barely hanging on to consciousness.
Her chest gleamed in red and orange hues and she was beyond startled by the sudden development happening inside her body. The shine intensified and became brighter and brighter until at long last the origin for the source of light came forth.
It was her Fire Master Core. One look at Shionne's face and it was clear as day that she hadn't a clue why her Master Core suddenly decided to graze the world with its presence. For Law, these orbs of pure, transcendental Astral Energy are objects far beyond the realm of what he can mentally process. He understands the gist, that they are used to store absurdly high amounts of Dahna's energy but how they are capable of such a feat, their inner mechanics and functionality? That is beyond his grasp and in all honesty, he doesn't care that much for Renan technology.
Apparently, he was not the only one sharing this point of view, this indifference towards technical gears. Otherwise, Shionne wouldn't have this panicked look on her face and could stop her Master Core from acting out. A sudden cry echoed over the clearing, drawing his and Shionne's attention elsewhere.
"It hurts!" the voice said, agony swinging in every tune. At first, Law thought it was the blond girl whining but it was definitely a male who uttered the words. His gaze flicked to Alphen, taking in the tears that rolled from his unmasked eye. Could it be?!
Law then allowed himself to observe the whole situation.
Alphen had collapsed and knelt, his breathing irregular. As unbelievable as it was his entire forearms were frozen over, maybe even frozen solid to his very bones but this was not the greatest shock. Winter had ceased his hold on the once blazing sword. The blade has crystallized and only the orange and red hues indicated that it was indeed Alphen's destructive weapon. In this battle of elements, ice ended victoriously and fire became solid, an event that's normally reserved for fairytale-like stories only.
"Your pain is nothing compared to mine! The pain I felt when I saw my only friend hurt and about to be killed by you bastards! That's what you deserve!" Every word sounded like a cacophony or wrath, like separate storms clashing against each other and fighting for dominance.
She took a hold of the former flame sword and with a mere clench of her fist, the mighty weapon shattered into million pieces and the only hope of ever freeing the Dahnan civilisation was destroyed alongside. She raised her right fist, her spirit flared up again and then she brought it down merciless. All of Shionne's endeavours were swallowed by the fist that was more like a wild torrent smashing Alphen's face into pieces! The force was so strong that his whole body bounced off the ground, not something a human body should be capable of.
Alphen's eyes became white and Law couldn't tell whether the older man was out for good or even dead. The latter seemed more plausible though but his body didn't care. He still had not the slightest intention of fighting her but he couldn't allow her to proceed further either. As far as he saw things the only way to put a stop to this was to knock her out.
Before the thought had finished his body was already surging forward. Somehow he could sense the familiar roadway leading towards his own spirit. A godsend in this situation. Without his inner strength, he wouldn't have the slightest chance!
Faster than ever before, almost like lighting itself, Law moved onwards, bursting through the watery barriers and landing a direct hit to her face. A moment later he was graced in a similar fashion by one of her fists, both of them glaring at each other with one eye but no matter what, he has to do this! Forcing his way through he was able to push her back and followed up with another punch. This one was blocked though so he jumped high into the air and prepared for a downwards kick with all his might.
Both teenagers released battle cries as their individual spirits flared up brighter and stronger than ever before in response to their determinations. After the first touch, both spirits were famished and ravenous for more and to their delight, their masters decided to give them more to satisfy their hunger for battle and each other. Yellow and blue once again pushed each other back and forth when Law's kick met with a right hook of the girl.
Shionne had to cover her face from the intense battle of the young people even though she was a good distance away. She was frightened by the display of power both teenagers showed off.
'Has Law always been this strong?' she wondered. So far she only thought of him as unnecessary luggage Alphen had picked up along the way because of his annoying aptitude of helping people wherever he goes but with him and Rinwell out of order and her on the brink of fainting, the boy was their only hope of getting out of this alive.
"Maybe I was wrong about him," she silently mumbled. Looking at the gun lying by her side she might be able to help him win this battle as long as she doesn't screw up the shot. But before she could even reach out for the rifle the battle arrived at its conclusion.
The sturdy trees around the battle swayed from side to side and cracks opened in the earth. The losing side was neither the girl nor Law, both of their bodies pumped to the brim with adrenalin and simply refusing to even give in a millimetre. It was the ground beneath their feet, who gave in first, unable to endure their contest of strength any longer.
The earth opened, ripping open its bottomless maw. Trees broke and stones broke down into debris. With the ground suddenly gone neither Law nor the blond girl were able to do anything about their impending fall into the innards of Dahna. Their fight ended with both losing as nature claimed victory for itself.
To make things worse Law was hit by one of the countless debris in the back of his head. Darkness immediately embraced him as he fell unconscious. His opponent soon suffered the same fate as more and more rubble filled the gaping hole until it was completely closed by rocks and fallen trees.
Both teenagers were swallowed, their presence vanishing from the face of the world as eternal blackness pulled them down into the rocky confines no one has ever escaped from. Their companions were likewise shocked by this outcome when aurora lights from above flickered across the heavens, the only indicator in Cyslodia that a new day has begun.
A new day of A World Without Them.
Expected that things would end as they did? Let me know what you thought would happen.
Comments and Likes are like oxygen to me, so don't be afraid of leaving either of them :)