Chapter 19

Quick note on Andrew's current Arts and stuff... (NAILED IT)

Stab Strike- Inflicts Bleed

Cross Slash- Inflicts Daze if target is suffering from Topple

Defensive Reversal- Can counter any ONE attack

Slide Edge- Rush up close and stab from underneath foe

Whip Slash- Inflicts damage, horizontal range

Aura Wave- Long-range attack, launches shockwaves from sword (up to three times in a row)

Talent Art: Time Slow- Temporarily slows time down around the user

Soul Trigger- Transformation which increases offensive power, greater speed and the ability to fly, and after obtaining the Soul Morph, even greater offensive power and speed boosts

I gave a sigh. "Ugh..." I entered the house and everyone sat on a couch. "Reyn. How are you feeling?"

He groaned as he stood. "That Mechon..." He paused, bandages underneath his shirt. "It's tough. I've got to get stronger so I can bash that tin head in!" he declared.

"Calm down, Reyn," spoke Sharla. "If your wounds open you're still liable to bleed to death."

"OK, fine," he muttered. "Shulk!" He turned to his friend. "Can you make me a new Driver?"

The blonde yawned as he stood. "Yeah, I can. But I'll have to go out for some materials to make it." He grunted. "Andrew, Dunban! Mind coming with me?"

I was silent, following him outside the door as Dunban followed.

"You know..." I turned to the older swordsman. "You're real good in a fight. I didn't realize how strong you were." I stretched out my hand. "You have my respect."

Dunban shook my hand. "And you're a strong combatant, as well. Good to know you're on our side."

"Thanks..." I paused as Dunban walked past. Alder... Rain, Storm and Simon... all fighters... I sighed, before walking on to follow Shulk. What will happen next?

...

"That was fast," I grunted. "So now we've got all the stuff for a new Driver for Reyn?"

"Sure do," replied Shulk. He groaned. "Tired..."

By now we were in front of the lab, and he walked inside.

'Dunban!" called Dickson, and I froze for a moment at his voice.

"Dickson!" he replied. "I suspect that within three days, we will be able to head out again."

"Hm... yeah," replied the old man, and I turned to see the man staring at me. I blinked, and he turned away.

That guy tried to kill me so Zanza has a greater change of doing stuff... damn my lack of interest in the ending of XenoBlade! I thought, with a sigh. Maybe I'll... I walked into the lab, where Shulk worked on a piece of metal.

"Andrew," he spoke, looking at the complex piece. "What's up?"

"Uh... nothing." I looked up as footsteps came down to descend into the lab. I turned around. "Reyn?"

"Andrew," he spoke, grunting. "Geez, Sharla..." He paused. "Never mind. Shulk, how's the weapon coming?"

"Well, I'm trying to make it more durable than your first Driver so this is a big challenge so far," he replied.

I walked out as Reyn spoke, starting to get distracted in my own thoughts.

What am I fighting for? I thought. To escape this world? But... I sighed. "Ugh..." I looked around, where most of the rubble having to be cleared after the Mechon attack mostly cleared.

I drew my sword and looked at it for a moment before placing it back on my back.

Of course, something attention-grabbing had to take up my time, and thus, something appeared.

From the sky, it looked like a Homs, landing on the ground with ease. "Whoa!" He grunted, cloak covering his eyes from my view. "Andrew... an Outsider."

"Wait... what?" I drew my sword as he swung, barely blocking the slash. "Okay... this escalated quickly. We can't talk?"

"Hell no," he smirked. "I'm a person. A mere, now paid to kill you. Apparently, because... you could prevent Zanza's reign or something." He shrugged, moving back. "I don't know. But my employer really wants you dead."

I blinked. Everyone around was staring. "Great. Something else that wants to kill me."

"Oh, trust me. Alder tried to help you, but not enough for this!" The male stabbed his blade in the ground. A dark wave of energy burst outwards, and I leapt, barely dodging. Everyone else within 30 metres and in plain view were on the ground. I grunted.

"Now... no one else can interrupt your death." He lunged with a stab, and I used Whip Slash to deflect it. "Make it a challenge, Outsider!" He punched the ground and a blast of dark power forced me away.

"Ow..." I grunted. "Ugh!" I rolled away as he swiped. "Damn it," I muttered, as our blades met, sparks flying.

"Ha ha ha! Eat this!" The foe's blade was surrounded by dark energy, and our blades met, with him overwhelming me with ease. "Come on... show me that new power you've got."

I grunted, recovering. "Hah!' I concentrated and used Aura Wave at him. The foe swung, and a massive dark shockwave overpowered my smaller ones. "Whoa!" I moved away. "The hell are you?"

"A person with the order to kill you." He lunged with a lightning fast stab, and I grunted, using Time Slow to meet his stab. "Not fast enough!" he shouted, swinging just as darkness surrounded his sword, and I used Defensive Reversal as a counter. "RAH!" He was surrounded by a dark aura and sped up, our blades meeting.

"Come on!" I groaned. "Can you slow down time or something too?!"

"Ha ha ha!" He and I clashed, with him easily deflecting my Stab Strike. "Come on, morph into your stronger form! C'mon!" he shouted, forcing me back as me time slowing power wore off and his aura faded away. "You'll never beat me without it, you know."

I arose. "Ugh..." I evaded a slash. "Hah!" I used Whip Slash, with him deflecting my attack before slashing me away. "Well, this has gone well."

"You're dense and sarcastic," he noted. "And a real idiot, you know."

"Shut up." I sent more shockwaves at him, with the foe slashing them away. There's nothing else left... "Fine." I let out a roar, my form changing. Our blades met instantly. He's...!

"Now this is what I'm talking about!" laughed the male, throwing up his sword and concentrating dark energy in his grasp. "RAH!" He sent it at me, though I slashed it away. "Touchy, eh?" He caught his sword and sent a shockwave at me.

"RAH!" I rushed around, flying at him. Our swords met, fierce. "How are you keeping up with me?!"

"Two simple things." He overwhelmed me and slashed me a few hundred times in a moment. "I'm just that awesome... and your attack pattern is just top predictable, man. I mean, really. Just charging ahead like a fool?"

I reverted to normal. "Well... that was fast," I groaned, rising again. I blocked a slash. "Ugh..."

"Andrew!" shouted Shulk, emerging from the lab. "What...?" He drew the Monado, the beam extending as he used Buster to slash at the foe.

"Too slow!" He deflected the swipe and slashed up Shulk. "Get down. I don't have orders to kill you." He turned to me. "You aren't even half the swordsman I thought you were."

"Dang it," I replied, using Aura Wave to send more shockwaves at the enemy. He used dark energy in comparison, negating the shockwaves. "Ugh...": I barely dodged his stab. So fast...

"You know what?" The foe whipped out two handguns. "I'll end this right now."

"NO!" Alder descended, firing bullets from his own guns to deflect the foe's shots. "Spencer..." he growled.

"Ha ha ha... so you do remember me, eh, younger brother?" smirked the man. "That guy... Andrew, there. He's not gonna make it. I haven't even needed to morph or teleport yet."

"Damn it," I cursed. "Should've known. If those from my stories are coming in to help me... there should be those who also want to kill me. It has gone very well."

Alder panted. "RAH!" He lunged, teleporting behind Spencer. "Andrew!" he grunted, sweat running down his face. "Did I ever kill this person?"

"I wouldn't know," I admitted. "I never got that far."

"But because you're the main character, of course you're going to beat me!" Spencer forced Alder back. "I'll be back, Andrew. And next time... Alder won't be there to save you." He and Alder were gone, just like that.

"God no..." I grunted. "Shulk. You okay?"

He groaned, rising slowly. "What was that?"

"Something capable of killing us all..." I cursed. "We have to get stronger somehow."

"Yeah. For that Mechon..." He looked down at the ground, and I stared at the sky.

A bird fell by and flew away.

Thanks for reading!