Chapter 37

I gasped as his claws sank into my face. "GAH!" A scream tore itself from my body.

He laughed as he released me. "RAH!"

"Rrgh...!" Mumkhar's claws were blocked by Dunban, who was sent flying backwards.

"Dunban!" shouted a voice.

Everything seemed hazy all of a sudden. Who was that? Who was speaki-

Something wet and cold sunk into my face again. It was unbearable. Death would've been better then this.

I saw black as my face hit the ground.

"How pathetic!" spat another voice. "Here I was, thinking you could be interesting after all... but now, here you are. DEAD!"

In the back of my head was the sharp pain of feeling three knives.

"ANDREW!" A cough followed the shout. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

"Ha ha ha!" Rich laughter. "Can you make me, Monado Boy?" A sneer followed, as did a dull thud and a gasp of pain.

I couldn't feel anything. The world all felt dizzy, like after spinning around a few dozen times. Nothing would stay still.

"Andrew!" A female voice this time were what my instincts were telling me. "He's-" A loud scream, more dull thuds.

I felt something hit me, hard, like from a rifle.

Anything I may have had even a few moments back was all gone. No strength, no feeling, no nothing.

A ragged, hurt gasp somehow made its way from me.

That alone made the pain amplify several times, and I shook, on the ground as I was.

"Andrew!" A... a hand touched me. A somewhat deep male voice, now. "Are you alright?"

I couldn't answer. Even the mere thought of just moving was impossible.

"It would appear not," mused the male. "ARGH!"

I sensed a rush of wind about an inch in front of me, plus the abnormally loud sound of something cracking.

"So... you aren't done yet, Red Coat?" spoke a voice. "Guess I have to finish you off now, then!"

"No, you don't!" yelled yet another voice, and there was a sharp sound as metal met something a bit more... unique. "I won't... let you kill him!" Heavy effort was clear from the voice. "Ugh..."

I threw up blood on the ground, my instincts alone using my arms to heave myself up as I did the action.

My vision was bright and surreal for a few moments as my sight returned, before it too was back to normal.

"Huff..." I wiped my mouth with my sleeve, and then Shulk crashed into me. "UGH!"

"Ouch... sorry, Andrew," panted Shulk. "Are you OK?"

"Ugh..." I stared at the sky for a second. "Huff... huff... huff..."

"Andrew?" He shook my shoulder. "We're in a fight right now! Metal Face is coming!"

"R-right..." I looked at him, and he passed me my sword, comfortable in my grip. "Huff..."

"C'mon!" he spoke, moving forward, releasing the beam of the Monado again. "We have to take down Metal Face!"

I stared, feeling myself shake, still panting for air.

"Hah...!" Shulk just dodged a claw, for the other to rush at him. "Ugh!" He blocked with the Monado, and slammed into a wall. "Huff... ugh...!" He spat out blood. "Huff... huff..."

A shadow came over, and there was Mumkhar.

"C'mon, Red Coat!" He raised his claws once more. "Think you can survive this?!"

As his claws screeched through the air, I felt something.

Then I felt where he was going to strike, even as the claws raced to injury me some more.

I raised the sword and nullified the attack.

The resulting shockwave made a distant building collapse.

"Hm?!" grunted the Mechon. "RAH!" He swiped with both claws this time.

I held my blade out in a reverse grip, using Defensive Reversal without turning around, deflecting the two claws.

"What...?" gasped Shulk. "Andrew, how...?"

"So you have something you've been hiding," mused Mumkhar. "Show me, Outsider! SHOW ME BEFORE YOU DIE!"

I looked at him. "Huff..." I let out a grunt as I felt his next movement and evaded, just. Fast...! "Huff..." I let out a hurt wheeze, using my blade to block another attack, which made me slide almost over the edge. "Huff..." I coughed, my vision blurring briefly. "Huff..." It hurts... to breathe... "Huff..."

"RAH!"

I let out a harsh wheeze at the shout, feeling the claws sink into me once more. "Huff...!"

"Heh heh heh... hm?" Mumkhar grunted, moving away to dodge the Back Slash that came at him. "Ha! Too slow, Monado Boy!"

"Huff..." Shulk wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Huff... Andrew, are you alright?" He paused. "Light Heal!"

I panted. "Huff... huff..." I spat out blood with another wheeze. "Huff..."

I couldn't sense that last attack... I stared, holding a hand to my gut. "Huff..." Did my pain blind me? Did I not focus? "This... huff... is a pretty... bad... situation... huff..."

"Hello again, Andrew."

A hand grabbed my face and drove me and the person holding my face over the side of the tower.

I was deaf to any screams or cries or anything for the briefest of moments as my face was released.

I coughed out blood. "Zulf..."

"HAH!" His form changed into something that looked similar to my Soul Trigger, if instead of excessive black there was excessive white, using a sword to launch me sideways, into a wall.

"UGH!" I fell over. "Huff..." I can't... "Huff..." I closed my eyes, as the pain exploded throughout my whole body. "HUFF!"

"If Mumkhar is giving you this much trouble, when you've awakened the ability to sense the world..." His form returned to normal. "How do you hope to face Zanza?"

"Huff..." Through the blood running through my eyes, which I wiped away, I saw him with his sword drawn. "Huff... how... huff... do you... know... ugh... that... I can... feel...?"

He slammed me against the wall, through it with ease. "It doesn't matter right now how I know," he spoke. "What matters, my fellow Outsider... is how you hope to fight Zanza."

"Huff..." I groaned, slowly getting back up. "Huff...! I... don't... know... right now... I'm... huff... fighting Metal... Face... huff..."

"Yeah, yeah." Zulf breathed out. "Hmph. But even for that, you're too weak.

"Guess it's up to me to end your life then. It's hopeless. You'll never beat Lord Zanza now."

He stabbed me. "Gwah...!" I looked at him through unsteady eyes. "Huff..."

"What do you want, Andrew?" He pulled his sword out, ready to stab again. "Hm?"

What... I want...? I want... to win... "Huff..." I fell to my knees. "Huff...!" I want... to not die...

I...

"Later." His sword rushed at my face.

I closed my eyes tightly shut.

I want to see them.

I want to see all my friends again.

My form changed, to something that I knew, in my gut, was sinister, wrong, evil, despite the fact that the appearance was the same as my Soul Trigger form.

My hand slid by his stab, lightly cutting all the fingers.

The building behind us, as well as a couple dozen more, all collapsed.

"Well well well..." Zulf smiled. "Your desire is strong enough."

I let out a howl, before the feeling of a few hundred slashes cut me. "UGH!" I gasped.

"Did I ever tell you, or did anyone else did?" he mused. "The form one's Soul Trigger takes is a reflection of your true self. But you saw my Soul form earlier, right?"

I doubled over, reverting to normal as I threw up blood on the ground.

"It was white... due to me being a bit more... optimistic about life," he spoke. "Which gives benefits, compared to your form, since you're pessimistic.

"Like... I take less damage and slowly heal from injury. A more defensive form, if you would. While your form increases pain tolerance and total damage output. Like Jake's, as well."

"Huff! Huff!" I looked at him. "Huff... so...? Where... are you... going with this...?!"

"The Soul Trigger influences the time controlling power us Outsiders gain. While you would only gain the power to slow or increase time's flow, someone like me... can slow or stop time itself."

I stared. "Wha...?"

Zulf smirked. "Even if you do defeat Mumkhar somehow, I serve Lord Zanza. And you are incapable of defeating me no matter how hard you may try."

Then his blade was inside my face.

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