Chapter 186

Inner Spirit Part 1

I was now deep inside of a forest-like area, walking around while staying aware of my surroundings. Everything around me seemed to be ominous and creepy. I could hear the wind whistling in the air as it blew and the sounds of crows cawing in the distance. And even though it was during the day, it became darker than I expected.

"Well, this is nothing short of creepy. With a setting like this, you'd think that I'm stuck in a scene of a horror story or something. Perfect place for a wolf to be lurking around." I glanced around left to right. "Sadly, I get the feeling it's not going to be that simple. It never usually is."

At first, I had no particular plan on going about to find the wolf. I thought about flying up the treetops, but considering how dark and wide this place was, I wouldn't be able to see it from above, so I decided against it. Eye-balling it and sniffing it out wasn't going to help either. I even used my Aqua Sense while placing my hand on the ground to sense for any life, but I couldn't sense anything. Not even a drop of any water that was close by.

"That's strange. You'd think that with a forest like this, there'd be at least some animals around here, but I can't sense anything. Not even a bug. That's nothing short of odd. There should at least be some form of life in this place."

Just then, I heard the sound of a long howl. It was so loud that it echoed all around and caused me to tense up as I took a stance, keeping my guard up.

"Okay. That was definitely a wolf's howl, which means either I found the one I'm looking for, or I've stumbled across some other wolf that lives around here. Either way, I'm on the right track. Or at least I think I am."

At that moment, something shot past me at an incredible speed from behind. As I looked back to see what it was, it happened again, this time shooting right past my right side and into the bushes ahead. Not wanting to let it escape, I chased after it running straight into the bushes, pushing past them. But no sooner than I did, I found myself standing in a different location. I was now right in the middle of a large and spacious cave lit by lacrimas hanging from the ceiling and on top of torches, and a large spring right in the middle of it.

"What the heck? How did I get here?" I wondered as I glanced around. "One minute I was in the forest, and then..."

Then, I remembered what Tu Chi said about the unnatural becoming natural and the line between reality and fiction waning.

"I get it now. This must be what Master Tu Chi meant. I'll say this much, whatever is going on here, it's definitely unnatural. But... I wonder why I'm in a cave of all places? Although, on the plus side, at least there's some water in here. Might as well have a drink."

I went over to the spring, looking forward to getting a nice drink of water, when a thought struck me as I stopped walking. This wasn't the first time I've been through this. I remember being in the same situation before this, and that feeling of deja vu made a foreboding feeling quicken my heart.

"Hold on. This cave. This spring. I recognize this. And if that's the case, then... Oh, no. Don't tell me..."

A malevolent laugh echoed throughout the cave, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end and goosebumps creep on my skin. Then, from the depths of the lake, something came walking out of the lake, slowly and creepily emerging from the water in front of me. That something was a person with a pair of malicious and familiar cat-looking eyes that glowed bright yellow with predatory hunger.

Immediately upon seeing them, I knew who it was, but I couldn't believe it. "N-No way. It can't be!" I gasped, instinctively taking a step back. "Don Ghira?!"

"Long time, no see, Willy Falconer," the man spoke while smirking, his pearly whites appearing to shine. "You don't know how much I've missed you."

"Wh-What are you doing here?! How are you here?! No, you shouldn't be here!" I stammered as I kept walking back. "You're supposed to be...!"

"Dead? Gone? Come now, you know that you can't get rid of me that easily," the man spoke coolly. "After everything we've been through together, how could I stay away?"

"No! This isn't happening! It's a trick!" I denied. "This is nothing more but a bad dream!"

"Oh, believe me. This is real, my dear prey," Don Ghira said as he cracked his knuckles. "And if you're still having trouble believing, then how about I show you how real I am?"

The man before me clenched his fists and began to transform. His body bulked up, his muscles ripping his clothes as they grew, his skin turned into black fur with grey stripes, his hands and feet mutated into paws, and his face distorted and morphed into a tiger's muzzle. He then let out a menacing roar that made the entire cave tremble from the sound alone.

Knowing that this was a fight I couldn't hope to avoid, I clenched my fists, cloaking them with water while taking a stance, and got ready. But Don Ghira had already disappeared using his speed. Then, I felt his presence and murderous intent right behind me. I quickly ducked in time for his claws to whizz by my head, shaving a few hairs off of my head. Then, I somersaulted forward while launching myself in the air and landed on the ground to gain some distance. Then, I shot forward and swing with a punch while Don Ghira did the same.

Back and forth, we exchanged blows, throwing and parrying punches until I managed to land a solid hit right on his muzzle with a punch. Then, I followed up by turning myself upside down, landed a kick on his forehead, springing myself away, and unleashed a mighty torrent of water from my mouth, resulting in a large burst of water making it rain down everywhere.

Dodge!

Immediately sensing danger, I jumped up in time for Don Ghira's tail to narrowly miss my legs. While I went up, I brought my hands above my head, clenching them tightly into fists, and swung them down in a double hammer fist, only for the man to jump back out of the way. As my fists slammed into the ground, he backflipped away from me a couple of times before landing back on his feet, shooting forward and swinging with a mighty kick. While I was able to get my hands up in time to block, the force of the impact sent me recoiling back and skidding along the ground until I eventually stopped.

"Damn it! That freaking hurt!" I complained while my arms tingled with pain. "Guess that means I'm not dreaming after all."

I clapped my hands together and spread them, conjuring a pair of large water stars in my hands and flung them, and took off running towards him. As he deflected both of them, I closed the distance and clocked him square in the chin, jerking his head straight up. Then, I furiously attacked with a flurry of punches and kicks, not wanting to give him an inch to breathe. I then swung with my leg, intending to give him a kick to the face, but at the last second, I pictured Don Ghira opening his mouth and chomping on my leg, biting it off, right when I was about to kick him. So, I quickly jumped back, gaining distance, in time for Don Ghira to lean forward, opening his mouth while baring his teeth, and snap them shut like a steel trap.

"Oh, man! That was too close!" I panted. "If I didn't react sooner, he would've bitten off my leg!"

"Well, now. It would seem that you've changed since we've last fought each other," said Don Ghira. "Although, I can't help but feel as though there's something amiss with you."

"And what do you mean by that?" I asked.

"I can tell from the punches you landed," said Don Ghira. "While I'll admit, they've gotten more nimble and stronger, but that's not going to be enough to beat me."

"Shut your mouth!" I barked. "I'm just getting started!"

"Is that so? Then why don't you hurry up then?" Don Ghira goaded, beckoning me with his hand. "If you've got something up your sleeve, then let's see it. In fact, I've got an idea for you. Why don't you go into that berserk state like before?"

I then went silent, knowing that he was talking about my tainted form.

"Come on. I'm dying to see it. Show me that wild and demonic side, and fight me to the death!" goaded Don Ghira. "Or maybe it's because you haven't had enough pain yet?"

He let out a snarl as he pounced at me, brandishing his claws and wildly swiping at me while I tried to avoid them. Then, as I ducked to avoid his claw, Don Ghira quickly turned on his heel and gave me a mighty roundhouse kick to the abdomen, knocking the wind out of me and sending me tumbling and bouncing on the ground. As I jumped back up to my feet, Don Ghira repeatedly shot by me like a bullet, his claws raking into my skin as he scratched me. I bit back the urge to scream as I crossed my arms to defend, enduring the onslaught.

"What's the matter, boy? Is this your way of "getting started?" Why won't you get serious already?!" I heard Don Ghira snarl in what appeared to be frustration. "Is there a reason that you're holding back on me, or do you honestly think that you can beat me with this farce?!"

I jumped back in time for Don Ghira's hand to narrowly miss my ribs. I grabbed hold of his hand and threw him over my shoulder hard, intending to slam him, only for him to stop himself using his tail and legs. Then, while twisting his arm a bit, he straightened up and elbowed my face, making me let go of his hand as I staggered back, falling to one knee panting in exhaustion.

"You disappoint me, Willy Falconer. You can't tell me that's all the power you've got," Don Ghira growled while giving me a disapproving glare. "I know that you've got more than this. The way you're fighting is absolutely atrocious. Is this your way of surrendering, or are you just that much of a weakling?"

"Shut your damn mouth!" I snapped. "I'm sorry to break it to you, but the fighter you're looking for is long gone! He doesn't exist anymore! What you saw back then was nothing more but an out-of-control monster due to a drug injected into my body, which thankfully was expelled. Unlike you, I'd like to keep my humanity and don't need it to beat you."

Don Ghira stared. Then, he began to laugh. "Is that honestly what you think is happening here? If so, then you're an even bigger disappointment than I gave you credit for," he said. "The biggest disappointment I've seen for a long time."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"I mean, that despite your tough talk, you haven't realized how confused you are," said Don Ghira. "You're like a lost animal, eyes full of doubt, naive to the world, unable to fight to your fullest ability, and most of all, afraid of moving forward."

"Stop talking nonsense!" I snapped. "I'm not afraid of you! I've never been afraid!"

"Then what happened to that killer instinct when we last fought?" asked Don Ghira. "At least then, your eyes were filled with a burning passion and the instinct to crush your opponent. If you've removed this supposed toxin as you claim, then it seems that it wasn't the only thing that's been removed."

Anger quickly took hold as I shot forward, clenching my fist and letting out a roar as I swung, but right at the moment, Don Ghira mysteriously vanished. Not only that, but the scenery around me changed, and the wounds I've suffered had disappeared, too, as if they never happened.

I also found myself standing in the middle of another forest. Its trees were a golden yellow, and I could see the wide blue skies. This was a location that I also knew, but surprised to see it again as I looked around.

"Wait a minute... This is Tenrou Island! What the heck is going on here?! And where did Don Ghira go?"

"You should be a bit more concerned about yourself," said a voice. "Now, BLEVE!"

I snapped my head back in time for several familiar firework-like lights to appear in front of me. Reacting quickly, I shot up in the air using Aqua Jet as the lights exploded at once. As I landed back on the ground, a familiar figure walked out of the smoke revealing himself. That someone being another familiar dark mage from Grimoire Heart.

"Azuma?! I heard from Erza that you died!"

"I'm not someone who'll die so easily," said Azuma as he put up his fists. "As you can see, I've still got life left in me."

"You got to be kidding. This, again?" I said while also taking a stance. "All of a sudden, it's "let's fight, Willy" day!"

"As if you were expecting anything else," said Azuma. "Now, defend yourself, and show me your strength!"

The two of us charged at each other and swung, both of our fists colliding with incredible force. As we pushed away from each other, Azuma waved his hand, making several tendrils of roots shoot forth, directing them in my direction. I held out my hands, conjuring up a pair of water swords, and sliced and cut through the roots one after the other as I ran. Then, when I was close enough, I jumped up, diving down while spinning acrobatically, and gave him a mighty kick aiming for the head, only for a root to block it at the last moment and hurl me away.

While I flew, I summoned my water wings, spreading them out to slow me down, and clenched my fists making torrents of water erupt from each other. I raised my hands, and while swinging them down, unleashed a powerful Wing Attack. But while raising his hand, Azuma blocked the incoming attack by commanding the roots to shield his body and followed up with another attack, sending a swarm of leaves at me with a wave of his hand. I slammed my fists into the ground, erecting my geyser wall, which blocked most of the leaves, but some snuck past and nicked me all across my body. As I dispersed my Geyser Wall, a massive root in the shape of a fist came barreling towards me and bashed me, launching and sending me crashing into a tree back first, snapping it in two.

"What's the matter, Willy? You seem to have grown weaker since we've fought," I said Azuma. "Compared to when we've faced each other before, you're fighting like an amateur!"

I coughed and wiped the blood from my mouth as I got back to my feet. "Give me a break already!" I huffed. "I've already gotten one lecture from a former enemy today; I don't need another!"

I took a breath and let out a powerful breath attack from my mouth, scoring a direct hit on Azuma as a huge explosion of water shook the land. However, much to my surprise, Azuma still stood, appearing completely unfazed as the dust settled.

"How pathetic. To think that you've fallen so low in terms of power," the man spoke. "I believed that you would be a worthy opponent back then, but now, it seems that you failed to meet my expectations. I never thought that you'd end being a coward."

"You shut your damn mouth! I'm not afraid of anything, much less of you!" I snapped. "And what exactly did I do to fail?"

"It's simple. You've failed to overcome the uncertainty in your heart, which in turn is making you weaker," said Azuma. "In fact, I can tell that fear has now seized you completely from the inside, and it's because of your past battles and trauma. You look back on those memories believing if you were stronger, things would have been different, which is why you relied on the power of the toxin to make up for your shortcomings despite the risks. But your problem is now that you've been rid of it, you're afraid of becoming helpless again."

"No! You're wrong! You're wrong!" I yelled. "My problem is you and all the others! You all hurt or killed innocent lives and even tried to kill me! What could someone in a dark guild know anything about strength?!"

"Let me give you a piece of advice. Those who possess power will always be drawn to fight, no matter how benevolent they are. It's a cycle that never ends," Azuma spoke firmly. "Whenever you defeat a person, someone stronger will come along to replace them, whether it's a fight to the death or something as simple as a dispute. As long as we humans continue to walk on this land, it will never end. This truth is hard to accept, but unfortunately, you must if you are to survive in this world. You asked me what do I know about strength. I know a lot more about it than you could ever know," continued Azuma. "Strength is everything to me. It gives me life, a reason to live, opportunities to grow even stronger, and enjoy the thrill of battle. While experiencing the sweet and bitter tastes of victory and loss from my fights, I kept pushing forward, gaining strength and experience, and I have no regrets from those battles because they make me the person that you see before you."

I couldn't help but stare at the man before me, now more confused rather than angry as I took in every word he said.

"You, on the other hand, are so stuck in your past that you're at an impasse with yourself, refusing to move forward while the ghosts of your fallen opponents haunt you, the people you couldn't save, and the foes that tormented you," went on Azuma as he pointed a finger. "The past is important to remember, but you shouldn't let it you hold back. Unless you learn to accept this, you'll be nothing more but a prisoner of uncertainty, a declawed dragon shackled by the chains of your own doubt."

And with that, Azuma turned from me and started walking away.

"Hey! Azuma, get back here!" I yelled to him while running after him. "I'm not done with you!"

But as I reached out to grab him by his shoulder, Azuma faded away, eventually disappearing into the air. At the same time, the forest around me changed, turning into another location like before. This time, I stood in a shallow pool in the middle of an amusement park, surrounded by inactive rides with only the neon for light, another location that I knew from my past.

"You got to be kidding me," I sighed exasperatedly. "This is starting to get weird even by normal standards."

Then, I heard someone walking towards me from behind. I stood my ground, clenching my fists, knowing who it was.

"So, I guess you're here, too," I said without looking back. "Somehow, I didn't expect and expected you to show up."

I turned around, and sure enough, standing before me was Kuromen, aka my Edolas self.

"It's been a while, Willy," Kuromen said in her metallic voice. "You're looking well."

"Thanks, but something's telling me that you're not here for chit-chat," I said. "Let me take a wild guess here. You want to fight and probably yell at me for being weak. Am I right?"

"If you already know, then there's nothing more we need to discuss," said Kuromen as she took a stance, getting ready to draw her sword. "Now, draw your blade, and prepare yourself!"

As I complied by conjured a pair of water swords, the iron-clad samurai shot forward, drawing her blade, while I brought my swords to an X to block. Both of our blades collided with a loud clang that made the air and even the water vibrate from the collision. We both pushed each other back, gaining distance and, using our speeds, dashed and collided some more, our blades making sparks fly. For a moment, I had no problem blocking Kuromen's attacks, but every blow felt heavy and seemed to get heavier. Then, as I swung both of my blades in an X, Kuromen jumped up, dodging the blow while raising her sword, and then swung down, aiming to cut me in half. At the last minute, I jumped backflipping a few times before landing on my feet. I looked down at my chest, noticing that I had now had a thin red line on it, oozing blood.

"How unexpected," Kuromen spoke out. "Despite your current state, you managed to dodge."

Kuromen then shot towards me with her blade poised and swiped her blade repeatedly again at an even higher speed than before, while I desperately tried to block. Next, Kuromen horizontally sliced his sword aiming for my throat while I blocked it with my blades. But then, Kuromen twisted her hips and gave me a swift kick to the stomach, sending me skidding back while the air escaped my lungs. As I looked back up, knowing that she was coming, I felt my right arm get sliced, then my left leg, my hip, and even my cheek. Then, as I staggered while reeling in pain, a faint and dark glow coming from above caught my attention. I looked up in time to see that Kuromen above me, whose sword was enveloped in a black glow.

"DARK BLADE FORCE!"

When she landed on the ground, she slammed her blade, releasing a powerful shockwave of black power. Knowing that I couldn't dodge in time, I converted my swords back into water and slammed them down using Geyser Wall. As the Geyser Wall erupted from the ground, Kuromen's attack blasted straight into it, making it bend and warp as I struggled to keep it up. But then, my wall began to crumble as the attack began to break through it until it finally broke. The attack resulted in a mighty explosion that launched me while I screamed in pain, eventually hitting the ground. Now wracked with pain, I struggled as I tried to sit up, only to have a blade pointed directly at my throat.

"What has happened to you, Willy Falconer? You're nothing like the person who you were before," Kuromen said quietly. "Back when we first fought, you had a determination and an unwavering will. Now, I no longer see those things in you."

"Why are you doing this, Kuromen?" I grunted while holding my chest. "There's no reason for us to be fighting!"

"That's where you're wrong. There is a reason," said Kuromen. "And that reason is that we have a score to settle."

"But we already settled things back then!" I said. "After everything we've been through, I don't want to fight you!"

"Don't be so naive!" Kuromen snapped. "Do you honestly think that things were settled when you defeated me? As long as one person stands, the battle will never be settled! You, of all people, should know that! But rather than that, you've chosen the coward's way out and refuse to fight out of fear!"

"And why the hell would I be afraid to fight?!" I instinctively snapped.

"Because you're afraid of using your full strength," Kuromen spoke. "Afraid that if you took any fight seriously with the power you have, you'll end up as the monster and villain everyone in the world has made you out to be, including yourself!"

I immediately went silent, unable to speak.

"You sit there thinking you're being the better man using your reason to fight while everyone else is fighting for their lives. And when you start doubting yourself, you end up hating and rejecting yourself, repulsed by the person you become during battle," continued Kuromen. "And before you start prattling on about all the suffering, take a moment to consider the suffering I've caused, the pain I've inflicted, and yet through it all, I don't regret anything, for I continue to fight with everything I have knowing that this was the path I chose. Granted, it was the wrong one, but I continue to walk forward, accepting myself for who I am in the process. The moment one starts to deny this acceptance, your blade grows dull, your strength diminishes, and you eventually die. And I know that's not what I want. You feel the same as I do, don't you?"

I remained quiet, not saying a word.

"You're just like me. We fight to protect those we care about and prove our strength to others to gain their respect. We may lose from time to time, but that also makes us stronger and better people because that's what we were born to do," went on Kuromen. "You're a dragon slayer, a human having the powers of the fiercest creatures ever to roam the land, so start acting like one. You have no choice if you want to get stronger if you never want to lose anyone again, if you ever want to gain the respect you deserve, then fight, Willy Falconer. Fight and accept who you are. Raise your fists, take your swords, and use whatever power you have to crush your enemies while becoming the dragon in body and spirit! It's the only path you can take, and... it's the only way for you to overcome your toughest challenge."

Kuromen then took her blade with two hands while pointing her sword to the ground, stabbing it. The ground began to tremble and shake as a large crack rapidly grew from where she pierced it, and before I could react, I fell straight through the crack. I failed while screaming as I fell until I hit the ground flat on my face, eating a face full of dirt. I coughed, and I spat as I struggled while getting myself up. As I opened my eyes, the landscape had changed yet again. This time, I found myself back in the forest before this whole madness started.

"Well, that could have gone better," I grunted. "Looks like I'm back in the forest. Or is this another place for someone to show up and attack me? If that's the case, then I better hurry up and heal myself before it's too late."

But as I looked at myself, I was surprised to see that my body was unharmed. Not even a single cut or scratch remained.

"OK. Nix that," I corrected. "Geez. I can't tell if what I experienced was real or fake, but... I guess should be thankful that it's over now. If this wasn't tough enough, I hate to find out what else awaits me in this place."

At that moment, a gentle gust of wind blew through the trees, causing me to flinch a bit, trying not to get dust in my eyes. But as I opened them again, I jumped back in surprise. In front of me, a few feet away, was the black wolf, whose green eyes seemed to shimmer as they remained focused on me.

"It's you," I murmured. "Tell me. What do you want with me? What is it you're trying to tell me?"

The wolf just silently sat there, staring, not doing anything. At first, I felt like an idiot trying to talk to a wolf, but what else was I supposed to do? I mean, if it was a divine messenger, then maybe it'll speak English, right?

But then, the wolf turned on its paws and took off, running into the bushes.

"Hey! Come back here!" I yelled as I took off after it. "Wait a minute!"

I raced through the forest, not wanting this chance to slip away, as the wolf ran on ahead, leaping over bushes and slipping under branches. Not wanting to give up, I hopped on top of branches launching myself from one to the other, making sure to keep my sights on the creature. But despite this, the wolf seemed to be getting further away until it was almost out of sight. Refusing to give up, I launched myself off a branch and used Aqua Jet to propel myself forward like a bullet. Branches and leaves slapped against me, but I struggled onward until I finally came to a stop.

I now stood in an open area that didn't have any trees or bushes, as a thick blanket fog overcame it, making it somewhat difficult to see. As I walked forward, looking around, a strange smell wafted into my nose. At first, I wondered it could have been, but then, I heard a voice.

"So, you finally managed to make it this far? Took you long enough."

I looked up while glancing around, slowly standing up to my feet. "Who's there?" I called out. "Show yourself."

"Are you honestly that blind? I'm over here," the voice said. "You're just not looking in the right place."

But I couldn't see anyone despite hearing the voice as clear as day. Then, the fog cleared and I happened to look down and saw my shadow. At that moment, something began to come out from it causing me to instinctively jump back, an ominous and foreboding feeling running through my spine. When it fully emerged, a small trickle of sweat trickled down my face. I was now staring at a mirror image of myself.

The being had short brown hair, wore the same clothes as I did, from my shirt and pants to my shoes. It even had the same bandages wrapped around its wrists and ankles. Despite the similarities, there were only two key differences. Its eyes were beaming with bright emerald green, and its entire being was radiating with overwhelming anger and darkness.

My doppelganger stared at me, and while keeping his hands open, cracked his knuckles.

"It's been a while, Willy Falconer. Since everyone else has had their fun, what do you say you and I have a little talk?"

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As always, thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next chapter!

Dragomaster, signing off!