Chapter. 40

Vincent and Ruby Dragoon stared each other down as the ruby legion ran away under their leader's order. Once the other players were far enough Vincent held up his blaster and fired a laser bolt. Ruby raised his head arm and countered with a fireball. The two attacks clashed and canceled each other out.

Vincent leaped over Ruby and fired down at him. Ruby countered again with another fireball to the same effect. Once Vincent landed Ruby shot more fire at him who ducked then dashed towards Ruby. Vincent swung his blade ups but Ruby dodged and punched Vincent in the back then followed up by firing three more fireballs. Vincent swatted each attack away with his sword then lunged at Ruby. The Dragoon jumped back to evade then shot Vincent with four fireballs before charging one more to shot at Vincent, destroying him.

Vincent respawned and rushed at Ruby Dragoon as he drew his sword. Ruby raised his dragon arm but was to slow and his arm was sliced off. Vincent swung his weapon with rapid speed to carve the dragoon apart then burned the remains with his blaster.

Ruby Dragoon respawned in front of Vincent a few feet away. "You're not the only one-" Vincent fired a large bolt of energy at Ruby who crossed his arms to block but his entire upper body was blown away. Ruby respawned behind Vincent and shot him in the back with a large fireball, burning away his torso. "Not the only one who knows the endless kill mode."

Vincent respawned in front of Ruby and the two fired at each other, canceling each other out again. Vincent shot his blaster again this time Ruby jumped over the attack. Vincent swung his sword to hurl a beam but was also canceled out by the Dragoon's fire. "What the? How- fuck it, kill him!" Vincent rushed at Ruby with his sword pointed out but attacked with a punch.

Ruby leaped back and Vincent's fist hit the ground, sending sand into the air. Vincent stood up and swung his sword down on Ruby. Ruby dodged but Vincent followed with an uppercut to send Ruby into the air. Vincent jumped and grabbed Ruby by the legs and slammed him into the ground. Ruby punched Vincent to get him away then shot a fireball at him, which Vincent blocked with his sword. Vincent slashed at Ruby to cut off his arm then followed with a kick to the ribs.

Ruby charged up his dragon arm and shot Vincent in the chest, burning away his whole body. As so as Vincent returned Ruby threw more fire at him. Vincent drew his sword and ran into the hail of fireballs as they pasted by him. "You got power." Vincent dragged the tip of his sword along the sand then swung upward to launch a beam at Ruby. "But you're a bad aim!"

Ruby sidestepped the beam to let it slash through a building. Jumped jumped on top of a pillar then leaped off it for more air then swung his sword to launch two more beams. Ruby hopped back twice to evade then jumped to shot a fireball at Vincent. The tyrant jumped over the fire and hurled another sword beam. Ruby hopped back again to dodge the first then ducked to dodge the second. Vincent jumped again to threw another two beams but this time Ruby shot them both down with fireballs.

The two drew closer, Vincent swung his blade which was caught in the mouth of Ruby's dragon arm. "How do you know the incarnate system?"

"I could ask you."

"I asked first."

"I'll tell you a certain assassin showed me."

"Assassin? Teal Assassin? Catherine? Catherine?! CATHERINE!" Vincent's arms burst into flames that traveled along his sword, his headache was clearing but all he could see was red, all he could hear was a loud ringing. He cut through the dragon mouth then slashed at Ruby Dragoon, cutting him to pieces.

Ruby respawned and Vincent rushed at his and swung to take his head off. Ruby leaped over Vincent then flew away a few feet before he shot him with a fireball. Vincent swung his sword at the incoming fire, absorbing it into his inflamed blade then hurled it back at Ruby. The flames washed over Ruby but only drained a small amount of his health. Ruby flew at Vincent and his dragon arm bit onto the tyrant's sword, moving it aside as the Dragoon punched Vincent in the chest to send him sliding back then shot a fireball at him.

Vincent blocked with is sword and Ruby lunged his dragon head at Vincent. Vincent dodged then backhanded Ruby in the head, followed by a punch to chest and a full blast from the blaster, sending Ruby flying into a building. As soon as Ruby bounced off a wall Vincent came running in and punched Ruby into the airs as he ran past and kicked off the wall. Vincent punched Ruby higher and higher as he kicked of the walls then dive kicked Ruby out a window and into the sand, breaking through a pillar on the way down to ensure he died on impacted.

Ruby respawned and spread his wings. "Enough fucking around!" Ruby hovered over the ground then charged at Vincent. Vincent jumped over Ruby Dragoon but when he landed Ruby struke him from behind with his dragon head. Vincent ducked Ruby's next charge then jumped over him as Ruby came from behind again. Vincent threw a sword beam but missed.

Ruby struke Vincent hard enough to push him into the air then landed a few more hits by bashing him with the dragon head. The dragon's mouth opened to bite into Vincent's arm and Ruby swung him around then threw him into the ground followed by a fireball to end him. Vincent respawned and Ruby immediately charged him. The dragon mouth opened and bit onto Vincent's torso and Ruby flew forward to build up speed. Vincent couldn't reach his sword and Ruby grabbed his right arm so he couldn't shot.

Ruby crashed Vincent into a building and blasted him with fire, incinerating him. Vincent returned and immediately drew his sword to hurl beams at Ruby who dodged each one. Ruby rushed in to bite but bite dodged and shot him in the back with his blaster then chained it with a sword beam. Ruby turned to Vincent and the tyrant lunged up at the dragoon and slashed a wing off. Once the were on the ground again Vincent sliced Ruby in half.

Ruby respawned and took to the air to shot Vincent with fireballs. Vincent turned and ran with the fire at at his heels. He drew his sword and Vincent cut through a pillar, causing it to fall into Ruby and slow him down. Vincent dashed to another pillar and kicked off of it. Ruby's dragon mouth caught Vincent's sword and the two punched each other in the face, cracking their masks. Vincent fell to the ground while Ruby floated up and charged his dragon head. "Just die already!" Ruby unleashed several fireball at once at Vincent.

"You first!" Vincent charged his blaster and unleashed a flurry of laser bolts, many crashing to the fireball that would hit Vincent. Several lasers broke through the wave of fireballs, a few hit Ruby but one damaged a wing. As he fell from the sky Ruby charged his dragon arm, striking the ground and releasing a wave of fire, turning the sand around him into glass. Vincent crossed his arms from the attacked but was still pushed sliding back. He looked down and saw his feet were encased in the glass. Ruby raised his dragon arm and shot a fireball to burn away Vincent's body.

As soon as Vincent respawned Ruby charged his dragon arm again. Vincent drew his sword and threw three sword beams at him. Ruby launched a massive ball of fire that pushed through Vincent's attacks. Vincent gritted his teeth and jumped then fired a beam at the ground to push him over the incoming attack. Ruby ran towards Vincent as he charged his dragon head. Vincent ran towards Ruby as he charged his blaster. The two stopped a foot away from each other and threw their attacks at each other, firing concentrated beams of fire and light to clash in a battle of wills. Neither of them going to step down.

A knife blade burst out from Ruby's neck and four gunshots were heard as holes popped out of Ruby's face, all leaking blood. Ruby Dragoon fell into the sand as his killer was Prism Rose. "Reby?!" Vincent's blaster stopped and he dropped his sword. His body felt numb as the fatigue had caught up to him and Vincent fell to his knees. "Reby..." Vincent's left hand opened a menu and send Rebecca the recording. "Listen to it, please. I ask that you trust me. I never lied to you, this will prove it. Please... Trust me again."

Rebecca didn't move as she stared at the recording hovering in front of her. She looked to Vincent then pressed it.

"I hate you. I fucking hate you." "Good. That hate will make you stronger." "What if I don't want to be stronger?" "Maybe don't leave your bag alone. Yeah I put the brooch in there, and it was for a good cause.' "A good cause!" "She was a member of the ruby legion, what would the players of the opal legion think if they knew the one who took down two legions was screwing someone from an enemy legion?" "I wasn't screwing Rebecca and I don't care what others think!" "Still a cherry boy, that's a shocker. Besides you don't need to worry, Rebecca is being welcomed in her home legion." "What did you do?"

The recording ended and Reby kneeled down beside Vincent. "V."

Vincent lunged at Rebecca and held her tightly. "I thought I lost you. I would never hurt you. It was all that thot's doing. Please, please come back to me. you mean so much to me. Before you came into my life I was an anger, selfish, lonely man. When I met you, you gave me a reason to smile. Hope that not everything was pointless. I want you back with me, I need you. I don't want to go back to who I was before."

Rebecca pushed lightly against to look at him. "You and Catherine-"

"I'll make this super clear. There is nothing between us. Never has been, never will be. I'll sooner have sex with a running bender before I have any remote interest in that fucking thot." Vincent took Rebecca's hands. "Please. Let's go back to how we were."

"I..." Rebecca pulled her hand away. "I can't."

"What?" Vincent felt his heart sink.

"I... I haven't been honest with you."

! #$%^&*()_+}"?:{

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