Will the tension between Rizal and Antonio ever stop? Who knows? It's his story after all.
/~+~/
It was all so new and strange to the both of them as they continued on. Antonio and Gilbert were talking about the Shadows that they were attacking as the four of them continued through the area. Rizal and Antonio didn't talk the entire time, the latter only allowing the former to lead the way in the quickened pace of his.
"Do you know where Lovino is, Rizal?"
"Of course I do. Now shut up and let me focus."
"All right…"
Gilbert glared at Rizal for a few minutes before turning back to Antonio, who seemed to be taking all this with that familiar smile on his face. He blinked and turned his head around before looking back at the sad Spaniard who was now walking at a quicker pace.
"Why the hell are you taking up all this abuse, man?" He spat. "You're not one to take bullshit from anyone."
"…because I deserve it, Gil." He answered with a sigh. "He deserves to hate me."
"Not really, man! I mean, he's an ass and you were his colonizer, but what's the point here?"
"I took his sister."
"Eh?"
"Didn't you hear me back there? I took her."
The only thing that could register in his head was the image of Antonio not being an oblivious asshole, but for being a child rapist. No wonder Rizal hated him this much. Ivan could only chuckle at the shock on both of their faces, making them cringe a little bit more.
"What's so funny?" Gilbert spat.
"Nothing out of the usual…it's just the fact that Rizal and Antonio are both Catholics and yet don't fully understand their faith, da?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do unto others as they would do unto you." Ivan pointed up. "Antonio treated his family like garbage, so Rizal treats him like garbage. But repentance and forgiveness is that of the Catholic faith…it's the blood and bones of it, am I correct? So which rule would end up being right?"
"…Ivan."
"The world is filled with contradictions, da? You two follow two different sets of rules, and as a result both of you suffer."
Antonio forced himself to say nothing, instead walking forward and oddly understanding what Ivan was talking about. The area around them started getting cloudier and cloudier, to the point where Rizal had to stop for a minute and look around. He looked like an animal at that point.
"Someone's here."
"Eh?"
Gunshots rang out, and they all jumped back at the sound. They looked up and saw a man standing just a few feet away from them, dressed up in a black suit and with a hat on his head, smoking and wielding the biggest ass gun Gilbert had ever seen. Through the frightened images, he did look oddly familiar…
"…Lovino…" Antonio gasped.
"The hell are you doing here?" The image spat. "This is my territory."
"Since when?" Rizal asked.
"Since forever, bastard! This land is my home, my territory, my bubble." He sounded like a mafia boss. "What makes you think you can just waltz around and not get noticed?"
"We're actually after you." Ivan smiled. "We're here to take you with us."
"What, you want me to abandon everything I gained just for the sake of being around a waste of energy? Forget it." He aimed the gun at them. "I walk alone."
"So much for that." Rizal sighed.
The four of them jumped away from the gun barrage, bullets and gunpowder rampant all over the air. Antonio was the most shocked; since when was Lovino so…dangerous? Even when he declared independence from him, he himself didn't fight the war…none of them did.
"Antonio, get your head in the game!" Rizal screamed. "What, you give up already?"
He shook his head. He couldn't fight Lovino! Besides, what weapon does he have to do so? He looked up in shock as Lovino lunged forward to hit him with the blunt force of the gun when he heard someone catching the butt with his hands.
"…w-wha…?"
"Pay attention, dumbass."
"…Lovino? But you're…"
"He's the real one; I'm not! Get it in your head!" The image turned back to the Shadow. "Dumbass."
The poor guy clearly didn't get it. After a few minutes, he realized with shock that there was a handle coming out of his back. It looked oddly familiar for some reason.
"Hey! You going to get this or what?"
"H-huh?"
"What, are you planning on fighting me with your bare hands? I'm not gonna get hurt by this, bastard!"
Antonio blinked for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and pulling the hilt out of the body, staring at the huge axe that formed underneath his fingertips. He couldn't help but feel the familiar pulse radiating from it: it was his trusty axe…the real one. He turned his head and saw the image he pulled it out of turn into this beautiful phoenix, screaming as he started a trail of fire that had knocked the fire away. The Shadow looked up from its shades as Antonio lifted his blade in the air.
"You…how dare you target my precious Lovino like he was just a toy for you to play with…even taking his perfect image…" Antonio looked up, the phoenix behind him and almost making him immortal. "As the man who stands in front of you…I will make sure that you regret that decision…"