Acceptance and Denial

Chapter Eight

Author's Note: Okay, so here's my chapter. I hope you guys still like my work. I don't update as soon as many would have wished, but I pushed myself this time. Hmm, I didn't get much reviews last time, but I noticed my visitors and hits were a lot. That's fine as well. I do hope you guys leave a review at the end of the chapter and say something about this little bit. Thank you very much for reading until this point.

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Wolfram could not believe his eyes. Lady Katsumi was a female version of Yuuri.

He had to rub his eyes in disbelief when he saw both leaders face to face.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yuuri yelled. "Who are you?" Disbelieving his eyes, he had to ask. It was as if he was facing the mirror. The eye lashes were longer. Her hair waved down to her waist. Her chest was gifted and her hips narrow. Clad in a long black dress, with softly flared sleeves brushing her knuckles, and a simple gold chain around her hips, Katsumi was very feminine. But the face was unmistakably his very own.

"I am you. Female, but you nonetheless."

Everyone gasped. They were not identical strangers, as the others would have believed. The similarities were very strong, but Katsumi was still a woman.

"I don't understand." Yuuri admitted.

"The Demon King you turn into during battle is not your alter ego. He is your future. I am your alter ego. I am you present."

"How?"

"I am your other self who was not given the chance to be expressed. So I broke away from your body and attained my own."

Yuuri still didn't understand. "I don't see why you had to hurt Wolfram."

Katsumi grinned. "I don't see why you had to hurt Wolfram," she spoke, adding emphasis to that one word.

Yuuri sighed. He wanted to brush the thought aside. But it's there. The pain Wolfram endured during his captivity was as good as he had hurt his heart. Worse. He might not have marred the skin, but he could imagine the cuts he inflicted where no one could see it--without his full intention. He could call himself worst.

"We will have to settle this in a battle." Lady Katsumi voiced, seeing the boy's pained expression. "My powers against yours?" She challenged. This was her life's meaning. This was the moment.

"What for?"

"For Wolfram."

"What?"

"I encompass everything you deny. I am your silent heart."

"I accept your challenge."

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How again is it possible for Katsumi to be Yuuri? Wolfram thought. If you deny it so much, it shall take physical form. It happened with Ulrike before. But unlike the priestess, Yuuri didn't weaken. He didn't even notice any slight difference.

I encompass everything you deny.

Your silent heart.

Was that why Yuuri was confused of his feelings for him? Because it was outside of his body?

But if he absorbs Katsumi back, would he be happy about it?

If he'd been denying it...

"Everything is too confusing to comprehend!" Wolfram exclaimed, arms raised in exasperation.

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The open field was perfect to call on the elements.

The army from both sides encircled the combatants, making a wide diameter. Knowing the powers of the Maou, it's only wise to keep their distance now that there were two of them.

"Shall we begin?" Katsumi sneered. "This is going to be fun. Opposites collide. Isn't this a little too literal?" She laughed heavily.

Yuuris hair lengthened and his blue aura danced over his skin. His eyes were sharper and his voice deeper. "I don't understand your purpose. But I shall eliminate you."

A similar aura enveloped Katsumi, the color lighter. "Kill me? Ha! Do that and you die as well."

Yuuri heard his entourage gasp.

"Remember, I am you. You keep on saying you are just king and will not take lives. I am the urge when you feel like trying. I am the pain you deny when you are hurt. I am the tears when you are sad. I am everything you deny in your life!"

"Why are you telling me all these?"

"So you can accept me."

Yuuri hesitated for a second. "What of the duel you challenged of me?"

Katsumi raised a hand to his direction, "It shall continue." A water dragon came out of her palm.

Yuuri immediately released his own dragon and it entangled with the other. Thunder struck and there was a soft drizzling of rain. "You said if I were to kill you, I'll die as well. What if you were to put me down." He concentrated his power on that dragon and pushed at the other.

"Then I too shall go down."

With his other hand, he released another dragon to attack Katsumi from the side. "Then why are we even having this duel?"

Katsumi relased her other dragon to block the attack. "I only have one purpose in life."

Yuuri growled and ordered the earth to rise and shake beneath Katsumi. Spikes of dirt struck up. But she ordered to winds to lift her.

A corner of her lips arched upwards. "You are desperate. You are torn between worlds. You cannot bare being torn from either home time and time again. But you're not the only one affected. Those you leave also feel the pain. And you caused it!"

Images of both families flashed through his mind. His brother, mother and father. Gunter, Cecille, Annissina, Gisela, Gwendal, Conrad, and Wolfram. He gasped, remembering how he found Wolfram torn and half dead. He shook his head violently. "Stop playing with my thoughts!"

Katsumi smirked. "I am not playing with them. I'm trying to explain them to you." Yuuri's powers weakened and Katsumi pulled back her own. She stood on solid ground.

Yuuri's magic weakened completely. His hands fell to his sides in quiet defeat.

Katsumi slowly approached him. She looked into Yuuri's disturbed eyes before wrapping her arms around the boy. "It's okay to feel the pain and cry. It will rake over your body. But there will always be someone to see you through it. They will always be with you. You don't have to scared of being alone. You don't have to try too hard."

Both their powers calmed.

"Cry. It doesn't make you weak." She stroked the boys head. "Getting hurt is okay, Yuuri. It goes to show that you are alive. It shows that you can feel, that you can love."

Yuuri's eyes widened at that. Right then, he saw Wolfram looking back at him. The blond had his hand on the hilt of his sword in case he needed to attack. But those green orbs were soft as it saw only him. The King closed his eyes and felt his heart beat stronger.

Katsumi rejoined his body, her form disappearing from sight. He fell on his knees, sat on the balls of his feet, and raised his face to the clearing sky.

Warm arms snaked around his neck and he immediately opened his eyes. He was greeted with those lovely green eyes and soft blond hair. "Wolfram," he whispered.

"Cry all you want. I'll catch every drop."

Yuuri's eyes welled with tears. It trickled down his cheeks. Heavier tears came and his body trembled violently. His face pinched as he let all the pain wave over him.

He crumbled to the blond.

And he was held close.

TBC

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Author's Note: One last chapter. ^__^