Chapter Fifteen: The Will to Kill

"Try this!" I shouted, making an upward diagonal slash. Ike didn't even try to avoid it; instead, he caught it with his free hand. Blood ran down my sword as I stood there, frozen in shock.

"I told you before," Ike muttered, "a sword is a tool for killing. Only one type of sword exists for another purpose; the sakaboto, a reverse-edged katana."

"Your point is?!" I growled at him.

"You shouldn't wield mortal weapons if you don't intend to inflict a mortal wound," Ike muttered, tightening his grip on my sword. "So I think I'll take that privelege away from you."

His grip shattered my blade.

I dropped the useless, broken sword, then made the hand seals for Chidori before Ike stopped me.

"Don't be so hasty," he muttered, pulling out a sheathed katana from under his cloak. "Take this," he said, tossing at me.

"What is it? A... sakaboto?" I asked, unsheathing the blade. It was indeed a sakaboto.

"It's a memento from a dear friend of mine," Ike said. It was the first time I'd sensed a hint of sentimentality in his voice. "So don't you dare break it, or I WILL kill you."

I sensed a grave tone in his voice. Ike must be putting a lot on the line here, I thought to myself.

"You think I won't go as hard without a real blade?" I asked, channeling the Chidori energy into my new sakaboto. It pulsated and hummed with electrical energy. I charged at Ike again, but he just blocked my attack. My Chidori energy also faded on his block.

"My blade's made of Orichalon. It absorbs all types of energy," he said, "so you'll have to do better than that. My move."

Ike pulled back, then got into an odd stance. He made two cuts at me, one vertical, the next horizontal. I barely managed to block the two moves, and was left stumbling.

"I'm not done yet."

Ike made a stabbing move at my stomach. Just before it would have pierced my gut, he stopped.

"See, I'm better at martial combat. This battle is no fun for me unless you plan on using something other than physical attacks," Ike said, stylishly sheathing his sword.

"Yeah... I've got skills other than swords," I said, making some hand seals.

Focus your energy... channel your body and spirit... now!!!

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"

The area around us was turned into a festering swamp (except Illumina's Pedestal). Ike struggled in the swampland; but I seemed to have no trouble walking in it.

"It's like quicksand," I explained. "You're as good as dead."

"Is that what you think...?" he asked. "Idiot... you haven't seen a fraction of what I can do yet. Watch this!"

Ike held his hands down in a Chidori like pose, even though he had used no hand seals. A big orb of red energy, like his bloody Rasengan, formed. But then light flowed into it...

"Twilight Release: Great Spiraling Sphere!"

I saw his face, illuminated by the twilight, for a moment. He looked... familiar...

Ike was running at me now, his Twilight Rasengan blowing aside the festering swamp I'd made. He also had his blade at his side, ready for a charging slash. I braced myself, but he didn't do what I thought he'd do. He tossed the Great Spiraling Sphere, then knocked it at me with his sword.

I barely managed to dodge it, hearing a massive explosion behind me which let out a ton of bright twilight. I shielded my eyes, and when I opened them again, Ike was overhead, shouting as he attempted an insane jump cut. I barely reacted in time to avoid certain death, hearing the sakaboto creak slightly under the pressure.

The entire swamp was blown to the sides of the room, revealing the intricate dais of Illumina, from the shockwave of that blow. I grimaced at Ike's terrible strength...

Then I felt it.

The Judgment Seal Ike had used seemed to be getting weaker. I felt it start to break, and because of where we were, it spread... fast. I staggered back from Ike's immense blow, hearing his feet softly land on the ground. I looked down at my hand, which was covered with black, zig-zag lightning bolts.

"See...? I knew I'd get this power back," I said, feeling the immense power flow into me.

"Looks like I overestimated the strength of my Judgment Seal," Ike muttered. "No matter. I'll just have to up the ante."

A blue aura surrounded Ike for a moment, but it dissipated quickly.

"Now... let's play."

I couldn't see him move... not a second later, I was lying face-down on the ground, a huge gash in my back. I was then knocked face up, recieving a cut in my shoulder. He then knocked me around, giving me maybe a dozen cuts. I was left with my back to a wall, Ike's sword sitting just over my head.

"I think it's over," he said. The same blue aura enveloped him, and he started panting.

Ike walked over to Illumina's dais, resting his hands on the sacred sword.

I won't... let him...

I staggered to my feet, my own blood clouding my eyes. I readied the sakaboto, then charged at Ike with a bloodcurdling howl.

"Stop!" another familar voice said behind me, grabbing me... hugging me...

Aegle...

"Please... stop, Jake. Please..." she cried. I felt the power and bloodlust slowly fading from my body, and then fell over, exhausted...

"Why, Jake? Why..." she kept crying.

Ike walked over to her. He whispered something to Aegle, then started to leave. He was, surprisingly, blasted into the swampland remaining around the room. I heard someone walk in slowly, their boots loudly clicking on the ground. With great difficulty, I looked up... it could only be...

"Charon... you dirty bastard! You were just waiting for this opportunity... weren't you?!" Ike grunted from the swamp.

"Hah... you're so predictible, hitokiri! You exhausted all the options to stop me from obtaining Illumina, and tired yourself out on a wimp!" the sadistic man laughed. He broke into a fit of maniacal laughter. He walked up to Illumina's pedestal.

"Charon, don't! If you take that sword..." Ike muttered.

"Only those with pure hearts and souls can use this sword. Anyone else, it corrupts... right?" Charon asked sadistically. "Well, fortunately for me, I've got no soul, and my heart's made of pure light!"

Charon pulled the sword out of the pedestal. A huge amount of darkness began flowing out of the sword's slot.

"Just wait. Wait for the birth of a new Order of Light!" he maniacally declared. "I shall obtain the power of Kingdom Hearts!"

The darkness passed him over, but an orange ball of light was thrown at him. A second later, Ike had grabbed my wrist and Aegle's, and was dragging us along with him. We got back to the main room, where Ike started kicking open doors, dragging us through some odd rooms, which I couldn't recognize...

I was too tired, and sweat and blood stung my eyes. I passed out pretty soon after that...