Chapter Eighty-Four
The kid's head lolled against his shoulder, shivering. "Kurogane-san . . ." he groaned, his voice weak, his eyes glazed over. Kurogane clutched the boy to his chest, glaring at the mage. Fai met his gaze, eyes wide. All this time, Kurogane thought, grinding his teeth. All this time, he's been planning to betray us. And all this time, he pretended to be on our side.
The mage opened his mouth, then closed it, swallowing. His gaze never strayed from his face, but with every passing second, he seemed to grow more haggard. His eye became glassy, like polished marble, and he withered, drawing in on himself until he looked as ancient as the stars above.
The kid went limp, surrendering to the pulsing magic swirling around them. When the meat bun tumbled off the boy's shoulder a moment later, Kurogane guessed that their magic made them more vulnerable to whatever dark sorcery wove through these halls. I'm the only one left who can do anything, he thought, rising to his feet. I have to protect them.
Fear flashed across the mage's face as he approached, but he didn't move, didn't release the emaciated child that had once been his brother. Kurogane advanced, each step measured, deliberate. When he got close, he stopped, clasping his hands together and drawing Souhi out of his palm with the spell Fai had attached to his hand less than an hour ago.
In front of him, the wizard stiffened. "I won't die," he whispered. "Not until Fai is brought back to life. Not until I can return his name to him."
Fool, Kurogane thought, pointing Souhi toward the mage. Ashura's regal chuckle rang in his ears. "Very well. Then the one who must die . . . is him."
Fai glanced at his king, then back at Kurogane, wavering for an instant before raising his hand. Magic crackled at his fingertips, a bright cobalt blue. Another spell rippled through the room, subtler than Fai's, and the mirror-like floor fractured between them, each fragment repeating snippets of Fai's memories. Bastard, Kurogane thought, eyes sliding over to where Ashura stood, smirking. He's using the idiot's darkest memories to get inside his head.
He turned his gaze back to Fai, waiting for the attack.
"You gave me your word, Fai," Ashura said when the wizard didn't immediately strike. "You said you'd kill anyone who brings death and destruction to this world."
Resolve formed in the mage's eye. In less than a second, he'd carved several runes in the air, each shimmering with brilliant blue light. They shot toward Kurogane in an arc, the edges of each rune flickering like flames. He raised his sword, focusing his energy and slicing through the string of magic. The letters broke apart, fracturing like the glass fragments floating between them. Kurogane pressed his advantage, his body falling into old patterns. Swing, advance, block. Swing, advance, block. Fai cast another set of runes, which hurtled toward him like flaming arrows. He braced himself, gritting his teeth as the spell slammed into his sword with physical force.
Almost there, he thought, advancing as the magic folded around him. It bit at his skin, and even focusing on Fai, he could sense the pain and fear behind the spell. He can't win this fight, Kurogane thought. He's not strong enough.
He broke through the last wave, bringing Souhi around in a wide arc. At the last moment, Fai erected another string of runes between them, blocking the brunt of the attack. The letters cracked against his sword, their light wavering. A high-pitched whine emanated from the dying spell, as if it was crying out in pain. Kurogane broke through it, ignoring the way that sound vibrated in his teeth, his bones. He would not let this happen. "Let's stop this farce right here," he growled, letting the blade rest on the magician's neck.
Syaoran faded in and out of awareness, ears ringing as the foreign magic twisted through his body. What's happening to me? he wondered, opening his eyes. Shapes and colors shifted around in front of his eyes, out of focus, and his stomach churned as if he'd just stepped off a carnival ride. Next to him, Mokona lay on the floor, eyes closed, still wearing the little swatch of fabric he'd wrapped around her before they'd left Infinity.
As his vision came into focus, he turned his head to watch the fight. Blue and white magic streaked across the room, crackling like lightning. That's Fai's magic. He blinked slowly, confused. Hadn't Fai said he'd already used up a lot of magic today? Shouldn't he be conserving it?
The throbbing in his skull eased a bit, allowing him to think more clearly. If the king's magic isn't affecting me as strongly as it was before, that must mean he's distracted. I should act before he remembers me. He tried to sit up, then slumped, a powerful wave of dizziness nearly overtaking him. He laid on the floor for a few moments, head pounding at every crash and explosion. After a few seconds, he turned his head to watch, praying the disorientation would taper off.
In the center of the magic maelstrom stood Kurogane, warding off waves of bright blue magic and advancing toward Ashura. Glass shards floated in the air around him, showing images of what Syaoran assumed to be Fai's past. Another consequence of my wish, he thought, closing his eyes as he remembered that day in Clow Country. His hand tightened into a fist. Everything I've done to make up for that day, and all I've done is destroy the people most important to me. He looked into the maelstrom, watching a pair of bright blue phoenixes emerge from circles of runes.
If we live through this, I'm going to owe everyone an apology, he thought, dragging himself closer to the fight. His muscles trembled with the aftereffects of the king's magic.
Suddenly, Fai shrieked, calling out for the king. Syaoran looked up, then drew back as magic gathered around him. Kurogane turned, looking away from the king and refocusing on Fai. He raised his sword, already slick with blood, and used it to block the ripples of magic shooting in his direction.
What if they kill each other? Syaoran wondered. What will I have left, then? Not Sakura. Not Kurogane. Not even Fai. I'll be alone again.
He slammed his fist against the floor, gritting his teeth. Alone. For seven years, Fei-Wang Reed had kept him in a tube, unable to act on the world he saw through the Other's eyes. For seven years, he'd gone without seeing his Sakura. For seven years, he'd contemplated the consequences of his wish—consequences that had only grown harsher as he'd come to care for the people he'd never actually met. And all that time, he'd been alone. And if I don't stop them, I'll be alone again, he thought. "Have to . . . hurry," he rasped, voicing the words as if that would firm his resolve. He dragged his body toward the fight.
Then a wall of magic crashed down on him, and he fell unconscious again.
"Your Majesty!" the mage shouted, his voice strangled, broken.
Kurogane would have felt sorry for him if he hadn't been preoccupied by the cyclone of magic heading his way. He sliced through it with his sword, thankful that Souhi had enough sorcery embedded in her steel to deflect a magical attack. Still, the spell knocked him back, throwing off his sense of balance. He gritted his teeth, blue flames licking up at his knuckles. Come on, he thought, pressing forward, toward the mage. Give me an opening. You can't keep this up forever.
As Souhi cleaved through another string of runes, the barrier between him and the mage fractured. Kurogane threw his weight forward, cracks spreading across the shield surrounding the mage, until it began to flex inward from the pressure.
On one side of the throne room, the kid lay on the ground, body limp, eyes closed. On the other side, the mad king watched the duel like a spectator in a tournament.
Directly in front of him, Fai cradled his dead-but-not-dead brother in his arms as if he were the most precious thing in the universe.
Oh, shit, Kurogane thought, eyes narrowing. This is going to ruin him.
He considered that for a fraction of a second. The mage wouldn't let go of his past, not when he was tied so strongly to this part of it. Logically, Kurogane knew that it was better for the idiot to move on than keep playing Reed's games. But Fai had always had trouble letting go. What happened next would break him.
Kurogane just couldn't see any other option. He lifted his sword. The mage froze, raising an arm to block his face. Kurogane brought Souhi around, shredding through fabric, flesh, bone.
And the mage's long-dead brother shattered as if made of glass.