Wow…100 chapters. That is a long time to write something. Thanks for the 550+ reviews!
EDIT: Kids, THIS is the real 100th chapter. For all of you nice people who told me that I screwed up updating at midnight, you're gonna have to review anonymously just to get accepted XD
/= "Long Flash Back" by Dragon Ball Z=/
The Shadow in front of them was a hideous being: warped wings that were peeling off like old, rusted metal sheets, with tentacles coming out of the ground and the face being that of a demon straight out of hell. Charice couldn't believe that the most hideous Shadow that she had ever seen in her life was her younger brother…the one she would give her life for…
"Charice…" Kiku looked at her.
He pushed her out of the way as the Shadow crashed his arm where she used to be, scaring the entire group. Feliciano charged forward and punched right through his stomach, electricity crackling from his fingertips. He flipped over and landed squarely on his feet, seeing the hole he created fill up and Rizal staring at him with a grin on his face.
["You…"]
He started charging forward with fresh rage in his blood, scaring Feliciano into submission. Lovino and Li Xiao instantly charged forward, pushing Rizal out of the way and changing his target to them. They were flying in the air and crashing into walls, and soon Rizal was doing that to everyone. No one seemed to counter him at all.
["Damn you, Feliciano! You're the one who caused me this much pain!"]
"W-what?"
["It was you…it was always about you! Die! Die like the bastard you are!"]
Rizal's eyes seemed fixated on the Italian, only turning away to get rid of the people that were countering him. Charice had no idea what to do: this was her brother, she could never raise a hand against him. And yet he was going to kill Feliciano, one of his best friends…
"Why, kuya…why?"
Feliciano did all he could, his Persona constantly in his body and throwing as much attacks as he could, but for some reason he would not stop moving toward him, the murderous look in his eyes getting worse and worse. No one seemed to be able to stop Rizal, and by the looks of things he was grateful for that.
"W-what did I do to you, Rizal?" Feliciano panicked. "What did I ever do to you?"
["You already know what you did! Don't play stupid and say you don't have a clue!"]
Finally, they were face-to-face with each other. Feliciano looked straight into his eyes, and he saw a part of him he never saw before: one of betrayal and hate, a flame burning deep within him that had stayed for years, but had never taken a full effect until now…but there was something else in there that he couldn't identify…a bit of a light?
"Don't hate on Feli, Rizal. I thought you hated me."
They looked up and saw that Antonio was standing in front of the both of them, his axe pointed straight at his knuckles. He didn't seem scared at what was going on, instead looking as if he was expecting this day to come to him. The Shadow's arm hovered at where they were, an inch away from the blade.
"I know you, Rizal. Your rage for me is greater than any type of anger in your blood." He stated. "Take it out on me, why don't you? You know how much I like a challenge."
["You're too nice, Antonio."]
That's when the bloodshed began. He uppercut his jaw until Antonio was flying in the air, and then he zoomed up in the air after him. Everyone tried to get up there, but Rizal was too high for any of them to reach, and by the sound of it he was winning. Charice could only watch as the others tried to cast Persona spells to help, but Rizal was blocking all of them while focusing on his real target.
"I can't reach him, da ze!" Yong Soo even tried throwing stuff to him. "Anyone can?"
"Hold on, I have an idea!"
Alfred grabbed one of his cards and instantly a huge Pegasus appeared in front of him, jumping on his back and flying upward (much to Arthur's dismay). However, a few minutes passed before he was attacked by a stray lightning bolt, and he was sent careening toward the ground. Arthur was barely able to save him, moving him out of the way as the ground crashed and shook, making many of them fall over. The dust cleared, revealing a huge blade digging through Antonio's stomach. Lovino started screaming.
["There you go…now you'll never make her suffer again…"]
"…guh…I hope…you're at peace…after this…"
["Don't worry; I am."]
The blade was pulled out, spilling blood over Lovino's face. Fresh rage ran through his body as he charged forward, only being tossed out of the way by Ludwig before the blade nearly beheaded him. Rizal backed up, seeing the life drain out of the Spaniard.
["Now that is the perfect ending."]
Charice didn't know what was going on; five seconds later she was running forward toward his body, hearing Lovino scream at the Spaniard to wake up and stop taking a siesta (at least, that's what she think he said; it was frenzied Italian). The blood was starting to get on her shoes, making her panic even more.
"Dammit, Antonio…Antonio!" His voice was wavering. "Wake up…wake up…"
He wasn't moving, a small trail of blood dripping down his mouth and his skin slowly paling. The whole group was getting terrified before Lovino started screaming and charged forward, trying his best to kill Rizal. The Shadow was too fast for him, kicking him in the stomach and throwing him to the side.
["Don't try to resist me now…I'm invincible now…no one can kill me."]
Charice looked down at Antonio's body, seeing Matthew try pathetically to save him, with no effect. She looked back up to Rizal, who was now looking straight at her with a blank look that felt more like Antonio back in the old days than her younger, mentally logical brother.
"Why…? Antonio asked for forgiveness so many times…"
["You never trust a man with a silver tongue. Never."] He spat. ["Haven't you realized that already?"]
"But he never hurt me when we entered this school!"
["He's using you! They're all using you! All of them are cheating bastards and none of them should be trusted!"]
"Y-you're wrong!"
Charice turned her head and saw with surprise that it was Feliciano who had moved in front of her. Li Xiao was already grabbing her arm and didn't bother to make a sound out of his reaction. Rizal seemed fixated on the small Italian, and she could see his feet shiver from extreme fear. He wasn't planning on being the brave one this time, and definitely not to his best friend's crazy brother.
"None of us want to use her! We're her friends…and friends don't use each other…" Feliciano shivered, holding the stick in his hands. "We don't want her to be in any harm…"
["Don't lie to the world. You out of all people are the most controlling bitch I can't stand!"]
"W-what?"
["You're the one who begs for other people to save you! You're the one who can't fight for himself! What kind of person calls himself a nation and can't even lift a gun in defense?"] He scoffed. ["You use everyone and get rid of them when you can't use them anymore…you're just like Hitler."]
Feliciano froze in place, making Ludwig's blood boil. The whole place went pitch black before hearing a scream and finally seeing that Rizal had pinned Feliciano to the wall. People started charging toward him.
["You don't deserve the title of Italy…"]
"…n-no…Rizal, please-"
A huge blast shot Rizal out of the way, and he turned to see a glaring Ludwig staring at him, his Persona hovering in behind him. He shot forward and punched Rizal in the arm, hearing a sizzle and a scream before he was pummeled to the ground, hearing another loud sizzle. He hovered in the air, revealing that the arm Ludwig had hit and the leg Rizal used to get him out of the way was sizzling as if it was on fire, and the Shadow's blood was boiling toward the floor. He was trying desperately to fix the wounds.
["Shit…! Why does it hurt so much?"]
"What in the world…?" Alfred held his guns in place. "Hey, is it possible for Shadows to be allergic to something?"
"No…" Arthur rubbed his chin, clearly confused. "But…a Shadow is supposed to be the true form of a human consciousness…usually the horrible part of the mind."
"Then Ludwig…?"
"Hate and love are two contrasts that can't touch or else one will suffer." He blinked. "Wait a minute…"
Charice turned toward Ludwig, who was finally realizing just what was going on. He turned back to Rizal, whose wounds seemed to be getting worse every time he was looking at the German. If a Shadow is nothing more than a ball of dark secrets, and love (any forms of it, apparently) can burn it from the inside…
"My brother…" Charice blinked. "My brother…loves Ludwig?"
/=+=/
Way to go, Charice. It took you 100 chapters and over five stories for you to get it.