Chapter 6

Arcs of electricity passed between Varen's sword and Arnette's scythe whenever they neared one another. A faint blue glow emanated on the edges of their blades as they continued their assault on Charon. The girl danced backwards maneuvering the katana rapidly to intercept their strikes each time sending a shower of sparks raining down each time the weapons connected.

"Enough!" Charon yelled vanishing and reappearing a few dozen feet ahead of them. She turned the katana blade down as wind began to whip her hair and skirt violently.

"Acceleration!"

"No! Wait!" Varen yelled grabbing Arnette before she could sprint forward. He threw her to the ground covering her with his body holding a hand above them forming a shield of translucent energy.

"Bladestorm!" Charon screamed as she shoved her katana into the dirt below her. Multiple rifts opened in the air above the two. From within a stream of katanas made of pure energy raced out slamming into the shield Varen held in place. They shattered as they made contact with the shield, but small cracked began to appear across its surface.

"I can't! It's too much!" He cried cracks already forming on his skin. Another wave of blades broke on the walls of the shield making him shake from exerting so much power.

"Hold on!" Arnette yelled in a panic. Varen lifted himself up creating more space between his and Arnette's body. He used the last bit of energy he had expanding the shield until his felt he was high enough.

"Sorry…" He managed to say before losing the ability to sustain the shield any longer. Arnette's face twisted in shock as multiple katanas pierced through his body slamming into his back. The tips rested mere inches from her own body below him. He had made sure they would not pierce through him and into her as well. Her whole body trembled as blood began to spill down onto her body from the multiple blades impaled through him.

"No…" She mouthed. The katanas disappeared as Charon approached grabbing him by the shirt and throwing his body across the dirt a good distance away.

"You insulted me and thought you could best me! Controlling this world while fighting you is hardly a challenge you insolent girl!" Charon yelled kicking Arnette in the face as she tried to stand. It twisted her around so she landed on her stomach coughing up blood.

"Leave him alone!" Arnette cried trying to get to her feet.

"Stay put girl!" Charon answered as another katana materialized and pierced through Arnette's back dropping her to the ground. She cried out in pain as it pinned her to the ground holding her in place.

"Damn you!" Arnette roared biting down and trying to ignore the pain. Her eyes flashed open as another katana sliced through her abdomen pinning her further.

"Over privileged Pandora can't get up? How does it feel to be looked down on? You were so confident that you could beat me, but where is that confidence now? This is karma for living your perfect little life full of love and happiness thinking you were on the top of the food chain! While you pranced around people like me suffered and agonized endlessly! It sickens me that my sister once called you a friend. You will never be anything like us. You are just a pale comparison to what a Novaborn can do." Charon kneeling down and cupping Arnette's face.

"Don't…touch me!" The redhead yelled shaking her head. Charon dropped her face and stood looking down at her once more.

"You want to know the pain Claire and I have felt all our lives? Stay there, I will show you." Charon said pointing her katana at Arnette before marching to where Varen was still lying. He hadn't moved since she had thrown him to the ground.

"Get away from him!" Arnette yelled fighting back her tears. Charon reached down and grabbed the man by his clothes turning him and forcing him onto his knees. She kneeled down in front of him grabbing his chin to look towards Arnette. He was only half conscious from the blood loss and most of his vision was blurred.

"Do you see her? I hate people like her the most. Pandora who were given their abilities without earning them. People who didn't have to suffer like you and I have. I'll make sure she understands that suffering alright? I'll rip every last piece of pride from her body and mind." Charon said turning his face towards her and pressing her mouth against his.

"I'll kill you!" Arnette screamed clawing at the dirt unable to free herself from the blades holding her down. Varen couldn't fight against the girl as she pulled her face back running her tongue over his lips. She turned and looked at Arnette smiling wickedly.

"Yes…that's the look I love on people like her the most." Charon whispered seductively kissing him again. She pulled her right arm back and plunged her katana through his stomach making him gasp and stiffen in her arms. Arnette screamed again as Charon slowly withdrew the blade from his body biting his lower lip.

"Stop!" Arnette cried reaching out weakly towards Varen.

"I would have given you everything. Now, she will despair as she watches the last light of life leave your eyes. It's like they always say, it's better to have loved and lost than never loved at all." Charon whispered in his ear driving the blade through him again. His body barely moved this time and she could feel the warmth of his blood covering her hand and arm. Arnette cries continued as she pleaded for her to stop.

Charon pulled the blade free and stood pushing Varen over with her foot until he landed on his stomach. He was barely breathing and clinging to consciousness albeit unable to move. She moved around him until she was next to his body and took a knee. The flames around them roared higher as she took the katana in both hands positioning it over his back where his heart lay beneath. Arnette frantically reached forward in horror seeing Charon preparing to finish him.

"No…" She said weakly realizing what was happening. This was it. The vision she had seen so long ago. The world engulfed in flames as Charon poised atop him ready to drive her blade through him. It was all exactly as she had seen it before. The way Varen would die. Charon wrapped her fingers around the handle of the katana tightly raising it up high above her head.

"A queen is nothing without her king. A king, nothing without his queen. This is the day the Justicar died." Charon said staring into Arnette's eyes. Arnette shut her eyes forcing her stigmata to activate. Charon was too far away to reach even if she wasn't pinned down by the katanas. She doubted that Cassie would even be quick enough to reach them. There was only one chance. Arnette let her body synchronize with her stigmata further sending smoke out of her eyes as flames ignited around them. Yellow lines of Nova energy raced along her body as she began to lose control.

"Infinite…" She said through gritted teeth opening her eyes as Charon began to thrust her blade down towards Varen's back.

"Acceleration!" She screamed and energy coursed through her body launching her forward shattering her blades holding her in place. Dust and dirt covered her vision as she tumbled and rolled violently along the ground before coming to a stop. She looked around seeing Charon still knelt down her blade held aloft. Her eyes were wide with shock and her mouth hung open staring back at Arnette.

"Her concentration…you broke it…" Varen said weakly in her arms and her vision blacked out instantly. She could hear faint voices in the distance as the darkness began to give way to a fuzzy, dull light. The voices continued to grow in volume, but were to garbled to discern anything they were saying.

"She's coming to. Get that IV over here now!" Roxanne ordered cradling Arnette's head in her arms. Arnette blinked her eyes a few times still finding it difficult to see clearly.

"His pulse is weak I need another bag!" Amelia said pointing to a West Genetics student nearby who retrieve a small pouch of blood.

"Roxy?" Arnette asked quietly now able to identify the girl she was looking up at.

"Yeah, I got you. You're alright now just stay still." Roxanne smiled patting her cheek.

"Varen?" Arnette asked fearfully.

"Amelia is with him. He lost a lot of blood. A student found you both slumped over bleeding heavily out of your mouths and noses. What the hell happened?" Roxanne asked.

"Charon…she tried to kill us." Arnette answered exhaustedly. Roxanne furrowed her brow.

"Charon Fairchild? She was here?" She asked looking around scanning the area. Arnette shook her head slowly.

"No, not here. Is Varen alive?" Arnette asked.

"He's alive, Amelia is getting him blood. You'll both be ok so take it easy." Roxanne answered deciding not to press the subject any further at this time. The two of them were very weak, but showed no visible signs of trauma or injury. A heavy loss of blood from the nose and mouth typically indicated an internal injury of some sort, but they both seemed fine now. Arnette said Charon had tried to kill them, but if she wasn't here nor was her attack a physical one then what was the reason behind this situation?

"I'm good here let's move them." Amelia said shaking Roxanne from her thoughts.

"Right, let's go." Roxanne answered picking Arnette up and holding the girl in her arms. They carefully moved the pair out of the area leaving behind the blood that now soaked the dirt from their encounter with Charon.