Chapter 48.
And holy keyboard, this is a long Chapter. 12K words, to be precise.
Now, it's not only a long Chapter, it's also one packed with a lot of information and a couple little hints I sneaked in there, so I'd advise against reading it if you are tired.
Also, literally half of this chapter is just a long-ass conversation. So you have been warned: it could get boring, no doubt about that.
With that said, thank you all for your support and reviews so far.
I know I said in the Author Note after CH 45 that we'd probably make it to CH 50 by the end of the year…
That probably won't happen.
I do think I can write Chapter 49 and post it before the end of the year, but two Chapters are too much.
So yeah, sorry about that.
With that out of the way, I hope you have a good read and I hope you have a bit of time to leave a review.
[There's this guy I'm beta reading for and he posted his story far later than me, but now his numbers are catching up to mine at a disturbingly fast speed. The reviews are the only ones where I have a good lead on him, so for the sake of my fragile pride...I hope you can leave reviews. Pathetic, I know. But I'm not exactly getting paid for this, you know? Show a bro some appreciation.]
Kay bye.
XXX
To a normal person his perspective would no doubt be confusing, but there was a certain tranquillity to be found in a life or death situation.
The focus that kicked in, the sharpened senses, the single-minded task at hand which could not be replaced by anything…
Indeed, fighting to the death had a calming effect on Fuzen. And by all that was honourable, he needed something to calm him at the moment.
Bbbbzzzztttt
Luckily, the Dungeon provided him with just that, short lived as it was.
The sparks of his Magic died out and the natural darkness of the Dungeon returned. He was currently on the 20th Floor, having just fried a group of Bugbears into ashes.
After bringing Alya back home and having some tea, he set out to his Familia Home in search of Ais. However, she had left for the Dungeon with the Amazon twins and the Mage protege the day before.
This made him realize just how out of touch he was with his own Familia. Fuzen doubted too many were allowed as much time off his Adventurer duties as he was. It just showed went to how valuable he was to the Loki Familia.
With his main objective out of his reach and not really wishing to go back to the District, he had decided to venture into the Dungeon, as well.
On his way he had used only his Magic to take care of the Monsters.
Why, he did not know.
But drawing his sword felt...heavy.
And besides, Monsters were not honourable. He did not need his sword for them: Magic did the trick just good enough.
It had gotten stronger, of that he was sure. Last time he had an Update, his Magic was already at Rank G, just five points away from reaching Rank F. By now he had no doubts it must have reached Rank D, or maybe even higher.
Though he used the same amount of Mind for the attacks, they were now more powerful, more devastating.
More unforgiving, too.
However, this also meant that the downside increased, as well.
The injuries left on his body from the discharge were a given, of course, but even more dangerous than that was the rush.
Fuzen had not told anyone about this as it was a matter of great shame, however the usage of his Magic was exhilarating to say the least.
Every time he focused his Mind and converted that energy into electricity to be discharged from his being, a certain rush, a wave of it to be precise, washed over his body. It flared every nerve in his body, pumping them full of energy. The world seemed to slow down in that one moment when he unleashed the attack and his senses were elevated to new heights.
It was a feeling he could hardly describe to someone who has not experienced it, themselves.
He had to be careful not to ever give in to the pleasure of this power. That would be a mistake, an act of rebellion against the principles he had taken upon himself when he started his walk on the path of the sword.
It would be a mistake, indeed…
Just like the mistake he had consciously committed just hours ago.
Alya was supposed to be adopted today.
It had been something he put in motion weeks ago, after long days of careful consideration.
And he was sure it was-
Rrrrrooooaaaarrrr
ZAP
…
…
…
And he was sure it was the right choice. It was for the best. Yet, he went against his own decision in the end.
Thinking back on it, this was hardly the first time he had done so.
After arriving in Orario, how many times did he compromise? How many times had he gone against his...the Lighting Sword Style's principles?
…
The Lighting Sword Style…
It had been started by a normal woman who lost everything to the evils of the world.
It didn't teach one altruism: far from it, in fact. They were still a martial school. They carried real swords for a reason, and they used them quite regularly.
However, it did teach it's Disciples to help whenever and wherever they could. To prevent the kind of evil which took the Founder's family away from her from spreading.
To not be a dick.
After all, being a dick helped no one, yourself included.
That was not something Fuzen made up, either. It had been written exactly like that, word for word, in the books passed down through the generations.
If he were to die tomorrow, Fuzen could say without lying that he did have a couple of regrets, but nothing that he would dwell too much on.
Every kill that he was responsible for was justified, to some degree: they had been soldiers, warriors, thieves, murderers, rapists, abusers…Some of them ready to die for what they stood for, and others...well, no one would mourn their deaths, to say the least.
It was only on very few instances, few enough that he didn't need a whole hand to count them, that those his Sword Style would classify as innocents fell to his blade.
Those had happened in moments of blind rage.
Over the years, he told himself that those people could not have been saved either way. They had been drugged for so long that no treatment would ever allow them to live a life without the substances. And they had been abused for so long, a normal life was beyond what was possible for them.
That is what he told himself, to make himself feel better.
However, the women living at his place...well, they showed him that was not the case.
They had also been abused.
Sexually.
Mentally.
Physically.
But...they were surprisingly enough, getting better.
They could go out shopping, talk to others, hold interactions...Some were even capable of smiling, some even of the laughter.
Being touched was still a sensible topic, however. They said unless it was him, they didn't feel comfortable.
Why that was the case, he did not know.
Still, they were getting better.
Which means those people whom he called beyond salvation could have gotten better, as well.
He was well aware now that his swords had tasted the blood of innocents. And it did leave a bad taste in his mouth, of course.
It was dishonourable, after all.
But, even with that said, he had few regrets in his life.
Fuzen always made sure to follow his school's teachings close and adapted his behaviour and responses accordingly. Everything he did, he did as what would have been expected of him. And everything he said, he said as what would have been expected of him.
Obviously enough, that did mean that some of his more positive actions were not dictated by kindness or compassion.
Concepts like that were hard for him to understand on a personal level. He did read about them in books and was as such aware of their meaning, but he personally could not understand them.
Bzzzzzzzttttt
ZAP
Raaahhhrrr!
…
…
…
He had never helped anyone because he wanted to.
As far as he could remember, he had always done things the way it was expected of him.
However, even if that was the case, did it really matter?
Even if his 'heart' was not into it, as long as his positive decisions left an impact on others, did it matter what the drive behind said actions was? Did it have any significance in...anything, really?
As far as he could tell, it did not.
So then, why?
He knew for sure that having the girl be adopted would be good for her in the long term. A normal family, a normal life.
Far away from the danger and violence he himself represented.
It should have been the same as always: do what was expected of him, without letting his emotions get in the way.
Yet he did not let go of the girl's hand.
When the time to make a decision came, he choose.
And then he went back on his own decision.
'When was it that Yu-... Fuzen Katsumi started to take over the Successor, I wonder?'
"...Haaa…"
Feeling tired despite no justification to feel as such Fuzen walked to the nearest stone on a level of a chair and sat down.
Somewhere along the way his life had become very complicated, and not in the way he expected it. Grasping the Heavens was no easy task. It was the very peak of complicated.
But this was not related to that.
His Familia, the people he met, the Saint, as well...Ever since he arrived in Orario, little by little, he began to...become different.
New concepts and new ideas were shown to him.
New perspectives, which ultimately led to subtle changes.
Changes which he wasn't sure were good to his mission.
'...This damnable Familia is to blame. That damn Saint, too. And the loud idiot, as well as the creepy cap woman...Haaa...I should have never got involved with any of them.'
He was supposed to solely pave the path forward, not to walk it. A clear goal to say the least: no emotions were required for it's fulfilment.
No individuality, either.
However, Fuzen Katsumi decided to go against the decision of the Successor.
Not a big deal on it's own.
But, what about the next decision he would be required to make? And what about the decision following that?
Would he continue to go against himself and bring down everything he carefully laid the foundation for?
Fuzen had reached an impasse.
For all his life, he had never fully trusted anyone.
Yet he could always trust himself, his training, his strength of will. He could always trust his own coldness to see the situation at hand dealt with, no matter what.
But now he couldn't do it anymore.
'When will the weakness of Fuzen Katsumi get in the way again?'
The question continued to loop in his mind as he stared at the wall opposite of him with cold hatred in his eyes.
Others would be joyous at the change they experienced, take pride in the growth which accompanied such change.
Fuzen himself hated it.
He wanted the single-minded clarity the invisible leash around his neck granted him back.
Perhaps the decision to leave for Orario itself had been the wrong action all along. But even so, his mission could not be fulfilled by staying in the Far East. He needed the city, and he needed the Familia for that.
'No gain without sacrifices...was it?'
Fuzen stayed sitting for a while longer, not even really caring to count the time anymore. The silence of the Dungeon was very welcomed for him at the moment, the hustle of the people who had walked inside his life out of the picture for now.
But of course, it did not last long.
With a sigh he got up and headed deeper into the Dungeon, having already sensed their presence.
XXX
"You sure you don't need any help with that?" The older of the twins asked as she looked over her shoulder with a soft smile at the Elf dragging on behind the trio.
"I-I'm good, Tione!" Lefiya exclaimed, straightening her back as if to show her she meant her words. The oversized bag on her back, however, forced her back into a hunched position soon enough.
"Just tell me when you want to change roles, okay? We still have a ways to go."
The group of four were on their way back to the surface after a whole day of fighting in the Dungeon. It hadn't been for a Quest or anything like that, they just wanted to keep their skills sharp.
Originally, just the trio: Ais, Tione and Tiona were set to go. However, Lefiya had asked to tag along, as always.
And it proved to be a good idea to bring the low-Level Mage along with them. After all, her Magic had proved useful in keeping the Monsters from overrunning them. It was also a good way for the Mage to gain some well-needed Excelia.
"Lefiya. Don't overdo it." The blonde swordswoman voiced softly, as well.
Letting one single member carry all the supplies and Drop Items didn't sit well with her, however there was some wisdom to Tione's words, as well: that Finn would want every member to pull their own weight, to avoid getting pampered and protected.
That could very well spell their death, after all.
"How about we let Tione carry them after we reach Rivira? From there it's safe enough to let Lefiya take the vanguard, right?" The younger twin spoke.
"Hey, why did you decide I'm the one who needs to carry the luggage?!"
Obviously, Tiona was just playing around with her sister. Getting angry reactions out of her was always fun to the Amazon.
"By the way, Ais. Great teamwork back there!" She voiced with a thump-up throw at the swordswoman's direction.
As they were twins and had spent their whole life together, Tione and Tiona were probably some of the best Loki members when it came to working as a team. Their whole life had been like that.
However, Ais was different. She rushed head-first into the thickest group of Monsters, at times so focused she failed to take notice of her own comrades' situations around her.
But, that was in the past.
Now...Now, Ais was less aggressive.
Less focused on eradicating the Monsters in front of her.
Of course, this did not mean her prowess suffered any drawbacks as a result. She was still a fierce a fighter as always. But more...cooperative.
Less inclined to allowing her emotions to dictate her actions.
"Mhm? Oh...thank you." She replied with a nod.
"Tiona's right, you know? I mean, sure. The enemies were hardly anything for us, but teamwork's always important." Throughout their day of fighting, Ais had always maintained her cool and didn't rush ahead without talking to the others, leaving more or less no openings in their four-man party for the Monsters to exploit.
"Ais-san was amazing, as always!" Lefiya pitched in from behind the trio.
"You're...praising me too much."
Somewhere deep inside her mind, Ais did question it too, however: if she had changed enough for even other people to notice said changes.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps approaching them. The twins did, too, if the direction of their heads was any indication.
All three of them looked at the path ahead, which curved to the right a distance away. The footsteps drew closer, and a couple of moments later…
"Why are-?" Ais wanted to ask him as to the reason of his presence, but someone beat him to it.
"Fuu~!" Tiona shouted excitedly as she threw her Urga at her sister and dashed ahead, jumping while a distance away from Fuzen and turned her body mid-air, her back directed at the ground.
Just as expected however a pair of arms stretched forward and caught her, not letting her fall down. "Did you miss me and came looking?" She asked, comfortable in her new, bridal-style position.
His eyes met hers for a long second. "...You stink of sweat."
"Well, nice to see you, too…" She pouted before he gently let her out of his arms.
As soon as she stared at him for a moment longer the smile on her face subsided. "What's wrong?" Tiona asked.
"...Why would you assume anything is wrong?" He asked in return.
"Well, you look...troubled?" She half-answered, half-questioned. Tiona herself wasn't sure, but it felt that way to her.
Fuzen in turn gave half a nod as his response. "...It is nothing major like last time. Don't worry."
Somehow she had a hunch he did not earnestly voiced those words, but decided to trust him and simply nod in return.
"So what are you doing here?" Tione was next to inquire, however his eyes did not look at her. Instead, they were focused on Ais, and Ais alone.
Taking a step to the side Fuzen began to walk, slowly, to the side while his eyes and Ais's were locked together. "...Clearing my head, I guess?"
Dread began to take shape in the other three girls. The mood was tense, and they all began to form one single question in their minds: 'Was he out for Ais's blood again?'
Though subtle, everyone slowly reached for their weapons as the intensity in the air continued to rise.
"Did I...do something again?" The girl herself asked as drops of sweat began to form on her face. The wounds from back then may have healed months ago, but...they were still fresh, in her mind.
A couple seconds passed as he simply continued to walk slowly in a circle around her, at a distance of about twenty meters. Then, a shake of his head. "...No. You did not."
"Then-"
"Be quiet. I'm thinking."
"…"
The silence continued as only his footsteps could be heard echoing in the hollowness of the Dungeon. Finally, a couple of seconds later, he stopped. "Ais."
"What…?"
"Fight me."
The request had been direct and unexpected, taking both Ais and her party by surprise.
Tione was the first to respond. "You said she hadn't done anything."
"And she hasn't." He looked back at Ais. "I do not wish to harm you. I simply wish to fight you."
"...That is sudden…"
"You always come up to me when you feel like sparring, do you not?" That was of course not false. "We are Adventurers. You should be ready to fight at any moment."
She pondered on his words for a moment before nodding. "Okay…"
It was only fair: she had challenged him dozens...maybe even hundreds of times.
His next action, however, surprised even Ais. "You two." He voiced as he looked over at the Amazon twins. "You join in, as well."
Silence took over for what seemed to be a whole minute.
"Heh…" Tione chuckled as a smirk appeared on her lips. "Someone's getting a big head, huh?"
"…"
"Fuzen, are you sure?" The younger twin asked next. She knew he was smart and that he wouldn't pick any fight haphazardly. Asking three Level 5's to fight him at once...To Tiona, it did sound like something he would do, but not without a good reason.
The nod she received from him was enough for a smile to form on the girl's lips, however. "All right! Let's go, Tione!"
The older twin simply sighed before grabbing her weapons and stepping forward.
Without wasting time the three girls positioned themselves in a half-circle in front of Fuzen, ready to engage at any time. Yet, the boy himself was not ready. His hand drew the sword out of it's sheath, but stopped half-way through the motion.
"You...won't draw?" Asked the blonde.
"I will. I just don't know as who." He replied, the focus in his eyes remaining unchanged. "Am I the Disciple? The Successor? The Adventurer? I...don't know."
His words confused the trio just as much as they confused him. But one of the trio quickly replied with a raised eyebrow. "You're just Fuzen, aren't you?"
Sometimes, Fuzen really respected Tiona for how simple her every solution and her every answer could be.
There was no need for deep pondering or thinking, just pure...Tiona energy in her everything.
"...Heh...That so…? Yeah, I'm Fuzen. And Fuzen Katsumi…" He drew his katana, then his chisa katana. In the blink of an eye he was already upon the blonde swordswoman, signalling the start of the fight.
XXX
'...is a natural-born killer. Isn't that right, Hachiman-sama?'
Sparks continued to fly in the air as his swords and Ais's rapier clashed against each other. The girl was focused like never before: she had sparred many times against the young swordsman, however he had never truly used dual-wielding against her.
Why, she could not say.
After all, despite fighting him for only one or two seconds, she could tell from experience that his proficiency with dual weapons was far greater than his orthodox, one-sword fighting style.
His movements were different: more aggressive, more powerful. Fuzen's usual calm 'stand your ground' mindset he always had during sparring was nowhere to be seen.
She slashed from above, the chisa katana in his left hand intercepting her attack and blowing her sword to the side through sheer strength, his other sword coming in for a thrust directed at her head.
Ais stepped back, trying to gain as much distance as possible between them. He would not allow that and was already approaching her.
A shadow appeared above him a moment later, halting his advance. "Haaaa!" Tiona let out a cry as she brought her Urga above her head, ready to unleash it's full weight and might upon the boy.
At any other time, he would have side-stepped and avoided the powerful swing. But Tiona saw no sign of him doing that. Instead, he crossed his arms in an X patter…
CLANG!
And blocked her swing with both his swords.
"The hell?!" The Amazon shouted in shock at the feat he was pulling, keeping her Urga in check above his head. They had already established during their own hand-to-hand sparring sessions that he wasn't anywhere near as strong as her.
"...Haaa!"
However, seeing him push her Urga back with a cry of his own made the girl realize that all along, he might have held back.
"You little shit!" Tione approached him next, both her daggers at the ready. She moved quickly, about to strike from his left side.
In a single quick motion, she saw him throwing his chisa-katana at her feet. The girl jumped back, but in the single moment she looked at the sword stuck in the ground Fuzen had already strode the distance between them, his sword coming at her in a wide arc from the left.
She leaned back, giving him enough time to grab his discarded blade.
The very next moment she threw her head to the side, avoiding a thrusting attack. Seeing her chance she stepped forward and the back and forth began, both of their blades locked in clashes that sent sparks flying all around them.
However, she was quickly forced into taking a defensive stance: Fuzen was too fast and aggressive, her own blades at times unable to parry or block his own. The tip of his sword nipped at her skin, leaving scratched around her shoulders and arms.
Barely two seconds had passed since they began the one-on-one fight. With the corner of her eye Tione saw Ais dashing at Fuzen from behind. She picked herself up and tried to push him back, allowing for the both of them to attack at once.
Her tactic worked, successfully pushing him back one step after taking one more hit to the sit from his sword. "Die!" The older twin shouted, striking at him from above. His chisa katana blocked the attack, but Ais was already upon him, as well.
He blocked the blonde's horizontal strike as well, but this left him in a position where both of the girls were to either of his sides, forced to keep his ground in order to keep their blades at bay.
Sweat was already accumulating on his face, but he did not give in.
"Haaa!" Tione shouted again as he put all her might into her arm, pushing the boy's sword downwards and stepping closer, throwing a kick at his back.
The echo from the blow echoed all around them, and even Lefiya flinched as she could only imagine what it felt like to be hit by the strength of a Level 5.
But contrary to their beliefs, he was not sent flying by the blow. With his knees bend, he simply took it, his eyes meeting Tione's over his shoulder. "Are you made of fucking steel?!"
He did not reply.
Clenching his teeth, the boy gathered his strength and with a cry of his own, a rare sight in of itself, forced his body to turn to the left side, in the direction of Tione, while his katana blocking Ais forced the blonde forward, all the while Tione began to fall down thanks to her unstable, one-legged footing.
Unexpectedly, he let go of the chisa-katana in his left hand as his body rotated. At the same time he threw a kick at the falling Tione, the Amazon blocking it with her forearms but getting sent flying across the ground.
Just as his left side faced Ais's left, he reached for her torso and his fingers slid between her shirt and her chest armour, getting a good grip on the metal with the under-hand grip. This forced Ais off her feet, her body forced to spin the same direction as the boy. "Ehh?" And to the blonde's surprise he proceeded to throw her into a wall just as his full rotation came to an end.
It happened so fast Lefiya had no time to process what exactly went on before Fuzen grabbed his discarded sword and rushed towards Tione, who had just come to a halt herself and pushed her upper body up with her left hand.
Her instincts kicked in just fast enough to parry the sword coming down on her to the side.
It was in that short moment when he was preparing his next attack that Tione heard his ludicrous words.
"...You better not fall for me now."
"...Haaah?!"
As angry as she was that he thought her love for the Captain could be so easily shattered, Tione could not unleash her wrath upon him. She was still on the ground, Fuzen giving her no time to jump to her feet as he unleashed strike after strike on her position. Some of those attacks she managed to parry to the sides, while for others she was forced to roll to her sides, left and right, left and right.
"I heard that!" She finally heard her younger twin approaching them, Tiona swinging her Urga in a horizontal swing at Fuzen as she approached from ahead of him.
However, he quickly avoided the attack by jumping towards it and twisting, his shoulder and back rolling on Urga's wide blade and landing just above Tione's head, his sword raised for an attack in the blink of an eye.
Tiona noticed his action as she looked over his shoulder and forced her swinging motion with sheer power. "Take this!" Then she thrust the back blade of Urga towards Fuzen, forcing him to step to the side.
However, Tione was still on the ground, unable to get up as her sister's weapon was just inches above her, blocking the attack from Fuzen directed at the older twin.
"Both of you, get the fuck away from me!"
"S-Sorry, sis...It's taking all I have...to hold him at bay..!" Tiona voiced through gritted teeth as she tried to push Fuzen's swords away, but to no avail.
She looked at him, his own eyes focused on her face. Then, she noticed a smirk taking form at the corner of his mouth. 'What?'
She questioned the gesture, only to find herself getting dragged forward a moment later. He had pulled his swords back. And just like in a tug-of-war game, what happens to one team if the opponents all let go of the rope at the same time?
They fall backwards.
Only for the Amazon, it was forward.
'W-What? This is...such a cheap move!'
Her eyes turned just in time to see Fuzen turning on his heel to deliver a back kick at her, which she block by putting her weapon in front of her.
This small time frame was enough for Tione to finally get off the floor and she wasted no time in rushing the boy. "Wanna repeat what you said back there, you little shit?!"
"I said…" He turned to face her, using only his chisa-katana to parry her flurry of attacks to the sides. Their little scuffle was enough for him to get her speed and style down. "...you better not fall for me, now. I don't need that on my mind."
The fact that he was now able to hold a normal conversation while she attacked him as fast as she could angered the older twin unlike anything before. Before long her sister jumped in too, and the two continued to relentlessly assault Fuzen with all they had.
His mastery over dual-wielding was above what either of the Amazon fighters had expected. He had a perfect balance-...no, rather, it was an excessive amount of offense and defense. Their combined attacks could not touch him, while the twins themselves had to put every ounce of effort into defending.
His footwork was no different, and he swiftly moved between the two, at times pulling such agile dodges the sisters were almost baited into attacking each other.
By now the eyes of the Elf who simply watched in amazement from the sidelines could no longer keep up. She could see blurs and she could hear the clanking of metal hitting metal, but the actual fight itself was beyond what she could process.
CLANK!
The sound signalled a quick cease in the clash of weapons as Fuzen jumped off backwards to block an attack from Tiona, letting the blow to send him back some twenty meters and putting some distance between him and the twins.
He glanced to the side: Ais was back on her feet as well, having observed the back and forth between him and the Amazons.
"Hahaha!" Tiona's sudden laugh gained the attention of everyone present. A big smile was visible on her face. "You're so strong, Fuu~!" She exclaimed as she pointed her Urga at him. "It's like, for the first time, you are fighting seriously!"
"…"
"We should do this more often! No...We must!"
"…" He remained silent, simply staring at the Amazon with an unreadable look in his eyes. Then he took a low stance, the chisa-katana in his left hand horizontally to his right while his main sword in a reverse grip behind him. "Two-Swords Lightning Style:"
As soon as those words reached the twin they both took a stance, their focus now solely on the boy and the tiniest movement of his body. They know that whatever followed next, a named Technique of his would be bad if they were caught off guard.
However, their battle-ready stances could not prepare them for the actual wave of wind, dust and fist-sized rocks which manifested out of nowhere and was upon them in less than the blink of an eye.
"What the fuck-?!"
Tione exclaimed as she threw her arms in front of her face, her sister using the width of her blade as a shield, as well.
As the debris flew past them a figure appeared between them from within the wave of dust. "[Rising Earth Surge.]"
With an upwards slash he forced Tiona's Urga up, wasting no time and delivering a blow with the blunt end of his sword to her abdomen, quite literally taking the girl's breath away as she fell down to the floor.
Turning on his heel he used his chisa-katana to blow away Tione's strike to the side and at the same time delivered a successful blunt strike to her neck, the girl falling to the ground like her sister.
"...That's two…" Fuzen muttered as he used his sleeve to wipe away the sweat on his face. Maintaining peak physical performance for this long was no easy task: he was burning through Ki faster than he thought possible.
But...he could still keep going.
Looking over to the Elf on standby he made a head gesture for her to approach: he had not wounded the Amazons badly, but it was better for them to get treatment.
With that out of the way he slowly turned around, the Sword Princess's eyes meeting his.
She was a good distance away, having decided not to intervene in the fight just now.
Was it because she thought it would be unfair?
Or because she wanted a chance to a one-on-one?
In the end, it matter little.
"Ais." He voiced as he approached her, the girl doing the same. "I am the Successor of the Lightning Sword Style. That's singular. One sword." Fuzen explained. "I am not allowed to use two-swords under normal circumstances."
"...Why not?"
"Let that be my concern. If you want to learn something, make the most of this fight."
Ais did not understand his restrictions, but nodded nonetheless. A moment of silence followed as the two continued to walk towards each other.
Inhale...
Clank!
The sound echoed as the two dashed towards each other and their weapons clashed, both her rapier and his katana blown away by the force of the other.
Exhale...
Clank!
Another clash, both of them taking a step back.
Then the fight began for real, and to the three spectators it looked no different than fireworks, the sparks from their blades flying all around them continuously.
ClankClankClankClankClank!
Back and forth, without even a moment's rest to draw their breaths, the two assaulted each other with speed unfathomable. Fuzen stepped in, placing his foot in-between her legs. Ais leaned back just enough to avoid his diagonal strike from below, leaning back in with a thrust of her own.
He retracted his leg, changing his katana to a reverse grip and parrying the rapier to the side, the tip of the blade cutting only his cheek. Then changing his chisa-katana to a normal grip he launched an attack on Ais's side, the girl stepping back but the blade still cutting her obliques.
'What was I so worried about, I wonder?'
Clank! Clank!
Cling!
Kick!
"Argh..!"
'Going back on my decisions, was it?'
Clank! Clank! Whoosh!
"Haaa!"
'The hell does it matter, really? Am I not Fuzen Katsumi, like Tiona said?'
ClankClankClankClankClankClankClankClankClankClankClankClankClankClankClank-
'Am I not he who can go against three Level 5's and still hold the upper hand? Am I not pushing the Sword Princess back at this very moment?'
He felt his own strength rising and he broke through the dance around each other he and Ais were caught in, pushing her back with attacks strong enough to rattle the very rapier in her grasp.
Fuzen didn't knew where the increase in power was coming from.
He also didn't care.
'Whatever I am the Adventurer, or the Successor, or just Fuzen, ain't I just as strong as I have ever been? Ain't I the one who will grasp the Heavens? So what if I made a wrong decision? So what if I go back on one I already decided upon? What the hell does it matter?'
CLANK!
CLANK!
CLANK!
'I'm strong, so what is there really for me to fear? Even if my decisions are wrong, I'll just change everything around them until they become the correct ones. After all, am I not-?'
CRASH!
…
…
…
'Kenshi, Fuzen Katsumi?'
"...So?" He asked after exhaling, looking down to the blonde he pinned down to the ground, his swords stuck in the ground around her neck in an "X" shape.
He could see how she gritted her teeth, but she voiced the words anyway. "It's...your win."
"You fricking bet it is." Fuzen replied as he moved away from Ais and sheathed his swords, offering her a hand and helping her up to her feet.
Then he started at her, long enough for his expression to change into one of disappointment. "…I can't possible leave her with you, of all people..."
"W-What…?"
He shook his head and made his way to where Tione and Tiona were, the Amazons already back to full strength thanks to Lefiya's healing Magic. Once close enough he also offered his hand to the sitting Tiona, pulling her up. "Thanks!" The girl voiced, but then felt his grip increasing.
His eyes stared back at her. "Tiona."
"Yeah?"
"You need to do better. This is not your limit, yet."
It was in that moment that Tiona felt heat accumulating in her cheeks. "...Oh. Yeah, your right!"
"Mhm."
"But hey, that was amazing! I didn't know people could move their hands that fast! Why haven't you told us you were this strong all along?"
"I couldn't have." he answered bluntly.
"The hell does that even mean?" The older twin asked, still pissed that she lost so easily.
His next answer confused the four girls. "I can't tell you what I don't know." A moment of silence followed. "I came here to fight Ais alone. Challenging you two as well was a...spontaneous request."
It was then that it finally clicked. "Wait. So you challenged us unprepared?"
"...Yes. I was expecting to be pushed back within the first half a minute, in all honesty."
Had it been anyone else saying those words, the trio would have thought him to be insulting them. However, everyone knew by now just how honest Fuzen was as a person. He was not lying. "I guess...I am still learning about myself, even now."
He had learned about his affinity for dual-wielding a couple of years ago. As the sole Disciple of what was once a martial school with dozens upon dozens of practitioners, it was up to him to learn all about their history, and that included the sub-schools which branched off from the main school: the Two-Swords Lightning Style and the Lightning Spear Style.
Obviously, as the Successor to his Mistress, who herself was of the main school, his greatest focus had been on the one-sword style. For the other two, he had simply learned the basics, so that they would not die off.
It was back then, during training of the basics, that he figured out the aggressive and relentless mindset of the sub-school was where his performance peaked the most. It was where he felt the...most free while fighting.
However, his personal feelings mattered not.
He had a duty to fulfil as his Mistress's Successor.
And until now, he had not used dual-wielding fully except one or two Techniques when the situation called for it.
'...That's not all, however. Even if my performance increased, going against three Level 5's is no easy fricking task. Where did all that power come from? And speaking off…'
"Hey, mind checking my wounds for me?" He asked as he turned to face Tiona, the girl simply nodding with a smile. Fuzen then turned his back to the four and revealed his upper body to them.
Tiona looked, she truly did, however except for the lean, shredded musculature of someone who trained their whole life she couldn't see anything. "You don't have any wounds, Fuu."
"...Hm?" He looked over his shoulder at her, clearly confused. "I'm more than sure Tione kicked me in the back back there...Are you sure?" He could use Ki to sense his own wounds, so of course he already knew he had not received any serious injury from that attack, but at least some redness or something would be normal.
"Yeah, I kicked you all right. Felt like hitting a slab of metal, though...The hell do you eat, boi?!"
All throughout the fight he had enhanced his body with the usage of Ki, but it wasn't to the level of not getting any sort of damage from hits. That feat was impossible to begin with-
'The Were-Jaguar. It was possible with him.'
Had he somehow copied Sakda's Reflection, Bulwark, and forced his enhancement to jump to new heights just in that one moment when he knew the kick would be impossible to dodge?
But that made no sense: he was hardly in more danger fighting the three than back when he fought Udaeus with the Second Group and got hit by the Monster Rex. Obviously, he had known of Sakda back then, but even so…
'This makes no sense. I didn't even feel pain when the kick landed…'
Though the matter concerned him, Fuzen pulled back his jacket and turned to Ais: she was still the main reason why he was here."Ais. Do you have plans for today?"
"Hm? Well, I-"
"Cancel them." His forceful reply took her by surprise. "You are coming with me the moment we reach the surface."
"Eh…? Why?"
"Sorry. I can't say. Not here. But I need you to follow me. It's...important."
"Hey, what about me?!" The younger twin asked as she skipped over to him and put her right arm around his neck, poking his cheek with her index finger. "Can I come, too~?"
"Sorry, no. This matter is between Ais-...Wallenstein and me, only."
"Hmmm...~? You aren't up to no-good, are you, Fuu?"
"...What makes you think I am?"
"...Nothing, nothing…" In truth, she did not know herself why she thought that. "...So, you really won't let me come? Not even with a Pretty please?"
Grabbing her arm he slowly pulled it away, shaking his head. "Next time, Tiona."
That response was enough to bring a smile to her lips. "It's a promise!"
"...I guess it is."
"Well, let's go, then! Or do you two need some healing first?"
Both Ais and Fuzen shook their heads and so, without further waste of time, the group of five made their way out of the Dungeon.
"...What did I just witness…?" Lefiya muttered to herself as she walked behind the group, still refusing to believe the boy once again defeated her idol in front of her eyes.
She knew that he was on their side.
And she was glad for it, truly.
However, even so…
'He is...scary. Honestly scary.'
XXX
Breaking off from the others at the ground level of Babel, Ais followed Fuzen as he silently lead them into town, not speaking at all as he simply faced ahead.
"Where...are we going?" She asked after a couple of minutes.
"…"
Obviously enough, he did not reply.
Ais was getting worried.
Not that he would lash out against her again: he had already promised that was not the case.
However, in the, give or take, two odd years she had known him Fuzen had not once asked her for anything, not even to accompany her somewhere.
That he now gave her no option to say otherwise, while also saying it was important...it worried her.
Fuzen also didn't allow Tiona to come with them. Was he hiding some sort of secret, which others were not supposed to know about? Why would he reveal something like that to her of all people, then?
It was now that Ais understood something about herself: she could not handle suspense well.
"Let's cut through here." Fuzen finally spoke as he pointed towards an alley, Ais nodding and following him through it until they walked into a side street. From there they headed east. "I need to make a quick purchase first."
"Oh. Sure…"
To her surprise his purchase happened at no other place than a vendor which sold Jagamarukun. "If it isn't the Young Master!" The owner exclaimed as they were obviously happy to see her Familia member.
"Good day."
"Haha, polite as always! What can I get you today? The usual?"
Fuzen nodded, holding up two fingers. "Yes. Two of each flavour."
"Coming right up."
As soon as the smell of fresh Jagamarukun reached Ais her mouth watered instantly. Wasting no time she quickly searched her hidden pockets for any change money. To her great despair, she had nothing of her.
And in that moment of despair, she noticed Fuzen looking at her with an expression she could hardly describe. "...the god damn same…" She heard half of the whispered words escaping his lips before he sighed. "Make that three of each flavour, please."
"Of course!"
The bag filled with Jagamarukuns was ready before long and Fuzen grabbed it. "Don't forget to subtract it."
"Will do. Have a good day, Young Master!"
And then he walked away, a confused Ais following behind him. "You didn't pay…"
"I did. A while ago."
"Hmm?"
"This." Fuzen voiced as he reached inside his clothes and took out a metal card, which Ais recognized. Those were the plaques one could get at the bank, in exchange for Valis. Subsequently, they could be exchanged at the bank for Valis, as well. The one Fuzen held between his fingers was worth one hundred thousand.
"I gave him one of those a while back. Saves me the trouble of paying every time. I still have enough balance left to shop there for a year...or three. Every time I buy something, he subtracts the sum from that one hundred thousand."
"Ohh...Why didn't I think of that…?"
"It's not usual. Far as I know, I'm the only one who does this with places I frequent." He responded before grabbing one of the Jagamarukun from the top and holding it to her. "Here."
Ais's eyes immediately sparkled at the sight of the fresh, steamy Jagamarukun. "Thank you."
"...Urgh…"
Suffice to say, the treat was delicious. Ais made a mental note to remember where that vendor was, for the future. She had enjoyed it so much she didn't even realize that they already reached the East District.
She wasn't that familiar with the place: she had only been here a couple of times throughout her years in Orario. However, even at first glance she could tell the differences compared to how she knew this part of town to be.
The streets were meticulously clean, the buildings were in far better conditions than she remembered and the people seemed...very happy.
Even more interesting, everyone walking past Fuzen took one moment's time to bow their head every so slightly as the boy passed them by.
"...Is this...some sort of custom?" She asked, genuinely curious as to their gestures.
"They are just being a pain in my ass, as always."
Deciding not to pursue the conversation any further, Ais followed Fuzen as he made his way through the small streets of the East District, soon arriving at his mansion which she had only seen once from outside.
At the gate into the property, he stopped and exhaled, turning to look at her. "Listen…"
"Hm?"
"The person I will introduce to you in a short while...you will probably be surprised. Just know in advance that I can't answer any of your questions which will begin with 'How'."
The blonde was confused: a person was the least she expected his so-called secret to be. Of course, his words did not help her confusion, either. "...Okay."
"...Let's go."
Taking the lead he brought Ais inside, taking a right after the entrance and leading her into a room opposite of the back garden. "Wait here for a bit. And prepare yourself."
She did as told and walked inside. The room was barren of any furniture, and if she had to guess it was solely used to gaze upon the garden, or maybe for meditation purposes. Ais took a seat down on the tatami floor, wondering who Fuzen wanted to introduce to her as she looked upon the wide, well-maintained garden.
About two minutes later she heard footsteps on the porch coming her way.
Fuzen appeared in her sight then, but he wasn't alone. He was holding someone's hand.
He was holding...her hand?
"Fuzen!" The little girl pulled on his sleeve as she pointed at her. "She looks like me!" She voiced, apparently joyful at the similarities.
"No, Alya. You look like her."
Ais's mind became completely blank in that moment, her eyes looking upon what was herself from about six or seven years ago: a little girl with long, blonde hair and golden eyes.
But that wasn't possible, was it?
"Let us take a seat." The boy told the girl as they stepped inside and sat down opposite of Ais, the Sword Princess not having blinked once since about twenty seconds ago.
"Ais."
"…"
"...Hey."
"…"
"I'm talking to you."
"Haha, she's weird, Fuzen!" The little girl exclaimed with a laugh as she once again pointed at her, only for Fuzen to push her hand down.
"Don't point at people, Alya. It's rude."
"Sorry…"
"...Alya?" Ais finally spoke as her gaze was glued to the girl. "Is that...your name?"
"Yup! I'm Alya! Nice to meet you!" She greeted with a smile and a wave. "Fuzen gave me this name."
The Sword Princess looked over at the boy, his expression as blank as always. "That name…"
"Yes." He nodded. "I derived it from your mother's name: Aria."
Sweat began to take form on her face, Ais tightening her grip on the fabric of her cloth hanging over her thighs. "Who...are you?"
"Fuzen. Always have been."
"...And...this girl…?"
"She is your…"
The minute-long silence that followed next would have been comedic if not for the situation at hand. However, Fuzen himself seemed to be unable to answer the question as he stared down at the girl besides him, Alya herself returning his stare.
"...relative." He finally answered, having chosen the term he believed to be the most accurate given the origin of the girl. "So, yes. Alya, this is Ais Wallenstein. She is your relative."
"Relative…?" Alya repeated the word, looking over at Ais before a smile took form on her lips. "Does that mean she's also family?!"
"...Family?" The Sword Princess repeated the term.
"Fuzen's my family!" She exclaimed as she lunged to the side and grabbed his whole arm. "And, uhh...the ladies here at the house! Uhh, and the old man who comes here with Fuzen! And you're family, too. Right, Fuzen?"
"...Well...yes? She is fam-...she is fami-…she is..."
Unadulterated disgust.
If Ais was to describe his expression as he looked upon her, it would be disgust.
The very word family was something he seemed to be unable to utter as he looked upon her with a scowl, his left eye twitching uncontrollably at the sight of her face. "She's just a relative, Alya. A distant one. A very distant one."
"Ehh…? How distant?"
"Ten times around the world distant- No, a hundred times. No." He pointed his finger upwards. "A thousand times between the Earth and the Moon distant."
'Is something...wrong with me?' Ais was not one to usually question herself, but the reaction of the boy in front of her made her question if something was actually wrong with her.
"That's too complicated...Well, nice to meet you, relative lady!"
Seeing the girl bow her head at her shook Ais out of her self-doubt. "Ahh..Uhh...Likewise…?"
"...Well, Ais and I have to discuss some boring matters now, so how about you go and play in the meantime, Alya?"
"Sure thing!" She jumped up to her feet before leaving the room, but not before waving at Ais.
Instinctively, Ais also raised her hand to wave back.
"...Ask." Fuzen voiced after a couple moments of silence passed.
"How...is this possible?"
"Mhm. Now remember what I told you back at the gate."
Just know in advance that I can't answer any of your questions which will begin with 'How'.
She remembered his words, and understood that he already anticipated she would ask this very question. Not that it was a hard one to guess, given the circumstances.
"...But at least I can tell you the When and Where."
"...Please do."
That girl's existence had shocked Ais to the very core of her being. Obviously, she wanted to know.
And Fuzen did just that, starting his explanation after a long sigh.
He held nothing back and told her everything.
How it started when Ais fell sick all those months ago, after she tried to replicate his style and felt that mysterious power rising within her.
How that power she awakened was called Ki, or life force, and how it was the reason behind his strength.
How he died, actually died, in a forest in Altena.
How Alya manifested in that moment and razed the whole forest to the ground with her first breath, and how she revived Fuzen with her awakening.
How he later realized that Alya was, somehow, a part of Ais that he absorbed into himself when he treated the Sword Princess, which then manifested upon his death.
And how, most shocking of all to Ais, he was able to hear her mother's voice.
"Mother? You can...hear my mother?"
He nodded. "Though I wouldn't call her your real mother. Maybe it's a sort of Echo, an imprint you had of her which somehow moved over to me when I linked our minds? And because of my ability to use life force, that Echo began to take on the fond traits you remember of her: warm, motherly and worried for her child?"
"...This is...too much."
"It's just a hunch. I'm not that knowledgeable on Spirit physiology or spirituality, after all."
Her eyes widened as the words reached her. She wanted to inquire about it, but Fuzen beat her to it.
"Why so surprised? I linked our minds: of course I know you aren't actually a Human. I also saw your oldest memories, of your parents...and of the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
Her shoulders shivered at the mention of that cursed name. "You know of it?"
"Yeah. It killed your father and captured your mother, didn't it? Is that why you hate Monsters so much?"
"…" She didn't reply, but the answer was obvious enough. However, it was then that she understood something else. "You also know of my…?"
"...The fact that you are from the past? Yeah. Though, I am not aware of the details as how that came to be. I am also not interested. If time travel was necessary to my goal, I would have been interested. But it's not relevant to me."
Ais didn't know how to feel about this whole situation. The only people who know of her past were Loki, Finn, Riveria and Gareth. And now, out of nowhere, another person who knew appeared in her life.
What's more, he knew even more about herself that the other four.
"...So that girl...She is not just a...distant relative, is she?"
"Are you a fucking moron?" He replied with a raised eyebrow, the insult feeling like a large stone being dropped on her head to Ais. "No matter how much I try to deny it, Alya is part of you made manifest. She's no different than a sister or twin. You're both insufferable airheads and you both piss me off with your love for stupid Jagamarukun."
"...Don't insult Jagamarukuns…"
"Look me in the fricking eyes when speaking to me."
"A-Ah, yes!"
"...Urgh." Fuzen growled, feeling the full brunt of the bad decision he settled upon: that of revealing everything to no other than Ais. A headache was already taking shape. "...Like it or not, that little girl is your family. You can't deny it, just like I can't deny it."
"...What should...I do now?"
"Hah?" He seemed almost insulted at her question. "I'd appreciate it if you don't do anything. You think I'd leave someone like you to take care of her? Do you even know how normal kids work?"
"…"
"...Well, neither do I." Under normal circumstances, his reply would have genuinely made her laugh. "But at least I'm willing to try and do my best. Are you?"
"...I don't know."
"...Figured that much out by myself. If there is one thing I learned by being together with her, it's that there is no room for indecisiveness when taking care of another. It's not a matter of 'Can you do it or can you not do it'. It's a matter of 'Do it or do not do it'. Just like anything else in life, to be honest."
His words stuck with Ais in that moment. Those words, they were what he lived by. Perhaps that was why he was so amazing. He never questioned himself if he can do something: he simply went ahead and did it.
"...I arranged for her to be adopted today."
"What?"
"Earlier this morning. There was a couple. They were supposed to adopt Alya. Take her off my hands. Do the thing someone like me should never be trusted with: take care of someone."
"...What happened?"
For the first time since the conversation began, his eyes looked down. "I...could not go through with it."
"...Why not?"
"She said she was... happy here." His words were soft, barely above a whisper. "If that is how she feels...who am I to take that away from her? Just because I am not allowed to it, who am I to keep others from being happy..?"
Ais had known Fuzen for a while now, however for the first time she got the impression she was seeing the real him. A Fuzen who, despite him better judgement, did things for the sake of others. "That is...very mature."
"The fuck it is!" He pointed a finger at her. "This whole mess started because of you, so don't you dare try to make me feel better now. If you hadn't been a moron and minded your own damn business, I wouldn't have been required to link our minds together to save your dumb ass." He got up, and started walking towards her.
"And if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have absorbed the part of you that turned into Alya inside of me." He reached out and grabbed her by the shirt, pulling her face closer to his. "And if Alya hadn't manifested back then, I would be dead and rotting now. So...So thank you, okay?"
"Ehh…?"
"And if it wasn't for you and your stupid airheaded brain, Alya wouldn't exist in the first place. But she's too young and naive to understand you're the reason she is alive. So I'll say it for her, instead: Thank. You."
"…"
"…"
A moment of silence passed as the two stared at each other. Then Fuzen pushed Ais back down. "Get your damn mug outta my face."
"...But you're the one who-"
"Hah?!"
It was in that moment, while he looked down at her with palpable anger in his eyes that Ais understood something.
Fuzen was just like Riveria.
But much, much worse.
"N-Nothing…"
"That's what I thought."
"…"
A long sigh followed from the boy. "It will pass with time."
"Hm?"
"I'm just angry at you. You are the reason my lifestyle changed...drastically, no less. And you are the reason why there's a voice in my head. But...it will pass with time. I don't...hate you. You're too similar to her for me to hate anymore. So just...let me vent for a while, okay? Frankly speaking, it's the least you could do for me."
"I understand. And...thank you, too. For not hating me."
He shrugged. "Don't thank me yet. I didn't say for how long I plan on venting, you know?"
Had she not known better, Ais would have thought he tried to crack a joke-
'Wait did he just try to make a joke?!'
"She is my responsibility." Fuzen voiced. "You are not required to do anything. As long as I live, she is mine to protect." He looked over at her. "As long as I live, that is."
"...What...are you trying to say?"
"I'm trying to grasp the Heavens. Between that becoming a reality and me dying in the process, which one do you think is more probable?"
"…"
"I'll probably die. Pretty soon, too, since patience isn't exactly my strength, believe it or not. It won't be today or tomorrow, but in a couple of years, maybe. I'd be a miracle if I even live long enough to become an adult."
"That...doesn't have to happen-"
"If you were to fight the One-Eyed Black Dragon, do you think you would survive?"
Complete silence.
Ais could not reply, because she knew the answer: of course she would die. Her Level 5 strength was nothing when faced with that calamity. Level 6 would not improve those odds by much, either.
"Then you understand, since you have decided on a ludicrous goal, yourself."
"...Why...are you telling me this?"
"Alya, she is...linked to me. In ways I cannot understand or describe."
"Linked…?"
He sighed and held out his hand in front of her.
In but a second wind started to gather in his palm, twirling around in a rhythmical manner.
Ais stared with widened eyes at the phenomena. "That's...My Wind…"
"It's not just yourself anymore, Ais."
"But how?!" She almost yelled as she jumped to her feet.
"...I cannot say. I realized I had this ability after Alya revived me. As I said, we are linked. And because of that, I cannot say for certain that our lives aren't linked, as well."
"You mean…?"
He nodded, closing his fist and dispelling the Magic. "There is a chance that, if I die, she will die, too. It's just a theory as of now. And I'm not exactly willing to try it out, either. But it is a possibility. However...there is also a possibility that her life isn't linked to mine. And in that case…"
Fuzen turned to face Ais, the look in his eyes different than before. "Ais. If I die, and Alya continues to live, that is when I need you to take care of her." He approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "And no. That is not a request. Whatever you like it or not, that girl is your family. And you are not the kind of person who would abandon family…" She felt his grip on her shoulder tightening. "are you, Ais? Or am I mistaken in my belief?"
She felt danger in that moment. Ais did not think that her life would depend on her answer...but she felt that if she didn't think carefully about her words, danger would descend upon her.
"...You are not."
"Good, good…"
He pat her shoulder twice, then turned to walk away. However, he stopped just two steps afterwards, then turned to face her again.
He looked up, then to his side. Lastly, he looked down before facing her again. "My mother tried to kill me, you know?"
"...Huh?"
"She never wanted me. Bastards are undesirables, after all. Seeing my face was like looking at all the mistaken in her life. So she tried to kill me when I called her 'Mom' once." He shrugged, casually. "I was too strong, however. I can't be killed that easily. Could have killed her. I didn't. Later, much later, when she was lucid, I called her all the names in the book I could think of as an act of revenge. Maybe I should have just killed her, instead. I'm not too sure, even now."
"...W-What?"
"My father is probably the same, too. But I'm not as indecisive about him. If I ever find him, I'll plunge my sword slowly into his heart and I'll watch as he takes his last breath. He owns me that last breath for all he's done. And I always collect what I am owned."
"…"
"Later, I met another woman when I ran away. She made me feel...Well, I thought of her as a mother. And she allowed me to think so. However, she lied to me. Used me to kill the people 'who were after her life'. I believed her. And I killed a whole innocent family and their servants for her sake. Turns out, the father was a decent man who was trying to shut down the criminal organization she belonged to."
"...Fuzen."
"When I found out, she drugged me. Tried to force herself onto me, too. Make me into one of her sex slaves. The most useful one she had ever laid her hands upon. I punched her hard enough to rupture her lung before she got a chance. Then I stabbed her in the neck. Afterwards, I burned her corpse."
"…"
"Then I tracked down all the branches of her criminal organization within the capital. I killed them all and burned their corpses. Two hundred and thirty-four people, over the span of one week." He shrugged again. "I'm not sure how many of them were actually guilty of anything, though. Some were just drugged slaves. I think."
The silence that followed at they stared at each other was by far the tensest Ais had ever felt in her life. He had never, ever, told anyone in the Familia anything about him.
And now, he told her...this.
"Why...are you telling me this?" She finally asked, despite the knot she was feeling in her gut from having listened to...that.
"Why…? Because I'm jealous...I think?" He genuinely looked confused. "I'm not good with emotions. Feeling them, or processing them."
"...Jealous?"
"Your parents, they were very loving, weren't they?" He asked as he pointed at his temple. "Since I saw your early memories. They cared about you, didn't they?"
"...Mhm."
"And still, you decided to spit on their efforts to keep you alive, didn't you?"
Ais's eyes widened at the sound of those words, and for the first time, she felt angry at the boy. "What...do you mean?"
"You were full of hatred. You still are. That is good. Hatred is just being human. However, you continued to suicidally put yourself in danger, despite that being the farthest thing your parents would have wanted for you. It's not even that you necessarily want to fight, is it?"
"And what else was I supposed to do?!"
"Live, for both your sake and their sakes?" He shrugged yet again. "You lost something, but you also gained something in return, did you not? And you are aware of this. You are also aware that not everyone is as lucky as you."
Riveria's face flashed in Ais's mind, as did Finn, Gareth, Loki, the twins, Lefiya. She clenched her fists, unable to respond to him.
"Your life is your own. But holding grudges and seeking revenge, those are not things you are good at. They don't suit an airhead like you. Leave those kind of ugly, poisonous things to bastards like me, who live solely for the sake of holding grudges and seeking revenge."
Ais wanted to speak back, to tell him to mind his own business. But, she couldn't. She had lived solely on hatred for so long, but as of late...that hatred for the black calamity began to die out.
Her chest felt lighter.
Her thoughts were no longer focused on just getting stronger to kill it.
And all of those little changes started to manifest after he linked their minds together.
"Well, if you are worried about that black lizard, don't." Fuzen voiced with a sigh. "That lizard scares Alya, so I'll deal with it before long."
He said those words casually, too casually for someone who stated to have seen it in action through Ais's memories.
But, Fuzen wasn't the crazy one.
No, Ais was the crazy one.
Because in that moment, she could not doubt him.
When he said he would deal with it, she could not find it within herself to doubt his words.
XXX
And that's...about it.
People have been asking me about Ais and Alya meeting for a while now. I do think it lacked a bit of a punch, but I also think the scene was generally ok. This was just the first meeting, after all, and we can always expand more on the topic of those two airheads as we move forward.
Now Fuzen...My boi is going through a lot right now.
Going against his own decisions for the sake, taking more responsibility upon his shoulders, having a bit of an episode and not knowing who he is anymore...To top it all off, puberty is starting to hit him, as well.
But he'll get there.
As for the last scene, where he confronted Ais...That was something he did for her sake alone, as he did not enjoy talking about his past for even just one second.
Will it help Ais see her own life more clearly, or will it not…?
I mean, he's no Bell. The guy just confessed to having killed a couple hundred people in front of her.
Making people feel all warm and safe and fuzzy inside is not what he is all about.
So I doubt he can take over Bell's role.
But, maybe moving forward, he will have some other sort of role in Ais's life.
Who knows, who knows…?
I'm also thinking of a time-skip soon.
We'll train Mikoto some more, have Fuzen meet Freya (she put in that request for him to make a portrait of her, if you remember), then maybe skip ahead a couple months to when Mikoto is close to finishing her training.
As for the lack of Amid...My boi might be as unmovable as a boulder when he wants to, but he's not beyond being shy, you know? He did confess to Amid. And now he's too shy to want to see her.
He's realistic enough to understand the reality at hand. But even so, revealing himself to someone as openly as that is not something he does often. And because of that, he doesn't know how to tackle the situation.
We'll see how they come to speak again, though. She does play an important role in his life, so obviously Amid will be around for a long time to come.
Anyway, that's about it from me.
Hope you enjoyed the read, and if you did…
Reviews.
I want -_-
Kay bye