Scarlet watched as Noe launched herself towards Ronin, her blade leading her flight. Without even moving, Ronin had sliced the car door that traveled alongside Noe in two, leaving the self-proclaimed demon without her shield. Ronin slashed his sword once more at Noe, though he missed.
No, it wasn’t a miss, that strike cleaved Noe’s giant pair of scissors in two, straight through its blade.
Noe was stunned “What?! How can you-“
“While it is true that your blade is that of a reaper, you strike not with its true form. Those scissors are but a cheap imitation of true power,” Ronin answered.
Noe took a lunging step towards Ronin, her hands transforming into metallic claws as she made her own slash at him. Scarlet had observed this power before in Noe’s fight at the library, but it still confused him. Most demons only had powers related to their true nature, if so, what was Noe’s?
Ronin deftly dodged the strike before preparing one of his own. He sliced downward, expecting his blade to be caught by his opponent. Noe took the bait and used her metal claws to grab the blade, only for it to dig straight through the metal plates that covered her forearm and emerge on the other side. While Noe’s arm was rigid enough to not fall apart, another strike against it would render it unusable.
“How does that sword even work?! Does it cut straight through everything?!” Noe said.
“You would be correct. Each strike with this blade represents the primordial act of cutting. The power of both a demon and an angel of death is imbued in this sword, it can be deflected by no mortal being,” Ronin replied. “I think it’s time we end this jest, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Of course I do, but it’s not going to end the way you think!” Noe said.
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Scarlet blinked. In that instant, Ronin’s sword returned to its scabbard. At first, he thought that nothing had happened, a grave mistake. Both of Noe’s arms fell to the ground, separating at her elbow. This was followed by her legs giving out, they too having been hacked off at the knees. As what remained of her body fell, her head slid from her shoulders. Noe was dead. Ronin had felled a demon.
“Ashton, get in the car,” Scarlet said.
“No… No… NO! That’s impossible. This can’t be real. NOE!!!” Ashton screamed. “Noe! Get back up! You can still win! Noe!”
“Get in the car, Ashton! I’m going to buy you some time. Get out of here before he kills you!”
Ashton fell to his knees. “No… This can’t be happening… Why?! NOE!!!”
Scarlet began walking towards Ronin. “I can’t let you get away with this, Ronin.”
“Oh, so the abomination shows himself once more. Funny how you chose not to step in until your friend was dead,” Ronin said.
“Shut up,” Scarlet held his arm to his side as he transformed it into a blade. “I’ve never had to kill someone before, don’t expect this to be painless.”
“Unfortunately, I know that you’re far more dangerous to me than that girl is. However, I’ve worked a countermeasure to assure that you can’t touch me,” Ronin said.
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The swordsman unsheathed his blade. In an instant, the unconscious Brooklyn disappeared. “I’ll kill that girl if you-“
Scarlet reached out his arm and lashed out against Ronin, the tendril’s bladed tip piercing into Ronin’s shoulder. “You really think I care about that girl enough to let you get away? You’re dumber than I remember.”
Scarlet drove his arm deeper into Ronin’s flesh, eviscerating Ronin's shoulder and chest as the blade dug further. He was aiming for his heart, but rupturing any internal organ would likely prove fatal. Ronin screamed in agony as he took his sword and sliced through Scarlet’s extended arm. This normally wouldn’t work, since Scarlet could just re-establish his connection to the severed part, however…
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The blood that formed Scarlet’s arm fell to the ground. Not only that, but what remained of Scarlet’s arm had formed to become a solid stump. For a moment, Scarlet was shocked, but that shock turned to horror.
“You… What did you-“ Scarlet’s voice trembled as he stepped back away from Ronin.
“I think it’s quite obvious. I cut your arm. You just weren’t able to react that that action and reform it,” Ronin explained. “Run away if you want, but I thought you wanted to save your friend there. My purpose here is over, I’m going to be taking my leave.”
Scarlet clutched what remained of his arm. “I’ll kill you, Ronin, just you wait.” He started walking backwards, toward me.
I had seen everything. Every slice that Ronin made, every time he had cut through time itself. That was his power, he could sever time within a projection and erase it, keeping the results. He had done it five- no, six times now. It was a powerful tool, but not something I can’t react to. Nobody else could see it, not even Noe, but I can. I’m the only one who could stop Ronin, it was up to me to avenge Noe.
I stepped forward, passing Scarlet.
“What?! No! Ashton, what the hell are you doing?!” Scarlet shouted at me. Just you watch, Scarlet, just you watch…
I stood before Ronin, knowing that he could end my life in an instant. However, I can rewind time, just like I did when I fought Blaise. I have infinity on my side, Ronin doesn’t stand a chance. All I have to do is keep pushing forward, I have to keep going.
I lunged towards Ronin, grabbing the knife from the hidden compartment in my coat.
“What?!” Ronin shouted. Yeah, he was surprised, but he was fast enough to kill me in an instant.
With one slash of Ronin’s blade…
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---I was back at the beginning.
I need to go faster.
I step forward a little further, I swing a little sooner.
“What?!”
Before my blade connects, Ronin ends my life once more.
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Faster.
I step further, I swing sooner.
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Faster. Further. Sooner.
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Faster! Further! Sooner!
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Faster!
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FASTER!
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No matter what I do, I’m not fast enough. I can’t even lay a scratch on Ronin. Maybe I need a different approach. If I can dodge that one strike, I think I can hit him. That’s the opportunity I so desperately need. If I can just be faster than that sword.
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I have to be even faster. I have to dodge that one strike.
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Faster!
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FASTER!!!
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I can feel the pain starting to wear down on me. I have to block out the pain. I have to go further.
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Almost there. I can almost dodge his blade. I need to be faster still. Block out the pain! Go faster!
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The sword flies gracefully through my elbow. He must really like aiming there. I felt a searing pain as it severed my arm, but this was it. I finally had my opportunity.
I thrusted the blade through Ronin’s neck.
However, stabbing someone in the neck isn’t going to kill someone instantly.
Before I could stop him, it was too late.
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I appeared back where I started, this time without my arm, and worse-
“I… I don’t know how you did that, you little shit, but I’m going to tear you apart! You don’t know who you’re messing with, child!” Ronin screamed. He had really lost it, but now he was prepared. All I could do was go faster than him.
I stepped forward first, but he approached me as well. I had to go back before he did, I had to rewind time before he could cut through it.
As he brought his blade down, I tried to deflect it with my own. I watched as his sword flew cleanly through mine, directly towards my face, but before it made its target-
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I was back to the beginning. The stump of my arm was bleeding, but I was back. I rewinded time fast enough. Now I had another problem.
“I… I don’t know how you did that, you little shit, but I’m going to tear you apart!”
Ronin is on the offensive now, and I don’t know where to hurt him.
“You don’t know who you’re messing with, child!”
If I can get another opening, I might be able to wound him enough to stop him. That would give me the chance I need to finish him off.
We approached one another, Ronin slashed. When I blocked his blade, slowed it down just a little. Maybe that time is what I need. I block it with my knife yet again and we lock eyes, but that time isn’t long enough. I need more time, or maybe I just need to be faster…
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Again.
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Again!
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AGAIN!!!
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That’s when I see it.
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Inside of Ronin’s eye is a strange glow.
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That glow is a shape, a red symbol, spinning within his gaze.
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That glow was familiar.
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That’s it! When Noe and I first met, that’s when I saw that glow. It was in my reflection, in my own eye. The glow I saw in my eye was a cyan blue, but it didn’t matter. If I could destroy that eye, there’s a chance he wouldn’t be able to use that ability of his. Without that, I could retry without risk. That was my victory.
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But if I want to hit my mark, to stop him, I’ll have to go fast enough to dodge his blade. I’ll have to try over and over again once more for the slightest chance of survival. If this doesn’t work, I’ll be wide open. I doubt he’ll just slash off my arm again, I WILL die if I’m wrong. But it’s my only chance, without this, I have no hope. That strike will be my hope, my only chance of moving forward, my only chance of avenging Noe!
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I just…
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…need to go…
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FASTER!!!
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I dodged Ronin’s strike, the blade nearly glancing my coat, and I stepped forward. I…
…cut.
I drove my knife directly into Ronin’s left eye.
He screamed in pain and stepped back.
“You… You! YOU LITTLE SHIT! HOW DARE YOU DEFILE THIS BODY BY YOUR PRESENCE!!!” Ronin grabbed at his now-damaged eye. “I’LL END YOU!!! I’LL END YOUR MISERABLE, SINFUL, PATHETIC, DISGUSTING, PITIABLE, INFERIOR LIFE!!!”
I felt my legs buckle. It wasn’t that Ronin had cut them; it was that I had used up all of my energy. The fatigue was finally setting in. I should have known that I wouldn’t have been able to keep up that level of performance.
Ronin stepped up to me and raised his sword in his right hand. “Beg, grovel, repent, IT DOESN’T MATTER!!! INSECTS LIKE YOU ARE UNWORTHY OF GOD’S KINGDOM!!! YOU WILL BE SLAIN IN DROVES!!! YOU WILL BE DESTROYED!!! AND I WILL WATCH, I WILL WATCH AS THE ANIMALS ARE BROUGHT TO THE SLAUGHTER!!!”
It’s a shame that I got so close. Maybe Scarlet will be able to finish him off. I just hope that Brooklyn is alright.
“You sickening, unforgivable scum! It isn’t even right for you to be crushed under God’s boot. YOU MUST BE EXTINGUISHED!!! THAT IS MY DUTY, TO EXTINGUISH!!! DIE!!!” Ronin brought his sword down upon me.
Maybe it was just anticipation, but I swear I felt the touch of cold steel against my body in that moment. However-
[ c/ut ]
A figure appeared beside Ronin. It was a feminine figure. Her hair, her eyes, her skin, all were a pale, unearthly white. Upon her back was a cloak of pure black, an unpierceable darkness that resembled a mass of pure shadows more than an article of clothing. She bore a brilliant white scythe, a weapon like no other. Above her head was a wreath of clockwork, and on her back a set of steel wings.
The scythe’s blade flashed across my vision as it cut through Ronin’s neck, decapitating him. There was not even an instant between the figure’s appearance and the strike, as though it had bent time itself. No, the figure had not changed time, it had not even interacted with it. The being that stood before me transcended the flow of time, an entity that exceeded the rule that bound all of reality.
Ronin was right about one thing; the Grim Reaper did now exist in the flesh. That girl I saw in that moment, she was…
…an angel of death…
…a reaper unparalleled…
…a machine that swallows demons…
…Noe.
I watched the figure solemnly walk away. She gave me one final glance as our eyes locked. In that moment, I saw every emotion, everything a human should ever feel. The entity that looked into my eyes was no human being, but the reflection of my own emotions must have granted her a glimpse of my reality. Maybe it wasn’t just in that moment, maybe Noe had always been that way and I never knew it.
No, that tear that fell could mean nothing else. It might have meant goodbye, or I’m sorry, or I’m happy you’re alive, but that tear was something felt by the heart, not a facsimile of real emotion but a true moment of humanity.
And then she turned away. I didn’t want her to leave, but there was nothing I could do to stop her. I wanted her to stay with me, even though something deep inside told me it was impossible. Noe, please don’t leave me…
“NOE!!!”
[ chapter end ]