PHASE 91 - A BEST FRIEND’S IRON-WILL

“Heushac.”

There’s no hostility when Rikkun muttered the name of his best friend. However, the same is not true with the blue-haired swordsman, as his cross-sigil on his iris is glowing gold.

“You’re not one of them,” Rikkun muttered. “You’re not cursed.”

“Yeah.” Heushac made a tired smile on his face. “It is because of my which prevents any mental interruption.”

“That’s good,” Rikkun said. He was about to turn away and flee, but then Heushac grabbed his attention with a form of a shout.

“This is not good!” Heushac exploded. “Don’t you see what you have done!? You killed the townspeople who just wanted justice! You killed Mianette with cold blood! And you are still saving that witch!?”

Rikkun hesitated to pay attention to his best friend. He tried to make a step but was interrupted again.

“Tiara Hikari! You know what you have done, right!?” Heushac now shifted the conversation to me. “You’re the one who corrupted the townspeople’s minds! You’re the one who made Mianette act like that! Your existence just gives trouble to everyone around you, even for Ric! As long as you, the Brightmore Witch is alive, people will die! Can you accept that!?”

Heushac’s words struck my heart like an arrow filled with poison. It’s true that my curse corrupted the minds of the people. It’s true that it’s my fault why Mianette was cursed too. The sins of the Brightmore Witch is so excessive that it’s leaking out to all the people around me. I think it’s my fault that Rikkun has become Aeternos too.

“Don’t pay any attention to him, Tiara. Just keep on grabbing me tightly.” Rikkun said. He compressed his strength to his buttocks, charging white lightning around, ready for a powerful jump.

But then…

“!!!” In a blink of an eye, a charging man with blue lightning dashed towards me. His buster sword’s edge is aimed at my face. In the nick of time, Rikkun managed to parry the sword with his icicle saber.

“What’s wrong with you, aiming at Tiara like that?” Rikkun hissed like a threatened cobra.

“You don’t understand! Tiara needs to die! Right here, and right now!” Heushac cried as he withdrew his sword and spun his body for another heavy swing, aiming at my neck! “Hraaaaaaaaaaagh!!!”

Another blade clanged that echoed the surroundings. Rikkun blocked the attack for the second time using his armored wrist, and the excessive force of Heushac’s attack made a powerful gust of wind.

“I SAID STOP!!!” As a counter-attack, Rikkun’s horned helmet bashed through Heushac’s skull, splattering a lot of blood in the process.

“Gwach!!!” Heushac exclaimed as he was thrown down to the grassy lawn, his body etching a long shallow canal on the ground.

“I said this before. Anyone who hurts Tiara will be killed. By me.” Rikkun’s crimson eyes gave a chilly murderous aura around.

“Pweh!” Heushac spit out blood that has been clogging his esophagus. His warm blood started to paint his forehead all the way to his chin. That bash from earlier must have made a considerable amount of damage to Heushac’s head, but he seems to be keeping it up together. He still has the power to pick up his buster sword and make a centered stance.

“You are quite persistent,” Rikkun said.

“Listen to this, Ric… Only one shall die in this fight… It’s either me… or Tiara Hikari… You can never get away until it’s over…” Heushac muttered. He wiped the blood on his lips and then stood up straight, channeling anti-divine prana around him. “!!!”

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The floor cracked, splashing lava on the blue-haired swordsman. Heushac’s body started to change to a more-muscular dragonic-demon hybrid with lava armors, devil wings, spiked lizard tail, and large ram-like horns. His lava flames changed from red to green, and then to blue, signifying that he’s going all out with tremendous heat! His buster sword became a literal solar flare, and he created a skull-like shield that breathed flames.

“Rikkun, please don’t do this!” I cried. “You shouldn’t fight each other because of me!”

Rikkun chose to ignore my request. His hand gripped tight around my body all the way to my legs and focused on carrying me princess-style with only one hand.

“Hang on, Tiara. His target is you and not me. He will be focusing on killing you, so you have to stick to me. No matter what happens, don’t let go.”

I closed my eyes. I don’t want this to happen, but I have to obey my lover’s words. I clung tight to his neck, trying to brace on in this incoming battle.

“I’LL BLAST YOU AND YOUR TIARA TO SMITHEREENS!!!” Heushac in the form of Surtr made a demonic roar as he deployed his skull shield. The skull opened its mouth and unleashed a focused radioactive nuclear blast towards us! “!!!”

“!!!” Rikkun pointed his sword towards the surging blaster, and an astral shield coated with layers of invisible energy was created.

is a beam that specializes in killing gods, so Rikkun made a double-layer shield using the powers of two gods. However, he knew that these mere shields will shatter in a matter of two seconds, so he just used it to buy some time and slide to the left.

When the nuclear blaster shattered the divine shields, it went to a straight line, completely missing its mark. Several blocks of houses melted due to the attack.

“I’m not finished yet!” Surtr jumped forward, with his buster sword ready to smack Rikkun’s head! “!!!”

Hot liquid flames splashed throughout Rikkun’s armor. The ground also became magma that gave intense heat! Some of the flame dust was able to land on my skin, making me suffer from minor burns.

“Kuh…” I tried hard to not cry out loud and muffled the screams to my own only. I don’t want Rikkun to hear it.

“” Rikkun’s Aether Armor became coated with blue and green lightning which served as an electric barrier. Sparks fly that hit Surtr’s random body parts that made him scream.

“Graah! This is nothing!” Surtr’s stubborn cry motivated himself to make another attack! He revealed his shield at point-blank range, and immediately unleashed a nuclear meltdown! “!!!”

“” As Rikkun said those words, Surtr was coated in a time-stopping barrier which dispelled that casting of his spell and froze his whole body. Another sealing fire pyramid materialized to entrap the god-killing machine, and then water gushed inside which extinguished the raging flames of his shield.

And then there was an explosion which consisted of hot steam and water.

“Grah!” Surtr fell to the ground, his body laying on the burning grass. That mind-blowing mended divine attack from Rikkun should have made a lot of damage to him as his magma armor is now starting to fall off.

“Do me a favor and stay down,” Rikkun said. “Final warning.”

“Guh…”

Disobeying his best friend’s final command, Heushac stood up with his semi-god killing machine form. Half of his face is already visible, and his left arm is no longer coated with magma armor. Even with a declining body and prana, his eyes still possess the will of iron that ought to keep him up until his last breath.

“You… You are powerful, Ric…” Heushac weakly chuckled as he supported his stand with his buster sword. “You are truly strong…”

“M-Mister Heushac…” I cried. “Please stop this. I’m begging you. You too, Rikkun. Please don’t fight...”

“No... Not until you or I’m dead.” Heushac said. “Ric should choose… between me… or you… between a best friend… or a lover…”

“That ability of yours is a pain in the ass,” Rikkun said. “Extended final warning. Stay down.”

“I don’t care if you’re strong, Ric. It’s not always the size of the dog in a fight. It’s the size of the fight in the dog!”

With his remaining strength, Heushac drew his buster sword one last time and charged recklessly, aiming for my neck.

“Hraaaaaaaaagh!!!”

I closed my eyes. All I can do is to utter a short cry.

I heard the ripping of the flesh and the splashing of the blood once again. I swear to the heavens, I’ve heard enough of these hellish noises that it would haunt me the rest of my life.

When I opened my eyes, I saw another horrifying sight.

Rikkun’s cybernetic hands went for Heushac’s chest just before he could bring down the giant sword to slash me. Blood sprayed to Rikkun’s cursed armor as we both witnessed a friend’s heart tore to shreds.

“R-Ric…” Gasping for air to extend his life, he lost grip on his sword which fell stuck on the ground.

“I’m sorry, Heushac.”

Heushac’s hand slowly raised to touched Rikkun’s helmet. His bloodied fingers gently colored his face with blood like a fine paintbrush.

“Don’t be sorry, Ric.” Heushac smiled for the last time. “Even though we have different ideals and ended up enemies… I’m so proud of you… I’m glad that someone with such iron-will became my best friend.”

Heushac’s hand fell. He made a few step backs until we’re two meters apart. And then he crashed down to the ground as he expired.