Chapter 51: Warrior

"A murderer… that's what you called me,” says Ace.

Unaware of when it began, Blue realized his teeth were chattering, his knees juddering. He was terrified of Ace, that much was true, but these instinctual… cowardly reactions were only acting out in response to Ace’s words.

And that's because, even though Blue wished more than anything that it wasn't, what Ace said was true. He did label him as a murderer, which resulted in his exile, and they both knew that.

Shaken to his core, the muscles lining down Blue’s entire body quivered in fright, no longer possessing any will to run away. The soles of his shoes felt like they were glued to the ground, while the fibers in his hand couldn't even muster up the strength to lift a fingertip.

And although the world around him seemed to slow down to an enigmatic degree, Blue was still there, in the present, helplessly breathing and gaping at the fierce, wild beast that the group… that he… granted unpunishable freedom through exile.

"Look, Ace, you were right," croaks Blue, shocked to hear words leave his mouth, specks of self-belief trickling into his conscience.

Maybe… I have a chance to negotiate with him! It's been less than a day since he left camp, and during the trial, he was constantly spieling about how terrible this man was…! And the next day, he's teamed up with him? Such a quick turnaround… this doesn't add up.

Noticing that he’s been caught in his thoughts for too long, Blue sputters, "Crow, whatever you said he was, he exists! And he was the one who killed those two girls! Not you, Ace! It wasn't you!"

Ace's expression remains impassive, "I heard everything you just said to Cliff. Don't waste your breath trying to fabricate any more lies."

Attempting to break free from the chains again, Blue grunts and grimaces through the pain as the unbudgeable chains bury themselves deeper into his skin.

"Because no matter how you look at it, you were the reason I was exiled from camp."

To Blue, Ace's sharp words felt like they ensnared his wind pipes, and Blue was involuntarily returned to his pitiful plight. Without even a single muscle twitching, Ace retains his stone-faced manner and unwavering tone, "You were the reason that I ran into him again."

Shifting his gaze away for the first time since he began monologuing, Ace glances at Cliff, "And it's because of you, Blue, that I'm here right now."

Terrified of the unknown, Blue can only amass the courage to ask, "W-w-why are you here?"

Sharply facing me once more, Ace declares, "To kill you."

The earlier feeling of his windpipes being restrained paled in comparison to the sensation of a giant hole being ripped right through the center of his chest.

"Ace… what- what do you mean? Kill me? You're joking, right? Right?" nervously asks Blue as his breathing grows uneven, sweat gathering along the roof of his forehead.

"You're the one that believes I'm some malicious murderer. What's there to question?"

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Feeling like he was conversing with an entirely different individual, everything about Ace felt far more ruthless… cunning… calculated.

What exactly happened over the past day?

Before Blue is even able to ponder what the answer may be, Ace snaps his fingers. A ring of fire lights up around the two of them, encircling the back of Blue on the other side of the tree. Blue didn't need to catch sight of the flames behind him to be aware of this, as the toasty warmth whisking against his calves informed him of which he couldn't see.

Helpless in the face of true power, Blue pleads, "Ace… we… we can talk about this… you don't have to…"

Slicing his hand through the air, there’s a quick burst of compact, sizzling-like sounds riffling through the air as a diagonal stroke of flames shoots toward Blue. Blue's eyes widen with terror, and he blacks out.

Blue's frantic shrieks cry out as the flames engulf him. Watching him, Ace thinks.

Although Blue’s clothes have already erupted into flames... what he, and hopefully Crow... haven't realized yet is that those flames won't kill him. At least... not quickly. I intentionally fueled minimal strength and heat behind that attack.

Staring at Blue, conflicting emotions battle one another within Ace. This is what he has to do, Ace knows that, and Blue was the one that got him exiled. But Ace was shocked to feel a bit of… satisfaction… mixed in with everything. Blue had practically done this to himself after all, and Ace knew that if he hadn’t killed him, Crow would’ve.

I’m only putting you out of your misery early, Blue. You’re a fighter. I learned that the other day. So, continue to bear these flames, Blue, because this may be my only chance.

Even though Ace can't see Crow in this form, he can still somehow sense Crow’s presence. Knowing where he is, even without looking, is something that gives Ace an advantage. His hand still enveloped with a potent crimson, Ace whips around and sends a fistful of compressed heat in Crow's direction.

Crow's body mirages away just before the raging fire fist reaches him. Before Ace can relocate where Crow went, his back buckles over from an unforeseen weight plunging down on top of it. Plummeting face-first into the ground, Ace’s hands are swiftly tied behind my back, chains tightly conjoining the two.

"This is getting old, Ace," says Crow, his knee pressing down in between Ace’s shoulder blades.

Snickering through the discomfort, Ace gasps, "So be it. You must've known I would never have agreed to such egregious terms."

"That I did, but it seems you followed through on them after all."

As if Blue had been muted ever since Ace focused his attention on Crow, Blue's panicked squealing suddenly rushed back to Ace’s ears. As Ace is harshly reminded of the cruel reality that he’s been forced into, Blue’s once ivory-toned skin has been scorched into practically charcoal, and the pungent smell of burning flesh fills Ace’s nose. If it weren't for the chains keeping him in place, Ace couldn't determine which limbs were Blue’s arms or legs. Guilt festering in his consciousness, Ace averts his gaze, gritting his teeth while his body returns to normal.

"This was your choice, your action. You are the one who struck him with your flames. You are the one who decided to tone down your untamed powers, which resulted in his prolonged suffering. You are the one who killed him. His blood is on your hands; don't forget that."

Feeling his fingers burrow into his hair, Ace grimaces as Crow grips his skull, craning Ace’s neck toward Blue, "So watch. Look him in the eyes and watch him die. Never forget this sight in front of you because this is the reality you and I are forced to endure. Kill or be killed. There's nothing more to it than that. At this moment, you are just an unlucky bastard that fate has decided will live."

Not knowing when they started, Ace could feel tears running down his cheek, converging at the base of his chin before dripping onto the ground, soaking the withered dirt. Blue was no longer screaming, his tarred body as still as stone.

After Crow recalled his chains, Blue's deceased body flops forward, his head no longer resembling any evidence of a human face while black smoke fogs over him.

A few seconds later, Crow unbinds Ace’s hands, and Ace sits up, caught in a daze at what he had just done. As footsteps lap around in front of him, Ace’s eyes latch onto Crow, who crouches down and offers his hand out to Ace. And even though Ace can’t see Crow’s face, he gets the impression that Crow is wearing a look that conveys sympathy and... pity.

"Congratulations, Ace, you're one of us now. This is what it means to be a warrior."