Death was closing in, its icy embrace a looming threat. Once again, I found myself powerless to fight. My teeth clenched as I grappled with my weakness. Would I let everything slip through my fingers, condemning others to perish due to my incapacity? Why couldn't I be strong, like the other Guardians?

Despair and powerlessness gnawed at my mind as the battle wore on. My swords shattered in my hands, forcing me to fight bare-knuckle. My armour was subpar, but the gauntlets held up against the onslaught. The tiny dimensional bag, in my waist, was empty, a cruel twist of fate.

My body adapted to the brutality with each punch and kick. How long had it been since I fought this way? Memories of the orphanage surfaced; I'd been the target, not the fighter.

I dodged and weaved, striking at the scorpion's impenetrable shell. Driven by instinct, I launched myself forward, my knee connecting with its armoured hide with full force. A piece of the keratinous shell cracked under the impact. The creature roared in agony and rage, its body trembling as it desperately tried to fend me off. With one final convulsive shake, it collapsed. Relief washed over me, fleeting as the realization of a new threat dawned.

I spun around, my body tensed for defence. Before I could react, a sharp pain erupted in my arm. I watched in horror as my limb flew off, a crimson torrent cascading down my body. My teeth clenched against the agony, my mind icy with determination. I would not succumb to these scorpion bastards. Adrenaline surged through my veins, fuelling my desperate struggle. My limbs felt numb, yet I moved with instinctive precision. Strength would have granted me an easy escape, but I was denied that luxury. Fury consumed me as consciousness slipped, but a flicker of clarity remained.

“Ikki, run away!” I roared with all the hatred I had in my heart.

Blood filled my eyes, a crimson haze obscuring my vision. I was a blind, one-armed berserker, clinging to the scorpion's back and pummeling it into oblivion. The world was a cacophony of muffled sounds and fleeting images.

A crushing blow to my ribs sent me reeling. My world spun as I hit the ground, my legs trembling beneath me. Desperate gasps for air filled my lungs. With a surge of defiance, I forced myself back to my feet.

A figure emerged from the chaos, a woman perhaps, but she halted as a small, dark form darted between us. My vision cleared, revealing Ikki standing defiantly.

“Hey, you piece of shit!” he growled “Just because”...

Ikki's words were lost in the chaos, a distant murmur. My body reacted instinctively, dodging a deadly strike from the queen. Adrenaline surged through my trembling limbs as I launched myself towards her, a blur of motion. Something was clenched in my hand as I landed on her back, an observer in my own body.

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My mind willed my body forward, instinct taking over. Blow after blow landed, each strike met with the queen's enraged roars. She bucked wildly, trying to dislodge me, but I clung on, a desperate rider. In a final, desperate move, I broke free, the gun shattering in my hand. My severed arm lay before me, a macabre testament to my savagery. My legs failed me, and I collapsed as Ikki interposed himself between me and the relentless onslaught.

“Hey, have you gone mad?” Ikki growled.

“W-what?” I stammered, my voice thick with exhaustion.

“That was pretty cool, you piece of shit!” Ikki exclaimed, grinning widely. “I knew you were strong, but that was insane.”

My senses were overwhelmed. Pain throbbed through my body, every muscle screaming in protest. My vision cleared enough to reveal a macabre landscape littered with scorpion corpses. Were there more? My mind reeled, trying to comprehend the carnage. The once dry earth was now a muddy quagmire.

“ Ikki, what happened here?” - I said tiredly.

- What? - Ikki laughed - You...

A scorpion launched a massive attack, its blow nearly swallowing Ikki whole. Enraged, he retaliated, tearing into the creature's shell. The queen's gaze was fixed on me, her hatred palpable, yet she hesitated.

My body screamed in protest as I forced myself to my feet. Strength, once abundant, was now a distant memory. This was no place to rest. The queen's eyes held a glimmer of recognition, as if sensing my vulnerability.

“Shit...” I gasped, the pain a blinding inferno.

Darkness crept in, pulling me towards oblivion. For a heart-stopping moment, I teetered on the brink of collapse, my body defying the pull of gravity..

“Just a little more,” I gasped, my voice barely a whisper. The words were cut short by a searing pain. Ikki's desperate cry echoed in my ears as he interposed himself between me and the incoming attack.

A force swept over us, and then a blinding pain. We were hurled through the trees, the impact with the ground jarring my senses. The sword, a monstrous thing, pinned us to the earth. I couldn't free myself, and Ikki was mortally wounded. This was to be our end.

- How humiliating... - we spoke at the same time, and when we realised we were thinking the same thing, we laughed.

The princess approached, her face twisted in a cruel smirk as she drew her sword. Our blood seeped into the earth, a macabre crimson pool forming at our feet. Defying logic, we rose to our feet. Guardians were renowned for their resilience, but even I was astonished at our endurance. Ikki shuddered, his body trembling as a surge of power erupted from within him, a roar echoing through the trees. I felt the energy coursing through me, a futile spark in the face of death.

Adrenaline surged through my veins as I launched myself into a final, desperate attack, my Djin fighting alongside me. We would meet death with defiance. The world dissolved into a crimson haze, the last vestiges of consciousness fading. Night encroached, its icy breath stealing my senses, leaving me numb and alone.

“I wish I was stronger,” I rasped, my voice a mere whisper.

Ikki's voice, weak but defiant, replied, “Maybe in the next life. If you're not a coward, that is.”

I managed a humorless laugh. “You're right. Sorry for everything, kid.”

He mumbled something about sleep. “Me too,” I replied, my eyelids heavy.

Silence was my answer.