“Hello Momo.” Raúl remarked, greeting Momo as he returned to consciousness.

“King Raúl!” Momo gasped as he swung his body upward.

“Welcome back kid. You look, how do I put this? Destitute. What happened to you?” Raúl asked, his tone scarce and uncollected.

“I’m… Fine. But are you?” Momo replied, his eyes meeting the blankness behind Raúl’s.

“The fate of many things rests on my shoulders now, and I don’t know whether I alone can carry that burden. I need to show you some things before my brother recovers himself.” Raúl commented.

“You’re Rancour’s brother?” Momo asked, unsure of the words coming out of his mouth.

“Yes. It seems I am the physical incarnation of Order, and he, of Chaos. Although, both of us are simple avatars, we’re not the literal forms of Chaos and Order, so we are not truly brothers by blood. We simply inherited their will, we are their weapons.” Raúl observed.

“You’re not a weapon, King.” Momo stated.

“If you knew what I now know Momo, you’d disagree. But you see me as your mentor. If you saw in me what the others see, what my own people see, you’d know why they think I am the monster, the fear of me and my power outweighs any love they’ll ever have, the only three people in this world to see past the weapon are you, my son and my wife. Naturally, no one understands what Rancour is, or what I am, they only see the power in our hands.” Raúl explained.

“I see. So what happens now?” Momo inquired.

“I’m going to train you once more, not just your strength, but how to lead, how to be better than I was.” Raúl answered.

Momo decided not to reply, not that he knew how to reply to his mentor essentially telling him he will take his place, and that he would not be around much longer.

They arrived at the castle, alongside the others, London’s fear of those who protected them was present in the very atmosphere of every human as they all cowered away, knowing of the destruction that followed them.

“The training dimension?” Momo asked, as they walked into the time dilated room.

“Everyone. I know it has been hard and we have already incurred losses far beyond anything you should have had to bear. For that, I am sorry I lost to Rancour, I let my pride, and my ego get the better of me, and I was sealed away for what was the worst month imaginable for you all. I promise now, every effort I make will go toward the death of Rancour and his allies.” Raúl declared.

“We have all made mistakes in this war my friend, there will never come from among us a perfect leader or warrior. Our mistakes don’t define us, what we learn from them does.” Marzen interceded.

“Thank you Marzen. I’m sorry I have nothing else to say, so it is best we begin training.” Raúl ordered.

“Momo. Come train with me.” Raúl insisted, as Momo walked over to him, sitting on a small arena-side bench, as Takahiro and Hjalmarr began to fight.

“This doesn’t look like training king.” Momo mentioned as he sat with Raúl.

“Before we train, it has come to my attention that Amirah was taken and turned. I know that must be hard for you; can you handle it?” Raúl asked.

“To be completely honest sire, no. I know that if I were to face her now… She’d kill me, because I wouldn’t be able to kill her.” Momo admitted, slumping his head.

“One day, Momo, you’ll have to look back on what you were. Amirah’s heart may be tainted, but there’s no guarantee she’s set in the motion of being evil. You must fight her, for yourself, for her, and for the fate of everyone around you. You’ve seen her power, she can interact with all states of your being and change them to how she sees it fit, she’s dangerous, and whether you fight her and win by redeeming her, or fight and lose by killing her, you must do what you can to stop her from unleashing madness upon the universe.” Raúl commented.

“Raúl… I can’t. She’s all I have left. All I have left of my family.” Momo lamented, dropping his gaze.

“I understand what you mean. But I’ve found that in life, doing what is right will always be better than what pleases you. You are not the only being in this universe that has a family. You must accept that this is a war, and in this war, if the enemy wins, everyone loses.” Raúl conveyed.

Momo held a blank stare upon Hjalmarr and Takahiro. Could he really kill his sister, despite knowing what he knew, he still didn’t know what he would do, or if he could do anything.

“Do you know why it is I am sending you to fight Momo, alongside Ichiro?” Rancour asked, as Amirah walked beside him.

“I do not, my master.” Amirah replied.

“The bond you once shared with Momo is a weapon, and one you can use to break him. Once you do, you may take the ring from him and embrace your potential.” Rancour explained as they walked out of his manor with Ichiro.

“We will not disappoint you, my master.” Ichiro interjected, as they flew away.

Momo stood up, walking to the centre of the arena alongside Marzen as they drew their blades and nodded at one another, beginning the fight.

Marzen immediately blitzed Momo, slashing him from behind as he instinctively entered Black Form. Marzen was thrown away by the shockwave that Momo’s Black Form emitted, smiling as he used his scimitar to slow down his momentum. Momo and Marzen charged at one another, as Marzen ducked under a slash from Momo, striking him in the abdominals and kicking him in the ribs before he had a chance to move.

Losing control, Momo entered Purple Form as his body took over, making him instinctive in nature as he launched himself at Marzen, breaking his block immediately and slashing him across the face with his scimitar. The two clashed blades, trading strikes equally as Momo let off a Spectral Discharge, which Marzen ducked under, flipping his body over and kicking Momo on the jaw, launching him into the air.

Momo launched slashes down at Marzen, to which he blocked some, feeling shallow cuts enter his skin. Momo flew back down at Marzen with incredible speed, as the latter barely dodged, feeling the wind on his face as Momo’s aura sent out another shockwave, throwing him away.

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Marzen knew he had to stop holding back, Momo was fighting on pure instinct and was trying to kill him at this moment. Marzen closed his eyes, feeling the slow in and out motions of his breath, as he embraced his true self. The true power of limitless strength.

Marzen ducked under a charging Momo, slashing at his ribs as the latter weaved out of the way sending a Spectral Wave toward Marzen as it cut into his shoulder. Knowing Momo’s instincts were off balance, Marzen immediately knocked his scimitar out of Momo’s hand, drawing his dagger and stabbing him across the midsection repeatedly, tripping him up, as he plunged his dagger into his chest, forcing him out of Purple Form.

Marzen stood back, panting heavily as he sheathed his dagger, turning around to return to the group, as he heard the movement of Momo behind him. Momo’s dead blank stare shook Marzen, as he looked at him in a state of chilling intrigue.

Momo’s Purple Form enveloped him once more, as his wounds began closing. Momo sped toward Marzen before he could react, punching him in the face as the two squared off.

“I… Will… Win!” Momo yelled, as his instincts began wrestling him for control.

Momo launched toward Marzen, his speed outmatched Marzen’s superior strength as he broke his block, an icy glow enveloping him, as he slammed his fist into Marzen’s abdominals, the Ardour’s Spark throwing him away as Momo awakened, his hair reverting to its original colour, as an icy blue aura enveloped him, his eyes replicating the blue colour.

His power increased a thousand-fold?! Raúl thought, shocked at this new form, which was a vast degree stronger than the thousand-fold increase the Awakening gave him, but still weaker than him before he was sealed.

Momo’s eyes gently canvassed the area, his ultimate form giving him clarity beyond anything he had ever dreamed of. Momo felt a presence, familiar, but shrouded above the castle. Momo sped out the door and out the castle gates, seeing his sister and an unfamiliar face.

“Momo Elric.” Ichiro enunciated, smiling at him, as he gently descended with Amirah.

“Who are you?” Momo asked, leaving his ultimate form.

“I am Ichiro Okumura, the First Son of the Secluded Village. I am, like your sister, the apprentice of Rancour, and we are here to kill you.” Ichiro stated.

“Let’s find out if you have what it takes.” Momo replied, powering up, as he felt Spectral Energy spread across his body.

Momo rushed at Ichiro, who pointed his finger at Momo, shooting him with a telekinetic blast that impaled the left side of his abdomen, throwing him away as he grunted in pain, blood spilling across his training tunic.

Momo looked over at Ichiro who drew a Spectral Bow, the blue energy radiating under the darkness of the night, as he fired the arrow into the air, splitting into hundreds of smaller arrows as they descended toward Momo with astonishing speeds.

Momo drew his scimitar, blocking multiple arrows, as he felt as arrow graze his cheek, his scarlet blood staining the left side of his face as he sent out thousands of slashes, cutting apart the arrows.

“Why didn’t you use slashes on the arrows from the start Momo? You’re quite naïve you know.” Ichiro commented, a confident smile exerted upon his face, as his eyes looked upon Momo as if he were simple prey.

Momo scowled, his face revealing annoyance, as he raised his sword, pointing it at Ichiro.

Momo and Ichiro ran toward one another, as Momo leapt into air, flying down toward Ichiro, as he stopped him in place, grabbing his sword and discarding it as he let go of Momo, raising his arms and beckoning Momo to engage him in hand to hand.

Ichiro activated a burst of speed, instantly appearing to the side of Momo as his eyes widened in shock. Momo just barely parried a hook from Ichiro, aiming a jab at his shoulder, to which Ichiro caught Momo’s forearm, snapping his entire arm as Momo screamed in pain. Ichiro jabbed Momo’s ribcage, reflexively making him enter his Ultimate Form as he backflipped out of the way of a telekinetic attack.

Momo’s icy blue eyes met Ichiro’s blue-grey ones. Ichiro’s smile remained, as he increased his power, allowing his full power to shine.

“Now THIS will be a fight.” Ichiro yelled as his smile turned sinister.

Momo drew his Spectral Bow, empowering an arrow and firing it toward Ichiro. Using the confusion caused by the explosion, Momo dashed to Ichiro, punching him across the face as he punched him twice across the chest and slamming him face first into the ground.

Ichiro fired Momo away with a telekinetic blast, to which he was met with slashes from Momo which lacerated his skin. Momo felt a sensation in his abdominals as searing pain spread across his entire body, as the spear Amirah held pierced his abdomen as she threw him into a rock foundation.

Momo regenerated his wound, getting up as he looked at Amirah, seeing a tinge of orange in her once beautiful purple eyes, her corruption was truly complete.

Momo noticed Amirah seemed far older than she would have been naturally. By this time, she would have been fourteen, but she looks matured, at least nineteen. She was held captive and broken for five years. Momo realised, pity and sorrow washing over him.

Momo dashed to his sword, picking it up as he attempted to rush toward Ichiro and Amirah as he felt his body give out, blood spilling out of his mouth rapidly as his body collapsed, leaving his ultimate form.

Momo laid unconscious, a mixture of his emotional state and lack of remaining stamina causing his Ultimate Form to backfire, knocking him out and draining him of his strength.

Amirah and Ichiro walked toward Momo, preparing to finish what they had started.