Someone Else's Mind

Landing nearby, the smoke had already begun to settle. No movement came from the crash, but Yuki didn’t expect any. He specifically designed it that way. When the dust finally cleared, Demosthenes laid prone and very still. “Would seem you beat me,” he replied, though lacking any sort of disappointment or anger. “I am curious what you did. I have a good idea, but these weapons…”

Yuki found the whole thing strange. Even during the fight and now after, there was no sign of the dark side to him. Either he was a little too good of an actor or Ayumi was mistaken. He just treated the whole thing so casually after it ended. It was hard not to follow along. “I made the blades real from material in the palace when I turned my power back on. I made them super dense so that after my power released them they’d pin you to the ground. Each one is about a quarter of a metric ton.”

“That’s very clever. I’m pleased with your growth.”

“I didn’t come here to get your approval.”

“I know, but I’m still glad to see that you’ve grown up well. It might have been a harsher destiny, but we wanted you to have a normal life before discovering all of the darkness in this world.”

Yuki paused for a moment already in planned reply when he had to re-evaluate things. ‘Grown up? What’s he talking about? The way he’s talking sounds like he planned all of this and kept watch on me the whole time.’ He pressed his hand to his face trying to get his head on straight. ‘This is starting to sound more like a manga than real life…’ Too many ideas started flowing in his head on what his life actually could mean to this man.

Running across the courtyard, Eudokia finally caught up to the two of them. “Yuki!” She stopped in front of Demosthenes, putting herself between them. “You don’t need to kill him!”

“Eh?” He realized that he was staring very intensely at the man, one who seemed to know more about him than he thought. Ayumi already turned his world upside down two months ago with the reveal of super human powers and his unknown birth. But she never explained anymore about it. When he thought about it, there were a ton of unanswered questions or even unasked, in his case. He was too focused on wanting to live the life he knew. Now he stood at the center of everything.

Yuki pushed Ayumi aside to get in line with Demosthenes again. “I don’t plan to kill him anymore. I’ve resolved that part of myself, mostly anyway. No, I’m more curious what he has to say about who I am and how someone that is supposedly the heir to this country ends up in Japan. There’s a lot more going on from the way you talk that I want to know, old man.”

Demosthenes nodded. “It was always my plan to tell you. It was one of the promises I made to your father, the late King.”

Narrowing his eyes, Yuki really started to question a lot about the situation he found himself in suddenly. “It’s been bugging me since I got my head on straight. Ayumi has painted a specific picture of everything here, but I’m starting to wonder how truthful she’s being about this whole thing.” He tilted his head back towards her. “As I recall, if I’m to believe your past, you’re a skilled manipulator and con-artist. That’s certainly an odd thing to be admitting…”

Eudokia locked eyes with Yuki, staring deeply into them. “That’s enough questions. Let’s go.”

“Yeah, we have something left to do,” he agreed quickly.

Demosthenes tried to get free of the weights on his shoulders only to make them bleed more. “Eudokia! What do you think you’re doing? This isn’t part of the plan!”

She glared down at him coldly. “Your plan maybe, but it is mine. I’m fulfilling what was asked of me.” Eudokia started to escort Yuki away from the area.

“Eudokia! This isn’t what he would want! Not like this!”

Stopping suddenly, her head snapped back towards him furious. “What the HELL would you know what he wanted?! You abandoned him for your so-called loyalty to the throne! I’m the only one that can carry out his dying wish! Not YOU, not anyone! Only me!”

Activating his Field once more, Demosthenes started to remove the weighted blades in his shoulder. “I’m also carrying out his will. You aren’t the only one that suffered.”

“Bullshit! You’re still the same heartless bastard from the day I met you. You just got better at lying underneath that mask of yours.”

“This isn’t the way to do it! If you continue I will have to stop you.”

Eudokia laughed briefly at his empty threat. “You really think you can present any challenge to me in your condition? Even at your peak, you could never best me. Just lie there and keep your defeat. It’ll be easier to keep pretending for the side you’re on.” She turned away and kept walking Yuki off. ‘Can’t stay around here any longer. He purposely sent all of the guards away, but the spectacle those two had no doubt will bring them running back in no time.’

As she approached the main doors to the palace, they flew open with guards responding. In a flash, she quickly dispatched them all. “Come Yuki. Everything will be over soon.”

“Yes, Ayumi,” he answered obediently.

Chapter 271 – Someone Else’s Mind

Roaring into the palace ground, blowing a massive hole in the wall and throwing chunks of debris to all corners, Yumi came to a sudden halt. She hovered a couple meters in the air, finding the courtyard overrun with enemies. All around they went for their weapons, already prepared for a fight. Already pushed to the limits of reason, she had little time for insignificant minions. “Out of my way before I make you!”

He glanced up from his seated position where the palace guards surrounded him. “Damn, this is getting more complicated than needed,” Demosthenes commented, standing up.

“Sir! You shouldn’t be moving!”

“Stand down,” he ordered. “I’m not so wounded as to be unable to handle this.”

“But sir, she’s one of the intruders.”

“Yes, I know and she’s defeated a Titan. So you think anyone but I can do anything about it?” The soldiers all around him backed off a little. They allowed him to start moving. Rippling grass across the courtyard, he floated up level with Yumi. “Judging from your expression, you seem to have learned some bit of the truth.”

Yumi clenched her fists. “Out of the way! I’m only here for Ayumi!”

Narrowing his gaze a little, he could see how much trouble it was going to be to talk with the girl. “So you know what she’s up to. While I don’t approve of her methods, I’m unable to stop her. Though, I doubt you’d be able to stop her either. If I couldn’t.”

“I don’t care about what you think!” Yumi slashed her hand through the air, generating an arc of green energy aimed at Demosthenes. “You can’t stop me!”

Demosthenes sighed and lifted his hand up to catch her attack. His hand squeezed down on the arc and crushed it. Blood soaked through the bandages on his shoulder. “This is getting tiring.”

“Tch…” Yumi moved her hand back allowing it to gather up energy. “So you’re planning on standing in my way.”

“Actually, no.”

“Huh?” She lowered her hand a little. Confusion ran through her face as she tried to figure out what his plan was. “If you’re not going to stop me, then why are you in my way?”

“Because I want to reduce the amount of further damage you deal to the Palace by going on a blind rampage in search of the two of them. And it’s very likely that you’ll be too late to do anything if you waste time aimlessly searching.”

Squinting her eyes at Demosthenes, she had some trouble believing him. He had an honest look on his face. “We’re already wasting time talking when Ayumi and Yuki are getting closer to the Throne.”

“You’re right, which is why I’m going to tell you how to get there.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“You don’t have much choice since you’re against the clock. But despite what I said about you not being able to beat Eudokia, I want to believe there is a chance. I failed her, I hope there’s someone that can succeed where I’ve failed.”

Yumi moved closer to get into better range. She had her doubts, but he was right. “I’m not interested in saving her, only Yuki.”

Demosthenes smiled. “That should be enough.”

Deep inside the underground of the Palace, massive stone doors opened into a large domed interior. Already lit when opened, the interior was a perfect hemisphere. More than two hundred meters in diameter, the chamber made anyone that stepped inside feel small. However, the grand nature of it added to the weight of its importance.

Inside at the center was the all-important Throne of Atlantis. Numerous lines carved through the stone floor. At the edge, the lines turned up to run along the dome ceiling. These faint lines covered the entire space almost like a design itself.

While Eudokia closed and locked the doors, Yuki stepped a little further inside. He hung his head back staring at the detail found everywhere. When he approached the wall, he could see even further inlaid details carved throughout the stone. Nearly no point of the entire surface remained flat. “Amazing, how much time went into all of this…I wonder.”

Eudokia hurried about in her preparations. “According to history, it was just a single person. The second King of Atlantis that did all of this.”

“Really…so that means this was all created through the power.” He ran his hand over the surface feeling every corner and edge. Despite the age it had to be, it had somehow seemed to hold against time’s hand. “Is all of this necessary?”

“No one really knows. It’s just assumed to be needed.”

“Needed for what?”

“That’s enough questions, Yuki. It’s time.” She escorted Yuki through the chamber towards the center. Everything would finally be over soon. The plan had finally come to fruition.

Flying through the halls, Yumi barged through completely ignoring anyone that she might have run across. Her goal was the only thing on her mind. ‘I’m coming, Yuki. I’ll put a stop to Ayumi’s plans.’ She pushed herself to move faster. She didn’t know how much longer she had. Too much time was wasted on Demosthenes. ‘Just a little bit further…’

Eudokia guided Yuki to the center of the chamber. While nothing more than a large block, even it had a significant amount of detail carved into it. It appeared to be a separate piece added on top of the floor. But the size made it impossible for either of them to move even with help.

He looked down at the strange looking stone block. Out of everything, it certainly felt a little subdued from the grandiose nature of everything else. “What did you want me to do?”

“You just need to sit.” She pointed out on the block a design that seemed to indicate a specific location for him. “It will respond to the power inside you. If you’re powerful enough it will accept you.”

“Oh. How powerful do you have to be?” Yuki moved over to the block looking ready to sit.

“We don’t really measure things, but my King was the most powerful in recent history. All of the previous ones in the last line were weak and feeble. Even Demosthenes was more powerful than them. He just lacks the volume, like myself.”

He stared down at the block a bit in wonder. “Sounds like there’s not a lot of strict requirements.”

“Anyone can be King if they have enough power to spare. It was designed that way.”

“I see.”

“Now sit. You’re wasting time with this talking.”

“Yes.”

The moment Yuki made contact with the block, a red light suddenly came from the block through each of the carved out lines. It ran through every surface completely filling the stone. A moment later, groaning came from the stone. Perfectly cut gaps appeared all along the surface of the block. Pieces raised and separated suddenly building on top or around each other.

Each piece fit in perfectly with Yuki’s body as though it was custom made for only him. It slowly built out into a roughly carved chair of solid stone. No gaps or fancy designs, just a simple shape. A tall back gave it the only touch of grandness that the rest of the form lacked.

Eudokia grinned at her success. “Now just activate your power, Yuki. The moment you do the Throne will link with you.”

“…right, I understand, Ayumi…”