Death's Excitement

Seiji had more surprise on his face than Cosmas. He didn’t expect Nerine to show up. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He tried to stand up, but didn’t think about his missing arm and fell back down.

Moving quickly, she caught Seiji with her gauntlets before he collapsed completely. “I should be asking you that in your condition.” She planned to stabilize only him, but he insisted on standing. So she was forced to help him to his feet.

Once he had his footing back, Seiji stood on his own. He pushed in front of Nerine. “You shouldn’t be here. This is my fight.”

“I’m not letting you fight him alone,” corrected Nerine. She stepped out before Seiji facing him. If she had arms, they would likely have been crossed. “You’re falling apart and he just cut off your arm!”

Seiji threw out his right arm in a slashing motion. “I don’t care, dammit! He wants to kill you! He’s already taken both of your arms! I can’t allow him to finish the rest!” The sight of Nerine brought back all of his memories of their fight before. Everything he struggled to keep down rose so fast to the surface he couldn’t control it. His emotions ran hot. The desire to kill became overwhelming. ‘I’ve got to keep myself in control!’

“Unlike last time, I actually have the ability to protect myself. I don’t need you to protect me.” More than a dozen of her gauntlet weapons appeared floating around her. She then immediately moved her gauntlet out in the direction of Cosmas, just in time to block one of his dimension slashing attacks. Nerine looked back at Seiji. “I’m better suited to dealing with another MP.”

It relieved him to see Nerine appearing strong enough to deal with Cosmas, but he still had his concerns. “You don’t have your arms! How are you going to fight when your style is dependent on it?”

Nerine turned away to start walking towards Cosmas. She sent most of her gauntlets flying towards him, keeping him busy. “That’s one of the benefits of our powers. I don’t need physical arms to use my power.” Her remaining gauntlet moved in to float at her side where her forearms would have been. The gauntlet raised with the fingers in the armor closing in a fist. “I’ve made adjustments to my powers to adapt to my current situation. It won’t be a problem.”

As she left Seiji, she paused for a moment to tilt her head back at him. “I’d be more concerned about yourself and resolving your problems.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“I fought you before, remember. I know how you fight. This isn’t like you. Something’s weakening your punches. Resolve yourself before you worry about me.” She charged off after Cosmas.

Seiji lowered his head. ‘Weaker? I guess she’s noticed.’ He tightened up his fist at the frustration built. All of the rage boiling inside him was difficult to contain. It took so much of his concentration to keep himself in check. ‘But I can’t allow myself to fight like I want, not against him. If I did…if I did, I wouldn’t be able to control myself.’ He couldn’t allow that side of him out again. No matter the cost.

Chapter 236 – Death’s Excitement

The pleasure on Cosmas’ face exceeded what he held during Seiji’s fight. He seemed caught up in the ecstasy that he was merely holding a defense against Nerine. “So you’ve come to me! Come seeking your death! Well I’ll be more than happy to grant it to you, Second Lieutenant Nerine!”

The sound of his voice was enough to annoy her. He took too much enjoyment in killing. It was a disgusting feeling. She narrowed her expression and focused on fighting him.

Once he got rid of his initial excitement, the mood of the battle turned back to the dark killing intent. He tried the dimensional sword again, but Nerine used one of her gauntlets to crush the sword. Since it became a battle between two MPs, he started to change up his tactics. Multiple swords appeared around him. She let her weapons deal with them while charged for Cosmas.

He saved a few for defense as she tried some straightforward punches to test his reactions. Once she failed to get through, she slid down, throwing her leg down into a sweep. He leapt back to dodge her, but her gauntlets swapped out letting her push herself after him. Throwing her punches into the air, she bounced around to get around him striking him from behind. A clean hit landed on him knocking him forward.

Nerine didn’t let him have a chance to stand up as she punched off into the air. She redirected herself above him and threw herself down, ramming her fist into his back. There was a brief reaction from him, but she grabbed him and threw him up into the air. Jumping, she followed him up dancing around the air to land repeated blows to him before casting him back down in a cloud of smoke. ‘I haven’t beaten him yet, but I had to have hurt him with that.’

Waiting to see what he did next, Nerine held back. She didn’t want to go in blind into the cloud. Out of the smoke, a sword flew out at her, but she caught it. However, more swords appeared around her, more than her gauntlets. She ground her teeth at the sight. The gauntlets and swords exchanged quick blows around her defensive zone, but several broke through. She punched herself out of the area, but they followed. It gave her enough time to deal with them head-on.

Cosmas emerged from the smoke clapping. “You’re doing great! I’ll admit I had dismissed you as someone to hold my interest, but I’m pleased to see that you won’t disappoint me.” A wicked dark grin came across his face as though he had a new idea.

The dimensional sword appeared in his hand along with a matching one for his off hand. He swung the swords through the air, throwing out several of the reality cutting waves. Nerine already dealt with the attack, she knew how to manage it. Focusing her power, she negated the effects of the slashes letting her gauntlets absorb the remaining physical damage.

Blood sprayed out from her back. Shock painted across her face. She fell down to one knee trying to understand what happened. The wound in her back pulsed in pain. ‘I didn’t miss one did I?’ While Nerine tried to understand her situation, Cosmas already had another attack incoming. Events played out in the same fashion, she succeeded against all of them, but another wound showed up. This time her lower back. ‘I know I didn’t miss it. He’s doing some trick to attack while I’m focused on his primary attack.’

Unfortunately, she set her focus to look for back attacks and missed the movement in his Field. Several more wounds came from it before she escaped. ‘He’s switching things up knowing that I already know something’s off. Damn, he’s a tough one.’ Nerine could only keep her awareness open to any sides, but it still slowed her down. It forced her into a defensive position.

After the last attack, she decided to try to return to the offense. The gauntlets at her side changed again to a slimmer version. She caught sight of incoming swords and punched the air to push herself forward. However, the swords crashed upon something before hitting her. Nerine closed the gap quickly, bouncing around Cosmas quickly from all sides. His swords blocked her hits, but it wasn’t her purpose.

When she finished, she landed on top of something invisible above Cosmas. The gauntlets on her swapped out for a larger pair. They glowed brightly as she raised them up into the air. Her fist slammed down on the surface she knelt upon. Once invisible, it shined faintly charged with energy. It completely surrounded him. A moment later, the interior exploded in light completely engulfing Cosmas.

Nerine leapt off just as the whole container blew up from the contained pressure. Smoke rose off the area in the wake of the explosion. She ordered her floating gauntlets to attack while he was still inside. However, she heard the clashing of metal from inside. Another switch in weapons, she directed her fist at the smoke blowing it all away.

The devilish man still stood, though blood dripped down his face and along his arms. She injured him, even though he still looked even more maniac than before. He laughed loudly as though not in control. “Splendid!” He drew his hand over his face, unable to stop laughing. “Oh this is perfect! A real challenge!” Suddenly swords erupted from the ground all around him.

Uneasy from the feeling in the air, Nerine stepped back. She didn’t know what he planned for her. ‘What’s the matter with him?’

He stretched out his hand towards her. “Oh don’t leave now!” All of the swords appeared around her with a count greater than a hundred. In a flash, they all attacked. Her gauntlets rained down in chunks of metal utterly destroyed. Blood sprayed up from the numerous wounds Nerine received.

Collapsing to her knees, Nerine fell in shock. ‘His power increased! He must have used a Fold.’ Blood dripped over most of her body. Pain stung her from all sides. She could only bite through it all. ‘I can’t believe he was holding back so much…’

“Nerine!” shouted Seiji from the side. The sight snapped him out of his self-pity. He couldn’t intervene in the fight Nerine began. He was too afraid of what he would do. But that man hurt her again. His blood boiled intensely. It was impossible for him to hold it back.

Seiji started walking towards Nerine. A heavy shadow fell over his eyes. ‘I’m so sorry, Yuki. I have to walk in the darkness.’ Each step he made cracked the earth ever so slightly. ‘I tried to hold it back, but I can’t anymore. I won’t be able to walk by your side anymore, not as I am.’ Light began to glow stronger from his arm. ‘It’s wrong to kill regardless of the reason, but I must. I’m sorry, Yuki. We must walk different paths now.’

Pulsing warmed up from his arm pushing into his fingers. Each tip glowed brightly. The talismans rippled into waves around his arm. Wind ripped around him tugging at his tunic.

Darkness around Seiji’s eyes grew deeper. Within the center, sadness and loneliness filled up his eyes. Surrounding his eyes, his face grew harsher with severe angles. He ground his teeth, bearing them ever so slightly. ‘I don’t care anymore! If I hold back, she’ll die! I won’t allow that to happen!’

The talismans exploded off his arm revealing the bright light behind. Each paper straightened out hovering in front of him. Seiji tightened his fist up, exploding the light out creating a crater underneath him from the release. All of the talismans moved behind him creating a wide wall, each glowing white. “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!” roared Seiji. Wrinkles intensely dug into his face around his eyes.

In an instant, Seiji disappeared. Earth exploded behind him at his last location. Ahead of him, swords exploded into a mass of metal rain. It happened so fast that it was another few seconds before a stream of blood blasted out from Cosmas’ left shoulder as his entire arm was ripped from his body.

Seiji appeared far behind Cosmas holding his arm in his hand, dripping blood. He tilted back towards Cosmas. “KILL!” Black completely covered all of Seiji’s face. Only the whites of his eyes popped free.

Cosmas dropped to one knee as the pain finally reached his brain. “DAMN!” he yelped. His right hand clutched his left shoulder. Immediately, he used his power to tend to the injury. Metal closed up the wound, keeping it from bleeding out further. He looked back at Seiji. “Bastard…” Cosmas eyes went wide with insanity.

Nerine pulled herself back up. Her eyes shook a little witnessing the darkness coming from Seiji. ‘What’s happening to him? This isn’t like him!’

The killing intent suddenly became very clear in Cosmas’ eyes. It was as though the whole time it was all just play for him. The notion of killing had merely been something he talked about. It was still very clear he was serious about it. However, the look in his eyes threw away all signs of making things exciting or interesting for him. He only wanted to kill Seiji. Seiji’s look matched him, equally steeped in darkness.

The dimensional swords appeared again, but all of the swords were dimension swords. Dozens of slashes tore through reality at Seiji. Seiji dodged the first few while talismans set up in front turning to ash immediately on impact with the attacks, negating any damage.

When the attack finished, the talismans already moved out in front of his arm. They built into a cylinder in front of Seiji. The light glowing from him grew more intense as the papers shined. Suddenly energy built up in the cylinder. “DIE!” A large beam shot out of the front speeding towards Cosmas. Earth tore up from the path of the beam, destroying everything in its path.