Light bleached out as until he pletely disappeared from sight. Even before it reached him, the massive light engulfed him. However, just as it washed over as, the dire of the beam ged. It was only a few degrees, but it was enough. After the energy faded away, as emerged from the smoke and falling debris. His swords crumbled, uo hold their form from the damage. The left side of his body looked burned and his clothes pletely destroyed. His power restored the clothing damage quickly.

  Still seething and now fused, Seiji looked down to see one of Nerine’s gaus pressed up against his arm. The talismans floated back behind him after the end of the attabsp; He batted the gau away, the force creating a crater. “…the HELL? WHY?”

  Nerine ignored her injuries and marched over to Seiji. She summoned up her gaus behind her. “I should be asking you, THAT!” she shouted over the Field. The end of her sentence was loudly punctuated by her first gau disappearing and suddenly ramming into Seiji’s fabsp; Its impact deafehe area around them barely budging Seiji a timeter. “What’s wrong with you?” Anau flew at him pushing him back a little more.

  The barrage tinued with the gaus moving too fast for Seiji to see. Eaded on his faog him back more and more with each strike. “Wake up!” One punch finally knocked him off his feet. The angle of the gaus ged to throw him into the ground. They tio rail on him. “This isn’t you!”

  She stopped at his side, the battery ending. “Well? What do you have to say for yourself?”

  Fmes e still burned brightly on Seiji. All the beating did was bruise his fabsp; “…nerine…protect…”

  another punch, she knocked him a little further into the earth. “I didn’t ask for you to protect me! I look out for myself! So return back to your stupid, na?ve, fight-loving self!” She sent anau him.

  However, it stopped before reag him. Seiji’s fingers surfaced around the armored fist, holding it babsp; He pushed aside the on, allowing his awoken face to be revealed. “…-rry…I’m sorry…” Guilt and sadness washed over his face as he stared at Nerine.

  “As long as you’re yourself.” She smiled back at him, relieved to see the darkness lifted. “That’s all that matters.” Using her gaus, she offered him a hand.

  Accepting her, Seiji walked out of the pit she put him in. He saw his arm still glowing brightly making it impossible to actually see it. Out of the er of his eye, he caught the sight of the talismans floating. It was all strao him. ‘I don’t remember any of this happening. I let it all e me. Damn! I’m so weak!’ He looked back at Nerine. “Thank you. I allowed my fear to e me.” A small smile worked up in his lips staring at her.

  still settled into a part of Nerine. ‘He’s afraid of something? I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but the middle of a fight is hardly the time for this.’ She turo faas, who was still rec from the damage taken from Seiji’s st attabsp; “I don’t know what’s wrong, but you just o focus away from it. Your strength is in the way you love to fight, but not to hurt or kill just simply for the challenge and enjoyment of testing yourself. That’s what I saw in you from ht. Focus on that, on who you are and leave the fear behind you.”

  He stared down at his glowing arm. It was fn to him. The whole thing was a mystery. He uood none of it. He wanted none of it. “You’re right.” He was certain of ohing. All of the strange powers showing up around him, he wanted ohing. “I want to beat him, so that he knows o e babsp; I want to show him that he’ll never be able to kill us. I want the power to prove to him that he ’t win!”

  Chapter 237 – Death’s Winnings

  Laughter erupted from the opposite side of the Field. It was as, as to be expected. He seemed to have recovered aertained by their little motivational speebsp; The absolute void of dark killing i lifted away from him. He was back to his talkative self. “You lost your only bsp; Sua?ve ses, it’s ughable!” as began walking towards them, putting the tension back up.

  The dimensional swords all appeared around him. “You really think you beat me like that? Even if you mao win, it’s not going to ge my mind. Beat me to a sliver of my life? Pressure me, torture me, rip off all of my limbs, cast me to the bottom of the sea. I will return. I will find you. I will kill you. There is nothing you do to ge that reality.” Dozens of his es started to appear around his Field. “Remember what my power is. If I must, I kill you any number of ways without you even putting up a fight. I only fight you head on because taking you apart piece by piece is more enjoyable. But leave me with no other options, I’ll kill you in your sleep. I’ll give you that certainty.”

  Seiji felt assured in what the man said. It actually sent an eerie chill down his babsp; He believed what as said. ‘Such a man…no!’ Squeezing his fist tightly, Seiji focused on what mattered. “Then I’ll just find another way to do it! You won’t stop me!”

  “Focus on who you are,” enced Nerine.

  “Yeah!” Seiji threw up his fist into the air. Suddenly, the glowing came to a stop. The light faded away. His arm returo normal. Underh his skin, a faint pulse came out from his shoulder to the tips of his fingers. The pulsing tinued until a little of the light seemed to be left behind. His two scars that ran up the entire length of his arm glowed brighter. It seemed to be abs the light. Soon the scars increased with iy until they became solid white lines.

  His body felt different. Seiji stared at his arm. It wasn’t the same as before. It was still fn to him, yet more familiar and fortable. “Huh?” Talismans appeared in his hand. He found that all of the ones floating behind disappeared. It felt very familiar.

  Nerine jumped out in front of Seiji when one of the sshes came after him. as stopped waiting oo do something. The attack washed over them, dampened enough to do nothing. ks of metal from her gaus dropped to the ground. “You ready to fight?”

  Tightening up his fist, it was still him. “Yeah!” Seiji tried to pound his fists together to psych himself up, but found that he missed. “Right, I’ve only got one arm.” He stepped out to stao Nerine, ready for as. “I only need one arm to beat you!” Some of the excitemeurned into his expression.

  Pleased, Neri reassured with him. ‘Still looks a little forced, but he’s closer to himself.’ She threw out her gauo start dealing with the numerous es. ‘He seems to have more than just his strength now. I don’t know what his new power do…’ Then she saw Seiji charge in blindly like he always did withard to pns or surroundings. It made her sweat a little watg him. ‘I guess I’ll find out ter.’

  Seiji grabbed the first bastard he found, pnning to throw him into the neighb one ing after him. But the body stopped moving. He stared at him for a moment before it vanished. One of the talismans floated down, evaporating a moment ter. ‘Just damn a e. I’m going to only be finding es with the way he fights.’ It didn’t mean a lot to him. He didn’t have a way of getting as to surfabsp; He just started clearing the es out.

  An attack from behind flipped Seiji around. He fronted another one of the dimensional sshes. Seiji threw up his arm to block it, but talismans appeared in the air trag his movement. They formed a lihat guarded Seiji from the attad allowed him to charge in for a ter. ‘Just another damn e,’ he ented, dropping the vanishing body. ‘I need a way to deal with these es. He’s altered his power so I ’t find him using the previous method.’ Seiji charged off after the one, likely to be another e. He had few options.

  The battle leaowards as with his es. her side had achieved anything meaningful, but Seiji and Nerine had the disadvantage. Nerine was wounded and Seiji would eventually get exhausted from all of the running around. They couldn’t st.

  Iability didn’t matter to Seiji. He tio charge around the Field in search of the real as. It proved empty. The es naturally came babsp; His talismans could block the shitty attacks, but he could nd nothing on him. Seiji came to rest o Nerine. “Damn him, you do anything about these damn es?”

  “His Field’s bigger than mine and stronger. I’m barely able to keep up with him. He keeps moving around so much every time I think I’ve found the ter I’ve missed.”

  “I thought it was strahat I couldn't find the ter.”

  “He’s aware of the weaknesses and has termeasures.” Nerine didn’t like the dire things headed. He was a skilled MP. His talents as an Omega agent couldn’t be doubted with what she saw.

  “We need a way to get rid of all of his es so we focus on the real one!” Seiji’s frustration came out in him pung the ground. He didn’t put much force behind it, just annoyanbsp; However, the ground lit up suddenly. Small orbs of light ignited around the Field in response. “Huh? What’s happening?”

  “Did you do something?”

  “I don’t think so.” A rge circle drew across the ground along with Japanese kanji carved within. The kanji for the cardinal direarked out in the key locations. It all glowed brightly filling the whole area with light. Then suddenly, the es all started to fade away.

  Seiji stepped out among the strange drawings on the ground. He saw one of his talismans firmly affixed within the drawing. “Did I cause this?”

  “Found a way to deal with that, huh?” as resurfaced, forced to fight them face to face more.

  Looking away from the talisman, the whole thing still fused him. “…sure…” Little of it mattered anymore, he could fight directly. Seiji charged in after as. The same swords as before. Long sshes through the air came for him. Seiji already knew his talismans would e them. He cast them out to deal with the threat while he focused on as. However, the sshes ripped through the talisman effortlessly ing straight for him. “Damn!”

  Seiji had to dodge recklessly, throwing himself towards the ground. It still wasn’t enough as the attacks dug into his babsp; The pain wouldn’t stop Seiji. Nothing would stop him. He was too close. Seiji pushed through grabbing as’ damo sm him into the ground with him. The crappy sword in his hand came down glowing to unleash a point-bnk attabsp; Seiji threw up his hand direg the talismans to cover the sword up, sealing it before it could attack.

  Annoyed, but not detoured, the sword disappeared briefly to rid itself of the seal. The sword was still in motion for Seiji, but Nerine’s gau flew at it defleg the attack away just in time. The earth only a timeter away from Seiji carried a new deep wound.

  Neriered the melee, throwing around her gauo push baas. She threw herself around the air to keep dodging the attacks ing at her, narrowly maintaining her position. Once Seiji recovered, he jumped in with her throwing his fist in as well. An uwo-way struggle exploded across the night.

  “Damn bastard!” Seiji barked, nding on the ground. as slid back several meters to a safer distance.

  She came to rest o Seiji. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.”

  “I know! We o finish this!” Seiji gnced over at Nerine. “How much are you holding back?”

  The questiouro Seiji with a bit of an indignant expression. It ged quickly for her. “I’ve still got ohi. But my body isly in the best shape right now.”

  “Good!” He grinned a little with the thought of something reckless ing to mind. “Throw everything into it! No time to worry about your health! Damn caution!” Seiji threw up his fist, the two strips of white pulsed in waves down his arm. “Throw everything you’ve got into this! We’re finishing this now!”

  All of Nerine’s gaus disappeared suddenly. “I haven’t used this form without my arms before.”

  “You’ve been doing fine! Just believe in yourself!”

  “This ing from you…”

  “I’m just returning the favor! e on, Nerine! Let’s end this!” Talismans streamed up around Seiji in respoo his need.

  Armor appeared on Nerine’s legs and covered where her arms would have been. The armor cmped down across her chest, locked into pbsp; “Right! Now or never! Let’s go!” A bst came off the backs of the armor ag as thrust propelling her forward. She closed the distah as. Immediately, she spun herself down, starting things with a kibsp; as blocked it with ease, but fmes erupted over the whole area. He retreated out of the smoke only to find Seiji tagging in.

  Knocked back, as flew over to Nerine. She caught him with her fists throwing out bdes of wind. She bounced around the air making use of her entire body to navigate nding numerous blows to as. He crashed into the ground, but not without swords following in after Nerine unleashing cle sshes. Explosions covered her up with smoke.

  Seiji jumped in, threw down his fist erupting as in light. He went tumbling away. The swords cut in keeping Seiji babsp; It forced him to back off. Nerine fell from the smoke to o him unharmed.

  Rec and fused, as stared at the two of them. He found the talismans burning away from Nerine’s armor. Grinding his teeth, he knew what it meant. “You think you win by w together?!” A ripple came out from as’ feet.

  “He’s Folding again! This isn’t good! He’s going to be too mue to handle!”

  fidently, Seiji moved a little closer to Nerine. “Then we do it together. He ’t beat us!” They nodded in agreement and charged forward. An array of swords came flying at them. Seiji took the front, blowing away most of them to open up a path. Nerine covered his back as the rest came throwing out dimension cutters. She threw up her arms to the attack, but it sliced through them with no effort. Her Field could no longer dampen his power. Kig out of the way, smoke coughed up from the ground as the attacks dug through.

  Seiji threw out an easily telegraphed attack with a beam that as dodged. However, Nerine appeared above him spinning down. Talismans appeared at her foot eling the fmes and giving them a slight white c. The bst drilled a hole through the earth burning away as’ clothes barely evading.

  Talismans stretched out to crush all of as’ swords, preventing any attabsp; He was pletely open. Nerine nded in front of as, her arm already pulled babsp; Seiji charged up, ing up on her left side matg his fist with hers. The two fists smmed into as’ chest, sending him flying back with his Field disappearing.

  Several minutes passed with Neriending to Seiji and as’ injuries. She was relut to do so for as, but Seiji insisted. Once everything fihey woke up as.

  He sat staring at the two of them getting a read ohing. “So you think things are over.”

  “No,” answered Seiji. He k down to meet the man in the eye. “You made yourself pretty clear earlier.”

  “Damn right. If you don’t kill me, I will keep hunting you down. Just remember, I won’t be polite about it anymore.”

  Seiji stared at as deeply for almost a minute. He believed what the man said. As long as he ran free, he would keep haunting their shadows. It didn’t matter how long it would take he po finish. “That’s fih me. It just means I’ll always be watg my back for you.”

  Smirking, as narrowed his eyes. “The ime you won’t even know it was me until it’s too te.”

  Their versation was over. Seiji stood up and started walking away. “I look forward to it.” He motioned with his hand back at as, telling him he had his freedom.

  “Are you sure about this?” Nerine asked. “I put a seal on him, so he won’t be able to use his powers until someone finds him, but this is a big risk.”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you overe your fear?”

  “For now.” He looked back at as, walking away. “That man brought out a terrible side in me. Now freed, I ’t put the lid ba. All I do is live with that part of me and not let it trol me. I’ll always struggle with it.” Seiji felt a little better about the whole thing. “If I feel I’m losing myself, I’ll just remember what you told me.” He smiled over at Nerine. The long night was finally over for him. At least for the moment.

  Neriilted her head in the dire of as. The man was already too far away for her to see. Her eyes narrowed to harsh lines. ‘Killing for the sake of killing is wrong. But there are times when it is necessary, necessary to protect those important to you. There are the right reasons to do something evil.’

  Far in the distance away from Seiji and the others, a body id alone in the grass of Atntis. Blood poured out into the grass from their nebsp; A violent a had removed their head from their body. Evil rested alone by the act of another evil. Aloheir secret would hold, for now.