Neither Yuan or I talked for the first few minutes. Instead we let our weapons do the talking. Yuan wielded a half-elf sword that had two blades on each end of it. At the end, each blade burst out into a rounded arrow form that was meant to be used for both stabbing and slashing. I knew the blade well from the quarrels of the Karlan war, but Yuan knew nothing of Cypher.
We circled each other and Cypher crashed with Saber. The unfamiliar noise was strange to both of us.
“Karlan’s Dual Reverse Saber,” I commented.
“It is still my partner,” Yuan answered. “And I will wield it as long as I live.”
I snapped my wrist and all nine of Cypher’s heads were after Yuan in the blink of an eye. He blocked them all easily and didn’t even have to back up and simply smiled back. I smirked back as well. Finally someone on my level of fighting.
I unleashed hundreds of snaps of Cypher after Yuan, but he stood his ground. And then in the reverse, Yuan stepped forwards and swiped around the Saber trying to get in my foreground, but neither of us gained leverage over the other. We were simply two waves beating against each other.
“Indignation,” I said quickly snapping Cypher full of electricity and sending all nine heads at Yuan.
“Ground Dasher,” Yuan answered, and a rock was shoved up and took the brunt of my attack. “Eclipse,” he said just after.
The rock broke into the form of a moon and was sent flying towards me.
“Eclipse Defense,” I answered and the rock crumbled before it came within thirty feet.
“You’ve gotten slow Xraktos,” Yuan commented.
“Oh really?” I asked flicking my wrist.
Cypher roared, and sprang forwards against the Saber who roared back with the same intensity.
“Yes, what happened to the Kratos who could perform a sword judgment in the blink of an eye? I bet you can’t even do it now. You’re blind and weak and hide behind a whip like the coward you’ve become.”
The Saber whipped three of Cypher’s heads clear away.
“SILENCE YUAN!” I yelled.
All nine heads sprang towards Yuan once more. The sound of the Cypher crackling against Saber rang through the area once more. Yuan stepped forwards and shoved the attack back. We both moved forwards and clashed at a closer range.
“You’re his nobody and a shell of a nobody that can’t even see,” Yuan continued taunting. “You’re so weak and make yourself even weaken by rage. I could defeat you here.”
“YUAN!” I hissed.
Suddenly an explosion ran through me. Three pacts were instantly and very violently ripped from me. I stopped and backed up far away from Yuan’s slash range. I coughed hard and then harder still. My body twitched and my lungs felt on the verge of bursting. Yuan didn’t move from where we had clashed, but I tightened my grip on Cypher just in case. Blood started running down my mouth, and I coughed harder still.
I coughed and coughed and blood spattered the ground. I coughed more and swore.
“It seems you have encountered something unexpected,” Yuan commented.
A fourth pact ripped away from me and I felt more blood running up my throat.
“Damn it Yuan,” I swore. “What did you do?”
“Nothing,” Yuan answered.
“Yuan!” Corine’s voice squeaked. “Yuan! Lloyd is waking!”
“Lloyd,” Yuan said calmly. “Corine…take Lloyd to safety for now. He has done his job.”
“YUAN YOU BASTARD!” I roared. “HOW DARE YOU USE MY SON AGAINST ME!”
Yuan looked at me sharply.
“He chose to go against you,” Yuan answered. “I simply helped him find you. The rest he chose on his own.”
“AND YET YOU LET HIM COME ALONE TO FIGHT ME!” I yelled.
“Indeed,” Yuan answered. “I expected you to have let him defeat you, but it appears I was wrong.”
“Yuan you damn manipulator!” I glared.
“Indeed,” Yuan answered. “But still you are the one who nearly killed your own son.”
“You knew very well that I wouldn’t give up. How dare you let him fight me.”
“You’re angry.”
“SHUT UP YUAN!”
“You’re angry that you know you’re wrong.”
“YUAN! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS SAVING THAT DAMN TREE!”
“ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS SAVING MARTEL!”
“YOU’D SACRIFICE MARTEL FOR THE TREE!”
“YOU’D SACRIFICE LLOYD FOR MARTEL!”
“I WOULD NOT!”
Silence followed.
_______________________________
Two posts in one day...it's the apocalypse.
