Chapter 160 - What Humanity Looks Like

Ren wasn't completely naive; he could see just from that wicked smile that his resolve not to slay another person was likely impossible to withhold against people like this. 

He feared never seeing her again. He feared pain. He feared death. These fears all superseded the fear of betraying his own conviction. 

"At the end of the day...I'm a coward."

"Huh?"

"It's my true nature--if my life is on the line, I'll throw away my resolve. Pretty pathetic, right? Frankly, I'm not strong enough to hold a conviction of my own. Besides, someone gave their life so that I could keep on going...I can't just ignore that sacrifice. I've tried, but if you're really going to come at me--then...I'll respond in kind."

The words were calm, coming from a hollow smile from the boy's lips as he held his dagger and longsword up. All that surrounded the still, readied fighters was a scenery of ivory, surrounded by the blanket of ash and dust that coated the pit of stone. 

--If it comes down to my life or theirs, I'm choosing my own. It's as simple as that; I will continue living on so I can remember you, Meinhard, so that I can protect you Aiko, and so that I can find you...Iris. 

There's not a single redeeming quality to be seen between the three of them. So...What's the harm in getting a bit violent? 

Stealing the initiative, Ren burst forward, raising his hand as he beckoned for a spell--"Araphel: Blackout!"

As the burst of darkness began to expand towards the two opposing forces, a flash of vibrant flames repelled the swiftly moving shadows--negating the spell before it could even take effect. An incantation wasn't heard; it was simply a raise of Leo's hand before the wall of flames erupted into existence. 

--Not just the lack of incantation...The reaction time it would take to counter Blackout--so this is the power of an Argonaut. 

It was easy to forget from Leo's unrefined, twisted nature that he was indeed one who once held the powerful title, proving such with his impeccable timing. 

"Dundhrug, handle the offense; I'll back you up."

A calm order came from the man of the lion-sigil, waving his hand forward to usher for the half-giant to move in. 

--He wants to hang back? From our clash earlier--his physical strength was nothing to sneeze at. Is it because of his injured leg? Still...Sending a guy with one arm. 

Each step Dundhrug took towards Ren could be felt through the ground, vibrating beneath the soles of his sturdy boots as he prepared to counter. It was vastly easier to delve into a battle of steel against a one-armed opponent, as their singular limb left little room to guess their moves. 

Expecting an overheard strike, he adjusted the placement of his feet to counter for a quick slash to his exposed gut--finding this prediction to be shattered as the man with a physique like a boulder presented swiftness. It wasn't a strike with his blade, but an agile flip kick that was absolutely unnatural for his size, leaving Ren hit with the brunt of this force directly against his chest. 

Backed up by a hefty amount of reinforcement, the impact sent Ren back against one the stone wall with a violent crash, knocking the wind from his lungs as breathing came sharply; expanding his chest with a breath felt as if he was cycling fire through his throat. 

An aggressive follow-up forced Ren to gather his senses, rolling to the side as the massive greatsword slammed into the slab of stone behind him. 

"Feuer: Ball." 

Assuming he was within the grasps of safety from the colossal man, Ren's shaky vision looked forward to see Leo in the distance as he muttered this calm incantation. Following the mystical words spoken, an orange glow obscured Leo's palm before a ball of flames began to tunnel towards him through the air. 

"Dunkel: Slicer!"

Ren opted for a risky but highly-rewarding move, not knowing if the slash of dark magic would be sufficient for disemboweling the fireball--but he launched it with utmost conviction backing both his words and blade. 

The strand of visceral darkness collided with the sphere of inferno, releasing a small shock wave that kicked up a brief storm of dust. Countering the incoming ball of the raging element was a success; watching as the orb lost its form, cascading into an explosion of flames. There was no time to appreciate the fireworks as Ren found himself on the defensive of the agile strikes aiming towards him, feeling the wind pressure of each downfall of Dundhrug's blade. 

It was as clear as day; the thread leading his blade towards the jugular of the enormous man. A single swipe of his blade and he could end this escapade--but he withdrew this murderous path, for now, holding out what little hope he had left. 

--I could at least knock them unconscious. Is that enough? With guys like this--, they're sure to retaliate; they'll hunt me down even if they face an unquestionable defeat. Can I take that risk with them around? 

As he maneuvered his body out of the range of the flurry of sword swings, the look in Dundhrug's bloodshot eyes held nothing relating to empathy; he was purely driven by the desire to kill and that alone. 

Ren caught a whisper of incantations being muttered by the ex-argonaut, dodging the next cascade of steel as he brought his blade across the Achilles' heel of the pillar of a man with a flawless slide across the ground, bringing him to his knees before he prepared himself for the incoming spell. 

"...En: Wisp O' Wrath!"

Having no knowledge of the invoked mysticism by Leo, Ren found himself strapped on decisions; banking on his own reaction time as he witnessed the birth of the enigmatic spell firsthand. 

"Get im', Leo!"

Calling out from his vulnerable position, Dundhrug called out towards the boss of the group, caressing his mutilated heel as a fountain of scarlet released. 

It looked almost identical to a basic fireball, but Ren knew this was definitely not the case--watching as the orb of flames manifested into the space in front of Leo, gyrating with a secondary flame that coiled its shape. 

"Go--!"

As soon as the command was shouted from the caster, the orb propelled towards Ren, losing no traction as it made a beeline straight for him. Dashing to the right to avoid the incoming spell, Ren looked back to see the orb had completely shifted its direction--tracking him with utmost precision and tenacity. 

--It's locked on to me?

The pressure didn't stop there; another Wisp O' Wrath was invoked, zipping towards him with jolting speed as he now found himself on the complete defensive. 

"Run if you'd like; my wisps never tire!"

A cackle from Leo met his ears like nails on a chalkboard as he continued sprinting around, looking back periodically as he felt the heat emanating from the orbs pelt against his back. 

--Screw this; he's right!

Doing away with caution, he came to an abrupt stop to meet the incoming wisps face to face, masking his blade with magical energy before splitting it against the wisp--resulting in the outcome he feared as its form released into a volatile explosion. 

"You really are a tough bastard, ain'tcha? A normal person would be chunks of meat from that!"

Though there wasn't any visible damage taken from the small-scale explosion, Ren felt the effects of the shock wave within his bones, feeling as if a million tiny hammers struck him all over. 

--I'm going to wipe that smug look off his fucking face. 

"Dunkel: Piercer...Times three!"

Rushing forward as he cast the spell, he flung three of the dark spears towards Leo, forcing the man to move from the spot he stood, avoiding the spears while still retaining his frivolous expression. 

--Even though his comrades are suffering, he's smiling. I feel like vomiting just looking at his vile smile. 

Steel met steel as Ren crashed his blade against Leo's crimson-jeweled scimitar, forcing the man to plant his feet down as he slid back against the ashen ground. The hiss of blades grinding against one another in a battle of strength; the grating noise overpowered the groans of fallen half-giant. 

"Those eyes...You're not a killer, are you? That's hilarious! You're fighting without the conviction to kill! I'm sure you know better than anyone how much that dulls one's blade! What did you say earlier? That you'd "respond in kind"--well I'm going to kill you, how will you respond to that, Ren?"

Hearing the heckling of his opponent as they contested each other was even more grating than the edge of steel colliding.