Chapter 257 - Vanquish And Anguish

"I...I don't buy your bullshit one bit!"

Doubling down, Manfred swiped his hand as he rejected the words of the calm, bow-wielding elf. Though, Leon himself found the words to be genuine; in a situation like this, it was really the only explanation for the sudden betrayal--but he knew Manfred was too hot-headed for reason right now. 

Even if that's the case...He betrayed the Argonauts. I can't stand idly and let someone like him go, Leon thought. 

Stillness sat in the forest plunged into war and rain as the two opposing forces stared each other down. It was Manfred who took the initiative, swiftly grabbing the hilt of his blade to unsheath it--only for a sharpness to halt the endeavor. 

Both Leon and Manfred slowly checked in unison, bringing their gazes to the hand of the blonde-haired, vigorous young man. 

That unseen, swift strike was the arrow launched by Strife; Manfred's thumb and index finger had been cleanly shot from his dominant, sword-wielding hand with utmost precision. 

"Gaah…!"

Letting out a pained scream, Manfred grabbed his compromised hand as arterial fluid squirted out from the open ends of his lost digits, falling to his knees. 

"You bastard…!"

Without thinking, Leon's hand instinctively went for his blade, but stopped as he recognized what had just occurred with his comrade--freezing completely as he felt he just backed away from a threshold that must not be crossed. 

"Good. It seems you understand."

Strife said calmly; he already had another arrow pulled back alongside the magnificent string of his bow, pointed directly at the aspiring Argonaut. 

"With your thumb and index finger gone, you won't be able to wield your sword. That makes only one of you capable of fighting, but you know that is a futile effort. I will say it once more; go. Fighting in vain for the sake of such an organization...the Argonauts aren't worthy of such loyalty."

Even if the silver-haired elf standing before them, drawing arrows with the cobalt string of his infamous bow, was one they recognized as an enemy--he was still one powerful enough to earn the status of an Argonaut. 

If it wasn't respect for his values, it was an admiration of his strength that made them listen to his voice more than the fall of rain. 

"You'll let us go…?"

"Leon---?!"

Even in his injured, bleeding state, Manfred wasn't pleased with the feeling he felt from his comrade, looking at him with his trembling, hazel eyes. 

"That's right. Manfred, is it? I know of your rare magic affinity, life, right?"

"...?!"

Leon turned to his friend, who averted his gaze from the knowing, golden irises of Strife as if something had been uncovered. 

"I recognize it is rather potent in its regenerative abilities; that's why the arrow I used on you was laced with a special ointment--the liquidized form of a special plant only found in Akitein, "Nyxia". It negates healing properties and expedites blood loss, which I'm sure you've noticed."

"You…!"

"Leon, stop!"

As he took a single step, placing his hand on the handle of his blade out of rising anger, he wasn't stopped out of fear of his own life this time, but the shaky call of his comrade. 

"He's right…"

Taking a good look at Manfred, the lively friend of his had grown pale in just the short time since being inflicted with his injury. 

"It's not meant to kill you; I'd say you have a good few hours--however, it is a long run from here to any nearby towns, if they have the proper remedies. If you try to stand against me, I assure you even if by some miracle you win, it won't be swift." 

"You sneaky bastard…!"

It was Leon's choice, and he realized this very well. As he turned his concerned eyes to Manfred, the dear friend of his was hunched over as he held his bleeding hand, huffing as sweat escaped his pores in droves. 

"Alright, we'll go…"

"A commendable decision."

Strife lowered his bow as well as his head for a moment, watching as the young executioner with gray and brown hair helped his injured comrade walk, holding his arm around his shoulder as they turned their backs to him. 

"Leon…"

The whisper was as faint as one of his breaths, it was purposefully released alongside one of his breaths so that it would meet only Leon's ears. 

"Huh?"

"On my mark, we'll attack."

"But…!"

"Shh."

It was a look he'd seen only a few times in Manfred's eyes; a concerning, chilling gaze that saw nothing but the promise of victory. Those eyes that usually shined bright with boundless vigor and confidence--they were now the absolute form of that very figure; holding the raw, untampered conviction of a man who truly believed he was in the right. 

There's no way I can stop him. When he's like this...he'd attack me before admitting defeat. That's the kind of guy Manfred is, and why he rose up the ranks of executioners so swiftly. Once he truly believes something, once he is set that one is deemed evil--he will enact justice, Leon thought. 

Being so close to his friend, having his arm over his shoulder, he could feel the heartbeat of Manfred, pumping with a rising intensity; so loud he suspected it was merely his ears listening in from the outside. Besides that, his body was incredibly hot, his pale skin mixing in with a cherry complexion like a deathly fever--however, it was the opposite. 

Manfred's life magic was kicking into overdrive; as he was now, his adrenaline was magnified beyond normal limitations. 

Gulping, Leon nodded his head in agreement with the leader of his executioner squad's plan. 

If I can't stop him, then I'll follow him--even if we're walking into an early grave. An Argonaut doesn't retreat, once they sink their teeth into something, they swallow whole! Leon thought. 

"...Go!"

The two young men then dashed in opposite directions, making it impossible in that split second for Strife to choose his target. 

Fools, Strife thought. 

Looking down at the blades of grass, slick with the fresh rainfall, he pulled the ivory arrow back along the sublime string once more as he raised his gaze, listening to the frantic footsteps of the young men that attempted to obscure themselves in the thickness of the night-shrouded foliage. 

Right now, I don't know if I'm a good or bad person. More than being returned to my original self, it feels as if I was simply born today. 

All I know is that such things are fickle; changing with each person you ask. So, if you choose to be enemies of Charlotte, who is a good person, then to me--you're bad. If I kill you, I will be a good person to her since I've taken care of her enemies. 

That is all I know; I am a child in a man's body as I am right now. I am not mature enough to do everything I can to spare you, Leon, Manfred--I'm sorry, he thought. 

Dashing out from the trees in exaggerated leaps that briefly parted the path of the rainfall, the two executioners held their glistening, silver blades to the air with faces packed with the resolve to fight. Their eyes looked at him with complete contempt, a fact that somewhat saddened the heart of the ignorant elf as he stood there with his bow drawn. 

I just hope that you won't condemn me simply because we're enemies, he thought. 

Releasing his hold of the arrow, it flung through the air with such fervor, parting the showers of the cloud's essence before swiftly meeting its target. Deep it plunged into the chest of the blonde-haired young man as his brief time in the air came to a close as his assault was thwarted by the arrow. 

To Leon, time had never felt so slow; watching with a body that wouldn't respond to such minuscule, passing fragments of time as the projectile struck his dearest friend. Needless to say, the resolve to fight he wrapped so tightly around his sword shifted into a spectrum of softened emotions as he didn't follow through with his attack. 

"Manfred!"

As if forgetting he was in a battle, Leon dropped his sword as he rushed over to the side of his friend, who was laid out on his back with the long, exotic arrow lodged directly into his chest. Taking a closer look with his eyes blurred by building tears, Leon could only release a pained, strained gasp.

"No...no...no…"

He wanted to pluck that arrow out of his friend, extending his shaky hand--but he knew. 

"I aimed directly for his heart. There isn't much you can--"

"Shut up!"

I know dammit...I know I can't do anything, Leon thought. 

Even with that angered yell, Leon didn't turn to so much as look at the man who released the lethal arrow, leaving his eyes only on his comrade, who seemed to look right past him--directly at the stars. Sitting there by his side, he watched as that vibrant, endless energy that inhabited the eyes of his friend began to dull as moments passed.