Blood of the Guilty

Memory 42: What Are You Doing!?

Michael was smacked down to the ground, "How is he still so strong after taking on Izaru, Exodus, and Wraith?"

"Exodus mentioned that he had been healing himself," explained Christ, doing his best to seek out any weaknesses, "However... I suspect that that's not exactly the case. I'll go for an attack."

Christ transformed into a body builder and lunged at Kaminaro.

"Got it!" replied Michael, who was interrupted by Kaminaro lunging at him.

Surrounding Kaminaro's arm was a ball of smoke that seemed to make up a bigger arm. This bigger arm had let him destroy things to a greater extent, crushing the ground that Michael had dodged away from. Michael retaliated by shooting water at Kaminaro with the bags of water that he had brought.

Christ couldn't escape and was hit dead on by Kaminaro's ranged Plague!

"I've been hit!" yelled Christ, expecting his death to come soon.

However, the Plague didn't seem to spread. All that he saw on his arm were little cuts.

"Hey... Michael," said Christ, "This Plague... I think Kaminaro's getting weaker."

"You really think so?" said Michael optimistically, "That means he's definitely getting weaker! We're beating him!"

Christ flashed a smile, "Clear as day! Keep up the offensive! He can no longer hurt us periodically!"

Michael manipulated the water from his bag again, shifting them to become more sharper as he launched the water at Kaminaro. Christ dodged the ranged Plague that was shot at him again, and readied up his fist, which he enlargened with his shapeshifting. He had punched Kaminaro dead-on, crushing Kaminaro's arm!

"Gahk!" yelled Michael, getting thrown to the ground.

"You alright, Michael?" asked Christ with concern.

It was odd. Christ was talking directly to Michael, but he had heard Michael's voice from another side of the alleyway.

"N-no..." replied Michael in pain, holding on to his left arm, "Whatever the Plague is, it's not affecting us with some form of poison like Exodus had mentioned. That was clearly a physical attack!

God... my arm hurts really bad. He landed a good punch with his Plague arm."

"Just do your best to recover!" continued Christ as he went on with his attack.

Michael put up his arms to guard the incoming attack of Kaminaro, but the strength of the Plague arm had ruptured Michael's arms again! Michael couldn't take the damage and backed away.

"He's trying to run!" yelled Christ.

"Yeah, at me!" yelled back Michael, "Cover me, I need to recover!"

"Hold it..." mumbled Christ, "These attacks... don't they seem familiar?"

"What do you mean?" asked Michael, flinching from his injuries as he fell to the ground, "These abilities are completely brand new to us! This isn't what Exodus had told us at all.."

"That's the point, Michael. Why would Kaminaro suddenly get these new abilities from his Magia? I can understand how Awakening can work and how they have an almost living being trying to help the user, but I doubt it'd reach to this extent! It's not even close to what the Magia originally was!"

"What are you implying?"

Christ turned to the sound he had heard coming from the floor, "Just who am I fighting?"

...

Kaminaro was nowhere in sight. In front of Christ was Michael, and in front of Michael was Christ. Michael's arm was broken by pummels, and Christ was filled with cuts all around him. After seeing it closely, he had noticed that Christ was drenched in water.

"We've... been fighting each other this entire time," said Michael, "But... I saw that I was clearly fighting Kaminaro."

"We fell victim to his trap," said Christ in a grim manner, "Do you remember what happened to Exodus, Minny, and Yosuke the first time that they had encountered Kaminaro?"

"A mother and her daughter died?"

"Not that. They were manipulated. Their memories erased because of the Magia Orb granting Kaminaro's wish."

"....we were manipulated. Our memories were manipulated to make it seem like we were fighting Kaminaro."

"We need to hurry. Kaminaro might be escaping as we speak. There's no telling where he could be and we have to do our best to support the others. We can't let that bastard escape again."

—

"I just knew we had to cross paths again," scoffed Kaminaro, looking straight ahead, "It's as if Fate brought us together."

"Cut the crap," replied Minny, forming Shiroiyuki in her hand, "Nothing but death should be your punishment for every wrongdoing you've committed."

"You're not letting me go so easily, are you?" chuckled Kaminaro, shaking his head as his surroundings soon became enveloped with brown smoke, "I've trained myself to fight people who counter me, just like you. My Magia is more dangerous than it ever has been."

"Then show me, Kaminaro Suzumiya," Minny commanded, pointing her ice spear at him, "Show me the danger of your god damn Plague Magia."