"Artiiii!"
I remember their voice so well...The always growly Faust.
"Arti!"
And the always upbeat Malmy. The two of them have been with me since I was a child. We grew up together. We got out powers together and even joined this fight together. I've always been blind, and the two of them never looked down upon me for my handicap. Faust would still punch me like he would do anyone else, and Malmy would still hug me as she did to anyone else. So when I was with them, I wasn't alone. The two of them have watched over me since day one, training with me and making sure I was okay. They have been worried about me and helped me evolve combat creation to the height it is now, yet at this moment, I feel my body giving in. I never got to tell them how much they meant to me. I never got to tell them how much I was gonna miss them. I had to keep up a brave face until the end. I couldn't let them see me like this. I couldn't let them worry. You don't know what friendship is until you can look at your friends like I do and say...They would cry for me.
Faust was roaring in a fury, crying as he looked at Arti's body.
They would get angry for me.
Malmy was slamming her fist into the railing, shouting out Arti's name.
And there would be times where I knew...I knew they would be smiling for me.
He had never seen their faces, but the image of their faces he had gone from touching it came into his mind. The grumpy smile from Ricky as he disliked Arti's face examination and the upbeat, almost giggling, smile from Malmy as she found it funny.
"Arti, what do you wanna do now that we're done?" Faust asked as he walked with his arms behind his head, heading home from their graduation from military academy.
"Yeah, it's not like you can do much with your eyes," Malmy said.
"Well. We have the Ultimate defense, Malmy, and the Ultimate offense, Ricky-" Arti said.
"Don't call me that," Faust manages to push in between Arti's sentence.
"So, what if I became the tactician. Plan our all our moves. I've been fond of playing chess since I was little, after all." Arti said.
"Did you compare us to chess?" Faust asked with an emotionless tone in his voice. I merely began laughing.
"Yes, I might have, my friend." Arti kept walking, using his hand on the cane.
"I never understood why you enrolled in the Saltorian Military Academy. It's not like you can fight on par with everyone else. I pity the robber or thug who goes up against you in a one-on-one fight, but in a warzone, you are surrounded." Malmy sighed, worried for her blind friend.
"We all have to die one day, Malmy, Ricky. If mine comes before yours, then it is what it is. I'm just happy to have lived. I'm just happy that I've known you two." Arti turned toward his friends.
"This is just the start, though. We have many years in front of us, and you two promised to help me train my combat creation. I don't wanna be a burden forever but listen- One day, you two will have to stand behind me as I pave the path forward. I will fight for you!"
Arti lay on the ground, breathing slowly as every muscle in his body was screaming for him to stop.
"Damn, it really hurts." Arti thought as he softly traced his finger over his burned skin.
"She truly did become strong fast." Arti looked at Kotoha general direction.
"She is like me...She seemed so fragile and weak, but with the right motivation, she could become strong. She just needs to train, and she will be okay." Arti thought as he slowly placed his hand on the ground, pushing himself out of the rubble. He took a deep breath as he stood tall, listening to the crowd roar.
"I once said-" Arti began to talk as he walked toward Kotoha.
"That I would pave the path for my friends. Let me ask you, Kotoha. Do you feel like I'm doing that?" He asked.
