Cross Worlds (Hiatus)

Chapter 59: "A Bitter Victory"

"Just to make sure you really stay down this time..." Riku Fantasy raises his hand, raising the mineral coffin he's created for Riku Reality higher into the sky.

Artemis, having been watching the fight this whole time, quickly forces her body to move forward. "H-Hold it! You're doing way too-" Fantasy cannot hear her, dropping his arm down and the gravel and dirt trapping Reality's body flies down in turn. The minerals slam into the ground hard, making the ground shake heavily from the impact of the crash.

The gravel and dirt encasing Riku Reality's body slowly falls away, revealing his body covered in bruises, and his transformation having completely faded away. Reality lies in the minerals, completely unconscious. "R-Riku..!" Artemis calls out, feeling an unbelievable amount of relief. "It's over...it's finally over..." At least, it seems to be over. For Fantasy floats over to Reality, the two gunblades he's created still floating by his sides. "What is he..?" Artemis' eyes widen and she forces both her body to move and her magic to activate.

Riku Fantasy crouches down, staring down at Reality with a blank look in his eyes and a shadow over his face. "Hey. Can you hear me in there, Reality?" Reality doesn't stir, but his face is contorted, showing both an expression of pain and sadness. "...You're going to have to get used to people dying if you wanna step in for me. You get that, right? You're going to suffer much worse wounds going forward. You will lose more people. So, you can either suck it up, grit your teeth, and keep moving forward...or retreat. Let other people handle it, just like I did."

Fantasy smirks, raising one of the two blades a bit higher, and it hovers over Reality's unconscious form. "I can tell you this right now, if this is really the best you can muster right now, you're going to end up getting killed yourself before anyone else. Sure you're one of the Teikoki, but they're gonna grow way beyond where they are now. I know they will. If you stay as you are now, you'll be left in the dust, and end up in a grave right beside the happy little family you made."

He raises his hand a little higher, about to clench his fist and drop the gunblade right into Reality's arm. "I want today to be a reminder of just how weak you are. Just how much stronger you and all the other Resistance members need to become if you want to stand a chance against the real threats that govern this world. Because, well, if I have you at my mercy, think of the things those people would do to you if you fell in battle..." Fantasy grins, a little bit too wildly for a man that would be in full control of his power. "Then again, someone like you could never reach up to my level. Even if you are literally me." Fantasy laughs.

Just before he can thrust the weapon into Reality's arm however, something hits him square in the cheek, knocking him quite far. The power of the blow is baffling; it sends Riku Fantasy rolling and bouncing off the ground until he's several feet away from Reality. Fantasy does catch himself in the end, grinding to a halt as he slams his feet into the ground and holding his cheek in pain. "God damn, what the hell is it now?!" Fantasy's eyes widen as he sees who's standing there, not because of who it is, but because of her appearance.

Artemis stands protectively in front of Riku Reality, the arm she just used to punch Fantasy in the face covered in a bright and colorful aura; it's like her arm is on fire. In her other hand, she holds the black gunblade that Fantasy was about to use to stab Reality. "Wake up you goddamn...jackass! How could you do that to someone who was already defeated?! Someone you claimed you were here to help and save, as a brother!"

"A-Artemis, you've..." Fantasy pauses, blinking as he realizes that he's completely back to his senses. He looks at his hands quickly and the magic circles that were once there have faded away. He too has de-transformed. "What did you... How did..?" Fantasy is confused, but his eyes slowly light up, as if realizing something. And yet, he doesn't speak, just slowly stands up once again. "...Thank you. I'm sorry, I wasn't fully...in my right mind." He clenches his fists at his side. "I don't know what I would've ended up doing if I..." Fantasy closes his eyes in shame.