The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 89: The End

Chapter 89: The End

Veranvanter:

"Kazu!" I cursed his name and charged towards him. My bow shaped into a blade slammed against his chest but couldn't push any deeper as something shimmered against him. "Ana, get Aria and everyone to safety now!"

"I'm on it!" Ana replied as I tried to hold Kazu's attention.

"Now, now," Kazu began calmly, ignoring my strike against him as he eyed the sparkling light in his hands. "No need to freak out Veranvanter. I was simply removing a threat."

"You fucking bastard!" I swung again harder only to collide against his barrier like before. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted you!"

"Hmmm," his eyes moved past me to Ana who had grabbed Aria and the other Witches, trying to escape.

"Don't you dare look at her," I grit my teeth and forced my energy to flow. He wasn't taking me seriously and that would be his last regret. Pain swelled in my mind as it felt like my eyes would pop but from it I saw the shift of mana that made up his barrier. I edged my blade against it and suddenly, like cutting soft butter, I split through.

"Oh snap," Kazu finally reacted to me, disappearing as he teleported away.

He couldn't escape my eyes however and as he reappeared a distance away, I was already swinging. Again, my blade cut through his barrier, splitting through his robe and body only to suddenly halt as red crystals grew to block me.

"You know Veranvanter," he gripped my bow, not letting it withdraw. "I was tempted to choose you instead of Ardent."

I tried to heave my bow free but couldn't budge. Instead, I let it go, drawing my dagger and plunging it towards his neck. I could see how he would react as his muscles began to shift and changed my trajectory ever so slightly to dodge his hand. The dagger slipped past his skin, but Kazu just smiled as it too became stuck.

"Your eyes are mystifying, and you've eaten one of the World Tree's seeds. Your potential is incredible. Compared to Ardent however, his Void was just a bit more special." He spoke like his injuries were nothing and while he hadn't attacked me, my body was already being pushed too far.

I couldn't go any further as I felt the recoil plunge into my body, and I was forced to back away. My chest heaved and nausea swept through my mind. If I had another seed of the World Tree, then maybe I could beat him, but like I was now, I was being outclassed. Behind me, Ana had managed to pull the others away, they had all collapsed because of the ritual. Now only Ardent's body remained shimmering in light. With how far and fast Kazu could move however, there wasn't much difference.

I wiped the blood slipping from my nose and eyes, putting on a brave face, "I'm not letting you pass."

"We're not enemies Veranvanter," he smiled.

"The fuck we aren't. You just stabbed Aria through the chest!"

He flicked the shining light in his hand, "This is the End. A power designed to destroy all life on this planet."

"It was Aria's power. She'd never do anything like that." I pointed at him angrily, "You just want it for yourself, don't you?"

"For myself?" Kazu appeared surprised. "Why, that is a thought. I wonder, what do you think would happen?"

I couldn't let that happen and struck towards his hand with all I had left, aiming to snatch the light from his fingers. In that brief instant, I saw all the possible paths his hand would move and traced them back to their origin. My hand flashed forwards and I saw myself reach the light, but as my fingers clenched, they met with nothing.