The Last Saint

31: Light's Void

Eve struggled to stand. Her clothes were torn all over, and she looked exhausted. Adam reached for Cain's sword and used it to help himself get up.

Amidst the crater, Taiyang stood, several cuts along his arms and body, and his top shredded. He held the broken blade in his hand, and his hair blew wildly in the wind.

"So, it comes to this. Are you happy, Eve? Are you, Adam? All that has ever lived will die. This world will come to an end, this Earth, this kingdom of Genesis. Well, let it come to an end. I wonder... if my previous incarnation chose a similar path. If he too, loved his brethren more than even this world. If he too was slain in his quest for revenge." Taiyang looked up at the sky, and Adam could see tears streaming down his face, clear as day. "So then, this is the future we have been dealt? This is the insurmountable tragedy of which my dear sister Fate warned?" 

He dropped the broken sword, and drew his other. The blade was much longer, and seemed to glow with a blueish hue. "It's time to bring this tale to an end. It's time to say goodnight, to this universe. Farewell, Adam and Eve!"

Adam's eyes widened. Taiyang swung the sword, and Adam used his wind magic to force himself out of the path of the emerging beam. It was massive and tore the park up, creating a hurricane in it's wake. Adam stared at the destruction the sword created. So this was the strength which the other Saint's feared. The strength that the First held. The Gift of Power.

Eve charged in, but as they clashed blades, the First's sword released an explosion of power that sent Eve back. Adam started to rush forward too, but the blade shifted and changed into a giant serpent made of pure energy, and it struck at Adam.

Adam repelled the beast with wind magic and fire magic, but it remained determined to devour him. He struck it with his sword, but it took no damage, and as Cain's sword passed through it's body the blade became incredibly hot. Adam stuck to dodging. If he used his sword too much, it would melt, it seemed.

Eve came back into the battle, charging towards Taiyang, whose sword returned to it's original shape. He dodged Eve with blind speed, and swung his sword, barely missing her head. The resulting hurricane from his swing came towards Adam, who shielded himself with his own wind magic, and fired back with several ice spears. The First evaded them all easily.

Adam and Eve tried to get in close with the swords, but Taiyang was relentless in his attacks and too fast to catch. He blocked both of them, and jumped back, unleashing another extremely powerful beam of magic. The couple both narrowly avoided getting annihilated by it.

"This won't work, we need to distract him," Adam said, then he pulled Eve close and whispered in her ear.

Taiyang rushed them, and the couple split up. Adam gripped the sword and started to fight directly against the First, though he was faring poorly. Taiyang continued to knock him around, transforming his sword again. The beast from the sword descended upon Adam furiously, attacking more aggressively than before.

Instead of fighting the beast directly, Adam rushed towards Taiyang, dodging it and trying to strike the First, who returned his sword to it's true form and parried, knocking Adam back with another hurricane. This time, Adam returned to his feet fast, though he was dizzy. Suddenly, a barrage of fireballs struck at the First, forcing him to block them with magic, turning his eyes away from Adam. Adam took his chance. He charged.

He didn't feel it at first, as the blade pierced him. But then he looked down. Taiyang's sword was buried in his belly, all the way to the hilt. Adam felt a burning agony in his body, and he dropped Cain's sword.

"Did you really think that would work? I realized what you were planning to do from the second you whispered to Eve. You thought you could stab me in the back while I was distracted?" Taiyang yelled, scowling at Adam.

Adam smirked. "We weren't trying to distract you. We were trying to take away your sword!"

Adam grabbed Taiyang's hand and wrist, and held it tightly. The First tried to jerk his hand away, but Adam held on for dear life. Finally, he let go of his sword and got away from Adam, but it was too late. As he spun around, Eve was already upon him, and in one swift motion she thrust her sword into his chin and through his skull.

As the First died, Adam saw yet another vision.

In his vision, he stood in a church. It was a marriage ceremony. In the audience, Adam spotted Wyrd and the other Saints from his previous life. He looked upon his bride, the beautiful Eve, and remembered their vows. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he remembered that they were marrying that night, because they intended to die the following week.

The priest finished the ceremony, and Adam passionately kissed Eve as the witnesses - thirteen in total - clapped. Following the kiss, Adam looked at Wyrd, who smiled back at him.

The vision ended, and he could hear the real world's Eve calling his name. He was collapsed on the ground, and he could feel the blood pouring out of him. He looked. She must have pulled the sword out.

Adam looked at her face, but he couldn't make it out. His vision blurred and faded, and his body continued to get colder and colder. Everything went dark.