Blessings of Anathema

Chapter LVI: Ken XI

"What was that!?" Ariana cried out to me as the hallway filled with smoke. "I don't know, come on!" I yelled out as I grabbed her by the hand and began to run through the hallway. "We can leave through the back exit!" I said.
My body was suddenly yanked to the side. A person I don't know was on top of me and he lifted his arm towards me. 3 claw like objects came out of his fist and he swung down at me. I used me mechanical arm to block it and shove him off of me. Ariana screamed out. I jumped up and put my arm in front of Ariana to protect her.
The person had short white, spiky hair. He had a red scarf that covered his mouth. A no-sleeve black muscle shirt with a separate tan sleeve covering his left arm. His left hand was wrapped in bandages. He has.... a mark on his forehead and under his right eye.
"So it's true. You're just like me." He said, holding up his hand in bandages. "Just mine isn't mechanical." He said before rushing at me. He swung his arm at me but I stuck my leg out and kicked him away. I turned toward Ariana who looked terrified. "Stay back!" I yelled to her.
How can I go about this fight? If my lightning misses him and structs the building, this place could collapse down on us. Urging my Yurie could put Ariana at risk.
Bones came out the dudes arms. "Oh, you're not going to use your full strength!? Then I'll force you too!" He said, coming at me. He swung his arm and I managed to dodge most of it, though my forearm did get sliced. I grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him, slamming him into the wall. I swung at him to punch him when bones came out his face and stabbed into my fist. I screamed out in pain. He then grabbed my cloak and pulled me in towards him before thrusting his shoulder into my mouth and spinning me before throwing me down the hall.
"No, no. You can't do that. You're going to have to use your power to defeat me." He said. I stood up and ran at him. I swung at him and he dodged it. "Fine. I'll have to use drastic terms." He said. He then turned into a blur. Where did he go!?
I then heard a quick scream. I turned around to see Ariana falling backwards, her stomach sliced open. Blood painting the air. "Nooo!" I yelled out, running towards her. Her body hit the ground and I dropped to me knees as soon as I reached her.
"Arianna!" I yelled out. She coughed a few times. Blood began to leak out of her mouth. "Did I... do something wrong?" She asked. Tears began to fill my eyes. "I....I did what you asked. Why did this happen? What did I do wrong?" She asked. Tears began to fall down my cheeks. "NO! You didn't do anything wrong! You did exactly what I asked. I....I...." "Don't blame yourself." Ariana said, Interrupting me.
"I'm... in red.... I don't like red.." She said. "I know." I said, squeezing her hand. "Mother wanted me to see the white garden so much. It was all she talked about.... so why... why would she stain the roses red?" She asked. Tears just continued to fall. I couldn't bring myself to answer her.
"I feel warm." She said. "It's like when I met you all over again. You created a warm flame inside me. And just knowing you're alive, keeps it burning." She said. She then turned towards me. "When I see mother.... can I brag to her that I found a Red rose stained white?" She asked. Tears poured out of my face and I gritted my teeth. She lifted her hand to my face and rubbed my cheek. "I'm not afraid." She said.... "Because you are my reason to die for." She said, before dropping her hand. Her eyes closed, and she stopped moving...
"Is that finally over?" I heard the guy ask. "Can we finally get serious?" He asked.
I stared at Ariana's silent face. You know... I too have burning inside me. It began flickering when you took me in. I can't express how much I owe to you... this burning will towards you... it kept me calm. It kept me gentle.... My tears stopped. However, now....
That flame has died.
I stood up and looked down at Ariana. "You rest up. I'll be right back." I said before turning away from her. I looked at the enemy. He was standing down the hallway with a long bone blade sticking out of his hand. Blood was dripping from it.
I thought back to what Auro said... I looked down at my arm. So this is a virus, huh? Inside the nervous system. So what if I stopped fighting the virus? Just how much better could it control this body?
Lightning began to flicker around my body. "Oh so we're getting serious, now?" He asked. I just stared back at him. This lightning... it's painful.
I blitzed at him and grabbed his blade and broke it in half before he could react. "What was.." he went to turn around but I stabbed his bone blade into his shoulder. He went to scream out, but I kicked him across the hallway.
I started walking towards him and flinched. This pain is intense. He stood up and pulled his blade back out. He threw it on the ground and ran at me. He grew out a trail on bones down his arm and swung at me. I dodged them and grabbed his head, slamming it into a wall. He fell down and I kicked his ribs, throwing his across the hallway.
He coughed and went to stand up, however I was already at him. I grabbed his hand that wasn't wrapped and squeezed it, shattering the bones inside it. I then knees his jaw, lifting his head up. I then kicked his chest, while holding his leg down, so the force snapped his femur. He screamed out. I grabbed him again, sending electricity in him. The exit wounds were deep, slicing up much of his body.
I staggered back and dropped to my knees. This pain... it's too much to bare. I can barely move. I heard grunting and looked up. I saw the guy dragging his body away. I went to stand up to go after him but stopped myself...
A red rose stained white...
This isn't what Ariana would want. I sat down against the wall and watched him drag himself down the hall, leaving a trail of blood behind, until his body was submerged in smoke and I could no longer see him.
I used the wall to lift myself to my feet. I slowly staggered over to Ariana and dropped to my knees in front of her. I put my arms underneath her and lifted her into them. I then slowly forced myself to my feet. I looked down at her body in my arms. It's limp... like she's completely relaxed. "Don't worry..." I said.
"I'll carry you."