Spring Changes, page 12
Hiroto, I said. You know what I’m going to ask you to do.
I know. I’m ready. I’ll accept whatever it is we need to do to defeat him.
“You are no match for me,” the darkness said.
Now he was much closer, I could see what he wore. A hooded cloak over his frame. It made him seem much larger. When the hood slipped, there was deep red skin beneath. Long dark hair flowed around two protruding horns. So he was evil, and looked evil, like a typical demon. His naked upper torso was muscled beyond belief, and he stood at almost seven feet.
“It will be wonderful to take your core souls. The person you have become. So unique. You are a beacon of hope for so many—to sever your head would mean I’d stifle that hope.”
Time slowed.
He raised his sword to make a strike at me, his voice just as slow. “This will be glorious.”
Ready, I said to Hiroto.
This might be the biggest rush you ever experienced, Kyle. I—
If I can take you into my mind and deal with it, I can deal with everything this brings me.
Yes, you will.
I glanced at the sword, poised above me still. Ready and almost in position to take my head.
We couldn’t give him that opportunity.
Do it, Hiroto.
He sucked in a breath, and both our character sheets appeared before us. The warning flashed once more.
MERGE YOUR INNER COMPANION
YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE YOUR FRIEND’S STATS
THIS MIGHT REMOVE EVERYTHING HE HAS FOREVER
THIS MIGHT DEDUCT HIS STATS FROM YOURS AND NOT MERGE THEM
THIS MIGHT REMOVE EVERYTHING HE IS FROM THIS SYSTEM PERMANENTLY
ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE THIS RISK?
Y/N
Here goes nothing. He clicked the Y for us.
Our character sheets literally overlaid on top of each other. The stats then ticked on upwards, combining everything that we were.
You okay? I asked him as we both read the final results.
Kyle Ranz - Contains -
Name - Hiroto Toshiaki
Human Consciousness
Name - Xe
Species - Trion
Name - Kyle Ranz
Species - Unknown
Year of Death - 2629
Class = Fighter/Sorcerer
Age 18 + 2
Level = 145
Respawns = 7
Mech Command
Memories = 86%
Health = 32%
Kenosi = Rank 191
Kenosi Merge - Rank Master
Nanites/Trion x 182,911
Body Type = Denti
Structural Integrity = Silver
Internal AI Chip = AX 717 - Drudel X Class
Skin Strength = 183
Blood Capacity = 145
Healing Speed = 118
Overall Personal Level = 2251
Strength = 255
Dexterity = 208
Constitution = 516
Intelligence = 700
Wisdom = 790
Charisma = 61
Luck = 74
Quick Points = 2
Mech Warrior Operational Level = 460
Mech Command - Rank 76
Battle Mage - Rank 160
Mech Pilot - Rank 144
Nanite Engineer - Rank 156
12
The combined stats, and energy from it, hurt.
Hiroto? You still here?
Defence, now!
I let out a wail of pain, gripped the hilt of my sword and, pushing myself up in one swift movement, countered the darkness’s downward strike. Following through with my move, I pushed his sword not only clear out of the way but completely free from his grip.
His arm snapped back with a sickening crunch.
“What is this?” he cried and cradled it to his chest.
“This,” I said, “is what happens when you lose sight of what is in front of you.”
I sparked Future Insight, and Soul Split, making it even harder for him to track two of me. I could run rings around him.
He took a step back, and for a moment I thought it might be easier to kill him than I’d first thought. But then with a flash, his sword flew back to his other hand.
“Your shade protects all of you.” He spat and then lunged at me.
He may have been larger, stronger still. At least now our skills were evenly matched.
Hiroto’s and my combined stats opened up my speed and strength, and every time he made a strike, I’d counter it.
When I made a strike, instead he struggled to keep with me.
We danced in a whirlwind of clashing metal and sparking kenosi.
Watch that rebound. As we fought, I heard Hiroto on the inside, his encouragement when we missed an opportunity. And when I started to tire, he was what kept me going. Step left!
The burning hurt; I wasn’t quick enough, and the darkness’s sword sliced into my arm.
Fuck! Blood gushed out, and with a thought I cast Rapid Fire Healing.
It took the edge off, sealing the wound and stopping the bleeding.
My legs wobbled beneath me; every muscle inside me burned. I struggled for breath, but so did my enemy.
You can do this, Kyle. I’m right with you.
“You cannot win this fight, Kyle.” The darkness laughed. “Just give yourself to me.”
I laughed at him. “No. No way, ever.” No way I would ever do that.
“You’re not thinking clearly,” he said. “Do you not recall the times you needed me? There is a time you will need me again, where one of your friends will die because you aren’t enough to save them.”
His words taunted me. Every time he tempted me, he gave me what I wanted. My debt grew.
Ignore him! He will take everything from you. There’s no life worth saving which is worth more than our future.
“Who are you willing to lose?”
My mind whirled. I didn’t want to lose anyone. Not one single person.
I couldn’t.
My reactions to his attacks faltered. He didn’t need to be stronger than me, or faster. His words cut deeper than any blade.
“Who, Kyle? Who are you willing to let die?”
Inside me, fire burned, a fire I knew wasn’t mine. Words projected out into the open.
“We would all lay our lives down for him. Every single one of us! You do not get this—you do not get us.”
When the darkness came in at me this time, I used Hiroto’s words to put that fire into my step, my defence. We collided, and our blades locked.
“I will never, ever, bow down to anyone. Least of all you.” I spat at him.
Time slowed. I focussed on every move he made, intent on only one thing now. His death.
His words fell on deaf ears.
We danced and danced. Every single time he came at me, I retaliated. I let that fire burn inside me, keeping him at bay.
Both of us tired, sweat dripped off me. My clothes stuck to me, legs like lead.
There was one other card up my sleeve, my tattoo, crest of a god.
I thought about it, and my tattoo ignited.
Spell - Fortified Tattoo - You have been gifted the crest of a God - When active, this increases your kenosi x 20, and all stats x 20. You may only use this once per day. Lasts as long as your kenosi does, kenosi strength dependent.
Strengthening everything inside me once more, my muscle burn faded. I focussed back on him, on defeating him.
The darkness lunged at me. This time when I pushed him away, I struck down hard. With that slice, I managed to cut down the length of his arm. I must have nicked an artery. Blood gushed out, and that shocked me. It meant he could be killed, and with the right strike, I would take him out.
His sword didn’t leave his hands, and he tried to strike at me again. He caught me this time, and my skin sliced open, bleeding. I cursed under my breath but stalked around him.
On the next strike, once again we were grappling with each other, exhaustion taking its toll on us both. I tried to fight it, to regain control of the situation, but I was losing it.
He pushed me off and got in another hit to my leg. The pain ripped through me, making me hop awkwardly.
On the inside Hiroto screamed. Dagger!
I had one chance to do this, to grab for it, drop the sword and plunge it in deep.
I held on for as long as I could.
I sucked in one last breath, dropped my sword, and pulled out both my daggers. I ducked in lower, and while one dagger countered his sword, I plunged the other in deep and drove it upwards, hoping somewhere on the inside he had a heart.
The blood flowing from the darkness hung in gooey blobs before it fell. Thick, sticky, and black. But it flowed. It really flowed. I could also feel something else around me, something strange.
What are you feeling? Hiroto asked.
Life, there’s life in him, ebbing. The darkness’s life. It drained from him. But . . . I didn’t want this, I said. I didn’t.
I shoved him away from me. Threw up a kenosi wall. “You will not take me there with you. I am not like that!”
“There is evil in everyone, Kyle. You want me dead. You will feel every single part of it, and relish it. You cannot block that, him,” he said.
“But I am blocking you,” I cried. Though his words worried me. I wanted him to die. I wanted him to suffer. Everything he’d done to me, asked of me. “Your life is almost gone. I win!”
He staggered now. His knees buckled. His hands flat out on the ground. Blood still gushed from his wound. I moved to stand before him, reaching for his sword.
“I could slice your head right off and end it now,” I said. “Talk.”
He wheezed out, “About what?”
“The rift. Tell me everything you know.”
“Oh, Kyle.” He laughed even harder. “You have no idea.”
“That’s why I am asking. Tell me.” When he didn’t answer me, I put the sword to one of his horns. I sliced it off with one smooth motion. His wail had me covering my ears.
“Yes,” he panted. “Yes, I am.”
“Who are you?”
The slew of blood covering the ground slowed. I placed the sword to his other horn. “I’m known as Captain Immor.”
“How many are you? How many of you are there? Generals?”
“There are thousands of us.”
Holy shit, Hiroto said.
“How long do we have before it breaches fully?” I asked him. I needed to know, now.
He just kept on laughing. He wasn’t going to tell me. His energy was so low, his body sinking closer to the ground. “Not long, Kyle. It’s coming. They’re coming for you. They will not fail. You will die. You will all die.”
He sucked in air, wet, sloppy. I raised the sword.
“No,” I said. “You have no idea. We are coming for you.”
With one swift strike, I sliced. Then I turned away, and his body fell with a squelch. I stopped walking and leaned over on his sword while I breathed in deep, while my adrenaline rush settled.
Red notifications flooded my mind, yet half the words were missing. This wasn’t what it had told me before.
MERGE YOUR INNER COMPANION
TAKE YOUR FRIEND’S STATS
REMOVE EVERYTHING HE HAS FOREVER
DEDUCT HIS STATS FROM YOURS AND NOT MERGE THEM
REMOVE EVERYTHING HE IS FROM THIS SYSTEM PERMANENTLY
RISK! RISK! RISK! RISK! RISK! RISK!
Hiroto?
Nothing. I couldn’t even feel him.
You’re there, right?
Shit, fuck, shit. I dropped to my knees.
YOU ARE FREE FROM THE DARKNESS DEBT - YOU OWE NOTHING
YOU HAVE BEEN GIFTED 2 QUICK POINTS FOR RIDDING THE UNIVERSE OF HIS EVIL
A permanent indication of my madness etched into my character sheet.
CAPTAIN IMMOR - DARK LORD - DEFEATED
I’m here, Kyle. I’m here. Hiroto pushed the notifications aside. We’ll deal with them later. I’ve assigned your level points. Heal yourself.
I cast Rapid Fire Healing once again, feeling my energy falter, then start to tick up.
I sank to the grass, staring up into the night sky. Mentally and physically exhausted, heart pounding in my chest.
Footsteps were all around me, then there were faces, many faces. Faces I recognized?
Someone came forwards. Dropped before me. “I have no words for what you fought. For how you fought him. But I am proud to be with you and the Metal Titans.”
I stared up at the person above me, unable to focus on their voice or face. His fist to his heart. It took a few seconds for me to see him. Tyto. He lowered his head to me, and I saw him close his eyes.
When I glanced around, the others all did the same. I let my breath settle some more, for everything around me to focus better.
“Why were you here?” I asked.
Tyto met my eyes with his. “Everyone on the planet would have heard you two going at if we hadn’t helped shield the sound.”
I looked up and there stood my whole team. Everyone was here. Tyto moved to stand and reached for my hand and took hold to help me.
“The sun’s coming up,” I said. I stood with him, shakily. “What time is it?”
“Breakfast time,” a soft voice said.
I looked to her. Los.
All I could think about were the warnings, the fact we weren’t safe, Hiroto wasn’t safe.
I turned to the darkness’s body. Decapitated, thick black blood staining the grass. Adrenaline flooded through me again. I had done that. Killed him.
“We need to get you showered and to breakfast. You’re sure you still want to do this now, today?”
“No.” I patted my belly, held out the sword for Tyto to take off me. “I’m suddenly pretty hungry. Let me shower and change and we’ll deal with Edward together as planned.”
We’ve still got double the stats, Hiroto said. Is it wise we go in there right now?
Maybe I’ll show him what he’s messing with, I replied.
You can’t, you’d crucify him.
I clenched my fists as I walked off. You know he deserves more than what I’m going to do, doesn’t mean I can’t think about what I want to do to him in my head.
Fair, he said. I’d like to do that myself.
The water was cool when I stepped in, and then grew hotter. I let it, my skin turning bright red under its assault.
I’m in control, I said to him. I just want all of this over with. I want him to realise what he did, what he’s got to face.
If he leads the front line as he is now, he’ll doom all of us, Hiroto said.
He will. I can’t have that. I won’t lose anyone under his command. I have to take it from him, however I can.
I grabbed a fresh uniform and once dressed and booted, I made for the training grounds once more. There was, as usual, a wonderful smell drifting my way as the shuttle bus turned up. I breathed in deep. Renewed energy flooded through my veins.
“Metal Titans,” I shouted. “Stay with your buddies, let them know if you’re feeling any stress at all. We’re heading into the lion’s den. Keep your cool. Understood?”
I made sure they all agreed first before they could board.
Tyto stepped forward. “Are you okay?”
“We are both fine,” I lied. “Thank you.”
The short ride to the mess halls dragged. But when the doors opened on our shuttle, I didn’t want to get off. The team started to exit around me, sweat dripping down my back.
Tyto cast me a glance. “Ready?”
I nodded to the doorway. “Let’s do this.”
I ran a hand through my hair, and stepped to the mess hall door with the rest of my team right behind me. I sucked in a deep breath, then stepped through.
All eyes turned to us.
The whispers and pointing started straight away, and I noted someone run off at the back.
Several people stood in the queue waiting for food, and I moved to join them, picking up a tray and utensils. The fresh smell of bread and cooked meats reminded me this time of home.
“Kyle?” The person I stood next to turned and their face dropped. “What the hell?”
“Hey, Porter.” I recognised him, thick, strong, and smart. “Feeling a bit peckish this morning. Hope they have those wonderful eggs.”
Porter’s eyes flicked across the room, and I noted where. Edward.
My eyes met his, and I winked at him. When the line moved, I turned away and went with it, accepting my food off the servers. Who also paled at seeing us.
“Edward said you were dead, for real dead . . .” Porter whispered. He let me move closer to him, and I could only just about make out his next words. “He’s already trying to replace you all on his team. Poaching from anyone else he can. General Veti wasn’t letting him, but . . .” He paused while helping himself to some juice out the dispenser. “What happened out there?”
“Plenty happened,” I replied, pouring my own drink. “Plenty Edward won’t get to hear.”
“Your tech team knows I’m no fan of Edward.” His grin was infectious, and he laughed. “I’m glad I was late for breakfast. I’ll grab a good seat too. I can’t wait for this.”
“Glad you are here too.” He made me want to laugh. “Spread the word. Edward’s going down.”
My words drew his eyes to mine. “You’re going for lead, now?” I didn’t reply, and his eyes lit up. “Now I am glad I’m here.”
I let him sort his payment out, and I stepped up to do the same. The young woman on the checkout glanced over my food and indicated the panel. I placed my palm on it.
“Really is good to see you back,” she said.
I grinned at her. “Thanks!”
I waited for Tyto to finish and then glanced around once more to spot enough of a table for most of us to sit at. I’d have to walk past Edward. Perfect. So I started to make my way over. Back straight. I never acknowledged him, never looked his way again. Just walked right on past him, slid my tray on the table and sat at the head. My stomach growled.
