Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Eight

The stalagmite that was Lui’s hiding spot only seconds ago shattered, but he didn’t even flinch. Electricity still coursing around and through Lui, he stared back at Shard with determination. The bits of ice ricocheting off the thunder shield occasionally caused the lightning to flicker and jut away from Lui, but never enough to go anywhere. As the blizzard raging around him increased in density, the blue lightning magic turned an eerie green hue. The few still functional lights left in the arena made the green thunder aura look that much more menacing, if Lui hadn’t been the one wielding it. 

Shard was flying in place a few feet above the floor, the blizzard continuing to spin around her. Her pigtails had come loose again and her black hair whipped around her shoulders like a shredded cloak in the storm. Frostbite was still in her hand. Shard glared back at Lui, the fury in her red eyes almost appearing as if it simmered down into boredom. “Have you finished your little religious rant yet?” she asked. 

Lui could see Hanna’s light nearing the surface, ready to break free if given the chance. He smiled. “I think so,” Lui answered. 

“Good.” Shard raised her free hand. All the ice in the blizzard compacted at once and smashed into Lui, sending him flying. Lui crashed to the ground, the protective electric barrier fizzling out with a zip. Shard gently landed and stepped up to him. “I’m getting tired of our little game. How many more times do I have to knock you down before you stay down?” 

Lui didn’t answer at first. It took a moment for him to regain his senses after the magic impact. Lui rolled onto his stomach with a groan, breathing heavily. “...at least…once more…” he answered weakly, struggling to even push himself up from the floor.

Shard huffed, grip tightening on the hilt of her weapon. “Last chance, maggot. Any final requests before I dispose of you?” 

 “...yeah…” Lui replied, grimacing in pain and leaning on his arm. “...just one… I want my best friend back.”

Shard frowned. “That’s the problem with you do-gooders. You think you can save everyone and you can’t. Darkness always wins.” Shard spun Frostbite backward, readying to strike. Lui let out a small laugh, halting Shard. 

“You’re wrong.” Lui managed to get himself to a sitting position before he turned to Shard with an exhausted exhale. “There is still light, no matter how dark it gets.” Lui offered a soft smile. “All the violence and evil in the world absolutely terrifies me, Hanna…” He looked her straight in the eye. “But your darkness doesn’t scare me.” 

Shard reeled back as though she had been struck, though nothing touched her. The sword dropped from her hand, clattering against the icy floor. In an instant, Hanna’s eyes were blue again as she stared back at Lui in complete shock. All the anger and hatred dissipated. Hanna sank to her knees. Her shoulders lowered as the shock melted into sorrow. “...Lui…” Hanna whispered. 

“Hi, Hanna,” Lui said quietly. For one brief second, time stood still.

“Do you…” Hanna’s voice died as she choked up and looked away. She sniffed before continuing. “...do you still...trust...her?” Hanna asked in a small voice.

“That Hanna, yes,” Lui answered, offering a compassionate smile. This was Lui’s gift, after all. Reaching beyond the surface and pulling out the good in anything. In everything. 

Hanna took a shaky breath. Though she held back the tears and emotions threatening to overwhelm her, the shame on her face was obvious. “...Lu…I…” Before she could say another word, the entire room was flooded with bright, white light. 

It took a moment for Lui’s sight to recover. In the first few seconds, all he could see were white blobs whether his eyes were open or closed. He blinked several times, vision slowly returning. By the time Lui could see across the room again, he realized EDJ was wriggling around on the floor. Hanna had been sitting with her back to the light. Even though she was also blinded initially, she had to turn around to see how the DJ battle was going. Lui smiled when he saw DJ was still standing. “Well, that’s a reli-” Lui was interrupted mid sentence.

“APPRENTICE!” EDJ shouted, blindly clawing in their general direction. “I could use your help!”

Hanna turned ever so slightly with a sidelong glance back at Lui. Her eyes were red. 

Lui’s stomach dropped. Oh no. “Hanna, wait!”

Without a word, Hanna froze Lui’s foot to the floor again, grabbed her sword, and shot into the air straight for DJ. 

“DJ, look out!” Lui called out. 

DJ twisted and pulled his sword up with barely enough time to block Shard’s blade. The force caught DJ off guard, causing him to stagger back. With a shove and blast of wind, DJ pushed the assailant away. DJ activated the collapsible buckler on his arm and stared Shard down. “It seems you still have a shred of loyalty left,” DJ commented wryly. “Pity it’s for the wrong team.” 

Shard smirked. “He requested assistance and I answered. Nothing more to it,” Shard said, spinning her blade forward. “I expect a good fight out of you.” Shard attacked again, going for a downward diagonal cut only for DJ to catch her in an overhead bind and parry to the side. 

“That, I can guarantee, but you won’t like how this ends,” DJ answered, anger returning. “Don’t expect me to hold back just because you used to be my friend!” DJ charged forward, batting away Shard’s blade with his shield while he brought EDJ’s stolen sword in for a slash. 

Shard dropped out from under the direction of the blade. In the same moment, she caused a column of ice to shoot up from the floor and hit DJ, throwing him into the air.

“I don’t,” Shard replied.

“Guys, stop fighting! Please!” Lui’s cries went unheard as he focused on melting the ice holding him in place with the little light from his hands. 

DJ landed on his shoulder, pain shooting down his already injured side, but got back to his feet quickly. The fact that his arm refrained from dislocating could only be attributed to his armor. Battered, bruised, bleeding, burned. None of that mattered. DJ glared at Shard. Wrong. All wrong. Even in EO’s defeated state, he still somehow won. How did it come to this? Why does it always come to this?! Seeing his lance still stuck in the wall close by, DJ threw a javelin of light at Shard and went to retrieve the abandoned weapon. As DJ was about to reach the lance, a fireball swooshed by his face. DJ instinctively raised his shield and twisted, a metallic clang ringing out as EDJ’s sword bounced off the shield. EDJ redirecting his attack, DJ bobbed to the side to avoid getting hewn in two. Reaching back with his free arm, DJ grabbed the lance and yanked it out of the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, DJ saw Shard flying toward him. DJ dove out of the way and faced his opponents, brandishing his lance in one hand and Iul’s sword in the other. Shard flew back and landed next to EDJ, who glared at the Original with bloodshot eyes. 

“You might be able to win against one or the other,” Shard commented sweetly, watching DJ with a sly smile. “But you’ll never win against us both. Why don’t you give up now and save yourself the energy?”

“Hmm, not a bad suggestion,” DJ answered, voice heavy with sarcasm. He mockingly pretended to stop and think it over. “And what would happen if I gave up?” 

Shard’s smile disappeared. “Do not mock me, slime.” EDJ started walking clockwise while Shard mimicked the movement counterclockwise. They circled DJ like two dark scavengers waiting for the final breath before descending on their prey, but DJ would not be taken down so easily. “Let’s put an end to all this fighting,” Shard said in a voice void of feeling. “How do you suggest we finish this, master?” 

“Shoot him in the leg with your ice,” EDJ answered. “Unless you’ve drained all your energy already.” EDJ took on an accusatory tone. “I saw that blizzard you created.”

“There’s no fun in outright disabling someone,” Shard countered with a pout. Lifting a hand, she shot out an icicle that hit the ground near DJ’s feet, freezing a section of the floor on impact. “But I can slip them up a little.” 

DJ cautiously stepped away from the iced floor, trying to keep both Shard and EDJ in his field of view while maintaining distance between them. A task of no little difficulty as it forced DJ back on the defensive. Shard stared DJ down with red eyes, glancing occasionally at EDJ. Come on DJ, you can do this, she thought, eyes momentarily shifting to blue. Even feigned defeat would allow me to stop him. Of course, no one heard her thoughts.