The first thing Yuki saw when he activated his magical eyes was that the world had been turned into a world of mana. Everything shimmered around him from the ghostly flames to the very ground. And most importantly of all, he couldn’t find his opponent.

‘This is unfortunate,’ he thought, his mouth grim. 

Alarms rang in his mind and he braced his arms and held up his staff, protecting his face and neck. A moment later, a sharp impact slammed into the staff, just inches from his head, and then a kick that drove straight into his stomach sent him flying. He flipped about and bounced off of the ground as he tumbled through the air. 

He reorientated himself, crouched onto the ground and shook his head to clear it. Then the air was disturbed again. Before he could pinpoint the direction, he heard a small whistle through the flames and spun his staff. The metal staff met something in the air with a metallic klang. Then a loud snap resonated and Yuki felt no resistance any more. 

His eyes flicked down and saw a metal blade lying on the ground. One of Firestorm’s blades didn’t seem able to handle the impact. The air moved again. A loud crack rang out as something struck Yuki’s sides and he was sent tumbling again. He skidded to a halt on the ground and forced himself up with the staff he gripped in his hand. As he took a step, searing pain shot through his body and he gritted his teeth as a groan tried to escape. 

‘My ribs.’

He closed his eyes and quickly gathered his mana. Then he distributed it around his body and hardened it, encasing himself in a shell, just in time for what felt like a fist to slam into his face. His head snapped back and another hit rammed into his stomach. Then his head. Then his chest. Blow after blow slammed into him. Slashes and stabs hammered against the hasty barrier around his body. They never pierced through but the force cause enough pain by themselves. 

‘I have to endure,’ Yuki gritted, his body screaming out. ‘Focus.’

The beating went on and on, every hit draining a bit of Yuki’s mana. He had already given up trying to defend against the onslaught. It’ll only make him more tired. His mind was already strained as it was, trying to ignore the pain. Trying to focus on his barrier that looked more and more like paper as the battle dragged on.

At last, Yuki could no longer hold on. His mana was drying up and if it did, that would kill him faster than Firestorm could. So he released it. And he was immediately met with the full brunt force of the attacks. Each punch felt as if it was going to puncture his body and each slash dug deep and sent shockwaves of burning agony through his body. 

Pain. That was all he could see. Bones broken, cuts everywhere, and blood gushing. Everything radiated pain. They melded together into one single chorus of agony that drowned everything else. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t hear. He felt a faint twinge in his mind, as if someone was trying to reach him but he couldn’t dwell on that either. He withdrew into his head, trying to escape the rampaging agony.

Then he felt something new. Something warm yet cold like metal. He looked down at his stomach and found that a broken blade had sprouted out of it. He looked up and saw Firestorm standing a few feet away, his shoulders heaving. In his hand, he held the handle of a sword, its blade snapped off.

Yuki collapsed, his back hitting the ground and stared at the ceiling as pain made its way through his body again. Blood slowly leaked out of his stomach, as the wound gradually began to make itself known. 

“I have to hand it to you,” Firestorm said. He sucked in a deep breath and the fires around them faded away. “You’re the toughest opponent I’ve fought in a while.”

Yuki couldn’t reply. He heard the sound of rocks shifting and Firestorm grunting. 

“I’m going to rest here for a bit. My mana is almost gone,” he continued. “I want to thank you. I haven’t felt so alive in a fight in a long time. May the gods bless you in your next life.”

Yuki let out a small breath and closed his eyes. The world around him shut out and his consciousness faded. But then his eyes reopened. And before him was a bright grassy field. He was sitting under a tree, the shade shielding him from the sun. 

“I can back here,” he murmured. “I wonder if this is the last thing I see.”

The light breeze in the air shifted and Yuki turned his head a little to his left. A girl stood there wearing a white dress. She was running toward him.

“Akira?” Yuki said. The word flowed out of his mouth, warming him, yet also weighing down on him.

He stood and walked slowly as the girl raced toward him. Then she collided with him, wrapping her arms around him as she did. Yuki’s arms reacted on their own and pulled her in.

“Yuki,” Akira said, her voice shaky.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. 

“Why?” she asked. She pressed her face into his chest. “Why did you fight alone? I could have helped you.”

“I thought I could do it. I didn’t want you to get hurt,” he replied. He stared off into the horizon. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re so stupid,” she growled. “You idiot.”

“I know.”

“STUPID,” she yelled. She looked up and glared at him, tears flowing down her face. “Do you think that I want you to get hurt?”

“No.”

“Selfish Yuki,” Akira said. “Only thinking what you want.”

“I know,” he repeated.

“I can’t lose you,” she whispered. “You’re all I ever had my entire life. If you’re gone, then half of me disappears. Why, Yuki?”

She slid to the ground and fell to her knees, pressing her hands to her face.

“Why?” Her voice was barely audible.

Yuki knelt down and gently held her shoulders. She leaned into him and rested her head on him, her body shaking. Her sobs reached Yuki and he stared off into the distance. 

‘Idiot.’

He glared at the sky. This was all his fault. 

‘Stupid.’

His overconfidence. His assumptions. All of this could have been avoided.

‘I made her cry.’

He promised to protect her. To create a world for her where they could live in peace. And here he was, hurting her with his actions.

‘What am I doing?’

His heart pounded as a growl started in his throat.

‘Why am I giving up so easily?’

Thud thud thud

‘I can’t give in.’

This was not the time for him to stop and shrug his shoulders. He could not just lay down and say that he tried. He felt a fire spark inside himself. A fire that was familiar.

“...Yuki?” Akira said, looking up. Her tears were drying and her eyes were worried. 

“This isn’t over,” he growled. “It isn’t over until I die.”

He stood up, glaring at the distance. The fire inside growing and growing.

“I will finish what I started. I will fix what I caused.”

He began this fight so it was his duty to finish it. He could not die here. He could not let Akira down, leaving her lonely in this world. 

‘And I almost did.’

Firestorm. At that word, the flames within him flared brighter and brighter as it pushed, trying to break out. A growl formed in Yuki’s throat that strengthened more and more until it became a roar. And with that, the flames erupted.

---

 

The basement of the LIA base was quiet. Firestorm was sitting, taking deep slow breaths, and Yuki’s bleeding body laid on the ground. Standing, Firestorm took one last look at Yuki and turned to walk out of the broken building. 

Then Yuki’s hand clenched, clawing the ground. Mana began to build within the room, swirling around one point. Firestorm turned and his eyes widened as he felt the power that was forming around Yuki’s body. He, himself, had almost no mana to fight and he thought that Yuki didn’t have any as well.

“He’s still alive?” Firestorm said to himself.

He dragged his legs and tried to run to Yuki, but he was already too tired. The best he could muster was a light jog.

‘I spent too much mana during the fight,’ he thought, his mood shifting rapidly. ‘Field of Flames is supposed to be a battle finisher. It’s not supposed to be used during a drawn out fight.’

He reached the place where Yuki’s body was laying. Or, at least, he tried to reach it. A barrier blocked him from going any further.

Yuki grabbed the metal blade that jutted out of his stomach. Clutching it tightly, it dissolved and seemed to be absorbed into his body. Firestorm’s eyes widened as he saw the wound seemingly disappear along with a few other cuts. Yuki’s eyes shot open and pushed himself off the ground.

His eyes searched around and locked onto Firestorm’s. Firestorm took a step back as he was met with a glare. A bone chilling growl emitted from Yuki, the sound causing Firestorm’s hairs to rise.

‘What happened?’ he thought.

Yuki spread his hands and mana rapidly condensed between them. Then something rose out of his shirt, glowing a bright gold, that looked like a jewel. Another jewel appeared with it, this one shining an intense scarlet.

‘Elemental jewels?’

The two gems spun around each other, getting closer and closer to each other. When they met, a blinding flash broke out, Firestorm having to cover his eyes. When the spots cleared, a single gem floated in Yuki’s hands. Then he grabbed it. 

Mana almost exploded out from him, filling the entire area around them. The now fused jewels shined once more and so did Yuki’s eyes. A silver light filled them as he spread his arms out wide. He opened his mouth and words of magic flowed out from them. 

‘By the gods…’ Firestorm’s eyes widened as he watched the mana in the fuse itself into the ground and the walls. 

The entire room began to morph. The rubble flattened and melded together to create a singular flat surface. Then surface divided up, creating patterned tiles. The walls were repaired and ornate designs carved themselves out on them. Statues rose out from the ground holding weapons. The light from the top of the room disappeared and Firestorm gazed up in wonder as a vaulted ceiling formed. 

“Come,” Yuki’s voice rumbled. “Come and let me repay you double for what you have given me.”

An immense pressure made Firestorm stumble, his heart racing, and his eyes shot toward where Yuki was. He was floating in the air as bits of the earth hovered around him. Firestorm watched as the pieces molded itself, elongating and thinning. They glowed a cherry red and soon he was faced with dozens of metal daggers pointed in his direction.

He began to shake as he watched the display before him. He felt something that he hadn’t felt for centuries.

‘Fear.’

“Stand and meet me,” the being before him growled. “Stand.”

The pressure doubled and Firestorm couldn’t rise. He tried but the force was too much. His legs shook and his heart pounded as he tried, but no matter how hard he willed himself, his body wouldn’t listen.

“Let me help you then.”

Chains shot out of the roof and bound themselves to Firestorm’s wrists, dragging him up. Then the being before him raised their arm.

“Fifty daggers for the twenty five wounds you gave me. That is your payment.”

The arm sliced down and the daggers rose higher into the air before angling downward. There was a small pause, the calm before the storm, as Firestorm stared at the metal shower before him. Then the daggers shot down, whistling through the air as they sliced their way to him.

He mustered up what little mana he had remaining and shoved it all into a defensive barrier around his head. The first few daggers were stopped but most hit their mark, slicing or piercing through his body. He grunted but never cried out as he took the shower of blades.

When it ended, he was a bloody mess. A few daggers stuck out of his body and multiple bleeding slashes marked the surface. He was still alive as his makeshift barrier had protected his vital parts but he would soon die as time went by. Yuki floated to Firestorm’s body and stared at it, his eyes still glowing. His expression still angry.

“Any last words?” he asked. He held out a hand and another dagger formed in it. 

“Please,” Firestorm choked out. Blood dripped from his mouth. “Protect Yuna.”

“I always planned to,” Yuki replied.

“She’s like a daughter to me,” he smiled, his teeth red. “Her file. It’s in the records. Read it. Please.”

“Is that all?”

Firestorm gave a small nod.

“Then good bye,” Yuki said. 

With a quick thrust, he drove the dagger straight through the Firestorm’s heart. Then he turned away as Firestorm’s body grew limp. 

“I did it, Akira,” Yuki smiled. A section of the room collapsed and light shone down on him. 

Then he fell to his knees as a wave of intense exhaustion flooded over him. The mana he had taken from the jewels had served their purpose and it returned to where it came from. He stared up at the ceiling, his anger fading.

“Yuki!” a voice cried out. It echoed throughout the room. A shadow blocked the light shining down.

The shadow fell and landed with a small grunt. Then the sound of footsteps approached Yuki as the shadow ran towards him.

“Yuki,” the voice said quieter. Akira knelt in front of him.

He looked forward and smiled. Akira froze at the unexpected expression. Then she gave him a small smile of her own.

“I finished it, Akira,” Yuki said. “I’m sorry.”

Akira took his hands.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice tight. Her eyes shimmered in the light. “Thank you for staying with me.”

“I couldn’t do that to you,” Yuki replied.

“I know.”

“I didn’t want for you to go through that.”

“I know.” She pulled him in and hugged him. “I know, Yuki. I didn’t mean to be so angry. But I couldn’t stand the thought of you not being here.”

Yuki said nothing and instead pressed his face onto her shoulder. She hugged him tighter.

“Rest, Yuki. Tomorrow’s a new day,” she whispered.

And with that, he closed his eyes and the peaceful respite of sleep embraced him while Akira’s warm arms held him.