The Black Stars of Melanin

He Who Inherits Their Will

'BAM!' Jinto opposed Gamma's fatal finisher with a flaming fist to his jaw, sending him crashing into the ground!

"Argh! W-WHAT!?" Gamma growled with a bloodied mouth. Immediately, he tried to bound towards Jinto, but his legs gave way. 'Pow!' Jinto's leg was like a chain whip, cleaving into Gamma's temple. The Aneikas's healing factor began to slow, his breaths gained weight and his body felt as though it were melting.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME, HUUUUMAAAAN!?" Gamma roared furiously, whilst clutching his chest.

'Tup, tup, tup' the tamer of flame's triumphant footsteps stalked the dweller of reflections. He knelt down close, domineeringly and said "Can you feel it... Gamma? Do you feel it coursing through your veins? Sapping your strength? Almost burning your very soul?"

"F-feel WHAT!?" Gamma barked.

"Hmph, don't ask me questions... Aneikas!" Jinto said sardonically.

"YOU DARE!?" scorned the son of Sigma, as he coughed up blood.

"In short, don't underestimate Zinneera!" Melanina's champion boasted, pointing towards her, as she blushed. "It seems the venom won't kill an Aneikas... but that doesn't make you completely immune. It just took some time to spread through your resistant body. And all that rapid movement got the venom churning in your veins real nice..." Jinto explained.

"YOU WRETCHED!? Once again you are emboldened by a handicap, a crutch to help serve you victory on a silver platter!" Gamma bellowed.

"You said a human could never inherit the will on an Aneikas... Well if you were half the Aneikas you THINK you are, you would already know, all that matters is survival!" the fiery fighter mocked.

"Such arrogance! You think this battle is over? I decide when it's over!" Gamma boomed.

"Ohhhh... no. I haven't won yet." the tamer of flames uttered menacingly, before gripping Gamma by his hair.

"Where was this vim before the venom saved you? Your overconfidence... will be your undoing..." Gamma hissed with a decadent smirk.

At once, Gamma sliced at Jinto, however, he evaded and the two began exchanging blows! 'Bam, pow, bwok!' A vehement firefight of fists flurried at each other. Dodging, parrying, countering, crushing; it was the most amazing battle Zinneera had ever witnessed.

'Dm!' The tamer of flames unleashed a fireball at Gamma, who sliced it in two! But, before he could take a single breath, the bisected fireball turned into, two shadow flames and charged at their target. In a split second, Gamma turned his back on Jinto, cutting the two shadow flames in half with his wrist blades.

"Kaboom!' Like mines, they exploded! Gamma was sent soaring through the air! Jinto seized him in mid-air and violently slammed him into the ground, as if Gamma was a sledge hammer!

"Urgh! What are you doing!?" a panicked Gamma blurted, as his foe pinned him face first into the dirt and grabbed his arm.

"One of the only things that can kill an Aneikas... is an Aneikas..." the tamer of flames uttered ominously, before he broke off one of Gamma's wrist blades.

"UWAAARGGGHHHH!" Gamma wailed in pain, writhing around on the floor.

"Now... hold still..." Jinto whispered, holding his victim in place. He slowly raised the wrist blade up high and went to ram it through the Aneikas's face.

Gamma winced in anticipation. Then, his eyes opened gradually and his vision came into focus. There it was. The tip of the bade, pointing right between his eyes...

"Why... did you stop, human?" Gamma panted. His eyes were full of shock, no it was more like something had been shattered inside of him. Both his pride and his prejudice towards Jinto.

"Why, did I stop? It's simple... because I didn't kill your father..." declared the victor.

The sky withdrew it's tears and the clouds receded, unveiling the squinting stars and a beam of moonlight, illuminating the two warriors.

"If I get the chance... I'll, bring him back. Sigma, and the rest of the Aneikas who perished there. Only! If you agree to feed on animals exclusively!" Jinto offered, hoping to quell the cinders of vengeance.

Gamma's downcast gaze would nearly burn a hole in the ground like a magnifying glass in the sun. Such was his intensity, his passion. "You.. are in no situation to be bargaining with me..." he uttered maliciously.

'DM!' Instantly, Gamma struck at Jinto!

"WHY, GAMMA!? WHY!?" the tamer of flames bellowed as he extended his fist to counter!

But before his fist could connect, Gamma vanished...

"WHAT!?" Jinto barked, bewilded!

"Hmhmhmhmhmmmmm, down here. I'ma, little closer to home! BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!" the Aneikas cackled vindictively.

"My chain!? Dammit! He's inside the reflection of my chain!" the fiery fighter roared, before attempting to remove it.

"Uh, uh, uhhh... I wouldn't DO that, if I were you..." threatened the son of Signa, whilst his arm eerily slinked out of the chain, it's wrist blade, breathing on Jinto's neck.

"SSSTOP! Let him go and I'll cure you of my venom!" Zinneera pleaded, desperate to save her beloved!

"My myyyyy, HOW the tables turn! I don't need your help, woman. YOUR venom cannot kill an Aneikas. It will be out of my system before the night is through..." Gamma replied.

However, not an ounce of fear dare creep upon Jinto's face. He stood motionless. Waiting for the decisive moment.

Suddenly, Gamma re-emerged from the chain. "As if a human could ever outdo an Aneikas in honour. You spared me in battle out of respect for my father. So, I too, will spare you this day. Besides, I think I'm going to need you..." the Aneikas revealed, whilst walking towards a reflective lake.

"Need me? For what?" the tamer of flames questioned.

"As I have said, the ice has cracked and the conquer draws near!" Gamma bespoke.

Jinto stared at him intensely, heeding the weight of those words.

"Freedom will soon become a long lost luxury. And HE will claim to be your god. A war approaches. The peace you have been enjoying is like the retreating waters, silent, fleeting. Then! A tsunami of terror will afflict all who draw breath. After over a thousand years, the Aneikas and Origin shall shed each other's blood once again! If we win, then every heartbeat onwards will be a gift, for we would have lived through a calamity. But! Should we lose, then know that an agony worse than death awaits us... And know, that it will be on YOUR head for slaying what remained of the Aneikas. We Aneikas are the only ones who can draw their blood. And they, ours." the son of Sigma announced as he slowly disappeared into the waters.

None spoke a word as he went deeper and deeper, until he was nearly submerged completely. Gamma suddenly paused. "Yes... Unfortunately, I'm going to need your strength. Survive, grow stronger. Then seek me out when HE emerges from the ice..." Gamma uttered, before disappearing into the water completely.

Just like that, young Jinto bore the will of the father and the son. Jinto, survive..!