Scorched Twilight

Chapter 30: All You Ever Say

Ch'en: You should sit this one out for the time being, please leave it to me.

Y/n: No. I have to kill him this time...

Ch'en: Have you seen yourself? You are going to die at this rate!

Y/n: Then I'll go ask God to bring me back... You can't stop me, Ch'en, but you can help me.

Ch'en could see the look in his eyes, it was like seeing a machine built with only one objective, and that being kill Pride. She could feel the intense emotion that he's harbored for a much longer than she's known him, it almost consumed him in a sense. There was no way she could stop him.

Ch'en: *sigh* I'll help, but don't kill her. Here, take this, you forgot something.

A familiar sword handed to him, Y/n felt whole when his fingers wrapped around the handle of Ya Xuyi, he could feel his odds of winning skyrocket with the reunion of himself and the sword.

Ch'en: Those flames of hers are made from Arts, so normal armour does nothing. My Chi Xiao can cut through Arts, so let me strike first. All it takes is one stab, right?

One hit, that was all he needed to trigger his ability to go into Talulah's body and fight Pride. There, they would finally be on equal ground, fighting to see who comes out on top.

"You need a sword that can cut through Arts, yes? I have the perfect remedy for this sort of predicament."

Shards of red flowed around Y/n, congregating on Ya Suyi like ants around a piece of bread, circling on the edge of the blade before attaching itself on it, giving the sword a new coat of red light. Y/n was mesmerized by the whole scene, giving it a couple swings with his good hand to see its dazzling red light bounce off against the dreary brick walls.

"My shards will make it easier to slice through her flames, but do please keep in mind that I won't be able to protect you anymore. I would rather not move to another body after finally finding a suitable one.

Y/n: Let's go.

Meanwhile, Amiya stood her ground against Pride's barrage of fire, her talent in Arts manifesting itself in a shield that briefly protected her from the fire, lasting long enough to allow her to counter back with her own attack.

Pride: Little Cautus, are you stopping a child from reuniting with her family? How cruel of you. Is this how the rest the operators at Rhodes Island behave?

Amiya: Rhodes Island is and will be more of a family to Dr. Wendy than you will ever be!

A bolt of fire suddenly hit the side of Amiya's ear, a tinge of pain before following up with a decapitating slash of his sword. Amiya closed her eyes as she covered her head with her arms, only to she met with nothing, the edge of the blade milliseconds away from taking both her arms.

Pride: But is that really how SHE feels?

The Cautus froze in place. Underneath his aboslute gaze, the barrier that shielded her thoughts was like a mirror to him. She knew he got his answer the moment she gave a slight reaction to that question he posed.

Pride: You've seen her inner thoughts haven't you? I'm disappointed with what you did, but it'll make it easier for you to understand what I'm going to say.

Pride fell back from Amiya, showing no hostile intent as he sat beside Wendy who obediently hung her head down.

Pride: She doesn't see you as family, am I not wrong? Wendy feels like she is always detached from Rhodes Island, like she doesn't belong, always yearning for a real family. You want that for her, don't you? Then let me have her, she's family after all.