Soul Chains

Chapter 43: Defense and Purity

For the past three hours, Dimitri has been driving in front of the rest of us, leading the way since he's been in winter for long periods of time.

"Are you sure your brother will be coming after us?!" I shout over the wind and the sound of the snowmobiles to Mikasa, who's driving to the left of me.

"Yes!" Mikasa shouts back as we wind a curve on a steep mountain road that's covered in snow, "he'll be here! He just has to make himself known..."

I sigh and glance over at the setting sun through the trees on the mountainside as we continue riding up the mountain path.

"We should be at Ashuwahara in about two more hours," Reine says.

"Too bad it's already getting dark," I say and Reine hums in agreement.

We soon reach the top of the mountain path and it levels out to a flat peak for a while and the scenery around me strangely gives me a sense that I've already been here before. I glance over at Mikasa to see that she seems tense and the realization hits me that we're in the area where Jin died.

"Wow! This is pretty!" Ciana shouts from the right of us and I look over to see her looking out at the valleys below and the snowy mountains across from us as snow blows through the air and continues to blanket the ground.

"J--Just be careful! There's no guardrails anymore!" Nathan shouts, eyes weary at Ciana's close proximity to the edge.

"It'll be fi--" Ciana starts but gets cut off whenever Dimitri shouts.

"Look out!" Dimitri shouts from the front as Ayette screams and Reine gasps, gaining the attention of Ciana, Mikasa, Nathan, and me.

My eyes widen as I watch a giant wave of blue energy slash through the air in our direction and Dimitri abandons his bike, grabbing Ayette by the waist and rolling them both down in the snow.

"Zen..." Mikasa breathes out, her eyes wide as Ciana slides her bike completely sideways and close to the ground, narrowly avoiding getting her and Nathan hit.

Mikasa, Reine, and I all abandon our bikes at the same time and roll through the snow as Dimitri summons his broadsword and Ciana and Nathan climb off of their bike. Once I regain my sense of balance, I look up in the sky to see Zen floating, suspended in the air by his wings of darkness, and holding his greatsword, which is burning brightly with blue flames.

"How fitting of you to return back to the place of where this all started!" Zen laughs out, "give me the relic, Mikasa!"

"Never!" Mikasa shouts up at her brother and summons her lasso while Reine and I summon our katanas, "this isn't you, Zen! And you know the relic can't bring her back! I want her back as much as you do, but it isn't capable of bringing her back!"

"Then I'll just have to take it from you," Zen seethes out and flies down angrily.

"Don't make me do this," Mikasa whispers, her eyes full of sorrow.

"You won't hurt her!" Ciana shouts and runs forwards in a sprint, her gauntlets now out.

Ciana leaps up in the air and pulls her fist back as Zen raises his greatsword and the two collide harshly, a battle of flames erupting in the sky. Runes of flames appear beneath Ciana's feet wherever she moves, keeping her suspended in the air as equally as Zen while they battle.

"You're in my way," Zen hisses and manages to knock Ciana off her feet.

Ciana gasps as she falls and Nathan's already on his way over to catch her, running at an almost impossible speed. Nathan grins at Ciana as he catches her and she looks at him in a confused manner before he points to his head with his index and middle finger.