Aster and his friends watched helplessly as Vox casted the spell. Despite the light giving them advantage, its menacing stare shone, penetrating their eyes as if it were a warning. "Don't you dare twist my words!", said Edward sternly. However, the evil eye seemed to be mocking them, shaming them. "Don't tell me how to use this spell!", Vox shouted. "You know it's impossible to break your little bargains!". Aster growled in frustration, "He wants to draw this out for as long as possible...".
Everyone turned to the boy, biting his nails and clenching his fists. His mind spun with every drastic conclusion he ever made. The trickster was always a step ahead of him, so why would Edward's bargain even work? "He wants us to wait...", he exclaimed. Demitris reached out to him, "Aster, this is the path to our victory! Why so tense?". "Why? Because he's lying!". A chill ran down all their spines as Fleur began backing herself against a brick wall. "That can't be right...Vox can't lie...", she thought to herself, before shaking off the uneasiness, but still it didn't falter for anyone.
Vox scoffed, "If I took my time, I could keep you all trapped here forever...", he insisted. He walked towards his opponents, his confidence increasing in the process. "This way, I can give you everything you want. You'll have what you need to win, your pain taken away as if it were nothing, like all of you were nothing...". At this point, Aster's rage began building up, it was taking all of his willpower just to contain it, even when he saw how much Vox was enjoying their reaction. With each passing second, his restraints deteriorated, until finally, they completely disappeared.
At that moment, Aster's fist collided with Vox's face, sending him flying backwards. Edward rushed towards Aster, but his sword acted as his shield. Vox was his and his alone. When the dust settled, the two faced each other, both launching themselves at each other with equal speed. As they collided, Aster's sword clashed, and sparks of lightning from Vox's fingers once again filled the space. No matter how much the rest of the group wished to join in, Aster's physical and mental barrier was too strong.
In his weakened state, Vox couldn't hold back anymore, unleashing another barrage of lightning strikes against his opponent. Aster grunted in discomfort, falling to his knees to catch his breath as he was battered til he was bloody and bruised. His eyes surveyed his friends as they could only watch as he was ravaged. Details he hadn't seen before, Rou twitching, Demitris trembling, Edward shaking, but the most hideous of those sights was Fleur's face, screwed up from every strike upon his body she had witnessed. Her rage was unshackled, unforgiving, and words matched her fury.
"Stop it, all of you!!!", she commanded. Her voice echoed through the gardens as almost all the strength left her body at her own weak demand. They all looked up with a sigh, Aster's blade still blocking the magic and Vox's face inches away. The laboured breathing of the two exhausted males heard from where Fleur stood, her hands spread to guard the rest of the group. "I can't stand this! There's no way Aster should be slaughtered as he stands alone! We shall join the fray, whether he likes it or not!".
Aster shook his head. He didn't have the will nor the strength to fight back. In spite of himself, he spoke, "My friend...you know it can't happen..", he managed weakly as the blood continued to pool underneath his wounds. He faintly looked to Fleur, not in desperation, but longing, hoping that he would see understanding to why he was valued, why they cared, but his uncertainty only rose as she led Rou and Demitris onto the battlefield.
"No matter what happens," he whispered, "I love you, Fleur". Flashes of images came back unbidden, of Fleur in the woods, holding the line while fighting against the Renegard syndicate, and now, the sense was knocked back into his head in a surge of energy, finally seeing the reason Fleur was walking beside the others, fighting for him. All thoughts that this was just his fight dissipated with every stride, replaced with love, hope, and most important of all, faith in his team.
Aster turned his attention to Rou and Demitris, a clear dynamic arising, the blue haired man's hand raised slightly, as if to shield Demitris from the cruel fate of Vox's gasp. Demitris was unable to stop his face lighting up with love. Just as Aster was thrown into the fight once more, he heard comforting words coming from his superior, "You deserve the world, Demitris, and I'll do anything to keep you living in it...". A surge of worry arised in Aster's heart, and he was certain Demitris felt it too. More was at stake than ever before.
Vox cackled, forcing Aster toward him in a tightening grip of lightning. "So cute, you always made me forget that I'm here to destroy you all...", he taunted. Aster scoffed, "You just want to taunt us and that's clear as day! More and more I doubt you even casted the spell!". Vox shook his head, pointing behind him while still maintaining his grip on the boy. "See for yourself...", he stated, without a sign of trickery in his tone. Aster then peered beyond his shoulders, five shimmering green lights appearing, as familiar faces stepped out.