Trial 3.5: The One Who Stayed

Sora immediately pulled his blade up and blocked Fuwa's swing. 

The dream world, now a white space, is starting to crack.

Inside those cracks... Different scenery can be seen.

Wonderland... Classrooms... A Puppet theater...

Fuwa pushes forward with strength, causing Sora to go back. 

Now it's not the time to hesitate...! My life... And my fate... It is decided through this fight!

Sora lunges forward, their blade crashes once again. 

Fuwa: This is my territory... And I'm the Final "Trial"... The hardest "Trial" among the 3... Do you think you can beat me?

Sora: Yeah... I can... Because no matter what happens from now on... I have to overcome you if I want to move forward...!

Sora raises his leg and stomps his feet directly onto Fuwa's stomach, causing him to push back as well. 

As Fuwa was pushed, he stabbed the ground so the distance between Sora wouldn't be too far.

Fuwa: But you've forgotten... Since this is my world... I can "use magic" and blend its reality!

Fuwa raised his right arm and swung it 180 degrees, and the white space started shining brightly. 

Behind Fuwa, many illusions of different people appeared. 

Foster parents, classmates, teachers, bullies...

All the people that was part of Sora's hellish life, the people that he needed to overcome to reach the Final "Trial".

"You're a burden."

"Why can't you disappear?"

"He is an ugly duckling in his family."

Sora gripped his sword harder as he jumped forward. 

Sora: Do you think those will work on me again?

Sora slashes his sword. As the illusions behind Fuwa disappear into a slash, their blades clash furiously.

The white space starts cracking deeper. 

Fuwa: Not bad, guess I have to change tactics. 

Fuwa uses his other hand and punches Sora on the chin, causing Sora to crash onto the floor with a thud. 

Sora coughed out some blood. 

Fuwa throws his sword onto the ground before he starts punching Sora's face repeatedly with his fists.

Fuwa: You think you’re healed? What if it was all just to avoid me--

 Your real feelings?

Sora swings his sword upwards, causing Fuwa to jump backwards to avoid getting slashed. Sora stood up, slowly and slightly weakly. 

Sora: What... Do you mean by that? 

Fuwa simply snaps his fingers, and an illusion starts to appear beside him. 

Sora: A... Aoki? 

The illusion of his little sister, but she looks frailer. The illusion starts distorting, like a computer glitch. 

Fuwa: She’s your reason for leaving me behind-- But what if she doesn’t even want you back?

Sora is shaken. He stumbles and his sword trembles.

Fuwa: You keep chasing that girl like she's your light. What if she had already moved on from you, that pathetic, weak brother of hers?

The distorted illusion looks at Sora dead in the eye.

Aoki (illusion): You weren’t there… Why should I still wait?

Sora pauses. He wanted to shout back at Fuwa, telling him that "He is wrong". But--

He has a point. 

Sora has been trapped in this dream world for who knows how long. What if, because he is unable to come back, his sister lets go of him?

Sora grits his teeth and breathes.

Sora: Even if she didn't wait, even if she's forgotten me, I'll still move forward. Because I've promised to show her that I'm the unbreakable brother, the kind of brother I wanted to be. 

With the return of a spark of resolve. Sora charges forward. 

Sora swings faster and harder with each passing second. His fury sharpens his strikes. However, Fuwa blocks every attack perfectly, as if he were mimicking his fighting style. 

Fuwa: You must've thought that you have healed, after passing 2 "Trials", right?

Both of their blades crashed into one another. 

Sora: ... What do you mean by that...?

The distorted illusion of Aoki transforms and wraps, turning into Sora himself. 

Sora: H... Huh?

The illusion is smiling-- But they are cracking, revealing eyes with emptiness in them.

Fuwa: You smiled... only because I stay in the dark for you. You stepped forward... by leaving me behind. 

Sora flinches as the cracks on the illusion deepen. 

Fuwa's emotions rise in anger, but also with a hint of... Sadness in them?  

Fuwa: You are never whole without me. I was the part that stayed behind while you ran. 

Your healing is fake. 

Sora's hands shake again. But he tightens his grip on his blade. 

Sora: Maybe I did run. But I need to. And I'm not going back.

Sora forced more strength into his blade, and he managed to slash a deep cut through the illusion, forcing Fuwa to push backwards. 

Sora: You are right. I needed you once. But not anymore. 

He lifts his blade over his shoulders. 

Sora: Let's end this. 

Before Fuwa could react, Sora appeared right in front of him and slashed his chest upwards. 

Fuwa groans in pain. 

Fuwa: How are you... So fast?

Sora: You've forgotten something. I created this world, too. 

Sora dropped his blade and gave Fuwa a direct punch to the stomach. 

Sora: I'm you. And you're me. 

The punch sent Fuwa flying, crashing into the wall.

Fuwa coughs out some blood before dropping his blade and falling onto the ground.

Fuwa then climbs up slowly and weakly. 

Sora picks up his sword and walks towards him slowly, with a serious look on his face.

I see. He really wants to end me, huh? 

Fuwa then drops onto the ground and kneels, leading Sora to stop moving in confusion. 

Fuwa doesn't have that look of hatred he had throughout the fight anymore. 

He has a look similar to a crying child. 

Fuwa: Don't you remember? I was the only one who stayed.

Sora's grip on his sword loosens.

Fuwa: When you cried... I listened. When you wanted to die... I begged you not to. 

Sora stops walking. His eyes shake.

Fuwa looks up, tears on their face, feeling scared but also oddly calm.

Fuwa: So, if you destroy me now, who will be left...?

Sora’s eyes widen, but the blade doesn’t lower.

Silence.