Chapter 30 - Duality

Tetsuo decided to explore the city some more, hoping to find more survivors of the demonic attack, leaving me and Elowyn to explore the castle alone.

The inside of the castle, much like the outside, was filled only with the dead; the wounds were different. Rather than being killed by monsters, these soldiers seemed to have been slain by a conventional weapon.

I examined the wounds; they looked familiar.

They were the same wounds left by Ryu’s sword.

“He must be here then, if I had to wager a guess,” Elowyn spoke softly, then turned towards the entrance of the throne room. It seemed we would be getting into another fight.

I walked towards the throne room door, and my hand froze upon contact. It was nerves, I was scared. I mustered up the courage I had and slowly but surely opened the door.

On the throne, sat Ryu. His dark knight armor removed, he wore more casual clothes, almost reminiscent of my world's clothing. It was a black hoodie and some blue jeans.

“So you came, figured you would.” He almost sounded bored when he said that, as if he was losing interest in some sort of twisted game.

“What are you doing here?” I asked accusingly. I had no idea what he was scheming, but he was alone at least. I’m not sure if I can handle another powerful opponent in line to test my skills further.

“Cleaning up the trash, the game's ending soon, so I've got to make it quick. I figured you would come at the news, so I waited here before going to the tower.” He leaned forward a little.

“Where’s Grace? You’ve been taking good care of her, right?” He asked, a bit invested.

“She’s at a safe place, preparing for the final fight. I’m not telling you where she is either.” I snapped back at him. I was already getting sick of him.

Elowyn tapped my shoulder. “I got a plan to take him on, but we shouldn’t do this here.”

“I can’t play nice with this guy…” I gave her a disapproving scowl. Still, the tower was our next destination, and I suppose I could hold back for a day or two.

“Ryu, don’t you ever regret these things. This wasn’t how you used to be, back then. Back when we all first met.” Her voice sounded mournful, as if she missed an old friend.

Ryu leaned back before sighing. He seemed to be racking his brain for memories that were rather hard to come by. “Not even you know the reason, and I suppose I’ll tell you what happened.”

“It’s pretty boring. How about I keep a long story short and say we tried and failed to kill the Goddess. I then made a little deal with her in the in-between. I trap all of us into this nice little death loop. In exchange, I’ll get a second chance with her.”

A second chance? With her?

“Wait, what do you mean by that? A second chance?” I asked him, and I felt a bubble of anger rise from within me. The unbelievable urge to pick a fight.

“Who else? With Grace.” He said it so casually, so simply. He wanted a second chance with her?

“Don’t give me that look, you and I both agreed a long time ago, the world is horrible, but her? She was a shining beacon, a ray of light that lit up the darkness. Not just her, all of you lifted me out of that hole.”

The way he talked it was like an old man reflecting on days that had long since passed.

“That’s why I want her, a second chance. Don’t get me wrong, I want you, and Elowyn as well. You, of course, were the only one she would get close to.” Then he said it, pure and simple.

“I want you differently, Razan.” Ryu stood up, looking, stepping down to my level. “You and Elowyn both have strong spirits. With your unique weapon and Elowyn’s magic proficiency, I believe we can build a perfect world.”

Why would I ever want a world where this creep can just do whatever he wants?

“You wanted Grace back, so you trapped both of us in a perfect death loop?” I asked in sheer disbelief at what I was hearing. This was insane, ludicrous, I couldn’t even put my own feelings into words, but it felt like a mixture of shock, disgust, and anger.

“You should know one thing: those magical weapons of yours increase in power with more magical energy absorbed. Of course, we both know the only real way to harvest magical energy.” informed.

“By trapping you both in a death loop, I am allowing your overall spirit, which is where your magical energy is largely stored, to become stronger and stronger. One day, the three of us will be strong enough to overcome even a Goddess. I’d say we’re almost there, even.” Ryu’s expression didn’t seem to falter even at the initial rejection. Almost as if he felt the only solution to my rejection was to convince me further.

“But if you reject this time, nothing stops me from killing you and trying again during the next cycle, though it may be harder with that old coot dead.” Ryu’s words triggered Elowyn; I saw her face twist into anger.

“Don’t you dare call my father that!” She sent a blast of magic to hold him still. I then charged, going in for the kill. Surprisingly, he broke through even that spell and clashed his sword with mine.

“You should know by now, fate itself dictates the outcome of any fight between us, always in my favor.” Ryu boasted once more about his special ability. “That’s why the only way for you to survive is to join me.”

“I’ll never join you, even if it kills me! Eventually, I’ll have enough power to kill you! Fate be damned!” I shouted, despite this, Ryu seemed amused by this.

“I was hoping you’d consider otherwise, but perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. I will need any outside influences removed. Perhaps I’ll kill Elowyn here and pretend to be your friend in the next attempt.”

Ryu was serious. I was going to die if he attacked. I think Elowyn also realized that; her expression looked horrified. There was nothing we could do to stop him as of now.

“What about that plan of yours?” I asked her. However, Elowyn shook her head; any idea of a plan she had vanished from her mind.

Ryu walked towards us, then charged. His first target was me, but before he could sink his blade into my chest, a hand stopped him. It was the Goddess of Life herself. Her stone body reappeared between us.

“Tch!? You again!?” Ryu seemed a bit agitated this time, as if not anticipating the intrusion. “I see, perhaps I was wrong then.” Ryu seemed to be picking up on something I didn’t. “Well, who am I to interrupt?” He chuckled, “I'd better split, but before I do. Razan, how about we have one final match at the Tower of the Goddess?” He didn’t even give me a chance to accept or deny before rushing out of the building.

Finally, the Goddess of Life herself turned around to face me. “I trust you’ve been well, Razan Hamada.”

I didn’t know what to say. After everything I heard, I still felt some degree of shock.

“I…I guess?” I know damn well how unsure I felt, and no doubt was.

“Let not his words disturb you.” The Stone Goddess placed her hands on my cheek as she said it. I felt a warm presence, yet I felt something enter me. I couldn’t quite describe what it was, however.

“Fate had decreed you died yet again, but it seems you have defied it.” Her words stirred some thoughts in my brain.

“Defy? Fate?” I asked, unsure if I was hearing her correctly. That was right, he said, fate always decreed he would win; he always got what he wanted in any outcome of a fight.

Yet in our fight, interrupted as it was.

Was it intended to happen?

“That is because you and he have both taken two separate paths. Yet in the end, both lead to the same endpoint.”

I felt her twitch, just a bit. I looked up to find, not the Stone Goddess, but rather the Death Goddess, the very same one I met in the in-between.

“Certain death.” I didn’t even see it coming. The blade she had hidden on her person, but it came to me as she plunged it deep into me.

Me and Ryu were two sides of the same coin, just as the Goddess of Life and Death were the same way.

I saw her teleport away before I fell to the floor. All I could do was groan as numbness took hold of me.

Elowyn grabbed me, took me to the magic carpet, and ran to get us help. The closest place that would have some medical supplies would be the Heroe’s Guild. It seemed we would be back, and when Elowyn and I landed outside.

I felt a horrible feeling upon the door being opened.

A demon stood inside, with Collette on the floor, dead.

Remaining participants: 10/100.

Game status: In progress.

Razan Hamada Status: Alive.