Chapter 33 - The Duel

From the perspective of Razan

The night felt long; if all went well, it would be the last night I would ever have in this world. Despite the fact that we saved Arcadia, hardly any of the people wanted anything to do with us. That was fine, I suppose.

Not like I will ever see them again.

“We should get it out of the way,” Tetsuo muttered as he sat down across from me. “Our duel, I mean.”

I shook my head. “No way, we’ll at the very least sever the connection, and if we can. Try to take the Goddess down with us.” I would never fight him, as long as it was still Tetsuo, he was my responsibility.

“Don’t you feel bad?” He looked over at the sleeping Grace and Elowyn. “It will be the last time seeing them as well when all goes well.”

I looked at them as well when he did. I felt something, a bit of sadness, I suppose. I had grown far more attached to them than I ever hoped to admit.

“I suppose we’ll have plenty of opportunities to say goodbye to them later,” Tetsuo grumbled before leaving the room, presumably to try and get some sleep.

Eventually, I decided to lie down as well, and sleep took hold of me over time.

The next day came, the final morning. I had a simple egg and toast breakfast. The cooks in the mess hall said nothing to us; they had their duties to serve us, even if they may or may not have agreed with us being here.

Finally, it was time to fly to the tower itself. We rode the magic carpet, of course, I didn’t mind the ride today, the sky was clear, even if things got slightly more cloudy and the wind did pick up a bit as we approached.

Before long, we stood at the entrance. Waiting for us was Ryu.

“Took you long enough.” He looked at me, a resigned look on his face; his plan either worked or failed. If it failed, all he had to do was wait another fifty years to try again.

“Come, we’ll fight at the top. The Goddess wants to watch us fight.” With that, he motioned for us all to follow, and as we did, we stumbled onto an elevator. We watched as it slowly rode to the top.

“This is ridiculous, Ryu. The person you are now, you’re far different than how everyone remembered you.” I looked at him.

“What happens when everyone around you dies. You start to value life less. The Ryu you guys all knew died a long time ago.” He said it so plainly, so focused. It pissed me off even further.

“I can’t entirely forgive you for everything, Ryu, but it’s still not too late to not do this.” I pleaded.

“Leave it, Razan,” Elowyn grabbed my shoulder. “Like he said, he’s not the same person; any good in him left a long time ago.” She would know, I suppose, she’s gone through this same song and dance countless times.

Grace remained silent the whole ride up. Same with Tetsuo, but for differing reasons. Grace seemed more or less unable to respond, as if she was paralyzed with a dread she had been awaiting for so long.

Tetsuo was focused on the objective at hand. Once the duel was over, it would be time for the grand finale.

Finally, the elevator reached the top, and Ryu motioned me once again to follow, as everyone as tailed, they walked straight into a barrier, set up no doubt by the Goddess.

I saw her up above; she looked almost bored. I doubt this was exactly the outcome she wanted, but an employer needed to keep her workers happy, I suppose.

Most of all, Elowyn looked worried; no doubt, whatever plan she had wasn’t going to work. I would have to fight and win on my own. Given his own ability, I wasn’t sure if I had the means to win.

“This is your last chance, Ryu. Stand down. If not, I will not, I refuse, to hold back. I will put you down, whatever means necessary.”

Ryu said nothing; he simply positioned himself with his blade. “There is no redeeming me, and we both know that. I will die as I am, a monster who sought immortality by throwing away the lives that cared for me.”

With that, he lunged. I could feel the pressure of the world itself pulling against me; nonetheless, I was able to block the attack.

I was surprised, and it seemed so was Ryu. His ability wasn’t working.

I decided to strike, but it seemed this time, I was able to strike a lot better than before. I felt something, as if the entire world itself was on my side this time. Something was wrong; all my strikes on Ryu were landing, yet the Goddess herself looked none the least concerned or surprised.

I wanted to stop, but it felt as if an unseen force was guiding my every blow, before long. I had struck Ryu for the twentieth time. Even then, my body refused to give up; it kept going, and I was hardly in control now.

The world itself willed for me to keep going. Ryu’s expression looked shocked, then I realized.

I jumped back and looked up as Ryu fell back. The battle was over before it could even begin.

“You cheat! You rigged the duel, didn’t you!?” I looked up at her. I felt robbed, cheated, and I imagine Ryu felt the same way.

We were going to settle everything, but now, we can’t.

That was why she did it; there was no other reason but to rob us both of what we craved.

“So what if I did?” The Goddess spoke cruelly.

“Why you!” I jumped up at her. I intended to strike her down then and there, but she simply moved out of the way. I felt a surge of pain as I felt every part of my body twist and turn, then simply tossed aside.

I hurt, and even worse, I still felt unfulfilled. My friends, my family, they all died because of that creep, and I couldn’t even get revenge? I couldn’t even be granted that.

“He was planning to kill me first; I suppose I had to act accordingly.” She smirked, satisfied. Like a child who was bored with a toy, moving onto another after tossing the first aside.

I watched as Ryu lay there, his body dissolving; he could say no words. There will be no new life for him, all that, to lose it all.

Now I felt even more pissed.

“Oh, and there is still one other competitor alive. Go ahead, Razan, finish him off, and you will have any wish you desire.” She pointed at Tetsuo, now pinned to the ground with an unseen force.

To kill him, I could win; I could wish to have Elowyn and Grace. I could go back and even undo everything, maybe even save Ryu from turning into the very thing we all despised.

Limitless possibilities.

Then I felt my hand guided by the invisible hand of fate itself; I couldn’t control it, for my hand moved on its own.

“Fate itself decrees that Razan Hamada…wins…” With those words, I plunged the blade right into Tetsuo’s stomach, and I winced as I did.

“Sensei…sensei…” Tetsuo gasped for air; not only could I not fight Ryu, but even Tetsuo was stolen. I could not look at him.

“Tetsuo, I…I’m sorry, I couldn’t.” I pleaded for forgiveness, or perhaps this was karma. It was, after all, the same place he stabbed me.

“Why feel sorry for him? He was a mere tool. I made his entire existence for the purpose of killing you, so that you could end up here, so I could finally be rid of you, and Ryu.” The Goddess confessed.

“Tools do not deserve happy endings.” She mused with a sadistic grin.

I watched as the life left Tetsuo’s eyes, and he slowly dissolved, all the while my hand, forced by the grip of fate, plunged the blade over and over into Tetsuo.

Those eyes, they haunted me more than anything else; his last thoughts very well could have been reflecting on the words she left.

Perhaps even the Goddess herself planned those words, for the reason solely to hurt Tetsuo all the more.

“Come, Razan, let us go to the in-between to discuss your prize.” With those words, a portal opened up, revealing a way to the exit of this world. I felt compelled to wander inside, and it was then that I felt something warm. As if something else existed in me.

That warmth persisted as I floated in the connector between worlds. Between dimensions, and two infinite universes.

“Go ahead, and state your wish.” The Goddess remained firmer and calmer now. Victory had been assured; she had won after all.

What could I do? She had proven I was utterly powerless to save anyone. To defeat anyone, my very purpose and direction were at her whims.

How could I ever stand a chance against a foe like her?

I bet I couldn’t even make it to the connector, which stood right behind her, taunting me.

I didn’t even get to say goodbye to Elowyn or Grace.

I remembered Miko now, how I never got to tell her how I felt, how I never got to hold her hand at that movie theater and laugh like we were kids again.

I never even got to tell Grace how I felt, either.

“I wish–” I was about to speak when in through the portal came Elowyn and Grace. The only two left.

They shouldn’t have come. Yet maybe they should, after all, I felt a new kind of fire rise within me. A glow representing life itself.

“What is this?”

I punched her, I punched the Goddess; her cheek was now bruised, and I even managed to break free from her hold, that feeling that had existed ever since Astora Castle.

The Goddess of Life herself planted her will of rebellion against her very sister. I just had to realize it and take hold of it.

It was time to fight. Once and for all.

“That…that hurt!”

The Goddess grumbled; she felt her cheek, the pain likely foreign to her, as this would be the first and only time she had ever been challenged.

“I’ll make you suffer for that, Razan Hamada!” With that declaration, the Goddess shot towards me, and our battle began.

To be continued.

RAZAN VICTORY!

RAZAN VICTORY!

AWAITING WISH AND TRANSPORT TO HOMEWORLD!