Chapter 39: Yoru

The hallway felt, well, dead. It was well lit in the hallway, and Yoru could see quite well. The exit was like a shimmering gate, brighter than a thousand stars. Though, as he continued walking he felt as if the light was growing weaker, and farther away.

Finally, he approached the exit, but was hurtled back to the beginning.

“What is this?” he asked himself, his voice a leaf in the quiet wind.

Yoru continued walking toward the exit, but as he approached it for what seemed like the one hundredth time, a figure came from the wall. H-Harry?

“Yoru? Yoru! Yoru is that you?” asked the Harry shaped figure.

“Y-yeah, yes it's me Harry,” he replied, shocked to see his dead brother. Harry’s face grew grim as Yoru confirmed who he was.

“Too bad then.” Harry grabbed Yoru’s face and hit it against the floor, “you disgust me,” he said, spitting on him.

Yoru stumbled up, “Harry, what is this?” he asked.

“Yoru, Yoru, Yoru, you fool, what ‘this is’ is me taking revenge on my killer,” Harry replied, knocking Yoru down again.

“But, but I didn’t kill you, Thalorian did!” protested Yoru.

“And yet, you sided with him,” he replied, kicking Yoru. “The friend of my enemy is my enemy.”

“We’re brothers, Harry, why are you doing this?” Yoru asked, tears starting to crawl down his face.

“Insolent pest!” yelled Harry, kicking Yoru farther from him. “I am not your brother! Your father is that scum Thalorian!”

“Thalorian’s not my father! Grant is. Grant and Sarah, they raised me, not Thalorian!” Yoru held his head, and racked it for any sort of counter. Finally, as Harry approached him for the last time, he had gained an answer.

“Ready to give in to your insolence, ant,” Harry said, bending down to meet him at eye level.

“Vael’tharos Taal,” whispered Yoru so quietly that even he could barely hear it.

“What was that, punk!” roared Harry. Suddenly Harry felt a blast of pain in his head, “What is this… punk?” Harry asked, slurring his words.

“You’re not my brother,” said Yoru, standing up so that he was above Harry. “Harry wouldn’t care about his killer. He wouldn’t beat up his brother, and he wouldn’t think of me as his killer. Despite how much we fought, I know that deep down he loves me, and I love him.”

“Fool!” coughed Harry, barely getting it out.

Yoru closed his eyes, “Shut up! You are not Harry, so don’t you dare put your vile words in his mouth, don’t make him say things he would never say!”

Harry let out a small chortle, but before he could let out his final words, he faded into dust. Just keep walking, Yoru, you didn’t just kill your brother. Yoru reassured himself of that several times on his final walk of the hallway. He knew he would never get over Harry’s death, and all the other people that had died because of him, but dwelling on the past wasn’t going to help anyone.

As he walked out, he looked around him to see Ablbren and Josh were already there.

“Well,” Yoru smiled, “how’s everyone doing?”

Josh looked up from the chair he was sitting in, his face was dark, and bruised. He looked like a beaten kitten on the side of the road, begging for food, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Ablbren looked equally as crushed, “I had to relive my mother’s death, it was… horrific.”

Yoru hesitated before he spoke, “Harry. Harry was in the hallway, he wasn’t… the real Harry, though.”

Almost immediately after Yoru spoke the right-facing wall collapsed. The hell?

On the other side were Thalorian, Haverian, and Limiria. Then from the ceiling, a pedestal fell.

“Welcome!” boomed one of the figures atop the pedestal. As it touched the ground Yoru realized who was on the bronze pedestal with gold embroidery.

“Iris!” Josh yelled, his mood shifting.

“Avris,” growled Elben, grabbing his sword.

Before Yoru could react Iris was behind him, “Hey Yoru, been a while.” Then she whispered in his ear, “Considered my offer yet?”

Yoru spun around, but she was already back on the pedestal, next to Avris.

“Don’t you lambs worry. We’re not here for a fight, we’re here to talk,” said Iris, stepping off the pedestal, “give up now and we’ll consider sparing you.”

Haverian walked forward, “Look around you! It’s a six versus two!”

“Yes, six against two, terrible odds,” said Iris, her back turned to the crowd that had gathered, “for you.” she finished, malice in her eyes.

Yoru glanced to his side and saw Ablbren struggling to withhold himself.

Yoru looked back at himself. Iris had given him an offer a few days ago. Join her, join Jiyoda, and nothing bad will happen to him, ever again. It’s too good to be true, right?

“No,” said Yoru, “I refuse your offer, I could never join you, not as long as you're not Iris, not as long as you follow Jiyoda.”

Iris looked disappointed, her gaze shifted down, then up again, “Too bad. Well I guess we are here to fight then.”

Iris seemingly teleported behind Thalorian and raised a lightning covered blade. Thalorian spun around and blocked with his own sword.

Avris was suddenly in front of him, swinging his sword horizontally, Yoru ducked under it and countered by kicking Avris’s leg.

After summoning an axe and a spear he tossed one to Josh, and took a fighting stance. Ablbren rushed at Avris and brought his sword down, just to be countered. In the moment of confusion Yoru thrust his spear forward and into Avris’s abdomen. Avris looked down to Yoru, and spun, knocking the weapons out of him.

Thalorian dashed away from Iris and landed a kick to her head, hitting it like a metal pole. Yoru ducked under another attack from Avris as Josh jumped up and hit his axe into the angel’s back.

“Hell yeah!” Josh celebrated. Avris looked up from his hunched over stance and Yoru cut Avris’s face with his spear. We’re winning!

Avris clicked his tongue and stood up, Josh ran at him with another attack, and was then batted away, by Avris’s muscular hand.

“Josh!” screamed Yoru. Yoru turned back to Avris, “Fornen E’xsen!” Avris’s arm started contorting and snapping, but Avris before it could fully sever he grabbed Yoru and threw him against the wall.

Iris turned toward Avris, still fighting Thalorian, Limiria, and Haverian, “Careful on the merchandise!” she yelled.

“Sorry, Amari,” said Avris, rolling his eyes while walking toward Ablbren. Avris swung his broadsword at Elben, who countered with his own sword, then went in for a blow. Avris rolled to the side, dodging the blade, then jumping over Elben and cutting into his arm with his sword.

Elben screamed in pain as his severed arm tumbled to the ground. Blood seeping from the grave wound, and pooling onto the floor.

Yoru sprinted toward Elben, “Shan Vri Ri’rion!” he chanted, putting pressure on the wound. Although ‘Shan Vri Ri’rion’ was supposed to be one of the strongest healing spells, nothing happened.

Elben coughed up some blood, “You should know, Yoru, in angelic lore, when there are twins, only the twins can truly injure each other. That arm… it’s gone.”

“Elben, no!” Josh yelled, getting up from his position on the wall.

Elben stood up, “You’ve grown stronger, Avris, but you still won’t best me!” declared Elben, taking his sword and rushing Avris.

“You always were a stubborn bastard, Elben!”

Elben turned behind himself, “Yoru! Josh! Help the others with Amari!” he commanded, his voice carried a hint of leadership.

Yoru turned and ran toward Iris, jumping up and dropkicking her off Thalorian. Yoru tumbled to the ground, before speaking once more, “Did that look awesome? I feel like that was awesome.”

Iris stood back up, but Limiria had dashed in front of her and blocked her attack with her sword. Yoru hit her with the blunt of his spear, knocking her to the side. Josh came from behind and hit her with the blunt of his axe, before Haverian punched her in the face.

“Fuck all of you!” screamed Iris, her mana emanating off of her, “hope you're ready for the biggest ‘state of the year.” Amari Rellien, possessor of Iris Rellien, had entered the Arcane State.

Yoru stumbled back in fear, he had seen what he could do in the Arcane State, so someone who was many times stronger than him using it was terrifying.

Thalorian seemed to be focusing deeply on something, until finally his own mana started flowing. Thalorian had also hit his Arcane State. Now it’s just me left… worried Yoru.

Yoru focused as deeply as he could, feeling his mana flow and weave itself into his body, he tried to reach that fabled state of perfection. Until finally he felt it, the Arcane State.

“Iris? I hope you're ready for the biggest beating of your life!” taunted Yoru.

Iris just started laughing, “I knew I liked you, Yoru Hibbaku.”