Six Warriors

Light Over Moon - (Ethan)

Ethan stood up again and took a deep breath. He remembered a quote that one of his anime heroes had said, a blonde guy in orange jumpsuit... it was like this:

“Just give up on trying to make me give up!” He snarled at his opponent, who only snorted in contempt and gave her sword a slight flick.

"I was hoping to win this battle through diplomacy and without death or serious injury. But with you, dumbhead, it's a waste of time. Will I have to convince you through pain?"

They continued the fight, although Ethan was more wounded he wasn't going to give up easily. Aretha attacked and he dodged the edge of the sword blood still gushed from his wounds, Ethan knew he had to think of something fast, or else...

"You don't stand a chance against me boy, why insist on this fight?" Aretha asked.

"For starters, I didn't want to fight, I wanted a date under the beautiful moonlight and fondle your golden hair on that white sand beach... but instead you wanted to fight for this crystal, well, that was the power entrusted to me, what kind of man would I be if I gave up so easily?"

"So suffer! HALF MOON CUT!" She fired that semicircle-shaped luminous attack that came from the swing of her sword, Ethan dodged the attack and counterattacked.

"LIGHT ATTACK CROSS!!" Ethan roared and the crisscross attack went towards Aretha, who also dodged. The girl raised the sword a little to a height close to her face and smiled, part of the light from one of the moons made the edge of that sword sparkle.

"It's time to take all of this more seriously, very well, try to last two minutes after my decision, light bearer. REFLECTED MOONLIGHT!" The light that had once glinted in a simple luminescence of polished steel increased in potency and reflected well in Ethan's eyes, who couldn't help but close them in the glare.

In the next moment the boy felt a strong kick in his stomach, followed by a blow with the sword button to his head, and finally a strong kick in the chest that knocked him backward and knocked him to the ground. Only after that little s******g was he able to start opening his eyes and saw Aretha looking down on him.

"How many times could I have killed you in that time? Think, you don't stand a chance!" Said Aretha.

"Then why didn't you kill me?"

"All life has its value, I don't like killing for no reason... and I see no reason to kill you, you're just a lost boy. However... I place my orders above that, orders above values, if I need to kill you to get Kerd back, I'll do it."

Ethan slowly got to his feet and glanced at the girl.

"I don't want to die either. But... I can't hand over so lightly what was entrusted to me. I feel that... I feel that I'm going to my destiny and whatever is above the earthly dimension, something or someone superior to us, I think it's the plan of what's called God for me. So if I have to die to do my duty I'll do it. Duty above my life."

"Very well said, but will you be brave enough to keep your words? MOONSTRUCK VISIONS!" once again the dazzling gleam was in Ethan's eyes, but unlike the other time it didn't hurt his vision that much, however, he now saw everything around him a little brighter than usual, as if he were inside a TV screen or something... another thing, he found himself stuck to one of the walls of the ruins by some constricting magic of Aretha and the young woman was in front of him with the sword raised.

"Now is the moment of truth, you will not be able to escape my magic, your answer will determine your destiny. Answer clearly, will you willingly hand me the Kerd of light or will you keep your word of duty above life itself?"

Ethan felt the seriousness of the girl's words. He felt fear, he was faced with the inherent possibility of death, something he had never experienced before... there was nowhere to run away, it was death or the failure of duty.

"Don't despair. Don't be afraid. Don't waver." A voice roared in her ear, as if it came from inside of his spirit, and it was like a lion showing his royalty and dominance.

"I will not back down on my word." Ethan said calmly.

"Coldness and calm in the face of death. It's not the first time I've seen you act like an honorable warrior in this fight...but it will be the last, you made your choice, now face the consequences!" Aretha jumped and raised her sword, the tip gleaming with the reflection of the moon's glow, "HALF MOON CUT!!"

Artume's attack slashed at Ethan and easily sliced his arm off, as simple as a knife through butter, Ethan screamed in pain and despair as he saw his limb separate from his body as blood spurted in heaps.

"You'd bleed to death... if I gave it time. Before that, I'll cut you into little pieces like meat at the butcher's... unless of course you give up. There's still time, give up the obligation you think have and we can heal your wound with magic at the Order's headquarters."

Ethan was really wobbly now, not only was his body badly injured and his blood leaking out of his body, his psychological was badly shaken, he had just lost a limb and the possibility of death was still ahead of him in the figure of a young beautiful woman with a deadly sword.

"Don't despair. Don't be afraid. Don't waver."  The voice roared again, Ethan still thought of giving up, but the voice repeated the roaring words like a mantra. "Don't despair. Don't be afraid. Don't waver. Don't despair. Don't be afraid. Don't waver." 

"No! I don't fear the possibility of death, I won't deny my destiny before the unknown!" Ethan roared with the conviction of a lion. Aretha looked at him with respect.

"What's your name?"

"E... Ethan Celestian."

"When I report the success of my mission, I will not say that I shot down a mere thief...no...I will say that I triumphed over a worthy warrior. Die with honor, Ethan. HALF MOON CUT!!" The diagonal attack hit Ethan's body squarely, slashing through his clothing, skin, flesh and then bones and slicing through him in a way that almost looked easy… still not quite understanding, Ethan found himself falling while half of his body still remained. standing. He was dead.

...

He woke with a start as if he had just had a nightmare. His body was still in one piece, although the lunge wound was still on his shoulder he still had both arms and his body was definitely not half. He understood now, that spell Aretha called "Moonstruck Vision" was an illusion.

"You passed the test, Ethan, you are truly worthy, I no longer doubt that." Artume said respectfully in his voice, "I respect you, but I still cannot say that the Kerd must belong to you. Just like you, who values duty, so am I, so even if I think there is dignity in you, I must still try to get the crystal back at all costs. The next attacks, Ethan, will not be an illusion." 

Artume focused his magic on his sword that glowed aggressively while Ethan watched it all with stoic calm.

"Don't dispair. Don't be afraid. Don't waver." Ethan whispered to himself, knowing he wasn't alone, that forces greater than himself were protecting him somehow. Somehow, Ethan managed to think of a new way to manifest his power, in other words, a new magical technique.

"HALF MOON CUT!!"

Arthume conjured his magic that went straight to Ethan, who in turn closed his eyes, sighed and spread his arms with open palms.

"SPARKLING WALL!!"  a blockage appeared like a semi-transparent, shimmering glass wall and when Artume's moon-shaped magic hit that defense, sparks of magical light sprayed everywhere like a light show, in the end, Ethan's wall was, the Artume's attack ended.

"HALF MOON CUT!" Artume returned to attack, but Ethan kept his crystal wall blocking the attacks, until the girl realized it was useless.

"You are right. LIGHT ATTACK CROSS!!" Ethan attacked, Aretha dodging and scrutinizing Ethan as if thinking of some tactic to catch him off guard. Ethan again fired his technique in the form of a cross, but this time he started to miss the attacks. It turned out that he wasn't exactly targeting his opponent. Aretha also fired her illuminated cuts, which Ethan no longer blocked with his new technique, just tried to deflect.

""My technique has a lot more scope, Ethan, besides I have a lot more magic power, one hour yours will run out and you'll be helpless."

"I wouldn't count on it. You really think I'm just missing my attacks on you, right?"

"Don't underestimate me, Ethan, I know you're planning something, I didn't see any intention in you of hitting your magic on me. If I were to kick what you're doing, you're trying to destroy this structure and thereby get me in trouble."

"Actually, all this upper part of the structure was your attacks that started to destroy... my plan is something else."

"W... what?"

"Watch. LIGHT ATTACK CROSS!" Ethan fired the attack at the ceiling that began to crumble, then he cast "SPARKLING WALL!!!" The stone structure began to crumble over the heads of Ethan and Aretha, while the boy conjured his wall of light to protect him from the blow, the girl cut the large stones with blows of her sword, albeit with some difficulty, by strength and speed required for such a task. This is where Ethan's earlier attacks and his plan to unleash his magic against the floor of the ruins come into play. Somehow the boy realized that the point where Aretha was standing was somewhere above a dungeon, he weakened that point so when the structure fell that place was forced to the point of collapse and Aretha fell into the dungeon. The girl, too busy cutting the stones that fell on her head, barely noticed the boulders under her feet and the local weakening to the point where the ground crumbled and she was simply surprised when it happened. Falling without a foothold, the girl just fell with a hollow sound into that mysterious, crumbling dungeon as all the previous boulders she had cut before and the rocks that still fell all fell on her, who could do nothing but suffer helplessly.

After the rain of Stones had passed and a cloud of dust was hanging in the air, Ethan went to the hole where Aretha lay. The girl was there, lying among some boulders, very injured. When she saw Ethan above the dungeon, she still gritted her teeth and went back to gripping the sword that had fallen to her side.

"I don't like the idea of hurting such a beautiful person, but I did what was necessary. Aretha, it's over, I won."

"No…it's not over yet…finish me Ethan, despite all the beauty you say I have I'm still a warrior and proud of one. Don't dishonor me!"

"As you wish. LIGHT ATTACK CROSS!!!" The magic attack hit the body of Aretha, who only then fainted and her hand loosened around the hilt of the sword.

Relieved with the end of the battle, Ethan's blood cooled and only then did he begin to feel the pain and the physical and mental fatigue of that mortal battle much more intensely. He felt his knees shake and his vision begin to blur, but before he blacked out, Ethan swore he caught a glimpse of a small, orange-haired girl.