A Game To Be With You

I am a Legendary Weapon

“Hey. What is going on?” Eric was shaking when he asked Matt who was driving the car.

Matt didn’t answer who was speeding up the car. There’s nothing else around them but pitch black. Not even the moon is visible. Nothing. Nothing was there.  Linda was behind them, slowly crying.

“We’ve been driving for I assume to be three hours, and yet it is still 11.30pm.” Matt yelled and punched the car bench. “We left at 11.30 from Randy’s. What is going on?”

“I know. I know.” Eric mumbled silently. Cold sweat is running all over his face despite the strong cold air inside the car. “It’s that bastard’s fault!”

Linda cried silently until the two men heard her sobbing.

“I don’t care about finding John. We have to get out of this time loop or we will drive here for the rest of eternity until we die.” Eric said.

Matt screamed.

…

As they walked, John stayed behind the man. They are walking at the streets of Millesota, and now approaching that public train station he used to ride everyday when he goes to office.

Crowfire. That was the man's name. And now, he was his regalia, and he is his master. Crowfire believes he was already dead. Is he really dead? He didn't think so. But why would Crowfire hit him earlier when he said he remembers? Nothing is making any sense. For him, since things start to become out of ordinary, he should stick to what he has been told.

Crowfire was the name of his previous company before he resigned and went to Eagle Inc. This isn't the past, he murmured in himself. But it is only one thing he was sure, it is another world, a different one from where he really was. He just thought it was impossible, but now, he was already here.

Crowfire stopped. He had a sudden grip on his phone. John bumped behind him.

“John, I know this is weird for you. Right know, you and me have a special connection, a bond that will last as long as I exist.” Crowfire said. He tilted his head aand continued, “So what you feel connects to me. If you are in pain, so as I am. And when you are guilty, I got stung and have blights.”

John listened. The man was very gentle with his words, but John sensed the dread behind his lines, a cowering fear the man tries to keep all this time. He felt his trust, in contrary through him.

“Those blights, if I had more than I could bear, I’ll die. But we need to fight and survive. This world has been changed before you entered here. Please accept me as your new master, and I will protect you in return.” Crowfire said. He stopped and looked him from behind.

John didn’t know how to respond. The more things he hears, the more everything doesn’t make sense.

"Another oracle holder." Crowfire mumbled. He heard his phone produced cracking digital sound. He saw the message right in the screen. He gritted his teeth. Sweat immediately ran through his forehead.

At that moment, John realized it was already dark. The only ones that give them light through out the way are the street lights. The two of them stopped right under a lamp post. The alleys are all silent but the wind howls while the breeze came over.

John looked at the dark alley. The light from the street light cannot reach it. From there, the two of them heard sounds. These are taps on the hard road. It was getting louder, and coming closer to them.

John peeked at Crowfire's bracelet and he saw holograms of the events with corresponding time stamps:

9.45: Crowfire calls his regalia as the enemy reveals in the light.

9.47: Crowfire attacked Lionglass with John

9.49: Lionglass flipped his body and drew his regalia, Claw.

9.51: Lionglass stabbed Crowfire on his belly. Claw slices Crowfire's neck. John breaks in pieces.

9.53: CROWFIRE DEAD END

"Wha-what?" John staggered backwards when he read the text message. It was already 9.44 in the evening according to Crowfire's phone.

Crowfire's hand was trembling. His body shakes while his teeth grit really hard. The sweat drips on his forehead despite the cold blow of air around him. Will I win this? The thought just uttered in his mind.

"We are not gonna lose. We beat Lionglass in the nationals before." John immediately blurted out and put his palm on his master's back.

Crowfire took a deep breath and his eyes darted back to the screen. It was already 9.46. The messages changed.

9.47 Crowfire calls his Regalia.

9.48 Lionglass attacks.

Then it blurs...

"Come John." Crowfire shouted.

A gust of air brushed behind him. A blurred shadow whizzed behind. The shadow hit his head. A slit passed through his forehead. Crowfire flipped his body and jumped in the air. His arms reached John as he turns into a sword blade. He grabbed him and landed rolling on the floor. He immediately bent his legs and sit while the sword blade is on his mouth.

"Oh, it is my first time seeing an oracle holder around here." At a short distance, a blonde man appeared and stepped on the light. He was wearing a maroon jersey jacket. On the left side of his jacket was a cross stitch, Lionglass. He raised his hand and caught a boomerang flying with sharp blades on its two ends. He said, "It has been a long time since I have seen you, flightless chicken..."

Crowfire wiped his forehead with his arm. He didn't realize the blood gushing out from his head. He held his sword on his hand and stood.

"How long you have been an oracle holder, Lionglass?" Crowfire said. His teeth still gnash. He looked at the man sharply.

"Oh, don't be so scared, my destined rival. It was just yesterday when I met that new reincarnation of Hera, Psyche." Lionglass starts to take his steps, one by one every after his words until he was a meter close to Crowfire.

John as a sword can still read the messages from his master's phone.

9.58: Lionglass plays his regalia boomerang behind his back while talking to Crowfire.

10.00: Crowfire dodges the boomerang. He jumped in the air and rolled again.

10.02: Lionglass started to run towards Crowfire. Crowfire gripped John and waved it on Lionglass.

10.04: Lionglass dodged Crowfire but missed to get away further

10.05: Crowfire slashed Lionglass's arms and stabbed his chest.

10.07: LIONGLASS DEAD END

John narrowed his eyes. There are little shadows of bits, moving behind Lionglass, floating and whizzing the air. His eyes bulged out.

Lionglass rolls the boomerang on his hand. He tossed it back and forth while his eyes are following.

"You know, it has been a long time we saw each other. What a pitiful reunion, we have, do you agree?" Lionglass was almost dancing with his boomerang. The shadows behind him moved faster

John can't get the sense of what's written in the phone. But as he had observed, it somehow tells what will happen next. Lionglass might have the same gadget as Crowfire, he thought.

Lionglass threw the boomerang flying. It rolled in the air so fast. It's whizzing sound flips the wind. Crowfire's head turned and follow the direction of the boomerang. He gripped his sword tightly. The boomerang slowly disappeared; it goes further up in the dark sky.

John suddenly felt worried. He looked at Lionglass. Lionglass was having a zipped smile while gazing at him. He noticed the shadows behind him are still moving, and their movements were faster than earlier. John's eyes suddenly darted back to the phone.

10.03: Lionglass's regalia Claw, impaled Crowfire.

10.05: Crowfire dropped to the ground.

10.07: CROWFIRE DEAD END

"Claw" Crowfire whispered while his eyes quickly glanced at the phone.

The sky lightened up.

"Hahahahah... Claw, kill Crowfire..." Lionglass burst out laughing while his hands are spreading around.

Crowfire felt scared as he looked at up above the sky. The boomerang wasn't coming back. It is almost time.

John's eyes bulge out. He slipped through Crowfire's grip and flew before his master. Thousands of blades rained before Crowfire's eyes. It came from Lionglass's back. Lionglass was still laughing while the blades spread across him.

John's blade moved fast, whizzing, swirling the air around Crowfire.

The clatter of bouncing metal blades becomes very loud in less than seconds. Crowfire can't move. He can't even see John moving so fast. Hundreds and thousands of blades are approaching from all directions but he never felt anything to strike him. No, there's nothing that touches him.

Along with the blade raining was the light and sparks of John against those. Far from that point, he saw Lionglass, who was still laughing.

"So, this is Claw, your thousand blades. You deceived that oracle, Lionglass." Crowfire wiped his mouth and his forehead with his arm. The blood starts to dry up. "I thought that boomerang was it."

The blades won't stop approaching. John was still invisible, only the blur left of his movements was what Crowfire sees. Crowfire can't think of what he should do. Slowly, he felt being tired. He knew, it was because of his regalia. John was exhausting with his speed. Then, he felt a bone on his chest cracked.

"Ahhh..." he wailed. He gripped his chest with his palm and fell on his knees. He vomited blood and coughed very loudly.

"Crowfire." John gazed back at his master while clattering over the other blades. He was very tired. But he can still move. He can, but not for long.

A blade bumped on John. The edge of his sword body cracked.

"AHHHH..." Crowfire felt the strike on John through his chest. He fell on the ground flat,  then he started vomiting blood. His head bumped but he's eyes are still open.

"Crowfireeeee..." John wailed as the pain of cracking rapidly drives through his body. It was like his bones are all cracking one by one. He wailed while the thousand blades are still bouncing against him, "Ahhhhhhh... It...It...hurts... Ahhhhh..."

While Crowfire was on the ground, he looked the sky. With the light from the lamp post, he saw all the blades turned their direction to John.

"No. Nooooo... Please stop. John will die again..." Crowfire tried to stand up. He lifted up his hand on Lionglass. Lionglass was still having a grin while his eyes are stuck on his blades, flocking the lone sword.

"Come... Hammer... Thor..." words left Crowfire's mouth when his eyes darted on John.

The c***k on John’s blade branched. Then he..

….had broken in pieces. His pieces clattered over the other blades. Then he fell on the ground.

"No... John..." Crowfire tried to run through him but he faltered on his shoes.

The blades stopped from moving and all flew towards the back of Lionglass.

Crowfire stood and grabbed John's pieces on the ground. His hands shook while holding those blade pieces. A great hollow pain struck his chest but he tried to endure it.

"Time for you, fallen crow." Lionglass said and looked at Crowfire sharply.

Crowfire gripped the blades on his hands. The shard sliced his palms. His blood oozes from it. Tears brimmed on his eyes. He cannot do anything. One of his regalia was dead.

Lionglass motioned his hand upward. His thousand blades directed their point edge on Crowfire. He was stunned as the glitter of lights suddenly shone up from the ground where John's pieces rest.

Crowfire stood up. John's pieces were lighting up, like fireflies. Then the ones in ground floated in the open air. Crowfire stood as the pieces stopped at his front. The ones on his b****y hands joined the ones floating and started to light up.

Lionglass's jaw dropped. Crowfire stepped back. John's pieces were changing. Each piece is becoming longer, long lines of yellow light. As the light slowly fades, John's pieces drew and landed on Crowfire's open palms.

John became a pack of metal arrows.

"Ha... Ahh..." Crowfire had a sudden gasp of air as he absorbs what beholds before his eyes. He staggered back.

Lionglass out of nowhere whispered, "An Insignia for Crowfire."

His eyes bulged out and never realized what will happen next.

Lionglass flustered to what he have seen. It has been a long time since both of them, he and Crowfire witnessed regalia changed and become an Insignia.

"Crowfire. It seems you been quite fortunate tonight." Lionglass wiped his mouth with his hand. He looked at Crowfire. Crowfire was still standing startled. Lionglass pointed his hand and said, "It is not yet over. Claw, kill Crowfire!"

The thousand blades flew in the air. They flew towards Crowfire. Crowfire seemed frozen on his point. He was still holding the pack of arrows. He just lifted his head slowly.

Then the blades struck him. They rained and buried all over his body, on his arms, on his back, on his chest, on his torso and on his legs. His hands holding John are the only part of him that didn't struck.

His blood splattered and showered in the midst of whizzing blades.

"Ahhh..." a soft moan left on Crowfire's mouth. He dropped on his knees while looking above the sky. His eyes and his mouth are wide open. Blood slowly dripped from his lips down to his chin.

The body of the blades are impaled deep on Crowfire's muscles. Blood gushes very slowly on his wounds.

Lionglass waved his hand in the air. The blades stopped and floated. He shrugged and said, "I thought your Insignia will show us a better show. Quite disappointing."

Lionglass made another wave of his hand.The floating blades flew back through his sides. The ones impaled on Crowfire quickly pulled over. The blood spurted out, sprinkling in the air.

"Ahhh...Ahhhhh..." Crowfire groaned softly, he fell on his back in the ground. The arrows clanged bouncing as it fell from his grip.

"Too bad for you, Crowfire. You are playing this game unarmed with any of your rusted regalias. Use them at least and don't let them pity on you." Lionglass said. He ambled towards Crowfire.

There is nothing Crowfire could feel but the pain of his hundred wounds. The pain is firing inside and stunning his muscles. None of it would ease even a little. His blood never stop flooding, his black jersey jacket was almost dripping with it. This isn't something he couldn't endure. There is a lot more he had been through. He will not give up. Not this time, not tonight that he had a new start.

Crowfire mumbled, almost a soft whisper, "Come... Brimstone..."

"Goodbye, crow. Battle at the wasteland savanna ends here." Lionglass shouted, while drawing a bad grin on his face. Surrounds him are his thousand blades floating in the air. He motioned his hands up, then down.

The thousand blades rained over towards Crowfire. Their sound clattering reverberated in the alleys, amking all the night birds fly away. Lionglass laughed loudly while his hands are on his waist. From his point, he can only see the blades storming on Crowfire and their sparks forming a huge silver dome. He spread his arms on his sides and took a deep breath. The air around that silver dome becomes warmer despite the blowing breeze of the night.

The storm of blades lasted for few more seconds. Until Lionglass held his hands down, that is when the blades stopped moving. It paused in the air and as he moved his hands, all of it slowly returned to his back. One by one, the blades entered into a small back pocket of his jersey pants.

Lionglass held his chin. He saw the body of Crowfire, lying on the ground. The body didn't move even a slight reflex. Crowfire's right arm spread before his head while his other hand lies beneath his body. His black hair turned red because of his drying blood. The stink of it rose above him.

"That'll do. I win." Lionglass turned his back and started to walk away.

Eventually, he was gone out of nowhere.

It takes a lot more seconds to pass. Crowfire's finger moved slightly. Then, his hand.

"Re-re-reve-vert, Bb-rrimmssstonee..." a c***k, hoarse whisper he uttered. His eyes are squinting.

A huge pink dome of light appeared right above him. The pink light glowed then congested into a sphere. Eventually, it turned into a human form.

"Crowfire." It was a short boy, shorter than John. He ran through his master and grabbed his shoulders. The boy said softly, "My bad, I almost didn't make it on time."

"Re-re-vert,... T-t-toomm-m." Crowfire uttered again.

The pack of arrows flew in the air and glowed into a yellow light. The light formed into a human shape and become John on his white shirt.

Crowfire's head lifted in the ground trying to look at John. John received his master's eyes. Crowfire smiled then he passed out. His head bumped on the ground.

"Crowfire." the other boy shrieked. He looked at John and commanded, "Hey, you, help me bring him to our manor. It is just few meters away from here."

John nodded and come closer to them.

Lionglass was just few kilometers away. He was headed to the train station back to Capitol. He entered to the train and the train ran through. He was so excited because of what he did, that battle he never thought would really come to their reality. Crowfire is dead. It was what on his mind. He soon forgot about his phone, the future oracle he holds, as same as other oracle holders like Crowfire.

He had a sudden glimpse on it, sliding his hand on the screen and looked at the messages. His eyebrows arched down. Anger slowly filled in him. Not looking back at the phone was his mistake.

10.12: Lionglass commanded his regalia, Claw to attack.

10.13: Crowfire called his regalia Brimstone.

10.14: Brimstone in his regalia form covered his master as a pink force field.

10.16: Lionglass walked away.

10.18: Crowfire reverted his regalias.

10.20: Crowfire escaped.

"That bastard!" Lionglass stood on his seat on the train and gripped his phone tightly. He shakes while his teeth gnashes with his anger.

The ones in the train looked at him flustered. He quickly took a seat and pretended that didn't happen.

"We will meet again, fallen crow. Next time, you won't get away from me." He whispered in himself. He crossed his arms over his chest while breathing like a bull.

Meanwhile, John and that boy, Brimstone in their human forms, carried their master back to their manor. Each arm of Crowfire hangs on each of their necks. It has been few meters since they started walking from that mountain hill of Rosten.

John can't process the things he just saw in the last hour of his life. He can't believe what he can do, or at least what he did. He was so confused right now. Even though he knew who Brimstone was, he can't start speaking to him. Back in his time at the Crowfire Volleyball Club in high school, Brimstone was their libero. His defense has been so formidable throughout the years. Aside from him who acted as the little giant, Brimstone has been very reliable and his skills are far from just promising. He was just short like him, but they made their niche over the volleyball games.

And now, he was a pack of arrows. And Brimstone here is a force field. The heck who couldn't understand this logic he had been for a while.

It was when John starts to train up his thoughts when he heard Brimstone said, "All right, we are here!"

Crowfire. A seemingly weird name for him to encounter in such an unfamiliar, unworldly dream. The company who took his life back then. His previous employer who made him do relentless awful deeds.

John was shocked to see the grand manor of his master was the building way too familiar to him.

He smirked. Then sharply looked the man. He said to himself, “I’m in.”