I am eternal.
I can feel the ground underneath my body. I can feel the air on my skin.
Hah...
I can breathe.
How I have missed breathing.
I open my eyes and I can see. I am no longer in the dark.
Finally...
I am alive.
The air flows smoothly into my lungs. It's fresher than I remember.
The world feels so still; like there is nothing at stake. Nothing to be afraid of.
It needs to tremble again; to fear.
I get up from the ground
Two seals are broken. Five more to go.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
He is watching me.
[Is it your intention to stand there and do nothing]
My primal tone echoes through the empty hallway.
I don't turn. He won't attack from behind.
[My, my, looks like I was too late]
He says.
I frown and turn around.
[Why don't you shed that pitiful skin and talk to me in your true form.]
Jean is lying at his feet. His body has been severed from the waist and he stands on it; like a trophy.
[Your followers are quite hysterical]
He presses his heel against Jean's head, grinding it to the ground.
[They are merely human. Simple and foolish]
I reply, indifferently.
[Is that so?]
He cackles.
[Still, I applaud his loyalty. It was not in vain]
I say, taking a battle stance.
His eyes gleam in the dark and I spot his weapon. It hums with Erythul; the ancient cosmic energy wielded by the Sentinels
If I get a fatal wound, that's it. Then it's another 1000 years.
[Mark what I say, Arvyn, sentinel of the false dawn: Today, I will win.]
Although I seem confident, I know I am currently not strong enough to defeat him.
However,
I sense it; the Continuum in the air.
With the Seal of flames gone, at the very least, I should be able to stall him until his time runs out.
Arvyn smirks as if he read my mind and points his weapon at me.
[Don't worry. Ten minutes is more than enough time to kill you.]
He quickly charges at me as I imbue my fists with Continuum.
I dodge his first attack by a hair's breadth and simultaneously try to lunch a punch in his belly but he evades it by simply jumping to the side.
[My, my... That was quite impressive considering this is probably your most pathetic incarnation body.]
Tch.
The skin he's wearing is really throwing me off. It feels like I'm fighting a child.
[How dare you mock me.]
I have to calm down. He has always been flippant.
And I...
I am superior
I charge at him again, trying to accustom this body with all my martial arts knowledge. He dodges every blow I throw at him, playfully. But I don't give up. Slowly and steadily, I am gaining momentum.
He doesn't reciprocate my attacks and I stay alert.
One wrong step, and I'm gone.
My fists begin corroding slowly as Continuum begins digging into my skin.
I step back for a moment, thinking.
Arvyn leans on his elongated hair pin and tilts his head.
[Tired already?]
I stand there for a moment, not saying anything.
He yawns.
[Let's end this already. I have school tomorrow.]
He begins approaching me, dragging the pin on the ground
[If I'm damned, I'll be damned to the end.]
I say, smirking slightly.
Arvyn pauses.
I begin imbuing my whole body with Continuum. The intensity causes small burns all over my skin. My body feels lighter and yet stable.
[You really are one twisted bastard!]
Arvyn says, amused.
We clash into each other. He swings his spear at me.
I see it more clearly now; his movements.
I land a blow and before I retract my fist, he grabs hold of it with his free hand and swings the spear again in a stabbing motion.
Without wasting time, I use my dormant leg and trip my self and the spear grazes my shoulder.
I pull him down with the hand he's holding and with my other hand punch his face.
It echoes through the empty and creates a slight shock wave as flesh tears.
He spits a mouthful of blood and backs off.
[Haha, looks like I have to take things a bit more seriously.]
Just as I thought, he was just messing around.
The next few moments are going to be critical.
I have to do whatever it takes to keep this body alive.
The pain in my muscles is almost unbearable but I can't falter. Not now.
He wields the spear like a Bo stuff, his movements getting more refined. Everytime I block, it creates little sparks.
A few of the attacks break through but I manage to avoid any fatal wounds.
Just a few minutes.
Once a sentinel activates the Erythul, they have a maximum of ten minutes before they're physical body rejects the energy and falls apart.
The explanation is simple really. Continuum and Erythul are opposing energies. The longer they come into contact with each other, the greater the damage. For a normal human being, it would mean instant death.
However, Arvyn is not human.
Right now, I am being pushed back a little. But I'm still standing. I know I can make it.
Arvyns stance shifts. His eyes gleam under the flickering lights.
The air tightens.
Something's wrong.
His movement's off; it has slowed considerably.
What's he planning?
He may be a convoluted debauchee, but he's by no means stupid.
I steady myself, scanning ever muscle flicker.
Then, before I have time to figure out his intentions, he moves; suddenly faster.
I am thrown off guard but I cross my hands in an x shape to defend the strike.
But-
His spear vanishes from sight for a split second.
What?
He switched hands. I move my hands to block it.
No, wait.
It got shorter.
My eyes widen.
My hand misses the spear
I made an error of judgment.
The spearhead pushes clean through me, searing with Erythul.
Arvyn bares his teeth in victory.
[Looks like your luck ran out.]
He says, menacingly.
Blood spills from my lips.
I cough up the red stuff. Blood.
I chuckle.
I really hate bleeding.
I grab Arvyn by the neck and whisper into his ear.
[And it looks like your time is up.]
His face twists in pain. And before he's able to say something, he bursts apart leaving the air thick with crimson mist. An ichor of false light fades into the air and his spear slowly crumbles away.
I collapse to the ground, bleeding like a dog.
I am no dog.
I manage to redirect some of the Excess Continuum to my wound. It won't patch me up but it should stop the bleeding.
As for the boy, he will wake up soon.
Wake up to the reality of his existence.
And I will live on.
For I am eternal