Suddenly, Lux saw an opportunity to counter. He created the sword in his hand and slashed at Ferdinand's heart. Unexpectedly, Ferdinand grabbed the sword with his bare hand, created a red energy sword with his hand and stabbed Lux through his belly. The light blade pierced through both Lux's armor and his body.
"Game over," said Ferdinand right next to Lux's ear.
Ferdinand kicked Lux in the stomach. Lux slided out of the sword, darted to the statue and crashed into it. The statue broke to pieces, crumbled down upon Lux. Lux was shrouded in dust.
After the cloud of dust faded away, Ferdinand saw Lux sitting at the pedestal of the statue. He was breathing shallowly, pressing his stab wound, and glaring at Ferdinand.
Ferdinand, with glowing red eyes and a heart filled with malice, strolled to Lux. Along the way, he spotted a teenager recording a video of him with her phone.
"Shh." Ferdinand placed his finger on his lips before snapping his fingers, and all electronics in the city went black out.
Ferdinand looked back at Lux, stopped in front of him, and glared at face with triumph.
"That is? That is all the guardian of Arteon can do?" said Ferdinand.
Lux didn't answer, just glaring into his soul, gasping.
"What a shame! Your father and eldest brother truly sacrificed their lives for nothing."
"Don't you talk about my family!"
"If they weren't idiots and had let Arteon take its course, they wouldn't have died by my master's hand like insects."
"No, they weren't fools; they were heroes. They fought Farsilon with everything they had until the last moment of their lives. Even in defeat, their courage will inspire us to fight to victory. Their sacrifice lives on in my heart and in the hearts of the people of Arteon. And one day, we will be able to avenge them."
"You said I talk too much, but in truth, the one who loves to talk is you. But I don't mind; I have all the time in the world. Anyway, do you know what fighting in public has that fighting in private doesn't?"
Lux didn't answer.
Ferdinand looked at the man in the yellow cloak on the roof. "An audience."
As soon as their eyes met, the cloaked man quickly lowered his head. After the mysterious man was out of Ferdinand's sight, he looked back at Lux.
"At first, I thought I would just be playing with you. But when I've seen how weak you are, I think I'll finish you right here and take your heart to my master right now."
"You'll never have my heart or the hearts of my siblings!" shouted Lux, groaning in pain.
"In the end, all their hearts will be in my master's grip and everything will return to nothing. Don't worry, your brothers and sisters will join you soon. Now… let's end this."
Ferdinand held the energy blade above his head with both of his hands and slashed at Lux.
Lux clenched his eyes, gritted his teeth, and turned his face away.
Suddenly, Arthur, who had run all the city square, inserted himself between the two, spread out his arms and yelled, "Stop!"
Ferdinand's blade stopped right above Arthur's head. Arthur breathed heavily, staring at the blade as it almost cut him in half.
"Step aside, son, this fight is not yours. Don't let this man drag you into this," said Ferdinand.
"Please! You've already defeated him. There is no need to kill him," said Arthur.
"As long as he breathes, once he has recovered from his wound, he will come back to challenge me again, so... no mercy."
"Does this conflict have to end with you two killing each other? Can't we talk this over?"
"Foolish boy. This conflict isn't just a mere quarrel. It's war! And it must end with one side being annihilated."
"No! I won't let you kill him!"
"You have a good and peaceful life, Arthur. Don't waste it on a stranger who you've known for less than a day."
"It's not about who he is or how long I've known him! He's a good person. He didn't do anything wrong, He doesn't deserve to die!"
"Didn't do anything wrong?!" Ferdinand bursted out laughing. "You know nothing, Arthur Wanderer. This man committed more terrible things than you thought. He abandoned his friends when they needed him the most. He banished innocent people who only came for food, water, and shelter like animals, sending them to die. He turned his back on the people who raised him and left them to deal with their crisis alone. These are what the man who didn't do anything wrong of yours did."
"Is that true, Lux?" Arthur looked at Lux.
Lux remained silent for a moment before saying, "Yes, Arthur, it's true. But there's more to the story than that. The most crucial point is none of those would have happened if not because of him and his master." Lux glared at Ferdinand.
"Hey! Don't blame me for your own selfish actions!" shouted Ferdinand.
"I didn't do them for myself. I did them for my people. Besides, I didn't have a choice. You forced me to do them. You and your master are the root of all problems. None of those would have happened if not because of you and your master!"
"A guardian of Arteon who can't admit his own sins. What a pitiful person!"
"Even though he has committed terrible things in the past, you have no right to kill him," said Arthur.
"Would you say that if this were your mother's killer?"
Arthur's eyes widened in surprise. "How… How do you know?"
"I know everything, Arthur. I know your mother was murdered by three masked men, and I know that you chose to run away instead of saving her."
"I didn't leave her! I ran for help!"
"No, son, you ran for your life, and that's because you were more afraid to die than to lose the person who loved you the most. Your mother cared about you so much. She gave you everything and even can die for you. But you repay her kindness by leaving her to her death. If only you had turned back, you would be with her right now. You're selfish, cowardly, and weak. You care about yourself more than the person you love. You're as horrible as your father!"
"Shut up! You don't know anything!"
"You always lamented about why your father abandoned you, but when your mother needed you the most, you abandoned her like a dog."
"I said shut up!"
"Admit it, boy! You're not a hero, you're just a pathetic boy who can't even take care of yourself. You're the reason your mother died. You're the reason your father left. You're the reason everyone suffered! You're nothing, but a burden!"
Arthur charged at Ferdinand with a scream and tears, trying to punch him. Ferdinand grinned and pointed the energy blade at his face. When Arthur saw the blade, he stopped short and stepped away. "See? You're a coward. A sword to the face, and you forgot what you intended to do. If your mother were watching you right now, she would have been very disappointed to have a son like you."
Arthur screamed in rage and charged at Ferdinand again. Ferdinand pushed the sword to Arthur's face and Arthur stopped once more.
"Your mother died because of you, your father left because of you, your sister was lost because of you. You're nothing but a burden to Arteon."
Arthur stared at Ferdinand with teary red eyes, grunting.
"No matter what you think, no matter what you want. If you don't have enough power, you can't do anything. You've made countless mistakes in your life, boy. Don't make another. Now, step aside and let me finish him."
Arthur wiped his tears. "I know I'm nothing but a coward. I have no power, no courage, no intelligence. I've made a lot of mistakes. I've failed a lot of people. I've never succeeded in anything." Arthur glared at Ferdinand and clenched his fists. "But there is one thing that I have believed all my life: as long as we keep fighting and never give up, we'll win in the end. I'll never give up. I'll learn from my mistakes. I'll grow from my failures and become better through my experiences. I'll never make the same mistake again!"
"I have to admit, even though you're terrible at many things, your motivational speech is okay."
"And the first mistake I'll never commit again is to leave a person in need behind! If you want to kill him, you'll have to get over my dead body first!" Arthur lifted up his fists.
"No, Arthur, you can't defeat him! Run away!" groaned Lux.
"No! I won't leave you! Now stop talking, or you'll get worse!"
"There's a thin line between bravery and stupidity, boy. For example, standing for the wrong person and against someone you can't win is definitely not bravery, but stupidity."
"Say whatever you want! I won't let you hurt him!"
"Please, Arthur, I don't want to be your enemy. I just want you to have a happy, peaceful life like the others."
"If heaven comes with the cost of others' suffering, then I'd rather go to hell."
"If you choose to help him, then you will leave me no choice but to kill you. Do you really want that?!"
"Absolutely!."
Ferdinand extended his face to Arthur and glared into his soul."I'll tell you this for one… last… time. Step aside! Now!"
"NO!" Arthur stretched his face towards Ferdinand's, glaring into his dark soul. "I'LL NEVER TURN MY BACK ON PEOPLE IN NEED, AND I'LL NEVER STAND BY IN THE FACE OF EVIL!"
Arthur and Ferdinand gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before Ferdinand pulled his face back.
"I thought I could save you from this war." Ferdinand's face twisted with disappointment. "I thought I could save you from yourself. I was so wrong. Because no matter how hard I try, you'll decide to throw your life away in the end. You're too naive to comprehend my compassion. You're too stupid to understand the value of life. You deserve to die with all the Vanderers across Arteon!"
"The only person who doesn't deserve to die… is you," said Arthur.
"Very well. If you desire death so much, then I'll bestow it upon you." Ferdinand grabbed the sword with both hands and raised it above his head. "Now, die here together, Vanderers!"
Ferdinand hacked at Arthur. Arthur closed his eyes and crossed his arms in an X shape to shield himself.
"Arthur! No!" Lux reached for Arthur.
But at the moment the sword was about to hit Arthur, a golden semisphere force field appeared and shielded Arthur and Lux. The sword hit the barrier and bounced back.
Arthur slowly opened his eyes, and when he saw the shield, he exclaimed, "Whoa!" Arthur looked at the force field with excitement. It was transparent and had exquisite intricate patterns upon it. He glanced at his hands before gazing back at the barrier and said, "Did I make this?"
"I have no idea," said Lux, looking at the shield in surprise.
Arthur touched the shield. It felt like touching a plate of glass.
Ferdinand stared at the barrier, before smiling and saying, "I knew you'd come." He looked up and saw the mysterious man with a golden triangle on his chest, standing on the roof of the townhouse roof, holding his hand out of the cloak toward Lux and Arthur. He wore a gauntlet and the golden gemstone on its back glowed brightly. His sky-blue eyes turned into illuminating golden eyes and fixed on Ferdinand. He's the same person Arthur saw after meeting the white creature.
Arthur and Lux followed Ferdinand's gaze and saw the mysterious man as well.
"Come to make everything proceed as it should," said Ferdinand, spreading his arms. "But no matter what you do, you and everyone you love will die, just like your father and mother." Ferdinand looked back at Arthur and Lux. "It seems the time for you two hasn't come yet. But never mind, because one day, you two will die by my hand. So, enjoy your life while you still can…" Ferdinand punched the shield, cracking it. Arthur flinched, pulling back from the shield. "Because I'll come for both of you soon. I tried to stop you from treading the wrong path, Arthur, but you still took it in the end. You chose this dark future by yourself, son, so prepare for the consequences." He floated up into the air. "Oh, I almost forgot! You're expelled, Arthur Wanderer, don't show your face at my school again! See you soon, Vanderers!"
He soared up toward the sky with the speed of sound and vanished into the cloud.
After Ferdinand had gone, the electronics worked again. The red thunder and gusts of wind stopped, but the gray clouds and dark atmosphere still remained.
The eyes and the gemstone of the mysterious man stopped glowing. After he pulled his hand back inside his cloak and the golden shield faded away, he looked at Arthur and Lux.
Arthur narrowed his eyes, trying to see the mysterious man's face.
"Dad?! Is that you?!" shouted Arthur.
The man didn't answer.
After examining the man's face, Arthur realized that he wasn't his father; just a man with a face very similar to his father's. But while Arthur's eyes fixed on the man's face, Lux's eyes fixed on the golden crystal on his chest.
"Artegon?" said Lux.
The man turned around and walked away.
"Wait! Don't go! Argh!" groaned Lux.
Arthur crouched down and checked on Lux. "Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine. Just need some rest."
"You don't look fine to me." Arthur looked at the stab wounds on Lux's stomach.
"Trust me. I've been through worse than this. Hurry! Follow that man! I need to have a word with him!"
Arthur looked up at the roof, searching for the mysterious man.
"I've lost sight of him," said Arthur.
"Dammit! Why did he go?!"
"Why is he so important to you?"
"I'll tell you later, but now… argh…" Lux's clothes and body illuminated.
"Your body is glowing!" shouted Arthur in panic.
"Cough! Cough! I can't hold onto this form any longer."
Lux's body illuminated with white radiance like a star, and his shape shifted. After the light faded away, the one sitting before Arthur wasn't a tall strong man anymore, but the white creature.
"Hi, Arthur," said Lux weakly in a boy voice.
Arthur gasped. "You're the white monkey I saw outside my bedroom."
"I'm not a monkey, but close enough." Lux smiled. "I apologize for hiding my true form. I was afraid you would be scared of me."
"I believe people would want to hug you more than be afraid of you."
Lux laughed softly. "That's true. Augh!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Forget what I said." Arthur waited until Lux stopped groaning, before saying, "What are you?"
"I'll tell you everything. But now…" Lux looked to his side. "Let's go somewhere else."
Arthur looked to his side as well and saw people crowding around them. Some were just talking to their friends, lovers, or family, but some were taking a video or live streaming them.
"Where should we go Lux?! …Lux?" Arthur turned back to Lux, only to find him unconscious.
Arthur shook Lux. "Lux! Lux! Dammit!"
Arthur looked around again. More people were coming, and the first group was approaching closer and closer.
Arthur didn't know where he should take Lux. But bringing him to the hospital wasn't a good idea because he would end up in the hands of the military before the hand of a doctor. Finally, Arthur thought of one place. He carried Lux up with both hands and took him to his home.
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