Chapter 18

Arquis took the first swing at me and I leapt back, swinging at him to try and gain the advantage. He struck both my feet from beneath me with his bo staff and I caught myself with my hands and flipped backwards and then dashed towards him with both swords tilted at an angle ready to strike hard and fast, I shot out a right jab towards his chest and he blocked it with a purple mist that made the edge of my blade disappear until I pulled it back. I made my clothes and the armor around them shine bright red and it blinded Arquis for a second and I kicked him down to the ground and kneel charged in the air coming down with both pistols shooting at him repeatedly, he attempted to block most of the shots but was grazed by one and he became enraged and threw a massive chunk of purple colored earth at me and I blew it to pieces with a geyser of boiling red water. Arquis' eyes glew purple and he ran at me with shards of jagged purple glass emanating from him as he tried to grapple me and pull me into them. I made myself fade into clouds of red making it harder for him to see me, surrounding him so he couldn't see where I attacked from. Arquis was a great warrior so I had to be tricky so I formed a clone to go one way while I ran at him from another way. Before either of us reached him though and great gale of purple wind slammed us to the wall and cracked some of my ribs. My vision got blurry and all I could see was a purple figure walking towards me slowly. "I told you I would give you an honorable funeral and I'm going to keep my word." He raised his staff and slammed it down towards me but I rolled left and sliced into his chest and breathed heavily for a few seconds. Arquis was in the same condition and made himself a purple bandage wrap to try and heal his wounds. I made myself a red grenade to throw and I pulled the pin and gently threw it towards Arquis hoping it'd make little noise, I heard the explosion and saw Arquis still intact laying on the ground winded. As I came over with my swords crossed ready to defend myself I heard Arquis gasping for breath. I rolled him over and saw bruises covering half his body and the spot where I cut him pouring out a small puddle of blood. "I'm sorry that it came to this, I wish there was another way but there's not." I told Arquis regretfully. He looked at me his eyes hurt but understanding. "Can you hand me my staff?" Arquis asked weakly. I handed him his bo staff and he grasped it firmly with what strength he had left and held it on top of his chest. He spoke to me, his voice raspy and fading, "I remember when we first met and I didn't like you from the start." Arquis smiled half-heartedly and I saw a purple screen appear and on it there was a memory of his playing and I saw myself standing alone in the Final Archive where we were first introduced and heard Pirouette's voice as well from beside Arquis. The fading screen kept playing all the way until the moment I left and I saw Arquis' point of view of everything I was doing after I left once they had caught on that I was the one destroying the battlegrounds. I saw him arguing with Renfro and Pirouette saying it couldn't be me and storming out after the conversation and going to his room to cool off. I saw Arquis slumped down and sobbing not wanting to believe them. I felt guilty because I was the monster they believed me to be. Finally it got back to the moment we were in now and faded completely away. I spoke softly and woefully, "I didn't want to, I had to." I kept repeating; seeing everyone again that I had killed pained my heart even more. Arquis spoke to me again his breath short and dying. "I forgive you, and so does everyone else I'm sure. If you were evil you wouldn't have a purpose for killing, you would just do so and keep going with no remorse. Remember that we all loved you in our own way. Goodbye Bloodshed, I hope I see you in the next life." With that Arquis' head fell and his eyes closed for the last time. I kneeled down beside him and my body was racked with tears. I knew I had done what needed to be done in order to fulfill my purpose, but I felt empty inside. I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Opet's figure standing over me