The Perfect Ending?

Tomoki had used all of his cards, attacking the Shogun with all his strength, which continuously was being pushed higher by his Delusion, however, it didn't matter what he did, it didn't matter how his speed and strength increased, he couldn't reach her. The Shogun was truly a god, one of the Seven.

"Hah!" "Hah!" Tomoki panted loudly as he held his swords, stopping his movements and keeping a distance from the Shogun. He had truly reached his limit... No, it wasn't even worst, he had surpassed what he thought to be his limit, his body being unable to continue forward, paying the price for that strength.

Tomoki could feel his body burning inside, his bones cracking, the muscles tearing apart, and excruciating pain over his body and especially the brain, blurring his vision and making it impossible to even see the Shogun that was in front of him. He even wondered how could he even keep standing.

"You can no longer continue. You reached your limit" The Shogun analyzed "I cannot understand why you did this. With your tenacity and strength, you could have gone to another path."

'Why have I challenged her?' Tomoki grinned "I wanted to have a big end" Each word was a pain in his throat, but he nevertheless answered the question. But was that the truth?

'Yes. I have long accepted it. The end of my life' Tomoki thought 'I reached my limit, the point of no return. I have always thought that the opportunity given by the Tsaritsa was useless, only a last futile intent that will reap no results'

'Knowing that, I keep myself alive with only one objective, finding my own ending.'

'My life, all my actions showed to be worthless in the end, my purpose in life reaching nothing but my own pain, so at least, my end I wanted it to have some meaning behind it'

'Sara, sorry about everything. I can't really stay with you, I've never been worthy of your love.'

'That's why I challenge you at the duel. I could have directly challenge the Shogun but I knew that you would try to stop it, even risking your life, throwing it away for my own sake. That's the reason, I hide my strength, surrendering before showing my power that could have trampled easily over you, humiliating you.'

'Please, Sara. Use that humiliation to hate me. Use that hate to blur all of our memories together and with my death, turn over a new page. Forget me and live a new life free of so heavy memories.'

"I could have used you. Nevertheless, you laughed at our tradition, tainting the challenge before the throne" The Shogun said "You are an enemy of Eternity. And as such you shall perish."

*Clak* The Shogun stepped forward, clenching her sword and preparing her last attack.

'The Musou no Hitotachi' Even if he was unable to clearly see her, Tomoki could feel it, the new pressure over him as the Shogun approached.

'Yes, that was the main reason to do all of this in this way' Tomoki smiled 'A duel before the Throne can only end with the death of one of the participants, with the Shogun herself implanting Divine Punishment with her strongest style, the Musou no Hitotachi.'

'Allen, are you here? I can no longer have the strength to sense you, but I am aware that you won't stop looking at this. See it with your own eyes, the almighty Musou no Hitotachi. Learn from it and one day, surpass it. I'm sure that you will be able to do it one day. Life to the fullest and please don't end like me, I know you are better than me.'

"Some last words?" The Shogun asked, reading her ultimate attack.

'There was any need for any more words? With this, my end is finished. Cutting my ties with Sara, showing Allen the true strength of the gods and even helping him to make the Vision Hunt Decree a reality, showing how can I be a threat to Eternity. Isn't this my perfect ending?'

"Hahahaha" Tomoki burst out laughing 'Why? Why I'm feeling like this?' Tomoki clenched his heart with his right hand.

'This should be the perfect ending. I've worked a long time on this. I had long since accepted it. So then, why? Why I want to live now more than ever? When I was so near...'

The laughing become lower, quickly turning into a cry as blood tears started falling from his eyes as all sort of memories crossed over his mind. The long lost smile of his parents, Honoka who raised me with all her love, my childhood with Sara, the Tsaritsa's compassion, Kazuha facing his future, Allen calling him master, his effort, his smile...

Tomoki had been endlessly plagued by his terrible memories, the pain that he had inflicted to others and to himself, but ironically, now at this moment, he couldn't even think about them, only the happy memories crossing his mind, all of them pressing for an idea, a thought that he had thought of it being long forgotten 'I want to live'.

"I won't lose" Tomoki cried

"I see that it was a useless question." The Shogun's gaze turned fierce as she lifted her sword.

...

"Mushou no Hitotachi!" Allen's eyes were at their limit, he barely could see it. The Shogun's body turned to lightning, flashing before Tomoki as she swung her sword.

Suddenly, the time completely froze, Allen could feel perfectly his surrounding, the insect, the wind, all of it stopped as over the Shogun's sword nine lightning appeared, all of them joining the Shogun's attack, slashing at Tomoki before the time unfroze, Allen seeing each of their movements.

...

'I want to directly apologize to Sara. To thanks one more time at Honoka. To continue being Allen's master and brother!' Tomoki put his memories, strength, power... his everything over his Delusion, over the power to face the strong. 'I WANT TO LIVE!'

"COUNTER!" Black lightning exploded all over his body as he wielded every one of his weapons, pushing them forward, forgetting his own body and limits with the only thought of surpassing the Shogun.

*BOOOOOOOOOOM* Both attacks clashed, creating a powerful explosion, a lightning pillar piercing through the sky as both swordmasters passed each other, facing each other back.

*Shing* Over the Shogun's face, a light cut appeared over her cheek. She cleaned with her fingers, attentively looking at her own but nevertheless unfamiliar blood, before turning around looking at Tomoki.

"It's the end" The Shogun stated, looking at the black standing body of Tomoki, completely scorched by the lightning.

*Crrr* Tomoki's swords cracked opened, all of them disappearing into smithereens except his main one which was cracked in half and with them, all his body crumbled as it started falling to the ground.

*Paf* However, just as Tomoki was about to fall to the ground, a loud step was heard. Tomoki stepping forward on his right foot and lifting body.

'THIS IS NOT MY END!' "GRRRRRRRRRRR" Tomoki growled like a beast as he turned around, black lightning running amok all around his body, forming two swords over his hands.

The Shogun's eyes went wide seeing Tomoki. The one in front of him couldn't be possibly a human. It couldn't be recognized anything from it as Tomoki. It was a plumb of black matter taking humanoid form, it was a beast moved by his emotions with an immense strength inside it.

"GRRRRRRRRRRR" 'I WILL WIN!' *PAF* Tomoki stepped forward, his eyes flashing red with it, and causing the Shogun to unconsciously step back.

'What's this?' The Shogun thought realizing her backing. It wasn't avoiding an attack as before that didn't have much meaning. It was a feeling, all her body acting and moving by its own will. It was something that she had never felt before. FEAR!

...

"A promotion" At the board, the Tsaritsa looked over the pawn that was morphing, black lighting covered the piece as it quickly was acquiring Knight's characteristics, transforming into one.

"Such a pity" The Tsaritsa put her finger over the transforming pawn whose lightning suddenly stopped.

"You were close" She turned the pawn, letting it fall. *Pan*

...

"It's impossible!" The Shogun lifted her sword 'Not only he had survived the Mushou no Hitotachi, he is even causing me fear. IMPOSSIBLE!'

She was about to slash at Tomoki, but it ended being unnecessary as with one more step, Tomoki's body finally crumbled.

'I was so close' these were Tomoki last thoughts as his body collapsed on the ground, turning into mere black ash that quickly was swept away by the wind, only leaving a fragment of his sword and his Delusion that quickly lost its color.

Seeing his end, the Shogun froze, not really knowing how to feel about such an end to her fear.

'You truly had one spectacular end, master' Allen gazed at the place were Tomoki stood before 'I know that you searched for it and there's no need for revenge, but...' Allen clenched his hand 'I would reach that place someday. I'll surpass the Shogun and you.'

'Good bye, master' Allen turned around, tears falling from his eyes as he prepared to leave before being discovered as there was nothing to see more.

"NO! TOMO!" However, Allen steps stopped still as a loud shout resounded all over the Tenshukaku.

Turning around, Allen saw him. A boy wearing a desperate face while climbing the stairs.

'Kazuha!'