Zeka's Incarnation

--Sky's Perspective--

"You were right Avie... Zeka's Incarnation is doing interesting things to everybody," I muttered, looking at my hands.

The Incarnation of Transfer and Zeka's Incarnation called Regenerator do interesting things together. The abilities themselves have the power to find people of my choosing to give them strands for the time being. Anybody that needed strands to fight could get them, just with the correct prowess to win.

Any attacks they wanted to stop could easily be stopped with the strands I'm giving them.

"How are the fights going so far? What do you think?" I asked Avie. I was on top of the same building as earlier, trying to find where Cole ran off to.

No buildings are being destroyed, and the entrance to the bunker in the mountain hasn't been stepped in yet. There are traps everywhere... Cole is hiding somewhere, but he can't hide forever.

"Everybody is holding their own nicely... but I think Austin and Amy are too dangerous left on their own. The reason Austin didn't engage with me is that he was by his teammates. Those attacks are vicious... are you sure Mandi and the others can handle it?" Avie asked me.

"Of course, they can. I have faith in my teammates," I shortly said.

"You know, I am the voice in your head. I know your doubts, you don't have to hide from me," Avie told me.

"Then you know how I feel about it. I wish I could be everywhere, all at once... but my friends, they can't be those people on the beach forever. It might sound sadistic saying it out loud, rather than keeping it a thought within my head, but they need to struggle. Everybody does. I struggled... I still struggle, if they struggle, they can replace me when my time is up," I told Avie.

[LIFESPAN REDUCTION: 6 YEARS]

"Switching bodies isn't good for you, Sky. We need to relax with it, otherwise, you'll be dead before you know it," Avie told me.

"It's not like it will ever stop, right? Why hide from it? I'm here to do one thing... and that's to wipe out Quake," I told her.

It was a harsh truth to accept, but my life was probably forfeit by the time we stopped fighting here. My life would go to waste, everything I've done, knowing it was for nothing, knowing I won't get a future with Dani, it hurt deep in my core. However, there wouldn't be a future without her, and that alone keeps me going.

"I should be able to create my own body by now, I'm sorry, this is my fault," Avie told me.

"It's not anybody's fault. I do want you to find a way to escape the confines of my body, whether you take it over or create your own from my strands, I want you to live after I pass on," I told Avie.

"There must be another way for you to live, right? What does Lifespan Reduction reduce? What specifically?" Avie asked me as if I had an answer for that.

"I wish I could be the one to tell you what it is. I wish I could understand it at all, but it just doesn't make any sense to me either. I guess, at the most basic level, Lifespan Reduction would target my capabilities. Maybe when it gets low enough, I won't be able to move my body... or maybe, it targets my strands," I said out loud.

"What about your deal with Eirikr? You can't fight him if you're dead," Avie said in a sarcastic tone.

"I think my friends will be powerful enough to tackle that obstacle without me," I said. I picked up the Mahina Blade and sheathed in on my hip, standing on the edge of the tall building, watching Mandi and the others fight Austin and Amy.

"Take the strands... come on..." I muttered, honing in on Rin to use them to save everybody.

It triggered, just as I assumed it would, and Rin saved everybody because of Zeka's Incarnation.

Thanks, dumbass.

"That's why you're letting them struggle here? Do you think that will make them strong enough to take on Eirikr? You have another thing coming, and so do they," Avie said.

"You talk like you won't be helping them to do it," I closed my eyes and crossed my arm, visualizing Avie and having a conversation with her.

She sat stunned, forgetting that I intend to get her out of my body and into her own by the time this fight is over.

"Dammit... you're really dead-set on it. You know, without you, they're going to kill Illya," Avie told me. I chuckled.

"I planned on it. Dani is the one that was the most lenient in accepting her, so I made it so that Illya and Dani would work together. Perhaps a friendship will ignite between the two of them," I told her.

"You... planned that? That wasn't because Illya and Dani are both Deities? I'll be damned, you're a whole helluva lot smarter than you were on that beach. Are you even the same man?" Avie asked me. We both laughed over it.

"I did have over a month to consider the possibilities," I admitted. I couldn't take credit for that idea, as it took way too long to formulate.

"I want to ask another question, about Charlie and the others. Why did you send them away?" Avie asked.

"For that exact reason as well... except, with Charlie and Carl, I see things in them that I also have. I think they could be good leaders, and I want Charlie to have a smaller group before dealing with the bigger one," I said.

"You planned this... found you're replacement... and you're so ready and fine with dying. Why? You don't want to live anymore?" Avie asked me.

"I want to live forever. I don't want to die. The way I see it, I could always see the next enemy from the previous one. I could see Illya before the war with Orion ended. I could see Eirikr before the fight with Illya ended. I could see all of these things... but Quake? There's nothing after. Nothing that requires my power, nothing that requires my strands," I admitted.

"You're wrong, Sky. People should not be defined based on the power they wield, rather than the things they do. Content of character, not appearance, remember? You aren't just a powerhouse, you are their leader. You are their friend, Sky Asterio," Avie told me.