47 - Brothers' Feud

I stepped into the air, climbing above the ice. I created an additional barrier to extend the wall to my right. Cameron was secured. Juliana was mostly secured.

Silence - Chiyo - panted heavily, despite being possessed as a pawn of the Adversary. Her ice attack was nearly three times the size of anything she had done before. She saw me rise above the ice, partially because Juliana continued to throw fire at me. I didn't know how much mana she had, but this was apparently nothing to her.

Chiyo jumped onto her ice with remarkable agility, and ran towards me, prepared to make another swing. As she started to attack, more frost spewing from her sword-tip, I put a barrier in her sword's trajectory. The blade collided with the blockade, and the reverberation echoed through the clearing. She was thrown off balance by the unexpected contact, which gave me a chance to monkey-trap her blade. Like the Flame Sorceress, I created a box around the Frost Dragon, the only holes barely large enough to fit the wielder's hands. And like a monkey, Chiyo struggled against the box as I approached her. 

Then she smiled creepily. The Ancient pulled some of my mana away and put up a barrier behind my back. Metal clanged against something harder than mithril. I glanced over my shoulder briefly, and monkey-trapped the Scout as well. 

"There's only one thing the Scout could do in a combat situation." I noted aloud, "Be an assassin."

The Ancient tied off the monkey-trap barriers, and I dismissed the others. Juliana threw more fire my way, so I put up another wall between me and her, aligned so that I could approach the entrance to the Temple of Swords without getting hit. As I did, I also boxed Jack, who stood just inside the entrance of the Temple. 

With the five possessed carriers detained, I strolled into the Temple, guided by the Ancient's intuition. Initially, we took the path towards the inner sanctum, with all the swords. Then he led me up a staircase instead of down. I followed the instructions, and soon sensed the presence of another being. An ancient being. We stepped into a stone room. In the center of the room was a lectern, surrounded by detailed circles inscribed in the ground. A book lay open on the lectern, its cover blacker than midnight. 

"Your carrier is an interesting individual." the Adversary noted, emerging from the shadows in the far corner of the room. "Successfully pacifying all my pawns without a single death. I don't know that I've ever seen the sword-trapping tactic he used before."

"It's a concept from my world." I replied.

"Why don't you sit back, child, and let the elders duke it out. We have a sibling rivalry to finish, after all. It's none of your business, as you Earthlings like to say."

"You made it my business when you possessed my wife and friends. And that will end here."

"It certainly can. Would you like them to strangle themselves, or throw themselves in a pit? I dug one out for you just now."

I steeled myself against my horror. Of course. I had forgotten that this being still had control over my friends, even if I had trapped their swords. I closed my eyes, and had an idea. I ignored the Adversary's taunts.

With my eyes still closed, I pulled from my mana, and envisioned it spread across the walls, ceiling, floor, and doorway of the room we were in. But I wasn't going to block the physical realm. Gathering my memories of the thousands of worlds, of my life here, and my life before, I released it all in a burst of mana.

"What did you do?" he shouted.

I opened my eyes and looked to him with a smirk. "I created a barrier. In the mental realm. Now we can talk. One on one."

"Impossible. You're just a mortal! How can you have the mental fortitude to restrain my mental prowess?"

"The Boss thought the same thing. But I've realized something. There are two irrefutable laws in the Interplane, and each individual world: first, actions have consequences. Second, not even Demigods can control another person's actions. Adversary, your power is an illusion."

A human figure, short, with golden hair and glowing red eyes emerged from the shadows behind him. She held a shard of metal to her own throat. Celine!

"Is this an illusion, mortal?" the Adversary sneered. 

My heart dropped. "A hostage?"

"She isn't good for anything else. So now that you've made me recognize you, let's make a deal. You give me my brother, and I'll give you your friends. I'll leave, and won't come back for a hundred years. That should be enough time for your meager lifespan to disappear, yes?"

The Ancient trembled in my mental realm. The cost of giving up the Ancient, in exchange for the survival of our clan. It certainly sounded like quite the deal. But only for a hundred years? 

"I can't put off my problem to my grandchildren. Even a thousand years would be too soon."

"Then we are at an impasse. You have what I want, and I have what you want, but if either of us were to make a move, they would lose. But I have time. I've waited for millennia. Can you wait that long?"

He was right. I couldn't. Even the handful of days that he had been in control of the carriers indicated how dismal putting off the decision would be. So I moved to plan B. The Ancient hated the idea, but it was the best I could come up with.

"Then let's wager on a game." I said, "Winner takes all. If I win, I take your blade and can do whatever I wish with it. If you win, I become your pawn, just like the other carriers. Then you can do whatever you wish with the Ancient."

"What is the game? Would you risk your fate on dice or flimsy sheets of paper? Perhaps a logic puzzle?"

"I was thinking of a battle, but not with swords. I will bond you. And whoever comes out on top in the mental realm wins the game."

The Ancient groaned in despair. I apologized to him. It was the only way out.

"Putting your claim into action? Very well. To prevent interference from the Ancient or my pathetic wielder, we will break the other bonds, and form a fresh bond."

"I agree to that, however, I would request that Celine may be sent out of the room first. You will end up having power over her again should I lose, but I would like the assurance that you are acting in good faith."

"She is my insurance. I must know that you will keep your word."

"I vow on the sibling Demigods that I will engage in the challenge."

The black-covered book glowed for a moment, drawing both of our attention.

"Very well." The Adversary said.

I could feel the discontentment from him, but Celine lowered the metal shard and walked slowly outside the room. I watched the Adversary as she did, until she passed behind me. 

"Dad!" She shouted. I blocked off the entrance, just as she pounded on it. With the Ancient's assistance, I mentally grabbed the tethers connected to the mental barrier and the doorway barrier, and tied them off. Celine's shouts were muffled by the barrier. Chiyo and Jack appeared from the hallway. I gave them a smile before setting down the Ancient, propped up against the doorway.

*Thank you, Ancient. You have led us well. And though I promised I would let him do what he would with you, you made no such promise. What you do after this is up to you, but please don't interfere with my mental duel.*

He was silent for a moment before replying, *Very well. Don't lose.*

*I don't plan to.*