113 - Rematch of the self 5

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"... Did you have to do this? This grudge of yours? Will it not fade with life?" (Arin)

"... Aster. It's not 'you' but Aster." (Remnant)

She takes half a step back in surprise, folding her arms and wrinkling up her long black sleeves. Her sea blue hair was reminiscent of sparkling sapphire gem dust that decorated the air itself. Flowing smoothly through the wind formed from imbalanced air pressure that was excited by magic.

"You know a lot, and you're strong. Stronger than the other 2. You've long surpassed her paltry 'ranks'.

The biggest threat to my survival, it's you. Please die. " (Aster)

The Remnant closed the distance, with a wide and powerful swing she brings her blade closer to Arin's neck. Arin twisted her neck and lowered her hip, effortlessly ducking under the wide swing. With such a large trajectory, Aster's attack had to start earlier to begin the swing, it was easier to read. Even a minute change like this was becoming apparent to Aster, this was the difference in their experience.

It was because Aster was attuned to combat and had fought so much, it was both her talent and hard work reaching its very zenith, that she was able to understand how difficult the move that Arin pulled off was. She didn't lose heart, that would be fatal in battle. Her blade of concentrated vibrations swerved through the air, handled with so much ease as if it has no weight. Bent at an unnatural angle, it soared towards Arin once more.

Without hesitation, she shot the vibration blade forward like a spear, a imaginary cross hair appeared overlapping with Arin's finger. Her vibrations instantly locked on and flew at high speeds.

*BANG!*

A gun... It made little sense, one would think that intercepting with a sword or shield would be optimal. A gun's chamber simply isn't built to withstand anything.

"Anything but the bullet." (Arin)

Deflecting the attack like swatting a fly, Arin threw the vibrations off scattering it into the air. In that same motion, she pointed the barrel at Aster and clicked the trigger. The bullet failed to even pierce her skin, but it was loud and noisy.

"... You're fast... If you used a physical weapon you would fare better, but your bullets don't do a thing." (Aster)

She's lying. Her ears were still ringing, her words grew faint and her entire body felt numb. Her body was durable enough that it didn't suffer a single scratch, but her head took quite a concussive hit. She gritted her teeth under a smirk, putting up a strong front. Anything to not make herself look weak, otherwise Arin would pounce on her.

Right now, they both understood that they held an unusual amount of information about each other. An old enemy? Or simply people from the same era? A sea of flames,a shower of cruel indiscriminate light. The end of a civilisation, Arin could never get used to the sight. Fundamentally nothing had changed, and people live in blissful ignorance. They do not indulge in her grief, there are no reparations. The worst part? They were forgotten. Erased from history.

"Eterna... Are you her slave, or her enemy?" (Arin)

She made her own stance clear. If anything, the only person this conversation wouldn't make sense to was Lastia. She wouldn't know about Eterna or the history of this world. She might write it down in her diary, but history's significance is felt through emotion, not logic. Humanity loves repeating mistakes, rationality is easily discarded. It then falls to emotions to keep things in order, depending on the perspective, people will decide which emotion is just and which isn't.

"... If you're from that era, than you'd understand. Eterna is just some third party who reaped the benefits. I wouldn't be able to form an opinion from my old perspective." (Aster)

The Remnant passed her test. Aster herself admitted to be from the previous era, the era of decadence and betrayal from 11508 years ago.

"... You don't intend to hide it? " (Arin)

She looked slightly perplexed, continuously gauging her opponent's expression for information. But she couldn't glean anything, Aster hasn't been deceiving her all this time. She simply withheld some information casually. It's the same as not telling other people your own hobbies when not asked. Like keeping your favourite food a secret when the topic of food hasn't been brought up. Not everything has to be revealed.

"All I'm saying is that, I know more than the people of this era, isn't it?

Any other reincarnator could easily exceed the information I have." (Aster)

"...!? Do not mention it in front of them! I'll kill you!! " (Arin)

Arin shot with her gun, the bullet grazing Aster's cheek as it left a trail of smoke. This was the first time she found her opponent flustered. Should she use it to her advantage? It didn't take a genius to see that Arin was even hiding such vital information from her allies. While it was hard to discern the relationship of her enemies, the simple circumstance of Arin withholding what she knew from Lastia was easy to ascertain.

However, something was off. Why did Aster reincarnated as a Trace? Why wasn't she able to be born as a human like Arin did? Arin... Did she know more about the reincarnation than Aster did? After all, it's not something that's easy to find the cause of. There was also what Arin just blurted out... If she wanted to hide it, Aster was confident that Arin would go by it in some other way.

Following this train of thought, her secret was deliberately revealed to Aster. Arin wanted something to happen out of this... Lastia... Her goal might centralise on that key person. Or rather, her focus has never changed. Arin was only ever looking at Lastia the whole time. She wants Aster to reveal it... That was the conclusion Aster drew after considering Arin's actions.

"Haa~ I'm not gonna play in your foolish theatrics. For not taking me seriously, die!" (Aster)

Arin wasn't taking her for a fool. Rather, she was fine with either outcome. With how strong Lastia has grown, it might have been time... To let her go.

Aster hopped with on leg, bouncing over the ground, before launching herself with the other. With a drastic acceleration, she smashes one foot into the ground and the other into Arin. Then she pulls her foot out of the ground and swings it at Arin as well. Arin ate the first hit with her flesh before materialising her guns in front of the next kick. The chamber was smashed into splinters before the next kick arrived. The first place that got hit was her dominant arm, Aster made sure to break her arm so she couldn't smoothly hold her gun again.

She needed to use her left arm. She laid on the floor to dodge the next kick, the pistol in her left hand hummed in amusement.