Chapter 19: Keyner Blake I

Perspective: Keyner Blake

It was enough for me to put the pieces together.

From the moment my powers emerged until now. The pieces were laid out before me. But what was missing was someone to put them in order.

The moment I lost my link with Quill, I had two choices to make.

Take a path of darkness in which I would live for revenge.

Or take a path of light and forgiveness.

However, everything I had been through pushed me toward the former.

Although the hypocrisy of my mind thought the second was the best way for me not to lose myself. Of me not breaking down any more than I was.

But... there was something I should have realized.

Quill wanted me to take one of these paths.

I was being induced to become a Mastrea.

However, I decided to go for dualism. I refused this small gift that was to be the elite of one of the Arcane races.

Candidate Mastrea meant this. It meant taking a unilateral path in all aspects of my life.

But I know that this does not suit a hypocrite and destabilized like me.

For a long time I lived wanting to make myself useful to the people I loved. I wanted to get my friends out of this war and to discover the three secrets of the world.

This continues to this day. This is why I can't let the captains leave here.

I can't let them attack Morello and Yurion.

I can't let them take the lives of children who don't even know the situation they are in.

And also...

I can't let them lay a finger on Marino.

Although those three are stronger than me, I want to return the favor for saving me. One of the few things that didn't harm me.

I got up from the ground. As I stood up, I materialized my swords. A sword as black as asphalt in my left hand, and a sword as white as snow in my right hand.

My left sword being held like a dagger. While my right arm over my left, with my white sword being held sideways.

A guard seen as inelegant by any swordsman. But I am not the most elegant fighter in the world.

I don't need elegance to butcher humans who have not only manipulated me all my life.

Human or wizard.

I made a promise to myself that if they tried to use me again, I would do everything I could to make that person pay dearly.

Now I was once again being driven by my feelings.

The anger, indignation and frustration had led me to possibly choose this field surrounded by trees as my grave.

-It's a beautiful barrier.

-...

The second captain stood before me, closer than the other six. With the only one without a helmet being Naila, I didn't know the face of any of the others.

-Last chance, brat.

-...

If I let them pass, they would go after those three.

Actually, that wouldn't happen, since only Morello and Yurion are together.

So I can't let them get near her.

-Right then. We gave you the chance to resolve it peacefully.

The second captain spoke with a disappointed tone. Then he turned his back to me and started walking towards the other captains.

-Do whatever you want.

The second captain turned away from me and joined the others. Apparently he was no longer interested in me.

Good!

After seeing the fear Naila experienced when her head was pressed down by him, I don't want to know what would happen to me.

The air vibrated around me. I had to keep the mana circulating in my body more and more. At any moment, any one of them could try to rip my neck off just like that Blue guy tried to do.

His ArcanaTech was something intriguing. It didn't seem to have an original shape. And this seemed peculiar to me for a soldier.

When I went to the AWA research base, I observed that the manipulation of the computers and laboratory functions of the facility were performed by various pixels that took different forms, or simply joined the equipment.

Blue seemed to have something similar. But that doesn't mean that I can let my guard down. I almost lost my heart moments ago.

My sweat was getting hot thanks to the mana in my body. But having this sensory distinction was good, since it was not dispersed by the injury Blue had caused me earlier. A sign that it wasn't serious.

-Hey. Wizard!

-?

One of the captains addressed me. He had a friendly voice, and his appearance gave no hint of his fighting style. He was wearing the stealth uniform of the AWA with helmet like everyone else. He was about the same height as me, and had a slim body structure. His identification in the octagon gave him the rank of captain of the seventh unit.

-We are going to do a "rotation" with you. Choose the order.

-You're overestimating me. By the way, I heard that Naila said that I was not a threat, but the second captain says otherwise. What is your impression of me?

He spoke with a harmless and friendly tone. The proposal seemed like something of a simple game to him, but it was clear that it was out of caution. This confirmed more and more that they don't know much about me.

With the thumb of her left hand, she points back, indicating her companions.

-Come on, pick one.

-...

I don't need to be the strongest, the fastest, or the smartest.

I just need to buy some time. It's risky for this barrier to fall with my death, but calculating the chances of success without even taking a step is idiotic.

Transition between the two sides.

This is what I had sworn by becoming a Wizard myself.

But this does not mean choosing a side and temporarily fighting for it.

It means fighting for my interests, benefiting from this damned war.

At the moment, I have nothing to make this fight my own.

Caius and Jack... Even with their deaths, I promised that revenge would come from someone else's blade, not mine.

I point to my opponent, after choosing carefully.

The captains look at the opponent I have chosen. The same one who bought a fight in the beginning.

The fourth captain took a few steps toward me, keeping at a distance that reminded me of Caius arriving in the room of the first phase of the AWA test.

What surprised me was the respect this one showed me.

Either it was respect or it was just the act of getting rid of a dead weight.

His helmet glows in pixels of indigo blue color. The pixels began to cluster from the tip of the captain's head to his neck.

Eventually, his face was revealed.

Rugged facial features, which made him a little older than I imagined him to be. A square face, with beige skin, and several freckles on his cheeks. His hair was a bit messy, but kept a normal cut, retaining volume on the surface.

-Is your name really Blue or is it a nickname?

-It is really Blue. Eman Blue.

He spoke with a friendly tone. His face showed no hostility. It didn't even look like we were going to start killing each other.

His hands held several of those indigo-blue pixels. As the number increased, they took shape.

In a few moments, the cluster of pixels took the form of two swords. They were triangular blades, which were wide next to the dagger, but getting shorter as you got closer to the tip. The dagger had a side support similar to that of a rapier, and was the same indigo blue color as the blade. The blade was somewhat translucent, giving a softness to these lethal weapons.

-ArcanaTech: Azure Treasure.

I should be ready to die here.

Just as I was ready to die five years from now.

But since the preparations for the second reality were already made, I didn't want to die here.

White and black rays passed smoothly through my arm. I felt my mana coursing through my body in a gentle but surgical manner.

Two rectangular bladed swords appeared in my hands. The one in my left hand was as black as asphalt, while the one in my right hand was whiter than snow.

I approached the center of the "arena", which would be the center of where the barrier was active.

My breathing... I could hear it.

The silence created with Blue showing her ArcanaTech was the only thing that everyone's ears could pick up at that moment.

The appearance of my swords made as much noise as a snowflake falling on a street. The only thing I heard, which was different from the captains' ears...

... was my racing heart.

A kick to the ground, was the coordinated movement between Blue and me.

The momentum we received towards each other marked the beginning of a long sequence of blade-crossing.

Which would only end with someone's death.

Perspective: Marino Sasaki.

-Are you Keyner's friend... or foe?

The person I could not identify his identity questioned me. As I pronounced "enemy," the pistol-shaped blur he was holding was pointed at my head.

I didn't know who it was. I didn't know what he wanted. I didn't know what would happen.

Few things were logical to me.

I have met with this guy before. As threatening as he is, his voice has a slight chord of nostalgia.

He was strong. With a single shot, he destroyed one of my swords, even though I was prepared for even a sergeant or a captain to show up.

And he was interested in Keyner. There is no other reason for him to know that Keyner built this memorial.

Soon, I was left with only one guess as to who it would be.

-I am not Keyner's enemy, although he doesn't want me as an ally at the moment, Jack.

The only possible person who could be interrogating me at the moment is the second-class soldier who, in theory, died in the escape from Techmetriun.

I spoke with a calm tone, but keeping my guard up as that pistol-shaped blur was pointed at me.

-Who would this Jack be?

-??

Wasn't that Jack?

So I had no more guesses about who this person in front of me was.

Caius was already dead. And Naila made sure to take the lifeless bodies of Keyner's parents to break his mind. Not to mention that she was the one slicing Caius' throat in front of me.

But it didn't matter now whether I had hunches or not.

The same blur that was his weapon was the same blur that was over his already hooded face, hiding any facial detail.

But these blurs were dispersed just like dust in a hurricane.

The blur on his hand was indeed a pistol. It was an abnormal double-barreled pistol. It had a coloring that resembled plaster, even though plaster is hardly used in construction anymore. From the base to the barrels there were thin blood-red stripes. The barrels were slightly dented and stained.

It was a weapon I had never seen before. And this was further confirmed by the ease with which it had previously destroyed the blade of my swords.

His face... He...

-Why don't you put those knives away?

-Because I am waiting for an opportunity to slide these "knives" into your neck.

-Hahahaha. You're interesting, brat.

He looked like an older guy. I had never seen him before, but something told me that what I saw as his face was not his real face.

I felt goose bumps like a child in a house of horrors. In fact, I was a child around this guy.

-What do you want with the gunblades?

-How do you know what these are?

My surprise caused my guard to be broken for an instant. But I didn't realize it until I returned to my guard when the man came at me.

He landed a side punch to my right side, but I managed to block it with my arm.

*CLICK*

Looking at my enemy's right arm, I see that as he had his punch blocked, he drew his pistol and was already aiming it at my face.

*BANG*

A shot was fired, but I managed to avoid it by ducking.

Being lowered, I did a side-step with my left leg. However, I was surprised at how well this sniper was able to jump.

Still in the air, he was holding two identical pistols. Aiming at me with the left pistol, he fired a shot that, in theory, should have a slanted trajectory, since he was aiming at my shoulder.

-Arcanic Art: Forge of Hephaestus!

Two wind swords were created, with one positioned so that its blade would clash with the shot.

*BANG*

A second shot was fired, but now without any slant, which was aimed at my chest.

I positioned my second wind sword to block the second shot. It was impossible for him to continue in the air after that time interval, so I araucaria him before he could even en-

-ARGH!

I overestimated myself.

I had not forged swords with enough resistance against the shots, even with my previously destroyed swords.

I was hit by a shot to the chest.

The first shot was as if it had not been aimed at my shoulder, as my first sword had received no impact at all.

The opposite happened with my second sword, as it received two shots, being destroyed by the second, which still managed to hit me.

The blow was not lethal, although it did knock me to the ground.

The man was the second to reach the ground after his jump. Upon getting his two feet in position, he made two more shots.

Again using the sword forge, I raised a barricade of stone swords.

Stone swords that were reduced to dust the instant the shots reached their destination.

But the destination of the projectiles was not the barricade I erected.

I realized this when I noticed that the shots did not hit the barricade and still destroyed it.

When the dust had settled, the sniper was standing in the spot he had landed from his jump, his right pistol pointed at me, with his left pistol positioned under his shoulder.

This attack... I had seen it before.

An explosion caused by two shots meeting. When these two shots collide, they explode, causing great damage.

I remember seeing something like this a month ago, when I was provoking a boy to attack me.

Fragmented thunder.

The weather was cooling down, and the afternoon sun was being covered by clouds.

The redhead I was fighting looked back. The direction a huge pulse of mana was coming from.

Keyner was fighting someone.

I could feel it. He had just raised the Barrier of Heaven and Earth, an Arcane Art that manifests a rather intriguing barrier that did not allow humans or Wizards to leave it.

We did the test with a prisoner that Yurion insisted we have for some eventuality.

Not only the barrier I felt at that instant, but also the crossing of four swords.

Two are Keyner's, while the other two are Blue's.

I turn my attention to my opponent, who I already had a good guess as to who it would be.

A redhead with pale skin. He was skilled with pistols, as he also used a technique that Keyner used.

-So you are the other master of that idiot?

Perspective: Keyner Blake

My swords against a captain's swords.

Both in healthy condition.

The crossing of our swords was fast. In case neither of us could cut the other with one sword, the other was used.

His attacks were not heavy. I am not saying they were weak, but more coordinated and fluid than Naila's, for example.

I duck to dodge a horizontal cut that was going towards my neck. As I did so, I extended the palm of my right hand toward Blue.

A white beam came out of my arm toward Blue. He deflected it by throwing his body to the right, already putting himself on guard for another attack.

I stand upright, and begin to rotate my swords, until there comes a moment when I strike the handle of each sword. As I did so, black and white rays traveled all over the double-bladed sword I was holding.

Holding this sword diagonally, I blocked an X-shaped strike. Upon impact, I quickly split the sword in two again, and struck a blow to Blue's arm.

He didn't react much. Upon receiving the blow, he kicked me in the chest, throwing me backwards a little.

The instant I managed to get enough stamina to stop being dragged away, there were several indigo daggers in the air, and they started coming towards me.

I again drew my sword in two, so that I could have a different angle of defense and begin to destroy the daggers. But I soon realized that it would be more advantageous to just dodge them, because once they were destroyed, they would explode.

After intercepting about 4 daggers, I separated my swords and started to just dodge the projectiles. The explosions created a smoke screen, which gave me a few moments to think about how this ArcanaTech works.

Azure Treasure. Blue has manifested several types of weapons so far, which leads me to think that his ArcanaTech consists of just that.

His attacks wounded me a little, but I have fought with more wounded.

It would be convenient if Marino hadn't broken the link with Quill. His healing factor hurt, but it was convenient.

...

Now... why did she do that anyway?

I should have asked that before. Now...

I realized that it wouldn't take long for the dust curtain to come down without intervention, so I had to be quick.

...

Alter: change.

Perspective: Naila Ketley

Taking advantage of a smoke screen was one thing that Keyner would do.

And that is exactly what happened.

The dust was dispersed, and out of it emerges a Keyner with two pistols in his hands. A black pistol and a white pistol.

He began to fire several shots with the black pistol. Blue put his two swords together, also forming a double-bladed sword, and began to rotate it around his hands to block the shots that were sure to hit him.

The rest of the bullets went straight through him. But even with the inefficiency of the attack, Keyner kept shooting.

-I took a look at this barrier. It seems to have an anomaly that prevents any human from leaving it. I noticed this when I saw that I couldn't get through it, but some birds kept flying as if there was nothing in the way.

-...

Xion returned after he announced that we could do whatever we wanted with Keyner. He looked tired.

The fighting continued. The shooting finally stopped. At that moment, Blue started to charge Keyner again.

In a rather atypical way, Keyner began to intercept Blue's attacks with shots from his pistols. When a cut came his way, he aimed his sword at it and fired.

A blow came down toward his chest, but did not reach its destination because of a shot that diverted the path of the blade. Next, a slight tilt of Keyner's pistol put Blue with the target of his shot. But the latter was avoided either with a swing of Blue's head or an upward stroke that changed the pistol's target as it hit her.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Blue kicked him in the stomach, dragging him backwards.

-This guy is good for a newbie.

Who was talking was Lila, the third captain, and the person next to me.

-Don't be fooled. He's not a rookie. So much so that he must have realized that Blue is a member of the AWA's research sector.

-...

I didn't think at the moment of speaking, and I ended up being insensitive.

Blue is both the chief scientist of the fourth squadron of the AWA and the captain of this unit. He is stronger than the third unit's own sergeants, so when the captain was shot down in combat, Blue took over the post.

And to think that the Metal Wizard was strong enough to handle a captain by himself...

-What do you mean by "he is no novice"?

-Since the age of eight he has received training from Marino and someone I don't know. Every day, Keyner's motivation to get out of bed was to finish the day stronger than when he woke up.

-That is to say...

-Keyner had always been an excellent fighter. However, his stunted body from not waking up as a Wizard limited what he could do.

-...

It had been over a month.

More than a month since Keyner became a Wizard.

More than a month that he had the opportunity to give his body the proper movement and commands that he never had the chance to do.

I turn my attention to the fight.

Blue was cornered.

Trapped by several black projectiles coming from the forest.

This action was accompanied by a conjuration made by Keyner:

-Arcan Art: traveling shadows!

The shots that had been avoided earlier came back from the forest in Blue's direction.

It was a close thing that he didn't have his body shot from all sides. But still, he received about four or five shots.

-I think that now he will stop taking it easy. This kid won't stand a chance now.

The seventh captain, who is annoying enough that I don't bother to learn his name, made this comment fully and arrogantly, as if it was because of him that the fight was at this stage.

-Really...

-Don't be naive.

Lila and the seventh captain looked at me in surprise.

-Blue wasn't the only one who was holding back. And now...

As I spoke, the fight continued.

Blue had transformed his swords into a single dagger, in order to gain speed. It was with this speed that he went after Keyner, aiming to stab him in the neck.

But his dagger of indigo blue color found not Keyner's neck, but his sword.

No, that was not a sword.

A sword is not accompanied by a trigger on the bar that separates the blade from the dagger, together with a barrel on the side of the bar.

That was a gunblade. A gunblade blacker than asphalt.

As black as that gunblade was, only the user's hair or the rays that circled his body.

Blue was repelled with a much greater force than at the beginning of the fight. The result of the shot fired by Keyner's signature gun, which hit the side of his abdomen.

He had a slight smile on his face, accompanied by a look of dissatisfaction.

-You should have finished me off while I still couldn't use full strength...

Really.

One of the few things that makes Keyner angry is when someone belittles him. Even more so now that he's on an equal footing with a possibly second-rate soldier.

The real fight will start now.

...

Blue was a nice guy.