Chapter 7.12 - Zenith - Stubborn

The sound of a flintlock loading was heard. Gunshot sound immediately proceeded. The sound of crackling stone gently grazed my eardrums. There was a bullet hole created right next to my left foot. Yumiko purposely aimed there as a warning.

Yumiko sighed, "Well...Since you're here already. I could just take you back to Nova after this."

"That might not be the case, Yumiko." I confidently told her as my left arm started to create a blizzard-like energy.

I released the blizzard energy by reaching out my left arm toward Yumiko. Piles of snow began to come out like it was a water hose filled with snow. Violet immediately steps in and block my blizzard by countering it with a tall water wall. Continuing to do this won't go anywhere and I decided to make my right arm to start creating a fiery energy all over it.

I extended that arm toward the wall, combining both of the snow and fire I have against the water wall. The water wall started to exudes water vapour, creating a smoke-like effect which blinded us momentarily. I stopped my attack, anticipating whatever Yumiko and Violet was planning.

Much to my surprise, Violet had placed down a small chunk of dynamite. But it won't blow up unless it was lit up. That's when Yumiko comes into play as she took a shot at the dynamite and blew it all up. I was barely able to block the explosion impact by conjuring up my own ice wall.

While I may have reduced the impact, I did fell down to the floor but my head was saved by a pile of snow that was used on Violet's wall. I got up quickly and took out my own gun, it was a silver flintlock. It had different designs than Yumiko's. The water vapour was still there as I continued to search around the vapour for Violet or Yumiko.

Unfortunately, my flintlock was dropped as it was shot by a live bullet. As my own flintlock fell to the floor, Violet appears in front of me and tried to fist fight with me as she proceeds to try and punch my face. I dropped to the floor as Violet checks her hand that was used on my face.

"You're too confident aren't you, Zen?" Yumiko's voice can be heard echoing through the cloudy water vapour. "Apparently you never changed, huh."

I got up from the floor and checked my jaw if it was still in its place. After that, I used my right arm to create a flamethrower-like effect. The 'flamethrower' then started to spin around like a mini tornado. It created a sucking mechanism as fire needs oxygen to keep on going. Which in turn, clearing out the cloudy water vapour.

Then I finally see Yumiko who was not even inside the cloud. Only Violet was there, preparing to unleash a line of tsunami toward me. I used both of my arm and aimed at the ground. Creating a geyser effect which takes my body up into the air with the force of both of my hot and cold magic, dodging myself from the tsunami.

I forced myself to do a front flip with the help of both of my arms. As I was still in the air, I opened up my Dimensional Inventory and grabbed a portable cannon using my two hands. I aimed and shot out a medium sized canon ball toward Violet. The cannon went by too fast that it felt like I was a pirate on a ship fighting against a sea monster.

I threw the portable cannon back into my Inventory as I continued to use both of my hand to make myself stay afloat for another few moments. The tsunami had stopped as Violet's cloth had started to become messy. Looks like I was able to damage her somehow. But my excitement didn't went too long as a stray live bullet hit my left arm. It went right through as blood started to pour out from where it was pierced.

I quickly covered the hole using my cold magic. Freezing the blood at the hole, creating a temporary 'skin'. I looked at where it came from and saw that Yumiko had switched place already. She was standing up top of a rooftop. Not wasting any time, I used the fires on my right arm to glide my way to the rooftop.

I landed safely as Yumiko greeted me, "Isn't this place familiar, Zen?"\

I looked around and remembered, "I died here...Not sure which life was it."

"Then you should probably remember this!" She reaches out one of her hand toward me as water started to spiral around the floor of the roof like a whirlpool.

With only her other hand being free. She impressively does a trick in which she was able to load up a bullet using only one hand. She then aimed the flintlock to her head and pulled the trigger. Blood then came through on the other side of her head. Yumiko didn't commit suicide, but the blood that she had created had started to move around and rises, turning into a clone of Yumiko.

"Hey there!" The clone of Yumiko greeted me.

Then, once again, the two of them pulled the trigger to their head. There's now four of them, and then eight, then 16. Surrounding me in a circle while the spiraling water was at my feet.

"Give it up already, I can kill you now if you want to!" all of the Yumiko talked to me.

I responded, "No!"

"You asked for it." All of the clones aimed at me.

With not much time to think, I used both of my hot and cold magic on my arm and began to spin myself like a whirlwind. Most of the clones were caught by the crossfire as they tried to cover themselves from the blizzards and flames. The water that was spiraling under my feet were also sucked into my hot and cold 'tornado'.

I guess I could say that I've just...turned the tide. Okay, enough of joking around. Most of the clones have gone away, reducing the number to only two left which includes the real Yumiko. Yumiko's dress was a bit damaged by my previous attack. She was starting to visibly breath for air.

"Should of seen that one coming." She chuckled.

"We won't go anywhere if we keep this up, Yumiko." I told her.

"Oh yeah?" One of the Yumiko stood straight, "Well take this!" One of them pulled their flintlock trigger at me.

The bullet was deflected by another bullet. A bullet that came from my own gun, an emergency flintlock I had prepared. But it wasn't just a normal flintlock. It's a flintlock that can hold more than one bullet in it's chamber. With that in mind, I shot out another bullet, shooting at both Yumiko regardless if it was a clone.

One of them dispersed into blood while the real Yumiko dropped on one of her knees. The real Yumiko, I shot her left thigh.

"What kind of gun was that?" Yumiko was surprised.

I slowly walked to her and said, "I made it way back after a date I had with White."

"White..." she chuckled, "It must have been romantic for it to allow you to create such contraptions."

I sighed and explained, "To tell you the truth, it wasn't really a date. We only trained for a while."

"Well that's too bad, Zenith...because that's was your last chance." she told me.

I replied, "No it won't. I will save him." I looked her in her eye, "And I will save you as well, Yumiko. Enough is enough."

She smiled, "Is this supposed to be a joke? You should kill me now when you have the choice, you idiot. I've already killed countless of your beloved. Don't you think that's enough to get you riled up?" she tried to manipulate me into hatred.

But I stayed firm and told her, "Can you shut the fuck up and be honest, Yumiko?"

"What?" she was confused.

"The next nonsensical thing you say will only be mush and intangible if you keep this up." I told her.

"I..." Yumiko was at a loss of words until she shouted, "What is wrong with you?! You should be angry for me! You should be avenging Rose! Avenge Recordia! Have I already broken you too much?"

I shake my head and said to her, "No I'm absolutely fine, Yumiko. But you killing them did broke me for a while..."

Suddenly, the tense situation shifts itself as a calm breeze began to touch our skins.

I continued, "They won't be coming back that I know...But if I kill you just to avenge them...I'll be losing you then." I smiled at her.

"You're talking nonsense, Zen. This isn't how people are supposed to act." Yumiko was tired of my nonsense.

"Then why do you keep insisting on calling me Zen instead of saying my full name?" I asked her.

"I..." she was at a loss for words.

I helped her, "You weren't serious when you murdered them...you were forced to do that...Isn't that right? In one way or another, that doesn't sound like it was all your fault even though you pulled the trigger."

Yumiko sighed and said to me, "Well...it's no use lying to you isn't it?" looks like she finally gave in. "But too bad that you had to be an idiot to forgive me!" She suddenly aimed her flintlock at me.

But she wasn't able to pull the trigger. She couldn't because she saw my face.

"You're crying? After all that speech?" Yumiko was confused. "What the hell..." Yumiko retracted her flintlock as her hand started to slightly tremble.

She was right, I was crying when I said that. There's no way I wouldn't cry. Someone that I cared so much was no longer alive. Of course I would feel something. It's not like I completely moved on from them just like that.

Violet then arrived as she told Yumiko, "Yumiko...I think that's enough..."

Yumiko didn't say anything.

Violet then added, "She might be the key to all of this...Don't you think so?"

Yumiko sighed, "I don't know Violet. She does have the potential...There may still be hope left...I'm not sure..."

I was finally able to say something to them, "Please, Yumiko. Come back home. I missed you, even if it was short. We still promised to eat the cake, right?"

Yumiko was taken aback, "But...I killed Rose..." Yumiko was trying her best not to cry, "She won't get to enjoy it with us."

"No, silly." I wiped my tears and said, "We can still fulfill the promise together."

"What do you mean?" She could not fully grasp my intention.

Then I extended my arm to her and asked, "Come, take my hand and follow me."

Yumiko grabbed my hand as I pulled her away from the roof.

"Woah, where we going?" she asked.

I turned to her and simply said with a faint smile, "We're visiting Rose's grave."

And that was definitely one of the hardest word I ever tried to spout out to someone that I truly cared so much of. While doing this might not be too hard for me, I don't know if Yumiko feels the same way as I do though. She did pulled the trigger...but will she ever face what she did for real? We'll know the answer once we get there...

TO BE CONTINUED