10 [Main Scenario #1]
I wasn't going to let her decide the pace of the battle. I tightened my grip on the mana blade and dove forward towards her swinging my sword in her direction with all my might.
-CLANG-
The sound of swords clashing echoed through the forest as she brought her blade forward to block mine but she had far more experience fighting than I had. She tilted her sword ever so slightly, just enough that my blade started sliding over hers due to the excessive power I had put into my strike.
Her blade broke free of mine and she stepped forward using a neat sidestep.
[Stigma Fujin's Blessing has been activated]
The wind swirled around her blade completely engulfing it as the rustling of the grass intensified due to the sudden increase of roaring winds. I had just enough time to position my blade between my body and her before the blade along with a wind current so intense one would believe he was caught in a tornado came pouring down on me.
-CLANG-
My block hardly made a difference. The wind from her blade began cutting at my body, pain started to rise from all parts of my body that came in contact with the monstrous wind before the tremendous pressure finally blasted me away. I had no chance of winning. This would be where I died.
-THSSSHH-
I slammed into a tree, I heard a few bones break before I hit the ground. and although a little late I felt intense pain surge through my body. I had broken more than a few bones. I tried to stand but I couldn't move an inch, I had no feeling in my legs.
[Your incarnation body has sustained tremendous damage]
I needed a miracle, I needed a stigma to rival a stigma. Prisoner of Paranoia this would be the perfect time to appear I thought. I looked at the sky and desperately began searching for a single star.
[Incarnation Dorain is looking at his sponsor]
[Constellation Prisoner of Paranoia is heading his incarnations call]
[Constellation Prisoner of Paranoia has entered the channel]
[Constellation Prisoner of Paranoia is looking at the scene]
[Constellation Prisoner of Paranoia is silent]
"Ok, time to die. Any last wishes" Thalia said.
I closed my eyes embracing myself, waiting for her sword to put me out of my misery.
[Constellation Prisoner of Pronoia is revealing his presence]
[Constellation Prisoner of Paranoia is looking at his incarnation]
[Constellation Prisoner of Paranoia has used the item The Phoenix Tear on his incarnation]
[Your incarnation body had made a full recovery due to the effects of the item The Pohenix's Tear]
[Contellation Prisoner of Paranoia is transferring his stigma to his incarnation]
[Constellation Prisoner of Paranoia wants to grant you the stigma Time Lapse, will you accept the stigma]
"Accept"
[You have gained a new stigma Time Lapse]
Her sword was about 5 inches from my face, and every cell of my body was screaming, telling me that I was about to die when her sword came to a halt.
[Stigma Time Lapse has been activated]
It wasn't just her sword everything in the world had stopped, the leaves that were falling were now paused mid-air. The grass on the ground formed an S as if stuck in the moment it had come in contact with the wind.
I slowly got up from the ground to stand on my feet admiring the scene before me. Whatever doubts I had about the Prisoner of Paranoia's identity had vanished. The Prisoner of Paranoia's real identity was Chronos the Titan Lord of Time.
I walked up to Thalia and took her blade from her hands. I pointed her own blade at her neck.
[Stigma Time Lapse has been deactivated]
Her hands continued the motion of striking with a sword except there was no sword in her hand. It took her a moment to register what had happened. I watched her expression change from shock to confusion back to shock and finally defeat.
Her mouth wobbled up and down as if she wanted to say something but the shock must have been so great that she was unable to form any words.
"Surrender and hand over a clear token," I said. "There's still time before the scenario ends I'm sure you can get two more tokens in no time."
"I'd rather die."
Man, what was the problem with these warrior-type people? "Don't be ridiculous, I won fair and square. Hand me your token and you'll live to face me another day"
"I'd rather die."
"What about honor among warriors"
"I'd rather die."
I was getting tired of this.
"If you live, you can reclaim your honor by defeating me. Trust me you're more than capable of winning.
She flinched considering her choices for a moment but ultimately a firm expression settled on her face.
"A life spared by the likes of you isn't worth living."
I was taken aback by her statement.
"What have I ever done to you to deserve those words, as far as I know, I am meeting you for the first time today. Why do you hate me so much?"
"You really have the nerve to ask that?"
"Yeah, I really don't know what you're talking about."
"Everything happened because of you! My friends they... we were just....everybody.... All my friends died because of you."
Tears started to form in her eyes. "None of my family members have contacted me yet. I don't know what happened to them. If they're alive or not."
"The dokkaebi showed you the video huh?" I asked.
"None of us were willing to kill each other. If we didn't the dokkaebi would have had to change the clear conditions. If she didn't all the incarnations would be dead and she would have nothing to steam and she surely wouldn't want that. But everything changed when she showed the video of you killing those people in the car. Everybody started killing each other. There were screams and blood everywhere but we still held on. Then she showed what happened to the incarnations who couldn't clear the scenario."
Her voice broke but she continued anyway.
"We were a group of four friends, we were basically sisters but when faced with a kill-or-get-killed situation we..."
"One of us caved and smashed the head of the other with my wooden Kendo sword, she died on the spot. Unable to cope with what she had done she....she killed herself too. Only two of us remained and in the final minute, she told me that I had a better chance of survival since I knew kendo, so I should be the one to survive. I promised her moments before her death that I'd kill you myself no matter what lengths I had to go to."
I dropped her sword. This time I was the one at a loss for words. I didn't do it. I wanted to scream. My hands were trembling and tears were forming in my eyes. I didn't do it. It wasn't me. But if I said that, she would fall into even more despair, hating me is what had kept her alive, and if I took that hate away from her. She would probably follow her friend to...
I had to take the blame. To keep her alive.
"Is that so?" I said trying to sound as calm as possible. She probably wanted it all to end here, whether it meant her death or mine probably didn't matter to her. If so I had to give her a reason to live.
"I'll leave the token with you, come find me when you're strong. A weakling as you are now has no chance of defeating me. Survive and come to avenge your friends. That is the only way you can let them rest in piece.
I turned and started walking away, her sobbing had now turned into violent cries. Blame me if that helps you survive, I will happily take all the blame you throw at me.
