Young Magic Knight: Chapter 22 (Trace)

The door to the King's room now stands in front of me, Primo, and Emerald. Not exactly who I pictured coming into this final battle with me, but I can't complain. I open the door with no fear. It's three against one, and we have the Thirteen Blades on our side. I think I'm ready for whatever the King can throw at me.

“...of course, the heroes of the people arrive just in time to make trouble for me.” The black-haired, purple-eyed man wearing a lab coat and facing away from us, turns around and says this.

“Stop what you're doing, King!” I point “XIII” at him. “You're the last one standing. Don't think you can take all three of us.”

“Hmph.” I look at where he's standing... The ground he's standing on is rising. There's a large machine with him, too. Wait a sec...

“Everyone! He's going to the rooftop to launch that weapon! The Delphinus Virus is probably in that machine!” Primo's words alert me to action. I can't let him launch it... I jump, then Emerald and Primo jump with me. We board the rising elevator and charge toward the weapon, but somehow... I'm being forced back...

King stands there, smiling as if he is amused at our being pushed away by him. “You three don't know, do you?” He lets out a sigh, then continues: “Okay, I'll tell you. As you may be able to tell, King is only a code name. My real name... is Alexander Strife.”

Shock. For a second, I can't even believe what I just heard, but suddenly, it makes sense... Yet another puzzle piece falls into place.

I remember some things I have learned. “'He, like Ms. Strife, is a Real Magus, and a good one, at that...'”

...

“'Pretty much, Strife's magic simply breaks most of the rules I know. I can't explain it. For someone else to be able to pull that off...' 'They must have a similar level of power, in addition to their magic being of a like nature?' 'Exactly.'”

It makes sense. He's so powerful... he can create Dolls... it all makes sense. “You see, I'm the one with the advantage, here. All I have to do is hold you off until it's ready to launch. Even if you do beat me, I'll have distracted you long enough for the Delphinus Virus to spread.” He starts to laugh... “Hahahahahahaha! Revenge will be mine!”

Now, we've reached the roof. It's time to end this! I rush forward, but at the very last second, notice that he has thrown some kind of dark sphere at me. Can't react. This is bad... “Trace!” I feel a shove. Emerald pushes me out of the way. She's the one who is hit... “You need to pay better attention...” Emerald collapses. She's a bloody mess. I've never seen this spell before...

I don't have time to think about that. “Primo, I'll fight him! Try to get to the machine!” I run forward again, this time, making sure I dodge whatever comes at me. He keeps using magic attacks. More spheres... bigger, this time. I should be careful with this spell. As I dodge, I feel the power in those spheres... I get the feeling that the Thirteen Blades are the only thing keeping me alive, right now. I did dodge it, but the amount of power I felt... My body, in a weaker state, would be torn to pieces just by being nearby. I started swinging the swords, sending blade shaped lights in his direction, which he dodges.

I see that he notices Primo getting near the weapon, and he throws another one of those spheres. “Primo, watch out!” He hears my voice and dodges immediately, taking little damage. Primo keeps running, but King takes his attention off me completely, moves at amazing speed to block Primo's path and kick him away from the machine. I move over there, but just as quickly find a fist waiting for me. A fist that sends me flying upwards.

I get up as fast as I can. “Primo, catch!” I throw “I”, “III”, “V”, “VII”, “IX”, and “XI” his way. It'd probably be best if we both used them. With that done, I throw “IV”, “VI”, “VIII”, and “X” at King. Seeing and dancing past all of them, he reaches out to block my next strike.

I come down from the sky, “II” and “XIII” in my hands. I smash them into King, sending both of us falling into the ceiling, down to the floor below... and the floor below that... and the floor below that...

As we fall, I start shouting at King... or rather, Alexander Strife. “Tell me! Why are you doing this!? Are you really going to endanger all these innocent people just to get back at the ones who buried CORE!? Are you willing to be so extreme over such a petty thing!?” I force more power into the slash, until we finally reach the ground. It takes me a moment to recover from the fall, but when I do, King is already standing there in front of me. He sends his foot flying into my face, and I go flying backwards, falling onto the floor.

“Who cares about how petty it is!? Everything I ever had was taken away from me! They kicked me out... I joined CORE to gain the power I deserve! I don't give a shit about 'Kingdoms of Fear' or 'Flames of Passion' or whatever the hell they're on about... I'm a Strife! We're supposed to be the most powerful humans in existence! For someone like me to be stepped on by the people of Center... All I want is to make them suffer!” His power seems to be going out of control...

“You said the Strife family kicked you out?”

“Yes...” I'm starting to understand what made him so upset. “They said I was too weak... that I couldn't control the power of the Abyss that rests within me.”

“Power of the Abyss--”

“But I can,” he says, ignoring me. “I'll use its full power against you...”

A sinister grin forms on Alex's face. He becomes surrounded by a dark, menacing aura... I feel like I am in serious danger. There is a power far beyond this mortal man, here... Suddenly, I see something flying toward him from above, stabbing him in the back. It's the “I” Sword. Another one comes flying. “III”. Then “V”, then “VII”, then “IX”. Lastly, a light comes down, approaching King fast. As it comes closer, I could see a figure inside of it. Primo.

He comes down and slashes Alex in the back. With a look of shock, as if everything had come crumbling down before him, he falls to the floor. “You should pay attention, King. Trace has succeeded in distracting you.”

“What...”

“I've deactivated the weapon. It won't be hurting anyone. You lose.” Alex just lies there, motionless. “Trace, let's go get Emerald.” I nod and go back to the top with him.

...

Once we get up there... “Emerald, what's wrong? Are you alright?” She looks like she's seen a ghost...

“...T-Trace! Behind you! Watch out!”

I turn around, and I see King standing there. Wait... no, something's different about him. He seems less like the man I just fought and more like some kind of terrible beast. His eyes glow, his voice and his language are replaced with incoherent roaring. He bears his fangs at us. The dark aura starts to expand, reaching even me.

“!!!”

“Something” happens to my body. I double over, trying as hard as I can not to throw up and/or pass out. I notice him charging toward us, none of us ready for what's happening. This sudden feeling of sickness... It must be coming from this infinite nothingness, this abyss...