34.
chapter thirty-four
the start of
the last page

The trumpets signalling war began ringing in my ears. My fingers trembled before I clasped them into a fist, digging my nails deep into my palm to stop the tears from spilling. Meeting his eye, I shook my head subtly, signalling for him to leave at once.

But he was stubborn as hell.

Guzma's eyes widened before he looked over his shoulder. Ash advanced forward, his fist balled ineffectively.

"Run away from here! Run! Run!" I shouted, but he didn't listen. He threw himself against Guzma, fist first. The older man barely avoided the surprise attack, taking his dagger back in his hand.

Upon spotting the shining metal, Ash's eyes widened, and he froze. "Look out!" Gary shouted, and I tore my gaze from Ash to see Guzma pressing forward, the dangerous tip pointing to Ash's chest.

"Ash!"

The boy managed to double over. He fell to his knees, shooting a leg out to trip Guzma. The older man hit the ground face-first, the dagger slipping out.

But he was quick to recover. Ash couldn't move a muscle within the hasty time frame, and unsuccessfully let Guzma recover his weapon.

"The nerve of you—!" Guzma exclaimed, his voice sounding like a desperate battle cry. Like he was unwilling to do it for some reason.

A gasp escaped my lips when he stood frozen for Ash to approach him.

My heart threw itself against its enclosure watching their close combat.

One strike, two strikes, and that was all Ash could inflict on the older man before he gained his footing.

Throwing his arms up, he managed to defend Ash's blows. Then, with a swift movement of his elbow, he managed to push Ash staggering behind him.

My vision widened with tears, seeing him slash Ash's shoulder blade in the process. Drops of his precious lifeline clung to his shirt when he got back to his feet, breathing hard and sweating profusely.

Our eyes met for a split second, and I bit my lip, shaking my head discouragingly. You shouldn't have come here.

But he screamed. Screamed like the world was ending and was about to swallow everything he cared for in one great lug. The radiations he emitted had Guzma staggering back in a grimace.

Something tugged at my heart. Courage? Valor? Or... fear? Was it from Ash? My head snapped back to the said boy growling, his narrowed eyes glimmering underneath his wet bangs. They screamed revenge... vengeance.

Then it began again. As sudden as everything gets set on fire. The hesitation in Guzma showed clearly when he took a hit to his chest, staggering into the wall beside Gary.

"Yes!" Misty and Gary exclaimed, cheering my soulmate on. But I remained silent, heart straining from everything that he was sending—that it was processing from its other half. "You show them, Ash! Show him what Ash is!"

Things started going downhill ever since. Guzma had prepared himself like the drag of a violin—slow at the start, only to gain an unnatural pace as it went on.

Launching himself off the debris, he charged towards Ash. His movements looked wobbly, as if his wrist were sprained. Nonetheless, his speed wasn't deterred.

My breath caught in my throat when Ash narrowly missed another seize of the silver blade. The lights above flickered with low voltage when both the fighters issued a battle cry, distinctive and demanding in their own right.

Ash tried a high kick, but Guzma was stronger. He stood tall now, energized by the poor lighting and Ash's bleeding arm. Guzma managed to catch Ash's sole and didn't let his grip be shaken away or turned into a spiralling kick.

Out of options, the black-haired boy was knocked onto his back in a spontaneous moment. The ropes binding me bit into my skin when I struggled. "Ash!"

Guzma was alone, with no Faba around to help, but Ash wasn't faring better. He was being straddled by the grey-haired man, some whispered mumblings being exchanged by the breathless fighters.

"T-this can't go on," Gary stammered, turning to us. Misty and I exchanged a pained look. We were tied up bad, and no matter how much I thrashed or wrenched at it, it didn't come loose—only managed to bite my skin.

Not that I was giving up. Not yet. "Ash! You have to do it!" I cheered, biting back the lump in my throat. As much as I wanted to deny him, to send him away from this insane field, I couldn't take it any longer. I couldn't see him losing right in front of my eyes. "Get up!

There was no improvement. Gary and Misty chimed in, the former panting out as much encouragement as he could.

"You can do it! You can do it!"

"W-wrench the dagger out of his hand, you fool! I know you're better than that, Ash-y Boy!"

Then came the heart-wrenching cry of bruises being inflicted.
"No!" I screamed, throwing myself forward, but the rods binding me didn't budge.

How pitiable life had become.

My heart squirmed in pain, feeling his feelings of hurt and agony thrumming the bond into an instability I had never been through. I bit my lip from screaming out loud.

The room fell silent, with my echoes being a grim reminder of Ash's weakness. My lungs begged for air, my eyes tearing up. It couldn't be...

In a rush of spontaneity, there was another sharp gasp. This time, my heart knew it wasn't from its pair. Guzma hissed, falling away from Ash. Hope shone through in a sliver when his red-hilted dagger shone in the right hands.

Ash sat up, his expression murderous, holding Guzma's weapon above the man. But that seemed to be what Guzma was being bothered about. My eyes searched him, trying to decipher why he was grimacing.

That was when I spotted it: his lifeline was scorching Guzma down into agonized squirms.

Before the moment could transpire into a victory, there was another scream signalling an intruder. Ash, though, rose to his feet, wiping the red liquid off his mouth. His back turned to us, and I spotted the blood dripping from his fingertips.

To my surprise, it was a female voice. "Guzma!"

— 🫧 —

Hey guys!
I'm back from
irregular updates.
I'm going to
try to get
an update in
every day or
every other day!

This chapter was
totally action-based.
I suppose you'll
see the same
in the next. ;)

We're about to
hit 2k soon!
I can't believe
that! We are
just quarter
into the book?!

Thank you for
sticking with me
till now!

Miyoko x