Desire of the man that sought individuality

.

.

.

-----------

/CLANG!/

/CLANG!/

"DAMN IT ALL!"

'Phryne struggled to keep up.'

I can't lend a proper hit at all!

/FWOOSH!/

'Silver easily evaded her blow by taking a step back, letting her comically large axe pass by...'

/CLENCH!/

"URG!"

This fucking rat!

/CLANG!/

"Be a man and stop evading!"

/FWOOSH!/

'Evading her blow once more, Silver looked at her, a mocking smile forming on his lips.'

"Then fight like a proper Amazon and take off that heavy chest plate armor you're wearing, let me hit you a couple of times and we're..."

"URYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

/CLANG!/

'She cleaved with her axe, parting the ground, leaving a large trench that dug several meters behind SIlver.'

'At the end of the day, Phryne was Level 6, a strength-oriented adventurer.'

"... Even... Guess that's a no."

'Despite his mocking, Silver's expression was as fierce as he could manage, his eyes open wide to observe her movements in full.'

Her armor is tough as hell.

Even if her armor is thin for her size, it's still pure Adamantite with a thinner layer of Orichalcum, even if that later is less than a quarter of a millimeter...

I can only slowly cut it out, but like this, I'll never break her chest armor even if I was allowed to hit the same spot for half an hour, it would be easier to rip out her skin and force it out of her body than to break it.

There are some cuts here and there, but those are just dents, her helmet caved in because it wasn't tested and as such, it didn't have proper sustentation.

The smith that made it is likely fuming, perhaps he himself had been forced to work overtime to make armor that was both good and aesthetically pleasing in time... Perhaps he'd been working ever since Phryne leveled up.

Even so, it's not enough time.

To counter her toughness, I had to aim at the gaps in the armor to try and rip the cloth underneath, the very same cloth that ties everything together!

Some sort of extremely durable hide.

If it's gone, her armor will fall apart on its own, the few metal straps can be broken without much problem.

/CLANG!/

"RAT! DIE!"

"I refuse!"

/CLANG!/

'Silver clenched his teeth, raising his halberd to clash directly with her downward axe.'

...

'The battle continued, Silver and Phryne clashed without showing any signs of stopping.'

'From the river to the mountains, and from there to the unmarked land around it they tussed and punched, slashed and stomped.'

"Try again!" He exclaimed as he punched her arm away and kicked her sides, sending her sliding

"The only thing good about you is your damn mouth brat!!" Phryne screamed, raising her arms

/BOOOM!/

"..."

'The fight was getting out of control, and Ganesha started to frown in regards to that.'

'No, he had been frowning for a very long time, it was just that now... Something else was at stake, and he feared...'

'It was clear, he had no power to stop those two, and if he were to send Shakti, he would be breaking his promise, and above all, likely sending her to a great risk.'

/BOOOOM!/

'Just the... Magnitude of the fight said it all, Shakti was an incredibly strong Level 5 adventurer, so she wouldn't die... But neither did he want to see her getting hurt for nothing either.'

'While he wasn't 100% sure if the boy would accept his intervention, he was 100% sure that Phryne would take the opportunity to end him, seeing how opportunistic she was before...'

'Breaking his momentum would only do him bad either way, besides, he didn't want to sour their relationship due to a rushed decision.'

"..."

A man that sticks to his words, however nonsensical they may be...

Is it foolish, or courageous? Arrogance, or confidence?

'Now that he thought about it, his previous blunt words weren't simply nonsense…'

'He was truly being considerate for Shakti's well-being.'

'And this all combined put Ganesha in a really bad spot, it would be good if they finished their fight without problems, but if something intervened in it, or it ended up affecting anyone outside the exclusion zone, then the blame would go to him…'

'No, Ganesha knew it wouldn't, the Gods wouldn't blame him for this unforeseen circumstance…'

'He would instead, take the blame on his own accord!… Because he is Ganesha!'

"HOW MUCH LONGER CAN YOU KEEP GOING BRAT?!"

/BOOOM!/

'Dust and smoke rose to the skies, the skies thundering as lighting jumped from amidst the clouds…'

'Ganesha looked up and then back at Orario in the far distance.'

'He wondered, just how many up there were watching?'

'And how many more were currently witnessing this moment?'

'Would history be made today, or would this be just one of the many tales carved amidst the shores of the river of time, one of the many that was eventually washed away by it?'

'Regardless, Ganesha would never forget this moment, Silver's words were carved in his divine heart already.'

'He had already understood what kind of guy he was… He was someone that questioned his very existence, the very world.'

'And he was willing to seek out what's missing.'

'Whatever was on his way... Be it God's will or whatnot, he would push it aside and take a step forward.'

'What they're all seeing now was this very search… Another step towards the truth.'

'But he wondered, were his legs long enough to cross it?'

'Or would he tumble down and fall all the way down, perhaps even further from where he began?'

"..."

/Thunder!/

'The skies cried before going quiet, perhaps pondering over this situation also.'

/Clench…/

"Get hurt..."

'Shakti clenched his fists, frustration covered her body.'

'She didn't expect to be so powerless.'

'In truth, she came here with a half-hearted effort, merely following her God in one of his many ventures.'

'Her only fear in this entire place was Phryne herself, she never confronted her directly, but their achievements were pretty close to each other.'

'However, while Phryne wasted her life away enjoying her fame, barely training, she spent most of her time on duty, training constantly.'

'Obviously, she wasn't the same low-Level adventurer that had almost endless free time like she once was, now she had an unending amount of jobs to do… To the point of giving her a headache.'

'But whenever she could, she would always be fighting, improving, training…'

'Like Phryne, she only needed a chance…'

…

/CLANG!/

"Just fall already!"

How much stamina does he have?!

He's only a Level 3! No matter how much he trained!...

/CREESH!/

'Her axe fell onto his halberd, and he easily had it slide off to the side.'

"THIS MOVE AGAIN?!"

/BAM!/

'Phryne wouldn't let herself be deceived again, so the moment her axe fell, she took a step forward and punched.'

"?!"

'However, out of her expectations, Silver dropped his weapon, raising his right arm, quickly moving it beneath her's…'

/PUSH!/

/BAM/

'Pushing the arm aside with a strong uppercut, Silver revealed a completely open Phryne!'

'And he then delivered his strongest punch at her most vulnerable area, her neck.'

/SMACK!/

"GUOGH?!"

'But even so, he didn't hear the sound of it breaking, a combination of the fat and her high stats made it almost unbreakable.'

'And together with the bad angle due to her armor, his punch was only enough to make Phryne lose her breath a little.'

"Hupp!"

/SMACK!/

'But he didn't stop, another punch, right to her temple!'

"UGHR?!"

'Her vision and brain shaking, Phryne lost composure.'

"More!"

'Silver clenched his own teeth, pushing his body forward.'

/SMACK!/

'If that wasn't enough, Silver kicked the ground, headbutting her face like a missile!'

"BUHOU!"

"Get your feet together!"

'As she fell back, Silver jumped after her, having his hands cover her face.'

/FLASH!/

'A potent flash of light hit her eyes directly, burning her cornea as she lost her vision!'

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

/Step.../

/BANG!/

'Screaming in pain, she tried to shake him off, but she was too slow and awkward, Silver easily evaded her fat hand before stepping on her face midair, and kicking it back to the ground!'

"HUPP!"

/BOOOM!/

'Phryne collided against the ground, foaming from her mouth while Silver did a backflip, falling with his two feet not so far away…'

/FWOOSH!/

/GRASP!/

'He wanted to smile, but he didn't, he simply raised his right hand, grabbing his speeding halberd with a metallic sound before taking a step forward.'

...

"I'll… Fucking… Rip… Appart…"

'She slowly recomposed herself, but Silver wouldn't let her…'

"Stop playing around...!!!"

/BAM!/

/SPLURGE!/

'Without her knowing, the moment she raised her head, Silver hit her face with the hammer side of his Halberd while doing a baseball swing!'

"BUGHI!!!"

'Phryne rolled back like a ball, sliding on the ground, leaving a bloody trail until she stopped many meters ahead.'

"Humph."

'After hitting her face, Silver took in a deep breath as he recovered his stamina.'

'His expression was a mix of confusion and displeasure.'

Damn healing abilities, just how much is she going to bleed?

Is her brain made of stone? I shook it so many times already, she should've gotten a concussion by this point.

'Silver rested his weapon on his shoulders, walking next to her calmly.'

/Inhale.../

"Huff..."

I'm getting worked up.

This feeling is so...

'His chest weaved in and out, his sweat immediately evaporated as it came out of his skin, forming into a layer of mist around his body.'

'But at the same time, he felt something was missing...'

Phryne is too... Barbaric.

Like a Monster, but not quite like it...

It's embarrassing to watch, at least from my standpoint, to the point it takes away a bit of the...

Fun.

/Twitch…/

'On the ground, Phryne's body twitched, but she didn't move, to this, Silver smiled greatly.'

'This smile was reflected in front of almost every Orario citizen, they had to reconsider just what exactly they were seeing.'

'It was a smile of absolute delight...'

"..."

'His eyes darkening a little, he started to approach her...'

"You're predictable." He said in a low tone

/Step.../

'He suddenly mocked her, shocking many.'

"Large swings, pure brute force."

/Step.../

"That in itself isn't wrong..."

"But you barely apply any sort of technique to your swings."

"You made this an uneventful fight."

/Step.../

"You're not used to your new strength and power, I bet you lazed around instead of getting the hang of it after you Leveled up."

'Silver shrugged, he looked really arrogant right now.'

"Your gear is good, but it's untested, that's the problem with new gear, you need to put some strain on it to reveal its weaknesses."

Unless it's the work of a God like Hephaestus or a very talented person…

There will always be a failure or two, and honestly, it's not the problem of the smith, the guy that can pull something like that off is praiseworthy.

/Step.../

"You're slow too, and instead of developing some sort of combat style to offset that, you just decided to learn the basics and leave the rest to your body and armor to take."

'He smiled ironically.'

"Is that why you're so fat?"

"..."

/Silence…/

'No reaction, some even thought Silver was being too rough, mocking a loser...'

'Their emotions of glory and victory slowly turned into disapproval.'

'Such was the fickleness of men.'

'While the Gods laughed heartedly, agreeing with his words.'

'They were having a lot of fun.'

...

'Silver continued moving.'

"You can only move fast in straight lines due to your overflowing strength, but even then, you lack any sort of disciplined footwork, you're like a ragging Minotaur, but at least they have horns atop their head." Silver said as he pointed at his forehead playfully

/Step.../

"The only thing you have going for you is your High stats, though, you could definitely work a bit more on gaining some magic… You can always buy a Grimoire, money shouldn't be a problem for your Goddess." Silver mocked as he approached her

"A few nights should be enough." He teased, making Ishtar crush her wine bottle, and the Gods cry out in hysteria

'Back at Orario, everyone opened their mouths wide in shock!'

'A few girls inside the Guild opened their mouths wide in a concoction of reactions...'

'Below the Guild, a dark robbed mage tripped onto the ground in surprise while an old man watched the projection without even blinking...'

'Inside a certain bar, the waitresses scoffed at his words, a few laughing loudly before being told by a certain dwarf to shut it.'

'Loki screamed loudly, laughing, and no one could stop her.'

'Hermes swallowed dry, this guy had no chill...'

'His words were sharp, he was implying he knew every exact detail on her… And considering he infiltrated their home… And what he did…'

'That might very well be the truth!'

'And like that, many believed that was how Ishtar operated, once again, her reputation was thrown down the drain, her divine presence soiled with his words.'

"I imagine that whenever you meet someone your Level, you'll likely always end up either losing, fleeing, or in a stalemate… Rarely ever you'll win… Right?" He said as he kicked a rock at her head, but she remained still

"You can't win in proficiency, your experience is something of the past as you barely ever work now, and your large body affects most of your mobility."

'Silver was mostly shooting in the dark here, even if fat, it wasn't exactly true to say she had lost her touch, as Phryne herself would always fight someone in the Dungeon whenever she went there with the Berbera to make money.'

"And the little you have is reduced to almost zero due to your choice of equipment."

"You went all in huh?"

/Step.../

"Against agile small opponents, if you miss the first hit, things won't end up pretty."

"Unless it's against a new Level 5, you wouldn't act, you're one of those that bully the weak and fear the strong… Not really a praiseworthy mentality."

"You're like a damn chunk of iron, your only purpose is to be hit, and even then, I would say Iron has more uses than you, as it can be sharpened onto something more useful, while you…"

'He was now just a few steps away from her.'

"In fact… Aren't you quite cowardly?"

"That's proven by how rarely you venture into the Dungeon."

"... You... Fear it, don't you…"

"Death."

/Silence…/

'Silver crossed his arms, shrugging.'

"I don't blame you, I also find it quite… Sad."

'Silver stopped walking for a moment, speaking seriously.'

"Our Souls will return to heaven eventually, and then, they'll clean it before sending us back… That's the cycle."

'He looked at his bloodstained hands.'

"I wondered how many times this happened already? To both me and you."

"Did the past me ask this question to one of them when I arrived up there? What sort of face did I make? What did I die from? Did I panic? Who was I?"

"Did I have a cute wife?..."

/Chuckles…/

"I hope I was a man I can be proud of… Though that is relative, one life and the next one, so close yet so far, judging each other based on what each experienced… That won't go anywhere."

'Silver 'accidentally' kicked another small stone onto Phryne's body, but she didn't react, her patience was commendable.'

"But then again, perhaps… I was nothing…"

"I could've been the pettiest of thieves… Or a ruler of a grand city in some long forgotten land, uttering forth a new age…"

"A Hero, A devil, is my name written in history books? Did I die for that very purpose?..." He asked towards the skies

"What's the point now, when I can't even remember my own name?"

"Or maybe… Just maybe… I never had a past, to begin with."

'He smiled slily.'

"Have you never wondered? If our Souls keep this cycle of up and down, by who and when were the first Souls created?"

/Silence.../

"I would like to meet the God that made us… He surely has… Some odd tastes."

'Silver raised his hands to his chest, feeling his heartbeat.'

/Chuckle…/

"I'm merely jesting, a Soul leaves heaven in a pure state, it has no influence in us… Or does it?"

'Silver smiled mysteriously as he started walking again, getting very close to Phryne...'

"Though…"

"URAAGGHAAAA! SHUT UP ALREADY!"

'The fallen Phryne suddenly sprung into action, swinging her axe in an upward motion, cutting SIlver's head off!'

'He didn't move, merely watching the glean of her axe as it approached him, his smile growing wider…'

"Aha!"

I did it...!

'She started to smile that her plan had worked, but then…'

"Shame…"

'Silver's body started to vanish, turning into mist that moved past her blade and just a step in front of her.'

"YOU!"

/SLASH!/

'She pulled her axe in desperation, but Silver continued to move forward, letting it cut a deep wound on his shoulder, just so he could grasp her neck!'

"!"

He let himself be injured?!

'This momentary lack of attention cost her greatly...'

/GRAB!/

'She once again moved her axe, but her bad position and lack of momentum made it slow and powerless... So Silver grabbed it with his only free hand.'

'Despite his injury, he could still...'

"An axle of pure Adamantite, how extravagant."

/Heat.../

'Under Phryne's trembling eyes, Silver's hands slowly turned red hot, almost flowing like magma...'

'Before she even had the time to mount a resistance...'

/CLENCH!/

'Silver closed his fist, and the axle was smashed like clay as the two parts of her axe slowly fell onto the ground like noodles...'

"?!?!"

'Her shocked face reflected her clouded state, but she wasn't the only one like that...'

"Phew."

'Silver turned to her his hand still steaming due to how hot it was.'

"Is it a bit hot or is it just me?" He asked with a large smiled as he grabbed her neck with his hand

/TSSSSS!/

"GAH!... AHHHHHH!"

/CRACK!/

/CRACK!/

'She tried to struggle, but Silver kept shoving her back onto the ground time and time again as if he was using her as a hammer.'

'Phryne felt as if an entire mountain was on top of her right now… Certainly not her preferred position to be in…'

'Silver, on the other hand, looked at her with some pity.'

"Try to think... You really think I would say all of that just to make fun of you? While also not realizing your pathetic excuse of a trap?..."

"To prove some sort of distorted point, like a villain at the end of a Heroic story?"

"Miss…"

'Silver smiled greatly, like a Demon, only by this scene, most would think he is the villain.'

"You overestimate yourself."

/Tighten…/

'His hands tightened around her neck, squeezing her fat air duct...'

/Tsss,,,/

'Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, apart from her natural body reaction, she can keep her breath for more than long enough… Even if her neck was broken, she could make her way to Orario running and arrive in time to get healed…'

'If her Development Ability didn't already heal her before she got there.'

'But of course... Saying is easy, withstanding the panic and pain os something else...'

"ARRRRGH!"

'Still, something seemed to snap inside her as she looked at his clear eyes…'

'Having lost all sense of reason, she punched Silver's face, but he merely recoiled a little, still clutching onto her throat before punching her as well!'

'His broken nose slowly moved back in position, as if it was never broken.'

/BAM!/

"Let's end this." Silver said as he pulled his bloodied hand

"NOOOOO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

This isn't good!

'She trashed around, but her strength was already greatly depleted, without focus and reason, she wouldn't be able to pry him off, and even if he could, he would easily and agility move back into position.'

'Going up and down, Silver slammed her head on the ground, making her lose her strength and concentration momentarily.'

"You fear death... And so do I."

'He smiled widely.'

"That's why I move forward, I'll never stop, even as my body burns down into ambers."

"I'm not glorious like the legends of old, I don't expect an army of knights to sing me an Anthem when I'm back..."

/Silence.../

"Do you remember what I said before?" He asked in a suspiciously gentle tone

/SLASH!/

"...?!"

'She swung his palm like a knife, the air pressure cutting Silver's eyes like a sharp blade.'

'But he didn't stop looking at her, his eyes bleeding severely, as if nothing had happened... It was...'

'The hot blood dripped onto her face...'

"Ahhh... Haa..."

T-This isn't a fucking Human!

/Shudder…/

'This made her tremble in some indescribable fear…'

'These expressions weren't missed by him.'

"Are you giving up?... Come on, is that how you're going down?"

'His expression started to tense, the fire momentarily recoiled, like when the waves recede before a larger one comes...'

"Don't forget…"

/BURST!/

/FLAMES!/

"?!?!?!"

'Silver suddenly exploded into flames like a volcano erupting!'

'His eyes turned into lighthouses as fire spew out of them like magma rivers!'

/TSSSSSSS!/

'She felt an extreme heat cover her, and she instantly started to sweat!'

'Smoke coming out from his mouth, he said:'

"An adventurer…"

"NO NO NOOOOO! STOP IT!" She said, struggling with a sudden burst of power

It hurts!

AHHH! STOP IT!

'Silver continued to smile… Fire coming from within his teeth.'

'But the sounds that came out of his mouth weren't calm, much less gentle…'

"... IS MEANT TO BURN HIS SOUL IN A MOMENT OF GLORY!"

'Silver pressed her body down, his face overtaken by flames.'

/SHINE!/

'His Halberd shone brightly, and in a small moment, a small spark ignited in its blade…'

'It was only for a moment though, few noticed… With the exception of a few with keen eyes…'

"Th-That…"

'Hermes knew what it was.'

…

"What's he pulling out of his ass now?"

'Loki squinted her eyes.'

…

"!!!"

'Hestia got up from her seat, making it fall back much to the other's surprise.'

…

"My… Another surprise." Freya mumbled with a flushed expression

Ahh… I want it…

So much…

'But she quickly went back to normal.'

…

/Smack!/

'Extreme fear brought forth power from the depths of her body, and Phryne successively pushed Silver back.'

'She ran back, standing in a defensive position as she saw the burning Silver rise from the ground.'

'A man clad in fire... The very depiction of his burning desires.'

'It was poetical, his own dreams were wearing him down slowly... Burning him into cinders.'

'In a sense, he was right, even as his body burned asunder...'

"Haa haa…"

'Out of breath and the will to fight, she raised her gaze to meet his.'

"!"

'But that wasn't exactly a good idea.'

'Silver's eyes had yet to fully heal… Perhaps they never would.'

'Flames spew out from the two horizontal slits in his eyes, the cuts Phryne had just made.'

/Crackle.../

/CLANG!/

/CLANG!/

'As his body burned down, the sound of chains echoed in the plains, confusing many.'

"What do you see when you look at me to have that sort of gaze?" He asked in an oddly twisted tone

/FWOOSH!/

'His halberd flew to him, its runes shining in blue light.'

"Having second thoughts about this?" Silver asked as he saw her stepping back

"Unfortunately, it's way too late for that."

'He raised his weapon and got into a stance.'

/CLANG!/

'The chains continued to sound out, but their source couldn't be found.'

"It was short, but the world will have to say goodbye to its newest Level 6…"

"N-No… Get away from me you fucking monster…"

'She looked around in panic, rejoicing at the fact her axe was close to her.'

'Albeit she had lost half of its handle, something was better than nothing!'

'Her survival instincts kicking in, she was going to survive, somehow.'

"..."

'Silver didn't reply at first, thinking...'

"Monster huh?... Not really a bad analogy. No, I guess I am some kind of monster, depending on whom you ask."

'Silver seemed amused, like being called a monster was some form of compliment.'

"Shit! You're just a maniac! A fucking creature disguised as man!..."

'She had some sort of epiphany...'

"That's it! You can only be that... Some disgusting beast! HEY! KILL HIM!"

'She desperately clawed the earth, trying to move further away from him.'

'But no one came to her pathetic cries...'

"Call me whatever you wish, Monster, Demon, or whatever."

"I may be shunned by others... As people are too afraid of the unordinary..."

'His tone became solemn.'

"But I'll always just be myself, Silver, the adventurer…"

"I have no interest in anything else... For now... Still, we never know where life will lead us."

"The Gods did come down for a reason, though I wonder what they have to say about the mortal plane."

/Crack!/

'The sound of something metallic breaking rang in her ears...'

'She looked round, but saw nothing...'

'He took a step forward.'

"I'll move forward, always, many things died for me to be here, piles upon piles of monsters... Their efforts won't be in vain."

"But today…"

'His tone going down, the determination within him... He sounded oddly at peace.'

This is the path I carved for myself.

/CRACK!/

"?!"

'Finally, with one last reverberation, brown chains materialized faintly behind him before breaking down and scattering into sparks of light.'

'His torn and burned shirt revealed his back, and a brazier of fire slowly lit up there.'

'Hestia's Symbol.'

/BURST!/

'His Halberd suddenly ignited in Platinum flames.'

'These flames spread around his body, taking over his own flames, turning him into a Platinum Monster.'

"I'LL KILL A LEVEL 6!"

'He opened his mouth to utter a battle cry, rushing forward!'

"AHHHHHH!"

'Silver's scream triggered her, making her jump back in fear.'

'Phyrne swung her axe, but it was in vain.'

/CLANG!/

'Being in an awkward position, even with her overflowing strength, Silver bounced the ax back, swinging his divine blade at her chest, leaving a deep red gash in her chest armor.'

/BAM!/

'He kicked her chest, sending her away!'

/FWOOSH!/

'Kicking the ground in sequence, he flew after her, punching her face, sending her into the earth as her skin sizzled due to the contact with the flames.'

/THROW!/

'He threw her to the side, jumping into the air as he slashed downward…'

/SCREAM!/

"I DON'T WANT IT!"

"I'M PHRYNE JAMIL!"

'Phryne exclaimed as she swung her axe upward.'

/CUT!/

"?!?!"

'Silver's arm… Had been cut apart!'

"Where are you looking at?"

'Silver's voice looked macabre and dark.'

/CUT!/

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

'Despite his arm being cut, Silver continued to slash downward, cutting Phryne's left eye the moment she completely let her guard down.'

"NOOOOO… NOOOOOOOOO!!! ARRRRG!"

'She touched her face, feeling the burning edge carve away her soul.'

This can't be...

"HUPP!"

'Leaving his burning arm behind, the now, single-armed Silver dashed after her.'

/CLANG!/

/CLANG!/

"AHHHHHHH!"

'Silver made a series of attacks with his sole arm, cutting and burning her body, filling her with massive pain.'

"LEAVE ME ALONE! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"YOU ALREADY WON, JUST STOP IT ALREADY!"

/SLASH!/

/CUT!/

'Phyrne slashed chaotically, and somehow, she managed to cut Silver's other arm in a moment of euphoria!'

'Once again, he didn't move, letting her do as she pleased!'

"Haa…"

/CLENCH!/

'Opening his mouth and exhaling flames, Silver laughed evilly as two pairs of flaming arms emerged from his wounds, grabbing onto the Goddess Halberd, slashing at her arms, cutting her shoulders.'

'Phryne was so absurdly shocked, she barely mounted any resistance, letting the burning halberd cut through her.'

/THUD!/

'Phryne fell with her knees on the ground, powerless.'

'She raised her head…'

"P-Please… I-I… Won't do anything…"

/SMACK!/

'Silver kicked her face, sending her sliding back as she raised her hands to touch her injured face.'

"Begging won't lead you anywhere." Silver said in disgust, almost spatting on the ground

/BADUM!/

/BADUM!/

'The only sounds at this moment were the burning sounds of his flames and some sort of… Drum?'

"Can you hear it?" Silver asked as he looked at the side

"Urg... H-Hear…? No!"

"No, I can! I definitely…"

'But Silver interrupted her.'

"My heart beats, thus, I'm alive."

/BADUM!/

/BADUM!/

'Each time his heart beated, the flames around his chest were pushed slightly. '

'It kept getting faster.'

"P-Please…"

'The flames around his shoulders started moving, becoming a pair of arms.'

/Grab…/

'Silver grabbed his Halberd, the flames around it had long stopped, and its runes were now dark.'

"..."

"STOP!"

'From behind Silver, Shakti appeared, running, holding her spear as sweat fell from her forehead.'

Dammit! That crazy man!

'Silver slowly turned to her, looking at her with disappointment.'

'He raised his flamming arm, pointing it at her.'

"I said it before, and I won't repeat…"

'He then pointed down.'

"?!"

/BOOM!/

'Shakti suddenly fell onto the ground, she couldn't even move!'

'A large crater surrounded her as if the very earth was being pressured by an invisible object!'

"DO NOT INTERFERE!" He exclaimed in anger

"URG!"

'She tried to raise her head, but the force suddenly doubled down.'

"THIS IS MY FIGHT! MY PROBLEMS!"

"Y-Y-You..."

"MY... DESIRES!"

/BOOM!/

'The intensity of the pressure increased, and Shakti spat out some air as her lungs were squeezed forcefully.'

/GASP!/

'But it all vanished the moment he turned his gaze.'

"... My heart yearns for this moment..."

'He raised his Halberd, but he then dropped it, walking to Phryne.'

"N-N-N-N… Phrea… sh…"

'Phryne begged in every way she could, but Silver ignored it all.'

"There might be people out there that'll give you a second chance... Even a third chance..."

"I do believe in those, everyone deserves to be pardoned, one way or another..."

'Hope lit up in her eyes...'

"But I'm not one of those."

"I'll give you a chance, as many as I feel like it..."

"Call me whatever you like... I don't really care."

"I'm flawed after all, that is Humanity for you if you want perfection, seek the Gods to give you guidance..."

/Grab.../

'Silver grabbed Phryne's broken axe as he walked.'

"For me... You just crossed too many lines to be given any sort of redemption."

And that's all that matters because right now, I am the judge.

'He looked up as if he could gaze at someone...'

"Not for anyone else but me."

/SLASH!/

'Silver swung the Great axe sideways without even looking at Phryne.'

/CUT!/

/... Thud.../

…

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Notes