❝ 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚘... ❞

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Ryoh is defeated. Doom is insanely strong, that his eighty percent manages to counter Ryoh's thirds.

The light cane falls with a panful thud as Innocent Zero's first child approaches him. "Very impressive, visionary of light. But still not enough to force me to unleash my full strength." He mutters.

"I'm sorry to say...now that I've defeated your strongest defender, I no longer have use of you. It is time you all die."

However, when they thought he has lost, the light cane stands up shakily. Doom takes noticed on this and hit him once again and again.

"Now to finish the others-" he feels a tug on his pants. Turning around, Ryoh's trembling hand grips on him as if his life is depending on it. "It's not... over yet..." his tone sounds weakened.

Doom pushes his head back onto the ground harshly before sending multiple punches at him until his blood splatters to his visor. "It's futile. Your struggle will prove nothing but your weakness. Continuing will only destroy the face you take such pride in."

He grabs Ryoh's long blonde hair that is already fallen due to previous attacks. "Such a waste..." Doom sends one last punch, straight to the light cane's face. "...of your good face."

Blood oozes onto the ground as Ryoh stumbles, but manages to keep standing. "Is that... what you think it means to be handsome?" The light cane pants heavily. "It's not just about how you look on the outside. It's helping those weaker than you without being asked. Being true to your words... even at the threat of death. Always willing to forgive others. And most important of all..."

The lips of the light cane shakily forms a smile as he recalls his dear friend.

"Fabian... huff... I told you to run, idiot..."

"Like hell I will.. you... you'll die if I leave you there." His (eye colour) eyes locked with his blue ones, a flash of determination gave the light cane hope. "I'll protect my friend... no matter what. That is what makes a man."

"No matter how strong your foe... or how unmatched you find yourself..." a lone tear trails down his cheek. "...it's always standing up to defend your friends. That is what makes a man."

He raises his head to look up. Fabian's face appears in his vision, smiling proudly at him whenever he did something good.

"I... failed to be that man once." Ryoh takes a deep breath. "I won't... fail again."

I won't... fail you again, Fabian.

Doom raises an eyebrow as a certain ravenette comes in his mind. "Are you... talking about the visionary of soul?" Ryoh's blue eyes widen as his breath hitches.

He forgot... that Doom was the one who delivered Fabian to him.

"You must be blaming yourself," the first brother mutters. "But before I end you, you should know that he didn't want you to blame yourself too."

The remaining magicians around them widen their eyes, their minds pondering how Innocent Zero's first child knows about the late soul cane.

After a moment of silence, Ryoh lets out a shaky breath. "That bastard..." the light cane sighs, tremors in his voice.

Doom hums, his hand takes a hold of his chin. "Now that we're talking about him, I wonder..." Ryoh has a bad feeling about his wonder. "...where's his little sister? Is she still alive?"

He knew it.

"And his little brother, too. Where is he now, I wonder?" Ryoh clenches his fists weakly at the mention of the dead teen.

The first son of Innocent Zero then snaps from his trance. "Ah, forgive me. I shouldn't have gotten into that topic." He mutters as he slowly raises his sword. "Now I shall free you from the from the burden that comes with it. Rest assured, now you can meet your friend again. Please send my regards to him."

The citizens are in despair at the sight of the blade swinging at the light cane and Doom's sword hit the ground with a loud sound.

Everything feels too fast for Finn.

But being the observer he is, he manages to catch a glimpse of a familiar (hair colour) head.

"Send your regards to him yourself," the familiar voice says with venom from a different direction. The light cane has his nape resting on her arm as her other one holds him across his shoulders. "Fabian doesn't like a coward. Are you too scared to see him yourself or what?" (Name) asks as Doom stares at her silently.

"...are you not aware that he's dead?"

"I'm mocking you, dumbass." She scoffs as she places Ryoh onto the ground gently. "Your next opponent is me." She says sternly, and just as she's about to get up, she feels a tug on her sleeve, preventing her from moving.

"(Name)... don't, he's... too strong." Ryoh says between heavy breaths. "You won't win against him. Just run or wait for Mash-"

"Why are you stopping me too?" Ryoh widens his eyes at the pain in her voice. "Are you going to stop me from being a fighter?" She furrows her eyebrows. "Are you going to stop me like Fabian did too?"

Then it reminds him.

Her face. Her expression. That painful look that displayed on her face when Fabian forbade her from becoming a fighter and even enrolling Easton.

Ryoh has never thought that he would be the one who makes her feel that way again.

He never understands why Fabian really, desperately forbade (name) from using her blood magic. From enrolling Easton. From being a fighter that she always wanted. He always thinks that Fabian simply wanted to protect his little siblings.

But why didn't he do the same to Flynn?

Fabian was not sexist. Ryoh knows that very well. He even saw him give a woman a bitch slap because she picked a fight with the soul cane's late fiance.

It was also impossible that Fabian adored (name) more than Flynn. No. He was not that kind of person. He loved his younger siblings equally.

Ryoh feels his grip on her sleeve loosen on instinct. He purses his lips into a thin line as (name) walks away, and his hand falls to his side.

'We just want to protect you, (name)...'

But from what?

(Name) (last name) has grown into a strong divine visionary. She is strong, independent, and she has her own mind to think rationally. She's not someone who moves depending on her emotion. She is the definition of professional itself.

He has always wondered why Fabian wanted to hide her talent. She'd make a great fighter. Ryoh was sure that before (name) enrols Easton, Fabian had never let her use her blood magic. She was like a magic less person.

She never really trained herself because Fabian forbade her from doing so. That means she was inexperienced.

But right after she enrolled in Easton, she managed to use her magic quite well, for a beginner. She only needed two years to reach a divine visionary level.

But before this, she was not a fighter.

However, Ryoh is sure that she was born to be a fighter.

Fabian had always doubted (name)'s capability. He said she couldn't even protect herself from being hurt. But all Ryoh could see from all these years, she has the best requirements to be a great divine visionary.

He feels his eyes narrow. 'Fabian... you should look at her now. She has proven that she can be a fighter too.' He looks up to the sky as Finn helps him get on his feet before taking him closer to others.

(Name) stands in front of Doom who stares at her from the start. Their distances are a few feet away from each other. She takes out her wand and cuts her palm using the tip, red liquid oozes out of her flesh before forming a red sword.

"I'll make sure you regret what you did to Ryoh," she murmurs, and Doom can hear the hatred in her voice. "I'll kill you." She finishes.

Doom hums as he holds his sword close to him. "Before that, let me ask you a question." He mutters as (name) raises an eyebrow. Hearing no response, he continues. "Are you the late soul cane's sister?"

Without hesitation, she replies; "Yes I am. Do you have any problems with that?" She asks harshly.

Doom shakes his head, letting out a breath that sounds like a low chuckle. "You're just as he described," he murmurs as he slowly walks to her way.

(Name) raises her guard up as she tightens her grip on her sword. She waits and sees if the first brother is going to attack her or not.

But instead of his sword, he reaches out his hand. Then-

Bonk!

"Ow! What the..." the crimson cane whimpers as she rubs the pain on her head. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She hisses.

The first brother huffs as he retreats his hand. "Your brother asked me to give you a good hit on the head to knock some sense into you." (Name) blinks, the ache on her head disappears as she frowns. "What do you mean...?" She clenches her fists.

"You're reckless. You don't even know how to use your blood magic properly. He didn't want you to be a fighter because you're too sympathetic. You don't want to hurt people because you don't want them to feel helpless when they fight against their own magic, do you?"

Her frown darkens as she furrows her eyebrows. She wants to say something, to argue that he is wrong, but hell, Doom is right. How the hell did he know about this anyway?

"No magic ever harms its owner. You used your blood magic in the wrong way. Stop feeling sympathy for your enemy. They're the bad guys. It's pathetic." Doom continues. "If you keep feeling bad and sparing your enemy, you won't be able to protect your friends." He glances at the fallen magicians, and she instinctively looks at them too.

Their faces hold confusion, cluelessness and so many questions playing in their minds. What is Doom talking about? What does he mean by using her magic in the wrong way?

(Name) returns her gaze back on him as she glares at the blind man. "You know nothing about me. So don't talk like you do!" She swings her sword at him, only for him to clash it with his own, resulting in her red sword breaking into pieces.

A gasp escapes her lips as she loses her grip on the broken sword. Finn widens his eyes, his mind recalls every single time (name)'s weapons that are made of her blood broke.

And there are none.

"No way..." the young Ames hears Ryoh mutters. "He shouldn't be able to break that sword...." Finn bites his lips as he turns back to the crimson cane.

'(Name)-san...'

The crimson cane is quick to recover from her shock and forms more weapons. However, each of them meets the same end; broken by Doom's sword.

"It's futile," Doom mutters. "Stop this useless fight if you don't want to take it seriously. Do you think this is a game? Just go back to your house and learn how to cook or anything. You can't be a fighter if you keep this up."

"Shut up!" She exclaims. "I am serious. I know this is not a game. I won't start a fight that I can't end!" She forms a red spear and immediately swings it at him, which he dodges. "Don't talk to me like he did! He didn't understand it either! So do you!"

Doom sends his fist at the spear, the punch breaks the weapon into pieces before it returns to its liquid form. His fist stops right in front of (name)'s face, her bangs cover her eyes as she exhales shakily.

"I am a fighter. I can fight. I'm not weak," she mutters, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can protect people too..." the tremors in her tone are not invisible.

(Name) knows she's breaking down. She can feel her eyes burning, but she tries her best not to let those tears break the dam again.

Fabian's harsh words before he went to his last mission ring in her mind.

"You can't follow me. It's futile. You can't protect me with the way you use your magic." She winced at his words. "You can't be a fighter, (name). Not ever."