Chapter 64: Katsu’s Love

Standing face-to-face against me is someone I’ve only recently met, but also someone I’ve known my entire life.

The one that had stuck with “me” for millennia. The one that killed “my” family. The one that killed “me” and put “me” into a deep sleep.

Despite all of that, however, I don’t harbor any ill will towards him.

Is it because I’m me? Or is it that I’m not “me”?

I’m fighting him because it’s “my” mission. I hate him because “I” had to be like this. But what of it is real? What of it is my own emotion, and not the feelings the other “mes” have harbored through their journey?

I still question it from time to time. I went on this journey to search for something precious to me. But what is it exactly? Did I already find an answer to that? Or did this long journey make me forget my original purpose?

I take a look at the mural on the wall. A simple line on each side. Peaceful solution and deadly violence. In front is the silver-haired angel readying his blade. His real blade, Airgetlam, was not the broken rapier he borrowed.

“It’s time for you to finally disappear, my Demon of the past,” Bedivere sounds, stoic as ever.

“We’ll see about that,” I reply, waving my hand to summon my flock of guns.

Without another word, we both start our attacks.

The castle chamber is bombarded with sounds of blasting winds and clanging metal, with Bedivere cutting through my wind bullets like a knife through butter. Airgetlam might not be a truly “magical” sword, but its affinity to magic absorption is pushed to new heights with Bedivere’s natural combat style – a very frustrating enemy for the common mage.

I’m not a common mage, however. And I have ways to circumvent this.

The three-line formation. Oda Nobunaga’s famous tactic that relies on soldiers repeatedly firing their guns in separated lines, with the front line moving back to reload as soon as they run out of bullets. At least, that was the original version. I’ve made a crucial modification to fit my technique – by using the wind’s natural mobility, I’m able to deploy my unmanned muskets in mid-air, creating a truly omnidirectional firing range.

The angel, however, still hasn’t broken a sweat. With his shining blade, he slashes through my rounds of bullets like nothing. My power dwindles by the minute, while his speed just increases with each swing. And in the end, I can’t sustain that much consecutive firing, with the final round only managing to shred a side of his robe.

“What’s the matter, newborn warrior? Is that all?” Michael sounds, pointing his blade towards me.

I don’t answer. Or rather, I can’t answer. That was a good ten minutes of constant firing from me. I’m already running low on power enough as I am, wasting my breath for pointless talking is only going to make things worse.

I need a new strategy. Or something that can help me get out of this situation. I have the range advantage of course, but inversely, if Michael manages to close the distance between us, there’s no chance for me to win. And with the way I am now, widening our distances is nothing but a pipe dream.

Michael, seeing the silent response, moves. His footwork is fast and his blade accurate; if it goes on my heart would be pierced for sure.

I use every ounce of power left in me to conjure a gust of wind in my right palm, then blast it out. The force of the reaction propels me out of certain doom, however, as I feared, it’s not enough to help me escape unharmed. Akin to Gabriel, my lungs are pierced instead of my heart.

“Next time, it wouldn’t be so lucky,” Michael draws out the bloody blade and readies himself for a final thrust.

I fall face-down to the ground; the taste of dirt and blood blends in my mouth. My eyelids grow heavy, and my breathing is hard to keep up.

So, this is it, huh…

A life born from a rare fusion of the souls. A life that shouldn’t have been here in the first place.

It was nice while it lasted…

…

No.

I don’t want it to end here.

I have one card left to play.

I close my eyes and send what remains of my soul deep into my… our subconsciousness.

 

The stench of charred wood, fresh ink, and blood invades my nose as I reenter a certain candlelit room filled with wooden dummies, just-written paper sheets, and bloodied swords, spears, and bows. In the corner of the room sits a lone boy with a face just like mine, curling himself up as if to hide away from all the horror and shame.

“Time to switch, Katsu,” I say towards the boy.

“Go away.”

“If you don’t switch back, we’re gonna be dead.”

“You mean you’re gonna be dead.”

“You can’t stay here forever.”

“Yes, I can.”

“Look at this place. Why are you torturing yourself like this?”

“It’s all I can do.”

“No, it’s not,” I approach the boy, placing my hand on his shoulder. “Your friends need you. I need you. You need yourself. If you just switch…”

“Then what? I die with my lungs pierced?”

“Of course not,” I shake my head, turning to the ceiling above us. “Isn’t that right, Belial?”

From the darkness above lights a pair of golden eyes, and soon enough, a cloaked figure jumps down, carrying a giant scythe on her back.

You are reading story Peters’ Crosses at novel35.com

“When did you know I was here?” The Demon giggles seeing my face.

“I took your cross for a reason, you know.”

“And you’re offering this boy as a potential vessel to me? Aren’t you using him right now?”

“I’m not Byleth,” I shake my head to deny the claim. “My existence is a completely new one, born purely from his cross and the souls that made me. Basically, the boy was never chosen by Byleth’s cross in the first place.”

“I see… well, this is certainly unprecedented,” Belial ponders. “Would it even work?”

“I don’t see why not. The only problem is…”

“Well, let me try convincing our little cowardly prince,” I can’t see her face, but I know that Belial is licking her lips in expectation. Approaching Katsu, she asks:

“Now, can you tell me why you don’t want to come out?”

“I’m… not needed.”

“Not needed? That’s not true. Didn’t my old comrade here tell you that plenty of people need you?”

“I’m gonna disappoint people again.”

“You haven’t even tried anything.”

“I did try. And it ended up in that guy,” Katsu lightly points at me. “Don’t you get it? I can’t do it. I’m useless.”

“… Useless?” Belial raises her voice. “Well, in that case…”

In a twisted term of events, she lets out a cutesy, but chilling giggle. “Then you’ll be happy to die, right?”

Before I can do anything, her scythe has already slashed its way through Katsu’s shoulder, causing the boy to cry out in pain. But he can’t get away, not from a full-fledged Demon. Belial’s scythe keeps on hitting her target, delivering cuts after cuts on his back and limbs, but never enough to hit him directly in his vital parts.

“Well?” Laughs the Demon. “Are you in pain? Does it hurt? It hurts, isn’t it? You’re just dying to escape, right? Then die for us! Die to set yourself free!”

Slashes after slashes. Soon enough, Katsu’s whole body is riddled with wounds; his back covered in red. But in the end, Belial doesn’t finish him off. Instead, she throws a knife towards Katsu, and chuckles:

“If it hurts too much, do it yourself. End your miserable existence right here and now…”

“Hey, what gives?” I grab Belial by the shoulder, pulling her back. “You’re supposed to help him, not…”

Her finger places itself on my lips before I can finish. From within a hood, I can sense a confident smile.

“I am. Just watch.”

Meanwhile, Katsu slowly approaches the knife, pointing it towards his neck. His hands shiver, his eyes teary, and his mouth forms gibberish words:

“I can’t… I can’t do this anymore…”

“Wait, Katsu! Don’t…”

“Just trust me,” this time, it’s Belial who holds me back.

The knife advances closer towards the boy.

He’s about to do it.

He’s about to kill himself, and me along with him.

 

In the end, nothing happens. Katsu’s shivering hands drop the knife. As if all strength has left him, the boy kneels down and bawls his eyes out.

“I can’t do it, okay? I’m scared! It hurts! I don’t wanna die! I want to live!”

As if waiting for those words to come out, Belial removes her cloak completely, revealing a beautiful woman with long hair in the color of Sakura blossoms, and hugs the weeping boy tightly from behind.

“Correct.”

“… W-wait! Wha… huh?” the stimulation from contact with the girl’s lustful body, combined with the mental strain on him being pushed to its limits, then released fully had Katsu’s mind fried, as the boy only stutters even more than before.

“I can’t believe I forgot about this…” I shake my head in disappointment. “You and your crazy methods.”

“Only in the face of death does the human’s ego reveal itself in its fullest,” letting go of Katsu, Belial lets out a satisfied giggle. “I am the Demon of Love, Belial, and I only seek the purest form of love in my vessel. If one can’t even love themselves, then how are they supposed to love others?”

“And the will to live is the purest form of self-love,” I finish her intended lecture. “But again, you nearly gave me a heart attack there.”

“Well, now that we’ve got everything settled, shall we start our counterattack?”

“I’m not the one to say that,” I let out a smirk, turning to the boy in wait. “Well, Katsu? What do you want to do?”

“I… I want to live.”

“Then it’s time for you to return to the real world, my other self.”

You can find story with these keywords: Peters’ Crosses, Read Peters’ Crosses, Peters’ Crosses novel, Peters’ Crosses book, Peters’ Crosses story, Peters’ Crosses full, Peters’ Crosses Latest Chapter