It was at this moment, I thought I was gonna die.

Upon the horizon, a small island came into view. And that island looked like something that was taken straight out of a horror movie. As we got closer we could see the destroyed remnants of a broken dock. We could even make out some heavy work machinery. It looked like it hadn’t been touched in decades.

“What's with all these abandoned places I've never seen before!?” Zack said as he looked skeptically at the island.

“Your hometown has a lot of these. Even the place we left was made for the industrial age. People would take the ferry over to this island to work at the factories. However, as child labor became more of a public issue they lost a lot of workers. They were also losing revenue due to better competitors. Which ultimately led to this area's demise.” Leo said as he walked over to us

The island looked like the setting for a zombie apocalypse or something. Like the people just vanished from here.

“Why do you know that?” Zack asked as we pulled up to the island

“I like to be educated on my surroundings if possible. Ignorance is nothing more than a chosen weakness, and I refuse to be weak.” He said right before he leaped over the railing and landed on the ground below

“Freaking lizard breath..” Zack grumbled.

He jumped up onto the air and walked down it like stairs onto the island.

I just shook my head and jumped onto the railing and looked over the island. The place was filled with old crumbling buildings and construction items. The ground below me wasn’t sand, but broken black concrete. This place really must’ve been all business…

I leaped off the ledge and landed on the ground. Leo was walking ahead and examining the area, while Zack stood above me on the sky looking over the ship.

“Yahoo~!” I heard Elizabeth cheer as he flew above us all, spinning around in the sky with a huge smile plastered on her face.

She squealed happily as she slowly descended down next to me.

“Oolroight! Isabella wawn rawck, puypah, sciccors. So she gets fuhst crack at the bloke!” Elizabeth chimed.

“Oroka..” Weis grumbled.

“Ooh, the chivilirish Stryder has to hit a woman.” Zack chuckled above us.

I just rolled my eyes.

“A fighter is a fighter,” I replied. “As long as she’s okay with it.”

“I appreciate it!” Isabella called out from above.

She landed across from me, with a whole lot more force! The dust from the ground rose around her. And it just dawned on me. I spent this whole time talking to Elizabeth, and I semi fought Weislung. But I knew practically nothing about Isabella.

I looked her over from head to toe. Her armor looked heavy, but why was it black? Does that mean it was enchanted? Or was it just an aesthetic? And those red eyes…

If I had to make an assumption. I’d say she had to be able to manifest her weapon. Since Wieslung and Elizabeth have their swords on them. I can guess she probably has to summon like me. Which doesn’t necessarily help analyze any specifics on what it does.. From the jump I can tell she’s a powerhouse too.

Hmmm, if I rush her, maybe I can stop her from manifesting weapons. I can use my eyes and my speed to focus solely on the attack.

“Well let’s meet in the middle and face off,” Isabella said as she walked off toward the center of the city.

“Oy'm gonna take a veedeo faw Arrow! so yah bettah win!” Elizabeth cheered.

Isabella's cheeks became a rosy shade and she huffed.

“Rubbish..” She muttered.

“I don’t mean to be nosey or anything. But is this Arrow guy your boyfriend?” I asked.

Then her cheeks became a dark red that seemed to cover her whole face.

“N-no! He’s not my boyfriend yet!” She grunted.

I laughed a little and nodded.

“Yet?” I teased.

“Shut up!” She growled.

“Do you think he’ll come?” I asked. “To challenge me?”

“No, he’s not the type. He’s much more interested in seeing the world, and doing the hero thing.”

I smiled some as she stopped, and I stopped as well. She turned around and faced me and I faced her.

“He sounds like a cool guy,” I added and readied myself.

She nodded and followed suit preparing herself.

“You should be focusing on me though.” She said flatly.

“Raydy! Fight!” Elizabeth cheered.

I was thrown off. She started so abruptly!

I quickly dashed over to her and summoned light armor over my body, and two gladius blades. As I got close enough to strike, I noticed a bright red flare coming from her. I struck for her chest plate, but I was met with the clank of another blade. I looked down and my eyes grew wide. As the crimson red flares began to die down, left in its place was the flat side of a humongous blade.

Before I had time to think, she was already shoving me back. With Strength that made Wieslung look like a puppy! I slid against the ground as she shoved me away like she was using a fan. I looked her over again. And I could see the faint shimmers of red coming off her armor and her eyes. That’s when it hit me. The red shimmers, the summoning, her glowing eyes, the red mist when she slung me away.

She was just like me!

I tripped on the debris behind me, I used my strength and jumped high into the air doing a backflip. Trying my best to just not fall over. As soon as she came into view again, I was greeted by a flying black and silver spear. I summoned a shield and activated my eyes. But it was ridiculously fast! Like she just chucked a bullet at me! I reacted in time to smack it away with my shield as it was still forming. But the force still knocked me back.

I crashed against the ground and rolled on it like a flicked marble. I dropped my weapons and tried to stop my rolling as I managed to roll onto my feet. I looked up and she was quickly upon me. But this time, she had nothing but gauntlets in her hands. She swung at my face and I used my eyes. And it was odd. It was like it was normal speed. I could see what she was going to do. But I wasn’t reacting as fast as I normally do. Was it her eyes making us-

I felt her armored leg slam into my stomach. I couldn’t help but keel over as it hit. And she came in for a hard right hook and then a left hook. I spun around on that left strike and stumbled back. I could feel the blood piling in my mouth. Then I felt her ram into me and I went airborne and slammed into a building. The wind getting knocked out of me.

“Woo! Go Lizbeth!” Elizabeth cheered.

“Come on Stryder! Don’t let a girl clap you!” Zack roared.

I slowly pushed myself up from the wall and spat the blood out my mouth.

“Are you really the man who defeated Stone and managed to hit Rex?” Isabella asked as she casually walked over to me.

I smirked and chuckled a bit.

“I’m sorry to disappoint.” I coughed out.

I was already feeling the lag in my body after just one punch. Let alone that assault she threw at me. This girl was insane. I summoned armor over myself.

But I had to keep going. I needed that info. She summoned her huge blade again. I got a better look at it this time. It was six feet tall and way bigger than her. It was all black and silver and the blade was wide. Wider than her body. It reminded me of the buster sword.

“It’s a good thing we respawn. I know a real warrior won’t surrender.” She said with a smirk.

I smiled at her.

“Agreed,” I said as I went to summon my Albion blade.

Before it even finished, she had her huge blade swinging at my side. I quickly turned my manifesting blade to block the strike. And I did, but it felt like a moving truck slammed into me! And I was sent flying again!

“You're disappointing me, hero.”

Goddess!?

I crashed back into the concrete ground again and groaned.

“Of course I’m trying..”I grumbled as I rolled over. “ She’s just better at my strategy then I am.”

I forced myself up, and as soon as I did.

Everything was black. It was like I teleported into some endless darkness.

“I had a bet on you young hero. And I would rather not lose.”

I looked around for her, but there was nothing. Just an empty black void.

“I’m sorry, really. But she’s just a better fighter than me. I’m doing my-”

“Your sister's life. If you don’t win, I’ll claim her life.”

I felt a shiver run down my spine as she said that. I froze in place. Lux, she was gonna kill Lux?

I blinked and suddenly I was back on the island. I could hear the cheers of the others behind me, and the charge of Isabella in front of me. I stared at her. She was fully dawned in her black armor. My heart was racing fast. I took a breath and thought about Lux.

I summoned my light armor over my body. This was the first time in my life. I thought about how I was gonna kill someone. She was gonna respawn, but still. Flashes of my death when I fought Zack blared into my head as I started walking forward. She wasn’t a bad guy, she wasn’t a monster. Just a girl. I didn’t want to let her experience that. I didn’t want to slice away at her.

I activated my super strength and summoned my Albion sword again. I focused and condensed my strength, preparing to focus on my speed. But if this was for Lux, if it meant I could keep her safe.

I had to end her as fast as I could.

I took one more breath and then charged forward. As I came up close I slashed at her shoulder arm piece. I skidded forward off the momentum and spun around toward her. She skidded to a stop as well and tried to swing her blade back at me. I easily ducked the slash and came in and sliced at her open wrist.

I cringed as my blade sliced her hand like butter. Followed by her loud wailing. To think a moment or two ago, we were laughing with one another…

She stumbled back and I wasted no time and charged her with a shoulder check. She stumbled back some more and I ran around and got behind her. She was summoning something over her bleeding arm. I took that moment to summon a chain and swung it at her ankle. The chain quickly wrapped around her leg and hooked onto it. Then I yanked it and she fell face-first into the ground, I summoned a spiked war hammer. And went over to her, I hesitated to swing it down.

“Forfe-”

Before the words could get out she yanked me in with the chain. Before I could do anything she slammed her fist into my chest plate. I felt the shards of the metal lodge into my chest as she sent me flying back on the ground. I dispelled the armor immediately as I slammed onto the ground.

I spat up and rolled back. Then DINK!

I crashed into the side of an old crane.

“Maybe I should just kill her now.” I heard her voice whisper. “Kill her now, or I will end her life.”

I spit the last of the throw up out of my mouth. Slowly moving back up and panting. Dammit! Dammit! This isn’t a game! Come on Stryder. Ignore it, ignore the feeling.

“You killed the Red steel gang leader and stone. You can do this.” I grumbled as I stumbled forward.

But even so, my conscious was screaming. She didn’t deserve to go through that.

I sighed and looked ahead. She was charging in again.

I was shocked to see her sword in her right hand. The same hand that had it’s wrists cut open by my blade. These body enhancements. Just how far did they go!?

I stayed perfectly still and as she came close. Then I preemptively dodge a right sideways swing from her by ducking. She stumbled forward a bit as she missed. I watched it and gave her a sympathetic look. She was predictable with that. I then activated my strength and used it on my speed. I summoned a gauntlet over my fists and gave her an uppercut. She stumbled back and used her sword to stop her fumbling. I quickly came in and focused all my strength into my fist, and then slammed into her. Sending her flying back into a building.

“I guess, I’ll stop holding back now.."