It was hard for Edward to dodge fire magic, which Aru has been training since childhood. One could see it in her moves: elegant, coordinated, ideal, like a dance. However, he couldn’t just limit himself to dodging her move forever, but focusing magic was going poorly for him – he was never in a situation where he had to concentrate it so quickly. He couldn’t repel Aru’s fire at all, he only burned his hands more as a result. He didn’t plan on giving up though, they threw a series of missiles at each other. At one moment they hit each other at the same time, the redhead and the golden-haired both took it bravely. Now it was Edward who tried to quickly think of things he could use in battle, he didn’t have Kasei by his side, and he fought much better while using weapons than magic. He suddenly noticed something; a piece of wood buried under some sand, a quite big one. Now he had to think how to get to it, since he already had a plan about using it. Knowing that his opponent won’t let him get it so easily, he decided to risk it – he suddenly ran and threw himself in the plank’s direction and quickly hit it with focused magic. Aru reacted, but Ed managed to stop her attack. He made from the plank a spear, that looked similar to Kasei’s weapon form. Though made from wood, it looked like it was made of stone. It was a result of a transformation spell, very temporary, but he hoped that it’d be enough for this battle. Now with a weapon, Edward felt more sure of himself. Aru, on the other hand, became even more furious. Another round of attacks started; Aru aimed at Ed, who shielded himself with the spear he made, and also tried to get closer to his opponent’s position. When he almost managed to get close enough, she attacked. He protected himself with his hands once again, but their state was getting worse. Blisters from burns started appearing, Ed had to be even more careful.

“How much longer can you manage?” asked Aru. “Isn’t it easier to just give up? I’ll spare your life if you give me your seal and withdraw from the game.”

“Then I prefer to die with honor” he answered, serious. Aru looked at him with unsatisfied face and started walking closer in his direction. What was strange though, was that she didn’t focus her fire magic.

“As you wish” she answered with disappointment in her voice. “Since you don’t care for your life this much, I’ll end it. Because… I have to win, no matter what.”

Then the golden-haired recalled the day when he killed Hemv.

‘Did my face look like that back then? Was contempt so visible in my eyes? And the tone of voice so furious?’ he asked himself inside. He clenched his teeth, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Aru, it’s not worth it. Stop it.”

“Never!” she shouted out and aimed a flame at him. Edward jumped away, resumed defending himself against her missile’s with his spear, from which the transformation spell started slowly fading. He knew that the red-haired girl won’t let him approach.

“But is it really worth it, Aru?” he asked. “Do you want to kill others, like those who killed so many fire mages and phoenixes?”

“If I have to do it to win, I’ll do it!”

“So you prefer to be like them” he replied boldly. “Listen… I killed a man. Because of the exact same reason – I felt like I had to win… I regret this. Nothing will ever wash away the blood from my hands… But you still have the chance to stop yourself! You just want to help the fire magic, or maybe you want to be the one who will save it?”

Aru jumped in his direction. She hit the plank with her fists that were saturated with magic, and it suddenly turned back into a wooden plank and started burning. Ed fell, Aru held her hands tightly on his throat, although he could still breathe a bit. The golden-haired knew in what a hopeless position he was. He didn’t move, but just looked at the girl’s face. It was quiet, the only thing he heard was cracking of burning wood next to them.

“And you want to be who, Edward? Someone who will just help his brother, or someone that will solve his problem?” she broke the silence.

“Neither. I guess I told you something while I was drunk, and that’s why you know. My wish is to get something that cures hemasitus, a sickness that he’s trying to fight. I don’t want to gain anything myself. I prefer my brother profiting. Because giving this to him is the only way to reward him for me being unable to help him! So you prefer to save phoenixes by using somebody else’s blood? Blood, that doesn’t really need to be spilled?”

“It’d be better if you didn’t bark this much” she threatened harshly. “I could burn your throat any moment.”

“…Then do it.”

Aru didn’t. Although she tried to tighten the grip on hit throat even more, to suffocate him… she couldn’t. What he said was buzzing in her head, she didn’t know what to think anymore. He smiled.

“If I can be fully honest… looking at how perfectly and gracefully you use fire magic… I believe that you could help the fire magic even without a wish.”

“The same can be said about your brother, huh?”

“That’s true. But here it’s rather my fault for messing up. So… I want to fix it. Because I lost a person close to me, because another ran away, and because I… disappointed my only family. I want to end this suffering… but it won’t be my achievement. After all, the deity will be the one to give me the answer, and I won’t be the one to find it. That’s why I don’t desire any fame. And you’re just like me. You’ll make a wish, but actually it will be the deity who saves fire magic, not you. You would be only someone who had a chance of making it happen. So if you want to fight… don’t fight like this.”

“Stop it…”

“To be honest, you yourself are like an eternal flame of fire magic. Of magic that’s fading away, and you being its personification. But it’s only for you to decide, how you’ll proceed with the chance to fight for a wish, with gift of such magic.”

Aru’s body strongly winced. She let go of Ed’s throat, who breathed out a bit, but still wasn’t calm.

“I don’t understand…” she whispered. “After all… I didn’t think this way before. Then why? Why did I explode like that in your direction…?”

“It seems that… mortals let themselves be carried away too much by a chance to get their wishes fulfilled. So madness takes them.”

“So…” she moved back and turned away from him. “Will you forgive me?”

“I forgive. You calmed down… I couldn’t.”

“Do you regret it?”

“I do.”

“So… will you stay with me until the end of the game?”

“Please, it sounds weird.” He got up and looked at his hands, full of blisters. “But yeah. I’ll stay. Because I have to look after madmen like you, right?”

“Please don’t joke around, it’s not time for this.”

“I know.”

“Until the finale. Then, I’ll beat your ass up.”

“Alright.” He laughed, although it was a wrong moment.

“And your hands?”

“I’ll need a medic.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t need to be.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what made me act like that…”

“Don’t be sorry, stupid.”

~

“I’m sorry, Lorenzo” said Ivory, lifting the fox up into her arms. “I know that black magic had to be painful for your body. I’m also sorry that you had to see all of that…”

“Never mind it” he replied. “I was worried about you. But is it good that you... killed her?”

“It wasn’t good. It was right. I’d like you to promise me something now, okay?”

“Yes?”

“Never, ever, let anger overtake you in this game. Even if you felt like you’d be torn apart by it inside, don’t let it control you. You mustn’t do what this feeling dictates you. Promise me this.”

“I p-promise…” he replied quietly.