Chapter 21

The End

Lunge. Duck. Slash. Spin. Block. Kick. Punch. Dodge. Attack.

These simple instructions repeated on an endless loop within my mind as I fought against Obsidian Seraph. He attacked viciously, wildly slashing or striking at me with his odd tendrils. It was difficult to get close, and even harder to actually land a hit. He was fast, but I was keeping up with my new wings. My wings…

A small bubble of excitement and glee grew in my chest despite the situation. I had taken to the air to confront the black angel with hardly a thought. Taking to the skies, flying around without a single thought…it was so liberating. Even the feeling of elation that I felt when I first felt the power of Platinum Dragon, the euphoric sensation of standing tall after years of being put down, paled in comparison to the liberation that I felt the moment my feet left the ground. That feeling…it was something that I never wanted to be without again…but I couldn't afford to be distracted. I had to focus.

Progress was slow going, no, it was practically stagnant at the point. My initial burst in power had caught Obsidian Seraph off guard, allowing me to score brutal hit against the black colored burst linker. My glowing claws had left harsh gashes across Obsidian Seraph's flank, but before I could deliver a second blow, he batted me away with his wings.

My eyes narrowed as I dodged another tendril. Obsidian Seraph had completely abandoned his scythe, resorting to wild and savage attacks with his 'wings'. They struck with the speed and ferocity of a nest of pissed off snakes, putting me almost entirely on the defensive. What was worse, every time I cut one with my claws, it would regrow moments later and renew its attack.

"Insolent brat!" Obsidian Seraph shrieked as he unleashed another barrage of attacks at me.

Not bothering with a response, I tightened my body into a more streamline shape and rolled. The tendrils streaked past me, just barely missing me. Keeping my form, I rocketed forward. Despite having wings, they didn't exactly work like a normal set of bird wings. Much like Obsidian Seraph's, I didn't flap my wings like a bird to gain height or speed. In reality, they were more like an airplane's wings, more for stabilization and directional change. Regardless, I rocketed forward, rushing towards Obsidian Seraph before he could react.

My fist crashed into Obsidian Seraph's face, the harsh blow cracking the angel's faceless visor. He reeled back, a pained grunt escaping him as he stumbled in the air. Whipping around, rage practically emanating from his body, Obsidian Seraph made to attack, but I didn't give him the chance.

Emboldened by my second hit, I continued my assault. Pulling back, I twisted my body, delivering a sharp kick to the angel's temple. Continuing with my momentum, and aided by my current freedom from gravity, I delivered a second kick with my other leg. I was about to follow up with a punch, but I was forced to back away when I saw several tendrils rushing towards me. While initially missing, the tendrils easily changed direction, following my retreating form. Spinning, I used my bladed tail to cut through the swarm of lances, and just barely managed to graze Obsidian Seraph's chestplate with the blade.

"Gah!" Obsidian Seraph cried out, immediately backing away and clutching his chest. I tensed, expecting another barrage of tendrils, but none came.

Obsidian Seraph floated a ways away, a hand still resting on his chest. He was panting harshly, the damage that he had taken finally appearing to take its toll. His armor was cracked in several places, so much so that small pieces periodically fell off his body. His visor, which I had cracked just seconds earlier, shattered, leaving the left side of his face exposed. A single red eye shined bright within the shadows of his ruined helm, glowing with dark malice.

"You…" a low growl rumbled out from Obsidian Seraph. His body shook with barely restrained emotion. Slowly, he lifted a shaky hand to his face, palming the ruined side of his helm. The glowing eye widened minutely, disbelief swimming through the unquenchable anger. "You damn brat…"

A shiver fled down my spine. Obsidian Seraph's wings began to twitch and violently shake, the shadowy tendrils began to writhe and coil in agitation, tensed and ready to strike at a moments notice. Obsidian Seraph's needle-like claws scrapped sharply across his own helm, leaving long, thin scratches across his already damaged face.

"You ruined everything!" Obsidian Seraph roared. All at once, the dark angel's wings lashed out, the tendrils stretching out to immense length and rushing at me like a hundred arrows.

With a sharp inhale, I moved. I pushed my new ability to the absolute limit, dodging and weaving through the tendrils as the struck at me. Was it just me, or were there more than before? My eyes widened as I was forced to duck painfully low to avoid a tendril that seemed to appear out of nowhere. What?

I gasped as another tendril rushed towards me. I just barely managed to twist out of the way to avoid another set of tendrils that seemed to just appear out of thin air, adding to the already impressive bulk of tendrils that were rushing towards me.

Those tendrils…they were duplicating! More tendrils were sprouting from the already existing ones, stretching out like a multitude of branches! In a matter of moments, there were so many of them that it was like I was staring at a wall. Each tendril launched towards me, the entire mass coming down on me like the maw of some eldritch horror.

"How is it that such a low-life, newbie like you cause me such strife?!" Obsidian Seraph screamed.

I hardly heard what he said over the sound of rushing wind as close to a thousand lances cutting through the air at once.

"You're supposed to be a weakling! A mere pebble on my path to greatness!" he continued. "You're supposed to be nothing compared to me!"

I ducked, spun, and twisted my body to the point where I felt like a pretzel. I winced, the feeling of dozens of those spikes, cutting me as I barely avoided vital damage. The damage they did to my health was minimal, most likely as the systems way of balancing such a powerful ability, but the sheer number of tendrils offset even their damage output.

"Yet here you are! A low-level weakling somehow using Incarnate and standing against me!"

I tried to fly away, but there were too many tendrils. They were everywhere, closing in on me like a cage. I hardly had any room to maneuver.

"What the hell gives you the right to stand up to me?!" Obsidian Seraph demanded. "You think because you were blessed with a powerful duel avatar that you can stand against a Level 9? Against a king?! You're nothing but a misguided upstart!"

My vision was filled with the shadowy tendrils. I had long since ran out of room to dodge the way I wanted to, leading me to resort to physically attacking the tendrils around me. Twisting my body, I clawed and kicked at the tendrils. My new claws and bladed tail cut through the surrounding mass of tendrils easily, leaving the severed stub to dissipate into dust. However, no matter how fast I cut them down, the tendrils just regenerated shortly after I cut them, leaving me to face a nearly endless onslaught.

"You're nothing compared to me and the Incarnate System won't change that!"

More and more of the tendrils were impacting against my body. I was able to defend against the more severe hits, but Obsidian Seraph was chipping away at my already low health. If things kept up like this, then I'd…

"You're nothing!"

The tendrils then retreated, but I didn't have a single moment to breath. More than half of the tendrils spiraled together, forming a large lance that was pointed directly at me.

"Get out of my sight!" Obsidian Seraph shrieked as the lance rushed towards me.

I could feel my blood run cold. It was too big. The lance's radius was too large. I wouldn't be able to move out of the way in time, not without receiving major damage. Enough to deplete the remainder of my health. It was going to hit me.

Gritting my teeth, I crossed my arms in front of me, my wings mirroring the action. I couldn't dodge it, but I could block it!

I didn't have long to wait before the massive weight of nearly a thousand writhing spears crashing into me. The second the massive lance smashed into me, I felt myself racing towards the earth at nearly sonic speeds. In an instant, I smashed into the ground.

Pain seared through my body. I was being crushed. Crushed between Obsidian Seraph's massive attack and the very earth beneath me. My wings cushioned the blow, keeping me from dying instantly, but the pain still persisted.

"Disappear!" Disappear! Disappear!" I could just barely make out the deranged shouts of Obsidian Seraph through the writhing mass attempting to crush me.

I winced, the weight pushing on me seeming to double in its intensity. My muscles bulged as I continued to struggle against the oppressive force against me. My duel avatar wasn't made for pure strength. Platinum Dragon had power, don't get me wrong, but its primary strength was its speed and intense firepower. In a straight contest of strength, I would typically be on the losing side. Even so…

Even so, I wouldn't be defeated like this.

The glow of my Incarnate intensified, responding to my will and desire. My claws, my wings, my tail, power coursed through all of them, burning like a furnace. The primal beast in me, the dragon my duel avatar mimicked, roared and everything was bathed in light.

The light died down and the weight disappeared. Ignoring the strain arcing through me, I raised to my feet. I was panting. I felt drained. Glancing down, I saw that my claws were becoming less defined, wisps of blue color peeling off them like steam. Looking behind me, my wings and tail blade were doing the same thing. Incarnate…was wearing off.

"C-Cadmus…" I turned to see Ashton staring at me from several feet away. He must have been close to the radius of Obsidian Seraph's attack for him to be this close. Looking over him, I saw that his armor was severely cracked and broken at places. His shield too was heavily damaged, in fact, it looked like it was one good blow away from shattering completely. Had he…had he helped me defend against the attack?

I was about to say something when an enraged shriek broke through the silence. Obsidian Seraph was screaming, his voice a single tone of senseless rage. He was clutching his left shoulder, his spindly hands cresting over the almost perfectly carved out section that my last attack had torn from his shoulder. Behind him, his left most wing had been completely eradicated.

"Damn…you!" Obsidian hissed in fury; his voice growing into an almost bestial roar. "Damn you! I can't lose to a weakling like you!"

My ears perked up at that. Was he low on health? The UNF didn't show anyone's health but your own. You could only guess how much health your opponent had. That being said, for Obsidian Seraph to lose his composure like he was…

I jumped as he suddenly started screaming. As he screeched, a dark purple light emanated from his entire body and his one remaining wing receded into his back. The angel's back arced forward violently before dozens of inky black tendrils, each glowing with a dark purple aura, burst out of his back. Obsidian Seraph's shouts gained a pained tone to them, as if the tendrils were causing him actual pain.

"This isn't possible. It's not possible!" he screamed, sounding completely mad. "This can't be possible!"

The tips of the tendrils split, creating wide maws, thin maws that screeched silently towards the sky, writhing and thrashing like hellish monsters. There was a sharp crack as the lower part of Obsidian Seraph's snapped open, the broken edges of his helm forming what appeared to be a fanged maw. In a matter of moments, the few angelic aspects the dark colored burst linker disappeared, replaced by an eldritch horror that bared down upon us.

Obsidian Seraph's sole visible eye locked onto me, the red glow sending chills down my spine. "No…I won't let you ruin it. All my plans…all that time spent…I won't let you waste it all!"

Even his voice was distorted. He was changing it. Becoming something else entirely.

"This…this goes beyond the Incarnate System," Ashton said weakly. "It's like his ability is evolving, no…morphing into something else. Adam…what's happened to you."

I glanced at the older boy. There was pain in his voice that went deeper than his physical injuries.

My hands balled into fists. Shakily, I rose to my feet. My body shivered underneath its own weight. My limbs felt like they were made of lead and the room seemed to tilt at times, but I refused to fall. My claws, tail, and wings were still fading; becoming less defined. The energy making them up appearing to evaporate more and more with each passing second.

"Cadmus," Ashton said worriedly.

"I'll finish this," I replied simply. I made to take a step forward, but stumbled.

"Cadmus! You can't!" Ashton exclaimed in alarm, grabbing my arm to keep me from moving further. "He's too powerful! His Incarnate skill…whatever this is…it's beyond the normal burst linker! At our current status, we can't hope to beat him! We need to retreat!"

"No," I denied. "No."

"Cadmus. This isn't the time to be stubborn!" Ashton chastised. "We need to—"

"No!" I shouted, wrenching my arm free of his grasp. "If we let him go now, he'll just keep hurting people!"

"Cadmus—"

"I won't let him hurt anyone else!" I shouted, causing Ashton to fall quiet. My anger fell, leaving me empty and hollow. "Cecil, Barnaby, Phoebe, you…he's hurt so many people close to me. So many people I care about. Now…now, when I finally have power, the strength to actually stand up for myself and protect those important to me, I'm helpless again? To weak to do anything but stand by and watch as everyone is trampled on? No. Never again."

I took a step forward. Then another. And another. With each step, my body creaked and groaned; protesting every slight movement. I had only taken a few steps, but it felt like I had run a mile. "I won't give up. I won't stop! Not when I finally have the power to do something!"

I stared up at the beast flying above me, glaring back at his deep crimson eye. The burning warmth from before reignited with renewed vigor. My new weapons and wings began to glow brighter.

"Even if I lose Brain Burst, I'll make sure he can't hurt anyone again!" I roared. My wings flared and I took off, ignoring Ashton's shouts to come back.

"Get away!" Obsidian Seraph screamed. He raised his arm and brought it down in a swift slashing motion. As if cued, the writhing tendrils all lunged at me, their mouths stretched open in a silent threat to consume me.

My glare narrowed as I roared, undaunted by the encroaching tendrils. I wasn't the same scared little boy I was before Ashton approached me. Before Brain Burst. I had been gifted the power to break free of the shackles I have been wearing all my life. Finally given the choice of how to live my life. And I wanted to live my life protecting the world that had given me so much. Ignoring the aching burn in my body, I flew directly into the wave of tendrils.

I ferociously attacked the tendrils. I met the large mass with reckless abandon, my claws, both those on my hands and those on my feet, and tail blurring as I spun around; slashing at anything that entered my vision. Like before, I was able to tear through the tendrils with relative ease. I was pushing forward through the mass. Despite their best attempts, the demented snakes couldn't land a blow against me. My vision was dark, filled with the thrashing shadowy tendrils, but I kept going. I had to. But there were so many.

With each snake that I cut down, two more seemed to take its place. My attacks were steadily becoming more frantic. With more and more tendrils rushing me, I was beginning to become desperate. My attacks were losing momentum even as I continued to push myself. My vision becoming spotty. I wasn't moving forward anymore. I was stationary, feebly fighting against the myriad of snakes. They were wrapping around me; oily and cold bodies sending goosebumps even through my armor. I thrashed in their bonds, desperately trying to keep them from completely engulfing me, but there was no end.

My strength failed. My body wouldn't respond. I could feel Incarnate beginning to leave my body. I couldn't fight anymore. I couldn't… Even now…I was weak.

Ashton…

…I'm sorry…

A bright flashed cut through the darkness. The tendrils all dispersed into smoke, nearly blinding me as light filled my vision once more. Obsidian Seraph reeled back, shrieking as a great deal of his tendrils had been severed. Looking down, I saw Ashton, his arm still outstretched. His blade still glowing and pointed towards Obsidian Seraph.

"This ends today, Adam!" he said. "I'll do what I should have all those years ago!"

"Ashton…" I whispered, but Ashton seemed to hear me. He gaze seemed to find my own and I swear he looked apologetic.

"You're right, Cadmus. We have to fight," he said. "We can't let Adam continue to do as he pleases. So, allow me to lend you my strength.

"Damn you!" Obsidian Seraph shouted, his gaze now solely on Ashton. His tendrils regrew in almost an instant. They coiled up like springs, about to lunge towards the paladin, but a thin pillar of rock suddenly erupted from the ground and smashed into the warped burst linker. "What?"

Cecil, still shaking violently, somehow managed to stand defiantly. Her plugs stuck in the ground just in front of the pillar she had summoned. "I-I won't let you do what you want!" she shouted. "You won't be afraid any longer. I'll stand by Cadmus."

Cecil…Ashton… They were both still fighting. Fighting for me.

Once more, my fire was reignited.

"RAAH!" Obsidian Seraph howled. His anger was beyond words by that point. His tendrils smashed through the stone pillar and spread out, stretching to the point they nearly covered the gaping hole in the roof. "I'll kill you all!"

The tendrils all moved in unison. No longer focused on a single target, they struck wildly, some strike the wall, some attacking me, and other stretching out as if to go after Ashton and Cecil. I wouldn't let that happen.

With a shout, I unleashed a point-blank Platinum Roar at the encroaching tendrils. It wasn't strong enough to destroy Obsidian Seraph's Incarnate ability, but stopped them the writhing snakes in their tracks. The snakes pressed against my attack, pushing against the large beam of energy before being pushed back to their creator, my attack ending shortly after. With a nearly primal growl, Obsidian Seraph reared back, launching himself up and out of the room and into the open sky.

"Oh, no you don't!" I snarled, rushing after him.

No in the open sky, I was once more struck by the fact I was flying. Everything below me was so far away. The warring burst linkers down below looked like brightly colored toys that light up whenever they activated their various abilities. I saw a few of them stop what they were doing and point up at us; the shock of seeing two flying duel avatars outweighing their desire to continue fighting.

My elation was short lived, however, as I was forced to dodge a barrage of snakes launching at me. They didn't even get close to me before Ashton's blade erupted from the building, severing a bunch of the snakes in an instant. Taking advantage of this, I dashed forward, slipping past Obsidian Seraph's remaining snakes and shoved my claws into the angel's chest.

He screamed in pain; the already reformed snakes flailed wildly as if responding to Obsidian Seraph's pain. His one visible eye seemed to flash as he grabbed my wrists and attempted to push me away with a startling amount of strength. He was able to shove me away, pushing my claws out of him, but I spun around and cut him with my tail before rushing forward and headbutting him.

Stumbling, or doing the midair equivalent. Maddened with anger, he momentarily forgot about Incarnate. He lunged at me; fist drawn back for a wild punch. A sloppy one at that, but it caught me off guard and I was struck across the face. For a split second I was stunned; sent back to a time when I certain delinquent had hit me just like that. Never again.

Rearing back my own arm before smashing my fist into the side of his head. Obsidian Seraph jerked back, but retaliated with another wild swing, but I was ready this time.

I ducked under the sloppy attempt at an attack before shooting upwards with an uppercut to his abdomen. Not pausing for a moment, still holding the momentarily prone angel over my fist, I drew back my other arm, and smashed my fist into the side of his face with a brutal haymaker.

Obsidian Seraph gave out a sharp cry, the rest of his visor shattering under my fist. He fell back, nearly dropping out of the sky. He clutched his face, both of his red eyes peaking between his fingers; each glowing with pure hatred and disbelief.

"This can't be…" he muttered before his voice broke into a deranged scream. "This can't be!" All at once, the snakes came back. They all slithered together, wrapping and tightening until they formed two massive lances in place of his wings. Both pointed directly at me. "Just die!" he shouted, launching his weapons at me.

I quickly shifted to the side before shooting straight up, just barely dodging the twin lances. Glancing behind me, I could see the lances were following me, but at a much slower pace. However, I had no doubt that, if I were to try and get close to Obsidian Seraph, they were tear me to shreds. I only had one option.

I had to smash through them.

"Come on Incarnate System. Show me what you can do!" I said to myself.

Whether it the system was actually responding to me shout, or simply my will, that pool of energy inside of me burst out. The glow of my claws rapidly climbed my body, engulfing me in the vibrant flame of Incarnate.

I flinched. The energy wasn't just exuding from my hands and feet anymore. It was bursting from every point of my body at once. It was burning. Burning me from the inside. I could feel it cracking my armor; the unrestrained power brought on by my will, the Incarnate System, was flooding through me, seeping from the very cracks it was creating. It was going to destroy my duel avatar!

But before it did…I would stop Obsidian Seraph here and now!

Pushing through the pain, I leaned backwards, flipping my ascent into a dive. More energy poured out of me, adding to the already massive wildfire that was encompassing me. I no longer had control. I was falling straight towards the snake made lances like missile. My vision was fading, leaving only Obsidian Seraph as my sole focus. All I could do was scream; scream in defiance, anger, determination, and every other emotion I felt as I prayed that my attack would work.

The moment I got close enough, the lances lunged, moving faster than they had before. Instinctively I shut my eyes, expecting pain, but I felt nothing. I opened my eyes and saw that the intense aura around me was actually bending the tendrils away from me. They tried valiantly to reach me, but they just folded under the impressive force of my attack. I didn't even slow down.

Through vibrant flames, I could see Obsidian Seraph's eye widen in disbelief and I could practically see his fear. I didn't hesitate.

I gave a final push. The Incarnate energy felt like it doubled in intensity, completely destroying Obsidian Seraph's ability. It was becoming unbearable, my duel avatar's body wouldn't last much longer, but it didn't need to.

With final roar, I slammed into Obsidian Seraph and everything went black.

-Rise of the Dragon-

"…adm… Ca…s… Cadmus!"

A low groan crawled from my chest as I roused myself from unconsciousness. Opening my eyes, I recoiled as my vision was filled with a bright, nearly painful, neon color. Closing my eyes and shifting my head away from the color, I heard a relieve gasp.

"Thank God! You're okay!" a familiar voice said.

Blinking, I opened my tired eyes. Focus shifting in and out, my vision finally settled on the bright, singular eye just inches from my face.

"Cecil…?" I muttered. "What—"

I was cut off as I suddenly had my arms full of Cecil. "I'm so glad you're alright! I was so scared when you exploded! I thought…I thought…"

I blinked owlishly. "Exploded…?"

Cecil blinked at me. "Yeah. When you flew into Obsidian Seraph. When the two of you hit the ground, it caused a massive explosion. It nearly destroyed the building we were in."

I frowned in confusion. It didn't take long for memories of my fight with Obsidian Seraph to come flooding back. I immediately sat up, but nearly fell again when a wave of vertigo crashed into me.

"Jesus! Be careful, Caddy!" Cecil exclaimed in alarm, moving to support me. "You just woke up! Don't strain yourself!"

I gave her an odd look. "You do realize this is still a game, right?" I asked.

I swear I could see Cecil flush through her duel avatar. "Sh-Shut up! I'm just…worried about you…"

Snorting mildly, I shook my head, before remembering the situation. "What happened with the battle?" I demanded. "With Obsidian Seraph?"

"You don't have to worry about that." I turned and saw Barnaby marching over to us. His armor possessed several cracks and dents and his lance appeared fairly battered. Otherwise, he appeared in perfect health.

"Barnaby…what happened?" I asked.

"Well, after your little lightshow, and the subsequent fall of their leader, the rest of Advent's Fall fled," Barnaby said. His posture made it seem like he was disinterested, but I could hear the poorly hidden awe in his voice. He seemed to smirk. "Everyone's celebrating. Look around."

Tilting my head ever so slightly, I followed to where Barnaby was pointing. To my surprise, despite the oppressive and desolate air of the post-apocalyptic world, it was bright. Burst linkers were milling around, cheering and laughing, so loud I'm surprised I didn't hear them when I woke up. Every once in a while, there was a bright light as someone was revived after their allotted penalty time. Occasionally, a fallen member of Advent's Fall would respawn, but they would quickly flee.

"We won?" I asked.

"We did," Barnaby said. Had it not been for his facemask, I was sure that I would be witnessing an honest smile.

Relief flooded through me. I laughed, nearly falling back as I sagged in relief. I had done it. I had stopped Obsidian Seraph. I had done what I had promised to do. I helped Ashton…

"Ashton!" I exclaimed, jolting to my feet. "Where's Ashton?!"

Barnaby's demeanor seemed to drop marginally. "He's back over by the building. …With Obsidian Seraph."

I grew alarmed at this. "What?! I thought—!"

"You last attack left Obsidian Seraph in no condition to fight, but he still had some health left," Barnaby explained. "Ashton volunteered to watch him and too…finish the job.

A Level 9 can only reach Level 10 when they have defeated five other Level 5's.

I didn't even think before I was running, leaving Barnaby and Cecil behind me. Weaving through the celebrating masses, I rushed towards the building. As I ran, I saw the massive crater just outside of the building that was in even more disrepair. Reaching the lip of the crater, I saw Ashton standing in the epicenter, a black shape at his feet.

"P-Please…d-don't take it from me!" I was shocked to realize that it was Obsidian Seraph at Ashton's feet. The once feared burst linker was practically falling apart. His armor was heavily damaged cracked to the point where his duel avatar was barely held together. His right leg was completely missing, his other severed just below his knee. His right arm was also missing, leaving the former angel to futilely try and drag himself away from Ashton with his remaining arm.

"Please…" Obsidian Seraph begged, looking up at Ashton with what I could only decern to be a pitiful expression. "Don't…"

"After everything you've done. The travesties that you've committed. The stain you've left on Brain Burst. After all of that, do you really think I'd show you mercy?!" Ashton demanded, his voice growing louder and angrier with each word.

"I…I…didn't want to hurt anyone," Obsidian Seraph cried.

"You tried to kill me!"

"I knew you'd survive!" Obsidian Seraph exclaimed. "You're…You're…resourceful! I-I knew you'd—"

"Liar!" Ashton shouted.

Obsidian Seraph cowered, whimpering like a hurt puppy. "Y-You said Brain Burst was a gift! An escape from reality! A place where burst linkers can find themselves! You…You wouldn't take that from me, would you?"

Ashton stared down at the pathetic sight before him. He was silent for several tense moments, weighing his words. "You are right. Brain Burst is supposed to be a gift to all those fortunate enough to obtain it. It exists to give an escape to those who wish it." His voice hardened. "That's what it's supposed to be. You abused that. You took Brain Burst and tried to twist it into something it wasn't!"

Ashton paused, taking a long and calming breath before continuing coldly, "You don't deserve Brain Burst."

The defeated angel froze, fear alight in his artificial eyes. A sharp snarl suddenly tore its way from his throat. "I gave you everything!" he shouted. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even have Brain Burst! You owe me—"

"I owe you nothing," Ashton interrupted firmly yet with a pained edge to it. "There was once a time where I thought the world of you, Adam. You gave me so much. You made me the person I am today. Something I'm forever grateful for, but that can't undo all you've done."

The paladin exhaled before drawing his sword. He regarded the once more sniveling and begging angel, his eyes seeming to glimmer with pity and sadness. "I wish…things could have been different. Goodbye, Adam."

"No, Ashton! Don't—" The angel's pleas were cut short as Ashton swung his sword. One clean cut and Obsidian Angel was defeated. One swing and Adam Roth had lost Brain Burst.

Ashton continued to stand there, even after Obsidian Seraph's body had long since dispersed into pixels. Cautiously, I approached. The loose gravel crunched loudly under my feet, but Ashton didn't react.

"Ashton?" I asked tentatively after several moments of silence.

"Why did you come here?" Ashton suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

Ashton turned around to face me. "Why did you come here? You were supposed to stay safe."

I frowned. "We were attacked. Topaz Warlock and Phoe-Gold Valkyrie attacked us while Sulphur Nightmare was training me. After he told me that you sent me to him in order to keep me away from all of this," I added accusingly.

"And why did you come here?" Ashton demanded, ignoring my comment. "You were clearly able to handle the threat, so why didn't you stay there or leave the Unlimited Neutral Field?!"

"Why are you so upset?" I questioned. "I literally saved you and essentially won the battle. Not to sound arrogant, but I'd like to think that I helped a great deal."

"That's not the issue here!" Ashton snapped. "I didn't want you here! I didn't want you to have to face Obsidian Seraph! I wanted you safe!"

"I clearly wasn't' safe having Brain Burst!" I snapped angrily. "Besides, the other members of Knights of Dawn fought with you. Why were you so hellbent on keeping me away from this battle?"

"They all were given a choice. They all chose to take part."

"And I chose to fight as well!" I argued. "I wanted to help from the start! So, why didn't you let me?"

"Because you were doing it out of obligation," Ashton responded. "I told you before, you don't owe me anything."

He sighed heavily, his armored body seeming to double in weight. "I originally gave you Brain Burst for selfish reasons. I had hoped that the power your duel avatar possessed would allow me to further my goal of reaching Level 10. However, when your life was in danger…"

"Barnaby's life was in danger too," I pointed out.

"Yes, but you are my responsibility," Ashton said. "I'm your Parent. I gave you access to Brain Burst. If anything happened to you, I'd be responsible. I couldn't…I couldn't let you suffer for my poor decisions…"

Just like that, it clicked. He never excluded me because he thought I couldn't this battle. He didn't think I was weak; he was trying to protect me. Like any parent would do for their child, he was trying to keep me from harm. He didn't want me to suffer for his choices. He didn't want to be like Obsidian Seraph.

"Ashton…thank you," I said.

"For what?"

"For caring," I answered, "but you're wrong. I do owe you. I owe everything. No matter what you say, that will remain true. You pulled me out of hell and, not matter your reasons for giving me Brain Burst, I'm incredibly grateful."

Ashton looked like he wanted to say something, but I held up a hand for silence. "I know you don't want me fawning over you or acting like a servant, but I'll fight for you. I made you a promise back when your first taught me about dueling that I would help you any way I could. That I would do everything in my power to get you to Level 10, and I intend to keep that promise!"

I held his gaze, silently willing the upperclassman to understand my determination. "I know that you want to keep me safe, but I can't sit by when I know I can help you. I will stand by you, no matter what."

Ashton stared at me, regarding me with conflicted and calculating eyes. Eventually, he sighed. "I…I'm sorry, Cadmus. I tried to keep you away from all of this. In my mind, I convinced myself that you were only doing this out of a sense of obligation. It never occurred to me, or maybe did and I just ignored it, that you legitimately wanted to help. I just…I didn't want to make the same mistakes as my Parent…"

I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder. "You're nothing like him," I denied. "He manipulated and used others to reach his goals."

"But I did that," Ashton argued. "I did that to you. I offered you an escape in return for you helping me with my goals."

"But you never lied. You never lied about your goals nor did abuse Brain Burst like Obsidian Seraph did. You know what it's for, why it was created. He tried to use it as a tool without understanding it. That is how you two are different."

"And if I'm wrong? If I don't know what Brain Burst is used for?"

"Well, I guess you'll have to ask the game creator when you reach Level 10," I said.

Ashton gave a soft chuckle. "I guess we will." He looked behind at the spot where Obsidian Seraph had laid, a melancholy sigh escaping him.

"Are you gonna' be okay?" I asked.

"I will be," he replied. "Eventually. Until then, shall we depart, Platinum Dragon?" he asked, holding out his hand. "We have a lot of work to do. You up for it?"

I grinned. "Do you even need to ask?" I clasped his hand with my own. "I'll stand by you, Ivory Paladin. Until the very end."

"Good," he said with a simple nod. "Then, let's go."

-Rise of the Dragon-

So, that's how it started. How I gained Brain Burst and how I became a burst linker. Things have been relatively calm sense then. No more attempts on my life or guild wars, but by no means have things been boring. It is Brain Burst after all.

There have been some rough patches here and there, specifically with Cecil and her being Neon Circuit. It was a hard pill to swallow, especially for Barnaby. It hit him pretty hard when he realized just how much he had been ignoring his friend. Things have been a little tense between the two because of it, but they're getting better. Cecil even joined Knights of Dawn. Now she's always included.

Phoebe has been distant. I mean, not distant as before, but she's working extra hard now that she's no longer getting money from Obsidian Seraph, or rather Adam Roth. She's doing okay though. She had to drop out of college temporarily so that she could get a job that paid enough to support us, but she seemed upset about it. She said it was worth. That I was worth it.

I'm not a hundred percent sure if she still uses Brain Burst or not. We don't really talk about Brain Burst when we're together, but I've got sneaking suspicion that Gold Valkyrie isn't gone.

Regarding Obsidian Seraph, or Adam Roth, Ashton said that he got in contact with the ex-burst linker. He's okay, albeit without his memories of his years with Brain Burst, but Ashton's keeping an eye on him just in case.

All in all, it's been one heck of a ride. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if Ashton hadn't found me. If he never saw me playing Slash and Dash and saw my potential. Would I still be the bullied weakling I was or would I become strong myself? Regardless, there's no point in looking to the past. I have future ahead of me, a future with Brain Burst, and I wouldn't give that up for the world.

The End

Author's Notes:

Okay. This took way too long to finish and I'm sorry for that. It's been really crazy for me these past couple of months between this whole pandemic and my laziness. In all honesty, I've had this chapter mostly complete for a while, I just wasn't satisfied with how I was ending this story. It felt abrupt, like I wasn't doing it justice. The story felt like it should have been longer, maybe with a few more arcs before the confrontation, but I don't have the time. With work and Resistance, not to mention my own personal writing, I just don't have the time to expand this story like I wanted to. Even so, thank you all for sticking with me through this and should any of you want to continue this story, feel free to PM me. I'd love to see the story continue. Until next time.