17 Trust Your Instincts (1/2)

Boy genius Reed here. How's it hanging? I don't wanna toot my own horn, but I've been doing well as of late. Why? Just because, haha. I can't tell ya the reason, unfortunately.

Boys have their secrets, too; forbidden knowledge we can't reveal to outsiders and the like. You have to understand that if I told you, I'd have to make you swear an oath of trust. This is a confidential matter, after all.

Trust is the bedrock of society, you see. Without it, we'd be still be stuck in the stone age. It's paramount in a genuine relationship between friends.

So.

Are you prepared to face the consequences if you betray us? The brotherhood will surely repay blood for blood if you ever betray us. Even so, you still want in on this...operation?

Just remember that you'll be judged by your own karma if you join us.

That's a good response, soldier! The brotherhood needs more passionate recruits like you. Alright, let me fill you in on the plan...

My days have been pretty relaxed as of late, I had to be honest. My inner eye opened up, and I became a super-genius Anima shaper!

That's the type of update you expected me to tell ya, right? Well, I'm gonna be brutally honest with ya, guys.

I wish... that I hadn't been born a genius. Life's hard when you're as talented as yours truly. The difficulty's raised when you're gifted. I'm playing the game of life on hard while everyone else is coasting on easy. That's total bullshit and you and I both know it.

I. Want. Out.

Where do I resign my status as a genius? Can I speak to the manager, please?

......

Seven brilliant spears of flame flew straight at me, intending on turning me into ash. They tore through the air so fast I couldn't see them fully. All I saw was a crimson flurry heading my way.

I can't dodge them, not with my reflexes. My body isn't fast enough to evade them anyway, so it's pointless even thinking about running.

I need to protect myself, no matter what. That means I have two options.

Strike them down before they reach me, or forgo countering them all together. Hunker down and focus my efforts into purely defending.

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I'm completely overwhelmed in this battle. Every single attack I've thrown at her has been countered. Not once have I put her on the defensive.

Every time her Anima skills hit me, I black out momentarily from sheer pain.

I summon my golden aegis and protect myself from her bombardment.

”Agh....!”

Can't give her any more openings than I've already given her. I prepare my next attack and begin visualizing a lance made of light. I can't hope to defeat her strength, so I began to focus on the speed of my attacks.

I'd rely on the speed of light to deliver my strike. Create a weapon without weight and accelerate it as quickly as possible. Summon my lances en masse at different times to bait her into focusing on them.

I raise my hand and point it at her. Holy lances tore through the sky and flew toward her like shooting stars.

None of them pierced her shield, but I paid no mind to my failed attempt. This would be my only chance, while she was still distracted with the lances.

I called forth the hidden weapon I'd been preparing since the start of the match. Deep beneath the platform, something dangerous had been growing all along.

An enormous ball of concentrated Anima lay beneath us both, compressed to an unimaginable degree. Unknown to her, a small star viciously continued to grow underneath us both.

A tinge of fear clouded my mind; even I had not expected it to grow this large so fast. My subconscious must have done this out of anxiety.

Ahh, screw it.

I'm tired. My body feels heavy. Whatever happens, happens.

I'm losing control of the damn thing anyway, so why not go out with a bang?