133 Back In The Saddle (2/2)
”...Anyway, we've got shit to do. The fight up there's getting rougher by the minute. I don't think that she'll be able to hold him back for much longer... It's time we get this show started, partner.”
”Wait, wait. What are you talking about? A fight? Where? Wanna repeat that again for me? ...I'm pretty sure I misheard that.”
”Lacrima's fighting that bastard up there. You know, reality? That place where you live? She's holding the fort for us, keeping Him out of your body so I can enter the Mark of Responsibility. Who do think was protecting you, huh?”
His mind went blank for what seemed like forever. Reed stared at the enormous face with a stupid expression and said, ”...Huh? W-What did you just say?”
”Don't get all excited, rat-brain. She's just a wisp — a short-lived copy of the real thing — so it ain't the real deal. That little copy was sealed within the stone heart and is the one who helped you come down here.”
”H-How?! I thought she was dead?! What's left of her was and should still be back at Citlai?!! It doesn't make sense!” said Reed, his mind running at a hundred miles an hour.
”Don't think too hard about it, rat-brain. You aren't ready to learn the 'hows' and 'whys,' yet. But I promise you that in time, you'll understand. Hell, one day you'll even have a part in the Grand Ruse... they set up.”
Oh, for the love of...! Even I've started doing that cryptic talk, too? Have they really rubbed off on me that much with me knowing it? Goddamnit.
Reed groaned weakly and said, ”...Alright, fuck this. I'll sort this out later. Let's just get this over with already. Tell me what I have to do so when we can end this... mess.”
”I thought you'd never ask,” said the enormous face. It suddenly shrunk down and turned into a perfect, illusory copy of Reed and floated down until it landed in front of him.
”Listen, this is gonna feel really weird, okay? Don't resist it, no matter what or else... well, I might fuck this up for both of us.”
Uh, what? Hello? Did I hear that correctly? What—
The instant the copy touched Reed's chest, the enthronement began. Swirling tendrils of light latched on the illusory copy of Reed and started to drag it into the distorted Mark of Responsibility, as if it had been waiting all along.
”Uh-Ohhh! W-Whoa, holy shiiii—”
The clone let out a terrifying scream before he disappeared. A flood of light continued to pour out of Reed's chest until it engulfed everything around him. They were gone.
Far up above, the two phantoms continued to bitterly fight until something caught their attention. A massive, lurching wave of Anima suddenly passed them and knocked them out of the air for a brief moment.
They both knew what was happening and what that mysterious, abrupt wave of Anima meant.
”NO, GODDAMNIT!”
He rushed toward Reed's unconscious body at fast as he could in a desperate, hail mary attempt at stopping the process that'd begun.
...But it'd already been too late. At last, he'd gotten what he deserved.
The moment he reached out for Reed's chest, his vision went suddenly black. Not because of some mysterious happening or grand force. No, something much simpler had gotten him.
A clenched fist. It barrelled at his face and struck him clean, knocking him aside like a rag doll.
”Ahh, that felt good.”
He was a free man now, no longer shackled to his former master or his past guilt.
Reed was back.