Existence of Fate:Episode 40p1

Episode 40- Flawless Insight

"The water bleeds red with blood…"  Taoyme' observed the sudden morph from water to blood, as the aquatic eye surged around Iru and Nera, losing all its blue life.  "Yet, it does not rage as if it has been disturbed.  What sort of increate sorcery is this?"  The broad outline of an intruder appeared beyond the new found barrier, at the center of the eye between the two unsuspecting.  "Impossible!  An interloper has forced their way into Iru's conscious!  How did this come to happen?  I sensed nothing within the fragrant barrier  around the village, unless…it has been shattered?"  The dark figure from within had its hand placed upon Iru's head.  "I cannot divert Iru's attention at the risk of the Mind's Eye failing at this point, but if I could somehow agitate the concentration of the intruder, it will release his grip."  Taoyme' contemplated her next action, while removing a clear glass bottle from her large garment.  She gradually removed the top, and a black smoke danced from within.  From it, she warily revealed a cold, black leaf, supporting it by its stem.  "Black Mercy…I was saving it for such an occasion that the Mind's Eye becomes either tainted or disconcerted.  This should do the trick."  She buried the dark seed beneath the soil, feeding it with a droplet of her blood.  "Jihi- Fukushuu- Konton- Akuma- Kiki- Jigoku!" Taoyme' chanted.  The vines hissed as they ascended from the darkened earth around them.  "Hold Iru!"

"Kumon!"  Iru stood before Nera, attempting to force her back.
"K-Kumon…It's him!  He's the one, that took my mother away from me!"  Nera cried.  The white snow that had rested before them, was now an encirclement of red.
"H-How did you get here?  How did you get here damn it!?"  Iru's body shook with anxiety and rage.  The snowstorm whistled and howled with each fierce wind.
"You will be calm…"  Kumon rose his hand outward to the distorted sky.  The snow eased abruptly, then suddenly ceased.  "I believe you have come far enough at this point."  The dark memory of Iru and Nera's father had vanished before them.
"Ah!  My head! How can you be here? How are you doing this…damn you…"  The consecutive, sharp stab in Iru's head brought him to his knees, unable to see what stood before or around him.
"Iru, what's the matter? What's he doing to you?"  Nera clutched both his shoulders, wishing to rid the pain somehow.
"The Mind's Eye has been destroyed…and it's messing with my conscious somehow…it hurts…"  Iru barely replied.
"If you cannot regain control now, then it is inevitable that you would have failed at your current mission."  Kumon lowered his hand, his bitter stare resting upon them.  The snow melted around them, leaving only a scattered floor of baleful color.  Kumon's steps toward them were firm and direct, as if a wall of demons could not rise before him.  The blood rushed from Nera's head, to the tips of her feet as  the distance between them became more limited.  She felt her energy exhaust, meeting his corrupted eyes.  The lump in her throat prevented all means of breath from entering or escaping.
"No…Nera…g-get away!"  Iru pleaded with his great loss of breath.
"No!  I promised that I would protect you! I'm not leaving!"  Every muscle in her body tightened on her bones, beneath her crawling skin.  "My nerves on end…I don't even know what to feel right now.  My heart his pounding so fast.  Is it fear? Or perhaps rage?"  Kumon's steps were as thunder beneath their feet, fierce, and striking closer with less time to follow after each.
"N-Nera, please…"  Iru begged once more.
"Why am I shaking?"  She found herself at a loss of mind, barely blinking.  Kumon's eyes were a dark void she found herself absorbing into slowly.  " It's as if he has dissected my thoughts, already knowing what to expect, yet remaining unthreatened.  Its almost like he's staring right through me, like I don't even matter!  Why do I feel this way?  Why can't I move?"  The rage suddenly began to build quickly.  "He has taken my life from me…Then toys with me by placing the soul of my brother's mother inside of me to prove a point!  He takes MY mother away from me, and did who knows what, and all I can do is stand here!  What's wrong with you Nera?  He's here in front of you at this very moment! Mind's Eye or not, demand your answers right now!  Seek your vengeance!"  Nera relieved the twin halo blades from their holdings, clenching them tight.  Anger prevailed as she rushed forward with defined steps, using the force of her feet to propel them as jets before Kumon, manipulated by thin wire that heightened their direction.  "Give my mother back now!"  She cried as the fierce air sliced her tears.
"No…Nera…sis…"  Iru's body was weak, preventing any inch of movement.  The thin wires vibrated, effecting the turbulent rotary motion of the blades, adding grand momentum and velocity, as with one final impulse
"Junsui Boukyaku (pure oblivion)!"  The wind merged with Focus power surging around it, granting it an extension of fanged edges of white around it, followed by a vicious roar of a beast unknown.
"W-What is that monstrous roar?"  Iru thought.  "What is Nera's Feral state exactly?"  The blade of pure force divided the ground as if it were air, shredding Kumon's body to thousands.  The long, clean, narrow cut devoured the ground for several feet before it struck its final resting place.  Nera panted heavily, the sweat running down her face.  "N-Nera…What was that?"  Iru asked after a brief silence.  Nera stood, still catching her breath, only staring into the distorted, empty space.
"I-I don't know…just something inside me knew what words to say…"
"That didn't even sound like your voice…Was that perhaps your Feral state?"  Iru asked, his eyes regaining focus slowly.
"I'm not sure…truth me told--"  Nera gasped, as she suddenly felt a god-like force against her side.  "I-It can't be…"  The sweat ran profusely as the pain began to build.  Iru's eyes returned to normal, but no soon after did he fall back in fear.  The first of his eyes to see, was Kumon's broad backside.  He now stood between he and Nera, his hand enclosed, digging deep into Nera's ribs.  "I…didn't sense him…I didn't see him move…I didn't even feel his breath on my neck…What sort of monster is he?"
"Nera!"  Iru cried.  Kumon's long, blood stricken hair stretched to the ground before him, his cries overshadowed by her cry of pain.
"Iru…I'm sorry--"  The incredible power relieved her of Kumon's fist, as a ball bounces off a wall, her words with it.  "Aaah!"  She cried one final time.  The frightening rupture shook the hazy space, and she vanished within the darkness.  "I…couldn't protect you…"  She whispered.

"What is this?"  Taoyme' stood as much of the water began to gather at one side of the eye.  The flow quickened in that particular spot, and without warning, Nera burst from the inside of the eye, as if thrown  by the violent force of an ignited bomb.  Sudden rain of red water directed Amille and Genra's attention upward to the Nera who was rapidly begin forced down by gravity from the high, rock platform in which Taoyme' was.
"Oh no, that's Nera!  Nera, hang on!"  Genra called, while simultaneously erupting into great speed.  The shallow water coasting at his feet as his incredible agility.  With a great leap from a protruding stone, he angled himself at Nera's landing, catching her in without time to spare.  He eased their stop by clasping the ground with his metallic left arm.  Amille and Midori rushed over for quick support.  Nera's eyes flinched as she held her side.  "Nera, speak to me!  What happened!  Why are you hurt!"  Genra panicked.  "Say something!"
"Genra, calm down.  I think I know what's wrong.  Hold her as still as you can."  Amille gently held her hand over Nera's midsection.  "Sui (water)…She called."  The glistening ribbon upon her right arm radiated a faded blue as she ran her hand up steadily from her stomach to her mouth, then lifted it up gently.  The red water danced from Nera's mouth, and soon after, she coughed.  Nera exhaled and inhaled heavily, attempting to slow her heart rate.
"Thank you, Amille. You are a life saver!"  Genra cried as she blushed.  "Nera, are you alright?"  Her eyes met his.
"Genra?"  She spoke weakly.
"Yes Nera, I'm here!"  He assured.
"Get…off of me…"  She planted both hands upon him, forcing him to release her.
"H-Hey!"
"Are you ok?"  Amille supported her from the side.
"Iru…is in trouble."  Nera replied without second breath.  Amille gasped loudly.  "Kumon…is there…The Mind's Eye…has been shattered by him…"  Nera spoke still holding her side.  The three reacted similar to one another.  Desperate expressions, both filled with shock and rage simultaneously.
"No way!"  Genra flailed.
"I know what I saw!  Kumon forced me out--"  Nera clenched her side.  "Iru is in trouble!"
"No…"  The tips of Amille's fingers were the first to feel sudden fear, then it began to spread throughout her body like poison.
"Even if what you saw was real, it had to be a memory.  Just the idea of interference by an outside force sounds unlikely, almost impossible.  Mother would have noticed."  Midori's voice was brisk.
"Kumon was there!  Had I not used Shugo (a shield very commonly used with the ability of Focus. It's a very weak shield, but can prevent such injuries such as broken bones or torn muscles), he could have broken bones or even killed me.  What memory has enough power to force me out of the Mind's Eye?"  Nera could feel Midori's doubt.
"I'm going back up!"  Genra said,  ready to climb.
"Yes, let's all go."  Midori agreed, following behind.
"Luckily there was just some bruising.  I should be able to recover it myself.  Let's get back up there--"  Nera observed the chaotic expression that Amille gave.  "Amille…"  She noticed her late reaction.  "Iru needs us."
"Y-Yes."  Both followed.

"Even I am at shock!"  Taoyme' thought with gradual fear.  "How has the Mind's Eye been shattered?  Someone of perhaps greater experience than myself with druid conjugations, must have done this.  But who?"  The eye of red water took its spherical form once more.  "Iru, you must find a way out of there!"

"You bastard!"  Iru thrust his blade, Tsurugi, at Kumon's backside, attempting to impale him with all his might.  The blade struck clean through Kumon's stomach, but he stood as if pain played no part.  Kumon pulled the blade further through him to Iru's surprise.  Iru lost his grip as the blade slipped through Kumon.  He held the bloody blade within his hand then tossed it to the ground.  He clenched Iru's arm tightly as Tsurugi suddenly caught fire.  "Let go of me! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"  Iru observed his mother's blade which was set aflame.  "Get out of my head!"  He shouted.
"I…want nothing more than to speak with you, Iru.  I wish only for you to heed my words.  Take them to heart, and believe them to be true."  Within Kumon's cataclysmic eyes slept the pits of hell.
"I refuse!"  Iru declared, still attempting to pull his arm away as the blood from Kumon's arm dripped upon his.  "You manipulate and kill without reason!  Someone who's motives are encouraged by nothing but bloody strife and irrational discrepancy is no better than a devil!"  Iru pertained to hold his bravery as strongly as he could.  Kumon released his grip, facing up at the strewn, depressing sky overhead.
"Bloody strife…  Is it not fact that all humans live under this curse?  Our sins lie with our selfishness, our desire to be happy, our anger which gets the best of us at critical moments, and our fear of death…They all play a vital role."  Iru's glare was as stone against his, as every word was heard.  "The more blood is spilled, the more satisfaction we obtain."  Iru rubbed his tender wrist.
"Why do you seem to hate everything so much?  You always speak of sin and human flaws as if they are the ones killing one another."  Iru questioned.
"You do not believe it to be the case?"  Kumon countered.
"Well…no, I don't.  Sure selfishness plays an important part of human flaws and pain, but still, it is human nature.  The true sin lies with those that believe to be unforgivable and try and change it.  No such change exists."  The blade continued to burn before them.  Iru's frustration was building at Kumon's smirk.  "I don't find anything about this funny."
"Quite insightful.  But you're way of thinking surprises me, giving the previous events that led to this point.  Your life was consumed before you by selfishness."
"Do not speak ill of my father as if you know him!  His reasons were not…selfish…"  Iru tried to assure himself.
"Believe what you will, but no matter how you perceive it, we all share the same eye, we all want the same thing.  This world will be destroyed by its own corruption.  Someone has to change it."  Kumon opened his palms to the sky.
"Are you saying that you want a world without human flaws?  That's just in our nature, you can't change that!"  Iru exclaimed.
"You misunderstand Iru.  I want a world where all is fair.  These "sins" are what neglect humans their true potential to  live a fulfilling, wound-free life, for it is held back by our "sins" so great.  The Creators have chosen me to erase those sins, and create an existence that is free of that chain.  A perfect world of flawless beings."  The veins in Kumon's eyes thickened.
"Your unique way of thinking couldn't have come naturally.  Something must have influenced your irrational way of how you perceive human beings.  Nonetheless, you have to except the fact that "perfect" is just an empty concept.  Mistakes will always exist, even if it does end up killing us all."  Iru placed his hand upon the burning handle of Tsurugi.  The flames vanished as he unsheathed it from the ground.  "It's just a false belief, an illusion coated by a non-existent flame."
"If you truly believe that flaws cannot be permanently corrected, then you must believe yourself to be a flaw unfixable." Iru was taken by Kumon's words.
"A-Are you saying that…I am a flaw?"  Iru's eyes became broad.
"For what reason is the Collector forced to remove you from this world?"  Kumon questioned as Iru became overwhelmed.
"I-I…"  Iru became tongue tied.
"A being born with no soul, is a being born incomplete.  You are only being removed from this world, because you are an error, a surprise unexpected, a flaw to existence!"

~Existence of Fate~