Clinging onto life, realizing the end was near, Double had not stopped fighting to get on his two feet. Struggling to breathe, and the attacks from Kashikoi causing Intestinal damage


    "Leaving you alive, and walking off would be dangerous. I don''t know who might come to your aid, even if just a little...your aura is still able to be traced." Kashikoi says.


    Double''s aura had still been at a decent amount even with the injuries, and his failed attempts to keep his breathing under control.


    Whether it had been instinctively, or something inside of Double keeping him going, It would all be futile as Double still can not muster the energy to return to his feet.


    "Don''t feel ashamed you lost, I am not someone who can lose, I''m someone who''s destined to reach perfection." Kashikoi says, holding his hand in the sky.


    "Butsuri Hōsoku, fall." A voice can be heard in the distance.


    Suddenly, as if gravity had been slamming onto Kashikoi, he falls onto the ground, looking around, Kashikoi had been starstruck.


    ''Gravity based attacks? I knew this kid had help, but who?'' Kashikoi contemplates to himself.


    "I knew it was a good idea to follow behind you Double...and I knew it was a bad idea to let you fight just on your own against him." Joki says.


    Kashikoi had looked up, and his eyes widened as he noticed that Joki was standing over him. The two fix gazes on each other, as if they had been completely familiar with each other.


    "What the hell are you doing here, it''s been a long time hasn''t it? I suppose that you are here to talk after a long time away from each other." Kashikoi says, a smile forming on his face.


    Kashikoi had begun trying to get his footing, and as he does, Double looked on in disbelief. Not knowing what to believe, his mind couldn''t come up with anything, his mind resembled an empty canvas, devoid of coherent thoughts or explanations.


    "Kashikoi...do you feel bad for any of the things you''ve done in this life. We''ve all sinned, and we''ve all done wrong due to the world were born in, but do you at least feel sympathy for the things you could have controlled, for the deaths you didn''t have to cause?" Joki asks.


    Joki''s expression showed that of someone with sadness they had kept back, yet beneath the surface, a tempest of anger raged within him. It wasn''t merely the persistence of Kashikoi''s existence that fueled his fury; it was the frustration of feeling incapable of confronting a predicament he feels he set in motion.


    However, the words from Joki stun Kashikoi, not having a response, he loses his smile and begins to try and process his thoughts. Kashikoi feared he wouldn''t be able to take on Joki at the moment, and that fear turned into creative resilience as a idea sparked in his head.


    "Well...since you''re here, that boy over there, he tried to kill me, and ended up wounding me as you can see." Kashikoi says, pointing at his arm with zero wounds.


    In the moment, Kashikoi''s words may have made no sense, but his ability and what it''s capable of made it make sense completely. Kashikoi possessed the ability of creating purple lightning using his ability he had learned through unknown methods, and an ability that had to do with manipulating the thoughts of another person, seamlessly implanting fabricated notions into their minds, thereby compelling them to believe whatever narratives he sought to craft.


    "Cut the shit Kashikoi, we aren''t little kids anymore. Do you seriously think I''d fall for that again?" Joki asks, a furious expression etched across his face.


    During the face off, and the words shared between Joki and Kashikoi, Double''s body still refused to let him get up. Frustration boiled within him, escalating into a seething rage as his eyes begin to twitch as he thinks of the worst possible scenario.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "What...the hell is going on! Joki!" Double yells.


    Joki turns to Double in disbelief, Joki''s thought process entering the deserted battlefield was that Double would eventually fall unconscious due to injuries. However, Double''s resolve and fear of death alone would be enough to keep him conscious and pushing.


    "So you two...are familiar with each other, asking him all these questions, talking to him like normal. What the fuck are you thinking Joki!" Double yells, coughing up blood with each word.


    Quickly, Kashikoi puts his hand in the air, preparing another attack after hearing Double''s voice, however, before he could execute his move, Joki intervened with quick speeds, seizing Kashikoi''s outstretched hand.


    "What? Are you gonna attack me, kill me? We know you can''t do that. You''ve never been able to get the job done." Kashikoi says.


    Joki pushes Kashikoi back, and quickly proceeds to check on Double. He puts his hand on Double''s back, and a weird spark, accompanied by Joki''s aura spreads around it. Kashikoi stares on, not wanting to take the risk of launching an attack on Joki.


    "Double...calm down, take it easy. I wanna explain everything when we get back, but for now, let me just make sure you''re okay." Joki says.


    "Take it easy, with me laid out on the ground, and that bastard standing over us. Do you seriously think I''m gonna calm down!" Double yells, slapping Joki''s hand off him.


    The healing process for Double had not yet completed, but Double proceeds to stand up anyways. Double glances over at Kashikoi, and puts his fist up as if preparing to launch a big strike. Kashikoi prepares himself as well, but Joki quickly puts his hand in front of Joki.


    "Double...you don''t get it, and that''s fine, but no one is fighting here. The moment I stepped onto the battlefield, meant this battle for now was done, you lost." Joki calmly says, staring at a enraged Double.


    Joki''s words hit Double hard, the moment he heard those words declaring his defeat. He lost all motivation in his body, however, Kashikoi continued to laugh in the distance. Double felt hopeless, looking at Joki and Kashikoi as two brick walls who he could never get past.


    "So...why don''t you tell the kid what is really going on here. Thinking about it, he said some words back there that caught me off. A device that told him that I''m what he''s after is that right? You sent this kid here on a suicide mission!" Kashikoi yells.


    "What the hell is he saying Joki! That''s a lie...tell me it is!" Double yells, gripping Joki''s jacket tight with frustration and disbelief.


    Joki shoves Double to the side, and walks begins to walk towards Kashikoi with an emotionless expression. Joki pulls his sword out, and walks towards Kashikoi, his face fearful as Kashikoi quickly realized that Joki had enough.


    "Fine...then I''ll just beat you unconscious, I''ll do what I can if I can''t bring myself to kill you." Joki says.


    Suddenly, Double begins to have a mild headache, As the throbbing ache in Double''s head intensified, he instinctively clutched his temples, desperately seeking some sort of relief. In the middle of this discomfort, whispers, faint and elusive, infiltrated his consciousness. Like a distant radio transmission, the voices echoed with indistinct clarity, teasing comprehension just beyond his reach.


    ''Allowing him to end things wouldn''t be fair to you, end the one who wronged you, make him fall at your feet.'' The voice inside Double''s mind says.


    Double''s eyes widened as the weight of the words sank in, a sudden realization dawning upon him. The voice echoing through the air had an unmistakable effect on him. Swiftly turning his gaze, he spotted Joki, moving with deliberate intent towards a Kashikoi frozen in fear.


    "Stop Joki, it won''t be you..." Double says.


    Joki and Kashikoi both turned their attention towards Double, who wore a twisted expression on his face, his fist clenched tightly. His gaze remained fixated on Kashikoi, his contorted features creating an illusion that, to an outsider entering the scene without any context, Double might be the source of the prevailing chaos.


    "You''ve decided to make this my problem, and I don''t really know your reasoning. I don''t really care, and I don''t think I want to as well. I want him dead...dead at my feet, so how about this, you stay here Kashikoi...don''t leave...don''t hide, I want you to stay here and wait for me to take your life." Double says softly.


    Kashikoi''s face turned from that of fear, to that of a smile as he proceeds to also lock eyes with Double. Joki''s expression is that of shock, but understanding that he had placed this burden on Double, he kept his mouth shut.


    However, those words Double spoke would end up being his final as he collapsed onto the floor. Joki picks Double up, and puts him on his back, and proceeds to walk into the distance as Kashikoi stays in place.


    "Then that settles it, it''s his choice after all. Let''s see if that boy manages to come back and dethrone me." Kashikoi says.


    "He can''t dethrone someone who was never a king to begin with." Joki says.