The eight of them ran forward at the flesh dogs, which outnumbered them only slightly. As they collided with the flesh dogs, blood began to spew in all directions. Corrin maintained focus and easily cut down the dogs one by one. Falcia took on numerous at a time, stunning them with lightning that exploded from her body. Tutsoi jumped up and ran along the air, finding opportunities to strike. Ivas and Elliot worked together on a few by themselves, and the other four, including Mary, were all stuck fighting only two.

  In only a few short, brutal seconds, all of the flesh dogs were dead. A new hope ran through Corrin’s spine as they all climbed over the rubble, eager to meet Nevarii once again. As they reached the summit of the small rubble mountain, a chain whipped through the air, cutting into one of the soldiers Corrin didn’t recognize before he was pulled forward. He was yanked down to the ground below the feet of the man Corrin begged the gods that he wouldn’t recognize.

  Unfortunately, his prayers went unanswered.

  He dropped his hood. Corrin’s blood ran cold, colder than it already was from the icy-cold water that had been dumped on him only moments earlier. His teeth chattered uncontrollably. It couldn’t possibly be, could it? Corrin’s grip on his sword tightened.

  Before them all stood Edwin. His once short brown hair now reached nearly to his shoulders in the back. His brown eyes glistened in the pale atmosphere. Corin gazed at Edwin; he could see the bags under his eyes and the hint of regret residing within them.

  “Edwin?”

  Corrin muttered at a volume just above inaudible. Some of the others turned to Corrin.

  “You know this guy?”

  Corrin thought that he had, but he was wrong. Clearly, Corrin did not know Edwin at all.

  “No. I guess I don’t.”

  Without further contemplation, he and the others dashed towards Edwin, who immediately turned away and ran. Corrin jumped forward and tried to slash at Edwin’s legs; even though he hated Edwin at this moment, he still couldn’t bring himself to kill him. Edwin jumped as he blocked an attack from his right from Falcia.

  He threw his chained sword forward, stabbing it between two bricks and yanking himself forward as quickly as possible. As he did this, he dodged attacks left and right from Ivas and Elliot. He turned himself back and took a direct hit from Tutsoi along his face as Tutsoi teleported ahead of him with the Shard of Realms.

  He burst through a door that led outside and threw his chained sword to the right and swung around across the top of the snow, dodging attacks from Elliot and another soldier as he flew. He let go at the right time, flying forward and sliding across the top of the snow. Just at the time, one of the soldiers Corrin didn’t recognize jumped forward and swung with all his might at Edwin, to which Edwin dodged up and cut the man's head diagonally open. Blood spewed onto the snow.

  Tutsoi grabbed Corrin’s hand and held him as he jumped across the air towards Edwin. He let go at just the right time. Edwin blocked another slash at his chest from Corrin, sparks flying through the frigid air. He jumped back as Tutsoi flew down as well from above, before teleporting just behind Edwin and dealing another blow to Edwin, this time cutting off three of Edwin’s fingers on his left hand.

  Edwin yelled aloud, yet he did not give in. Ivas jumps to one side, and Falcia runs to the other. Edwin strategically dodges Falcia’s attacks and blocks Ivas’s to avoid Falcia’s lightning. Elliot and one of the other soldiers appear again and cut a bit of Edwin’s hair and part of his hood. Edwin jumps back again when a shout comes from a rooftop to their left.

  “Stop or she dies!”

  They all look up to see Mary dangling over the edge by one of the spider-bird creatures; Nevarii stands next to her. Her legs flop back and forth, and she holds her neck, where she was being held by the spider-bird's beak. They all stop, though Corrin was expecting most of them to go on without paying a mind. After all, they were so close to stopping Edwin and getting answers. Corrin didn’t want to seem like a heartless person, but he was shocked.

  “She’s the granddaughter of Omna; we can’t let her die.”

  Falcia mutters under her frosty breath. Corrin grits his teeth. After being so close, why did she want to come? How could they not have told Corrin, either? It was all so difficult. Suddenly, as they look up, Tutsoi teleports and attacks Nevarii from behind; they all gasp. Tutsoi’s hatred took over. Nevarii grabbed Tutsoi’s sword with his hands and took the attack as though it was nothing. In one swoop, he throws Tutsoi away and off the building.

  “I know of your little tricks, Tutsoi!”

  Tutsoi once again teleports near Nevarii. The others take the opportunity to attack. Falcia turns to Nevarii.

  “Ivas, Hylda, you two with me against Nevarii! The others, keep after the one with the chains!”

  They all nod, Corrin assumes Hylda is one of the once nameless soldiers. Corrin turns and faces Edwin once again. Edwin locks eyes with Corrin, their gaze solid for a few moments before the others dash after him once again. This time, he was not going to get away.

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  Corrin darted forward alongside Elliot and a few other soldiers. Sparks flew as Edwin once again was forced on the defensive. Blood stained the snow around them as blood poured from Edwin’s wounds. Corrin, on the other hand, found that it was becoming more and more difficult by the second to move fluidly. The cold water from before was beginning to ice over, and his movements were more stiff than ever; still, he wouldn’t let Edwin get away this time.

  “Light Katana Style…”

  Corrin’s katana exploded in a golden ray, his scar searing and shining.

  “Triumph!”

  Corrin slid forward, disappearing into the snow. Corrin knew that this technique was perfect for what he was planning on doing. He jumps out of it, a bit earlier than he meant, squinting his eyes in pain after Edwin’s small slash on his cheek. In that moment, an opportunity opens. He spun with his sword as hard as he could, not caring what would happen to Edwin, as long as he was stopped. Blood spilled and flew through the air in all directions as Corrin flew up. Corrin hoped that he hadn’t just killed his old friend.

  Tutsoi grabbed Mary by the cloth just around her neck and teleported away to the ground. Tutsoi shook as he panted; emotions swirled through him. Pain, anger, regret, despair. He knew only one thing at that moment: Kill Nevarii. But he first turned to Mary.

  “Stay here.”

  That's all he said. He was always so cold, yet so many emotions always flickered through him. He often wondered if he was too blunt in the way he spoke, if he was too harsh in his orders. But none of that mattered right now. Another orb appeared in front of Tutsoi, and he walked through it. Just as he stepped through it, he could hear Mary mutter for him to be careful.

  He landed on the top of the slanted rooftop, only a few feet away from Nevarii. Nevarii turned to Tutsoi and raised his hands.

  “You really think you can take me on? I have legions of creatures ready to come in should things get bad. Besides, aren’t you feeling a little cold?”

  Frost was forming on Tutsoi’s body, slowly immobilizing him. But he didn’t care; he couldn’t care. His pure hatred for Nevarii grew. Tutsoi teleported back and forth with the orbs that appeared before him, slashing at Nevarii, who simply grabbed and pulled away his sword every time. Tutsoi had noticed at this point what was obvious: he wore some kind of armor on his palm. If only he could destroy it. But he wasn’t strong enough to shatter metal.

  “I can feel the hatred growing within you, Tutsoi!”

  Nevarii spoke as he dodged and blocked attacks from all angles at once, and a smile formed on his face. A sinister, disgusting smile.

  “I feel the rage burning in you, any moment you’ll lose all control over your body, consumed by hate…”

  Sparks flew again, and Tutsoi’s annoyance was rising. He hadn’t landed a single substantial blow to Nevarii, and backup was still on its way. Falcia and Ivas had to go through the building and climb up from the inside. As much as Tutsoi hated to admit it, he knew he couldn’t keep this up forever.

  “A fickle thing, hate. Sometimes it burns, sometimes it pounds. Sometimes, it feels like it cuts deep into the flesh.”

  Tutsoi knew that Nevarii was trying to get into his head, but he wouldn’t let him.

  “Hatred is what keeps me going, Tutsoi. I know it's what keeps you going, too. That makes us similar, doesn’t it?”

  Tutsoi was getting weaker and weaker. Ice was forming on his body, slowing him down further. Yet still, Nevarii stayed on the defensive.

  “It reminds me of your older sister…”

  Nevarii was plucking at a nerve in Tutsoi. He was smart; he knew he couldn’t defeat Tutsoi, Falcia, and Ivas in a head-on battle, so he was trying to take out Tutsoi when he still could.

  “...I’m sure she felt hate too… I’m sure she’s sinned. Unfortunate, really, how weak she truly was.”

  Tutsoi gritted his teeth; he couldn’t stand it any longer. He knew what Nevarii was doing. He wanted Tutsoi to get angry, so his attacks were sloppier.

  “Even a Blackborne couldn’t save her. Real shame… how I slaughtered her.”

  “You damn worm!!”

  Tutsoi’s voice was filled with hatred, with rage. It boiled inside him as he brought his broadsword down once again towards Nevarii. But there was no form in this attack, nothing but power. Tutsoi wanted nothing more than to make Nevarii suffer.

  Nevarii grabbed the sword again and threw Tutsoi down into the shingles of the roof. His lip busted open in pain with blood seeping from it; his sword fell away from the roof and disappeared into the snow.

  He had played directly into Nevarii’s hand.