Darkness begets darkness.

Like brings about like.

Because of this simple philosophy, I've always thought that people reaped what they sowed, that in the long run we would ultimately get what we deserved. That is the basis of justice, I felt. Call it blind optimism, but I've always been one to believe that once everything was said and done, everything would be all right. Despite the trials that you go through, after you've endured all that you could endure, once you've come to that breaking point and refuse to be broken, things could only start to get better.

She told me that once. I recall during one of my lowest times saying to her that nothing lasts forever. Not hope. Not love. Nothing. She just simply touched my hand and gently said to me 'Neither does the pain.'

God bless you, Lily Albrook. You are truly what I love most in this world, or any other."

 A tiny ray of light illuminated the inn room as Mani slowly opened the door and peered inside. The late evening hour had offered little in the way of lighting as the young ninja stepped into the modest chamber, taking care to leave the door open behind him. He would not need to be there long. There were only a few of his weapons that would be of any use in the coming fight. After sorting through the numerous instruments in his collection, Mani opted to keep the pair of waikizashi he usually reserved for such an occasion.

 It had been quite some time since he had used his demon hunting equipment, simply because it had been some time since he faced an enemy in which he would need them. Under most circumstances, any weapon that he could get his hands on would have suited his needs nicely- this was one of those rare occasions where he had to prepare specifically for an enemy. The demons he had come across could not be hurt by conventional means, and Mani expected Alhazalria to be no different. That name... Alhazalria...

 "Hasn't it occurred to you..." He slowly closed his eyes. "Mani, hasn't it occurred to you that you're trying to kill Lily?"

 He had the thought before, but hearing himself say it made the pain all the more tangible. How could one prepare for such an act? A deep sigh escaped his lips. He faced a creature of absolute darkness and malice, one of the creatures he vowed so long ago to remove from this plane of existence, yet Mani realized that when he finally got the opportunity to see it, the demon would carry the visage of the young woman that he had met and fallen in love with. There was always a childlike innocence to their relationship, a lighthearted freedom that simply did not exist elsewhere in his life. Never before had he ever met a person that could make him forget about pain of his profession, of his calling, of his very life, with something as simple as a smile.

 Lily gave him hope. She inspired him. If there was no other reason for him doing what he did, then he did it all for her. Anything that would make her world just a bit safer, a bit brighter, was worth any and every risk he had taken in his life. To only live in a world where his skills would not be needed... it had always been his dream to eventually render himself obsolete. A relic. A means to an end, and nothing more. He longed for the day where there would no longer be a need for his services, and he longed for the time he would spend with Lily, without fear. She did more than just simply give him a reason to fight.

 She was his reason for fighting. His very reason for living. There was nothing he would not do for her.

 Nothing.

 He had to set her free. He would die before he let her soul suffer any longer.

 A brief dimming of the moonlight brought him out of his thoughts and back to the task at hand. Another sigh escaped his lips as he glanced out of his window and towards the evening sky. Nights in the desert always seemed brighter than their counterparts elsewhere, and this evening was no different. Several stars dotted the nighttime canvas around the moon, unspoiled by the presence of clouds. It was almost too beautiful of an evening to be ruined by the likes of what he had to...

 Mani suddenly blinked. If there weren't any clouds in the sky, what could have possibly passed by and caused the dimming...

 He grabbed both blades.

 The roof came crashing down a moment later, barely giving him enough time to bolt towards the door and dive into the hallway to avoid being crushed by falling debris. Rolling on the ground, he was quick to rise to his feet and face the room, not knowing what it was he was going to see, but acknowledging the realization that the time of the fight was at hand. It was difficult to see anything within the cloud of dust that had risen when the roof collapsed, though it looked as if it was only his room that had been intruded. He silently began to breathe in and out, sensing another presence, a presence that he was still unable to see. Stones from the rooftop littered what remained of the chamber- if he survived the ordeal, Mani assumed that the innkeeper would be quite upset. From the inside of the room, what looked to be the largest of the rocks began to stir. Mani swallowed hard as he suddenly realized that it wasn't a rock he had been staring at, but rather a creature that was now standing to its feet.

 Darkness and dust obscured most of his vision, which unfortunately allowed the young ninja's imagination to begin running wild in regards to what he was facing. To his horror, the creature's silhouette stood even taller than he had originally assumed. Whereas Lily was just a shade over five feet in height, whatever it was he was currently watching looked like it would have to duck in order to clear the six foot door frame. He still could not see the details of the creature's body in the darkness save its glowing red eyes, both of which seemed to be staring right at him.

 "Breathe, Mani. Breathe." His hands were starting to go numb from gripping the blades so tightly. For just a moment it felt as if the only sounds in the entire world were that of his own slow, steady breathes. The two stared at each other from the darkness, neither making a sound. Mani's heart nearly leapt from his chest as a pair of leathery, bat-like wings flexed from behind the creature, beating the air for just a moment before returning to rest at its back. A long, pointed tail danced in the darkness before lying upon the ground behind the beast.

 The only way to describe the sound that suddenly came forth from the creature was 'unholy'. Without warning it screeched with an intensity that not only shattered the glass windows in the room, but caused a trickle of blood to run from Mani's temple. The creature took a step forward before lowering its head to his level, the wings spreading at its back as it did so.

 "Maaaaahn... eee..."

 He couldn't fight that thing here. It was entirely too closed in, he realized, and he needed more room in order to successfully maneuver. This was a fight that he had to take elsewhere. Without another word, Mani suddenly turned around and began racing down the opposite end of the hallway, away from the room and back towards the streets of Brightsand.

 "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!"

 The entire building shook as the creature shrieked at the ninja, who began to run even faster. He screamed at anyone that looked out from their rooms, warning them to go back inside. Ignoring the angry cries of the innkeeper as he finally made his way to the front lobby, he kicked the door open and ran out into the streets of the city.

 Several people lurked about the area despite the late hour, due mainly to the commotion that had occurred as the creature came crashing in from the roof moments before. Several cried out in shock as he came running out, but still more screamed in terror as they pointed towards the rooftop. Mani suddenly turned around to see, and had to fight in order to hold on to his two blades. Perched upon the roof like an all-too-real gargoyle was what he assumed to be what had come after him earlier. Several screams came from the crowd as it slowly stood to its feet, glaring down at all those present. A wave of nausea rushed over Mani as he finally got a chance to see what he was facing.

 Traces of Lily were apparent, but it looked as if the moment the creature had been borne, it had shed away at her flesh as if it were outgrowing clothing. It was Lily's naked body that the creature possessed, torn enough in several places to give the world a view of the demon's dark sinew and muscle beneath it. The areas around her hands and feet were the most noticeable, giving way to the creature's pointed claws. The wings beat the air several times before coming to rest at her back once again, the pointed tail scraping across the rooftop as it slowly moved back and forth between her legs. Her long black hair obscured most of her face, but Mani could still see that it was the most recognizable part of her newfound body. Despite the flesh that had given way around her neck, her face remained whole- her eyes shined with an unholy glow, and a slight pair of horns protruded from her temples, but the resemblance was undeniable. This was what Lily Albrook had become.

["Mani... do you love me?"

"Um... of course I do...," he managed to stammer.

Lily giggled at the response. "Then why don't you say so?," she wondered, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I mean, it's only three little words... you can say those three words for me, can't you...?"

"...of ...course I could say... those three words... um..."

He suddenly fell silent as Lily looked right into his eyes. Those expressive, beautiful brown eyes of hers... it was like she could peer into his very soul with them...

"Mani...?"]

 "Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!"

 Those brave souls that had stayed around when the creature was first seen on the roof suddenly screamed in horror as the creature shrieked into the nighttime air, putting as much distance as was humanly possible between it and themselves.

 Mani shouted back at the creature, beckoning it to come and fight. "I'm not afraid of you!," he made known.

 The creature simply hissed. "And that is why you will die here."
 
 With a swipe of its hand, the demon caught hold of a portion of the roof and threw it into the streets below. Mani leapt to the side and rolled on the ground to avoid eating an unhealthy portion of stone, which came crashing down where he had been standing just moments prior. He was quick to return to his feet, and felt a wave of horror as he looked back at the roof where Alhazalria had been standing before. Mani began to scan the rooftops in the area, only to find that she was nowhere to be seen. A massive shadow suddenly fell on the ninja from behind.

 "Crap."

 His expression was immediately followed by the unpleasant sensation of being lifted high into the air by his shirt by something much taller than himself, who proceeded to swing him about a few times for good measure. Mani immediately swung back and kicked the creature's forearm with both of his feet. He managed to flip away out of its grip and mentally winced, as it felt like he had just kicked a plate of solid steel. The moment he hit the ground, however, the creature lashed out with its tail. Before he could move or retaliate, Mani found himself lifted into the air once again, but this time by its long, thin tail.

 Alhazalria suddenly screamed at the unpleasant sensation of her tail being sliced off at her posterior. She quickly spun around, and promptly fell back as Mani lashed out with the tail like a whip, catching her squarely across the chest. She lunged again, catching another shot for the action. Alhazalria glared at Mani from the distance, the ninja returning the icy stare as he held her tail in his trailing hand behind him, ready to lash out again at a moment's notice. The demon's stare became more intense for a moment, which then gave way to a sneer across its maw.

 Mani suddenly spun around as he felt the tail start spasming violently, whipping about the air like a possessed serpent. Before he could drop it, a red, veiney tendril shot out from the cut end, launching out and wrapping itself around his arm. As he frantically began trying to shake it loose another one shot out, followed by several others. Two wrapped around his legs, which promptly caught him off balance and knocked him off of his feet. Alhazalria chuckled lightly to herself as she approached the ninja, currently being cocooned by a number of the organic protrusions from the tail. His entire body was being wrapped up save his face, which meant that Mani could still swear quite loudly and repeatedly.

 Alhazalria approached to claim her capture, but slowly turned her attention towards a sound from a distance down the Brightsand street. It appeared that their scuffle had attracted the attention of several members of the town guard, as a large group approached with weapons drawn. With a wave of her hand, Alhazalria cut off contact with the group as a wall of flame suddenly erupted from the streets, catching fire to several buildings in the process. Satisfied that they would not be disturbed, she turned her attention back towards Mani. "Someone would like to speak with you," she hissed, roughly pulling the ninja to his feet. Alhazalria glanced towards the two blades, both lying on the ground some distance away. "You won't be needing those," she added with a light chuckle.

 "I won't need them to kill you, demon."

 "Ever the optimist." She suddenly hefted the living bundle with one arm before taking to the sky once again. Her dark shriek filled the air once again as they took flight, with her bounty in close tow. Where they would go, Mani did not know. He only knew that it would be someplace he did not wish to be.

 "So where the hell is this demon-hunter friend of yours we're supposed to be helping?"

 Eric Dulcimer cast an annoyed glance in the direction of the questioner, his eyes narrowing. His gaze fell upon a dark haired man in robes sitting on the other side of the room, leaning back casually in his chair and with his feet propped up on the desk in the center of the chamber. A wide-brimmed leather hat concealed most of his face, but Eric could still easily make out the mage's sneer. A neatly trimmed thin beard extended from his chin and halfway up the sides of his face, stopping abruptly at the bottom of his ears. He would occasional move his head enough to allow Eric a glimpse of his cold, blue eyes, but would mostly be obscured under the brim of his hat. "He's on his way, dammit," Eric snapped back. "Have a little patience, Daeton."

 The mage was silent for a moment. "Don't get short with me, outsider," he shot back, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I don't care how many Sand Crawlers you might have killed that day. You're not one of us, so don't think you can talk to me in just any manner." A dull blue glow emitted from his eyes to emphasize his point.

 Eric groaned, mainly out of annoyance that the infamous tale of he and the Sand Crawler was getting more and more distorted the longer he stayed in Brightsand. "Whatever, Daeton," he grumbled, continuing his pacing. "I wouldn't want to piss you off or anything."

 "Damn right you don't, boy."

 Daeton had been chosen along with Reuben by the Guildmaster to assist Eric and Mani in dealing with the situation that had come about with Lily. The ninja Reuben did not seem opposed to the idea of having the mage among their ranks, but Daeton and Eric had not exactly seen eye-to-eye since being introduced to each other. Eric was certain that there were probably bigger jerks in the guild, but he was also fairly certain that Daeton was among that upper echelon.

 "So this demon...," the mage remarked, bringing Eric back from his thoughts. "This demon was that Lily girl, right?"

 Eric nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

 "That's a damned shame. She was quite the cutie, I must say. 'course I'm pretty sure that's not going to be the case when we see her."

 Eric found his eyes narrowing once again. "Have some respect," he interrupted. "That's Mani's girlfriend you're talking about."

 Daeton snickered lightly. "Hmm. Ex-girlfriend seems more appropriate, if you ask me."

 As Eric's eyes began to scan the room for something heavy and metallic to toss in Daeton's direction, there was a quick knock at the chamber door before it opened and Reuben stepped inside. He didn't pause to acknowledge either of the parties as he made his way over to one of the windows. "I think that we might have a situation on our hands," he finally said as he threw back the curtains to the window.

 Daeton remained seated as Eric made his way over to the window. The young man cast a glance in the direction indicated by Reuben, his eyes widening after a moment of staring. In the distance, a light orange glow emanated within the city, the patterns dancing ever so slightly as thick clouds of dark smoke began to rise from the area. "A fire?" He looked back to Reuben.

 The ninja nodded. "That's the district where Mani was headed," he noted. "Guildmaster Gandeus has given us authorization to act, and we're to locate Mani as soon as humanly possible."

 Alhazalria didn't bother to slow down as she dropped Mani onto one of the nearby rooftops in the city, landing some distance from where she left him. The tendrils that bound him suddenly began to fall away from the ninja, which made breathing all that much easier. Mani slowly brought himself up to his knees and began to rub his arms, still sore from the bonding.

 Another figure stood on the rooftop besides Alhazalria. It appeared a little less than concerned about the recent arrivals, seeming content to stare off the rooftop and at the fire that was beginning to rage in the streets below. Small gusts of wind would occasionally disturb her long, dark brown hair and the flowing, midnight blue robe that she wore, split on either side up to her waist. In one of her hands was a sword that looked as if it would be impossible to wield due to its length, but was counteracted by the thin design of the blade. A closer examination revealed that there were in fact two blades, not one, protruding from the hilt- being stabbed by such a weapon would not only double the pain, but made it twice as lethal than most other swords. The figure slowly turned to recognize the two, first acknowledging the massive demon Alhazalria standing beside her. The light from the fire below cast an eerie glow upon her ghostly complexion and the crest of the house of Asmodeus over her left eye as she turned towards the ninja, smiling broadly to acknowledge him. "Hello Manikins," Phantom greeted with a slight nod. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

 "Go to hell, Phantom," he growled, trying to gather the energy to stand to his feet again. He managed to bring himself up to bear upon one of his knees, deciding that standing was too ambitious of a maneuver in his current state.

 "Lily's not nearly as cute as I recall her being," Phantom remarked as she looked the demon up and down, grinning with pride.

 "She told me everything. About what went on at Paradox's stronghold. About Alhazalria..."

 She turned her attention away from her minion and back to her adversary. "So you knew about it, and still didn't do anything to stop this? Either you've gotten a lot more selfish than I remember you as, or you're just as stupid as she was."

 Mani felt a wave of anger forming in the pit of his stomach. "I'm not a murderer, Laura." Venom dripped from his words, especially from her name.

 There were very few things he had witnessed that could shut Phantom up for any length of time. Rather than coming up with an immediate response for everything, she instead could only glare at the ninja with enough malice to send the most devoted priest to his knees. Her hand clenched tightly around the hilt of her sword; she looked as if she would explode at any moment. "You still don't understand," she finally snarled. "After all of this time, you still don't understand."

 "I think I understand enough. You're simply the most spiteful person I've met in my entire life." Mani paused for a moment, taking in a small degree of satisfaction from seeing Phantom becoming so angry. "But perhaps I have it all wrong," he added with a weak shrug. "Perhaps you should explain it to me; perhaps my feeble, peasant-mentality ideals of right and wrong can't comprehend what you're talking about. Before you try to kill me, just do me just one service- simply explain to me what in the hell you are talking about."

 "I think I'd much prefer seeing Alhazalria tear your arms off." With her words, the demon prepared to lunged at the fallen ninja, had Phantom not put her hand up in restraint. "But by virtue of you being an idiot, I suppose I should explain. It's simply about power," she began. "The more powerful force should have dominion over the weaker. And the weak ("That includes you, Mani...") should have enough sense to let nature take its course."

 "'Let nature take its course'", Mani repeated. "So you expect me to believe that you possessing Lily with some demon is in some way, divine?"

 "Lily was an experiment on my part," Phantom remarked with a nonchalant shrug. "But I think we shouldn't ignore the implications behind it. We get to see what is truly more powerful, the will of a young girl, or that of a demon."

 "And in the meantime, creating a creature that you felt that I couldn't bring myself to kill?"

 A grin escaped her lips. "A more than welcomed side effect."

 "So in essence, you've conjured your own demonic minion."

 Phantom chuckled. "Not quite," she acknowledged, slowly drawing the sword to her side. "I wish I could say that it was as simple as you put it, but there's a little more to it than just that."

 Mani's body suddenly went numb not only from hearing Alhazalria shriek into the darkness once again, but also from seeing Phantom impale the creature from behind. The demon's dark blood spurt forth from the dual wounds inflicted by the sword as Phantom snatched Alhazalria's head back by her black hair. She jerked once more, sending more screams of agony echoing across the city. "Don't look so surprised, Mani!," she screamed at the ninja. "I just told you that this was all about power!"

 ["Servants of Necron, hear my prayer and acknowledge this sacrifice of blood, made by my own hands..."]

 Despite the foreign tongue in which Phantom was speaking, Mani could understand enough to realize that she was beginning an incantation. "Shit...," he groaned, quickly forcing himself to his feet. His head began to swim, yet he continued to hold on with everything he had in order to keep from collapsing.

 ["...I seek the powers of the ancient ones, those that walked before time, those that have no mortal name..."]

 Mani began to run towards Phantom. He didn't fully understand what was about to happen, but he knew that he had to do everything in his power to stop her. Even if it killed him, he had to stop her.

 ["...grant me the soul of this vessel! The power that comes from the blackest of spirits, those who would be forgotten by this mortal plane!"]

 Energy began to swirl about the two bodies as Phantom jerked the massive blade once again, Alhazalria's screams rising above the commotion that had risen up from the ceremony. Mani ran even faster towards the two, but it seemed like the closer he got, the further he had to go to reach them. His skin felt as if it had begun to burn through the energy field that was beginning to consume the entire rooftop.

 ["Three souls in One body! Fill me with this creature's essence, and endow me with the powers of the darkest plane!!]

 With one final sweep of the blade, Mani could only stare in horror Alhazalria's torn body fell to the ground before Phantom. A screaming wave of essence rose from the body and into Phantom's, who screamed in almost orgasmic ecstasy as the force came into her body, swirling around her for several moments before plunging itself inside of her like the blade she drove through Alhazalria's body moments before.
 

 ["I AM REBORN!!"]
 

"There was a time in my life where Laura was all that I thought of. I suppose that in itself hasn't changed.

She wasn't always Phantom. I still remember when she was simply Laura, the intelligent young woman that I was glad to call my friend. There was a time where I would have done anything for her- now, I believe that I would do anything in my power to destroy her. Perhaps it sounds harsh speaking of someone that I was once so close to, but I no longer think of her as human. She is a symbol, a living embodiment of all that I have vowed to eradicate from the world. She is that darkness that exists solely to consume and manipulate those around it, with absolutely no regard. While some would argue that 'good' and 'evil' are simply a matter of perspective and opinion, I question the person that would support the role that she has taken.

No one can justify the things that she has done, not even herself. And she feels no need to. And as such, I feel that there is no need for me to justify my own actions against her."

 There was a certain point where Mani had simply stopped running. Optimist that he was, even he had to acknowledge that there was very little in what he could have done once it became apparent that he wasn't going to be able to stop Phantom from completing the transformation. His gaze lingered on the fallen body of Lily... no, of Alhazalria... still lying on the rooftop. The creature rested face-down in a pool of its own dark blood and had not stirred in quite some time. It looked as if the effects of the transformation had been reduced by the draining of the creature's soul- the wings had gone, but left two large wounds on her back where they once were. Streaks of red blood trailed from both, the color that it should have been, and not the dark ichor that had spilled from the demon earlier. Even those two wounds could not compare to the handiwork of the sword, which could have easily torn the body in two. A massive stab wound began at the small of its back, which led into a wide gash that extended from it to the right shoulder, where the blade managed to exit cleanly from the body. Mani stared at what remained of Lily's bloody and naked body for what felt like the longest moment of his entire existence. This was among the worst injuries he had ever seen inflicted upon a creature, and by far the worst thing that had ever happened to Lily. Nothing deserved to die in such a manner. Mani could not name an enemy that he despised with such a passion to wish the sort of injury that Alhazalria, or Lily, had to endure. But as he slowly looked up from the body and towards the one that created, and destroyed it, the hatred began to whisper a single name in his mind.

 Phantom did not acknowledge him for the moment, as she looked to still be trying to gauge the extent of her newfound body. She was built larger as a result of the transformation, yet still managed to retain a humanoid and feminine quality about herself. Large, dark wings had sprouted from her back, as had a long and thin armored tail. A dangerous looking blade hung from the end of it, scratching the rooftop several times as it danced back and forth between her legs. A thin pair of black horns extended from her temples, curving ever so slightly towards the heavens. The transformation looked to had been much cleaner than Lily's, for her flesh remained whole, and her robe had not been torn at all during the ritual. She gripped at the hilt of her sword with a crimson-nailed claw and turned her head towards Mani, slowly drawing her lips into a smile. A row of pointed teeth regarded the ninja. "You didn't see that coming, did you?," she wondered, chuckling lightly to herself. It sounded as if she spoke with two voices, both feminine, but one much deeper than the other.

 Mani didn't look as if he were ready to respond. He stared down at the ground, a thousand thoughts going through his mind at once. "'Two Houses become One, and from that One shall rise Another'," he slowly quoted, remembering what Reuben had told him back at the guildhouse. It wasn't a union between the two forces, as he assumed it would be. Alhazalria had been raised like a cattle for Phantom to slaughter, with Lily serving as the host body. "You never did have any hesitations about using others," he finally said, bringing his gaze up slowly from the rooftop.

 Phantom raised a brow as she regarded him for a moment. "That's all that you have to say?," she curiously put forth. "I'd expect to hear more from the man who's fiance I just murdered."

 Fiance.

 He had never thought of her as being his fiance in the past, since they had never made an official engagement. But Mani knew that they loved each other, and it would simply be a matter of time before the question would be raised. She was his friend, his fiance, and in due time, she would have been his wife. His gaze fell upon what remained of her body, a grotesque mockery of the young woman he loved so dearly. He felt a part of himself slowly begin to fade away as a simple realization crept into his mind. He would never hear her voice again, nor would he see her smile, or feel her gentle touch against his flesh. The two would never speak again, and he would never again feel the release that came simply from hearing her laugh. There was so much that had just been taken away from him. Lily Albrook was... no. He didn't want to think it. He couldn't admit that the most important person in his life... he closed his eyes tightly.

 Lily Albrook was dead.

 "How... could you do this..." As he spoke, a wave of rage slowly overtook his entire being. He couldn't contain it. At this point, he didn't want to.

 "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HER?!," he suddenly shouted. His voice echoed for quite some time, and even Phantom looked a little surprised at his sudden outburst. Mani shook his head again, speaking through clenched teeth. "All right Phantom," he slowly began. "No more games. This has always been between the two of us, and now we're the only ones that are left. No more third parties. No more tricks. You want this just as bad as I do." He glanced down at the blaze burning in the streets below, slowly bringing his gaze back to bear on Phantom. "We settle this right here, and right now. One of us is going to die tonight, and truthfully, it doesn't matter to me which of us it is at this point."

 Phantom's eye's narrowed at the young man's words. "I'm insulted," she simply put forth.

 "That I have the audacity to even challenge you?"

 "You don't seem to understand what you're asking for, Mani. You've chosen the worst possible time to try and settle our differences. I'm possessed with a power that even I don't truly understand, and to be honest, I'm quite anxious to see exactly what this body is capable of."

 Mani quietly reached behind his back and slowly drew a blade from its sheath, strapped to his back and hidden under his shirt. Phantom mentally cursed the young ninja's resilience. "The raping of Lily's spirit will not go unpunished. Make peace with your god." Without another word, he drew himself up into his stance, his eyes burning into those of his enemy.

 Phantom returned the stare, still partially in shock as to Mani's boldness. There was no way he would kill her, though it was nothing like it had been in the past. In the past, Mani had his opportunities to take her life, yet could never bring himself to do it. He still held on to a shred of hope, thinking that she was still capable of redemption, at least in his eyes. That was in the past. The look on the young man's face told her that he was at the end of mercy. She had finally broken him. He had nothing left to lose. She brought the massive blade to bear and pointed it at the ninja. "Come, Mani," she beckoned. "Let us end this...

 ... Forever."

 There were powers at work in Brightsand, powers that Eric neither comprehended, nor wished to. There was evil in the city, so much that even the unattuned like himself could feel it. But for those sensitive to the flow of the Ether, like Daeton...

 Eric did not like Daeton. Yet he still felt uneasy as he witnessed what happened to the arrogant young mage. The three of them had just left the guildhouse in order to find Mani, when suddenly they had seen that bright flash of dark energy from a rooftop, right in the midst of the fire that raged. He had complained of a headache earlier, but that light had more of an effect on him than he imagined it would. The mage had collapsed to his knees and screamed as if he were being tortured by some unseen assailant, waving about madly and screaming about his mind. His voice changed, as did his words- he no longer screamed in a tongue that Eric understood, but in something... much darker. Those within the gate surrounding the guildhouse stared with a variety of emotions, the most prominent being fear. He acted as a being possessed, a being consumed with a madness from the pits of hell itself. Daeton had gone as far as to leap upon a young maiden employed by the guild, wrapping one hand around her throat as he tore violently at her robes with the other. Reuben and Eric immediately sprung to the maiden's aid, and despite his training and obvious advantage of strength to the mage, the elder ninja had to truly fight to pull them apart. Daeton continued to scream and curse in the evil tongue as he lunged at the ninja, who at this time had the aid of several of the guild's guards to assist in restraining him. As he forcefully led the mage back inside of the guild, Reuben gave Eric one simple order;

 Find Mani.

 Eric, spear in hand, ran without ceasing through the streets of the city, horrified as to what he was witnessing. Daeton was not the only one that had been affected. While the majority of those on the streets remained sane and scrambling for safety, more and more individuals were screaming in a manner similar to Daeton's. Some fought violently in the streets. Still others rolled on the ground in agony, screaming at an unseen tormentor. Every sin, every immoral act, every deviance that had a name looked to be taking place at some point around him, pushing Eric to run even faster. He had to find Mani.

 The sounds of a battle rose above even that of the commotion in the streets, coming from what seemed to be the rooftops above his head. Eric immediately looked up in time to see a bolt of energy come flying off a nearby roof, which struck the side of a building with a light explosion. The clash of steel against steel followed, and Eric knew that he had found him. With a massive kick, Eric knocked open the door to a neighboring building and immediately ran inside and towards the upward winding stairs. He had to somehow help his friend.

 "One must operate outside of emotions. For one to kill outside of duty, no honor exists."

 The words of his beloved sensei rang in his mind, but Mani knew that this was not about honor. This was about himself, Phantom, and most importantly, it was about Lily. There was a duty involved in this- it was his duty to remove this abomination from this plane of existence.

 Steel against steel. Flesh against flesh. Flesh against steel.

 They fought with a fury unmatched, and no mercy was offered, nor would it have been given. Their battle had raged across several rooftops, and both were battered, bruised, and bleeding. Phantom could not believe that somehow, this mortal was not only still alive, but had even managed to wound her on several occasions. She had felt the sting as his blade sliced into her flesh, and the multiple cuts had stained her robe in blood. Mani also bled, but he continued to fight with the same vigor that he had when this all began. It simply was not possible for a mortal to endure what he had endured, yet continue to fight as if he had a chance at victory. She would see to it that Mani suffered before he died.

 "Haven't you noticed something, Phantom?," he quietly asked. He stood at a ready position, the blade held before him and dripping dark blood, her blood.

 "I've noticed that you're still alive."

 The ninja shook his head slowly. "Your reactions have slowed greatly," he casually observed. "Despite your little ceremony a few moments ago, you're not that much more powerful than the last time we fought."

 How dare he... "What are you getting at, ninja?"

 For the first time during their entire engagement, an actual smile worked its way onto Mani's face. "Do you honestly believe," he slowly began. "That you can survive against three enemies, Phantom? Three enemies that absolutely despise you, and would do anything to see you destroyed? You're not just fighting me, Phantom. You're also fighting Lily, and you're fighting your little pet, Alhazalria."

 Phantom felt a boiling in the pit of her stomach as all of her hatred and rage began to rise up inside of her. She would not let anything, anything, take this moment away from her. She could control those forces inside of her body, and she would used their combined power to destroy Mani once and for all. Nothing mattered anymore- the only thing that had meaning in her life now was to see the ninja at her feet, broken and begging for his wretched life, and to hear him curse her name as she ended his pathetic existence. A trickle of blood suddenly ran from the corner of her mouth as she felt something tearing away at her from the inside, like each had raked their nails across her heart. They were both resisting her. Their screams filled her head, cursing her name, and calling for her death. Free us, they demanded. And accept your eternity.

 So occupied with the voices in her head, Phantom barely reacted as she sensed an attack from behind. She wordlessly threw up a hand to project a barrier, blocking the approaching attack. She slowly turned and glared over her shoulder, catching sight of a spear harmlessly bouncing away, and of a young man on the neighboring rooftop, looking as if he were ready to scream. The barrier from her hand slowly faded away, replaced by a bright glow as an orb began to form in her hand. The flow of energy began to swirl about her, disturbing her hair and robes as well as the blood flowing from her mouth.

 "I... will..."

 Phantom suddenly screamed as the orb doubled in size, continuing to glow with its ominous and dark patterns. Debris from the rooftop began to rise about her, while her hair and robes both rose and flowed even more. A demonic shriek filled the air.

 "I will... END you... ALL!!"

 "Eric, GET DOWN!"

 As Eric hit the ground on the neighboring rooftop, Phantom quickly turned in time to see Mani running at her full-speed with his shoulder lowered right at her. He collided directly into her, and it was at that moment that Phantom realized, with no small degree of horror, that her hand was still glowing with the orb of energy, with was now directed at the very roof she and Mani stood upon.

 The explosion could be seen clear across the city as what remained of the roof suddenly went up in a blast of dark energy. The streets shook, and the debris rained down upon the entire area. Phantom landed on her back in the streets below, pain racking her entire body from the impact. Stones from the roof fell all about her, but as she opened her eyes, she suddenly realized that Mani was also on his way down.
 

 And somehow, he had gotten her sword.
 

 Before she could move, before she could retaliate in any sort of manner, she found the resilient young ninja upon her. And she was forced to realize that this war that the two of them had fought for all of this time had come to an end on this evening. As she felt her body pierced, then finally impaled by her own sword, she knew that she had lost.

 It was a moment frozen in time. Mani could say nothing as he knelt atop his enemy, the hilt of the sword still in his bloody hands, almost buried down to her chest from the impact. Phantom slowly closed her eyes as a scream tore itself from her lips, a scream of agony, and of defeat. She reached for her enemy, hoping to at least wound him before she died, but could not even manage to complete the motion. She brought her hand back down to the blade in her chest in an attempt to pull it out. Even if she managed to remove it, she knew that there was no way she could recover from the attack. She had lost. Her efforts had been in vain- all of her plotting, all of her workings meant less than the blood that spilled from her body. "I never thought..." It hurt to even speak. "I never thought... it would end... like this, Mani..."

 He said nothing. Even his eyes betrayed no thoughts, no feelings, no remorse. She had pushed him to this brink, and no one else. "I would have thought..." She coughed, sending a spurt of blood running down her face. "...that you would have more to say than this..." It was almost disappointing, to not even have your mortal enemy say something, anything, once they had beaten you.

 "You made this necessary..." Mani slowly closed his eyes, vainly attempting to hold back tears running down his face. It didn't matter any more at this point. "Phantom, why couldn't you just leave us alone? Why couldn't you just understand?" He placed his head against the hilt of the sword. "It didn't have to come to this, Laura. This didn't have to happen." Mani shook his head. "Why did you have to take Lily away from me?," he wondered, his voice barely above a whisper. Just to hear himself say her name made Mani want to collapse.

 "Without me and Lily... your life has no meaning, Mani... it should be you here, dying by my hands..." Spite twisted the dying woman's face as she glared at the ninja. "What makes you so... special...?," she spat. "Who gave you the authority... to kill... what you simply perceive to be evil?"
 

 "Tell me, Mani... is my death... in any way... divine?"

 
 Mani stared long and hard at his fallen enemy, for just a moment feeling a tinge of compassion, of mercy. "I've done things in my lifetime that I pray I would never have to do again," he began with a shake of his head. "I've never claimed to be better than those I would kill. Many long nights I've sat up, tormented by some of the things I've done. But never will I ever repent for what I have done today. If it means me burning in hell for eternity, then so be it."

 A dark chuckle came from the dying woman. "Then I'm sure I will see you again someday."

 Mani slowly reached out with one hand, brushing back several strands of Phantom's blood-soaked hair. He stared down at his enemy's face for one last time. "You will see me when I'm reunited with Lily. I want that memory to haunt you for the rest of your afterlife." Mani slowly stood to his feet, his gaze never leaving Phantom's. Her time was at hand, and he knew that she did not have long. This was their final meeting. "Goodbye, Phantom," he said, turning away. "Embrace your eternity."

 He began to walk away from it all. He did not hear Eric calling his name from the roof. He did not hear the murmurs of the people around him, backing away as he came through. He did not hear Phantom's final scream as the essence of life left her body. He did not hear, he did not feel; he was simply dead to the world around him.

 His reason for living had been taken away.

 Mani suddenly collapsed to the ground, trembling as sobs racked his entire body. Nothing mattered anymore. Lily was all that mattered, and she was gone, violently taken away from him. Phantom was dead, but the price was heavy. His victory was filled with nothing but grief and pain. "Oh God, Lily..." He tearfully looked up to the heavens.

 "Oh God, Lily... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."