by Max Jager
After their hug, Thea looked at him worriedly as he walked away.
He might have said something more concrete to her, something to make her feel better, had he had the capacity to think of anything encouraging to say.
Unfortunately, the situation at hand was far more dire than any he had ever found himself in, and for once in his life, he truly feared that he would never see the ones he loved and cared for ever again.
Bandit watched as Abe walked up to him.
"Alright," began Abe, "Since the Manna World has a lot of unknown risks associated with its use, you'll need to assess the situation before you use it. If you have to use it, you'll need to stab yourself with it so you can use the power it's meant to grant you."
"Got it," said Bandit as he nodded his head.
The two looked at each other for a few seconds, before they both sighed and shook each other's hands.
"I wish you didn't have to do this alone," said Abe sadly.
"Me too," concurred Bandit sullenly.
"…Be careful…okay?"
"I will…"
The two exchanged a quick smile as they let go of each other's hands.
Bandit slowly turned to face Brayne and Mary, and smiled as he placed his hand on Brayne's shoulder.
"Goodbye, Brayne," he said as slight tears filled in his eyes.
Brayne looked at him emotionally as he furrowed his eyebrows, and tears filled his own eyes as the two embraced one another one last time.
"Goodbye, Car…" he said with a broken tone of voice.
When the two let go of each other, Bandit turned to face Mary, while Brayne, unable to contain his sadness, turned his head and wiped his tears out of his eyes.
"Mary…" began Bandit emotionally.
Unable to deal with saying goodbye to the man she loved like a brother, Mary quickly wrapped him in her embrace as tears welled up in her eyes.
"I love you," she said after she kissed his cheek.
Bandit closed his eyes and sighed as he held her tight.
"I love you, too."
She released him from her embrace, and held his face as she spoke.
"Scarlet's waiting for you outside… She wants to speak to you alone."
Bandit nodded his head before he responded.
"Okay."
He watched as Mary stepped back and held Brayne's hand, and took a deep breath as he looked at the two and Abe one last time, before he slowly opened the front door of the guild and walked out of the building, scared that he would truly never see them ever again.
After having shut the door of the guild, he took a deep breath as he looked at the destruction before him. He noticed that it was gradually beginning to lessen, probably because Red wanted him to get to their rendezvous point alive.
He sighed as he crossed his arms, and looked to his right to see his little sister sitting on the porch, her face buried in her hands.
"Scarlet…"
She slowly lifted her head from her hands as she spoke.
"So…you're going…" she said sullenly.
Bandit silently nodded his head as he began to walk towards her.
"Where does he want to meet you?" she asked.
"…At our family home…" he began without looking at her, "It'll… It'll be okay… I'll rescue Rachel…and…things will go back to normal…"
Tears filled Scarlet's eyes as she looked up at her older brother.
"I wish you sounded more convincing than that…"
Bandit looked at her worriedly as she continued.
"I suppose you don't have any other option but to do this, though, so…who am I to stop you…?"
Bandit took a deep breath before he responded.
"You're my sister…"
The two remained silent for the next several seconds, before Scarlet stood up.
"I know this is something that you have to do…but I…want you to do something for me too…"
"Of course," said Bandit, "I'll do anything for you."
Scarlet gulped guiltily before she made her request.
"Don't kill him."
Bandit closed his eyes as he shook his head, while Scarlet looked at him worriedly.
"Please…don't kill him… I know he's the most powerful person on the face of the Earth, but…"
"Scarlet…I… Please don't ask me to spare him…"
"I know…" she said with a broken tone of voice, "I know…that asking you to spare him is an insane thing to do at this point, but…if you do kill him…your brother…I know it will eat you up inside… You never got over what happened to our mother… Imagine how you'd feel if you killed our brother, too… I don't want you to go through that…"
Bandit looked his sister directly in her eyes as he spoke.
"Scarlet…" he sighed, "I honestly don't know if I can spare him…not after what he has pulled…and what he is threatening to pull… The truth is…I only…honestly…know two things right now…First of all…I know that…whatever happens…I…have to protect Rachel at all costs…and second of all…I know that…"
Bandit closed his eyes as he kissed his sister's cheek, and Scarlet watched as he walked towards the edge of the porch. He took a deep breath as he looked her right in her eyes one last time.
"…no matter what happens…I hope that you can find it in your heart to…forgive me…if I have to do the…unthinkable…"
A single tear streamed down Scarlet's face as she looked into her older brother's hurting eyes.
She watched as he jumped onto a rooftop several yards away and began to jump from rooftop to rooftop towards their family home, and she buried her face in her hands as more tears of agony streamed down her face.
But now, while her brothers were in the middle of having their final battle, Scarlet Blood jumped from rooftop to rooftop towards her family's old home. She sweated nervously as she gritted her teeth.
I have to stop them from killing each other! I just hope I can get there in time…!
After having been sent flying a mile away, Red grunted as he landed on his feet, and slid several yards back. He spat on the ground before looking up to see Bandit charging at him with great intensity.
"You little shit!" screamed Bandit furiously.
Red pointed his index fingers at him as he spoke.
"I told you this before!" he screamed angrily, "The reason this is all happening…"
He shot one lightning bolt at Bandit, but Bandit ducked to evade it.
He shot two more lightning bolts at him, but Bandit swerved to evade them.
He shot a fourth bolt of lightning at his little brother's feet, but Bandit grunted as he jumped back to evade the attack.
He fired a total of twenty-three bolts of lightning at his brother within the next five seconds, but Bandit managed to evade every single one of them.
Tired, Bandit knelt down and grunted as he glared at his older brother, whose next attack was a truly gargantuan one.
In an instant, Red created a humungous orb of lightning, and effortlessly held it in his hands, which were raised above his head.
"…is all because of you!" finished Red as he threw the vicious orb at his little brother.
Bandit quickly stood up as he watched the gigantic orb fly right at him. He looked at it in awe, but after half a second of doing so, he gritted his teeth, balled up his fists, and grunted as he charged at the orb with a complete lack of trepidation.
He leaped right at the orb, and yelled as he mercilessly punched it thirteen times in the course of three seconds. Upon punching it a fourteenth time, the orb dissipated immediately, and Bandit yelled as he wildly charged at his brother with the intent to kill.
"I am sick and tired of dealing with your bullshit!" yelled Bandit with eyes filled with rage.
Red grunted irritably as he balled up his fists.
"The feeling is mutual!"
When Bandit came within one foot of him, the two brothers yelled as they threw punches at each other at the exact same time.
&nbs
p; A gargantuan shockwave was created when the two punched each other at the exact same time.
Bandit grunted as Red pushed his fist against his cheek.
Red groaned as Bandit pushed his fist against his nose.
The two looked at each other in shock for a moment, before both of them fell to the ground.
This Ends Now
Both Bandit and Red lied where they were for several seconds, completely motionless and speechless. The bleeding brothers were in the midst of what would be their final battle…yet neither of them was satisfied in the least with their positions.
Red panted heavily as he looked at his brother from the corner of his eye.
I can't believe it… he thought angrily, He was able to repel my lightning without getting electrocuted… That weapon… It has given him too much power… He wouldn't be able to face me otherwise… That little shit…!
He gritted his teeth as he quickly got back on his feet, and Bandit gritted his teeth as he did the same.
Bandit! thought Red, infuriated, If my lightning won't work on him…I'll have to beat him through physical combat… Shit… I can feel my power slowly fading away… I need to end him now…!
He balled up his fists as he spat.
"You! When are you going to stop acting like a fool, Bandit? I have shown you…time and time again…that you can't defeat me! Do you really think a weakling like you will stand any chance against me now?"
Bandit glared at his brother as he cracked his knuckles.
"Of course," he said, mocking his brother's indifferent tone of voice.
Knowing that Bandit had deliberately spoken to him indifferently, Red grunted before he spoke.
"What did you say?" he asked with rising fury, "Don't start saying stupid shit, you little bastard!"
Deeply irritated by the way things were going, Red trembled in fury as he yelled at his little brother.
"You…! You are not a hero...or a brother, or a son. You are nothing but a selfish little bastard who turned his back on his family! A person like you will never be able to defeat me!"
Enraged, Bandit balled up his fists as he spat back at him.
"Shut the hell up!" he yelled as the veins in his neck bulged furiously, "I've had enough! I am sick and tired…of taking all of the blame…and listening to your shit!"
Red closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before he opened them and looked at his little brother with regained indifference.
"Then what are you waiting for?" he asked as he cracked his knuckles, "It's about time...we finished this!"
Bandit gritted his teeth as he watched his brother envelop his body in Manna that manifested itself as red lightning.
Red took up a fighting stance as he looked at Bandit seriously.
"Come!"
The brothers ran at each other with great intensity, and yelled as they tried to punch each other, but their blows clashed, creating a small shockwave that shook the debris around them. Undeterred, they tried to punch each other once more, but their blows collided yet again, and an even more powerful shockwave was produced as a result.
Red tried to punch Bandit in the face, but Bandit managed to parry his punch. He tried to punch Red in the face in retaliation, but Red jumped back to evade the blow. Red tried to punch him in the neck afterwards, but Bandit ducked before his fist could strike him.
The two spun around and tried to deliver a roundhouse kick to the other's face, but their blows collided, and they grunted as they jumped away from each other.
Red tried to hit his brother with a front kick, but Bandit swerved to the left to dodge it. He tried to strike him with a butterfly kick directly afterwards, but Bandit quickly swerved to the side to evade this attack as well.
Bandit went on the offensive and tried to knock Red down with a sweep kick, but Red jumped to dodge it, and tried to kick him in the head. Luckily, Bandit managed to dodge the kick, and proceeded to punch him in the stomach, knocking him a few feet back.
"You little shit!" yelled Red angrily.
"You arrogant bastard!" yelled Bandit as he charged at his brother furiously.
He tried to strike him with a hook kick, but Red ducked to evade it. He then tried to strike him with a sweep kick, but Red jumped back to evade that as well.
He tried to kick Red in the stomach, but Red blocked his kick with a kick of his own.
Red tried to hit him in the stomach, but he jumped back to evade the blow.
Bandit tried to kick Red in the stomach, but Red quickly parried the attack to the side.
Red jumped back to gain some distance between them, but Bandit quickly blurred at him to make sure none was gained.
Red aimed to punch him in the face, but Bandit smoothly swerved to evade the blow.
Bandit tried to punch him in the jaw, but Red flawlessly parried the punch down. He proceeded to try and punch him in the nose, but Red parried this attack as well. He then tried to punch Red in the neck, but Red ducked to avoid the blow. He tried to kick him in the stomach, but Red parried his kick to the side, and punched him in the face, causing Bandit to grunt in slight pain.
Bandit tried to kick his older brother in the head with a roundhouse kick, but Red ducked to evade it. He tried to kick him again, but Red grabbed his foot and leg, and grunted as he picked him up and threw him on the ground with a loud thud.
Bandit grunted in pain, but he had no time to dwell on it.
Red lifted his foot up and tried to stomp on his head, but he quickly rolled out of the way, got back on his feet, and aimed to punch him in the stomach, only for Red to block the punch with his hand. Red tried to counterattack with a punch to the face, but Bandit jumped back to evade the blow, and aimed to punch him in the face in retaliation. Red parried his blow to the right, however, and tried to deliver an uppercut to his jaw. Bandit swiftly swerved to dodge the attack, and when Red tried to punch him across the face, he grabbed his hand, and pulled Red towards him, causing Red to grunt as he lost his balance a bit.
Shit!
Bandit yelled as he gave his older brother a fierce punch to the face that sent him flying several yards away, and Red grunted in pain as blood dripped from his mouth.
He quickly and angrily wiped the blood away, and tried to hit Bandit with a side kick, only for Bandit to dodge it by swerving to the side.
Bandit proceeded to kick him hard in the face with a front kick, and Red's blood flew in the air as he stumbled back several yards.
Bandit jumped at him, and tried to punch him in the jaw, but Red parried the punch down.
Red quickly blurred at Bandit, and Bandit grunted as he balled up his fist.
The two threw a punch at each other, and their punches collided, creating a massive shockwave that effectively made the ground shake and sent dust and debris flying into the air.
Infuriated, Bandit yelled as he threw another punch at Red, and Red screamed when Bandit sent him tumbling several yards away.
After having been sent flying, Red grunted as he quickly regained his footing, and sucked his teeth as he raised his head to glare at his brother irritably. As soon as he raised his head, however, Bandit was right in front of him, and his ice-covered fist was four inches away from his face, causing his eyes to widen in great surprise at his brother's speed. He just narrowly managed to dodge Bandit's blow by moving his head slightly, and gasped upon hearing the massive amount of wind his brother's punch had generated.
He's getting more powerful by the second!
When Bandit tried to trip him up with a sweep kick, he jumped into the air to dodge it, and counterattacked by punching him right in the face with a powerful blow, causing Bandit to yell in pain as he went flying eighty yards away.
Disoriented, Bandit grunted as he fell on his back, and closed his eyes in pain.
Unfortunately for him, when he opened them a moment later, Red was directly in front of him.
He instantly jumped at Red and tried to punch him in the face, but Red jumped back to evade his punch.
/> Red balled up his fists and was about to strike Bandit once again, but Bandit blurred right at him with inconceivably blinding speed, and yelled when he mercilessly punched Red right in his face and sent him flying in the opposite direction.
After having been sent flying a quarter of a mile away, Red crashed into the side of a building so hard; his body formed a crater in the wall. Tired, he lied inside of the crater for a few seconds before pushing himself back onto his feet. He grunted in pain as he began to walk forward.