- Black Butterfly -

'I wanted to be strong.'

I don't want to run away or betrayed again.

The sword that she made with her whole heart, with all the feelings poured within the blade, she made the sword with the hope that it could defend her lover, the one who she swore oath to stay by his side forever, regardless in the pain and happiness they'll have to face.

The sword was was made with the hope to protect him, to defend him, so that when he was in danger -- even though with his power, there were only few people who could be his threats-- the sword could at least replace her when she was not by his side. The sword could help him.

But never once she thought that the sword she made for her lover would be the one who took her life.

"MOM!"

That cold and lifeless body lied on the ground. Fresh red blood were on our hands. Her silver eyes that were still opened wide in shock and disbelief. The cry of my younger sister that broke in the silent night.

Those silver eyes had lost their light. They weren't as bright as before. In that body of the person who I called "mother", that light seemed to have disappear. The body on the ground was now just an empty shell.

Our mother had left us forever.

But it was something that I refuse to accept.

'How could she possibly left us', that was what I thought back then.

I looked at the last person who I believed to be able to do something, to return the light and warmness of those silver eyes. I knew that he was the murderer, but I couldn't help but to look at him.

Because I still believed him, I wanted to believe him and I believed that he was the one with the power and ability to save her.

It was the last chance that I gave him.

As long as he saved my mother, I could still trust him. I , and I forget this matter as long as he saved her. As long as he said that it was a misunderstanding. I will pretend none of this ever happened even if it means to deceive and lie to myself.

But what was I thinking at the time? He was the murderer. Would he let the one who he spent time killing be resurrected and revived? He murdered her with the sword that she made for him. Her last and most beautiful gift.

"Go. I give you a chance to survive. Go and get stronger. When you are strong enough, come back and challenge me. I give you the chance to kill the murderer of your parents. But if you aren't strong enough when that time comes, then remember that you will be the one who I devour."

The tears that made the grasses wet were covered with blood. No one could tell who shed those tears. No one even noticed that those tears that contained all our feelings were covered and veiled by crimson red blood.

That cold and heartless gaze like a man who was tired and sick of everything, like a man who had lost everything he had was still fresh in my mind.

'Who truly lost everything that night?'

I helplessly gritted my teeth and pulled my sister's hand.

'Why do you make that kind of useless and worthless expression when you are to blame for your own sin? Don't joke around with me!'

She was still young, reaching out her little hand towards our parents. I couldn't tell who she was crying for. For her father who betrayed her or for her dead mother. Maybe both.

All I remember was that I turned around and ran away cowardly while crying. I was helpless and hopeless.

Now that I thought of it, how many times have I ran away like this? Like a helpless, hopeless and useless person? I was pathetic.

What was I thinking? Sacrificing some of my power just to accompany her? To see her growing and getting stronger by each day and left me behind helpless like this? I was foolish.

Now, just like in the past, I could only stare at the sky while Bam was fighting against tough enemy.

I don't know what to say about myself.

I just wanted to get strong, so that I could chase her.

Yet in order to follow her all around, I kept using that technique just to accompany her.

She loved Khun Aguero Agnes for years, yet he didn't know the moments when she shed tears. Not even Bam was always there to comfort her.

But I knew.

But what I gave in order to simply sit by her side and say comforting words was losing my strength and gradually, she was slowly disappearing from my sight and out of my reach.

I was strayed.

Each path that I took made me walk backward, forgetting my purpose of climbing this tower.

"I give you the chance to kill the murderer of your parents. But if you aren't strong enough when that time comes, then remember that you will be the one who I devour."

'Father... be assured.'

Something was burning within me again. However, it was not simply the desire to fight. But something poisonous called "rage".

'I'll definitely climb back to slit your throat...'

'Just like how you betrayed her.'

The orb that Bam created with the help of the thorn changed its color into red.

The data was clear that as long as the thorn still stood by her opponent's side, she would be doomed. But destroying the thorn didn't seem like something that she could do easily.

'It's containing a mysterious power....'

The orb that he had gathered released its power. It attacked everything around them. Though Bam had tried to control his power and aimed it perfectly, but it was hard indeed to control an orb.

But just by looking at the impact of the orb, the data pondered whether she was truly his opponent or not. Her confidence was starting to disappear.

'If I get injured by that... it would have been a fatal wound,' she thought and bit the bottom of her lips.

'But if I'm careful and attack him at the right timing, perhaps it could end this annoying game.'

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

The sword that Celeste was holding was at the verge of being destroyed. And now, she was panting and panting. She couldn't hold it much longer.

'She's strong.'

Unlike her, her opponent was still standing. Even though she was sweating just like her, but her condition looked so much better than Celeste. She was smiling as she was certain who will be the winner from this battle. The result was obvious already.

She looked like an adult toying some little children. The fact that her opponent whose power was no greater than her toying her made Celeste frowned and held her sword tighter.

"Are you giving up?" The woman asked.

"Even if I have to die here, that would be the last thing I do," Celeste answered.

She still wanted to fight. She wanted to defeat her. She didn't want to lose to a person whose power was no greater than her. Unfortunately, her body didn't seem to be able to take much attacks and damage. If she couldn't find a way to reverse the table, then she would be screwed.

"Just who are you actually?"

Celeste asked this woman.

"... Helen," the woman answered and put her right hand on her chest, introducing herself.

"Helen?"

"Let me ask you a question," said the woman. "Do you know someone... two people... named Estelle and Estrella?"

Celeste's eyes widened in shock.

"What?!"

"It seems like you recognize them."

This sworn enemy was actually the twins' sworn enemies! Now that she knew about her identity, she couldn't just let this sworn enemy go and attack Estelle and Estrella. Estelle and Estrella, if one had to compare, their strengths were no less than Celeste. Right now, Celeste was sure that they were also facing tough sworn enemies. If they had to fight this woman without getting some time to rest, then it would be hard for them to win.

Celeste herself still wanted to fight against this woman. Her heart didn't want to lose against her no matter what. No matter how long it takes, Celeste thought that she should win against this woman.

"How do you know both of them?" Celeste asked further. She asked this question not only to delay the time of her defeat or gather some strength, but also because of her curiosity. Her curiosity made her wonder what relationship this Helen had with Estelle and Estrella. In the same time, she was alerted.

"Do you want to know?" Helen asked.

Celeste nodded her head.

"Then you have to win against me first!"

Celeste blocked her shinsu with her sword again. Her sword was at the verge of being shattered and both her and Helen couldn't fail to notice something as obvious like that. And the only thing that was at the verge of collapsing wasn't just her sword, but her power. Her energy was at the verge of being depleted.

'... should I use that trick?'

Silver butterflies were released once more as they all gathered around and attacked Helen.

"Another futile effort!" Helen shouted as she destroyed those butterflies by wielding the shinsu. The blue water became sharp weapon on her hand and with her as the center, the circle of blue shinsu widened and attacked the butterflies together, annihilating them.

Her Flesh- Eating Silver butterflies had no use towards Helen if Helen could destroy all of them simultaneously and easily. Helen thought that Celeste would be more creative and she was disappointed when she didn't meet her expectations. If she had more power, this silver- haired woman would have died long ago.

She turned slightly towards her right side.

Something black then flew next to her. A large purplish black butterfly flew across her and its wing scratched her neck.

Helen touched her neck by reflex and the black butterfly turned around to attack her once more. But before it could hurt Helen, despite of its advanced speed that was faster than the silver butterflies, Helen still managed to catch it and crushed it into pieces.

Celeste looked surprised.

"Those silver butterflies were distraction. Your real attack was that black butterfly. However, your sole problem is that you have a bad aim," Helen said. "Now that all your cards were revealed, how are you still going to win this game?"

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

Raisin and Estrella had managed to defeat their opponent. Their opponent fell into the ground before she slowly disappeared.

Estrella who was at the verge of collapsing sat down on the ground and sighed in relieve.

"Fortunately you are a guide," said Estrella. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to eat those delicious fishes anymore. No, that guy would grill me first."

"You mean dead," Raisin corrected as he sat next to her.

They have just encountered a tough opponent. Estrella herself had a wound on her abdomen while Raisin was injured right on his left arm. The wounds on their bodies were made by something like dagger.

"How's your arm doing?" Estrella asked.

"Bad."

Estrella made a small smile and joked, "If he cut your arm deeper, right now you would have lost your left arm."

"Don't joke at something terrifying like that. But speaking about it..."

He turned his head around and looked at the place where the sworn enemy who they defeated disappeared.

"Who on earth is that man?"

Raisin didn't say a word. His expression looked serious. He didn't answer to Estrella's question and it wasn't like Estrella minded that. It wasn't the first time he ignored her.

"Rather than knowing who that guy is..."

Estrella glanced at Raisin who finished his sentence, "I'm more interested with who summons that guy."

He glanced at the sworn enemy's corpse that slowly disappeared to the thin air. He looked so peaceful even when he has died. What made him felt terrified about this sworn enemy was not about his power, but how he accepted death like he was just going to a long, long sleep.

Yet even in that peaceful expression, there was a drop of tear falling from his right eye. The drop of tear was something that he couldn't understand since sworn enemies were created to hate the one who summoned them. Why would he shed a tear? Why would he mourn for someone else when he was the one who had unfortunately fallen to a deep, eternal sleep?

Or maybe, what he wanted from the beginning was that eternal sleep.

For him, death was a liberation.

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

Altaira caught the spear and tried to freeze it.

"Are you insane?" She asked him. "You are trying to freeze my in my own territory?"

She released more electricity and pushed him away from her. He was thrown away but tried to land on the ground.

Three spears were simultaneously created and released towards Altaira who created an ice wall to dodge it. The ice wall still preserved which gave him some time to take a breath. He froze his wound to prevent blood from flowing without stopping and he needed some time of what he should do next.

He glanced at the pocket.

┌──── •✧• ────┐

4: 35

└──── •✧• ────┘

'One minute hasn't even passed yet.'

He frowned. How could time possibly pass so slow? For what he remembered, it had always been moving fast. There were times when he wanted the time to stop, but it never stop. There were times when he wanted the time to pass quickly, it never happened. Perhaps the one who was too fast or too slow wasn't the time, but him.

Attacking recklessly would mean his death. If he kept staying in defense mode and allow her to pressure him further, he would be doomed to lose.

"This is my territory, Altaira," she spoke. "I'm the ruler here. You defeat me. All you can do is sit behind that shield and wait for five minutes to pass and I couldn't move a finger. But that... is if you could survive."

She swung her arm, seven spears behind her were launched to where she was pointing, towards Altaira. The ice barrier that he made painstakingly was showing the signs of being destroyed. It won't last long.

"Brother!" Charlotte shouted from outside.

"Anan's territory resembles her personality, her desire to get strong and surpass others," Kiseia explained. "Within her territory, her offensive power gets a huge boost. There's no way Altaira could survive with his little skills--"

"HE IS NOT WEAK!"

"Fine, be that he has gotten stronger and wiser. But Anan was the one who taught him most of the things that he knew," said Kiseia as she crossed her arms. "He had always been hiding on her shadow because of his fear. And now, he's hiding behind an ice shield that is going to break soon."

Charlotte gritted her teeth. She respected her brother's decision and respected others' decisions. But sometimes, at the times like this, she wished to be able to ignore their wishes, to disrespect them and be less insensible. Perhaps in that way, she could do bolder things, she could save them with everyone sighing and had expected her to interfere. However, as stupid as she was, as insensible as she was, she was not a hundred percent fool.

"Sometimes I think that God is unfair," Kiseia said again. "He won't give powers and strengths to those who deserve them. Rather, it has always been those fools, goody two shoes and cowards who earned his blessings."

Charlotte sharply glared at her.

she threatened.

Kiseia didn't say another word. However, she didn't look like she really care. What she wanted to say, she had already said them. And the reason why she wasn't leaving was because she was interested. She wanted to see how the fight between this pair of siblings would end up.

Who will die? Who will survive?

Inside the lightning barrier, Altaira was still hiding behind the ice barrier. The blue lightning that kept striking down disturbed his vision and all he could do for now was to hide himself within the barrier, ensuring it to not break anytime soon because he really couldn't find a way to defeat this data.

She knew him well and knew herself well. This was her battlefield and that fact alone put him in disadvantage. All his movements, it was as if she could read his mind that she predicted all his attacks and countered them one by one. He suffered more wounds than what he expected.

"You are just like a turtle, hiding within your shell. A fish running away from shark. A naive and inexperienced little deer running away from the tiger."

Right now, she stood proud on her ground, unshaken and firm like the mountain. The clouds were looking everything from the sky while Altaira was just like a bird that lost one of its wing. He fell on the ground with wounds on his body, cornered and was hiding from raging storm.

Seven spears were created again and this time, together, they were launched towards Altaira. In instant, the barrier that he made painstakingly was destroyed, shattered into numerous of pieces and he was pushed away by the force.

And the one who could actually help him to fight against Anan-- that was if she didn't respect him-- could only stand and watch how this fight unfolded. For her and Kiseia, it was obvious that Anan was going to win.

"Yet no matter how fast you run or how good you hide, you can't change the fact that you will never be able to escape from my grasp."

Lightning attacked him from above again.

Watching how her own brother was struck by her lightning and rolled helplessly on the ground, the stoic expression of the former candidate of Zahard Princess showed no sadness or pain.

All she did was creating one last lightning spear and held it on her right hand.

"With your current state, there is no way you will be able to survive in this tower. Allow me to end your suffering right here and right now."

Receiving a direct attack from his older sister, Altaira felt the pain on his whole body. Heck, after climbing years being carried by Bam and the others, he had slightly forgotten how painful a battlefield could be and how dramatic and annoying it can be.

"Brother!"

He needed some time. He needed some time to at least regain his balance and to be able to see things properly. When his red eyes could finally see it clearly, he discovered that his sister was walking closer and closer to him.

Red color was supposed to be fiery, burning. But her red eyes were cold just like her icy blue eyes. It was the opposite of his eyes, which was like Charlotte, showed playfulness and determination.

"Hey!" Charlotte tried to at least talk things through with Anan. "She's your brother! Are you sure you will hurt him?"

Anan glanced at her.

"You of all people should know how cruel the tower can be," Anan coldly spoke. "This person in front of you may have been a good brother."

She held her lightning spear tighter.

"But he's a failure as a warrior in this tower."

She swung her spear towards Altaira who showed no signs of resisting.

Alas, his mind and heart were already tired. The sight of his older sister reminded him of all his mistakes and naivety. And followed by that naivety and the lost of everything was a blackened heart, walking on a path that made his dream covered and surrounded with nightmares.

Whenever his hands were stained with blood, he heard their cries.

Whenever those ears heard their cries, he saw the dead ones.

Whenever he saw the dead ones, he saw his sister.