- Last Dance, New Beginning -

Spears clashed against each other.

"It's not that you can't! You are distracted!"

Charlotte's words kept echoing within his head.

The Hidden Floor generated her as his sworn enemy was because it knew that she was once his everything, and now, she was his biggest obstacle in walking forward.

'It's cruel. But that's how life is.'

As much as he hated it, he would have to face it.

And as much as Anan didn't want to admit it, she would have to face this truth.

'The way he fights has changed. It is different from before. Now, he has calmed down and really has made up his mind.'

Dying in a battlefield was not a big problem for her. Instead, she felt honored to be able to die in a battlefield.

[Anan's Style- Ten Needles of Oblivion]

She created ten needles with shinsu. Numerous needles were created on the air.

"What the heck?! So many needles!" Charlotte shouted.

"Have you never seen needles before that you are this surprised?" Kiseia questioned her.

'....... or not?'

"I'm not going to fall for that trick!"

The 10 Needles of Oblivion. It was a rather tricky technique that she used to deceive her opponents and to kill without leaving any traces behind. The hundred needles summoned within the air were not all real. Some of them were simply illusions to trick him.

'But even when most of them are illusions... the real ten needles are always perfectly hidden!'

And because most of them were illusions, any attacks won't be able to destroy them. And their attacks won't be able to give him real injuries, but it will make him deceived by lies and false reality, misleading him to believe that he was wounded. And the more he thought he was wounded, the more anxious he would be. And when he lost his calmness, the real needles could strike him down from anywhere and anytime.

But the fact that the real needles could just kill him while behind hidden among the needles made this trick dangerous.

"If I can't find the real ones... then I'll just destroy everything!"

As if responding to his challenge, the needles were all launched in the same time.

'She wants to use illusions to destroy me. Then all I have to do is just to break her illusions and lies. Do not be afraid or distracted!'

[Altaira's Style- Chilling Wind]

As he swung his ice spear towards the direction of needles, turquoise and chilling aura was released and froze the needles within the air, whether they were illusions or not.

While Anan looked surprised as if she didn't expect this to come, Altaira had a proud smirk.

'I never used this trick when I'm sparring against him. So... how does he know?'

He admired his sister, he feared his sister and he loved his sister. And another lesson that he learned from his sister was that if he was afraid of someone, if he was going to a battle, then determine the reasons, learn everything about that person.

"Those who know just enough to survive will live longer than those who don't."

So, while everyone thought that he was fooling around, while everyone thought that he was not suited to go on a battlefield, while everyone thought that he had nothing better to do, he was actually studying. He was studying, observing and analyzing.

And his efforts were paid off.

Anan swung her electrical spear towards Altaira who greeted her spear with his ice spear.

"Where did you know about that technique? I've never told about it to you before," she spoke in calm tone.

'It's amazing how she could still speak in calm tone and maintain her calmness when she feels threatened.'

He was afraid whenever he saw those blue eyes. But he had to be confident. He had the feeling that everything was getting better. Maybe it was denial, or maybe it was hope. He felt that he was going to win.

'Therefore, there's no need to be afraid. You've been through worse. Just face and win it.'

"You taught me, Anan. That if you ever feel danger, or feel afraid of someone... then gather all information about that person. What you like and don't... what you enjoy and don't... all your techniques, I still remember every single of them."

Anan looked surprised. For once, the aloof warrior who everyone thought never had a heart showed the sign of being surprised with hints of sadness.

"You are... afraid of me......?"

She was not surprised or worried that her brother knew all her techniques and was still memorizing them well. If her techniques could be a help for him to survive, then let him copy and imitate everything.

Altaira would never knew that when she was alive, while he thought that she was terrifying, she was actually trying her best to make him feel safe and secured around her. But affections and feelings were something incompatible with her. She knew how to destroy and ruin things, but not taking care of someone.

She tried the best. But there was no one to guide her. No one would be willing to get close to her because she was too dangerous and ambitious in her eyes. And she never wanted to worry her mother whose mind was head over heels for her bastard father. She would never knew that she the love that she was feeling was actually a cage that trapped and ruined her whole life, the cage that was disguised in illusion and lies.

Therefore, in order not to repeat her mother's same mistake, she buried her feelings and decided to be harsh to herself. It would be better to be harsh to herself if that means to live with dignity and independence, rather than relying on the love of an unreliable man.

But at the end she was too hard with herself that she didn't even know how to love herself. Her family members cried whenever she was badly wounded, but she thought that it was not something worth their tears.

Love was so complicated for her.

"I was," he corrected with sad expression. "But when I know that you never blamed me for scheming against you. I was completely wrong."

The energy within the spear was gradually decreasing.

"I....."

Words were stuck at his throat. Just like Charlotte, it was easier to fake things out rather than being genuine and sincere. They were not good with sincere and genuine words, unlike Bam who could say them easily without feeling embarrassed.

But now, does being embarrassed or not important?

"Whenever I thought that it's actually my own worries... and misunderstandings that mislead me to think you are dangerous... missing all the time we could have spend together as normal siblings... honestly, I hated myself."

"Thoughts that I'm so full with myself, the arrogance belief that everything would go according to my wish... whenever I remembered them, I felt disgusted."

"It's because of my arrogance and ignorance that you died."

Anan was a distrustful person. She found it hard to trust people after what her mother had been through. So this time, she couldn't help but to wonder,

"Are those words lies or sincerity?"

"I hated that we have to fight against each other once more. Even if you are simply a data, you're still the Anan who I know. So... let's settle everything right here and right now."

He spoke with a bitter smile.

"... if you really want to settle everything right here..."

Altaira lifted his head. The lightnings that created the barrier had always been quiet before. They were only created in order to prevent anyone from running away.

"What the hell?!" Charlotte looked surprised just like Kiseia. "The lightnings...! They are all gathered within her spear!"

"Then fight me for real," she spoke coldly. "Pretty words won't affect my performance!"

Altaira never expected for her to be lenient anyway. She was always harsh with everyone, including herself.

Seeing the lightnings gathering themselves towards her spear, he felt this technique familiar.

'A technique that he would never forget....'

Right when she was surrounded with the remaining of her enemies, with her brother's life as the bet, she ignited this domain and gathered all the lightnings into one.

[Anan's Style- Last Dance]

Altaira leapt backward immediately to dodge the damages. The lightnings that were gathered within the spear seemed to have formed a tall pillar that soared through the sky. Her eyes themselves had changed into red.

'This spear is her last effort. As long as I could withstand this... then everything would be fine!'

Last dance. Just like its name, the last dance, she put all her power and everything within the spear she was holding. The spear contained all her strength and once it was destroyed, it was a game over for her. It was also because she ran out of strength and was severely wounded that his sister died.

One against fifty people. She proven her name to be the Warrior within Rain Branch. Accepting death without fear, fulfilling her missions perfectly from the king even if it means losing her life!

But Altaira knew that his sister was not content with that death. She still wanted to do some many things. Perhaps dying in order to fulfill the mission from the king was not really what she desired, for she desired to seat next to him.

'She still wanted to climb higher.'

His sister really trusted everything on that spear. She trusted weapons more than humans. Perhaps it was because weapons were just weapons, without the thoughts of betraying their masters.

Within her domain where her strength was greatly increased, even the spear that held all her power and determination felt threatening for Charlotte. It scared her how can a regular possibly wield such a strength after fighting two people in a row without a break.

'Amazing!'

She never thought that aside from Yuri and Endorsi, there would be another female character she would admire!

Indeed, transmigration was a chance for one to meet handsome boys and pretty girls, being a fan girl while being their friends!

Seeing her fangirling face, Kiseia couldn't help but to ask, "Are you not worried of Altaira anymore...?"

"Ah, I've done what I can to help him. If he dies, then just bye- bye," said Charlotte who was busy admiring her "new sister".

'Since she's putting everything on that one spear, I would also give my all!'

[Altara's Style- New Beginning]

He gathered all his strength within his ice spear. Just like Anan, his eyes had also turned red.

"Isn't that... my [Last Dance]?"

She never taught him this method because she knew that it was a too risky method.

"I learnt from mother this technique," he said with a smile. Not any smirk or proud grin, but a smile of a little brother towards his big sister. "But it's a little different from yours. Your [Last Dance] burned away your lifespan as the cost of the sudden leapt of the energy while mine... I read your notes regarding this technique and practiced it."

"!"

Anan knew that if she wanted to be a successful person, then she should not stop learning and improvising.

'Because there are so much things that I have to explore. I still have to get better and better!'

And since she thought that it was a big shame that something like [Last Dance] burned away her lifespan in the cost of greater power, she always tried to find ways to reduce the effects. She did it, at the end, but soon enough she died because of severe wounds and blood loss.

She never thought that she would see someone using this technique again.

"And I never thought that death is the end," he added. "For me, it has always been a new beginning."

For her, death had always been the end of her journey. It was because after she died, then there was no way she would be able to live again and pursue her dreams. She won't lose everything even if she gets kicked out from the family. She still had the hope and the capabilities. She would truly lose everything when she dies, that was what she thought.

There was a feeling of relieve within her to know that she wasn't completely forgotten. Even when she was not around, she was still helping her brother.

She smiled which surprised Altaira. However, trying to understand his sister again and putting himself within her position, knowing how bad she loved and cared for him, he smiled back.

'This doesn't feel so bad for our last sparring.'

For once, the two of them shared the same thought before wielding their spears.

"The two of them are using the same technique!" said Kiseia. "It seems like this battle would end soon!"

"It depends on whose spear breaks first!" Charlotte added.

'Brother! You have to win this fight!'

The spears fought against each other. Simply wielding spears won't be able to determine the winners any time soon, they thought, so additional to the spears, they also fought with their spears.

Altaira stabbed the ground with his spear and jumped while kicking his own sister who was pushed away after blocking it with her electrical spear.

She could feel that she was losing her energy any time soon. She was getting weaker and weaker despite of starting enjoying this sparring.

Charlotte watched how the proud warrior was getting weaker and weaker as the time passed. Clearly, she wanted to enjoy the fight more. But her body didn't allow her to.

She turned her pocket to [Visible Mode].

In silence, without expression on her face, she looked at the pocket.

[ 00: 00: 10 ]

And Kiseia saw that as well. However, she was not as kind as Charlotte to feel sad about this matter. After all, for her, Anan was once her sister's opponent. But it wasn't like she didn't understand the feeling of wanting to do something but losing the chance to do it again, just like when she wanted to help her step sister and accompany her further, she had gone to a place where she would never be able to reach.

9

She received a direct attack from Altaira on the face.

8

She jumped backwards, dodging his spear. She stabbed her spear to ground and held it tightly that she could feel her hand has been burned by her own electricity. But she was fine with that as the pain seemed to help her to be awake.

She wiped the blood from her lips.

7

She ran towards her brother. Right when Altaira thought that she was attack him from her position now, she suddenly disappeared.

6

Altaira was surprised and when he turned around, he found Anan behind him. It was surprising, considering that all her strength was put within the spear, she had no way to use electricity to boost her speed again.

"How-?!"

He received a punch right on his face.

5

For someone who was going to die soon, it was seriously painful. And just like Altaira, she was also surprised with how she was able to use her electricity.

'Could it be....'

4

'I've broken through my limits?'

She looked at her own left palm that contained electricity.

Even a data could get even stronger as well?

3

But that power was only for a moment, for the electricity on her hand faded gradually.

The spear that she was holding was going to break as well in the matter of time.

She smiled. Really, this was not a bad fight for the last one.

Her lost and death today would not be in vain, because her death this time meant that her brother would be free from his guilt and regret.

She dashed again towards Altaira.

2

Altaira watched his sister dashing towards him. Her spear was pointed towards him.

'After this, she would be gone forever.'

He held his spear tightly and made up his mind.

'No, this different from the past.'

He swung his spear and was ready to greet his sister.

'In this fight, we put everything on the line!'

1

[ 00: 00: 00]

Charlotte held her breath.

He could have just evaded her attack and win, but he insisted to charge forward.

Her electrical spear pierced through his flesh and body, while his ice spear was stained with her blood.

At the last moment, the siblings stabbed each other with their spears.

As her body turned into particle of dusts that would disappear within the air, she smiled.

The glow of the spear of lightning was getting dimmer, and so as her vision.

They released their spears and fell to the ground.

But before her body could reach the ground, she had turned into dusts.

And he was left falling alone to the ground with wounds in his body.

"ALTAIRA!!!"