Many times had the wolf fought for change, and many more times would he do it. With or against the gods, chasing or opposing fate, hunting or running away, whatever the reason may be, the wolf kept going. Alone, tired, but determined, the wolf never gave up. Was it obsession? Was it determination? Was it stupidity that drove the wolf?
Whatever it may be, the wolf kept going, chasing eternal life through every twist and turn taken.
The wolf was eternal. The wolf was immortal, but not the way the wolf wished.
Whenever the wolf would fail, the wolf would face a tragic ending. So why didn't the wolf stay dead? It was because the wolf was not one, but many. No matter whether a wolf died, another would surely rise, and the cycle would repeat itself.
As long as loss existed, the wolf would continue to grieve. As long as desire existed, the wolf would continue to run. As long as tragedy happened, the wolf would continue to howl.
Now, somewhere deep in the heart of Inyankara, a wolf—no, two wolves—stared one another down. Just like the last battle, this battle would also have only one of them come out alive.
"Alive…" a term that obsessed the wolf, spoken in a battle that mattered little for it. Regardless of who won, the wolf would keep going. It would keep searching, one day to find true deathless life—a life that is worth living, a life that wouldn't end, and would never lose its beauty.
Even if somehow both of them died, that's just how the wolf lived. One day, somewhere, sometime, it would come back again, for somebody else would once again walk down the tragic path of the wolf.
*****
Gracefully, the victor of a battle through the ages landed on a patch tall grass that remained untouched by his little purple star. Or that's what he intended to do.
In truth, were it not for Tiva to catch the falling boy on a slide of ice he entered legs up, and keep his head from hitting the ground, the upcoming fight between the Reman general and the Inyankaran hero would have ended abruptly.
"Geez, all of that power of yours, but don't forget your body is human…" his life saver reminded him with puffed up cheeks.
"What are you saying? I could have turned to lightning easily. I just knew you'd catch me."
To the boy's smug reply, the girl tilted her head and grinned. She wanted to continue teasing Nayavu, but a busy "Ahem!" turned both of their heads together with Tahu's towards the impatient Aurelio.
"Bold of you to lose consciousness as I was talking to you. Are you sure you're up for another battle? If you give up now, I may yet find enough kindness within myself to take you savages in," the general continued, shooting Nayavu a cold gaze.
"Not you, of course. You have to make up for killing my best man."
"Hah!" Nayavu nagged the man. "You should have spared me the talk and done me in during my nap. Don't tell me you're chickening out now!"
With a click of his tongue, Aurelio welcomed the boy's taunts and raised his sword.
"It seems I'll have to hasten the pace to shut that mouth of yours."
"Oh? Are you finally begging me to gift you a quick and painless death?"
"Ridiculous!" Aurelio raised his tone. "Not that you savages would understand, but a general of my caliber has multiple fronts to focus on. I am to retreat my troops in Tsukide after this battle is won."
Hearing the name of a familiar place, Nayavu's eyes tried to open wide, yet the boy kept his nagging expression unchanged, pretending an Inyankaran like him would know little about another country.
"Tsu—what? What's that place? Is it a village around here? Are you losing on multiple fronts? I guess that tracks."
Ignoring the probing remark at the end, Aurelio once again clicked his tongue. He had no obligation to answer the boy's question, but his pride got the better of him. Thus, the man spoke.
"Of course you wouldn't understand. The country of Tsukide is an important ally of ours, or it was until recently. Now that the newly appointed shogun Oomori took the seat of power, our troops have been ordered to leave."
It was only a name, a name that could have belonged to at least a thousand people. If anything, it was a common name in Tsukide, yet hearing it made the boy's head fill with questions. Luckily, his many years had taught him how to keep a poker face. Thus, the boy asked only one question, feigning ignorance.
"Oomori? What kind of name is that? Don't tell me that's how somebody named their kid…"
"As expected of a savage. Lady Oomori Mei, mother of Oomori Shogun, is a respected individual who had to slither up by her own means to win her name. Not that you lot would ever understand what an honor that is. Braise be due, her methods weren't half bad either."
Truthfully, such news was useless to most Inyankarans. Same was the case for Tiva, who looked confused at Nayavu, who was asking unusual questions. It was only when she noticed the corners of the boy's mouth twitching that she understood something was up.
Those questions were not for Nayavu, but for 'him.'
Catching a glimpse of the girl, Nayavu turned his head, his smile becoming more and more obvious.
Although happy for 'him,' Tiva could do nothing but tilt her head, her smile asking the question in her stead.
"Yes. That's good news. It may not help us now, but that's great news!" the boy answered before a word was spoken by the lady.
"Have you done something great again?~"
"Who knows…"
Yet Nayavu wasn't able to give her an answer, for not even 'he' knew what was going on. 'He' had never before read a book that mentioned Oomori Shogun.
"I might have. Or it may be that I didn't get to do anything stupid."
Another cryptic answer, but Tiva was used to Nayavu acting all mysterious. She was a smart girl, so even if she couldn't comprehend the hardships the curse brought with it, she figured there must have been one thing her "younger brother" cared for.
"Did you change fate?"
Hearing that question, Nayavu couldn't contain his smile anymore, so he displayed one full of confidence, as if life itself was finally turning his way.
"I did…" he told her with his chest puffed forth, yet his voice was calm, only reaching the girl and buck next to him.
"And now I'll to do it again!"
*****
Three against one. Unfair odds against the Reman general.
Or that's what Nayavu and his friends wanted to believe, but the one before them had more than enough strength to fit his title.
"Don't worry, Nayavu! We'll win if we use this!" Tiva ensured the boy, swiping her hand and lifting shards of ice from the splashed on the ground as if waiting to be used.
Then, the sound of that ice shattering resounded. Where the ice shards had risen, a hand appeared. Aurelio transformed his hand in water for but a moment and made that water rotate so fast that it became akin to a chainsaw.
"Or maybe not…" the girl swallowed her words.
"Playing with you has been nothing but troublesome. Especially with all of this annoying ice you've been throwing at me," he said. "But it would seem that I can't bask in the sun anymore. Not after you've brought those clouds upon us."
The confidence Aurelio brought with him made Nayavu clench his fist. Next to him, Tahu also started stomping the ground with his hoof. It was obvious; the adversary before them was nothing compared to what they'd fought before. There was no need for him to flex his skills for the others to understand that.
"What's worse, those clouds have brought plenty of rain…" Nayavu added, contemplating whether his way of winning the last fight had been properly thought through.
"Nayavu… I haven't asked you yet… Does the future know about this fight? Do you know what will happen?" the girl next to him asked suddenly, trying to grab on to what little hope they had.
Jumping on the back of his companion, the boy shook his head as he breathed heavily.
"There's nothing about this battle…"
"Then what about Inyankara? Maybe there's a hint there…"
"…"
Nayavu chose not to answer. At that moment, there was nothing he could say that would boost Tiva's morale, and the girl caught on to his silence quick enough.
"That harsh, huh?"
Yet her smile never faded.
"Then, I guess I have to help you change that fate!"
With nothing but pure fighting spirit, the three lunged at the arrogant general. No, while Tahu and Nayavu once again became one and rushed at him, Tiva stayed behind, lifting the ground beneath her feet to get a better vantage point.
From up there, the girl saw every move made by Aurelio. Whenever the man would try to conjure water, the lady would freeze it over as quickly as she could. She understood that her ice attacks were far from quick enough to wound him, so she decided to focus on what she could do best.
Thanks to her quick thinking, the first successful hit of the fight came from the Inyankarans' side. Though it was only a scratch, Tahu's electric horn managed to graze Aurelio as he became water and tried to dodge an incoming lightning bolt. Once electricity reached the highly conductive water, the unexpecting general panicked and quickly turned back to his human shape, thus being susceptible to the attack, and for this he was awarded a scratch on his cheek.
"Not off to a great start, are you? Mister General…"
"Tsk—"
Nayavu took every chance he had to anger the man, hoping to make him lose focus. So, as he patted his partner for doing a great job, the boy laughed at Aurelio's abilities. In return, as expected, the proud general clicked his tongue, displeased by his own sloppy movements.
Yet, in the end, it was only a scratch, and the speed at which Aurelio reacted to the current reaching his water body was another proof of the man's ability.
"I assume it's my turn now," he said, and he didn't waste a second before turning into water once again and charging at the boy. No, it was not only Aurelio charging. With him, the man brought a rain of sharp droplets—more than Tiva could ever hope to stop—forcing the boy and the stag to turn their bodies into electricity once again so that they may not be pierced.
Even if they kept their form, the two were now shining purple, thousands of water spikes falling through their body, and they opened just enough space for the water's energy to flow through.
"In the end, energy is just energy," Nayavu affirmed, remembering the many lessons he had taken throughout past lives.
"As long as it doesn't touch me, there's no way I'm getting hurt," the boy grinned, yet that grin soon turned into a frown when he noticed he had lost Aurelio from his sight.
If drops of energy were not enough to touch Nayavu, a water fist coming out from his side was. Taking the full brunt of Aurelio's hit, the boy was knocked off of Tahu and zapped straight to the ground.
"Where did—"
Before Nayavu could ask, another hit knocked him even further. This time, he was able to keep his eyes on the man made out of water, but what he was doing made the boy grit his teeth.
Instead of coming at him in a straight line, Aurelio transferred his body between the water droplets—just like thunder bends when it travels—making it impossible to know where he would pop out of next.
Thankfully, Tiva had something to say to this.
"Not while I'm around!" the smiling girl shouted, freezing the traveling water jet that she saw clearly from high up.
"Yay!" she celebrated, jumping with her hands thrown in the air.
That was until a voice resounded from next to her.
"No wonder a savage couldn't even see the whole picture," the voice proclaimed. The next moment, a kick threw Tiva off the tower she had made for herself, and the girl hit the ground head first.
The first strike helped with nothing, and Tiva's plan had crumbled in an instant. Aurelio had long surpassed the limitations of being in a single place. Just like water, he could split himself, make himself whole again, adapt, and slip through the smallest crannies. The others overlooked that, but the whole world was energy, and as long as the man could transform energy to water quick enough, no place was safe.
First round winner: Aurelio