Tower of Endless: Death Granted Entry

After a beat and some thought, ”I’m not sure if I do,” Lucen’s voice came low as he answered.

Ed didn’t respond immediately; Lucen seemed to have more to say.

”Edmond, some things will be forever lost, stripped away by time. You can’t fight it or prevent it,” he advised slowly. ”Clinging to things that no longer exist will only make you suffer. Our lives are longer than they should be, so try not to make yours full of suffering.”

”Also, I’d advise you to stop talking to two people at the same time. This isn’t a very healthy thing to do,” he advised, listening to Ed’s voice twice, speaking to him and Moon at the same time.

”Not very healthy for you or me?” Ed asked.

”Only time would tell,” Lucen said jokingly.

”You would have forgotten about it,” Ed retorted.

Below, Moon was still fuming. ”Come at me, fight like a warrior.” He pointed at Ed’s arms. ”Look, your arms are thicker than a barrel, but you still play dirty. Are these for show?”

”Yeah, they look cool, but this isn’t the point here.” Ed was still trying to reason with Moon. ”Isn’t that why you want arms like these?” He flexed.

”Bullshit, useless arms can’t give a warrior pride,” Moon spat. ”If we came to the first floor in the same wave, I would have mopped the floor with your shameless old ass.” Moon pointed both his index fingers at Ed.

”Now it’s time for you to experience the lack of respect from a youngling,” Lucen said sarcastically.

”I’m acting my age, okay?” Ed defended himself.

”Old geezer, wanna take off that seal to make the fighting easier? Why not cheat more?” Moon stomped the ground.

Ed listened to the verbal attacks from both; he felt a vein bulge on his forehead.

”I SAID KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!” Ed snapped at Moon; he slashed angrily.

”Show your true shameless colors,” Moon mocked, but he was ready this time.

His hand moved to swat the large horizontal glare, and his Echo popped off on his palm.

KA-BLAM~

It landed somewhere while Moon broke into a sprint at Ed. Ed took a few steps back and slashed another time.

Moon decided it was time to use the sword on his back; thus, his hand went for it, but—

”Ack!” he exclaimed as he pulled his hardest, but failed to bring it out.

Turns out, his arms were too short for the act he was attempting.

Moon leaned forward, bringing the exposed part of the blade to intercept the incoming glare.

Shua~

The attempt succeeded, but once Moon realized what happened, ”That’s a good sheath!” he praised, for the attack landed on the sheath, not the blade.

Moon let go of the sword and let it slide out while leaning. ”Dammit, your arms sure are long, shameless geezer.” Moon swung his sword at another incoming blade glare.

SHUUUU~

”WHAT THE HELL?” Moon exclaimed.

RUMBLE~

An explosion resounded where Ed was standing.

”What did you, stupid kid, do?” Ed’s annoyed voice came. Once the dust settled, he was standing a few steps away from where it happened.

”I— I didn’t mean to do tha—” Moon halted, studying the sword. ”That was a sword glare, right? An Echo attack?” he asked.

”You’re discovering that just now?” Ed asked, his voice annoyed.

”Why am I explaining myself?” Moon shook his head, smiling softly.

”No wonder, no wonder the green bastard cried that day.” Moon’s eyes shone as his gaze moved between the sword and Ed.

His face suddenly hardened. ”I, Moon, am the most generous warrior in the Tower,” Moon declared. ”I never cheated in a fight, even when my opponents joined hands to jump me, used weird tools, abilities, weapons, and armors... I never once cheated.”

”Brat, you okay... what’re you doing now?” Ed frowned.

”I kept refusing to cheat, even if my life was the price.” Moon shook his head. ”But even hundreds of years old nasty geezers are cheating to win.”

”Brat, snap out of it,” Ed called again, his voice more desperate.

”It’s time for you to taste your own medicine!” Moon announced, and once he did,

His sword rose, sending another azure glare at Ed, one that was less refined, seemingly chaotic, and also backed with a large amount of Echo.

”DAMN BRAT!” Ed cursed.

Sword glares as big as him were falling; Moon slashed without a pause.

”That sword has an attack power standard a slight degree higher than the third floor,” Lucen said, amused.

”Why would I bother myself with a damn third floor sword?” Ed retorted, while trying to either slip through the gaps of Moon’s attacks or cut through the weaker ones.

”How does cheating taste? Huh? How does it feel to be on the other side of the stick?” Moon mocked, his hands making different angles, trying to corner Ed. ”Tell me, you great Heaven-Splitting King!” Moon laughed.

”What’s with him?” Lucen asked, unsure of the reason behind Moon’s sudden shift.

”Like hell if I know; every fight we discover something new,” Ed said helplessly, making sure never to mention the context of the last fight... That berserk state or the needlessly thick killing intent he released.

”You’ve got a handful!” Lucen said in an apologetic tone.

”Should I have given him to you and got this over with?” Ed asked jokingly.

”Like hell if I’m taking him; he’s all yours,” Lucen rejected with a similar light tone.

As for Moon, he swung one more time, but this time...

”Huh?”

No glare came; the sword was just a regular sword.

Moon shook the sword. Nothing happened. He squinted and brought it near to his ear. He patted the hilt a couple of times, rubbed it... listened.

”Come on, do your thing,” he called, but the sword was completely normal now.

Ed pursed his lips, watching him after the barrage of attacks he had to questionably bear.

”It’s empty, out of Echo,” Ed explained.

Moon squinted; his anger had subsided by a large degree. ”How do I put Echo in it?” he asked shamelessly with a straight face.

Lucen’s chuckles rang right after in Ed’s ears. ”No wonder,” he said before laughing more.

”No wonder what?” Ed asked.

”Many things. I see now why you wanted that item,” Lucen answered.

”I thought it was obvious; I mean, look at him,” Ed stated dryly.

”Yeah, no matter how much I want to keep holding on to it, maybe he really is the one to use it now,” Lucen said.

”You didn’t answer me.” Ed wasn’t letting it go.

”Your mood has become better these days, don’t try to den—”

Ed cut him off. ”I won’t; my mood is by far better than it was a few weeks ago.”

”It needs time to recharge itself, and it gave you 15 slashes,” Ed explained.

”How long?” Moon asked again. ”Do I have to wait?” Eagerness dripping from his voice.

Ed exhaled slowly. ”The hilt is an artifact. Either you charge it with your own Echo,” Ed pointed at his Echo floating by his side, ”which is not something that would work, or wait until it recharges itself. Not sure about that one, but it takes two or three days usually.”

Moon, who finally got to experience shooting ranged attacks through his melee weapon for the first time, had his face washed over by disappointment and sadness.