Chroma and Achromos

Chapter 20: Reinforcement

Achromos knelt on the ground trying to digest everything that had happened. The sword in his hand was now left lying on the ground. His eyes stared fixedly at Chroma. I don't know why the feeling is so bad. He felt that what Aram had done put Chroma's life at risk, even though he himself did not understand what it was.

"Aaaah!! I feel!! Xerra! I felt a power overflowing in my body! Ahahaha!!!" Aram again chuckled triumphantly while staring at the ceiling of the room. He then glanced at Achromos while grinning. His hand then grabbed onto Chroma's helpless petite body and carried her.

"CHROMA!!" Achromos panics. He immediately got up and grabbed his sword, then tried to get closer. But all Schatten members immediately confronted him.

"If you can defeat them, I'll be kind enough to give you back your queen." Said Aram while disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

All the members of Schatten then looked at Achromos who was sculpting. Achromos reflexively pointed his sword at them. His eyes were full of anger. Jona smiles cynically and whispers something to Cain. Cain then nodded and stepped closer to Achromos.

"Sister.." Cain.

"Cloth!" Achromos. His heart was beating unruffled.

"Death."

Without cue, Cain immediately attacked Achromos with full force. Achromos clenched his teeth furiously. He couldn't possibly fight Cain with all his heart. Not likely. Cain is his only family. The sister he loved the most. It was impossible to draw his sword at Cain.

"Cain, relax!! Why are you doing all this?!" Achromos in the midst of battle.

Cain did not respond and continued to attack Achromos blindly. Chlari—who had been watching at the side of the room— stared at the fight expressionlessly. He turned his body and stepped away.

"Where are you going?" Jona asked while glancing at him sharply.

"I'm bored. Can't I just go for the wind?" Reply to Chlari while looking at Jona with a smile.

"Ho.. Looking wind?" Jona approached Chlari with a suspicious look. "Where? To Aram's place?"

"Jeez, Jona! Why am I going to Aram? Right now he must be enjoying his time with Chroma! I can't possibly ruin it all! Remember, Aramaic is everything to us, right?" Tukas Chlari shook his head. Jona just clucked while leaving Chlari just like that. He felt too sick to talk to her for long.

"Shienna, you keep an eye on Chier! He's very suspicious!" Whisper Jona at Shienna who is focusing on watching Cain and Achromos fight. Shienna immediately looked at Jona lazily.

"Why should I? After all, who do you dare to rule me with?" Shienna asked in annoyance.

"I suspect he's after Aram!! I'm sure Aram won't be hurt physically, but you want Aram to cry for being betrayed by Chier?? Aram has a very sensitive heart! Just then when Fen accidentally killed a dog that happened to be in the fight, Aram cried all night after burying him, right?!" Fizz Jona. Shienna then fell silent and looked thoughtful.

"I understand." Shienna replied after a long sigh. He then went after Chlari who had disappeared somewhere.

"I'm not just gonna let you go, Chier!" Furious Jona. His eyes then looked back at the fight of the brothers who looked heavy next door.

Yes, Achromos looks so depressed by Cain. Several times Cain almost managed to draw his sword into Achromos' body. Of course that's because Achromos doesn't want to fight Cain wholeheartedly. Jona clucked lazily. A fight like this was very boring for him.

"Nobody wants to join?" Ask Jona.

"Lazy." Answer Fen.

"I'm not interested." Juna Timpal.

"Then I'm the one who's following!" Excited Jona while smirking happily. He immediately jumped up and joined the fight, making Achromos and Cain pause for a moment.

"Hello, Achromos." Sweepings. "Let's have fun."

•••

Chlari stepped her legs while occasionally glancing towards the back. He felt someone was following him. Without hesitation he stopped his steps and turned around. He stared at the figure of Shienna—who was following him lazily—while raising his eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" Ask Chlari. "It must be Jona who told you to follow me."

"That's you know." Reply Shienna. Chlari immediately sighed.

"Until when will he suspect me, anyway? I've been a member since I was thirteen. That was twelve years ago, wasn't it?" Chlari.

"Your own fault has such a suspicious look." Timpal Shienna. Chlari immediately pinched Shienna's cheek while smiling in annoyance.

"What do you mean, Shienna midget?" Guram.

"Hahi Hier," Shienna said seriously— made Chlari let go of her pinch then looked at Shienna questioningly. "you really won't betray Aram, right?"

"Of course!" The answer. "You think I'm gonna cut it off for Aram? Aram is everything to us, right? He who has saved us, I cannot betray him." Chlari said with a smile. His hand rubbed Shienna's head gently.

Yep. Aram was the savior of all Schatten members. They can all live to this day because they were helped by Aram. That's why they were so loyal to Aram, even willing to sacrifice their lives.

"You must swear to me, Chier." Shienna said as she stared at Chlari's black eyeballs deeply. Chlari was silent for a moment before opening her mouth.

"I swear."

•••

The ongoing two-on-one battle made Achromos almost unable to avoid the attacks that came in a row. His body is now stained with multiple incision wounds. He gulped his saliva with great difficulty. Currently he was fighting only one member of Schatten and Cain, but he already felt quite difficult. What's more, Jona hasn't used her magic power and just used her sword since.

Am I going to die today? Achromos. He immediately dismissed the thought and refocused on the fight. He has sworn to save Chroma and Cain. He should not be daunted just because the Schatten members are so strong.

When Achromos lost his focus for a moment, Jona suddenly attacked with his magic— making Achromos' body bounce against the wall in an instant. Achromos coughed up blood. Without giving Achromos a chance to get up, Cain continued to attack Achromos, who was half-dead trying to fend him off.

"Ca!!" Achromos cried while grimacing. "Open your eyes!!"

No change in Cain's expression kept attacking Achromos blindly. Achromos held the pain in his heart that felt so stinging. Why would he let this happen? If only he had not asked Cain to investigate the Chroma clan, it would not have ended like this.

"Cloths.." It almost choked.

Cain and Jona attack Achromos alternately without mercy. Achromos body that feels so painful because some of his bones are broken due to the bounce earlier made it difficult to move. In the grimness of the fight, Jona suddenly recites a spell that makes Achromos' body unable to move. He grinned triumphantly and whispered something to Cain. Cain then looked at Achromos blankly and darted quickly until finally...

JEBE!!

The sound of a piercing sword rang out loud in the now silent room. Achromos looked at Cain with a look of disbelief. He coughed great. Blood poured out unceremoniously from his stomach which was now adorned with a sword. On the sidelines of his shock, he saw something that almost made him choked.

Clear threads drip alternately from Cain's eyeballs that look empty, wetting his cheeks freely. His expression barely changed anything, yet he was currently crying.

"Ca. in.." Lirih Achromus's.

"Sister.. Achros.." Whisper Cain stammering. His hand then pulled out the sword that stuck in Achromos' stomach violently. After that, his hand immediately raised upwards, brandishing his sword and preparing to slash Achromos' head. "Ma.af.."

Achromos shed his tears looking at Cain. He knew Cain would never betray him. All this because of Schatten. They had done something to Cain until he became what he is today. Achromos then looked at Cain wistfully. His body was weak and helpless. He would not be able to fend off this attack.

"I'm sorry, too.. Cain's.." Achromos said with a bitter smile. The tears that flowed down Cain's cheeks grew.

Shortly afterwards, Cain swung his sword with all his might, making Achromos close his eyes resignedly.

KLANG!!

Achromos opened his eyes as soon as the attack he anticipated did not occur and even the sound of the sword was ringing. His eyes were round as soon as he saw a red-haired male figure fending off Cain's attack with his sword. The man looked at Achromos with a smile.

"Yo, Achromos." His word.

"W-You?!" Achromos.

Shortly thereafter, two other men stepped into the room, making Achromos even more flabbergasted.

"Look at your condition now, Achromos. So pathetic." Said one of the men who had just entered.

The redhead immediately chuckled. "Not to worry" he said.

"we'll get it done for you."

•••

Aram rubbed the silver hair of Chroma who was helpless like rubbing doll hair in a room decorated with mandala shapes on the wall. The dim candle flame makes the atmosphere of the room dim. He then looked at Chroma's face that was closed with a happy grin.

"Let's see.." He muttered while smiling.

"did this show end happily? Or.."

———