Tower of Endless: Death Granted Entry

"Don’t be disappointed; I would have charged it for you if I could," Ed said with a shrug, letting out a helpless sigh.

"Why can’t you recharge it?" Moon squinted.

"As you can see," Ed said, the red hue on his blades starting to fade. "I’ve already blown Echo of the exact same value as yours," he explained.

"Oh," Moon exclaimed. He glanced at his own Echo floating by his side. "Mine doesn’t seem to run out," he said skeptically.

"Yours is a special case; it leaves your body as a whole unit, and returns as a whole unit once again. You need to produce an effect and change its nature for Echo to run out," Ed explained slowly.

Moon nodded. "Is that how you released that red giant and retracted it?" He was validating his own understanding of Echo.

Ed grunted. "That’s one way to put it. You have the advantage when it comes to battle stamina, unless you meet someone like that Havoc dead kid again."

"So we done for today or what?" Moon asked.

Ed didn’t answer immediately; he closed his eyes for a moment. "Actually, there is one more reason for this spar; it’s not just so you can gain confidence. I also need your help," Ed said with an apologetic smile.

Moon’s eyebrows climbed halfway up his forehead. "My help?" he pointed at himself in a questioning tone.

Ed nodded. "How should I say this?" A couple of chuckles escaped his lips. "I laid down my blade for a very long time."

Hoooooo~

He exhaled loudly, like a pent-up breath held for a very long time. "When I first came here, I told myself it’s fine to rest now, for a day maybe?" Ed’s eyes trailed across the arena.

His gaze rose slowly. "The day became a week, and the week turned into a year."

Ed looked up. "Before I knew it, the year was finally over 200 years..." His eyes fell again on Moon.

"Of everyone I ever knew, you’re the best when it comes to raw fighting," Ed gave Moon his reason, with the very same apologetic smile.

Moon’s eyebrow climbed back down, his lips pouted, and they, along with his contracted chin, started shivering at the sudden recognition.

"Edmond, what do you think you’re doing?" Lucen asked, witnessing something he didn’t expect to see.

"You won’t understand," Ed said; his tone was lighter than ever.

"Understand what? Playing with kids is something glorious now?" Lucen’s voice sharpened.

"Starting back from the bottom, from where everything began... returning to the roots. That’s how I sharpen my heart, my dull heart and mind once again, and reclaim myself," Ed said in a firm, strong voice.

Lucen had a chuckle escape his lips. "You think denying the Tower’s grace and blessings to you, returning to this primitive concept of fighting, would change your future and make you a better and stronger man?" he asked in a sarcastic tone.

"You, Edmond. You have a strong body, stronger than some of those who only believe in physical strength; you have more Echo than some of the greatest arcanists and leaders of great clans, and the ability to cut anything in existence. You think that denying all of this and playing on the second floor would wash off these years of inaction?" Lucen mocked, shaking his head lightly, unbefitting the words he was speaking.

"Yes," Ed answered with one simple word, before adding, "Listening to you now, though it’s our first time having such a long conversation... I now understand why I made sure to keep my distance from you back then."

Lucen laughed softly before asking, "Would you enlighten me, Sky-Splitting King?" his tone laced with mockery.

A sigh rang from Ed. "You simply won’t understand; you can’t understand," Ed said in the same tone, unfazed by the mockery and verbal assault. "You’ve lived for far longer than you should; you detached yourself from everyone and thought you were a god."

"Edmond, the only thing I thought was sharper than your blade was probably your mind, or maybe your senses... But I take that back now," Lucen said in the same tone, full of mockery. "But now I know it’s your tongue."

"I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you," Ed said sarcastically.

"It’s not just about you; I also want to see more of this kid," Lucen said softly all of a sudden, abandoning the mockery he was deep into. "At first, his skill without Echo was breathtaking, but seeing how his Echo turned out, I’m getting disappointed. And seeing his mindset, the urgency to attack but indecisively... that sharpness of your mind, I want to see the real reason behind that decision of yours... You never treated the last one that way."

"Be my guest," Ed said dismissively, seemingly not wanting to be bothered with him again.

His focus returned to Moon, who was still frozen in place; his eyes looked glassy, as if on the verge of tears.

"Brat, are you helping me or not?" Ed said sharply, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Moon swallowed hard.

He started walking across the field; he first picked up the knife and sheathed it. He then went for the helmet and placed it on one of the empty audience seats.

Last, he moved Colten’s sword to his left hand and picked up Liquid Mountain with his right.

Ed watched the scene till Moon stood a few meters away from him. "Let’s do it," Moon declared as his Echo returned to his body, not to be used again during that night.

Ed nodded; his face had a hint of pride. "Sure, let’s do this." Ed whipped his wrists around once before—

"Ah, wait," Moon suddenly called.

Surprised, "You changed your mind?" Ed asked, halting every move he was making.

"I just had a question, and I wanted to ask before I forget," Moon explained.

"Ask away." Ed nodded, not bothered. He understood Moon well and was always aiming for him to understand himself too.

"Erm, you see... your Echo control is crazy and all, so I thought, maybe you can do the basic stuff of arcane, flowing light or something, but you said you weren’t an arcanist."

The question came to Moon after witnessing Ed’s skills, knowing too well he could almost do anything, or shape his Echo however he desired without any hindrance.

The question came knocking on Moon’s mind like a hammer after the trouble he went through to replicate flowing light; if the concept was so easy and simple to achieve, why wouldn’t Ed do it too?

Ed listened to the question and blinked a couple of times before getting thrown into a fit of laughter.

"You brat, hahaha, did that brat Uon only tell you that much... hahaha." Ed dropped his blade and slapped his knee.

"What’s so funny?" Moon frowned, not liking the reaction.

Ed dried the teary corners of his eyes with his thumb and index fingers back and forth. "Arcane isn’t just about controlling Echo, brat."

Moon’s frown deepened. "What are you talking about?" He couldn’t comprehend what Ed was saying.

"Stop laughing, dammit. I didn’t say a joke," Moon added in evident annoyance.

Ed waved his hand apologetically. "Sorry about that, haha." He tried to hold it back. "It just brings some memories from the distant past... Anyway." Ed took in a deep breath.

"Listen here, what if you can control your Echo so perfectly, but it never resonates with the Tower, and never produces the art?" Ed suddenly asked.

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