Three

"I hadn't heard that laugh in a long time," Gem muttered as he gripped Pyrim's wrist. Overhead, the purple sky became littered with rays of gold as blasts erupted around the city. Screams filled the air as the crowds panicked and people began trying to push their way out of the streets.

"It looks like my fears have come true," Pyrim sighed. The demon was no longer standing by them, it was off battling pursuers. "Are you going to let go?"

"Ah, sorry," the bounty hunter replied quickly, dropping the thief's forearm and standing up straight. "I think we should get out of here before the city goes up in flames."

"Flames? The whole city?" 

"The last time I heard that laugh, almost eleven years ago, was the night that Ky'ebi vanished from the plains of Eldra. There isn't a living thing in Verga with its safety assured right now." Gem put two fingers to his temple and looked around studiously. Already, several small fires had started around the central marketplace. "Let's hurry towards the southern gate."

"Can I ask two things of you?" Pyrim asked hesitantly as he rose to his feet and turned to face the south. "First, why didn't you defeat me?"

Gem took a running leap to the next rooftop and called back, "Isn't it obvious? We're family. If I'd known that earlier, I would have escaped the city with you, or something."

"And second, about the identity of that demon...?"

"He was named Ji'Lopan by his father, Maha, three thousand years ago," Gem replied, smiling. "You've probably heard the name before, seeing as Ji's the one Ly'ban ever known to leave survivors to tell tales of how horrible the forces of the Inferno are."

Pyrim's eyes widened. Ly'ban? The mythical grand demons that were capable of manipulating Jikkuu, the power of Bane? The strongest soldiers of the Inferno?

"Ly'ban?!"

"Yes, Ly'ban."

"But if Ly'ban truly exist, why would they be on the run from other Infernals? And how did you get caught up in all this?"

"Well, you see, Ji'Lopan is a traitor to Maha, and intends to use me against the Inferno." Gem said this all calmly, but followed it up with a swift "hurry!" and dashed off. Pyrim followed in silence, his dead arm hanging uselessly at his side. After a dozen minutes of running, they reached the thick walls of Verga City. Unguarded, open, and defenseless, they provided no hindrance and in seconds the two green-haired men were out of the city.

"We're not safe yet," Gem cautioned Pyrim, and continued running, away from the walls.

"Will we ever be?" the thief questioned, still following.

"It's doubtful. If Ji'Lopan is victorious against our pursuers, he'll be here, and if not, the Inferno will be coming after me. It was like that back when we first met, too. Ji's presence was constantly made benign in contrast to the others we were around."

"Now that I think of it..." Pyrim stopped running, and Gem paused in order to not lose him. They stood in the tall grass of an uncultivated Vergan field a little less than a mile outside of the city. Directly overhead, the purple sky was untainted by the explosions and blasts of light that marred the city's beauty. "If this Ji'Lopan is a traitor to Maha, doesn't that make him an ally of the humans? Of course we're better off with him! He's good!"

"No, he's not good. At least, not by the conventional sense of the word from our perspective." Gem turned back to face the city, his eyes narrowing as he focused on gate they'd passed through, now serving as an exit from the city for hundreds of frightened people. "It seems as though the situation of the world has become more complex than the classic 'light versus darkness' that is portrayed in our outdated lore books."

"Outdated? But the current editions were written less than one hundred years ago..."

"Less than one hundred years ago, our great grandfather was still the Guardian Heir. A lot changes in one hundred years. And apparently, over the course of the last two hundred years, Maha has gradually strayed from the path set out by Chaos. Ji'Lopan, eternally loyal to his grandfather, turned on Maha and fled the Inferno the moment he found a chance to secure some kind of victory. That chance was me." Gem paused, and shook his head. "No, it's still crazy to think about all this so clearly. It's hard to believe that I'm talking like this to you."

"What you're saying is crazy. I don't get any of it!" Pyrim exclaimed, closing his working fist on midair as if futilely trying to grasp the meaning of Gem's words. "First you seem innocent and levelheaded, one I could run to about the demon I'd seen, next you turn out to be some Underworld mercenary, not only that, but with a demon of your own in tow, then you find out we're cousins and you grip my wrist so hard that I still can't use my arm, finally you call yourself Legend, flee the city with me, and begin dishing out all this lore-related information! Who are you?"

Gem sighed and crossed his arms.

"I was told by Ji'Lopan that I was Legend Reborn, almost eleven years ago, the night he rescued me from Ky'Ebi. I doubted him at first, but over the years I've come to realize that this must be true. As a person, though... I was born in als'Loen, a hamlet in southern Eldra. I don't remember my father, and my mother died before I was taken to Ky'Ebi. I don't remember anything my mother ever said to me, as she lost her voice to a disease when I was two, so I don't even know my own name. On her death bed, she gave me this headband," Gem tapped the metal protector with his thumb, "along with a written note explaining to me that it had belonged to my great grandfather. Nameless and with no possession other than the Disgraced Gem's headband, I named myself Gem-"

"You're the one who named himself after our great grandfather?" Pyrim broke in, excitedly. "You're the Underworld's Gem? The Roof-runner of Verga?"

"Yeah, that's me," Gem sighed again and closed his eyes.

"So I was able to keep up with the best in the business," Pyrim said lightly, finishing with a slight chuckle. "I should have stayed with the Underworld and challenged your title."

"Actually, now was a really good time for you to push me to flee Verga City. It seems like it's become unsafe for me. It's unsafe for all of us, of course, but according to Ji'Lopan the fact that I'm Legend Reborn makes me a magnet to misfortune. He said that my pull was an exponential variation on the number of other people prone to the same misfortune... I don't know exactly what that means, but I think the more people there are in danger, the more in danger I am."

"Legend Reborn, huh? What's it feel like?"

"I can't exactly compare it to not being Legend Reborn." 

"Hehehe... ah! Gem, what's this?" Gem opened one eye and looked at Pyrim's index finger, pointing down at the ground. "Down, down!" Gem's other eye snapped open as he saw the grass blackening beneath their feet. Pyrim's words became tinged with panic. "What's going on?"

"It looks like Ji was victorious," Gem said, "unless the Inferno sent Ly'ban after us."

"I was indeed victorious, kid," spoke the demon, appearing in an explosion of black smoke above the patch of dead grass. "Against one of them. I figure that there are at least eight or nine Infernals in that city right now, and I'm not in my element tonight. You and I should run from here for the time being."

"The purple sky really does mess you up."

"Naturally." The demon turned to face Pyrim, its glare unfaltering. "What's he doing here?"

"He's family," Gem replied, "and we're taking him with us."

"Hold on a moment!" Pyrim interjected angrily. "I never agreed to having this demon as a companion!"

"As if it were your choice to make, human," the Ly'ban spat, "I was planning on you dying in the city tonight. Since that didn't pan out, I suppose you'll die here." In a rustling of cloth, its arm swung down. Metal met metal as gauntlet grasped hilt, and light flooded out of scabbard as sword was drawn. In two steps, the demon was next to the thief, its blinding sword at Pyrim's neck. "Pray to whichever set of Gods you like the most, human."

"Ji, stop!" Gem cried out. He moved to take a step forward, only to find that he was glued in place by the Ly'ban's shadow. "Unbind me, damn it, Ji!"

"I knew you'd try to interfere. You make everything so much more complicated, Legend." The Ly'ban turned around, throwing back its cowl to reveal a tall black helm. Carved into the front where a thin mouth and two red sockets from which shone the demon's eyes. "You let your guard down before the enemy, you accept the enemy, you flee with the enemy. You're pathetic. Maybe I should do away with all my plans and kill you, too, tonight?"

"You wouldn't," argued Gem. "I'm-"

"A useless pawn. You do-"

"What's he done to me, Gem?" Pyrim called over the Ly'ban's huge form, interrupting. "I can't move!"

"Neither can I, Pyrim. We're bound with Ji's shadow."

"LISTEN TO ME, LEGEND!" the Ly'ban roared. "You do as I say, remember? From day one, when I freed you from Ky'Ebi, to today, when I encountered Infernals under the full moon, I have never ceased fighting for you. Not once. Don't you see that your safety is in my hands? Don't you understand that I have my hands full dealing with your enemies? If you don't do as I say, I can easily turn my back on you. I have no obligation to help you. All I need is whatever power you might happen to have locked away in the memories of your past life. I won't kill you, Legend, but I will remind you of your position. You're helpless. You're weak and vulnerable. You exist for a variety of reasons, and I exist to exploit these. You are my possession! You are less than that! Don't act on your own! Don't get so familiar and comfortable with me when you're relaxing. You should constantly be wary of my wishes. Do as I say!"

Pyrim looked on in shock as the demon berated Gem. He was surprised to see Gem bow his head and mutter an apology.

"Now, kid. Show me your gratitude. Kill the thief for me."

"Yeah, Ji, I got it..." Gem took a step forward, the shadow dissolving beneath him as he reached for the hilt of one of his daggers. He closed the distance between himself and Pyrim, eyes narrowing as the demon lifted its blade from the thief's shoulder and stepped back. "I'll do what you want from now on, Ji." Gem's grip tightened on his hilt as he place himself between the demon and the thief. "I'll be strong." He spun around to face the demon, drawing the dagger and holding it up before him. A blazing blue light circled out from the surface of the blade, diluting the sky's purple. The dagger Gem held was a long, pointed black-steel affair with a ragged edge, a fearsome weapon. Its surface was marked with three blue letters, each glowing faintly under the light of the full moon. 

"What is that?" Pyrim asked at the same time as the Ly'ban took several more steps backwards, distancing itself from the outstretched blade.

"I told you, right, Pyrim? That I'd come to realize I was Legend."

"Impressive, Legend. When did you get into forging?" The Ly'ban did its best to sound composed, but its rasp was shaky at best. Gem smiled.

"I've had more than ten years, Ji. You didn't watch me all the time, and I decided to put your theory to the test. I assume that you know what this is?"

"Of course I know what it is, cocky brat! I was one of the first Ly'ban created, back in the first year of your calendar. Weapons like that were common then, they were everywhere."

"That's... a runeblade?" Pyrim asked, dumbfounded. "Like in the stories?"

"Yeah," replied Gem, brandishing the dagger and leaning forward.

"So, what are you intending to do with that knife, kid?" Ji'Lopan asked, achieving a better grip on his sword hilt as he spoke. "Don't tell me you plan on fighting me- with a runeblade no less- to defend this common thief!"

"That is exactly what I plan on doing, Ji."

"Idiot! Even with that, you're no match for my magic-"

"Wrong. You don't remember the meanings of the runewords, do you?" Gem's smile widened as he leaned farther forward. "Why don't you try me, Ji? Just like back then, when we used to spar."

"You never beat me once, kid," the Ly'ban laughed, and charged. For a brief moment, Gem wondered if he'd made a mistake. Ji'Lopan had definitely shown surprise, but he seemed to have gotten over it quickly. Too quickly. The demon was confident in its ability to trounce Gem. It must have its reasons for this attitude. It was experienced, it had fought for Chaos for more than three thousand years. Perhaps it knew something Gem didn't?

These unsure thoughts disappeared as the demon reared before Gem, swinging its sword around to strike. With no choice at this point but to fight, Gem blocked the shining blade with his black dagger. The impact sent tremors up his arm, and he gritted his teeth, straining himself to keep the Ly'ban's monstrous strength at bay. It occurred to him only then that he'd never seriously fought a non-human before, and it was with this realization that he understood, as if for the first time, that the Ly'ban was a demon. He'd known it before, but never before had he had such solid proof that the creature was made of different material than a human.

A human's muscles could not be so strong.

A simple shove, and Gem was sent staggering backwards, his arm in tremendous pain. Pyrim, no longer bound by the Ly'ban's shadow, caught his shoulder and helped him remain upright, muttering something in a worried tone that Gem couldn't pick up. Focusing on what lay at hand, Gem gripped the runeblade with his other hand. As soon as the Ly'ban pushed Gem back, it completed its swing and readied another.

"That sword is too long," Gem cautioned Pyrim, "if he strikes right now, you'll be caught in the attack."

"You can still parry it, right?"

"Yes, but-" It was too late. The demon's sword approached Gem's head in a blur, and the bounty hunter barely managed to block it. A small explosion emitted from the point of impact, blue coils trying to contain the spray of white light. Unable to completely suppress the power of the Ly'ban's sword, Gem cursed as a stray ray of white shot past him and speared Pyrim in the shoulder. The thief cried out in agony.

"My weapon isn't just a sword, Gem, did you forget? This isn't like those sparring sessions."

"Kaiblade." Gem knew all too well the power of the Chaos Blades, the weapons of the Ly'ban. Manipulating light and the material build of items, they were capable of slicing through almost all natural substances, and had a goodly amount of magical charge in them besides. Ironically white for the ultimate weapons of evil, Gem detested their very existence.

"You've tested my patience enough, boy, and our thief here will die for it now. Unless you have a third arm, you shouldn't be able to block my next strike. Step aside."

Pyrim lay out cold on the ground immediately behind Gem, covering his wounded shoulder with the hand that had until just now supported his cousin. Blood seeped slowly from the wound, staining the tall grass red. Gem didn't budge.

"Step aside!" the Ly'ban yelled.

Not moving, Gem stood there, his arm still raised to the point at which he'd blocked the Ly'ban second attack. He regarded the demon with grim eyes. For almost eleven years, they'd been together, traveling. The Ly'ban had fought, Gem had learned. They'd been mentor and student, companions, almost friends. The Ly'ban had freed Gem from the prison of Ky'Ebi, had called him Legend and saved him from a terrible death. They'd been in Verga for years, serving the Underworld organization. After all those years of being together, Gem had begun to think that nothing would never change. He'd never thought about freedom because he had become comfortable with the demon's presence. He was used to either being called brat or Legend, he was used to following orders, he was used to being able to relax and treat the Ly'ban like a peer.

But today, out of nowhere, he had encountered a kinsman, a member of the exiled branch of the Mana line. Today, he'd learned that Ji'Lopan was not the only company he could ever have. In order to preserve that hope, he needed to stand up to the Ly'ban. He needed to be strong, and show the demon that he could fight for himself.

"If you don't step aside, I swear I'll cut straight through you, boy."

All those years, nothing really happened. Gem had a sense of ordinary life, even if it might be different from that of the majority of Verga's residents. All that time, he'd never done anything for the Ly'ban. He'd never served it directly. He'd never done anything to deserve the demon's protection. Yet the demon had stayed by his side. <i>Ji'Lopan will not kill me</i>, Gem thought.

And then the Ly'ban swung, aiming for Gem's midsection. 

The bounty hunter's eyes widened as he realized that the demon was actually attacking him in this state. He couldn't block, he couldn't dodge, all he could do was stand there and wonder if maybe- just maybe- he'd pushed his luck too far. <i>He thinks that I can still block him</i>, Gem realized. <i>He thinks that my obstinacy indicates confidence in my ability to defend myself. I'm going to die, this time.</i>

Pain racked Gem as his arms shuddered from the impact. He didn't remember moving, but there before him were both his hands, maintaining a firm double-grip on the runeblade's hilt and keeping the demon at bay.

"Why did you swing that time?" Gem growled.

"I attacked because you were going to defend," the demon answered, stepping back and lowering its sword.

"How could you know, damn it?" Gem demanded, his whole body wavering after the shock of the last parry. He dropped to his knees and looked up at the merciless eyes of the demon.

"I've told you this before, kid. You still need to fulfill several prophecies, and Fate won't let you die until you've done so. You might be weak and useless, but you're still Legend Reborn. You know this; you've proven it to yourself. That dagger that you forged there contains secrets only known to Legend, son of Bane."

"Damn it, Ji! All you talk about is destiny this, Fate that, prophecy... why do you put so much store in all that? What we do is what we do, and it just so happens that some greater power known as Fate continues adjusting itself to match up with what goes on in the world. Right now, I'm trying to save the life of my cousin, and I don't want to be worrying about whether or not it's my destiny to or not!"

"Can you stop me from killing that man?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Even if you're able to block my sword, I can just send a spear of tainted Jikkuu through your shadow at him."

"Try it."

"You get what you ask for, kid." The Ly'ban sheathed its sword in the pitch-black scabbard at its side. "I hope you won't cry about the bloodstains this will place on the back of your tunic."

Gem nodded, and then shakily drove his dagger into the ground before him. The Ly'ban laughed as its contour turned purple and began shimmering. Crackling noises began to emit from the demon's armor as magic coursed through it. Emerging from behind Ji'Lopan like a giant tail, a long black spike shot out of the ground and curled around, pointing down at Gem. For five seconds its tip hovered in the air before shooting down into the ground between Gem's knees. 

The Ly'ban, anticipating screams from its victim and sprays of blood, was speechless when its magic shot back out of Gem's shadow and spiraled away into the sky. The crackling became buzzing, and the demon hastily dispelled its purple aura.

"If you'd remembered the runewords, Ji, you might have recognized this as a blade that seeks to obliterate demonic magic users. The three words carved into its flat are 'end, ash, block.' In effect, it's an anti-Ly'ban dagger. Your tainted Jikkuu is useless here." Gem smiled triumphantly from where he knelt before the much larger, more powerful demon. "One prick from this, and you disintegrate."

"Are you joking around, kid? Your 'block' couldn't contain the simple blast caused earlier by our blades meeting. Do you truly think that you have the power to destroy me?"

The Ly'ban advanced on the injured bounty hunter, gauntlet reaching once more for sword hilt. Gem squinted as the near-blinding sword was unsheathed, and the demon took advantage of that vulnerability to dash forth and swing.