Greyashe chapter 340 is entitled 'Solitude'.

Previous chapter 339: STRIKE BACK

Next chapter 341: But, can it be done?

Summary page.

-Short summary-

Aicha and Lazaro go head to head as Van and Delaney come to an understanding.

-Long summary-

Van exhales as he lifts his elbow from the slushy snowbank, his expression grim and his movements deliberate. He looks down and for several moments is as still as the dead.

Meanwhile Lazaro falls through the window of the building after Aicha kicks him and lands in a heap on in a metal box full of spare parts that stab into his back and cause him to recoil in pain. Gritting his teeth he wills his alchemy to allow him to levitate out of the box and land on one knee where he catches his breath. He glares back in Aicha’s direction and sees her form standing in the window, only partially obscured by the parts of the dirty glass that hadn’t broken when he fell in. His breathing labored, the God to be points up at her and claims that he will destroy her for all of the humiliation she has brought him today. Normally he’s of the mind that anyone who’s willing to submit to him will be welcomed to his kingdom, but she, Van and his foolish father are the exceptions. However she’s the exception of the exception, since with the Rayleighs he’s fine with them living a life of exile outside his kingdom’s limits. She however will be executed due to her treasons actions and as an example of those who would dare oppose him! He then demands she comes down and accepts her execution as the last and probably only ladylike thing she’s ever done in her life!

Aicha jumps from the window, grabs a pulley suspended in midair and uses it to drop herself several feet in front of the God to be. She then inhales sharply and points her finger at her opponent stating loudly that he’s a reprehensible person who deserves to be executed! They’re only here for Van Rayleigh, and would have left him alone if he had just stayed out of the way! Doesn’t he understand they’re on mission from the Kaiser Mage herself? By obstructing their mission he’s made himself an enemy of the country itself! Time is of the essence and they’re getting bloodied and beaten in a fight that doesn’t even need to happen!  Now he’s going on about some nonsensical kingdom and making even less sense then he did before….she asks if he could just please stop fighting back and allow them to collect Van Rayleigh. She’d rather not fight him anymore if she can avoid it, and he’s badly injured as is. Even if they were to continue this struggle, how long does he believe he can last against her in such a sorry state?

Lazaro’s eyes widen and his voice drops to a quiet snarl. Who does she think she is? Calling him reprehensible? If she’s already forgotten, she picked a fight with him. Moreover what is this nonsense about this fight being meaningless?! If he can’t defend himself against people like her then what will happen to his kingdom when fools decide to attack it? Backing down never has been and never will be an option. Period. He then extends his good hand and opens his palm wide, asking if she’s already decided what she’d like to have written on her grave? Personally for her he feels unmarked is more than enough, but she can decide if she makes it quick…before the rest of his patience runs out. Aicha shakes her head sadly and stands back, her right arm drawn back as her left makes a fist. This is her answer…those that are in the way of righteousness must be put down.

Lazaro closes his hand and a tank behind Aicha bursts into flames. He then calmly assesses that his ‘alchemy’ while different from ‘agape’ seems to follow the similar rule that it will not affect the ‘unloved’. However rather than just grounding out, it simply seeks a new target. What will she do now? Her only option is to fight mano-a-mano, while he can attack without movement. Will she simply dodge his attacks until she dies? That’s a fitting death for a knave.

Another object explodes near Aicha, and she pivots back from Lazaro and begins to run in a circle around him. Objects around her flare up, as Lazaro follows her form with his gaze. She can’t keep this up forever, and his power seems inexhaustible. This is alchemy….not forced to conform to a single element, rather than using ‘passion’ as a conduit it uses ‘knowledge’.  She’s not exactly sure what alchemic ‘route’ he’s using, but it is extremely powerful, but what she notes is the way he fights. He has no concern for those around him that might be hurt. To him every fight is one for survival –not the survival of others, but himself.

A fight against solitude perhaps?

An opponent who is always there, slightly out of one’s peripheral vision, and has to exert little effort to remind one that it is always there, that it only takes a single missed attack or opportunity to be completely overwhelmed. To fight against solitude with solitude is often the human condition, especially with agape stealing the attention of humans with its need for passion and constant vigilance, but it doesn’t make the fight any more desirable. This person, he is used to fighting for himself, by himself. People like him will become commonplace should Butcher win in his mad desire to have people harm each other using magic. She can’t allow that, no matter what it means for own future…it’s why she fought in the WITCHES war, and even after her body had died on her continued to keep right on living. To lose everything one holds dear in a single instant and be unable to do anything about it is worse than death.

Water rains down from the ceiling as Lazaro begins to change the flames into water, and with Greyashe’s cold air blowing in, the water threatens to freeze the both of them before long. Aicha stops running, the pain from her injuries increasing because of the cold air and water. She decides to take a gamble and lunges right for the God-to-be. He slips out of her way awkwardly due to his own injuries and levitates slightly to keep from falling to the floor. The water on the floor turns to a wave of heat that follows Aicha, the pressure of which knocks her off her feet and near an open flame. She struggles to get up, but Lazaro levitates over to her and stomps on her back hard to keep the girl from moving. Aicha gasps and tries to struggle free, but her injuries, and the rapid change in climate has disoriented her. Lazaro looks down at her and stomps her twice more before quietly asking if she’s had enough? This ‘game’ is over, and she lost. The only thing left now is for her to accept the penalty of being the one who lost, and disappear from his sight. He reaches down, but stops suddenly when he sees Aicha’s expression. Not anger, not resolution, not hatred…

Pity.

Lazaro is unable to understand this emotion –especially when it’s directed at him. He unconsciously clutches his arm and grits his teeth. Suddenly the injuries he had been ignoring throb so much now, like knives in his subconscious. He then asks Aicha why she couldn’t just be like everyone else? Aicha remains silent as her eyes meet him in pure silent empathy.

Delaney opens his eyes and finds Van’s face only a few inches away from his own, his warm breaths taking the sting off his right cheek. Van leans in closer and whispers into his ear that it only takes one instant for someone to lose something precious and to become alone. This is what he’s fighting against, and thusly will not do himself. He can understand why he’s targeting him and he honestly appreciates what he’s doing for Kani since he too has the same feelings for her. Though it is exactly because he understands that he cannot back down from a fight. Paradoxically he has to keep fighting in order to be ready for the ultimate fight that will soon be upon him. Running and conserving his energy will only make him weaker against his ultimate foe. If Delaney wants to continue this struggle, he won’t oppose it, but Van wants to make it clear what the stakes are if they do decide that this is the path they want to continue down.

Delaney is speechless for merely an instant before takes a deep breath and shoves Van off of him, saying that he’s too close. He sits up and pats the ground beside him for his glasses, and groans when he sees them off to his left side broken and one frame warped out of shape. Van smiles sheepishly and shrugs as Delaney takes them and forces the frame into the correct shape while cleaning out the broken glass. He then stands up and groans irritably, confirming that he understands what Van is saying even if he doesn’t like it. Sometimes you’ve gotta put aside your own interests for the greater good right? That’s what he’s trying to say. Van shrugs a shoulder and states that it’s ‘something like that.’ Delaney gives him a scowl and asks why he went along with this whole fight then? With his abilities he’s sure that Van could have figured some way to impart this message without waiting for them to get all scuffed up like this. Van admits he could have, but to be honest he has the right to do this for Kani’s sake since he did do something terrible that harmed her. The farseeing boy bows his head in apology, an action that irritates Delaney enough for him to smack him in the back of his lowered head. Apologizing to him doesn’t make a difference does it? If he feels that bad about it he should go find Kani and talk to her himself! Van laughs quietly and says that there’s no time for that sentiment now. Delaney glares at him and snarls at him to repeat what he just said. Van sits back head still bowed and reminds him that he came here to escort him to the Kaiser mage. Delaney straightens up suddenly as if the aforementioned person is here, but quickly comes down and blows air thoughtfully. Yeah, he is supposed to do that isn’t he? Though he understands some of the reasoning behind it, there seems to be something off about the whole situation. Still, he made a promise to serve Azha so what he thinks about everything is irrelevant. He orders Van to stand up and reads him his rights, claiming that it’s easier for him to arrest the boy under orders of the Kaiser mage since people will be less likely to ask questions if he does things this way. The farseer nods, after all he did murder someone so this kind of treatment is only fair.

Delaney smirks and states that he figures Van wants to do things ‘his way’ rather than the way that he prefers, right? Van grins openly and nods. ‘But of course’.