The Dream Shifter

Chapter 248

The act only elicited a bored raise of her eyebrow. "Same tactics…making them faster won't save you…" She lifted her hand to erect barriers to slice the weapons. The barriers quickly materialized and spun around moments before the weapons entered the perimeter. "This'll end the same way," she spoke with confident arrogance.

An explosion of metal shattered the weapons and clouding the area. However, Photine held a smirk on her face making Yumi curious. She looked up at the debris cloud to see it suddenly divide. A single sword broke through unharmed. Yumi's face held a flicker of surprise for a moment before another barrier rose. The sword pierced through the barrier destroying it without even stopping.

Trails of blood painted the ground and Yumi's arm. Her face narrowed suddenly becoming serious for once. Another set of weapons appeared all around Yumi. "This is the end for you! This isn't the same fight as last time! I've seen what you can do and I've created special counter measures for everything! This won't be like before!"

Examining her wound, Yumi noted the condition of her arm. The blood made everything seem worse than reality. '…rather shallow… could've gone for the kill, but didn't… she was making a point…' Yumi dropped the remaining pieces of her barrier. It served her no use if it no longer had a purpose. "I wouldn't be so quick to make that judgment. The powers she has aren't so limited."

"I've seen your powers. I've calculated for all of them."

All the talking did little to change her situation. She had to do something about the weapons. 'The last time she used only one of her special swords disguised amongst the rest. She did it to catch me off guard. I can only assume these are all the same barrier-cutting type. The trick's out of the bag, no sense hiding it.' Yumi analyzed the blades to discern their difference. The variance and quality were all so random they all looked the same. She could not find an external reason for their unique trait.

Her eyes slid over at her side judging the distance. Options ran short as well as uncertainty. 'Considering their powers, it wouldn't need to be any different. Just something inherit. Only one choice remains then…' Yumi leapt into the air. She saw the weapons response delay significantly before they ran to her previous location. 'So she's got full control right now. That'll slow them down.'

Yumi hovered in the air several meters above the cluster of metal. She extended her arm towards to the spot. Her eyes narrowed as the seconds worked through. Nothing changed for her. Each second wasted away until the weapons turned around and charged for Yumi. Still caught in the moment, she dodged late and found a new wound on her arm. She dropped down to the ground staring over at Photine. "You've sealed her telekinesis."

Photine nodded to Yumi with growing smugness. "I told you. You can't win."

Staring back down at her hand, Yumi began to understand. The confirmation from Photine gave her what she needed to work the problem. It troubled her. The implications wielded in the power. "You added a law to your field to negate telekinesis."

The weapons moved back into an encirclement position of Yumi. Photine took a couple of steps towards her feeling safer in her situation. "It's not something normally very useful. Canceling things that don't exist is not something that's needed. The more practical application of this is eliminating friction, gravity or something that exists in the normal laws of physics."

"Not really needed against others like you," agreed Yumi. She understood the limitless possibilities of their powers, but the crippling application of them against her gave her more appreciation. Yumi found a new challenge. "When someone can cancel your field with theirs it's pointless to try to neutralize their powers. However, we're different. We've become our own reality. So you can rewrite our reality. But only if you understand us."

"I'm glad you understand." Materializing several more weapons, they closed in to prevent any escape. Even above, all directions locked down. Photine lifted her arm to keep control of the swords. "Now that I've crushed your powers and hope for escape. I'll rip you apart! Just like you did to the soldiers here!" Motioning with her free arm, a new thin blade appeared above Photine. It had a smooth edge heavily polished and sharpened. Floating in the air, it seemed to split everything that even dared to approach.

Yumi raised her brow a little with disbelief. "You can't kill me with those eyes." She stared through the prison of blades, unconcerned by their presence. The gaze she met with Photine ran so deep Photine could not turn away. It drew her in unable to escape.

A thin line drew across Photine's lips with only a glimpse of her teeth bared. They ground together responding to her thoughts. Photine struggled to keep her arms stretched out. Shaking began to spread through her body and affect her muscles. "You don't know anything about me!"

"But I can see your eyes," comment Yumi. "You don't have what it takes. You've never killed anyone. You still have your innocence."

Her emotions began to control her again. All of the weapons slid in closer to Yumi. The tightened net left only centimeters between the tips of the blades and Yumi. "I have no innocence! No one here does! It's all stolen away! So don't talk to me like you know anything! You grew up in a safe home without fear or oppression! So don't you dare even start to talk like you understand!"

Yumi crossed her arms. Her features did not budge for a second. "A fear so deep and primal its makes even your bones feel cold. Lasting for so long that it becomes the only feeling you understand. It becomes your companion and yet it is so strong that you never can feel its release as it always presses down with no remorse. Not even being able to lift your head because they might see you, recognize you. You only wish it were like a cage, because then you could stop running. The emptiness of knowing it is the only thing that will be with you. That is true fear."

Photine took a step back. The words alone did not unnerve her as much as the cold stare, which persisted through everything. Her eyes spoke volumes more than the words. They pierced into her being. She felt the raw emotions. There was something more to her. Photine did not want to believe it, but it froze her emotions off. It sobered her to things she missed before. 'Damn it! What's with her? She's not like the last time at all!' She wondered whom she fought. She felt the age and experience in her.

Things did not add up correctly. Photine wanted answers. "You speak as though you know it too well. And act like you're familiar with death. The outside world is nothing like here."

"That's because I've been killing since before you were born. The world I'm from is far harsher and deadly than here."

"That's—" she interrupted herself. She wanted to deny it immediately, but something inside her told her otherwise. It did not feel right. What was her enemy? "You're lying! You're too young to be making such claims!"

The mysterious girl tilted her head appearing almost amused by the rejection. However, her eyes remained fixed on Photine without a break. "Believe what you want, but I've no need for lies. You shouldn't use her body as your measurement."

"…her?" It seemed an unimportant detail. One she forgot before, many times. The word kept repeating and Photine finally noticed. 'She keeps speaking like that, as though not herself. As though talking about herself as though it was someone else.' Photine narrowed her eyes a bit. The clarity from her calmness finally gave her time for rational thought. 'I can't believe I missed it before! No wonder she doesn't feel the same!' Unfortunately, logic gave her something even more unsettling.

She still needed answers. Answers had to come from her enemy. She was not sure if she could trust them. But her enemy was different and she needed to understand. Photine did not have much choice. "Who are you? You aren't the same person I fought before, right?" Her foot drew her forward as a show of her confidence. She could not have visible weakness.

"Oh?" The question changed the expression on her face. "So you've finally calmed down enough to realize that?"

"Enough with the arrogance! Who are you?!"

"I was present during the time when she fought with you. I'm the one that looks after her. I'm called Masa."

"Masa?" questioned Photine. So much said still did not make a lot of sense to her. She felt like the girl spoke to her riddles. It had a disembodied feeling to the words. Photine did not like it. "It doesn't matter if you're someone else or not. You've violated our laws. And you've killed a soldier. You're under arrest!"