Ludger moved first switching back to his blades, getting in close to prevent Julius from gaining the upper hand. Ludger slid into a crouch attempting to kick Julius in the air. His boots met Julius' blades, the momentum pushing him back as he landed on his knees raising his blades above his head to prevent himself from losing it. Julius stepped back, before slicing forward at him, his blades a flurry of movements that Ludger felt numerous nicks break his skin, fresh blood beading forth. He didn't cry out, glaring back at his brother dragging his hammer around him in a circle, the magic pushing Julius back as the magic cooled his skin. He tried the pistols again, Julius effortlessly warping back. The move resurfaced unpleasant memories of Victor, before he let the bullets fly. Julius deflected some but not all, the blood that trickled down his cheek was proof of that, along with the speckles of red on his white jacket. He followed after with his hammer as the magic began to roll off in waves the fire dancing to life to follow the hammer's swings, slamming it down. Julius was more dexterous then he remembered. He brought one sword down in an arc, snuffing out the flames as he used the hammer's head as a springboard to quicken his roll to the left coming up like a flower as the blade bit into Ludger's back, causing him to stumble, not before he was able to let loose a few rounds with his pistols; Julius backpedalling through the rain of lead.

"Pretty spry for a dead man," Ludger challenged, pushing off from the ground with the help of his hammer quickly discarding it as he resumed attacking with his blades like a tempest, he felt the blades bite into flesh before he was ruefully sent flying.

"That's not good enough Ludger," Julius hollered a cross slash the reason for his flight. Ludger barely managed a save before he felt the air begin to shimmer. "You're never going to achieve victory like that!" Ludger felt the growing ripples of Julius' Chromatus. "Not against our family's curse." Ludger planted his feet, trying to shake the vertigo of time twisting around them. He felt the stirrings of his own curse, first stage as the corpse shell incased his arms. "Not against Bisley!" Ludger had one shot. Julius was in his own first stage, obsidian and azure, cold and unflinching like ice. Ludger would have him no other way. "You're desire fuels the chromatus." A burst of azure light as Julius emerged in his full corpse shell. Ludger followed, time becoming all the more twisted between them. The outer rim of his perception turned hazy. "It won't grant power unless you want it!"

"I know," Ludger whispered, tightening his grip on his lance. He sprung from the ground charging headlong into Julius with his swords in an all too familiar stance. There was a blinding light as he felt their weapons clash. "And I don't want it."

There was a strong breeze, carrying a familiar scent, but Julius couldn't place it. Mostly since it should have been instantaneously, they were at the harbor but this wasn't a salty sea breeze. No it was something simpler, pure, there was a roar in the background but that meant nothing. A simple tune was going through his head, and he opened his eyes. He was on his feet the following moment, the vertigo throwing his balance off when he had to steady himself.

"You're awake." The tune stopped as Julius searched for the voice. They were at the Kijara Seafalls, the exact spot where Ludger...

"Ludger," Julius spoke catching the man leaning against one of the rocky pillars, his body was partially in the shade, so he couldn't make him out completely, which only raised that sense of dread in his stomach. A tickle of a scent reached his nose, the familiar aroma of blood. All his training, all his senses were discarded as he shortened the distance between them.

"Stop, I don't know how long this lasts," Ludger remarked shifting his stance, stepping more into the light. Julius froze; his clothes were torn, blood seeping through the multiple slashes; the battle flashed under his eyes. He mutilated Ludger with a storm of steel to test his resolve, there was no holding back but then what happened? He shouldn't be standing, let alone breathing, none of this should be real... Then why weren't either one of them reacting to the catalyst, what was the catalyst? It should have been him, but... "This isn't a fractured dimension, nor is it reality," Ludger began coughing up blood. Julius kept his instincts in check as Ludger took in a shaking breath, trying to get his shredded lungs to work. "Muzét told me it was a crack, the space between dimensions or something to that effect. You'd have to ask her."

"I don't understand," Julius spoke surprised at how quickly their positions changed.

"The chromatus twists time and space a little wouldn't you agree? It's stable on its own but with two it's tricky. Especially with two powerful family members," Ludger laughed a hollow eerie thing, bringing forth another coughing fit and blood. "I canceled my chromatus when we clashed. The cancelation stopped my dimension as yours carried on merging the lingering ripples together creating this space. Time is still here, bordering between dimensions, it can't sustain itself long," he explained as best as he could. A soft clink grabbed his attention. Julius looked down to see the broken pocket watch. "I couldn't do it," Ludger's voice was pained as he gripped his chest. "Not on the train, I couldn't kill you then. A fractured version sure, but...still I couldn't move a step. And I couldn't again back at the lake. Victor had to help me kill him. How pathetic is that?" Reasonable, sane, normal, were the words that trailed through Julius' mind as he carefully picked up the pocket watch, waiting for it to fall apart in his hands with how damaged it was. Ludger's strength came from his compassion, and Julius knew that. But he was hoping, that compassion could be changed to determination and it did, but not in the way that he wanted it to.

"Guess that makes me selfish." He ran his fingers around the metal surface, gently tightening his fingers around the edges. "And changes me into Bisley."

"Never, I chose this. You said I had the strength to do so. Don't turn into a hypocrite now," Ludger stated deadly. "Bisley doesn't care, you do. You will never become him."

"But," Julius' words faltered, he was failing miserably as a big brother. "Why this method?"

"Because Jude told me." Julius sighed; he should have figured that out. "You'd never do it otherwise. 'Deception is commonplace on the battlefield.' Who taught me that?" There was a small pained smile. The air was beginning to shimmer; they were running out of time.

"Good student," Julius noted the change in the atmosphere as small hairline cracks were starting to crisscross around them.

"And I deserve this for the dimensions I did destroy. This penance is nothing compared to what I did," he added straightening up, the pain obvious with how he shuddered, taking the full force of his attack. Always went for the extremes, always recklessly kind.

"Or what I'm about to do," Julius finished closing the distance between them. It was his duty to finish this, end his suffering, free this caged soul.

"Please, take care of Elle," Ludger whispered closing his eyes. The blade was precise, piercing the heart with ease, although Julius knew he was already dead. Time was warped in this crack anyways only now was it starting to move again with the proper flow. It was closure for himself, to steel himself one more time for committing another unforgivable sin. He held his brother close as the world shattered around them.

"Goodbye, my brother."

Author's Note: Usually I put these at the top, but I figured it appropriate to throw it on the bottom this time. I believe this story is finished. I have a vague wisp of a thought for one more chapter, an epilogue if you would, but I'm not that concerned with it truth be told. Let the readers decide on a final ending. Besides, I'm rather content with this. Regardless, thanks for reading.