Chapter 24: "Spirit"

"Why, I think you're getting the hang of this," he fixed his eyes on us. "I might not be the quickest or toughest around here, but I sure know how to break a person's spirit."
"Who could ever fight a battle where no matter what you do, it always amounts to nothing? A battle where your only outcome would be a never-ending draw or a loss? If I were you, I'd save us all a lot of time and give up."
Surely he had to be proven wrong. I reached for his face as fast as my arms would allow, but it happened again. Short pause, and we were back where we began.
"What's the point of all this?" U exclaimed in frustration. "Even if you keep Loading this scene, you can't defeat us as well."
"Do I sense hopelessness? Like it or not, all of you grow desperate long before I even get the slightest bit bored. I've been in so many of these battles, and they surrender to me every time. Every single time."
I looked at Archiver from top to toe. Surely there was some method to break his ability.
"Oh, and I suppose you think you're different from the rest?" His sneering voice saw through my thoughts as always.
"Perhaps you don't understand the true extent of my powers. Or how insignificant you are in the greatness of His plans. You're just another character, and a failed one at that. You won't be the first to be written off, and sure as anything not the last. Sorry, but that's just the way things work."
"It's over," U looked totally drained out. "Nothing can defeat Save/ Load. I used to not believe that, but now I do."
"Snap out of it! He's just trying to crush you!"
"I'd say he's got as much brains as you have gusto," Archiver strode to us decidedly. "Now, shall we? It won't hurt much, I promise."
Then a simple idea came to me. Perhaps I could use the same trick I'd used to defeat U - the oldest one in the book.
"You're right," I pretended to comply and kneeled before him. As he edged closer, I scooped up as much sand as I could, and glanced upwards once more to estimate the distance.
Whoosh!
Direct hit! Smack into his eyes! "U! Get him - NOW!"
Like a cat he took no more than a split second to Cut, then stealthily sneak up behind Archiver. POW! The old man was flung straight to the ground, still writhing in pain.
Yes! We were winning! I tried to follow up with another swift kick, but...I just couldn't budge. Like everything else.