"You guys started working here the same year," I noted. "749 ... what is C.E.?"
"Common Era," said the manager. "What you might call A.D."
"Then why don't you just say A.D.?"
"Because Anno Domini, in the Year of Our Lord, is fine for Christians, but Thor gets a little upset. He still holds a grudge that Jesus never showed up for that duel he challenged him to."
-The Bellhop for Valhalla to Magnus Chase in Magnus Chase and the God's of Asgard book 1, The Sword of Summer.
So uh, just checked and uh...
Yeah this is apparently an actual event that happened when Christianity first came to the Nordic countries. Apparently Thor challenged Jesus to a fight, and Jesus quite literally never showed up. As for whether this is actually true.... Meh. Considering religion is a battlefield, it's a 50/50 regardless.
_
...
Hey there. I see you came back for more.
..Ah shit. Here we go again.
Sup.
Tis I, Alexander Hamilton!
Cause you see, after the war I went back to new york!
A-after the War I went back to new york!
I finished up my studies and I practiced law-
I practiced Law, Burr worked next door~
Ehem.
Sorry. Sorry.
Jokes aside, greetings.
I'm surprised you keep coming back, but I guess my story is somewhat intriguing huh?
Regardless, I ain't finna hold ya.
This is normally the part where I ask a question, then answer it while hoping yall are somewhat intrigued enough to listen.
But at the moment , I got nothing so...
...
Yall like the color red or nah?
I personally do like it despite it's rather ironic evil connotations.
It's often considered an evil color, meaning blood, or malice, or just nefarious intentions.
Fun fact, the Egyptians considered the color red as an evil color because it was the color of desert sand. And crops do not grow well in red sand so...
Don't quote on me that though. I'm a mythos nut, but even my memory isn't perfect on that.
Anyway, I've stalled long enough.
It's time for Alex's random query of they day, or night depending on when you hear this. See this? Uh... Become privy to its contents is probably best to say.
So...
Do you believe free will exists?
And before you automatically say yes or no, just hold on.
Pause and think about it for a sec.
Really ruminate on it.
While you think, let me give my answer.
Do I believe free will exists? I'd have to say no. But...
I'd also have to say yes.
Let me explain before you try to ask why that's possible.
For example...
Let's use the ability of Precognition.
That is to say, future sight, the ability to perceive future or sometimes past events.
While there are multiple versions of this power, notable examples being Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg's Kaleidoscope allowing him to see parallel possibilities as a side effect, Nia Honjou's Raziel allowing her to see past events and alter present ones, or even Nighteye from My Hero Academia's Foresight Quirk.
These powers all have something to do with seeing events that have happened or will happen.
Based off that, one can theoretically infer that because they perceived these events, then they saw events that happened, which by extension means these events will happen no matter what.
And further expanding upon that, let's assume that you are in those events and because they saw it happen, you will do what they saw.
Based off all that, would you say you had free will?
Can you confidently say that you'd make a different choice than what they saw?
But what if you doing that leads to the future they saw?
Ah.
Quite the dilemma no?
Damned if you, damned if you don't.
Going off that, you'd be inclined to say free will is a joke. A scam in the face of power such as that.
But, I've seen evidence to the contrary.
Despite the would be set in stone future, I've seen characters, people break free of that future.
Heck, Anos Voldigoad said it best himself.
"If I were to look into that glass and see a future I didn't like, then I'd take that future and smash it into pieces while building a new one."
And the guy did it, like a lot actually. He came back from death on a technicality like three times in hindsight huh...
Anyways, just something to ruminate on for now kay?
While you try to figure that out, let's move on to the story.
In this latest piece of the pie we have the unlicensed Gardener, an accidental magical girl, copious amounts of terrible ideas, and an Oath made and sealed.
So without further ado, let's dive in no?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nagazora, Alexander (POV)
I have a memory of when I was younger. I can't recall exactly when it happened, but I know I was fairly young.
It was the first time I ever made a friend. It was a boy of no more than 17 or so.
He had the most wild untamed hair I'd ever seen, and he was almost always laughing or hanging with other kids.
The perfect guy. His friends called him pretty boy, and the few people who seemed to dislike him called him a freak.
Regardless of what they called him, he was gifted.
And I don't mean it weirdly. He just really excelled in school. Academically and decently athletically.
The perfect student if you will.
I first met him when I was left alone on the playground. None of the other kids seemed to want to hang out with me as I was a bit weird.
Where other kids were interested in faeries and werewolf pretend, me?
I always had my nose in a book. My favorite pastimes weren't playing tag or pretend, it was reading. Immersing myself in a world unlike my own.
Not to mention my hair and eyes. Green hair and purple eyes? Not something you see much in the states where I lived.
I didn't do what other kids did, and I didn't look like most of them either. And seeing how kids don't mind discriminating against differences, I was singled out for it.
So, as I was sitting on a swing and reading volume 33 of magic treehouse (Carnival at Candelight), I saw a shadow looming over my pages.
I had looked up to see green eyes meeting my own gaze.
"Whatcha doing here all alone?" I remember him asking.
"Reading." was my own simple response.
In response to that, he actually seemed interested and even sat down beside me to ask more questions, questions which I answered without pause.
In hindsight, talking to a stranger with such familiarity was probably a bit dangerous at the time, but he felt nice enough so young me wasn't too concerned.
Time ended up flying by, and before I knew it my sister had come by to pick me up and take me home. She seemed pleased to see someone talking to me of their own volition and ended up getting the guys number. She was charismatic like that honestly.
Before long, I ended up hanging out with the guy more and more. Little outings and other random fun moments.
Until one day, the worst happened.
I don't remember much, but I do remember that I was hanging out with him before I felt a hard impact to my head and blacked out.
I woke up days later, being found by my sister in the boys embrace, what felt like a warm blanket covering me as I was in his arms.
It was only when my sister picked me up and carried me home, that the weight of what happened hit me. Something had went wrong and the boy had gave his life for mine.
I woke up that night with a burning sensation as something ripped free from my back.
Four new appendages sticking out from my body, foreign and alien to me.
My sister soothed my worries about being a monster and told me something that stuck with me.
"A gift...' she had said.
"A gift from one friend to another"
That boy was one of the best friends I've ever had.
His name was Suchan Jang.
_
"..."
I blinked as I shook my head.
Memories of the past had come back out of nowhere for some reason, but that wasn't really important at the moment.
Raven seemed to think so too, because she let out a low whistle while poking the unconscious Theresa's face.
"Don't suppose you know why she'd be here Mr. Deus?"
I rolled my eyes in response.
"I'm just as clueless as you are lil dude. The name's Alexander though. Not Deus."
"Didn't ask."
Ouch.
Well played Raven. Well played.
I'd have to be an idiot to miss that jab about earlier... She's still salty huh?
Regardless, despite our shallow pokes at each other, my attention was more so on Theresa than anyone else.
It may sound cruel but, no one else in that room had a shot in hell at surviving being pierced by thousands of thorny briars.
I'm not even kidding, apart from Theresa and one other girl, everyone else looked like failed lobotomy volunteers.
I'm talking spikes jutting everywhere from their heads, and most of them had ivy constricting their throats, hands, and legs-
...
"...Why does this look like really kinky and lethal BDSM?"
"I hate to admit it, but you're right. Whatever did this had just as much a sick sense of humor as unbridled hatred."
Raven begin pacing around the room, carefully looking over the people that lay around the room.
She didn't even bat an eye as she rolled a few of the corpses over and begin poking and prodding at them.
At one point, she even cut into one of their arms and begin examining the wound with curiosity.
"Come here."
Swallowing my revulsion, I walked over regardless at her behest and crouched beside her.
She held up the person's arm as she began speaking.
"Look at how I'm squeezing this boys arm. Notice how it isn't bruising easily, but just rapidly paling? He just died recently. In fact, I daresay he's been dead for only a few hours. Not to mention-"
She put a clawed glove over the boys face, before lifting his face and showing it as well.
"Notice the seeming red scarring around his mouth? This guy died of poisoning of some variety. In fact, almost everyone here was poisoned to death after being bludgeoned or stabbed. I'd say chemical but... I don't see how someone could do all that, and still have time to make their escape."
Wow.
Talk about some impressive analysis skills.
"Did you learn all that from boredom or like...?"
Raven seemingly preened at my question.
"When you've been in this business as long as I have, you tend to pick up odd bits of knowledge here and there. Still though, I wonder where the culprit is...?"
I didn't say anything in response for a bit as I mulled it over.
"Yeah," I muttered as my eyes drifted over to the other girl sitting miraculously unharmed in this mess, "I wonder who it could be."
Raven rolled her eyes, before standing up as she announced she was going outside.
As the classroom door shut, my side eye turned into a full on stare, as I directed my full attention to the other girl.
Someone with light purple hair from what I could see.
As I walked closer, the fauna in the room curled almost protectively around her, while the outside edges raised in the air and pointed menacingly at me.
I let out a nervous swallow as I raised my hands in surrender, while still walking slower.
"Easy there. I'm here to- Well, not help per se. But I'm not going to make it worse at least."
Was it crazy to talk to plants like they were sentient? Oh absolutely!
But to my surprise they did back down, and I was able to get within arms distance of both Theresa and the girl.
Bending down, I then gently grasped Theresa before backing away and placing her near the window, her head gently laying against the sill.
"..."
Y'know, looking down at her right now... I can totally see why she has an entire borderline cult simping for her.
With her long white hair and fair porcelain skin, she looks like a really adorable doll.
"Oh? And she's even got a nice cross pendant? I'll give it to her when she wakes up so she doesn't lose it during our escape."
I then tucked said pendant in my jacket before stretching a bit.
Well regardless, that just leaves nameless girl A.
As I walked back over to her, the plants retracted, allowing me to be able to reach out and pick her up.
"?!"
Only to flinch as I was forced to let her go while my palm started to burn.
Hopping backwards, I took a quick look at my hand, and noticed the telltale signs of chemical burning.
Before I could even began to process that, several previously inert plants suddenly surged forward and although I managed to dodge most of them, two actually pierced through my shoulder.
"SHIT! What the heck plants?! I thought we had a truce man!"
I dropped to one knee as the 'unconscious girl' finally opened her eyes and a vicious smirk adorned her face as she stood up.
"Tsk tsk tsk. I nearly had you if it weren't for my eagerness getting the best of me. Oh well, you won't be leaving here alive regardless. My toxins will kill you before you're even able to stand again."
And queue my deadpan expression as I try not to cringe at the chunni like speech.
Ok but nah seriously, I have to know. Does becoming a Herrscher just make any person gain +2 to speech or something.
Who the heck says Toxin instead of poison?
Ignoring that, upon seeing those very malice filled Ivy Green eyes of hers, my memory of who this girl is just came back.
And considering who she is, it's probably a good thing Raven left.
Yuna. Unknown last name.
Student at Chiba Academy who was friends or rather classmates with one Kiana Kaslana.
A rather cheerful and polite young girl who would later become jaded and secluded after being bullied.
The Current Era Anomaly and First of Her Kind:
Pseudo Herrscher of Toxin.
Yeeeeaaaahhhhh, I may be fucked here.
I began backing away, as Yuna seemed to be absorbed in basking in her guaranteed victory, and quietly got near the window while slinging Theresa over my shoulder.
"Oi! What are you trying to do?"
I froze like a deer in the headlights upon hearing the question.
"Would you believe me if I said I was trying to find a quiet and warm place to die of death?"
When in doubt folks, always try and bs your way out of the situation. Works 95% of the time!
In response, Yuna nodded as if that seemed feasible.
"That's a fair point. But there's no need to trouble yourself with moving. Here. Let me help you."
"...Ah shi-"
__________
It was as Raven was busy searching the perimeter that she heard maniacal laughing followed by a crash as someone went screaming through a window.
I landed with a thud on my back, while slowly sliding to a groaning stop at Raven's feet.
"I'm guessing you encountered some difficulties?"
"I'm not going to bother dignifying that with an actual answer."
Raven merely chuckled as I groaned while unclenching my arms from around the lolibaba I was protecting.
Yeah. I said it. Theresa is a lolibaba. Back off FBI, technically she's going to jail for making skin to skin contact, not me.
Anyway.
Considering how things went prior in the manga, this is normally the part where Yae Sakura would show up and bless Theresa with her Stigmata and power which would then lead to the events of the gratitude arc.
Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of waiting around for a hot shrine maiden to grace us all with her presence so...
That means I have to deal with this myself.
"... God I hate my sense of accountability."
Sighing, I stood up while rubbing my neck and scratching my hand.
The burn had mostly faded by now, and my shoulders weren't gushing red like an R rated fondue bar so I'll take it.
"Welp I leave our beautiful dean in your care Raven. If I die, my (not) sister is an adorable gremlin who is around yonder direction. Take her to your nest or whatever. Also, the dean is probably a target for the vines. Watch for that."
"Excuse m-"
"Try not to let her get kidnapped by the high school flunkout up there as she appears to be holding a grudge. Considering she only got enraged cause she saw a cross, I think she's an atheist."
"Now hold o-"
"If you see a hot pink haired lady lurking around, its fine to let her near. She's going to do a fusion dance with Theresa via lip lock. It's yuri so it's alright in my book."
"..."
By this point I think Raven gave up on speaking and just focused on trying to understand why I was rapid firing gobbledy gook at her.
"Got that? Good."
Unfortunately for her, I didn't really care to stick around and hear an affirmative.
With a thought, wings were out and I was soaring through the sky and back towards le chuuni, all while the sweet sound of swearing floated behind me.
_
I came back up to find Yuna sitting on a chair mode of thorns and vines. Under her hand was a plant which she was stroking like a cat.
...
Y'know this screams ' A Court of Thorns and Roses' or at least Poison Ivy, but I ain't saying anything about it.
Instead, Imma do something that I excel at.
Using words to agitate those I'm speaking to.
Well more like spew word vomit and terrible jokes while I'm nervous.
But considering said word vomit pisses people off regardless, I'll take it.
"So uh, Miss Yuna," I began while hovering with my arms crossed outside the window, "You think there's a chance I could do some renovation around here? I can appreciate the whole Horticulture shindig you got going on, but you really need some trimmings done. This whole garden is kinda invading the outside world."
"That so? And pray tell why I should listen to an insect like you? As far as we are concerned, You" are the invader. We did not ask for your opinion on what is done."
Really need to have a talk with Prometheus if I ever get the chance I swear. That +2 in speech is showing...
"Y'know what? Fair. Let's compromise then. You remove the floral hell, and I don't make you look like a very shriveled houseplant. Deal?"
Huh. How fascinating, never knew humans could reach that shade of red. Is that steam coming from her ears?
I wasn't actually given much time to ponder cause next thing I know, the whole frickin classroom wall comes flying at my face and I'm forced to veer right as it goes sailing in the distance.
Yuna meanwhile was busy bowing her head while her hands dug grooves into her chair.
"Unforgiveable... After all this Power I've gained, a mere worm like yourself dares to make demands of me?! I'll kill you where you stand and use your body as compost for my vines!"
"Poison Ivy already did that whole spiel but sure. Drown yourself in delusions. With the power you have, your far from being near the top. For a being allegedly close to god, your strength is extremely pathetic."
"RAAAAGGHHHHH!!!!"
In response another chunk of the wall was thrown my way and very easily dodged.
Ok then.
She's successfully enraged-
Maddened?
Ragebaited?
Uhhhh....
Anyway, I pissed her off. That's part 1 of the plan done.
Now for part 2.
...What was that again?
Whoosh!
Seeing a spear like plant graze my hair quickly reminded me of that part.
"NIGERUNDAYO!"
Fly like hell and pray she doesn't catch up.
15 Minutes Later
"Y'know. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I didn't seem to provoke everyone I met. You'd think I'd have learned to shut up by now, but nope. Apparently I reeeaaalllly suck at it."
Yeah so...
I ended up flying for as long as I could, but I sorta lost any chance I had of escape when Yuna decided to start using an improvised slingshot maneuver to launch herself forward.
Couple that with the fact she started also sending out weapons using a plant version of Gate of Babylon to throw stuff and I ended up getting swatted out of the sky like an annoying gnat.
Which is irritating, cause I know I got bug wings but sheesh.
Spare me some shame would ya?
Regardless, once she had caught up, Yuna wasted no time in essentially wrapping my limbs in bonds as I lay suspended in the air while she gloated.
Or at least she started gloating til I also opened my mouth, which made her huff before she sat cross legged in front of me and started entering a trance.
Speaking of which,
"So, any grand plans you wish to reveal before ya kill me? Maybe some intriguing lore I should know? Possible weaknesses that can only be discovered by you explaining your abilities and or past?"
I didn't actually expect a response, and I didn't get one either seeing as she was busy doing god knows what. Wait.
Never mind.
Those vines are forming a cocoon around her like she's incubating now.
That does lead to the next problem though.
Which would namely be...
'These damn vines... They're definitely starting to get irksome...'
Yuna may have been killed off quickly in the manga to the point where no one got to see the full extent of her abilities.
But here?
She was able to showcase a lot more.
And one nifty little thing that wasn't mentioned was Yuna being able to absorb energy through her vines whenever they punctured something.
So that means, she not only can control plants and floral life, she can also inject poison from whatever plant she controls, poison that is almost always fatal mind you, and to top it off, she can now also absorb external sources of power.
And considering I was essentially sitting bait, she had a ripe energy source to drain dry.
Energy which was being funneled from my body to inside of hers for her own nourishment.
...
Pause.
Jokes aside, I wasn't too keen to be used as a juice box for a deranged chunni with claims of grandeur.
But as the seconds ticked by, I grew more concerned watching the cocoon housing Yuna throb more and more as the glow from inside began seeping out more and more.
Very soon, that new being would definitely emerge, and I definitely don't want to deal with a full fledged Herrscher if the previous one was incomplete and still captured me.
So I struggled to escape, outright trying to vibrate my body as if I was Wally West trying to phase through a wall or something.
I didn't become intangible or anything, but I kept shaking regardless, and even straining at one point against my bonds.
As I did so, I felt something fall from my pocket and land on the ground with a small thump.
"Theresa's necklace?"
As if in response to the word Theresa, the pendant began floating as it trembled in the air before shining brightly.
Before my very eyes, it seemed to grow and expand til a giant cross slammed down to the ground.
"No frickin way... Judah?!"
I'm not one to count my blessings but this is definitely awesome!
11th Divine Key : ｢The Oath of Judah｣
Contains the Core of the Previous Era Herrscher of Binding
Users include Kallen Kaslana and Theresa Apocalypse
A weapon with the capacity to weaken and seal enemies.
Straining forward, I just barely managed to touch its edge as I tried to think of my intention to be free.
Considering it was essentially a shell housing a dead consciousness I was hoping it would get the message regardless.
"I know I'm not your original wielder, but for the sake of Theresa, I need to get free and stop this other girl in front of me. So please... Help me, Judah!"
With a hum and a small hiss, compartments opened as Judah deployed its spears, spears which quickly ejected and sliced through the vines holding me aloft.
Landing in a crouch, I silently thanked Judah while turning my attention to the incubator housing Yuna.
"Most situations involving metamorphosis don't end well for the being inside if you damage the chrysalis, so..."
I grabbed one of the spears Judah had left out and felt it morph into a chain which quickly wrapped around my wrist.
I took a breath as I then started straining to swing around in a circle, picking up speed as Judah also started spinning with me.
"Let's cause some issues!"
Following that shout, I slammed the giant cross into the cocoon, and was treated to the sight of it being eviscerated on the spot.
"..."
Huh.
Y'know.
I fully expected that to be a lot more difficult.
Like I'm talking a bit more boss level, not just whack and go.
Well, at least its over I guess.
"I guess in the end she was all bark and no bite huh?"
Shrugging, I hoisted the cross over my back and turned around to start walking.
Only to pause as I felt something slither around my ankle.
"Eh?"
I looked down and blinked stupidly as I realized it was a vine again.
Ah shit.
I really got to stop messing with Murphy man.
"*Unintelligible words that are untranslatable*"
I was flung through the air once more screaming as the vine played yeet with my body.
A short while later, I landed on my back once again near a building that was unrecognizable as it was Rubble.
"Well that could have gone wor- Gueghkc????"
Mid speech I was interrupted by Judah landing on my stomach and causing me to nearly cough up a lung from the impact.
I sputtered for a bit, but eventually managed to shove the cross off my body and stagger to my feet.
Stumbling for a bit, I quickly reoriented myself, and turned my attention to the area I was thrown from. And once I did...
Boy did I feel all the blood drain from my face as my pupils narrowed in absolute terror.
Tap
Tap
Tap
Soft, quiet footsteps echoed through the air.
A small cloud of purple mist wafted gently forward through the air, causing anything it touched to wilt and slowly wither away.
Long lines of vines and roses slowly bloomed forward, their center cores spewing forth more of that toxic mist.
But the thing that scared me most, was the being walking through it all without a care.
"You can't have- This shouldn't be-"
I couldn't even finish my sentence from the sheer shock factor of what I was seeing.
Gone was that previous humanoid appearance.
In its place lay a deep green alloy.
A skirt adorned with flowers and green flora.
Various bulbs jutting from her body.
Jagged razor sharp leaves serving as greaves for her arms and legs.
And a face like a Venus fly trap.
A situation that's possible in theory, but should never have happened.
Advent of the Monarch
Aberration Code 4: YUNA
Herrscher of Depravity
I can't believe it.
She actually metamorphosized into a Herrscher?!
My legs felt like limp noodles with how much they were shaking, and try as I might, I couldn't move no matter how hard I tried to tell my body otherwise.
I didn't even know when, but I blinked, and suddenly she was directly in front of me, making direct eye contact.
"!"
Almost instinctively, my body was up in the air as I looked down and saw the grass where I was previously at bubbling as it melted into nothing sludge.
"What's the matter? No more words left to spare? No more jokes or obscure references to toss my way?"
Yuna-
No.
That thing using her voice seemed to sound almost sad as it tilted its head with a toothy grin.
It let out a small chuckle as it began to walk and talk, voice low as if regaling some interesting secret.
"You know. I have you to think for this wondrous power I received. Before you came along, I was content to just slowly siphon energy from those despicable classmates of mine. But then you came along, and well, who was I to refuse such a bounty of rich energy?"
It seemed to shudder while hugging itself tightly and squirming.
"Yes oh yes~ Tasty and plentiful indeed. If it were just those few morsels from before, I'd never have reached this power in time, if at all. But thanks to you? I'm at my peak, my power has grown, and I understand my abilities all so much more. For example~"
"?"
My vision swam for a second, as I felt everything get light. Groaning, I held my head, as my ears began ringing, and my head started throbbing.
"You...What... did you- ugg...."
"Oh I never did introduce myself now did I? How rude of me. Yuna no longer exists you see, Call me... The Herrscher of Depravity."
I fell out of the air, and landed with a heavy crash at this things feet, while it took a bow above me.
"My power. My Authority if you will, I control every Poison, every Toxin, and I manipulate them how I see fit. Neurotoxins, viruses, Pathogens, name it and it's mine. Plants, fauna, I control them. I.. AM them. They are my eyes, my ears. I am... whole."
I didn't dignify that with anything but a groan.
As if growing displeased with my lack of words, the Herrscher used one vined hand to grasp my throat and lift me gagging in the air.
With eyes narrowed, its grip tightened as I felt my my throat slowly get more and more crushed.
"Do you find my words boring? Are you unable to withstand my magnificence? Or maybe..."
It leaned in.
"Or is it maybe the knowledge that this is all your fault too much to bear? The lives of everyone here is at stake because of you. Does that upset you?"
...
Crunch!
Breaking its hand was the best thing I ever felt like doing at that moment.
But instead of flinching in pain, it merely looked at its now limp wrist with interest, before flinging me away.
I landed in a crouch, a short bit away, and shakily got back to my feet.
A sense of weakness permeated every corner of my body, but I nonetheless forced my body to cooperate regardless.
For once I was actively not trying to talk, because I had a feeling that doing so would cause me to inhale more of that mist she had floating around. I know it's possibly a poison of some kind, but it isn't instantly fatal.
And while that may be because she's underestimating me, I'm fine with that.
Let her arrogance be her downfall.
The Herrscher stared at me with rapt interest as if impressed I decided to stay and not run.
Trust me.
I want nothing more than to flee.
But if I don't make an attempt to stop her here and now, then I won't be able to accept the untold deaths of children that would be on my hands.
So I grit my teeth despite my fear and leaned into a running start as my Complex, my wings, flared to life.
As they ejected though, I felt sparks running along their edges, a spark which quickly flowed down through my body and into my hands, causing them to start crackling with energy.
...
I'll check that later.
Right now, I'm putting everything into this one move. For the sake of my new chance in another world, and for the girl I've only started getting attached to.
Inhale
Exhale
"I'll Put Everything on the Line!"
Lunging forward, I flew low to the ground with my hand cocked back for a punch.
But as I neared it, I rapidly accelerated behind the Herrscher and kicked its back as hard as I could, launching it forward.
Sliding to a stop, I quickly followed it forward, before accelerating and appearing above it this time.
With hands clasped above my head, I slammed an Axe Hammer down on its head, knocking it straight back to the ground.
As its back slammed to the ground, spittle flew from its mouth as it bounced off the ground.
A blink, and I was there, fist cocked back as I slammed a punch into its ribs, sending it face first through a wall.
As it exited the building, I was there again, slamming it with another heavy punch.
Up.
Down.
Left.
Right.
Over and over I slammed my fist into its body, each blow getting heavier and faster as I accelerated more and more from each direction.
Any time The Herrscher would try and retaliate, I'd make quick use of my Complex to brake and abruptly change directions to continue my assault.
By this point, my acceleration was such that I started leaving an energy trail of emerald.
A high speed blitz from every direction.
An attack that can only be utilized by someone like me who can stop and start without losing speed or momentum.
DEFENSE MECHANISM OF THE DRAGONFLY - HARE COURSING
By this point, The Herrscher had long gone silent, so I didn't hesitate to go in for what I was sure was the killing blow.
With a fist wrapped in light, I descended down with a shout.
"YOU"RE FINISHED!!!"
STAB!
"GHhrrk?"
Instead of my fist meeting flesh, I was presented with the sensation of my own flesh being stabbed through, as I was forced to come to a halt.
"Defense Mechanism Imitation: Crass Forest of Crucifixion"
"AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!"
With a swipe down of her hand, various vine spears fell out of the sky and punctured straight into my body causing me to let an actual scream of anguish.
They didn't seem to have end, as more and more poured forth from the sky shredding away at my flesh as I ended up falling to first my knee, then both as the wave continued. Until I was outright being shoved onto my back from the sheer volume as the rain continued.
The spears didn't stop until after a short while, at which the Herrscher itself came over dragging something heavy.
Lifting it above its head, I saw it was the Oath of Judah.
That was the last thing I remember before the cross came down and I blacked out from the pain.
...
I....
"...."
I really goofed.
I'm realizing that a bit too late now.
And to top it all off, I'm back in that grey room with Markus over there again.
"Yo."
"Fuck off."
"Yeesh. Talk about unprocessed hostility. What I'd do?"
"Exist."
Despite grumbling and groaning, I nonetheless drifted over to his side on the couch that had spawned out of nowhere and took a seat.
"..."
"..."
For a minute or so we just sat in silence. Chilling.
"So. What happened back there?"
Well we were chilling til he had to ask that.
I let out a sigh as I thought about how to answer.
Whether that be to lie or to just tell the truth.
After a short bit, I just went with the truth.
"I wanted to try and put a stop to that mess before it could spiral further out of control. That's all."
"You sure? No other ulterior motives?"
"Yeah. That was it. I just wanted to be the Hero. Happy?"
Markus just gave me a look. That long knowing look, that only a friend can give.
I squirmed under said gaze for a bit, growing more and more uncomfortable until I couldn't take it anymore and I spilled once again.
"Ok! OK! Look, I made a mistake. A big, giant, uber sized fuckup. And not to mention because of said mistake, Yuna spiraled from fodder to endgame boss! I'm scared Mark!"
"Go on."
"Because of me, Yuna was able to become a fully realized lawmaker! Because of me, Theresa will probably never receive the stigmata from Sakura! Because of me, events are changing, and that means my foresight may be useless! And I hate it! I hate this powerlessness I'm feeling! I hate that everything is seemingly be derailed because of my very presence!"
"...Yeesh. You have it worse than I thought."
"....Whatever Mark."
At this point I'm just done man.
I can't even be bothered to feel sad anymore.
Because both this idiot and I know, I'm going to wake up and try again.
Cause I'm also an idiot.
Plain and simple.
Sigh.
Casting aside my micro pity party, I don't know if this Markus is real or not.
But I suppose if he's helping me by listening to me vent, it doesn't matter.
What does matter is what I'm going to do to try and stop Yu-
...
The Herrscher of Depravity, from going all out on humanity.
"It's a shame that Yuna went berserk. You're also kinda screwed since she could absorb your power through her vines, and maybe now through direct touch."
"Yeah. It's like fighting a Sorceress who keeps debuffing you while buffing herself. It's frickin irritating."
"Too bad you can't absorb energy yourself though huh. If you could, you could just take her power back. Or at least Uber Charge yourself with an outside source or something. Like Medic does to Heavy in TF2. Heck, too bad your name isn't Roxas, or you could have dual wielded like him."
"..."
Markus. You watch too many animes ya idiot.
...
I was still pinned and bleeding when Raven found me shortly after I awoke.
Raven whistled in concern upon seeing my state, before leaning on top of Judah, which caused me to wheeze more.
"I'm not sure if I should be impressed your alive, or concerned your still able to breathe with that on top of you."
"Don't worry," I retorted back, "You have time to do both, seeing as how you're actively trying to send me off yourself."
Despite my snark, I was happy to see her though.
Having someone I knew around was definitely a relief.
Of course that thought went out the window the minute I felt her clawed hand grasp my throat.
"You know... I have your life right here in my hand. Tell me why I shouldn't get rid of you right now?"
Oh.
Oh no...
Raven leaned in reeeealll close as she spoke, a finger tapping the ground as she spoke.
"You're a really annoying guy you know? Shortly after you left, I was left with a delirious child who kept trying to swat me like I was a gnat or something. If you hadn't told me she was someone important, I would have left her in the street somewhere."
Fair enough.
"Not to mention, imagine my surprise when a rather charming young lady with donkey ears walks up out of nowhere, undetectable to my ears mind you, and then proceeds to rest this girls head in her lap while rubbing her hair with nostalgia. You a seer or something?"
My response to that was ever eloquent. Extremely well thought out, and nigh impossible to misunderstand.
"Fox ears."
"What?"
"Fox ears," I repeated, "She has fox ears."
"That so? I never asked."
Once again.
Fair play.
"Not to mention. You exhibit more and more weird capabilities by the minute. In the short time I've interacted with you, you've displayed abilities no normal human should possess, even with Honkai energy being taken into account. So... Once again. Why shouldn't I put you down right here and now, to avoid releasing a potentially dangerous monster on the world."
"Because Raven," I choked out while wheezing, "We have a bigger issue. That girl in the classroom. She's an aberration. She was a Pseudo Herrscher, but she just became a full fledged one thanks to absorbing enough Honkai energy from... well. Me. So we got a bigger fish to fry."
"Ok. Ignoring that I never told you my name, you said she just now became a Herrscher? Just from getting energy from you? It takes about 2000 HW for someone to reach Herrscher status, and that's more than a Honkai reactor outputs on average. Not to mention that anything past 1000 is often fatal for most people. How much energy are you packing in that body of yours?"
...
Ok.
So apparently I'm even more irregular than I thought. I'll file the knowledge that I should be dead, and apparently have enough Honkai energy to bypass a small generator on the backburner.
Pending identity crises aside, we do have more pressing issues.
"Doesn't... matter. Right now, there's very little... I can really do. Not on my own. Not to mention she was giving me trouble while being a half baked demigod, so its concerning about her potential now that's she's full fledged."
I may be down playing it a bit, considering that whole chase was just me playing high speed tag, but from the little of where I did try and fight, she had me extremely outmatched in terms of attack capacity.
I thought I had her on the ropes, but with one look at my attack, she not only understood the gist of it, but even made an imitation variant of it.
The difference between the girl who spoke like an 8th grader, and the freaky plant monster that evolved from that Chrysalis?
Night and day.
I can't risk that being released on the world.
It took a bit but, with muscles straining, I managed to shove both Raven and Judah off of my body as I staggered to my feet.
"Look, whatever gripe you have with me? It can wait. Right now, we have a common goal. Once we get rid of Yuna, then you can kill me or at least try to. Right now we need to... Need to..."
I slumped forward as my legs gave out, barely catching myself on one knee.
"We need to work together."
I said this with as much finality as I could muster.
It hurt like hell, but I forced myself to stand once more, and reach out a hand for a handshake.
"Truce?"
Raven looked at me for a second, seemingly weighing her decisions before she slowly reached out and clasped my hand.
"Truce."
Having clasped hands, the truce was made.
With that agreement made, I relaxed my guard a bit.
God my head is ringing...
Regardless, there's much to be done.
But not much time to do it all.
Ideally we need some way of running interference.
And not to mention, the more worrisome part of this mess.
What is that things Honkai Beast companion?
Not to mention, the children.
We have too many areas to conquer, but not enough time to do everything.
So much to do, but not enough resources to spread ourselves enough.
"Damn... We really have our work cut out for us huh..."
"Haa? Care to elaborate for those of who can't mind read?"
"We lack manpower. Right now there's at minimum at least 3 areas we have to take care of."
Crouching down, I began to draw in the sand while I talked.
I drew a big circle then began drawing the first shape, a crude rose, in the center.
"First off, Yuna herself. She calls herself the Herrscher of Depravity and she's the main cause for concern. Her relative power is not something I can exactly quantify. But, from what I experienced before she can absorb energy through her vines. Not to mention, she can spew toxins from her body, and any plant she happens to be near. I also believe she can emit a clear odorless neurotoxin that causes extreme fear to the point of paralysis. As well as one that just causes actual paralysis."
That's the only reason I can think of my having frozen before.
Cause as cowardly as I am at times, I'm not one to freeze in the face of the unknown.
The only reason I managed to even regain the ability to move was because of the pain of being suffocated overriding any fear I felt.
Next, I drew a piranha plant on the right side of the rose.
"Second, her as of now unidentified Honkai Beast companion. Upon becoming a full fledged Herrscher, she definitely has a Companion now. They're a package deal."
Apart from a few exceptions like Welt and the Herrscher of Dominance, every Herrscher should in theory have a companion beast.
But even ignoring that, the most glaring issue is one we can't ignore.
"I'm sensing there's more to it than what you've said before?"
"Yeah. Those aren't even the most damning things here."
I tapped the circle I drew, before drawing several stick figures outside of it.
"Discounting the threat index of those two, we have one final problem. Casualties. Your Nest, and my Sora. They're near this city which means they're at risk. When we start fighting Yuna, the clash of power is bound to attract Honkai Beasts. Beasts which definitely won't remain idle and will instinctively find nearby humans to harm. It's a catch 22, and we just don't have the manpower for all three."
Ideally, I'd like to leave and go get Sora and the rest away myself but...
From what I've seen, Raven might not be able to take Yuna on.
The Seven Thunders can definitely do severe damage to her but... That's assuming she's able to get close enough to take the shot.
And Yuna's companion beast definitely won't let that slide.
And while I can definitely get past a Honkai Beast companion to attack the Herrscher directly, Raven doesn't know where Sora is, and she can't get all the kids in the nest away while playing defense as well.
"If only we had a third person to help..."
"Well, its a good thing I'm here then huh?"
Eh?
Both Raven and I whirled around to find a little girl standing behind us.
Her face was covered in shadow, so I couldn't quite see her eyes, but as she walked forward I blinked in confusion.
Only for her to vanish from my line of vision.
"Judah... I'm sorry I was so careless and almost lost you again. Don't worry, this time, I'll be sure to keep you with me at all times."
Hearing the voice coming from behind me, I whirled around to find the girl now gently stroking Oath of Judah, which had chains wrapped around her arms almost possessively.
Then she hoisted it onto her back before turning and giving a small bow.
"I believe you needed a Third person to help right? I'm Theresa Apocalypse, and I believe I can be of some service."
Theresa Apocalpyse - Sakuno Rondo
As we watched Theresa doing a curtsy eerily reminiscent of another white haired loli, Raven jabbed my rib with her elbow.
"Guess you found your answer huh."
Swatting her hand away, I nonetheless had a small smile on my face as I nodded.
"Yeah. With this, we now have a chance."
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
3rd POV - Theresa Apocalypse (RIN)
Bitter.
Confused.
Resolved.
A confusing mix of emotions swirled around in her head.
Bitterness about how easily she was tricked into lowering her guard, and then just as quickly rendered incapacitated. One stab, and her body was rendered immobile, she was a prisoner in her own skin, forced to hear, but unable to act.
Confusion about the boy who seemed to recognize her at first glance. Not to mention he was confidently talking to plants like they could hear him. She was worried but then perplexed when he was also injected via Yuna's vines, but seemed able to still move.
Resolved... She was steadfast in her decision to help them.
What kind of person would she be if everyone else put their life on the line, and she sat on the sides playing damsel in distress?
So when she heard the boy mention they needed at least 3 people for this operation, she was all too eager to help.
Which led to now.
Alexander had split them into separate groups.
He himself would be going to go help with evacuation. He argued that it was because she was stronger than him, but he was faster. He reasoned that he could get there, and back, by the time everyone else was done.
After seeing how fast he shot off into the air like a rocket, Theresa was inclined to believe him.
Next was Raven.
She was put on duty with handling Yuna's Companion Beast.
The reasoning was that she could play a game of keep away, while also being able to provide supporting fire to whoever dealt with the Herrscher.
That just left Theresa herself.
She was on Herrscher cleanup duty.
Herrscher of Depravity, that was Yuna's new name.
She had apparently evolved from needing to inject people directly with her Toxins, and instead could now spew them directly into the air, and her body itself also passively emitted poison in the air.
Upon mentioning this, Theresa was initially worried, but Alex was quick to reassure her.
'You'll be fine RIN, your body is essentially in an enhanced state as well right now. One Herrscher of Poison vs another shouldn't go too far south.'
RIN...
She didn't know why, but that name felt familiar. Perhaps that's why she didn't correct him on her name?
Regardless, she was here now.
The foot of ME corp.
Ironic considering this is where the events of the previous eruption culminated...
But its where Yuna was.
After all, Theresa didn't think any other place could fit considering this building had the whole Court of Thorns and Roses theme going.
"Miss Herrscher. I'm here to put a stop to your madness! I know you can hear me, so open on up!"
Her childish voice rang through the air, eventually trailing off into the air quietly, but Theresa wasn't fazed.
She knew Yuna would take the bait.
After all, from what she could guess, Yuna's arrogance wouldn't allow her to deny any potential challengers to her so called 'rule'.
Sure enough, the plants constricting the entrance began to shift and churn before making a crude staircase to the top.
The challenge was sent, and the offer was taken.
Without further ado, Theresa began her ascent upwards.
A short walk later, and she was at the top of the building, where she saw Yuna awaiting her.
"So you actually came back? What, was one loss not enough? Or are you simply a glutton for punishment?"
Accompanying her words, a sea of shadow seemed to rise from all sides of the building, converging into a single point before piercing down.
In response, Theresa merely took Judah from her back and slammed it down onto the ground
"Judah!"
At her command, a ring of light spread outwards, and the weapon made of plants shuddered to a halt, before losing all movement as they burst apart harmlessly.
"Oh?"
"Things won't be the same as before. Not this time. I'm giving you one last chance, please. Please stop this madness before I stop you myself. We can help you Yuna. You don't have to let your life be consumed by rage and suffering. We can give you a better life. Please..."
It was probably futile to try and ask, but Theresa had to give it a shot regardless.
From what she remembered of before, the Herrschers of this time are different compared to hers.
....
What was she thinking again?
Er.... Doesn't matter.
She had laid out out her request, and all that was left was to see if it was accepted or not.
Yuna paused for a second, head bowed.
"I... I don't want to do this..."
Hearing the small voice instead of the overpowering arrogant one, Theresa took a step forward with her hand outstretched. Maybe it didn't have to be a bad end-
"Is that what you really thought I'd say?"
"..."
And.... Hope for a peaceful resolution is gone.
The Herrscher of Depravity started chuckling.
"All this power, the means of remaking the world anew. And you expect me to give it up? Theresa~ Oh Theresa... How could you be so naive? I'm fine with the way I am. I'm better now than I ever was as the weak and pathetic girl Yuna, who was only ever bullied. Plus there are some perks I get now, in comparison to then."
Before Theresa's eyes, the Herrscher moved to the side, revealing a pod. From that pod, first a root emerged, slapping down on the ground before firmly entrenching itself.
Another root slapped down, then a leafy head poked out, revealing a crown adorning a mouth dripping with Saliva.
"SKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!"
As Theresa tensed up upon seeing the plant Godzilla wannabe, the Herrscher meanwhile walked up and stroked its head affectionately.
"My own companion. One that can never betray me, nor lie to me because it is subservient to me and me alone. Halahala, the strongest poison in myth. How fitting of a name of my loyal subordinate. So, after seeing all that I possess now. Tell me why you think I should go back to being weak. To being human?"
"For starters, as a human your speech doesn't grate my ears, nor does it come across like you're trying to molest my body with each breath."
In place of Theresa's response, someone else took over for her.
DEFENSE MECHANISM OF THE DRAGONFLY - HUNTING RIFLE
With a trail of emerald, and the sound of something being broken-
Alexander crashed straight into Halahala with his whole body, which outright uprooted it and carried it away straight down off the building.
"You insufferable little-!"
"Theresa!" As he drifted away, Alex called back up to the white haired little lass, "I'm leaving our resident edgelord to you! Crush her and show her who's better!"
...
Well... That certainly took her by surprise, when he had pulled her aside and told her of his plan to separate Herrscher and Beast, she didn't think he meant by literally kidnapping it with a fly-by.
"No matter. While unexpected, this doesn't change much. I can just capture him and drain him until nothing is left but a dry husk."
The Herrscher muttered to herself while outstretching a palm, causing several plants to surge forward and began trying to descend down.
And ignoring Theresa by extension.
Now that just wasn't very kind of her now was it?
Theresa grabbed Judah's edge, causing it to glow as its form changed and took on a more ornamental theme from the infusion of power.
With a pop, a Katana emerged, one she grasped gently, before her form blurred and she vanished from the spot.
"?!"
"Sorry but, its rude to take your eyes off the person in front of you. I'm afraid you're dealing with me now."
Several diced cubes fell to the ground as Theresa reappeared next to Judah and sheathed the Katana back in its casing.
She wouldn't admit it but, as the Herrscher of Depravity seemingly frowned before turning its attention to her, Theresa felt a strange tinge of excitement for the ensuing battle.
𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿𓄿
3rd Pov - Natasha Ciora (Raven)
Confusion.
Exasperation.
Resignation.
That could sum up how Raven felt all throughout these last 7 hours.
Confusion on when she first saw that boy walking throughout Nagazora without a care.
His interactions with that girl he lived with were surprisingly wholesome though. But that could have all just been an act. So she stayed to watch and figure out why two people were trying to thrive in this wasteland.
The more she watched, the more shocked she grew.
That guy, was definitely the fighter of the two.
Not only was he surprisingly nimble, but he was able to absorb Honkai energy, without showing any signs of discomfort.
Not that that was unusual though. The strange part was the rate at how fast he could do it, and not to mention how when she got near him during one such outing, her own reserves had dipped while he was doing it.
That had alarmed her to an irrational degree and her first thought was to eliminate him, hence why she had fired first and asked questions later. Imagine her surprise when he not only dodged several of her blasts, he even countered one with a rock.
A frickin rock.
Exasperation.
Talking with him for even a minute was exasperating. He had a mouth, an attitude, and he seemed to love telling jokes only he understood.
Not to mention how he spoke with her like he knew her. The familiarity got under her skin, and it made her shiver with how it seemed he didn't even notice he was doing it.
In that building, she had accidentally got too comfortable around him and couldn't resist showing off a little. His awe at her deductive capabilities was nothing short of satisfying.
She preened at his praise, before being scared at how close he had gotten to her in a short while. She had no choice but to make an excuse and leave the building so she could try and recover.
Resignation.
That boy, Alex, as he called himself. He was an enigma.
When he had come falling out of the building, his whole demeanor was different.
He was running his mouth rapidly, and not even giving her a chance to speak. Like he was feeling nervous but didn't want to show it.
He probably thought he hid it well, but Raven knew better. His trick would fool most, but not her. Not someone who was used to seeing masks on most of her colleagues.
And then the most infuriating part was his trust in her. He had left a child with her, as if she was that trustworthy. Like he knew she could be trusted, despite her trying to kill him moments prior.
But she didn't raise a complaint, because by the time she tried, he was already soaring through the air.
So she ended up watching over that girl. Until another lady came by a few hours later and took her away into the surrounding forest, a pink glow suffusing the air, before the girl came back and promptly fell asleep against a tree.
Creepy, but sure.
Why not let Alex's bs be right?
Not like it was terrifying or anything.
...
Yeah it was extremely terrifying.
You know what was more terrifying?
Walking around to stretch your legs and seeing the person you're unsure if you hate or not, being impaled to the ground while bleeding out of several holes in his body.
Before she knew it, she had gone over to check on him, before his eyes blinked open and she instead decided to try and harden her heart one last time.
Til he opened his mouth.
He sounded scared for his life at first, especially when she asked for why she shouldn't kill him.
But as he spoke, his words moved her.
He went from sounding terrified to looking resolved and steadfast. Like he was willing to do anything at that moment.
So when he stuck his hand out for help, Raven knew.
She was in too deep.
She couldn't kill him or it wouldn't sit well with her.
That led to this moment.
A tangled mess of vines and teeth slammed into the ground, causing a large cloud of dust to rise from the ground.
A slight buzzing behind her, was Raven's sign that the source of her headache was behind her.
"Can I leave the rest to you Raven?"
"Would you even accept it if I said anything to the contrary?"
"Eh.... Probably not."
*Snort*
Yeah. That checks. She couldn't help but let out a snort of bitter acceptance at the knowledge she was going along with this.
Turning her body away from the crater, she met the gaze of Alexander who was hovering with his hand out for a fist bump.
"We got this. Let's rock em and sock em eh?"
"..."
Raven hesitated briefly for only a second, before she just shrugged her shoulders.
"Y'know what? Sure. But you owe me for doing something this suicidal."
"Eh, fair enough."
Thump
With a soft thump, they bumped each other, before Alex gave a salute and shot off into the air with a sonic boom, his body quickly disappearing in the distance as he neared the Nest.
Leaving just Raven and her thoughts-
"SKKKKRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
And a very angry plant monster thing which was currently using its roots to rip free of its dirt prison, or at least try to.
Upon trying, the ground gave out and it just fell on its face causing it to screech in more outrage.
"Well... Time to get to work..."
Far from being concerned, Raven merely strapped the Seven Thunders to her back, before popping her neck and lightly hopping down into the crater, landing in a crouch.
"Ya know," Raven began as she started walking forward, "I could have avoided all this mess if I would have just stayed home. Hell, my Mentor told me there were other areas to visit besides this one. But, my own greed blinded me, made me irrational. So here I am. And you know the worst part?"
Step after step, she walked forward, head tilting ever so slightly to avoid the crumbling rocks falling around her.
She walked forward until she stopped right in front of Halahala, and looked up at it without fear.
Halahala gnashed its teeth before raising one root like foot and stomping it down.
With a loud boom the ground cratered and Raven's appearance was obscured in the dirt.
Not content, Halahala, slammed its head toward the ground, belching and releasing a toxic cloud where it was certain Raven was.
Limited as its intelligence was, it knew people couldn't survive direct contact with its gas.
Lifting its foot, it was surprised to see no one there.
"The worst part is it's my fault. So I'll take it out on you. Fair?"
Before Halahala could react, it felt a stabbing sensation as its chest was ruthlessly punctured, causing it squeal in pain and retreat hurriedly. Without even realizing it, it had made its way above ground and was nervously watching the woman who harmed it.
Unfortunately, Raven had no interest in playing tag, as the moment Halahala moved, she was moving right behind it, fist cocked back as she punched it straight in the jaw, knocking it flying back.
With a crunch, its 'head' flew free of its body and landed with a small thump on the ground, rolling to a stop.
In response to the attack, the body immediately contorted before exploding outwards with hundreds of barbs, forcing Raven to flip away and land in a crouch as she watched the head torso reattach.
Following that, Halahala's body writhed, before it bundled up and launched forward, charging in like a speeding train.
Instead of being scared, or even looking remotely frightened, Raven merely smirked.
Moments before impact, Raven moved.
Her body twisting in a shape that would leave most contortionists jealous, she spun up into the air, before coming back down and kicking Halahala's back.
With the added force, it's body was rudely accelerated face first into a tree.
Using the momentum from the kick like a springboard, Raven unstrapped Seven Thunders in one fluid motion and took aim.
Looking through the lens, she could see Theresa and Yuna duking it out.
For the most part, Theresa was relatively unharmed, while Yuna was bleeding from several cuts, and had several blades sticking from her chest and torso.
With a rather impressed blink, Raven watched as Theresa ducked one of Yuna's attacks before countering with a brutal palm strike to Yuna's kidney.
Regardless of how Raven winced at the blow, she nonetheless continued lining up the shot, her finger squeezing the trigger, before the roar of a railgun filled the air.
Within seconds, the sound of enraged screaming filled the air as Yuna was shown to be missing most of her torso. And from the way she was clutching it, regeneration wasn't saving that.
And in the time it took all this to happen, Raven landed in a crouch and tucked her gun away, spinning to land a honkai reinforced kick right as Halahala tried to sneak her.
The resulting collision knocked both of them away, although Halahala was definitely more worse for wear.
Both sides took a ready combat stance once more, although this time, Raven didn't even bother to pretend to hide her malicious smile.
_________________
DJ Pov
Yeesh.
My back hurts.
That's my only gripe at the moment.
Well my only gripe if we ignore the fact that my whole body feels like it got put through a blender.
"Talk about being sore after a workout sheesh. I'm surprised I can even handle flying let alone monologuing..."
Yeah I think Raven neglected to mention how many kids she had, because when I arrived, I had to do a double take at what was over 47 kids.
Like Christ. A warning would have been nice!
But regardless, convincing them I wasn't a kidnapper was surprisingly easy. Apparently knowing Raven's name and appearance is enough to prove I'm trustworthy.
The hard part was transporting them all in one trip.
It would have been smarter to grab them all one by one.
Unfortunately I'm stupid.
I ended up going to grab a mostly intact wall from a ruined restaurant nearby and used it to hold them all on.
I dropped them off somewhere near the outside of Nagazora so there's that.
Now I was on my way back to Sora, and despite my nonchalant attitude, I was definitely panicking.
As I was flying low to the ground, the roars of several Chariots and Archangels alerted me to their presence.
Now normally, I'd probably try and test an attack or two against them. But I was on a time crunch and couldn't pretend to even care.
[DEFENSE MECHANISM - HARE COURSING]
Accelerating forward even faster, I quickly struck each beast in fatal spots before continuing on without any regard for their bodies, while using them to springboard forward for more speed.
Considering the pink blood on my hands, they are definitely dead.
I ended up arriving back near Sora and I's makeshift home shortly afterwards, and slid to a stop on the gravel as my wings tucked away and I burst into the house.
"Sora! I'm back! We gotta go no-"
My voice trailed off immediately upon realizing I wasn't alone in that room.
Sora herself was fine, she was actually chugging a glass of milk.
Or so I thought, as when I approached her, she wasn't responsive. I tried touching her, only for my hand to go through her body, making me recoil in fear.
"...what the hell...?"
"Problem?"
I turned my head so fast I nearly achieved whiplash, and saw a person sitting there calmly.
"I figured you might be concerned if she got hurt so I simply put her in a state of superposition. She's both here and not. Sweet right?"
"..."
This guy looked familiar.
Dressed in all black, and I couldn't quite make out his face.
...
Bzzrtttzz
...
A person in my house who's appearance I couldn't make out stealing from my house.
Brrtttrzzaer
...
Them leading me to my demise at that cliff.
BRrrattzssas
Falling... A cloaked figure standing over the edge watching while laughing as I fell to my demise.
...
"...You Filthy Piece of Shit!"
Boom!
Almost instinctively my body was already surging forward as I threw a punch with all my strength behind it.
My eyes were narrow slits, and my teeth were grinding furiously as they clenched tightly in my mouth.
Such was my fury that for a minute, I forgot why I had come back here in the first place.
The sheer power behind the strike was enough to destroy the wall behind the guy, but to my bafflement, he had blocked the attack with only a single finger.
"Curious..." The figure said with some amusement. "Is this how all guests you have are recieved?"
I didn't answer him, merely glaring while trying to punch his smug sounding face.
Infuriatingly enough, he didn't budge an inch.
Instead he tilted his head as if considering something, before nodding to himself.
"Alright. I'll give you the beating you so kindly asked for."
After saying that, a vice like grip palmed my face, before I was torn violently away through the hole I had made earlier.
Try as I might, I couldn't pry the hand off, and was forced to endure as he dragged me by my head into the ground for a long while.
Mercifully, he let go shortly afterwards, by which I mean he threw me backward, and I quickly scrambled to my feet while glaring at him.
Seeing that, he tilted his head again.
"Why the hostility? I can't ascertain what I could have done to induce such fury towards myself."
Instead of answering, I just grit my teeth and began walking forward.
'Playing dumb huh? That's cool. I'll just beat your ass until you remember. Simple.'
With each step, I could feel my rage building. And along with that rage came a spark which circulated all through my body.
Until I stopped moving, and that spark crackled to life as green lightning coiled around my hands and legs.
I dropped down to a knee, one hand planted on the ground as I took a runners stance.
Looking up and seeing his unmoving frame, I immediately took off, racing towards him.
With a crackle, I appeared behind him, body spinning as I landed a hefty kick.
Without even looking, he blocked it once again with a finger.
Far from discouraged, I vanished from that spot and appeared in front of him, this time throwing a right hook which was also deflected.
"Tch."
Clicking my tongue, I disengaged before I started attacking more and more.
Body crackling with electricity, I struck and vanished over and over.
A kick.
A punch.
Even a leg sweep.
All blocked without issue.
And judging from the faint chuckling, he found the effort more amusing than threatening.
I cocked back, and slammed a fist straight into his face.
His head didn't even budge.
He merely slapped my hand away, before planting his foot into my chest causing me to wheeze as I slid back.
Waving his hand in the air, I saw several shards of light take form before all launching forward.
Planting my legs, I didn't back away, instead choosing to try and rapidly strike them all down.
I got several of them, but even more got me.
Like shards of glass, each one that got past my defenses cut deep.
My leg, my wrist, each cut hurt.
But I shouldered on.
With a shout, I slammed my hand into the ground, causing it to break upwards and become a temporary shield.
Taking that brief window, I turned and immediately took off racing, an arc of light trailing behind me.
"Seriously how intriguing. I don't know you yet you attack me with such ferocity..."
As if keen to not let me get away, the guy appeared beside me legs moving in a way to make it seem like he was on a refreshing jog instead of a high speed chase.
"You're an insufferably smug asshat, is that good enough?"
Saying that, I braked and immediately tried to punch him, only for him to also throw a punch which caused us to get stuck trying to overpower the other.
Disengaging, I held out a hand and tried to shoot the electricity I could feel flowing inside, outside.
Immediately several bolts launched forward, and in response the guy merely held out a hand as if copying me, launching bolts of light.
The two opposing sources collided and exploded rapidly as we fired, until the guy swiped his hand left.
"?!"
Grunting in surprise, I felt a large object collide with my side and launch me away again, before coiling around my ankle and slamming me down.
I landed with a grunt of pain on my stomach, feeling a hollow thump as the phantom pain of a large weight rumbled there.
I wasn't given time to rest, as seconds later a whip of light cracked where my head was if I hadn't rolled to the side out of panic.
Standing up, I was met with two lashes to the face which made me stagger, followed by a third which wrapped itself around my throat.
Gagging I was then spun through the air as the guy twirled me around, before slamming me into a building, which promptly crumbled on top of my body.
I staggered out, before collapsing to the ground as pain wracked my body.
"You know," the guy called out, "Most people would have given up or died by now. You are impressively durable."
I coughed, watching what I was certain was either my liver or part of my lung fall down in a puddle of red. Maybe it was my dinner.
"And boy do I regret it at the moment..."
Despite my bitter remark I forced myself to feet as I took a combat stance.
Panting, I shook my head a bit, before taking off once more.
With each step, I panted more and more as I pushed harder and harder, running forward as I threw a punch.
Instead of reward, I was met with a heavy punch that nearly sent me to Jesus if the bells I heard were any clue.
Grimacing, I forced myself to stand up again, and charged in once more for an attack.
"Oh? Well aren't you surprisingly resourceful.".
"Tch."
Except this time I had sneakily tried to slash him with the sword I had been neglecting to sue the whole time.
For the first time, I had made him bleed. It was a small wound, more like a papercut, but it was a sign the guy wasn't invincible.
Spinning back around, I immediately did a jumping slash, which he sidestepped easily.
Ignoring that, I twirled and tried to slash his waist, but he merely jumped up and landed on the blade edge, before kicking me away.
"UGh!"
The impact definitely hurt like hell, I'll tell you that.
And he immediately followed up by running me down and slamming my head down with a vicious axe hammer.
He followed it up by smashing my head into his knee, then hitting an uppercut which sent me flying backwards and onto my back.
But I immediately got up and flung my sword at him.
He blocked it of course, but I was counting on that.
As when he looked for me again, I was already in front of him, legs braced, and arm in the motion for a strong upper.
"OrrrrrrryaaAAAHHHHH!!!"
My fist connected cleanly for the first time, and I was treated to the sight of the guy's head snapping backwards.
"Yes!"
I cheered at the accomplishment.
"Well you landed a hit. Guess I'll get serious this once."
Excuse me?
He raised a hand into the air, and immediately I felt the surroundings dim.
From the palm of his hand, a tendril of darkness seeped upward connecting with the sky, before surging back down as the light around him began to distort and bend.
For the first time, I could make out his face, as his hood had fallen back.
Purple eyes were glowing and a feral smile adorned his face.
"Well then. You've made me go all out, will you back down? Or will you face me head on? Its not too late to back down~"
I snorted.
"As if! It's all or nothing!"
At this point, I had kinda realized the person behind my accident and the person before me were different people, but I was in too deep.
Plus...
I kinda want to see this through.
Cocking my hand back, I forced every ounce of power I had into it, uncaring of it would be lethal to me or not.
Immediately, I felt raw unrestrained power burst forth. It paled in comparison to Mr. Shadow Pillar over there, but I wasn't far behind.
More and more I pushed into it, til I felt there was nothing more to give.
Then,
I lunged forward.
The guy before me merely cocked his pillar sword back before swinging it down.
In response, I threw out my punch.
And when the two collided, the world went still for a second.
Before all the surrounding color vanished, and I felt the world go white as an extreme force ragdolled me into unconsciousness.
I awoke a short while later, body deep in a crater, and ribs screaming in pain.
But... Alive.
"Ow."
God my everything hurts...
Fin~