Vyer's attention was drawn towards a brilliant explosion, cascading light at the edge of a distant lake. He turned in the direction of the lake, sighing heavily as he did so.
"I swear that boy will be the death of me. He just got here and he's already starting trouble." Vyers said to himself as he walked in the direction of the blast. As he entered a clearing he tensed up, noticing for the first time a light whimpering. It was muffled, and took Vyers a few seconds to place what direction it was coming from. It was just out of his peripheral vision as he entered the field. Turning to his left, he saw a small girl with blue hair crouched on the ground, wiping tears from her eyes with her arm. Vyers let down his guard almost immediately, and began casually striding towards her.
"What seems to be the problem young-"
"IT'S ANOTHER BULLY!" she screamed immediately.
"Wha…where? What are you talking about?" Vyers responded frantically.
"I'm talking about you, the only one in front of me!" Cirno responded.
"What?! How...How dare you accuse moi of something so heinous! I've never bullied anyone in my life!" Vyers said, waving his arms in front of himself.
"That sounds like something a bully would say! Checkmate bully!" She said as she pointed at him.
"I'll have you know I'm not only a gentleman, but an aristocrat as well!" Vyers chose as his defense. Cirno lowered her finger and gave him a quizzical look in response.
"….I don't know what any of that means."
"It means I am a do gooder of the highest quality, as well cultured."
"…umm….cultured like milk?"
"No. Cultured like a gentleman!"
"So wait…are you a bully or not?"
"I told you I am not a bully!"
"Then why are you yelling at me!" Cirno responded somewhat logically. Vyers sighed deeply, then forced a smile on his face.
*Soundtrack: Beautiful Round Dance ( watch?v=CnOsUl-vDSU )
"Sorry, I should apologize. It's not like me to lose my temper. Allow me to introduce myself. I am a distinguished gentleman with a penchant for grace and beauty. I am the Dark Adonis, Vyers. As I came into this clearing, I noticed you were crying. And as a gentleman, I felt obligated to come over and help. Now, may I ask your name mademoiselle?"
"…Cirno." she said hesitantly.
"Ah, a beautiful name, reminiscent of clear Italian waters."
"Well…I make ice from water." Cirno said, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow.
"Now young lady, what seems to be the problem?"
"Problem? I don't have a problem."
"Ah, but, you were crying when I first saw you. Certainly something must be wrong."
"Ehhh..." Cirno blurted. Vyers kept his patience mostly because he already had an idea of what happened.
"Well, you assumed I was a bully when I walked up. Are you perhaps troubled by some ruffian? Perhaps…with blue hair and a short stature?" he finished the last part of his description with a bit of a dejected tone.
"Oh, now I remember! He called me names, and beat me up, and was asking about Overwhatevers!" Cirno said excitedly. Vyers sighed again.
"Yes, I figured as much."
"I'm so sick of it! I don't get what everyone's problem is! All anyone ever does is treat me like I'm dumb and weak! I'm the toughest fairy around, and I was a stage 2 boss! But everyone just treats me like a…like a…" Cirno trailed off and started to whimper her sounds. She looked at the floor, hiding her face behind her bangs as best she could.
*Soundtrack fades*
"…A midboss?" Cirno jerked her head up instantly. Vyers had a sympathetic frown, and a single tear running down his face.
"You...you get it?" Cirno said on the verge of tears herself.
"I understand perfectly! Trounced and stepped on by main characters, treated like garbage! When in fact, you are one of the most important characters!" Vyers said with exaggerated bravado.
"I am?" Cirno asked wide eyed.
"Certainly! You may be an occasional stepping stone, but without you, those other characters would be nowhere! Even now, I bet you guided someone towards their destiny!"
"YEAH! I DID! That loser from a few minutes ago would be lost without me!" Cirno said with sudden confidence.
"That's right! So no matter what anyone tells you, don't think of yourself as a midboss! You're a main character, and anyone who says otherwise is just jealous!"
"You're right! I'm the main character! I'll show those idiots who the real idiot is!"
"That's right!"
"YEAH!...but…I don't know how. That boy from before wouldn't lose to my attacks." Cirno said as if it was his fault she lost. Vyers grinned confidently in response.
"Ah, well then, I'll just have to show you…"
I can really do whatever I want? The words echoed back to her in her mind. Something about these words made it feel like a burden was lifted. She was doing something of her own free will, and there was nothing wrong with it. It was uplifting to simply not fail. Her excitement put more pressure on her chest, but rather than making her nervous it only elevated her.
"Well. Are you gonna start or should I make the first move again?" Laharl said, pointing his sword at Flandre's midair presence. There was silence between the two of them for a few moments.
"…Thank you…" Flandre said quietly.
*Soundtrack: Planet X ( watch?v=m8hayXfA5mE )*
Flandre lifted one hand towards Laharl. Her pupils dilate slightly as she focuses on his form, and begins to squeeze her hand closed.
Taboo: Cranberry Trap
A magic circle materializes behind Flandre, while four smaller magic circles simultaneously begin to circle around Laharl, each one about 20 yards away. As they begin to gain momentum, each one begins to shoot out a stream of either blue or pink orbs that zero in on Laharl's direction. Laharl immediately deflects the ones visible from his front, but the ones coming from behind him strike him in the back, causing him to flinch. He pivots to his left, clearing the smoke and dodging the pink ones that zero in on his former location, but realizes too late that the blue ones tracked his movement. He is hit by a full wave of the blue projectiles, which forces him to drop to one knee. Right away he notices that the damage from each orb seems to multiply rather than add up. Adrenaline forces him to jerk up and rush towards Flandre. He continues to dodge the pink orbs while deflecting the blue orbs with his sword swipes as he rushes her, but the trajectory and patterns of the orbs stop him from making real progress in her direction. Laharl's patience runs thin quickly, and his anger begins to stack with his adrenaline. He makes the choice to take a few more hits from some of the blue orbs, long enough for him to strike through the recoil.
"Wind Cutter!" Laharl slashes his sword down towards Flandre, this time releasing what seemed to be an after image of his sword. The sword spun horizontally in Flandre's direction, gaining momentum at a pace Flandre couldn't quite track. It struck Flandre's ribs as it cut by her right side, causing her to reel and her danmaku to lose focus. Laharl, still anxious, used the lull in her attack to press an offense. "Meteor Impact!" Laharl swings his fist upwards, releasing a circle of energy into the sky. After quickly reaching its target height, it explodes into the shape of a vast purple demonic circle. From the center of the circle, a massive meteor, possibly miles in diameter, begins to descend. After clutching at her ribs, Flandre looks up and is completely fixated on the site, choosing to stare passively at it rather than continue her attack. "What's the matter? You ready to accept that you've lost? Your lightshow isn't going to stop this!"
"Is that what a shooting star looks like up close? Wouldn't that hit more than just me?" Flandre said a little nervously, descending to the ground as she did so.
"I don't care. I'll wipe this whole damn area from existence if I have to!" Laharl yelled back. Flandre continued to focus on the meteor as it continued to descend. A confident, open mouth smile crept onto her face, and her eyes lit up. She slowly raised an open palm to the sky. The magic circles from before were now in the air, circling around the meteor. Compared to Laharl's movements, the consistent movement of this target was much easier to track. The 'eye' of the meteor was clear in her mind. Blue and pink orbs began to zero in on the center of the meteor. Flandre slowly closed her palm.
"….Kyu."
A bright flash of light lit up the sky momentarily as the meteor exploded, fragmenting far off in every direction. Laharl's mouth was ajar for a few moments, watching his attack fizzle into the night sky. He looked down at Flandre, as the surprise on his face slowly turned to anger. Flandre was looking back at him, with a now manic smile. They stared at each other's partially bloodied forms. "Something on the level of a shooting star...is no big deal. All it takes is a little squeeze. Something like a meteorite is meaningless to me." Laharl let these words sink in. The way that attack hit multiplicatively, and the damage a focused burst was capable of; it was possible that the girl in front of him could destroy anything if she wanted to.
"Like I give a damn!" Laharl screamed, breaking into a sprint towards Flandre. "Blade Rush!"
Taboo: Lavatein
Laharl clashed with what appeared to be a flaming sword of ridicules length. As he did, danmaku sparked in multiple directions off the blade, flying into nearby trees and vaporizing in the lake behind them. They exchanged eye contact again. Flandre still wore a look of insane amusement, while Laharl showed grit teeth and determination. He threw multiple strikes at Flandre from a now hovering midair stance, giving him an artificial highground. Each one deflected off of the flaming sword, sending more danmaku flying in every direction. Though her Lavatein dwarfed the length of his sword by many multiples, Flandre was beginning to lose her footing and advantage. With the first opening she got, she attempted a sweeping slash from her left to force Laharl back, igniting most of the air behind the swing; but rather than dodge, Laharl moved to the ground to clash with it directly. "Nether Slash!" Laharl's blade deflected Flandre's entirely, sending the sword and Flandre backwards through the flames she just spawned. Her cloths singed as she looked back at Laharl, dumbstruck at the nature in which her attack was reflected. Laharl chased her through her own flames, refusing to let up on his offensive pressure. Laharl swung across her waist multiple times, tattering her blouse and drawing more blood. Flandre's only response was to continue backpedaling, which allowed Laharl to continue forward without resistance. He rushed to her right and slashed at the wound his Wind Cutter created earlier, making his way behind her as he did so. Flandre screamed in pain and clutched her side again. She pivoted towards Laharl, who was finally hesitating in his attack. He was looking back at her from a few yards away, his eyes contrasting with the flames that now surrounded them with their darker shade of red. He wore a smug grin, as if to rub in his advantage.
"What's wrong? You were talking pretty big a second ago." Laharl began walking towards Flandre, just briskly enough to rush her thought process. Although the surrounding flames were a minor obstacle for her, she didn't have enough time to rationalize the imagery. She felt cornered; her anxiety reflected in her expression and her next actions. She let loose a panic volley of sharp, smaller danmaku in every direction. Laharl chose to rush straight through them, deflecting the ones in his path with his sword and charging Flandre with his shoulder. He hit her directly in the chest, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying back through the flames. Before hitting the ground she forced herself into flight. She ascended desperately until she was out of reach of the flames, blacking out details around her and how much time was passing. Unsure if Laharl was chasing her, she turned around to see Laharl at ground level a comfortable distance away. Even though he was surprisingly far away, his smirk was still annoyingly visible. "Running scared?" Laharl yelled up at her. Something about his words snapped a bit of clarity into her. She scowled and forced herself to focus. She attempted to fire similar sharp danmaku while she had a good opportunity. Laharl answered with the attack he was charging up at ground level. "Overlord's Wrath!" In time with his hands raising up to the sky, he spawned what appeared to be his own danmaku, hovering in place around him. Then he threw his hands downwards in Flandre's direction, letting his attack fly in her direction. They collided with Flandre's barrage, nullifying them without slowing down. Flandre's scowl intensified.
Taboo: Four of a Kind
Three after images of Flandre spread out around her, each quickly releasing a barrage of the same sharp danmaku. The more dense barrages nullified the majority of Laharl's orbs. The few that did get through focused on the original Flandre. Though she dodged a couple, these attacks didn't shake as easily as typical danmaku and struck her several times, causing a small explosion around her.
*Soundtrack fades*
"Haaaaahahahaha! You're beat on all fronts! This isn't even a challenge!" As Laharl continued his signature laugh, the smoke around Flandre cleared. A piercing glare shown on her face. The glare was so particular it was actually forcing uncomfortable imagery of Overlord Zenon into Laharl's mind again. It was only made worse by the fact that he first saw that glare after an unsuccessful Overlord's Wrath, and worse still by the fact that it was being mirrored three more times at him.
*Soundtrack: Disgaea Rhapsody ( watch?v=4Ho0oHkmp5Y )
He buried the thought and cast another barrage, but this time ascended with it towards Flandre and her clones. All four of them in unison responded by raising both hands and firing the sharp danmaku in frontal cone shapes. Their attacks collided, creating bright explosions in the distance between the two of them. Her attacks broke through Laharl's, eventually forcing him to deflect some with his sword. Flandre and her clones continued to launch consistent volleys, forcing Laharl to use another Overlord's Wrath. Their attacks collided in the air once again, causing violent explosions. But this time, yellow orbs that were much larger and faster followed the sharp, smaller bullets towards Laharl. He could only partially dodge these additional attacks in time, and was pushed back as a result. He let loose another barrage, which was met almost immediately with a combination of blue and green orbs alongside the smaller bullets. The bullets were becoming so dense that Laharl could no longer deflect them quickly enough, and was forced to fly backwards. A grin returned to Flandre's face, as she focused more power into her attack. Laharl poured as much of his energy into his Overlord's Wrath as possible to attempt an all in approach.
"If I get near you again I'm not letting you get away!" Laharl screamed through the constant explosions.
"You're the one getting farther away! If you mean that why don't you come over here?" Flandre yelled back. The density and speed of her attacks constantly increased, overpowering even a constant stream of Laharl's. This time he utterly refused to stop moving forward, and plowed through any bullet he couldn't cancel out, deflect, or dodge. He screamed in her direction as he started taking ridiculous damage. He was so angry and bloodied he could barely think about anything but keeping his attack going and moving forward. He drowned out the sounds of the explosions, and tunnel visioned only her. As he got closer, Flandre's grin began to waver towards an icy stare. As if to stop the predictable imagery she could invoke, Laharl abandoned his attack along with any semblance of dodging. He put all of his energy into movement speed, so quickly that Flandre wasn't prepared for his approach through her latest volley of bullets.
"Dark X Slash!" Laharl ignored all of her clones and went straight for the original Flandre, striking her twice across the chest and sending her upward further. His actions were reduced to familiar movements that he couldn't even keep track of, as if he was running only on instinct and stubbornness. He closed the distance again for the final strike of his move. But when he made eye contact with Flandre after she stabalized, the rage on her face hijacked his consciousness. It wasn't the girl he was fighting. In that moment, he was back in an alternate Netherworld. For those few seconds, he was in the final moments of his fight with Overlord Zenon. The final seconds before she struck him with the finishing blow. She took her hand back, as if to fulfill that memory. Before that could happen, three sharp blasts struck his back, bringing back the feeling of pain he had been ignoring. The blasts coming from the clones sent him towards Flandre, completely unguarded. She broke the imagery with a near twisted smile, uncharacteristic of the stoic Zenon; but she completed the action as if the imagery never broke. Flandre struck Laharl's chest, puncturing it more effectively due to his momentum. His senses, save for sight, went out for a moment. His eyes widened and his pupils shrank. He was caught in that moment, without the energy to process a response. She followed up by unleashing a concentrated blast, sending him hurdling rapidly towards the ground. As he descended, he could see additional danmaku following him. He hit the ground and was met immediately with the barrage. Flandre laughed childishly as she continued her assault. In her mind, she was still playing. It was scary for a bit, but it was a rush she never had before. Her playmate actually challenged her.
"This is great! I don't mind getting hit as long as we can keep playing like this!"
*Soundtrack fades*
She finally ceased her attacks and waited expectantly for a sly remark or an obnoxious laugh. The smoke was taking a little time to clear. Her focus wandered to the fire they started. It was bigger than she remembered.
"Did it spread?" she said to herself. A tinge of guilt struck her as she looked over the land below her. Many of the trees were destroyed. The ground was cut into by the danmaku she threw with wild abandon. The area was ugly. She knew this wasn't something she was supposed to do. Her nervous glance shifted back towards Laharl. The smoke was just clearing around him. He was motionless in a crater created by her attacks, his limbs sprawled in each direction and his sword nowhere in sight. "Hey…" She slowly descended towards him, leaving her clones to disperse. She began growing frantic the lower she got. Why isn't he moving? She filled with anxiety as she approached him. "H-hey.." she said timidly as she landed. He remained motionless. His blood was caked over his body. She didn't notice the smell of blood when they were fighting, but it seemed overpowering now. "Hey! You said you wouldn't break remember!" Flandre said desperately, raising her voice. The only thing she heard in response was the subtle hum of the surrounding fires she created. Tears started to roll down her face. "You said it! You said I could do whatever I wanted! You said it! This is your fault!" she screamed in further desperation. She dropped to her knees and sobbed into her hands. If this was some terrible joke, she wouldn't have the heart to fight anymore. "You win. I swear you win. Just get up! If you don't I'm going to be in-". She raised her head from her hands and stopped dead. Above both of them, looking down on her with the coldest of expressions, was her sister Remilia.