Chapter 22: Our Misty Fears upon the Skies – Part II!
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled through the skies as dark clouds began gathering upon the skies; the cities were a gloomy grey and the people rushed on through the streets without a care in the world, far from its usual jovial cheers one would expect from the 'Center of the World'.
Or at least, that was what one would expect, normally.
Eli Ayase found herself in the middle of a modern-looking town with street lights and buildings highlighting the skylines.
"N…New York?" Eli wondered as she looked around her and sighted upon a light pink stage filled with Sakura Petals and colored papers scattering from the night skies.
For it did not take Eli long enough to realise where she was – the exact same stage where they performed 'Angelic Angel'.
Eli rushed towards the stage, curious as to know what was going on, but the descending colored 'petals' froze in mid-air as soon as the blonde's feet touched upon the sacred ground.
Everything surrounding her field of view began bursting into flames…
"What is this? What's happening?!" Eli frowned as her eyes darted around, keeping calm and looking for clues as she swiftly materialized her Terpsichore.
"Hang on a tic..." Eli raised her right eye in curiosity.
For her, it would seem like Deja Vu; she swore she had been in this area before...
Until she realised that she was placed in something...similar.
"That...seems to be like the same dream that I've been having during the first Miasmatic wave!"
The petals soon vanished into thin air without hint of trace and for a short while, the passer-bys vanished without warning, and nothing but darkness remained other than the lit stage which Eli stood upon…
Fear began to grip Eli; everyone knows she was never a fan of the dark to begin with...yet Terpsichore's glowing light kept the blonde's composure to a T as she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, count softly to ten, and prepared herself to face whatever she was thrown at.
Three spot lights burst open from the skies and shone their sinister luminance upon four figures – each wearing a black costume that Eli knew all too well…
"A-RISE...except..." Eli frowned.
The purple spotlights revealed the silhouettes of the fourth figure…a blonde Eli knew too well…
"Me..." Eli frowned.
"Bear the sins…bear the sins that you have wrought…"
"The words that kill…you have brought upon yourself…"
"You left me alone…joined the enemy…"
"Groundhog Day - except in a negative way – much?" Eli wondered.
"How do you like me…Eli?" the other Eli Ayase taunted. "Isn't that what you want? To betray your fellow girlfriends and join A-RISE in the first place because they are 'cooler', 'more successful',' more expressive and spicier than your fellow people over at Team Muse, HUH?!"
"Do you really have to extrapolate so much just because of my past sins?!" Eli frowned.
"Face it! You didn't want Muse to succeed even after you joined them! You joined them just so you can destroy Muse from the inside, just so you can go to greener pastures, the 'professionals' known as A-RISE, right?!" the other Eli accused.
"Try me!" Eli smiled confidently.
"All you are doing is just repeating that same dream over and over and over again!" the other Eli shot back.
"Until you realise that the dream should have ended at you lunging at me, and yet we're still talking our butts out!" Eli smirked.
The other Eli froze her train of thought upon realising Eli's fridge brilliance...and flared up.
Before the nightmarish entity began making the similar lunge towards Eli during the first interrupted miasmatic dream, the latter stood her ground with a determined frown as she swiftly blocked the other Eli with Terpsichore's pirouette twirling pirouette!
"Or maybe that's you not letting go of that which you called 'premonitions' when in actuality, it's your broken, fractured mind that refused to let go of the sorrow and grief that had plagued you so!" Eli shot back.
"My broken mind? NONSENSE!" the other Eli snarled.
"Yeah? Has it even occurred to you that joining A-RISE has never, EVER, crossed my mind? Or are you just assuming my defection based on my initial distaste towards...Muse in the beginning?" Eli frowned.
"So you finally admitted, eh?" the other Eli smirked. "You initially hated Muse; you had wanted them to fail before you and Nozomi joined in...and I am wondering, 'Just why are you suddenly joining in?'. Okay, maybe I might have been...naive, to say the least – my eyes haven't been opened to all those atrocities I have been through in the years - but I believed you; gave you chances to pick yourself up; chase your dream that you once could never attain, and reclaim the warmth you thought you could never gain...AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!"
Eli lowered her head and sighed deeply...
"To think you would go so far as to accuse us for things we have not done..." Eli replied. "So this is the extent you would go...using your own sorrow to guilt trip us into serving you..."
"But I believe you that you are a part of Muse still; that you do want to be a part of them! So let me fix you; let me perfect you! Accept my offer and together we shall create a utopia where the whole of Muse and I will be the only voices of reasons!" the other Eli boasted.
"So what even if I have hated on Muse in its infant stages? Has it even occurred to you that this incident is already way in the past?" Eli shot back.
"Don't try to deny it, Eli Ayase; you have always yearned for Muse to fail just so you can join A-RISE...why can't you just admit it?" the other Eli frowned.
"Because the problem is not me." Eli frowned as she pointed at the other Eli. "The problem...IS YOU!"
"W...what?" the other Eli gasped.
"I admit, yes, I did have resentment and doubts towards Honoka, Alito, and joining Muse in the first place, but Nozomi, Honoka, and Alito have allayed my fears to rest!" Eli shot back. "I have no intentions of even joining A-RISE in the first place, not even when Muse were facing their hiatus after the first love Live fiasco!"
Eli continued, "I'll tell you why you thought I am joining A-RISE! You just refused to accept your sorrow and just let that pain go; and that resulted in the nightmare you've been experiencing all throughout!"
The other Eli shook her head and trembled in anger.
"You are just grasping by the straws, hoping to find a way to get us back by any means necessary; and by that you are doing EVERYTHING in your power to subjugate us to your will, let us see your sorrow in the hopes that we will sympathise with you and join you in your crusade!" Eli frowned. "You refused to let go of the simple fact that Muse had moved on; that everyone had moved on from the disbandment!"
She continued, "That's why you had us trapped in the miasma...to coerce us into joining you, to let us think that you will fix our flaws...but for what? Doing this for nothing other than your selfish desires to deny your sorrows?"
"I am trying to protect you, protect your friend – Team Muse – from the horrors that is REALITY!" Chris shot back with bloodshot eyes. "The warmth...Eli; are you that heartless as to deny me that which is my warmth? You dare to commute with A-RISE, the one who would lead you astray?"
"You see? This is what I meant!" Eli shot back. "You're just thinking up all of this because of your fear of losing us to A-RISE yet again!"
"I AM NOT THINKING THIS UP!" the other Eli screamed in sorrow. "I can still see it...the visions...the visions of Tsubasa and Honoka...you and the A-RISE team posing for the beginning PV in Shocking Party...you know how much that hurts me? DO YOU KNOW THAT, HUH?! IT BURNS! LIKE SEEING SOMEONE WHOM YOU LOVED COMPLETELY TAKEN AWAY BY SOMEONE WHO WAS OUTRIGHT EVIL!"
"You just think A-RISE is evil just because of their getup, their personalities, and their actions – all of them are just your fractured mind due to the traumas you suffered! A-RISE had done you no wrong; they are just friendly rivals back then and invaluable allies to us now; you think that by using Erida, you would be released from your sorrows because you would get us back? NO! You are just RUNNING AWAY FROM SAID NEGATIVITY ALONE!"
"This warmth...surely you wouldn't want it to slip by, right? Surely you can't understand that...RIGHT?! So why can't you understand, for fuck sake!" The imposter shot back.
"Because there are other ways to attain it; one of which doesn't have to be through keeping the other party selfishly in a cage that restrains our free will!" Eli shot back.
"Then what if Nozomi has other friends? Don't tell me that you never felt that bit of jealousy before? Seeing her with Honoka, Umi, Kotori, Rin, Hanayo, Nico, Maki...instead of you...ah...must have triggered that longing of her attention in her heart...huh? So how does it feel to feel the same shit AS I DO?!"
Eli went back into recalling what both Bayonetta and Alito told her...
"Be honest about yourself..."
"That's when being honest and having a heart to heart comes into play!" Eli shot back.
The other Eli's eyes widened in abject shock; she was not expecting this defiant response...
"Yes...you're right; I have felt this selfish feelings before...this feeling of wanting Nozomi all to myself! Heck, I'm sure Nozomi had felt this way about me too!" Eli replied.
She continued, "But now that Nozomi and I are honest upon each other with our heart to heart...I am able to grow confident, be more reliable to her needs if she ever get as lonely as I was in the past, and understand that I can trust her to be by my side just as she did to me, even when we are apart!"
"Besides...it's just that warped mind of yours thinking that i would ever join A-RISE; we may be allies, but Muse would forever remain special in my heart – I would never defect to them! But that doesn't means I am gonna hate them to the very bone just like you did!" Eli concluded. "They remain as important as Nozomi in my heart, just as I will remain as important to them; our bonds that we have shared over the years would be something that would tide us through even the darkest of sorrows!"
The other Eli hunched for a few moments, trembling and slowly broke into a mad laughter; her eyes bleed out liquid Nitrogen and blood all in one...
"So...even after all I have told you, you still think that your ideals are the best, huh?" Eli frowned. "And to think that you are the Chris-sensei we used to at least respect and like for the times you have spent with us..."
"Kaori cannot defeat me despite her awakening...I DOUBT YOU WILL TOO!" Chris roared as she summoned a twin-headed dragon with an upside-down adult face as its body, a large tail, and three jewels atop of the main body!
"It's slightly lesser shade of gold...that must be one of the lesser Fortitudo – Courage!" Eli frowned calmly. "The Seqqui – despite being weaker than the Auditos, are still comparatively stronger than the First Sphere Angels' Dominions..."
Before Eli could even react with a spin move, the enraged Sequi unleashed a giant volcanic blast towards the blonde woman, sending her seemingly engulfed in the fiery sea!
"Stay on strong, Miss Eli Ayase! I am coming for your aid, and so are the well-wishes of your fellow allies in Otonokizaka!"
"Stand strong, onee-chan!"
"Don't lose to that abomination, everyone is having your back; Alisa and I have your back!"
"That's right...No matter how bad my situation may become...I will never be alone; I have my Muse..."
The time when Muse were having their overseas concert– wearing their costume for Angelic Angel – and even their moment when they have their final Live...
"My parents...grandma, Alito-sensei and I have her!"
Nozomi's tearful smile of happiness when Eli accepted her proposal months back was all that sealed the deal for the blonde...
"I have her...I have Nozomi!"
Eli, despite the searing inferno threatening to blast her apart, stood affront confidently with her aura burning bright, illuminating the darkness blobbing the entire battlefield!
"No amount of negotiation would convince you otherwise; I guess we can safely say that Diplomacy has failed!" Eli shot back.
A huge aura flared up as it engulfed Eli's entire being, infusing her with Terpsichore's Infernal powers, and causing a giant EXceed Explosion upon the entire nightmarish area!
Eli let down her hair as she soon revealed herself as a maiden wearing a exotic red strapless qipao with golden highlights, a string of pearls, and a golden rose ornament engraved around her waist. Her top revealed her cleavage window with a blue ribbon attached just above, complete with a white Platinum Fox coat fur wrapping across her neck and even extended way down her back!
She also wore a red and golden headband filled with two big lilly flowers, two small white flowers, and strings of mini golden beads; she wielded two huge fans bursting at the seams with immense arcane energies as she let her hair down all the way down towards her waist!
For once I fear failure...but now I shall rise.
My strengths I shall acknowledge; accept my weakness in my eyes!
A chance to dream; a chance to reify, our chance to choose our path in life!
I sing the song of a thousand paths!
TERPSICHORE!
Nozomi's side
"How can you not understand how much I go through just to get you back? You know feeling lonely is a devastating process...and yet instead of trying to prevent others from meeting the same shit, you choose to abandon them – in this case, ME!" Chris shot back in utter shock.
"You can show that heart all you want, Chris; it ain't still gonna pull us back to your selfish side!" Nozomi frowned. "Sure...I can certainly understand being lonely as much as you do, but you never attempt to open up your mind and understand that there will be someone who will show you just as much support as we do! You refused to let perspective aid you in your choice in life!"
The young, illusionary Chris shook her head in disbelief...
"Yes...being alone is the worst thing to happen to a person, I can't deny that fact!" Nozomi frowned. "But it's thanks to Eli that I am able to understand that there will be someone who can share the hope - of a simple happiness of being together with someone whom you love – with you!"
"It's pointless, I tell you!" Chris shook her head in disbelief. "Fucking pointless! You have went through the feelings of loneliness that I have went through, so why...WHY ARE YOU NOT FEELING THE SAME SORROW AS I DID?!"
Upon recalling the lessons in life that Bayonetta and Alito had taught them earlier, Nozomi closed her eyes and clasped her hands close to her chest as memories of her time with Muse flashed past by...
The time when they first met...
The time when they struggled to form Muse...
The time when they have to compete to promote their school...
The process of even getting there, only to end up falling down...causing Muse to be on hiatus temporarily...
The struggle to overcome Legion and a near worldwide catastrophe...
It sure is painful...
But...they have one another, by spirit and by heart!
Bonding back together, and even placing their all just to burn bright and shine in that very short time they had just to be with one another, feeling the happiness and the flavourful emotions as they clinched their Love Live title...
And even being with Eli...the one who gave her just a tiny, but sufficient, spark of hope...
Hope, that they would be together, no matter how far apart they would be...physically.
The ups and downs they have crafted by their own hands - as they dealt with adversities, no matter the odds, no matter the darkness that threatened to overcome them - they were felt by each and every single one of the members in Muse!
And with Eli...at least she could be honest with her love for the blonde...
She was never alone.
"Because in the end of the day...I have someone whom I can be honest with; someone who can keep me on the morally righteous, someone who – even when she and I are not there physically at times – could still feel each other's presence by our hearts!" Nozomi shot back. "And all this can be done, BECAUSE I HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOOK FORWARD WITH THAT BIT OF HOPE AND BE HONEST WITH THAT ONE PERSON – ELI!"
A huge burst of Infernal Energy erupted from the ground up as her Fortuna Mallet glowed intensely along with Nozomi's new found resolve...
Within a few seconds Nozomi revealed herself as a beautiful woman with long, purple hair wearing a seductively silky white miko costume with traces of purple-tech highlights mixed upon it, a pair of majestic pixie wings, a wreath filled with four leaf clovers as her crown on her head, and complete with a pair of Infernal Wings acing as her headgear!
"Our actions shall dictate our lives ahead."
"Guiding our light in moments of dread,"
"Fortune favours the brave, the willingness to change!"
"So shall courage shine upon the doubtful dark!"
"AWAKEN, FORTUNA!"
NicoMaki
"Nico.." Maki sighed, then placed her both of her palms upon Nico's, holding them softly, but with a sense of assurance that only Nico herself can recognize...
A sense of trust...
"It's not that I don't trust you or anything…we did make a promise after all." Maki pouted. "Nico, you're just too cute for me to cheat on you; yes, Tsubasa is beautiful; I mean even you admit it. But at least we can talk it out; in the end...I can't describe that love I feel for you...but I still want to be with you forever, to feel the bliss along with you!"
"Oh Maki..." Nico blushed happily as she embraced her lovely redhead.
"Gee..." Maki pouted cutely, but broke into a blushing smile shortly after; Nico's confession and affection made her eel such bliss, after all. "To think I would have to be the one to talk all those cheesy hoolaboos...but I guess it's worth it."
The deranged Tsubasa imposter shook her head as her aura flared up with such intense anger that the building around her crumbled and blasted away under her aura's blast radius!
"No...nonononono! NO!" the Icy Maiden's echo broke down and rumbled through the skies.
"What? You want us to confess, right? You got your confession; I love Nico despite my initial attraction to Tsubasa! What more do you want?" Maki frowned.
"This...THIS IS NOT THE CONFESSIONS I WANT!" the imposter Tsubasa shot back.
"Yeah, and all because you want us to believe your cooked-up lies just so that you can manipulate us into returning to you! If you care so much about us, you would have just respect our wishes and understand that the warmth won't just go away just because we decide to disband!" Nico shot back.
"Coming from someone who was an imp...AN IMP!" the apparition roared. "ALL I AM TRYING TO DO IS TO PROTECT YOU, TO LET YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE INSULT ARE MEANINGLESS! JOIN ME, AND I CAN MAKE YOU SPECIAL FOR REAL!"
"Yeah...sure...an imp I may be, and yeah, I might be trying just a little bit too hard to be special in everyone's eyes – even under Maki's eyes..." Nico chuckled wryly. "And sure...I might be – in Tsubasa's eyes – the friend that nobody likes..."
"Now you understand the weight of it all, am I right?!" the apparition bellowed.
"But I want to see myself becoming special by my own efforts without sacrificing my own sense of being!" Nico shot back. "And yeah, even if no one might appreciate my stupid antics at wanting to be special all the damn time, but at least I know that there are people – like Muse members – who genuinely appreciate my presence in Muse! It's those flaws that made me human, and it is those flaws that are also my strengths – strengths that Maki knows, appreciates, and even loved in a vitriolic way!"
The apparition shook her head; she did not expect Nico to accept her flaws...
"No one can change who I am! I AM NICO YAZAWA, THE NO. 1 IDOL IN THE ENTIRE MILKY WAY, AND YOU HAD BEST BETTER BELIEVE I AIN'T BOWING DOWN TO THAT LOWLY TACTICS OF YOURS! THE SMILE OF NICO NICO NII WILL NEVER FADE, EVER!" Nico shot out.
Maki glanced over at Nico and chuckled softly.
"You know something?" Maki simpered.
"Huh?" Nico wondered.
"That would be THAT one time where I certainly agree in your usage of 'Nico Nico Nii'!" Maki nodded softly.
"So you're willing to make other friends after this realisation, without consideration about Nico's..." the apparition snarled.
"NO!" Maki shot back in determination. "Because Nico and I believed in each other; believe that no matter how many friends we're gonna gain in the end and how many memories we're gonna make with other people in the future, we still have each other's – and Muse's - love by our hearts!"
"And to think that you are once a lonely soul...with a desire to want a normal life...hypocrite!" the apparition shook her head.
"I might..." Maki admitted. "My fear of rejection by my parents and my peers disallowed me the chance to be honest with myself - about pursuing my own passion of music -with my parents, to which my pride convinced me that they - and Team Muse - will never understand my thoughts and that I wouldn't mind studying medicine either!" Maki shook her head. "But no! I am just being conflicted, hateful, and even spiteful towards my own dignity and my parent's! I nearly paid the price; my parents, my producers, and even my friends have to deal with a manifestation of my own self-loathing, pride, and doubts mixed into one!"
"After all I have been through, however, I realised that I am not alone; that despite all the crap I have to put up with, that there ARE indeed people who cared for me! Heck, if anything, I just have to know where to look and swallow my pride once in a while to be honest with myself! Yes, it's hard, I will give you that, but I know I can at least be honest with Nico, because she's my one and only lover that I will never betray!"
"H...How!?" the apparition shook her head. "I DON'T GET IT! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE JEALOUS ALL THE WAY THROUGH! GET REVENGE!"
"Love is not something that you can just describe by words alone...but I know that it's something that is built by trust, Chris-sensei; and it's something that people who have crossed the line – you – would never, EVER UNDERSTAND!" Maki shot back.
"The ability to love another human being – regardless of gender, to accept them for their flaws and strengths, and to trust them by being honest about feelings – that value is exactly what you lack, Chris-sensei!" Nico followed. "You may think you did because of your bonds to us, but love it is not! That is just obsession and an unwillingness to accept help and swallow your pride on your part!"
"ENOUGH!" the apparition's eyes glowed as she unleashed a giant-dome-shaped explosion that destroyed the dreamscape Otonokizaka Academy.
The explosion appeared to have engulfed both Nico and Maki, but...
"Stand up and fight, Nico and Maki! Help is on the way, so stay strong – for me, for Otonokizaka, for yourselves!"
"Alito?" Nico and Maki thought.
The whispers of the wind soothe the seemingly searing inferno and embraced both lovers in a warm glow of light; the well-wishes of Otonokizaka's residents – even their parents and Alito herself, gave them the strength to stand up against the odds!
"Believe in the us that believe in you! Fight; fight for your beliefs, let's not be oppressed by Chris's morals any longer!"
Both Nico and Maki held their hands together as two auras of purple and crimson soon erupted from the smoke and filled up the skies with light!
"To shine with radiance, to be the top."
"To soar to the skies, our love and passions atop."
"To glow with the stars, our love as bright as the sun."
For Nico, she raised her right palm up high as a huge surge of energy engulfed her and filled her spirit and heart with utmost warmth and determination!
"To reach our aim...TO BE THE NUMBER ONE!"
"OUR SMILES FOR ALL! NICO NICO NII!"
"EXCEED TRIGGER – EUPHROSYNE!"
Nico unleashed a huge shockwave to clear off the smoke surrounding her and revealed herself as a woman clad in white high-tech mecha-like battle ball gown – traces of cloth and mechanical parts combined seamlessly upon one another with glowing lines of crimson, gold, and emerald coursing through her armor and veins - and her legs covered itself in white armored greaves.
A pair of armored white wings materialised upon Nico's shoulders as pads, and Nico spread her limbs out wide to unleash her aura as two pairs of high-tech, phoenix-looking wings!
A pair of winged-like headphone materialised on her head, activating Nico's latent powers to the maximum!
As for Maki...
"Our hopes and dreams...BURN ALIGHT!"
"The Breath of Life – EXCEED TRIGGER: PSYCHE!"
With the crimson aura blasting away at the seams, Maki revealed herself in all her glory - a sleeveless crimson armor corset that exposed her cleavage with a ruby jewel upon her chest, a midriff all the way down from her chest and end at her hips, and a pair of crimson inside sleeves filled with intricate gold patterns. She wore a flaming fauld that wrapped around her hips and down her thighs, a pair of stockings made out of fire with likes of pink surrounding it, and a ruby butterfly-shaped necklace worn around the exposed part of her crimson armor corset!
Despite their recent transformation, a huge shockwave managed to throw them offguard; they managed to keep their ground unscathed as both Psyche Maki and Euphrosyne Nico managed to back flip out of harm's way, where they soon found themselves landing right beside Fortuna Nozomi and Terpsichore Eli!
"Nozomi! Eli! Dang...small world, eh?" Euphrosyne Nico wondered.
"Fraid so." Terpsichore Eli nodded. "We suffered the same strain of Miasmatic Mists, so the different nightmare areas will be clustered into one whole hodgepodge."
"I take it you have met the exact same dream as the first miasmatic wave earlier?" Fortuna Nozomi wondered.
"Yeah; kinda redundant to explain it out – would be too boring to recall the entire dream sequence otherwise, right?" Euphrosyne Nico grinned. "Take it you did too?"
"Yeah...but...to whom are you speaking about?" Psyche Maki wondered.
"To our lovely fans back home!" Euphrosyne Nico's eyes sparkled. "Surely we might as not bore 'em with the same dream sequence since we've experienced them during the first Miasmatic Wave, yeah?"
"Lovely fans...Home...OH!" Terpsichore Eli nearly chortled with laughter. "Sure, let's go with that!"
Psyche Maki chuckled and shook her head.
"There's my Nico that I loved..." she chuckled.
"Yeah, besides, it's the same stuff, main exception being that we have each other to deal with the challenges and sorrows ahead – to keep each other from being narrow-minded!" Terpsichore Eli nodded confidently.
"Alas...poor Chris, to think we knew her well; sympathetic she might be, but crossed the line she did." Psyche Maki sighed softly.
"But...some of Chris's banter..." Fortuna Nozomi wondered.
"Yeah...I know." Terpsichore Eli simpered wistfully. "But then again, so is power."
"You mean it's not the powers that be that deicide our outcome...but our actions that said otherwise?" Fortuna Nozomi nodded.
Terpsichore Eli replied with a simple smile on her face; that said it all.
"Elichi..." Nozomi simpered and blushed in bliss as they soon stood back to back facing the Sequi – Courage, who proceeded to summon even more of them – up to a dozen!
"A preview to Fortitudo; who would have known that the real deal would have been such a coward?" Terpsichore Eli grinned.
"Oh definitely!" Nozomi chuckled. "Shall we show it how we do things?"
"Well, no harm, no foul! Eight minutes!" Maki suggested.
"Really? Six minutes's more than enough!" Nico grinned.
"Five minutes!" Eli chuckled back.
"Make it three!" Nozomi teased.
"Let's!" all grinned as a huge, yet comforting apparition of Athena Alito, Bayonetta, and Jeanne surrounded them and giving them the very strength to deal with the odds!
OST Played: Rules of Nature (Metal Gear Rising Revengeance OST Platinum Mix v2)
Courage unleashed a giant solar blast that sent the team scattering, but Eli soon got back on her feet, unfurled her Dual Terpsichore Fans, charged up large amounts of electrical energies upon its metal blades, and teleported towards the right dragon head in a split second!
"Terpsichore's Grace: Phantom Split!"
Eli joined both of her Terpsichore Fans into one big fan and threw it towards the heads like a giant saw blade, unleashing numerous blades of energy that sliced through numerous Courages' bodies like a high-speed buzzsaw!
"Terpsichore's Grace: Graceful Burst!"
Eli threw forth numerous electrical daggers towards numerous Courages' heads and swiftly blinked left and right while unleashing graceful ballerina pirouettes, revolving kicks with her electrified skates, numerous crushing mid-air stingers with her unfurled fans left and right, unleashed numerous ballerina slashes via her Terpsichore Fans, and even darting through the Courages while unleashing exceedingly fast rapid-fire electrified punches!
"Terpsichore's Grace: Starfall!"
Eli then teleported straight towards the group of gathered Courages, charged up large amounts of Infernal energies, focused upon the center, swiftly dived down head first to crash her Terpsichore's skates upon Courage's right dragon skull in a giant magical explosion, left a string of electrical tether impaling through the group, then leapt up forward, did the same Starfall trick straight towards the left head, landed on the other side of the battlefield, and clapped her hands with a smirk of confidence.
"SHOCK 'EM!"
The electrical Tethers left via Terpsichoire's skate blasted, shocked, impaled, and electrocuted the dragon-like abominable bodies with such intense electrical energy that a giant electrical fire blasted the unfortunate Sequi up towards the skies!
Nozomi teleported straight towards the airborne Courage, charged up large amounts of magical energy to create a platform beneath her feet, unleashed a massive kick up the Courage's backside, double jumped yet again thanks to her EXceed Trigger's arcane prowess, and charged up so much arcane energy that her hammer glowed with overflowing electrical power; the Hammer of Fortuna roared and crackled with the fierce banters from heaven and thunder, crashing through the illusionary – and nightmarish – miasmatic world and crushing forth everything in its wake!
"Fortuna's Hope: Inferno Crash!"
With a giant cleave, the hammer crashed down upon the giant Courage with a gigantic lightning crashing down upon the dragon-like entity shortly after, shattering its entire being within seconds!
The surviving Courages picked themselves up and threatened to lunge for an attack, but found themselves paralysed and unable to move!
"Fortuna's Offense: Illusion Slash!"
Charging up large amounts of Infernal Energies upon her Fortuna Hammer, Fortuna Nozomi unleashed numerous energy slashes that struck the Courages with every once of her strength, slicing and crushing their wings and even their flesh into smithereens!
Transforming her hammer into a traditional Japanese Mallet, Fortuna Nozomi charged up a giant surge of electricity upon her body and said mallet, blitzed towards the Courages on her right, and whacked one of the Courages with a solid cleave, then bend her back while gracefully spinning in place and unleashing a devastatingly clean Critical Sweep that gored and electrocuted a group of strafing Courages!
"Gonna grab my luck by the boobs, and squeeze 'em hard!" Fortuna Nozomi grinned as she enlarged her Fortuna once more, charged it up quickly, and slammed it hard on the ground!
"Fortuna Offense: Numbing Slash – SCATTER!"
A huge electrical explosion soon followed after the hard cleave as Nozomi unleashed giant spinning bolts of electricity that sliced through the giant Sequis with such insane frequency, that the attack charred them before the could speak!
Numerous more surviving Courages swooped down upon a seemingly unsuspecting Fortuna Nozomi, but the woman smirked as she cancelled her momentum with a swift shockwave from her palms, and transformed her Fortuna mallet into a fortune wheel!
"Fortuna's Luck: Wheel of Fortune!"
Using the infernal energies and her link with the Fortuna mallet, Nozomi danced along to the beat of Dancing Stars on Me as she commanded the Wheel of Fortune to twirl, slice, cross slash, sweep in left and right, cleaved, and ended off with a graceful pirouette that unleashed a giant stream of white arcane blades surrounding her as a mighty tornado!
"Fortuna Offense: Maximum Crash!"
With large mounts of electricity surging through her Fortuna Mallet, Fortuna Nozomi commanded it to grow ULTRA LARGE – the size of an Audito, summoned a giant rune from the heavens above in the sign of three tomoes, and sent them crashing down in a giant blast of forked lightning!
"How's that for a shocker?" Fortuna Nozomi grinned.
"Do you think that's just all you have to deal with? THERE'S MORE OF US WHERE THAT CAME FROM! REPENT!"
About twenty Courages soon materialised from the dreamscape's heavens above, their dragon heads locked on and ready to ensnarl their prey!
"Ten each?" Fortuna Nozomi suggested.
"Ten each!" the rest agreed and grinned.
"Euphrosyne's Smile No. 3: Allegory of April!"
Nico grinned as she unleashed giant streams of arcane rockets from her Gatling gun that ravaged through Courage's flesh, bones, and its crystals that it beheld, while leaving behind giant streams of wind, fire, and electricity shredding through its angelic form with relentless velocity!
"Psyche's Curse: Aleatoric Formulae – Miring Whips!"
With numerous incantations chanted, Maki unleashed forth numerous wisps that soon blossomed into numerous Infernal Whips that soon wrapped themselves intricately around the dragon-like forms with griping force so strong that it tore through their wings. Muscles, and even their imposing dragon heads!
With Psyche Maki ensnarling the unfortunate Sequi with Miring Whips, Nico commanded the Euphrosyne Orbs to rearrange themselves and merged to form A GIANT LASER CANNON with graceful winged motifs, wool-like furs dangling akin to beetle-like wings, glowing golden lines of Infernal Energy, and a gigantic bazooka barrel!
"Euphrosyne's Smile No. 12: L'Allegro!"
Channelling her EXCeed Infernal Energy upon the Cannon, Nico got it charged up within seconds flat and unleashed a giant no-hold barred blast that seared through numerous Courages' bodies with searing blasts of wind, electricity, and fire and engulfed them in a giant tornado-like implosion the size of Mount Everest!
One of the Sequi unleashed two giant fireballs thereafter as a counterattack but Nico quickly cancelled the blast's timing, dashed out of harm's way with a swift EXceed flash step, and commenced another round of L'Allegro Laser Cannon Barrage to scorch even more Courages into oblivion!
Numerous Courages unleashed a merged roar that threatened to swipe the floor with both Nico and Maki, but the redhead raised her Psyche Grimoire at the exact moment the sonicbooms seemingly struck Maki, and instantly charged up large amounts of Infernal Energy within the glowing tomes of said Grimoire!
"Psyche's Calling: RELEASE!"
Casting a blood incantation filled with immense arcane energy, Psyche Maki unleashed numerous giant burst of crimson lightning that crashed down upon the flying nitwits, exploding upon their faces and inflicting massive stack damage upon their titanic bodies!
"Harmonic Series: Aleatoric Storm - PROMINENCE!"
Unleashing numerous small tornadoes and a ring of lightning across her body, Psyche Maki unleashed a giant electrified storm that sliced through the Courages' dragon-like bodies, twirled around in a graceful pirouette, gathered the group of said enemies in a giant electrified orb, leapt off said orb, charged up large amounts of Infernal energies, and unleashed a giant meteor shot straight towards the Sequis that detonated in a giant prominence!
"Nico, NOW!" Maki nodded.
Nico commanded the Euphrosyne Orbs to rearrange themselves straight and morphed into a giant vulcan cannon with three giant metallic barrels
"Euphrosyne's Smile No. 7: Antheia!"
The three arcane-like petals that spread out wide, redirected charged-up energies inside said barrels, and unleashed a giant fireball that detonated in mid-air and sent the Courages staggered mid-air!
Transforming her Psyche Grimoire into a giant piano, Psyche Mai unleashed a storm of musical-imbued blades and supercharged arcane bolts towards the Sequis into the tune of Cutie Panther!
"Euphrosyne's Smile No. 8: Primavera!"
"Psyche's Whisper: Divine Whisper!"
Nico morphed her Euphrosyne Orbs into a giant shuriken with three blades representing fire, wind, and electricity while Maki chanted numerous incantations to beef Nico's Euphrosyne with large surplus of glowing arcane energy.
Nico swiftly threw the giant Shuriken like a boomerang as it encircled around the group of Courages, sliced through the Courages' bodies with its buffed up blades with such velocity, soon expanded its shredding arcane radius thanks to Divine Whisper's buff, and the shuriken soon finished the combo with Nico snapping her fingers upon command as it unleashed a giant Infernal Tornado!
Euphrosyne's Smile Gauge – FULL
"Euphrosyne's Smile No. 9: Pandaisia!"
Nico snatched back the returning Euphrosyne boomerang shuriken, twirled it around twice as the Euphrosyne Orbs expanded its arcane parts, encircled Nico inside an arcane gyroscopic cage, and soon transformed into a mobile missile battery – complete with twenty orb-shaped arcane launchers side by side!
"I guess I am right in coming in for the curaaaaaaazeeh ride!" Nico grinned widely as she clicked on the joysticks buttons and shot out...
"NICO NICO NII!"
Numerous streams of rockets, bullets made out of highly pressurized wind mixed with Infernal energies, and different flavours of high-energy arcane plasma blasting, bombarding, searing, and shredding through the Courages with relentless grace and power!
"Shall we end it?" Psyche Maki grinned as she stood side by side with Nico.
"You need to ask?" Euphrosyne Nico winked.
"Not without us, you say?" Terpsichore Eli chimed in.
"Don't hog the fuuun!" Fortuna Nozomi chuckled.
Eli, Nozomi, and Maki placed their hands upon Euphrosyne Nico's shoulders, transferred their arcane energies towards Nico herself while she merged the Euphrosyne Orbs into one glowing sphere!
"Euphrosyne's Smiles No. 9: UNITY!"
Euphrosyne Nico unleashed a giant combined arcane flash filled with fire, wind, and electricity that converged and blasted them all for fatal damage upon the charging Courages, ending the battle for good!
"You...you will pay for what you have done! Upon the waking world...YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE WROUGHT!" one of the Courages roared as it burned into ashes.
"Not that impressive for someone's dying words!" Euphrosyne Nico grunted.
"To think Chris would do that to us..." Fortuna Nozomi sighed softly. "Then again...it's now our turn to realise that Chris had crossed the line – for real this time."
"And I guess Chris wouldn't understand that...because she just couldn't let go; in fact, it isn't the fact that she couldn't let go, it's the fact that she refused to accept help from many people who are clearly willing to help her in the past." Psyche Maki shrugged.
"She had a pretty warped and misguided belief about loyalty, huh?" Fortuna Nozomi shrugged. "'s just not worth destroying us..."
"Loyalty? This isn't even loyalty; she might think so because she believed the she held us close to her heart, but what she did so far are stuffs that even Yanderes themselves would think twice of doing!" Euphrosyne Nico cringed.
"Which is saying a lot, given how yanderes operate on a daily basis..." Eli nodded.
"Gotta give her some credits, though." Psyche Maki twirled her bangs. "She nearly got us with those miasmatic mists she brought up."
Before they could continue on further, the skies began crumbling down as the hodgepodge they stood upon slowly chipped off y means of a quake.
"The Miasmatic Mists must have lost its grip on us psychologically; the entire dream construct is falling!" Fortuna Nozomi shot out.
"I think we know which Cardinal Virtue we would be facing once we wake up..." Psyche Maki sighed.
"Courage?" Nozomi wondered.
"Close; it's Fortitude, or in Latin..."
Psyche Maki frowned once more.
"Fortitudo."
"I take it that it's the Sequi's head honcho, aie?" Eli wondered.
Maki nodded.
For it was their bonds together that sparked up hope within their life; a sign of beauty; a sign of strength; a sign of being...alive.
"Together...Together, FOREVER!"
Back in the waking world...
A huge burst of solar wind burst through the skies as a huge roar followed soon after. Glowing light blue feathers descended from the skies above as chilling rays of light shone down upon the usually fluffy clouds...
"Ah...Team Muse...why side with A-RISE? Did you treasure them more than you treasure your own dignity? Such instance made me disgusted at Humanity's...progression..."
A majestic figure with dual dragon heads descended from the skies in all its corrupted glory; an upside-down adult face as body, while intricate gold and marble-like armor encased and red and blue gemstones embedded upon its forehead. Its golden armor had a brighter and more grandeur tone as opposed to Courage's dull glow upon its body.
"Such gems – the nine of you – would have been a waste...I was expecting you all to have the courage to know your mistakes and accept our master's amnesty...a pity. Then again...Humanity isn't what I would call...strong either...enough to sent our master over the edge!"
Audito
THE ANCIENT CARDINAL VIRTUE OF FORTITUDE
ALPHA FORTITUDO
"So you're the ones responsible for the Miasmatic Mists hoo-hah that Eli, Nozomi, Nico, and Maki are experiencing right now!" Honoka frowned.
"Humans...those impure abominable creations would only serve to tear away at one another in a gruelling trial of reality - a world where 'dog eat dog' mentality is a must for everyone to survive. Our master is merely trying to help you all understand this fact and be infused with the courage to accept Humanity's bigotry...and destroy them; to ascend to a higher being with our master and leave everything to dust in a world where you all will be the Voices of Reasons!"
"Anyone else feel like the Auditos themselves are talking like a broken record?" Umi frowned
"Well, they aren't technically Auditos controlling their own bodies anymore – it's Chris's despair that caused her to repeat it like a mantra." Bayonetta followed.
"And yet here you all are...pretending to ignore the truth about Humanity...No matter, for soon the ones knocked unconscious by the Miasma will soon be upon the side of angels!" Fortitudo laughed deeply.
"You would think so, didn't you?"
A chilling realisation rippled through the Cardinal Virtue's body and his eyes widened in utter shock as he witnessed numerous Applauds, Affinities, and even Fairnesses and pairs of Gracious and Glorious blasted past him in a giant prominence burst – one of the Gracious even slammed right hard upon the Audito's face before exploding into blood and Halos!
Four silhouetted figures soon walked out of the smokes while wearing their confident smiles upon their faces; the other members rejoiced, for they knew that they had strived through the Miasmatic trials...
"Kept you all waiting, huh?" Terpsichore Eli winked.
"I'm glad to be out of this mess...seriously, it's tarnishing my image!" Euphrosyne Nico pouted. "A woman's gotta look good to be good!"
"Eli! Nozomi! Maki! Nico!" Honoka shot out, pleasantly surprised by their development!
"Geez! Is that what I think it is? Your EXceed Trigger?!" Rin's eyes sparkled with awe.
"Whadya expect? Of course it is!" Euphrosyne Nico boasted. "And looking real good with it too!"
"Niiice!" Honoka cheered. "And your EXceed Triggers actually change your appearances too!"
"Gotta say...you gals earn it!" Tsubasa simpered. "And Nico?"
"Yeah?" Euphrosyne Nico wondered.
"About calling you an 'imp'..." Tsubasa sighed softly in remorse.
"Hey, let bygones be bygones, say?" Euphrosyne Nico grinned. "An imp I may be, but I know my strengths and what I am; even Maki knows it too!"
"About Maki..." Tsubasa wondered.
"Relax, cha?" Psyche Maki chuckled. "It seems that Chris completely forgot the difference between 'flirting and misunderstanding' and outright 'cheating-cum-netorare'!"
Tsubasa heaved a sigh of relief – at least they were an understanding bunch, she thought.
"Impossible..." Fortitudo bellowed. "Impossible! The depths of Humans could never be that deep! They are too foolish and stupid to discover their true powers that lie deep within!"
"Yeah? Well newsflash, we proved you wrong!" Euphrosyne Nico taunted. "You speak ugly, just as much as you ARE one yourself!"
"You sure underestimated a human's capacity to strive through the odds despite your supposed 'research' that humans are anything but, eh?" Terpsichore Eli shrugged. "Then again...you never have a human heart anyway!"
"To think that you would go so far as to make us understand your master's pain...Sympathetic as it may be, what your master did is totally unjustified!" Fortuna Nozomi frowned. "What you have accused us; what she accused A-RISE, and even the supposed 'sinners' are all a by-product of Chris's grief and sorrow that she failed to keep in check or even accept any help!"
The rest of Muse members nodded in relief; both Bayonetta and Jeanne gave a confident smile – they knew that it would be a matter of time before they overcome their miasmatic nightmare, right?
After all, Humanity would never cease to amaze...
"Knew that it's about time!" Bayonetta praised.
"Heh...and Fortitudo still looked frustratingly clueless as to what's going on and why they kept surprising them! Keep them salt coming, you Cardinal Bitches, we love your salt!" Jeanne grinned.
"Alas...you are all too late!" Fortitudo boasted. "We – the Angels of Paradiso - have won! Angelic Reinforcements are on the way; they would finish the job, destroy the chopper you are on, and allowed us the advantage in capturing the nine of you Muse – the Famed Witch and the Umbran Prodigy would not even stand a chance!"
"Oh yeah?!" Psyche Maki smirked. "You surely don't count upon her virtueshelping out too?"
Both Bayonetta and Jeanne heard some clanks of metals and angels screeching their heads off and soon broke to a smirk; Fortitudo's expression turned to that of shock...
"I would beg to defer...Cardinal Virtue of Fortitude!"
A single electrical slash wave sliced through the air as the dismembered bodies of Ardors, Affinities, Fairnesses, and even Gracious & Glorious scattered through the stormy skies and burst into golden dust soon after!
The team looked up upon the skies just in time to see streams of light shining down and parting the miasmatic clouds; a graceful figure soon descended from the skies, having offered aerial support in preventing the chopper from being crushed by the incoming strafing angelic units!
Athena Alito...
"Nyaaaa..." Rin's eyes sparkled upon witnessing the Holy Paladin's dazzling beauty. "Seems not even video calls would do it any justice compared to seeing it up close, nya!"
"I guess that's what people meant when they say 'pictures of beauty doesn't tell any justice unless seen up close'!" Fortuna Nozomi chuckled softly.
"Again...Alito-sensei sure has come far..." Hanayo simpered.
"Looks like you're on time, eh?" Bayonetta smirked.
Athena Alito glanced at the Umbran Witches and nodded softly while flashing a small smile.
"I hope so, Miss Bayonetta and Miss Jeanne, just in time for the main event!" Athena Alito nodded while she gazed upon Team Muse – especially Eli, Nozomi, Maki, and Nico – with admiration.
"Of course! There would be plenty for those that are involved in the miasmatic hoo-hah!" Jeanne grinned.
"Team Muse..." Athena Alito simpered. "Miss Eli, Miss Nozomi, Miss Maki, and Miss Nico in particular...thank goodness..."
"We heard your prayers – along with the people over at Otonokizaka – in our miasma nightmares too...We should be the one who should thank you, Bayonetta, and Jeanne, now that the three of you are present." Fortuna Nozomi calmly returned the smile.
"Yeah! We should be the one who should be thankful that you didn't end up crossing the line; we knew it you had it in you, say?" Euphrosyne Nico grinned.
"Now, let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Fortuna Nozomi grinned. "Gotta grab the opportunity by the boobs of possible!"
"Early bird gets the worm!" Bayonetta grinned.
"We will help out with the piloting systems; it seems that despite the angelic forces being defeated somewhat, the auto pilot systems are malfunctioning; we have to help Luka maintain the instruments!" Umi nodded.
"You all will be ok?" Athena Alito hoped.
"As long as we follow Luka's direction, it would last till the fight's over; we can decide the diagnosis later!" Honoka winked.
The rest nodded and agreed for that to be their next course of action, leaving Euphrosyne Nico, Psyche Maki, Terpsichore Eli, Fortuna Nozomi, Athena Alito, Bayonetta, and Jeanne behind facing the Cardinal Virtue of Fortitude.
Athena Alito nodded readily with a bright smile on her face as she glanced upon both Bayonetta and Jeanne and nodded softly.
"The Redeemed Guardian of the Wind...the Judas! How dare you defy and damn our master's amnesty and betray her ideals?!" Fortitudo snarled and cursed.
"Alpha Fortitudo..." Athena Alito sighed. "The word 'Irony' doesn't even begin to describe how bigoted you truly are!"
"Kind humans are few and far between; most humans that our master had saw would indulge themselves in other people's misfortunes, and people who show apathy towards this kind of problems arising! Our master is trying to save you from all of those – the harsh realities OF LIFE – HUMANITY'S FLAWS!" Fortitudo roared.
"ENOUGH!" Athena Alito shot back. "Sapientia and Iustita had been yapping exactly the same drabble over like a broken record!"
"You...a traitor...would dare to speak against us?!" Fortitudo looked down upon the team in utter disgust.
"Traitor? The Pot calling the Kettle black, I say!" Psyche Maki taunted. "For someone who's suppose to look after Humanity, you sure are bigoted towards them in the blink of an eye!"
"A traitor I am not; for Muse showed me that I am not alone! What you just see are the potential of humanity's kindness and their willingness to treasure their given friendship and love despite the distances between them and the hardships they have to go through! Just as Muse, Otonokizaka's residents, A-RISE, and other people showed me that I am never alone, so too will I repay the favor by serving and protecting Humanity till the end!" Athena Alito raised her voice with utmost confidence.
"So you would go so far as to forge your own path and would get destroyed by the harsh realities of life..." Alpha Fortitudo frowned.
"At least I can safely say that I have everyone of their support!" Athena Alito smiled confidently as apparitions of Kaori, Kousei, Kako Takafuji, Saiai, Hoto, Cheri, Cocoa, and basically every single Otonokizaka residents – young and old – appeared behind her back. "Just as much as I will support them!"
"Oooooh, now that's a scathing burn!" Jeanne chuckled.
"Mine if we pour some cold water upon that pride of yours? Or maybe what's left of it?" "Euphrosyne Nico mocked.
"Very well...I WOULD DESTROY YOU ALL JUST TO PUT YOU OUT OF YOUR MISERY, THEN SENT THEM TO OUR MASTER TO MAKE YOU ALL ON HER SIDE!" Fortitudo roared, but Bayonetta just simply raised her right-handed Elfin Knight and proceeded to shoot the dragon right in the face!
"Alito, my dear, if there's one thing you have to know about the Auditos, is that they all have the common jibe of not shutting the heck up!" Bayonetta grunted. "Admirable that you wanted to clean up the mess from your past – destroying the Auditos – though!"
"Alas...it's a lesson I would have to take it to heart." Athena Alito sighed softly; the members of BiBi and Fortuna Nozomi nodded in agreement. "But we're ging to do this, together!"
Bayonetta grinned. "Now that's a party!"
"Shall we shut his yap up?" Jeanne grinned.
"We would love to, Miss Jeanne!" Athena Alito nodded as Euprosyne Nico, Psyche Maki, Terpsichore Eli, and Fortuna Nozomi stepped forth assuredly. "Anything to prove that Audito's narrow-minded opinion against Humanity wrong; had just about enough of his antics!"
"I believe we can speak for everyone when we say this..." Bayonetta frowned as her left eye started glowing purple as the rest stood by one another – back to back and facing the Audito with utmost confidence flowing through their souls...
Their conviction were made loud and clear...no quarters given!
(Scene ends with Nozomi, Eli, Nico, and Maki in their Amalgamate EXceed Trigger Forms – Psyche and Euphrosyne; Fortuna and Terpsichore standing in the widescreen, back to back with Athena Alito, Jeanne, and Bayonetta; Fortitudo looked in with absolute disgust.)
"Flock off, featherface!"
Next Episode: EXceed my Way! The Alpha Cardinal Virtue of Fortitude – In Labors and Dangers shall our Hope be defined!