26. Für den Titel der Königin

KAMAKURA/SOUL SOCIETY/HUECO MUNDO

Mariko faced her new opponent. She infused a larger portion of her vectors to reform her arm. It was now completely purple, reminding her of Muramusa's presence. She had to put on a stern face. She could not look submissive in front of Lucy. Though she had significantly less vectors and a shorter reach – she was still 'queen Diclonius' for a reason and that was her tremendous power and ferocity, which would have made the living Mariko cringe, but the awakened Mariko now felt she had the advantage.

"Don't be foolish Lucy. I am now far more powerful than you." Mariko stepped back slightly.

"Well then, we should prove your boastful claim." Lucy's smile was now more wicked than Mariko's, fanging teeth bared and a sinister grin like she was ready to tear that arm again and again.

"DAMMIT I AM QUEEN NOW!" Mariko arced numerous vectors into Lucy. A ten metre radius protected Lucy from the vectors.

"What how can you block my heavy vectors? And your range has increased."

"Think next time before saying such foolish things as 'I am queen now.'" Lucy spoke in a monotonous voice. Ichigo was pleased to see Lucy again yet felt a strange vibe coming from her. It was disturbingly similar to when he had to fight her back in his home town.

"Lucy may I-"

"No-one interfere with this fight. I will show this foolish girl what it means to be queen." Lucy thrusted herself back a few metres, leaving a trail of dust swirling upwards into the Garganta; which swirled in a similar manner. Lucy knew she couldn't fight her whilst these giant holes distracted her. She flicked her hands and in an instant all the hollow had exploded into splattered gore. Kommamura and the captains below were completely confused. The hollow that held Kommamura's zanpakuto to ransom had literally been vaporised by an unknown force.

As the hollow blood rained down fifteen blurred shadows revealed themselves. Clad in Shinigami uniform and swishing pink hair. The Diclonii had finally returned.

"Yes, I knew it. They have arrived." Izuru' smiled and even revealed his other eye past the emo fringe.

"Hey I told you that! You were the pessimistic one." Hisagi rebutted from above.

"It doesn't matter, the worlds will now be saved."

"I better go help them." Mori suggested.

Izuru nodded and the Diclonius leapt up to join the others. The group were walking towards Lucy. They stopped when they all lined up in a row behind her. Lucy had called upon her worker bees and now stood seventeen Diclonii against one.

Mariko shivered and leaned back. She was not ready to take on so many Diclonii plus Lucy whom was difficult enough by herself. Fortunately for Mariko this was not Lucy's motive.

"I just wanted to show you that these girls follow me, their mother, their true queen." Now she turned to give a nodding signal to the girls. They simultaneously flashed and ended up circled around the large Garganta and the crack to Soul Society. Mori instinctively followed, not aware of the order, and set herself up a position near Soul Society. The girls all grabbed as much reishi as they could and stared resealing the two wounds in the sky. Slowly but surely the worlds were being divided again.

Mariko smirked. "It will take more than just sliding a fabric to seal the hole I made." As she said that the two tears reverted slightly as the Diclonii slacked off. They would need to keep a hold of the dimensions till they had a chance to recover.

"Your worker bees are now stiches to my tear." Mariko laughed but was quickly cut off by an oncoming jab with Lucy's vector. Mariko dodged to the side and returned her now two hundred vectors into a striking position, like a snake ready to bite its prey. Lucy admired her amazing display but since she could plainly see Mariko's vectors it would be easy to find an opening.

Mariko extended her vectors in rotating succession. Lucy saw this move as predictable and navigated around it. She managed to come within ten metres of Mariko. She hooked her left vector and took out a large chunk of Mariko's flesh and organs.

"Urk..." Mariko doubled over and had to consume more of her vectors to heal the large wound. This would cost her dearly as her entrails flopped out. Ten, twenty, thirty more...

Mariko's entire left torso was now marked a distinct purple. She had used fifty of her new vectors to seal the wound. That was more Lucy was granted after using Muramusa.

~Dammit Muramusa if she keeps cutting me I won't have any vectors left.~

~~~~~Just keep trying to find an opening, remember she has only four vectors which reach only ten metres. You have one-hundred-and-fifty vectors which reach at least two hundred metres. You also have another power with those hands of tours~~~~~

~Yes I do~

Mariko gave Lucy a large slap with her vector which sent Lucy sideways for fifty metres until she gathered her footing on the air. Mariko grabbed at pieces of air and developed flaring blue balls in her hands. "I am the only Diclonii to use my reishi manipulation ability for more than just closing holes in the sky.

"You're wrong again Mariko..." Lucy fully stretched out her four vectors. "I have as well..."

"Bahahahahaha. Alright then I'll take on your four little balls of energy." The blue reishi changed into a more reddish colour once it contacted Mariko's hands. Muramusa had certainly given her a wonderful power.

Lucy gathered up blue energy in even shorter time than Mariko. Lucy's also grew larger and larger to rival even Mariko's hundred and fifty.

~Dammit even when I get ten times stronger she still equals me.~ Mariko cursed in her head.

The captains and others watched in dismay as two large energy clusters were forming, lighting up the deathly sky. Kouta had run outside and rushed towards the epicentre.

If wounds in in the sky couldn't destroy the Earth; if a legion of Menos couldn't, then this would.

"DIE LUCY!!!"

And with that the immense energy gathered b y the two collided and morphed as one tried to overcome the other. Bursts of electricity jutted out and torched the earth below. Finally the mass of immense energy imploded into a tiny ball, the size of a beach-ball, then a shockwave threw everyone back. The Diclonii holding the sky plummeted to the ground and were knocked out. The impact had also fully sealed the dimensions – one more problem solved.

But Lucy and Mariko both remained in the sky. Drained of most of their energy, it would come down to one final blow.

"YAHHH!!!" Mariko bared her teeth as she charged towards Lucy, whom maintained a straight face as she too charged towards Mariko. Purple and clear limbs drawn and ready for a kill.

The collision of the two Diclonii was much less of a spectacle than the previous collision of energy but was more suspenseful as the two crossed paths in an instant and had there backs turned. Both with static faces. They remained in an idle stance for what seemed like days when it was really only seconds.

Then the torrent of crimson life soup. It was from Mariko. The sight of the wound was hard to tell as blood spurted around her entire body. With a brief gurgle she thundered to the hard ground as her vectors wriggled alongside her. Another crater was made from her large fall and rubble caved in in her body.

Lucy remained there looking unscathed but blood soon covered her body. But it wasn't hers. She flashed down to a familiar face she had to meet again. The person reminded her of everything she hated about humanity and those years in captivity. The inhuman man spluttered as he noticed the large hole in his milky body. He tried to produce a syringe from his pocket but was bisected in two.

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi...I just had to see your face again."

Yet another twist...I just love pulling your leg fans, but you must've known she would eventually revert back to her old self. What will this mean now for the already battered Gotei 13? Next chapter should be a ripper - literally!