My MEGAMI 19: Hunter Anew

For some reason Natsuki's body didn't fade like all the others did. That was enough to give Shizuru hope. Hope enough to run back to Castle Richtofen. She wasn't looking for help for she knew that would find no one there. Rather she was looking for anything she could use but really she wasn't thinking only acting out of desperation. For what did she know about magic? Very little least of all why a MEGAMI hadn't yet faded despite having her mana core ripped out.

Shizuru moved with the kind of speed and strength that Natsuki once had but she barely noticed or if she did it had no great impact on her. She just moved with superhuman speed and eventually she reached the castle and found it occupied.

It was Mai, Tate, Takumi, Aoi, Mashiro, Yohko and finally Alyssa. But their MEGAMI were all absent.

Alyssa was the first to notice Shizuru with her older sister in her arms.

"Help me!" Shizuru begged. "I don't know what to do!"

Alyssa did what she could to figure out what was wrong with her sister while Mai informed Shizuru about the battle at sea. It was disheartening to hear of Deceiver and Guardian's demises but right then Shizuru was pretty numb to anyone else's suffering while she mourned for her MEGAMI.

It took her hours but eventually Alyssa found her answers and returned to Shizuru.

"Well? What's wrong with her!" Shizuru begged.

"She is…not truly dead. Rather her heart, her mana core still beats inside of you."

"In…me."

"Ja, vhen Nagi put that corrupted core into you it merged with my sister's original essence used to create you. In turn corrupting you into a monster. But vhen my sister put her core in you in the purified it und merged vith you. Think of the corruption like a disease. My sister's heart healed you."

"Then the reason she hasn't faded is…"

"Because you are alive. She lives so that you may live."

"I see."

Shizuru smiled. She was ashamed of herself for all that she had done but despite that she was ever so glad that Natsuki had still done this for her. More and more she was falling in love with the Hunter.

"This has however created an interesting paradox."

"What do you mean."

"Vell. From vhat I can tell you have become a true MEGAMI yet at the same time you are a living MEGAMI meaning you don't need a master und yet for reasons I cannot comprehend you've been registered as a Hunter."

"I've been registered?"

"Ja, from the divinations I have made you have been added as the second Hunter to the trials. You have been accepted as one of the 12 MEGAMI yet you have no master. This is strange it shouldn't verk this vay but yet it has. It seems almost like cheating but to vhat end I don't know."

"I don't understand."

"You are alive not a spirit. If you vin then you may not ascend into godhood yet even if you did you would have no master to serve as your conduit. There is no telling vhat vill happen now."

"I see…I have power now. More than I could ever imagine. Natsuki told me stories about her time with you. All those years ago."

"I see, ja. She vas strong. Very strong. And now so are you."

"…I can end this then. If I have her power then I can end this."

Alyssa cast a look of seriousness on Shizuru then nodded in agreement.

"Then you vill need more than just your naginata. Come."

Alyssa took her to a secured store room where she brought out an ornate Japanese mirror and a string of jade beads with magatama jewels in them.

"Do you recognized them?" Alyssa asked.

"Those are the Imperial Regalia. You have them?"

"Ja, by some luck. I think it's fitting you use them."

"Thank you."

"Good luck. And here."

Alyssa held out in her outstreched hand Natsuki's blue max.

"This is Natsuki's last Ichor. It is an EX class and is probably beyond you. But hold it anyway. "

"Thank you," Shizuru replied as she took her lover's medal.

When only two MEGAMI remain the final battle would be preceded over by the Goddesses themselves and so 12 Great Pillars fell from the sky and defined a great circular a hundred miles wide around the chosen site of battle. This was the ruins of the academy. They fell like meteors and shook the earth like the fall of giants.

At their center standing in the ruins was Nagi and Conqueror standing before a warp gate just like the one Reito had used. And approaching was none other than Shizuru clad in a purple kimono. It was an antique passed down for many generations. It's only real significance was that Natsuki had given to Shibuki a long time ago. That was one thing Shizuru remembered the most from her inherited memories.

In one hand she carried her halberd the Amenunohoku. Around her other arm was the holy magatama and floating about her the mirror Kagami.

"So you are still alive I see," Nagi sneered.

"She's become a living MEGAMI," Tomoe gleefully commented.

"Vhat! That's not possible!" Nagi almost began to panic.

"Evidentally it is. I'm annoyed though. This means I have to kill her," Conqueror pointed out much to her annoyance.

"I've come here to end this," Shizuru announced.

"Kill her!" Nagi ordered. "Don't make me used a command seal to make you!" he added worried that his MEGAMI would betray him.

Conqueror sighed in aggravation.

"Fine," Tomoe snapped and walked forth to face down Shizuru.

"May I ask you why you fight?" Shizuru asked sympathetically.

"Me?" Tomoe replied shocked by the sincerity of Shizuru's concern. "No good reasons. I just want power. No more and no less."

"I see," Shizuru responded with disappointment. "Many of them MEGAMI I knew or knew of all had very sad but beautiful reasons."

"Would it make it any easier for you to kill me if you knew I had one?"

"…No. I wouldn't. If I knew you had a wonderful reason I don't think I could do it. But I also pity you for not having one."

Tomoe had to chuckle to that.

"Story of my life."

And then they raised their polearms and charged for each other their weapons meeting like continents colliding.

When Shizuru had left Alyssa had ended up isolating herself in her study as she examined her sister's spiritual body further. It changed nothing however, Natsuki the original Hunter was still in what could be best described as a coma. But still Alyssa examined her however she could hoping to find some clue that might make a difference.

"You know it makes no difference what you do," said a voice.

Alyssa spun around and saw none other than Nao standing in the corner of her study. Shizuru had tearfully confessed about the people she had murdered in cold-blood under the influence of the corrupted core. Nao was among them but for her supposed death the only thing she had to show for it was an eyepatch over her eye.

"How did you? You had your brain…"

"It wasn't easy. But if you spend six years building up a spell that allows you come back from a fairly minor but fatal wound I'd say it was worth the effort."

"…I know that spell… You let Shizuru kill you."

"Keep going."

Realization dawned on Alyssa as she realized where Nao was going. She knew what Nao had in mind more or less, she'd come up with something similar once but the sheer audacity of it was mind boggling.

"I see. Vhat do you need?"

"I need your help. And anyone else who's willing to join. We need to bring Hunter to Shizuru."

"I understand. I vill inform the others."

"Will they be willing to fight. After all they've been through I wouldn't blame them for wanting to sit this one out."

"I vill ask. But do not underestimate their vill."

"Hah point taken."

Shizuru the second Hunter and Conqueror exchange blows that shook the very ground they stood on. They crossed blades so quickly that they broke the sound barrier and heated the air with their power. Even as they kicked up sand and debris with their moves their blades cut those pieces into sand creatinga dust storm that began to blanket the battle field.

They move and dodged about so fast that it seemed like artillery fire was raining down on their arena then finally they moved to opposite ends separated by nearly and mile and drew brilliant energy into the blades of their weapons. Shizuru's naginata glowed blood red while Tomoe's a deep violet and they unleashed beams like cyclones that met with the power of atom bombs.

"AMENUNOHOKO!" Shizuru screamed.

"LONGINUS!" Tomoe screamed in return.

The shockwave shattered already collapsing buildings around them and blasted down trees further on. They kept on pouring their power into their attacks neither side willing to back down until Tomoe slipped just a little and their perfectly matched beams went awry. Shizuru gouged a huge trench through the hillside while Tomoe blasted away a section of the sea into steam which swiftly filled with more sea water.

"LONGINUS!"

Conqueror was quicker in her recovery and unleashed another beam of light at Shizuru.

"KAGAMI!"

To block it Shizuru tried to use the mirror that floated around her but it swiftly began to melt under the onslaught. Longinus was just too much to handle forcing Shizuru to dodge before the blast consumed her while throwing aside her mirror.

Fortunately Tomoe couldn't keep up the assault and quickly retreated. Shizuru's mirror was damaged but still usable, it's glass surface marred and melted.

Shizuru uncoiled the string of beads around her arm and cracked it like a whip. It moved like a snake around every corner and over any barrier until it found Tomoe and wrapped itself around her leg. Conqueror had a split second to curse before being dragged out from under her feet and smashed through meters of concrete on a scenic route to Shizuru.

On the last pull Shizuru readied her blade to slice Conqueror in half but Tomoe defended with her own halberd driving them apart.

They had been fighting for hours leaving ever expanding devastation around them and Conqueror had to admit:

"I'm impressed. I knew I liked you for a reason," Tomoe complimented.

Shizuru had to beam from that praise and so she smiled in that aristocratic way she did.

"Why thank you. I try!"

Shizuru struck down hard but Tomoe was gone before her blade could connect. Instead she split the ground they were standing on.

"Why are you still fighting? Is it to regain your lover? Or do you just want the power of a goddesss."

"I fight for more than that now…I fight because I want this stupid war to end. I want to make up for what Nagi made me do! So many people have been hurt! I've hurt so many people! I want it to end. That's what I want and if I can get Natsuki and everyone else back then all the better. But I will not be satisfied until I put an end to all this nonsense."

And with that Tomoe paused.

"Wait. Are you telling me that you intend to refuse admission into Zodiac?" Tomoe asked shocked.

"Yes. I don't want godhood. What I want is for them to end this abusive ritual. If I have to accept the admission to do it I'll do it. But I will not settle for allowing this to continue."

And Tomoe just stared at her. And then she burst out laughing.

"Now that is original!"

Conqueror screamed and unleashed a huge torrent of power at Shizuru which she barely dodged.

"I've never fought someone like you before. I've fought the mad, the greedy and the deluded but this is the first time I've ever fought someone like you. Yes win or lose this will be the battle that defines my existence so come on let's end this!"

Conqueror raised her halberd high and began drawing in huge amounts of violet energy. It became a massive cyclone centered around the point of her blade. And Shizuru knew just from looking at it that there was no way she could match it.

And unconsciously she felt for the Blue Max in her robe. It was said that in times of stress or when you knew you were facing your imminent doom you think to the one you loved the most. And reached for the things you treasured best.

She didn't know why but the medal began to glow blue like the heart of a glacier and she felt a huge surge of power and familiarity. Like Hunter was standing right next to her protecting her like she always did and so with certainty she took out the medal which burned her hand like a piece of ice.

"Natsuki," Shizuru whispered then she slammed Blue Max into the side of her naginata where it froze straight onto it.

The new Hunter nodded to herself in reassurance then raised her own halberd in return. The air responded to the power of her magic and darkness and cold erupted from within turning her surroundings into a freezing glacier as brilliant as crystal.

"LONGINUS!"

"AMENUNOHOKO!"

Their beams collided but enhanced by Natsuki's Ichor Shizuru's crimson wave was stronger this one time and swept aside Conqueror's attack like leaves. The Russian MEGAMI could only stare in horror as she attempted to defend against the attack as best she could but still left her superficial burned and injured.

She cursed to herself but Shizuru was fast and charged straight at her. Conqueror tried to block as the new Hunter roared as she brought down her naginata and sliced the Lance of Longinus in half along it's shaft. But not stopping Shizuru hacked through Tomoe's body dragging out a violent spray of blood as she did.

Tomoe screamed in shock and agony as the red blade tore through her and then like that everything was silent as both combatants simply stood transfixed before each other.

Then despite the suffering she felt Conqueror just laughed.

"Well done. Thank you."

"For what?"

"If I had to be beaten…" she coughed up blood. "I'm glad it was by your hand."

The green-haired girl reached into the gaping wound in her chest and pulled an orb of indigo light. It was her MEGAMI core.

"Give this to Hunter."

"What?"

Shizuru looked to the Conqueror with a mixture of joy and sorrow for she was grateful to the gesture but suddenly very ashamed of her victory.

"Take it! Win or lose I got what I wanted. Now this is my reward to you."

Gingerly and apprehensively Shizuru took and began to cry.

"Thank you."

Cupping the Kyoto girl's check in one hand Tomoe began to fade into bright dust like sand in the wind.

"No thank you."

And then she was gone.

And then Shizuru felt it. It was like a burning inside her chest that quickly spread like acid throughout her body. The mana circuits in her body were not like Natsuki's they couldn't handle the immense pressure from Natsuki's Blue Max Ichor. It was far too powerful for her to handle and the Kyoto-born collapsed to her knees in agony and exhaustion.

"Is…is this what your mana burn felt like Natsuki?" Shizuru grimaced.

"So you won eh?"

Shizuru jerked her head around to see Nagi float down from the sky then wished she hadn't as knives of pain ran up her neck.

"No matter."

"What do you mean no matter?" Shizuru snapped back.

Now she was worried. She felt incredibly wobbly as she tried to get back to her feet. She knew she could easily kill the devilish looking boy but why was he so confident?

"I mean this."

He flicked his fingers and his warp gate burst into life creating a shimmering wall of energy. Within moments strange figures dressed in black uniforms not unlike that which Natsuki wore but somewhat less archaic looking and far more sinister. What was most striking however was there faces for they had none just white masks devoid of features and heads without hair. They look undoubtely female and there hundreds of them.

And they all felt like MEGAMI!

"W-What…what are those?"

"Like them? You vere Shibuki's greatest creation. An artificial MEGAMI created in her likeness. But you veren't her only creation," Nagi smirked.

"These…these things are?"

Shizuru just stared at them in horror.

"Artificial MEGAMI created by implanting cores like I the one I gave to you into dead girls. Veak. But useful. I might not have a true MEGAMI now. But let's see those pompous goddesses refuse me now? Kill her!"

The monstrous MEGAMI clones materialized weapons not unlike spears with guns attached to them and Shizuru couldn't help but feel disgusted for they were like Natsuki's own weapons. Yet at the same time she felt pity for the women these creatures once were.

With all of her remaining strength Shizuru fought them back all the while clutching Conqueror's core tightly to her chest fearing that she might lose it in the scuffle.

She still managed to cut them a great many of them with her naginata but she took wounds from magical bullets and thrusts from their spears until eventually she collapsed unable to will her body to move anymore. It didn't stop her from trying though.

"Do you really love her that much?" mocked Nagi.

"You have no idea how much I love her!" Shizuru spat back.

Nagi just shrugged.

"Vell I do hope then that you meet her in Valhalla," he joked sarcastically then made a final gesture for them to finish off Shizuru.

The false MEGAMI raised their spears to drive them into Shizuru but then in a flash of bright golden light Alyssa teleported onto Shizuru and whisked her away before those fake Ichors could pierce her.

Nagi cursed violently and searched with his magic for the two. He smirked when he realized that such a rapid teleport was only ablink spell that could only move short distances but very quickly. He ordered his pseudo-MEGAMI to follow as he chased after them and found them in the main lobby of the school.

"Found you!" he yelled.

"So have we!" Mai suddenly yelled and tackled him right out of the air.

Before he knew it Nagi had found himself surrounded by remaining mages: Tate, Mai, Mashiro, Takumi and Aoi. They attacked with whatever magic they had left despite his superior skill in the arts he could only defend himself against so many.

Shizuru was hurt, she was dying. Yet even then she didn't stop trying to get Conqueror's core to Natsuki. Which at this point had never been more urgent as Alyssa had teleported Hunter's body right to them. Nao was kneeling beside the body of the German MEGAMI and stood up to walk to Shizuru who was barely able to stay on her feet from all the wounds and blood loss.

Finally she collapsed, right into Nao's arms but still she passed the core to the red head.

"I'm sorry," Shizuru apologized.

"About the eye? Don't mention it."

"Give this…to Natsuki…and…and tell her I'm sorry."

"Hmph. Tell her yourself."

Nao's reply puzzled Shizuru. But before she could think any further Shizuru died in the girl's arms. Nao threw the glowing orb of power to Alyssa who stood over Hunter then ripped off her eye patch revealing a white glass orb of an eye with command seals on them.

"Alyssa now!" Nao commanded.

"Are you sure this vill verk?"

"No. Do you care?"

"Hah! Nein!"

Alyssa using her magic plunged Conqueror's core into her sister's lifeless spirit body while Nao began a new ritual to bind a MEGAMI. As she did the seals on her eye and tongue began to glow one a blood red the other a cold blue. Barely seconds passed but even that seemed like an eternity as the remaining mages struggled with all their might to hold back Nagi from commanding his own fake MEGAMI puppets to attack.

But they didn't succeed.

"Attack them! Don't let her summon!"

And attack they did like a swarm of darkness in the hundreds. But then light like blood and ice erupted from the ritual circle and blew them all back. When the dust finally settled the impossible had happened. Nao was standing firm with two MEGAMI standing at her side. Shizuru and Natsuki fully healed and fully armed.

Everyone was shocked but no one more so than Shizuru.

"H-How! You let me kill you," Shizuru realized.

"Correct. I needed a piece of your essence which you provided for me when you stabbed me through the eye and killed me if only for a minute. And the remaining masters provided me with all the seals I needed to cheat the system."

"You! You planned this!" Nagi accused.

"Oh you have no idea. Now if you don't mind," Nao began to dance comically as she taunted Nagi. "I have two MEGAMI! I have two MEGAMI! And guess what? You are so screwed."

"You summoned two Hunter classes at once!" Alyssa deduced.

"Technically they're not two Hunters. They're the same MEGAMI just split between two people. It's funny how you can cheat."

"KILL THEM! JUST KILL THEM ALL NOW!" Nagi screamed in desperation and fear.

They charged for the two MEGAMI but to them they moved so slowly that it was almost like they weren't moving at all.

"May I," Natsuki asked Shizuru.

"Enjoy," Shizuru politely gestured then returned Natsuki's Blue Max.

"I've never been able to use this fully," Natsuki smiled at her medal in hand.

Then she crushed it and hurled the tiny snow flake like fragments into the air.

"But I can materialize enough. Fimbulvinter! Bring forth the Age of Ice!"

The sky filled with clouds and the air became colder than the coldest ice. Yet somehow allies to Hunter were not affected at all even the humans. Then without warning hundreds of aircraft like Duran emerged from the clouds and began raining down towers of ice like glaciers onto the world raining down all over the campus and countryside as they destroyed everything in sight until there was nothing left but a blanket snow so deep it was like they had just been moved to one of the poles.

A globe of ice erupted from the snow like a glass globe surface from the sea and shattered revealing everyone safe and sound. All except for Nagi who moments later melted his way through the ice coughing up snow as he did.

"Nein! NEIN! This can't be happening! I planned for everything!"

Nao stepped forward just to taunt him. Barely meters away from the demonic mage.

"Yeah well I planned better."

"Nein…I refuse to let this happen!"

With all of his might Nagi burst from the snow and tried to throw a powerful spell at Nao. For once in her life Nao had been too cocky and knew for a brief second that she would have been killed if Alyssa hadn't suddenly blinked behind the German archmage and rammed her sword through his back and out his chest.

The others had to stare at the brutality of it all slackjawed as the tiny blonde magus twisted the weapon before finally wrenching it free killing at last the former master of Conqueror.

"She really is your sister," Nao leaned over and said to Natsuki.

Natsuki could only frown at her but she couldn't tell if that was an insult or a compliment.