CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

鏡、壁に鏡!方法1週間で男を失う…パート3

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall! How To Lose A Guy In One Week…Part 3

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Nick didn't like him.

There was just something about the experiment that made him cringe. Perhaps it was the fact that he was slightly bigger than most...perhaps it was the bright white eyes…or the swirling patterns on his body. In any case, this dark experiment rubbed his hands, looking gleeful at meeting them.

"I'm quite glad to see you've obtained all of the pieces." He told Jenny and Carmen. "And who are your friends?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. His book keeper, a teenager with a shirt that said "Psychotic" on the front looked intrigued as to their identity as well.

"This is Nick Grey." Jenny said, gesturing to Nick, who nodded politely. "His partner is experiment 621, Chopsuey."

Chopsuey leisurely scratched his stomach, then nodded as well. HE didn't seem to like Absolute either.

"Ah, I've heard about you. What a pleasure to meet you in person!" Absolute said, clapping his hands together and smiling gently. "It must be quite an honor to be the partner of the infamous 621." He asked Nick.

"Hey, hold on, Chops is not THAT infamous." Nick said.

Chops looked a bit guilty.

"He hasn't told you his whole history, has he?" Absolute asked. "He was almost as egocentric as me."

"Why would you WANT to admit to being-you know what, the fact that you're admitting it means you're one step closer to being cured." Nick said, waving his hand dismissively. "What exactly do you want from the mirror?"

"If you obtain all the pieces of the Mirror, you can make a wish!" Absolute told them. "Originally "Lightfoot" had a piece, but I took it from him. I told him that if he wanted in on the wishing deal, he'd have to go find another piece. Looks like he failed though."

"We came, we saw, we kicked his ass!" Nick laughed.

"So wait…what experimental number are you?" Chops inquired.

"Technically 000." Absolute remarked. "I would have been 623, but "rat boy" and "tubby" decided I was too dangerous so they did a number on me…and changed my number!" He laughed. "I went from absolute evil to absolute good. Well, as close as absolute evil and absolute good as a mortal can be." He explained, shrugging. "All of YOUR pieces are here, are they not?"

"Yeah. Where's yours?" Nick asked.

Absolute smiled. "Instead of TELLING you where it is, why don't I show you…"

…Absolute led them down a forest path, walking ahead with his partner. "You see, there's a VERY strong magnetic field in a ruin near the end of this forest." He told them all. "Using the magnetic field's power, we'll be able to combine YOUR pieces with mine, and TA-DA! It'll be put together just like THAT." He snapped his fingers to illustrate his point.

"To think…soon we can be together forever!" Carmen thought. "I'll wish to be with BOTH of them! For us to survive the fight and become TWO champions!"

Absolute heard them speaking and smiled in a fashion that was almost sad. "That's right…hold onto your dreams as long as you can, children."

Soon it appeared. A big, hulking ruin with a large door. There were odd inscriptions all around the door that Nick vaguely recognized as being Japanese katakana.

Entering the doorway and going into a hallway that had candles lighting the path, they soon found themselves in a small room with an alchemic circle drawn in chalk on the ground. And there, before them, was a circular hole…

And a mirror piece was placed within.

"My piece is there. Put yours in." Absolute told them, pointing at the pedestal hole.

Nick and Jenny held their pieces up and placed them together. They began to quiver and slowly but surely began to move towards each other!

"Oooooh!" Jenny said, eyes going wide.

"And now…" Absolute smirked, and Nick saw his eyes turned red. "It begins!"

Before they could stop him, he snapped his fingers, and fire spread all around them. Then he concentrated, and before their eyes the ruins were BLASTED apart through the sky! Cackling madly, he leapt through the air and grabbed the mirror, giving it to his partner.

Did I say ALL of the ruins were gone? Not quite. One piece remained…which HE now stood atop of.

"Welcome my congregation…to the FINAL TESTAMENT!" He crowed, holding his hands up. "You've contributed quite well to my bright future…and now I will become the champion of all experiments!"

"QUE!?!" Carmen gasped.

"Jay, I think it's time we showed them, don't you?" Absolute inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Now you shall see the true power of the Trinity Mirror…BEHOLD!" His partner cried out, holding the mirror and Absolute's light-black book up. "AUCTORITA!"

Absolute's body glowed as his form grew even BIGGER. His eyes gained dark pupils, his muscles on his body bulged, his swirling began to come to life, moving continuously around on his body. Steel frames circled his chest and forearms, wireframe wings appeared on hi sback, a secondary pair of claws formed upon his wrists, and a metallic crown of horns appeared on his head.

"A god in spirit I was…and AND NOW A GOD IN FORM I HAVE BECOME!" He roared.

"You're just UGLIER." Nick snapped, pointing with a finger in an accusing fashion.

"Now you're going to see true power. Your torture shall be legendary!" Absolute crowed. He raised a clawed hand up and smiled coldly.

"POTESTAS!" Jay read out.

THUDDA-BOOOOOM! Absolute sent a fiery blast shaped like a missile right at the group! Quickly they dodged to the side in time, rolling away…but they gasped at the damage it had left behind…now the forest was alit with flames as sparks flew into the air…

"Sheesh, it's not just big words, he's become seriously strong!" Nick yelled.

"You horrid person!" Jenny yelled. "Using us for your own selfish gains!"

"DIABLO!" Carmen snarled, rushing forward, holding onto her maracas.

"Oh please. Your so-called "moral codes" are just inventions of man to keep others from having fun." Absolute spoke coldly. He raised his hand up again. "And taking me head on? Here I thought you were smarter than that."

"VIRES!" Jay called out.

"Carmen, NO!" Chops screamed as Absolute focused, and a strange beam of dark blue, psychic power rippled through the air from his head. Carmen quickly leapt through the air, spinning rapidly and dodging. Then she landed expertly on the ground before launching herself directly at Jay.

"BASTARDO!" She yelled.

"That's enough from YOU." Absolute spoke, frowning as his book keeper called out another spell. "OPPRIMO!"

THA-WHAM!

A telekinetic force slammed Carmen to the ground and she was unable to move, her body surrounded in a dark aura. Absolute calmly raised his hand. "You can die first." He said. "Such a waste of such a pretty body…"

"I'm not gonna let you!" Jenny said, rushing in front of Carmen and holding her body out, her book in the backpack she was wearing. "I will protect my sister!"

"Fine…you get to die together! I shall strike you down with my power on high!" He laughed.

"Oh no you DON'T, asshole!" Nick yelled as he held his book up.

"Your opponent…is ME!" Chops growled, jabbing his thumb at himself. "I'm not letting you pick on a little girl, you egocentric, blowhard of a COWARD!"

"IADEO-IEDO!" Nick hollered out as his book glowed. Chopsuey's fists shone and he swung them, sending the two emerald fist blasts at Absolute…

BUDDA-BAM!

Absolute flinched as the attacks hit his body, but then he raised an eyebrow. "Is that it?" He asked them.

"It didn't do JACK!?" Nick asked.

"Now then…Jay, help me burn this little witch." He requested, turning to Jay.

"POTESTAS!"

Jenny grit her teeth, fully expecting the end to come…but Carmen had leapt back up and pushed her out of the way…

…but in doing so, the backpack had been scorched, and the book…

Now had a small fire atop it.

"No…" Nick gasped.

"NO…" Chopsuey whispered.

"NOOOO!" Jenny howled, eyes going wide with horror. Carmen blinked in surprise as she saw the flame upon her book burn brightly. She turned to look at Jenny, who grabbed onto her and cried. "Carmen…no… I won't let you go! You CAN'T!" She sobbed, even as her body slowly began to vanish into pink light that was fading into the sky…

"Jenny…" Carmen whispered. Then she turned to Chopsuey. "Chops…babe, I…I wanted…to stay with choo and Jenny…because…te quiero….te quiero tanto mucho…" She said, tears slowly dribbling down from her beautiful blue eyes.

Chops realized he was crying too. "Carmen…please…please don't go…you can't…I…I wanted you to stay too…I wanted…wanted…"

He bit his lip. "I WANTED TO GO OUT WITH YOU! I wanted to play at the beach with you and sing and go to dinner and hold hands and see movies and kiss and hug and…and I wanted to promise you we'd always be together! You CAN'T go! I've liked you ever since we first met!" He sobbed as he ran to her side with Nick, holding onto one of her hands and gripping it tightly.

"You're my big sister…I don't wanna be alone!" Jenny insisted, shaking Carmen. "I don't wanna lose you, it's not FAIR!"

"I love choo so much, mi hermana…" Carmen said, reaching up and holding Jenny's cheek. "I wanted to stay with you as your sister…I wanted to make choo happy…but I think I have… I No voy a olvidar, no siempre…And you won't forget me. Jenny…please don't cry." She insisted, shaking her head as she cried, yet smiled gently. "Don't you remember? Carmen is Jenny's big sister!...right?"

"…right…RIGHT…" Jenny sobbed, burying her face in Carmen's chest.

"Carmen…Carmen…" Chops sobbed, holding both of Carmen's hands as best he could. "Don't leave me…PLEASE… I WON'T LET YOU GO!" He screamed.

"…I'm sorry everyone…but…it's time to say "adios". Choo take care of yourselves, okay? And…" Carmen laughed softly. "Está toda mi familia…you're all my ohana…and thank you…for everything…"

With a final smile, Carmen vanished into the air, and Jenny covered her eyes, sobbing pitifully as Chops's claws dug into the ground, his head lowered.

"She was weak. That was why she returned." Absolute remarked. "And if you think THAT'S the worst I can do, then I've yet to install true fear in you."

"…Absolute…" Nick said softly, fists clenched so hard the knuckles were almost popping out of the skin. "You…will never be forgiven…EVER! NEVER, EVER, EVER!"

"How DARE YOU!" Chopsuey screamed.

"Why are YOU so annoyed? It is the fate of ALL in this fight to burn their opponent's books." Absolute told them.

"That doesn't mean ANYTHING!" Nick yelled, pointing at him.

"Hmm?" Absolute looked confused.

"You manipulated the innocent feelings of a little girl and her partner!" Nick yelled. "No…her SISTER! They believed your words! All they wanted was to be together like a family should be and you stomped on their pure feelings!"

"They faced so much…struggled for such a long time…helped us out for so long…and then you…YOU…." Chopsuey snarled.

"Amusing…but what do you think you can do against my power?" Absolute inquired. "I'm a God now."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Nick yelled. "You lied to a little girl! You burnt Carmen's book! And you feel NO REMORSE! Those who have no compassion…"

"Those who feel no pity or kindness…" Chopsuey whispered harshly as he stood by Nick's side.

They looked at him with eyes of steel, giving him a look that split the air with righteous fury. "Those who trample the pure hearts of others have NO RIGHT TO CALL THEMSELVES A CHAMPION, LET ALONE A GOD!"

"Idiots! Power is all, and it gives me the right to become a god. Here…let me demonstrate!" Absolute laughed.

"OMNIPOTENS!" Jay read out.

Absolute clapped his hands together, and suddenly the entire area within five miles SHOT up into the sky! It slowly whirled around like a floating asteroid as Absolute grinned evilly. "Now your survival…and HERS…" He added, gesturing at the still-sobbing Jenny, "Depends on beating my book keeper and I!"

"The difference between a monster and a god is that a monster can be KILLED." Nick growled angrily. "Let's see which one you are!"

"You will NEVER be forgiven!" Chops yelled.