Pinpoint Conviction
Chapter 37: The Last Dance
Elrya felt something slide down her face, like hot wax she forced herself to concentrate beyond the excruciating pain that she felt. Although the number of vectors she utilized against her final match against Cents was less now than it was then, she had compensated by building up her power and length. Right now, visible to the very eyes of all those who could see it, the waves of hands wrapped themselves around the city, going as far as to touch some of the lower clouds in the sky. But unfortunately, the price of using such entropy was becoming apparent. Her body was failing and it was only a matter of time before she succumbed to a total meltdown.
But life was unfair, a cruel mistress to force her to fight against her best friend. She wanted to stop, she wanted to quit and just stop Miriana with a hug and tell her it would be alright. But that girl was lost and empowered so that she was forced to use more and more power. This should've been good, Miriana was so strong now and brave, but not like this. She didn't want her to be strong because of this. That kind hearted girl, if there was anyone in the world who deserved to have happiness it was her. But she didn't, she was shown the cruelty of life worse than she had ever been through. A little human girl, who just wanted to have friends.
Swirling her body, Miriana blew across the field of hands at break neck speed, punching her best friend as hard as she could in the face. Her laughter was psychotic and heart broken in several places. The human girl grabbed her best friend by the hair, and swung her around chucking her back down to the streets where only the help of her vectors stopped the Diclonius from breaking her back on impact.
"Guh! Ahhh…please…stop it…" Elrya moaned, holding her left arm tightly. It wasn't broken but it burned and to her horror what looked like skin was beginning to peel off.
"You're so strong Elrya Alya-chan! You're the strongest friend I ever knew! Please stay still so I can kill you."
Perhaps, in the deepest part of her heart and minded, she couldn't attack because she thought Miriana would see the truth. Even her most direct attacks had been half-hearted but that girl, her best friend did not stop. Miriana only suffered superficial wounds while she herself would die either because of Miriana her own body beginning to melt.
Jumping out of the way, she felt the scorching ground explode from Miriana's blast but had little time to avoid the next kick. Miriana was really enjoying those legs of hers and they were beating down on her poor body. At this point, unable to give heart to attack, the young Queen only acted defensively. It was not enough, unable to hurt her friend, the pain in her soul at an all-time high, Elrya felt something inside her slip away.
"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" She cried, weeping bitterly at her own pathetic state, she dropped her body and slumped over. She let a few of her elongated vectors sweep out pitifully, hardly carding if they hit or blocked anything and then, Miriana blasted her down in a wave of energy that took her senses out. She could see, though barely and there was no sound. The flashing smile of her best friend, filled with miserable accusation pounded her body with physical blows as well as the energy from whatever she had achieved.
"This is so much fun! Miri-chan loves you so much!"
Elrya wondered, was that remark truthful? Was it just a remark of true feelings, or was it sarcastic?
"You don't deserve to love me…" She thought. "I love you Miriana-chan, my best friend in the whole world. But I'm not a good friend, because I let all those things happen to you."
An explosive force not only sent her body crashing several meters across the street, but the pressure of it along with her entropy at highest point became too much. She saw out of the corner of her eyes her arm flying away into a puddle of skin, muscle and bone.
"My….arm?" She wondered. It wasn't too painful, maybe her body was in too much shock for it notice.
"Goodbye, my best friend!" The little girl spread her arms and legs out, forming a sphere of chaotic energy that would certainly put an end to the small Queen. But her attack as it fired was blown apart her eyes widening in surprise.
"Oh? Do you want to play too Caren-chan? Lilian-chan?"
The two girls were at the ready. Lilian held Caren while their vectors were released. A bit of a poor performance because much like Elrya, they couldn't bear to hurt what could only be described as the sweetest human they had ever met. It was people like Miriana that made them see something different in humanity. If people were like Kusoku-chan, then that voice inside their head who hated humans would be so much kinder. It made them wonder, if someone like Kusoku Miriana could be broken, what did that say about everyone else?
Worst, they lacked the absolute power and length that Elrya as a Queen had. Thus, they were reduced to rag dolls, blown apart by the attacks of their human friend they were reduced to messes. Worst was Caren who without support of her legs had no way to get her balance back. There was never a time she cursed Onyara for what she did to her, but her vectors did allow her at least some mobility, enough to lift her up.
*BAM!*
But that didn't matter, Miriana's fist had already connected to her head, knocking her clearly out.
"Miriana! We're your friends, you have to stop this!" Lilian cried.
Pointless, no matter how much they begged, Miriana would never stop. Elrya as her half closed eyes looked on to see her best friend beating her other friends senseless had to come to that conclusion. Her vectors disappeared, she retracted them before her body could melt anymore and struggled with all her might to get up. Now that she had managed to relax a bit, the loss of her arm was now very disconcerting.
"I don't want this…"
Somewhere inside her head, Alya, the voice biologically could not stand humans, was crying. That's how bad it was, when the very voice itself cried, that was how they knew things had gotten so bad. "She was so kind to us, that girl that we met. She was the reason I started trusting humans more and more. But they did that to her, the gentle girl there, she was reduced to that.
…But I don't know what to do anymore. I want to believe people are good, people like Miriana and Yin, but I don't know anymore. Look at her Elrya, she's so scared, you can tell she's smiling but she's so scared that it makes me shiver. What can we do?"
"…I…Alya…I don't know." Now she was crying along with her voice. "I don't know what were supposed to do now a days. Every person I ever fought, every person I ever killed, I had a reason for it. I learned later that I was perhaps wrong on a few things, but during those times, I didn't regret it. But she's our best friend, a person I love just as much as you and Yin Sandersas and my daughter Carlin. I don't want to hurt her, I want to hug her and tell her it's going to be fine. I want to not only tell her that she'll never be in pain again but that we'll all get together and have a great time.
Us, our friends, my daughter, we'll all be happy."
She sobbed as she coughed, tripping over her ow feet. One of her vectors had managed to stich up the wounds of her stump, but could do little more than that. At the very least the blood had stopped oozing out.
"…Elrya, I'm scared. It feels like last time, with our mother. I don't want to go through that feeling again. Please…help me."
"…I know…" Elyra sobbed. "…I know Alya, but I don't know what do anymore.
Bando, Victoria and the now recently arrived Julius watched the screen inside the room along with the others, their eyes focused on the battle at hand. They watched with baited breaths as Elrya tried to fight against Miriana and failed miserably.
A call came in to Julius who went to somewhere quietly to take it.
"This is Javel Julius speaking. Ah, Director Morotisan, you sound out of breath."
From the caller's end, Garder leaned himself against the wall, huffing and bandaging his wounds with whatever he could find. "Cents and I had a confrontation and I must admit, I underestimated his power now. I assume you already know what is going on."
"The whole world does…" Julius answered firmly. "I see that Kusoku-san has gone mad, and I guess Cents has betrayed you."
"I doubt I'd call it betrayal, I'm surprised it took this long before he took action. I knew he'd do something like this eventually, he has never once been on my side, only on his very own. We have bad news now, I just received word that Kirashu Onyara has escaped from the mainland. As far as we know she still on route to Europe now and she had received what she needed from the Queens."
Julius clicked his tongue. "That seems to be a problem."
"Exactly…Javel Julius…" The way Garder spoke those words made the male Diclonius' already attentional ears perk. "You have been a good man to me. A loyal person who I admire as both an officer and perhaps even as a friend. I admit I have grown attach to even the girl Victoria, I guess she reminds me a bit of my own daughter, if just a similarity in names. But I feel something is about to happen that will change that, something that I my soul will not be able to stop once it comes.
After today, you are probably not going to be safe in Japan anymore, because of what I am probably going to do. Therefore I have some very specific orders for you.
Number one…" Garder began as his most loyal man listened carefully…
Julius returned back to the others and delivered the message about Onyara's arrival.
"Well damn, they couldn't stop her? What is that horned woman doing? Guh, so what do we do horned man? If that bitch gets to the other bitch were in trouble."
"Aye…" Julius stated. "We'll have to put on another alert for Onyara, but this is bad. It would appear that things have gotten bad enough in Japan that…well never mind. The point is that we have to stop either of those two girls as best as we can. I suggest we keep focus on Lagusa, not only do we have at least some idea of her whereabouts, but she's not anywhere near as powerful as her sister.
"Then why don't we split up and take a chase to both of them." Bando smirked, cocking his desert eagle. "Both of them are dangerous for us right. Well instead of running around in circles, let's go and split up, I'm more of a loner myself anyway. You go after that white haired little bitch and I'll take on the black haired bitch."
Victoria was the first to retaliate.
"Are you stupid? She's not like the other Diclonius, she's much more powerful than that. Do you really think you could fight someone like her alone."
Bando pointed an accusing finger at her.
"Listen up brat, I entered S.A.T so I could kill people. I enjoy that thrill, to pull the trigger and send someone down. From the moment I lost my arms and eyes, I have wanted nothing more than to take down that horned woman and shove my fist in her face. But days are different, people like that Miriana and Mayu, I hate to admit it but changed me. But that doesn't mean I'm not ready for action and this is one of the few times I can let loose and not have to worry about being reprimanded.
You think that bitch is a threat to me?" He smiled broadly at her. "So what, I don't care what kind of powers she has? I don't care if she killed hundreds or thousands or millions of people. I don't care how strange her hands or lines or whatever the hell she has is. I don't care if she can reduce men to bawling children just by her name alone. Let her come at me with her most powerful attacks, let reach her so called vectors as high into the heavens as she wants.
Even if I have zero chances of winning, I won't stop.
…Because I am overwhelmingly strong."
Victoria only stared at him in disbelief. But it was Julius who answered.
"Although I think you may be underestimating Onyara, I think if she meets you, she will be overestimating you. Despite anything else, you are right Bando-san. You are a soldier, a man equip both physically and mentally for fights. What's more, we have a very specific disadvantage and that is because we as Diclonius can be sensed. I'm sure whenever we came around, Lagusa is ready to make her move. I have learned to control that side of me, but not nearly as well as Onyara can with her ability. It also too much of a hassle to try and get the same operation done to us as they did with Elrya and Kaede, especially when we need to be able to sense them too.
But you have that on your side, Onyara will never be able to sense you. I'll put my trust you soldier, so show us and that woman, the kind of power humanity has."
Bando grinned. "Damn straight I will."
He and the male Diclonius pounded each other's fist in a show of comradeship before Bando stepped off. "If you don't mind, I'll be taking the vehicle, unlike you all my ways of transportation is limited."
"That's fine Bando, I'll talk to Karoly about transportation if we need it. I wish you the best of luck, greatest of humans."
"Hahahaha, you trying to get a cookie or something, you damn horned man?" Bando laughed arrogantly. "There is no need to worry, because I can never die."
Victoria spat at him. "My goodness you're so arrogant! Don't you have any idea of what's going on?"
Bando laughed at her. "Really Javel, your girlfriend's not the brightest thing on the block is she? Come on horned brat, don't you get it? I know exactly what's going on. I knew what was going on when that horned woman ripped off my arm and gouged my eyes out. Maybe Onyara is powerful and maybe I am underestimating her, but that won't stop me."
"Tsk…you are just…so…ugh…" Victoria couldn't even respond. But she did have one more thing to say.
"You're right though, you are strong. I have to acknowledge that at least. You're the first human I remember who actually got a hit on me. So I wish you the best of luck as well…" She held her hand out for him to shake it. He actually looked away, seemingly embarrassed but nonetheless reached out and then got himself clocked into the face by Victoria who put her entire punch into his face.
Knocked down, the others who were around became suspicious of them.
"Damn! What the fuck was that for!?" Bando growled, wiping blood from his mouth.
Now it was Victoria's turn to smile. "That was for punching me in the face during our last fight. Man, it feels good using my normal hands sometimes."
Bando growled angrily at her and then, despite all things, began to laugh. "Hahahahahah! Hahahaha! You better enjoy that punch while it lasts, you horned freak. Because now you pissed me off enough that I might just skip the punch and fill you full of bullets next time."
"Come on then human, show me what you got!" Victoria uttered amusedly.
"Enough you two, let us get going. Bando the next time we meet, let us hope it under good weather. Farewell my friend."
"Farewell ya horned freak, you too, horned girl…" Bando waved them off as they continued to watch the screen. Victoria wished he could've made his goodbyes a little ore less threat sounding but he had a good heart. Next to Garder, Bando was easily the strongest human she had ever known and despite gruff exterior and plainly insulting language at times, he was a person she respected.
Victoria jumped a bit as something touched her and noticed that Julius' hand had gently clasped her own, holding it there like a lover. "Julius? You're being awfully sweet right now. It's…kind of embarrassing with all these people around."
"Victoria, can I tell you something right now?"
"Go ahead."
"You are an obnoxious girl, a person that can be very annoying to me. But you are also brave and strong and I have no regrets in saying that I love you out of the very bottom of my heart. Marriage might not be too possible with what we have to do, but I want to spend as much time as my life will allow with you. Do you think we can do that?"
"Heh? Julius, those are some embarrassing words." Her face became serious. "…So what did Garder say?"
"You have leaned well. Garder gave me two specific orders.
…One, to at all cost stop Lagusa and Onyara from achieving their plans…and two…
…To stay away from Japan and to live as much of a life of freedom as we can."
Now he was being confusing. "I'm not sure if I understand, Julius."
"…Victoria, starting today, something very bad is probably going to happen. Elrya Alya is fighting against her best friend. Diclonius have the innate desire to kill people but through therapy and other things, we can control that. This is nothing new to us, but Alya, Elrya's voice is a bit different. Her killing intent for humanity is even greater than most Diclonius."
"…Julius?"
"…Victoria, have you have heard of something…called Pinpoint Lifeline?"
It was dark, Elrya Alya sunk down in a cold blackness of despair as she desperately reached out with her one good arm. In front of her was a young girl, about the age of herself with long hair. Part of it was pitch black, her natural hair color, but on the other side it had been dyed gold. Somehow it fit her, she wasn't sure why but that strange combination fit that girl smiling at her. A smile that brought warmth wherever it was shown, a kind hearted soul that loved everything.
Her fingers tried to reach out to the image, something wet fell down her face. God it hurt, like something had stabbed her a billion times over. But it wasn't the physical pain that hurt her, no she had long since gotten use to that. That pain was something deeper, something that at etched itself into her own soul and then carved it up. Further and further she reached up and then just as she was about to grasp the girl's hand that was reaching out for her, it vanished into a puff of black smoke, leaving Elrya Alya alone in the darkness.
"I don't know, what do anymore. Tell me? I want to save her, but I don't know how? Why? Why did this have to happen?"
Around her unconscious form, the poor bodies of Lilian and Carentorzulan were all but beaten to death. Caren was unconscious and barely breathing while Lilian was on her knees, vomiting up blood and just awaiting the inevitable.
"I don't want to die…" Lilian cried out. "…Not like this, not to one of my friends. One of the first human friends…"
Kusoku Miriana, the deranged wicked angel of agony floated downwards, her bare feet gently touching the cursed grown of which she walked and stretched her arms. "This was fun Caren-chan and Lilian-chan. You're not as strong as Elrya Alya-chan but for what did, it's really good. Miri-chan was quite happy with your performance. But now it's time to say goodbye, no more playing."
Defenseless, the two were about to be blown apart by Miriana's wrath before a voice called out.
"Miriana!"
She paused her assault and turned around, seeing Elrya Alya standing there, hunched over while holding her missing stump. Her hair was blocking her face and from what could be told, she looked pale. Vectors swirled around her body like a compact hurricane, enticing Miriana to turn around and form the balls of energy around her. "Oh? Are we going to have more fun? Come on! Come on! My best friend in the world!"
Slowly, dragging her body forward, Elrya Alya began to walk towards the young human girl. She took several deep breaths in, head still low so that her face could not be seen. Those small footsteps were loud and the rain was heavy against her body, it weighted her down physically while the emotional pain weight her down psychologically. One vector formed, just a single vector that twirled around like a striking snake and shivered once, ready to be retracted. But she knew now, that she could not retract it.
The attack commenced as Elrya Alya burst forth with striking speed, racing across the street to the girl who unleashed a volley of beams towards her. Using all of her strength she could muster, she dodged the beams of light while they tore the street apart. The smell of burning asphalt stuck itself up her nostrils but her legs only moved faster. She used a few of her hands to deflect some of the blasts but her target was in sight, she gripped the vector tightly with her mind and her mouth began to open.
"Aaaaah…"
Something began to form, a low groan that built up.
"Aaaarrrrghhh…!"
Sweat and tears were pouring from her face, her arm hurt, her body hurt, her soul was in shatters. She finally began to scream as loudly as ever, a scream she had never once given in her life before.
"ARRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
With that, Elrya Alya went full force against the pitiful girl, eyes widened with so much despair that threatened to pop out to pop out of her head. Behind the dust and tears flew back while the lights of flesh ripping beams took their toll on her body. Faster and faster she raced, sweat dripping from every poor in her body, she at last got up to the girl who expressed shock that the Diclonius had managed to bypass her offensive power and gotten right up to her. The shield of her powers activated but it was no use. The Queen had put her entire essence into that one specific vector and with that…she lunged forward.
And in one single thrust, impaled the young girl through the heart with her vector.
Blood soaking both their bodies, Elrya stopped herself and using her one good arm, grasped Miriana in a tightening hug and began to sob relentlessly into her shoulders as they both fell to their knees.
"I'm so sorry, you're my best friend, the closest friend I will ever have! I love you so much Miriana, I always have and I always will! That girl I met a while ago, when we were lost and couldn't find anyone. You were the first friend I ever had!"
She gripped her tighter, hugging her so much while Miriana felt life slipping away from her body. She seemed uncertain about what to do but muttered softly. "…Really?"
"That's right. Do you remember that day? Do you remember the day we first met? I was so stupid back then wasn't I, thought it was all about me. But you were the same, just like me, a girl with no friends and hurting so much.
We had so much fun didn't we?"
"…yeah…" Miriana whispered as her vision began to turn dark. "I remember, some of it was really painful…but…I remember those fun times. With you, Roy, Yin…everyone else."
"Yeah…that's right. We had a lot of fun together didn't we? Do you remember that gift you got me at the educational institution? So childish, but I loved it especially since it was from you. Oh…guh…"
Sobbing harder than ever, Elrya Alya buried herself more into Miriana's body and choked.
"I love you Miriana-chan. I love you so much with every bit of my heart. You will always and forever be my best friend in the world. From the very start…to the very end…I will always love you."
"…Oh? Oooh…? I…I love you to, Elrya Alya-chan. My best friend…"
Rain settled on their bodies as Kusoku Miriana breathed in twice and then her passed away, held there in the embracing hug of her best friend who cried endlessly into her body. Lilian who was still awake, looked on with her own tears while Caren began to wake up. The moment she saw what was happening, she gasped in shock as her own crying face gave itself away. They could do nothing but watch as their young little Queen caressed both the girl she loved and the girl she had killed with her own hands. Above them, the sounds of helicopters could be heard, people were coming now that silence had come and the destruction brought by the fallen angel had ceased.
"Huh?" Lilian felt it first, something coming from Elrya Alya.
Holding her friend, Elrya Alya's face had gone blank.
"…All of you…why? Why should I let this happen? This girl, this little human girl was so precious to me. She was more human than any of you would ever be."
And there and then, having lost everything. Elrya Alya finally lost herself.
"YOU ALL DESERVE TO FUCKING DIE!"
Thus, enthralled by revenge and sadness, Elrya Alya exploded in rage and attacked without mercy. Her vectors unleashed into the skies that tore apart the flying contraptions. Ripping metal and people apart, those that thought they were safe were suddenly ripped apart without hesitation. The screams of everyone, the cries of her friends could not reach the girl who gave into Alya's own demands to kill everything. There was no more hope for this world, not if Miriana couldn't live in it.
"WHY SHOULD ANY OF YOU BASTARDS LIVE!? MIRIANA WAS BETTER THAN ANY OF YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES! YOU DID THAT TO HER! YOU CURSED HER AND MADE HER INTO THAT PITIFUL THING! THIS IS ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT!"
She reached further, around the city and even further than that. So what if she couldn't feel much of her body anymore. This world was hopeless so she would get rid of it if only to satiate her own broken heart. More Diclonius came, desperately trying to get her to stop but like the others, they fell on deaf ears. Vectors rose up into the heavens, discrimination withheld, she only cared about killing a world that would not even let an angel survive. How could let them live when Miriana, a person who represented joy and love itself could not have survived in this world?
In reality, she was just in pain. This wasn't something she had ever felt before, even the thought of losing Alya had not been this painful. It had been great and she had definitely lost it, but it was still not nearly as agonizing. Losing something like Miriana was not just a loss of a friend, it was a loss in the last hope she had in humanity and the world itself. What was left now was no different than Kusoku Miriana herself.
A broken little girl who so desperately wanted something to change for the better and could never be given it. She knew it was wrong, knew how terrible it was to be doing this. Yet, that screaming voice that told her to kill people, never in her entire life had she agreed with Alya more than there.
Thousands of people would die today, for the sin they had committed.
"THIS WORLD IS ROTTEN! FILLED WITH SCUM AND MONSTERS THAT RUINED HER LIFE! I'LL CRUSH YOU ALL AND SEND YOU TO THE ABYSS WHERE YOU ALL BELONG! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK ALL OF YOU! FUCK YOU STUPID PIECES OF SHIT! FUCK EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!
JUST DIE!
JUST DIE!
JUST FUCK OFF AN DIE ALREADY!
JUST FUCK OFF AND DIE YOU FILTHY ROTTEN ASSHOLES!
…
…
By the time the Japanese military had arrived, it had already calmed down. The rain was still falling heavily and Elrya Alya lay there on the broken street, her face gazing up at the sky while she wept softly. She laid in a puddle of her blood and skin. Her other arm was hanging by a few pieces of meat, her right leg was broken and her left leg looked like mush. Vomit ran down her chin and she could hear something coming. The heavy sound of what was unmistakably footsteps. She really wasn't that surprised to see him.
There, her broken eyes met with the blind and cruel gaze of her uncle, Garder F. Morotisan. He looked very beaten as well, bloody and bruises all over his body, she could tell he had been in quite a fight himself.
The others looked on, not daring to make a single sound. Water dripped from their bodies as Garder stood there, looking down with revulsion on his face. It was a very ironic reminder for him, of that day in the past with Veronica.
"You know…" Garder said. Even though he was blind, she could tell he was looking at her, not just her, but everything that represented her. "…I had thought you might be different. I had thought that maybe, just maybe, things could've changed. I had to kill my daughter, my brother, my granddaughter, everyone to keep this world safe. But your mother wanted you alive, so I acknowledged that promise.
Even though you killed Jessica Alya, I desperately tried to keep that promise of hers. To keep you alive and safe as long as I could. Even when Kakuzawa was searching for Queens, I kept your secret safe. I wanted to acknowledge that promise for as long as I could, even though you are so dangerous.
…But I am now done. I am done dealing with you Elrya Alya. I am now finished, playing this game of charades…"
The other's shock was apparent when Garder brought out his gun and pointed it directly at the girl's head. Elrya looked up and sobbed silently. She felt so defeated and broken that even if she could block the bullet, she didn't have the emotional strength to try.
"Garder! Stop! Wait!" Caren screamed. "Please don't do this!
"You have all failed." Garder stated firmly. "I thought that this could have changed things. I honestly thought that there was something different that I could not tell from you Diclonius. But now I do see, blind and broken but I see it now more than ever."
"Stop it Garder! It's not her fault, it's just…I mean…please don't shoot her!" Now Lilian was screaming at him. "This is a mistake! Goddamn please stop it!"
"No…" Morotisan spoke with such vindictiveness that it made everyone who heard it shiver uncontrollably.
"The only mistake I ever made, was not killing her those many years ago."
And as the others watched in horror, Elrya Alya could only think of everything she had lost. Her mother, her friends, that girl she loved, Yin, her mother and how she would never be able to see the face of her daughter Carlin ever again.
…
…
Garder F. Morotisan shot through the head the young Diclonius named Elrya Alya. Who's body slumped down into the cold wet street, eyes unfocused, mouth slightly open, the last of etch of tears on her face being washed away by the rain.
…Elrya Alya was dead.
Author's Notes: Oh snap...