I (don't) LIVE! Greetings internets. I bet your surprised to see this (I know I am). I really have no excuse for the delay on this chapter. I got caught up by work and life and spending a month with almost no internet and before I knew it, summer was already over. Let this be a lesson for you younguns to appreciate what you have while you still have it or something.
In other news, Volume 17 of STNBD completely destroys some of my ideas as expected. Well, it's not like fanfics are even close to canon, but still, feelsbad.
Well, I hope you've been doing better than I have these past few months. Enjoy and review (or don't).
Chapter 47
(Thousands of Years Ago)
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
At the top of a gargantuan tower built on the most sacred land in Astral Zero, the Elemental Lords sat in silence in their enormous and ornately decorated throne room. A gloomy atmosphere filled the room, dark as the moonless night sky outside the tower.
Earlier in the day, the five had detected an enormous surge of spirit energy. Realizing just how dangerous a being who had that much power could be, the five had investigated the source and found a being of dark power, a walking calamity. It had taken the full day for the five to defeat it and by the end of the battle, all life for miles around had been eradicated. However, what concerned the Elemental Lords now was…
"That…that was Onee-sama, r-right?" Iseria Seaward said hesitantly.
"Impossible. We killed her decades ago!" Volcanicus shouted.
"But there's no mistaking it. That was without a doubt the power of Ren Ashdoll" Alexandros said with a slow shake of his head.
Indeed, the thing that they had fought had a spirit energy identical to the deceased Darkness Elemental Lord, even if it was less powerful.
"That was definitely Nee-sama's spirit energy, but it can't be her. And I don't just mean because she's already dead" Lode Gear declared.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Alexandros asked.
"Didn't you notice? That was a human" Lode Gear.
"N-No way! Human's can't get that strong! Even if they could, for one to have an identical spirit energy signature as—"
"Lode Gear is right, Belphal. Though that thing had terrifying power, its body was too easy to destroy for a spirit with that much spirit energy. Whatever it was, there's no doubt it was originally a human being" Alexandros said.
"It was a little bit soft once we got through its defenses…" Belphal said with a comprehending nod "…but even so, it should be impossible for a human to have the same power as an Elemental Lord, especially hers"
"Of course such a thing could never just happen on its own. That thing was probably born from Onee-sama's residual hatred. A last curse to destroy the world if you will" Alexandros said with a shrug.
"Residual hatred…"
"Destroy the world…"
"B-But we killed it, right? T-That means there's nothing left to worry about, right?"
"I'd like to think that but…I think we might see something like that again in the future" Belphal said slowly.
"So you noticed it too. He's right, our troubles have likely just begun" Lode Gear said somberly
"What do you mean!?" Volcanicus asked
"After we destroyed that thing's body, its spirit energy didn't dissipate naturally but rather vanished in an instant. It must have fled the moment its owner died, like a parasite leaving a dead host" Lode Gear explained.
"No way…"
"Just as Lode Gear said, this threat isn't over yet. Keep your eye out for any signs of this things return" Alexandros declared.
And as centuries passed, as the Elemental Lords had predicted…
"Tsk, it appeared again…" Volcanicus groaned as she felt a familiar explosion of spirit energy from half a world away.
Just as the Elemental Lords had convened to discuss the events of the last century, the 'curse' of the Darkness Elemental Lord resurfaced.
"Let's go then. We have to kill it before it causes too much damage" Belphal said resolutely.
"Yeah, we need to—"
"Hold on everyone" Alexandros interrupted "Since that thing last appeared, Lode Gear and I have been developing a certain weapon to combat this 'curse' "
"A weapon?" Volcanicus asked dubiously.
"No offense, but I doubt anything besides our might could hope to match up to that thing" Belphal said.
"Oh, no doubt. Only the power of an Elemental Lord could contend with that" Lode Gear said with a nod "That's why we'll be using the remnants of the former Strongest as well"
"What do you mean…?"
"Back when we killed Nee-sama, I absorbed a significant portion of her spirit energy to weaken her, remember? Well, Alexandros came up with an idea to fight fire with fire, so to speak"
Saying that, Lode Gear held out his hand and revealed what appeared to be an orb of pure darkness wrapped up by chains of pure light.
"That is—!?"
"That's right, it's also a remnant of the Darkness Elemental Lord's hatred. A curse that will possess host after host until its objective is complete. However, Lode Gear and I have shackled it with our magic so that it will seek only to destroy other remnants of Ashdoll" Alexandros declared with pride.
"Seriously?"
"Impressive. That just might work" Volcanicus said
"A-Ah…b-but what about the hosts? Will they turn into creatures of destruction as well?" Iseria asked
"Worry not, my restraints will force this 'curse' into dormancy as soon as its host destroys the other holder of Ashdoll's power" Alexandros said reassuringly.
"I-In that case…l-let's do it"
"No objections? Then, I'm letting it go!"
Saying that, Lode Gear chanted a few phrases and the orb of dark power disappeared from his hands.
And in the human world, a young princess maiden training in a small city felt an enormous, unknown power surge through her.
It was the birth of the first Sacred Queen.
(4 Years Ago)
"It was an ingenious idea, really. The power of the Ren Ashdoll that they had modified was able to detect the awakening of the Demon King even before the Elemental Lords could since they both had the same origin. And since they were one and the same, they resonated, causing the Sacred Queen to become stronger whenever the Demon King did"
It was just weeks after Rubia had raided the Instructional School and recruited its' 'students'. Restia (who was wearing glasses for some reason) was lecturing Kamito and Rubia (who were admirably restraining the urge to kill each other) in a dimly lit room of one of the Instructional School's safehouses.
"I see. So the reason I want to rip him in half and trample on…I mean kill him is because my 'power' is instinctively seeking out anything of a similar nature to itself" Rubia said with an understanding nod.
"And the reason I want to smash her face in and stab…I mean kill her is because my 'power' is attracted to a missing piece of itself" Kamito said.
"Well, something like that. I'm only able to speculate on the specifics of how the Sacred Queen came to be, but my description was probably accurate. Maybe" Restia said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rubia asked blankly.
"Well, I can sense that the Sacred Queen is mostly power from Ren Ashdoll with a bit of the other Elemental Lords mixed in. Everything else I kind of just made up" Restia said, sticking out her tongue.
"Are you kidding…?"
"This isn't really something you should joke about…"
"Just kidding. It's more like my conclusions after observing the Sacred Queen and Demon King fight for thousands of years. You'd probably have to ask the Elemental Lords themselves if you want anything more accurate" Restia said with a serious expression.
"If you put it like that…"
"I'll trust you on this then...Say, would it be possible to return my 'piece' of Ren Ashdoll's power to the Demon King then?" Rubia asked, her eyes narrowing in deep thought "Rather than splitting up the power into two pieces that are trying to destroy each other, it would be better to return in all into a single individual, no?"
"I'm surprised you would propose that yourself…" Restia said wide-eyed "…But no, I don't think its possible. The Holy Elemental Lord put several powerful restraints of the power of the Sacred Queen to prevent it from returning to its rightful owner"
"So it's impossible to break those restraints then?" Rubia asked.
"Weeeell, rather than impossible, its more like you're more likely to die of old age then we are of collecting everything necessary to even attempt such a thing" Restia elaborated with a defeated smile on her face "Having the Demon King and the Sacred Queen stand on the same side is a miracle in of itself already. It would be foolish to waste such a precious chance as this fruitlessly hoping for even more miracles"
"Well, if Restia says so" Kamito said with an accepting shrug.
"I suppose you're right…though you saying all that makes me all the more curious" Rubia said.
"Ha ha, I wasn't expecting you to be such a competitive person. You're the type who intentionally takes the hard option for fun, huh?" Restia said with a smirk.
"I don't really think so. I just want to be aware of anything that could increase our chances of success" Rubia said with a serious glare.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you, but like I said, it's pretty much impossible" Restia said with a wry smile "We already have the Demon King and the Sacred Queen cooperating, but there are six, no maybe seven conditions we'd need to meet if you want to try something like this…"
(Present Day)
*Whoosh*
A blinding pillar of flame erupted in the center of the arena-like room, lighting it up as if the sun itself had manifested itself.
'Fu fu, this is a bit heavy for an appetizer'
As Restia's words resounded in Kamito's head, the incandescent pillar of fire distorted, twisting around as it was consumed by a vortex of shadowy energy coming from the Vorpal Sword.
"Hmph. How about this then?"
Saying that, Rubia stomped on the ground and an inferno of freezing blue flames flared up at Kamito.
"She's not restraining her desire to kill at all…"
'Well, that kind of is the point'
'You both need to draw out your full power for this to work after all'
*Whoosh*
As his contracted spirits conversed in his mind, Kamito deftly leaped above the cobalt flames.
"Predictable!"
*Snap*
As Rubia snapped her fingers, countless orbs of dark flame appeared in the air around Kamito.
"Khh, in that case, Est!"
*Boom* *Boom* *Boom*
The orbs erupted into deafening explosions of vermillion and tossed Kamito's body about like a leaf in a hurricane. Each explosion had enough power to turn a human into mincemeat, however…
"How's that?"
…Rather than be blown to bits, Kamito was being blasted straight toward Rubia.
'He used the Demon Slayer to create swords to direct the force of the explosion when he wanted to go…' Rubia observed with a smile "Not bad. Come, Laevateinn!"
*Clang*
Propelled by the explosion, Kamito was moving faster than normal humans could possibly perceive. However, Rubia was able to calmly summon her Elemental Waffe and blocked his strike with ease.
'Ouch, that's hot! As expected of the strongest flame spirit'
Restia complained as she tried to contain the power of Rubia's blade. Even with her absorption, the overwhelming heat from Laevateinn caused the ground around Kamito and Rubia to glow red and melt into lava.
'Do you need me to take your place Darkness Spirit?'
'Don't underestimate me you…wait, are you actually worried about me?'
'As if. It's just Kamito would be bothered if you were damaged'
"I'm glad you two are getting along for once, but this isn't really the time…" Kamito complained as he slashed at Rubia with his brilliant silver-white sword.
"Hmph"
Rubia dodged with a quick backstep then brought down her crimson demon blade with a two-handed slash.
"Guh!"
*Boom*
The sword of roaring blames rushed forward with enough power to destroy the entire castle were in not for the powerful barrier that surrounded the pair's battle ground. Though Kamito dodged the brunt of the attack, the residual heat was still enough to cause his clothes to start smoldering.
Ignoring the oppressive heat being emitted from Laevateinn, Kamito jumped up to the ceiling, then kicked off to attack Rubia with a downward thrust.
In response, using a reverse grip, Rubia swung her crimson sword. As steel struck flame, intense sparks were scattered not the air.
"Fu fu, for you to be facing me with the Demon Slayer though…how ironic" Rubia said with a slight giggle.
"The Demon King using the Demon Slayer to battle the Sacred Queen, it is pretty absurd" Kamito nodded with a grin.
'Humph. Just because my former master was the Sacred Queen doesn't mean change who my master is now. You can call me…the Demon Slayer Slayer from now on'
"That sounds ridiculous, so I'll pass" Kamito groaned as he leapt back from Rubia.
"Well anyway, I think this is passable. Are you ready?" Rubia said calmly as she watched Kamito back away.
"Yeah, I agree. The barrier just barely passes the test." Kamito said with a nod.
Indeed their earlier exchange was just to test if the barrier surrounding them was capable of protecting the ancient citadel from their full might. If it hadn't been able to, there was a risk that their battle could destroy the complex formula holding together the spell that had resurrected Megidoa.
"Kuh, 'passable' you say!? You have over a hundred of the best princess maidens on the continent helping you with this you know!" One of the Organization member, who looked remarkably similar to the Water Queen but couldn't possibly be because there's no way she'd ever be that rude, complained.
"And you only gave us like a day of notice Rubia! Do you know how hard this was to pull off!?" Complained another, who looked remarkably similar to the Wind Queen.
"Y-Yes, we are very grateful for your help" Rubia said with an embarrassed smile
"Anyway, 'The ritual must take in the holy land of the Darkness Elemental Lord and a spell to return the city to the state it was before her death is needed'…these two conditions can be maintained now, so go for it" Restia said.
"Ah sure. I'll go all out now…fuuuu"
*Boom*
An aura of dense darkness exploded around Kamito's body as he said this. He could feel a millennium old grudge course through his body as he released the full might of the Demon King. He could his body creak under the massive strain of the ancient power and blood began to drip from small wounds which had opened up across his body, as if to demonstrate his overflowing spirit energy.
*Whoosh*
"Ugh…this is…"
Resonating with Kamito's spirit energy, Rubia could feel the power of the Sacred Queen increase exponentially as well. She could barely feel the drain of Laevateinn, which had previously taken all her energy to just keep manifested. That being said, that wasn't just because her spirit energy had increased so much but also…
"…Die. Die die die!"
…The overwhelming presence of the Demon King before her was driving her half mad with the desire to kill.
"Ha ha ha, try it if you can!" Kamito cackled madly in response.
Thick bloodlust filled the air, making it all too apparent to the onlookers that the pair's earlier clash was merely a prologue to the true battle
Unable to restrain themselves for a moment longer, the two leaped into battle once more.
"Aah, we really messed up this time…"
"You mean Rinslet messed up this time"
"S-Shut up, I know okay!?"
The girls of Team Scarlet grumbled amongst themselves as they sat around a small table. The room they were in was considerably less decorated than the one they had originally been assigned and there was a pair of princess maidens standing guard in front of the only exit.
"We could be on the cusp of winning the Blade Dance but thanks to someone we're under house arrest…*sigh*" Fianna complained.
"Seriously, how could you try to break into the Holy Queen's private chambers?" Ellis asked.
"S-Sorry, but it couldn't be helped! That was definitely Judea!" Rinslet shouted.
About half an hour earlier, Rinslet had suddenly charged at the messenger from the Divine Ritual Institute like a woman possessed. Startled, the princess maiden kicked Rinslet in the gut and then ran away. Rinslet had chased after her as soon as she recovered and just barely glimpsed the girl she was chasing dash into the Holy Queen's room. She proceeded to try to break in—
"—And then we were captured and told to cool our heads for a bit. Geez, why wasn't just Rinslet arrested?" Fianna said.
"Uh, Fianna? Why are you randomly explaining what just happened earlier?" Ellis asked.
"Quit messing around you two. Rinslet, are you sure that was your sister? Shouldn't she still be frozen in that pillar of ice in the Laurenfrost Territory?" Claire asked seriously.
"Yeah. She looks more mature than I remember but that was definitely her" Rinslet said glumly.
"Eh, frozen? Now that I think about it, this is the first time you've brought up your sister" Ellis said.
"I've heard some rumors, but what exactly happened to your sister?" Fianna asked.
"Well…"
Rinslet briefly explained to Fianna and Ellis how her sister had been cursed by the Water Elemental Lord.
"So it was something like that…" Ellis whispered.
"How awful…but if it she was frozen by the Water Elemental Lord herself, then it couldn't be her right? I mean the only person who could possibly break a curse like that is…is…ah."
Fianna trailed off as she looked at the two princess maidens guarding the exit in a panic, getting a bad feeling about just who could have broken the curse.
"Fianna, what's wrong?"
"Did you think of something?"
"Uhh…umm…h-hold on for a second!" Fianna squeaked as she jumped up and walked quickly towards the guards.
"Y-Yes?"
"Is something the matter Fianna-sama?"
Seeing one of their charges rushing towards them, the two took up defensive stances.
"Ahh, no it's…umm, do you recognize this? And know what it means?" Fianna whispered as she carefully took out the knife Kamito had given to her and showed them the emblem on it.
"Oh! Umm yes! Yes, we do" One of the guards let out an exclamation of recognition and relaxed.
"Whew. Yeah, don't worry. We're with them" The other guard let out a relieved sigh then nodded earnestly.
"A-And that girl we were chasing too?" Fianna whispered.
"Yup"
"You're kidding…" Fianna groaned as she stealthily put the knife away and walked slowly back to the rest of the girls 'Curses, it really might be Rinslet's sister! Why are these idiots leaving all their secrets out in the open!?'
"Fianna?"
"What the heck were you doing?"
Unable to contain their confusion, Rinslet and Claire called out to Fianna.
` "Yeek!"
"What's with that reaction?" Claire asked in amazement.
"Is something wrong after all?" Ellis asked.
"No, well…it's, uh…." Fianna stammered nervously, not sure what to say.
"Come on, spill it already" Claire said, growing slightly irritated.
"…w-well, uh…right! I thought I recognized that girl as someone I knew when I was at the Divine Ritual Institute! I-I was just asking my friends there to make sure since she's grown since I last saw her!" Fianna shouted as she waved desperately at the two guards.
"?"
"Huh…"
In response, the two girls slowly waved back with incredibly bemused expressions on their faces.
"Is that so…" Ellis mumbled.
"I was mistaken…?" Rinslet whispered.
"Y-Yeah, me and, ummm, S-Scarlet…uh…von…Stella. Yeah, we were really good friends back—"
"—Wait, what? I heard one of the Holy Queen's servants calling that girl 'Ymi' though" Rinslet interrupted.
'Crap'
"Ahahaha, you must have misheard…" Fianna said weakly.
"I don't think it'd be that easy to mistake Ymi and Scarlet von…what was it again?" Claire exclaimed.
"Uh…I forgot…" Fianna mumbled
"What did you say?"
"I said Scott! It's von Scott!" Fianna said.
"Is that what you said earlier? That doesn't sound right…" Ellis said.
"Ha ha ha, I wouldn't forget my friend's name you know" Fianna laughed desperately.
"Right, well I don't think I'd mistake that name for Ymi. Are you sure they're the same person?" Rinslet said.
"Ugh! W-Well, it could be one of her relatives or something! Like her twin sister!" Fianna replied.
"…We probably won't be able to come to a conclusion with the information we have right now" Claire said decisively "I know you're worried Rinslet, but let's change the topic right now"
'Claire!'
Having been saved, Fianna cast a grateful gaze toward Claire.
"Do you remember what that girl said before Rinslet pounced on her? She said that Dracunia was behind the issues of the broadcast. No matter how I think about that, I don't buy it" Claire continued.
'Claire!?'
Having yet another difficult topic thrown before her, Fianna cast a betrayed gaze toward Claire.
"I agree. Leonora-sama would never do something this underhand" Ellis nodded as she said that.
"Yeah. Plus, this report came from the Holy Queen, right?" Rinslet.
"You noticed too, huh? This accusation, the person resembling Judea Laurenfrost, the tampering of the Blade Dance broadcast itself, it all leads back to her" Claire whispered dangerously.
'Craaaaaaaaaaaaap'
"H-Hey, that's ridiculous! There's no way Lux-sama would do something like that either!" Fianna exclaimed as she gestured wildly towards the two guards for help.
"?"
"…!"
One tilted her head in confusion and the other gave her an energetic thumbs-up.
'Not that!'
"I don't want to suspect someone like her either, but considering everything we know, you have to admit she's suspicious Fianna!" Ellis said with a resolute expression in her eyes.
"Considering the scale of what's happening, someone that powerful would have to be involved…"Rinslet said as she nodded in agreement.
"Yeah…and I remember Nee-sama being close to the Holy Queen back when she was still the Fire Queen. The more I think about it, the more it seems she's involved" Claire declared.
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'
"The Calamity Queen and the Holy Queen working together…is that really possible?" Ellis groaned.
"Don't forget…maybe the Strongest Blade Dancer too…" Rinslet added forlornly.
"If this is true, something truly ridiculous may be about to happen…" Claire said with a slight tremble.
"Seriously…?'
"Just what is going on…"
"…"
"Fianna?" Surprised by the princess' lack of response, Claire turned to Fianna.
"…"
"Hey, Fianna!"
"Are you okay!?"
"…"
Having burnt out on ideas to contain the others' suspicions, Fianna could only sit still and blankly stared up at the ceiling.
"Oi, Fianna! What's wrong!?"
"Someone get help!"
"Hang in there Fianna!"
"…"
Perhaps it would be better left unsaid, but the resulting commotion diverted the other girls' attention far better than Fianna's attempts at stalling ever did.
…
…
…
"Judea Laurenfrost…is it?"
As the commotion in the room got louder and louder, a certain blonde girl with emerald eyes who had been listening in through the door backed away from the room and walked away with an uncertainty in her steps.
"Haaaah!"
"Aaaaah!"
Two guttural, almost inhuman voices roared out as the flaming sword clashed against the blades of steel and shadow for the hundredth time in as many seconds. Having fully unleashed the desire for blood they had been suppressing for the past four years, Rubia and Kamito hacked at each other with wild glee.
"…Can you follow them, Lily?" Milla, who was helping maintain the barrier, asked the onlooking Elfim girl.
"Not at all. I can only vaguely see flashes of light" Lily replied with a shake of her head.
"Ha ha, as expected of Onii-sama! Even the top of the Instructional School can't even follow your movements" Muir said proudly.
Indeed, the battling pair had long surpassed human limits. Their fight was no longer a blade dance but more like a clash of natural disasters. Were it not for being confined within the barrier, let alone the castle, the entire city of Megidoa would have long since been reduced to a smoldering crater. And with each clash, the spirit energy of the pair only continued to grow larger and larger.
However, even within that ever-intensifying storm of darkness, fire, and steel, there were still some who could perceive the movements of the two combatants.
"So this is the full power of the Demon King…really, you only continue to get more and more absurd" Luminaris mumbled.
"Indeed, but Rubia doesn't seem to be falling behind at all…" Velsaria replied as she tried to follow the battle.
"What's going on…" Kazuki, however, unlike the others, noticed something was wrong "…He certainly got stronger and faster but—"
"—It's like his skill level has dropped, right? In contrast, Rubia is getting more and more adept as this continues. This was one of the major issues Restia warned us about" Greyworth suddenly cut in.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Velsaria asked.
"According to that Darkness Spirit, the Sacred Queen is only a small part of Ashdoll compared to the Demon King. In other, as far as pure strength goes, the Demon King should be the stronger of the two" Greyworth explained.
"Huh…"
"I guess that makes sense…"
"…Wait, but according to our records, the Sacred Queen usually wins, doesn't she?" Saladia Khan interjected.
"Eh?"
"Now that I think about it…"
" 'Pure strength' you said…so the difference is skill?" Luminaris asked.
"Yeah. Unlike the Demon King, which is consumed by its rage and becomes unable to fight properly once it gets to that state…" Greyworth said and pointed into the arena "…The Sacred Queen is able to retain her sword skill even after yielding to the desire to kill. No, she get's even more skilled, accessing the skills of previous Sacred Queens once the host's ego takes the backseat"
"Wha—!?"
"N-Now that I think about it, Rubia-san's strikes seem to be getting sharper…" Luminaris mumbled.
"N-No way…y-your not saying he'd lose are you!?" Kazuki shouted.
"Then…If you knew that that why are we—!?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Onii-sama won't lose" Muir said confidently.
"Yeah, even like this, there's no way he'd be defeated" Milla nodded in agreement.
"But…"
"The kids are right. I didn't put him through that absurd training for nothing, after all…" Greyworth said decisively "…I drilled my techniques into his body so thoroughly that he wouldn't forget them even if he died"
*Boom!*
"Khhhaaaa!?"
"GAAHAAAHAHAA!"
As if to prove Greyworth's point, Kamito struck Rubia with a skillful thrust that many in the audience were very familiar with. Piercing through her wall of all-consuming flames, Rubia was sent flying back by Kamito's assault.
"That was…!"
"Violet Lightning…"
"Even if his mind is clouded by madness, his muscle memory will remember how to execute the Absolute Blade Arts" Greyworth said "There's no way that brat will fall here"
'Damn, that hurts like hell!'
Rubia groaned mentally as she felt her body get back up and charge at Kamito.
'Such a strange sensation this is, letting myself be controlled by the Sacred Queen'
Unlike Kamito, who had become something like a raging beast both internally and externally, Rubia was able to maintain coherent thought even as her body was being dominated by the need to kill her foe.
'I wonder if this is how a puppet feels when its master makes it dance?'
Rubia thought idly as her body narrowly evaded an upward thrust of the Vorpal Sword then blocked a titanic slash from her left with her blazing demon sword. Her body quickly followed up with a kick to Kamito's gut, then released a stream of freezing blue flames, which was quickly slashed apart then absorbed by Kamito.
'But with this, I'm starting to get a better idea of what Restia was talking about all those years ago. Unlike the all-consuming rage of the Demon King, it feels like the Sacred Queen has something like its own ego, separate from its host…'
Almost as if an uninvolved onlooker, Rubia observed as her body flanked Kamito's left side and delivered three quick slashes to break through Kamito's guard. Her body then thrust Laevateinn at Kamito's chest and unleashed a burst of god-slaying fire at point blank range.
'Ha ha, I bet that hurt' Rubia chuckled mentally 'Still, to be able to feel my body making those kinds of outrageous movements despite barely ever using a sword is so strange'
Her body hadn't let up for a single moment and attacked Kamito with a merciless flurry of slashes and thrusts. However, Rubia wasn't the slightest bit concerned and merely enjoyed the show. After all…
'…It's not like just this much is a threat to you, now is it?'
"UUUUOOOOHHHHH!"
With a frightful roar, Kamito unleashed a storm of ebon lightning from the Vorpal Blade, blasting Rubia backward. Taking advantage of his newfound distance, Kamito used the Demon Slayer's innate ability and released a barrage of swords of all shapes and sizes rushing at Rubia.
'Oho…?'
Had she control of her face, Rubia would have raised an amused eyebrow at this. However, her body instead held her blazing longsword defensively in front of her and used its god-slaying flames to vaporize the oncoming swords. But…
'Now where did you go, I wonder?'
…In that brief moment, she had completely lost track of Kamito's position. Her body desperately looked left and right but saw nothing but her own flames.
'Oh, how cliché. Though I suppose in that state, being able to still use a tactic like that is commendable'
Rubia thought to herself as she realized what had happened. At the same time, her body quickly whipped its head up, but it was too late.
"RAAAAAAAUUUaAAAAAAAA!"
Dropping down from above with a wild warcry, Kamito grabbed onto Laevateinn's hilt and thrust its blazing blade into the floor with overwhelming force. Though the temperamental sword would have normally incinerated anyone who tried to touch it so brazenly, it's god-slaying flames were being completely consumed by Kamito's shadowy aura.
"Urgh!"
"Haah!"
*Boom*
Rubia's body grunted in annoyance as it tried to pry its weapon free. As if to mock his foe's efforts, Kamito let go of the sword's hilt and quickly stomped down on its pommel, driving it further into the ground.
'No, rather he is—'
Though Rubia's body was looking at Laevateinn as it tried to pull the sword free, Rubia could faintly feel two sources of spirit energy descending rapidly from above. Needless to say…
'—Ah, it's over huh?'
…They were Kamito's trusted partners, the Vorpal Blade and the Demon Slayer. Shaken loose from the ceiling where Kamito had stuck them moments earlier by Kamito's earth-shattering stomp, the argent and ebon swords fell comfortably into Kamito's hands.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
With a thunderous shout, Kamito unleashed a relentless stream of strikes on Rubia's defenseless body. His black and white blade's danced furiously before Rubia's vision until she could no longer even distinguish between the two.
'Bursting Blossom Spiral Blade Dance - Sixteen Consecutive Strikes, huh? ...I suppose this is where I'll 'die' for now…'
Just as she had declared, Rubia could feel her organs starting to fail one by one as they sustained too much damage. As she felt herself approach death's door, Rubia felt the controlling presence of the Sacred Queen begin to leave her body now that its host was about to die.
'You two…better get this part right…'
Letting herself fall into the abyss of unconsciousness, Rubia slowly felt herself drift away when—
'!?'
—Her mind briefly brushed against the entity that was the Sacred Queen as it left her body. And for the briefest of moments, she was able to comprehend it in its entirely.
'S…hit…'
On the verge of dying, Rubia's hazy mind wasn't able to narrow down what in particular she had just learned that had elicited that profanity. But what she knew for certain as she passed away was—
—There was a mistake in their plan on a fundamental level.
"Kamito! Get a hold of yourself! Now!"
"!"
Shocked back to his senses by Restia's sharp cry, Kamito desperately reigned in the Demon Kings lust for destruction with all the strength his will power could muster.
"Hurry! The barrier won't keep it trapped for long!"
Though his consciousness was still hazy, he quickly surveyed the situation. Before him was Rubia's dead body, and trying to escape from its host's corpse was a formless mass of spirit energy. It was none other than the power of the Sacred Queen.
"It's about time for you to return to your true owner…Est, sever the Elemental Lord's restraints!"
"Yes, I shall cut down anything in your way!"
"Hah, you are the only one who can do anything here, so I suppose I'll let you have the spotlight this time…"
The blade of the Demon Slayer began to glow with a blinding silver light in response to Est's valor. Letting go of the Vorpal Sword, Kamito gripped both his hands on Est's hilt and began to chant in the spirit tongue.
"Oh cold queen of steel, grant me not a blade to cut flesh, nor mind, nor soul. A blade that slays not my foes nor protect my friends. Simply bestow upon me that which can sever this accursed cycle of karma!"
Channeling all his spirit energy into his sword, Kamito brought the Demon Slayer down with a swift flash of shining steel.
*Whoosh*
'And with this…for me…'
With the bindings of the Elemental Lords torn asunder, the mass of spirit energy dispersed into the air around Kamito like a dark cloud of smoke.
"Do it!"
"Alright girls, get on it!"
"On this day, the sun rises from the west. On this day, the river flows back to its source. Let the natural order be destroyed. Let Mortal and Spirit become one!"
Several princess maidens wearing the uniform of the Divine Ritual Institute or traditional clothing from the Quina Empire began chanting in the spirit language. As they did, the barrier around Kamito began to glow faintly white and the dark spirit energy converged around Kamito, slowly being absorbed into his body.
"Spirit Fusion…I heard the reports, but you really managed to complete it on time Vivian" Millennium Sanctus said with an appreciative nod.
"Yeah, thanks to Nine and Quina's information, we managed to perfect the process" The Elfim researcher replied, "Still, I would have liked to have more time to experiment with it…"
"Huuuugggh…Aaaah!"
Kamito let out a pained groan as the spirit energy flowed into him at a rapid rate, being forcibly bound to him by the Fusion spell. However, as the last of the dark energy entered his body, it seemed like the ritual had been completed without any issue…
"It's over!"
"Good! Take down the barrier and perform emergency resuscitation on Rubia-sama!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Following the next step of the plan, everyone stopped pouring energy into maintaining the barrier around the arena and a team of princess maidens retrieved Rubia's body and began casting magic to revive her before it was too late.
"Haqua, you repair the damage to her body! I'll restart her heart!"
"On it!"
"Huh, me? Oh, you meant…"
The Water Queen cast her most powerful restorative magic onto Rubia's body as Rao Rin took out several acupuncture needles and stuck them directly into Rubia's chest cavity.
"*Cough* *Cough*!"
"She's up!"
Moments later, Rubia Elstein was once again drawing breath. Though she clearly wasn't quite fully conscious, it was clear her resuscitation had been successful.
"Ha ha…"
"The operation was a success…"
"We did it!"
"Woooo!"
Several happy cheers began to break out from the crowd. With their leader successfully brought back from the grave and the power of the Darkness Elemental Lord finally restored to its original state, all the Organization's objectives had been completed, after all. There was no need to hold back on the self-congratulations. Or rather—
"*Cough*…Ugh…Just…"
—There shouldn't have been any need to hold back.
"…Just what are you planning!? RESTIA!?"
Not a happy cheer, not a satisfied smile, not even a stale declaration that the operation had concluded. What Rubia Elstein did first upon regaining awareness was to shout an accusation at the devilish angel watching everything from above.
"?"
"Rubia-sama?"
"What is—?"
Half the crowd turned to Rubia and the other half turned to look at Restia. Which was why—
*Crack*
"—Eh?"
*Crack* *Crack*
—It wasn't until a dry snapping sound resounded through the massive chamber that anyone noticed there was something wrong with Kamito.
"Ugh!?"
"Wha—!?"
As if he had been bent in half at the abdomen, Kamito's spine was contorted such that his temple met his right ankle. At such a grotesque site, gasps of astonishment and horror broke out among the crowd.
"…Why are…"
*Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack*
Kamito only managed to let out two words before the distortion, a pitch-black vortex centered around where his stomach had once been, grew even more violent. As if he was being forced through a meat grinder, his bones were snapped and his flesh was churned as his body was compressed and consumed by the distortion.
"Sorry…Kamito…"
Watching as her partner was brutally devoured by the void, Restia gave a weak apology with a sad smile on her face.
*Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack**Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack*
Growing ever more ravenous, the void consumed the entirety of Kamito's body before anyone could even try to save him. Not even a single hair or a drop of blood remained of the boy who had been just been violently killed. In his place, a small, swirling ball of concentrated darkness floated in the air.
"…Eh?"
"This…"
"Onii…sama…?"
Even after it was all over, the onlookers couldn't even begin to process their shock. They were only able to look blankly at the malevolent vortex before them. And then—
—A dark shadow, which could consume even the starless night sky erupted out of the distortion in space. For the first time in countless eons, a True Night fell upon Megidoa.
And stepping out of the depths of that Night was…
Everything was foreshadowed in advance, so I make no apologies for the cliffhanger
*5 minutes later*
I apologize for the obscene cliffhanger so please stop burning down my house.
This chapter was particularly hard on me because I had to rewrite it a few times and it's hard to remember stuff you wrote two years ago and I started and stopped writing it a several times and I. HATE. WRITING. FIGHTSCENES. If I continue writing stuff after this, it definitely won't be a battle series!
Well, obligatory bitching out of the way. You guys or gals or attack helicopter are real troopers for putting up with my inconsistent updates. I really think I'm lucky to have such dedicated readers. If you made it this far, thanks for the continued support~
The next update will be a short prologue for the last arc, please look forward to it. Until next time~
Note#1
I wasn't able to fit all of them in explicitly, but these are the conditions that needed to be fulfilled to return the power of the Sacred Queen to the Darkness Elemental Lord.
1. The Demon King and Sacred Queen must be in cooperation (technically not necessary but even harder to pull off otherwise)
2. The Ritual must take place in Megidoa, the holy land of Ashdoll.
3. Megidoa must be returned to its state before the fall of Ashbell (esp. the leylines). The city also must not be destroyed as the ritual takes place.
4. The Demon King must be able to kill the Sacred Queen after both have reached their peak power.
5. The Demon King must have some method to destroy the seals put on the Sacred Queen's power (In this case, Est)
6. Some method to forcibly bind the unsealed power to the Demon King.
7. (Optional) Skilled practitioners must be present to resuscitate the dead Sacred Queen
Note#2
It was mentioned earlier in this fic that Volcanicus is male but now Volcanicus is female. This is because Spirits are technically genderless and might switch forms at will at not at all because it was shown in the recent volumes of Blade Dance that Volcanicus is female so I'm retconning it now. Totally. I even foreshadowed it when Alexandros became female. It was all totally planned. And while I'm at it, so was every other inconsistency in this series. I'm definetely not making this up.
