A few things. First, sorry for this taking so long. At least, it felt like took forever. I was having a bout of writer's block. Well, with all this virus scare, I guess I'll have more time to write. Also, I'm sorry for all the grammar errors in the last chapter. I fixed some of them pretty late, but well, who knows. Anyways, sorry.
I hope you guys all enjoy this chapter! We're so close to the end I can taste it! Let's enjoy the last of this ride!
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Tsubasa asked as she and Mari finished carving the symbols into the ground with their Demonbrands as Seira had instructed.
"Assuming what this piece of shit has told us is true, then yeah, it should work." The voice came from Nozomi's cellphone which she had on speaker while standing off to the side to stay out of the way. After all, she knew absolutely nothing about demonic runes, so she really had no input on the situation.
"Oh, come on, Seira-chan, stop being so mean!"
"Shut it. Anyways, we're ready on our side as well. This better work even though we're still in the Underworld."
"Don't worry! I believe in Nozomi-chan!"
Nozomi gave a forced smile to nobody in particular. She still had no idea how she was supposed to channel this 'void' and do well… anything with it. According to Seira and Kotori, she was somehow using the Void to communicate with them through her cellphone, but she had just dialed Kotori's number like usual and she really didn't feel like she was doing anything different or special. She took some time to observe the circle of 'runes' as they had called them, but she couldn't really tell what it was supposed to be at all. None of the symbols made any sense to her but apparently Seira had been studying them for years. In fact, even though the situation was so dire apparently, she almost sounded excited to talk about the runes, even explaining what they were meant for when the girls first started carving them.
"So, we're done, but how exactly is the Oracle going to channel the Void?" Mari asked while doublechecking the runes. "She doesn't even know how she's doing it right now." Nozomi was grateful for somebody else voicing her concerns.
"Mm. Well, luckily, I'm pretty sure I know a way." Kotori piped up again. "So, Mari-chan, do you hate bleeding?"
The silence that settled over them made Nozomi's stomach twist. The look on Mari's face wasn't one on anger but Tsubasa still took a cautious step away from her master. Mari snatched the phone from Nozomi.
"Pestilence… do you mind asking that again?"
"Huh? I asked if you hate bleeding. You're a demon slayer, so you should be used to it, right? I'm sure you've gotten hurt by enough demons in your days that it doesn't really bother you anymore, right?" Kotori's voice was way too chipper for such a morbid subject.
"What is that even supposed to mean!?" There was the anger. "Are you just screwing with us, you piece of shit!? I trusted you because Seira said we could, but I swear if you're just doing this for your own entertainment…"
"Silence, Sound." Kotori's voice fell an octave and it sent a chill down everyone's spine. "Answer me. If you won't bleed for this cause, then perhaps your heir would like to."
Mari spared a glance at Tsubasa who looked even more shocked than herself. She sighed. "Fine. Hurry up and explain how me bleeding is going to help our situation."
"That's more like it!" Kotori exclaimed, her voice going back to normal. "If I'm correct, the Void is dormant within Nozomi-chan. That's why she can only unconsciously use it like she is now. The second it awakens, I believe she'll know exactly what to do with it. And for that, I believe we need a demon's blood. You see, Nozomi-chan isn't a demon slayer so she has no demon blood in her to speak of. That's why she can't use the Void freely. So, if she doesn't have any, we just have to give her some."
"K-Kotori, you don't mean…" Nozomi stumbled on her words as she realized what the girl meant. "You don't mean for me to… drink her blood, right?"
"That's right!"
Nozomi was busy freaking out about the idea, but Mari drew her katana once again and rolled up her sleeve. The two girls stared in awe as she brought the blade to her arm and made a small cut, but one deep enough that it bled a good amount. "Hurry up, Oracle. Get it over with." Nozomi looked at the wound in disgust. There was no way she was doing to drink a person's blood.
"Come on, Nozomi-chan! We have to do it to save Honoka-chan!"
"You say that but this is still…"
"Do you still have doubts? Even after flying at the speed of sound in a helicopter? Even after seeing katanas appear in thin air? You already saw Honoka-chan kill a demon before… twice. So there should be no reason to doubt, right? Honoka-chan would do this for us without any hesitation."
Nozomi cursed under her breath. Kotori was right. Of course she was. Honoka would already have her mouth on that wound if their positions were reversed. Her thoughts drifted back to that day in the theatre. Even though she couldn't see them, apparently Honoka had saved her and Eli from being killed. Maybe it was stupid to think that she owed her friends, but she felt herself moving forward. She grabbed hold of Mari's arm and took a deep breath, trying to settle her stomach more than anything. Just how the hell did she get dragged into this? That was her last thought before she planted her mouth on the wound and sucked the dripping blood into her mouth. Mari flinched slightly at the strange feeling but remained still.
At first, she felt nothing. She wasn't sure how much of the blood she needed to drink so she kept sucking. Strangely, it didn't taste of iron, but… it was almost sweet. Instead of turning her stomach upside down, it filled her with warmth, and she could feel that she was losing her grip on the world around her. Her mind went fuzzy, filled with the same warmth. The blood tasted so good she wouldn't mind drinking it all day. The only thing that kept her grounded were the voices whispering around her. Were those voices always there? What were they saying? Nozomi couldn't focus on them, only on the taste crossing her tongue. How much had she drunk? Mari hadn't pulled away yet.
Shouldn't she be disgusted by this? Why did it feel so right? Why did it taste so good? Nozomi's mind drifted farther and farther until a voice snapped her out of it.
"How does it taste, my precious Oracle?" Cold slim fingers ran along her cheek, sending a shiver down Nozomi's spine. It somehow felt relaxing though, like the comforting touch of a mother, a caring touch. She opened her eyes and stared into vivid pools of blue. Very familiar vivid pools of blue. For the first time since she had started drinking the blood, she moved to lift her head, but the ginger in front of her rested a hand on the back of her head, keeping it down. "Do not lift. Keep drinking."
She was staring into Honoka's eyes. Why was she here? As if reading her mind, Honoka spoke with a gentle smile. "I am not your friend, my dear Oracle. I thought this might be an appropriate form to take to speak with you. Does it make you uncomfortable?" Nozomi wanted to reply but the hand on her head still prevented her from getting up. "Think, my dear Oracle, think. Think and I will hear."
What…?
"Yes, like that. Worry not, I have no desire to pry deeper into your heart, I need only hear your surface thoughts. So, speak as you will through thought." Honoka lifted her hand and crossed her arms. "We have some things to discuss."
Who are you?
"Ah, but of course. I am your closest companion, one who has always and will always be at your side for you are my chosen Oracle. I am the Void, the one who knows all and watches over all, the ever-present Void." She swept out her arms and bowed dramatically. "My greatest apologies for not speaking with you at an earlier date but you were not ready. You were not to be brought into this world until the end."
Oracle? The end? Listen, I know you guys keep telling me this stuff but…
"Are you concerned, my dear Oracle? I apologize for that as well. But you shall know truth soon. Drink and you will know. Drink and you will inherit in part my wisdom, my vision, my ears. See as I do, hear as I do. You will bring unity to the world, you will stop the ceasing of time. You are my precious Oracle who will save this dear friend of yours, Kousaka Honoka, Four Seasons, the Singularity. If she was chosen by this world to save it, then you were chosen by the Void who came from outside this world to save her."
I don't understand anything you're saying! Why can't any of you just be clear about it?
"Oh, but you will. The more blood of this demon slayer you drink, the closer you become to me. The clearer your eyes can see me, the sharper your ears can hear my words. So, feast! Feast on the blood of those who have sacrificed their lives! Walk closer. Hear me, Oracle, for I am the Void who has bestowed upon you the honour of being my Oracle. Let us walk together to save your dear friend, Toujou Nozomi!"
Honoka… or the Void as she had been told, started laughing hysterically, waving her arms around her like she was trying to swat something away. Nozomi had no idea what was happening. But just as she had started, she suddenly stopped, bringing a hand to her head, cringing.
"Tch. That useless Kanan. To think I could make such a mistake as letting her become a part of me. Heh. But that is what keeps the world interesting, is it not?" Honoka, the Void, turned her head to lock eyes with Nozomi. "I'll admit to you, Toujou Nozomi. I could care less about the Singularity, Kousaka Honoka, or the Witness, or even this world. But our interests align. Whether you accept me or not, I have chosen you as my Oracle. You wish to save these girls, do you not?" Her face softened and Nozomi thought she looked more like Honoka than ever with that expression. "So, I humbly ask you." The Void gave a deep bow. "Will you assist me?"
… Will I really be able to save Honoka like this?
The Void raised its head and gave a slight nod. "At this point, you are the only one who can save her. Without bringing back First, your… 'friends' will stand no chance against her. I cannot even assist my heir enough to defeat Second. Part of this is my fault, I admit. And so, I will rectify that mistake. Answer me not, Oracle. If you wish to leave, this will be your last chance. Lift your head if you wish to leave. If you wish to stay, if you wish to save your friend… then drink."
Nozomi let out the equivalent of a sigh with her mouth being busy. It's not like she could just leave after going that far anyways. She wouldn't leave Honoka and Hanayo alone. Steeling that resolve she closed her eyes and basked in the taste of Mari's blood.
"Ah, so Sixth really did still have his eyes." Yo sighed as she watched Setsuna help Umi to her feet. "But you've looked better, Devour. Are you sure you haven't taken on too many wounds from those you saved? I'd hate to see you kick the bucket by anything other my blade."
"Don't speak like a fool, Star." Setsuna turned to smirk at her, the blood dripping down her chin doing little to but prove Yo's point. "My life is of little consequence in the grand scheme of things, just like yours. Your death is just a steppingstone to rid the world of demons. And I am just a tool to assist in that. As such, my death here won't mean much. I've done my part. I do hope I get to see the look on your face when you die though."
Yo's eyes flared red and her sword struck out across the room but hit Riko's barrier before it could strike Setsuna. But the instant it did, Yo turned her attention back on the redhead. Her next strike was intercepted by Nico, this time confidently and easily.
"It really would seem like your path ends here, Watanabe Yo." Erena gave a small chuckle as she walked forward to stand by Devour and Umi, the bluenette just staring off into space. "You are naught but a shadow of both a demon slayer and Demon Lord. Even with the eyes of Second, you can no longer win. The Void does not favour you, your eyes are meaningless. What have you left, Star?"
A tight smile formed on Yo's lips and she looked down at her sword. "Useless? Far from it. You seem to think that Sixth's eyes will save you. You are fools. Look at her. You broke the poor girl. All for the sake of defeating me, you got rid of your only hope. What have you to rely on now? The Prince using this girl's eyes? Meaningless. You know as well as I do that the only thing that will result from that is the Prince's death."
Erena shrugged. "The Prince's life is of no consequence to me." Nico snorted at that. If she could have looked in Erena's direction, she would have glared, but Riko kept her eyes solely on Yo. "My goal is quite simple. To be honest, it really has nothing to do with you, Star. But, well… You already know what that goal is, correct? The reason you are able to use the Void… We of the Void are not fools, Watanabe Yo. We seek only to claim what is ours and lay retribution on those that would wrong the Void. If stopping the plans of Second are a byproduct, then so be it."
Yo nodded slowly. "Looks like the Void has recovered enough to truly speak to you once again. That's disappointing. We hoped that it would take longer, but that changes nothing."
"Pfft… Ahaha!" Erena raised a hand to her face and struggled to keep from laughing. "You are truly stupid, Star. You and Second relied on having the Void on your side, of knowing the future. Because you were able to seize the Heart of the Void, you thought you would win."
Yo tilted her head and put a finger to her chin in thought. "I suppose that's true. But if you thought the Heart of the Void was the only thing that gave us confidence, then you're wrong. It was simply something we needed. But well… I guess if you've reestablished proper communication with the Void, then I can't afford to have fun. I'm sure you were all having fun fighting an immortal being, but I'll put you all out of your misery now."
Yo closed her eyes and when they opened, those red orbs glowed brightly. Nico immediately struck out, but her sword was stopped long before it reached Yo. No, it wasn't just the sword. Everything was stopped. Everybody in the room could still see, still think, but there was no way to move their bodies. A small chuckle escaped Yo as she started walking forward.
"The true power of Second's eyes, the ability to manipulate time around him. The Demon Lords feared even telling each other their true powers. It's a shame that left you so woefully uniformed, Sixth. In fact…" Yo walked past the rest who couldn't even turn their heads to follow the girl. She walked up to Umi and grabbed her chin, forcibly tilting her head up. "It would best if I started with you then, right, Sixth?"
Yo brought her sword up. "Farewell, Origin."
"Foolish…" The voice was so quiet, Yo almost missed it even in the silence.
"Huh? You…"
Umi's eyes slowly opened, revealing two glowing red orbs. But her voice was hers and hers alone, no hint of Sixth mixed in. Despite everybody standing perfectly still, frozen in time, around her, Umi raised a hand and grabbed the hand holding her chin.
"Begone, Second."
"Kill…!? What are you talking about, Yoshiko-chan!?"
"I'm serious. As things stand, I am of the Void. If I kill her, Second will simply claim her eyes through the Void. However, if you kill her… her eyes will vanish, passed onto the next inheritor." Yoshiko sighed and turned her eyes back to Kanan who had her arms crossed, seemingly content with letting them hash out a plan. "Our only other choice is to fight. And I'll tell you right now, as I am of the Void, I am not capable of harming the Void, much as you are not capable of harming the Four Seasons. I can defend you, but I cannot strike Second down myself."
Honoka tried to run through any other options but, just as Yoshiko said, they really were stuck between the two. She cursed under her breath. There was no way in hell she was ever going to consider the option of killing Hanayo. She would sooner die in combat against Second that even put thought to that. What would be the meaning of all of this if she just let her partner, her friend, die there?
"We're going to fight." She said finally, turning to Yoshiko. "Even if you can't attack, you're strong, Yoshiko-chan. If you can block attacks, that's enough. As long as I can get hits in, we can win." Though she wasn't quite sure about that herself, Yoshiko smirked at her words.
"That's what I like to hear." Yoshiko brought her sword up, waves of darkness appearing from thin air to circle around it. "I am the Void, the emptiness of the world, the beginning and the end of all. You who would defile the Void will suffer retribution. I am Tsushima Yoshiko, heir to Void." The darkness seeped into the blade, dyeing it a deep black. She brought it down and close to her, gripping it tightly with both hands. "I will be your shield, Four Seasons. None shall get past my blade."
"Are you two done? I don't mind waiting if you need some more time. Time only favours me, after all." Kanan pointed up, drawing their eyes to the sky. A large crack marred dark sky, a ray of light that almost looked hopeful, but they knew it only spelled doom. "The barrier between worlds has already begun to crack. Soon it shall fall, and you will lose your last hope. So, come and entertain me! In your final moments, let me witness your struggle!"
Honoka turned to Yoshiko and gave a wordless nod, the heir to Void returning it with a strangely confident smile. Honoka had to wonder if Yoshiko really put that much faith in her? Did she really believe that they could take on Kanan? Well… if Yoshiko believed in her, then did she really have a choice but to believe in herself? Hanayo's life was at stake. Wait, Hanayo… Did she really have to kill her? Was that their only option in regards to her? No…
"Yoshiko-chan, I have a plan. But I need to get close to Hanayo-chan." Yoshiko nodded slowly but realization quickly dawned on her face.
"You're not thinking of… We don't know what that will do to this world… hell, to both worlds."
"It's worth a try! I'm not giving up Hanayo-chan! And, even if we can defeat Kanan, I don't think we can do it in the time we have left. Please, trust me."
Yoshiko snorted, but smiled all the same. "Very well, Four Seasons… no… Honoka. I'll trust the very fate of our world to you. Don't disappoint me."
Honoka tightly clutched her blade in her remaining hand. "Let's go!" She dashed forward, towards Kanan but quickly pivoted, heading straight for Hanayo.
"Don't make me laugh." Kanan appeared in front of her, sword at the ready. "Void style, 1st blade, Null." "Void style, 5th blade, Closed chapter." Before that blade could reach the ginger, attacks from all angles came in, aimed not at Kanan herself, but the blade she was using. Those strikes easily redirected the path of her sword, allowing Honoka to move around her, but the ginger had little faith that there wouldn't be a follow up attack and prepared her own blade.
"Four seasons, summer style, 4th blade, Midnight sun." Kanan squinted against the bright strike, a strike that never came into contact with her. By the time Kanan had moved past that blade and prepared her own blade once again, Yoshiko was there.
"Void style, 3rd blade, Last words."
"Void style, 4th blade, Fade."
Yoshiko's blade swept an impossibly slow arc in front of her, the blade giving a gentle touch to Kanan's. But when it did, Kanan's Demonbrand was sent flying from her hands. Ideally, it would have been the time for Yoshiko to make her counterattack, but she knew that it would be useless and simply jumped back. Kanan immediately summoned her sword back.
"It's no wonder you're the proper heir to Void, Yoshiko. To think that you could even disarm me. Looks like I really should have killed you when I had the chance."
Yoshiko glanced back at Honoka who was nearing her partner before turning back to Kanan. "You are nothing, Kanan, Second. You are a fragment of the past, lost in this new present. No longer can you savor the blessings of the Void, but I do. You who can only use the Void as a shield are not worthy. As the heir to Void, it's my duty to stop you."
"Hmph. Then I will show you…" Kanan held her sword straight up. "That the Void heeds my command." Darkness shot forth from her blade, a torrent of nothingness that swirled violently in the air before shooting forward. A wave of the darkness, much quicker than the ginger, caught up in no time, threatening to crash down around her. "I'll drag you straight to the Void!"
But the wave simply stopped as if time itself had stopped. Kanan narrowed her eyes. Yoshiko stood in front of the wave and the darkness of the Void stayed away from her. After a few seconds, the darkness simply fell to the ground, dissipating slowly.
"In your time, there was never a reason to seriously fight the Void using the Void. It would seem as if the Void kept you uniformed, Kanan. Maybe it saw this day coming. Just as I cannot harm you with the Void, you cannot use it to harm me. I am favoured by the Void after all."
"Then I will simply slice your body apart until there is nothing left of you for the Void to collect." Kanan readied her sword once again.
"Hmph. It's too late for you, Matsuura Kanan. This is our victory."
"Four seasons, autumn style, 5th blade." Kanan's face was passive as she simply tilted her head to look past Yoshiko. Honoka reached Hanayo with her sword pulled back. She felt the warmth of Autumn wrapped around her once again, the comforting feeling that she was meant to use those blades. The Daughter of Autumn brought her blade forward and through the red light right above Hanayo's head. "Tsukimi."
The light was easily severed by the blade, but they all felt it immediately. Just like before, Honoka felt like the world itself shifted under her, for just a brief second. Everything felt out of place, like she had pushed something, but it went in the opposite direction. Then it was back to normal. The red light above Hanayo twisted and spasmed. It looked like it was trying to reach for the girl once again but couldn't move towards her. Instead, it shot into the sky, all the light gathering into a red orb that got smaller and smaller until they could barely see it.
"What…?"
Then the ball exploded, streaks of red flying throughout the sky before vanishing. Then the cracks started appearing. At first it was just one more, then another, then dozens. Honoka tore her eyes away from the sky and looked at Hanayo who was lying on the ground, her eyes still wide open, still glowing a bright red. She kneeled next to her and put a hand to her cheek.
"Hanayo-chan! Hanayo-chan, snap out of it!"
"Ahaha! Fools!" She looked back at Kanan who was taking steps back, staring into the sky and laughing. "It really is too easy to manipulate such ignorant fools as yourselves. Did you think I could not get past Yoshiko? Do you think of me as a weakling? Ahaha! Far from it, Four Seasons, Tsushima Yoshiko! I had no idea you could be such a useful tool even after I reclaimed the Void's heart. To think that you would try something so reckless! After figuring out your plan, I just had to see what would happen! Of course it would work out in my favour! Now even if you kill me, it's meaningless! You've set the world on an irreversible path! You've just accelerated my work! You have my thanks, Kousaka Honoka!"
Yoshiko sighed as she looked up. "Hmph. Looks like we've really messed up here, ha." As she thought that and all their eyes were drawn to the sky, a bright light appeared, shining against the dark sky. "That's…"
It happened in just a split second. That light reached them so fast that just blinking could have made them miss it. It crashed directly into Kanan, darkness instead of blood bursting from her as she flew back. She hit the ground and slid several meters before coming to a stop. Without missing a beat, she stood once again, the massive hole in her chest closing up. "I suppose I should have figured you would show up… Sun. It would seem like you had a fun time killing my Demonbrand."
Yoshiko and Honoka's eyes opened wide in disbelief. Sure enough, Chika sat on the ground in a small crater that had formed from her impact. The ground around her was already heating into a molten mess and she stared forward blankly at Kanan. Both of the girls noticed that the newly arrived ginger made no move to stand. In fact, her legs didn't move at all as she shifted her weight, her Demonbrand in one hand sticking into the ground.
"Sun… You…" Yoshiko started but Chika didn't even look her way.
"You've really done a number on this world, haven't you, Second?" Chika looked up at the sky. "I guess the barrier between worlds is cracking. It'll fall before long."
"You've come just in time for the finale, Sun. Gaze upon the end of this world. We will move beyond it, to a new world that we could never see. Why fight it, Sun? Let us take this journey together!" Kanan held a hand out but Chika just blinked.
"I've no intention of joining you." Chika's voice felt strangely devoid of emotion, a calm unnerving tone given the situation. There was no anger, no happiness to see her friends again, just nothing. "But I also have no intention of fighting you. That being said, I'm here because of… those." She pointed up at the sky or, more precisely, the cracks in the sky. "The Sun watches over the sky, the earth. Everything under the Sun is my domain."
Kanan gestured towards the sky. "I apologize if fighting my Demonbrand somehow drove you insane, but this is the Underworld, a place where the sun does not shine. You have walked into my domain, Sun."
Chika sighed and once more looked towards the sky. "You're wrong, Second. This has already become my domain." Chika held her sword up and it glowed brightly as if it was melting like the ground around her. The light shot into the sky, blowing away the darkness.
"That's…" Yoshiko felt herself at a loss for words as she stared… into the Sun?
Sure enough, a bright ball of flames appeared in the sky, dispelling all darkness around it, a soft warmth descending on the girls. That was what caught their attention, but that attention quickly shifted to the cracks that, until just a second ago, were expanding. But they froze, some even shrinking a bit. Kanan's eyes widened before a smile spread across her face and she laughed while staring at the ball of flame.
"Amazing! You truly are the Sun! To think that you would release the Sun from your body. Just what have you done? This is truly impressive. I thank you for showing me such a sight." She locked eyes with Chika. "And you're using the Sun to keep this world intact. Hilarious. What will you do when the barrier collapses from the other side? Will the Sun be able to bear the weight of the entire overworld along with the Underworld?"
"There are demon slayers above. Right now, my concern is here. Unfortunately, maintaining the Sun takes a lot of effort. So, I will not be your opponent, Second." Kanan's eye twitched.
"You come here just for this?" She lifted her sword. "If you will not fight, then I will slaughter you right here." A flick of her wrist sent her blade towards Chika but, just as with Kane, the blade melted long before it reached her, the molten metal falling into the molten rock around the ginger.
"Your blade will not reach me, Second. I am simply an overseer, the Sun, the mother of all life." Chika finally turned towards Yoshiko and a small smile spread on her lips. "I'm glad to see that you weren't truly against us, Void-chan."
"Hmph. That is for another time, Sun. However, what is of concern now is that you will not fight. I cannot attack the Void. And I fear that, even with me guarding, Four Seasons and I will not be able to defeat Second. Will you not fight?"
A somewhat melancholic smile found its way onto Chika's face and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Void-chan, but I can't. If my concentration is broken, this whole world will fall apart. It's impossible. But you… you can fight."
"Sun, I can't…"
"You can!" Emotion suddenly returned to Chika's voice. It was hopeful, but almost desperate. "You can fight, Void-chan! It doesn't matter who your opponent is. You let her convince you otherwise, but you are the one who can't be harmed by the Void! You're the heir to Void! This is just an imposter, a Demon Lord who has long since lost the right to be acknowledged. Show him, Yoshiko! Show him the true power of the Void!"
Yoshiko's eyes slowly drifted down to her Demonbrand. She knew that there was no way she could attack the Void with her own Demonbrand. This wasn't like a duel with her Master. This was an outright attack on the Void. It was impossible. Her blade would do nothing. As if reading her mind, Chika yelled to her again.
"Is that what you're afraid of, you idiot!?"
"I-Idiot?" Chika smirked and lifted her own Demonbrand before throwing it her way. Yoshiko caught it and just stared at it. "Sun, what…?"
"Our Demonbrands are the manifestations of our souls, our feelings, our hearts. I've already decided to give you my heart, Void-chan." Despite her confident smirk holding, there was a light pink dusting her cheeks. "With my authority as the Sun, I give you permission to wield my heart in battle. The blessings of the Sun upon you, the light that nurtures all." The blade in Yoshiko's hand glowed brightly for just a brief second before dimming back to ordinary steel. "That's all I can do for you, Void-chan."
Yoshiko sized up the new blade. Despite it not being her own Demonbrand, it didn't feel out of place. In fact, it felt like a sword that she had spent her entire life training with. A warmth permeated the hilt that traveled through her entire body. She tried to hold it back, but a smile broke out on her face. She let go of her own Demonbrand, letting it vanish. It would do her no good in this battle. This battle was no longer Yoshiko staking her heart, but staking Chika's.
When did I get so soft? Stupid Sun… But, well… since you went through all this trouble… I suppose I can show off a little.
"Honoka." Yoshiko spoke without turning back to the ginger, keeping her eyes focused solely on Kanan who simply stood with her arms crossed. "Even with Sun's Demonbrand, I am not capable of killing the Void. However, I can fight. I can injure her. You'll still have to finish her off. But… heh. Looks like our chances just went from zero to one."
Honoka gave another look to Hanayo who showed no sign of responding. She gently ran her hand over her partner's eyes, slowly closing them before laying her back down. "Wait for me, Hanayo-chan. I swear we'll save the world and then I'll come back for you." With that, she picked her Demonbrand back up and moved to stand at Yoshiko's side.
"Now then… Where were we?"
"Haha, that's what I like to hear, Four Seasons. Glad to see you're still pumped up for this fight."
"If anything, I'm feeling more up to it than ever." She spared a smile Yoshiko's way. "Come on, Yoshiko-chan. Let's reclaim our world."
"This is a battle to save the world, after all. One step at a time." Kanan lifted her blade and Yoshiko lifted Chika's Demonbrand. "Void style, 1st blade."
"What… are those…?" Tsubasa stared at bright cracks appearing in the blue sky. They spread across the sky in an instant, silently expanding.
Mari flinched. She was starting to feel dizzy from the amount of blood she was losing, but the spaced out look on Nozomi's face told her something must be happening so she didn't pull the girl away. "Seira, the sky… is cracking above us. That's… the barrier between worlds…"
"We are aware, it's happening here too."
A giggle from the other side. "Sound, you should be able to stop it, right? At least for a bit."
Mari nodded slowly. "I can but…" She flinched again. "Not as long as this girl is sucking me dry."
"Don't stop her." Kotori's voice once again lost its mirth. "It's very important to our victory that you allow her to continue drinking."
"I know that!" Mari snapped. "But I'm saying I can't help in this state. It's like she's draining all my energy…" She looked towards Tsubasa whose eyes widened.
"Eh? Me? M-Master, I don't know if…"
"You can, Tsubasa. You know exactly how to use Sound to do it as well." A gentle smiled spread on her lips. "I trust you. I wouldn't have made you my heir if I didn't believe in your ability. You're ready for this… So, show me. Prove to Sound why you're worthy to be its Master."
Tsubasa stared up at the cracks in the sky wondering just what had gotten her into that position. But if her Master believed in her, then she had no reason to refuse. She took a deep breath and held her Demonbrand up.
"Sound style, 9th blade… Final resonance." A slight hum started as the girl's blade began vibrating rapidly. "I am the noise of life, the screams of sorrow in troubled times, the cries of joy in your best, the echo of nothing. I am Sound, both that which you hear and that which remains unheard. I am the herald of noise, she who breathes life into the quiet night. But I am also the lull, she who takes away, she who revels in the calm, she who brings the peace of quiet." Tsubasa took a deep breath and turned her sword such that the blade pointed towards the ground. "All who live will hear my harmony. The dissonance fails in my wake. For in order we find peace, and in peace, we remain still." Tsubasa jammed her vibrating sword into the ground. "Sound style, Silence."
As if her word was law, every sound seemed to vanish in an instant. All idle sounds, the sounds of creatures, everything… just stopped. Sweat started to poor down the brunette face and her breathing became heavier but when she looked up, she smiled. The cracks in the sky stopped spreading. She clutched the hilt of her sword tightly.
"That girl… better hurry up… I can't keep this up forever, Master…"
Mari nodded. "You're doing great, Tsubasa. Just hang in there."
"I suppose Sound was supposed to be the overseer of the overworld." Seira said from the other side. "I'm glad you taught your heir so early."
"Mm! Mm! Good job, Sound!"
Mari wanted to say something to Pestilence, but she bit it back as Nozomi slowly lifted her head. As soon as she let go, Mari fell to her knees, all the energy drained from her. Nozomi blinked twice before looking up at the sky then at Tsubasa. Then she slowly locked eyes with Mari.
"Thank you, Sound." She smiled her usual kind, caring, almost motherly smile. "I'm sorry if I cause you pain. But it really does mean a lot."
"Nozomi-chan!" Kotori's chipper voice sounded and Nozomi grabbed her cellphone. "Well?"
Nozomi giggled. "It went fine. As far as you should be concerned, it went perfectly. I… learned a lot. Admittedly, I'm a bit scared of what's to come. Even with the Void sharing its knowledge with me and assuring me, it's still scary. But… It also showed me Honoka-chan. She's fighting the Second Demon Lord right now. So, we have to do our job as well." She offered a hand to Mari. "I don't have a Demonbrand, so I can't activate these runes. I hope you can do this last task, Ohara-san."
Mari shook her head before taking that hand, forcing herself to stand though she was obviously unsteady on her legs. "Just who do you think I am? Of course I can. The Master of Sound won't back down over something like this." She grabbed her Demonbrand. "Are you guys ready on the other side? And, more importantly… Did the Void tell you what you need to do?"
Nozomi giggled again. "Yes. I know what I have to do. You can start whenever you're ready."
Nozomi managed to remain calm on the outside, but in the inside, her mind was turbulent. So much information flowed through her mind that was showed to her by the Void that she was having trouble organizing it all. With the Void's help, she had organized the information about what she needed to do for this 'resurrection' or 'whatever the hell they want to call it' as the Void coined it. She smiled, thinking of the warm feeling the Void gave her. Even then, she could hear the quiet voice deep in her head, whispering comforting assurances to her. Everything would be fine. She would help them save Honoka.
"Alright, let's begin." Seira said from the other side.
Mari stabbed just the tip of her Demonbrand into the ground. "Mm. It's time."
This chapter turned out a lot longer than I meant, but it didn't feel right to push some things off to another chapter. A lot happened, huh? Well, a lot will happen next chapter as well!
I hope you guys enjoyed! Even though this virus stuff probably isn't a big threat or anything, if you're older or have pre-existing conditions, make sure you stay safe!
Till next time. Be seeing you.
