We're really reaching the climax of this story between this chapter and the next. Thank you so much for staying with me and my terrible writing. I'll try not to make this too long so I can write some big sappy thing for the final chapter.
Enjoy.
Tsubasa stared in wonder as the runes around them lit up, each emitting a bright lavender light. Mari flinched as she felt her energy being drained through her arm, into the sword and down into the ground. No, not her energy, her life force, she realized. That was the price she had to pay to summon a Demon Lord back from wherever the hell he was. She noted that as a good question to ask. If he was 'dead,' where the hell actually was he? Unfortunately, the pain of having her life force drained was too distracting. She watched as something like veins weaved through the ground, connecting the runes and passing through each other in seemingly random ways.
It was much more draining than she expected, but that was probably because she had just had so much blood drained from her by Nozomi, she figured. To think that she, a master of a style, the style tasked with overseeing the overworld, would one day revive a Demon Lord, and First at that. She spent so many years thinking that she would be in the squad that would one day kill the bastard and now she was helping to bring him back. She almost laughed at the irony. Almost.
Those veins of light coalesced in the middle of the circle of runes, outlining a circle just large enough for a person to stand in. And that's where she figured Nozomi came in as the purplenette walked past her, a calm smile on her face, to stand just outside the circle. Nozomi took a deep breath. The Void had told her all she needed to do, and she had no reason at this point to distrust it. In fact, after what she had seen in it, she only had reason to trust it.
Nozomi took one deep breath to prepare herself. "I am the Herald of the Void, the harbinger of the end, she who gazes beyond. To my eyes, the unknown may be revealed, naught will remain unseen. For this world, a gift. I bring sight to the blind, words to the mute. In light there remains a shadow, that which watches over those bathed in the ethereal. From one world to the next, my blessing shall spread. I am the Void, that which has been and always will be." Nozomi reached out and just hoped, hoped that what the Void told her was true. Sure enough, a faint blue glow covered her hand and a flash of bright light quickly took its place. But that light fell victim to the never-ending darkness of the Void as that darkness spread from her hand, enveloping the light and settling into a small sphere in her palm.
Mari stared in wonder as the darkness began leaking from the sphere, sending a wind so strong it threatened to knock her over. Nozomi raised her hand into the air, the black sphere lifting high above them before expanding and taking proper shape.
"Is that… a Demonbrand? No…"
That sphere took not the form of a sword, but a spear, long and simple, the blade at the end giving the feeling of a naginata rather than other traditional spears. Mari flinched as a particularly large amount of life force was robbed from her, but that was it. The feeling was gone. The circle glowed brightly and… opened? A deep pit of black enveloped the circle. For a brief second nothing happened, then she noticed it. Slowly, painfully slowly, something was rising from the circle. A body. The body of a young girl. Long brown hair partially held up by a bright red ribbon. She looked just an ordinary high school girl. Her body rose from the ground and continued rising into the air. The spear shifted just slightly to position itself over the girl. As it did, her eyes slowly opened, pools of bright blue that looked as if they were just observing the world for the first time. Those eyes locked onto the spear above her and then her head shifted slightly, the eyes shifted around until they met Nozomi's. A small smile broke out on the girl's face.
"Ah, you must be the Void's Oracle." Her voice was smooth, comforting, almost hypnotic. It drew Mari in, and she had to shake her head before she got completely drawn into it. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I thank you for bringing me here. However…" She shifted her gaze back to the spear above her. "It would appear that I am needed in the Underworld, no? I did enjoy my time here. And this is not an unpleasant last glimpse of this world." She smiled once again and closed her eyes. "If you would, Oracle."
Nozomi was taken aback by the girl at first. That was the First Demon Lord? When the girl closed her eyes, she realized she didn't really have the time to be thinking about that. She had to get her down there as soon as possible.
"That which was used to craft the beginning shall bring you to the end. Pierce, Amenonuhoku." On command, the spear slammed down, piercing straight through the girl's stomach and burying itself in the circle, effectively pinning the poor girl to the ground. A wave of force from that circle swept over them and then everything was over. Nozomi and Mari both sighed in relief.
"Ehe…" Their heads snapped up at a sound, a giggle from the girl pinned to the ground.
"Eh?" Nozomi ran over to her, confusion clearly painted on her face. "You're… alive? The Void told me that was all I needed to do to send you to the Underworld…"
Another soft giggle from the brunette. Blood leaked from her mouth and poured from the massive wound in her stomach, but she still laughed and kept that radiant smile. "Please… don't be mistaken." She paused to cough, splattering blood on the ground between them. "I… I was First's host… so that he could continue living here… after losing his form…" Her gaze was shaky, but she managed to shift it up to meet Nozomi's eyes. "My name… right. I am… Osaka Shizuku. It's… a pleasure to meet you, Oracle…"
Nozomi cringed at the heavy breathing that was obviously painful for the poor girl. She reached out and gently cradled Shizuku's head in her arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't want to cause you this much pain."
Shizuku shook her head. "It had… to be done. Now… First can… save Four Seasons."
Nozomi blinked once. "Eh? How do you…?"
"First… guh… He told me… long ago. When I became his host… he knew that… one day, h-he would betray Second. And… he told me at that time… That he would… give himself… to save Four Seasons." Shizuku took a deep breath but that just resulted in a coughing fit that furthered the puddle of blood. "She… needs to touch… Autumn…" Shizuku managed a weak smile up at the girl. "Ah… I'm so tired… I think my time here… is up. I'm glad… I'm able to die here… on the overworld…"
Even though Nozomi listened closely, curious what the Void thought of this, the Void was suddenly eerily silent. She turned her attention back to the girl who was struggling to keep her eyes open. "Once again… I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean to…" Nozomi tightened her hand into a fist to stop it from shaking. The weight of what she had just done felt like it finally settled in. She had killed somebody. It had all felt surreal when she just thought she was 'killing' a Demon Lord. But now that a dying girl lay in front of her, she had no idea what to think.
A weak hand reached up and gently stroked her cheek, snapping her out of her thoughts. Tears streamed down her cheeks, over that hand. Shizuku managed a light giggle. "Do not… be sad…" She paused and ran one of her fingers through the stream of tears. "May I… know your name?"
Nozomi swallowed a lump in her throat and tried to speak, her voice coming out much shakier than she imagined. "T-Tojou… Nozomi…"
"Nozomi… A beautiful name…" Shizuku's fingers slowly trailed down her face before she simply let her hand fall. Nozomi quickly, desperately, grabbed it with one of hers. "My time… is up. Long ago did I… make this decision. It was… all to end here." Shizuku flinched as her body briefly convulsed but she held on, just barely. "Don't… Don't think poorly… of Mako-chan…"
"M-Mako-chan?"
Shizuku managed another giggle. "Ehe… A cute nickname… right? What do you… call him still…? First? Mm. He's… doing his best… And soon Honoka… guh…! Four Seasons… will realize it as well… Ah… everything's so dark… I suppose hanging on… any longer is meaningless. Thank you… Nozomi-san… for killing me… and saving… Mako-chan…" As the name left her mouth, Nozomi watched the light leave her eyes, Shizuku's head hanging to the side. In a small puff of darkness, the spear vanished, leaving the gaping hole for all to see.
Nozomi felt a whole new set of tears coming, hear chest tightening from the guilt. Before she could start bawling though, the hole that the girl rose out of opened once again, a pit of darkness that began dragging the body in by its feet.
"E-Eh? What? V-Void, what's…!?" Nozomi tried to hold onto Shizuku's body but it was no use, the darkness dragged her in with a force much stronger than Nozomi could oppose.
"Forget it…" Nozomi looked over to see Mari shakily getting back to her feet. "I had my suspicions when she called herself the host of a Demon Lord. But there's really only one place where she can go after dying, is there not?"
Nozomi looked back at the body slowly being pulled from her arms. "The… Underworld?"
"Most likely. There's no use in resisting it. Even the Void itself can't go against the will of the world. Let her go, Oracle."
Nozomi looked between the blonde and the brunette in her arms. Comforting words from the Void reached her ears, its apparent silence ended. Words that spoke of another meeting, words that assured her that it was not the end. Even though it was the Void, those words felt hollow to her in that moment. But if there was one thing that did get across, it was that it was useless to resist. Nozomi reluctantly released her grip on Shizuku body and watched as it completely sank beneath the dark surface. As soon as it did, the darkness vanished, the light emitted by the runes fading until everything was once again back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be with the sky threatening to crack open.
Mari moved over to her heir to support her and Nozomi let out a deep sigh. Tears still leaked down her cheeks despite her efforts to wipe them away. Despite her state, she grabbed her cellphone, determined to see this through to the end.
Seira flinched as she felt one last tug at her life force from the circle around them. The light slowly faded from the runes, coalescing around the smaller circle in the centre. She felt more than saw something rising from the circle. A wave, a ripple in the space around them, blew over her and she felt her entire body shake for just a second.
"First…"
There was definitely something there, but it wasn't something that she could see, even with her eyes. In fact, she doubted anybody could see it, save maybe someone with the eyes of a Demon Lord. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Pestilence staring at that something with a smile.
"Looks like it was a success. Not only were we able to bring him back, but we brought him down here. Now all he needs is a new host."
"A host?"
"Of course. Long has the time passed of First not needing a host to survive. Unfortunately, his host needed to die for us to bring him down here once again." The smirk on Kotori's face made Seira shudder.
Seira shook her head. "Surely you're not implying that I should be the one to take him in. If so, you might be much dumber than I could have imagined."
Kotori laughed loudly but shook her head and turned her attention past Seira. "It looks like they're right on time."
"My, my. Were we expected? I would have brought a gift if I was aware." Seira turned slowly, knowing exactly who awaited her there. Sure enough, Erena smiled back at her from her wheelchair, which was pushed up to them by Ruby who was looking around nervously. "You look surprised, Four Seasons."
Seira glared at Kotori but the ash-blonde just snickered. "Welcome to the Underworld, Void. I suppose you've already had a glimpse at what you're here for."
"Hmph. Of course. That…" She nodded in the direction of the circle. "First, correct? Oh ho, just look at you. How pitiful. Luckily for you, I'll be the one to take pity and let you into me. Come, First."
"Eh? Are you serious, Void?" Seira scoffed. "You're going to let the First Demon Lord inside of you? Are you crazy? Who knows what the hell that'll do to your body!"
Kotori nodded. "Normally, it would not be a big deal as Demon Lords tend not to use their full power when in a host. However, in this battle, First will have little choice but to squeeze every bit of energy he has. This will likely result in his death. And if he is to die while using your body…"
Erena laughed to cut her off. "Pestilence, is it? You may have lived quite a bit longer than I… but I have been through much. We of the Void do not live long lives. "Thank you, Ruby-chan, for pushing me here." Erena shifted in the wheelchair and summoned her Demonbrand in one hand. She planted it on the ground in front of her and very slowly took a step out of the wheelchair. As soon as she stood on both legs, they buckled, causing her to fall to her knees.
"E-Erena!" Ruby rushed to her side, but Void gently pushed her away.
Erena looked between Four Seasons and Pestilence, both of whom watched her with wide eyes. "Long have I been confined to this chair. To think that those at HQ would praise me as one of the strongest and yet I cannot even stand on my own. This was something I accepted when I accepted the Void. It would always turn out like this. A price for using the Void, if you will, just as you pay for using Autumn, Four Seasons."
She took a deep breath and pushed herself up once more, this time waving Ruby back over. Using both her katana and Ruby for support, she just barely managed to stand.
"I thought that it might be nice to walk once more before my time is up."
"Your time…? Void, are you…?"
"Correct, Four Seasons. My time is very near. Ha… Yoshiko kept asking me to rest, to quit using the Void, but… that is not the fate of us Demon Slayers. I chose this path and I intend to see it through until the end. The Void has accepted my decision to allow First into my body. With him, I will eradicate Matsuura Kanan and Second."
Kotori frowned. "While I agree that First is our only option, I don't believe that you will be able to destroy Second, even with First inside of you."
"Haha, I'm aware. In this world, I'm doomed to play this role. The Singularity… Kousaka Honoka is the only one who can defeat Second. Her, chosen by Autumn… Really, Seira, you ended up training one hell of an heir."
Seira couldn't help but smile. "Honoka is special, yes. Regardless of if you believe it because of her personality, her skill, or the fact that Autumn chose her. Even I, chosen by winter, can't compare."
"Then, you know the true reason we need First."
"Mm. Pestilence has told me as much."
"Good. Then, let's stop wasting time." Erena turned back towards the centre circle, towards the something that lingered in the middle. "Come, First. I accept you as a part of me."
A wave of force almost knocked Ruby off her feet as something slammed into Erena, making her take a step back. Seira's eyebrows shot up when she realized what had just happened. Void took a perfectly normal, fine, stable step backwards. Everybody waited in anticipation as Erena stood with her eyes closed for over a minute, not saying a word.
"Heh…" She finally broke the silence with a chuckle. "Nothing that you can show me will surprise me, First. I am the Void, she who has already observed the end." She slowly opened her eyes, eyes that now glowed a bright red and looked between the gathered girls. This time, her voice came out mixed. Surely, it was still her voice, but there was another behind it, calm, composed. "It is a pleasure to see all of you. Though this is not a first-time meeting for all present, I believe in pleasantries." Erena bowed deeply. "I am the First Demon Lord, the beginning." Seira and Ruby were on their toes, obviously still wary even though they knew that they needed him. A smile cracked on Erena's face and she struck a pose with a sideways peace sigh over her right eye. "But my friends call me Mako-chan! Nice to meetcha!"
"… Eh?"
"You…"
Umi's grip tightened on Yo's wrist. "I said… begone!" Her red eyes flared and Yo could only watch as her fingers were peeled off the girl by some force. Umi finally let go of her wrist but as soon as she did, the grey-haired girl found herself being flung back across the room. She landed on her feet, bringing her sword back to bare.
"Aren't you the interesting one, Sixth? Even though I've completely stopped time around us, you're still able to move. Defying the very laws of space-time now, are we?"
"I'm sorry to break it to you, Watanabe-san, but Origin seems to be frozen in time as well. It's just you and I."
Yo blinked and tilted her head. "Oh? Eh… Who were you again, host of Sixth?"
"Sonoda Umi."
"Ah, yeah, right, Umi. Nice to know, I guess. So? The eyes of Sixth allow him to nullify my power on him or rather, on you in this case? That won't be enough to save you." Yo pointed her katana forward. "So pull out whatever trick you have."
Umi narrowed her eyes. Yo was clearly being cautious of her, much more so than she would normally be. Maybe it was because she wasn't quite sure what the complete power of Sixth's eyes entailed, but she wasn't approaching the bluenette. That was lucky for her, she wasn't entirely sure about this whole thing yet. Even though, from Origin's memory, she thought she should have an absolute advantage, she wasn't sure what, exactly, Yo might be capable of.
"I hope you don't mind me making things even." Umi's eyes glowed brightly and she held one hand towards the girl. "With my authority as the Origin, I seal away your heart."
Yo lifted her blade to guard but the sword simply vanished. Her eyes widened and she opened and closed one hand as if wondering if the sword had turned invisible. "You… took away my Demonbrand?"
"A temporary seal. Origin gave humans the ability to use Demonbrands and he can take it away, albeit temporarily." Umi felt a drop of sweat trickle down her brow. From Sixth's observations, Second's eyes should have no other hidden abilities. The power to stop time is so powerful that he assumed there would be no other hidden abilities. Stopping Nico's weapon seemed to just be a use of his ability to stop time on a smaller scale. If that was the case, Umi shouldn't have much to fear from the Master of Stars without her Demonbrand.
"Ha… Haha! That's amazing! Of course! How could I not even consider that a possibility? Sealing away our hearts? Haha! You're amazing, Sixth! Ah, I guess I should call you by name, right? Well now, Umi-chan. Eh… I'm so used to calling people by their styles, it almost feels wrong to call someone by name again… Well, whatever."
Umi barely listened to the girl's rambling. She tried focusing like Origin had told her. When she first opened his eyes, she had fallen away, somewhere deep inside herself or maybe inside Origin. He had explained what she needed to do but the thought of messing up and getting everybody killed weighed heavily on her. Then again, everybody would die if she did nothing… Umi tightened her hand into a fist at her side. It was now or never.
She kept that one hand extended but opened it. "Come, Origin." She felt a light tugging at her heart, as if someone was grabbing it. It was, to put it lightly, the worst feeling she had ever experienced. An otherworldly chill filled her entire body and she felt like puking but held it together as that tugging sensation grew stronger until a small light appeared in her palm. She sighed in relief and grabbed it, the light bursting into shape. When it subsided, a katana took its place.
Yo finally paused her laughing to look the girl up and down. "Sixth's Demonbrand? Now that's something I never thought I would lay eyes on. That's really where it all started, huh? The first Demonbrand to come into existence. The true spark that allowed humans to defend the overworld from demons. I'm honoured, hahaha." Her genuine laugh subsided into a smirk. "So? You're going to kill me, Umi-chan? I'll be honest, I doubt you have it in you. Even to protect your friend, killing another human probably goes way beyond what you're capable of. Not to mention I won't go down without a fight. I'm capable enough to fight an untrained swordsman even without my Demonbrand."
Umi didn't doubt that. Nor did she doubt what she had said about her. Was she really capable of killing another human? Origin had staked everything on giving her access to his Demonbrand, his heart. Origin was that desperate to save Honoka. Was she about to let all of his efforts go to waste? Was not she not equally, if not more, desperate to save her best friend? This person in front of her would kill even more of her friends if she just let her go. Could she really bear the weight of that? Looking into those deep blue eyes reminded her of her best friend. Her best friend who was fighting for her life in the Underworld.
Why…? Why am I hesitating? I know… I know Honoka would do the same. After seeing Origin's memories, I promised myself I would do whatever it would take. So, why? Why are my hands shaking while wielding this blade? Why does it feel wrong? Is killing her the answer? I'm not a Demon Slayer. I'm not Honoka. I can't strike with no hesitation. How could someone get used to it? I… I want to save her. To save my dear friend. But…
Umi swallowed the lump in her throat. She remembered watching her best friend's movements when she fought alongside Maki. She remembered when Honoka, even when she was injured badly, jumped off the apartment railing to strike down demons to save her and Hanayo. Honoka never thought of herself. She was always thinking of the people around her and whether they were safe or not. Umi felt a small smile forming and shook her head.
"You're really something, Honoka. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I'll finish this now." Umi pointed her sword at the girl. "My only ace are these eyes. All of the overworld remains as Origin's territory. From the moment he brought Demonbrands into this world, he claimed an undeniable right. As his host and the holder of his eyes, I have inherited Origin's authority. That is why your eyes are useless against me. In the Underworld, you would have won. But this is our world, a world you were only once a part of, Watanabe-san. As the new holder of that authority, it's my job to expel you from this world."
"Hmph. Is that how it is? Fine, then. Come at me, Sonoda Umi. If your resolve to save Four Seasons is really that strong, then come at me with everything you have. Anything less and I'll end you right here." Yo shifted into what Umi could only guess was some sort of strange fighting stance, one hand held out towards the bluenette.
Umi took a deep breath, tightening her grip on the hilt. This would be her only chance and she knew that very well. She was no strange to swordplay, having practiced kendo a decent amount, but she knew that the swordplay that Demon Slayers performed was on an entirely different level. She just needed one clean strike to stop the girl in front of her… to kill her. The thought still sent a wave of nausea over her, but when she pictured Honoka fighting for her life, it was enough to get her feet moving. She moved in quickly, sword held for a straight on strike. Yo smirked as she got within a few feet of her.
"You must really be stupid…" Yo grabbed at the centre of her chest, her hand digging into the skin, blood pouring out the new wound. A bright light glowed around her hand and when she pulled it back, Umi could see she was pulling her Demonbrand literally straight out of her chest. The bluenette was glad she had kept moving, not deterred by the reappearance of the sword. "Even with those damn eyes, you can never touch my heart! Star style, 5th blade, Starburst!"
Even in the face of blade from the Master of Stars, Umi had no choice but to swing that sword, that sword that was not even born of her heart, but of the heart of a Demon Lord. She swung it hoping only that it would be enough. Honoka flickered across her mind and she felt that smile somehow coming back despite her situation. There was no way a normal… well, 'normal,' human like her could ever hope to stand up to a Demon Slayer's blade. But here she was, against all odds, swinging the heart of a Demon Lord. Would she ever do something so crazy in her life again? Really… after all those years, Honoka still managed to drag her into some crazy things.
"Haaa!" Umi swung her sword down, a perfectly clean swing, one that she could definitely call her best. Ching. Steel met with steel. But it was no competition. It was obvious from the second that the swords collided which one would prevail. The snap of metal, the silence of a sword swinging through the air once again, the tearing of flesh as the sword slid across a girl's chest, spraying blood in every direction. The thud as the girl fell back, struggling to look up at her opponent. And the smile the girl wore when she realized that, despite everything, she had still lost.
"Ha… Really, breaking my Demonbrand isn't fair, Umi-chan…" Yo shakily lifted her hand to examine the smashed sword before releasing it, letting it fade away. "And look at this… my wound isn't regenerating at all… So much for being immortal, huh? Haha, guh…" Yo coughed out some blood to her side before making eye contact with the bluenette again. "Absolute authority in the overworld, huh? Yeah… I suppose I wouldn't be able to beat that."
Umi nodded slowly. "I do think you're a great warrior, Watanabe-san. However… and it might not be my place to say this, but I believe you chose the wrong path. Whether or not you actively tried to defeat the Demon Lords, I don't believe siding with them was the solution. Perhaps it was because you truly became bored of this world, but to end it…"
She was cut off by another laugh. "Ahhh… You should have seen the look, long ago, in Second's eyes, when he spoke about this. He may have gotten carried away, pulled off the path but… He truly cared for his kind."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Beyond this world… Second would never admit it, but he believed… guh… that coming to the overworld in the first place was wrong. He believed that demons should have stayed in the Underworld. After all… it's impossible… for demons to coexist with humans. The only way they can stay in the overworld is devouring people. Terrible, right?" Yo snorted but flinched from the pain it caused. "He never… wanted to sacrifice this world. He thought he could… find a place beyond the overworld… one where he could bring demonkind to. He never believed… that the veil between the overworld and Underworld could be repaired. So, his only choice… would be to find a new world for them."
Umi gave her a sympathetic expression but shook her head. "I'm sorry. Even if you tell me this, it doesn't change what he has done and what he is trying to do."
Yo waved off her words. "I'm not, guh, trying to get you to feel sympathy, Umi. I just…" Yo smiled wearily and let out a long sigh. "I don't want to die… being the only one to know what he really wanted. Second… became misguided, desperate. The Void… corrupted his mind. After she showed him the possibilities… he slowly drifted farther and farther… until there was little left of who he was. I miss him… the Second that I knew." Yo let out one more quiet giggle, her eyes slowly flickering closed, she was losing the struggle to keep them open. "So… Hurry up… and kill him… so I… can see him… again…" As she finished, her head lulled to the side.
As soon as her eyes closed, everything started moving again. Shouts sounded from each of the girls, but they all blinked, slowly taking in the scene before them. Umi let out a breath that shook her entire body. She turned and offered as good of a smile as she could manage to the girls. She was about to speak when the room started shaking. Everybody went on edge, hands on swords. The dais in the centre of the room slowly parted, revealing a hole beneath. A… coffin? Definitely a coffin. A stone coffin slowly rose from the hole. The front unceremoniously fell to the floor, revealing the redheaded woman inside.
"M-Mother!?" Maki ran up as the woman fell forward, just barely catching her. "What…?"
Umi looked back at Yo in confusion before a small smile crested her face. A small symbol, drawn in blood, lay next to her hand.
"Just what did you make me kill you for…? Idiot."
"Void style, 2nd blade, To nothing."
"Void style, 1st blade, Null."
Yoshiko's blade easily slammed through Kanan's, knocking her sword high. "Four seasons, Autumn style, 1st blade, Fall." Honoka was surprised by how easy she found it to fight alongside the heir to Void. Their movements fell in sync. She was always right behind Yoshiko, always at her side when she struck, ready to lash out with a strike in the opening that she created. They fought in perfect harmony, a melody of blades that rang out in the otherwise silent Underworld. Honoka's blade struck true, blasting open Kanan's stomach but it was still no use. The girl simply backed away, her stomach immediately closing up.
"Immortals really are a pain to deal with." Yoshiko said, raising her katana to let it rest on her shoulder. "But, well, I could beat you down all day."
"You really are something, Yoshiko, to raise your sword against me."
"To beat you with it." Yoshiko snorted. "You're nothing but a corrupted fragment of the Void, Kanan, Second, whatever you like to be called. Perhaps there was a time where you would have been able to defeat me, a time where you wielded the Void with pride, where you poured your everything into it. Now that you have become a misguided fool, you no longer have a right to the Void. As the proper heir to Void, I am simply putting you in your place."
Kanan just shook her head. "Call me as you will, Yoshiko. Regardless of what you believe, I am the Void. In the end, you will never kill me. You seem to not understand. I need not even kill you to achieve my goal. Look at her." She nodded towards Chika who was still in the same position but was sweating profusely, her breathing heavy. "It is no simple task to maintain an entire world. Sun is preventing the breaking of the Underworld, but the second she stops… I win. I need only time, something I have an unlimited amount of."
"Fight!" They all turned to look at Chika who looked like even speaking was just about too much for her. "Don't stop fighting, Void-chan, Honoka-chan! I'll keep this up for as long as I have to, so don't worry about me. The Sun doesn't burn out so easily."
"Hmph. Quite cocky, aren't we, Sun? Haha. Let's see what happens then, if I expel you from the Underworld." Kanan raised her hand, darkness pooling from it onto the ground below her. "Come forth, Eighth, to banish the Sun from the Underworld forevermore. The darkness began rising, taking shape slowly. Honoka's eyes widened. Even though she had seen it before, it still made her blink twice to make sure she was seeing it correctly. It took the form of Maki's mother, the Head she knew.
That same black liquid from before shot out from her feet twisting and spreading, reaching for Chika. At first, it was burned away when it reached the molten ground, but it soon began spreading through it, slowly inching its way towards her.
"Void style, 3rd blade, Last words." Yoshiko swung her sword out, severing the line of black liquid but it continued to spread around Chika. "Eh?"
"It may have been easy enough for you to be rid of it on the overworld, but not here. Here in the Underworld, the place where Eighth was born, you have no chance. Begone, Sun! Enjoy your last moments in the overworld!"
Chika could only at the black liquid and cringe. She had no doubt in her mind that she could destroy it, but not without breaking her concentration and letting the veil shatter. She tried to think of something, anything that she could use but that black liquid had already crossed the molten ground, now circling around her.
"Chika-chan!" Her snapped up to see Honoka running over to her. Kanan lashed out at her, but Yoshiko easily intercepted that blade. "I'm sorry, but please hold out! Four seasons, Autumn style, 5th blade, Tsukimi." Honoka sliced through the black liquid as if it wasn't there. As soon as the Autumn blade touched it, it was completely wiped away.
It was audible, the sound of glass shattering. Several more cracks appeared in the sky above them, all at once. Chika gritted her teeth in pain, her fingers digging into the ground below her as she tried desperately to hold the world together.
"Y-You're… really putting me to the test here, Honoka-chan…" Even through all of that, she managed to meet the eyes of the ginger with a confident smirk.
"It's nothing the Sun can't handle, right?" Honoka returned that confident smirk with one of her own.
"Ha. Damn right. I'll be fine so… go."
Honoka nodded and turned back to see Kanan laughing once again. "Are you an idiot, Four Seasons? Ahaha! Speeding up the process for me? I appreciate it, I truly do. Please, again, if you would." The black liquid shot out once again but this time it stopped before it reached them. "Hm?" The figure of Maki's mother distorted before returning to a black mass that spasmed in various direction before settling into a puddle of the liquid. Kanan opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly grabbed her chest. "What…?" A bright light flashed in front of her and she screamed, clutching her chest as the light rose all around her before coalescing over her hand and slowly seeping through her chest until it was gone. "Ha… ha… this… Those fools killed my host…?"
"That's right." Everybody's head snapped towards the direction of the voice, a new voice. Four sets of footsteps seemed to echo in the silence that followed.
Erena led the pack, moving with obvious confidence. Seira and Kotori walked on either side of her, both with confident smiles as well. Ruby trailed behind a bit, trying to hide behind the other three while still peeking out.
"Void, Four Seasons…" Kanan narrowed her eyes. "Pestilence."
"Hi! Long time no see, Second!" Kotori giggled.
Honoka blinked. "Eh? M-Master? K-Kotori-chan?"
Kotori gave her a smile but shook her head. "I'll explain everything later, Honoka-chan. We really don't have much time."
"Master…?" Yoshiko stared at her master in awe. "You're… That presence… your legs… Did you…?"
"I've done what is necessary, Yoshiko." Erena moved over to stand next to her, her Demonbrand appearing in hand. She turned her head towards Kanan who was fuming at the sight of the four. "We have little time though. Sun will not be able to hold this world together forever. So, let us begin, shall we?" Erena blinked once, her eyes glowing a bright red when reopened.
"First…!"
"Now, come, Second. For the sins you have committed, your judgment time is upon you."
Like I said, really reaching the end here! Stay safe, pois.
Till next time. Be seeing you.
