Chapter 12: Shinigami
Stevonnie glared at him.
The rain around them was falling faster by the second, drenching their hair and clothes in cold water and almost making them shiver. Lion's fur was soaked, and they could feel just how wet their pink friend was through their bare feet; and when they glanced at his face, they could tell that Lion was holding back his own shivers.
But Lion didn't care about the coldness gripping him. And neither did they. Because both their and Lion's focus were all on this...monster.
Ara...Kira was still standing in the exact same spot in front of his house.
Liar.
He had yet to make a single move. He just stood there in the rain and watched.
Murderer.
His purple eyes glared right at them. Purple eyes that looked nothing like what Steven or Connie had seen before. His eyes had more malice in them than anything they had seen from past enemies. Even Yellow Diamond's haughty gaze could not compare to the hatred they saw in his piercing eyes.
Bastard!
Their left eye twitched as they snarled. Their grip on their sword grew tighter with every second. They wanted to charge in, to get as close as possible before pummeling him as hard as they could. To swing their sword right in his face before watching him poof back into his gemstone.
But they didn't.
Because even though they wanted to beat this monster senseless—and they so, so wanted to—they knew just how dangerous the situation they were in was. They had no idea how his powers worked. Kira hadn't even taken out his weapon—if he even had one in the first place. And if he did have a weapon, was he plotting to use it when they least expected it? Or did he think he didn't need to use his weapon to beat them?
They knew nothing of what Kira was capable of. It would be reckless to attack him now when they had no idea what he could do. All they knew was that he could somehow make explosions and that he...killed Peridot.
He would pay for that. They would make sure of that no matter what.
They needed some sort of plan, but they couldn't think of anything. They were too enraged to properly think of any strategy. And since they didn't know the exact details of his abilities, they couldn't come up with any proper countermeasures even if they tried.
Just like so many times before. Just when they needed information—basic, easy information they should already have—they didn't have any. Because they had never been told anything. Because the Gems never told-!
Stop it!
They shook their head as their left eye once again twitched, drops of water flying off their hair as they did so. They couldn't afford to think like that, not now. Even with one part of themselves furiously agreeing with those thoughts, they knew just how bad it would get if they let their rage overwhelm them. They had to calm down, or else...
They looked back at Kira.
...Or else something bad will happen.
They didn't know what kind of Gem Kira was, but that didn't matter. What did matter was the dark gleam in his eyes that trumped any snarl or insult Jasper had given them. They had been in plenty of fights, fought who knows how many Corrupted Gems and a part of them had bubbled a giant creature that could have destroyed the planet without even meaning to.
But this was different.
The icy hatred that Kira seemed to be emitting was something no enemy they had encountered could ever hope to match. The frown on his face—a face that looked so human but not at the same time—made them hesitate. The way he had yet to even get into any sort of fighting stance and instead stand in an almost nonchalant manner told them something was wrong.
And the indifferent look he kept giving them, the look that only made his purple eyes so much crueler, made them realize that this man was not like anyone they had ever faced before. He wasn't a vengeful soldier. He wasn't a cruel emperor of another planet. He wasn't even a man whose mind had been shattered, thus forcing him to act like a mindless animal.
He wasn't anything like that. He was just a monster that had killed one of their family. Someone who was more than willing to do the same to them and the rest of-.
"Well?"
It took everything they had not to charge forward the moment they heard him spoke. Kira's voice was just as empty as the rest of his features as he took a single step forward.
"Didn't you say you were going to beat me to the ground?"
They saw him raise an eyebrow. And they bit their lip as their grip on their sword got tighter.
"If so, why are you just standing there?"
Deep breaths. Don't give in to your urges. He's trying to play you. Garnet warned you about-.
Their left eye once again twitched as their anger rose.
Stop it! They couldn't...they had to be calm. It would be stupid-.
"Are you so scared that you can't even move?"
...What was that?
"At the very least you're smart enough to recognize when you're outclassed."
He took another step forward, and they heard his shoe crush the wet grass beneath it.
Lion let out a powerful roar. And remaining calm became so much more difficult. But...they wouldn't fall for his taunts. They wouldn't fall for whatever trap he was trying to lure them to. They had to ignore their anger, otherwise, they would do something-.
"I suppose that's something you and that green midget share in common."
All of their thoughts came to a stop.
Thunder once again boomed throughout the area.
"What?"
They said that one word through gritted teeth.
Kira looked at the grey sky above.
"You and that little girl knew when you were facing someone you could never hope to defeat. When I cornered her, she instantly realized that she had no hope of escaping me."
He said that like he was talking about something trivial. Like Peridot—their friend, their family—didn't even matter in the slightest. Like she had just been a spec of dirt.
Their knuckles were white.
...Bastard.
"Yes, she was shaking so much that she couldn't even stand. I thought it was quite cute how she tried her very best to escape me, using every trick she knew and even succeeding for a moment. But just that. A moment."
...Cute?
He thought it was...cute that she had been fighting for her life? That her being scared out of her mind, trying her best not to die and running for her life was something he enjoyed watching?
They were trembling now.
Bastard.
"You should listen to the fear inside you and just give up. It would save me the trouble of having to fight."
They could never be scared of this man. How could they when all they could feel was anger?
They were practically crushing their teeth together now.
Bastard!
"So why don't you just let me kill you so you can join that pathetic weakling in the afterlife, Uni-."
They weren't going to let him speak another word.
"Bastard!"
With a roar, they ran forward before leaping off Lion with all their strength. They soared through the air before landing on the wet ground about halfway across from Kira. They then sprinted as fast as their legs would allow, sword pulled behind them as their eyes moved into a vicious glare.
He would pay! He wouldn't get away! For killing their friend and for betraying them, he would pay here and now!
Once they were close enough, they swung their sword. A hissing arc of pink headed right for Kira. He still had yet to move as the sword got closer. He still had yet to even blink—eyes still perfectly hollow—as he stared right at their face.
They didn't care why he wasn't moving. At this range, there was no way he could dodge. Their strike was too fast—they had put every ounce of their strength into it—and was already so close.
There was no way this bastard-!
Lightning hit the forest—where exactly, they couldn't tell—and a blinding white light assaulted their vision. For one second—that was all, a second—they could see nothing but white.
Until they saw something within the light.
It all happened in an instant, but they still saw. Within the white that was everywhere in their sight, there was a stain. A deep, black stain that was just visible in the corner of their eyes. And then it grew. The stain seemed to get darker—reaching a point where it became darker than the void that was space. It began to rise and twist. Stretching and growing until it began to take shape into what looked like…
A face.
The white light faded.
And suddenly, Kira was gone and they were staring right into a face made of nothing but darkness and cold pink eyes.
Then they felt pain erupt in their face.
"GAAAH!"
Something hit them. Something stopped their attack when it was only inches away from hitting. Something struck them so hard that they saw stars—completely different from the real ones in space—appear in their vision. Something moved so fast that they didn't even see the blow.
Something slammed into the center of their nose with enough force to shatter bone. Blood burst from within it as they were sent flying. Their body spun in the air—but they made sure to hold onto their sword for dear life—as their head roared with pain.
They would have crashed back onto the dirt, but they landed on something soft instead. When they opened their eyes, they saw that Lion had caught them on his back. Lion skidded from the sudden impact—claws leaving a deep trail in the wet ground—and their friend let out a painful growl.
Once Lion stopped skidding, they fell off the pink animal onto the ground, a soft plopping sound reaching their ears when they made contact. One hand reached up towards their nose as they carefully touched it. They winced the moment they did, letting out a grunt as fresh pain roared within their nostrils.
They slowly brought their hands up to their eyes and looked at the blood dripping down their fingers. They then glanced at the trails of red descending from their now broken nose.
They were bleeding. This was the first time they had ever been hurt like this. This was the first time they had ever been hurt at all.
They looked back at Kira.
And he was watching them with a raised brow.
"Oh?"
The murderer took a step forward. Lion let out another snarl and leapt in front of them.
"So, you can bleed?"
There was something in his eyes. Something that they recognized, yet at the same time didn't. There was something within those purple pupils that kept growing.
"Excellent."
He smiled. A smile that was even worse than the one he had given Steven. A smile that was made of nothing but malice and cruelty. A smile that made his cold expression look…
Scary.
"That might just make this little annoyance somewhat less boring."
And it was then they realized what exactly had been rising in Kira's eyes.
Curiosity.
It was so much more horrible than any curiosity they had seen before—darker than they had ever thought possible—but there was no denying that what they saw was indeed that emotion.
He was curious as to what ways he could hurt them. Curious to see what would happen to the fusion—one that was made of both human and Gem—if he were to break them,
They saw all of that in those cruel purple eyes of his.
He took another step forward.
And despite the fact that it was so cold, despite how rain kept pelting their skin and soaking every inch of their body, despite the fury within them...
They still felt cold sweat descending down their face as Kira looked right into their eyes.
"Why don't we hurry this up now?"
And then…something surrounded him. It looked like the same black…stuff—they couldn't think of a better word—that was around that horrible thing with pink eyes they saw in the white flash. It seemed to emit from every inch of Kira's body—like some kind of gas but more wavy and solid. Though, there was one difference to the black stuff that made up the thing they had seen to the vapor that clung to Kira's body.
The gas was purple.
"I have better things to do than this."
His smile was gone and emotionless eyes stared at them.
And a conversation took place in their mind.
Steven…what are we up against?
…I don't know.
Part of him was aware that he didn't need to be so violent. The part that kept telling him that he needed to hold back—that these women had just fallen for that bastard's plan. They didn't deserve this. But that part was distant. At best, he could faintly hear it whisper to him.
Because that part of Josuke was buried underneath all of his fury.
"I dare you..."
Just as the one with the long nose swung her blue spear at him, he channeled the energy within him. Crazy Diamond's arm became his own and he lifted it above him. A strike that would have sliced across his head had instead hit his now pink and silver coated limb. He watched as her eyes widen in shock as her weapon bounced off his arm, but before she could retreat, Crazy Diamond had materialized to his side.
"To say that again!"
And then his Stand rushed her.
"DORA!"
Its right fist struck her on the cheek as her head whipped to the side. The strength of his Stand's punch sent her flying, and he watched as her body crashed through a building—leaving a large hole when she plowed through the bricks. His eyes immediately flickered to the afro woman charging toward him with one gauntlet fist raised next to her head. Crazy Diamond returned to his side as his glare focused on the visor-clad woman.
"Whose hair looks like uglier than dog shit that's been sitting on the road for three weeks!?"
With that scream, his Stand flew through the air. Just as the woman entered his range, Crazy Diamond was already a few feet away from her as it launched a cross that would have hit the afro woman right in her center mass.
But she did something that surprised him. Even with all of his rage, his eyes still widened at what he saw.
She had already thrown her raised fist, but midway through its path, she suddenly changed its direction, now aiming lower. Her fist was now heading towards Crazy Diamond's own fist.
And when they met, his ears were hit by a loud boom. The strength of both his Stand and this woman's fist caused the very ground they stood on to shake. The shockwaves that had been caused when the two punches met rocked the flame-covered streets and buildings.
Pain exploded within his hand. That pain cleared away just enough of his anger to allow him to think. And he suddenly realized that he needed to distance himself away from this woman, now.
Because something very wrong just happened.
Crazy Diamond immediately pushed the fist that that had hit its own to the side before the afro woman had a chance to pull it back. And his Stand immediately rushed her before she could get back into her guard.
"DORA!"
This time Crazy Diamonds fist hit the alien in her visor, and he heard it crack. The force sent the maroon-skinned woman flying backward. She crashed through the windows of a store—some kind of bakery—as she went over a counter and disappeared from his sight.
Seeing that he had bought himself a minute, he quickly turned his head to his right hand as he took off the glove covering it.
And saw that his hand was bleeding. Small cuts were present on his skin and a faint bruise was forming near his knuckles. His blood mixed with the rain falling from above, giving his hand a glossy red sheen.
…What?
He couldn't look away from the blood trailing down his hand.
She had hit Crazy Diamond. She had hit his Stand. Something that no normal person should be able to do. She had somehow been able to see his Stand attacking her and was able to match its blow. He could still feel the power from that punch, and the fact that something that wasn't a Stand had so much power shouldn't be possi-.
No. That was wrong.
His eyes narrowed.
He reviewed what just happened in his mind again. How the gauntlet-wearing woman had moved her punch at the last minute to clash with Crazy Diamond's own blow. She somehow knew that something was about to punch her…but only at the last moment.
She couldn't see it.
If she could have, then she wouldn't have bothered trying to aim a punch at him and instead aim at his Stand that was so much closer to hitting her. He didn't know how, but somehow, she knew an attack was coming at her, and she immediately changed the path of her punch. Never once had any of the alien women shown any signs of seeing his Stand. And if they somehow spontaneously saw his Stand for a moment, they would be shocked—because who wouldn't be after seeing something literally appear out of thin air?
But regardless as to how the visor-clad woman had known about his attack, that didn't change the fact that she was still able to hit his Stand.
It didn't change the fact that the rules for Stands—rules that he had thought were unbreakable—had suddenly changed.
But he couldn't spend any more time on those thoughts.
He turned his head and looked at the buildings the alien women had gone through. His eyes turned into a different shade of blue, and his vision increased—almost like a hawk's now. Through the rain and the smoke—which had died somewhat since the storm began—he could now see inside the buildings.
And he saw no trace of the alien women.
Damn.
He looked around, muscles tensing as he began to think of as many strategies as he could given his situation.
And from the corner of his eye, he saw lightning touch the ground somewhere in the forest near the outskirts of town.
This was bad.
Pearl could still feel the blow that man had landed on her cheek. She hadn't even seen him move, but somehow, he had hit her with a punch that might rival Garnet's.
He was that powerful. Rarely had she ever met a Gem that wasn't a fusion who was this strong. Jasper was one, but she had been the literal epitome of a Quartz soldier concerning power. Even Bismuth would have trouble matching his strength.
She bit her lip.
Damn it, she didn't mean to think like that but-.
Stop it.
Just focus.
After shaking off most of the pain from his attack, she had exited the building she had crashed into through the back. When she took a step through the door back into the rain—getting worse every second, now like a monsoon—she thought about her next course of action. She needed to regroup with Garnet. It was clear now that attacking him by herself would be reckless and stupid. But she couldn't go out in the open again to try and find her leader.
It was then she saw the ladder that led to the roof of the building.
And that led her to her current situation. Her hiding behind one of the ventilators on the roof of a building, rain pouring down on her as she peaked her head around her hiding spot to look at the street below.
And at the man who had killed Peridot and Jenny. At the man who was just standing there in the middle of the road as the rain pelted both him and the fires from nearby buildings. It was tempting to just leap from her spot on the roof to the ground below and attack him. She seemed to have the element of surprise…but she knew that wasn't true.
She recognized the stance he was in—even with the rain somewhat obscuring her vision. It was something she had seen from battle hardened Gems during the war. A stance that had been developed after constant life or death fights.
It was the stance of a warrior that was ready for anything.
Just find Garnet. Just move as quickly and quietly as possible and find her. She couldn't take him alone and-.
She felt something grab her shoulder from behind. She whirled around and was about to reach for her gem with her right hand-.
But then she saw it was just Garnet. She immediately stopped reaching and relaxed, letting out a breath.
"Oh, thank goodness it's you."
She kept her voice low—though she did make sure it wasn't low enough that Garnet couldn't hear it over the rain.
"How did you get here? I didn't see you even leave the store that brute sent you through."
"There was a manhole behind it. I went through there."
Her leader's simple reply—spoken in a voice just as low as her own—made her blink.
"Then, how did you know I was-?"
"Future vision."
Oh, right. She had forgotten about that.
But now that Garnet was here, they could strategize.
Slowly, she craned her neck around the ventilator again. And the man had yet to move an inch from his spot in the rain. And then her eyes moved towards one of the buildings all the way down the street. The one with the large hole that Amethyst had created.
"I don't think Amethyst will be getting up for a while."
She turned back to face Garnet, the maroon Gem's lips turning into a frown before she spoke.
"No, she won't be."
She hadn't even seen the man move, but somehow in an instant, he had managed to strike Amethyst hard enough to send her body flying through the air. In less than a second, had been able to poof her like she was nothing.
What exactly were they facing?
"Do you know how long she'll be out?"
Garnet's frown became deeper.
"No. I don't."
Garnet let out a small growl; and even with the visor, she could still see the frustration within her eyes.
"That man…is very confusing. In so many ways."
She blinked again.
"What do you mean?"
"It…when he hit me, my future vision showed me…something."
There was confusion in Garnet's expression.
"I…I saw his attack coming but it was like…I could only see parts of it. It was the same thing that happened back on the beach. I knew something was coming, but I couldn't properly see what it was exactly. I saw a punch coming through my future vision, but it was like that man wasn't the one throwing the punch. And for a second down there I…"
She trailed off, struggling to find the right words. A moment later, she continued.
"I hit something. There was something down there that I know I hit, but it was…it felt different. I didn't have the time to see what exactly it was because the next thing I knew, I was flying."
Garnet tilted her head down and raised her arms slightly. Behind her visor, she was staring at her somewhat scratched knuckles.
"It was like there was something else just…standing near him. Something that just…appeared from nothing and then attacked."
That sounded…complicated, to put it lightly.
She stared at her leader.
"Could there be another invisible Gem near him? Maybe that's why you can't see his attacks? Because he isn't the one attacking?"
That seemed like the most likely explanation. Not even a second after he had deflected her spear, she felt something ram into her cheek—and she hadn't seen the man so much as twitch!
"I…maybe."
She wasn't used to seeing Garnet like this. Garnet never hesitated—she was never unsure about anything—but now for the first time she almost looked…lost.
But they needed to be focused right now.
"Garnet, should we fuse?"
Her words brought Garnet out of her thoughts. Her leader's expression was contemplative as she took a moment to respond.
"No. There are still people in the town. We would do a lot of damage as Sardonyx, so we should only fuse when there's no chance of anyone getting hurt."
She nodded.
"Alright. Then how do you think we should proceed until the town is clear?"
Garnet placed a hand under her chin. For a few moments, she stood perfectly still in the rain and said nothing. But eventually, she continued.
"Do you remember when that squadron of Alabasters had us cornered in that forest?"
How could she forget? It was one of the most important missions of the war. They had to take down a communications tower that was guarded by a Turquoise and the elite Alabaster soldiers under her command. They had tried to sneak in through a forest that flanked the tower, traveling for days through a thick undergrowth. Unfortunately, their enemy had spotted them, and the Alabasters hunted them down.
It was only through guerrilla warfare that they ever made it through that battle.
"You want to strike him and then retreat?"
Garnet nodded her head.
"One of us distracts, then the other attacks. We both get away the moment we have a chance and hide, and then repeat. We do this until all the humans get out of town, and then we fuse into Sardonyx."
"Garnet…"
She trailed off, and in her mind she could see just how fast the man had been as he dealt with Amethyst. She could see him casually blocking her spear like it was nothing.
"Are you sure that will work? That man—or at least, something down there—is strong enough to send you of all people flying. And if there really is something else fighting alongside him that we can't even see..."
"If there is another Gem there, it's obvious that it will only attack when we get close to that man. Otherwise, we probably would have already been ambushed several times since we started talking."
That…did make sense. But still, this Gem—or possibly Gems—were unlike anything they had ever faced. They had no idea what other abilities he might have. If they made a mistake, it could very well cost them their lives.
"And also, right now it's our best plan."
Garnet's expression hardened as the rain continued to pelt her visor.
She knew her leader was right. This was the best plan they could come up with given the circumstance.
So, she let out a breath, and then spoke.
"Alright, let's do it."
There was no hesitation in her voice. She stared right into Garnet's emotionless face as her leader nodded.
"Good. Now then…"
Garnet craned her neck around the ventilator, looking down at the man below.
"Here's what I need you to do…"
There was no way he actually won.
Josuke ignored the growing wetness of his clothes as he glanced around. Thanks to his Stand's eyes, the rain and lingering smoke around him did little to hinder his vision. He could see everything clearly—from the buildings to the roofs—but his eyes still had yet to find those two alien women.
His frown became deeper.
They were hiding. That he was positive on. There was no way he won that easily. Fighting Stand User after Stand User had made him learn that thinking he had won a battle was a good way to get ambushed. So many times when he thought he won, his opponent would pull out a trick—bizarre, deadly, tricks—and suddenly he would be bleeding from ten different places.
And even though he wasn't fighting another Stand User—for once—that didn't mean that these alien women didn't have their own unique abilities. Each one of the three alien women had their own personal weapons. The ivory one a spear, the maroon one a pair of gauntlets, and the purple one had a whip. But who knows what else they had in store. When he had hit the short one through a building, he remembered seeing a purple light, and then she was gone. Could she had somehow teleported? Camouflaged herself to her surroundings and preparing to attack him?
He had no idea what was coming. He had no idea what abilities these alien women possessed. So, he decided he would wait for them to make the first move.
It was reckless—of that there was no question. He was just standing out in the open, completely exposed and vulnerable to any attack. He could have run, he could have tried to find a place to hide or perhaps even search for them in the storm. But this was their town. They were the ones who protected it. They knew this place inside and out. And they most likely knew how to hide from enemies if they ever ended up in situations like this.
Which was why he stayed perfectly still. Right now, he needed to get a general idea as to what these aliens' capabilities were. Best way to do that was to allow them to come up with whatever strategy they wanted given the circumstance, and then he would counter it. Besides, for once he was in a fight where he had a few advantages over his opponent. While he didn't know how the afro-haired woman intercepted Crazy Diamond's punch, he was still certain that both she and the ivory one couldn't see his Stand. And they also didn't know about Crazy Diamond's other abilities as well.
His eyes glanced around. The rain was getting heavier—he could feel every drop of water that soaked his hair. He thought back to the purple one as she seemed to disappear. He thought of the purple light he saw.
And he was sure that there was something else he had seen there. What, he didn't know, but his gut was telling him it-.
He saw something moving on the roof.
His eyes instantly narrowed at the shape he had just seen, adjusting his head to get a better look. It was only for an instant, but he saw something run from what looked like a ventilator to another spot on the roof.
They were fast.
He took a step back to see if he could get a better view of the roof. To see if he could spot the alien.
And when he saw another shape amidst the heavy downpour once again sprint, he knew he found her. His eyes tracked her every movement—even though she was nothing but a blur of white—and watched as she got to the edge of the roof.
And watched as she slipped off the edge the moment she put her foot on it. She fell with a startled cry into the alley between the building she was on and the one only a few feet away. He didn't see her crash—from his position on the street the alley was at an awkward angle—but he did hear the impact from her crash. He could hear her groan as it sounded like she was shakily getting up.
They were durable.
Slowly, he began to walk to the alley. His boots made small splashes on the concrete as his eyes narrowed
And apparently very stupid if they thought he would fall for something like this. He'd seen a rat set up a better trap than this.
Once he was decided he was in a good enough position, he called Crazy Diamond to his side. His Stand then dug one hand into the concrete. A large chunk of the road was lifted into the air as his Stand pulled it back.
"DORA!"
His Stand threw the slab of concrete like fastball. He watched as the chunk hurled through the air until it reached the mouth of the alley. The moment it made contact, a plume of dust erupted as the shattered pieces of the slab shot into the alley.
And he heard a loud groan followed by the sounds of heavy objects making contact with something soft.
Now then…
He ran as fast as his legs could move.
Finish her before she can recover.
He was at the entrance of the alley in seconds. With Crazy Diamond's vision, he could see a shape moving with the cloud of dust that was spreading everywhere. He could see something with cone-shaped hair only inches away from him. And then he heard a scream.
"Parry!"
Wait, what?
A blue spear stabbed forward from within the dust—inches away from skewering him through his chest. Crazy Diamond was already moving as it grabbed the spear with one hand before it could pierce him. His Stand pulled hard on the spear—moving through the air with swift speed as it did so—and he watched as the shape was lifted off their feet.
He blinked when the shape was pulled out of the cloud. Because that was not the same woman he had expected to see.
Because while the shape and features of the thing Crazy Diamond pulled out of the dust did reassemble the peach-hair woman, there were some differences. Namely, the fact that her skin had gone from ivory to blue. The fact that her eyes were now completely red.
And the fact that he could literally see through her as if she wasn't there.
"Pa-!"
"DORA!"
Before the blue alien-like person could finish, Crazy Diamond threw its fist right into her cheek just as it was completely pulled out of the cloud. He heard something crack and the blue woman was sent crashing to the wall. Her body left a deep imprint on the black bricks.
And not even a second later, she disappeared. It was like she had fizzled out of reality—like his Stand would do, but with more…static.
And the moment she had disappeared, he heard something shouting from within the dust cloud. And a second later, the ivory-skinned woman ran out with a blue spear.
"Take thi-!"
She never finished as Crazy Diamond moved. It spun in the air as it got in front of the alien woman in an instant. And in the middle of its spin, it swung its arm backward as the back of its forearm slammed into her nose.
"DORA!"
"AAAH!"
She screamed as she was sent flying backward—and somehow her nose stayed in perfect shape even after the blow she took. She flew back into the dust cloud—the wind from her flight causing the cloud to scatter, the alley now clear. He saw her crash into the side of a dumpster, and she landed face first on the ground.
Not wasting this chance, he rushed forward. And just as the ivory woman began to push herself up, his Crazy Diamond moved through the air until it was right above her prone form. It lifted its leg up to its chest.
And then, it roared before it began to stomp.
"DORARARRARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARAARARARARARARARARARARARA!"
Crazy Diamond moved so fast it was like his Stand had grown multiple sets of legs. Rapid fire stomps of pink and silver struck the alien woman. Crazy Diamond's leg was nothing more than a blur, and each stomp caused deep cracks to form in the concrete. Every hit that landed made the alien woman scream—and Crazy Diamond's blows were only getting faster.
But something was…wrong. Even as his Stand pulverized the alien on the concrete with its unbelievably fast stomps…Something was-.
"RAAAA!"
His eyes widened as he turned around. The maroon-skinned woman was only a few feet away from him—both of her gauntlet fist raised and pulled back. Fury consumed her entire face as she threw two punches forward.
Shit!
He acted quickly, channeling the energy inside him. Crazy Diamond disappeared from existence—stopping the beatdown it was delivering to the ivory woman as a result. In an instant, his Stand reappeared in front of him, arms crossed just as it blocked the maroon skinned woman's fists.
And the moment her fist smashed into Crazy Diamond's arms, he felt his own explode with pain. He felt the shockwave that came when she made contact with his Stand.
HOLY-!
Both he and his Stand were lifted off their feet and sent flying. The rain now collided against his skin at ridiculous speeds as he was shot out of the alley—passing over the prone form of the ivory woman. He called his Stand behind him just as he was about to crash onto the street.
But even with his Stand, this was still gonna hurt.
His Stand kept him from physically touching the ground—keeping him just slightly above the street with one arm. But Crazy Diamond still crashed into the ground at intense speeds. It was the one that felt its back getting shredded to bits as it slid along the wet concrete.
And whatever his Stand felt, he felt.
And it was impossible not to feel the blood that erupted from his back.
Crazy Diamond continued to slide on the ground until they both crashed into the wall of a building all the way at the other end of the new street they entered. He let out a painful grunt the moment his back made contact.
Okay, before he had a suspicion. Now, that punch had confirmed it.
The maroon woman was stronger than Crazy Diamond.
He got up as quickly as he could—stumbling slightly before standing tall. He could feel the blood leaking on his back mix with the rain. But he ignored his pain as his mind began to analyze the visor-wearing woman.
When they first traded blows, he saw that the afro woman hadn't even flinched when her and Crazy Diamond's fists collided. Even though he knew Crazy Diamond had thrown its all into the punch, all it was able to do was stop the maroon alien's blow. And immediately after, his own hand had erupted with blood.
And that was when the alien woman had to stop and change the path of her punch mid-strike. When the power behind her fist was weaker than what it would normally be.
His breaths came out in heavy gasps.
In other words, he had just met someone—something that wasn't even a Stand—that had greater power than Crazy Diamond.
His eyes quickly darted towards the alley he had just been ejected from. And both the long-nosed and visor wearing women were gone.
His eyes narrowed. So that was their game. Hit and run tactics.
Fine then...
He slowly looked around him. Eyeing every roof and every alley he could see. The road was completely flooded here—almost up to his ankles. There weren't any fires on this street, but he could still see thick columns of smoke rise into the air over a set of buildings. The rain had dealt with a majority of the fires, but it would still take a while for the flames to be completely extinguished.
...that would be easy enough to counter.
He looked to the alley the aliens had just been in. And his eyes honed on an object left on the ground. All he had to do was grab that and-.
He heard something behind him. It was…familiar.
He eyes widened as he whirled around. It took him a second, but he remembered what that sound was.
Electricity.
The moment he finished turning, he had just enough time to see arcs of blue electricity jump from the rushing water around him until they launched themselves towards him. Crazy Diamond was in front of him in an instant, arms crossed as it blocked some of the bolts of blue light with its silver arm guards.
Unfortunately, it could only block some. The rest were jumping from spots his Stand couldn't guard against, so the only thing he could do was watch as bright blue volts slammed into him from every angle.
"GAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Pain rippled through him. The blue volts seared him from within as his body spasmed uncontrollably. His limbs would be locked up for one moment—like they had damn chains wrapped around them—before they would twist and bend at unnatural angles. He could see the electricity jump around his body as it continued to fry his nerves. He couldn't keep Crazy Diamond in existence anymore—the pain far too great—as his Stand disappeared in a flurry of pink sparkles.
Shit, it was Chili Pepper all over again! Only this time he was sure that the electricity was even more powerful!
His eyes darted around as his convulsing grew worse. And as they flickered everywhere, he saw the maroon-skinned woman on a nearby roof. Her gauntlets were sparking with bright blue electricity as she touched a thick stream of liquid that descended to the ground and to the water surrounding him.
But where was-?
He fell to his knees, head twisting without his control, and his eyes widened as he saw the ivory woman—spotting some large bruises—charging at him. The peach-haired alien roared, twirling like an elegant dancer as she swung her spear high, poised to slice his neck off.
Amidst the agony, he knew that there was no way he could concentrate enough to call the complete form of his Stand.
However…
He reached within himself, trying his best to block out as much pain as possible. He felt the familiar energy inside him and channeled as much as he could into reality. And in less than a second, a bright pink arm with silver plating appeared right by his side—floating in the air.
...he could at least call its arm.
Just as the spear would have decapitated him, he had the phantom arm of his Stand grab his jacket. The disembodied limb then threw him right under the spear, just avoiding it. The force of the throw sent him skidding across the ground—body no longer being fried by blue sparks. He saw the ivory woman stumble a bit as her swing missed him—eyes wide as she whipped her head around to stare.
He eventually stopped tumbling along the flooded ground once he crashed onto a street curb. He quickly stood up, and with a glance, he saw that he was only a few feet away from the alley he had been ejected from.
Without looking behind him, he ran into the alley. And after a few seconds of running, he saw the object he wanted from before. Without breaking stride, he picked up the object from the ground before he sprinted out of the alley.
Now he just needed one more thing.
That confirmed it.
Garnet jumped from roof to roof—behind her visor, her three eyes were narrowed.
There was something else with this man.
Jumping over the edge of another roof, she leaped through the air before landing on another building in a roll. Getting out of the roll as quickly as she could, she sprinted along the new roof and looked at the street below.
At the man running away from them. Even with the heavy rainfall and the crackling of flames from nearby buildings, she could still hear the splashes his footsteps made as he sprinted.
There was something else with that man. There was something like the thing they had fought at the beach.
She turned her head to the side, and through the heavy downpour of rain, she saw Pearl—moving slower than usual, but that was because of her injuries from this Gem. And while she couldn't see Pearl's face, she knew that her friend's eyes were honed on to the man running on the street.
When he had cornered Pearl in the alley, he had not moved. She had seen him stay perfectly still as he watched her friend. He had not even so much as twitched—of that she was positive.
Yet somehow, Pearl was attacked. Somehow, her friend had obviously been repeatedly assaulted by something fast and strong—if the cracks on the street was a good indicator.
And the man had not moved.
Before—when Amethyst had been sent flying through a building—she thought that maybe the man had just moved too fast for her to see. And again, she thought the same when she had been hit and sent flying through a store. But that was not the case. This wasn't speed.
At least, it wasn't the man's speed.
No, it was something else. Something was right next to the man. An invisible aide that had been helping him throughout this fight. Something that had stood between her fist and the man just as she was about to hit him in the alley. Something that she couldn't even see with future vision.
Something that was very dangerous.
The man turned as the road curved, and she lost sight of him as a building obscured her view. She jumped over another gap—leaping through a column of smoke as she did so—and landed on a building that let her see the man.
He had stopped running, now standing on a curb right next to a car.
She didn't hesitate to take this chance. She crouched down before jumping over a large gap to a building only a few feet away from the man. Once she landed right on the edge of the rood, her gauntlets began to spark with blue electricity. The street here didn't have as much water covering it as the previous one, but she would make do.
But as she landed, she saw that the man was holding something in his right hand. She couldn't quite see it, but it almost looked like-.
Suddenly she had a vision.
It was of Pearl flying through the air towards the man before in the next second she was sent careening to a building.
What?
Josuke was aware of the fact that the maroon-skinned woman had landed on the building right next to him. So, he had to move fast.
Crazy Diamond's limb overlaid with his own, and the blue ribbon from the ivory woman's dress in his hand began to glow with a yellow aura.
"WOAH!"
Glancing to the left, he saw the ivory one enveloped in the same yellow aura—not that she could see it—as she slowly floated up into the air from the roof she had been standing on.
"Wha-What is going-!"
She didn't finish. Because she had suddenly began to fly towards him at incredible speeds—the rain around her scattering as she continued her flight. The force from his Stand's power sent her careening faster and faster with every second as she screamed in panic.
But before she got close, he called Crazy Diamond to his side. In less than a second, his Stand had moved towards the car, ripped out the driver's door, and hurled it right at the maroon-skinned woman on the roof above him.
"DORA!"
The maroon-skinned woman didn't notice the door heading towards her, eyes still locked on her now flying friend as the blue sparks on her gauntlets slowly died. She did realize eventually though, as her head quickly whipped towards the flying car door heading towards her.
Though he couldn't see behind those visors, he was fairly certain that her eyes were wide just as the car door slammed into her face.
As the maroon-skinned woman was sent spiraling off the roof—along with the car door—he turned his attention back to the screaming ivory woman—whose arms were flailing as she headed towards him.
And once she was within range, Crazy Diamond charged forward.
"DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA!"
With that scream, Crazy Diamond moved so fast its arms seemed to multiply with every punch. Silver plated fists smashed into every inch of the ivory woman—he could hear a crunching sound with every impact. Pink arms reached a speed where they began to blur, and every cross or haymaker that landed left deep divots on the long-nosed woman's already bruised body.
"DORA!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Crazy Diamond's launched one last impossibly swift punch that hit the ivory woman right in her nose, and this time, it did bend. Rain whirled off her as the ivory woman was sent careening, her body ricocheting off a nearby street lamp—and said lamp was severely bent upon impact—before she was sent spiraling towards a building.
And the moment she crashed into the wall, the brick that made it up exploded in a cloud of dust. A large hole was now present in the building as the dust slowly faded.
He let out a long breath as Crazy Diamond floated down to his side. His eyes narrowed at the hole in the building.
Because he saw a white light glow from within the hole. And now—thanks to his Stand's vision—he could see that the ivory woman was gone.
He placed the blue ribbon inside his jacket pocket as he scowled.
What the hell was going on? He was sure that the ivory woman was just there, but now she was gone in an instant? Was it some kind of teleportation? But if that were the case, then why didn't-.
Wait.
There was something in that hole.
He squinted.
It was hard to see exactly what it was—there were broken chunks of brick obscuring it—but he could tell it was some kind of…oval-like shape.
He took a few steps forward.
In his mind, he replayed him sending the purple one through the center of a building. He recalled how there had been a glow in the hole she had made as well, and how there seemed to be something left there after she seemingly disappeared.
He continued to walk closer to the hole.
And as almost all of the dust cleared because of the wind and heavy rainfall—his scarf doing next to nothing to keep him warm by this point—he got a clearer image of the object.
It almost looked like…some kind of egg? No, maybe more like a ro-?
"RAAAGHHHHHH!"
He recognized that roar as he whirled around, just in time to see the maroon-skinned woman descending towards him from above with both of her gauntlets pulled back.
Shit!
Crazy Diamond was already by his side as his stand grabbed a handful of his clothing with one arm. It then kicked on the ground as hard as it could with one leg.
"DORA!"
Both he and Crazy Diamond flew to the side from the force of his Stand's kick. They just avoided the maroon skinned woman's fists as her gauntlets slammed into the concrete. And the moment they made contact, he felt the ground shake as the concrete around her fists exploded in a shower of dust and debris.
He and Crazy Diamond landed on the wet road—boots skidding for a moment before stopping—and he looked at the very large crater that had been formed in the middle of the street. It was like a portion of the road had collapsed in on itself.
Yeah. She was definitely stronger than Crazy Diamond.
Out from the cloud of dust, the maroon-skinned woman slowly walked towards him—and as more dust cleared he saw just how big the hole she had created really was.
He looked at the scowl on her face. He could almost see the rage in her eyes even with her visor on.
He let out a sigh. Once again, he heard thunder boom throughout the rainy street.
And then he charged right at her, Crazy Diamond floating right next to him as it screamed.
"DORA!"
They didn't know what they were doing.
"Lion, go!"
Stevonnie rode on their trusted friend—sword pointed towards Kira as Lion charged. The pink animal's eyes were white as it opened its mouth. They could see pink energy slowly forming in its mouth, shaping itself into a small orb.
They weren't sure what they should do.
The ground in front of Kira cracked. As Lion got closer to the murderer, a large part of the ground was carved out from the rest. It seemed like the hunk of wet dirt and rock somehow gained a mind of its own as it slowly floated into the air.
And—just like so many times throughout the fight before—the hunk of ground was thrown right at them. Somehow.
Lion acted quickly and jumped over the hunk of dirt. The boulder went right under their friend, missing its target and hitting the ground behind them in a shower of rocks. Landing back on the ground, Lion gave a roar.
And the moment he did, the energy in his mouth blast out in several sets of pink rings—almost twice as big as them. Parts of the rings tore through the ground with ease as they headed for Kira. The murderer still had on his emotionless expression, and for a moment, they saw it again. That weird purple…stuff that clung to his body like some kind of thick steam. Just for a second—a literal second before it disappeared back into nothing—but they knew what they saw.
So many strange things had been happening since this fight began.
Kira did not even blink as just before the rings could hit him, he jumped out of the way—leaping at least fifteen feet into the air. The rings continued on their path until they crashed into the side of Kira's house—the left side now erupting in a shower of moldy bricks and splinters as it crumbled to the ground.
It frustrated them how… weird the things they saw were.
Just as Kira landed, they threw their shield at him, the pink weapon spinning on its side as the rain whirled right off it. Lion ran even faster—not too far behind their shield—as they got closer and closer to Kira.
The things they had seen…confused them. They had seen things that… that…
But just as the murderer got up from the ground, just as the shield was only a few feet away from hitting him….
It stopped. Right in midair.
It stopped like it was stuck in a wall.
Their eyes widened. How-?
Lightning hit the ground somewhere. A white light once again washed over the area.
And they saw something. Something holding onto their shield. It was a hand—a vague, blurry shape that they could barely even see in the rain and white light—but they could tell it was a hand. A hand that seemed to be made of nothing but some kind of…physical darkness—and that was honestly the only thing they could think of to describe it.
They glanced up—trying to see what was connected to the hand.
And they saw pink eyes glaring at them. Pink eyes that were so, so, cold. Like the world's deadliest blizzard.
Their eyes widened.
They had seen things that scared them right down to their core parts.
In an instant, the white light from the lighting faded. In an instant, the shield that had stopped in midair was now heading right back towards them. They didn't have the time to react as it slammed right into their face. They felt their already bruised nose roar with fresh pain as they were sent flying off Lion's back.
Steven, what was that!? What did he just do!?
I…I don't know!
As another conversation in their mind took place, they landed on the wet dirt with a thud. They tumbled for a bit before they recovered, going into a roll before hopping back on their feet.
Just in time to see Lion careening towards them.
This time, they were able to react. They immediately stuck their arms out just as Lion collided with them—grabbing the pink animal by its fur. They skidded backward with Lion in their hands, leaving a trench of kicked-up dirt in the ground.
Once they stopped skidding on the wet grass, they gently put Lion back down on the ground. Lion took a few shaky steps around them as it let out a low growl. They saw that there was a bruise forming right behind his mane, so they spat on their hand and slapped it on Lion's fur. Lion bristled for a moment, but their healing spit immediately got rid of the bruise. Lion then shook its head to rid of any lasting dizziness as it glared back at Kira.
They saw that the murderer was no longer even looking at them. Instead, he was looking at his house.
"I liked that house."
Kira's voice was barely audible in the rain, but his words still reached their ears with ease.
Their grip on their sword grew tighter as they reformed their shield on their opposite elbow.
"It wasn't the prettiest, but like I told you two all those months ago, it spoke to me. But now, it's no longer my house. Now, because of you two, it's just food for the rat's as it continues to decay."
The murderer brought a hand to his face. And while she couldn't see the front side of him, they knew he was pinching the bridge of his nose. They could practically see his exasperated expression as he sighed.
"Do you brats even understand the maintenance I had to single-handedly do for this house? I had to clean up every spot of God knows what with the strongest bleach I could find. For days I had to exterminate the nest of vermin that were everywhere ."
He sighed again as he shook his head.
Lion was growling
"But of course you wouldn't understand. You two still have parents to take care of you, so your ignorant of the true hassle that is home ownership."
They were gnashing their teeth together.
"Well, technically you Maheswaran know what it's like. Universe, with how distorted your 'family' is, I doubt that you even know what it means to be-."
"Stop talking and just fight!"
They screamed. Their left eye was twitching again—far more violently than before. Lion roared, anger rising in its eyes as they began to turn white.
Kira didn't respond right away. The only sound was the rumbling of thunder and the heavy descent of rain.
Then he slowly began to turn around.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you angry?"
That mocking, sarcastic voice only made them snarl. They were about to charge again, but before they could even think about moving, Kira fully turned to face them.
And they saw his eyes were no longer purple, but pink. The frigid glare he gave them was enough to suck all the breath out of their body.
"I'm just a tad perturbed that my house is now in ruins. So, excuse me if I come off as rude."
He took a step forward, and they immediately took a step back. When they realized what they did, their eyes widened.
Were…were they shaking?
"Though, I suppose I can forgive your comment. After all, it's obvious now that you two seem to realize the error of your ways."
He smiled. It was an absolutely horrible smile. So sadistic and cruel that it shouldn't have been possible on a face so human. And it was then they realized that yes, they were shaking. They were…were…
Scared.
They were scared of him.
Stevonnie?
They tried not to be but…
Stevonnie!
But it was impossible. They were afraid, and the fear kept rising. It felt like the Cluster all over again. Only this time, it was even worse. This time there was no stopping the monster in front of them. This time-.
They let out a grunt as they felt something pierce their right leg. They looked down and saw that Lion had lightly bit them with its teeth. The pink animal stared at them with an impassive expression. And they instantly understood.
They couldn't lose control. Not now. Not with so much riding on their shoulders.
They let out a small breath before they turned to glare at Kira. They focused on all the anger inside them—the anger born from all the pain he had caused to their town and family—and gathered it into their expression. They could no longer feel any traces of fear as they pointed their sword at the murderer.
"My name is not 'Maheswaran' or 'Universe!'"
With that shout, they grabbed a handful of the green top and pink star shirt on their chest with their other arm.
"My name is Stevonnie! Fusion of Steven and Connie! The one that's gonna beat you and make you pay for everything you did!"
Lion roared.
And Kira's smile faded as his lips turned into a thin line.
"Oh? Is that right?"
There was no way they could miss the malice slowly growing within his hollow purple eyes. They saw hatred—hatred that was cold as the rain around them—leak from every inch of his presence.
They refused to look away, their glare only becoming harsher with every second.
"Bold words coming from a glorified hammer."
They didn't respond for a moment. Those words kept ringing in their head, each time slower than the last.
And then they growled.
"What was that?!"
Kira's lips were in a frown.
"Oh, what? You know it's accurate."
They took a step forward as they let out another growl—this one louder than before. Lion was right by their side as the pink animal glared at the murderer with its ferocious eyes.
"What was it Jasper called you Fusions again? Cheap tactics? That was being far too kind."
The rage within them rose with every word that left the murderers mouth. And he just kept talking.
"You think that you're a person? Someone with a will? Someone that can actually live?"
He rolled his eyes.
"Don't make me laugh. You're nothing more than a tool for two children. You're only useful in battle against their enemies. Your only purpose is the same as a sword, or a hammer, or a gun or even a God damn stick."
Even though it was raining—even though the air was so cold—they felt like they were on fire. They knew their eyes now held nothing but hatred as their lips were in a deep scowl.
"You're just a weapon. Not some 'spectacular' new being that is somehow better than the two brats that made it up."
"No, I'm not!"
They were roaring. Their voice was full of fury as they took a step forward. Every word that left their mouth had nothing but fire within them.
"I am not some weapon! I am something more than just Steven and Connie put together! And they don't view me as a tool!"
"Really now?"
His emotionless voice—not even slight bothered by their screaming—made their fingers tighten even more around the handle of their sword. From the corner of their eye, they saw their shield waver.
Lion gave them a glance. And they understood what the pink animal wanted. But they couldn't be calm, not when this bastard wasn't even acknowledging their existence!
"Tell me, Steven and Connie fuse sometimes just to let you 'exist,' correct?"
They didn't respond. They only glared at the bastard.
"In those moments, I sure it feels wonderful for you not to be locked in two brat's psyche. It must feel amazing to actually walk with your own two legs and be able to breathe with your own lungs. But then, just as quickly as it came, those wonderful feelings disappear just as soon as those two brats grow tired of being, well, you."
They were snarling.
"Even if they say they view you as a 'person,' a tiny part of them will always realize one simple fact. That they can never be you. That they can't be you. They have lives. They have a will and you…don't."
That's not true! We-!
Whatever Connie was about to say they didn't hear. They could only hear the words of the bastard in front of them.
"Oh sure, there's Garnet. She seems to have a will, but that's only because the people who make her up don't want to unfuse. Ruby and Sapphire are content with their state of being because they are closer than ever. But their decision has nothing to do with Garnet, it's purely based on their own desires. Not the weapons."
Don't listen!
He's…he's lying! Don't fall for it!
They tried not to listen to Kira. They knew it was just another trick for them to recklessly charge in, and that they would be an idiot to fall for it again.
But…but…
This bastard…was mocking everything that they stood for! Everything that made up every part of them! There was no way he was right! There was no way what he was describing was fusion! They wouldn't believe that! Not now, or ever!
And all of the rage within them, all of their anger and hatred, would not stop growing as he continued to speak.
"At the end of the day, they only value you when they're under duress. When they need a thing to help them out, not a person. So, just face it..."
He looked right into their eyes. Eyes that held nothing but anger—that told him exactly what they wanted to do to him—and he didn't care. Because to him, they didn't even matter.
Stevonnie, wait, don't-!
"You're just a weapon, Stevonnie. That's all you are."
He let out another sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"And my God, that is the stupidest name I have ever heard, even for a weapon. Naming yourself after a rock would have been better than-."
"RAAAGHHHHHHH!"
They let out a scream filled with every ounce of fury within them. Once again, they were sprinting towards him—this time even faster than before. This time though, Lion was by their side, doing its best to match their speed.
They shot a glance at Lion. The message on their face clear.
Lion nodded as it went to the left while they went to the right. They continued to run on the wet ground until they were directly to the side of Kira. They threw their shield again, but this time they aimed it higher than before.
Kira did not even move as he watched their shield sail over his head. All he did was raise an eyebrow.
And then Lion roared. A pink portal appeared in the air right in front of their shield. The pink shield went through the portal just before it disappeared.
And then, both they and Lion charged forward towards Kira, attacking him from both sides. The murderer still had yet to move as he lazily folded his arms—and they saw him glancing at the watch on his wrist.
This bastard wouldn't be so smug in a second.
Just as both they and Lion got within twenty feet, Lion let loose another roar. Pink energy shot out of his mouth and flew through the air before it took the shape of another portal.
Right above Kira's head. And from within the portal, their pink shield came out—spinning on its sides as it descended towards the arrogant murderer. Right as both they and Lion were only a few feet away from him. Lion had his mouth open as all of his teeth were in full view, and they were already lashing out with a swift swing aimed for Kira's torso.
Three attacks. One coming from above, the other coming from two different sides. No matter what kind of monster he was, there was no way he could block it.
Lions teeth were inches away, their sword was so close to slicing him and their shield was just about to slam right into the murderer.
There was no wa-.
They didn't finish that thought.
Because the purple steam from before returned.
And they saw the hand made of darkness appear from nothing and grab the shield just before it could hit Kira. The hand then brought down the shield right into Lion's face just as he was about sink his teeth into Kira's neck.
And as it struck Lion, they saw that the darkness was growing. Shapes began to form as the hand—no wait, now it had become an arm—brought the shield around to block their swing. They stared at their transparent shield.
At the pitch black legs that were suddenly planted firmly on the ground.
At the dark torso that looked human but not.
They stared as hollow pink eyes glared at them through their shield.
They shrieked. They jumped back away from Kira, landing a good distance away from him as they continued to stare with wide eyes. The thing was gone now—just like their shield—but they knew what they had seen. Lion—who had been knocked back from the blow—looked at them with confusion in his eyes.
What…what was that? It looked like…like-.
"You…"
They looked at Kira. The murderer was looking at them with narrowed eyes.
"You can see it…can't you?"
He took a step forward—the malice in his expression rising as his lips twisted into a deep frown.
"I had thought that you could only see it in your dreams, Universe. I thought that even though you saw it there, that didn't mean you could possibly see it in reality."
The cruelty in his eyes kept growing—his purple pupils were now nothing more than a pair of dark pits. They could see all of the sick, horrible desires within him through his purple eyes, and their throat suddenly felt dry.
"But really, I should have expected this. Nothing is truly impossible, after all. Though, I know for a fact that you're not like me, so in the end, it doesn't really matter."
The purple steam was back again. And once again, they saw something. Something dark with lifeless pink eyes. Something that seemed to be leaking shadows as it stood next to Kira. Something that, while blurry, was still enough to make the fear in their chest so much stronger.
Because they recognized that thing. It was something they had seen in their dreams over and over again.
That…that's not…
Steven? Steven what's-?
This can't….how is this possible!
Steven, just…just calm…It…
The panicked voices in their mind—and they had every right to be scared—only made their heart beat like a drum. Horror began to twist them from within as they took another step back.
"What…What is that thing!?"
Kira raised a brow.
"Why, isn't it obvious, Universe? The creature from your dreams."
Suddenly, the darkness that seemed to make up the things entire existence began to fade. And as the shadows slowly disappeared—black speck by black speck, dark blot by dark blot—pink skin was unveiled to the world.
"The Shinigami of some many people. Or, in your tongue…"
They could see dark leather gloves.
"A Grim Reaper."
Muscled arms that looked human-like, but were so different, hung loosely around its sides. A dark, strange looking belt with a skull emblem wrapped around its waist.
"So, allow me to properly introduce the monster that helped me destroy that midget."
As the darkness around its head vanished, for the first time they could see its face. It looked almost like a cat—from the ears to even its eyes—but one thing made it so very clear that it was as far from a cat as possible. One thing made it obvious just what kind of monster they were facing.
Its eyes.
"My accomplice…"
Pink eyes that guaranteed death glared right at them. Hollow, emotionless eyes that were absolutely menacing. Its eyes held nothing but cold contempt, and they suddenly felt trapped. Helpless. As they were forced to look into its empty pupils, they felt like they were being choked in a monstrous grasp.
And then, it tilted its head at them. That was all it did, just tilt its head to the right slightly, like it was curious.
And that was all it took suddenly feel like they were drowning—their entire body going cold and everything around them becoming numb—as their eyes widened to a ridiculous size.
Suddenly, the world changed. An orange tint enveloped everything around them—from the forest to the ground, to even Kira and his monster. The rain stopped as once the orange glow finished surrounding everything, and they looked down.
Below by their feet, they saw Connie and Steven holding hands. Both of them facing the monster in front of them.
And they were both trembling. Just like them. Without even needing to see their faces, they could tell both of them were terrified.
Just like them.
Because just like them—as they all stared at this monster's eyes—they realized they had made a horrible, horrible mistake.
"KILLER QUEEN!"
With Kira's shout—the first time he had ever shouted—the monster raised its right arm until it was above its head. Then it brought its thumb up.
"Primary Bomb…"
They did not have to turn to face Kira to see his cruel smile. Not that they could even try to look away from this monster.
They could do nothing but watch as the monster brought its thumb down.
"Engage."
When its thumb made contact with the rest of its hand, the orange glow around them vanished in an instant—just like Steven and Connie. The rain returned and all around them, they could hear the echo of the raindrops hitting the ground.
They could hear the rumbling of thunder even as their body became scorching hot.
They could still see the monster and the murderer looking at them as pain erupted everywhere.
And they could even hear their own screams as a great explosion consumed them.
To Be Continued~
Hello, all you wonderful readers out there!
Firstly, let me say sorry for not updating this story for so long. Both life and other story ideas took up a majority of my free time, so this chapter took a while to be completed.
But let me just say thank you for all the support you've all been showing even after months of no updates! Seriously, this story has now crossed the 200 favorite and followers threshold, and I am immensely thankful for that!
Now, the next chapter might take some time. The reason for that is that I want to update my other main stories, The Requiem of Remnant and my new story The Lazy Painter. I will probably update RoR next and then TLP after that, which means for those stories you should expect an update in the months to come!
If any of you have any thoughts, suggestions, or predictions as to where this story is heading, don't be afraid to say so in the reviews! Or if you just want to have a general discussion, head on over to Space Battles!
This is the Black Mage of Phantasm signing off! Peace!
And Next Time:
Chapter 13: Out of Your Depth
