Rosa slunk to her knees, feeling like a feather slowly drifting down to the ground. The sheer amount of weight that had been alleviated from her body made her think that she had gone paralyzed. She sat there, slouched over on herself trying to feel anything again. She was struggling, and eventually managed to heave in one difficult breath. And with flowing air, her body moved with it, and she could then grapple the grand power that coursed through her once more. Her veins burned as an icy-hot sensation coated her skin.
"Now with nothing holding you back, shall we do this?" Isabelle turned back towards the oncoming foes, her whips beside her in a ready position. She paid no mind to Rosa struggling to regain her footing, only waiting.
Rosa finally stood, arching her back as she took in the overwhelming relief. She felt she had surfaced from nearly drowning, her whole being wiped clean and then restored. With a small head pivot to stretch her neck, she turned back towards the angels, who were nearing them at an alarming rate.
Rosa's eyes had focused on them, but then her head began to pound, just to feel a small quick jab to the front of her temple. She winced slightly, but it was immediately followed up with a voice ringing in her head.
"It has been quite some time Rosa…"
Madama Khepri.
"You have some catching up to do, don't you?"
Rosa tilted her head back slightly as her eyes remained level, pulling her guns up and cocking back the hammers.
"Better?" Isabelle asked with a slyness to her tone.
"Oh, much better," Rosa said, her voice dripping with satisfaction.
A massive Beloved was the first to close in on the two witches. Swinging its axe down, it almost made contact with them. But just before the blade could reach them, Rosa was already upon him in Witch Time. Not even Isabelle moved, in fact, she looked to be watching Rosa go into it first.
The amount of bullets Rosa was able to place around the angel's head before she reentered reality was enough to shred the Brave's face into a scrambled mess of blood and fleshy bits. And before it could fall, she was already onto the next one.
Isabelle, having stood idle long enough, charged in right behind Rosa and began to tear at the Laguna just as ferociously as her counterpart. But for Rosa, she was clearing through them at a rate Isabelle couldn't keep up with. Every other punch became a wicked weave, with Madama Khperi's clenched fist or heel hammering through a portal to crush the angels into bloodied smears on the ground. The vast army that had overrun the other witches' entire city a mere hour prior, now stood to face the full potential an Umbra could muster.
Fortitudo hovered close by, watching as the Laguna bodies stacked onto one another to then be taken away like pig fodder, demon claws feasting upon the corpses like a grand banquet. The marble-like face sneered back with growing fury.
"Grah! Pay no heed to them! The traitor and the remaining Umbra are escaping! Go now, to them!" Foritiduo deeply rumbled, the Enochian filling the night sky to mask the continuing sound of dying angels below.
Out of the waves of angels that had been heading towards Rosa and Isabelle, a few Laguna on the outer flanks began to circle around them, attempted to get behind them to continue down to the river.
Rosa's Wicked Weaves swung wide and far and were managing to hit and stragglers that had gotten to the other side of them. But even with the heightened speed, Rosa hadn't stopped some of the members of the First Sphere.
"Damn!" Rosa shouted, her Wicked Weave coming down to try and crush them, but they were already out of sight before she could make contact, darting like missiles into the dark tree line. She wasn't able to make out which Laguna they were. But their speed no doubt meant they were treacherous to deal with, they were no mere Affinities.
"Nevermind them, your Sage will have to handle them! We have to eliminate this wave, or else it would have all been for nothing!" Isabelle ordered, wringing out a Fearless from her whip after straggling it to death.
Rosa swung her weapons around, letting out another volley of bullets to the oncoming angels trying to get the best of her. It hadn't even penetrated their skin before she had already moved on. Rosa came down and with Khprei's heel, kicked a Brave into the air. Isabelle in turn wrapped her whips around the ankles and pulled with all her might to bring it back down. The Brave splattered across the ground, its guts plastered across the forest floor a glorious red.
The whole surrounding forest was turning into a crimson painting, the blood soaking the soil and dulling the tree's green leaves. Isabelle's whips stroked through the air like a paintbrush across a canvas. The needle tips tap into her enemy's skin for more ink to coat across her sacred land.
Rosa landed beside her, and in perfect unison, they spun with weapons twirling in a full curricular motion. Clearing any angels that were near them. The remaining Laguna on the outskirts had actually stopped. For once, they had hesitated to strike against the Cardinal's order. The Witches waited a moment, their backs pressed against one another.
"Need to catch your breath?" Isabelle asked.
"Me? I think they are ones who need a little break. What about you? You had shown up looking worse for wear. Using Botulious certainly doesn't help. I'm surprised you can still use them," Rosa scoffed, tilting her head back to look down at her whips.
"I'm fine, I can handle my own Rosa. Let us finish this, seeing these creatures die on this field is the only form of vengeance we can offer our fallen sisters now," Isabelle kept her gaze forward, scanning the Laguna that had remained on the outskirts of their reach, scared to move forward.
Rosa and Isabelle raised their weapons to proceed, but a fireball of great magnitude was hurled from the sky down at them. Evading the first one was no issue until a flurry of more came with it. The witches looked up to see the Draconic heads spitting the fire left and right in quick succession.
"You dark creatures appear to enjoy the dance of the battlefield. Then dance, children of the night! Embrace the fire that will be your eternal resting place!" Fortitudo continued hurling fire as it hovered around them, circling the witches with its firestorm.
Rosa and Isabelle kept avoiding them, but the other Laguna had regained their courage to charge forward and continue attacking. Fortitudo made no effort in not hitting his own soldiers, nor did the angels attempt to move out of the way as the fireballs came down. All were meant to overrun and corner the Umbra so they could not avoid their strikes.
Isabelle was following behind Rosa, but the last blast of the fireball had just thrown her off her balance enough to leave her within a group of Affinities. The weak angels were nothing to slice in half, but the time spent to just kill them was enough time for a fireball to come flying at her. She barely moved out of the way to avoid its blaze. Even then, she was grazed with a slight tinge to her black attire, barely hitting her skin.
"Damn it all! We cannot do anything with him up there. Rosa! See to it that this Cardinal of Virtue understands what the power of Inferno can do," Isabelle rose to her feet, stepping on top of the angels;' heads like protruding stones in a river.
"I'm sure Khepri would love to tell him all about it," Rosa said, turning her eyes up to the giant angel as more fire rained down. She used the back of a confused Brave to propel herself into the air. Using her Witch time, she managed to hop around them effortlessly using the bodies of surrounding flying Harmonies and Affinities.
As she rounded around the last fireball, she used one last Harmony to dive right to the left Draconic head. Summoning the hands of Madama Kheprii, she grabbed ahold of the head and pulled it down with her as she fell back to the earth, the Witch time gone as reality set back in.
The demoness held tightly as the Cardinal struggled to be released from its grasp. But its effort was in vain as it made contact with the ground with a hauntingly loud crunch, killing any Laguna underneath it. With the hands disappearing back into the portal, Fortitudo struggled to regain its footing. The left Draconic head screeching and thrashing around as its neck had been badly damaged.
With a satisfied smile, Isabelle continued her work on the Laguna. Swinging the Botulious around and catching more angels in its grasp. Using them as cannon fodder, she swung them back into the wave of angels, crushing them instantly.
Rosa stood in front of Fortitudo, now turning itself over onto its feet, its head looking down, cocking to the side.
"Don't worry, I'm not done yet," Rosa said, using her gun to straighten her Butterfly glasses.
She didn't expect the Cardinal to laugh, louder and deeper than before.
"Neither am I, child," The draconic heads poised back, ready to strike.
"There it is! We're gonna make it!" Jeanne cried, smiling as she could see the stone bridge in sight. The river raging underneath it. Just beyond it was the tall walls of the mountainside, with an obscure path leading up into it.
Though Balder was still a wolf, his jowl still moved back to resemble some sort of smile, even if he was panting considerably as he had sprinted non-stop. They were so close, just a few more meters.
"Look out Daddy, there's more coming!" Cereza hollered over the wind, pointing a small finger back behind them as more Laguna had caught up. Balder spun his head around to see two angels closing in, faster than he could outrun. They were darting between the trees, obscuring their true idenities.
The great white wolf came to a screeching halt, scuffing up dust and dirt below him as he dug his claws into the ground to stop.
Balder let out a bark, signaling the children to hop off of him. He returned to his human form as soon as they did. He summoned another peacock feather to circle around them, placing them back under his protective barrier.
"Look out!" Jeanne cried, her voice muffled under the glowing dome.
With just enough time to spare, Balder turned while summoning his Glaive into his hand to block an incoming blade. A Glorious, its uncanny human face shifting back and forth, just inches from Balder's. Its giant clawed hand curled around Balder's blade.
With a jerk, it yanked Balder by the blade and threw him across the field, away from the girls.
Glorious turned his attention to the little ones under the golden aura, raising his claw above it.
"Stay away from them!" Balder yelled, gaining his footing and swinging his blade back in front of him. He ran back towards it, but another angel came from the side, shouldering him back to the ground as he tumbled and rolled in the grass.
Glorious brought its claw down, but it bounced off of the protective barrier. All the while, Cereza, and Jeanne screamed in fear as the claw nearly came close to hitting them. The angel didn't stop, as it kept trying to claw its way in.
Balder looked up to see the second attacker, none other than Gracious. Together, they were the twin fighters of the Seraphim. Gracious stood at the ready, flexing its mighty claws in an attempt to intimidate Balder. Balder's attention went to Glorious who was still slamming down onto the shield.
Jumping to his feet, Balder used all his might to spin and throw his glaive through the air, nearly piercing Glorious. The angel jumped just in time as it whizzed past him. To their surprise, Balder had already moved to the other side of them, catching his glaive from his own throw. He swung it back down in front of the shield, pushing the angels back as he stood in between them and the children once more.
"Your fight is with me, you cowards!" Balder seethed, swinging his glaive in his hand and pointing out towards the Seraphim. Their heads twitched and moved in an unsettling way, the two stood side by side as they waited for Balder to make his move.
Balder's robe furled and flapped behind him as he lunged to the angels. They charged forward as well, claws outstretched as they swung out to hit him. But as the claws came within inches of his face, he entered Light Speed. The Temporal Control that allowed Sages the same speed and time-altering state the Umbra had in Witch Time.
Slipping underneath the Seraphim while sliding on his knees, Balder unhinged his glaive into two separate weapons, slicing at the heels of his opponents as he passed through. Re-entering reality he spun around to see them drop to their knees. Balder reconnected his blades to swing another attack, but they bent their bodies back as the blade passed over them. And in one fluid motion, used their claws to propel themselves into a backward flip, using their talon-like feet to kick Balder back.
Stumbling for a moment, Balder managed to gain his footing just in time as they flipped once more to bring down their claws in an aerial attack. Balder dodged out of the way, using his glaive as a pivot in the ground, and swung himself back around to kick Gracious to the ground, while Glorious managed to move out of the way.
Glorious darted around like a hopping insect, drawing Balder's sight in to keep track of his movements. It was enough time for Gracious to come back up swinging with talons outstretched. Balder only had to move his head back, as the blade just missed his throat. While exposed from the uppercut swing, Balder jabbed his blade into Gracious and pushed it back into the ground. Using the momentum of the push, Balder pole-vaulted over the angel with his blade still pinned into its shoulder. Coming back down, Balder removed the blade to swing at Glorious, who had moved in to strike Balder while he was midair. The blade just lodged into its enormous hands once more, but Balder used his position to swing Glorious back around and launch into a nearby boulder.
The two children watch from under the safety of their barrier, clinging onto one another once more as the ferocious battle unfurled around them.
Their safety seemed ensured, until an abrupt clanging came down onto the barrier, as a blade attempted to penetrate the dome.
Out of instinct, the girls screamed as they moved away into the other side of the barrier, away from the new attacker. They looked up to see giant Ardor standing before them, its red armor a striking color through the golden bubble.
Their screams got the attention of Balder, who tried to disregard the Seraphim to push the Ardor back. But Glorious was unforgiving, leaping from overhead and landing in front of him. Balder attempted to use his light speed to get around him, but his eyes widened as the claw hand still met his speed even in the corporal zone. The claw slashed up across his robe, sending him back.
Balder quickly stood back to his feet, bewildered to see the angel had knocked him out of his own temporal state. He had been so surprised, he didn't notice right away the large slash that had begun to draw blood across his chest. When Gracious came up from behind to land another blow, Balder moved to the side to miss it. Wincing from the newfound pain, he bent over slightly, a shaking hand hovering over the claw mark.
With his Sage powers, he could usually already feel it heal. But it was much slower than it should be, a gash like this would have already sealed up had it been demon or human. But this wound, still trickled with blood as it lazily closed itself back up.
Glorious and Gracious met back up side by side, in between Balder and the two Umbra who were still at the mercy of Ardor. The giant angel is still swinging its sword down to try and break the barrier.
"Your powers and abilities, all gifts of the Laguna" Glorious said, its head creepily shifting again, its eyes locked onto Balder. His eyes fell from the sky back to the Seraphim.
"It makes it all the easier to avoid them and even counteract them, child," Gracious chimed in, its head shifting just as much.
"Come now, young Sage. Let us show you what it is truly like to battle toe to toe with God's own talons. Let us taste of your blood, as it will merely be returning a gift that has been squandered upon the likes of you," The two said in unison, the Enochian a hiss.
Balder's eyes faltered slightly, showing his anger that was boiling within him. Removing his hand from his slow-healing wound, he readied himself once more.
Fortitudo's beastly foot slammed down to try and step on Rosa, but she moved just in time to land a counterattack to his left wing. Using the surrounding debris being kicked up from his stomp, Rosa used her witch time to kick a slew of boulders and splintered tree branches up. Entering back to reality, the branches made contact with feathered wings and even the draconic head. Clipping a few of the feathers, the angel staggered for a moment as it regained its balance.
Grunting in frustration, Fortitudo let out another volley of fireballs, in any direction he could encompass. Rosa evaded them, and Isabelle used them to her advantage. She lured in any remaining angels to surround her and then dove away just in time for the angels to be crushed.
Fortitudo ceased his firing, seeing the blazing forest below him, and the pitiful number of angels that had remained. What once was a great army that had marched with him through the valley was now a small squabble of Third and Second Sphere Laguna. His eyes focused on Isabelle, whose whips were still slicing through the angels that had gotten closer to her.
Rearing back his draconic head, he let out a thunderous cry.
"Overseer of the Left Eye, our battle is not yet over. The Eye shall be forfeited from you, as dark creatures from this realm of Chaos are not fit to use it!"
Fortitudo thrusted his wings down as he nose-dived to Isabelle. She saw the looming shadow draw near and dove out of the way as the angel drew closer. But at the last moment, Fortitudo swung its tail around to swipe across the ground. Terraforming the earth and spewing and rock or tree into Isabelle's direction.
In the blink of an eye, she reverted back to her snow leopard form, using the rocks to launch across each piece of the forest to get over the avalanche of stone and pine. With outstretched talons, she clawed onto his tail, gripping the metallic winged tip. She then tried to scale her way up the tail's length.
After its sweep, Fortitudo immediately swung its tail back around and down into the ground.
Lifting the tail back up, he could only see a bloody smear along its once clean armor.
Fortitudo let out another hauntingly deep laugh, flicking its tail as to clean off the filth it had touched.
"You mistake your own kind's blood for my own? You are overconfident, aren't you?" Isabelle said, standing upon the base of the neck for the right Draconic head. Fortitudo's other head swung with a roar, going in to snatch her.
Isabelle unfurled her whips and lashed out to wrap around the base of the neck in a full, tight grip. Jumping down, the other draconic head just misses her as she swings herself around in 360-degree motion, using the momentum to keep spinning. The serrated edge of the Botulious cut into the metal, then into flesh as she swung faster. Eventually, gaining enough speed launches herself downward, holding onto the handles tightly as she rips through the neck completely. The draconic head falls to the ground, just behind Isabelle as she lands.
It flopped like a fish out of water, struggling to try and find its body again. But the hands of Inferno are more than happy to take it to its new resting place. Its metallic screeching silenced as it pulled down.
Rosa lands down next to her, as Isabelle rises to her feet to turn and see the result.
"My my, what a show! Though I wonder if he has gotten the message yet?" Rosa asked, gesturing her hand out behind her. Isabelle turned to see, her long platinum hair flowing in the hot wind as the fire still roared around them.
The Laguna army, or all that remained of it, was left in scattered heaps of flesh and guts. The piles of them had become so tall, the forces of Inferno could not keep up with taking them all at once. The fiery field had become a complete shade of red, their blood which would become the water for burning wildlife.
"I'm sure he has by now," Isabelle's tone was dark, her hands still gripped tightly around the hands.
"But just in case he hasn't, why don't we give him a little more of a taste," Isabelle turned back to Cardinal, who was lifting itself back after the devastating blow.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Rosa said, her guns up at the ready.
Another laugh emanating from the angel's throat.
"Such confidence, for such lowly humans. Do you think that was all Paradiso has to offer? All the might of Jubileus in one army? You are truly ignorant. I am not the only Cardinal of Virtue who heeds to our Creator's call. You will not see victory on this day!" Fortitudo said as its newly found wound was still gushing with blood.
"No, we probably won't," Isabelle said. "But neither will you."
"Careful, Overseer. This fight is not yet over."
Balder staggered back, as another claw had swiped across his back. The wounds that now covered his body were becoming slower to heal back. They could not keep up with the speeds that Gracious and Glorious were attacking at.
He managed to fend off the Ador but was quickly interrupted with Glorious sweeping him off his feet, and swinging down with both claws to impale him. He managed to roll out of the way and back to his feet. The Ardor resumed its attack onto the shield, the children still crying out in fear as the blade repeatedly came down onto the barrier.
Balder seethed, gritting his teeth as he tried to go in again, making it his priority to kill off that Ardor once and for all. He closed in once more and saw the Seraphim coming in from the corner of his sight.
Jumping out of the way at the last moment, Gracious and Glorious collided with one another, falling over as they tried to reach out and slash at Balder like rabid dogs.
Balder leapt up and with one solid strike, landed his glaive into the center of Ardor's body, pushing him down into the grass. He hadn't even retracted his blade yet when Inferno swallowed up the angel.
Balder turned back to see Glorious upon him again, but Gracious stopped short, continuing Ardor's work on the barrier. With a solid swipe across the surface, he could see hairline fractures form along the dome.
"No!" Balder shouted, managing to sweep around Glorious to dart towards Gracious. The angel managed to get in another swipe, widening the crack even more. Balder spun his glaive around in a full motion sweep, clipping the angel across it's metal hands, and pushing it to retreat from the barrier. Starting to learn the duo's motions, Balder then premintively ducked under and spun around with an upward strike as Glorious attempted to attack again from behind.
Balder managed to slash some of it's armor off it's chest, but he was left in a revealing position while kneeling on the ground. He rolled to the side as another claw came crashing down. With another swing, he chipped off more armor, slashing down into the skin, spewing blood all over the ground.
The angel let out a horrifying screech, one it had not made before. As it hesitated for a moment as the pain seized it, Balder pulled his blade back and embedded it as far as he could into the side of the angel, swiping it out to cleave its body in two.
Gracious echoed a similar screech, it's head wriggling in anger as it saw its brethren fall to the ground in a heaping mess. Gracious ran on all fours to charge back the Sage. Balder raised his glaive to swing out towards the Seraphim back, but the angel instead leapt over head, causing Balder's strike to go right underneath it.
With one last solid blow, the Gracious' claw scrapped across the protective barrier, shattering it completely as the magical aura dissipated into a fine dust once more.
The two children let out another cry of fear as the Seraphim turned tail and rounded back towards the barrier it had just destroyed, claws outstretched.
Blader let out a pained cry, pushing through his wounds to bring forth any deeper magic he had left. In the blink of an eye, he put himself between them and Gracious. His temporal feathers sprouted from his back. He raised his glaive to block one claw, but the other had embedded deep into his left shoulder. An anguished holler escaped his lips, his body pushed back with such force that he was leaning back over the two Umbra. With a strong footing, and the help of his feathers, he managed to keep the Seraphim back.
"Daddy!" Cereza cried, worried and reaching a hand up to touch him.
"Go!" Balder barked, straining to keep Gracious back.
"But Daddy-"
"Go now! To the river, run!" Balder cried, getting pushed back more, the claws sinking further into his flesh to bring out another pained cry.
Hand in hand, Jeanne and Cereza turned to start running back towards the river as fast as their little legs could take them.
"Ah the work of a true Sage, such a heroic warrior you are to sacrifice oneself for another. I can see now why the gifts were bestowed upon you, human. But alas, your sinful actions have led you to this end. Go now, and let Jubelius judge you,"
The claws sunk further in, curling into his skin, unearthing another tormented groan. He kept his feet locked as long as he could, hoping to let the children get as far as they could.
Gracious, with a locked grip within his flesh, then lifted him over his head and swung him to the side. Balder collided into a boulder, his temporal feathers falling limp as he laid on his side. Gasping for air, he felt the stinging pain within his shoulder, as his body healing had slowed to the point where it did not matter now.
"They must be judged as well, Jubelius will judge all, in the end," Gracious turned back around, seeing the Umbra making their way across the bridge. It took one step forward but Balder had already propelled himself back up, his feather's pointed behind him to grant him the speed he needed. Unlocking his glaive into two separate blades, he became a whirlwind of flurries, the Seraphim raising its claws to block it, stepping back as a result. Balder chipped off some of its armor as it tried to counter attack.
Gracious was pushed back a few feet, as Balder stood with menacing gaze, his weak body had hunched over, but his marvelous feathers outstretched and shown brightly in the night. They waved around with each footstep he took, stepping closer to Gracious.
"In the end," Balder spat, his blood a staggering color upon his while silk cloak. "You shall all be judged as well."
Across the river, Jeanne and Cereza managed to make it to the other side, hitting dirt as they cleared the stone pathway. The new path was barely visible, almost overtaken with planets and grass. Surrounding them were the thick and tall patches of Lobelia flowers, their purple colors vibrant even in the night.
Cereza stopped to look back across the bridge, her father engaged in battle once more with the remaining Seraphim. And even further, the raging fires that had lit up the forest where Fortitudo was. His bellowing roars and cries could be heard from there, his mighty wings' shadows were flickering silhouettes against the blazing fire.
"We have to wait for them," Cereza said, gripping Jeanne's hand, causing her to stop in her tracks. Jeanne was tugging on her, still trying to move forward.
"He said we had to go! Those big monsters are still out there!" Jeanne said, panic setting again.
"But our Mummies…" Cereza whimpered, the fire igniting higher.
"We can't do anything, we're too little! Mummy says that the secret passageway is just up this hill! Come on, we'll wait for them on the other side!" Jeanne said, still tugging on Cereza's arm.
Before Cereza could object, a horrifying cry resounded from the night sky above. The two girls looked up to see a stray Affinity, heavily wounded, as it struggled to even fly. It's armor was chipped away and practically non-existent.
Before it could finish it's cry, it nose-dived. Spear in hand and outstretched. As it neared them, it's weapon was pointed solely at Jeanne. Two hands gripping the handle, as it honed onto her.
"Jeanne, look out!" Cereza quickly turned, loosening her grip from Jeanne's hand, pushed to the ground as hard as she could.
She staggered for a moment, her head hit the ground hard. But there was no mistaking the horrendous squelching she had heard before she did. She shook herself out of her stun and looked back up to Cereza and the angel in front of her.
The Affinity's spear had pierced her, the blade had been embedded deep into her stomach.
Then it was quiet. No roars, no angelic cries, no burning forest. Not even the river's water hitting the rocks on the shore made a sound. All noise, slipped away as Jeanne looked on as her friend stood there, penetrated by the holy creature's weapon.
"N-no! No!" Jeanne cried out, and in a desperate last attempt, picked up a nearby rock and held it out towards the angel, palm facing out.
"Cap-Mi!" Jeanne screamed, the incantation fueled by the desperate and sorrowful magic she could muster.
It was enough, as the rock launched from her hand like a missile to the angel's head at blank range. It's unarmored skull was left bare to take the brute force of the rock. It didn't even have time to look at Jeanne, as the angel's skull was pierced and it slunked over without even a whimper. It pulled it's spear with it, dislodging it from the Cereza.
Jeanne was still, her hands trembling as she killed for the first time. But the coughing gasps from Cereza pushed her to snap out of her state. She shuffled over, Cereza laying in the grass surrounded by the Lobelia flower bushes. Jeanne looked down at the wound, seeing the blood seep out fast and faster.
She pressed her hands down onto it, applying pressure. Cereza cried out, a tearful and stuttering gasping breath followed it.
"Cereza?" Jeanne looked at her, tears swelling in her own eyes. She looked for any sign, a sign from her friend that this wasn't that bad. That it would be okay and she could keep going. That they could both keep going. Just up the hill.
"M-mummy…I want my mummy," Cereza whimpered, clutching onto the wound just as tightly as Jeanne, her blood all over their hands. Chesire sat beside her, sitting right where she had dropped him when she pushed Jeanne.
Fortitudo's remaining draconic head was seized from its body, ripped out as Madama Khepri's hand ripped it from it's socket. The tattered and beaten Cardinal of Truth staggered in place, it's wings attempting to move so it could fly away. But it was futile, the Botulious were wrapped around one, and Isabelle tugged and ripped untils he could see the blood flowing.
His left wing, now gone as well. The angel stumbled over, only to have another arm rip the angel's right wing from its socket, as Rosa had planted herself on the body and ripped it at its core.
Fortitduo bellowed with an anguished roar, its holy blood trickling down like a wretched fountain. Rosa and Isabelle met up side by side, standing before the crumbling angel.
"I've had plenty of time to show off today. Would you do the honors?" Rosa asked, her eyes veering over from under her glasses. Isabelle perked her head up, her eyes meeting Rosa's. The slightest hint of a smirk the Elder would offer.
Isabelle stepped forward, placing her whips back into their hilt. With a swift step, she began her dance. Her platinum hair began to flow, her robes stripped away as the power emenanted stronger.
"Teloc Vovim!" Isabelle shouts, her right left eye beginning to seer red once more. Exploding down into a portal behind her, she begins her summoning as she continues to dance.
From a portal underneath Fortitudo, a chittering could be heard. Faint at first, but soon breaking through the surface and into the air. As a body a million legs emerge, and a face with giant mandibles appear. The Eradicator of Paradise, Scolopendra.
Continuing her dance, the demon wrapped itself around Fortitudo. It's many legs gripping on and it began to constrict the more it wrapped itself. Soon the angel was completely engulfed in the darkness as Scolopendra's body began to crush him.
The angel fought underneath, it's muffled cries could be heard from behind the centipede's body. But it reared back and constricted one final time, crushing Fortitudo underneath.
The bug untangled itself and was returned to it's realm as Isabelle's hair recoiled back up onto her body.
Her black robes that had been torn off in the transformation, were replaced with a bright, silver attire. Long flowing robes and thick wavy sleeves. Her hair now stretched out even further, as she stood like a blinding star within the night.
"Masterful," Rosa breathed.
"Did you expect anything less?" Isabelle asked.
"No, but it's always amazing to watch," Rosa said, stepping to her Umbran sister's side once more.
The mangled body of Fortitudo laid on the ground, it's limbs and tail all had been crushed and torn off. He sputtered and grunted as it attempted to formulate words. But the hands of Inferno began to reach up, the sizzling heat of Hell now welcoming him.
Another dark and deep laugh escaped his marbled face.
The two Umbra cocked their heads, the angel's chuckle caught them off guard.
"Even at the end of my duty, I will keep my promise. Even facing this death to Inferno, I will keep my promise. They will be pardoned and given the privilege to grace the heavens, even if I cannot see the land of light again."
"What are you talking about?" Rosa stepped forward. Fortitudo laughed once more.
"Even with all of your strength, and all your power. It did not matter."
"Answer me! What are you speaking of?" Rosa asked again, raising her guns despite the fact that it meant nothing now.
The massive hands of Inferno came up and wrapped around Fortitudo, who continued to laugh.
"May Jubileus, the Creator, grace you!" The Cardinal of Truth, Fortitudo was then seized down into Inferno, continuing it's haunting laugh.
The two Umbra stood, surrounded by the burning forest. Any remaining Laguna began their retreat, flying to the sky to eventually break the barrier to return to Paradiso. Rosa spun back around to Isabelle, who shared the same worried look.
"The little ones" Isabelle said, as they both turned to start running towards the river. Shedding their skin to take on their beast within forms.
Balder's blades continued to slash at Gracious, using any last bit of strength to keep it back, always on the retreat. Balder could feel his muscles aching, his warm blood now soaking his entire left side of his body. With every swing, he let out a furious cry, his anger his only fuel now.
Gracious kept back stepping, until it had found an opening. Balder, in a misplaced step, was met with an upcut slice from Gracious, sending him flying and landing hard on his back. With the wind knocked out of him, he sat still for a moment, unable to move. He could feel the sting of the new wound coursing through his chest. He leaned forward to get up, but a talon foot stomped down on him. He gasped for air, his lungs being crushed with the weight of the angel on top of him.
It leaned down, twitching its head nearing his face.
"Good fight, young Sage. But I believe this is where we are to part ways. Do you have any words to spare for us before your gift is returned?" Gracious said, tilting his head to it.
Balder tilted his head up as much as he could, his lungs finally gaining air as he heaved in.
"Yes...I do…"
The angel leaned down, tilting its face to side as if to bring its ear closer to the Sage as he spoke.
"You need to be more aware of your surroundings," Balder coughed.
Gracious flinched back with a confused cocking of its head. A whip then wrapped itself around its neck, pulling it off of Balder. It screamed and struggled as the serrated whips clung around it's flesh. With a quick pull, the blades decapitated the angel, it's body stood still for a moment until it fell.
Balder leaned up to see Rosa and Isabelle, just having cleared through the tree line. Rosa immediately rushed to him, her eyes furrowed as she saw his blood.
"Balder! My dear sunlight, your wounds…" She said, carefully looking over his body, seeing the damage as the blood seeped onto her hands.
"I'm alright. I can manage," He said, struggling to stand, but eventually doing so with Rosa's help.
"The children?" Isabelle snapped, her words laced with desperation.
"They ran to the bridge, I had bought them some time…But more Laguna had..." Balder struggled, turning towards the bridge with a shaking finger pointing outward. The skies were filled with retreating angels, the small flickers of lights illuminating against the moon's rays.
"Make haste then!" Isabelle had taken off, leaving the wounded Balder behind with Rosa still holding on.
"Isabelle, wait!" Rosa called out.
"Come on, I can go. We need to leave," Balder said, detaching himself from Rosa as they both turned back to their Beasts. Balder's wounds transferred over to his wolf form, his left leg limping as the cuts were still present. He wasn't as fast as Rosa, but kept up. His pure determination only driving him now.
Rosa and Balder caught up to Isabelle, who stopped at the very end of the bridge, back to her human form. The tiger and the wolf diapated back into their normal forms as well.
Isabelle stood still, staring down in front of her, at the base of the Lobelia bushes.
Rosa came to her side to see why she had stopped, and her eyes fell upon the site. The blood stained Lobelia flowers. A fear, a nightmare, had come true.
"Mummy?" Jeanne whispered, looking at Isabelle with tear soaked eyes, her hand clutching onto Cereza still.
A breathless gasp escaped Rosa's mouth, as she hesitated for a moment, not wanting to step closer and admit that this was real. Her feet gave way, and she stumbled forward until eventually collapsing next to Cereza. Her little face was still wincing from the pain, her sobs were merely just quiet bursts of gasps.
"Cereza!" Balder's cry is what broke the silence, a confirmation to it all. Isabelle approached Jeanne quickly and carefully pulled her away from Cereza. She clung onto her leg, burying her face deep into it to try and find some safety. Charles was still dangling from her hand.
Balder came to Cereza's other side, carefully placing a hand over the wound in her stomach.
"M-mummy? Daddy?" She choked out, her eyes looking between the two.
"It's okay, little one. We're here now, so don't you worry," Rosa, tucking her hands underneath her child to lift her up into her arms. Balder's hand is still resting on the wound, struggling to muster any magic to try and perform the simple spell.
He heaved and gasped, digging deep within himself to find any strength left, but the magic, the temporal aura within him, had faded. He had given all he could in that fight, and he had nothing left to expend.
"You'll...you'll be okay Cereza. Just hang on, stay with us," Balder said, his hand shaking as a dim light glowed off of it, then dissipated to nothing.
"Mummy...I'm sorry that I cried. I know you said that...I shouldn't cry around the big monsters," Cereza struggled to get out, her mind feeling.
"No, no little one. Don't you dare say that. You were very brave. You are a brave little Umbra," Rosa said, her own tears now streaking down her face. Cereza reached up and gripped onto her sleeve.
"Where's Chesire? Is he okay?"
Rosa turned to see the small tattered doll lying in the bushes. She carefully picked him up, her bloodied hand now tainting the small innocent toy.
"He's right here," Rosa placed her daughter's precious belongings next to her. A small comfort returned to Cereza's eyes as she cradled her cat. A pain struck into Rosa's chest, feeling as though Paradiso itself was pinning every weapon into her skin.
Balder tried once more with his magic, but still nothing came out. His hand trembled as he tried to keep himself steady.
"Mummy…will she be okay?" Jeanne whispered, still clutching to Isabelle's leg for dear life. All Isabelle could do was rest her hand on her head, knowing it wouldn't bring any comfort, but it is all she could do. She stood by and watched with a solemn look, seeing an all too familiar broken Rosa resurface.
"My dear sweet child. Please, just...hold on," Balder dug deep, trying to find anything. Any wounds that had managed to heal reopened again, throwing him back as he winced over in his own pain, but still kept digging.
"It's okay Daddy...it doesn't hurt that much anymore…" Cereza said, her words slipping. She managed a small smile.
"I love my Mummy, and my Daddy...you are the best Mummy and Daddy I could ever have," Cereza's words were a faint whisper, as her eyes began to flicker slower.
Balder caved in on himself, any graceful composure a Sage would have, faded like a candle being blown out. Having no strength left to muster a simple incantation, nor to hide his sorrowful gasps, he gave up. Wanting to cherish what little moment he had left with her.
"Cereza…" He said, cuffing her small cheek. "Please…"
Her eyes wandered up to Rosa's. The mother Umrba looked into her cub's eyes as she could see it all. The small life she lived flash before her. Then they slowly closed shut. Her small pudgy hand that had gripped onto Rosa's sleeve now slipped away, slumped down over her chest. Cheshire slipped from her other hand, falling back to ground.
"Little one?"