VII. Antithesis
The data stream collided with Rena's tanned skin - and immediately shattered into pieces, setting off a chain reaction that spread to the entire array in the blink of an eye. Every last one of the static spears exploded in unison, their shards vanishing into air. Even Erebus's bracelet was destroyed in the blast. Wincing in pain, he grabbed his wrist, gliding a small distance backwards. A scowl crossed his face as his voids returned to Rena.
"You... What did you do?"
Dumbfounded, Rena looked down, blinking at her unharmed body. What did I do? I should be dead...
"Rena..." said Hotaru, struck with wonder. "In your hair!"
Following the group's amazed eyes, Rena looked up to the left, noticing a glowing radiance at the edge of her view. The golden hairpin above her ear had come alive, shining bright with a purity that matched heaven.
"This... stopped it?"
"That's absurd! None of Sister's powers can counteract mine!" shouted Erebus, pointing at Rena with disdain. "Where did you acquire such an i-"
The edge of Balmung's blade cut him off, slicing his face down the middle. Erebus's arm flew up in defense, receiving another slash as the first wound healed.
"Did you think I'd let you sit here and talk?" shouted Balmung, swinging his sword in quick, successive strikes, keeping Erebus on the defensive. "Sanjuro! Rena! Get Shugo!"
The two complied, dashing past the engagement and leaping over the statue's viewing rail. Narrowing his voids, Erebus flung his arm downward, sending out a violent shockwave. Balmung was sent hurtling into the air - but he spread his wings midway through the flight, slowing himself just in time to avoid crashing through the cathedral's rosace.
"Filthy pigeon!" roared Erebus, aiming his left arm at the hovering knight. "You'll be the first to die!"
"RaVak Don!"
Erebus looked down to Mireille - and found a spinning fireball blocking his view. The resulting explosion shook the cathedral, rattling dust from its heights. Regenerating the arm that had absorbed the blast, Erebus peered through the cloud of smoke, his features locked into a furious grimace.
"So swords and spells don't work... Then how about a kick!"
Whipping through the smog, Ouka's shin slammed into the side of Erebus's head - and this time, he was the one that was sent flying. His cloaked figure shot out from the cloud like a rocket, slamming into the cathedral's side wall with enough force to rattle the chandeliers. He landed on his hands and knees, lying in a hunched mass near the wrecked pews.
Shugo looked on in awe. His friends were actually beating that thing. The sight was so incredible that he lost track of his own situation. By the time he noticed them loosening, six of the eight chains had already been cut, their links slashed by heavy blade skills. The last two were broken simultaneously, freeing him from his bonds - and one second later, he was recaptured, engulfed in Rena's embrace. She buried her face in his shoulder, clutching onto him as tightly as her arms would allow.
"Rena..." murmured Shugo, looking down into a crown of lilac, surprised. He raised his hands to her shoulders, grasping them gently. "Hey... It's okay. I'm fine."
Rena drew back, lifting her head to meet his gaze. The sight of carmine was a bigger surprise.
Worry. Uncertainty. Maybe even doubt. None of those emotions made sense to him at the moment, but all shimmered within her eyes. His concern manifested into a question - but a warning cut him off.
"Stay on your guard. This isn't over," ordered Sanjuro.
A shockwave concurred with his words, nearly knocking Shugo and Rena off balance. Startled, their eyes flew to Erebus. Still upon the floor, his cloaked figure trembled, releasing a second pulse into the air. Crooked fingers dug into marble, crushing the stone into gravel with their immense strength. His head whipped upwards, revealing a countenance mangled by rage.
"I see... The best way to deal with vermin..." growled Erebus, raising white knuckles above his head, "is to give them nowhere to flee!"
His fist thundered downwards, striking the floor with a deafening boom.
"DROWN ALL THAT STANDS!"
And with that, he vanished, leaving a small crater in his wake. Startled, the group glanced around the cathedral, expecting an incoming attack. Yet, strangely, nothing happened. Even after several seconds, the cathedral retained its tranquil silence.
"... Is it over?" asked Rena, confused.
"Well, that's disappointing," said Ouka, resting her knuckles upon her hips. "I didn't think he'd run away."
"No way," said Shugo, shaking his head in dissension. "This guy wouldn't just turn tail and leave. He won't stop coming after us."
"But why? What did we do?" asked Hotaru, distressed.
"We're his best chance to draw out Aura," replied Shugo. He looked down, narrowing his eyes. "He told me that she's his sister... and that he's trying to kill her."
"What did you say?" exclaimed Balmung, his head snapping towards Shugo. The melancholy exterior that greeted his sight left no question to his senses. His eyes narrowed as Erebus's brooch flashed into his mind.
Cubia... Could Aura herself have an anti-existence as well?
"That's horrible!" exclaimed Rena, disgusted by the prospect. "Why would he want to do something like that?"
"Who knows. The guy's a lunatic!" answered Shugo. "He was saying she was a threat to The World, and some-"
"Shh!" hissed Sanjuro, glaring at Shugo for a moment before looking off into space.
Shugo gave him a confused look. "... Master?"
It was only then that he heard it. There was no telling how long it had been there, hidden under the echoes of their voices - but it was impossible to miss under silence.
Coming from all around them was a faint rumble, its reverberations growing louder with each passing second.
"Where is Mirei?" shouted Sanjuro, scanning over the room in haste. Alarmed, the others looked around frantically, searching for the missing girl. Suddenly, as if on cue, she popped through the open entrance, a look of panic plastered upon her face.
"Guys! We've got big trouble!"
"What's wrong?" asked Ouka.
Unable to find her words, Mireille pointed out the door, waving her arm wildly. Being the closest to the entrance, Hotaru and Balmung made their way outside - and stopped dead upon the doorstep. A look of terror swept over Hotaru's face. Balmung whipped around, shouting back into the cathedral.
"Everyone - outside, now!"
Shugo and Rena leapt over the viewing rail, trailing just behind Sanjuro as the group rushed towards the door. The light of dusk met their eyes as they burst into open air - and soon, they were frozen in place along with their comrades, staring wide-eyed at what lay upon the horizon.
The lake's mist had vanished, revealing a massive wall of gushing water in the far distance. The cataract cascaded over the land's rocky cliffs, crashing against the bottom of the dried-out basin, filling it at an unfathomable pace.
"What do we do? Log out isn't working!" cried Mireille, shaking in fear.
Furrowing his brow at the dire situation, Sanjuro looked over his shoulder. "Shugo! We need to get out of here!"
Shugo nodded, pushing down the uneasy feeling within his chest. He raised his arm to the sky, holding the bracelet up above him. It flashed to life - and dimmed instantly, taking any hope of a Gate Hack with its fading light.
Just like before... He's trying to kill us the same way.
"It won't work! We have to get to higher ground!" shouted Shugo. His eyes left the dismayed group, flying up to the cathedral's roof.
Ouka followed his gaze, narrowing her eyes at the vast heights. "But there's no way up there..."
Balmung gritted his teeth. This situation seemed hopeless. He could reach the perch under his own power, but carrying the others was beyond his abilities. Even if he could manage to fly to such a height with someone in tow, the water was simply rising at too great a speed. Even in the best case scenario, more than half of them would be swept away.
No. That wasn't an option. There had to be a way out of this without abandoning them all to-
His eyes shot open. That's it!
"Mireille!" shouted Balmung, his sudden call scaring her half-to-death. "That staff! Does it have ice spells?"
Mireille blinked in confusion - but her face lit up a moment later. "I got it!"
"Put it right below the steps! As large as you can make it!" Balmung whipped around to the others. "Hotaru, help her! The rest of you, we need to get those doors sealed! Hurry!"
Breaking out of their confusion, the group rushed to execute his orders. As they pulled the heavy wooden panels into place, Mireille held her cross-shaped staff into the air.
"Alright! One iceberg, coming up!" She swung it towards the bridge, pointing its tip at the base of the steps. "LaRue Zot!"
The moisture of the surrounding air sped to the target area, crystallizing under a mist of glacial cold. The shard of ice quickly grew into a small mass, constantly fed by the torrent of drops sucked towards it. Yet, when the spell was done, the 'iceberg' that was formed was no larger than its caster.
"Waah?" cried Mireille, looking at the chunk in dismay. "There's no way I can make it that big! I don't have enough SP!"
"Rig Geam!"
A sparkling blue aura rose from Mireille's feet, enveloping her in a pillar of soothing light. Blinking at the regeneration spell, she looked over to Hotaru in surprise. The meek girl had produced a staff from her inventory, holding it perpendicular to her body, one hand clasped shut and the other in an open palm. It was the gnarled branch of a tree, its top split into three roots that held a glowing orange orb. Opening her eyes, she gave Mireille a petite smile.
"I don't think I can make myself fight... but I'll do everything I can to help us survive!" She righted her staff, using the tip of one of its roots to lift up her hat. Her baby grunty peeped out of the opening, huddled in its hiding place atop her head. "I have to protect everyone - Mr. Grunty, too."
Mireille smiled wide, pointing her staff back towards the ice chunk. "Okay! Let's go, water enhancement spells!"
Hotaru nodded, swinging her own into position. "Ap Ruem!"
"A little wave won't wash away The Rare Hunter of Love and Courage!" shouted Mireille, waving her glowing blue weapon at the ice chunk. "LaRue Zot! LaRue Zot! LaRue Zot!"
Dozens of ice chunks joined their solitary brother, smashing into each other, coalescing under the arctic air. Together, they formed a giant mass, just large enough to seat seven. Already aware of the plan, Mireille ensured that the iceberg's top was crafted flat, leaving only small hills and ridges for footholds.
The rumbles of churning water became a deafening roar. Glancing back, Balmung found the iceberg complete - and that the swirling rapids were now in view, mere moments from overtaking the bridge.
"Everyone, get on!" he shouted. As Sanjuro jammed his katana's sheath between the doors' handles, the others leapt onto the iceberg, slipping onto their hands and knees. Shugo wrapped his arm around Rena's shoulder, securing her from sliding off the edge. All of them clutched onto one another, even Sanjuro and Ouka - all but Balmung, who was the last one to jump from the steps. As the waters lifted the iceberg, he took to the air, ascending a fair distance above the floating mass. Looking down, he surveyed the situation.
Good. They'll be alright. The currents are circling around the cathedral, so they should have plenty of time to-
"Remnants of cruelty - punish and destroy."
Startled, Balmung turned his head - and found Erebus floating directly behind him. The boy smirked - and then a black stake erupted from his palm, piercing through Balmung's chest, killing him instantly.
"Lord Balmung!" screamed Rena, gaping at the sight in terror. The group's eyes flew up to the ghastly scene, and gasps of horror broke through the surging waves. Hotaru dropped her staff, burying her face in her hands as she huddled into a ball.
"How disappointing. Not even a cry of pain?" said Erebus, examining the limp, monotone body hanging from the curved spike. "I suppose it's too late to rip off those wings."
Then, with an aerial spin, he flung Balmung's body to the side, sending it sailing into the turbulent waters. It landed several dozen yards from the iceberg, disappearing with a splash - and they were both gone without a trace.
Mireille watched the entire scene in transfixion. Her face was a sheet of pale white. Her crimson irises trembled as they stared at the point where Balmung had vanished. She reached out to it, stretching towards the spot, trying to pull him back - but Ouka's hand latched onto her shoulder, saving her from toppling overboard.
"Mirei! Snap out of it!" yelled Ouka, grabbing both shoulders, looking her in the eyes.
"But... Balmung..." murmured Mireille, hanging limp in her grip. Her eyes began to shimmer, welling with tears. "... He..."
Ouka gritted her teeth. It was easy to forget that Mireille was just a child. In reality, most of the group was in the same boat. Holding onto Mireille with one arm, Ouka looked over her shoulder, sharing a quick glance with Sanjuro as he comforted Hotaru. Shugo felt Rena's hand tighten around his own, receiving a fearful squeeze as the iceberg shifted with the currents.
"... What do you think happened to him?" she whispered.
Shugo said nothing. No words could brighten this situation. Lies would only upset her more. As they rose with the circling waters, he chose to stay silent, fixing his eyes into a glare up at the cathedral's roof. It grew closer with each passing second, the distance diminishing along with the current's strength. When the summit finally came into view, the lake's surface had become peaceful. It almost seemed to mock their circumstances with its cruel contrast.
As the iceberg came to rest along the roof's side, Ouka and Sanjuro bounded onto the steep shingles, helping the less agile Mireille and Hotaru secure their feet as they followed suit. The twins were the last to join them - but soon, Shugo was leading the pack, treading up the slope with narrowed eyes. The rest of the group hurried after him, sending shouts of caution, but his feet kept their pace. He already knew what was waiting for them.
Shugo stepped onto the cathedral's summit, placing his boot down firm against the flat surface. It was a large, rectangular area, slightly smaller than the interior in size. The building's spires surrounded the platform, forming a boundary of spiked towers around the arena.
And at the other end floated Erebus, admiring the sunset in the distance.
"Your timing is perfect," he said, looking back at Shugo with a smirk. "Fading lives are the highest complement to this view."
Shugo's glare could have frozen the waters around him - but it had no effect on Erebus's icy core. As the rest of the group climbed up behind Shugo, Erebus tilted his head, amused by their heavy hearts.
"Oh? Your leader dies, and already you lose the will to fight?" His eyelids closed, forming bloody curtains over his voids. "This is unfortunate. A massacre holds little entertainment. Perhaps I should have killed a different one..."
"Shut up! I'll make you pay for what you did to Balmung!" shouted Shugo, whipping his hands back to his hilts. His fingers grasped at air - and he gritted his teeth, realizing that his daggers had vanished along with Erebus's doppelganger.
"Missing something?" said Erebus, mocking Shugo with his very own voice.
"... Why?"
Startled by the distraught murmur, the group looked over to Hotaru. Her head had dipped downwards, bangs covering her glistening eyes. As she lifted her gaze to Erebus, her mettle broke, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Why are you doing this? Why can't you just leave us alone?"
"Why?" answered Erebus, seeming confused by the question. "Perhaps you should ask Sister that. She is the one responsible for your situation."
"Aura has nothing to do with your sick games!" yelled Shugo.
"No?" he challenged. "What is the reason for your presence here - if not for that item upon your wrist?"
In his anger, Shugo was unable to find a reply. A victorious look swept onto Erebus's face.
"It is only her actions that have brought you to this point. Your presence here - even your very existence in this world - is simply a manifestation of her will. She toys with human sentiments, stringing them along like puppets upon a stage, twisting them in whichever direction is most desirable to her needs. You exist only to do her bidding - to throw yourselves in front of dangers to her subsistence, to heed her every beck and call, to ensure that any threat to her power is disposed of from a safe distance. You are nothing more than her pawns." Erebus raised his chin, staring down at the group's narrowed eyes with scorn. "And still, even with this knowledge, you choose to fight for her. Your ignorance is tru-"
"You're wrong!"
Perplexed, Erebus stared blankly at Shugo. "What?"
"Aura is our friend." He stared straight into Erebus's voids, raising a clenched fist of determination. "That's why we fight for her!"
"Your... friend?" questioned Erebus, tilting his head at the concept.
"That's right!" exclaimed Rena, stepping forward to Shugo's side. She paused, and her gaze drifted down to the ochre slab beneath their feet. "It's true that we didn't ask for these characters... and that we've gone through a lot because of them..." Rena lifted her head, staring at Erebus in defiance. "But Aura gave us more than just that! Without her, we never would have had the chance to know each other! All the times that we shared together... All the memories... Those are worth more than anything we had to overcome!" She drew her sword from her back, aiming its edge at Erebus. "It's because we have each other - that's why we'll never lose to someone like you!"
"Rena..." murmured Shugo, looking over to her in surprise. Hotaru dried her eyes upon her sleeve, joining Ouka and Sanjuro as they stood at the twins' sides. Even the despondent Mireille stepped forward, raising her head with a new air of courage.
Seeming moved by the speech, Erebus dipped his head, hiding his voids beneath his bangs. His hand found its way to his face, covering the remnants of his visage with his palm. His frame trembled, shaken by sheer emotion.
Then he whipped his head back, cackling up into the sky.
"Their friend! Oh, Sister! You've outdone yourself!" His ring finger curled inside his eye socket, stretching the decaying hole wide as he laughed at the orange wisps of Empyrean. "Like lemmings to the river, moths to the flame! Warped minds and vitiated souls! Only empty husks of sciolism are left!"
As he glared at Erebus, Shugo felt a firm hand come down upon his shoulder. Looking back, he found that it was Sanjuro - who had gathered the group into a stealthy huddle.
"Shugo," he whispered. "If we distract him long enough, will you be able to use Data Drain?"
"No, that won't work," replied Shugo, keeping his voice low. "I already tried it. It doesn't do anything to him."
Sanjuro's eye narrowed. "We'll need to do this the old-fashioned way, then." He looked to his left. "Ouka. Think you can get behind him?"
Ouka's grin was a razor. "Not a problem. Heights are my specialty."
"Good. We'll surround him on all sides." Sanjuro grasped the hilt of his katana tight. "Mireille, go left with Ouka. Rena and Shugo, you two to the right. Hotaru, stay close and support."
"Hm? Are the pawns discussing a plan?" called Erebus, smirking as he floated towards them.
"Go!" shouted Sanjuro, raising his sword and planting his feet. In an instant, Ouka slid back down onto the shingled slope, breaking into a dash along rusty metal as Mireille ran across the platform above. Rena and Shugo sprinted to the other side, skidding to a stop as they faced Erebus. A few seconds later, Ouka reappeared at the platform's far end, completing the vicious circle.
Erebus simply floated in place, looking around himself in amusement. "What a pity. Abandoned by their queen, and yet they struggle on." With his arms at his sides, he turned his palms outwards, raising them to waist height. A curved black stake burst forth from each hand, their tips reaching well above his head, giving him the appearance of a human guillotine. "Now then... Who will be the next to die?"
"No-one."
Shugo's eyes widened. He gazed upwards, following the angelic voice to the clouds.
Aura floated in the skies above them, looking down at Erebus with an expressionless stare.