Author's Note: Late, I know, but the content really delivers.
Black Rock Shooter and co. belongs to Huke.
"We're All Alone" - SiM
B RS leaned up against a tree, her eyes wide as she looked up at the sky, noticing the change in its appearance, "No..."
She cold feel the change surrounding the Otherworld, but that didn't capture her attention as she could hear the faint screams coming from other selves about ten meters away. Tearing her eyes away from the sky, B RS looked over to both Geshumaru and Dragon Slayer, watching the former visibly react to the screams, while the latter kept moving towards the natural earth-made wall. It irritated her how passive Dragon Slayer could be in this situation, and at that thought, B RS held herself back before she did anything rash and tried to rein in her emotions, feeling the internal conflict within her as she pushed her emotions away. She remembered the two times Dragon Slayer beaten her while her emotions were dominating her actions, and that was proof enough that if she doesn't keep herself in check, the amber-eyed Anomaly will toy with the idea of killing her. As B RS tried to calm down from the emotional overload and focus on the task at hand, Dragon Slayer walked up to the boulder that rested up against the wall and started moving it to the left, revealing a stairway that was slightly obscured in the darkness.
Dragon Slayer huffed as she looked inside, trying to see how far down the stairway goes, "It's not ideal, but it's the only way we can get away from prying eyes, especially Icicle's"
"Where will it go to..?" Geshumaru queried, looking into the darkened stairway as she calmed down herself.
"A safe haven of sorts," Dragon Slayer told Geshumaru, ushering her inside, "It got built before I even came into existence, but for it to remain after all the changes the Otherworld went through... nothing short of a miracle"
Geshumaru looked back, staring at Dragon Slayer with confused eyes, "So how did you find this?"
"Same way other selves did years ago when creatures were more commonplace in the Otherworld, we ran and hid," Dragon Slayer told Geshumaru, looking directly at B RS, "Shooter, hurry up, we can't stay out there anymore..!"
Dragon Slayer watched B RS nodded before the girl hurried to the opening, trying to mask the emotions she was feeling with a neutral expression, something that the amber-eyed Anomaly was able to see through. As B RS got inside and took a couple of steps down the stairway, Dragon Slayer started thinking about how B RS' emotions are affecting her judgement and actions. For a moment, her thoughts strayed to Mato possibly influencing some of the emotions, causing Dragon Slayer to make a mental note of the possibility and save it for another time. Dragon Slayer went outside and started moving the boulder back in place, jumping back inside and grabbing whatever edge she could so she could finish dragging it back in place. The stairway was cast into darkness for a moment until B RS and Geshumaru saw a spark, watching the stairway light up from Dragon Slayer igniting a thin trail of fire that led down the stairway.
"Head down," Dragon Slayer told them, ushering them down the lit stairway.
B RS and Geshumaru nodded before heading down, aware of the spiral structure of the stairway as they noticed a glimmer of light not originating from the fire that lit the way for them. It took them a few minutes to reach the bottom of the stairway as a bright light encompassed the end of the short walkway. They looked behind their backs, watching Dragon Slayer stare straight ahead as she passed them, heading straight into the light as her form faded from view. Both B RS and Geshumaru hesitated for a moment before they walked into the light, becoming blind for a moment until they felt their collars getting tugged back by something. B RS looked back, her vision clearing a bit as she saw Dragon Slayer stare down at them with an expression that boarder-lined on being irritated and stern, something rarely seen on the amber-eyed Anomaly's face.
"Best you watch yourselves, otherwise, both of you will suffer an unfortunate death," Dragon Slayer scolded as she pulled them back, "Just like what could have happened if I hadn't saved you two..."
As they hit the ground, Geshumaru rubbed her eyes with her index finger and thumb, trying to correct her sight as she saw the area they were in now, examining the structure all around them. It looked like a cylindrical complex with spikes carved out around the edges of the platform they were on, with a crystal hexagonal orb hovering about them, dead in the center. The orb glowed as the light illuminated the area, revealing multiple floors below them, rows of the same platform they were on until they all faded into the darkness. While the craftsmanship of the area was intriguing, it couldn't replace the danger they were in and the two young Anomalies nodded slightly in understanding before getting up. Dragon Slayer started moving to the right of the platform they were on, waving her hand as a circular walkway rose up to the platform, connecting as they slowly traveled down to the first floor.
"Sorry if it seems elaborate, but I had to alter some things to this area to accommodate a worst case scenario," Dragon Slayer told them as the platform stopped at the first floor.
B RS looked away for a bit, examining the structure, "Don't worry, I think that's the least of our concerns..."
"Yes, well... our search begins here," Dragon Slayer told them, stepping off the platform, "You two handle the archives, try to find any passageway that leads us to something we can use to get to the real world"
"And you..?" Geshumaru queried, stepping off the platform along with B RS.
"I'm going to check the 'vacant' rooms here, it's best if neither of you followed me since the scene is... quite gory," Dragon Slayer told them as she headed off into a nearby tunnel.
"Right, I guess Dragon Slayer knows all too well about..." Geshumaru said out-loud as her thoughts slowly trailed off at the newest predicament for her and B RS.
Where exactly was the archives?
Gold Saw gritted her teeth in anger as she punched a pillar, cracks forming around it before it started to topple, the marble structure crashing to the ground as STR watched Gold Saw let out her fury. STR couldn't blame Gold Saw for reacting the way she is now, after all that they saw throughout the years, watching Chariot and Dead Master kill - at least, that what it appeared as - other selves was the last thing they expected. There were things that didn't make sense to the both of them, primarily the biggest question still lingering in their heads: why was Dead Master and Chariot helping Icicle? Practically all of them sans Chariot faced against Icicle, but seeing them helping the very being who tried to lay waste to them wasn't clicking in the young other self's mind. There was a piece missing in all of this, and STR would have gotten farther in her thoughts until she heard Gold Saw grunting, the older other self tossing half of the pillar over her head, sending the object several meters away from where they were.
"I'm going to kill them..!" Gold Saw growled, causing STR's eyes to widen for a moment.
"We don't even know how it all lead up to this," STR told her, stepping up to her guardian, "Yeah, we know Icicle is behind this somehow, but why those two are in all this is-"
Gold Saw stared at STR, her red eyes consumed with anger, "Didn't you see what they were doing, the black marks creeping up the other selves?!"
STR paused for a moment as she remembered the black markings crawling up the skin of the other selves, "Yeah... but what's the connection?"
"It's not the first time I saw those markings," Gold Saw told her, sighing in frustration as she sat down on the ground, looking off into the distance, "Remember when I came back and told you about me fighting against Bone Sprout and Geshumaru threatening me..?"
"Not hard to remember since it's been about a week and a half since it happened," STR informed Gold Saw.
"I mentioned that Bone Sprout wasn't in control of herself, and she wasn't because Icicle was probably controlling her," Gold Saw stated, moving a lock of hair behind her left ear, "Those black marking on Bone Sprout are the same ones we saw the other selves were getting"
STR frowned, now understanding what Gold Saw was telling her, "This isn't good..."
"Either way, I want to get this issue over with," Gold Saw said, barely able to hide the anger from showing in her voice.
"You should tell Saya about this," STR told her, causing the red-eyed other self to look at her, an eyebrow rising slightly, "She has a right to know; I'm going to tell Yuu about this, so we all can stay alert about this problem"
Gold Saw grimaced for a moment, deep in her thoughts before she let out another sigh, "You're right, who knows how much damage occurred in the real world as a result"
STR nodded as she watched Gold Saw close her eyes, silently thinking, "We could really use some help from you B RS..."
Dragon Slayer walked along the hallway, ignoring the rusted doors that were left open and revealed the inside of the various rooms that they once closed off from peering eyes. The amber-eyed Anomaly could feel the stigma that continued to invade her well-being for the countless times she came here, the memories slowly playing themselves before her eyes like a film. Dragon Slayer took a couple of steps forward before stopping, watching hooded other selves move about, specks of dirt falling from the ceiling as she heard the thundering sounds of something moving above them. As an other self ran towards her, Dragon Slayer didn't make a move as the other self phased through her, causing the Anomaly to turn around slowly, only to see nothing behind her. Dragon Slayer let out a shuddering breath that she was holding in before she continued forward for a couple of meters before turning to her right, entering a room.
"I'm home... I guess," Dragon Slayer mumbled, looking around the room.
Dragon Slayer looked around the room, her fingers sliding along the wall, clearly remembering the brown stains once being the blood that came from her slicing apart her right arm. She could relive that day in her dreams and it wouldn't change whatever happened in the past, so she focused on the very thing she came into the room for. Moving to the other side of the room, Dragon Slayer rapped her knuckles against the wall several times before hearing a faint hollowness behind one of the stone blocks, prompting her to step back. Balling her gauntlet hand into a fist, she punched the wall, breaking through it as she moved her hand around, tearing the wall apart from the inside before peering inside. Spotting what she was looking for, Dragon Slayer reached inside with her left hand and felt her fingers brush something, causing her to grab it and pull back, revealing aged paper with diagrams and instructions written upon them.
"I'm surprised these lasted this long, even in the Otherworld," Dragon Slayer remarked, her eyes gazing at the paper, "At least this proves the two-way connection between the real world and Otherworld, among other things..."
Flexing the fingers on her left hand, Dragon Slayer focused some of her power, a transparent amber-colored orb covering the papers before it shrunk, disappearing into nothingness. Dragon Slayer was about to move out of the room when she heard something collapse behind her, causing the amber-eyed Anomaly to turn around sharply with her broadsword drawn. She felt her instincts disappear when she saw a tattered cloak, which caught her curiosity as she moved back to where the cloak was, grabbing it before pulling it away. She felt her lips contort into a frown as she saw the soulless eyes of an other self staring up to the ceiling, her body looking like something ate her alive as the amber-eyed Anomaly was able to note that some organs were missing, and half of her right let was missing due to the ligaments looking like something snapped them out-of-place. Dragon Slayer move the cloak over the body before pointing her sword at the covered corpse, a small spark of electricity appearing at the tip as it managed to touch the cloak, setting it on fire.
"I'm sorry you were never given a fair burial, but this is as much as I can do," Dragon Slayer said aloud, aware that not even the dead could hear her in the room, "Noblesse oblige..."
Not even sparing a second glance at the burning body, Dragon Slayer left the room, smoke billowing out from the opening as she finally took in the sight on the hallway. Bodies laid out on the floor, their limbs contorted as they stared off blankly in one direction, gaping holes where certain chunks of their body was once a part of. Dragon Slayer didn't want to think about what awaited in the various room that were left open for anyone, and she was glad that she had B RS and Geshumaru head off to the archives, seeing rotting corpses was surely the last thing on their list. Moving down the hallway, Dragon Slayer lost in her thoughts for a moment until she remembered that she didn't tell them where the archives was at, causing the older Anomaly to have a visible frown upon her face. Having them disappear on her or wound up dead was certainly the last thing on her list, and if it wasn't, at least they would live for a few more days.
"I can't believe Dragon Slayer would let us go on our own without telling us where to go," Geshumaru huffed, putting down another book as she looked down the rows of bookselves.
Geshumaru didn't expect the archives being a large library, but considering that Dragon Slayer redesigned this hideout from what she discovered at the time, and the older Anomaly's collection of books and tomes back in her area, it shouldn't surprise her that she would do something like this. Currently, Geshumaru was sitting by a desk filled with books that she thought was on the schematics on the hidden area. She managed to luck out with a few, but it didn't tell her much on where they could find a way out, if there was a room hidden somewhere that they haven't explored yet. Frowning, Geshumaru got up from the chair she was sitting on and moved towards the multiple rows of bookshelves, trying to find B RS who decided to go off on her own and try to find anything that would help them. Geshumaru was sure that something was wrong with her fellow Anomaly, but she wants to make sure she was right before she even takes any action.
Geshumaru stopped at a bookcase when she heard some groaning and moved through the passageway to see B RS resting her head against the wood, gripping the left side of her head, "God... why..?"
"Shooter..?" Geshumaru said, hesitating a bit as she tried to catch B RS' attention.
B RS looked at her glaring as her eyes glowed, "What?!"
Geshumaru didn't respond when B RS snapped at her, instead, she moved her right hand to the side of B RS' head as her eyes glowed, reflecting the power she was letting out as B RS felt her knees buckle underneath her. Geshumaru guessed that whatever B RS was feeling, it was going away as the girl sitting on the floor was looking at her hands before she let out a shuddering breath. Even so, the amount of peace that Geshumaru brought to them got shattered when B RS got back up and grabbed Geshumaru, slamming her against a bookshelf as she glared at her in silent anger, something that was more commonplace with B RS as her eyes glowed briefly. That was enough of a sign that even though Geshumaru did something to B RS to help her, it was something she was against, which she can't blame her for since she did brainwash Kagari and Chariot as a result of messing around with what she shouldn't tamper with. B RS glared at her for a bit before letting go and taking steps back, her back resting up against the bookshelf as she let out a sigh.
"What did you do..?" B RS inquired.
"Had to disconnect certain things between you and Mato, primarily the emotions you were getting from her and vice-versa," Geshumaru responded calmly, "Believe me, Dragon Slayer doesn't want you to become a headache for her, because she will leave you for dead"
"Damn it," B RS mumbled, looking away.
Geshumaru frowned slightly, "Look, it's not a picnic being an Anomaly, having emotions can screw us over if we don't keep ourselves in check, I'm a good example of that"
"But this was-" B RS started when Geshumaru raised her hand.
"Don't you even say it's different, I have a real self body, a human body," Geshumaru stated, narrowing her eyes, "I'm more susceptible to emotions that you are, regardless if we're in the real world or the Otherworld, I still feel it"
B RS frowned, "Then why didn't you tell Dragon Slayer about what was happening to the other selves, I heard them scream in pain..!"
"Because, no matter how horrible it is that we're leaving them for dead, Dragon Slayer is right that escaping to the real world leaves some bit of hope," Geshumaru responded, "She knows just as much as we do and then some, but telling her to sacrifice our lives to help the Otherworld isn't something she will agree with"
"Because she's stubborn..?" B RS let out a bit of a smirk.
Geshumaru, despite herself, chuckled a bit, "Haha... no, she's been observing the Otherworld longer than anyone, and she's been in enough battles to know when to fight the next day instead of continuing one"
B RS let out a breath she's been holding, "Guess there's nothing I could do to convince her otherwise... can't believe that I even thought that..."
"Look, we'll find a way to beat Icicle," Geshumaru told her, aware of where B RS was going with her thoughts, "I got people I care about too, fuck if I care that she tries to kill us, that won't stop me from doing what I do best"
B RS felt her eyes widen slightly at Geshumaru's resolve, which isn't something to get all surprised for since other selves exist to bear their real self's grief while following their ideals to a degree. Even so, there was something about Geshumaru's resolve that just set it apart from it all, probably because she also lives a life aside from the Otherworld, with a family that other selves don't even have. That caused B RS to think what her resolve even is, now that everything is already in motion, with the Spirit Eater finally dead and Icicle making her move, does she even make it her resolve to stop Icicle? No matter how she sees it, there is only a blank slate where her resolve is, and being herself instead of something Mato wants isn't even her resolve, it was her punctuating a point that she is her own being. So what is it that she wanted to get done that was within her power and would keep her striving for that goal?
Geshumaru saw B RS was lost in her thoughts and pushed off the bookshelf to get back to the desk, only to feel something get pushed back, "Please tell me this isn't a cliché..?"
Geshumaru turned around and examined the bookshelf, checking to see if a book got pushed back or anything of the sort, but she couldn't see any single book pushed back that caused her to check what was going on. Stepping back a bit, Geshumaru slowly noticed the books weren't pushed back, but rather the shelf itself, and that caught enough of her attention to know just what to do. Moving towards the bookshelf, Geshumaru grabbed the shelves that the books rested on and tried to pull the entire shelf back, grunting as she did so. Geshumaru could see it slowly move towards her, but it wasn't enough progress until B RS came up and grabbed some parts of the shelf, pulling it along with Geshumaru. Both girls focused on the task, saving their thanks for later as the shelf stated moving more so, inches passing by until they managed to pull it out, air bleeding through the small slit on each side.
Geshumaru looked at B RS, "You feel that..?"
"That's our way out," B RS stated as she let go of the bookshelf, taking a couple of steps back.
Geshumaru wasn't sure what B RS was going to do until she saw the Rock Cannon materializing, and that alone was enough to tell Geshumaru to step away as B RS aimed directly at the bookshelf. In a matter of seconds, B RS fired at the bookshelf, the blast ripping it apart as splinters of wood got sent all over, causing B RS and Geshumaru to shield themselves as they glanced at the small crater that the bookshelf once rested. Moving closer, they looked at the open passageway that the bookshelf was blocking, able to see a small shine of light down the passage that they discovered. They were about to turn so they could find Dragon Slayer until they heard knuckles rapping against the wood of the other bookshelves, causing them to turn around and look at Dragon Slayer, who had a small smirk on her face. They weren't anywhere to being mortified as Dragon Slayer moved towards the passageway, examining it for a moment before stepping inside.
"I never discovered this, guess someone managed to sneak in here and do this," Dragon Slayer commented as she walked down the passageway, surprising B RS and Geshumaru.
"I don't like that implication," Geshumaru said before moving into the passage.
B RS looked behind her before heading into the passage as well, "Neither do I, but I highly doubt she's implying Icicle..."
"What makes you say that..?" Geshumaru queried.
B RS looked at her, "If it was Icicle, we would have been dead the moment we got this far"
Geshumaru's eyebrows rose before she looked forward, wondering if Dragon Slayer even knew who did this.
Saya walked through the hallway, heading towards the consultation room as she let her thoughts roam around to the incident yesterday, which was still throwing her through a loop. The whole thing with Kagari was out of the blue, and Yomi leaving school early with her didn't help things since she still had some questions that needed answers. Plus, the issue in the Otherworld with this Underworld Icicle still troubles her since there's a lot of unknowns about this new other self, and Dragon Slayer wasn't helping much since she doesn't know when they will talk with each other again. Raking through her hair in frustration, she tried to push her thoughts aside and focus more on trying to get some work done, which got more complicated as she bumped into someone when she turned the corner. Saya stumbled for a moment, regaining her balance and looking at the person that she bumped into.
"Yomi, shouldn't you be in the gymnasium for PE?" Saya inquired, arching an eyebrow.
Yomi looked at her, a small, unusual glint in her green eyes, "Sorry, I wanted to talk to you for a moment..."
"What the..?" Saya got caught off guard by the glint in Yomi's eyes, but pushed it to the side, "Okay, what's wrong?"
"Look, the thing yesterday still got to me and... I'm worried about Kagari," Yomi told her, appearing worried to Saya, "The whole thing with Mato being gone and this whole reality flipping thing got me thinking that we should take a step back and relax"
Saya blinked for a moment, "It's all getting to the both of you, hun?"
Yomi raised her hands and shook them wildly, "N-no, I just think that Kagari should take a break from all of this and I want to help her; just want to let you know about this since you're like our leader..."
"Me, leader?" Saya scoffed for a moment before laughing.
"Well, it's fair to say that, isn't it?" Yomi inquired.
Saya tried to restrain her laughter, "Sorry, but I never thought of myself as a leader out of the group, I thought it was more like we all have a mutual understanding about the Otherworld and we're trying to learn from each other..."
Yomi smiled, "I guess that's fair"
Saya calmed and couldn't help but look at Yomi's smile as her thoughts flickered back to the gleam in the teenager's green eyes, both of them causing her brain to think heavily as she felt something was off. Before she could talk to Yomi, the girl said her goodbyes and left towards the gymnasium, laving the grown woman to her thoughts that were focusing on Yomi. Something was off, and Saya was slowly trying to piece it all together, but it all didn't click and that was leaving her with an incomplete puzzle that didn't look like it could get finished immediately. Sighing in irritation, the grown woman continued her walk to the consultation room, her thoughts in disarray until she felt something in the back of her mind. Sighing again, Saya closed her eyes and reached for that link, feeling herself connect with Gold Saw in what's been days since they last connected.
"What is it Gold Saw..?" Saya inquired as she walked down the hallway, barely able to hold her irritation back.
[We got a problem in the Otherworld, and I'm afraid it possibly bled through to the real world already...]
Saya stopped for a moment, "What's the problem, does it concern Icicle..?"
[How do you know about Icicle..?]
"It's a long story," Saya lied, trying to get them back to the main point, "What's happening in the Otherworld..?"
[Icicle is making her move, terrorizing other selves all around, the sky is changing rapidly and are getting covered by the black iron clouds above me and STR...]
Saya frowned, "Can't you stop her, didn't you do it before..?"
[It's not that straightforward anymore, she was probably holding back both times, she's showing what she's truly capable of...]
"Great, it can't get any worse..." Saya groaned mentally.
[Yes it can... I hate to say it, but Icicle did something and now... Dead Master and Chariot are helping her attack the other selves...]
Saya was right by the consultation room when she stopped dead in her tracks, feeling her blood go cold at what she just heard from Gold Saw, trying her best to deceive herself and believe it was just a joke, but even Saya knew better about other selves and jokes not mixing well. Leaning up against the wall as support, Saya asked Gold saw to tell her everything that she knew, and the answers that she got was worse than anything she could even expect. Hearing about how the other selves were getting slaughtered, having black marks crawl up their skin like visible poison, and the two other selves taking sadistic glee in their task given to them by Icicle almost made Saya want to cry where she stood. The only reason she didn't was because what Gold Saw told her made the smile Yomi gave and the gleam in her eyes a lot more sense, and that caused a sense of panic to course through her body. The next thing that prevented her from crying was the desire to protect Yuu, because she hasn't learned about the problem they were encountering now, and getting to her was more important than anything.
"Gold Saw, I'm sorry, but I need to get to Yuu..!" Saya told her other self, anger and panic settling themselves in.
[Hurry then, if anything is already happening in the real world, then we have to act immediately...]
"Thank you Gold Saw, for everything..." Saya said as she turned around and rushed through the halls.
[Don't say that, it's not even over just yet...]
Saya nodded as she disconnected from Gold Saw and hurried towards the gymnasium, hoping that Yuu was fine and that Yomi hasn't reached her before she did.
Yuu huffed a bit as she finished her laps, sweat trickling down her forehead as she moved towards the bleachers, hoping to get some rest before PE continued and drink some water. Sitting down on the bleachers, her thoughts wandered to yesterday, and then to the rest of the week, wondering what they all did to deserve the shitty week that's seems to get worse with each passing day. Mato disappearing, Yomi possibly losing her grip on reality, Kagari being suicidal suddenly, and Saya hiding things from her when they were important and everyone should know about what's going on. All things considered, today seemed normal aside from the other days, but that didn't help Yuu feel relief at all, it just meant that they were all back at square one with the cycle repeating itself. Groaning, Yuu looked up at the ceiling of the gymnasium, wondering when everything was going to get better than it was now before her thoughts got interrupted by someone sitting down next to her.
"What bothering you Underfoot?" Yuu heard coming from her right.
Looking away from the ceiling, Yuu looked at Arata, "Nothing much... no, that's a lie, everything that you think can go wrong is happening..."
"How bad..?" Arata asked, curious.
"Aside from Mato disappearing, it seems like all of my friends are hiding something or just... drifting away," Yuu replied, appearing depressed for a moment before sighing, "I wish I could do something, but it's all becoming complicated because I never get the entire story..!"
Arata back away a bit from the aggravation in Yuu's voice, "Yikes, never knew you had that kind of anger in you Underfoot..."
"Ah, sorry," Yuu said, slightly sheepish as she scratched the back of her head.
"Not a problem, but maybe you should stop focusing on the negative and try finding the positive to it all," Arata told her, "For example, once my star player comes back, the team will get even better, she's probably taking a long journey to find the gods!"
Yuu wasn't sure what to make of what Arata just said, "That's farfetched, even for you Koha'chi..."
"Guess you're right, but she'll be back, you just got to hope," Arata reminded Yuu.
Yuu nodded, "Right and what about the others..?"
"Force your way to getting the answers you want and rein them back in," Arata told her before a mega-watt grin appeared on her face, "Or you could break their legs..?"
"I think I'll just ask them," Yuu said, making sure to push most of what Arata just said to her to the back of her mind.
"Maybe even now..?" Yuu heard from behind, causing her to turn around and look at Saya.
Yuu arched an eyebrow, "Eh, what are you..?"
Saya grabbed Yuu's arm and started pulling her away, "Come along now, we got a lot to talk about Koutari-san..."
Arata couldn't help but blink at the scene she was seeing, then again, she didn't know what Yuu did with her friends or even Saya, but that didn't mean she or the rest of her classmates couldn't imagine. All the fun things they could be doing and none of them could get in on the fun, but she isn't worried about that, especially since she has her boyfriend, Takuu. As Saya and Yuu disappeared, they failed to see that there were two other aside from Arata staring at them, but the reasons were separate from the rest. As the doors closed behind them, Saya let go of Yuu and pressed a finger to her lips before gesturing to follow her, causing Yuu to wonder what Saya was being so secretive about and why she even needed to take her out of PE. Heading back into the school, Saya and Yuu made their way to the consultation room, heading inside before Saya closed the door and locked it.
"Saya, what's going on?" Yuu inquired, watching the grown woman head towards the windows and dropping the blinds.
"Yuu, I had to get you out of there because something bad is happening in the Otherworld," Saya told her.
Yuu arched an eyebrow, "Another secret you've kept to yourself?"
Saya frowned as she sat down in her chair, "No, Gold Saw recently told me and... you might want to sit down"
"Just tell me," Yuu said, narrowing her eyes.
Saya would have wondered where the attitude was coming from, but that was the least of her concerns, "Yuu, Underworld Icicle is laying waste to the Otherworld, potentially killing other selves and... corrupted Dead Master and Chariot into working for her"
It took several seconds for everything to sink into Yuu, "... I... I need to sit down"
Yuu reached the couch and just fell back, her butt reaching the crevice between the back-rest and cushions, "Saya, are you sure..?"
"Gold Saw tells me it's the truth, and she also states that STR can confirm the story with you," Saya told her, looking down at the floor, "They both saw the destruction caused by them, all three of them"
"Oh my... where's Mato when you need her..?" Yuu whispered to herself.
"Look, I had to get you out of there because if Dead Master and Chariot are really corrupted, them it might apply to Yomi and Kagari, I couldn't risk it," Saya told her, staring straight at Yuu, "I don't want to lose you, it almost happened once, it's not happening again"
Yuu could only nod before she closed her eyes and tried to set up her link with STR, wanting to know her side of the story before she goes along with what Saya is telling her. Felling STR connecting with her, Yuu started bombarding her other self with various questions before calming down what STR asked her to, her expression contorted into a slight frown until it turned into shock. Saya could only watch Yuu silently as she saw her best friend's expressions change with each detail STR told her, until all the anger faded from Yuu and got replaced with apprehensiveness. She could see the teenager's hands getting balled up into fists as she closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath. She didn't want any other problems, but now they're facing their biggest one, and it seems that they were alone in this problem, with no chance of Mato coming to help them in some way.
"We could use Mato about now," Saya thought to herself until something crossed her mind, "Wait, is it possible..?"
Saya didn't finish her thoughts as Yuu looked at her, her eyes wide, "I... I can't believe this..."
"I know it's hard to accept, but it's the truth and that's something we know that can't get taken away or erased," Saya told her, raking through her hair with her left hand, slightly exhausted, "We got to do what we can to stop them, but it's not something that will happen in seconds..."
"Saya, can we even stop them and Icicle?" Yuu asked, worry showing upon her face.
Saya was about to give her answer when she saw the color in the room turning different shades of gray, and she knew Yuu was experiencing the same thing as she got up from the couch and started looking around. This is what Yomi was trying to tell Saya yesterday, and now it was happening to them, but what is it even occurring when there was nothing going on between them like what happened with Yomi and Kagari yesterday. They heard the door trying to open it, causing both Yuu and Saya to snap their attention towards the door, the both of them moving back towards the windows as they heard the sound of someone banging against it, trying to break it open instead. For several seconds, Saya looked away from the door and started unlocking the windows, pulling them up while the blinds were still down, just to keep everything a secret for when the person trying to break in wanted to know what they were talking about. Saya gestured to Yuu to get out of the room through the window, but stopped when she saw the blinds push out and Kagari dropped into the room, causing both Saya and Yuu to back away from the window.
"You know, it wasn't that bad of a plan, but I guess that's what you get for interfering Saya," Kagari said as she walked to the door, unlocking it.
Yuu saw Saya show an uneasy smirk as she reached for something behind her, "Yeah, I guess I was still a step behind you two..."
"You were a step behind Icicle," Yomi said as she walked into the consultation room, frowning, "It's fine if we just speak the truth, after all, it doesn't change what happens at the end of today..?"
"Isn't that a joke, you're still asking me questions..." Saya muttered.
Kagari frowned, "So what, you think it's just that straightforward, do you?"
"I never said stopping you two would be easy," Saya told them, "Gold Saw and STR stopping Dead Master and Chariot is a whole different story"
Kagari gritted her teeth as she marched towards Saya, "You cocky bitch..!"
Saya narrowed her eyes as she took a book from behind her and hit Kagari on the side of the head hard, Yomi rushing towards them as she realized what was going on. Saya pushed Yuu forward before moving around Yomi, avoiding her before she got out of the room, the two remaining in the group rushing through the halls as quickly as their legs could take them. As they ran through the halls, they didn't see the shadows twist before it obtained a physical form around their ankles, causing them to trip and hit the floor hard. Saya looked behind her and watched Yomi and Kagari step out of the room calmly, which prompted her to get back on her feet along with Yuu. They were about to run when a black tendril seized their ankles and kept them rooted to the floor, causing them to look back as they say Yomi walk towards them, which allowed them to see her green eyes glowing slightly.
"Maybe we should show you a neat trick that me and Kagari could do when the world is like this," Yomi said as she bolted into a run.
Saya and Yuu saw transparent green shards move around Yomi as her entire appearance changed into that of Dead Master, from the clothing down to the Otherworld aesthetics as she gripped the Dead Scythe while rushing towards them.
Gold Saw and STR's eyes widened as they felt their real selves were in danger, but another thing caught their attention as they jumped away, separating for a moment before looking up towards a cliff. Looking up, they saw Dead Master and Chariot looking down at them, their weapons drawn as they prepared themselves to jump down and start a fight none of them were coming out of the same way as before. Gold Saw brought out her King Saw and gripped it in both hands while STR's Ogre Arms encased her real arms, the mechanisms within adjusting themselves for a moment. Within a couple of seconds they all darted towards each other, both sides going with the intent to kill as STR launched a volley of bullets at Chariot while Gold Saw locked weapons with Dead Master, their eyes reflecting the hatred they were feeling for each other. Gold Saw and Dead Master pushed off as they landed on the ground, keeping their eyes locked to each other before they dashed off, attacking the other like they have nothing left to lose.
"You know, it's hopeless if you can't protect everyone close to you," Dead Master told the red-eyed other self.
Gold Saw visibly frowned, "Saya and Yuu can protect themselves and each other, you're my priority..!"
"Ha, you don't know what Icicle is capable of doing in the real world, do you?" Dead Master smirked, a sadistic gleam in her green eyes.
"I don't care," Gold Saw stated as she rushed at Dead Master, slashing away with determination shining in her eyes, "Other selves can't fully transition into the real world, anything she tries is pointless"
"She doesn't need to go into the real world to affect it, she just needs a medium," Dead Master stated, blocking Gold Saw's assault. "The other selves we 'kill' are just that, a medium for her to affect the real world..."
Gold Saw jumped back as Dead Master slashed at her with her Dead Scythe, "And what does that make you and Chariot?!"
"We're mediums for her too, it's just that we're more special than the others," Dead Master stated, her guard up, "Especially since that altered reality she can create allows Yomi and Kagari to assume our forms and powers"
Gold Saw's eyes widened, her guard lowering due to the shock, "What?!"
Dead Master narrowed her eyes and slashed at Gold Saw, who barely blocked the attack and prevented herself from getting sliced in half, despite the blade from the scythe nicking her around her waist, causing some blood to trickle out. Backing away, Gold Saw knew that she can't let anything that Dead Master get to her, since the situation is turning more grave with every minute they waste. As Dead Master rushed towards Gold Saw so their fight could resume, STR was keeping Chariot behind her blockade as she continued launching bullets at an incredible rate, the casings dropping to the ground like golden, metal rain. They both knew that one of them would have to rush towards the other and make the fight more close combat since they weren't getting anywhere. Chariot narrowed her eyes as she brought out her shield and started dashing through the volley of bullets, her sound of bullets impacting the gigantic shield reaching the blonde-haired other self as she made her way towards STR, the ground getting ripped apart from behind her.
STR narrowed her eyes as she stopped firing and grabbed the shield, trying to hold her ground, "Think again Chariot!"
"I know," Chariot stated as she let go of the shield and circled around to attack STR.
STR narrowed her eyes as she flipped the shield before hitting Chariot on the side of her head, sending her several meters away before flinging the shield after her, tossing it like the shield was nothing to her. Chariot got up and saw the shield coming towards her, spinning like it was going to cleave her head right off, prompting her to fall back to the ground to avoid the spinning shield. Chariot got up and saw STR raising her Ogre Arms, ready to fire another volley of bullets at her, which caused the blonde-haired other self to dash away as STR started firing, trying to reach for some cover. Dashing behind a boulder, Chariot could see the bullets ricochet right off the stone, flying off to different sides of the field as Chariot flexed her fingers. As she continued hiding out behind the boulder, Chariot couldn't hear the faint chink of the metal casings dropping to the ground, meaning STR stopped firing for the moment.
"Come on Chariot, we both know it's over for you," STR shouted, making sure Chariot was able to hear her.
Chariot smirked as she came out from behind the boulder, both hands raised, "You got that wrong, I beaten you before you even knocked me away..."
STR arched an eyebrow in confusion, wondering what Chariot was talking about until she noticed the sword was missing, since the shield was still in her line of vision. This prompted STR to glance around the field, trying to find the black and gold weapon, already aware that it didn't even strike her when Chariot made her attempt to strike her down by rushing through the field of bullets. Chariot's smirk grew as she snapped the fingers on her left hand, causing STR to look back at her in confusion when she felt her body suddenly go cold. She didn't have to hazard a guess on what her body going cold means, but she looked behind her and caught the glimmer of gold in her eyes, the sword resting on the ground behind her, impaled into her shadow. She saw the form of her shadow shift and knew that Chariot was right, she already lost the fight before Chariot got flung away several meters.
STR tried to move, but her shadow morphed and turned into a black claw rising from the ground before heading towards her, causing everything to momentarily go black.
Saya didn't have time to react as she grabbed Yuu and have them lean back, dropping to the floor again, Yomi right about to pass them with missing her chance to get them both at the same time. Saya let go of Yuu and grabbed Yomi's ankle, yanking her back as the green-eyed teenager hit the floor, her grip on the Dead Scythe loosening as Yuu pried it from her. They saw Kagari rushing towards them, changing into Chariot, so Yuu flipped the scythe and stabbed the black tendril that was still wrapped around their ankles, causing it to disappear and free them. Saya and Yuu got up and broke off into a run, Yuu dropping the scythe back to the floor as Yomi got back up. Kagari stopped right next to Yomi, checking up on her before she rushed after Saya and Yuu, her eyes glowing with hate as she dashed through the hallway, trying to find them.
While Kagari was trying to hunt them down, Saya and Yuu were rushing down the stairs, trying to find their way out of the school as they couldn't stay there any longer, there was too much risk attached to being there. Making sure tat they didn't miss a step, they continued running through the altered reality, passing through the hallways as they heard the sound of heels hitting the floor coming closer to them, causing Saya and Yuu to run faster than what they could. They saw the lockers and knew they were close to getting out of the school, not bothering to waste anymore time than they already had and just dashed towards the doors. Saya hurried through the doors and held one open for Yuu who was about to pass through when someone grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and pulled her back, slamming her into the lockers. Saya was about to rush back inside when she felt her body stop moving, not even close to the door frame as she watched Chariot bend down next to Yuu, whose body got racked with pain.
"Come on, I dare you," Kagari taunted Saya, who kept trying to get into the school.
Saya watched Yuu open one eye as the girl mumbled, "Go Saya... I'll be.. alright..!"
That left Saya torn as she watched Kagari grab Yuu and drag her away, the hazel-eyed girl groaning in pain as she opened her eyes for a moment, looing back at Saya who was standing there. Watching Yuu disappear around the corner, Saya gritted her teeth and held back some tears as she turned around and ran, unaware of Yomi watching her from the roof of the school as the woman turned the corner and hurried back home, not planning to stay there if they go after her next. She knew, somewhere in the back of her head, that something happened in the Otherworld that's causing the chain of events to occur as they are, and that means that STR is probably going through the same thing now. She couldn't risk connecting with Gold Saw, that would waste time that she could use to get away from them and try thinking of how to get Yuu back from Yomi and Kagari. Running through the time-stopped streets, she took a different route back home, aware that if one of them is probably following her, it's best to keep her guessing.
"STR!" Gold Saw shouted as she saw the black claw capture STR and bind her to it.
STR gritted her teeth, "Damn, should have expected that..."
Gold Saw was about to rushed towards her when a green wave blocked her way, Dead Master twirling her scythe while keeping her eyes locked on the red-eyed other self, making sure she doesn't go anywhere. Gold Saw gritted her teeth in anger, now understanding what this was about and was about to make her move when she felt the area go cold, the ground rumbling a bit, which told her everything she needed to know. Gold Saw put her guard up and shifting her stance, ready to go after Icicle when she shows herself, the desire to rip the mysterious other self apart rising within her. STR noticed this and struggled against the bindings that the black claw formed the shadows tightening their grip on her arms and ankles. Gold Saw noticed STR struggling and realized she was running out of options, which isn't a good thing considering their current predicament.
"Gold Saw... just.. run!" STR shouted, feeling something surrounding her neck and tightening.
Gold Saw could see Icicle coming out from the shadows and felt her body taking a couple of steps forward until STR's message replayed in her head, causing her to stop, just as Dead Master was about to stop her again. Growling in irritation, Gold Saw's eyes glowed as she took steps back, and that was enough of a signal for Dead Master to rush at her and stop her. Gold Saw spun while slashing at the air, causing a rip in reality before jumping into it and sealing it up before Dead Master even reached her, completing her escape while leaving an irritated green-eyed other self behind. Groaning in frustration, Dead Master walked back to Chariot as Icicle appeared, heading towards STR, her eyes piercing through the white-haired other self. Icicle stared at STR for a moment before looking at Dead Master and Chariot, the both of them not even flinching at Icicle's gaze as she examined the area before looking back at them.
"I assume Gold Saw managed to escape," Icicle said, walking closer to STR.
Dead Master grimaced, "She isn't someone who can get beaten so easily, she'll find a way to kill, even if it means escaping to buy herself some time..."
"Time is something that she doesn't have, and neither do we," Icicle stated, narrowing her eyes as she looked at STR, "Though, the circumstances has changed in our favor"
"Let me guess, you sent them to do your work, didn't you?" STR inquired.
"I merely told them that having both you and Gold Saw will help in my plans, but I didn't tell them to hunt you both down," Icicle informed STR, her lower eyelids tightening, "I rather take enjoyment in reaping both of your existences and making you just like Chariot and Dead Master, but I suppose this is just as good"
STR gritted her teeth, "Screw you..!"
Icicle flexed her right hand, causing STR to choke for a moment as the collar around her neck tightened, "You're in no position to talk, besides, what could you even do to someone like me..?"
"You're a coward, avoiding taking action against all of us," STR spat.
"Hm, you believe I'm a coward when your friends left Dead Master and Chariot for dead instead of helping them break out of their cages," Icicle told STR, catching the white-haired other self off guard, "I'm merely telling the truth, I'm not one to lie, unlike that Anomaly... Dragon Slayer is her name, correct?"
"You're lying!" STR shouted at Icicle.
"It's the truth STR," Dead Master told her, frowning, "Icicle attacked us all and they managed to escape, while me and Chariot got caught"
STR looked at Dead Master for a moment before looking back at Icicle, "Don't make them tell lies..!"
"A shame you won't believe them, even if they are on my side now, that doesn't make their memories any less real," Icicle said, raising her right hand as the skin disappeared and turned into black wisps, "So I'll just show you..!"
Before STR could make sense of what's going on, she felt Icicle plunge her hand into her chest, her fingers flexing around her heart as she saw black marks crawl up her skin. STR tried to scream, but nothing was coming out from her mouth as she saw her mouth getting sewn shut by a black thread, pulling her lips closed so it appeared like she didn't have a mouth to begin with. STR looked up and saw one of the claw's fingers flexing before it turned into the head of a mechanical wolf, reaching down towards her with its mouth opened wide. STR wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but as the head neared her, she looked away to stare at Icicle, only to see darkness as the mouth of the machine snapped close at her neck, pulling back as blood started leaking from where her head was getting ripped from. There was only darkness surrounding STR at that moment until there was light again, causing her to flinch before she looked down, seeing her body still a part of her from the neck down.
"No way..." STR muttered before she moved a hand to her mouth, surprised to have it back.
STR looked around, wondering where everyone was as she walked throughout the empty field, trying to comprehend what was going on and what that moment even meant. For a second, she thought that it was probably Icicle trying to mess around with her head, trying to get it go around in circles until her thoughts got snapped as she stepped on some pooling blood, causing her to look down to see its color. As soon as her eyes locked on the tint hidden in the black blood, STR started looking for a trail, something that she could use to help her find the source of where the blood was coming from. Looking up at the sky, she saw some black birds flying to the east, which caused STR to follow them, hoping that this wasn't what she thinks it is. She could hear the small splatter that was occurring from her stepping on various puddles of blood, focused on the birds as they descended from the sky, reaching something that nearly caused STR to double over in sickness.
Resting a few meters from her was Gold Saw's sword, placed directly through Gold Saw's throat as blood continued flowing through the sliced section, a river of red-tinted black blood trailing all the way to the small pool meters away. STR felt her knees buckle as she dropped to the ground, racked with shock for a moment before she placed her hands on her head, shaking it back and forth as she denied what she was seeing. She heard footsteps nearing her and Gold Saw's corpse, but STR didn't look up, still focused on calming herself from what she just discovered. For a moment, STR didn't hear the footsteps, but what she heard something getting pulled from the ground, she looked up and her eyes widened in shock and anger at what she was seeing. Icicle was standing on top of Gold Saw's apparent corpse, gripping the King Saw and examining it with half-lidded eyes, like she doesn't even care about the sword and its importance.
"It's an impressive sword, same that it's the same one that killed her," Icicle mentions, a nonchalant tone in her voice.
STR frowned, not liking Icicle even touching the King Saw, "Put that back, now..!"
Icicle looked at STR, frowning, "What right do you have at telling me to do with this sword, especially since it was your real self's fear that drove you to killing Gold Saw..."
"Great, more lies..." STR groaned in irritation, showing her displeasure.
"It's no lie, Koutari Yuu feared that everyone was drifting away, the problems causing your... group of friends to split apart, and it seems her fear has come true," Icicle stated, keeping her eyes locked with STR, "This was a fear that drove you to committing a crime unlike any other"
"Shut up!" STR screamed as she got up, her Ogre Arms surrounding her arms as she released a volley of bullets at Icicle.
Icicle tossed King Saw into the air and faded away, the bullets passing through the black wisps before they disappeared, leaving no trace of where Icicle once stood. STR turned her head at every direction possible, aware of what Icicle is capable of and trying to keep her guard up in a more omnidirectional tactic isn't as easy as many would believe. There were several weak points that Icicle could abuse if she wanted to, and STR knew this all too well, especially since the shadows were moving about on the ground. On the corner of her eye, STR could make out the checkerboard sky, which had the red and black pattern with a white moon appearing too close than anything that's possible. The white moon was slightly stained with red as it light showed more of the field, showing the destruction and the various footprints that went hand in hand with the copious amounts of bullets that littered the field.
"This happened because of your own actions, something that you can never take back," STR heard coming from her left.
STR turned and fired, only to see nothing there as Icicle spoke in her right ear, "You can try to escape from it all, but it will return with a vengeance..."
STR noticed King Saw falling back down and disengaged her Ogre Arms and grabbed the sword, gripping it awkwardly in both hands, "I had enough of this crap, show yourself..!"
"You think that killing me will correct what been done?" Icicle inquired behind STR.
STR turn around and swung, the sword slashing at nothing but air as Icicle disappeared again, "Stop hiding!"
"Killing me is pointless in your blind thirst for my death," Icicle stated, leaning in to STR's left shoulder.
STR turned King Saw around and tried to stab at Icicle, but as she looked back, she found nothing behind her, causing her anger to rise unlike before when Icicle sealed her in a cocoon and impersonated her. STR was starting to forget what she discovered in her hatred for Icicle, and everything Icicle appeared and said something that got to her, the hatred continued to boil. STR's eyes were reflecting her emotions, and Icicle knew it as she phased back before STR, her arms down at her side with nothing to state that she was ready to attack if STR tries to kill her. The white-haired other self felt her eyes widened for a moment before she took off, thrusting the sword forward, feeling some resistance as she pushed forward, hearing a ripping sound coming before her as blood fell to the ground. STR felt the body fall back and pushed the sword even further, her mind lost in her sea of anger as she looked up to get a glimpse of Icicle, only to feel her blood go cold at the sight.
"No, this isn't..." STR mumbled as she let go of King Saw and stepped back, her eyes widening.
Blood was spewing out from Gold Saw's mouth, King Saw planted firmly into the ground as blood from where the neck got severed started trickling out, forming into a miniature river. STR grabbed her biceps as she back away, her head shaking back and forth in denial as she continued staring at Gold Saw's dead body, trying her best to calm herself. She felt sick to her stomach, and the feeling intensified as she remembered what Icicle told her, which caused the orange-eyed other self to remove her hands from her biceps and stare at them, watching them shake. She didn't believe Icicle, but that was because of everything else that occurred before all of this happened, and now she felt like her grasp on reality was slipping. STR's knees buckled and she thought that she was about to fall when she felt a pair of cold hands gripping her shoulders, keeping her upright as Icicle moved her head to the right of STR's, staring at the decapitated corpse of Gold Saw.
"I warned you, but you didn't heed my warnings," Icicle told her.
STR's eyes wavered a bit, still fixated on Gold Saw, "B-but.. it w-was..."
"Not everything is my fault, but this is proof that your actions will cause Gold Saw's death," Icicle told her, her hands moving away from STR's shoulders as she grabbed her hands, "But I can help you prevent this from occurring"
"No..." STR muttered, seeing black marks course through her arms.
Icicle looked at her, "I can take away the possibility, but in return, you must help me get Gold Saw, then I will make sure that Yuu doesn't feel like the group is separating, I'll make sure that doesn't happen"
"I.. I..." STR said, not able to voice her thoughts as the black marks crawled up her neck, towards her face as her eyes' scleras turned black.
"There's nothing to fear, because everything will change," Icicle whispered.
STR closed her eyes, struggling with herself as the black markings stopped crawling up her skin before her eyes snapped open, looking straight up to the sky, "NO!"
Icicle watched on as the area deteriorated around them, and she promptly closed her eyes before opening them as she looked up at the comatose white-haired other self, the black marking visible on her skin. Stepping back, Icicle watched as Chariot and Dead Master took STR from the black claw, the restraints disappearing as the claw receded back into STR's shadow. She knew that the area was becoming hers now, but her mind focused on other things that she learned while rummaging through STR's mind, things that she know would hold importance later on. Turning around, Icicle started thinking of her plan on getting Gold Saw out into the open, but she doesn't want it occurring somewhere that she would have the advantage. Figuring out what she wanted to do next, Icicle faded away from view, leaving Chariot and Dead Master with STR, who groaned for a moment before going silent.
Geshumaru stepped out of the passageway along with B RS, looking around the room, "This looks like a cathedral..."
Dragon Slayer couldn't help but nod as she passed by several benches, "Even so, this looks too dark for a cathedral; probably got built for some cultist"
"Don't joke, you know better than the rest of us," Geshumaru deadpanned, moving towards Dragon Slayer.
B RS looked around with curious eyes as she tried to understand what Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru were talking about the place, never hearing about cathedral before until they just entered the room, the light originating from the crystals that floated above them. Despite not knowing about cathedrals, she can definitely agree with Dragon Slayer that the design was too dark for anything in the Otherworld, especially since the room gave her an ominous feeling that got her sense on high alert. Geshumaru, however, was looking around for whatever would help them to the real world, especially since Dragon Slayer decided to explore the room without hesitating or even thinking twice on what could have been down here. They couldn't risk their lives anymore than when they fought against Icicle, and even then, there's no avoiding danger since Dragon Slayer seems to invite it like a type of seductress.
Dragon Slayer looked around before something towards the end of the room caught her attention, "Well, seems we got our way out..."
Geshumaru arched an eyebrow before looking at the very thing that caught Dragon Slayer's eye, "What is that?"
"A theory that's hasn't been proven, until now," Dragon Slayer stated, holding Geshumaru back before she could head towards it, "But it's rude if we don't introduce ourselves to our host..."
Geshumaru wasn't sure what Dragon Slayer was talking about until she heard B RS fire her Rock Cannon at something that was coming from the ceiling, hitting the floor with a heavy thud. They all examined the machine that was before them, recognizing the human-like body structure of the machine, despite the size and armor which caused Dragon Slayer to arch an eyebrow, who also noted how old the machine was due to the rust appearing on its armor. The machine was gazing at them before it raised its arms, the armor around its forearms opening as multiple barrels encircled it, spinning slowly before picking up speed. Their eyes widened as the machine started firing bullets, ripping apart the benches as they moved towards the pillars, hiding behind them as the machine moved slowly. They couldn't understand how such a thing could exist, and if there was any speculation that Dragon Slayer was the one who created it, it went out the door twice: the first being het statement before entering the passageway, and the second time being her surprise at the machine.
"So, what do you think about that thing Dragon Slayer?" Geshumaru inquired, glancing at the amber-eyed Anomaly.
Dragon Slayer glanced around the pillar before pulling back, a barrage of bullets hitting the side, "Well, considering the rust on its armor, I suppose it's been around for decades, maybe a century since it doesn't react like your other half does"
"In other words..?" Geshumaru asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Someone built it using methods from before I was capable of doing what I can now," Dragon Slayer stated, "In short, it's a piece of history that's not destroyed yet..."
"Great," Geshumaru mumbled as she looked to her right, watching B RS rush towards the machine, "Ah, damn it..!"
B RS swapped her Rock Cannon for her Black Blade as she rushed towards the machine, which saw her heading towards it and directed its arms towards her, the barrage of bullets turning and destroying the benches around the cathedral. B RS narrowed her eyes as she jumped to the platform above her, which provided her some cover as she continued running towards the gigantic robot, her eyes locked on it. Geshumaru realized that B RS was buying them some time while the machine focused on her, so she turned to face Dragon Slayer so they can come up with a plan, only to watch the older Anomaly dash off towards the machine's back, her broadsword drawn. Groaning in frustration, Geshumaru got up and rushed towards the machine, her eyes glowing as she brought out her katana, blue fire dancing along the length of the blade as she and Dragon Slayer launched their attacks on the gigantic robot. A blue wave struck the armor on the machine while Dragon Slayer merely slashed at the robot, causing Geshumaru to wonder if the older Anomaly lost her mind until she saw how deep the slash managed to get.
Dragon Slayer landed on the floor and looked up, just in time to see the blue wave dissipate as it hit the armor, "Guess average attacks are only effective against this thing..."
"Great, just great..." Geshumaru said as B RS landed beside them, her Rock Cannon lowered.
"It's design must have incorporated defense mechanisms to negate abnormal attacks," Dragon Slayer said as she saw the machine turn towards them, "Breaking it would need us to use more close combat than what's required, unless we have someone who can attack it from a distance, but with something more physical"
B RS looked at Dragon Slayer, "I got that covered, just wait a moment..."
"We can do that, let's go Geshumaru," Dragon Slayer told the other blue-eyed Anomaly before they headed for cover.
The machine noticed Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru heading towards the pillars and were about to attack them when B RS fired at it, drawing the machine's attention back to her as she ran for some cover. B RS heard the barrels whirring before bullets started flying, hitting the floor and ripping anything intact apart, the attack rushing towards her as she hid behind some overturned benches, some of the bullets ripping through them. B RS didn't pay attention to it as she raised her Rock Cannon slightly, adjusting her grip as she closed her eyes for a few seconds, hearing her Rock Cannon adjust itself before she opened her eyes to stare down at its gatling gun form. B RS got up and turned around, her transformed Rock Cannon firing off bullets at the machine, dents from each shot appearing on the armor as several bullets passed through the barrage the giant robot was unleashing. Geshumaru and Dragon Slayer took note of this as they moved away from the pillars and dashed towards the behemoth, jumping up and trying to slash off its arms, with Geshumaru grazing it as its left arm moved away from her reach, while Dragon Slayer slashed off half of its right forearm, not giving it a chance to pull it back.
Geshumaru landed on the floor and turned around, "Damn, that thing knows how to react, despite it being a piece of junk..!"
"Well, at least we figured out some sort of weakness, despite it putting us at a slight disadvantage," Dragon Slayer stated as she landed beside Geshumaru, looking up at the machine, which was staring at its severed forearm.
B RS stopped firing, realizing that the machines focus wasn't on them, but kept her guard up for when its focus came back to them and starts unleashing another barrage of bullets from the remaining machine gun still attached to its left arm. The machine merely stared at the severed forearm before its right elbow gave a jolt of sorts and separated the remaining forearm from the rest of the limb, revealing an empty socket in the middle of the elbow with several holes encircling it. Dragon Slayer arched an eyebrow as the machine raised the dismembered right arm, ready to react as chains got fired from the several holes encircling the socket, the chains rushing and tying up B RS. She barely had time to register what was going on when she got pulled towards the machines before getting pushed back, the machine turning as it swung at Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru with the tied up B RS. Dragon Slayer merely stepped back as B RS hit Geshumaru and they got sent to the wall, hitting it hard as the chains retracted and snaked their way back into the various holes.
"Hmm, whoever built you knew what they were doing," Dragon Slayer said to the machine before narrowing her eyes, "In fact, you so well-built, it's irritating me that this is delaying our plans..!"
Geshumaru grunted as she got up, looking towards Dragon Slayer, "What the..."
"Geshumaru, Shooter, buy me some time," Dragon Slayer told them, her body straightening.
Geshumaru was about to protest until she felt the heavy aura that surrounded the room, the sensation carry so much malice that it could choke her and B RS if they weren't cautious. Dragon Slayer glanced at her and she could feel her skin bristling as fear threatened to consume her heart, the look that the amber-eyed Anomaly was giving reflected a hollowness that mashed together with unchained anger. Hearing some rumbling, Geshumaru looked behind her and saw B RS get up, squinting at Dragon Slayer before looking at the machine, watching it stand idly as it waited for them to make a move. B RS didn't say anything as she pulled up the transformed Rock Cannon and started firing at the machine, buying Dragon Slayer some time as she got up to the next level and hid behind some pillars. Geshumaru felt some of the sensation that Dragon Slayer directed at her move away and she picked up her katana, rushing off towards the machine as it fired out some chains towards her, the chains slight movement bearing similarities to a snake.
Dragon Slayer glanced around the pillar before pulling back, her eyes closing as she let the tip of her broadsword rest on the floor, "Just give me several minute, I'll end it within the following two"
Saya exited the convenience store, letting out a shuttering breath as she walked away, her eyes wandering around the road as she walked through the crowd of people. She didn't know how much time she had to change out of her work clothes, if they can even be called that, and dress herself in something that made her feel like she was some sort of undercover agent in a movie. Between black boots, jeans, and a black jacket that covered the maroon shirt she was wearing underneath, she still looked like herself and that made her wonder if Yomi and Kagari can find her among the crowd. At the thought of them, Saya started wondering how they can change themselves to look like their other self, before her thoughts shifted and she started beating herself up for leaving Yuu behind, regardless if it was the girl's request. The bag she was holding in both arms crumpled a bit as her arms got pulled in closer, her eyes narrowing in self-loathing as she absent-mindedly entered the park, sitting down at a nearby bench.
"Is Icicle really doing this, is she capable of pulling off..?" Saya wondered to herself as she reached inside the bag and pulled out a meat bun.
When Saya took a bite, she felt chills going down her spine and looked up, noticing time stopping as everything turned grey, prompting her to eat the meat bun quickly and wipe off her face as she got up. She wasn't sure where Yomi and Kagari were hiding, but she wasn't planning on staying to find out and broke off into a run, hoping to get further away from them if they were close. She could hear laughter coming from the trees surrounding the park, but ignored it and looked straight ahead, not focusing on their voices resounding throughout the park. As Saya turned the corner, her eyes widened and she ducked under the slash Chariot-like Kagari unleashed, the yellow-eyed teenager frowning as Saya rolled away from her before getting up. She was about to run again until she saw Yomi standing a few meters before her, holding Dead Scythe while keeping the blade underneath an unconscious Yuu, causing the woman to grit her teeth in anger.
"Sorry Saya, but you weren't going to listen any other way," Yomi told her, narrowing her eyes, "Besides, did you think we wouldn't prepare ourselves for this?"
Saya frowned, ignoring the inquiry, "Why are you both doing this, there's no reason for the both of you to react this way?!"
"It's because I showed them that the darkness within everyone isn't necessarily bad," A voice resounded throughout the park.
Saya felt another chill go down her spine as she turned around, watching an unfamiliar figure walking towards them, each step she took left a trail of ice as the parks appearance started shifting, turning into a colosseum with a checkerboard-style sky above them. Icicle stared at Saya, causing the grown woman to flinch under the emotionless piercing stare that's directed at her, her body reflexively backing away as the malevolent other self neared her. Saya didn't need to guess to know that she was now in the Otherworld, but that didn't change her situation as Icicle stopped walking and grabbed the sheath for her katana, her lower eyelids tightening a bit as she pushed out the katana a bit with her thumb. Saya stopped moving, thinking Icicle was going to attack her when she saw the malevolent other self jump, narrowly avoiding Gold Saw, who exited through a rip through reality with King Saw drawn, ready to behead Icicle. Saya knew what Gold Saw looked like, it wasn't the first time she seen through her other self's eyes, but this was definitely the first time that she seen her from her own eyes.
Icicle landed several meters away, staring at Gold Saw, "You're certainly taking a risk appearing before me..."
"It took me a while to figure out that you're manipulating reality on the grand scale, but once I did, finding you became easy," Gold Saw told her, King Saw raised as the tip of the blade pointed towards Icicle, "Anything else you got planned ends here"
Icicle merely blinked as Kagari slowly made her way to Gold Saw, "Hmm, you certainly saved me the trouble of hunting you down, so now I can fight you evenly"
Kagari heard the stressed word come out of Icicle's mouth and stopped her planning, moving past Gold Saw and Saya as she reached Yomi, who looked bored with the spectacle before her. Kagari and Yomi looked like they were talking about something until Yomi turned around and walked away from all of them, causing Saya to wonder what exactly is happening around her. Gold Saw said something about Icicle manipulating reality on the grand scale, so did that mean that the malevolent other self was causing time to stop and turning the world grey through some sort of method; there were variables that Saya couldn't comprehend entirely as she looked back and forth between Gold Saw and Icicle. There was a tension that could snap at any moment as Gold Saw locked eyes with Icicle: eyes that bore hatred and disgust clashing with eyes that only held apathy. The tension broke when Icicle looked away and her body relaxed, causing Gold Saw to scrunch up her eyebrows in confusion as she tried to figure out what exactly the red-orange eyed other self was planning.
"Link up with your real self, it's not a fair fight if I don't face you as a whole," Icicle told Gold Saw, looking back at her, "Yomi and Kagari did so with their other self when reality shifted, I suggest you do the same..."
Gold Saw didn't let up her guard, but turned towards Saya regardless, "It's sad we had to meet in these circumstances"
"Well... no better way to meet," Saya said, uneasy as Gold Saw walked up to her.
Gold Saw extended a hand towards Saya, who merely looked up as her other self said, "I'm sorry that all this happened, but we need to stop Icicle before she manages to seize everyone in the Otherworld, and in the real world..."
Saya felt sorry for a moment before it got replaced with determination, her hand grasping Gold Saw's, "Let's kick her ass..!"
Saya didn't know what happened within the following moment as she felt her body become light until she was looking through Gold Saw's eyes, the other self turning towards Icicle with her red eyes narrowing at the malevolent other self. Within seconds of Saya joining together with Gold Saw, Icicle released her katana from its sheath and dashed towards Gold Saw, slashing at her horizontally, only to watch her attack stop by the horned other self, who raised King Saw to block the attack. Aware that Icicle wasn't going to give her any chance to prepare herself, Gold Saw pushed away, creating some distance between her and Icicle, who flipping her katana backwards before slashing up, black tendrils racing towards the red-eyed other self. Gold Saw frowned as she landed on the ground, digging her heels in to slow herself down as she raised her sword, watching the tendrils make their way towards her before she launched herself at them, slashing away as she made her way through the darkness that surrounded her. Rushing out of the swarm of tendrils, Gold Saw blocked the vertical slash Icicle delivered before countering with her own attack, noting how Icicle was defending herself just by wielding the katana in her right hand.
"So she isn't using her left hand, what is she waiting for..?" Gold Saw wondered, backing away from Icicle.
[I suggest treading cautiously, but I'm sure how helpful it'll be since I don't know much about her...]
"It's not a bad idea Saya, but I can't tell much either just from fighting her twice," Gold Saw relayed, keeping her guard up as Icicle stopped moving for a moment, "Maybe she's..?"
"Stop talking and focus on me," Icicle told Gold Saw, surprising her by appearing from the horned other self's shadow, "I have to prove to a certain someone wrong about being a coward..."
Gold Saw tried to block the onslaught that Icicle unleashed upon her, trying to keep up with the malevolent other self's movements as she increased her speed in her attacks. She could barely put any distance between them, and when she could, it didn't last long since Icicle made use of the shadows around them and phased through them, increasing the chances of the red-orange eyed other self appearing anywhere. Gold Saw felt pressure on her back, which caused her to turn around and see if it was Icicle, only to notice nothing was behind her and that left an uneasy feeling within her as her eyes darted around the field. Saya wasn't sure where Icicle was as well, but she didn't let that deter her as she focused on establishing a more physical connection with Gold Saw, picking up on any sensation her other self was feeling around her. As Gold Saw felt a breeze coming from her left, Saya closed her yes and tried to expand her senses from within her other self, picking up a sensation that was coming from in front of them.
[Gold Saw..!]
"I know," Gold Saw muttered as she blocked Icicle's ambush, who popped up in front of Gold Saw from the shadows below.
Icicle narrowed her eyes as she moved away from Gold Saw's stab, jumping a few meters away before stabbing her katana into the ground, the shadows bending around as they neared the horned other self. The red-eyed other self felt the ground shift and jumped quickly as she narrowly avoided getting pierced by a black spike that was branching off and rushing up towards her. Gold Saw didn't waste time and avoided any spike that grew out of the main one, focusing on getting as far up as she could before Icicle came after her. She could see the top of the colosseum as the black spikes kept growing, forcing Gold Saw up until they stopped, prompting her to jump on top of the furthest tip and look down at Icicle, who regarded that moment with an impassive look on her face. Saya could feel the urge to let out a comment about Icicle's predicament, but stalled her thoughts as Icicle rushed towards the black spike, her form disappearing and reappearing as she traversed through the giant structure that's littered with spikes, black wisps circulating around her left arm.
"I knew it..!" Gold Saw thought vehemently as a giant black sword appeared, Icicle grabbing it by its handle.
Gold Saw put up King Saw as Icicle slashed at her with both swords, the three weapons clashing with each other as sparks appeared around the metal, flying off and dissipating in the sky. Gold Saw felt like she was about to jettison into the sky based on how much power Icicle was forcing into her attack, her balance wavering as Icicle jumped above her, landing behind the horned other self. Gold Saw turned around and raised her King Saw, blocking the turning slash that was coming at her from her left, but the attack caused her to lose her balance and fall off the structure, her body rushing back down to the ground. The impact with the ground caused Gold Saw to spit out some blood as her back healed up the injury, allowing her to get back up and block the slash that Icicle delivered, leaving her open for a stab to the lungs as the ground shattered, Gold Saw getting pushed down. Gold Saw grimaced as she heard Saya howl in pain for a moment, giving her enough of a drive to push Icicle away from her as her body started healing up the open wound.
"There's isn't much you can do against me," Icicle said, raising the giant sword as she pointed it at Gold Saw, "This is mere child's play..."
Gold Saw smirked as she raised King Saw, looking worn out, but determined to continue to fight, "Keep telling yourself that..!"
Before Icicle could comprehend what Gold Saw was suggesting with that comment, she watched the red-eyed other self slash at the open air, ripping through reality before jumping in and sealing it shut. The recent actions brought about by Gold Saw left Icicle in confusion as she kept both swords raised, anticipating the horned other self's next move as her eyes darted around, the shadows shifting every way possible in response to her actions. Icicle took one step before she felt something rip through her neck before the feeling disappeared, leaving her wide-eyed as Gold Saw exited through another rip through reality, watching Icicle's head fall off her body before her body collapsed to the ground. The shadows stopped shifting as Gold Saw let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in, walking towards where Chariot was as her eyes zeroed in on Yuu, who remained unconscious throughout the fight. Chariot merely moved aside, heading past Gold Saw as she went to check Icicle's fallen body, which Saya noted she couldn't do anything with as once an other self gets killed, they stay dead.
As Gold Saw reached Yuu, Saya took control and bent down, shaking Yuu slightly, "Hey, wake up..."
Saya heard Yuu groan as the teenager blinked, her eyes opening slowly, "Hn, Saya..?"
"I'm here Yuu," Saya told her as she help the girl sit up, "We're in the Otherworld because of Icicle, but it's over now"
Yuu looked at the Saya, noting her using Gold Saw's body to interact with her, "I-I'm glad you came back for me..."
"Of course I would, if I didn't, that would leave a horrible pit in my gut," Saya told Yuu, brushing aside some tears that was leaking down Yuu's face.
Yuu cried a bit as she hugged Saya, "It was horrible, they... they did things to me Saya, I can't get it out of my head..!"
Saya could only pull Yuu in, feeling her facial expression contort into one of pure anger as she felt her urge to protect Yuu boiling inside her, but that shattered as she felt something puncture her stomach through the front. Saya let go of Yuu and pulled back as she saw a jagged stone resting where her - or rather, Gold Saw's - stomach was, blood leaking through as she looked up at Yuu, watching her appearance change into that of STR. Her eyes widened at the implication and she looked behind her, watching Icicle's body get up before placing the severed head back on her neck, the faint trace of a slash mark fading as black wisps encircled around the neck, rejoining the two parts. Icicle opened her eyes as she walked towards Gold Saw, her frown clear as she looked at STR before leveling her eyes back at Saya, the skin around her hands disappearing into black wisps. Saya knew what was happening and tried to get up, but felt her body freeze where she was, incapable of moving from where she bent down a moment ago.
Icicle stopped right in front of Saya and tapped her forehead, Gold Saw's form disappearing back into her own, "How pitiful, these were the same words I said when I first attacked Gold Saw and STR, Irino Saya..."
"Shit..!" Saya cursed, her eyes widening as Icicle extended both hands towards the grown woman.
"In a limbo world, both base rules from both worlds apply to a certain degree," Icicle explained to Saya, her hands hovering around the side on Saya's head, "I knew that Gold Saw wouldn't break easily, so this is the first time I'm tampering with a real self's mind"
Saya gritted her teeth, "You are a coward..!"
"No, Gold Saw beaten me fairly, but neither one of you were coming out of this as survivors," Icicle told her, her red-orange eyes impassive as she stared at Saya's, "It was never intended as the gears of fate is following what's predestined; both of you are to fall"
"It's not over!" Saya shouted.
Icicle sighed, showing slight acknowledgment, "No, but it's a long way away, and I have many things in store for them..."
Saya was about to ask what Icicle was talking about when she felt a sharp pain coming through her head, Icicle's fingers digging into her head as the grown woman felt her body go cold for a moment. She wasn't sure what was happening as she looked up at the checker-board sky, the clouds parting a bit as they revealed a blood-red moon, the light coming down upon them all. Saya felt tears streaming down her face as her entire body got wracked with pain, black markings crawling up her body as she looked back at Icicle before looking towards STR. The white-haired other self was merely showing a content smile, but it didn't make sense for the grown woman, or did it? Her mind was getting all muddle with things creeping into her brains while others were disappearing, causing Saya to feel confused as she tried to comprehend what was happening, her fingers twitching every way possible as her body shook from the pressure of her mind getting invaded by a being beyond what's known.
The black marking made their way up to Saya's face before disappearing, her eyes rolling up as she collapsed to the ground, her world slowly going black as an unnatural warmth filled her cold body.
Geshumaru backed away as the machine launched some chains at her, forcing her to avoid them as B RS continued firing, the metal casings covering the floor as she tried to keep herself covered behind some overturned benches. They were trying to buy Dragon Slayer some time to prepare something for the machine, but a few minutes passed since they decided on the plan and they haven't heard much from the amber-eyed Anomaly. They knew that Dragon Slayer being silent wasn't a good thing, but they also knew that if they tried to get her to talk, whatever she's got planned could fall apart on her. Geshumaru moved left and right before dashing forward, slashing at the machine's ankles as she slid underneath it, getting behind the behemoth as she stabbing at whatever opening she could find between all the armor that covered its body. She could see it lowering a bit to the ground, causing her to feel relived that it was almost over, but she came to regret that as chains wrapped around her joints, her body rushing towards the giant before getting pushed away and swung.
B RS noticed Geshumaru and let her transformed Rock Cannon disappear as the latter got flunged at her, sending them both to a pillar on the right side of the room, the both of them landing on the floor. The machine tried to stand as it raised its left arm, the barrels spinning as the mechanisms within adjusted to let in another load of bullets, the safety being disengaged. It was ready to fire when the arm from the elbow to the hand dropped to the floor, some sparks appearing from the damaged structure as it turned toward its left, examining the figure standing below it. B RS and Geshumaru looked to their right and noticed Dragon Slayer, who's surrounded in an eerie blue glow, her sword pointing at the machine as she saw it launch the chains after her. Without moving from her spot, Dragon Slayer narrowed her eyes before she started slashing at the links, the metal snapping before she disappeared in an instant.
The machine looked around, trying to find Dragon Slayer as it heard, "I don't care how you got created or appear as, it doesn't change that you're hampering our plans!"
The machine turned around, spotting Dragon Slayer up at the ceiling, keeping herself perched at a corner as she pushed off, heading towards the behemoth, which moved to intercept her. Dragon Slayer adjusted herself mid-air and landed on top of its head, twirling her sword before digging it inside the metal contraption, ready to move away. She jumped off and dropped to the floor, removing her sword and taking a couple of steps back as the broadsword started splitting into separate blades, attaching one end to another as she moved her right hand about. B RS and Geshumaru saw her slash away at the machine, her attack not even noticeable on the behemoth until she stopped and the linked pieces returned into their broadsword appearance, locking into one another as Dragon Slayer reattached the sword to the back of her jacket. They got up, walking towards Dragon Slayer until they saw the machine fall apart, splitting into multiple pieces and dropping to the ground as the amber-eyed Anomaly walked towards what was resting at the end of the cathedral.
"Now, let see if we can work this..." Dragon Slayer said to herself as the blue glow disappeared, her eyes locked on the object before her.
It looked like a complete ring with several thin rings on the side resting on a pedestal, a control box positioned in front of the structure before them, which got Geshumaru thinking that there was more to things about the past than what Dragon Slayer told her about. Dragon Slayer grabbed a handle on the control box and looked like she was about to pull it when she hesitated for a moment and let go of the handle, turning around to face Geshumaru. Geshumaru wasn't sure why Dragon Slayer was looking at her until the older Anomaly gestured towards the handle on the control box, which looked like it could fall apart soon due to how much rust surround it, and the beaten condition it's in. It didn't take long for Geshumaru to put everything together, and it only to a displeased frown on her face to get the message across to Dragon Slayer. The amber-eyed Anomaly sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, turning around for a minute before turning back to Geshumaru, her eyes tense.
"Look, out of all of us, you know more about the real world and can get us a precise destination to enter," Dragon Slayer told her, her voice stern.
Geshumaru narrowed her eyes at Dragon Slayer, "I highly doubt that, and why can't you do it, you managed to kill that thing on your own?!"
"My power isn't suited for this sort of thing, and neither is Shooter," Dragon Slayer explained, frowning ever so slightly, "If anything, I want this done quickly, no excuses..!"
Geshumaru was about to say something as B RS laid a hand on her left shoulder, "Look, any time we waste here won't help us, just do it"
The other blue-eyed Anomaly sighed before glaring at Dragon Slayer, conveying a message as she walked towards the control box and grabbed the handle, pulling at it. She noticed an empty canister that's connected to the handle and looked at the amber-eyed Anomaly, watching her gesture with her hands on how to go about activating the thing before them. Looking back at the canister, she let her power flow into it, electricity sparking within as she turned the canister clockwise before jamming it back in, the ring glowing as she heard something charge around them. The three of them backed away as electricity sparked within the rings, some flying off and hitting the floor as they saw something forming around the interior of the structure, a wormhole of sorts. Electricity flew out and hit the floor at unexpected times as they stared at it in wonder, Dragon Slayer's statement about it being a theory slowly becoming true.
"This is similar to the reality warping capabilities that me and Gold Saw can make use of, but this was more intended for focusing on possible realities," Dragon Slayer told them, causing them to look at her in confusion, "There's some thing you certainly don't know about the past..."
B RS looked at her, "So now what..?"
Dragon Slayer grabbed her hand, " Grab Geshumaru's hand, she's the one leading us in that..!"
B RS did so and looked at Geshumaru, who looked uneasy as she lead them near the object, avoiding any on-coming electrical sparks as she jumped inside, pulling Dragon Slayer and B RS in with her. They readjusted their grips slightly, grabbing the others forearm as they flew through the wormhole, a black void with different colors passing by them. Geshumaru knew that they were counting on her to lead them into the real world, so she closed her eyes and tried to pick out a place that they could exit from, going through the list roaming around in her head. It took her a moment until she picked out one of her favorite places to go at times and focused on the place, forming a mental image in her brain as they traversed through the void. Dragon Slayer and B RS kept their grip as their thoughts focused on what's waiting for them in the real world, while Geshumaru remembered a memory about the place she selected, which caused her to frown a bit in sadness.
"Kanna, I hope she's doing alright..." Geshumaru thought as she looked ahead, leading the rest of the group.
Kanna looked up at the moon, feeling weird as she though someone was trying to reach her, but pushed it to the back of her mind as she walked back home, sighing as she thought about her work. Despite getting out of college, she still haven't found a manageable job for her, so working at the convenience store was fine, but the pain that comes from some of her coworkers tend to irritate her. Maintain a professional relationship with coworkers her ass, she thought as she wondered what she would do to the guy that tended to make another joke at her expense. She remembered how he blabbered about how if she managed to lose her glasses, she would react like those characters in manga that lost their glasses. Being a bit farsighted didn't mean that she was blind, and the idea of slugging him was becoming more pleasurable as she reached the house and unlocked the door, entering and being welcomed with an inviting smell from the kitchen.
"Kaa-san, I'm home," Kanna voice as she removed her shoes and slid her feet into some slippers, walking towards the kitchen, "Something smells good..."
Kanna entered the kitchen and looked at her mom, who's focused on chopping some onions as she responded, "Well of course, what else could you expect?"
"Nothing more," Kanna said, pulling out a chain and sitting down as she rubbed her back.
Kanna and Geshumaru's mother was starting to show sings of her age, but that couldn't replace how she managed to keep herself healthy and slim, her black hair keeping their shine as they reached her shoulders. Kanna heard from some family members that she resembled her mother a bit, but thought that were just being modest, which is why she decided to dye a lock of her hair blond, just to add some diversity. It wasn't like she was going to look like her mom when she reach some where in her forties, and neither was Geshumaru; Kanna's thoughts stopped when she reached Geshumaru. It's been a couple of days since Geshumaru went missing from school, and news reports were even talking about another kid who disappeared from school around the same day, but Kanna knew better than to think rationally when it concerns the blue-eyed Anomaly. Kanna could feel her head spinning a bit as she tried to comprehend what was going through her head, picking up on her mom calling her name several times.
"Sorry kaa-san, what is it..?" Kanna asked, placing a hand up to her head.
"I was asking you when Geshumaru will be back, she's been gone for quite a while?" Kanna's mother asked her.
Kanna shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know when she'll-"
Kanna stopped talking as her mind started thinking right and she remembered her mom saying the name Geshuaru, not Naomi, and that was causing her to panic a bit as she looked towards her mother. As she did so, she saw the kitchen go grey-scale and she had to rub her eyes, her mind trying to understand what exactly was going on as she go up. Kanna moved towards the hallway, watching her mom turn to her with the knife in her hands, but the young woman noticed her mother wasn't even moving from where she way. Before she could even realize what was happening, Kanna felt someone grab her by her shirt and push her into the wall, keeping her up against it as her glasses dropped to the floor, but she could make out the person before her. She could make out how the person dressed provocatively as black hair rushed down past her back, red tipped horns perched on her head as red eyes stared at her, trying to pierce through her soul.
"What are you... an other self..?" Kanna let out, grimacing.
Gold Saw frowned as she grabbed Kanna and dragged her back into the kitchen, pushing her back into the chair as the young woman looked up and realized that they weren't the only ones in the room. Looking to her left, she saw Icicle walk up to her as she felt her body go cold slightly just from looking at her, the red-orange eyes piercing through her body as they tried to find her soul. Kanna could feel her grip tighten on the chair as Icicle stopped before her, bending down slightly so they were at eye level, staring at each other. Tension was filling the room, but Kanna just knew that neither Gold Saw or her mother are even affected by it as Icicle grabbed Kanna's arm, her lower eyelids tightening a bit. Kanna gritting her teeth, feeling how cold Icicle's hand was before the malevolent other self removed her hand from her left bicep, regarding Kanna with curious eyes.
"You seem to know about the Otherworld and other selves, that would mean someone told you," Icicle stated, flexing her right hand, "Geshumaru certainly looks like she can break easily..."
Kanna growled as she got up and grabbed Icicle by the sweater, "If you even try hurting her, I'll hunt you down..!"
"Such petty threats won't affect me," Icicle said as she pushed Kanna, forcing the woman back down to the seat, "Beside, it isn't like you could do anything to stop me, you can't defy fate"
"Fate is bull if you're spouting about breaking Geshumaru," Kanna said as another thought popped to her head, "And the hell did you do to Kaa-san?!"
"She's merely a medium for me, bridging worlds isn't common science," Icicle told her, "Don't worry, you'll be like her and your 'little brother'... perhaps I should have you kill Geshumaru, hmm..."
Kanna got out of the chair and tackled Icicle, ignoring the coldness flowing into her body, "You try anything and I will kill you..!"
"And this is coming from someone who is apprehensive about lying to her family to protect a secret," Icicle said, surprising Kanna, "It's pointless to think otherwise, it's inevitable"
Kanna was about to grab Icicle's neck and try to choke her, but Gold Saw intervened and restrained her, pulling her away from Icicle as the red-orange eyed other self got up, the skin around her right hand turning into black wisps. As Icicle neared Kanna, she could hear death threats coming from the woman's lips before they came to a screeching halt, Icicle's hand entering her chest as black markings crawled up Kanna's skin. Despite that, Kanna grunted and let out a few more choice words for Icicle before her vision went black, the markings spreading quickly as Gold Saw let go of the woman and let her drop to the floor. Icicle and Gold saw headed out of the house, barely picking up on Kanna letting out some words before she passed out completely as they passed through the front door, the scenery changed back into it colorful nighttime. Gold Saw's form fell apart as Saya turned to Icicle, who merely looked like a specter in the real world as she gazed up at the moon resting in the sky above them, clouds scattered around the black backdrop.
"Such an intriguing world, but I don't have time to deal with this," Icicle said, turning towards Saya, "I need to return to the Otherworld as staying here without a complete medium puts my existence at risk"
Saya nodded, "I understand, I'll take care of things on my end with Yomi, Kagari, and Yuu, don't worry about it..."
Icicle nodded and faded away, heading back into the Otherworld as Saya walk back to her home, humming a tune to herself as she anticipates the following days, sure that everything will change.
Author's Note: Okay, so again, a lot of things been happening in my life that prevented me from working on this chapter (aside from procrastination and lack of muse). Even so, this entire week, I've been working on this chapter to deliver something grand. Over 18,000 words into this chapter and as of right now, I need some sleep as it's two in the morning. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter since it really taxed me out. Please review and I'll see you all the next chapter, whenever that may be.