Author's Note: It's my birthday, so as a present from me to you all, here's chapter 11. Just two things: one, I'm very sorry, no words can describe this chapter. The second things is just this: OS-01 (white), OS-02 (apricot), OS-03 (pink), and OS-04 (purple).
Black Rock Shooter and co. belongs to Huke.
"Tsuki no Hana" - Jinn
The moonlight shined down upon the city as the girl sat at the edge of a rooftop, comparing the ethereal moment to a flower blooming at the beginning of the sun rising from the horizon, but the expression on her face said everything that was the opposite of the comparison. She looked down at her broadsword as her blue eyes remained transfixed on the white lettering engraved on it, the weapon's name "BRSBLADE" planting itself into her mind while remaining focused on the three letters that make up her initials. B RS is her name and she cherished it just like anyone in the Otherworld as it represents their identity, but there's two problems that's forcing her to think of her name in a negative light, all while leaving a bitter taste in her mouth: Icicle taking control over her own existence and separating her from her soul. It was maddening how she remained separated from her soul that adopted the personality that Icicle shaped and manipulated, which brought forth "Rock", someone with no association with the Otherworld and just thinks of herself as a regular teenage girl, which is something that Mato, her – or rather, "theirs" - real self, strives for. Raking through her hair, B RS got up from the edge and was about to leave for the night until something crossed her peripheral vision, causing her to look to her left before she jumped away, the rooftop getting ripped apart by black tendrils that spawned from nowhere, but she knew that it was only the beginning as she looked behind her and watched Icicle walk towards the center of what remained of the rooftop.
"I was quite surprised to see you take such drastic actions, just so you can get back what I took away from you," Icicle told B RS, walking around the blue-eyed Anomaly while keeping her red-orange eyes locked on her, "It's a shame that I can't outright erase you, since you're still connected, but as the thread thins, I'll take more control over you while eliminating everything that's inconsequential..."
B RS frowned at Icicle's words, but she stayed where she was while keeping her guard up, ready for a fight, "You think it's that easy to get rid of me, almost a full day passed in the real world and you haven't made much progress, and you know it's a lot more complicated now that I'm in the picture"
"True, and while your soul doesn't necessarily have the 'original' memories, the ones she's making will soon replace them," Icicle stated, flexing her fingers, "And even if she tries to remember them, they will get eliminated and thoroughly replaced, just like I did back there when you tried to kill me"
B RS gritted her teeth, tightening her grip on her broadsword, "You think that's the end of the story, that it ends with you winning by creating more leeway and advantages for yourself..?!"
"It's certainly the reason behind your stunted progress, and why Dragon Slayer is unable to think ahead of me," Icicle told B RS as she stopped walking, the black tendrils behind the malevolent other self as her gaze hardened, "All scenarios planned out belong to me, and no one can change the outcome of this war to their favor but me; everything is absolute, especially death"
"The thing about making a claim that everything is absolute is that someone will find a way to break it," B RS told Icicle, shifting her posture so she was ready for anything, "While I can agree that death is absolute, you're not going to end both the real world and the Otherworld, not while there are people living who has a say against it..!"
Icicle didn't blink as she raised her left hand, "Well, I suppose that I'll have to supersede that"
The moment Icicle brought her left hand down to her side, the black tendrils moved around her and rushed towards B RS while ripping apart the rest of the rooftop, forcing the blue-eyed Anomaly to jump away to a different rooftop down below, her eyes focusing on the tendrils that managed to cover the stars that laced the sky before they descended upon her, cutting through the air as a whistle quietly reverberated throughout the area. B RS gritted her teeth at the tendrils that's rushing towards her before jumping back to avoid them piercing through her body, buying herself enough time to raise her broadsword as the tendrils ripped through the rooftop and spun towards her, unaware of the shimmer within the Anomaly's blue eyes as she remained fixated on them. The tendrils could only react to Icicle's commands and follow through on them without stopping as the shadows themselves doesn't have any sort of sentient mind, so the transparent black masses couldn't expect B RS's retaliation as she rushed towards them, slashing through them with her broadsword as a blue flame ignited around her left eye, the fire glowing along with the transparent blue crown resting on top of the blue-eyed Anomaly's head. B RS could only keep on running through the mass of tendrils as she eliminated any sense of danger that surrounded her, taking notice of the smaller tendrils that formed from the original and slashing them to pieces before they could strike at her, the Anomaly's self-awareness running on full alert as her eyes darted around the rooftop. She didn't have to look around for long as she noticed Icicle dropping down to the roof before the malevolent other self rushed towards her with her katana drawn, the tendrils disappearing to give Icicle an open path as she neared B RS, who raised her broadsword in time to defend herself from her enemy.
"I've wondered what makes you Anomalies unique, but I suppose the answer is standing right before me," Icicle said to B RS as she drew back, readjusting herself for a couple of seconds before launching an assault on the blue-eyed Anomaly, "Even so, it certainly doesn't explain how Geshumaru isn't capable of utilizing her full abilities, nor how Dragon Slayer seems more destructive than you..."
B RS gritted her teeth as she tried to parry each attack Icicle tried to land on her, "Well, you're not getting any answers from me, no matter how many times you try to break or kill me..!"
"Fair enough, since it won't matter if you're the one with the answers or not, I'll find out once your memories are open for me to see," Icicle stated, which caused B RS to bare her teeth as she pushed back the malevolent other self.
Icicle stumbled back for a couple of seconds before righting herself and locking her eyes on the blue-eyed Anomaly that managed to send her back, only to wound up on the receiving end of an assault, B RS slashing away with controlled precision as she manages to will each swing to stop when the attack doesn't connect with Icicle, the malevolent other self shifting her plans as she tried to defend herself from the blue-eyed Anomaly's strikes. B RS narrowed her eyes as she horizontally slashed at Icicle, who merely jumped back and readied herself to dash at the Anomaly and try to strike her down as she noticed B RS letting the broadsword spin her around, the weapon's weight causing momentum to form as it slowly faded away into nothing but blue specks. Watching B RS almost completing the full spin cycle, Icicle dashed towards her with the katana low and pulled back, but the malevolent other self could feel her eyes widening as she noticed the gun that rested in the blue-eyed Anomaly's right hand, the blue pieces that accompanied the metal weapon glowing as B RS pulled the trigger, a blue beam exiting out of the barrel as a metal casing dropped to the floor. Icicle knew what that shot meant and she tried to phase out of the rooftop, but she was a second too late as the beam connected with her chest before exploding, destroying the rooftop as the person who made the shot dropped to the road and kept her eyes on the destruction that she caused before refocusing on Icicle, who was getting up from the ground after the shot blasted her off from the rooftop. Icicle could see B RS nearing her and raised her katana before raising her left hand, black wisps circling around the palm of her hand as they slowly formed a gigantic mechanical sword, the black metal blade easily topping Icicle by three or four feet as the tip of the sword got pointed directly at the approaching Anomaly, who stopped when the malevolent other self moved her signature weapon towards her path.
"You can't stop someone who has achieved more than you or anyone else has tried within several days," Icicle told B RS, her red-orange eyes narrowing slightly while remaining transfixed on the Anomaly before her, "Everything discarded became my weapon to use against you all, nothing truly matters and it will end with a mass genocide; you can't prevent a god from purging the world of its impurities and sending it all to oblivion"
"You reiterated the same crap since the moment we all crossed paths with you, but it certainly shows how much apathy you have towards everything, and how much you wish the world to just die," B RS said, raising her Seven-Shots at the malevolent other self, leaving them at a stalemate, "I'm willing to figure that when everything starts going wrong for you, that's when we get to see your emotions, because you're no different from me, Geshumaru, Dragon Slayer, and frankly, everyone else.. hell, I bet you won't care about your death until the last second..."
Icicle frowned at B RS's remarks, finding her anger slowly rising from within her, "It's shameful how you think ill of me, though, considering that your friends are now your enemies because of me, that's a reasonable excuse..."
B RS let Icicle's words sink in for a moment before her body started shaking, causing the malevolent other self to arch an eyebrow as she watched the blue-eyed Anomaly start laughing, but it wasn't like the laughter that people would let out when they hear a funny joke or watched something that was humorous, B RS's laughter was apathetic and malignant unlike anything she has heard, and it was certainly jarring. Icicle kept her signature sword raised for when B RS starts attacking her again, but when the aforementioned Anomaly looked at her, the malevolent could see that B RS's blue eyes didn't hold the familiar sense of control as her eyes held a slight manic appearance to them, causing Icicle to wonder what exactly it was that managed to set the blue-eyed Anomaly off and make her become like this. It didn't make sense for someone like B RS to laugh at Icicle saying that the Anomaly's reason for being enraged by the malevolent other self's actions stems from her corrupting the four other selves and their real selves, nor stating that B RS saying things to her that went against everything that she is, so that left her at an impasse with no other choices laid out before her. B RS's laughter started to settle down as she reverted back to her impassive expression, all traces of that slight manic moment disappearing from her face as she straightened out her posture, keeping her Seven-Shots focused on Icicle as her own eyes narrowed at the malevolent other self, her blue crown glowing as traces of fire could be seen flickering around her left eye. Icicle could feel the intensity picking up around them and she could figure that whatever happens next will certainly mark down the following events, but she knew that she can't allow suck things to get to someone of her stature, especially since she's in a domain that's slowly succumbing to her rule, with the only form of resistance being the Anomaly that stands in defiance before her.
"The thing is, I can hardly care about them or whatever happens next, all I know is that you're dead, and if I'm not killing you, then I'll gladly watch you die," B RS told Icicle, no emotion betraying her as she freely spoke her thoughts, "And I'm going to destroy everything that you've corrupted and screwed around with, starting with myself, so consider your choices because in three seconds, a bullet-hole will appear on your forehead, and I can guarantee that this bullet won't come from my power..!"
"So you would toss aside your own friends, just for the sake of killing me..?" Icicle inquired, slightly off-guard by the blue-eyed Anomaly's proclamation, but she didn't allow whatever surprise she's feeling show upon her face.
"They're not my friends, not after what they've done under your control.. in fact, I don't think we've been friends ever since I got all of my memories back," B RS said, no hints of regret or melancholy seeping into her voice, "They just won't understand the complications behind this entire situation, and frankly, I don't want any of them to feel guilty, we're all created to bear of real selves' regrets.. and now that you've shown them how far they can go, it'll only be a matter of time until they realize the path they've taken is different from what they expected"
Icicle frowned, showing her displeasure to B RS, "You've still haven't answered my question"
B RS looked thoughtful for a moment before keeping her eyes focused on Icicle, her blue eyes reflecting a slight psychopathic thought process, "Well, that depends on how far you push Mato, because you're not the only one who craves destruction, but the only difference between us about that craving is that I'm aiming to rip apart whatever legacy you have, so have fun knowing that you don't have any true answer about Anomalies or my stance on hunting you down, because you won't live long for the answers to come to you..!"
Icicle instantly gritted her teeth at B RS's response and dashed towards the Anomaly, only to let out a yelp as she got kneed in the gut, which the blue-eyed Anomaly delivered when she instantly rushed towards the malevolent other self and struck, watching her opponent get knocked back by the force of the attack while Icicle felt the pain coursing throughout her body, her body hitting the ground before bouncing back a couple of meters. Icicle coughed from the power of the attack before recoiling at her actions as she slightly heard B RS walking towards her, wondering what's happening as she looked around the area, noticing how the buildings that looked pristine, are now falling apart as the ground started to rip apart, water seeping on to the road as the soft splashing of B RS's footsteps got louder. Grimacing, Icicle looked back at B RS as she tightened her grip on both swords, staring down the barrel of Seven-Shots before looking up at the blue-eyed Anomaly that's keeping her pinned at point-blank range with her gun, their eyes reflecting the adrenaline coursing through their bodies, along with the hatred that they shared for each other. There was no other move that Icicle could make as she focused on regaining control over the area, the damage that they caused being repaired by itself as the malevolent allowed herself to smirk before B RS, her confidence unwavering as she watched the blue-eyed Anomaly pull her finger back towards the trigger before stopping as it rested against the small piece of metal. Icicle's red-orange eyes only remained fixated on the gun, but the malevolent other self knows that B RS was either savoring the moment or realizing something, which didn't matter as everything got repaired and Icicle regained control over the area, ready to take the next step once the Anomaly makes her move.
"I know you're only one piece of the real Icicle that's making her moves against Geshumaru and Dragon Slayer, and I know that while you still have some sort of influence over the mind-scape, I can't do much," B RS told her, keeping the rest of her thought about that issue to herself and continuing on, "So, take this message and understand it, anything that you try to use against me with that piece of me that you ripped out won't work, and the more you stay in that body, the closer you get to losing all sense of yourself in terms of morality, so enjoy trying to comprehend everything that you just can't grasp"
B RS pulled the trigger and the bullet ripped through Icicle's head, but it was all for nothing as the malevolent other self vanished in a smoke composed of black wisps, the wisps disappearing into the night sky as B RS looked on with a frown on her face, unsatisfied with how everything ended, despite managing to send out her message and proclamation of hunting down Icicle until she's dead with no chance of ever coming back. Looking around, B RS could feel the emptiness of the street trying to suffocate her since this was a battlefield no less than fifteen minutes ago, but considering how much influence Icicle managed to get within a day of seizing control over everything except Rock, it wasn't leaving B RS any feeling of reassurance as she started to walk away while keeping her eyes focused on the sky. She could feel her form shifting as her hair grew out and her coat and bikini top replaced the tank-top that she was wearing, the greaves disappearing as she could feel her original boots covering her legs and feet, her skirt changing into shorts with two belts crossing over each other. B RS removed the transparent blue crown that rested on her head and watched it fade into blue specks up to the sky, her face taking a somber expression as she looked up as watched them fade away like the stars in the sky, each white dot getting succumbed into the black sky until the moon remained, glowing a brilliant white until it slowly changed to red. B RS tore her eyes away from the moon and looked ahead as she started thinking about what's next for her, walking away from the repaired area that only served as a reminder as to her current situation and the lack of progress she was making, until a thought crossed her mind that opened the realm of possibilities to her, causing the blue-eyed Anomaly to smirk as she continued her walk.
"That damn..!" Icicle muttered after snapping her eyes open, a hand reaching over to where a heart should rest, shock coursing throughout her body as she made her way out of the room she was in.
Icicle didn't care which room that she managed to stumble into as she brought up one hand over her left eye, exiting out of I.B RS's body before heading towards one of the far ends of the room as she heard the thump the body made when it dropped to the floor, but her mind wasn't focused on its conditions or her plans as she replayed what B RS said to her before she fired Seven-Shots, the blue-eyed Anomaly's attentions becoming clear to her slowly. Bringing her arms up to rest against the wall, Icicle placed her forehead on them as her thoughts focused on the blue-eyed Anomaly that seems to develop an unnatural focus on the malevolent other self, and despite Icicle not feeling the least bit unnerved by what she got told, it certainly didn't mean that her plans won't suffer under the Anomaly's hands if Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru manages to screw things over for her as well, leaving her at a conundrum. Hearing footsteps near her, Icicle turned around to face Gold Saw while forcing herself to push the thoughts that were at the forefront of her mind back, unwilling to give away anything that could give the red-eyed other self thoughts about her actions, despite knowing that Gold Saw can't really do much of anything except follow her orders like a soldier too blind to see the truth. Composing herself, Icicle pushed away from the wall and started walking towards Gold saw, who remained standing in one position as her red eyes focused on the malevolent other self that was nearing her, appearing calm and collected as usual, which was a stark difference from when she exited the room a few minutes ago. The atmosphere that surrounded the room they were in shifted slightly and Gold Saw took noticed of it, but chose not to say anything because it isn't her place to question Icicle's actions and everything that concerns the malevolent other self is her own business, which is what the horned other self reminded herself of as Icicle stopped before her, their eyes locking with one another.
"It seems that minor adjustments are necessary now," Icicle told Gold Saw as she raked through her hair while keeping her uneasiness at bay, "Either way, this does not change our current plans at the moment, so tell me, how is our little guest handling her situation considering how she wound up unconscious after abducting her..?"
Gold Saw didn't blink as she gave her response, "Kuroi Mato remains unconscious, but I don't expect it to last for long..."
"I see, in any case, that just gives us ample time to make use of, especially since Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru remains occupied with the hoard of civilians that I sent after them," Icicle commented, walking around Gold Saw and reentering the discarded shell again, getting up slowly from the floor, "Speaking of which, what is their condition since I've last saw them?"
"They are delivering devastating, but non-lethal attacks on the real selves, possibly to cut themselves a path without killing anyone," Gold Saw stated as she walked behind Icicle, keeping the same pace as her commander, "They don't know where we're located, but it won't matter if any progress they've made gets them closer to finding out where we all are..."
Icicle looked back at Gold Saw, a frown forming on her face, "Then we just have to progress quickly than they expect us to"
They stopped at a door placed to their left and Icicle opened it, stepping inside with Gold Saw as she took notice of Dead Master, Chariot, and STR looking at them before they refocused on the screen before them all, looking through it and staring down at the unconscious form of Mato, the three other selves wondering what the malevolent other self was planning before their thoughts strayed towards the horned other self that stood behind her. Things weren't making sense for them and their real selves' suspicion about Icicle having a hand in both Saya and Gold Saw's change in attitude kept growing the more that they watch the two interacting, just like a master to their slave or a commander to their subordinate, and their actions were certainly creating an unusual rift between them all as the three tried to focus on Mato's unconscious body showing signs of life. They all noticed how Mato's body twitched slightly before her arms started moving closer to her, her right hand moving closer to her head as she rubbed the side of her head while getting up slowly, getting to her knees as she blinked a few times before looking around with a confused expression on her face. Mato started getting up to her feet before walking around the dimly lit room, noticing four sealed off doors at one end of the room before spotting the mirror that only reflected her and the room's image, leaving her unaware of the five that was staring at her through the one-way mirror in a different room from the one that she's in. Mato walked up towards the mirror and laid a hand on it before she jumped back from the lights suddenly getting bright, causing her to recoil slightly in pain as she covered her eyes for a moment as they slowly adjusted to the lighting in the room, remembering what happened before as her confusion turned into instantaneous horror when everything started clicking in her head.
"No, there's no way that this is happening, not now..!" Mato muttered to herself as she looked around with wide eyes, trying to find an exit.
Mato could hear slight feedback before a voice reverberated through a speaker above her, "Oh, but it is.. welcome to your hell Kuroi Mato, you were rather defiant and said that you would rather burn in hell, so why don't I make that become reality.. to a certain degree..."
"What are you planning Icicle..?!" Mato shouted, her anger getting overwhelmed by the fear growing within her.
Icicle kept her finger on the button before she leaned in and focused, "Now why would I tell you that, after all, it's better for me to watch you squirm as you try to expect what's coming next, so enjoy these following minutes to yourself, because it'll be the last time you ever feel the same way..!"
Icicle removed her finger and turned around before walking away, "Make sure to keep her tensed and paranoid, I need to take care of a few minor details before I return, so do not fail, or you'll wound up like the Spirit Eater.. pierced, beheaded, and submerged in magma..!"
Gold Saw didn't flinch like the other three other selves as Icicle left the room, leaving them with their current task in their hands until she returns from whatever she's has to get done, the malevolent other self's threat fresh in their minds as they kept looking through the mirror and stared at Mato, who merely settled in walking around the room while she kept a terrified and unsure expression on her face as her eyes occasionally darted towards the four sealed off doors on the other side of the spacious room.
"Dragon Slayer, wait up..!" Geshumaru shouted as she watched the amber-eyed Anomaly make quick work of the crown around them, separating the people who were trying to block their way through the streets.
While Geshumaru was grateful for Dragon Slayer holding back her power so she doesn't wound up killing a real self as they tried to escape the hoard that's trying to surround them, she could tell that the amber-eyed Anomaly was more than just pissed at Icicle for abducting Mato out of nowhere and leaving them helpless as they watched on, she was beyond livid as Dragon Slayer continued swinging her broadsword every way possible, managing to spread out the people like she's parting the red sea. The crowd full of people could only express shock as Dragon Slayer keeps on pushing them away as both she and Geshumaru kept on running down the road, more focused on escaping and collecting themselves away from prying eyes instead of hunting down Mato at the moment, even though the latter was a more pressing issue for them all things considered. It was always at the most inconvenient times that Icicle manages to show up and screw with them all, and it had to happen when Geshumaru and Dragon Slayer managed to work together to take down and force their former friends into defeat, and the blue-eyed Anomaly couldn't help wondering if this was another hole that they managed to make since the malevolent other self managed to capitalize the moment they were easing away from their adrenaline rush. Geshumaru snapped back to reality as she noticed Dragon Slayer pivoting on the balls of her right foot, her body turning as she swung her sword at the crowd around them, the amber-eyed Anomaly's attack spreading out and forcing Geshumaru to jump above it so she avoids getting sent back, because the last thing any of them wants is to add more to their list of problems that just continues to grow without any chance of stopping. Now having a wide open space at the moment due to Dragon Slayer's attack pushing everyone but the two Anomalies away, which bought them enough time to jump up to the rooftops and make their way out of the downtown area, the crowd getting back up and trying to spot both Anomalies that were rushing through the air, not giving anyone a chance to find out where they are.
They could hear the faint rumbling of footsteps passing by them as they hid behind the dumpster, Dragon Slayer keeping her eyes narrowed throughout the moment before relaxing as the sounds passed them by, "Well, that was eventful.. I could go further, but this really isn't the best time for such comments, especially with Icicle managing to outplay us again..."
"We should head deeper into the alley, just so we don't get caught when they spot us," Geshumaru told her, feeling the adrenaline subside as she got up, her back still pressed up against the dumpster, "Besides, being up close to the dumpster here reeks..!"
Dragon Slayer rolled her eyes as she moved away from the dumpster, "Oh please, this isn't even the worst thing I've ever smelled..."
"Really, and what is, rotting corpses..?" Geshumaru jokingly asked as she allowed herself to laugh, which was only accompanied by the silence that Dragon Slayer gave her in response to her question.
Dragon Slayer walked past Geshumaru as the blue-eyed Anomaly's laughter died down, a slightly worried expression appearing on her face as the amber-eyed Anomaly spoke, "That isn't a bad idea if it means that we give ourselves some time to think where Icicle took Mato and how we go about things next, but that doesn't mean we can't proceed with extreme caution, especially since we have a whole city after us"
"Thanks for reminding me, I really needed one of the most obvious problems we're dealing with shot right back at my face," Geshumaru commented sarcastically before a serious demeanor enveloped her, "Frankly, Icicle seems to stay one step ahead of us and manages to capitalize on whatever issue comes up for us, since we're not exactly the best team when it comes to sticking to one things, especially with your own hidden objectives..."
Dragon Slayer merely smirked as they walked deeper into the alleyway, getting further away from the street, "Well, maybe with how everything is setting itself up, I can take advantage and kill two birds with one stone"
"It scares me how the implications really shine from that statement," Geshumaru commented, holding herself back from shivering outright.
"Well, let's focus on retrieving Mato from Icicle and let everything else fall into place, hm..?" The amber-eyed Anomaly asked as she looked down at Geshumaru.
They stopped walking and Dragon Slayer walked to one side of the alley before leaning up against a wall with her arms crossed, staring up at the blue sky with a contemplative expression on her face while her eyes dissected the checkerboard image that's plastered behind the clouds, noting how the black squares that appeared faintly the day they arrived in the real world are now more prominent in their appearance. Each day that passes only shows how Icicle's influence over the real world is becoming more prominent, whether it stems from forcing two realities together or controlling everyone in the city, much less the world if she managed to extend her power and influence that far enough, leaving the trio - which is now reduced to a duo again - in the dark in regards to her rule. Geshumaru could only stare at the amber-eyed Anomaly in curiosity, but her thoughts weren't that far from what Dragon Slayer is thinking at the moment, focusing on how Icicle seems to rip the group apart and show their disadvantages in their face without making a single comment, allowing her actions to speak for her every time they met and had to fight her. Geshumaru looked back at Dragon Slayer again for a moment before looking up at the sky with her, noticing the same thing that the amber-eyed Anomaly managed to spot while remaining deep within her thoughts, appearing catatonic to the world of the living as many ideas went through the older Anomaly, her mind tinkering around with them before discarding ideas that didn't sit right with her. Dragon Slayer grimaced and let out a small growl that managed to bring Geshumaru out of her thoughts and stare at the amber-eyed Anomaly, who pushed away from the wall and moved to the center of the alleyway, a frown plastered on her face as her thoughts slowly fell into disarray, unable to think of an idea as the image of Icicle sucking Mato into the shadows came to the forefront of her mind.
"It's annoying how I can't think of anything, damn it!" Dragon Slayer roared, silently grateful for them being deep in the alleys.
Geshumaru frowned as her eyes remained locked on the frustrated form of Dragon Slayer, "She really got to us, and we can't do a fucking thing because of her..."
[Maybe I can suggest something..?]
"Kanna, perhaps you should stay out of this one," Dragon Slayer told her before venting out her frustration on a wall, her covered right hand putting a harsh dent into the side of a building, "If only things could be more basic than this..!"
[Then think for a moment, Icicle managed to send those four after us, but we weren't following a set path, so how did she figure out where we'll be at..?]
Dragon Slayer stopped punching the wall as she let Kanna's words sink in, contemplating them for a moment before jumping up towards the rooftop, which caught Geshumaru off guard as she tried to recover from watching the amber-eyed Anomaly's sudden change in action before heading up as well, landing on the rooftop as Dragon Slayer headed towards one end of the roof. Her amber eyes scanned the visage horizontally while her mind replayed the words that Kanna said to her, trying to put the pieces together as she examined all the buildings that she could spot from her place, remained so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even hear Geshumaru walking towards her, her blue eyes focusing on the older Anomaly that was taking the city apart with her eyes while piecing together everything. Geshumaru knew in the back of her mind that Kanna had a hand in snapping Dragon Slayer from her frustration while opening up a path for them, and the blue-eyed Anomaly wasn't sure whether to thank Kanna from getting them back on track and stop worrying, or to worry about what will happen next once the amber-eyed Anomaly hones in on a possible location and start tearing it apart, the latter becoming more of a possibility as the older Anomaly's eyes started focusing on a few select buildings. Dragon Slayer could feel her body shiver with anticipation while picking up on Kanna's satisfaction as her amber eyes looked at the few buildings that she kept her focus on, keeping her gaze on the one dead in between the other two before looking to the one to her left, her eyes narrowing as every muscle in her body started tensing for a moment, which instantly sent a message to Geshumaru. They didn't have to say anything to each other as they jumped off the roof and started dashing towards the building that caught the amber-eyed Anomaly's attention, their actions capturing everyone that was hunting them down attention as well before the civilians bolted after them, the sound of their footsteps alerting the two Anomalies of their company and the potential actions that will follow.
Geshumaru grimaced at the crowd that's following them, getting slightly irritated at their actions, "And you would think that they would get the message the first time around..!"
"Killing them won't do anything for your psyche, so knocking them away or just knocking them out is the only alternative," Dragon Slayer stated as she brought out her broadsword and gripped it tightly in her right hand, "Besides, we don't want to distort everything when we beat Icicle and get everything back to its original state, and I won't risk anything when it comes to preserving balance..!"
"But this can't go on for the rest of the day, it'll make our task harder!" Geshumaru shouted towards Dragon Slayer, vocalizing her dismay over their situation.
"I know, but we can only-" Dragon Slayer started to say until an explosion caught their attention, prompting them to land on a roof and look back.
From what they could see, no one was seriously injured or anything of the sort, but their eyes remained fixated on the wall of fire that's preventing the crowd from going after them, but the two Anomalies knew that there's something more to the fire as they watched the embers that got flicked away from the tip burn off into a different color from the rest of the fire itself. While that alone managed to get their thoughts into a paranoid state, what the wall of fire is doing looks more like a blessing to them as they turned around and headed off towards the building again without everyone on their trail, despite the thought of the fire disappearing and reopening a can of worms running through their minds as they started covering a few meters at a time, making sure each jump is as accurate as the last one. They knew that every advantage that appears for them, whether its origins are suspicious or not, they should capitalize on it and make sure that it doesn't plant a knife in their backs, so whatever time they managed to gain from that moment, they knew that it will allow them to focus on getting into the building and trashing the place as they looked for Mato. Evey jump that they made got them closer to the building that their eyes remained transfixed on, but that was only one part of their situation as they could spot faint figures around the entrance to the building, the familiar lights digging into Geshumaru's mind while Kanna allowed Dragon Slayer an insight into what's waiting for them at the building. A surge of rebellion filled Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru knew that the amber-eyed Anomaly was ready to cause some trouble for the police, well aware of her mentor's disregard for common rules while remembering what she did when they were trying to escape the city and head to their hideout, so she could only hope that Kanna could hold back Dragon Slayer from sending everyone to the next millennium.
Oh, who was she kidding, considering how quickly Kanna adapted to everything that's going on, she's more likely to advocate for Dragon Slayer, and that thought managed to bring out a despondent groan from the blue-eyed Anomaly's mouth.
Rock groaned as the last bell rang for the day and she pulled up her head from her desk, wondering why she felt so tired since the morning and how she got back into her room after yesterday, her mind a complete blank since noon time as she couldn't remember anything after she got bullied by the three girls that first assaulted her in the hallway, and the story her "mother" told her didn't seem right in some way. She didn't look injured in any way and she doesn't feel ill or lethargic, so collapsing in class and having no recollection of what happened throughout the rest of the day seemed far-fetched and impossible, especially when the news talked about an explosion caused by a gas leak in the streets, which only set alarms that she chose not to vocalize when she was heading out. Getting up from her seat, Rock took her bag and started heading out of the classroom, focused on getting home and delving into her homework without giving her "mother" the chance to interrupt her so that they could talk, which is the only thing that manages to separate her from anything else since the woman's voice becomes quite inviting to her, she can't resist it. She could hear the faint murmurs coming from her classmates as she walked down the hall towards a nearby stairway, ignoring everything that they were saying as she knew somewhere in the back of her mind, they where only insulting her, spreading slander like a wildfire with no end in sight. Rock did keep her eyes focused on her classmates as she walked by them, keeping an eye on their movements as she headed down the stairs and reached the lower floor, making sure that she can reach the lockers without any problems because the last thing she wants to deal with is stress, and she would be eternally grateful if she get home without any problems.
"Besides, if it keeps me away from them, then that's fine by me," Rock thought to herself as she reached the lockers, not willing to waste any time.
It didn't take her long to swap out footwear before she started making her way out of the school along with a bunch of the other students, everyone filling up the yard as they slowly walked out to the sidewalk while the sun slowly set in the sky, the blue hues blending with the yellow undertones that's showing some signs of life above everyone. Rock let out a sigh as she looked up at the sky while her feet continued their steady pattern of steps, but something caught itself from the corner of her line-of-sight and she looked to her right, only to feel her eyes widen at the sight of her classmates physical appearance flicker like a ghost shifting through reality, which prompted her to take a few steps back and look around while she's still reeling from shock. The sound of everyone's footsteps became dull and muted except for one that was actually heading towards her, which prompted Rock to look towards the source of the footsteps approaching her, and she could feel her blood go cold at the person who was nearing her, her body reflexively moving back as a small headache started forming around the frontal lobes of her brain. B RS was aware that anything that Icicle did between their meeting and now will have a negative impact on Rock's mental mind-state, but that was the least of her concerns as she made her way across the yard, the area's appearance flickering between being normal and desolate, which was only worsening Rock's perception of everything that's happening around her. It didn't help that the people who were walking through the yard was staring at her with an intense hatred that could only stem from Icicle, but she knows that they can't interact with them as they're part of a different part of this fake reality that the malevolent other self managed to create, and since both B RS and Rock are one of the same, Icicle can't erase the former from the mind-scape.
"Who.. who are you..?" Rock asked, fear lacing around her words as her eyes remained fixated on B RS.
"What a stupid thing to ask, but then again, you really don't know the truth," B RS responded as she got closer, watching the physical manifestation of her soul stumble and fall to the ground, "I wouldn't worry much, you'll get the answers that you deserve.. even if you don't like them"
Rock could only put up a tough façade as she got stared down by B RS, "Th-the police will come after you, count on it..!"
"Of course she would erase your memories of last night, but I'll fix that, as soon as you're away from prying eyes," B RS told her as she picked up Rock from the ground while her eyes started glowing, an unnatural weight pushing down upon Rock until she was unconscious.
B RS bent down for a moment as she hoisted Rock on her left shoulder before getting back up and looking around, noticing the field was desolate expect for the three girls that tried to bully the girl hoisted on the blue-eyed Anomaly's shoulder, but B RS knew that there was more to them as the green-eyed teenager rushed towards her, her appearance changing into that of Dead Master, her scythe ready to rip her apart. B RS narrowed her eyes and focused on Dead Master before jumping up, avoiding the horizontal attack that the green-eyed other self launched, and landing on top of the weapon before she jumped over Dead Master and rushed towards the recently appeared Chariot, only for her to discard the opportunity and jump away as she noticed STR rushing towards her from the corner of her right eye. Staring at the three other selves that managed to group together and glare at her, B RS started weighing her options as they started making their way towards her, before setting on one option and bringing out her Seven-Shots, which caused a look of surprise to appear on the three other selves faces as she pulled the trigger and shot at them. B RS watched as a luminescent dome created from her gun started growing throughout the yard while pieces of the school cracked before breaking off, but she didn't stay where she was for the moment to watch the destruction that she's caused, opting to jump away and cover some distance before the blast clears out. She was nothing more than a speck in the horizon as the blast cleared and the dust slowly faded, revealing an irate Icicle standing in the center of a crater as her eyes darted around the horizon, trying to spot B RS within her line of sight so she could hunt her down, thoughts of her slowly ripping the blue-eyed Anomaly apart in a slow, methodical, but psychopathic way coursing through her mind as she made her way out of the crater.
"You want to hide, go ahead..!" Icicle thought as she walked out of the yard and into the sidewalks, watching multiple police cars zoom by her as she distanced herself from the school.
"This may very well be your mind-scape Shooter, but it's my world now, and my words are absolute to which you can't prevent me from obtaining what I want," Icicle said to herself as she looked up at the sky, a white full moon appearing before its shine dulled and the pure whiteness got stained by a red hue that overwhelmed it, "Face it, no matter how any of you go about it, I will always stay two steps ahead of you, Dragon Slayer, and anyone who opposes me..!"
Mato wasn't sure how many minutes passed since she woke up in the room she's walking around in and spoke to Icicle, and she could feel her fear and uncertainty being the only thing to join her as the thought that she's slowly losing her mind came to the forefront, causing her to stop walking mid-step as she tried to push away that sort of notion and try to focus on something else that didn't pertain to her current predicament. She knew that being in the lion's den was similar to being in the middle of a mine field, where one wrong move could send her straight to the grave without any chance to see her mother or little brother, and treading carefully through an unknown area doesn't exactly suit her mind state, considering that her hope of Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru rescuing her was slowly ebbing away. Heading towards one of the walls, Mato felt her back touch against it as she slowly slid down to the floor and place her forehead against her knees, content with resting as she tried to think of better times, times when she didn't have to worry about Icicle, Dragon Slayer, or Geshumaru when the Anomaly was still broken up over losing her real self and tried, and succeeded for a moment at killing B RS. The peaceful moment that Mato managed to develop for herself ended when she heard banging coming from the four doors on the opposite end of the room, prompting her to get up and stare at the sealed doors as bulges started forming on them, her eyes widening and flinching at each thunderous bang that resonated throughout the room. She didn't have to worry about it lasting for long as the doors got blasted from their hinges and flew towards her, forcing Mato to drop to the floor as one of the doors ripped through where she was once standing, smacking against the wall behind her before dropping to the floor with a resounding thud, which Mato felt grateful for at the moment as she got up until the feeling coursing through her disappeared at what walked out from the doors.
"They.. they look like.. smaller versions of Geshumaru's robot, but.. different..." Mato said to herself as her eyes locked on the four machines that stepped out into the spacious room.
The four machines that stood before her was roughly her height, each of them bearing some resemblance to Geshumaru's robot while remaining systematically different from one another, their forms showing mismatched arms as their biceps appears slim while their forearms appears bulky beyond what's comprehensible, save for two of them that have either a different arm or different hands from each other. Aside from the differences in their upper limbs, there was tubing glowing a specific color for each of them; purple, apricot, pink, and white glows emanated from the tubing as their eyes glowed their respected color, and Mato wasn't sure which one to focus on as they were staring at her like the mechanical wolves would with everyone, back when they hunted them down before Icicle started causing problems for them all. Mato sucked in a breath as she just kept her eyes focused on the machines' unmoving form, her eyes noticing white markings placed on their shoulders as she tried to step away from them, the giant white mark of "OS" etched into their armor along with a number, like a tattoo that was merely branding them as mere objects. For a moment, Mato thought that they were inactive given how the four machines weren't moving or really showing any signs of life, but that thought disappeared when the machine with the glowing pink tubes rushed towards her, raising its right arms as it split off into three separate limbs, trying to capture the teenager as it neared her. Mato ducked underneath the assault and moved away from the machine as she noticed the other three heading towards their comrade, their weapons appearing in different ways as a static noise resounded from the speakers above, and what came next chilled Mato to her bones as the full weight of her situation came crashing down upon her.
"Those four machines that's locking their eyes on to you, they're your fears and nightmares coming to life," Dead Master said through the intercom, and Mato was sure the green-eyed other self was even smirking as the words exited her mouth, "Have fun, because I know we will..."
The speaker resounded with more static before going silent, but what Dead Master managed to say to her before killing off any communication between them both didn't do much to settle the uneasiness that's boiling in her gut, which only intensified as she got caught up in the machine's assault when they started moving again and dashed towards her, their reactions mimicking that of other selves. OS-02 moved around OS-03 and charged towards Mato while spreading it arms out to its side, its hands turning into mere claw-like weapons as the machine slashed at Mato, who rolled to the right to avoid getting cut, but the following attack made by OS-02 managed to scratch deep into Mato's left arm, cutting through the jacket as blood started leaking from the wound. Mato let out a gasp as pain coursed through her arm, but she didn't let the pain distract her from her current problems as she dropped down to the floor as OS-04 fired at her, wielding a gun-blade of sorts that looks like it just came out of some anime that's airing, which reminded the teenager of the countless weapon possibilities that exist in the Otherworld when it concerns other selves and their specific weapons. As Mato got back up from the floor, she felt her jacket getting pulled back by someone before her vision started flickering from the swift kick OS-01 delivered to the back of her head, dropping the teenager to the floor as it knelt and leveled its right arm to her throat, a transparent blade barely grazing her jugular veins as her blue eyes locked to the soulless sockets that belongs to the machine's head. Mato struggled to push the machine's body off of her so she could break away and give herself a few seconds to think, but her plans slightly changed when static resounded from the intercom and a different voice spoke through the speakers.
"Face it, there's no hope for you, Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru aren't coming to rescue you, so accept fate and deal with it," Chariot told her before the connection went dead.
Mato tried to push Chariot's message away from the forefront of her mind as she glared at the machine that was ready to slit her throat, gritting her teeth before punching the machine's head repeatedly as the metal structure of its head dug and cut the teenager's hand, the pain interlacing with her fear and her growing aggravation at her situation. The machine continued pushing the blade further to Mato's jugular until one of the blue-eyed teenager's punches damaged its left optical sensor, prompting OS-01 to get off of Mato as its vision flickered from the beating that it received, unknowingly buying Mato some time to recover from the impromptu assault as her blue eyes locked on the other three machines standing in the room. OS-02 and OS-03 dashed towards Mato and flanked her from both sides with their weapons raised, OS-03 arms reaching out towards Mato and ensnaring her in its grip while its comrade proceeded to slash at her midsection, the claws drawing blood from the multiple cuts OS-02 was unleashing upon Mato, the teenager letting out a pained scream as her vision blurred while focusing on the ceiling. The assault stopped for a moment and Mato felt relieved for a moment until she realized why the attack stopped, which allowed her to focus her eyes on OS-04 as it made its way towards her, pointing its gun-blade at her before firing at the teenager, which only prompted Mato to struggle in her restraints in the few seconds that she had before she felt her body shift to the right, causing the attack to rip through one of OS-03's separated limbs. From there, it allowed Mato to use her freed left hand and rip at the limb that restrained her right hand as she noticed OS-04 preparing to fire again, which caused Mato's eyes to widen as she picked up her pace and put all of her strength to get out of that last restraint that's wrapped around her waist.
"Just.. leave me alone..!" Mato roared as she felt some breathing room around her waist and hopped over the limb as OS-04 fired.
The attack missed Mato by a good margin, but the accuracy and pin-point precision that OS-04 has only showed how deadly the attack was as the shot penetrated through OS-03's head, the former keeping its pursuit on Mato going as the latter fell to the floor, electrical sparks appearing from the bullet-hole in the center of OS-03's head as the pink glow emanating from the tubes died off. Mato could only let out a sigh before focusing on OS-04 as it rushed towards her, slashing its gun-blade at her with a precision that could only belong to an other self, but Mato didn't think too much on it as she was more focused on avoiding death, which only got complicated as OS-02 blindsided her with a swift jab to her back that had enough strength to possibly rupture something in her body. Mato felt her body halt for a moment due to the attack, which was enough for OS-04 to slash her across her chest, and the teenager could feel the pain rushing back at full force as her vision blacked out for a moment before returning, but that did nothing for her situation as the amount of blood she lost couldn't return to her, leaving her panting while struggling to stay conscious. She could hear footsteps nearing her from her right and struggled looking that way as her glazed eyes focused on OS-01, the machine inching towards her like a predator savoring the moment by eying its meal before striking, and Mato had that sinking feeling that in the following seconds that it's going to end. The sound of OS-01's approaching footsteps got drowned out by the static that resounded from the speaker, and Mato was sure that STR was going to say something over the intercom that would either increase her anger and fear, or leave her broken; Mato silently mused to herself as the seconds passed, but the voice that resounded from the speaker wasn't what she was expecting.
"Your life holds no significance anymore, your fears are the reason behind you being unable to move on, leaving you just as broken as B RS is," Gold Saw said, her voice chilling and monotonous as her words quickly drilled themselves into Mato's brain, "Perhaps I should meet with your mother, since it seems you're quite reluctant to show your misery, and I'm willing to push the limits if it benefits my mistress..."
Mato wasn't sure why her eyes snapped open or why her body felt like it was on fire, all her mind could focus on was the parting message Gold Saw left her and her own scream full of frustration, anger, and fear exited her mouth, all while she brought out the Rock Cannon and started firing around the room wildly, not even paying attention to the damage that she's causing.
"Expect Icicle to think of any possible safeguards to prevent us from infiltrating the building," Dragon Slayer remarked as she looked down at the building's entrance, noticing the police officers and the cars stationed right in front of the door.
[Frankly, I would say that this smells like a trap, but I would also say that Icicle's trying to play some mind games with us...]
"Agreed, Icicle's penchant for forcing people under her will is quite unnerving, so let's get moving," Dragon Slayer told Kanna as her looked back at Geshumaru, who was examining her katana while adjusting her stance to a non-lethal version, "Geshumaru, stay here for a moment, you'll know when it's time to head into the building so we can wreak havoc upon those who get in our way"
Geshumaru nodded as Dragon Slayer focused on the building's entrance before dropping to the streets below, her landing alerting the officers as they focused their firearms on the amber-eyed Anomaly, but their determination got turned into confusion instantly as Dragon Slayer started whistling a little nursery rhyme, keeping it slow pace as she walked closer to the barricade while taking her broadsword out. She kept the rhythm of the nursery rhyme slow as she swung her broadsword in a lackadaisical style, which only brought the officers out of their confused state as a joint clicking sound occurred, but the amber-eyed Anomaly didn't care about their reaction or if they are ready to shoot her, which only brought a frustrated groan from Geshumaru as she watched Dragon Slayer taking her time. Everyone could hear her reach the last three notes, but she didn't finish the song as instead of whistling the last note, Dragon Slayer adjusted her grip on her broadsword and slashed at one of the police cars, an explosion occurring as all the officers flinched and backed away from the destruction, but that took their focus away from the amber-eyed Anomaly, who jumped into the middle of the scene. Before any of the officers could react to Dragon Slayer's sudden movements, the amber-eyed Anomaly twirled her broadsword in the air for a moment before performing a complete circular slash, her powers expanding from the swift strike as a wave full of raw energy passed through the officers, doing nothing at first until they started falling to the ground as their consciousness left them. Geshumaru didn't waste any time reacting as she jumped off the building she was on and hurried towards Dragon Slayer, taking notice of the passed out officers before refocusing on the amber-eyed Anomaly, who seemed a bit lost in her thoughts before her amber eyes focused on the entrance for the building, which caused a look of complete determination to cross her face as she made her way towards the entrance.
"Dragon Slayer, just how much damage will we cause..?" Geshumaru asked as she kept up with the amber-eyed Anomaly.
"Oh, just enough to get through, find Mato, and cause Icicle an ulcer," Dragon Slayer remarked as they opened the doors and entered the building, noticing the various people standing with various office supplies, "Well, I don't get a chance to say this much, and probably for a good reason as our problems tend to stay within a unconcerning, albeit annoying, level.. but, bugger..."
[Well, shit.. just count our luck...]
"Fucking..!" Geshumaru let out before holding herself back, her grip around the handle of her Katana tightening ever so slightly.
It only took that one second for the two Anomalies to assess their situation before they start taking action by clashing with the horde of people in the lobby, blocking the attacks by making sure that they don't get stabbed while they bump their forearms with the person that they're trying to deal with, which was easier being said considering that they would normally have several people on them at the same time. Geshumaru grunted as she shoved someone away from her before noticing a woman nearing her with a pair of scissors, which prompted the blue-eyed Anomaly to block the attack with her katana, making sure it stopped where the blade connects with the guard before spinning her katana counter-clockwise, knocking the scissors out of the woman's hand before knocking her out with the butt of her grip. Hearing some clicking nearing her, Geshumaru stepped to the side and tripped the man who was trying to assault her with a stapler, which only drew a bored expression on her face as she proceeded to bat people away with swift physical attacks, only using her katana to knock whatever weapon people were trying to use on her. Even when she manages to take care of one group, there was always the next ones in line, just waiting to get a piece of her as they know no better due to Icicle's influence over them, but Geshumaru kept pounding away as she suppressed the urge to kill the people that's trying to kill her, but her situation was relatively minor compared to Dragon Slayer. The amber-eyed Anomaly couldn't help but note how there was more people coming after her than Geshumaru, and she knew that was an indictment on her and her powers since she gave Icicle one hell of a beating yesterday, all because she wanted to bring out something Dragon Slayer rather keep bottled up, and having that at the forefront of her mind wasn't helping matters as Dragon Slayer's defense shifted slightly before she kneed one guy in the gut.
She could feel the adrenaline coursing throughout her veins as she grabbed two of her assailants by their wrists and twisted them forcefully, drawing yelps full of pain as their eyelids slammed shut while they tried to pry Dragon Slayer's hands off of them, which was pointless as she tossed them to several people, knocking them all down to the floor. A manic-like grin was slowly forming on her lips as she turned to the next group that's rushing towards her, her body tense as they were a few feet from where she stood, and the amber-eyed Anomaly managed to cover the distance between her and them as she cocked her right hand back while she balled it into a fist. Kanna could see how Dragon Slayer is doing in her and Geshumaru's brawl against everyone who practically worked in a cubical inside the building, but the feeling of untapped malice and sadism caught her off guard as she watched the amber-eyed Anomaly knock out one person after another while her grin grew, but that only reminded Kanna what could happen. Dragon Slayer could hear someone approaching from behind her and turned to intercept the attack, the pen sliding in the crevice between her middle and ring fingers on her left hand, the amber-eyed Anomaly's hand closing around the other before she yanked the pen away before twirling it between her fingers, her mind complete lost in the rush until she felt her body stop moving from Kanna taking control. That sudden stop of her momentum snapped Dragon Slayer back to reality as she noticed the point of the pen coming within centimeters of the person's left eye, but she didn't let the shock take complete control as she shut her eyes and knocked the woman out with a swift punch to her left cheek, which got accompanied by a few sounds of bodies dropping to the floor several feet away from her.
Dragon Slayer took a moment to calm down and let the adrenaline rush subside before she turned to face a winded Geshumaru, "Well, we managed to get through that, despite them being persistent while using.. mundane items..."
"At least they're knocked out for now, I would hate to see them come back up and make this into a bigger mess later on," Geshumaru commented as she rolled her shoulders, feeling her spine crack from the sudden moment, "Shit, that hurts.. anyways, where do you think Mato is in this building, there's probably twenty to thirty floors and there's no way that we can search through all of them if they're nothing more than traps for us..?"
"Well then, take that guess and nail it in the middle, we'll figure it out from there since one of the upper floors was probably remade by Icicle for her own purposes," Dragon Slayer said as she and Geshumaru walked towards the elevators, before the older Anomaly stopped her junior from proceeding, "I suggest taking the stairs so you bypass any nuisances, besides, you can handle more close-quarters combat and clear a more accessible route for yourself"
Geshumaru frowned before walking away from the elevators, trying to find the door that leads to the stairway, "Just don't do anything stupid, alright?"
Dragon Slayer merely waved at Geshumaru with a smile on her face as she watched the younger Anomaly walk away, which she promptly dropped when she was sure Geshumaru couldn't see her, "Kanna, I know what you're thinking..."
[Dragon Slayer, you were a centimeter away from puncturing someone in the eye with a pen.. something isn't right with you...]
"I get it, I almost went against the rules that I set, but I managed to snap back to reality when you stopped my body," Dragon Slayer argued as she focused her gaze on the elevator doors before her, leaning up against the wall behind her, "Besides, it isn't like we haven't been in that sort of predicament before..."
[But this was different, you enjoyed the pain you were inflicting.. there's more than what you're letting anyone on to, you even went dead silent and change the topic when Geshumaru joked about the smell of a dumpster and dead bodies.. the hell happened in the past..?!]
"More than anyone should know," Dragon Slayer whispered, more to herself as she heard the sound of the elevator dings, counting them as she pushed away from the wall and straightened out her posture.
Her expression darkened as the elevator door before her opened before a chair got tossed straight towards her, prompting Dragon Slayer to take her broadsword out and slash at the incoming object in half without batting an eye, her gaze transfixed on the group of people that was exiting out of the elevator with various office supplies, which didn't call for any other expression from the amber-eyed Anomaly aside from boredom. The crowd started rushing towards her, but it was for naught as Dragon Slayer weaved through them and entered the elevator as the doors were closing, turning around in time to see the people who were trying to assault her drop to the floor, the only evidence behind their sudden collapse being the red markings around the knuckles of Dragon Slayer's left hand. Dragon Slayer looked over the buttons and thought about pressing the one next to the number "25", but decided to press the one that would send her two floors about the twenty-fifth floor before lifting her broadsword, penetrating the ceiling and cutting herself a passage before knocking the part to the side and jumping up out of the elevator and landing on top of it. She could feel her body getting forced up from the elevator speeding up to the floor, so she kneeled down to level herself as she took the piece she carved out from the elevator and placed it back, the angle of the hole she carved proving its benefits as the piece fit snuggly and left no impression unless someone took a hard look at it. She could feel the elevator coming to a stop before hearing a ding, which was then followed by footsteps entering the elevator, which prompted Dragon Slayer to grip her broadsword in her left hand while she grabbed the wires with her covered right hand, barely registering the sudden movement from the wires as she kicked the place that she carved out a piece from the elevator.
She could feel her lips curving upwards as the people who looked up through the hole appeared surprised, "Give Icicle my regards, you imbeciles..!"
Dragon Slayer kept watching the elevator go down the shaft until it stopped at ground level, where the lobby is, but she didn't let that before the focus of her thoughts as she loosen her grip on the wire a bit and slid down two floors before jumping, grabbing the small piece of ledging that she has before looking towards the wire, her eyes staring at it for a moment before she slashed at the wire and watched one half of it drop down below. With that taken care of, Dragon Slayer looked up at the sealed doors and brought her broadsword up and forced it through the tiny slit where both sides close off any access, watching the blade slowly moving deep inside and into the other side as the amber-eyed Anomaly tried to push the left door away, allowing her some room to work with as she pulled herself up and grabbed the right door with her right hand and forced it away. She could only keep both doors separated for a moment until she moved inside the twenty-fifth floor, which allowed her a moment to let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in, but considering what she and Geshumaru are dealing with, the amber-eyed Anomaly noted to herself that they were running out of ideas and that outsmarting Icicle is becoming a challenge now. Feeling worn out, Dragon Slayer moved towards a wall and leaned up against it as she tried thinking of ideas until Geshumaru came rushing around the corner, looking a bit winded, but the older Anomaly contributed that to the amount of running the blue-eyed Anomaly probably did, but exhaustion soon gave way to confusion and shock, which Dragon Slayer would laugh at if she had the drive for it. Figuring that she could put aside her rest for a bit longer, Dragon Slayer pushed away from the wall and looked at Geshumaru as the blue-eyed Anomaly made her way towards her, her expression unchanging as she looked from the corner that she just turned from, to the elevator doors, then back to Dragon Slayer.
"How the hell..?" Geshumaru let out, awe and dumbstruck laced in her words as she stared at her senior.
"A really detailed explanation that I rather not go into detail about, especially since we would just be wasting crucial time," Dragon Slayer told Geshumaru as she walked towards the elevator doors, which slammed shut after the amber-eyed Anomaly's stunt, "I'm going to destroy this so we can make our way up to the twenty-seventh floor, just give me several seconds to get this done"
Geshumaru nodded absent-mindedly as Dragon Slayer walked towards the elevator door with her broadsword in tow, but what the amber-eyed Anomaly told her snapped Geshumaru back to reality, "Hang on, what makes you so sure that Mato is up at the twenty-seventh floor..?"
"I would call it intuition, but that's partly correct since we have to figure Icicle's using a high floor to observe everything," Dragon Slayer as she slid her broadsword between the slit and started prying the elevator door open, revealing the dark shaft that had a severed wire hanging around the middle, "Besides, there was a group of people on that floor, probably serving as a last line of defense or something of the like..."
"Still, it really isn't helping me understand how you figured out that Mato is on the twenty-seventh floor," Geshumaru told her as she watched Dragon Slayer start digging her broadsword into the doors before slashing them apart.
Before Dragon Slayer could comment, they both heard a muffled scream before a rumbling prompted them to drop to the floor, their eyes gazing up as they watched tiny parts of the ceiling drop to the floor before they broke apart, but they both knew that whatever is going on is beyond what's normal and the scream wasn't on the same frequency that they're used to hearing in the real world. They looked at each other for a moment before getting up and jumping into the shaft, Dragon Slayer quickly grabbing the wire before grabbing Geshumaru and tossing her up so she got something to grab on without the worry of having no space, despite the sudden actions dropping Dragon Slayer down a bit before she tightened her grip on the wire. Geshumaru looked down at Dragon Slayer before she started climbing up with the amber-eyed Anomaly trailing below her, feeling the building shake as a muffled thunderous sound managed reverberate throughout the shaft, a sound that only grew louder as they continued to head up to the door that would get them into the twenty-seventh floor. It took them several minutes to reach the twenty-seventh floor and Dragon Slayer was ready to risk her life to reach the small ledge, but she scrapped that plan when she saw the doors get annihilated by a blue beam that streaked across from them, but with an opening now available for them to make use of, Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru jumped to the now open floor and started looking around. It didn't take long for them to find Mato considering the destruction that she caused, but it looked like they stumbled into the middle of something as they noticed four charred mechanical bodies while Gold saw was walking up to the teenager, and before Geshumaru could even react, Dragon Slayer was already between the red-eyed other self and Mato, and the look in her eyes was already telling the message to the remaining three other selves.
"Don't even try it, unless you want to die," Dragon Slayer warned, her amber eyes narrowing as she raised her broadsword, while noticing Geshumaru reaching her from the corner of her vision.
"How amusing, a shame that it couldn't continue," Everyone heard as Icicle materialize in front of Gold Saw, her eyes locking with Dragon Slayer's.
Dragon Slayer couldn't resist the urge to smirk, but she could swear that her eyes lost a bit of their spark as she glared at Icicle, "Well, it seems the entire cast has come together, save for one that you put out of commission..!"
"Sacrifices are necessary for everything to progress, and despite whatever you try to carry out, it won't change the result when it all occurs," Icicle told her, her violet eyes flashing red-orange before reverting back to their base color, "I know that you won't risk the status quo by doing something that shifts everything, and that leaves you with no leverage"
[Dragon Slayer, I know that this is going to piss you off, but we do have something...]
"I know, I'm all too aware of it," Dragon Slayer told Kanna as she lowered her guard for a moment, until everything that happens in the following seconds throws everyone into a loop.
Before anyone could react to Dragon Slayer's actions, the aforementioned Anomaly turned around and grabbed Mato by the collar of her jacket before dragging the girl up while turning again, bringing the teenager in front of the amber-eyed Anomaly as she raised her broadsword up to Mato's neck, the blade barely touching the jugular as everyone looked on in shock due to the sudden shift in the predicament that's before them. Icicle tried to understand what exactly was happening before her as she glared at Dragon Slayer, which lasted until her glare turned into a gaze full of confusion as she noticed how Dragon Slayer's eyes bore no unique spark and appears as lifeless as her own, and what really punctuated the point the amber-eyed Anomaly was making was how she wasn't showing any signs of hesitation or unwillingness. Mato could feel how the entire room dropped in its temperature, and she knew that the holes that now allows the autumn breeze wasn't responsible for it as the four other selves behind Icicle appears ready to attack, and the only thing that was holding them back from doing anything was the hand that Icicle brought up to stop them from doing anything irrational. Even with that kind of reassurance from the enemy, Mato still felt like her life was hanging just by a thread due to the Anomaly that kept her broadsword up close to her neck, and she knew enough about Dragon Slayer to know that when she want to show how dangerous she can become, she will let it show. Geshumaru wasn't sure what to make about everything that's happening before her since her mind could only think it's some twisted form of an alternate reality, but that thought got blown out of her mind as she picked up on the aura Dragon Slayer was letting out, and she knew something was different as it wasn't the same one that she had when the Spirit Eater reawakened.
The aura around Dragon Slayer wasn't just menacing, it also felt hollow and dead like something died and is still living without reason or morals to guide it.
"You see, I'm well aware of how important Mato, or specifically B RS, is to your plans, and it's an elaborate plan if I say so myself," Dragon Slayer told Icicle, moving the broadsword closer so the blade is actually touching Mato's jugular, "But it's nothing more than a tower with no support, one that can collapse if struck at its weakest point, which is now Mato since you couldn't get B RS in your grasp"
Icicle reined in her emotion and put up a mask of indifference as she thought about how to salvage the situation, "You wouldn't kill her, there's too much for you to lose as well"
"Wrong," Dragon Slayer said as she cut Mato's throat, drawing a tiny amount of blood, "I only have to make the slit a centimeter deep to kill her, that's a mere millimeter, and I made sure to avoid any vital veins, but that doesn't mean I'll deliberately miss next time"
Mato thought she was going to bleed out until the damage healed itself, probably from the physics of the Otherworld that's still integrated with the real world as Dragon Slayer continued talking to Icicle, "Believe me, I wouldn't mind if Mato died, but it's my job to make sure the so-called status quo isn't altered drastically, but that doesn't mean I can't make exceptions"
Geshumaru could only look back and forth between Dragon Slayer and Icicle until her eyes locked on the latter as the malevolent other self suddenly spoke after a tense moment, "... Let them go..."
The four other selves looked at Icicle in shock as Dragon Slayer spoke, "You'll regret that decision, since you know that either way, you lose; Geshumaru, let's go, we overstayed our welcome..!"
Dragon Slayer put down her broadsword and hoisted Mato over her right shoulder as she jumped out from a broken window, Geshumaru following behind her before looking back at Icicle and the four other selves that just watched them run away, knowing that at the back of her mind, the malevolent other self wasn't going to stand by and let what just happen go since she was finally outplayed by Dragon Slayer. Geshumaru refocused on Dragon Slayer as her mind drifted back to the unnatural aura that the amber-eyed Anomaly was releasing, which scared her for a reason that she couldn't understand since it isn't something that she would normally pick up in the Otherworld, especially since the Otherworld was a battlefield in its own right, and that alone circumvents any possibilities about the older Anomaly. Her thoughts then shifted towards Mato, who was trying to break away from Dragon Slayer's grasp as the two Anomalies landed on a building's rooftop, causing it to crack from their landing while straining their muscles and possibly breaking their ankles as they started dashing away, trying to put some distance between them and Icicle. As they started dashing from rooftop to rooftop, Icicle looked on with narrowed eyes as her violet eyes turned completely red-orange, and the four other selves could see frost and icicles forming along the walls and the ceiling, which only showed how infuriated Icicle was with the predicament and how she despised being placed in a no-win situation. The malevolent turned around and looked at the four other selves as they froze from the intensity that belonged to her stare, but it only lasted for a short amount of time for one of them as Gold Saw managed to recollect herself as a stab of pain coursed through her brain, which caught STR's attention, despite her focus being centered on Icicle.
"Hunt them down, kill Geshumaru, retrieve Kuroi Mato, and leave Dragon Slayer broken just enough for me to kill her myself," Icicle ordered, her anger burning through the malevolent other self's signature calmness, "I'm done playing games, this world will meet its end, and I won't let them make a mockery out of me..!"
Gold Saw nodded before slashing at air with her King Saw, opening a rift before she and the other three other selves entered before the rift sealed up behind them, leaving Icicle by herself to stew in her thoughts for a moment before she faded into multiple black wisps that rushed out of the building.
Rock groaned as her eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the darkness of the room, which had a bit of light filtered into the room from boarded up windows that allowed only a small opening for light, but what caught the girl off guard was how the room looked like it hasn't been maintained for hundreds of years with broken walls and a cracked ceiling that looks like it's ready to fall apart on whoever is in the room at the time. Figuring that it isn't a good idea to stay in the room unless she wants the ceiling to fall on top of her, Rock got up from the room's floor and made her way out through the hole in the wall, wounding up in a hallway that's in a similar condition to the room, but she didn't let her focus center on the hallway's appearance as she started walking, wondering if there's an exit somewhere. She only spent about a couple of minutes walking through the hallway until she exited out into a spacious room that had pictures plastered all over the wall, a table placed up against the wall that had several armaments placed on top of them, and her mind tried to understand where she is until she looked up and noticed the photos placed on the wall before her. For a moment, Rock didn't react to them until a burning sensation started occurring around her temples, which caused her to subconsciously step away from the wall as her eyes slammed shut and her hands gripped her head, wishing that the migraine would disappear as she felt something trickle down from her nose. The feeling started to pass as she heard footsteps nearing her, which prompted Rock to open her eyes and look up at who approached her, only to recoil in shock as she stared at an exact copy of herself, aside from the clothes that she way wearing, which was a bit to revealing for the teenager when she watched her counterpart just stare at her.
B RS merely cocked her head to the left as she continued staring at Rock, "Aren't you going to wipe off the blood dripping from your nose..?"
"Ah," Rock let out in surprise as she started wiping the blood from her nose before she stopped, her common sense taking control as she stepped back from B RS, "Wait a minute, you're the girl who kidnapped me from school..!"
"Glad you can remember me that far back, but it isn't the first time we've met," B RS told her as she gazed at the photos that Rock was looking at a moment ago, "Frankly, I'm not surprised that Icicle did this much damage and kept us separated, even though it's not suppose to happen"
Rock felt her anger shift to that of confusion as she watched B RS walk up to the table, "What.. Icicle, separation, what are you..?"
B RS looked back at Rock for a moment before turning around completely, a grim expression on her face, "The person you so adorably call 'kaa-san' is called Icicle, and you're not human, you're a part of me.. you're my soul"
Rock wasn't sure if what she just heard was B RS telling a joke or being completely serious, but the moment her eyes focused on her counterpart's harden expression, she knew in the back of her mind that the blue-eyed Anomaly before her wasn't joking, which caused the blue-eyed teenager to laugh nervously as she took a couple of steps back while anxiety started showing itself on her face. B RS watched Rock mumble to herself that everything that she's seeing and hearing is just one big dream and that if she closes her eyes, the dream would end, which only drew an annoyed look from the blue-eyed Anomaly as she picked up her Black Blade and made her way towards her counterpart, her eyes withholding crucial information that would give away what she's planning. Rock could only look up in time to see B RS grabbing her left arm before hacking it off with her Black Blade, which caused the teenager's initial dissonant thoughts to shift to that of agony as she clutched whatever remained of her left arm as blood started spraying out, hitting the floor while she let out a scream. Rock felt her knees buckle before she collapsed on them to the floor, tears streaming down her face as she felt herself choking up from what just happened, which left her unaware of B RS kneeling down towards her before the blue-eyed Anomaly rested her hands on her shoulders, her eyes reflecting a calmness and knowledge that went beyond just her age. Rock wanted to move away from the person that just slashed her left arm off like it was nothing to her, but there was something that prevented her from moving from where she was, and she couldn't understand what was preventing her from moving away, despite her fear towards B RS making itself more prominent with every passing second they stay in the same room.
"Stop crying, it's alright," B RS told Rock, remaining emotionless as she spoke to her personified soul, "None of this is even real, especially you losing your arm..."
Rock pushed B RS away with her right hand, tears still leaking from her eyes as she could feel the pain coursing through her body, "Shut up.. just, go to hell..!"
B RS gritted her teeth as she grabbed Rock by the collar of her uniform, her eyebrows furrowing from irritation, "Listen to me, this isn't the real world, this is your mind being manipulated into thinking this is the real world, and the only thing that's preventing you from understanding that is you think that all this is real and that you're dying, but you're fine.. look!"
Rock's eyes snapped open as she screamed at B RS, but it died off as she saw B RS holding her left arm, and the only thing that prevented her from screaming or reacting wildly again was that her left arm was still a part of her body, which prompted Rock to look around the floor as she noticed the lack of blood that stained the floor when her counterpart slashed her arm right off of her bicep. The pain that Rock once felt vanished instantly as she focused on her left arm before she started flexing it when B RS let go of the limb, which got her brain running as she tried to comprehend how she could lose her arm one moment and have it back the next, but the thoughts trailed off as B RS's words sank into her mind as she got up from the floor, feeling a headache forming from what she's discovering. Before she could think further on what's going on, she heard the copious sounds of sirens blending together as it got louder, which prompted her to rush up to one boarded up window and look through the slim opening, her eyes fixating on the police cars that was nearing the building that's she's in with B RS. She heard footsteps nearing her from behind as B RS looked through the slit too before letting out a grunt full of irritation, the blue-eyed Anomaly walking away from the window as she made her way back to the table and waved her hand over the weapons laid out, the weapons breaking into transparent blue shards before they disappeared like flames dying out. B RS started making her way out of the room when she felt a gaze focusing on her back, but she didn't turn around to face Rock as her mind focused on Icicle and how much of an annoyance the malevolent other self became, though, she did look over her shoulder as her left eye focused on her counterpart.
"They're after you and me for different reasons, so I'll leave you this choice," B RS told Rock as she turned her head away, "You can go back down and accept the reality that you perceive it as, or you can look at those photos and remember who you actually are, because I can guess the next several minutes will set the path for everything, and it all comes down to you.. B RS..."
Rock watched B RS walk out of the room, figuring that the blue-eyed Anomaly was going to fight off the horde of officers lining up outside as she went over the choices that her counterpart laid out for her, taking a moment to go over everything that happened before coming to her decision.
Mato spat out the blood that managed to lodge itself in her throat the moment Dragon Slayer dropped her to the ground when they hid in the trees with Geshumaru, feeling how hoarse her voice became from Dragon Slayer's actions against her, despite them clearing up slowly from B RS's body regenerative abilities, which were working to patch up her vocal cords while removing any evidence of the amber-eyed Anomaly's attack. When everything was happening, Mato remained focused on her fear of suddenly dying without saying any last words to her family to not notice the aura that the amber-eyed Anomaly was releasing, but now that they were away from everything and managed to get a break, she could feel her body shivering from the aura that still surrounded Dragon Slayer, which only weakened slightly after all that happened. The person in question walked up to a tree before leaning up against it and having her eyes focus on the sky above, where the checkerboard pattern was more prominent than from when they returned from the Otherworld, which only managed to deepen a frown that rested on the older Anomaly's face. Geshumaru looked at Dragon Slayer with a frown while resisting the urge to shiver from the same aura that caused several thoughts to form in her head, but she pushed away the thought of confronting the amber-eyed Anomaly about it and focused on Mato, walking up to the teenager who had her right hand up to her neck, her fingers brushing up against her jugular. Geshumaru bent down and rested a comforting hand on Mato, which caused the teenager to look up at the blue-eyed Anomaly with slightly wide eyes, her mind whirring from everything that happened until one thought pushed its way to the forefront of her mind, prompting Mato to push Geshumaru away as she turned her head to the left and threw up.
"Ah, Mato.. what's wrong..?" Geshumaru asked as she watched Mato cough, the teenager's eyes slightly red while she put a hand up to her head, feeling her brain pound against her skull.
"I.. There were four machines, and they.. looked like yours Geshumaru, but they weren't normal," Mato said as she felt herself gag slightly, her eyes watering, "It was like.. they were other selves, but that's.. not possible, right..?"
They both heard a growl and looked towards Dragon Slayer, who pushed away from the tree, "Icicle has done deplorable things, but taking the soul of an other self and housing it in a body of metal.. she truly wanted to push boundaries, just to piss me off..!"
Mato felt like throwing up again as she brought a hand up to her mouth, which prompted Geshumaru to rest her hand on the teenager's back while focusing on the amber-eyed Anomaly, "The hell, just what's going on Dragon Slayer.. machines with other selves souls, that aura around you; you could have killed Mato.. the fuck is happening, hun..?!"
"This is a war and unnecessary sacrifices are occurring, all because with one simple command, Icicle can turn this world inside-out," Dragon Slayer told Geshumaru, her amber eyes narrowing as they glowed gold, "There are limits to everything, but she wants to cross them so there's nothing obstructing her rule, and I won't stand for someone who will do inhumane actions for her own sick greed..!"
"And what does that make your actions, justifiable..?" Geshumaru roared back, her eyes glowing for a moment before they widened, her focus being directed towards the sky.
Mato looked at Geshumaru in confusion, wondering what was going through the blue-eyed Anomaly's mind until her focus shifted to Dragon Slayer, who was looking up at the sky with narrowed eyes, which prompted the teenager to look up as she watched a rift open in the sky, causing her eyes to widen as well as she watched Gold Saw land somewhere with Dead Master, STR, and Chariot. Dragon Slayer gritted her teeth as she tightened her grip on her broadsword, and she was ready to go charging in until she felt her body freezing up on her, which drew confused looks from the remaining two in the group until they realized that Kanna is probably enforcing her control over the amber-eyed Anomaly, and it was probably a good thing for all of them. They watched Dragon Slayer's expressions shift from anger to disgust, until it slowly shift into an understanding look, with the aura that surrounded her disappearing slightly as she started cooling down and recollected herself, which allowed Geshumaru to let out a breath that she was holding the moment she and Mato saw Dragon Slayer making her way through the trees. The amber-eyed Anomaly let out a sigh full of irritation as she scratched the back of her head wildly while looking to the side, her thoughts focused on something else until she heard an explosion occurring several meters away from where they are at, which prompted her to click her tongue while Geshumaru snapped her head towards the trees, wondering what exactly the four other selves were doing. With a pointed look directed at Mato which practically told her to stay put, Dragon Slayer charged through the trees with Geshumaru with their weapons drawn, the amber-eyed Anomaly ambushing Chariot before locking blades with Gold Saw, all while Geshumaru defended herself from a vertical slash from Dead Master as she raised one foot to stop STR's punch.
"Well, isn't this a sign of everything falling apart before Icicle's eyes," Dragon Slayer said, a smirk gracing her lips as she reverted back to her normal attitude, "Let's see if her lap dogs can show their bite.. care to lead by example, Gold Saw..?"
Geshumaru looked towards Dragon Slayer with a slightly worried expression as she pushed away Dead Master before jumping up, causing STR's attack to sail below her, "Dragon Slayer, while I'm glad that you're back to normal and not an emotionless psychopath, please don't make our situation bigger by baiting them.. we're already in enough trouble as is..!"
"So it doesn't change a thing," Dragon Slayer remarked as she jumped back, watching Gold Saw's movements as the red-eyed other self rushed towards the amber-eyed Anomaly from the right.
Dragon Slayer shifted slightly to the left before striking at Gold Saw the moment when the red-eyed other self launched her attack, their swords striking each other before bouncing back from the recoil, but that didn't stop them from slashing away as they tried to match the other in pure strength and skill, which only bought Chariot enough time to recover from the amber-eyed Anomaly's ambush before she dashed towards her. Dragon Slayer noticed Chariot from the corner of her right eye and turned clockwise slightly, grabbing Chariot's sword with her right hand before pushing it away as she tried to counter Gold Saw's attack, which only got complicated as Chariot recovered quickly and started launching her own strikes, forcing Dragon Slayer to push away from the two other selves. The amber-eyed Anomaly could feel her anger rising slowly and tried to rein in her emotions before it got the best of her, and she's all too aware of the aura she was releasing before when she placed Icicle in a troublesome situation, but she isn't willing to risk everything to make use of that mindset and get them all through this fight. Sighing to herself, Dragon Slayer stabbed her broadsword into the ground before twisting the grip, which caused the blade to split off into five different parts due to an internal mechanism, but she wasn't done as she pulled out a sword from inside the external blade mechanism, which bears resemblance to a claymore as Dragon Slayer started walking up to the two other selves. The amber-eyed Anomaly merely smirked before swinging the claymore with one hand, which appeared to have no effect until Gold Saw raised her hand to her right cheek, feeling something warm soaking her skin as she pulled her hand away, noticing the red blood that was flowing slowly, which managed to draw a smirk from Dragon Slayer.
"Don't expect me to make use of this all the time, it's the reason it has an external blade," Dragon Slayer told them before having a thoughtful look upon her face, "Well, aside from making me feel comfortable wielding a broadsword, can't go too far off my personal choice for a weapon"
Chariot scoffed, which inadvertently caused her to discover a clean rip on her right sleeve, "So, you think that just because you're powerful and smart, that it makes you god..?"
The first response to Chariot inquiry caused both her and Gold Saw to jump back as a small crater appeared where they once stood, with Dragon Slayer glaring at her, "There are no gods, and I don't think of myself as one, I just think of myself as one of the reasons why your so-called gods is going to fall from her pedestal, and count on me smiling as she watches everything fall apart..!"
Gold Saw narrowed her eyes at Dragon Slayer's words before charging towards the amber-eyed Anomaly, who did the same as they both wound up clashing their swords against another, sparks flying as they traded blows while trying to dissect the other's defenses, which was only complicated when Chariot joined in and forced Dragon Slayer to focus on two enemies instead of just one. As Dragon Slayer continued her fight against both Gold Saw and Chariot, Geshumaru focused on Dead Master as she tried to avoid the slashes the green-eyed other self was directing at her, all while keeping an eye on STR when the white-haired other self finds an opportunity that she can try to capitalize on, which is slowly irritating her to no foreseeable end. Geshumaru twirled her katana in her right hand before using it to parry Dead Master's next swing, which allowed her a small window to focus on STR as she watched the white-haired other self cock her right arm back before swinging, which forced Geshumaru to lean back and hope that the attack doesn't connect and send her flying across the park. The giant metal fist went sailing over Geshumaru's face as she let out a breath that she was holding for the moment, letting a couple of seconds pass them by before the blue-eyed Anomaly made her way out into open space before she launched her attack, slashing away at the air as multiple waves of concentrated energy rushed towards the two other selves. Geshumaru watched the two separate as her attack struck where they were once standing at, leaving nothing but cuts in the ground as the two other selves tried to recollect themselves, which allowed Geshumaru to focus on one of them for a small amount of time before she has to deal with them together, and taking care of STR first would certainly make some of her problems disappear.
STR raised her Ogre Arms to block Geshumaru's attack, her eyes narrowing at the blue-eyed Anomaly, "You really think that everything will fall apart that easily..?"
"You know that this isn't right, even if you're under Icicle's control," Geshumaru shot back at the white-haired other self, feeling Dead Master nearing them, "Icicle's plans only has the end of everything as the main focus, and you're all expandable.. there's probably something that doesn't make sense to you all..?!"
STR looked to the side, which caught Geshumaru a bit off guard, "There is.. but it doesn't concern you!"
Geshumaru could feel her body getting pushed back due to STR pushing her away, so the blue-eyed Anomaly dug her heels into the ground while trying to force more power into her attack, watching her katana slowly dig into STR's Ogre Arms, but the moment didn't last for long as Dead Master reached them and tried to slice Geshumaru's head right off from behind. Geshumaru grunted before jumping back as Dead Master's scythe almost struck her, jumping back in time with the green-eyed other self's rotation as she stared at both of her opponents before glancing towards Dragon Slayer, who was struggling with Gold Saw since Chariot would take advantage of the small gaps and try to strike the amber-eyed Anomaly when she isn't focused on her. As they continued fighting against their respective opponents, Mato walked towards the tree line and watched the fight unfold as Dragon Slayer ducked a horizontal slash from Chariot while Geshumaru blocked they various punches STR was launching at her before stepping to the side to avoid getting bisected by Dead Master. She watched the fight with a morbid interest as she kept herself crouching while looking above the bushes to keep her eyes locked on the fight, but her attention shifted slightly as she shivered, which only caused her to wonder why it just got cold suddenly until she felt someone standing behind her, which only magnified when she noticed a familiar shadow shrouding her from the sunlight. Mato tried to look behind her, but to no avail as she felt her body rise from the ground as Icicle tightened her grip on the jacket's collar, stepping out into the park and causing both Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru to stop fighting, which caused them to get captured and pinned down to the ground with weapons pointed at them.
"It seems that this is where everything leads to an end, and it will certainly be the end that I've planned out," Icicle said, directing it more towards Dragon Slayer, "I knew about Mato's obstinacy towards killing other selves, so I picked four other selves and harvested their souls, and the result was already displayed before all of us..."
Dragon Slayer growled as she narrowed her eyes at Icicle, "You.. you bitch..!"
"So much for the status quo, and now it's time to finish this overdrawn act," Icicle said as she raised her left hand while Mato struggled against her grip.
Before Mato could understand what was about to happen, she felt something stab into her body before her eyes glazed over and her mind started swimming in the sea of unconsciousness, but she thought that she heard two distinctive screams before she passed out.
"You chose to start a war, and I'm going to end it Icicle," B RS said as she stepped outside, her eyes narrowed as she glared at all the officers before her.
B RS saw the officers straighten out before they pulled the trigger, firing away at nothing but dust as the blue-eyed Anomaly jumped up into the air while bringing out her Rock Cannon, pointing it down at them before she started firing copious shots down below, her attack hitting the cars and causing them to explode while forcing all the officers to back away from the ruined cars. The smoke that rose from the flames obscured all the officer's vision, and it would prove fruitless as B RS descended upon them with her eyes glowing and her Black Blade gripped tightly in her right hand, the blue-eyed Anomaly landing on one of the cars before jumping down and striking one of the officers as he managed to clear his eyes. B RS looked to her right and dashed towards two officers that managed to recover and were pointing their pistols at her, but before they could fire at her, the blue-eyed Anomaly managed to slash their hands right off before stabbing one in the heart and bisecting the other, their forms fading away as she asserted her control over the area. Before she could get back into a guarded stance, she felt several bullets dig into her back, which prompted her to turn around and rush towards the officers that fired at her before ripped them apart with her Black Blade, a flicker of a flame appearing around her left eye as she jumped away and watched the small group she slashed apart fade away into nothingness. B RS could feel multiple glares being directed at her back, but she didn't let it get to her as she turned around and dashed towards that officers while swinging her Black Blade every way possible, running past them before coming to a stop behind them while they remained unmoving, which only lasted for a short while as they fell apart into various limbs before fading away as well, leaving the burning cars behind.
"Come on Icicle, I know you're out there, just waiting to take advantage of me," B RS shouted as she spread her arms out, "I'm right here, so go ahead and get it done, I dare you..!"
B RS heard someone clapping their hands from behind and turned instantly, only to get knocked back several meters by Icicle, "I'm impressed, you've managed to keep control over a small part of your mind-scape, sadly, it won't save you"
"At least you've managed to show yourself, but you're not wasting time attacking me, which means someone put a dent in your plans," B RS said as she got back up, smirking slightly, "I'm guessing it was Dragon Slayer, right..?"
"How astute, but it was nothing more than a temporary setback, which I managed to rectified quickly," Icicle stated as she started walking up to B RS, raising her left hand as black wisps floated around the limb.
B RS frowned as she watched the behemoth sword that Icicle occasionally uses appeared, gripped tightly in Icicle's left hand as the malevolent other self walked towards the blue-eyed Anomaly, and B RS knew that she could take on Icicle and possibly win, but it looks like the latter has enough with having problems pop up before her and is willing to take action herself to get what she wants. Icicle was only a few feet away from B RS when she heard footsteps approaching them, which prompted her to turn around and watch as Rock made her way towards the two unnatural beings, her hairs shrouding her eyes slightly as she navigated through the burning cars, her hair slightly on fire despite no damage showing. Icicle could feel her eyes widening from the sight of Rock making her way towards them, the shock causing her sword to disappear into nothing but black wisps as Rock was only a few meters away from them, which bought B RS some time to get back up and get her body back to working order as her eyes lit up at the sight of Rock before they focused on the malevolent other self standing in front of her. Icicle moved closer to Rock and put up the façade that she uses when she's focusing on her, but it didn't last for long as Rock walked past her and headed straight towards B RS, which prompted Icicle to turn around and grab Rock by her wrist before yanking her back, the malevolent other self's red-orange eyes glowing slightly. Within the next few seconds, Icicle's irritation turned into that of shock and disbelief as Rock narrowed her eyes before slugging the malevolent other self across the face, the grip on her wrist slacking a bit so she can break free and continue walking towards B RS, who appears pleased with the recent developments as she stared down at Icicle with a smirk oddly reminiscent of Dragon Slayer's.
"You... you're no better than Dragon Slayer..." Icicle grumbled as she glared at B RS.
"Apparently you're not that good at breaking me, and maybe it's because at the middle of it all, you can't completely control someone," B RS told her, narrowing her eyes as she dropped the smirk, "Granted, I wasn't able to see much of what's happening out there, but I can figure you managed to strip Gold Saw and Saya of their free will, or at least, restrain it..."
Icicle got back up from the ground, "Even so, you have no chance of returning to your body, and even if you do, Mato will already be in my control..."
"That's where you're wrong," Rock said as she faced Icicle, her face showing unbridled anger towards the malevolent other self, "I know you are because no matter how many people, whether real selves or other selves, you get under your control, you will never figure out what makes us tick"
B RS rolled her shoulders, "That especially means us, and it'll only take one strike to end it"
"So what, you managed to force your soul to take in the memories and remember everything, and now it means that my plans fall apart..?" Icicle inquired, her voice venomous as the area showed signs of frost.
Rock's expression eased, but still held that burning hatred, "The thing is, Mato doesn't control us, no.. she doesn't control me, not anymore..."
Rock turned to face B RS and they high-five each other as Rock faded into nothing but blue shards while B RS started walking towards Icicle, which prompted the malevolent other self to bring out her behemoth of a sword again and charge towards the blue-eyed Anomaly, causing B RS to take out her Black Blade and charge towards Icicle with her blue eyes glowing intensely. It took only a few seconds until their swords clashed against each other as they glared at their respective opponent, and Icicle could feel her irritation towards the blue-eyed Anomaly grow as she just saw the complete destruction of her plans with the soul formally reuniting with its essence, which inadvertently caused her powers to react. The road was starting to crack as buildings aged quickly and showed their decay, something that B RS clearly remembers as she smirked up at Icicle, which caused Icicle to growl as she forced more of her power into her attack, which started pushing B RS back as her heels dug into the road they're on. As they continued their struggle, B RS could make out the faint sound of rapids making their way towards them and narrowed her eyes at the thought of death, knowing that it's a fate that she rather avoid since it would only cause more problems in the long run. Locking herself in place, B RS placed all of her strength into her swing and pushed Icicle's sword to the side, which caused the malevolent other self to glare at her as the rapids neared them, but her anger switched to that of slight curiosity as B RS's Black Blade got covered in blue fire while a similar flame ignited around the young Anomaly's left eye.
"You think you know me, well.. I know something about you..!" B RS stated as she swung the sword up just as the rapids were in three meters of them, flanking both beings from both sides.
For a few minutes, both Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru thought the worse has happened as they looked towards Mato and Icicle, but the thought disappeared from their minds as they heard a scream resonating from Icicle as she dropped Mato to the ground and pulled her left arm out of the girl's body, gripping it as steam rose from the metal armor, which drew worried looks from the four other selves. Dragon Slayer arched an eyebrow as she looked from Icicle to the twitching body of Mato, her mind trying to piece everything together until she felt a familiar aura, and she knows that she isn't the only one that picked up on it as everyone focused on Mato as she slowly got up, but once the eyes opened, Dragon Slayer couldn't resist smiling. Icicle narrowed her eyes as the body standing in front of her turned to reveal the normally impassive B RS, who felt her emotions rush through her as she gritted her teeth before walking up to Icicle, who brought out her Insane Cannon Lance and tried to rip the restored Anomaly in half. B RS didn't look at the weapon as she raised her left hand and grabbed it, ignoring the blood that's flowing out of her left hand as she continued walking towards the malevolent other self, whose eyes widened slightly at the Anomaly that's nearing her. B RS noticed the transparent blue shards surrounding her as her appearance changed to that of what she looked like when facing against the Spirit Eater for the first time, and the massive power that accompanied it set off red alarms in everyone as B RS brought out her broadsword while a transparent blue crown formed around the top of her head.
"You want me, you got it..!" B RS growled out as she grabbed Icicle by her head.
Before Icicle could promptly react, she felt her body get lifted into the air before slamming against the earth hard as a body wound up getting on top of her, and B RS wasted no time in punctuating her anger as she started slugging Icicle across the face as her blue eyes glowed, the moment catching up to her until she felt two people rushing towards her from behind. Getting off of Icicle, B RS grabbed the malevolent other self by her ankle and tossed her towards Gold Saw and Dead Master, sending the three of them back several meters as B RS made her way out into the open, gripping her broadsword for everyone to see as she sent a pointed look towards Dragon Slayer, who merely nodded before letting out a sigh. Chariot knew that she was in trouble the moment Gold Saw jumped away to charge at B RS, and her thoughts got punctuated by Dragon Slayer flipping her body around before punching the blond-haired other self off of her, with Geshumaru doing something similar as she angled her punches so they could connect STR's face without her having to flip around. Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru was about to vocalize their appreciation towards B RS coming back until they watched their comrade walk past them, the blue-eyed Anomaly heading towards their enemies with her eyes glowing as she stopped walking, waiting for Icicle and the four other selves to get back up and start attacking her. Gold Saw got back up and rushed towards B RS with her King Saw drawn, her red eyes narrowing at the Anomaly that became her primary focus as she slashed at her, only for her attack to meet with nothing as B RS circled around her and slashed through Gold Saw's sword before kicking her across the face, sending the horned other self towards a tree which wound up snapping in half.
B RS frowned before she planted her broadsword into the ground and raised both of her hands, "Frankly, this is pathetic..!"
Before Dead Master knew what just happened, B RS managed to grab her Dead Scythe by its blade in her right hand, all while she got Chariot in a one-handed choke-hold, the blond-haired other self staring at the blue-eyed Anomaly in mute shock as B RS readjusted her grip so she was grabbing Chariot by the collar before spinning, breaking Dead Master's scythe while sending Chariot flying low, her body skidding against the ground. Dead Master stepped back as she looked at her broken weapon until her eyes focused on the approaching Anomaly, who was twirling the broken blade in her right hand before slashing up with it, cutting through Dead Master's dress before stabbing her with the weapon around non-fatal spots, her blue eyes taking upon a lifeless appearance to them. Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru could only look on in shock as they watched B RS brutally, but systematically take down the other selves without letting them land a single blow to her, but Dragon Slayer expression of shock changed into that of worry as she remembered what she did earlier, which caused her hands to shake slightly. The sound of a mechanism cocking brought Dragon Slayer out of her musing as she and Geshumaru looked towards STR as she pointed her Ogre Arms towards B RS, who stopped attacking Dead Master and left her unconscious on the ground as she focused her blue eyes on the white-haired other self, taking her broadsword out from the ground. STR narrowed her eyes and started firing at B RS, watching the blue-eyed Anomaly run from the bullet barrage as she heard the metal casings drop to the ground with a soft chink, and she didn't let up her attack as B RS skidded across the ground to stop herself before running towards the barrage with her broadsword in front of her.
"This isn't enough to stop me..!" B RS roared as she slashed away with her broadsword, watching each shot disappear with each strike as she got closer to STR.
STR gritted her teeth as she watched B RS cut through the barrage, "Well, I guess I'll need to change things up!"
STR stopped firing and took her Ogre Arms out of their gun mode as she threw a left hook towards B RS, who blocked it with her broadsword before countering with her own left hook, trying to get close to the white-haired other self as they started trading blows with one another, which wasn't doing much for the growing fear inside the two Anomalies who were watching her fight. STR felt blood seeping through a cut on her right cheek from one of B RS's attacks while she punched the blue-eyed Anomaly across the face, only managing to make her stumble back a couple of steps before the Anomaly starts countering with her own attacks, slashing at STR when the opportunity presents itself while defending in the best way that's possible. B RS avoided another one of STR's punches before she felt something connect with her gut, which sent her flying back several meters as STR pulled back her right Ogre Arm while staring at B RS, making sure that she's actually down for the count before focusing on Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru, who got back into a fighting stance. STR raised her Ogre Arms as the internal mechanisms adjusted themselves, but she never got a chance to fire as she noticed a blue light at the corner of her left eye before she got enveloped by a blast from B RS, who had her Seven-Shots out instead of her broadsword now. B RS felt her shoulders tense as she heard someone groaning while making their way out from the trees, and she turned to see Icicle stumbling slightly, which caused her eyes to narrow subconsciously as she made her way towards the malevolent other self.
"I'm done with all of this, so it's probably best that I put an end to this game between us all," B RS said as she pointed Seven-Shots at Icicle, who looked at her with that slightly shocked expression she had on her face before.
Before B RS could pull the trigger, she felt someone grab her left should and she looked behind to see Dragon Slayer gripping it with a somber expression on her face, "Wha..?"
"Don't do it, no matter how much you want to, it won't solve our problems," Dragon Slayer told her, tightening her grip slightly.
Before B RS could do anything, Icicle took advantage of the moment to fade into black wisps and collect the four unconscious other selves before disappearing, which caused B RS to look on with wide eyes that expressed her anger and irritation towards the malevolent other self, in which Dragon Slayer let go as the blue-eyed Anomaly started firing wildly, destroying the park with anger-fueled tears in her eyes while the amber-eyed Anomaly looked on with Geshumaru.
Author's Note: 21,363 words in this chapter and I feel like I just gotten thought probably the biggest part to the plot in some way. I practically mind fucked myself into oblivion due to the work I had to put into this, and I know it's daunting, so please bear with it. Anyways, just two more chapters and this story is done, in which I'll take a break from the trilogy and work on something else as I feel my brain starting to collapse upon itself. So thank you for reading this chapter, please review, and I'll see you all in chapter 12.