SupernalGodzilla: Oh yeah, big time. And there is no other way to describe it than that, a blood bath. Yukari will slaughter them!
Well, that is why it's rule number one. In fact, rule number two and number three are, refer to rule number one. :P
Thank you!
Kaywye: Well, that was kind of the intention, ya know? Already insane are we? Join the club buddy. XD As for Mizore getting pregnant, trust me, that won't affect the harem status, but it probably also won't happen for a while to come. Why? I've already answered that before, so I'll sum it up real quick. There are many, many brutal battles ahead, and I have no desire to put any of the girls on the sidelines, nor do I wish to write them losing the baby due to the physical trauma they are to endure in the future. So...yeah, no babies...yet! Thank you very much! Devoted fan eh? Not gonna lie, I really like the sound of that, has quite the ring to it. XP
TsukuneBlackout: Indeed she did. How will it play out though? That's the question. Thanks! Well, it came soonish, at least.
Guest: I'll give you that they're cliche, but what isn't nowadays? Stupid though, just no. And sexist? Really guy? Yeah, I suppose they are, if not done right. But I'd like you to try and seriously explain why harems are sexist, outside of the way they were used in the past and even today, in certain countries. All the harem anime I've seen, and I by no means claim to have seen them all, are not even close to sexist. How's that? I'll explain. All the harem anime I've seen, the harem is formed not by making the girls the protagonist's slaves, or forced wives or anything of the like. They all manage to fall for the same guy, sometimes truly falling in love with him, other times just developing a deep seeded infatuation with him. Most of which do not end with a harem ending, I might add. I've also yet to see a harem anime where the protagonist doesn't treat the girls that have flocked to him with anything less than common decency and respect, most times actually being as kind as can be and a real friend to them. Quite frankly, I wouldn't really want to either. Reverse harems are also a thing, bunch of guys and one girl, but that's beside the point.
Sexism involves the discrimination, prejudice or stereotyping of women, or on the flipside, men. Where, oh where, do you see that in this story Sir/Madam? Where do you see that in harem anime in general? Yeah, I'm sure there are one or two, maybe even some more like that out there. But I've yet to see them. And if those are the only ones you've seen, you need to watch some better ones. Such as Demon King Daimao or Sekirei, for a quick example. Now there are most certainly some anime cliches in those two, cliched characters as well, but not the slightest bit of discrimination, prejudice or stereotyping of either gender. If you think there is, well, then, I just don't know what to say but, 'What!? Are you stupid!?' Because there just simply isn't. Anyway, I digress.
Sorry about that. That just, man, that just got under my skin real bad. Don't take it personal. Now then, onto the rest of your review.
Yeah, not afraid to show consequences. I've been doing it, will continue to do it. As for the rest, well, I know how I'm going to do this. Nothing you say is going to alter my course when it comes to the plot of this story. I've planned what I have planned, nothing more, nothing less. I have my interpretation of how the characters will react to this, you have yours and everyone else has theirs. As to how mine compares to yours, you'll just have to see. If you end up continuing to read, that is. Considering what you said at the beginning of your review though, I've no real clue why you would. Regardless, I do appreciate you taking the time to read in spite of your feelings on some of the subject matter within. I am grateful, despite everything.
Nastu Dragoneel: Thanks so much! Yeah, people can be like that at times, it's unfortunate, but you know, what ya gonna do? Ghoul Tsukune is ten times more badass than regular Tsukune? I disagree, after all, it was Tsukune that tore Elefica apart, not Ghoul Tsukune. That was all him there. I'm glad you are, and here it is!
keithallen: Glad you think so. Sacrifice herself? Eh...that's a fair way to put it. You'll get all the details below, so, read on!
Chris: Cool, glad you liked it. As for how Tsukune's supposed to recover, you'll see, just scroll down and start reading. That said, I don't know if this is worth it, but here ya go. Hope you like it. Hint, I totally think this was worth the wait.
johnathan C2: Thank you. Well, here you go, more.
FireDragonSpider-Mane6: Thanks! You never know...
Phoenix Champion: Well...you're not wrong. This whole mess was kind of to be expected though, with the cycle of hatred and all that. Hatred does beget hatred, even if a lot of other anti-violence crap is just plain wrong, that right there is absolutely true. So...yeah. Yes, yes she is. Very much so. Irony is a massive bitch.
johnnyrocker76: Oh, you flatter me sir. That is high praise, and I quite appreciate it. I'm very glad you love my work, or at least this story of mine. I'm happy you like the major things I've done with Tsukune and the girls, some things I was iffy about how'd people would react, but I usually ended up running with it anyway, as I felt it fit. Trust me, they're working their way toward breaking a major chunk off, it's just gonna take a little more time. As they say, it usually gets worse before it gets better.
Yep, pretty much. Staring with the anime then transitioning to the manga is jarring, but eventually worth it. Can't wait until I can et all the volumes so I can binge it. Should give me plenty of ideas for future chapters. And if not, at least I'll get to spend more time with some of my favorite characters. A diamond? I think you may be overestimating my story, my friend. But still, I appreciate the kind words nevertheless. Thank you very much. :)
Fullmetal-Vampire: Thank you for all your reviews, trust me when I say they are appreciated. Now, allow me to address something in one of them. More specifically, the review you left on chapter 13. Fairy Tale, the organization, is not a reference to the Fairy Tail anime, so a lack of cleverness isn't an issue, thank you very much. When I posted that chapter, I had barely even heard of the Fairy Tail anime or manga before, let alone seen anything about it. I didn't star watching Fair Tail until December of last year, 2016. In fact, I took the name Fairy Tale from the Rosario + Vampire manga, as there is an organization in it named exactly that. So, yeah, there isn't any correlation between Fairy Tale the organization and Fairy Tail the anime/manga. Just letting ya know, is all.
yoshistar11: Yeah, well, that's just how it goes. Everyone has to wait for something. Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Yes, their eldest sister will make a reappearance, I'm sure everyone had already guessed she would. I'm not telling you who the leader of Fairy Tale is, but you will eventually see them, so you can rest assured on that.
cy9224: No, I'm not lost, nor am I just dropping it here. I understand that long waits between chapters is annoying, aggravating and sometimes just straight up unbearable. And for that, you have my sincerest apologies. That said, there are a number of complications on my end among a number of other issues that usually make chapters take a few months, to sometimes even a year or more time before getting posted. If you'd read some of my author's notes at the beginning of a number of chapters, you'd know I have a habit of not updating for awhile because of a multitude of factors. This is not out of the norm for me, and I would have posted an additional author's note if it was or if something different was going on. But it's not, which means all that can be done is to wait. I'm sorry if that's not good enough. Thank you for your offer though, I must decline however.
Ancient Sith Tulak Hord: Wrong. This story is neither dead, or being rewritten. Please don't make such assumptions. Especially as I have explained many times before why these periods without any updates occur. That said, I will one day rewrite this story, not take it down or anything, just polish and clean up the earlier chapters. Especially the first thirteen and the OVA/OWC as, wow, my writing was so damn bad back then. Anyway, you're wrong. Moving on.
So...I've been reading through the TV Tropes website. They have a lot of fanfics on there, categorizing and listing off the tropes there within. It's actually pretty fricking cool! Wouldn't it be awesome if someone decided to do that with this story, analyzing it with a fine tooth comb and all...that would be amazing! I would be eternally grateful to any reader dedicated enough to do such a thing! *Cough* Hint Hint *Cough*. What? I didn't say anything...okay, I'll stop now. Sorry. Just ignore me, I guess. ;)
Before we get into it, once again, here is my song suggestions for this chapter. These are the ones, I feel, work best.
1-Savages-by Theory of a Deadman ft. Alice Cooper (Side note, yes, I am including this again. Just because a song was listed as good for a previous chapter/episode, doesn't mean you won't see it again. If I feel it fits the overall chapter, I will damn well include it.)
2-The Howling-by Within Temptation
3-You Think You Know-by Device
4-Hunted-by Device (Second side note. This is one of the few songs I listened to on repeat while writing the powered up Tsukune, post feeding on Kokoa, VS Kuyo battle. If I had been including what songs I think fit best for the chapters/episodes back then, this would have been on the list. Just thought I'd chip that tidbit of info in for the hell of it. Oh, and this fits best for the second scene of this chapter/episode, along with You Think You Know. Listen to that one first, after the Howling, of course, then this one. Also, just remember, three dots does not mean a scene change, a line does, just a reminder.)
5-Avalanche-by Bring Me The Horizon (Third side note, this is for the Tsukune scene specifically. Remember that when you read.)
6-Waking Up With The Wolves-by The Black Maria (Final side note, this song best fits and encompasses the final scene of this chapter/episode. Just so ya know.)
Okay, now that that's done, let's move on.
Finally, the next part of this arc has arrived! I'm sure you guys have been dying with all the anticipation you've been experiencing. Sorry about that. You know how it is. I'm not gonna give any expositional spiel or anything of the like, well, anymore than I already have with the side notes above, regardless, you guys know the drill by know. I figured we'd just hop right into it this time.
That said, I really hope you guys love it. Let me know what you think. With that, I see no reason to delay any further. Please read, review and enjoy.
"Could today get any worse?" Cynthia bemoaned, as she and the three warlocks behind her continued to trudge along in the dead forest.
"For once, we agree. Today has sucked so much dick it physically hurts." Tucker remarked.
"That's probably just your calf muscles burning. You did do an awful lot of running away today." Chad pointed out with a snicker.
"Oh yeah, like you're one to talk! You ran away too!" Tucker shot back. "Hell, you ran harder than anyone! You were scared of them, admit it!"
"So were you! You know what, just shut up! Cuz' if you don't, I swear I'll-"
"Why don't both of you shut the hell up!?" Konji stepped in and barked at them, ending their quarel before it could really begin. "We all ran away like cowards! Get the fuck over it!" He exclaimed, quite visibly pissed off at the moment, considering the flaring nostrils and deep scowl. 'Me, Konji, the super badass, afraid of a bunch of stupid girls with shitty taste in men. It makes me want to puke.' He thought bitterly to himself.
The two lackeys, having done this their whole lives, simply did as they were told and shut their mouths.
"We're lost. Again." Konji stated then, trying and failing to stifle his anger and annoyance and keep it from showing in his tone.
"We are not lost! For the last time, I know where we're going!" Cynthia insisted. "After all, I have an absolutely fantastic sense of direction."
"No, no you don't. Your sense of direction is mediocre, at absolute best." Konji cut his former-girlfriend down to size. "Which is why you've gotten us lost. Again!"
"You know what, I am really fricken sick of your attitude, you know that!? Why don't you just be quiet for a little bit and let me do my thing!" The blonde succubus rebuked her ex-boyfriend.
"You are getting on my last nerve girl!" Konji warned her. "If you don't-"
So caught up in their own little world, petty arguments, anger and hidden shame, the gang of four failed to take notice of the countless screams of agony ringing through the air. Or the fact that the sky had long ago turned blood red, or even that they had just stumbled into a colossal clearing.
That is, until a few random warlocks and witches nearly knocked them over in an attempt to run into the dead forest, getting their attention as they stumbled and kept themselves from hitting the ground. Curses on the tip of their tongues, they would have spat them at the five magical beings, but their attention was diverted from them, as a particularly shrill shriek pierced their ears.
Heads turning, they were greeted by the gargantuan clearing spreading out before them, rivers of blood flowing in almost every single direction. The sheer gore spread about the vast area was revolting to the senses to the utmost degree, just as the corpses and their varied, twisted states, were an assault on one's vision. It was downright sickening, even to those who did not care for life.
Needless to say, Chad and Tucker proceeded to lose their dinner all over the place, vomiting at the sight. Cynthia threw up in her mouth and had to slap a hand over it to keep any from leaking out, before deciding to say screw it and joined the other two in emptying their stomach contents onto the death ridden ground.
Konji's reaction was significantly less severe, eyes wide and mouth agape, a sense of dread overtaking him at the brutal sight. "Holy fuck, can we just not catch a break today!?"
It was then that the green-eyed warlock noticed the cause of all the carnage, those girls from earlier, along with the others they had been with, as well as another, younger one they hadn't seen since that day in the human world.
It was nothing short of a massacre, the bodies piling up easily into the thousands. The vampire sisters were carving through hundreds of magical beings, the snow woman and the succubus through dozens upon dozens, quickly catching up with the other two as the seconds ticked by. And then there was the others, some standing over someone, two of them fighting with two other individuals, and then the two witches, one located above he realized, and the other below, inside a giant light-blue dome. It was all too much to take in at once.
The other three recovered from their state of stomach upheaval, and joined their leader in taking in the godawful scene. They were just as struck as he was, even more so even, speechless at the sight of it all.
Flummoxed, flabbergasted and frightened, as well as appalled, all the four could do was watch as, what very well could be, the genocide of the magic race continued to unfold before their very eyes.
The Witching Fields, for the second time in history, were home to a bloodbath. The crimson liquid soaked the ground through, running endlessly in every direction, dyeing everything ruby red. As was natural, bodies accompanied the blood. They were scattered all over the place, faces twisted into permanent horrid masks of fright and agony. The state of them varied, some were missing limbs, others lacked heads, a few were split right down the middle, and yet others remained completely intact. A couple of cadavers had been inflicted with scarring burns, ranging from second degree to fourth degree, a number of different bodies were nothing more than red-paste, having been crushed under ludicrously heavy objects, and still others possessed gaping holes in their torsos and faces.
In the center of it all, corpses littering the battlefield around her, surrounded by nothing but carnage, was a young girl, only thirteen years of age. She was bare, with the exception of the green jacket hanging over her shoulders, just barely covering her modesty. Blood was splattered across her face and nude body, streaks of the liquid running through her raven hair, the sticky substance matting a number of strands to her forehead. Her purple eyes glowed ominously, the white pentagram designs located in her irises projecting darkness, hatred, bloodlust and pure rage. These were the eyes of a killer, and they were currently tracking her prey.
There had been thousands upon thousands of magical beings, witches and warlocks alike, in attendance at this gathering. The total number coming to well-over thirty thousand. When Yukari had activated her dome of magical energy, she had encased two thousand five hundred and twenty two. Exactly half of them had escaped at this point, having done so while she was busy slaughtering several hundred of their brethren, abandoning them without a second thought.
There were currently seven hundred and sixty five magical beings left alive inside the light-blue colored dome of energy Yukari had erected. They were a part of the half that had decided to fight back against their aggressor, however, as they had quickly found out, such an endeavor was futile. Every attack, every spell, just seemed to bounce off the tiny girl, nothing they threw at her so much as leaving a scratch on her skin. Even worse, a number of times, their own techniques were flung back at them. No matter what they did, they could not harm the little witch.
"Four hundred ninety two." The young black-haired girl spoke, her tone hollow, eyes following every movement made by the remaining witches and warlocks.
Many of the assailants were rooted to the ground, no longer attacking, eyes wide with fear. This girl, this one, tiny little girl, had decimated over four hundred witches and warlocks just by herself, and on top of that, she was completely unharmed by any of their moves. In short, she was completely unstoppable. That, combined with her brutality, struck terror into most of those left. They had never felt so much terror in their lives...
As for the minority that still thought to defend themselves, they were quickly coming to the realization that if they stayed here, they would surely perish. Only, they were realizing this far too late, as their forces continued to dwindle.
"Burn." Yukari commanded with authority, staring directly at the self-appointed leader of the warlock and witch combatants. And just like that, he burst into flame, igniting in an instant, combusting from nothing.
Flames consumed his form, burning away his clothes, then his flesh, muscle and soon, his bone. The fire burned much hotter and much faster than any normal flames, as before any of the man's allies could try and help him, he was already dead, flesh halfway melted, as he dropped to the ground, life extinguished. Their numbers had just fallen by one more.
"Four hundred ninety three."
And that was the straw that broke the camel's back. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Cried one of the warlocks at the top of his lungs.
They proceeded to scramble then, breaking apart and all bolting for it, some forming groups in hopes that numbers equaled safety, while others split off from the herd and went on their own. Regardless, they all went sprinting in different directions, screaming themselves stupid with panic.
Rather than moving to follow, Yukari simply allowed them to flee. She made no move once so ever to chase them. And yet...
Their backs turned, none of the magical beings noticed as the young girl flickered out of existence.
...
That is, until she suddenly appeared in front of several of the cowards that decided to book it, bringing them to a quick halt. Eyes wide, terror running through their veins, hearts threatening to burst out of their chests, the fear radiating off the seven magical beings couldn't be more palpable.
"Wha-how!? How did you get in front of us!? Th-That shouldn't be possible!" One of the warlocks shouted, voice filled with fright and incredulousness.
"You couldn't possibly be that fast!"
"Just what kind of magic is she using!?"
"Doesn't matter, turn around and keep running!" The smartest of the group yelled.
Just as they whirled around to do so, the man closest to the back found himself knocked to the ground, tumbling in the blood soaked dirt, screaming bloody murder. The reason for his screaming? He suddenly found himself with only one leg, the other severed at the kneecap, blood spraying from his stump. "My leg! Oh dear god, my fucking leg!" He squawked over and over, the pain excruciating. His fellow magical beings weren't there to help him, as they were already gone, caring only for their own lives.
Yukari watched as this man continued to freak out, not so much as flinching as he bled out. In fact. rather than let him do so, she decided to cut the incessant noises coming from his mouth short, another wave of magical force rolling off her body with a simple tilt of her head. And as the force hit the man, his head was rended from his shoulders, rolling off his body and hitting the ground with a thud, leaving blood to squirt from his neck. His disembodied head twitched for a few moments, the face going through a variety of expressions, before settling on horror, as all brain function ceased.
"Four hundred ninety four." Without another word, the young girl proceed to disappear once more.
,,,
A warlock, barely nineteen years of age, found himself all alone, as he ran for his life. He had broken off from a larger group after they had nearly collided with the psychotic little girl, having somehow gotten ahead of them and cut off their escape route. He didn't wait half a second before speeding away, not about to let himself die here.
'Grandfather was right. This was an awful idea. I shouldn't ever have come here!' The teenager thought frantically to himself. 'He told me nothing good could come from this! Why!? Why didn't I listen to him?!' He berated himself mentally, unable to fight back the tears as they began to run down his face. "I'm so fucking scared." He admitted to himself.
"You should be." Came the voice of a certain tiny witch, her words filled with venom.
It was then that the teen realized that she was there, in front of him, only a few feet of space between them. She had reappeared damn near right in front of his face.
He attempted to skid to a stop before spinning around to rush back the other way, however, with all the blood soaked in the dirt, he slipped mid-attempt, the ground giving way to his feet a tad, sending him sprawling onto the ground.
Dazed for a moment, he lifted his head, as he pushed his hands against the ground, coating them in the sticky red life-liquid, to see the girl, six years his junior, standing over him. In an instant he could see the promise of death in her eyes. They burned with hatred, she wanted for nothing but to kill him. To kill them all. To butcher every last one of them.
"Why? Why are you doing this!? You're a witch, right!? You're one of us, aren't you!?" He vociferated, terror-struck.
"No." It was a single word, but it was spat with the utmost disgust.
"THAN WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" He demanded, tears beginning to blur his vision, as he forced himself onto all fours and attempted to get to his feet, only to fall back on to his ass.
"Vengeance." The small witch answered, eyes smoldering.
"Wha-what? Vengeance? What are you talking about!? Vengeance for who? Who could-" That's when he realized what had happened right before she had begun her rampage. "This is about...that human?! Bu-but why!?" He questioned, bewildered. "Maybe he didn't deserve what happened to him, but why do you care!? He's just a human! One, single human! What could possibly be so important about his singular life? Compared to the tens of thousands of lives here, his should be insignificant!" The warlock proclaimed.
Oblivious to her rising fury, he continued. "How could you choose a single human over most of what's left of your own race!? That's ludicrous! I'm sorry for your loss, whatever he was to you!" He tried to reason and console her simultaneously, even if it was out of survival instinct, simply trying to placate the younger magical being. "But his life wasn't worth the hundreds of witches and warlocks you've killed! And he certainly wasn't worth the punishment the monster council is going to inflict on you for this heinous act!"
"His life is worth more than the entire world." Yukari softly declared, eyes softening a tad as her feelings for the ghoul boy bubbled up in her heart.
"Listen to yourself! You're talking nonsense!" He attempted to convince her, finally managing to get to his feet, preparing to gun it the moment the opportunity presented itself. "No one's life is worth that-HUGHCK!"
The young warlock was cut short, as a blast of magical force punched through his body, leaving a giant, gaping hole in his abdomen in it's wake, chunks of flesh, gore and innards hitting the dirt behind him with a wet smack. Blood was splattered onto the ground as well, but none flowed freely from the wound, though said wound did allow his internal organs to be seen, or rather, what was left of them after a blast of such force.
He was so shell-shocked, he couldn't even feel the pain at first, simply gazing down at the big fucking hole in his torso with abundant surprise. Blood overflowed from his mouth, spilling out onto his chin and what was left of his chest, as he raised his head to look at the younger magical being once more. His face was twisted into an expression of pure terror and anguish, as the internal and external trauma finally caught up to him, and he proceeded to fall back.
By the time he hit the ground, blood beginning to drain from the huge wound on to the ground, mingling with the blood of all the other magical beings massacred today, he was deceased.
"Four hundred ninety five." With that, Yukari vanished.
...
Stumbling, a young brunette witch, not a day over sixteen, did her best to keep on her feet. She couldn't afford to lose her footing, lest she be willing to lose her life too. It didn't matter that she could barely feel her legs, or that every labored intake of oxygen caused her lungs to burn something fierce, all she focused on, all she could focus on, was getting away.
Not more than a fleeting moment was spent thinking of how she wouldn't feel like such a wreck if she had ever spent time performing any kind physical activity besides walking to school or the mall, being completely out of shape despite her average size. She certainly regretted it though, that was for sure, as the sprint to safety was a hell all it's own, filled with intense chest pain and throbbing calves, still, she persisted in exerting her body. After all, the alternative was death.
Case in point, another cry of agony rang out through the night, as yet one more magical being was murdered in cold blood. The sound of it bore down on the brunette girl, causing her fear to spike and her adrenaline levels to increase, even as she came to a bumbling stop, unable to keep herself from looking to where the noise had come from. It had sounded close, and that caused an urge to well up in her to check and make sure the monster in the form of a little girl wasn't coming for her.
Eyes catching sight of the thirteen year old killer, she was unable to keep sight of her for more than a moment, as she disappeared. Taking the momentary reprieve to catch her breath, the teenage witch was naive enough to wonder where the girl had gone, rather than continuing to run for her life, like so many others were doing.
That wasn't the case for long however, as the all but naked witchling reappeared in the vicinity of another fleeing magical being. Not needing to see anymore than that, the sixteen year old bolted once more, as the hopes that her pursuer had for some reason left were dashed.
Breath coming out in wisps as she wheezed, she was once more sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her. She wouldn't look back this time, no matter what, as she quickly realized the child was teleporting from location to location, removing the need to give chase really, as in the blink of an eye she could corner you.
Even still, many had managed to escape, evidence for that provided by the sight of the hundreds and hundreds of witches and warlocks who stood just outside of the blue dome of magical energy, nearly doubled over as they caught their breath and watched those who had not yet gotten out of dodge with weary and frightened eyes.
Still, the dying screams of her brethren continued to ring in her ears, the ones still trapped within the dome dropping like flies all around her. Tears streamed down her face, out of fear and out of sadness and sympathy for her fellow witches and warlocks, but she didn't dare stop again. She valued her life far too much to make that mistake again. 'Besides, what could I possibly hope to do? I can't stop that freak!'
In that moment, as that thought came to an end, she realized that, besides the sound of her huffing and puffing, she could no longer hear the sounds of death, or anything for that matter. That struck her as more than odd, her adrenaline levels rising even further as the sound of her heartbeat filled her ears, along with her footfalls.
Head turning frantically to the left and right, eyes seeking anyone, anything, besides the bodies that were scattered across the ground, the witch couldn't help but wonder why things had gone quiet. But there was nothing, no more witches or warlocks, as they had all reached the bounds of the blue dome and exited the deathtrap, all those left within nothing more than corpses. All, that is, except for her.
Eyes widening at this realization, she came to the obvious conclusion that she was next. Only, she was just a second too late, as she was forced to skid to a stop, as the butcher of magical beings flickered into existence before her.
Pentagram irises glowing, the little girl, caked in the blood of her brethren, looked the textbook definition of a deranged psychopathic killer. This perception of her was only further accentuated, as she tilted her head to the side, appearing akin to a hunter curious over it's prey's strange actions.
The reason for this? The sixteen year old witch, upon skidding to a stop and nearly faceplanting as result, did what none of the others had even spared a thought to. She dropped to her knees and apologized. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"
It was this action that gave pause to the savagery that had been taking place, the thirteen year old mass murderer stopping in her tracks.
"Thi-this is about the human, right!? I'm sorry! We were wrong, we never should have done such a horrible thing! S-so please, spare us any further torment!" The brunette teen begged the younger girl, tears racing down her face, crying and sniffling, clearly horrified of the glowing-eyed witch.
Returning her head to it's upright position, the witchling resumed her approach.
This, understandably, caused the sixteen year old girl's crying and begging to intensify, as she grew ever-more terrified. "I didn't want him to die, I never wanted anyone to get hurt at all! I SWEAR!" She insisted, even as her junior continued to draw nearer.
"PLEASE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! FORGIVE ME!" She beseeched with desperation, outright bawling now, snot beginning to drip from her nose.
Her regret was nowhere near forced, she genuinely felt remorse for what had occurred. This was obvious to Yukari, so, it was for that reason that she came to the older girl, and gently laid her hand on the side of her face, causing said girl to flinch away from the contact. Still, the younger of the two persisted, momentarily caressing the older teen, her visage having softened.
It seemed, Yukari forgave her. "Th-tha-thank y-yo-you, tha-thank yo-you s-so mu-much..." The sixteen year old whimpered between sobs, fear continuing to roll off her in waves, even as she felt hope that she might actually make it out of this alive.
The pity the little witchling felt as she performed this tender gesture was strikingly offset, by images of Tsukune being skewered flashing before her mind's eye, the cheers for his demise from her own kind once more ringing in her ears. She did not know how, nor did she question why, but the witchling was sure that this girl's voice had called out along with all the others. Somewhere inside of her, she somehow knew this to be fact. It was truth. And at this realization, her disposition shifted.
The same hand that had kindly caressed the brunette's face, then shot forward and took hold of a fistful of her hair, causing her to yelp loudly as her tresses were forcefully yanked, causing her to tilt her head upward, where she met the gaze of the younger witch.
Gazing upon this teen girl, the sound of her voice shouting jeers at her beloved echoing through her head, Yukari's eyes darkened considerably, hate and bloodlust all but clouding her eyes over, making her look every bit the psychotic little girl her kin thought her to be. "You lie. You called for his death just as the others did...you're no different from them."
"N-no! NO! I-I-I swear, I d-didn't-" The sixteen year old squealed as her hair was roughly tugged once more, cutting her off.
"You will taste some of the agony he was forced to endure, I will make you suffer. Your last moments will be filled with nothing but pain and fear, then you will die." The twisted witchling enlightened her senior. "And even that is too good for you, you disgusting, worthless bitch."
The brunette's only response to the malignant words of the younger witch were to continue her denial, once more beginning to beg, snot and tears going all over the place as she pleaded for her life. Not that the thirteen year old paid her any heed, bringing her left hand up as well and roughly taking hold of the older girl's head, fingers digging into her forehead and the sides of her eye sockets.
"I will watch you die, with every moment that your life slips away and your end approaches, I will take satisfaction in your demise. Though it may only be a fraction of what Tsukune had to endure, it will have to do. Now, accept your punishment." The malevolence that coursed through her words was disturbing.
Moreso than that, was how disturbing the teenage girl's screams were, as she began to shriek at the top of her lungs, breaking into bloodcurdling screeches, the feeling of magic energy being forcefully pumped into her head filling her with agony.
Her hysterical screaming only grew worse, as blood began to run from her orifices, starting with her ears, followed by her nose and mouth, and soon enough, her eyes. The ruby-red liquid excreted from her face in alarming amounts, making her look like something out of a horrorshow, her cries of anguish only adding to that.
True to her word, Yukari watched every second of the older girl's torment, stonefaced, not the slightest trace of compassion within her heart for her. Though, the torment did not last much longer, as the sixteen year old's cranium could no longer take the pressure of the building magical energy, obscenely bulging at awkward angles, before proceeding to explode. As a result, blood, brain matter, patches of flesh and bits of skull were spewed all over the place, splashing all over the ground, as well as onto Yukari's person.
Lacking a head, and therefor something for the young witch to hold onto, the headless body fell back onto the ground with a wet smack, joining the other corpses in the river of blood that flowed across the barren terrain.
Yukari stood, unflinching, despite the gore smeared across her face and body, and all the carnage that surrounded her. "Five hundred." With that, another tick to the tally of her victims was added.
Slowly, the witchling looked to her left, then her right, scanning the area within her domain, her dome of magical energy. She searched for any trace of life, but could find none. All the remaining witches and warlocks had already escaped her territory, eluding her grasp as a result.
Of the two thousand five hundred and twenty two magical beings she had ensnared, exactly five hundred failed to escape in time, and as consequence, met gruesome fates at her hands. Yet still, even with the blood of five hundred lives on her hands, Yukari's bloodlust was not sated. She would not stop, not until they had all felt the pain, the torment they had so cruelly cheered on inflicted upon their forms. And then they could die, and finally, they would be forgiven for their atrocious jeers and mob mentality in the face of Tsukune's suffering.
Locating the survivors of her slaughter, Yukari's eyes narrowed, focusing in on them, standing just outside her magic-constructed domain. "If you think you're safe just because you're no longer within my area, then you are wrong." She informed them from her spot, her words barely reaching them. "It doesn't matter where you run, I will follow, and your penance shall continue." The venom and malicious intent within her words, combined with her darkened eyes as well as her calm demeanor sent chills down all the witch and warlock's spines.
They had come to the conclusion that, once outside her dome, she could not follow, or at least not instantly, teleporting from one spot to the next like she had done before. And while they had indeed been correct, clearly she wasn't set back or even inconvenienced by this, as she began her approach, slowly moving towards them. Trudging through the revolting scene of blood, guts and gore almost nonchalantly, like it didn't faze her in the slightest, the young witchling's intentions were clearer than ever. The massacre would continue, indefinitely, until every last one of them was dead.
Realizing that there would be no end to this little girl's brutality, the two thousand twenty two magical beings, once more up and ran, turning and darting off into the dead forest without a second thought. They poured into it, stumbling and tripping and bumping into one and other, yelling out how she would kill them all.
Though they flee, Yukari continued her approach, set on their demise, her light blue-colored dome flickering for a few moments, before vanishing entirely. In doing so, the roar of thunder and the flash of lightning were able to catch her attention, distracting her from her prey. Angling her neck upwards, she watched as purple lightning struck, and a bloodcurdling cry rang throughout the clearing.
Tsukune's entire body coursed with agony, six gaping holes in his flesh that continued to drain blood, it pooling around his ground-bound form. He was currently asphyxiating on that very crimson substance, choking on his own life essence, unable to eject the offending liquid from his esophagus.
Gurgling, coughing and hacking, he fought for oxygen, as the sound of rapid footfalls continued to ring through his ears. Voices soon followed, as he recognized the individuals who were now standing over him, his cousin Kyouko, his best friend Gin, Vladimir and Deshiko as well. Although they were right there, he couldn't truly make out their words, as his eardrums proceeded to rupture, his senses, including his hearing, suddenly spiking in potency and efficiency. The ghoul could only hazard a guess, but he assumed it was his body's reaction to it's dying state, trying to boost it's abilities, particularly regeneration, to cope with it's overwhelming loss of blood, and recover from it's death throes. A defense mechanism, of sorts.
Unfortunately, this sudden heightence of his senses wasn't limited to just his hearing, as his smell, vision, taste, reflexes, and yes, his sense of touch, or feeling, skyrocketed. As a result, the slightest noise ruptured his hypersensitive eardrums, he was able to smell even the faintest scent, he could see the dust particles in the air with perfect clarity, and his already agonizing, near madness-inducing levels of pain, jumped to new heights.
A scream, a bloodcurdling, anguish filled scream was ripped from Tsukune's throat, bypassing all the blood blocking his airway, the hole in his neck and his inability to vocalize anything other than gurgle gurgle, the sound reverberating throughout the clearing. The pain, thanks to his newly greatly heightened senses, was worse than anything he had ever felt before. It felt as if he was being ripped apart from the inside out, every inch of his body twisted, yanked and pulled by nonexistent vice-like grips, that were equipped with jagged teeth, tearing into his flesh at the same time.
Needless to say, it was torture. And because he was on the receiving end, Tsukune was completely unaware of how long it lasted, every single moment he was forced to endure felt like an hour. Taste, touch, hearing, vision, smell, they all sensed nothing but pain. He could smell it, taste it, see it, hear it, and very much feel it. As much as that should be impossible, the young man experienced the strange phenomena, as his entire body was wracked with nothing but nonstop anguish. All he knew was pain.
The ghoul persona residing within wasn't spared this fate, as the sound it bellowed out echoed within Tsukune's head, both sides of the being sharing in the anguish their body was subjected to. There was no escaping this pain, not for either of them
Writhing around, Tsukune's scream continued to ring, as he brought his hands up and began pawing at his own body, as if he could force it to stop somehow. Pawing soon turned to scratching, as he dug his nails, which soon turned to claws, into his own flesh, in some twisted attempt to bring the insurmountable amount of pain to an end. It, obviously, was of no use.
All it served to do was freak his loved ones out even more, as Gin, Kyouko, Vladimir and Deshiko lost their heads, completely unsure of what to do to help him. The sight and sounds of Tsukune in this agony, all they could truly do was watch, and that disturbed them to no end.
Vladimir, the most collected of the four, could think of nothing to ease the pain, or help in any capacity once so ever. Healing magic, at least at the level Yukari was capable, didn't have a hope in hell in fixing this. He tried to remain as calm as he possibly could, but with his pupil thrashing about in unspeakable anguish, and no way to plausibly help him, he found his cool slipping.
The other three were even worse, losing their heads at the moment in fear and concern for the half-human, half vampire. That is, until Vladimir noticed something. "Look!"
So they did, to see that even though the ghoul was screaming his lungs out and writhing around like he was dying, his wounds had begun to heal.
Before their very eyes, the ghouls horrendous injuries started to fade, flesh rejoining and bloodflow slowing to a crawl, the life of the teen being renewed. And yet, his horrific screams only continued, as if the act of regeneration was killing him. Dying through the process of regenerating, an oxymoron to be sure, but hard to deny with the vocalization of the seventeen year old's agony.
His scream drew the attention of his girls, with the exception of Ruby above, and Yukari, locked inside her dome of magical energy. Their collective wrath was momentarily halted, as their attention shifted to their grievously wounded lover. Hearing his pain, they abandoned their pursuit of vengeance and rushed to his side immediately, all the excess monster energy they had summoned beginning to fade, their power returning to normal levels as their fury subsided and concern took it's place.
"TSUKUNE!" They all called out to him as they ran to him, tears in all of their eyes.
Just before they could reach him, there was an all consuming flash in the sky, followed by a shriek of all encompassing pain, the voice that let such a thing out all too familiar to Tsukune. "RUBY!" He cried her name, as he shot up into a sitting position, in spite of all the agony flowing through every inch of his physical form.
Fighting through the pain, in doing so unconsciously forcing his ghoul side to bare the brunt of the agony that they were supposed to share, Tsukune focused in on the floating forms of Ruby and Madara above. "RUBY!"
The flash momentarily blinded all within the clearing, so bright that it could easily have damaged someone's vision permanently. Such a thing was jarring, but what was even moreso, was what followed the flash, a scream of unfathomable anguish, ringing throughout the clearing for all to hear.
"RUBY!"
The voice of the witch noticeably cracked, as she wailed at the top of her lungs, giving verbal form to her immense, searing pain.
Millions of volts flowed through her body, the charge wreaking havoc on her internal organs, shocking her completely from the inside out and back again. Her body had gone numb shortly after she was zapped, but it was awoken again almost immediately by the unspeakable amounts of pain that ran rampant through her nerve-endings. Forget on fire, her body felt like it was straight up melting, slowly, yet oh so efficiently. And the heat played into this factor as well, scorching her body on the outside while the voltage tore her up from the inside.
Even while subjected to non-stop agonizing pain, that she was forcing herself to endure, the nineteen year old refused to let go of her enemy, nor would she halt the attack. 'I will not let go! I will not let go! I will not let go! I will not let go! I will not let go! I will not let go! I will not let go! I will not let go! I will not let go! I will not let go!' She continuously chanted mentally.
"RUBY!"
First, second and even some third-degree burns were inflicted on her form, the splotches covering her from head to toe, her hair was burnt, frazzled and singed, her clothes were torn up and had even begun to burn. Her crow wings, that kept her suspended in the air, were even worse for ware, scorched and having lost a great many feathers, looking as if they would fail at any moment and send her plummeting to the ground.
"Just let go already, you damn bitch!" Madara cursed, teeth grit, as he was forced to withstand the magic-fueled lightning.
"I WILL NOT LET GO! NOT UNTIL MY MAGIC RESERVES HAVE RUN DRY!" She cried defiantly in response, as she managed to stop herself from screeching in agony, though only momentarily.
"You'll die first!" The warlock barked at her.
"I DON'T CARE! I'M NOT LETTING GO OF YOU, NOT UNTIL I'VE DONE AS MUCH DAMAGE AS I POSSIBLY CAN!" She declared, her resolve not shaken or weakened in the slightest, even as her body was torn apart by her own technique.
As blood began to run from her nostrils, ears and eyes as well, and her clothes full-on ignited and caught fire, along with her wings, all she did was exert herself and further tighten her grip on Madara. She meant every word she had said, she would not let go until she either ran out of magical energy, or she died, flames that began to consume her be damned.
"RUBY!"
"Goddammit!" Madara spat, before he could no longer hold it in, and was forced to verbalize his pain with a cry.
Ruby's voice joined his, as she couldn't keep it back any long, shrieking as she slowly destroyed herself, the noise so loud and rough her throat began to bleed, vocal chords far past their limit as she screamed her head off.
"RUBY, STOP IT! STOP, NOW! STOP, PLEASE, JUST STOP!" The voice of her master reached her, even over all other sound, beseeching her to end the attack. To stop harming herself. She could not see him, but she could tell, just from his voice, that he was crying as he called out to her.
'I won't stop, no matter what! I have to weaken Madara, it is all I'm good for in this situation! There isn't anything else I can do, there is nothing else I am capable of! This is all I can do to serve my master!' However Tsukune felt, no matter how much he pleaded, she would not stop. This was the only option she believed she had, the only way she could serve her master. 'I WILL NOT FALTER, I WILL NOT FAIL YOU MASTER!'
"GODDAMMIT RUBY! I'M YOUR MASTER, AREN'T I!? SO DO AS I SAY!" Tsukune shouted at her, anger and frustration flowing from his words. "I ORDER YOU TO STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING, NOW!" He commanded her with authority he had never once used before, telling her what she had to do, demanding that she adhere to his will.
At that she did falter, as how could she disobey a direct order? She couldn't possibly, especially when it was his first one. 'What kind of servant would I be if I refuse to submit to his will? To adhere to his wishes?'
So, she was left with no choice, and in spite of herself, at her lover's, her master's behest, Ruby's attack finally came to a stop. The charge faded and the lightning dissipated, leaving the recipients of the monstrous shock floating there, visibly smoking as if they were nothing but charred meat. The flames covering Ruby had been extinguished somehow, not that it meant much, as her head dropped and she clearly proceeded to lose consciousness.
She hung limply in the air, her wings far too damaged to keep her afloat. No, the only thing that kept her from falling, was the vice-grip she had on Madara, her arms refusing to let go of their hold on the warlock, even as the person they were attached to passed out.
Breathing a little ragged, Madara opened his eyes, having clenched them tightly shut in pain. Realizing the onslaught of electric charge had come to an end, he allowed himself to breathe a small sigh of relief. "That was annoying." He remarked with irritation.
Despite Ruby's best efforts, Madara was, for the most part, unharmed. His armor was visibly scorched, and his visible flesh, which wasn't much, was singed, along with his underclothing. He had clearly taken some amount of damage, but judging by his calm composure, it clearly was only a minuscule amount.
Popping his neck, Madara slowly inhaled through his nose and exhaled from his mouth. Then, he spoke. "Great job, girl." Sarcasm oozed from his every syllable. "You managed to scuff up my armor. Haven't had that happen in a couple years now. Oh, can't forget, you also dirtied my clothes. I'll have to put them through the wash later. Thanks for that." The arrogance that radiated from him had returned, and once more, it was damn near palpable.
"Did you honestly think you possessed the power to harm me? What foolishness." He blustered for everyone to hear. "An insignificant worm such as yourself could never hope to so much as scratch me. Your might is inconsequential in the grand-scheme of things, and as a direct result, you are unimportant in every sense of the word." He ridiculed the witch.
"Now take your hands off me, you worthless trash." He sneered at her, as he jerked his body to the side, breaking Ruby's grip on him and dislodging her entirely, before taking hold of her by one of her wings. He didn't waste a second more than he had to touching her, quickly tossing her aside like garbage, sending her hurdling to the ground. Where she would hit the ground with a resounding thud and smack, landing right by Tsukune's side.
To Be Continued...
END NOTE: WAIT! I said wait! Before you guys tear me apart, which I know you're going to do no matter what I say since this was supposed to be the finale but it isn't, oh just forget it. Tear me a new one, I probably deserve it. I had all the same problems as usual while writing this, along with the fact that some real life troubles I'd rather not discuss are making things more difficult, and on top of that I'm dealing with trying to write multiple stories at once, which is a new thing for me and...well, yeah, things are hard. I know you don't wanna hear it, so just get the guillotine I'm sure you've reserved for me specifically. I will allow it, this once.
Anyway, this arc will probably last one to two more chapters. I know, I know, I'm sure you're sick of hearing this from me, so I'm sorry. But hey, even professional authors and manga artists have these kinds of troubles. I mean, look at Oda, he said things would wrap up soon for the latest arc, and things are actually going to take awhile longer. So if an amazing guy like him experiences this, surely you can't blame a pion such as I, can you? OH, oh, you can? Well shit, I'm just downright fucked, aren't I?
Putting all that aside, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all your patience. I love you guys, ya know I do. I promise I'll do my best not to do wrong by you. It's just that things like this are, well, complicated for me. So just bare with me, okay? Rest assured, as I've said before, I will never abandon a story, not permanently. Unless I kick the bucket, of course, but that comes with a whole other slew of complications and problems. But, I digress. You guys are awesome, I hope you enjoyed this chapter/episode, and I can't wait to read your reviews! :)