Ch 23: Eternal Hate

The bullets exploded from their holder at breakneck speeds, crashing into the incoming vectors with the force of small bombs. Celia ground her teeth in frustration, the force of the attack pushing her backwards if such a thing was even possible. With a quick movement she threw her Vectors to the left, causing Jericho to attack to the side and be pushed roughly back. She sent more Vectors out, from different angles and her face contorted into fury. With his ability to sense vectors as well as his adept skills in gun fighting, Jericho was able to hold his own. However even he could feel the stress building against him. At this point, he wondered just how many bullets he had left. Every time he was able to go in closer, he was pushed back. His expression never changed however, he remained defiant to the end.

A small smirk plays upon her face, viciously watching in glee as Jericho seems to be getting pushed back. Ready to end it once and for all, she sends her arms out at every angle possible and her glee turns into shocked anger. Jericho makes three swift movements, three extremely loud explosions are heard as the flashes of light bash against the vectors. In this fluid motion, Jericho's body arches down, one gun point downward the other at an angle as he systematically tore the vectors away from him. Growling with vehemence, Celia's crimson eyes clash with his silver ones. This growl turns into a hated shriek, clashing against his bullets that are aimed with perfect precision. Damn him and his ability to see them! Even though he's sweating, clearly having a difficult time, his stoic nature makes her blood boil. There is no possible way she will ever let herself get beaten by him, it is destiny! Kakuzawa Torino couldn't kill her, Jericho would not kill her and as fate would follow Lucy too would die by her hands as well.

Kicking off the ground, the Queen flippedover the air 10 of her vicious hands racing down to destroy him. Cursing as he points a single pistol upwards, silver eyes locked on her airborne body and blowing the arms away with but a single bullet. The impact forces her back to the ground, landing on her knee but no sooner had she fallen she rushes back at him. The distance is closed for but a moment, one single bullet and vector that clashes and explode against one another so that both combatants are at first obscured by the dust and the pushed back. Keeping his balance, Jericho arches forward before stopping right behind the horde of Diclonius that are arched around him. They let off a low hiss that is instantly quelled when he gives a small turn of his head to look at them. For a moment, they fear that he may kill them too, as much as they hate to deny it they can't ignore the fact that this single human has fought their Queen on an equal level. However Jericho had no intentions of killing them unless they attacked and in other point was already looking at Celia.

"Don't you dare even think of touching them." The Queen spoke sternly. "This is between me and you human!" The silver eyed man didn't reply but stares coldly at her, bending his knees while Celia does the same. They take a moment to catch a breath, analyze the situation before simultaneously rushing at each other. The others gasp as a thrilling sound of multiple explosion riddle the area and a dark cloud of smoke obscures their vision. As it clears they watch with perfect surprise what they are seeing.

Celia, panting heavily digs her finger into the man's forehead, his face undeterred that the girl has finally got him, or has he? For at the same time, his pistol is pointed directly at her forehead, finger only millimeters from firing. At the distance, there is no way she could ever deflect the shot. Her entire head would be blown off and then what? She had to survive, to prosper the Diclonius race. Then they turn, trying to gain the advantage. The arm lashes out the pistol whips around and they both fire. At such a range both of them are hurtled backwards. Using her vectors, Celia slows her momentum down again while Jericho uses his own body to balance himself out, falling to a single knee before rising back up. Another wave of hands flies towards him, death filled fingers with malicious touches. Running towards her, running towards the Queen of the Diclonius. He would have to break the distance again and this time he would have to truly end it.

The two pistols aim, unfeeling silver always starring before he rapidly begins to fire upon Celia who is expecting such a power assault. Now its her turn to be pushed back, eyes widening as the bullets get far too close for comfort. Then the dust clouds kicks up and the other Diclonius gasp in fear as the bullets smash against the dust cloud. Jericho continues to fire without hestiation sending a wave of burning detonations across the small island so that the world is suddenly filled with smoke and the smell of gun power. The Sipliets wait with baited breath, fearing for their Queen's life and when the smoke clears, they are both excited and horribly shocked.

Head low, burn marks across her body and panting heavily, Celia stands as several bullets spin around her before collapsing mundanely to the ground. Coughing, she holds her body up as best as she can, the ordeal clealry having a toll on her. Her body shook from the pain and pressure of the recent attack, blood dripping from her body. Though her body is agony, she refuses to fall and spits on the ground her own blood and swarms her arms around her body before sending them out at him again, wishing for his death in many ways possible.

He stopped shooting, proceeding to dodge the incoming killing arms as best he could. It was becoming far more difficult for him at this point now. Dodging 50 arms, each one 25 meters in length, having to constantly look in all directions. Every so often too many arms came at one time and he was forced to bring out his gun and avert them. He looked for an opening, shooting in certain directions now to keep the brutal Diclonius occupied. His eyes flashed, aimed and fired.

Coming just in time, Celia managed to reflect the bullet away from her heart so that it grazed passed her left arm, gouging out a good part of it and spraying her blood against the ground. There was an uproar from the other Diclonius who were just preparing to attack the man when Celia raised her hand. Jericho stopped, but kept his guns cocked and ready.

"He is mine to kill…" She panted, glaring reproachfully at the human who could be causing her so much trouble. Even more trouble than Torino had caused her. "Do not get in the way, I don't want any of you to get hurt."

Both words were true. She held a personal vendetta against this man ever since he had killed Tanya and the others. This was revenge for that day. She also deeply cared for her fellow Diclonius. She would not allow her friends and family, her true kin be sent to the slaughters. This was her fight to finish. She looked at her harm, the pain swelling inside, yet she ignored it. Like hell she'd let a small wound like that get to her. It was just a scratch!

"Enjoying yourself human." She taunted, throwing in a dark smile to him. He didn't reply back, nor make any kind of sign that he had even heard her except for the fact that his silver eyes were locked tightly on her, his trigger finger millimeters from shooting. "I'll admit this is a first for me…" She continued. "Having some son of a bitch like you fight me this well. I couldn't believe it at first but I guess I can't deny it anymore. You won't win, I'll kill you! I'll kill you just like you killed my friends!" She screeched at him.

"Then I will kill you…" Jericho finally said. "Just as you and your friends killed my comrades."

She grinned even though his words struck her like a lightning bolt, filling up her already overflowing anger. "That's some strong words coming from a some traitor like you!"

"Traitor?" Jericho said, visibly perplexed again.

"That's right, those horns of yours. You have the ability to see vectors, you have the power to make a change and yet you continue to help the humans. Even that son of a bitch Kakuzawa knew who were the superior species."

"Are you still on about that? I told you already, these horns are nothing but bone mutations. I am pure human, a human I will remain to the very end, even if it means death."

"That won't be long then." She retorted .

"However, speaking of Kakuzawa Torino, what happened to him?" Jericho asked, armaments still at the ready. This time a real shadowy grin passed over The Queen's face. "I killed him." She said, taking glee in watching Jericho's eyes narrow in suspicion. "That bastard had the nerve to demand sex from me, as if I'd ever do anything with him. Then he thought he was a god, but do you know where he is now?" She asked rhetorically. "He's about 40 meters underwater, in pieces, dead. Stupid idiot thought he was a god, but he was nothing but a piece of over sized crap in the end." She laughed, her Voice laughing along with her.

"So…"She continued, her expression turning serious again. "Why did you help him? Did you not know of his plans, to have humanity killed off?"

"I did."

This time a real etched of shock crossed Ceila's face.

"I knew of his plans, from the very moment ever since I joined him. To destroy humanity, to become a god…everything he ever did he relayed to me. I was after all his prime consultant and guard. Now let me ask you something?"

"…"

"Why do you kill people? Why do you hate humanity so much? Why is it, that you can kill not just the ones who harm you, but the innocent as well?"

"What the hell?" The Voice yelled, furious that he would ask such a question.

"Why do I kill?" She said, her voice shaking from her vehemence. "How about this you son of a bitch! Have you ever felt fear so badly that the only comfort you had was a stuffed animal? Have you ever been shot at, hunted down, humiliated! You don't know a damn thing what I had to go through in my life, what any of us had to go through! You are like everyone else…you call us monsters. You know who the real monsters are?

"PEOPLE LIKE YOU!"

*BANG!*

She was forced to stop mid-sentence to stop the incoming bullet from crashing into her face. The vectors moved out again, but this time the battle became extremely heated. He fired as he walked, dodging here and there. Celia likewise screamed in anger, wanting this man to be dead forever. She flew into the air, zipping above him and throwing her vectors down. He ran across the rocky ground, ducking and sideswiping through the horde of murderous appendages. He fired into the air rapidly, forcing Celia to move back down. Another bullet hit her other arm, wounding her there. He was closer now than before, at least 10 meters. The bullets were becoming harder and harder to dodge or deflect. However, they were also becoming scarce.

A vector came zooming in, straight for his midsection. Pointing both guns forward, the bullets managed to slow the attack, but not completely. The blow hit him hard and he knew had it not been for the ammo, he would have been split in half. Jericho flew through the air, landing hard on the grassy soil before clutching the dirt to get himself balanced. His head popped up just in time to see a vector grab his arm. Celia's wicked smile screening, she prepared to rip his arm straight off.

"SHIT!"

Indeed, Jericho had pointed his gun straight at the arm and fired. The force of the bullet had made the vector involuntarily let go. He was coming at her again, firing off. She blocked a blow coming to her leg, one to her arm again. Then she gasped in pain and fell to her knees, a bullet having finally hit her in the upper shoulder. The explosive bullet had left a hefty wound in her, and while she could still move her arm though the pain was nearly unbearable. She screamed, both from hate and pain and Jericho decided to aim for something else.

Her eyes popped in horror as she felt the blow smash into her horn, the right one had been blown off, spewing blood into the air. She roared, falling over and clutching her head. She did not become any weaker, her vectors did not lose their powers, but she was in mortal agony right now. One horn gone, it was worst physical pain she had ever been in before. She heard a click, and pried her eyes open to see what had happened. She saw Jericho drop one of the guns, the ammo now completely used. If she wasn't in such agony, she would have smiled, instead it made her all the more determined to kill Jericho. She got up, half he face now red from the wound as she brought out her vectors. Both of them poised to kill. At this point there was only a 5 meter difference between the two. Since the difference was so short, neither of them could prevent harm completely. Every vector that came Jericho's way, he could only slow down with his bullets. He felt their pressure hit his body, he felt his bones ache. Every bullet that came her way, Celia was only able to reflect so that it hit a non-lethal part of her body.

A little closer was all they need to win.