Author's notes:

Next part right away, please...

Enjoy!

Chapter 24 – Last decision

Liara had crossed her limits. However, when someone crosses her limits warriors around her usually panic or are at least distressed in some way, but that time was different. Anna stood completely calm, despite her partner's body beginning to distort. Her own face was distorted, also, since she had Yoki released, too.

Lisa, for the time being, just watched. She knew what was about to come, so there was no reason for her to lose her calm. Ever since she had picked up the Yoki of Anna and Liara she had been aware of what was about to happen, so she just let it happen.

Liara's Yoki, even though running berserk, was calmed bit by bit. Even her distorted body slowly turned back, leaving only her hands and face disfigured. Her face looked stern, as she was glaring daggers towards Lisa, who calmly stood right in front of her.

"So you really went ahead and did it. Well, guess that's it, I'll die now, though I hope that you really will awaken, Liara. Would be more than befitting you!" Lisa stated, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Liara vanished. Lisa's left arm got cut off only the blink of an eye after, directly followed by her right arm. A wound opened, going from her right should to the lower left side of her breast cage, another one opened up on her right shoulder, deep enough to miss her right lung by a hair and two cuts appeared on her back, both of them dissecting Lisa's spine. She she felt all her feeling leave her lower body and legs, she, nearly simultaneously, got impaled three times: her right lung, her abdomen and the right part of her pelvis. Liara then appeared next to her. Slowly Lisa fell to her knees and then face down to the ground.

Both Liara and Anna suppressed their Yoki again. The former shook the blood off her blade and sheathed it. Using her right foot she rolled Lisa onto her back.

"Before you die, tell me one thing" Liara demanded.

"What might that be?" Lisa answered quietly.

"If you knew we were coming to kill you... and if you knew that I had to cross my limits to do so, how could you stay so calm even after I did?"

"Liara, you, who you do not know a life's value, why were you hesitating to cross your limits, despite knowing that you could return safely?"

"Because the Yoki-Link is risky, and I have no intention to awaken. It's as simple as that. Had you not provoked me, who knows, you might have lived to see the sun rise again."

"Ah, the technique Neerie and Vanessa used" she coughed, "so the two of you have learned to do it as well. I figured. After all" she coughed again, "your Yoki match each other well in terms of amount, quality and similarity. When you met Anna, you decided that she would become your partner. You knew she would enable you to become like the two persons you idolized. So much that you killed for them – at least that was your delusion" she said, leaving a pause to see whether Liara would react, but didn't, and then continued, right after coughing up a little blood, "Being at the top – being the strongest, unbeatable by anyone, that idea was so fascinating that it burned itself into your mind and let you lose track of everything else. As someone who has never learned the value of life you just disposed of everyone who stood in your way. And even after your initial goal, the fulfilling of your promise, was gone, that idea inside of your head was the only thing that kept you going. It was, well, how could you call it? A complex? Yeah, sounds about right. In the end, you are only using Anna as a tool to go and kill, and become the strongest. The moment you are you probably go and dispose of her" she paused again, but neither of her murderers to be reacted.

She let her gaze wander to Anna. A smile formed on her face, which irritated the latter. "W-what is it?" she asked.

"Not that you have any other intentions concerning Liara as soon as you have fulfilled your objective, isn't that right?" Anna's face and Yoki told the dying warrior that she had hit the mark. "Concerning that, the two of you should leave. I mean, she is on her way here, and I doubt she wouldn't make short work of you if she saw you in this situation."

"She?" Liara asked, as Anna checked the surroundings to see if anyone was coming, as she spotted a Yoki.

"She is right, Liara. Number 5 is coming" Anna warned.

Liara just nodded and the both of them rushed away.

"My, my" Lisa whispered into the wind, "you could at least have finished."

###

Just a few minutes after Anna and Liara had left Hitomi spotted Lisa in the distance. In an instant she appeared next to her to check whether she was still alive.

"What a mess" she said.

"Ain't that right?" Lisa whispered, slightly opening her eyes again.

Her comrade kneeled down to Lisa who lay in a pool of blood, both arms cut off and serious wounds all over her body. "Probably no news for you" Hitomi said with an honest voice, "but you've had it. Who did that?"

A faint smile formed on Anna's face, as she whispered: "Who would you think it was?"

Soundcutter's face darkened. "So they finally came after you. Are they still close by?"

"Leave them be, Hitomi. They'll come after you next anyways. Until then, please don't do anything. You see, Liara is mentally sick and Anna's got her reasons, too, so..." she tried to explain as Hitomi interrupted her harshly: "And that makes it okay?"

Lisa closed her eyes for a moment. She could already feel her consciousness slipping away. She opened her eyes again to say: "It doesn't. But there is no need for you to stain your hands like they did. The both of them, that I can tell you, will sometime pay for what they've done."

"Does ability tell you that?"

"No, that is just common sense. My ability told me, however, that you succeeded in what I proposed to you last time."

"That's right" Hitomi confirmed after a short pause. "Actually, I had Number 10 assist me. It was a great success."

"I told you so, did I not? Controlling Yoki is all about focus and willpower. And if two parties struggle over the same Yoki the one with more control wins. And since it is your own Yoki you will always have the upper hand as long as you know that."

"I want to ask another thing."

"Go ahead."

"About Jacqueline..." she wanted to ask, but got interrupted right away: "I don't know anything. I apologize."

Her comrade's face darkened.

"I can't choose what I get to know about, it's pretty random. Ever since I sensed Anna and Liara, for example, I knew that they were trying to kill me – and succeed at it. Ultimately, my ability showed me something I never wanted to see – my own death."

Hitomi kept silent. It was actually hard on her to see a warrior that had always been joyful and tried to be everyone's friend meet an end like this, killed by people she wanted nothing more than to be friends with. Resolved about what to do, Hitomi stated: "I will make sure to punish them accordingly for what they have done. I promise you."

"I see" Lisa said, smiling brighter than the sun. Noticing how her vision went blurry she said: "Leave me alone please. And don't ask me if you should end it. My death is their responsibility, not yours."

"I understand" Hitomi stated, straightened up and, before starting to walk away, said: "I'll say hi to Emily."

"Please do."

###

'I'm sorry Hitomi. I'm not strong enough to just die and let them get away. I'm glad your sensing abilities are useless. Like this, I can awaken in peace – and then get my revenge.'

Author's notes:

Liara and Anna have completely defeated Lisa, but she has no intention of dying. What will she do after awakening? Stay tuned!

And sorry for the conversation heaviness here, but that is what Lisa is like ;)

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing.

kstefan88