Ch.8 Assault formation

At Alice's base of operations which is the destroyed DEM building in the area hours later the trio plot their next move, Rosa is recovering and Dahlia proposes an idea.

"Lady Alice I'd like to propose our next strategy if I may be so bold"

"You may"

"I say we all go in at once in different areas in which the target frequently visits"

"I see and do you know these locations?"

"Yes milady I have done recon on the area during our short time on the target"

As Dahlia is about to tell Alice about her findings, another person enters the meeting, Ellen.

"It would seem that despite small numbers you three have exceptional intuition"

Alice comments on her sudden arrival

"Miss Mathers what brings you to our entourage?"

"The director sent me, he said he wanted to see you succeed and that my help would aid that end"

"(I see, he wants to compare our power) Very well your assistance is most welcome"

Ellen decides to go with the plan since it holds logic, they were to follow Shido around on his usual routes during the day, Dahlia was to blend in at the market area, Rosa decided to act as a new neighbor next his home, Ellen was to monitor his movements from the roofs of the business district, and Alice a waitress in Kotori's favorite diner. The group was all set up for their plan not knowing Yukio had found out about their plan with his unique angel ability. He explains his power to Mana at their base, which took hours to settle since Mana wasn't too thrilled about working with Kurumi, but was willing to compromise for Shido's safety.

"So you can tap into past knowledge?"

"Yes it's called Akashic Record basically if it's already happened I can see into the past and recall knowledge from even three seconds ago"

"I see so that's how you two have been keeping the timeline safe"

"Indeed I also used it to create my equipment, I crafted my lance the lance of Longinus, The cloth wrapped around Manami the shroud of Turin, Kasumi's bracelet which has the jewel I call the nail of Helena, and finally this"

Yukio grabs a bag and pulls out a syringe filled with a sky blue liquid and calls for Kurumi.

"Yes what is it?"

"Could you hold your arm please?"

"My arm, you aren't planning anything sneaky are you?"

"Ironic words coming from you"

Kurumi sticks out her arm, and Yukio injects the liquid into her body, Kurumi then feels refreshed and looks in the mirror she then notices her clock turning indicating her lifespan has been restored.

"Wow I feel a hundred years younger"

"Yes Kasumi tested it; call it the Holy Grail but temporary"

"Temporary?"

"Kurumi and Kasumi whose abilities revolve around eating away at their lifespan will have it restored, but normal people gain temporary immortality, but it's very difficult to create and I only have a few left"

Mana looks at Yukio with an impressed expression.

"My brother raised a talented boy"

"Anyway here take these"

Yukio hands bracelets to Kurumi and Mana which were also nails of Helena he created.

"These bracelets let anyone who's wearing them use my actual combat ability, the power to weaponize particles of light and materialize solid objects using the light around them, and Kurumi I have no idea how that will respond with a full fledged spirit"

The plan was to attack each wizard at their position in a certain order, Kasumi was to fight Dahlia since both are the weakest members of their respective groups, Mana was chosen to fight the injured Rosa, Yukio chose to fight Ellen, and Kurumi was picked to fight Alice since they thought Alice's hatred of her would best her judgment. The day of the operation Shido was going about his routine, as he prepares to exit his home with Tohka to go grocery shopping Rosa was waiting below the stairs and was waiting to make her move and was planning on separating them.

"Almost there just a little bit more"

"How are the injuries feeling miss silver spear?"

Rosa turns around and sees Mana.

"You little…no I can't get angry again"

"Hope you're ready for round two"

"Fine but of course you want to change venue I assume?"

Mana nods.

"(The others can capture them I'll just get my revenge)"

Mana and Rosa disappear before Shido and Tohka make it down the stairs. First they go to the market area to buy groceries and a few loafs of Tohka's favorite bread. As Tohka stares at the bread drooling Dahlia smirks as she approaches from behind to lure the two out using a false sales pitch. This interrupted when she feels a tap on her shoulder and the location around her is switched to the destroyed remains of an old ship out in middle of who knows where.

"What do you think?"

Dahlia looks behind and sees Kasumi's hand on her shoulder.

"Paradox!?"

"I never knew why you even gave me a codename I'm not even a spirit"

"True but on the bright side I now have the honor of killing you, I Dahlia the bronze will be your opponent this day"

"Oh just Dahlia the bronze I guess even an elite three has at least one modest member"

"Hmm coming from one such as yourself that means little"

Dahlia enters her own combat which was identical to Rosa's only instead of green she wore maroon and her combat parts were bronze colored, and her weapon of choice a bronze rapier with a glowing hilt.

"Now Paradox came at me with all you got!"

"Okay just don't whine when I cut your head!"
The two charge at each other, meanwhile Shido and Tohka wrap up their grocery shopping and go to the diner to have a nice lunch. While on the way Ellen watches from the roof she is currently on in the distance keeping tabs on the two, and she senses someone behind her.

"A sneak attack is useless against me"

Yukio stabs his lance into the ground and points at Ellen.

"As expected of current top wizard DEM"

"I see you did your homework, so I guess you'll be on your way then"

"Not a chance Ellen Mira Mathers"

Ellen turns to face Yukio and enters her combat form, but what neither one knows is that Origami sees them from the streets below and decided to check what's going on. At the café Alice is waiting for Shido to show up, but is drawing attention to herself due to her mask. To remain incognito she checks up on a costumer who is looking at a menu.

"Can I help you miss?"

"Yeah I'd like…you medium rare"

The costumer puts down her menu revealing herself as Kurumi.

"Nightmare?"

"Wow for a powerful wizard you sure suck at remaining calm in my presence"

Alice strains from trying to keep her anger contained.

"What do you want?"

"Like I said I'm going to devour you, but not here let's go somewhere…quieter"

Alice can't restrain her desire to fight the woman she blames for her mother's death, and agreed to meet in the woods near the park. Now that all the players where set the four battles could begin and with luck Yukio and Kasumi could make their mission much easier if they all win. The first battle, will Kasumi versus Dahlia at the destroyed ship. The battle started simple Kasumi was clashing her blade against Dahlia's rapier, however Dahlia stops clashing as soon as she sees an opportune spot to force her blade against Kasumi's.

"You have skill with the blade but I have superior physical strength"

Dahlia forces Kasumi's blade to the ground and cuts her left shoulder. Barley managing to recover Kasumi can only block the thrusts of Dahlia's rapier.

"Come on Paradox come on come on come on hahahahahaha!"

"(Damn I can't use Zelel with her attacking me this quickly)"
Distracted by thoughts Kasumi is struck across the stomach by Dahlia's blade again. Dahlia gives Kasumi some breathing room to boast.

"I'm so disappointed Paradox, really are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Oh me I'm feeling amazing right now, how about you?"

"Me I'm feeling great but let me ask you something do you know why they consider me weaker than Rosa?"

"Because you are weaker"

"Kind of but the real reason is because as a wizard I'm horrible outside physical skills, but it is indeed my physical prowess that earned me my reputation"

Dahlia hits Kasumi over the head with her hilt then knees her in the stomach sending her flying. Kasumi lands on her back and can't get up; Dahlia walks over and picks her up by her jacket collar.

"But there is one attack I know that isn't physical hehe…"

A sphere of composed of shadow engulfs the two and lets no light in except one bluish light from inside the sphere itself.

"What is this?"

"Hmm…I call this dark dimension, it's my ultimate skill you'll be swallowed by this void upon my finishing blow, I developed this skill myself to give my opponents the cruelest type of death. You see not only will you die alone in this closed of void but no one will ever sense it, and you'll die here alone and unmourned, it's really a sad way to die"

"So no one…can sense us in here"

"Yes"

"In that case…..Thank you"

Kasumi's red eye suddenly turns into a gold clock, and she slashes Dahlia's arm escaping her grasp, she then summons Kurumi's guns.

"Come Zaphkiel!"

Zaphkiel materializes behind Kasumi, and then.

"Zelel!"
She summons Zelel as well, and then the silver pocket watch floats in the air and fuses with Zaphkiel on the twelfth marker creating a panel that can switch which it does and changes the twelve into a zero.

"Hidden bullet… Nightmare Hour!"

Kasumi points the guns in the position of midnight and draws power into both guns, and fires at Dahlia which she knocks away using her arms.

"Nice try but you're little bullet trick did nothing"

"Did it really"

Dahlia looks at her arm and sees that the two bullets are burrowing into her skin.

"What is this?"

"I named this attack after my mom; you see this attack can't be stopped"

Dahlia then notices that she sees only red in her right eye.

"You see that red is actually a clock connected with Zaphkiel"

Dahlia then notices the clock moving closer to the midnight position.

"And when that clock tolls… that's when your life will end Dahlia the bronze"

"…NOOOOOOOOOO!"

The clock hits midnight and the sound of a bell rings throughout the sphere, and then the sound of exploding follows (the sound of Dahlia's heart exploding). The sphere dissipates, Dahlia falls to the ground and Kasumi puts her weapons away and her eye changes back. Despite being fatally injured Dahlia manages to talk with Kasumi one more time.

"You sly girl hiding such an awesome power, I guess that was your true power, your angel huh?"

"Not quite that wasn't MY angel"

"Huh?

"You see my mom lost her powers before I was born at first we thought they just disappeared because she turning more human, but that wasn't the case the truth is I actually absorbed her powers at birth and they became part of me"

Kasumi then holds up her Zelel.

"You see Zelel is actually a form of evolution of her powers inside me and I can use more power over time than her….but I won't tell anyone and with your death it will remain my secret"

"But why, why would you do that?"

"Because if DEM ever found out about my unique ability they would send an all out army to get me and I don't want my parents to be in danger because of me, so when you hid us behind that sphere I thanked you because if you hadn't I could never use her Zaphkiel to the fullest"

"Even if it meant that you would lose to me?"

"Yes even then, even if it meant my life"

"Haha so…that's it…you really are…something..special"

Dahlia stops breathing and lays dead on the ground, and Kasumi reverses time on herself to heal her injuries and walks away.

"Thanks mom"

She says as she looks at her watch.