Author's Note: Baka, baka, baka! Please enjoy this chapter while I berate myself for being late.
Black Rock Shooter and co. belongs to Huke.
Dead Master and Maid Gunner walked through the molten wasteland, keeping an eye out for any other machines. Dead Master wasn't sure how to make of this situation. One moment, she was right beside Chariot and the next, she was here, fending off a wolf-like machine. What also made this troubling was that she doesn't know who Maid Gunner is exactly and why she's down here. It was painfully obvious that Maid Gunner was an other self, but about whether she's a possible ally or enemy after all this is up in smoke.
"What is this place..?" Dead Master asked, stepping away from a geyser.
Maid Gunner looked back at her, "This place, at least by what my mistress stated, could be the equivalent of the real world's version of hell"
"Hell..?" Dead Master thought to herself, "And your mistress, Dragon Slayer, correct..?"
"Yes," Maid Gunner responded.
"Who is she?" Dead Master asked, staying in place.
"An other self who underwent the process of being more 'human-like'," Maid Gunner told Dead Master, "She can be a bit eccentric, but in truth, she holds one of the most greatest minds in the Otherworld, along with her powers"
Dead Master nodded, seeping the information into her brain. While there were a few questions answered, more questions popped up, but it was best to save that for another time. They continued walking, silence surrounding them when Maid Gunner stopped and leaned up against a wall. She looked back at Dead Master and gestured her to lean up against the wall too. Doing so, Dead Master watched the maid move slowly to the corner and peered to the side before snapping her head back.
"There's a few more about a rough seven meters from us," Maid Gunner told her, placing a finger up to her lips, "Stay quiet and hide your power"
Dead Master nodded and concentrated, compressing her power until it locked away inside her. Maid Gunner reached the corner again and bent down, removing her sniper rifle from around her shoulders. Dead Master wasn't sure if it was a good idea attacking the machines, especially when Maid Gunner might missing. Lifting her sniper rifle, Maid Gunner took aim, trying to get the targets all within her line of fire. Dead Master watched, figuring she's going to shoot them directly.
"Are you sure that's a wise idea?" Dead Master whispered.
Maid Gunner glanced back at her, "Who said I was going to shoot them?"
In a split second, Maid Gunner angled her sniper rifle upwards and fired, hitting a makeshift ceiling formed from the cold earth itself. The machines didn't have enough time to react before they got crushed by the falling rubble. Maid Gunner got up from the ground and hoist her rifle over her shoulders again, leaving the passageway without worrying about any risks. Dead Master stepped out and examined where they were at, figuring it's a good idea to get a mental map of the area. The rock formations makes it look like a rock valley of sorts with crevices, open passages, and ways to get up and down. The only downside to that is if you fall, you would meet your end with the flowing magma.
"This place makes it seem like it's impossible to get back," Maid Gunner said, "But that's a lie, there's always a way out..."
Dead Master looked at her, her eyes reflecting curiosity, "How long have you been down here?"
"Not long, a few days, but those machines keep coming as if there's an armada of them lying in wait," Maid Gunner told her, looking to her left, "If we go this way, well be able to head towards the center"
"Then it's best that we move quickly, otherwise, more of those things will come," Dead Master stated.
The two other selves move quickly, heading towards the center of the hellish world.
Two days later...
Mato stared at her bandaged arm, flexing her fingers for a bit before focusing on her work. Dragon Slayer's serum worked a bit too well, causing her entire arm to become dead for a while. It was an odd sensation, and it stuck with Mato for several hours after Dragon Slayer injected her. Now, she can move it, but the numbness remained to deal with the pain. To have a body part that can't exactly feel anything was a bit unnatural, but then again, the person who made it numb wasn't natural at all.
'Mato, we need to talk...' B RS told her.
Mato had a deadpan look on her face, "Can't it wait until later, I just got back and my recent ups and downs is causing rumors; for once, I would like a normal life..."
'I highly doubt you'll get that wish,' B RS told her, 'But I'm serious, we have to talk now..!'
"Look, can't we just-" Mato thought before she noticed class has just ended, "Great, what is it..?"
B RS grimaced, 'Dead Master disappeared'
"What?!" Mato shouted, getting up from her seat and receiving stares from everybody, "Uh... sorry..."
Mato sat down and stared at her desk, wondering why Yomi didn't tell her about it. Was it like what happened to her when B RS died? Mato shook her head and got up, heading out of the room in search for Yomi. She wasn't there when class ended, so she's probably somewhere in school. Mato dashed towards the art room, figuring that's the first place Yomi could be in.
As she turned the corner, she collided with someone and fell on her butt, "Ah, geez..!"
"You should be more careful Mato," Mato looked up and saw Yuu rubbing her head, "Didn't you learn it's not safe to run in the halls, especially if you're still recuperating from an injury?"
Mato got up and picked Yuu up from the floor, "Sorry, I have to find Yomi..!"
"Eh?" Yuu blinked, "What for?"
Mato didn't respond, she just took off again, leaving Yuu behind in the hallway, dumbfounded. Passing by students without trying to bump into them, Mato felt as if she was out of touch of reality as she ran through the hallways. Her vision looked slightly distorted, images from who knows where blending in, but she still feel like she's herself and nothing was wrong. Her vision reverted back to its normal state as she saw Yomi come out of the art room, acting like nothing's wrong. Yomi was completely unaware of Mato running towards her, but she was when Mato grabbed a hold of her hand and kept on running, dragging her along.
Yomi stumbled as she tried to regain her footing, "Ah, Mato..?!"
"I need to talk to you alone," Mato told her, turning a corner and heading up the stairs.
Yomi didn't know what to think about or say at all, this was all too sudden for her to even comprehend. Yomi steadied herself as she kept up with Mato, wondering how she managed to get all this energy to run. Mato didn't stop until they were up on the roof, letting go of Yomi's hand as she tried to catch her breath. Straightening herself, Mato turned around and faced Yomi, her cheeks slightly puffed out as she stared at her friend. Yomi - despite herself - blinked a few times, wondering what it is that's causing Mato to act this way.
"Why didn't you tell me, or anyone else, that Dead Master disappeared?" Mato inquired, "Don't tell me you forgot about her like I did with Rock..."
"Wait, Dead Master disappeared?" Yomi asked, dumbfounded.
Mato nodded, "Yeah, I just heard from Rock abo- wait, you didn't know either?"
Yomi wasn't sure what to make of the current mood given the mixed emotions behind all this. She just turned around, walked a couple of steps while raking her hair with her hands, then turned back to Mato who was trying to figure out what just happened. Yomi tried to think about what recently happened that could tie into this, but couldn't as Mato just looked down, probably berating herself for reacting to quickly. Yomi was about to laugh as she continued to look at Mato, but something came up in her head, a reminder that there was something that does tie into it. Yomi shook Mato a bit, getting her to look up and stare at Yomi's green eyes.
"I think I remember something," Yomi told her.
Mato blinked, "Eh, what is it?"
"Remember when me and Kagari visited you in the hospital, when we were leaving, I felt like something was pulling me down into the ground," Yomi explained, "I didn't make much of it, but now..."
"Great, so there's nothing else about this you know about..?" Mato wondered.
Yomi shook her head, "Sorry Mato"
"At least nothing truly bad happened..." Mato thought as she sighed in relief, "That's okay, I was just worried that something bad happened to you..."
Yomi nodded, "So, what's with this 'Rock' thing, hm?"
"Ack, crap..!" Mato screamed inside, "Uh... eh, i-it's a... it's what... B RS wants me to call her..."
Yomi smiled, "Wow, it seems you two gotten close, hun?"
Mato chuckled, feeling a strange sense of animosity coming from everywhere and nowhere. Best bet was that B RS was listening in and heard Mato let the name slip through her mouth, letting the "name" become knowledge to Yomi. Even though Yomi is one of Mato's best friends, B RS didn't want the name to become knowledge to anyone else. It was a type of privacy between her and Mato, plus, she didn't truly feel comfortable letting it be known to anyone else now. Mato stopped chuckling as Yomi giggled, leaving the short raven-haired girl confused.
"Sorry, but I never thought B RS would be the one to prefer a different name," Yomi said, barely able to contain her giggles, "Plus, it's actually nice to see that there's really a bond forming between you two if that's happening"
Mato scratched the back of her head, "Right, sorry..."
"How long are you two gonna stand there, laughing and such?" A voice came from the door.
Mato and Yomi looked towards the door, where Kagari and Yuu was at, staring at them like a strange event just occurred. When Kagari saw Yuu standing at the hallway where Mato just sprinted through, she just had to know what happened. Yuu guided Kagari in the direction that Mato went, and with the help of murmurs from students who saw Mato, they managed to find her on the roof with Yomi. They only managed to hear about the two of them discussing something about a name, but couldn't figure out what it was all about. Right now, the only thing they're worried about is the upcoming rumors about Mato's actions, which could cause some uproar from her if they truly come into fruition.
'Mato, you do realize what you did is going to start rumors, right?" Yuu pointed out.
Mato's eyes widened, "Oh geez, I gotta stop those rumors!"
Mato took off, going down the stairs as quickly as she could, leaving her friends to stare at her in amazement and resignation. Kagari and Yuu looked back at Yomi, who cupped her chin with her hand, completely deep in her thoughts. She was thinking about what caused her to feel that sensation. It's obvious that Geshumaru had no involvement, she wasn't even aware of her and Kagari that day. Plus, there was no way that there's another other self who is capable of doing things that Geshumaru can do, is there? Kagari shook Yomi a bit, snapping her out of her thoughts and having her stare at her long-time friend and her new friend.
"What was it that you and Mato were talking about?" Kagari asked.
Yuu walked up to them, "I'm curious too; was it really important to have Mato acting like that?"
"N-not exactly," Yomi started, "I mean, I don't know, give me time to figure it out..."
Yomi was speaking the truth, there was a lot of things she needed to figure out, primarily if what happened to Dead Master was bad or not. Whatever happened that caused her to disappear must have been enough to have B RS tell Mato, which got her up in a tizzy. Snapping out of her thoughts, Yomi realized Kagari and Yuu were staring at her with critical eyes, wondering what was going on inside her head. The aura of their stares was unnatural and Yomi backed up a couple of steps while waving her hands, a nervous smile graced upon her face. Noticing that they weren't going to get any answers now, Kagari and Yuu backed away and walked towards the door, ready to head back into the school for their next class.
"Well, I'm not getting a break..." Yomi thought, discouraged as she walked back into the building.
"Saya, can you hear me..?" Gold Saw communicated, walking through an unfamiliar area.
Ever since their talk, Saya requested that she's kept up to date with any activity going on in the Otherworld, figuring that whatever happens there might have a massive impact in the real world unlike before. Like a chess game, both sides were making moves against each other, except for when something occurs from neither side. The various variables aren't making sense, but somehow, they all added up to something in some way or form. Right now, it's hard to say whether it's a case of a vendetta or average other selves fighting against each other, especially when there's the Anomalies thrown in. Gold Saw stopped right in the middle of an open field, noticing a skull resting right at her feet.
[Geez, I can hear you, what's going on..?]
"It seems as though there's been incidents of areas being demolished by unknown forces," Gold Saw stated, examining the layout or the area, "I'm not sure what's causing it, at first, I thought it was Underworld Icicle, but taking a closer look, it seems like some sort of creature is responsible for the attacks..."
[What do you think it is?]
Gold Saw grimaced, "I wish I knew, there's a lot of this that I don't even know now..."
[Alright, keep me updated when possible... Ah, hot, hot!]
Gold Saw felt the connection drop and merely arched an eyebrow, "What an unusual way to end the conversation"
Gold Saw bent down and picked up the skull, examining it closely. It seems humanoid in nature, which probably means it belonged to an other self that's dead. Tossing the skull back to the ground, Gold Saw started walking away, figuring there's nothing here that she could truly look at. As she was walking away, she felt the wind pick up slightly, causing her hair to billow slightly. In a moment impulse, Gold Saw turned around and caught a jagged bone, which looked like it came from the ribs.
"Who's there?" Gold Saw inquired, the bone being cracked in her hand like a twig.
Getting no response, Gold Saw snapped the rib and started walking away, figuring that whoever sent that to her got scared and ran away. Several steps into her walk, she heard something crack, prompting her to stop and arm herself with King Saw, ready to attack at any given moment. This was a bad move however, as three skeletal arms wrapped around her legs, dragging her into the ground. Repositioning King Saw, she started stabbing at the arms, trying to break them apart before she was completely dragged down. Managing to shatter two arms, Gold Saw grabbed a hold of the ground and pulled herself up, bringing the arm along with her.
"Annoying..!" Gold Saw muttered as she grabbed the arm and tossed it away from her.
Gold Saw took a look around and noticed bones coming out of the area, crawling or flying through the air towards where the arm was. Thousands of bones came together, forming something akin to a bulky figure composed of bones. Spines joined and linked together to form a massive spine. Arms, legs, hands, feet, and joints, connecting together to composed the rest of the massive figure. The skull the Gold Saw found inserted itself at the base of the creature's body while a massive, cracked skull was taken from the ground and attached to the top.
"That's just great..." Gold Saw narrowed her eyes as she saw the arm she tossed away crawl up the body before it linked itself to the spine and the head.
A reddish-pink glow emanated from the skull as it roared up into the sky, shaking the foundation around them. Steadying herself, Gold Saw charged forward, going side to side as she reached the skeletal monster. The creature pulled back its arm before punching where it expected Gold saw to be at, not noticing her ripping a hole in reality and going through it. A small crater formed where it punched, causing it to pull back its fist and turn around, snatching at the air. In a split second, Gold saw wound up caught in it death grip, not expecting it to capture her so easily.
"There's no way something this primitive could catch me," Gold Saw calculated, "Someone is pulling its strings..."
Gold Saw watched it pull back its arm and prepped herself, figuring what it was going to do next. The creature tossed Gold Saw straight into the wall, causing her to slam against it and get stuck, as well as getting a few broken bones. At least the healing factor is something she doesn't have to worry about, since it was bound to attack her again. Gold Saw watched it come up to her, a haze of smoke coming out of its mouth as it stared at her. The creature planted itself on the ground before opening its mouth wide, charging up a ball of energy and compressing it inside. Gold Saw's eyes widened as it fired, sending her back a few hundred meters.
Picking herself from the ground, Gold Saw noticed the monster making its way towards her, each stomp taking up several meters between it and her. Slashing at the air, Gold saw's eyes glowed for a brief second before she dashed forward, hellbent on making the distance between them much shorter in seconds. Slamming its fist into the wall, the skeletal monster ripped out a huge chunk and toss it towards her. Noticing the rubble, Gold Saw jumped up and used the rubble as a platform to bounce off and cover the distance as well as using it to keep herself hidden. Jumping up into the air, Gold saw avoided another charged beam, staying above it as she landing on its left shoulder.
A barely noticeable smirk appeared on Gold saw's lips, "I was really expecting a lot more..!"
Bones removed itself from the structure of the beast and tried to attack Gold Saw, but they fell prey to her King Saw instead, being ripped apart as her red eyes glowed completely. More bones popped out and Gold saw did nothing but slash away, each slash causing a small fire to ignite from her sword. The head swiveled around and charged another beam, but Gold Saw dropped to its left hand and watched it lift her up, ready to blow her away. Gold Saw jumped off as it fired, causing it to destroy its own arm as she sliced its spine apart, going down to the ground. She dropped down and looked back, hearing the monster roar in complete pain.
"I just had about enough of this," Gold Saw mumbled.
Gold Saw jumped up to its spine and crawled inside, ignoring the various bones trying to stab her from within. Aiming her King Saw, she thrust forward, stabbing through the skull placed at the center of the creature's chest. All movement halted before the body started collapsing upon itself, forcing Gold Saw to push through to avoid being crushed. Stepping on the ground, Gold saw removed the skull from her King Saw before looking back, seeing the bones being nothing but lifeless objects. Narrowing her eyes, she walked away from the battleground, wondering who it was that manipulated all those bones and forced her into a fight.
Meanwhile, a girl walked into the area that Gold Saw first stepped into, examining the damage. Her reddish-pink eyes surveyed the area before raising her right arm; a construct composed of three skeletal arms connected by a support system that allowed rotation. Every single bone within the area was forced back into the ground, all the cracks being resealed as she walked through the area. For someone like her, she didn't expect to come against an other self who took on B RS, much less one that survived the antithesis' onslaught. Looking back at where Gold Saw disappeared to, the girl raised one of her skeletal arms and cupped her chin.
"I wonder if I should add her head to my collection..." The girl said wistfully.
Geshumaru reattached the metal plating to her partner's arm, "There, that should do it"
The robot flexed its arm, checking its repairs just like all the other times it was fixed. Looking back at its partner, it noticed a sense of melancholy on Geshumaru's eyes, figuring that she was busy with something before it called for her. Looking at its hand, the machine was able to recall the time it came into the world, by the joint efforts of its partner and its creator. Back then, it was them three planning the future of the Otherworld, but now, it was just them two fighting for its future. It didn't really want to think about it too much, especially since it's been a year since they were involved in "the end".
"Are you alright?" It asked.
Geshumaru nodded, "Yeah, just been thinking to myself a lot..."
"Look, your actions against Izuriha Kagari was uncalled for, the effects that your powers can have in the real world is much more potent than anything," The robot told her, scolding her lightly, "Remember, you're not to use your powers in the real world unless it's necessary; don't let objectives blind you from these rules"
Geshumaru looked at it, frowning, "You just sound like her..!"
The machine released blue smoke from its mouthpiece, a sign of a sigh, "And I have to, she set up these rules so no harm is cause to this world or the real world, so balance is maintained"
"I understand that, but I just can't let B RS live," Geshumaru stated.
The machine realized that it wasn't going to be easy to stop her, especially with the way she now exists. She made sure her goal was the only thing she had to focused on, and with her training, she won't let go of it easily. Resting a hand on top of her head, the machine patted it softly, causing her to look up at it completely. Between the two of them, they always had a bond like a family, like what an older brother has to his younger sister or what a father has to his daughter. Removing its hand from her head, it got up from the block of carved rock and walked outside.
"How about you just observe and train for now, when the time comes, you can go kill her," The machine told her.
Geshumaru was about to retort before she bit her lip and sighed, "Fine, I actually need to do something to clear my head of these thoughts..."
The machine nodded as it walked towards the fountain, hoping for the best...
As Dead Master and Maid Gunner followed the trail before them, they couldn't help but notice the rising magma. Granted, they were still alive, but it was rising bit by bit, meaning it could catch up to them in a few days or so. Going inside a route they could fit in, Maid Gunner dropped to the ground and laid herself against the wall, her sniper rifle resting next to her. Dead Master did the same, though, more proper by easing herself down. Their travel was taking a while for them to reach their destination, but that was expected since the route they intended to take was barricaded by enemies and traps.
"Whoever watches this area must know what we're trying to do," Maid Gunner commented.
Dead Master stared at her, "I guess that means you don't know who rules this area, hm?"
"No, I was placed at a random location, just like you and I had to fend for myself," Maid Gunner told Dead Master, "If I did, I would have killed that other self, but that would leave me with no way out..."
Dead Master grimaced, "How do we get out then?"
Maid Gunner pointed towards the sky, "There will be an eclipse soon, if we can reach our destination in time, we can take the portal and get out"
Dead Master looked up at the sky, seeing nothing but the checkerboard sky. She figured Maid Gunner was explaining it in the way of the sun's location out in the Otherworld, not where they are now. Looking back at Maid Gunner, she noticed her taking apart her sniper rifle and examining the parts, checking to see if there were any parts malfunctioning. Looking out of the crack, she examined the sea of magma, noticing the pieces of jagged metal rising from the depths of the lava. Hearing the sound of the sniper rifle cocking, Dead Master looked back at her partner.
"So, your mistress, Dragon Slayer," Dead Master started, "What is she like aside from being eccentric and a great mind?"
Maid Gunner looked at her, "She's one of the few remaining other selves from a few generations ago; her power's unparalleled and she is known for creating some of the greatest structures in the Otherworld"
"I see..." Dead Master mused.
"A couple of the buildings she created were designed to be a confusing puzzle, with no true way of getting out without trying a suicidal dive," Maid Gunner explained, "Her castle is also restricted from the basic realms of reality and only she decided who can enter or not"
"Is she truly that powerful?" Dead Master asked.
Maid Gunner raked her hair, "Used to, she keeps the overall majority of her powers chained up, but if necessary, she will release them and wreak havoc"
Dead Master arched her eyebrows, "So why do you work for her?"
"She prefers seclusion to work on her projects and plans, figuring it's the only way to avoid troublesome conclusions," Maid Gunner stated, "I, along with my sister, were created by her and serve her to keep up balance"
"But don't you want anything; live your own life," Dead Master asked, "Serving her must be more problematic than anything?"
Maid Gunner narrowed her eyes, "I serve her because I want to, and I know she aims for a peaceful goal for the Otherworld; I will bring down anyone who tries to interfere with her plans..!"
Dead Master was slightly surprised by the emotion in Maid Gunner's voice, and how her expression matched it. It was like she was seeing another B RS, and that thought alone was frightening to a degree. Getting up, Maid Gunner hoisted her sniper rifle and started walking out of the route, ready to continue their travel. Dead Master got up and started walking too, trailing behind Maid Gunner. Working together is the only way they will be able to get out, and whatever happens next will depend on the outcome.
B RS dashed through the barren valley, heading towards she felt Dead Master disappear, her axe already in her hand. Not too far behind, Chariot was heading towards the same area along with STR, feeling the unusual aura of the area. While there's a lingering aura of Dead Master, there's also something malevolent and twisted as if this was nothing more than a graveyard. The closer they got, the more the temperature shifts, from hot to cold, just repeating it with no end. The color of the area also changed, from grey to red-orange, then a basic brown coloration.
B RS narrowed her eyes, "What's going on..?"
B RS stopped dashing and stood her ground, noticing a massive hole where she felt Dead Master's fading aura. Looking around, she tried to see if there was anything that covered the hole's radius, but there was nothing in view. Picking up a rock, B RS tossed it into the hole, watching it fall until it disappeared, no sound emanating from where it possibly landed. A few minutes after B RS tossed the rock, Chariot and STR came up to her, ready for whatever was going to happen. B RS looked at them, her onyx eyes reflecting many emotion, but keeping them restrained as anger dominated her emotions.
"So, you felt it too?" B RS inquired.
Chariot nodded, "We didn't expect this to happen, but whoever did this is going to pay..!"
"Calm down, we don't even know who caused this," STR told Chariot before looking at B RS, "Right now, the trail ends her, so whoever did this wanted us to come here for some reason"
"But what?" B RS asked.
A howl resonated several meters from where they were, causing them to look towards the direction of the sound. The wolf-like machines that Dead Master and Maid Gunner encountered were right before them, ready to attack. The machines charged towards them, the black smoke coming out from their exhaust vents trailing behind them. Preparing themselves for the attack, B RS jump started it by slashing down, releasing a blade of energy towards them. It cleared a path and allowed B RS and Chariot to go inside and fight the rest to the pack while STR handled those right in the front.
STR grabbed a couple of the machines and crushed their heads before tossing their bodies over her into the hole, ready to handle the remaining ten. Punching her way around helped as it managed to buy her some time to get away from the hole. One of the machines pounced and hooked itself to her back, biting her around her collarbone. Ignoring the pain, STR grabbed the machine before slamming it against the ground, making sure it collapsed from the brute power of the hit. Forming a fist with her Ogre Arms, STR knocked the heads off of a couple of machines before tossing the collapsed body of the machine into the hole.
"Okay, enough's enough..!" STR stated as her Ogre Arms cocked, shifting forms.
Raising her Ogre Arms, STR started firing bullets after bullets at the machines, knocking them back bit by bit as the bullets caused their joints to collapse. Halting her firing, STR reverted her Ogre Arms back to their original state and planted them into the ground, lifting it up. Gritting her teeth, STR raised the rock platform before tossing it - along with the machines - over the hole. Placing her Ogre Arms down, STR waited for her healing factor to patch up the damage before she helped out her friends. Looking down towards her collarbone, she watched the puncture wounds heal up, the blood dripping from then disappearing as the holes was sewn up by themselves.
Meanwhile, B RS was knocking the machines away with her axe, making sure she was given enough time to use her abilities. It was certainly hard to do when one goes down, two replaces it. Chariot wasn't faring any better, though her shield did protect her from the fire balls that kept coming her way. She narrowed her eyes and dashed forward, her wheels speeding her along the field of fire. Spinning around, she started knocking some away with her shield while beheading some with her sword, making sure that they can't get a single hit off of her.
"These things don't know when to give up," Chariot muttered to herself, "I'll just knock them all down..!"
Dropping her shield, she grabbed a hold of it before placing a wheel against it, forcing the large object to slowly spin. Her hand started to burn bit by bit from keeping it at bay since the wheel's speed kept increasing. Feeling the shield was ready, she let go of it and watched it rip through the ground and pierce her enemies, cutting them in half or splitting them into complete pieces. Chariot dashed forward towards B RS, noticing the white-haired girl struggling a bit against the machines as she can't use her powers while there's so many of them taking up her focus. Covering the distance between them in seconds, Chariot started slashing away, catching the machines attention.
"Hurry, now!" Chariot told her.
B RS got up and focused, a black flame appearing around her left eye as she arched back her axe, a large phantom form of it appearing. Gripping it with both hands, B RS brought it down, forcing all her power into it. The phantom blade turned into nothing but a blade of energy, cutting through the machines like they were nothing. Feeling weak, B RS collapsed to one knee, keeping herself stable with her axe. She wasn't sure why she was feeling weak now when the last time she used it, she managed to stay stable.
B RS noticed Chariot offering a helping hand, "Thanks..."
"Well, we're all here for the same reason," Chariot told her.
STR walked up to them, pulling down her hood, "Though, what were those things, they looked like wolves from the real world..?"
B RS was about to say something on that when she felt a presence behind her, directly up in the air. Turning around and looking up, B RS noticed a machine - one that was probably hiding - charging up a fire-ball. It was about to attack when it was suddenly cut in half, the fire-ball vanishing like it didn't exist. Watching the destroyed machine fall to the ground, B RS looked around trying to find the person who killed the machine. It didn't matter though, the person was directly behind them all.
"Perhaps it's best to listen with your ears a bit more," The voice resonated.
B RS turned around and frowned, "Dragon Slayer..."
Dragon Slayer was standing before the three girls, the tip of her sword resting on the ground with her hands placed on top of the handle. She was wearing a different bolero jacket, one that had white straps from behind connecting to the front, a black stripe right along the middle of the strap. There were also white straps along the top of her sleeves, just hanging loose by themselves. A black crown was resting on top of her head while she was wearing a gauntlet on her right hand. The only thing that hasn't changed about the woman before them was her smirk.
"Well, isn't this a coincidence," Dragon Slayer said to B RS before she looked towards Chariot and STR, "I guess I haven't formally introduced myself: my name is Dragon Slayer, it's a pleasure to meet you both"
STR looked back at B RS, "You know her?"
"Yeah, though now I want to take it back..." B RS grumbled.
"Don't act like that, in fact, I should be thanking you all for helping me," Dragon Slayer, "Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to find this place"
Chariot arched an eyebrow, "Why?"
"One of my maids disappeared a few days ago, and I'm intent on getting her back," Dragon Slayer stated, "All I have to do is wait for the eclipse..."
B RS, Chariot, and STR looked up at the sky, noticing the sun resting about them, a shadowed spherical object slowly covering it. They didn't expect an eclipse to occur, they didn't even know this was going to happen now. Dragon Slayer walked from where she was and headed straight towards the hole, examining the damage caused around the area. B RS figured she was watching from afar and waiting for the right moment to appear, acting as if she's was high and mighty. Dragon Slayer looked towards them, a frown mixing in with her puzzled expression.
"Well, don't just stay there, I need to explain a couple of things..!" Dragon Slayer told them.
As the three of them walked towards the hole, Dragon Slayer bent down on one knee, rubbing her hand against the ground, "This area belonged to an other self that doesn't reside here, now it's nothing more than an abyss that serves as a portal during an eclipse"
"And you know this how?" B RS inquired, crossing her arms.
"I had a hand in it," Dragon Slayer stated, "But enough about that, when this portal opens during the eclipse, we only have a limited time to pull out our companions before it closes, when it does, they're stuck there till the next eclipse..."
STR looked towards Dragon Slayer, "If they're pulled out of there..?"
"Then we go our separate ways until later on or so when fate decides to pull a trick on us," Dragon Slayer said absentmindedly.
"And if we don't?" Chariot asked.
Dragon Slayer looked at them, a serious expression on her face, "Then they die there with no hope of returning"
Author's Note: Okay, so I procrastinated, again. But at least I'm still trying to get back into the flow of things. The English homework I requested for is helping me in this regard, so that's a good thing. Plus, I spent the better four hours completing this fic and it doesn't feel rushed, it actually has a nice flow (but I'll leave it to the readers on whether it feels rushed or not). I had an idea of either releasing this either on the 28th of October or Halloween (due to the fun fact I'll post soon), but that didn't happen since I hit a massive roadblock when I didn't save my progress (which was one line after I written 2k words or something). Looks like miracles happen whenever you eat dough-boys and a Pepsi MAX.
Please review and leave some constructive criticism when possible.
Fun Fact: did you know the first segment in this chapter has 666 words?