Author's Note: An update, so soon. Impossible!
Black Rock Shooter and co. belongs to Huke.
Gold Saw roamed around her home, watching the incomplete other selves walk around and see things that caught their interest. The sky above her remained gray, but she was starting to see hints of red behind the iron-cast clouds, which meant that the Otherworld was slowly adjusting itself into its new state. It was a bit unsettling to see the Otherworld change into a spherical shape, she was too used to the layered concept of the Otherworld, being born while the concept was still active. Leaning against the wall, Gold Saw looked up at the sky and felt her thoughts start to wander off. It felt weird, then again, she couldn't remember the last time her thoughts just floated around.
"Interesting, aren't they?" Someone wondered out-loud, right next to her.
Gold Saw looked to her right, and noticed Dragon Slayer watching the incomplete other selves, "Who are you?"
"Just an other self wandering around, relaxing and taking in the scenery," Dragon Slayer stated, smiling as she took a few steps forward, "You know, they sort of remind me of my two companions..."
Gold Saw narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything as Dragon Slayer continued, "They were already well-developed when I first met them, but they feared me, up until I rescued them from... certain death"
"What happened then?" Gold Saw inquired.
"I took them in, gave them their own identities, their own existences," Dragon Slayer said, turning around to face Gold Saw, "You, however, wouldn't know how to do that now, would you Gold Saw?"
The moment her name came out of Dragon Slayer's mouth, Gold saw pushed off from the wall and grabbed Dragon Slayer by the jacket, frowning, "How do you know my name?"
"I know everyone's, but that's merely because I'm an observer," Dragon Slayer remarked, "You're an observer too, aren't you?"
"Tch, what about it," Gold Saw inquired, her anger growing, "In fact, what's the real reason you are here?"
Dragon Slayer just smiled, "Like I said, to relax and take in the scenery"
"You're not like any kind of other self I've seen, you're reacting too differently to them," Gold Saw noted, "You're an Anomaly, aren't you?"
Dragon Slayer clapped her hands, slowly, "Bravo, I am, but I'm not here to fight, it would be rather pointless..."
Gold Saw couldn't detect anything from Dragon Slayer that would contrast her words, even her body wasn't tense as any other self would when preparing for a fight. Even so, that did not mean that Dragon Slayer didn't have different methods behind preparing herself for a fight. Letting go of Dragon Slayer, Gold Saw back away while keeping a cautious eye on the unnatural woman, keeping an eye on her every move. Dragon Slayer started brushing her jacket, straightening the creases before staring at Gold Saw, her smile never wavering. The smile felt off to Gold Saw, it was like she was holding information that she wants, then it started to click in her head.
"You know about what's going on, don't you?" Gold Saw asked.
"Oh, so you're figuring it out now, hun," Dragon Slayer laughed a bit before calming down, her smile dropping, "I already told B RS about what she needed to know, so you can place your questions to rest"
Gold Saw didn't know how to react to Dragon Slayer's response, "But... how..?"
"Believe me, you won't gain anything if I told you, besides, B RS has more of a chance to stand up to Geshumaru than you," Dragon Slayer stated before mumbling, "If she can figure out the link and synchronicity levels between her and Kuroi Mato..."
Gold Saw composed herself and looked behind Dragon Slayer, watching the distance, "I see, then are you on our side..?"
"More or less," Dragon Slayer commented as she heard footsteps approach them.
Both Gold Saw and Dragon Slayer turned towards the sound of the footsteps, where a battered STR came within their line of sight. Gold Saw rushed towards her while Dragon Slayer watched, her eyes barely narrowing in subtle concentration. Gold Saw grabbed STR and started to checked the healed up damage, trying to figure out who could have attacked her and get away with it. Dragon Slayer walked up to them, her eyes never moving away from STR as she slowly formed a smile upon her face to mask her thoughts. STR looked at Dragon Slayer and stared at her, in what appeared as confusion with a hint of irritation.
"Oh my, care to tell us what happened to you?" Dragon Slayer asked, keeping her smile as her eyes closed.
"I-I don't know, I was just rushing through the forest when Icicle appeared out of nowhere and attacked me," STR explained, "I had to get out of there before she could kill me, I didn't think she was that strong... maybe that explains how she was able to hurt Dead Master..."
"Damn it, if she ever appears again, I'll rip her apart before I behead her," Gold Saw grumbled.
Dragon Slayer opened her eyes and stared at STR, who flinched slightly, "I see, and how did you escape..?"
"I fired bullets into the ground to act as a smokescreen, It was the only way I could escape," STR told Dragon Slayer, not a single hint of hesitation in her voice.
"Hmm, well Gold saw, it's best if she remains here for the time being under you supervision," Dragon Slayer told her, "You don't want her dead now, do you?"
Gold Saw got up and stared at Dragon Slayer, "You're stare, it's like you're looking down at me..."
"I am, well, I guess I need more precaution about my facial actions," Dragon Slayer joked, turning around, "Also Gold saw, please remember that things in front of you may not look as is"
"What..?" Before Gold saw could ask about what Dragon Slayer said, she vanished.
B RS dashed through the forest, looking back and forth through the trees as the events from an hour ago replayed in her mind. Dragon Slayer showed her what happened to Geshumaru, and she could help but feel pity for her, but the emotion was second only to anger. She's being prosecuted for something she doesn't even know, regardless of who she was before or who she is now. It appeared that Dragon Slayer regretted creating the Spirit Eater, but there was something that correlated with it as well: her despise for Geshumaru's actions and the results that came with it. It sort of explains why Dragon Slayer is going about things, she's developing a game that everyone plays in full-time, with her rarely appearing at all.
B RS slowed down before coming to a complete halt, "Great, even if she's serious about her plans, she's still making a game out of everything..."
B RS looked around the forest and examined the area from where she's positioned, looking for a path that she could take next. It wasn't like she could keep running in one direction, she has to take different routes to reach her destination. Looking to her left, B RS started running in the direction she chose, partially hoping that she will get out of the forest and into a different section of the Otherworld. There were barely any leaves on the trees, which left the area a good place to capture your enemy. The last thing that B RS wanted was to fight against anyone, especially after she had a trip like she did with Dragon Slayer; there's still too much for her to understand and fighting will surely worsen her situation.
B RS heard a branch snap and stopped, bringing her ax out as her eyes darted everywhere, "Come out, I know you're here..!"
More branches started to snap, forcing B RS to look around and analyze her surrounding area, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. The sound didn't stay consistent, and it also got a bit louder as the person neared her. Closing her eyes for a moment, B RS started to hone in to the sound when the next branch snapped in half, causing B RS to turn around completely. Her eyes glowed as a black flame appeared from her left eye, her arm stretching out as she slashed with her ax. The trees in front of her got cut in half as she jumped up to the sky, coming down as she spotted the person who was nearing her, a black mist surrounding her ax and turning into a phantom blade.
"Got you!" B RS roared as she slammed the person to the ground.
"Wait, B RS stop..!" The person shouted as B RS raised her ax.
B RS's eyes narrowed, "Why would I stopped for you, you kidnapped Dead Master and tried to kill her"
Icicle's eyes widened in fear as she kicked B RS off of her and dashed away, forcing B RS to chase after her. For a moment, B RS wondered why Icicle would be running away from her when she could have brought out her katana and fight against her, but pushed the thought aside when the thought of a trap popped into her mind. Icicle, meanwhile, had her mind focused on the chase and grabbed whatever part of the tree she could before ripping it out from the ground and tossing it to B RS. B RS just slashed down and split the tree in half, wondering how Icicle was capable of pulling the tree from its firm root, especially since the abilities she displayed during their fight didn't suggest she was capable of doing it unless she summoned one of the giant skeletons. B RS snapped away from her thoughts, just in time to avoid another incoming tree and a speeding Icicle.
"What's wrong, can't bring out your shadows to aid you?" B RS inquired.
Icicle frowned, "Are you an idiot, what are you talking about B RS?"
"Why do you keeping calling my name like you're familiar with me, I don't even know you?" B RS narrowed her eyes.
"Why are you blaming me for what happened to Dead Master?!" Icicle roared, "that was all that Icicle's fault, not me!"
"Something isn't right here..." B RS thought to herself as she glared at Icicle, "And why should I believe you?"
Icicle gestured to herself, her eyebrows furrowing, "It's because I'm STR, I'm really STR!"
B RS couldn't make heads or tails of what she just heard, there was no possible way that the Icicle before her was STR. The appearance and voice were too exact, but when she reached the powers, that when doubts start forming in her mind. From what she can remember, Icicle relied on her katana and the shadows to help her, and if that failed, then she had her creatures to fall back on. The Icicle she was chasing had neither, instead, she grabbed two nearby trees and tossed them at her, and the action would need strength that Icicle may not have. Staring at Icicle, or STR if it was her, B RS tried to figure out what could have happened to STR that would cause the situation.
"Are you really STR?" B RS inquired.
"Of course I am, I got flanked by Icicle and wound up as this when I broke out of a cocoon made of my shadow," Icicle, or rather STR roared, "She did that to me, and who knows what she's doing now!"
"How..?" B RS started, but she couldn't finish as the person she hunted down came up to her.
"Look at my eyes, can't you tell that I'm me, despite what Icicle did?!" STR begged.
It took only one look to see the slight color difference, and B RS made her ax disappear, "STR, I can't..."
"Don't give me an apology, you didn't know and got thrown into this complex twist," STR told her, "I don't know how she did it, but I do know that I'm killing her when I get the chance"
"You might not, first, we need to get you back to normal..." B RS informed STR, whose shoulders slumped.
B RS wasn't sure if there was a way to get STR back to normal, what Icicle did was beyond the capabilities of the average other self, and that in itself was a scary thought to digest. STR might strong, but that didn't mean she reacted the same way like anyone else, she spent 14 years in the real world in Yuu's body, that alone explains everything. Watching STR, she saw the girl lift her head with her eyes glowing for a moment as she walked over to a tree. B RS saw her stand in front of the tree, turning around so they were staring at each other. For a moment, the thought didn't pass thought B RS's head until STR slid a finger along her neck and pointed at her before thumbing herself.
"I'm not attacking you," B RS said firmly.
"I think you don't get it," STR said, "What if this just a shell that covers my body, it's obvious Icicle has some ulterior motives, so let's see if this is really a shell and not me appearing like her"
B RS frowned, "My power is destructive, I'll kill you..."
"We won't know unless we try, besides, it's not like you're killing me for no reason," STR told her, "Gold Saw is at risk and she isn't aware of it, we have to take any chance we can"
"STR, don't act like this..!" B RS told her, her anger rising.
STR gritted her teeth before roaring, "Then hit me!"
A flash of anger coursed through B RS before she summoned her ax, the phantom blade surrounding it as she swung at STR.
Gold Saw stood on top of a pillar, looking out into the far unknown, her mind wandering like before until Dragon Slayer appeared and ruined it. Despite that interruption, seeing STR come back beaten by Icicle caused her blood to flow rapidly, her anger growing bit by bit. She knows STR can handle herself when she needed to, but fighting against Icicle by herself with no support was too risky, she was risking her life. She should have gone with STR, support her wherever she was going, or force her to stay so she could do what STR tried to. Sighing, Gold Saw watched the sun slowly disappear to the horizon, noting the it will be night soon and everyone will have to head inside her battlefield.
"Gold Saw," The red-eyed woman looked down and watched STR stare up at her, "What are you thinking about?"
Gold Saw closed her eyes and let out a breath, "Nothing, just thinking that I've never seen the Otherworld like this..."
"I see," STR murmured, "Who was that woman who was with you earlier?"
Gold Saw frowned for a moment before realizing she didn't know the woman's name, "I don't know, why are you asking?"
"I was merely curious..." STR said before walking away.
"Unusual, normally STR would have a good reason when it comes to questions like that, so why..?" Gold Saw wondered before hopping off the pillar, landing on her feet.
From the moment that STR came back, she has acted slightly different from when she first left. STR was capable of speaking up her thoughts, but now, it appeared that she was more withdrawn, probably shaken up from her fight against Icicle. From there, things haven't been making sense when she tried to piece them together with one basic question: why would Icicle go after STR? Icicle went after her first with STR supporting, and from what she understood, Icicle also went after Dead Master. What reason could Icicle have for going up against all three of them, all three fight having varying results, it was too nerve wracking for her to figure out.
"STR," Gold Saw called out, "Are you okay, you seem a bit... distant than when you left..."
"Oh sorry," STR apologized before mumbling to herself, "Best I correct myself..."
Gold Saw arched an eyebrow, "What was that?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to think about what happen and figure out what went wrong," STR replied, "If I ever fight against her alone, I'll try a strategy and corner her"
Gold Saw frowned, "No you won't, next time you try to head off by yourself, I'm coming with you and we'll stop her, just like before"
"But..." STR started before holding herself back, "I don't have a choice in it, do I?"
"After what happened to you, no," Gold Saw confirmed while dissecting STR's response.
There was something definitely wrong with STR, and Gold Saw was starting to feel like the fight between her and Icicle wasn't the cause behind it. Before she could go any further in her thoughts, Gold Saw heard footsteps approaching them, two sets of them that sounded differently. Looking towards her right, just like earlier, she watch B RS and another person come up to them, dashing through the barren field quickly. When the other person came closer, Gold Saw's eyes widened as she watch STR near them, her orange eyes alight with focused frustration. STR's eyes also widened, but it wasn't from the pure shock that Gold Saw has in her's.
STR rushed up to them and stopped about two meters from Gold Saw, who was still shocked, "Gold Saw, get away from her, that's Icicle..!"
STR got to Gold saw's side, "Don't believe her, Icicle is probably pulling some trick..!"
"Gold Saw, you have to understand that you're being fooled," B RS told her, "Icicle is just posing as STR to just get close to you, you have to move away from her..!"
STR looked up at her, her eyebrows scrunching together, "Gold Saw, B RS is probably being controlled by Icicle just to dissuade you!"
"I've had just enough of you," STR growled, marching up to her, "You wanna pose as me, fine, but you better prepare because I know how I fight..!"
STR leaped and tried to punch her counterpart, but Gold Saw intervened, placing King Saw between them as STR's punch hit the sword. Gold Saw tightened her grip on King Saw before launching STR away, her body tensing as B RS brought out her ax and placed herself in a fighting stance. STR landed on her feet and skidded back to B RS, getting up from her ground as she cracked her spine, summoning Ogre Arms. She watched the other STR bring out her Ogre Arms, but watching them appear on her was too surreal. It felt off and the way it appeared just looked like a poor imitation of STR's, which made the young other self frown.
"B RS," STR said, "You get Gold Saw..."
B RS dashed towards Gold Saw with her ax arched back, forcing the older other self to flip away from the on-coming slash, allowing her a moment to focus herself. Gold saw watch B RS rush towards her, so she dashed towards B RS, her King Saw leaving a cut along the ground. Once they were up close, they swung their weapons at each other, the blades clashing against each other before they pulled away. Gold Saw followed up her attack with a diagonal slash, but it got by B RS who raised her ax to defend herself, having the handle act as a barrier against Gold Saw's sword. For a moment, B RS got pushed down, her feet digging into the ground from the force Gold Saw put into her attack, with more power being added to the slash.
"Damn it Gold Saw, are you really going to fool yourself that Icicle is STR?!" B RS inquired.
Gold Saw grunted, "There's no way I'm going to listen to you, I knew there was something wrong with you the moment you appeared like that..!"
"You're getting too caught up in all of this, you have to cool down," B RS told her, "STR got trapped in a cocoon made of her own shadow, are you really letting that fake trick you?"
"What do you know?" Gold Saw roared as she kicked B RS in the gut, sending her away.
On STR's end, she tossed her counterpart away before digging her Ogre Arms into the ground and pulling out a huge chunk of the earth, hoisting it above her head. STR shook her head and looked up before avoiding the on-coming boulder, watching it crack the ground where she was originally at. She got up and raised her Ogre Arms in a defensive position as STR let out a storm of bullets, each one ricocheted off the duplicate weapon. After the storm of bullets ceased, STR parted her Ogre Arms, her orange eyes flashing red before she leveled her Ogre Arms and started firing a similar storm of bullets. STR's eyes widened slightly before she punched the ground and flipped a piece of the earth, using it as a shield.
STR felt her stress levels rise slowly, her frustration at Icicle copying her was starting to reach the next level just based on what she was able to copy. Focusing her anger, STR tossed the stone shield at her copy before charging towards her, delivering a swift punch to the gut. She then punched her doppelgänger across the face and swung her up into the air. STR launched herself up into the air and grabbed her copy's leg before throwing her towards the ground. STR connected the ground with a sickening smack, which caught Gold Saw's attention as she tried to rush towards her.
B RS intercepted Gold Saw, slashing her along the stomach, "I don't think so"
"You really are a pest, aren't you," Gold Saw mumbled as she dashed forward, trying to stab B RS in the stomach.
B RS moved to the side, but she felt King Saw dig through her side as she avoided, causing the white-haired girl to gasp in pain as she looked down. The was a visible wound right below her left breast, which was starting to heal itself as Gold Saw brought her King Saw down, forcing B RS to roll to the side. As B RS got up, she felt her head stinging in pain and gripped it as her vision started to blur. As she tried to refocus herself, she saw the area flickering between the grey barren world and a distorted world shaded in purple. For some reason, She could make out Gold Saw clearly, but everything was just blurred, as if something was being hidden from her.
"Damn it, not now..!" B RS cursed as she watched Gold Saw rush towards her.
Straightening herself out and ignoring the flickering background caused by her brain, B RS avoided Gold Saw's horizontal slash and countered with a punch, connecting it to Gold Saw's nose. While Gold Saw tried to focus herself, B RS dropped her ax and grabbed Gold Saw's horns before spinning, picking up momentum as Gold Saw got lifted off the ground. B RS let go of Gold Saw's horns and let her fly into a wall, causing her to go through it as cracks formed from where she hit. B RS turned around and watched the fight between STR and Icicle, but there was one problem: she couldn't tell the difference between the two from where she was.
STR backed away as she locked eyes with her copy, wondering how Icicle managed to copy her Ogre Arms and the mechanics behind them. It was possible that she was learning the mechanics behind them as they were fighting, which also explained how she was quick to react with her own shower of bullets. It was well designed, but STR knew that nothing could beat the original, no matter how hard the person tried. STR started to run, but her run got short by her duplicate, who slammed her fist into STR's head. STR stared down at her as STR tried to get up, a very small smirk gracing her lips as she grabbed her head and lifted her up.
"You know, you're a persistent other self," STR noted, "Well, are you like her?"
STR frowned and spat at her face, "Just die..!"
"How annoying," STR droned, her voice becoming cold and monotone.
STR tossed her away, causing STR to bounce against the ground a couple of times before she slid to a stop, grunting in pain as her insides started to heal themselves. B RS was about to help her, but she stopped short since Gold Saw slammed a boulder against her back, forcing her to the ground. Gold Saw positioned her King Saw and tried to stab B RS, but stopped when B RS kicked her right knee, forcing it to buckle and allow her time to get back up. When B RS got up, she kicked Gold Saw in the temple and roundhouse kicked her in the back of her head. Gold Saw felt her vision fading slightly as she heard Dragon Slayer's words replay in her mind, causing her to wonder what the woman actually mean.
When B RS turned around, she was sucker-punched by STR before she was swung around and tossed away, her back digging against the ground. STR flexed her Ogre Arms before staring at them, watching the cracks form from the countless uses through the fight. They were bound the shatter, they weren't conjured to withstand heavy damage from someone like STR, who could force all her strength into a single punch and decimate an other self's insides. She heard rumbling coming from several meters from her, and turned around to see STR heft a giant boulder before tossing it her way. Her eyes barely widening, STR punched the boulder, causing it to break apart as well as destroying her right Ogre Arm, leaving her open.
STR charged forward, her orange eyes flaring, "Finally, got you!"
STR flexed her Ogre Arm into a fist and launched it towards her copy, who caught it with her damaged Ogre Arm while raising her open right hand. Leveling it to STR's rib-cage, STR fired a tendril of pure darkness, which pierced through STR and sent her flying a few meters away. Reforming the Ogre Arms so they don't seem damaged, STR walked up to the barely conscious STR as she heard B RS rushing up to them. STR looked up at B RS and stared at her, hoping that she won't think again about which STR she was. It appeared she didn't as she walked up to STR and eyed her, pointing her ax as the black mist surrounded it again, her eyes appearing tired as if she had enough of the fight.
"Shooter... please..." STR said to her as B RS gripped her ax with both hands.
For a moment, STR watched orange blood come out of STR's mouth as she coughed, feeling proud of herself that she managed to get this far. She watched as B RS slowly arched the ax till the blade was directly behind her, a black flame pouring out of B RS's left eye. As this was occurring, Gold Saw was waking up, slowly getting up from the ground as she watched the scene before her. For a moment, she felt as if time was slowing itself down as she tried to figure out which one was which, figuring out that this was what Dragon Slayer meant. She watch B RS let out a breath before she swung her ax, the black misty blade slicing through the wind...
As it sliced STR in half from one side of her waist to the other.
"What..?" STR roared as her form shifted, allowing Icicle to appear.
"It seemed it worked, at least," B RS remarked, lifting STR back to her feet, "Good thing we tried to map out what could happen, though, things did change"
STR stretched before slamming her Ogre Arms together, full of energy, "I guess you can't create a perfect plan, hun Icicle?"
"Tch, it doesn't matter, I got what I needed," Icicle told them as she felt something shift behind her.
Gold Saw popped out of a rift as she brought King Saw down, slicing off Icicle's right arm, her red eyes glowing in pure rage. Realizing that her cover has been completely blown, Icicle dashed away from the trio, her eyes narrowing as she waved her left hand. In an instant, cracks started to form from the ground as lava pooled from below, forcing the three of them to reach higher elevation. Icicle walked back towards the lava and started sinking down, glaring up at them as her severed right arm disappeared and reappeared attached at the joint. Gold Saw watch her sink as her glare focused on the horned woman, her red-orange eyes never wavering.
"Next time, I'll enjoy breaking you," Icicle informed Gold Saw coolly as she disappeared, the cracks sealing up and the lava flowing back within the earth.
STR let out a sigh she didn't know she was holding and looked towards Gold saw, who appeared impassive as ever. Both her and Rock got put through the ringer, tried to get Gold Saw to realize her mistake, and stop Icicle from doing whatever she planned from occurring. STR dematerialized her Ogre Arms and walked up to Gold Saw, worry clear on her face as she neared the older other self. B RS looked at STR before gripping her head, images filtering into her head and locking themselves in place. She gritted her teeth and fought back the pain, there was no reason to focus on it while they are getting over their fight against Icicle.
"Gold Saw..." STR started as the red-eyed woman turned to her.
"STR, I'm... sorry that I fell for Icicle's trick," Gold Saw said, looking away while appearing impassive, "I truly didn't expect her to appear as you, or for her trying to have you killed"
STR let out a small smile, "It's not your fault, and we'll get her"
As STR and Gold Saw continued to talk to each other, B RS started looking through her memories, trying to make sense of the scenes in front of her. She could see Gold saw coming after her, attacking or defending herself, but certain segments got blurred out. Even memories that featured STR, or apparently Koutari Yuu, featured her clearly but had certain segments barely visible. Shaking her head, B RS decided to focus on them later, there was a lot of information that she needed to sort through before she could do anything. She turned around, ready to head out and go to her next destination when Gold Saw stopped her, pointing west of where they stood.
"That will lead you to the Sky Gates," Gold Saw told her, "It looks like if you want answers, you'll have to head back there and find the next area"
B RS looked back at her as Gold Saw continued, "Consider it as a thanks for getting me to realize my mistake, but don't think that it will happen again"
"No problem," B RS responded as she dashed away towards the Sky Gates.
STR walked up to Gold Saw, looking up at her and noting her grim expression, "What is it?"
"I believe we're pushing limits to a breaking point," Gold Saw told her, "Get ready for whatever happens, we might have jump-started something unexpected..."
STR only nodded as Gold Saw looked up at the night sky, Dragon Slayer's words repeating in her head.
"And that's what happened," Mato said over her cell phone, kicking her legs up into the air, "I can't believe Saya of all people would pull a joke on me..."
'Perhaps it's karma for the jokes you pulled on us, especially Dead Master,' Yomi noted, her voice coming through the speaker, 'You played with fire, now you have to pay the price...'
Mato pouted, "I'm already missing the old you Yomi, can't you go back to being-"
'Mato, please don't finish that line...' Yomi said, exasperated.
Mato sighed as she dropped her legs to her bed, her blue eyes staring up at the ceiling as she went over the plans in the next few days. She needed some peace from the constant insanity going on in her life; one thing after another and it becomes her problem to fix. For once, she wants just one day where she doesn't feel like the special girl being gifted so many things that were bound to suffocate her. It reached the point that it wasn't just affecting her, but her friends got caught in the crossfire too, and the damage done was clearly visible. The thought of having a good day with no problems, no Otherworld, no Geshumaru became more pleasurable for her, as well as being nerve-wracking as she has to wait for three days.
"Alright, so what's Kagari's thought on the trip?" Mato asked.
'She was a bit apprehensive, considering how our last trip ended,' Yomi stated, 'It took some convincing to get her to agree'
"You promised to spend a day with her, didn't you?" Mato summed up.
Yomi sighed, 'Yes, but you have to agree, we rarely hang out together since we're busy with our own stuff...'
"You two live in the same house, how busy can the both of you get?!" Mato asked, her voice borderline on shouting.
Two raps on her door caught her attention as Mato's mother spoke up, "Mato, don't shout..!"
"Ack, sorry," Mato said as she heard footsteps disappearing, returning to her conversation, "So..?"
There was a brief pause before Yomi spoke, 'We got too much commitments, that should say enough'
Mato had to agree with Yomi, Kagari was making friend and Yomi is becoming more out-going, so it was clear that they were slowly developing their place at school. That brought Mato to a very similar question: what exactly was her place at school, or rather, who was she over there? Other than being well-known, having several friends, and being part of the basketball team, there wasn't much for her to go by. Sure, the events in the past weeks or so did have an effect on how well-known she was, but it felt as if she was just another ordinary student. In other words, she was starting to feel left out of the loop, kind of like Saya and Yuu when it comes to their little group.
"Ah, damn it..!" Mato cursed out-loud, managing to hold herself back and prevent it from getting loud.
'Mato, are you okay?' Yomi asked, curious at why Mato was cursing.
"Ugh, Yomi, I really need to make a lasting impression so people know who I am," Mato complained, "How should I do that..?"
Mato heard Yomi giggle over the line, 'That's really like you Mato... sorry, but it's something you have to figure out on your own'
"Ahh, Yomi, don't do that," Mato whined, "I promise I'll be with you forever until the day I die"
'Mato, please realize what you said first,' Yomi told her, 'And second, you're my friend, so please don't make ridiculous promises like that...'
"So will you help me?" Mato asked.
Yomi merely laughed before calming down, 'Good night, Mato'
Before Mato could say anything, Yomi hung up and left her there with her thoughts in complete disarray, trying to think how she could make a lasting impression on everyone at school. There was no way she was going to figure out by herself, so the thought of nagging Yomi or Yuu tomorrow popped up in her head. Asking Kagari would be like getting some misfortune in her life, and if there's anything that a manga told her about misfortune, it's that it's a bitch to mess with. Feeling her stomach rumble a bit, Mato hopped off her bed and left her room, the urge to eat something occupying her thoughts. It was a bit hard to think of any ideas when you're about to run on empty.
"I'll be residing within the real world in the coming days," Geshumaru explained to her robot, who was standing next to a pillar, "I want you to safe-guard this place and if Shooter appears, kill her"
The two of them were standing in the hallway that lead out towards a platform, a fountain resting in the center of it. The robot silently listened to Geshumaru giving it instruction while it recounted Dragon Slayer's words from a year ago. It wasn't like they weren't watching her every move, but now and then, she would manage to pass by their watchful gaze and somehow shift the tides around the Otherworld. Doubts were starting to form and the machine could note the visible twitch of irritation on Geshumaru when she stopped walking. She's becoming aware that Dragon Slayer's threat wasn't as hollow as she first assumed, and that didn't just irritated her, it also caused her to fear for the result.
"Geshumaru," The robot started, catching the girl's attention, "Can't you... think twice about this, it appears your anger is truly clouding your judgement"
Geshumaru stared blankly at her partner, "No, my thinking is perfectly rational, you're over-thinking"
"Dragon Slayer's evading us with no effort on her part," The robot stated, "The only time she truly influenced anything within our sights was the catastrophe at the abyss, and even then she showed the game she's playing on us"
"It doesn't mean she's putting us in a troublesome corner, besides, I've been keeping track of things in the real world, not you," Geshumaru shot back.
"Do you want to break apart, are you really too stubborn to find different ways to solve this?" The robot inquired.
"Quiet," Geshumaru shouted, silencing her partner, "Dragon Slayer is nothing more than a fool who wants to kill something that neither of us could do, and it's that ideal goal of hers that will have her groveling in the dirt"
"But-" The machine started, but Geshumaru raised her hand.
"No, if Shooter appears, you are to kill her on sight, do you understand?" Geshumaru ordered, her eyebrows furrowing in absolute anger.
There was no possible way for it to defy Geshumaru when she places an order, whether it's to analyze the situation or execute someone upon her request. Despite being partners, it had to follow any command she issued, and Dragon Slayer made it so the orders were absolute. Nodding its head in confirmation, Geshumaru turned towards the platform and walked away, her eyes glowing a clear azure. It was a while since her power flowed throughout her body, not since she started residing inside Naomi. Opening a gateway to the real world, Geshumaru entered without sparring her partner a parting glance, her mind focused on the upcoming days before her.
Author's Note: Been working on this for days, getting chunks of progress done. Most of the work happened on Monday while yesterday and today were focused on the last two segments. Oh, and for those of you who are curious as to what manga Mato was referencing, it's Binbougami Ga! You should check it out, also got an anime and there's a lot of anime references, from Fist of the North Star to Death Note to One Piece (yes, One Piece). Please review as my motivation and inspiration is coming back!