Author's Note: Here's the 18th chapter, and on my 18th brithday no less. Ain't I such a nice smart-aleck?
Black Rock Shooter and co. belongs to Huke.
Wrath...
Something felt out-of-place, it couldn't feel itself within whatever shell it resided in, as if something was blocking it. The anger flowed through the area, causing a couple of pillars to collapse from the raw power it exerted. There was no way to contain the deep-seated anger for the Otherworld, its mere existence was poison, down to the core. It was out-of-place, it couldn't stand how everyone lived in complete ignorance. Wrath was the fire that fueled the heart, the wish to destroy, and the desire was overwhelming.
Gluttony...
Oh, the fuel the wrath gives, it's truly magnificent, like a ripe fruit from Death's garden of lost souls. The urge to feast off of other selves, eat their life away and satisfy its hunger. Being a glutton gave it the urge to give more power, work with what it had available. To use whatever abilities it could develop from devouring other selves, the thought was truly beautiful. It was nice living side by side with gluttony.
Avarice...
Going back to the thoughts of gaining abilities, it was a concept that never fully naturalize itself when needed. Perhaps it wasn't developed enough for the concept to become a reality, but it didn't matter. Life was full of riches that lies in wait for the person waiting for it. There was a certain word for it; Avarice, it believe it's called. Maybe the world had more in wait once the unnatural feeling goes away.
Envy...
Or maybe it wouldn't, perhaps it will stay here, resting like a dog waiting to die and go off to whatever real selves call the afterlife. In the Otherworld, there was no such thing, death was absolute and nothing could change that. Then why did someone come back to life; a mere other self come back to the Otherworld as something else? Envy walked along wrath through its veins, there was no way it could be sated now. Two more pillars crumbled from slight movement from under the ground, plates shifting from the energy that flowed.
Lust...
Then again, why fall for temptation when lust could preoccupied its hunger, allow the wait to last a bit longer. There was no need to rush, everything will fall into place by itself. However, the events occurring appeared forced in one way or another, as if someone was tinkering with fate. The feeling of lust firmly directed itself towards whoever was manipulating everyone; it's best to feel for the person orchestrating the events. Somehow, it all felt familiar, but for some reason, the dots couldn't connect themselves like before.
Sloth...
Sadly, with it being constricted, there was no chance of moving any pieces, especially when a connection got blocked by an outside force. It couldn't tell what the connection was or who it connected to. There were holes all around, and it cycle started to repeat itself. Wrath and envy flowing, lust halting it, avarice corrupting its thoughts, and gluttony starving it. Being a sloth now just prevents any action from happening, but that wasn't much of a worry.
Vanity...
It's all just an endless cycle, and someday, the cycle will break, it always does.
Two Days Later...
"Oh crap..!" Mato muttered to herself as she rushed around her room, trying to find clothes to wear, "Where did I place my pants..?"
Having two days of normalcy felt odd, but it didn't matter to the young raven-haired girl, the break was well deserved after wounding up in the hospital and trying to get Yomi and Dead Master back in their original bodies. She could also say that everyone else needed it to just relax and not be on edge at all times, it's painfully obvious how stressed they could be. So when the idea of heading to a carnival and having fun reintegrate itself into their lives came up, none of them denied the opportunity, except for Kagari the first couple of times around. It Geshumaru didn't know how to make someone paranoid, then she must have a natural talent. Shuffling through the small pile of clothes she made, Mato pulled out a pain of pants and quickly put them on, rushing to zip them up.
Mato's mother walked up to the stairs, "Mato, your friends are waiting..!"
Saya sighed, arching an eyebrow, "Is she always like this at home..?"
"No, but there are times when she oversleeps and miss out on something," Mato's mother explained as she turned back to Saya, "Thank you for accepting watch duty over Mato, Irino-san"
"It's no problem," Saya said as she placed one hand to the side of her mouth, "Between you and me, I managed to have Mato begging to have me watch over her..."
Mato's mother felt her eyes widened slightly, "How?"
"Just a simple joke," Saya told her as Mato rushed down the stairs, a jacket adorned over a navy blue shirt.
"Alright, I'm ready, let's go," Mato said quickly as she dashed towards the doorway, putting on her shoes.
Saya and Mato's mother sighed in unison as they followed Mato, who was tying her shoes before exiting out the house, meeting with Yomi, Kagari, and Yuu. Saya removed the slippers and slipped her feet into her boots, standing up and telling Mato's mother that she will take care of Mato. Saya passed through the door way and Mato gave a goodbye before taking off with her friends, taking a running head start with Kagari trailing behind. Saya suppressed a sigh at Mato's antics, there was no way the girl was going to change in the future, it would take something cataclysmic for that to occur. Either way, it's going to take more will power to keep an eye on Mato, she was definitely too psyched about going to an amusement park.
"Well, it's nice having a day like this," Yuu said, walking side by side with Saya, "Mato is enjoying herself..."
Saya restrained another sigh, there was no way she was going to make it a recurring theme, "But I think she's being a bit too hyper"
"Perhaps it's a good thing, we do need some jubilance in our lives now," Yuu commented, "It reminds us that there's value in our lives"
Saya looked at Yuu, a hint of amusement in her eyes, "What are you, my conscience?"
"Maybe, you're a bit more grounded since I'm back," Yuu stated.
"Then thank Mato and STR, they're the ones that helped you," Saya told her.
"Yeah, but you're still the first person who became my friend," Yuu said as she looked towards Mato, "Geez... Mato, watch yourself or else you're going to get ran over..!"
Mato looked back at Yuu, who was about several meters behind with Saya and Yomi, "Sorry!"
Kagari just laughed and Yomi breathed out through her nose, catching up to Mato as she stayed put around the corner of the sidewalk, scratching the back of her head as a sheepish smile grew on her face. When they all regrouped, they walked across the street once it was clear to pass, Mato slowing down and staying with them instead of speeding off. It wouldn't be long until they arrive at the train station, and afterwards, it would be about forty-five minutes until they arrive and taking a bus to the amusement park would probably be thirty minutes, give or take. Between all of them, there was a general consensus about what not to mentioned, and to just have fun. Sadly, when Mato mentioned riding a roller coaster and peaking the interest of Kagari while Yomi paled slightly, it became obvious that talking about certain attractions is out of the question.
After all, even with Yomi's new-found courage, there's just some things that she won't risk and roller coasters is one of them.
Geshumaru slipped on her boots as she heard footsteps coming up from behind her, "Naomi, we need to talk"
"There's nothing to really talk about Nee-san," Geshumaru said, the word slipping out of her mouth naturally as she looked back.
When Geshumaru met Naomi's older sister for the first time, she wasn't sure how they interacted since she was at a university over at Chuo, Chiba. Geshumaru was quick to learn that Naomi's older sister's name was Kanna, and she had to integrate it into her double life before Kanna figured out what was wrong. Kanna was around her early twenties, her body lean with some hints of muscles forming. Kanna had her hair tied back into a ponytail, a blond fringe gracing the left side of her face. Geshumaru was cautious when she talked to Kanna, she wasn't like her mother or her little brother, if she paid close attention, she could see that there is something wrong with her and realize that she isn't acting like Naomi.
"Yes there is," Kanna told her, locking eyes with each other, "When I came back and saw you again, it's like you weren't yourself, as if you're a different person entirely"
Geshumaru arched an eyebrow as a fake smile appeared, "I don't get what you mean"
"Don't play dumb, I know you Naomi," Kanna said as she sat right next to Geshumaru, "You were more out-going than this, did that car accident change you?"
"It did change me; if only you knew..." Geshumaru thought as she spoke, "Sort of, I've just been thinking, and having a lot on my plate doesn't help"
Kanna frowned, as if she didn't believe her, "You're in your second year of junior high, what could keep you busy, and don't say boys..?"
"Just the awkwardness after the car accident," Geshumaru lied, "It feels so unreal since I'm still trying to reintegrate myself, talking with some of my classmates about whatever"
Kanna looked towards the door, thinking about what Geshumaru just said before nodding slowly. It would make sense that there would be a bit of social awkwardness for her once she returned to school. In actuality, Geshumaru felt a bit awkward since she didn't know how to act towards her classmates, but there was the occasional cold glare from her when she knew someone is about to wrong her. It was at times like those that her emotions tend to take over a bit before she wills them down. Controlling her emotions was the only thing she struggles with, unless people left her alone and not try anything stupid, everything will be normal and no one will black out.
"Alright," Kanna said, getting up and turning around, "But if you ever need someone to talk to about your problems, I'm here"
Geshumaru nodded and got up from the floor, walking towards the door and leaving the house, glancing at Kanna's back as the door closed behind her. As soon as she passed a couple of houses, Geshumaru jumped and took to the rooftops, her clothes changing as she dashed forward. Compared to when she started moving in Naomi's body, she became a lot more fluid and her drops were more graceful and less impacting than before. She still had to watch herself and not apply too much power into her jumps, otherwise she would break her bones, and that would take time to heal. Bouncing off one end of a house's roof and landing on another, Geshumaru started moving east, the feeling of awakened real selves guiding her way.
She kept on jumping from roof to roof until she caught a sight of the train station, people coming and going from the building. At first, she was about to dismiss it until she caught sight of Mato and her friends heading into the station, Kagari shouting something at Mato, who was slowly backing away. If it wasn't for Mato being her target, she would probably let out a small smile and a short chuckle before moving on. Watching Mato and her friends enter the station, Geshumaru jumped down a nearby alleyway and walked towards the building, picking up her pace as she crossed the street. Geshumaru didn't know where she was going, but it was clear that trailing her could lead to a possible confrontation, unless she set it up perfectly.
"Where are you going..?" Geshumaru thought to herself as she spotted Saya and followed them towards the escalator.
Making sure they didn't spot her, Geshumaru followed them and stopped as they got their tickets, Saya taking their money and paying for their tickets. Geshumaru slowly walked as they headed towards the gates, using several people for cover as she waved her hand above the machine. Small sparks of electricity appeared before she could pass through, bypassing the only security measure she had to deal with. Her blue eyes focused as she saw the train come up and come to a stop, the doors opening as people filtered out while some went it. Mato and her group went into the train and Geshumaru rushed forwards as the train's doors closed and started moving.
"Shit..!" Geshumaru cursed silently.
Picking up her speed, Geshumaru blurred through the mass of people, causing them shout in surprise and look around for whoever passed them. Geshumaru passed through the crown and jumped up as she stepped on the yellow line, flipping in the air as she landed with a soft thud. She crouched down and took several steps forward as the train started to pick up speed, trying to avoid anyone seeing her. Reaching the edge of one cart, she grabbed the edge with both hands and laid on her stomach, closing her eyes so the wind didn't blow against them. She wasn't sure what stops the train will have, but she was sure she'll be keeping an eye out at each stop, just to see when Mato and her friends leave the train.
B RS stood on top of a pillar at the Sky Gates, watching everything shift with the Otherworld's geometry change. She couldn't understand why exactly she came back here other than Gold Saw's word, there wasn't much for her here. There was nothing for her here, other than a place to live at, given how she didn't know her home. Closing her eyes, B RS felt the wind pass her as images started to replay in her head, images that she gain while fighting Gold Saw and Icicle, who disguised herself as STR. She couldn't understand what the blur meant or what significance it holds, but it was second to whatever she could actually see.
Both fights seemed different from her fights with Dead Master or Chariot, as if there was no true pattern to the attacks at all, the fights were more of someone trying to massacre her enemy. She couldn't understand why, nor could she figure out why there was no pattern, no plan in the attacks. Despite the roadblock, B RS was close to remembering everything, but even then, she still felt out-of-place. It felt like there was another side to her that was against her existence and wanted her gone, while the other was her, who wanted to stay in the world. Opening her eyes, B RS took off her gloves and stared at her hands, feeling the pillar move as she flexed her fingers.
"What does this all mean?" B RS wondered out-loud.
The pillar settled itself and B RS looked up as raindrops fell from the blue sky, the clouds covering certain spots while light shone through them. Let out a breath, B RS jumped off the pillar and landed on a platform, which formed as the area shifted. It felt unnatural, she felt like this wasn't the Sky Gates that she knew from before, then something started to click in her head. Looking around, B RS saw the silhouette of a tall structure, multiple hexagonal obelisks forming from it. She dashed towards the structure, avoiding several jagged pillars that were forming from the walls and floors, her black eyes analyzing the structure as she neared it.
"The area is shifting, maybe that's why Gold Saw told me to head here," B RS said to herself, "That's probably a gateway of some sort"
The structure came to full view once she was about twenty-five meters away from it, the structure towering about several hundred meters into the air. There was an opening an B RS dashed inside, the sound of metal hitting metal as her boots clacked on the floor. The inside was vast, but there wasn't much inside except for a small tower in the middle of the structure. No stairway nor any rooms, there was just the tower that pulsated with a faint white light. B RS was a bit wary, given her last interaction with something unnatural, which lead to seeing a copy of Geshumaru's memories.
"So, what exactly is this..?" B RS wondered, analyzing the tower.
She reached out with her hand, stopping for a moment when the tower's pulse became vibrant before her hand touched the smooth metal. Nothing happened after she touched the tower; she walked around, guiding her hand as she examined it closely, noting the faint lines within the tower. It pulsed again and B RS felt the power, noting how it resonated throughout her body and straight into her head. There was a feeling about it that seemed familiar, a feeling that she experienced weeks ago. It wasn't pain, or death, nor was it any kind of emotion, it was a physical feeling that she just couldn't explain to someone.
"It feels like... the borderline of existence," B RS started slowly as she started to piece things together, "Between me and Mato..."
A howl caught B RS's attention as she turned and saw a mechanical wolf standing up above, "Damn it..!"
The wolf dropped down along with seven more, firing fireballs at B RS, who jumped out-of-the-way and raised her left arm at them. A few seconds passed before she dodged more fireballs, somersaulting as she brought out her ax. She wasn't sure why she did that, it felt familiar but nothing occurred after she raised her left arm. She tried to go through her memories as she attacked, knocking the wolves back or slashing them open before chopping their heads off. A black fire surrounded her left eye as a phantom blade surrounded her ax, her body twisting before she swung, the ax going full-arc and ripping the machines apart.
Letting her arms hang loose, she remembered seeing a cannon forming when she raised her left arm, a weapon capable of causing enough destruction if needed. For some reason, she felt the cannon had some connection to the blurred memories of her fights against Gold Saw and STR. She got out of her musing when she heard several sounds of something hitting the ground. Looking up, B RS noticed the group of mechanical wolves surround her, their numbers no more than forty. Backing up against the tower, her mind started to race with thoughts of annihilating all of them and more just come out of nowhere.
"Come on, this can't end here, not yet," B RS thought as she was fully up against the tower.
The tower pulsed once more before the etchings on the outside started to glow before the light traveled all the way up and out into the sky as a beam of pure light. B RS covered her eyes as she felt herself rise from the ground and up to the sky, where the clouds were twisting in, like an upside down tornado in reverse. She flipped around until she could just see the machines fire at her, the fireballs burning out before it could reach her. She tried to grab the tower, but she touched the beam and felt herself skyrocket into the vortex, disappearing into the sky. The beam faded out and the sky settled, the machines staring up in confusion as they tried to understand what occurred.
Mato and Kagari had stars in their eyes as they looked at the various rides around the amusement park, their eyes going over everything until it locked on the roller coaster. Right behind them, Yomi, Yuu, and Saya watch them form a plan of which rides to go on, which caused the three of them to arch an eyebrow. It wasn't normal for them to act all friendly, there's always an argument or a chase between them, so seeing them like this was right out of the blue. It was also the reason Yomi felt a bit weak, considering her friend's conversation revolved around the thrilling, high-speed experience of roller coasters. Yomi snapped out of her thoughts when she felt someone grab her arm and drag her away.
Mato looked at Yomi as she guided Yomi, "Come on, we can't stand here forever, we need our blood flowing..!"
"Eh, Mato," Yomi said in surprise before her face turned into one of shock, "Mato, where are you taking me?!"
Yuu blinked as she looked up at Saya, "Shouldn't we..?"
"Just give me a moment to collect my thoughts, I think I'll need a bigger tolerance given the rides," Saya said as she saw Kagari chase after Mato, shouting something about stopping her from doing something stupid, "... Okay, let's catch up, I'm afraid Mato set Kagari off"
"That's not a far off assumption..." Yuu said as she and Saya jogged, trying to find a hint of Kagari's blond hair.
Over somewhere to Saya and Yuu's right, Mato was grinning as Yomi kept on asking Mato where they were going, especially since there's no way to know what Mato is thinking when she got an idea running through her head. When Mato stopped moving, Yomi trailed her friend's line of sight to a ride, paling a bit. It wasn't a roller coaster, that much she could say, but that didn't mean being put inside a car and having the ride spin you around back and forth, with no way of figuring out which way it was going to take didn't scare you. Yomi heard Kagari's shout and saw her among the crowd behind her, with Saya and Yuu following them closely behind Kagari. Yomi called out to them, just as Mato started to move again, finished marveling at the ride and coincidentally heading towards it.
Kagari popped out of the crowd and huffed, "Great, Mato is definitely going to regret leaving me behind... I'm not gonna let you scare Yomi!"
"Don't you think the both of you are doing that?" Yuu asked.
Kagari turned towards Yuu, staring at her, "At least Yomi would have some protection, who knows what that pervert is going to try"
"That's why I'm here," Saya said, muttering an apology as she squeezed through the crowd, "Not just to keep Mato safe, but to make sure she doesn't do-"
A scream caught their attention as they turned towards the ride, Kagari cursing to herself as they watch it go back and forth. Inside the cart, Mato was screaming along with Yomi, but both their scream were on different levels in the enjoyment bar, with Yomi screaming as she felt the car lurched and move forward. Yomi couldn't turn her head to glare at Mato, but she definitely felt her blood flowing, that was for sure. On the outside, Saya, Yuu, and Kagari walked up and looked at the car where the screaming was coming from, the blonde-haired girl grinding her teeth as she saw the ride slowing dawn as the car reached the platform. The door opened and Mato came out, jubilant as Yomi stumbled a bit, raking her hair with her fingers.
"My god..." Yomi grumbled as Mato turned to her, grabbing her arm.
"Come on, Yomi, let's try another ride," Mato said as they got to the ground and started to walk away.
"Oi!" Mato flinched and turned to looked at Kagari, who was stomping towards them, "What the hell are you doing?!"
Mato flinched in fear before taking off with Yomi, who was still trying to regain her bearings, the ride taxing her out a bit. Kagari took off after them with Yuu and Saya following, Saya apologizing as they rushed through the area, trying to find Mato. Yomi stumbled a bit but got back on her feet as she looked up to see where Mato was heading towards. The moment Yomi saw the roller coaster, she felt any energy she had inside vanish in an instant, but she running or else she would stumble and hit the ground. They reached the line, which was mostly sparse as Kagari trailed behind them with a few people in front of her, the same occurring to Saya and Yuu.
"Mato..!" Yomi managed to get out, her widened green-eyes boring holes at her friend's head.
Mato looked at Yomi and smiled, "Come on, I bet you'll enjoy it once we get on..."
Yomi was about to say something when she noticed Mato's right hand twitching slightly, which got her curious about what the twitch means. It couldn't be the roller coaster, Mato is a thrill seeker to a certain degree, which meant that something else was bothering her. The line started to move more and Mato carried Yomi up the steps, which caused said carried teen to snap her thoughts back to the roller coaster and focus on that. She can figure out what was happening with Mato later, she needs to prepare herself for what's going to happen. As they neared the carts, Kagari pushed by several people and got to them, grabbing Mato's arm and squeezing it tightly.
"You... ass..!" Kagari huffed as she glared at Mato, who was smiling sheepishly.
"Hey, Kagari... you're not going to..?" Mato asked, her questioned answered with Kagari's glare.
They got directed to the train and sat in their seats, which was about two rows behind from the front as Saya and Yuu came up and took some seats near the back. Apprehension appeared on Saya's face since she wasn't sure if she wanted to ride, back when she was young, she would got for it, but she isn't sure now. On the opposite end, Yomi looked to her left as she watch Kagari glare at Mato, who sat in the middle of the row. Mato gulped as she felt the menacing aura that came out of Kagari, trying not to think about what is happening after the ride. The ride was about to start and everyone brought their restraint down, which went over their shoulders and gave them something to hold on to as the train started moving slowly, going up the incline.
"Mato, you're my friend and I care about, but sometimes I worry about you way of thinking," Yomi told her, staring forward as the train neared the top, "This is too much and I just want you to know one thing..."
Mato glanced at her before looking forward, "What is that?"
The train reached the peak and started going down on the tracks as Yomi screamed out, "You're bloody insane Mato!"
Yomi shout integrated itself with the roar of the people on the train, which was traveling fast through loops, corkscrews, and various hills. As the ride was going about Geshumaru peeked out from a corner, watching the ride speed along the tracks. There was no need to take any action, she could wait until it got darker so she could strike. It was better to rest and relax her body for a moment, despite the various screams coming from different rides, especially the roller coaster. The ride was about three-fourths in and went through another corkscrew, the track straightening out as the train started to slow down.
"Ugh... I feel sick..." Yomi mumbled as the train came to a stop.
Everyone started to push the safeguard up and started to file out of the train, chatting with their friends about how amazing the ride was and saying they wanted to ride it again. Saya and Yuu left their seats, Saya trying to focus herself so she doesn't lose her balance, Yuu supporting her slightly. Yuu noticed that there was no sign of Mato, Yomi, and Kagari around the mass of people, which meant that they have already left the ride. Yuu guided Saya toward the stairs and brought her down as she started to get a grip on herself, allowing Yuu to stop supporting her as they went down and stepped on the ground. Saya let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding, a small smile growing on her face.
"Well, that was certainly... fun," Saya said, scratching the back of her neck.
Yuu hummed for a moment, "I guess so, but it probably wasn't fun for Yomi, and Mato's going to suffer for it"
"Speaking of Mato, where did she go off to now?" Saya wondered, looking around.
Saya and Yuu walked around, trying to find out where the three girls went to when they heard murmurs from passing people about an angry blonde and a scared raven-haired girl. Following the murmurs, they managed to find Yomi sitting on a bench, her head leaning back as color slowly came back on her skin. She did look worse for wear, since she wasn't having an enjoyable experience, the roller coaster knocking the last nail in the coffin. Yomi heard them come up to her and raised her head, exasperated as she tried to keep her stomach steady. She felt like she could puke at any moment, and with the amount of energy she has left, it was becoming more of a struggle as time went on.
"Yomi, are you okay?" Yuu asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Yomi grimaced, "I will be, once I finally cooled down"
Saya walked in front of Yomi, bending down, "Where is Mato and Kagari?"
Yomi pointed behind Saya and she turned her head, watching Kagari punish Mato for her actions by slapping the back of her head and cussing her out. It wasn't that much out of their usual arguments, but this was a punishment, which is why Mato couldn't do anything since her arms got pinned to her back by Kagari. Passersby was watching the scene as they walked, muttering to each other or themselves about what they saw. Saya walked up to the two girls and cleared her throat, catching Kagari's attention as Saya explained to her about the scene she was causing and the risk she was taking. Realizing that security could appear, Kagari let Mato go and they walked back to Yomi, who seemed better than before.
Mato walked up to the bench and sat down on it, looking up at the sky, "Is it so bad to just have fun..?"
"I could explain, but I'm still trying to feel better..." Yomi told Mato.
"Let me Yomi," Kagari said, shooting Mato a glare, "It's fine having fun, but it's bad when your friend goes bat-shit insane with it..!"
Saya tapped Kagari's shoulder, "Watch the language, there's some kids here"
"Sorry," Kagari said, scratching the top of her head before looking back at Mato, "Anyways, what was going through your head when you went nuts?"
"Well..." Mato started, looking away as she frowned slightly, "I don't know, it's kind of hard for me to explain"
Yuu glanced to her left and saw Kagari's eye twitch, "Uh, Mato... explain before you're on the receiving end of another beating from Kagari..."
"Gak, uh..." Mato fumbled for a moment before sighing, "I just feel like we're always caught up on something, and that feeling hasn't gone away..."
Kagari arched an eyebrow, "So what, you're paranoid?"
"Yes, I can't help it, I just have to act all happy go-lucky when everything isn't," Mato explained, ruffling her hair, "Geshumaru has been on my tail for how long, and what have we done to stop her?"
"It isn't like she's giving us a chance to track her down," Yomi said before her stomach lurched for a bit.
"That isn't the point, she sat back and just done nothing, and that scares me," Mato told them, "If there's one thing I get, it's that when nothing hasn't happened for a while, it's going to happen when you least expect it..!"
"Are you saying you expect Geshumaru to find you here, of all places?" Saya asked, finding the thought ludicrous.
"It isn't like she doesn't know where I am," Mato stated, "She found me at school, she found Kagari while I was shopping, and we passed by each other twice, she obviously knows where I am..!"
Yuu nodded, "And we can't discount the Otherworld, who knows what she did there"
"All I'm saying is that I'm worried that something might happen to me and nothing's going to stop it," Mato stated, "So I'm trying to get as much fun out of this trip before everything goes under"
"And I'm collateral," Yomi said whimsically, "Great, nice to know you're worried for a reason..."
Mato scratched the back of her neck, "Sorry, I guess I put you though the ringer, hun?"
"Something like th-" Yomi started before gagging, "Oh boy, move aside..!"
Saya, Yuu, and Kagari moved away as Yomi got up and rushed towards the nearest trash bin, not caring if it was unsanitary. Te rest of them looked away as Yomi hurled into the trash bin, each one of them holding a disgusted look on their face. While that was occurring, Geshumaru walked up to them among the crowd, blending in and locking her eyes on Mato's back. Said girl felt someone stare at her and looked behind, but couldn't see anyone who was watching her, causing Mato to furrow her brows as Yomi came back, rubbing her stomach. Color certainly returned to Yomi's face, but she still felt the effects of the roller coaster, albeit to a lesser degree before she threw up.
"Okay, let's get moving," Yomi said, causing all of them to look at her, "But this time, Saya is picking the rides..."
Dragon Slayer sat in her chair, staring out the window in her study, thinking about the storm she saw in the far south of her battlefield. She had no doubts that the storm was around the Sky Gates, that much was for sure, but she couldn't understand what could have caused it. Living for three generations may allow her time to learn about the Otherworld, but there are mysteries surrounding it that supersedes her time, leaving the answers behind in old ruins that are probably gone. Every time an other self dies, their area gets erased until a new other self is born to replace it, and she have seen it once too much. This, however, did not distract her as she heard a faint knock on her doors, gesturing with her hand which caused the doors to open.
Maid Gunner and Underworld Vulcan stepped into the study, "I see you two have readied yourself, planning to head out?"
"Only at your command, mistress," Maid Gunner said, her voice firm and her body rigid like her sister.
"Hah, at my command, such a thing is only for the weak-minded," Dragon Slayer scoffed as she got up from her chair, walking up to them, "Both of you are truly devoted, but not weak-minded"
Vulcan closed her eyes, "We do not leave unless you say so"
"Tch, speak your mind, it isn't like you're those homunculus who live in the dungeon," Dragon Slayer told them, frowning, "This isn't a time when you can act like complete other selves"
Maid Gunner and Vulcan didn't react, instead, they spoke in unison, "But we're nothing but your servants until we die, we swore to protect you with our ability, nothing else"
Dragon Slayer slammed her hand on the desk, causing a crater to form and the siblings to flinch, "You don't understand, a storm appeared at the Sky Gates, which means someone triggered an unnatural event over there that hasn't been seen for centuries, before I was born!"
"I am sorry, mistress," Vulcan apologized, bowing along with Maid Gunner.
"Understand this, when I first met you two, you feared me and the power I wielded," Dragon Slayer told them,"But that changed when I gave you freedom to think, something other selves don't have, and I can take that freedom back if you two continue to act like this"
They didn't respond as Dragon Slayer rubbed her face, "You two readied because you're ready to follow my orders, not as your mistress, but as your leader, correct?"
Maid Gunner nodded, "Yes"
"Then understand this, you do not need my permission to head out on solo missions, especially when it pertains to Geshumaru," Dragon Slayer told them, walking back to her chair, "Do what you think is right and head to that destination, you do not need my confirmation on it"
"But mistress, the person around the Sky Gates at the time was Shooter..." Vulcan told her.
Dragon Slayer stopped in front of the chair and turned to them, "What?"
"Anything connected to Shooter that we discovered, we needed your confirmation on," Maid Gunner told her, taking a few steps forward, "Do you wish for us to follow?"
Dragon Slayer's shoulders slumped as she sighed, "I see, then you did the right thing I supposed; trail B RS's footprints and find out what that storm was about"
"As you command," Maid Gunner said as she left the study with Vulcan.
Dragon Slayer sat down on her chair and looked out the window again, her thoughts coming together as she started to understand the storm. There were certain things that she has yet to uncover, but she's starting to see what she couldn't several minutes ago. Whatever occurred at the Sky Gates is shaping B RS's next step, and that's an accomplishment that Dragon Slayer could bask in despite having no role in it. Getting up from her chair, Dragon Slayer walked to her sword and took it in her hands, picking up her jacket that rested on the wall. It's about time she paid another visit, and this time, she won't leave no matter what Geshumaru says.
"Ah... that was good..." Mato sighed, looking at the sky.
Yomi nodded as she walked along with Mato, "Yeah, and I don't feel sick anymore, thank you Saya..!"
Saya chuckled, thinking that she didn't do much except balanced out the soft rides with some intense ones, while splitting the group into two separate sets. It was fair to everyone, and since Saya had to take action after Mato's little psycho-trip, everything went smoother and Kagari didn't snap again. Though, that was probably because she got up with Yomi and Yuu; Saya and Mato had to talk for a while. Their talk started out like a counseling session, but then it transitioned into Mato's paranoia, how she feels Geshumaru knows where she is no matter how far she is. There's really nothing she could say on the subject, but talking about it a bit more helped Mato cool down, didn't mean she wasn't ecstatic.
"So, how does Geshumaru find us, I'll look into it later..." Saya thought as a smile grew on her face, "Well, splitting us up helped, didn't it?"
"It sure did," Yomi said, sparring a glance at Mato, who frowned.
"I said I was sorry, cut me some slack," Mato said before Kagari punched her in the arm, "Ow, what gives?!"
"Sorry, thought I heard something insulting, and the fact that you didn't apologize enough," Kagari told her, smirking.
"Why you-" Mato started before something caught her eye.
Kagari arched an eyebrow, frowning, "'Why you' what?"
Mato just stared at the crowd that was walking away, focusing her eyes as she caught a sight of blue among them. The crowd opened up a bit and Mato saw Geshumaru walking away, never locking eyes with her. Kagari looked behind her and followed Mato's line of sight to Geshumaru, who was heading to the streets, completely unaware of their presence. Before anyone in the group could react, Mato took off, taking the same path that Geshumaru took, noting how the sun was falling down in the horizon. Saya and Yomi took off after her with Kagari and Yuu trailing behind, trying to catch up to Mato who was several meters ahead of them.
Mato took every turn and crossing section as she kept an eye on Geshumaru's back, her eyes locked on the worn blue coat which sported a similar design pattern to B RS's jacket. She watched Geshumaru take a turn and head up the stairs, going up to a shrine before turning to the right, heading into the forest. Mato stopped for a moment as everyone else rushed up to her, slightly out of breath. They followed Mato up the stairs before she went into the forest too, passing through the trees that surrounded them. Everything was just fine until several minutes ago when Mato spotted Geshumaru, and it was hard to say that doubts weren't forming in their head after the run they had.
"Mato, we should turn back," Yomi told her, looking behind her back.
Mato frowned, "No, I don't care what happens, I need answers..!"
"Mato, think rationally for a moment," Saya told her, "Geshumaru is an other self who can exist in our world, and god knows how she's able to do that; let's go home and we can worry about this later"
"I doubt we'll get a 'later'," Kagari said, "I'm with Mato on this, let's take this bitch down"
Kagari took another step forward until she felt herself lift off the ground a bit before flying towards a tree, getting stuck to it. Yuu rushed towards her, trying to pull her out before she was flying too, attached to a different tree. Saya and Yomi felt their bodies rush towards nearby trees, unable to escape from whatever force was controlling them. Mato heard footsteps and looked behind as Geshumaru walked up, pointing at her before she flicked her finger, sending Mato off to a tree. Mato grunted as Geshumaru stopped in the middle of the clearing, her blue eyes glowing slightly as she scanned all over the area, expressionless as she summoned her katana.
"And everything comes full circle," Geshumaru remarked as she saw Mato struggling, "You can struggle all you want, it won't do you any good"
Mato gritted her teeth, "Then I'll call B RS..!"
Geshumaru smirked, "Hn, even if you can, she won't get here quick enough to stop the inevitable"
Mato watched as Geshumaru drew out her katana from its sheath, paling slightly as she neared her, a blue flame wrapped around Geshumaru's katana.
B RS blinked slowly, getting up as she took in the scenery and started wondering what that whole vortex was all about. It's obvious that it must have been a gateway of some sort, but it wasn't like anything she have seen so far. A giant structure with a tower inside, capable of firing a beam into the sky to rip through the fabric of reality isn't really misplaced in the Otherworld, but it certainly brings up a couple of questions. Who would take their time to create a tower like that, and why would it be a part of the Sky Gates? B RS pondered on it for a moment before she brought her attention back to the scenery, noting the flourished trees and grass, the opposite of the Otherworld.
"Wh-what?" B RS said, slightly surprised.
The vague memories of when she got brought back came to here, but during that time, she was more focused on the enemy than the area itself. B RS started walking through the trees and looked up at the sky, a clear blue-white checkerboard appearance with light shining down, the trees foliage providing shade. B RS noted how there were no creatures roaming around, leaving the entire forest barren of life save for the plants and trees. Catching the silhouette from the corner of her eye, B RS turned towards her right and dashed forward, passing by trees as she neared the exit. B RS burst through the forest and looked up as she eyed the palace a few hundred meters in front of her, several areas bounded to the ground by chains.
"This place..." B RS muttered, images forming in her head.
Things started clicking in her head as she broke out into a run, heading straight into the palace as her onyx-colored eyes glimmered, hints of blue melding in. She entered the palace and turned left before running along the corridors, turning at certain intersections and heading up stairways when needed. She ignored the pain in her head as she thought about the original palace and how it appeared. The palace she was running through now could fit about six hundred other selves if needed, which meant it was more developed to create traps of all sorts. Even so, she could feel anything that would be a trap as she reached the center of the palace, the cylindrical shape reflecting the memories as she burst through the doors.
B RS came to a stop and looked up, "Looks like you were teaching me the schematics, weren't you Dragon Slayer?"
There were many paths and platforms around the center, bridging from one area to another with chains attached from one wall below to a wall up above. B RS narrowed her eyes and jumped up, bouncing from platform to platform as she got several stories up. She grabbed a ledge and hauled herself up, walking up to a door and opening it, stepping into the circular corridor and looking out between the beams. Looking out and seeing the lush world was different from seeing the Otherworld, there was nothing left over there as all that remained was ruins and canyons. Frowning, B RS walked away from the beams and went straight through the corridor, watching an opening coming within her line of sight.
B RS reached the hallway and turned towards the platform, Geshumaru's robot turning to face her, "Ah, so you're here"
"I guess this is like déjà vu, except this isn't by coincidence," B RS said, bringing out her ax, "I'm here for a reason"
"I guess Dragon Slayer brought you here?" The robot mused.
B RS narrowed her eyes, taking a couple of steps forward, "No, some tower in the Sky Gates brought me here"
"Which is probably one of Dragon Slayer's mechanization," The robot stated, "She is known for being an 'Architect' of sorts"
"She didn't make it, I know," B RS told it, "Besides, if she brought me here, she would have done something to me before any of that happened"
The robot looked away, "I'm told to kill you, it's not to late to run..."
"I'm not running, I ought to pay you back for killing me," B RS said, her body tensing.
The robot shook its head, pulling out the sword from its back, dropping into a battle-ready stance as it thought about how B RS was reacting. It wasn't like when she was trying to fight back while protecting herself, which didn't work out and got her killed, but she appeared more focused like the antithesis she's known as. For a moment, it couldn't help but compare the two B RS's, trying to understand her regression back into a collected killer. It's scary to imagine how powerful she is, and the thought that she could be at Geshumaru's level is scary in itself. Despite all that, its existence is to serve Geshumaru, and a machine is a cold as the weapons it uses, as well as the attacks it can unleash.
"Then it's your own death wish," Geshumaru's robot stated.
They dashed towards each other, their weapons drawn as their blades clashed against each other, their eyes glowing with pure ambition as their rematch began.
Author's Note: Yeah, this is a chapter that will have you hooked, surprised, and wondering "What the hell has he been smoking?" To answer that question, I don't smoke and don't plan to, it's bad for the lungs. Either way, I feel at peace with myself with this chapter. Normally, something like that would be a story end-er, but I'm not leaving you all with a cliffhanger. I'm working on this and the two sequels and finishing them in their entirety.
Please review and have a nice night!