Swords clanged together, hitting so powerfully it caused a strong breeze to blow both fights back. But it was only the first of many.
Mojin's dark blade connected with Tarou's as they battled amidst their armies, each fighting with everything that had, knowing that the fate of this world would come down to this very battle.
Tarou was fighting for revenge, for redemption, for rage.
Mojin was fighting for loyalty, love, and what was right.
Both wanted to win.
But by the end of the day, only one would still be alive.
"I have to admit that you're better than I expected." Tarou said as he blasted a bolt of electricity at his chest, only for it to bounce off the boy's shadowy armor.
"If you're fishing for a compliment in return, don't expect anything!" Mojin shouted as he lunged, his blade crashing against Tarou's loudly. Around them, the battle continued, though everyone on both sides knew the smart thing was to stay away from the two leaders fighting; leaving them a spot of their own to duel.
"Boken taught you himself, didn't he?" Tarou said as they whipped around at fast speeds, each trying to get even a single hit. "You're moving just like he did…before I ended him too, just like your little lover girl~" Mojin growled as he swung at Tarou's chest, only to get blasted in the face by Tarou's lightning. Mojin flew back, but stopped himself by completely collapsing by stabbing his blade into the ground. Tarou took the opportunity to rush forward and stab towards the boy's face with his blade.
But Mojin was quick.
He whipped around and sliced across Tarou's back, cutting open fabric and skin, before kicking Tarou in the chest to send him back, though like him, he stopped himself from actually falling over. Tarou only had a moment to recover before Mojin went in for another attack, slicing across the boy's chest this time, though the wound didn't go as deep as his back one did.
"You'll get a couple hits, but just like Boken, you'll fall eventually!" Tarou shouted as he brought his blade up, finding just the right angle to crack open the armor, even if not completely destroy it, and hit Mojin directly. The man cried out as he felt blood drip down his chest. He felt distracted by Tarou's words. This was indeed similar to what had happened, Mojin would know, he was there. He saw Tarou strike down his best friend, in a similar matter to how they were fighting now. Perhaps it was pointless, there was no way Mojin would be able to take him down if Boken couldn't.
That hesitation was enough for Tarou to rush in and ram the blade into his armor, piercing it, before Tarou kicked him onto his back. Mojin groaned in pain, and rolled out of the way as Tarou slammed his naginata into the ground. Tarou grabbed the man to hold him in place before he brought the blade to his face, poking his nose and drawing blood. "You are weak. You have no chance against any CPU, much less me. I will offer no last words, no remorse. Goodbye." Tarou was about to thrust the blade into his head when he heard it.
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
He looked up and watched as a foot struck him in the face so hard he went flying back several feet, so stunned that he wasn't able to keep himself from falling over. Mojin looked up, shocked that he was still alive. He saw a hand reach for him, and he grasped it as he was pulled to his feet.
"I told you I wouldn't run anymore." Shose said as she brandished her large blade. "We fight together."
"Right." Mojin said as he picked his blade back up, and both turned to face Tarou as he pulled himself off the ground, and stared at the two with a look of death.
"See, you need two of you to even try to take me down, pathetic, just like-"
"So?" Shose said, cutting him off as she rolled her eyes. "What does it matter how many it takes as long as it gets the job done?" Both Tarou and Mojin gave her a look of surprise.
"But…don't you feel like…dishonored not being able to kill me yourself?" Tarou asked.
"Not really, no." Shose said. "I couldn't care less how it's done, as long as it ended your life." She narrowed her eyes as she pointed her weapon at him. "I'm not like my brother…and I'll be sure to show you." Tarou stared at her, then smirked.
"Interesting. We'll see how long you last~" Tarou said, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of her, swinging his weapon. He expected her to bring her own blade up to meet his, to which he would launch a counterattack.
Instead she punched him in the face.
Startled, Tarou once again was launched back, but he caught himself this time. She'd landed two hits on him, but neither one was with her actual blade. So she was more of a physical fighter? Alright then. Tarou rushed forward again, preparing to feint with his blade to one side while striking the other with his fist.
Then she cut him with her sword instead.
As his fist flew towards her, she sidestepped him and flung her blade across his arm, cutting him open and causing the boy to tumble over, landing in front of Mojin, who attempted to stab him, but just barely missed as Tarou not only moved out of the way, but kicked out his feet and knocked Mojin off of his. Tarou leapt up, and turned to face Shose again. What was this chick's fighting style?
What Tarou wasn't aware of was that Shose was using her powers, powers that while seemingly not being very useful, were provided some use at that moment. She was simultaneously calming both herself and Mojin down so they could focus, while also pumping fear into Tarou's body, making him hesitate more, even if just slightly. Unfortunately, she was only able to do it in small bits, as she tried to focus on the fight itself, and predicting his moves.
"GRAAAAA!" Tarou shouted as he lunged for her. He went in for a strike at her torso. She tried to counter it by swinging her blade towards his chest, but he got around her, making a full swing around her body as his blade went for her chest.
As he tried to, though, the girl grabbed him and rammed her knee into his groin, and he went down instantly.
"Ouch." Mojin said as he got back up. Nevertheless, he put his foot down on Tarou's chest, and was about to ram his blade through his skull to end it, when Tarou turned the move back on them, and punched Mojin between the legs. As the man went down, Tarou leapt up, and as Shose rushed forward, he elbowed her in the face before stabbing his blade into her side. She cried out in pain and swung her blade towards him, but he ducked, pulling his blade out of her side and kicking her in the wound. Pain exploded through her body as she stumbled back. He advanced towards her, but Mojin lunged for him. He wasn't fast enough though, and Tarou whipped around and sliced him across the chest, though most of it bounced off his remaining armor. It was still enough to send him back though.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Shose cried out as she leapt onto Tarou's back and pulled him to the ground. Once again shocked by her weird style of fighting, he dropped to the ground as she began to choke him. Mojin jumped to his feet and ran to stab him while he was on the ground, but just before he was able to deliver the blow, the area around them exploded.
A bright light enveloped Tarou as he blasted away both Mojin and Shose, his body rising into the air as the glow faded. Lightning crackled around his not armor clad body. A black crown rested upon his head as his eye glowed a solid blue. He sneered down at Mojin as he spoke.
"Enough playing around. I will end you, here and now." He said as he pointing at him, and a bolt of lightning shot from his finger and towards the man. Shose immediately jumped in between them, holding up her blade as the bolt ricocheted off of the metal and back at Blue Heart, though his body simply absorbed the blast.
"So we're kicking your ass hard enough for you to use your HDD, huh?" Shose asked, smirking. Blue Heart snarled.
"Enough. Your voice irritates me." He said as he rushed towards her, his now double edged naginata raring to go until, just as he was about to stab her, she too was enveloped in the same light. Her blade rushed forward and struck his. The clash was so powerful that, just like Mojin and Tarou's first strike, it sent a blast of wind in every direction. The glow faded, and Shose stood in her HDD form. Her long white hair had turned brown, as well as the purple cloak shrinking, instead now a sort of jacket covering a brown and black power suit, her hair and outfit now matching her namesake. It was a form she didn't use often, but knew she'd need it now.
"Now all the cards are on the table." Shose said as she shoved Blue Heart back, though he wasted no time in flying back at her. She ducked to the side as Mojin thrust his blade towards Blue Heart's chest, though the blade merely grazed his armor as the CPU laughed, and simply smacked the man aside.
"Weak." He said as he sent bolts of lightning crashing into his body. With not as much armor to protect him, some made contact, and the boy was blown back by the force as he screamed in pain. Shose flew up and her blade once again intercepted his. He turned his attention solely on her as the two began to trade blows. Her blade was strong enough that when it did manage to hit his armor, it left small gashes, but thankfully she was fast enough to dodge most of the attacks that would've hit her.
Other than those, every time their blades connected, pure power pulsed through the air. Some soldiers even stopped to watch the two CPUs trade blows above them. Shose kept to her strategy of basically having no strategy, which continued to throw off Blue Heart. She switched between using her massive blade to using punches and kicks. Of course, she wasn't able to do as much damage with the physical attacks, but it threw him off enough for her to attack his armor with her blade. She even managed to break off one of his shoulder pieces, and almost cut into said shoulder before he slammed his fist into her face, stunning her.
Taking that opportunity, he delivered a knee to her stomach, then gave an uppercut to her face, breaking her nose. Before she tumbled, he grabbed her by the neck and discharged a large amount of electricity into her body, causing her to scream in pain as her body was lit up. After a few seconds of that, the girl went limp, her body twitching as he dropped her to the ground. She wasn't dead yet, but she was paralyzed as he floated down, and pointed his blade at her chest.
"I told you. Weak." He said, and thrust his blade into her chest. Though, while he'd originally been aiming for her heart, something struck him, and he missed, stabbing her a little lower. Her scream still erupted from her mouth though as he turned to find that Mojin had tossed his blade at him. When it struck him, it cut his cheek open, and blood dripped from the wound. Blue Heart pulled the weapon out of Shose as he growled at Mojin, and sent a bolt of electricity at him once again, though just before it struck, everything went dark.
Blue Heart blinked as everything around him changed. He looked around at his new surroundings. Dead trees, dark clouds, starless sky…he knew where he was…this was Lenderia.
Which meant…
"Hello, Tarou~"
Blue Heart turned to find Arun standing several feet away from him, giving him that signature smug smile. His blood instantly ran cold at the sight of him, and the grip on his bloody weapon tightened.
"You…" he said, and Arun laughed.
"Ready for a rematch~?" Arun asked, before he faded into the shadows of his own body. The CPU growled, then smiled. Of course he'd be happy to kill this monster. Who wouldn't be?
So he started walking. He knew none of this was real, but he also knew that if he moved here, it wouldn't really cause his real body to move either. Time essentially slowed down as he searched for the monstrous murderer.
Then he heard it.
"Tarouuuuu~" a deep voice said. Blue Heart didn't need to turn to know that voice, a voice he'd last heard 20 years ago.
"Enough with your trick, you bastard." Blue Heart shouted, though despite himself, his hands trembled. He wanted to look, to see him again, but he knew that if he did, he would probably just find something monstrous. "None of your nightmares will work on me." He looked down at the ground. "I already had plenty after you…" The CPU growled again. He thrust out his hand, and eliminated the nightmare the boy had produced without even looking at it. "COME OUT HERE, YOU TRAITOROUS COWARD!"
"Oh, I'm the traitor?" Arun's voice echoed through the dark woods. "You're the one who decided to go on a killing rampage because you got a little angry. Besides…he couldn't defeat me, so what makes you think you can~?"
"SHUT UP AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!"
"Are you sure you want that~?" Arun's voice said, though this time it was more distorted, twisted. "Last time you saw me in HDD, it left you with nightmares for years. I know…I could taste them in my dreams~"
"I don't care. You don't scare me." Blue Heart shouted. Arun cackled as the dark sky somehow seemed to get darker.
"That's a lie and you know it. I know fear, I know suffering, just as I know nightmares." Arun said, his voice almost unrecognizable. "Even a dictator is scared of dying." Everything else faded away as Blue Heart was left in pure darkness. "So fine…I'll face you…but don't say I didn't warn you."
He appeared. From the darkness Arun emerged like the monster he was.
But it wasn't Arun. It was Dark Heart. The man was no longer a man. His inky body was in the shape of a man, but covered in eyes that darted in every direction, their irises glowing bright purple. The only two that weren't were the ones where eyes normally could be found, which instead were blood red, both trained on the CPU. Dark demonic wings unfurled from its back as black tentacles whipped around from the back as well. Shiny silver claws jutted out from the monster's hands, and its body lurched as Dark Heart let out a cackle. Blue Heart's grip on his weapon tightened once more, though much to his chagrin, he was shaking.
"Scared little boy…" Dark Heart said, his voice sharp and cracking. "I am the demon from your worst nightmares. I am the one who will bring you pain and suffering even in the brightest of days. I am eternal, and I am inescapable. I. Am. Fear~"
"I-it doesn't matter what you are!" Blue Heart shouted, pointing his weapon at the monster. He gulped as his resolve hardened. "I WILL CUT YOU DOWN!"
"So be it~" Dark Heart said as he let out a loud shriek, his unseen bones cracking and shifting as he lunged for Blue Heart at blinding speed. Blue Heart barely had time to raise his weapons as Dark Heart's claws scraped against his blade. He held himself on top of them before lunging off, landing behind the CPU, and slicing at his back. The armor protected him, but even then, he could still feel how sharp the blades were, possibly even sharper than his own weapon. Blue Heart whipped around to try to slice Dark Heart in half, but the CPU vanished, reappearing behind him, grabbing his face and slicing down both his cheeks with his claws before he turned around and pushed him away, hearing Dark Heart cackling.
Back out in the real world, the other CPUs were riding into battle. Ema, transformed into her HDD, leaving almost her entire body draped in pink, from a pink dress to pink shoes, and even her usually blonde hair turning bright pink, was screaming in joy as she blasted Morkom soldiers with paint, some of which burned, some of which stuck, and some of which melted, leading to many screaming victims as the girl smiled.
Koji, also transformed, summoned various balls of energy before smacking them with a steel baseball bat that sent them flying into the crowd. Some of these projectiles would explode upon impact, while others released a discharge of energy that electrified those around. Some soldiers tried to get away, but the man was too far as he zipped around the air raining hell down on them.
Red Heart flew through the crowd, slicing enemies apart left and right, boosting her speed so she became a near blur as she cut through the enemy forces.
Aila summoned meteors and lightning that blasted people to ashes, and froze anyone who got too close to her. She broke the ground in half and hot magma blasted out from the cracks, burning any one who got near.
Silver Heart flew around, her needle threading through the hearts and heads of the men and women of the Morkom army, leaving people screaming as while the others' attacks where easy to see where they were coming from, with her, somebody could be standing battling someone, and the next moment, they'd drop dead.
Silver Heart landed next to Aila to pause for a moment and survey their surroundings. Aila blushed a bit as she looked at the girl's very…skimpy outfit, skin tight, leaving none of her curves to the imagination, as well as showing off a lot of her thighs and even some of her ass. Seeing her looking at her, Silver Heart blushed and snarled.
"IT'S NOT LIKE I WANT TO SHOW EVERYTHING OFF! DON'T GIVE ME THAT LOOK!" She cried, and, stunned at her outburst, Aila only blushed further at how cute she sounded, which only flustered Silver Heart more.
Chena watched as several of the Morkom soldiers began to surround her, eyeing her up. As they snickered.
"Hey, isn't that the nerdy CPU chick from Tetri? What's she doing here?" One of the soldiers asked.
"She probably was like 'oh let me help let me help!' but then when they actually brought her here, now she can't do anything." Another said.
"She's got a rocking body though, it's always the nerdy ones, isn't it?" Another asked.
"God why do I always get the sleazy ones?" Chena asked, seemingly unconcerned.
"Maybe we could snatch her and take a little break from this war, eh?" Another said as he started making his way towards her.
"I wouldn't if I were you." Chena warned. The man scoffed.
"Oh yeah? What're you gonna do, smack me a bit?" he asked as he put a hand on her arm. Chena smiled.
"Oh I'll definitely be doing that~" Chena said as she was enveloped in a bright light. Even before she'd finished transforming, her gun was pulled out, aimed at the guy holding her arm, and it killed him in a single shot. As his body fell to the ground, she emerged, white hair flowing in the wind as her iridescent eyes glowed. She turned to another soldier and produced a chain covered in spikes that she tossed at the man. It wrapped around his torso as he screamed in pain, before she threw him up and over at another man. She rushed towards another and before he could stab her or do anything really, she pointed the gun at his groin, fired, and then flung the chain around his neck, and tore his head clean off, lobbing it at someone else.
One of the men tried to run but Rainbow Heart flew towards him and tackled him to the ground as she straddled him. To his annoyance, he couldn't help but grow horny at feeling her body and looking up to see her looking down at him with her cold expression of hatred. She pointed the gun at his face and, while he thought at first she might give him some last words, instead she simply pulled the trigger and ended him there.
Rainbow Heart was mercilessly, using the combination of her usual gun and spiked chain that Iris let her borrow as she hacked and battered and shot her way through the crowd. For those close enough, she simply beat them with her fists and kicks, either using her weapons to stun them before doing so, or finishing them off after doing so.
For one, she leapt onto his back, and wrapped her thighs around his head. The man screamed in a mixture of arousal and confusion as she spun herself around, and snapped the man's neck. As he fell to the ground, she rolled herself off and resumed shooting someone else.
In summary, the Morkom army was getting completely destroyed, and the Bios army had the upper hand. But nobody could find Tarou.
The CPU was still batting with Dark Heart, the two trading blows, though it was obvious Dark Heart had the advantage, both in speed, ferocity, and psychological torture.
Many times when Blue Heart tried to swipe at him, the CPU would conjure up the image of the man he wanted to forget. Blue Heart was able to strike down the illusions though if he closed his eyes, and eventually their battle would resume. Blue Heart's armor slowly continued to fall away piece by piece as Dark Heart struck him over and over, leaping out a shadow to strike, and then falling back into one. Blue Heart could barely land a hit. And when he did, it seemed like the monster wasn't even bothered, simply laughing at him.
Then he said something that shattered him.
"Your brother is dead, you know." Dark Heart said.
"Yes, I know, you don't need to-"
"No. Not him. Janpu."
Blue Heart froze, his trembling stopped. "…What?"
"He was led into the other dimension and killed." Dark Heart's voice cut through the darkness as he waited for another strike. He could see the other CPU wasn't moving anymore.
"You're…lying." Blue Heart said, his knuckles turning white as his grip tightened.
"You know I'm not. You haven't seen him, right?" Dark Heart taunted. "He's dead. Now it's just you and the girls, except that you disowned one of them, didn't you? So you're really down to just one, just like the old times."
"Shut the hell up, right now."
"And now, just like the old times, you'll be alone again."
"I said to shut the hell up."
"You have always been alone and you always will be alone." Dark Heart wound up for a strike. "Your old love extinguished, your family gone, your allies defeated…everything around you always crumbles…always."
"SHUT UP!"
Dark Heart lunged.
Blue Heart grabbed him by the neck.
The nightmare shattered as Blue Heart slammed him into the ground so hard it cracked at his feet.
"I'm going to kill you." Blue Heart said as he prepared to stab the man in the face, only to be shoved back by his tentacles, allowing Dark Heart to pull himself to his feet. He was only able to do so for a minute before lightning struck his chest, so powerful it sent him rocketing across the battlefield, crashing into soldiers on either side and flinging them into the air. Blue Heart flew after him, almost all fear gone as it was replaced by hardened desire to kill.
Dark Heart crashed against a cliff, and he barely dodged a naginata to the face, instead striking his shoulder and pinning him to the cliff as he cried out. Blue Heart grabbed him by the neck again and began to squeeze as he twisted the blade, black blood spurting from the wound like ink as Dark Heart groaned.
"I changed my mind. I want you to suffer. In every possible way, I want you to feel utter pain and agony. And when I'm done with you, I'll rip out your heart." Blue Heart seethed as she tore more into his shoulder, nearing ripping off his arm as he started sawing towards his heart, if it was even still there. Dark Heart tried to attack back, but he stuck his hand into the wound and blasted electricity through his entire body, enjoying the screams that erupted from the monster's mouth. He started reaching for his heart, his fingers touched it as it beat inside his malformed chest.
"CROSS COMBINATION!"
A loud cry made Blue Heart turn as a flurry of attacks struck him, splintering his armor and sending him back as he held onto his blade as it was forcibly pulled from Dark Heart's body. When he got back up, he found the CPUs from the other dimension crowding around Dark Heart to try to get him to safety as the bleeding, wounded CPU gasped.
Well, except for one.
"Hello, again~" Iris Heart said as she cracked her whip blade and licked her lips. "Ready for another round~"
"You won't make a fool of me again, you bitch." Blue Heart said as he stood. He might have admired her before, but there was nothing left inside him but rage. He rushed forwards, ready to reclaim his honor against the sadistic witch.
Meanwhile, at another area in the battlefield, Red Heart was busy destroying a troop of men when she heard a loud cry, a familiar one. She turned to see her friends from the other dimension flying in and turning the tide of battle even more. Several of them, including a cute one dressed in orange and one with massive breasts dressed in yellow she didn't recognize rushing towards where it seemed a big battle was taking place. Before Red Heart could move to greet them, someone else appeared in front of her.
"You." White Heart said as she settled onto the ground in front of Red Heart.
"Blanc! Look, this isn't really the best time for hatred-"
"No. That's not why I'm here." White Heart said. She sighed. "Have you seen the one that…that killed Ram."
"Moku? Oh…no, I haven't." Red Heart said, then her eyes went wide. "Blanc, wait-"
"I don't forgive you." White Heart said, her eyes meeting Red Heart's. "I don't think I ever will. But…I can't just stand around and do nothing while her murderer is still on the loose. So I'm going to hunt her down and end her." White Heart turned towards the battle, and looked back over her shoulder. "If you see her, find me, got it?"
"O-okay! As long as it doesn't get in the way of-" she started, but White Heart flew off before she could finish. Red Heart sighed, and continued fighting. There was a chorus of screams, and she looked over to see the busty yellow-dressed girl swatting around enemies like they were nothing.
"WHEEEEEEE!" She cried childishly as she sliced enemies apart with her claws, and for the ones she didn't eviscerate, they were simply thrown several feet into the air before they came crashing back down into heaps. Red Heart tilted her head at the girl, watching as decimated the army, but looked and sounded as if she was playing a game. When she noticed her staring, she stopped and looked back at Red Heart. She smiled and waved. "HELLO! MY NAME IS-"
SHING!
The girl stopped, frozen mid sentence as her eyes went wide with shock. Her smile was frozen on her face as her neck began to seep blood, and after a moment, her head tumbled off her shoulders, and her body crumpled. Red Heart felt herself go pale as she one who did the deed stood behind her.
"Hehehehehehehehe~~!" The girl giggled. Dressed in a dark black, blood-splattered suit and red ties, dark red wings protruding from her back, Moku's axe dripped with the blood of her newest victim as she licked her lips, and laughed once more. "I'll show you, Big Bro~! I'LL SHOW YOU HOW USEFUL I AM!" She cried as she began to murder hordes of Bios troops.
"That's…not good." Red Heart knew it was probably a bad idea, but nevertheless she began to search for where White Heart had gone, watching as Moku slaughtered people en masse.
She jumped up into the air, her blade cackling and turning a bright blue as she slammed it into the ground, arcs of lightning blasting across the ground and electrifying dozens of soldiers around her. She then took off into the sky and began to blast others with bolts from her axe before swooping down and chopping people in half like a demon straight out of hell.
"SINCE WHEN COULD SHE DO THAT?!" She watched as Moku blasted away a group of people with a single blast of lightning. In moments, she began to turn the tide back into a more neutral stance as the Morkom army began to push back. Moku continued cackling as she separated heads from bodies and limbs from torsos, coating her suit and the battlefield in blood. She looked around for her brother, but she couldn't find him with all the chaos going on, which aggravated her.
While Moku was busy swinging her axe wildly, looking for her brother, she wasn't really paying attention to what she was doing and spun and headed in a new direction…straight towards Aila.
The girl didn't seem to notice the axe about to slice her in half, and just before it struck her, Nepgear tackled her to the ground, leaving the axe to only shave off a few purple hairs. The crazed candidate continued on, and Aila looked up to see Nepgear on top of her, her face flushing red.
"Y-you…you saved me." Aila said softly, and Nepgear smiled as she too blushed.
"I…I guess I finally returned the favor, huh?" Nepgear said with a laugh. The two stared at each other for a bit. Aila could feel Nepgear's soft, warm body against hers once again, though now there was even less clothing between them. Their faces began to inch closer as their eyes closed. Their lips parted, and just as they touched-
"HEY, GET UP!"
Purple Heart's voice startled both of them, and Nepgear practically threw herself off of Aila. "HUH?!"
"THIS IS A BATTLEFIELD! NO TIME FOR KISSING!" Purple Heart cried, before she leapt back into battle, trying to beat back the horde of soldiers, reinvigorated by Moku's devastation. The two silently returned to fighting, their faces burning.
High up on a hill overlooking everything, Danga was doing her best to try to get some kills with her sniper rifle, but every time she tried to take a shot, it hurt, as she needed to use her shoulder to balance the gun. Despite this, she'd managed to get a few kills here and there. She wanted to rush into battle herself and use pistols and guns she could use, but Tarou didn't want her putting herself at risk apparently. Where the others might've disobeyed, she did not.
As she looked into her sights, she saw a petite girl with a white hairstyle made of twin drills, dressed in all black as she fired upon others with a gun of her own, a large rifle. Danga couldn't help but admire the weapon before she began to take aim at the girl's head.
She pressed the trigger.
Her gun hit her shoulder, as she grunted in pain, her shot missed, and struck the ground near the girl, making her jump.
Danga cursed to herself as she began to take aim again. Though as she looked down the sight at the girl, she found a mirror sight, the girl pointing her own gun at her, and before she could react, the girl fired, sending a large bullet through Danga's head. As the blood pooled down her forehead and nose, her last thoughts were first spent admiring the girl's quick thinking and aim, and then she thought of Tarou, and how she couldn't stay safe after all, before she collapsed onto the ground, her gun slipping out of her hand as she let out one last breath.
Back on the battlefield, Iris's weapon clanged against Blue Heart's. Their faces met, and while one was a look of smugness, the other was a look of rage.
"What's wrong big boy~? Can't find it in yourself to hit your mommy~?" Iris cooed as Blue Heart snarled. It was true they'd been fighting for several minutes and he hadn't managed to hit her once, but he wasn't going to let it get to him again. Their blades collided over and over as Blue Heart struggled to get a strike.
Anytime he would get close, her sword would turn into its whip and wrap around either his weapon, in an attempt to disarm him, or himself, which allowed her to fling him back as she cackled.
He leapt back onto his feet and blasted her with electricity, but she simply flew out of the way at incredible speeds. He fired again, only to once again miss. He went in for another strike, only to be met by her blade, and then her whipping around him and striking his side. He howled as he tried to strike her, only to be met with empty air as she turned behind her, moving as if she was a ballerina, mocking him as she kicked him in the back, sending him to his knees. She placed her foot on his back and forced him to the ground.
"Pathetic worm." Iris Heart spat. Blue Heart let out a scream of pure rage as he reached behind him, grabbed her ankle, and let loose his electricity. She groaned as it coursed through her, allowing him to finally get a hit on her. She stumbled back and he leapt to his feet, finally nabbing his opportunity. He swiped at her and while she tried to dodge, he managed to nick her side. She grunted, and thrust her whip out at him. It struck him in the face, nearly lopping off his nose. As the blood dripped down his face, he growled and blasted electricity once again, though this time he predicted her movements, and so fired next to her, so when she moved to dodge, she instead moved right into the line of fire, and it struck her in the chest. She flew back, and planted her sword in the ground to stop herself, and looked back up at him.
He ran at her, his blade swinging, to which she thrust hers up and they changed together once more. They both launched a flurry of attacks, though now Iris was slightly thrown off, moving a little bit slower. To the untrained eye, it was nothing, but to him, it was all he needed.
They traded blows on each other's blades for a while until Blue Heart spun around and struck her side again, in the same place he'd hit before, causing her even more pain this time. As she slightly knelt forward, he brought the other end of his blade up, and sliced across her face. The goddess screeched as she brought a hand to her face, but despite her injury, when he went in for what he thought was a finishing blow at her chest, she parried him once again. He struck again, she countered again. They became locked into another battle, moving back and forth even as blood dripped down her face. She snarled, and after shoving his blade away, she started flying around him, and using her whip, she started to hit him.
Each lash sent pain through his body as she managed to strike every spot not covered by his damaged armor. He became too distracted and overwhelmed to properly strike back, as every time he tried, he just hit empty air. All the while she laughed that annoying laugh that filled his ears.
Finally, after a minute of this, he screamed, forced his eyes open, and as her whip went for him once again, he grabbed it. It stung his hand, but he pulled on it, bringing her close enough for him to grab her throat and send more electricity through her body. He smirked at her pained expression as her body lit up with energy, before he slammed her into the ground, and planted his foot on her chest.
"Who's your daddy?" He asked as he brought his blade down to her face.
"Not you." A voice cried as something struck him in the face, cutting it open and knocking him to the ground as he cried out. He looked up to see Rainbow Heart pulling Iris to her feet as the CPU glared at him, holding her gun and a spiked chain.
"Why'd you have to interrupt our foreplay?" Iris asked.
"Is that what that was? Looked like him kicking your ass." Rainbow Heart said as she turned to him. "But now it's my turn. I want to beat up this dick until he's begging for my forgiveness."
"Maybe we should fight together. You seem like a fun one~" Iris said as the two squared up, facing Blue Heart as he got back to his feet as well. Iris pointed her blade as Rainbow Heart pointed her gun.
"Fine by me." Rainbow Heart said with a smirk.
"Fine by me as well. I can take you out in one fell swoop." Blue Heart said as the two attacked, both a chain and whip flying at him. He sheathed his weapon and grabbed both as they flew at him, and pulled them forward. As they flew towards him, he knocked them both down by flinging out his fists as they ran into him. However, before he could pull his weapon back out, Rainbow Heart fired, though in her panic, she fired a burning shot that struck him in the side. He cried out as his skin burned, and he whipped around and smacked her across the face so hard it knocked her down. Iris lunged at him, and knocked him to the ground as she prepared to stab him, only for him to reach up and grope her chest. This stunned her long enough for him to flip her over until he straddled her, and started choking her. Though to his annoyance, she simply smiled at him.
Then he was nearly shot in the face.
He barely had time to move his head as the shot grazed his ear. He turned to find Rainbow Heart staring at him, before she rushed him and started flinging her chain. He pulled out his weapon, but the chain simply wrapped around it, and it was yanked from his grip as she tackled him. Standing over him, one of her feet slammed into his groin, and he saw stars for a moment as the other went onto his neck.
"SCREAM FOR ME!" She shouted as she prepared to fire at his face. Instead he did the same thing he did to Iris, grabbing her ankle and blasting her with electricity. Most of it was absorbed by her outfit, but enough traveled through that she was stunned enough for him to knock her over by kicking her feet out from under her. He jumped to his feet, grabbed his weapon, and stabbed down. He almost hit her stomach before Iris's whip struck his face again and so he hit the ground next to her. Iris flew in and punched him in the face at the same time Rainbow Heart punched him between the legs. The result was the top half of his body went one way and the bottom half went another, bringing him to the ground. Iris and Rainbow Heart prepared to go in for the kill, before he once again knocked them down by kicking out their feet. He flew up high into the air, grabbing his weapon along the way.
"GOD, YOU TWO ARE ANNOYING!" He shouted, his cape billowing as he pointed his weapon, and fired giant bolts of lightning. Rainbow Heart shoved Iris out of the way as one hit her instead, throwing her to the ground. Iris in retaliation, thrust her whip around, which wrapped around his ankle, and she pulled him to the ground, creating a small crater as she rushed towards him, her whip reforming into a blade as she stabbed out, only to be met with his own blade and a blast to the face, sending her back as well. Blue Heart emerged from the crater, shouting a battle cry as he prepared to rush towards the groaning Iris. He lunged, stabbing his blade towards her.
Rainbow Heart jumped in front of it, and his blade stabbed into her stomach. She cried out as both Iris and Blue Heart watched in shock, before Blue Heart laughed.
"I thought you weren't the sacrificing type." He said as he sent an arc of lightning through the blade and into her body. She screamed in pain as she collapsed, blood seeping from the wound as Iris rushed over. He prepared to finish her off, too, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw something.
He saw her.
Looking down at them, Blue Heart scoffed. Chena was as good as dead, and Iris wasn't worth it. Now, he wanted someone else. He could come back for her. He flew off towards his new target. Iris clutched the girl's hand as she coughed, and heaved, blood oozing from her wound.
"If…if I die…tell Eva…she can take over for me…I know she'd be great at it…" Rainbow Heart said as she reverted back to her human form, and coughed again.
"I will." Iris promised, and Chena passed out, her face pale. Iris quickly scooped her up in her arms, and flew off to get help.
Red Heart and Aila stood still as they watched their opponent, who stared back, licking her lips as her electrified axe dripped with warm blood.
"She's the last one." Aila said. "Uni got Danga, so now it's just her."
"We can take her." Red Heart said as she examined the candidate. She hadn't known Moku very well, but she knew that this was…weird. The girl looked a lot like Arun, in his human form at least. Anytime she had seen the candidate, she'd never looked like this, and from the look on Aila's face, she was thinking the same thing.
"What happened to you?" Aila asked the girl, and she laughed.
"I became who I was always meant to be." Moku said as she pointed her axe at them. "Someone powerful, and free~"
"A reminder of Arun? I'm sure Tarou loves that." Red Heart said, and Moku seemed to falter.
"Th-that's…not important." Moku said, and Red Heart went wide-eyed. She'd found an opening before they'd even started.
"He hates you, doesn't he?" She asked, and the girl growled. "He hates even looking at you. A reminder of him, and Tarou's failures."
"SHUT UP!" Moku shouted as she lunged, her axe swinging, only to get blasted in the face by a spell that left her screaming in pain as burns covered her skin. Aila's staff smoked from the spell. "BITCH!" Moku shouted as she leapt into the air, and brought her weapon into the ground, sending electricity across the ground towards them. Both girls leapt into the air. Red Heart flew towards her as Aila prepared for an attack.
Red Heart's blades connected with Moku's weapon, and electricity and power crackled in their air around them. Both girls pushed against one another, Moku eyeing the girl with a crazed intent to kill. Aila suddenly flew up and grabbed Moku's arm, and Moku frowned as she felt power surge into her as Aila screamed. She could feel the scourge inside her, could feel her inner self screaming in pain for someone to save her. Moku tried to push her off, but Red Heart pushed against her, drawing her attention.
"You're in pain, aren't you?" Aila asked softly, and Moku turned to her. "You don't like this, do you?"
"SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT!" Moku shouted as she released a pulse of electricity from her weapon that sent both of them back. She lunged for Aila, only for the girl to duck underneath her as she swung for her neck, and bring her staff against her chest, sending a paralyzing spell through her body that immediately sent her to the ground. Aila and Red Heart landed in front of her as the girl twitched, trying to move as her axe crackled.
"You could feel it too, right?" Aila asked her sister.
"Somewhat…but what does it matter, she's the enemy, isn't she?" Red Heart said as she prepared to finish this battle now, but her sister grabbed her arm.
"Maybe we can help her." Aila said, and her sister was dumbfounded.
"Why…would we help her?"
"Because she doesn't want to be in this form! Her real self is crying for help, it's begging for help!" Aila insisted.
"So what?! She's the enemy! She killed Ram, why should we help her?!"
"Because we shouldn't just lull someone in pain! We're no better than Tarou that way!" Aila exclaimed. This made Red Heart pause, though it was enough time for Moku's blade to fly at her, and become lodged in Red Heart's shoulder. She cried out in pain as she fell over, and Aila turned to see Moku flying at her, screaming. Aila held out her hand, which Moku slammed into. As soon as Aila's hand touched her chest, a bright light erupted from it, sending Moku back as she howled like a wild animal.
"GRAAHHHHHH! NO, I WON'T FAIL MY BROTHER! NOT AGAIN!" Moku shouted as she lunged again, only to be struck by another paralysis spell.
"Red, I think we should help! I mean, I don't think she'd be as much of a threat if we did, but I think it's just the right thing to do!"
"Gahhhh…" Red Heart groaned as she yanked the axe out and began to heal herself. "Aila, I don't know if-"
"Red, please!" Aila pleaded as she blasted Moku with another spell. "It wouldn't feel right to fight her like this!"
"Aila, she is the enemy-"
"So was Arun, once!" Aila said, and Red Heart paused.
"That was different."
"Tarou was once your best friend." Aila added, and Red Heart grit her teeth.
"Again, that's-"
"Still! Just…please." Aila asked, glancing over to see that Moku was starting to get back up again, her face full of rage, but Aila could see through to her pain. She turned to her sister. "Don't let war stop you from being a good person."
"Aila…I…" Red Heart finished healing as she stood up, and as she looked over at Moku, who screamed curses as she thrashed from the paralyzing spell, she sighed. She could see it too. "Fine. If that's what you want…we can."
"I'll need your help. But we'll need to get close to do it, touch her directly." Aila said as they both turned to her as she pulled herself to her feet once again. "And the paralysis gets weaker the more you're hit with it."
"Just do it one more time." Red Heart said. Aila nodded, and they watched Moku pull her axe back towards herself before she started rushing at them.
"GOD, YOU TWO ARE ANNOYING!" She cried as she swung her axe, only to get hit with the paralysis spell once again just before she made contact. She screamed profanities as she fell onto the ground, nearly dropping her axe on herself. She watched as the two rushed over to her, and while she expected them to finally finish her off, she was confused when they instead clasped two of their hands together and grabbed her with the other two.
"We're going to fix you." Aila said.
"Fix me?! I don't need fixing!" Moku shouted, trying to wiggle away.
"I can see your pain, you don't want this, you don't like this!" Aila assured her as their hands began to glow, Red Heart's golden while Aila's was blue. Moku could feel power washing through her.
"NO! I don't want to go back to normal! I like this! I like the freedom! I like the power! I WANT THIS, DON'T TAKE THIS FROM ME!" She cried.
"STOP LYING TO YOURSELF!" Aila shouted. "This isn't you. I don't know you very well, but I know this isn't who you're supposed to be! You're not a monster, you're just a girl, like me!" Aila could feel herself crying as she saw Moku's inner self squirming more than her outside self. "Let me fix this, let me fix you! Let us heal you!"
"NOOOOOOO!" Moku cried, and reached up to grab Aila's hand, only to recoil as her hand burned. "GAHHHHH! WHAT IS THIS?!" She looked at her skin as it began to steam. Her skin felt like it was melting. "NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO BEING WEAK! TAROU WON'T LOVE ME IF I'M WEAK!"
"Then he doesn't deserve your love!" Aila shouted, and that made the girl pause. "Your brother shouldn't need you to be 'useful' or 'strong' to appreciate you! He isn't worth it! Please let us help you!"
"I…" Moku hesitated. Aila could feel her inner self reaching out, calling for her brother, any one, to save her. Aila felt her own spirit reach out and grasp Moku's hand, and pull. Moku's body lurched as she screamed. "I-GAAAHHHHHH!"
"Don't fight it! Let me save you!" Aila shouted as her and Red Heart's hands glowed brighter. Little did they know, but someone else was watching them, with interest. "Let me help!"
"GAAAAAAHHHHH! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Moku screamed as her body and soul burned, but deep inside, that burn was calm warmth, a warmth that steadily grew. It began to cover her body, replacing the burning as the pain became the most intense thing she'd ever experienced, and then all at once it faded.
"Please." Aila asked.
"I…WILL…BE…FREE!" Moku shouted one last time, one last bit of resistance before her true self won, and she exploded in a blast of white light, blinding the two girls. They held on though, and a moment later, the light was gone, and Moku was back to normal. Her hair was once again light blue, braided in a cute style, her clothes no longer bloodstained, torn, and ragged, instead replaced by a white sweater and light blue skirt. Her eyes fluttered open as Red Heart and Aila stood back. The figure watching them felt his eyes go wide, then narrow.
"I'm…back…" Moku said as she sat up, then shakily got to her feet. She looked over at Aila, her face conflicted. "You…saved me?"
"Yes." Aila said.
"Even though…we're still enemies?" She asked.
"Yes…I couldn't fight you one on one knowing you were in pain like that." Aila answered. Moku stared at the girl in bewilderment for a while, before she laughed.
"You're…a weird one." She said, and sighed as she grabbed her axe handle, though she bit her lip. "I…didn't think I'd ever be myself again."
"How do you feel?" Aila asked, and Moku hesitated.
"Free…for real this time." She said. "I…heard everything, though." She met her eyes. "Everything you said."
"Y-yes." Aila said, feeling a little flustered at the girl's intense blue eyes on her own. "I meant it. Every word."
"I know you did." She looked down at her feet. "I…about my brother…he…"
"He doesn't deserve you." Aila said, and Moku met her eyes again. "You deserve someone who will love you because they love you, not because you're strong or useful to them." Moku stated at her, and looked down again.
"There's no out there who would." She said softly.
"That's not true!" Aila shouted. "I…thought the same once. I thought that…seeing my sister with Boken…that I'd never be able to find that same happiness…that nobody would want someone like me, but…" She smiled, "I've found someone. And you will too."
"You…really think so?" Moku asked.
"Yes…but you never will if you keep following your brother down this path." Aila said, and Moku tensed. "I know you love him, but he will never love you back the same way. Come with us…we can protect you from him, and you can find your own path." Aila held out her hand. "Please…I can help you." Moku looked at her hand, and for a moment, her own hand raised, before she shot it back to her axe.
"I…I can't just…" Moku's teeth clenched. "I'm sorry, but I gave a duty to fulfill." She said, meeting her eyes once more.
"I'm not gonna kill you." Aila said, and looked to her sister, who nodded back. "Neither of us will."
"Then…I'll…I'll kill you!" Moku shouted as she pointed her axe at them, though it was unconvincing. Red Heart and Aila squared up as Moku took a deep breath, and launched herself at them.
The battle began anew, but this time it was much more subdued. Moku was much slower, less sporadic…and she wasn't hitting as hard. Every time her blade connected with Red Heart's, it felt weak. Her face didn't show the same resolve as before. And every time she looked over at Aila, her face softened, and she seemed to get even weaker. She was fighting, but at the same time…she was putting up a front.
Aila, as she said, didn't even try to fight, knowing any spell she cast would do damage that could actively hurt, so she simply watched, powering up her sister instead, though she too seemed to avoid actually hitting Moku, even though the girl gave her several openings. Moku's heart just wasn't in the battle, despite her proclamations.
And in a matter of minutes, Red Heart had disarmed her, her blades wrapping around her axe and yanking it from her arms, tossing it aside. Seeing her axe now lying several feet away, Moku fell to her knees, and looked down once more. Aila walked over to her, knelt down, and the girls' eyes met once more.
"I can't do it. Why…can't I do it?" Moku asked softly, tears welling up in her eyes. "All I've ever wanted…was for him to notice me, to want me, to need me. Why can't I…?"
"It doesn't matter." Aila said as she reached up and wiped the girl's tears away. "There's still time. You can leave him, leave all of this behind you. I'll be here for you, as much as you need me."
"I…I killed your friends." Moku said, the tears returning. "H-how can you…?"
"Because you're crying about it."
Moku looked up, confused. "H-huh?"
"The fact you're crying about it shows you feel guilty. And that's enough for me." Aila said, reaching out and grasping her hand, and while Moku pulled it away at first, she eventually let her take it. "I think you can change…if you try."
"I…but…" Moku wanted to say she was wrong, that it was impossible, but…she couldn't. Somewhere deep inside she felt…hope. Hope that maybe…she could. She knew deep down that Tarou could never see her the way she wanted, she just refused to accept it. But now…how could she not?
"Will you be my friend?" Aila asked. Moku felt the tears run down her cheeks as she looked up at her, and smiled.
"I…I will." Moku finally said, and as Aila returned the smile, she helped Moku to her feet. Moku sniffled as Aila took a step back, and held out her hand for the girl to take. Moku reached out her hand and took a step forward.
Before a blade stabbed through her heart.
Her eyes went wide as Aila's smile fell from her face, replaced with a look of horror. Blood poured from the girl's chest and her mouth as she tried to speak, but could only make garbled noises as she looked to Aila for help. Her hands grasped the blade as she tried to do something, anything, and after she gave Aila one last pleading look, the light faded from her eyes as she slumped over, her limbs falling still.
"I don't need failures." Blue Heart said as he tossed the girl aside, letting her fly off his weapon as her body landed in a crumpled heap, looking up at the sky, the look of fear frozen on her face.
"Y-you…" Aila said, her body trembling as she took a step away from the monstrous CPU, who smirked at her. His face and clothes were bloodied, his skin covered in cuts. His armor was cracked and broken, looking like a shell of its former self. But nevertheless, the fire was still in his eyes as lightning crackled around him.
"Finally. I've been waiting so long for this moment." He said as his eyes slid to her sister. Before Red Heart could do anything, he rushed forwards, though just as he was about to strike, something flew towards him, and he just barely ducked, allowing Red Heart to slip away from him. Blue Heart looked to see a red thread zooming around him, trying to strike him when he wasn't looking. It's owner quickly appeared next to Red Heart, and the girl was momentarily shocked by her scantily clad form, though she didn't say anything.
"Hello, didn't want to miss a chance to do something, you know?" Silver Heart said as she stood next to the other two, though Aila was still trembling as she looked at their enemy, who stared at the thread with disdain, before turning his attention to its owner.
"Even now, you're using this stupid little thing?" He scoffed, and started walking towards them. Aila took a step back in fear, but Silver Heart thrust out her hand, and twisted it. Suddenly the thread split into two threads, then four, then eight, until suddenly the man was surrounded by almost a hundred of them. He eyed them with a little more surprise and fear, and a moment later, they all stabbed into him, puncturing skin and armor. His scream echoed around the battlefield, which was almost completely destroyed by this point, almost the entirety of each army having been wiped out. Most were now watching what was happening with Blue Heart.
"Ahhh I've been waiting to hear that noise." Silver Heart said. Only a dozen or so actually struck him directly, but he was bleeding out of all of the holes, though since the threads were so small, and didn't go all the way through, they were minor injuries, though still hurt.
"God…you're a bitch." He shouted, and without hesitation, he turned to Aila, and held out his hand. A bolt of lightning erupted from him and struck the girl in the chest, sending her several feet back as she screamed in pain. As soon as she hit the ground, she was knocked out cold.
"AILA!" Red Heart shouted, and prepared to run to her side, but Silver Heart held her back.
"I've got her. I can't take him by myself." She paused. "But…"
"I…" Red Heart looked at her opponent who, despite looking bloodied and battered, still looked just as ready to fight as ever.
"Can you do this?" Silver Heart asked. Red Heart hesitated, but after a moment, she took a deep breath.
"I think I can." She said, and Blue Heart laughed.
"Sure you can. Go on, take care of the little girl. I have a score to settle with her first." Blue Heart said. Silver Heart quickly left, leaving just the two of them, standing in front of each other.
It was always meant to happen this way, wasn't it?
"I've been dreaming of this day, you know." Blue Heart said as he flexed his fingers, electricity arcing between them. "For so…so…long."
"You talk too much." Red Heart said. She flexed her own fingers, power coursing through them. She had somewhat of a plan, but she didn't know if it would work. Not that Blue Heart gave her much of a chance as he immediately flew towards her, screaming in decades of rage as he tackled her, grabbing her by the neck and taking off into the sky.
"I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS HURT!" He cried as he tossed her into the air, and pointed both his weapon and his hand at her. Lightning shot from his fingers and struck her, her screams filling the air as she felt red hot pain through her body. The CPU kept blasting her with electricity for almost a full minute before he flew up, grabbed her by the neck again, and blasted back towards the ground. A few moments later, they crashed, creating a crater of dirt and rock as Red Heart gasped in pain. Before she had a chance to regain her senses, he started beating her.
"USELESS PIECE OF SHIT CPU! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE WHILE HE'S BURIED IN THE DIRT!" The CPU struck her with every word, hitting her face, her chest, her arms, anything he could reach. She could barely breathe under the assault, but it didn't matter. As long as she stayed alive, it didn't matter. "THIS IS FOR 20 YEARS OF PAIN, OF AGONY, OF LONELINESS, ALL BECAUSE YOU WERE A DAMNED COWARD! YOU DESERVE ALL THE PAIN THE WORLD COULD POSSIBLY OFFER!"
Red Heart endured it, both the actual attacks, and the words he spoke. She wanted to tell him what actually happened. She wanted to make him understand, but she doubted he would listen. She'd beaten herself up over everything for years, but…she'd learned to let go.
Aila, Neptune, Boken, both of them helped her in ways she never could've expected. She'd let go of the mistakes of the past, even if he couldn't. And now she needed to fix things.
Even if it meant she had to kill someone who used to be her best friend.
After several minutes of straight beating, Blue Heart paused, tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked down at a bruised and bloodied Red Heart. He got up, and walked over to where his weapon laid. He picked it up, and turned back…
Only to see Red Heart standing there completely healed.
"H-how…" He said, then remembered; the ability she'd used back in the other dimension. "You…bitch." He gnashed his teeth, and swung his weapon around. "Fine, then I guess that just means I need to kill you in one hit then." He cracked his neck. "I can do that."
Red Heart flexed her fingers and arms. She could still feel it. The power still coursed through her body, she just needed a little more time. So she just needed to survive.
Blue Heart lunged at her, and their blades connected.
He struck her as hard as he possibly could, and he was fast. She could barely keep up with him as he would attack her with one hand, needing her to use both sickles to stop him, only for him to then swing the other end toward her, almost slicing her in half. Her blades hummed as they connected with his own. He was a whirlwind of power, ferocity, and intensity.
But somehow she was keeping up.
But she knew she wouldn't be able to last forever. Every hard hit, which was almost every hit, nearly sent her off her feet. It took almost everything she had to focus on what she was doing, to focus on stopping him from cutting her in half. He would attack her side, she'd dodge, he'd attack the other side, she'd dodge again, only to be nearly fried by a lightning bolt to the face. And it was that over and over again, each time a little bit different, almost throwing her off.
But she kept going.
He grabbed her arm, electrocuted it, then attacked her on that side once she was weakened. She barely parried him with her blades as her arm screamed in pain. She healed it, and he would do the same to the other side. He wanted to wear her down, to make her make a mistake. He only needed one mistake to take the upper hand. One mistake to get the hit he needed. One mistake to kill her.
But she didn't make the mistake.
She persisted, even as he grow more and more desperate, his attacks hitting harder and harder. Every strike felt like it would shatter her weapons into pieces, the only things keeping her alive. Her feet dug into the dirt as he hit and hit and hit.
But she kept going.
She stayed alive.
And she would win.
After barely surviving all the attacks, she finally felt she was ready and leapt back as he struck the ground where she'd been standing. He panted as he growled at her. "Running away again, like you always do?" He said, and started to run after her, but then her words stopped him in his tracks.
"How many shares do you have?"
He snarled, looking up at her as she perched herself on a rock, not a scratch on her. "What does it matter?"
"How many people actually support you?" She asked, and he growled.
"SHUT UP! WHY DOES IT MATTER?!"
"Look around, Tarou." Red Heart said. "Everyone…your siblings, your army…they're all dead. They're all gone. You're alone." Blue Heart stopped and slowly turned.
It was true. His siblings were all gone, and almost all of his army was dead. The battlefield was littered with their corpses. Those who hadn't been killed surrendered, though there weren't many left. The CPUs who were okay enough to keep fighting stood around, watching. They could join the battle at any time, they could all gang up on him if they wanted.
But they didn't.
"Why aren't they…?"
"Because they trust me." Red Heart said, and he looked up at her. "They support me. They think I can beat you…because I can." He snarled at her words, and straightened up.
"You are a weak coward. Look at who you're talking to!" He shouted, raising his arms. "I AM BLUE HEART, THE CONQUEROR CPU OF GAMINDUSTRI! Just the sight of me strikes fear into the hearts of men, women, and children! I AM ALL POWERFUL! YOU ARE NOTHING!"
"I am not nothing." Red Heart said as she stared down at him with an expression of hardened resolve. "I have more shares than you will ever have. I have friends who believe in me. I have nations who believe in me. I have two entire dimensions that believe in me while you don't even have one! I have everything I could ever ask for! I'm not the one with nothing…YOU ARE!"
"GRAHHHH! SHUT UP!" He shouted.
"NO, YOU SHUT UP!" Red Heart shouted, with such conviction that he paused. "Look at yourself! Look at what you've become! He wouldn't have wanted this-"
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HE WOULD'VE WANTED!" Blue Heart shouted.
"I know he wouldn't have wanted this, Tarou." She said. "He wouldn't have wanted you to become this."
"It doesn't matter. It's too late now." Blue Heart said, and pointed his weapon at her, ready to fire. "I'm going to kill you, and then I'm going to kill everyone else, and then I'm going to rule this dimension, even if I must be alone."
"No." Red Heart said. "Because I told you already. You have nothing…and I have everything." She connected her two sickles together into one and raised her hand into the air as a strange glow started to rise around her.
"What…what is this?!" He demanded.
"I have so much more than you could ever dream of. Power that you would never be able to understand, be able to wield." She said as her body too began to glow. "I have friends and family who will support me no matter what happens. And they'll give me strength incomparable. And with it…I will end you, all because you let yourself be blinded by your hatred."
"ENOUGH!" He shouted as he fired a bolt at her, but to his shock, it was simply absorbed into her body. She gave him a sad smile.
"I'm sorry it had to end like this, Tarou." She said softly. "You were…my friend."
"I…I don't understand…" he said. Red Heart sighed, and closed her eyes.
"WITH ALL THE STRENGTH WITHIN ME, I CALL UPON THE SUPPORT, THE SHARES OF EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN ME!" Red Heart cried as her body grew brighter and brighter. "THE POWER THAT TRANSCENDS EXPLANATION, THE SHARES OF TWO DIMENSIONS, COMBINING WITHIN ONE HOST! GRANT ME YOUR POWER, AND GIVE ME ACCESS TO MY GREATEST FORM!" Red Heart opened her eyes, and met Blue Heart's.
"What…?" He asked.
"NEXT FORM…NEXT RED!" The girl cried, and she exploded in a blinding light so bright that Blue Heart had to look away. He felt unbridled, unchained, incomparable power blast through the area, so strong it nearly knocked him off his feet. The wind tore at his clothes, and pieces of his armor which had been barely hanging on were blown away.
Finally, the transformation ended, and Blue Heart could see once again. He looked up, and found…her.
Red was no longer dressed in all red, but instead a full body outfit of white with red accents. Armor adorned her shoulders, chest, and sides. Her wings had become hardened and white and red as well. A matching helmet adorned her head, her bright red glowing eyes staring at him through the lens. Her wings flapped, and a gust of wind nearly knocked him off his feet once again. Power rippled through the air around them as she landed on the ground, staring at him. She was…beautiful.
"It's time to end this, Tarou." She said as she clutched her now replicated weapon, holding two double bladed energy sickles as she stared at him. "You and me…one last fight."
"I…" Blue Heart stared at her, then growled. "A fancy new transformation won't save you." He slammed his weapon into the ground. "One last fight, eh? Fine. I'll run you through, and finish what I started all those years ago."
"I'm sorry it has to end this way." She said again, and watched as the man ran towards her. She sighed, and ran to meet him.
The fight began.
Once again, their blades connected, but it was different this time. This time, Blue Heart was the one having trouble keeping up. He attacked with the same speed and power as before, but she was leagues faster than him. Anytime he thought he was about to land a hit, instead she'd strike his armor with enough force to shatter it. She went through and methodically destroyed every piece of armor he had left. He growled in frustration. She was mocking him, showing off how she was somehow more powerful than he was.
But he wouldn't give up that easily.
He decided to switch it up and use some old styles he'd been working on, ones he'd used on Boken to shock the man into making mistakes. But to his surprise, Red simply adapted. Any faint he made, she saw through it, and parried him. Any time he got close to hitting her, she whipped it around and hit him instead. He grew more and more frustrated, and tried to hit harder, but couldn't find the strength. He was losing, but he wouldn't give up. He'd fight to the bitter end.
Finally, he managed to surprise her, and ram his blade into her gut. He let out a laugh as he removed his blade, expecting her to crumple…but instead…her wound closed almost instantly. And after the wound healed, her outfit mended itself, and she punched him in the face. He was so shocked that he fell over. He kicked out her feet from under her, but as he was about to get back up, she was immediately back on her feet. She moved at blinding speed. He kept trying to get back up, but every time he did, she would move in a blur and knock him back down, yet she didn't kill him. She only continued to stare at him with that look of sadness.
It only pissed him off more.
But he could do nothing.
Every time he tried to hit her, he almost always missed or she could counter. When he did hit her, she would heal. Even when he struck her neck, she healed from that too. He tried to blast her with lightning, but she just absorbed it.
She was too fast.
She was too powerful.
He couldn't win.
After several agonizing and humiliating minutes, the exhausted CPU was disarmed, his weapon deflected out of his hands as it was tossed aside. He was knocked off his feet, and the breath was knocked out of him as he hit the ground. She planted her foot on his chest and pointed her sickle at his face.
"Give up." She said. "Just…give up."
"No…I…can't…" Blue Heart said as he tried to knock her down, to get her off of him, but he was too tired. His hits felt like nothing, even to him. "I…don't…give up…"
"Please, Tarou." She begged.
"I'd…rather die…than give up." He snarled. "Even if you lock me up…I'll break out…I'll find you…I'll kill Aila…I'll kill your friends…and I'll kill you…" Red sighed. She knew that. She knew they couldn't possibly restrain him, and they couldn't let him free either. He was too dangerous to be left alive.
"Tarou…" she said sadly as she felt tears in her eyes. "Tarou…I…I want you to know that…you were my friend. I know you blame me for what happened, but if you would just listen-"
"I will never listen to you." He said as he continued to struggle weakly. "You're a coward, a waste of a life. You don't deserve the life you have."
"I do." She said. "Even if you don't think so…I do." She raised her sickle. "I…I…I'm sorry."
"Don't be." He said, his eyes closing as he finally stopped moving.
She brought the blade into his chest.
The battle was over.
The war was over.
Red had won.
The rest of the day was somber. Red transformed back, and nearly collapsed on the spot, as did almost all of the CPUs. Bodies were collected, tears were shed on both sides. Peashy's death was mourned as her body was carried back to the other dimension. Shose accepted her role as the new CPU of Bios, though she felt a little uncomfortable as what remained of the Bios army bowed upon her saying so.
The day continued on.
In the makeshift hospital, Chena opened her eyes. She was lying on a hospital bed, a dull pain radiating through her body. She looked down to see herself dressed in her underwear, bandages wrapped around her midsection. Her hand rested over the side of the bed, but…something was touching it. She looked over.
"I was wondering when you'd wake up."
Chena smiled as she heard Eva's voice, though it was weak. The girl held Chena's hand gently as they laid next to each other, and Chena couldn't help but blush. Eva was also dressed in only her underwear as she had similar bandages around her chest and stomach.
"How…how did you…?" Chena asked.
"Mojin planted a healing disk on me. It kept me alive long enough for them to patch me up, though just barely." She said softly, her voice low, her face more pale than usual, though lightly flushed pink. "He's…a smart thinker, sometimes."
"Wow…an actual compliment." Chena said, and Eva laughed before she groaned.
"Don't do that, laughing hurts." She said, then paused. "Well…everything hurts, really." Now it was Chena's turn to laugh. After that, neither of them spoke for a while, simply sitting in silence as they held hands.
"Hey, Eva?" Chena finally said.
"Yeah?"
"I love you." She said softly. Eva turned to her, finding the girl beet red.
"I love you, too, Chena." She said, and gave her her widest smile. Chena returned it, even if there was some sadness behind it, sadness that Eva didn't notice.
"How does it feel?"
Red thought it over as Neptune planted herself next to her on a cliff overlooking everything. A tarp was laid over the body of Danga lying several feet away. The CPUs would be buried on the neutral island, just as Boken had. Despite being their enemies, it was customary to do so. But for now, they rested where they had died, but Red wasn't all that bothered.
"It doesn't feel real, to be honest." Red said as she watched people move about. "It's like…a dream, I guess."
"A happy one?" Neptune asked, but Red shook her head.
"I…didn't want to kill him." Red said sadly. "He didn't give me a choice, but…I wish…I could've just…"
"No use worrying about it now." Neptune said as she nudged the girl's shoulder. "Besides, you've got new friends now, right?" Red smiled.
"I suppose so, yes." She felt Neptune grab her hand and squeeze it. Red closed her eyes, and thought to herself.
I did it, Boken. I really did it. I avenged you…and I won't beat myself up over things anymore. I can finally…move on. Even if you won't be here to help me get past everything…I know I can do it.
She squeezed Neptune's hand back.
Because I have everyone supporting me.
"Thank you, Neptune." Red said as they finally each pulled their hand away.
"Anytime." Neptune said, giving her a smile. Suddenly, someone cleared their throat behind them. Neptune and Red turned to find Nepgear and Aila standing behind them…
Holding hands.
"U-um…R-Red?" Aila asked, her face matching the word she just spoke.
"S-so, B-Big Sis…" Nepgear said nervously. Red and Neptune eyed each other, smirking.
"Yes~?" Red asked.
"What do you need, Nep Jr.~?" Neptune asked.
"We uh…wanted to tell you…that we, uh…." Aila stuttered.
"We're going on a date!" Nepgear shouted, her face somehow turning an even darker shade of red. The two watched their sisters, waiting for a reaction. Neptune and Red shared another look before they turned to the two, and shouted the same answer.
"IT'S ABOUT TIME!"