The massive explosion, accompanied with what looked like a literal black storm, should've worried Bell more than it did at the time. Not that he didn't have Aiz' face flash in his mind, with that dark, empty look on her face. But with his lungs burning, his arms aching from carrying Wiene, he quite literally did not have the time to worry about her, so as much as it hurt, he pushed the Wind Princess' face out of his mind as he kept his legs moving through the streets of Orario. Being on the chase with a mob of adventurers out for blood only truly reminded him how massive the city of the dungeon truly could be. The amount of corners he took was countless as this point, as he randomly took lefts and rights as often as he could, to no avail as they never could lose their pursuers long enough to actually get a break. Speaking of taking lefts and rights…
"Why am I leading us again?!" He shouted, sliding over the ground before picking up speed again as he took the next corner. Kojiro breathed somewhat heavily as he kept up next to Bell. The former's speed was more focused on his swordsmanship than actual running unlike Bell or Ryuu for example. Still, he kept up as he let out a chuckle, twirling his large blade to deflect several projectiles aimed at them, more specifically Ray who was flying close to the ground next to them.
"Luck is a skill!"
"Stop using that excuse! I don't even know which district we're in anymore!"
"We can't…run forever…!" The harpy gasped out. He sent her a worried look, looking at the blood that left her body, as well as the awkward movements of her wing. They couldn't keep this up for long…! He didn't have any items in his pouch that could help. Smoke bombs and the like were usually items supporters carried with them, and the group rushed towards the base of Evilus as fast as they could when they picked up that orb key.
His eyes widened when three adventurers cut them off, appearing out of an alley. Clicking his tongue, he glanced behind him, seeing Ray and Kojiro being busy with their pursuers for a moment.
"Wiene, I need both hands!"
With that in mind, Bell threw her up, making her yelp before she wrapped her arms around his neck, eyes clenched shut.
"Hm!"
Instantly, he aimed his palms forward, causing the adventurers to widen their eyes. Frantically, they slammed their feet into the ground before leaping away.
"Firebolt!"
Lightning and fire burst forth, cutting through their path with ease. Without hesitation, Bell spun around, casting his spell one more time. His allies ducked underneath his blast and the three of them took a dash one more time through the streets. Nevertheless, Bell hissed as he felt the ache in his head grow. He was starting to run out of mind. If he were to aim for the adventurers or even set the buildings on fire like Solaris did, that might create enough chaos to get them away…but he wasn't exactly keen on adding 'arson' to his list of hits to his reputation. Which brought him back to their first issue. They had to lose them, but how…?!
That was when a weird black orb soared through the air, passing Bell's head entirely. Then it exploded into a massive cloud of black smoke that wrapped around the entire area. Entering his lungs, he coughed violently. Thankfully he wasn't the only one as he came to a stop with his impromptu team.
"Smoke?!"
"I can't see shit!"
"They couldn't have gotten far!"
"Careful with your blades!"
"Hey!"
The last voice sounded familiar. Snapping his head to the side, he made out the small shadow amidst the smoke. Waving with her arms, she frantically motioned for them.
"This way!"
"Liliruca?!" Bell shouted, causing the girl in her black haired human disguise to snarl as she roughly grabbed his arm.
"Don't say my name, damn it! Now follow me, this won't last long!"
It showed how much the Pallum knew the city better than Bell ever could. She dragged them with a confidence that left no room for hesitation. Despite her slower pace, they never crossed paths with anyone as they took shortcuts he didn't even know existed, until they came to a stop in front of an innocent looking clothes shop.
"In here!"
"A boutique?" Kojiro asked, slightly amused, causing Liliruca to roll her eyes.
"Adventurers don't care for clothes if they aren't dungeon proofed, now get in!"
To his surprise, the shop actually had some decent civilian clothing. Nothing was dusted over or overly cheap. Medium in terms of quality and variety. It certainly was the opposite of suspicious. If it weren't for a certain author sitting on a counter and a chair way too high for his legs, idly writing notes.
"Hans?!"
He didn't even bother to look up at Bell's exclamation, as he focused to finish writing down whatever he was writing down. Then he turned to Liliruca first, crossing his arms with a lazy expression.
"Took you long enough."
"You try to catch up to those guys!" The girl shouted, wiping off some sweat from her forehead as she canceled her magic, returning to her regular brown look. Wiene clutched to Bell's arm, letting out a sniff. Ray sent her a compassionate look before looking around, running her wing through the fabric with a small sense of wonder.
"What is this?"
"Safe house." Hans glanced at Bell with a pointed look. "Something you guys should invest in too."
He and Kojiro shared a look. Did they have a safe house? They weren't exactly up to date what sort of real estate Hestia or Astraea had. If nothing else, the one who would know were the captains. Aaaand that reminded him of Solaris, causing Bell to bite his lip in frustration. Before he could think about the situation from before, he quickly caught a bottle being thrown at him.
"Here, take a breather," Hans said. Bell nodded with gratitude before downing the bottle, not realizing how parched his throat was at this point. A thought came to him, hope and worry alike blossoming in his heart as he stared at Hans.
"Does that mean-"
Naturally, the author scoffed before he could even finish his sentence, shaking his head in denial.
"Nope, bitch and her boytoys aren't moving a finger. This is basically private time only. We got some help here and there, but not remotely enough to take on the entire damn city head on."
Bell sighed. Of course things couldn't be easy. If they had the King himself on their side…but then again, he didn't actually want to hurt anyone. No matter how much they looked at him with spite, with rejection. The many glares he received. Bell let out a shivering breath, clenching his fist. It didn't matter. Just words, just looks. Just words, just looks…for a villain. Not a her-
Bell yelped when a finger flicked against his forehead. Hans had his eyes narrowed at him before shaking his head.
"Don't act tough. If you have time to think dumb stuff, you have time to get going again." He motioned with his hand towards Wiene, who blinked. "Hand Wiene over, you go back to the streets and distract them."
"What about-"
"Not enough room here, sorry. Can't take the risk." Hans shook his head at the small girl, glancing at Ray. He pulled out a map and pointed at the red marks drawn on it. "Entrance to sewers is that way. Get Rei in there and she should be able to meet up with the others if she follows the route. We'll send Wiene after her once things cooled down a bit."
"And after that?" Bell asked. It would get the Xenos to a decent hiding spot…but they would still be basically cornered rats. Hunted down slowly. Hans shrugged, almost too casually, as he pocketed the map again.
"After that, we'll have to figure things out."
"But-"
Ray gently went down to her knee, putting a hand on Wiene's head and ruffling her hair.
"It's fine. I wouldn't be able to hide in here anyway." She embraced the girl, and held her tight- "Stay safe, Wiene."
"Y-you too…Don't die…"
Everyone in the room flinched as tears dropped down her face. The memory of Shirou was still too fresh for the poor Xenos. Liliruca hissed, reading the mood before scratching the back of her head. Then she reached out and held Wiene's hand, putting on a small smile.
"You go down there. Enough food and room for a few days in the worst case scenario." She raised her finger. "If we say Dunkledang, it's us."
"Dunkledang…" Wiene couldn't help but giggle a bit. Hans proceeded to clap his hands a few times, gesturing at the group.
"Alright, enough of a break, chop chop before those meatheads actually gain braincells."
The group nodded. Bell reached out for the handle as Kojiro and Ray carefully peaked through the windows, to check of the coast was clear. But before he could open it, guilt overcame his heart. If only he was faster…faster to reach the Xenos…He turned around, at least wanting to let Hans know.
"Hans, Shi-"
"Bell." He blinked at the serious tone that interrupted him. Then Hans nodded with a resolute determination, as if he was uttering an undisputed truth of the world. "You did good. Never doubt that. So don't start spiraling now."
He did good. Such simple words. And yet, they struck a cord in Bell, causing his lips to shiver. Exhaling to not let the fluids leave his eyes, he flexed his fingers a bit. Then with a nod to himself, he cracked his fingers.
Back into the fold it was.
/
Bell was not the only one who received unexpected support in the chaotic manhunt that occurred all over Orario.
Haruhime looked at her blue hand, wincing as her muscle control was letting up. Yet she had no time to rest or drink a potion as she snapped her leg up, preventing a thrown axe to hit the Formoire she was following, alongside an Hellhound and a Lamia. She put a hand on her chest as they kept running. Should she risk it? The increased ferocity and power would help in taking down several of their pursuers, to create an opening. But giving in to her feral instincts could backfire, as she wouldn't have the capacity to plan properly. Thankfully, the choice was taken from her, when smoke appeared out of nowhere. Yet that relief was cut short when a certain figure stood in their way.
The captain of the Ganesha Familia had her arms crossed, blocking their path. Someone who was far above what Haruhime could handle, even if she had the support of the Xenos on her side. But before she could steel herself for a tough fight, Shakti took a step to the side and pointed down the path.
"This way, take the left at the fifth building, then don't stop until you reach a blocked entrance. The Xenos move on from there." She gave them a subtle nod. "I never saw any of you."
"T-Thank you!"
"Don't thank me. Not for the burden you decided to carry."
At the same time, Lido had a much harder time than anyone else, as naturally, not a single Hestia Familia member was with him at the time. The streets of Orario were as unfamiliar to him as the rest of the surface world. Nevertheless, the leader grit his teeth and focused on protecting the weaker ones around him, while trying his damndest not to accidentally kill one of the adventurers. Which was easier said than done, as the lack of "human shields" meant that those adventurers weren't remotely holding back at all. Crossing his blades, his feet crushed the ground underneath him as an axe threatened to cleave him in half. With a roar, he threw him off him before frantically looking around. Too many pathways, too many corners and people called the dungeon a labyrinth. This layout didn't make any sense! Once more, Lido breathed in and unleashed a burst of flames in a circle around him, with his fellow Xenos ducking. With the humans backing away from the fire, Lido jumped into an alley with the others.
Just as he was about to kick in a wall for a quick get away, he heard something from above. Snapping his head up, he couldn't help but laugh a bit at the familiar sight of blue hair and glasses.
"Put these on!"
Without hesitation, Lido and the others put on the cloaks, before the lizard Xenos wrapped his arms around their supporter.
"Asfichi!"
"I told you not to call me that!" The captain shouted, pushing him away before adjusting her glasses. She proceeded to throw something out the alley, only for it to become a bright light, followed by agonized screams. With a quick head motion, she adjusted the hood over her head. "This way, we'll move to the sewers!"
As they followed her, they saw the black haired elf standing on the roof tops, looking around. At the same time, Lido noticed that some adventurers seemed to split up for some reason. As if reading his mind, Asfi spoke to him without turning back, just as the elf jumped down and ran alongside them.
"We have our guys create distractions everywhere. This should buy us enough time. Filvis and I will esc-"
It happened in an instance. One moment, the elf was leading them alongside Asfi. The next moment, she suddenly shattered in light, as if she was but a dream. The Xenos and Asfi couldn't help but stand rooted in place, shocked at the sight of an individual suddenly disappearing like this.
"What just happened?" Lido asked in a dumbfounded tone. It was then that they heard, or rather saw, a massive explosion off in the distance. Asfi's eyes widened with realization, as if she knew where that explosion came from.
"Oh no."
/
There were certain moments in Lefiya's life when she knew she had to move, do anything, but was unable to do, as her body as frozen in place. Not out of fear, but from mere sensory overload. So many people rushing through the streets, shouting, yelling, brandishing steel. So much anger, so much bloodlust, as she saw flames and wind come into exist, exploding outwards. She had no idea how long she was up on the rooftop before she shook her head violently, frustration filling her heart. She had to do something. Anything.
Whether it was to join in the hunt or try to stop it, the girl had no idea at the time. Instead, she focused on the one thing she knew was the right thing to do at the time. She put her hands on the amazon who was shaking, sitting on the roof. Gently shaking her, Lefiya made her friend look her in the eyes.
"Tiona, Can you walk?" She asked gently, smiling weakly. Tiona blinked furiously a few times before light returned in her eyes. She forced out a laugh, scratching the back of her head.
"Y-yeah. Sorry, just…Hahaha, guess I'm still getting used to those new legs…gotta work out the kin-"
Tiona fell silent when Lefiya's grip tightened on her grip.
"Don't apologize. Not for that."
The two of them remained quiet, before the elf helped her friend up. Overlooking the situation, Tiona shook her head while biting her lip.
"...This is a mistake."
"We have to guard the perimeter." Lefiya pointed at the distance. "Maybe start over there."
"Lefiya, you know this is wrong," Tiona muttered, giving her a pointed look. Letting out a frustrated sigh, the mage shook her head.
"It is. But either way, we have to do our duty. Finding them."
"And then what?"
"I'll tell you when I know…" Lefiya muttered under her breath as they began to walk, almost aimlessly across the rooftops. Maybe it was because she wasn't as emotionally invested in this like the others in the Loki Familia, but she knew sapience, real emotions, when she saw them. And all of those…Xenos? They truly didn't want this conflict. Yet with the rock rolling like this, it would be difficult to stop unless the Xenos were out of sight long enough for things to cool down somewhat. She sighed. Damn it, she really wanted to know what was going on. Why were they out in the open anyway? What did that stupid Bell been doing all this time? If only she could find the time and him-
She stopped and blinked as she looked down the alley. Tiona blinked. So did Bell and his companions, one Kojiro and one harpy…siren…whatever she was. They stared each other, slightly agape in an awkward silence.
Was this lucky or unlucky? And for whom? She wanted to find Bell, but not so soon! She didn't have a plan for this! Fortunately for her, Tiona came to the rescue with an ice breaker, waving casually.
"Hey, Little Argonaut!" She crossed her arms behind her back, leaning forward with a curious expression. "Lost your little friends? The rabbit was the cutest of them!"
The air was still strained but Bell cracked a small smile while Kojiro lightly laughed. Yet the Xenos wasn't put at ease at all. Lefiya winced at the sight of her. She was beautiful, but with her injuries, it tarnished it. Not to mention a face like that shouldn't look so fearful. Not because of Lefiya out of all people. The siren took a deep breath and took a step forward with determination.
"Bell, I'll give-"
"Don't you dare say it," he hissed, with finality that Lefiya wasn't used to. Then he turned to them and bowed his head, once more sacrificing his own pride. "Please."
Lefiya bit her lip, feeling anger dwell up in her heart. Please what? Please don't catch her? Please don't hurt her? Please don't be my enemy? With a loud scoff, Lefiya crossed her arms, openly glaring at her rival who dared to disrespect her like this.
"Who do you take me for?"
"Lefiya…" Tiona muttered before the elf raised her hand.
"...do you swear that none of them are a threat?"
Bell's eyes widened together with the Xenos. As if it was a surprise that Lefiya said those words. She growled, causing Bell to flinch a bit. Good! That's what he got for disrespecting her like this! Kojiro hummed thoughtfully before raising his hand.
"Except for the wolf that came last, yes."
Lefiya digested that information. So the only one that was confirmed to be a psychotic killing machine. Good to know. She sighed, rubbing her right temple. She was getting a headache from this. Then she made a quick head notion after sharing a look with the smiling Tiona.
"...Haaah, I'm going to get into so much trouble. Go."
"I won't forget this!" Bell shouted, brightly smiling. Lefiya felt her face heat up before pointing at his retreating back.
"You better won't!" She huffed before glancing at Tiona, who for some reason had a smug grin on her face. "What?"
"Noooothing." Rolling her shoulders and a good mood, the amazon pointed at a different direction. "I'll go over there, see if we can catch some of them."
"I'll go over there then," Lefiya agreed, splitting up from the amazon. The more Xenos they managed to get out of this mess, the less guilty everyone would feel once they would relax. As she jumped over the rooftops of Orario, the mage shuddered, a shiver going down her spine. Oh, they were going to be in so much trouble later with the captain. Lefiya shook her head. Hopefully Aiz and the others would see reas-
She did not let out a girly scream when an explosion nearby destroyed a certain church. Clutching her beating heart, Lefiya exhaled before shaking her head. Okay, that just had to happen then. Explosion mean trouble. Clutching her staff, she descended, moving towards where the church was. Maybe someone even got hurt. She hoped not, she wasn't exactly the greatest healer, but if it was just first aid…she coughed, waving the dust cloud away from her face before she made out shapes in the dust. her eyes widened when she saw a familiar face, relief filling her heart as she waved with enthusiasm.
"Filvis, thank good…ness…?"
Her voice trailed off, her arm slowly lowering, as the dust cleared up. Two people she didn't know, not exactly. One looked an awful lot like Kaguya, only younger and visibly more twitching, with ringed eyes filled with insanity. The other one felt familiar, the black haired woman raising an eyebrow at the elf. Then there was Filvis…who didn't look like Filvis.
Hair that was too long. Sunken eyes, as if starved. Finger nails too long. Nothing of the beautiful noble elf she knew, whose side she fought alongside in many battles. Filvis stared at Lefiya with wide eyes, as if not believing she was seen by her friend. The black haired woman groaned, shaking her head in annoyance before regarding the Kaguya look alike.
"Told you that was too loud."
"We have not the greatest focus right now. Besides, the barrier was too tough for anything below that."
"True, true. Oh well."
Then the two turned to Lefiya and she felt as if someone stabbed her spine with a frozen steel rod. She choked on air, as it became unbelievably dense. Instead of two young women, it was as if two massive bestial shadows were staring her down, as if she were nothing more than an annoying fly buzzing around.
She was going to die. It felt like certain fact. And yet, she screamed anyway, trying to utter the chanting words despite knowing it was too late, swinging her staff despite her own weakness.
Yet she did not die, not to them. Instead, she was attacked by someone she didn't even consider. Her body was bent, blood spilled out of her mouth with a painful gasp. She looked down, seeing a foot kicking her into the stomach. Slowly looking upwards as time slowed down, she saw Filvis with gritted teeth extending her leg. Time resumed and she collapsed to her knees, only for a hand to grab onto her ponytail, pulling up and causing Lefiya to cough in pain.
"Initiative! I like it!"
Filvis clicked her tongue before spinning and throwing Lefiya, causing her to scream at the forces on her body. Filvis wasn't that strong. Not that fast either. And yet…she was using that unbelievable power to hurt her. Her, her friend. She smashed through the building and all she could hear was ringing as her head spun, her vision blurry. Spitting out a bile of blood, she looked up, only to see Filvis' hand extended outward, crackling with energy. Lefiya's eyes widened. She saw Filvis mouth something.
And then, the last thing she saw was a blinding light crushing the building she was in, caused by her dearest companion.
/
"What the hell did that boy do this time…?!"
Kaguya could feel her headache growing by the minute. And just as she was this close to finding some inner peace from her mediations. She didn't pay much attention to the commotion outside. Haven't done that for a few days. She was still…reeling from Nana. On what to do about her, if they truly crossed paths once more. Naturally the choice of figuring out an answer for that was taken from her when she actually heard explosions outside. As she rushed through the streets at high speeds, she picked up the murmuring of worrying and panicking civilians, of other adventurers. What she pieced together didn't paint a pretty picture.
She cursed herself, for being so sloppy when Alise and the others were working so hard out there. Thus, she sealed her heart shut to her past, her family, as she always did, and focused on her job. This reeked of Evilus, not some 'deranged plot from a monster fetishist' that could never describe Bell in any way ever. They had to have been baited in some way, using those Xenos. Now she was entirely neutral to those things. Out of sight, out of mind, as they said. Yet, as she tightened her grip on her sheathed sword, only the worst of the worst deserved such a bloodthirsty manhunt. And from what she heard? The Xenos certainly weren't the worst out there. Thus, she had to hurry up to meet up with the Hestia Familia, to make sure no one, like that stupid mutt or the Braver, get the idea of breaking all of their bones.
All those plans, those thoughts, went out of the window when she spotted fast movement from the corner of her eye. Turning her head, her eyes widened, when time stopped for just a moment. A face similar to hers. Eyes that were different for some reason. A cloak covering a combat kimono, yet it could not hide who it belonged to. Her vision narrowed, the corners of her eyes darkening before she stomped on the ground, cracking it as she switched directions.
"NANA!"
Her sister, her very own blood, blinked in surprise before being forced to stop when Kaguya crashed the ground before her. Standing in her way, the Senbonzakura growled. Yet instead of showing any guilt, any tears as she did when she was rejected, now she dared to clap like an amused clown.
"Well, well, well! If it isn't the traitorous coward~!" Spreading her arms open, her voice sounded too wrong, too distorted to Kaguya's ears as she casually walked forward. "What a surprise, here we thought the rumors would be enough to lure you outside! Yet you stayed inside, like some shut in!"
Unsheathing her blade just a little bit, she made Nana stop…yet she couldn't shake off that feeling of wrongness in her chest. Nana wouldn't mock her like this. Nana wouldn't laugh like this. But then again, the dark side in her mind whispered, did she ever know Nana?
"I told you what would happen if I saw your face again," Kaguya hissed, ignoring the agony in her heart and mind at the mere thought of following up on her own words. Nana tilted her head, like a confused animal.
"Hm? Oh right, that!" She sighed dramatically, shaking her head. "What a pity, we always held out hope we didn't have to slaughter you! It'd be such a shame!"
Why was she referring to herself in plural? Was someone with her? Gritting her teeth, Kaguya widened her stance, her instincts screaming at her she was in danger. But it couldn't be. Even if Nana was her enemy now…Nana wasn't strong enough to cause such a reaction. But Nana wasn't supposed to be strong enough to beat Lyra as well. Yet she saw her status, the status that was in no way approaching level six or seven. Too many questions, no answers.
"Feeling is mutual. You can still surrender."
"Surrender? But why should we surrender to someone weaker than us?" A dramatic gasp escaped Nana before she put a hand on her chest and bowed dramatically. "But where are our manners? We haven't met yet! We are Gojouno!"
Kaguya's eyebrow twitched. What the hell was wrong with her right now? It was as if an entirely different person was possessing her. Was she mind controlled? That thought caused hope to blossom up in her heart. Maybe the real Nana, the one from her memories, was still there. Maybe Nana truly didn't cause any deaths.
"Nana. Don't do this. If you are being controlled-"
A frustrated sigh escaped Nana. Rolling her eyes, she wiggled her right index finger while pointing at her own head with her left hand.
"You still don't get it, you infant? After we said all that? After what you saw back at your house? Oh well, let us spell it out then."
"Nana isn't awake right nowblink~!"
Kaguya had no time to process those words. All she heard was that one last word added to the sentence. Blink? Then her body moved on its own, drawing her blade as fast as she could as her eyes registered something. Then she felt a sharp pain flare up in her arm and she hissed, looking down. The edge of the katana dug into her flesh, only stopped by the hilt of her own blade stopping it short. Kaguya hissed as her arms shook, actually exerting themselves against Nana's own blade. Yet unexplainable power aside, what confused Kaguya was a simple factor.
She didn't see the blade. Not the initial stance, not the sound of it being drawn. It was like that Nana, in that ridiculously casual form, that couldn't even be called a stance, drew her blade with one arm out of her sheathe.
It wasn't a technique Kaguya was familiar with. Nana, or whatever was in control right now, whistled almost mockingly. She winced, holding her side covered with a bandage before the confidence returned at full force.
"Oh my, such power! Here I thought Blink would always be faster than Flash! Such instincts Oh well!"
The two pushed off each other, blades drawn. Holding her sword in both hands, Kaguya growled, about to move forward. But then, Nana's body spun all of a sudden.
"Think fast~!"
Something shot out of her hip. Kaguya smacked it away, the sheathe, only to wince as sparks were created by Nana's blade cutting across the ground. Kaguya tried to counter, figuring where her head was with the blunt side of her weapon, only to hit nothing but empty air. The next moment, she gasped out as a hilt smashed against her stomach and then against her chin. The force wasn't strong enough to knock Kaguya out at all, but she felt her head being dizzy. Yet she had no time to think as her shoulder was cut open when Nana jumped up with an upwards cut, only to smash her katana down against Kaguya's from above.
Before Kaguya could throw her off however, Nana grabbed onto her sister's head and spun with a handstand, only for a knee to smash into Kaguya's face.
Stumbling backwards, she saw Nana sway for a moment as if she was drunk, almost falling backwards. But when Kaguya kicked a rock at her to knock her off balance, Nana shot to the side with the help of gravity and began to stab wildly like a wild animal. Despite her superior status, Kaguya's mind was in utter chaos.
Why was Nana so strong? Why was she fighting Nana? How was she injured by someone like Nana? And what were those techniques she was facing? She didn't know any of those techniques. She learned none of them when she was back with her family. And yet… she knew it, in her soul as a martial artist.
Her knees buckled when Nana picked up her sheathe again in a reverse grip and smashed it against her legs. Then Kaguya had to sway her head backwards when Nana shifted her body and stabbed her katana up with one finger, before turning her wrist and cutting downwards once more.
Each and every attack this…thing was performing, were at their root, of Gojouno, as impossible as it sounded. It was as if dozens of Gojouno clans men, that left the clan and evolved their own style, returned and came together in…in Nana out of all people. But that wouldn't explain the sheer force behind her strikes.
"Not even bloodlust? And you thought you could stop us?"
"I don't want to hurt you!"
"And that is why you are weak!"
A flurry of exchanges were performed, with Kaguya on the backfoot. If only she could have steadied her mind. Focused. But she was unable too. Each time she saw Nana's face, distorted with gleeful sadism, she couldn't help but compare it to the gentle, small child from home. Each time her sword had an opening to gut her like a fish, she felt as if her limbs were filled with lead. Thus, the conclusion was a simple one.
Sliding backwards, Kaguya breathed heavily, wiping the blood off that was running down from her forehead. Twirling her weapon, Nana's body tilted her head with a chuckle.
"Hm, Hm, hm, stronger than the blind one!" She spat to the side, almost in frustration. "But technique is lacking, as expected of the runaway! You deny your weapon, our blood, its purpose! Not even a surface comprehension of our blessing, our bloodlust!"
She remembered her past in the Gojouno clan. Her first days in Orario. The smell of iron filling her nose, her desire to see more corpses. She shut down those memories immediately, trying to focus on the present with a snarl.
"Who the hell are you?! What did you do to my sister?! Nana, I know you're in there, fight it!"
"Oh, if only it were so simple like in the books! Alas!"
The noise that came out of her mouth sounded utterly inhuman. Several voices, different words, stacked ontop of each other in a single moment. Then Nana stretched her arm out and Kaguya's eyes widened at the magical energy forming way too fast, way too strongly, for anyone who wasn't called Bell or Aiz.
"Kamikaze!"
The wind of blades smashed straight into Kaguya, with power she was used to from Ryuu. Kaguya screamed in pain, as her back was smashed through several buildings at once. Coughing when the winds finally calmed down, she was about to raise herself, reaching for her second blade, when a weight settled on her stomach and her face was snapped to the side as a knuckle smashed into her face.
"Fight it? Stupid, stupid, stupid."
Emphasizing each word, her sister's body punched her face over and over again.
"If you had stuck around all those years ago, Nana wouldn't be in such a state."
Kaguya froze in her struggling to get her off from her chest. It was another opening to raise her head only to smash it down on the ground with another punch, her nose bleeding even more.
"We would be with you you just had to run away and poor Nana had to pick up the slack! So lacking as a vessel!"
At this point, the distorted voice was cackling like a complete and utter maniac, as Kaguya was filled with horror with each word it uttered.
"And the saddest part of it all?! We could never have hurt her like you hurt her! She tried sooooo hard to keep in control! Sooo hard to protect you from us! It tore her up inside, having to drug you, having to steal all that information, for the faint hopes of her and you living in peace while the world burned around her!"
"And what did she get? Rejection! Now isn't that a comedy?! "Fight us?! She fought us the entire time, right up until you threw her away! And where did that bring her?! Back to us~!""
Kaguya could only numbly stare at the visage of her sister, which was in complete and utter ecstasy, with wide eyes. Did…did she really cause this…?
"It's not my fault!"
Was Nana…really just another victim… one she refused to help? Refused justice itself? Weakly, Kaguya tried to reach out, only for her hand to be slapped away without mercy. A blade was held high, reflecting the sun as its point aimed for Kaguya's very throat.
"Time to perish, descendant of ours!"
The sword descended. Blood was spilled as flesh was pierced. A warm splatter landed on Kaguya's face, who couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Ho?"
A tear ran down Nana's right eye, flickering between the rings and her normal one. The right arm was pierced by Kaguya's own sword, held by the left arm of Nana. The arm holding the blade shook violently. Nana growled, pulling at the sword in her flesh as if it was imbedded in stone.
"...Na...na... ?" Kaguya whispered. With a yell, the sword was pulled out and dropped on the floor. With a hiss, Kaguya's sister rose to her feet, clutching to the wound. Her eye twitched over and over, before it finally calmed down, a serene smile appearing on her face.
"Yes, yes... " Gojouno muttered, completely in control again. "This isn't the right stage for it, is it now?"
With that said, she sheathed the blade and turned her back to Kaguya. Kaguya immediately tried to stand up, only for her body to have no strength left. She coughed in frustration as she tried to push herself up, to no avail. Instead, all she could do was see her sister's body being taken away, back turned to her as it laughed and laughed.
"We'll be at home sweet home, if you want to finish this properly, hahaha…"
With that, once more, Kaguya lost her sister, leaving behind nothing more than a pathetic excuse of a girl with her fists clenched on the ground.