FINALLY, I HAVE RETURNED FROM THE ASHES.
That camp was really nice, to be honest. It's got a lot of downsides, but I'm satisfied overall. One of the downsides being that I COULDN'T WORK ON THE STORY (to be honest I could, but inspiration is hard when you're trying to squeeze the the fun in only 6 hours a week)
Another downside is that this was not the chapter to take a 40 day break because all it needed was about 10 hours over 2 days (take healthy breaks, everybody) to finish the "meat" of the chapter before the edits took place. And the editing itself added an extra 1100 words to the chapter. Though if I remember, there were more exclamation marks...
And before anyone asks: Yes, I read every single review I ever get and they make me so so happy you won't understand unless you do it yourself. Any questions from the past reviews will be answered below, and any future once will be replied directly to you!
But now, we have reached the main chapter that embodies the concept of this story. This is where the graphic depiction of Violence is most prevalent.
(NOTE: It is recommended to use headphones once you reach The Thunderstorm.)
Please enjoy to your heart's content
CHAPTER 2
Devil Sign {Raging Demon}
It was just your everyday night.
Marisa had come by to "borrow" some books as usual, only to be caught by Koakuma of all people. She was caught, tied up, and left waiting for Reimu who was personally requested to pick her up, which meant leaving her hanging all the way until night fell.
It was then when a portal opened and a mysterious newcomer arrived with his outrageous claims. He introduced himself as Alukard; a traveler from another world who was hunting down "beings with the power to destroy," and had come here looking for someone called "U.N. Owen" or in other words, "Unknown," which also happened to be what the humans call the scarlet devil's little sister.
Ever since she woke up from a bad dream, Remilia had been uneasy the entire day, and only indulged in messing with Marisa to ease her worries, but the arrival of this traveler gave her an unprecedented fear.
And so they fought, determined not to give up the young vampire by any means. Reimu and Sakuya battled as well, but Sakuya's time-stopping ability and Reimu's expertise and floating proved too troublesome and hindering his objective and banished them into the same type of portal he came from. Patchouli was taken out surprisingly quickly, and Meiling was sent to take Flandre away.
Those were the events that lead to the death of Remila Scarlet.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The loud shriek reverberates through the entirety of the mansion, enough for the windows to shatter into little pieces. Everyone blocked their ears, from those in the depths of the mansion to those outside, their heads throbbed, producing a constant ringing in their eardrums
"REMILIA!" The heroines screamed in unison after the hard realization of their failure. Alukard had managed to lose them, and because of that, they had lost Remilia Scarlet
Flandre was crouched on the floor, her clawing digging into her head, and her eyes glued to the floor. Her chest clenched, and the lump in throat grew so hard that she's barely able to breathe or make a sound as a storm of emotions brewed in her head.
While the surviving vampire mourned her lost sister, the battle raged on, between the infuriated team of Marisa and Meiling against the apathetic half-and-half Alukard. While Alukard was entertaining the fight, the girls were doing their all to avenge their fallen friend. It was an anger that went beyond anger.
"Love Sign [Master Spark!]" Marisa shoots a beam at him which gets reflected like last time. Of course, she knew that would happen so she didn't linger, and instead dodge rolled while the mini–hakkero returned and she prepared to shoot again. "Loving Heart [Double Spark!]"
"What?" Alukard was caught off guard that when the second beam shot him, he couldn't dodge and had to hold it off with his hands, though the force of the blast proved too powerful it pushed him into the wall, "I… underestimated her… I should've sent her… with the others…!" Marisa shouted, turning the output higher and overwhelming him.
That was when he had an idea. He channeled power into his arms and legs to help him push it out, and after making enough space, he kicked off the reinforced wall, using the energy coating hands to slide on the surface of the laser like an insane acrobat.
"What the hell?!" Marisa gasped at the absurdity of his moves, but even after she released the beam, the hunter already jumped towards her with sharp nails pointed at her face. Time felt slow as the sharp nails grew closer, her brain unleashing signals upon signals warning her of her demise "I… can't dodge this one!"
.
.
Chi Sign [Sky Dragon Kick!]
!
Alukard fixes himself in the air and withdraws his attack to block the upcoming rainbow kick from Meiling, but the heavy impact still breaks his arm and sends him crashing into the wall. Marisa snaps out of her trance with a deep breath, having seen her life flashing before her eyes.
"Th-That was a close one. Thanks for that." She notices her hands quivering and promptly clenches her broom as the two gain some space. They watched him when the dust settled, thoroughly creeped out once his broken arm (painfully) healed into place, and a question popped into her head. "Hey wait a minute. Are you a vampire?" While Meiling looked at her funny, she continued, "You've got red eyes, sharp nails, strong physical and magic abilities and can regenerate?"
Alukard jumped from his hole to face them on the same level. "Then you finally caught on?" He brought one of his arms to himself as a show of respect. "Hmph, that's right." spreading arms, and morphing cape–like wings once again, "I am a vampire. A half-vampire to be accurate."
"Half-vampire?"
"Yes, I have all the traits of a vampire, combined with the magical aptitude, and resistance of humans. Do you know what that means?" He raises his altitude so he's looking down on them. Rather, puts himself superior. "I have the combined strengths of vampires and humans, with none of the weaknesses. I can learn all the magic I want, regenerate as much as I lost, walk under the sun, and destroy everything in my way."
"Tch, so you'd kill anyone? Even your own kind?" Marisa said. His unchanged expression and monotone voice creeped the remaining heroines out. It was truly out of this world, like the place he said he came from. His world must have been empty of any smiles, or emotions, a barren hell where only the strong survive. But if that's the case, then how are Reimu and Sakuya doing?
Clank-clank-clank
Alukard felt a sudden power spike that caused his heart to skip a beat. He looked at the source and found a flaring aura, chaotically dancing as if it's struggling to regain control, in a terrifying show enough to make his body shiver from its sight. And the owner of said aura just so happened to be:
Flandre Scarlet.
"You've finally decided to fight back. This is what I came for." While the girls could only feel the intimidating aura, Alukard turned his full attention to her "Show me what you can do." He raised his hand to cast a spell.
She raised her wings and finally looked at him through the slits between her hands, staring at him with wide crimson eyes blinded with nothing but pure animosity and thirst for blood.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
The vampire vanishes, only to be stabbing right through his arm and breaking it again and piercing through chest with such unexpectancy and force he recoils from pain, throwing her victim hard into the ground. Marisa and Meiling gasped at the sheer animosity of this girl.
"TABOO {FOUR OF A KIND!}" She splits into four with her spell card, multiplying her hatred and surrounding him from above.
"Wait a minute, that's not good." Marisa said, fearful of the incoming assault.
"TABOO {FORBIDDEN FRUIT!}"
"FLAN, NO, YOU'LL DESTROY THE WHOLE MANSION!" Meiling screamed, but it was too late.
Each Flandre launches the spell card at the same time, resulting in an impossible array of bullets of all shapes and sizes, which would surely destroy not just the mansion and everyone in it in spite of the fortification, but also affect a large vicinity around it.
Of course, the spell card rules prohibit such brutal violation, but again, this isn't a duel, there are no rules in place. It is a fight that only ends until either of them drops dead.
Alukard is bewildered at all the deadly cluster of bullets threatening to end his life, and then quickly claps his hands while proclaiming his spell "Flower cover!" and release a harmless shockwave that turns all magic into colorful flowers and petals and forcing the other distracted Flandres back into the original.
He breathes in relief after saving his life with his technique, remembering the time he first learned it. The only downside of it is its cooldown that is proportional to the strength and number of magic attacks present around him. At best, the next time he could Use this attack again would be 15 hours from now.
Flandre is confused at the sight of the flowing petals, peacefully floating across the battlefield. But this upsets her, seeing it as a gesture of mocking her abilities and bares her fangs, then dives at Alukard with the full strength of an oni. He gasps as he tries to get up and barely rolls out of the way, with the force behind the attack knocking him away to slide on one knee.
Right after that she kicks out of the dust cloud aiming to stab him with her nails only for his hand to take the stab, backed up by the other, making him skid further. "Yes," His hands twitch from the wound dripping down onto the floor. "This is the power I was looking for."
She growls as she pushes harder into the wounds, slightly gaining the advantage, until he fakes his strength go, directing her attack to miss his head, freeing one hand in the process to deliver a gut punch. He swiftly and painfully removed his other hand while she recoiled forward and used an uppercut to send her flying backwards until she drifted back on her feet.
Flandre was hunched over, taking breaths from her last injury. Her hands lay beside her like a beast waiting for its prey, and her discolored wings pointed downward, The crystals lay beside her as if they were claws.
The tension rose between them, the bystanders feeling their clashing aura's, feeling it in their bones. Marisa tried to step in, but was interrupted by Flandre.
"Don't. Get. In my way."
Her cold, raspy voice sent shivers down their spines and they immediately stepped back. "I-If you say so…" The small words involuntarily came out from Marisa.
"Good choice." Alukard kicks off and floats condescendingly with his cloak splitting into wings that resemble his own set of claws, "Now," He beckons her, "Come at me with all you've got."
He watches Flandre putting one arm on the floor, raising her fake wings with the crystals pointing outwards, and flapping them with all her might- vanishing towards him.
She successfully attacks with sharp punches and kicks, catching him off guard. He notes how fast she is as her attacks draw blood, and blocks an attack only for her to disappear and stab his chest from behind, right through his heart, causing him to cough out blood.
He correctly anticipates an attack to his head, so he wrings his neck while she retracts a hand and quickly jabs with the other, which is quickly dodged and caught in his arms. Her look of shock turned to pain once her stomach was stabbed by his cloak wings, which helped him throw her off of him.
"It seems she hasn't realized she can use magic again," He said to himself as she recovered in midair, "I should use that to my advantage." And the two collide once again.
Marisa and Meiling watch as the two battle it out, flying all over the place at high speeds. Meiling tries to shout, but a hand stops her, "Trust me, I wanna help as much as you, but there's really nothing we can do at this point," Marisa said. "She can't hear a thing, now."
That's right, it would be best to bet it all on Flandre. witnessing this violence, her mind wanders back to Reimu and Sakuya and their whereabouts. Wherever they were sent must've been filled with all kinds of unknown dangers and weird rules, she doesn't even know if…
"Tch," Marisa sterns her gaze. No, of course she wouldn't. It's Reimu after all. She can find a way out, and bring back Sakuya with her, no doubt about it.
"Wait, where are you going?" Meiling asks when she sees the magician promptly getting on her broom.
"We can't just stand there, you know? By the time Reimu and Sakuya get here, They'll probably be in a world of hurt." she lowered her hat, "I'm going to borrow Eirin and bring her back here." She looked back and did her best to smile in the face of fear like she usually does, with mixed results. "Keep your eyes on Flan for me, alright?"
Meiling looked at her with determination then nodded. "Of course." Marisa nodded back and rode her broom to find a way out. Meiling turned her head back to see Flandre fighting but falling to a disadvantage. "But, what exactly can I do…?"
As Marisa makes her way to the hidden mansion of the forest of the lost, and Meiling watches and thinks of a way to help Flandre, the two would have to get over the fact that they won't see Flandre smile the way she used to.
Blow after blow, her speed is impressive, but he was starting to adapt, losing less blood and retaliating harder. Sending her flying only to continue his assault, He would give her space, only to deal a critical hit while she staggered.
"So that's how you work. You're just a child throwing a tantrum." a punch. "You're strong, but you don't know how to fight." a knee. "You're fast, but you can't defend yourself." A cutting slash. "You think I haven't dealt with the likes of you? You think you're special just because you have a pretty set of wings?" She swung at him but was kicked into the ground. "Your lack of experience is frankly insulting."
Flandre aches for breath and grips her chest, her broken ribs feeling like thorns stabbing her insides. her broken bones creaked as she moved, her body trembling as if it was about to break apart.
"Is that all you've got?" he said, " Is that how you were planning to avenge your dear sister Remilia?" Her eyes pulse and her body twitches even more as she prepares to attack.
"Why, YOU–!"
A powerful kick to her face shut her up, causing the air to blow up from the impact, sending her to the floor with a resounding crash. With Meiling taking steps to ensure her safety, Alukard took the fallen and tattered mob cap and cast it aside, dissatisfied with her performance. "Get up," He said, but she was struggling "With an enigmatic title such as 'Unknown,' I expected somethi–"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!"
In the blink of an eye, she gives him a punch filled with the raw demonic power of an oni, inadvertently releasing her black magic as she thrust him into the reinforced wall blasting the wind around him, though even the wall was having a hard time keeping itself together.
He physically yelped and rolled when she thrust her nails into the wall with a terrifying expression, and thought quickly to break free while throwing fragments at him even if it stabbed into her.
And when he covered his face, she dashed to attack only for him to stab her abdomen with his wing and kick away from the other side. He circles from behind to grab her, and then plunges into the wall while Meiling helplessly watches as he violently drags her face through as the shrapnel pierces her skin, and ends by rising up and slamming her with his knee digging into her back. Her body, paralyzed and twitching, and her muffled screams fall to cruel ears.
"FLANDRE!" Meiling calls, worried sick for 'younger sister,' "What the hell is wrong with you?! She's just a child!"
"Child or not," He notes the peculiar wings, "The power to destroy is still power." Grabbing her wings and stepping on her back, he proceeds to pull.
Flandre's grip doubled as her brain activated her fight-or-flight response. "NOOOO!" she screamed her lungs out. "STOP IT!"
The force kept trying to rip her precious wings, and the horrible feeling it brought pushed out a stream of tears as it reminded her of the time her original wings were forcefully torn by humans, a memory she had long pushed into the depths of her mind along with That Night where she ruined everything.
He is surprised when she manages to push herself enough to make her screams heard, using all the strength she has, so he doubles his own power, kicking her in while pulling his arms back. Doing so, he somehow saps power from the vampire as her body and resistance weakens. He wonders how those wings were attached so tightly, as if they were a part of her body.
"LET GO LET GO LET GO!" Her tears were rolling non-stop and voice was starting to crack, unable to push him off and her skin was starting to break apart.
"Colorful Chinese Flow–"
"TABOO {DIE DIE DIE!}"
What-?!
In just a few seconds, the crystals on her wings all grow sharper, unifying in a glowing red color before releasing all their power, resulting in multi-directional chaos inside of the mansion. Both destructive beams and lasers filled with hatred shot out, dragging themselves through the floors, the walls and even ceilings, leaving behind trails of deadly bullets, both of which in a wild and chaotic onslaught of attacks that made it too difficult to dodge, even Meiling had to escape deeper into the mansion.
Eventually, the lasers died out. The broken crystals returned to their color, albeit a bit darker and were slowly building themselves back. The tired Flandre turned around, painfully pulling a sharp piece of wood from her arm. Her anger subsided after being released onto the world, she looked back at the battlefield, seeing the destruction she caused in the mansion.
There were lots of holes, burnt and broken wood on the floor, trails of black from the beams. Though, she did expect it to be worse. Was she weaker than she expected? Or was the house stronger?
She couldn't see Meiling either. Did she vaporize her?
Something caught her eye however. Something that shouldn't be there but still was. It was enough to rouse her anger again and she immediately lifted an arm at it to charge and shoot a burning fireball, only for it to be reflected back stronger. She jumped in her place and dodge rolled.
To make sure that she wasn't dreaming, that it was undoubtedly real, she looked at that thing one more time.
And that's when she realized.
That thing, Alukard, still exists.
He was floating, out of balance, bits and pieces of burnt cloth and meat loose around him. He was not unharmed as he was missing three of his limbs, with dozens of holes throughout his wings and body, including one that took a quarter of his face, taking one of his eyes.
He slowly steadied himself and opened the remaining eye.
"No…" Flandre was only speechless, drained from the energy she had spent. "But…how?"
"You used magic. And so did I." He replied, his body starting to heal itself. "And you missed a vital spot. Barely." He quietly added to himself.
"But you're… that's not…"
"You're strong." He suddenly said, "You were born with this power, weren't you?"
"Huh?"
"You had this power right from the start, and you didn't need to go through torture everyday just to stand a chance in this hellish life. You were loved and adored by your family from birth, because you were exactly what your parents wanted, right? Nobody kicked you into the ground, just because you were inferior to your sister, right? You were never hunted down by your own sister, just because she wished to 'put you out of your misery,' were you? Never had to cross any faces because you could destroy everything in your path?" For the first time, he raised his voice. "Made your family proud, and proved that you have a place in this world?!"
"N-No, wait–!"
In the blink of an eye, he appears in front of her, glaring at her with as much poison he could manage.
"Lucky you."
He slashes both her eyes at once and claws her face, intending to break her skull and reach her vital spot, causing her to scream in agony. She tried to push him away, but her power was still recovering from that last spell. But When her skull turned out to be harder than he thought, he slashes out and grabs her by the collar.
He announces his next attack, "Meteor Down!" as he drags her with him straight to the ground while black and starry energy concentrates to turn them into pure negative energy, their speed increasing until one powerful impact in the middle of the mansion and kicking up a huge dust cloud. The impact repeated 3 different times.
Before the dust cloud clears, he flies up and takes a breather, as that attack should've at least staggered her for a good amount, and reflects on their battle thus far.
Fighting her was harder than he thought. Despite being the younger of the two, she was stronger than her sister. She was relentless, surviving his attacks, able to strike back hard, but still inexperienced. She was a child, plain and simple, and despite her grief over her sister, she is still unable to use her power to its fullest potential. What a waste of talent.
From the sidelines, Koakuma peeks her head, having reported the mistress's death, and the resulting fall of her sister. Oh no, at this rate we'll lose her too! Please, anyone, help! She searched the lobby, but there was no one who could help her. Marisa has gone to get medical help, Patchouli is too far away, and Meiling, who should be here, has yet to come back, leaving just her and Flandre.
Wait a minute, her?! N-Nonono, she can't do anything! She's just a weak little devil who spends all her time being a servant! The last time she got into a duel, she went down within seconds! She can't… be of use. If even Flandre is having trouble, how can she possibly…
…
"I'll be sure to frame it on my desk." said Patchouli with a smile on her face. " Look, you even drew Koakuma in here." The little devil cheered when she found out she wasn't entirely forgotten.
…
"Take this!"
"Hm?"
He saw big purple energy balls coming at him, but he simply waved them away with his arm, only to be surprised when dozens of kunai stabbed into him that he had to cover his face. The kunai stung and drew blood, yes, but that alone wouldn't leave any lasting damage. He looks down to find a tiny red haired devil near a doorway.
"L-L-Leave miss Flandre alone!" The little devil said. She clearly didn't want to interfere, but did it anyway.
He blinks at the low-level devil, confused at her action despite the obvious power difference, but he admits it was a brave little move. "Side Change." He snapped, causing the kunai to dislodge from himself, aim at the tiny devil, and pointed a finger to send them back at her.
"Kyaaaahhh! Miss Patchouli!" She comically ran further inside to escape and report her findings to the librarian while the kunais plainly hit the ground. He could've commanded them to follow her, but he really didn't care, as she was no threat. He only cares about…
Oh no!
When he realized, he immediately looked down at the vampire he was hunting, cursing himself for getting this distracted and preparing to counter her next attack–
But she was still there.
The broken child was buried right where he left her, curled up tightly and sobbing into her arms. For some reason, her wounds were healing much slowly, so the searing pain through her bloody face hadn't recovered.
"Ahh… Remilia…" she cried profusely "I don't- hic- I don't wanna do this anymore…! I can't… don't wanna…" She rubbed her painful face, hoping it would ease her pain somehow.
It was a sight that struck a chord within Alukard, who looked at her as she cried, his eyes containing the faintest hint of pity. He sighs upwards, taking a moment to think about himself and his own relations. "...This is why you don't get attached."
He collects his wings to create a cover behind him, aiming his hands downwards at the sobbing vampire. Light particles gravitate towards his palms, burning from the sheer heat of the shapeless energy, building up to the moment of release. to end this battle, this night, once and for all.
Though something about this didn't feel right. He expected more, but the end result wasn't satisfying. It was bittersweet, compared to his earlier battles.
"Sunbreak Cannon."
The energy shot out as a heavy ray of light, its sheer intensity burning its user as it descended onto the poor victim on the receiving end, which would quickly vaporize the poor soul and turn them to dust in the blink of an eye.
Flandre's skin burned as her demise approached, but she couldn't hear over her crying, or see anything but tears as everything was overtaken by light…
.
.
.
.
.
.
The thunderstorm blares loudly, echoing in the hallways of the mansion while the wind howls in the dry storm, each thunder strike heavier than the last. These disorganized noises took over as the sole melodies after the disjointed yells from the last of the angry mobs died out.
It had been some time since they got separated. The younger one had ventured deeper into the mansion as she was chased by a weak horde of people with nothing but pitchforks and fire. She didn't fear them, as much as they served as a consequence of her actions, a reminder of her mistake.
While she was escaping, running, screaming, crying, the older one stayed back to clean up the horrible, lying vermin. She really thought they were on the same side. Those who break their promise and dare to hurt her sister don't deserve her mercy.
Footsteps echo on the wooden floor, as a figure covered in blood walks along a hallway with a lightbulb keeping itself together. The hallway was quite dirty, as the figure heard the splashes of a crimson liquid beneath her feet, that was also haphazardly painting the walls, floor, and even ceiling. What appeared to be pieces of flesh and mere farming equipment were strewn on the floor, the meat unrecognizable to its former shape, though a trained eye could tell that the victims may have been humans. Very angry humans.
The figure hasn't been here before, so it seems her sister had defended herself from them, and others she assumed.
The figure kept walking, looking for a hint that may lead her to the one who got lost during the bloodshed until, finally, she stopped at a door, and leaning closer, she listened:
…
It was the faint sound of crying, audible inbetween the loud crashing of the storm.
The figure gently opened the door.
"Fla-"
Sitting Inside the sisters' dimly lit bedroom next to her bed, Flandre was curled up to the wall, crying into her knees, and her hands hanging over her head to protect her ears from the thunder, twitching every time it roared.
Both of the sisters wore matching white dresses, both tattered and bloody, and missing their mob caps after cleaning the mansion of intruders.
"…" Remilia walks into the room, her eyes filled with regret and sorrow as she stares at her in pity, understanding of the circumstances that led to this breakdown.
Instead of saying anything, she quietly sat next to her in the same position. She listened for a bit while her little sister cried on her behalf, reminding her how much of an utter failure as the older sister. She took a peek at her sister's wingless back biting her lip until it bled. Taking a breath, she lifted her hand.
"There, there." She gently rubbed her head before pulling it closer to her sisterly embrace, causing her sister to cry harder while she continued to gently caress her head and murmur softly. "It's okay, Flan, I'm here. Remilia is here. Everything is going to be okay. I promise I'm not going anywhere."
Remilia fingers slowly dropped from her blond hair down to her cheeks as she continued to cuddle her, blocking Flandre's ears with her own heartbeat, letting her take a share of her warmth, and to hopefully shoulder all the guilt and regret off her little sister who hadn't done anything wrong. Eventually, Flandre found it a little easier to talk.
"I didn't… mean to…" The sister said "The kids were… they were playing o-outside, and I-I just… just wanted to… I wanted t-to… P-P-Play… too…" She words came out with difficulty, as if she was going to be punished for a sin she committed. The lump in her throat felt too heavy. "A-and b-because of me… hic… mama… and… and papa…"
Remilia immediately pulled her closer, To prevent her little sister from bringing the memory to light, and to hide the big sister's tears. "Please, no more. Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault." Her voice shook, but she was keeping herself together. "You're still a child. You didn't know any better. It was us who failed you. It's all… m-my fault…"
"I-I don… I don't g-g-get it! Why am I so d-different?!" She suddenly burst, taking Remilia off guard. "Why was I born like this?! Why do I keep destroying everything? Why do I keep doing wrong things? Why… Wh-Why can't I just be normal? L-Like… Like you…! and Mama… a-and… and P-Papa…"
Remilia started to cry. As the older sister, she's supposed to have the answers that Flandre is looking for, but this was one question she wished she was never asked.
These past years, Remilia thought she was being the best sister. She was teaching her how to be a vampire, she was treating her, and dragging her to wherever she went. Flandre truly was the best thing that happened to her, and she did her best to keep that light, that smile of hers from ever fading out of this world. But not even that was enough.
"Mama… papa… th-they're coming b-back, right?"
"N-No, they're not." Remilia answered honestly, holding her close. "They're not coming back. Not anymore." She wiped her tears while Flandre continued to cry. Of all people who had to suffer through this night, why, oh why did it have to be her?
While she caressed her little sister, Flandre's arms were wrapped around her older sister. The sense of safety and warmth she felt was like that of her mama. Easing her heartbeat, and her crying was no more than mere whimpers.
"Humans can be cruel." She said, feeling the empty back of her sister where wings once stood. It was unknown why they haven't grown back, and that was going to affect her sister's self-esteem for a long time. "Not all of them, though. Mama and Papa liked some humans. The ones who came after you were just the cruelest ones that existed."
"But it's okay now. They won't bother you anymore." Remilia grasped her sister tightly, knowing all they have left is each other. "Do you know why?" She asked, and her sister lifted her head up to ask why. She gave her a reassuring smile as she stared into her sister's teary eyes, and gave her answer from the deepest reaches of her heart:
"Because I am here," she said "Because you're my adorable little sister that I'm willinging want to see you smile again. And for that, I will protect you, with all my life, and teach you everything that you want to know. I will be with you every day, and every moonlit night." Remilia pulled Flandre's head back into her chest. "You're not alone in this world. As long as I'm by your side, I'll make sure this night never repeats itself. I promise."
She gave her a long, warm kiss on her forehead, putting both Flandre and herself at ease to end the night on a hopeful future.
"I love you, Flan, my one and only sister."
.
.
.
.
Scarlet Devil {The Flames That Burned the Witch}
"Hm–?"
A sudden surge of magic collided with Alukard's attack, strongly resisting his own magic, scattering waves of pressurized light energy where the target should've been.
"What… is this?" He exerted more force and burned himself a little more, yet it was starting to push back, harder and harder, until he thought it better to release and get out of the way before he got pulverized.
What followed was the rise of an enormous fire storm so strong that strings of fire escaped the shape in different directions and blasting a gigantic hole through the roof of the mansion that barely singed Alukard but he had to put out a fire from a wing of his. The red blaze was so large that it even caught the eyes of the youkai and fairies on the outside.
"What the heck was that?!" Cirno said, staring in awe as Team 9 watched the rising pillar from afar while the villagers murmured to themselves of this strange phenomenon.
Afterwards, the beam dissipated into scorching bullets of various sizes: The smaller ones crossed around, while the bigger ones circled before bursting into smaller ones that moved mindlessly in the air.
An astonished Alukard flew around to dodge the swarm of bullets, but trying to find an opening in this infernal hell with a temperature that could melt a human was near impossible, and he was burned by the fiery projectiles, leaving a charred Alukard holding on to his flight with searing pain that he would need to regenerate, having lost some skin down to his bones.
He didn't have time to think when a glimmering shadow took off to the sky amidst the flames, twirling as it flew up to the moon-revealing hole in the ceiling before spreading its newly-mended glimmering set of wings, blowing out the flame in an alluring ray of particles. His eyes widened, reading the aura and seeing the beauty and grace of the one floating in front of him.
Earlier, she was the epitome of rage, swinging herself with no mind and getting punished for it. Her aura read like a violent, uncontrollable rage with no form. But now, it was focused. Refined. quiet, but not any less dangerous. Is this even the same person?
The air felt different. It was oppressing, holding him in a chokehold. What is this feeling? When your eyes are fixed, but your muscles don't move. When your mind focuses, but no thoughts or words would cross.
Is that… the one he heard about?
U. N Owen?
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Flandre Scarlet opened her eyes.
A/N:
And there you have it! The main chapter that the story was building up to, the eruption of rage and sorrow that the cute Flandre Scarlet has to suffer through. But the question is, what comes next?
I don't know if you can tell, but my favorite scene to write was actually the scene where Remilia reassures Flandre that everything was going to be okay. When I wrote it, (rather, when I was editing it) I just fell into a trance, and everything ended up writing itself. I even listened to some thunderstorms on Youtube (without rain) though that came a little later.
This was also the chapter where I fleshed out Alukard a little more. At first I wasnt going to, I wanted him to be someone "almost invincible but without sympathy" but then maybe I could in the next chapter? But wait, that would break the pace and make him too sympathetic. And then I decided to simply allude to his past somewhere in the chapter.
Throughout my story, I wanted to show people that as strong and resourceful he is, he is not perfect, nor is he the strongest (did you notice?) Even he has trouble using his magic because, in the end, it is all learned magic. He didn't just suddenly master his spells, but he unlocked them like one does in an RPG. Just like everyone else in the world, he has his weaknesses.
If you have anything you want to say, or a question you want to ask, feel free to leave a review! I'm a good listener.
The next chapter will be the climax of the fight between Flandre Scarlet and Alukard. It may take a while, but I still hope you look forward to it, as much as I am.
Let me reiterate: No matter how long it takes, I am detirmened to complete this story.
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Next Chapter: ? {?}