Chapter VII
Those Important
"How much data has [Fraxinus] conducted on Mitsuru Kano–[Umbra]?"
"Unfortunately, Chairman Woodman, we've only been able to conduct preliminary tests and questioning." Kotori slid her report across the table.
The room was warmly lit like candlelight, and its small yet cozy nature put Kotori at ease, similar to someone huddling by a fireplace in the winter. Such a place was suitable for the old man, who was bound in his wheelchair.
"But," Kotori interjected, "Reine managed to collect data on a sealing scenario. Completely impossible.
Woodman closed his eyes and let out a breath as if that confirmed his knowledge.
"Even with [Fraxinus's] state-of-the-art Realizers, we only have this much?" Elliot worriedly muttered as he combed through the papers. He slowly went down each line, and so did Karen Mathers, who normally stood guard by the door.
This was not the first time Woodman called to have a private meeting with Kotori instead of with the board. Like other classified information, he made sure to keep mentions of Mitsuru Kano, codenamed [Umbra], for records.
"I am sorry," Kotori bowed deeply, "but we believe that his power is not coming from Reiryoku. We planned to conduct more surveillance during Shido's trip, but there seems to be a signal error keeping us from communicating with agents on the island." Woodman's eyes looked up for a moment.
"The trip to Arubi Island? It must be nice weather for the beach, but the error signal...Has the [Fraxinus] been put on a state of alert?"
Kotori nodded, affirming, "Yes, Chairman, Vice Commander Kannazuki knows the appropriate action in case of an emergency, and my crew is aware of a potential encounter with D.E.M." Still, Woodman did not seem relieved.
Reaching into his drawer, he pulled out a slip of folded paper. "We 'received' this letter from an anonymous sender recently. Take a look."
Woodman slid the paper, and she unfolded it and began reading.
Elliot Baldwin Woodman
Chairman
Ratatoskr/Asgard Electronics
I warned Deus Ex Machina Industries about approaching Arubi Island. They did not listen.
Learn from their destruction and leave Arubi Island. Leave the boy, Mitsuru Kano, out of your affairs. Any other decision is a mistake that you will regret. Proof of my word will be the destruction of D.E.M.'s forces and possibly your own.
From,
Reading this immediately made Kotori anxious. A third party was not something she was informed of.
"This letter appeared on my desk on the first day of this mission." Woodman kept his stoic demeanor, but Kotori could see Karen's concern as she kept her eyes on the words. Kotori felt the same way.
Mitsuru Kano. Kotori looked up and proposed, "Chairman Woodman, on the initial briefing, I mentioned a person Mitsuru was talking about—the reason why we granted him permission to be on Arubi Island–" Kotori's laptop rang. Woodman gestured, allowing her to take the call.
"Yes, Shizakii?" On the other side of the screen, Hinako Shizakii could barely keep her eyes on her monitor. Kotori could see her pupils move frantically as she was pushing buttons.
{Commander Itsuka, we're under attack!}
They had expected this attack to come, so Kotori confidently replied, "Is it D.E.M.? I can't attend right now, but I assure you, as much of a dunce as Kannazuki is, when the time is right, he knows what he's talking about. Trust him." Shizakii was not calmed in the slightest by this.
{Not just D.E.M, Commander…} Everyone's eyes and ears were focused on her voice, and then a roar, that of a gargantuan beast, came through the laptop's speakers.
What was this insanity? One after another, otherworldly abominations crawled into reality, and no matter how many bodies Ellen sliced, how many throats she slit, or how many heads she stomped, they kept coming.
"Paddington, I need [Bandersnatches] at once! Multiple squads!" It seemed Westcott's call for excess munitions was correct, but how did he anticipate this? What did this have to do with that day?
Soon after, [Bandersnatches] descended upon the horde of monsters, and a brawl spanned the whole forest.
(-)
"Captain! We pinpointed the location of the [Fraxinus]. Should we call Chief Mathers for permission to attack?" One of the [Arbatel] crew members pulled up and zoomed in on seemingly empty air. Moments earlier, they had seen the elusive white airship cloak, meaning that Ratatoskr must have known of their presence as much as they did of them.
"No need. My [Arbatel's] Realizers can blow that heap of trash metal to hell and back." Paddington was, by all means, a slave to glory. He lived for the praise and had clawed his way to the top of D.E.M. to sit just below Westcott and Mathers, legitimately or not.
He'd prove himself—no need for assistance.
"Captain, a call from Chief Mathers." Paddington only scoffed before gesturing his approval. The crew member answered the call.
{Paddington, I need [Bandersnatches] at once! Multiple squads!}
The captain snorted before replying in a mocking tone, "But I surely thought the 'Strongest Wizard' wouldn't need petty machines to help."
{Shut up and send them down, or you'll jeopardize the mission!} Paddington straightened up, and his mocking tone immediately disappeared. Footage of Chief Mathers appeared on the screen. She was surrounded by otherworldly monsters that, in no way, resembled Spirits or the like.
"Deploy the [Bandersnatches]. Then fire up [Ashcroft β Ten-Twenty]. Magic generation. Relay to the main cannon. Blow that garbage can out of the sky."
(-)
"We're closing on the enemy. Should we prepare the Realizers, Vice Commander?" Kawagoe asked. [Fraxinus] drifted through the clouds. Though [Invisible] was active, with only [Control Realizers Three-Four] to power it, it would only be so long before they were detected.
"Very well. Grazing around won't get anything done, and besides, some exciting stimulus never ruins a night." No matter how many hours they worked and how much they got paid, the [Fraxinus] crew would always cringe at Kannazuki's unfavorable comments.
"Activate all our [Basic Realizers] and set [Control Realizers One-Five] to deploy [Protect] Territory. Starboard coordinates: (132, 50, 39). Range: (255.246). That should serve as a good starter course for our dinner night."
"Roger!" Minowa punched in the command. [Fraxinus] uncloaked as the two airships stopped across from each other, waiting.
The [Arbatel] drew the first attack.
Yuzuru kept deflecting Kaguya's attacks, unable and unwilling to strike back. If [El Re'em] contacted her, she would die.
They had fought so many times before, but their duels were bombastic. Ironically, Yuzuru wouldn't have denied that they made for good memories with all the fantastical bickering and over-the-top gestures and attacks. This wasn't like those times at all. The only noises were the howl of the wind, the collision of their angels, and grunts and cries of pain. This was their version of hell.
In between Kaguya's relentless charges, Yuzuru used [El' Nahash] to get in minor hits and to restrain her sister, but wherever this fury came from, it was unstoppable.
A part of Yuzuru wanted to call a truce and finish their idiotic contest. Again, she wondered if Kaguya secretly wanted that, but she put that thought down, for she saw what Kaguya saw too.
Voices. Whispering and beckoning, they called for one thing: blood to be spilled. They came from just beyond the hurricane. Yuzuru knew her sister was acting strange. Was this why Kaguya fought so hard? A lump formed deep in Yuzuru's throat.
"I knew these stupid duels wouldn't amount to anything. 'Sturm Lanze'. 'Evil Eye'. Damn it all." Kaguya scorned. For an instant, Kaguya stopped. "Yuzuru, when this duel ends, will it be all over?"
"...Mm. Accord: One of us will become Yamai. Kaguya, do you want this?"
Kaguya bit her lip and tightened her grip on [El Re'em] While keeping somber eyes on her sister, Kaguya kept her head down, like she was trying to hold something back. She gave a battle cry and continued her assault.
"That assassin. So now you're fighting with me now, you piece of…" The assassin jumped back and sent out a fiery slash that sent the alien through the wall. Mitsuru got back onto his feet and saw the bodies of the two alien creatures he and his new ally had just slain before they faded into a black cloud that rushed into Mitsuru's hand.
Again, he recoiled but then stopped himself. Every time he seemed to overcome these enemies, the same thing happened. That must mean…
Loud stomps came from outside the room. Boom…boom. Following those sounds was the rattling of foreboding chains. Rattle…Rattle. Mitsuru peeked his head out to see a lumbering zombie. It hadn't noticed him yet, but it would soon.
I hope this works. Mitsuru extended his hand toward a spot on the ground. He thought in the same way as he would while willing a weapon to appear, but this time he thought back to his encounter on the [Fraxinus].
With his eyes closed, he asked, If you stopped attacking me…"then will you fight for me?" First, he heard a cold whirling. Then, he heard a loud crash. Finally, the clanging iron crawled out. Mitsuru opened his eyes. In front of him was the raven knight, kneeling with his blade pierced into the floor. "...Thanks."
The zombie stopped. The two steel balls attached to its wrist shackles dropped, one nearly going through the floor. It grew into a fit of rage. The tattered blazer it wore burst into flames, bright blue veins popped from its muscles, and its chest cavity burst open with fire to expose its furiously beating heart.
The zombie raised its hand and threw the ball and chain at the raven knight, who blocked the attack with his equally massive, flaming sword before lunging forward at the engaging juggernaut.
"Don't burn down the hotel!" Mitsuru ran to stamp out rogue fires, but he froze as a hammer appeared from his left. It contacted Mitsuru and launched him far away. As soon as he landed, a crazed man in bloodied attire smacked the back of the hammer with a torch, igniting it like a furnace, before slamming downward. Mitsuru immediately summoned a crude cleaver to block the attack that stopped inches from his face. The head of the hammer looked like it was about to explode.
Mitsuru delivered a hard kick into the man's stomach that sent him stumbling back, giving him time to shakily stand up. The hammer blow to his side had knocked out all of Mitsuru's breath. With a glance at his new weapon, Mitsuru noticed the many ridges lining the blade, dividing the cleaver into segments. Furthermore, there was a clamp on the handle.
The blood-hungry lunatic dashed forward to deliver another strike, but Mitsuru got to him first. Pulling his weapon back, Mitsuru gave a jab from the blunt end of his weapon right into his sternum and sent the man stumbling back with his hand clasping his chest. Mitsuru pressed the clamp down. The many segments of the cleaver detached and flowed together and apart. Mitsuru swung forward, and they trailed through the air like a massive, teethed whip right over the man, crushing and killing him instantly.
Mitsuru extended a hand as the black cloud left the dead body towards him. Behind him, the zombie brute overpowered the knight as he was pushed into the wall by the ball and chain. The zombie clutched its weight and began pummeling the knight.
"Don't die on me now!" Mitsuru launched his weapon toward the zombie's forearm. The blade curled around its arm, and the iron teeth dug into the flesh. He began pulling as hard as he could, but even then, Mitsuru felt his feet slip on the carpet as the two tugged at each other.
"Come on. Do something here!" Mitsuru cried out to the raven knight. Having stalled for long enough, he grabbed his blade. The juggernaut attempted to beat him back with its other hand, but the knight delivered a swift, upward slice and severed it. Mitsuru pulled downward, ripping off the other arm before swinging again at its legs, lacerating them and bringing the giant to its knees.
The knight tore into the chest of the zombie, and Mitsuru saw the thing turn rigid as its heart was gripped. The knight brutally kicked the zombie away and presented his hand over his head, a yellow heart. He squeezed until the heart popped, and then the zombie giant died. Mitsuru collected the essence as well.
"Anyone else?!–" Mitsuru began to taunt before shutting himself up. He did not want to regret his words.
Looks like we're in the clear. Mitsuru heard the howling winds outside. He returned to the broken window and looked out. It was like the beginning of a hurricane, with the winds blowing his disheveled brown hair over his face.
Mitsuru could tell something was off. He continued to peer out and noticed blips of light in the distance. He took out his phone and took a picture, trying to zoom in, but the source of the lights was too far away.
Mitsuru tapped his earpiece "Ms. Murasame? Hello?"
{Mitsuru? Is everything alright?} Her voice came through, but it was heavily muffled by the wind. She sounded like she was outside.
"Yeah. I had a little…fight up here with some more monsters. I feel like I'm close to something here. I might start to understand what's happening—this wind's so strong!" He cursed and spat out his hair.
{Very strong. The Yamai twins must be fighting.}
"Fighting?! Why are they fighting? They looked like they were getting along." He looked outside again. Those lights must have been the Yamai sisters, zipping through the air and clashing. "So is Shido out there trying to stop them? That's suicide!"
{Normally, Shin could handle this, but since this island is more dangerous than it seems, he'll need your help. He shouldn't be too far.} Mitsuru gave an affirming "Hm" before hanging up the call. Before he could turn around, another shocking thing occurred.
A massive airship burst out of the clouds like a crimson arrow. In awe, he fumbled out, "That's [Fraxinus]?" From blue spikes stretched out on its circular frame, the airship fired a giant laser.
Its target was another giant airship; this one was white, and its end looked like the roots of a tree. "What!?" Even from high above, the impact was loud, and Mitsuru put a hand over his ear. The only thing keeping the white ship from going down at that moment was a magic barrier that appeared to absorb the blast.
Mitsuru watched, mesmerized by the sci-fi dreamscape before him, but he snapped out when he heard more sounds coming from below.
He squinted to see what was making the noise but widened his eyes upon recognizing the long, plum-purple hair. Tohka was wielding her sword and fighting alongside someone else. As Mitsuru believed, there were monsters on the island. "Tohka's fighting too. It's only been an hour or so, and everything is going crazy already."
Mitsuru turned, looking through the multiple rooms with their flimsy walls torn down. The assassin who had helped him initially stood around a multitude of other fallen enemies, having taken them down by herself. With the floor being cleared, his allies seemed to stand idly and wait for a command. "I need you guys to help out some more. See those two down there," Mitsuru pointed at Tohka and the other person, "can you help them out?" Both the assassin and the knight nodded before sinking into the ground and backing into a portal in the wall.
"Time to get down there myself." Mitsuru hopped in place to get himself prepared. When he turned around, Mitsuru met the gaze of somebody. This child, with a theater mask on his face resembling fear, simply stood. With a comically large lab coat draped over his shoulders, this little child was here.
"How'd you get here? Come on, you have to leave now. Let's get–" Mitsuru took one step forward. In response, the boy took one step back. Mitsuru took another step. The boy took another step.
Was it his weapon? The damaged room? "It's alright. I'm not going to–" Before Mitsuru could finish, the boy turned around and bolted away. "Hey, come back!"
Mitsuru ran after him, but when he stepped outside the hall, the boy had already gotten to the bottom of the stairs.
Tohka stepped outside. Layers upon layers of clouds completely covered the night sky. The wind pushed against the trees, bending most of them just before their snapping limit.
"Shido! Shido!" Tohka cried out, but it was no use. The gusts overpowered her voice, but knowing Shido, it wouldn't have made a difference. The moment he left the group without a bite of food, Tohka knew where he was going, and he must have gotten there already. She headed further into the storm. Taking cover in the forest, Tohka found that the multitude of trees slowed down the wind and allowed for better passage. This came at a cost.
An eldritch creature, without warning, appeared in front of Tohka. It was humanoid but abnormally tall and had thin and lanky limbs. Its form was pitch black, save for two crazed, violet eyes.
The being teleported again as a green blast of energy shot out toward it. Tohka realized that she stumbled upon a fight between this otherworldly being and a group of automatons that walked into view.
The creature teleported up close and grabbed one of the machines. It began bashing the thing's head and sending out bits and pieces, but there were too many, and they all jumped onto the monster. In a mad effort to save itself, the thing began wildly teleporting, but never far enough. The automatons caught up, latched on, and finished the thing off brutally. Its cries echoed through the air as it faded out of existence.
Tohka horrifyingly watched it happen, and once it was just her and the machines, they turned on the Spirit. Even the mangled one with open circuitry and a loose lens continued its operations. The Spirit girl took a step back into a defensive stance.
She extended her hand and called out, "[Sandalphon]!"
Two of the four machines flew forward and began swiping at her. Tohka blocked the attacks with her large blade. In response, one of them grabbed the blade and tried to pull it out of her hand. Without [Sandalphon], she would be vulnerable, and with their speed, Tohka had doubts about her ability to flee.
Tohka gripped [Sandalphon] and held a firm stance on the soil. Going on the offensive, Tohka swung her blade, taking the robot that held on with it. Her slash turned the other robot into two like butter. The remaining one used its boosters, trying to take flight and rip the Spirit's Angel from her, but Tohka made one great swing, bringing it down to the ground, where a plunge into the head decommissioned it.
There's no time to rest. Tohka's instincts made her jump to her left as a magic blast flew past.
She needed to close the gap quickly, but that appeared to be harder than it seemed. Though there were only two remaining, their combined firepower kept Tohka back. They charged up their hand blasters, sending two large projectiles.
She blocked with her sword, but the force was so strong that she let out a cry and was sent to the ground. Grunting, the girl painfully looked up as the automatons approached. At that moment, from the sidelines, someone sprinted out. She leaped off the ground and delivered a kick that knocked both of the robots down.
Origami Tobiichi dove under one's swipe and latched onto the arm of the other in a tight hug before whipping off its feet and over her shoulder. Behind her, its partner charged an attack, but Origami leaned out of the way in time, and the attack landed on its ally, ending it.
Tohka Yatogami rushed in, slicing up the final automaton.
True to Origami, she hastily demanded, "Where is Shido?"
"I don't know, but I think he is heading further into the storm." Origami clicked with her mouth and prepared to run in that direction, but something revealed itself from the tree.
"More machines?!" [Princess] cried out.
These had skeletal frames that were as lustrous as silver. Their heads were modeled like human skulls, and they had a pair of bright red pupils. In their hands were rifles, and they were pointing them at the duo.
Behind them, more of the previous doll drones appeared, completely circling the two. Origami could pinpoint technological designs similar to those the A.S.T. used. Realizers?
"Even after what you did at the water park, I did not think I'd be fighting with you so soon," the Spirit bantered. Origami gave no reply before the droids began firing. She and [Princess] took cover in the trees.
Many of the attacks were missed, but it appeared that the two different types of robots weren't necessarily allies, as they also turned on each other. Origami planned to take this opportunity, make an escape, and keep looking for Shido, but yet again, someone jumped out past Origami.
A shadowy figure joined the fight but completely ignored her and Tohka Yatogami, instead aiming to take down the droids. Another being, this one a knight, appeared from nowhere and used its sword to decimate the enemy as they continued to appear.
The moment must have been worrisome for everyone. Shido and Tohka had returned to a lobby filled with anxious chatter and concerned eyes. The infamous gossip trio, led by Ai Yamabuki, was nagging Miss Okamine, who meekly attempted to reassure them of the stability of the situation.
Shido saw Yuzuru passing through the crowd by herself. Her hair was still damp and muddled with sand, and she was still in her bathing suit with a towel over her shoulders.
Shido and Tohka walked up to her, the former asking, "Any chance of finding her?"
She simply gave a distraught nod left and right. Her head was down, and she murmured, "Turmoil: Yuzuru does not know why Kaguya would leave. She would never forfeit a duel."
Shido through back during moments of their date. Kaguya constantly put up a boisterous and, frankly, chuunibyou air to her that enthusiastically contrasted herself with her sister, whether it was throwing shallow insults when she and Yuzuru had tricked him into the wrong hot spring or pinning down her sister in a sunscreen battle. Ironically, it made them look more like close siblings than rivals.
The changes were subtle. Fewer smirks, less bombast. Shido castigated himself for failing to see her shift in behavior that caused her to burst out on the volleyball court. Still, why did it happen?
"Shido, the best I can do is find Reine. She has helped me a lot, so maybe she can help find Kaguya as well," Tohka suggested.
"Thanks, Tohka." Everyone gasped and made noises of fear as the building shuttered and the lights flickered.
"Everyone, stay calm. The elevators and stairs are currently inoperable, so rooms are not available. To make up for this, please allow the staff to prepare the public restrooms for temporary use. We will supply towels, basic supplies, and robes in the meantime. Dinner will be held at the normal time. Again, there is nothing to worry about. Please stay put."
The situation seemed to get worse by the second. While the ability to shower and have dinner eased some worry for the students, by the end of sunset, the winds had become stronger. Their rooms still weren't accessible, and some students even swore they heard some clamor above their heads.
Shido couldn't eat because, when he looked around, he saw neither Kaguya nor Yuzuru. Tohka returned, disheartened at being unable to find Reine. He had given her a rub on the head to ease her worry. Still, all progress had been lost, and the possibility of them fighting became a possibility again, and seeing Yuzuru worried compelled him to act.
When Shido stepped into the lobby, he saw Yuzuru standing outside by herself. The only thing she had done in an hour was take a shower and change into her robes. Stepping out, he prepared to comfort Yuzuru and go with her to search for Kaguya, but as Shido began to speak, she interrupted.
"Warning: Please do not follow me, Shido. You want to save both of us. Thank you for trying." She turned around. A slight smile was on her face as she bowed deeply. "But still, this is our one-hundredth duel. You need not concern yourself with our affairs."
The winds were at their maximum strength now. A solemn calmness was in Yuzuru's voice, and a tightness appeared in Shido's chest when he heard that. She turned back around and began to walk away from the hotel.
"No, Yuzuru." His voice was shaky, and each step was a stumble. "We can find a way other than one of your deaths. You two are sisters, right? I saw how you worried about her, so it doesn't make sense. No, it doesn't make any damn sense! Why do you have to fight each other if you love her so much?!"
He thought of his own sister. If Kotori died, Shido would become a broken man. No matter how hard she was on him, he knew Kotori cared for him deeply as well, so to imagine two siblings agreeing to fight each other to the death—how alien.
Yuzuru did not respond, just having her back turned on him. She leaped into the air and flew away, leaving Shido speechless.
(-)
Surely, if he hadn't gripped onto the rails for his life, the young man would have been pushed off his feet by one strung gust, fallen down the whole flight of stairs, and snapped his neck. No chance of regeneration.
The beach sand was being swept away from the shore and eaten up by the cyclone.
"Yuzuru! Kaguya! Stop this, please!" As they fought, the winds gathered around them into a tornado that acted as an arena. There's no way they'll hear from outside. Shido did not hesitate to approach it.
The barrier was strong, but Shido entered nonetheless. Immediately, he felt his breath stolen from the pressure on his chest. Granules of sand hit his skin, leaving marks. Tiny rocks left cuts and scrapes, activating his healing factor.
Only a little further...Shido was moments from collapsing and being swept off his feet before reaching the eye of the storm. Walking through Yoshino's ice field must have acclimated my body, he thought.
Right above him, Shido saw the Yamai twins fighting, and he called out with his hands around his mouth, "Guys, come down! No one has to die, alright!" He yelled and hollered until his last breath, and he started feeling lightheaded.
Kaguya did not seem to even acknowledge his existence, continuing to fight without hesitancy, but Yuzuru, who was being pinned down, gave a mere glance. Yet again, her eyes were weary. Her face was quivering, but she turned back to her sister without a single word.
"Damn it! Why do they want this?" By himself, Shido felt powerless; he could plead, and even with that, his lungs gave up on him. If Tohka was here, she could fly up and stop them, and Mitsuru could summon a weapon that could get them out of the sky. Shido could do nothing.
Shido let out a gasp. His eyes slowly shifted downward. A hook was lodged into his arm. Before he could think or panic, the hook retracted, and the boy went with it.
Straight out of the storm and through the air, he was dragged from the beach and up the cliff face. Shido let out a cry, crashing into a tree. Shido was too weak to even move, instead curling like a fetus in agony. He could hear the thunderous thumps of steps and inhuman growls. Whatever it was, Shido heard it throw that hook again, and when it hit this time, the blood in his body turned cold.
He weakly turned his head and saw Tohka, already in her Limited Astral Dress with [Sandalphon] in hand. She looked like she had been fighting for a while now, as she leaned back against a tree, huffing. The plum-haired girl drew up her sword and flew toward their attacker, something that could be described as a demon: horns, red and hard flesh, a bloody apron, and welding a giant hook on a chain as well as a barbaric machete.
There was a spark of hope when Shido saw how Tohka could match the force of a demon three times her size, but eventually, her legs gave way. The monster merely flicked [Sandalphon] to the side before delivering a brutal kick to the Spirit. She hit a tree like Shido had and dropped her sword.
It was then that she noticed Shido, who was also in her predicament. The girl couldn't even finish her sentence without wincing. "Shido?! You're here too? No, you have—grh—you have to run!" She grabbed the blade, fumbling multiple times to grab something just in front of her.
Powerless. He couldn't stop the Yamai twins from killing each other. He couldn't help Tohka, and he made her fight until her last breath just to let him escape. Shido just…watched while lying on the ground, as the Spirit barely got up onto one knee. The monster trudged closer and closer and let out a bellowing grumble. It raised its giant knife, while Tohka couldn't even stand up.
This wasn't right. Shido hadn't gotten here like this. Tohka wouldn't have been her. Yoshino wouldn't still have been alone in the rain. Kotori would have been dead if not for him, so he needed to will himself once again. He looked up once more, and his eyes locked on [Sandalphon]. If he couldn't protect those he cared for...
Shido jumped up, past the pain, and ripped the sword out of Tohka's hand. He brought it up to challenge the blow of the devil. He gritted his teeth and dug his heels into the ground. His arms began to burn. If he slipped, he would be sliced in two.
All the Spirit could do was stare with her mouth agape. Sure, any mortal with decent strength could "wield" [Sandalphon] in the case that it fell out of Tohka's hand, but this was not merely that. The moment the blade glowed within Shido's hand, she knew that he had gained an affinity for it.
"Shido! The thing is vulnerable. Let his attack slip from the hold and stab him in the stomach!" Listening to Tohka's guidance, Shido pulled out of the way. The monster's blade dropped down, and as Tohka deduced, the monster had no time to react as the young man plunged the massive weapon into its gut.
He thought that was enough, but Tohka's warning made him grab the blade's handle. "Don't let it recover!" Shido ripped the blade across, opening a massive wound in the giant. It could only stand stiff, twitching in agony and rage. It roared into the sky as the deafening sound of a gunshot rustled the trees. The demon, with its leg mutilated, dropped to the ground. Shido rushed forward, slicing [Sandalphon] upward and taking the head of the demon.
(-)
"Oh my gosh." It was cinematic—truly a sci-fi movie in real life. When Mitsuru stood on the cliff that looked over the beach, he could see both a giant cloud of wind that channeled the dark clouds into a vortex and the two airships that cut through the sky and bombarded each other in the illuminated night.
Don't forget why you're out here so easily. He was following that kid. Mitsuru only had to think for a moment to believe something was up with him. Perhaps he was another person who was summoned from the dead.
How did I forget?! Could this have been this other person that he was warned about?
Mitsuru heard a large boom as the white airship took a hit. He never saw the outside of the [Fraxinus], so he wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. "If I could figure out which one was which, I could summon something to help."
Where was everybody else? Mitsuru had made a bold and possibly idiotic choice to return outside. But damn caution and fear. He didn't want to waste his new circumstances, so why not get as close to the edge as possible?
Mitsuru heard the noise of rattling chains. Is it that zombie again? Mitsuru re-manifested his cleaver-whip. If I need to cut some trees down, so be it. A tiny sliver of moonlight shone on the source of the sound. Approaching from behind, Mitsuru saw that it was not the undead giant but still a giant—a demonic one at that.
What is he doing? If it was just standing there, Mitsuru thought of another approach. He discarded his current weapon and thought about a massive gun. In front of him appeared a massive gun. Just a huge double-barrel. Mitsuru assumed this would just be like shooting a fictional railgun.
"Shido! The thing is vulnerable. Let his attack slip from the hold and stab him in the stomach!" Mitsuru's eyes widened. That's…Tohka?! Mitsuru grabbed his gun and propped it up between two rocks.
"Don't let it recover!" This time, Mitsuru heard Shido let out a roar, and he aimed at the now seemingly pained demon's leg. It let out a great howl, and before it could do anything else, he pulled the trigger.
The sound made Mitsuru's ears ring as a cannon shot would. In a sense, that shot was a cannon shot. He was momentarily dazed from the recoil, and when Mitsuru stumbled out, he couldn't even make out Shido and Tohka's facial features. The demon was now down, and its head was disconnected from its body.
"Mitsuru, thanks for helping us." Shido was winded after all of that, and if he had bowed, he might as well have fallen over completely. Strangely, he did not reply and only stumbled with a squinty face.
Tohka waved her hand and asked, "Mitsuru?" He looked at her before screaming and cupping his ear.
"Whaaaat?! I can't hear you because my ears are going…" Mitsuru made a high-pitched ringing noise. Noticing the giant gun lying on the ground, Shido and Tohka figured out the cause and chuckled at the humor. Shido leaned close and yelled into his ear.
"Thanks for helping us!" Mitsuru flinched defensively, completely blocking his ear, before screaming back,
"When I said, 'I can't hear you,' I didn't mean that I was deaf!" Again, Shido and Tohka could only laugh. Mitsuru looked at Shido's hand and saw [Sandalphon].
"Say, that's your sword, right?" Mitsuru pointed from it to Tohka. In the heat of battle, it wasn't in their minds that Shido had wielded an angel with a sense of attunement, but now that the question was brought up, the blue-haired boy was looked at as if he had become a boy wonder.
"Shido, when you used [Sandalphon], I sensed that it submitted to you. How did you manage to take control of my Angel?"
Shido paused. He felt the blade in his hand. It simply felt right in his hand. As much as it was Tohka's weapon, at that moment, it felt like it had become his weapon as well. That concept was hard to form into words.
"This could be an interesting and insightful conversation, but this isn't a time for interesting and insightful conversations," Mitsuru interrupted as the giant, tree-like ship suffered another hit.
"[Fraxinus] is being attacked?! By what?"
"So that one's [Fraxinus]. There's another airship that they're fighting. I was going to help, but I was afraid of targeting the wrong one." Mitsuru walked forward and gestured for Shido and Tohka to follow.
Tohka tilted her head and asked, "How would you help? Can you summon something to take down a flying bastion?" Mitsuru only gestured again with more urgency for them to follow.
When Mitsuru stood in the open, his hair blew wildly as he pointed to the enemy airship. He said, "I just learned this new trick. Let's hope I don't overdo it."
Mitsuru closed his eyes. With so many possibilities, he could easily accomplish anything. Perhaps he could have ended the world by the end of the night, so he tried his hardest to control his mind. He felt a tingle at the end of his fingers as he thought of his goal. Yes, this will do.
(-)
As [Fraxinus's] hull took another hit, the crew cried out as they felt the very bones shake.
"We can't keep taking hits like this. There's no way we'll outlast their Territory!" Munechika panicked, looking at the Vice Commander, who remained eerily calm.
Shizakii pulled up a new tab in her console. She pressed an emergency button that immediately began connecting her with Commander Itsuka.
She hastily blurted out, "Commander Itsuka, we're under attack!" Unbeknownst to her, members started to murmur.
{Is it D.E.M.? I can't attend right now, but I assure you, as much of a dunce as Kannazuki is, when the time is right, he knows what he's talking about. Trust him.} Shizakii was not calmed in the slightest by this.
When she looked up, a terrifying sight befell her. The enemy battleship released another charged magic beam that could have finally blasted straight through [Fraxinus's] Territory, but at the same instance, a concentrated beam of purple fire collided with the attack, stopping it and even continuing to make a devastating impact on the shields of the attacker.
"Not just D.E.M., Commander," Shizakii managed to utter before the ship's crew became captivated by a massive dragon that spread its four wings and glided over the ship, delivering an echoing roar.
The members of [Fraxinus] were too stunned to act. Had this dragon just saved them from doom? That could have only meant...
"Oh dear, I didn't know the commander's crew was as hungry for punishment as I was, unless your agape faces meant something else. Kawagoe, Mikimoto, prepare all of our Control Realizers for offense and move in. We hit them hard and give them no time to rest—a blissful way to end." The second-in-command's orders gave them an objective.
Kotori began to speak, but as [Fraxinus] began to move forward, every second mattered. Shiizaki interrupted, "Commander, I have to disconnect. We're about to attack," before hanging up on Commander Itsuka.
"Fire!" Kannazuki let out, pointing his hand towards the opposing ship and mimicking the magic missile that sailed through the clouds before hitting the barrier. The dragon, seemingly allied with the ship of the World Tree, took the moment and breathed out a plume of fire over the top of the [Arbatel]. Outspeeding it, the dragon prepared to wipe out the engines with another concentrated beam.
(-)
Paddington screamed, "Move the ship around! Draw all power to our thrusters immediately!" His spit flew all over.
The eyes of the [Arbatel] crew frantically flew around, and disjointed commands and hollers darted amongst them. No one believed that their ship could maneuver fast enough, so they all began to recite their final messages in their heads.
Yet another opponent appeared. As Ratatoskr seemingly had its own abomination of an ace up its sleeve, so too did a miracle fall before Paddington's crew.
A horde of spherical drones swiftly flew past the front of the ship. They surrounded the head of the dragon before detonating themselves, stopping its attack and making it cry out in pain. The source of this counterattack...
(-)
"Still, someone's controlling these guys as well," Mitsuru muttered while watching a giant mechanical serpent rise from the sea. From its body, drones flew out and swarmed the dragon he summoned to assist [Fraxinus].
Shido and Tohka marveled at the sight as they remembered that the same knight that had come to her and Origami's aid had originally attacked her aboard the airship. Quickly, both of them pieced together that Mitsuru had taken control of these beings.
"So there's someone else that has abilities like yours?" He looked back and realized that he only talked with Reine and Kotori during the frequent interrogations.
Mitsuru gave a head nod. "I came here because someone hinted that could be the case. Right now, though, I think there's something else we should worry about." The wind picked up speed. The urgency of the situation fully kicked in.
"I tried to stop them, but I was powerless. This time…." Shido looked at [Sandalphon], the power he could use to change fate. Now, it was certain. He had to save Kaguya and Yuzuru.
"While you're doing that, I'll cover your back." Mitsuru pulled out his long glaive from the ground. A crowd of automatons was approaching them.
"Let me watch you back then. [Sandalphon]!" Tohka called out. Shido gasped slightly, never thinking that he would see two copies of the Angel existing at once. She turned her head back and gave him a slight nod. Shido nodded in return as he made his way to stop the Yamai twins.
Mitsuru gave a slight chuckle and said, "You know, I don't actually have any fighting experience, so I'm just flailing stuff around and hoping someone above blesses me, but I'm getting the hang of it pretty well."
"Hoping someone above blesses you?" The Spirit cocked her head sideways, which Mitsuru only exhaled humorously.
"Heh, Nothing. Why don't you grade me after this? I want a good critique of my technique." Mitsuru held out his blade, wiggling it. Unsure of what to do, Tohka assumed it was a gesture akin to a handshake, so she extended her blade to meet his.
"For wanting a grade on combat skill, using precious time for comedy won't help it."
"I'd have a fun time over a good grade any day." Mitsuru curtly replied before holding his weapon like a javelin. Get the feel. He stomped forward and hurled it, taking out the first two droids.
Tohka let out a battle cry and flew forward.
Cacophony and chaos. It was past midnight now, and all everyone had been doing was fighting like they were on a battlefield.
Even in the sky, an aerial assault was occurring. Shido looked up and saw the giant mech-worn charge at Mitsuru's dragon. A swarm of red lights trailed it, but, like a mine, an explosion engulfed all of them. Behind the two colossal creatures, the [Fraxinus] and the other airship traded ear-piercing blows that resulted in progressively smaller magical barriers.
Shido returned through the wind wall. Desperately, he swung [Sandalphon] around to catch the sisters' attention.
"Damn it! Work! [Sandalphon]!" In Tohka's hand, [Sandalphon] could cut through anything and conjure energy slashes, while Shido could only swing it around like a metal pipe. "Why now?!"
Shido gasped when Yuzuru suddenly crashed into the sand. Kaguya was pulled down with her by Yuzuru's chains. She pointed her lance downward to impale her sister.
Right now! Shido jumped in, using [Sandalphon] to break Yuzuru's Angel and make Kaguya miss. The attack hit, but it wasn't enough to break the chain. Still, this was enough to stop Kaguya from killing her sister. Shido looked up, and shivers went down his back the instant he saw the rage in her eyes.
"Consternation: why did Shido not run away?" Yuzuru weakly asked as she barely propped herself up with her arms. Merely uttering that sentence made her lose her breath, making Shido look at her in disbelief.
How could she say that even now? he thought.
Caught off guard, Shido was tackled and grabbed by the throat. Kaguya flew into the sky before being slammed back down to the earth.
"Don't you dare interfere, mortal."
(-)
Tohka saw Kaguya attacking Shido from the cliff and immediately changed her priority.
"Wait up!" Mitsuru caught a glimpse of the swordsman leaping off the cliff towards Shido.
Tohka's in-the-moment advice served him well. Mitsuru weaved through attacks and used his long reach to keep his distance and parry attacks. That alone could not help him with the hoard of monsters and droids, though. He was slowly pushed towards the cliff edge. There were too many to focus on, especially by himself. Finally, a wrong step around a slash put Mitsuru right in the path of a green blast that ripped into his torso and sent him over.
Mitsuru tucked his head, but the result was minuscule. Upon colliding with the sand, the pain rushed through his back. He felt the bones in his body shatter and leave him a crippled slug among the scraps of dead metal.
Mitsuru's eyes helplessly drifted upwards as his mind raced to call for anything to defend him.
A sporadic horde of dark, purple wisps flew from the sky and bombarded the automatons. Mitsuru weakly lugged his arm over his head and prayed that none of the falling metal corpses would fall onto him. At the same moment, the explosions from his dragon and the giant mechanical worm filled his ears. Under the starry night sky, it was cathartic. It was as if Mitsuru had forgotten everything around him.
Pretty. Mitsuru held up his phone's camera and took a photo. But it was a sudden jolt when he heard weapons clash. Another group of the seemingly endless number of robots flew over Mitsuru and intercepted Tohka, meters from Shido.
His body panged with every movement as he began to claw through the sand.
(-)
"Kaguya, you don't have to do this!" Shido firmly planted himself in front of her. "Yuzuru shouldn't have to die for no reason."
"Rebuke: Do not interfere, Shido. In order to become the true Yamai, there can only be one. It cannot be stopped."
"Who gives a crap about Yamai anymore?! Yuzuru, Kaguya, aren't you guys enough?!" Shido flinched as Kaguya walked past his blade and raised her giant lance right up to his face.
"You have one warning, mortal. Leave." Her cold words made Shido consider that option, but he planted his feet further into the sand and kept his [Sandalphon] up.
Shido met Kaguya's callous glare. Kaguya met Shido's determined gaze.
"…Fool." Kaguya reeled [El Re'em] back and thrust it forward with full force, crashing against the Shido defense. She quickly brought up her fist to strike at him, but Tohka ran up beside her, threw her blade aside, and locked her arms around Kaguya's.
"Stop this, Kaguya. I know what is going through your mind right now. You're hurting, but it doesn't have to be this way." Kaguya tried to wriggle her way out while Tohka kept hugging tighter.
Yuzuru didn't move an inch. Even when her executioner was being held back, Kaguya still looked directly back at her. Old tears constantly fell from her face as new ones replaced them. Her expression was crumbling down.
What had all of this fighting been for? Yuzuru's crying face pierced Kaguya's heart. Kaguya swept Tohka off her feet and struck her to the side with [El Re'em], incapacitating her. She stomped forward and pushed past Shido's Angel, but he let it fly away as he clasped his hands around [El Re'em]. The spear cut his palm wide open, causing him to wince.
"Let go, damn it!"
(-)
Mitsuru slowly crawled across the sand towards the Shido and the Spirits as each of his bones mended back together. In the background, something unexpected happened.
The metal serpent, with exposed wiring and lacking support, flew around the red ship. Mitsuru's dragon chased after it, only to be surprised as the snake bore through the back of the airship and latched on to the dragon with its mandibles.
"I thought that thing and the ship were allies." The snake coiled itself tightly around the dragon as a last resort before both were consumed by the ensuing explosion. The smoldering metal and tattered wings fell into the ocean in a great splash, leaving fire illuminating that water.
(-)
Shido's blood made his hand slick. He couldn't stop Kaguya, so instead, he turned to the other sister.
"Yuzuru!" Shido shouted. Her eyes widened as if she had broken out of shock. "You don't want this, do you?! I saw your face. If you two didn't want to kill each other, you wouldn't have looked so worried for Kaguya! You have to tell her that, Yuzuru!"
Yuzuru opened her mouth, but not even a croak came out at first. She took one more look in front of her: Shido being crushed under Kaguya's Angel, Tohka sprawled across the sand, Kaguya crying, and Yuzuru crying. Finally, Yuzuru mustered the strength to stop this pain.
"Understanding: Kaguya, it doesn't have to be this way." The moment Yuzuru said that she saw the strain on her sister's face vanish for a moment before it returned.
"Too late for that, now. We're ninety-nine battles in. What makes you think we're stopping now, at our hundredth battle? If you're just saying you want to forfeit, then why don't you just expose your neck?"
"Rectify: Yuzuru is not forfeiting." She shakily stood up. "Yuzuru will keep on fighting." She stumbled forward, and Kaguya prepared her lance.
"Guys…no!" Shido lost the last of his strength. He was no longer able to stop Kaguya from lifting her Angel out of his grasp.
But Yuzuru ran up, pushing past [El Re'em], and embracing her sister tightly. The winds began to stir more violently.
"...What are you doing? You want to die that badly." Every time Kaguya tried to fight against her sister's clutch, Yuzuru only hugged her tighter. What was she doing? Where was her Angel? She let [El Re'em] slip out of her hands
"Answer: Yuzuru is fighting because...Yuzuru wants…to be with Kaguya." Kaguya's eyes flared as she shoved Yuzuru away one last time.
This reality was too much. Kaguya felt her chest cavitate. It was as if her insides were cavitating inward and dragging her into the abyss. The final image Kaguya saw was Yuzuru toward her with her hand outstretched. Kaguya reached out to her, but she didn't feel Yuzuru's hand…
All the winds furiously converged, signaling that the situation had taken a turn for the worse. Sand and water flew into the growing tornado as dark energy spewed out in all directions. A dense overcast blocked out all light, and trees way off flew into the storm.
Winds of Destruction. Children of the Hurricane. It was true, and right in front of them.
All possibilities of getting to Kaguya were blocked. Shido and Tohka stood back in horror.
"This Reiryoku…" Tohka breathed with wide eyes that worried Shido even further. Never before did Shido encounter a case where Spirit reached this level of hopelessness. At that moment, Shido felt stuck.
But Yuzuru was not deterred.
"[El' Nahash]!" She used her Angel to slice through the wind. There was no hesitation to trudge past the darkness that emanated forth.
Deep down, she felt all the despair that Kaguya felt. How poetic it was that this was how their last battle ended, but Yuzuru felt a warm gratitude towards Shido for saving her and freeing her from their hellish fate.
In the eye of the storm was a helpless girl, clenching herself in painful isolation. Her Astral Dress was warping into an unknown form. Now it was time for her to do the same for Kaguya.
Yuzuru stepped up to Kaguya and kneeled in front of her before embracing her once again. Though she did not move a muscle, Yuzuru kept holding on, caressing her as tears fell from her eyes into her sister's hair.
"Question: Can Kaguya hear Yuzuru?" No response.
"Reassure: Everything is alright, Kaguya." No response, but Yuzuru didn't need one. Even as she felt the winds begin to consume her, she was close to Kaguya's heart. Again, she heard them. Rageful whispers clawed from the walls of the hurricane to infect Kaguya.
"Planning: When we return. Yuzuru wants to try clothes. Kaguya won the twenty-sixth competition, but Yuzuru has a great idea this time, so you will surely lose. After that, we can both go to school. Because Kaguya is so cute, you will have no trouble attracting boys." A giggle escaped between her hiccups and sniffles.
Instantly, Yuzuru felt the sensation of fingertips meekly climbing up her back. She let Kaguya lean on her. If they were not so clearly twins, Yuzuru was sure that she'd have been the older sister. The whispers were now an incoherent cacophony of man, demon, beast, and whatever else could exist.
"Come back, Kaguya. Please…" She huddled her head right up to Kaguya's, the sound of her breath reaching Yuzuru's ears.
"Yuzuru–" Yuzuru's eyes flickered, and her sight instantly turned blurry. She felt a paralyzing pain in her abdomen. She managed to glance downward and caught a glimpse of a small figure rushing past with a sweeping motion.
The winds collapsed, and Yuzuru keeled over in the sand. In front of her, Kaguya had fallen over as well. She mustered all she had left and crawled up to her sister, both horrified to see her still face but also relieved to hear her quiet breath.
Tohka flew forward, swinging [Sandalphon], but the mysterious figure effortlessly slid and jumped over her attacks. The person balanced perfectly on top of her blade before vaulting over her shoulder and pushing her aside, nearly making his escape.
Mitsuru suddenly jumped in and tackled the person. Rolling over each other, Mitsuru kept a tight hold. He immediately began punching and smashing the person, not registering the mask of no emotions that he was bashing in or the white coat the small person was adorning.
His hand began to turn black and amorphous. Strange appendages began to protrude from his forearm. The mysterious figure reacted quickly, grabbing Mitsuru's arm. The boy used his legs to hurl Mitsuru over him before getting back up.
It was like another fight was about to commence, yet the masked child put his left hand up by his hand like a 'truce' signal. With his other hand, he pointed at Mitsuru before slowly focusing on his right arm—a long swirl of black mist that stopped at his shoulder. The instant Mitsuru saw it and that image processed in his mind, the cloud reformed back into his arm and the sleeve of his sweater.
He recoiled back in disgust and blurted out, "What the hell?!" before his attention was diverted again by a splashing noise. The mysterious child disappeared into the ocean, towards the burning wreckage and glistening moon. Mitsuru tried, in a last-ditch effort, to catch the assailant. He summoned his glaive and hurled it at the trail of moving water, but it sank deep down to an undetectable level.
The Yamai twins didn't sustain any physical injuries outside of their fight, fortunately. Whatever that enigmatic person did wasn't traceable.
Yuzuru sat in a hospital gown beside a lethargic but conscious Kaguya. From what Reine had concluded, Kaguya experienced a Category E-Inversion, meaning that her sister fell to her deepest state of despair. Yuzuru, though not at full strength, could still be close to her bedridden sister and hold onto her hand.
"I'm sorry for…trying everything I could…to kill you." As Kaguya said that, her eyes met Yuzuru's for only a few moments before retreating. Yuzuru kept her gaze focused and her grip firm. She simply shook her head and uttered,
"Object: that does not matter now."
Kaguya rustled to face Yuzuru. Her eyes were still hesitant, darting from looking at her to running away.
"What blindness…to face Ult-ultimate Darkness and utter…utter words of compassion to It." Her voice trembled, and her eyes watered. Yuzuru said nothing as her tears reciprocated and only listened. "Thank you, Yuzuru…for saving me." Kaguya took Yuzuru's hand and ensconced it by her cheek.
"Clarify: it was not just Yuzuru though…because Yuzuru was saved as well."
(-)
Yuzuru and Kaguya giggled, having planned out something as giddy sisters for the first time. They intently watched the door with tight chests. When it finally opened, Shido stepped in.
"Are you two doing alright?" Shido asked with ordinary meagerness. For all that he had done, he was still a regular high school student.
It made him and her sister laugh when Kaguya used her childish language. Even in bed, she parted her hair, averted her eyes in apparent superiority, and retorted, "Hah! It is foolish of you to believe the Hurricane Children need to recover from anything." The irony of her exhausted voice matched humorously with her flamboyance.
"Dismay: Recovery from anything? Is Kaguya trying to make an innuendo?" Kaguya forcefully shook Yuzuru's arm.
"You're not supposed to say that!" She whispered as Yuzuru bent downward. Shido didn't quite catch on to what was happening and thought it would have been too intrusive to try to lean in.
"You think it's time?" Kaguya gave a glance to her sister. Yuzuru nodded her head. The flamboyant twin returned to gaze at Shido. "Hey Shido, we want to show you something, even though it might not be much. For rescuing us from our duel." Kaguya gestured for him to come closer as Yuzuru backed up slightly.
Under her blanket, she lightly tapped the bed: "You gotta come close. It's kind of hard for me to show you something when I'm like this." Without a second thought, Shido bent beside Kaguya. "Now close your eyes. Secret, you know?"
Shido closed his eyes, heard a slight rustling for Yuzuru, and then felt two faint, soft sensations on his lips.
Author's Notes
Rambling time. Ignore this if you wish.
I hope that releasing multiple chapters together makes the updates seem quick. Probably not.
In terms of original characters and concepts, I leaned more towards the canon event from the light novel and anime as a basis before weaving new ideas into that to, in a sense, get the ball rolling for the rest of the story. To be practical and to reflect the original version of this story, the following chapters also follow through Miku and Inverse Tohka's arcs (Season II). Ideally, I hope to create more original plots, only using the established story arcs as a rough framework.
About the Yamai twins, having a complete understanding of their character after their duel made me wonder what their dynamic was actually like during Yamai Tempest. Specifically, I wondered if they actually hated each other. Inspired by the scene of them working together in the volleyball match made me approach sections from the Yamai twins' perspectives as them trying to keep a front. I tried to convey the fact that, even after fighting for a long time, it was clear to both of them that they love each other.
Over time, Mitsuru's character changed a lot, to say the least. Looking back at the first time I conceived the character, I put very little effort into defining him (his motivations and personality). This being the first chapters that move the plot forward, I wanted to build him as much as possible for right now. I hope that there was some semblance of personality in Mitsuru after reading this, whatever it may be to you. As for the mysterious kid...more on him later.
Now, for the cameo mentions, this chapter particularly contained many, and I pondered if readers could easily distinguish these guest characters. I put short (descriptions) beside their names, hopefully to quickly remind you guys who is who.
Black-knife Assassin - Elden Ring
Solomon Grundy (Zombie) - Batman Arkham City
Fume Knight (Raven Knight) - Dark Souls II: Crown of the Old Iron King
Powder Keg Hunter (Crazed hammer man) & Beast Cutter (Cleaver whip) - Bloodborne
Darkeater Midir (Dragon) - Dark Souls III: The Ringed City
Enderman (Creature killed by Bandersnatches) - Minecraft
T-800 (Silver robots) - Terminator
Butcher (Demon) - Diablo
Hunter's Shotgun (Giant double barrel) - Little Nightmares II
Destroyer (Mechanical Worm) - Terraria
Thank you to the creators of these characters and thank you for reading.
