Once more the earth shook. Once more, the guests of the wedding and the stars of that event shrugged it off, assuming it was simply another earthquake. Or they wrote it off as the thundering of heaven itself, its flashing light piercing through even the cover of the tent.
However. Unlike before…the rumbling did not stop at just one time. The adventurers within the tent, busy mingling and celebrating, froze up as they realized it, that the shaking…was a constant thing, one that originated not from below Orario, but from outside of it. The moment the warriors within realized the fact…a heavy pressure came down on all of them as a monstrous roar echoed across the lands of Orario. As if someone injected ice directly into their veins, it was as if a mighty being was looming directly over them. Many weaker adventurers couldn't remain on their feet, collapsing to their knees and hands as they gasped for air. The stronger ones maintained their composure, but were unable to hold back the sweat breaking out of their skin. To some, they realized this aura they all felt was similar to the one the goddess Nyx possessed, causing an irrational fear in one's soul.
Yet, wasn't the goddess not their enemy? So what was assaulting their courage, their wills? The tent opened up, allowing a single scout drenched in rain water to enter with hyperventilating breaths, stumbling forward, just in time for Shakti to catch him by the arm.
"M-M-Monsters! Out-outside Orario!"
"Details, warrior!" The captain barked out, forcing discipline back into the young man. He grit his teeth, forcing himself to take a deep breath.
"S-Some kind of…woman shaped beast, with snake hea-!"
"Gorgon." Hans' annoyed voice cut through the tent, as he ran his hand through his hair. "Son of a bitch…!"
Many looked confused what he meant. The ones in the know however, like Bell or Finn for example, their eyes widened when they processed the name he stated.
Gorgon. Another Avenger. A mixture between many snake monsters and a woman's body, she was said to be able to use powerful energy blasts to tear apart the battlefield. But not only that, her worst ability was the skill to petrify anyone she hit and looked upon with her gaze. The one Avenger Kojiro and Hans both agreed was the most dangerous of them all due to all the esoteric abilities. And unlike the other Avengers…Gorgon was a natural born monster, a calamity, not 'just' a vengeful being.
Before anyone could take control of the situation however, more roars sounded, this time much much loser, as if they originated from Orario itself. Not only that, this time, they felt divine power emerge for an instant, a bright glow that pierced even the tent, before yet another adventurer stumbled inside.
"R-Report!"
"Oh, what now?!" Gareth snarled, already in the process of taking off his suit and rolling up his sleeves.
"S-Six Demi Spirits have emerged across Orario, after a god has been sent back to heaven!"
One thought went through the mind of the 'alliance' that consisted of Astraea, Hestia, Ganesha, Hermes and Loki.
Thanatos. Whether it was coordinated with the Night Queen, or the Evil God took this as a chance to take advantage of, the deity must have sacrificed himself to stir up the Demi Spirits left in hiding. Either that or he had a god 'left' to sacrifice, but considering the damage several Demi Spirits could cause, they had assumed that Knossos as it was must have been less than whole right now. Either way, Finn bit his thumb as he loosened up his tie.
"A two front attack…!"
Not just that, he recalled the information given by Filvis before she left Orario completely. The purpose of those Demi Spirits.
The Gate of Heaven. A ritual meant to call upon a power that was approaching the Arcanum of the gods themselves, destruction capable of wiping out Orario as a whole. Combining that threat with Gorgon…it meant they had to split up even more than if they only had to face one of those threats. He let out a dry chuckle. As always, Evilus refused to be gentle in their plans.
His mind was already racing with drawing up plans. He looked over the audience, seeing the Freya Familia already moving out on their own, their suits thrown onto the ground as they grabbed their weapons on the way out. So that was one Demi Spirit at least accounted for. As for the other five…Well, he was sure to come up with a proper set up in time. For now…he let out a nervous laugh as he stared at his new wives, who did not move a single inch ever since the first interruption, their expressions utterly blank since then.
That was before their veins popped through their skin, their faces turning scarlet with sheer rage as they barred their teeth as one.
""MY HONEYMOON, YOU BASTARDS!""
"At least they waited until the ceremony was over!" Alise let out a strained laugh. Kaguya whistled through the air as she tore off her kimono, a growl forming in her throat.
"Get your weapons out already, you useless bastards!"
In that moment, everyone's battle spirit ignited. Dresses were ripped open to adjust for battle, suits were discarded, and weapons were exchanged and thrown into the air by various supporters. While many would move on to put on armor as hastily as possible, the high ranking adventurers did not bother with such. While more defenses would be of advantage, their bodies were sturdier than most mundane metals anyway. Thus, the elite of the elite were moving out already, the rain storm hitting them to no avail as they all strode with purpose with their weapons in hand and their wedding outfits 'adjusted' for combat.
"Everyone got the plan?" Finn shouted through the rain, causing Kaguya to roll her eyes as she twirled her twin blades with a smirk.
"Yeah yeah, we're going to cut some weed for you, Braver!"
Finn nodded at her, before regarding the rest of the "teams" he gathered. The Hestia Familia would take on one. Gareth would lead Bete, Lefiya and Raul, while the Hiryute twins would take Anakitty and other volunteers to take out the second and third Demi Spirit. Then there was the Astraea Familia who would deal with the fourth. Meanwhile, he was sure that Ottar would take on one Demi Spirit on his own while the last would be dealt with by the rest of the Freya Familia. That meant the rest of their forces could focus on Gorgon instead. A part of him wondered if he was underestimating the Demi Spirits too much or overestimated the Avenger outside Orario…but it was the best plan he came up with on the fly. Not to mention…The adventurers that were by his side were strong.
They could do it, no matter what Evilus threw at them.
"Damn it, I wanted Finn to tear this dress apart!"
"Hear hear!"
Several people like Lefiya and Bell choked, stammering with blushing faces as the wives declared those words, letting their hair free from their previous styles. Finn merely chuckled, running his hand through his wet hair with only a bit of terror in his spine.
"Stay safe."
"As if we'd miss out on the best part of this."
"Prepare your hips, captain, cause we gonna be very pent up!"
"Talk about a famous death," Alise cackled with amusement, rolling her shoulders a few times. Meanwhile, Aiz tightened her grip on Desperate, giving Bell and Lefiya a nod.
"Don't drop your guard, you two."
"We've got this! You do your best too, Aiz!" The elf proclaimed, pumping her fist. Riveria chuckled at the reaction before ruffling Aiz' wet hair.
"I'll make sure this silly girl doesn't overdo it."
"We doin' this now or what?!" Bete snarled, hissing as the rain kept hitting his burn scars. Finn rolled his eyes before slamming his spear on the ground.
"Everyone, move out!"
With a battle cry, the adventurers split up, the fastest already gone, while others like Lefiya and Raul barely kept up with the speeds Gareth was capable of. Without further ado, he increased his pace alongside Riveria and Aiz, eyes narrowed.
He was rather angry himself. As much as he feared two women like Lyra and Tione, he was just as much looking forward to that night himself.
Being from another world, from another past, monster or not, that snake was going to get it.
/
Racing through the water filled streets, adventurers of their level ignored the lack of friction with ease, thus not slipping up even once despite their rapid movements. Nevertheless, with all the rain pouring down, someone like Raul had to spit and splutter more than once as it flowed down his face like a river.
"Seriously, will the rain ever let up?!"
"Less complaining, more running!" Gareth barked, eyes narrowed across the buildings, trying to spot their target. Lefiya groaned in exhaustion, pointing down in demonstration.
"High heels are not very easy to run in!"
"Then ditch them, elf!" Bete snarled, jumping across the rooftops.
"They are brand new…!" She muttered under her breath before doing exactly that, kicking them off before her soles touched the ground. She winced in discomfort at the harshness of the wet ground before gritting her teeth and pushing through nevertheless. Then she exhaled, preparing another spell as they saw the moving figure of the Demi Spirit, with its vines smashing apart the area around it while the woman humanoid form sang as if it was at stage. The elf already aimed with her staff, as thunder roared in the sky-
"INCOMING!"
Raul tackled her away. It took all of her focus not to drop the chant and suffer from a failure, instead keeping it up despite it. She looked behind her, seeing the sizzling of flames from the attack that landed. Then she heard both Gareth and Bete grunt in pain, as they were shot into nearby buildings and destroying them. Lefiya winced at the sight.
Poor citizens. Their houses kept getting destroyed like this. As quick as they smashed into the housing however, just as quick did they emerge, not much worse to wear.
"Tch!" Bete shook his arm as Gareth cracked his neck
"Good block," a male voice that sounded oddly familiar rang through the area, followed by a boisterous laugh that…also sounded very familiar.
"Sorry about that, didn't want to time it with the thunder of all things." A heavy sword rested on the shoulder of the dwarf, next to the wolfman, their features hidden by the rain and shadows. "But great instincts! This will be a worthy battle after all!"
Next to them, an elf put her hands on her hips, staff resting against it, as she let out a huff.
"You two, honestly! You could've at least waited until my spell was ready!"
Lefiya blinked. That voice sounded especially familiar. She wasn't the only one, wariness mixed with confusion spreading amongst their ranks. With his axe in hand, Gareth spat to the side before pointing it at the newcomers.
"Hmph, more servants of the Night Queen? Where is the wench getting you all-!"
Lightning flashed, bringing light to the area for just a moment. And yet, that moment was more than enough to see who they were facing. The words died in Gareth's throat. Bete's eyes went wide open and Lefiya could not keep her jaw from dropping. What they saw…it was…
"What."
Raul managed to voice out what they were all thinking in a flat tone. After all…The individuals that faced them…
They looked exactly like Lefiya, Gareth and Bete. The resemblance was more than uncanny, their traits were almost exactly the same, even if their armor and clothing belonged to an era long gone by. At least those figures looked just as baffled at seeing their expressions plastered on other bodies. Then, the dwarf gathered his wits first, slapping his stomach with a rumbling laugh.
"I'll be damned! This was worth the summon alone!"
"The probability of this happening is…" The Lefiya look alike muttered under her breath before shaking her head, at the same time as Lefiya herself did.
…This was getting too confusing for her poor head. She even dropped her chant from pure shock. At least there was no backlash but still…
Slamming down on the ground, everyone put their guard up against the dwarf that strolled forward first, his massive broadsword tapping his shoulder as if it weighted nothing.
"Servant Saber, Galmus! You shall not pass, I'm afraid!"
"Servant Berserker, Yuri, of the Loga tribe. Show me what became of our people in this era," the wolfman declared, stepping to the side of Galmus as he gave Bete a narrowed look. Meanwhile the elf stayed in her position, pumping herself up as she tightened her grip on her staff.
"Servant Caster, Feena! Apologies, but we have our duty!"
Lefiya couldn't help but let out a shocked gasp.
"Did they say…?!" She covered her mouth. "The heroes of old, Galmusa the Dwarfen Hero and Yuris the Wolven Lord…!"
"What?!"
"No way!"
"I'm really starting to hate the concept of servants…!"
Hearing Gareth's words, Lefiya couldn't help but agree. Great warriors from the era of Argonaut, who rose up after his story and pushed back the lines against the dungeon itself. If anyone deserved to be called a Heroic Spirit, it were these two legends that carried the pride of their species. Yet for mythical beings they seemed rather…
"I'll never understand why they added an A to my name!"
"And a S to mine."
"Ryulu?"
"Her or Orna."
…casual, as they both shared a tired look with each other. Then she glanced at the elf…half elf…? The individual at the top, rubbing her temples in irritation. Lefiya kept staring at her look alike, before tilting her head, pointing at her.
"Who are you? I don't recall any stories about a Feena…"
The girl called Feena almost doubled over with a pained groan before forcing her chest to puff out, a strained laugh escaping her.
"Just a supporter, don't worry about it!" She stared at Lefiya with wide eyes, causing the latter to shrink into herself a bit with how…unhinged she looked. "I'm not jealous at all that I don't own a title like them, no sir!"
"...I can see the resemblance."
"You too, huh?"
The dwarves share a solitary moment, nodding profoundly at their realization. Lefiya and Feena gasped before snapping towards their respective dwarf.
""What's that supposed to mean?!"" They both blinked before snapping back at each other with a stomp at the same time. ""You stop that!""
"Enough talk, those bastards are clearly stalling for time!" Bete snarled, rushing forward with a kick, only for it to be met by his counterpart's own leg. Bete hissed in pain while Yuri let out a grunt before they both pulled back. Raul then snapped his head to the back, hearing the singing even through the rainstorm.
"The Demi Spirits!"
"For shame. I thought they could distract you longer."
Another voice that sounded familiar. Then they saw someone emerge from the rooftop, right at Feena's side. This time, Lefiya had to wipe her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
"Aiz…?! No wait, who-?!"
The lookalike brushed her blonde hair back, a royal air radiating from her despite the heavy rainfall.
"Servant Ruler. Ariadne Lakrios. As you may have surmised…we are meant to keep you busy."
Lakers…wasn't that…? Before Lefiya could connect the dots however, Gareth turned towards the other adventurers, motioning with his head at them.
"Raul, go!"
"Wait, what?!"
"We got them, go already!"
The level four bit his lip before nodding with determination. Raising his fist, he signaled for the others to follow him before leading the charge towards the Demi Spirit.
"We won't let you down!"
Thus, the three were left against the figures of the past. Bete, Gareth and Lefiya. Lefiya gulped, realizing she alone was stuck on support duty now. Galmus chuckled before rolling his shoulders.
"You got us? Damn, dwarves these days sure became cocky!"
"You sound like an old man," Yuri stated, a smirk on his face. The dwarf in question let out a gasp before hammering his chest with a snarl.
"You shut up, I'm not even close to my fifth millenia yet!"
"You and your complex…"
"Is everyone from the past a clown or what?!" Bete roared, his hair standing up as he drew his knives. Ariadne let out a chuckle before she and Feena both raised their hands towards them.
"What can we say? Our Argonaut influenced us quite a lot."
Thus, the dwarves and the beastmen let out roars of challenge as they rushed at each other, while Lefiya swiftly released her loaded up spell against the other caster before her.
Unbeknownst to them…they were not the only ones who had a meeting that was supposed to be impossible, intertwining past and present together.
Sliding across the ground, Tiona wiggled her wrist a bit before spinning her massive dual blade a few times.
"Tione, are my eyes working right?"
"They better be, but I don't blame you…" The newlywed hissed before she tightened her grip on her knives. "Seriously, you'd think heroes of the past wouldn't cooperate with this bullcrap!"
"To our defense…We were not told these monsters were part of the plan."
"All we were ordered to do was to stall whoever we can stall."
Despite the veil covering her face, or the lack of 'energy' the other radiated, they were still clearly mirror images of the twins. They sent Anakitty ahead once they realized they wouldn't be able to finish this quickly. The Tione lookalike could hold them off on their own, and the Tiona lookalike used some strange magic to empower said Tione lookalike. The twins stood side by side as they watched their opponents approach them with narrowed eyes.
"Servant Caster, Olna Garof."
"Servant Assassin, Elmina."
The seriousness of the situation broke immediately, as Tiona processed the words before…
"Wait, Olna? Like, the Olna?! Olna the Storyteller?!" A childish giggle escaped her. "Oh, this is so awesome! Can I get an autograph? Can I, can I, can I?!"
Olna blinked, dumbfounded for a moment. She shared a look with Elmina, who shrugged, equally confused. Meanwhile, Tione slapped her twin over the head with an exasperated groan.
"Tiona, she's an enemy! Not the time!" She paused before glancing at the veiled assassin before her. "Wait a minute…Elmina… " Her eyes widened. "You couldn't be Elshana, could you?! The War Princess?!"
The assassin stiffened up. Olna at her side crossed her arms, a small smirk forming.
"Princess, huh?"
"I-I didn't choose that title! And why Elshana anyway, that's barely resembling my name, unlike Yuri and Galmus!"
At the same time, deadly silence was filling another area.
Ryuu's grip on her wooden sword was so strong, it wouldn't surprise anyone if it broke.
"Not a word," she whispered in a quiet voice.
"..."
Lyra's body was shaking, her lips pressed together with all her might.
"I will kill you all."
Kaguya covered her mouth, basically clawing her own flesh to keep it shut.
"..."
"I don't care if my heart breaks, I will do it."
"...Pff."
Alise straightened her back up immediately when Ryuu shot her a glare that promised painful death no matter what. And then…the lyre sounded once more, the strings playing a soothing melody.
"My oh my!" Ryuu's voice, sounding more jolly than ever, sang playfully…only that it wasn't her voice but the voice of the being before them. "To think someone with a face like mine has such a venomous tongue! I truly feel pity for those beauties at your side!"
Adjusting her hat, the Ryuu look a like at a mischievous smile on her face as she played her instrument. Kaguya and Lyra choked, while the captain almost doubled over as air escaped through her lips.
"Pfffffffff…!"
"Alise!"
"I-I-I'm really trying, Lion!"
"But where are my manners?" Bowing dramatically, taking her hat off for a moment, the Heroic Spirit let out a chuckle. "I am Servant Caster, Ryulu! But some might know me more as Wishe these days, ha ha ha!"
"Why is a famous story teller like you, who gave up to future generations, siding with the Night Queen?!"
And why did she look like Ryuu?! Why was she ruining the image the Royal Gale painstakingly build up in her life just with her mere existence?! Unheeding of her inner pain, Ryulu let out a wistful sigh, a genuine regretful smile on her face.
"Well, it is either complying to her orders or losing our freedom of mind! And as a humble bard, that is the last thing I can allow! I beg of your forgiveness!"
Her expression became more teasing.
"But truly, what a twist! To see someone bearing my face, yet with a body completely unlike mine! Ah, the gods are cruel, indeed, indeed! It makes me wish to break out into a serenade of sorrow and cruelty!"
"PFffhahahahahahahaha!"
"Ho-Holy shit, I can't breathe!"
Unlike Alise and Lyra, Kaguya couldn't even let out a sound, as she clutched the hem of her shirt near her heart. Ryuu covered her face, her blush piercing through even through her mouth cover.
"Someone kill me."
Last but not least…Bell was unable to move, barely able to process what he was seeing. Their pace was interrupted by a sudden blast of lightning crashing down right in front of them. Only his reflexes were able to help him avoid any lethal damage. Yet after looking at their assailant, he realized two things.
One, the attack was not aimed at them but in front of them.
Two…their assailant looked exactly like Bell himself. Poor Haruhime's head snapped between him and their attacker over and over again.
"Wawawawawa…!"
Meanwhile Kojiro…merely let out a grunt, rubbing his chin.
"Huh. I was wondering when this would happen."
"Is that normal?!" Bell shouted, his brain resetting from the sheer casualness of Kojiro's tone. The swordsman chuckled, a glint in his eyes as he shared a look with his student.
"Artoria has like four people across different times and countries that share her face."
He stared at Kojiro for a moment, same as Haruhime. Even his lookalike tilted his head in surprise. Then Bell gaped.
"Wait, it is normal?!"
He tried to imagine it. He really did. But it was impossible. He could not imagine Artoria but as an Amazon. Or as a Renard. Or dressed up in ancient clothing. It just…didn't fit at all with his impression. Kojiro shrugged nonchalantly.
"Indeed. I am surprised it took this long, quite frankly."
If nothing else, the jarring nature of Kojiro's words were enough to reset Bell's everything. Thus, he could turn to his mirror image without…freezing up again. With a laugh, his counterpart clapped his hands a few times, nodding in approval.
"Hoho, it appears you seem more knowledgeable about this miracle of the gods than me! Impressive!"
With a flick of his wrists, he summoned forth two beautiful blades. One, a crimson blade with a cross guard and an eye looking ornament in it. The other, crackling with lightning instead of fire, a golden sword with two holes in the middle of it, forming an eight symbol of sorts.
"Anyway, while this task I have been given is unbecoming of a hero, a servant is a servant! And the girl that called for me is my master nevertheless! So, if I have to do this, I shall give it my all and do it properly!"
He pointed the golden sword at Bell, who raised Homebringer in a cross guard as a response.
"Prepare yourselves, heroes of the present!"
He hit himself with his knuckle holding the crimson sword, a proud smile on his face.
"You shall not pass with ease! 'tis I promise, or my name is not Argonaut, the servant bearing the title of 'Alter Ego'!"
Again, Haruhime and Bell couldn't hold back their gaping. Did he say…Argonaut?! What sort of coincidence was that?! The man his skill was named after looked just like Bell?!
What the devil was going on here?!
/
"What do you mean they were intercepted by doppelganger?!" Finn asked in a loud and incredulous tone.
"Exactly what I said, captain!"
"That's just great…!" He muttered, rubbing his temples as he looked over the stormy horizon.
"S-Should we send back reinforcements?"
"Look in front of you, our new guest isn't alone."
Indeed she wasn't. Whether smuggled out of the dungeon or gathered from outside the dungeon to begin with, a horse of monster was accompanying the Avenger. Looking at the servant herself, Finn realized the reports were understating the sheer size Gorgon possessed. She'd easily tower over a Goliath with that size, the snakes themselves probably capable of swallowing one whole with one gulp. Not just that…it was as if her mere presence was empowering the beasts around her. Like a queen leading an army, they seemed more ferocious and filled with energy than normal.
Finn shook his head. There would be no reassignment of their forces for this.
"They'll have to overcome this challenge on their own." He turned to the captain of the Hermes Familia, playing with the amulet he was given.
"Perseus, these will work as advertised?"
In response, Asfi adjusted her glasses before lifting up another pendant, this one glowing with a brighter silver glow.
"Only this one, I am confident that it can withstand whatever Hans described. Everyone else…as long as they don't get hit by the main focus, they should hold up."
He bit his tongue to hold back a curse. Only one capable to fight Gorgon head on without fear of turning into a statue…with a sigh, he reached for the back of his neck, about to pull off the pendant he was given.
"Guess I am taking the field then…"
A hand grasped the artifact from Asfi's hand before Finn could take his inferior version off. Blinking, they all turned to the owner of the hand…staring at Aiz's determined frown.
"No."
"Aiz?"
She looked at Gorgon. Her breathing became more erratic as her eye twitched. And yet, she forcefully let out a deep breath, trying to maintain composure as she equipped the magic item around her neck.
"I'm the most mobile of us all. If anyone can outmaneuver that many snake heads and her attacks, it's me, no offense." She nodded at Finn. "Our forces need you here to command them."
Finn clicked his tongue in irritation. When did their princess become so insightful when it came to large scale battles? But as much as his renewed level seven pride demanded he'd take down the giant monster…it didn't change the fact he had to lead the army around him. And she was right. Even with his newfound abilities, Aiz had much better skill when it came to three dimensional combat. So in the end, the rational choice was to use Aiz.
And yet, a part of him was wary of doing so. His eyes wandered to the white colored hair of hers. She noticed his gaze, causing her to frown deeply. He let out a sigh, before raising an eyebrow at her.
"Are you confident?"
"I will win," she responded back, holding her rapier in front of her, as if making a vow like a knight. He shared a look with Riveria, who was pressing her lips together with disapproval…but not saying anything more. With a sigh, Finn crossed his arms before nodding at Aiz.
"Very well. But don't overdo it, got it?"
"...I can't promise that."
Before they could process her words, she disappeared, leaping to the battlefield.
"That silly…!"
"Let's focus and trust in her." Finn rammed the butt of his spear on the walls, raising his voice. "Everyone else, ready yourself up! They are coming!"
A battle cry echoed, following his rally as they mentally prepared. At the same time, Gorgon roared once more, this time sending the beasts around her into a frenzy. Mindlessly, they rushed forward, most of them ignoring Aiz herself as she soared through the air. The Wind Princess herself ignore them as well, channeling her wind as she got closer and closer to the ominous being that was Gorgon.
She remembered the information that Hans shared. For once, she did not suffer from those immersive dreams, somehow. She didn't know why, if it was a blessing or a curse. If the man inside her gave her a proper rest for once, or if the being before her was just not in sync with her…but Aiz didn't care.
No matter how 'sad' or 'unfortunate' the story of Gorgon was…she was a mere monster that ate her own family. A beast of destruction, unable to see right or wrong.
She could feel it. The intense desire to kill and absolutely annihilate the serpent before her. The scales, the reptilian eyes, all of them reminding her of her quarry, her goal, her end.
She hissed at the pain that growed in her chest. The instinctive 'empathy' with the Avenger before her, even with the being's eyes fogged over, stuck in an illusion of some sorts.
She felt the call from her soul.
"Awaken…Tempest!"
She denied it as the wind increased in momentum around her, the Gorgon finally reacting to her presence. The snake heads hissed as the Gorgon snarled, energy pulsating and pushing against Aiz. She could feel her body becoming stiff from the mere gaze of them…but she flexed her muscles.
Still able to move, but slowed down. If she were to pull on-
She shook her head with a hiss. No. She could do this without the flame. She could protect everyone without becoming a disaster herself.
She would control it.
She had to.
Despite telling this to herself…the dark flame in her heart roared against the feeble cage she created.
Full knowing that Aiz was not as confident as she wished herself to be.