Here we are at Chapter 42. Sorry for the late update. Needed a little break for the holiday. Time for Fuyumi to deal with a brainwashed, angry dragon girl. I do not own Code Vein or Skeleton Knight. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 42. Enjoy.
Chapter 42: Pride before the Fall
Out in the forests beyond the capital, Fuyumi finds herself in the crosshairs of an angry Hikaru.
"Hikaru, what's wrong? Please, tell me what's going on so I can help!" Fuyumi pleads.
Her pleas fall on depth ears as Hikaru roars, flying straight at her. Fuyumi teleports away in red mist just before Hikaru's fist destroys a tree behind her. Fuyumi reappears nearby.
"Hikaru, if I've done something to offend you, I'm sorry. Please, just talk to me!" Fuyumi yells.
Hikaru slowly turns to her, "You're... a threat... I must... kill you," she replies, still glaring at her.
"Hikaru..." Fuyumi mutters, dismayed.
Hikaru attacks her again, forcing Fuyumi to teleport away. They play this game of tag throughout the forest for a few minutes. Despite Hikaru trying to kill her for some weird reason, Fuyumi can't bring herself to strike back just yet. Even if they'd only known each other for a short time, she quickly took a liking to the dragon princess. She was a little quirky, but endearing. The people of her home adore her, and she them. Plus, she has a sense of justice, especially when it comes to illegal slavery. She was also very beautiful as a nice bonus. That's why her instincts are telling her that something's off here. Of course, she has more immediate problems. Hikaru breaths in and then launches a fiery breath attack at Fuyumi. Fuyumi teleports away again; the flames burning away anything in their path. She reappears nearby and fires several ice shards at Hikaru. She doesn't want to hurt her, but she doesn't want to die either. Back in the game, revenants could revive after death as long as their hearts were still intact. There's a chance that applies here, but Fuyumi is not about to find out any time soon.
Hikaru swings her tail, smashing through the ice shards. Fuyumi then launches a Plasma Roar at Hikaru. However, Hikaru counters with another breath attack. The two attacks cancel out in an explosion. Hikaru jumps right through the flames, right fist reeled back. Fuyumi pulls out her blade and manages to block the punch, but gets sent flying back into a nearby boulder. Fuyumi gasps in pain, but rolls out of the way just before Hikaru smashes the boulder. She swings her tail around, knocking Fuyumi through a tree.
"Ugh, no wonder dragons are at the top of the food chain," Fuyumi groans in pain.
She heals her wounds and looks up as Hikaru stalks towards her. Hikaru fires off another breath attack at her, but Fuyumi activates Foulblood Barrier and Flame Protection to protect herself from the flames. When the flames die down, Fuyumi is still standing, though her barriers are gone. Only now does Fuyumi finally notice the necklace around Hikaru's neck.
"What the..." Fuyumi mutters, seeing a faint, purplish glow emitting from the gemstone in the necklace. It matches the faint glow in Hikaru's eyes. "So, that's it, huh,"
Hikaru jumps at her, forcing Fuyumi to roll out of the way. She fires off an Ice Barrage at Hikaru to trip her up, but Hikaru flies up into the air to evade it. Fuyumi teleports into the air, swinging her sword at Hikaru, who meets the strike with a punch. They fly past one another with Fuyumi swinging around to fire off another Plasma Roar. Hikaru flies around it before coming back in at Fuyumi. Fuyumi disappears into red mist to dodge her attack, appearing back on the ground.
"Hikar, you need to take off that necklace! There's something wrong with it!" Fuyumi shouts. Unfortunately, Hikaru doesn't listen and fires off a few fireballs at her. "Yeah, figured that wouldn't work," Fuyumi deadpans.
She conjures up a Fourfold Verdict, sending the bolts out to intercept Hikaru's fire balls. Hikaru flies in, only this time she's trying to claw Fuyumi's face off rather than just smashing it in. Fuyumi uses her blade to deflect Hikaru's claw strikes. While Fuyumi may have the edge in technique, Hikaru has the edge in power, and it's taking everything Fuyumi has to keep up with Hikaru's speed. At one point, Fuyumi manages to parry a claw strike from Hikaru, making her move right past her. Fuyumi makes a downward swing at her back, only for Hikaru's tail to block the strike. Her scales are hard enough to block Fuyumi's blade. Hikaru comes back around and lands a vicious roundhouse kick on Fuyumi's side, sending her flying across the ground. Fuyumi staggers back to her feet while healing her wounds, taking a few breaths. This is the first time since coming to this world that Fuyumi has been pushed to the edge like this.
"Do I need to go all out to take her down long enough to get at that necklace? There's that one ability I have... Final Journey. It would give me a major power boost, but I never used it in the game because after a few moments from activating it, it kills the player. Would the same happen here?" Fuyumi wonders as she eyes Hikaru. "No, too risky. I need to get close to take out that necklace."
Fuyumi teleports right next to Hikaru, making a grab for her necklace. However, Hikaru grabs her arm, swings her up and slams her into the ground before throwing her through a few more trees. After coming to a stop on the ground, Fuyumi heals her wounds, but she's getting the crap kicked out of her here. No matter how much she can heal herself, it won't matter if she dies before she gets the chance. And there's still no guarantee that she'll come back to life if she does. Fuyumi adds the Frost Weapon buff to her blade and then fires off a Freezing Roar at Hikaru. Hikaru throws a roundhouse kick and smashes through the ice, only to see Fuyumi launch a Draconic Stake at her. Hikaru blocks the strike by crossing her arms in front of her. The impact creates an explosion, but Fuyumi doubts it did any major damage to Hikaru. Plus, she was aiming for the necklace. However, Hikaru flies out of the smoke, still ready to go. Fuyumi ducks under a left cross from the princess, narrowly avoiding her attack. Hikaru lands one foot on the ground, pivots, and goes right back at her.
She swings her tail, but Fuyumi jumps over it and narrowly avoids a close-range breath attack. She fires off another ice barrage that actually lands some hits, but that only seems to piss Hikaru off even more. Fuyumi then conjures Indra's Coil, sending out lightning bolts from Hikaru's feet. The surprise attack shocks her, but Fuyumi doesn't let up, attacking with a Circulating Pulse with her sword, dealing several blows to Hikaru's body. Finally, she activates Bab Yaga's Gaze, unleashing a powerful technique that freezes Hikaru in place and the vicinity around them.
"I'm sorry Hikaru, I just need to get that necklace off," Fuyumi mutters as she approaches Hikaru. "I promise that I'll make it up to you later,"
However, the ice cracks, stopping her as Hikaru breaks free, throwing her right fist fast and hard. The attack is so fast that Fuyumi can't react in time... and the fist plows right through her stomach. Fuyumi pukes out blood as her hand drops her sword. She looks up at Hikaru, her glare still present. However, Fuyumi only smirks.
"...G-Gotcha," Fuyumi mutters before grabbing the necklace and destroying it with a Lightning Charge.
After the necklace is broken, Hikaru's eyes return to their natural jade green. She blinks a few times, like she was in a deep sleep.
"Huh? Fuyumi? What's-," Hikaru gasps, her eyes widen, when she finally notices her arm through Fuyumi's stomach. "FUYUMI?! What happened?! I didn't-I-," she freaks out.
"It's okay... Not... your fault... It was... this," Fuyumi shows the broken remains of the necklace. "It was... controlling you..." she coughs up blood.
Hikaru's eyes widen even more. It was the same necklace that her brother gifted to her. But, after he put it on, everything went black, and she cannot remember what happened afterwards.
"Fuyumi..." Hikaru's eyes shake with dread. "I have to pull out, or-,"
Fuyumi grabs her shoulder, "I can... survive. But I... need your help," she coughs up more blood.
"Anything! Just tell me, please!" Hikaru cries.
"When I give... the signal... pull your arm... out. Hikaru... do you trust me?" Fuyumi asks weakly.
"What?" Hikaru asks.
"Do you... trust me?" Fuyumi asks again.
"Yes... Yes, I trust you," Hikaru says, holding Fuyumi closer.
"Good," Fuyumi pulls her close and then sinks her fangs into Hikaru's exposed neck.
Hikaru gasps but holds Fuyumi close to her. Fuyumi's eyes widen as she drinks Hikaru's blood. Her wound would prove fatal, especially after how much strength the fight with Hikaru costed her. However, she had a hunch that a dragon's blood would be far more potent than a human or elf's blood. She was right. It was much, much stronger. Near instantly, her strength returns as she drinks Hikaru, her arms clamping tightly around her body. Once she's had enough, she tugs on Hikaru's arm, giving her the signal. Hikaru pulls her arm out, causing more pain to Fuyumi. As soon as it's out, Fuyumi uses all her healing and regenerative power to close and heal the wound. Only once it's healed does she finally let go of Hikaru's neck and breathes a sigh of relief.
"Fuyumi? Fuyumi! Are you alright?!" Hikaru begs.
"I'm okay. I'll be okay. I just need... to rest," and Fuyumi collapses in her arms.
"Fuyumi!" Hikaru holds her up and slowly kneels down. She looks and finds that Fuyumi is still breathing. That battle, and everything that came after, took quite a toll on her. "Oh, Fuyumi," Hikaru mutters. She holds a hand to Fuyumi's cheek and finds her to be very cold. She holds Fuyumi in her arms, wraps her wings and tail around her body, and breathes a ring of fire around them to keep Fuyumi warm. "I won't let you die. I am so, so sorry, Fuyumi... What use is my pride in being a dragon if this is how I end up?" she says, melancholy.
She does not move as she keeps Fuyumi warm with the flames and her body heat. She's not even concerned over the fact that Fuyumi sank her fangs into her neck and sucked her blood in order to survive and heal her injuries. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't interested in Fuyumi. Quite the opposite. Fuyumi was more beautiful than even the finest courtesans in the entertainment district. She was gutsy and strong and has a sense of honor. Hikaru was always annoyed by her father pestering her to find a mate, even though he knew exactly what she was looking for in a mate. And Fuyumi was all that and more. It certainly helped that she's kept things interesting since their first meeting. She wanted Fuyumi to become her mate. Her other siblings would be more than capable of keeping the family line going. This was her choice and no one else's. Her thoughts are interrupted when an explosion rings out in the distance. She looks and realizes that the explosion occurred in the direction of the capital.
"No..." Hikaru mutters in horror before bringing up her broken necklace. She crushes what's left of it in her hands. "Homura..." she growls, her face gripped in anger.
…
Meanwhile in the capital, several explosions have wrung out and chaos takes hold. The civilians are quick to run while guards and soldiers head into the flames to see what's going on. They find only monstrosities waiting for them.
"What are those things?!" one soldier freaks out.
Monsters with human-like forms, red glowing eyes, and looking at them like food rather than living beings. They wield strange weapons in their hands as they roar and charge at the soldiers.
"Take them down! Don't let them near the civilians!" one soldier leading the group says before they charge into the melee.
In another part of the city, Elane and Iris with Umi on her shoulder race down the street, only to find more of the same monsters waiting for them. Monsters they recognize.
"The Lost," Elane mutters with shock.
"How did they get into the capital?" Iris asks as Umi takes into the skies for safety.
"I don't know, but we need to take them down fast before they cause anymore damage. The soldiers will need our help," Elane says as she draws her bow.
"Right. Hopefully, Fuyumi is somewhere around, helping out. I haven't seen her in a little while," Iris draws her sword.
"With any luck, she'll be right in the middle of this mess," Elane replies, firing off an arrow that nails one Lost that's about to attack one guard from behind.
With the plan set, the pair jump into the action.
…
In the imperial palace, the emperor is receiving reports regarding the current situation happening in his home.
"Where did these damn things come from? How did they get past all the security checks?" Kagutsuchi demands.
"We're unsure at this time sure. However, we're receiving reports that similar creatures have been seen in several other locations throughout the country. This seems to be a coordinated attack to destabilize us. The empress is currently assisting with the injured and relief efforts, and Lord Kagero is dealing with threats outside the capital. Some of the troops in the capital are requesting reinforcements," one retainer says, bowing their head.
"Send in a few squads of guards from the palace to aid those in the city. There's no need to keep all of them here," Kagutsuchi commands.
"But, Your Majesty, you must-," the retainer argues.
"I will not rest in safety while my people are dying. Send in the troops to provide aid, now!" the emperor commands with force this time.
"A-At once, Sire!" the retainer bows and quickly leave the room.
Kagutsuchi turns to another retainer, "What of the party sent here from Anatolia? Where are they?"
A second vassal kneel before him, "Sire. We just received a report that the elf and human were spotted in the city, attacking the creatures and lending their aid to our troops. We have reason to assume they've faced these creatures before and are providing us with intel on how to combat them,"
"And what of Fuyumi Kusanagi? Where is she?" Kagutsuchi asks.
"Unknown at this time, Your Majesty. There was an earlier report that she was taken by Princess Hikaru outside of the city, but we do not know their current location," the vassal explains.
"Blasted. What is Hikaru doing at a time like this?" Kagutsuchi curses. "Find them at once. I need Hikaru here at my side,"
"At once, Your Majesty!" the vassal goes to leave the room, only for a sudden explosion to occur at the door and send him flying.
"What is going on here?!" the emperor rages.
"Hello, Your Majesty, it's been quite some time," a cloaked figure enters the room.
"Who are you? Are you responsible for all of this?" Kagutsuchi demands.
"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten about me... Father," the figure removes their hood, revealing themselves to be Homura.
"Homura... You were exiled from this land. How dare you return and show your face here!" Kagutsuchi is not happy to see his eldest son again.
"I have come for what is rightfully mine, Father. My place on the throne," Homura challenges him.
"You lost that right long ago. Do you still intend to go on your campaign of conquest across the land. To desecrate the continent with the ravages of war?" Kagutsuchi asks.
"Why are you so cowardly, Father? We are dragons. We rule the skies. We shake the land. We are the strongest species of all. Why only rule one part of the continent when we could have it all?" Homura asks.
"I'm already had this conversation with you, and my decision has not changed. If you are the one responsible for this chaos, then I will show you no mercy this time!" Kagutsuchi declares as flames erupt around him.
Homura smirks, "I couldn't agree more, Father," crimson flames erupt around him.
…
Back with Hikaru, she lands on a roof of a building in the city, seeing the flames spread around her. As she watches, Fuyumi stirs awake.
"Ugh, Hikaru..." Fuyumi mutters.
"Fuyumi, thank goodness!" Hikaru sighs, but the moment is short-lived with everything around them. "Can you stand?"
"I think so," Fuyumi is given the chance to stand, only to gasp at the scene before them. "What the Hell is going on here?"
"Homura," Hikaru notes bitterly.
"Homura?" Fuyumi asks.
Hikaru sighs, "My older brother. He was the one who gave me that necklace that brainwashed me and made me attack you. No doubt he's responsible for all of this. I'm so sorry, Fuyumi. I have been a fool,"
"None of this is on you, Hikaru," Fuyumi caresses her cheek gently. The moment is ruined when they hear noise below and spot Lost attacking soldiers. "The Lost?!"
"You know those... things?" Hikaru doesn't know how to describe them.
"It's a long story, but they're dangerous and their enemies. We have to take them down," Fuyumi says.
With that, the two jump into the fray. Fuyumi falls down, slicing her blade through one Lost to cut it in half. Hikaru is right behind her, smashing her claws down on a second into the ground. Their entrance gains the attention of nearby Lost, which is exactly what they wanted. The Lost charge at them, but Hikaru roasts them with her flame breath. Fuyumi jumps through the flames and swings her blade through one, followed by stabbing it through the heart of a second, and then beheading a third. A fourth comes at her flank, but a swing from Hikaru's tail sends it flying. As they fight, a large explosion rings out at the palace. They look to see two dragons, a red one and a crimson one, duking it out in the skies.
"Is that..." Fuyumi asks.
"It's Father and Homura. Father is strong... but I don't think he can win this. He's not the fighter he once was" Hikaru notes with worry.
"Then you should go help him. I'll fine my friends and we'll help the soldiers deal with the Lost here. But, can you take on your own brother?" Fuyumi asks.
"Yes... He stopped being my brother when he tried to control me and brought chaos to my home. I'll take care of him," Hikaru replies.
Fuyumi nods, "Good luck," and with that, she runs down one street while Hikaru takes off into the air.
…
Back at the palace, Kagutsuchi breathes fire at Homura, but the younger dragon evades the flames and tackles him in mid-air. They spiral to the ground and crash into another part of the palace. When the dust settles, Homura stands on top of his father.
"You have grown weak, Father. You defeated me so easily last time. But you have lived in peace for a long time, whereas I have fought out in the real world without end. Only the strong shall rule. And soon, I will rule all!" Homura roars.
"You are not... worthy... to rule," Kagutsuchi coughs.
"Too bad you won't live to see it," Homura raises a claw, only to get socked in the face and knocked off of his father. He gets up and sees Hikaru standing before him. "Sister,"
"This ends now, Homura," Hikaru clenches her claws.
And that's the chapter. Homura rains chaos across the capital and beyond. Luckily, Fuyumi freed Hikaru from his control. Now, a battle between siblings begins. Will Hikaru defeat her brother and save her home? Will Fuyumi and her friends put out the flames? Until then, please Read and Review.