Date A Re:Live
S3 Chapter 61: Mukuro Space, Part 4
By : Tohka_Yatogami
...
Summary
Even a similar story can take it's own path. Shido and Mana are amnesiac siblings living with their friend Kotori, however the past catches up to Shido when he nearly runs into a space quake, and his world changes as one girl asks... "Are you here to kill me?" (Stronger Ratatoskr, weaker DEM, games & movie are canon to story) [Shido/Tohka/Harem]
Here we are, the war continues and the many battles within it resume, Ratatoskr just got wind of their founder and chairman's death, now the question is... how will they react? Will their morale drop and leave them vulnerable, did Westcott chose the wrong first kill and light a fire in that's made their determination burn brighter? We're about to find out.
Now this chapter's gonna show the battles that I only let begin last chapter, now it's time to see Mana vs Jessica for the umpteenth time, Karen vs Chinami, and most of all... Artemisia and Ellen, which is a fight I've really been waiting to do since Artemisia rejoined Ratatoskr at the end of Season 1! Oops, I shouldn't forget the ships either, because the Fraxinus and Arbitel are about to prove which ship is stronger.
Most of all, it's now time for Shiori to try and unlock Mukuro's emotions, because if she misses... she's screwed because of how the Triple Spirit Ascension's fusion based attack works. The surge of emotion is high, the action is packed and explosive, and I'm wondering how drained I'm gonna get once all this excitement in my bloodstream burns out!
So, let's get this chapter started! *hits a gong* BEGIN!
Reine began to whimper, and soon shed tears as she had no choice but to reveal the horrible truth.
"Everyone... Chairman Elliot is, he's... Chairman Elliot is gone! He's dead!" Reine screamed sadly.
A huge silence silent suddenly rang across those who were listening on the news, and most of the group suddenly froze up.
Meanwhile as most of Ratatoskr registered the news, Westcott was cackling loudly as he enjoyed the act he just committed, and now... he was going to stomp on their loss even further for the fun of it. He soon made his announcement from the Arbitel.
"Finally, he's finally gone... Elliot Woodman is dead!" Westcott exclaimed.
Meanwhile with the AST members...
"Elliot... h-he's really g-gone?" Mikie stuttered.
"No way... he was killed?" Katie gasped.
"And Westcott is... laughing at his death." Saya muttered.
The remaining eight Adeptus wizards all flew towards the shocked AST intending to use the opening to attack them.
"Take them all out now!" Adeptus 5 roared.
Right as they neared the group... Saya's eyes widened before she screamed, creating a barrier faster and stronger than ever before, pushing all eight Adeptus wizards away.
- (*Fate/Grand Order - Grand Battle*) -
Saya turned at them with an angry look, and soon every member of the AST gave the same pissed look as hers, with their individual and unique expressions all showing it differently, and their CR-Units glowing as if they reacted to that rage.
"He was a great man, and you dare to mock him... you dare to think of it as a joke, and use how hurt we are to your advantage! I thought you were just bastards and jerks, but I can't believe how cowardly the DEM really is!" Mikie cried.
"C-cowards!?" Adeptus 6 replied.
"Everyone... we joined Ratatoskr, and now Elliot won't get to see his dream succeed... so let's make damn sure that we make it happen or we don't deserve to stand here!" Ashley screamed angrily.
All of the AST members charge at the Adeptus wizards.
Ashley gives a loud cry as she unleashes the Asura's additional arms and begins quickly flying past Adeptus 6, smashing them across her body before swinging her fists down on her face.
"Gah!" Adeptus 6 cried out.
Ashley soon grabbed her by the face and pulled her back.
"You're not! Going to! Get! Off! That! Easily!" Ashley roared, punching Adeptus 6 between words.
"Damn... damn you!" Adeptus 6 wheezed out.
The DEM wizard grabbed her sword and thrust it forward at Ashley, but she simply grabbed the sword, ignoring that her hand was bleeding from the energy blade burning into her skin. Adeptus 6 stared in shock at this.
"No matter what it takes... we won't lose here, not after everything we fought for to get this far!" Ashley shouted.
"This can't be happening!" Adeptus 6 shrieked as Ashley's other fist neared her.
Saya formed the Salamandra's shielding again as Adeptus 5 smashed two energy swords at her, bouncing her back from the force. Right afterwards, Saya used her own barrier to catapult herself forward and slashed her own sword forward.
Adeptus 5 put out her territory barrier, with Saya shouting loudly every second as the flames on her blade continuously burned hotter and hotter. Making Adeptus 5 struggle as she saw her barrier begin to crack.
"No... no way, this isn't possible! How can you children have so much power? How can you do this!?" Adeptus 5 demanded.
"Because we have dreams!" Saya shouted.
She put more force into her swing.
"Because we have the will to fight!" Saya shouted again.
Even more force.
"And because we have the hope for a better tomorrow, not the despair of giving into fate like your dumb ass of a leader!" Saya shouted once more.
"Master Westcott is no dumb ass, you're just brats who need to learn how this world works!" Adeptus 5 shouted angrily.
"We do! Well you can take those damn words and shove them through your gut like a sword, because that's how doubled edged your beliefs are! The proof stands before you, and in case you don't get it... do you remember the previous [Efreet]!?" Saya countered.
Adeptus 5 looked at her confused, wondering if she had gone insane.
"Yeah, so what!?" Adeptus 5 demanded.
"I heard how she died, she was with [Nightmare], and Ellen, the bitch you call Adeptus 1? Lobbed her head right off her. Well then you should know, that girl was..." Saya answered.
Saya pushed forward a bit more, causing Adeptus 5 to gasp as it was about to break.
"...that girl was me!" Saya screamed angrily.
"What!? That's impossible, you should be dead if that's the case!" Adeptus 5 panicked.
"But I'm not, still think the law of the jungle applies when you can shatter the walls of death!? I'm proof of that, and that proof is the hope that'll save this world!" Saya shouted.
Adeptus 5's barrier broke before the flames on Saya's sword exploded out, burning the DEM wizard with its blaze.
Adeptus 7 fired at Katie and Leonora as they swerved her laser fire, while Adeptus 8 zipped around, trying to slash electrified Maryoku daggers across Cecile and Mikie who danced around her attacks.
"Damn it!" Adeptus 7 growled.
"HOLD STILL YOU BASTARDS!" Adeptus 8 demanded.
Katie shifted her sniper rifle and grabbed something from the side, readying it.
"Sure thing, here!" Katie shouted.
Katie threw it, and soon a flash grenade went off before it produced smoke to cover Adeptus 7 and 8's views.
"They've blinded us, look out!" Adeptus 8 exclaimed.
Soon the DEM wizard turned as she heard Adeptus 7's screams, and as she looked around waiting for an attack, the smoke cleared to show... no one?
The confused wizard looked around, now feeling particularly paranoid.
"Huh? W-where are they? And where's... damn it, deploy territory!" Adeptus 8 stated.
"Territory Jamming Field on!"
Adeptus 8's voice gasped as she heard Cecile's voice from behind, and soon her territory fizzled before she readied her daggers for an attack.
Unfortunately for her, she suddenly felt something cut across her as her she saw her backside bleeding... right where her space realizer that let her breathe was, causing some of her air to disappear as the damage made her have trouble breathing.
Mikie turned visible right behind her, making her look worriedly as Mikie gave her a sad face.
"I'm sorry, but... I can't let you hurt me friends." Mikie said with teary eyes.
Adeptus 7 was flung a bit further before she felt a rifle barrel to her back, and turned to see Leonora with a cold stare at her, she tried to move away, only for Katie to do the same on her front sight, locking her in place.
"No... no, you can't do this to me." Adeptus 7 whimpered.
"...You're forgetting we're fighting a war here in space right now, even if we didn't want to-" Leonora started.
"-This is the kind of place where you need to be willing to risk your life, and after losing one of our own, we're willing to take that risk so we don't lose another." Katie finished, her eyes closed to avoid bearing witness to what she was doing.
Adeptus 9-12 soon found themselves in a similar position as the other AST members all corner them. That was it, the AST had overpowered most of DEM's elite wizards.
- (*insert song end*) -
Ryouko breathed and looked towards where the Aries' debris was floating around, tears filling her eyes before they streamed down her face.
"...We'll live on, and keep fight for you. That's a promise." Ryouko said with determination.
Ellen and Artemisia begin clashing with one another, their blades clashing as the strength behind each of their blows manifested as a powerful force of wind recoil, the wizards nearby the two being thrown far away as they fly across the battlefield.
"Take this!" Ellen shouted.
Ellen fired off a beam from Caliburn's tip, and the large powerful blast of dark Maryoku rushed towards Artemisia. The Ace of Ratatoskr held her hand out.
"Territory Barrier, deploy!" Artemisia exclaimed.
She formed single sections of a territory barrier and instead of blocking them, used them like mirrors to reflect them towards Ellen!
The Adeptus 1 Wizard's eyes went wide as her own attack smashed into her.
"Nandaka!" Artemisia shouted, raising her sword.
"Caliburn!" Ellen shouted.
Their swords both glowed, and upon clashing, white streams of energy fly out as a bright flash occurred, causing everything nearby to be slingshot away from the two of them as they broke off and then charged each other again, looking like clashing shooting stars.
"Not as easy as you thought, is it?" Artemisia asked.
"I'll admit, you definitely are giving me trouble... but I'm still the stronger wizard!" Ellen replied.
"We'll see about that!" Artemisia countered.
Artemisia turned her sword a bit, forming a beam shot that pushed Ellen away before being followed by multiple burst shots, Ellen dodged and slashed against them as the two charged again, creating a flash of their respective Maryoku in the sea of space.
Mana and Jessica continue their clash, with Mana yelling as she slashed the crystal blade she formed against all the artillery that Jessica fired at her, the Adeptus 2 wizard cackling almost like she was crazy as she fired off the Black Licorice's weapons without pause.
"NOW DIE!" Jessica exclaimed.
Mana suddenly noticed a flurry of hidden fire aim at her, and she threw her sword forward before shifting to the Yamai twins' colors and flying away, knowing she could only evade them this time. She looked at Jessica as she dodged.
'Look at her face, she almost looks like she's fallen to insanity? Damn... I think all those times I beat her plus that one time she technically succeeded has been slowing tearing down her mind.' Mana thought.
"Here I come!" Jessica declared, zooming after her.
Suddenly layers of territory barriers formed and Mana got trapped in one. Jessica prepared to fire, but Mana switched to Yoshino's powers, freezing the barriers before breaking free just in time.
"MANA!" Jessica roared.
"Damn, my Spirit Ascension's still not enough, that can only mean whatever power boost she was given was made to fight against Shiori and the other Spirits. She can't know Nia's abilities since she always managed to evade the DEM, but I don't how her powers work without Raziel." Mana said.
Mana sweated a bit.
"I'll just have to play smart then." Mana told herself.
"BEGONE!" Jessica screamed.
The Black Licorice fired off four beams, and Mana switched to Miku's powers before screaming loudly and defending with a sound wall.
"Time to die. Time to die! TIME TO DIE!" Jessica cackled crazily.
A storm of missiles fire with Mana barely escaping the barrage.
"Oh Mana! Mana Takamiya! No, I won't lose this time, I won't lose to you anymore!" Jessica said with a neurotic looking face.
Mana flew away from her attacks as she tried to get closer.
"As long as I have the Black Licorice, I can't be defeated!" Jessica cackled.
"How naive!" Mana stated.
Using Natsumi's power, she transformed and disappeared from view, Jessica looked around as Mana got behind her and changed into Origami's powers, firing of a beam of light that smashed one of the Black Licorice's sides off.
Jessica was burned by the holy light, and she turned showing her eyes, nose, ears and mouth had starting to bleed to Mana's horror. When the Scarlet Licorice turned into the if the Black Licorice by applying Dark Maryoku into it, the process must have made it incompatible with Jessica's body, and now it was killing her to use it.
"She's killing herself, just to try and kill me." Mana whispered to herself.
"I'm still right here Mana! I've never liked you, did you know that!?" Jessica asked mockingly.
Mana breathed and soon shifted to Kurumi's powers.
"I did... I knew because I hated you in return, ever since the day you killed Uncle Isamu." Mana answered.
"Damn you! You, that stupid brother of yours and that other little girl... why didn't Master Westcott just kill you that day!? You've caused us all Hell, that's proof I was right!" Jessica screamed.
Mana closed her eyes and shook her head.
"You poor fool... when I think to that die, how close things came to Westcott's actions... just one wrong turn and I would have become the same as you. Even though I hate you, there's one thing I can say." Mana said sadly.
Mana rushed forward using Kurumi's shadow powers to shift through the Black Licorice's fire as Jessica just tried to fire forward at her.
"That's it, let me kill you... MANA!" Jessica screamed in joy.
"That doesn't mean you deserved this, no one deserves what's happened to you! So, the one bit of kindness I can give despite that I hate you... is to end your suffering." Mana said.
Mana shed a tear as she switched to Tohka's powers, and Jessica felt a crystal sword stab into her as the Black Licorice fell off her.
Jessica's body shook before it fell onto Mana's.
"...H-hey, Mana? O-one of your... allies is someone who died, right? Tell me... does... does that mean there is an afterlife? Can I finally see my mother again, right? I just want... to see her one last time."
"Yeah... I know you'll see her, you will!" Mana answered, her voice cracking a bit as she teared up.
"I... I hope I do... Mana-" Jessica answered.
At that moment, Jessica makes one final gasp before she goes limp, and Mana doesn't do anything but rest her dead body's head on her shoulder.
Even though they had been enemies, even if they hated each other... Mana didn't feel happy.
"If only... if only things had been different, maybe it wouldn't have had to end this way. Isaac Westcott, one day you'll pay for this and everything else you've done! I hope that soon enough you'll realize that!" Mana cried.
Karen screamed in pain and rage, rushing at Chinami as she collided her sword with Chinami's blade, she swung rapidly with both hands while Chinami only one of hers to parry with her own, making the Adeptus 3 wizard sigh.
"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU TAKE ELLIOT FROM ME, I'LL DESTROY YOU!" Karen shrieked loudly.
"Such overwhelming rage, and yet still you lack the necessary power that you need to defeat me." Chinami replied.
Chinami's eyes focused before making a flash movement towards Karen and swinging her sword multiple times, and Karen's eyes widen as multiple cuts appear against her Valkyrie's wiring suit, with one deep slash cutting across her abdomen.
Karen keeled over briefly, but soon shouted as she focused all of her territory's power towards her wound, using it to keep it from opening up and start bleeding.
"Damn it... damn it! Don't you dare treat me like some weakling!" Karen roared.
Karen managed to rush at Chinami so fast, the Adeptus 3 wizard's eyes widened in shock as her guard was completely dropped.
And with that opening, Ratatoskr's second-best wizard slashed down on Chinami who grunted as she felt the blow hit her. However, right as she made it, Karen's eyes widened as she saw something.
"What the-" Karen gasped.
Suddenly her eyes widen before she coughs out some blood on her body, the sight of Chinami's sword striking through the front of her got was seen. The Adeptus 3 wizard's eyes incredibly dark and focused.
Worse, the realizer that let Karen breath in space had been completely shattered, and she quickly began to make gasping motions for air she couldn't get, unable to move her arms due to the wound in her abdomen.
"...You made a grave error with that move, and now we know who was right. It was me!" Chinami exclaimed.
Karen tried to choke out some words, but Chinami struck her hard, shattering her CR-Unit and weapon before raising her sword as it charged all the Dark Maryoku it could into one point.
"NOW DIE!" Chinami screamed.
The gathered power shot forward, and then became an explosion that encompassed Karen as she gave a silent scream, and the power obliterated her.
The Fraxinus crew, and by extension the AST due to the connection between their CR-Units', saw the readings for Karen's pulse fade away.
"No... first Elliot and now, and now..." Reine stuttered.
Reine shrieked before slamming her head on the control console, sobbing as she watched another old friend die.
She hit the same communications button.
"This is... Commander Reine to all ships, the Fraxinus... has just confirmed another death! We've lost... we've lost Karen Mathers!" Reine cried.
"...Karen." Ashley whimpered.
The members of the SSS quartet all cried a bit, back when they joined the SSS, Karen had been there and trained them into the wizards they had become. She was almost like a mother to them, especially Artemisia who had lost both her parents...
...and now she was gone, Chinami had extinguished her life.
"Damn it, that asshole! Westcott! Just how many more lives do you have to end before you're finally satisfied!?" Saya screamed.
In the spot where Artemisia and Ellen were fighting, the both of them stopped as the news reached them. While Artemisia's eyes shook in horror and despair, Ellen's expression... was just a smirk.
"Good riddance, that foolish sister of mine always believed in something that would get her killed, and now she's finally payed the price."
"...That's all she was to you." Artemisia asked.
Ellen looked at Artemisia like she was crazy.
"Of course, my sister betrayed me long ago by choosing to side with that Elliot bastard and now both have faced reality with their deaths. They're simply seeing what happens when you go against the laws of the world." Ellen answered.
Artemisia breathes heavily, as a certain event in her past rushes to the surface of her memories.
In a Ratatoskr base stationed in England, various people were screaming as Ellen swung Caledfwlch down and attacked the base, heavily damaging the structure as everyone inside tried to run away. The defenses that had been deployed to defend the base from Ellen were all on the ground, having been killed before they even had a change to fight back.
Within the base, Artemisia's parents were running as her father held their 6-year old daughter's hands.
"Mommy, Daddy, I'm scared!" Artemisia cried.
"It's OK sweetie, we want you to be scared right now! Just keep running and everything will be-" Artemisia's mother replied.
"CALEDFLWCH!"
Suddenly a majority of the base's ceiling collapsed all at once, and everyone looked up at what was about to kill them all.
"Artemisia!"
Artemisia felt her father dive over her, and soon the collapsing ceiling had fallen over everyone. Most died instantly while others were left fatally wounded and would soon follow, Ellen look at her work and smirked.
"And that's another area of those Greenhorn's organization destroyed, I think Ike will be pleased at the level of damage we've inflicted." Ellen stated cruelly.
Ellen flew off soon after, and within the base's rubble, Artemisia crawled out a bit, pushing off some of the rocks in her way. Once she got up, she looked towards her father who had shielded her from the debris... and saw he wasn't moving.
"Dad? Daddy, please wake up... please, daddy?" Artemisia asked.
She tried to shake him awake, starting to worry, she did a trick her father showed her about seeing if she could feel something when she touched part of someone's wrists. Upon putting her finger on it... she felt nothing.
Artemisia gasped before tears flooded out of her eyes.
"DADDY!" Artemisia cried.
"A-Artemisia?"
Artemisia gasped, and looked around to see her mother, her head was bleeding and debris was on top of her body... it was clear she didn't have much longer. Artemisia soon rushed over and kneeled by her mother.
"Mommy! Don't worry, I'll get you out, I'll-" Artemisia cried.
"Sweetie, I'm sorry, but... I don't mommy can hold on much longer, I... feel myself slipping away." Artemisia's mother sobbed.
"No... please, don't leave me behind like daddy!" Artemisia begged.
Artemisia sobbed, soon getting an angry look.
"I'm gonna find that bad lady, and I'm gonna hurt her! I'm gonna hurt her more than everyone hurt here together! I'll get-" Artemisia cried angrily.
"No Artemisia, don't... become the same as her... please." Artemisia's mother said gently.
Artemisia gasped as she felt her mother manage to move her arm enough to rub her cheek.
"Don't give in... to rage... or anger... or despair... and most of all, don't give... into your hate... that emotion is so ugly, and if... you lose yourself to it, there's no going back." Artemisia's mother explained.
"It's OK... to feel mad, and... sad, and to hate someone, but... don't let them consume you. Don't... let them become your whole... life. Please, stay the same sweet angel... I know, help others who... are suffering, give... give them hope!" Artemisia's mother cried with a smile.
Artemisia's lip quivered.
"But... that bad lady, what... what do I do if..." Artemisia asked.
"One day... she will hurt others, but... don't give in to your rage... don't do this for revenge, but... to make sure... she never hurts anyone again. Be the... guiding light for others, and make the kind... of world that Ratatoskr is fighting... for... my brave... little... girl." Artemisia's mother smiled.
At that moment, Artemisia saw her mother fall to the ground and collapse, and with it... she had passed on.
Artemisia's whole body shook before she finally cried at her loudest.
Artemisia's eyes widen before she takes a deep breath, and soon enough...
"Ellen Mira Mathers, how many... just how many people have you killed or wished to be killed?" Artemisia asked.
"Hmm?" Ellen wondered.
"I asked how many people have you killed or wished to be killed!" Artemisia asked again.
Ellen scowled a bit.
"I'll kill anyone who aims at Ike with the intent to kill him, why does that matter to you?" Ellen asked.
Artemisia eyes were shadowed as she looked towards Ellen.
"Do you remember around a decade ago, when you destroyed a Ratatoskr base stationed in England? How you killed everyone inside?" Artemisia asked.
"Yeah, and?" Ellen asked.
"There was a single survivor..." Artemisia answered.
Artemisia looks up at Ellen, with determined eyes.
"...Me!" Artemisia shouted.
Ellen showed surprise at that.
"I watched everyone I ever knew die, my father gave up his life to shield me, and my mother..." Artemisia continued.
"I see, so she asked you get revenge on me? How foolish, because I'll kill you before that ever comes to pass." Ellen answered.
"...No, my mother never wanted me to get revenge. She refused to let me fall to that path. What she did tell me, is to make sure I don't let you hurt anyone else ever again! The time I was brainwashed made me delay that promise, but now I intend to fulfill it!" Artemisia exclaimed.
"I will end your threat here and today! If you kill anyone who tries to harm Ike, then I'll break any sword you point at them! I am the barrier that will defend against your blade, and even if I fail, even if I die..." Artemisia stated.
Artemisia holds out her sword towards Ellen.
"...if I can even just cripple you to give someone a chance or silence your attempts to harm anyone, I'll gladly risk my life here and now!" Artemisia declared.
Ellen's eyes tightened with an angry look.
"You're even more of an idiot than I realized." Ellen stated.
"I said we were going to prove who the strongest wizard really is, that's why... this is a fight to the death!" Artemisia stated.
"Fine then... come at me!" Ellen screamed with a bloodthirsty look in her eyes.
Reine saw Artemisia's determination, and once she did...
"Everyone, look at her... look at what she's fighting for! If she's willing to try and take out DEM's strongest wizard... then we should do the same and take out the Fraxinus' greatest rival, everyone... we're going to go after and destroy the Arbitel!" Reine declared.
All the people on the ship gasped at that.
"A-Are you serious!?" Tamae panicked.
"Commander, I know we've upgraded but so did they, are you sure we'll be able to do this? If we fall, then everyone on the ship will-" Kannazuki asked.
"Kannazuki, everyone... you saw what Westcott did to Elliot. If we just sit here and try to run, then we die regardless, so... if we aren't coming out of this alive, then let us at least fight so if we do die, then we'll have no regrets, and if we survive... to prove our victory was earned!"
Those words range across the ship, and then...
"Yeah, what have we got to lose!" Nakatsugawa exclaimed.
"Before I joined Ratatoskr, I never found a place where we could belong, now everyone in it is like family to me!" Minowa agreed.
"Then let's fight as a family, and either survive or die as a family!" Kawagoe stated.
Reine smiled as the Fraxinus flew closer towards the Arbitel.
Westcott soon noticed the ship nearing the Arbitel, and soon hit a button to move his hologram projection to a nearby ship.
"James, destroy that ship and crush the last trinity of the Ratatoskr's hopes for good." Westcott ordered.
"I'll take great pleasure in that sir!" James smirked.
The Arbitel Necroma and the Fraxinus Anomala soon stare each other down as the former turns to face it, signifying the ship's third forms to initiate their greatest, and their final battle between each other.
The Arbitel's weapons all began to glow as it starts with the same attack that killed Elliot. Kannazuki puts on his usual headset and makes a series face.
"Alright, ready the Laser Cannons Shiizaki! Mikimoto, move us out of the way!" Kannazuki ordered.
"Right, firing Laser Cannons!" Shiizaki replied.
The Fraxinus uses a territory to quickly spin out of the way before opening two spots on the ship to fire eight lasers at the Arbitel.
Unfortunately, the Arbitel created not one, not two, not even 5, but fifteen layers of territory barriers to defend against the attack. Shocking everyone on the Fraxinus' bridge.
"Do you all see that!?" Kawagoe asked.
"My god... I'm sensing Maryoku making them, but it looks like their wavelength is more like Dark Reiryoku. Did he create an inverse version of a wizard's power?" Matthew asked.
Mildred sweated a bit.
"Damn it, so this is why he had Marina gather them back when she was still with the DEM. Right now, the Fraxinus is like a Spirit trying to fight their own Inversion, and we all remember how hard that was during the Choronzon incident." Mildred stated.
"Incoming!" Hiroto warned.
The Fraxinus was suddenly pelted by a storm of Dark Maryoku shots coming from the Arbitel, and the DEM's greatest ship didn't even need to drop their barrier to use it. The Fraxinus put up a territory barrier, and everyone screamed as the shots pelted it and made it crack in seconds, causing a warning alarm to go off.
"Territory holding at 70%... no, 48%... now it's 12%!" Minowa gasped.
"Evade, we're to lose all our defenses!" Shiizaki exclaimed.
Reine grabbed some controls and shifted them to the left as the barrier was shattered.
"I don't think so, activate the dark ravagers again!" James ordered.
"Yes sir!" A crew member replied.
Once more, the Arbitel shot out the attack that killed Elliot, but this time it ripped into parts of the Fraxinus before they could evade it and everyone screamed as the ship took heavy damage and red lights flashed everywhere inside.
Reine looked to see some members of the crew had been injured, some of them bleeding, but no one was dead... yet.
"I need every field agent to get the injured to the med bay stat! We're not losing anyone else today if I can help it!" Reine ordered.
"Alright, come on guys!" Ai stated.
Mai, Mii, Tamae, Hiroto and a few others nod before they quickly grabbed the injured and move them onto medical tables to quickly rush them into the medical bay.
『 Warning, damage to ship is at 59%, another hit shall end with the complete destruction of the ship and all on board personal. 』
"Damn it, the ship's right... we won't survive another attack regardless of what it is..." Reine grunted.
"Then... what do we do commander?" Kannazuki asked.
Reine breathed.
"...Right now, our chance to die is 100%, so... I think there's nothing wrong with taking a risk that means we have a 50% chance of death, but a 50% chance to turn things around and survive!" Reine exclaimed.
"Commander, are you saying you want to use..." Matthew asked.
Reine nodded.
"I do... prepare the Harmonic Convergence Blaster!" Reine ordered.
Everyone gasped at that.
Shiori rushed forward, smashing through all the newly made debris formed by the destroy automatons and warships that Mukuro fling at her.
Mukuro looked at Shiori before looking at Michael.
"Michael, I think we need to bump up our power a bit more." Mukuro stated.
[Yes, it seems so. Make some of your Reiryoku Meteors and then let's toss a Jerez at him, are you ready Mukuro?]
Mukuro nodded.
"I am." Mukuro replied.
Mukuro spun Michael in her hands again, and aimed the Angel towards Shiori.
'She's about to try something new, here it comes!' Shiori thought.
"Rataibu - Unlock."
Soon the wormhole Mukuro created vanished before a larger one came, and solidified golden-yellow Reiryoku shot out in the form of meteors.
"She can make her Reiryoku turn into meteorites!?" Shiori exclaimed.
"Jerez - Solution."
Soon Michael shot out a focused energy wave and Shiori gasped before she moved out of the way, the energy wave hitting her while some of the meteors pelt her.
She shouted as she swung Copy-Michael to knock them away, and soon panted as she looked down, noticing that despite having a Limited Astral Dress overlaid on her clothes, the Jerez slightly melted some of it.
'I can't let something like that hit me again! Worse, I think I'm starting to run low on fumes now.' Shiori thought.
Mukuro readied herself.
"This shall be over soon." Mukuro stated.
"Not if I can help it!" Shiori declared.
Shiori rushed at Mukuro again.
"I do... prepare the Harmonic Convergence Blaster!" Reine ordered.
"The Harmonic Convergence Blaster!? Oh man... will it even work with the damage to the ship?" Mikimoto wondered.
『 Damage matters little, what matters is if the frame is strong enough to support the power of every Spirit combined. This is the Seirei Armament's greatest weapon, but right now, all of you must decide if it is worth the risk. As of this moment, the DEM has won the jackpot in the lottery with said jackpot being our demise. So, will you flip a coin and try to reverse the situation, or do you want to try finding another way that may or may not exist? 』
Everyone looked at each other, and then...
- (*Sonic the Hedgehog series - Solaris Phase 2*) -
"Preparing the Harmonic Convergence Blaster, sending all Reiryoku to the weapon matrix!" Shiizaki stated.
"Locking coordinates and aiming, we'll start charging on your orders Commander! Firing system is yours!" Kawagoe shouted.
Westcott noticed the ship charging anything from his hologram.
"Oh, a little light show? Try all they want, but all their weapons are too weak to destroy the Arbitel now." Westcott smirked.
"That's right, we've won! Victory is the Arbitel's!" James declared.
James pressed a button, and as the Arbitel readied the Dark Ravager again while summoning all the remaining Automatons to rush at the ship, the crew inside the Fraxinus readied the only weapon they had left to use if they wanted to survive and see tomorrow.
A small cube made of eight energy blocks held by a floating ring and five levitation prongs creating Maryoku rings. Reine motioned her hand to make the cube open and reveal a keyhole within it. She took out a key and put it in.
"Firing-Lock system, open!" Reine stated, turning the key.
『 Charging Harmonic Convergence Blaster, please stand by until weapon charge is completed. 』
The cube turned red, and soon a secret lever formed before Reine grabbed it and focused forward. The ship began to charge all of the Reiryoku it had to one spot.
At that moment, everyone on the Fraxinus' bridge made a praying motion, because now... nothing they did would change what happened next. What mattered next was only one thing, would the ship be able to handle all the power, or would it self-destruct from it?
"This is it... either we live, or we die..." Reine stated.
And with that, the metaphorical coin flip deciding the fate of their lives was flicked into the air. The image of that coin flashed through everyone's minds.
The ship's body began to glow like it was overheating, and everyone felt the ship rumble.
'The moment of truth!' Reine mentally grunted.
'Please work!' Everyone thought.
The metaphorical coin soon landed, and...
『 Charge complete, the ship frame successfully contained the charge! Commander Reine, you may use it when ready! 』
"Yes!" Reine cheered.
Everyone cheered as well, the coin had landed on heads.
Reine grabbed the lever tightly before turning it, re-motioning its position before pulling it back.
"Get ready Westcott, your greatest warship... is about to fall!" Reine exclaimed loudly.
"HARMONIC CONVERGENCE BLASTER!"
The Fraxinus was pushed back as it unleashed a rainbow beam of Reiryoku, destroying all the Automatons before they even got near it, and slamming into the Arbitel's barriers as they were quickly destroyed in seconds.
"WHAT!?" James shouted in fear.
"The systems are all going haywire, quick, get to the escape-" A crew member stated.
Unfortunately, the systems all soon exploded as the entire ship's systems went offline... including escape pods! The beam soon cut through the DEM's greatest ship and left a giant hole in it, and only three seconds after, explosions began forming across the entire haul of the Arbitel.
The members of Ratatoskr, the DEM, all of the Spirits and even Westcott stared in shock as they saw the entire ship finally implode as it met its final demise! James screamed as the fiery explosions neared him.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" James exclaimed in horror.
Westcott's eyes shook as he saw nothing here the Arbitel used to be.
"That... that's impossible, how!?" Westcott gasped.
- (*insert song end*) -
Using Westcott's shock as a distraction, the Fraxinus quickly retreated.
"We did it everyone... the DEM's flagship has been destroyed!" Reine cheered!
Everyone cheered in return, and soon Reine noticed an alert as Mana flew nearby.
"Mana? I thought you were fighting against Jessica, wait... does that mean?" Reine gasped.
"Yeah, my battle between Jessica is over for good. I was gone for a bit because I pitied her enough to give her a funeral, but now I'm back, and I'm ready to continue the fight!" Mana answered.
She soon noticed the Fraxinus' damaged state.
"Whoa... boy does the ship look like it went through a meat grinder." Mana mentioned.
"We just beat the Arbitel, that's why." Reine replied with a smile.
Mana gasped.
"Say, mind coming inside and channeling Kotori's power so we can heal the damage?" Reine asked.
"Sure thing, I can do that." Mana chuckled.
Around briefly before the Arbitel's destruction, Artemisia and Ellen's fight continued as the two collided with one another, continuing to create the intense recoil winds they were at an even greater level than previously.
"Is that all you've got!?" Artemisia asked.
"Far from it!" Ellen answered.
- (*My Hero Academia - You Say Run*) -
They rush at each other again, and this time Artemisia feels a slash across her abdomen, she cries in pain as she holds her wound briefly.
Ellen smirked as she rushed at her.
"Time for you to die, with this all doubt to me being the world's strongest wizard will be destroyed!" Ellen cackled.
"No... not today, and not ever!" Artemisia screamed determinedly.
Despite the wound she just received, Artemisia shrugged it off as she and Ellen fly even faster at one another, both of them screaming loudly.
Each of them take out their swords and charged all the power they had into one last strike. Ellen was about to swing, but right at that moment... the Arbitel's explosion happened, and a bit of debris flew near her.
"What!?" Ellen gasped.
'This is it Ellen, because I... WIN!' Artemisia thought.
Artemisia soon focused all the power of her unique territory into Nandaka sword, and soon it began to spark and crack from the overcharge of power inside it.
"SMASH THROUGH!" Artemisia exclaimed loudly.
By the time Ellen could react... she was too late, and Artemisia smashed the Nandaka into her body, the sword broke as the power exploded out creating a cyclone of pure Maryoku where the two were and catching everyone's attention.
Aside from Mukuro and Shiori, everyone turned the Maryoku cyclone as it shot out into everyone's view.
"What's happening? Where's all that Maryoku coming from!?" Tohka gasped.
"Wait a second... isn't that where Artemisia and Ellen are fighting? Oh no, is Artemisia OK?" Origami wondered.
The AST all went wide eyed.
"Oh my god... that power." Saya breathed.
"That's the result of a battle between the strongest wizards in the entire world? Imagine what it took for them to create that much force..." Ryouko sweated.
Even Westcott himself looked with extreme worry, wondering what happened to Ellen.
The energy soon died down, and a bunch of smoke formed. Artemisia was pushed back, panting as she held the broken Nandaka in her hands.
- (*insert song end*) -
"Did I, did I... do it? Was that enough?" Artemisia gasped.
"Y-you... really think that was enough?" Ellen asked in a strange tone of voice.
Artemisia gasped as she heard Ellen's voice.
'No way... she survived that!?' Artemisia thought.
"I told you, I'm the greatest wizard in the world, no one is stronger than me... and nothing on this world can beat me because of that." Ellen continued, now sounding a bit hoarse.
Soon the smoke cleared, and Artemisia's eyes widened as she saw a raw red arm that was bent in a way it should have.
While only she could see it, Ellen... was clearly so badly injured that she didn't even seem to realize what kind of damage it took, and Artemisia soon sheathed her broken sword. Even if Ellen spoke like this, it was clearly over.
"For Ike's sake, I will... destroy anyone and anything that gets in his way... no one will ever defeat me, I can't lose and I won't lose. Do you get it you fool? I... can't be beaten, no matter what you do." Ellen cackled.
"My god..." Kurumi gasped.
Soon the horrible visage of the damage made itself clear. Ellen's skin had been so badly burned, it became a raw pink-red color with her left arm's elbow being bent away from the body, something it shouldn't be doing. Most of her hair had been singed, leaving it either back length, shoulder length or short depending on where it had been singed. Her eyes were distant, glassy, and shaky as they shrank to the size of small dots.
Westcott seeing the state of Ellen went wide eyed in horror.
"Nia, is she... is she still alive? No, will she be staying alive?" Kotori asked in shock.
"I'm not sure, let me see... Raziel, what will happen to Ellen?" Nia asked.
It took only a few seconds for her to get the answer.
Looking at the others, she decided not to answer with words, and simply closed her eyes. Everyone gasped before Ellen's body soon fell over, and Westcott's voice trembled.
"No, Ellen..." Westcott whimpered.
"ELLEN!"
At that moment, Ellen's eyes closed as her body fell towards the Earth, and the brutal truth hit him before it finally registered to everyone else.
Ellen Mira Mathers, the strongest of the DEM Wizards, the one who held the title of Adeptus 1 for over thirty years... was dead.
"I... I won..." Artemisia gasped, crying.
"Dad, mom? Are you watching me right now? I... I finally did it, you can rest in peace... she won't hurt anyone ever again." Artemisia cried happily.
Artemisia herself soon collapsed, but Cecile caught her before anything else happened. Ratatoskr's... no, the world's strongest wizard looked at Cecile who gave her a teary-eyed smile, with Ashley and Leonora joining in, making a group hug happen.
"All forces retreat, we're pulling out now!" Westcott ordered.
All of the DEM forces look at their leader in shock, they still hadn't gotten anywhere near [Zodiac] and he called for a full retreat?
"I SAID RETREAT, NOW!" Westcott exclaimed with rage.
Not wanting to feel his wrath, all the DEM forces quickly vanished before portals to the Inverse Void formed and disappeared as they all entered them.
The members of Ratatoskr looked at them in shock.
"Huh? W-what just happened? Why did he call a retreat?" Yoshino asked.
"...I think I know, as evil and cruel as that bastard is, there was still a single bond he did actually have and cherish regardless of how hypocritical it is. Ellen was important to him, but why would that be?" Nia answered.
"I know." Tohka said.
Everyone looked at her, surprised by this.
"Elliot told me once... that Ellen was Westcott's wife, and he just watched her die." Tohka
"Wait, seriously?" Miku gasped.
"Wow... that's... that's heavy." Kaguya remarked.
"So that's why it seemed like tactical and more personal." Yuzuru mentioned.
Meanwhile back in the Inverse Void, Westcott locked all access to his office and made sure no noise could reach outside of it, and then... screamed loudly as for the first time in years, if he ever had at all, he cried. Sobbing over losing the only person in the world that mattered to him.
Chinami walked by, knowing how he felt without even hearing or seeing a thing.
"...We're the same now, we both lost those we cared for. Don't worry sir, I promise you I'll make them pay, all of them." Chinami declared as she walked off.
"Damn you Ratatoskr... how dare you kill her, that's it... I don't care what happens now. I will make you all pay!" Westcott exclaimed in both sadness and rage.
Shiori shouts in pain as she's blown back by Mukuro's flurry of attacks, skidding across the ocean of space as she focused on Mukuro again.
"She won't stop no matter what I try to throw at her." Mukuro mentioned.
[She's got some tenacity, just what has she had to go through? If it was anyone else... no, I don't think anyone else would go this far. What's pushing her so far?]
Shiori rushed forward, and Mukuro unleashed the remains of the debris through her wormholes as Shiori set herself on fire and burned through it.
At that moment, Shiori got almost directly in front of Mukuro.
"This is it! Now, I'll set you free... Rataibu - Unlock!"
[What!? Oh no, she's got a way to use your Rataibu, stop her now!]
Mukuro held up Michael in front of Shiori, making the latter gasp as a familiar attack charged on it.
"Alright have." Mukuro replied.
"Alhazma - Beam."
Shiori screamed as a beam hit her, and she was blown away.
Mukuro stared as Shiori was flung away, with the Copy-Michael flying off the opposite direction, and at that moment... Shiori smirked before suddenly.
"Psyche!" Natsumi exclaimed.
Shiori's body had smoke poof around it as she revealed herself to actually be Natsumi in disguise.
"What is this?" Mukuro stated.
[Huh, I don't get it... oh no, this was a feint! We've been tricked!]
Suddenly the Copy-Michael, which was behind Mukuro, transformed into the real Shiori and the real Copy-Michael as she thrust the tip of the key onto Mukuro's body.
Before Mukuro could turn and try anything.
"Rataibu- Unlock!"
Soon the flow of energy burst into Mukuro's body, causing Shiori's Triple Ascension to be dispersed as the Copy-Michael shattered and she changed back into Shido, and for the first time in 5 years... her blank face suddenly widened with an overflow of emotions as everything she had sealed away was freed.
She felt extreme anger at how Shido had unsealed her heart without his permission, fascinated by the plan he and Natsumi had implemented together, and most of all... a particular feeling that came from how he didn't hesitate to risk his own life for her sake.
"T-This it... I... I... I'm, what is... it's..." Mukuro mumbled.
Suddenly as her need to breathe was restored but there wasn't any air for her to breathe, she began to choke before she screamed as her extreme emotional fluctuation from having her emotions unsealed. Suddenly, her Reiryoku exploded out, and she was shot towards the Earth to Shido's shock.
"Mukuro!" Shido exclaimed before diving.
"Shido, wait!" Natsumi called out.
Shido's dive soon got him to the now unconscious Mukuro, and he grabbed her tightly. Taking the realizer that let him breathe, he adjusted it and wrapped it around both his and Mukuro's neck, allowing both of them to breathe before the latter suffocated.
As they continued falling towards Earth, Shido looked and realized he forgot something in his rush.
'Oh no, because I used the Triple Spirit Ascension for an Angel Fusion, I can't use it again for 5 minutes! At this rate, we're both gonna crash and neither of us will make it! I have to... I have to die something!' Shido thought.
Shido grunted as he tried to force out his power.
"Come on..." Shido begged.
They kept falling.
"Come on!" Shido begged again.
Soon, they began getting close to the atmosphere, if Shido didn't do something now, atmospheric reentry would burn them both to a crisp!
"PLEASE, I NEED TO SAVE MUKURO!" Shido screamed.
Within Shido's body, his mana core shook before suddenly... it exploded out, almost as if something within him leaked out.
Inside the Fraxinus, Mana gasped a little as the same feeling slightly shot through her.
Everyone looked at her in worry as she shook.
"Mana, are you alright?" Reine asked.
"Something's... something's changed in Shido, I can feel it!" Mana gasped.
"Huh?" Reine wondered.
Shido gasped as he felt his eyes glow brightly, and some of his skin had Spirit mana seep out of it.
The feeling was painful, but...
"Yes, I think I can do it! Now please, lend me your power... Camael! Zadkiel! Raphael!" Shido exclaimed.
As the associated colors were applied to his eyes and hair, Shido soon formed a fiery barrier around him as they hit the reentry point, soon creating an icy shell to protect Mukuro from the heat.
Before he felt himself slip into unconsciousness, he shouted as he had Raphael's winds blow away from the Earth's direction to slow their descent speed. At that moment, he blacked out while Mukuro surprisingly already regained consciousness.
"Huh? What, where is..." Mukuro wondered.
Mukuro soon saw through the ice and fire where they were headed and Shido's unconscious form.
After a long drop, the two crashed onto the Earth's surface only slightly away from the crater that held Tenguu City inside of it. Luckily, the icy shell alongside the winds cushioning the impact, both of them survived.
Shido's appearance had turned back to normal, while Mukuro looked at the boy who risked almost everything to save her... and suddenly she put a hand to her heart as a blush formed on her face.
"Shido... Takamiya... you did all of this, for me?" Mukuro asked.
Mukuro's face starts steaming up, and soon she formed Michael before she opened a wormhole and disappeared out of embarrassment, leaving the unconscious Shido were he was by himself.
Now that's one way for an epic battle to end. Shido unsealed Mukuro's emotions, saved her from smashing into the Earth and from burning upon beginning atmospheric reentry, and most of all... even though it was because Westcott forced all of the DEM to retreat, Ratatoskr has won the war! Unfortunately, both sides lost a lot of their veteran members just for it to happen. At the very least, Karen's with Elliot in the afterlife now, so they'll be reunited soon.
Pretty gutsy move I pulled there, killing off Ellen of all people, so I should explain why I chose to do that. As Tohka said herself, because Ellen was his wife, and as a result of that, she was essentially the small bit of morality he actually had, the possible part of him that could have him redeemed if Ellen herself was somehow redeemed. So, because I killed her... that's it, Westcott has now become completely irredeemable.
The first stage is finally finished, the Mukuro Space arc is now officially over, and the next part of Mukuro's story will begin as Shido tries to actually seal Mukuro's powers... too bad he's gonna learn the hard way that this will be as difficult as the first stage was. Well, let's hope he can handle it, because if he doesn't... the strongest Spirit's gonna let him have it and he might not survive ^^;
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^
-Spirit Bond Levels & Passive Abilities-
Tohka - 100%, MAX (Form a mana barrier automatically)
Origami - 99% (Teleport Dodging)
Yoshino - 99% (Dampen enemy territories)
Kotori - 99% (Healing from fatal wounds minus losing his head, doesn't work on wounds caused by blunt force)
Kurumi - 99% (Hide in his shadow, and only his)
Rinne - (Summon a weakened copy of Uriel)
Natsumi - 99% (Transform into Shiori)
Kaguya - 99% (Flight)
Yuzuru - 99% (Weight Manipulation)
Miku - 99% (Pain Reliever)
Maria - (Restore dying/withered/dead vegetation and plant life)
Marina - (Remove toxins or other harmful substances, either from a living creature or an object)
Rio - (Create a soothing aura of Reiryoku to reduce a sealed Spirit's anger)
Mana - (Allow Mana to use Spirit Ascension at its weakest level without Angels)
Nia - 99% (Photographic Memory)