'What is happening? What have we been dragged in to like this?' Was the only thought Claire could put together as she starred in horror at the creature called Lust. Although it appeared human, walked like a human, and talked like one; she refused to ever believe the gory display to create the new frame from Damfin's meat and bones could ever be or been human.
"Aww come now, surely you can't fault one for simply wishing to freshen up?" Lust responded, stretching his arms up to get a satisfying pop. "As much as the shit face agitated me, Envy was right that my old skin was rather oily. This golden olive tone feels so much nicer, and really draws eyes, wouldn't you say?"
"What the fuck are you?" In a rare slip of composure, Claire swore without restraint at the abomination before them. Damfin alone was a monster, a wolf in sheep clothing that hijacked the Anti-Slayer movement to gain power. But if he had been torn apart to create this one… was this another member or some monster that granted Damfin his power.
"Well that's rather rude." Lust pouted. "I'm a human, clearly. As flesh and blood as you are… with a few additions in my soul."
"Damnation is an addition to you?" Emilia responded.
"You call damnation, I call evolution. I mean, we all have the Abyss in us, don't we?"
"Abyss?" Claire and Erica echoed.
"Ah, so even the renowned Claire Harvey and her lackies are uninformed, how interesting." Lust chuckled. "Well let's just say we humans have… interesting origins that have quite the toll. But the benefits, oh the benefits."
"Fuck off!" Emilia barked, surprising the others at her hostility. "There isn't a single benefit to that! Not one!"
"Ah, a moralist. I take it you knew one of Abyssal's Vessels… or maybe it's something more." Lust pondered, tapping a finger to its sharp chin as it paced. "Artorias Abyssal was the first Slayer… our Liege created us supposedly by his own method, but the success was far too high to be from scratch. Oh… oh that really is delicious."
"Emilia, what is he talking about?"
"What I'm getting at is the origins of your generation is built on the foundation of the human soul." Lust chuckled at his own realization; the answer far simpler when he thought about it. "Artorias Abyssal… no, his son is one of my Liege's rivals. I suppose that makes sense, our ordeal is far too complex for simply Lordran and Alonne to be his threat. Humanity's play in the game is their own."
"Well, then I guess all that's left is to be a gracious senior and help out Envy deal with our Liege's problem. But first…" Lust then turned to the group of Slayers, looking closely at each one as if evaluating them. Ticking to himself like he was noticing perks and flaws… or rating cattle in a show.
"Hmmm. A lot of charm to be had with those." Lust spoke, then looking to themselves and measuring them out. "Well then, it might be your lucky day. Normally I'd be expected to kill all of you since I exposed some secrets. But unlike my brute minded and ugly comrades, I am a one of compromise. Claire Harvey, you value human life above all else, correct?"
A chill went down the Slayers' backs at that dark tone Lust's voice unintentionally took. A strange ting kept popping in the Vessel's voice, it wouldn't be until they spoke next that it was answered what was being missed.
"I am offering you a choice to save everyone else, at the cost of three." Lust's voice spoke, the voice changing from a lighter man's to a woman's, the flesh in his throat convulsing as if forcibly altered at that moment. Not only that, but the frame of the body changed as well, nothing too noticeable, but the hermaphrodite visage shifted from being more masculine to feminine.
"As it stands, I'm still prospecting for my perfect appearance. And while there's a few samples among my compatriots, you three provide key pieces I have never seen in another." Lust spoke, pointing to Claire, Emilia and Sakura. "Surrender yourselves, and I'll spare the… undesirable and ugly of this group you brought to our base." Lust said the last part with disdain, shivering like they stared at a rotting corpse when looking between Erica and the unconscious Liddy.
"You acting like we're pieces of clay to mold to your wishes." Claire spat, Lust humming as it shrugged.
"Eh, kinda. More like figurines with rare alterations I wish to add to my own." The Vessel explained. "It's not as if you're the first. As you've seen, this lovely skin was Damfin's." In emphasis, Lust pulled the skin, contorting and stretching it far more than should be possible, letting it snap back into place before placing a finger at its cheekbone. "This facial structure came from Huighe and Barbasa, two of my former lieutenants. They were quite generous, wanting to be together in my eternal beauty. Cassidy gave me her fingers, Jerome's lovely teeth, oh and how can I forget Yuto's tongue~"
It sickened everyone to their stomachs as Lust made a disgusting display showing every part of its body that was taken by others. Like a twisted parody of a dog show, the Vessel showed off its human puppet of a body with misplaced pride. Like everything was earned and deserving to belong to it, rather than the horrific theft of flesh and bones it was.
This thing was worse than Damfin. Damfin was a butcher, this is a true monster.
"You're disgusting."
"I'm beautiful!" A loud snarl escaped Lust before it composed itself. Motioning like to calm oneself for a play, the Vessel continued after adjusting to the rage. "No, I'm close but not quite. And that's what you three are for, putting me a step closer to true beauty. With your luscious hair and pleasant aura, I'd be a sweet view to many." Lust said, tracing its fingers along its cheeks as it looked to Emilia.
With your voice and vibrant eyes, I'd be alluring to those with the sweetest whisper. I 've been a fan of your music for awhile, and such an opportunity is an honor." Lust spoke, jabbing a thumb past the skin of its neck and messing with its vocal cords, never removing the uncanny tone but shifting to three different pitches never quite at Sakura's.
"And with a body such as yours, I'd be the object of so many gazes and desire. Even I myself seem uncharacteristically warm looking at you~" Lust finished as it licked its ruby lips, looking up and down Claire's body with growing affection. It truly was everything desired to get closer to the beauty it wished for.
No, what it was destined to be. That was why Raime chose it to be his avatar of Lust. Because it saw the true beauty in everyone, and could find the desire it deserved once at the true form it needed.
"I see, so that's what this is." Claire said, snapping Lust out of its daze to see the glare. "You think the features you collect will bring you what you want. Love and companionship. How predictable."
"Pardon?"
"It doesn't matter what form you take. Whether mine, Emilia, anyone in the world. It all will have the same result." Claire spoke, keeping a straight stare at the Vessel. "The most handsome or beautiful features will only hide the one part that anyone will really see. That disgusting, ugly, mutant façade inside you."
A smirk went across Claire's face as she saw several veins pop on Lust's face, growing anger bubbling under the surface. Anger was good, a distraction that kept it from seeing her line up a shot.
"That… tone you took before. That sweet and proper drivel trying to sound posh and articulate, how much of that were your words? And how much did you also steal."
"Enough."
"No, if any of it wasn't yours, then even your own thoughts were mucked." Claire said, the Vessel's face turning red. "Because that's what you are, an ugly thing. And nothing will fix it. Because your soul is ugly, not your body."
"Oh you think so?" Lust said, grabbing its elbow and pulling at it. Instead of tearing away, the limb elongated and it a horrid display of bastardizing anatomy it flung to the side. Lust pulled back and returned the hand meters ahead, the Slayers ducking under it as the limb turned into a violent whip that smashed past concrete. "Then I'll just rip your flesh from your bones, arrogant bi-!"
Emerald energy struck into Lust's back and set it off balance, the Slayers moving to action as Emilia formed her scythe during a charge.
'We don't have time to play around! Liddy still needs medical attention!' Emilia thought, slashing her blade into the soft neck of the Vessel as it looked in overwhelmed horror.
Until it grinned when the blade past by, and its head was still attached to its body.
"Dumb bitch!" Emilia was then slammed to the side as the back of Lusts fist struck her chin, the Slayer bouncing off concrete from the impact. As Emilia's senses dimmed, Lust's whip limb returned and opened its palm to the maneuvering Claire, the blonde holding her hands up and forming a barrier as a spray of blood shot out at her.
'They have Damfin's power!?' Claire thought as pain shot up her leg, seeing one of the droplets pierced through the barrier. A hand then reached from meters apart and Lust threw Claire down into Emilia, sending the two through the roof into darkness below.
"You all have some nerve, thinking you can waste so much power on a small fry like Damfin and then face me." Lust said, letting Erica's Everlasting grab it and tear. However as the skin tore off from it, the flesh returned without so much as a drop leaving it. A multitude of energy then enveloped the Vessel; Claire and Emilia combining firepower in a skyward blast.
Lust simply landed a few feet away, dusting off its outfit before the Slayers surrounded it. A roll of eyes showed that it was agitated at the effort, Emilia stabbing two swords through its back while Claire sent a kick to its head. Both attacks landed, however Lust's head spun three times before it grinned up to Claire, grabbing her thigh before delivering a heavy blow to her stomach.
Claire sputtered out a gasp from the force, unable to recover in time as Lust twisted its body and threw her into Erica. Emilia attempted to retreat back, watching in shock as once her swords were clear of Lust's body that the wounds instantly healed. And once again not a drop of blood was spilt in any moment of the attacks.
"But then again, even fresh you can't get a drop of blood from me." Lust said, one of its arms wrapping around Emilia's leg, crushing the brace and eliciting a pained scream from her before throwing her aside.
'No, we're too tired and injured from fighting Damfin to keep this up.' Sakura watched at how quickly the Slayers were being dispatched, concerned but unable to think on what to do. Most of her remaining energy was spent healing Liddy. By now she had no idea what to do. No idea-
A hand grabbed Sakura's shoulder, the idol frozen in fear as weight was pressed down on it. But as she began to think that Lust, or one of the other Anti-Slayer soldiers was behind her, the weight was released along with the hand. And light steps barely let out a sound, even as concrete cracked under the armament's armor.
"You people have a lot of gall, thinking to call a being of near perfect beauty as myself ugly." Lust spat, walking towards Claire and Erica as its arm rescinded to its "normal" length.
"Words are empty, your response is all that's needed to see how ugly you really are." Claire spat back, her cannons moving to intercept Lust but all were swatted away as Lust approached. The Slayer rose to fight, but was swatted by one of the arms, knocking her down as the other arm shot out and wrapped around Erica, stopping her everlasting and squeezing her neck.
"Let her go!"
"No, I gave the chance to save this ugly specimen. And now, I'll pop her like a walnut." Lust said, smirking over to Claire as the Slayer tried to reform her Alystherion cannons. But horror washed over her as instead her armament deactivated, and her variable stone dropped to the ground with a faint ting.
"There it is, that look of weakness, how revolting." Lust gagged at seeing Claire's concerned stare, her body freezing as the appearance of shock and horror took over that initial fear. "And you claim that I'm ugly. If I didn't see that face in its proper state, I'd have torn that off from you right here and now. But instead, I'll enjoy seeing the extent of its disgust, before its painted red with your friend's-!"
Lust's heart beat with dread as all of its instincts screamed in desperation. It had no idea what this came from, but knew better than to ignore such a reaction. As the Vessel attempted to recall its arm, it released Erica and jumped away to turn and face the presence. Sweat beaded down its face as Erica tumbled past where it stood, stopped as the figure dropped to a knee and caught her with one arm, covering her with a white lance impaled in front of her.
Erica coughed as her breathing returned, blood trailing down her lips as she looked up. Her goggles were cracked, but they weren't damaged enough to prevent seeing her savior. And with it came a wash of relief.
"…Liddy…"
"Sorry I took a moment, I messed up fighting the last one and nearly costed us the mission." Liddy apologized to Erica, giving her a reassuring smile. Liddy's body was still burned, the exposed skin irritated red in painful patterns, but not completely as it was before Sakura healed her. The worst visible was the marking across her neck, likely a result from her collar heating up and searing flesh closely.
But she was alive and kicking.
"I'm sorry, but we'll have to cut the conversation short." Liddy said. "I need you to grab Claire and Emilia, retreat back to Sakura. I'll take care of this."
"Liddy, wait!" Erica tried to argue, groaning as Liddy placed her down and stood up. "That thing, its more powerful than the previous man we fought. It's-"
"Don't worry, I know better than anyone else what this thing is." Liddy responded, stepping forward and pulling her lance out of the concrete. "A Vessel, and not a cheap made one like the last. The real deal, made by an Abysswalker personally."
'That ugly thing knows what I am?' Lust thought, the fear gone but caution still present in its posture as it watched Liddy approach slowly. It noticed that despite the hulking metal around her legs, she barely made a step while walking. And that presence…
She knows what an Abysswalker is. Knows that Vessels are made by them, and even is aware of the difference between a dedicated Vessel and a Vessel's Vessel.
"You, you're different from the rest of the Slayers." Lust put together. "What are you?"
"Can't tell just by looking, kinda sad. I can tell by looking at your disgusting eyes, shit stain." Liddy emphasized her disgust by spitting onto the floor, raising Lust's ire at the genuine gag she had when she got close. "You reek, even Artorian on his worst day doesn't smell half as putrid as you do. I envy everyone else being unable to smell you, otherwise they'd have puked on the spot."
"How quaint, an ugly harlot bitch thinks she has right to make comments about stench. Yours is like a rotten, fucked, CORPSE!" Lust bellowed out, growling as it tried to recall this presence. It wasn't like a Slayer, its killed handfuls of Slayers. Energy didn't leave a vacuum like this. Where everyone had a soul, hers was muted, barely there like it was diluted. Just like…
"No…" Lust muttered out, its eyes widening with agitation at the thought. It was wrong, it had to be. It had to be! "No."
"Put it together?" Liddy said, seeing the Vessel's expression change again.
"Tch, pretty disgusting of you. Pretending like you're one of us."
"And there you are, thinking so narrow minded." Liddy's walk then picked up into a jog, shifting to a dead sprint that Lust prepared to intercept before staring in surprise as it swung its arm to the side. In a blink Liddy was now next to the Vessel, shield up as the impact knocked her away and grinding into the concrete with her heels. "I'm human, and there's nothing I'd rather be."
"Call yourself whatever you want, a Vessel can't go back on its nature. UGLY BITCH!" Lust screamed as it lunged at Liddy, twisting its body to an unnatural degree as it rotated with both arms elongated to three meters. Liddy quickly evaded the spin, ducking and jumping over each limb as the Vessel spun faster and faster.
Rolling onto her shoulders, Liddy got under the Vessel and slammed her foot into Lust's chin, knocking the Vessel up. Shifting her body back, Liddy rolled back onto her feet and jumped up, her lance spinning as she parted through a torrent of blood that Lust shot down to her. The Vessel flinched at seeing her part through the attack, contorting its body to dodge her in a strange need of instinct. But when she was up there, Liddy slammed the rim of her shield into Lust's jaw, the force sending it flying into solidified stone, a trail of destruction following as it was knocked away from the building.
As Lust recovered itself, it immediately contorted its body to avoid Liddy's following thrust, the thrusters on her hips burning bright with energy as she spun around and lunged for the Vessel. Lashes of arm whips shot out at Liddy, each contact spurting blood like bullets that the Slayer avoided with last second adjustments.
The cuts from the just missing blood stung as Liddy's skin was sensitive with burns, even her movements for evasion stung as the air blew against her. But she grit her teeth through worse, slamming her foot down on one of Lust's arms to pin it before thrusting her lance for its chest for a skewer.
But as the tip of her lance was about to land, she watched as splinters protruded from Lust's pinned arm and knocked the Hundred off course. Liddy then jumped back as an enlarged fist slammed down where she once stood.
"Well, well, looks like I'm full of surprises." Lust grinned as its body returned to its base state. The Vessel looked across its body as if revaluing what it was capable of. Damfin's natural adaptability seemed to have been ingrained into his body, a fact the Vessel hummed in approval at. However, it noticed it couldn't replicate his hardened blood or the fires he created. To think Envy's right hand had knowledge of Chaos, Lust had to admit Envy at least know how to pick 'em.
"Now then, let's try that again." Lust grinned, now armed with a greater knowledge of its abilities and limitations.
Liddy had no arguments as the two lunged at one another, Liddy deflecting a swing of his arm and sent a thrust of her lance. It was deflected as Lust's left arm contorted and formed into a fleshy edge. Almost like a biological blade, it was able to contend with the Hundred and knock the Slayer back. However, Liddy delivered a kick to Lust's torso that knocked the wind out of it.
That allowed Liddy to stay close, the Slayer kicking the Vessel's feet out from under it and delivering a stomp to its face that cratered the ground around it. But what brought an unexpected scream was that blood pooled out from the damaged Vessel, a contortion of arms swiping Liddy away as she spat out blood from the impact.
'I-Impossible!' Lust got up, feeling the blood at its nose for a second before it seeped in. 'That ugly freak was able to make me bleed? ME!? Only Pride and Wrath have been able to… to…' And that was when it clicked, as Lust looked up in shock as Liddy charged right at it.
"You disgusting freak!" Lust bellowed, Liddy's advance halted as she was forced to dodge Lust, the Vessel swinging its elongated arms around at blinding speed. It had its fists clenched before enlarging them, each impact into the ground like steel flails that shattered the earth beneath them.
During her evasion, Liddy was forced to block one of the fists, and was floored and knocked crashing into the ground as her shield shattered into specks of energy. Boosting off the concrete, Liddy growled through pain as some of her skin ripped off and she bled down her right arm. She was back to evading Lust, the Vessel keeping range from the Slayer as the knowledge of what Liddy really was had it vying for her corpse.
Despite the damage done to her body, Liddy was feeling more nimble than ever. It allowed her to dodge each of Lust's swings with growing efficiency, as if the Slayer was beginning to predict each swing from it. It likely had to do with Sakura pouring her energy into her. While it healed her, it seemed to have boosted her natural abilities through the enhancement of energy. It didn't seem that farfetched, as Artorian did something similar to boost Claire back in Qin.
But she didn't feel the heat the Variants mentioned, meaning she likely wasn't compatible to be a one. Something fine by her; she refused to change when becoming a Vessel, and was fine remaining this way still.
As a diagonal lash of the arm flails went over Liddy, she rushed forward, maneuvering through the defensive onslaught. She didn't dare risk using her lance to block, this burst of energy and adrenaline was half baked despite how efficient it was. She hasn't been able to summon her shield back, meaning if she loses her lance her armament would deactivate. So she had to focus on dodging.
As she got within a meter of the Vessel, it grinned widely before opening its mouth. Liddy didn't even bother to guess what was going to happen as she sidestepped and grabbed the projectile. The slimely nature of Lust's tongue disgusted her, and she ripped the spongey appendage out with a burst of blood erupting from its mouth with a gurgled scream.
"Eu EUhhh!" Lust's tongueless bellow was unintelligible, but the intent was easy to guess as Liddy stepped within range of the Vessel and slammed her fist past its teeth, gagging it quiet as more blood splattered out of the cracked skull.
Lust fell back grabbing at its face, the wound already beginning to heal but interrupted as Liddy soccer kicked the side of its head. Brain matter escaped from the skull as it tumbled away in a gurgled fit.
It drove Lust mad with the pain it was feeling. Never before did it feel this kind of pain, it wasn't able to be hurt normally. Blood had become foreign to it since it transformed, that was the reason it chose ruby lips, to remember the blood it never would see again.
And yet she was making it stare into a pool of cracked bone, shattered teeth, and its ruby blood. She was making it feel pain. She was a threat that could rival Pride or Wrath. But to think worst of all, she was Lust's anathema. Bullets, swords, hammers, even Savage couldn't get a drop of blood from the Vessel.
Except her.
Damn her.
Damn… her!
"I WILL NOT BE INSULTED BY A PUTRED WORM!" Lust screamed, its wounds healing completely as its body contorted, Liddy's attempt to impale the creature avoided as the Vessel narrowed its body into that of a serpent.
Snaking around the Slayer, Liddy didn't even have the time to turn as Lust's hand contorted inward into a single point. A twisted, wide grin was across Lust's face as blood still came from the side of its head. But it didn't care. It wanted her dead. It wanted to forget what pain was again. And once its anathema was gutted like the filthy pig it was, the sooner it could return to crafting its desired body.
"Wait, is that blood?" Sakura asked, the wounded and tired Slayers watching as Liddy ripped the tongue from Lust's mouth. It was unreal to watch the Slayer move; a minute ago she was at death's door, and now she was fighting an enemy that possessed an advantage that would make it impossible to fight. And yet she hurt it, she scared it prior to blood being spilt, and now was pushing on the advantage.
"How is she able to hurt it? I ripped at its skin, and it didn't even flinch. No blood even from the muscle as it reformed." Erica recalled, Liddy splattering its blood more as she caved its face in, still holding onto the tongue.
"There's a lot of questions to be had, but we have to prioritize survival." Claire said, helping Emilia stay balanced with an arm over her shoulders. Without her brace and Hundred disarmed, Emilia's broken leg left her vulnerable. "I'll simply take the miracle until everyone's safe. The second miracle, that is."
Burdens of terror were lifted off everyone at seeing Liddy up and alive, even good enough to be fighting. As much as they wish she wasn't, the condition was better than the alternative. But dread was still clenching their hearts, as Liddy's opponent was an abomination that used its own body as mold of clay, twisting it into weapons of murder.
They wished they could help, no one Slayer should be forced to fight a monster like this. But in their conditions they'd be just burdens in the way. Sakura was in the best condition, but she could barely keep her Hundred active, her wings having dissipated from her lower energy reserves.
But it seemed as if things were in the clear, Liddy's kick having shattered the Vessel's head wide open. Even with the gory sight of blood, brain and bone, the abomination twisted up in a scream of rage. As if by pure instinct, Sakura's eyes glowed with a last focus of energy. She didn't know what would come, she had no idea how to prepare, but her guts has worked so far so she'd trust it. Watching Lust condense to a serpent-like form, Sakura paid attention to see the Vessel prepare its hand like a spear, prepared to impale Liddy. And given its ability to alter its body, even a small wound could give it the opportunity to rip the Slayer apart.
She didn't know what to do, no barrier could stop the attack at this range. But her voice was what came forward, as it did when the time called for it. She didn't know what command would work. How could she? Stop was likely not going to work on a creature with no energy, and it would pause Liddy as well.
And so a new gamble came to mind.
"SWITCH!"
As soon as the word left her lips, Sakura coughed blood as her throat felt as if it clawed itself up, her vision going blurry as she collapsed from exhaustion.
Liddy kicked herself at dropping her guard, Lust had proved to be a disturbingly creative threat, having been evolving since they started. And now she was about to die without landing a lethal blow.
"SWITCH!"
Liddy didn't blink, it happened to quick for that as her entire being felt as if it was… changing. It was as if her energy and skin was ripped away without her knowledge, everything went so fast and yet in that microsecond she watched as the entire world around her shifted. As if atoms realigned to alter course and move her without movement being required.
Liddy couldn't begin to think what had happened.
But all she realized was she was behind Lust, the Vessel flowed in confusion as its hand smashed apart the last shard of Liddy's shield.
The Vessel thrashed as it swung back to cleave Liddy, but by then it was too late. With feet planted, Liddy sacrificed the skin on her right arm as the spear hand cut just over her. Blood flew past their field of view as energy coned around Liddy's lance, and it spun to a blinding speed.
With all her might, Liddy thrusted the lance into Lust's torso. Flesh, skin and bones tore and blended apart as the energy cooked it during the drilling. Lust erupted in agonizing tremors of ear bleeding screams, the entire domain felt as if it was the only sound now. Being the closest Liddy's ears were bursting as they began to bleed, but she kept pushing with all her strength.
"RRAAAAAAGH!" With a bellow of might, Liddy threw the spear with Lust connected, energy splitting half of the Vessel clean off as it launched back. A cone was scorched into the once melted floor, blood and meat cooking mid-air as the Vessel twisted and contorted in crazed pain.
"AHHH, PAIN! IT'S NOTHING BUT PAIN!" Lust screeched as it thrashed and cried. A hole was burned into its side, the size having blasted its arm clean off as the injury cooked it from bleeding. But that didn't change it. The pain was even worse than seeing blood, it was unbearable, as if the Vessel could have died right then and there if it stopped.
It was horrifying to watch, the Vessel's thrashing dug into the ground as blood began to rip out from its movements. The cauterizing of Liddy's attack could only do so much, and Lust grasped at the wound and tore at it as a reflex.
"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU YOU WORTHLESS BAG OF SHIT AND BLOOD!" Lust thrashed up as it continued to pull at its seared flesh, hyperventilating as its eyes went bloodshot. "YOU THINK YOU CAN KILL ME!? ME!? I AM LUST, THE SOURCE OF DESIRE BY ALL! YOU'RE A PIG! A DISGUSTING PIG TO BE CUT, FUCKED AND THROWN INTO THE SHIT PILE!"
"NEXT TIME, NEXT TIME I'LL HAVE YOU!" Lust screeched as its body contorted and shrunk, Liddy realizing it was retreating as she ran after it.
She came close, one step sooner and she'd have pierced its head. But fate had her miss, as her lance impaled into the ground, no blood coming from the crack the Vessel wormed its way in to.
"Damn it." Liddy cursed herself, but she didn't have time to waste on it. Lust will show itself again. And they'll be ready when it does.
"What happened?" Liddy asked, jumping back up to the half destroyed roof.
"Sakura shouted, like the command she did at Little Garden and Zwei Islands. It switched your position with a shard of you shield, and then she collapsed coughing blood." Erica answered, having caught the idol the moment she collapsed.
"I'm so sorry Sakura." Liddy apologized, kneeling next to the idol and fixing her hair. "That's twice now you saved me, and you got hurt in the process."
"No… worry…" Sakura's voice was horse, her throat having taken damage from the use of her power with so little energy. But the pinkette was smiling, no doubt in her mind as she had saved the Slayer from certain death. "It's why… I sing… to help…"
"Well, you certainly did that in spades." Emilia responded.
"What do we do now?" Liddy asked, looking up to Claire as the Perfect Queen thought for a moment.
"We have to retreat. Find Matthew and the others, then pull out. We need a head count, in case anyone might be… if we've taken casualties." Claire stated. "Erica, can you carry Sakura?"
"Yes ma'am." Erica nodded.
"Wait…" Sakura started, attempting but failing to resist Erica as she lifted her up.
"Is something wrong?"
"We can't leave." Emilia spoke, wincing for a moment as pain shot up her leg. "Their leader, Envy I think, he's forced us into fighting in these checkpoints. He's threatened to kill Miharu if we didn't follow his rules. And if we leave, that's breaking one."
"He's turned this into a game?" Claire said in abject disgust.
"Then we're stuck."
"Until the game changes, or he says something else."
That brought only a second of silence, until a loud bang went off and the entire domain began rumble. As if their own minds were playing tricks on them, the concrete ruins slowly bled away, and soon they found themselves standing in a metal corridor. The proper appearance of the base with the change of the lights sputtering out.
"What was-!" Erica's question was halted as another series of bangs went off, followed by a shift in weight starting. All of the Slayers watched as their vision tilted, and before long they were sliding to the side.
"Someone blew the foundation!" Claire realized, as now metal was whining and bending underneath them. The cliffside the base was at must have been a target of a strike, and now they were on the verge of falling into the canyon!
"Then we don't have a choice!" Liddy shouted, running to Emilia and Claire, using an arm each to lift them over her shoulders and fireman carry them. "Erica, follow me! We're breaking out!"
"Roger!"
"Wait, what about Miharu!?" Emilia tried to argue, Liddy wasting no time as she ran right for the wall going up.
"If no one's reached her, she'll be dead when the base drops!" Liddy responded, feeling her strength falter for a second. However, she didn't have the luxury of collapsing, roaring as she threw her armored leg forward and smashed through the wall. Having to adjust for the change in momentum, she planted her feet and jumped back, the change in movement having her fly out of the hole she created and out into the harsh winds of the desert.
Erica soon after flew out, the two active Slayers pouring whatever energy they had left into their thrusters and took off to the cliffside. Debris from both stone and metal got in their way, forcing evasive maneuvers that ate away at their reserves. It was like running up a steep hill after running a marathon, their bodies aching at the exertion from their dwindling strength.
But with a last push off fallen debris, they rocketed up past the edge and rolled onto the sand in heaps. All five separated at the crash landing, Liddy coughing up sand before moving over to pull Emilia out.
"GAAAAAHHH… I really hate this place!" Emilia coughed out, sand escaping as Liddy moved to pull Claire out next, the two panting to regain their breathing as Erica helped Sakura sit against a pile of sand.
"What the hell was that? Why did they destroy their own base?" Claire spat out, a few last coughs needed to get the bulk of sand out of her mouth.
"I don't know… this is getting out of hand fast." Liddy groaned, attempting to stand but falling soon after, completely wiped out from pain and exhaustion.
Erica followed soon after, unable to hold herself up any longer as she lost the last of her energy reserves. The team was drained, unable to move any more.
"We still need to try and contact the others." Claire groaned, tapping her collar in hopes that it hadn't suffered too much damage. "Matthew, are you there?"
"I'm here." The group nearly jumped at Matthew voice coming not through the radio, but instead behind them as he climbed over a dune carrying Reitia and Nesat.
"You're bleeding." Claire immediately noted, Matthew shaking the concern away as he placed the injured Slayers down.
"Nothing a little biofoam won't heal. What's the headcount?"
"We're missing… Touka and Krovanh." Emilia said, feeling out the pain in her leg.
"We're… alive…" Krovanh coughed out, blood splattering into sand as the team saw him dragging himself through the sand, Touka and her sword on his back.
"Damn idiot, how long were you crawling for?" Matthew questioned, fully able as he ran over to the former Hunter and picked the two up.
"I… don't know… we waited for hours and no one… showed up…" Krovanh groaned, looking over to Touka as she was sat next to Erica. "She's… hurt bad…"
"Yeah I noticed." Matthew responded, Erica offering her kit so that he could begin treating the wounded. "Anything besides the hand?"
"Dislocated… shoulder. She fell unconscious a few minutes ago."
"You've done good, give yourself some rest." Claire said, sitting upright as she noticed the boy's condition. He was bruised bad, but the concerning thing was the blood at his mouth.
"I… I'm a little scared too…" He admitted, although winced as Matthew jabbed a needle into his neck.
"You'll thank me later." The Lord responded, Krovanh's vision dimming before he fell asleep. He was about to return to treating the others when a whine of energy drew their attention, Matthew being the only one able to investigate as he looked down in shock.
"What is it Matthew?" Claire questioned, seeing his surprise.
"It… It's Artorian."
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!" Artorian spat at himself as he ran through the endless corridors, anger building up in himself. There was blood on his face and across his arms, both his own and others as he fought his way through at least a dozen of the power armored soldiers.
Immediately after he bypassed Damfin, he was ambushed by a squad of six of the bastards. He took a few nasty hits from the sudden attack, but he was for the most part fine. Nothing that would have slowed the Lord down. The last batches he took down in pairs of two, barely a roadblock that he cleaved through.
But that wasn't the source of his anger. That was reserved for himself, feeling the rage of being forced to leave Sakura and Emilia behind. If he was half a man he'd have stayed behind and fought Damfin. He could have done it easily, and the two could rescue Miharu and Karen faster then him. That would have guaranteed their safety.
But he needed to see them. Even if it was one last time. And that was why he was mad.
Because he was a selfish bastard.
"Tick tock Abyssal. Tick. Tock." Envy's smug voice spoke over the intercom, pissing the Abysswalker more as his speed picked up more.
He knew where he was going, he could feel Karen's presence. That source of light in the darkness that plagued the base. The only good thing with how far his condition had deteriorated was that it made the Abyss easier to feel, and thus the anomaly of Karen's presence stuck out clearer to him. He didn't even have to look where he was going, he knew it was the right direction.
"Come on, make this worth something you useless bastard." Artorian growled to himself, reaching a set of automatic doors. He knew they were close, so damn close he couldn't risk wasting a second more. With a single motion he dug his fingers into the metal, tightening his grip and bending the metal with little effort.
In a single pull of his arms, he ripped the steel door off and tossed the halves away without so much as blinking. He hasn't blinked since Damfin's ambush, resulting in his bloodshot eyes that scanned around the hall he opened.
"Artorian!" A voice called out, and with it seemingly a burden was relieved from the Abysswalker as the tiniest light shined in his eye.
"Karen! Miharu!" Rushing into the prison room, he looked right to see the pair's cell and wasted not a second ripping the bars apart to enter. Not a word was said as the Lord dropped to his knees and embraced the two before they could move, surprising them as he held them close.
"Artorian?"
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." He whimpered, the two surprised at the moment of weakness as he trembled. Although relief was there, tears welled in his eyes as regret was present too.
"You idiot…" Miharu sighed, gently wrapping her good arm around him to return the embrace, while Karen used both. "This isn't your fault."
"Of course it is, but I'll make it right." He promised, pulling back to cup a cheek with a hand each. It had been days, and aside from a few scrapes they appeared fine. That was until Artorian saw Miharu's hand. Specifical, her fingers.
"What happened?" He asked, gently taking her hand to look closer. They appeared almost fine, were it not for the bruising and clear alignment issue. It was something he was familiar with, as he's broken and forcibly relocated each digit before in the past. Meaning someone broke Miharu's fingers. Her fingers that never hurt a soul.
"They're leader did it." Karen answered, Artorian having figured a bastard was getting his rocks off. "It was because she was calling him out for what he did when he tried to justify it. They… he also broke her leg. But one of them healed it, at least he tried."
"You really can't keep your mouth shut to protect yourself, can you?" The hybrid sighed, but grateful to see she was still alive.
"You aren't one to talk." Miharu responded, getting a laugh from him.
"No, I guess I'm not."
"Artorian…" Karen spoke up, getting the pair's attention. "It's about their leader, it's… he's…"
"Yeah, I know." Artorian admitted, surprising them. "I figured it out when he spoke over the intercom. It was different, but I don't forget voices. But I'll burn that bridge when we cross it." He then turned around, offering his back to Miharu. "Come on, we're leaving."
"Do you have an exit?" The nurse asked, wincing in pain but with help from both the Slayer and Karen she was able to cling to his back before he stood up. It was a moment of private thought, but it felt… oddly comforting to have him pick her up as easily as he did. And he was at a whole other level of gentle, her injuries unbothered by his movement.
"Yeah… something in mind." Artorian said, offering his free hand to Karen. "Come on, you too."
"N-No, I can keep up. Miharu needs to be better held." Karen tried to argue, Artorian giving her a genuine look.
"Karen…"
"…O-Okay." She relented quickly, knowing that without her variable suit or Hundred she was still too weak to run for long. Especially if she's trying to keep up with Artorian. He picked her up carefully, propping her up the best he could.
"You good?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Miharu?"
"I'm okay."
"Alright, hold on best you can." He warned, before the Abysswalker took off in a dead sprint. Both Miharu and Karen were taken by surprise at his speed, their hold on him being the only reason they didn't fall off. He didn't have much time left, but he had them. And now that he had them, he could keep them safe and get them out of this hell.
And tear anyone limb from limb that tried to take them away from him again.
That promise was going to be tested, as after two minutes of his dead sprint, Artorian slowed to a stop as he felt the new presence of Vessels, confusing the girls as he looked around. It wasn't a hall anymore, but a auditorium of sorts. A wide area with plenty of approach points, and he felt more than a few Vessels slithering around in there.
"Artorian?"
"Change of plans, we're holding out for now." Artorian warned, placing Karen down before lowering back down. He was as careful as possible, resting Miharu down to sit again. "I'm sorry, its going to be a little longer before we're out."
"Don't worry about us." Miharu responded, cupping his cheek in her hand as she smiled up to him. "Do what you do best."
"You might not like that side you'll see."
"I'm a nurse, I follow the Hippocratic Oath. You're a Slayer, you don't have to abide by my morals." She said, pulling his face close to press their foreheads together. "Just fight to live. Don't die fighting with values you don't believe in."
"Okay… I promise." Artorian responded, closing his eyes for the first time in minutes. He didn't want to pull away, he just wanted to stay like this for the time he had left. It had him wonder if his dad thought like this too back during the Second Attack. Not wanting to fight and just enjoy the last minutes he had.
But he had to fight. For them.
"Karen, do your thing." Artorian spoke to her, summoning his armaments as he never deactivated his Hundred. He planted his shield before the two, stepping away with just his sword in preparation.
Miharu watched as Karen closed her eyes and held her hands together. Appearing to be in the process of praying when the blue energy coming from the shield blinked. Slowly, the blue was eaten away by golden and purple, blinking her for a moment before realizing a bubble of energy and magic surrounded them.
"Alright bastards." Artorian growled, cracking his neck as he held his free hand to his shoulder. As their presence grew, Artorian could detect eight Vessels surrounding the area. If he wasn't an Abysswalker, he'd genuinely have considered running away. There would be too many variables to account for. But it seemed they were lacking information of what he is. And if so, his natural aura would dispel half their abilities if he was lucky enough.
"Let's get this over with." He said with intensity, the Abyss sparking to life as his eyes glowed crimson with rage. He was done playing games now, he was done playing by Kai's rules. He had Miharu and Karen.
And now he wanted blood.
"Only one last piece to the puzzle." Kai said with a smirk, watching in secret as Artorian began to fight his Vessels. "Work up a sweat Abyssal, show me what you can do."
(A/N): AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I did it! I was able to get this chapter out! I was surprised at how much I was getting out, but I knew I had to capitalize on my spree while I could. I got another chapter done and I'm inching closer to the finale of this arc. It's been a long time coming, but I'm going to keep pushing forward the best I can. I was happy to have a bittersweet reunion, and now the final dances are about to be had. Hope I got you all excited, and that you enjoyed this chapter.
See you in the next one. Peace!