Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom - ep. 99
"Circulus Vitiosus"
[Ultima Ratio: Feature 2]
Pain claps his hands again, summoning another creature to the field. I've already jumped away as the massive crab starts to launch an attack.
Quick assessments will be key. Time to get to it.
The crab starts to sweep a stream of bubbles towards me as I run. People have evacuated, some are sheltering in place. I can see the form of the new creature as it barks and snarls while rushing at me. A giant brown dog with two heads, and...what's happening here?
"This is certainly something...well. Too bad for you. Chew on something in your next life, mutt."
I line myself up so that the crab is blocked by the charging dog. Easy enough.
"Mobius: Double Barrel."
The burst rips through the dog's legs and the crab all at once. But I suppose it wouldn't be that easy with the Rinnegan in play, would it. The massive dog reels briefly before splitting into two separate dogs, continuing to rush me from either side. I wait until the last moment before squeezing through the gap as they attack, hearing their yelps as they hit each other before crashing into the building behind me. Pain isn't concerned one bit by the collateral damage. It must make sense in his mind...that, and he can just blame it all on me later. Another clap of his hands, and another creature takes to the field in order to attack. A grey rhinoceros, with what seem to be small black wings on its back. I can't be too concerned about what for as it charges me. I turn my head to see the dog coming back again, as one dog with four rabid heads.
Resilient, eager...and easily duped. I dash towards the rhinoceros and clear its head in one leap, the dog yelping again as it slams into its new partner. Pain claps his hands and summons the crab yet again, which opts to leap at me and start close combat with its massive pincers.
"You again, then. One more time?" I gather chakra in my mouth and run forward, jumping over one pincer as it comes for me on the ground and parrying the tip of the other while in the air. In my sights, but I have more than one target in mind here. "Lightning Release: False Darkness."
The two jagged bursts of lightning leave my mouth as I open it. One pierces through the crab's head to dispatch it again, and the other races for Pain himself. He dodges the attack, but that was just the first step. Now he's right where I want him, out of position and out of options. I cross behind him and fix my grip on Murakumo while closing in. Wait until the last moment, and...
"!"
He ducks just as I swing at his head, and I react quickly to the drop kick that comes for my chest, blocking with my other arm. My feet slide back against the wet concrete before I bring myself to a full stop.
"What was that? Just how did he..."
My mind files through all of the possibilities. Was there something we missed? Perhaps we were mistaken, and the Rinnegan has some extra ability that allows him to do things like that...but then, that doesn't fit with the observations we all made of his operations with Konan. It has to do with what's happening here and now. It's not a sensing ability. No, his evasion and counterattack was far too precise for any of that. Sensing doesn't allow anyone to do things that precise, at least not to anyone's knowledge. But since it's the Rinnegan, maybe...
There's also something else. The summoned creatures, aside from being able to appear and disappear in instants unlike other summons...they're pierced through with the same black material that decorates Pain's body. More than that, they also have the Rinnegan. That's not possible, it shouldn't be. This must be something like projection.
"It means there's something I need to test, before the hour gets too late," I say to myself.
The dog starts barking before splitting itself up again, into four separate dogs that start running after me. Rinnegan and black rods, in plain sight. Fine. Let's play with this a bit to help confirm my theory. Pain meanwhile summons another creature, this one a chameleon with a serpent for a tail, and ragged wings that I suspect have no use for flight. One long horn extends backwards, pierced with black rods, and the other is snapped off and wrapped in bandage. Both eyes reflect the Rinnegan, just like the other creatures. The rhinoceros charges after me as well, giving no regard to the structures around it as it rips through a building while missing me.
"Disappeared. Interesting."
I look back to where Pain is to see that he and the strange chameleon have vanished into thin air. Probably setting a trap...or something else. If this chameleon is like its non-summon counterparts, then I have a feeling I know what Pain's game is. Hiding away helps me more than it does him at this juncture.
"No need to advance just yet...actually, I'll see to something else now."
I run up the side of the nearest building, and turn my head to see something burst into being from the clear sky just ahead.
"Of course you would have something to cover that angle."
I cut the chakra flow to my feet and fall away from the building, just as a giant green bird with a jagged yellow beak dives through it and to the other side. I'm putting the pieces together...still need one more thing to confirm. The dust and falling debris covers my escape as I go back towards the village streets, weaving around buildings and sensing for Pain again. I suppress my chakra while running, just to be certain I go under his radar. His little vanishing trick erases his visual presence, but unfortunately for him, I happen to be a pretty good sensor type on top of my already stunning array of abilities. I know where he is, inside the chameleon's mouth a few blocks away on the side of another tall building. Unaware that I already have his location.
"Time to take advantage. Here we go."
I make sure I'm out of sight before running up the opposite side of the building, making seals all the way. I hit the roof, and see that the bird is flying around again. Hm. It has three legs, like those mythical crows. Before it can properly notice me, I drop down the side of the building, weaving more seals as I fall towards Pain.
The bird swoops overhead, and then the chameleon quickly stops its walk.
"A worthy attempt," Pain says. "But none can escape the sight of God."
The invisible serpent tail lashes out and grabs me in its jaws...before I turn into liquid, splashing everywhere as a spray of water.
"I did it easily enough, though."
I emerge from the far side of the building and dash through the air, drawing back Murakumo before slashing outward with a crescent of lightning chakra. The chameleon tries to swerve and I slice its head clean off, knocking it out of camouflage before it disappears in a puff of smoke. Pain de-summons then re-summons the giant bird beneath him as he drops, flying through the skies with it while I land on the side of the building and look out at his retreating form.
"How curious that 'God' would be so badly in need of bifocals," I taunt. "I have lovely friends who would have been happy to recommend some stylish frames for you, but between your terrible ego and the whole impending death thing, I don't think it would have worked out. In any case, thank you kindly for allowing me to conduct an experiment at your expense."
He continues to fly away, and I can sense that the other summoned creatures have left the field again. Pain is definitely up to something. I make my way down to the street again and start weaving through the village to follow him. Whatever this is, he's keeping it away from Konan. He doesn't want her involved. Sentiment, pride, or fear? I have to wonder. In any case, I've figured out this one's little secret. The projections of the Rinnegan allow him to use summons to survey the field, in the same way that a security officer looks over a property with numerous installed cameras. A reaction to what could be directly seen...it's why he lost me in the dust from the damaged building, attacked my water clone first, and only barely reacted to my attack on the chameleon. It also explains the precision with which he countered me earlier: he saw my attack in real time, through the eyes of the other animals looking right at me. When it wasn't the case, he had no such luxury.
"..."
And it makes me wonder if he's just buying time to change into another form. Because it's also extremely curious that someone with the Rinnegan, the Sage's eyes that are said to grant control of every chakra nature in this world...has only been using mid level taijutsu and the summoning technique, over and over again. It's beyond suspicious. He's not just conserving power or something similar.
One option is to bait him by going after Konan...but that probably won't work. Not only would they likely be prepared for that sort of move, Konan can make herself impossible to catch with her paper techniques and a small amount of lead time. It's far better to focus my efforts on crushing Pain. I can deal with her later.
"More targets coming from the tower's direction. Looks like that place was a hub after all..." Pain is still on his bird and is continuing north, away from Konan as she sweeps the village for intruders. I can't pin down Erika, which is for the best at this moment. She's unlikely to be spotted by visuals alone and has no reason to expose herself.
Suddenly, three figures drop down from the sky just ahead of me, and the dog appears again with its three heads to harass me. I keep an eye on the bird as it circles, then comes back down for a dive. It slams into the ground, throwing up dirt and dust as I jump away to one side. The dog bursts through the veil behind me, and I take a step through the air to go over its heads as they snap away. With this, I can get a look at the newcomers. One large, stocky man with orange hair tied back. And another with...no neck? Or rather, it's an impossibly thick neck, complete with massive jaw. He has no hair anywhere on his head, and spikes coming from the top of it. Both are dressed in Akatsuki cloaks, both have the slashed through Rain headbands, both have the black piercings on and through their faces, and both also have the same eyes as the first Pain – the Rinnegan. But their positions were transposed awfully quickly. Did the other two use a Rinnegan art to move over here?
Something to worry about later, maybe. Since I've already done my investigation, I don't need to wander in confusion: all of these doujutsu are copies of each other, linked together to give a wider and more mobile field of vision. The dog comes around again as I land, and I focus chakra into the seal on my left arm.
"Let's run our own interference, shall we?"
My chosen summon bursts up from below the ground, using his massive body to wrap around the rabid dog and constrict it with little trouble.
"At your service, my lady."
"Immaculate timing as always," I say with a smile. "Aoda, my love. Thank you for your help."
"The honour is mine as always, Lady Lilith. Please tell me how I can assist you today."
One of the most trusted summons in Ryuuchi Cave, and for good reason. Strong, swift, and as a treat, very respectful to his summoners. A massive blue snake with focused green eyes, Aoda is one who is formidable enough to have challenged Manda back in his prime. While he could not do much from the inside as the old boss roamed, he was invaluable to helping the regime change hands with secret activities. His loyalty is to the White Snake Sage first and foremost, but he refused to remain idle in the face of injustice.
"You may start by intercepting these summons as best you can. Do not worry about any ones that you miss, I will be fine dealing with the strays," I say. "The strange mutt in your grip, it apparently splits apart in response to direct damage."
"Understood, Lady Lilith."
"Be careful regardless...we are up against the samsara eye this time, and in multiple bodies to boot."
"The Rinnegan of legend...I see. The Great Mother Sage spoke of this, but I did not expect them to appear again in this world. I will be careful, and do my best to clear the battlefield for you, Lady Lilith."
"That is all I ask. Some time to prepare the advanced arts will be necessary soon...after all, this Pain fellow has invited two more to join us."
Pain has the dog disappear, and Aoda uncoils his form to settle next to me.
"It would have been nice if you told me you were bringing along friends," I say to Pain. "A girl needs a chance to prepare herself when entertaining so many at once..."
"It matters not what you do, serpent woman," the large man says. He has the same voice as the first...is someone truly projecting themselves onto these bodies? A split consciousness, perhaps? "We are Pain...we are inevitable."
Lady Lilith.
Yes, darling. Have you come upon something?
I have. The many exotic piercings in those men are reacting strangely. Their body temperatures are somewhat below the normal human average, which makes them stand out. The piercings are giving off significant amounts of heat.
Heat.
Now that I have time to stand still, I can feel it clearly through the ground...many sources of vibrations, coming directly from each of those bodies. Combined with the strange, frequently changing signals...
I think I've come to an understanding now. Thank you, Aoda.
Of course, Lady Lilith. I am here to serve.
The one with the ponytail is the summoner. That seems to be his only technique in hand, but be cautious just in case. The others are still unknowns. I'll take care of whatever threats they pose by escalating.
I'm starting to put all of this together. Means that any moment...
"It's time to put an end to this," the summoner Pain says. "Now that I've seen your skill in person, it will be all too easy to neutralize you."
I narrow my eyes. "Stay sharp, Aoda."
"Yes, Lady Lilith."
"As for what you've seen, Pain...it's nothing compared to what I'll deliver to you next. Like I said before...I know how to entertain some fellows looking for a good time. You just need to give me a bit to get ready, of course."
"Of course. Your desire for decorum is understood. But we are fine with the current arrangement." The neck-less one starts forward before flames burst from the bottoms of his feet. His hands transform into blades as he charges me. Fast, but not all that fast, is he.
"Suit yourself. I can make do with this...how about you?" I wait until the last moment before flipping forward and over Pain, rotating quickly enough that I can come back around with Murakumo in my hands and ready. I slash outward and into his torso while he flies by, only to get an unusual feeling and sound. "That's not a normal human body, is it...how did he manage that all of a sudden?"
The summoner calls out the rhinoceros again, and Aoda charges to knock it off its feet before squeezing it tightly. Meanwhile, the stocky man is in tight formation with his partner, and the neck-less, metallic man is already on his feet again, exposed metal showing through the sliced away part of his cloak. He discards it altogether, and reveals more curiosities in an already crowded matinee of them. Two additional faces on the sides of his head, a serrated blade that unfurls from around his waist like a tail, and four extra arms.
"This is...an asura?" Of all the forms, what does this one mean? Is there a theme going on here? Whatever the case, it seems that this man is a mechanical beast. He raises two of his six arms and points the fists at me.
"Only one way to escape," he drones.
The fists leave their arms in streams of flame, winding through the air in unpredictable paths. I jump to avoid them, and turn to see the bird with the drill beak already hurtling towards my position.
"The end."
"Misread the scouting report, did you?" I smile and push chakra into my feet, before stepping through the sky to dodge the bird completely. It crashes into the ground once more before disappearing. Drifting through the air, I see that the rocket fists are being drawn back towards the asura man, like magnets. Another split second, and I can map out my targets clearly. Because of their shared vision, they can see me dropping in behind the large Pain. But they can't stop me from taking him out.
"One down. Double Barrel."
I aim and fire at his head.
"?"
And the attack...hits something and disappears. It almost reached him, too. Is that a barrier?
"It negated my attack...no. I can see it. He absorbed Mobius entirely. Some sort of counter rotation to ensure that it's dispersed." But then, that explains why this one has been hanging back. And that little quip earlier...I get it now. These two new forms, or bodies, or what have you. The metal man is meant to counter my speed. The large man, my ninjutsu. And the summoner, his specialty is meant to overwhelm me with constant surveillance and sheer numbers. The latter alone seems to be enough to take care of most cases along with Konan, and the other two are for insurance.
"..."
Okay. Then...combining these advantages would make any one of them nearly unstoppable. The summoner being able to modify their body, or the metal man able to summon multiple creatures while causing chaos with their rocket shoes or rocket fists, or...
"Wait. Are those..."
His arms split open, and inside of them are dozens of what look to be small missiles. They all explode outwards at once, racing towards me and Aoda.
"Aoda! Slip through!"
"Understood." His large body moves with the same impressive speed that I've witnessed before, allowing him to weave through the village streets and leave his part of the barrage to blow apart buildings in his wake. I jump backwards before stepping through the air, the missiles giving chase relentlessly. I make sure they're on my tail before I rush downwards, past the metal man and towards his friends.
"Feeling lucky?" I ask.
The summon body claps his hands as I bounce over his head and to the ground. Some kind of animal appears at the last moment and takes the missiles head on, waves of heat washing over us before I charge forward. The large one doesn't turn and activates the barrier again as I fix my right hand around Murakumo.
"A quick learner...and yet, a bad student."
A mass of snakes bursts from my sleeve as I extend my hand forward, binding him immediately.
"Huh-!"
I can feel something being pulled from me, and all of the snakes I summoned immediately disappear. Something is terribly wrong. Need to make an extra move. I gather chakra into my right hand and charge it to the limit.
"Valkyrie Bullet!"
Again. I felt it clearly that time. The punch drives itself into his gut, throwing him past what I can now see is a giant panda that looks like it's made of stone. But the chakra that adds the extra force behind that attack was absorbed once more by the strange barrier. He felt that blow, but not like he should have.
Annoying fat bastard. He can absorb chakra through contact, too. He drained the snakes I summoned and got something from me since we were all physically connected. But again, he didn't shift forms. He didn't take advantage of the close combat situation. It means that what I've been suspecting is true...each of these bodies only occupies one domain at a time. And since these aren't transformations of one man, it is likely that they're controlled from afar. More than a projected consciousness. Multiple bodies, with shared vision. The ultimate task force. With these three, that makes four total. The remaining body, the one that Konan converses with regularly, and is presented to Obito for meetings, that one has yet to appear.
I can see the metal man's head unfold like some sort of twisted blossom, revealing a strange and hollow compartment that starts to glow with light. The concentration of chakra here is no mystery.
"You claim to be making this world a better place, yet you refuse to take care of your own people," I taunt. "At this rate, the only terrorist this village will ever know is you."
"The people will understand. Those who do not will suffer of their own choice. God's will is not meant to be soluble by mere mortals," Pain replies. The light glows brighter before it is aimed in my direction. I activate my chakra mode and body flicker to the area behind him, watching as buildings ahead are torn apart in the blast. The handful of people in the area didn't stand a chance...at the least, they didn't feel anything before disappearing.
The absorbing Pain is too far to intercept. I can do this one.
"Mobius: Double Barrel."
I have the burst tear through the left side of the metal man's head, sending debris flying outwards.
"Aoda."
He rushes in from the opposite side at my command, right past the other Pains who jump backwards to avoid his charge. In a moment, his form coils around the vulnerable Pain and crushes him with prejudice. Nothing but a mass of spare parts now.
The summoner calls out the strange panda again to block me, and the absorber sets up shop a fair distance behind him. The rhinoceros returns again, and Aoda quickly engages. I wrap tags around two kunai and send them on their way, aiming over the panda's head. My wrists flick out again and the faster shuriken arc high before coming downwards, spiking the kunai into their target.
"Got you." An explosion sounds out not a moment later.
"An audacious attack...but effective all the same," the summoner says. He turns to see his now headless partner fall quietly to the dirt.
"Aoda, come."
Aoda slaps away the rhinoceros and quickly moves back to me. I hop on top of his head before we speed out of the area.
"Are we alright, Lady Lilith?" he asks.
"Very much so. I think I understand the intricacies of their little dance well enough...but several things don't sit right with me. More than the fact that their bodies are alien in nature, I'm sensing that there's something even more sinister that they're hiding."
"Understood."
"I will tell you when we need to change course. We're far from done, so I want to gather up whatever advantages that I can before things escalate further."
"Anything that you desire, Lady Lilith."
"Thank you, Aoda. You've been a tremendous help today, and I will see to it that excellent report is made with Ane-ue and Baa-sama."
"I am truly humbled, my lady. Thank you for your kindness."
Konan is holding her position, a good distance away from where we were fighting. I can sense Erika again, keeping a good eye on her. Someone else has migrated to the battlefield as Aoda and I move. Make that two someones. Getting there that fast...a time space technique. Has to be. Now there are five of them, and with the last one...that makes six. A nice, round number. Is that all of them? Maybe there are ones that use one element each, and have a mastery of such. A taijutsu oriented one, with the power of the Eight Gates. And with Aoda's report...these could be modified corpses, meaning they might be without limit. One could have dominion over all genjutsu. Sealing, perhaps.
"Too many possibilities. I hate thinking about it. And I hate thinking about him. Someone with this much potential power...using it for these purposes," I mutter. "Wretched. Worthless. Aoda, I'm ready. Bring us back in."
"Yes, Lady Lilith."
He turns on a dime and brings us back to the previous area at speed. I hop off his head and onto the ruins of a collapsed building, looking down at the five Pains that now stand before me. Aoda places himself between us, coiled and ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"..."
It wouldn't make sense to have him in the middle of what's coming next. As my lovely Fuu said so elegantly once before, it's time to get mean and nasty.
"Aoda, my love. Thank you for your help. I will carry out the rest myself."
"If that is your wish, Lady Lilith."
"It is. And when you see Ane-ue next...tell her that I am just fine. I know she worries."
"As you command, Lady Lilith. Please, be safe."
"I will. Thank you."
Aoda disappears in a cloud of smoke. And when it clears, I can see another presence. The one I've been waiting for.
"You must be the true Nagato...the one in charge of these bodies," I say to him. "And I see that our previously destroyed friends have somehow been restored to perfect health, fashionable outerwear included. I take it that's the work of one of these newcomers." One has a visibly blocky, strong sort of jaw and facial structure. And compared to the others, his face looks significantly more aged and austere. The other, by far the tallest of the lot with very long and silky hair, naturally coloured orange like all the rest.
"That might be correct," the leader says. He really does look similar to Naruto, from this close. Terribly uncanny, but nothing that would induce me to be merciful. "Who can say?"
"Truly, the whims of God are mysterious."
"You are starting to understand."
"Yes. I am, unfortunately. The more I understand, the more I loathe you. And the more I understand...the less chance there is that even one of you will escape. You said that you wanted to put an end to this? Allow me to take you up on that."
"So be it. I will acknowledge you as one of this world's elites, Scarlet Viper. But this is where your journey comes to an end. Now you stand against the power of the divine. It is time for you to witness..."
They get into formation around the leader.
"The Six Paths of Pain."
Six paths...now I can see it in full. The Buddhist cycle of reincarnation, split into six paths. The realm of devas. The realm of asuras. The realm of manyusha. The realm of tiryagyoni. The realm of preta. And finally, the realm of naraka. All remain inside samsara. That was the theme my mind was trying to decipher earlier.
Six forms of the same person. I have a feeling I know who it is. And each of them is identified well enough. The arrogant spiky haired leader, that must be the Deva Path. The mechanical man with a metal body and advanced weaponry is the Asura Path. The fat one, though it might seem at odds with the theme, is the Preta Path. The summoner has to be the Animal Path. Which leaves Human and Naraka for the remaining ones. I can't tell which is which out of the two of them. It doesn't matter much.
"How interesting...truly. To see the Rinnegan, the eye of power and creation, represented like this. A strength focused on and built around perpetual cycles. What an amusing thing this is."
"We are Pain. And we are God. What say you, child of serpents, before we take you from this world and into the next?" the Deva Path asks.
"I say that you are the one who will bear witness, to a power and force that you have never seen before...and never will again. Allow me to reintroduce myself, holder of the samsara eye."
The power flows through me, flooding my body with the pure energy of nature. I can feel it all. Everything, everyone. The very taste and texture of the air around us. Strength is infused into my body, from crown to sole. I have powerful jutsu and transformations, but this...this is when I've always felt the most strength. I am connected to nature once more, wedded to it as its faithful bride. The creation of the Supreme God, in all of its reverence and glory.
In reality and truth, I am now the ideal living being. A true agent of heaven, and precious steward of the Earth.
The Rinnegan, and everything it is or has ever been...is nothing beneath my gaze.
"I stand here with the blessings of the Great Mother Sage. My name is Lilith Kobayashi, honoured Sage of Ryuuchi Cave. I am the one who is worthy of all praise, blessed by heaven and earth. And as the favoured child of heaven, I will drive the truth and power of the cosmos into your feeble, deluded shell. How are those for last words, you arrogant son of a bitch?"
"In your final moments, you will realize the error of your ways, serpent woman. The strength of a Sage is formidable, but pales in comparison to the power that shaped this world once before, and will once again. You will understand your futility..."
The six bodies leap towards me, all at once.
"And you will know pain."