The Empress Makes An Appearance
Willow and Akari stared in shock and disgust at the sight of the unmasked captain. The captain in question was a demon with lizard-like, ash-gray skin. However, the human and witch were looking at the demon's hair, which was a familiar mint green shade.
Even the demon's lips were purple, the same shade a certain ex-businesswoman wore. The captain's chin also had the sharp figure of Odalia.
Curious, Akari kneeled beside the captain and gingerly held his right eye. She forced it open and wasn't surprised to see a blue eye staring back at her. She closed the captain's eye and looked at one of the scouts.
"I knew Odalia was vain," Willow commented, mostly to herself, "But this? This makes Belos look humble."
The plant witch saw the Japanese woman messing with one of the scouts and became curious. Willow walked up to Akari just as the human tore the scout's mask off. The sight that greeted the two was sickening; Akari's eyes shrunk to peas, and her skin turned a sickly white. Willow's hands were over her mouth, and it sounded like she was dry-heaving.
"This…this is just sick," Akari said disgustingly, staring at the scout.
Willow forced a small bit of vomit down her throat and nodded as she was still too shocked to speak. The witch wanted to look away but found she couldn't; she continued to stare at the scout's face, which was covered in abomination matter.
Akari scowled as she studied the head of the scout and reached out to touch it. Her scowl deepened as she pushed past the substance and felt flesh and bone. She looked at the chest and tore the scout's tonic off.
The sight of abomination matter covering a chest with decaying flesh was the final straw for Willow. She tightly clenched her mouth shut with both hands and ran away from the scout. Akari looked as the witch began to vomit.
The swordswoman gave Willow space and turned her attention back to the scout. Akari frowned as she looked at the scout's head and saw something on the scout's forehead. She reached out and brushed the abomination off the scout's forehead.
Akari's eyes snapped open when she saw the scar, which was identical to the scar on Willow's forehead.
"By the three fires, what's going on in this Boiling Isles?" Akaria asked herself.
The swordswoman looked to her right when she heard a noise and saw Willow approaching, wiping her mouth. Akari straightened up and was about to say something.
"We should move," Willow quickly said, "There's no telling if more scouts are coming."
The plant witch then power-walked away. Akari watched as Willow walked off and sighed. She looked at the scout, focusing on the scar. She studied it for a second, then hurried after the witch.
For the next few minutes, the witch and human walked in an awkward silence. Akari looked at Willow, specifically the scar on her forehead. Willow noticed the human staring at her and turned to look her way.
"Is there something you want to ask?" the plant witch asked coldly.
Akari stared at the plant witch for a second, then sighed.
"...It's just that scar you have is the same as the one on the scout we fought," Akari replied, looking Willow in the eyes. "And the scout following you said something about your ma-"
"DON'T!" Willow suddenly screamed, covering her scar. "Don't ask!"
Akari was surprised by the outburst and blinked. Willow glared at the swordswoman for a second, growling before turning and hurrying off. Akari hurried after the witch, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"Please, Willow," Akaria pleaded, "I just want to know what's going on here. Scouts are being frankenstein'ed, and Odalia is the Empress. This is weird, even for someone like me, and I just want to know what's happening."
Willow growled but tried to ignore the questions. She kept her eyes on the path in front of her but could feel the look the human was giving her.
"Please, talk to me," Akari pleaded, "I'm just so lost, and I don't like feeling lost."
Willow's patience finally wore out, and she glared at the human. Akari flinched when she saw the faint glow in Willow's eyes.
"Luz! Would you back off!" Willow screamed.
The second she realized what she said, Willow's eyes snapped open in shock. Akari watched as the witch's demeanor changed; her anger disappeared, replaced by sadness.
"...Sorry," Willow apologized awkwardly, "I shouldn't have snapped at you."
The witch then hurried down the path, avoiding looking at the Japanese woman. Akari stared after the witch, gingerly touching her own scar.
"...Light," she muttered sadly. "Luz means light, and Kami knows I'm not light…not anymore."
The swordswoman then followed the plant witch. The two continued to walk in awkward silence. Willow looked at the Japanese woman with her eyes and noticed Akari's downcast look.
Willow frowned as she studied Akari's demeanor. There was something about this girl, something that triggered her memory of her best friend. Maybe it was the way Akari held herself, or it was the way she looked after she got yelled at.
Whatever the reason, Willow felt something tugging at her heart. She looked away from the Japanese woman and tried to ignore this feeling. She quickly found she couldn't ignore the feeling and sighed.
"Look," Willow said, stopping and looking at Akari. "Like I said, I don't know how Odalia got so much power."
Akari looked at the plant witch, giving Willow her full attention.
"And for my scar," Willow added reluctantly, touching her scar. "When Odalia named herself Empress, she opened what she called Re-Learning Factories. When someone goes against her, she sends them to these factories."
Willow scowled as she remembered that day. She recalled being forced into a chair, hand-covered so she couldn't make spell circles. She tried to fight back, to free herself, but the scouts were too strong, and soon, she was strapped to the chair.
Willow was defiant as a scout approached her, a dagger glowing with oracle magic. She could still remember the pain as the dagger was used to cut into her flesh, refusing to scream as she felt oracle magic sipping into her head.
The plant watch shook her head, unwilling to remember anymore. Willow looked at the human and saw the look Akari was giving her. She sighed and resumed her trek, Akari following after her.
"I didn't know what those factories were doing," Willow explained bitterly, "I was recused before whatever they were planning on doing could be finished."
Akari frowned as she processed this. Suddenly, the two heard a noise and snapped into action; Willow made spell circles and placed them on her wrists, vines bursting through the ground, and Akari drew her sword.
Tension was as high as the witch, and human looked around, trying to find the source of the noise. Suddenly, two familiar figures came into view, and Willow relaxed.
"Hunter! Gus!" the plant witch exclaimed happily and rushed to her friends.
Akari sheathed her sword and studied the two. She frowned when she saw that Gus had shaved his head, as evidenced by the peach fuzz. The illusionist was also sporting a burn mark near his left eye.
The dark-skinned witch wore a black tunic with sleeves reaching his elbows and black pants with gray patches on the knees. He wore black boots and a belt with small potions hanging off it. He was wearing glasses, but the right lens was completely dark.
Akari turned her attention to Hunter and couldn't help but blush when she noticed Willow kissing the Grimwalker.
She tried to focus on Hunter's appearance, not that he was kissing Willow. The grimwalker was sporting a back of gray slacks and a matching button-down shirt with the sleeves ripped off. He had brown boots on and, like Gus, had a belt with many potions and a sword hanging off it.
Akari grimaced when she noticed the large scar running down his right cheek and neck. Hunter's hair was down to his neck and tied back. Strangely, there were bandages wrapped around Hunter's head.
"Hey!" Gus suddenly screamed. "Who are you!"
Akari looked at Gus as Willow and Hunter broke the kiss. She saw that the young witch had spell circles at the ready, aiming them at the Japanese woman. Hunter also becomes aware of Akari and quickly pushes Willow behind him, drawing his sword.
"Wait!" Willow screamed, hurrying out from behind Hunter and getting between her friends and Akari. "I know how this looks, but she's not with Odalia."
The two weren't convinced; Gus clenched his hands into fists, causing his spell circles to tighten around his wrists. Hunter took one of his potions and dumped it onto his sword, the blade glowing with a slight hum.
Akari's body tensed out of reflect, ready to bolt.
"I know how this looks," Willow said, still trying to defuse things. "But think about it; Odalia just raided one of our bases. So why would she try to trick us so soon? Besides, have you ever known Odalia to try a trick twice?"
Hunter and Gus exchanged looks, the gears in their heads turning. Realizing Willow was right, Gus canceled his spells. Hunter swung his sword to the ground, and it stopped glowing. The witch and grimwalker were still cautious, staring at the human with doubt.
Akari sighed with relief and was about to thank Willow when she heard a humming from the sky. Frowning, she looked up and saw the sky distorting, swirling inwards.
Akari heard her companions groan and looked at the three. She noticed all three were wearing scowls as they refused to look at the sky.
"It's that time of day again," Willow groaned bitterly.
Akari was more confused than ever and looked to the sky. Her eyes widened, and she gasped when she saw what was in the sky.
(SC)
Kikimora gawked as she watched the human's head and body hit the ground. Her shock lasted about ten seconds, and she suddenly began cackling wildly.
"Ha!" the small demon shouted triumphantly, lowering her mech to the ground. "How do you like that human?"
She heard a screech and turned in time to see Eda rocketing toward her in rage. Kikimora just grinned and aimed her cannon at the harpy lady. The cannon powered up, but before the demon could fire, something struck her from behind.
Startled, the demon clumsily fired her cannon. Eda saw the blast coming and darted to the right, dodging the plasma bolt. The harpy woman aimed her feet to deliver a double-flying kick at the Kikimora.
The small demon saw this and threw an uppercut with her cannon. Eda was caught in the blow and went spiraling backward. She hit the ground hard and groaned in pain.
Kikimora grinned, but it didn't last long until she felt something hit her in the back again. Growling, she turned around, expecting to find one of the Owl Lady's fellow rebels. Her mouth dropped open at the sight that she saw.
The human's body was standing, his hand engulfed in yellow fire, and green fiery wings coming from his back. However, that wasn't what had Kikimora so stunned; it was the fact that green fire was coming from the human's neck, vaguely resembling a head.
Hiro's body "saw" that the demon was stunned motionless and rushed Kikimora. The emperor's former aid snapped out of her shock and fired her cannon. The headless body somehow saw the blast coming its way and beat its wings. The body ascended and dodged the blast.
Hiro's body continued climbing, and it nearly disappeared from sight. The body stopped, seemingly "staring" down at the demon in the mecha suit, then made its wings disappear. The body turned around as it fell, thrusting its still-flaming fists out.
The body quickly picked up speed but, for an extra boost, shot green fire out of its back, causing it to fall even faster.
Kikimora looked around frantically, trying to find the headless body. She spotted the body as it fell and pointed her cannon at it. She began charging it but didn't get a chance to fire it; the headless body plowed through the arm cannon, breaking it off the mecha suit.
Kikimora gasped at the sight as Hiro's body landed on its hands, the flames exploding off its fists. It then flipped away from the suit. The headless body stopped five feet away from the demon, crouching low.
Suddenly, Hiro's fists and feet ignited in the familiar yellow flames. It kicked off the ground and rushed at Kikimora with blinding speed, leaving a trail of yellow fire in its wake. Kikimora was panicking as she swung her mech's arm.
Hiro's body "saw" the incoming punch and ran faster. Kikimora missed the human's body by a hair, her mech's fist lightly brushing against the headless body's heel. The body then plowed through the mech's legs, causing the small demon to scream as her mech hit the ground.
Hiro's body turned around as it skidded to a stop. It took a moment to "look" at Kikimora's mech, and then it ran toward the demon. It thrust both hands into the mech's jetpack and tore it off effortlessly. The body tossed the pack high into the air, where it exploded a second later.
Kikimora turned around in her now-useless mech, gawking fearfully at the headless human. The body relaxed and jumped off the mech. The body walked over to his severed head and picked it up. It casually placed the head on the neck, and the green fire fanned outwards. The fire then formed into a ring around the wound.
After a few seconds, the ring disappeared, and Hiro's eyes came into focus. The Japanese man groaned and rubbed his neck as he moved his head slightly.
Eda, who had watched the entire fight after she recovered from that cheap shot, couldn't help but stare wide-eyed. She couldn't help but feel a strange mix of wonder, shock, and disgust after watching the supposed human re-attach his head.
"Now I know how that feels," the witch muttered as she stood up and changed out of her harpy form.
Hiro was still working out the phantom pain in his neck as he turned and faced Kikimora. The small demon was too scared to move as Hiro approached her.
"What are you?" Kikimora suddenly screamed in fear.
Hiro didn't respond at first; he continued walking toward Kikimora. He jumped onto the ruined mech and glared at the demon. Kikimora flinched from the gesture but found herself unable to look away.
"Me?" Hiro finally responded, voice horsed. "I'm just your standard immortal. Now…" he leaned so close his face was mere inches from the demon's. "I have questions, and you will answer them."
Kikimora rapidly nodded when she saw the flicker of green fire in the human's eyes. Hiro smiled coldly and was about to start asking questions when he heard a humming sound.
The swordsman looked up and saw the sky swirling inwards. He cocked an eyebrow as he noticed an image taking shape. Soon, an image of a throne room came into view, and Hiro couldn't help but gasp at the sight.
To the right of the throne was Alador Blight. The inventor was on his hands and knees and dressed in tattered rags. The male witch's face was covered in bruises, and his left eye was black and swollen shut.
The most disturbing aspect of the inventor was the thick collar around his neck with the chain connected to the throne.
To the left of the chair were Emira and Edric Blight, both dressed in royal attire. The oldest Blight was wearing a Victorian-style cyan dress with a purple accent. Her hair was free, and she wore a diamond-studded tiara.
Emira wore a choker with a blood-red ruby on it.
Edric wore a yellow tunic with a purple accent. He had on black pants and boots. He had on a purple cape that covered his left arm completely. Finally, he had on a small crown with a diamond in it.
Like his sister, Edric wore a choker with a blood-red ruby.
The twins' most disturbing feature was their eyes; the two sets of pale gold eyes were completely blank. Not a hint of life was behind the twins' eyes.
Finally, Odalia Blight herself sat on the throne. She wore a dress similar to her daughter's, but hers was more elegant and had black accents. She also had on a cape and wore a necklace with a blood-red ruby on it.
Odalia didn't have a crown but a golden mask covering her eyes, making them unseeable. Finally, her hair was free, reaching down to her back with diamonds woven into it.
"Witches and demons of MY Boiling Isles," Odalia spoke regally, her voice dripping with arrogance. "You should be grateful that I once again grace you with my presence and that I bring joyous news."
Hiro frowned, grabbing his left arm as he watched Odalia stand, her cape flourishing behind her. Even though it was a projection, the Japanese man could feel the power coming off of the witch.
He wasn't the only one; Hiro looked around and saw how uncomfortable the witches were. And it wasn't just anger or disgust making the witches uncomfortable; it was something primal that made everyone looking at "Empress" Odalia uncomfortable.
Hiro filed this into the back of his head and focused on the "Empress" of the Boiling Isles.
"Rejoice, you insects," Odalia said arrogantly. "My forces had once more routed out the pests calling themselves "rebels." With this massive blow dealt to this minor inconvenience, we're moving ever closer to creating a perfect Isles—my perfect Isles!"
With her speech done, the image of the Blight "royal" family distorted, and soon the sky was clear.
Hiro stared at the sky, gripping his bandaged arm tight. A deep frown was on his face as dread washed over him.
(G Corner)
And we got our first look at "Empress" Odalia and a glance into what she now thinks about the Isles.