Chapter 36A: Versus Enigma V: The Still Caged Beauty
"Ah, your pet is quite the strong one, Yuichi Shiro," Stella says as another one of the many barriers disappears. "To think that Slots was defeated by a mutt, ha ha. He must feel really pathetic, him and his so called absolute luck."
"You really are easy going," I reply, "Two of your comrades have been beat and your just laughing it off."
"Well, Slots aside, I despised Kiri. I can only be thankful that he is gone." Stella says with a smile. Although I am of the same opinion, one as beautiful as I cannot like her attitude to her former comrade.
Suddenly a red box with a huge exclamation mark appears in front of Stella, who looks at it seriously.
"Hmm- so some rats have broke in," She says returning her face into a smile.
"What are you saying!?" Shiori-sempai asks looking at Stella's confident smile.
"Just that things are heating up even more."
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Chapter 36B: Versus Enigma V: The Power Of The Chameleon (Perspective: Elizabeth)
"Gaah!" I yelp as a sharp pain attacks my limbs. Cammy reappears in front of me, I quickly slice at her with my scythe, but as expected she dodges it and disappears again.
As I thought, even if it is only briefly, she has to reappear. That is my only chance, to attack when I can actually see her.
I run around the area in several different random patterns whilst keeping my eyes open to watch for any chance I can get to attack her. Cammy's chameleon like ability is quite the troublesome thing to fight, but it isn't almighty.
"It's useless," Her voice comes from behind me, I quickly turn around to see her expelling something from her mouth at me, I quickly dive out of the way of the green liquid. I notice that the liquid that shot past me had hit the building behind me, which is sizzling and corroding from the contact.
"Acid?" I ask, Cammy just smiles confidently as she gets back on all fours.
"Get hit by it and you'll have a lot more than minor burns," She says as her body regains its transparency, that quickly changes to invisibility.
I once again continue my run. However, I quickly feel another sharp pain that forces me back, "GAAAHH!" The force knocks my scythe out of my hand, I quickly try to scurry over to grab it, but when my hand is mere inches away, "Guhh!"
"Can't sever my tongue without that scythe, can you?" Cammy says with a confident smile, this girl is so uncouth. I feel her tongue tightening on my neck like a python as it lifts me off the ground. However, this is my chance, we're now connected. I grab her tongue with my hand and run electricity through it. How's that! Cammy's face grunts slightly as blood seeps out, but she doesn't scream or look like she is in pain, she barely even flinches.
The voltage I'm running through isn't something that can be shaken off! I can't hide my surprise, the heat from the electricity suddenly burns the scarf around Cammy's neck and it falls to the floor in cinders. What I see on her neck is numerous scars, the most prominent one being a red ring all the way around her neck, it looks almost like...
"Due to my family circumstances there was never any shortage of times I wished that my existence would end. Both my body and soul have been ravaged since the day I was born. As a result, I've gained a complete immunity to physical pain. Your little jolt is all but worthless against me." She states as her tongue tightens even more. In turn I increase the power of my lightning, this is the only thing I can do. She maybe immune to pain, but her body isn't immune to damage. Before she can break my neck I need to destroy her. Now, which one of us will give out first!
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Chapter 36C: Versus Enigma V: Turn The Tide With Bronze (Perspective: Ichiyu)
Both Gem and Ini are attacking me with their respective elemental blades. And all I can do is defend myself with my two bronze swords. Regardless of how beautiful I am, I won't last if this keeps up.
"Right there!" I shout as I swipe my one of my blades at Ini who was momentarily defenceless, however the girl quickly turns to being Yuna, I stop my attack and swing my sword in the direction Yuna previously was, knowing an attack is incoming.
"GUHH!" I block Ini's electric blade with my own bronze sword, but the electricity conducted through the metal and zapped me.
"I guess you weren't destined to have Gemini," Gem says as her wind blade slashes towards me whilst I'm still stunned. I conjure up a wall of bronze to block the attack and push Gem back, I then break the wall down to small shards and shoot them at her.
"Bronze Rain!" I shout out the attack name, this is an unwritten rule that all fighters follow, and I'm not one to break tradition.
Gem instantly switches places with Yuna and I once again have to stop my attack. However, this is all in my calculations. It's time I turn the tide of this battle in my favour. Whilst Yuna is away from the three of us I quickly conjure up another wall made of bronze that completely splits the corridor, in two and seals her from the view of the two siblings.
"Wait, Ichiyu-kun?" Yuna begins probably confused why I'm doing this. This is for both of our sakes. No offence, but you're kind of in the way.
"You know...", "How our ability works?" They ask.
"You can only switch places with a living being that is within your field of vision. So now you can no longer switch places with Yuna, which means I can attack you with everything I have!"
""How interesting!"" They say together.
"I shall have you both soon!" I scream my war cry.
Gem charges at me from the front and attacks me with her water blade, I ready my one of my own bronze swords to guard. However she quickly switches places with Ini and the water blade is switched for the electric one. I quickly change my guard into a evasive manoeuvre and dodge the electric blade, I'm not letting myself get shocked a second time. I then swipe at Ini with my sword without restraint, she can no longer switch with Yuna, so how are you going to deal with this?
I then notice a familiar sensation, one which I remember well. I quickly let go of one of my bronze swords. And as I thought, I switched places my bronze sword that was originally aiming for Ini, cuts only air. But the other bronze sword that I dropped is still where I previously stood. I quickly change and shoot the bronze on the unsuspecting Gem, "Kyaaa!" The bronze cuts through her flesh.
"Onee-chan!" Ini shouts in astonishment.
"I'm fine, Ini-chan," Gem says as blood flows down her arm, the face is important so I made sure to avoid it in my last attack. "You set a trap knowing one of us was going to switch places with you?" Gem asks.
"My body remembers the sensation of that ability. Without Yuna you can only switch places with either me or your sister. That last attack on Ini was to force you to switch places with me. Both of you have only been defending yourselves by using your soul technique. That power is indeed strong, but its power and efficiency is only at its best when there are multiple targets to use it with. The moment Yuna was out of the equation was the moment I had guaranteed my victory!" I explain as I conjure a second bronze sword to replace the one I dropped before.
"You truly are...", "something else." The sisters compliment as their smiles grow wider in anticipation, ""But Gemini hasn't lost yet!""
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Chapter 36D: Versus Enigma V: Photon Options (Perspective: Alicia)
"Well, I suppose that is enough with the conspiracy theories," Carrisa swings her scythe horizontally in a threatening manner and her face turns serious, "You two have shown me quite the teamwork before. So now it's time I took this fight to the next level, Alicia, Alma Ivana. Let me show you why the Underworld considers me a genius!" Carrisa slashes her scythe into the ground and closes her eyes as she claps her hands together and quickly forms several unusual signs with them.
"Get ready, Alma. This technique is a very troublesome one," I state as I tighten my grip on my scythe and refocus my eyes on Carrisa.
"What is she going to do?" Alma asks anxiously, probably sensing the danger in my voice.
But before I can answer. Several thin streams of white light sprout out from Carrisa's back and wriggle around like an octopus' tentacles, each thin light tentacle has something that looks like an eyeball at the end, eyeballs that are all glaring at Alma and I ominously.
Carrisa slowly opens her own eyes and refocuses them on us, "Thanatos' Reaper Technique: Photon Options."
One of the eyes that is looking at me suddenly flashes, I instinctively duck down and a beam of white light shoots from the eye and scorches the ground just past me. Another eye quickly glows and I roll back to avoid another light beam and get myself back onto my feet.
"Just like I recall, you can create so many of them," I state, and Carrisa smiles back.
"What on earth are those things!?" Alma shouts in shock.
"Photon Options is a reaper technique that only the Thanatos family can use. Each one of those eyes as you just saw can shoot out those lasers, and not only that, they can also act as the users eyes." Several of the Photon Options are constantly glancing around the area, covering Carrisa's field of vision's blind spots. I quickly scan how many Photon Options Carrisa has deployed. "The Thanatos family often measure there family member's talent via how many Photon Options they can use at once, anyone who can use eight is regarded as special. And Carrisa has got ten, the same amount as Tartarus-sama." Carrisa is already her father's equal.
Several of Carrisa's Photon Options glow, Alma and I quickly move out of the way and the lasers released burn the surroundings.
"Tch! Eat this!" Alma shouts as she shoots a bolt of lightning from Gungnir-Mjölnir. One of the Photon Options shoots its own laser and the attacks dissipate each other. Several other of the Photon Options then return their attacks back onto us, we both quickly take evasive action.
"Damn it! Alicia, what can we do!? This technique is good for both offence and defence, and they strongly outnumber us," Alma growls in frustration.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out myself. I've never been on the receiving side of ten Photon Options. However, although there are some differences, their attacks obey the laws of light, they only travel in straight lines. Not only that, but there is also a minor delay before they can attack."
"What good does knowing that do you when I control ten of them, Alicia? I can defeat you with my sheer numbers." Carrisa states, and the tentacles extend and surround the two of us.
"This isn't good," I grunt, Carrisa is planning on attacking us from several different angles at once.
"Farewell, Alma Ivana, Alicia." All the Photon Options suddenly glow at once. There is no way we'll be able to dodge them all.
"Yui...chi..." I state weakly as my legs tremble from the attack I know is coming.
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Chapter 36E: Versus Enigma V: Yuichi's Oath Dilemma
"Shit, Alicia! Elizabeth!" I shout in shock as I glare at the visions of both Ren and my respective fiancés. They're in danger and I'm stuck here! What good does being beautiful do me if I'm stuck backstage as a spectator!? Put the spotlight back on me!
My Silver Manifestation has timed out. I need to re-chant the lyrics and regain my power, but I doubt I'll make it in time.
"My soul is one that is of self confidence," I begin, please let me make it in time.
Elizabeth, Alicia, if you both survive I swear I won't look at myself in the mirror for the next forty eight hours...No, I'm unable to keep that promise. Make it the next hour and a half. Well, even that is pushing it, but our girls are worth it. Just please be all right.
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Chapter 36F: Versus Enigma V: The Daughter Of Cerberus (Perspective: Elizabeth)
My lightning whilst still giving Cammy damage is not making her weaken her tongue's constriction on my neck. My powers are just about wasted. The tongue constricts further.
Ren-sama, our meeting was one that could not have been called pleasant. You deflowered my purity, however you accepted me immediately when I told you we had to marry. Many men have requested my hand over the years. Their motives were always clear, they wanted to get into the Cerberus family and were willing to use me as a tool to accomplish that. I've always despised them, the leeches who wished to gain fame and fortune what they deemed the easy way.
Finding someone who didn't just try to woo me for the sake of their personal greed was a dream within a dream. I was always the daughter of Cerberus, something I have felt both pride and loathing for being. But then I met you. You agreed to the marriage before you even knew of my background. Therefore, from the very start I realised, your goal wasn't Cerberus, it was me. How could I not feel something for someone as kind as you, Ren-sama?
The brief time between now and when I became your betrothed have been the best of my life. Thank you, I'm sorry...
A single tear escapes my closed eyes as I lose all hope I have of surviving.
Suddenly, I feel the solid feel of the ground again and I cough from the sudden feeling of the air entering my system. The tongue that was constricting me is lying lifelessly on the ground.
"Are you all right, Elizabeth-san?" A girl who is rubbing my back asks.
"You're..." I say as I face my rescuer.
"Leave this to us," Another girl's voice says from in front of me.
"You're here too...How?" I cannot hide my shock by the sudden reinforcements.
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Chapter 36G: Versus Enigma V: The Different Forced Option (Perspective: Alicia)
Just as Carrisa is ready to shoot the beams of her Photon Options her face suddenly contorts, and all the Photon Options quickly move and change their directions away from Alma and I. Just what the hell happened?
Several beams of white, pink, and blue lights collide with each other behind Carrisa. The beams of light that collide with each other act like billiard balls and fly in random directions destroying everything in their paths.
"I wasn't expecting to see you two here," Carrisa states without turning around, but her Photon Options are all looking at our two saviours. But how on earth did those two get here?
"I'm afraid we cannot let you continue on any further," The elegant girl states with a cute curtsy, but her eyes look serious. I cannot believe these girls are here.
"Nya ha ha, we came to kick your butt into the next blue moon," The second girl states, for some reason that sounds a bit wrong though.
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Chapter 36H: Versus Enigma V: The Reliable Reinforcements
"Thank goodness," These words let out all my feelings as I wipe my tears, "I guess my mirror is sealed for the next ninety minutes."
"So they were the intruders, how interesting," Stella states with an even grander smile that grows only even wider, "But Enigma will still win this game, no, we've already won."
"Fight updates!" The familiar robotic voice begins, "Carrisa Thanatos Versus Alma Ivana, Alicia Pandemonium, Rose Thanatos, and Lily Thanatos. Cammy Leon Versus Elizabeth Cerberus, Lilicia Pandemonium, and Tsubaki Thanatos!"
The three families' younger generation, have come to the rescue of the older.