"Games are over..."
The sinister-looking Reika exited her room dismally. She slowly strolled threateningly through the corridors of the castle, seemingly without destination. Her sword's blade scratching the wooden floor as she walked... She had a bleak look on her eyes. But, she suddenly came to halt...
She was at Myria's door...
Reika slowly turned the doorknob and silently entered the room...
Myria Celes' P.O.V.
*Snuggle* *Snuggle*
'hah〜 What a nice day〜 I finally was able to find Reika... She helped me so much that night... I was so scared about what could've possibly happened to me...'
As I was submerged in thoughts of admiration, a sound suddenly echoed in the quiet of the night:
*Creak*
'Huh, My door opening? At this hour?'
I was half-asleep so I sluggishly sat straight on my bed to get a clear view of the door. As I rubbed my eyes, I managed to see Reika. It calmed me for a second, to see Reika here with me... She just stood there wordlessly, but I immediately sent a smug smile at her.
'Ah〜 It's Reika, she was probably unable to sleep... I'll maybe allow her to cuddle with me? Hehe〜'
But as my teasing smile slowly disappeared as Reika remained walking grimly towards me. That's when I noticed she was wielding that sword... That augural sword... 'This is bad...'
"Ummm, Reika, what are you doing here?"
"..."
'No response? This is really bad... She is probably not in control of her body again...' I could clearly see Reika's glowing eyes with a clouded look despite her having her face covered by her flowing hair.
'No... She's not herself again...'
"Reika? Why are you in my room? Are you perhaps lost? Hehe〜"
"..."
As if she had all the time in the world, she kept steadily approaching me... At this point, I was starting to become very nervous as I remembered how ruthless Reika had been last time she wielded that... swo...rd...
'That's exactly it!'
'It could work!'
'She's probably being controlled by the sword... If I can get the sword away from her, she can probably gain control of herself again!'
'Thinking about it logically, last time, she only obtained that clouded look when she wielded that sword...'
"Alright!"
As a solution finally came to my mind, I readied myself for my attempt at liberating Reika, from whatever was holding her hostage within herself...
'I have never fought seriously in my life... But this time, I'LL DO IT FOR REIKA!'
My last bit of hesitation faded as I concreted my resolve to save my friend.
"Reika! I'll free you! I'LL PAY BACK ALL OF YOUR KINDNESS!"
I yelled as I propelled myself forward.
I sent a quick attack directed at her side, which she shouldn't have seen... But, despite my rapid attack, Reika was unfazed by my movements as she blocked my incoming sidekick with her sword with minimal movements.
In contrast to Reika, I was very surprised at her ability to suddenly block my fast attack speed, but honestly, I should've been expecting it, after I saw her capabilities that night...
I quickly take a step back and immediately close in on Reika once again. This time, rather than kicking, I got as close as I could and at the last second sent a powerful punch directed at Reika's abdomen, which she obviously grabbed with her plain hand...
"Heh〜"
But that was exactly what I was expecting! I immediately send strength to my legs as I strongly slam my head against hers... which she didn't expect...
*CRASH*
I managed to slam her with enough strength to send her flying, breaking my room's door in the process. But it was obvious, it would take far more to hurt Reika since she immediately managed to stand-up with minimal effort from the remains of my door.
"Hmmm, strong are you? Alright... HERE I COME!"
Reika's P.O.V.
"...Alright... HERE I COME!"
I faintly heard echo through the darkness...
'What's... going... on...'
I felt all of my senses numbed... my will, gone... my feelings, throbbing...
And strangest of all, my body seemed to be floating on some kind of thick sludge...?
It restrained my movement while awarding me a horrible sensation... the sludge made me incomparably sick...
It even seemed, to react to my disgust, as it only got worse...
"Ugh..."
I tried calming down, and so did the strange sludge around me... as the horrible sensations subsided...
'Where... am... I...?'
I tried to move my body, but the sludge seemed to restrain my movements... I tried to look around but all I saw was...
...
...
...
Nothing.
...
...
...
There was literally nothing around me...
All I could see was black...
It seemed so similar to the void, that I thought I might be dead for a second... but back then, I didn't feel 'this'...
Yes, all of my horrible emotions were still resonating around me... However, rather than being inside my head... I felt surrounded by them...
'Make them stop...'
But nothing happened...
I could still hear their wails, cries and complains all around me...
I was unsure what to do... where I was...
I just floated aimlessly in the sludge... losing myself further by the minute...
until...
"...REIKA... SNAP... OUT... OF... IT..."
I could barely make out those words...
But they reacted within me... it was really strange... but they alleviated the pain... And of course, the author of such words was...
'Myria...'
At that moment I felt a slight amount of force return to me...
I felt as my senses cleared bit by bit...
However, I could clearly feel myself losing strength and will at a rapid pace. Noticing this, I started struggling, twitching, trembling as I tried to free myself from the sludge around me...
'I'll make it... I'll make it... I'll make it for my friends... Myria, Kira, Scarlet... I'll make it for you...'
Scarlet Inferna's P.O.V.
"[DARK IGNITION]!" I chanted.
Immediately, several large spears made out of black flames appeared before me. But just before I could signal them...
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?! DO NOT USE MAGIC HERE! WE ARE GOING TO KILL SOMEBODY!"
Yelled Myria worriedly at me...
We were currently fighting Reika... My poor friend...
...
I had woken up due to a strong explosion, which immediately made me jump out of bed alarmed. I swiftly exited my room and started to run down the hall seeking the origin of the explosion, hoping that no one was injured... However, I was taken aback by what I found...
Reika and Myria fighting each other...
I was at a loss of what to do, as they kept exchanging blow after blow. Reika was clearly beating Myria, badly at that... but for some reason, Reika's movements, gaze, even smile, were all dimmed... shallow... bleak...
It seemed strange somehow... I felt intimidated by her gaze which wasn't even being directed at me...
Turning my sights, fighting this ominous Reika, was a wounded, panting, Myria who seemed to be fighting with all she had... unsuccessfully...
I was not sure what to do... These were my friends... yet, something within me warned me about Reika... and looking at Myria's condition, I was left no choice...
...
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?! DO NOT USE MAGIC HERE! WE ARE GOING TO KILL SOMEBODY!"
Myria yelled at me while trying to block, Reika's merciless strikes.
"WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, IF WE DO NOT LIBERATE HER NOW, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO, LATER!"
I yelled as I brought my hand down. In response, the spears standing by began accelerating to tremendous speeds. The spears were now flying directly at Myria and Reika as they were fighting... Myria was luckily able to get out of the way, but so was Reika...
As soon as my spears, hit the end of the hallway they exploded making the ground below us shake...
"YOU IDIOT!!! DON'T USE MAGIC LIKE THAT!!!" She yelled angered
"WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THEN?!"
I yelled back... perhaps too strong.. because as I replied, Reika began targeting me...
'Oh no...'
This was really bad news... looking at Reika's refined close combat I would be defenseless the moment she attacked... Myria, could handle most of her attacks, but I'm not prepared for that... I'm only a magic caster... I would be able to do nothing about her attacking me...
She kept running towards me at incredible speeds and in a brief moment, she was standing before me, ready to thrust her sword at me... One thought crossed my mind, as I saw Reika's dull eyes...
'I'm going to die right here...'