[Later]
Marco was at the waiting room, relaxing his body. This time it's the semi-finals, he doesn't know what might happen, because after Cerberus there should be only Alma Elma, but the presence of a second strong participant worried him a bit.
He heard a knock at the door, which opened revealing Alice.
Alice: I'm coming in…
Marco: Yo.
Alice sat beside Marco and started to talk.
Alice: The fight was pretty good… You surprised me when you started to be violent.
Marco: Meh, it's just street fighting…
Alice: Street fighting?
Marco: Yeah, it's literally "Attack until it dies", it is a martial art, even if it isn't seen really like that, it is used to reach an objective with the fastest and best method possible, which in this case it's knocking down the Cerberus.
It was a while that I didn't used that style, I would usually use the abilities granted from the Nine Tailed Gate instead of going with instinct.
Alice: Oh, alright… Hey Marco, about the next fight… You need to be careful, the opponent is Alma Elma.
Marco: Oh, I know it already.
Alice: ...Huh? Wha-
Marco: It was obvious, especially when I seen her going to a food stand to take a sweet… Kyuba is considered as the champion, so she must be really strong, and I doubt that Alma Elma would just relax somewhere without doing stìomething strange.
Alice: Oh…
Marco: But… What I am really worried about is the other one…
Alice: Who?
Marco: I don't know… But I have a bad feeling about the finals…
Alice thought about the situation, but she just sighed and said.
Alice: Well, I will take my leave now, see ya later.
Marco: Bye.
Then Alice slithered away, some minutes later a staff member called Marco.
Staff Member: Marco, the semi-finals are here. Please head to the arena.
Marco nodded and walked to the arena with a calm expression, for safety he used the 1st Gate before the match started.
In 20 seconds, he reached the arena, and seen a familiar face.
Alma Elma: ...Ara, if it isn't Marco. Meeting in a place like this… How unexpected, hehe…
Marco: Well, nice to meet you again. You need another beating?
Alma Elma: Hehehe… You beat me once in a lucid dream and you already become arrogant? I don't think you are strong enough…
Marco: And that's where you are wrong… If you give me 1 minute, I can show you what I am talking about…
When he finished talking, he developed a second tail, entering the 2nd Gate.
Alma Elma: So that's the Nine Tailed Gates Tamamo was talking about…
Alma Elma smiled and used the power of the wind to vanish from her place, and reappear at Marco's left side, he was shocked from her speed, and was too late to block any hit when Alma Elma tackled him and pushed him in the ground.
Alma Elma stood over Marco, in the ground, unlike the Cerberus, she blocked both his hands and his legs, she looked at him with a lewd grin and said.
Alma Elma: This time I will take a taste of you…
Slowly, her tail came to Marco's pants, trying to put out his dick, but…
Marco: 'Gnome…'
Gnome: …
Marco felt the familiar strength of the earth, and struggled, Alma Elma was shocked from the abnormal strength he possessed and was thrown away, Marco immediately stood up and took a boxer stance.
Marco: 'Sylph…'
Sylph: Yes!!
Then Gnome and Sylph's powers were inside Marco's body, with the weight of a small mountain coupled with the speed of the wind…
Alma Elma started to fly in air and looked down at Marco with a grin.
Alma Elma: Oh? You have spirits too? This will make things even more interesting.
She vanished again, and reappeared in front of Marco to push him once again in the ground, but her vision suddenly turned away, and found herself looking at the sky.
Alma Elma: ..Eh?
It happened in a small fraction of a second, when she was in front of Marco, he had already a foot under her chin, because he was able to see her thanks to Sylph, and then he kicked her in the head.
SInce she didn't expected that he would be able to see her, she let her guard off for the attack, so she received an heavy hit which hurt quite a ton.
Her body wasn't as strong as the one that Granberia had, she didn't have a slimy body like Erubetie, and she couldn't use the power of the earth like Tamamo, so if something hit her, she would get more damage than the other 3.
She immediately balanced herself in the air and rubbed her chin in pain, even though the damage was bigger to her than the other Heavenly Knights, it was still not enough to really injure her, if Marco would really hurt her, he needs the 3rd Gate and Gnome, which might not be enough to beat her.
She looked down at Marco with a pained expression.
Alma Elma: Ouch… That hurt a bit… Well, I will give up…
Marco frowned, before he remembered her attitude, she may not like unnecessary violence, even if she was still unexpectedly a martial artist, so she would give up when she could.
Alma Elma: So, congratulations on your victory, Marco.
?: WAIT A MINUTE!!!
Someone interrupted them, everyone turned towards the source of the voice, finding a voluptuous woman in a pink kimono with a short skirt and a long katana on her hand, she had long black hair and a pair of curve horns on her forehead.
It was a Oni, Marco knew about them only from the Monster Girl Quest: Paradox, but he already seen through the possibility that the Paradox monster girls could appear in the original universe too.
Oni are a species that have great strength, a REALLY great strength, so they are dangerous at a closed range.
Oni: You!
She pointed to Alma Elma with an angry face and said.
Oni: You will fight me again! I will take my revenge from the last time!
Marco: '...Huh?'
Alma Elma seemed to recognize her and said with a mischievous grin.
Alma Elma: Sorry, but if you are talking about the previous Queen's Cup, then you are late, I already lost from his hands.
Then she pointed to Marco, the Oni glanced for a moment before snorting in disdain.
Oni: That brat is too green, he probably wouldn't last 1 minute with me.
Marco's eye twitched from anger and from being ignored just like that.
Oni: I want to fight you! The Heavenly Knight of Wind! I participated in the Queen's Cup again so I could fight you again, and then I find you surrendering in front of a brat that still drinks milk.
Marco: Fuck you!
Marco had enough and rushed towards the Oni using the power of Sylph and the 2nd Gate while holding Gnome's powers.
The Oni was surprised from his speed and took out her katana from her sheath, then used it to block Marco's claw, when they clashed, the Oni was surprised again from the strength that Marco had.
Oni: Alright… I underestimated you… Since you already won the fight with Kyuba then I will fight you, you are the last one I need to take down to win the Queen's Cup.
It seems that the Oni was the mysterious contestant, but Marco didn't cared much about that.
Marco: You shouldn't be so calm…
Marco used the 3rd Gate, his aura exploded and a third tail was created.
Marco: ...Because I will not hold back against you.
Then Marco's tails took the shape of claws and tried to smash the Oni, but she jumped back and took a stance, Marco's tails turned back at their places, and he started to walk with 4 limbs instead of 2.
Oni: Interesting… Are you a male subspecies of a Kitsune?
Marco: Who gives a fuck!
Then Marco rushed once again to the Oni, who immediately thrusted forward…
…
…
And pierced Marco's abdomen.
[SPECIAL QUESTS]
1st. Kick Gabriel's ass
2nd. Achieve coexistence between Monsters and Humans
3rd. Kill Illias
4th. Return to Lucifina's grave
5th. Visit every places in Illias Continent, Sentora and Hellgondo
6th. Turn back to Sabasa Kingdom
7th. Visit Kitsune Village using the Nine Tailed Cub System