*
Smiling, Ledia grabbed her palm. The warmth in Himei's skin was undeniable, life, she felt like she came in contact with another soul. It assured her that she wasn't alone in this world, and in this fight. Himei picked her body up, a matching smile on her face. Her eyelashes fluttered subtly with each movement, swaying from the gentle breeze of this coarse arid land.
Himei's smile was like a blooming flower, a once in a lifetime grace from the heavens that showered everything in its surrounding with the brilliant radiance of beauty. Akin to a gem's sparkle that lit up an entire room. Yet the first thought that came to Ledia's mind was still to liken it to a flower... Because of how fragile and fleeting it seemed. As if it could wilt at any moment and vanish from her grasp.
Why... Why were these feelings welling up in her heart? Unlike a warmth that spread over her body like a blanket, it was actually a cold snow storm that scattered erratically. The frosty glacial of emotions soothes her soul with a stinging frigid cold. Her energy levels were going down, her adrenaline was returning to normal having finished the spar with Himei. Her returned composure was like a comforting curtain that blocked the blazing sun from hurting her skin.
As the time hits 1 pm, the sky behind Himei splits in half, revealing a deep dark crevice devoid of stars, unlike space. The atmosphere was not parting, the world was. Through that crevice of the end lied an external world and a separate instance.
Through every encounter, Ledia died to the destroyer's. To the destroyer's, they've eliminated the supposed threat and were supposed to start destroying the universe, only to be met by an abyss similar to their home. The world superimposed over... Was nothingness. So they closed the crevice and retreated back into their home to find the next world to destroy. They had encountered many such similar self imploding worlds, so it didn't particularly stand out to them. And Ledia... Was simply one of many, too insignificant to remember.
That's why... This was supposed to be a completely new instance... But they... They remember Ledia. They've caught on to the anomalous nature that Himei's magic has conjured onto the world. This time, they're taking special measures. Instead of waiting for Ledia to enter the crevice and kill her... Effectively activating the universe superimposition magic... They start destroying the world first. They've recognised Ledia's death as the activation condition for Himei's magic, so now...
The black crevice in the sky spreads ever more... Then the sky vanishes in an instant. The earth was instantly swallowed up into the extradimension. No longer in the sun's orbit and lacking of a moon, the earth's climate instantly changed. Sapped off the source of all living things, the lands freeze and widespread extinction begins to assault the earth.
"... They... They destroyed the earth already... They've found out the activation condition..." (Himei)
"... Are you scared?" (Ledia)
"Hmmm?" (Himei)
"With a snap of your fingers and your last skill, you can bring it all back. Since they've swallowed the world... This extra dimension is now part of the universe... Under your dominion.
Are you afraid to save everyone at the risk of being found and killed by the destroyers? " (Ledia)
There was neither reproach nor kindness in Ledia's straight gaze, only the gentle swaying of her eyelashes and the boring of her resolved gaze is left. Her eyes bear a deep dark azure, a meagre change from transforming into a magical girl that's hard to notice because her iris was originally already black. There was only neutrality and inquisitiveness.
But this neutrality was also a form of kindness, a consideration to Himei's feelings out of fear that Ledia would hurt her. In the end, it slightly swayed towards patronising. But Himei could hardly complain about it, she shouldn't be deciding her decisions based on the feelings of someone else anyway. It was simply an answer that Ledia needed to hear before proceeding.
Are you afraid to die? Was how it all boil down to, there was no point dressing it up in context. This was the heart of the challenge that Himei faced. Because her answer would always be 'I cannot die, I still have to serve my people and improve their lives under The Great Disaster'. Her concern over her citizens always loomed at the back of her mind, it was her primary reason not to die.
But now... It all comes collapsing. The premise of this resolution was falling apart, her people are doomed but she can save them at the cost of risking herself to certain danger. This move by the destroyers quite literally held the world hostage just to lure her out.
'It's so unfair...' (Himei)
She thought silently as her gaze was drawn to the ground like a child running from responsibility, her eyelids lower slightly as if to shut out the world but not completely. A self depreciating smile naturally found its way onto her face, her thoughts rotating around like the clothes in a washing machine. Her arms felt like they didn't know where to go, she stood awkwardly with them swaying by her side. They felt clammy and didn't belong anywhere, lost in the cold gale of the dead earth.
She wasn't wrong, it really wasn't fair to force a person to answer this sort of question, the premise of answering was inherently flawed. No one should be put in this position, it felt like the world was forcing her out of her shell and destroying any chance for her to retreat back in, to her shell of cowardice.
Reality is not so kind as to let her retreat into her shell of 'responsibility' now that her 'responsibility' has coincided with how she must risk her life. There was no sun, plants and animals in the wild will start to die first, Himei might offset the requirement of energy for humanity's needs with magic, but it wouldn't be the same as living a normal life. The whole point the god magical girls took responsibility as rulers of the world after The Great Disaster... Was to help the people return to normal life faster.
In other words, they've been fueled by altruism all this while. But now that her 'responsibility' to stay alive has vanished, because it opposes her 'responsibility' to protect her people, it is now solely her character that is challenged. It is no longer the world facing a challenge that Himei could help with no risk to herself... Now there is a great deal of risk to her very life...
And... Ledia had already told her before. It was fine to be afraid, to run away when there is danger to one's own life. How could nay respectable person make someone else fight for them? Though an indirect jab at Himei, it was meant to say that Ledia didn't mind putting herself in danger to fight for Himei. Like... A knight of a frail princess...
She found comfort in it, but it was also disgusting. If Ledia represented the average human and the normality of the human psyche, it meant that Himei was more cowardly and selfish than the average human, a trash human being... Then what should she do? She didn't want to challenge her fear of death with this aversion to being an awful person... It didn't feel organic, it felt like she would lose out either way then. Because she won't be reconciling anything, only making excuses.
Then... She would simply fight... For herself. For her own pride. As measly as it was. As shameful as she is after hiding behind Ledia all this while, while pretending to be better than Ledia. Ledia exhales as she finished mulling over her words in Himei's silent response to her question.
"Haa~ this isn't to change how you feel or anything, but...
You'll always be Himei, The Eye God that saved countless lives after The Great Disaster. When there was a loss of hope and everlasting darkness brought by that cataclysmic event, you were the one who illuminated the hope still dormant in everyone, instilled the drive to live by reminding them that there was meaning to continuing their lives.
This isn't some perfunctory platitude meant to please you or get yourself killed by your hubris. It was just a token of my respect, so don't think too much about it. Personally, I think you've done enough to at least be proud of yourself. " (Ledia)
A simple and carefree smile, caressed and corrupted by the cold wind and imminent destruction befalling their world. Nonetheless, it was a heartfelt 'thank you'. For trying her best, for doing her hardest to keep humanity in the Sanctuary alive. For giving meaning to people's lives, as countries dissolved, the factions became the substitute for people to direct their patriotism and sense of belonging. People want to belong to groups to feel secure, or to simply be proud of their closest friends and fellow citizens.
All of those lives intersect invisibly to form a nation, for allowing a nation to exist even if it was now called a faction instead, Himei had already done irreversible change to people's lives for better or worse. But to Ledia, that is enough. To take the helm and constantly concern herself with people's lives... This past one and a half year of hardwork... Was enough.
"s... Stupid. That's enough. Obviously I'll do it, who do you think I am?" (Himei)
"Heh. Isn't that obvious? The Eye God." (Ledia)
***
They face the enemies now numbering 10 instead of 6. Their extradimension was vast and endless, this must be their full roster to face what must be their biggest threat. Now they fused the worlds together and eliminated everything in the universe but the earth. But as far as they were concern, their progress can all be reset as long as Himei was around. Now that they've fused the extradimension and what is left of Himei's universe, Himei's superimposition can work on them... And vice versa. Now they can affect her superimposition as well.
Kaori alternative: God of Calamity and Allflow
Hikari alternative: Demon God of Disaster and Creation
Arasovi: God of indiscriminate Destruction
Feillongyi: God of absolute Catastrophe
Yumi: God of destined Extermination
Demorami: Exstinctio laboris
Vegaltari: God of endless cataclysm
Neah Ari: God of soothing tragedy
Yui: God of unyielding apocalypse
Paleomagi: God of relentless collapse
Victory was now left to fate, to battle performance. There was no getting around it now, since the destroyer's have the means to counteract the superimposition, there was no longer any way to revive. The 10 individuals rush Himei at once, both their clairvoyances knew as such. Was this really the end? To have her mentor overgrown her fear just to get dog piled. Think, Ledia... What could she do?
After all these experiences, after all these feelings surging in her chest like a violent tidal wave, merciless as it gouged out everything in its vicinity... What did she have to show for it...? Suddenly the number of enemies had nearly doubled, and she was just to deal with it? Could they really handles such a battle? They would have to fight enemies each, while possible... It was undoubtedly a losing fight. No one had to point out that much, this was the very scenery of despair.
Even if Himei could see the future, it didn't mean she could avoid it. This was the end, hopefully Ledia takes this opportunity to pick off one or 2 of the destroyers. Resigned, she turned her face to Ledia, a transient and gentle smile like a wilting flower. Awful. This was awful. Disgusting, what was Ledia supposed to do...?
The only thing she could do now... Was to power through with all of her will... And reach the peak of her life... A blinding light wrapped her body, changing her combat dress accordingly. A mid battle transformation that seemed to go on forever as everyone held their breaths under the dazzling eye hurting brilliance.
This should be it right? For her to actualise the potential Kaori saw in her... Obviously she had to reach her very limits first.... Instead of just giving up... She needed to carve out and struggle, use her fingers to crawl and grab at her potential without end. She can't stop now, there was no other way-
"-Final skill, [Endlessly, a blooming shattering guiding light]." (Ledia)
The light only grew larger, never stopping until it proceeded to swallow Himei up. Then it shattered like a curtain dropping to the ground. 4 of the destroyers had assaulted Himei, only to be thwarted. From within the light emerged some faces familiar and unfamiliar.
" [Hollow calamity]. "(Kaori)
"Final skill, [Veritas of justitia: PERMANENT JUSTICE OF AN INVIOLABLE BASTION]." (Barius)
Most shocking of all...
"Final skill! [A maiden's median of the world's end]." (HuoLi)
Freezing every destroyer in place, all of them spat blood out of their lungs as 2 of them... Unable to recover, fell into the endless void. Needless to say, HuoLi had eliminated 2 enemies already, this brings the battle to an 8v8 as others were also summoned.