*
The wind rushes from the surface of the earth, a few familiar and unfamiliar faces, reborn anew or called from elsewhere to fulfill their shared obligation. The destroyers are world ending beings, usually they would automatically die after HuoLi's final skill activation, but they seemed to have killed her magic at its core. Ledia didn't know how exactly it was some, no one really did save for the individual destroyers themselves.
But all in all, HuoLi reducing the fight from a 10v8 to a 8v8 was a massive boon. Or perhaps Ledia's final skill had accounted for such when it summoned these individuals. Kaori and Hikari were revived from the afterlife while the rest had been summoned through time and space. Everyone here was a being allowed to be called a God... Entities with access to infinite magical energy. Everyone who was brought by Ledia's final skill was seemingly brought by the same objective, to prevent the end of their world.
The destroyers initially seemed daunting, but now... Ledia's final skill has brought tangible hope to the battlefield. Reliable allies that would help her win the fight. Nevertheless, it was an 8v8, it meant that Ledia herself would have to fight at least one of the destroyers herself. This was unavoidable.... But compared to fighting more than 1 enemy, the fight suddenly seemed doable.
First and foremost... She's considerably weaker compared to the rest. There's no doubt about it, the destroyers and her newly summoned allies... They all have a lifetime's worth of experience in combat, in other words they're all veterans who have honed their own skills to the bone. A simple way to get around this was to... Force a team battle. But if she barged into someone else's battle, distracting an ally while opening herself up to attacks to 2 enemies, it would be a fatal move for the entirety of the battle.
That means.... She has to...
"... I know there's some... Unforgivable things I've done. But will you be my partner in this team fight? I need your strength for this." (Kaori)
... She didn't even have to open her mouth. Were her concerns read? What if she pulls down her teammates... Ledia recognised that there would be another time and place for Kaori's punishment, but borrowing her strength now would certainly be extremely helpful..
"Alright... Give me your strength." (Ledia)
"Fufu... Granted." (Kaori)
First 2v2 decided; Kaori and Ledia vs Kaori alternative and Arasovi.
"I'm fine on my own." (Barius)
"... Unfortunately, I might be at an disadvantage... If my final skill doesn't work..." (HuoLi)
"I'll cover you then." (Pope saintess)
"It can't be helped. I'll have to make up for you as your employer. " (Himei)
1v1 and 3v3 decided;Barius vs Demorami, HuoLi, Himei and pope saintess vs Feillongyi, Yumi and Neah Ari.
"I'll take this one, then I'll kill everyone else here. If I don't have that much resolve, then I wouldn't be fit to rule the demons." (Hikari)
"... I do feel kinda rusty, it's been a long time since I could let loose." (Dragon god)
Last 2 battles decided. Hikari vs Hikari alternative, Dragon god vs Vegaltari.
***
The enemies were divided in less than a few seconds, each individual skillfully weaved their bodies through the air as if they were sowing thread like professional seamstress. Even HuoLi's 4th dimensional substance manipulation couldn't withstand one of the destroyer's corrosion magic, requiring Himei to step in and fend them off. Unlike the individuals summoned by Ledia... The destroyers didn't have much of a union. They were merely a collective that came by together out of sheer chance, joining forces as the 'supreme destroyers' of their world, beings unrivalled in destruction.
Summoning her white rapier, Kaori grasped it with a smile, keeping her enemies in sight. Ledia begun to deploy her virtual world behind Kaori and further expanded its range continuously.
'... Energy conversion?! It hasn't yet changed into anything, but it's ready to convert to sound and light at anytime...' (Kaori)
She steps forward in the infinite white space, her steps light but firm, carrying a lifetime's worth of convictions, regrets and resolutions. Her existence endlessly validates itself, proving itself to itself, giving itself meaning. If not for Ledia's plea to save her life, Kaori would not have otherwise died... No matter what.
No matter what? Maybe the other Kaori will decide.
"Keep your eyes peeled." (Kaori)
"Keep them on me. Heh." (Kaori alternative)
"Because I'll be showing you..." (Kaori)
"The strongest! Magical girl in existence!" (Kaori alternative)
The other Kaori materialises a dark red rapier, of which both decided to raise their rapiers straight into the air. A creaking similar to a loading chain lifting a heavy object echoes throughout the nearby space... Threads... Threads that are infinitely thin, infinitely tough... And unending in supply... Both Kaori's were spreading void threads in every conceivable direction in an attempt to take control of the field. Simultaneously, the creaking sound only rattled louder and louder as if the weight load that was being lifted was increasing continuously.
It was the hum of the threads dancing through the air, splitting space and time like finely cut cheese.
"fufu! Fufufufuhaha?!" (Kaori alternative)
"Heheh! Hehe he hahaha!!!" (Kaori)
White and dark red threads clash and intertwine, disintegrating each other into useless powder that evaporates into the void of this world.
"Haha! What do you think?!" (Kaori)
"You insolent!!! But it is begrudingly expected of me... You copied the dimensional masking of this place into your threads... No you did the opposite with your threads...
They can cut anything that exists, because they aren't cutting. They're sending the target to another world...!! Then?! " (Kaori alternative)
" Yeah. My threads have evolved beyond yours, you who remain here like a caged canary. They do not need to make contact to cut you. " (Kaori)
They can go to another dimension, then come back to this dimension inside you.
"I hope you aren't forgetting I exists. The leader of the destroyers... Will naturally only be 'destruction', Arasovi. First skill, [Premonition of destruction]. " (Arasovi)
"Tch!" (Kaori)
She clicked her tongue and spat. She was a lot more vulgar than Ledia thought, but this wasn't the time to worry about it.
"... What happened? I can't predict destruction's attack..." (Ledia)
"... She wasn't ambushing us, she was cancelling out my attack. Without needing to overcome the enemy's will stat nor deploying an Oblivion Magia, I can attack from within the enemy with these threads if I so chose to. What would have taken out Kaori alternative, or at least incapacitate her for a combo attack was dealt with by Arasovi. " (Kaori)
In other words... Kaori almost did something amazing, but was stopped by Arasovi? Ledia was unfamiliar some of the jargon. So disregarding the exception that is Kaori, one would usually have to breach a person's magic defence by overcoming their will stay via sheer quantity... Or deploy an Oblivion Magia.... Is an attack from inside their body so impressive?
'... Uhh... Why do we want to attack from their insides...?' (Ledia)
She whispered behind Kaori, though it was petty much pointless.
"They can't dodge an attack if it's from within, and it maximises damage." (Kaori)
"That' s right." (Arasovi)
Before either of them noticed, Arasovi had already gone between the 2, her voice echoed softly under their ears. She had short black hair with a black ribbon tied on her cloth collar. The collar was connected with her black one piece dress which had a strap securing the waist like a belt and was sleeveless. Her dress was also backless but still felt modest for her slightly tall and slender figure, exuding an authority of elegance and power.
Her shoulder lengthed black hair almost stood still unlike the wild strands that weren't swept like the rest, long dark purple strands of hair inexplicably flowing down some areas like rain to gather like tassels underneath the short black hair. They flutter right above the skirt area of her dress that had padded layers like wings that unfold and flap. Altogether, there were 4 wing like attachments below her waist, sparsely placed apart to form equal spaces. As it existed as a sole sign that the individual in front of them was not normal by any means.
"Oi Oi oi, are you 2 supposed to be the destroyer's powerhouses? At this rate, I'm gonna feel like the rest are small meat!" (Kaori)
For better or worse, this Kaori was like a war monger. In her heart and vision there is only violence, in her predictions and choices there are only violence. She's inviting the attacks to herself so Ledia doesn't have to bear the brunt of it. Kaori clearly wants them to concentrate on her, but Arasovi couldn't comprehend why. Was she just overconfident?
Or... Could she really handle it...? She was curious... They were a timeless organisation, vast and infinite. They've destroyed countless worlds, what makes this one different... It had Calamity and an imitation of Disaster, she supposed.... The world was supposed to follow the normal trajectory of history like any other, steadily advancing towards becoming space faring. But like most other worlds, disaster struck. Hikari alternative was the culprit, the true Disaster of world's.
Her aim was to end humanity in the process, save for those that awaken and embrace magical girls. But those worlds end up stagnant at their present level of technology, indecisive whether to fully accept magic technology or to resume the previous path devoid of magic. Beyond that, what was the point in wreaking so much havoc and suffering?
Arasovi appears behind Kaori once more after she turned to face her, deep violet blade in hand, wrist bent and her free palm facing outward. It's as if the attacks has already been dealt.
"Reverse of cause and effect, the effect shows up first and the cause... Doesn't have to hit its target. Haha, don't get so high and mighty and thinking only you could pull it off!" (Arasovi)
"Ah? Did you think you'd get by unscathed just because I wasn't watching? LOOK AGAIN!" (Kaori)
"?!?!!" (Arasovi)
Scrutinising her body, the countless threads that were laid out earlier... She forgot about them... She was too distracted by Kaori's arrogance, taking her for a simple fool that she assumed the threads were no longer employed. But now they wound tightly on every inch of her body, digging deep into her fresh like a strung up doll basking in the sun with the laundry.
For an attack like this, she just needs to mess with the spacetime configuration of the threads to dispel them. It wouldn't even take a second, so... This was simply a chance to attack, rather than a deciding factor.
Ledia smashes a fist into Arasovi's waist just as she broke out of the restraints. Kaori alternative lands next to Kaori with an overhead swing, exchanging blows with their rapiers as they dance above the void. They begun to move as well, Ledia has to deal with Arasovi on her own now. She jumps back and shields her front with her arms, 3 perforations show up on her body.
"...?! Gugh!!" (Ledia)
It's not lethal by any means for a magical girl, but Arasovi was completely bypassing her virtual world and damaging her body and armour. They were akin to invisible drill attacks as 3 deep stab wounds perforated her arms and torso, leaving the white void behind her visible from the front. The blood releases incessantly, the pain like a ram assaults her psyche and smashes her conscious into the ground, her breathing rate spiked high into the heavens.
"Haa~ haa~ haa~ haa~" (Ledia)
"Ledia!!" (Kaori)
She took wide breaths, her opponent could no doubt see that she was struggling to breath, it felt a little shameful to open her mouth so wide. But she was desperate to recover her breath. She raises her palms over the holes... And welds the armour into her flesh and magical circuits. Virtual world deployment, shift to drastic deviation. If she stuck with subtle deviation, the opponent could simply use stab attacks that cover a far range to attack both her and the illusion she put up with her virtual world.
Now, every move she made, the deviation will begin to increase. She ran to the side and her illusion ran into the opposite direction, both kept their eyes on Arasovi. There's still no information on her second and third skill, prudence was still necessary. Both rush closer towards Arasovi, this time she made her illusion teleport. If possible, she could trick the opponent into thinking she could teleport.
Once she reached close enough with her real body, she struck Arasovi's back in one direction, then sent her illusion to the other side of Arasovi... Before punching her in the same area.
"... Petty tricks, you imitate reality down to the details, but imitation or not, where is the value when it's all gone? [Premonition of destruction]." (Arasovi)