"I…" Lady Kaguya stared at Seina, dumbfounded. For once, the aloof vampire queen seemed lost for words, thoroughly flummoxed.
"Way to go, Seina! You did it!" Colten said, beaming.
Seina twitched her fingers, surprised at the power they possessed. She could crush mountains with her fingertips. Leap to the other edge of the universe with a single bound! For the first time in her short life, Seina felt completely unbound, alive.
"You…" Kaguya continued to stare, shaking her head. For once, Seina couldn't sense her mistress's presence. The link between the subservient ward and her ruler had irrevocably shattered.
Was she even a vampire anymore? Much to her disappointment, a lick across her lips dispelled that hope. Her fangs were still present. While a faint echo, the thirst for blood still raged in the back of her mind. She still heard the gust of blood of the veins of everyone around within 200 miles. Still, a contentment washed over her, making her wonder if she really even needed blood anymore. Was Colten's magic alone all she needed to sustain her? Seina wasn't sure how to feel about that. It changed the fundamental nature of her existence. What was she?
Mei, however, seemed less than impressed by this unexpected development. "So what? Am I supposed to be impressed at the sudden emergence of some fledgling magical girl?"
The Devil Princess's expression turned sinister. Seina took an involuntary step back. "And I expect you to fall in line. You belong to Starlight Dream now. And disobedience will result in total annihilation. You blocked my blow? Impressive. But I won't tolerate any more rebellion. Or do you think you can defeat me, little girl?"
"I…" Seina scowled. High on her sudden power and success, she'd forgotten just how dangerous a foe she'd courted. These next few seconds would determine her future.
"Ha! Scared are you?" Colten said, all bravado. "You have no idea who you're messing with. I bet you're quavering in your boots!"
"Colten!" Seina said, alarmed. Did he have a death wish? Yet she admired his courage.
"That's right. We aren't backing down." Seina said, coming to a snap decision. What the heck. Fate had led them to this moment. Why not see where it led?
"Tsk." Kaguya clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I should have figured this might happen. You really are a demon, Seina."
"What's wrong, Mei? Things not going as planned?" Despite the mangled condition of her body, Arisu's smile told a different story.
"It doesn't matter," Mei said, teeth clenched behind her mask. "Destruction is your only fate, wayward child."
Seina gasped as Mei's broken sword drove at her with speed she couldn't hope to match. But metal scrapped across metal as Arisu blocked the blow with the broken rod of her staff.
"You!" Mei's hand whipped back at the Wicked Queen, but the girl slipped aside. While still slow, her body had regained much of its composition. The Devil Princess leaped and stabbed, eager to return the violence to her ancient foe.
But Seina won't allow Arisu to fight alone, using her fists to attack Mei. As quick as she was, Seina used her vampiric nature as a predator to anticipate her weak spots. Much to her astonishment, her blows seemed to at least sting her opponent. Mei hissed as one struck her temple hard enough to rattle her brains. This earned the Devil Princess's ire, Seina winced as she just dodged a mortal blow. The next kick crumpled her, pain so intense it blinded her.
"No, don't fight like that! Use your magic!" Colten said.
"How?"
"Um, shoot her?" Colten said, giving a weak smile. "You have your wand!"
"And?"
"Blast her to bits? Look, I don't know how magical girl magic works!"
"Some help you are!" Seina replied testily. She grunted as a hand clasped around her throat, struggling as she tried to free herself. Ice flowed through her undead veins as she looked into Mei's mad eyes. She gasped as her opponent's broken sword impaled her chest, erupting through the other side.
"Yes, some help you are. Your heroics came to nothing." Mei said, her eyes gleaming. She gasped in pain and shock as a blow struck her chest with enough force to fling her backward.
"Are you okay, Seina?" Colten said, tone worried.
"I'm fine." She glanced down at the gaping hole in her chest, but otherwise, she seemed fine. "Right, I'm undead. An impalement isn't that big of an impediment." Especially by something that wasn't a wooden stake. It didn't even hurt, though losing mass impeded her balance somewhat.
"You." Mei was hopping mad now, teeth clenching hard enough to crack bone. She staggered to her feet, surprising even herself. Seina's blow must have packed quite the punch.
"Your dress is different, but your power isn't," Arisu said, amused. "Pure strength is your magical girl ability. No, the ability to break anything, including fate."
"Huh?" Seina said, trying to absorb the portent of such a claim.
"So that's it," Kaguya said, musing. "Is that why a vampire became a magical girl? Did she break the rules? Terrifying."
"All the more reason to destroy you," Mei said, spitting out blood. "I've changed my mind. Help me destroy your former ward, Kaguya."
"Oh?" Kaguya said, raising an eyebrow. "The great Mei is asking for help?"
"No, I want this done." A cruel smile extended behind her mask. "I want to see her despair when she realizes there's no possible chance of hope."
"No, more like you're afraid to lose," Arisu quipped, getting to her feet. In the seconds Seina had bought her, she'd reconstituted much of her body. "You can't stand being threatened or losing. Some warrior you are."
"You!" Mei's temper blazed, though even she looked surprised at how quickly the Wicked Queen had recovered. Steel clashed as Arisu blocked a sudden thrust, and they began again. As the pair glared at each other, Kaguya saddled up to her former ward.
"So…" Seina said, trying to play cool. She knew this encounter could only end badly.
Like a cat eying a mouse, Kaguya lazily watched Seina. An awkward moment passed before the vampire queen shrugged. "I supposed I should have seen this coming. You can't fight your nature. No hard feelings, though. I see what you became the way you did. I can't say I had a great relationship with my parents either. My mother pushed me hard to be beautiful, a model by trade. I learned the hard way that beauty has a terrible cost."
Huh? What did that mean? She gasped as something lashed against her chest, cutting a deep bloody gorge. She leaped away before her former mistress followed up her attack.
"Tsk. Healed already." Kaguya said, annoyed. Sure enough, the wound had already vanished into nonexistence. Seina put a hand to her chest, surprised she'd already healed the wound. Was her natural vampiric power speeding her magical girl healing powers?
"I'm not giving you the chance to learn your powers. Best to obliterate you now." Kaguya closed her eyes, only to open them to reveal multiple pupils. They sent a wave of unease through Seina, not knowing what this meant.
"I can see everything, Seina," Kaguya said. "Every atom, every star, and especially your death!"
"Seina, look out!" But Colten's warning came too late. Seina howled as the distortion wave tore her body asunder, a wound in the fabric of her soul. There wasn't even blood. Her body just collapsed onto itself.
"No, Seina!" Colten rushed over, grasping at her desperately, sobbing into her leg. Her head flopped forward, her torso unable to support her weight as her bones disintegrated. "No, you can't die. I just found my partner!"
"Sorry, Seina," An aura of pure darkness wavered around Kaguya's right arm. "Goodbye."
Seina closed her eyes, knowing she'd finally met her destruction. With Arisu still occupied with Mei, there wasn't any chance she'd arrive in time. She scooped Colten in her arms, hugging him tight. Despite everything, she was happy to spend her final moments with a friend.
But the end never came. Instead, Seina gasped as she handed hard on the throne room's hard stone floor. She blinked as she found herself somewhere else. What had just happened? She found Takako standing over her, pistols in hand.
"You saved me?" Seina said, hardly believing her eyes.
"Don't be so surprised," the dark magical girl said, a cocky grin extending across her mouth. "I heard everything. Do you think I want the multiverse to end? That's where I keep my stuff!"
"Pest," Kaguya said. Amused. "But what can you do? I sense your power. You're a speck of dust compared to me."
"It doesn't matter," Takako said, pointing her pistols at the vampire queen. "Consider this my resignation. I never liked you guys, anyway!"
"Takako, you're always there in a pinch, aren't you?" Seina's other self said with some emotion. Huh? Were they friends in the other timeline?
Seina ducked and dodged as Kaguya's blade of nothing slashed at her. Her mistress's speed was insane, almost impossible to dodge. Takako did her best to deter the vampire queen, but her bullets didn't even phase her. They bounced off without even nipping her skin.
Seina took the offensive, knowing she'd never survive otherwise. For all Kaguya's power, her attacks left plenty of clumsy openings, guided by her other self's aid.
"Left, now!" Her other self said, and Seina followed without question. The swipe flew past her head. It left the vampire queen's chest wide open. "Hit with everything you have!"
Not knowing what else to do, she channeled everything into her wand, hoping it might do some damage. Much to her shock, Kaguya staggered back, her expression pained as the glowing wand struck home.
"I hurt her." And Mistress Kaguya wasn't healing as quickly as she ought, either. Was the magical girl's nature antithetical to a vampire? It gave her an idea.
"Use vampire weaknesses against her," Seina whispered to Takako as she passed. The dark, magical girl nodded in understanding. For whatever reason, the Great Vampires were weaker to typical vampire weaknesses than lesser vampires.
"You!" With her other hand, Kaguya lashed out with an invisible whip, catching Seina's legs. Seina's eyes widened as a blade of darkness stabbed forward to her prone self, aiming to obliterate her.
"Gah!" Kaguya stepped back as the room suddenly burst into brilliant light, the ceiling becoming a miniature sun. Seina stared at the light reflecting off her pale skin, amazed that it wasn't hurting her. Unexpected tears flowed down her cheeks, grateful to see sunlight again without horrible pain.
"You!" Kaguya said, fuming. But her movements were sluggish as she lashed out to destroy Takako. In her blind, pained fury, she'd discounted her former ward. Seina held nothing back.
As Seina wailed blow after blow with her wand into her, Takako joined her efforts. Instead of bullets, her twin pistols shot stakes into the vampire queen, right into her dark heart. Unlike before, they found purchase. Thousands of stakes pierced right through her.
"Kaguya!" Mei said, eyes wide. With a sudden speed burst, she crumpled Takako with a single backhand and rushed to her ally's defense.
"That's enough." The Devil Princess said, showing teeth through her mask as the sunlight faded. She cradled her ally. "Tsk. Careless as always."
"Thanks," Kaguya said, weakly rising to her feet. She tried and failed to pull the stakes from her heart. From her expression, she was in terrible pain, almost incapable of moving.
Arisu joined Seina's side, sizing the pair up. "You talk about total annihilation, yet you can't bear being alone. Interesting."
"Shut up." Behind her mask, Mei's lips twisted into a snarl. "You understand nothing. She's useful too, nothing else. My heart died long ago! I'm finishing this."
The Devil Princess extended her wings wide. Each beat of her dark wings distorted reality, unraveling it. Seina stared, wide-eyed, as her world dissolved into nothing.
"Mei," Kaguya said, her voice a warning.
"Stay out of this," Mei snapped back.
"What's happening?" Takako said, limping over. She was still alive, if barely.
"She's unleashing everything on us," Arisu said, crossing her arms. "That maniac intends to destroy the entire multiverse out of spite."
"No!" Seina said, quivering. How had things unraveled this far?
"You know, maybe you shouldn't have antagonized her," Colten said wryly.
"We're doomed," Neir said, fretting. "I told you fighting against the Devil Princesses was a dumb idea!"
Yet Arisu remained firm, her confidence unwavering. She ignored Kaguya and focused on a spot across the room. Was she waiting for something?
"You're finished, Wicked Queen!" Space distorted around her broken blade. Color beyond Seina's understanding radiated off it in waves, a sickening sensation that hurt her head. With a mighty flap of her wings, she pounced. Her blade thrust at Arisu's heart.
Instead of defending herself, she stayed put, taking the full brunt of the destructive wave. The blade pierced through her body, driving right into her heart.
"I've got you!" Mei said, voice triumphant. Her eyes widened as Arisu grasped her arm with one hand. Despite her soul getting torn to shreds, the Wicked Queen's grip on Mei's arm remained firm. "Let go!"
"Now, give her everything you've got," Arisu said through clenched teeth, though it didn't hide her arrogant, triumphant grin. She finally had her hated enemy dead to rights.
"But!" Seina only stared, wide-eyed. What were they meant to do?
Kaguya cursed, pushing herself hard to rip out the stakes impaling her. Despite the considerable pain, she didn't care. They had moments until their enemies overwhelmed them.
"Don't worry about me," Arisu said, mouth extending into a pained but pleased smile. The pain must have been incredible, her body disintegrating before their eyes. Mei was focusing the entirety of her destructive power into the Wicked Queen, destroying the very cohesion of her existence.
"We've got this." Another voice said. Charity appeared next to her partner, her tiny paws hold of the blade that Mei shrugged to rip free. Together, they were a vice that nothing could break.
"Let's do it!" Takako said, taking hold of Seina's hand. She squeezed back, a light burning in her chest. It made her feel alive, like she could conquer anything. Was this a magical girl's true power?
Energy of the darkest hue gathered around the twin barrels of Takako's guns. Seina focused everything into her wand, her light the brilliance of a thousand supernovas. A hand touched each of their arms, a spectral form of a radiant angel. The familiar face smiled upon them, her mouth moving, speaking words they couldn't understand. Yet each one seared into their souls, encouraging the other. Together, they could accomplish anything.
Together, they struck as one, blasting the devilish magical girl with everything they had. "Dark and Light Together! Twilight Blast!" The two magical girls said in unison.
"No! You can't!" Mei said, eyes widening. She frantically jerked at her restraints, fear driving her to desperation. "You fool, Wicked Queen! You'll get us both killed!"
But Arisu responded with a melancholy smile. "It's fine. Hinata's probably gotten impatient with me about joining her."
"Charity's always hated you." The fairy said. "She's ready to put you down like the wild dog you are!"
"You!" Kaguya rushed to aid her friend, but the light of the combined attack seared her undead self, scorching her to the bone. She leaped back, helpless to do anything to stop them.
The throne room blew to rubble as the blast consumed it, but Seina and Takako focused on the Devil Princess, containing its power on their foe. Both the Wicked Queen and her partner smiled as the light consumed them, content they'd done their job. When the dust settled, Seina gasped at what remained of their foe.
"You! You! You!" The top half of Mei said, crawling towards them with her one remaining arm. Her mask slipped off, revealing a mouth set in a hard, determined line. Her eyes blazed, half-crazed with pain. "You will die! You will die!"
"She's still alive after that?" Takako said with a snort.
"I hate you!" Mei said, continuing her crazed rant. "You insects! Vermin! Scum! You will all die!"
But Seina shook her head with pity. "Is this all you have, Mei? Hate? Don't you have anything to live for?"
"Enough, Mei. You've lost." Seina said, shaking her head.
"Never!" Bloody spittle shot from Mei's mouth.
"Let's just finish her," Takako said, pointing a pistol at the Devil Princess's forehead. Much to Seina's surprise, they'd changed. Instead of black and white, they'd turned gold and silver. Oddly, they'd become less realistic and more fanciful, with designs of angels etched across their barrels. "Goodbye."
It'd only taken a shot to the forehead to finish Mei for good, her corpse dropping like a lead weight. It didn't make Seina feel any better, but it needed to be done.
"Who would have guessed I would end up killing a Devil Princess?" Takako smiled to herself. "Emiyo's going to freak out."
"Poor Arisu. We never really got to know her." Seina said, downcast. She found she rather liked the blunt, rough-and-tumble girl.
"Tsk. Dead again." A half-blighted skeleton said, appearing from nowhere. It scowled, its expression full of self-recrimination. "I couldn't save you after all. Why are you so quick to desire death, Mei? And Arisu…" She paused, pain etched in the half that remained of her face. "You're finally gone. Y-you fool. Why didn't you save yourself? Why'd you leave me all alone?" Was she crying?
"Lady Kaguya!" Seina said, leaping back. Instead of attacking, the vampire queen only stood there, frustrated with herself. She froze as her once mistress glared at her with a baleful gaze. "And you. You! It was a mistake trying to save you. But I suppose both me and Arisu are fools for foolish causes. She spared me! The Dreamer, the root of all the cosmos' evil. And I spared you, the bane of Devil Princesses."
"We don't have to do this," Seina said, shaking her head. "Just stop. There's no need for anyone else to die."
"But I can't stop. I'm a monster, Seina." Kaguya said, whipping her eyes clean. "What else is there for me? I can't become a magical girl like you. I'm not like Arisu, I can't save anyone. My very presence destroys, my heart is a black void. With an exertion of will, I could kill this entire galaxy, drain them of their life essence."
"And yet I've noticed you haven't," Takako said. She kept her guns ready but kept them in a neutral position.
The half-ruined vampire only shrugged in response, but refused to give any more reply. Indecision wracked her features. Her body shagged, the fight no longer in her.
"You don't have to keep fighting. You can end this." A new voice said. A white figure appeared before them. She took the breath, an angel of brilliance. It was Seina, the other Seina from the alternate future. She gave them each a kind smile as she extended a hand to the last Devil Princess. Her body was translucent, more of a memory than a person. It must be a projection because Seina sensed no life within her.
"Return with me. Help us rebuild. It isn't too late to rebalance your karma." Future Seina said. "Mr. Kiyojiro tells me he can purge you of your vampirism, if you so desire. My other self's transformation gave him an idea."
"I…" Everyone held a bated breach as the Vampire Queen's hand hovered with uncertainty. It was remarkable. She'd never seen her former mistress so scared before.
"Tsk. Are you giving up so easily?" Another familiar voice said. Seina froze as a figure appeared, slinking like a shadow from the darkness. It was Kaguya, another one.