Rosalinda smirked. "Seems like you are ready..."
"Indeed I am," Claudina replied. Immediately she threw a fireball created by the Grimoire. Rosalind yelped as she dodged. "What's wrong~ I thought you wanted to fight?" she drawled out. 'This rush of power! It's addicting!'
Rosalinda glanced at the burnt cloak and tutted. She threw it away and summoned a bigger fireball before launching it at her. Claudina quickly put up a barrier in front of her. The barrier in turn absorbed the flames.
"You can do more with the Grimoire," Rosalinda said. She grinned. "There is a reason why the Celestial Heavens look down upon Taboo and Forbidden magic…The things you can do with even one spell…is limitless!"
She snapped her fingers. A ring of stars revolved on her to her hand. She twisted her wrist and the stars changed their direction and shape. While this was happening the sky darkened with both the moon and sun shining brightly.
Claudina stared, mesmerized.
"With this power you can control the undead without being a necromancer, manipulate time and space. Split open your soul and enter Godhood. Infinite power; you will have the five gods at your beak and call. All of Celestial Heavens will bow in submission. And you alone will stand at the top with limitless power! All you have to do is understand the control it requires and you can wield it with your eyes closed."
She tone changed from the sisterly way to the harsher one again. "Now that you know, use it! Use the full potential of it! Try to defeat me who has learned everything about the Forbidden magic since I could walk!" She clenched her hand crushing the stars and the sky returned back to normal. "Try to defeat me who has nothing left to lose! Try and kill me, Claudina!"
Claudina glanced at her Grimoire before looking at her again. "…Had our circumstances been different I would have preferred you to be my teacher…" she mumbled. Then placing her hand on top of the Grimoire she felt the pages graze her skin as they flipped to her desired page.
Inspired by the starry magic shown by Rosalinda, she searched for something similar.
However she was not able to find it properly for Rosalind already started to attack her again. Her attacks included a tidal wave with fish with razor sharp teeth and hot burning bodies, a cloud that rained acid, swarms of bats and ravens to peck off Claudina's face, multiple undead breaking open the ground and attacking her and streaks of white attempting to erase her from existence.
Her control over the spells and Ancient language made her respect her even more. Whereas it took her time to find a spell and chant the incantation, Rosalinda would glance at the Grimoire and say the chant since the book would naturally flip to the required page.
Rosalind Carolos was the only person Claudina acknowledged as her equal.
At Halieas she had hoped against all odds to meet her at the ball and to strike up an conversation.
Alas If only she hadn't been in love...
…but it was too late to mourn.
Skidding backwards she pressed her back against the smooth surface of the glass cage. There was nowhere left to run. Practically half of the area was ruined. Her mana is not unlimited and she had to go after the saints too.
The Grimoire flipped into one last page.
Finally Claudina found the spell she was looking for after deflecting and dodging the attacks. She grinned.
The incantation was a simple one, with the details of what the spell did written in the form of a short story.
"HEY! Stop evading! And attack me properly!" A barrel of twisting spears appeared out of thin air and charged at Claudina's face.
She put up a barrier just in time. "Don't worry. I will let you join your beloved soon."
Rosalind gnashed her teeth and clenched her fists until blood drew.
"βροный итныιών μετεωegen!"
Rosalinda rushed through the pages and found her spell. "φλεsturmγяща όσбурτρ!"
Both their Grimoires glowed charging up for their final attack.
Meteorite stars came crashing down while a sandstorm blew inside the cage. The meteorites broke through the cage and into the ground leaving behind huge craters.
Unfortunately for Rosalinda, Claudina's meteorites was meant as a diversion instead of an attack. Her sandstorm may have protected from stopping her to be squashed into a crater but in the single minute of distraction Claudina fled.
Rosalinda turned her head from one side to another her breathing becoming more erratic. Her eyes shook while her lips trembled. Blood boiled under her skin as she realized, Claudina escaped. There was no sign of her Holy magic and Forbidden magic anywhere she looked. "CLAUDINAAA!!!" she screamed tearing handful of air.
Up ahead, Claudina ran like the wind grateful to be invisible using the Grimoire.
'I don't time for her...I can't sense Baron nor the saints. Tsk! I need to hurry up.'
"O' Holy Heavens! Give me strength to flee the darkness!"
Holy magic covered her legs and she ran with renewed speed.
She started to see the familiar figure of Baron running to her. Seeing him she released the invisibility spell.
Baron didn't say anything when he reached her. Instead he hurled her up on his back and ran back to where he had been coming from. Claudina noticed there were four arms now and he was using all six of his badly bruised limbs on running.
Taking out the Grimoire again she talked while healing him. "Baron, what happened?" She bit her lip in worry. "Why are you here? What happened to the other saints?"
"aTtaCks wERe toO mUcH tO hAnDle FoR wHiTe haiReD sAinTeSs. ReD hAirED SaiNT AsKeD To bRing yoU tO thEm fOr hElp."
She frowned. Oriane was injured and Anatole was asking for help. 'Is this herbalist that…strong?' The Forbidden magic tingled on her skin. Then she grinned. "Don't worry dear~ I am sure I can take on a measly herbalist on my own."
Baron shivered hearing her tone. It was so…cruel. 'tHe dEmoN kIng wAs tHe sAmE iN THe lAst cAmpAiGn. aS eXPeCted dUcHeSs iS tHE onLy oNe WhO cAn bE ThE DeMon quEeN.'
They soon reached the place where the battle was taking place. Claudina gasped.
The saints were in a bad condition.
Oriane was knocked out unconscious with both her limbs bleeding. Sullivan and Sylvester were busy fending off illusion demons; a black visage floating off the ground wearing ragged clothes and witch's hats. These demons were yet to be put into the demon classification so they were generally treated as S ranked monsters. But it was clear they were demons as they continued to show images of their past trauma and reenacted them. They would taunt them when they failed to overcome them.
Shulia was caught by a gray skinned giant with dreadlocks inside a cage. She was futilely trying to break open the cage with magic while her Holy sword was locked in another cage on his other side.
Anatole was facing the worst burnt of it. Hidden by a horde of undead monsters he had casted off his veil but not the black mast on his mouth. He was attacking them in a wild frenzy. Ice was forming on his hands around the hilt, the effect of over using 'Celestial Blaze.' The monsters were being reanimated every time he cut them down or used magic.
The main culprit, the herbalist was standing in the center with large snake like tendrils coming out and fanned behind him.
He was controlling the giants, demons and monsters.
They seemed to be having fun with how they were laughing. Claudina glowered.
"Baron, put me down and take care of Oriane," she said already climbing down Baron's back. "I will deal with the filth."
Baron did as he was told and she turned his attention to the herbalist. The herbalist also seems to have noticed her for the tendrils pointed at her. "Did Rosalinda fail? Well it doesn't matter to me. I can retrieve the Forbidden Grimoire later on." Their eyes fell on Claudina's Grimoire. "…That's right. I will take yours and then…then WE WILL FINALLY REVIVE LORD RI'SH!!" they loudly said attacking her.
Claudina blocked the tendrils with her Holy sword. When the they left it looked like they were trying to take the sword away from her, not to mention they were barely damaged. A strange secretion was left on the sword. 'Those tendrils are quite unusual.' She smirked. "Since you attacked me first I should repay in good measure."
"CLAUDINA!" She looked up in surprise. Above her Baron and Oriane were fighting off the twelve feet giant with Shulia clinging on to the cage for dear life. She was yelling at her. "CLAUDIAN! That bastard uses his tentacles! Be aware of his attacks!"
"Oh I will alright~" she purred in glee.
"You must be getting serious for you to be so cocky."
"Precisely. Because I am going to kill you now!"
Suspending the Grimoire on air she decided to do something different. 'The Holy sword is basically a medium for Holy magic to pass through. One can even say it works like a conductor. If that is the case what about Forbidden magic?'
Sparks got off from her skin and on to her sword. 'It worked…Truly the power is unimaginable!'
The appendages shot up at her again. This time however instead of blocking it she tried to cut them down. The snake like head of the end shrieked and twitched near her feet.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!?" The herbalist had bought all his tendrils together with seven of them bleeding and falling limp.
Instantly the illusion demons were stunned so Sullivan and Sylvester were able to get out of their illusion prisons and kill them. "No! NO!! YOU ARE RUINING EVERYTHING!!!"
"So those strange ropes are not only your weapon but also what you use to control your subordinates?" Claudina slowly said before laughing in her shrill pitched way.
"AHAHAHAHA!HAHAHAHAHA! Oooh this makes it so much better now!"
She pushed back her bangs. Her eyes were glowing with a strange look. As if she was gazing at prey. She placed her sword right in the middle of her face.
"With the authority as Saintess bestowed upon me by Chronos the god of time I, Claudina Von Crowley, Saint of Black Rose, hereby commend you to a suffering of hundred deaths!"
She leaned forward and ran to the herbalist. 'Strange…' The herbalist tried to stop her.
'Right now my main priority should be saving the saints…' She slashed open the appendages like silk. "UGH!!"
'…however I can't help…' She grinned as the Forbidden magic flowed on her veins like Holy magic did. It was like wearing a fine cold lace on her skin with how the magic sparked off in tiny bolts
'…but want to try out my new powers!' Claudina cut down the last of the tendrils. By now the giant was defeated and Baron and Oriane got Shulia out. Sullivan and Sylvester finally beat the last of the illusion demons before rushing off to Anatole who was wheezing in exhaustion.
The herbalist on the other hand was on the ground in a fetal ball. The tentacles were now limp headless snakes.
He was breathing quite hard while muttering. "Curses…curses on you…and your children…"
Claudina glanced at him as she sheathed her sword back. "Well isn't that a useless curse since I don't plan on having children."
The other saints came hobbling over. Anatole was leaning on to Sylvester who held him up despite his mental anguish.
"There you are~" a sickeningly sweet voice called.
She turned around with the other saints and let out a strained sound
Rosalinda was standing covered in head to toe with splotches of blood. Her dress was ruined with blood stains. She was tightly holding on to two heads of children. "Remember them?" she asked bouncing the heads like a human yo-yo.
Claudina instantly recognized them as the same children she had fed on her fourth night. 'What a wonderful ploy to get my attention~' Grinning she replied, "No idea. Who are they? Your siblings? You three look related."
Her eye twitched and threw the heads at the saints' feet. "I must have taken the wrong way to woo you then. Allow me rectify it." She put her hand over her mouth in a delicate manner her eyes casting at the herbalist. "…Though you left me right in the middle of your match to deal with unneeded scum."
"Why did you kill them?!" Shulia asked not being able to take her eyes off of the heads.
Rosalind tilted her head. "I was quite angry when she, Claudina, left me and these two happen to be nearby so I took my anger out on them. Ah! Don't bother resurrecting them. I already cursed them with Forbidden magic."
But Shulia had already stopped listening. "So you murder…innocent children…!" she gasped out.
She tiled her head in mild confusion. "I don't see the problem here…They were expandable so I used them."
"SHUT UP!! No one gives you the right to toy with someone else's life! How would you feel if I toyed with your yours right now!!"
Rosalinda merely raised an eyebrow. "A simpleton like you can't possibly attempt to decide when I die or not."
Unfortunately it was the wrong thing to say at the wrong time.
Overwhelmed with zeal Shulia got out of Oriane's hold and charged straight at Rosalinda who was surprised.
Anatole who had already been wearing a broken mask glanced at Claudina. She frowned before gesturing to Baron.
Baron pounded at the ground with such strength that the park was split open. Shulia flattered and Rosalinda tripped.
"Demon, grab Shulia and run!" Anatole ordered. Then he threw smoke bombs at the ground to cover their tracks.
Claudina hoisted Sullivan on her shoulder like a sack of potatoes and ran. Ignoring his feeble protests she led the others to a hiding spot.
The hiding spot was out of the park and in a hidden cave at the beach.
Sylvester was the first to catch his breath. "Is…hah…is everyone alright?" He set Anatole down from his back. Claudina did the same with Sullivan expect she threw him down.
"OW! Why did you do that for?" he whined rubbing his behind to ease the pain.
She glanced at him coldly. "You and I both know why. You coped a feel of my rear."
"It was an accident!"
"Sure. Now," turning to the others she continued. "All of you were in a pinch and would have died hadn't it been for my intervention." She smirked. "Where's my thanks for saving you?" 'I did such a good job didn't I? Swooping in to save you all like a damsel in distress~'
Anatole gazed at her. "…I would but you failed to kill Rosalinda Carlos. It's a failure in your part as much as it is ours."
"Tch! Whatever I never really wanted your praise in the first place!"
"Ow!" Shulia clutched her foot.
"Did you spiral your foot?" Oriane asked.
"I think…but don't worry I will heal myself."
Sylvester came back from the opening of the cave. "We should rest up for now. I believe they won't attack us any time soon." He glanced at Baron who was quite the entire time. It appeared he was watching them but all of his focus was solely on Claudina. Or rather the Forbidden Grimoire on her back.
"…You have my thanks, demon," he quietly said.
Baron's ears twitched while all off his eye balls instantly looked at him. "Sylvester…" Shulia warned. He flinched and didn't look at him again. Baron however didn't seem to mind as he went back on staring at Claudina.
"Um Claudina?" Oriane started slowly. "I have been meaning to ask you this…" she looked away not able to meet her steely gaze "But, uh, what exactly is a Forbidden Grimoire?"
Her eye twitched. "…Is it necessary for you to know?" she asked so coldly that the others stared.
An expression of hurt crossed her face before she replied in a calm voice, "It doesn't. I was a bit curious."
"Then please keep your curiosity to yourself and refrain from asking such question in the future."
She lowered her head. "Oh…alright then…"
Claudina signed. "Since we escaped now I would like to say something."
"What is it?"
"I think Rosalinda Carlos is also part of another group."
Shulia punched the wall slightly caving it in. Sullivan let out a laugh while Sylvester and Oriane looked on tensely.
Anatole exhaled loudly. "...And you think now is a good time to inform us such a crucial fact?" he asked her coldly.
"Yes. What are you going to do about it? Hit me?"
"...Frankly I want to see you suffer on my hands."
She stuck out her tongue. "Bleh!"
Notes:
"βροный итныιών μετεωegen" meaning Star meteorite shower
"φλεsturmγяща όσбурτρ" meaning Burning sandstorm