On a castle courtyard was a chaos. But great attention was caught by a group of nearly panicked vamps who was (returning?) back to the island. They cross the still standing bridge, pass the stuck open gate, and runs random in disarray. They were yelling one through others.
Someone from those who stays yell at someone between the returners in clear anger. "What the fook!! I though you flipped up [middle finger] everything and everyone!! Then run away to save your own hide as some biatch?!! Are you finally passed the panic phase, and decide to not to be a multiple deserter?!!"
But the one who yell back was not just in panic but furious to. "That was the fooking plan, moron!! But there was no other route that to withdraw back!! We have been set up!! They already making they move!! They are already here!! Where is the boss?!! We need her!! She needs to know this!!"
But another person nearly slaps them as he yells to: "She doing her special audience for her special quests. She will kill us all without a second though, if we try interrupt her hunt now!!"
But soon, all the yelling paused for short moment, as many of the vamp turns, they gazes through the gate onto the bridge. The rhythmic (metallic) plates noises catch they attention as the source of that noise was approached closer. It was a march… and then the moon light get reflected from the surface of many (high-tech?) spear like weapons...
Then the silence was interrupted as someone of them yell at full lungs. "To the armory!! Prepare for battle!!"
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Nothing can go always as smoothly as one desire or planed, and Watcher know this well, because a sound of certain familiar horn echoed into the full moon sky.
She and Dragonblood for second, two... froze, to figure what the heck is going on.
But it was the matriarch who clicked her tongue in disgust manner. "Tcs!! So, that spared mummy biatch, finally decided to make a move after all off those years. I nearly though she will not lift her ass until the next century will arrive. I started even think that she just become a senile coward, who lock herself in her office. But it seemed that she was just building up things for her final death wish. One can guessed that she even orchestrated yours arrival, and that fooked up shit explosion, to weak me enough, that she will somehow manage to take me down." The vamp laughs. "What a joke!! She will only now learn, not to underestimate the strong ones."
Han standing against her clenched his fist. "Despite all that… You sound like someone who just waited to long, for a reason to set sails and leave this place for good."
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As expected, this answer only enraged Melt-downer and she attacked without hesitation. Thick green beams, shot across the remains of the halfway. "Are you working with that wrench??!!"
But again, a raised palm stopped the spell as if it was stream of harmless glowing water, that stopped on the palm. Soon the spell broke apart as if that was just an illusion. "As if I ever agree to something like this."
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The matriarch dint liked his doing, and yell: "Its defending only thing you can do?!! Fight me!!"
Warrior only flexed his right arm from biceps to wrist, opening and closing his palm, as if he was making an approval that he is becoming accustomed to this battle.
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Because the hero dint answer she makes a series of quick hand gestures that were actual gesture chanting. This leaded to a green ball of half of her size, to form in front of her. At last she used this orb as some kind of catalyst amplifier to shot one high pressured death ray on her opponent.
This time the beam, as it hits the palm, split on several smaller that flies all around. They hardly act like a lines but more like forcefully deflected projectiles on random direction and parabolas. From outside, that Melt-downer attack, looked as if pressured water stream from water sprinkler hits the pole or fence, and the stream was partially split or deflected elsewhere.
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Watcher noticed that the volume of the reflected beam was indeed fluctuating, but it was on too small scale, compared to the main attack she was sending at him. Additionally the main core of the spell dint disappears and for that; the beam was still there. It was obvious that her spell was putting on her body a too much pressure, but she continues pushing herself beyond her normal limits, as she keeps her opponent on constant fire.
Dragonblood had problems to hold himself against this attack. It was clear that the (not a water stream?) pressure was somehow too much for him to deal with it and break the spell down. It even seemed that if he stops pushing himself to his limits, and if he drop his guard for even a moment; the high pressure will knock him back, if not disintegrate to bones.
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Matriarch gaze was glued to him. "So, I see…" She decided to push herself even further, as she created another small gloving orb on side to her body. She used it to shot another beam.
But Dragonblood gritted his teeth when he noticed that this beam was not shot at him. It was aimed at the collapsed girls. There was not a way they can evade it, or he can jump to the path in time to protect them.
Instead... something ghostly, flew through air.
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Before the beam was able reached his target, something with snake like body and dragon like head, jumped towards it... strike from above and side in slight curved parabola... and snatched the beam aimed at girls; into its mount full of sharp dragon teethes.
Melt-downer spell wriggle as if the line was some kind of snake that was hunted down by this apex predator.
One can think that Watcher death ray spell was overwritten to become a snake. Which was currently wriggling in pain.
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Even Watcher was dumbfounded as she stared at something snake like with dragon head that was connected to that man body.
That thing, while still holding (Melt-downer snake?) in its jaw, first aimed one of his pissed off eyes onto the woman. Then causally turned his entire head towards her to face the matriarch.
On single moment it looked like that ghost dragon had its own mind and personality. With bestial look full of wrath, he flexed his jaw muscles, before he bites through his pray.
The snake made from Melt-downer, release his dying groan, before was splashed into bubbles instead of sparkles and vanished.
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Watcher eyebrow twitched unhealthy. "A ghost??!!-- The fook??!!"
But that her statement makes that dragon to roar loudly at her, as if it dint liked how she called him. Right after that he launched itself towards the matriarch. But, as he opens his maw before the mighty bite, he turns his jaws towards that big green ball that was amplifying that continuous pressured attack towards Dragonblood. Dragon sinks its teethes to that orb, as if that green ball was some kind of animal, that was trying too hard to hide from hunter, disguise itself as some rock. But instead of disintegration of the dragon head, it was the core of the death ray, that was (tarred apart?). One bite, after another, the dragon was feasting on its pray. And the woman can only to watch in surprise, as this feeding beast, chew up to the point; when her battleship canon size Melt-downer spell fall apart into blast of magical energy.
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Shocked Watcher unwillingly moved one leg back, but right there she flexed her leg muscles to stops herself from making another step back. Then she gritted her teeth with anger as she realizes something. "A dragon in the form of spiritual entity…"
The ghostly snake dragon while holding his position after feeding, once again turns one of his pissed of eyes towards her as if he was evaluating the matriarch. Then with warning growling, he withdraws back to Dragonblood on the route from witch he come. It returns inside the male body as if it was somehow a cave from which one, he pops out only his head on too long neck, when the main body was still chilling up.
Hero himself was just standing in his battle stance; just observing the situation.
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The moment Watcher saw Dragonblood stand, and let what happen go through her head, her face got twisted with wrath and she yell/ scream at him: "Don't look down on me!! You can try to look tough as much as you want, but all you have is tricks!! You are fake one!!" She stands up into her power-up stance. Her horns glow menacingly and her wings spread open to sides as she summoned her aura towards her entire body, amplifying all her physical abilities. Her claws and horns were not anymore only summoned skill to channel matriarch powers to rule the pack whit hint of transparent or luminescent bones as before [total control over shape shifting and boosting it with her soul pressure to the point they got max stats as physical and magical attack], but now it seemed as solid matter made up from melt-downer spell [Over boosting it with lot of pressured manna]. From all that power; her skin was turning to be redder and redder, reaching the crimsons color scale. It was not only around her horns and claws, but her entire body was getting reddish. When she was ready, her eyes light up with not glow but a bright light. She crouched before, she kicked the floor and her wings made single powerful flap back. She launched herself at the dragon warrior with incredible speed… to fast to be seen by normal means... spreading her claws wide to tear him up into pieces… in one swift strike…
But Dragonblood, didn't even flinch. "Are you sure you don't talking about yourself?!!" The clash was unavoidable. They will collide… and that's the fact. So, he clenched his fist. He thigh his butt. He swiftly swung it right hand from down to up in half cycle as he made single step forward.
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For normal observer it shall has been replayed in slow motion to see what was happened, but...
This contra attack move come in such timing in which, image breaker fist hit the matriarch face… No!: her yaw… from bellow... nearly moment before the vamp's claws will cut the warrior into pieces... But… As the fist was going up, it was pushing up the jaw, the face and the rest of matriarch body. There was again this sound of glass breaking. Watcher's eyes got roll back into her skull so they become white. In this 'Shoryuken' [Rising Dragon Fist] master piece of martial arts move, the woman body was not just deflected, but launched up into air and back in parabolic flight.
After that she crashed a few meters away with heavy impact. The crash was so powerful that it cause a boom, making a small crater in floor and a high dense cloud of dust was sent up to the corridor.
Any regular observer who newer observed a high spec battle, will have now a dropped yaw in: 'What the fook just happened?'
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But if someone get the idea, that the battle was over when some rubles was falling down,-- will be in mistake because the vamp was already back on her legs. She swung her arms, causing the push of wind, to disperse the dusts clouds around her. She was berating heavily, her wing was (broken?) and she was bleeding. But even through all that she gazed directly at him. "Why are you holding back?!! You have more in yourself that this!!"
Contrary to her question, the man raised his bleeding fist covered in his own blood up to see it. "All I hearing from you, is how much you hate you job here. The one you don't wanted to do, but was forced to take."
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This makes another confusion look on the dark lord face. "The fook you talking about? Are you strolling until reinforce will arrive? Do you think they can pass my Skills-out's? Do you think you can capture me?!!" Suddenly she was angry once again. "If I want; I can destroy this place with everyone around! Is that what you are after? Or to grab the wealth that lies around? What ever the shit that you dragon ass wanting is, you are unable to just take it!-- Then why don't we make a bet?! Everything for everything! The winner taking all!" On the final shout she speeds her hands in gesture that she have noting to lose, when she yells: "So come at me already!!"
The blooded hand of hero makes a wet squeezing sound as he clenched it harder in his anger. "And you said that you know me. Yours own sorrow, make you sight obstructed from the real treasures you have."
Ina who floated high above them on (red wings of knowledge) as some angel, descend to them. Going down to float only a few meters above the floor, she demanded they attention whit her unnatural cold voice that clearly don't belong to ordinary mortal being. No!-- she seemed to be possessed by something powerfull. Even if the voice was not laud, as if it was a speakers spell, it was heard by everyone as if she speaks her words directly to the souls of those bellow her. It was cold, it was emotionless, she was like a tool... "If you dare declare this as an official ranked match. Then I assume it's okay, if you allow me to be a referee in this fight. All according the dueling guide for a pull matching."
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Melt-downer take only one glance on the nun to realizes, how fooking bad news is this floating one to her, at this particular moment. But soon her grin turned toward insane one, when her eyes despite this situation were saying that, she not just happy, but she is in bliss. "Interesting, an another rare one arrived to this house. Few more of the like you two, and soon this night will look like a proper party for monsters." She raised/aimed her finger/claw at the nun. "But, aren't those of you supposed to bring a gift from heavens? Or cast a blessing to the masses of obedient sheep's,who pray for a salvation? And you just descent to this god forsaken shit hole for entertainment peeking. You are not going to tell me; that someone here had a change in his heart, or some other biatch-shit like that, don't you? Or do you hope for a fixed match? On such when you make sure, that the fooker hero, will bring to you feet a certain victory, that will be written in permanent scriptures under your name? Such hypocrisy!" Then she swung her hand in annoyance to side as if she was swiping the deal from the negotiations table. "You joking, right?!"
Dragon warrior on other hand yell at her companion her name as if he was upset that she pushing her organization agenda once again. "Ina~a!!"
But the nun stayed cold and emotionless. "Indeed, a fair points were spoken up. Where are the holy manners that are so valued by those who live in the lower circles? The precedent of the main-prize promise is what adds a real weight to the match result." Ina, reach into folds of her cloths, and pull up a small wooden tag stick like plate. This tag has a simple paint writing that look more like simplified picture letters make by simple moves of calligraphy paintbrush soaked in black ink. Even Watcher and Dragonblood widened they eyes in disbelief staring at this item, which was obviously something that exactly don't follow game rules, whose bind everyone here. That small thing clearly doesn't originate from this sphere of realm and must have its origin from something that are placed above this world. As she was holding the wooden tag stick between her fingers, she raised it in front of herself and start to chant:
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"One for sorrow, Two for Mirth.
Three for a wedding, Four for a birth.
Five for Silver, Six for gold.
Seven for a secret never to be told.
Eight for a Kiss, Nine for a wish.
And ten for a bird you must not miss.
Awake from slumber,
and get onto your feet!"
Then she broke the tag in half. "Full Mass Cure. Mode: Divine intervention."
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A pure white spell cycle formed above the castle island as if it was formed on the night sky panorama itself. It soon expands into so freaking massive diameter that it covers the sky above entire castle. His light envelope the entire area as if the night was suddenly exchanged by day. Soon the wounds on matriarch and warrior starts to healing. But those two were not the only ones who received this blessing. The spell hit even those quartet of girls, and with that fact one can thing, that many others received this blessing as well.
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But the reaction was different on those four girls from Railgun party. Obviously, there was some healing because theirs wounds were caught in some kind of regeneration process. But instead of groan of relief, they instantly start screaming in pain. The pain was so strong they were back up to their senses.
Flona collapsed on her side, was additionally crying so heavily that her tears were going down as rivers. She was desperately holding onto the soul doll which shall hold her soul, as her entire body was shaking.
Dianna body on other hand, was about so much pressure that the girl though, she will explode. She got onto her back, but she desperately (but without success) tried to reach whatever is in her chest, that want to get out. [She was killed by blow to her chest and after (revival?) Flona saw the hole close.] Even with wide opened eyes that wanted to pop out, from how much her rib cage inside her torso was expanding, it was clear that something like geyser want to erupt from the middle of chest.
Becky, while puppy whining, hasty rolled on the floor from one side to other side, like some sausage roll. Her black blood was on berserk. Black veins under her skin were pulsating so violently that some can mistook them for a mysterious hunter-net that tortured her body as if she was on fire.
Anna's pain must been on whole different level that the rest of her friends. She was on berserk that was kind of different that the party experienced to this point. It may be pure battle instincts that force her to throwing her body around as if she tried to get out of invisible fire. On one point she starts slamming her shackles onto ground, debris and walls. It was like if her own body subconsciously do all it can to clear itself from all foreign objects. She slams again and again so hard, that she broke her own bones to pieces in her wrist and hands. As she was still tossing her body around, the handcuffs slide out. With another wild throw of her body, her back hit the wall and suddenly she managed to keep standing. The healing blessing instantly starts to repair the broken bones, but she was still on berserk, and the vamp powers limiter was gone.
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It starts with a single blue spark that left her temple. Then those sparks pop up from her body everywhere at random. But soon those sparks will become curtains/ discharges, that were not harmless to her body. As they twisted around her like a hurricane and were leaving scars and burns, that mass cure area spell tries to heal them.
To make things even worse, Sparkle was a matriarch. She makes step, two,-- from the wall, until she flexes her muscles before she take a (supper tier power up) stance.
She scream…
It was like a battle cry… at that moment she unleashes all limits to her powers. It was not sparks or curtains that was flying from her into the air like a shots. But those were lightning bolts causing thunders, and most of them turned up.
Anyone whose gaze was turned toward the castle will see: that some kind of (blue tree?) grow and bloomed from those ruins. But once again, this power was far beyond what Anna can handle…
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Railgun was burning…
It was not just her skin that was turning into charcoal black, and was withering up as dust… but even pieces of her muscles were turning into charcoal.
Suddenly she stops charging that blue tree above her, who just don't disappears as if something was holding all that electricity up there. She turned her head up. She raised her hands up. And that mass of lighting storm above her, start to descend. Like a spread-up lines of knitting wool's, they were rolled up into a single ball of wool. As more and more of the (strings?) was rolled up together, that phenomenon above her formed a massive orb as all tree branches were sucked up into it. Then that gloving ball twitches making a heart beat noises. With every next hart beat like pulls, the orb become smaller and smaller. Soon that thing was small like an apple. With her still burned up body; Sparkle looked like a black demon, as she opened (her mount?) wide open, she split her mount/jaw on sides, to be able to take that orb. And true,-- she opens her (maw?) so wide that she swallows that entire thing down her throat like a big pill.
There was this loud echo of hart beat 'ba-dum' followed with illusion of tremor shaking her body into multiple after illusions copies.
(Sparkle?) turned her gaze (or whatever left from it) toward her lover in pain. She raised her open palm toward the red girl.
The werewolf suddenly stops rolling around and her body flow up, as if some giant hand grab her from the floor. Next, all that black blood who was running wildly through all available veins inside of her body, start leaking from the girl skin. It was like when wine stored inside brewing barrel, get under to high pressure and will found a tiniest hole to get out. It was a sprinkler from pores. But instead of splashing right down on the floor like a gravity will ask for it, the liquid was pulled up, forming the streams that flow right above her and formed there a ball of thick black blood. That collection of blackness acted as if it was alive during its grow, when the steams expanding it to be bigger, bigger and even bigger. It gets to the point, where was clear, that there is more of this black liquid, that was supposed to fit into the pocket sized paladin. It got far bigger that she was, but she still doesn't looks, like she will become sucked up mummy. On contrary, when the black blood finally stops pouring out, the black veins vanished from the skin and the host looked more that okay. Even the stubborn wolf tail and ears withdraw back make her look like an ordinary girl, and she finally faint off, breading peacefully. Body of Herald descend back to the floor as if that invisible hand put it down, while that ball of live liquid flow towards the Railgun.
Watcher tries to interfere but before she managed to raise her hand, her stomach growled unhappily, as if her body unconsciously opposed to touch that black thing. Instantly she moves that hand toward her mount, but even that desperate move don't prevented her from vomiting a blood. This confused her a loot as if something terrible happened to her, or her body protested to the whole idea of drinking black blood. She looked back at the Warrior, to check if its he the one who done this to her, but his gaze toward her explain that he was confused to. So, she looked up at the nun, but that winged thing had her eyes only for Sparkle, as if there was more important shenanigans at play.
Besides that, Anna opens her jaw once more and sucked up all that black blood to the last drop. [Don't forget that black blood for vamp is like a super booze that make them crazy, and she dump down her throat,-- like an entire beer barrel. (117 liters)] The second hart beat 'ba-dum', come right after the last gulp.
Then this beast turned her head towards duo Dianna - Flona.
Those two were already faint off and probably healed up to some point. But before matriarch moved a finger, there was this (ghostly scream of denying), as someone,-- or something, intervene before matriarch take an actions. Between the two girls were a small puddle of tears, blood, anything they manage to vomit, and dirt from any cliff slide that come down from cracks in walls and floor. From this puddle a plant,-- a wine, starts to grow up. It grows fast, and the moment it had a chance, this plant shots one of its stem to Winea and the other to Swing, piercing they skin. As if the plan was pumping manna, blood or life force from them, it grows and soon a small ball was formed on its top as if that was a forbidden fruit. The moment when the fruit start gloving with multiple colors, this plant stops the sucking process and continue to grow its stem. No, this plant decides to deliver its single fruit toward the matriarch as some kind of tribute, in order that the vampire will leave them be. Or the monster will leave, without feeding on them. One way or another, the moment the fruit was delivered before Sparkle, the vamp tore it and swallow it. The plant instantly withered away.
There was third hart beat 'ba-dum'.
After it, a powerful lighting shake the entire body of Railgun. The humanoid body was electrified to so high extent that anybody was able to seen her skeleton inside her body. [X-ray type of illumination.] But after that, the only thing that was standing there, was obviously a crude chunk of black coal and dust, that only resemble a human stature.
On this point the massive white circle up on the sky, was already shrinking as the mass cure spell was on its end of working hours period. And so, when the white light was gone, the night returned to the castle.
As the darkness returns, defied only by a full moon... And once again, the night claims its rule in the ruined corridor... All eyes that were open was aimed on the stature of dust and coal.
Few seconds passed, until a tremor echoed in that stature and two blue sparks/ curtains pierced the forehead of the stature. Then those curtains formed a two solid horns. Next, a two-crack formed at the back of the stature. From those holes escape another buzzing sparkles/ curtains, and those formed and unfold a pair of solid blue wings. Soon a cracks that you never want to see on you house walls start forming/ running through surface of the entire stature. And in certain moment, as if Sparkle under this black crust flexed all of her muscles, the stature somehow explode.
The Railgun was back!! And she levels up. It didn't matter that the leftovers from her cloths were toasted and barely hold on its place. She was finally ready to be called a matriarch.
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[Notes]
-The Shoryuken (Shōryūken, "Rising Dragon Fist"), commonly referred to as the Dragon Punch, is a special attack in the Street Fighter series used by Ryu, Ken, and other Street Fighter characters that use the same style.