My control wavered, and my fists clenched at the mere suggestion. "Do not jest with me, deity."
But she remained unmoved. "Do I look like I'm jesting to you, Scarlet Devil?"
My patience dwindled, replaced by a surge of intense emotion.
I retrieved my fiery red spear, the flames within it dancing with my anger as I assumed a stance that radiated both power and resolve.
The standoff between us was palpable, each of us locked in a silent confrontation.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on my property...!"
I dashed forward, my fiery spear aimed to strike at Kanako. But before I could even make contact, the goddess effortlessly erected a barrier to halt my attack.
"Short-tempered?" she remarked casually as if my fury were of little consequence.
"Ha? Don't make me laugh." The air around us ignited with a scarlet blaze, ("Scarlet Sign 'Red the Nightless Castle'") setting everything around me ablaze.
The flames raged, consuming the surroundings in a fiery embrace. Suwako stepped back, a flicker of surprise in her eyes as she turned to Kanako.
The intense heat and searing aura filled the air.
"You're gonna pay for everything if you lose," her gaze locked onto mine.
With flames still swirling around us, she initiated her own attack. Bullets of energy erupted from her, each one a testament to her divine power. I deflected, blocked, and dodged as best as I could, but then Suwako's unexpected move caught me off guard.
Three metal rings were hurled into the air, their trajectory erratic as they bounded around.
("Nether Sign 'Scarlet Netherworld!'") With a focused aim, I shot out rings of bullets that cascaded toward my adversaries, creating intricate lanes of danger.
Simultaneously, I encircled myself with bullets, forming a defensive barrier that pulsed with power.
Suwako reacted swiftly, disappearing into the earth with practiced ease, seeking refuge beneath the very ground we stood on.
Kanako remained above, her arm extending as she continued her unrelenting barrage of bullets. I could see the difference now, some of her bullets were larger and more menacing than the rest.
With a surge of frustration, I launched myself toward the ceiling before rapidly descending, my spear thrusting forward.
Kanako's reflexes barely saved her, my weapon grazing past her as she agilely dodged.
"Ho? Interesting." Kanako's tone was one of intrigue, In an instant, she seized my neck and slammed me forcefully onto the ground.
"Urgk!" The impact resonated through my body, pain flaring as I struggled to catch my breath amidst the shock.
"You lost vampire." she lifted me from the ground, my body suspended within her unrelenting grasp.
"Huh? Lost? Please, As if I'll let you win!" A torrent of power surged within me, manifesting as the crimson chains erupted from the ground, coiling and snaking toward Kanako with a binding force.
"Heh? Interesting..." Kanako's efforts to break free were met with stubborn resistance, my chains multiplying and cinching ever tighter around her form.
As her grip on my neck loosened, I acted swiftly, snapping my fingers to summon a flurry of spears that materialized behind me. "Miserable."
With an authoritative gesture, I directed the assault, unleashing a torrent of arrows hurtling toward Kanako.
As the tension escalated, Suwako suddenly emerged from the shadows, bowing forward with an enigmatic gesture.
A colossal serpent surged forth from the ground, a menacing force heralding Suwako's intervention.
Reacting swiftly, I leaped high, my instincts guiding me to evade the impending danger.
But before I could fully regain my bearings, Kanako shattered free from the chains that bound her, unleashing a barrage of bullets and a flurry of maliciously homing knives.
My spear became a whirlwind of deflection, a symphony of clashing steel and bullets grazing past me.
Yet, amidst the chaos, a water frog propelled from Suwako's hat exploded upon contact, sending me hurtling outside the shrine's confines.
"Tch..." Pushing through the pain, I staggered to my feet. "They're growing more synchronized..."
The two emerged from the shrine, smiles adorning their faces.
"Exhausted, vampire?" Kanako's voice was laced with taunting amusement, laser beams and bullets surging forth in a relentless assault.
Kanako taunted, firing laser beams interspersed with bullets, creating a daunting and intricate pattern of attack.
I maneuvered, attempting to dodge the onslaught, but a graze wore me down, forcing me to kneel on the unforgiving ground.
"It's not over... yet."
"Huh? Did you say something?"
"I said... It's not... over yet!"
("Scarlet Sign "Scarlet Meister"!) sending a stream of large bullets hurtling toward the two. The pattern spiraled to the right before halting abruptly, a calculated move to catch them off guard.
Their sidesteps and dodges demonstrated their agility, but I persisted, unleashing the same pattern of spinning to the left instead.
"Hmm~ Persistent, I see~" Suwako acknowledged while deftly dodging.
"Yeah..." Suwako nodded, her movements mirroring her words as she evaded and leaped.
My spear's fiery hue intensified, imbued with my willpower. In a swift motion, I transitioned to a throwing stance ("Certain Kill 'Heart Break'!") The spear-shaped aura bullet hurtled toward them, Suwako erecting a barrier in a desperate bid to protect Kanako.
As the bullet collided with the barrier, it embedded itself within, determined to shatter the protective shield.
But I wasn't finished yet. Another fiery spear took shape, larger and more formidable – ("Divine Spear 'Spear the Gungnir'!") The weapon's size and power had escalated, its speed akin to a laser's velocity.
The spear was unleashed, hurtling toward them with unstoppable force. The colossal impact shattered the first barrier.
"What power..." Kanako's voice resonated with surprise before being silenced by the explosion, both she and Suwako were knocked back and incapacitated.
Panting, I approached the fallen duo, their chests rising and falling with labored breaths.
"Don't underestimate me... you fools."
Exhaustion engulfed me as I teetered on the brink of collapse, my body aching from the intensity of the battle.
ust as I was about to succumb to the merciless pull of gravity, strong arms wrapped around me. Sakuya had caught me, preventing me from crashing to the ground.
"Milady, I'm sorry for leaving you," Sakuya's voice was tinged with genuine concern.
I managed a weak smile through my weariness. "It's fine, Sakuya..."
"Where is Shun?"
"He's inside..." I managed to gesture weakly toward the shrine's entrance, but my strength wavered, and I found myself falling to my knees.
"Good work, Milady," Sakuya's smile was a beacon of reassurance.
In the midst of my struggle, Meiling's voice pierced the air, "Lady Sakuya! I got Shun!" Her arms cradled him gently.