Standing opposite from Mary, Simon, and Bard, was Forbidden Lust. Her seductive smile widened as she observed them. Her gaze danced with a seductive gleam, an eerie calmness coming from her as she stood still, inviting her opponents to make the first move to begin the fight.
"Geez~! If you take that long, I might fall asleep, you know!" Lust playfully teased, carefully looking at them for any sudden movements.
"Oi, mate! Running ain't an option anymore, you gotta fight, ya bloody idiot!" The voice inside Simon's head grew louder. However, Simon did his best to ignore the voice.
Bard sighed, "Is there no way to avoid this fight?" he asked Lust.
Lust giggled, "Unless you want to offer your heads on a silver platter, then maybe. But even then, no way! Have some more hope than that. Who knows, you might even be able to win against me!" She playfully stuck out her tongue.
"Just our luck, we got the crazy one..." Bard sighed quietly, muttering to himself.
"Hey, I heard that!"
"Mate! I can grant you some of my powers, but you have to allow me access to your body!" The voice in Simon's head said.
"The hell do you mean by that?" he thought to himself, replying to the voice. "I don't even know who or what you are. For all I know, I'm just going crazy."
"Oh, my dear, it seems time is running short. Power lost his battle, Wrath allowed those others to walk free, and you!" Lust pointed her katana at Simon. "You've already made contact with 'him,' haven't you? Don't bother answering, I already know the answer."
"What is she talking about, Simon?" Mary asked.
Simon hesitated, unsure how to explain the mysterious voice in his head. "It's... complicated. Not to long ago, I began to hear a voice and now its offering power, but I have no idea who or what it is."
"Don't play innocent, Mary Wildflower. You've got your own stash of secrets, and I'm curious why you're not jumping in to help me right now," Lust grinned, her eyes fixed on Mary.
Without warning , a sword materialized behind Lust, flying towards her. Yet, her instincts kicked in, she effortlessly blocked the incoming weapon using her katana. The clash echoed with a metallic ring.
Bard took a step back. "We all have skeletons in our closet, even me. I don't know what you're hoping to achieve by revealing Simon's and Mary's secrets, but right now, all of us share a common objective: defeating you."
Lust blushed brightly, "Oh my~! I think I'm falling in love, how brave!" In an instant, she appeared in front of Bard and kissed him.
"I think I'll keep you as a pet, but more importantly, we can finally begin our battle~!" Breaking away from the intimate moment, she hit Simon's shoulder with the sheath of her katana, causing him to stagger. Quickly, she executed a low kick, sending Mary tumbling to the ground. In the same fluid motion, Lust delivered a slap across Bard's face.
Lust continued her relentless assault, "Here, catch!" she taunted as she nonchalantly tossed her katana at Simon. Instinctively, he caught the blade, only to be caught off guard as Lust grabbed him by the face. In a sudden, forceful motion, she lifted him off the ground before ruthlessly slamming him onto the unforgiving pavement.
"Ornament, Telespad—!" Bard exclaimed, attempting to intervene. However, Lust threw Simon at Bard, colliding into each other, stopping Bard's attack.
"Light magic, roots of the holy tree!" Mary chanted, and in response, vines made out of pure light emerged from the ground. Entangling around Lust's arms and legs, aiming to restrict her movements.
Following up with her counterattack, Mary used another spell, "Light magic, hammer of judgement!" A colossal hammer materialized in the air, made out from the essence of light and towering over the nearby trees. Swiftly descending, the radiant hammer swung down with formidable force before Lust could react, leaving a explosion of dirt and dust in the air.
"I hardly doubt that was enough to take her down..." Mary muttered to herself.
"What a smart girl!" Lust giggled mischievously, her voice coming from behind Mary.
"You know, those Victorious Ten are quite well known amongst the Forbidden. But no one ever talks about their counterparts, 'The White Trial.' I won't go into a history lesson, but I swear. They made me hate light magic like yours..." Lust glared at Mary, her disdain evident.
Lust poised herself to cut through Mary's neck, her malicious intent was abruptly interrupted by the appearance of flaming swords towards her.
"Oh, you can set them on fire, that's so cool, honey~!" She deflected each blade with her katana, completely engrossed in the fiery display. However she didn't notice Simon running up to her.
"Hellfire, Etna!" Both of Simon's fists began to glow brightly, spewing out fire in his closed fists. With determination in his eyes, he exclaimed, "Take this!" Simon delivered a powerful punch across Lust's face, causing an explosion of fire upon impact. Quickly, he followed up with another fiery punch, creating more distance between them.
"Light magic, whip of judgement!" As Lust staggered from the force of Simon's fiery assault, Mary summoned the radiant whip again that swiftly coiled around Lust's neck. The whip, yanked Forbidden Lust back toward Simon.
Simon, understanding Mary's strategy, his fist engulfed in flames again. "Fine, leave it to me!" he declared with determination as he unleashed a fiery wrath of blows once again. With every punch, a burst of Hellfire erupted upon impact, causing Lust to stagger backward. Yet, the radiant whip, worked in harmony, ensnaring around Lust's neck and yanking her back towards Simon for the next punishing blow. Making it difficult for Lust to regain her footing or set up any sort of a defense.
"Mary, Bard, watch out! Telespada, raining swords!" Above Lust, an onslaught of razor-sharp blades materialized and descended, numerous swords piercing her.
"Light magic, roots of the holy tree!" Mary conjured the vines once again, tangling around Lust and restricting her movements further, preventing any escape.
"Hellfire, pillar of fire!" Simon's fist crackled with the intensity of searing flames as he channeled his Hellfire magic. He brought his blazing fist down, striking the ground with powerful force. Suddenly, as if awakened by his infernal command, a colossal pillar of scorching fire burst forth from the earth beneath Lust. The fiery eruption consumed her, trapping her in a swirling vortex of searing flames, a blazing prison from which escape seemed impossible.
"Light magic, Uriel's bow!" Mary summoned a radiant bow and arrow, pulling the bowstring. With precise aim, she unleashed the arrow into the heart of the fiery pillar. The collision ignited a explosion, and within the aftermath, the arrow found its mark, piercing through Lust's chest.
"Oi! She ain't dead yet, don't go any closer!" The voice in Simon's head shouted a warning.
"No way, you're kidding, right?" Simon said.
"Blood, is not telling any lies..." Lust giggled softly, "you know, I might be the weakest, defense-wise. But, I make up for it in my strength, speed, and most importantly, my brutality..." Lust slowly removed the blades that were piercing into her.
With a sigh, Lust admitted, "I suppose I don't have to hold back anymore..." The air around her seemed to shift.
"Starting with you—" Lust appeared in front of Simon and grabbed the back of his head with great force. With her other hand, she was about to stab him with her katana, but Bard quickly moved in, using his sword that he summoned to intercept Lust's attack, preventing the deadly strike on Simon. Bard struggled to hold his ground against Lust's, which pushed both of them away.
"Forbidden attribute, Extenslde..." Lust menacingly pointed her katana at Simon, the blade of her weapon began to expand with the use of her void energy, aiming to impale him with its enlarged form.
"Light magic, Michael's shield!" In a burst of radiant energy, a protective shield materialized in front of Simon and Bard, acting as a barrier against Lust's impending strike.
"Fine, I'll kill you first..." Lust swiftly sheathed her katana, she unsheathed it, slashing it towards Mary. As the blade sliced through the air, a surge of void energy followed, creating a large and menacing arc of void energy aimed at Mary.
"Hmph, you're no ally to us..." Lust suddenly vanished and appeared in the air above Mary, her katana aiming directly at Mary's chest.
Mary hastily stepped back, attempting to create some distance, but as Lust struck the ground, a slight explosion of void energy followed. The force of the impact disrupted the ground beneath Mary's feet, causing her to lose her footing.
The large arc of void energy closed the distance, leaving Mary helpless and unable to do anything but watch, her only hope resting on the slim chance of a miracle.
"Hellfire, dragon claw!" A massive hand of fire materialized, gripping the large arc of void energy and holding it back, giving Mary an opportunity to escape.
"This isn't fun, this is annoying!" Lust absorbed the arc of void energy into her katana and executed a stabbing motion toward Simon, unleashing a sharp projectile of energy.
Simon winced in pain as the projectile pierced through his shoulder.
Lust, with a sinister grin, suddenly appeared in front of Simon, the void energy around her hands forming into claws. With a swift motion, she stabbed Simon in his abdomen and lifted him into the air, relishing in his cries of pain.
In a desperate plea, Simon shouted in frustration, surrendering to the voice within. "DAMN IT! FINE, TAKE OVER MY BODY!"
"That's all I needed, mate." The voice chuckled.
With those words uttered, Simon's hair underwent a crimson transformation, the fiery aura dissipating and giving way to a red-hued energy surrounding him.
The blood streaming from his wounded shoulder and abdomen covered his hand, shaping into a crimson sword.
"You bloody slag, get your hands off of me!" 'Simon' exclaimed and with his newly formed blood sword slashed at Lust's forearms, severing them from her body.
Lust giggled wickedly, her severed forearms were replaced by her shadowy appendages, "There you are, 'Blood'..."
"Oi, you must be Simon's mates, yeah? I'm Forbidden Blood, how about we team up and give this slag a proper thrashing?" Forbidden Blood suggested.
"This should be interesting, fine. Let's start round two!" The clash of her katana against Forbidden Blood's crimson sword echoed through the area.
"I guess we have no choice, telespada!" Bard summoned sword, these materialized blades flew through the air, homing in on the ongoing clash between Lust and Forbidden Blood.
"Oi, you wanker, watch ou— actually, thanks mate!" Forbidden Blood swiftly grabbed one of the swords targeting Lust, taking the opportunity to empower the weapon with the infusion of Simon's blood. The crimson hue of the blade intensified.
Lust sighed as she deflected the swords, "honey, you're awfully annoying. Why don't you help me instead! Forbidden attribute, Camellia!" The swords Bard summoned suddenly stopped.
The swords Bard summoned suddenly stopped. His eyes changed color to a pink hue, a mysterious transformation triggered by Lust's forbidden attribute.
"Light magic, spike of thrones!" Spikes were summoned onto the ground behind Lust, strategically positioned for Blood to push her onto the sharp spikes.
However suddenly, Bard used his ornament, summoning swords to destroy each of the spikes before they could pose a threat.
Blood spoke with a serious tone as he clashed swords with Lust, "I see, you took over his mind, Lust."
Lust giggled mischievously, "He's my new boyfriend!" before delivering a swift kick that pushed Blood away.
Blood shouted, "Oi, girl! Fight your mate, all you have to do is knock him out cold!" As he kicked closely towards, he grabbed Bard by the collar and threw him towards Mary, giving her an opportunity for her to intervene in the battle.
"Don't forget about me~!" Lust rushed towards Blood.
"Fine, let's end this, Lust," Blood sighed, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to face Lust.
"Bard, snap out of it, that Forbidden is controlling you," Mary said, hoping to break through the influence that had taken hold of her friend; she cautiously approached Bard.
There was no response from Bard. Instead, he extended his hand, summoning a barrage of swords that soared through the air, aiming directly at Mary.
"Light magic, Michael's shield!" A radiant shield materialized in front of Mary that absorbed the impact of the blades.
Mary felt a chilling sensation as she noticed swords began to hover in the air slowly materializing surrounding her in what could be considered an iron maiden of swords.
"Damn it, Bard! If only you used your ornament's power like this. Light magic, Luminous Sun!" A orb of light flew towards Bard, momentarily blinding him. He released the barrage of swords toward Mary in a desperate attempt to stop her from escaping. The blades hovered menacingly, creating a ring of steel around her. All the swords hurtled toward her, still blinded by the luminous sun, Bard couldn't confirm whether the blades had hit their mark.
"Light magic, Wildflower enchantment! Wake up, Bard!" A radiant aura engulfed Mary, casting its glow around. "Light magic, Morningstar!" A spiked mace materialized in her hands, and with all of her might, she swung it, striking Bard squarely in the shoulder, hoping to break through the control that bound him.
Bard winced but, fueled by the Lust's influence, grabbed her by the neck, preventing any escape. Once again, she found herself surrounded by hovering swords.
"Light magic, roots of the holy tree!" Roots emerged from the ground, attacking the swords, causing most of them to disappear. Yet, one managed to slip through, aimed directly at Mary.
With one hand, she grabbed Bard's arm, the one with the firm grip around her neck, and pulled him closer, slamming her elbow across his face.
Bard forcefully pushed her back, and the sword that had been directed at her ended up stabbing through her foot, "Ahh, what the—?" Mary's cry of pain echoed as the sword thrust into her foot, pinning her to the ground. She winced, glancing up to see Bard, his expression twisted with a mixture of confusion and aggression, pointing another sword in her direction. "W-wait, Bard, it's me!"
Bard remained emotionless, he began to run. His every step was under the influence of Lust. He raised his sword, ready to strike at the person he once considered an ally.
"Oi, you bloody idiot, forbidden attribute, blood shield!" The blood flowing from Mary's wounds shot up into the air and hardened, forming a protective barrier. The crimson shield stood between her and Bard, the sword colliding with the unconventional shield.
"That's the first and last time I'm helping you, use everything you got, save your friend!" Blood nudged Mary's head with his knuckles.
"Y-you're right; this next attack will bring him back. Light magic, Raphael's warmth." An orange soothing glow engulfed her injured foot, mending the wound with a gentle and rejuvenating energy. She closed her eyes, drawing strength from the light magic, determined to bring Bard back to his senses. The ambient warmth spread through her body, providing not only physical healing but also a sense of calm and resolve.
"That's what I want to hear, lass! I better go finish my battle," Blood returned to his battle with Lust.
"Light magic, Michael's shield – Inmineo!" Mary conjured the spell the radiant shield. The barrier hovered around her, protecting her from any attack.
As swords that Bard summoned homed in on Mary, the shield intercepted each one. Undeterred, Mary focused her energy for the ultimate counterattack. The shield, pulsating with celestial light, stood resiliently against the barrage of swords, buying her precious moments to prepare her attack.
"This might hurt, Bard, but you're leaving me no choice. Light magic, Seraphim Assault!" Mary slowly grew large wings made out of light. That wings spread wide, Mary's aura intensified, casting a warm and comforting glow. The swords Bard summoned hesitated in their trajectory, momentarily suspended by the holy presence. With a determined gaze, Mary took flight, gracefully maneuvering through the air with the newfound wings. The blades that once threatened her now danced around her like gentle companions, their sharp edges dulled by the divine energy from Mary's transformation.
A sword materialized in his Bard's hand and he swung the sword, Mary's wing gracefully wrapped around the weapon, disarming him with a flick of her wrist. "Bard, snap out of it!"
With a gentle yet firm strike, Mary made contact with Bard's face, hoping to break through the influence that held him captive.
With a graceful sweep, Mary's wing connected with Bard's chest, momentarily staggering him. Taking advantage on the opening, she clasped her hands together, channeling her energy into a hammer punch that found its mark. The impact sent Bard to one knee.
"Light magic, holy force!" Mary's radiant wings emitted a celestial glow, she gracefully advanced towards Bard. The ambient glow intensified with each step. When the tips of her wings made contact with Bard, a surge of holy force rippled through him, sending him flying through the street, a display of divine power.
"And there goes all of my mana... But at least it looks like he's out cold," Mary sighed, watching as her wings and shield slowly faded away.
Mary approached Bard, kneeling beside him, she released a heavy sigh a mix of exhaustion and relief. Her eyes lingered on Bard, hoping Blood will finish his battle.
Blood and Lust remained locked in a fierce battle, not seeming to end anytime soon. Both of them evenly matched, only ending to the first one making a fatal mistake.
Their weapons clashed endlessly, Lust, with her katana swirling through the air. Blood, wielding a crimson sword, met her strikes, every movement to counteract Lust's unpredictable attacks.
"You're not bad, Blood, but you're still just a traitorous pawn in this game," Lust teased.
Blood, unfazed, responded with a powerful strike. "That may be so, Lust. But, you're a pawn as well, we're just players in a different game." His crimson sword clashed with Lust's katana, sending sparks flying in all directions.
"Forbidden attribute, lust slicer!" As Lust's death slicer missed its mark, Blood swiftly maneuvered to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly ring of void energy. Lust twirled her katana, the blade now glowing with the power of void energy. She closed the distance between them, aiming to catch Blood off guard with a series of swift slashes, each strike leaving trails of void energy in its wake.
Blood winced with each slash, feeling the void energy leave dark trails on his flesh. Despite the pain, he countered with his own attack, "Forbidden attribute, Sanguis!" The blood flowing from his wounds didn't just stain the ground but began to cover Lust's body.
Lust grinned as she saw the lust slicer returning, a threat that Blood seemed unaware of.
"Hey, slag, what do you think the others will think when they find out you were killed by your own attack?" Blood chuckled.
"Hmm, what do you mean?" Lust tilted her head.
"Forbidden attribute, bloody puppeteer!" The blood that stained Lust began to control her movements. It twisted and contorted, wrapping around her limbs, forcing her into involuntary motions.
In a sudden shift, Lust's composed and seductive demeanor shattered as she witnessed Blood effortlessly sidestep the lust slicers. Panic replaced her calm facade, and she exclaimed, "What the? Wait wait wait, I know what you're doing, stop this you bastard!"
Lust struggled desperately against the blood's control, her movements becoming increasingly erratic. Meanwhile, the lust slicers closed in.
"Damn it!" In a attempt to evade the lust slicers, Lust forcefully threw herself to the ground. However, the blood defied her will, lifting her arms involuntarily. The lust slicers cleaved through her shadow forms' arms, leaving a clean separation.
"Argghh! Forbidden attribute, Spatial retreat!" A surge of void energy surrounded her, teleporting her away from the battle, leaving only her katana behind.
"What a coward, and it looks like she's out of range for me to keep using bloody puppeteer. Hmph, I suppose I should heal you, Simon. Forbidden attribute, close wound." The wounds on Simon's body slowly closed.
"Here you can take your body back, Simon. Just take it easy, you might feel weak and want to faint." Blood sighed, as Simon's hair returned to its natural blond color, the effects of the possession wearing off.
"Ah! That felt weird as hell, what the? You weren't lying, everything is so blurry." Simon sat down, adjusting to the sensation of regaining control over his body.
"Hmm, looks like Lust managed to escape, but she left her weapon behind." A large man, wielding a warhammer, put his weapon down and picked up Lust's katana.
"However, you, young man, my name is Sidgroth, and I need to ask a few questions before The White Crusader gets here..."