As the wire wrapped cocoon began to wriggle and shift, Lucy quickly grabbed Kiola and ran as fast as she could to avoid the explosion of electricity that followed. "What the hell happened?" Kiola asked in a confused panic. "It seems that the sub-minds still have power. And Cyel was the perfect battery for it."
"What do we do?"
"Names have power. A constant rule in my world was that a Monsters's true names are a source of power. When another invokes it, it weakens them. I just need to wait a bit to figure out a plan." Lucy explained as a draconic roar was heard.
Lucy looked back to see the cocoon hatch as a long, crooked blue claw emerged, ripping its casing to reveal a monstrous form. Cyel's body had grown significantly, with her lower half resembling a blue and pink scaled Chinese dragon. The top half however, was split in two, one half was a human woman with pale white skin and the other half a blue scaly dragon side that's face resembled Kiola.
The sub-mind began to beat like music, displayed directly in her chest, wrapped up in split pink and blue hair that covered her body like clothes. Cyel let out a roar of anguish as she floated around the arena. "Where... Where is Kiola?" She called out in two voices, one sounding like hers and the other just like her favourite blue dragon, spooking the real Kiola as she saw just how much she affected Cyel.
Lucy took a deep breath before yelling out; "I call out thy true name, you are Cyldra!"
Cyel let out a horrid screech, clutching her head as she whipped her tail about, breaking a chunk out of the colosseum. "That's not my name! Cyel, Cyel, Cyel! That's my name, Kiola said so!"
Lucy stared down at Kiola with a sigh. "Yeah... Last time this sub-mind got out, that little spider became an unreasonable monster focused on her sole love."
"And... I'm her sole love, aren't I?"
"Indeed." She said as they both watched Cyel continue to break things in a violent fit of rage. "How potent is your mist against other dragons?" Lucy asked with a sigh, knowing that she can't physically beat Cyel in this state. "Not unless their weak... And she doesn't look very weak." Kiola nervously laughed.
"Maybe I could help." A familiar voice called out from behind. Lucy quickly turned to see Clawhouser's spirit before her. "Thank god for that contract..." She mumbled. "Clawhouser, what is your ego?"
"Huh? Why should I tell you?"
"Because I own your soul."
He didn't really know how to counter that argument, so reluctantly told her. "My Ego, well, your new Ego is called Jade Arsenal. It allows you to summon any hand held item out of jade. Not explosives though. Still mad about that one." He laughed.
"Great, so something that is ultimately useless right now?" She complained with a growl. her left eye beginning to glow green. "I can't catch a break in this world! First my powers. Then my dignity. What's next? Do I just keel over dead?" She yelled before accidentally firing a beam of jade light from her eye, striking Kiola with it.
Kiola began to grow back to original size, now sitting on top of Lucy. "Get off me... You fat fuUUUUUUCK!" Kiola quickly grabbed Lucy by the leg and threw her at Cyel. "You always try and make me feel dumber then you!" Kiola yelled before looking at herself in confusion. "Wait... Why did I do that?"
As Lucy flew through the air, she was swatted to the ground by Cyel. "Oh, the ant wants to play?" The half dragon giant laughed, coiling around Lucy as she slowly got off the floor. "Why did Kiola do that... I miss that kind of strength." She grumbled before accidently firing another beam of jade light towards Cyel, who easily reflected it back at her. "My love protects me... Who loves you, Little demon?" She mocked as Lucy let out a yelp of pain.
"I... Envy you, Cyel."
The dragon looked surprised, quickly leaning in to hear the words better. "You envy WHO?" She smirked as Lucy let out small giggle. "I envy you. I... I finally get it. My strength was never my own." she mumbled, stomping her foot down as the ground split open.
Cyel looked confused, but Lucy continued on. "I always thought the cardinal sin of mine was pride. I was prideful over my city, I was prideful over my strength, I was prideful over my leaders... But in truth... I envied them."
Before she could even properly think, Lucy jumped into the hole. Kiola let out a yelp, quickly sprouting her wings to chase after Lucy. "Don't kill yourself with out me!" But she was swiftly caught by Cyel who cackled with laughter.
"I realised it after I fought Ven. I always thought his sub-mind represented envy... But it was mine. Like a jade... I'M JUST GREEN WITH ENVY." Lucy's voice began wringing out from the hole in the ground before a gigantic hand emerged covered in jade chains and fish like scales.
Cyel felt her new heart skip a beat. "C-Come Kiola, we should leave." She quickly tried to fly out of the colosseum but was pulled back by chains. She looked down to see seven multi coloured glowing eyes inside of the void like darkness of the pit.
"I'M BACK!" A triumphant voice yelled as Lucy pulled herself out from the pit. Her form was almost titanic, like she could sink a ship with a mere touch. Her normally tied up blonde hair had become a sea green mess as it waved like the ocean itself.
Her skin had grown patches of shining fish scales that glistened under the sun as her suit became a tight dress made from seaweed and tentacles. A large shark fin had sprouted on her back as she leaned forward. Looking up, her jaw stretched and split open, resembling a shark's maw.
"I AM LUCIFER VINCULA, THE ENVIOUS LORD WHO WANTED IT ALL! AND I SHALL DROWN YOUR LOVE WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE OCEAN!" She yelled out, summoning a gigantic trident made of jade and chains.
Cyel felt her heart drop as Lucifer slowly stepped out from her pit. Blood red water began to sprout fourth from the hole as the sky began to darken. Kiola couldn't help but laugh as she looked at the scared half dragon holding her. "You're about to be the first dragon to drown in the desert."
"Nope. No, N-Not dying here! I-I still have to get married!" Cyel quickly tried to fly off again, only to be grabbed by thousands of chains that wrapped around her body. Kiola managed to break free of her hold, flying upwards to watch with excitement as Cyel was dragged down below.
"W-Wait!" She screamed before getting struck by lightning, knocking her out of her flight. Cyel fell into the bloody water, struggling to swim around as Lucifer idly watched with a grin. "Struggle all you like... You can't escape the ocean's depths."
Cyel began getting dragged underwater by jade chains, and despite the fact that the water shouldn't be as deep as it was, she felt like she was being dragged down for what felt like forever.
"I bet you're wondering why you're not dead yet?" Lucy said as she looked down into the pool of water. The half dragon tried to scream for Kiola's help, but was only met with air bubbles that seemed to get bigger as they drifted up. That's when it clicked for her.
"HAVE YOU FINALLY REALISED IT? THIS IS YOUR PUNISHMENT FOR TRYING TO CROSS ME. YOU WON'T DIE. YOU WILL NEVER DIE. YOU. ARE. MINE." She cackled before the sky began to clear. "But one day I will let you out... That day won't be soon though."
Once the water began to clear, Kiola landed down to the soaked floor, watching as Lucy began to shrink back down to normal, holding a miniscule clear jade jar with a single drop of blood red water inside.
"What'd you do to her?" Kiola asked with a confused look as she looked over the jar. Lucy let out a sigh, handing it over to her. "Mist infused water. She'll never be able to escape, she'll never be able to starve or drown. A fitting punishment for someone so consumed with lust. To be so close to the one they loved, yet never being able to feel nor feel them."
"Remind me never to piss you off." Kiola said with a laugh before seeing the shrunken Nvr slowly drift by them in a popcorn bag. "Fix." She grumbled, pointing to herself, which Kiola did rather quickly.
Lucy let out a sigh as she summoned Clawhouser's soul. "I would like to thank you for your part in our victory. I could not have succeeded without your ability."
"You made me sign your contract. I would have had to help either way." He laughed. Lucy pulled out the contract he signed before giving a small smile herself. "As thanks. I shall release your soul into the afterlife, though if I ever need you again, I shall call upon it." She said with a casual flick of her wrist, and with a nod of thanks, Clawhouser faded from this world.
"Aww, ain't you sweet?" Kiola laughed.
"I could put you in that jar with Cyel, you know."
"I-I'm kidding. So when will ya let her out?"
"You knew her best, I'll leave it up to you... Just remember she's still in that Dragon state forever, unless of course, you ask Parfait for a hand." She smirked, heading to the gift shop of the colosseum, with Nvr following quickly after.
The dragon let out a sigh of mist as she stared into the jar. "Maybe I shoulda just said no to you from the start..." But her saddened attitude quickly changed when she rushed to catch up with the others. "Wait grab me one of those novelty shirts! I can't be asked to wear a bikini anymore!"
Once everyone had gathered their things together and made their final arrangements, they headed back to the horsemen, who all seemed surprised to see Lucy looking different. "You seem stronger, did you awaken your own Ego?" Lamb asked with a soft smile as they had just finished packing up their wares.
"I suppose I unlocked one Ego. But you are talking to Demon royalty. I'll have myself back to normal in no time." Lucy smirked, showing off her cheeks to show she gained back the slits. Lamb gave a light applause, and soon enough, everyone gathered into the carriage for the next leg of their journey.
To get Kiola's ship back!