Tanya von Degurechaff vs Octavius Valentin, Mary Sue vs Nin Gen.
Notes:
11.3k words... this might be the longest single chapter I've written for any of my fanfics. Though I might have a slightly longer chapter in "Crushing on a Devil".
I have a bunch of deleted scenes and ideas for this section and for a bunch of other chapters (past and future) that I don't know what to do with. I might make a "That Time I Got Isekai'd Deleted Scenes" fic and put it in a series with this one. It'd be a shame to just delete them from my notes, cause it's really interesting to see just how much I've altered things. For example:
Did you know, most of Nin Gen's character (ideals, personality, etc) came from my original idea for Drake. Drake was just going to be another Otherworlder along with the Falmuth people. But then I came up with the idea for Scylla, so I made Drake older and more serious and gave him loftier goals, then shunted his old character with some polish and alteration onto Nin Gen. And actually, Nin Gen's original name was going to be Duke Langes. Because his attacks rely on his hands, and "dukes" is an informal term for the fists. Also, "Langes" is a play on "phalanges". I like puns.
That being said: Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Why must I risk my life?
Why is it I who must do battle?
I thought escaping from Being X would be the end of it. He was the source of so many problems just one life previously. That my woes have continued, even free from his influence…
Is it my fault?
No, I don't think so.
I can say that most of my troubles were the result of Being X. However, I am intelligent enough to recognize my own mistakes as well.
…in hindsight at least.
I could have done things differently, no doubt. But there is equally little doubt in my mind that Being X would have found some way to fuck me over regardless of my decisions.
The point is, I can't exactly pinpoint if I've done anything wrong here.
Are there other steps I could have taken to avoid this?
Certainly. I could have left after recovering Gobgala and driving away Nin the first time. Then, I wouldn't be here, fighting in yet another Victory or Valhalla sham of a showdown.
But then again, perhaps it is a good thing I'm here. If I wasn't, well…
Who knows what would have happened?
Oh, who am I kidding? This fucking sucks.
No matter what might've happened or might still happen, that fact's not going to change.
-=-=-=-
Late Morning
Deep Underground, Strategic Military HQ
Xerxes, Eastern Empire
Tanya bent backwards, her feet leaving the ground as Octavius's fist flew past, just centimeters from her face.
She twisted in midair via flight spell, spinning and rocketing a kick into his jaw. Her body flipped back right, and she pressed forward, just in time for Octavius' hand to lash out, catching her across the shoulder and sending her tumbling across the hall.
Too aggressive.
Tanya bounced once, flipping and landing in a crouch. Her hands slammed into the ground, a tsunami of blue flame washing up between her fingers just in time to vaporize an arrow of blood zipping her way.
"Hm." Octavius wiped his mouth, his split lip healing with a red glow.
Relax. Fight quickly, not hastily. I need to be smart about this.
Tanya frowned.
Just breaking his skin gives a chance for greater retaliation. Cutting or slashing attacks are completely out of the question.
She stood up straight, raising an open palm in his direction. A Magic Bullet, bright blue and crackling appeared just in front of her hand, teal energy outlining her eyes and sparks of magic zipping around her.
Magic and blunt force are my best bet. If I can overwhelm his regeneration or wear out his abilities…
The orb split into three, each blasting off one after the other.
Octavius raised a hand, backhanding the first off to the side. It exploded in the background, outlining his form as he punched directly through the second one, detonating it harmlessly.
The third was on him almost too quickly to react, having followed closer than the second to the first. He stepped back, his outstretched fist rising and slapping it up at the last possible second. It shot upward, smashing through the ceiling and splashing the area with multicolored light.
Octavius gathered his feet back under himself, just in time for Tanya's fist to crash into his abdomen. A shockwave rang out from the impact, and he stepped back again, a slight wince the only indication that it had hurt. Tanya pressed the advantage, crashing a hook into where she assumed his liver was, before launching a magic-sparking haymaker right for his sternum.
His eyes widened, flashing a bright gold with veins of crimson.
Before Tanya could react, far quicker than anything before, Octavius moved, sidestepping her entirely. It was her turn to be surprised, her punch hitting open air and nothing else.
Huh?
His elbow was practically invisible as it shot down, slamming into her with loud crack!
Tanya smacked against the tiles, bouncing back up just for Octavius to smash his knee into her sternum and send her flying.
Barely missing a pillar, she crashed back first into the wall, dust and debris flying everywhere, stone plaster and shattered rock falling to the ground alongside Tanya herself. A massive crater emanated from the point of impact, the cracks and epicenter a brutal backdrop to her collapsed form.
Not that Octavius could see her collapsed form yet, since the entire section he'd brutally kneed her into was now filled with dusty smoke and floating dirt.
Inside the cloud, Tanya held herself up on forearms and knees, her limbs shaking from the effort. She coughed harshly, dust-laden spittle and spots of blood dripping to the uncomfortably warm and sharp cracked tiles underneath her.
For a second, I thought it was my spine making that cracking noise. But no. He's just that fast.
Tanya clenched her fists, dropping her head between her arms to take in harsh breathes without inhaling a metric ton of aerial dirt.
I barely saw him move at all. He's been holding back. If I hadn't reinforced my body so thoroughly with Level Three, I would've taken serious damage.
Her breath hitched, a sharp pain stabbing just under her chest. A faint green glow washed over her, the pain in her abdomen diminishing as something under the surface knitted itself back together.
And even with it, he still cracked at least one of my ribs and gave me a chiropractor session. This is the power of a Demon Lord Seed, huh?
She'd been fighting at the maximum amount allowed by Level Two, jumping up to Level Three whenever necessary. Neither had been going all out from the start it seemed.
Still, something doesn't add up here. Why did he only move that fast then? He could have avoided plenty of hits earlier. The only thing different was my target. I went for the center of his chest. He was fine letting me hit his face, stomach, and arms, but when I went for his sternum… Also, there's something odd about his fighting style. He definitely has the speed, but his attacks are relatively slow.
Tanya slowly got to her feet, the green glow of her healing spell fading away. She pressed her hands against her lower back, pushing and stretching until several satisfying pops and cracks sounded out.
…No, they're not slow, exactly. They're just easy to read, which make them seem slower as a result. What's that about? He's a vampire, right? Lived for millennia, a thousand years plus extra. Shouldn't he be… better? You'd almost think he's-
"You're a shut in. Someone who doesn't leave his home. That's the only reason you'd be so excited to fight me."
Tanya's eyes widened slightly.
I was mostly joking at the time, but- Huh. Okay. Yeah, that would fit, wouldn't it?
"Have you gathered yourself yet?" Octavius' voice rang out. "I know that wasn't enough to put you down."
"You could say that." Tanya called back, shifting slightly so the smoke would still cover her.
"I could."
"You know," From Octavius's point of view, Tanya emerged from the smoke with a casual gait, a half-smirk adorning her face. "I've actually had a bit of a recurring pain around the lower left part of my back, and I think you fixed it. Thanks."
"If that's the case, then I must express my joy. Perhaps now, you will be able to fight on an even higher level than before." Octavius shifted slightly, arm outstretched and palm to the ceiling. "Shall we resume our bout?"
"A higher level? Well, I won't say you're wrong." His gesture was matched. "But our battle has already resumed."
"What?"
"Tanya" – or in other words, the illusion of herself that the real Tanya had created and sent out to meet Octavius – exploded into a blinding burst of light.
"Gah!" Octavius stumbled back, clutching at his eyes.
Behind the cloud Tanya crouched low.
I've got a decent read on his power, but that flash of speed worries me. I'd need Level Four to compete in a straight up, all-out battle. That's obvious now.
The dust and debris, held in the air longer than naturally possible by a slight application of wind magic on Tanya's end, blasted away.
But if I jump straight into it, I might run my TLE reserves dry before the fight is over. So, instead let's stack the odds a bit, shall we?
Tanya glanced at the intermittent flashes of blue flame that dotted the room from her earlier attacks.
It was getting a little hot in here, anyway.
FWOOOOOSH!
A tsunami poured from her hands yet again. This time, however, the term was much more literal. Waves of water crashed through the pillars on either side, flooding the hall in the blink of an eye.
Octavius stumbled back a step, bending his knees slightly and bracing himself as his eyes finished healing. His hand dropped from his face, his gaze shooting down to his soaked shoes before turning to rove across the now thoroughly drenched hall.
"Is your plan to make me fight in wet socks?" He called, searching for a sign of his foe to no avail. "I'll admit, it's rather annoying. But don't expect this to be enough to keep me from-"
Octavius paused.
He exhaled slowly, mist forming from his breath. Realization dawned on his face, at the exact same moment the water soaking the floor flash froze into a thick sheet of ice.
Level Four.
Tanya fizzled into view, her illusionary camouflage fading as she blasted forward.
Octavius turned, the ice cracking as he yanked his feet out. His arm lashed out awkwardly, his torso twisting painfully as he tried to stop her.
Tanya yanked herself above the blow, boosting over his head and behind him. She spun into an roundhouse kick, her boot's magisteel toe smashing into the back of his neck.
The ice shattered, his shoes ripping free from the icy prison as Octavius was knocked away. He grit his teeth, ignoring the burning across his neck as he spun around, swiping with a backhand.
Tanya dropped, reaching out with a one hand bracing the other.
Octavius turned to strike again, only to slip on the icy, uneven ground. He attempted to regain himself, crossing his arms over his chest in a guard as he slid and stumbled on the ice-covered tile.
Tanya pressed him, eyes glowing and palms sparking, a blue magic circle spinning just past her palm.
FWOOOOSH!
Another wash of super-chilled water poured from her hands, engulfing Octavius and carrying him bodily across the hall. He tumbled ungracefully, flipping end over end until the wave ended, his back crashing against a pillar with a wet smack.
Violent shivers racked his form, freezing water dripping from soaked clothes and hair. He looked up, just in time for a ragged chunk of ice to shatter across his face. Icy shards dug into his eyes and cheeks, the skin scraping red and raw. A second chunk smashed into his stomach, a third crashing into his shoulder so hard it blasted itself into mist.
His hand shot to his face, the other holding the opposite shoulder. A grimace split his face, blood and icy water trickling sluggishly along his cheeks and jaw.
Then, Tanya was on him, razor sharp magic sizzling along her forearm and hand. She thrust her arm forward, aiming for his sternum.
Octavius snarled, his eyes flashing gold and red yet again. He blurred, practically disappearing from her sight.
Just like before.
Almost like before.
Right… now! Tanya spun, lashing out with a kick, sparks of magic and an undercurrent of teal energy lined her form.
Octavius appeared to her left, just in time to catch the blow on his forearm. Clear shock bled through his pained, bloody expression, only increasing as Tanya spun back in the opposite direction, her other foot smashing through his guard and sending him flying back toward the middle of the hall.
He skid backwards across the ice, flipping once then digging his heels in, kicking up a spray of frozen mist in his wake. With a snarl, he stomped down, craters forming under him as he jerked to a stop.
Immediately, Octavius launched his knee upwards, catching Tanya in the chest right as she appeared in front of him.
She blasted into the ceiling, crashing through the hole that had formed from one of her Magic Bullet attacks.
Octavius lowered his leg, slipping slightly on the wet, ice-laden tile.
He stared at the opening, his labored breathing tugging harshly at the dryness in his throat. His chest shook, shivers and sharp, icy pain lancing across his shoulders and abdomen. His flexed his hands, clenching and unclenching numb fingers and knuckles to force the blood to flow naturally.
"My senses are dulled…" Octavius murmured, brushing his drenched bangs back with a hand. "This wet cold is oppressive; without conscious control, my blood flow is… undesirable. And the pain from her attacks is increased as well. Very clever. Still, it's not-"
A waterfall of freezing water crashed down on his head, flattening his hair again and draining even the idea of warmth from his mind.
"GRAAH!" His magic spiked. The ground cratered, the water and ice several meters around him vaporizing in an instant. A cloud of vapor engulfed Octavius, curling around his position.
Tanya dropped down, floating several meters behind. She kept a hand trained on his position, a Magic Bullet crackling along her palm.
Swirling steam and swathes of mist ebbed and flowed along the waves of his magical aura, the shadow of his outline barely visible.
Tanya let the ball of magic fly, her expression shifting to slight surprise as it shattered into sparks against his back.
However, the burst of energy did manage one thing, that being the dissipation of the fog, and the revealing of Octavius in all his shirtless glory.
Tanya's eyebrow rose. His skin was tinted red, the largest veins along his arms and neck a bright crimson. Blood stained his pecs and abs, red outlining various muscles.
"I'm upset with you."
He turned, sending her a sharp glare. Crimson tracks zigzagged along the upper half of his face, contrasting the golden irises and whites of his eyes.
"You've forced me to use this earlier than I would have liked."
"Hm. Careful Octavius." Tanya said back. "Your words don't match your face. You're grinning."
"I am…?" Octavius reached up with a hand, his fingers brushing against the corner of his mouth. A deep laugh burst from his chest. "You're right, I am! Is this what I've been missing this whole time?"
Oh, fuck off.
Magic sparked like electricity around her, parts of her hair and skin glowing that same blue-green teal as her eyes.
Don't start monologuing again. I really don't have the time
Tanya cupped her other hand at her side, a ball of water forming just over her palm. Over her fingertips, a magic circle spun into existence just past her fingertips, the formulae inside it an icy white and sky blue.
"I can almost feel it! My heart is pounding, my blood is flowing-"
A Magic Bullet knocked his head to the side, smashing into shards of cobalt debris.
"Why does everyone want to fucking monologue in this world? At least Mary Sue always threw hands on sight." Another orb sparked into existence in front of Tanya's outstretched hand. "You're the one who wants this dance so much. So shut up and fucking dance already."
"Haha! This pride of mine…" Octavius slowly tilted his head back. His grin didn't fade in the slightest. "Is one I've not felt in hundreds- no, thousands of years. Forgive me for delaying our dance further. You're right. But first, please. Tell me your real name, so I may know the one who has gotten my blood roaring for the first time in millennia."
Level Four.
Her magic brightened, her outline growing more tangible than before.
"Tanya."
"Tanya… yes, I will remember you. Tanya." Octavius said, almost reverently. "And I… I am Octavius, a Demon Lord Seed. I am Octavius Valentin, formerly of the Demon Lord Council!"
Goddammit.
-=-=-=-
Around the Same Time
Base Level, Strategic Military HQ
Xerxes, Eastern Empire
Mary slid back, ducking under a horizontal slash.
"I have to say, you're not as entertaining as I was expecting." Nin swiped at her, sparks flying as his transfigured arm clashing against her blade.
"And you're even more annoying," Mary slashed down, fire licking the length of her blade. "Then I could have imagined!"
Nin jumped back, a burn along the tip of his nose healing immediately, before darting back in and stabbing forward.
Mary sidestepped, slashing diagonally up with both hands. Nin forced his blade-turned arm back up, deflecting it.
Clang!
Each was forced back a step, sparks falling in the space between them almost in slow motion. They pressed forward, meeting head on again.
A flurry of blows rang out across the open foyer, green magisteel against steel-transfigured blade clashing in a furious, high-speed display.
Slash. Dodge, swipe. Duck, punch, deflect, shink clang CRASH!!!
Nin pulled back slightly, his right shoulder tensing.
Mary narrowed her eyes.
Modified Style…
He stabbed forward. Mary stepped just past it, switching her katana to one hand. She slapped her free hand down, clamping down just past his blade-turned forearm with a vice grip. His other hand hurtled upwards, open palm flexing in anticipation.
…Piercing Bolt!
Mary stabbed out with her katana, the bright green blade piercing the wrist of Nin's unchanged hand. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably, electricity wracking his form.
She wrinkled her nose, the smell of burnt skin drifting her way.
"You transform things with your hands, right?"
Mary's eyes flashed as she ripped her arm to the side, carving a path out through Nin's palm and fingers and slicing his hand vertically in half. Then, she yanked him forward with her other arm, her blade flashing as Nin's right arm was separated at the shoulder.
She expected him to at least flinch. That, in cutting through his hand and cutting off one of his arms, he'd at least hesitate, even for just half a second. That was all she needed, after all.
He did none of this.
Nin moved far faster than before, his split palm crashed against her stomach and sending her flying backwards.
Mary tumbled across the ground uncontrollably, tumbling end of over end and barely managing not to stab herself all the while. After several heart stopping seconds, she regained control of herself, turning her tumble into a roll and popping back up to her feet, katana held out to the side.
"Well," Nin straightened up, "Perhaps you're a bit more entertaining than I'd thought."
His right arm regenerated straight from the stump in a shower of gore and shadowy mist. The two halves of his left hand slapped into one another, strands of blood and energy of the same color knitting them back into one whole.
Dammit. Looks like having a visual alone isn't gonna cut it.
Mary pushed herself to her feet, wincing and reaching up to touch her cheek. Just under her eye, a flake of skin peeled off, a drop of blood staining her fingertip.
It barely lasted a second. Just enough to make his abilities hesitate. That regeneration, his shapeshifting… they're so ingrained within him. It's like they aren't Skills or magic at all. They're just a part of his being. That's annoying.
She touched her side, where Nin's palm had made contact. Her shirt was still fully intact, and there was no pain other than the slight twinge from a palm strike that had been strong enough to launch her several meters.
But not impossible to handle. It's hard to judge which ability he's using at a time, but that's only really an issue when I use my Skill from a distance. If I land a good enough blow…
Mary held her katana parallel to the ground, running her left hand along the blunt side of the blade. A field of neon green energy followed her palm, covering her blade and making it glow.
…It won't matter what he's using, or what he does.
"Oh, that's a nice effect. Are we going to fight for real now?" Nin stretched, reaching an arm up and tilting to the side for several seconds, before repeating the motion on the opposite side. "Good, that's good. I was getting a little bored, but you seem to have just enough power to amuse me. I'm not sure exactly what Skills you've got hidden, but your powerful magic will be a nice appetizer before the main course."
"My magic…?" She narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean by that?"
"Hah? Where do you get off, thinking you can ask such impertinent questions." Nin scoffed, "Don't go thinking you can speak to your future God so casually. I'm the one who makes demands; not some worthless human like yourself."
Future God? Worthless human? Mary's eye twitched.
"It is odd, I must admit. I've fought two interesting humans over the past week, and both of them have been able to shield themselves from my power." He pointed at her. "Your friend, Tasha. And you. I have to wonder what my luck is, in truth. The only marginally interesting humans I've met, and both with internal magicule pools. How interesting."
He thinks I stopped it with my magic? I guess I could've done that…
"But don't get me wrong. Just because you're a little more interesting than the usual trash doesn't entitle you to my life story, nor my abilities. And it won't matter if you managed it once. Just another good tap and you're out."
"You sound happy to throw insults. Calling humans trash, praising yourself as a God." Mary took a breath, trying to reign in her temper, "But you don't look any different from the humans I've seen. Have you looked in a mirror lately?"
She tilted her head.
"Well, I guess you haven't. You'd break it if you did, huh?"
"Hah?!" Nin stared at her in disbelief. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me, du jævla faen."
"I- what? What did you just say to me?" Nin shook his head, his expression twisting, "You- you fucking- Gah! This! This right here, this is why I hate you humans! You stupid fucking mud creatures always get ahead of yourselves. You always need to have the last laugh, even if it kills you. You always act above your station, never showing the proper respect to superior life forms. It's disgusting!"
"The disgust is mutual." Mary glared at him coolly, "I may not look at it, but I'm actually burning with rage right now. It's taking every ounce of discipline I've learned to keep from giving in."
"And that's another thing! Why?! What the hell did I do to you?!" He pressed his hands against his chest, "Hell, what did I do to your friend too, while we're at it. So, I kidnapped a Goblina or three. Who gives a shit! Why do either of you even care? At the very least, you two should understand where I'm coming from. You're some of the good ones! You're powerful! Those Goblinas, the other monsters I've taken, and especially the rest of the human trash that lives here… they're all worth nothing by themselves!"
"They were people." Mary snapped, the leather of her katana's handle creaking under her grip. "They are people. Does someone's life really mean so little to you?"
"Most people are weak! Their lives? What could they possibly mean when their impact is so negligible? Surely, you're aware of that!" He said incredulously, "Those Goblinas, they were the same as the masses. Just weak trash, not amounting to anything outside their own little lives. Their existence is inconsequential compared to the likes of me, of you, even of that bitch, Tasha! They should be ecstatic that their boring, uneventful lives were able to contribute to my perfection!
Nin heaved, his face inflamed from passion.
Sunlight poured through one of the many holes in the ceiling, illuminating the two of them. One beam in particular fell across the blade of Mary's katana, light filling the symbols inscribed just above the hilt.
守る.
Mamoru. Protect.
"…I'm going to kill you." Her voice came out in a furious whisper, "They deserve that much. I'll pay you back 100- no, 1000-fold for what you did to them. Not just Gobhua and Gobara, but everyone."
Nin sighed.
"Tch. No one ever listens to me, do they?" He crouched down, pressing his palms flat against the ground. "Fine then. You're welcome to try. Just try to remember the name Nin Gen when you reach the afterlife. That's the name of the God you should repent to."
-=-=-=-
Around the Same Time
Deep Underground, Strategic Military HQ
Xerxes, Eastern Empire
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Tanya and Octavius traded blows faster than the average eye could see, shockwaves and burst of magical energy shattering the space around them. Most of the ice and water around them had been blown away, icy remnants hanging in the air and misting their heated breath.
Tanya darted back, her barrier sparking up just as Octavius' fist dug into it, cracks stretching across the teal-blue surface. She let it fade, ducking a follow up swing and moving past, her elbow flashing out and crashing right above his hipbone.
A pain growl slipped from his lips, his elbow shooting back and down. Tanya jerked back, Octavius' elbow ruffling her bangs as it went past.
She dropped lower in the air, bringing both hands back over her shoulders and pressing them flat against the ground. Using the tile as leverage, she kicked up with both feet, slamming them into Octavius' abs. He crumbled inward, unable to react as she spun on her hands, hooking his ankle with her heel to throw him off balance.
Then, she spun again, pushing off the ground and smashing a kick into his gut.
BAM!
Octavius soared across the hall, crashing against the ground once before righting himself. He dug in his heels, broken tile and trails of frozen water spreading out beneath him as he ground to a halt.
His arms went up just in time, a spinning Magic Bullet smashing into his guard and digging in. He grit his teeth, ripping his arms to each side and shattering it into cobalt sparks. Two more followed, and he backhanded them in turn.
"Not this time!" Without pause, he leapt forward, meeting Tanya's follow up halfway.
CRASH!
His knee shot up, crashing into Tanya's two-handed block. She winced, jerking back to avoid a punch.
He's much faster now. Almost too fast to keep up with, normally.
Tanya tilted in the air, another punch ruffling her side bangs as it roared by her head. Another punch was rocketing in an instant. She raised her knee to her chest, his fist crashing against it and forcing her back, a shockwave cracking the icy floor.
And much stronger than before. I have to push my reinforcement formulae to the max with Level Four, just to keep my body intact.
She extended her arm and aimed low, water gushed from her hand and passing through an icy blue magic circle. Octavius powered through the torrent, bursting forward with another rapid serious of punches.
Not to mention, he's practically blazing to the touch. Any ice or water he gets stuck with evaporates almost immediately.
Tanya floated through the flurry, dodging, deflecting, and blocking as the situation called. Each missed blow sent the freezing air of the hall flurrying about; each deflected and connected blow creating shockwaves and audible booms.
But that's fine.
Octavius slammed his fist forward. Tanya shot up, pushing off his extended arm with her own. She gripped his forearm, twisting like a break-dancer and slamming her boots into his face.
He reeled back and Tanya let go, dropping down into a crouch. She burst up, feinting a strike at his chest. Octavius guarded high, and Tanya took advantage, driving her fist into his gut and sending him stumbling back, spit trickling from his mouth.
You're pretty predictable, I've realized. Similar attacks, telegraphed moves. That's why your moves were so easy to see earlier. Your fighting style is garbage, and even if it wasn't, you're old and rusty. I don't exactly blame you. With your power, you don't really have to worry about those things as much.
An overcharged optical spell followed her punch, digging into Octavius's abdomen and slamming him into a pillar on the other side of the hall. It crumbled around him, collapsing and burying him underneath.
No, I can blame you, actually. You've let yourself stagnate. And against a smart opponent who has just enough magic to match you, that's tantamount to suicide.
The spell exploded, a cloud of dust and mist kicking up in the aftermath.
That being said, even at Level Four my physical strength is being outmatched. I could push my enhancement further, maybe, but the magical drain isn't cost effective at that point. Not to mention, I'm not exactly running with an infinite source here. TLE is already down to near half capacity. I'm going to run out soon, and at that point it won't matter how unrefined your fighting style is. I'll just be outmatched.
Tanya lowered herself in the air, icy water gushing from one hand to refreeze the floor. Her other hand touched lightly against the water's surface, a bright blue magic circle leaving her palm and settling underneath the rapidly forming ice.
The water and ice are meant to worsen your footing and make fighting more painful for you. But, with that blood boost thing you've got going on, the latter is mostly worthless. And the former is far less useful when each strike is strong enough to blow it all away from shockwaves alone. So, I'm forced to come up with a different use for it.
Her palm glowed again, red this time. It settled under the ice as well, sinking and fading from view.
SMASH!
The pile of pillar rubble exploded.
Here we go again.
Octavius rocketed toward her, arm pulled back for an obvious right hook.
Tanya let him come, jumping back to avoid it and throwing her hand out, fingers splayed. Bright gold burned across her hand, a flare of light bursting from her palm and filling the space between.
"Damn!"
Octavius didn't cover his eyes in time, stopping completely in place as spots filled his vision and his eyes experienced the visual component to an impromptu magical flashbang for the second time that day.
"Again?" He called, rubbing his eyes. His other arm instinctively covered his chest, making sure to protect his heart if nothing else.
"Don't worry, this one is new."
Tanya's voice came from behind. His hand dropped from his face, swiping backwards and hitting open air. Then, he froze.
It was cold. As in, much, much colder than before.
Octavius opened his eyes, the spots disappearing from his vision just in time for ice to encase his body up to the shoulders. Despite his extreme body temperature, he couldn't help but shiver.
"You haven't given up on the ice yet?" Steam drifted up from his hair and face. "This ice has no effect on me. Not in this state. Just my body temperature alone should- huh?"
Octavius twisted, the ice cracking slightly but not breaking like it should have. His eyes widened.
"This is-"
Unlike the freezing water and sheets of ice earlier, this ice was a deep, dark blue. He could almost taste the magicules inside of it. And now that he was looking, there was a blue magic circle under his icy imprisonment, spinning lazily and glowing with obvious power.
"It's magically reinforced. My body heat won't be enough." He said to himself, flexing and shifting in an effort to crack the ice. "I need to move more."
He paused, as a red magic circle spun into being just under the blue one.
"A flare circle too-?"
He was cut off, a massive, white hot column of flame engulfing him.
Now, it should be stated for the record that the hall had dropped several degrees since the fight's beginning. Massive waves of nearly frozen water had filled the room at large, sucking any semblance of heat from the air. Tanya's continued chilling of the hall by way of repeated uses of a water magic and freezing formula combo had dropped the temperature to near freezing in mere minutes.
On top of this, Tanya had just refrozen a large section of tiled floor. Then, she'd created a large structure of ice, artificially frozen far colder than normal through extensive use of an overpowered magic circle, set as a trap for Octavius to walk into. The flare circle placed immediately after was yet another trap, set to activate as soon as Tanya willed it too.
To anyone with a basic knowledge of physics, what happened next should not be surprising in the slightest.
BWOOOOOM!!!
The incredible heat sublimated the ice and evaporated any water nearby. Superheated steam shot up and out, the spot where Octavius stood exploding in less than an instant.
Shards of ice shot across the hall like grapeshot, a massive cloud of steam enveloping the area. The entire hall shook, dust and pieces of wall and ceiling crashing to the floor.
Tanya stood behind a pillar, letting her barrier drop as the worst of it all settled. She stepped out after a moment, carefully making her way toward ground zero. Her steps hesitated, as the steam continued to obscure her vision.
Where are you, Octavius?
Tanya activated Magic Sense, letting it sweep over the area.
I don't think that was enough-
Every sense in her body screamed at her: Move!
Her eyes widened, and she jerked to the side on complete reflex. Her barrier went up in an instant, the magic flashing into being just to shatter immediately.
SCRRSH!
Blood splattered against the tile, crimson pooling at her feet.
"Hm." A shadow was visible in the steam, his form clearing as the superheated vapor cooled and dissipated. "I was aiming for your heart and head. Your reflexes are incredible, I must commend you."
Octavius stepped forward. Bits and pieces of his body were missing. Some flesh, part of his left shoulder, a chunk of his thigh, one of his ears…
All of which were healing, the telltale red glow of his regeneration knitting his body back together, though noticeably slower than before. But none of that was most important here.
What mattered was his right arm. It was gone, blown off entirely. Replacing it was a massive gout of semi-solid blood, stretching and curling around him like a series of sentient whips.
Four of those whip-like extensions tore past her, one impaling her through her right shoulder and the others cutting past the inside of her forearm, the outside of her bicep, and the right side of her forehead.
Tanya tried to glare at him, her head and body tilted awkwardly. Any slight movement sent fiery jolts running down her arm, the buzzing burn along the side of her head so painful it was nearly impossible to get her thoughts straight.
"Forgive me for abusing this, but the Scylla's ascension draws near. I wish to end this battle as we are now, at our current levels. As soon as the ritual is complete, we will no longer be able to fight on equal footing as we have been. I can only-"
Octavius rambled on, expressing an odd combination of pride, joy, and sorrow over their bout.
Tanya couldn't bring herself to listen or care. If he wanted to waste time rambling again, then that was his prerogative.
Level… Four…
Her barrier snapped into place, cutting through the tendrils of blood stabbing through and past her. The blood nearest her liquified and dissipated, no longer connected to the main body.
"Shut up already."
Tanya slashed her good arm forward, a massive wave of blue flame engulfing the entire space in front of her.
Octavius raised his right shoulder, his own blood surrounding him in a cocoon of maroon. The flame continued to swirl around him, the cyclone of fire reaching to the ceiling and the air rapidly warming up to an uncomfortable level.
Tanya let her direct control of the cyclone fade, quickly turning her attention to herself.
It wasn't looking good. She attempted to wiggle the fingers on her right hand, hissing in a mix of irritation and pain as the motion tugged at the damaged flesh.
One of the leather straps to her bracer had been sliced, its clean-cut ends dangling and the bracer itself loose on her arm. Beneath that, a deep laceration slashed across the inside of her forearm.
She attempted to close her hand, to little avail. Her fingers could barely form a fist, and her thumb wouldn't move at all.
The tendon's cut.
Depsite a flash of desperation, Tanya resisted the urge to activate a pain-relieving formula. She couldn't tell the full extent of the damage if she did that, so it would have to wait for a moment.
Hurry, hurry.
Her gaze moved higher up.
The outer edge of her bicep had been grazed. It wasn't too deep, but it was still bleeding angrily, the torn pieces of her green sleeve sticking to it and stained nearly black. The least important of her wounds, she concluded.
Tanya moved on. Her shoulder, as far as she could tell, had been stabbed clean through, just above the armpit and just under her shoulder socket. This was probably – no, definitely – the worst of the bunch.
Missed the bone. If it's just the flesh, then-
Tanya winced, shutting her right eye tight as blood dripped into it. Just that motion was enough to tug at the gash on her head, a fresh stab of pain scraping her nerves.
Right, the head wound. Not very deep either, but painful and bloody enough to be an extreme nuisance. It felt like half her face and part of her neck had a sticky, metallic-smelling paint smeared across it. Really, her entire right side felt like that.
She imagined this is what it felt to be the side character in a horror show, a victim of Jason Voorhees and all that implied.
In truth, it was only her years of experience dealing with injury and pain that allowed her to keep her composure. Even with that, the thought of moving was the farthest thing from appealing right now.
Her left hand reached for her belt, before freezing.
You left the flask back at the inn, remember? Dammit.
She reached across her body instead, her mouth a thin line as she waged internal war against the pain washing over her.
There's no way I'd risk a full potion falling into their hands, but I almost wish I'd taken the chance. Ugh.
She ran her left hand along her arm, the soft green glow of her healing spell illuminating the bloody mess of muscle and tissue.
I know the extent of the damage, so this should work for now.
It was important to note that the one healing spell she knew was only useful for more minor injuries.
For example, if Octavius had broken her rib earlier rather than merely cracked it, the spell would have barely helped, unless the broken ends were still connected. And even then, she still had to worry about possible bone shards.
That being said, flesh wounds like these, as bloody as they were, could certainly be healed. To an extent.
Self-healing was notably difficult, especially when one considers that such magic requires powerful focus and a high number of magicules. Both of which were more difficult to come by when severely injured. It's also worth noting that this is not the same as regeneration. Regeneration is an internal ability; healing magic generally worked from an external source, though exceptions did exist.
The spell in question was also annoyingly draining, taking far more magicules than was feasible for a normal mage. Luckily, Tanya was far from an ordinary mage, but the point stood. Not cost effective and relatively weak to boot. An incredibly inefficient spell all around; she'd have to surmise a better alternative using formulae sometime in the near future.
At the very least, right now stopping the bleeding should be possible-
"Grck!" She collapsed to her knees, bile scratching the back of her throat.
What-?
Fiery pain lanced through her wounds anew, each hole and gash feeling like they'd just had razors drawn across them. The laceration across the side of her forehead flared worst of all, her vision blurring and her thoughts scattering to the wind. The spell faded from her hand as she narrowly caught herself, blood draining at an even faster rate than before.
Tanya closed her right eye tighter, dark crimson painting the inside of her eyelid and across her cheekbone. Her sleeve was more red than green by this point, the fabric soaked and the remaining leather strap of her forearm bracer slick and slimy with blood.
Which... formula…?
Two magic circles spun into being, one around her right shoulder and the other around her right wrist.
Tanya sighed, the fog over her thoughts fading.
Pain-relieving formula. Ironic that the pain was so great I could barely even activate it. And even with that formula targeted over my entire arm twice over, it still hurts.
She pushed off the ground with her good arm, painstakingly making her way to her feet. A deep grimace adorned her face all the while, dry mouth, stabbing headache, and the taste of blood bothering her in equal measures.
Not nearly as much, but enough to be annoying. That shouldn't happen. My magic flow is too streamlined for my formula to not take full effect. Is it his blood?
Far in front of her, the flames finally dissipated. Octavius stepped from the former inferno, his blood unraveling from its cocoon. Spots of soot dotted the red surface, waves of heat dancing in the space between them.
"Confused?" Octavius rolled his shoulder, the gout of semi-solid blood reeling back in and forming the shape of a regular arm. "I don't have a Unique Skill, but I'd argue my blood is unique in its own right. I cannot convert it to rays of energy like my cousin, but that is no real loss."
I was right. Fantastic.
The arm of blood tightened and coalesced, the red glow of regeneration overtaking the false limb and slowly regrowing it into a real one.
"My blood is mine alone. It doesn't play well with others, as your attempt at healing no doubt showed you."
Yeah, no shit.
Tanya blinked.
The back of her neck tingled, a buzzing trickling across the back of her skull. A wave of something – some energy that raced along her spine and lit up along the faint edge of her senses – rushed past, invisible yet nearly tangible.
Octavius noticed it as well.
"As I'd said." He sighed. "The time of Scylla's ascension draws near. Concede, Tanya. Give up, and I will spare your life. I'll even grant you a share of our collected energy, and we can fight again on a far greater level."
"You," Tanya reached up with her good arm, wiping away just enough blood so she could open her right eye again. "Don't get me at all, do you?"
He sighed again, apparently deeply distraught by her response.
"I wish you wouldn't be stubborn. Right now, my blood is keeping your wounds open. Any attempt to heal it or wash it away would be futile. Unless you cooperate with me, you will die from blood loss. Is that what you want?"
"Of course not." Tanya coughed, wincing, "But what would you know about dying?"
Give up? You don't really get humans, do you? You've lived such a long life, experienced so many things. There's an immeasurable disconnect between you and a mortal reality.
Tanya held her good hand just over her injured shoulder.
I'm grateful for that, truly.
"That energy was our ritual going into effect. Scylla's plans are coming to fruition; the souls are being collected as I speak. I admit to being a little disappointed. But I imagine I will get over it, eventually."
Keep talking. Even if I'm too late, I'm still going to take you down. Then, I'll bring down this entire fucking building on top of Drake's head. And I'll bribe Milim into coming over, politics be damned, and have her salt the ashes. Just for good measure.
Octavius paused.
Tanya barely breathed, waiting for… what, exactly, she didn't quite know.
They were both waiting.
But…
Nothing happened.
"…That's odd." His brow furrowed. "The process is nearly immediate. The circle should have gone into full effect by now."
Something went wrong.
The thought was still occurring as Tanya acted. Blue flames burst into being, flaring out from each of the wounds Octavius' blood had taken hostage.
If I can't heal it with a spell or wash the blood out, then I'll just burn it into nonexistence.
Octavius turned his attention back to her.
"What are you doing?" His voice was confused. And inflected with something she couldn't be bothered to identify.
Tanya shot him a pained half smirk, bits and pieces of her self-inflicted magical cauterization eking past her pain-relieving formulae.
"You would have been better off keeping the giant blood arm… whip thing." The flames faded, and a green glow took their place. "Whatever, that's your prerogative."
"That's likely true." Octavius watched her wounds heal with an odd look in his eyes. "But this was an honorable one-on-one bout established by blood. Ruining it is far beyond my 'prerogative', as you say."
"Honor?" Tanya rolled her eyes, the glow fading. "This is a fight to the death. There's no honor here. I can't argue with getting your money's worth, but if you treat this as anything more or less than a life-or-death battle, that's just suicide."
"You disagree." Octavius said simply. "This is so much more than that. Can you not see it? Is this not fun to you? Is your heart not racing in your chest as mine is in mine?"
He sounded entirely genuine, which just annoyed her even more.
You haven't experienced death, have you? What about the fear of it? That dark dread that creeps up in your throat, that wakes you up at night and gives you bags under your eyes. You could never understand.
"The only reason my heart would be racing right now is adrenaline." Tanya narrowed her eyes. "I told you twice already. You and I have fundamentally different ideals. You may have allowed your desires to overwhelm your common sense, but I don't suffer from that affliction. I know exactly what this is."
And because I know that I can treat this calmly and rationally, with the attention it deserves.
"Is that so? I'm not so sure." Octavius held out his hands. "But enough. The ritual has been delayed, or perhaps it has failed. It matters little to me now; in fact, I find myself oddly grateful. Shall we dance once more, Tanya?"
I know death better than most. I've experienced it twice, after all. But you… you couldn't understand. Not like me. I understand that dread, that fear, that feeling.
"I thought you'd never ask." Tanya slipped the bracer past her right hand and held it in her left, the darkened magisteel glowing with lines of bright teal as it slid under her fingers.
Because I have to deal with it every single day. That sort of aftermath might never... well, I'm human after all. I want to survive, more than anything else. And that's why, in this world, in any world or in any circumstance…
She reeled back, whipping her arm forward and throwing the bracer as hard as she could.
I'd never lose to you.
-=-=-=-
A Bit Earlier
Base Level, Strategic Military HQ
Xerxes, Eastern Empire
Well, this was just going swell.
A wave of earth swept past her. Mary jumped to the side, landing and stabbing the tip of her katana into the ground. Orange magical energy swept down her blade, a block of stone just above her height rising up and blocking a follow up wave.
She kicked forward, orange swirling around her boot as it impacted the block, sending it flying.
CRASH!
The block split apart at the seams, exploding in a shower of dirt and debris with red electricity sparking in the gaps. Nin could be seen through the dust cloud, reaching for the ground again.
Mary held up a hand, lightning sparking between her fingers. Her aura flared, massive bolts ripping forward, tearing trenches in the earth and electrifying the air.
Red sparked again, a dome of earth covering Nin's position. The bolts tore over the spot, carving swathes all around it. Mary let the magic fade, bursting forward.
Just then, the remnants of the dome burst outward, red sparks dancing between sharpened spikes of earth. She kept moving as they tore towards her, not hesitating in the slightest.
Mary breathed. Water enveloped her blade, pushing it forward and boosting the weight of her strikes.
Roaring Rapids!
She danced between the unrelenting attack, stepping forward, under, between, around every spike that came her way and slashing diagonally whenever they got too close. A typhoon whirled around her as she leapt, a spout of water boosting her forward and up as she pulled her blade back high.
SMASH!
A waterfall smashed into the earth, cratering it and sending waves of liquid spewing in all directions. The dome was disintegrated into mud, a puddle overtaking her boots as she landed.
But Nin wasn't there anymore. Mary looked around, shuffling to avoid slipping in the mud. She slipped anyway, the footing under her right boot disappearing.
Mary glanced down.
A hole?
She activated Magic Sense, jumping away as ground began to crumble. Her eyes widened.
Mary spun, her blade flashing horizontally. Nin, his hand nearly touching her shoulder, ducked and backed away. She slashed at him again, and again, water replaced with neon green.
Nin contorted unnaturally, his torso twisting and his hips shifting in order to avoid her strikes. After another swing, the tip of her blade missing his nose by mere centimeters as he bent backwards like a limbo champion, he swiped up with his hand, open palm reaching for her abdomen.
Her knee shot up instinctively, crunching violently against his ribs, and Nin went flying.
Mary didn't follow, using the brief separation to breathe.
That flexibility and speed can't be natural. Did he shapeshift his body to be like that?
She huffed, ragged breathing slowly evening out.
I only need one solid slash for this fight to be over. But the same is true for him. If he happens to touch me before I can sever his transfiguring ability, then it's over for me. Also, I can't help but feel he's stronger than Tanya said he was. Cause, what the hell?! He keeps blocking all my magic attacks with that runic tattoo and red thunder thing he's got going on. Did he learn that much just from fighting her?
A flurry of movement drew her eye. Nin rose up from the ground, a rectangular pillar of stone carrying him high into the air.
"Let's try this one!"
He stretched out his arm, pointing at her as he slapped his elbow with his other hand. His outstretched hand and forearm morphed and twisted, sharpening and swirling into a drill-like shape. With a sharp grin adorning his face, the drill began to spin, shooting off with a spurt of blood and black mist and rocketing toward her. His arm lengthened and became like rope, trailing after the drill and keeping it connected to the main body.
Mary sidestepped, letting the drill dig into the ground next to her.
"Well, if you insist!" She called back, reaching over with her left hand to grab at his arm. Her hand clamed down in a vice grip, her other raising her katana high.
SCRRSH!
Thin spikes shot from his lengthened arm, stabbing through her hand and wrist.
"Fuck-!" She flinched back, dragging the arm with her.
"AHAHA!" Nin pointed at her with his other hand, laughing uproariously, "You fell for it!"
Fucking asshole!
Mary tightened her jaw, closing her hand around his arm yet again even as spurts of blood trickled from her hand. She twisted, heaving and literally yanking Nin off his self-formed pedestal.
He flew towards her, slamming into the ground a few meters away. Mary yanked her arm up, her hand coming free from the spikes with a gush of crimson, and bolted for his downed form.
Nin pushed himself up on his normal arm. Mary sped up at this, her bloody left hand hanging at her side and her right hand tightening its grip on her katana.
Modified Style…
"Right," Nin's tattoos shone, crimson and shadow swirling around him. "I'm fucking done with this."
Neon Sever-
Right as Mary slashed down at him, the ground exploded.
-=-
That was about a minute ago. If you can believe it, the situation had only gotten worse.
Mary was launched back, barely recovering to her feet in time to dodge a wave of earthen attacks. From there, it was a game of cat and mouse.
She, unfortunately, was the mouse.
But of course, the mouse wasn't always helpless, was it? Things tended to work out in situations like these. Even if it didn't feel that way just yet.
The attacks kept coming, picking up in speed every second.
A column of stone of the right. A wall of dirt from in front. Metal poles snaking along the ground on her left. Then, stone from the left again. Dirt. Metal. A shot of magical energy. Metal again. On and on it went, Mary ducking, rolling, jumping, and diving, avoiding each attack by only the smallest of margins.
Too fast! A spear of metallic scrap was deflected, a piece of it chipping off a cutting her across the cheek. I'm stuck reacting instead of acting!
Her ears were ringing, her exposed skin crawling from the near tangible energy in the air. Every landing sent stabs of pain shooting up her left arm, blood trails following every jump and sidestep.
As soon as I see them, it's already too late to act. There's barely any time to find a path. Worse, the debris from his earlier attacks are obscuring my vision. Soon, I won't be able to see-
Mary's body moved on her own, her eyes widening as she ducked instinctively.
See? Am I an idiot?
Mary closed her eyes and activated Magic Sense.
Left.
Her blade flashed up, slicing through stone.
Front. Right.
She jumped, her blade slashing over to her left side as soon as she landed.
It's a pattern. He's forming them and sending them out in-
Her eyes opened, and she bolted forward.
"Oh, you're going to approach now?!" Nin laughed from across the room. Red electricity burst into existence, his tattoos glowing even brighter. "Fine by me!"
One. Her sword deflected the first strike, stone crumbling at her side. Two. Three.
A wave of dirt split in half. Metal sheared and stuck into the ground.
She grinned. The momentum of the battle shifted ever in her favor. Nin grit his teeth.
"Dodge this one!" The air electrified with crimson, a massive wave of earth bursting up from below. Walls of earth swirled and scooped up around her, surrounding and engulfing her position.
Or it would have. Instead, Mary leaped forward with as much force as she could, the ground cracking underneath her. She darted just past the attack, jumping over one last desperate wave of earth and shooting towards her foe.
Her bloodied hand shot over to her katana's handle, crimson staining the leather as she painfully shifted to a two-handed grip.
"You dodge for a change!" Mary powered through the pain, slashing downward with all her might.
Nin's eyes widened. He jumped backwards, the slash barely missing his chest.
Mary landed and brought her katana back up. Nin jerked his body to Mary's left, his palm slapping against his side as Mary's blade slashed down, closing in on his shoulder.
SPLURCH!
Nin's shoulder burst, his arm falling away. Crimson splotched bright green, Mary's blade carrying itself through the open space where Nin's shoulder had just been.
Mary's eyes widened, her slash missing entirely.
He blasted off his own-
Nin sidestepped, a wicked grin on his face. His right arm came up from his side, fingers splayed as his palm rocketed towards her chest.
It was almost in slow motion. Mary watched Nin's hand approach her left shoulder, shock slowly melting into a muted panic.
Move! Move! Move!
There was no time to hesitate.
She let go, her katana dropping from her hands as if through molasses. Her shoulders twisted, the left pulling back as she turned to face Nin head on. At the same time, her right arm lashed out.
It was in this moment that the battle shifted again.
And again, it was in Mary's favor.
It happened entirely by accident.
Mary swung her fist forward, eyes flaring neon as Nin's palm slapped against her sternum. In that exact same instant, that desperate strike of hers connected.
Her magic filled the blow to the greatest possible extent, at the last possible moment. Right as she was using her Skill, green neon zigzagging down her cheeks.
Space distorted. Her magic and aura flashed, sparks of neon and green scorching the air.
Nin, instead of merely being knocked away, blasted backwards, his chest and ribs caving in. A hole burst through his torso as he went flying, blood trailing after him like the tail of a comet.
Mary froze, her arm extended, and body awkwardly contorted. Slowly, she straightened up, holding both hands out slightly and staring at them in wonder and awe. The holes through her left hand and wrist were utterly forgotten.
It was like the world had opened up to her.
It was like rediscovering her magic all over again.
Yet, it was oddly… familiar.
It was sort of like…
…After Tanya saved my life against Charybdis. That's what it feels like. I was so angry and blinded by pain and exhaustion that I don't really remember what happened next. Tanya said I send out a huge ring of magic and overused my Unique Skill. So, does that mean… I can imbue my magic itself with the power of my Skill?
The thought had never occurred to her before.
Much of magic is defined by intent.
Against Charybdis, Mary's rage and her intense desire to protect and avenge coalesced. It wasn't a perfect flow of magical and Unique energies, as evidenced by the intense backlashed experienced after the fact, but in that moment, her magic and the power of the Unique Skill: Ability Severance twisted together, combining in one singular, circular attack.
This time, the use of Ability Severance held a similar level of desperate intent – though this time in protection of herself rather than others – and this perfectly coincided with a different magical event. That is, the temporary stabilization of the flow of magic throughout Mary's body.
For the maybe the first time since her ability to use magic had been reawakened by Tanya, Mary Sue's magical energy perfectly, fully sync'd up with her physical capabilities. There was no lag time. There was no turbulence in the flow.
At the same time, the visual component of her Unique Skill was activated. The power of her Skill flowed in counter to her magical energy, imbuing both with characteristics of the other.
It was one big coincidence.
At least, that's how Mary figured it.
This whole time I've been imbuing my katana with my magical energy. Water, lightning, fire, all of it. It's the easiest way to conduct it all, since my magic's flow is so unrefined.
She crouched down, grabbing her katana from the ground and standing back up.
I've pretty much treated my Skill the same way. Whenever I don't or can't use the visual component, I just imbue its power into my blade. The magisteel takes both energies really easily, so doing that every time just made the most sense. After all, I'm a swordswoman now, aren't I? I never really tried anything else.
Mary sheathed her katana, reaching for her belt with her good hand and pulling out Tanya's flask from a pouch. She shook it slightly.
Well, to be fair, I haven't needed to try anything else until now.
A groan drew her gaze forward. Nin slowly sat up, the massive tunnel through his chest slowly piecing back together.
Very slowly. Much slower than any time before.
Did I cut off his regeneration with that hit?
Mary sipped from the flask, wincing as her flesh knitted itself back together. She slipped it back into the pouch on her belt.
No, I can't have. Not entirely. Then, maybe it was a partial job? Some of the ability was clearly neutralized. If my Skill bled accidentally into my magic enhancement, then I'd bet it got… covered up? Diluted? Something like that.
"How dare you!" Nin yelled, getting to his feet. "Blasphemer! Heretic! You dare treat your new god this way?!"
Oh boy, he's back to this. Yay.
"Some god you are." Mary called back, shaking out her left hand to get rid of the pain, "Let me tell you, Nin Gen, I've met someone that might be called God, and you-"
Mary paused.
An uncomfortable buzzing trickled across her senses, a sharp shiver running down her spine. A wave of some strange, invisible yet vaguely tangible energy raced past her.
Her blood pounded in her ears.
"What was that?" She murmured, glancing around.
"Ha! Hahahaha!!!"
I hate him so much it's unreal.
Nin grinned maniacally, his chest finally filling in the rest of the way and blood staining his torso. "It's over! It's time!! It's finally here!!!"
"What's going on?" Mary snapped, utterly done with him, "What's here?"
"That was the ritual, you fool!" He cackled at her, "Can't you see it yet? We've won! My ascension has arrived!!"
"Ascension?" Mary raised an eyebrow. "Then, that was the ritual circle activating, right? Is that what you're saying?"
"Yes! Yes, that's right!" Nin was too elated for snark, closing his eyes and leaning back, arms stretched out to the sides. "As we speak, Xerxes is dying! And into us, into me, it's power flows! Oh, I can feel it now! It's flowing into me! It's… it's…"
He stood there for a moment.
"Nothing's… happening?" He opened his eyes, bringing his arms in and looking frantically at his hands. "Where- where is it?! That was it. That was the ritual, I know it! Everything was set up properly, so why is it not-"
"I have another question."
"What do you want?" Nin's head snapped her direction, "Can't you see I'm busy?!"
"This is important, I promise." Mary said, nodding, "So, all the Shades and the giant lines of blood running down the main streets. Those were part of the circle, right?"
"I-" Nin blinked, "Yes, they are part of the circle. Why does that matter now of all times?"
"Well, you tell me." She pointed down, at her white boots.
Nin looked.
Well, now that he was paying closer attention, the boots were mostly white. But a lot of that white was actually stained, especially near the bottom.
He tilted his head.
They were stained… with quite a bit of red… a dark, familiar red…
"No… no no no." His body shook ."What did you do? What did you do?!"
Jackpot, okay.
"Next time," Mary schooled her expression into one of cool half-confidence half-arrogance. In other words, she did her best Tanya impression. "Don't leave the completion of an incredibly important ritual circle to a bunch of shadow creatures. It wasn't even a challenge to break part of the line; I'm almost insulted."
Well, that, and I kind of sort of collapsed part of a small corner building and several fruit stands and stalls onto it right after. That probably helped. I bet Tanya would be impressed by my ingenuity.
"Good job, Mary. That was great thinking."
She coughed, ignoring the slight red in her cheeks. That was odd, when did it get hotter all of a sudden?
I hope the owners of that building accept my apology… via letter. Or maybe I just won't take responsibility at all. Yeah, that sounds good.
"No no no-" Nin clutched at his head.
"Why are you so surprised to find everything falling apart?" Mary rested her hand on the handle of her katana, "Isn't it 'what goes around, comes around'?"
Nin suddenly froze. He turned his head up, his eyes filled with such a level of hatred that Mary almost found herself stepping back. An aura of killing intent filled the area, nearly tangible.
"You… you're worse than Tasha- whatever her name is. She was strong. She nearly killed me. But you… I've decided, you don't deserve an act like this. You're not that level of strong. Not even close. You don't get to speak to me like that. You wouldn't even cut it as a clown at a third-rate circus."
That was… surprisingly hurtful. Mary shook it off, a narrowing of her eyes her only response.
"You have power, but… you're the same. I was wrong. I can see it now. You're just like the rest of these pathetic creatures. Petty, big talk, uppity, and pushing the mold to no avail. I hate it. You- weaklings like you… humans... monsters... they have been given some form of power. They've achieved what they believe to be strength, but it's all just a façade! And that façade appears bright, and wonderful, and happy, and that… that allows them to dream. They dream of a future where they can become something truly strong. But it's a farce. All of it! They are weak! Not one of them can grow beyond what they are meant to be. None of their futures can be overwritten by some illness of the mind that is a dream."
Nin looked to the sky, his body shaking and his hands flexing subconsciously. He laughed madly.
"I am neither human nor monster, and I am not bound by your shackles. It's funny! I can't help but laugh! Look at you! Humans don't regenerate; monsters hardly even exist without magicules. Creatures like you toil and claw at the dirt, desperately hoping beyond hope that your lives will be more than the meaningless scrap they truly are. It's unsightly! I can't help but be amused by it! How gross, how weak, how worthless you are!"
He froze, slowly dropping his head back down and staring at her.
"I will be a God, as is my rightful place. And you," The word was spit with such venom it might as well have been poison, "Are not going to stop me. I've decided. No matter if you pray, beg on your hands and knees and repent, I won't forgive you. I won't even give you the option to give up."
Mary readied herself.
Bring it on, then. I'll show you how strong us weaklings can be.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Known Skills List
Tanya:
Common Skill: Thought Communication
Extra Skill: Magic Sense
Extra Skill: Magic Aura
Extra Skill: Voice of the World Communication
Unique Skill: Formulaic Casting
Unique Skill: Tetrabattery Limit Enhancement
Mary:
Extra Skill: Magic Sense
Extra Skill: Magic Aura
Extra/Intrinsic Skill: Physical Enhancement
Unique Skill: Ability Severance
Notes:
"Du jævla faen" = roughly, "you fucking fuck". Listen, I do not know Norwegian. I spent like 10 minutes looking up Norwegian insults and swears for this. Mary reconnecting with her roots as a Legadonian (or Scandinavian, in ours/Tanya's world) is a Thing I'm doing for her character development, so this will probably come up again.
Also, hey! Unique Skill name drop. Yay. Go wild. Learn more in the next chapter: "The Origin of Demise"