{Date: 10/15 - Saturday}
{Time: 3:20 PM}
Cerebral and I clashed in the air with volatile force, each collision generating powerful repulsive forces around us. Cerebral evaded my next attack, landing a quick and precise double axe handle directly upon my head, sending me crashing to the ground.
Quickly, I recovered in the air, using a flap of my lightning wings to stabilize myself in the air. Holding my head, I shook it to regain my focus, getting rid of the last of my dizziness. As I recovered, I heard a loud screech above me, catching my attention.
"Let us fly, Senyata Eagle!" Cerebral commanded, performing the Eagle hand seal, using her Death Energy to manifest a large, menacing black and purple avian beast in the air.
Genesis flew toward me, hovering at my side and stared at the Senyata Eagle as well. "What are those things exactly?"
"They are the Ten Grim Beasts of the Shadow Gardens. Each Beast has their own domain and ability and what you're seeing is one of Cerebral's abilities, Death Command," I explained, watching as the Senyata Eagle soared around Cerebral like a dark guardian.
"Death Command is one of the Vow of Death's special abilities. Think of Pandora's Box for example, but ten times worse. Death Command, as you can see allows you to summon and command creatures like Judgement's creations and the Grim Beasts," I continued, glancing at Genesis for a quick moment.
Genesis nodded, absorbing all of the information I gave her about the Vow of Death. "So, any draw backs we should worry about?"
I nodded, using my Spirit Sense to scan Cerebral's energy reserves. "Summoning a Beast uses your reserves and it's worse when summoning powerful beasts like Aermyth or multiple numbers like the Judged Angels or Cerebral Hounds. As you saw with Aermyth, summoning a Beast stronger than you or haven't tamed, they won't listen to you."
"So what I'm hearing is she's super low on reserves and won't be as much of a pain in the butt to deal with. Got it, but we should still be careful. Though her reserves are low...she's still extremely tough and fast," Genesis said, readying herself for her battle against the Senyata Eagle.
"Yeah, not let's get her," I said, readying myself for a tough aerial battle.
Cerebral yawned, looking down at us with a hand on her hip. "Are you done catching her up on the exposition? I would like to get back to destroying you!"
I smirked at Cerebral and pointed my katana at her, my eyes shining with resolution. "Sorry, didn't mean to bore you but I'm ready, ready to finally tame you here and now!"
Cerebral grinned at me, her heart pumping with exhilaration. She laughed at my confidence, her aura surging powerfully around her. "Look who's gaining more confidence with her weak Valkyrie abilities! You were reborn for this purpose weren't you? Reborn as a Valkyria, a fitting title to your story, but this is where it ends!"
I gripped my sword tightly, my eyes electrified with raw willpower and determination. "You're right, Reborn as a Valkyria does sound like a fitting title to my story, but this story is only just beginning!"
Cerebral watched as I flew toward her at lightning speeds, smirking widely at my determination. She propelled herself toward me at high speeds, laughing wildly. "Then show me, Valkyria!"
Cerebral and I collided once more, the clash generating an even more powerful shockwave, causing high winds to blow around the forest. We knocked each other back then clashed once again, entering a swift and electrifying hand to hand combat.
I evaded each of Cerebral's strikes, knocking her back with a side kick. I flew after her, preparing an attack but the Senyata Eagle flew toward me at high speeds, intercepting my path. Before the Eagle could land his strike, Genesis appearing in front of me, blocking the attack for me.
"Go, Genesis!" I bellowed, empowering her with a rally cry.
Genesis roared, her Spirit Energy bursting around her body as she began to overpower the Senyata Eagle. With a powerful blow, she knocked the Eagle higher in the air, flying up behind it at lightning speeds.
She began rushing the Senyata Eagle with rapid strikes from every conceivable direction, her body like a stream of lightning as she continued her onslaught. The Senyata Eagle grunted in pain, using his wings to block every strike dealt by Genesis.
"Don't you dare give in, Eagle! You are the Master of the Shadow Arrow! Shoot her down and help me destroy Hisumi's Valkyrie!" Cerebral commanded, barking orders at Eagle regardless of his situation.
The Senyata Eagle opened his eyes, his eyes glowing an orangish, golden hue as he began to power up. With a screech, the Eagle manifested his aura, pushing Genesis away then began firing Shadow Arrows from all directions.
"Take cover!" Charlotte yelled out, grabbing Orika and ducked for cover as the stray Shadow Arrows began raining down.
Everyone went behind cover, evading the deadly rays of death energy. As the Shadow Arrows struck the surroundings of the lush forest, the nature around our area began decaying, the trees and plants rotting away into ashes and withering away.
Genesis evaded the Shadow Arrows as best as she could, huffing with each dodge. As she evaded the arrows, one arrow flew toward her at high speeds, striking her face and causing an explosion. She yelped as she flew backwards, catching my hair to stop herself from flying too far away.
"Ouch! Let go of my hair!" I yelped, reaching back to snatch Genesis off my scalp, letting out a sigh of relief once she released my hair.
"Sorry! I didn't want to fly too far away...but man those Shadow Arrows hurt! If it wasn't for my invulnerability, I would've been toast!" Genesis said, giving me a thumbs with an airheaded smile.
"More like rotting... synthetic skin and melting machinery," I said, shaking my head with a soft sigh and chuckle.
Cerebral scoffed lightly, crossing her arms as she watched our interaction. 'I forget all V.O.I.D Systems are S Rank in power level...I was hoping a Shadow Arrow would be enough to at least put her out of commission...'
The Senyata Eagle soared beside Cerebral communicating with her via the language of the birds. Cerebral listened to Eagle, a nefarious smirk playing on her face as her gaze shifted down to the surface.
'You're right...nothing breaks a Valkyria's spirit more than hurting a loved one,' Cerebral replied to the Senyata Eagle mentally, her gaze falling on Orika with a nasty plot in mind.
Aermyth roared as she summoned bolts of lightning to strike Yusa, but she swiftly evaded each bolt, flying directly toward Aermyth and swung down with her black lance. Her lance landed a direct hit upon the top of Aermyth's head, the force of Yusa's strike sending her plummeting to the ground.
Yusa chased after Aermyth, preparing the decisive blow that would defeat her. Aermyth opened one eye, flapping her wings and dodged Yusa by taking off into the skies again. Yusa crashed onto the ground upon one knee, staggering a bit from the heavy fall.
She stood up slowly, taking the tip of her lance out of the ground. "Never have I dealt with such an annoying beast...just her aura alone neutralizes my Death Abilities."
Aermyth stared down at Yusa, her eyes glinting with begrudging respect for her being able to keep up with her. She let out a powerful roar, the sound of her roar causing the ground to rumble and the sky to tremble.
Yusa wondered what Aermyth was planning, watching as her draconic energy pulsated around her body beautifully with a hint of dark, grim danger. As she watched, she noticed the Aermyth backing out of the fight, glancing down at Yusa one last time before retreating.
Cerebral watched as Aermyth's body turned into Death Energy and returned to her, restoring her reserves. She let out a cold, calculated smirk, humming softly to herself. 'I pretty much expected that outcome. Yusa is the Strongest Valkyria of all time, but strength means nothing when faced with inevitability. With my reserves back… this battle is mine.'
Charlotte sighed in relief that Aermyth retreated, fixing her hat once more and smiled. "Well, at least we know that Aermyth still is independent despite being on the evil side currently."
Wendy peeked out of her cover spot, noticing the chaos has momentarily ended, a relieved sigh escaping her lips. "Finally, that's one problem over with...all there's left is the current problem having all her energy back..."
Rhea nodded, her gaze finding Cerebral, watching as she just hovered in the sky with a plotting gaze. "Yeah, but I can feel something is wrong. That girl in the sky is exhibiting Murderous Intent. Do you think she has it..?"
"I doubt it...she's nothing close to Heartless and Apathetic, she's Cold, Calculating, Sadistic. Her Murderous Intent is just her IQ alone. That's how deadly the Black Cerebral is," Alice answered, using the scope of her sniper to keep a close watch on Cerebral.
Eliza, still in her cover, had fallen asleep due to the sun's rays directly hitting her, activating her narcolepsy. She softly snored, her energy forming a flock of bats around her to protect her from any harm.
Alice glanced over at Eliza, hearing her snoring and turned her gaze back into her scope. "And she's out, great...one of our biggest supports. Narcolepsy is still her biggest enemy, other than the sun..."
Orika felt a slimmer of hope as she watched the fight, Aermyth's retreat giving us time to breath and regroup. Though we had a moment of reprieve, she could still feel something was wrong. Her gaze met directly with the Black Cerebral, her prey mentality slow creeping back to her as she noticed Cerebral's gaze was cold and deadly.
Cerebral let out a soft chuckle, slowly descending to the ground with a sly smirk. "You know, Hisumi...All of this fighting just to tame me, and it's very interesting taken no one has ever tamed a Grim Beast before. Everyone will still be calling you a monster due to me being at your side..."
"However, would you still tame me even if I do this?!" Cerebral asked, turning toward Orika and snapped her fingers, the Senyata Eagle firing a large Shadow Arrow at her.
Orika gasped loudly, her body frozen with fear as the Shadow Arrow sped toward at high speeds. Using a burst of speed, I appeared in front of Orika, slashing down with my katana and grunted as I slowly began splitting the Shadow Arrow in two.
My blade struggled against the Shadow Arrow, the decaying might of the ergokenetic arrow beginning to rot the blade of my Bolt Breaker. I grunted heavily as I began skidding backwards, my heart pounding heavily against my chest to protect Orika.
"Give it up, Hisumi! This fight has gone on for long enough! Just accept the facts! You will never live to the ideals you try to hold yourself to! The blood is already on your hands, your sins will never be washed away," The Black Cerebral taunted, watching me struggle against the powerful Shadow Arrow.
"Your source of hope is fleeting away... because at the end of the day once all of your allies are dead, you will die alone...a forgotten hero," She finished, laughing at my struggle, her words drowned in vemon and mockery.
Her words began to strike my core, echoing in my mind like a neverending nightmare. My blood began boiling from her mockery, her vemon, her audacity to try to kill the one girl I care about the most.
'At this moment, there is no playing hero. It is all about survival and me holding back is only going to get Orika killed! Raikiri, I don't care if it kills me, lend me your power to defeat Cerebral!' I plead mentally, surrounding my blade with lightning energy to push back against the Shadow Arrow.
Raikiri watched my determination, my struggle and desire to protect Orika. She crossed her arms, her eyes glowing with judgement. "You want to use my power for your gain? Is your Valkyrie Form not enough?"
I grit my teeth, listening to her doubting words and judgement as I struggled to push back against the Shadow Arrow, lightning and death energy surging in all directions wildly. 'No... I'll admit, Valkyrie Form can only get me so far and the only way to get stronger is through you...'
Raikiri stared at me, closing her eyes then nodded to herself. She opened her eyes, gently placing her hands upon my shoulders. "Very well. Do you Vow to always be the Voice of Reason for your sistren, your loved ones, and your people?"
'I do...' I answered mentally, the energy point within my head shining.
"Do you Vow to always have a Perceptive Eye and a Clear Mind for your sistren, your loved ones, and your people, to lead them in the right direction?" Raikiri asked, testing my Heart and where it truly resided.
'I do,' I answered clearly mentally, beginning to find my strength to push back against the Shadow Arrow.
Raikiri smiled at my answered, moving on to the final Vow, the Vow of the Spirit. "Finally, do you Vow to always be the Unyielding, Undying Electrifying Spirit for your sistren, your loved ones, your people, and for yourself?"
My gaze became resolute, the corruption around my spirit cracking and the purity behind my spirit beginning to shine through. 'I'll be honest...for myself, I'm not ready for. However—'
"Take a look at your surroundings...what's happening. If you lose, the Black Cerebral controls your body and turns you into one of her Hounds. You will become a Beast of the Passing Shadow Garden. If you don't want that, you need to be a hero for yourself as well!" Raikiri interrupted, her tone thunderous and stern.
At that moment, I quickly glanced around, seeing the decayed arena around us, the stakes of losing this clash becoming more clear in my eyes. The corruption around my Spirit began cracking even more, my determination becoming stronger with the more clarity I obtained.
With a battle cry, I found my strength, slicing the Shadow Arrow in two and the two pieces went flying in two directions. Cerebral's eyes widened slightly, taken aback that I actually managed to slice the arrow in two.
I panted softly, my lightning crackling around my body, shifting in hues of white, light blue, and yellow. I stood up straight, the blade of my Bolt Breaker glowing like an electrifying blue bolt of lightning. "I do..."
Orika took a step back from me, sensing my unrestrained energy, feeling streams of lightning riding around her body and jolting her with rejuvenating energy. "Hisumi..."
Yusa's eyes brightened as she noticed three Sigils on my back, a gasp escaping from her lips. "Hisumi, you did the vow...you have the Blessing of Raikiri..!"
I smirked at my mom's excitement, looking at Cerebral with a confident gaze. "This is it...this is where my story begins. No more holding back...the chains are broken now. There's no hero or villain right now, just me and you. Now let's end this!"
Cerebral growled lowly, her Hounds barking behind her with warnings and caution. She glanced back at them, raising an eyebrow. 'What..? Her power level..?'
Cerebral looked back at me, scanning my Spirit Energy and crossed her arms. Once she finished gathering my readings, her eyes widened brightly with a mix of awe, excitement, and fear.
{Hisumi's Attributes}
Name: Hisumi Nomura
Age: 19
Rank: C
Power Level: 3,840
Valk Type: Speedster
Elemental Affinity: Lightning
Preferred Weapon: Katana
DMG: 3,679
Burst DMG: 4,679
Survivability: 5,911
Support: 1,425
Spirit Control: 3,505
'What..?! How is this possible..?! Her power level...is higher than mine. She managed to break through the Enforcer's hold? Just how powerful is her Spirit..?' Cerebral thought, staring at me with awe and hesitation.
Cerebral let out a soft sigh, standing up straight then formed another hand seal, her gaze meeting mine directly. "This is it...you're about to see the true power of the Shadow Gardens! Prepare yourself for the absolute worst!"
"Domain Manifestation, First Shadow Garden: Abyssal Skies," Cerebral said, a bloodlusted smile playing on her lip like a hyena preying on small animals.
Suddenly, a veil appeared around the decayed arena, trapping us inside a domain from the outside world. The sky began to darken, purple stars forming in the sky. The Senyata Eagle screeched, spreading his wings and looked down at us.
"Welcome to the First Shadow Garden, Abyssal Skies. In this domain, there's nothing you can do to avoid being lost in the nothingness while also avoiding the endless Shadow Arrow Barrage! Eagle, rain down upon her!" Cerebral commanded, pointing at me with authority.
The Senyata Eagle screeched once more, a few stars in the sky beginning to twinkle then large Shadow Arrows began to rain down upon us. I watched the arrows closely, smirking at each projectile raining down toward me.
Readying my katana, I began to focus on defense, shifting my Valkyrie Type into Tank Type and began rapidly deflecting each Shadow Arrow with ease. The Senyata Eagle let out another battle cry, charging up an attack with his beak, his beak glowing an ethereal dark purple energy.
"Finish this now with your strongest attack, Eagle! Abyssal Scream!" Cerebral bellowed, her intensity causing her to howl.
The Senyata Eagle released his beam at me upon command, his attack pulsating with powerful energy. As the beam crashed down upon me, Genesis quickly flew toward the beam, summoning her shield and blocked the beam.
"Go, Hisumi! Finish this now!" Genesis called out, grunting as she blocked the attack of a Grim Beast boosted by his domain.
I looked back at Orika and Yusa, noticing them watching me closely with awe, love, and respect. Turning my gaze back to Cerebral, I readied myself for my final attack. "This is it, Cerebral... It's time we end this game and declare the winner once and for all!"
Cerebral glared at me, surrounding her hand in Death Energy. "I agree...it's time to end this game! And you will be the one dying at my feet!"
"Raikiri! Let's go!" I bellowed, gripping my wrist as powerful white lightning crackled around my hand.
"Phantasma..." Cerebral said lowly, her death energy surging wildly around her body.
"Valkyrie Arts..." I said, charging up my attack, rushing forward at top speeds to strike down Cerebral for the victory.
"Reaper's Touch!"
"Raikiri!"
The two of us struck each other at the same time, a blast of Death and Lightning energies pulsating around us from our clash. Just like our other clashes, we gave it our all, putting everything we had into this final strike.
Mustering up all the strength I could, I let out a yell as I began overpowering Cerebral, weakening her stance bit by bit. Finally, I broke through her attack, striking her stomach and bellowed as a bright light began to shine.
I yelled as I pushed through her defenses, not caring if her Death Energy was slowly draining my energy. All that mattered was defeating and taming the Black Cerebral, regaining my agency, and making peace within myself.
"You're finished!" I roared, blasting her away at lightning speeds, groaning as I was struck with a bit of recoil.
Cerebral groaned as she crashed into a tree, slowly sliding down then fell to her knees, placing her hands on the ground in defeat. She panted heavily, looking up and watched as her veil began to slowly crack and shatter, causing the Shadow Garden around us to disappear gradually.
"No...how could I lose? I had every calculation right even down to breaking your Spirit! How could I lose?!" Cerebral yelled, taking the loss as if she had lost everything she loved.
I walked toward Cerebral, looking down at her and crouched down to meet her face to face. "I would say something cheesy like, I had people who believed in me...but their belief alone could only get me so far. Me beating you only means one thing...through my own Spirit...I have finally tamed you."
Cerebral growled lowly at me, her eyes still hostile with anger and desire to corrupt, but she let out a soft sigh and lowered her head. "As much as I hate to admit it...you won. I lost, but this isn't over. You will still be seen as a monster and a beast. Even though you beat me, nothing has changed other than a power up!"
I smirked at her then stood up slowly, her pessimistic attitude and draining presence not affecting me anymore. "A lot has changed actually...I am not bounded by my chains anymore. I've done what I planned to do since I became a Valkyria...to be recognized as one."
"I am no longer what you define me as. I am Hisumi Nomura, the Honorary One!" I declared, my lightning crackling around my body like a restless spirit.
Cerebral stared at me for a moment, a bit surprised that I dropped all of my old titles just to take on the mantle as the Honorary One. She couldn't help but to smirk, a dark chuckle escaping her lips. "Honorary One. Let's see if your honorary powers help you with the Shadow Gardens, you won't make it past Black Tiger."
I smirked at Cerebral, holding my hand at her face. "We'll see. Now, Release and return back to me."
Cerebral's body began to turn into Death Energy slowly, each particle of energy returning inside my being and the Vow of Death began to glow on my left shoulder again.
"She actually did it. Your daughter actually defeated her..." Charlotte said in complete awe, glancing at Yusa with surprise.
Yusa stared at me with a proud smile on her face, slowly nodding as she admired my true Valkyrie Form and the purity within my aura. "She did...she beat the Black Cerebral.."
Orika couldn't help but to wail with overwhelming happiness and worry, running toward me and calling out my name. I turned around, noticing Orika running to me and smiled at her, making my way toward her quickly.
With no words, the two of us took each other in our embrace, happy to see that we both were safe and sound. The Black Cerebral was defeated and tamed, and with her defeated, the chains of my past were now broken and I regained my agency again.
There was only one way to go now, forward. With new abiltiies and powers awakened, I had to work twice as hard to master everything so I wouldn't spiral back down due to being overwhelmed. My life began to look up once more, the next page of my story finally turning for the better.