{Date: 10/16 - Sunday}
{Time: 6:50 PM}
The plaza was thick with tension, the area currently compromised by the Lost Syndicates and the museum guarded by New Karma. The cool breeze nipped at the skins of the Lost Syndicate members that stood before me, their weapons clutched tightly in their hands.
I slipped my hands in my pockets, waiting for the Lost Syndicates to make their first move against me. As I waited, my patience began to wear thin, a low growl rumbling in my throat. "Now you all are scared to move? Pathetic...I only have ten minutes in this woman's body! If you aren't gonna make this fun, I'll end things right now."
I formed the hand seal "Eagle", my gaze becoming more focused and primal. The Seyata Eagle screeched loudly, taking flight into the sky. Spreading his wings, multiple Shadow Arrow began generating around his body.
"Senyata Technique: Void Rain," I said coldly, using my Death Command to make the Senyata Eagle unleash his technique.
Without hesitation, the Senyata Eagle screeched with power, casting down his Shadow Arrows upon the Lost Syndicates. The three members noticed the arrows homing in on them, all three scrambling to move away.
Their efforts were futile, the Shadow Arrows tracking down their targets and landing their marks like a bullseye, piercing through their hearts. Before the eyes of everyone, the Shadow Arrow's decaying effect took place, causing their bodies to decay into Death Energy.
I looked at my shoulder, the Vow of Death shimmering with life as it absorbed the death energy with acceptance. "You all don't understand what it means to have a Vow like I do...the very essence of a Vow. You forced me into this, forced me to pray upon Dark Queens and Goddesses for your missions..."
"Now you will reap what you sow...Emerge from the Gardens, Melody," I said with a chilling tone, holding my hand out and offering another portion of my Death Energy to summon another Hound.
Suddenly, a Cerebral Hound with beautiful multicolored fur began to emerge from the shadows in front of me, her eyes glowing in different hues of red, blue, and green. She let out an instinctive howl, her voice echoing out in the sky.
Kioshi felt as if she couldn't move, paralyzed by fear of my true potential with my Vow of Death. Her breathing became more shallow, her hands trembling with a nervous fit. 'All three...dead before my very eyes in seconds...'
"Let this be known to you and the rest of Judgement...I was merely holding back ever since I got this power. You all wanted to create the strongest Beast there lived right..? Well you succeeded...This Beast is now known as the Cerebral Valkyria!" I said, chuckling coldly at Kioshi.
Orika gulped lightly, her gaze shifting between me and Melody, a mix of awe and terror swirling around within her. "You... actually turned her...into a Hound..."
Amadeus shivered at my presence, feeling his own Spirit Energy becoming corrupted from my very presence. He adjusted his mask, stepping away from my presence, but the draining feeling he had never went away. He began using his Spirit Sense, noticing my aura stretched across the entire plaza.
'What the hell..? What is this girl's power level..?!' Amadeus thought, the realization of the threat I posed as Cerebral settling in.
I glanced around my surroundings, placing my hands back in my pockets and let out a soft sigh and chuckled. "Orika, Ryder, Adrianna, listen close and listen good. I am the biggest threat to them...you aren't fighting the Lost Syndicates, you're facing Judgement and they do things differently..."
"They will go all in on targeting me...if I get apprehended or killed, you lose Hisumi for good. I know this is our second day here, but since Judgement's presence is known here, we can't afford to lose anything. You have to protect me," I said, dismissing the Senyata Eagle.
"Bondad...Things just got a whole lot worse," Adrianna said, adjusting her gloves then awakened her Golden Light within herself, a radiant white and golden energy swirling around her body.
"Worse for us...or for them?" Ryder asked, adjusting his mask and summoned Clover next to him.
"Both ways...but more so for them, and maybe a lot more for us," Adrianna answered, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips.
"You can say that again," Orika agreed, readying herself for anything Judgment had to throw at us.
Kioshi grit her teeth, slamming the bottom of her axe against the ground in a commanding mannner. "All units, focus your strength upon Hisumi Nomura aka the Black Cerebral! Forget the relic, she is way more valuable! This is Captain's Orders!"
Amadeus scoffed softly behind his mask, stepping backwards as the rest of Kioshi's forces prepared their attack upon me. "This is beyond my own pay grade, and I am under Shido's command. My forces, let's roll out!"
Kioshi watched as Amadeus and his faction retreated from the area, scoffing lightly at him then turned her focus to me. "I don't need him anyway...All troops, attack!"
"Here they all come!" Adrianna called out, watching as a group of Judgment members began charging toward us.
The Judgement members let out their battle cries, each one aiming their attacks directly toward me. I stood unmoving, a dark smirk curling upon my lips as I watched the first member approach me with her gun drawn.
Orika rushed in front of me, landing a powerful, icy palm strike to the woman's stomach, knocking her away. She looked back at me, a protective smile playing on her lips as she rushed forward to assist Ryder and Adrianna in taking down the other members.
"Genesis, go protect the civilians! I have Ryder and Adrianna with me, I'll be safe!" Orika commanded, blocking a swift strike from other member and used her Spirit Energy to freeze his arm.
Genesis nodded, flying off to aid the civilians and direct them to safety. "Don't push yourself too hard!"
"Don't worry!" Orika called out, knocking another Judgement member away with her Soul Blast.
Ryder began evading a volley of bullets from a gunman, rushing toward him and striking his midsection with a devastating blow, blue and gold lightning flashing upon impact. He followed with an uppercut, knocking him in the air, allowing Clover to swipe him away with her tail.
Adrianna swiftly evaded each strike from a skilled martial artist within the Judgement ranks, each movement from her body graceful and calculated. She swiftly countered his next strike, staggering him then kicked him back.
Adrianna let out a Tribal Howl, her rallying cry expanding across the plaza. Her golden energy pulsated around her powerfully as she charged toward the man, tackling him and driving her shoulder into his midsection, taking him to the ground heavily.
Kioshi watched as Ryder, Adrianna, and Orika take down the lackeys of her forces with ease, her eyes twitching from annoyance of her forces' incompetence. "Yumi, it's your time to shine!"
Upon hearing the familiar name, I began glancing around the plaza, seeking for the woman Kioshi called out for. Suddenly, a speeding arrow began flying toward Orika at near invisible speeds, aiming to take her head off in one blow.
Before the arrow could strike, a barrier of Death Energy formed in front of Orika, blocking the arrow and decaying it all in the same time frame. Orika's eyes widened slightly at the protective barrier of Death Energy, turning toward me and noticed I had protected her.
"Targeting one of my closest...even you know that is a foolish mistake, Yumi," I said, my eyes narrowing toward a hooded cloaked woman standing on the top of a small building in the distance.
Yumi locked eyes with me, her lips curling in a wicked smirk beneath the darkness of her hood. She lowered her bow, her body dispersing into dark energy and travelling to reappear beside Kioshi.
"After all this time...you are still alive. I didn't want to believe the news at first, but then...I saw her, the Black Cerebral..~ Why be trapped with a bunch of nobodies when you can have the world with Judgement? Once our Commander becomes a Ruler, we—" Yumi began, abruptly stopping her sentence as she dodged a speeding Shadow Arrow headed toward her.
I stared at Yumi with a cold, uncaring gaze. "Sorry, I have no intentions on coming back, nor do I have plans on helping make the Commander a Ruler...If you want me back, you're gonna have to kill me."
Yumi turned her gaze toward me, an intrigued hum escaping her lips. "Just as cold and ruthless as I remember. You haven't changed at all, you're still a Beast deep down."
I laughed lightly at her words, turning my body to face her and Kioshi directly. "You're right... You're absolutely right! I am a Beast..."
Yumi began to feel the effects of my Death Aura, her body shuddering as a warning. She blinked once, losing sight of me until I appeared in front of her like a Grim Reaper.
"And you're about to see the results of the very Beast you all created..." I said, my red eyes glowing with a mix of dominance and inevitability.
Without warning, I struck Yumi with a devastating blow, sending her flying across the plaza and crashing into a building. I turned my gaze toward Kioshi, smirking at her, purple lightning crackling around my body.
Kioshi glared at me, her hold upon her axe tightening. She began walking toward me, an annoyed scoff leaving her mouth. "Taking her out early huh? Seems like you still have a soft spot for your old friend..."
"She's useless in this fight, my main focus isn't some other pawn to a corrupt organization. You are the main focus, once you fall, you'll have no choice but to escape...If you escape," I said, Spirit Energy glowing around my body shifting in darker hues of blue, red, yellow, and gray.
"I only have five minutes left in Hisumi's body before she inevitability takes back control and I myself return to the Gardens to rest. I plan to make these last five minutes...a living nightmare," I chuckled coldly, my Spirit Energy spiralling around me and pulsating with Valkyrian Balance.
{Type CHANGE: Tank -> Balance}
{DMG EQUAL! 50%}
{Burst DMG EQUAL! 50%}
{Survivability EQUAL! 50%}
{Agility EQUAL! 50%}
I grunted as I began balancing all of my attributes together, my energy shifting in dark, beautiful multicolored hues. I chuckled lowly, enjoying the feeling of an equalized body and looked at my hands.
'Though this power is nice, I can't maintain Balance Type for too long. I need to end this battle quickly before I fall first,' I thought, holding my hand out and using my Death Energy to summon my scythe.
"Prepare yourself, Kioshi! This is where your run in Destiny Central ends!" I declared, pointing my scythe at Kioshi.
Ryder held his mask to his face, his skin crawling as he felt my impressive energy. 'Equalizing all of her attributes...it's similar to my Ace of all Trades ability. Just what exactly is Hisumi..?'
Adrianna guarded herself from the volatile winds my energy produced, but she was able to get a good glance at me while as a Balance Type, her golden eyes widening in slight surprise. "All of this power...She wasn't kidding when she had she was holding back..!"
Orika shuddered slightly from my energy, but she felt comforted in my energy despite its volatility. "This is it, Hisumi! Take her down!"
"She won't be taking down anyone as I will be the one to strike her down!" Kioshi bellowed, dashing toward me at high speeds.
I smirked at Kioshi, watching as she lunged toward me. "Then let's test that theory!"
Kioshi slashed down with her axe, but with my raw speed, her axe seemed to ripple through my body, crashing down onto the concrete. With a fiery roar, she encased the blade of her axe in flames, swinging it in a wide arc.
I ducked under her slash, rushing forward at high speeds and landed a powerful blow to her stomach, following with a high reaching kick to knock her in the air. Twirling my scythe, I slashed down the middle, my blade leaving behind a trail of Death Energy.
Kioshi was quick to react, grunting loudly as she used the handle of her axe to block my attack. She pushed me away, swinging her axe at me repeatedly in attempt to land one hit on me. My Perception was too great, my mind becoming the Cerebral Fields itself.
'I can see your every move...you might be a higher rank than me, you might be stronger than me...but I don't specialize in strength...' I thought, a wicked grin spreading across my face.
I formed the hand seal "Bunny", my shadow forming to take shape of a bunny. I let out a low chuckle, licking my lips slowly. "Let the gates of the Ruinous Den open. Emerge from the Gardens, Ruinous Bunnies!"
Offering a portion of my Death Energy, from my shadow emerged a group of black fur bunnies, their cute, innocent red eyes shimmering with curiosity. They began hopping around, wandering aimlessly with no goal or motive.
"Aww!~ Such a cute Beast!" Orika gasped, picking one up and hugging it to her chest gently. The bunny snuggled into Orika's arms, letting out a content squeak.
Ryder looked around the plaza, watching the bunnies wander around. "I hope she knows what she's doing with these last four minutes she has..."
"Acordado, seems like she's fooling around," Adrianna said, rolling her shoulder and looked around her surroundings.
Kioshi watched the bunnies with a close eye, keeping her axe ready in hand. "Bunnies? You expect me to become distracted by their cute appearance?"
I giggled softly, tilting my head slightly. "You're in for a wild treat...Attack."
The bunnies stopped moving, their ears twitching at my Death Command. Their sudden pause in movements began to unnerve Kioshi, leaving her in her own confusion.
Suddenly, an invisible force struck Kioshi upon her cheek, causing her to stumble to the side. Another force struck her in her midsection, then another on her back and sides. Before Kioshi could react, the bunnies began racing in all directions at invisible speeds, striking Kioshi from every conceivable angle.
Adrianna, Ryder, and Orika couldn't help but to watch in awe at the overwhelming pressure the bunnies had on Kioshi despite their deceivingly innocent appearance. They watched as the bunnies used their favorite technique, Ruinous Rush.
"Support," I commanded, dashing toward Kioshi just as the Ruinous Bunnies ended their onslaught.
Kioshi staggered a bit, regathering herself and looked up, noticing me rushing toward her at high speeds. Once she regrouped, she swung her axe just as I slashed down at her with my scythe, blocking my attack.
The two of us clashed repeatedly, Kioshi moving around the battlefield to prevent me from finding an opening. As we battled, I couldn't help but to laugh and taunt Kioshi, the once feared woman of the Fallen Faction of Judgement now on the back foot of the person she once viewed as lesser than.
"Keep dancing! Keep dancing for me pawn!" I laughed, forming another hand seal "Bull", my eyes glowing brightly with sadistic intentions. "It's time for a Rodeo!"
Offering another portion of my Death Energy, a bull began to materialize in front of me. His coat was a shade of ominous black, his body covered in ancient markings that hummed with a red glow, the gem in the middle of his head shining a radiant glow.
Kioshi grunted softly as she noticed the dangerous bull that stood before her, her body shuddering as if to warn her about the Grim Beast before her. 'How many Beasts does she have..? How can she control all ofbthem..?'
"Bunnies, prevent her escape! It's time we give her a taste of the Ruinous Rodeo with the Ancient Bull!" I called out, walking toward the Ancient Bull and mounted on his back, using my energy to create a bridle to control him.
The Ruinous Bunnies began to gather around me and Kioshi, forming a makeshift rodeo arena using their bodies. Now trapped inside the arena with the Ancient Bull, Kioshi's only option was to survive.
"I have a very special place for people like you...A sacrifice...to the Dragon of the White Shadow Garden, Aermyth!" I declared, gripping the leash of the Bull's bridle, the Ancient Bull letting out a wrathful bellow.
Kioshi's body shuddered even more, her skin crawling with goosebumps as if to warn her about the threat level of the Ancient Bull being controlled. 'Why am I shaking...? Am I scared..? Is this what the targets of the Black Cerebral saw..? What is this dreading feeling I have..?'
"Ancient Bull, charge!" I howled, using my Death Command to make the Ancient Bull attack.
With a bellow, the Ancient Bull began to charge forward in a straight line, aiming to ram into Kioshi for devastating damage. Kioshi quickly moved out of the way, watching as the Bull slammed into the wall of bunnies. The bunnies didn't seem to be phased, each one of them radiating gray energy as they were each in Defense Mode.
'No way... she even thought of reinforcing her bunnies with defenses..? What has she not thought of..?!' Kioshi thought, watching the Bull turned around to charge at her again.
The Rodeo continued with each charge from the Ancient Bull missing due to Kioshi reacting quick enough to his linear strikes. Though she was evading each charge perfectly, she could tell something was off, her body never stopped warning her about my Ancient Bull.
"Well...aren't you a master of the Rodeo. You might actually be able to stall out this final minute I have as Hisumi..~ Congratulations, you can return to your masters like the good little dog you are and report you survived the Black Cerebral..." I sneered, tilting my nose up at Kioshi with superiority.
Kioshi panted softly, leaning down slightly to catch her breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead. 'Is it over..? It's the final minute...and Hisumi will wake up—'
Kioshi noticed she couldn't move a muscle, her body seeming trapped by her own shadow. She struggled to look back, but once she did, she noticed a Shadow Arrow pinning her in place. She was mortified, the sound of the Senyata Eagle screeching in the air a haunting tune for her.
I stared at Kioshi with a wide grin, my eyes glowing with an almost grave intention. "And while I know you will survive this next attack...I won't leave you without a parting gift. Ancient Bull, Ruinous Charge!"
The Bull roared, his entire body surging with dark red and black energy. He leaned down, his body flickering and with a burst of speed, he charged forward, seemingly gaining speed instantaneously instead of his usual gradually growing speed.
The Bull rammed into Kioshi directly, smashing his head against her body with wrath never seen before. Kioshi groaned loudly in pain, coughing a bit of blood as she felt her ribs breaking within. The impact of the Bull's ram sent her crashing through the wall of bunnies and through a window of a distant store.
I pet the Ancient Bull, chuckling darkly and closed my eyes. "Well...my ten minutes are...over..."
Orika watched as I passed out, gasping and hurting toward me to catch me as I fell off the back of the Ancient Bull. She looked around as she held me in her arms, watching as all of my Grim Beasts slowly dematerialized into Death Energy and returned into my body.
"She did it...She saved Destiny Central from Judgement. She beat a Judgement Captain," Ryder said in complete awe, gaining a newly founded respect for me.
Adrianna smiled at me, watching as Orika kept me close to her. "It is incredible isn't it..? A former member of Judgement... fighting against those who trained her."
Orika watched as my appearance returned back to normal, my hair slowly reverting back to its normal color. She smiled at me, moving my hair from my face. "You did it, Hisu...You beat Kioshi..."
{Mission Complete!}
{DMG Increase: 3,679 -> 3,721}
{Burst DMG Increase: 4,679 -> 4,705}
{Survivability Increase: 5,911 -> 6,070}
{Spirit Control Increase: 3,505 -> 3,704}
{Reputation with New Karma has increased greatly.}
With Judgement defeated and retreating from the area, we were all gifted a moment of reprieve, each one of us glad that we were able to defend Destiny Central from the clutches of the Lost Syndicates and Judgement.