▪︎Petal of salvation "12th Lunaria "2pm (The Attack On Griown)
We're in space, but how?
In the vast expanse of space, an unsettling question hung in the air: How had they arrived here? Was this truly her ability at work? And what scenario were they caught in?
The three of them hovered in disbelief, suspended in the void of space and confronted with the impossible. Hadn't they read stories about the suffocating silence of the cosmos? Shouldn't they have perished instantly? Doubt gnawed at their minds—is this reality or mere illusion? Before them floated Cosmos, an enigmatic figure who regarded their futile struggles for air with an impassive gaze. Her eyes, once a dull grey, now shimmered with a piercing yellow, as if they fed off their despair.
Ryo attempted to orient himself, his eyes darting to their surroundings. There were no planets in sight—only clusters of stars glimmering like distant memories scattered across an endless sea of darkness.
"This isn't good... I'm losing consciousness," he thought, fear prickling at the edges of his mind.
One by one, Ryo and his companions felt their awareness slipping away, their eyelids growing heavy as their eyes began to roll back.
"Sleep forever, within the safety of the stars," Cosmos intoned, her voice weaving into their thoughts like a dark melody.
She stretched out her hands, which pulsed with radiant stardust, a lethal glimmer that beckoned them towards oblivion.
〔BLACK OUT〕
"Huh?"
〔RED〕
"It's all red. That's... strange."
〔BLACK OUT〕
"That's odd; I can't see anything anymore."
〔DARKNESS〕
She stood in a surreal stillness, arms outstretched, her head throbbing. The world around her had plunged into darkness, an abyss of confusion swallowing her senses. Her eyes were bathed in crimson before succumbing to an all-consuming void, her ears ringing as if caught in an unending storm.
"I'm dying… but how?"
Panic surged through her as she fought to understand the incomprehensible situation she found herself in. Yet, her body felt unresponsive, as if it were a mere spectator to her unraveling. Questions spiraled in her mind: How was she still alive? What had gone wrong? Had she made a fatal misjudgment? Shouldn't they be unconscious by now? Why was this happening to her? What was going on?
"I knew I won't miss, even with a Shit shot," he muttered to himself.
A man, likely in his thirties, with disheveled blonde hair and a brown coat, stood a couple of buildings away, cigarette dangling from his lips, a sniper rifle cradled in his hands. The weapon was exquisitely crafted, glowing with an ethereal light. He wiped the lens of his scope and adjusted it to focus on his target.
"The little bitch is still standing, huh? Most people would be reduced to bits by now. Guess she's already dead—her nerves gave out. Courtesy of the blackout."
Ryo and the others jolted awake as Koki, who had just avoided Cosmos's initial attack, called out to them. "Wake up, guys! It's, uh... it's over?"
Struggling to convey the miracle he had just witnessed, Koki watched as Ryo and the others emerged from their stupor.
"We're alive?" Tadashi asked, feeling his own body as if to confirm it, and the others followed suit.
"No way. What in the world...?"
Cosmos stood frozen, blood dripping from her head. The group could only wonder what had caused this or, more specifically, who had done it. They turned to Koki.
"Don't look at me! I didn't do this!" Koki waved his hands in denial.
"Then how did this happen—" Before Akari could finish her question, a mist began to swirl in front of them, revealing a shadowy figure clad in silver armor adorned with deep red thorns. The man's face was a dark, glitching void.
"Cosmos, I can barely feel your Kardia Magia anymore. You lost, didn't you?" The man hoisted her into his arms, her expressionless face and wide-open eyes giving no hint of life. It was a disturbing sight.
"What a shame. The master had high hopes for you. And here you are, using your trump card against maggots—quite unwise."
"Sir... Briar, I—" Her voice cracked, barely a whisper.
"It seems you're still struggling to cling to life—pitiful. No matter. You shall be put to work as a fallen Hollow. Your ability can still be cultivated; dead or alive, it makes no difference."
Sir Briar turned, stepping back into the mist with her cradled in his arms.
"No... I don't want to be a Hollow! I don't—" Her voice quaked as she rejected her unavoidable fate.
"Hey, you bastard!"
-Bang!
A gunshot rang out, echoing close to Sir Briar. He immediately dodged to the side as another man switched from a shotgun to a submachine gun. Instead of bullets, a flurry of explosive Kardia Magia struck out.
-Rat-a-tat-tat!
Sir Briar darted sideways, evading the barrage, and then raised his hands. The space in front of him distorted as the bullets vanished into thin air.
"What? No fair man"
The man exclaimed, pulling out a unique gun adorned with chains and an iridescent coating, equipped with a slim scope. His dark eyes sparkled with mischief as he peered through it. With a bang! The shot fired, splitting into multiple rapid-fire projectiles that homed in on their target, moving faster than the human eye could follow.
Sir Briar managed to intercept a few of the bullets with a spatial barrier, but they quickly changed trajectories, catching him off guard. A few connected, leaving minor injuries, but he brushed them off.
"Futile," he said, mocking the man's futile attempts to harm him.
"Don't say that! Look at your arm, it's bleeding, isn't it?" the man retorted, his voice filled with anger. "Want to see me do it again, motherfucker? I haven't even started yet!"
Sir Briar sighed, almost pitying the man. He stretched out his hands, warping the space around him as a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"I had intended to spare your people, but it seems fools like you can't recognize mercy when it's offered. Perish alongside your fellow maggots."
With a deep inhale, he continued, "Fiends of nature itself, plague this land as you see fit!"
Suddenly, portals opened around him, unleashing a horde of Kardia beasts, ranging from Lesser Beasts to horrifying Nightmares. Ryo's eyes widened in terror as hundreds of Kardia beasts crawled out, and the gravity of their situation became overwhelmingly clear.
"We're so dead," Ryo murmured.
...
▪︎Petal of salvation "12th Lunaria "1:35pm (The Attack On Griown)
"Hitomi, cover me!" Mei shouted, struggling to suppress Bloodroot's advances with dark flames. Hitomi sent forth Ryu, her giant phoenix familiar, which unleashed a torrent of fire upon him.
"This isn't working! He's shrugging off everything with that blood!" Hitomi gasped, fighting to hold him back. Tsukiko was charging up an attack; they were supposed to keep Bloodroot occupied for five minutes, but that already seemed impossible.
"Be careful, Hitomi! You could burn the boy too!"
"Don't worry, Ryu only burns what I tell him to," Hitomi reassured Mei, ensuring the boy's safety. Todd stood by, ready to provide healing if necessary, already bolstering their strength.
"I'm not sure how to adjust, but I can minimize the explosions to only affect him. It'll mean a drop in firepower, though," Svetlana said, hurling floating balls of dark flame that exploded harmlessly against Bloodroot. He seemed utterly unfazed.
"Uh, Ms. Aoki, they can't keep this up much longer, and he looks bored," Todd called out to Tsukiko in hopes she was prepared.
"Well, this isn't entertaining," Bloodroot sneered. "It's as if you're not even trying to impress me. Forgive my rudeness, but what was all that training for?" With a burst of energy, he leapt into the air. With a single swipe of his hand, he sent Hitomi, Mei, and Svetlana sprawling, as if they were mere inconveniences.
"You're too patient."
A massive puddle of blood began to rise.
"And too inexperienced."
From the puddle surged solid blades.
"And most importantly, far too weak."
He unleashed the projectiles toward them, which they scrambled to evade, but more than a few grazed them as the relentless onslaught continued.
"Watch out!"
"Mei, look—"
But it was too late. A blood spear pierced Mei's side, sending her tumbling backward and causing her to cough up blood.
"Damn it, it hurts," she gasped, struggling to rise from her vulnerable position while Hitomi used Ryu to shield them. But the onslaught only increased in intensity.
"How is he so strong?"
Just when their situation seemed dire enough, they felt a sharp pain radiating from their wounds.
"What's happening? How is he—" Blood from their injuries began to pool and form larger bubbles; they were losing too much blood.
"Hey, Ms. Aoki, you need to hurry! Your friends won't last much longer. I'm doing my best, but my healing is only delaying the inevitable at this point," Todd said, desperately focusing on healing Mei, Svetlana, and Hitomi.
"I'm ready," Tsukiko responded, her determination unwavering. With those words, the dagger Koki had given her transformed into a blade of light, and in the blink of an eye, Tsukiko charged at Bloodroot.
"Oh, this one's strong," Bloodroot observed, halting his attacks to intercept Tsukiko's blade. She pulled back, gathering her strength.
"I didn't want to use this so soon," she admitted, taking a deep breath to brace herself, "but you leave me no choice."
"Apex: Dance of the Dawn"
In an instant, Tsukiko vanished from sight, her presence erased in a blinding flash. The clash of steel was quickly drowned out by the rush of blood.
"Ah, I see your game now," Bloodroot exclaimed, a twisted grin stretching from ear to ear. "This'll be worthwhile."
The air was thick with tension as strikes echoed, a cacophony of clashes reverberating around them. With each collision, Tsukiko grew faster, her world slowing down until it was only the man before her who moved at a pace she longed to outstrip. She aimed not just to surpass him but to leave him in her wake, unable to react in time. The dance of light and steel spiraled into an intense rhythm, a Hundred, a thousand times Steel and light clashed with blood, melding into a symphony of violence.
Others stood transfixed, mouths agape at the breathtaking display of power and grace unfolding before their eyes. It was a beautiful dance, yet they struggled to catch more than fleeting glimpses of it.
"Atta girl, Tsukiko! She's always been a bit too strong," Hitomi remarked, a pained laugh escaping her lips as her wounds throbbed relentlessly.
Nearby, Todd focused intently on healing Mei, as Svetlana had instructed. He made progress, but exhaustion rapidly crept in, wearing him down.
With one hand coated in hardened blood, the man deflected Tsukiko's precise blows. But soon, the tide shifted; he began to falter under her onslaught.
"Alright, Svetlana, we're going to need to pitch in," Hitomi suggested, urgency sharpening her voice. Svetlana nodded in agreement, determination etching her features.
They surged forward, conspiring to avoid harming Tsukiko in the process. Svetlana hurled balls of fire at the man's feet to destabilize him, while Hitomi summoned waves of heat with Ryu, pushing him further back. Now, Tsukiko had a clear opening, a path to victory, but before she could seize the moment—
"Guuuh!... Rrrrrggghhh!"
Bloodroot's hand plunged into the boy's side with a force that shattered ribs and pierced skin. Blood sprayed as muffled cries erupted from him, growing louder with every agonizing second.
"Coward! How dare you? HOW DARE YOU!" Svetlana's screech shattered the tense atmosphere.
"Ha... haha, heh-heh, hahaha!" The man's laughter was a chilling sound that echoed through the air, taunting and monstrous. He ripped through the boy as if he were nothing more than paper, savoring the moment, as if digging deeper into their souls.
The boy was already lifeless.
"Monster! He's just a child! How could you do this?" Hitomi seethed, her rage boiling over into a fiery torrent.
With blood pooled around him, the man began to mold it into a grotesque sea of sanguine blades. Things looked bleak as despair settled over them. Tsukiko threw every ounce of her strength into annihilating each of the deadly formations, her body moving like a blur, akin to the speed of sound. Yet, new blood-sicles rose almost immediately from the shattered remnants, relentless in their emergence.
"Ryu, we're going to be hurt badly if we keep this up. Come on, boy," she whispered, closing her eyes to prepare for the chant.
"Xi-phoenix, ri-aerilai,
Ni-kalxor kor-sha, zhila-tha.
Ni-zhilakai, ri-kor, sha-lai,
Aerikor, thalos-tha, kor-tha lai."
*(Come, Phoenix, let us unite,
My wounds are yours, your will is mine.
I am you, and you are me,
Lend me your power, set me free.)*
「Apex: Familiar Myth」
With those words, Ryu and Hitomi merged into a single being. Hitomi's red hair transformed, extending into vibrant flames that flickered like wings from her back. Her clothes remained untouched by the fire, and her skin showed no signs of burns. Her yellow eyes glowed with fierce intensity as Kardia-magia pulsed, driving her to further master the Apex of her scenario.
"Yes, yes! Show me more!" Bloodroot called out, completely captivated by the unfolding spectacle. Hitomi charged at him, radiating intense heat that began to evaporate the blood surrounding her adversary. Despite the scorching pressure, Bloodroot remained unfazed. He fired blood projectiles, creating bloodsicles that flew towards Hitomi and Tsukiko. The two managed to mount a strong defense, but in a fit of rage, Hitomi seized Bloodroot by the neck and unleashed her flames in an attempt to burn him alive. Yet, he countered with an eerie calm; from their own wounds, he summoned bubbles of hardened blood that exploded around him, piercing Hitomi and Tsukiko deeply. Tsukiko's blouse became stained with blood, and both knew that in a battle against this foe, bleeding would only worsen their situation.
They pressed on, trying to dodge the unpredictable spikes while keeping Bloodroot on edge, but fatigue was beginning to set in.
"Hey, Todd! Go help them out; I'm fine now," Mei insisted, pushing his hands away from her wounds.
"But you're still in bad shape! If you let him go now—" Lana's face was etched with worry; she desperately tried to dissuade Mei from her reckless decision.
"Don't worry, I'll manage. I'm not going to die here. Trust me, it's just not my time," Mei smiled reassuringly.
"Okay, I'll go. You should be fine for a few minutes, but don't overexert yourself," Todd said as he carefully adjusted Mei's position, ensuring her hands were placed securely on her wounds.
"Lana, you too! Go aid them. You can't let him get away with killing that boy, can you?" The strain in Mei's voice was evident, yet her encouragement pushed Svetlana to act.
"Fine. Just don't die on me, okay? A wound like that is barely enough to kill someone as beautiful as you. After all, you're the top of us Lilies right?," Svetlana replied with a warm, cocky smile, as unwavering in spirit as she appeared, despite her dirt-smudged clothes and face from the ongoing battle.
Svetlana and Todd joined the fray, with Svetlana providing cover and Todd healing to restore their stamina while boosting their strength. The tide of battle seemed to shift in their favor, yet something nagged at them. Bloodroot showed no signs of fatigue—why? They exchanged glances, puzzled. Barrage after barrage, he absorbed everything they threw at him without faltering.
"It seems you've begun to grasp why you will never defeat me. You've barely harmed me since we started, and you're exhausting whatever stamina you had left. It's a shame; you girls could have blossomed into something extraordinary had you not crossed paths with me today," Bloodroot smiled, effortlessly handling their every attack.
"Silence! Your words won't make us waver, not in the slightest," Tsukiko declared, her voice resolute, even as the toll of the battle weighed heavily on her body. The relentless pressure from the Apex was beginning to take its toll, but she refused to show weakness.
Bloodroot seized Hitomi with a vicious grip, his blood biting into her flesh as he threatened to tear her apart from within. Fear surged through Tsukiko as she realized the gravity of the situation. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she lunged toward him, determination burning in her eyes.
"NOOO!"
〔PITCH BLACK DARKNESS〕
In that harrowing moment, it felt as though time itself had come to a standstill. Darkness enveloped them, rendering everyone blind and numbing their senses. Nothing existed beyond the suffocating void.
"Apex: Silent Night."
It was Mei, lying just out of the chaos, her arms still stretched outward as she began to pass out.
The opening she created was fleeting, yet it was just what they needed. The moment the Apex was released, Bloodroot was cut down—a flash of steel marking the end of his reign of terror. Standing over him was a striking figure: a woman clad in form-fitting white leather armor. Her long purple hair flowed like a tranquil river against the stark whiteness of her attire, while her piercing red eyes radiated a lethal aura. Her sword glimmered ominously, stained with the blood of the fallen.
"A gardener," Mei whispered softly.