Perpetual Samsara (Part 8)

Location: The Northern Kingdom of the Kappa (Desecrated)

A pillar of flame, a streak of lightning, spiraling chasms of vermillion tinged by sparks of immaculate white plasma resonated together in perfect harmony as two distinct figures exuding fearsome determination and unwavering resolve interrupted the intentions compelling Bellona and Vainglory. The harmonious light of engulfing radiance waned giving way to the unveiling of two distinctive individuals.

The first was a female with a long train of silverish white hair that was bound by black and gold fan-shaped hair ornament with red tassels. She had a fair complexion of flawless, cream-like skin as her feminine features of doll-like beauty were adorned by rosemary-colored eyes. Her body was clad in a hybrid design of an assassin of the shadows and an armored warrior that would wage war on the frontlines. This ninja-like samurai attire was dyed black across the pauldrons, rerebraces, vambraces and greaves with heightened accents and edges tinged with gold. Matching that same style was the kasazuri that wrapped around her waist with an embroidered pattern of gold across dark crimson silk. Her chest was protected by chainmail under a black and white armored leather vest which hugged her feminine figure perfectly. She was none other than the Godspeed - Vesta Arashi.

The second individual was another female with a wave of bright red hair that seemingly burned the air around it as it danced in the subtle breeze. Unlike her companion, she wore less restrictive armor; in fact, one could make the mistake of saying that the female was barely trying to wear anything at all. Her body was clad in black leather thigh high boots with a red-printed pattern along the front. Then her mid-thigh region and hips were exposed before transitioning into midnight blue leotard with crimson accents calling back to her original attire back to the uniform she wore when she was a member of the Jade Dragons. The cheongsam-like attire was a flexible armor with an extremely high heat resistance considering the woman's abilities. Brimming with confidence in her cobalt blue eyes, Adena Zao-Long cocked a grin that did not waver before her foes.

Gazing into the distance away from them, Bellona noted that a few dozen of the Kappa managed to escape the devastating blast which she figured was the result of Vesta's efforts. Before she could even muster a word of mockery, Vainglory flew back into the fight with hatred filling her normally distant gaze. A fury unlike anything she could ever describe ignited her sight as she stalked Vesta's position like prey to be devoured.

"Heh, gotta admit, showing up like that was quite the unexpected move but pay yourselves on the back, you managed to save a small portion of a useless race of peace-loving cowards from total genocide," Bellona mocked while pointing her blade at the duo.

"I got the angry bimbo on the left, you go for the cranky hag on the right," Adena sassily remarked to her partner in crime.

"Deal," Vesta responded. The two shared a casual fistbump before dashing away towards their respective marks.

Faster than Vainglory could comprehend, Vesta appeared right before the Witch's eyes. The agent of the Abyss Order gritted her teeth in frustration before summoning her tendrils composed of Outer Darkness to capture her foe. In the eyes of The Godspeed however, it was like Vainglory was just a non-moving illustration painted on the wall. Responding to the Witch's meager offensive, Vesta summoned her weapon in the shape of a naginata. The lightning bolt-shaped blade was decorated atop an elongated black and primrose shaft with a golden ball weight at the end. With a subtle spin of the weapon, Vesta impaled Vainglory into the ground and skated on her body across Cocytus to Inferno.

She traversed the domains in a flash before stopping where she started, only difference being a significant distance away from Adena and Bellona. Vesta's naginata was still deeply lodged within Vainglory's chest as the Godspeed flung her weapon in the air. Vesta snapped her fingers, a portal of light tore open in the air embracing the flying Witch's body as she was swallowed whole. Unbeknownst to the woman, Vainglory would soon find herself in the great expanse known as Cosmic Foundry. The alternate reality of unending storms dominated by lightning blades welcomed her into the stormy abyss.

Vesta, whilst standing outside of her alternate realm, used her mind's eye to keep a careful observation over her foe. She extended her hands above her head and clenched them into a fist thus slamming them down like she was commanding the heavens to fall.

"Sundering Strike Alternative - Unyielding Storm," Vesta declared. By her command, the blades within Cosmic Foundry illuminated with light that blanketed out darkness within its infinite grip. Every orifice of electrical might resonated in the different color variants of crimson, indigo, obsidian, gold and white and more. In the longest, agonizing attosecond that seemed to extend into eternity, Vainglory witnessed everything slow down around her before she was forced to suffer an unending barrage of slashes. After the witch was reduced to red mist, Vesta merely stood upright on the outside of her realm and snapped her fingers once more. Cosmic Foundry vanished by that command as its colossal explosion illuminated the darkened skies of Cocytus.

What seemed like a decisive victory for the Godspeed was only just the beginning of her struggle against the Witch of the Abyss. Just as Vesta went to take a small breath of relief, Vainglory reappeared from nothingness just mere feet away from her. The Witch utilized her authority to negate all the damage that was inflicted upon her body and reflect it back towards the source. With a slight disapproving sigh, Vesta merely phased through the act as her body's frequency vibrated through the narrative being imposed upon her.

"Impossible, to pull such a feat would mean your skills are on par with a Deva!" Vainglory spat out with disdain.

"Despite losing the authority and powers of Indra when he took away my energy, I realized that training through the Resolute Blade Arts opened up a pathway for greater potential. After the war with Sakinah, I have been working nonstop to achieve a power that is wholly my own as well as speed unlike anything ever seen before," Vesta explained with a subtle shrug.

"I suppose I should expect nothing less from the Legendary Kamisoku–the Godspeed who tore a warpath through her own world in search of the power to never feel pain again, only to take a path of glorious destruction to the stars and worlds beyond. How ironic that you obstruct our path now, is it not? After all, you have shut the lights off across many universes. Your body count might be greater than our entire order," Vainglory smiled maliciously whilst attempting to goad the Godspeed into rash behavior.

In the midst of that tirade of insults, Vesta remained silent. She did not give a response or attempt to counter which further amplified the witch's ego.

"As a creature born from the True Void and a Daughter of Perdition, my authority allows me to always be the undisputed one atop all things. Use that ludicrous speed to your heart's content. Smash my body to bits, attack me with your infinite arsenal of blades; none of it matters. All that damage you inflict upon me will be reversed and I'll just evolve into something greater than you," Vainglory mocked with scorn.

"Before me, you are nothing more than a hopeless slave meant to kneel before her master…"

Resonating with those words, an insurmountable pressure weighed down upon Vesta's shoulders causing the girl to collapse to one knee. The sheer density of force mixed with compulsion surpassed the idea of carrying "the weight of the world" on one's shoulders. Vainglory's evolution through power was a formidable force to be reckoned with; however, the Godspeed fought against that authority by standing back up in mere moments as a strange power swirled around her.

"You're right… It's rich for me to stand against the Abyss Order because I am an even greater monster. No matter what I say, no matter what I do, there is no erasing the past. But unlike you, I no longer yearn for that sinful life. When my journey ends and my soul burns in Inferno, I will be satisfied because I have known what it means to love someone. Even if I have to pay for it, I will embrace the sin of killing you so that you can no longer harm someone else. One day, I will suffer the karma of that action, but you will be long gone before that day comes."

The electricity boiling from Vesta's body shifted into a deep purple shade as it enveloped her position taking the shape of a lotus before blossoming open thus revealing a new form. Her long train of white hair was knotted into a high ponytail using a red ribbon with golden fan-like trinkets splayed out from the base of the knot. Within that sea of white locks were streaks of red that flowed throughout like trails of blood. Her eyes shifted from the rosemary hue to a cruel, crimson luster devoid of mercy for her enemy. The purple electricity with a black core in its embrace danced around her body for a brief moment.

The armored dress she wore before shattered apart and reformed itself into something more form-fitting and revealing. Black armor that was more like a bikini or lingerie now decorated her body. Its black collar wrapped around her neck as a triangular plate aimed downward towards just the top of her cleavage with a purple, glowing jewel in its center. Her ample chest was narrowly bound by a black, armored sports bra that wrapped around her body. That same structure stretched down to cover her pelvic region, but it left her navel and abs exposed in the middle. It was like she was wearing a leotard similar to Adena, but she still maintained some of the samurai armor plating on either side of her hips. Her arms were shielded by black cloth with glossy vambraces layered over her forearms and the backs of her hands, a red pattern tracing along them. Covering her from behind was a blood red veil that seemingly trailed behind her like the trail of a bridal dress. Completing this risque attire were long black, high-heeled combat boots. As intimidating as she was, not an ounce of energy leaked from her body or wafted around her like an aural flame; instead, her armor was the physical manifestation of her energy.

The beauty and unknown power present around Vesta drew so much awe that not even Vainglory could contain herself. The slothful, yet pride-stricken witch found herself on her knees quivering as her dress became soaked in her bodily fluids.

"Ngh….haaa…!!!" she moaned as she pissed herself in fear, and experienced an innumerable amount of climaxes from desire simultaneously. Sanity escaped her, but reflexively, she continued to escalate and redefine the narrative with her authority to amplify her strength. Unfortunately, she was unable to feel superior to this new Vesta.

"You're trash…" the Godspeed uttered mercilessly.

"You got a whiff of my power and you've already turned into a broken dog begging for their owner's affection. Just look at you…a witch who was so proud is now nothing more than a brain-dead lickspittle. Absolutely pathetic…"

The uncharacteristically domineering nature of Vesta's tone wafted from her lips as if it was second nature. She followed that train of insults with a kick across Vainglory's face that flung her back-first onto the ground. Pikes of black lightning impaled the Witch's limbs like a hanged man before Vesta took a solid bolt of energy and shoved it into her foe's cunt. Running her through like a steer during mating season, Vainglory squirmed and screamed in twisted, blissful agony.

"Have MERSHIEEEE!!!"

"No… I don't think I will."

Without further delay, Vesta proceeded to stomp Vainglory's face over and over again. With each passing moment of her devastating stomps, the Godspeed's emotionlessly demeanor broke and reforged itself into a sick, twisted smile. As the motion persisted, that smile then gave way to a fit of laughter that took pleasure in this senseless assault. Blood covered the plates of her boots before the brain matter, bone and mangled flesh splattered beneath her heels. As Vesta would relent for the slightest of seconds, Vainglory's authority allotted her the gift of life anew before the Godspeed would deliver the gift of death.

After killing the witch over a thousand times, Vesta's smile gave way to a dissident sigh of boredom as the woman delivered a black lightning blade through the Abyss Order member's heart. The obsidian edge drained every aspect of her instantly, including her pesky authority. This translated to Vainglory becoming nothing more than a pile of bones before even that was drained into nothingness. Purposely, Vesta made sure that Vainglory's skull stayed behind for a brief moment; then even that was crushed swiftly beneath the Godspeed's heel leaving her with one last vestige of satisfaction.

"Good riddance…"

***

Reina was escorted to a private waiting chamber while Raizo was under the care of Kiichi Hogen. The room she was in was none other than the same area that she called home during her training many eons ago. It was a simple chamber that housed a small table in the middle of the room with a few cushions fluffed over a spread of tatami mats. A singular pot of tea with a plate of dumplings were arranged for her to partake at her leisure during her time in the room. The window was open towards the zen garden where various flowers were in bloom at the base of a cherry blossom tree. In the middle was a small fountain where the bamboo chute would fill up before dipping over to tap a small jar at the base before lifting up again. Knowing that she was in for a significant waiting time, Reina elected to pass the time by meditating.

As she found her center, the Sovereign used her authority to reach out across the veil to peer into her domain in order to ascertain the current state of the battle. In that moment, a sharp pain assailed her chest. Voices of countless men, women and children filled her ears as their cries of terror were silenced all at once. In tandem with this, she heard a message pass through to her.

"It was an honor to serve at your side, Lady Reina. May you know peace in the life to come…"

"Zion? No…no, this cannot be…" she thought to herself. She felt the Kappa Civilization crumble, the north lose its radiant light, and one of her trusted retainers fall in one fell swoop. Furthermore, she felt Arcueid and Musashi knocking on death's door; but that changed when the familiar presences of Vesta and Adena appeared. The Goddess of Fate thought she could breathe easy since it could not possibly get any worse, but she was wrong.

Vesta invoked a power that was so dark and menacing that it forced her mind to travel back to a certain day many eons ago. It was similar, but different; stronger and denser than that time, yet it was the same type of malevolence that belonged to that beast that she and Sakinah fought. However, it eclipsed its potential than that last encounter because the power was elevated by the core principles of the Resolute Blade Arts. Its state was nothing short of a malicious, domineering mimic of Sakinah's Ruling Bodhisattva.

"By the Grace of Akasha…will Cocytus even survive?"

***

"Tch…damn…" Musashi coughed whilst gripping her ribs.

"I thought we could take it easy, but…that is something far worse than our opponents from before," Arcueid surmised.

The two women were trying to recover their stamina on the sidelines after their brutal endeavor to fight back the vanguard of the Abyss Order. Feeling the presence of Vesta's terrifying form, the duo had a hard time even looking at the woman without wincing in further pain.

"That power…is not something born from the Heavens or the Earth," Arcueid further noted which only left Musashi feeling greater apprehension.

Meanwhile, streaks of flame of vermillion and cursed crimson lashed out at one another as Adena and Bellona were engaged in a light-hearted exchange of blows. Benihime's fists were embedded in the Light of Prometheus that forged flaming knuckle dusters which she used to parry against Bellona's blade. The two exchanged grins at one another while feeling each other out before their battle was interrupted by Vesta's cruel demeanor permeating the air.

"And you say we're the ones who are supposed to be monsters," Bellona mocked before increasing her intensity. The warrior maiden felt Vainglory's presence was no more; however, she did not necessarily seem to care about that death.

"Not like the crazy bitch and I were particularly close. For someone so proud to die in such a pathetic fashion…" Bellona scornfully criticized before readying herself to get serious in her match against a worthy opponent.

"Hurry up and finish her off, Zao-Long…before I decide to take her head for myself," Vesta commanded viciously, her timbre drenched in a rougher, assertive tone that was uncharacteristic of her calm, soft-spoken persona.

"Oi Vesta, take a load off for a while and go back to your normal form, okay? You're a bit scary when you're in that little mojo," Addy casually advised with a soft sigh before taking up a battle-ready stance again.

"Tch…" Vesta gritted her teeth before sighing and relenting to her loved one's request. A cocoon of her energy enveloped her body before cracking apart as the Godspeed's Bodhisattva form was disengaged thereby reverting the Tempest to her previous attire.

"Try not to waste too much time fighting her. A dragged out battle is the last thing any of us needs right now," Vesta advised with a soothing yet wise tone of voice that was perfect for her regular self.

"I'll take those two out of harm's way. That way you can truly go off."

Before Musashi and Arcueid could even process, Vesta speed blitzed away from the area with the former duo in tow. In no time flat, she was onboard the Last Word which caused the deck crew to get spooked.

"Damn…that was way too fast," Musashi said before dropping to her knees feeling a little sick whereas Arcueid just flipped her hair back and walked off her wounds.

"Easy there, Musashi-dono, we'll get you the help you need," Shinji remarked as he aided the Samurai to the medical bay with Elfnein following after.

"Can we bring the battle between Adena and Bellona on-screen?" Vesta requested.

"Acknowledged, stand by…and welcome aboard, Aunt Vesta," Alexis remarked before fine-tuning the broadcast of the coming bout to the main screen monitor. A battle of epic proportions was about to begin.