Chapter 6: Fighting Nothing

Albedo POV

"I'll personally help her out... by.."

"Ending you."

When Albedo heard this, she immediately changed into her armored form and charged towards Bellerose in rage.

"Feather Rain!" Albedo yelled, shooting many hundreds of feathers from her wings towards Bellerose. Bellerose, however, was completely unaffected by her attack with the feathers fazing right through her body. This made Albedo growl in annoyance as she realized that physical attacks wouldn't work on Bellerose as she was a ghost. She quickly chanted her magic even though Albedo's magic wasn't strong.

"Poison mist" She chanted. Instantly, a large cloud of purple, poisonous mist covered most of the arena, blocking Bellerose's sight. The other guardians quickly jumped out of the arena into the spectators stands. Albedo saw the poison enveloping Bellerose, confirming to her that she was being affected by the poison. She then charged towards Bellerose, thinking that the poison would be enough to distract her.

"Icy strike!" Albedo quickly said as she was behind Bellerose. Instantly her axe, 3F, was incased in a magical ice. She then tried to strike Bellerose with the axe but was surprised when Bellerose caught the blade of her axe with her index finger and her thumb. Bellerose then followed up with a spell.

"Infernal blast" Bellerose chanted. It was a 9th tier spell that shot a large, concentrated beam of blue flames towards the target. It boasted high damage that bypasses defensive armor while blowing the enemy away from them, creating space. Instantly the beam of flames engulfed Albedo and shot her 20 meters away from Bellerose.

"ARGHHH!" Albedo got up slowly. However, she was heavily injured with the armor on her right arm and legs melting into her flesh. her body was making sizzling sounds. The floor guardians from the spectators stands smelled the burning flesh. 

Albedo thought that her defenses would be enough to counter Bellerose, as Albedo knew she possessed the highest defensive capabilities out of all the guardians but was severely caught off guard by the sheer power of Bellerose. Due to that, she did not put any defensive skills or spells to block her attacks, severely underestimating Bellerose. Bellerose slowly walked up to Albedo, finally ending with her being around arm's length of Albedo.

Albedo tried to attack her with her axe using the remaining strength that she had from her arm that wasn't injured. She couldn't use the rest of her body as the armor that was melted to her skin didn't allow her to move. She couldn't think straight because of the pain from the burns.

"...Icy strike.." It was a futile attempt. Bellrose countered with a spell of her own.

"Wind gust" Bellerose chanted as a strong rush of wind hit Albedo's arm. The strong gust of wing broke her remaining arm while disarming her, shooting the axe away towards the wall of the arena. The axe lodged itself into the wall.

"Black tar" Bellerose chanted. It was a tier 5 spell that caused a large amount of viscous black liquid to poor over Albedo, covering her body. 

"Ughh..." The burns from Bellerose's previous attack caused Albedo to feel even more pain when the black liquid hit her body. As soon as the liquid covered every orifice of her body. Bellerose continued with another spell.

"Ignite" Bellerose chanted a tier 1 spell. Slowly, a small flicker of fire formed and slowly floated towards Albedo. As soon as the fire hit the black tar on Albedo, she combusted into flames, burning her entire body.

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Albedo screamed. She felt her hair disappearing from her head and her face starting to melt. Her armor was melting even more into her body, becoming one with the armor. Bellerose continued to chant multiple fire spells at Albedo until she fell to the ground.

Barely conscious, Albedo could only mutter a single sentence.

"Lord... Momonga...I'm.... Sorry....".

Albedo saw Bellerose was about to deal the finishing blow on Albedo. 

"Death's embrace" Bellerose chanted and a black scythe formed in her hands. Just as Bellerose was about to deal the finishing blow, all the guardians dashed towards Bellerose to try and stop her from killing Albedo. However, they were too far from Bellerose and Albedo to get there in time. Just as Albedo thought it was too late for them to save her, a loud voice caught her off guard.

"GREATER DISPELL!" All the floor guardians turned, seeing Lord Momonga with Mare following closely behind him. They instantly kneeled towards him.

Instantly, the area around them distorted revealing that they were all just standing in their original positions before they started Albedo and Bellerose started fighting except Bellerose wasn't there.

"This was an illusionary spell caused by Bellerose, and one her stronger spells at that. There had to be a good reason why it was used. Floor Guardians! what has caused her to use it and against a fellow floor guardian?" He said coldly, with his eyes glowing large crimson light when which meant that he was glaring at all the floor guardians, including Albedo.

"Bellerose, enough with the petty tricks and get down here." Lord Momonga ordered. When he said that, the spectators stands started to distort which revealed Bellerose who was sitting there with her feet crossed, looking down at all of them. She then floated towards Lord Momonga and kneeled in the air.

They were all sweating profusely when they realized that the entire time, they were caught in an illusion in their own minds. Even though Albedo ending up not being injured at all since it was a mental illusion. The mental strain from not realizing it was an illusion until now and feeling all the pain prior made her pass out.

..................

Bellerose POV

Hearing Momonga's order, Bellerose floated towards him and kneeled. There was a deafening silence throughout the arena. It took a while until the first person to take the initiative to speak was Demiurge.

"There was... a verbal dispute between Shalltear and Albedo in which Bellerose got directly involved. It ended up with Albedo questioning the worthiness of Bellerose's position as a floor guardian and as Lord Momonga's creation out loud, disrespecting both her and indirectly you, Lord Momonga." Demiurge said.

"...I see" Was all Momonga said while thinking. It took a few minutes before Momonga started to speak again.

"You will all be punished later except Mare, who came to get my attention. You all decided to sit and watch as your fellow guardians fought against one to the death. Even though it was an illusion, you all represent 41 supreme beings by being creations of them. By killing each other, you are shaming the image of the supreme beings." Momonga said with a hint of anger.

"And when Albedo wakes up, tell her I will talk with her soon. Tell her to be prepared" 

Momonga then stares at Bellerose for which felt like an eternity which made her tilt her head down even more in shame before he said,

"As for you Bellerose, come with me right now." As he turned around and opened a portal.

Bellerose quickly floated towards Momonga and they both went through the portal, leaving Albedo and the rest of the guardians in complete silence.