Sixes And Sevens

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Kate "Evileye" Heron

"You really should run away, y'know? There is no way in hell we kill this thing right now, Kate. Even Lennon couldn't. He only managed to wound it."

Gnashing my teeth, I ignore Mie's words and clasp my hands even tighter upon Demonsbane's risky grip. She doesn't understand, not really. She's not human, after all.

She's not Comanche.

We don't lose.

Demonsbane roars with fury as I stab its blade into the ground to steady my feet. Gallons of blood from this Urayuli have already enhanced it, and I'm preparing to give it some of mine. This fight has gone on for long enough.

"Shut up, Mie."

She doesn't like what I say to her at all. That is an easy thing to sense, but she restrains from shouting back at me mentally. Instead, she delivers a caring warning.

"Fine. Be like that. I don't want to die, or worse, get some other schmoe to take me. Give Demonsbane your blood. I'll give it my mind. That should keep us going for... twenty seconds? Thirty at most. I'll count. Drop the Claymore the instant I tell you to."

Breathing heavily as the towering Urayuli stumbles toward me, its left leg removed at the knee from one of Lennon's inhuman strikes with a shabby sword, I nod. Only for a moment do I admire Lennon's swordsmanship and skill. To do that with such a crooked blade... What could he do with Demonsbane? I shake my head to focus. Then, compelling my body into standing at my full height, I rip Demonsbane from the dirt, the bloodied edge extending a complete man's height past the metallic point.

My lungs are on fire, my legs as sore as the harshest training day, and my body is covered in minor and mediocre wounds. Mie is good at using Shift to either move me or a weapon away with her mind. Though it takes both vast amounts of Ether to use, and despite it being her Power, she prefers to mentally strike people than physically.

However, I ignore all the warning signs from my body and glare at the lumbering Urayuli, tainted by the showering Darklight all over. The physically strongest race in the world. Capable of breaking mountaintops if given enough time. Now, it remains mindless and broken, tainted to the core. Lennon avoided the corruption via speed and unpredictability, but I must rely on Mie. That is fine. We can do this.

And so, raising Demonsbane to my left hand, I cut a thin line, allowing the blade to consume what it wants so dearly. Whilst offering the crimson gift to my Claymore, the sword hungrily devours the blood with a howl that fills the air. A thin film of dark crimson, not quite blood but not quite shadow, cloaks my arm and the blade.

A thin smile streaks onto my face as Mie also grunts, both of us bearing our portions of the price for power while the edge grows shorter, not longer. The red darkens, gradually shifting toward black as Demonsbane compresses its strength. My legs turn to lead, so hard to move from the weakness suffusing me that I almost fall. Forcing Vigor through my body alongside Mie's help, I steady myself.

Without hesitation, I charge toward the massive Urayuli, its elevated form casting a shadow over the blood field the size of the library. My heart pounds in my chest as tendrils of hateful darkness course through me, Mie barely keeping it from reaching my mind. With every step, I feel the essence of Demonsbane flow through my muscles, veins, and bones, and I entwine my own Ether with it. Mie and I both agree all artifacts deserve to be free, recognized, or put out of their misery. Demonsbane? It is misery. Pure and simple. No soul or mind exists as far as we can tell. Not even a hint of humanity is left within it.

Vigor Rush fills me with jubilance as everything slows slightly, and even my sense of time is enhanced. Wounds bleed quicker from the increased blood flow, but Demonsbane devours any leaking injuries. And with every drop it consumes, the deeper the crimson sinks.

The Urayuli swings toward me, its strike still dangerously fast, but I surge forward with the alacrity of the fastest spawn of demon, a Crimsoned One, what we believe the Claymore is built from.

I leap and bound, using the creature's own massive striking hand as a handhold to climb onto its arm. My blade finds its mark, striking at the vulnerable spots on the Urayuli's body while simultaneously hauling me up as its slam smashes a hole into the ground dozens of feet deep. The impact of its attack almost throws me off, but I remain atop it as I push forward, dragging my blade up its arm. As I move forward, my eyes do not leave its pulsing neck.

A primal greed suffuses my mind, but a warning tone draws me back from the abyss.

"Careful, Kate. It's still getting you!"

I pause momentarily, unwilling to let Demonsbane dig a hole in my mind. Rapidly, I focus inwardly, creating a small Barricade in my mind with rudimentary Ether, as it's impossible to do anymore without a Mentalist or Scholar as I must also be careful not to negligently mix Ether and Vigor. But I stop for too long, and the Urayuli retaliates with another strike, this one from its other arm.

I hardly react in time, twisting around the arm I stand on as a massive hand comes for me, edged with shimmering claws of Darklight. Demonsbane sinks into the Urayuli's flesh as I hang from it to evade the attack. Then, swinging myself up, I land on the attacking hand as the Urayuli growls at me.

The noise tears into me while I dash up its arm, cutting flesh, fur, and bone my whole way up. Blood surges from my ears as the world goes quiet. Yet, in the end, all it does is deliver more to Demonsbane.

And so, my form grows even swifter and deadlier. Even I shrink, my fairly tall stature falling to that of an average woman's height. All of it for more power.

Floods of flesh and blood fall to the ground as it strikes at me again, fast, but not fast enough. I slide under its claw, hardly avoiding being entrapped by it, and continue up its arm. The creature is massive, at least double the size of any other Urayuli I've ever heard of. It must be the Manipulator's doing. The Mother Below's effects truly are wide-ranging and extensive.

But I fast reach its neck, raising Demonsbane to remove its head. Lennon attempted something earlier but was stopped. Neither Mie nor I could catch what it was earlier, so I slow as I approach the furred and muscled neck of the creature.

Again, I raise my Claymore high, and as usual, Mie places a Shift onto the back of the blade, giving it a bit more oomph as I overlay my skills as well. Slash and Rebound cover my wrists and shoulders with focused and intensified Ether, readying me for the strike and the potential failure. But as I swing horizontally, doing so fast enough not to get hit again, Mie screams.

"Left! It's invisible!" 

I look left but find and sense nothing, even with Mie's sight that typically sees through invisibility. Nonetheless, I trust her, pivoting to Slash in the air, but I'm too slow.

An incredible force covers my whole body as my whole world shakes. My partner howls in pain as I feel numbness enter my mind and body.

*******************

"Kate! Kate! Get up! Now! Now! GET THE FUCK UP!"

Blinking frantically and almost about to shout at her for waking me up, I see a hand the size of a shack coming straight for me. Breathing out a quick "Fuck!" I roll to the side and onto my feet, but it's not enough.

The clawed object falls for me, stopping just a single foot above my head as Mie screams once more.

"I can hold it for long! Get your ass moving! Dammit!"

I bite my lip, drawing blood as I force Vigor Rush into my body, only to find it's still partially present. How long was I knocked out for? A second? Two? Doesn't matter.

Leaping backward and stabbing Demonsbane into the ground for extra speed, I get out from underneath the shadow just as Mie relents. And a colossal impact shakes my senses as rocks fly everywhere. Sidestepping back and forth, I keep everything from hitting me with the help of my Claymore's edge while I speak to Mie.

"What the fuck was that?!"

She mentally shrugs as I also feel the pain she's experiencing. It's awful. Whatever got us got her just as badly, and she's already dealing with Demonsbane.

"I-I think that was its Power. Some illusory form that can strike mentally. Lennon must have sensed the danger and retr-tr-treated fast enough not to get hit. Knowing how sus--sceptible you are to psychic blows compared to me, I t-t-took the brunt of it, but it still knocked you out. And I---I retaliated with Shift, thinking it was just invisible, but it wasn't. So, we... we were flung to the ground as there was no object for me to enact Shift on."

I nod to her as the Urayuli shambles closer. Taking a deep breath, I move forward, gradually increasing in pace as I near the Urayuli. My heart trembles as I realize how injured Mie is. That psychic blow got her good. She's stuttering and stammering. She never does that. No one is as articulate as her. For her sake, I tighten my gaze and focus for us both.

"Okay. We can still do this. You just have to point out that figure for me. I'll stay away from it and kill the bastard."

Mie gives me a short grunt of approval. However, as I continue my assault, I realize that my speed alone may not be enough. The Urayuli's strength is overwhelming, and with that kind of Power, I need to be even quicker. Getting caught off-guard and being unable to react cannot happen again. I got lucky that Mie could handle the strike, but with the pressure of Demonsbane on her, I doubt she can take another hit like that.

She never stutters unless Demonsbane is getting her good.

With a deep breath, I make a difficult choice. I shift the blade to my left hand as I sprint toward the Urayuli. Then, I allow the blade to cut into my right hand, knowing it will draw even more blood but also give more power from my sword hand. The pain is intense, but I can feel the sword's significance growing exponentially as my Vigor, or what remains of it, soars from my wound. It's a risky move, but I'm desperate to defeat this formidable foe before we run out of time or get killed by it.

And once I cut my right hand, I place the handle back in it, enabling the blade to feast as it would like. Immediately, I feel woozy as a metallic jaw emerges from the handle and bites into my hand, but I continue with my movements.

Now, with the sword fueled by the constant flow of my blood, I press forward with newfound strength and determination. Dodging another strike of the Urayuli, I leap onto its arm and destroy as much as I can up on my way to its head. Every strike becomes more forceful, and I leave lasting wounds on the Urayuli's body but also injuries that approach Lennon's in size. I continue to climb higher, inching closer to its head.

Amid the struggle upward, my vision narrows and my body cools, and all that matters is my quest to bring down the Urayuli. My heart beats in sync with the blade as it devours my blood, feeding my body with fantastical intensity. And with this darkness that suffuses my innards, Mie quietly taking the psychic strain, I fast approach the Uryauli's head, leaving rains of blood in my wake.

As I finally reach the top, my eyes lock onto the creature's neck, but I wait for Mie's warning, confident in my speed. But as I wait, another massive hand comes for me, slowed by all the blood that has been spilled. I easily dodge it, yet a shout comes the moment my toes touch its shoulder once more.

"Up!" 

Instantly, I slide down the body of the creature, unsure how far behind me the illusory figure is. As I slide down, I stab Demonsbane into the Urayuli's flesh, which cuts my way down as it does to all things. Effortlessly. And while falling, I glance up and use Mirror on the Urayuli, feeling a powerful retaliation, but it still works with some force. Now it will have even more issues finding me while I attempt to kill it once and for all. Though, Mirror will likely only last a few seconds on such a large creature.

I quickly fall to where the being's heart should be. And when I do, I clench onto its body with my legs and remove Demonsbane from its body. Then, hauling the Claymore all the way back, I input a tiny stream of Ether, compelling it to do the only thing I am capable of at my Sigil.

Burst Of Darkness.

For a singular moment, I am within the darkest pit imaginable, and far, far, above is an endless maw, devouring all that has existed or will ever exist. My hands shake, cold and powerless, but I clench them in defiance.

You will obey me, Demonsbane.

Something seems to occur in the darkness, a slight shift within the abyss as I regain my sight. All the blood, Vigor, and mental energy devoured from Mie, the Urayuli, and me are expelled at once, creating a cone of devouring pestilence. Instantly, a million tiny threads slice through the Urayuli from the tip of the blade, and I leap off, unwilling to hold onto the blade any longer.

"Phew. That was getting really bad. Nice quick thinking there."

I smile as Mie helps me land, creating a small puff of Shift to slow my fall. Then, I back up as I watch the cone of darkness that goes all the way through the Urayuli decimate the creature. Darklight attempts to overpower Demonsbane, but it fails utterly, and the darkness overwhelms it all as the beast howls for help.

"I'm about out of Ether, Kate. All those Shifts are wearing me the fuck out. Best if we sneak out, don't you think?" 

I glance to my side, looking inward of the library as the Urayuli falls to its knees, the massive creature fast dying to Demonsbane's might. Inside, I find Johnny Caldwell and Lennon struggling against the Viceroy of the Nahullo.

I wouldn't mind killing that bastard.

But before I do, I stride over to the Urayuli as it crashes onto its side, breaking trees and shaking the earth as it does. Climbing over gallons of blood and tons of torn flesh, I reach Demonsbane. I bandage my hands tightly and ask Mie to close the wounds, especially the gnarly bite into my right palm before I take the blade. Immediately, I sheathe it, not wanting to listen to it ramble with unknown fervor.

Then, I step off its cooling body and race toward the inside of the library. I'd take the Sigil from the Urayuli if I didn't have to wait for Mie and me to reach Dawn. We're close. But we're not quite there yet. Our trust isn't high enough yet, or something like that. I'm not entirely sure what's needed for Dawn, but I know we're close. We have to be.

I do wonder why Lennon didn't kill the Urayuli, though. It doesn't make much sense. He has virtually all the strength of that Urayuli condensed into a more diminutive form. I could only kill it because of how slow and clumsy it was. And now that I think about it, I don't believe Lennon was trying very hard in that fight. He seemed... slow? Tired maybe? It's odd.

Shaking my head, I reply to Mie.

"We should stay. Killing the Viceroy isn't a part of the goal, but I hate that bastard just as much as some Pillars."

Mie only sighs and gives me the go-ahead.

"Fine, fine. Go on. Just don't get us killed. And don't feed it again. Neither of us can handle that. You need at least a day to get your blood back to normal levels."

I agree with a nod. Killing myself isn't on my agenda for the day. Fumbling my arms and legs as I walk toward the library, I feel the lethargy in them from the lack of flowing blood. It should be fine. I'm only the backup, after all.

And as I step into the library, hopping up from the ground outside to the first floor that is elevated, I find a battle of two against nearly twelve as Johnny and Lennon struggle. Both are covered in wounds all over as Irham is calmly walking over to a collapsed shelf.

"Careful I sense minds beneath. Five? No. Six. Wait? Seven? Six? It's tough to tell. I think Irham is looking for the entrance to the laboratory."

"I know."

I reply shortly as Vigor Rush and Purpose fill my body, removing some lethargy. Then, I draw Demonsbane as it roars with fury about its feast ending. The first person I go to help is not Lennon but, instead, Johnny as he is closer.

Dashing forward, fast enough that Irham can't react to my entrance, I stab one Phantom in the back of the head. Another is crippled by Mie's Psychic Crush long enough for Johnny to drop them with a series of bullets into the dome. The once-unknown Gunfighter nods to me in thanks before we turn to his other assailants.

I don't recognize any of them, not even the human standing a few feet away, and neither does Mie. These people must be from before my time. Then, I leave Johnny to deal with his few as I dart for the woman lashing at him with a purple-tinged whip.

She's swiftly dispatched as, for whatever reason, she's fragile. Her whip only made me feel really heavy, but Mie just crushed her mind to stop her movement. Then I removed her head.

Johnny and I then clear out his Phantoms as we help Lennon by dispersing the danger amongst us. The Gunfighter, however, slips out from the group and accelerates toward the Viceroy, pushing past Phantoms and over tiny mountains of debris.

Coughing out dust, I follow him with my Vigor running dangerously low. Another half-minute, and I'll retreat. I want Irham dead, but I don't want to give up my ambition in the process. Lennon comes too, the man slowed by the most amount of Phantoms. I assume Irham sees him as the biggest threat.

That is a wise calculation.

And as Johnny approaches Irham, who is clearing out debris for something with two Phantoms, dozens of those Mannequins fall from the ceiling on the Viceroy. The Nahullo is forced to conjure another three Phantoms to defend himself as Johnny gets close enough to attack with his black-flamed Claymore.

I'm only a few feet behind him and join by tackling a Phantom to the ground, letting Mie Shift their weapon away from me. A quick Psychic Crush, which seems abnormally effective on these Phantoms, and a slit throat, and it's over for this one.

Peering up for another adversary, I see Johnny pointing his gun toward Irham. I tsk as I stand to help draw away another Phantom, as I know it won't work. He'll just conjure one to take the bullet. And as Johnny squeezes the trigger, that's precisely what Irham does.

Only... it doesn't stay that way.

One moment a wide human with rippling muscles appears from nothing, and the next, he fades away, returning to nothing. But even still, it seems Johnny fails to deliver a deadly shot as all hit bullets miss Irham, going right past him.

Sighing, I sprint forward to protect the Johnny as he's ambushed from behind, but I pause in shock as his six bullets twist in the air, glowing with white lights. Then, all of them diverge apart, one going for each Phantom near Irham as the last enters the Nahullo's head.

Mie answers my yet unthought question.

"So that's where the odd feeling was coming from! Johnny has a Lumen! Look at it! It's incredible! The bullets moved on their own! The power!"

But even still, Irham doesn't die, though most of his Phantoms do. An illusory helmet, the fabled invisible armor of the Vices and Warmaster, shatters against the impact. The Viceroy stumbles forward as blood flows down his back. My heart skips a beat as I realize the might within that bullet. It's said that the armor of the Vices could withstand Marshall Travis' fury. To break that...

I smile as I see Irham twist around, a show of fear on his face. Gripping Demonsbane, I move to finish the job for Johnny as he's now fighting clumsily against one of the remaining Phantoms. I give him a short look of pity as it seems as though he's blind. I know what that's like, buddy.

Kicking my legs forward, I slash out for Irham, multiple skills enhancing my speed, but it's not enough. The man alone brushes aside my Slash with a swift sidestep. He stares at me with frustration as he kicks me away, a Phantom forming from his kick.

But as I shift to kill this thing, the sound of thunder emerges, but it's not quite lightning. A man appears beside me, Lennon and his whole body is covered with bursting veins and blood vessels. And before Mie or I can even react, he cleaves through the Phantom and slams his blade against Irham's chest.

Both his ruined blade and Irham's invisible armor covering his chest shatter into splendid lights of metal. Irham grunts in pain as some blood falls from his chest, but Lennon is even worse off. The man falls to his knees, limp and exhausted, right before an enemy.

"Fuck."

I say the exact words as Lennon as I crouch to him, blocking a slam from a forming Phantom with Demonsbane. The impact is harsh and immediately bleeds through the remainder of my Vigor as I eat away at it to protect my bones with Stonebones. Fuck!

My eyes twist back as I hold my blade as much as I can, peering for help since Mie is exhausted. But Johnny is busy, three Phantoms wearing him down.

Shit. I might have to abandon Lennon here. The psycho fought until he couldn't even stand. No. I can probably pull him out. I'm sure we've put some fear into Irham. I doubt he'll continue fighting without his armor and over a dozen slain Phantoms.

So, with my left hand as my right holds my blade against the Phantom's falling cleaver, I pull Lennon, only to find him gone.

What?

Just as I search for him, thinking the man dead, the sound of thunder reemerges, and a sword sinks deeply into Irham's chest. All the Phantoms pause momentarily, letting me slide out from under mine and into safety.

Once I make it back to my feet, I find Lennon, once again out of energy, but this time holding a sword inside Irham's chest. A trail of golden dust moves from Lennon to Johnny as the gunslinger lies kneeling, a hand on his eye.

"You..."

The Nahullo coughs blood onto Lennon's smiling, bloodstained teeth.

"Die... you... tan... monkey!"

Another Phantom appears, reminding me of a once famous Virtue from the Wilds called the Blunt Object. Quite on the nose, to be honest. The Phantom of the demon towers over Lennon, but before the fist in its hand that nears a desk in size slams down onto the man, a shadowy figure appears behind Irham. Razor-sharp words that send a shiver to my ankles cut into the air as a hundred blades of darkness stab for the Viceroy's neck.

"The Root sends their regards."