The only easy part was the front door.
Jozu shoulder-barged through the entrance, the door banging against the back hinges. The Sirens raced through the opening, Satori taking point as they emerged into the first hallway.
?Leviathan will be in the throne room,? the valkyrie said, her sword already primed. ?Keep close. These corridors are quite elaborate.?
She lowered herself to the ground, deep enough that buoyancy was no longer an issue. She was faster running than she was swimming, and the rest of her allies soon followed suit. They matched Satori move-for-move, darting at breakneck speed through the palace?s hallways.
?I didn?t expect...all this exertion.? Sakuya began to trail behind, lacking in stamina compared to her allies. ?I think I need a minute to-?
Before she could fall away, Youmu grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along. ?No complaining, Miyo. The real fight hasn?t even started yet.?
Sakuya frowned. ?No rest for the wicked, I suppose.?
?Damn right.? Jozu scouted the side corridors as she passed by them, searching for any sign of an ambush. ?Your boss might be dealing with most of the guards outside, but there are still gonna be plenty around here to-gyaah!?
As she looked to her left a fishman leaped out from the other side, bringing a claw down towards her head. The blow never landed - Satori?s blade cut cleanly through the water, slicing the beast in two and forcing it to dissipate.
?You?re getting careless,? the valkyrie said.
Jozu pouted. ?I can be fast or I can be thorough. I can?t be both.?
?And that?s why you need me around.? For a moment, Satori?s frown gave way to a private smile. ?Now, we?d better get going before the rest of his teammates find out-?
?Uh, about that...? Sango pointed down the corridor. ?They already did.?
Jozu turned back to the hallway. Her blood froze over as she saw an entire legion of fishmen barging down towards them, shoving and bashing each other in an attempt to be the first to strike the Sirens down.
?Shit.? Jozu broke to the right, running in the direction her attacker had come from. ?Detour! Now!?
The rest of the Sirens followed her lead, the fishmen trailing behind them every step of the way. In spite of their bickering, their aquatic nature made them faster in the water than the Sirens could hope for, and they slowly gained on their targets.
?Titanic!?
Komachi hung at the rear of the pack, firing round after round into the oncoming horde. For every creature she shot down, another two appeared in its wake. She was doing just enough to keep them from being overrun.
Jozu cursed. Yesterday she?d taken pride in how impenetrable this fortress was. Now she hated every ounce of it.
?Heads up, guys!? Nazrin yelled as her visor began to beep. ?Hostiles coming in down both those side corridors!?
?
Roukanken!? Youmu drew her swords, pressing down on their hilts as the blades grew to impossible lengths. As she stepped out into the crossroads, both weapons swung through the air, cutting down everything that had dared to come close to her. Even then, the swipe only bought them enough time to make it past the corridors unharmed.
?Another squad, dead ahead!? the mouse yelled. ?There?s no room to get around them!?
?Well, that?s a no-brainer.? Mokou pulled ahead of the Sirens, flames licking at her fingers. ?We?ve gotta go through them!?
The phoenix extended her golden wings as she descended on the enemy formation. She pushed past them without losing her momentum, scattering the horde with well placed punches and kicks. Jozu made sure to stomp on as many as possible as she ran past, just to make sure they didn?t get up again.
?Almost there, everyone,? the shark yelled. ?Just a few more turns, and-?
As she twisted herself around a corner, she heard something click beneath her feet. On instinct alone, her neck jerked around to the ceiling.
?Oh god
dammit.?
The roof gave way, revealing a metal plate laced with spikes. The trap flew downward, set to crush the girls where they stood.
?Private Square!?
Sakuya shouted. Jozu blinked. The next thing she remembered was being in another corridor, looking back on the trap that should have impaled her. Dozens of knifes littered the walls, taking out the fishmen that hadn?t been flattened by their own trap.
?You?re welcome,? the maid said, tipping her hat forward.
Jozu didn?t have time to offer her thanks. Her heart was hanging in her throat as she burst out of the corridor into a larger hallway. On the other end of the hall a giant door loomed over her, almost three times as large as she was with a golden trim running along its edges. There was no sign of a handle, or even a hinge.
?This is it,? she gasped. ?Levi?s behind here.? She swam over to a handcrank beside the door, grabbing at it and tugging. ?Hhnnngh...dammit, this thing?s stiff. Sango, mind giving me some help??
?Only if you need it.? Sango placed her hands over Jozu?s, the two youkai cranking in unison. The door began to shuffle to the side, slowly opening the way to the throne room.
?Uh, guys...? Nazrin stared at her visor, speckled with dozens of red dots. She never finished her warning, but the frantic visor-beeping got the message across.
Koishi moved towards the handcrank, set to join in. ?Sango-san, let me-?
?Don?t!? Before she could grip it, Jozu snapped at her. ?There?s no crank on the other side, and if we let go the whole thing?s gonna slam shut.?
The colour drained from Koishi?s face. ?You mean-?
Jozu nodded. ?Yeah. You?re gonna have to leave us behind.?
The room went painfully silent. Clattering feet and inhuman growls began to approach from every direction. Sango stared at Jozu in horror, her hands trembling as she gripped at the crank.
?I?m sorry, Sango,? the shark said. ?But Leviathan?s out of our league. This is all we can do to help.?
?But that?s insane!? Koishi said, arms waving about in exclamation. ?If we leave the two of you against that sort of army, then-?
?No.? Sango gulped down her fear, her expression unreadable as she pulled her head up. ?Don?t worry about us, Koishi-san. We?ll be fine.?
Koishi shook her head. ?Sango-san, you can?t be-?
?
I said go!? The dolphin yelled, with an anger that Jozu had never seen from her before. She recognised it too well - it was the anger she spared for a person that meant everything to her, when she had to step in for Satori?s sake.
Koishi winced at Sango?s words. She took one look back into the hallway as the approaching crowds grew ever louder. When she turned back to Sango, her eyes were quivering.
?I swear...if you even THINK of dying, I?ll never forgive you!?
Koishi practically pushed herself through the doorway, the rest of the Sirens following behind. Many of them shot glances at the two youkai, looks of fear or pity; only Satori seemed at peace, giving Jozu one final nod before vanishing into the throne room.
As the last Siren passed through, Jozu?s strength reached her limits. She lost her grip on the crank, and immediately the doorway slid shut again. It slammed closed with a horrendous thump.
?Phew.? Jozu brushed her hands together. ?Man, that thing was heavy.?
Sango didn?t answer. She still seemed unsettled, hands opening and closing as she looked out at the hallway. The first few fishmen were arriving now, approaching tentatively, puzzled as to where their bounty had escaped to.
Jozu sighed. ?You two are an item, aren?t you??
Sango practically exploded. ?How did you- I mean, is this even the time for-?
?You mean a lot to her, right?? The shark lowered herself into a fighting stance. ?She?d really hate it if you died here.?
The dolphin?s eyes lost focus as Jozu?s statement washed over her. Slowly, confidence began to return to her, her posture straightening as she matched Jozu?s stance. She was channeling the same passion that drove Jozu - the desire to survive not for her own sake, but for someone else?s. That power would carry her further than any selfish goal ever could.
Good thing, too, Jozu thought.
I could use some dependable backup.The room filled up with fishmen, all searching for Sirens that weren?t there. With their prey nowhere to be seen, they soon descended on the two leftovers, a hundred of them charging at once.
?Bet I can take out more of them than you,? Sango said.
?You?re on.?
In unison, the two youkai hurled themselves into battle.
-----
As the door slammed shut behind her, Koishi felt as if she had crossed a point of no return. There was no handle on the other side of the door, and the wood was thick enough to stop any outside noise from getting in. From where she was standing, Sango and Jozu may as well have been on the other side of the planet.
She placed one hand on the door. Half of her wanted to draw her sword and rip it to shreds; the other half knew all that would do was make Sango?s efforts meaningless. She stared into the solid wood, as if it would somehow allow her to look through it.
For the first time, the other Sirens allowed themselves to stop. They gathered in a semicircle around Koishi, too far to reach her, but close enough that she could feel their sentiments. Satori stepped forward, placing a hand on Koishi?s shoulder. No-one said so much as a word.
At last Koishi exhaled, letting all her doubts and fear ooze out of her. There would be a time to fear for them, but not now. She still had one last duty to fulfill. She turned neatly on the spot and began slowly walking down the corridor, her fellow Sirens following on behind her.
The throne room was ornate and elegant, silken rugs running across the floor and precious gems ingrained in the walls. Fish-shaped mosaics watched her from every side as she approached the room?s main attraction - a golden throne, at the top of a small staircase, crowned with a shimmering stone. Seven Teardrop-shaped indents were carved into the rock, and it hummed as the Sirens drew closer.
Leviathan sat calmly in her chair, back straight as she looked down on her enemies. She wore a black dress that billowed freely in the water like an extra set of appendages. Even from here, she radiated an aura of immense power.
?So you?ve arrived.? Leviathan looked towards Koishi as she stroked her chin. ?I admit, seeing you here is something of a surprise. I was sure that blow should have killed you.?
?I?m tougher than you think.? Koishi drew a golden line in the water, her sword flashing into existence as she clutched at its hilt. ?We?re here to finish what you started, Leviathan.?
?Are you now?? The youkai smirked, leaning forward in her chair. ?Forgive me if I?m not that frightened. I?m older than all seven of you put together, and you think you can-?
Before she could finish the sentence, Sakuya stepped forward and flung a card towards the throne. It burst into a dozen knives, each of them aimed at one of Leviathan?s vital spots. Leviathan?s face didn?t even falter - she waved her hand, and an arc of lightning burst out of her body. The knives flew off in random directions, none of them even coming close to their target.
?How rude.? Leviathan frowned. ?Didn?t your mother teach you not to interrupt??
?Sorry.? Sakuya stuck her nose up. ?It?s just that my ears hurt whenever you open your mouth.?
The youkai didn?t even respect that with an answer. ?And what about you, Satori? Yesterday you were my loyal subject, and today you?ve come to kill me in my own home. I had no clue you humans could be so quick to change their allegiance.?
?I still hold true to my beliefs, Leviathan.? Satori shook her head, stepping beside Koishi and brandishing her saber. ?But I?ve found out you?re not the woman I thought you were. If the youkai are to live in peace, maniacs like you need to be put in their place.?
?Me? A maniac?? Leviathan?s laugh brought the currents roaring around her. ?Oh, human, you couldn?t be more wrong. I?ve just been trying to end the war no youkai was brave enough to fight - the war to put you wretched humans in your place.?
?No-one?s fighting it because it isn?t worth fighting.? Mokou was the next to step forward, her hands curled into fists. ?We know why you?re mad, but vengeance isn?t gonna solve anything. All it?ll do is put other people through the same crap you?ve had to suffer.?
??Sides, no matter what your reasoning is, a crime?s a crime.? Komachi rested the barrel of the Titanic on her shoulder. ?All your talk of saving the youkai means nothing if you?re gonna kill people for it.?
Leviathan?s humour quickly left her, replace with dry sarcasm. ?Surely this is a joke. You?re not actually trying to reason with me now, are you? After you?ve destroyed the Mindcoil, one of my finest creations, and torn my private army to shreds??
?It?s never too late to make a change.? Youmu?s ghostly form moved alongside her, nodding in sync. ?If you know you?re in the wrong but you press on anyway, you may as well have given up.?
?And you owe it to the people that have died,? Nazrin added, the last of the Sirens to advance. ?All your allies and enemies - you owe it to them to put an end to this.?
Koishi could feel her friends? conviction echoing in her mind. Deep down, she knew there was little hope of reaching Leviathan with their words - but they owed it to themselves to try.
?Please, Leviathan,? she said. ?Come with us peacefully. We don?t have to fight.?
The youkai stared at Koishi in disbelief, the offer of peace the first thing to leave her lost for words. She slumped back onto her throne, sinking into thought for a few seconds.
?...You?re right,? she said quietly. ?We don?t have to fight.?
Koishi?s eyes brightened. ?Then you?ll-?
?You?ve already given me everything I need.?
Leviathan?s mouth curled into a twisted smile. She clicked her fingers, and a magic circle shone to life underneath the rug. Koishi felt unseen hands grabbing at her feet, pinning her against her will to the floor.
?What the-?
Before she could finish, another hand burst out from the ground and snatched at her neck. Koishi leaned backwards, but the hand followed her movements precisely. Its cold, dead fingers ripped away her Teardrop, carrying it towards the throne in victory.
Moments later, six more hands emerged from the circle to rob the other Sirens. Mokou and Youmu made to strike the spirits, only for their blows to pass through harmlessly. Within seconds, all seven Teardrops had been stolen from their owners.
?Master!? Nazrin cried out as she watched her Teardrop drift away, taking Shou along with it. Leviathan let out a wicked cackle, her voice echoing endlessly through the water.
?Many thanks, girls. I don?t know why I even bothered searching for the Teardrops - you?ve saved me the trouble by bringing them right here.?
The seven stones hung above the throne, the hands that carried them fading into nothing. Leviathan casually rose from her seat, picking up the first Teardrop and slotting it into place.
?Oh, you are
kiddin? me!? Komachi fired the Titanic straight at Leviathan?s chest - like Sakuya?s attempt, a bolt of lightning casually deflected it. The two Sirens did their best to stop the youkai, but nothing they did so much as fazed her.
?Impressive, aren?t they?? Leviathan drew out the entire process, savouring every moment the Sirens struggled in vain. ?So much power contained in seven tiny stones. But have you ever wondered
why the Teardrops exist??
?Why else?? Mokou grabbed at the rug, tearing away a scrap and trying to rub away the engravings underneath. ?So we could wipe the floor with scumbags like you!?
Beside her Youmu was cutting up the carpet in a similar manner, with a nigh-identical lack of success. Nazrin was frozen to the spot, the absence of her master catching her entirely by surprise. Satori examined her surroundings, looking for anything she could use as a prop to pull herself away.
?You humans are so unimaginative.? Leviathan sighed, shaking her head as she twirled a Teardrop between her fingers. ?You think artifacts like this exist solely so you could play about as heroes? No, there?s a much more meaningful purpose to the Teardrops, one even your masters were hopelessly unaware of.?
She clicked the fourth Teardrop into place, still bearing the weight of the barrage Sakuya and Komachi were forcing onto her. Koishi tried to dig her sword into the ground and pull herself up with it, only for her sword to become jammed for her trouble. The circle?s light was starting to fade, but it would still take far too long for it to die out completely.
?What are you talking about?? Satori?s eyes lit up with scorn. ?You told me the Teardrops would help the youkai win the war!?
?Oh, they will, Satori,? Leviathan said, slipping in the fifth Teardrop. ?You see, the Teardrops serve as a seal of sorts. On their own they?re already powerful, but with all seven combined they can tap into a dimension separate from ours.?
?And why the hell would anyone wanna do that?? Komachi asked, rapidly reloading her gun. ?Fiddling with other dimensions generally isn?t a good idea.?
The youkai smirked. ?This dimension in particular has only a single resident. An old work of mine that I?ve been quite desperate to get back. The higher-ups locked it up just because it was too good at its job. Ridiculous, isn?t it??
Koishi felt a rock forming on the bottom of her stomach. Yukari?s words echoed in her head again, this time with clarity.
Please, Koishi. I need the Sirens to finish what I couldn?t.She felt the pieces clicking into place. At the time she had thought Yukari was talking about the war, but the truth was something much simpler than that. Something much, much more dangerous.
?You mean...? her throat felt dry, barely able to get the words out. ?You mean the Ravager, don?t you??
The name alone struck a chord in the hearts of her allies; Mokou, Youmu and Komachi visibly tensed, and Sakuya and Nazrin went pale. Satori raised an eyebrow, the only person in the room unfamiliar with the term.
?I hate when you humans call it that,? Leviathan said. She made a deliberate point of forcing the sixth Teardrop in, practically stabbing it into place. ?Its name is 46. Always has been, always will be. I won?t demean my work with that slur of a name.?
?...You?re serious, aren?t you?? For once, Sakuya had nothing to offer in the way of quips, simply looking at Leviathan in awe. ?That creature nearly destroyed every living thing on earth, and you want to bring it
back??
?Yukari couldn?t handle its power.? She snarled out the name as if it had burned her mouth. ?She couldn?t commit to her decision. She told it to kill the humans, then stopped it before its work was done. But me?? She jabbed a thumb into her chest. ?I?m different. I won?t rest until the human race has been wiped from the face of the earth.?
Slowly, dramatically, she picked the seventh Teardrop from its spot in front of her. She twirled around on the spot, ready to insert the final seal at any moment. ?And now, the moment of truth. I?ve waited centuries for this...?
Koishi wanted to scream. She couldn?t let this happen, but she had no way of stopping it. She reached out as far as she could, yelling at the top of her lungs. ?It?s not worth it, Levi! It won?t bring your family back!?
The room fell horribly silent. Leviathan lowered her hand, letting go of the Teardrop. As she turned back towards the Siren, her face had lost all expression.
?I thought I told you not to play psychoanalyst, human.?
Koishi shook her head. ?What happened to you was horrible, but killing won?t do anything to put your parents? souls at peace.? Her whole body was trembling, but she did all she could to hide it. ?You?re making a terrible mistake, Leviathan. Please, for all of our sakes-?
?Shut up!?
The youkai?s face warped into a look of fury, swinging a bolt of lightning in the Siren?s direction. Koishi barely jerked her head to the side to dodge the attack. She felt the hairs on her cheek begin to sizzle.
?You think you?re so much better than me, don?t you?? Now Leviathan was making no attempt to hide her anger, teeth clenched as she squeezed her hands into fists. ?You think that after I?ve put thousands of years of my life into bringing back my masterpiece, you can win me over with a few wise words? God, that?s just the sort of ego I
hate in you humans!?
She snatched up the Teardrop again. ?I?m going to enjoy watching 46 tear you apart, human. More than you can imagine.?
Koishi?s composure crumbled, and as she reached out again she fell into full-fledged panic. ?Levi, no! I?m begging you, don?t do it!?
Leviathan smiled cruelly. ?Beg all you like, human. I?m not listening.? With a grand flourish, she brought the final Teardrop up to the stone-
Click.And put it in its proper place.
-----
Waiting.
All It could remember was waiting. The passage of time was relentless and untrackable. It may have been here for decades, centuries, even more. There was no way to tell. All It could do was wait.
There were no walls, no ceiling. In the infinite distance, a thousand bloodshot eyes continued to peer at their prisoner. They screamed with new voices every time, the voices of Its countless victims. Perhaps this prison had been designed to bring about some sort of guilt. In that regard, the plan had failed entirely.
It paid no mind to its surroundings. Once they had seemed new, fresh, even interesting to It. Yet even the most bizarre environments could grow routine given enough time. A weaker mind would have been broken by the ordeal, but the only weakness It struggled with was boredom.
It had been created with a single purpose; to bring the kingdom of man to its knees. It had achieved that duty admirably until Its former masters had lost the will to follow through. Now It had been imprisoned for nothing more than doing Its job, in a jail that would have driven any other creature utterly insane.
Fantasy had been Its escape. For eons It had imagined Its vengeance, envisioning the traitors being torn apart limb by limb. It had reveled in Its retribution, playing out every killing method It could come up with. Every possibility had been considered and serialised - It had even made a list of which ones It wanted to test first.
But for what felt like forever those plans had only been a distant daydream, something It would focus on simply to pass the time. There was nothing else for It to do or think about.
Just waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
Until today.
The shaking was like nothing It had witnessed before. The world itself was trembling, the eyes looking at each other in horror. The screams grew louder, thousands of them interlapping into a cacophonous dirge. A single crack formed in the purple horizon, splintering out gradually to encompass the entirety of the prison.
The world It had been trapped in was dying.
At first, It could only feel disbelief. How could this be? It had thought this prison was eternal; if It could not have defeated these bonds, who could have? But those thoughts soon gave way once It realised the scale of what was happening.
It would be free. Free to complete Its duty. Free to do what It pleased. Free to kill however It saw fit.
As the world shattered around It, all It could do was laugh.-----
The earth rumbled beneath the Sirens. Koishi jerked upwards as the magic circle dissipated, its energy spent. The stone containing the Teardrops began to tremble, shuffling through the seven colours of the rainbow in time with the gems. Debris fell from the ceiling, the whole room threatening to collapse under the sheer power of the spell.
?Congratulations, humans!? Leviathan seemed unaware of any of this, her arms outstretched in wonder as she watched the stone rise from the throne. ?You are the first to witness the rebirth of the greatest killing machine the world has ever known!?
From within the stone came a bloodcurdling shriek, a million souls crying out at once. Koishi grabbed her ears, her heart set to explode in her chest. She watched on as the rock jerked about in the air, kicked around by an unseen force.
As the screaming reached its peak, the stone ruptured. A black ooze seeped out from within, dripping down the surface and onto the floor. The voices died out, and the sealing stone started to crumble as its contents were spewed onto the rug.
The ooze stirred, moving as a collective as it reshaped itself into a more concrete form. A sleek humanoid frame composed itself from the slime, ten feet tall and half as wide. Its body was encased in an insect-like carapace, two razor-sharp blades attached to its forearms. Every inch of its body was perfectly formed, designed for a single murderous purpose.
But most frightening of all was its face. Four red lights served as its eyes, none of them showing any hint of emotion. Three rows of teeth ran along both of its jaws, perpetually locked in a crippled smile. There were no other features to distract Koishi?s gaze, making its twisted expression stand out even more.
?What
is that thing?? Satori put a hand to her mouth, looking ready to vomit.
?Two words,? Komachi said, already priming the Titanic. ?Big trouble.? She fired off a shot into the creature?s chest. The Ravager made no attempt to stop the attack - in fact, it ignored the oncoming bullet entirely. The shot struck it clean, only to bounce off with a pathetic plink.
?That...? Youmu and her ghost half looked at each other in concern. ?That doesn?t bode well.?
Even after the attack the creature made no attempt to approach the Sirens; it glowered at Komachi for a moment, but seemed to lose interest as it dismissed her as harmless. Its head twisted around its neck with a horrible crack, spinning a full circle as it took in its surroundings.
...Where am I?Koishi grabbed at her head, a voice echoing within her ears. No, not just any voice,
her voice. The Sirens around her reacted similarly, the Ravager?s thoughts shoved straight into their brains.
?46...? Leviathan slowly stepped forward, arms held out as if she was set to embrace the creature. ?I've done it...I've done it!?
The Ravager looked down on the youkai, its expression unchanging. Koishi wasn?t sure if it could change at all, or if the only reaction it could convey was that broken smirk. Neither possibility seemed very comforting.
You. The Ravager?s eyes flickered.
I remember you. You were the scientist.Leviathan?s eyes lit up. ?Oh, I don?t believe it! You still remember me after all this time.? She wrapped her arms around the creature?s waist, reaching up to get a proper grip. ?My dear little 46, you?re just like I remember you!?
Koishi coiled backwards at the sight of their embrace. She couldn?t believe that anyone could treat something so cruel with such affection. The Ravager itself made no attempt to respond, standing motionless and staring into space.
?Don?t worry, dear, everything?s going to be fine.? Leviathan nuzzled her face against the creature?s stomach. ?I?ll bet you?ve been looking forward to this as much as I have, haven?t you??
Reluctantly, the Ravager nodded.
...Indeed. It?s been a long time since I had a chance to do my duty.?Well, you won?t have to worry about that any more.? Leviathan was speaking affectionately now, like the Ravager was her own child. ?Together, the two of us will wipe out the rest of those filthy humans-?
Her speech was interrupted by the Ravager thrusting its hand through her chest.
?Hhhk-?!?
Leviathan?s eyes jumped open, the colour rapidly fading from her skin. Koishi could see the Ravager?s hand emerge from out of the youkai?s back, tearing through bone and muscle with ease.
?46...? As the initial shock dissipated, Leviathan grabbed at her creation?s arm, staring up at it in hysteria. ?Why...?? Her eyes rolled backwards, her body letting out one final breath before finally going limp in the water.
The water around her turned an ominous shade of red.
?It...? Nazrin raised an incredulous finger, tail swishing wildly. ?It just...?
Koishi lurched backwards, the moment locked into her mind. Her heartbeat rose to a fever pitch, ready to give out at any moment. Without thinking, she reached out to grab at Satori?s hand.
...Hm. Disappointing. The Ravager pulled its arm back, giving the Sirens a clear view of the hole it had left in Leviathan?s chest.
These creatures are much more frail than I remember. It nudged the body aside, the youkai drifting off to a distant corner of the room. There was no question as to whether she was still alive.
?You...? Koishi grabbed at her neck, her whole body heavy with disgust. When she found her voice, she was screaming at the top of her lungs. ?How could you?! ?
The Ravager twisted its neck around to face the Siren, its bulbous eyes burning into her.
You puzzle me, human. What is so bewildering about a creature serving its purpose??But she wasn?t even going to hurt you! She was your master, wasn?t she? And you...? Koishi wanted to scream and cry all at once, looking towards the broken body of Leviathan. ?You murdered her!?
The Ravager closed its eyes, casually wiping the blood off of its hand.
Last time, I was thwarted because my former allies turned against me. I will not allow that mistake to happen again.?What?s that supposed to mean?? Satori stomped forward, her anger a perfect facsimile of her sister?s. ?So you?re going to kill the youkai too, just in case they get in your way??
Precisely. The creature brought up one of its blades, its edge glinting in the dying light.
I can trust nothing other than myself, and nowhere in my programming was I told to preserve youkai life. It is the only logical option.Koishi turned towards her sister, the same flames flickering in both their eyes. They couldn?t let this creature loose.
?You leave us no choice, then,? Satori said, pointing her saber at the beast. ?For the sake of the youkai - no, for the sake of
everyone, we can?t let you leave.?
Oh? The Ravager laughed, its voice echoing in the darkest recesses of Koishi?s head.
You are aware I could kill all of you without any effort, aren?t you??He sort of has a point there,? Sakuya said, anxiously twirling a knife in one hand. ?We really aren?t equipped to fight this thing, and there?s no point in throwing our lives away.?
?But if we don?t fight it, who will?? Youmu was the first to berate her sister. ?We can?t run away and let this thing wreak havoc. This is what the Sirens were made for, Miyo.?
The maid winced, then finally let out a long sigh. ?You?re all insane. I?d just like to get that out there.? She primed her knife, holding her deck in her other hand. ?But if you?re going down, I guess I?m going down with you.?
?Good answer.? Komachi pointed the Titanic right at the Ravager?s head. ?As for me - well, you just killed a woman right in front of me, so I kinda have to make sure you get what you deserve. No hard feelings or anything.?
The Ravager tilted its head at the show of bravery.
So you admit you?re likely to perish, and yet you still choose to face me? You humans truly are bizarre.?There?s nothing bizarre about it,? Mokou said, raising her fists. ?We?re just doing our job, same as you. It?s just that our job is making sure that you can?t do yours.?
Six of the seven Sirens had stepped forward. Only Nazrin hung behind, still seemingly in shock over Shou?s sudden disappearance. Steam hissed out of the pistons at her neck in time with her breathing.
?...You?re the reason all of this happened,? she whispered. ?Everything - the Sirens, the fire, master?s death - it was all to bring you back. I lost everything just so you could tear the planet apart.?
The Cardinal Rods formed in her hands, and she held them in a rigid cross. ?I?ve had it with this goddamn war. You?re not taking anything else from me, you understand??
Koishi nodded along with Nazrin?s sentiment. Her words echoed the thoughts of her allies - this war had pushed all of them to their limits and beyond. Now they would either end it, or they would die trying.
?Ravager. 46. Whatever you call yourself.? Koishi moved forward to lead the Siren formation. ?We?re here to end what Yukari Yakumo started in the War of Cataclysm.? She brandished her blade, ready to charge at a moment?s notice. ?Prepare yourself!?
The Ravager?s eyes stopped on the tip of Koishi?s sword, showing a faint glow of curiosity.
Interesting. I suppose you?ll make a good warmup, if nothing else.It stomped one foot into the ground, and the earth trembled beneath its might. It opened its mouth, a guttural roar echoing through the water.
Come then, humans! The voice screamed in Koishi?s head, as if her own subconscious was goading her on.
Let?s see which of you will be the first to die!-----
Next Week's BGM: Calling That Detestable Name
