Tsugumi vs Cydonia!

(...)

"My name is Tsugumi Ohnuki, nice to meet you!"

That smile was a beacon of light piercing through the darkness that surrounded the young warriors.

Tsugumi had captivating eyes and a beautiful face, but what truly set her apart was her long ponytail—so long it fell well past her waist, swaying with the wind like a living entity of its own.

Hovering just above her shoulders were two metallic orbs, from which a green energy radiated, forming the shape of wings. The magic-generated gusts gave her the ethereal appearance of floating.

Peter studied the weapon Tsugumi balanced herself on: a halberd, a spear-like weapon outfitted with a crescent blade, making it both a spear and an axe.

Tsugumi gracefully touched down, spinning the halberd around her body before gripping it firmly in her hands.

With almost surgical precision, she slashed through the threads binding Peter.

"Thanks..."

Peter tried to muster his strength to charge at Cydonia once more, but the adrenaline was already fading from his system. Exhaustion hit him like a brick wall.

Just before he collapsed face-first into the dirt, Tsugumi stepped forward and caught him. With gentle care, she helped him sit down.

"I need to..."

"What name shall I use when referring to your esteemed identity? What I mean is: what's your name?"

"Huh?... It's Peter."

"Peter, you did a fantastic job staying alive against such a powerful demon. But leave the rest to me. Rest for now, you're badly hurt." She flashed a victory sign with her fingers. "What I mean is: it's all good, Peter-kun. You can count on me!"

"... Peter-kun?"

Peter thought about questioning her identity again, but a glimmer from her neck caught his attention—the unmistakable symbol of the Mercenary Guild hung from a pendant.

"Whatever. Just be careful."

"Yoy! What I mean is: you can count on it!"

Peter entrusted the last of his hope to the strange girl, before collapsing backward and passing out.

Tsugumi swung her halberd over her shoulder and took a few steps toward Cydonia.

"Your reign of terror ends here, Sin that plagues humanity! It is my sacred duty to put an end to your wickedness. What I mean is: I'm going to kill you, you bitch."

"You damn brat! So you’re the one who's been tearing apart my support forces!"

Tsugumi answered with a playful gesture—placing a finger under her eye and sticking out her tongue.

Cydonia stretched out her arms, revealing the hidden threads in the ground that had previously ensnared Peter, and launched them toward Tsugumi.

"Himmlische Hellebarde: Kolibri!"

The halberd’s tip began to glow, radiating a vibrant green light, and its shape shifted—becoming thinner and longer.

These weren't just cosmetic changes—they signified a profound shift in the very nature of her magic.

Tsugumi braced the halberd horizontally behind her back, gripping the shaft with the inner sides of her arms.

She gripped her halberd tightly—and vanished.

At least, that's how it seemed to Reaper, who struggled to keep track of her movements.

Cydonia's threads whipped violently through the air, but none could touch their target.

"Your moves are too slow!—" Tsugumi darted across the battlefield like a gust of wind, her long ponytail swirling wildly around her. "What I mean is..."

She reappeared midair, closing the distance between herself and Cydonia in an instant.

"Way too slow!"

With a blend of raw strength and ballerina-like grace, Tsugumi spun her body, unleashing a devastating strike.

Cydonia managed to block with the backs of her claws, absorbing some of the blow, but the force still sent her staggering backward.

Tsugumi’s feet barely touched the ground before she vanished again.

Cydonia desperately tried to set a trap, weaving webs across the battlefield, forming a narrow path aimed at reaching Arya.

Once more, she reached out her hand, trying to corrupt the human spirit—but just as she stretched her arm...

SLASHHHHH!!!!!

Despite their monstrous physiology and insane regenerative abilities, Sins and Humans were still two sides of the same coin.

And in one fundamental way, they were identical.

They bled.

A lot.

"GYAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Demons were far more resistant to pain than humans, but even so, the agony was overwhelming—Cydonia’s scream tore through the battlefield.

After all, it was the first time Cydonia had ever lost an arm.

It wasn't a mortal wound, but it was crippling enough that her regeneration couldn't keep up. More than that—it was a direct blow to her pride.

Her hands had been the bridge to spread her corruption among humans. And now, one of those bridges lay severed on the ground like a piece of trash.

"You... little brat... This isn't over..."

Realizing she couldn't win against the human with the halberd, Cydonia saw only one option left: flee.

The sounds of footsteps and growls signaled the arrival of the remnants of her army.

"Get them!"

She knew her remaining forces stood no chance against Tsugumi, but they could still target Peter, Edward, and Arya—who were defenseless.

Tsugumi moved purely on instinct, striking down every demon that dared approach, her focus shifting rapidly to cover all three.

Seizing the distraction, Cydonia bolted, using her minions as cover for her escape.

From the battlefield’s shadows, branches of the Black Parade emerged, helping Tsugumi hold off the demon tide. One by one, Reaper rescued the injured trio, pulling them into the safety of his shadow.

"I’ll handle them—go finish her off, Angel-Girl!"

Tsugumi nodded in affirmation and dashed after Cydonia, following the trail of blood the demon left behind.

With the speed granted by her Kolibri wings, it didn’t take long for her to catch up to the demon.

Cydonia had taken refuge inside a house, setting traps with her webs across every entrance.

Tsugumi stopped before the demon’s den, but before stepping inside, she extended her halberd in front of her.

"Himmlische Hellebarde: Eule!"

The tip of her spear glowed once again as its form shifted.

Now the tip had shrunk and curved into a sickle-like shape.

Tsugumi’s magic in this form was tied to the environment itself: a dense mist began to spread from her halberd’s shaft, quickly engulfing the surroundings.

Cydonia was caught off guard as the black fog poured into the house like a creeping flood. She covered her mouth and nose, fearing poison—but the mist’s true purpose was simply to blind her.

"..."

A minute of pure silence wrapped the house.

Then, one of Cydonia’s threads snapped.

"(At the window! No, wait!)"

In the blink of an eye, two more threads were cut on the opposite side of the house.

Cydonia couldn’t tell whether her defenses had been breached or if it was just a distraction—but worse than that, something gnawed at her nerves…

There was no sound.

In this darkness, it was natural to lose sight of the enemy—but to not even hear her move? It was unnatural.

The only thing she could sense was her traps being severed one by one.

"No way..." The demon finally realized she'd walked into her own coffin.

The despair twisted across Cydonia’s face. She knew she had no chance of winning this fight.

"Damn it all!"

Gripping the remaining threads with her one good hand, Cydonia snapped them loose in every direction, thrashing wildly in a desperate attempt to hit the girl in the shadows.

"(My chance!)"

Mustering all her strength, Cydonia stumbled toward the front door, crashing through it in a desperate bid to escape the misty deathtrap.

Waiting outside was Tsugumi.

The moment Cydonia crossed the doorway, Tsugumi descended from above in a silent, deadly dive.

THUNK!

The halberd’s blade plunged into the middle of Cydonia’s back.

"Argh!!! You bitch!!!"

Cydonia summoned what strength she had left to rip herself free, but the blade left a deep gash down her spine.

After staggering a few steps, she collapsed onto the ground.

"Ughh..."

Cydonia crawled forward with her remaining arm, dragging herself across the dirt in a pitiful attempt to flee, as Tsugumi approached with slow, measured steps.

"There were plenty of Mercenary Guild members in this city, but I don't feel any of their presences anymore..." Tsugumi steadied her voice. "What I mean is: you killed them all, didn't you?"

"…"

Even in her desperation, Cydonia couldn't let go of her demonic pride.

"KYAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Killed them? Of course I did, you idiot!"

"Shut up."

"They died because they were weak! Pathetic pawns deserve no better! Only the strong, like me, have the right to decide their fate!"

"I said SHUT UP."

SLASH! THUD!

The arm Cydonia had been using to crawl was severed cleanly, the halberd’s blade striking the ground with a dull, brutal thud.

"GYAAAHHH!!!"

Cydonia writhed and screamed, rolling from side to side, while Tsugumi raised her halberd once more, ready to deliver the final blow.

"Well, well, what a pathetic sight..."

Someone grabbed Tsugumi’s halberd from behind.

Reacting instantly, Tsugumi spun around, delivering a swift kick and putting distance between herself and the intruder.

"Caravan..."

Cydonia’s so-called savior was none other than Caravan, the Sin she had arrogantly refused help from during the assault on Krahen Nest.

"Something wrong, dear Cydonia? Weren’t you going to crush them all by yourself?"

"...If you're just here to gloat, then hurry up and kill me. I'd rather die at the hands of an imbecile like you than a human."

"I won’t lie, it was amusing watching you get humiliated like this." Caravan shrugged casually. "But you know, whether I like it or not, your power’s too valuable to waste. So how about you flash me a cute little smile and beg for your life?"

"Go to hell! Just get me out of here before we both end up dead!"

"Ehh~ What's the rush? This girl looks strong. I wouldn't mind having a little duel with her."

His gaze drifted to Tsugumi, a strange gleam in his eyes.

"To think that even worms who crawl the path of evil can band together. What I mean is: Demons rescuing each other? That’s new."

"It’ll be my pleasure to fight you..."

"Caravan, you idiot! Forget it! My arms aren't healing—her magic is too dangerous!"

"Geez, you’re always such a buzzkill," Caravan sighed. He grabbed Cydonia by the torso and hoisted her under his arm. "Alright, alright. We'll do it your way. Must be nice having a power so precious to our Goddes Mendax."

"...Goddess? That title belongs to Mors alone. What I mean is: You trash, how dare you commit such heresy?"

"Heresy, huh? Seems like you missed something, little bird."

Caravan’s smile darkened, his voice heavy with a truth Tsugumi didn’t want to hear.

"Mors created humans, and you worship her as your goddess. Mendax created the Sins—so isn’t it only natural that we revere her as ours?"

Cydonia chuckled weakly, picking up the thread: "Maybe Mors isn't as mighty a goddess as you humans believe."

"Words from a demon are meant only to sow discord. They will never reach my heart. What I mean is: Shut your damn mouths."

"Well, I guess we’ll leave our duel for another day."

Caravan took a deep breath, then exhaled a cloud of thick purple smoke, masking the area in a poisonous fog.

Tsugumi propelled herself into the air, using her magic wings to blow the smoke away.

By the time the mist cleared, all that remained was a hole in the ground—melted into the earth by some powerful acid.

"(A tunnel?)"

Caravan had somehow created an escape route to flee with Cydonia in tow.

Though frustration clawed at her heart for not ending Cydonia there and then, Tsugumi knew her duty.

She turned back to check on the others, letting the demons slither away like the worms they were.

The battle for Krahen Nest… was finally over.