The Final Battles of the Final War: Part III

“It’s - over. We won our first victory in this final endeavor, but we still have to go up against Akio, Aoto, and Sota.”

Kimi said as she turned to Kana, before dropping to the ground, as she carefully laid her sword down next to her as she looked up at Kana. Kimi couldn’t believe that they’d won, but the reality of the pyrrhic victory that she and Kana had led sunk in, as Kana sat softly beside Kimi, stroking her hair. All the while, their enchanted forces stood in the mostly trampled and decimated wheat field under the night sky still in their orderly formations, perfectly disciplined and untiring. 

“Yet the war isn’t over. If we’re truly going to break this cycle, it’s going ti take us fighting until the very end, until we truly can restore everyone’s memories and thereby prevent this from ever happening again. We have our own free will as humans, yet great things can only be accomplished when our free wills are combined into one common effort.”

Kana replied honestly but supportively as Kimi smiled at her, blushing as she relaxed. Kimi couldn’t believe the changes that she’d felt, how she’d worked through her fear to truly become the Slayer Queen - as well as to fight and lead alongside Kana, who was back, and once more the Sorceress Queen. Kimi then looked up at Kama as she tried to get up, but slid down Kana’s armored front slowly instead, with Kimi resting her head in Kana’s lap.

“How did we end up here? The Sorcerers and Slayers cards, the War of the Realm, all of it. I know how - but I guess I just mean why did we end up here? Us, all of these other people who are serving as Common Folk and are thankfully enchanted for their own sakes, why did it have to be this way?”

Kimi asked Kana, as Kana sighed, whilst she dutifully stroked Kimi’s hair with just as much sincerity as ever. 

“Traditions are tremendously difficult to break, as you and I well know from our own culture and national history in Japan. Yet when they are broken as in 1945, we can collectively forge new paths, new dawns, and new golden ages. We’re almost there, though the pain that we are required to bear in order to reach such times, is still present.”

Kana responded with a heavy, yet still loving tone, as she continued to stroke Kimi’s hair as Kimi blushed and nodded in acceptance. Kana’s words rang true, more true than almost anything Kimi had heard in her life up to that point. It was the acceptance that in order to reach new eras and new heights of prosperity and peace - there had to be a comparatively short period of pain and sacrifice against those forces that would maintain traditions based in antiquated violent ideals and actions.

“I guess our trials are now going to be in the forms of Sota, Aoto, and Akio - that last one, that’ll hurt the most to fight him…..”

Kimi said as Kana then stood up and offered her hand gently, which Kimi took in her let hand, as she picked up her enchanted sword with her right hand. 

“Then let’s embrace destiny. If we can, I want to face Akio last - and I think we should face Sota next, face the darkness head on and abolish it with our light and our love.”

Kimi added, as Kana then kissed her as a response, smiling and nodding. Meanwhile, their amassed, highly organized, enchanted and thus focused forces stared blankly into the expanse of the realm - fearless and ready for what was to come next!

“Then let’s go defeat the scion of darkness in the realm!”

Kana confidently responded, before she and Kimi turned to their forces. 

“We’re going on the offensive this time, into the fiefdom of blackened muck, rotting bamboo, miasmic fog, and decaying ruins. In short - we’re going to literally and figuratively, face the darkness!”

Kimi bellowed to the amassed Common Folk before them as she quietly gulped, before squeezing her left hand into a fist to calm the nerves that she felt. For as powerful as Haruto was - he still represented light in the midst of darkness, while Sota represented the darkness that sought to snuff out the light! In that, it would be like venturing to seek out a nightmare instead of unsuspectingly being the victim of one.

After a nod and a semi-nervous smile to Kana, they all marched through the now trampled and brown golden wheat fields, across what was the fiefdom that Haruto ruled over, and which Kana had served in high service of - into the part of the realm most opposite to it. Each step as Kimi and Kana lead their forces into Sota’s fiefdom felt like walking into Hell - a venture into the darkness where morality, charity, goodness, and even basic care were devoid. And soon enough, after an unspecified amount of time, yet possibly a few hours - Kimi, Kana, and their Common Folk, had arrived. This was evidenced by the massive shinto gate made of bones and accented with skulls that greeted their entry. 

“The light has come to meet the darkness.”

Kimi quietly said to Kana as they were the first to pass under and through the gate, nodding to each heater in readiness as their forces they followed behind in an exceptionally orderly and disciplined fashion, thanks to the enchantment on them. 

It wasn’t long before they had made their way to the center of the fiefdom, a clearing where only the worn and rotten stumps of bamboo were, with feudal Japanese style ruins around them, and aside of the miasmic of fog, all that was there, was silence - yet that would soon yield its presence. 

“Pure of heart - in light and in love. Not Riku, nor any of his predecessors who ruled over this fiefdom in stewardship could match both of your selfless bravery and purity. Yes, Slayer Queen and Sorceress Queen, even in darkness - one must know how to confront their enemies, those who bask in the light.”

Sota beckoned telepathically as he emerged from the fog, hovering in his wingless dragon form, relaxingly coiled in the air in the same manner that his brethren had also been. Sota stared down Kimi, Kana, and their combined forces behind them. 

“You’ve slayed Haruto - I sense it, his essence now that of death, mostly powerless now, an ethereal force which can no longer regain a physical form of any sort. I don’t fear being slain by either of you, or your forces - I only wish to do my part to hold the line of sacred tradition for its honorable sake. With that, I have one condition forever commence what will become a mortal slaughter.”

Sota added telepathically as Kimi and Kana looked at each other, before nodding and looking back at Sota. 

“You, Slayer Queen will face me alone. And should you desire - I’ll even permit you to use this.”

Sota stated Ruth an eerie calm, before the same vile, enchanted grimoire that once floated before Riku not so long ago, flowed before Kimi, which caused her and Kana to reel.

“No, I won’t resort to giving my body, mind, and soul to the darkness. I’ll face you with my icy and fiery passion, and the light of the girl whom I love.”

Kimi snapped back, as Kana nodded, before handing Kimi a Sorcerers and Slayers card that Kimi took a moment to observe:

“An Armor of Love and Light - Effect: Allows the user to infuse light energy into their armor, which will act in compliment and meld with the elements and forces of their own fiefdom within the realm.”

With a swift slashing motion, Kimi activated the card as a flash of white light appeared before her, disappearing as quickly as it had made itself known, with her armor now having glowing white accents to it. Yet, Kimi could feel that much more than a simple cosmetic change had taken place. She felt more powerful, she felt faster, and dare she believe it - she felt braver. 

“Alright, Sota - I’m ready to face you.”

Kimi announced as she stepped closer to Sota, who simply stared down at her further.

“Don’t fool or flatter yourself, Slayer Queen.”

Sota replied flatly as if he was bored, before disappearing, and then reappearing coiled around the entirety of Kimi’s body, save for her feet and her head, squeezing as a dark energy came off of him.

“Do you feel it? Do you feel the darkness consuming the light energy?”

Sota asked telepathically as Kimi screamed and writhed in pain as she could feel the light energy that Kana had helped bestow on Kimi’s armor being torn off and consumed in the darkness energy that Sota was radiating! Kimi could scarcely even lift her sword, not only because her arms were clamped down in Sota’s could self - but because she felt like her energy was being siphoned.

“I won’t let you……”

Kimi tried to scream before she collapsed as Sota released her, as Kimi collapsed to the ground! Kana stepped forward to run towards Kimi, but Sota soon dashed in front of her in a flash of darkness!

“Don’t interfere, Sorceress Queen - you too, have agreed to my terms of combat by being here.”

Sota ordered telepathically as he stared deeply into Kana’s eyes as Kimi tried to just sit up, much less stand up, coughing painfully as she looked around the decrepit, poisoned landscape of Sota’s part of the realm. She didn’t know if this was it, if this was as far as she’d make it in her quest? Then, as if by chance - or fate - the vile grimoire once again floated in front of her with dark energy emanating from it as Sota appeared behind it, staring down at Kimi.

“To defeat me, or otherwise to slay me - you’ll have to grant me a victory as well: by embracing the darkness and letting your purity and moral chastity be shattered forever, corrupted by my darkness. You, Slayer Queen - may either writhe in the muck, your ribs crushed, and your lungs being close to punctured - or you can embrace the power that I have mastered and slay me.”

Sota stated ominously as tears steamed down Kimi’s face as she weakly turned her gaze to Kana, who was also unable to hold back soft tears as she nodded to Kimi. Was this an example of the pain and sacrifice that Kana had mentioned? Kimi certainly thought so, and judging by Kana’s reaction - she agreed. Kimi then looked up at Sota once more.

“Then give me the power - your power.”

Kimi growled with a pained ferocity, wincing at how her partially crushed ribs let out an unbearable pain when she spoke, or when she tried to move.

Sota nodded as the grimoire opened before her, as darkness emanated from it and embraced Kimi, turning her armor black and white, as well as her eyes black and her hair white, as well as the accents on her enchanted sword black - as she felt her ribs heal, along with something else: whispers.

“Feel your love begins obsession, feel your passion become greed, and feel your righteousness become tyranny.”

One female voice whispered in Kimi’s head.

“Ascribed from the Slayer Queen into the Mistress of Murder!”

A further female voice whispered in command!

“Let your voice become a symphony of screams, and your battle cries the wailing of hateful sorrow.”

One final female voice whispered as Kimi then formed two more eyes under her normal eyes that were now black, as these four new ones were! With her six black eyes, white hair, and black and white armor - Kimi stood up, smiling with a slit mouth and a long, black, feminine tongue as she licked her lips. 

“SOTA! I WILL ENJOY DEVOURING YOUR PAIN - AND THEN VIOLENTLY VOMITING IT BACK DOWN YOUR THROAT AS I MURDER YOU!”

Kimi let out in a twisted version of her voice as Kana stared at her, horrified!

The visibility of Sota’s fiefdom darkened as his eyes glowed white, while the rest of him was shrouded. All around him, flashes of white-accented, screaming flashes of energy with long mouths and hollow eyes, surged towards the corrupted Kimi in a massive supernatural horde!

“Well, Slayer Queen, now that you’re corrupted - let me introduce you to the souls of the damned!”

Sota yelled telepathically as the mostly formless souls surged towards Kimi, as Kimi merely smiled with her loving tongue, slit mouth, and stared into the darkness with her six black eyes!

“Ancient fool! The feebleness and meekness of the Slayer Queen has been extinguished! Before  you stands the force of your doom: the Mistress of Murder!”

Kimi responded with sickening glee as she then spun rapidly and in a rapid, seemingly infinite whirlwind slash with her now darkness-enchanted sword, a cacophony of screams were released in concert with the black and white energy that decimated the horde of the souls of the damned as Kimi’s blade violently touched them! 

“COME FORTH, YOU COWARD! I WANT TO TEAR YOIR INSIDES OUT AND APART WITH MY SWORD AND ENGORGE MYSELF ON YOUR PAIN!”

Kimi psychotically taunted Sota as Kana put her hand over her mouth, all the more horrified by what Kimi had become. 

“Then murder me - and truly lose your purity in my embrace as you violently penetrate me!”

Sota calmly but firmly telepathically commanded as he surged towards Kimi and curled around her legs as Kimi swiftly grabbed his upper half with her left hand stopped him, before violently laying in and stabbing him with her her corrupted sword repeatedly as she laughed manically!

“Now - let’s see what you taste like after all these centuries!”

Kimi screamed as she kicked her corrupted sword further into Sota’s torso and then grabbed his elongated dragon mouth, pulling it open as she smashed her slit mouth into his, plunging her long black tongue down his throat as she sucked upwards hard!

“OH - I’M GONNA BE SICK!”

Kama let out as she reeled at the sight before her!

Kimi sucked up all of the darkness energy from inside Sota, bridge chewing quickly - and then forcing herself to violently vomit it back down his throat as she kept her sword stabbed into him with her right foot.

“HHHHHHRRRRCCCKKKKKK! VVVVVVVVRRRAAACCCCKKKKKK!”

The corrupted Kimi let out as she continued to violently vomit the regurgitated darkness energy back into Sota - before he exploded into a blast of dark energy, as the floating vile grimoire disintegrated. 

As the corrupted Kimi slowly turned to Kana, neglecting her that sword had fallen to the ground - which Kama took advantage of as she quickly pulled out another Sorcerers and Slayers card:

“The Eradication of Evil - Effect: This card can only be used against a Slayer and/or Sorcerer connected to the fiefdom of darkness. When this card is used in an attack against such an individual - the power of the darkness is banished from them.”

“Oh, so you wanna get rough with me!?”

The corrupted Kimi taunted as Kana flipped and corkscrewed over Kimi, before she grabbed Kimi’s corrupted sword and stabbed through the card and deeply into Kimi’s armored torso through her back! 

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”

The corrupted Kimi shrieked as the card blasted out light energy that true to its name - eradicated the corrupting darkness within Kimi and her sword alike! Within a moment - Kimi collapsed to her knees, her armor, her face, and her hair all back to normal, their standard bright and cheerful colors, as Kana slowly removed Kimi’s enchanted sword carefully from Kimi’s torso, as she held Kimi in her arms sobbing. 

“I LOVE YOU!!!!”

Kana screamed and sobbed as she knelt with sorrow while she held Kimi in her arms, hoping and praying for a miracle to bring Kimi back!