Twilight of the Idols

Kanji’s eyes widened as the Samurai walked towards him, footsteps echoing across the asphalt.

Vessels? Is this the thing doing the possession? Like the thing controlling Yuki…

Kanji raised his hammer. There’s no time to waste.

A muffled explosion sounded from behind the wall, followed by a louder explosion; two holes burst out of the separating wall. Aiko and Kazuo rolled on the asphalt to a halt. They laid motionless.

Yuki stepped through the closest hole, her face covered in soot, and a black burn on her left arm.

“Yuki!” Kanji said, “You defeated them?”

“Not the time for a chat, Kanji-kun. Let’s finish this last one.” She rolled up her revolver and aimed it at the Samurai.

The Samurai dashed towards Yuki, closing the distance at incredible speed. He slashed his sword at her. Sparks flew as Yuki blocked the slash with the revolver. He kept slashing her with fast, accurate strikes, Yuki barely managing to block them, unable to get a shot in.

Pinky, barely managing to hold itself back, leaped towards the Samurai.

As Pinky’s spear reached him, the world went blue. Kanji could not move, as if time itself stopped.

“You dare interrupt my duel?”

What the hell?

A blur of strikes slashed through Pinky. Deep cuts formed all throughout its body as it dropped to its knees. It dropped face flat on the ground.

Time came back to normal.

“Now, where were we?” The samurai said.

He… stopped time?

Gunshots.

But not at the Samurai. At the two corpses. Yuki fired the revolvers like machine guns, until the corpses were completely obliterated.

“Hmm? You thought that would prevent their revival? Not bad. But you’re mistaken.” The Samurai said. Bullets came at him, which he blocked by spinning his Katana with blazing speed.

The gunshots stopped. Yuki panted.

He dropped his sword to his side as the gunshots stopped. He walked back towards the destroyed corpses, turning his back to Yuki.

I have to heal Pinky!

Kanji rushed towards Pinky and hit it with the hammer. Snakes emerged from the cuts, slowly repairing them.

The Samurai began speaking as he walked:

“A shame. Those sorcerers were widely respected in their communities. Aiko was a doctor who saved countless lives. Kazuo was still in college, he dreamed of becoming an actor. And Isamu was a Vietnam war veteran. His decisiveness saved countless American troops, and he’s considered a key source of knowledge for the Japanese military. Well, used to be. But of course, you had to kill them all for your vanities and curiosities, didn’t you?”

Snakes, coming from the ground, surrounding the corpses.

A red snake surrounded Aiko, and a black and yellow snake surrounded Kazuo, lifting them in the air. Their feet, sticking out, jolted as if electrified.

Out of the snakes dropped two figures.

One was feminine, with cloth-like stitched skin and a pregnant belly, holding two eyeless children, one on each hand, both smiling.

The other was masculine, long and slender, floating above the ground; it wore a black Sokutai, clothes and crown like an emperor’s.

“Hmm… it seems our vessels have all been defeated.” The stitched woman said.

“Indeed.” The floating emperor said.

“That makes me upset.”

“How dare these lower beings combat us, instead of kneeling?”

“They are the most dishonorable bunch,” The Samurai said, “A free spirit, a fiend, and a chimera. We must send them back to hell for eternity.”

“Agreed.” The stitched woman said.

“Agreed.” The floating emperor said, “Then, let us begin, just like old times.”

The emperor raised his hand as his voice echoed, “Transperancy.”

The world around them became black. The six of them stood still in a circle, In the middle, a faceless woman in office clothing, wearing glasses and holding a folder.

I can’t move again?

Kanji tried to move his limbs but it felt as if the darkness was taking all the space around him.

“Let us begin!” The woman in the middle said cheerfully, “First, Hierarchy-sama,” She pointed at the flying emperor, “your powers are… transparency, telepathic communication, flight, and efficiency boost.”

Hierarchy? What kind of name is that? He seems to be the playmaker type.

She pointed next at the stitched woman, “Family-sama. Your powers are Teammate Swap and Children Swarm.”

I guess she’s more of a support and crowd control?

At the Samurai. “Honor-sama. Your powers are Fearsome Warrior, Force Duel, and Uninterruptable.”

Honor… He’s the damage dealer. Sounds like he could force anyone to a one on one, that could be dangerous.

She pointed at Kanji now. “Okimoto-san. Free spirit who has no powers. Possesses Red’s hammer. Weaknesses: Free spirit, inexperienced, unathletic.”

What? She’s exposing our weaknesses too? Is that the tradeoff for exposing their own strengths?

She pointed at Pinky. “Pinky. Your powers are flight, honing spear, sturdy body, sonar hearing, and talons. You can communicate with Okimoto-san telepathically. Weaknesses: Has to attack creatures who trigger its bloodlust.”

“And lastly, Hatanaka-san. Your power is imitation. Your weaknesses are…” The woman adjusts her glasses “Hmm… She tries to protect Okimoto Kanji. That’s the only one.”

I’m her only weakness?!

“Transperancy is complete.” The woman said joyfully.

They all appeared in their original spots.

What the hell was that? That’s some seriously powerful magic, much stronger than even Sollenberg’s. And wait… Yuki’s power is imitation?

“Kanji-kun,” Yuki whispered in his ear, “How do we do this?”

He gulped.

“Yuki’s intuition allows her to adapt to whatever happens, and Pinky can receive commands telepathically. I’m the only one that can fall behind, so I’ll make the calls.”

Yuki stared into his eyes, as if searching for something.

“Got it.” she said, “Lead the way.”

Their combination is really strong, so separating them is a good idea. Taking care of Hierarchy first could seriously cripple them, though. Family could switch him with someone else, but it would just isolate them instead.

Kanji lifted his hammer behind his head and dropped it. As it hit the ground, a steel wall emerged from the ground, spreading forward like a wave, carrying Kanji forward on top of it.

Hierarchy tried to dodge sideways.

Kanji leaped off the wave as it continued and curved upwards, trapping Hierarchy in their side of the wall.

Pinky leaped at him, spearing and throwing him at the ground, “Argh! Fucker!” he said. Yuki was there to hit him up with the back of her revolver. Slam. It made him fly towards Kanji. Kanji hit him with the hammer. Hypersonic boom, slamming him against the ground, making a crater. Hierarchy coughed blood. “Swap…”

A zapping sound followed by Hierarchy disappearing, Family and Honor appearing in his place.

What? It can swap both of them for one?

Snap. Both the children detached from Family’s hands. Her hands, and the children’s, twisted into knives.

As they ran towards Pinky, they each split into two, four, then eight, multiplying until a hefty group formed.

Pinky launched itself at them, trying to spear them off one by one. The children swarmed it, biting and stabbing it, as it swung at them.

Honor launched himself at Yuki, grabbing her wrist. “Force duel.”

Both Yuki and Honor disappeared. A box high in the air appeared, where Yuki and Honor appeared. The box sparkled as they fought each other at incredible speed.

Family turned her attention towards Kanji. She pointed her arm at a dead child. Swap.

The dead child was replaced with Hierarchy.

They both launched themselves at Kanji. Swapping between each other as they approached, as if trying to confuse him.

They’ve used their powers to isolate each one of us simultaneously, so they can take care of the weakest link together?!

Kanji hit the ground, making a steel cocoon around him.

Shit, shit! What can I do?

The two bashed continuously against the walls, bending them inwards.

I could try to save Pinky… But there’s too many of them! If I get to Yuki and disrupt the duel, time will stop again!

Fuck…

The steel pressed into his lungs.

I’ve screwed it up again, I’ve chosen wrong. I should’ve just given them the hammer. And here come the consequences of my actions.

No.

I’ve made the only right decision.

I just need to buy my teammates more time.

And trust them, so we can figure it out together!

Bang. The steel expanded in all directions, pushing Family and Hierarchy away.

“Come at me!” Kanji yelled.

They did.

Kanji dropped the hammer. A pillar emerged from the floor, lifting him in the air. Hierarchy grabbed Family and flew after him. The pillar twisted and turned, staying just out of reach of Hierarchy.

“Fucker, stop running!” Family yelled to the top of her lungs. Hierarchy let her go on the pillar’s base. A purple light enveloped her, and she started running up the pillar with extreme speed, catching up to stab Kanji’s ankle.

“GOT YOU!” her voice screeched.

Kanji tripped and held onto the edge as the pillar stopped growing. Family stabbed into his leg repeatedly, and Hierarchy appeared above him now.

“Time to die, boy.” Hierarchy extended his arm forward, and eight purple spheres appeared around him.

Swap.

Hierarchy was gone. And in his place was Yuki, pointing her gun at Family.

Yuki?

“Huh? You stole that too? You bi—”

Gunshots tore into Family’s face one after the other.

Yuki caught onto Kanji’s ankle, and rested her feet on the pillar, before running downwards, shooting at Family as she ran.

The box was still in the air, Honor and Hierarchy stood in it.

Yuki copied swap to escape the duel and trap Hierarchy there? I need to help her!

Kanji grabbed the hammer stuck onto the floor, and the pillar started descending back to the ground.

Family’s disrupted form ran towards her two remaining children. They tore away from Pinky and jumped at her. They sank into her wounds, absorbing into her. But their mass was not enough to fully heal her. Yuki hit Family with the back of her gun, knocking her towards Pinky. Pinky speared Family midair, driving her into the wall.

Pinky threw her towards Kanji, who hit her towards Yuki, who hit her towards the wall again, and shot her repeatedly like a machine gun.

Family slid to the ground. “You… you…” she spoke weakly.

“It’s over. It’s over. Stay away from her.” Honor said.

Honor walked behind them, carrying Hierarchy on his back. The box in the sky disappeared.

“Let her go…” Honor said.

Swap.

Yuki, Kanji and Pinky now stood where Honor stood, and Honor stood next to Family.

“Now, Kanji-kun!” Yuki said, raising her revolver.

Huh? Now what? What does she want me to do?

Honor put Hierarchy on the ground, who coughed blood and held onto his chest. Honor raised both his swords, preparing to dash.

A dark sensation flowed through his fingertips.

Oh, that’s… that’s what you were thinking.

Swap.

Kanji’s hammer swapped with Honor’s right katana.

Yuki shot the hammer. A massive explosion knocked the three of them on their backs.

Out of the flames stumbled Honor, one armed. He dropped to his knees.

Hierarchy lay lifeless, and Family barely moved, their skins completely charred.

“Family, Hierarchy… I couldn’t protect you again.” Honor’s voice cracked, as if he’s crying.

“It’s alright, Honor… you tried your best…” Family said weakly.

“I cannot accept it.” Honor shakily rose to his feet, raising his left sword, “I will no—”

Gunshot. Honor fell to his back like a mannequin. Two more gunshots left Family motionless. Another gunshot at Hierarchy, who remained motionless. Two more at the Samurai.

Yuki lowered her revolver.

Kanji stood in silence as the black dome dissipated above them.

“It’s over,” Yuki said.