Battle with the Four Fiends

"Ouch!" Xneong's nose bled when Inveticus bonked his hulusi gourd into his face. "Jeez, that thing's tough as nails."

He swung his scythe rifle in a spinning whirlwind formation against Inveticus and his swarm of crystal butterflies. Suddenly, someone stomped in between them.

A built man with fiery orange hair and armor swiped his knives at the Korean High Envoy to knock him back. With a knife flick, he commanded his trusty cylindrical flamethrower to launch off his back and slam Inveticus in the chest behind him like a battering ram.

"Oof!" Inveticus rolled on the ground, holding his chest in pain after the cylinder ricocheted off his body. "What in Makiyu's name?"

The man with fiery goggles and a military skull mask flipped knives through his fingers, signaling the flamethrower to ram into Xneong. The Korean High Envoy backflipped from the flamethrower that pierced into the rocks.

He sweated, recognizing the man with mechanical arms and legs that whirred with every step. "Oh, crap."

"I finally found you, traitor!" Suvenjior picked up his flamethrower. "I think you know what comes next, don't you? Anyone who messes with Fanghui messes with me!"

"Wha-wait, Suvenjior! P-please, you don't-" Xneong dodged the scorching wildfire Suvenjior launched from his flamethrower.

What's the High Envoy of Venezuela doing here? Why are two Federation High Envoys fighting? Inveticus watched the distressed Xneong fire bullets that bounced off Suvenjior's heat armor. Suvenjior doesn't seem interested in fighting me, so I'll sneak out and check on the others.

***

"Avian Form: Cardinal's Talon!" Thalamoid hand stood and swiped her feet at Isrina.

"Avian Form: Toucan's Mace!" Isrina elbowed the droid woman back.

Both of us learned very well from my husband. Isrina chain punched with Thalamoid in a stalemate. How do I beat her if we're using the same martial arts style?

Thalamoid unsheathed her left claw to scratch Isrina's face. "I never wanted to hurt you, Mom, but if you can't recognize me as your true child, I'll knock some sense into you!"

"It's you who has no sense! Avian Form: Flamingo's Talon!" Isrina kicked both feet into Thalamoid's chest. "Think, Thalamoid! You're a droid made by my husband. How can you possibly be my biological child in the first place?"

"Shut up! Avian Form: Blackhawk Missile!" The droid woman whirled into a cyclone, speeding to Isrina and punching her face. "There can only be one child of the Niangs, and that's me!"

Guardian Inveticus, is there a way for me to forget the Ouroboros Fang? Isrina remembered talking to Inveticus. I've hurt your people with it. I can't bear to remember!

I'm afraid not, Isrina. What's past is past, and running away won't change anything. You must repent and look to the future Makiyu has in store for you.

What should I do now?

Whether you like it or not, your Avian Form and the Ouroboros Fang are two sides of the same coin. You mustn't run from your dark half but look at it face to face. That's how you learn to control your emotions so they don't control you.

"Thalamoid! Listen!" Isrina ducked under Thalamoid's claw and chain-punched her chest. "Jinhai and I always loved you like family, but we kicked you out because you threatened my Little Chickadee."

"Why don't we end this fighting?" She offered Thalamoid. "We can still be together like we used to with Jinhai, but you must accept that Shien is my true child."

"Your true child? That little trash? Over my dead body!" The droid hissed through her gas mask, charging at Isrina. "I'm your true offspring, and Shien is dead meat!"

"I wanted to help you realize your delusion, but if you still want to chase your twisted fantasy, then I'm sorry to do this."

"Avian Form: Shoebill Thunderforce!" Thalamoid aimed a fist at Isrina.

"Ouroboros Fang: Calamitous Helminth!" Isrina impaled a four-finger strike into Thalamoid's stomach.

Thalamoid stopped in her tracks, vomiting purple fuel uncontrollably.

"Ouroboros Fang: Baneful Dreadscythe!"

Isrina's arms morphed into muscular scythes with fangs and eyes, slicing the droid's arms off. Thalamoid screamed and squirmed on the floor.

"What kind of martial art is that?" Thalamoid cowered as Isrina walked up close.

"This is your last chance, Thalamoid. Fix that misconception of yours and face what's real," She looked into Thalamoid's lightning-shaped eyes. "You're a droid my husband made, and I gave birth to my Little Chickadee. Shien will forever be my baby, but you were always part of our family. Can you accept that simple fact?"

The droid woman growled, violently shaking her head in disbelief. "You dare lecture me about facts? It's you who's lost it! You and Jinhai spend every hour feeding and playing with that stinky baby runt while you all forget about me! Why? I don't grow hungry or need a diaper changed, yet you all chose to be with Shien!"

Isrina was speechless.

"You know deep down that I'm right! Why did you and Jinhai cuddle and sleep together? Maybe you two shouldn't make love in the first place!"

A vein popped on Isrina's forehead.

"You, Isrina, my rightful mother, dare to be pregnant with a bratty Shien! It's not fair he took all the attention from me! I should've slit your belly open and gotten rid of that bloody fetus a long time-"

Isrina tore Thalamoid's gas mask off and drilled a palm into her mouth. The droid woman choked on purple fuel, unable to speak.

"There are some things you should never say to a mother," Isrina gnashed her teeth. "I've had enough of you, Thalamoid. Farewell."

Thalamoid shuddered, watching dark veins encircle Isrina's blue eyes. She wanted to beg Isrina to spare her but couldn't talk as purple fuel spilled from her dysfunctional mouth.

"Ouroboros Fang: Draco Animus!"

Isrina's arm morphed into a veined dragon head that chomped onto Thalamoid's body. Without compassion, she watched the dragon gulp the droid whole, ignoring Thalamoid's muffed cries of terror.

Inveticus placed his arm on her shoulder. "Isrina? Are you alright?"

"I-I tried to reason with her," She breathed deeply. "I-I offered Thalamoid a peaceful reunion as a family, but she wouldn't accept Shien no matter what I did!"

The Vulpi Guardian hugged her. "You did your best, but Thalamoid chose to believe in her fantasy and reject reality. There are always those who won't listen to reason. Isrina, you can't help everyone. If you didn't destroy Thalamoid, she wouldn't stop hunting Shien down."

Isrina nodded.

"We better check on the kids," Inveticus and Isrina ran.

***

"Can't find me, little girl?" Kaviel hit Mivangeline's head with her tsuzumi. "Too bad! Ehehe! Wish you paid respect to poor, weak grandma?"

The illusion clones jumped around Mivangeline to confuse her. Mivangeline would guess and punch each transparent illusion but never catch the real one while the real Kaviel smacked her around, scarring her body.

Don't let her get to you. She's trying to make you frustrated. Mivangeline took a deep breath amid her injuries and the cackling replicas. Think what Shien said, don't predict, just react.

As the Kaviel clones bunny-hopped over her head with maniacal laughter, Mivangeline held a palm forward and fist back in Jum Sau.

"Just give up! Ehehe!" The real Kaviel mocked Mivangeline by hopping off her shoulder. "Oopsie, you missed me! The next time, I'll hit you for sure!"

Don't panic. Mivangeline ignored Kaviel's taunts. Let her come to you.

Relaxing in total concentration, Mivangeline calmly observed the chaotic swarm of Kaviel clones that flipped across her. The real Kaviel charged low, swiping her drum at Mivangeline's feet.

The Commander jumped over the attack and swung her foot onto Kaviel's gazelle skull. "Avian Form: Kingfisher's Axe!"

"Aiee!" Kaviel felt the foot crack her skull before tumbling to the ground. "You damn youth with no compassion for the weak elderly! Let's see how you do against this!"

The demon bonked her tsuzumi to summon hundreds of fakes to surround Mivangeline, but the Commander wasn't afraid. When the Kaviel clones jumped at her, Mivangeline stood still as the fakes didn't hurt her. They scrambled at her face as the real Kaviel snuck from behind, aiming her drum at Mivangeline's neck.

Mivangeline stepped to the left to dodge the attack, hitting her palm at Kaviel's hand to disarm her tsuzumi. "Avian Form: Shoebill Thunderforce!"

With a concentrated fist, Mivangeline smashed Kaviel's left eye socket and horn off, leaving the demon to squeal in agony as tumors erupted from the injured site.

"You good-for-nothing teenager! Curse you youngsters who torment the old!" Kaviel picked up her tsuzumi and summoned more illusions of herself. "I'll devour you as I did to all kids who mistreat me!"

As Kaviel fought Mivangeline, Shien chain-punched against Nazad's staff. The demon stomped his khakkhara to command black mambas to jump and bite Shien.

"Avian Form: Riflebird's Wingbeat!" Shien swung his arms like wings to blow the snakes away.

"I may not be allowed to kill you, but that doesn't mean I can't make you suffer!" Nazad rotated his khakkhara, dangling its circlets in tune. "Rise from the deathly sands, Hel Amuru!"

Shien cringed from the groaning blob of ears and tongues that rose from the rocky plains.

He slashed his palms in par against the whipping tongues. "Avian Form: Wryneck Scythe!"

"Avian Form: Harpy's Claw!" Mivangeline clawed her fingers into the real Kaviel's throat as the other clones faded.

"Let go of me! Show respect to poor Grannie. I'm a weak old lady!" Kaviel cried as Mivangeline tightened her grip.

"Don't play the elderly card to justify your wrongs!" Mivangeline yelled. "You can keep on playing the victim, but God sees everything!"

Kaviel coughed in agony. "H-how dare you bully the weak, you damn imp!"

Mivangeline gasped as Kaviel suddenly grew five times her size. The giant Kaviel grappled her colossal hands on Mivangeline's jaw.

"I'm the victim, you're the bully!" Kaviel squeezed her grip on Mivangeline's face. "Show respect to your elders!"

"Mivange!" Shien ran for her until Nazad grabbed him by the hair.

Nazad smashed his staff into Shien's face, knocking him out with one blow.

"G-God... please help..." Shien's mouth bled before blacking out.

Mivangeline felt her jaw crack until Guardian Inveticus summoned Des Manthesia to cut Kaviel's arms off with freezing scythe arms.

"I hate you children! Curse all you younger generations!" Kaviel hollered until Isrina punched her chest with two fists.

"Avian Form: Cassowary Doomfall!" Isrina aimed both legs into the same area, causing Kaviel's insides to burst from her back.

Kaviel rolled and tossed on the ground, shrinking into a frail, undernourished four-legged gazelle that honked and neighed incomprehensible nonsense. Its belly bled, revealing an open rib cage full of dangling heads, trophies of children Kaviel ate. Mivangeline and Inveticus shuddered at the sight.

"You ugly insignificant beast," Inveticus glared at Kaviel. "You ate so many of Makiyu's children, and call yourself the victim!"

The savage Kaviel faced Mivangeline with tumor-filled eye sockets, brushing her hooves and aiming antlers for Mivangeline.

"Don't think about it!" Isrina warned the little beast.

Kaviel bleated ferociously and rampaged at Mivangeline like a rabid bull.

"Ouroboros Fang: Helshadow Serpente!" Isrina's arms coiled into skinned snakes with upside-down noses.

The serpents spat acid at Kaviel, corroding the squealing gazelle into ash. Mivangeline and Isrina turned to Nazad with wrathful eyes, seeing the emaciated man hold the unconscious Shien by the hair. Nazad stomped his staff, ordering Hel Amuru to attack Inveticus and Des Manthesia.

"Kaviel may have failed, but here I stand!" Nazad faced Shien's mother and girlfriend. "You will not disrupt Revelation Concerto!"