Ken tried to push herself up, but her body didn't want to respond. The air had suddenly grown so heavy with mana, and she could hear Tori and Vlad speaking, but their words were so distorted it was impossible to understand what was being said.
One thing was blindingly obvious, however.
Ken managed to bring her head up and stared at Olivia's body. The snow-haired beauty was on the ground, the Lance of Victory's weapon still jammed through her chest.
All the members of Phoenix Flight and Pantheon groaned. Tori's mana was thick and pressed down on them all. It was far heavier than it should be, as if something else were backing her power up, which easily pressed them all to the ground.
So much had gone wrong so easily. Ken squeezed her eyes and suppressed a whimper. Why was her life so fucked up? Why could she never save anyone she cared about?
Slowly her hand fiddled with her gourd, and she gritted her teeth. "Vil Flame Feel!" All of her mana and all of Yujin's mana poured out and washed over Olivia's form. She put everything she had into the spell. The effect worked like a charm.
Tori/Evelyn's eyes widened as her lance was raised up and torn out of Olivia's chest. The fire washed over the white-haired girl, and suddenly her chest sealed shut. Tori stumbled back just a bit, and her gaze fell upon the now healed Olivia.
Vlad watched in silence, and beneath his cloak a smirk formed on his face. "Well, just what kind of thing did you make, Arthur? Are we still following your script?"
Despite having a hole blasted through her, Olivia's hands pressed against the ground, and she slowly stood up. Tori's frown grew, and the mana around her grew. The air became even thicker, and several of the Knights all screamed as they were pressed hard into the ground by an unseen force. Olivia, however, remained standing.
"Are you serious?" Evelyn frowned as her eyes met Olivia's. Gone was the girl's vibrant blood red. Now she held a gaze as blue as Tori's. "Don't tell me little Davi transferred it to you. Is that even possible?"
"Oh, it's possible, alright!" Olivia's face broke out into a grin that didn't suit her, and she pressed a finger to her head. "I squirmed my way in here. It wasn't easy escaping Davi, and I knew I had to lay low or else you'd figure me out, so I really didn't do much until just now. I'm afraid I can't have you kill this body. I hope you understand."
"O-Olivia?" Ken craned her head up in confusion. It sounded like Olivia, but the tone and manner in which she spoke was gone. Also, the feeling of her mana was just wrong. It was cold, dark, and depressing. So, so depressing. Olivia didn't even bother to glance her way.
Tori sneered and pointed her lance at Olivia. "My host is better, and I can control mine from a remote place. You should have stayed hidden because now you've gone and ticked me off."
"Oh?" Olivia leaned forward, her smile growing. "And how exactly has sweet Maya ticked you off, Lunar Flower?"
"You've basically ruined all the effort I put into Davi. It was all the effort you put into him as well." Tori growled. "You were in Titania, and both you and the Ebony Knight worked together to make him your vessel. I don't understand why you'd suddenly go back on that plan."
Olivia flipped her hair and puffed her chest out. "How idiotic. I gave up on Davi the day you and your little boy toy introduced me to the power of the Great Dragon of Roads. Reclaiming a body like that is far better than whatever Davi is. Of course, I was unable to keep control over his form, and he was able to reject me. As such, I went back into Davi, but then before I could fully take him over, you showed up." This time it was Olivia who sneered. "You inherited the Great Dragon of Roads' voice and used it to suppress me, hoping you could get Davi to absorb the power of the Ebony Knight and me as his own. You thought you had him wrapped around your own little finger and he'd eventually perform the Rite of Marriage with you, and you'd get the power of the Lunar Knight for yourself. Well, sorry, but that power will be mine. Imagine it. The Ebony Knight's evolved power as a greater being on the level of Haru, while in a body perfectly made for a dragon. It's a match made in history, wouldn't you say?"
Tori laughed. "Maya, Maya, Maya, oh how stupid you are. You don't think you have what it takes to reach that, do you? You'd need the Ebony Knight for that."
Olivia's smirk returned, and she placed a finger to her chin. "Oh yeah. I would. Anyway, Row Shadow Fist."
The shadow beneath Tori expanded up into a thick black fist, which rammed into her gut hard enough to shatter her armor. She was sent blasting into the air, flying away, and the blonde's eyes widened comically.
"Shadow magic?" Tori slammed down into a building and broke past several floors before she crashed into the basement. "Don't tell me she has the Ebony Knight-"
"I don't need to tell you anything." Olivia's boot jammed into Tori's face as she somehow flickered over and shoved the woman further into the ground. "I'm sure a smart girl like yourself can figure out what's happening."
Miles away, Evelyn suppressed a growl and doubled her effort on controlling her puppet. Tori swung her lance up but missed Olivia, who stepped back and avoided it with ease. Tori jumped back to her feet and went to cast another spell, but before she could, Olivia grabbed her by the face and tossed her across the room.
"Easy." Tori winced. "You know your host liked this person at one point. Planning on being cruel and killing her?"
"It would stop you from having her." Olivia pointed out. "You shouldn't smile so brightly, though, Prettiest Flower. Once I do kill Tori, I'll be coming for you."
Tori laughed. "I'll admit, you're a bit scary, but let's face it, princess, you're not as strong as you used to be. Tori suffered several broken bones from your strikes, but she's still alive. Your power isn't so great as to kill her in one hit, and if you can't do that, that also means you can't beat the demon. You're out of luck. We both lose."
Olivia clicked her tongue. "Ah, I forgot how much of a dumb bitch you are."
"Excuse me?!"
"You are one of the things that led to the creation of him," Olivia explained. "I lived through him for a good portion of his life, and even after hiding deep within Olivia, I still witnessed him time and time again." Olivia looked up, and so did Tori, as a wave of mana filled the air. "Do you really think Davi Hawker will allow the Demon to win?"
The sky lit up with a wave of light as something from up ahead flew by with incredible blinding speed.
"He didn't…" Tori said, stunned.
"Of course he did," Olivia laughed. "What an amazing world we live in." She then turned her grin on Tori. "You're right. My power did drop quite a bit, but that doesn't mean I still don't have enough power to discipline arrogant brats like you." She drew Storymaker with one hand and brought her other up, pointing it at Tori. "Watch closely, Prettiest Flower. I'm about to show you something spectacular indeed."
Without any warning, Olivia used Storymaker and sliced into her wrist. She spilled her blood and allowed it to drop onto her shadow. The sword began to slow, and red mixed with black swirling around.
Far, far away, Evelyn closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Damn this hag. Damn her straight to hell."
"Ril Shadow-Blood Gate," Olivia said softly, and the red and black began to seep out like the waves of an ocean, rising up and down, flowing forward. Olivia pressed the blade into the puddle, and her mana reached out. "I'll bring forth a Calamity."
Black and red sloshed together, and the liquid lifted into the air, squirming and bubbling as it began to take shape. It kept growing, getting thicker and taller, shattering the roof above and destroying most of the basement, forcing Tori to jump away.
A strong energy filled the air, and her mouth suddenly tasted of batteries.
A calamity referred to a great disaster. Something that destroyed or ruined the lives of several people. The universe was vast, and there were so, so many things, but throughout the many realms and stars, there were whispers of a being. A great calamity. A Beast.
One that came from a truly spectacular world.
The liquid formed a shell, which rapidly shattered, showing the thing in all its glory. It looked almost human. Or at least it had the shape of one, despite the fact that its features and form were all wrong. It was like a strange mix between a male and a female. It had what looked almost like breasts on its chest, as well as what could only be described as a member between its legs, like some sort of perversion of the human form.
Its skin was pitch black; however, it was hard to even call it real skin. It was tight around the creature's body and looked more like plastic. Orange lines ran all along its body, zigzagging up and down. It stood at nearly twenty feet tall and had long, lanky legs and even longer arms that went all the way down to the ground and brushed the floor as it walked. It had no mouth, nor did it have a nose or ears. It did have a pair of eyes, however—ones that spilled out an ocean of lightning. Every step it took caused the ground to begin to bubble up and melt, turning into lava. Despite the heat, rings of water floated around it and twisted over its form. Plant life also grew from it, coming from its flesh and covering its chest and waist, blocking its private parts. Mini clouds wrapped around its arms and neck, and it did have hair, but it was made out of solid fire and hissed down its body.
The Beast gazed down on Tori.
"Nope." Evelyn snapped and suddenly cut off the connection. "Have fun, Tori; I'm not dealing with that."
Tori blinked, the blue leaving her eyes. "Huh? Where am I- holy fuck, why do my ribs hurt?!" She suddenly groaned and grabbed at her stomach, wincing. That was when she noticed the massive being of multiple swirling elements staring down at her. "Is that a giant-"
The Beast smashed its fist down, narrowly missing Tori, who barely dodged to the side. A smoking crater was left where she had been standing, and a sense of dread filled her as the creature gazed her way.
What the hell was going on? The last she remembered was having a talk with Evelyn and then… What happened after? What day was it? She felt tired and beaten up, and her bones were killing her.
"Ril Light Mending!" A golden glow swirled over Tori's body, and she pointed her lance at the Beast just in time to launch a Bolt toward it as fiery beams erupted from its eyes. The two attacks clashed, and space began to twist around them as she poured all her energy into them.
Off to the side, Olivia watched the clash and folded her arms. "Oh? Now this is shocking. Tori is putting up an actual fight? I guess she does come from Haru's bloodline, and the Prettiest Flower deemed her worthy enough to be a puppet. Still, I never expected this. She must have been hiding her true power."
Tori's weapon ignited with waves of pink and purple energy, and the lance began to spin on the handle as her golden energy pulsed brighter and brighter. "Ril Light Spear!" She announced as loudly as she could. Her energy grew even larger and managed to pierce the flaming beams that poured from the Beast's head, smashing into its face and sending it stumbling back. "I don't know what's going on, and I have no idea why a giant is now standing before me, but I know without a doubt you must be slain here and now. I, Tori Helios, the Lance of Victory, will strike you down!" She raised her weapon and pointed it directly to the sky, which blazed with a ball of fire as she used her skills to shift her core. "Ril Flame Helios!"
Tori brought her weapon down, and as she did, a miniature sun dropped from the sky. It rammed down into the Beast and hit it so hard it destroyed an entire section of the Enforcer city, burning it down to ash and leaving it in ruins.
Tori breathed heavily, feeling the strong strains on her body. She wasn't given any time to rest, however, as the Beast began to rise out of the crater, barely even harmed after taking her two attacks.
"Seriously?" Tori's ire grew, and she aimed once again. "Ril-" This time she never got the spell off. A fist jammed into Tori's gut, shattering her armor as Olivia punched her as hard as she could, layering her fist in a strong amount of mana.
Tori dropped to the ground and vomited up whatever was in her stomach, along with a bit of blood. The blonde glared up in anger and then shock when she saw the face of Olivia staring back down at her.
"You?"
"Me," Olivia purred, and her hands wrapped around Tori's throat. She slammed the woman into the ground and began to choke her. Tori tried to grab for her lance, but it rolled away. It began to rise off the ground and was about to levitate to her, but it never got a chance to reach her. "Row Shadow Vault." Shadowy hands grabbed the Knight Gear and dragged it into the dark, sealing it away.
Tori thrashed and glared up at Olivia, but somehow the Squire was overpowering her. It made no sense. Even if she was damaged, she was still far taller and muscular and should have had way more mana, yet Olivia was somehow outmuscling her?
"When I first saw you, I knew you'd be a good teacher for Olivia," Olivia muttered. "You were made for it. Literally. Deep within that body of yours is a trait. One made to serve others. Master's Follower. This trait was very special. The elves ensured every human was born with it, and it took quite a bit of time for humans to breed it out of them. Sylas put this trait in mankind so that it would activate when they were serving those who weren't human. The trait causes your master to grow far stronger and leech off your power, but only if you recognize a non-human as your master. Father foolishly thought he could grow his power and kept you around as his personal servant, but the trait would never activate because you not only refused to recognize him as a true master but also because he was human. But you know what. I'm not."
Tori gasped as Olivia loosened her grip just enough to allow her to suck in several deep gulps of air.
"Y-You psycho bitch," Tori spat out.
Olivia ignored the remark and hummed. "You were Evelyn's dog. I suppose she was leeching off you. After all, you're a prime battery, full of so much mana and power. I think it's time you get a new owner."
"Fuck you. I'm not a dog!"
"So whiny." Olivia stood back up and snapped. "Row Shadow Vault." Black hands jutted from the ground and wrapped around Tori. "I'll leave you in there for a bit. Maybe you'll think twice before running your mouth off once I let you out."
Tori felt a powerful chill as part of her body sank into the darkness. She flared her mana and tried to stop herself from sinking, but it didn't work. "You can't do this! I'm the Lance of Victory! I'm the next Haru! I'm a being chosen by Light!"
"No, you're not." Olivia stared down at her coldly. "You're just a servant. You aren't important. You're not the one who makes choices, nor are you there at the end. You're just a dog. And dogs don't speak to their masters."
"No!" Tori sank into the vault, and then it sealed shut.
Olivia hummed and turned around. "She's strong enough to survive; I'm sure she won't die. I'll leave her in there for a few days and feed her some scraps." She glanced down at her hand, frowning. "I really thought my power would be greater. I should be even stronger than when Du'Lac and I were merged, yet I'm far weaker. Taking on the Demon would truly be impossible." Her gaze shifted to the Beast who stood waiting for her commands. "At least I have you. With your traits, taking it out should be possible, and once I 'convince' Tori of her rightful place, I should be able to evolve myself far more easily. It's only a matter of time."
Maya and the Ebony Knight both beamed with pride. They had done it. They had won. Truly. And nothing could get in their way-
Storymaker glowed. A bright aura danced across the blade, shimmering and forming various runes. They flowed and seeped over the hand that held it. Words began to appear. A story was being written as destiny was formed.
The Beast suddenly shattered. The mana that made up his form came undone, and he melted just like that.
"What?" Olivia asked, a bit stunned.
"Hey!" Olivia growled and then grabbed at her throat. "Give me my body back."
"Wait? Olivia?" Olivia spat out and then gasped as her hand began to choke her.
"Of course it's me, Maya! Give it back! This is my body!"
One of Olivia's eyes had changed. Her left one was still a vibrant blue, but her right one had reverted back to its blood red.
"How the hell are you still here?" Maya demanded, and she grabbed at the arm that was choking her.
"I don't know, but I know I want my body back!" Olivia yelled.
"Well, you're not getting it back!"
"Then you don't get it either!"
"What?"
Olivia mustered up all the strength she could and grabbed Storymaker and aimed it at her neck. "Give me my body back, or I'll split my throat!"
"You wouldn't dare!" Maya hissed.
"She's bluffing." The Ebony Knight's booming voice echoed around Olivia's head. "She's trying to trick us."
Olivia pressed the blade harder to her throat and drew a bit of blood. "Am I?"
"...You know it won't last forever. You won't be free. Like Davi, we'll eventually gain control of you." The Ebony Knight hissed.
"That's right," Maya agreed. "Your body will eventually be ours. You're the perfect host. With our power, we could make you a greater dragon."
"No thanks. I'm not into dragons." Olivia stated. "Besides, I think I understand you both well enough at this point. Both of you are cowards. Both of you are willing to throw away all your pride just to live. That's why you'll give my body back. Neither of you can afford to risk death." The blade pressed harder into her throat. "I'll count to three. If you don't give it back, I'll slice my head off."
"Lies."
"One."
"You're not going to do it."
"Two."
"You aren't nearly brave enough."
"Three." The blade pressed forward and then halted as her other eye returned to its normal color. Olivia let out a sigh of relief and removed the blade. She had come super close to slicing her own neck open. "Cowards."
'This isn't over.' Within her mind's eye, she saw the blue sword floating in a sea of darkness. 'You haven't escaped us.'
"I will," Olivia vowed.