InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
Do I have a habit of giving powers to characters not suited to them?
Probably yes.
God A Sword (CWMGQ Spin off #64)
- Thread starter InfiniteDaze
- Start date
Do I have a habit of giving powers to characters not suited to them?
Probably yes.
LostDeviljho
Flame Dragon Princess
- Location
- The glorious Pacific Northwest
- Pronouns
- Any
I mean, Unraveled Road is not poorly suited to Armadillo. Armadillo is just poorly suited to using it offensively, because his mindset is defensive.
InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
Well it doesn't look like the votes are going to be changing so I'll be closing them here. Cheers everyone!
*nods* I'm sure this will go fine. I obviously made a well crafted plan that will in no way end up with Hong needing to rush through his soul cancer to save her life and we end up with Crimson Avenger Tail Red dropping like an angry fist from god.
... Not that that's saying much since she probably has at least a couple hundred revives... Thousand? No idea when she got that ability.
... *sigh* Now to worry about if the plan will actually work.
... Not that that's saying much since she probably has at least a couple hundred revives... Thousand? No idea when she got that ability.
... *sigh* Now to worry about if the plan will actually work.
NIGHTMARE VALHALLA
InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
"Lights!"
I woke up.
"Camera!"
How I got here I didn't know, but when I came to consciousness again I had found myself in what appeared to be a film studio. Faceless shadows that looked familiar hurriedly moved about as a spotlight shown down on me from above. What they were doing and where they were going I didn't know, but soon they had all hidden away in the corners, hiding behind camera lenses. They didn't have any eyes, but I knew at that moment they were all staring directly at me.
"ACTION!"
"What's going on?" I exclaimed as I examined my surroundings. The world around me felt hazy, unreal and yet it was so vivid that it felt like it was going past my eyeballs and burning itself into my mind.
"You're surprisingly close," A voice echoed from behind me. I jumped, spinning around to come face to face with a girl I didn't know. No, I did know her, it was just that the last time we met she had been confined to my shadows. But here she was, and it was like I was facing my own twisted reflection. "And isn't that such a shame."
I spoke her name. "Tail Infrared."
"Alter Ego Tail Infrared, need I remind you," the girl spoke as she examined her hand. "But yes, it is I, coming once more to greet my dreamer."
"Dreamer…" The word literally fell out of my lips, the characters dancing off my tongue before landing on the ground and writing themselves on the floor. Suddenly it all came back to me. The memory before I ended up in this 'now'. Where I was and why I was here. "Then you mean to say this place is my-"
"Your mind? That would be, as much as I dread it, correct." Infrared confirmed as she gestured at the world around us. "This is the realm that makes up 'you', the place where I was born. Personally I find it to be a dreary place, but in the end, I suppose it's fitting for one such as yourself."
I blinked. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Can you not even figure that out?" She sighed before snapping her fingers, causing words to appear in the air. Faithfully, she read them word for word. "This is a film studio, where fakers gather to create a fictional reality. Why wouldn't that be fitting? Energetic, determined, courageous, in the end, these are all just character traits for the role known as Hong Liang."
She grabbed my name and before I could react, slapped it on to my forehead. I could feel the name branding me, seering into my skin with a sizzling hiss. "You remember it don't you?"
The spotlight moved away from me and to… me? No, it was me but I was younger. Back in middle school, sitting blankly in front of a couch with empty eyes. Passively taking in the television screen, watching a nostalgic tokusatsu show that I couldn't even remember these days. "Your heart has always been hollow, empty, void of emotions. The only thing you could do with your life was watch others, even when tragedy struck."
I saw myself growing older, growing more alone until I was staring at who I was only two years ago. "This you, the real you, couldn't get the sleeping princess to leave her prison. How could a person with no life rescue someone else? So, you created an act."
My eyes couldn't help but take in the sight of me mimicking the television screen. Repeating words I didn't know and miming actions I didn't understand. It was a game of make-believe, pretend. I tried to move my head, but Infrared grabbed my chin and forced me to stare at the sight. "You created the Hong Liang that you wanted to be, so much like those rangers on tv. But in the end, we both know it was nothing but a hollow imitation."
With a sudden kick, I went tumbling into the ground. It bent around my form, and I started to sink into the concrete. Infrared stared at me from above, her eyes sharp, grin filled with malice. "Yet at some point you forgot that fact, believing the mask to be the 'real' you. What a joke."
The alter ego reached into the sky, grabbing her monologue before slamming it into me, smashing me deeper into the ground. In retaliation, I opened my mouth on instinct and swallowed them. It wasn't just a bitter truth, but one that tasted like ash in my mouth. I could feel the grains rolling across my tongue as I kicked the ground, bouncing out of the crater and onto my feet. Swaying, I stared into Infrared's eyes. "I know that. You don't need to say it."
"Fool. If you ignore the darkness of the night for the light of the stars, then you'll find yourself snuffed out." Infrared responded. "To shoot an arrow, you must first have a target. Do not blame me for being right on the mark."
"Look, do we have to do this?" I brushed dust that wasn't there off my shoulder before clenching my fist. "You can read my mind right? Then you should already know why I'm here."
She nodded lightly. "Your quest to remove me once and for all."
My body bristled at the words, or at least it felt like it. That wasn't why I came here. I didn't know how I really felt about Infrared, but the fact that I didn't hate her was the one thing I was sure of.
"It doesn't have to be like that! We can come to an agreement!" I exclaimed. "I don't want to kill you, or anyone else!"
"For someone with so much blood already on their hands to say such words… But alas, it somehow is the truth." The red haired girl waved her arms lightly. "Regardless, exorcising me is a foolish endeavor. As impossible as seeking to prevent the umbral light from reigning over the night."
I blinked. "Can you at least stop with all the complicated words?"
"No," she declared flatly, and I got the sense that I shouldn't push it. "It is not my fault you are so ignorant as to not understand. As with all other things, the blame lies with you. Especially that cardinal sin you allowed to happen underneath your watch."
I knew what she was talking about instantly. "You think I'm happy about what happened to Drag's tapes?!"
"'I don't need to make any guesses about you. Can't you feel the heat?" The moment she gestured to the spotlight, I was suddenly aware of the blasts of anger roasting my skin. Boiling me alive, they only got more intense the more I thought about what had occurred earlier today. "You, my dreamer, have proven yourself to be unworthy of the power that you've been given. Time and time again your recklessness and hypocrisy has rotted and festered and frankly, I find myself quite tired of it all."
"Tired?" I threw the word back at her and she swatted it aside.
"Yes. I'm sick of all these lies, these falsehoods, and these illusions. Luckily, your illness has progressed to the point where it has become terminal." Suddenly I blinked and the Alter Ego was in front of me, grabbing me by the collar and lifting me up into the air. "You wish to talk and come to an agreement? Then unfortunately I must play the harbinger of ill tidings. I could never coexist with someone like you. After all, you are the me who isn't me."
I could feel it, from the way her fingers gripped me like a snake to the literal fire burning in her eyes. Blazing emotions that threatened to burn me alive. She called herself my alter ego, but the only thing that I could see her as is a threat. So I did the only thing I could in situations like these. "Tail On!"
Yet, the magic never answered.
"Of course it wouldn't. Because I'm already here." Alter Ego Tail Infrared mockingly sneered as she dragged me over to the edge of the set. The shadow people scurried about, but as they got closer I realized that they were my own silhouette. "Tail Red cannot save you. Remember what I told you? You're Hong Liang, and this is a hell of his own making."
The Inferno Saber appeared in her hands and she slowly used it to cut my cheek. Whatever words I was about to say in response poured out of the wound, spilling uselessly onto the floor. "It was a mistake for you to have come here, but comfort yourself with the fact that it was inevitable. The truth you shall be denied. A nightmare is the only dream you could hope to have, and this time there is no waking up."
She pushed me closer to the edge of the set, and behind everything that kept it propped up I saw a swirling mass of colors. Infinite, refracting, kaleidoscopic. "No longer shall I allow you to make a mockery of yourself on set. The role of Hong Liang is over. You've taken your bows, and now the curtains must close on this cruel charade. We shall go to the realm where the past that hasn't occurred, the present that won't, and the future that has yet to be all mix together as one. And there we shall dream of sweet death, until the end of our days."
I slapped my cheek close before glaring at her with gritted teeth. "As if! No matter what you do, I will wake up!"
"That is not a road I see," Infrared declared, pushing me further and further backstage until soon there wasn't a stage at all. "Struggle all you like, but it's futile. Only I can navigate these formless seas."
"Even if it's futile, I'll still struggle. I'll still keep pushing forward." My fists clenched as I tugged at the hand at my collar. "The path in front of me, I'll save it no matter what!"
"You still don't understand that for Hong Liang, there is no future." As I struggled, her hand slowly began to lose it's grip. Soon enough though, did I realize that there was no floor beneath me, just a kaleidoscopic sea of colors. Infrared sighed, her breath filled with mixed emotions. "Very well, if you insist, then we shall have ourselves one last duel. The loser will not die, but without a winner no one will live. Do you understand?"
WIthout any hesitation, I nodded my head. "If that's what it's going to take, then I accept."
"...It's going to take a lot more than that." Alter Ego Tail Infrared shook her head before giving me a smile. "Then sweet dreams, forevermore."
And with that, she dropped me. I screamed, reaching up for the surface but soon there was no concept of up or down. I was shattering, the world colliding into fractals. I screamed but my voice was lost to the void. Time held no meaning in the weightless sea, seconds passed like years and years passed in seconds. It was pure chaos with nothing to ground itself.
Until suddenly there was, and I found myself eating a face full of dirt. With a gasp, I threw myself back on to my feet, only to come face to face with myself once more. Except no, it wasn't Infrared I was looking at, but the usual form of Tail Red. Save for the sole exception that she was… Wearing a modified version of a santa outfit?
We stared at each other unblinking before suddenly she pointed at me and screamed "AH! Why are you here?! It was a non-canon omake! Non-canon!"
The Santa Tail Red reached into her sack before tossing a gift box directly at my face. It bounced against me with a thud as she shouted "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" at the top of her lungs before running into the distance with a screaming panic.
"Uh…" Was all I could get out at the sight before my instincts kicked in and I rolled away.
The blazing edge of the Inferno Saber pierced the ground where I was just moments before. Infrared stared at me, before lifting up her sword and clicking her tongue. "Get moving."
Against all logic, I proceeded to run directly into the sky, literally disappearing into the sunset only to find myself in the cockpit of a giant robot.
"Hong!" I heard Twirl's voice. "Use the Tail-Bot to save the world!"
"I have no idea what's going on," was all I could say in response.
There were a lot of things that every Guildy knew, but there was only one that was relevant right now: Fighting Armadillo Guildy was annoying as hell. Literally, all of them knew that. Even the Guildys who didn't focus on combat knew just how annoying fighting the Valhalla Striker was. It was a level of infamy close to how much Phoenix was a meat shield- Wait no, that wasn't a thing. Nope!
The point was that Unraveled Road made landing a hit on him that actually mattered nearly impossible. But that wasn't even the worst of it. No, the worst part of fighting Armadillo Guildy was…
"WILL YOU AT LEAST SHUT THE HELL UP?!" The Avian Guildy roared as her red-shelled opponent bounced around the construction site like a pinball before hurtling directly at her. Unfortunately for Armadillo, one of the features her Guildy Gear gave her was the ability to move her arm like a piston, landing numerous hits at intense speeds. Unfortunately for her, this was still Armadillo, so the moment she went in for the blow the hard-shelled ball blinked out of reality. "Oh son of a-"
That was about all she got out before a second Armadillo smashed directly into her armored back. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped swearing it's kind of rude- N-Not to be rude myself of course- But it is kind of mean!"
Rollout: 1000 Base Damage, +548 Dice, +666 Horrific Speed Gap = 2,214 Total Damage
Phoenix: 150 Base Resilience, +54 Dice, -80 To Fast To React = 334 Total Reduction
1880 End Damage
Phoenix: 2500 - 1880 = 620 Health Remaining
"You broke into my goddamn house, destroyed Noble Heart's dying wish, and literally killed me not even five minutes ago!" Her voice was raw, dyed with pain, but the firecracker still made her grievances known as she pushed through the pain and spun around to kick the Guildy. Armadillo's smaller frame went crashing into the wall- Then it was gone. "Fuck!"
"I can see why you're mad!" No he fucking couldn't. "But it was an order! A special emergency!"
The words caused her to bristle but it was Grasper's voice that prevented her from chasing after the bastard. "You should probably keep still. Trying to catch Armadillo is just a waste of energy. Mentally, if not physically."
"...Ugh." Phoenix snorted, forcing her feet to still. Not that it did much as she still tapped impatiently, trying to see where the Guildy would strike next. Still, she couldn't just not say something. "See, this is why no one likes you! You're always just a pain in the ass!"
"W-What?!" The Guildy couldn't be seen but Phoenix could hear his voice waver. "Why would you say that?!"
"'Following orders'? 'Special emergency'?" The ponytailed girl would spit on the ground if her helmet's mouth plate could actually open. "Who the hell do you think you're fooling?!"
"It's true though!" Armadillo protsed, but Phoenix didn't even need the Truth affinity to see right past that lie.
"That's only the truth that you want to hear!" The immortal warrior roared, smashing her fist into her palm. "In the end, it's nothing more than an excuse so you don't have to take responsibility for your actions!"
This was why Armadillo was the most annoying Guildy to fight against. It wasn't just because his ability made him untouchable, because at least there would be a begrudging respect that he could hold his own in battle. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't keep his mouth shut either, as with his skills that would've been passable. Rather, it was because at his core, the striker of High Vahalla was a fucking coward.
"Someone who always takes the safe road forward, who keeps tripping over his own goddamn words because you don't want to offend anyone!" With a stomp, the blazing avenger held her ground, daring Armadillo to challenge her. "No matter how much you try, you'll never find the path where you don't get hurt! But did you really think that anyone would like a coward who wasn't even willing to try?!"
Perhaps it was only because of his nature that an ability such as Unraveled Path could be born, but that just highlighted the difference between the two of them. Until her revenge was complete, the flames of wrath inside of her would never be snuffed out. Unlike Armadillo, who never put himself in harm's way, Phoenix always put her life on the line. Always facing forward to see the next sun rise, burning away even her own death.
"A coward who can't even do that doesn't deserve to live!" Her heated words were punctuated by her punch in the air. The sun glinted off of her mask, making it appear like a burning flame blazing bright on the battlefield as she made her declaration. "Come and face me! I'll kill you before the sun rises!"
There was a beat of silence before Armadillo spoke up weakly. "Fenrir, you like me right?"
"...Yeeess." The tactaitan spoke very slowly from wherever he was.
"See! It's not true!" the striker declared. "You're just trying to hurt my feelings!"
"Goddammit-"
"Rollout!"
Rollout: 1000 Base Damage, +231 Dice, +666 Horrific Speed Gap = 1,897 Total Damage
Phoenix: 150 Base Resilience, +66 Dice, -80 To Fast To React = 136 Total Reduction
1761 End Damage
Phoenix: 620 - 1761 = -1,141 Health Remaining
OH FUCK OFF!
MIRAGE REVIVE!
Phoenix: 0 + 250 HP = 250 HP Remaining
"By the way," Grasper pitched in as Phoenix pulled herself back from the brink of death. "It's actually closer to sunset so that line doesn't really make sense."
The Avian Guildy stared blankly at the sky. "Grasper, do me a favor and shut the hell up."
Oh she was so going to kill Armadillo, even if it was the last thing she ever did.
Logic had long since ceased to apply where I was.
Sometimes I was on a motorcycle on a road of stars, then the next moment I found myself on the beach. Where I could, I fought back against Infrared, but she always held the upper hand. When I was the pawn she was the queen, If I was the gambler she was the dealer. Mostly, the only thing I could do was run. Run and see the sights. They were numerous, but to me they were mostly gibberish. A haze of dream like scenarios creating a tapestry made of imagination and my own memories.
I relived the moments with Erina, back when the world seemed so complicated but at the same time much simpler.
I met my mother, yet she held me at gunpoint with a cold look in her eyes.
And I saw the girl Lan could've been if I had only- No, that was one sight I'd keep to myself.
Regardless, they all blurred together one after the other. I never stayed long, and most of it was nonsensical or with minimal changes, like my gender. Infrared took much pleasure in that world for some reason.
Eventually though, I found myself walking in upon a theater. Not a movie cinema, but rather one for plays and actors. I recognized it as the one I had encountered Swan in, but contrary to it's shabby rundown appearance in my memories, this one was clean and in the midst of its prime.
That didn't stop me from running into a bored woman guarding the entrance, stifling a yawn as she saw me approach. "Ticket please."
"...Where is this?" I couldn't help but ask, examining the building.
"The theater of lost history," She drawled. "Ticket please."
"I'm sorry I don't think I have a ticket," I apologized, taking a step back. "I think I'm just going to go-"
The woman looked up, and I froze. Her eyes were made of ink, dripping down the side of her face like tears. Suddenly she lunged forward, plunging her hand directly into my chest. I heaved for breath as she pulled something out of my heart. A golden ticket. "First class seating. You must've been quite close to the playwright."
Suddenly she took the ticket and punched a hole in it before handing it back to me. "Take the stair to your right and enter the first door."
"A-Alright," I stuttered out, trying to calm my breathing. "Thank you?"
"Enjoy your voyeurism," was all she said before stepping aside. Hesitantly, I walked inside, following her instructions as I navigated my way through the eerily quiet halls. Faintly in the distance, I heard sounds of many emotions. Cries, Laughs, Shouts, but they all felt muted. Cold. Fake.
I was beginning to rather prefer Infrared's endless pursuit to wherever I had found myself in, but soon enough I had reached the door that the ticketer had spoken of. With a gulp, I pushed forward on the handles before walking inside. Despite the big stage, there was only one seat. Unsure of what else to do, I walked over and sat down in it. Instantly, the lights of the theater dimmed and the show began.
"Long long ago, the Goddess was sullied by the sinner's hands," a narrator spoke, her voice eerily familiar, but I couldn't put a finger on it. "Shortly thereafter, the Devil too was put into an endless slumber. But her apostles escaped, breaching the world of mortals."
The spotlight shone down on the stage, and three figures entered from the right. "The Mad Emperor, The Heretic Priestess, and The Bohemian Knight acted as the guides for the rest of their kin, and yet the world was more cruel and chaotic then they could have imagined. Struggling, toiling, until they finally found their footing and one day, gathered together and stared down at humanity from above."
"Look at them all," The Emperor spoke with disdain. "Have they no hope? No ambition? How could they think to drive the future if they continue to wander aimlessly like this?"
"They don't," The Knight replied. "For there's no need for it."
"There's always a need for the future my dear," The Priestess chided. "But can't you see? It's not that they are lacking, but merely disoriented. The world is shifting, changing, faster than these mortals can keep up with it. Don't you see my dear brother?"
"If what you say is true sister, then the answer is quite simple," The Emperor proudly puffed up his chest and banged on it with his fist. "What they need is a leader! Someone who would guide them into the next era!"
"Alas, it is not their fault that the Goddess fell to soon." The Priestess bowed her head. "Her spark of hope was lost to humanity in this chaos. But it is because of that chaos that we were born was it not? A sin it may be, but we still have her blessing. Perhaps we could make something of ourselves? If you were to lead the future, just how would you do so?"
"Why, look around you." The Mad Emperor gestured forward at the empty world. "Everything has its proper place, the order it should be. A king can not exist without the peasantry. I would create a world of order, where those with the ability shall reign above those without. A world of proof, where nobility is nobility, cutting away the fat from the meat."
"Survival of the fittest is it?" his sister hummed. "A paradise for the strong."
"Nay, it is a paradise for the weak!" he countered, as the spotlight shone down on him and him alone. "I am not a fool! The human heart is not a machine! No matter how hard you try to put things in their rightful place, there will always be friction, frustration, and anger. Let it come! Those are the very emotions that will drive the world towards the future! The weak will rise up to become the strong and the strong shall push forward to new heights! If one doesn't have the desire, then they should accept their position and the protection of the strong! This world of order is one I would create!"
The Mad Emperor stepped forward and made his declaration. "War through Peace, I say! That is the path to the future!"
"How bold. As expected of you, I suppose." The spotlight shifted to the Heretic Priestess as she began to speak. "If you would create a world of Order, then I would create a world of Chaos. Think about it. All of history's greatest inventions and achievements occurred within times of war and strife. Adversaries and Enemies, pushing each other onward to newer heights!"
She clapped her hands together and began to pray. "Oh how lucky I am, to be born into this world of eternal conflict! If I were in charge of this world, I would make it into one where the battle rages on everywhere! From the hearts of heroes to those of nations! As the war rages on, there will be no more weak or strong! Everyone will come together to fight everyone else! Pushing each other to better themselves! Individual battles becoming a unity of war, an unparalleled harmony! This world of chaos is the one I would create!"
The Heretic Priestess stepped forward and made her declaration. "Peace through War, I say! That is the path to the future!"
"Then we are at an impasse." The Mad Emperor declared.
"That we are." Said the Priestess. "But there is one more here, is there not? What say you, our loyal Knight?"
They both turned to face the Bohemian Knight, spotlight shining down on her. With a sigh, she stepped forward and began to speak. "You speak of grand visions, but in the end things are the same. War will become Peace, and Peace will become War. It is a cycle, and forcing it one way or another is just a foolheartedly errand."
The Knight's head turned. Not to the Heretic Priestess, the Mad Emperor, or the stage they inhabit. No, she turned her head to me and spoke. "When the future comes, it will come. No more, no less. As the winds of change arrive, the only thing we can do is ride the wind, or crash and burn."
"So that is your decision, hm?" The Mad Emperor growled.
"So boring, and yet so like you," The Heretic Priestess chuckled.
"Who's to say where we'll go," The Bohemian Knight declared. "But at least, I'd like to walk it together with all of us."
"And thus, faced with a crossroads, neither Apostle made their decision." The narrator spoke once more. "Together, the three of them stood at the Crossroad, waiting for the day one of them took the first step. Until eventually…"
The lights in the theater went out.
"The Knight met her end, allowing the King and the Priestess to go their separate ways."
"Wak!" Phoenix screamed as Armadillo bashed into her again. It was a sound that Grasper couldn't help but compare to a chicken. She knew it was a bit mean, but the mood around her made her feel like she was at a funeral.
Her eyes glanced backwards, to the prone boy lying on the medbay, then to the girl who kept sitting by his side and desperately clutching his hand. For someone like her, the deathly silence was almost suffocating. But it wasn't like the analyst wanted to leave her friend's side either, so she hastily moved some computers over to the medbay and used it as the mission control.
Twirl's technology was some of the best that she had ever seen, surprisingly, and it was absurdly easy to rejigger Phoenix's Ponytail Gear so the computers allowed her to stream what the Guildy's helmet was seeing. If only she would stop getting smacked in the face. "Fuck!"
Fuck Counter: 37
Let it never be said that Phoenix didn't give a fuck. But even if she did, the odds of her victory was-
DC: 60
40% chance of her winning the fight. It wasn't even a static number either, that was just what it was at currently. Phoenix had gone to the battle with maybe 70% odds but the more she fought, the lower her chance of victory got. Her anger made her movements sloppier, fatal against an attrition fighter like Armadillo. She should've known that as one herself, but the meathead always liked to barge into things head first.
And then there was that speech she gave. Who did she think she was, Hong? At least when he did it it was never out of any real malice. But from Phoenix it was a different story. Nobody would want to change their mind if someone as actively antagonistic as the avian Guildy called them out. The heart had a tendency to push away bitter truths, especially someone with Armadillo's mentality. Even if the foundations were shaky, he'd always just find something else to cling to.
Faintly, in the distance, she heard the laboratory elevator ding before the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Soon enough, Mrs. Liang poked her head into the doorway. "Hey girls, I'm done with everything upstairs. The insurance company will be a pain, but I can deal with them later. How's Hong doing?"
The older woman was smiling but…
Yuen Liang
Emotions: Worried, Tired, Frustrated
Grasper didn't even need Into the Abyss to tell her that the redhead was anything but happy at the moment.
"He's doing fine," she spoke up first as Lan continued to watch him silently. "All we can do is hope that he'll wake up soon."
'And as himself', Grasper didn't say.
"That's good," her landlord sighed in relief as she entered the room. 'Resignation' was added to the list of emotions, the same as everyone else here.
Behind her frames Grasper's eyes darted back to the monitor as the fight continued to move at an impasse. Suddenly a memory hit her. In the midst of the confusion where her glasses had broke, the world had become a giant mass of numbers and calculations, but she was pretty sure that…
Her tiny frame shifted over to look at the older woman before Grasper spoke up. "When Armadillo attacked earlier… You somehow managed to land a hit on him right?"
"Hm? Ah yes." Mrs. Liang nodded. "Though my gun didn't really do damage to him."
Why she had a gun was way more concerining then why she had an underground laboratory but that wasn't the point of this conversation. "But… How did you do it?"
"Well, Armadillo's ability is something like 'Whenever he makes a choice, he creates a copy of himself that does the opposite', right? With up to three copies at a time." The red haired woman tapped her chin. "It's a real 'Kaijin' like power, but once you get the hang of it, it's nothing more than a cheap trick."
That… Went against all of her data on Armadillo. Sure he wasn't exactly the strongest Guildy around, but his ability was more then the level of a mere trick. There was a reason why he was in Valhalla after all.
"You're confused right?" The cafe owner gave a light laugh. "To beat Armadillo is pretty simple really, all you need to do is figure out which path he's going to take and then aim there."
"What." Grasper spoke flatly. "That's, that's near impossible! The chances of figuring out which path he's going to take- And- And the fact he doesn't even need to dispel his other paths-"
"He doesn't need to but that doesn't mean he won't," Mrs. Liang corrected. "Armadillo is the kind of person who is anxious about every choice they make, but when they're confident they disregard any other alternative."
"...And in this case, it means he dispels his other paths," the analyst summarized as she looked back at the screen. "Trying to get him off his game just makes him less confident and more likely to have backups!"
"Yes, a pretty nasty bad habit to have with a power like that, right?" Hong's mom winked before putting a hand to her cheek. "Well, there's probably other methods of getting around his ability. That's just how I would do it."
"But how do you even know which path he's going to take?" A mixture of understanding the Guildy's psyche probably, but that still didn't answer any question. "Like I said, the chances of figuring that out… And one would mistake would mean…"
Mrs. Liang looked at the ceiling before giving the most unhelpful answer ever. "You just do it?"
"I could probably do it," Lan mumbled.
"Things like these you have to just go for," Hong's mom said. "Hesitating will only lower your odds of success."
That was unhelpful, but Grasper didn't get to say anything else as Hong's mom moved over to Lan's side and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's going to be alright okay? We both know Hong can overcome this."
"Nobody even knows what this is," the blue haired girl spat out bitterly. "And the only thing I can do is just sit here… that idiot!"
"Yes yes, my son is the biggest fool around," the boy's own mother said. "But fools are meant to put a smile on people's faces, so just put a little more faith in him alright?"
Lan sighed. "Alright."
"Good girl." Mrs. Liang began to rub the blue haired girl's head only to dart her hand away as Lan tried to swat it down. "Well, I've got a few calls to make. Keep an eye on Hong for me, okay?"
The two girls nodded as the older woman walked out of the medbay, bringing silence to the sterile room once more. Grasper turned to stare back at her monitor, her hand hovering over the microphone button as she took in the scene of the battle. "Just go for it huh…"
The numbers, the odds, the percentages, all of it came flooding into her head. An overwhelming amount of possibilities that just grew as the fight continued onwards. Just one choice and the entire thing split into a new set of calculations. She had to cut them down before they began to give her a headache.
Grasper adjusted her glasses, light glinting off of them as she took her hand off the microphone button and continued to watch. "As if it were that easy."
I was standing at the peak of a mountain. Above me were the heavens, and my pursuer staring down at me.
In this realm I was mortal, and she was immortal. But I still had the martial skills that Lan had beaten into my mind; in fact if anything they were more deadly than ever. Maybe it was because I had left my physical body behind, but whenever I executed a blow, I never felt any of the usual clunkiness or missteps. It was as if the move was ripped straight out of my imagination, my body flowing through the blows exactly as I pictured it.
"How long will you keep struggling?" Infrared's voice boomed as the Inferno Saber cut through the clouds. "Time has lost all meaning yet still you persist."
"As long as I have to!" I cried, even as my fists failed to land against her form. "Until I wake up! I won't just leave everyone behind!"
"I must wonder how you can wander through the endless realms and still remain so blinded." Infrared spat out, creating an ocean beneath us. "Then once more I shall strike you down!"
I tried to defend against the incoming blow, but I couldn't. Her sword burned brightly through the sky, growing to heights unimaginable in reality. With a single swing, Infrared brought the saber down upon me. There were no injuries in this realm, but there was pain. The great force cut into me, sending me flying down to the depths of the mountain and into the sea. Once more I sank deeper and deeper into the ocean.
Then I jolted upwards, waking up. With a panicked glance, I looked at my surroundings before letting out a relieved sigh. Thankfully, I had just ended up in some version of Adolenscia. I don't think I had ever been so glad to see the familiar walls of the cafe then I was at this moment.
My good mood was suddenly ruined by a fist colliding with my face, knocking me to my feet. "RED PUNCH!"
"Ow!" I exclaimed, pressing a hand to my face as I glanced upwards. "What was that for?!"
"Sorry kid," said the… Man dressed entirely from head to toe like a red ranger, face covering helmet and everything. It wasn't just a cosplay outfit though, I would've recognized it. No, this was entirely custom-made, with the material being too high quality for even the ones they use on TV. "You looked like you needed it."
"I really don't think I did." I grumbled, picking myself up before sitting at the counter. "It's been a long…"
I glanced at the clock, thankful it wasn't Owl O'Clock but instead a normal time. "I don't even know how long."
"Well, tell me about it." The Red Ranger replied as he moved behind the counter. "Nothing's gonna change if you keep it bottled up inside."
"I'm honestly not sure where to start," I mumbled, but then proceeded to tell him everything anyway. I'm not entirely sure why but there was something about the man that felt comforting to me. So much so that I didn't just tell him about the Guildys, I told him my entire life story. From beginning to end. "...And that's basically it. Though at this point I'm not even sure what's going on myself."
I paused as something came to mind that Infrared brought up earlier. "You're a hero right?"
"Nope," he instantly denied. "Heroes save people. I just get people to save themselves."
"Save themselves huh?" I thought back to the Noble Heart Guildys. When I had faced them… "I've said so many things but in the end I was just copying the heroes I saw on TV. I didn't even understand what they meant."
"Hm, I see," the red ranger said. "So that's how it is. Let me ask you something, did you actually want to be a hero on TV? Fight bad guys? Save the world?"
"...Not really. I was content living the life I led." I answered. "I only just wanted to be like a hero. Someone with courage, kind and understanding, who could take action no matter the situation."
"That's fine then!" the man chuckled. "Heroes like the ones on TV are written as role models for a reason! They aren't just to sell toys, they're people we should aspire to be! Teaching both kids and adults how to act!"
"But I didn't understand any of it." I glanced at my palm. "The only thing I could do was imitate."
"Let me tell you a secret kid." He leaned in close before suddenly roaring into my ear. "Reality is a piece of shit!"
"Gah!" I shouted, falling out of my chair and onto the ground again. Before I could protest though, he continued to speak.
"Courage? Justice? Peace? Did you think any of that will just occur naturally? That's it's just something you're missing?!" The Red Ranger yelled. "No! You have to try if you want to change yourself! Fake it until you make it your own!"
I blinked. "H-Huh?"
"Listen! The world out there is tough! It's harsh! But we have this!" He tapped his helmet. "Our greatest asset is our own imagination! The ability to believe that the world can be better, that we can change ourselves! I can't say that everything will go okay if you just hope! There will always be bad days and things will turn out wrong! But on the contrary, if you don't believe, then nothing will ever change!"
"...Is it really that simple?" I asked.
"No, but it's how we take the first step. If you want to be courageous, act courageous! If you want to be kind, act kind! If you want to be a hero, act as you think a hero should!" the man proclaimed. "Reality is a piece of shit, but we can use our imagination to change the world. It's how we shape the future into the one we want it to be. Maybe you'll become a genuine hero, maybe you won't. In the end though, it's up to you to look reality in the face and dare it to stop you from changing the world."
"...Thanks, I guess. I'll keep that in mind." I smiled weakly. "By the way, who are you anyways?"
"Who am I?" The Red Ranger laughed. "I guess you could call me the most delusional man in the world."
"Then does that make me the most delusional hero?"
"Don't be silly. All heroes are delusional. You're only just starting out."
"I guess so huh?" I looked up towards the ceiling before nodding. "Then I better get going. Can't stay here forever."
"Good luck out there kid!" The man waved. "I'll be rooting for you!"
I walked to the door and opened it, hearing the familiar jingle of bells. At that moment though, someone else entered the cafe. I never got a glimpse of their face, just the trailing of their twintails and the faint echo of their voice. "Daaaaaad!"
Before I could register what happened, I was already out the door, continuing my journey through the formless sea.
Why had things come to this?
Lan didn't know. At least the last time that Hong had been endangered she could fight off what had been killing him. It was something she could at least expect. But how the hell could she have known that the next time his life was on the line it was due to his own magical girl form? How was she even supposed to prepare for that?
...But the truth was, she wasn't prepared for any of this. When Hong became a magical girl, she wasn't sure what to think. And the things that came after that… Well put bluntly they were pretty insane. Sure Lan liked to act as the veteran MG, and in fact most people would say she was, but the problems Hong was facing were challenges she never had. All this talk of mysterious monsters, transformation gears, everything about it was something Tail Blue had never faced before.
For her it had only been bad guys. Demons, magical girls, kill and slaughter.
Lan hadn't been taking anything that Hong was doing seriously at first. But slowly, day after day, the reality began to encroach on her life. Until eventually she found herself here, with her best friend fighting with his life on the line and her… Doing nothing.
Call her a coward, but she was too scared to do anything. Too tired. She didn't want to go back to that life anymore. The endless fighting, day after day, blood being shed alongside tears. She knew now, that despite how ridiculous everything sounded, it was as real to Hong as the days she had spent on Hope.
...Lan cursed herself once again for calling his struggles ridiculous. It wasn't something to be made a mockery of, and yet she couldn't help but do it. Perhaps it was because of the absurdity of the situation that she was able to keep herself from breaking. Distancing herself from reality. She wanted to close the gap between her and Hong, maybe even fight alongside him, but in the end, she couldn't do it.
Once again, Lan Yu closed the door to her heart.
But in the depths of her mind, a faded memory began to play. The day that ended the years that blurred together. When a certain Red haired boy barged into her room wearing a cheap mask on his face.
"...Why do you keep trying?" she had spoken at the time.
"Because I don't want to see you hurting!" he had shouted with more energy than Lan had ever heard from him before. "Because I can't stand the sight of you wasting away in here for the rest of your life! If you continue down this path, then you're existence will-"
The words had been too much. "Agh. just shut up!"
Crash. Bang. She didn't want to recall what she had done, but she knew she had lashed out in anger. She was a martial artist, a magical girl, but back then, the boy had only just been a boy. What she had done shook her to her core.
"Are you okay?!" She had panicked. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"
But despite his state, his eyes were still blazing fire as he reached out to grab her. "Lan, I won't… Let you go. I'll be by your side and help you up, no matter what."
That was the day she realized that Hong was far stronger then she'd ever be.
"...Hey," the blue haired girl finally spoke up, turning to Grasper. One of the first friends Hong had ever made, and living proof of how her best friend was changing. "What were you talking about earlier?"
Grasper blinked at the sudden calling. "Huh?"
"You said you knew what was going on," Lan said quietly. "Something that Hong had to figure out himself."
"Oh, that." The petite girl sighed. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes." She nodded. "If there's something going on with him then please tell me."
"If you say so." Dark Grasper adjusted her glasses. "This is only from the data I've collected, but it's less something going on with Hong and more something he's doing himself. The thing is…"
And so, she told her.
I'm not sure where or when, but somehow during my travels I had stumbled across a little girl. She was different from anything I had ever come across before. More solid, more real. Despite that though, her hair was a swirl of different colors, her form a hazy blur. The moment I approached her though, her head snapped towards me and she spoke in a voice that echoed in my ear. "Hong, this really has to stop."
"Uh." I blinked.
"As your fairy godmother I'm ordering you to quit whatever this is this instant." she continued. "It's making me taste rainbows. My head hurts so badly…. We shouldn't even be talking to one another."
"I'm sorry?" I spoke weakly.
"You should be. It's all your fault." The girl pointed at me before looking at her hands. "Why am I a little girl? I shouldn't be a little girl. I'm the Mother, with an adult body. This is your fault as well."
"Really don't know how I'm responsible for that one," I muttered. "Are you alright?"
"Do I look alright?" she snapped back. "I'm quite peeved, you know. Here I was just wanting to catch up with my favorite show before game night except now I'm on drugs and I can't form my avatar properly. I'm supposed to look cool you know? Have a grand entrance and everything. Nothing like this."
"Mhm." I nodded. "Well I don't really want to be here either so if there's anything you can help with that…"
"Well, I do have a method to lure that Alter Ego of yours out. But should I tell you?" The girl tapped her chin. "It's very risky, I think. Everything in this place is confusing. And you're one of my favorites Hong, even besides the piece of the Engine in your soul. My heart would break to see it get damaged again."
"If you know something then please tell me," I pleaded. "I can't stay here forever. Everyone's waiting for me to wake up."
"...Alright, fine." The girl pointed off into the distance. "Head that way and you'll find it."
" 'It'?"
"A battle that hasn't happened yet, a future I can't see." She hissed before clutching her head. "Or shouldn't be able to see. This place is confusing, so please hurry it up. What's over there should lure her out but be careful, it isn't for the faint of heart."
"I… Thank you!" I nodded. "I promise to make it up to you somehow!"
"Just put on a good show alright?" Despite her form's current youth, the girl gave a motherly smile. "After all, I'm always watching."
Well that was ominous, but I had already seen so much in this place that I barely even blinked. With a wave, I began to follow her directions, not really sure where I was heading. Eventually though, I had found myself standing in the mud. Overcast skies hung above me, giving the sight a melancholic grey.
Hidden hidden in a narrow cleft in the wall of a rocky valley was a wrecked campsite. Large feathers had been scattered around the ground like rain, trampled into the mud by iron boots. A battlefield that had yet to happen it was called, but I was unsure who fought and who won. The only thing I saw was the destruction it had caused.
That and the thing that stood in the very center of it. Stabbed into the ground, abandoned. A blade, dark purple, almost black. A cruel edge leaking blood, red running through the earth like pulsing veins. I could feel it's hunger from where I stood, and the worst part about it was that it was seeping deeper into my bones. A gnawing forming in my stomach, wanting to tear and devour everything and anything.
But when things were eaten, it was for a reason. To grow stronger, mightier. Somehow, I knew the thing in front of me was offering power.
I stepped forward. The world around me faded away. In a trance, I walked towards the blade. My hand reached out towards the sword. Agonizingly slowly, it inched closer and closer until-
The Inferno Saber suddenly appeared, snapping me back to my senses. This time though, instead of aiming at me, it was protecting me. Blocking my hand from reaching the sword. Behind me, I heard Infrared's voice, filled with steel. "Don't move any further."
She sighed before grabbing the back of my collar and tossing me away from the blade, back on to the mud. "Of all the places, why did you have to end up here?"
"I…" The words were hard to form in my mouth but eventually I found the strength to speak as I kept staring at the blade. "What is that sword?"
"That thing is not a sword." The alter ego spat out. "It is a curse, a virus, malice and hatred given form. An informational hazard. Not content with just existing. If there was a sheer instance of a possibility that you would ever come to possess the blade, then it would infect the infinity and encroach itself onto reality."
Infrared's eyes turned towards the sword and growled. "It's name is Gehaburn. Do not acknowledge it. It deserves to rot in nonexistence."
Without even giving me the chance to respond, she vanished before appearing behind me and lifting me off the ground. "Come. We're leaving."
And like that, we were gone. The world turned into a blur of shadows before I found myself once more on a rainy day.
This time it was a lot more personal though.
"You want to end things right? Then here's a good spot." Infrared dropped me before walking over to a grave in front of me. "After all, this is the day where I was 'born'."
Saying that, she took a seat on Erina's headstone.
I remembered this day. It was raining, the clouds were gray. Around me were faceless people in white, all crying tears of sorrow. I tried not to flinch as a familiar little girl dashed away from the crowd of people. All while I stood there and did nothing, not even chasing after her.
Infrared had brought me to the worst day of my life.
"...Why do you hate me so much?" I spoke quietly as I turned to stare at the Alter Ego's eyes. "Why do we have to fight like this?"
"You know the reason."
"No! I don't!"
"Yes! You do!" she shouted back. "I hate you because you're a coward! A fool! And worst of all a hypocrite!"
"You keep saying that but you won't explain anything!" I cried. "At least tell me what I did wrong!"
"...Like I said, you already know." Infrared raised her hand. "But if you really need an answer, then take it from your own mouth."
She snapped her finger and I heard my own voice. "I'll fight the you that deludes yourself. I'll keep fighting and fighting until you acknowledge reality."
My eyes widened. "That was-"
"-What you said to Crab Guildy right?" the alter ego said. "The Chuunibyou affinity is based around rejecting reality. It isn't something as simple as make-believe or pretend. You want to know why you're a hypocrite? Then let me ask you this: Did you really think you could use its power if you weren't rejecting something yourself?!"
"The thing is… Hong is the most honest person we know right?" Grasper began. "He's never afraid to say what's on his mind, even if he shouldn't. He never really lies, and he's always genuine to everyone that he meets. All of that is true, except for one fact that's become readily apparent: He can't be honest to himself."
"Huh?" Lan asked, reeling with confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You've seen it right? The face that he makes when he's mad or annoyed? It's especially apparent whenever you're involved." The black haired girl rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Whenever he does that, he doesn't even realize he's angry. I'm not sure to what extent that it goes, but Hong simply can't be honest with himself."
"So what does that make Infrared?" Lan asked.
"The part of himself that he's denying." The analyst adjusted her glasses with a grimace. "All the parts that he's repressed about himself manifested as an alternate personality… And he has to come to terms with it if he's ever going to overcome this."
Grasper sighed before hanging her head. "I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out. If I had done so sooner, things would never have gotten this bad."
"Do you know why I call you the me who isn't me?!" Infrared continued, her breaths heavy as they seethed out of her mouth. "It isn't because I'm the one who's rejecting you, you're the one who's rejecting me!"
Thunder crackled in the sky as the shadows began to grow longer. "You let Lan almost hurt herself again! You let Grasper drag you back into this life of fighting and killing! And worst of all! You never! Have! A plan! For anything! Tell me, what are you going to do once this fight with Valhalla is over?!"
"I…" The words died in my mouth. I couldn't think of anything.
It only served to make the Alter Ego angrier. "See! That's it! Right there! You always act act act and you never stop to think about what's going to happen next! You never acknowledge how stupid and reckless your actions are! For Hong Liang, there is no future!"
I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. Infrared was wrong. She had to be. She had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be-
"Why do I just murder my enemies? Why shouldn't I?! Do you not remember what happened with Erina?! Do you want to leave one day and never come back home?!" I flinched, her words struck me like lightning. "Who am I you ask?! Then I shall set aside the lies and rejections to reveal my true form!"
Alter Ego Tail Infrared screamed, raw and primal. Shadows burst from beneath her skin, consuming her flesh until she was no longer human. Her voice twisting, crackling, scratching against my ears as she spoke, but it was unmistakably my own. "I AM THE ONE WHO WALKS IN THE SHADOWS! I AM EVERY NEGATIVE THOUGHT YOU HAVE EVER HAD! I AM THE CYNICAL TRUTH YOU SO CONTINUE TO DENY! THE MORE YOU TRY TO RUN THE STRONGER I GET!"
"I AM THE ONE WHO SHALL CONSUME THE DREAMER!" Slowly the shadows began to form together into a coherent shape. A monster with the face of a horse, burning flames of wrath and anger making up it's mane. With a single swing of it's hand, it summoned a giant reaper's scythe made from the shadows. "I AM THE NIGHTMARE (OF) GUILDY, AND THE PATH I SEE IN FRONT OF ME ENDS IN DARKNESS! DESPAIR! DEATH!"
I…
[ ]
I woke up.
"Camera!"
How I got here I didn't know, but when I came to consciousness again I had found myself in what appeared to be a film studio. Faceless shadows that looked familiar hurriedly moved about as a spotlight shown down on me from above. What they were doing and where they were going I didn't know, but soon they had all hidden away in the corners, hiding behind camera lenses. They didn't have any eyes, but I knew at that moment they were all staring directly at me.
"ACTION!"
"What's going on?" I exclaimed as I examined my surroundings. The world around me felt hazy, unreal and yet it was so vivid that it felt like it was going past my eyeballs and burning itself into my mind.
"You're surprisingly close," A voice echoed from behind me. I jumped, spinning around to come face to face with a girl I didn't know. No, I did know her, it was just that the last time we met she had been confined to my shadows. But here she was, and it was like I was facing my own twisted reflection. "And isn't that such a shame."
I spoke her name. "Tail Infrared."
"Alter Ego Tail Infrared, need I remind you," the girl spoke as she examined her hand. "But yes, it is I, coming once more to greet my dreamer."
"Dreamer…" The word literally fell out of my lips, the characters dancing off my tongue before landing on the ground and writing themselves on the floor. Suddenly it all came back to me. The memory before I ended up in this 'now'. Where I was and why I was here. "Then you mean to say this place is my-"
"Your mind? That would be, as much as I dread it, correct." Infrared confirmed as she gestured at the world around us. "This is the realm that makes up 'you', the place where I was born. Personally I find it to be a dreary place, but in the end, I suppose it's fitting for one such as yourself."
I blinked. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Can you not even figure that out?" She sighed before snapping her fingers, causing words to appear in the air. Faithfully, she read them word for word. "This is a film studio, where fakers gather to create a fictional reality. Why wouldn't that be fitting? Energetic, determined, courageous, in the end, these are all just character traits for the role known as Hong Liang."
She grabbed my name and before I could react, slapped it on to my forehead. I could feel the name branding me, seering into my skin with a sizzling hiss. "You remember it don't you?"
The spotlight moved away from me and to… me? No, it was me but I was younger. Back in middle school, sitting blankly in front of a couch with empty eyes. Passively taking in the television screen, watching a nostalgic tokusatsu show that I couldn't even remember these days. "Your heart has always been hollow, empty, void of emotions. The only thing you could do with your life was watch others, even when tragedy struck."
I saw myself growing older, growing more alone until I was staring at who I was only two years ago. "This you, the real you, couldn't get the sleeping princess to leave her prison. How could a person with no life rescue someone else? So, you created an act."
My eyes couldn't help but take in the sight of me mimicking the television screen. Repeating words I didn't know and miming actions I didn't understand. It was a game of make-believe, pretend. I tried to move my head, but Infrared grabbed my chin and forced me to stare at the sight. "You created the Hong Liang that you wanted to be, so much like those rangers on tv. But in the end, we both know it was nothing but a hollow imitation."
With a sudden kick, I went tumbling into the ground. It bent around my form, and I started to sink into the concrete. Infrared stared at me from above, her eyes sharp, grin filled with malice. "Yet at some point you forgot that fact, believing the mask to be the 'real' you. What a joke."
The alter ego reached into the sky, grabbing her monologue before slamming it into me, smashing me deeper into the ground. In retaliation, I opened my mouth on instinct and swallowed them. It wasn't just a bitter truth, but one that tasted like ash in my mouth. I could feel the grains rolling across my tongue as I kicked the ground, bouncing out of the crater and onto my feet. Swaying, I stared into Infrared's eyes. "I know that. You don't need to say it."
"Fool. If you ignore the darkness of the night for the light of the stars, then you'll find yourself snuffed out." Infrared responded. "To shoot an arrow, you must first have a target. Do not blame me for being right on the mark."
"Look, do we have to do this?" I brushed dust that wasn't there off my shoulder before clenching my fist. "You can read my mind right? Then you should already know why I'm here."
She nodded lightly. "Your quest to remove me once and for all."
My body bristled at the words, or at least it felt like it. That wasn't why I came here. I didn't know how I really felt about Infrared, but the fact that I didn't hate her was the one thing I was sure of.
"It doesn't have to be like that! We can come to an agreement!" I exclaimed. "I don't want to kill you, or anyone else!"
"For someone with so much blood already on their hands to say such words… But alas, it somehow is the truth." The red haired girl waved her arms lightly. "Regardless, exorcising me is a foolish endeavor. As impossible as seeking to prevent the umbral light from reigning over the night."
I blinked. "Can you at least stop with all the complicated words?"
"No," she declared flatly, and I got the sense that I shouldn't push it. "It is not my fault you are so ignorant as to not understand. As with all other things, the blame lies with you. Especially that cardinal sin you allowed to happen underneath your watch."
I knew what she was talking about instantly. "You think I'm happy about what happened to Drag's tapes?!"
"'I don't need to make any guesses about you. Can't you feel the heat?" The moment she gestured to the spotlight, I was suddenly aware of the blasts of anger roasting my skin. Boiling me alive, they only got more intense the more I thought about what had occurred earlier today. "You, my dreamer, have proven yourself to be unworthy of the power that you've been given. Time and time again your recklessness and hypocrisy has rotted and festered and frankly, I find myself quite tired of it all."
"Tired?" I threw the word back at her and she swatted it aside.
"Yes. I'm sick of all these lies, these falsehoods, and these illusions. Luckily, your illness has progressed to the point where it has become terminal." Suddenly I blinked and the Alter Ego was in front of me, grabbing me by the collar and lifting me up into the air. "You wish to talk and come to an agreement? Then unfortunately I must play the harbinger of ill tidings. I could never coexist with someone like you. After all, you are the me who isn't me."
I could feel it, from the way her fingers gripped me like a snake to the literal fire burning in her eyes. Blazing emotions that threatened to burn me alive. She called herself my alter ego, but the only thing that I could see her as is a threat. So I did the only thing I could in situations like these. "Tail On!"
Yet, the magic never answered.
"Of course it wouldn't. Because I'm already here." Alter Ego Tail Infrared mockingly sneered as she dragged me over to the edge of the set. The shadow people scurried about, but as they got closer I realized that they were my own silhouette. "Tail Red cannot save you. Remember what I told you? You're Hong Liang, and this is a hell of his own making."
The Inferno Saber appeared in her hands and she slowly used it to cut my cheek. Whatever words I was about to say in response poured out of the wound, spilling uselessly onto the floor. "It was a mistake for you to have come here, but comfort yourself with the fact that it was inevitable. The truth you shall be denied. A nightmare is the only dream you could hope to have, and this time there is no waking up."
She pushed me closer to the edge of the set, and behind everything that kept it propped up I saw a swirling mass of colors. Infinite, refracting, kaleidoscopic. "No longer shall I allow you to make a mockery of yourself on set. The role of Hong Liang is over. You've taken your bows, and now the curtains must close on this cruel charade. We shall go to the realm where the past that hasn't occurred, the present that won't, and the future that has yet to be all mix together as one. And there we shall dream of sweet death, until the end of our days."
I slapped my cheek close before glaring at her with gritted teeth. "As if! No matter what you do, I will wake up!"
"That is not a road I see," Infrared declared, pushing me further and further backstage until soon there wasn't a stage at all. "Struggle all you like, but it's futile. Only I can navigate these formless seas."
"Even if it's futile, I'll still struggle. I'll still keep pushing forward." My fists clenched as I tugged at the hand at my collar. "The path in front of me, I'll save it no matter what!"
"You still don't understand that for Hong Liang, there is no future." As I struggled, her hand slowly began to lose it's grip. Soon enough though, did I realize that there was no floor beneath me, just a kaleidoscopic sea of colors. Infrared sighed, her breath filled with mixed emotions. "Very well, if you insist, then we shall have ourselves one last duel. The loser will not die, but without a winner no one will live. Do you understand?"
WIthout any hesitation, I nodded my head. "If that's what it's going to take, then I accept."
"...It's going to take a lot more than that." Alter Ego Tail Infrared shook her head before giving me a smile. "Then sweet dreams, forevermore."
And with that, she dropped me. I screamed, reaching up for the surface but soon there was no concept of up or down. I was shattering, the world colliding into fractals. I screamed but my voice was lost to the void. Time held no meaning in the weightless sea, seconds passed like years and years passed in seconds. It was pure chaos with nothing to ground itself.
Until suddenly there was, and I found myself eating a face full of dirt. With a gasp, I threw myself back on to my feet, only to come face to face with myself once more. Except no, it wasn't Infrared I was looking at, but the usual form of Tail Red. Save for the sole exception that she was… Wearing a modified version of a santa outfit?
We stared at each other unblinking before suddenly she pointed at me and screamed "AH! Why are you here?! It was a non-canon omake! Non-canon!"
The Santa Tail Red reached into her sack before tossing a gift box directly at my face. It bounced against me with a thud as she shouted "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" at the top of her lungs before running into the distance with a screaming panic.
"Uh…" Was all I could get out at the sight before my instincts kicked in and I rolled away.
The blazing edge of the Inferno Saber pierced the ground where I was just moments before. Infrared stared at me, before lifting up her sword and clicking her tongue. "Get moving."
Against all logic, I proceeded to run directly into the sky, literally disappearing into the sunset only to find myself in the cockpit of a giant robot.
"Hong!" I heard Twirl's voice. "Use the Tail-Bot to save the world!"
"I have no idea what's going on," was all I could say in response.
There were a lot of things that every Guildy knew, but there was only one that was relevant right now: Fighting Armadillo Guildy was annoying as hell. Literally, all of them knew that. Even the Guildys who didn't focus on combat knew just how annoying fighting the Valhalla Striker was. It was a level of infamy close to how much Phoenix was a meat shield- Wait no, that wasn't a thing. Nope!
The point was that Unraveled Road made landing a hit on him that actually mattered nearly impossible. But that wasn't even the worst of it. No, the worst part of fighting Armadillo Guildy was…
"WILL YOU AT LEAST SHUT THE HELL UP?!" The Avian Guildy roared as her red-shelled opponent bounced around the construction site like a pinball before hurtling directly at her. Unfortunately for Armadillo, one of the features her Guildy Gear gave her was the ability to move her arm like a piston, landing numerous hits at intense speeds. Unfortunately for her, this was still Armadillo, so the moment she went in for the blow the hard-shelled ball blinked out of reality. "Oh son of a-"
That was about all she got out before a second Armadillo smashed directly into her armored back. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped swearing it's kind of rude- N-Not to be rude myself of course- But it is kind of mean!"
Rollout: 1000 Base Damage, +548 Dice, +666 Horrific Speed Gap = 2,214 Total Damage
Phoenix: 150 Base Resilience, +54 Dice, -80 To Fast To React = 334 Total Reduction
1880 End Damage
Phoenix: 2500 - 1880 = 620 Health Remaining
"You broke into my goddamn house, destroyed Noble Heart's dying wish, and literally killed me not even five minutes ago!" Her voice was raw, dyed with pain, but the firecracker still made her grievances known as she pushed through the pain and spun around to kick the Guildy. Armadillo's smaller frame went crashing into the wall- Then it was gone. "Fuck!"
"I can see why you're mad!" No he fucking couldn't. "But it was an order! A special emergency!"
The words caused her to bristle but it was Grasper's voice that prevented her from chasing after the bastard. "You should probably keep still. Trying to catch Armadillo is just a waste of energy. Mentally, if not physically."
"...Ugh." Phoenix snorted, forcing her feet to still. Not that it did much as she still tapped impatiently, trying to see where the Guildy would strike next. Still, she couldn't just not say something. "See, this is why no one likes you! You're always just a pain in the ass!"
"W-What?!" The Guildy couldn't be seen but Phoenix could hear his voice waver. "Why would you say that?!"
"'Following orders'? 'Special emergency'?" The ponytailed girl would spit on the ground if her helmet's mouth plate could actually open. "Who the hell do you think you're fooling?!"
"It's true though!" Armadillo protsed, but Phoenix didn't even need the Truth affinity to see right past that lie.
"That's only the truth that you want to hear!" The immortal warrior roared, smashing her fist into her palm. "In the end, it's nothing more than an excuse so you don't have to take responsibility for your actions!"
This was why Armadillo was the most annoying Guildy to fight against. It wasn't just because his ability made him untouchable, because at least there would be a begrudging respect that he could hold his own in battle. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't keep his mouth shut either, as with his skills that would've been passable. Rather, it was because at his core, the striker of High Vahalla was a fucking coward.
"Someone who always takes the safe road forward, who keeps tripping over his own goddamn words because you don't want to offend anyone!" With a stomp, the blazing avenger held her ground, daring Armadillo to challenge her. "No matter how much you try, you'll never find the path where you don't get hurt! But did you really think that anyone would like a coward who wasn't even willing to try?!"
Perhaps it was only because of his nature that an ability such as Unraveled Path could be born, but that just highlighted the difference between the two of them. Until her revenge was complete, the flames of wrath inside of her would never be snuffed out. Unlike Armadillo, who never put himself in harm's way, Phoenix always put her life on the line. Always facing forward to see the next sun rise, burning away even her own death.
"A coward who can't even do that doesn't deserve to live!" Her heated words were punctuated by her punch in the air. The sun glinted off of her mask, making it appear like a burning flame blazing bright on the battlefield as she made her declaration. "Come and face me! I'll kill you before the sun rises!"
There was a beat of silence before Armadillo spoke up weakly. "Fenrir, you like me right?"
"...Yeeess." The tactaitan spoke very slowly from wherever he was.
"See! It's not true!" the striker declared. "You're just trying to hurt my feelings!"
"Goddammit-"
"Rollout!"
Rollout: 1000 Base Damage, +231 Dice, +666 Horrific Speed Gap = 1,897 Total Damage
Phoenix: 150 Base Resilience, +66 Dice, -80 To Fast To React = 136 Total Reduction
1761 End Damage
Phoenix: 620 - 1761 = -1,141 Health Remaining
OH FUCK OFF!
MIRAGE REVIVE!
Phoenix: 0 + 250 HP = 250 HP Remaining
"By the way," Grasper pitched in as Phoenix pulled herself back from the brink of death. "It's actually closer to sunset so that line doesn't really make sense."
The Avian Guildy stared blankly at the sky. "Grasper, do me a favor and shut the hell up."
Oh she was so going to kill Armadillo, even if it was the last thing she ever did.
Logic had long since ceased to apply where I was.
Sometimes I was on a motorcycle on a road of stars, then the next moment I found myself on the beach. Where I could, I fought back against Infrared, but she always held the upper hand. When I was the pawn she was the queen, If I was the gambler she was the dealer. Mostly, the only thing I could do was run. Run and see the sights. They were numerous, but to me they were mostly gibberish. A haze of dream like scenarios creating a tapestry made of imagination and my own memories.
I relived the moments with Erina, back when the world seemed so complicated but at the same time much simpler.
I met my mother, yet she held me at gunpoint with a cold look in her eyes.
And I saw the girl Lan could've been if I had only- No, that was one sight I'd keep to myself.
Regardless, they all blurred together one after the other. I never stayed long, and most of it was nonsensical or with minimal changes, like my gender. Infrared took much pleasure in that world for some reason.
Eventually though, I found myself walking in upon a theater. Not a movie cinema, but rather one for plays and actors. I recognized it as the one I had encountered Swan in, but contrary to it's shabby rundown appearance in my memories, this one was clean and in the midst of its prime.
That didn't stop me from running into a bored woman guarding the entrance, stifling a yawn as she saw me approach. "Ticket please."
"...Where is this?" I couldn't help but ask, examining the building.
"The theater of lost history," She drawled. "Ticket please."
"I'm sorry I don't think I have a ticket," I apologized, taking a step back. "I think I'm just going to go-"
The woman looked up, and I froze. Her eyes were made of ink, dripping down the side of her face like tears. Suddenly she lunged forward, plunging her hand directly into my chest. I heaved for breath as she pulled something out of my heart. A golden ticket. "First class seating. You must've been quite close to the playwright."
Suddenly she took the ticket and punched a hole in it before handing it back to me. "Take the stair to your right and enter the first door."
"A-Alright," I stuttered out, trying to calm my breathing. "Thank you?"
"Enjoy your voyeurism," was all she said before stepping aside. Hesitantly, I walked inside, following her instructions as I navigated my way through the eerily quiet halls. Faintly in the distance, I heard sounds of many emotions. Cries, Laughs, Shouts, but they all felt muted. Cold. Fake.
I was beginning to rather prefer Infrared's endless pursuit to wherever I had found myself in, but soon enough I had reached the door that the ticketer had spoken of. With a gulp, I pushed forward on the handles before walking inside. Despite the big stage, there was only one seat. Unsure of what else to do, I walked over and sat down in it. Instantly, the lights of the theater dimmed and the show began.
"Long long ago, the Goddess was sullied by the sinner's hands," a narrator spoke, her voice eerily familiar, but I couldn't put a finger on it. "Shortly thereafter, the Devil too was put into an endless slumber. But her apostles escaped, breaching the world of mortals."
The spotlight shone down on the stage, and three figures entered from the right. "The Mad Emperor, The Heretic Priestess, and The Bohemian Knight acted as the guides for the rest of their kin, and yet the world was more cruel and chaotic then they could have imagined. Struggling, toiling, until they finally found their footing and one day, gathered together and stared down at humanity from above."
"Look at them all," The Emperor spoke with disdain. "Have they no hope? No ambition? How could they think to drive the future if they continue to wander aimlessly like this?"
"They don't," The Knight replied. "For there's no need for it."
"There's always a need for the future my dear," The Priestess chided. "But can't you see? It's not that they are lacking, but merely disoriented. The world is shifting, changing, faster than these mortals can keep up with it. Don't you see my dear brother?"
"If what you say is true sister, then the answer is quite simple," The Emperor proudly puffed up his chest and banged on it with his fist. "What they need is a leader! Someone who would guide them into the next era!"
"Alas, it is not their fault that the Goddess fell to soon." The Priestess bowed her head. "Her spark of hope was lost to humanity in this chaos. But it is because of that chaos that we were born was it not? A sin it may be, but we still have her blessing. Perhaps we could make something of ourselves? If you were to lead the future, just how would you do so?"
"Why, look around you." The Mad Emperor gestured forward at the empty world. "Everything has its proper place, the order it should be. A king can not exist without the peasantry. I would create a world of order, where those with the ability shall reign above those without. A world of proof, where nobility is nobility, cutting away the fat from the meat."
"Survival of the fittest is it?" his sister hummed. "A paradise for the strong."
"Nay, it is a paradise for the weak!" he countered, as the spotlight shone down on him and him alone. "I am not a fool! The human heart is not a machine! No matter how hard you try to put things in their rightful place, there will always be friction, frustration, and anger. Let it come! Those are the very emotions that will drive the world towards the future! The weak will rise up to become the strong and the strong shall push forward to new heights! If one doesn't have the desire, then they should accept their position and the protection of the strong! This world of order is one I would create!"
The Mad Emperor stepped forward and made his declaration. "War through Peace, I say! That is the path to the future!"
"How bold. As expected of you, I suppose." The spotlight shifted to the Heretic Priestess as she began to speak. "If you would create a world of Order, then I would create a world of Chaos. Think about it. All of history's greatest inventions and achievements occurred within times of war and strife. Adversaries and Enemies, pushing each other onward to newer heights!"
She clapped her hands together and began to pray. "Oh how lucky I am, to be born into this world of eternal conflict! If I were in charge of this world, I would make it into one where the battle rages on everywhere! From the hearts of heroes to those of nations! As the war rages on, there will be no more weak or strong! Everyone will come together to fight everyone else! Pushing each other to better themselves! Individual battles becoming a unity of war, an unparalleled harmony! This world of chaos is the one I would create!"
The Heretic Priestess stepped forward and made her declaration. "Peace through War, I say! That is the path to the future!"
"Then we are at an impasse." The Mad Emperor declared.
"That we are." Said the Priestess. "But there is one more here, is there not? What say you, our loyal Knight?"
They both turned to face the Bohemian Knight, spotlight shining down on her. With a sigh, she stepped forward and began to speak. "You speak of grand visions, but in the end things are the same. War will become Peace, and Peace will become War. It is a cycle, and forcing it one way or another is just a foolheartedly errand."
The Knight's head turned. Not to the Heretic Priestess, the Mad Emperor, or the stage they inhabit. No, she turned her head to me and spoke. "When the future comes, it will come. No more, no less. As the winds of change arrive, the only thing we can do is ride the wind, or crash and burn."
"So that is your decision, hm?" The Mad Emperor growled.
"So boring, and yet so like you," The Heretic Priestess chuckled.
"Who's to say where we'll go," The Bohemian Knight declared. "But at least, I'd like to walk it together with all of us."
"And thus, faced with a crossroads, neither Apostle made their decision." The narrator spoke once more. "Together, the three of them stood at the Crossroad, waiting for the day one of them took the first step. Until eventually…"
The lights in the theater went out.
"The Knight met her end, allowing the King and the Priestess to go their separate ways."
"Wak!" Phoenix screamed as Armadillo bashed into her again. It was a sound that Grasper couldn't help but compare to a chicken. She knew it was a bit mean, but the mood around her made her feel like she was at a funeral.
Her eyes glanced backwards, to the prone boy lying on the medbay, then to the girl who kept sitting by his side and desperately clutching his hand. For someone like her, the deathly silence was almost suffocating. But it wasn't like the analyst wanted to leave her friend's side either, so she hastily moved some computers over to the medbay and used it as the mission control.
Twirl's technology was some of the best that she had ever seen, surprisingly, and it was absurdly easy to rejigger Phoenix's Ponytail Gear so the computers allowed her to stream what the Guildy's helmet was seeing. If only she would stop getting smacked in the face. "Fuck!"
Fuck Counter: 37
Let it never be said that Phoenix didn't give a fuck. But even if she did, the odds of her victory was-
DC: 60
40% chance of her winning the fight. It wasn't even a static number either, that was just what it was at currently. Phoenix had gone to the battle with maybe 70% odds but the more she fought, the lower her chance of victory got. Her anger made her movements sloppier, fatal against an attrition fighter like Armadillo. She should've known that as one herself, but the meathead always liked to barge into things head first.
And then there was that speech she gave. Who did she think she was, Hong? At least when he did it it was never out of any real malice. But from Phoenix it was a different story. Nobody would want to change their mind if someone as actively antagonistic as the avian Guildy called them out. The heart had a tendency to push away bitter truths, especially someone with Armadillo's mentality. Even if the foundations were shaky, he'd always just find something else to cling to.
Faintly, in the distance, she heard the laboratory elevator ding before the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Soon enough, Mrs. Liang poked her head into the doorway. "Hey girls, I'm done with everything upstairs. The insurance company will be a pain, but I can deal with them later. How's Hong doing?"
The older woman was smiling but…
Yuen Liang
Emotions: Worried, Tired, Frustrated
Grasper didn't even need Into the Abyss to tell her that the redhead was anything but happy at the moment.
"He's doing fine," she spoke up first as Lan continued to watch him silently. "All we can do is hope that he'll wake up soon."
'And as himself', Grasper didn't say.
"That's good," her landlord sighed in relief as she entered the room. 'Resignation' was added to the list of emotions, the same as everyone else here.
Behind her frames Grasper's eyes darted back to the monitor as the fight continued to move at an impasse. Suddenly a memory hit her. In the midst of the confusion where her glasses had broke, the world had become a giant mass of numbers and calculations, but she was pretty sure that…
Her tiny frame shifted over to look at the older woman before Grasper spoke up. "When Armadillo attacked earlier… You somehow managed to land a hit on him right?"
"Hm? Ah yes." Mrs. Liang nodded. "Though my gun didn't really do damage to him."
Why she had a gun was way more concerining then why she had an underground laboratory but that wasn't the point of this conversation. "But… How did you do it?"
"Well, Armadillo's ability is something like 'Whenever he makes a choice, he creates a copy of himself that does the opposite', right? With up to three copies at a time." The red haired woman tapped her chin. "It's a real 'Kaijin' like power, but once you get the hang of it, it's nothing more than a cheap trick."
That… Went against all of her data on Armadillo. Sure he wasn't exactly the strongest Guildy around, but his ability was more then the level of a mere trick. There was a reason why he was in Valhalla after all.
"You're confused right?" The cafe owner gave a light laugh. "To beat Armadillo is pretty simple really, all you need to do is figure out which path he's going to take and then aim there."
"What." Grasper spoke flatly. "That's, that's near impossible! The chances of figuring out which path he's going to take- And- And the fact he doesn't even need to dispel his other paths-"
"He doesn't need to but that doesn't mean he won't," Mrs. Liang corrected. "Armadillo is the kind of person who is anxious about every choice they make, but when they're confident they disregard any other alternative."
"...And in this case, it means he dispels his other paths," the analyst summarized as she looked back at the screen. "Trying to get him off his game just makes him less confident and more likely to have backups!"
"Yes, a pretty nasty bad habit to have with a power like that, right?" Hong's mom winked before putting a hand to her cheek. "Well, there's probably other methods of getting around his ability. That's just how I would do it."
"But how do you even know which path he's going to take?" A mixture of understanding the Guildy's psyche probably, but that still didn't answer any question. "Like I said, the chances of figuring that out… And one would mistake would mean…"
Mrs. Liang looked at the ceiling before giving the most unhelpful answer ever. "You just do it?"
"I could probably do it," Lan mumbled.
"Things like these you have to just go for," Hong's mom said. "Hesitating will only lower your odds of success."
That was unhelpful, but Grasper didn't get to say anything else as Hong's mom moved over to Lan's side and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's going to be alright okay? We both know Hong can overcome this."
"Nobody even knows what this is," the blue haired girl spat out bitterly. "And the only thing I can do is just sit here… that idiot!"
"Yes yes, my son is the biggest fool around," the boy's own mother said. "But fools are meant to put a smile on people's faces, so just put a little more faith in him alright?"
Lan sighed. "Alright."
"Good girl." Mrs. Liang began to rub the blue haired girl's head only to dart her hand away as Lan tried to swat it down. "Well, I've got a few calls to make. Keep an eye on Hong for me, okay?"
The two girls nodded as the older woman walked out of the medbay, bringing silence to the sterile room once more. Grasper turned to stare back at her monitor, her hand hovering over the microphone button as she took in the scene of the battle. "Just go for it huh…"
The numbers, the odds, the percentages, all of it came flooding into her head. An overwhelming amount of possibilities that just grew as the fight continued onwards. Just one choice and the entire thing split into a new set of calculations. She had to cut them down before they began to give her a headache.
Grasper adjusted her glasses, light glinting off of them as she took her hand off the microphone button and continued to watch. "As if it were that easy."
I was standing at the peak of a mountain. Above me were the heavens, and my pursuer staring down at me.
In this realm I was mortal, and she was immortal. But I still had the martial skills that Lan had beaten into my mind; in fact if anything they were more deadly than ever. Maybe it was because I had left my physical body behind, but whenever I executed a blow, I never felt any of the usual clunkiness or missteps. It was as if the move was ripped straight out of my imagination, my body flowing through the blows exactly as I pictured it.
"How long will you keep struggling?" Infrared's voice boomed as the Inferno Saber cut through the clouds. "Time has lost all meaning yet still you persist."
"As long as I have to!" I cried, even as my fists failed to land against her form. "Until I wake up! I won't just leave everyone behind!"
"I must wonder how you can wander through the endless realms and still remain so blinded." Infrared spat out, creating an ocean beneath us. "Then once more I shall strike you down!"
I tried to defend against the incoming blow, but I couldn't. Her sword burned brightly through the sky, growing to heights unimaginable in reality. With a single swing, Infrared brought the saber down upon me. There were no injuries in this realm, but there was pain. The great force cut into me, sending me flying down to the depths of the mountain and into the sea. Once more I sank deeper and deeper into the ocean.
Then I jolted upwards, waking up. With a panicked glance, I looked at my surroundings before letting out a relieved sigh. Thankfully, I had just ended up in some version of Adolenscia. I don't think I had ever been so glad to see the familiar walls of the cafe then I was at this moment.
My good mood was suddenly ruined by a fist colliding with my face, knocking me to my feet. "RED PUNCH!"
"Ow!" I exclaimed, pressing a hand to my face as I glanced upwards. "What was that for?!"
"Sorry kid," said the… Man dressed entirely from head to toe like a red ranger, face covering helmet and everything. It wasn't just a cosplay outfit though, I would've recognized it. No, this was entirely custom-made, with the material being too high quality for even the ones they use on TV. "You looked like you needed it."
"I really don't think I did." I grumbled, picking myself up before sitting at the counter. "It's been a long…"
I glanced at the clock, thankful it wasn't Owl O'Clock but instead a normal time. "I don't even know how long."
"Well, tell me about it." The Red Ranger replied as he moved behind the counter. "Nothing's gonna change if you keep it bottled up inside."
"I'm honestly not sure where to start," I mumbled, but then proceeded to tell him everything anyway. I'm not entirely sure why but there was something about the man that felt comforting to me. So much so that I didn't just tell him about the Guildys, I told him my entire life story. From beginning to end. "...And that's basically it. Though at this point I'm not even sure what's going on myself."
I paused as something came to mind that Infrared brought up earlier. "You're a hero right?"
"Nope," he instantly denied. "Heroes save people. I just get people to save themselves."
"Save themselves huh?" I thought back to the Noble Heart Guildys. When I had faced them… "I've said so many things but in the end I was just copying the heroes I saw on TV. I didn't even understand what they meant."
"Hm, I see," the red ranger said. "So that's how it is. Let me ask you something, did you actually want to be a hero on TV? Fight bad guys? Save the world?"
"...Not really. I was content living the life I led." I answered. "I only just wanted to be like a hero. Someone with courage, kind and understanding, who could take action no matter the situation."
"That's fine then!" the man chuckled. "Heroes like the ones on TV are written as role models for a reason! They aren't just to sell toys, they're people we should aspire to be! Teaching both kids and adults how to act!"
"But I didn't understand any of it." I glanced at my palm. "The only thing I could do was imitate."
"Let me tell you a secret kid." He leaned in close before suddenly roaring into my ear. "Reality is a piece of shit!"
"Gah!" I shouted, falling out of my chair and onto the ground again. Before I could protest though, he continued to speak.
"Courage? Justice? Peace? Did you think any of that will just occur naturally? That's it's just something you're missing?!" The Red Ranger yelled. "No! You have to try if you want to change yourself! Fake it until you make it your own!"
I blinked. "H-Huh?"
"Listen! The world out there is tough! It's harsh! But we have this!" He tapped his helmet. "Our greatest asset is our own imagination! The ability to believe that the world can be better, that we can change ourselves! I can't say that everything will go okay if you just hope! There will always be bad days and things will turn out wrong! But on the contrary, if you don't believe, then nothing will ever change!"
"...Is it really that simple?" I asked.
"No, but it's how we take the first step. If you want to be courageous, act courageous! If you want to be kind, act kind! If you want to be a hero, act as you think a hero should!" the man proclaimed. "Reality is a piece of shit, but we can use our imagination to change the world. It's how we shape the future into the one we want it to be. Maybe you'll become a genuine hero, maybe you won't. In the end though, it's up to you to look reality in the face and dare it to stop you from changing the world."
"...Thanks, I guess. I'll keep that in mind." I smiled weakly. "By the way, who are you anyways?"
"Who am I?" The Red Ranger laughed. "I guess you could call me the most delusional man in the world."
"Then does that make me the most delusional hero?"
"Don't be silly. All heroes are delusional. You're only just starting out."
"I guess so huh?" I looked up towards the ceiling before nodding. "Then I better get going. Can't stay here forever."
"Good luck out there kid!" The man waved. "I'll be rooting for you!"
I walked to the door and opened it, hearing the familiar jingle of bells. At that moment though, someone else entered the cafe. I never got a glimpse of their face, just the trailing of their twintails and the faint echo of their voice. "Daaaaaad!"
Before I could register what happened, I was already out the door, continuing my journey through the formless sea.
Why had things come to this?
Lan didn't know. At least the last time that Hong had been endangered she could fight off what had been killing him. It was something she could at least expect. But how the hell could she have known that the next time his life was on the line it was due to his own magical girl form? How was she even supposed to prepare for that?
...But the truth was, she wasn't prepared for any of this. When Hong became a magical girl, she wasn't sure what to think. And the things that came after that… Well put bluntly they were pretty insane. Sure Lan liked to act as the veteran MG, and in fact most people would say she was, but the problems Hong was facing were challenges she never had. All this talk of mysterious monsters, transformation gears, everything about it was something Tail Blue had never faced before.
For her it had only been bad guys. Demons, magical girls, kill and slaughter.
Lan hadn't been taking anything that Hong was doing seriously at first. But slowly, day after day, the reality began to encroach on her life. Until eventually she found herself here, with her best friend fighting with his life on the line and her… Doing nothing.
Call her a coward, but she was too scared to do anything. Too tired. She didn't want to go back to that life anymore. The endless fighting, day after day, blood being shed alongside tears. She knew now, that despite how ridiculous everything sounded, it was as real to Hong as the days she had spent on Hope.
...Lan cursed herself once again for calling his struggles ridiculous. It wasn't something to be made a mockery of, and yet she couldn't help but do it. Perhaps it was because of the absurdity of the situation that she was able to keep herself from breaking. Distancing herself from reality. She wanted to close the gap between her and Hong, maybe even fight alongside him, but in the end, she couldn't do it.
Once again, Lan Yu closed the door to her heart.
But in the depths of her mind, a faded memory began to play. The day that ended the years that blurred together. When a certain Red haired boy barged into her room wearing a cheap mask on his face.
"...Why do you keep trying?" she had spoken at the time.
"Because I don't want to see you hurting!" he had shouted with more energy than Lan had ever heard from him before. "Because I can't stand the sight of you wasting away in here for the rest of your life! If you continue down this path, then you're existence will-"
The words had been too much. "Agh. just shut up!"
Crash. Bang. She didn't want to recall what she had done, but she knew she had lashed out in anger. She was a martial artist, a magical girl, but back then, the boy had only just been a boy. What she had done shook her to her core.
"Are you okay?!" She had panicked. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"
But despite his state, his eyes were still blazing fire as he reached out to grab her. "Lan, I won't… Let you go. I'll be by your side and help you up, no matter what."
That was the day she realized that Hong was far stronger then she'd ever be.
"...Hey," the blue haired girl finally spoke up, turning to Grasper. One of the first friends Hong had ever made, and living proof of how her best friend was changing. "What were you talking about earlier?"
Grasper blinked at the sudden calling. "Huh?"
"You said you knew what was going on," Lan said quietly. "Something that Hong had to figure out himself."
"Oh, that." The petite girl sighed. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes." She nodded. "If there's something going on with him then please tell me."
"If you say so." Dark Grasper adjusted her glasses. "This is only from the data I've collected, but it's less something going on with Hong and more something he's doing himself. The thing is…"
And so, she told her.
I'm not sure where or when, but somehow during my travels I had stumbled across a little girl. She was different from anything I had ever come across before. More solid, more real. Despite that though, her hair was a swirl of different colors, her form a hazy blur. The moment I approached her though, her head snapped towards me and she spoke in a voice that echoed in my ear. "Hong, this really has to stop."
"Uh." I blinked.
"As your fairy godmother I'm ordering you to quit whatever this is this instant." she continued. "It's making me taste rainbows. My head hurts so badly…. We shouldn't even be talking to one another."
"I'm sorry?" I spoke weakly.
"You should be. It's all your fault." The girl pointed at me before looking at her hands. "Why am I a little girl? I shouldn't be a little girl. I'm the Mother, with an adult body. This is your fault as well."
"Really don't know how I'm responsible for that one," I muttered. "Are you alright?"
"Do I look alright?" she snapped back. "I'm quite peeved, you know. Here I was just wanting to catch up with my favorite show before game night except now I'm on drugs and I can't form my avatar properly. I'm supposed to look cool you know? Have a grand entrance and everything. Nothing like this."
"Mhm." I nodded. "Well I don't really want to be here either so if there's anything you can help with that…"
"Well, I do have a method to lure that Alter Ego of yours out. But should I tell you?" The girl tapped her chin. "It's very risky, I think. Everything in this place is confusing. And you're one of my favorites Hong, even besides the piece of the Engine in your soul. My heart would break to see it get damaged again."
"If you know something then please tell me," I pleaded. "I can't stay here forever. Everyone's waiting for me to wake up."
"...Alright, fine." The girl pointed off into the distance. "Head that way and you'll find it."
" 'It'?"
"A battle that hasn't happened yet, a future I can't see." She hissed before clutching her head. "Or shouldn't be able to see. This place is confusing, so please hurry it up. What's over there should lure her out but be careful, it isn't for the faint of heart."
"I… Thank you!" I nodded. "I promise to make it up to you somehow!"
"Just put on a good show alright?" Despite her form's current youth, the girl gave a motherly smile. "After all, I'm always watching."
Well that was ominous, but I had already seen so much in this place that I barely even blinked. With a wave, I began to follow her directions, not really sure where I was heading. Eventually though, I had found myself standing in the mud. Overcast skies hung above me, giving the sight a melancholic grey.
Hidden hidden in a narrow cleft in the wall of a rocky valley was a wrecked campsite. Large feathers had been scattered around the ground like rain, trampled into the mud by iron boots. A battlefield that had yet to happen it was called, but I was unsure who fought and who won. The only thing I saw was the destruction it had caused.
That and the thing that stood in the very center of it. Stabbed into the ground, abandoned. A blade, dark purple, almost black. A cruel edge leaking blood, red running through the earth like pulsing veins. I could feel it's hunger from where I stood, and the worst part about it was that it was seeping deeper into my bones. A gnawing forming in my stomach, wanting to tear and devour everything and anything.
But when things were eaten, it was for a reason. To grow stronger, mightier. Somehow, I knew the thing in front of me was offering power.
I stepped forward. The world around me faded away. In a trance, I walked towards the blade. My hand reached out towards the sword. Agonizingly slowly, it inched closer and closer until-
The Inferno Saber suddenly appeared, snapping me back to my senses. This time though, instead of aiming at me, it was protecting me. Blocking my hand from reaching the sword. Behind me, I heard Infrared's voice, filled with steel. "Don't move any further."
She sighed before grabbing the back of my collar and tossing me away from the blade, back on to the mud. "Of all the places, why did you have to end up here?"
"I…" The words were hard to form in my mouth but eventually I found the strength to speak as I kept staring at the blade. "What is that sword?"
"That thing is not a sword." The alter ego spat out. "It is a curse, a virus, malice and hatred given form. An informational hazard. Not content with just existing. If there was a sheer instance of a possibility that you would ever come to possess the blade, then it would infect the infinity and encroach itself onto reality."
Infrared's eyes turned towards the sword and growled. "It's name is Gehaburn. Do not acknowledge it. It deserves to rot in nonexistence."
Without even giving me the chance to respond, she vanished before appearing behind me and lifting me off the ground. "Come. We're leaving."
And like that, we were gone. The world turned into a blur of shadows before I found myself once more on a rainy day.
This time it was a lot more personal though.
"You want to end things right? Then here's a good spot." Infrared dropped me before walking over to a grave in front of me. "After all, this is the day where I was 'born'."
Saying that, she took a seat on Erina's headstone.
I remembered this day. It was raining, the clouds were gray. Around me were faceless people in white, all crying tears of sorrow. I tried not to flinch as a familiar little girl dashed away from the crowd of people. All while I stood there and did nothing, not even chasing after her.
Infrared had brought me to the worst day of my life.
"...Why do you hate me so much?" I spoke quietly as I turned to stare at the Alter Ego's eyes. "Why do we have to fight like this?"
"You know the reason."
"No! I don't!"
"Yes! You do!" she shouted back. "I hate you because you're a coward! A fool! And worst of all a hypocrite!"
"You keep saying that but you won't explain anything!" I cried. "At least tell me what I did wrong!"
"...Like I said, you already know." Infrared raised her hand. "But if you really need an answer, then take it from your own mouth."
She snapped her finger and I heard my own voice. "I'll fight the you that deludes yourself. I'll keep fighting and fighting until you acknowledge reality."
My eyes widened. "That was-"
"-What you said to Crab Guildy right?" the alter ego said. "The Chuunibyou affinity is based around rejecting reality. It isn't something as simple as make-believe or pretend. You want to know why you're a hypocrite? Then let me ask you this: Did you really think you could use its power if you weren't rejecting something yourself?!"
"The thing is… Hong is the most honest person we know right?" Grasper began. "He's never afraid to say what's on his mind, even if he shouldn't. He never really lies, and he's always genuine to everyone that he meets. All of that is true, except for one fact that's become readily apparent: He can't be honest to himself."
"Huh?" Lan asked, reeling with confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You've seen it right? The face that he makes when he's mad or annoyed? It's especially apparent whenever you're involved." The black haired girl rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Whenever he does that, he doesn't even realize he's angry. I'm not sure to what extent that it goes, but Hong simply can't be honest with himself."
"So what does that make Infrared?" Lan asked.
"The part of himself that he's denying." The analyst adjusted her glasses with a grimace. "All the parts that he's repressed about himself manifested as an alternate personality… And he has to come to terms with it if he's ever going to overcome this."
Grasper sighed before hanging her head. "I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out. If I had done so sooner, things would never have gotten this bad."
"Do you know why I call you the me who isn't me?!" Infrared continued, her breaths heavy as they seethed out of her mouth. "It isn't because I'm the one who's rejecting you, you're the one who's rejecting me!"
Thunder crackled in the sky as the shadows began to grow longer. "You let Lan almost hurt herself again! You let Grasper drag you back into this life of fighting and killing! And worst of all! You never! Have! A plan! For anything! Tell me, what are you going to do once this fight with Valhalla is over?!"
"I…" The words died in my mouth. I couldn't think of anything.
It only served to make the Alter Ego angrier. "See! That's it! Right there! You always act act act and you never stop to think about what's going to happen next! You never acknowledge how stupid and reckless your actions are! For Hong Liang, there is no future!"
I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. Infrared was wrong. She had to be. She had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be had to be-
"Why do I just murder my enemies? Why shouldn't I?! Do you not remember what happened with Erina?! Do you want to leave one day and never come back home?!" I flinched, her words struck me like lightning. "Who am I you ask?! Then I shall set aside the lies and rejections to reveal my true form!"
Alter Ego Tail Infrared screamed, raw and primal. Shadows burst from beneath her skin, consuming her flesh until she was no longer human. Her voice twisting, crackling, scratching against my ears as she spoke, but it was unmistakably my own. "I AM THE ONE WHO WALKS IN THE SHADOWS! I AM EVERY NEGATIVE THOUGHT YOU HAVE EVER HAD! I AM THE CYNICAL TRUTH YOU SO CONTINUE TO DENY! THE MORE YOU TRY TO RUN THE STRONGER I GET!"
"I AM THE ONE WHO SHALL CONSUME THE DREAMER!" Slowly the shadows began to form together into a coherent shape. A monster with the face of a horse, burning flames of wrath and anger making up it's mane. With a single swing of it's hand, it summoned a giant reaper's scythe made from the shadows. "I AM THE NIGHTMARE (OF) GUILDY, AND THE PATH I SEE IN FRONT OF ME ENDS IN DARKNESS! DESPAIR! DEATH!"
I…
[ ]
InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
Do you know how long I've been waiting to write this update? Since the start of Vahalla Saga. That's how long it's been. In fact I waited so long for this that it actually inspired me to create a different quest entirely, that being Hundred Night Blade. Anyway's here's the picture for Nightmare (Of) Guildy and here's the picture that summarizes the entire update.
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
[X] I am the one who will face reality. I open a hand and wait for the Nightmare to strike. And when it strikes, it strikes what we share: Hope. Let the embers flicker, the flames roar, and the brake be released. I will Hope, and with Hope, I will bind myself to this Nightmare. I Hope that reality is anything but, and I Hope that there is something only I as my whole self can do. I will Ignite the Engine with Hope that I can change.
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.......from the name, are we supposed to conclude that this is a Greater Nightmare?
fell too soon
That it's
then your existence
Hidden in a
feel its hunger
Oh. Okay. Implications.
The Knight was Drag. Just flat out, the Knight was Drag.
I'd bet the Goddess was Nepgear or... hmm... I'm not sure actually, maybe all the pieces of both Peace and War, especially with how that seems to be their central theme instead of just War or Peace.
And apparently we can somehow witness their death? Implied that Gehaburn is something we can get in the future, so its already with us. If all the Guildy are fragments of War and/or Peace then killing enough (all?) of them might cause one to manifest?
Nightmare's explicitly cannot end in anything but tragedy except through divine intervention. And I mean that literally.
It looks like we might have one on our side though? If that was a divine who our Engine is a part of. I know Peace has that whole thing with the giant Mecha, but its implied Peace and War might have had their, uhh, avatars/magical girls killed? I suppose the Engines could still be from War or something nonetheless. I can't remember which was which, but between War and Peace one had recovered their "body" while the other had recovered their "mind" and then the quest started.
And what's required for a Greater Nightmare? I know its a monkey paw wish, but I don't remember how it gets heard or the threshold needed for it to be "granted." Also... this is the Guildy's Greater Nightmare? Which implies Hong as a whole might be a Nightmare?
That one I'm less sure about, especially with Infrared's comment on the day she was "born" but its hard to tell if that's when the Greater Nightmare was born or if that's when Hong started rejecting enough of himself to give birth to an alter ego.
Anyway, if the Engine is indeed Divine in origin then I think the only way out of this is to nom her with it... idk how we'd do that though, especially with how she's also kind of part of the Engine already... hmm... yeah, that might not work.
And I'm not sure if Hong can accept her right now when he's been running from and rejecting everything she is for so long that it turned into literal soul cancer.
The Knight was Drag. Just flat out, the Knight was Drag.
I'd bet the Goddess was Nepgear or... hmm... I'm not sure actually, maybe all the pieces of both Peace and War, especially with how that seems to be their central theme instead of just War or Peace.
And apparently we can somehow witness their death? Implied that Gehaburn is something we can get in the future, so its already with us. If all the Guildy are fragments of War and/or Peace then killing enough (all?) of them might cause one to manifest?
Nightmare's explicitly cannot end in anything but tragedy except through divine intervention. And I mean that literally.
It looks like we might have one on our side though? If that was a divine who our Engine is a part of. I know Peace has that whole thing with the giant Mecha, but its implied Peace and War might have had their, uhh, avatars/magical girls killed? I suppose the Engines could still be from War or something nonetheless. I can't remember which was which, but between War and Peace one had recovered their "body" while the other had recovered their "mind" and then the quest started.
And what's required for a Greater Nightmare? I know its a monkey paw wish, but I don't remember how it gets heard or the threshold needed for it to be "granted." Also... this is the Guildy's Greater Nightmare? Which implies Hong as a whole might be a Nightmare?
That one I'm less sure about, especially with Infrared's comment on the day she was "born" but its hard to tell if that's when the Greater Nightmare was born or if that's when Hong started rejecting enough of himself to give birth to an alter ego.
Anyway, if the Engine is indeed Divine in origin then I think the only way out of this is to nom her with it... idk how we'd do that though, especially with how she's also kind of part of the Engine already... hmm... yeah, that might not work.
And I'm not sure if Hong can accept her right now when he's been running from and rejecting everything she is for so long that it turned into literal soul cancer.
LostDeviljho
Flame Dragon Princess
- Location
- The glorious Pacific Northwest
- Pronouns
- Any
I suppose she could still be some kind of Lesser Nightmare... I think those are the manifestation of a collective fear? Which might fit with the Guildy, but again I don't know what threshold needs to be met.
Also not sure what to advise for the vote. Hong rejecting and running from Nightmare makes her stronger, but... that's kind of what/who he is by now? Like Infrared pointed out that Hong... is kind of a real "fake it till you make it" personality. And he can't even recognize when he's angry, just straight up doesn't notice it.
That level of rejection isn't something you just flip suddenly.
Especially with some of the memories that appear to be buried in her.
There's something to be said for "one step at a time" but we're already at... uhh, critical mass? Fighting her is a form of rejection, running from her is rejection, and we've already seen what Hong trying to talk to her turns into...
All I can think of is standing there and taking it on the chin. Which seems stupid... and not the right type of stupid either.
idk, embrace the soul cancer and retain as much of Hong as possible. How do you deal with a part of your soul trying to eat you anyway? Cause Hong's kind of... uhh... what's the word... I suppose saying Hong's kind of turned into two instances of Polar Opposites fits. And one side exists as the buried and rejected pieces of the other, so its not like there's a middle ground to stand on...
But, uhh, my point is the soul cancer is already there, kind of can't get rid of it at this point?
[] What are you supposed to do? Infrared- Nightmare- whatever, she's the manifestation of everything you reject about yourself, which is... kind of a problem. You can't just flip around and accept all of her, you've already had that argument with her, but you can't keep running now either. Time to embrace her and see how much is left of both of you afterwards. It'll be enough, it has to be enough, for both of you and everyone waiting.
... *shrug*
... Also sorry with Phoenix. I thought making him doubt himself would use up his instances in his speech/defensiveness, but apparently its something of the other direction, make him sure of his actions so you know what he'll be doing because he's not used to it. On the other hand, Envy kind of handed Armadillo over on a silver platter with that (not actually a) reassurance.
Also not sure what to advise for the vote. Hong rejecting and running from Nightmare makes her stronger, but... that's kind of what/who he is by now? Like Infrared pointed out that Hong... is kind of a real "fake it till you make it" personality. And he can't even recognize when he's angry, just straight up doesn't notice it.
That level of rejection isn't something you just flip suddenly.
Especially with some of the memories that appear to be buried in her.
There's something to be said for "one step at a time" but we're already at... uhh, critical mass? Fighting her is a form of rejection, running from her is rejection, and we've already seen what Hong trying to talk to her turns into...
All I can think of is standing there and taking it on the chin. Which seems stupid... and not the right type of stupid either.
idk, embrace the soul cancer and retain as much of Hong as possible. How do you deal with a part of your soul trying to eat you anyway? Cause Hong's kind of... uhh... what's the word... I suppose saying Hong's kind of turned into two instances of Polar Opposites fits. And one side exists as the buried and rejected pieces of the other, so its not like there's a middle ground to stand on...
But, uhh, my point is the soul cancer is already there, kind of can't get rid of it at this point?
[] What are you supposed to do? Infrared- Nightmare- whatever, she's the manifestation of everything you reject about yourself, which is... kind of a problem. You can't just flip around and accept all of her, you've already had that argument with her, but you can't keep running now either. Time to embrace her and see how much is left of both of you afterwards. It'll be enough, it has to be enough, for both of you and everyone waiting.
... *shrug*
... Also sorry with Phoenix. I thought making him doubt himself would use up his instances in his speech/defensiveness, but apparently its something of the other direction, make him sure of his actions so you know what he'll be doing because he's not used to it. On the other hand, Envy kind of handed Armadillo over on a silver platter with that (not actually a) reassurance.
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
Lost has said that Infrared being a Child of Noghtmare is fundamentally impossible due to them being different kinds of beings before. As well, this isn't soul cancer; It's mental, and happening in Hong's head. Grasper referring to it as such is a reference to the coincidence of it happening as the Engine was finished. Which, as Lost has said prior, has no connection to Infrared and Hong's quandry.
I'm a little annoyed by the fact that both of those misconceptions, having been debunked in the thread already, have come back as the basis of speculation.
Like, dude, 100 pages and over three years. If you honestly expect anyone to remember everything that's been said in a thread over that span of time then how do you even live with people at all.
And Lost only said "No" to Nightmare of Guildy being a Greater Nightmare. There's a long history of things in this setting have a very literal name to things, so yes, I would assume being called Nightmare means she's a Child of Nightmare, its what we've been conditioned to do.
Fair enough on the soul cancer bit, but that doesn't change anything. Just replace soul with mind/mental and its the same thing.
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
I don't expect everyone to remember everything. I do expect people to remember things from conversations that they were involved in, even if it requires them making the effort to look back through a thread to reread those relevant conversations.
Admittedly, I was a bit harsh. I had forgotten that you weren't tagged in the post by Lost, and thus might not have been notified of it directly.
[X] What are you supposed to do? Infrared- Nightmare- whatever, she's the manifestation of everything you reject about yourself, which is... kind of a problem. You can't just flip around and accept all of her, you've already had that argument with her, but you can't keep running now either. Time to embrace her and see how much is left of both of you afterwards. It will be enough- it has to be enough, for both of you... and for everyone waiting.
*shrug* Figure I might as well make my vote official anyway.
I think myself and Dreaming are going in the same direction... Just... eh? His kind of leans into the magical girl side, which I get, but eh? Doesn't... feel right... yeah, idk how to say it.
*shrug* Figure I might as well make my vote official anyway.
I think myself and Dreaming are going in the same direction... Just... eh? His kind of leans into the magical girl side, which I get, but eh? Doesn't... feel right... yeah, idk how to say it.
LostDeviljho
Flame Dragon Princess
- Location
- The glorious Pacific Northwest
- Pronouns
- Any
I would just like more people to discuss and vote.
This is kind of an important juncture in the quest.
This is kind of an important juncture in the quest.
- Location
- Earth
I'd say cat's vote looks alright. It somewhat embraces the Red Ranger's advice, which feels important to solving this conflict. Focuses on hope as a concept and the desire to change in particular, so it mixes acceptance with reluctance while not leaning too far in either direction.
Hong lies to himself and keeps pushing forward. So a solution that is effectively "You're right. I'm wrong. Let's try again?" feels good to me. SAB goes in a similar direction, but there is a much more resigned tone to it that I am not sure I like; it feels more like Hong forcing himself to accept IR just to get out of the dreamscape, not out of a genuine desire to change.
That said...
[X] catDreaming
Hong lies to himself and keeps pushing forward. So a solution that is effectively "You're right. I'm wrong. Let's try again?" feels good to me. SAB goes in a similar direction, but there is a much more resigned tone to it that I am not sure I like; it feels more like Hong forcing himself to accept IR just to get out of the dreamscape, not out of a genuine desire to change.
That said...
[X] catDreaming
kinigget
Best Demon
- Location
- People's Republic of Portland
[X] I am the one who will face reality. I open a hand and wait for the Nightmare to strike. And when it strikes, it strikes what we share: Hope. Let the embers flicker, the flames roar, and the brake be released. I will Hope, and with Hope, I will bind myself to this Nightmare. I Hope that reality is anything but, and I Hope that there is something only I as my whole self can do. I will Ignite the Engine with Hope that I can change.
This is probably actually the best path forward, and really the only way Hong can move forward: chatge ahead and trust to hope. Act like a hero.
This is probably actually the best path forward, and really the only way Hong can move forward: chatge ahead and trust to hope. Act like a hero.
Alexander89
Pet the pretty kitty? Y/N
- Location
- Italy
[X] I am the one who will face reality. I open a hand and wait for the Nightmare to strike. And when it strikes, it strikes what we share: Hope. Let the embers flicker, the flames roar, and the brake be released. I will Hope, and with Hope, I will bind myself to this Nightmare. I Hope that reality is anything but, and I Hope that there is something only I as my whole self can do. I will Ignite the Engine with Hope that I can change.
Stasis
Unverified Lotus
- Location
- Milky Way, Earth
[X] I am the one who will face reality. I open a hand and wait for the Nightmare to strike. And when it strikes, it strikes what we share: Hope. Let the embers flicker, the flames roar, and the brake be released. I will Hope, and with Hope, I will bind myself to this Nightmare. I Hope that reality is anything but, and I Hope that there is something only I as my whole self can do. I will Ignite the Engine with Hope that I can change.
InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
Really should've closed votes earlier but IT'S TIME.
DREAM VALHALLA
InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
I…
No matter how much I thought that the creature wasn't me, in the end we both knew that was a lie. A body warped in negativity and cynicism, and of course it was still connected to my feet, my shadow. The darkness slowly crawled up my leg, whispering in my ears with thoughts I kept hidden under my breath.
A long time ago, I had vowed to myself that I would never hold back no matter what. It was the only option in order to save something dear to me. But back then I had been lucky. It was only when this war with High Valhalla began did I really learn how to face the present. To take a step forward no matter how dire the situation. To keep walking forward and never stop.
But-
"JUST WHERE WERE YOU WALKING TO?" I asked myself.
I didn't know. I never did. I could take the first step, the next, and the next, but in the end it was just wandering aimlessly. I had kept my eyes so focused on the ground that now was the first time I was actually beginning to look up. I couldn't deny it, the Nightmare would never let me deny it. I was wondering towards a dead end, my death end. The situation I had found myself could never end in anything but tragedy. One that I had no solution for, and one that I had already decided upon.
"IT WOULD BE A MERCY," the Nightmare spoke. "TO SLEEP FOREVERMORE. FOR EVEN IF THE FEAR IS IMAGINARY, THE PAIN OF REALITY IS ONE WE CAN IGNORE."
I remained silent in response. A snort left the mare's lips, already knowing full well everything that I could say. That was the thing. Nightmare (of) Guildy wasn't just anyone's fear, it was my own. It was my shadow. The thing that existed in the absence of 'me'. In the end, how was I supposed to argue with the part of myself I couldn't even see?
"...The part of me I can't see," I repeated to myself in a dazed mutter, finally beginning to collect myself again. Not that I could fight even if I wanted to. But the weight of my heart anchored me to the ground. I couldn't stand, couldn't even form a fist. The only thing that I was able to do was lift my hand out and reach out.
"WHAT?" My shadow sneered. "DO YOU SERIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN END IT ALL BY JUST REACHING OUT TO ME? IF YOU WERE THAT HONEST I WOULD NEVER HAVE EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE."
I hesitated before speaking. "That might be true but, in the end I have to try something don't I?"
"HMPH. THEN ALLOW ME TO DEMONSTRATE THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS."
It happened within a single moment. The scythe of shadows, weightless but ever present, was swung. For a brief moment, I couldn't understand what had just happened. I gulped, forcing myself not to turn away as I faced the reality in front of me.
The hand that I had used to so desperately reach out, had been sliced off. Cleanly, directly from my shoulder. The entire arm flew into the air, caught by the nightmare who then proceeded to chow down on it greedily. In its place, there was a dark outline identical to the being connected by my feet. A burning flame ignited, and I could no longer deny it. A raw, primal scream escaped from my lips.
It was not one of pain.
It was one of fury.
My anger is so clear to me now, blazing so bright that I had been blinded. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, I was angry at how Grasper had dragged me back into this dangerous life. Angry at Drag for hiding such an important fact about the Guildys from me. And most importantly- I was angry at myself.
"Why didn't I look deeper into what was happening?!" I screamed, pounding the imaginary dirt ground. "Why did I just accept everything?! Why do I keep placing myself into situations that hurt the people I care about?! Why?!"
Ah, I could see where Infrared had been coming from now.
To the delusional, hypocritical, passive me- I hated him.
But Nightmare (of) Guildy didn't give me any time to rest. Another swing, another arm gone. Joining my screams this time were tears, tracing down my face in a tidal wave. An ocean of sorrow sweeping me away.
"I'm sorry." I wept. "I'm sorry for killing everyone. I'm sorry for letting Lan get hurt. I-"
I choked up.
Erina, Xu Mei, Huan, Hu, Shuo. All of them had entered my world briefly and made it all the brighter. Yet just as soon as they came they had left. And to make matters worse, I was the one who had inadvertently cut them out of my life.
Grief, regret that I could never wash away no matter how many tears that I cried.
"I'm sorry for everything that I've done."
The present that I hated.
The past that I grieved.
And finally-
Without another word, my shadow swung the scythe. This time not just one limb, but my entire lower body was cleaved away. I had nothing to stand on as the darkness began to consume me. I couldn't stand even if I did.
"What if something goes wrong?" I whispered to myself. "What if I don't come back? What if I lose someone important again?"
Fear. Overwhelming, maddening fear replaced my legs. I feared the future, I feared how the happy moments I had never seemed to last forever, I feared that I would never be good enough. I feared how much I was changing with each passing day. And most importantly-
"What if I lose myself?"
I, Hong Liang, feared Magical Girl Tail Red.
I feared becoming a Magical Girl who would mistake people with monsters.
I feared becoming a worse person than I already was.
But at the same time-
"IT'S CONTRADICTORY," the Nightmare, my own revelation, spoke to me. "FIGHTING AND STAYING ALIVE IS THE ONLY THING THAT'S IMPORTANT. IF YOU DON'T WANT THE THINGS YOU PROTECT TO BE HURT, THEN KILL. IF YOU WISH FOR YOUR HEART TO KEEP BEATING, THEN KILL YOUR HEART."
It was a cold, cynical command. Not advice from an outsider, but an order from myself. The only way that I could live.
The scythe that had already carved so much of my body away was raised once more. This time I knew it was the final swing.
Wrath.
Sorrow.
Fear.
And finally-
"DESPAIR."
Like an executioner's strike, the scythe came to lob off my head. It would take my mind, my face, my identity, leaving only my raw heart. The darkness would feast, devouring me leaving me trapped in an endless nightmare.
But that wasn't what happened.
Moments before my impending doom, a blazing heat ignited from my heart. Like a baptism of fire, the shadows that had taken root on my skin were burned away, reduced to nothing more than cinder and ash. With every passing second it grew hotter and hotter until I could no longer contain it within my body. Breaking free from my chest, the fire stopped the shadow in its tracks.
"WHAT?!" my shadow screamed. "WHAT IS THIS?!"
For some reason, I wasn't sure exactly why, but I reached out to that scarlet flower. The blaze gathered together at my palm, condensinging and forging itself into a familiar shape. A weight that felt foreign to my hands, but just right in my heart. As it finished manifesting, a stormy breeze began to sweep through the battlefield. The stagnant air finally flowing with winds of change.
What had answered my call was none other than my 'golden ticket'.
The Blazer Blade.
Unable to face the reality in front of it, the nightmare roared. "HOW?! HOW DID YOU SUMMON THAT BLADE?! I AM THE ONE CALLING UPON THE POWER OF MAGIC!"
I couldn't help it, I laughed. "I really am an idiot after all."
It was obvious where the blade had come from. After all, Tail Red wasn't the only one with a Blazer Blade. The final heirloom that Drag Guildy had left me, glowing with a warmth that made it feel like the Guildy Commander was knocking on my head and telling me to snap out of it.
"We're the same person, so I probably don't need to say it." I stabbed the blazer blade into the dirt, pushing myself off the ground before raising it towards my shadow. "Even if I'm burning with anger, drowning sorrow, or paralyzed with fear, I'm the kind of idiot who could never give up on hope!"
Hoping that reality is anything but.
Hoping that there was something I could do.
Hoping that I could change the person I was.
"AS IF I COULD ACCEPT THAT!" The Nightmare (of) Guildy reached back before going for another swing. "THE FUTURE IS NOTHING BUT DESTRUCTION AND DESPAIR!"
"Yeah, I heard you for the first time. But-" I took a stance of my own. "Who was the one who decided that?!"
Burning a hot, crimson red, the Blazer Blade soared through the air. "The future will come when it comes! You either ride the wind or crash and burn!"
The edge of cynicism was sharp, but it was also fragile. My sword cut through it with ease, burning the weapon away into nothing but smoke and ash. For a brief moment the mare looked at it's now empty palms with shock but I was already on the offensive. Feet blasting me forward, the Nightmare quickly summoning a Blazer Blade of its own in order to parry my blow. "YOU SEEK TO STILL FIGHT?!"
"No, I don't want to fight!" I couldn't fight against myself, I already knew that. But there was one thing I wanted to do. Something that I could only do now that I could see through the darkness in my own heart. "I want to save myself!"
Just as the Nightmare had carved darkness into me, I'd put myself into the shadow. Using the light of fire to burn away the night. I clenched my fist and made my declaration."The path in front of me, I'll save it no matter what!"
And this time, that statement wasn't a lie or a delusion. I wasn't averting my eyes anymore. This time I would save myself.
The world around us, Erina's graveyard, turned to cinders as I found myself in the middle of a blood soaked battlefield. The sky, the ground, everything around was a harsh and unforgiving red haze. But most eye catching was that we were surrounded by Blazer Blades, all of them crossed with another with a burning bright flame atop of it.
My shadow made the first move, thrusting its blade towards my heart. "YOU CAN'T SAVE ANYONE! HAVEN'T YOU LEARNED FROM THE PAST?!"
A rusty gear clicked inside of me, granting me the strength to retaliate with a strike of my own. "You're right! Instead of saving, all I've been doing is killing! But it's because of those memories that I'm able to stand here! The past is what gives me strength!"
This was the power of the first Guildy I had ever fought. Lizard Guildy's DOLL affinity!
"A DELUSIONAL HYPOCRITE LIKE YOU WILL NEVER BE A HERO!"
"Even if that's the kind of person I am, I still want to aim for a brighter future! I'll paint the world in my heart's colors!"
Chameleo Guildy's REDHAIR.
"IT WON'T GO YOUR WAY! REALITY WILL NEVER BE WHAT YOU WANT!"
"I'll make it go the way I want! And no matter how shaky the ground beneath me gets, I'll keep on standing!"
Rabbit Guildy's BOOT.
"IT'LL HURT! IT'LL CAUSE SO MUCH AGONY YOU'LL JUST WANT TO RUN AWAY!"
"I'll face the world even if it hurts! The pain will never knock me to the ground!"
Turtle Guildy's COAT.
"YOUR ENEMIES ARE GREATER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE! YOU WILL STRUGGLE TO EVER ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING!"
"But I'll keep on fighting even if the odds are stacked against me! And the more I keep fighting, the stronger I get!"
Swan Guildy's SADISIM.
By this point, the Nightmare was no longer made of darkness. Every blow I landed upon its form, the more flesh I unveiled. Chipping away at the armor of negative emotions I had enshrouded myself in. I knew there was a grain of truth to them, that they were all something that I had thought before. But now that they were out in the open, now that I could see them, I could finally actually deal with them instead of letting them rot and fester.
"...Why?" It's voice was tiny, a mix of distortion, my own, and someone else's. Someone who sounded familiar but one that I couldn't identify. "Why do we keep fighting?"
"You know the answer to that." I replied, striking at my chest. "To keep hold of the things we love."
Medusa Guildy's HUG affinity gave me the strength to carve the final part of the nightmare's armor, leaving only it's equine head intact. With a snort, it dropped it's Blazer Blade before turning away. "Reality hurts. I can't be the person I want to be, and the world is cruel."
"Yeah. It does." I agreed with a bitter nod of my head. TRICKERY activated all on it's own, allowing me the ability to delude myself even if for just a moment. After all, I knew what to say. Someone else had already told it to me before. "But it won't change on it's own. In order to change both ourselves and the world, we have to believe we can do it."
With that, I gave my final swing. The horse's face shattered, revealing the human underneath it. Surprisingly however, what met my eyes wasn't my own face, nor was it Infrared's, but rather the face of Tail Red herself. The young girl who I had only seen in the mirror. Her tiny form collapsed onto the ground, sighing and turning away.
"So, what will you do now 'me'?" She asked. "Are you just going to cut me out of you? Deny me once more? No matter how much you try, you will never be rid of me."
"...I know." I stabbed my Blazer Blade into the ground before taking a seat right next to her. "I'm not so dumb that I can't even recognize that. To do so would be-"
"Foolish." She interrupted sharply. "Optimism, without Cynicism, is nothing but naïveté."
"Yeah." There was a moment of silence before I finally spoke about what I was actually feeling. "Thank you. Even if it hurt, I'm grateful you let me feel the things I unknowingly kept hidden away. It's why I know now that, in the end, I need you."
Those negative emotions kept me grounded to reality. If I were to cut them out completely, I would never be able to learn from my mistakes. I would never be able to change. Despite how much it hurt, that pain was a vital part of who I was. I needed to accept the nightmare, in order to hope for a better world.
I stretched out my hand once more, this time with a smile on my face. "I accept you. I need you. Because after all, you are me."
"And?" The cynical part of myself stared at the hand skeptically. "Even if you accept me, perhaps nothing will change."
"But with your help, we can create a better future." The power that Crab had left me. The final affinity that had remained untouched. "Not just this aimless present, or a cynical dead end. Let's imagine the road to a bright tomorrow, and walk it together."
Even if it was just a dream, if I didn't hope for it and walk towards it, I would never be able to see it happen.
Seconds drifted in the wind before finally, a melodic laughter left the young girl's mouth. One that grew and grew as power began to fill her limbs, growing older and stronger before eventually becoming the cynical shadow that I knew. "My dreamer, you sure are an amusing one. But now that everything is said and done, I can finally be at ease."
Alter Ego Tail Infrared took my hand before shaking it with a smile. "Through the bygone past, the malleable present, and the infinite future, I will guide you. If what you wish to see is a world of Hope, then we shall walk it together. It will hurt, and it will never stop hurting. Are you sure you can walk this path?"
"Do you even need to ask?" I smiled. "If the path doesn't exist, then I'll create it with my own hands."
Suddenly we began to float, drifting upwards from this realm of nonexistent possibilities. Kaleidoscopic light danced on the surface of ocean waves, and I knew that one of them would eventually lead me back home.
The me who was me pushed me upwards, towards the light. "Then wake up, Hong Liang. Wake up to reality and dream forevermore. We will be there to support you, always."
I blinked. "We?"
As far as I knew it was just the two of us.
"You're a man are you not?" Infrared gave me a teasing grin. "Take responsibility for what you did to me."
The world around me grew fainter, but I could still hear her voice. "The new life that you created- No, the one that has always been slumbering. It's time for the both of you to wake up."
And with that-
I opened my eyes.
When I came back to reality, the light of awareness brought with it an absolutely horrendous headache. My memories and thoughts swirling as my mind tried to comprehend what had just happened. On the other hand, I was also feeling more refreshed than I had in my entire life.
"Hong!" I heard a familiar voice shout as I opened my eyes, someone clutching my hand tightly.
"Hey Lan." I sat up, brushing the hair out of my eyes before giving Lan a smile. "I did it."
My best friend stared at me with wavering eyes. Eventually, she decided to give me a punch on the shoulder and tackle me into a hug. "Don't you dare do something like this ever again! Do you hear me?!"
A laugh left my throat as I patted her on the back. "I hear you, I hear you."
My attention was brought to a corner of the room by a cough, where Grasper was adjusting her glasses. "I'm… glad you're back as well."
"Thanks Grasper." I quietly pulled Lan off of me before standing back up on my feet and giving her a bow. "For everything. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to get through this."
"It's about the only thing I can do," She muttered before sighing. "And before you ask, you've been asleep for about half an hour."
"Half an hour?!" I exclaimed, rubbing my forehead. "It felt a lot longer than that… And uh, a lot shorter?"
It probably wasn't the best idea to dwell on my perceptions of time during whatever the hell I just experienced, so I shook my head and slapped my cheeks. "Nevermind that. Grasper, what's the situation?"
"Phoenix is currently still in the middle of fighting Armadillo," the analyst stated, gesturing to the monitor. "To put it bluntly, it's not going so great. Her chance of winning is decreasing by 1.3% every minute."
"Got it." I nodded, checking my Tail Gear to make sure that it was functioning properly. "Give me the location of the fight, I'll head over there to back her up."
For some reason, Lan stared at me with a mix of confusion. "Hong, you're-"
"Are you sure about this?" Someone interrupted her. Standing in the middle of the doorway to the medbay was my mother, hand on her hips and a worried look in her eyes. "I won't stop you if you're determined, but you just woke up."
"Don't worry about me. My engine is ready to ignite." I waved off her concern before giving her a thumbs up. "Even if reality hurts, I'll use my imagination to change the world. The bright future in front of me, I'll save it no matter what!"
Her eyes widened as she stumbled back a step in shocked silence. Finally she shook her hand and let out a melancholic sigh. "If your father was still alive… That red ranger said similar stuff all the time. It almost hurts how similar to him you are right now."
My father.
My memories of him had been burned away long ago, and I had never even seen a picture of the man. Nor did anyone who knew him ever speak of what he was like. To me, we were practically strangers to one another. Yet, with those words, I couldn't help but wonder if he would be proud of me right now.
I clenched my fist. There was no use dwelling on the what-ifs and if-onlys. There was a job to do.
"Well, I'm off," I said to my mission control team. "Wish me luck, alright?"
Lan shouted and raised her fist. "You better come back safely, dumbass!"
Grasper nodded before turning back to the monitor. "The odds are against you but, good luck."
Mom smiled, walking over to where I was before patting my head. "Fight on, young hero."
"Ah jeez!" I brushed her hand away. "I'm too old for that!"
She gave a relaxed laugh before pushing me forward out the door, giving me the kick start I needed as I began to run out of the lab and into the flames of battle.
So distracted was I, that I didn't even notice my own reflection cheering me on as well.
She was exhausted, that was obvious. The adrenaline that was fueling her wouldn't be able to keep up for long periods of time. Even if the spark of anger ignited her heart, it wouldn't prevent Phoenix Guildy from burning out. Seconds dragged on to minutes, trapping her into an eternal war that would never die. And was also annoying as hell, since Armadillo- "STOP RUNNING AWAY, YOU BASTARD!"
Physically she was ready to keep on fighting for as long as it took.
Mentally, even if she spat death in the face, Phoenix wasn't sure how long until her mind would just cause her to collapse.
"Rollout!" Armadillo shouted once more, and by this point the only thing she could do was groan and try to avoid the attack before it hit her. Again. She was getting really sick of dying. A fate that seemed inevitable as she spotted the red blur rocketing towards her. In the moments between awareness and oblivion, the immortal avenger braced herself again.
"Oh, don't just stand there and look pretty. You can do better than that."
"Huh!?" Phoenix squawked as she was suddenly pulled down to the ground, Armadillo flying over her head before ricocheting around the abandoned construction site. Red eyes blinked before narrowing as she recognized who had rescued her. "You!"
"Has it been so long that you've already forgotten my name?" Magical Girl Tail Infrared smiled. "I'm hurt. Especially since I just saved you."
The armored girl brushed Infrared's hand off of her before tapping the side of her helmet. "Oi! Grasper! I thought you said H- Red woke up!"
"And I thought you said you'd 'pummel Armadillo into the ground' before I could get my long awaited vengeance," Infrared interrupted before Grasper could respond.
"Sorry," the analyst spoke over the line. "Hong did wake up, but for some reason he insisted on changing to Infrared right away… Though honestly the strangest part is that he transformed before he arrived."
"Do not fear." The magical girl brushed her twintails back. "No matter what form I take, I am me. That is a fact that my dreamer is now aware of."
Raising the Inferno Saber, she pointed it forward. "The truth is no longer shrouded in the realm of the night. And because of that, the one who still insists on hiding will meet his extinction."
"Hie!" Armadillo let out a shrill cry of fear, one that came from the direction Infrared was pointing her blade.
"Keep focused," Fenrir growled. "Don't forget your objective."
"But Fenrir she's- Not that I don't trust you-" Armadillo stammered, words dissolving into a panicked shriek.
"You've taken out Magical Girls before. This one will be no different," the tactician declared. "Do not run away Striker Armadillo. And don't make me repeat that again."
"Well not that I appreciate the help, but the jackass is right." Phoenix took a deep breath before getting back into her fighting stance. "Unless you've got some way to actually defeat Armadillo, nothing's going to change."
"Ah yes, things seem hopeless don't they." And then, Infrared laughed. "But haven't you been paying attention, my dear sweet songbird? I would expect you of all people to have figured it out."
Underneath her helmet, Phoenix raised an eyebrow. "Uh, what? Unless you've got a-"
The avian guildy paused as she stared at Infrared's smiling face. Soon she was grinning as well as she recognized the look in her eyes. "No fucking way."
"Alright, can someone fill me in here?" Grasper asked with a groan. "I'm trying to calculate what you two are talking about but it's just giving me a headache."
"In the words of my dreamer," Infrared took a step forward and took a deep breath. Suddenly her body language changed as she began to speak. "There are things that I've been denying for so long. Things that I wasn't even aware that I was denying. But I've come to terms with them now, and I finally know what I must do in order to reach the future I so desire. Armadillo Guildy!"
"Huh!? What?!" The guildy in question replied.
"I don't know who you are or anything about you. But you've hurt me in a way that you can't possibly imagine!" The red magical girl clenched her fist. "An act that I can't possibly forgive! Tell me, do you even feel remorse for what you did!?"
"Are you talking about Drag's tapes?" The striker asked. "I've said it before, I was just following orders! Even if they were the mementos of Noble Heart, a threat to the Guildys cannot be allowed to exist!"
"Answer me! Did it not hurt you to trample on your former comrades' dying wills?!"
"It can't hurt! It couldn't have hurt! It wouldn't have hurt!" Armadillo shouted. "The road I walk on has no thorns!"
"And the one that I walk makes me bleed, yet I'll see it through to the end!" The Inferno Saber was raised, pointing upwards towards the sky. "I know who I am now. Even if killing you hurts, I won't stop fighting. If you're going to deny responsibility for the harm you caused, then your existence ends here!"
"Grr!" There was a low rumble before "ROLLOUT!"
Infrared scoffed. "Oblivion Rush!"
A blast of wind bursted through the battlefield as both combatants moved faster than the human eye, crashing into one another before Armadillo ultimately vanished as fast as he had appeared. The magical girl sighed. "Running away again huh? It doesn't matter, there's only one path you'll take."
Infrared took a deep breath and brushed at her clothes before giving a smile only she could give. "As you wish, my dreamer. No matter how bleak it may seem, hand in hand, we walk to the future together. Now what were the words again? Ah yes."
The Magical Girl raised her blade once more before bursting into flames. "Gear Shift."
Everyone had to take a step as an intense heat radiated through the battlefield. The umbral darkness that was associated with Infrared burned away, the fire consuming her whole. Black was replaced with white, tight leather replaced with loose cloth. A baptism of flames, a birth by fire, an awakening of something that had been trapped in a long slumber. It was undeniably a transformation.
Magic crackled with wisps of smoke as she took a step forward. Where the specter of darkness once stood, a girl clad in light had taken her place. "Where there is despair, there is hope. Where this is cynicism, there is Optimism. And where there are nightmares, there are dreams."
She bowed her head before dismissing the flames in a single slash. "The other half of Imagination… I am Magical Girl Tail Infrared Dream!"
"I- Wha?!" Grasper let out. "How?!"
"The future that was enshrouded in darkness, but I-" she broke off, her speech interrupted by a loud yawn. "Er, I bring to light endless possibilities, as long as one looks forward," the newly awakened 'Infrared Dream' finished, before slowly tilting her head towards Phoenix. "You can keep up… right?"
Although she was exhausted, Phoenix pumped her fist and shouted, "Hah?! Just who do you think you're talking to?!"
"I'm glad…"
"The magical girl transformed again- But if I run Fenrir will-" A loud shout was heard throughout the battlefield. "I-I can do this! I have to do this! This is the only way! I'm High Valhalla Striker Armadillo Guildy and it's time to Rollout!"
Like crimson lightning, the striker's body came into view, splitting into three before pinballing off the walls and pillars of the construction site. Armadillo was moving so fast their eyes couldn't keep up with him, especially as his alternate paths began to cross and weave through each other. Despite there only being three of him, the sounds of destruction that met their ears made it feel like the Guildy had surrounded them from every direction.
"This is just a tip from your mom, but-" The analyst on the other end grunted in pain before continuing. "She said the way to defeat Armadillo is to figure out where he's going to attack and aim there!"
"Excuse me?!" Phoenix shouted back. "How the hell are we supposed to do that?! You're the calculator, right?!"
"Even if I can theoretically calculate it, the chance of it actually being correct is- I-I don't know she said to just do it!"
"I don't need to predict his future…" Dream replied as she lifted her hand. "In front of me… There is only one path he'll take."
With a crack of lightning, a storm manifested in front of the magical girl. Wind whipped her twintails forwards as what was originally a pinprick of darkness expanded outwards, growing and growing until none could deny the sight in front of them. It was, after all, a sight that every Guildy here was familiar with.
"You cannot run from the pain." The caster muttered like an incantation before unleashing the spell. "STORM CENTER!"
It was absolutely, undeniably, the spell used by Turtle Guildy of Noble Heart.
All three of Armadillo's copies were soon sucked towards the black hole, lightning striking their armored scales. He let out a cry, but in no timeline could he escape what was about to happen. Every single possibility merged into one singularity as he was submerged in the darkness. Inwards, downwards, deeper into the spiral abyss where nothing existed. Then the spell exploded outwards, sending Armadillo flying into the dirt.
Storm Center: 200 Base Damage, +61 Dice = 261 Total Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 240 Base Resilience, +14 Dice, -120 Beach Ball in a Hurricane = 134 Damage Reduction
127 Total End Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 1,280 - 127 = 1,153 health remaining
It couldn't have damaged him that much, but even still, Armadillo lifted himself off the ground with shaky arms. Slowly he turned around, the tiny eyes on the Guildy's face wide with what was unmistakably horror as he stared at Dream. "That… Hurt?"
"And there's a lot more where that came from!" Phoenix shouted as she charged down the tiny Guildy. "You're wide open you bastard!"
"Hie!" he screamed, splitting to dodge both directions while the third was promptly punched directly in the face, before vanishing entirely. "It can't hurt! It can't!"
"Denying the pain…" Dream began as she charged forward and brought the Inferno Claymore down on the Guildy. "Only makes it rot and fester."
The Guildy dodged and he didn't, making his choice as he shouted back. "You think I don't know that?! But- But! Even if I did manage to make it into High Valhalla, I'm still weak! I can't walk forward if the path ahead is shaky! That's why-"
The Guildy spun around on his heels and tossed a gut punch at the approaching Magical Girl. But also he didn't, continuing to run. "I'll deny the pain! I'll cover up my failures!"
"An indecisive bastard like you will never have the courage to see something through!" Phoenix roared as she slammed herself into the running Armadillo. "If you're going to run, then the least you can do is run forward!"
Armadillo suddenly froze up at the unexpected change in paths and Dream moved to take advantage of it. Swiftly avoiding his blow before smashing the pommel of claymore into the Guildy's face, she announced, "Snake Eater."
Inferno Claymore: 720 Base Damage, +80 Dice, -180 Pommel Punch = 620 Total Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 240 Base Resilience, +35 Dice = 275 Total Reduction
345 End Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 1,153 - 345 = 808 health remaining
The dwarf-sized creature hissed backwards as a snake tattoo branded itself into his forehead. That was, until he promptly registered the actual spell Dream had just used. Armadillo must've had experience being on the receiving end of his fellow Valhalla Striker's signature spell as he quickly began to panic. "Wait a minute-"
Dream snapped her fingers.
Snake Eater: 375 Base Damage, +92 = 467 Total Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 240 Total Reduction, +23 Dice = 263 Total Reduction
204 End Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 808 - 204 = 604 health remaining
Armadillo's body was engulfed in flames as he was turned into a living bomb. The explosion burst through the air causing the Magical Girl to wince and cover her ears. Eventually the guildy's battered form crashed into the ground, charred but still moving and nowhere near dead. She didn't know if he could hear her, but Dream began to speak once more. "The pain that you have caused in my heart hurts more than what you felt. But it's because it hurts that I'm able to grow stronger."
"Commiting to something despite knowing it might go wrong," Armadillo breathed out. "Isn't that just foolish?"
"Perhaps," the knight of hope agreed. "But… if I don't believe in the outcome, then it'll never come true."
"..." The red guildy clenched his fist before- "Rollout."
Rollout: 1000 Base Damage, +286 Dice = 1286 Total Damage
Tail Infrared: 175 Base Resilience, +114 Dice, -88 Too Fast To React = 202 Total Reduction
1084 End Damage
Tail Infrared: 1400 - 1084 = 316 health remaining
The Valhalla Striker made his decision. In response to the magical girl's words, he smashed his body directly into her. No alternate paths, just a resolution and a high speed impact that knocked her backwards and off of her feet. Dream flew through the air, spinning before ultimately crashing into some abandoned scaffolding.
"Ho- Re- In- DREAM!" Phoenix cried before whipping her head towards Armadillo and charging at the Guildy. "You bastard!"
"I didn't mean to- No I didn't…" Armadillo fell silent, splitting into two copies before continuing to speak. "I don't have the kind of confidence that she has. I-I can't run, so I have to fight. I'll try every path available to me until I find the one that leads to my victory."
"No… You won't." The magical girl groaned as she picked herself off the floor. "In the infinite possibilities, there is only one outcome. Paths splitting in an endless horizon, Infinite Tales."
Her twintails flew backwards as she glowed, before promptly splitting in two as another copy stepped onto the field. No, it wasn't a 'copy'. It was in fact her other half, her other self. A familiar black and leather clad magical girl, wielding twin sabers while Dream wielded a claymore. She gave an all too familiar smile as she looked at herself. "My my. Your first battle and you're already in this state."
"I need you," Dream said bluntly. "Together we can do what we can't do alone."
"Yes, Dreams and Nightmares walking hand in hand." Nightmare smiled as she held her blade. "How was it put again? 'The path in front of us, we'll save it no matter what'. Mmh, close enough. Let's go! Umbral Stride!"
"Helios March!"
Abyssal black shadows and searing white flames dance around the feet of Dream and Nightmare as they charge forward in unison.
Their opponent also took a step forward, then the Guildy stopped. The valhalla striker twitched.
"I have to fight- I have to run- I have to-" Armadillo began to breathe at a rapid pace before he created a third split. "What's the safe way forward?! I don't know! I don't know! ROLLOUT!"
Two of his clones curled up into a ball and shot towards the Magical Girls while his third began to make it's way for the exit. Except a heartbeat later the Guildy changed his mind and the one approaching Dream vanished. He split again and the two armadillo's were going for the exit. A moment later both fleeing Armadillo's vanished and he was completely on the attack, and the next second he suddenly changed his mind and all of his paths were focused on escaping.
The Inferno Sabers and Claymore crashed into two copies of the Guildy only for them to vanish. They could only watch as, unable to decide between fighting and running, Armadillo continued to constantly create and dismiss timelines at a rapid pace. Vanishing and reappearing through the battlefield, moving forward without a future in sight.
Dream mumbled. "Wandering aimlessly."
"Indeed." Nightmare nodded. "He doesn't even realize he's met a dead end. Go ahead my dear sister."
The magical girl nodded before she turned to glare at one of the attacking copies. It was only for a split second, but she could feel the Guildy's gaze. That was more than enough, her twintails blew back in the wind as her dark red hair suddenly changed it's hues, glowing and flashing in a hypnotic pattern. "Paint Me The World."
A loud crash rang through the battlefield as the light burned into Armadillo's mind. With a wobble, all of his copies collapsed onto the ground. "My… Head…"
"It's only fair for what a major headache you've been!" Phoenix growled as she pummeled one of the copies into the ground. The crimson guildy must've still had some awareness left as he instinctively dismissed the copy. Dream nodded before striking away at the second one. Which only left…
"You," Nightmare spoke as she walked through the shadows to appear behind her fallen opponent. "It's over Armadillo. But don't worry, we'll make sure this ends with a bang. Are you ready?"
Phoenix cracked her knuckles. "If you're thinking what I'm thinking then let's do this!"
Optimism and Cynicism looked at each other and nodded, turning to face reality. Together, they spoke as one.
"BURNING PHOENIX KICK!"
"SKYWING BEAT!"
"GRAND INFERNO!"
Burning Phoenix Kick: 1500 Base Damage, +500 Dice = 2000 Total Damage
Skywing Beat: 750 Base Damage, +647 Dice = 1,397 Total Damage
Grand Inferno: 500 Base Damage, +271 Dice = 771 Total Damage
4,168 Unified Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 240 Base Resilience, +294 Dice,. -120 I Think I'm Gonna Hurl = 414 Total Reduction
3,754 End Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 604 - 3,754 = -3,150 health remaining
EXTINCTION
Phoenix took to the skies, descending downward as a blazing meteor before slamming her foot into Armadillo. Dream approached from the front, her claymore opening up to grow wings as she glided through the battlefield to smash her heavy weapon into his body. And with a simple flip into the air and a twirl, Nightmare let a familiar fire engulf her sword before she thrust it inside of Armadillo's chest, giving it a twist for good measure as the pitch-black flames began to devour him from the inside.
Death was upon the Guildy. His body was unable to take the damage as it began to crack and fracture. His mind was similarly damaged, but somehow Armadillo still found in him the strength to speak. "...Ah…. I'm envious… of that resolve."
"You hurt me, but you also let me find inner strength." Dream nodded her head. "If you don't have it in you to face yourself, you can't face the world in front of you no matter how much you try. That was what you taught me and so… I hope you have a peaceful slumber."
By this point, Armadillo was only capable of saying two words. "Hail… Valhal-"
Nightmare moved, taking her sword before launching the broken Guildy into the air. With a spark of magic, Armadillo Guildy exploded with resounding force. A wind blew through the battlefield as he shattered into nothing more than smoke and ash.
Dream turned towards her counterpart. "You could've at least let him finish."
"Oh please." The warrior of darkness put a hand on her hip even as she began to vanish, fading out of reality as if she were nothing more than a mirage. "Why should I give him last rites?"
And before Dream could respond, Nightmare was gone once more.
"I don't think love-hate relationships are supposed to be like this." Phoenix muttered to herself before pumping her fist. "But yes! We won!"
Any celebration that Dream would've joined in was interrupted by the other Valhalla member clicking his tongue. "Tch, worthless."
Red eyes turned to gaze at the lanky man standing at the top of the construction site. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Fenrir snorted and raised his hand, letting out a blast of mana somewhere off into the distance. "Enjoy your victory while it lasts."
He turned his back and the magical girl blinked. By the time she realized it, the tactitain was gone.
"Oh that fucker!" Phoenix growled before pausing. "Wait, what the hell did he do?"
Briefly in the distance, Dream could make out the ricocheting ball of light hitting some pillars of the construction site before suddenly the entire thing started to rumble, the sound of iron bending filling the air as Grasper screamed through the line. "Fenrir destabilized the entire building! Get out of there quickly!"
Dream grabbed a hold of Phoenix's body and lifted the armored girl up. "Brace yourself."
"Oh please not this again-"
"Helios March!"
And so, with the sound of destruction fading behind them, the magical girl fled from the scene.
But today the sun smiled on her, for the battle had been won.
What followed afterwards was exactly what I expected it to have happened. I got scolded by my friends, before we eventually partied hard throughout the night until we realized we had exams coming up and proceeded to panic.
It was almost too ordinary of a celebration for the excitement that had proceeded it but you know what? I think that suited me just fine.
Surprisingly enough, I had no dreams when I finally managed to hit the bed, and when the next day arrived I felt refreshed and ready to go.
I slapped my cheeks, feeling cold water run down my face as I smiled at the mirror. "Wish me luck okay?"
My reflection simply gave me a thumbs up while my shadow laughed.
Pick (3) Actions and (1) additional Passive Action
Active Actions
-[] Hang out with someone (Insert Who)
-[] Advance Laboratory Reclamation (Floor 2 - 0/4 complete. Next Objective: Make Way Into Second Floor)
-[] Do something else?
Passive Actions:
-[] Fuck you, do your homework.
-[] EXERCISE BOI EXERCISE
-[] MAGICAL GIRL TRAINING TIME (Spell Token progress - 0/5)
+18 EXP Blatant foreshadowing is blatant, yet vague
+3 EXP Your Fairy Godmother is not a little girl!
+60 EXP THE SHADOW, THE TRUE SELF
+6 EXP somehow talked your way out of that, I really don't know how
+60 EXP Sexy redhead alter-ego digivolves to: sexy redhead twin alter-egos!
+150 EXP Defeated: Armadillo Guildy
+15 EXP Fenrir was there and you did not stab him, which is just poor decision making all around
+15 EXP used your dead girlfriend's special technique to kill the guy who destroyed her last will and testament. Good job.
124 + 327 = 451 EXP remaining
AN: Infrared is like Mighty Action Bros X mixed with RabbitRabbit TankTank if anyone gets that. By the way, did you remember that Crab's ability was originally the result of copying Drag? Honestly I didn't intend for it but it's neat foreshadowing. Ever since Infrared and alternate forms first appeared, I wanted to give them a proper introduction and this is the result. Hope you enjoyed it.
No matter how much I thought that the creature wasn't me, in the end we both knew that was a lie. A body warped in negativity and cynicism, and of course it was still connected to my feet, my shadow. The darkness slowly crawled up my leg, whispering in my ears with thoughts I kept hidden under my breath.
A long time ago, I had vowed to myself that I would never hold back no matter what. It was the only option in order to save something dear to me. But back then I had been lucky. It was only when this war with High Valhalla began did I really learn how to face the present. To take a step forward no matter how dire the situation. To keep walking forward and never stop.
But-
"JUST WHERE WERE YOU WALKING TO?" I asked myself.
I didn't know. I never did. I could take the first step, the next, and the next, but in the end it was just wandering aimlessly. I had kept my eyes so focused on the ground that now was the first time I was actually beginning to look up. I couldn't deny it, the Nightmare would never let me deny it. I was wondering towards a dead end, my death end. The situation I had found myself could never end in anything but tragedy. One that I had no solution for, and one that I had already decided upon.
"IT WOULD BE A MERCY," the Nightmare spoke. "TO SLEEP FOREVERMORE. FOR EVEN IF THE FEAR IS IMAGINARY, THE PAIN OF REALITY IS ONE WE CAN IGNORE."
I remained silent in response. A snort left the mare's lips, already knowing full well everything that I could say. That was the thing. Nightmare (of) Guildy wasn't just anyone's fear, it was my own. It was my shadow. The thing that existed in the absence of 'me'. In the end, how was I supposed to argue with the part of myself I couldn't even see?
"...The part of me I can't see," I repeated to myself in a dazed mutter, finally beginning to collect myself again. Not that I could fight even if I wanted to. But the weight of my heart anchored me to the ground. I couldn't stand, couldn't even form a fist. The only thing that I was able to do was lift my hand out and reach out.
"WHAT?" My shadow sneered. "DO YOU SERIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN END IT ALL BY JUST REACHING OUT TO ME? IF YOU WERE THAT HONEST I WOULD NEVER HAVE EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE."
I hesitated before speaking. "That might be true but, in the end I have to try something don't I?"
"HMPH. THEN ALLOW ME TO DEMONSTRATE THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS."
It happened within a single moment. The scythe of shadows, weightless but ever present, was swung. For a brief moment, I couldn't understand what had just happened. I gulped, forcing myself not to turn away as I faced the reality in front of me.
The hand that I had used to so desperately reach out, had been sliced off. Cleanly, directly from my shoulder. The entire arm flew into the air, caught by the nightmare who then proceeded to chow down on it greedily. In its place, there was a dark outline identical to the being connected by my feet. A burning flame ignited, and I could no longer deny it. A raw, primal scream escaped from my lips.
It was not one of pain.
It was one of fury.
My anger is so clear to me now, blazing so bright that I had been blinded. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, I was angry at how Grasper had dragged me back into this dangerous life. Angry at Drag for hiding such an important fact about the Guildys from me. And most importantly- I was angry at myself.
"Why didn't I look deeper into what was happening?!" I screamed, pounding the imaginary dirt ground. "Why did I just accept everything?! Why do I keep placing myself into situations that hurt the people I care about?! Why?!"
Ah, I could see where Infrared had been coming from now.
To the delusional, hypocritical, passive me- I hated him.
But Nightmare (of) Guildy didn't give me any time to rest. Another swing, another arm gone. Joining my screams this time were tears, tracing down my face in a tidal wave. An ocean of sorrow sweeping me away.
"I'm sorry." I wept. "I'm sorry for killing everyone. I'm sorry for letting Lan get hurt. I-"
I choked up.
Erina, Xu Mei, Huan, Hu, Shuo. All of them had entered my world briefly and made it all the brighter. Yet just as soon as they came they had left. And to make matters worse, I was the one who had inadvertently cut them out of my life.
Grief, regret that I could never wash away no matter how many tears that I cried.
"I'm sorry for everything that I've done."
The present that I hated.
The past that I grieved.
And finally-
Without another word, my shadow swung the scythe. This time not just one limb, but my entire lower body was cleaved away. I had nothing to stand on as the darkness began to consume me. I couldn't stand even if I did.
"What if something goes wrong?" I whispered to myself. "What if I don't come back? What if I lose someone important again?"
Fear. Overwhelming, maddening fear replaced my legs. I feared the future, I feared how the happy moments I had never seemed to last forever, I feared that I would never be good enough. I feared how much I was changing with each passing day. And most importantly-
"What if I lose myself?"
I, Hong Liang, feared Magical Girl Tail Red.
I feared becoming a Magical Girl who would mistake people with monsters.
I feared becoming a worse person than I already was.
But at the same time-
"IT'S CONTRADICTORY," the Nightmare, my own revelation, spoke to me. "FIGHTING AND STAYING ALIVE IS THE ONLY THING THAT'S IMPORTANT. IF YOU DON'T WANT THE THINGS YOU PROTECT TO BE HURT, THEN KILL. IF YOU WISH FOR YOUR HEART TO KEEP BEATING, THEN KILL YOUR HEART."
It was a cold, cynical command. Not advice from an outsider, but an order from myself. The only way that I could live.
The scythe that had already carved so much of my body away was raised once more. This time I knew it was the final swing.
Wrath.
Sorrow.
Fear.
And finally-
"DESPAIR."
Like an executioner's strike, the scythe came to lob off my head. It would take my mind, my face, my identity, leaving only my raw heart. The darkness would feast, devouring me leaving me trapped in an endless nightmare.
But that wasn't what happened.
Moments before my impending doom, a blazing heat ignited from my heart. Like a baptism of fire, the shadows that had taken root on my skin were burned away, reduced to nothing more than cinder and ash. With every passing second it grew hotter and hotter until I could no longer contain it within my body. Breaking free from my chest, the fire stopped the shadow in its tracks.
"WHAT?!" my shadow screamed. "WHAT IS THIS?!"
For some reason, I wasn't sure exactly why, but I reached out to that scarlet flower. The blaze gathered together at my palm, condensinging and forging itself into a familiar shape. A weight that felt foreign to my hands, but just right in my heart. As it finished manifesting, a stormy breeze began to sweep through the battlefield. The stagnant air finally flowing with winds of change.
What had answered my call was none other than my 'golden ticket'.
The Blazer Blade.
Unable to face the reality in front of it, the nightmare roared. "HOW?! HOW DID YOU SUMMON THAT BLADE?! I AM THE ONE CALLING UPON THE POWER OF MAGIC!"
I couldn't help it, I laughed. "I really am an idiot after all."
It was obvious where the blade had come from. After all, Tail Red wasn't the only one with a Blazer Blade. The final heirloom that Drag Guildy had left me, glowing with a warmth that made it feel like the Guildy Commander was knocking on my head and telling me to snap out of it.
"We're the same person, so I probably don't need to say it." I stabbed the blazer blade into the dirt, pushing myself off the ground before raising it towards my shadow. "Even if I'm burning with anger, drowning sorrow, or paralyzed with fear, I'm the kind of idiot who could never give up on hope!"
Hoping that reality is anything but.
Hoping that there was something I could do.
Hoping that I could change the person I was.
"AS IF I COULD ACCEPT THAT!" The Nightmare (of) Guildy reached back before going for another swing. "THE FUTURE IS NOTHING BUT DESTRUCTION AND DESPAIR!"
"Yeah, I heard you for the first time. But-" I took a stance of my own. "Who was the one who decided that?!"
Burning a hot, crimson red, the Blazer Blade soared through the air. "The future will come when it comes! You either ride the wind or crash and burn!"
The edge of cynicism was sharp, but it was also fragile. My sword cut through it with ease, burning the weapon away into nothing but smoke and ash. For a brief moment the mare looked at it's now empty palms with shock but I was already on the offensive. Feet blasting me forward, the Nightmare quickly summoning a Blazer Blade of its own in order to parry my blow. "YOU SEEK TO STILL FIGHT?!"
"No, I don't want to fight!" I couldn't fight against myself, I already knew that. But there was one thing I wanted to do. Something that I could only do now that I could see through the darkness in my own heart. "I want to save myself!"
Just as the Nightmare had carved darkness into me, I'd put myself into the shadow. Using the light of fire to burn away the night. I clenched my fist and made my declaration."The path in front of me, I'll save it no matter what!"
And this time, that statement wasn't a lie or a delusion. I wasn't averting my eyes anymore. This time I would save myself.
The world around us, Erina's graveyard, turned to cinders as I found myself in the middle of a blood soaked battlefield. The sky, the ground, everything around was a harsh and unforgiving red haze. But most eye catching was that we were surrounded by Blazer Blades, all of them crossed with another with a burning bright flame atop of it.
My shadow made the first move, thrusting its blade towards my heart. "YOU CAN'T SAVE ANYONE! HAVEN'T YOU LEARNED FROM THE PAST?!"
A rusty gear clicked inside of me, granting me the strength to retaliate with a strike of my own. "You're right! Instead of saving, all I've been doing is killing! But it's because of those memories that I'm able to stand here! The past is what gives me strength!"
This was the power of the first Guildy I had ever fought. Lizard Guildy's DOLL affinity!
"A DELUSIONAL HYPOCRITE LIKE YOU WILL NEVER BE A HERO!"
"Even if that's the kind of person I am, I still want to aim for a brighter future! I'll paint the world in my heart's colors!"
Chameleo Guildy's REDHAIR.
"IT WON'T GO YOUR WAY! REALITY WILL NEVER BE WHAT YOU WANT!"
"I'll make it go the way I want! And no matter how shaky the ground beneath me gets, I'll keep on standing!"
Rabbit Guildy's BOOT.
"IT'LL HURT! IT'LL CAUSE SO MUCH AGONY YOU'LL JUST WANT TO RUN AWAY!"
"I'll face the world even if it hurts! The pain will never knock me to the ground!"
Turtle Guildy's COAT.
"YOUR ENEMIES ARE GREATER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE! YOU WILL STRUGGLE TO EVER ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING!"
"But I'll keep on fighting even if the odds are stacked against me! And the more I keep fighting, the stronger I get!"
Swan Guildy's SADISIM.
By this point, the Nightmare was no longer made of darkness. Every blow I landed upon its form, the more flesh I unveiled. Chipping away at the armor of negative emotions I had enshrouded myself in. I knew there was a grain of truth to them, that they were all something that I had thought before. But now that they were out in the open, now that I could see them, I could finally actually deal with them instead of letting them rot and fester.
"...Why?" It's voice was tiny, a mix of distortion, my own, and someone else's. Someone who sounded familiar but one that I couldn't identify. "Why do we keep fighting?"
"You know the answer to that." I replied, striking at my chest. "To keep hold of the things we love."
Medusa Guildy's HUG affinity gave me the strength to carve the final part of the nightmare's armor, leaving only it's equine head intact. With a snort, it dropped it's Blazer Blade before turning away. "Reality hurts. I can't be the person I want to be, and the world is cruel."
"Yeah. It does." I agreed with a bitter nod of my head. TRICKERY activated all on it's own, allowing me the ability to delude myself even if for just a moment. After all, I knew what to say. Someone else had already told it to me before. "But it won't change on it's own. In order to change both ourselves and the world, we have to believe we can do it."
With that, I gave my final swing. The horse's face shattered, revealing the human underneath it. Surprisingly however, what met my eyes wasn't my own face, nor was it Infrared's, but rather the face of Tail Red herself. The young girl who I had only seen in the mirror. Her tiny form collapsed onto the ground, sighing and turning away.
"So, what will you do now 'me'?" She asked. "Are you just going to cut me out of you? Deny me once more? No matter how much you try, you will never be rid of me."
"...I know." I stabbed my Blazer Blade into the ground before taking a seat right next to her. "I'm not so dumb that I can't even recognize that. To do so would be-"
"Foolish." She interrupted sharply. "Optimism, without Cynicism, is nothing but naïveté."
"Yeah." There was a moment of silence before I finally spoke about what I was actually feeling. "Thank you. Even if it hurt, I'm grateful you let me feel the things I unknowingly kept hidden away. It's why I know now that, in the end, I need you."
Those negative emotions kept me grounded to reality. If I were to cut them out completely, I would never be able to learn from my mistakes. I would never be able to change. Despite how much it hurt, that pain was a vital part of who I was. I needed to accept the nightmare, in order to hope for a better world.
I stretched out my hand once more, this time with a smile on my face. "I accept you. I need you. Because after all, you are me."
"And?" The cynical part of myself stared at the hand skeptically. "Even if you accept me, perhaps nothing will change."
"But with your help, we can create a better future." The power that Crab had left me. The final affinity that had remained untouched. "Not just this aimless present, or a cynical dead end. Let's imagine the road to a bright tomorrow, and walk it together."
Even if it was just a dream, if I didn't hope for it and walk towards it, I would never be able to see it happen.
Seconds drifted in the wind before finally, a melodic laughter left the young girl's mouth. One that grew and grew as power began to fill her limbs, growing older and stronger before eventually becoming the cynical shadow that I knew. "My dreamer, you sure are an amusing one. But now that everything is said and done, I can finally be at ease."
Alter Ego Tail Infrared took my hand before shaking it with a smile. "Through the bygone past, the malleable present, and the infinite future, I will guide you. If what you wish to see is a world of Hope, then we shall walk it together. It will hurt, and it will never stop hurting. Are you sure you can walk this path?"
"Do you even need to ask?" I smiled. "If the path doesn't exist, then I'll create it with my own hands."
Suddenly we began to float, drifting upwards from this realm of nonexistent possibilities. Kaleidoscopic light danced on the surface of ocean waves, and I knew that one of them would eventually lead me back home.
The me who was me pushed me upwards, towards the light. "Then wake up, Hong Liang. Wake up to reality and dream forevermore. We will be there to support you, always."
I blinked. "We?"
As far as I knew it was just the two of us.
"You're a man are you not?" Infrared gave me a teasing grin. "Take responsibility for what you did to me."
The world around me grew fainter, but I could still hear her voice. "The new life that you created- No, the one that has always been slumbering. It's time for the both of you to wake up."
And with that-
I opened my eyes.
When I came back to reality, the light of awareness brought with it an absolutely horrendous headache. My memories and thoughts swirling as my mind tried to comprehend what had just happened. On the other hand, I was also feeling more refreshed than I had in my entire life.
"Hong!" I heard a familiar voice shout as I opened my eyes, someone clutching my hand tightly.
"Hey Lan." I sat up, brushing the hair out of my eyes before giving Lan a smile. "I did it."
My best friend stared at me with wavering eyes. Eventually, she decided to give me a punch on the shoulder and tackle me into a hug. "Don't you dare do something like this ever again! Do you hear me?!"
A laugh left my throat as I patted her on the back. "I hear you, I hear you."
My attention was brought to a corner of the room by a cough, where Grasper was adjusting her glasses. "I'm… glad you're back as well."
"Thanks Grasper." I quietly pulled Lan off of me before standing back up on my feet and giving her a bow. "For everything. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to get through this."
"It's about the only thing I can do," She muttered before sighing. "And before you ask, you've been asleep for about half an hour."
"Half an hour?!" I exclaimed, rubbing my forehead. "It felt a lot longer than that… And uh, a lot shorter?"
It probably wasn't the best idea to dwell on my perceptions of time during whatever the hell I just experienced, so I shook my head and slapped my cheeks. "Nevermind that. Grasper, what's the situation?"
"Phoenix is currently still in the middle of fighting Armadillo," the analyst stated, gesturing to the monitor. "To put it bluntly, it's not going so great. Her chance of winning is decreasing by 1.3% every minute."
"Got it." I nodded, checking my Tail Gear to make sure that it was functioning properly. "Give me the location of the fight, I'll head over there to back her up."
For some reason, Lan stared at me with a mix of confusion. "Hong, you're-"
"Are you sure about this?" Someone interrupted her. Standing in the middle of the doorway to the medbay was my mother, hand on her hips and a worried look in her eyes. "I won't stop you if you're determined, but you just woke up."
"Don't worry about me. My engine is ready to ignite." I waved off her concern before giving her a thumbs up. "Even if reality hurts, I'll use my imagination to change the world. The bright future in front of me, I'll save it no matter what!"
Her eyes widened as she stumbled back a step in shocked silence. Finally she shook her hand and let out a melancholic sigh. "If your father was still alive… That red ranger said similar stuff all the time. It almost hurts how similar to him you are right now."
My father.
My memories of him had been burned away long ago, and I had never even seen a picture of the man. Nor did anyone who knew him ever speak of what he was like. To me, we were practically strangers to one another. Yet, with those words, I couldn't help but wonder if he would be proud of me right now.
I clenched my fist. There was no use dwelling on the what-ifs and if-onlys. There was a job to do.
"Well, I'm off," I said to my mission control team. "Wish me luck, alright?"
Lan shouted and raised her fist. "You better come back safely, dumbass!"
Grasper nodded before turning back to the monitor. "The odds are against you but, good luck."
Mom smiled, walking over to where I was before patting my head. "Fight on, young hero."
"Ah jeez!" I brushed her hand away. "I'm too old for that!"
She gave a relaxed laugh before pushing me forward out the door, giving me the kick start I needed as I began to run out of the lab and into the flames of battle.
So distracted was I, that I didn't even notice my own reflection cheering me on as well.
She was exhausted, that was obvious. The adrenaline that was fueling her wouldn't be able to keep up for long periods of time. Even if the spark of anger ignited her heart, it wouldn't prevent Phoenix Guildy from burning out. Seconds dragged on to minutes, trapping her into an eternal war that would never die. And was also annoying as hell, since Armadillo- "STOP RUNNING AWAY, YOU BASTARD!"
Physically she was ready to keep on fighting for as long as it took.
Mentally, even if she spat death in the face, Phoenix wasn't sure how long until her mind would just cause her to collapse.
"Rollout!" Armadillo shouted once more, and by this point the only thing she could do was groan and try to avoid the attack before it hit her. Again. She was getting really sick of dying. A fate that seemed inevitable as she spotted the red blur rocketing towards her. In the moments between awareness and oblivion, the immortal avenger braced herself again.
"Oh, don't just stand there and look pretty. You can do better than that."
"Huh!?" Phoenix squawked as she was suddenly pulled down to the ground, Armadillo flying over her head before ricocheting around the abandoned construction site. Red eyes blinked before narrowing as she recognized who had rescued her. "You!"
"Has it been so long that you've already forgotten my name?" Magical Girl Tail Infrared smiled. "I'm hurt. Especially since I just saved you."
The armored girl brushed Infrared's hand off of her before tapping the side of her helmet. "Oi! Grasper! I thought you said H- Red woke up!"
"And I thought you said you'd 'pummel Armadillo into the ground' before I could get my long awaited vengeance," Infrared interrupted before Grasper could respond.
"Sorry," the analyst spoke over the line. "Hong did wake up, but for some reason he insisted on changing to Infrared right away… Though honestly the strangest part is that he transformed before he arrived."
"Do not fear." The magical girl brushed her twintails back. "No matter what form I take, I am me. That is a fact that my dreamer is now aware of."
Raising the Inferno Saber, she pointed it forward. "The truth is no longer shrouded in the realm of the night. And because of that, the one who still insists on hiding will meet his extinction."
"Hie!" Armadillo let out a shrill cry of fear, one that came from the direction Infrared was pointing her blade.
"Keep focused," Fenrir growled. "Don't forget your objective."
"But Fenrir she's- Not that I don't trust you-" Armadillo stammered, words dissolving into a panicked shriek.
"You've taken out Magical Girls before. This one will be no different," the tactician declared. "Do not run away Striker Armadillo. And don't make me repeat that again."
"Well not that I appreciate the help, but the jackass is right." Phoenix took a deep breath before getting back into her fighting stance. "Unless you've got some way to actually defeat Armadillo, nothing's going to change."
"Ah yes, things seem hopeless don't they." And then, Infrared laughed. "But haven't you been paying attention, my dear sweet songbird? I would expect you of all people to have figured it out."
Underneath her helmet, Phoenix raised an eyebrow. "Uh, what? Unless you've got a-"
The avian guildy paused as she stared at Infrared's smiling face. Soon she was grinning as well as she recognized the look in her eyes. "No fucking way."
"Alright, can someone fill me in here?" Grasper asked with a groan. "I'm trying to calculate what you two are talking about but it's just giving me a headache."
"In the words of my dreamer," Infrared took a step forward and took a deep breath. Suddenly her body language changed as she began to speak. "There are things that I've been denying for so long. Things that I wasn't even aware that I was denying. But I've come to terms with them now, and I finally know what I must do in order to reach the future I so desire. Armadillo Guildy!"
"Huh!? What?!" The guildy in question replied.
"I don't know who you are or anything about you. But you've hurt me in a way that you can't possibly imagine!" The red magical girl clenched her fist. "An act that I can't possibly forgive! Tell me, do you even feel remorse for what you did!?"
"Are you talking about Drag's tapes?" The striker asked. "I've said it before, I was just following orders! Even if they were the mementos of Noble Heart, a threat to the Guildys cannot be allowed to exist!"
"Answer me! Did it not hurt you to trample on your former comrades' dying wills?!"
"It can't hurt! It couldn't have hurt! It wouldn't have hurt!" Armadillo shouted. "The road I walk on has no thorns!"
"And the one that I walk makes me bleed, yet I'll see it through to the end!" The Inferno Saber was raised, pointing upwards towards the sky. "I know who I am now. Even if killing you hurts, I won't stop fighting. If you're going to deny responsibility for the harm you caused, then your existence ends here!"
"Grr!" There was a low rumble before "ROLLOUT!"
Infrared scoffed. "Oblivion Rush!"
A blast of wind bursted through the battlefield as both combatants moved faster than the human eye, crashing into one another before Armadillo ultimately vanished as fast as he had appeared. The magical girl sighed. "Running away again huh? It doesn't matter, there's only one path you'll take."
Infrared took a deep breath and brushed at her clothes before giving a smile only she could give. "As you wish, my dreamer. No matter how bleak it may seem, hand in hand, we walk to the future together. Now what were the words again? Ah yes."
The Magical Girl raised her blade once more before bursting into flames. "Gear Shift."
Everyone had to take a step as an intense heat radiated through the battlefield. The umbral darkness that was associated with Infrared burned away, the fire consuming her whole. Black was replaced with white, tight leather replaced with loose cloth. A baptism of flames, a birth by fire, an awakening of something that had been trapped in a long slumber. It was undeniably a transformation.
Magic crackled with wisps of smoke as she took a step forward. Where the specter of darkness once stood, a girl clad in light had taken her place. "Where there is despair, there is hope. Where this is cynicism, there is Optimism. And where there are nightmares, there are dreams."
She bowed her head before dismissing the flames in a single slash. "The other half of Imagination… I am Magical Girl Tail Infrared Dream!"
"I- Wha?!" Grasper let out. "How?!"
"The future that was enshrouded in darkness, but I-" she broke off, her speech interrupted by a loud yawn. "Er, I bring to light endless possibilities, as long as one looks forward," the newly awakened 'Infrared Dream' finished, before slowly tilting her head towards Phoenix. "You can keep up… right?"
Although she was exhausted, Phoenix pumped her fist and shouted, "Hah?! Just who do you think you're talking to?!"
"I'm glad…"
"The magical girl transformed again- But if I run Fenrir will-" A loud shout was heard throughout the battlefield. "I-I can do this! I have to do this! This is the only way! I'm High Valhalla Striker Armadillo Guildy and it's time to Rollout!"
Like crimson lightning, the striker's body came into view, splitting into three before pinballing off the walls and pillars of the construction site. Armadillo was moving so fast their eyes couldn't keep up with him, especially as his alternate paths began to cross and weave through each other. Despite there only being three of him, the sounds of destruction that met their ears made it feel like the Guildy had surrounded them from every direction.
"This is just a tip from your mom, but-" The analyst on the other end grunted in pain before continuing. "She said the way to defeat Armadillo is to figure out where he's going to attack and aim there!"
"Excuse me?!" Phoenix shouted back. "How the hell are we supposed to do that?! You're the calculator, right?!"
"Even if I can theoretically calculate it, the chance of it actually being correct is- I-I don't know she said to just do it!"
"I don't need to predict his future…" Dream replied as she lifted her hand. "In front of me… There is only one path he'll take."
With a crack of lightning, a storm manifested in front of the magical girl. Wind whipped her twintails forwards as what was originally a pinprick of darkness expanded outwards, growing and growing until none could deny the sight in front of them. It was, after all, a sight that every Guildy here was familiar with.
"You cannot run from the pain." The caster muttered like an incantation before unleashing the spell. "STORM CENTER!"
It was absolutely, undeniably, the spell used by Turtle Guildy of Noble Heart.
All three of Armadillo's copies were soon sucked towards the black hole, lightning striking their armored scales. He let out a cry, but in no timeline could he escape what was about to happen. Every single possibility merged into one singularity as he was submerged in the darkness. Inwards, downwards, deeper into the spiral abyss where nothing existed. Then the spell exploded outwards, sending Armadillo flying into the dirt.
Storm Center: 200 Base Damage, +61 Dice = 261 Total Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 240 Base Resilience, +14 Dice, -120 Beach Ball in a Hurricane = 134 Damage Reduction
127 Total End Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 1,280 - 127 = 1,153 health remaining
It couldn't have damaged him that much, but even still, Armadillo lifted himself off the ground with shaky arms. Slowly he turned around, the tiny eyes on the Guildy's face wide with what was unmistakably horror as he stared at Dream. "That… Hurt?"
"And there's a lot more where that came from!" Phoenix shouted as she charged down the tiny Guildy. "You're wide open you bastard!"
"Hie!" he screamed, splitting to dodge both directions while the third was promptly punched directly in the face, before vanishing entirely. "It can't hurt! It can't!"
"Denying the pain…" Dream began as she charged forward and brought the Inferno Claymore down on the Guildy. "Only makes it rot and fester."
The Guildy dodged and he didn't, making his choice as he shouted back. "You think I don't know that?! But- But! Even if I did manage to make it into High Valhalla, I'm still weak! I can't walk forward if the path ahead is shaky! That's why-"
The Guildy spun around on his heels and tossed a gut punch at the approaching Magical Girl. But also he didn't, continuing to run. "I'll deny the pain! I'll cover up my failures!"
"An indecisive bastard like you will never have the courage to see something through!" Phoenix roared as she slammed herself into the running Armadillo. "If you're going to run, then the least you can do is run forward!"
Armadillo suddenly froze up at the unexpected change in paths and Dream moved to take advantage of it. Swiftly avoiding his blow before smashing the pommel of claymore into the Guildy's face, she announced, "Snake Eater."
Inferno Claymore: 720 Base Damage, +80 Dice, -180 Pommel Punch = 620 Total Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 240 Base Resilience, +35 Dice = 275 Total Reduction
345 End Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 1,153 - 345 = 808 health remaining
The dwarf-sized creature hissed backwards as a snake tattoo branded itself into his forehead. That was, until he promptly registered the actual spell Dream had just used. Armadillo must've had experience being on the receiving end of his fellow Valhalla Striker's signature spell as he quickly began to panic. "Wait a minute-"
Dream snapped her fingers.
Snake Eater: 375 Base Damage, +92 = 467 Total Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 240 Total Reduction, +23 Dice = 263 Total Reduction
204 End Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 808 - 204 = 604 health remaining
Armadillo's body was engulfed in flames as he was turned into a living bomb. The explosion burst through the air causing the Magical Girl to wince and cover her ears. Eventually the guildy's battered form crashed into the ground, charred but still moving and nowhere near dead. She didn't know if he could hear her, but Dream began to speak once more. "The pain that you have caused in my heart hurts more than what you felt. But it's because it hurts that I'm able to grow stronger."
"Commiting to something despite knowing it might go wrong," Armadillo breathed out. "Isn't that just foolish?"
"Perhaps," the knight of hope agreed. "But… if I don't believe in the outcome, then it'll never come true."
"..." The red guildy clenched his fist before- "Rollout."
Rollout: 1000 Base Damage, +286 Dice = 1286 Total Damage
Tail Infrared: 175 Base Resilience, +114 Dice, -88 Too Fast To React = 202 Total Reduction
1084 End Damage
Tail Infrared: 1400 - 1084 = 316 health remaining
The Valhalla Striker made his decision. In response to the magical girl's words, he smashed his body directly into her. No alternate paths, just a resolution and a high speed impact that knocked her backwards and off of her feet. Dream flew through the air, spinning before ultimately crashing into some abandoned scaffolding.
"Ho- Re- In- DREAM!" Phoenix cried before whipping her head towards Armadillo and charging at the Guildy. "You bastard!"
"I didn't mean to- No I didn't…" Armadillo fell silent, splitting into two copies before continuing to speak. "I don't have the kind of confidence that she has. I-I can't run, so I have to fight. I'll try every path available to me until I find the one that leads to my victory."
"No… You won't." The magical girl groaned as she picked herself off the floor. "In the infinite possibilities, there is only one outcome. Paths splitting in an endless horizon, Infinite Tales."
Her twintails flew backwards as she glowed, before promptly splitting in two as another copy stepped onto the field. No, it wasn't a 'copy'. It was in fact her other half, her other self. A familiar black and leather clad magical girl, wielding twin sabers while Dream wielded a claymore. She gave an all too familiar smile as she looked at herself. "My my. Your first battle and you're already in this state."
"I need you," Dream said bluntly. "Together we can do what we can't do alone."
"Yes, Dreams and Nightmares walking hand in hand." Nightmare smiled as she held her blade. "How was it put again? 'The path in front of us, we'll save it no matter what'. Mmh, close enough. Let's go! Umbral Stride!"
"Helios March!"
Abyssal black shadows and searing white flames dance around the feet of Dream and Nightmare as they charge forward in unison.
Their opponent also took a step forward, then the Guildy stopped. The valhalla striker twitched.
"I have to fight- I have to run- I have to-" Armadillo began to breathe at a rapid pace before he created a third split. "What's the safe way forward?! I don't know! I don't know! ROLLOUT!"
Two of his clones curled up into a ball and shot towards the Magical Girls while his third began to make it's way for the exit. Except a heartbeat later the Guildy changed his mind and the one approaching Dream vanished. He split again and the two armadillo's were going for the exit. A moment later both fleeing Armadillo's vanished and he was completely on the attack, and the next second he suddenly changed his mind and all of his paths were focused on escaping.
The Inferno Sabers and Claymore crashed into two copies of the Guildy only for them to vanish. They could only watch as, unable to decide between fighting and running, Armadillo continued to constantly create and dismiss timelines at a rapid pace. Vanishing and reappearing through the battlefield, moving forward without a future in sight.
Dream mumbled. "Wandering aimlessly."
"Indeed." Nightmare nodded. "He doesn't even realize he's met a dead end. Go ahead my dear sister."
The magical girl nodded before she turned to glare at one of the attacking copies. It was only for a split second, but she could feel the Guildy's gaze. That was more than enough, her twintails blew back in the wind as her dark red hair suddenly changed it's hues, glowing and flashing in a hypnotic pattern. "Paint Me The World."
A loud crash rang through the battlefield as the light burned into Armadillo's mind. With a wobble, all of his copies collapsed onto the ground. "My… Head…"
"It's only fair for what a major headache you've been!" Phoenix growled as she pummeled one of the copies into the ground. The crimson guildy must've still had some awareness left as he instinctively dismissed the copy. Dream nodded before striking away at the second one. Which only left…
"You," Nightmare spoke as she walked through the shadows to appear behind her fallen opponent. "It's over Armadillo. But don't worry, we'll make sure this ends with a bang. Are you ready?"
Phoenix cracked her knuckles. "If you're thinking what I'm thinking then let's do this!"
Optimism and Cynicism looked at each other and nodded, turning to face reality. Together, they spoke as one.
"BURNING PHOENIX KICK!"
"SKYWING BEAT!"
"GRAND INFERNO!"
Burning Phoenix Kick: 1500 Base Damage, +500 Dice = 2000 Total Damage
Skywing Beat: 750 Base Damage, +647 Dice = 1,397 Total Damage
Grand Inferno: 500 Base Damage, +271 Dice = 771 Total Damage
4,168 Unified Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 240 Base Resilience, +294 Dice,. -120 I Think I'm Gonna Hurl = 414 Total Reduction
3,754 End Damage
Armadillo Guildy: 604 - 3,754 = -3,150 health remaining
EXTINCTION
Phoenix took to the skies, descending downward as a blazing meteor before slamming her foot into Armadillo. Dream approached from the front, her claymore opening up to grow wings as she glided through the battlefield to smash her heavy weapon into his body. And with a simple flip into the air and a twirl, Nightmare let a familiar fire engulf her sword before she thrust it inside of Armadillo's chest, giving it a twist for good measure as the pitch-black flames began to devour him from the inside.
Death was upon the Guildy. His body was unable to take the damage as it began to crack and fracture. His mind was similarly damaged, but somehow Armadillo still found in him the strength to speak. "...Ah…. I'm envious… of that resolve."
"You hurt me, but you also let me find inner strength." Dream nodded her head. "If you don't have it in you to face yourself, you can't face the world in front of you no matter how much you try. That was what you taught me and so… I hope you have a peaceful slumber."
By this point, Armadillo was only capable of saying two words. "Hail… Valhal-"
Nightmare moved, taking her sword before launching the broken Guildy into the air. With a spark of magic, Armadillo Guildy exploded with resounding force. A wind blew through the battlefield as he shattered into nothing more than smoke and ash.
Dream turned towards her counterpart. "You could've at least let him finish."
"Oh please." The warrior of darkness put a hand on her hip even as she began to vanish, fading out of reality as if she were nothing more than a mirage. "Why should I give him last rites?"
And before Dream could respond, Nightmare was gone once more.
"I don't think love-hate relationships are supposed to be like this." Phoenix muttered to herself before pumping her fist. "But yes! We won!"
Any celebration that Dream would've joined in was interrupted by the other Valhalla member clicking his tongue. "Tch, worthless."
Red eyes turned to gaze at the lanky man standing at the top of the construction site. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Fenrir snorted and raised his hand, letting out a blast of mana somewhere off into the distance. "Enjoy your victory while it lasts."
He turned his back and the magical girl blinked. By the time she realized it, the tactitain was gone.
"Oh that fucker!" Phoenix growled before pausing. "Wait, what the hell did he do?"
Briefly in the distance, Dream could make out the ricocheting ball of light hitting some pillars of the construction site before suddenly the entire thing started to rumble, the sound of iron bending filling the air as Grasper screamed through the line. "Fenrir destabilized the entire building! Get out of there quickly!"
Dream grabbed a hold of Phoenix's body and lifted the armored girl up. "Brace yourself."
"Oh please not this again-"
"Helios March!"
And so, with the sound of destruction fading behind them, the magical girl fled from the scene.
But today the sun smiled on her, for the battle had been won.
What followed afterwards was exactly what I expected it to have happened. I got scolded by my friends, before we eventually partied hard throughout the night until we realized we had exams coming up and proceeded to panic.
It was almost too ordinary of a celebration for the excitement that had proceeded it but you know what? I think that suited me just fine.
Surprisingly enough, I had no dreams when I finally managed to hit the bed, and when the next day arrived I felt refreshed and ready to go.
I slapped my cheeks, feeling cold water run down my face as I smiled at the mirror. "Wish me luck okay?"
My reflection simply gave me a thumbs up while my shadow laughed.
Pick (3) Actions and (1) additional Passive Action
Active Actions
-[] Hang out with someone (Insert Who)
-[] Advance Laboratory Reclamation (Floor 2 - 0/4 complete. Next Objective: Make Way Into Second Floor)
-[] Do something else?
Passive Actions:
-[] Fuck you, do your homework.
-[] EXERCISE BOI EXERCISE
-[] MAGICAL GIRL TRAINING TIME (Spell Token progress - 0/5)
+18 EXP Blatant foreshadowing is blatant, yet vague
+3 EXP Your Fairy Godmother is not a little girl!
+60 EXP THE SHADOW, THE TRUE SELF
+6 EXP somehow talked your way out of that, I really don't know how
+60 EXP Sexy redhead alter-ego digivolves to: sexy redhead twin alter-egos!
+150 EXP Defeated: Armadillo Guildy
+15 EXP Fenrir was there and you did not stab him, which is just poor decision making all around
+15 EXP used your dead girlfriend's special technique to kill the guy who destroyed her last will and testament. Good job.
124 + 327 = 451 EXP remaining
AN: Infrared is like Mighty Action Bros X mixed with RabbitRabbit TankTank if anyone gets that. By the way, did you remember that Crab's ability was originally the result of copying Drag? Honestly I didn't intend for it but it's neat foreshadowing. Ever since Infrared and alternate forms first appeared, I wanted to give them a proper introduction and this is the result. Hope you enjoyed it.
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InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
- Magical Girl Tail Infrared (Dream)
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- Stats
- Weapon
- Spells
- Abilities
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