So Falleth The Fate (2)

      Rei's glossy eyes are taken over by a more cognitive pair and a moment later, she returns the kiss Fennis had started with Eve before pulling away. A cocked eyebrow plasters her face as she looks around.

      A black form-fitting shirt decorates her modest chest, connecting to sleeves that go down her arm and wraps through her middle fingers. Tight pants enunciate her legs as they end just below the knees in time to meet military-looking boots laced tight.

      Over her black gear are various pieces of white armor attached to her shoulders, hips, and shins. A small tunic of a pearly color stands resolute over her chest. Indeed, she looks like a holier version of how I used to look when I was the Zeroth, for I had no armor.

      A small smirk teases her lips as she glances around, taking in the situation. "I see." She tells no one in particular before turning back to me.

      "My Eve," she dances her hands all over me. “You’re real.”

      "It feels good to see you in the flesh, Rei."

      She smiles at me and looks around. "It seems it's time for this all to end once more. Queen made quite the mess this time."

      “Rei. Tell me, what do you know about me, this situation, and the Beta?”

      “It seems time has stopped.” She runs her fingers through her own hair, smoothing it out of her way and continues, “But my time has not. I don’t know much. I know Queen is the source of the Beta.” Turning my way once more and pulling me into an embrace, she talks with her head buried in my hair. “And I know how your story keeps repeating itself forever… and until the day I wipe the Beta out completely, you’ll never have your happy ending.”

      I snuggle into her embrace, trapped in my own head. Breathing is hard like this, not because of Rei, but because the knowledge that she doesn’t seem to know the whole truth. Hell, I don’t know if I really know the whole truth either. Should I tell her what I know? But before I can speak, I feel the wind upon my skin and a loss of a dear warmth.

      “It’s time for this to end Eve. I love you forever.” Rei kisses me with emotions I wouldn’t have thought her to possess. Such longing, such care, such sadness lies behind those lips. Her tongue teases me of a better tomorrow before withdrawing.

      The world starts to move again, and all at once Azreal and the others all turn our way. “What? You.”

      Rei leaves me and faces the monster Beta, Azreal. “It’s been a long time Az.”

      “You won because of that whore, Nina. Don’t get so cocky, you don’t have her here this time. Gehenna made sure of that.” He bellows a mocking laugh straight from his stomach. I wince at the painful reminder. Rei doesn’t seem too happy about it either, as she grips her sword’s hilt.

      “You’re a son of a bitch and I will erase you and yours completely this time. Because-” She grabs her blade by it’s solid white hilt. The blood-red ruby within its center seems to glimmer. She unsheaths it, lets its dark majesty call forth powers behind what she has ever shown before. “This time, I am here in person. I am whole.” She takes up a stance leaning back, spreading her legs and pulling her sword up in the air, parallel with the ground and above her head.

      “I am Reimiel, the Fallen Raven who traverses the very void itself.”

      A golden hue envelops her. "I move."

      The ground shatters under her as she propels herself forward toward Azreal. As she swings her blade at him, the Consulate Beta jump in front of her. Abiliath swings her massive sword at Rei, but she's able to dodge it by kicking off the massive blade. Flying into the air, Kagura jumps up to meet her. Using two short swords, she attempts to hit a vulnerable Rei.

      But the Raven blocks the blows and is sent flying into the ground. Azreals voice echoes his order to kill as he easily holds off the four others.

      Rei manages to right herself just in time to dodge Gabliel's hammer. The three form an impenetrable wall between Rei and Azreal.

      I want nothing more than to step in and help. But what could I do? I don't possess powers. Furthermore, Rei helped deal with the cracks in my mind but if I push myself they may come apart again. If that happens, I could die. I feel it. But…

      Rei shoots forward and swings her blade at Gabe, causing sparks to light up the immediate area as it collides with his hammer. Using that momentum she raises her blade high to smash Abi's blade away from her head. Spinning, she deflects Kagura's thrown daggers. At the same time, Gabe and Abi's blade come in again from both sides.

      Rei stabs her sword into the ground and uses it to pole vault into the air. Their swings miss and with a glow of yellow around her blade, she descends with intent, cutting off Abi's head.

      Landing, she kicks backward and sends Gabe flying. She faces forward and blocks Kagura's strike. The Beta-Consulate member throws a kick and takes out Rei's leg, causing her to stumble. A reinvigorated Abi rams her sword through Rei. I scream out as an explosion rocks the area. Covering myself against the plumes of dust, I see Rei standing unharmed.

      She clicks her tongue. "I am Zero. I am of the void. I have no need of the light,” she spits out. She reaches into the void and pulls out her sword. It seems something happened to it when she was stabbed. Rei turns her back on the pile of ashes that was Abi, and faces the other two. They share a glance at one another, their bulbous red eyes nearly falling from their sockets. Wicked smiles tease their lips as dark, guttural laughs rip themselves free.

      Kagura dashes in and swings low and Rei jumps. Gabe swings his hammer down, smashing Rei into the ground- except, her sword is held up, blocking the blow. Rei rolls to the side and avoids the rest of the attack. She bounces up and slices off Gabe’s head before kicking Kagura in the stomach and bringing her blade down and severing her head.

      As soon as this happens, Gabe’s head regrows and is chopped off again. Rei doesn’t wait, and eviscerates all that Gabe is which each slice becoming faster and faster. In every moment, he regenerates. In every moment, she destroys. Occasionally she switches to fend off Kagura and focuses on Gabe over and over. When he is reduced to a literal red mist, Rei lets her golden aura flow freely, and within it, is a red thread.

      “Your string of Fate is severed!" She proclaims as she brings her sword down. A visual pop could be seen, as the area that was Gabliel Throughdon dissipates into literal nothing, as if he never existed. Seeing this, Kagura steps away, fear evident in her grotesque form. Just then, a massive hand lands on her head.

      “Foolish child, fear is not possible for a Beta. Too much of your human side still exists. Begone.” He crushes her head and the area is coated in a gory mess. Behind him, lays the women I love. They’re crumpled together in a pile but they seem to still be alive. It seems Azreal is wicked and wants to save them for later.

      “Come, Zero. It is time to end what we started so long ago.”

      Rei’s being almost seems to fade for a moment, before she tightens her fist and regains a solid form. “Come, Azreal. We end the story we started so long ago.” She readies takes up her stance. His massive size misleads our eyes for the speed at which he moves is unlike any before it. In almost a blink of the eye, he’s behind Rei. She barely blocks his backhand but it staggers her and he’s able to dig his claws into her side easily enough. Unlike with Abi, the light from Rei’s wounds don’t seem to affect Azreal as he wraps his tendril-like fingers around her waist and throws her across the island, through a rock.

      He doesn’t miss a beat and speeds towards her. Just as she collides with the rock, he’s there to slam his fist into her. Blood shoots out of Rei’s mouth from the impact. Infuriated, I pick up a rock and throw it with all my strength at him. Of course it did nothing, but it does draw his ire. Rei takes the opportunity to flip out of the crater and distances herself from Azreal. He looks back at her just in time to have her sword slice through his horns. He reels backwards and releases a roar that shakes the ground around us.

      Dozens of Beta raise from the ground and swarm after Rei. At this point, Azreal has all but forgotten us, and I move towards the group of others to check on them. Touching each of them, embracing them, makes me feel so thankful for Rei.

      If not for her, I would have lost someone…

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