Kaori

Watching the Nightmare walk out of the temple made Kaori quiver. Her hands trembled as the Nightmare growled, its empty eyes aimed at them.

“W-What are we supposed to…?”

Then, she looked to her right. Her eyes popped out of their sockets. Ash had fainted. Ash!?

Kaori knelt by her side just before the Nightmare roared a deep sound that made some of the birds nearby fly away. What, what’s happening? What’s wrong with her?

“Ash, come on, get up.” Kaori shook her body. “Ash!”

Again, the Nightmare growled and some of the demons that were by its side began walking menacingly towards them. Kaori looked at them, and then back at Ash. I… What do I do? She wondered.

She took the first solution that came to her mind and ran with it. Picking Ash up, one hand under her legs and the other on her back, she ran away with Ash in her arms.

The demons gave terrifying animalistic screeches, and Kaori glanced back. They started running after her, far faster than she could move while carrying the half-demon. I need to get us to safety. She looked around at the different buildings, finding one that was slightly bigger than the rest.

She ran inside. It was some sort of ancient library. Kaori found a table at the center of the room and dropped Ash there, then she turned around. Something to block the entrance, something to block the entrance, something…

She grabbed a nearby bookshelf and toppled it over the entrance. Probably not enough. So, she took a second one and did the same thing with it, stacking it over the other. As soon as she finished, the demons outside started banging against the door.

“Oh, wow, that’s…” She flinched as a particularly loud bang happened, “not scary at all.”

Kaori turned and walked over to Ash, who was still unconscious.

What’s going on with you? Kaori wondered as the banging at the entrance continued.

--

Ash

The half-demon found herself in that familiar dark room. However, knowing what had happened just before she fell, she turned around and shouted:

“Kaori!?” But, of course, her voice echoed in the room, with nothing answering.

Seriously? Magia, your timing couldn’t have been worse! Ash waited for the routine to happen. Sure enough, the darkness faded, replaced by a swirling of colors. Soon, the golden woman materialized in front of her.

“Send me back!” Ash said. “The Nightmare, K-Kaori!”

“Your friend is fine.” A sultry voice replied and Ash froze. "She reacted as I w-w-wanted her to."

"What? So you just fucking hoped she'd..." As she spoke, she internalized what just happened.

“You… You talked.”

“Y-egh, yes.” Her voice sounded distorted, every couple of syllables it would cut out somehow. “Th-though, as your f-friend dragged you away, now the connect-tion is weaker. H-However.” She took a few steps closer and put her hands on Ash’s cheeks. The hybrid felt smaller in Magia’s presence. “T-This should be enough to finally speak, darling.” Then, as she usually did, she gave Ash a kiss. The half-demon took a step back.

“But… But Kaori, where…?”

Quickly, Magia turned and conjured an image ahead of Ash. She saw her own body, in some strange library with Kaori watching over her.

“Sh-e drag-ged you here. The d-emons are h-having trouble break-king in. You should b-be fine for a few minute-s.”

Ash tried to take a deep breath, finding that she couldn’t.

She is way too casual about this.

“B-Because I kn-ow you are in n-no danger,” Magia stated and Ash’s eyes widened.

“Did you just read my mind?” Ash asked.

“D-Does that surpr-ise you? I am a god-dess after all.” Magia said with a chuckle. “Th-though, there are many thing-s you may be surprised to kn-zzz-ow. So,” then, she pulled one of the colors from the wall and flung it between them. The color transformed the entire area.

Suddenly, they were in a forest, with a wooden table between them equipped with a couple of chairs.

“My love, let’s get t-o know each other.”

--

Kaori

“I, what do I do?” Kaori asked herself as she heard the banging continue. The demons didn’t seem like they were going to give up any time soon. And, as large thudding footsteps approached, Kaori wondered if the makeshift barricade she’d created would keep the Nightmare out.

She looked at Ash, walked up, and placed her hands on her cheeks.

“Ash, please, please.”

It was no use though. The hybrid wasn’t stirring.

Okay, she thought, it’s not working. Maybe I should just keep piling stuff up over there. So, she walked over to a different dust-covered table, pulled it from where it was, and started coughing as the air came up from it. Then, she threw it over the barricade.

“That looks a little sturdier.”

Then, almost as soon as she said this, the Nightmare reached the library. At least, if the intense thudding of giant footsteps was anything to go by. The demons quieted down momentarily. What’s… Then, a giant sword stabbed right through the barricade Kaori had made.

“Oh…” Kaori’s eyes were fixed on a sword-shaped hole that had been made, where she could just barely see a hint of the Nightmare’s body behind the entrance.

With shaking hands, Kaori transformed her Love into a bow, and shot an arrow through the hole, striking the Nightmare. She heard it screech in response, and then it used its sword a second time, stabbing through the barricade again.

She could see it getting weaker. A few more of those, and it would be ruined.

“More.” She set her bow down beside Ash and went to find more shelves to toss in. Old books fell to the ground as Kaori stacked them. Again, the Nightmare’s sword stabbed through them.

Eventually, I’ll run out of these. She thought.

She looked around and counted six more in total.

Again, she walked up to Ash and put a hand on her cheek.

“Please, Ash. Please, come on, I need you.”

--

Ash

“So… what is this about?” Ash asked.

“Be-fore I go into too much d-detail, you nee-d to know someth-ing about gods.” Magia put her hands under her chin, leaning on the table and looking at Ash. “We are n-not all powerful, or all kno-wing.”

Ash’s eyes widened.

“Su-rprised?” Magia chuckled. “It hurts m-my ego quite a bit to ad-mit that. B-But, it’s true. You need t-to understand that first be-f-fore we continue.”

“Wow… That’s… damn.” Then, Ash looked up at her. “But, you read my mind just now.”

“B-Because we are here.” Magia gestured at their surroundings. “This is my world. My p-aaa-lain of reality. This i-zzz-s my home. In here, even the othe-r deities cannot match m-me.” Then, she looked back at Ash and her smile faded. “How-ever, in your world, we only have a lim-mited amount of power.”

Magia stood up. Slowly, images of large towers and grandiose cities started appearing all around Ash.

“I-It was n-zzz-ot always like this though. There was onc-ce a time where we were clo-ser to what the average per-son believes us to be, even in your world.”

“Uh, listen, Kaori’s probably having a hard time.” Ash stopped her. “Could we make this quicker or something?”

“M-My my.” Magia flew over to Ash, putting both her hands on her cheeks. “Y-You re-ally are everything I-I hoped you would be! The gall to tell a-a goddess to get to t-he point. That,” she leaned in close, “that i-s why I love you.”

Ash sighed.

“Your w-worry for your f-friend is admirable. But, do-zzz-n’t worry. She seems more ca-pable than you think.”

“… Okay.”

“N-Now, where were we?” Magia continued. “A-Ah, yes. How this a-all went wrong.”

--

Kaori

The Nightmare slowly, but surely, broke through the barricade. Kaori gulped. She’s not getting up. And, she looked around, I’ve nearly run out of cover to use. As the demons continued pounding against the barricade, Kaori looked back at Ash.

“I…” She looked at her, feeling anxious. "What do I do?"

And at that moment, her memories with Ash passed in front of her eyes, and she felt an intense admiration blossom inside of her.

This girl had helped her so much recently. After everything that had happened with the archpriest, Ash had been almost single-handedly responsible for raising her spirits and taking her mind off of the memories she couldn’t erase. But, it wasn’t just how she’d treated her. Ash, in general, was so admirable to Kaori.

The hybrid was so determined, one could actually be fooled into believing she actually cared about regular people. She went about her work with a drive to improve and a desire to do better which consistently would shock Kaori. She assumed it was the sort of thing anyone could tell after they’d spent enough time with Ash. Maybe it was just survival instinct, but the half-demon seemed to try her best to stay active. She genuinely believed the woman would become an excellent Savior in the future because of it.

But, putting that aside, she knew why she was so infatuated with her. That was because Kaori whole-heartedly believed that under that tough exterior was a soul so bright it would put any priest and self-righteous citizen of Nova to shame. She was an incredible person underneath that shell.

Going as far as she had for Kaori, even after the way their relationship had started, between fighting for her at Kaori’s trial, calling for her parents, trusting her when it was clear the number of people Ash trusted could be counted on one hand, and, above all else, believing in her when Kaori didn’t believe in herself. It made her nothing but affection for Ash.

So, as she heard the bookshelves she’d stack crack and break, she looked down at Ash and nodded to herself.

Picking the half-demon up, she looked for a place at the back of the library where Ash wouldn’t get caught in the coming crossfire.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Kaori stated, turning around and facing the entrance. She transformed her Love into the swordstaff, taking a deep breath. “I’ve relied on you a few times now. I’ll show you that you can rely on me.”

And so, as her swordstaff rested at her hip, the demons broke through.

--

Keiko

Earlier, just a short while after Satsuhiro returned

Back at Satsuhiro’s farm, the Zayama was sitting cross-legged outside at the fields. Her head hanging low, she breathed in. Meditating, she tried to awaken her Spirit Eye. It was something she only did in private nowadays, though she mostly did it to pass the time. She didn't expect to actually succeed.

The door opened behind her.

“Keiko! You want some tea? I’m making a bit.” Metsumi asked and Keiko stopped.

“Sure, thank you.”

“Come in, come in! We got a little fire going. It’s cozy.”

“Hehe, alright.” Keiko chuckled.

Walking in, she walked to where she remembered the couch being, feeling a certain heat coming from something in front of her. Probably the fire. She sat down and then, she heard Satsuhiro mutter something under his breath to her right.

“That doesn’t make sense.” He said.

“Hm? Is something wrong?” Keiko asked.

“I’ve been re-reading the descriptions the witnesses gave of the Nightmare at the ruins, the one Kaori and Ash are fighting.”

“Oh?” She asked, turning in his direction. “And what’s up?”

“I just noticed something. All in all, there are around 7 reports. In most of the descriptions, the Nightmare’s wearing armor, there's one though, just one where it isn’t.”

“Um, so?”

“Hmph. They probably had the same reaction as they went over these before they gave the mission to us, but Nightmares aren’t too concerned about fashion. If they’re seen wearing one thing, they’ll generally wear that for the rest of their existence, unless something takes that clothing off.” Satsuhiro explained. "What's with this?"

“Hm, I don't know.”

Keiko smiled then as Metsumi spoke to her and handed her the tea.

I hope they’re both doing well. Keiko thought. I hope to be more useful to them in the future.

--

Ash

“Some years ago,” Magia explained, conjuring images of an old world, “I and other d-deities held a strong-e-r position in th-e world. The way we held that s-tren-gth though, was through sites of power. One of them,” she conjured an image of the ruins Ash and Kaori were currently in, “is that tem-ple.”

“Sites of power… So that’s why I can speak to you near that place?”

“Precisely.” Magia nodded. “The four of u-us, Alkoth, that liar Lumina, Niven, and myself, we shared our power evenly, c-r-eating a balance between the domains. Each one, a-a-after all, is essential for the w-w-world. Fairness, order, jus-zzz-tice, with Allkoth. Love, peace and empath-ff-y, even if she’s a liar. Death, wrath and war, and my o-w-own domains, creation, lust and passion. These domains pr-propagate the cycle of humanity. How-zzz-ever, one of us, grew jealous.”

“Listen, this is all interesting, but, seriously,” as she spoke, her voice suddenly went quiet. What? Then, she reached up and felt that her mouth had disappeared.

“I understand your con-cerns, but please, this is import-tant.” Magia told her. “Niven wanted more. The god of death w-wrath and war decided to try to create more chaos to fuel his ow-ow-n powers. And so, he infused humans with his own being, cre-a-ting the demons. They d-z-destroyed the different sites of power belonging to e-each of the gods, except those of Niven. Thus, we los-z-st our power. However, using what little in-fluence I had left, I chose humans and infu-z-sed them with enhanced learning capabilities."

Saviors? Ash thought.

“Yes.” Magia nodded. “Lumina and Alkoth followe-z-d in my footsteps, picking Saviors of their own. But… it was-n’t enough.” Magia sounded sadder. “Niven’s forces have still been too much to d-d-deal with… Until now.”

Huh?

“You.” Magia flew up to her and wrapped her arms around her. “You!” She grinned picking Ash up and spinning her around in the air. “18 yea-rs ago, I made you. I noticed what was happening to your mother, an-d-d I acted. While you were in her womb, I forged you. I made you, Ash, as my answer to Niven’s forces. My champion.”

But… How? How’s that supposed to work? I’m just another Savior.

“You aren’t,” Magia told her. “T-There are still things about yourself that you don’t understand. I poured a-s much of my own power into you as I-I-I could. You will understand in t-t-time. Ah. Your friend needs you. For now, all I can say is,” she created an image of the temple. “Remember your spells,” Magia stated. “It is only w-when you u-use all of your capabilities that your full power will be revealed.”

Magia looked back, as though there was something there, then she turned around to face Ash.

“I can only g-g-give you one gift at this moment. Good luck.”

She placed her hands on Ash’s cheeks, closing her eyes. Then, Magia’s body turned violet. What? Ash thought as violet lightning surged from her hands into Ash’s body. I… What’s happening to me? She felt raw power entering her being.

Then, Ash’s eyes blinked open.

The smell of blood was so intense, she sat up where she was and frantically looked around.

“Kaori!?”