PHASE 83 - THIS IS WHAT I CALL SHADOW BOXING!

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

The shadow feels threatened due to my presence. Having activated means that I have asserted a little bit of dominance on this battlefield. The shadow just passes through any attacks, so it shouldn’t be scared of me.

Unless…

“Urh!” Rikkun struggled to stand up. His bleeding arms, legs, shoulders, and feet made it hard for him to move, but he managed to fix his standing position. He deployed a ring that contains hologram screens that were used my field commanders in operations. “Tiara, I'll support you with my commands! I will predict the shadow's next actions!”

“R-Roger!” I cried out loud. I pumped my fists once again, charging electricity around me in the process, then I proceeded to launch myself towards the lone enemy! “Here I go!”

The shadow did not blink. Its crimson eyes just locked unto me, but the tentacle tails on its back rushed towards my position. However, the speed of his rushing tendrils is slow for my perception. I can see through its openings, so I dashed left and right, spun on midair, and dance like a gorgeous geisha to evade a hundred tentacles.

“!!!” I coated my right arm with tremendous prana that shaped itself into a gigantic golden dragon’s claw. With such power, I made a full-force right hook swing aimed at the shadow!

In the nick of time, the shadow materialized more dark tentacles from its back that crawled all the way to its front, shielding it from the incoming damage! A shockwave blasted out the place upon the impact which made the water in the shallow river float in midair due to the nullification of gravity.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!” The shadow cried in pain as it dashed backward, barely fleeing the punch. The tentacle barrier it made was evaporated by my and the left arm of the shadow is no more.

“It… It worked!?” Rikkun cried in astonishment. Realizing this, he clenched his fists and cheered for me. The golden cross sigil on his eyes glowed, which indicates that he just turned his on. “Do that again, Tiara! Focus on attacking! Sasageyo! Sasageyo!”

“A-All right!” I made a boxing stance once again. I looked at my right fists that blasted the shadow’s tentacles and arm, and I saw some kind of glitchy pixelated dust around it. The weird particles diminished completely in midair thereafter, and I don’t know what that is.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!” The shadow cried. Realizing that my attacks are working, it spawned more tendrils until it no longer retains the form of a humanoid; it now has six hind arms, four legs, demonic wings, and sharp fangs.

The tentacles dived forward with only me as their target. The tendrils are so widespread that it makes it hard for me to judge where to dodge, but good thing Rikkun is there for me!

“Slide to the left, duck, jump to the right, rush forward, then stomp on the tentacle that will appear in front of your face!” RIkkun commanded.

I did what he commanded. I evaded each sharp tentacle by doing gracious spins and ankle-breakers, swan-like acrobatics, and flexible gymnastics. When the nearest tentacle was about to pierce my heart, I made a backflip and stomped on the tentacle, and then used it as a road towards the shadow!

“Haaaaaaaah!!!” I lept upwards and glared at the enemy, readying both my left and right fist for my attack! “!!!”

Thousands of golden fist afterimages rained upon the enemy. The shadow used all of its tentacles to block each and every punch. However, the tentacles are not strong enough to repel my attacks. Each afterimage punch flicked a tentacle away in midair, and as milliseconds go by, the shadow is shredded with its main weapon!

As soon as all the tentacles have been cut down, the shadow’s main body became exposed. I had a glimpse of the shadow’s detailed figure up close. She and I have the very same body silhouette, same height, same bust-waist-hip measure, and same facial shape.

But because of the residue damage my attack made, the shadow now lost random parts of its body. It’s missing its left face, right breast, right shoulder, left knee, and some parts on her stomach. It’s like whenever my fist touches the shadow, a part of it gets erased.

“Hyaaaaaaaaaah!” I charged my right fist for my final attack! “!!!”

Golden wings spawned from my back, and my whole body was coated with a dragon-shaped aura. With my right dragon claw, I blasted downward with maximum speed,

“AaaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

The shadow made its final cry as my gigantic dragon fist ate it completely. A powerful shockwave was formed once again, and the river’s water is now all dried up. The droplets remained in the air until the shadow was eradicated from existence.

I stood on top of the crater, alone. The shadow did not leave any trace at all. Even the ruptured tentacles around were immediately turned to dust.

“Hah...hah...hah…”

I gasped for air. Evading the enemy’s attacks in succession while connecting my spells and combos dried me up for good. But at least my attacks worked. I have destroyed the shadow for good.

I won. No. We won!

I raised my right hand which is the signal of victory in those championship boxing matches. After a few seconds, I looked at my wounded allies and projected the kindest smile I can ever make.

“You… You did it… You did it, Tiara! You did it!” Rikkun was the first to celebrate as he glomped to me and hugged me tightly.

Slowly, my wounded allies stood up. Lord Freya devolved to her base form Jecchan, and the adorable blonde loli gave us a thumbs up. Heushac and Helena also yelled in celebration, together with Mianette who is tired of mouth resuscitating the two.

The only one who did not celebrate is the Legionmaster of the Blazing Heart, Erylle Fontaine. She’s more concerned about his member Yohan, who is still in critical condition. She had used the to him as first aid, but there’s still no guarantee if the poor boy would wake up.

<>

The operation was certainly a success but for a cost. Drex Brynheim was one of the casualties, and Yohan was delivered to the intensive care unit. Casualties are always part of the job of being a Gate Guardian, and we have witnessed deaths everywhere we fight. We can only celebrate the success of an operation in honor of the fallen.

Nobody wanted this to happen. There have been many lives that have been spent. My step-sisters Alice and Bella, my step-mother Miss Catriona Baroquefloux, my ex-ally who was branded as a traitor Benedict, my twin brother Diadem, my coworker Drex, and countless innocent Gate Guardians and prisoners in the Black Cross Mansion lost their lives because of the shadow.

In the end, we never knew what the shadow is. It’s not a Cursed Guardian nor an Eidolon, or not even an otherworldly being that involves Necross. It’s just a wandering phantom with no motives nor interests who killed people. Its existence is still a complete mystery for all of us.

“Hey, at least it’s over.” That’s what Rikkun said.

He may have a point. What matters above anything else is when the problem is over. Rikkun is an “end justifies the means” guy so he has accepted the death of comrades as a regular happening. I think his mental strength came from the dread of coming from hell’s prison and the chaotic Phoenix Incident, so it is understandable.

However, I’m not as strong as he is. Every time a person dies in front of me, a part of my sanity fades. Every time I see Rikkun’s death, I become a nutjob crazy witch that automatically sings the .

I remembered the face of the shadow. It has the very same form as me.

I remembered the words my mother said before she died.

I remembered the God Core that the Brightmore Witch has protected for many generations.

The nightmares will never stop.

It’s not over.

This is just the beginning...

...The beginning where everything; my hopes and happiness, shatters to nothingness.

And it will happen next.