LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 26: Mother Dearest
Gabriela and the sisters raised their heads toward the sky, searching for the source of the tolling, but they found nothing that generated such a sound, only a dark clouded sky
However, the tolling continued, echoing louder and louder to the point of becoming deafening, attacking the ears of everyone present.
As if that were not enough, a strange sensation ran through their bodies, a feeling deeply wrong and simultaneously right, as if they were fulfilling some purpose.
It was something so calming, fulfilling, pleasant, and disgusting…
"What have you done?" One demanded furiously, marching towards the creature in front of her.
"I only continued what stopped in times immemorial, my beloved daughter. Soon, the Creator of All will arrive and end its imperfect creation." Mother replied happily, swinging her gigantic sword towards the girl.
One jumped aside, dodging the attack that split the flower field beneath her feet in a shower of dust and petals, and watched as golden magical beams passed by her and closed the distance towards her enemy.
Unfortunately, Mother focused on the incoming attack and raised her left hand, conjuring a familiar luminous barrier and blocking the beams, generating a smoke screen.
The red-eyed girl watched the creature but smiled slightly with relief pulsing in her chest upon feeling her sisters and Gabriela approaching. Then they all gathered together, advancing towards the monstrosity that threatened to destroy the world.
Five sang and conjured more of her golden discs, bombarding the Titan with her magic, slowly cracking the barrier and creating an opening for the rest of the group to advance.
Mother did not allow their actions to continue without consequences and swung her gigantic sword, but stopped her attack as soon as a song echoed and purple strings wrapped around her right arm, crawling to the rest of her body.
Three stayed back, pressing the creature together with Five while Two, Four, One, and Gabriela did their part.
The Dragon spat a flaming wave that the Black Flower returned with her own, firing a scorching inferno from her mask.
Four sang, creating a green barrier and protecting her sisters, but flames filled their vision as they charged blindly into the two attacks that collided in the center of the courtyard.
The sisters sweated and breathed heavily, more from the infernal heat than from exertion, but they stopped momentarily with their eyes wide in surprise as they saw a large metallic heel approaching.
Four's barrier shattered like glass and the sister crossed her arms in front of her body, trying to mitigate the damage, but soon let out a pained scream as she flew away.
"FOUR!" The remaining sisters screamed in fear and concern, struggling between returning and helping, or facing the creature that tried to escape its bonds.
The sister in green bounced like a stone across the surface of a lake, destroying the flowers in her path and stopping only when she dug her hands into the ground, tearing lines in the soil.
Four rose to one knee, disheveled and covered in dirt, but alive. She wiped the blood that dripping from her mouth with the back of her hand and signaled for her sisters to continue.
Two and One waved back and moved toward Mother, who, upon seeing them approaching, raised her right leg and brought it down toward the sisters, intending to crush them.
However, the attack never came, as Two sang and summoned one of her hands, wrapping a crushing grip around the creature's shin and breaking its balance.
Mother staggered disoriented, having to block Five and Gabriela's attacks, try to escape Three's strings, and now Two's grip.
All the distraction created an opportunity for One to activate her Intoner mode, jumping, landing on the thigh of the immobilized leg, and propelling herself toward Mother's head.
The girl let out a war cry as she pulled her fist back, closing the distance and delivering a powerful punch to the side of the creature's mask. A metallic crack echoed through the cathedral courtyard, and the imprint of her fist rested on the golden metal.
One spotted something approaching out of the corner of her eye and kicked her enemy's face with both feet, pushing herself away and backward, dodging Gabriela's tail.
The blow hit its target in the opposite direction, and Mother found herself falling like a tree.
The barrier, threads, and hand dissipated, and everyone watched as the Titan landed on her back with a thunderous crash accompanied by a tremor. Mother remained motionless, and the sisters and the dragon did not bother to wait for her next move.
Gabriela took breathed deeply and sent a flaming wave towards the creature, consuming its form.
"Have we won?" Two asked, stopping beside One as the remaining sisters approached.
"No, that would be too easy." One replied, maintaining her fighting stance, as recent events proved her words.
Two grimaced uncomfortably, agreeing with her sister, and soon they all watched the flames crackle midst the bell's ringing.
To the sisters' despair, One was right, a dark outline moved midst the flames, and soon Mother stood up, stepping out of a stone dome that protected her.
CLAP!
CLAP!
CLAP!
"My dear daughters, you cannot imagine how proud I am of how much you grew!" Mother exclaimed, clapping her hands as the damage caused by One disappeared, but Gabriela's remained.
"Stop it! Stop calling us daughters, we are not related for you to call us that!" One exclaimed angrily, making Mother retreat in a mixture of surprise and sadness.
"What happened to you, little One? You will break your Mother's heart like that. Of course you are my daughter, all of you are, since I gave life to you all." Mother replied, clasping both hands above her heart, hoping that the sisters would understand and accept her words.
"Stop talking nonsense! We would know if we had something horrible like you as family! We have a father, a mother, and an older sister!" Four shouted right after.
"You claim to be born of human parents, but how would you know that without remembering them?" Mother scoffed, surprising all the Sisters.
A tense silence, more metaphorical than physical, overtook the area and the sisters stared at each other hesitantly, thinking of an answer to the previous question, but the Black Flower spoke first.
"Yes, I know. I can see the doubt in your eyes, after all, I gave them to you, your bones, your flesh, your skin, your soul, your voice, and the power of song, but as much as I love you, that was never my intention, because your older sister should be the one to end the world."
"Girls, don't listen to what this thing has to say!" Gabriela spoke disgusted, her face contorted in fury and her fangs exposed, like a predator ready to attack, but she received no answer.
What was once a small doubt turned into a tide of questions. How did she know that? What did she mean by that? Did this thing create us? What does Sister Zero have to do with this?
A disturbing thought arose in the back of their minds, what if this thing was right? What if their lives were nothing more than a big lie to hide a greater and terrible purpose?
"That's right. Zero was the one who should use the power of the song to bring the end of the imperfect, unfair, and cruel world she hated so much, but certain events led to her death and it was necessary to create spare vessels for my power. If one failed, there would always be another to fulfill her purpose. You are nothing more than fragments, aspects, and memories of your sister, given life by my power, but do not worry, I still love you." Mother spoke sweetly, extending a hand toward the sisters as she approached, but Gabriela stood in her way, flames forming in her mouth and making the creature stop.
Each of the Intoners felt a tightness in their chest, their hearts beating like a drum threatening to explode, their blood running cold in their veins, sweat running down their faces as their gazes turned away, trying to face anything but reality.
There was a chance that her words were nothing more than lies, but after everything that had happened, the answer wouldn't be that convenient, would it? They knew the truth wouldn't be pretty, but they never expected anything so overwhelming.
All the moments they spent together, the childhood memories with their parents and sister, the games, the fights, the joy and sadness, of watching the four seasons come and go, of singing to an audience, all of this was just an illusion to hide the true purpose of the song.
What were they supposed to do now?
"Oh, I'm so sorry, hurting you wasn't my intention! I can't imagine how you must feel after hearing such shocking revelations, but this is the truth. I ask you not to worry because we can fix everything and be a family again, you just need to use the gift I gave you, the divine blessing of the power of song."
The expression of each of the sisters became depressed and downcast, with their postures low and looking towards the ground, trembling like a leaf in the wind.
"Girls, snap out of it! Don't let her enter your mind! That's what she wants! After everything that has happened, are you going to believe this thing's words?!" Gabriela screamed, but soon flapped her wings, taking flight and dodging a burst of luminous projectiles fired in her direction.
"Silence, dragon! Don't meddle with our family matters! This is a conversation between mother and daughters!"
"Hmph! As if an ugly thing like you gave birth to such adorable little girls!" Gabriela responded, shooting flames toward Mother, who stopped the attack with a barrier and spat her flames in return, forcing Gabriela to fly away.
However, the confrontation between the two beings stopped as soon as the sisters finally gave their answers.
"Is that true? Can… Can we be a family again?" One whispered emotionless, slowly raising her head and revealing a pair of empty, lifeless eyes.
"Yes, exactly!"
"One, no!"
"And we just need to sing for that?" Two spoke next, in a tone similar to her older sister.
"Correct! Show this cold and cruel world the power of your voice!"
One by one, the sisters raised their heads, like puppets unwilling to fight, and opened their mouths, using their power of song. What began as a high-pitched sound from deep in their throats transformed into a soft melody, which soon gave way to a wonderful song.
Divine music mingled with the tolling of the bells in the Cathedral City. Symbols, sigils, and magical scores appeared in the air, floating towards the heavens and touching the dark clouds.
The absurd amount of magic made the clouds swirl and wrap around each other, creating a large gray whirlpool that slowly opened, revealing a bright light in its center. Simultaneously, the color disappeared from the world, creating a pale and monotonous landscape.
"Yes, continue my little ones! Sing louder, sing and fulfill your purpose, sing and end this flawed creation and soon we will meet on the other side!" Mother screamed in stasis, spreading her arms wide as she spun midst the flowers, marveling at the chaotic spectacle that formed.
"Enough, if you won't do anything then I will! I will not allow the world to end because you cannot separate lies from the truth!" Gabriela screamed, flapping her wings and diving towards the Black Flower.
"So be it, dragon! We will finish what we started millennia ago!" Mother exclaimed, swinging her sword towards the flying being, who caught the blade in its fangs with a crushing bite.
Both parties fought for dominance, with flames emerging from the dragon's mouth, and the Black Flower doing the same with its mask. Soon they were engaged in a brutal duel, with claws and fangs clashing against steel and metal in a shower of sparks.
Magical bolts and flaming waves filled the air, with Gabriela trying to tear the Black Flower apart like a rabid animal, and the flower trying to keep its mortal enemy at bay with a barrage of magical attacks.
Gabriela bit the Black Flower's shoulder, causing the creature to screech and spit a bubbling mass of black mud onto the ground, but received a magical bolt to her stomach in return.
However, the dragon did not allow this to shake it and released its prey, spinning its body and striking the creature's left side with its tail.
Unfortunately, Mother grabbed Gabriela's tail as she staggered back and pulled the dragon closer, delivering a crushing punch to its face, disorienting it.
The dragon shook its head, trying to recover, and did so in time to see a huge sword approaching its neck, trying to decapitate it, so it ducked, dodging the attack, and headbutted its opponent in the chest.
Both combatants moved away and stared at each other with hatred, analyzing their wounds and preparing to continue.
"That's enough, Gabriela." One spoke monotonously, focusing her gaze on the fighters in front of her.
"We made our choice." Three spoke soon after.
"And we chose…" Five continued, momentarily interrupting her speech.
With disconcerting synchrony, similar to their previous actions, the sisters shifted their gaze toward the Black Flower and Dragon, preparing to give their answer.
It seemed that was it, the Intoners accepted their destiny, there would be nothing left, all their worries and doubts would disappear and soon they would find peace in the arms of their Mother, but something emerged deep within their empty eyes, a determined glow.
The Intoners took a deep breath and what had once been a song that would bring pleasure to the ears turned into a deafening high-pitched screech. The sisters' combined magic visibly pushed the air as it closed the distance to their target.
Gabriela, glimpsing the approaching attack, flew away, allowing the sound wave to advance uninterrupted and hit Mother with its full power.
The Black Flower could not show emotions through its mask, but if it were possible, everyone would see the fear and surprise it felt upon seeing the magical attack destroying everything in its path.
It should have been impossible, it had the girls under its control, but the being didn't have time to delve into its thoughts, because the sound wave hit it full-on.
Mother dug her feet into the ground, screeching in pain as the magic tore her body apart, cracks and dents covered her golden armor, the white cloths that adorned her turned into rags and shreds, and her mask fell apart, forming a saddened expression.
"Honestly, did you think we would break that easily?!" One scoffed, feeling the magic flow through her body.
"We always had our doubts! We knew the truth could be ugly, but we never expected anything like this, however, that is not enough to bring us down!" Two continued, observing the magical glow that surrounded her.
"Born from darkness and created for damnation, we live in a sweet illusion. Will we be able to climb this abyss and reach the distant light?" Three spoke enigmatically.
"You said we must destroy the world, but you made that choice for us! Enough being pushed around, we made our choice and choose to end you!" Four said, assuming a fighting stance.
"And besides, this world is not that bad! There are still good people, we met them during our journey, and there is still a chance for salvation! The world just needs someone to kick-start it!" Five finished, wiping the dirt from her face.
"And you, Mother…" One scorned as if tasting a disgusting poison. "…You will meet your end today, and watch as we use the power of song to make the world a better place, a place filled with peace and justice, where the weak will not be oppressed, the opposite of the purpose for which you created us."
The Black Flower remained silent, shaking its head erratically and analyzing its surroundings, as its nonexistent eyes could not believe the sight. Its daughters, its beloved daughters, had betrayed it.
"UNGRATEFUL CHILDREN! IS THIS HOW YOU THANK ME AFTER EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE FOR YOU?!" Mother screamed in uncontrolled fury, using her sword as support to stand up and advance with thunderous steps.
"SSSCCCRRREEEHHH!"
But the creature did not get far, as Gabriela spat a flaming wave in its direction, stopping its march.
"The girls have chosen! Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way, preferably the hard way!"
Mother swung her sword with a scream, dispersing the flames that surrounded her with a gale. Her chest rose and fell uncontrollably, in a heavy breath from non-existent lungs, but soon this anger turned into happiness as she looked up.
"HAHAHA! SO BE IT! SO BE IT! IF YOU WILL NOT SING FOR ME THEN I WILL MAKE YOUR CORPSES SING INSTEAD! PUT ON A SHOW, MY DAUGHTERS, FOR THE CREATOR GRACED US WITH ITS PRESENCE!"
The light in the center of the cloud whirlwind intensified as soon as the Black Flower uttered her profane words, revealing a gigantic luminous portal, and from this portal emerged something colossal.
A gigantic hand with its index finger extended towards the ground. Simultaneously, a huge tremor shook the Cathedral City, causing everyone to exclaim in surprise and try to maintain their balance.
Huge cracks split the city, shining pure white light from their depths and consuming every building that plunged into their mouth.
The buildings that did not collapse found themselves floating towards the sky, breaking their foundations, disappearing into the portal through which the hand emerged, and leaving a shower of rubble behind.
The sisters looked up with shocked faces, eyes wide and mouths open. Their previous confidence momentarily faltered, giving way to a deep, primal fear as the pressure overtook the city as if something unimaginable and impossible saw them as insects.
"BEHOLD! THE HAND OF GOD! KNEEL AND SAY YOUR PRAYERS, FOR OUR CREATOR APPROACHES!" Mother continued her maddened ramblings, reaching a state of stasis.
"Not again!" Gabriela replied frustrated, headbutting the Black Flower, who blocked the attack with the flat of her sword.
One swallowed hard, taking a deep breath and controlling the tremor that ran through her body, then she turned towards her sisters and smiled sadly, offering them a hug.
"Sisters, I guess that's it. Everything we've done has brought us here. If we lose, the world will end, if we win, the world will have another chance, but I don't know if we'll survive. I just want you to know that I love you all."
The remaining sisters smiled at these words and ran towards One, meeting in a hug where they exchanged words of love and tears.
"It's okay, One. / We'll find a way! / You can count on me! / No matter what happens, we'll win!" Two, Three, Four, and Five replied, looking deep into each other's eyes.
"Thank you! You can't imagine how happy I am to have sisters like you! Tell me, would you mind singing with me again?"
"No! Of course not!"
Then the Intoners used their power of song one last time. Soon, the melodious voice rang out across Cathedral City again, filling the air with magic. The light surrounding the sisters shone like a small star, and five portals of different colors appeared in the sky.
From the golden portal, a large creature resembling a golden metallic crab landed in the cathedral courtyard, raising a cloud of dust and preparing to fire magical beams.
From the green portal high in the sky, a gigantic flying fortress stood in the path of the Hand of God, blocking its passage with five large greenish barriers.
From the purple portal, several beings of varying sizes hopped and laughed across the flower field. The baby-like dolls surrounded Mother, waiting for the right moment to attack.
From the blue portal, two large creatures made of energy and armor pieces advanced, forcing Mother to parry Gabriela away and dodge the incoming attacks.
Finally, from the red portal, three floating golems circled the Intoners protectively, preventing any harm from befalling them.
The sisters stared in wonder at the beings they had summoned and how they returned their gaze as if waiting for something, but they abandoned those thoughts due to the seriousness of the situation, curiosity could stay for later.
"Sisters, we will keep Mother busy and create openings for Gabriela to attack! Can we count on you?" One asked the dragon beside her, staring deep into its eyes.
"Of course, you foolish girl!" Gabriela laughed, returning the gaze.
"Does anyone have any idea how to control these things?" Five asked hesitantly, raising a hand and received a shrug in return.
"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out! FIRE!" The blonde-haired Intoner commanded, pointing at the Black Flower, and the golden being she had summoned obeyed.
The crab's back opened, revealing a plate full of golden discs that soon shot magical beams toward its master's enemy.
The Black Flower laughed, conjuring its light barrier again, but its joy faded as soon as the first shot broke through the barrier and hit it in the left shoulder, leaving a scorching hole that quickly regenerated.
This small distraction allowed the pair of energy creatures to advance, and Mother returned to the action in kind, and soon both found themselves in the center of the courtyard in a fierce confrontation.
Mother blocked a punch from the being on the left with her sword, pushing it back and spitting a flaming blast at the one approaching from the right, momentarily disorienting it.
She focused on her initial opponent again and engulfed her sword in fire, delivering a scorching cut to the creature's chest and a kick to the stomach in sequence. Then she faced the remaining one but stopped as several dolls jumped towards her, hugging her body up to the waist and restricting her movements.
The larger dolls released a blinding light from their eyes and exploded in a magical wave, shattering the Black Flower's legs and bringing it to its knees. Simultaneously, the smaller dolls fired magic projectiles from the spheres on their bellies.
-XXXXXX-
Suddenly, a bell tolled above all the others, causing everyone present to scream and cover their ears. Another tremor shook the city and the cracks in the earth expanded.
The Hand of God had destroyed the first barrier and now headed towards the second. The seriousness of the situation made the sisters intensify their efforts, but they soon realized that something was wrong.
"COUGH! COUGH!" Five coughed, removing her hand from her mouth and seeing blood on her palm. She raised her head and looked at her sisters concerned, searching for an answer, but they were in the same situation.
Four raised both hands towards the sky, struggling to keep the remaining barriers up as blood dripped from her mouth and nose. Her legs shook like twigs, about to give up.
Three fell to one knee, breathing heavily as she held her chest, gasping for air, about to vomit.
Two staggered from side to side, with a dark spot on her body in the same place where the Black Flower hit her summon.
One seemed to be the only one who had no problems with her summon and was just tired.
It didn't take a veteran sorcerer to understand what happened, the invocations required too much magic and it would cost them their lives if they didn't finish off the Black Flower soon, so the Intoners steeled their resolve and prepared themselves for what was to come.
-XXXXXX-
Mother growled in pain and barely contained rage, focusing on regenerating her legs as she slammed her fist into the ground, shaking the earth and creating several stone spikes that impaled the dolls.
However, a shadow formed above her, and the creature saw Gabriela diving towards it with her claws outstretched.
The Black Flower tried to cast some spell to save itself, but it was too late. Gabriela sank her claws into the being's shoulders, spilling black blood and dragging its back across the courtyard.
They both stopped near the stairs of the Mercury Gate, where Gabriela opened her mouth, ready to incinerate the being trapped in her claws.
Mother struggled, trying to escape the dragon's grip, but to no avail, she swung her sword in a desperate attempt, only to scream in pain as the remaining energy being stomped on her right arm with a sickening crack, causing her blade to slip from her grip.
Her other arm received a similar treatment, with the golems hammering their fists violently on the remaining limb.
Mother looked from side to side, searching for an exit or opportunity to cast a spell, but Gabriela's open mouth just inches from her face was all she saw, then an orange light followed by a severe increase in temperature.
"AAAHHH!" The Black Flower screamed like a tortured person, cracking the ground with the swinging of its legs as it tried to escape its prison to no avail.
-XXXXXX-
The tolling returned and the city shook again, the second barrier fell and the Hand of God moved towards its destination.
Entire sections of Cathedral City lifted off and disappeared into the portal, and Four held on to her sisters to prevent falling, though they were no better off. Fresh blood stained their clothes and paleness filled their faces.
-XXXXXX-
Minutes passed as if they were hours as Mother screamed in agony, her body screaming in pure pain as she wondered how it could all end like this.
It wasn't supposed to end like this! She was in control! How could a bunch of confused children and an annoying dragon put her in such a helpless position?! It didn't make sense!
She couldn't fail! Not when she was so close to completing her purpose of creation! Not while her master watched!
Whether by determination, survival instinct, or stubbornness. Mother raised her legs and stomped on the ground, molding the earth and forming a wall that rose until she stood up, knocking down all who imprisoned her and consuming her jailers on the ground like quicksand.
Her mask and armor were nothing more than a boiling, melted orange mass, giving her a haggard expression, then the Black Flower raised its sword, enveloping its in light and cutting the air shortly after.
Nothing happened for a moment, until a luminous arc formed in the air and fired countless magical projectiles towards the sisters.
Five ordered her summon to stand in the way, blocking the shots with its colossal form, but losing pieces of its metallic body with each collision.
Five's bleeding worsened with each metallic fragment torn from her summon, the world became a duplicated blur as she struggled to stay conscious.
Mother molded the earth again, creating a small hill beneath her feet and surfing toward the sisters as if on a wave. Simultaneously, she raised her left hand, conjuring glowing sigils above her head, and fired magical beams aimed at the girls.
The summon returned the attack with its own, the shots colliding in mid-flight, creating a smoke cloud that soon dissipated as the Black Flower passed through it.
Mother continued with her shots, dodging and parrying the summons's attacks as she approached, sword ready to slice the Intoners, but One called out her summon.
The golems floated and separated their limbs from their torsos, outrunning Mother and reforming in front of her, serving as a wall in her path.
The unstoppable force collided with the immovable object, both sides facing each other, fighting for dominance. Three commanded her remaining summons, which jumped onto the back of the monstrosity in front of her and exploded again.
"STEP OF MY WAY YOU LIFELESS PUPPETS!"
However, this only angered her opponent, who spat a flaming inferno in the golems' faces, breaking their formation and allowing Mother to swing her sword toward the defenseless sisters.
Oddly, they smiled instead of showing fear, confusing the Flower's mind. This moment of hesitation proved a mistake, as a hand made of energy grabbed its wrist and another punched its back.
Mother swung her free arm, elbowing the summon in the face, escaping its grip and slashing its chest shortly after, but staggered forward as she received a series of magical shots in her back.
Soon the creature found itself, alternating between Five and Two's summons, the energy being exchanging punches and kicks with the Black Flower while the crab rained magic on its target.
The wounds gradually accumulated, staining the beautiful flower field in obsidian blood, but it was a futile effort, as the wounds regenerated soon after.
The summons had no such blessing and soon found themselves losing the fight. The energy being's right arm flew away, courtesy of a flaming cut and stone domes enveloped its feet, trapping it in place, then Mother pointed her hand, conjuring a spell.
CRASH!
A purple blur passed through her vision and she felt a certain lightness in her body. Looking aside, she noticed a stump gushing dark mud in place of her limb, and looking at the dragon's previous location, she spotted a large hole in the ground.
-XXXXXX-
The third toll sounded and the third barrier fell. The world and the flower were closer and closer to their end, as were the Intoners.
Five was already on the ground, trying to stay awake midst a pool of blood. Three couldn't hold it in any longer and fell to all fours, vomiting the contents of her stomach.
Four rested on Two's back, who sat on the ground mumbling incoherently, while One stood, trying to get her golems to rise again.
The tremors returned, but another hand created this disaster, a huge Dark Hand, whose fist destroyed a series of buildings in its path and threw something to the other side of the city.
-XXXXXX-
Gabriela landed in a crash, spitting Mother's arm on the ground, giving her no time to recover. She joined Two's summoning and together they faced the Black Flower with the crab offering support from a distance.
Mother found her fighting ability severely limited, casting spells proved difficult with only one arm, even more so with her blocking and parry the blows sent her way.
An opening appeared and she swung her sword, intending to slash the dragon in her path, but the energy being grabbed her flaming blade, losing a few fingers in the process.
Gabriela wasted no time in sinking her claws into her enemy's stomach, ripping its flesh apart with one pull and grinning from ear to ear at the scream she received in return.
This joy soon turned to pain when a stone spike sprouted from the ground and pierced her left wing, pinning it in place.
The Flower then headbutted the energy being, releasing its sword and swinging it towards its neck. The being's head flew away, rolling across the courtyard until it disintegrated into luminous particles, as did the rest of its body.
The crab met its end soon after, as Mother wrapped her sword in flames and threw it like a spear towards the summon, ignoring the magical shots that hit her body and piercing her target squarely.
The sword pierced the summons skull, exploding shortly after and consuming its body in a fire.
-XXXXXX-
With the fourth toll, the fourth barrier fragmented and Four joined her sisters on the ground, falling backward as the world darkened. She saw her fortress in the sky, slowly crumbling as the hand approached.
Then something white blocked her vision, and the Intoner felt a weight on her chest, followed by an animalistic noise.
"PRUUU! PRUUU!"
A pigeon, of all things, rested on her chest, staring at her curiously. It wasn't the worst sight to see before passing away, be it from the magic drain, Mother, or the Hand of God, but she preferred the strength to glimpse her sisters one last time.
Sure, they didn't get along that well and could be annoying and irresponsible at times, but she was on the right path to understanding them and…
"OUCH! STOP, YOU FLYING RAT!" Four exclaimed irritably as the pigeon pecked her face since she didn't have the energy to scare it away.
Soon three more pigeons joined the first, each landing on the body of one of her sisters around her, except for One who watched apprehensively at the thing in the center of the courtyard.
The brown-haired Intoner realized something amidst her ramblings, her fatigue gradually disappearing and she felt her wounds healing. Struggling to move her head, she saw Five's blood returning to her body and Two moving slightly.
There was something unknown happening, but she just prayed that it would continue, so maybe they would have a chance to survive.
-XXXXXX-
"Well, I believe that's it. You fought bravely, my little ones, but it's time to go." Mother commented emotionlessly, watching the hand approaching the last barrier.
Her mangled form barely held itself together, with mud and blood leaking from every wound on her body, punctures, bruises, cuts, and claw and bite marks.
Her armor and mask had become an unrecognizable mess of crushed and melted metal, to the point where it merged with her body. Her left arm was gone, and her right arm was crooked and missing some fingers.
"No, it's not, I'm still here." One spoke solemnly, marching towards Mother.
"Will you face me alone even after everything that happened?" She asked in a mixture of surprise and admiration.
"I'm not alone, I still have my summon and even if I didn't, I would still face you." The red-eyed girl replied, commanding the last golem to stop beside her and glimpsing of something moving behind the Flower.
"ROOOAAAR!"
BOOM!
CRASH!
One wasn't the only one with such determination, as Gabriela swung her tail, destroying the base of the spikes, freeing her wings with a roar accompanied by a gush of blood, soon she faced her old enemy again.
"Hump! It doesn't matter, the world will end regardless of the winner. One way or another, our purpose will be fulfilled." Mother replied arrogantly, watching the last barrier fall and the fortress crumble.
"Don't talk like you won! We just need to finish you off to stop that thing!" Gabriela exclaimed.
"But will you do it in time? What's stopping me from running away and making you waste time chasing me? Or prolonging the fight as much as possible? In the end, it doesn't matter."
"Before it's all over, I'd like you to answer one of my questions. Why? Why do all this? Why destroy the world? Aren't there things worth fighting for and protecting?" One asked determinedly.
"Simple, because it's my goal, my purpose of creation." The Flower answered as if it were a fact.
"And you never thought of doing something different? That maybe this wasn't what you wanted?" One continued, a hopeful tone emerging in her voice.
"And why would I do that? Mortals spend their entire lives searching for the meaning of their existence or a greater purpose worthy of fulfillment. I was created with a goal in mind, just like you, so I have nothing more to wish for."
"I see, despite your previous statements, we have nothing in common, I can't imagine how something like you created us." The Intoner replied disappointedly.
"You refuse me, even in your final moments." Mother spoke with disdain.
"And I will continue to do so until I can no longer." One said, smiling sadly.
"Then so be it…" Mother growled, raising her remaining arm in a magical attack. Fire and light gathered into an orb floating above her palm. This orb grew until it surpassed the size of her body, generating a blinding light and setting the nearby flowers ablaze.
Gabriela growled, closing the distance at full speed with fire in her mouth and fangs bared. One shouted a command as she pointed forward, causing her summon to act.
It was impossible to know if they would both arrive before the spell was cast, perhaps the world would end before that, perhaps their bodies would give out halfway through. In the end, the answer remained unknown, as something bright shone in the sky.
A powerful magical beam broke through the clouds, descending towards the cathedral courtyard and leaving a melted line in its path as it hit the ground.
The Black Flower happened to be in the path of this attack, and its remaining arm disappeared just like the previous one. The limb did not regenerate and it knew what that meant.
A large shape appeared in front of the sun, transforming into a dark outline that approached quickly, creating a shadow over its body.
Something jumped from that shape, but Mother lost sight of it soon after, not because it moved too fast, but because of the sword that pierced where her right eye stood.
"DID YOU LIKE THAT, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" A furious female voice shouted.
"AAAHHH!" Mother screamed as steam gushed from the wound.
"I FIGURED IT! IT'S NOT SO FUNNY WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOU, IS IT?!"
"AAAHHH!" Mother screamed again, but not because of the sword in her eye, but thanks to Gabriela, who didn't stop her attack and bit her leg off.
The Black Flower fell forward, falling to one knee and allowing the owner of the sword to jump away, dodging the golem's punch that hit its face.
The person performed a somersault, landing beside One in a fighting stance. The Intoner in question stared in disbelief at the person beside her as her heart raced in fear.
A pale girl with long, white hair and one pink eye, approximately nineteen years old and five feet seven inches tall.
She wore a short, revealing black dress with a low neckline, a long black cape over her left shoulder, a silver earring in her right ear, and a black eye-patch with a flower design hiding her right eye.
"Sister Zero…" One muttered, swallowing hard as if death itself was in front of her. Zero turned towards her younger sister, frowning and looking her up and down.
"You've grown up." Zero spoke dryly with a hint of surprise.
"A lot has happened…" One said, but Zero interrupted her before she could finish.
"Leave the explanations for later and call your dragon! Michael!" Zero shouted and the figure in the sky approached with a flapping of wings, revealing a large white dragon that landed beside her.
"Yes, Zero?" The dragon asked in a gentle masculine voice.
"Send that flower to hell!"
"Hump! No need to tell me twice." Michael replied, digging his paws into the ground and opening his mouth, where he accumulated magic.
"Gabriela!" One exclaimed, calling her friend as she tried to process that her sister now had a dragon beside her.
The purple dragon flapped its injured wings, cringing in pain, passing over the Black Flower and landing beside One.
"Old man, is that you?" Gabriela teased upon seeing the white dragon, who responded with an irritated murmur incomprehensible due to his open mouth.
Gabriela laughed at the answer and assumed a similar stance to the other dragon, gathering magic for her final attack.
Despair overtook over the Black Flower, which screamed in denial, unleashing insult after insult aimed at the people in front of it.
"You'll be next when this is all over." Zero whispered to her sister.
"I've spent my entire journey preparing for your arrival, don't think I'll give up without a fight." One replied without showing any fear.
"Well, it wouldn't be fun if it were that easy." Zero laughed, focusing on her current target.
The Hand of God was about to touch the ground, the Cathedral City was nothing but ruins now, and the Black Flower unleashed its last desperate attack with a guttural screech.
The being's chest split open and the dark mud on its body molded into a set of familiar hands that reached out towards the Intoners.
"THIS ISN'T OVER YET! YOU SHOULD OBEY ME!"
Simultaneously, the sisters shouted for their dragons to fire, and they did so, two magical beams, one white and one purple, boiled the air, combining and approaching their target with a high-pitched buzz.
The hands crumbled to dust upon contact with such a powerful attack, the arms disappeared shortly after, and Mother could only scream as she was struck, the dragon magic sending impossible agony through every cell of her being.
"MY CREATOR, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" And those were the Flower's last words before everything went dark.
A flash blinded everyone present and turned the world into a white void, but when it disappeared, everyone saw Mother kneeling on the ground with a gigantic hole in her chest, leaking a dark liquid.
Her body fell forward, falling face down on the ground with a thud. A few tense seconds passed, and everyone waited for their opponent to get up again, but that never happened, the Flower's body boiled and dissolved into dark particles carried by the wind.
Immediately, the flower field disappeared in the blink of an eye as if it had never existed, the tolling became muffled, growing distant until it stopped.
The Hand of God stopped a few meters from the ground, revealing how close the world was to its end, and returned the way it came, rising until it disappeared into the luminous portal, which closed with a flicker.
The swirl of clouds dissipated along with the cloudy sky and color returned to the world, putting an end to a gray existence.
"Now, to finish what I started." Zero spoke, pointing her sword at One, taking her out of her relieved stupor.
Gabriela moved to protect her friend, but Michael did the same, placing himself in the dragon's path, where they both faced each other defiantly, although the purple dragon was less confident.
"Sister… No! Zero! You're going to do this now?! Haven't we been through enough suffering and hardships?!" One looked revolted, staring her sister deep in the eye.
Zero's sword trembled for a moment and a tremor passed over her serious face, giving way to a sad glint in her eye, but she shook her head, erasing her reluctant thoughts before doubts arose in her mind.
"Do you have any idea of the things I've done in my life? How many people have I killed? Your sisters and you are nothing more than numbers for the count. I took my time looking for them, I admit it was fun while it lasted, but enough is enough."
"Why are you doing this?" One asked, hurt by the cruel words.
"You wouldn't understand." Zero clicked her tongue.
"Yes, I would understand, because the Flower told us everything."
"Then you didn't need to ask my reasons."
Suddenly, a chorus of screams interrupted both of them before they could start the fight.
"ONE!" Five, Four, Three, and Two ran towards their sister, their wounds partially healed and tears in their eyes, joyful and hopeful at seeing that their sister was safe and that everything had ended well.
Interestingly, a pigeon rested on each of their shoulders, but the girls' joy turned to worry when they noticed the familiar person present.
"Sister Zero…" The Intoners muttered in terror, having a similar reaction to One.
"Well, that makes my job easier. Stay together, that way I can cut off all your heads quickly." The pink-eyed sister replied, assuming a fighting stance, and the remaining sisters did the same.
It seemed that the chaos in Cathedral City would continue until only one stood. Not enough blood had been spilled to quench the thirst of the gods, and now a family would torn itself apart until nothing remained.
"MISS ONE!" A deep, desperate male voice shouted.
"WHAT NOW?!" Zero shouted, turning towards the source of the noise, only for her words to perish in her throat and she faced a pair of floating books, one black and one red, with the black book carrying a person in its arms.
"Miss Rose?" Noir whispered in confusion and disbelief.
Zero was in a similar situation, with her eye glazed over and her mouth opening and closing repeatedly without uttering a single word. This state lasted until her vision shifted to the person in Noir's arms.
The Intoner's heart raced in worry and fear as her expression softened into nostalgia and something more, as the angel the book carried was nothing more than a torso and a head slowly disintegrating into dark particles.
"Alan, what happened to you?" Zero spoke, loosening her grip on her sword and approaching with hesitant steps.
"He's dying, Miss Rose! He faced a powerful enemy alone to help your sisters! He needs help, as he doesn't have much time!"
"Heh, look at you… The good old soft-hearted angel, always wanting to help, and look where that got you… Couldn't you have stayed in heaven and away from here? Minding your own business without meddling in other people's affairs? What we went through in Cathedral City wasn't enough?!" Zero commented, bringing a hand towards her face, displaying several emotions, joy, sadness, fear, concern, and finally anger.
Zero stood there, her posture hunched over as she covered her face, muttering to herself, to the point of ignoring her sisters walking past her and surrounding Noir.
Why? Why? Why? Why did you have to get involved? Why did you have to be here and now? You were free from everything and everyone. With no one to cause you trouble, pull you down, or slow you down, someone like…
Zero raised her sword, pointing it at her distracted sisters, pondering whether she should take this chance, but if she did, there was no telling what would happen.
At best, Noir and Rubrum would stop her, as they seemed to know her sisters. At worst, Alan would perish, and she didn't like to think about that possibility.
In the end, she had to act fast, as Zero saw something that made her blood boil, One singing in Alan's ear.
She outstretched a hand and ran at full speed, screaming for her sister to stop, but it was too late, there was a bright light and she cursed herself for hesitating when she had the chance.
END OF CHAPTER.