Shaking her head as she once again moved her sword to angle the oni’s way from slicing through her head. Lifting her foot to deliver it into the brat’s sternum. The girl managed to defend with her wrist by taking one hand off her sword yet that just made it easier for Mother.

Raising her free hand’s finger where a maliciously glowing orb sat before it exploded out into a beam with the sole intention of ridding the girl of her head. Something she obviously was opposed to so panickedly stepped back to barely have the time to tilt her head out the way. Still she didn’t get away from the attack unwounded as blood trickled down her cheek.

Letting out a wistful sigh as she saw that girl’s eyes flare up in arrogant-borne rage that someone dared to actually harm her in a duel. Mother simply thought this game was below her notice as even that purple eyed weakling at least had gumption. This blonde haired brat simply found what she was good at then proceeded to dedicate everything to it while abandoning anything she wasn’t skilled at.

In other words she was petulant to the extreme.

“Ara~ being testy will not help you in a duel against me little one; you’d best reveal if you have any other tricks up your sleeve or I’m afraid this is going to be very boring for me ohohoho~.”

“Like the ox & a tree I will knock you down!”

Still, as she was a kind god, she decided to share some advice to the oni despite not liking that overconfident attitude very much. Words that seemed to only anger the child more as she began to throw blade after blade out of her swords. Her similes & proverbs were beginning to make little sense.

A sight that made the goddess sigh out once more.

There was no real reason to continue playing with the girl so she just sheathed her sword while opening her arms wide as if accepting the oncoming intent filled blades. Offering no resistance as her body was scattered from the storm of swords. Seemingly ending the fight in a spectacular death.

“Hmpf you were all talk in the end.”

Snorting as she sheathed her own sword without even considering that her attack once again failed to hit the true god.

All in favour of basking in her own perceived greatness.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING LETTING HER WALK BEHIND YOU!”

That violet haired girl screamed at her sister who looked at her with disgust as well as confusion; clearly not understanding what she was screaming out. At least until cracks in reality began to form all around her making her look around. Though she wasn’t able to realise what happened before she felt a sharp pain skewering through her chest.

Looking down revealed that a hand actually pierced right through her chest, covered in a jade green intent filled aura, as blood trickled down.

“You have an aura that reminded me of a certain three headed god but now I see that it must have just been my mistake. Although you certainly have talent that is all. Within this world I alone can stand on top as the perfect being; the one who will infinitely adapt to any challenges I come across.”

One could see the shock in her eyes as she looked at where the scattered pieces of Mother should be only to see nothing. There weren’t even lines in the ground from her attacks which made her wonder if she ever attacked in the first place. Something that seemed to amuse the goddess who retched her arm back out the girls chest with another obnoxious laugh.

“Ohoho~ do you know the difference between me and you… I am learning everything about you while you can’t even bother to remember anything I can do due to arrogance in that sword of yours.”

While the girl was falling to her knees while coughing up blood - Mother decided to reach down and take the sword from the girl. Following that up by kicking the girl face-first into the dirt. Not even putting the girl within her eyes (quite literally as she had them closed) as she walked away from her.

Fortunately oni were the most stubborn of the races so Vibrant didn’t die immediately but it was clear that fighting was something she couldn’t do. Simply clutching her chest as she ground her teeth together in an attempt to focus on recovery. Regardless, she refused to give up.

Shakeningly pushing herself to her feet to only get a fed up groan from the bored goddess.

“Are you really this foolish?”

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Turning her head as if she was looking at the girl from over her shoulder; one didn’t even need to see her eyes to know they were rolling.

“I… I haven’t… Lost!”

Speaking between bouts of throwing up her blood.

Warriors may respect that kind of gumption however Mother nor Alice never thought of themselves as being the “brave warrior” type. Inside and out they were rulers. They were born to make cruel choices that an honest knight would never be able to make.

In other words she only found it annoying that such a weakling refused to learn their place thus decided to end it as quickly as possible.

She had already granted Vibrant enough chances to show off her worth.

“Ara~ ara~ such a resilient little girl but if you can’t make a choice… Then this kami-sama will just have to make the choices for you~!”

Deciding there is no worth in playing around - she lifted the girl’s sword into the air while letting her own intent tear the sheath to pieces. Unlike the practised but simplistic attacks of the oni; Mother prepared her intent with an actual form in mind. This made the girls eyes widened as she finally appeared to realise the gulf in skill between the two of them.

“Well I would say it has been fun… But that would be a lie.”

The sword began to fall down with all the weight of a thousand neutron sta-

“Please don’t destroy the place we’ve only just started rebuilding~.”

Hearing the cat made the goddess freeze up as she promptly halted her attack since she knew fine well that her attack would likely obliterate everything behind the girl. Part of that “everything” being the temporary settlement where they were keeping the mortals. She would be an irresponsible mother if she just killed mortals for just so happening to get in the way of one of her attacks.

Pushing her energy into the blade before erupting it out - resulting in her essentially scattering the intent that was forming the attack. Harmlessly invalidating her own technique. All of this in front of the girl who saw her life flash before her eyes with surprise painted across her face.

Soon those eyes of hers began to glow with understanding as she couldn’t help having her thoughts focus around the technique that she saw.

Never did she think that such things could be done with a sword, that intent was all that existed, but now that she has discovered something new… She suddenly felt an urge to understand it and then claim it for herself. Confident that, one day, no one would be able to challenge her might as long as she had a sword in her hand.

Not that Mother intended to give her a chance to grow.

Throwing Vibrant’s sword aside without care - her hands moving to hold her own sword & sheath in a way that would become iconic - slightly sliding the sword from sheath. Only drawing it enough so the clean metallic sheen caught the light of the outside world. Expanding her stance with a kind smile.

Sadly (for her) the world seemed to have a grudge against her since a random rock came hurtling towards her. Resulting in her shifting her focus on the rock instead. A faint *click* echoed through the silence, a sound marking her tsuba & saya once again meeting as one.

The rock split in half around her with a beautifully perfect cut.

“For the perfect oni… You certain abandon tradition quickly ohohoho~.”

Tilting her head back as a single glimmer of magenta escaped from under her right eyelid while she peered towards the one responsible for the sudden attack.

“There is no point in wasting resources when war is on the horizon.”

“She is right~.”

Hearing the agreement of her master was enough for Mother to stay her blade; understanding that this illusive cat was wiser to the ways of the world than her.

“Then I’ll spare the brat since you said so, sensei.”

Shrugging her shoulders as it was of no importance to her.

Something that annoyed the blonde haired oni who wanted to argue but the extreme blood loss from having her heart pierced by Mother’s hand finally made her collapse.

“Weak.”