“You know, Sylvie…you're an annoying little shit…but I need your power right now…”
As Kinsey summoned the great power of the Dark forces, the others watched in terror.
Noelle's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. "What the hell is she doing?" she whispered, her voice quivering.
Zalgo narrowed her eyes, her face etched with concern and worry. "This isn't good," she muttered.
The dark cloud around Kinsey expanded, and she lifted into the air, hovering above the ground, her face twisted with anger and determination.
The others backed away, fear in their eyes as they watched Kinsey's transformation. Sapphira stood firm, though, her expression unwavering.
"You're making a grave mistake, mortal!" she warned, her voice echoing around the chamber.
"Mistake, mistake," Kinsey repeated, her voice taking on a deep and hoarse tone as she looked down at the others. "I'll show you what a mistake really looks like…”
Kinsey opened her eyes, both of which were now more black than a starless night sky. Without warning, she hurled a powerful blast of dark magic at Sapphira, who barely dodged it, her body narrowly avoiding the hit.
The blast crashed against the wall behind where Sapphira stood a moment ago, leaving a crater in its wake. The others stared in horror as they realized the extent of Kinsey's corrupted powers.
Noelle stepped forward, her hands glowing with her aura. "Kinsey, stop this madness!" she cried out, her voice filled with desperation.
Kinsey turned her gaze towards Noelle, her eyes glowing darkly, filled with malice.
"And what are you going to do about it, little light-bringer?" she sneered, her voice full of contempt. "You think you can stop me with your pitiful powers?”
Noelle gritted her teeth, her determination unflinching. "I'm going to try," she said firmly, her hands raising higher. "You can't just let your anger consume you like this!”
Kinsey smirked, her eyes flickering with dark mirth.
"Oh, please," she snorted, her voice dripping with scorn. "Do you really think you have the power to stop me? You're nothing more than a mere Light-bearer, a grain of sand in the universe. You can't even comprehend the kind of power I possess now!”
“No matter your powers, I'll do whatever it takes to stop you!"
Noelle began to channel her energy, gathering it into a blinding light at her fingertips.
Kinsey chuckled darkly, her eyes fixated on Noelle.
"You think your puny light can defeat me? Fool."
Kinsey's body seemed to ripple and change, transforming further into something more demonic and powerful, her voice taking on an otherworldly tone.
“You humans…destroy…EVERYTHING!!!!” she roared, her Darkness swelling with a deep boom.
“Drop it already, Kinsey!” Rachel yelled, her fists balled.
“You're not speaking to a human anymore, Rachel,” Noelle said in a shaky voice. “You're speaking to a demon. A nasty one at that.”
With a fierce cry, Noelle then unleashed the aura she had been gathering, directing it towards Kinsey as a dazzling beam of bright, pure Light.
Kinsey's eyes widened slightly, surprised at the power of Noelle's attack. She quickly cast a shield around herself made of Dark energy, which absorbed the light beam with a burst of smoke and shadows.
"Is that really the best you have?" she sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "That little light show is nothing compared to my power now!”
Noelle clenched her fists, her determination only strengthening at Kinsey's words. She couldn't let her get away with this.
"I won't give up," she said firmly, her voice edged with a fierce resolve. "I refuse to let you harm anyone here or corrupt the World Core!”
Kinsey chuckled darkly, her expression dripping with contempt.
"Oh, aren't you just adorable? So determined and stubborn. It's almost endearing."
She raised her hand, creating an orb of swirling dark energy in her palm, its malevolent power crackling around her like electricity.
Noelle braced herself, her eyes locked on Kinsey's dark orb. She knew she couldn't back down, even if the odds were stacked against her.
Kinsey smirked, her face twisted with sadistic enjoyment.
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"I can see the fear in your eyes, little human," she sneered. "You're in over your head, and you know it."
She hurled the dark orb at Noelle, its malevolent energy crackling through the air like a serpentine bolt of lightning. Noelle gritted her teeth, her body tensing as she prepared to dodge the incoming attack. At the last moment, she leaped out of the way, the dark orb narrowly missing her and exploding against the wall behind her.
Kinsey laughed derisively, her confidence unwavering.
"You're fast, I'll give you that," she said, her voice filled with mockery. "But you can't dodge forever."
She raised her hand once again, her palm glowing as she prepared to launch another attack.
"I don't plan to dodge forever," Noelle said, her voice edged with determination. "I'm going to find a way to stop you, no matter what it takes."
She focused her energy once more, her hands glowing brighter as she prepared to counterattack.
Kinsey's smile only widened, her arrogance growing with each passing moment.
"Your determination is impressive," she sneered. "But it will be your downfall. You can't possibly hope to defeat me."
She unleashed another wave of dark energy, sending a barrage of shadowy projectiles towards Noelle, moving with incredible speed.
Noelle dodged and weaved through the dark projectiles, her body moving with a grace and agility that belied her mortal form. She ducked and rolled, barely avoiding the attacks, her determination flaring even brighter. Noelle then emerged from the dust and landed a jump kick on Kinsey's stomach, her boots crashing into the girl with a harsh thud that made the others cringe.
The kick was not enough to send Kinsey flying across the room, but it was enough to send her stumbling backwards, her eyes widened as she winced. She brought a hand to her stomach, looking up at Noelle with a slightly hateful glare.
"Why, you little BITCH-"
Kinsey raised a hand, and several tentacles of dark energy shot forth towards Noelle in rapid succession!
Noelle's eyes widened as she quickly dodged the first few tentacles, but the next one managed to graze her side, causing a sharp pain to shoot through her. She let out a gasp of pain, wincing as she stumbled backwards.
Kinsey smirked, watching Noelle struggling. She seemed to enjoy seeing her enemy in pain. She raised her hand again, preparing to launch another attack when, suddenly, Sapphira moved in front of Noelle.
"No more."
Kinsey's smirk faded at the sound of Sapphira's authoritative voice. The ancient mermaid stared down at her with a firm and stern gaze, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
"Not you again, you puny fish."
Kinsey's voice was still dripping with disdain, but there was a hint of caution in it now - a recognition of Sapphira's authority and strength.
Sapphira scowled. "You have no right to toy with the World Core, especially not like this. I cannot allow such recklessness."
Sapphira then glides closer to Kinsey, her eyes narrowing.
"Oh, please. As if you could stop me. I'll knock BOTH of you the fuck out with this new power."
"You underestimate my power, mortal. I am the guardian of this underwater city, and I will not allow its World Core to fall into the wrong hands."
Sapphira's words were spoken with a firm and resolute tone, leaving no room for argument. Her eyes flared with determination as she floated closer to Kinsey.
“It won't go the same way as last time, sea creature."
Kinsey's confidence was beginning to waver, but her anger and bitterness towards the group still fueled her determination. She raised her arms, and dark energy swirled around her once more, crackling with power.
"I am more than capable of handling you, Kinsey. You may possess dark powers, but I have the wisdom and experience that comes with age and protection of this realm."
Sapphira's calm demeanor remained in sharp contrast to Kinsey's aggression, and her voice was laced with a hint of maternal sternness, as if she would rather be dealing with a child throwing a tantrum than a full-grown young woman bent on revenge.
"Your age and wisdom mean nothing to me!"
Kinsey clenched her fists, her eyes flaring with a renewed sense of determination. She was not going to let Sapphira stand in her way. She raised her hands, and more dark energy surged forth, forming into several writhing, wriggling dark vines that aimed straight for Sapphira.
"Very well then."
Sapphira's voice remained cool and calm, even as she prepared to defend herself. She raised her arms and held out her hands, a brilliant glow surrounding them as she summoned her aura. The dark vines approached, and with surprising speed, Sapphira slapped them out of the air with two swift, powerful blows.
The sound of them smacking against the stone floor echoed throughout the chamber, and Kinsey's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected swiftness of Sapphira's actions. The others watched in awe, their eyes locked on the ongoing battle between the two powerful women.
Kinsey gritted her teeth, her anger growing as she realized that Sapphira was not going to be an easy opponent to take down. She gathered the rest of the dark vines and launched them at Sapphira with more force, willing them to wrap around the mermaid's body and constrict.
"Impressive, but not enough."
Sapphira raised her arm once more, and with another swift backhand, she batted the approaching dark vines away.
"You are outmatched, Kinsey. It's time to stop this foolishness.”
Kinsey's face flushed with anger, her eyes burning with defiance.
"You really think you can tell me what the fuck to do? I'm not gonna stop ‘til I get my revenge!"
Kinsey clenched her fists, and the air around them began to grow heavy and dark as her anger and determination surged through her, launching herself at Sapphira. Sapphira caught Kinsey by the arm before her punch could connect, and held her in place as she landed a harsh tail strike on Kinsey's side, leaving a deep red impression of her tail behind. Kinsey resisted the pain, however, not blushing and refusing to be knocked around like a ragdoll like before. Grunting, Sapphira struck with her tail again on Kinsey's right upper arm, leaving another gruesome tail impression. But again, Kinsey refused to budge or show any relent. Sapphira glowered, slamming her tail into Kinsey over and over, landing four blows per second wear down Kinsey's strength and resolve one tail strike at a time.. The chamber echoed with the sharp sounds of Sapphira's tail impacting on Kinsey's body, but Kinsey gritted her teeth and bore it all without budging an inch. It was as if her anger and determination had formed a shield around her, enabling her to withstand the barrage of attacks even when it seemed implausible. Despite Sapphira's relentless strikes, Kinsey showed no signs of yielding, further proving her strength, both physically and mentally.
Meanwhile, the others watched the exchange with wide eyes, unable to interfere. Alice, in particular, felt a pang of guilt in her chest as she observed the brutal assault on one of her old friends.
Sapphira continued her relentless barrage, her expression determined and set, as she tried to wear down Kinsey's defenses and force her to give up. But Kinsey remained staunch, the rage and willpower within her fueling her resistance against the onslaught of harsh blows. It seemed like an impossible task to tire out Kinsey at this rate. Her anger and perseverance had become an impenetrable force that no amount of physical attacks could match. The blows continued to land upon her with no break, but Kinsey's resolve only seemed to strengthen with every strike.
However, as the fight went on, Sapphira noticed a subtle change in Kinsey's expression. Though she still held strong, a brief flicker of weakness appeared in her eyes, revealing the immense pain and exhaustion she was enduring.
Sensing an opportunity, Sapphira intensified her attacks, her tail whipping and striking with renewed force. She could see the strain on Kinsey's face, the subtle hints of fatigue and desperation. As much as Kinsey tried to hide it, Sapphira knew that she was reaching her limit. Sapphira recognized this and continued to press her advantage, hitting Kinsey with precise and brutal blows each time. With every passing second, Kinsey looked more worn-down, her breaths becoming heavier and her movements more labored.
Alice and Rachel watched anxiously, their hearts in their throats. Each blow that landed upon Kinsey's body sent a wave of worry and concern through them. They had grown up together, shared countless memories, and now watching Kinsey get punished like this was pure torture.
A few blows later came a moment where Kinsey's defenses slipped, and Sapphira found her opening. With a swift motion, she struck Kinsey with a precise and painful blow, causing her to fall to the ground. Kinsey gasped as she hit the ground, the impact knocking the breath out of her lungs. She struggled to push herself up, but Sapphira was upon her in a matter of seconds, her tail poised to deliver another hit.
The others flinched, their hearts pounding in their chests. They wanted to intervene, to stop the fight before Kinsey got hurt anymore, but they knew that interfering could potentially make the situation worse. So they could only watch as Sapphira prepared to deliver the final blow.
Sapphira brought her tail down with full force upon Kinsey, the impact ringing loudly throughout the chamber. Kinsey's body jerked and she let out a cry of pain as the blow landed.
The others watched in horror as Kinsey lay motionless on the ground. The fight was over, and Sapphira stood above her with a look of triumph on her face.
The room was eerily quiet, the only sound was the sound of Kinsey's labored breathing and the gentle hum of the World Core. The others were too shocked to speak, their minds trying to process what they had just witnessed. As the shock wore off and realization dawned upon them, the others rushed over to Kinsey, concern etched on their faces. They knelt down beside her, checking on her injuries and assessing the damage. Kinsey was in bad shape. Her body was covered in red marks and bruises, and she was clearly in pain. Her eyes fluttered open and she attempted to push herself up, but her body was too weak. The others quickly but gently held her down, trying to prevent her from moving too much and inadvertently hurting herself further.
“I…failed,” Kinsey said in a breathless voice.
Her dark aura shrouded her body once more, and before anyone could react, Kinsey disappeared from the chamber.
“Kinsey, wait-!” Rachel called out. But her voice echoed with Kinsey being long gone. “Damn…we had our chance…” she ended with a resolute defeat in her eyes.