[ARC 12: 30 DAYS A REVENANT]
[April 1st]
Mia's slight guilt had passed within a few days, and for that entire March, the two fought hard to keep their new stars. On April 1st, Charlotte had an announcement for the student body in the amphitheatre, widescreen behind her.
"Hello, Urasaria students!" she chimed direct in to the microphone.
Silence.
"I said, hello, Urasaria students!"
Silence.
She nodded like she was speaking to a standing ovation. "It's only thirty days until the rankings are closed, to be Urasaria's next student body president!"
Her hands swept to the screen behind, and the leaderboard glowed to life.
MAD DOG (200)
SYMPHONY REGALIA (160)
ECLIPSE (150)
PRETTIEST PINK (149)
"And if we get rid of us pesky fourth-years!"
BOUDOIR (97)
SWARM (96)
CARVE (96)
RAIN-ON-A-WEDDING (93)
Mia felt Serena's eyes on her.
"Rankings close on April 30th, midnight! Our time! Good luck! It'll be an April like none other!"
◆◆◆
Urasaria's resident narcissist had been called in to the docks that day, a sailor who had gone postal. She stepped in to the warehouse, Carve's sawblade readied -
- and there, her foe stood at the other end, a hundred feet separating she and he; she started her rush forward, leaping on Carve's blade and riding it quick -
- and the man rushed out the back doors and to the docks behind, ocean up ahead, narcissist in pursuit behind as he ran -
- and leaped in to the water, Kirihara sighing as she came up to the edge, readying to step off the hovering saw; but in the next instant -
- a tentacle erupted out of the water and shot to Carve's center hole, gripping and starting to yank it down; Kirihara leaped off and back, another dozen tentacles shooting for her out of the water -
- but the next scene was instant. Her sawblade burst in to a hundred pieces, metal shards shredding to bits the tentacles around, sudden barnacles present on each as the pieces spun red -
- and she laughed as the shards flew back to her, forming to a solid saw once more; but she bad no time to rest. The ground began to rumble, and before she could react -
- it started to buckle and cave inward, suddenly collapsing; her footing suddenly lost, the water caught her as she fell, tentacles yanking her down to the depths -
' - Carve!'
- and a whirl of steel went through the hideous trunks, seeing her foe below, tentacles bursting out of his back; but the next scene was instant.
A spin of his tentacles around, new beasts reforming as he spun with the speed of light in circles, whirlpool starting to form and swallowing her as it churned -
- and the pressure of the spiral claimed her body, throwing her in a permanent loop as she was caught direct in -
- and the keen ends of a dozen scales slashed her back open; with a drowned grunt, Carve reformed to steel armor, protecting her from the sharp scales floating within the whirlpool as she spun. The collapsed wall of the docks passed behind, and with few options left, she threw her hand to her armor's chest, ripping a spear out of Carve's armor; a thrust against the wall, trying to slow her steady spiraling descent down -
- and sighing as it scraped only wall, no escape left but down to the depths below, starting to lose her breath -
- but the next scene was instant. Her armor reformed to a solid harpoon, saws at each end ready to spin and buttress the whirlpool; she threw the sharp projectile down -
- and the keen end pierced through the man's skull and out his head, whirlpool fading as he sank rigid below.
She kicked her way back up to the surface, gasping for breath, and annoyed she'd have to go back down to scan.
[April 2nd]
Matoi had gotten a request for a Revenant resistant to explosives that day, and knew why as soon as she entered the shattered avenue.
"They sent a fucking WOMAN?"! shouted the teenage male at the other end, three hundred feet separating the two, buildings already collapsed all around. "EXPLOSION!"
- and as might be expected, an explosion erupted at his feet and claimed his entire body; out of the cloud of smoke he stomped like an explosive reaper -
" - -that's- your Revenant name?" droned Matoi, not even bothering to take her sword out as she started her rush forward, imminent heat growing from Wedding's eyes as she ran, a hundred feet separating the two, and in the next instant -
- an explosion erupted at her feet and blast her with the strength of a thousand away, and as she flew -
- an explosion of her own erupted behind and threw her to the ground, stopping her fell as she shot to her feet again, only a hundred feet between the two as he stomped forward.
"This'll get fucking interesting -"
" - let me show you what a real explosion looks like." laughed Matoi.
A single missile erupted from her shoulder, flying down the street and in to the road -
- and the entire road split in half like an earthquake had struck it; Matoi leaped to the side, laughing as she saw her foe swallowed ahead, cars following beside in to the fissure of asphalt -
- but an explosion blasted the boy out of the fissure, landing quick with the distance still between them.
"Fucking - ragged cunt!" he shouted; a dozen grenades formed in his hands, and as he threw them forward -
- a hasty set of missiles blasted them back to him, explosions erupting all around -
- but a set of his own explosions blast them back to her -
- and a barrage of missiles blasted the projectiles skyward and away, tired of the explosive game in to which she had been thrown.
'Calling me a cunt. The sentence is death.' thought Matoi, starting her rush forward, imminent heat growing from Wedding's eyes; ahead, she saw him throw another volley -
- and a blinding light erupted from each; the flashbangs set her stumbling, and in the next instant -
- an explosion erupted at her feet and blast her with the strength of a lot of fucking explosions away, but as she flew -
- the next scene was instant.
Her barrage of missiles flew behind her, carapaces erupting in to a storm of metal shards, lasers working quickly on welding a solid wall -
- and in to the sudden barrier she smashed and fell, grunting as she stood again, rage-filled teenager still yelling on the other end.
"Fucking ragged bitch! You know you look a lot like Satsuki Kiryuin from Kill la Kill -"
- and a rage like none other entered her mind as she turned back to her wall, every otaku that had asked her out while it aired -
" - I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT A REAL BLINDING FLASH LOOKS LIKE!" shouted Matoi, who looked a lot like Satsuki Kiryuin from Kill la Kill; a laser erupted from Wedding's eyes and hit the barrier -
- and the entire avenue filled with blinding light; she grunted and turned, starting her rush forward again -
- and cursing as she saw the boy shrouded in his own cloud of smoke, explosions swallowing the blinding light as she ran forward, only fifty feet between the two. Ahead, his right hand swept out and back, throwing a dozen grenades forward -
- a final barrage erupted out of Wedding's shoulders, and as his eyes opened again -
- he saw with doomed vision her laser bouncing off the missiles, ricocheting with the speed of light around, and before he could react -
- the scorching beam disintegrated his head, and his corpse fell rigid and limp, leaving a laughing Matoi.
[April 3rd]
Mia had been called in to help guard a local horse derby that day, and was still walking down the street by midday.
With a sigh, she stepped on to one casual avenue -
' - are those fucking - dinosaurs?'
And down the street, were a dozen fucking velociraptors, making with the speed of an extinct species towards her -
- underneath eleven sweeping fangs she dodged, and as the twelfth cleaved her chest open -
" - Worldwide!"
- a swarm of scarabs ripped and tore the scales off their bones, Mia panting as they fell dead around -
- and feeling her skin start to crack like their's.
'Fuck fuck fuck.'
With no time to waste, the scarab woman slowly turning dinosaur rushed up the avenue, civilians diving in shops around as she ran down the sidewalk, and as she passed one casual store -
- the windows shattered open behind, and as she turned -
" - glass - fucking dinosaurs?" she growled, teeth growing and lips cracking, swarm of glass shards with sudden teeth and limbs sprouting behind -
" - Scary Monsters!" growled a voice in her ear; with the speed of light she turned -
- and there was a utahraptor she knew as her foe; a sweep of its claws cleaved her chest open, pain staggering her back as her scarabs burnt to ash the swarm behind. She raised her sword high, and in a single sweep seeking its neck -
- that caught only air as it swept with the speed of light away; before she could react, its teeth were in her arm, seeking to rip her limbs open -
" - Worldwide!"
- a set of ice scarabs froze her arm, blunting the sharp advance and freeing her arm again - and a jet of water blast the beast a dozen feet away, panting and grunting as she stepped carefully black -
- and bizarrely, she saw it sniff the running water for a second.
It was like a blue and extinct nightmare as it rushed down the sidewalk, reptilian legs hurtling its body along at terrifying gait; its claws cleaved her chest open again. The pain set her off-balance, and in the next instant -
- her entire body was frozen solid, icy prison claiming her entire figure -
- and within, she dared not nod as she saw her foe suddenly standing still, glancing around as if confused, unable to detect the frozen woman.
A swarm of ice&fire scarabs flew slowly to the awning of one shop ahead, bursting open in a constant waterfall; the creature turned, sniffing again, growling as it started to turn back.
With no nod, she melted her icy prison, starting her charge at the beast again, sword bursting in to white flames as her weapon met its arms. In a whirlwind of blows they clashed down the sidewalk, Mia desperate to keep it underneath the waterfall as she fought, scarabs chilling her wounds as her skin started to turn reptilian -
- and growling as she felt her reactions increase, the two combatants growing in speed, waterfall starting to blur her vision as the two fought underneath, crimson water running off their bodies as her claws grew -
- and the keen end of an icicle pierced through his crouch and out his head, having been grown gradually over the course of their battle. A second sweep of her sword cleaved the beast in half, body turning human and rigid.
"Good." growled Mia - and coughed, realizing her teeth and features were back to normal. "Er - good."
[April 4th]
That day, Mia had gotten called in to one avenue -
- and groaned immediately as she entered it, seeing her foe at the other end five hundred feet away, six-chambered revolver in hand.
'I should have checked the address better.'
With a sigh, her shield of ice formed, and as she started her rush up the road, parked cars beside -
" - Sex Pistols!" shouted the man, turning his aim to her right; the crack of one gunshot arose in the air and flew towards the vehicle -
- but a shield of ice formed over the gas cap, keeping her protected as she ran past another car, and as she ripped her eyes behind -
- she saw the next instant scene. A yellow bullet erupted out of the frozen gas cap, shooting and flying towards her -
- and veering past through the car window beside, entering the tank from within -
- and in to a hundred pieces exploded the vehicle; the storm of fiery shards sliced and entered her chest, pain staggering her back, and before she could react -
- another two bullets entered her chest, starting to burrow within and gouge at her internals -
- but a swift swarm of scarabs entered her wounds, chasing after the zealous upstarts and yanking out the two bullets, bizarrely humanoid eyes&limbs on the projectiles -
- and as a scarab might snap a wishbone, the swarm tore their bodies in two. With a laugh, she started forward again, three hundred feet separating her from the man ahead; behind, another bullet entered her back -
- but a pillar of white flame claimed her entire body, burning to ash the bullet -
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- and her lips pinched as she heard a fatal whimper from it. Bizarre guilt on her mind, she turned her eyes right -
- and a bizarre scene met her stare, sentient bullet carrying a container of gasoline and shooting towards her; coming to her quick, dousing her in its entire volley, she laughed as she ran -
" - no, try to set me on fire!" laughed Mia -
- and her blood grew cold as she felt the line of gunpowder below. A third bullet hit&lit the fuse, and before she could react, the explosion began -
- but the next scene was instant.
A pillar of ice erupted below her feet, launching her up and far away from the explosion, a hundred feet vertically from the man two hundred feet forward, and as she hit her peak and started to fall -
" - Worldwide!"
- a swift slide of ice formed in mid-air, and down she slid and slid, seeing the man turn his aim towards her below. A fork formed in the frozen path -
- and the man kept his eyes sharp on the forked path of ice, seeing two clouds of steam go down each, Mia disappearing within as the mid-air paths led behind him. He turned, dumping one decisive shot in to each cloud of steam -
- and a familiar boot smashed his skull in to the pavement, Mia laughing as she landed on a face crushed crimson and breaking her fall. She staggered for a moment, panting and crouching down.
"Get up!" whimpered a voice below, and as her eyes turned -
- she saw a sentient bullet on his hand, a #4 painted on its conehead, eyes and limbs. He looked up at Mia.
"He's dying." whimpered the bullet, #4 turned red. "All he wanted was -"
" - Revenants shouldn't talk." winced Mia, and a tuft of white flame burnt him to ash. She took her tablet out and scanned, and a scarab brushed against her neck.
[April 5th]
Marisa had taken a taxi that night with an eccentric driver, talking in to a phone shaped like a frog.
"Are you a Urasaria student?" he said.
"Uh, yeah." she mumbled, accustomed to men, and their odd tastes. "Didn't fight anyone today, though, like."
"How unfortunate. Brrring, brrring, brrring - excuse me, I have to - take this!"
He drove up the street, and Marisa realized then his phone was a dead frog.
"DOPPIO!" he shouted. "I'LL BE THERE IN TEN SECONDS!"
"Uh - let me out." groaned Marisa, and the man shook his head.
"B-Boss! She's, she's trying to get out -"
- and the next scene was instant. A Boudoir-bullet shattered the window; the fashionista leaped out of the taxi, lamppost ahead and a strand shooting towards it, and in the next instant -
- her skull smashed in to the lamppost; the pain staggered her down as she slumped against the sidewalk, seeing the taxi suddenly fifty feet ahead on the street -
" - the - fuck?" She groaned as she stood, cradling her head, helmet of Boudoir forming for her safety; ahead, her foe leaped out of the taxi, pink hair blowing as he started rushing towards her -
" - stop! Urasaria!" she shouted, flashing her palm forward -
- but the man still rushed ahead; no option left, a volley of bullets burst out of her palm -
- and disappeared, the man suddenly only a dozen feet away now, and as his grip sought her neck -
- a strand burst out of her helmet and yanked her to the building above, swinging and sweeping across lampposts as a true spider might, dodging the man below as she hurtled down the sidewalk -
- and landed with a final leap beside the task, having put a hundred feet between her and the ma. Palms raised, she turned to the taxi; a set of strands erupted out of her palms, grunting as she lifted it up, foe in pursuit -
- and as a true hero might, she threw the automobile projectile at him, tons screaming through the air as it flew -
- and it was teleported behind the man; he disappeared, and in the next instant -
- a familiar fist smashed her right shoulder opened behind, a second fist seeking her back -
- but a set of spikes burst out of her back; and she felt the man sweep with the speed of lightning away behind her. She turned, and the two started to circle, thirty feet between them.
'Erasing time. Can't hit me if I hit him at the same time. Must be able to see like, ahead in time, too.'
She nodded, knife forming from her right glove. She swept her left palm underneath and slit her right palm -
- and nodded as no drops of blood came, time having been erased in the next ten seconds.
'Wait. Why did I do that? That's totally useless.'
She groaned, and in the next instant; he disappeared -
- his fist burst through her back and out her chest, clutching her still-connected heart -
- but behind the man erupted a dozen spikes out of the ground, shooting with the speed of sound towards him -
" - King Crimson!"
- and he laughed as the spikes passed through them -
- and shrieked a second later, his arms having been cleaved off in the interim, spikes growing out of Marisa's dress near her heart; a choked cry left him as he slumped back -
- and a final volley of bullets split his head in half, Marisa wincing as Boudoir's strands yanked her heart back in.
'Only... saw... ten seconds ahead.'
She winced, stumbling to the ground, taking her tablet out to call Serena.
[April 6th]
The white wedding had been called to a motorcycle convention that day, walking between lines of new models, and already seeing her foe ahead; a bizarre creature shaped like a red monkey, a hundred feet away, cubes of motorcycles laid at its feet.
With a yawn, a barrage of missiles erupted from her prodigal shoulders, and as they hit the creature dead-on -
- an unseen force shredded them to cubes, and they fell limp beside; it shot up and saw her at the other end, the two combatants starting their rush at each other, fifty feet between the two now -
" - Wedding - beam!" she shouted, and as the laser sought its neck -
- an unseen force shredded her laser to cubes, heat bizarrely falling rigid beside as it rushed forward, only thirty feet between; Matoi swept with the speed of light back, new barrage hitting below her feet as she stepped away -
" - come here!" she shouted, starting her rush away and back, and as the helpless boy pursued her -
- a dozen landmines tore its body to cubes of gore, Matoi laughing as she turned again.
'I love automatic Revenants.'
[April 7th]
That day, Mia had gotten called in to a farmhouse owned by a local gang leader. She stepped out of the forest and in to the tilled field, house five hundred feet away -
- and groaned as she saw the entire field filled with snakes. An icicle formed in her hand, and she threw it forward; it pierced through one of the snakes, and in the next instant -
- she screamed in agony as a hole opened in her chest, damage suddenly reflecting as she staggered back -
' - alright! No - no hurting animals, then.' She winced, a ramp of ice forming. She stepped carefully ahead, bridge of ice bringing her to the farmhouse's back door ahead, and as she reached down to the door -
- a tree branch erupted out of the door and shot through her chest; a pierced gasp left her as it lengthened, catching and impaling clear through her -
" - Worldwide -" she gagged, full swarm flying ahead of her -
- and pushing their mistress off the branch and back to the ground knees-first; but she had no time to rest. A man burst out of the doors and rushed towards her, and before she could react, his fist smashed her cheek -
- and she screamed in agony as the world slowed around her, far worse pain than proper wracking her body, senses suddenly heightened and time slowing -
' - he creates life. His punches can't hurt that much - I'm perceiving him moving much slower. Why would he have a Revenant that makes me faster?'
His lips moved slow, mouthing out a garbled "Gold Experience" as she rose again, sword readied, heart beating fast in a sweep seeking his arms -
- and he swept with the speed of light back and left as time resumed, golden armor forming over his arms as the two clashed. In a whirlwind of blows they revolved down the field, senses heightening with every hit he landed, speed of time flowing in to her senses, growing faster by the moment again; her sword froze solid, and in a thrust seeking his chest -
- he swept away -
- a icicle burst out of the tip and impaled his chest just as he had her -
- and he threw himself desperately off and away, hands sweeping to his wound -
- and filling it with flesh; in the next instant -
- his sleeves turned to a scarab swarm of his own, covered in life that would reflect any damage they took -
- and the two circled careful, snakes starting to slither over to their fight -
- and Mia laughed as she saw one's fangs dip in his ankle; with a grunt, he kicked it away, and she knew her fatal plan then.
'He doesn't control them.'
She started her rush forward, and in a decisive fake sweep seeking his scarabs -
- that caught a sudden tree branch out of ground; the pain staggered her back, and he laughed as she backed away, horrendous gash opening in her chest as the damage reflected. "Did you really -"
- and the next scene was instant. A disguised scarab flew out of his swarm and down his throat, and before he could react -
- the tuft of flame melted his head to liquid, Mia wincing as he fell rigid ahead, homeless scarabs and snakes all around her.
She sighed, taking her tablet out to scan as she crouched down. A homeless scarab crawled on her boot -
- and a true beetle ripped it in half, envious of the attention.
[April 8th]
Kirihara had gotten called in to a bank robbery that day, and she stepped in the doors, past a swarm of bees carrying a bag of money away, foe fifty feet ahead with a second swarm.
"Great." she muttered, Carve readied as she stepped forward; the swarm of bees shot towards her -
- and a whirl of steel went through the hideous insects that sought her neck, two new swarms of bees shooting out of the man's sleeves, endless swarm flying towards her; inch by inch, she stomped forward, sawblade churning to bits the insectile swarm around, sprinkler of bee blood sprayed all across the room, and as the prodigal army started to dwindle -
" - Harvest!" shouted the man, sweeping a pouch off his back; a new swarm appeared and flew in to the back, and as they flew back out -
" - fucking kidding me?" groaned Kirihara, the swarm now armed with assault rifles, insects turned infantry as the fullauto fire shot towards her -
- but the next scene was instant. Carve's sawblade flew ahead and spun down, spinning with the speed of light and reflecting every last bullet, hailstorm hailstorm of lead ricocheting and hitting the walls around; the man rushed to the side, fleeing out of her range as the swarm started to reload -
- and a second sweep of Carve's saw tore the bees to chunks of bee gore. With a sigh, she turned, seeing the man rush out of the doors and slam them shut behind, and as she rushed in pursuit, coming up to the doors and opening them again -
- a swarm of bees slammed it shut on her nose, pain staggering her back as she grunted - Carve flew back to her grip, forming a chainsaw as she rushed along the wall -
- and opened an exit to the sidewalk beyond. With no time to waste, she swept in and through, seeing her foe rushing down the sidewalk right and out to the road, park entrance ahead as she ran in pursuit.
"Carve." she muttered, throwing her chainsaw forward; the traditional saw formed, and she leaped up and upon it, riding it forward with far more speed, man only ten seconds ahead and running in to the park.
Down the path the two chased; a bench was ahead&right, and as he passed by, a swarm of bees scooped it off the ground, and as she flew direct in to the swarm -
- she felt with aghast arms a dozen syringes enter her veins, anesthetic starting to numb her arms and seeking to travel up; but in the next instant -
- a chunk of Carve flew off the blade, shot to her veins and sliced them open, swift steel forming to shut her wounds as the anesthetic drained out. Only a hundred feet separated her and the man, fifty he and the park's exit to another street ahead, and as he came up to the exit -
- he rushed out on to the street, veering left as he hit the street corner, disappearing behind the corner as Kirihara came out of the park, Carve hovering through the path he had just taken; no option left, she swept around the corner -
- and an electrical current entered Carve's metal, man only feet away and bees connected to an outlet at his left -
" - C-Carve -" - she grunted, and in the next instant -
- the saw burst in to a hundred shards -
- that tore him to fifty slices.
[April 9th]
That day, Marisa had gotten a request from someone she didn't know, and stepped carefully into the outdoor public restroom, stalls beside her, exit outside behind -
- and there, on the other end, fifty feet separating she and he, the man that had requested her, black symbols drawn on his hands and legs.
"Uh." she said, eyes turning around as she stepped forward. "Where is it?" she asked, and in the next instant -
- the man rushed at her, arms suddenly seeking her neck; she swept underneath, and as his knee sought her crouch -
- a bash of a Boudoir-baton against his neck, and he fell rigid and unconscious, Marisa panting as her eyes turned around -
- and seeing a volley of spikes planted around the bathroom's entrance, open air and park outside.
'Mind control if you touch those?' she thought, stepping carefully forward, and in the next instant -
- a grenade flew in to the entrance; instincts too quick for her mind, her right hand caught it -
- and was suddenly pricked in spikes, losing control of her right hand as she threw it away and back; but her hand was taken now. An unseen forced forced a fist in her fingers, starting to rip and tear out her dress, and as its fingers dug in -
- the material hardened to concrete and kept it trapped within, Marisa sighing, left hand and two feet left, wall at her back.
'Strands'll probably be safe, but...' She winced, sweeping her left hand back and readying to erupt -
- and groaning as she felt a single nail prick her hand, having been placed on the wall; as she lost control of her left hand, she tucked it in her concrete dress -
- and turned her eyes back, assuring the wall was clear for the next instant scene, hearing someone following her footsteps above.
She ran back and in to the wall, leaping and keeping herself horizontal as she hit the wall, springs forming at Boudoir's boots -
- and out of the bathroom she was launched, hitting not a single nail on her way our as she flew, seeing her foe standing on the bathroom above; a set of strands yanked her to the ledge, pulling herself up -
- and Boudoir's bullets erupted out of her shoes, pockmarking the man's chest to cheese, Marisa laughing as he fell limp and rigid.
"What a shitty Revenant."
[April 10th]
Matoi had taken a countryside train that day, three carriages and few civilians, sitting in the far back seat.
She glanced out the windows as they passed by the forest; and a shriek of urgent terror broke from the carriage ahead. She shot to her feet, readying to rush forward, eyes on the door -
- where a zipper suddenly formed, and as it opened up -
- out stepped a man with a black bowlcut she knew as her foe, civilians shrieking beside.
"Sticky Fingers." he muttered, sweeping his hands across their necks -
- and off fell their heads, zippers suddenly hanging off their stumps; the two stepped carefully away, fifty feet separating them.
'Zippers. He might unzip my missiles.'
An explosive barrage erupted from her shoulders and flew towards him -
- but a dozen zippers appeared on the missiles, unzipping and defusing them to separate halves; and down fell the missiles, powder within hitting the ground as they landed. He started to back away -
" - they still have the explosives, moron." laughed Matoi, wishing for the punk as a missile shot from her shoulder and towards him again -
- but his hands swept the door behind, opening and unzipping it whole; he swept aside, and in to the bizarre aperture flew the missile, zipper reclosing and blunting the explosion within.
Few options left but sword outstretched, she started her rush forward, imminent heat growing from Wedding's eyes as she ran, thirty feet separating the two; the laser burst out of her chest -
- and caught only air as he swept back&out of range, heat scarring his chest as he stumbled back against the door. Sweeping his hands down, a zipper formed on the door, peeling it to two separate halves; and in to the dark rift he swept and disappeared, leaving a grunting Matoi as she stomped ahead, eyes ripping around.
The walls filled with the sound of a burrowing zipperman behind&above her, and as she turned -
- a familiar fist smashed her nose in a burst of blood -
- but she swept back in time to dodge the zipper seeking her neck, seeing him hanging halfway out of the ceiling zipper ahead -
" - Wedding - beam!"
- and she sighed as he disappeared within again, laser catching only ceiling as it closed.
"Tiresome fucking vermin." grunted Matoi, flashing her rage and strengthening her missiles as she stepped back against the door. The imminent rumble grew from her shoulders, and in the next instant -
- a hailstorm of missiles that threatened to blast to atoms the entire train erupted out of her shoulders, shooting to the roof&walls and erupting -
- and the explosions blast every last off their hinges, support crumbling and ceiling starting to buckle inward; another dozen shockwaves threw away the walls and ceiling of her carriage, leaving only a tattered floor and wind around as her explosive volley ended; but she had no time to rest.
A familiar hand erupted below and shot to her right ankle, forming a zipper; she turned with the speed of light down, sweeping her sword with the speed of sound below -
- and missing narrowly the disappearing man again. With a grunt, her lasers kept a constant beam around her vulnerable right ankle, knowing it would fall off if unzipped.
'One better way to lure this scum out.'
She tapped the door to the next carriage. She swept in and through, dead civilians around as she ran down the hall, coming to the next door quickly; turning her eyes back, she saw the man appear and standing thirty feet behind her again -
" - Wedding!" laughed Matoi, her missiles erupting outward and hit the floor -
- and the explosions split the entire carriage horizontally in half; instantly the back half fell off, sliding and skidding for hundreds of feet behind and taking the man with it -
- and she laughed again as he fell off and on to the tracks, disappearing as the train turned around another corner, still within the forest. She kept her eyes back and the man's location in her head, knowing she'd have to stop there to scan.
'Everything looks the same here. What a boring life to live.'
She tapped her foot as if expecting something -
- and a bizarre scene met her stare five hundred feet away. There was the man again, riding his own zipper along the ground, gripping it as he zipped for hundreds of feet up; few options left, Matoi backed against the door to the final carriage -
- and up the man leaped on to the split platform, starting his rush in pursuit; and back through the door swept Matoi, running through the final carriage, conductor's cabin up ahead and man zipping behind. Coming up to it quick, she threw the door open -
- to an expected scene meeting her stare, conductor dead on the console, train still screaming down the rail as it passed a forest right. Matoi turned, seeing the man still zipping behind -
" - enjoy, femboy." she droned, and in the next instant -
- a hailstorm of missiles burst out of her shoulders and flew through the front windows, dozens of explosions tearing the rail to bits ahead; and as the train screamed over it -
- it derailed and veered right, flipping and starting to roll - with a shriek, the man retreated back within his zipper -
- and felt the train outside roll and tumble for hundreds of feet down and away, explosive volleys blasting the train to bits all around, scrap metal turning to ash as it rolled and rolled for hundreds of feet, crashing through trees and clearing new land as it skid.
After a nauseating minute, he felt the rubble outside slow, husk that was the train on its side and near the forest now. He zipped his way out and leaped to the grass outside, trees at his right as he landed, former conductor's cabin up ahead -
- and out of it burst Matoi, shaking off the steel sarcophagus she had formed to protect herself, skin scarred as she stood, fifty feet separating the two. Sword readied, she started her rush forward -
- but the next scene was instant.
A zipper formed in his right wrist, half-detaching his right hand and launching it with the strength of a hundred forward -
- and bashing her nose in a burst of crimson, pain staggering her back as his hand flew back. An imminent heat grew from Wedding's eyes -
- but he laughed as he stepped back out of range, sixty feet separating the two. His blood froze as he felt a rumbling begin from the scrap metal left; and in the next instant -
- the shockwaves blast him with the strength of a hundred in to the trees; and in to one casual oak he zipped in -
- and zipped out the back, momentum blunted as he slid down and landed within the forest, few scars but skin flayed where the missiles had struck. He saw Matoi stomping after him and entering the forest, and back he stepped against the trees, new zippers hidden against the stumps, no hope of dodging the collapsing oaks for the white wedding then.
"Do you think I care about the environment?" laughed Matoi -
" - no - no -" he panted, realizing her plan then -
- and the next scene was instant. She spun with the speed of light around, lasers bursting out of Wedding's eyes, setting every tree and branch alight -
- and an enormous blaze claimed the front half of the forest; clouds of smoke filled the air, blinding him as he staggered back, immense heat growing as she set every tree around him alight -
- and a dozen explosions tore his body in to a sprinkler of blood&gore, missiles she had finally been able to hide in the clouds of smoke.
Matoi laughed, missiles keeping the flames away from her as she stomped through the ashes, taking her tablet out to scan quickly.
'I'll have to call Sarah.'
She checked the rankings after she scanned, and cursed.
BOUDOIR (99)
SWARM (99)
CARVE (98)
RAIN-ON-A-WEDDING (96)