Duality Striker (Serial 2)

Chapter 9 :: Mathilde Wairen

"Now that's interesting," Mezos says over the comms. "It seems this Nightmare comprises the spirits of Valis von Valakova and Barbariccia Legrand. I didn't know the Nightmares could cram two souls into one body."

Arizona says, her voice loud and aggressive, "Didn't you also say that Valkyrs can't turn into Nightmares? Those two were Valkyr soldiers, right?"

"Technically, this Nightmare has the body of an Imperial, but it is hosting two Valkyr souls. Only physical Valkyr bodies are resistant to the Nightmare transformation."

Valis Barbariccia shifts from side to side, her fighting stance looking wild and feral with her hands open like the claws of a beast. The fiendish Nightmare spins in a frenzy, forming a tornado in front of her. Then she launches the tornado like a projectile.

Lyne and I evade the swirling burst while Arizona takes guards and swings her gunblade, deflecting the tornado back at Valis. Valis flinches but remains stable.

Valis rushes towards us with a twirling lariat attack, unleashing a whirlwind of chopping strikes. I parry and counter with a flurry of quick punches. She blocks and back-dashes, taking evasive maneuvers, then recoils with a soaring flying kick, which I narrowly block. The fiend leaps back and prepares another strike.

"Looks like she's ready to mix things up," Mezos says. "Watch out for her twirling attacks. Whenever she flies through those tornadoes, her attacks become stronger."

Valis builds another tornado and launches towards us. This time, I spin through it and deliver a fierce back-knuckle strike, my fist connecting to her midsection, and follow it up with a heavy swinging punch-kick combination and a dive kick, knocking her back.

Lyne jumps in and attacks with a diving attack from her spear, the impact from her landing leaving a powerful tremor, staggering Valis.

Arizona then impales the ground at an angle with her gunblade and lets out an explosive spike, the debris bursting like shrapnel. Valis flinches and evades with a swift backwards dash.

The Nightmare fiend leaps away and takes center stage. She yells, "Great winds of the peaks, I summon you!" A violent vortex of wind forms around her body and portions of the stone railings break off from the platform. Small tornadoes form around her. She kicks them, sending the tornadoes in our direction."

"Watch out! Hang on the rails behind you to prevent getting blown off."

Valis continues twirling like a savage whirlwind. Gust picks up and the winds become stronger.

Lyne yells, "I have an idea. I'm going to jump!" She readies her spear and launches herself up, doing what dragoons do best and conquer the airspace.

Valis shifts her gaze and focuses on Lyne, taking a leap and meeting the dragoon from above. "The skies are mine to control, traitor!"

"Traitor?" Lyne says, gritting her teeth. "It seems your bias lies with the Lexia Imperial Army, despite possessing spirits from both opposing forces."

Valis twirls, her hair taking form and covering her body like an intertwining web of silk. She launches forward at Lyne with a devastating flying kick. Lyne parries with her spear and counters with a diving thrust.

"Drive impact!" Lyne says, driving the spear forward with a heavy thrust, punching through Valis's armor of golden locks of hair. Valis's stance crumples and Lyne follows up with a flurry of pokes, an upward swipe, and then a diving thrust, sending the greater fiend back down to the arena.

Valis crashes on to the balcony railing and tumbles down to a lower level.

"Continue the pursuit! She's not done yet," Mezos says.