Okami: Hero's Shortcomings

Chapter 24: On the Other Side

Earth, Nov. 19th 2016 @10:17 AM. The dreadful aura only increased in intensity the closer she got, almost enough to make her back away. But she remained steadfast with her convictions and the constant nagging of her inner voice.

Come on! We're almost there! I can smell a fight around the corner!

"I already told you! No. Fighting."

Sheesh, you can be really lame sometimes!

Zoey, leisurely walking across the final rooftop across the street from the supermarket, sighed deeply.

"All I want is to find out who these people are. And see if they're being dealt with yet."

She approached the edge of the roof and looked beyond the horizon in front of her. Although she knew the situation, it was still strange seeing a store with an empty parking lot.

Aside from it all, however, she locked on the sporadic clashing of attacks within the lot. It was easy to spot out Katrina, Alyssa, Amber, and the Queen. Just seeing the all white figure reignited her dormant fear.

Mama, your heart rate...

Zoey backed up a bit and got down on a knee, "yeah...we won't be getting involved...unless it's absolutely necessary...but even then..." she couldn't process what she truly wanted, her head was being spun around with terrible feelings and traumatic events.

Down below within the parking lot, the three girls attacked one after the other at the Queen. They moved fluidly like water, moving elegantly about. At least Katrina was, Alyssa's mind was clouded and resorted to her hateful bashes of swings, and Amber remained above.

"Ohohoh! This is so much fun! I'm having a blast, gals!" The Queen said, deflecting each of their hits with her weapon. Like Alyssa, she has a signature as well, the khopesh. And with Jasper now off to the side, she didn't have any worries

"Shut. Up!" Alyssa shouted, violently swinging her arms around in hopes of connecting.

"Watch out, girly. Keep swinging like that and your arm might tear off! Or rather," The Queen said as she swung her khopesh from underneath Alyssa's wrist. With little effort, she sliced through, "I can tear it off for you."

Alyssa watched her scythe fall away from her with her hand still holding firmly. The abysmal heavenly pain burned her nerves, but she didn't scream. Rather, she jolted her leg up underneath her chin, landing a blow.

"Good hit!" Amber said as she extended her arms towards the Queen. Her eyes turned into a blanket of white. The ground cracked from below and blackened chains sprouted up to wrap around the Queen, "I got her!"

"You don't think I can break out of a weak bind like this?!" She shouted during her struggle, but the chains bursted into a demonic rage. Her skin began to burn away like paper to a lighter. Soon after is when the screaming came.

"I implore you to try breaking free of these chains. Skin and bones won't be the only thing you lose."

"Yeah, her head is next." Alyssa grabbed her hand and reattached it back on, moving her digits around for a bit. She lifted her scythe and stared with a scowl.

Katrina stood off from the side, observing what was going on. The shrills from the Queen in her undesirable state and Alyssa's unwavering spite.

Everything is going good...and that's worrying. Her power easily surpasses ours combined, so why? Is Amber really that powerful?

Katrina continued to watch, but figured it was all in her head. Alyssa would soon end the Queen's life, and that would be that.

But her speculations came true, and took form of floating white spears fading into existence from behind Amber. Katrina caught onto it and acted by moving forward.

"Amber! Look out!!"

She heard Katrina's call, but it was too late. The spears beamed faster than anyone could have thought and pierced through Amber. The light corroded away at her internals, and shut down her magic.

The chains broke apart and crumbled into tiny pieces to eventually fade away. At the first chance she was able to move, she dug her nails into Alyssa's face, nearly scratching her eye out. She gripped on and radiated her heavenly embrace onto Alyssa. It wasn't long before Alyssa's body went limp.

Katrina paused for a moment. She wasn't fearful, but anxiety clawed away at her judgement. Alyssa has fallen and Amber is gravely hurt.

"What's wrong? Aren't you supposed to be stepping in, Hurricane?"

"H-Huh? How do you know my nickname?"

"Daddy dearest told me a lot about you," The Queen said as she took a seat on the road by Amber and cradled her into her arms, "let's see. There's Hurricane, Ōkami, and one more...Oou! The Ravaged One, right?!"

The anxiety in her hearts intensified, enough to her blood run cold. Her palms and head perspired, something she hasn't felt in a while.

"N-No..how do you know? I never told him that one..."

"I have my ways." She cackled.

Katrina, beginning to slip away fought to remain resilient. She forced herself forwards, but was suddenly stopped by a mysterious force wrapped around her ankle. She looked back and saw chains, like Amber's, holding her in place like a dog on a leash

"This girl is quite unique. Removing the hearts kills a demon almost instantaneously, but Itsukami's can live for days without theirs. Just place an artificial and they're good to go," The Queen said, dragging her fingernail across Amber's chest near her heart, "I'm sorry, dear, but I'll be taking this back now." Her nail was upright on her chest, and without any ease into it, she dug into Amber's skin.

Her screams echoed through the area as she wiggled her nail around.

"Oh, hush now. It'll all be over soon...once I get bored of toying with you that is."

Katrina tried ripping away at the chains, even if it meant losing a foot.

Her struggle was put on hold after a loud crash came from the supermarket. The rubble and dust made it hard to see, but it became clear on what happened. Her eyes widened, wishing what she saw to be fake.

Sung-ho walked out of the hole in the wall, with hardly any marks on him. He reached down and pulled Genji from the bricks. Bruised and battered with dried blood throughout his clothes, it was all clear.

"I take it everything is fine on your end?" Sung-ho asked, walking towards the Queen.

"Just peachy!" She said with a smile, holding up a peace sign with her free hand.

He tossed Genji closer to the group, sliding on his stomach-side. With shaky arms, he tried to lift himself up, but a pressure surrounding the top of his head kept him still.

"I want you to watch, Genji. I need you to see all your efforts go to waste...one by one."

He made sure to pull on his forehead as well to force his eyes open. Alyssa could be dead, Amber is being tortured, and his sister is trapped to watch as well. Forced into this situation by his father, it would drive anyone to insanity.