I blocked the swing at my neck with my armored hand, gripping into Excalibur and keeping the sword from cutting straight into me.
"Erica, it's m-" I started to say, before a fist of white slammed into my face, sending me flying backwards.
"Ken!" The girls cried from above.
I crashed into the ground, rolling out of the way as Erica slammed her sword into the ground against me, almost stabbing straight through my chest.
This can't be happening.
I quickly scrambled to my feet, dodging Erica's swing. My own girlfriend was attempting to kill me.
"Erica!" I yelled at her. "It's me! Ken!"
All I received in response was another swing which I barely avoided.
"You're not getting through to her!" Loki grimaced.
"You're going to have to fight her." Medea stated.
"Erica!" I yelled at her once more.
She didn't listen. Maybe she couldn't hear me. She raised her sword above her, swinging it down towards me. I brought Loki up as a sword, blocking her attack, only for a kick to slam into my stomach and send me hurtling backwards again.
She's even faster than before.
My back slammed against the wall of the colosseum as the crowds cheered in excitement. I dodged Erica's fist, which impacted the wall and sent cracks sprawling down it.
She's gotten a serious power boost, and she was already strong. This is horrible.
I can't fight her.
Erica swung once more at me, which I only narrowly avoided by rolling out of the way, but Erica quickly recovered from her swing with an impressive spinning move, sending another swing down towards my head.
I blocked it once again with my sword, now on my knees as she placed pressure down onto me. Cracks spread from under my feet as I strained to hold against Erica.
"Ken! You need to fight!" Medea shouted.
How can I fight my own girlfriend?!
Erica pushed against me harder.
"Ken!" The girls above cried out.
I growled, grunting as I started to push upwards against Erica, slowly pushing her sword back before pushing her off of me and jumping back, giving me some room.
Erica recovered her footing, gripping her blade with two hands as it started to glow a bright white.
"Shit." I muttered.
"Ken! You have to fight her!" Yui yelled.
Bianca and Aoi nodded in succession.
Erica swung her sword, a blinding white blast flying towards me. I rolled out of the way, feeling the bottom of my cape get singed. I scrambled to my feet and quickly ducked as Erica's sword flew over my head.
"She's strong Ken! She can take it!" Amber screamed. "Fight!"
I looked into Erica's helmet, only seeing myself reflected back upon the shiny, white armor.
I placed my hands into the ground, flipping backwards and landing on my feet. I dodged her next swing, before catching the following with my free, armored hand.
"Come on Erica, listen to me!" I yelled at her, trying to get through.
She just pushed her sword against me. I felt as the sword started to cut through my armor, and soon it'd reach my bare hand. I morphed Loki into a blunt bat, slamming it across Erica's helmet.
She backed up as the helmet flew into the air, before crashing into the sand. I could finally see her face fully. It was her, my girlfriend. I knew it, but seeing her face really set it in.
Of course I'd recognize her.
She looked at me, and in her eyes, I didn't see a shred of recognition. It felt like my heart had just cracked in half.
She reached down, picked up her helmet, and placed it back onto her head. She pointed her sword at me, and for the first time since I had last seen her, she spoke.
"I am Demon King Azeroth's Fourth Heavenly Knight." Her voice coldly came through, not a shred of emotion left. "And I shall slay you in his name."
The crowds cheered. Azeroth spoke something, but I couldn't hear it. I couldn't bring myself to as everything around me became blurred. All I saw was someone I loved pointing their sword at me, ready to take my life.
"Oh no..." Loki muttered.
My fists tightened. I felt energy flow through my body as green lightning sparked around me. A psychotic laugh entered my ears. I looked around, wondering who that was.
Oh wait, that's me.
I looked up at the rift above, in which that son of a bitch Azeroth sat.
"I refuse to play your little game." I grinned.
Erica rushed at me.
The girls gasped.
A rift stood in front of me, in which Erica had just disappeared from. I waved my arm towards the girls, green lightning flying out and crashing into the chains, shattering them. They fell down onto the ground.
"Interesting..." Azeroth spoke. "...it shattered...and you can create your own rifts?"
The crowd roared, getting out of their seats and coming down into the arena.
"We're leaving." I stated, glaring up at the rift which held Azeroth.
Azeroth's voice laughed. "Don't forget, Ken Kage! You can't have everything!"
"I don't care." I replied. "Come on, let's go."
"We'll teach him a lesson later." Amber growled. "I promise."
"I can't wait to break some of his fingers!" Yui laughed. "Come on! Let's go help Erica!"
The girls ran into the rift.
"Because it's all mine." Azeroth stated. "Everything is. Including you."
I walked through the rift, closing it behind me. One hawk person had barely reached it, their front half being completely severed by the closing. Their dead front floated in the void, bleeding out into nothing.
The heavenly knight Erica stood on one of the random floating rocks in the void, surrounded by three of the girls. Bianca, Aoi, and Amber all stood on the three sides of her while Yui stood in the back, cheering them on.
I floated down to them, landing onto the rock next to Yui. "I'm sorry..." I said. "I just...I can't..."
Yui looked up at me. "Ken...I get it. None of us want to hurt her. But we have to, in order to help her. She strong. She'll be ok."
Yui looked at Erica, who was taking on all three of them, however was greatly struggling. She wasn't given a single break as all three worked together as a team.
"She'd want it to be this way." Yui spoke.
"...I know." I replied. "But I don't ever want to hurt her. Not when I love her this much."
I brought my hand up. It was shaking. The hardest it has ever shook...it hasn't been this uncontrollable since I killed the king.
"We'll be ok." Yui smiled, taking my hand and holding it with hers. "And we'll filet Azeroth like the little fish he is."
"Hey Aoi!" Amber yelled. "Catch!"
She slammed her fist into Erica, who blocked the gauntlet with her sword. Erica flew backwards, flying towards Aoi. Aoi twirled her scythe, catching Erica with it and throwing her up into the air.
Bianca blasted off of the ground, leaving the rock frozen as she hurtled towards the defenseless Erica. She smacked Erica with her spear, sending her hurtling back into the rock.
Erica slammed into the floating rock, sending cracks sprawling across the ground. She stood back up, not a single scratch on her armor. She brought her free hand out, summoning a second sword.
"Armor...too strong..." Bianca spoke.
Erica rushed at Amber, swung her two swords at her. Amber ducked and weaved, avoiding the swords aimed for her head.
"We need a new strategy! Quick!" Amber stated, gripping both of her swords with her gauntlets. "Shit! Her swords are cutting through my Arcana?!"
Aoi kicked Erica away from Amber. "Subdue." She stated.
Bianca nodded in agreement.
"Subdue...?" Amber thought. "I don't think we can TKO her...I have an idea! Cover me!"
I felt a smile grow onto my face.
"Healing~!" Yui smiled, pointing her staff at Amber, a light connecting from the tip to Amber.
Amber grinned, cracking her neck. While Bianca and Aoi kept Erica busy, chains shot out of Amber's gauntlets.
"Restrain her!" Amber yelled.
Aoi and Bianca both grabbed an arm, holding them and keeping Erica from swinging her swords. Amber threw her chains at Erica, letting them wrap around her. Bianca and Aoi let go, leaving Erica to struggle against the tightening chains.
Amber grunted and heaved as sweat rolled down her head. "I don't think these chains are going to hold..."
Aoi and Bianca pointed their weapons at Erica while I morphed Loki into chains. Amber tightened her muscles, sweat pouring down.
"Stop...it....Erica!" Amber gasped. "Just stay still!"
As Amber yelled her chains glowed. Slowly the silver of the chains started to rust off, falling away like old skin and revealing a new golden shine on the chains. They tightened and fully pinned Erica, leaving her barely able to struggle.
Bianca poked her armor with her Arcana, freezing Erica, encasing every part of her in ice except for her head.
I could feel the burning stare from her.
Amber breathed a sigh of relief, high-fiving both Aoi and Bianca. I couldn't be prouder of my girls.
And I couldn't be more disappointed in myself.