Lesha flashed a small smirk behind her, eyeing the quadro of bodies tied to pillars of varied colors. There was white, purple, green and yellow, each girl with the most matching color attached to them. "They're all subdued now. The plan is going as it is."
She turned to a yawning Ani on her left, a small trace of wariness lacing every piece of her words. "You've filled your side of contract, Nemesis the Ignescere."
"Gee, stop calling me with that name!" The blonde dressed in black and white took some steps towards a nearby chair, sitting. "That doesn't sound cute at all."
Lesha decided to walk near her current hostages, watching as the energies in each of them slowly sucked out by their corresponding gem pillars. As she tried hard to ignore the demands of candies and food behind her by a certain kid, a subtle thought passed through her mind.
'I half expected Ani to capture Sitri's subordinates one by one, but to think that she captured the other three all at once...' A bead of sweat rolled down behind her head. 'The fact that she subdued Hexhine the Death Goddess alone herself is already incredible, but now, she also captured Tamamo the Fate Goddess, and two more people able to stand their own ground against beings like gods and celestials. Tamamo surrendered, yes, but stil...'
'She truly does deserve to be called Sitri's nemesis. No, she's even beyond that.' The blue haired goddess thought to herself.
"You look deep in thought." The subject of her musing suddenly spoke beside her, tilting her head. "You'll look older that way."
"Why do you serve that demon lord?" Lesha blurted out without thinking. She didn't regret it though. "You're as powerful as him, if not stronger."
"The answer to that is simple," Ani turned her gaze to an asleep Hexhine, smiling. "he is my master."
"Nonsense. You just captured two goddesses by yourself." The light goddess glanced to her temporary comrade, a questioning voice used. "A feat only the original Sitri and Truth able to do. His current self is weaker."
Lesha rose an eyebrow when the rhythmic beating at Ani's chest stopped, along with her breathing. The blonde slowly craned her head towards Lesha, her eyes darkened by her hair above it. "You dare to say that in front of me?" Her left eye twitched. "Master is not weak."
"Yes he is, and you definitely know it." The goddess met her glare dead on, wavered with nothing. "And don't give me an idiotic answer like 'love', since that wouldn't be you at all."
At that, the murderous child seemed to calm down, her breathing and heartbeat coming back to normal. "You're right. I don't love master." A tiny smile graced her face, her thoughts lost in her own world of dreams. "I adore him. He had always been with me, no matter who I was. He's the only person that can understand me."
Lesha contemplated at what the girl just said. 'She must be talking about her time as Auri and her current self.' Inwardly, she gritted her teeth. 'Still, that doesn't explain why you're so head-over-heels for him. I admit he's good looking...'
'Okay, he's handsome. But this nutcase of a kid doesn't look like to go for sex-appeals.' She sighed, all of the thinking she just did making her limited mind hurt for a bit.
Going back to their current situation, she walked back to a door behind her, leaving Ani alone inside the room with her 'friends'. She concluded that Quasar must already be defeated too by this time, and it won't be long till the demon find his way towards her private dimension. "Oh well."
She closed the door behind her, smiling. "The final act's about to start."
=≠=≠=≠=≠=≠=
"Mmm," Ani tip-toed around the four tied bodies of her friends, all the while humming. "what's gonna happen next?"
Being the first that lost her consciousness, Hexhine's eyelids slowly fluttered open, her throat dry and parched. "W-What, what happened...?"
"Ah!" Ani rushed towards the now awake Death Goddess, beaming. "You're awake now, Hexhine. Good morning!"
"Ani?" Her sense of touch coming back, she felt the rough surface behind her, and the glowing light tying her up to the pillar of gemstone. "W-Where am I?" A soft groan to her side brought her attention to a nearby Celleya. She finally noticed all of her friends, in the same state as her; tied and bounded. "What is this, Ani?"
"Why, you're tied up. Isn't that obvious?" The girl poked the black haired goddess' foot, giggling. "Oh, and you're energies are being sapped away from you too."
"W-Why! Help us then, Ani!" Indeed, Hexhine can already feel somekind of fatigue, and she's still weakening by the minute. She could only look on terror as Ani merely laughed at her.
"Idiot. I'm the one who put you there. Why would I untie you?" In a second, her innocent smile turned into a psychotic smirk, her eyes dilated for some reason. "Though, I don't want you all there dying though..."
A glimmer of hope sparked within Hexhine, though it was quickly extinguished as fast as it appeared.
"That'd be boring. I at least want to hear any of you to scream. A sweet, delightful one at that! Ahahaha!" Laughed the child below Hexhine. The bounded girl could do nothing but shiver in despair on what's happening to them.
"Ani... I thought we were friends..." She croaked out in a grainy voice. A lone tear slid down her cheek. Closing her eyes, she shouted, "I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!"
Ani recoiled from that, a bit surprised from the usually timid girl's yell. She quickly recomposed herself, her former smile back. "You were just to innocent to believe we were. Seriously, you were the most easiest target I've ever tricked yet! Ehehe. You were so easy, I didn't even had to act that much."
"Y-You're lying!" As weak as she is right now, Hexhine kept defiant. "Our moments, our playtime... Those were all true! They weren't act or anything like that..." Looking directly at the eyes of Ani, her glare intensified. "If there's anything that isn't true here, it's you!"
Even though her voice sounded so weak, even though she can barely keep her eyelids up; each word struck Ani like a speeding freight train. She staggered a step back, clenching her teeth in anger. "You don't know anything about me!"
"I may not know you," light began to leave her dark purple eyes, but the life within her smile never left. "but I do know a sweet, cute friend of mine. She likes anime, yellow flowers, and anything that's cute." Her speech began to quiet, her gaze lowering and lowering every second. "Her name... is A-Ani. I'm sure it'll be fun if you meet her."
The sound of Hexhine's tears splashing down into the floor was clearly heard by Ani. She can still feel the goddess' heartbeat, yet she knew she won't last long. The same could be said to the other girls; they're basically at the edge of Death's scythe.
'So ironic.' Ani thought. 'The death goddess, dying. Why am I even thinking about this? I'm just busying myself. I'm...' Her expression faltered, sadness lingering behind. 'so pathetic.'
"That's impossible." She turned around, walking away from them as she talked. "Stop spouting stupid things like that." Her steps quickened, turning into a full-blown run. "Just, die already!"
Not looking where she's running, she bump into something, making her fall down into the floor with a cute yell. Rubbing her sore behind, she looked up, only to freeze on who she saw.
"You're the traitor, Ani?"
The tone Sitri used wasn't anywhere near the one he always use to her. It was soft, tender and caring. This one though, was just plain... terrifying. There he stood, unmoving and glaring like a lifeless statue. The wall that previously blocked the outer part of the castle is now nothing but a small mountain of rubble.
"M-Master!" She stood up, wearing her usual smile. A soft trembling can be noticed on her legs though. "I'm not a traitor! I'm just--"
"Killing your sister and friends?" A shadow covered the upper part of Sitri's face, but the scorn on his lips was clearly visible. "How else do you explain that..."
"... slave?"
With just that single word, Ani's whole body froze. Like a fish taken out of its water, her lips closed and opened, unable to speak or even utter something. Her gaze trembled, as is her knees as she fell down. Sitri silently passed through her side, walking towards his sworn lovers.
The sound of stone breaking was heard behind her, though the child's mind was still trapped inside itself. Shaking, she brought her hands near her face, as if looking for comfort. "M-M-Master..." A pool of tears welled up under her eyes, threatening to spill at any moment.
"Don't think you'll get away with this." His icy cold voice reverberated around her, slowly dragging her mind lower and lower. "You will be punished. A punishment fitting for a worthless slave like you."
=≠=≠=≠=≠=
Awakened from the loud wailing in her ears, Celleya's eyes fluttered open, slowly taking in her surroundings. Somewhere dark, cold, and quiet; the only sound being heard was the crying to her far north. It looks like an interior of a medieval castle, though the usual torches and chandeliers are missing.
The crisp air smelled as scentless as the cold air of winter, the same feeling being gave off by a certain demon lord. She narrowed down her eyes, then finally widened it at the scene.
"A-Ack--! M-Master, please stop..." Ani struggled from the hand against her neck, her pale skin turning into an even more unhealthy shade of white. Held up in hanging in the air, her feet flailed fruitlessly, hands feebly trying to claw Sitri's off of her.
A burst of emotion made Celleya stand up, but quickly fell back, her very life energy almost drained dry. "Brother, put Ani down..." A few words was already enough for her to pant in exhaustion.
Sitri glanced at his sister, his eyes shadowed for some reason. As if he heard nothing, he just looked back at his servant. "Celleya, wake Tamamo up. Ask her to teleport you all back to our mansion."
"Not until you let go of Ani--!" She wobbly stood up, straining her frail body to its limit. "What's happening to you, brother?!"
"Ani... betrayed us. She betrayed me." A helpless grunt came from the strangled child, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Th-That can't be..." Celleya gasped, but shook her head. "There must be a misunderstanding he--"
"Be silent." With a single swipe, Sitri had rendered his sister unconscious, forcefully kept asleep back on the ground. Even Ani was surprised as to what her master did. He never once controlled any of them, after all.
"Master, S-Sitri..." Her desperate movements lessened, as is her cries. "Please calm down..."
"Shut, up." He considerably hardened his grip, seizing the girl's flailing even more. His eyes are still foreshadowed. "You're a disgrace."
"[Hex Point]!" Six rays of gold with the size of a tube pushed Sitri away from where he formerly stood, making him let go of Ani. A kneeling Tamamo can be seen from their side, her hands outstretched from the recent spell she casted. She gritted her teeth, even a bit growling.
Ani fell down to the ground, immediately inhaling as much air as she could. Her teary eyes moved themselves to the Fate Goddess who had save her, disbelief plainly written all over her face. "T-Tamamo-san...?"
"SITRI!" The fox yelled at the top of her lungs, glaring at the surprised demon away from them. "Wake up, you selfish demon lord! Can't you understand what you were doing to Ani?!"
Sitri, on his account, has his eyes wide in surprise. He quickly calmed down, standing up to his full height. "... I was punishing a traitorous slave."
"You told me about her yourself!" Shaking, she stood up, walking towards him at a slow pace. "If anyone should be able to understand her..." She stopped in front of him, followed by a resounding slap to his face. "it would be you!"
Ani's breathing stopped for a moment at that. Different thoughts ran through her mind. Why does they still care? She had betrayed them. She had tried to kill them. And most of all, she was insane, she herself knew that. Nobody could love her before, excluding her mother and master.
'Why are you still caring for me...?' She stared at her recent friend, Tamamo. She is one of the divine creatures titled 'Gods', maintaining tranquility and equality throughout everything. Could she be doing this because of her status being a god? Could she be just pitying her?
"I admit that I feared Ani when you've said that she was mentally stable. Even more so when you mentioned that she has ended more lives than you." Tamamo looked down. "But then you said you don't care. You said that you never left her side, and helped her on at least staying as sane as possible."
"Then what am I seeing now?" She grabbed him by his collar, pulling him to her height. "You're trying to kill her? So you're going to go back on your words? In the end, you'll still abandon her, Demon Lord?" All of the goddess' tails whipped around as violent as a raging storm, her emotion amplifying its movements.
Sitri had been too shocked to even answer. Realization started to dawn inside him. "I..."
"If that's the case..." A dark glare made its existence known in Tamamo's face, as she slowly walked towards a flabbergasted Ani. She softly pulled the girl to stand up, holding her lithe hand with her own. "Then consider I've never met you, liar."
The fox gripped an open palm in front of her, a glow of golden light enveloping it. "I will take everyone with me. I wouldn't want to see the day you turn your back to them, too." At that final message, each and every girl unconscious before vanished, along with the duo.
Sitri blinked. And another. He stood there, unmoving, breathing stopped long before the yelling started. His mind was muddled with a thousand thoughts, yet one stood out the most.
'Did I just... tried to kill Ani?'
"Oh, you poor demon..." A pair of hand slipped down his body from his sides, a brush of blue appearing just behind his shoulder. "How did that feel, my Demon Lord? Quite heart-stopping, neh?"
Sitri stayed still, his eyes blank as a dead fish.
"The plan went smoothly. Really smoothly." Lesha's deep aqua eyes glinted at the side of his head, her lips curled into a smile. She tightened her grip on his body, turning it into a loving hug. "You're all mine now, Sitri."
"With your power, I can--, no, I will destroy the other goddesses." She slowly circled around him, stopping right in front the demon. "Then finally, ascend as the highest being of all." Her laugh echoed around the halls. She can practically see it, the faces of the other goddesses when she reappears, flanked by her most powerful ally ever. Oh how she would love to see those with her own eyes.
A lone tome rattled above a table. The pages of 'Book of Fate' flipped in an erratic manner, until it closed with a resounding thud. The words 'THE END' were written on the cover. The castle rumbled, followed by everything slowly drowning into darkness. "Rest now, my Sitri."
Huge pieces of stone slabs fell from the ceiling, the whole palace being ensnared right in the middle of an earthquake. The odd pair did not recede, instead growing even more closer. As Lesha's face neared his, Sitri leisurely closed his eyes, even as the yelling within his mind told him not to do so.
"The Demon Lord has been defeated..." Caressing his ears, she pulled his head closer, mashing her lips with his.
"... Happy Ending."