Falling Leaves 40 ??

  The pink flower continues to emit ripples, the quakes across the land growing in magnitude.

  In the air, Mothpéra flies next to Soleli, panting.

  Dust and blood stain her white hair and fluff.

  Soleli grits her teeth, facing her. "Still? She's still that powerful?!"

  Mothpéra nods. "Oui—- I can't fight her alone—- we either need Malika to wake up-"

  "No!" Soleli shouts.

  "I won't let Malika handle this! This is our mess!"

  "We need to regroup! Where's L'automne!"

  "She's battling in the throne room, I believe." Mothpéra says.

  "Shit!" Soleli scowls.

  "Maybe L'abeille can assist us. Surely her battle is-" Mothpéra says before being interrupted by Soleli. "L'abeille?"

  "She's gone—- she's not an option anymore!"

  Mothpéra's eyes widen. "What? What do you mean she's gone?!"

  "She's dead! I feel it. She wasn't victorious!" Soleli screams.

  Mothpéra remains silent as a tear forms in Soleli's eye. "L'abeille, I'll never get the chance to apologize for earlier—- But please know you did well—-"

  "I'm proud. Malika would be too—-"

  Suddenly, Soleli and Mothpéra feel a chill running down their spines.

  Danya appears behind them, peaking her head through the middle of their shoulders.

  She grins, giggling. Red and black streaks of energy surround them, suffocating the two.

  "What are you talking about up here? I do hate secrets. I want to be in on the gossip too~!"

  Mothpéra's pupils tremble. She shakes her pom-poms. Danya quickly grabs her arm before she could do anything, spinning her, hurling her towards the ground.

  "Mothpéra!" Soleli shouts. Then Danya grabs her by the face.

  "Shhh." Danya hums, twirling with Soleli gripped in her grasp.

  She slams Soleli towards the ground as well, causing both of them to crash into the dirt.

  Danya jumps back, using Soleli as a stepping stool to propel herself.

  Debris fills the air. Danya continues to grin, stretching. "Come on. Aren't you two servants of Sachi and Ikigai?"

  "Oh, oh wait, my mistake. Whoever this 'Malika' is. The being so set on destroying me that they had to write me in scripture."

  Vines erupt from the ground, charging for Danya. Danya instantly slashes her blade, cutting them in half.

  "Don't you ever—-" Soleli mutters.

  "DON'T EVER SPEAK MALIKA'S NAME, DEMON!"

  "SCUM LIKE YOU NEED TO BE PURGED!" She roars, her eyes glowing green, her wings sprouted.

  Danya chuckles. "Hit a nerve, huh?" She points her blade at Soleli.

  "You don't want me saying, what was it—-"

  "Oh right, 'Malika.' Kill me where I stand. Defeat me in battle. Silence me for good if that's what you desire. Stop with the empty threats."

  "Your bee friend tried that last time with me and ended up weeping on the ground, bleeding."

  Soleli trembles with rage. Her hands shake. She bites her lips until they bleed.

  She instantly stomps her foot, sending more vines after Danya.

  Danya grins, effortlessly cutting through the vines, dodging.

  In that moment, "LAAAAAA!" Mothpéra sings as a loud amplified screech of sound waves hits Danya head on.

  "AUGH!" Danya screams as she's blown back.

  The debris in the air disappears. Mothpéra runs to Soleli. "Get a hold of yourself! Don't let her get to you!"

  Soleli shakes her head. "You're right—- you're right."

  Danya leaps back in front of them, turning to Mothpéra. "You know, you're really annoying with that!"

  Mothpéra ignores Danya's taunts, bracing herself for battle.

  Soleli gets in stance, staring down Danya.

  "A two vs one? Ou! I like this!" Danya says gleefully.

  Mothpéra rattles her pom-poms, striking both of them on the ground, causing a burst of sound waves through the ground. A fissure opens towards Danya.

  Danya jumps, avoiding it. In that moment, Soleli summons more vines, making them form into four separate fists. Each of the fists fire straight at Danya as she's mid-air.

  As she's about to slash, Mothpéra flies behind her. "LAAAAA!" She sings once more, firing another screech of waves towards Danya.

  The waves hit Danya, causing her entire body to rattle. Her ears pulse, continuing to bleed. Her skin starts to rip as she's pushed towards the onslaught of vine fists.

  Each of the fists collide. One hits her stomach. Another hits her face, causing blood to splatter out her mouth. Another hits her breast. The last hits her stomach once more.

  "Erk!" Danya grunts, launching into the air.

  Soleli creates another giant green apparition of a butterfly. She immediately gives chase to Danya. She blasts into the air.

  Mothpéra joins suit. They circle each other as if they're doing a dance in the air.

  The butterfly lands on Soleli's back, seeping into her skin. "Métamorphose!" She shouts. Her body starts to glow green as she bolts to Danya.

  The light instantly breaks off her, breaking into pieces.

  Revealing glowing white hair, emerald glowing eyes, her wardrobe now a flowing black dress with vines and branches around it.

  She holds out her arms, summoning a giant hammer made out of pure green energy.

  She reaches Danya, swinging her hammer. Danya quickly reacts, putting her blade in front of her, blocking the impact, causing her to blast further into the sky.

  She reaches the green auroras flowing across the sky. Her eyes widen. "Pretty—-" she whispers to herself, admiring them as Mothpéra and Soleli charge at her.

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  She grips her blade, infusing Sanguine energy inside it. The clear crystal blade shines a crimson glow.

  Soleli and Mothpéra continue to rush upwards towards Danya.

  Danya grins once more, slashing her blade downwards, sending a wave of crimson energy firing at Soleli.

  "Egh!" Soleli grunts, quickly positioning her hammer to defend herself.

  Mothpéra turns to Soleli, shaking her pom-poms. She charges energy. The moment she's about to scream to fire a sound wave at the incoming blast—-

  Crimson light glows from the corner of her eyes. She turns, seeing Danya above.

  "Ciao!" Danya says with a smile.

  "How?!" Mothpéra shouts in panic.

  Danya smashes her sword down once more, sending another wave of energy, hitting Mothpéra point blank. The wave pushes her towards the ground.

  Danya turns her head to Soleli as a pulse of crimson bursts from her body, propelling her body upwards, keeping her airborne.

  Soleli uses her hammer to clash with the wave of energy. She uses more force to fling the wave away. It blasts into the sky.

  She then turns to Danya rushing at her, preparing to swing her hammer.

  The moment she's about to make contact, Danya pulses her energy from her body, making a crimson barrier, stopping the hammer in motion.

  "Grrrr!" Soleli growls, trying to break through.

  She disintegrates her hammer, flying back, aggressively swiping her arms. Vines erupt from the ground instantaneously, reaching them high in the sky.

  Danya pops the barrier, causing energy to spread around. The vines near her die on contact.

  Green orbs then start to fly to her, sinking into her skin. She giggles, clenching her sword, slashing the other vines aiming for her.

  Soleli's wings start to glow a deep emerald. Spores start to appear around her.

  "PERISH!!" She shouts as the spores fire beams straight at Danya.

  Danya closes her eyes. The vines continue to charge at her. She stops slashing as they wrap around her. Before she loses mobility, she turns her head to the beams.

  Her eyes burst open, her mouth wide open. A blast of crimson energy fires from her mouth directly at Soleli.

  Dispersing the incoming beams, the blast hits Soleli head on.

  She falls through the air like a comet. Smoke rises from her body.

  Danya bursts out of the vines, free falling, smiling.

  "Not bad, not bad at all! They're pretty good, way better than that bee lady."

  As she falls, she looks at her palm. "Sucks not being close to full power. I'd say this is more like 40% I'm using."

  She sighs. "At this point, I just want to grab Akuji and go home and return to reaping. It's not even fair to them. I'm boosted by the Kitsune Elixir as well."

  The sky starts to rumble. The flower sends shockwaves across the area, more pink ripples of energy spreading.

  Danya turns her body, facing downward. Her hair and hood flutter upwards from the winds as she falls, looking at the view of the refuge.

  The tops of the glowing blue mushrooms produce light blue spores rising in the air as they shake from the quakes.

  The destroyed houses of the refuge. The bodies of the inhabitants lying across the ground. Some alive and injured. Some dead and melted.

  The mountainsides surrounding the refuge with ponds and waterfalls flowing from the rocks.

  She witnesses it all. She then looks at the giant pink flower. "So that's where this Malika is, huh?—-"

  She smiles. "I can't wait to meet you! I want to see how you think you're going to destroy me!"

  On the ground, Mothpéra opens her eyes, coughing silver blood as it also runs down her head.

  She blinks, staring at the auroral sky. She sees a crimson light falling toward the refuge.

  "Le Démon écarlate—-" she whispers to herself.

  "So Soleli failed—-"

  She stands, sprouting her wings. Dust and dirt fly off the pair.

  "So be it—- I'll continue to fight—- until my last breath if I have to."

  "I won't let L'abeille die in vain. We came too far."

  She shakes her pom-poms once more. Silk starts to leak out of them.

  She looks up at Danya, aiming her pom-poms at her. Silk fires out at top speed.

  Danya, who's still falling in her own world, doesn't notice until the silk latches onto her skin.

  "Huh?! What the hell is thi-" before she finishes, Mothpéra yanks Danya to the ground.

  "Gwah!" She screams, her body flying towards Mothpéra.

  Mothpéra slams her pom-poms downward, slamming Danya into the ground near her.

  Danya in a crater spits up blood. Her arms and torso are bleeding.

  She hisses in pain, clenching her jaw.

  Mothpéra wastes no time. The silk latches off the pom-poms as she rattles them again, slamming them into the ground once, creating another fissure.

  Sound waves burst from the ground, aiming for Danya.

  Danya opens her eyes as the waves blast her out of the crater.

  Mid-air, Mothpéra flaps her wings, rushing toward Danya, sticking her foot out.

  She lands a charged kick to the chest, sending her rolling back. She drops her blade.

  Blood leaks from Danya's mouth as she spins on the ground. "Okay—- you got me there—- I'll admit that—-"

  Mothpéra takes a deep breath, clearing her throat.

  Danya's eyes widen, realizing what's happening. "Shit!"

  "LAAAAAA!" Mothpéra screams at maximum volume, sending a giant blast of sound waves towards Danya.

  Danya tries to cover her ears, clenching her eyes shut. As the waves hit, blowing her back.

  She flies towards the broken mushroom houses, crashing into a wall, landing next to bodies of dead spirits.

  She coughs. "Where's Ari when you need her, damn it—-"

  Mothpéra drops on one knee, spitting up vomit-like fluid and silver blood. She huffs.

  Holding her throat tight. "I put too much into that—-"

  She stands, wobbling, flapping her wings, following Danya's location.

  Danya stands, using a nearby wooden table as support. She spots a small dagger on a shelf.

  "It's better than nothing until I can grab my blade back—-"

  She leaps out of the broken house, spotting Mothpéra flying towards her.

  Mothpéra shakes her pom-poms, shooting silk from them once more. Danya rolls out the way, running across the path. Mothpéra chases her.

  She continues to fire silk at her. Danya ducks and rolls, avoiding each fire.

  Danya leaps forward as Mothpéra fires another thread of silk. She transfers Sanguine into her hand.

  "Fuck off!" She yells, swiping her hand, sending a wave towards Mothpéra.

  It disintegrates the silk, hitting Mothpéra head on. "UGH!" She grunts as she's engulfed by crimson.

  The bodies of the spirits surrounding the refuge fly back with her. The houses break from the pressure.

  Danya's feet drag as she continues to run. She turns, clenching the dagger. As Mothpéra is flying back, she lunges it straight for her, a small crimson shockwave exploding from the force.

  The dagger pierces itself into Mothpéra's chest. "AHG!" She screams, falling to the ground.

  Danya pants. Her glowing hair and eyes flicker. She coughs blood.

  "No—- I don't have much time to sustain Sanguine—-"

  "I need to find Ari—-"

  Mothpéra twitches on the ground, gritting her teeth. She forces herself to stand.

  "I won't die yet—- I can still—-"

  "FIGHT!" Her wings and pom-poms start to rattle. She instantly rushes towards Danya, appearing above her, holding her pom-poms above her head.

  Danya's eyes widen, staring up at her. Everything turns to slow motion as if time slows down. "No way—-" she mutters.

  Mothpéra slams her pom-poms on the ground, causing sound waves to burst through the entire refuge. The ground bursts open. The surrounding houses and bodies are destroyed.

  Dust clouds surround her. She drops to her knees, panting, yanking the dagger out of her chest.

  "I-I did it—-" she mutters to herself.

  "Mothpéra." A familiar voice calls out to her.

  Mothpéra looks up and sees a glowing apparition of L'abeille.

  Her hair sways. Her peachy skin glows. Her rose-colored eyes shine.

  She stands there without an exoskeleton, just her normal skin. Her wings are drooped.

  She smiles at her. Mothpéra looks in shock. "L'abeille—- you're alive?!"

  She shakes her head sideways. "No, I'm here to see you."

  "This has to be a hallucination—- I lost too much blood."

  L'abeille shakes her head once more, pointing behind her. Two crimson orbs appear from the smoke.

  "You've fought well, but just like I, it's time for you to rest."

  In that moment, Danya jumps out of the dust. "GRAH!" She growls, gritting her teeth, blood flying off her.

  Mothpéra tries to move, but her body refuses. Time slows down for her as she stares at L'abeille.

  "Resting doesn't sound too bad—-" she says weakly. "I've tried my best to avenge you—- to fight for the Belles, and Malika—-"

  "I guess it was all futile in the end—-"

  Danya rushes for her, grabbing her by the neck.

  Mothpéra squeals as Danya picks up the dagger from the ground.

  Mothpéra looks into her eyes as her pupils are dilated.

  She smiles one last time. "Le Démon écarlate—- you won't make it out of here alive—- Malika will end you—- I'm sure of it." She thinks to herself as her last moments arrive.

  "DIE!" Danya shouts, piercing the dagger through her chest once more, forcefully cutting her open.

  Silver blood leaks out, covering Danya.

  Mothpéra's vision fades. The last thing she sees is the apparition of L'abeille holding out her hand.

  Her eyes close as her body goes limp.

  Danya throws her body on the ground, dropping to her knees. Blood drips off her.

  "Damn it!" She shouts, pain radiating through her.

  Her hair and eyes flicker once more.

  "I need—- I need more of the elixir—- I can't afford to pass out here."

  "I need to return home—- I need to bring Akuji with me—-" she mutters to herself, wobbling as she stands up.

  She holds her left arm as she presses forward. "Ari—- where are you."

  She passes Mothpéra's lifeless body. Silver blood continues to leak from her. Her black eyes are completely lifeless.

  BELLES MAUDITES: 2/4 Mothpéra de l'Impératrice: DEAD ( X )