Asura fae-stepped to the other side of the room, clutching her chest. The pain didn't disappear, even though the burst had. “D-definitely VNS,” she whispered before looking across the room at her assaulter. A demon, large and bulky. Red tattoos and massive horns, with an all too familiar name. “Caelite.”
“You remember me this time?” the demon asked with a scowl. “I'm honored. Hope you don't plan to run away again. What's all this, anyway? Managed to track down another one of the legendary beasts?”
“Huh?” She glanced to the teleporter and shook her head. “No. This is something else. Please, just go. I don't have time to fight you,” she said before placing her hand to her chest. “Greater heal.”
“Not a chance,” Caelite said with a chuckle before stepping towards the portal. “I didn't follow you all the way here just to walk off without the prize, I--”
“Crescent flash!” She drew her blade and appeared in front of him. Her blade slashed out, though the demon parried with his own and moved back. His weapon was a long naginata, the blade black and seeming to absorb the light itself. He held the blade of the weapon up, between the two of them.
“You can't just cut my weapon to pieces anymore, Asura,” Caelite said with a grin. “We're both quin-masters. You'll need to fight me fair and square. I've been waiting a long time for this...”
“Please, stop,” Asura said before pulling her wings close. Even though she'd healed her chest, she could still feel echos of the pain through her body. “I don't want to fight you. This won't work for you, it's a master quest. It's set up for someone who needs the holy beast.”
Caelite smirked before taking a step forward and thrusting his blade forward. She quickly knocked it away and charged forward, but he fae-stepped backwards. “Do you want to know a secret?” he asked with a cocky grin. “That's the final mastery I need as well.”
“It's mine!” Asura said before holding the blade at him. “You have no idea how important this is to me, I--”
“Oh, give it a break,” the demon said with a roll of his eyes. “We're both here, both can use it. I say we fight for it. Winner goes through. I tell you what. I won't even use the master spells if you won't.”
“What? But it was me and my friends who defeated all these monsters and got the chance. I can't risk it based on a simple fight.”
“Relax. It's just a game,” Caelite said with a chuckle.
Asura growled and clenched her fists, the world turning red for a moment. “Fine. But no using the demon's stealth ability either. I can use it just as easily and if you try, I'm going for the portal.”
“Deal! Cleaving stab!” Caelite yelled and charged forward, his blade glowing red. Asura quickly moved to the right so the blade dug into the ground. The moment it hit, the red magic shot out and cut a long, narrow gouge into the stone.
Asura quickly jammed her foot down on the shaft of the weapon and pressed her weight on it. The demon stumbled forward, raising his left hand. “Gust!”
She was knocked backwards a few feet, but quickly fae-stepped behind him. She drove her sword down at his back, but he quickly twisted around and brought the shaft of the weapon between them, catching her sword.
“Damn it,” she said softly. “You're a lot better than I remember.”
“I've been practicing,” he said before holding out his hand. “Fireball!”
“Ice shield!” A wall of ice formed in front of her, narrowly blocking the dangerous assault. Asura stepped back before the naginata blade suddenly thrust through the shield, slicing it in half.
“You aren't too bad yourself.” Caelite said before raising the blade tip to chest level. “Guess you have a lot more experience though, huh?”
“Why did you follow me?” she asked as she took a few steps back. “Ray burst!” She held out her hand as rays shot out from her palm.
“Ice shield!” he yelled and his own barrier appeared. “I saw you flying by yourself!” he yelled and took a step back, quickly turning and bringing up his weapon to block Asura's sword when she fae-stepped behind him. “I knew whatever brought you here had to be good!” He caught her sword across the shaft of his weapon and quickly stepped to her side. He slammed the butt of the weapon forward, leveraging against her sword and smacking her in the back of the head.
Asura stumbled forward and the demon plunged his blade forward. She quickly jumped up and, with a powerful flap of her wings, flew backwards over his head. The angel drove the tip of the sword down at his skull, but he quickly threw himself down to the ground and rolled to the side.
Caelite drove his naginata at her stomach when she landed, forcing her to stumble and fall to avoid it. “Ow!” Pain shot through her backside, stunning her. The demon fae-stepped over her, blade raised high.
“You lose!” he yelled before plunged the blade into her stomach. She let out a cry of pain and her eyes went wide.
Screams tore from her throat as the burning pain assaulted her stomach. Even after the initial burst faded, the pain didn't. Asura's foot lashed out, catching the demon in the stomach and sending him tumbling back. With another pained cry she reached up and yanked the blade from her stomach, tears going down her face as the pain refused to fade. “D-damn it...”
“What's wrong with you?” Caelite asked before getting to his feet. He fae-stepped to his blade and picked it up.
“Doesn't... m-matter,” she whispered as the pain slowly began to fade. She slowly got to her feet, though she stumbled to the right. “It's... I won't lose.”
“You don't look so good. Are you sure you want to keep fighting?”
“Yes!” Asura yelled and charged forward. Her blade flashed in from the right, which he quickly blocked. She refused to let up, even as she felt as if her body might give out at any second. Her left fist shot out, catching him by surprise on the side of the head. She pushed in harder, slashing viciously as he struggled to fend her off. He fae-stepped away, but she quickly joined him with her own, pushing him back with each movement. “I won't LOSE!” she screamed and plunged her blade into his stomach.
“Grk!” Caelite's weapon fell from his hand. He suddenly smirked and reached up, grabbing her shoulders. “Rap--”
Asura slammed her head into his, cutting off his words and making him stumble back. Her free hand gripped him by the shoulder and she narrowed her eyes. “Rapture.”
Caelite let out a scream before disappearing in a flurry of red sparkles. She stared in disbelief and crumbled to her knees. “I... I did it. I won,” she whispered before looking to the teleporter. “I... I've won. I did it. I'm...” She placed a hand to her stomach. “G-greater heal...” Her HP shot back up. With a soft groan she got to her feet and moved to the console. She leaned against it until the pain began to fade.
“It's time. I'm going to do it,” she whispered to herself before she took a few cautious steps towards the light. Memories flashed in her mind with each step. Memories of the life she had lived. Her world. The friends she had made. Everything she'd done up to now. She tapped on the menu as she gave her friends one last call.
“It's finally time,” she said when they answered. “Thank you,” she whispered and placed her hand into the light. It felt warm. “Thank you so much for allowing me this final chance.”
She stepped into the light before the world around her faded. Warmth filled her and she closed her eyes. She could hear the soft flutter of feathers. It was finally her time, her chance. Time for her to show this world what she could do.
There was no longer an Asher. Her name was Asura, and this would be her legend.
The end.
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Landasy Reality: Angel's Escape Page 42