Chapter 111: Chapter 110: Carl’s Absence Part 5

The next morning, everyone got to the house bright and early, the prospect of seeing what they had no doubts would be a no holds barred fight between Klaire and Kyubi an enticing prospect.

“First of all, no one tells Carl about any of this. That includes you kids…”

Everyone nodded, as much as Klaire was calm on the surface, they could sense enough subsurface tension and inner turmoil they didn’t want to incur anyone’s wrath.

When everyone had finished eating, everyone except Lillim, Faylorna and Tiamat sat in silence.

“Enough of this. Let’s get this over with, we can go to Archyon. We will guard the spectators with Nergal.” Lillim made the declaration casually, earning a hostile look from Klaire.

“Klaire, don’t be stupid, you overpowered me completely. We don’t know the full extent of your power, would you rather have him present to keep everyone safe, or sulk and regret it when you kill someone?”

“Ugh, fine, but make it clear it is a matter of necessity. I may have told Carl to be more respectful, but that’s only because Carl would have regretted it later. Don’t think I didn’t notice him considering killing us either.”

Lillim made a “fair enough” gesture, then disappeared to get him.

Just a few moments later thanks to Tiamutael, everyone was on Archyon…

When everyone was protected by the combined aura of the present immortals, Klaire and Kyubi bowed to each other.

“Can I be honest Kyubi? The only reason I didn’t walk out here and throw the match is because I’m selfish… If it was anyone else, I would say that you deserve to shoot your shot regardless, but I would feel like I’m betraying myself if I just let you win.”

“I appreciate it and I think I need this, I need to test the strength of my desires, prove to myself that I have the right to impose myself.”

“Ladies. it’s lovely to see how much you respect each other, but with all due respect, you need to get on with it.”

Both Klaire and Kyubi glared at Lillim, then Klaire produced a rifle and aimed at Kyubi. As she pulled the trigger she jerked to one side and all the mortals watched as Kyubi faded like a mirage and appeared elsewhere dodging Klaire’s shot.

“I’m impressed by someone with no experience against the law of Mind seeing through an illusion born of it.”

“Don’t be, my mind was fooled completely, but my hunger can see your divinity pulsing like a beacon.”

“What does hunger have to do with divinity? Don’t tell me you caught something from the parasite’s soul…”

“I did, but don’t worry I won’t bite you.”

“If Carl agrees, I won’t stop you…” Kyubi spoke teasingly, making Klaire blush and falter, which was almost the only chance Kyubi needed to end the challenge. “It’s adorable when how you can brush of a law but not your teenage hormones.”

Klaire fired a couple of shots, but each one struck an illusion that dissipated upon being hit. Klaire wasn’t sure how she did it, but Kyubi had began leaving divinity pulses in her illusions.

With her means to see through them nullified immediately, she switched tactics and started pulsing her own aura, whilst simultaneously forming a barrier around herself.

“Can I ask you something, Klaire? Have you thought about the possibility of you finding another to love?” Kyubi’s voice was coming from all around and seemingly from within Klaire’s own mind as well.

“I can’t, I’m a banshee, we only get one love.”

“No. You were… Now you are a human and a banshee, not a mix of the two.”

Klaire faltered again, but it was shown to be a feint to lure Kyubi in as Klaire leant into the dip of the gun and twisted on one foot as the knee of her right knee hit the ground and drew a half circle as she raised the barrell and pulled the trigger.

Kyubi dodged even at point-blank range, which even with Kyubi’s stats was an impressive feat.

“You’re right, I am and honestly I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a concern. I’m a selfish person and as a banshee, I won’t be able to not act on it, if it happens. Maybe that’s why I want him to have you keep him warm when I’m not there.” Klaire’s response was purely strategic, void of any sincerity.

The comment was enough however to make Kyubi as flustered as she had been a moment before. As the illusions all became faint and transparent, even the pulsing divinity faded and became distorted enough for Klaire to identify Kyubi’s position and unleash a much more intense volley.

The counter seemed to mark a change to the flow of combat, things became much more fast-paced.

Klaire was forced to run and gun, but between her ridiculous stats and skills more trouble thank Klaire had expected.

The audience cheered for both of them, the exchange escalating in stages, evolving as it became a subconscious exhibition of their hearts rather than their skills. Every barrage that Klaire fired was a way of showing she had no desire to share the object of her affection, no matter who it was.

The guerilla tactics Kyubi had been utilising, came to an end when Klaire spoke out of frustration. “Come on Kyubi, you asked me so you could stop hiding, but so far that’s all you’ve done. Is the celestial fox really scared of a human teenager?”

“Of course not, just trying to get the hang of your new skill, reading minds and memories from a distance is tricky. Especially when you have centuries worth of recent ones, guessing Faylorna gave you all her memories.”

“She did… Well then Kyubi, not that I wouldn’t love to spar, but I would rather not become a spectacle, so if you’re satisfied I’ll survive let’s end this.”

“Agreed, apologies for dragging it out so far, but I see you know exactly how much of a chance you stand against me as you are.”

“Maybe in terms of experience and raw stats, but you also know that I have far more offensive power than yo-”

“Klaire sweetie. You’re wrong, I am the celestial fox, Kyubi. Favoured by the god of the moon. My “rampages” were nothing more than the wild tantrums of a tortured beast, when Carl saved me from that existence he not only restored my mind, but my full power.”

As she spoke the sky was filled with the visage of a full moon and delicate pink petals pink petals like those of the trees in Kon’s homeland.

By the time she was finished speaking, her fur was glowing an ethereal silver and her tails had grown out and become fully engulfed in their respective flames. She sank to all fours in a manner so bestial it completely contrasted the noble lady demeanour she usually carried herself with.

“So I’m the sun and you’re the moon? it really is insane how we are opposites in so many ways, but we both found ourselves in love with the same person.”

As she spoke she activated a skill she had only activated once before and deemed too dangerous and destructive for regular use.

In the sky above and directly opposite Kyubi’s moon, a deep orange sun appeared and a heat haze began to radiate from Klaire with increasing intensity. Her red hair slowly turning a deep scarlet, then flicker like fire before fully immolating.

“Damn it. Nergal, Tiamat, Faylorna… Full strength, no slack and coat the planet as much as possible. Tiamutael dear, please prepare to teleport us all at my command, we don’t want to float through the void.” Whilst none of them knew exactly what was going to happen with Klaire’s skill, they knew Kyubi’s and they knew Lillim was not the type to over exaggerate.

The looks of genuine panic that decorate the faces of Blanc, Gillian and Alysse were also telling about how intense this was going to be.

As the two of them continued to charge their strongest offensive skills to their apex, waves of conflicting unstable energies were discharged, the first of which collided with such ferocity Nergal’s eyes widened with disbelief.

“What did I miss?”

The words barely had a chance to leave his mouth before the second smashed into them, then a third, then another and another…

As they braced for a sixth though, the celestial bodies above dissolved and filtered into their respective creator.

The ethereal silver around Kyubi became a pure white that as that carried a freezing aura, that instilled them with a sense of cold, lonely, distance.

The heat haze around Klaire became a complete immolation like the true appearance of the sun. The deep orange surface, veined with golden brown and black spots. The sight makes her seem like the avatar of her own fiery, overpowering passion.

The white light seeming to jut out and launch stick thin spears at Klaire.

The fiery form of Klaire reach for Kyubi with tendrils of solar fire.

It felt like that moment lasted forever, the reality was that it was over in an instant.

An eruption of brilliant ice spears each a metre thick burst forth and speared for Klaire, whilst at the same time a tendril of insatiable all-consuming fire lunged for Kyubi resulting in a planet rending stalemate.

The immortals held fast, but Faylorna reached her limits amid the maelstrom of elemental chaos.

The second to reach their limit was Tiamat…

Then just as Liliim grumbled and found herself tapping into her reserves to a degree she hadn’t needed to in a century, Kyubi’s attack gave up ground to Klaire’s and the distraction forced Lillim to transform to compensate.

Then Klaire gave up twice the ground she had stolen, releasing a burst of energy that pushed Lillim to an extent that only fighting crows, certain variants and her king had made her resort to.

“How disgraceful for a crown to be pushed so far by a fox and a mortal?” Lillim mocked herself.

Then all of a sudden both attacks exploded and robbed Lillim of the last of her strength and obscured both Kyubi and Klaire in steam and mist.

Everyone watched in awed silence, until Nergal’s curiosity won out and he waved a hand to clear it, revealing Kyubi bathing Klaire in healing fire as she lay unconscious.

“I declare… Kyubi… The Winner…” Lillim wheezed, short of breath with genuine exhaustion. “…Ridiculous…”

“It’s not fair…” Kyubi said, leaving the others unsure as to whether she was talking to them, Klaire or herself. “…I only won because you broke your attack as I began to lose consciousness.”

“Shut up… You tried to… Chicken out… You lost the right to, when… You challenged me.”

“Stupid girl, you could have died…”

“Stupid fox… You would have regretted it forever.”

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