Traversing the White Abyss

The world is immeasurably vast. Continents, islands, caves… it surely took ages before all of that was explored. And even after all that, one would not be surprised if there was still more. Mysterious that yet lied unsolved and locations that were never gazed on by human’s eyes. But in the end, all of that amounted to absolutely nothing. Even all of that was but the tiniest dot in the plane of existence where all known dimensions existed. But why would Noheme think about something like this, something that seemingly made no sense at all? She received another message. One that was very similar to the one she received from Athene, a researcher in Neutral Grounds. Back then, she was tasked to destroy the great nightmare, as she learned about yet another world called Dreamland. It was a long and treacherous journey. And for some reason, the venomous goddess had a bad feeling this one would be very similar in that manner. Something she would not enjoy all that much, yet probably had to experience. After all, the letter that managed to get to her had some rather… uncomfortable information. And as the girl laid in the grass beneath the pleasantly warm sun, another figure approached her. A figure now very familiar. A girl with long, silver hair and blue eyes. ”Leila...” Noheme’s voice still sounded rather melancholy. And who could blame her? No one could recover from a great loss that quickly, it was simply impossible. And they both knew it, which was why the sister did not try to confront her about it all.

”You were making some scary faces as you were reading that… I mean, scarier than usual. Are we in trouble again?” Trouble as in damage to another’s property. A little problem that Leila ran into several times when she was a full-time mage. Well, she still was one. But her powers diminished greatly after her revival, which meant that she would rather stick with her big sister instead of running off on her own. But even then, she was still more than capable of fighting and defending herself, perhaps even capable of completely some jobs on her own. She actually wished to test that little theory of hers, but not now. Another time. For there were problems ahead that they had to solve as soon as possible. Not to mention that the Eden’s mage was simply not quite ready yet to face everyone who thought that she was long dead. Especially the wind witch that she fell in love with. The one that she… well, her feelings were still complex as it would appear. But what fun would it be if one’s feelings were just simple? None at all, most likely. Complexity was something that living beings seeked, for simple things were nothing short of boring. And boring was bad for anything that was alive, humans and gods alike. Even if some would not admit it, claiming that they enjoy peaceful life more. But in their hearts, everyone craved for adventure. Some more, some less. That was simply how things were, not something you could exactly change very easily.

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”Take a look for yourself if you want.” Few simple words to accompany the hand that moved up into the air with the letter in it’s hand. The fact that Noheme wasn’t directly answering Leila’s question was a little odd, so she took the letter right away, reading it for herself. And just as she suspected, it was… well, it was rather strange. Almost as if it was written by someone who observed them very closely and knew them quite personally. But something like that, it surely wasn’t possible, right? The writing itself was something that neither of the sisters recognized, so it must have been written by a stranger. But some of the stuff that was written in there, who could possibly know this much about them? It was certainly disconcerting. ”What will we do about this…?” She was unsure. Honestly, she was quite rusty from being dead and all that, things were still coming to her in terms of how things were in this world. This world… they were in Earthland right now. The moon goddess managed to find herself a lovely meadow that was devoid of any other forms of life and now she was spending a lot of her time here, mostly alone. But this time, the Eden’s spirit joined her as well, making sure that her sister would not be alone all the time. Something like that was not healthy in the slightest and she required some distractions that would improve her mood. Though something like that was slightly hard to come by at this point, in this situation.

Things were only getting worse for them it seemed. ”Kosetsu. That’s the place the letter mentions. It’s probably a trap, but… I don’t really care. They can try whatever they want, it won’t be worse than Lilith. But what about you? I thought you would be in the Gardens.” Leila did return to her own world few times after she was resurrected. After all, it was her word. But it quickly became apparent to her, something like that was not exactly meaningful.  ”The Gardens are empty. Even if I were there, nothing would change. The world continues on living, but it’s residence are gone completely. And I’m no longer the world’s goddess and ruler either, that magic was given up in order to form the heavenly sacrificial seal. Spending time alone in that place… it’s not the greatest.” Well, something like that was only natural. No one wanted to be really alone, even in their own world that would protect them from all harm. Especially one  that was as vast as the Gardens and once filled with friendly spirits. That was no more and the girl would feel very alone in there. So instead, she remained in Earthland. But something like that was just fine. After all, the spirit lived a very long time not even knowing her powers. Her connection to the Gardens of Eden. So as far as she was concerned, this dimension was her actual home. The place that she walked for over 19 years of her life and enjoyed greatly with those she considered family and friends.

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Though she still wasn’t quite ready to face them all. There probably wasn’t any need to face them right now anyway. Noheme was adventurous type, surely she would meet everyone at some point and take it step by step when that happens. There were many people that surely missed her, but there was that one little problem. She was gone for a while and a lot of people that knew her at some point probably accepted the reality of her death and moved on. Just appearing out of nowhere to say hello and I’m not really dead would be… unwise to say the least. Giving someone a heart attack was about the last thing that Leila wanted after all. Yet another reason to just take things slowly and deal with them as they come. Leave tomorrow problems to tomorrow Leila as she used to say! And Noheme agreed with that statement at least to a certain point. Life was short for mortals and it was best to just enjoy it instead of having to constantly worry about everything. But she understood that concept only half the way, as she was an immortal being that could never truly die. Or could she? Well, she certainly could under the right circumstances just like Leila, but even she returned afterwards thanks to the Miracle magic. She was immortal, yet the vessel that she was using was in fact very much mortal. It was yet another bag of meat and blood that could be easily torn apart.

But it was what allowed her to walk Earthland without any problems and in the end, Noheme fell love with this body of hers. At this point, she was even using it in her own realm… ah, that world. "I have a reason to not be in the Gardens of Eden. But… why are you here instead of the Astral Realm? I would imagine you feel much better in a place that you created yourself.” A sigh that was filled with despair quickly became the girl’s answer. There probably was no use hiding it any more, as Leila deserved to know the truth. They were sisters after all, two beings that should rely on one another. "I’m not always like this, you know?” She quickly understood that important information was incoming and seated herself right next to the moon goddess, expecting a story time. She was a pretty good listener, so this could work out too. "We’re not that different. I can be cheery too, you know? But something happened before you awoke. Someone dear to me passed away. And it was Lilith who did it! I guess you could say that I’m like your dear friend, the four faced goddess, right now. The love of my life is gone and she won’t ever return. Because unlike us, she was just a regular spirit, one incapable of reincarnation. So that’s why I’m sulking all the time. I’m sorry, I just can’t get it out of my head, the scene repeats again and again, it’s like a waking nightmare!”

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Saying all that, Noheme would move her body up, shifting into sitting position instead of laying one. And as soon as she finished, a part of hands wrapped around her body, a soft skin pressing into her own. Leila hugged her as tightly as she possibly could after hearing that short, yet hurtful story. There were not words, nor tears. They both already cried enough in their lives, at different points. After all, Leila lost a lot too. Her world was dying and her spirits were gone, all of them. In a sense, she lost much more than Noheme did. And she cried for a long time. But that was all now in the past, nothing they could do about it. They could only move forward and continue living for those that they did not loose yet. So they would just remain for a little bit longer in this place before getting up and getting ready for yet another journey. "Portals into another world. That is our location. From there, we should be able to get to the place that the letter mentions… I think…” The venomous goddess still wasn’t quite familiar with Fiore and everything it had to offer. Her sister on the other hand had plenty of experience that would come in useful right now. "I’ve been there before. Me and Jiyu… uh… well, we had a little journey there.” They went to a slightly different world back then, but the portals were all in one place. And the fact that this adventure nearly ruined their relationship probably did not have to be mentioned either.

And just like that, they had destination. "Alright, to the stables!” Leila would pump her hand in the air and start walking. But she quickly noticed that her sister was not following at all. Instead, she just kinda stood back with weirded out look on her face. "D..did I say something weird?” But instead of words, she just got a smirk back as her answer. The Eden’s spirit was used to getting around on a horseback all the time, as she never acquired any vehicle or magic that would help her get around better. She was thinking about buying a horse just for herself, but never had the time to actually do that. With a habit like that, it was only natural that she would not think that her sister had better method of transport. With a snap of her fingers, Noheme opened a black rift to the Astral realm and a giant green fox came out. "Meet Astra, my darling servant. She’ll get us there much faster than any horse ever could.” Leila could only sigh with a smile on her face. Apparently it was time for her to start getting used to being all fancy. From a Rising Star that always got everywhere on a borrowed horse to an ex-goddess who was using her sister’s mount. She sure lived and lives an interesting life. Making sure she had all of her equipment, the two of them would finally start heading towards the portals. The moon goddess certainly did not lie.

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Astra was much faster than anything the silver haired maiden ever was on and they managed to get to the portals in mere moments instead of hours that the trip would normally take! That was quite the difference indeed. One that Leila wished she would have had in the past. So much time could have been saved… but oh well, here was nothing she could do about it now. Leaving Astra behind for a moment, the two girls would approach the strange gates. There were indeed many of them. But at least they all had proper signs that were stating name and nature of the worlds that they could find on the other side. It took but few minutes for them to find the right one. Looking at it, the gate itself appeared strangely serene. White in color, as a snow-covered land rested on the other side. And small ripples appearing here and there as the falling snow would accidentally enter the portal and melt in this current world. "This is it. Ready?” Leila only nodded with a confident smile and flame of determination and excitement in her eyes. Finally, Noheme would show a proper smile in response, almost melting the Eden spirit’s heart with it. And together, they would walk through the white light that was the portal. Only to find themselves in a white world that was so bright that it was actually painful for their eyes at first, especially with the fox girl’s enhanced senses. But she quickly got used to it and stared in awe at the beauty.

As far as her eye could see, everything was covered in a sheet of white, perfect snow. It was clear that thsi world was not inhabited all that much. Though there was one rather strange aspect to this place. Even though snow was everywhere, it was not cold at all. In fact, it was quite pleasantly warm. Which meant that people would never freeze to death in this place, and suddenly she was asking herself why no one lived somewhere this beautiful. "I think no one would want to be clearing up the snow that constantly falls here.” Answering question that was not even asked. It was only possible because Leila was thinking exactly the same thing as Noheme was when she saw this place. ”So, what were we supposed to be doing here again? I think I can see some landmarks in the distance, but… let’s try to not get lost here.” It was completely different world. One that probably matched Earthland in size. And while the portal itself was rather giant and most likely visible for miles, even it could eventually disappear behind the horizont. "Not to mention that it’s not exactly easy to see with all this snow falling down.” A small complaint that finally spark some reaction in her sister who suddenly removed her sword from it’s sheath. "I think I have a solution for that, actually.” Holding the weapon up high, it’s blade suddenly started glowing bright blue as flames started dancing all around it.

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The moonlight iron itself was set ablaze, quickly illuminating the space around them and melting all snow that was falling around. Using a deadly weapon as a torch… yeah, that sounded about right. Well, there was no reason to be waiting in one place! With a steady pace, they just kinda started walking forward without any real goal set. "The letter mentioned some ruins, but I see nothing like that around. So I guess we have to find that first…” She was not exactly enchanted by the idea, as it sounded more annoying that anything. "Well, it did say that this would be some kind of ‘test’, right? Can’t expect that they would just hand us the victory.” She was right. This was meant to be a test, god knows why. Or by whom for that matter. This whole situation was disconcerting and very suspicious, but what could they do? Well, they could always just turn back and walk away probably. But where was fun in that? It would be mighty boring to just ignore a challenge like that, at least for Noheme who appreciated a true test of skill. Only if this was less shady, she could be already enjoying herself instead of having to worry about possible traps and ambushes that could await them behind every corner and in every pile of snow. And there was a lot of snow that could hide all kinds of surprises! None of them of the good kind either, that was for sure.

But after a while of completely blind wandering, a structure would finally reveal itself from the white mist that quickly surrounded the two girls. "Think that’s it?” It did looked like ruins, at least a little bit. "It’s kinda hard to say from this place. But I see no point in not exploring it.” A shrug and smile. Leila was right, there really wasn’t anything stopping them from exploring anything and everything they would come across in this new world. While Noheme only had a healthy dose of curiosity, her sister was a born explorer! She was part of treasure hunting guild before her sacrifice after all, it only made sense. And who knew, perhaps there would be some forgotten treasure awaiting them in this place. As they got closer, they also quickly realized that these ruins were much larger and, as they were surrounded by something that could probably pass for hills and mountains, hiding a lot of the bricks that probably were a castle and city at some point. But even though this place was clearly destroyed and completely destroyed, it was still giving off a very calming aura. Not to mention that it appeared utterly beautiful just as everything else in this dimension. ”Maybe this should have been our world instead of a blue forest and floating islands, huh?” A comment that managed to make the moon goddess chuckle and then laugh out loud. Even hints of tears started appearing in the corners of her eyes as she had to wipe them off once she calmed down a little bit.

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”Maybe. But at this point, I love my Astral world too much to replace it, by a snowy wonderland. What would all the spirits think if the climate suddenly changed so drastically? It would be pure chaos all around.” She already imagined it. Amusing, yer concerning at the same time. But at least this world managed to bring them quite a bit of joy so far, despite how serious their quest appeared. Something like that was probably for the best anyway. With the hardships they endured already, they had to learn to smile even when in peril. Otherwise they would never have any fun anymore, always only seeing the depressing and sad side of stories that were forming around them, that they were part of. The world had so much to offer, and that was why the moon goddess got herself a mortal vessel in the first place! She wished to learn about those that live in Earthland, their customs and games. Because being locked up in Astra all the time just was no fun. She was protected there, but at the cost of never seeing outside, like a bird trapped in a cage. Pretty too look at, but that was about it. Loss was only another part of learning how to live as a human for them. It was the steep part of the learning curve that they had to follow. And they were finally getting to the end of it. Eventually, they approached something that looked like it could be a tower with doors smashed to pieces, the wood long frozen blue.

But at least it was still a way forward if nothing else. And even though this whole place was smashed and long abandoned, the roofs and walls still provided a decent amount of protection. Not that they really needed it with how warm this world was for reasons not known. But it was nice to be out of all that snow for a minute. It even allowed Noheme to put out the flames that were consuming her weapon, as she returned it to the sheath. Really, they should probably find a normal torch that would not appear so comical if they were to meet someone by a chance. For now, they just started examining insides of this place. Really plain was pretty good way to describe it. Just an empty circular room with few boxes, everything frosted over and small amount of snow adorning the wooden flooring right in front of the door that they came in through. All that along with stairs that lead further into the tower. It was pretty clear that no living being was here in ages, despite this place being relatively close to the portal to Earthland. It just looked like this world was not popular enough for anyone to visit it. So they would just continue on upstairs into another room that looked pretty much exactly the same. Only there was what Leila was looking for! A torch that was affixed to the wall. Just like anything else, it was kinda frosted over, but surely that could be fixed.

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Using what remained of her Eden powers, small roots would start growing through the wall, pushing the individual bricks out until the whole metal construct that was holding the torch fell out and released it’s tight grip on the piece of wood and cloth. ”Still need to melt it and light it. Sis?” Sighing, Noheme would pull out her weapon once more, doing the exact same thing with it as she did before. She didn’t even get a chance to use it in an actual combat yet, but she was using it to light torches and illuminate the way in a snow storm. It sure was worth it getting that thing made for her. But at least it was of some use, though a questionable one. Trying to not think about it too much, they managed to return the torch into it’s intended state and even light it properly, as the blue flames transformed into regular ones on the cloth which was doused in strange, unknown substance. One would not think it would still work after what it was through. Clearly people who lived here had their own way of dealing with the constant snow everywhere. The sisters did not complain, as the Eden’s spirit now had a hold on the item that would illuminate their path instead. Through another door, they would find themselves on a stone wall that overlooked what they would be exploring soon enough. And the girl nearly dropped her newly acquired torch as she saw it.

A whole small city expanded in front of them, hidden between snow-covered mountains and hills. Yeah, they did manage to see a bit of the ruins when they were approaching this place, but only now they could see the whole scale. Hopefully this was indeed the place that they had to be in, because it was clear that they would spend some time exploring the whole thing. And if this was not what they were searching for, then they would most likely just give up and go home afterwards. Looking down at the snow-covered roofs, Noheme quickly found herself a landing spot and jumped off the wall, only to gracefully land on the road that was between the individual houses. Leila on the other hand, was not as graceful, landing on a slope of the wall and just kinda sliding down, landing on her butt as she finally got to the ground. ”Ugh, I really hope this will be worth it! I could have been just sleeping in my bed instead of this…” Picking herself up as she complained, the Eden’s spirit would join her sister who was only smiling mischievously. Unfortunately, the moment didn’t last all that long, as howls suddenly echoed through the city. Something was coming, and there was a good chance it was not exactly friendly. Even Noheme got a whiff of it, several smells and sounds of moving targets all around them. But at least they were pinned against the wall where they currently were, so there were only so many directions the enemy could come from! ”I hope you remember how to fight, darling! I have a feeling that anything in this world will be pretty tough! It is supposed to be a test after all, right?” Finally, the flames in her eyes would light up with excitement! In battle, she was able to forget the sorrow that was constantly haunting her. A good distraction.

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Beasts:

Leila could only smile back at her sister when she heard those words. It was true that she didn't exactly try to fight all that much ever since she was awoken again. But it was something necessary, especially in their current situation. She was no longer the goddess of Gardens of Eden, that world was empty. But it was surviving, it's nature still intact. And thanks to that, she was still capable of freely controlling and summoning nature to fight for her! Even if weaker, something like that was nothing you can be ashamed of! And even now, she was stronger than many mages she actually knew, which was a good sign. "Why don't I show you how I can fight then?" As those words got carried by the wind, one of the beasts that were closing in on them finally showed itself. It's body very similar to the one of a werewolf. Only the skin was completely black with no hints for another color at all. And it's whole body clad in bone-like structures that looked like they could provide a pretty solid defense as well. it was clear that things in this world were indeed meant to be challenging to defeat when only their appearance was this frightening. Still, even Leila felt as if she fought enemies that were bigger thread than this in the past. A memory of Nightmare Lilith quickly came to mind, along with another person that filled the girl's head rather quickly. But now was not the time.

The beast was climbing one of the roofs and eyeing the two females, a crimson glow left behind it as it's head slowly drifted to the side. Though it's behaviour changed suddenly, as if it finally fully analyzed it's enemy. Getting on all four, it's claws buried deep into the wood that was beneath the snow's cover, using that footing to jump at the girl at rather high speed! But a direct attack like that rarely worked, even if it was of the stronger type. The stones that made the floor below them suddenly shifted as a tree quickly started growing below them, tearing the ground apart and swiftly moving to attack from below the enemy. And like a fork, it would pierce the werewolf, carrying him into the air some as intense screams of agony echoed through the city once more. Even Noheme looked pretty impressed. While her own powers were quite the sight to behold, having control over nature had a certain elegance to it. Though she expected the trees to look like the ones in Gardens of Eden. They were pretty fancy there, but not in this world. It was little unfortunate, but everything that the nature witch summoned into any other world became quite normal looking. It was a shame for sure, but that was just how the magic worked. At least for now anyway. Maybe if she could regain some of her lost power, then it would be different, but not right now.

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"Alright, you remember! I was little worried that your muscles were too weak to fight after you spend so much time in limbo." A teasing comment from her big sister. And while it didn't make sense when you thought about how things escalated in the end, it did make the girl chuckle. She was happy to be acknowledged by someone, even if it was just Noheme. Or perhaps that made things even better because the moon goddess had so much power available to her? Whatever the case, Leila felt happy. She was unsure if she could take on the world again, become part of it once more and do what she was doing before everything bad happened. Not that much time passed between then and now, but she still worried. Especially after she discovered the new state Gardens of Eden were in. It was unpleasant to see to say the least. Watching your own world that was once filled with life, now completely desolate and lonely as nothing survive the absence of goddess. And she no longer had that position, nor the power to reclaim it. What the demon once gave her? It was all gone, sacrificed. But perhaps it was for the best, it was a cursed power that eventually drove the young goddess to madness and darkness. Because that was the nature of power given by something that others call demon. Even if their main source of strength were miracles, it was all still rotten and toxic. Which actually reminded the girl of a certain fact, something she noticed and became quite scared of before, but never spoke about.

Noheme had that ability too. Power to summon eight orbs of darkness and manipulate them to her own desires. It was power of their lineage, semblance of what was once magic of life, strong enough to form entirely new world with life inside of it. Birth of both Gardens and Astral world. But as one could guess by looking at it, that power too was dark. It's very core was abyssal darkness that consumed Leila before. "Sis, your lineage... it's still active?" the moon only looked at her in mild confusion as to why she was asking and then nodded. It was indeed active, and she was ready to resort to that ability at any point if need be. "It's the power that drove me into darkness. Only seeing my dear friend suffer managed to break it for a moment, allow me to end it all by sacrificing myself. What if you..." She did not continue. Instead, the fox girl walked over to her and patted her head gently and with a kind smile plastered on her face. "I don't think you have to worry at all. It seems that when we were born, certain traits were assigned to us. You were the one of pure white. Innocent and divine, that is why the darkness of that lineage corrupted you so. But I was born with the ability to control both light and dark. And while that was replaced by this venomous magic, it still allows me to easily control my lineage. It won't corrupt me because I myself am darkness at least from one half."

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It was a great relief to hear those words from Noheme. Though it was also somewhat strange that she knew so much about the subject. Apparently the fox eared woman did her homework while Leila wasn't looking. It definitely wasn't anything bad. In fact, it was quite a welcomed change. A bit unusual, but pleasant nonetheless. Unfortunately the tender moment between sisters was suddenly and very quickly interrupted by the beast of black skin and crimson eyes. It managed to free itself from nature's hold and jumped down, causing a crater where the two girls were only mere moments ago. Thankfully they were both fast enough to dodge into safety before those clawed hands slammed into their heads. An attack like that would be surely painful even when you had a solid amount of defense on your side. And while Noheme already had the pleasure to deal with Werewolves at some point in the past, this one was quite different. Anyone could deduce that just from looking at it, but it's magical energy as well. It was somehow... familiar. The more the moon goddess was thinking about it, the more her mind drifted away, as if she was suddenly falling asleep. A state of being that was rather unusual, caused by sensing the beast's power. Was it done on purpose or was this just the goddess' fault as she became too careless? It was honestly kinda hard to tell at this point, especially for the girl herself who was in the strange state, staring blankly ahead without a single reaction.

Only the voice of her sister woke her up again, making her realize that she was staring at the beast who got pinned to the wall by another thick branch that suddenly shot out of the ground. The strike wasn't quite powerful enough to push the enemy through the rather durable wall, but so far, it was holding him in place as it clawed away on the wood in attempts to free itself. "What are you doing, sis?! That think nearly bit your head off, I know we can be resurrected and all that, but come on!" This place was not exactly nearest to the portal and it would be rather problematic for a single person to be carrying a decapitated body back. Although Leila's abilities were quite versatile and allowed for easy transport when required. Still, she didn't exactly desire to be moving around a lifeless body of her sister if she could help it. Noheme swiftly shook her head to regain all her senses, moving into a fighting position. "Sorry, that was weird... let's just finish it off before it causes any more trouble." Saying that, a black moldy speak appeared in the fox girl's hand, a forming ability of her own. Apparently that was a trait of magic that all gods of this kind had, since Leila was capable of freely forming nature while Noheme could form her virus and solidify it. Jumping onto the summoned branch, she would put all her strength into a single attack that pierced the beast's skull. And soon enough, it's body would start dissolving into a black mist that vanished into nothingness. Not even the bone-like parts remained, as they fell into pieces and became snow underneath their feet.

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Sigh of relief. It was good to know that their enemy was in fact defeatable. In fact, this one wasn't all that much of a thread in the first place. Well, that was what Noheme was thinking for at least few seconds until another loud howl echoed through the city. There were more, of course there were. Why did they think there was only one? If the beast was this weak, then there would surely be something that would make up for that loss in power. And in the case of this one, it was the number of enemies. This one just happened to get to them earlier than the others somehow. Soon, the wall that the werewolf was pinned to broke as a clawed fist came through it, another identical beast bursting through and trying to bite off the goddess' feet. Though she managed to quite easily jump up and land on it's skull-like head instead, forcing it's mouth shut the moment she bounced off it onto the rooftop. A pool of blood quickly formed beneath the beast as that caused it to bite it's own tongue out, causing it to crawl on the ground for few moments. In that frame of weakness, a sharp wooden spike drilled from the earth and pierced the beast's head right through the eye as Leila acted quickly to accompany actions of her sister. That was second down for the count, but another two started swiftly approaching through the streets, forcing the Eden's spirit to form another root below her feet, making it act as a spring. And with that extra force, she got on the same rooftop as the moon goddess.

"I think we're getting surrounded by them! Any ideas as to what we should do?" It appeared that the fox girl stopped for a moment to ponder, but quickly turned towards her sister to make a V sign with her fingers. "Just hit them 'till they drop dead?" Yes, they were sisters indeed. With a sight, Leila could only place the brightest smile on her face before she would reply. "I never really used any strategy anyway." The sharp ivory white claws started appearing in the snow as one of the beasts managed to crawl it's way up to the roof where the two girls were holding up. Even if they were fast on the ground, they were not exactly the best at climbing slippery surfaces it seemed like. Taking advantage of that fact, the silver haired girl formed a spear of her own, one made of wood as per usual. Unfortunately, the be werewolf's head was moving far too much for her to strike it accurately like the two before. So instead, she just buried her weapon into the creature's hand, pinning it to the surface for a moment as wind blades formed around it and started slashing at it's hand too. The bell that was in the inner pocket of her armor still worked after all. One last item that she had, one that would always remind her of the spirits of her world that were no longer in the land of living. They were the one who gave the girl this bell as a gift. And it was their power helping her right now defeat the enemy in front of her in their stead. Truly, they were loyal to the very end.

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Noheme on her side also had the other beast trying to climb up and get on the roof so that it could snack on the two girls. But he would not get his way in the slightest, as the goddess' hand suddenly got wrapped in the mold venom, rapidly expanding and changing shape. And soon enough, it took the shape of a giant serpent with teeth sharp as swords, big as one's arm. The poor dark creature was half-way up, bot of it's hands resting on the roof now when it spotted the monstrous creation that the goddess formed. One would not think that soulless beasts like these would recognize danger headed towards it. But from it's reaction, even this enemy managed to realize that what was in front of it was a predator of much greater caliber, something that it would never defeat. Shame it was incapable of escaping, it's torso suddenly eaten by the giant snake. It was a nice advantage when fighting against weaker opponents. While the mold virus could only do so much damage even when taking on a form such as this, it could easily dispatch of anything that was not very sturdy in an instant. Kinda like a bag for all the trash that was running around all mighty like. But in the end, there was not that much of a reason to fear these guys, unless they managed to get close with their rather sharp looking teeth. Then they would be no fun at all, as well as no Noheme at all anymore. Looking over her shoulder, she started observing how her sister was faring so far.

And she was pretty good! After the spear pierced the beast's hand, it started having major trouble doing just about anything, as it was still in climbing position on the wall of the house they were standing one. It's other hand had to hold onto a window down below so that the creature would not fall, thus incapable of removing the spear as well. It was actually kinda sad, looking at the poor wolfy being tortured in such cruel manner. But even Leila deserved to be mean once in a while... probably? In any case, her ability was not recharged again and a tree started growing next to her, the roof being it's base. Kinda risky move, considering that the structure could probably only handle so much weight. But seeing how much snow it was capable of carrying, it was most likely just fine, not having to worry. The tree grew large and eventually formed it's trunk to look kinda like a fist. With that, it was probably rather obvious that would happen next. With a swift movement, the whole tree bend over and crashed into the beast danging on the side, the the different forces separating the hand from it's body. And it was all that remained, for the creature was crush on the floor beneath the tree's power and mainly weight. It was kinda brutal, but at least these guys didn't have much in the way of feelings or emotions. Hopefully Both desecrated bodies started to vanishing just like the previous two did, showing that these ones were anything but natural. With that, it was almost time for celebration of victory! But one more wolf managed to tear through the center of the roof, getting on the equal elevation as the girls way more efficiently than the others.

Word Count - 6922 / 17000

From a normal person's perspective, it would probably look quite hopeless for the more humanoid figures on the roof. But in reality, the sisters already won. After all, the beasts did not really pose a problem when they were alone and divided like this. Even if this one managed to finally get up and a solid ground where it could use all of it's powers in full, it mattered now. For by itself, it was just far too weak and could not hope to defeat the two goddesses. So as the werewolf turned to face Noheme, several arrows suddenly penetrated it's back, causing it to howl in pain. And in response it would turn and try to run towards Leila with her bow. Naturally, it's movement was interrupted by a slash that nearly cut off it's left leg, making it fall to the ground. Just as state before, it had absolutely no hope of winning this struggle. No matter at who it would turn, the other would strike it's vulnerable back and cause heavy damage. While their teamwork coul use some improvements for sure, it was clear that one vs. two was not the way to go. Putting the beast out of it's misery, the moon goddess would step on it's back to press it's entire body into the snow and then cut through it's skull with her sword. And just like that, the encounter was over. Despite how long it lasted, the two girls actually managed to get out of it all really well and without any real injuries as well. They were either really skilled, or just lucky. And time would show which one of the two it really was.

And hey, that was finally the first kill performed with the fox girl's newly acquired weapon! It finally had a better use than acting as a torch. Torch that they once had but no longer, as it was kinda left by the wall when the werewolves came in to attack. "I, uh... I kinda left it sitting on the ground when the first one attack me. I think we should probably go get it..." And awkward laugh to which the elder sister nodded. While the snow seemed to be less intense than before, it would still be nice to have something that would light the path ahead. And so, they would jump down from the busted building and bury their feet deep in the snow once more. Thankfully, the piece of burning wood was still lying exactly where the Eden's spirit left it, ready to be picked up again. The flames weren't even put out, that was just how good the torch from this world was. And no wonder, they kinda had to be like this with all the snow around them. White as far as eye could see still, even in here. "Well, that was something. Somehow I feel like those creatures were not tied to this world... I think someone summoned them here. A good sign that we're on the right path." Leila nodded. They both felt it when fighting them. Those creatures lacked souls of any kind. They were but hollow shells following the most base of instincts. But who would have enough power to be summoning creatures like these into this world. And for what purpose? Was it really just to test the sisters and their prowess? Well, there was only one way to find out, and that was to go further into the abandoned city.

Word Count - 7504 / 17000

While the houses appeared quite small at first, their walls seemingly grew in size when the two girls walked right next to them. It was strange, but that was how it felt. Especially with only the sound of faint flames from the torch and wind blowing being heard. Everything else lied completely silent now that the beasts from this place were defeated. Well, it probably was a good sign, rather than a bad one. After all, sounds in places like these usually meant bad things, as they already confirmed when a bunch of werewolves attacked them out of nowhere. At least they were kind enough to show their presence first by howling, not all enemies are as kinda as that. But even then, something about this place felt... off. Probably the fact that it was completely desolate, as if everyone just packed their things and left at once. It was unsettling to think about and even more so to look at. The streets and houses looked completely normal from outside, a sight you would get in any city that was located in Fiore. Well, maybe little bit more exotic, but still. The only real difference was the fact that it was all covered beneath a blanket of warm snow. It was probably not clean off the roads in ages, given how much of it was present. It honestly made it rather difficult to move around at all. The girls both had their abilities that could help them move around or above it all, but they did not want to waste their energy in case something else would attack them. And they were pretty sure something really would.

"What do you think happened to people that lived here? Other than natural decay, I can't even see any real damage anywhere..." A little question that would break the dreadful silence. But it was not replied to until several seconds passed, as Noheme herself had no real answer to give. She was just as confused about this place as her little sister. "I can't even begin to guess if I'm honest. There is a certain feeling in the air, one that I'm not liking one bit. But it's old, I don't think it has anything to do with what we're gonna be facing." Well, it sounded at least a little reassuring. But not all that much when you would consider things they were going through. They just had to make sure to pass this weird test as soon as was humanly possible. And soon, the girls managed to find themselves in an open space. A square or plaza, whatever you would call it. The center of the city where people would gather to hear speeches from important figures, spots where stands would be during various festivals and many benches and stone slabs where people could sit and talk together. It would surely look very pleasant if all the white was cleared out just for a moment. But unfortunately, neither of the girls had control over proper fire magic that could melt the already warm material. They just had to make do with what they were given, which at least wasn't too little. It was still a lovely view that gave them a good idea as to what this place was when people still lived here. A proper city of merchants and festivals, it looked like.

Word Count - 8066 / 17000

Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook rather violently. All the different stones that were forming the road started moving up and down, eventually collapsing into a giant hole that lead into an unknown blackness. A hole that was quite large, something that should not happen in a place this important to a city. The girls quickly grew wary as a sudden wave of magical energy started leaking out of it, however. Now it was beyond clear that this was not caused by any natural events, but another enemy approaching their location. Thankfully, this one liked to announce itself as well. But judging by the magical energy they both felt, whatever was coming was way stronger than the werewolf beasts. But before it could emerge from the bowels of earth, another screech echoed through the place, alerting the duo. This time, it was something in the air. Something big! And it would soon reveal itself as a shape of bird suddenly cast shadow on the ground, flying high above the ground. From the point where they were standing, it almost looked tiny. But that only meant it would grow so much bigger when the creature actually decides to land. This was slightly problematic, as the all of a sudden had two much stronger beasts on their hands. The ground shook once more and the second enemy revealed itself as well. A giant that crawled out of the hole, looking almost as a malformed trunk of a big tree. Both of the creatures were pitch black with skeleton-like parts on them, suggesting they were the same as the previous enemies.

Land Beast:

Air Beast:

Thankfully they at least appeared to be moving much slower that the werewolves, as the giant slowly made it's way towards Noheme. Honestly, she could be crawling and still be faster than this thing. That managed to calm her quite a lot, given the fact that speed was her forte. With as smirk on her face, she would start sprinting around the beast, making it start turning slowly. But there was now way for it to catch up, so once chance presented itself, the moon goddess would unsheathe her sword again to slash the creature's skin open. There was only one problem. A strike that nearly removed a limb from the previous enemy did nearly nothing to this guy. He was slow, yes. But he was also like a moving fortress that would not budge when hit were spells this weak. They had to try something much bigger. One wink at her sister would start the new attack, as many different trees started growing all around the beast, slowly closing it. And then, all at once, they would start squeezing, basically forming a much bigger equivalent of binding someone with a rope. While an embrace like that was indeed rather crushing, it was not exactly enough to put the enemy out of commission. Not in the slightest. But the moon goddess finally got to her position on a nearby building that was taller than the rest, a giant speak of mold virus in her hand. And with one single powerful throw, the spear would fly out like a bullet towards the beast. And it hit it perfectly. Shame that was no reason to celebrate, for there was nearly no visible effect even after that. The titan still stood tall, unmoving and calm.

Word Count - 8626 / 17000

At least the bird wasn't trying to attack them as of yet. That was giving them enough time to focus on the currently present thread. If the beast even was a thread, so far he didn't even attack. So of course now that it was mentioned, he had to do something. The trees that were binding him suddenly started cracking and then broke apart all at once, sending pieces of wood flying all over the battlefield. Even Leila had to hide behind one of the decorative columns that were present in this place so that she wouldn't eat a portion of her own spell. Rising one of it's hands into the air, the titan prepared for attack and the sisters prepared to dodge. Well, Noheme did since the enemy was facing her and was probably going to direct the attack at her as well. It took few moments, but the hand would eventually start moving towards the ground again, slamming into it at full force. For how it actually looked, the impact caused by this was much greater than anticipated, a sudden shock wave of black magical energy being send towards the moon goddess. Thankfully she was indeed prepared and with her majorly enhanced speed, she managed to avoid nearly all of the attack. But not the entirety of it, as the edge managed to graze her, tearing apart the cloth that was making her sleeves and causing few bruises on that hand. Nothing major, but it made her not want to think what would happen if she ate that attack at full force.

And looking behind her, she probably get her answer as to what would have happened. A clear line that was at least 50 meters wide, going all to way to the end of the city. Everything in that line was completely destroyed. Buildings completely smashed, something that not ever five werewolf creatures could do. For a single attack to cause destruction like that, the beast really was a danger with slow speed being it's only weakness. Well, at least it was something. Despite their large scale, his attacks were indeed somewhat avoidable. They just had to find a way to properly harm it, was all. Or maybe they were hurting it already, but the damage simply wasn't visible. Something like that was also very possible. After all, the creature's skin was completely black, almost melting. It was rather hard to tell what was going on with it, and there was a solid chance that some injures were underneath all that mess as well. But it was honestly impossible to tell, so they just had to keep on throwing their attacks at it until it would drop dead. So the usual strategy that was established before. Now it was Leila's turn to deal some damage again, as she copied her big sister and formed another speak only to throw it and bury it into the beast's body. Both spears slowly dissolved into nothingness as the titan slowly started turning again, this time going for the Eden's spirit. Even the ground cracked below him and his giant body. What exactly were these creatures anyway? Nothing that the goddess seen up until now. A completely new type of enemy. Well, a lot of jobs offered that, but these guys were especially deadly.

Word Count - 9179 / 17000

And with not exactly the greatest timing ever, even the beast that roamed the skies decided to join the fight, suddenly pointing down and flying towards them all at rather high speed. But before it would get too close, it stopped rather suddenly, flapping it's wings as several feathers came out, flying like rockets towards Noheme. They even adjusted their path, eventually crashing into a wall formed by the mold virus that protected the girl. Observing all of this, Leila wished she would still have the entirety of her magic at her disposal more than ever. She never thought she would miss her anti-air cannon spell so much. With that thing, she was capable of ruining everything and anything that was flying, but right now, she was kinda powerless. Well, not quite. She still had her bow that had a really good reach that she could use. But it was obviously less effective and cool than a laser of death, right? But there was an interesting idea that she just got from watching these events unfold. Getting her bow ready, she fired several quick shots. Only couple managed to reach the beast high in the skies and as she predicted, they had very little effect in terms of damage. But what she needed them to do, they actually did. And that was getting the creature's attention from her sister to herself. What she was trying to do was risky, but it could pay off in the end and that was really all that mattered. Though the titan was already aimed at her too, it's hands in air. Gulping, she started sprinting to the beast's side in order to avoid an imminent death.

Thankfully she was rather close to the enemy and thus it was easier for her to get out of the range, making the dark shock wave create another path of absolutely destruction where nothing was left standing. With perfect timing, the bird made another fly by too, doing exactly the same attack that it performed against the moon goddess, hoping the Eden's spirit had no means of defense like that. Well, she had her shield, but there was no need to use that right now. Instead, she used her nimble body to quickly hide behind the titan. And as the feathers homed in, they instead penetrated the giant beast! Somehow, it actually worked out without skewering the Eden's spirit first. Now the titan was finally showing some reaction, shaking it's body violently and screaming out, nearly making everything in range vibrate under the horrid sound. There was progress being done, but it also pissed the titan off, making it into something even worse than it already is. Not the best thing ever, but maybe they could finish them all now. Noheme was already preparing too on the other side of the battlefield. She wanted to keep usage of her bigger spells to minimum, but they were running out of options. She probably had to throw out one or two of her skills to put these two to sleep without having to get injured too much in the process. Still, she had a bad feeling something even stronger was waiting after this encounter. And that definitely wasn't good. It was honestly hard to imagine fighting something even stronger in this place, as it was already falling apart now.

Word Count - 9738 / 17000

But for now, Leila had to do most of the work. In order to direct her attacks properly and make them most effective, Noheme had to stay back and watch for a weak spot. So as the titan beast flailed, the Eden's spirit could only be jumping around and trying to avoid it's now rather fast arms. It was wonder he wasn't like this from the begging. And kinda nice at the same time because they would have much harder time with him otherwise. The beast was enraged and would attack anyone and anything, making this hopefully a perfect opportunity to slay two birds with one stone, as humans liked to say. Preparing her bow, the girl would wait once more and focus greatly so that her next should would not miss. After loosing so many feathers, the bird was no longer capable of flying as high as before, as well as avoiding using that attack anymore. A perfect chance, as it looped around and got rather close. Releasing the arrow that suddenly shined in briliant light, the silver haired girl set her plan into motion and started sprinting away, making sure she would not be caught up in what was about to happen. The shot she released was a special one, enchanted by the bow's magical energy. That gave it more speed, range and maily, a penetrative property. And as the arrow hit it's mark, everything went down. The blue light going straight through the bird's wing, making it screech in agony as well as it lost control and started spiraling down like a shot plane.

And just how was planned, the bird crashed right into the titan beast. That in itself did absolutely na damage to either of them, but one of them was rather angry at the other because of certain attack that missed. And just like that, the two giant hands grabbed the poor feathered creature and started tearing it apart. When the enemy was too strong for you, just send it against another enemy that is too strong for you. Seemed to work pretty well, actually. Of course, the other beast was trying to defend itself as it clearly did not like the idea of being torn apart just like that. And it managed to deal quite some damage seemingly with it's beak. But ultimately, it didn't exactly stand a chance against something that was tearing the whole city apart. Soon, the bird beast would start fading away, it's body turning into a black mist. And only the titan was left there alone. Now was Noheme's time to shine, as she finally spotted a good place to attack! That beak managed to leave quite a few holes in the titan that were exposing it's inner, more crimson red parts. With her incredible speed, she got close and jump to one of them, sinking her weapon into the beast's flesh so she had something that would keep her in the position as she was hanging off the enemy when he would shake. And with a deep inhale, the goddess released her powerful venomous breath attack right into the exposed spot. And it was quite effective indeed, as the red slowly turned into purple as it soaked in the deadly poison. After several flails that brought about few more destroyed houses, the creature would finally fall over and start disappearing as well, making the fox girl fall onto her back as she sighed out in relief.

Word Count - 10317 / 17000

Honestly it was not that big of an encounter. But somehow, it left both girls quite exhausted. With one lying on the floor and the other one slowly going to her as well, sitting down for a moment. Few moments passed before they could even speak up again after what just happened. "Well... that was a thing! I honestly hope whoever send that letter is watching, because we're doing some fine job right here!" Leila just had to praise herself as she took off the top hat she was wearing for a moment, wiping off the sweat from her forehead with the other hand. Noheme could only smile to all that as she stretched on the floor. Honestly, this world felt great! Even though it was snow everywhere and she was lying on the stone, it was not cold at all. In fact, she only now noticed that it stopped snowing completely, as the quiet spread across the ruined city once more. If this place was considered ruins before then came here, then she had no idea what it would be after they leave, honestly. "Eh, they weren't all that tough. Just annoying to deal with if you ask me. But I have to say, you did most of the work there, Leila. Even after losing so much of your power, you really are something!" They were sisters that were born gods. And while one of them was that no more, she still had quite a bit of her power left it appeared. It was definitely a good thing too, as any worry she would be unable to tackle jobs in Earthland again was now pretty much completely gone. She was ready to take on the whole world after this!

Not that this was over yet. There was something else in this place, something big. Both of the girls quickly got up as they felt it at the exact same moment. And then, something indeed did happen. But it was much smaller than they expected. A small, black cloudy portal appeared near from them, figure suddenly rising up. Or rather... well, it was kinda hard what appeared in front of them. It was almost like a black ghost with white outline, only two round eyes staring back at the sisters. And then, it spoke.
"I welcome you to the forgotten city of Yurea. One of the Astral realm and One of the Eden's realm. I am glad you could make it this far."
It's speech was rather strange and quickly putting the girls at edge. "Are you the one who send that letter?! What's this whole thing about?" Noheme clearly did not want to wait much, she wanted answers. But the shadow only shook it's head as it continued in it's own speech.
"T'was not me, but our fair lady. She is your judge here. I am but her humble servant, who is meant to deliver message and test you further. But worry not. You are very close to the end, so very close to proving yourselves. A wonderful job, miraculous one."
That made the moon goddess take up a fighting stance once more. "So we just have to kick your sorry ass to end this charade? Perfect, I was lacking opponents my size in this whole test of yours! I hope you're ready, because I'm ready to end this here and now!"

Shadow:

Word Count - 10880 / 17000

The shadow lowered it's head. Suddenly, extreme magical power could be felt in the air as a gigantic magic circle appeared in the skies. It easily covered the entirety of the city and then some with hos far it expanded. Leila quickly grabbed her sister's hand as a black shielding bubble surrounded them. It was ability of her armor, one that was capable of defending even against the strongest of spells for limited time. And with a black and white flash, exactly that happened. The whole world appeared gray in that moment for the two girls, as they were unable to see anything at all. It felt like en eternity before they could open their eyes again, see that the shield was completely shattered. And so was the city. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that there was no city anymore. It was both amazing and terrifying at the same time. The shadow was still there in the same place, as if it was unaffected by what just happened. And looking up, it was revealed exactly what was the source of all that destruction. A giant shadow that was now landing. A dragon that looked like nightmare itself. Why was something like that here? Was that their final enemy? A companion for the shadow that stood in their way? Was it really possible to defeat something like that? Huge and powerful, it managed to wipe the entire city off this world's map. But even then, there was no backing down. They made it this far, surely they would not give up this close to their goal. It was but one more enemy!

The moon goddess would steel herself as she looked over to her side. Leila was just as surprised to see all this as she was. Well, of course. Anyone would, really. But they were heroes that actively worked towards saving this worlds, even though they had their own ones. "Don't worry. It's just another flying lizard, nothing too fancy. We'll kick it's ass and go home together so you can make us something delicious for lunch, alright Leila?" A sincere and pleasant smile. Ah, with a smile like that, this world did not even need it's own sun. And her little sister could only reply with exactly the same. She was here right now... but she had to walk a different path tomorrow. And then the day after that! And after that! There was still so much more she had to do, people to greet again. Especially one among many... one that she desired to see more than anyone. And her heart started pounding faster. "Yeah. I'll make sure to make something extra delicious! So let's deal with these guys as fast as we can. Because there is someone I have to meet... someone who is waiting for my return!" With newly found determination, the two girls prepared themselves. They were strong. But so was the enemy in front of them. And they would clash against each other, fight of two wills! If this was really some kind of test, then they would do their very best to past it. They would not look back, only forward! If there was ever time to show off exactly what they could do, it was now. To whatever fair lady that was probably watching them, they would never, ever give up! Not for as long as they had Earthland to fight for and protect!

Dragon:

Word Count - 11456 / 17000

Somehow, it appeared as if the shadow in front of them was smiling. Of course, there was no mouth or any other orifice that would suggest something like that. It was but a strange feeling one got from gazing on the unusual being. And yet, it also brought an odd sense of comfort and calmness, as if they were standing in an arena and the whole crowd was cheering them on. They were the favorites and they were not going to disappoint anyone by loosing, because they would not.
"Very well. Let us proceed to the testing then. This city was selected for this process precisely because of it's abandoned status. We will interrupt none, no matter how much of our power we shall use. Begin."
As those words were spoken by the strange shadow, the abyssal dragon prepared for yet another breath attack, pitch black energy gathering in it's jaws. Leila would start sprinting to it's side while Noheme quickly placed her hands onto the ground with a smirk on her face. "Oh no, you don't!" With a flicker of magical energy, venom started gathering in front of her an taking on a specific shape, soon to become a second dragon beast on the battlefield. But the one that was controlled by the moon goddess, formed largely from a solid poison, but also a liquid one, giving it rather sinister appearance as well. Looking at the battlefield from the outside must have been quite the experience right now. Shame that there really was no audience that could be cheering, as something like that could bring about a great deal of moral support for the two girls.

But even without that, they were still confident in their abilities and their goal here. As soon as the dragon was formed, it would leap forward and crash into the abyssal one, forcing it's head into a different direction as the dark attack was unleashed in the form of giant black beam, shattering a mountain in the distance in an unholy explosion. That thing packed quite a punch and it certainly would be advised to not get hit by it under any circumstances. After all, it did destroy the whole city. And while the two giant beasts wrestled for a bit, the Eden's spirit was free to attack the shadow by summoning several roots and trees by her side, sending them forth and trying to ram them into the enemy. But even though this one was dwarfed by it's guardian, it certainly wasn't hopeless, nor powerless. Suddenly forming a humanoid arm from it's frame, yet another magical circle would appear in front of it, sending out a wave of darkness. This countered the nature's attack quite nicely, as the two different attacks negated one another. But it also made the enemy loose sight of the other sister, one that used her teleporting ability to suddenly appear behind her target with hands coated in powerful venom. Few attempts at slashing were for once met with success as the shadow tumbled forward. And even though there were no signs of damage visible, the impact clearly told her that she was actually doing some work, not like with the titan beast few minutes ago. Unfortunately, she was unable to continue her flurry of attacks, as corrosive shield perked up around the shadow, quickly expanding to scorch it's surroundings.

Word Count - 12018 / 17000

However, attacks like that were quite pointless considering the speed at which the moon goddess moved, making it rather easy for her to just take several hops back and avoid the wave of devastation easily, considering it's fairly small range. But it also made the shadow recognize just how powerful the girls truly were, especially when they got close to the target. With yet another spell, it disappeared completely just like it appeared on the battlefield at first. It was not hard to track it's magical signature, quickly alerting Noheme that the life form moved atop the abyssal dragon who managed to shake hold of the venom one for a moment, flapping it's wings in rather rapid motion. Even a simple gesture like that was dangerous from a beast like this, forming strong gusts of wind that started pushing both the fox girl and Leila back slightly. But since even that proved somewhat ineffective, the abyssal dragon would jump out into the air and start flying. With it's massive and and great wings, it got away rather quickly and into a pretty good position for another breath attack. One aimed at them from the top like that would be probably rather devastating, meaning the had to do something about it. With a snap of her fingers, the moon goddess would summon her own dragon and quickly jump on top of it. "Stay down here, Leila! I'll make that thing fall down so you can take it for a bit!" And with those words, the venomous dragon would take into the skies as well.

Though what her sister said was mildly worrisome for Leila who stayed behind on the ground. How exactly would she alone take on that thing once it came down? Well, she would probably figure that one out when the time actually comes. In the meantime, the two giant beasts would start flying next to one another. One could easily say that this was almost like a fight of titans with both sides going all out right now. "Alright buddy, you're going down now!" As Noheme spoke out those words, her own dragon prepared it's very own breath attack, one very similar to the one which his owner had. Unfortunately, she used hers on the previous enemy and was not quite ready to spit out that amount of energy just yet. But even the weaker version was quite impactful, making the dragon scream out in horrid tone. Somehow, it still managed to remain in the air even after that vortex of venom crashed into it's body, making it soaked in unpleasant poison. There was an effect however, as the abyssal dragon slowed down for a moment, allowing the goddess to jump from one beast to another, getting onto the pitch black back that was adorned with many skeletal structures. What greeted her there was five unholy arrows headed straight at her, attack that she dealt with by gripping her sword and using one of it's passive abilities, cutting down every single one from the air before they would penetrate her own flesh. Mere messenger or not, this shadow had quite the arsenal as well, which was a bit annoying. Not that she would be unable to deal with him, though. Noheme was more than just capable of that.

Word Count - 12568 / 17000

Not right now, however. She had to deal with the dragon first, only then she could go against the shadow without having to worry. A smirk on her face made the enemy uncertain of what was going on as they started preparing their next move. But far too slow. The fox girl spun the moonlight weapon in her head fancily before jabbing it into the dragon's dark flesh. "Why don't you taste one of my stronger spells, hm? Be consumed in sickness, Venom God's Plague!" Suddenly, a thick black mist surrounded the beast and started affecting it quite heavily. Even the abyssal skin started cracking slightly underneath it's effects, finally making it loose control and start heading towards ground. The shadow recognized the spell once it was cast, but was unable to do anything about it. Somehow, it also looked like he himself was not really affected by it at all. it was strange, since the mist dealt direct damage to anything it would touch. But there was not really all that much time to be thinking about that now, especially since they were about to crash. It was why the girl used her weapon how she did, forming something she could hold on to for her dear life as the dragon's face met the ground, making the entire area shake violently. It was also bit unfortunate that the dragon wasn't affected by the mist fully. Normally, any enemy would start vomiting violently after being exposed to it like this. But there was a pretty good chance that this creature didn't even have anything inside of it that could come out that way.

But at least it was on the ground now while her own dragon was still in the air, also starting to head down with it's own plan of action. One that made Noheme quickly leave the beast's back with her teleporting ability, getting as far away as she possibly could. In the meantime, Leila got right in front of the thing's face and fully ready. The bow was held firmly in her hand as it glowed with a blue-ish color, one resembling moonlight. And she herself too was surrounded in a green aura, as well as thin barrier of wind. All her abilities were active and read to strike, starting with a single arrow that buried itself deep into the skeletal mask that her opponent was wearing. It didn't even tickle the dragon, but it wasn't meant to deal damage. Instead, a mark was left where the arrow struck. One that quickly expanded to the whole beast, diminishing it's defenses in an instant, making it receive additional damage from attacks. And as it started slowly regain it's senses, several trees and roots would start slashing away at it's head, even breaking pieces of the mask away.  While she lacked most of her spells that she used to have in the past, she was still capable of dealing this much damage. After all, it was always her speciality. Just dealing raw pain to the enemy, forcing them down before they would force her. This was actually her first time using all those abilities again and it was quite pleasant, watching the wood tear at her enemy, the wind surrounding it dance in gales and blades, slashing away. Of course, it still reminded her of her best friend. But at least the fight itself would distract her from those thoughts a little bit.

Word Count - 13142 / 17000

The Eden's ruthless assault continued without a hint of mercy, breaking apart a good half of the skeletal mask before the dragon would finally regain all of it's senses, screaming out and forcing the girl several steps back as all of her summoned nature fell apart from the small shock wave that the scream itself caused. Raising it's head high into the air, it was clearly ready to prepare for another attack. But the sisters were far from backing down. After all, Noheme left the dragon's back for a reason. Suddenly, a great shadow would start growing larger by the second as the goddess' venom dragon headed straight down at full speed, crashing into the abyssal one at full force and without any regards for it's own well being. Force like that formed rather brutal impact, creating a massive crater that the pitch black creature was squished into. Unfortunately, even the venom dragon was destroyed in the process. It was only natural as it crushed into something head first at extreme speed with all of it's body's weight. But at least he served well until now, giving it his all and being useful to it's very end. Not to mention how effective the crash was. Looking at it now, the abyssal's dragon body finally started slowly changing into the mist, just like all the other opponents did when they were defeated. "Did we do it?" It was an achievement to defeat a dragon like that, so it was quite expected for Leila to be surprised if they actually won, even after all that confidence she had.

Noheme observed what looked like a corpse of a dragon as well. But soon, she would jump back and signal at her sister to do the same. They were not done yet! Even with it's body slowly turning to nothingness, the beast was still alive and it started clawing it's way out of the crater. Not to mention a giant ball of black and white mist that suddenly started forming above it. And soon enough, unholy orbs with appearance of cannon balls would start shooting out rather rapidly. In fact, they were much faster that the Eden's spirit, hitting her in the left hand and right shoulder before she managed to hide behind some rubble. Noheme on the other hand was much faster and flexible, but even she was grazed by few of them, tearing the cloth that she was wearing into pieces. Thankfully not enough that she would be running around in nude, not that it was cold here or anything. In fact, it was probably better for her. Since she disliked wearing clothes and all that, the less she was wearing, the more comfortable she would feel. Still, this was quite problematic. She managed to hide as well behind something that was probably a wall at some point, but nothing more than few bricks now. That attack, it was not performed by the dragon. It must have been the shadow on top of him, finally deciding that he should act after his pet was crushed like that. It was surprising that he was even present to cast spells like that after the whole crushing deal. But with how even the mist didn't affect him, it was clear that the bastard played by a different set of rules regarding being damaged and all that. For now, they had to form a strategy that would help them even approach their enemies, which was rather annoying.

Word Count - 13723 / 17000