CHAPTER 10: SOULS OF THE SOULLESS

“One black, one white,

One cloaked in darkness, one bathed in light.

Dancing under moonlight,

Twirling with suffering.

One black, one wh—”

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!” Snow roared with fury, unloading a hail of bullets at the Gremlin, which danced and sang maniacally. It dodged with uncanny luck, vanishing into the shadows. Above, Branwen spread its wings wide, its mouth unleashing a beam of light that swept the ground with greater force than before. Kira swiftly raised an ice wall, while Snow fired relentlessly from behind. Branwen let out a piercing shriek, diving at its targets, claws slashing the wall’s remnants and hurling a barrage of feathers forward. Snow shoved Kira aside, her arm bristling with razor-sharp plumes.

“Snow! Are you okay!?”

“I’m fine,” Snow retreated, yanking feathers from her arm. Her healing was slower than before—N9NE LIVES needed time to recharge its nanites, and she knew it.

“Don’t be reckless, Snow. You’re healing slower now. You don’t have the Server—”

“I KNOW!!” Snow shouted again. “But this data, these emotions…”

Branwen screeched, sensing Snow’s vulnerability, and swiped at her. Snow instinctively raised her arm to block—her left arm shattered under the white raven’s might. She flew back, crashing motionless. N9NE LIVES buzzed faintly within her, signaling its nanites were depleted.

“BASTARD!!” Kira’s rage erupted. She channeled her fury into a fireball, hurling it at Branwen. The Beast took the hit but didn’t flinch. Kira unleashed ice spears and lightning bolts, yet it remained unscathed. The white raven soared toward her, claws flashing. In a moment of carelessness, Kira saw herself falling—before her stood her own legs, still rooted to the ground. Blood pooled beneath her, consciousness slipping away. Branwen approached slowly, black tears streaming anew. It planted a foot on her remaining torso, claws poised to end the Reaper. Kira’s gaze drifted to Snow, still unmoving. A tear fell, and the Reaper shut her eyes, awaiting her end.

The world around Kira froze once more.

“Get up. Your fate doesn’t end here.”

Strange voices echoed in her mind again. She scoffed, “Can’t you see my legs are gone? How do I stand?” The first voice replied, “You chose a path built on blood and fire. You carry our will. You are death incarnate. Reaper, this isn’t your end.”

“You, the Soulless, bear our souls. Reaper, we’ll unlock your true power!” The voices rang as one.

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Reality snapped back. Branwen’s claws descended—but recoiled sharply. Flames engulfed Kira, and Snow’s systems rebooted simultaneously. Snow stared at the fiery wall, chaotic data making her doubt her own sensors.

From the blaze, Kira emerged. Her severed legs reformed, but shriveled and gray—like a corpse’s. Her cold, beautiful face remained, but her purple, mana-filled eyes now glowed a demonic gold, her black hair half-silvered. She wore a gown dark as night, a closed book hovering at her right. Raising a hand, thick black mist eclipsed the moon, the flames behind her snuffed by an icy chill, plunging the scene into darkness.

Hel—Mythical Beast of Hell and Souls, embodiment of death—had appeared.

“Kira…” Snow’s lips trembled as she struggled to rise. Branwen shrieked, claws poised to strike its foe. But the Reaper paid it no heed. With a flick of her finger, the hovering book opened, pages flipping rapidly before stopping. Kira—now Hel—spoke softly:

“Spartan.”

From the mist, figures emerged—legendary warriors of history, bronze-red helmets masking their faces, armed with swords and shields, arrayed in perfect formation. Sensing danger, Branwen charged the shadows to escape. The round shields swiftly encircled it, spears stabbing into its white flesh. The pages flipped again, and the Reaper intoned:

“Knights Templar.”

Knights of the Temple, clad in cross-emblazoned armor and helms, burst from the darkness astride horses. Two lead knights thrust lances deep into Branwen, dragging it along before halting. The others trampled its wounded body, swords slashing down. The raven wailed, tears flowing ceaselessly. It realized its wounds wouldn’t heal—struck by spectral warriors. Snow watched, wide-eyed, tasting surprise for the first time. Hel’s expression stayed frigid as she turned the pages once more:

“Lu Bu.”

A lone figure appeared—a warrior atop a blood-red horse, a massive halberd slung over his shoulder. Lu Bu roared, spurring his mount toward the Beast. His arm rose and fell, severing Branwen’s legs. As it struggled to fly, he slashed through its flapping wings. The Beast writhed on the ground, screaming pitifully. Lu Bu drove his halberd through its chest with a final thrust, then vanished into the black mist. The icy Reaper approached the white raven, placing a hand on its chest wound. The dark mist swirled around the two Beasts, dawn’s first rays peeking through, signaling a new day.

The darkness faded. Snow rushed forward. Kira—back in her original form—cradled Serah in her arms. The Homunculus Commander’s bloodied hands touched Kira’s face, once cold as ice, now softened by tears. Serah smiled, whispering something before her hands fell, leaving bloody streaks on Kira’s skin.

The Gremlin watched from afar, its twisted grin turning to fear. It muttered incomprehensible words, then clutched its head and fled.

“…Kira, is it really you?”

“It’s me. Are you okay? Your arm…”

“…I’m fine, just…”

Kira wiped her tears, white sparks reappearing. Snow’s arm began to heal. It seemed Kira had mastered her power.

“Listen, before she passed, Serah asked me something. That Gremlin with the cloaked figure wore an Elder’s emblem. We need to go to Elysium…”

Suddenly, Snow embraced Kira from behind, trembling. Startled, Kira gently touched her white hair.

“You don’t have to bear it all alone. I’m here too. I’ll be your Guardian Angel, and in return…”

“…In return, she’ll become the Reaper.”