Chapter 172: Fairy-Tale Lie Part 2 (2/2)
”Heroes? That's what I want to be. That's what I want to be.”
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The sky began to darken as purple haze rippled through the ground. The day of judgement was running on in fast. The Garden is almost here. Iris jolted back kicking serval chunks of ice away. ”Fight all you want it useless. I don't even have to defeat you. The Garden will do quick work of that.”
”This Garden this, the Garden that. You know I'm getting real sick of this Garden crap.” Alton muttered.
Alice and Alton disconnected as Alice flew forward avoiding the blast of purple energy meeting Iris head-on. Landing serval strikes with her scythe Iris couldn't move stuck in a trap of endless punches. Charging up one final blow Iris was sent flying to the ground. Alton was waiting flicking his hand forward as cold shockwaves blasted through her freezing her in place before hitting it. Inches away from the ground, never touching it, the ice shattered as she was knocked back into the wall. Iris screamed, blowing the area apart as cubes flooded and roared around bombarding the two. Alice kept throwing portals open to dodge the attacks, but a few would knock her off balance even then.
Alton was smashed to the ground buried in cubes. A single strain of ice pierced through stabbing Iris in the shoulder pinning her against the wall as Alton reappeared next to Alice. ”If we keep this up we will have no choice but to kill her. Suggestions?”
”I think… No. I know I can get through to Iris. I just need time.”
Alton pulled his arms behind him as the ice began flooding over him, consuming him, creating an armour-like substance. ”That can be arranged. We don't have too long.” Alton blasted forward as Iris broke herself free. Seeing Alton, she gritted her teeth, swinging her hand up, arming a pillar to stop his attack. Spinning in the air, Alton grazed off the side using the momentum to smash down into the ground. His blade of ice by his side thrust it forward, barely missing Iris. She reacted fast drawing her scythe the two began clashing with shards of ice cracking around them. Each strike only increased in speed and power as neither side showed any sign of weakening as the two moved back and forth. Iris tried getting the upper hand jumping over and around Alton to throw him off, but even that wasn't enough. The weapons clashed once more as the two were trapped in a stalemate pushing with all their might. ”I know Iris is still in there and I know shes fighting the Iris I know won't ever give up!”
”You hold too much faith in your friends when you should be more concerned about yourself Alton!” Iris caught him off guard, breaking his guard making Alton fall to the ground. He came back with a roundhouse kicking jerking his whole body around knocking Iris back using the downwards speed.
The ground began to freeze rapidly as a blizzard of power surrounded him. ”It's quite the opposite. I've always held others poorly. I never believed I could rely on others or believe in them. But seeing how much you and Iris believed in me, in Sam who am I to throw that away just for once. For the hell of it, I'm going to believe in my friends!”
Alton blasted the blizzard at Iris as she shot up a wall blocking the attack as she was pushed to her limit. Taking the attack on her entire focus was given to Alton. She gritted her teeth holding out only to realise the attack wasn't made for her. Feeling like a fool, she flinched as a portal opened from the wall she constructed, and Alice slowly emerged from it. ”It's about time for once sis you let me save you. I won't let this demon ruin both of our lives anymore!”
”Damn it, this was all a distraction!”
Alice tackled Iris to the ground holding her down. Iris struggled and fought but was no match for Alice. ”Give back my sister. I demand it! You've toyed with me my whole life, and I just accepted that but don't drag her into this!”
Iris stared at Alice, wincing in pain. ”Ple… Sav… Me!”
Alice reached out to her rescue only for Salvation to sneak back in falling through a portal reappearing in the air. Alice collapsed, looking up as Iris held her hand out as a bright light blinded the sky. Alton gritted his teeth, noticing similar properties to Zinnia and Scarlett's attack. ”Not good. She doesn't cancel abilities; she takes them to use against us! If that hits… No!”
Alton's eyes ripple bright yellow as his hair extends and frozen petals float around him as he was to meet Iris' attack head-on. ”I'm sorry Iris… I have no choice.” A swirl of power grows in his hand as he begins to crush it, allowing it to blossom and ignite. The air around him was sucked dry as even Alton was starting to freeze up due to his charged attack. ”Forgive me… absolute freeze…”
Iris began moving her arm down to finish the fight in an attack which would destroy half the city. That was until Alice suddenly appeared in front of Iris, throwing her off entirely. Alice didn't counter her sister nor cast her own attack. Instead, she just gave Iris her bravest smile. One Iris had no memory of even from the past life. Alice took her hand before. Iris flinched looking distort. ”What are you doing? Move out of the way. I demand you! If you don't… My attack will destroy you!”
Alice shook her head. ”No more running away. No more of you living in my shadow. Even if that means I have to sacrifice everything I won't let this end. I'm taking it all back. Iris, Eve our life everything for I am thou, thou art I.”
Alton stopped his attack looking up in horror as Iris let hers. A ripple of energy exploded as Alton stepped back coming to his senses. ”No… No way… Alice!”
The dust began to settle as Iris stared on teary-eyed trapped in the sense of misbelief finding Alice bloody and beaten hugging her. Alice glanced up her eyes flickering yellow as she smiled, holding Iris' face. ”There you are…”
Alice collapsed being caught by Iris in the last second as she looked at her sister in horror. Feeling far too weak, she also gave way falling from grace. Alton tried to rush into their rescue but was far too tired to act. A bolt of crackling lightning burst through the sky as Zinnia roared through catching the two landings safely. Alton ran over panting. ”Zinnia! Zinnia, are they?”
Zinnia turned, looking troubled as she shook her head. Alton pushed through staring at the twins. Iris held her sister, who was showing no sign of anything. The sky was rippling a dark purple with no sign of stopping. The Garden would be here soon. ”I thought stopping Salvation would end it… Is this really the end?” Zinnia whispered.
”Something's wrong. This isn't how it was supposed to go. Iris…”
Iris shook her head, grasping her sister tightly. ”No… It's no use, I failed. She's gone. Alice is gone…”