333 Vol. 6 pt. 19 (2/2)

She twisted her blade inside of him. ”Give up. I don't want to kill you, but I will if you don't.”

”You're supposed to be a tsundere, not a yandere.”

Cassiel might not have been an anime fan like him, but she did learn about the stereotypes related to tsunderes just from exposure to him. That was why she knew to say, ”It's… it's not like I want you to surrender or anything, j-jerk…”

Rod knew what was about to happen and began to frantically pulsate his gem. Don't give up, partner! Don't let her words get to you! I know she's your lover, and she's saying what you like to hear, but look! Her sword is stuck in you and she's right there! Headbutt her! Punch her! Bite her! You can win this, partn—

”Thank you for the fanservice. I surrender,” Fenrir said.

That was the last time that Rod tried communicating with Fenrir. Well, for a few hours at least. Fenrir was going to get the silent treatment whether he realized that he was getting it or not.

”We'll pick out a dress tonight,” Cassiel said, withdrawing her sword from Fenrir. At the same time, he returned Rod to his normal form and secured him on his hip.

”And there we have it!” Tabitha shouted. ”The angelic Cassiel has won her first fight, so she'll be goin' on to the second round!”

Most of the crowd had no idea how to react to what they just saw. Fenrir's girlfriends in the audience, though, could not be happier that he lost.

”What's going on?” Oleander asked, only just arriving after mysteriously vanishing somewhere with Corwin. Corwin was with him, too, albeit covered in bite marks from his jaw down to his chest.

”Fenny is going to wear a dress,” Serra explained.

”Game or real life?”

”Real life. He lost so now he has to wear one of Nell's dresses.”

”Pictures. Videos. Both. I need them.”

”I've got you.”

”You're the best, Serra,” Oleander said, wrapping his arms around her while nuzzling his face against hers. Before pulling away, he whispered into her ear, ”I bet it'd be even better if you dressed him up in a maid outfit.”

Serra's eyes sparkled at the devil's sweet temptations.

All Fenrir had to do was look over at them and see that they were whispering to each other to know that he was in danger. Grave, grave danger. And that danger only grew even more serious as Nell joined in on the whispering.

”You better still love me if you can't see me as a man anymore after this,” Fenrir told Cassiel.

”Yeah, like making you wear a cute dress is going to make me stop loving you,” Cassiel replied with a sigh.

”Listen, I don't exactly have much masculinity going for me in real life, and I'll be shedding the last of it for you. Also, I want to see you wear a tuxedo.”

”You're ridiculous, and why a tuxedo?”

”Because you'd look hot in one.”

”You think I'd look hot in anything.”

”Exactly. I wonder if there are tuxedo sweaters. I know that there are sweaters with tuxedo graphics on them, but I want to see a sweater tuxedo hybrid. Wait, I'm an idiot.”

”You're only just now realizing that?”

”That shouldn't have been as hot as it was.”

”Yeah, you're ridiculous. I'm not even going to feel bad for saying that now.”

”I may be ridiculous, but what I want is perfectly logical. I want to see you dressed up in an angel costume. A slutty Halloween angel costume.”

”I'll wear one if you wear one.”

”Deal.”

”You agreed to that way too easily! What happened to being afraid for your masculinity?!”

”Who needs masculinity when I can have my Cass Cass dressed up like a slutty angel?”

”I—”

”Can ya both get out of the center?” Tabitha asked. ”We're waitin' to start the next round. Nobody's here to watch ya be all lovey-dovey.”

Both Fenrir and Cassiel turned a shade of red when they realized what they were so freely talking about in front of everybody.

While they walked out of the center to join their girlfriends, Tabitha introduced the next two fighters.

”Next up, we have… Nell versus Azalabulia!” Tabitha announced.

Everybody present backed away to make the circle larger when they heard Azalabulia's name. Azalabulia's explosive spells were known to everybody. Many knew nothing about her aside from the fact that she could cause mass destruction with her magic.

”Ah, fun!” Nell said, looking up at Azalabulia and holding her hands. ”Would you mind giving me the same performance that you give my hero? I would love to act out a scene with you!”

Everybody was afraid of Azalabulia, including their girlfriends and boyfriend, except for Nell.

And there was nothing that could have made Azalabulia happier.

Nell held Azalabulia's hand as they walked to the center of the group, only letting go once it was time for them to face one another.

”Tell me! Who is it that wishes to challenge the Dark Sorceress of Twisted Flames, the Breaker of Reality, and the One Who will Set the World Ablaze, the Wielder of the Cursed Flame of Bahamut, Azalabulia?!”

Nell wiped away her beaming smile and cleared her throat. It was clear that she was trying to take this seriously, but the quick swaying of her tail gave away just how excited she was. ”I shall be thy challenger, Azalabulia! I, Nell, the Champion of the Western Serpent,” she paused, looking over at Fenrir who was cringing but only because they were supposed to keep that part of her as secret as possible. But, it was already too late, so Fenrir shrugged and nodded. ”I – I, Nell, the Champion of the Western Serpent,” she restarted instead of simply moving to the next part, ”will be thy opponent today! I may not have been cursed with such infernal strength as thee have, but the blessing of one of the world's greatest serpents courses throughout mine body! The cursed flames of Bahamut shall be extinguished by the waves of Manasa!”

Nell, with her tail wagging even more, looked over at the others.

Fenrir gave her a thumbs-up, causing her smile to return against her will.

”Oh? I see. You wish to test the waves of the serpent against my flames of the dragon! Naïve girl! While I will gladly accept any challenge, do you not understand that you stand to make nothing more than a fool of yourself? Both you and your serpent will be shamed in the burning might of my power!” Azalabulia declared, dramatically holding an arm out.

”This may be true,” Nell said, ”but I shall try my hardest nonetheless! I will not let fear of your twisted abilities deter me from doing that which I must! If I do not stand here against you today, who will? Who will protect those in need of protection if not even I dare to throw my will against yours?!” At this point, everybody watching got their first taste of just how absorbed into her role Nell could become. She swung her arms out, forced tears to run from her eyes, and she even brought her wagging tail under control as her emotions reached the hearts of all watching. ”There is a desperate yearning in mine breast, and it is a yearning to protect this world and all of her peoples from you! For as long as air fills my lungs, I will not step aside! I will stop you here, in this very moment, or I shall die knowing that I have done my absolute best! Even if I am not able to defeat you myself, I will weaken you so that others whom come after me may!”

Azalabulia sniffled before remembering that she was supposed to be playing the evil villain instead of being one of the sympathizing audience members. ”Your determination is admirable, but you are nothing more than an obstacle to me. Let our duel for the fate of this star begin, Nell, Daughter of the Serpent.”

Nell's eyes widened when she realized what Azalabulia just did for her. Azalabulia helped her out by giving her a new title to refer to herself with! To repay Azalabulia's kindness, Nell stretched out her wings and readied herself for battle.

Everybody watching might have put their money on Azalabulia to win, but Nell was the one who they all wanted to win now.

”I will grant you your wish for death! Survive this impossible attack and I will even admit defeat, but know that it is my most powerful attack!” Azalabulia declared, holding her staff out in front of her.

”Don't tell me that she's going to start off with her strongest spell,” Cassiel said, taking her hand away from Fenrir now that she was done healing him.

”I think we need to move back some more,” Fenrir said.

And so, everybody around except for Nell gave Azalabulia about ten times as much space as they were already giving her. They made sure to stand far enough away that they would not even hear what the girls were saying unless they shouted.

”Should we save Nell?” Serra asked.

”I mean… I want to, but I think she'd be mad if we did,” Fenrir said.

”Or she'd get turned on that you 'ruined' something for her. She finds a silver lining in everything,” Cassiel said.

”I think I'll just let her get blown up this time.”

”You're horrible.”

”She likes horrible. Like you said, a silver lining to everything. If I don't get her away from Aza, then I'm letting her roleplay and I'm being a horrible boyfriend who abandons her when she needs me the most.”

”You're right, she'll love it.”

”That's what makes Nell Nell great,” Serra said. ”She's pleased no matter what you do. She's having a girlfriend on easy mode.”

”More like easy mode with all skulls on,” Cassiel sighed.

Neither Fenrir nor Serra understood Cassiel's reference to one of the greatest video game series of all time, causing her to sigh once again.

Cassiel might not have been that huge of a gamer herself, and she might have had some issues with her dad, but at least her dad taught her about some of the classics from when he was a child.

Before she could explain the reference, swirling energy gathered above Azalabulia in the distance.

”Let us show this champion of the serpent our ultimate power, Bahamut! Now is time to unleash your rage upon this naïve girl in a devastating display that will rend apart the fabric of reality itself! Let your rage boil her precious oceans away! Let your darkness block out the sun in a darker-than-black shroud even a black hole could not stand against! I, Azalabulia, the Dark Sorceress of Twisted Flames, the Breaker of Reality, the One Who will Set the World Ablaze, and the Wielder of the Cursed Flame of Bahamut, will annihilate this mockery of a threat and put an end to her foolish dreams! This shall be the ultimate showcase of raw power – of the power that is destined to consume this world! Bahamut, together, we shall put an end to the foolishness that this lesser being considers praxis! Now, let us show our true strength! Cursed Flame of Bahamut, Final Attack, Final Verse: Exodus of Reality, the Purging of Life, all who Oppose it, and the Destruction of Reality! Explode!”

The only other time the group saw Azalabulia use this ultimate spell of hers was when she had a mountain to cave in.

This would be the first time they got to see the spell actually detonate.

The shape of a dragon formed by explosive energies appeared above Azalabulia, roared into the heavens, and flew directly toward Nell!

Nell stuck her arms out to her sides and created a dome of waves around her to brace against the attack.

Nobody knew what was going to happen when the might of the dragon crashed into the barrier of the serpent. Nor would they get to see what happened. All they could see was an explosion of dust and dirt that surrounded both women. Then came the dark flames. A miniature mushroom cloud of darkness reached into the sky above the women as an explosive shockwave knocked all bystanders off of their feet.

By the time that the dust cleared enough for everybody to see through, all that remained where the women stood… was nothing. Neither Azalabulia nor Nell were anywhere to be seen.

It was only when Eva flew up into the air to get a better look at things that Azalabulia and Nell were spotted.

”They're fine, I think,” Eva said. ”Azalabulia's body is way over there,” she pointed to the left, ”and Nell's is that way,” she pointed to the right. ”They still had their shoes on, so they're probably alive. I don't think either of them will be getting up anytime soon, though.”

”That's better than I could have hoped for,” Fenrir said. ”But I don't know about using the status of somebody's shoes to tell if they're alive or not.”

”Trust me, it's legitimate.”

Tabitha groaned. ”Then it's a draw and I have to give this money back. Every single one of us bet on the explosions girl.”

”Wait, how are you going to make any money if everybody bet on same winner? Wouldn't you run out of money?”

”Don't worry about it. I've got my ways.”

”That sounds shady.”

”Less worryin' about me, more worryin' about your girlfriends. Go make sure their shoes are still on.”

”Yeah, I probably should do that – wait, what are you doing?” Fenrir asked, watching Serra as she took her boots off.

One boot. Two boots. With her boots off, Serra lied down on her back, sprawled her limbs out, and shut her eyes. ”I'm dead. Carry me,” she groaned.

”First a cavegirl, now a zombie?” Cassiel asked.

”Zombie cavegirl.”

Fenrir cocked his head. ”What's this about a cavegirl?”

”Don't ask,” Cassiel answered, picking Serra up to hang her over her shoulder.

It was a less than graceful carry for the zombie cavegirl, but it was still a carry which was enough to satisfy her.

Serra discovered that removing all forms of footwear is a powerful weapon to get others to carry her around. ”Being a zombie is great.”

Just as they walked away to check up on their girlfriends, another voice could be heard groaning from behind Fenrir.

”I'm dead, too. Carry me, Fenny,” Oleander groaned before sticking his tongue out for dramatic effect. He also took his shoes off.

Fenrir did not pick him up.

”I'll tell them embarrassing stories about you if you don't pick me up,” Oleander threatened.

Fenrir picked him up.