Extravaganza 11 (Raw)

Extravaganza 







A/N: Iori VS Devils round 2



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Part 11

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(Usagiyama Iori) 




I stopped counting the the number of times I died after the fiftieth time… sparring with a Goddess who specialized on martial prowess was suicidal. It's been at least 9 months since I started my training in the mindscape. It was necessary, as I polished my combat techniques and was honing my instincts.

I died to less when I gave into the fight and learned how to strategize on the fly. There were times when I copied and adapted to the tactics of my trainer, I no longer held back and became as ruthless as she. When will I reach her level? Being this weak was… disgusting. See what happened to me when I thought that I would be safe after learning touki control.

However, I wouldn't make any deal with the Devils to become strong; Scáthach was human originally and she ascended to Godhood through sheer grit and skills. There's no reason that I couldn't follow her path!

I dodged the silver blade of a longsword but not the fist that came after. Smack! 

“Ouch!” I skidded to a stop after absorbing the strength of the impact.

“Focus, Iori. I almost skewered you.” Said Red Sonja as she wielded her own variant of the Witchblade. 

Red Sonja was here to help Scáthach to hone my Swordsmanship. I glared at her, the redhead could be really abrasive!

Sonja leaped toward me, swinging her sword mightily; I crossed blades with her, deflecting the impact by guiding the force outward. Swordsmanship was about redirection and techniques to reap the life of your opponent at the right moment.

At this point I was used to fighting against the legendary woman. With a cocky smile, the red haired barbarian woman said, “It's been 9 months since you started training already, you've lost 120 bouts against me, and only won 45 of them since we last battled.” 

I smiled at her, and said, “Before… I couldn't win at all. But now…” I made a feint as if I was about to kick her right knee that she went to defend, leaving her belly exposed.

Stab! I stabbed her in the belly with my wrist sword, the blade embedding itself in her guts. Sonja moaned in pain. “Argh!”

“This is my win, die.” I said then I twisted my wrist, causing Sonja to go into shock and I stabbed my second wrist sword into her heart, giving her the killing blow.

I wasn’t feeling guilty, Sonja has done worse to me after all, after 9 months of being killed all the time, my sensitivity to it has completely dulled. Sonja laughed at me while holding onto the blade piercing her heart.

“W-well played. Gurkh….” Blood flowed from the side of her mouth and then she disappeared like a mirage.

“I guess that's 46 wins for me now.” Of course she wasn’t truly dead, she only returned to the special space where the bit of souls of the Witchblade Wielders went. She would return as needed…

The arena I’ve been battling in was suddenly engulfed into shadow; a sure sign that Scáthach is around. I heard in my left ear her voice whisper, “Not bad, my pupil. However, you could have finished this fight more easily if you had gone all in right at the start.”

I turned and attempted to punch her, but my fist only struck the air. The woman was too agile and swift even with my body fully enhanced by the witchblade and my touki. It was ghastly how my own body couldn’t keep up to a god’s right now. Because I knew that sooner rather than later, I would have to confront the divine, it’s how this fucking world works.

The goddess appeared next to me again, a shadowed silhouette in the penumbra of the arena. “You still have the bad habit of seeking to gauge your opponents despite having already battled Sonja multiple times.”

She was right, but Sonja was a cunning and strong opponent who couldn't be underestimated. Some of my deaths happened because I rushed her because I was cocky and died without knowing how. Though, Scáthach was telling me in a subtle way that I was stronger than Red Sonja in my unenhanced self. 

When she was alive, Sonja was superhuman and had divine blessing of martial might and could deflect magical and energy attacks, and could cleave through solid crystal without damage. I passed that point without the Witchblade buffing me it seems. 

“That's because Sonja always teaches me new tricks.” I quipped.

I stared at the shadowed silhouette and said in a dark tone, “Believe me, when I am out of here, I will have my revenge, there will be no mercy given.”

Scáthach chuckled, I didn't even see her move as she was holding onto my chin between her fingers. Her eyes bored into mine as she taunted, “Words are useless, my pupil. Show me how you plan to kill them.”

I batted away her hand. “As you wish, teacher.”

She backed away from me at a speed that I could barely follow as the Witchblade enhanced my body to respond to Scáthach‘s level of threat.

I smiled as fire wrapped around my body and I lunged toward the Goddess with all my might.


# # #

(Selene)



Just like she had thought, taking that girl was costing them. She was fighting her way toward the dungeon to avenge losing one of their members. Sofia may have been a pain in the ass but she was their pain in the ass. Selene couldn't believe that she was killed so easily by those dark monsters, Sofia was strong, the best physical fighter in Rufus’ peerage. 

Selene rotated her left wrist and stabbed her rapier through one of the small monsters through the eye and the brain. She cast her dark flame curse to weaken the enemy in the corridor; Miriam bisected the small fries with her giant sword and Rufus diced the stronger monsters with his wind magic blades.

The monsters were packed into the corridors leading to the dungeon and it became simpler to take them down. The high level ones though used the darkness and shadows to teleport or avoid being hit by their attacks and counterattack swiftly.

It was all Selene could do to avoid getting encircled. Her rapier wasn't enough to take care of the high level monster so she switched to support Rufus and Miriam. She sprayed more creatures with her cursed flames and dodged claws and the charge of the imp-like monster. 

Selene kicked a small lizard monster with the heel of her left boot, that particular variant was poisonous, they already wasted a vial of Phoenix tear on Miriam who was bit by one.

That girl's sacred gear was dangerous, they were lucky that it was uncontrolled so far. Selene doesn't want to think about the fact that Iori had more control on her monsters; they would act like a real army. Selene created a ball of cursed fire the size of a truck and lobbed it at all the dark monsters in the corridor, weakening them until they were unable to move. 

Miriam, who was getting impatient, shouted, “Enough with stalling me! DIE, EVERYONE OF YOU!”

The redhead brandished her sword high and demonic energy concentrated in the blade. When the sword was pointed at the grouping of monsters before her, a wave of crushing force was projected by the giant sword.

All the monsters were crushed and dismembered as the wave of force swept up the corridor.

“Hahahaha! Take that, you vermin!” Miriam boasted as she put her blade on her shoulder and stood proudly.

“Good job, Mimi.” Rufus congratulated Miriam.

Selene smiled, Miriam was a Satansend warrior in moments like this… Now that the monsters were neutralized they can go take care of Usagiyama and make her pay for killing Sofia.


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(Rufus Andrealphus)


Rufus swaggered inside the dungeon, having finally quelled the monster wave. He was angry, he had never felt this furious in his 30 years of life. Sofia was a carefully raised piece for him, he went to great length to obtain and corrupt her.

But he also loved her in his own way, all his women were the most beautiful and appealing to his tastes. Rufus slowly walked down the steps leading down the stairs to the cells. Usagiyama's cell was the last one down there.

A haze of magic wrapped around Rufus as he slowly stepped toward the cell of that troublesome girl. He should have done more research on Usagiyama before attacking her. He should have stopped playing with her and started brainwashing her while she was unconscious. Rufus deeply regretted his previously unprofessional attitude right now. 

He arrived before the entrance of the cell which was guarded by a huge dragon-like creature. Covered in black scales and shiny silver spikes on its back and bludgeon-like tail. The swords-like teeth in its maw looked lethal and it possessed razor sharp claws on its legs and arms able to rend stones easily, by the marks Rufus could see on the floor and the frame of the cell's door.



It was huge and looked like…

“Is that a Dinosaur?” Whispered Selene.

Exactly that, a Dinosaur, a T-Rex to be more accurate. Miriam made a serious expression as her hand tightened on the handle of her sword; she was entering battle mode already. Selene conjured a ball of black flame, her signature spell to weaken enemies and in the other a conjured spectral chain that she launched at the T-Rex’s hing legs.

The beast roared as it was stuck in place, the spectral chains wrapping around its body and sucking at its vitality. Rufus casted two blades of hyper compressed air and shot them at the creature. The scaled repelled the wind magic attack, only leaving small gashes into the Dinosaur's natural armor. 

ROOOAR!! It started raging and for once, the spectral chains broke. The Dinosaur charged toward them, at preternatural speed, it's maw open. Selene threw the ball of dark fire inside the creature's mouth.

It stopped the Dinosaur as it began to choke on the cursed fire. Miriam chose that instant to stab the T-Rex in the right eye with her sword. With another roar, the Dinosaur thrashed on the floor, shaking Miriam away. Rufus launched a crushing ball of pressurized hair with winds going at more than 200 km/h contained within.

The mini-hurricane shredded apart the T-Rex, turning it into a chunk of meat and scales.

“Is it dead?” Miriam asked when the chunk of meat fell wetly on the ground.

The blood splashed on all three of them, soiling their clothes and armors. Selene started swearing about her expensive magician dress needing cleaning.

Rufus replied, “Deader than a doornail.”

Miriam walked up to the bloody ball of meat and fished out her giant sword. Then she called out to her King. “Rufus, it's time to finish this.”

The Devil made a serious expression and adjusted his glasses on his nose. He looked at the cell where Usagiyama was hiding. It was filled with darkness.

“You're right about that, Mimi. I regret having brought her into our home, and now we lost Sofia…” if he knew how she would have reacted and how her power worked, Rufus would have brought her to another location. 

He created a ball of flames to light his way with his magic and slowly entered the cell, Selene and Miriam followed him. They were all on their guards, waiting to be ambushed like every time they've been since their advance in the dungeon. 

What they saw instead of a human figure waiting for them, was a some sort egg of metal being protected by the same monsters who ate Sofia's head. They turned to them, the one in the middle who seemed to be the leader laughed mockingly. <<Kiek, kiek, kiek. Oh foolish Devils, you've come to accomplisshhhh your destinyyyyy.>> 

“Kill them.” Rufus ordered.

However, before Miriam and Selene could do anything,  the ground started to shake. 

Rumble! 

The egg that the creature's were guarding started to break, a large crack appearing right in the middle of the oval. The black winged shadow creature laughed and declared, <<Ohhhh she comes, she wakes… this is the end! Yourrrrrr… End.>>

Crack. Crack. Crack! Vrrrrrr! The eggs cracked further and white light burst forth from it as it opened. The shell of metal turning into Iron powder.

Usagiyama now stood before them, wearing that skimpy armor that was basically an armored bikini. Rufus was awestruck, the girl was beautiful and looked so confident and strong… *What a waste, but I must kill her.”

All of a sudden, Selene struck Usagiyama with her cursed fire, the girl didn't even try to dodge as she was covered in the black fire. Selene yelled, “I weakened her! Kill her Miriam!”

Miriam grinned and zipped, blade first, toward Usagiyama while shooting, “DIE BITCH!”

Rufus smirked as he was finally going to get what he wanted, he would kill her and then… and then he would Resurrect her with his mutated queen piece and start brainwashing her thoroughly. 

Bang. Miriam's blade was deflected, and her weapon left her hands and ended up planting itself into the ground behind her. Usagiyama's voice rang into the cell as she said, “No you. Swallow Reversal.”

Three concurrent arching blades close on Miriam from all sides and… Clang! The decapitated head of Miriam rolled at Rufus's feet. He could barely follow what Usagiyama did. Rufus stared at the severed head of his lover who showed an expression of shock.

“Miriam!” Selene shouted, seeing red, the blonde she-devil threw herself at Usagiyama.

Rapier against Katana, Selene lasted three strikes before she was stabbed in the heart by Usagiyama. Rufus was still in shock, but when he saw the body of Selene fall on the ground like a bag of potato he ran to her and held her. 

“Not you too… please not you too…” Rufus took a vial of Phoenix tears from his breast pocket.

However, before he could make her drink it, Usagiyama took the vial from his hand and crushed it into her gauntlet. Her Crimson eyes bored into Rufus’ purple gaze as he looked up at her.

“I will ask you. Taking me, was it worth it?”

No. No it wasn't. Rufus thought as he let his demonic energy explode out of him because of the extreme wrath he felt boiling in himself right now. 


# # #

(Usagiyama Iori)


“I will ask you, was it worth it?” I asked the devil, I had no idea who he was and I didn't care but I was going to make an example of him. She had warned them on that Supernatural Forum that she would break and kill everyone related to those who mess with her. It wasn’t ethical in any way but from what I remembered, Devils didn’t respect words, but they respect power.

The four eyes Devil who kidnapped me stared at me with an unhinged expression.“I will kill you!”

The entire cell began shaking as the Devil released his demonic energy, it exploded in waves from his body. Nonetheless, his release was barely powerful enough to make Witchblade generate a breastplate. Cracks appeared all over the cells, the entire place was going to fall on us. A shockwave spread from the Devil’s body, not affecting me in the slightest as I rallied my Touki to resist the effect of the power exerted by my enemy.

I retracted the katana blade from my gauntlet’s wrist, slowly walking up to the Devil. “Do you think that throwing a temper tantrum will save you from your inevitable destiny?”

“I WILL KILL YOU!!” The Devil’s clothes ripped from his body and his human form slowly turned into that of a humanoid bird. 

A copious amount of Anime and Video Game played in my previous life told me that I should have killed the bastard while he powered up. But for all that training I got, I wanted to destroy this guy, his confidence in his power and in himself.



He looked like a peacock, I’m not surprised; those claws looked sharp. As he almost finished his transformation, I said, in a mechanical voice, “Oh you turned into some kind of strange man-bird-thing, what shall I do?”

“I know, turn you into chicken nuggets.” I used Soru to flash before him and grab him by the neck. “Supreme KFC technique, I like my chicken fried.”

Next I dipped into the ocean of power inside Witchblade and gathered enough to destroy a small island the size of Jamaica and released the power. With a clap of thunder, the room was bathed into orange and everything exploded around me. The cell was simply not here anymore and whatever structure it was attached to was gone as well.

Looking at my enemy, I was surprised. Strangely, the Devil lost his transformation, his feathers burning and leaving only burned skin but he was still alive and struggling by holding on to my arm. I didn’t notice right away but Witchblade was making me fly over the remains of the place where I was a prisoner.

The scene of destruction around the mountain that I was flying over was striking. It was like a large meteor had struck the place, there were craters, fire and a river of lava slowly descending from the mountain. I smelled smoke in the air and burning flesh; the Darkling that Witchblade had summoned were wrecking all around the territory of the Devil who had taken me, exacting my vengeance upon the denizens of the underworld.

I didn't have the time to enjoy the moment; because I quickly noticed that I wasn’t alone in the sky though, a bunch of Devils had appeared and were now surrounding me in the sky. There was a redheaded man in armor, a female armored figure, a samurai and a man in a suit. The redheaded man demanded, “Unhand him.”

I looked at him and broke the bird-man’s neck. I used my new technique to separate his body into three pieces with my wrist sword at light speed. His head landed into my palm and I carbonized it with a gout of plasma. I love pyrokinesis, it's the best power.

When the head turned into ash, I wiggle my fingers to get rid of it. Staring in the eyes of the flying red headed Devil, I said, “You presume to give me orders, Devil?”

Red looked shocked that I didn't obey him, he looked sadly at the remains of the bird-man slowly getting consumed in the pool of lava under us. His piercing green eyes were sad when he said, “You didn’t need to kill him, he would have seen justice.”

Was this guy for real? Even I knew how the Devils operated from the anime and the novels I've read. That guy must be part of some faction who could practically do whatever they wanted. I was affiliated with the Yokai of Kyoto, and he dared kidnap me!

I tilted my head and smirked as I mobilized my touki, readying for another fight. “Oh, I assure you that it was necessary… for my health of mind and I enjoyed killing him and his servants very very much.”

He flew closer to me and said with an authoritative tone, “Miss, you shall come with us, we-”

“I’m not going anywhere with your ilk, Red.” I used my Asura form with the Witchblade, two pairs of silver metal arms sprouted from my back each holding a different weapon; a spear, a bastard sword, a hammer, and a bow.

Slowly, my armor changed from a chainmail bikini to full on armor covering my entire body. Witchblade deemed all those people super dangerous to me; I felt my power swell subtly, at least as much as when I fought against Scáthach. Those people were as dangerous as gods! But I couldn't backpedal after the attitude I showed. If there was a chance to escape, I would take it now that I can teleport… but I needed preparation to do so.

I am in the underworld and not in the human world, the calculation to use my teleportation ability was complicated and I don't have dimensional anchors ready.

The cute woman in armor with the twin tails came next to the redhead and said, “Hey, Zechs, I don't think that you should-”

But the man with the red hair seemed angry as he ignored her and ordered the samurai looking person, “Souji, please don’t hurt her.”

The samurai bowed to the redhead. “As you wish, mine King.”

The guy named Souji took on a stance while in the air, it reminded me of the one I saw practiced by that girl in the Kenjutsu club YouTube video of my school.

“Mhmm, Tennen Rishin-ryū.” I said out loud.

The guy was surprised, but didn't move from his stance. “You guessed at my style by my stance alone?”

He flash stepped toward me, my metal arm with the bastard sword intercepted the horizontal Slash with the back of the blade that Souji guy attempted to take me with. At the same time he tried to punch me as well, but I redirected the hit and kicked him away. 

He stabilized himself in the air with his bat-like wings. That guy is dangerous, and a really talented swordsman!

The Souji guy gave me an appreciative look. “I don't recognize your style, are you self taught?”

“You can say that.” I raised my sword and took on a stance pointing my sword wrist at him. 

I won't kill him, he has been trying to take me out by making me unconscious. “Swallow Reversal.”

I flash stepped and struck him with three concurrent and simultaneous slashes that the Souji guy couldn't react to as he was slower than a snail because of my speed. 

CLANG. Clang. ClaNg! BAM! I struck him each time with the back of the blade. 

“Kaah!” but the shock was enough to send him flying down on an island surrounded by the lava pool under us.

“Souji!” Red shouted at his friend getting beaten.

I tilted my head and said tauntingly, “One down, three more left. Next?”

Red came for me right away, and threw something dangerous at me, a ball of crimson energy that flew at the speed of sound toward me. I also saw the realization that he regretted throwing the Crimson ball toward me. I pulled deep into the Witchblade's power and used its conceptual power and created a pocket of void that absorbed the ball of crimson energy.

The man looked dumbfounded enough by what I did to his magic attack that he didn't react fast enough when I created a pocket dimension in which I stashed him into. The haze of purple fire wrapped around the redhead and disappeared him. 

I chuckled. “I understand why Georg was in Cao Cao's team, removing the enemy from the terrain is terribly effective.”

“Sirzechs!!” The twin tailed cutie shouted. 

“Master!” The old dude in a sleek majordomo suit panicked.

“Sirzechs?” Like the fake Lucifer dude who is Rias’ brother?  Then I looked at the twin tailed girl again and the purple eyes, the banging body, was that Serafall?

I am fighting against the Satans right now? Woops. 

“You cur!” The majordomo guy did something and a blue magic circle spread under him, it grew until it reached where I was flying. I used my bladed feathers to send sharp feathers at him, but he used a magic barrier to shield himself. I dodged a ray of Frost magic, Serafall was about to join the fray.

The old dude shone with demonic power and was about to unleash some kind of magic restraints. “Interesting skills. However, it won’t be enough…”

I traced a Thurisaz rune in the air and… disrupted the magic circle the man in the suit was forming. The rune embedded itself into the circle, breaking it completely. I flash stepped before the fancy suited man and punched him in the guts with enough power to kill an elephant. 

Bang. He ended up being sent flying beyond the speed of sound and out of my view.

My head turned toward Serafall Leviathan and she shone with demonic energy as well. A literal tsunami of water descended upon me, it made me smile as I used my self made technique: Asura's Wrath. 

I generated a construct in the form of a Dragon's head and channeled an apocalyptic amount of plasma with the Witchblade and channeled it into the dragon's head that used it as a breath attack. But it was more of a laser that erased the wave of water by evaporating it. 

I flew toward her as she stared at me with shock. “It’s you and me now, Lady Leviathan.”