Guilty x Creatures Ch. 63

"...So what's this supposed to be now?" she mumbled as she eyed the mantis and took a tentative step forward "...Are you saying you're not done humiliating me yet?"

The mantis simply remained silent and still.

"...Yeah. Okay." said Mica as she fell into her own stance "I'm not done yet either!"

The two combatants stared each other down for a long moment before they both shot forward at the same time. A loud metallic clank rang out across the open prairie as Mica's twin daggers met the mantis' spell enhanced scythes. Sparks began to fly as they each unleashed a fury of fast paced blows and their slashing attacks clashed with one another.

Watching the fight intently, Anton blinked as he began to notice something telling about the mantis' attacks. Though certainly impressive, they clearly weren't as intense, nor as precise as they should have been. Several times now she had failed to take advantage of clear openings. And although she continued to parry and counter each of Mica's slashes, she was also leading the kiochi on as well... In a strange way, it nearly seemed as though she were guiding her opponent on where and how to attack... Almost as if she was trying to teach the kiochi how to better fight with her...

Anton couldn't help but to grin as at one point the mantis had a clear shot of Mica's head. With one fell swoop she could have easily lopped the kiochi's head clear off her shoulders but at the last second, the mantis folded her scythe back and instead punched Mica in the face. There was no question about it now, the mantis was purposely avoiding killing blows.

Turning to the side, Anton's grin widened as he glanced at Leopold and found a look of irritation plastered across the kiogah's face. He had clearly noticed what was happening as well.

"Well, well. Isn't this a nice surprise." chuckled Anton as he turned back to the fight.

"Huh? What's a surprise?" asked Kianna as she and her sister both looked from the fight to Anton and back.

"Well, I don't know this for sure yet..." said Anton "But it looks like Mica might have made a friend..."

Looking back and forth again, the two dark elves blinked in surprise as they both noticed that the kiochi, while certainly embroiled with her conflict, was not looking nearly as strained as she should have been, but was actually smiling as she fought.

The fight raged on for some time before it became clear that both contenders were starting to show signs of fatigue. This came to a head when Mica got a lucky strike in on the mantis with her tail. Aiming for her opponents face, the kiochi's bladed spade sailed past the mantis' tilted head and was just barely close enough to graze her cheek and leave a small, thin cut behind in its wake.

"Ha! Ha! Yes!" exclaimed Mica in between heaving breaths "I got you! I actually got you!"

The mantis said nothing as she rubbed at the tiny wound with a finger before bringing said digit out to the front of her face. She stared at her bloodied fingertip for a second before looking up at the kiochi and tightening her eyes in annoyance.

"...Ah, crap." muttered Mica as the mantis blitzed into the space right in front of her.

The kiochi couldn't even follow the movements of the mantis' middle arms as a series of heavy blows were riddled across her head and body.

Dazed by the assault, Mica tried to take a staggering step back but instead ended up falling forward on to her knees. Shaking her head to clear her senses, she went to raise her arms but froze as the mantis rested the broad side of one of her scythes down on her shoulder.

Turning her head, Mica stared at the sharpened blade that was now poised and ready to slice her head clean off at the neck. Following the mantis' arm back to its source, she slowly continued to tilt her head upwards until she could finally lock eyes with her adversary.

The mantis' face was as emotionless as ever as she stared back at Mica. After a moment of stillness, she raised her other scythe and held it at the ready.

"No! Mica!" cried Kianna as she and Fiona both went to step forward.

The two dark elves both stopped short as Anton raised his hand and flared his aura.

"Wha, what are you doing!?" exclaimed Fiona as she felt the collar around her neck begin to tighten in an ominous warning "She's gonna kill her!"

Anton's face was stoic as he kept his eyes on what was happening out on the battlefield.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Mica kept her eyes locked with the mantis' alien-like orbs as she waited for the final blow to land.

Staring back at her, the mantis remained completely still as she seemed to be giving the kiochi a deep assessment.

"Mantis! End this already!" called Leopold.

Mica made a small sound as her father's words echoed in her ears.

Turning her head, the mantis looked right at Leopold with her same blank expression.

"...You have clearly won this fight." said Leopold as he stared back at her "Now end it."

Slowly, the mantis turned back to Mica and gazed at her for another moment longer before lifting her scythe away from the kiochi's shoulder.

Mica leaned back in uncertainty as the mantis took a step away from her and let her arms drop to hang at her sides.

"...Of all the ridiculous nonsense!" growled Leopold before he began to shout "Mica! Now's your chance then! End her now!"

Blinking, Mica quickly registered that the mantis had indeed left herself completely open, but as the kiochi went to lift her daggers, she couldn't help but to hesitate.

"...What are you waiting for!? ...One of you end this already!" roared Leopold "End this now!"

Taking one deep breath after another, Mica tightened her grip on her daggers as she worked to will herself to attack. As she stared up at the waiting mantis though, she just couldn't bring herself to do it, and so, with tears beginning to form in her eyes, she dropped her daggers to the ground.

"...I. ...I can't." she said softly as she lowered her head "...I'm, sorry."

"...Unbelievable!" shouted Leopold "Absolutely beyond belief!"

Gazing down at her forlorn opponent, the mantis watched her flinch at her father's words. Turning to face Leopold, she stared at him as she continued to remain still.

"...End it. Now." said Leopold as he glared at her "You will finished this!"

Tightening her eyes at him, the mantis took another step back from Mica as with a quick flash of light, her scythes returned to normal. Folding her weapons back into place along her arms, she turned away from everyone and leaped into the air. Blitzing forward to give herself more distance, she spread her wings back out as she made to fly away.

"...How dare you." said Leopold as he took a metal, rune covered rod out of his pocket and aimed it at the departing mantis.

As the runes along the rod lit up, a blinding flash erupted out from the metal belt around the mantis' waist and she reeled in midair as waves of blue colored bolts of electricity ran up and down her body. Going limp, she tumbled end over end through the air before hitting the ground with an audible thud.

Mica gasped as she watched her foe fall, and now staring at the point where she had landed, her heart sank as one of the downed mantis' wings rose up from the ground and twitched wildly before flopping back over to the side and going still.

Everything was quiet and still for several long moments as everyone's eyes stayed focused on where the mantis now lay.

"...This is over." whispered Anton as he turned to the dark elves "Can you two go get Mica, please. While I watch them."

Nodding silently, both Kianna and Fiona had pensive grimaces on their faces as they stepped past Anton and made their way to where Mica still sat staring.

Their eyes following the dark elves, the three shinoccubi remained where they stood as they watched the sisters help Mica to collect her daggers and get to her feet. Walking along on each side of the shorter woman, the dark elves kept a guarded eye on the three assassins as they led Mica back to where Anton was waiting.

"Well this has been a very disappointing day..." said Leopold as the three women came up to Anton.

"It hasn't been without its high points." said Ila as she nudged Leopold with her tail "Mica showed a lot of potential today. And I for one am excited to see her improve."

"...Yes, perhaps you're right about that, at least." said Leopold.

Keeping her head lowered, Mica stepped behind Anton as she made an effort to avoid looking directly at her family members.

"Potential? What potential?" mocked Nokko "I don't know what you guys were watching but I didn't see any potential today. Just failure."

Flinching at her sister's words, Mica coiled her tail around herself as she wrapped her arms around her torso.

Incensed, Fiona and Kianna pointed their ears straight back as they both turned on the sneering kiochi.

"That's enough, Nokko!" said Ila as she glared at her daughter "Your sister fought well today, and you should acknowledge that."

"...Yeah, maybe." mumbled Nokko as she folded her arms in defiance "She still lost though."

"Indeed, she did..." sighed Leopold "There were no winners today..."

"No. That girl..." mumbled Mica from behind Anton "That girl won. She was the better fighter..."

"No. She didn't." said Leopold "That mantis may have been the more skilled combatant. But you're still alive. So she did not win."

"...Well I think she did." grumbled Mica "And I think I would know, since I was the one who fought her..."

Annoyed, Leopold went to say something more but stopped short as Anton spoke first.

"I think, that this day has been long enough." he said as he inclined his head to Leopold "We should probably all go our separate ways now."

"...Agreed." nodded Leopold as he eyed his daughter who had semi hidden herself behind her compatriots "Just one more order of business to finish first..."

Turning to the field, Leopold glared at the spot where the mantis had fallen and shook his head.

"What a waste of money..." he grumbled "Nokko. I'd like to put this day behind us. So go and end that miserable creature's life, so we can be done here..."

"...Wait, she's still alive?" questioned Nokko.

"Of course she is. That shock wasn't nearly strong enough to actually kill her." said Leopold "It was only meant to incapacitate her. She'll still need to be dealt with."

Though no one had noticed her, Mica had gone still and wide eyed as she listened to her father speak.

"Is that really necessary?" said Anton.

Turning his ire on him, Leopold narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

"That creature knew full well the choice she was making, Anton." said Leopold "She knew exactly what was at stake."

Anton stared at him for a moment before turning away with a grimace.

Turning away as well, Leopold nodded to Nokko and went to toss her the mantis' control rod, but as Nokko reached out to catch the twirling rod, a second hand suddenly snatched it out from her grasp.

Having teleported in close, Mica dived through the air in between her father and sister and grabbed the rod before falling into a rolling somersault and bouncing back up to her feet.

"What!?" exclaimed both Nokko and Leopold in unison as they turned to Mica.

Spinning around to face everyone, Mica held the rod out in front of herself with both hands as her tail arced up over her head and she began to threateningly point her spade from one person to another.

"...Mica? What are you doing!?" questioned Leopold as he went to take a step forward "Give me that!"

Striking at the space in front of him with her tail, Mica took a step back before curving her tail over her head and pointing her spade straight down at the rod in her hands.

"Mica, no! Don't do it! It's booby trapped!" cried Ila as she made to jump at her daughter but was held back by Leopold.

"Mica!" exclaimed Fiona and Kianna as they too rushed over towards the kiochi.

Seeing everyone moving to advance against her, Mica raised her tail up high into the air before striking straight downwards and piercing her spade right through the center of the rod, splitting it in half with a single blow.

"No! Mica!" screamed Ila as a split second later the unleashed energy in the rod caused it to explode in Mica's hands.

The wave of energy caused everyone to turn away and shield their eyes as it kicked up a cloud of dust and smoke.

Standing among the shinoccubi now, the two dark elves both went cold as the dust began to part and they could see what had become of Mica. Behind them, Ila began to cry out in despair.

The kiochi was still standing, though both of her arms, her tail and half of her head had been literally blown away to the point that now nothing but burnt flesh was left along the edges of what was left of her.

"...Mica. ...No!" breathed Kianna.

As everyone watched, the ravaged kiochi took a staggering step back and began to dissolve into a cloud of shadowy smoke.

"...Wait, what!?" cried Nokko as everyone blinked in surprise at the dissipating shadow clone.

Hearing faint grunting sounds coming from far out behind them, the two dark elves pointed their ears straight upwards and whirled around to face the source.

Racing across the open field with a look of utter desperation marring her face, was Mica, the real Mica, and slung over her back was the limp form of the mantis.

The exhausted looking kiochi was carrying the mantis piggyback style and had wrapped her tail around the unconscious creature to help hold her in place as she ran as fast as she possibly could, straight towards Anton.

"...Mica?" questioned Ila and Leopold in unison.

"What is that idiot doing now?" grumbled Nokko as she made to move towards her sister.

"Fiona!" cried Kianna.

"Right!" exclaimed Fiona.

The three shinoccubi all stopped short as a large dome made of pink and neon green hexagonal plates suddenly winked into existence around them and trapped them all in place.

"Oh, c'mon! This again!?" snarled Nokko as she slammed her fist against the dome's wall "Seriously!"

Turning on the dark elves, the kiochi paused as she found them both standing with their backs to the opposite wall of the dome and brandishing glowing light weapons. Kianna held a pink-colored light version of Leopold's sword while Fiona sported a long, glowing green bullwhip in each hand.

The faces of the two dark elves were grim with determination as they stared down the shinoccubi.

Hesitating, Nokko went to step up to them but stopped short as her parents both crossed their tails in front of her. Turning to them, she found them both shaking their heads as they stared at a point beyond the dark elves themselves. Following their gaze, Nokko found herself looking through the space in between the dark elves and locking eyes with Anton as he stood tall behind them.

Although he was technically on the other side of the dome, Anton's presence was still imposing as he was clearly poised and ready to back up the dark elves if need be.

Registering that this fight wouldn't be easily won, Nokko grudgingly crossed her arms over her chest and went to stand next to her parents.

The situation seemingly under control for the moment, Anton turned his attention back to Mica.

Emboldened by the sight of the dark elves containing her family, Mica sported a gleeful smile as she pushed herself to run even faster to her goal. Her smile faded however, as she turned back to Anton.

His face expressionless and unreadable, Anton stood with his arms crossed and his jaw set as he silently stared at the approaching kiochi.

Suddenly unsure, Mica slowed her pace until coming to a complete stop about fifteen yards away from him. Seemingly studying one another for a long moment, the two beings remained motionless as they stared each other down.

Breathing hard from her trek across the field, the kiochi squared her shoulders, clenched her jaw and hoisted the mantis up higher onto her back as she stood tall and made her intentions clear.

The steeled resolve blazing in her eyes now, she held her ground as she faced Anton.

After another moment of stillness, Anton unfolded one of his arms and, without a word or a single change to his demeanor, he faced his open palm right at Mica.

Fearing a possible oncoming attack, Mica took a tentative half step back as she hesitated. Her eyes lit up in excitement however, when a portal suddenly opened up in front of her.

Crying out in relief, the kiochi tightened her hold on her companion and charged forward. Leaping into the air at the last second, she dived head first through the portal and disappeared with the mantis in tow.

With them both now safely beyond the reach of the watching shinoccubi, Anton dropped his arm to his side as he let the portal wink out of existence.

"...Alright, girls." he said as he turned back to the dark elves "You can release them now."

Dropping their dome away, the two dark elves stepped backwards until they were standing with Anton again before letting their weapons fade away as well.

With the two parties now positioned far apart from each other, a standoff ensued.

The three shinoccubi were silent and still for a long moment before Leopold and Ila gave each other a quick glance.

"Why did you do that?" questioned Leopold as he turned to face Anton.

"Why!? What do you mean why? Isn't is obvious!" said Fiona as she folded her arms behind her head and gave the kiogah a sassy grin "Mica made a play to save her friend. You really think we weren't gonna back her up on that?"

Leopold stared at her for a second before looking back at Anton.

A thin smile on his face, Anton shrugged.

Grimacing, Leopold shook his head.

"I expect to be compensated for my loss." he said as he eyed the spot where the portal had been only a moment before.

"Fair enough." nodded Anton "Feel free to roll this into my next bill then."

"Very well, then I will hold no grudge over this." said Leopold as Ila nodded in approval.

"What do you know about that mantis?" asked Anton.

"As I've said before. Nothing." said Leopold.

"Nothing at all?" questioned Anton.

"No, nothing. I have no idea where she came from, or how she came to be in the state she was in. I don't even know if she can even speak." assured Leopold "And even if I was willing to give you the name of the person I got her from, you know as well as I do that information would lead you nowhere. As I doubt there's any less than a dozen people with fake names between me and wherever she originally came from."

Anton sighed as he nodded his head.

"If you really want to know more about her, then I suggest you ask her yourself." said Leopold.

"Yeah, I suppose that's the plan..." mumbled Anton "Hopefully she can tell me something..."

"I wish you luck." said Leopold with a thin grin "Now, if you'll excuse us. We'll be going home now."

"Hm, yes, well, it's been an interesting afternoon." smiled Anton "Enjoyable even."

"Agreed, it really has been. Have a goodnight, Anton, Kianna, Fiona." said Ila as she inclined her head to the two dark elves.

"Goodnight." said Kianna with a soft smile.

"See ya later..." said Fiona as she sneered at Nokko, who glared right back at her.

"Till next time." said Leopold as he pointed his tail to the side and used it to open a portal.

Grinning, Ila gave one last wave goodbye before following her husband and daughter through the portal and disappearing.

When the shinoccubis portal finally extinguished itself, Kianna and Fiona immediately turned to Anton.

"What the Hell was that little idiot thinking!?" cried Fiona "Please tell me you did not actually send Mica and that bug monster back to the house!?"

"...I did." grinned Anton.

"Why!? Why did you send them there!?" exclaimed Fiona.

"Where else was I supposed to send them?" said Anton with a shrug.