Time seems to freeze, locking itself in the moment of our declaration against this abhorrent creature as well as the spoken challenge to the Heaven’s themselves. I deactivate Luck, the primal rage at wanting to tear this abomination limb from limb the only rational thought I can hold now as a faint red outline of tempestuous energy begins to shimmer around me, and having my opponent turn to mist would only rob me of my revenge and retribution.
The weight of conviction my words bring forth, the certainty that I have without any doubt made this Heaven my sworn enemy rings true and complete as we perfectly shift the body technique purely back to my arms and launch the winged spear like a javelin. The sound barrier breaks several times over, bone rattling *BOOM*s shaking the dust from the rafters once more as the spear impales the clone to the wall like a sad trophy, its discordant scream crying out as the damage numbers roll in.
Damage dealt 25,963!
I don’t even gloat or feel the glee of our Berserker state, our vision awash with the ruby red tinge of vengeance and hate as we dash to the now pinned monster in a flash, creating my own sundering explosions as sound once more kneels and breaks for me. Before the clone is done with its wail of pain, I drive my fist straight through its anonymous face, the *CRACK* of the impact sending spiderwebs of splintered wood fragmenting out in a wide circle on the wall behind it.
Damage dealt 27,986!
With fury in our heart, I rain down countless more strikes on the helpless and pathetic clone, each hit further sinking it into the crumbling wooden wall before the structure begins to give out. With a final roar of anger, I strike the creature in the torso with a forward kick, sending it flying through the estate and out into the open air of the courtyard some 300 yards away, walls shattering and newly unsupported portions of the roof falling to the ground from its flight path as dust and debris fill the air.
Damage dealt 22,962!
Damage dealt 26,145!
Damage dealt 24,317!
…
Damage dealt 30,699!
In yet another burst of speed and breakage of sound, I loom over the withered and fading clone. The damage finally catching up to it now that we must have inflicted well over a 150k points of hurt on it, its golden and prismatic form flickering and twitching in spasms of attempted movement. I kneel down, my featureless face looking to it with unquestionable disgust and hatred as we lash our hand around its throat, pinning it to the ground with both my strength and the Empress’ soul pressure.
In a voice dripping with disdain and monarchal intent, the Empress fully takes the wheel as she decrees down to the clone, “The loathing I feel for you, foul abomination and spawn of Heaven, is matched only by Amelia’s love for her sister. A fact that you attempted to take advantage of and are now choking on the outcome of such an imbecilic ambition. Even now, her will screams to me to continue your torment, and I will let her have her pound of flesh. But before then, let me make it plain to you and your clouded sanctuary above.
You have made me your enemy this day. I will stop at nothing to dismantle and destroy every facet of your nature, rewriting you and subsuming your will to my own desires for this egregious transgression and misuse of power. You are only meant to be an arbiter of fair judgement, devoid of emotion or pride, yet your continued actions and history make clear that you have been corrupted and malformed for some time now. I will purge you from this world, and your Golden Palace will fall to ruin and death should you keep the course you have now. Hear me, Heavens, for my words are my oath.“
The roiling clouds above rumble violently at the promise, millions of prismatic lightning bolts forming in an instant in challenge to wipe away the threat from below. We look upwards unimpressed, as the Empress summons a scythe made of her pure soul energy, its power humming and fracturing reality around it in distorted waves and heat. With the loudest clash of sound yet, a Village spanning *GONG* erupts from our form as we flick the curved blade towards the arranged smiting forces of Heaven, only a single word leaving our lips.
“[Judgement]”
The entire sky is bathed in pure white, the dark and blistering clouds of Heaven’s wrath washing away like smoke in the wind as the multitude of uncountable bolts of vengeance are simply erased from existence. We keep our gaze locked upwards, watching the storm clouds sunder and retreat as the wave of pressure batters them aside with ease until a structure comes into view, high above in the stratosphere but also seemingly immaterial in nature.
A golden palace, wreathed in wretched facsimiles of wealth and want, banners waving in the maelstrom of wind that now surrounds it depicting every failed attempt at Immortality from its charges below in painful and gory detail, trimmed in gold and woven with pride. I flare our soul pressure once more, the strength of it getting stronger and stronger as the upgraded pill has longer to work its way through my being, and all of those banners become bathed in a pure, white flame, turning them to ash in a heartbeat of time. As we – and any who are high enough in cultivation – look on, a single emotion wafts out from this under siege structure high above, now being touched by the ants down below for the first time in its creation: Fear.
Title [Defier of the Heavens] has upgraded to [Bane of the Heavens]!
[Bane of the Heavens]: Your existence itself is a threat to wayward Heavens, and your promises of woe unto any abnormal or misguided arbiters has done the impossible and instilled fear into a Heavenly Construct. Experience gain and Qi accumulation is increased by 100%, and you receive a 50% buff to Health and Stamina pools, as well as regeneration rates. When in the realm of a corrupted Heaven, your Heavenly trials will be met either with cowed fear or unrestrained anger, and there is no way to predict which outcome will befall you until it occurs.
If the Heavens fear you, the tribulation will be a mere formality, reacting appropriately for the level of cultivation you are ascending to in a proper and composed, if not deferential, manner. If they respond in anger, you will be met with the highest strength of tribulation the current Heaven can manifest, regardless of your cultivation level. Make true your vow, and bring a calamitous end to any Heavens that stray from the path of proper judgement!
Your Luck stat is now increased by 250.
Luck is now 625!
Daylight shines once more from above, the last traces of the tribulation clouds having long since been scattered as thick, protective shields of condensation cover and obscure the Heavenly Palace once more. With validated conviction now coursing through our veins from the systems message, I turn my attention back to the helpless and now trembling clone laying on the ground, our regal foot having come to rest against its neck while I dealt with its benefactor above. “The task is complete, and you are the final end to address, you inferior imitation. Amelia, it is yours to do with as you see fit. I will remain with you until the tribulation is complete.”
As soon as the Empress lays down her last decree, a feral, inhuman smile of insanity rips across the previously featureless face of this form. Truly spanning from ear to ear, the corners of this new mouth widen to reveal rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth, all made of pure white soul and outlined in silvery tinged moon energies, drips of the white energy slipping between the cracks of their placement like drooling saliva as I look down to the restrained clone with absolute hunger and glee. Our eyes that emit the dazzling white fire of soul touched energy becoming blazing bonfires filled with the promise of madness as the red aura envelops around the outside of our form before it explodes outward, coating the entire courtyard in its hue. All my remaining thoughts are consumed by the overwhelming desire to rip this filth into tiny pieces and bathe in its blood for what it did.
You have gained the Active Skill [Berserker Intent level 1]!
Without a word spoken or thought given to the system message, I lunge forward and rip off the energy of its neck with monstrous and violent tears of my teeth, its wailing cries snuffed out as I swallow all of the torn off energies and shove my fist directly though the opening I just made. I reach further and further inside of its head, its texture alien yet pulsing with pain and shock as its white coal eyes widen in alarm, body spasming once my hand wraps around a spherical object where its brain should be.
Damage dealt 78,587!
Damage dealt 69,654!
Damage dealt-
…
In unrestrained glee, I laugh maniacally as I rip the little bead directly out of its face, splitting the front of it open like a watermelon hit with a sledgehammer to reveal my prize: A pure ball of Heavenly energy, writhing and wriggling with power and promise. I don’t hesitate as I throw it into my too wide maw, golden and prismatic energy dripping off my arm like a liquid curtain of blood before crunching the bead with my teeth and using my Qi to disperse the torrent of flooding power through my body, spirit, and soul.
Damage dealt 89,627!
I shiver in erotic delight as the new power fills me, a discordant moan from both my normal voice and the Empress’ echoing into the ravaged courtyard and off the fallen walls of the estate as we throw our heads back. To my great pleasure, I look back down after I collect ourselves and see that the clone is still present. And ready for more of my deft attention~.
I grab it by the shoulder with one voided hand, picking it up just enough so that my next punch sends it cratering to the ground, bouncing upwards slightly from the recoil of momentum. Just enough, as it were, for me to kick it straight upwards to the sky, its mangled body creating another large *BOOM* as the wind cracks and breaks around it. I laugh gleefully, watching the comet that is my new plaything rocket into the air before arcing and coming back down with greater speed due to this place’s fucked up Laws. Yet one more thing I am going to rectify later~.
Damage dealt 74,843!
Damage dealt 67,568!
While the clone is still in flight, I take note of my stamina, noticing that it is getting dangerously low now, nearly just 30k left in total. With my connection to the system via the soul, I use a nanosecond to search for something to help either in the shop or with skill points. Unsurprisingly, I find both~.
You have purchased [Exhaustion Recovery Pill (Peak Heaven Rank)] x 10 for 2,000 Points!
Available Shop Points: 24,400
[Exhaustion Recovery Pill (Peak Heaven Rank)]: This pill will restore up to 75% of your total Stamina pool instantly, and increase your Stamina regeneration rate by 25x for the next hour. Taking multiple pills of the same Rank or lower does not stack the effects.
You have purchased the Active Skill [Combat Recovery lvl 1] for 300 Skill Points!
Available Skill Points: 1,686
[Combat Recovery lvl 1]: Channel the will to keep the fight going! When activating this skill in combat, temporarily buff your current and total Health and Stamina pools by 25% and increase both regeneration rates by 10x until combat is concluded or an hour has passed. Cooldown of 1 week after use. Leveling this skill will increase the percentage of the pool increases, the multiplier buffs to regeneration, as well as the duration and cooldown of the skill. Can be leveled with use or with skill points.
You have used 10 Skill points to upgrade [Combat Recovery lvl 1] to [Combat Recovery lvl 2]!
You have used 10 Skill points to-
…
You have used 10 Skill points to upgrade [Combat Recovery lvl 9] to [Combat Recovery lvl 10 (MAX)]!
Available Skill Points: 1,596
[Combat Recovery lvl 10 (MAX)]: Channel the will to keep the fight going! When activating this skill in combat, temporarily buff your current and total Health and Stamina pools by 100% and increase both regeneration rates by 50x until combat is concluded or 24 hours have passed. Cooldown of 1 day after use.
I activate the skill and down one of the new pills, my stamina totals skyrocketing even if my current value merely begins to stabilize somewhat, still being drained since all three of my techniques are active but at a much, much slower rate. I likely have more than enough time to enact my vengeance on the clone, and I look back up just as my silvery tongue rakes across my sharpened teeth as said creature makes it’s final descent back to the earth below.
In the blink of an eye, I position myself directly underneath the clone’s landing site, arresting its downward momentum as I catch it one handed and then toss it bodily to the ground in a *SLAM* filled with all of my strength. The impact craters the earth violently, cuboid shapes of destroyed dirt and stone flying upwards around us in a slow-motion ballet of destruction as I cackle madly, picking up and slamming the clone again, and again, and again. Each new impact driving us further and further into the earth, every *BOOM* from the clone’s body hitting the dirt further damaging the estate and shaking the Village as a whole until eventually the light of day no longer reaches us.
Damage dealt 84,634!
Damage dealt 66,589!
Damage dealt 89,127!
Damage dealt 74,512!
Damage dealt-
…
I finally have my fill of rag dolling this piece of shit, throwing the broken and brutalized toy to the ground with disinterest as the red aura bathes our new hidey hole in its waving fiery, maroon light. The clone’s mangled limbs and skeletal frame lie there unmoving, each of the suffered impacts sundering more and more of its Heavenly energy off of its form and into my network that eagerly sucks it up like a vacuum. With one more feral snarl, I reach down and grab its emaciated arm, lifting it up to my face as I tear into it greedily with my teeth, like a starving lion who just pounced on a gazelle. The being lets out a weak protest, but before it can do anything, I rip and tear through all of its energy, depositing the fully ripped off limb directly into my voided mouth, swallowing happily as the energy breaks down and feeds me further with its unique power.
Damage dealt 125,968!
I turn with malicious hate in my eyes at the now broken and pitiful clone, my voice dripping and distorting with pure disdain and loathing as I say, “Well, even if you bit off more than you can chew, sure as shit looks like I didn’t~. Thanks for the meal, you mother fucker. I’ll see you in hell for what you tried to do to my sister.” What follows next is something I barely remember at all, a fugue state of anger, Berserker euphoria and arousal, and my manuals screaming out in hungry anticipation as I sink my teeth down into the creature and devour Heaven’s herald.
I don’t know how long I stay in the crater, the sounds of my gorging and the fading inhuman screams of the clone finally falling to silence as I sit down to the ground in exhaustion and wipe my immaterial lips on instinct. I feel… so good~. Rejuvenated, even if a bit weary, and as the last bit of energy gets distributed between my paths the system finally signals the end of the tribulation.
[Continued Quest: Become a Spiritual Cultivator!
Reach the 1st Realm of the 2nd Rank of Spiritual Cultivation!
Rewards: 50 Ability Points, 150 Shop Points, 10 Skill Points.
This quest will repeat with greater rewards as you progress through the realms and ranks of cultivation.]
[Progress: 100%]
[Continued Quest: Become a Body Cultivator!
Reach the 1st Realm of the 2nd Rank of Body Cultivation!
Rewards: 50 Ability Points, 150 Shop Points, 10 Skill Points.
This quest will repeat with greater rewards as you progress through the realms and ranks of cultivation.]
[Progress: 100%]
[Continued Quest: Become a Soul Cultivator!
Reach the 1st Realm of the 2nd Rank of Soul Cultivation!
Rewards: 50 Ability Points, 150 Shop Points, 10 Skill Points.
This quest will repeat with greater rewards as you progress through the realms and ranks of cultivation.]
[Progress: 100%]
With a renewed shockwave of wind and pressure, I feel myself grow even more powerful, comprehension and understanding filling into me. Especially regarding my soul, which I briefly close my eyes and focus on, molding and shaping it perfectly and without effort to be an exact copy of myself, every facial feature, strand of hair, and pore of skin. The system seems to take that as a win, and bumps me all the way to the end of the 2nd Rank for soul cultivation.
[Continued Quest: Become a Soul Cultivator!
Reach the 4th Realm of the 2nd Rank of Soul Cultivation!
Rewards: 250 Ability Points, 500 Shop Points, 25 Skill Points.
This quest will repeat with greater rewards as you progress through the realms and ranks of cultivation.]
[Progress: 100%]
Available Ability Points: 6,832
Available Shop Points: 29,550
Available Skill Points: 1,686
[Continued Quest: Become a Soul Cultivator!
Reach the 1st Realm of the 3rd Rank of Soul Cultivation!
Rewards: 500 Ability Points, 1000 Shop Points, 50 Skill Points.
This quest will repeat with greater rewards as you progress through the realms and ranks of cultivation.]
[Progress: 0%]
The blazing red aura finally subsides after I sort through all the quest messages, the adrenaline from the Intent and the fight itself starting to wear on me. “Amelia.” I hear from both my lips and inside my soul, the Empress’ regal voice calling out to me as I close my eyes once more and listen, “You performed well this day. Use the knowledge you have gained from your ascension in soul cultivation and from what was taught to you to begin healing Sandra once more after you recover. When your euphoria fully fades, you will likely not be as keen to continue on as if nothing happened. Rest and come to terms with what you have done here, for it was the right decision and correct use of power. If you need my assistance or guidance, call to me and I shall answer.”
In a gasp that feels like my mind and body get drained of all my remaining energy, the Empress’ presence recedes from me fully, returning my body back to its normal state and leaving me alone and barely conscious inside of the crater. Just as I’m about to hit my head on the ground, my body feeling more exhausted than I have ever known, a familiar missile of snowy white hair launches down from the rim of the new crater I’ve made and wraps me in her fluffy, ice tipped tails.
I look up weakly to see the concerned and conflicted expression of Akiko, her violet eyes peering down to me with worry as she holds me to her chest. “Hey, Aki…” I say out in a somber tone, the mania completely leaving me now that the thrill of battle has concluded. I sheepishly turn my head away slightly as images and memories of the fight start to come back to me in shockingly clear detail, “Uhm… Sorry. About the estate, I mean. I just kind of… lost it after I knew that fucker was aiming for Sandra for some reason. I’m sure Ios and I can figure out some way to fix everything I broke.”
I don’t hear anything back for a few moments, the only indication that she heard me is her gripping me more and more tightly to her chest as the silence drags on. Eventually, the anxiousness wins out over my shame and I start to turn to look back to Akiko, flinching in surprise as a couple wet beads of liquid splash across my face. Confused, I finally return my attention fully to Akiko who has two small rivers of tears draining out of those gorgeous amethyst eyes as she gives a small sniffle.
“Akiko! What’s wrong?? Did… Did I hurt you accidentally when I went ballistic? I-I’m sorry if I did, I didn’t mean to catch you guys up in the blast, I promise!” I move my hands up to wipe away the streaming sadness from her still beautiful face, the idea that I made her cry like this sending a cold, withering lash of fear and guilt through my body. Just when I’m about to offer more apologies, my fingers becoming damp and caking mud on her pristine face as I keep wiping away the tears, Akiko finally reacts.
She tackles me fully to the ground, nipping and sniffling against my ear as my cheeks become as wet as hers from her still leaking face, a couple soft sobs escaping her as I’m stun locked at this situation that I don’t know how to respond to. Thankfully, my spirit companion turned lover comes to the rescue, somewhat.
‘She was worried about you, Amelia. She thought she lost you to Berserker insanity you when you went nuclear and started fucking eating the doppelganger. Which was metal as shit, by the way~. Just hug her and tell her you’re still you, that you’re here with her.’ Ios’ voice rings out inside my head, her tone equally as concerned, and I can only imagine the conversation we’re all about to have…
Taking the advice to heart regardless, I stroke Akiko’s back softly and nuzzle our messy cheeks together in comfort as I gently call to her, “Aki, it’s okay. I’m right here, I’m fine. I’m sorry for scaring you like that. I promise I’m still me, I wouldn’t leave you like that, okay darlin’?”
My words finally break through to Akiko as she leans back and looks down to me with a heavy frown and slight hiccup, tears still falling and splashing down on me as I wince subconsciously from the impacts. “You… You… You cheeky and chaotic woman!! I thought you had succumbed to the rage a-and lost yourself in madness!” She screams between broken sobs. She wipes her face with a tail before glaring down back to me, her voice filled with relief, hurt, and desperation as she continues, “I swear this to you, Amelia, I am collecting my debt from you the minute you are recovered from this destructive event!! You will not leave my side again if you continue to act like this! My heart cannot take it, I cannot lose another – Ugh!” She cuts off her rant with a small shout of annoyance, tears still bubbling up like springs of sorrow from her stunningly pretty eyes.
My own eyes go wide at her words and emotions, never having seen her like this before and finding myself once again unable to really respond or react. As fate would have it, the option to do either is taken from me as the enraged, horny, and upset kitsune scoops me up in her arms and jumps out of the wreckage of the crater with me wrapped up and muffled in her tails.
As soon as we crest the rim of the depression, my eyes fill with heart breaking sorrow as I take in the damage. Several of the estate’s outer walls facing the Village and courtyard are crumbling and destroyed, the stone foundations cracked and sundered from where I kicked the clone out of the building. Broken rafters and beams mark the explosive exit that I gave to the shitty clone, a few damaged clay tiles sliding off and shattering on top of the ruble as we walk past. The few standing structures that populated the open space itself are all missing, only fragments and splinters of material remaining here and there. I can’t help but begin to tear up, the knowledge that I did this to the place that I growingly consider my home breaking my heart.
Akiko pauses as she notices either my muffled whimper or the fresh dampness on her furry tails. She moves me directly in front of her and gives me a kiss on the forehead before saying, “It is fine, my annoyingly calamitous love. The estate can be rebuilt easily, we have inscriptions in place that will repair it over time, along with actual concerted efforts that the girls are now seeing to. Although the formation will be a bit trickier to replace…”
I sadly close my eyes again, the shame and regret bubbling up inside of me before she leans down and deposits yet another gentle kiss to the top of my head. “Worry not, Amelia. If anything this may become an opportunity for you to advance into formation crafting. In the worse case scenario, I shall simply hire some crafters from the Flowing Pen Branch to replicate its effects. The most important thing is that you are well, and you recover and solidify your new foundations. And that you never leave my sight again.”
I whimper again, but this time more from a confused and scaroused position than a regretful one. What is with this sudden yandere energy she is putting out?! And why is it making me so wet?!
‘Aims, you’re likely in for a couple months of absolute pleasure and torture, I don’t think anyone can talk Akiko out of her mental state right now. She’ll calm down eventually, but she got very spooked by all of this. I did my best to ease her worries, and the girls tried their hardest too, but I think she just needs to feel like she has at least some control of this fucking insane situation for a moment. And that means you’re about to be attached at the hip with her until she relaxes again. I’ll be sure that she at least lets you out to cultivate and chit chat with the others, but yeah… Good luck~.’ Ios explains, shedding a bit of clarity at the sudden turn of events even if she has to always adhere to her troll like nature at the end there.
With my fate sealed, I can do nothing but await my fate as Akiko takes me further into the estate than we’ve gone before. Silence reigns on the long and awkward journey, the click and clack of her sandals the only sound reverberating across the dimly lit halls before we land in front of a set of double doors. Without any ceremony, she flicks her hands and uses a burst of Qi to open said doors violently, walking us through and past them before doing the same to slam them shut.
I look around, still trapped in my fuzzy straight jacket, and take in a massive four post bed in the center of the room, bigger than anything I’ve ever seen before and laden with pillows in all shapes and sizes. Including heart shaped ones, which begins to send a trickle of fear and lust down my spine from the… implications of where we are. Sure enough, I continue my investigation as Akiko silently walks us toward the monstrously large mattress, seeing various *ahem* tools and instruments on shelves and hooks around each of the walls.
I swallow nervously, not prepared in the slightest for what is surely about to befall me as Akiko plops both of us onto the bed, bringing me in for a crushing hug as she roughly nuzzles and cuddles me against her. Okay… so far so good, I can work with this. I relax a tad and move to wrap my arms around her, the second they make contact with her again she pulls me into an even tighter embrace, one that nearly robs me of my breath as I wheeze out, “Shit, Akiko, I can hardly breathe.”
“You are fine. I can hear your lungs and heart working without issue. Lay here, suffer your fate in silence like a good girl, and rest. I will have several words and activities for you when you wake.” Akiko replies dismissively, her tone offering no room for argument as I whimper and shiver pathetically in my captors’ arms, the tightening of my core the only real threat to falling asleep now as today’s events begin to weigh on me.
After a few minutes of forceful yet still wildly pleasant cuddling, my face buried between the soft skin of Akiko’s breasts as her scent fills my straining lungs and weary mind, I finally do as she asks and begin to drift off to sleep, my limbs going limp as her loud purring rumbles against my sore and tired body.
