Chapter 19: The Muse of a Writer

“Blizzard, fire! Christo, ground crack at four o’clock! Astra, aid him!”

Tiger was trying to catch Fiorette, who was running around with her Mouse spirit. Tiger had already dissolved Fiorette’s haze with her lianas since the plants could absorb the air. Generally, it was known that the Earth was the strongest element against the Air, but the fact that Tiger’s and Fiorette’s ranks greatly differed still gave Fiorette a significant advantage.

Tamie was swinging her sword, trying to hit Fiorette and steal at least some of her energy with her weak blade (weak because she was only Rank One and could steal Rank One amount of power from Rank Eight Fiorette, which was not a big deal). Tiger’s pets were at their limit too. Blizzard barked and spat flames out of his mouth, but couldn’t get Fiorette, who, as the Sneaker Class and a Mouse spirit, rapidly jumped around, and, as a Gemini, matched the speed of the wind.

“Blizzard, Fire Circle! Astra, tie her feet with lianas! Christo, Boulder Prison!”

Tiger gave another round of commands. The pets, whose green eyes flashed and permitted them to see their mistress’s plan through the telepathic powers of the Tamer Class, began to fulfill her orders. Blizzard built a circle of flames around the whole battlefield, not letting Fiorette escape farther.

“Huh? That won’t work! I’ll just put out the flames with my wind!”

Fiorette ran towards the flames when lianas grew from below the floor, grabbed her feet, and made her trip and fall. She snarled at Astra, who had made those lianas emerge.

“Haha, got you! Good job, Astra!”

Tiger clapped at her cat. Astra meowed happily in response.

“Okay, Christo, finish this!”

Tiger shouted to her male cat. This latter purred, hit his paws to the floor, and made giant boulders emerge from all around Fiorette. They captured her in their clutches.

“Haha! You’re ours! Tamie, finish her now!”

“You don’t have to ask me twice!”

Tamie rushed forward and hit Fiorette with her blade. The blade sucked Fiorette’s energy within itself. However, instead of admitting her defeat, Fiorette burst into laughter.

“Huh?” Tiger, who barely stood on her feet from using up all of her energy, grew stupefied. “What’s so funny? You’re about to collapse! Your energy is being depleted. You’ve lost!”

“Oh, really? I’d say it is you whose energy’s depleted – you’ve used up all of your powers and your pets can stand no more. As for you,” Fiorette turned to Tamie, “do you truly think you can steal all the energy of your opponent when your own powers are no match against hers?”

Indeed, Tamie soon noticed how her sword, due to sucking more energy than it as the Rank One could possibly take, shattered. She fell back from the impact of the blow.

“You worms, you are no match against me!”

Fiorette glowed with the Light Grey Zen.

“The Zen of Gemini?!”

Collapsed Tamie and Tiger widened eyes – they had no more strength, neither did the pets, and this woman was still so full of energy that she could unleash Zen?!

“Mouse Spirit, Ring Twelve – Light Grey Demon Mouse!”

She had the Twelfth ring of spirit activation? That was the last and the highest upgrade for all spirits! She could utilize it simultaneously with her Zen?!

What monstrous strength, and to imagine she’s still not a Celestial Lady…We’re toast…

Tamie could move no more, let alone fight. She couldn’t even press her Star-gadget to call someone, and screw that – her Star-gadget had turned off in all this turmoil!

As the Demon Mouse spirit embraced Fiorette, she roared and blasted the two girls with her Light Grey Zen. The strong light and the blow of air and dust blinded their eyes. They exchanged desperate gazes.

“At least Riza will be alright,” Tamie whispered with her remaining strength.

“Sisterhood won’t die…” Tiger bitterly smiled.

They were ready to be crushed when, out of Tamie’s scroll that was thrown on the ground before her, large yellow light emerged. A manly silhouette appeared. He swung his black-handled katana-blade and sent the Zen attack back at Fiorette. He even magnified the shot and hit her at full power. Fiorette screamed as she was blasted off the tower.

Tiger’s and Tamie’s jaws dropped – what was this monstrous strength?! Who was this guy?

The golden light subsided and the boy’s long purple ponytail appeared. Once he turned around and Tamie beheld his light blue shimmering eyes and a stern expression, she recognized him as her muse:

“B… Byakuya?”

“Do not die on me, Tamie”.

Those were the last words the girls heard before they blacked out from the fatigue.