The Blood Pond

In the underground garden, Zhu Ren stood atop a lotus in the blood-red pond, her laughter mocking Akira and Kana. Her crimson hair swayed, the hem of her sailor uniform damp with mist. Her eyes were voids of darkness, her smile sweet yet merciless.

Countless red vines writhed from the pond, snaking toward Akira and Kana to ensnare them. Akira slashed through them with his true sword, while Kana glared at Zhu Ren, bow at the ready.

"I'm done hearing your laugh!" Kana shouted, firing an arrow.

It streaked toward Zhu Ren's chest, but she flicked a finger, and lotus petals flared like a shield, deflecting it.

Zhu Ren clutched her stomach, giggling. "A lamb's arrow? That tickles. Let's play more!"

She clapped her hands, and the pond exploded, new monsters erupting from the surface. One was a massive lump of flesh, its surface studded with chattering mouths, teeth gnashing as it rolled, gouging the ground. The other was a misty silhouette, vaguely human but faceless, chains dangling from its arms, slicing the air as they swung.

Akira charged the flesh-lump, wooden sword raised. "Kana, keep targeting Zhu Ren. I'll handle these."

His strike met a wall of snapping mouths, snapping the wooden sword. He switched to his true blade, carving through the creature's core. Red fluid gushed, and it collapsed.

Kana loosed a volley of arrows at the misty figure. They pierced it, halting its chains briefly. She fired relentlessly, shredding its form. "Akira, clear the way!"

"Affirmative. Approaching Zhu Ren."

Akira severed the misty creature's chains, and it vanished. He leaped onto the pond's edge, closing in on Zhu Ren.

"This night ends now. Prepare yourself," he said.

Zhu Ren smiled demurely. "Oh, my mechanical lamb, so fiery. But it's you who'll end."

She spread her arms, and the pond churned, a crimson wave surging toward Akira. He sliced through it, but the force pushed him back.

With a snap of her fingers, the lotuses bloomed, releasing red spores into the air. They drifted toward Kana, who shot them down. "These don't scare me! We're winning this!"

Akira charged again, slashing at Zhu Ren. She danced across the lotuses, dodging effortlessly. "Entertain me more!"

Vines snared Akira's legs, binding him. Kana's arrows cut them away. "Akira, you okay? Get back in it!"

"Gratitude. Resuming attack."

Freed, Akira unleashed a flurry of strikes, nicking the hem of Zhu Ren's uniform. Her smile vanished, eyes flashing with rage. "Insolent lambs!"

She raised both hands, and the pond erupted into a towering pillar of water, crashing toward them. Akira shielded Kana, cleaving the pillar apart.

Kana fired a barrage, one arrow finally striking Zhu Ren's shoulder. "Got her!"

Zhu Ren clutched the wound, staggering back for the first time. "You… wretched lambs!"

Her voice thundered, and the pond exploded, cloaking the garden in red mist. Akira shouted, "Kana, now!"

He swung his sword at Zhu Ren's chest. Kana loosed her final arrow, piercing her heart.

"Game over!" Kana cried.

Zhu Ren screamed, the lotuses withering as red light enveloped her. She sank to her knees, her long hair trailing into the pond, her smile gone, replaced by fury.

"You… lambs!" she roared.

The pond churned violently, and her body glowed, rising again. "You've done well… but my lotus hasn't withered yet!"

Her voice shrieked, shaking the garden. Her sailor uniform tore, dissolving into the mist, revealing flawless white skin that gleamed like moonlight sculpture. Her beauty was unearthly, but her eyes burned with malice.

Her skin pulsed, black veins surfacing. "This is my true form… Time for you to taste despair."

Zhu Ren's body swelled grotesquely. Her skin split, flesh bursting outward. Bones creaked as her arms elongated, fingers melting into a fused mass. Her red hair morphed into countless tentacles, dripping blood-soaked fluid. Her back tore open, sprouting massive bone wings with translucent, rotting membranes. Her face retained a trace of beauty, but her mouth split vertically, bristling with fangs. Four eyes appeared, each glaring in a different direction, glowing red.

Transformed, Zhu Ren towered over ten meters, her body slick with black slime. Her tentacles lashed the ground, turning the pond into a froth of decay. Her roar shook the chamber, snapping ancient trees and cracking the gravel path.

Kana raised her bow, forcing resolve into her eyes. Akira tightened his grip on his sword, voice steady. "Enemy transformation confirmed. Combat strength significantly enhanced. Prepare for the next phase."

"Are you kidding?!" Kana's voice cracked, tears brimming. "How do we fight that? I can't do this!"

Zhu Ren's tentacles slammed the ground, and the garden began to collapse. The ceiling crumbled, debris raining down as the space warped.

In a flash, red light swallowed Akira and Kana, hurling them onto the school's sports field.

Under the night sky, the field was shrouded in red mist, the ground slick with slime. Zhu Ren's colossal form loomed at the center, her tentacles blotting out the stars.

"This is your final stage, lambs. Sleep forever in my garden!"

Akira planted his feet in the muddy earth. "Combat continues. Kana, ready your attacks."

"Ready?!" Kana's face was streaked with tears, but she nocked an arrow, forcing herself into a fighting stance.

On the sports field, the final battle began.