Jõtaider - State 20 - Showstopping Threesome

by ForbiddenArchive (ao3)

"Don't you ever wonder where Ichiro-nii goes all the time, Shiro?"

"He's probably busy, Sanko. You know how dad is. Especially with Atlas Corp doing its best to try and force the Foundation into becoming part of it."

"Yeah, but that doesn't explain why he's gone so much. He just shows up on TV to give some sort of update, and before I get the chance to talk to him, he's already gone! It's not fair! I want to spend time with my big brother!"

"Keep talking like that, and people'll think you're desperate or romantically invested in him."

"Wh-What?!"

Two siblings were having a little discussion as they sat inside their shared room within the overly large Tachibana Foundation manor. The entire family, from the Patriarch to the eight siblings that were supposed to inherit parts of the foundation once he passed, lived within its halls. Even if some were less satisfied with this arrangement than others.

The older of the two siblings was Sanko Tachibana, a young blonde woman who had a single braid running down the side of her shoulder which complimented her black dress rather elegantly. As the eldest girl within the set of eight siblings, she was saddled with a lot of responsibility. Which was why she leaned so much up against her oldest brother, Ichiro. She didn't look at him that way, no matter how her twin brother teased her about it. She just... She just wanted to see him and hear him tell her that she had done a good job...

The younger, albeit only by a few seconds, was Shiro Tachibana. He was a blonde just like his sister, and he chose to wear his hair in a very similar style which served to make him look more feminine than one might initially have expected. Unlike his sister, and thanks to both of his elder brothers, he had a lot less responsibility over affairs. Which was why he was currently dressed in a simple hoodie and slacks, quietly tapping away at his phone as he idly let his eyes drift between the screen and his sister.

"Come to think of it... If the press knew about your devotion, and knew just how deep it was, then they'd probably try to frame it as something worse." Shiro muttered before snickering a little. "Or they'll spin it as a good thing. Think about the kind of praise they'd offer Ichiro-nii." Heh. Getting under his twin sister's skin was one of the things he just loved to do. Not just because she knew that he ultimately wasn't too serious so she didn't get hurt over it... But because he always managed to catch her off guard regardless of this fact.

Sanko collapsed on her bed, gasping as she let her mind race faster and faster. "T-There's no way that I'd let them talk about my brother like that. E-Even if it'd end up positive, I don't want to be known like that. It'd hurt him more than anything else!" She shouted, reaching for her pillow to smother her cries, all in an attempt to calm herself down...

"Oh, he'll be hurting alright. But it won't be because of what the public says about him. It'll be because of the two of you."

Sanko and Shiro had their eyes widen as a dark portal opened in between their beds, as a very feminine magician stepped his way out. All while he gently tipped his hat, grinning at the sight of the two. He had something in mind for the two of them, and they weren't dumb enough to think of it as anything less than a threat.

"Shiro, call Ichiro-nii! That's that magician he talked about!" Sanko shouted as she threw the pillow right at him to distract him for a moment. All so she could reach towards her nightstand and fetch that thing that her Big Brother told her to use in case of emergencies!

The magician, Lumiel, couldn't help but laugh a little as the pillow turned into a flock of darkened butterflies as soon as it made impact with his body. "My, he's told you two about me. That snake thinks ahead, I'll give him that." He mused, as he turned towards Shiro without really caring about the girl's backup.

Shiro grit his teeth as he slammed his thumb down on the phone, before tossing it towards the covers. "Ichiro-nii better pick up, he has to hear this! Before something happens!" He shouted as he also reached for the nightstand, all to get ahold of the trinket that his brother had given him. He had told him never to use it unless it was an extreme emergency, and this definitely seemed like one.

"And he's given you two a trinket like that. What a wonderful brother he is. A shame he never told you two about his true allegiance. Acting against his own Father for the sake of something as silly as freedom."

Lumiel's grin widened as both twins flinched for a second. They didn't know he was part of Golden Freedom. He hadn't told them a thing about being that loathsome snake...

"He's... He's with them..? Th-Then..!" Sanko cried out as she looked at the ring she had been given. "This is..!" He wouldn't turn them into Monsters, there's no way. So why would he give them something like this if he was on their side..?!

"Jõtai... He wanted to..." Shiro was just as shocked as his sister, but now he understood why it was an emergency. Ichiro had told him a lot about what he thought. And even then, the fact he would give them a Jõtai as a backup told him that he ultimately didn't want to involve them...

But thanks to that slight moment's hesitation, Lumiel was able to snap his fingers and let his magic flow forth. Magic that seeped into the Jõtai and made them violently erupt, not to the point of damaging the two, but it did manage to blind them as the golden light poured out.

"This freedom he's trying to grant is just a trick. Now let me show you how these are meant to be used."

Lumiel's voice rang out as the light faded, and two tophats now hovered above the twins. By the time they looked up at the headwear, it was already too late. A flood of sticky liquid flooded its way out of both hats, completely swallowing the twins whole. Not a single sound was able to echo out as both were consumed by nothing more than goop...

But that goop quickly started to tighten once it had covered the twins, with the hats snapping to their heads as it was less like slime and more like latex. Latex that quickly squeezed around the two and sapped away all the power they had. For now, they were merely a vehicle for the living latex that rode on top of them...

Both 'twins' got out of bed as they showed themselves off to the magician, both gently tipping their latex hats as they giggled in tandem. Their skin was a shiny pale white, with a bit of color to accentuate their features and make them look like a pair of clowns. And though their attire had the jester-like aesthetic of a single color paired with black, the actual nature of their latex clothes made them easily identifiable as a ring leader and a beast tamer.

The jester-y Ringleader giggled as she pulled out an equally latex-covered whip from the palm of her hand, cracking it and swinging it around as her red and black outfit really stood out. All so the audience could keep their eyes on her whenever she got on stage. "Showrunner, at your service, Master Lumiel!" She cried out, giggling like a ditzy clown despite the attire. She really shouldn't be running a show, and yet she was ready to make it last forever...

As for her jester-y Beasttamer brother, he was just as giggly as her. In fact, the only thing that truly made them look so different was their colors and their attire. Because while he was blue and his outfit lacked a lot of the extra frills that made him look like he could lead, he had the exact same temperament as her. Which was fitting, considering the twins underneath. "Troubletamer, at your service, Master Lumiel!" Even his introduction was similar, though his grin was a little wider as if to indicate that his name neglected to mention what he'd do once he tamed the 'trouble'...

Lumiel smiled as the portal he had appeared from slowly started to open once more. "Raise a little hell. All so that snake can get a taste of what it means to go against me." It wasn't hard to tell that he was still angry over being tricked. Especially considering what easy prey the boy would've been.

But with these two acting as his agents, and a little surprise waiting for that bastard should he try to make his move again... Oh yes. He was going to enjoy this. Even if he was just going to watch from a distance...

---

Mikai quietly walked down the halls of Atlas Corp, until she reached the designated area that Byakko had told her about. Even though they had managed to recover Saeko following the fight with Minami, she was confirmed to be a member of Golden Freedom. Which was why she was locked away so she couldn't get away. They had a lot of information that they needed to extract from her.

And so did she. There were many things that Mikai wanted to ask. There were many questions that she needed answers to. But most importantly, there was a single question at the heart of it all.

The sandy-haired girl knocked on the door, with no initial response. "Saeko. I want to talk to you." She muttered, hoping that the girl would hear her. She wanted to see her. Even if it was only to confirm her worst doubts. Doubts that had been festering inside her... And every time she tried to get Chimera to try and help her, the predator didn't want to respond for some reason, having seemingly mysteriously vanished...

It took a few moments before she got a response. Before finally, a sigh echoed from within. "You're not going to leave me alone, are you..?" Saeko's voice echoed through the door, before she let out a cough. "Come in."

The door opened, and Mikai stepped inside before locking the door behind her. The last thing she wanted at the moment was one of the Saints shouting her down for letting Spider get away. Even if she didn't ultimately care. The only thing she cared about were the answers she wanted. 

A simple glance at Saeko made it obvious that she was in no condition to transform or get away. Her throat was bandaged, and there were several other spots on her body that had been covered in bandages as well. Even if the damage wasn't permanent, it was clear that the serpent that had choked her out didn't intend on going easy on her. Which meant that if she tried to transform, she'd no doubt feel the pain from everything all at once.

"...Saeko..." Mikai muttered, as she took a seat by the bed that the girl was laying on. "Why? Why did you make me a hero? Why did you have to join Golden Freedom and turn Saki-Senpai..? Why?" She still couldn't understand a thing. Even after buying time and saving her in the process, she just couldn't.

Saeko looked straight at Mikai, before turning her head away from her. "I could ask you the same thing. Why did you join up with these people? Don't you know what they've been doing? Don't you know anything, Mikai?" She muttered, refusing to look the girl in the eyes. There's no way they could see eye to eye anyway. She was the one that had torn that friendship to tatters due to what she had done to Mikai and Saki.

"I don't." Mikai muttered. "I don't know anything. I don't know why I'm empty. I don't know if I can trust anybody. I don't know if I can actually be of use to my partner. I don't know..." Her voice trailed off, as tears slowly started to roll down her tears. "Why, Saeko? Why did you do it?!" Then her voice suddenly got much louder, the anger in her starting to burn...

Saeko grit her teeth in turn. "Because I saw what they did! I saw what they did to the people that narrowly avoided being turned during the Luna Descent! I saw what they did every other time too! They're wicked! And they're why Minami had to go through all of that! That's why I wanted to help her! The Jõtai was supposed to set her free!" She shouted, her face turning redder by the second. "Even with all the trouble you've given me, that was my intent from the beginning! Giving you that bracelet was supposed to give you a chance to be free. So what if it helps spread chaos and make more people understand that they need to be free too?!"

"Then why did you run away!?" Mikai shouted back at her. "Hiro told me... Hiro told me that you were one of the two that were meant for that Prime thing! If you had been the one to accept that dark stuff, maybe Minami wouldn't be in danger like this! Maybe you would've had the chance to fight back without hurting her!" The tears kept streaming as she slammed her hands into the bed. "I don't understand! Why can't we just help each other!? Why!?"

"Because there's some people you just can't help without them taking advantage of you, Mikai! That's what's happening right now! They're feeding you poison, and they're making you think they're right! They're wrong! They're planning to do much worse than anything we could ever do, just you wait and see!" Saeko wasn't going to back down. The girl, as frustrating as it had been to fight against her, had to be torn away from Atlas Corp. As long as she could hammer in the slightest fracture between them, then-

"WAS IT ALL A LIE, SAEKO-SENPAI?!"

Saeko's eyes widened as Mikai screamed at her, the question that had been burning inside her heart coming out. The question that ultimately would decide what she would do to her former senpai. Her former friend. And honestly, given the way she had betrayed her... Believing her words would be really difficult...

"I..." The purple-haired girl didn't know what to say. Because it was something she had never truly thought about. She thought that Mikai was always on her guard, thinking that her enemies could be around any corner. Because that's the way that Saeko's mind worked. Her weak persona was just a front to try and protect her...

So the idea that Mikai could genuinely see that persona as a friend caught her off guard. And it left her completely speechless, as she slowly but surely looked down at the covers without being able to properly answer...

Mikai didn't say another word. Not because she had gotten her answer. But because she was giving the girl the time to think. She wanted the truth from her lips. No matter how long it would take.

"I really do hate to interrupt this lover's quarrel, but we've got a bit of a situation."

Both girls blinked as Mikai's bracelet started to vibrate, followed by a hologram of King Cobra forming on top. And unlike every other time, he looked a lot more serious. Especially considering his incredibly horny nature.

"Oi... Cobra..." Saeko muttered as she glared towards the hologram. "The hell do you want..?" Her voice took on the more mature tone that she used whenever she assumed the role of General Spider. She was going to give Mikai her answer at some point, but right now, she just wished she could wrap her fingers around that prick's neck.

"Nothing with you, actually." Cobra replied and winked towards her. "You're under house arrest for your little stunt. Lady D'Or told me that she was very clear when she told you not to act after she realized just what connection you and that snake had to the Luna Descent. She was going to handle it and make sure that another incident didn't happen. And then you went ahead and unleashed a Prime, so she's not exactly happy." He explained, chuckling softly. "For your own sake, I recommend dwelling on what you've done. All while I have a little chat with our favorite heroine."

Saeko's eyes widened, before she quietly looked back down at her covers. She just... She just wanted her friend to be free from her problem. Both her legs, and the growing influence within her. How could she have known that the Jõtai would agitate the latter..?

Mikai couldn't help but feel a pang of pity towards Saeko. Even after everything she had done... She could empathize with her motive. Though it also helped lend credence to the fact that their bond was nowhere near as real as hers and Minami's. "...What'd you want, Cobra..?"

"You're being awfully agreeable today, Mikai. Even after I managed to find a way into your communication's network." Cobra chuckled, before clearing his throat. "I'll keep it brief. There's two individuals that have fallen prey to the Darkness, and I need you to go and deal with them. Without your allies' help."

"...Why would you want to stop them..? Isn't that Saki's thing..?" Mikai muttered, tilting her head slightly. Indeed, the only one that had explicitly vowed to deal with the Darkness was Saki... One of the few things that she could see eye-to-eye with the girl about.

"Why are you asking why?" Cobra chimed in response, before shaking his head. "I get you're dealing with a lot of stress, having Spider reveal her identity at the same time as Saki, plus that ordeal with the serpent must've really done a lot. But right now, I'm reaching out for the sake of helping somebody I hold near and dear. So won't you be a dear and reach out to them and help them? If you do, I promise that I'll let you have a little talk with our boss. I think you two could do with a chat. Whether it ends with you allied with us or with you understanding more about yourself."

Mikai let the thought dwell on her mind for a few moments before she nodded and got up. "Fine." She muttered, as she turned towards Saeko for a few seconds, only to turn away. She could wait to hear her answer later.

Right now, she had to save people. She was a heroine, after all. It was her job to reach out and help those that wanted her help. Unlike Saeko...

Leaving the spider girl to stew in her own thoughts, the girl finally burying her face in her thighs as the tears rolled down her face...

---

Darkness. Pure, deep, endless darkness.

That's what Minami woke up to. Darkness as far as the eye could see. And she could definitely still see, because her body was fully lit. She just couldn't see anything else...

"Where... Where am I?" She muttered, hoping to get an answer. This was so strange. Had she been here before..? And more importantly, could she get out? Was this all a dream..?

"This is your inner self."

Minami gasped as she suddenly turned around, before being faced with... Her mom..? No, she could tell that it wasn't Rena-mama... She was different. All because of those golden eyes...

"W-Who are you..?" Minami asked as she backed away, before gasping in shock as she realized that her legs worked. Then again, if she was inside of herself, then naturally her legs worked. It was still a surprise considering she wasn't prepared for it...

'Rena' giggled as her golden eyes gleamed bright. "You can call me Ouroboros. And I'm here to give you the chance to make everything right." She chimed, all while licking her lips and letting her serpentine tongue slither its way out. "After all, you've been hurt a lot. You've been saddled with such a terrible curse, and they've looked down upon you ever since..."

Minami blinked a couple of times, before slowly nodding. She didn't exactly see her ailment as a curse, but she couldn't help but feel that everyone did look at her as lesser because of her problems. "Then... What are you going to do..?"

"Oh, I'm not going to do that much." Ouroboros giggled, before she wrapped her arms around the girl. "You can just rely on my power. Then you can walk, you can talk, you can jump, you can fly... Anything that you want, my power will make real. Even if it'll take a bit. And in exchange... I just want a little meal or two. Nothing else."

That didn't sound like that bad of a deal. But at the same time, she couldn't help but think that there was a catch. "...You want something more... Everyone that tries something like this wants something more..." She muttered, gazing straight into the serpent's eyes. All while her heart kept beating louder and louder, thanks to the serpent taking on her Mama's looks.

"Something more, mmm?" Ouroboros chimed, before nodding softly. "I suppose there's something that I want. But you want it too. I know you do. After all, there were quite a lot that were responsible for her disappearance, weren't there?"

Minami's eyes widened, and then slowly started to dim. Indeed... There were people that had taken her Mama away from her. People like... that skunk-striped woman that had tried to fight against her the night before...

"Goooood. Let that fester. We'll get the chance to eat her soon enough. Just remember to call upon my power so we can feed.. And then we can make sure that woman gets to pay for everything she's done to us..."

As Ouroboros' words wormed their way into her head, the darkness slowly faded away... Revealing that Minami was sitting in an alley, still stuck in her wheelchair. And a single hunger started to grow inside her heart.

The white-haired girl took a whiff of the air around her, and slowly started to smile. It was time to hunt, all so she could get strong enough to get her revenge...

---

"You've been awfully quiet since you took off."

Cobra was still standing on the girl's wrist, his holographic form displaying every single bit of his feminine curves. Because of course he was going to show off even when he was rendered in a digitized form. Not that he was focused on himself right now. Right now, his concern was on his enemy.

Mikai didn't really give him a response as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop, the training with Genbu really paying off. The fact she had to amp up her strength to try and crack her armor allowed her to brace herself for big falls, eliminating much of the damage that could be inflicted on her...

"Not even giving me the time of day. That's alright, I totally understand." Cobra said as he crouched down and stretched. "Then again, you've been hard at work trying to fight against us and The Darkness, all because of..." He paused, blinking a little. "Why do you fight, exactly?"

There it was again. Her reason to fight. It was why she had lost her concentration during the fight with Saki. Why she had started to believe that this emptiness inside her was real. It ate away at her. Making her feel more and more useless with every passing day. All because she didn't think that her reason to fight was anywhere near as strong as Saki's.

"I... I fight because I want to reach out to people and help them." Mikai muttered, as she came to a stop on one of the highest rooftops in the city. So she could look out across the city to make sure she'd spot the trouble. "And I just... I just don't know if that's enough."

"Does it have to be?" Cobra replied, smiling a little as he finally got through to the girl. "We all have our reasons for wanting to do what we do. Whether that's Kanzei's self-destructive need to be the only heroine, or Spider feeling like everything she does just ends in failure, which leads her to keep trying and fueling her own failure even more. I mostly just do what I do because I want to. And hey, if it ends up protecting or helping out the people I care about, then that's a nice bonus."

Mikai blinked as she listened to him. "So... If I just want to reach out, then..."

"Then you just reach out. There's nothing more to it." Cobra shot back, smiling as he reached out at her. All before laughing as he remembered her was a mere hologram. "Just don't think too hard about why you fight. Because what matters is that you do it in your own way. And nobody else could do it the same way you do." He said, before stretching a bit. "So, do you see the big tent, or do we have to keep lookin'?"

Mikai let the words of her enemy slowly sink into her heart as she gazed upon the horizon, before spotting an enormous tent in the central park. "I think I found it. Just gotta go down there and deal with the baddies, then you'll let me talk to that D'Or lady, yeah?" Her voice had started to regain a bit of the happiness that was meant to be there. Heh, to think that Cobra'd be the source of some wisdom.

"Yep. Well, I have to go deal with a couple of problems on my end. I'm doin' a little bit of investigating so D'Or can make sure we don't run into another problem. Just, like, think about me when you're done and you should be able to get a hold of me. At least, if those bracelets work the way she said they did." Cobra chimed, before waving bye to his enemy. "Seeya around, Mimoto. Maybe I'll have a bit of fun with you too, once we're back to the status quo."

Just like that, he vanished. And Mikai had to snicker. At least one of her enemies didn't hold a grudge. Right, she had to go head down to that tent, and then-

The bracelet started vibrating as well, right before another figure took up space on her wrist. This time, it was a girl that looked much like her. Kimiko, her Kouhai and best friend, wanted to speak to her. "Kimiko..? What's up?"

"I was just wondering how the talk with Saeko went." Kimiko chimed, giggling a bit as she bent forward. "After all, she did betray you. So I wanted to hear how you handled a traitor like her." Her words were sharp, yet at the same time they didn't seem out of the ordinary...

"I... I just let her think about our friendship. If it was all really a lie. If the betrayal was... Was really as bad as I thought it was." Mikai muttered, her eyes dimming under her helmet. That's right, she had betrayed her...

Kimiko nodded. "Well, just remember. You have to cherish the bonds you have, and the ones that shatter... Well, they weren't real bonds in the first place. Now were they?" She giggled, before she looked over her shoulder. "Oho? Well, I think I'm going to have to call you back soon. There's somebody that wants to talk to me."

Just like that, Mikai was left with just Kimiko's words dwelling on her mind. Words that had to compete against Cobra's, as she slowly descended down the side of the tall building so she could make it down to the tent.

"Now then..." Kimiko said, as she gazed towards the white-haired icy girl that had decided to try and find her. "You're looking awfully angry, Yuuki-Senpai. What's the matter?" She chimed, not about to show any hostility towards a friend.

Yuuki grit her teeth as she stomped forward, ice forming under her feet. "You're doing something to Mikai. No, not just her... You're doing something to everyone you meet, and I don't like it." She said, all while adjusting the scarf around her neck. "And if not for Yumeko, I wouldn't have noticed it. So right here, right now, I'm dealing with you before you become a real problem, Kimiko!"

As the passionate girl let her voice ring out, the ground around her immediately froze. With that freezing field growing bigger and bigger with every passing moment, all while she directed her passion towards the girl that seemed like the biggest threat.

"Ara?" Kimiko giggled as she put her hands behind her back. "What has that girl been saying? What does she believe she can do?" She chimed, taking a single step forward. All while keeping that unsettlingly serene tone. What was ice going to do to her?

Yuuki grit her teeth as the girl got closer. There was some sort of pressure trying to clamp down on her. But she wasn't going to back down. "Stay right there!" She shouted, as her passion poured through her body and into her ice causing it to spread straight ahead. If the girl didn't move, then-

"You idiot!"

The ice shattered at the same time as the new voice rang out, shocking Yuuki as a visor-clad young man appeared in front of her. A youth that quickly grabbed onto her shoulder before she had the chance to properly process what had just happened, and by the time that Kimiko blinked, the two were already gone. Leaving behind absolutely nothing except the ice that the girl had made in an attempt to slow her down...

"Aw." Kimiko pouted as she crossed her arms. "And here I was going to have a little fun. And if I got rid of one of Mikai's connections in the process, then it would've been even better..." She muttered, her vibe having been totally killed by that maneuver...

"Fun, eh? So that's what a girl like you wants?"

Kimiko blinked a little more, as she watched a familiar ganguro gal approaching. Oh, it was that girl that they met outside that horny shop. Ero, was it? Kimiko didn't really bother remembering her name very well. She wasn't important to the plan, so she could be ignored until the time was right.

"Mmhm." The muddy-haired girl smiled from ear to ear. "You want to help me have a bit of fun, Ero?" She giggled, all while taking a few careful steps towards her. "Or are you going to get stolen away by that weird masked boy too?"

"Nah. But I'm glad he made it in time." Ero grinned, all while slowly raising her arm to reveal a device wrapped around her forearm. "I'll just buy him a little more time to get away. Otherwise, he might just yell at me."

The device looked like some kind of scanner with a clear hole in the side for something circular. Kind of like a medal. Just like the medal that Ero now held in between her fingertips, which quietly dropped into the slot as a mechanical yet seductive voice was released from the device's speakers.

"RELEASE YOUR DESIRE - INKSTER!"

Ero giggled as rainbow colored ink started dripping from the palms of her hands, all while she slowly bent over and kept her eyes firmly focused on the muddy girl that had gotten a little too close to the people she held dear.

"Let's have a bit of fun, Kimiko."

---

Getting to the tent was a lot easier than Mimoto would've expected, which meant that there were definitely problems that she had to solve within. Whether it was just the baddies that were going to get in her way, or something more. Whatever the problem was, she was ready. Surely Flame Lion would be enough, at least for the time being. If things got any worse, then she could rely on her other forms and Light Unicorn as well...

"Are tents supposed to be this dark?" She muttered as she stepped inside, looking all around. Even the flame she held in her hand for some ambient light didn't really help her see anything. It was just unfathomably dark. So much so that she could probably trip over herself if she wasn't careful... Which she had done before, come to think of it...

Suddenly, a set of lights turned on. Three lights that focused on the very center of the tent, revealing Showrunner in all of her red-black-and-white glory as she bowed before an imaginary audience. All while giggling like the maddened little jester that she was.

"Finally, the guest of honor has arrived! Let's give her a hand!" Showstopper cried out as the lights started to focus on the girl that had just arrived, her own clapping magnified by the sound of a hidden audience. But as far as Mimoto could see, there really wasn't anybody else inside the tent. Maybe the darkness was just hiding all of them..?

No matter. She clenched her fist tight and let the flames of her heart spread out across her body. "I don't know what you're planning, but I'm here to put a stop to it. So you better just stand down, unless you want a fist across the face!" Mimoto shouted, hoping that she could negotiate with the baddies. There had to be a good reason why Cobra would want her to save them, so...

"Ehehehehehe. What a heroic soul within that armor. It's a shame that we don't get a damn about that in this circus!" Showrunner giggled, before snapping her fingers and tipping her latex hat towards the audience. "Now, let's introduce the fierce enemies that our heroine will be forced to fight against!"

The lights turned on and illuminated two bound girls that were very familiar to Mimoto. Mina Magatsu and Rika Nitta, former Jõtaijin in their own right. And right now, they were partly covered in latex that kept them bound down, neither of them too pleased with all the giggling going on.

As soon as Mina spotted the armored heroine in the distance, she forced a grin to her lips. "Mimoto! Don't worry about us, we'll be fine! Just finish this clown off!" She knew better than to have Mikai worry about her and Rika. Especially as she cast a quick look towards her taller friend.

Rika nodded, trembling a bit against the latex that had been wrapped around her. "You've fought worse than her! You can do it, Mikai!" The buff cheerleader cried out, hoping that her encouragement could help. Even if she didn't have her pompoms and thus couldn't really power her up that much.

"How cute. They think they can make you stop me." Showrunner chimed, before letting her eyes turn back towards Mikai. "What are you going to do to prove them right? Come now, I'm right here!" She giggled on and on, spreading her arms as if to invite a devastating blow that could ruin her at any moment.

Mimoto let the flames spread all the way down to her feet, letting them all collect as she dashed forward. "KING'S-"

Only to let out a powerful moan as she was whipped across the back, knocking her onto her knees as her concentration was broken. The flames flickered as she looked over her shoulder, spotting the black-white-and-blue jester that matched the Showrunner. "T-There's the other one. I should've tried to find you first..!" She cried out, a strange sensation spreading throughout her body as she tried to get back up.

Troubletamer giggled as he licked his tongue along the entire length of his whip. "Oh, what a silly little pet you are. Just watch Sister do her thing, then you can join my little collection. Just like your friends!" He laughed as lights turned on behind him, to reveal even more victims that looked familiar to the girl.

Unlike Mina and Rika, who hadn't been transformed yet, the two pets that stood behind Troubletamer had already been whipped into submission. And while they were identifiable as Mumei-chan and sleepy Tiro, the pupper and the sheep looked more like jesters with the kind of makeup that had been added to their faces... That, and the silly hats with the bells that just kept on ringing with every breath that left their lips. As it seemed right now, those two latex pets barely seemed like they knew what was going on. They were just obeying their tamer... Their loving, adorable, and absolutely wonderful tamer.

Mimoto grit her teeth a little as she tried to fight past the whipping, only to let out another moan as she was whipped across the back once more. She could feel the latex leaking onto her armor and quickly trying to spread to make her unable to fight back, leaving her to look straight ahead at what Showrunner was doing.

"Say hello to your brand new clowns, everyone!" Showrunner said as she snapped her fingers, causing a pair of identical top hats to appear right above the two bound girls. And from those top hats, an onslaught of white latex poured down, completely and utterly swallowing the two girls underneath...

They couldn't fight back, all thanks to the latex that was already wrapped around them that then kept them pinned to the ground. All they could do was let out muffled deviant screams, before they were silenced thanks to how tight the latex was. And slowly but surely, the two stood up as the latex swallowed them completely, the shiny white stuff compressing and making sure that neither of them could do a thing...

"Ehehehehehehe!" The two clowns made of latex giggled in turn as they gained awareness. Not individuality, as they were nowhere near as important as Showrunner and Troubletamer, but they were still cut from the same cloth. Part of a possessive circus troupe that was laid on top of humans, to ensure that they had plenty of energy to feed on as they caused havoc.

With Showrunner wrapping her arms around the two clowns, Mimoto felt her heart slowly trying to burn itself to the point where she could fight back against the whipping. "Give... give them.. Baaaaack!" She shouted, trying to fight back against the latex that kept on spreading across her body. She just needed that little bit of willpower to overpower it..!

"Sit."

But perhaps she had already been covered by too much latex. Because as soon as she heard the sound of a command, her body obeyed. And she ended up on all fours, panting and gasping like a dog even though she was a big kitty. All while the Troubletamer approached with a sweet giggle. No, she had to fight back... B-but it felt good to listen to orders...

"This was all that it took to tame a hero? Master Lumiel really made you sound like such a difficult catch. And yet here you are. On all fours, ready to be one of our favorite attractions." Troubletamer giggled, all while he held his hand forward. "Paw." He gave another command, as his grin grew nice and wide.

Mimoto tried to fight back against it. But the latex just kept on growing, slowly wrapping around her helmet as a pair of puppy ears started to stick out of her head. And the more it grew across her, the more her efforts felt wasted. She should just give her paw to her tamer. It was so easy, and she'd feel so good...

Slowly but surely, her hand started to raise...

"Your hands do not belong on her!"

A loud shout echoed as a blast of dark energy fired off towards Troubletamer, with both of the clown-like pets getting in the way to ensure that their owner didn't get hurt. All while the jester-like boy turned towards the entrance to their tent, giggling alongside his sister as they laid their eyes on the one that had just arrived. Just like Mimoto did, the lionic girl trembling as she continued to struggle.

"S-Saki..." Ironic that she'd be saved by one of her greatest enemies yet again... And especially ironic, considering she had inadvertently saved Saeko not too long ago...

Saki smiled as she stepped into the darkness, her cane already having formed in her hands. "Henshin." And with a single word, the darkness that spread around inside the tent was drawn towards her, forming the cocoon that would then shatter and birth Kanzei once more, the golden Jõtaider moving without hesitation.

Once the veil of darkness had been taken away, it was clear that the tent was filled with spectators... But all of them were mindlessly staring forward. They were little more than puppets that responded to the actions of the Showrunner, to add a bit of ambiance and spectacle to the events taking place within the tent.

"Now now, that's not nice at all." Showrunner pouted as she produced a whip of her own from the palm of her hand. "Clowns! Get her, she'll make a great addition to our troupe once she's covered!" She shouted, with her minions literally springing into action as they quickly started to backflip in her direction.

Kanzei spun her cane as the hammer of her mind rang out, pulling it apart at the middle before it reformed into a pair of stylish flintlocks. Flintlocks that she used expertly to shoot at both of the flipping girls, before tossing the guns into the air and rushing straight at Troubletamer!

"Pets, get her!" Troubletamer cried out, before realizing that both of his pets had been knocked out cold by the blast they had taken. Which, in turn, caused him to grow panicked. His main strength was conversion, not combat. "P-Pet, defend me!" In desperation, he gave Mimoto a command, hoping it would pull through.

Mimoto let out a weak howl as she got in front of her tamer, faced with Kanzei once more. The combination of her mind's current state and the latex that tried to convert her meant that she had a hard time not wanting to fight the egyptian-themed Jõtaider... It was all her fault that she was in this situation in the first place after all..!

Kanzei didn't hesitate. Nor did she strike Mimoto. Instead, she slid straight through the girl's legs, as the latex's control over her currently meant that her reaction was severely reduced. And from there, the darkness that had gathered within the golden girl poured out through her foot, as she relished the look of pure panic upon Troubletamer's face.

"DIVINE ASCENT!" Kanzei let her power ring out as she launched off the ground, kicking Troubletamer in the process as they both flew upward. And once she started to lose momentum, she spun around with her foot still embedded in the jester's chest, before launching him towards the stands with all of the power that still remained in her leg.

With all the power in her body, it was obvious that he'd end up knocked out after getting hit by a finisher like that. And even though the latex ate most of the impact, he was probably going to need a few days to recover after all the pain that poured through him. At least one of them had been freed...

Mimoto gasped as the latex also dissolved off her, as well as Mumei-chan and Tiro, giving her back full autonomy. Autonomy that she used to look straight at Kanzei, raising her fists in anticipation. "Kanzei... Why did you-"

"I'm repaying a small debt." Kanzei replied once she landed, her hammer ringing out as her cane appeared in her hands once more. "I must be the only heroine. But a heroine also understands what it means to owe somebody. And if you hadn't been there, she would've been dead." She said, tightening her grip on her cane. "Do not mistake this for mercy. As soon as that jester's gone, I'll make sure to deal with you. So recover your strength, and leave her to me."

The lionic heroine didn't like it, but she nodded. She had to conserve her strength. Especially since she needed Light Unicorn to even come close to being on Kanzei's level consistently. Everything else would just slow her down but do no real good damage. So she had to reach for the blade in her heart, and then-

"Well, since you've gotten rid of my beast tamer, I'm going to have to make you take his place!" Showrunner interrupted Mimoto's train of thought as she whipped the ground, causing the latex that leaked off the whip to start merging with the dirt below. "This show will never end, no matter what you do!"

Kanzei and Mimoto remained on guard. Though Showrunner's mooks had very quickly been dealt with, courtesy of Kanzei's will-draining bullets, that latex was still very dangerous. So the fact that it could spread across the ground and become part of it meant that they had to take her out before they could get hit. Even a single droplet could spell disaster.

"That's right! Stand there and wait for the spotlight to fall on you! You'll be part of this show soon enough!" Showrunner's screams grew more and more deranged as it was clear that she needed Troubletamer to stay stable. They were not individuals. They needed one another to truly be strong. A single attack from them would do the trick as well. But could they get close enough..?

They didn't get the chance to dwell on it before the lights suddenly turned off... Or rather, were smashed to pieces as indicated by the light that crashed to the ground. All while a hungry laugh echoed out through the tent...

"W-what? Who dares interrupt my show?!" Showrunner cried out, quickly spinning around with her whip ready to slap up against anybody that might be a threat. "SHOW YOURSELF!" She shouted and screamed, the darkness too much for a part of The Darkness like her!

But she couldn't find the culprit. Not until the culprit was too close to her. And all that Mimoto and Kanzei were able to see was the vague silhouette of the jester being torn off her host, before being... eaten...

Mimoto lit a fire in her hand and tossed it at the predator, who slashed the flame to pieces with her tail as soon as it came too close. Revealing the predator to be the wicked snake that had tried to kill her just a few days prior. Ouroboros. While she had certainly dealt with their current problem, she was now a much bigger one...

"What a lovely meal..." Ouroboros chimed, audibly gulping down the Darkness that she had just devoured. "And now for you two. You'll make me even stronger..!" She laughed as the glow from her suit's eyes grew brighter and brighter, serving as the sole way to see her within the darkness. Especially as she suddenly jumped forward, claws ready to strike!

Kanzei met that strike with a dark shield of her own, covering her and Mimoto in a blanket of black energies. "That creature... That's the one that hurt Saeko!" She shouted, her anger welling up from within. Very well, if she had to deal with Mimoto at the same time as this creature, then so be it!

Mimoto didn't let the opportunity pass her by either. While fighting Kanzei and Ouroboros at the same time was definitely a tall order, if she didn't do anything then she'd just end up devoured. "CHOU HENSHIN!" So instead she drew her blade from her heart, light pouring forth and illuminating the entire tent as Light Unicorn took the stage once more, with the girl jumping back to bring her a bit of distance between her two enemies...

With their focus on nothing but each other, the three Jõtaiders struck out. Mimoto letting her heart's light pour into her blade as she dashed forward, Kanzei letting her darkened will spin forth through her cane as it transformed into a blade and a firearm, and Ouroboros dashing forward with nothing but ferocity powering her strikes.

Kanzei and Mimoto's blades clashed, though that left the golden girl's other side open. An opportunity that Ouroboros took to try and strike, only to be hit by several bullets courtesy of the firearm that Kanzei held. But even with those bullets trying to drain her will, she just laughed and continued her assault, claws barred as her claw descended on the golden girl.

Not before that golden girl quickly used the clash with her former friend to spin the light-filled heroine around, putting her in the path of Ouroboros' strike... Until she barely heard Mimoto call out "UNICORN EDGE!" and vanish in the blink of an eye, serving to not only make Mimoto appear safe and sound behind her, but leave her armor with a light-filled gash that Ouroboros quickly slashed into as well.

Kanzei, struck by a combination of attacks, let out a scream of pain as she was forced onto her knee, though that hardly satisfied the predatory girl. No, Ouroboros' energy poured straight through Kanzei and wrapped back around as it struck her through the same wound, before Ouroboros vaulted over her in the middle of her pain. The Unicorn had left herself open!

Mimoto quickly turned around as she collapsed her blade into a concentrated orb of light in the palm of her hand, punching straight ahead as she met Ouroboros' claw with an attack of her own. "UNICORN ERUPTION!" She screamed, as the light from her heart was used as her greatest offense, beaming forth and consuming everything around her for a brief moment.

As soon as the light faded, Ouroboros just laughed. Sure, her armor was cracked, but she was not even close to done. "I love prey that fight back! It makes the hunt all the more satisfying!" She screamed in pure thrilling delight, her tail whipping forward at the same time as she slashed with her claws. Two strikes at the very same time...

Right before her hand and her tail got shot, courtesy of Kanzei having gotten back up. Even though the mark of being struck by the Prime Darkness was fresh on the gash in her armor, she wasn't even close to done fighting. "She's mine..!" She shouted, the hammer of her mind ringing out as the two firearms she had used turned into a smaller cane and a single serrated blade.

The hammer kept on echoing through the tent as Mimoto tried to back away, only for a powerful circle to appear underneath her. Kanzei's Divine Bind, which worked by sapping her will and fueling itself in addition to the existing willpower used to make it take form. Getting free was hard, but defending herself was still an option. She drew her blade from her chest once more, the light from her heart not about to go out despite being used in such a violent manner.

But Ouroboros? She just laughed and slammed her fist straight into the circle, audibly drinking up all the energy that went into forming it. And once the binding was gone, she turned her head towards Kanzei and tossed it right back at her in the form of a torn net that stuck to her, preventing her from moving. "There! Stop squirming so I can eat you already!" She cried out, sending out her tail once more to finish the job.

Only for that tail to get carved in twain, courtesy of Mimoto's swift footwork. Footwork that let her turn straight around and slash into Ouroboros, her willful scream echoing out as that blade of hers grew massive in the span of a mere moment, sending the snake flying towards the edge of the tent from the force of her blow.

Kanzei, freed from the net thanks to Mimoto's quick thinking, let her hammer ring forth and reforge her cane into pure dark energy. Energy that poured straight into her foot. "DIVINE!" She wasn't about to let go of this opportunity. Saving her friend is one thing, but saving her is an insult to her pride!

Her threat was met by Mimoto's light being sucked into her own body, courtesy of her slamming her blade into her. And from that light, flames were born anew. "KING'S!" Flames that were burning hotter than ever, as the red turned bright blue as Mimoto whipped around to face her enemy.

"JUDGMENT!" "FLAME!"

The two Jõtaider kicked at the same time. Kanzei's decisive axe kick met Mikai's roundhouse, the sparks from their wills clashing turning into lightning that shot all around the tent, puncturing and tearing it apart as the moonlight from the night sky started to beam in alongside the gentle snowflakes of winter.

Their ferocity completely contrasted the calm around them. And neither were willing to give in. Saki would never give in and allow Mikai to stand as another Heroine, for her own sake, and Mikai wouldn't back down because she wanted to reach out no matter what. A clash of pure willpower...

"DESTROOOOOY!"

But somebody had to break their tie. And that came in the form of the mark on Kanzei's chest, the armor on her body rupturing in response to the venomous bite left on her. All while Ouroboros came dashing towards the rivals. She wasn't done. Even after taking that slash, she was still raring to go for another bout!

Saki forced herself to stand, despite the damage that the imprint had left on her. She was bleeding, the price of following her will. But she didn't give in. She stood tall, her armor reforging in response to her will. This enemy... It stood in the way. And while Mimoto did as well, the girl was human. This monster... This monster had hurt Saeko!

Mimoto gasped and panted as she looked at Kanzei, her own armor cracking. Using this much power in such a short timespan was difficult. Even her training with Genbu having increased her stamina and her ability to use her own powers wasn't enough to keep her going for much longer. It all depended on a final hit. "Saki..!"

"On my mark!" The golden girl cried out as she stabbed her cane into the ground once more. "DIVINE BIND!" She shouted, letting the energies form underneath Ouroboros once more. This time, she'd bind her. This time, she wouldn't absorb it!

Laughter echoed from the frenzied Jõtaider, as the energy started to pour in from her feet and all the way out to her fingertips. "You really think a trick that didn't work would suddenly work if you tried it again!? THE MOST DELICIOUS PREY REALLY IS THE TASTIEST!" She shouted, as she absorbed as much of that power as she possibly could.

Only for her eyes to widen for a brief moment as both the lionic heroine and her golden rival dashed forth at the same time, both with their fists covered in burning wills.

"KING'S THRUST!" "DIVINE PUNISHMENT!"

Their speed was nowhere near their best. But it was that moment of surprise, when the beast was still busy trying to drain the energy from the trap underneath her, that allowed them to strike with perfect synchronicity. Flames merged with darkness to slam straight through the serpent's defenses. This time, she couldn't block or endure. All she could do was get knocked away, skidding against the ground as she was nearly buried from the sheer intensity of the forces pushing against her. All while her own armor cracked and burst apart, revealing the unconscious Minami underneath...

And with the serpent partly embedded in the ground, Mimoto and Kanzei's armors gave way. Mikai and Saki stood side by side. As temporary allies, just as they had been against Helheim. Either of them could strike at this point. Either of them could finish the other off. And yet they just stood there, letting the wind slowly blow past them.

"...Saki-senpai..." Mikai muttered as she gazed over her shoulder, looking at the girl she had admired with sadness in her eyes. "Can't I just help you? Just take my hand, we don't have to keep fighting." She tried. She desperately tried to reach out. Even though she knew what the answer would be.

Saki shook her head. "I told you already. I'm not going to fight alongside you. I will only protect you if you stand down and stop acting like you can be a heroine." She was stubborn. But she didn't move to attack her. "Next time we fight, you should finish me off if you get the chance. Otherwise, I will be victorious-"

"Ahahahahaha!"

Their sobering moment was cut off by the sound of Ouroboros' rambunctious laughter, as Minami dragged herself out of the hole. Or rather, Ouroboros did. The look in her golden eyes made it clear that she was the one current in control. "Aaaaahhh... I might not have gotten the chance to eat you two... But you make my strength return with every strike! And that's more than enough to make me full!" 

Mikai and Saki both assumed a ready stance, even after everything they had just gone through. Their disagreements aside, this monster was a threat to both of them. Even now, when they couldn't see eye to eye, they were willing to put it all aside...

Ouroboros just laughed as she slowly sunk into the opposite world beneath her feet. "I'll be back for my next meal soon enough..." She wasn't about to strike at them again. For now, she was satisfied. All while laughing like the maniac that she was, using Minami's body as a vehicle for her hunger...

As soon as she disappeared, the calm returned. And with that calm, Saki's adrenaline vanished. Her vision grew blurry. And with a curse beneath her breath, she quickly called upon her own darkness, tossing herself through before Mikai could show her any mercy.

Just like that, Mikai was left all alone. Bruised, battered, and ultimately victorious. And yet she didn't feel happy. Because the two girls that she wanted to reach out to didn't even try to look at her and hear her out. One blatantly tried to kill her, and the other was too stubborn...

Were her efforts going to be for naught..? The thought dwelled on her mind as she started calling Cobra... And after he had confirmed everything, it'd be time to call Hiro for a bit of help.

That proverbial loss, that inability to reach out, would fester inside her and add to all the doubts that had been filling up her empty body...

An empty body, quietly being decorated by the falling snow...

---

There were very few things that Hayato Koizumi wanted to do. And he had just gone ahead and done one of those awful things by saving that icy girl. Why, oh why, did he have to save a Monster like her?

And he had paid for it too. Considering most of his body was currently frozen, and the Yukionna was currently glaring straight into his eyes.

"I knew I had seen you before. You were that guy that tried to lure away Mumei-chan once the festival was over." Yuuki said, her fist currently clenched. "I don't know why you thought it was a good idea to 'save me'. But I'm going to make sure you pay for trying to do something to my friends!"

Hayato grit his teeth as the fist came flying at him. Only to blink as he didn't get hit. As he opened his eyes, Yuuki was just standing there with her arms crossed, a passionate grin on her face. "...The hell..?"

"Psych. I don't hit people just because they deserve it." Yuuki said, laughing as her inner fire made her own ice melt, freeing the masked youth. "You can run away if you'd like. Or you can tell me what's up. After what Yumeko's told me about Kimiko, you've probably got a secret of your own."

This Monster... No, this girl... She was something else. She wasn't as difficult to handle as Ero... Or maybe she was, just in a different way. Still, his body did act to save her even though his mind disagreed. "...Fine. I'll tell you everything." He muttered, all while rubbing his temples.

Hopefully she'd be satisfied by the end of it all.