AuthorSME
patreon
UE Rewrite: B4 — 27. Sisters At Last
🕑 Added 2025-03-28 18:36:43 +0000 UTCPoV:
1. Butter (Our High Queen of the Evening Star!)
--------------
Butter twirled her fan open with a sharp crack, sending a ripple through the air as she studied her twin across the grand hall. Excitement bubbled in her chest, fingers tingling against the jeweled cane in her other hand.
To settle their disputes through this avatar combat rather than their typical murderfest of destruction was something to look forward to—they needed real vessels for their minds to battle without risk to their true selves. Perhaps the new Monarch of Alchemy in Kaspir she was hearing whispers about through the Nexus was already on that mission without her sister knowing.
Butter prepared herself for the engagement. Her pantsuits fit perfectly, tailored by thought alone. Earth fashion had its advantages—mobility without sacrificing style. She’d brought quite a few wonderful designer articles with her that Nia had helped pick out—the infamous Hare of Misfortune’s Living Denier soul item.
She so wanted one, but alas, that seemed to be a Chinese thing, and she didn’t have time to conquer that part of the world with the Crystal closing and all.
Butter tapped her cane against the pristine marble floor, the liquid energy swirling within the sapphire at its head, enhancing her already potent storm-based powers, while her gaze locked on Elinor across the chamber.
Interesting choice, Sister, Butter thought, examining the elegant gothic gown her twin had chosen. The black fabric seemed to absorb light, shimmering with emerald whispers when she moved. So formal. So dramatic.
“Really?” Butter tilted her head, unable to mask her amusement. “Making last minute changes?” She tapped her cane against the floor once more, the sound echoing through the chamber. “Are you still not ready?”
Elinor’s lips curled into that infuriatingly confident smile, her fingers gliding through what appeared to be her status menu. Water pooled at Butter’s feet, beginning to swirl slowly around her ankles as she waited.
“Shhh. I’m processing how exactly I should defeat you, dear sister. Fascinating… My Path expanded after hitting Level 30… New branches and tiers. I assume yours did as well.”
She’s not even preparing a defensive stance. Standing there like I’m beneath her concern after I pulled out my fan and cane? Oh, you are a real treat, Priss. Very well, I’ll make the first move!
Butter narrowed her eyes, focusing on the gems embedded in both her fan and cane. The water and air responded instantly, twisting together into a concentrated blade of pressurized elements. With a graceful slash of her fan, she sent the elemental blade hurtling toward Elinor’s unprotected form.
For a horrifying instant, Butter thought she’d misjudged—that her sister truly wasn’t prepared and would be cut in half. Then, darkness shifted beneath Elinor.
Her shadow expanded, writhing like living ink before erupting upward. A towering figure materialized between them—a knight in obsidian armor, a massive shield raised. The elemental blade struck the aegis, dissipating into harmless droplets that scattered across the marble floor.
“Is that…Dad’s shield?” Butter’s eyes widened, recognition immediate despite the dripping shadows that composed the knight’s form. “Did you just summon Dad to fight for you? This is a pickle, as Snow might say.”
Elinor didn’t even flinch, still standing with hands clasped behind her back while examining her status sheet, likely picking apart descriptions. Then, as if her attack hadn’t even been enough to warrant a glance, her attention drifted toward the window overlooking their empire as she finally spoke.
“Hmm. We’ve already assumed our powers extend to much of what we desire within our Seed, mixed with our theme and established abilities. Yet, after reaching Level 30 there appears to be an expansion to our Level 20 Path that can resonate with our Level 25 Soul Expansion. We’re further developing attributes to our hidden internal soul the more we grow, and I can assume these are abilities we had long before these Seeds latched onto us… I still have so much more to ask about what happened on Earth now that I know this wasn’t isolated.”
Her voice was calm, almost bored, as if explaining something trivial to a child. The shadow knight remained motionless, its towering form positioned protectively before Elinor.
From the darkness behind her twin, two more figures emerged—one a massive, hulking form with multiple arms, axes in hand, and two heads that Butter recognized, and the other, a bull-like man with curved horns, holding a rope and rifle.
Butter pushed her lips to the side, leaving her cane to stand on its own to place a hand on her hip. “I get that you’re trying to annoy me, but is this initial psychological warfare truly necessary? Is your plan to just block me with Dad until I run out of steam, because that’s boring.
“Oh, no, you brought Quin and Carlos to the battle. How many of these shadowy soldiers can you summon, because clearly they aren’t really them… On second thought, is this really a part of your new skillset or are you making this up in our soul because your big Path ability is on cooldown?”
“Patience, dear sister,” Elinor chided, gazing out the window rather than at her, “I already have quite a few units that are summons, and my powers deal with summoning, as you stated. Parts of my Warlord abilities are on cooldown, true, which means I need to rely on other facets and new assets.”
She shrugged, the motion elegant and dismissive that made Butter want to bonk her on the head—no one but Priss treated her like this. “It had me thinking—what if I could create copies of the souls bound to me? Or create their shadows, you could say. And well…this happened,” she noted, giving Quin a fond smile before even looking at Butter.
Show-off, Butter thought, but admiration mixed with her irritation as she circled the floor carefully. So I’m not the only one who has grown in our separation. Should I try to… No, not yet.
She walked a full 180 sweep around Elinor, studying the shadow forms.
The knight—clearly their father’s likeness—stood perfectly still, emanating the same protective aura Edmon always carried. Behind him, Quin’s massive gorilla-like frame loomed, four arms flexing with restrained power, but the axes were new. Carlos, the bull-headed lieutenant, flanked Elinor’s other side, shadows dripping from his horns like liquid night.
Not quite as powerful as their originals, Butter concluded, noting subtle differences in their formation. But dangerous nonetheless since Priss is directing them. They can’t be reasoned with since they’re only projections of her will on a reflection of those she’s changed.
“In essence,” Butter whispered, tapping her closed fan against her chin, “you’re saying you can create imperfect copies of souls you’ve bound.”
Her aquamarine eyes narrowed as she continued her assessment. “But there are limits, yes? You wouldn’t be showing your hand so early unless…”
Butter backed up slightly, realizing a fourth shadow was beginning to form—this one with the distinct outline of something long that could have been a ri’bot leg forming. Garu. Only, Butter knew her sister better than that as the mass slipped into the shadows around them.
Not Garu… Camellia.
“This isn’t your whole hand. Two Royal Court Members?” she concluded, unable to keep a note of admiration from her voice. “Nice. You’re under-representing your power. It’s your style to have your opponent under or overestimate your abilities.”
“Is that your educated guess?” Her sister’s gaze looked almost disappointed. “Surely you can do better than that, Butter.”
“Oh, I can,” she chimed. “It’s not just one Royal Court shadow you can call upon, but likely two, perhaps even three under certain circumstances.” She tilted her head, studying her sister. “Especially given our level and how you’re likely increasing your stats even now. You’re the type to sit on your Feats and points until you require their use.”
Elinor remained engrossed in her status menu, fingers now unlocking around her wrist to flick through options without acknowledging Butter’s deduction.
“Again with the silent treatment, Priss?” Her laughter rang through the chamber, though it sounded more strained than she intended. “Checking your status sheet during our conversation? Why is it always as if you’re so far above everyone else—or at least above me? Oh, you are so good at getting under my skin! It’s your superpower, I swear. There’s always this air about you…”
“Is that right? Mmm,” Elinor mused, gracing her with the merest glance. “Are you sure that isn’t projection?”
She snapped her fan shut with a sharp click, knowing full well that Elinor was deliberately trying to poke at her ego—and she had an ego to poke! Worse, it didn’t help that she had the burning knowledge that she had never beaten this cheeky goth of a twin.
“It’s strategic, I know. You’re trying to throw me off. And by Shade, it works! I admit it—I have my narcissistic tendencies. It’s mean to go after me like this, like I’m beneath you after our earlier heart to heart. Smart! True. But so very mean and like you, Priss.”
“Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” Elinor returned with the smallest twitch of a smirk. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to identify what will require the least amount of effort to leave your rear end on the dirt.”
“You’re hilarious.”
Still, Elinor paid her no mind, adjusting something in her unseen menu while the knight maintained its protective stance. Butter felt her irritation spike, but beneath it lay curiosity—what exactly was her sister planning?
Fine. Let’s see what these shadows can really do because it’s no Dad.
She briefly considered seizing control of one with her power of Conquest or using one of her other attraction abilities, but quickly dismissed the idea. These were extensions of Elinor’s iron will, not actual living beings, and any attempt at control would become a battle of wills. Her sister would expect such a move…and would likely win, as history annoyingly demonstrated. One of only two people she currently felt inferior to.
They’re not going on the offensive, which means Priss isn’t fully confident in pulling them away from her side. And really, Carlos…
Her dull eyes fixated on the man as he tried to lasso her. The rope flew toward her with an uncanny power and accuracy, yet was immediately rejected by her barrier of air.
Fine. Let’s test their reflexes, Sister.
With a flourish, Butter split the water surrounding her into dozens of needle-thin projectiles, sending them hurtling toward the shadows from multiple angles. The shadows reacted with uncanny coordination—Quin swatted some away with his massive arms, Carlos stomped, creating a shockwave that disrupted the pool she sent from below, and the knight’s shield intercepted those aimed at Elinor before a frigid aura threatened to stop her water.
Not a single drop penetrated their defense.
“Impressive synchronization,” Butter conceded. “They move as extensions of your will rather than individuals.”
Elinor finally closed her menu, maintaining Butter’s gaze for the first time since the battle began. “Please, Butter, as if this is the extent of your power. You’re testing the waters as much as I am so let me cut to the chase. They are shadows. Reflections. Not quite as strong as their originals, but more than capable of handling most threats.”
“Oh, exciting!” Butter cheered, clapping her closed fan and free hand together. “Dad will be relieved you’re not so vulnerable anymore, but…there must be a drawback. We are simulating how much Death and Life Energy we have and having our soul mirror the effects. My guess is that there is a time limit or cost to have them out. Most likely a cost that ramps up.”
“Excellent deductions,” her sister returned with a fake smile, but Butter knew she was really smiling on the inside. She just knew it! “C for effort.”
“Hah. More like A for accurate. And most threats, perhaps, Priss,” Butter smiled, snatching her cane and twirling it in a tight circle. “But I’m not ‘most threats,’ am I, Sister?”
Without warning, Butter leaped into the air, wind gathering beneath her feet to carry her upward—flight. The palace ceiling dissolved at her approach, expanding into a vast open sky divided perfectly between emerald and gold.
“Why not change the venue?” she teasingly called down, ascending higher, knowing Camellia was hidden in the shadows somewhere. “Don’t tell me you can’t, dear sister?”
Elinor’s chest shook with soft laughter, her sharp eyes fixating on her. In response, the knight sank back into Elinor’s shadow, and a new form rose—female, with crackling energy surrounding her hands. Castria, the Tempest.
“The Monarch of Storms versus the Evening Star?” Butter grinned. “I do like your style, Priss but you could at least talk to me a little more. Banter with me!”
The Shadow Castria shot upward, fingers trailing sparks of lightning. Elinor remained on the ground, watching with those calculating emerald eyes as her shadow pursued Butter into the sky. Camellia was no doubt hovering closely around the lich, possibly setting up multiple thread traps for her.
I need to force Priss out of that hallway…
Butter twisted midair, using her fan to deflect the lightning bolt Castria launched, which was well within her power. Simultaneously, she pulled moisture from the air to form a protective barrier for any future bolts. The following electricity diffused harmlessly through the water, creating a spectacular display of energy that illuminated the skies around them.
Is that all you’ve got? Butter called down through their shared connection. I expected more from your little genius in Kaspir—
A massive fireball erupted from Castria’s hands, cutting off her taunt. Butter barely had time to create a water shield before the flames engulfed her. Steam hissed around her body, momentarily obscuring her vision.
Not bad!
Through the vapor, she caught sight of Elinor rising to join them, carried aloft by Castria’s wind manipulation. Her twin still hadn’t bothered to change her attire—wearing that elegant gothic gown that fluttered dramatically in the artificial breeze.
Always maintaining that regal image, aren’t you? I suppose that’s critical to your [Imperial Majesty] Feat. But that momentary blindness… Did you return Camellia to your shadow or are you luring me into a false sense of security? Is Dad making a return? Maybe Tiffany is off somewhere inside the place or that new alchemist?
“Fascinating,” Butter called across the distance, easily heard within their soul. “You’ve developed quite the little army of shadows. Very on-brand for you, Priss.” She spun in midair, gathering more moisture and air around her. “But shadows are still just shadows.”
With a flourish of her cane, she sent a tornado of water shooting toward Elinor. Castria intercepted it, freezing the liquid into shards that Butter then detonated with a pulse of the girl’s own electricity she’d stored in the liquid. The shadow winced holding out her hands and deflecting what she could, though a few managed to pepper her sister—they only cut into her gown, because of course they did.
Butter noted how the shadow moved instinctively to protect Elinor—she’d been right, these weren’t totally mindless puppets but extensions of Elinor’s will, operating with tactical precision. Yet, their performance fell short of her sister’s expectations. She didn’t have an accurate understanding of their limitations compared to what she knew the real Monarchs could accomplish.
Movement from below caught her attention. Carlos and Quin were circling beneath them atop the palace, positioning themselves strategically. No other monarch was visible.
What’s the—oh?
Too late, Butter sensed the presence behind her in the faintest movement of atmospheric pressure. Threads of shadow lashed out, wrapping around her ankle. With a sharp yank, she was pulled downward, hurtling toward the palace roof that had reformed below, Quin’s back and arms igniting with fire to assault her as Carlos aimed his rifle at her head.
Not bad, Priss, but I just wanted confirmation that Camellia was still out.
Twisting mid-fall, Butter sliced through the threads with a water-blade from her cane and snapped open her fan to intercept the bullet before delivering a devastating gust below. The gale curved to her will in a spiral funnel that was strong enough to propel the giant gorilla, much less Carlos, off the edge of the palace and into the jungle below—the man’s rope attempted to save them but the wind was too strong and Castria too far.
Predicting what came next, she gracefully landed on the rooftop with the dexterity of a dancer. A shadow formed behind her, eight legs splaying out in a predatory stance. In the shadowlight, Butter could see how the form shifted between humanoid and arachnid, never quite settling on either as thread coiled around her—only to meet a brilliant aura that erupted around her.
[Life Aura: Activated]
The essence of Death within the silk dissolved on contact, and Butter half turned to appraise the spider’s recoil and retreat against the purifying force.
“Now that’s just rude,” Butter huffed, brushing imaginary dust from her pantsuit, cane floating in the air. “Attacking from behind? I expected better manners from you, Sister. Surely you aren’t this desperate. Where’s the bold action?” she questioned.
She glanced up and leisurely fanned her face as Castria sent another car-sized fireball her way—it was blown away long before reaching her refined disposition. “You’re on the defensive, despite all the openings I’m giving you. Will you blame it on your Feat being on cooldown or some other failing. You can go ahead and use it, Priss. It isn’t as if you can’t just mirror it within our Soul Sanctum. Go on. I won’t need the one I have on cooldown, though, or my Soul Expansion.”
Elinor descended slowly, Castria keeping her aloft as her shadow elongated. It seemed Quin and Carlos didn’t make the fall. Brutal for Elinor to abandon them, but she knew Butter was waiting to exploit the position and jungle against her, where there were far more elements she could use.
“You always did talk too much during a fight,” she sighed, her first direct comment, which meant she was getting to her! “I don’t use [Warlord: Soldier’s Spirit] because I won’t need to. And if I use my Soul Expansion, you’ll just counter it with your own and we’ll cancel each other out, so that’s a waste of time…and I’m getting a little hungry.”
“Oh, famished are we?” Butter snickered, snatching her cane out of the air to slam the butt against the opulent roof as a breeze blew back her liquid-gold locks. “Then step up your game. And you never talked enough with me, Priss. Don’t think I haven’t heard the story about your Kaspir performance. Dad’s reporting all the juicy details.” Butter shot back with an innocent grin. “It’s called banter, Priss. Part of the fun.”
“Yes, I can hear you questioning Dad through the Nexus, and it’s starting to piss me off a little,” she grumbled, showing a rare twist of annoyance. “You’re fishing for details on how to beat me from outside sources. While it’s fair game, it’s not something we discussed.”
“Or something we banned!.”
“Very well, I’ll start questioning White and Adoncia.”
“No!” Butter returned with a tsking noise. “Nu-uh-uh, Priss! Dad’s a military unit. So no going to Adoncia.”
Her twin’s brow furrowed with a curious smile. “I converted her into the Military Core, Butter. Did you miss that detail and assume she was still in the Serving Court?”
“Oh. Good for her! No wonder she has more combat potential than I thought a maid should,” Butter hummed, not put off by the revelation. “A battle maid is precisely what I loved about her, so that was a wonderful present, Sister! Thank you,” she said, flashing her teeth.
“Sure.”
She studied the shadows surrounding her sister, noting their movements, strengths, and formations. Ri’bot were now crawling out.
These ones retain the original’s power, it seems. That means, they must be of lower class. They may not even drain her Death Energy at that level, at least to a certain number. She’s experimenting. Nice!
“You know,” Butter stated conversationally, grabbing her cane and twirling it around in a show, “speaking about Adoncia and White, I’m quite curious about them. And is that Ash? Bringing in your Horseman of Death, hmm? Why bring out Ash over my beloved White?
“Is it because she’s no longer solely bound to you, I wonder? Maybe because she wouldn’t want to face me?” Her smile turned knowing. “Or is it because she’s alive, resurrected by my power, but still bound by your chains? Can you even use her shadow?”
Something flickered across Elinor’s face—the barest hint that Butter knew would agitate her sister. Few would catch it. She was one of those few.
Gotcha!
Butter immediately pressed the advantage. This was her bread and butter, after all. “And what about the others I’ve revived? Adoncia? My lovely Blue Eyes? Can you call on her after I blessed her to be a Holy Oni? Are they beyond your reach now that they’ve tasted true life again and my powers?”
Castria launched another attack in response—a swirling vortex of wind and lightning that tore across the rooftop toward Butter. Rather than evade, Butter stood her ground, extending her fan fully. Life Energy surged through her, and the water from her cane erupted upward, forming a swirling counterforce that met Castria’s attack head-on. The elements clashed violently, sending ripples of power across the palace roof.
Camellia’s silk is vulnerable to [Life Aura] but it takes a lot to maintain it constantly. What to do?
Through the chaos, Butter spotted Death and War moving to flank her, Camellia likely returned to Elinor’s shadow in the mess. She twisted, sending tendrils of water to intercept them while maintaining her defense against Castria and the dozens of ri’bot that attempted to attack from different angles.
She’s testing me, Butter realized. Seeing how many opponents I can handle at once.
The water tendrils struck Ash, briefly slowing his advance within the vortex, but Red simply powered through, no longer showing the damage his actual person held. Butter leaped backward, using air to propel herself just out of reach of his blade as he pushed his advance.
Hmm. The [Immovable] Feat. It will be challenging to face War directly like I am. I need to separate the two, throw Death off, and take to the air again.
With a quick calculation, Butter’s heels touched the roof for only a moment as she slammed her cane against the floor. Water erupted from the impact point, spreading across the rooftop in a massive wave. Simultaneously, she used her fan to superheat the air above with pressure, creating a sudden differential.
The combination triggered an explosive vaporization effect. Steam burst upward in a blinding cloud, engulfing the entire rooftop and obscuring all visibility. The shadows paused, momentarily disoriented by the loss of sight.
I was right, Camellia isn’t out or they’d be able to find me.
Red threw his blade in her general direction, missing Butter’s head by inches and mitigating her aura’s effects with raw kinetic energy. She didn’t waste the opportunity. Silent and swift, she launched herself skyward, wind gathering beneath her feet.
Below, Elinor remained composed, lifting a hand in silent command. The steam cloud dissipated with a wave of Castria’s hand, revealing the empty rooftop where Butter had stood. The Tempest shadow immediately shot upward in pursuit, crackling energy trailing from her fingertips.
Butter spun gracefully through the air, her pantsuit billowing as she pulled moisture from the clouds to form a protective barrier around herself. Once again, Castria’s lightning struck the water shield, diffusing harmlessly in a spectacular display of elemental mastery, only this time, the energy was directed through it to reach her back.
Luckily, she’d expected something like this—Priss didn’t use attacks twice that didn’t work without adapting. Neither did she.
Her fan spread wide, creating a condensed wall of wind that absorbed and redirected it to the path of least resistance. “You’ll need to do better than that!” Butter called down, her aquamarine eyes sparkling.
Through the dispersing mist, she caught sight of Elinor rising to join them, carried aloft by Death’s spectral powers—it seemed he’d managed to run atop her wave. Her twin maintained that regal poise, gown showing some signs of damage now.
“Always the dramatic entrance,” Butter laughed, deactivating [Life Aura] to conserve energy now that she had distance. “I swear, you showboat more than I do, Sister, only in the edgy direction.”
Elinor’s lips curved into a slight smile. “We’ll have to agree to disagree there.”
Without warning, Castria launched a volley of ice spears toward Butter from the floor while simultaneously maintaining the moisture trail Death seemed to be using to remain airborne. It was creative.
Butter twisted midair, her fan creating a gust that diverted most of the projectiles, but an invisible one grazed her arm, leaving a thin line of frost across her sleeve, which…shouldn’t have happened.
“Now that’s new!” Butter acknowledged, gathering water from the surrounding air into a swirling cyclone. However, her vision was starting to get blurry and split. “But I’m still—hmm?!”
She sent the water cyclone hurling toward Elinor and Death, the man hurling a sickle at her in response, cutting clean through it, only for it to split into two. Butter merely spun away from the weapon, or she should have spun out of reach from it—it grazed her ankle. The sting was accompanied by necrotic force she had to purge, and that was when she sensed the subtle air hanging around her.
Yet her vortex was merely a distraction—Butter recovered and was already positioning herself above them, descending like a golden meteor.
My senses are being affected? How? A curse? Tiffany! She has two Generals and Castria out, surely that counts as two Royal Court Members. Maybe she had Tiffany out earlier and performed a delayed curse? That is so like you, Priss!
War emerged from Elinor’s shadow this time his massive claymore raised to intercept her. Butter merely flashed her teeth and brandished her cane, meeting War head-on. The collision sent shockwaves across their shared realm, gold and emerald energies clashing violently.
“Not bad,” Butter grinned, pushing against the immovable warrior, a burst of Life Energy pulsing out and purifying the curse made against her. She could have overpowered his [Immovable] Feat, but where was the fun in that? “These attacks are still too predictable.”
She suddenly released her pressure, allowing War’s own force to carry him higher, and somersaulted over him. In that split second of opening, she aimed directly for Elinor with her cane extended, water forming a gleaming spear at its tip.
As if sugar on her tongue, her twin’s emerald eyes widened slightly—caught by surprise—but Camellia emerged from her shadow as War dispersed into nothingness. The spider woman wove a web that caught Butter’s thrust just inches from her twin’s heart.
“Sneaky, Priss,” Butter laughed, immediately redirecting her momentum to break free of the silk with [Life Aura] activating again to repel the delicate threads that were nothing like the real thing. “So you can dismiss them without returning to your shadow, but that must have its consequences! A cooldown on the one you dismissed? Likely!”
She landed on an invisible platform of compressed air, water swirling protectively around her as she assessed the battlefield. Elinor had summoned her full complement of shadows now: Famine, Death, Castria, and Camellia—each positioned strategically around her in the sky with the Tempest’s support.
“Four at once,” Butter noted with an impressed whistle. “This has to be your normal limit, without taking anything else into consideration, and that’s quite the display of control, Sister…”
“I’ll admit that you are troublesome fat I can’t seem to shake,” Elinor replied evenly, emerald flames flickering around her fingers and making Butter giggle.
For a moment, they hovered there in perfect stalemate, gold and emerald energies pulsing across the divided sky. Then, with unspoken synchronicity, they attacked simultaneously.
The battle intensified, shadows and elements clashing in a spectacular display of raw power. Throughout it all, Butter observed her twin’s strategies, noting how she cycled her shadows, when she replaced one with another, and how she positioned them for maximum effectiveness. She was right that if she forced her to return one outside of her shadow, they were done and couldn’t be brought out again.
She’s definitely limiting herself, Butter concluded after witnessing Elinor dismiss Famine to bring forth Garu, but that also left room for other lower-tier units she had to watch out for.
After Butter easily dispelled Garu’s mist with a gust from her fan, Elinor dismissed him as well, and finally brought War back out, telling her there was a cooldown, possibly related to distance to her sister’s shadow when dismissed. She’d been lucky they’d been somewhat close.
“Getting repetitive, Sister,” Butter called teasingly. “Running out of options already? Maybe you should raise a few more powerful units, or are you near the limit on daily maintenance cost?”
“Hardly,” Elinor replied. “Just conserving resources for your real push.”
“Aww. That means you think I’m a threat! You talk to me so sweet, Big Sis!”
The battle continued, each sister testing the other’s defenses, neither gaining a decisive advantage. Butter maintained a defensive strategy once War came back onto the field, studying Elinor’s patterns while conserving her own energy for the right moment. She was saving their father for the push. She had to be.
That moment came when Elinor briefly opened her status menu again, checking something that momentarily diverted her attention. Butter seized the opportunity, channeling Life Energy into her fan for one concentrated attack.
The fan snapped fully open, golden light blazing along its edge as Butter swept it in a wide arc. A crescent of pure Life Energy shot toward Elinor, too swift for her shadows to intercept—she had to forcefully release one or waste a ton of Death Energy!
Which is it, Sister?
At the last second, Elinor’s eyes flicked up. Her hand rose, and emerald flames erupted from her palm, meeting Butter’s attack midair. The energies clashed, creating a blinding flash that momentarily illuminated the entire palace.
When the light faded, Butter found herself face to face with Elinor, their respective energies still crackling between them. The shadows had drawn back, forming a loose circle around the twins.
“Not bad, Butter,” Elinor softly praised, true joy now showing in her face. “You’ve grown stronger than I expected.”
Butter grinned, despite her heavy breathing. “You haven’t seen half of what I gained yet, Sister, but you’ve grown your Death Pool by quite a bit to counter this… I miscalculated.”
She was forced back with a shove, [Life Tap]’s maxed Grade being used at the same time to convert part of the attack into fuel to defend. Butter twirled her cane, the water within its crystal began to glow, coursing up through the shaft and erupting from the tip to form a gleaming blade of liquid. Then, spikes penetrated her palm, feeding her divine blood into the blade, Pure Life Force pulsing through the water-sword, giving it a golden, sanctified glow.
“I was the one who raised that Feat, Priss, so you should be thanking me for busting my ass, but I don’t think you’re quite ready for this attack. One final test?” Butter suggested, adopting a fighting stance.
Elinor considered her for a moment, a small tilt lifting the corner of her lips. “You did bust your ass for me, Butter, but don’t pretend that it wasn’t to keep yourself from bleeding out. You should thank me for allowing you access to my resources so you didn’t keel over and die, you gaudy queen.”
“Haha! Fair enough, you gothic freak. Thank you for being my sister… Uh, why did that come out like I was about to murder you?”
“Maybe because that’s your intent?” Elinor chortled.
With a gesture, her twin dismissed all her shadows save one—Camellia remained, crouched beside her mistress. “I will tell you that by having all my slots filled by a single unit increases their potency to be near the original shadow. And that is universal no matter how many slots I expand to.”
Butter raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating! I look forward to discussing this more with you because this is actually extremely useful. Dad is going to love it. I didn’t spoil it! Oh, and this shiny blade of golden water has its own story, but I’ll save that for our lovely dinner plans since I think we’re both nearly out of all our imaginary resources.”
“Perhaps we are,” Elinor replied with the ghost of a smile.
Gathering her strength, Butter reached out with her power of Conquest, attempting to use her trump card to seize control of Camellia’s shadow.
“Ready?”
“Show me what you have, Butter.”
Butter charged forward, Life Water aimed directly at Elinor’s heart. Camellia moved to intercept, silk threads shooting forward to entangle her limbs and redirect her. At that exact moment, she struck.
[Will of Conquest: Activated]
[Will Challenged]
As expected, Elinor’s burning eyes dug into hers, creating a mental battleground where their wills clashed. Butter sliced through the threads with her free hand, Life Energy burning them away as she pressed her attack in that smallest moment of inaction from the arachnid.
She could feel Elinor’s concentration splitting between defending against her mental assault and coordinating Camellia’s physical defense. Her own concentration on extracting the Life Water from her own body.
Camellia’s form wavered, her movements growing sluggish as Butter’s will battled for control. The Sword of Life inched closer to Elinor, who remained motionless, controlled vision locked on her with an intensity she’d never seen, as if sweat would drip off her brow.
I’ve got her this time! Just a little…more!
Then, something changed. A new presence entered the battle, not Camellia’s shadow—the shadow consolidated and she felt the reflux through the Nexus. The real Hunter emerged, ruby hair flowing behind her like liquid fire and replacing inky thread with true silk.
The shadow can trade places with the original?! I should have suspected that… Priss always keeps an ace up her sleeve. But this means…I would have won. I forced her to call Camellia to save her!
“You…were hiding this the whole time?”
Threads suddenly enveloped Butter from behind—Camellia had exploited her split focus to circle around. The threads tightened, immobilizing her despite her surge of Life Aura to break free. She only got one, strained laugh and phrase out.
“I think I won, personally…”
Her sword flickered and fell from her hands, converting to needles to act as a bomb, and the threat pulled tight, ripping Butter’s construct body apart milliseconds before the Needles of Life could fully activate.
Butter felt her consciousness snap back to her real body, sitting across from Elinor in their shared inner world. She blinked, readjusting to the stillness after such intense combat.
“That’s one to you, zero to me,” she conceded with a rueful smile, “but I stand by what I said. I would have won if this was simply a one on one. I was so close. Just a fraction too late!”
Elinor clapped her hands together, a rare show of enthusiasm as Camellia materialized behind her, pulled to their location and looking thoroughly confused. “You were excellent, Sister. And yes, you did force me to use my last resort. You are magnificent.”
Butter had to suppress the fire burning up her chest and into her nose. “Yes, well, you were appropriately ruthless,” Butter replied, stretching her arms above her head and leaning left and right. “Is it wrong that I’m already planning how to beat you next time with that little trick included?”
“I’d be disappointed if you weren’t.”
They sat in companionable silence for a moment, both processing what they’d learned from the exchange as Camellia questioned their father as to why she was called to ‘kill’ the High Queen. That had their father jumping out of his armor.
Ignoring them both. Elinor stood and extended a hand to her in the most sisterly way that Butter could have imagined. “Ready to taste real food again? The head cook has already prepared our meal.”
Butter’s eyes lit up at the mention of food. She took Priss’ hand and sprang to her feet to fully embrace her gothic twin. “She’s already making it?! Ahh! You’re the best, Big Sis! I can’t believe…you waited this whole time… That you kept your promise.”
Elinor rolled her eyes and returned the hug before pulling away, but there was genuine warmth in her expression. “What are you talking about? Of course I kept my promise… I’ll always keep my promises to you, Butter.”
“You… I’m going to cry!” Butter admitted with a laugh, rubbing at her teary eyes. “You’re the worst and best sister a fatty butterfly could ask for. I wouldn’t trade this to become a goddess again, besides, I was kind of an ass as a goddess. But food is definitely a close second.”
“There’s something we can agree on… And hey, I’m glad to have you on my side when we face my demon… Irkalla isn’t going to be a joke. And how much help did we get against Ashrit?”
“Oh, let me tell you!”
As they prepared to leave their inner world, Butter glanced back at the palace they’d created together—half shadow, half light, perfectly balanced between them. For the first time in countless lifetimes, they’d found a way to coexist, to channel their inherent conflict into something constructive rather than destructive.
Perhaps this time will be different.
Or perhaps not. But for now, they were united and that was enough—two halves of the same coin, light and shadow, life and death.
Sisters, at last.
----------------
