The monster stepped towards her and Oneesan
ripped out the drips before turning and running down the corridor. The minotaur
followed, picking up speed as it ran after her. Luckily for Oneesan it did not
corner as well as she did, even injured as she was, allowing her to gain ground
as it crashed into the walls and pillars at every junction.
“Damn it.” Oneesan snarled as she had to duck
behind a different nurse’s station to catch her breath, her side aching from
both the bruising Imoto-chan had gained earlier and the exertion as she took
great, heaving breaths. “Can’t... Keep...Running...”
It was a good job she had decided that because
the monster had decided that it had had enough of going around things and was
just going to go through them. It ripped the nurse’s station in two with its
huge axe, leaving Oneesan with little to no time to get to her feet and escape.
Left with no choice but to try and fight for
her life against a gigantic foe, the Pharaoh blasted it with magic. It
staggered backwards, bellowing in pain, but before Oneesan could move, there
were shouts from down the corridor and she had to duck behind the remains of
the station as the security arrived and put several rounds in the creature.
They seemed to go through the monster, causing
enraged cussing to erupt from the men, even as it turned its focus on them. Its
prey was cornered after all, it had time for sport.
Oneesan shut the link between herself and her
little sister as the monster charged down the corridor and struck at the men.
Imoto-chan did not need to hear or see what was happening and she could not
bring herself to inflict it on the lighter half of her soul.
She launched herself out of hiding and drew on
the power of the item around her neck, feeling an odd disconnect as the dark
and dangerous powers of the Puzzle tried to draw strength from a mind that was
not entirely coherent. Without a single command the magic seemed to know what
she wanted and the Dark Magician appeared at her side, real enough for the men
to see him and realise who she was.
“Move!” Oneesan ordered as her most trusted
monster built up for an attack.
The men were not foolish. Those who knew the
game, knew that the Dark Magician packed a punch. While those who did not saw a
man building up a ball of energy and did not want to see what would happen if
they were hit by it. The moment they were out of the way the magician struck,
its attack striking the beast directly.
The creature exploded into fragments, or rather
an image of it did, leaving behind a man in a robe not unlike the ones she had
dealt with earlier.
Before she could get any answers from the barely
conscious mook, who was being taken into custody, a sharp, agonising pain
struck as something stabbed her from behind and her whole world tumbled into
darkness.
When she awoke again, it was after the weirdest
dream she had ever had, one which involved time travellers, two other ‘Queens
of Games’ and a man named Paradox. It was also to find both Jou and her
grandfather were at her bedside, waiting for her to wake up.
“Yuge!” Jou looked relieved, barely restraining
himself from hugging her, “Thank Kami.”
“What happened?” Oneesan asked, nudging
Imoto-chan and wondering who had put the Puzzle back on them.
“According to security someone stabbed you
while you were distracted by the huge monster.” Jou stated matter of factly. “One
of the ‘ShadowSword’ lot.”
“That explains a lot.” The spirit of the Puzzle
winced as she tried to sit up, the action pulling on her wounds. Sugoroku
pushed her back onto the bed, a gentle but worried smile on his face as he
ruffled her hair, obviously worried about her, but being careful not to aggravate
her injuries.
“I do wish you had warned me you were getting
mixed up with that lot.” The elderly man sighed, “I’ve run afoul of them
before.”
“You have?” Oneesan and Jou both blinked at
him, confusion obvious.
“Is there anyone you haven’t run up against?”
Jou asked the man who treated him like a grandson.
“When you get to my age you find you’ve made a
great deal of friends but even more enemies.” Sugoroku replied. “Now, both of
you settle down and listen. I suppose I had better explain what I know...”
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