Chapter 8 – Wrath (2)

There seems to be some discussion about Envy not being restricted, just to clarify the ribbon was indeed on Envy. That's why Envy could not gather more than a sliver of mana. I've added a few lines to previous chapters to make it clearer.

As for why the Envy could still cast an earth cannon under the ribbon. That's a mystery for when Yui awakes.

Fenrir was a mascot puppy dog turned into a demon by the big mistress and her oldest demon, a fact he held with pride. He laid on his doggy bed given to him by the little mistress. The magical glow of the great tree tickled his back, the smell of flowers swirled around, and the slow cascade of the gently flowing nearby stream lulled him to sleep. Yes, this was his favourite resting spot. Doubly so when the big mistress and little mistress decide to enjoy tea here.

Unfortunately, the mistresses were hosting several guests, Magical Girls in fact, and he did not like them, they felt too... fake? Like looking into a disturbed pond, the ripples distorting their image. He could not see their true form and he did not like it one bit. But, they were the mistresses' guests and the big mistress enjoyed playing with them, so he would endure.

The tranquility broke when the clever cat started its usual complaining session, the only mar on the perfect scene. It sat next to him, high above on the table, eating its favourite orange fruit. It would launch into these sessions sometimes, mostly about other cats. He had considered changing what he called it to noisy cat but did not because he felt it just wanted someone to grumble to. This time it was about the big mistress, he caught some words like horny dog, loud, and can't sleep. This surprised him. He did not know a dog could have a horn, maybe for his next evolution, he would try to get one.

Rolling around on his cushion, he landed on his back. The blissful glow of the great tree warmed his tummy. His puppy mascot legs twitched and his tongue lolled out from the satisfaction. The other demons did not understand this, they would busy themselves with other activities. Or maybe it was because they lacked the artefact to convert mana into strength and could not stand the eminating mana, then again, the tree lady does not come here often.

A sudden teleport interrupted his musing as the clever cat disappeared, it even left its food half-eaten. Just when he wondered why, a wave of destructive mana washed over him. It came from where the mistresses were hosting their guests.

DANGER! His demon instincts scream out to him. He had to flee. His instincts locked up his legs making him unable to stand. No, he will not run, he will fight!

Shaking off his fear, he stood up, and with a flash, he transformed into his combat mode. His small puppy form changed befit the name his mistress bestowed upon him. Fenrir grew to the size of a house, his fangs and claws sharpened, a black-violet wolf took his place as he let out a thunderous howl.

AAaaaoooo

With a single leap, he easily cleared the stream that surrounded the great tree. He rushed towards the crimson dome that had appeared and was releasing that terrifying flood of mana. The mana felt familiar, similar to what the little mistress used, but not this pure, not this dreadful. He hoped the little mistress was safe, she would play with his small form when the big mistress was not around.

Not that he did not care for his big mistress too, to him, it was simply wrong to worry about the one he respected. She could have enslaved them when she created them and bound them to her will. But she did not, instead, she gave them weapons, siblings, and most importantly their independence.

He respected the big mistress very much. It became obvious when he reached the edge of the dome and saw the other demons trying to enter, that they did so too. They clearly felt the danger posed by this unknown thing, yet here they were attacking it to get to the mistresses, not compelled by any magic or contract.

When Fenrir spotted the other demons blocked by the dome. He sped up and surrounded himself with violet light. They could not enter but he would, he was the strongest. With a single charge and unflinching belief, he pierced through the scarlet shell, the dome reformed behind him.

Once inside he bore witness to pandemonium.

High above, the source of the frightening mana hovered like an ominous star, unmoving yet still fueling fear in him. To his demon mana sight, it was as if he was watching the birth of the sun, a ball of writhing mana condensing into a small form. He could not even begin to comprehend what it was, no, his mind refused to comprehend what was happening. He tried to give a name to the terror in hope of easing it, but the moment the thought came to him, he knew there could only be one.

WRATH

The sound of explosions, thankfully, drew his attention. If not, he feared he would be forever bound to WRATH. Fire and ice scorched many fields of flowers while the others froze over. The Magical Girl guests fought with absolute ferocity. Swords and magic clashed with no regard for technique, only to smash their opponent.

In the distance, he spotted the tree lady trying to escape the fight with a stretcher in tow. The clever cat and another laid atop it, with the clever cat projecting a barrier around them and the tree lady.

But where were the mistresses?

-

Vili felt a ripple across the WRATH domain from Fenrir's break-in, like a pebble dropping into a pond, the domain reformed itself behind Fenrir.

"Doggo," She sent a message. "Hurry into my barrier." She knew an Incarnate affects all who linger in its presence, without her barrier, Fenrir would become like those Magical Girls, consumed by WRATH, and if left long enough, a thrall to WRATH. Even with her protection, she would not last long, her mana was rapidly draining.

Vili had instructed Dryad to create a stretcher for Yui and escape. However, Dryad's skills were skewed towards defense, capture, and nature manipulation. Breaking out of the domain was unlikely, but now with Fenrir, they stood a good chance.

And once they were safe, she could concentrate on healing Yui. She hoped Yui could soothe Miyu out of her wrath, assuming Miyu still existed in there. Thralls could be saved, that she knew, but Incarnates... she had to hope.

Fenrir came to a stop next to them. "Doggo, open a path out fo—"

AAAAAAAOOOOOO

A mournful howl interrupted her. Fenrir gazed upon his injured mistress. His eye turned bloodshot and he let out a low rumbling growl that shook the surroundings as his black-violet coat gained several crimson streaks.

Fenrir let out a second howl, this time filled with bloodlust that matched the current domain. His head swung to the battle occurring in the sky, opening his wide jaws to release a beam at the clashing Magical Girls. The unexpected beam slammed into them, but their barriers absorbed the attack. Noticing his strike was blocked, Fenrir instead stampeded towards them to join the fight.

"Fluffles! Not again!" Vili cursed as she watched Fenrir be devoured by wrath. At least he did not target her and Dryad. But watching a key component of her plan leave left her annoyed. "You owe me a year's worth of tangerine after this, you hear, one year supply." The uneven ground made it seem like the unconscious Yui was nodding, good enough for Vili.

Fenrir added more chaos to the already chaotic conflict. Several stray icicle arrows flew in Vili's direction. Dryad whipped her plum-leaf shield out, deflecting the shots, letting Vili concentrate on Yui and warding off the WRATH encroachment. Even as Dryad parried a fireball, Vili, who kept a note on the Incarnate, grew increasingly concerned about its inactivity.

Cracks were beginning to form around it. It seems the sheer immensity of mana began to break the wall of this pocket dimension. And if it did break getting shredded by the dimensional void was the second-best option. For there lurk unknowable horrors in the gap between planes. She had felt one before, when the Etativi crossed over to Earth, just its attention sweeping across them caused two of her brethren, beings that wield sin and depravity like toys, to collapse into madness.1We 40k now bois Yes, she was very concerned.

Redoubling her efforts, the healing formation almost encased the entirety of Yui. Five minutes, she needed just five more minutes to fully mend Yui. With luck, the Incarnation remains unmoving and this whole incident washes over. The End. Finale. Roll Credits.

Of course, things were never so easy. Vili has clearly not watched enough current movies to know the slew of after-credit scenes that plague the industry, all to set up even worse sequels.2Oh we're going there

Envy, the cause of everything, regained a fraction of her strength. The unenchanted bindings were easily destroyed. Her witch outfit reformed and bloodlust radiated from her eyes as she searched for the one who orchestrated her humiliation. A swift sweep of her surroundings landed her focus on the stretcher in the distance.

"FLUFFLES!! Make it two years' supply!" Vili noticed the rabid dog, foam dripping out of its mouth, charging toward them.

With her crossbow, Dryad tried to force Envy back, but WRATH had overtaken her. Despite Envy being significantly weaker, Dyrad was handicapped, she could not leave Vili's barrier and had to protect the stretcher. The encroachment had already influenced Envy more than everyone else. She fought with no regard for defense, unleashing her rage onto her target until it or her was destroyed.

Vili felt the shockwaves of earth cannons pounding Dryad's shield. With her magic perception, Vili watched one arrow from Dryad's crossbow pierce Envy's shoulder and a second followed soon after hitting the thigh. Envy counterattacked, she slammed her staff onto the ground, fissuring the earth. Vili held on tight as Dryad sprouted branches to push the entire stretcher out of the way.

"AAARRRR!!! LUST!!! I'LL KILL YOU!" Envy yelled when her attack missed. A third follow-up attack was blocked by Vili's barrier. "DIE YOU DUMB CAT!"

"Fluffles! You second-rate Witch, wait until I'm done here, I'll teach you a lesso—"

As if it was waiting to hear Envy, WRATH moved.

S̢̼̼͖̺͖ͪU̝̝̝̲̦ͣ͋͛̊F̼̼͓̙ͤ̋̅̚͞͞F̼̼͓̙ͤ̋̅̚͞͞E̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜

The psychic scream sundered the minds of all who were present. Almost causing Vili to release her concentration on the healing formation, but she persevered, retaining her mental capacity, unlike everyone. Feeu and Eisst dropped out of the sky while Fenrir and even Dryad, who was in her barrier, crumpled.

Vili beheld the crimson light crash in front of Envy obliterating everything in its wake. The psychic scream did not knock Envy unconscious.  No, the scream simply yanked Envy out of her rage, the wrath of her humiliation squashed by the sheer immeasurableness of WRATH's wrath, leaving only terror and panic.

Envy watched in slow motion, as it reached up with an open hand as if to purposefully show Envy her finality. She stood there petrified, and when its hand reach head height, WRATH plainly backhanded her.

To Vili, it was like Envy had disappeared, only the distant ripples against the crimson dome clued Vili on where Envy went. WRATH, too, vanished. She heard a blast in the direction of where Envy was, followed by another, and another, and another. The entire pocket dimension shook with each blow.

A single strike should have killed Envy, but WRATH would not bestow the release of its eternal wrath so easily. It injected its mana into her to keep her from expiring. Envy felt every bone in her body break and reform in its broken position before they were shattered again. Pain could not even begin to describe her torment. The wrath mana ravaged her veins like a raging inferno, insatiable and unrelenting. No amount of begging when she had her vocal cords or desperate groans when without, brought any relief.

"Fuffles! Fuffles! Fuffles!" Vili could see dimensional cracks forming in the air with the strikes of WRATH, each far-off boom signalled the impending collapse. She could only hope it does not break.

For what seemed to her like an eternity, the formation finally unraveled to reveal a mended Yui.

-

"... ake up!" Someone shouting awoke Yui from her peaceful slumber. Just as her eyes fluttered open, she felt a stinging pain across her cheek.

"Hey!" Yui sat up in protest, sending Vili tumbling off her. She rubbed her temples to clear away her foggy memories, "... I remembe—"

"No time for a flashback! Go tame your girl!" Vili snapped at her. Looking around, she noticed the crimson sky and constant explosions. Yui recognised the excessive wrath mana that pervaded the area. Stepping off the stretcher she immediately knew what to do. She reformed her Witch clothes and with a mana-supported voice called out.

"Mi-chan, it's time to come back!"

Her call rippled across the area. And instantly, the red sky shattered, returning to amethyst as a warm body embraced her and burrowed its face into her breast.

"I'm back, Onee-chan."

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