[color=92278f]"D-daijobu..." Meora insists in reply to Michael's exclamation. "It takes...more than that...to deal with me." She maintains that weak, but determined grin the whole time.
Everyone's help on the matter quickly deteriorates the magic binds, and allows the group a safe landing back onto the floor of the hall. Ammi and Felixter land on their feet, but Meora ends up on her hands and knees. Ammi is so enraged that she hits the ground running, following the others as they chase down Nimika without saying a word.
"Are you going to be alright?" Felixter asks her, while he watches both Srg and Michael chase after the notorious witch.
"Didn't I just say 'daijobu', Felixter-kun?" Meora pulls herself up with a growl. "I could have a bullet wound in my stomach and arm right now, and I'd still get back up and run after that witch. She's pushed me too far now. First and foremost, you don't mess with Sephie-sama, but to go ever further and start threatening Cloudy-chan...she's gonna pay." She loads up her pistol with more bullets as she talks. "I might not have magic like everyone else, but I've got extensive training. If I've stayed alive with you people this long, this witch sure as hell isn't going to take me down just like that!"
"You've always had quite the admirable spirit, despite everything." Felixter smiles a bit at her.
"Tch, well, if I don't stay strong and grin at the challenges...I'll just end up cryin', won't I?" Meora smirks before she takes off after everyone else. Felixter brings up the rear, in case any other enemies of theirs were to show up. The Master's forces, to Sephie's group, were similar to ants. If there's one or two here, more are bound to appear at some point...
Cloudy continues to run off down the halls, searching for one particular hotel room. Nimika is hot on her trail the whole time, continuing to swipe at her with extended magic phantom claws.
"What's the matter, child? You seemed so confident walking in here!" Nimika cackles. As she chases the little angel down, she morphs out of her Sephie imitation, and back into herself, as the disguise seems pointless now.
Cloudy doesn't give an answer, too scared and too concentrated on flying down the hall as fast as possible. She rounds another corner, and stops in front of the very last door on the left. She jumps up, quickly grabbing the knob, turning it, and flinging the door open. She freezes in place with more shock.
"S....Sephie...?" Cloudy whimpers. "...Oh no....it's...gotten worse..."
Sephie is limp in the middle of the room, her arms and legs held in place by tendrils of eerie purplish-black darkness. The entire room is dripping with the stuff, actually, as veins of it branch out, covering the walls, and even the back of the door. What frightens Cloudy more than this horrific scene is where it's all coming from. The evil substance is branching out straight from Sephie's chest.
From her heart.
Sephie opens her eyes slightly, looking at Cloudy. She opens her mouth to speak, but all that comes out are wisps of a black color. She starts to cough, and more of the same substance covering the room drips from her mouth like blood. She closes her eyes again.
Cloudy is too distracted by the gruesome scene to notice the witch now looming over her from behind. Slowly, Nimika walks up to her. Cloudy finally notices, but right as she turns around, Nimika knocks her into the room, and slams the door shut on her. She uses her magic to keep it locked.
"NO! NO, PLEASE!" Cloudy gets back up and desperately tries to open the door. She starts crying with fear. "NIMIKA, PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME IN HERE! I'M SCARED! M-MOMMY! MOMMY, HELP ME, [i]I'M SCARED[/i]!"
Cloudy's ears perk up as she hears Sephie's breathing become harder behind her. She turns to see the girl struggle, and more tendrils of the horrible substance come out of her heart. Cloudy's pupils shrink, and she becomes dead silent. The tendrils shoot towards her.
"[i]AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH![/i]"
The high-pitched, blood-chilling scream of unimaginable pain and fear spreads through the entire hotel. It goes on for at lest a minute, before the screams are stifled. Nimika stands in front of the door with a merciless grin as the screams become sobs, then muffled struggles, and then silence.
Nimika can't help but begin to laugh once more...
"Nimika's weakness..." Natasha murmurs. She twitches slightly while trying to struggle against the magic still, but it appears not to be working. "I....don't know...I never have...they don't tell me...I'm just a lower-level worker. We learn nothing of those on the higher level. She could be my conjoined twin...and I'd still never know a thing. Our employer....the Master, Kebaratsu...he's ruled the Demon Higlands for centuries....he created it...he controls everyone...he controlled Sephie and Felixter's lives until they left...they carry a secret...they must...be...destroyed..." Natasha continues. "Kebaratsu...is a powerful demon...a small appearance, but with frightening abilities...everything that ever happened in the lives of Sephie's family, Sephie, Felixter, me, Nimika, or anyone else....all by his direction...like actors in a play....like...toys..."
"So much drama~!" Amber mutters excitedly, once again sharing a randomly-appearing bucket of popcorn with Clancy.
"When do we get to the parts about who cheated on who?" Clancy murmurs with the same excitement.[/color]