[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/JYRdVZc.png[/img][/center] [center][h1][b][color=fdc68a]Broken - Beloved[/color][/b][/h1] [h3][i][color=f9ad81]Anath Homura & Family[/color][/i][/h3][/center] [hr] [indent][indent][i]Thousands of eyes were upon them…[/i][/indent][/indent] [indent][indent][indent][indent][i]Awaiting what would come...[/i][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent] The Archai encircled them, ever imposing with their slender stature and astral attributes, exuding an enigmatic serenity with their graceful stillness, but it was primarily their unyielding devotion to Anath Homura that concerned Desire and Harmony as the two goddesses assessed what would avail them and what would prove to be a hindrance soon. Their mortal sisters were too weak to stand against their mother, and it would be especially difficult to simultaneously protect the two of them and fight against Anath Homura as well. [b][i]“The Archai adhere to my commands, and I have told them to serve my family. They will not harm me or my children, and they will obey our orders.”[/i][/b] Anath Homura intoned, and she sundered the stifling silence that lingered too long with her authoritative voice. The continual wind that blew outside had become quiet, and none among the Archai spoke aloud to contradict her words. “Is that so? Another reason for us to be furious then… This isn’t what we meant when we said we wanted to help them! This is slavery, not salvation!” Desire shouted, and afterwards she shook her head with unruly agitation. She glanced at her twin sister, and indicated with her heterochromatic gaze towards Pride and Fear, conveying without words her intention. She lacked the strength to speak carefully around the two fragile members of their family at the moment. “Archai! Escort our sisters to Skydancer and guard them. They are to remain on the ark until either mother, or Desire and I, step out of the citadel.” Harmony ordered, echoing a similar level of authorization as her mother, and aside from the white rose that had replaced the second eye of Anath Homura, the daughter was almost identical to the mother. The Archai acted in accordance with her command, and swiftly retrieved both Pride and Fear as the two slowly recovered from their surprised state. Neither were pleased by the situation unfolding. “You can’t force us to go! To stay away like this! You… can’t! We’re not supposed to be fighting! Please don’t! Let me go! Let me go!” Pride shrieked, as she struggled against the much taller Archai, and was easily lifted before it had begun to carry her. Fear trembled with terror and evident sorrow, but did not resist the Archai that had begun to guide her towards the exit. Fear and Pride were led to the doorway, and the twin goddesses within the citadel could hear the last words of their smallest sister as she screamed. “You’re just like her!” “I know…” Harmony murmured, and Desire sighed as she stood beside her sister. The interior became more and more empty as many among the Archai began to depart as well, spreading throughout the other sections of Keltra and awaiting whatever would happen next from a mostly shielded spot. Only the three deities; Anath Homura, Harmony, and Desire, remained within the Citadel, which would soon become the site of their battle. Eager and enraged; Desire had already begun a combination of flexing and stretching her spiritual strength and magical muscles in preparation. “There’ll be no messing with my mind; no mental torture - lest you want my unending wrath.” Desire quipped with grim humor, and a sinister smile. Her expressive malice contrasted with the impassive visage of Harmony, but both were equally exasperated and desperate to defeat their mother. [b][i]“I am becoming weary of these tantrums, and remain uncertain what it is that you expect to achieve. Do you imagine that you can overpower me?”[/i][/b] Anath Homura asked, unfazed and unmoving. “Well, that would be something, wouldn’t it. Hehe.” Desire replied, as she began to step around her mother and approach her from behind. Harmony marched forward to confront Anath Homura directly, enacting the simple yet effective strategy of coming at an opponent from multiple angles. They had lacked the agility to overwhelm their mother in their previous battles, but they had also become divine in the time since then. “You said it would be our choice...” Harmony asserted, exuding an aura of otherworldly power as she summoned her sacred strength. She shifted before reaching her mother; then the contours of her fiery shape blurred as the known world struggled to comprehend her true form, and the threads of the Tapestry were becoming slightly unraveled. The mortal mien she had clad herself with became translucent and its outlines were wildly fluctuating like enticed flames. The skin of Desire seemed to burst as she surged faster than light and a myriad of afterimages were left in her wake. She unleashed a flurry of blows, swift and sharp enough to slice through the space between airborne particles and to strike at the back of Anath Homura directly, as Harmony summoned the weight of the world within herself and pulled back her own fist for a devastating hit. Desire felt herself drawn in by the gravitational forces of her sister, increasing the incomprehensible velocity of her strikes further, yet their mother did not move. Tumultuous thunder and flames roared in all directions, obscuring the scene until three silhouettes became visible. The attacks of Harmony and Desire had collided with and tore through the flesh of Anath Homura: The clenched hand of Harmony had crashed into the skull of her mother, shattering the surface and sinking deep into the broken bloodied chalice that was what remained of the fractured head. The many fists of Desire punctured the back and shoulders of Anath Homura numerous times, leaving behind a collection of sunken bruised craters and bleeding crevices upon her foe from the hips to the neck. The force of their assault staggered and heaved Anath Homura upwards, and they ascended with her without relent. There was a blinding pulse of white light from the wounded deity, and before the twin goddesses could react; Anath Homura had healed her head. There was only an iota of space between the duo and their target, but it became a much greater distance as the world around them was rearranged and extended. The distance did not deter Desire and Harmony as they sped towards their mother once more, watching as the one-eyed gaze of Anath Homura began to burn with an ominous glow. [b][i]“Forgive me…”[/i][/b] Anath Homura murmured, and her heavenly voice was an audibly crystalline sound so easily heard despite the violent explosions echoing throughout the interior of Citadel. Violet flames poured forth from her ruby eye, cascading all around her as she swept her gaze across the vast chamber, consuming the colors as their surroundings became grey and burnt black, and forcing Desire and Harmony to carefully maneuver around the strange and scorching heat in order to approach her. The twin goddesses generated spears of sacred energy in their hands, and then threw these summoned weapons at Anath Homura. The spears did little damage to the swirling inferno, only temporarily splitting the streams to create new paths for Desire and Harmony to navigate the area. The spears were a distraction, dividing the attention of their mother between offense and defense, allowing Harmony to avoid the violet flames and come close enough to hit her opponent. “Not enough…” Harmony uttered, as she lashed out with her legs and struck the scalp of Anath Homura once more. Her foe was not harmed though she received renewed wounds to the head. Her foe did not stagger, and proceeded to hastily grasp her leg with one hand - Harmony attempted to free herself, but she swiftly realized her struggle was in vain as the strength of her mother was overwhelming. Anath Homura held her, and Harmony was paralyzed by the power wielded against her, stiffening her movements until she remained still in her awkward and vulnerable position. Desire dashed towards them, aiming to assist in freeing her sister, but before she could help, Anath Homura employed an ancient technique. Harmony did not think it was appropriate to lose herself in the past during such an intense fight, especially when her suspended body was currently being used as a sword by her manipulative mother, yet she immersed herself in recalling memories that did not quite belong to her. Desire definitely was not impressed by her sudden lackadaisical antics though. “Harmony! Help me! Help me!” Desire yelped, as she repeatedly dodged an onslaught of violet flames and the improvised blade that was the body of her sister. The oppressive force that held her finally relented when she was finally successful as a temporary weapon against Desire, and her body slammed into her sister. It barely hurt both of them, yet it launched Desire far away and caused Harmony to fall limp on the floor for a brief moment as she regained the ability to move her limbs again. There was no opportunity to recover further, as Anath Homura seized Harmony, and held her afore her searing gaze. The cacophonous cackle of violet flames shifted into a shrill scream as the inferno funneled itself into a concentrated lance of luminous destruction - it shot forth from the blazing eye of the Creatrix, and pierced through the chest of Harmony. The deafening blare of the heated beam was accompanied by the agonized screams of Harmony as her innards evaporated, and the flesh around her wound melted into bright orange sludge. The beam drifted upwards traversing along her torso, and continued to slice and incinerate more flesh, marking its passage with a gaping scar until it reached her head and scorched away half her face. The destruction ceased as the luminous lance lapsed and only the pain wailing of Harmony persisted. Anath Homura silenced her daughter with a backhanded strike that blinded the mutilated goddess by rending from her face the one eye that remained after her maiming. It splattered on the floor as Harmony fell and did not rise. Desire trembled with rage upon witnessing the malice of her mother, and surged forward once more. “Let’s end this!!!” Desire called out. Anath Homura retaliated by rushing forward as well, and the two deities clashed like stars crashing into each other, as Desire unleashed a series of crushing blows, and her mother blocked or parried each and every attack. Desire was frenzied, a manic glitter in her multicolored eyes as she let loose her defiant rage - only to be perpetually repelled and gradually weakened. Cracks were quickly forming along her limbs, threatening to break should she continue to strike the stronger force that was Anath Homura. The fight was only prolonged by a lack of more aggression from Anath Homura, and yet Desire did not succumb to despair. She began to utilize more diverse tactics, relying upon ranged attacks and misdirection; she conjured clones of herself and an arsenal of sacred weapons to divide the attention of her opponent. She attempted to conceal her presence behind woven veils of light and manifested materials, in order to ambush her target. It was not enough, and to expend further power would permanently cost her. [b][i]“This is your defeat…”[/i][/b] Anath Homura did not grant her the opportunity to surrender either. The absence of aggression suddenly changed, and the Creatrix delivered a single brutal blow to Desire. Her clenched fist flew forward and came to a halt before Desire, without directly landing upon her - yet hitting her despite this lack of contact. Desire felt her limbs burst, and what remained of her body be sent soaring towards the edges of the room. She crashed into one of the ornate walls, and lost sight of the world around her as her vision became dark, and faded completely into black. The last thing she could see was the bloodstained visage of Anath Homura, still and silent like a desecrated statue - standing in sorrowful solitude. [hider=Summary] Anath Homura and her daughters contend with each other, and their words become blows as Desire and Harmony seek to defeat their mother. Blood is shed in Keltra, and the fight comes to a brutal end. [/hider] [hider=Might] No Might is spent. [/hider]