F.E VI (Welcome to Elsewhere P.2)

Rakuyō: F.E 6 𓇢

??? VI

Welcome To Elsewhere P.2

Soluna and Nya walk through the endless grass field, rivers reflecting the sapphire sky streaming down the meadow, their footsteps crunching against the grass, as a light breeze blows against their hair blowing it sideways.

Nya looks up at the sky putting her hand on her forehead as the sun shines in her face.

“It feels like we’ve been walking for hours.” Nya says huffing, she turns to Soluna who’s walking with her head down, her eyes are blank, the rosy pink color darkening.

“Oi, are you okay over there? Get a grip, are you trying to get out of here or not?” Nya shouts, waving her hand in front of Soluna.

Soluna remains quiet, continuing to walk as if her body is on autopilot. “Oh come on! Ugh, I should have held back. I know all that information was too much for a mortal to handle.”

Nya stops walking, grabbing Soluna by the shoulders, she looks up at her “Look, it’s not that bad, I heard of your religion before from many mortals I’ve reaped, if it helps, Heaven and Hell are at least real, you know?”

“So not everything is false. You get it?”

Soluna doesn’t make a sound, she doesn’t even look Nya in her eyes. “Um… shit…” Nya mutters. “I might have made it worse.”

She lets go of Soluna’s shoulder, rubbing the side of her head. “Hmm.” She hums to herself, and then her eyes burst wide “OH!” she yells.

“Hey, I’ll tell you my real name if you cheer up! You know, since we’re trapped here I think this is a valid reason to say we’re close enough for it!”

She clears her throat “Ahem, so here I go… My name is Danya. Just that, no last name, nothing!”

“As a kid I was always made fun of for not having a last name, since my caretaker abandoned me, I couldn’t find one.”

“Okay, there!” Danya says pointing at Soluna, “Your turn now! I shared something about me, now you share something about you.”

Soluna moves her head towards her “Danya…” she repeats. “What a nice name.”

She takes a deep breath tilting her head into the sky, watching the clouds swirl around the blue skies.

She exhales, “Something about me… I guess I can tell you about the time I met La Mor- I mean Akuji, was it?”

Danya nods, squinting her eyes “Yeah, that’s his name, I don't know where you got La Morte from. Oh, and hey, you speak the language of Italiana pretty well, are you from that region of the world?”

“Sí.” Soluna answers, stepping forward "I was born and raised in Italia, Venezia at that.”

Her voice drops “I moved to Cadaqués because of my father when I was 9, leaving my mother behind.” She says walking forward.

“Then at 13 I nearly died from a fever, and that’s when I met La Morte.”

“There, that's my story.” Soluna says.

“Huh?! That's it?” Danya cries.

“No, no, no! I shared something personal about me, so you have to share something personal about you!”

Soluna huffs “Fine… when I was 8 I grew up without any friends around, I never knew how to talk to people. So I grew up alone, seen as the weird girl.”

Danya’s eyes widen “Hey, me too! I was shunned and rejected my whole childhood, so I had to get into killing to make a living.”

“Well, I also got into killing a few years back, but my cause is to get rid of scum, and yeah, a bit of bounty hunting here and there.” Soluna says.

“Haha!” Danya laughs “Wait, so we’re kind of alike in ways, we’re both killers!”

“I don’t think that's something to bond over…” Soluna mutters. “Oh, right- haha.” Danya chuckles awkwardly. “I forgot killing isn’t exactly a normal hobby.”

Something in Danya’s gut drops as the wind slows down. “Wha-” her body grows heavy as if something is dragging her down, she looks beside her as red particles start to float down.

“This feels like-” Soluna stutters.

“The Gen-sei!” Danya shouts looking into the air, seeing a woman with a blue bob, wearing a red bra and skirt, with red tribal markings etching around her skin.

“Oh my, it seems like I found the ones Anito brought here. And my gut is telling me she's the host!”

She balls her hands into a fist “Oh yes! I’m so happy I didn’t have to chase!”

Danya stares up at her “She looks just like the green girl! What the hell, are there multiple of them?” Soluna steps back lifting her arm as vines grow out of her pores.

The Gen-sei continues to float in the air giggling, looking down at Soluna and Danya, “Hehe, it would be best if I split them up huh? The other contestants can handle the host.”

Danya flicks her wrist upwards toward The Gen-sei “Perfecto! I get to kill at least one! Before the vomit-looking bitch next!” her palm grows a bright crimson.

The Gen-sei shakes her head “Very enthusiastic! I like it! But-” she snaps her fingers as the particles rush around Soluna, they close around attaching to her skin “Not again!” she screams.

“If you see Anito where you’re about to go, tell her I’m waiting for her, in color Green.” The Gen-sei says. “Qin Jiu sent you!”

The particles weigh Soluna down as she drops to the ground “ERG!” She growls, as she starts to disappear with the orbs.

Danya sucks her teeth, as her palm glows brighter “IMPULSO DI MORTE!” Danya roars as a crimson beam erupts from her palm shooting upwards at Qin Jiu.

Qin Jiu laughs “Scaryy~!” She flies out of the way of the blast, turning back watching it pierce into the blue sky, a green hole gapes in its wake, swirling as green streaks of light seep out.

Qin Jiu's eyes burst wide in shock “Light-based attacks?!” She clenches both of her fists together, “Fun!” she shouts, turning back to face Danya. “You’re perfect for Elsewhere!”

Danya on the ground scoffs “Who do you think you are?” she growls, and in that moment red mist surrounds her forming into the shape of a giant scythe, the mist then turns into black metal gleaming in the sunlight, red energy surrounds it as a red gem sits in the middle of the blade.

She raises her scythe putting it behind her back, as her right hand grips the bottom of the handle, she leans back bending her right knee, lifting her left hand pointing at Qin Jiu.

Qin Jiu smirks, clapping her hands slowly “What a pose! Bravo, bravo! Hey, are you a model?!”

“Oh well! That doesn’t matter, I have to get rid of you anyways!” She snaps her fingers once more, as red particles surround her climbing together into an orb. It floats atop her fingertip as she lifts it.

“Red on red!” She giggles “Let's see who's stronger!” she shouts, flicking her finger down, as the orb fires towards Danya.

Red mist surrounds Danya, as she stares up at the orb. Her cape and hair flowing backwards. I feel weaker, something's not right… my powers are back but it feels like I’m not at full strength.

“Oh well!” she exclaims. “It’ll have to do, this should be more than enough to handle a Gen-sei.”

Her eyes and hair start to glow crimson, the grass below her starts to wither, green orbs rise from the dead grass seeping into Danya’s skin.

She grins bearing her fangs, rushing up towards the red orb, turning into red mist.

—---------------------------------------------------

Moments before Danya and Qin Jiu’s battle in another spot of Elsewhere.

The trees whistle as a green emerald sky stretches endlessly, a giant tree with warping bark swirling around itself piercing the green sky, the sound of thunder clapping echoing across the area.

Red flashes burst illuminating the surrounding plants, and deep brown dirt. “USHAA!” A man's voice cries.

Another thunder clap bursts as a red flash covers the surrounding area.

Santana slides back planting his feet into the dirt, gritting his teeth. “Damn it!” he grunts, balling his fist. Anito floats in front of him huffing, “Y-you- you don’t know how to stop, do you?!”

She sucks her teeth “So this is the strength of one of the Hosts!?”

Santana storms forward, thrusting his fist forward, red lightning crackling from his pores.

Anito floats backward, closing her arms together creating a swarm of green particles around her and Santana. “Yook Bow!” she bellows.

As Santana grows closer the particles swarming him start to flash a bright green, the green light engulfs Santana as he closes his eyes tight “UGH!” He grunts.

“No!” He roars, "You aren’t using the same trick on me twice!” He screams as red lightning bursts from his entire body, his body suit tears apart from the bolts blasting from his body.

The green light is overtaken by the lightning's red shine, “No!” Anito panics.

“TE MATARÉ!” Santana shrieks as his voice cracks, he launches his fist towards Anito.

A clap of thunder roars as Santana’s fist connects with Anito’s face, “Ugh!” she screams as he pushes it deeper, caving her skull.

“USHHAA!” Santana roars as lightning bursts from his fist, he retracts his fist before the force could blow Anito back, he then hooks another one straight at her torso.

“AUGH!” She shrieks, spitting out blood, before she could even process the blow Santana instantly strikes her neck with another punch.

She can’t even let out a proper scream as Santana launches a barrage of punches, each moving as a red blur upon her.

Each strike causes another burst of red light to emit from Santana’s fist like firecrackers, and then he drives his final punch into her cheek.

“EUGH!” Anito screams as blood flies out her mouth and eyes.

'I gave too much of his power back! I didn’t expect a human to be capable of this! Anito's thoughts run as her eyes roll back into her head'.

Santana’s nails dig into his palm as blood bursts out the lines of his knuckles, “EIGHT!” he screams, launching his fist towards Anito’s head.

'I can’t… I can’t die yet! I need this wish!' Anito thinks to herself as Santana’s fist approaches.

At that moment, the ground starts to quake, Santana loses his balance tipping over “Ugh!?” he grunts.

Anito’s pupils return as she falls to the ground, she lays face in the dirt with her legs crossed over each other, “Eeek.” she grunts as blood pours out her mouth, she moves her head up barely, seeing a red beam erupt from the ground.

'Light?!…' She thinks to herself.

Santana stands across from her watching as the beam continues to fire into the sky, piercing another hole through it leaving behind an orange hole of light.

He looks down to where the beam came bursting from, seeing a swirling blue hole splashing blue streaks of energy. “What is that?!” he grunts, stepping back. He flicks his gaze upwards seeing the swirling orange hole against the green sky.

“That beam… it pierced through both the ground and sky, so that means…” he mutters to himself. Anito punches the ground as her body glows green, her wounds start to heal as she starts to float.

“Erg! I need to hurry to the hole!” Santana yells as red lightning surrounds his body. Anito whirls to him, “Where do you think you’re going?!” she bellows, her pulse racing as her tribal markings around her body start to shine green.

“How…” he whispers. “How is she still standing after that!?” Santana panics to himself, he grits his teeth closing his eyes as he starts to tremble.

“My anger is reaching a point where I might lose it…” he mutters to himself. His eyes then burst open. His crimson gaze set on Anito, cold and focused.

Santana thrusts his arm out preparing a burst of lightning towards Anito, “Die!” he shouts trying to push energy out of his palms.

Nothing bursts out as the red lightning around him disappears, his eyes widen as he stares into his palms “Eh?!” He grunts.

“What's going on? Why aren’t my powers working!?”

Anito clenches her fist “Do you think I’m foolish enough to let you keep your Core Essence active?”

She scoffs, “I’m not like Qin Jiu.” She lifts her arm as particles start to surround her. “I don’t fight fair, I’m leaving here with what I came for!”

“Ugh!” Santana grunts, as the green particles around Anito start to rapidly fire at him.

He jumps to the dirt rolling, dodging the blasts; as he rolls he hops over a log, he lays on his stomach as the particles fly past him above.

Shit! I need a way to close the distance. He slams his fist on the ground. 'I can’t lose to this! If I can’t handle someone like this maybe I don’t deserve to be Host anyways!'

His eyes widen as a flash of the image of the blue hole near Anito appears in his head; The hole!

He crawls forwards, peering his head past the edge of the log watching the blue swirl on the ground. Wherever that leads is my only chance of victory here.

I need a- before he could finish his thought the ground bursts upon his face “ARGHH!” He screams as a green blast explodes on contact.

He rolls to his back holding his face as the pain of a searing burn radiates through him.

Anito floating across from the log smirks. “You thought that was a decent cover?”

“Heh! How foolish, did it not cross you that I was shooting on purpose waiting for you to think you had an opening?” Anito says, chuckling.

She raises her arm, flicking her wrist out towards the log Santana’s behind. “Bāāibaai!” she says with glee in her voice.

At that moment vines sprout from the dirt beneath Anito’s feet, Anito starts to turn her head frantically looking at all the vines surrounding her.

“What the-” before she could react they wrap around her neck, arms, and leg.

“AUGH!” She chokes as they squeeze her, the green particles disappear as foam spills from her mouth.

Footsteps appear before her, as her pupils dilate to pinpoints. “Errg!” she growls seeing Soluna standing in front of her with her arms out, bark growing around her arm.

Where did she come from!? Did Qin Jiu send her to me? Damn it, at least give me a warning! Anito panics in her head.

Soluna steps forward as her eyes glow pink. “So you and the blue-haired girl are together huh…” Soluna mutters. “So killing you must be a key to get out of here!”

The vines around Anito's neck wrap tighter, “Aughh…” she continues to choke struggling to breathe, the foam dropping to her feet.

Soluna stomps forward as her shadow looms over Anito, her wooden fist hooks towards Anito’s jaw.

“Morire!” Soluna bellows, lodging her fist into Anito’s cheek.

Blood sprays from Anito’s mouth on contact, mixing with foam, thorns grow from the bark and pierce into her skin, puncturing her face.

The vines unwrap from her neck and body as she’s sent launching back skidding across the ground.

She crashes into a nearby tree, the tree snapping back and striking her against the trunk.

“Uhhhg…” she groans sliding down the bark, she falls to her knees, her back gives out as she falls forward face-first into the dirt.

Soluna flicks her wrist, the bark around her arms bursting apart. “Another one dead.” she mutters to herself.

Santana from behind the log uncovers his face, red searing marks stretch across it, “Damn it all!” he shouts sitting up, he wobbles trying to stand, he turns to Soluna who’s facing Anito laid out on the ground.

“Who?.. Who is that?!” he grunts to himself, Soluna slowly turns around as their gazes meet.

The voice returns in both of their heads the moment their eyes lock. (THE HOSTS HAVE SPOTTED EACH OTHER!)

“Host!?” They both say in unison, their eyes bursting wide. Santana stumbles “So this is the one I have to get rid of for my wish!” he hops over the log.

Soluna steps back holding her hands out “Wait!” She shouts holding out her arms, Santana charges towards her, balling his fist. “USHHHAA!” He roars, lunging at her.

“Tch!” Soluna sucks her teeth hopping back, 'He’s feral, there's no getting to him!'

She puts her hand into a finger gun gesture as it starts to glow pink, her fingernail starts to grow rapidly as it forms into a black seed, she jolts her wrist in the motion of a gun firing, shooting a bullet seed from her fingertip.

The seed launches, “AUGH!” Santana shrieks as it pierces his side, Soluna opens her palm crushing it shut.

The sound of skin ripping then fills the air, vines and roses burst from Santana's right side of his torso.

“OUGH!” He screams, the pain coursing through his body stops as his entire body goes limp. Blood leaks out his mouth and side as he drops to the ground laying on his back.

Soluna huffs looking down at Santana’s body “Addio.” She whispers “I warned you to wait, I wanted to know more about what this ‘Host’ really is.”

She drops to her knees inhaling, she looks up at the orange hole in the sky releasing a deep exhale. “Smokey, where are you?”

“Please be okay…” she musters to herself.

The sound of grunting and coughing hits Soluna's ears from behind, she turns her head around, seeing Anito struggle to stand up, green light shines across her body as her orange eyes lock onto Soluna.

“YOU!” She roars.

Soluna stands to her feet using her sword to support herself, “How?” she says. “How is she still standing after that?!”

Anito’s tribal tattoos begin to gleam a bright green, Soluna covers her eyes with her arm, “PIECE OF SHIT!” Anito roars as green particles surround her and her wounds close “I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!”

“ALL OF YOU WILL BE SLAUGHTERED! BELIEVE ME!” She bellows.

“Tch-” Soluna grunts, uncovering her eyes. “Can she not die or something!?” she asks herself.

Anito turns to the blue hole on the ground. “QIN JIUUU!” she screams flying into the air then diving into it.

Soluna's jaw slacks “What the!?” she stutters as she runs to the hole and looks down at it.

Her body flinches, as part of her wants to jump and follow Anito, yet another part is scared of what might happen to her. I have to risk it. If I don’t kill her now, it's either I die here or die by her!

She takes a deep breath closing her eyes, clenching her jaw, exhaling sharply, she leaps forward jumping into the hole, blue light swallowing her.

On the ground across the hole Santana lays there, his body twitching as blood stains the vines sticking from his body matching the color of the roses. He opens one eye, clawing the ground.

“I-I refuse to die here…” he musters, “Eugh!” he coughs as blood erupts from his mouth.

“I still have more to prove… I won’t let them be right about me!” he grunts trying to sit up. He struggles to keep his head up as the strength leaves his body. His head drops back to the ground slamming against the dirt. “Damn it…” he whispers.

His vision starts to blur as he starts to lose all feeling in his body, his eyelids grow heavy as a cold chill radiates through his body.

“Madre Gloria…” Santana whispers with a weak voice, his eyes shut, falling unconscious from the wound.

One Host already out of the game, unknowingly spared by the other Host meant to end him.

Rakuyō: Frontier Escapade 6 END (X)

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