Chapter 16: Ch16: Truth, Possession and Finale
(3rd pov)
Tobio and the others had resumed their pursuit of Lavinia. Having memorized Lavinia's scent, Jin was dashing straight towards her position. As they ran they could see traces of magic and supernatural power amidst the many trees, the ground, the boulders, and the like. The trees had been felled or gouged out, completely changing the appearance of the forest, being either burned to a crisp, or else had been encased in ice. There were places where the ground had been frozen over, and places where it had been gouged out, and there was also smoking vegetation where the fires could not be completely extinguished.
Even from ahead them the clamorous sounds of battle could be heard. It seemed that Lavinia was close. Sprinting, Tobio and the others finally emerged from the forest, and there was a river of bare rocks. Lavinia and Augusta were standing confronting one another by the river. Both of them had several magic circles deployed in front of them and were glaring at the other. Next to each of them respectively, there stood a child of nobility crafted from ice and a giant cultivated from flames. They were their respective sacred gears, their Longinus.
Lavinia manifested countless spears of ice from the numerous magic circles and fired them at Augusta. Augusta also fired enormous flames from her magic circles, which served to offset Lavinia's ice magic. The pair's powerful magics collided with one another, the ice being melted by the flames, the fire being extinguished by the ice, all leading to a powerful wind that blew violently.
Beside them, the flame giant which was carrying a cross swung it with great vigor. From the cross that was swung, purple flames on a fierce scale sprung forth, which rushed towards Lavinia's ice princess. The ice princess crossed its four arms, and multiple layers of ice pillars grew from out of surface of the bare rocks and orientated on the giant. The purple flames and ice pillars collided, creating a grand explosion.
Tobio and the other gulped. Just from the present battle, they understood thatit was a struggle between two people that had exceeded both their imaginations and abilities. The magic of those two belonged to a domain far above their own world. If Jin or Griffon were to rush in, they might be burned by those powerful flames, or if conversely they captured, they would end up being a hiderence to Lavinia. Except for Samuel, who is still standing and holding his staff, none of them could really hope to interfere.
As Samuel raised the staff and fired a dozen lighting bolts at Augusta who quickly blocked them, making them finally notice their presence.
Augusta spoke.
"Oh my, it seems that Satanael has finished with his business huh. Moreover, it looks as though his proteges were defeated." Natsume yelled.
"Lavinia! We've come now, so don't worry!" With her companions' arrival Lavinia finally loosened her cheeks. Seeing that, Augusta sneered.
"Hey Exorcist-san just now, if you intrude into a battle between fellow Longinus, it'll end with you dying in the aftermath of my and the Ice Princess's magic." At this statement Samuel didn't say anything as he just materialised another dozens or so magic circles. Augusta then directed her gaze at Tobio and at Shigune who was holding "Poh-kun".
"Well, it would appear that I shouldn't show that dog or Toutetsu any openings though." And then, Augusta turned her eyes upon Sae next.
"The black lion test subject huh. Seems that she were safe then. Oh? You can't bring it out? That is certainly unexpected. That fallen angel governor-general, could he have possibly done something?" Sae, as part of an experiment by the 'Utsusemi Agency', had been forced to bear an artificial Sacred Gear, an independent avatar type black lion, which went on a rampage but was defeated by Tobio when he went into a berserk Balance Breaker. Lavinia asked of Augusta.
"By black lion test subject, you mean that thing from Oz? Governor-general Azazel is currently in the middle of analyzing it. I would like it if you didn't say thing that will cause Toby and Shaae anxiety." Augusta displayed an obscene smile.
"That's the one, though that was something that we provided to Satanael and the 'Utsusemi Agency'. Glenda's research was incredibly useful huh. See, it's all because Glenda was looking after the ice princess ojou-chan."
"So you forcibly snatched information on my Sacred Gear from Oshishou-sama." Glenda, a former witch of Oz, the teacher and caretaker of Lavianna after she lost her parents at the age of 9. She was the one that recommended her to the magician organisation Grauzauberer, under the leadership of Mephisto Pheles. She later disappeared and cut contact with Lavianna, who when visited her ace, found it burn to ashes. That's the reason for her hatred for the Wizards of Oz. Hearing this statement, Augusta, let out a meaningful laugh.
"Kukukuh..." Smiling an extremely ugly smile, Augusta made a statement.
"That's wrong. That's completely wrong. It was offered to us by Glenda. All about the power of your independent avatar type that is." Lavinia returned a question with a perplexed expression.
"What are you saying?" Augusta, her smile becoming even more detestable, joyfully explained. This was her devastating confession.
"Oh dear. Unexpectedly, you're a child who struggles to comprehend. Well then, allow me to explain it clearly. Glenda is a witch on our side. She has been from the start. Good witch? Bad witch? That is a self-centered scale from information transmitted by people on our side. At the time, it was because there was a terrible factional dispute in the world of Oz between north, south, east, and west. Well, the magicians of 'The Country of Oz', from the beginning, weren't interested in anything beyond the boosting their own magic." For an instant, Lavinia stiffened as though time had come to a stop. A brief silence fell over the area but, Lavinia squeezed out a shaky voice.
"A lie. THAT'S A LIE!!!" In response to her empathic tone, Augusta continued while smiling scornfully.
"It's not a lie. In that case, how about this?" The old witch raised her palm, forming a small magic circle. Augusta addressed what seemed likely to be a communication type magic circle.
"Can you hear me, Glenda?" After a beat, the voice of an aged woman was heard through the magic circle.
'...For you to suddenly contact me, I wonder if something has happened, Augusta.' Hearing that voice, Lavinia's eyes widened. Augusta cheerfully spoke to the person on the other end of the communication type magic circle.
"Right now, I was just fighting your disciple the Ice Princess. How about you let her hear your voice. Hasn't she been desperately searching for you?" In response to Augusta's words, the woman, who appeared to be Lavinia's master, replied as follows.
' There's nothing to discuss.' The tone was one of blunt refusal. Lavinia was left speechless by this response, and her entire body was trembling. Completely enjoying Lavinia's reaction, Augusta let out a laugh.
" Kakakah! How cold! Wasn't there a time when you more or less loved this girl as a daughter? And yet your fine saying something like that! How heartless!"
'......' In response to Augusta's statement, the magic circle that appeared to be in communication with Glenda was silent just for a moment. And then, she addressed her pupil.
' Lavinia." That was for her pupil Lavinia who had been searching after her master's welfare, a reply that could be said to be regretful.
'I'll say it once more. What I have to say to you, is nothing.' Thereupon the communication ended, and the magic circle disappeared. The excessive events left even Tobio and the others at a loss for words. As for Lavinia herself, Dropping her wand, her arms hung languidly, and with her gaze becoming unfocussed, her expression was enveloped by an atypical lack of composure. Even the Ice Princess standing beside her had ceased its offensive posture. Completely trifling with her ability, the truth that her patron, who when she had lost her relatives had showed her kindness and offered her hope, had been one of those conspiring with the enemy she was pursuing, this truth was surely something she couldn't come to grips with.
Somehow opening her shivering lips, Lavinia whispered.
"...N-No way." In a voice that was unimaginable for her normally, from deep within her body, from the bottom of her heart, she screamed.
"I DO NOT BELIEVE IT!!! I don't, I don't believe it...!!" Lavina staggered. Her legs had no doubt become unsteady from the considerable shock.
Her heart and body 's condition had been completely shaken.
However, they was still a battle in progress. Tobio and Natsume rushed in at that moment, their aim being Lavinia's rescue. Augusta let loose a dangerous magic circle from her hand, and a black magic circle with an ominous pattern began to unfold.
"You've lost your senses then. Now!" In an instant, an enormous black magic circle began to develop around the defenseless Lavinia. Bizarre magical power overflowed from it, and began covering Lavinia starting from her toes. Without time to resist, Lavinia was enveloped by deep black magic power. Just as her entire body was dyed black, there was also a change that befell Augusta. The body of the old witch was shining, having turned into an orb of of light. this orb of light flew at great speed towards Lavinia who had turned black, and finally collided with her. The orb of light went inside of Lavinia who had become jet black. At which point, the magic circle vanished, and the jet black magic also died out as Lavinia collapsed to the ground. What remained was——just Lavinia. Watching this series of events, Natsume raised a voice of confusion.
" What just happened!?" A short moment later, Lavinia regained her posture, her face lowered, and let out an ominous laugh.
'Ahahah!' For the usual her, a loud laugh of such a volume was unthinkable. Lavinia turned her face to them. Her pointed gaze was filled with hostility. She then stated the following.
'Too bad. I have taken this miss's body. Now then, how should we do this?' Lavinia expression was so much like Augusta's that Tobio and the others were shocked. The aura drifting from her had also become that of Augusta! The ominous magic from just a moment ago, it was something intended to hijack Lavinia's body. Though they somehow understood the circumstances, it was nevertheless surprising that the Lavinia before them had had her consciousness stolen by the old witch from Oz she'd been at odds with, and Tobio and the others were racking their brains over how to respond.
Lavinia-Augusta, paying no mind to how much confusion and the like they were feeling, was issuing instructions to the Ice Princess that was beside which pointed its hands at them in a posture of attack! Moreover, even the purple flame giant that Augusta had controlled had started to take a offensive posture towards them! Augusta, bringing Longinus of ice and flame that were their respective other selves to their feet, laughed fearlessly.
'Are you able to oppose two kinds of Longinus? Well black dog, Four Fiend young ladies and Exorcist-san?' The Ice Princess produced a mass of ice in its hand, and the purple flame giant raised its cross up high. In this situation, they'd end up sustaining simultaneous attacks from the Longinus of ice and flame. Tobio had raised his guard, but then Natsume grabbed his arm.
"Let's withdraw temporarily." Natsume had just proposed that they abandon Lavinia in this situation. Tobio's expression became severe.
"B-But! To leave in this situation" He had spoken to that point, but then Tobio noticed how Natsume was biting her lip. Even for her, this was a mortifying last minute decision. In any case, at the moment they couldn't think of a way to save the captured Lavinia.
" Shigune is right, you all should retreat and bring help, I will be stalling for time and making sure she does run away. Please bring help from the others and try to think of a solution" said Samuel calmly as he pulled Ascalon, not that anyone present recognise it, and took a battle stance.
" Are you out of mind?!? She possesses 2 Longinus, moreover she is in Lavinia's body, we can't damage her!!" screamed Tobio, which made Samuel look at him and repeat.
" Go now, I can handle this. After all, you aren't the only one with Longinus" with that Samuel materialised numerous big magical circles, which bombarded the area in front of them making both sacred gear and Augusta retreat.
" NOW!! Go quickly!" seeing the determination in Samuel's eyes, they just each took the hands of Sae and Shigune and start running.
" Oya, intending to sacrifice yourself for them? But aren't they considered heretics by your people?" but Samuel didn't answer as he looked at the retreating figures, and neither did Augusta attack as she was curious for what he intends to do. Seeing them gone, Samuel just started laughing before pulling Ascalon back to its place, which made Augusta say.
" Surrendering already? And here I thought you had some trump card or something, although that sword seems very strong" Samuel just continued smiling before raising his staff and hitting the ground with it. Making several hundred magic circles and runic arrays appear which let out a blinding light reaching the whole area around them. Afte the light disappeared, Augusta opened her eyes, and looked quite shocked. Although the area around didn't seem to change, she could feel it, they are in an alternative pocket dimension that is currently layered on the same place it is replicating, and it seems to have been shut tight, as entering and existing is only possible by destroying the space barrier.
Then Samuel turned towards her, as his smile turned into a grin with his shadow expanding and giving birth to 3 giant monsters, 2 very familiar ones, Leviathen, although it seems to be way smaller and weaker, being only Satan class, DABIH-CRYSTALLUS, Ichthyosaur with one crystal horn that resembles that of a goat's which he used to control the Vampires, and a new monster whose body is made of amber with an ox head, whose body is composed of lava. It has a body of more than 10 meters high and carries an even larger battle axe. This is COR TAURI SUCINUM, manipulates both lava and tectonic plates, but it mainly attacks in close quarters. Looking at the frozen Augusta, Samuel just said.
" Let's dance, shall we?"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone