Chapter 2223 Overcome
Demonstrating she was a fair bit stronger than even the 'upgraded' Nobu, Okita managed to cut a path all the way to the 49th Floor in just a few hours. The only thing standing between her, Tomoe, and the Model Omega was a humanoid automaton known as the Proto Dragonslayer.
Unlike the various Imperial Dragon Models that invaders would encounter along their way to the core, the Proto Dragonslayer was exceptionally small at only 220cm. It possessed an exceptionally lean body covered in pure, ivory white armor. In its right hand was a 340cm long runic weapon that served as a lance, a magical catalyst, and an executioner's blade.
As a weapon that had come about as a 'safeguard' against Imperial Dragons going rogue, the Proto Dragonslayer could be compared to beings near the absolute pinnacle of Tier 4. The core pulsating in its chest was capable of generating a functionally infinite amount of energy, and, despite being a machine, it had been programmed to possess capabilities on par with Artoria in her base state.
Sensing Okita and Tomoe the moment they trespassed the moon-sized 50th Floor, the eyes of the Proto Dragonslayer immediately came to life with a silvery-blue glow. Pressure hissed from each of its previously locked joints as the runes lining its A-Rank Weapon burned with fiery gold.
Without so much as a single moment of hesitation, the Proto Dragonslayer covered the distance between it and Okita in what appeared to be a single step. Its teleportation-like speed was enough to catch Tomoe by surprise, but, as someone once had a personality comparable to an automaton, Okita immediately intercepted with her Zanpakuto, an excessively long katana whose handle, alone, was nearly 100cm in length. As for the blade, even Da Vinci wasn't sure of its exact measurements, as, despite appearing to be around 143cm in length, the space around it was so compressed that its actual length was easier to measure in lightyears than centimeters.
Despite the rather drastic difference in their respective heights, it was the Proto Dragonslayer that was sent skidding backward after crossing blades with Okita. A hair-thin nick had also appeared at the point of contact, so, rather than attempting to defeat her in a contest of speed and strength, it began to generate an infinitely amplifying loop of energy using the crescent-shaped ring near the center of its weapon. It was exceptionally difficult for a machine to emulate a person's mastery over the Laws, so, to compensate for its lack of true comprehension, the Proto Dragonslayer was able to generate blades and beams of energy that could cut through entire planets like a hot knife through butter.
Spinning its weapon with a force comparable to a tempest, hundreds of skyscraper-sized blades of golden, highly penetrative energy beset Okita and Tomoe at near-lightspeed. Okita was able to cut through each and every one of these with a notably casual finesse, but, instead of dissipating once cut, the resplendent energy lingered in the environment like a glistening golden mist.
Sensing that something was amiss, Okita returned her Zanpakuto, Rengoku, to its sheath with such extreme speed that the cameras observing the battle failed to register the movement. Immediately thereafter, everything within the scene appeared to slow to a crawl as the Central Network adjusted the frame rate to be able to capture the fastest object on the screen, Okita.
From the perspective of observers, the Proto Dragonslayer, and even Tomoe, everything around Okita appeared to dim at an ever-increasing rate. Even the golden particles produced by the Proto Dragonslayer's attacks appeared to fade away as Okita, very slowly, grabbed the hilt of her katana.
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For a brief yet unnervingly long moment in time, Okita appeared to solidify in her drawing stance. Then, despite the fact the cameras had been adjusted to a frame rate of ten undecillion frames per second, it was only able to capture a blindingly bright flash of light before Okita appeared behind the now-bifurcated Proto Dragonslayer.
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Though it could survive losing its limbs or being sliced through at the waist, Okita had effectively annihilated the Proto Dragonslayer's core by unleashing an even greater amount of energy than the functionally infinite it was capable of outputting. As a result, the silvery-blue glow promptly faded from its eyes, golden vapor erupting from its joints as it slouched over and spontaneously heated up to a temperature that rivaled the core of a blue star on the verge of collapse, approximately 350 million degrees.
Despite the fact they were wearing a sports swimsuit and a bikini, neither Tomoe nor Okita panicked when the Proto Dragonslayer promptly unleashed a wave of radiation so intense that it would instantaneously kill most biological organisms. The heat it generated was also localized on the molecular level, so, while their surroundings suddenly heated up to nearly 40 degrees, it was offset by the fact the previous temperature had been close to -240.
Wiping away a trace of sweat from her brow, a radiant smile developed across Tomoe's face as she approached Okita and said, "Good job. It's no wonder our Lord entrusted you with this task. I'm not sure Nobu-dono and I would have been able to emerge victoriously at our current level."
Shaking her head, Okita maintained a calm, almost emotionless expression as she stated, "Nobu is a lot stronger than you know. Her physical strength and speed may be lacking but she makes up for it with sheer cunning, determination, and general shamelessness. If she was unable to defeat it on her own, she would have asked Master for help."
Smiling even wider at the mention of Vahn, Tomoe didn't even try to argue with Okita. It might not exactly be fair or honorable, but, if they were to ask for help, Tomoe had no doubt Vahn would step in to lend a hand. While others needed a reason to help others, Vahn was pretty much the opposite of a normal person. Unless he had a very good reason not to help, he would even assist his enemies if it meant improving their quality of life and helping them better themselves. It was just the kind of man, no, the kind of God he was.
Nodding her head in agreement with Okita's previous statement, Tomoe was about to mention that it was her time to shine when a petite, heavily sweating cat girl suddenly emerged from her shadow to grab her ankles. Okita was quick to act, but, due to the attacker's innocent, child-like appearance, she was hesitant to cut off her hands, much less her head.
Fortunately, at least for Tomoe and Okita, the petite cat girl was currently having 'a lot' of trouble maintaining her focus. Her intention was to immediately draw Tomoe into her shadow, but, due to a sudden and intense shudder assaulting her body, she ended up clinging to the former's ankles as if they were the only thing keeping her from sinking into the depths herself.
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Coming to her senses, the muscles in Tomoe's long, pale-white legs flexed as she leaped from her would-be abductor's clutches. The force of her jump was more than enough to break free, and, due to the girl clinging to her, she ended up being 'yanked' out of the shadow. She tried to right herself in mid-air, but, the moment the cat girl reached the apex of her arc, Okita appeared like a phantom before planting the pommel of her Zanpakuto into the girl's stomach.
While most people would exhale and gasp upon receiving such a blow, the petite cat girl actually issued a whimpering mewl as she collapsed over Okita's left arm. This left the tanned beauty more than a little confused, a befuddled expression appearing on her face as she held the limp cat girl by the scruff of clothes and asked, "Are you horny...?"
"Okita-dono...!"
With a faint blush on her face, Tomoe promptly retrieved the panting cat girl from Okita's clutches before helping her to lay on the ground. She knew this was the girl that had tried to assassinate her previously, but, even before her meeting with Vahn, Tomoe had already given up the path of a true warrior. She also had a soft spot for children, so, after a moment of deliberation, she pulled out a blanket to cover the cat girl's torso before retrieving a bucket and a series of hand towels from her Inventory.
Taking advantage of the medical knowledge she had accumulated during her time as a Nun and a Midwife, Tomoe soaked the towels in cold and lukewarm water. The former was placed on the girl's head to help cool her fever while the latter was placed into the slits of her hakama, specifically over her thighs. After that, she pulled out a golden apple and a vial of opaque, rainbow-hued liquid as she explained, "This Elixir should treat any underlying conditions you may have. As for the apple, it will replenish your stamina and satiate your hunger."
Without waiting for the girl's response, Tomoe promptly poured the contents of the vial into her mouth. To her complete and utter shock, an even more violent tremor ran through the girl's body as she curled up into a fetal position and shivered like a kitten that had been abandoned outside in the cold rain.
Just as Tomoe's confusion reached its peak, a contented sigh suddenly escaped the cat girl's mouth as all the tension drained from her body. She immediately lost consciousness as a pitch-black liquid began to condense like beads of sweat on her body. The sight was similar to seeing someone expel the impurities from their body. However, due to the distinct lack of a pungent aroma, Tomoe didn't believe this was the same thing.
Donning a pure white glove, Tomoe spooned up a bit of the pitch-black liquid before watching as it dissolved from her fingertip. It was surprisingly cool to the touch, and, though it wasn't obvious at first, she could detect a very faint yet feminine aroma.
"Is it really just sweat...?"
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Though she was intimately familiar with first aid and patient care, Tomoe couldn't be qualified as an experienced physician. She just trusted that the Elixirs developed by Da Vinci and Vahn were able to cure pretty much anything.
What Tomoe didn't know was that the Elixirs Da Vinci had prepared for use during the Gift Game were catalyzed from Vahn's blood. They didn't have a particularly long shelf life on their own, but, the moment they were used, Vahn would become aware of it. In essence, it was actually Vahn that was curing people rather than the Elixir itself.
At first, Vahn was content with letting the cat girl, Hanzo, reap the consequences of her actions. He had no obligation to help her expel the blood Nobu had forced her to imbibe. Rather, the moment he stepped in to prevent her from being controlled, he had already done the feline assassin a great service.
Since Tomoe had decided to help Hanzo of her own accord, Vahn no longer had a reason to delay her treatment. He immediately purged Nobu's blood from her body, but, due to the energies that had transmitted and settled into her body, the Elixir had actually exacerbated her condition. He was able to mitigate the effects almost immediately, but, for a very brief moment, Hanzo experienced a wave of pleasure comparable to melding.
If not for her inhuman self-control, her back would have arched rather than allowing her to curl up into the fetal position in a last desperate attempt to stifle her moans. As for the black substance expelled from her body? Hanzo's cells basically existed in a state of quantum superposition. She was a real person, but, similar to someone that had mastered the Magia Erebea, her cells were also comprised entirely of Shadow Energy. In other words, she was basically a Logia with the physical properies of a Shadow Human.
Simply put, the substance excreted from Hanzo's body was sweat.
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Of course Da Vinci would have countermeasures for her own creations xD...','Proto Dragonslayer be like, "Infinity...!" while Okita be like, "Infinity...plus one...!"','Tomoe is a good girl (U w U)...')