Angel Monarch

Milliseconds felt like years as all of Sera's essence burned away in one blow.

From her hands, golden flames flowed into the makeshift barrier placed right before the closing Gate.

It barely covered it before the silver fireball arrived and exploded. All three of them turned blind and deaf by the explosion.

The only reason she had an idea about what was happening was because her hands still kept up the barrier.

The two flames met at the edge of two Realms, and a hard battle ensued. Sera used all her power keeping the barrier alive, while the silver flames hadn't lessened and, in fact, increased in power.

She felt the energy concentrate more as the Gate slowly closed in further, but it didn't make her job any easier.

The longer she held, the more her exhaustion increased. She felt small trickles of flame cut through her barrier and lick her skin.

The silver flames felt like they burnt her very soul. She opened her mouth and screamed from the top of her lung, as a pain she never felt before hit her.

Her scream was silent for her and her family's ears. They were all deaf and blind. Even so, somehow, she felt her daughter's and past lover's worries.

The pain continued to consume her mind in endless torment until a cool hand touched her naked shoulder.

Her armor had disappeared with the rest of her essence, and only her will kept the barrier together.

With the hand, she felt an additional source of energy. It didn't quite substitute for her missing essence, but it was enough for her to repair the barrier and ease her pain.

Unknowingly to them, the barrier took on a golden-green hue, and became much stronger than before.

It meant little as Scarred Sera closed in on the Gateway, focusing all her released energy on the human-sized opening.

The silver flames didn't just try to break through Sera's barrier, they also tried to keep the Gateway open. That was much harder to achieve, though.

Vicky's power was especially designed to open and close Realm Gates, while the silver flames were just energy that served as an obstacle before the Gate's edge.

With Vicky's near endless reserves, it didn't make the job that much harder.

Scarred Sera was getting closer to the Gate though, and if she manages to reach it before it closes, that would mean the end to them.

They were running out of time, and had no other tricks left to use. Their bodies slowly regenerated after the initial explosion, and at some point, their hearing returned.

Only two sounds existed in the chamber: the crackling of fire and the screaming of Sera.

She felt her body slowly shut down, as the energy got seeped out of her. The constant pain and suffering was overwhelming, and she got closer to giving up with each passing second.

The only reason she kept going was because of the cool hand on her shoulder, and the closing of the Gate.

Her daughter still needed her, and giving up would've meant her death... She would never allow herself to harm Vicky, even indirectly.

Sera would live her life in eternal torture rather than letting her daughter suffer for even a moment!

Another reason for her perseverance was funnily, because of something Scarred Sera said... 'I would never manage to kill myself... It's a basic human nature... To never give up...'

Somehow, this quote continued to echo inside her head, giving her strength, letting her go even further beyond.

The pain kept increasing as the Gate closed. Right now it was less than a meter in diameter, but at that moment, all the progression came to a halt.

No matter how hard Vicky tried, the Gate wouldn't budge, like some sort of impossible force was in the way.

The silver flames also whiffed out, and with them the golden-green firewall disappeared too. It seemed the only reason it was still standing was because of the constant harassment from the other side.

Without it, Sera's energy transfer was broken, and she could hold on any longer. She fell over like a marionette with its strings cut.

Bea was quick to react and caught her mid fall, but Sera didn't even register it. Her mind barely held onto consciousness, but even then she heard that awful laughter.

With the flames gone, they finally saw why the Gate closing stopped. On the other side stood Scarred Sera, her gauntleted hands glowed and held onto two sides of the Gate.

There wasn't much strain in her arms, which spoke of her remarkable strength. She purposefully didn't wear her helmet to show off the wide grin on her scarred face.

"Oh, you tiny bitch. This was fun!... But, sadly, time is up my other half... Let's reunite and end this bickering between us! Just imagine what we will achieve together!"

Scarred Sera's eyes turned reminiscent, and she began laughing manically as she imagined all her dreams coming to fruition.

Sera just watched her with a blurred vision. Her eyes kept closing, even though she tried her hardest to keep them open. The exhaustion from her essence usage was simply too much.

Bea's cool hand kept supporting her, healing her wounds both inside and outside. It couldn't do anything for her tiredness, but it still let her stay awake for the time being.

On the other side, Scarred Sera's laughter died down, and they watched as her arms trembled with force.

The gap, which was barely a meter in diameter, began to widen. Her progress was slow, since Vicky was still trying to close the gap, but after a few minutes, she would be through.

They couldn't even run, because Vicky would need to place her attention away from the closing of the Gate. It would only take seconds for the mad lady to widen it enough for her to fit through.

This stalemate couldn't go on though, as they needed to find a sure way to close the Gate as fast as possible.

Sera couldn't even think about anything, so finding a solution was out of the question for her. Bea was trying to think, but she was tired too, and fear began to overwhelm her.

The only person who could do anything was an eleven-year-old girl who didn't want her mothers to suffer and die.
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In a desperate attempt, Vicky walked closer to the Gate until she stood between Scarred Sera and her mothers.

The woman with the face of her mother seemed to watch her with cruel curiosity. Veins popped out over her face as she struggled to widen the Gate.

"What is it Victoria? Do you want a hug from mommy?... Don't worry, I will be there in no time!... It would be faster without you actively sabotaging me, but we can work out our differences after I reunite with my other half!"

She giggled as she spoke, but Vicky payed her no heed. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her transformation.

Her body suddenly disappeared, only to reappear in her Spatial Form. Her small body turned black, with a white core glowing in her chest.

Her skin turned smooth, and her blackness seemed infinity, like a whole other universe was hidden right below her skin.

This time, she kept her control. The adrenaline, fear, anger, and love were more than enough for her to stay sane.

Vicky raised one black arm towards the Gate, and in that moment Scarred Sera's progress halted.

It was nearly impossible to see, but Vicky had a small smirk on her face, which really annoyed her mother's imposter.

"You little whore! Don't you want your mother back?... I have all her memories!... I AM HER!... LET ME THROUGH!"

Vicky glanced back at both of her mothers, and she couldn't help herself. A loving smile spread over her face.

"I have two mothers already... Don't need a third!"

With that, Vicky waved her arm in front of the Gate, sending a large amount of essence out.

There was no sign or slow progression. The Gate shut closed in less than a second. Scarred Sera didn't even have time to remove her hands, so ten fingers fell to the still warm ground.

Vicky watched the fingers melt from the heat, but it wasn't enough for her. She opened ten tiny portals, sending each finger at separate points in the Solar System.

Afterward, she took a few deep breaths, then walked to her mothers. Bea was staring at her in pure awe, while Sera seemed to be mostly passed out.

Vicky was about to suggest leaving when a banging noise shook the ground.

All of them had a sudden bad feeling, as more and more banging followed the first.

The noise reverberated in their bodies, but it wasn't really a physical force. It felt like reality itself was groaning in pain, as the tethers of this world were slowly abolished.

In a few seconds, dozens of bangs echoed in the large chamber, or maybe even the entire island.

The three of them trembled from the sound and they all watched the place where the Gate once stood.

There, they noticed something strange, like a crack in the fabric of reality. With each bang, the crack widened, until it finally gave out and a fist-sized hole appeared.

On the other side stood an extremely angry Scarred Sera, whom continued to pummel the break in the world with her fists.

She was about to scream something, but Vicky gave her no time. With one move she opened a portal below the three of them, escaping the impostor's clutches... Hopefully...