Stage 11: Make Way! The Arcanum Gloves Make the Impact!

I should've listened.

Not only did I let myself down, but I let everyone else around me down. They expected a little bit 'more' from this heroine. But, it turns out in the end that I really am the fool of it all.

Why don't I just keep my mouth shut? I thought to myself, still gasping for air. Then Jaymi wouldn't have been so pissed with me and I could've broken this thing to pieces.

This 'kid' of Komui's is trying to kill me. Its robotic excuse for a hand has grabbed my throat with all the force it's got and I swear my vision is turning blue. Then it started lifting me off the ground and raised me high enough to shoot me across the tile floor and through the walls.

This…is the end…I thought to myself, I won't be able to pass the test and everyone will assume that I'm so weak. Who cares if that scepter has dark magic? The world is already full of dark stuff to begin with…

But that's when I saw a red cross struck through the robot's hands and it dropped me to the floor. There was a tiny bit of blood streaming from my mouth due to the impact that I took seconds ago. What just happened?

My vision cleared up a few minutes later, and everyone looked up at the robot in shock.

Yep, they have a right to freak out, there was actually something fighting off that robot. The weirdest thing was…it was the gloves I found from earlier.

The gloves finally turned around at my direction and flew down towards me. They stopped just as they drawn closer to me. However, the gloves were still a few inches above the ground. As for me, I was totally blanked out.

Wear us accommodator of the Arcanum Gloves… the gloves spoke to me. With a spooky kind of voice that lingered in the air. You needed help, and you wakened us from our sleep. Let us give you the power to stop these pitiful demons.

This day couldn't get any weirder. First off, Komui was all giddy about how cute I looked with my exorcist uniform, and then I found some section of the castle that nobody else even dared to check out, and then I go into a battle that I'm losing at currently…and now a pair of gloves talks to me?

I know that I'm not going to sleep well tonight.

Do I need to say it? I already put them on, so let's put on the show already!!

The robot lunges its way at my direction, with now sending three claws right at me. As for me, I looked down at the cracked pieces of tile that's left and started to concentrate. But, I suddenly stopped. How the heck do I use these things?? I don't know how to work them!!

The robot drew closer, and I started to panic harder. And I couldn't even stand up. My legs have gone numb, and I can't do a thing to stop it. Even if the gloves were my personal aid. Any minute now that blasted thing is going to strike…

I felt something trickle down both cheeks. No way, they were tears. How could I be crying already?? Am I really that useless? My life was just used like a toy? That can't be true!!

I just want this charade to end. I don't know what came over me, but suddenly, I screamed out the word, "STOP!!" and the whole place filled up with bright red light. The light was glistening from the cross' on the gloves, and then things went completely still for a second.

Great…what's happening now?

I slowly got up; my knees were still shaking and soaked with blood. It felt like I replaced my bones with rubber, and it was really painful.

I picked the wrong day to wear shorts… I thought to myself, gasping for air. You could still feel the cold metal rest upon your skin, and it's really not that fun, let me tell you. I tried to open my eyes, they seem to be a bit dazed, but at least I could still see.

Then, right before my eyes, everything froze right behind me. Everything. I couldn't believe it; it feels like I stepped inside one of those nineteenth-century 3-D models. But, that was all my doing.

This can't be right… I thought to myself, but not out loud. No way, there's no chance that I could've done this. Look at me, I sound like a babbling five-year-old. Crying and asking way too many questions to myself.

But, I had this feeling like I needed to do something. Still having my gloves on, I walked up, slowly, towards Komui's robot and tried to see if it was still awake.

I poked it. Yes, I actually poked it.

The robot with down with a loud crash, as a huge echo filled up the room. As for me, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

Thank God… I sighed once again, now smiling. Now that that's over with, what do I do now to unfreeze everyone?

Just before I had some time to even think about it, I heard the sound of gears pumping iron right behind me. I completely froze still.

Crap!! I thought for a split second, I don't think this is over yet…why me?

I shrieked a little bit, since a claw struck from right behind me. But, it completely missed me and broke a piece of the wall clean off. Some robot he made. I thought robots were made to shoot direct targets, maybe even a closer range, but not way off. No, I take that back. If this robot was made by Komui, then it must have a part of his brain inside. Makes sense, Komui did call it 'his child'.

The crosses that were sewn onto the gloves suddenly had a red-ringed aura emanating from them. Suddenly, I felt something very good coming deep inside my body.

As for his robot, it still continued to rampage around the room, looking for me. Wow…really?

I suddenly started to sprint my way up towards the robot, hoping it doesn't turn in my direction. Hoping for some miracle, I took a leap, grabbed one of its crab-like legs and used it as a gymnast's pole, to pull myself upward. I should try to join a gym sometime and try that again. The view was hysterical from up here.

Anyways, I took a couple of swipes at the beast (this kept going on for ten minutes…maybe even more) and I leaped off of it the same time when I gave it my final blow. It fell once again, face forward, sliding across the tile floor.

"How do you like me now??" I said with a huge smile coming across my face. Really, I never felt this much excited in a long time.

Then, I turned to these gloves, boy, were they something. A few seconds ago, when I gave my first shot, you should've seen the look on my face. These aren't your typical everyday working gloves. They're much more than that. These things can cut steel and I really wasn't kidding. The back of the robot's head had a huge scratch all the way across.

I still remained where I am, because I feel that it's still not over yet. Just as I thought, even if this thing is in very bad shape, it still wants to take a shot at me.

But then, something didn't feel right. No, it wasn't me. It feels like a whole new energy springing up in all around me. And then I realized…

The robot came at me, and then, to my own eyes, it ran at top speed towards me. Letting my guard down, it hit me and it sent me flying and I crashed through the walls. I sat up, feeling a bit uneasy as if I was going to throw up. But I ended up coughing out a bit of blood.

I wiped the blood off my bottom lip, but some more blood came trickling down my mouth. It's disgusting, it tastes like rust…

Then my eyes widened straight-away, as I began to look up towards the robot. Oh boy…this thing means a lot of business. I was scared stiff, I didn't know what to do next. I practically used up all my power, and I feel really stupid for doing that. That's what you get for having much fun…

It kept firing at me, with its mechanical arms, punching me left and right, and I didn't have the necessary strength to back up my defense. It suddenly became very difficult to see, and my eyes slowly closed shut. And I slowly fell unconscious.

You always need me to fend off your battles for you. Jaymi's voice echoed.

--

But then, everything went quite still for a moment. The robot itself stopped throwing its punches at me, and decided to take a breather.

Since Anari can't do a thing about it right now, I might as well finish the battle for her…again.

That robot is still sitting there, looking completely dull. I mean, I've been through a lot of battles and a lot of heart, but this thing? This is just saddest thing up to date.

But no, I couldn't let this thing keep up with its ongoing rampage can I? No. In my book, I don't expect to give mercy to anyone, not even low-level robots.

I slowly got up to my feet, not bothering to whimper over the pain like Anari does. And then I suddenly walked up towards this piece of junk, hoping to get its attention.

Right away, it felt my presence and the camera lens locked onto to me. You don't need to ask, because I can tell. Despite all that I've seen so far, Anari did a pretty damn good job beating up this thing. She finally left the easy part for me.

"Hey," I started to say out loud, "do you think it's funny hurting innocent girls like me?"

The robot got up to its…feet. And opened up its claws, in a dramatic sort of way, kind of like what knives do to onions before you chop them up, that sort of thing.

"You know, I've been in a lot of fights with jerks before, but I doubt that you'd even reach that level." I started to say, lifting up both hands, both crosses started to emanate energy again. The pose I'm making feels like I'm going to start massaging someone or whatever. "Seriously, if you want to be a jerk, you'd better work on it. 'Cause it's among the saddest I've ever seen-- wait, let me take that back. You won't be able to because I will be the one to put you out of your misery."

Of course, just like with Anari, the robot came at me, at full speed. I don't need to hesitate, 'cause I already have selected my next move.

All I could say was, "Try me."

But, then the strangest thing happened.

To my own eyes, for the first time in a long time, I don't know what's going on with my body (did I say my body? I mean 'host body'.) but, I feel as if something ripped through my back.

And then, I knew. A pair of black wings appeared in front of my eyes. I felt scared, because I can control my wolf instincts, but I could not control these pair of wings. What power did I just summon up? Anari better know what kind of powers are these when she wakes up. There will be some serious talking when she gets up, I swear.

The robot stopped in its tracks, when it saw my wings. I was still holding the same pose, and the wings aren't moving. That was pretty gay, I have to admit. C'mon, what kind of pair of wings doesn't flap? Seriously…

To my eyes, the wings were growing. Actually growing.

Holy crap…those are some BIG wings. I thought, but not out loud. Now, that's what I call to-carry-a lot-on-your-shoulders.

Just as the wings were in full size, I realized then and there that they're not going to grow any longer than this. I felt uneasy about this, and flapped my wings to get that weird, shaky feeling off my shoulders.

And then it happened.

Huge gusts filled the room, and the gusts were so huge, you could even see them. They were acting like razors, ripping through walls and leaving giant holes behind them. Damn, I would not sleep at night with those wings on my back.

But…where was Komui's sad excuse for a contraption run off to?

I swiftly turned my head at an angle, hearing soft, sounds of turning gears coming at me from that angle. Just as I thought, Komui's robot was making its way back up the tower. It didn't look like it had the guts to fight anymore, it had serious scratch marks, third-degree burns, and there was smoke pouring out of its head. You could hear the sounds pop even harder just as it drew closer.

And yet, it still wants to fight me.

I had no other choice anyway; I had to fight no matter what becomes of me. I just want, for the love of GOD, to break this thing.

To my own eyes, it was a few feet from where I stood, and then, it fell down with a crash. I waited for a few minutes and it still didn't get up.

A smile grew on my face, I closed my eyes and I finally gave out a sigh of relief. Thank you God, for helping me.

--

I suddenly reopened my eyes to see something completely unexpected. Really, I mean it, my eyes pretty much grew bigger, but, you already knew that, and I know it's annoying.

The weird part was…I was lying on the floor, with dust in my hair, and so much broken tiles and wallpaper made it seem very uncomfortable to get any back support.

What was Jaymi doing while I was out cold? I thought, This place is a mess, it feels like an explosion broke out here.

"MY BABY!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BABY????"

My heart pounded much faster, because that scared me. I have no need to turn around because Komui already rushed inside. His robot, all beat and broken on the floor, smoke continued to pour out of it. Komui broke into tears and held onto his broken contraption tightly.

Then all the other scientists and exorcists poured into the room, wondering what on earth just happened. They also asked me questions saying if I was okay or not. It seemed like it went on for hours…

As for me, there was much more going on in my mind, and only one person may have all the answers…I'm thinking Jaymi.