Stone smirked at the three. "Come at me!" Stone roared. Silvia and Jade both released their auras. "We fight… together! It's the only way we win!" Jade announced. "Yes, tell them that!" Stone laughed.
Sendra charged her golden aura and flew at the beast. Stone spun around. "Stone kick!" she shouted as she warped her entire right leg. Sendra summoned her golden spear. She reflected the kick and swung her long weapon. Stone leaned back, using Sendra's body to push off and head toward Jade and Silvia.
Jade held out her hand, trying to use her energy to push Stone back. "My powers aren't working?!" Jade gasped as Stone landed and slapped her to the side. Silvia also held out her hand, ready to unleash an attack. Stone laughed as she grabbed Silvia's hand and crushed it. "Come on! Try harder—"
Sendra and Jade both landed devastating punches—enough to squish the head of a grown man. Stone's face was wrapped and covered with stone. "As I said… you three are going to suffer so much! I think I'll take my time killing you!" Stone laughed.
(D-damn it! It's like we don't even exist! Her ability… it's too strong!) Sendra thought. She jumped back. "Magma… thrust!!!" Stone threw Jade into Silvia. She turned around fully and lifted her head with her hands out. "Do as you please," she moaned.
Sendra unleashed her attack. It exploded all over Stone's body. When the smoke cleared, Sendra saw that her entire body was surrounded by it. "Screw it!!" Sendra yelled as she began throwing barrages of punches. Stone kept her hands up, looking at the sky. "Magma… Fist!!!" Sendra slapped her hands together and slammed them into Stone's chest. It pushed the beast back slightly. Stone looked at Sendra and smiled. "Hit me how you hit your son when he died."
Sendra's rage rose even more. "Keep him out of your mouth!!!" she yelled, leaning back. "Magma… raging breath blast… nuke level!" she shouted. Stone stopped smiling and raised both her arms. "Stone attack: Stone barrier!" she yelled.
Sendra leaned forward and opened her mouth. "Aahhhhhh!!!!" An orange beam of light shot directly at Stone. Her barrier protected her. Stone held out her hand as a pointed stone object formed in it. "Choke on this!" Stone laughed as she tossed it at Sendra. To her surprise, Sendra vanished. Stone lowered her barrier and listened to the wind. "Behind!" she turned to see Jade and Sendra both lunging with punches. Stone leaned back and used her legs to kick the two women. Silvia ran behind Stone and clapped her hands, but nothing happened.
(What?! Why isn't anything working?! Is there something wrong with me?!)
Stone quickly flipped her body and ran toward Silvia. Jade jumped in front of Silvia, using her barrier. "Stone… punch!!!" Stone laughed as Jade was sent flying back into the woods. Stone then dropkicked Silvia in the face. She unleashed her claws. Sendra ran behind her, spear at her side. Stone laughed as she allowed Sendra to hit her.
"C'mon! Try better for me, beautiful!" Stone taunted. She slashed Sendra's face, leaving claw marks on her left side. "So pretty!" Stone moaned. She leaned back and delivered a devastating kick that shattered all of Sendra's ribs. Sendra vomited blood and fell to her knees.
"Giving up? No, no… stop. You're making me sad. The fight hasn't even gotten serious… and you wanna leave me? C'mon… just think about your pathetic son and how he died from his bitchy mother, okay?" Stone taunted.
Sendra quickly grabbed Stone by the neck. "Ribs… won't stop me from killing you!" she threatened. Stone smiled and slowly removed Sendra's hand. "Good," she chuckled.
Just then, Silvia teleported above Stone and jabbed her sword at her. Stone used her hand to block the blade. "Keep at it! This is so wonderful!" Stone laughed as Jade floated above the trees. She used her powers to lift multiple trees into the air.
"Move out of the way!!" Jade shouted as she hurled the trees at the three. Stone diverted her attention from Silvia, holding out her arms and turning her entire body to stone. "Keep trying!" she laughed.
Silvia quickly picked up Sendra and flew out of the way. The sound of trees breaking and cracking echoed. Stone still stood tall. Jade clapped her hands together, teleporting right in front of the beast. "Expansion!" Jade said, recalling her previous city attack. "CRASHER BALL!!!"
(This is my second expansion attack! One hit can kill the target!) Jade thought as her fists drew closer to the beast, who was caught off guard. Jade landed the blow, causing a nuke-like explosion that shook the entire area. Silvia jumped onto Sendra, shielding her from debris.
Silvia turned her head to look at the two shadows in the smoke. "Jade… are you—"
Horrified, Silvia saw that half of Stone's stone body was destroyed, exposing her left side. Jade managed to punch through her. Stone had managed to punch Jade in the chest. Jade coughed up a lot of blood. She locked eyes with Stone, who was overjoyed.
"I can feel it. I can feel your Akie heart… just bouncing in my hand!" Stone laughed. She tried to use her other arm to push herself away, but Stone grabbed her hand.
"Don't fight it, Jade. I'll make it quick, okay? Let's both remember this moment. First… I'm going to squeeze it." Stone began to squeeze. Jade let out a painful scream that sent shivers down Silvia's spine.
Silvia quickly flew toward them. "Then… I'm going to pull on it slowly for you. You'll start to feel every bit of pain… that pain in your chest will fade as you die," Stone whispered.
"Look me in the eyes as you go… Jade. Don't ruin this for me—"
Suddenly, a green aura surrounded Jade and Stone. Stone looked confused. She was tossed away as Jade was lifted by the aura. Stone quickly covered herself in stone to stop it.
"Who else… is here?" Stone asked.
"Me, you dumbass," a voice said from above. Stone turned to see a woman with bright green glowing eyes floating overhead.
"Oh, I've seen you through memories. You're—"
"The woman who's going to kill you," Summer replied with a serious, cold expression.
Stone smiled. "Good girl. I love you guys… you all are so amazing!" she laughed. She turned to face Summer fully. Summer landed on a large rock.
(And Jade is injured… along with the woman on the right. My mother… my mother is fine. I should have done this sooner… but whatever.)
Summer held out her hand. She reversed everyone's injuries. Silvia felt her heart skip a beat. "S-Summer!" she said softly.
Summer locked eyes with Silvia, a look of disgust on her face.
"Oh, I see now. This is your lovely daughter," Stone began, walking back and forth with her hands behind her back.
"Oh, you poor thing. Mommy didn't give you enough attention as a kid?" Stone chuckled.
"What?" Summer asked.
"Oh, don't act dumb! That's the main reason why you are the way you are. Little Summer is upset because mommy didn't tuck her in at night!" Stone laughed.
"I couldn't care less about your babbling little mouth. I plan on finishing this quickly," Summer replied, stepping back from the large rock.
"I'm not done. You haven't told him… have you?" Stone asked.
Summer's expression changed dramatically. "What are you talking—"
"You haven't told Frost! Summer… how could you? That's very devastating news, my dear," Stone said, with a finger under her chin.
Summer went quiet. She smacked her lips and quickly raised her arm. "Shut up. How the hell— that's none of your business!"
"Oh, but it is. You Akies sure are interesting creatures," Stone began, pointing at Jade. "You and her even have a little history. It's a shame you let one little thing ruin your entire friendship."
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Summer yelled, her aura beginning to flare.
"Silvia, I think I'm going to kill you and your daughter! This is fate! You can't make this stuff up! This is going to be so… so good!" Stone moaned.
Stone slowly walked toward Summer. "Your abilities won't work on me, woman. My stones react to physical trauma to the body… it even negates all effects caused by abilities. So please… make your struggle enough to entertain me, okay?" she said, following up with a quick punch.
Summer dodged, moving her head to the side with a bored look. "Tsk." She smacked her lips and drove her knees into Stone's midsection. "Auggghh!!!"
Summer landed a blow that sent Stone flying backward, using nothing more then raw power.
"That's what I'm talking about, Summer-girl!" Stone laughed as she used a nearby tree, swinging herself on top. She looked up just in time to see a fist hurtling straight toward her.
(She's fast. My little toy… this is gonna be fun!)
Stone fell backward onto a branch, then used it to flip behind Summer. "Stone punch!!" she shouted, her fist surrounded by solid stone. Summer barely managed to dodge, blood trickling down the right side of her face.
"Come on! Keep going, Summer! This is exactly what I want!" Stone taunted, her laughter echoing. She intensified the assault, throwing more powerful punches, each one more deadly than the last. Summer moved backward, desperately dodging each blow, her body pushed to its limits.
Stone blinked hard, and suddenly a set of massive spikes manifested behind Summer. She clapped her hands, swapping places with Stone in a blur of movement. The beast stopped mid-attack, momentarily confused. The two then engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat.
Each strike sent electrifying shockwaves through the air, causing trees to topple and the ground to crack open. Summer ducked under a fierce punch and delivered two powerful jabs, glowing with her green aura, into Stone's midsection.
Stone responded with a backhand, but Summer barely dodged it. Stone snapped her fingers, and the ground beneath Summer trembled violently. A vast pit of stone spikes erupted from the earth, threatening to impale her.
Floating and trying to keep up, Summer looked up just in time to see a long, stone-like pole hurtling toward her. She raised her arms to block it, but spikes suddenly appeared out of thin air behind her, threatening to surround her. Summer pushed against the attack with her other hand, trying to hold her ground.
Suddenly, Stone delivered a crushing blow from above, striking Summer on the head. She crashed down, creating a massive crater.
"Don't stop!" Stone roared, falling toward her with her fist cocked back.
Summer, eyes wide open, held out her hand.
"Those powers won't work, sweetie!" Stone cackled as a stone spear formed in her hand and was hurled at her.
Just then, Silvia swooped in and knocked the spear away, saving her daughter.
"We're nothing but normal humans to her now. You can't go in alone!" Silvia warned.
Summer pushed her mother away fiercely.
"Get the hell off me! Don't you dare touch me again!" she snapped.
"You're being a fool—"
"Don't tell me what I am! Move aside! I can take her on myself!"
"Summer… listen to me," Silvia pleaded. "Our powers are useless. Nothing can really hurt her— it's physical too. Jade was the only one who—"
"Jade?!" Summer interrupted, her voice sharp. "I don't care about any of you. I'm only here… to kill Adisa. I thought it was him, but I was wrong."
Silvia smacked her lips, trying to reason.
"Your heart is full of hatred. You need to understand our situation… why—"
"Shut up. It's funny… Udo was more of a mother and father to me than either of you," Summer spat.
"Yet, you betrayed him," Silvia whispered softly.
Summer turned her head sharply.
"What did you say?!" She clenched her fists, summoning her powers, choking Silvia with her grip.
"You think I turned my back on my old friend?! Why would you say that?"
Silvia strained, trying to weaken her daughter's hold using her ability.
"We… don't have time for this. You need to put me down," she gasped, fighting for air.
"No. I think I need to handle you first!" Summer snapped, raising her other arm.
Suddenly, she felt intense heat on her back.
"Put her down," Sendra's commanding voice echoed.
Summer hesitated, then released her mother, stepping back.
"Stay out of my way. I'll handle her myself," she declared.
Stone emerged into the open area, sighing with a teasing tone.
"Looks like my toys are fighting each other," she said, amused.
"Summer… you have to heal Jade's heart! It's been damaged!" Silvia gasped, still catching her breath.
Summer rolled her eyes.
"That bitch can die for all I care. I'm not healing her," she shot back.
Sendra smacked her lips, frustrated.
"Would you just grow up and heal the damn woman?! You know you can't defeat her alone! Our only shot is to work together!"
"Rather die than work with you," Summer sneered.
"FOR ONCE, WOULD YOU JUST LISTEN?!" Silvia yelled. "I know I have no room to ask or beg for forgiveness, but please… let's work together to take her down. You've seen more of her abilities than any of us. Even for you, it was too much to keep up with. She can materialize or manipulate matter itself."
Summer clenched her fists, glaring at her dying old friend.
"Damn you," she hissed, voice full of hatred. She extended her hand and reversed Jade's injuries. Jade gasped as she slowly got up, giving a thumbs-up.
Summer's focus shifted back to Stone, who was just sitting back, enjoying the chaos.
"What's the plan?" she whispered to her mother.
Jade flew over and landed beside Sendra.
"We have to attack all at once. Even now, she can create something to split us apart or kill us. Her stone that reacts to physical trauma negates the effects of our abilities. And to make it worse, it seems like our punches aren't doing anything either."
Stone stood, beginning to walk toward the four women.
"Let's finish this! I'm enjoying myself a little too much," she moaned, voice dripping with anticipation.
"Are you girls ready?" Stone asked, adopting a fierce fighting stance.
"We have to fight together—no matter the past or goals," Silvia said, drawing her sword and stepping into her stance.
Summer looked back, locking eyes with Jade.
"I want to kill you so badly I can't even stop shaking," she admitted, trembling violently.
Jade saw her hands trembling and raised her aura.
"We can settle our problems after this, Summer," Jade said softly.
Summer whispered, "Screw you, Jade," and raised her aura as well.
The four women unleashed their auras: a brilliant fusion of gold and green, blazing with raw power.
"AUUGHHHH!" they shouted in unison, powering up with unstoppable force.
Stone's laughter echoed through the chaos.
"YES!!!" she roared.
"TOGETHER!!!" Silvia yelled as they charged at her, a united storm of energy ready to strike.
Next chapter: violent battle