A Machine's Purgatory

STEPPING STONES OF CHANGE: FINAL: LIGHT VS DARK (AND FROG)

Gabriel floated in the main, open section of the faux mall. He wasn't one for stealth, seeing as the Father's light is easily visible to all. Gabriel hung there, silent, waiting for the two students to enter. He took a breath as he willed the Father's light to extend outward, guiding his senses in an attempt to find his opponents. He felt the light wrap around the rails lining the balconies, the tiled walls of the mall's hallways, and he could hear the small pitter patter of someone crawling on the ceiling. Forming a throwing axe made of light, Gabriel threw it, arching to land in its desired position: two feet in front of the frog girl. He knew he hit his desired target when he heard the girl let out a small, surprised ribbit. Reaching through the Light, Gabriel spoke to Tsuyu.

"Hiding in the dark like a coward? I hadn't thought a student like you would do so. Come out and face me, and I may go easy on you."

Gabriel had been so focused on the girl that he hadn't realized Tokoyami was booking it to the exit. Gabriel teleported to the exit, intercepting Tokoyami and grabbing his arm, throwing him out towards the open section of the mall.

"I appreciate your boldness; however, you'll need more than a mad dash to finish this."

Gabriel charged towards Tokoyami, who was retreating back into the dark, unlit hallways of the mall. Giving chase, Gabriel taunted the student.

"Hiding in the dark? What hero retreats at the sight of a villain? No matter. I will find you, and when I do, you will find running futi-"

He was quickly interrupted by a mass of shadow slamming into him, followed by the frog girl sticking to his back. Gabriel struggled against the two, fighting to stop them from restraining him. Eventually he released the Father's light in a burst, causing the shadow to screech and run back into the certainty of the dark. With one gone, Gabriel grabbed Tsuyu off his back, slamming her into a wall. Unknown to the both of them, that wall had been a control panel for the area. Slamming Tsuyu into a wall had let out a groaning noise that encompassed the whole mall, and as Gabriel left the hallway (Not before pinning the girl to the wall with shackles of light), he found that the mall had been cast in a dome, casting the mall in shadow.

When the dome had fully closed and the mall was left in darkness, Gabriel stood still. It was eerily quiet, more so than before with the dome silencing the sounds of nature. Taking a tentative few steps, Gabriel navigated his way through the main area of the mall. Every few steps he stopped to listen, silence the only thing gracing his ears. Reaching a wall of the mall, Gabriel extended his light out, filling the area in front of him with it and revealing a tendril of shadow slinking away. Forming an axe of Light, Gabriel threw it out to the arena only for it to illuminate and then be swallowed by a massive beast of shadow encompassing Tokoyami, the two yellow eyes of Dark Shadow staring back at Gabriel. He wasted no second, flying towards the beast and driving a knife of Light into it, missing Tokoyami. However, when Gabriel stabbed Dark Shadow they let out a screech of pain and started writhing, knocking Gabriel back. Gabriel formed another axe of Light only for him to be knocked upwards by Dark Shadow, loosening his grip on the weapon and leaving it uselessly on a balcony above them.

Quickly bouncing back, Gabriel leapt onto the shadow, which seemed to take the vague form of a serpent, and let out another flash of Light. Dark Shadow recoiled and scurried away, dragging Tokoyami with it. Gabriel pressed his advantage, stabbing the beast with another knife of Light and being dragged with it. Upon Dark Shadow's movement stopping, Gabriel climbed it again, running along the beast as he made his way to the head. Dark Shadow had begun growing again, and Gabriel slid and jumped over layered parts of the shadow. Finally reaching the head, Gabriel formed a staff of Light, slamming it into the shadow's head and using it to keep the mouth open once it screeched in pain. Forming a longsword made of Holy Light, Gabriel held it out, ready to run the blade through the beast's head.