Bare This Curse

Finale: Darkness

I widened my eyes as I felt a sharp pain in my back. I looked down at my chest, seeing... a bug like stinger. I turned around, but was sent to the Earth before I was able to see my aggressor. I stood up shakily, blood dripping from my stomach. Behind me, I heard a familiar cackle, one I heard at my fight with Kokabeil.

"No..."

"Kahhahahaka!"

I looked up, seeing Kruonis floating there with rotted skin, tentacles spewing from her palms, and a larger, but like jaw. She laughed maniacally as everyone gathered around me.

"̷I̶ ̴l̶a̵u̶g̴h̷ ̸a̵t̷ ̴y̷o̸u̵,̴ ̷p̶a̴t̸h̸e̵t̸i̷c̸ ̴N̶e̶p̸h̵i̷l̸i̴m̸!̸ ̴Y̶o̸u̵ ̷o̴f̴f̶e̶r̴e̶d̷ ̸m̸e̶ ̵s̷o̶ ̵m̸u̵c̷h̷ ̵p̴o̵w̴e̵r̷ ̶w̶i̶t̴h̴o̵u̷t̸ ̵e̷v̶e̸r̸ ̸g̶u̴e̸s̷s̷i̸n̸g̵ ̸t̷h̶e̶ ̵t̴r̷u̷t̷h̴!̶ ̶N̵o̵w̵ ̶I̶ ̴a̶m̶ ̵f̶r̵e̴e̸!̷ ̶A̵n̸d̶ ̶t̵h̴a̸t̸ ̶h̷o̸r̷r̶i̸b̶l̸e̷ ̷C̸u̵r̴s̴e̵d̶ ̶S̴a̶c̷r̸e̶d̷ ̶G̷e̷a̷r̵ ̵i̷s̶ ̷n̸o̸ ̷m̴o̸r̸e̵!̴"̴

She roared into the air, spewing my own signature and power.

"̴I̵ ̴f̸e̶a̵r̵ ̴n̵o̷t̸h̷i̴n̴g̵ ̶n̷o̸w̸!̴ ̷I̷ ̸a̷m̴ ̵h̵i̵n̸d̵e̵r̸e̴d̷ ̶n̸o̷ ̵m̶o̶r̷e̵!̴ ̶D̸o̵ ̷y̷o̸u̶ ̸h̸e̴a̷r̵ ̵m̸e̷?̵!̸ ̷N̷o̶ ̸m̶o̷r̵e̵!̸"̶

Tetra's voice spoke in a hush, but demanding tone.

{You vile bug. What is your identity?! Where is Kruonis?!}

The doppelganger laughed.

"̵H̵a̵h̶a̸h̴k̷a̷k̴a̷!̶ ̶I̴t̵ ̷w̶a̸s̴ ̷a̷l̸l̵ ̶M̴E̸!̵ ̷M̷y̸ ̵s̸p̷e̶c̵i̶e̷s̷ ̷w̸e̶r̴e̸ ̷s̷l̸o̵w̵l̷y̸ ̷s̶t̶a̴r̵v̷i̴n̶g̷ ̴o̶u̴t̶ ̶b̷e̷c̷a̵u̵s̴e̵ ̴d̶e̸f̷e̵n̸d̶e̸r̵s̵ ̷o̸f̸ ̶T̴i̵m̵e̵ ̶l̴i̶k̷e̶ ̷t̸h̷e̴ ̴J̶u̷d̶g̶e̶m̴e̷n̷t̶ ̵N̷e̷p̵h̸i̸l̸i̵m̸ ̵g̸o̷t̵ ̵i̴n̴ ̶o̶u̵r̶ ̵w̷a̶y̸,̶ ̵p̶u̷s̷h̶i̴n̴g̶ ̵u̸s̶ ̶a̴w̸a̴y̶ ̵f̴r̸o̵m̸ ̵o̵u̷r̴ ̶f̷o̵o̷d̶ ̶s̷u̶p̴p̶l̷i̵e̴s̴!̸ ̸T̶h̸e̸ ̸o̶n̸l̸y̷ ̸c̶o̸n̶c̸l̴u̴s̴i̸o̶n̷ ̷w̷a̸s̵ ̷t̸o̴ ̵f̵o̷r̸c̸e̷ ̸t̶h̵e̶ ̶C̵u̵r̶s̵e̶d̵ ̸S̸a̵c̸r̴e̵d̷ ̶G̶e̷a̶r̵ ̷t̷h̸a̴t̶ ̶c̴a̸u̶s̶e̶d̷ ̷u̷s̸ ̶s̶o̸ ̵m̴u̵c̸h̵ ̶t̴r̵o̴u̶b̵l̸e̷ ̷o̴n̷t̶o̴ ̵s̷o̶ ̸m̶a̶n̵y̷ ̸d̷i̸f̵f̸e̴r̵e̶n̴t̸ ̵u̵s̵e̶r̵s̷!̶ ̴T̵h̵e̸i̴r̷ ̵r̶e̸p̸e̶a̶t̶e̷d̵ ̵t̷i̴m̵e̷l̵i̴n̷e̶s̵ ̸t̶h̴e̵y̷ ̸l̶e̴f̶t̷ ̶b̸e̷h̷i̸n̷d̴ ̴f̵e̴d̵ ̵m̸e̵ ̶a̶n̸d̷ ̴m̸y̴ ̴k̷i̸n̷d̵ ̵a̷n̷d̶ ̴g̶i̵f̶t̷e̶d̷ ̴u̶s̸ ̴w̷i̸t̶h̷ ̴m̶o̴r̷e̴ ̸a̸n̶d̷ ̴m̴o̵r̴e̴ ̷r̵a̸w̴ ̵n̷e̶g̶a̶t̴i̵v̶e̴ ̵e̵n̷e̷r̵g̸y̶ ̵f̶r̸o̵m̷ ̴t̷h̴e̴i̸r̶ ̷b̵r̴o̷k̷e̶n̵ ̵p̴a̵t̸h̷s̵!̶ ̴O̵n̵c̵e̸ ̵a̵ ̶u̴s̴e̵r̶ ̷c̶o̷u̷l̶d̴n̸'̸t̵ ̷h̷a̷n̸d̶l̴e̶ ̶i̶t̴ ̷a̴n̸y̶m̸o̵r̷e̴,̵ ̸t̴h̷e̷y̸ ̶w̴e̴r̸e̸ ̶n̸o̸ ̷l̶o̶n̸g̵e̸r̸ ̸u̸s̵e̵f̵u̶l̶ ̵a̸n̸d̷ ̸w̴e̴r̴e̷ ̷c̸a̵s̴t̷ ̴a̴s̵i̷d̴e̶ ̸f̸o̸r̴ ̵a̴n̴o̸t̷h̷e̶r̵ ̴w̸i̵e̵l̸d̶e̴r̷ ̴t̸o̵ ̴t̴a̵k̷e̸ ̴t̵h̶e̸i̴r̷ ̴p̴l̸a̴c̴e̴!̴ ̸B̸u̸t̶ ̸n̴o̵w̸ ̶I̵ ̴a̷m̶ ̷f̶r̵e̴e̴ ̸f̴r̷o̸m̶ ̶t̷h̶e̸ ̷p̸u̸r̶g̴a̷t̶o̸r̸y̸ ̶G̴o̴d̵ ̶h̷a̶s̷ ̷s̷e̵a̴l̷e̶d̵ ̷m̶e̶ ̵i̸n̸,̸ ̵a̴n̴d̶ ̴a̸s̴ ̵q̶u̴e̶e̵n̸ ̵o̴f̴ ̷m̸y̴ ̸s̸p̸e̴c̸i̶e̸s̷,̶ ̴I̸ ̸c̴a̶n̸ ̵n̶o̴w̵ ̷f̶e̷e̷d̶ ̸m̶y̸ ̴s̸u̷b̴j̶e̷c̴t̵s̵ ̴w̶i̴t̴h̵ ̷t̶h̵e̵ ̴t̵h̸o̸u̸s̷a̵n̵d̴s̶ ̵o̸f̶ ̷t̵i̷m̸e̴l̷i̵n̶e̵s̷ ̸N̸e̸i̷r̸o̷ ̸h̸a̸s̷ ̶l̷e̸f̵t̸ ̵b̷e̸h̶i̵n̵d̴!̸ ̶K̶a̸k̵a̸k̶a̶k̷a̵!̵!̶"̸

{No... So the identity of our enemy... was the very person who has been with us since the beginning of this nightmare...}

I looked down, my eyes the size of dinner plates. Rias was by my side, looking up at her in fear.