A Spam Book

Unused Chapter 30 Scene (KI)

A fight scene that I cut out of Chapter 30 in Killer Instinct.

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"Let's fight." Aries growled, leaping forwards. Phoenix's eyes darted to Aries and suddenly a dark haze surrounded the edges of her vision.

This must be Capricorn's hallucination inducement...! Aries bared her teeth at the shadowy figures that seemed to be crawling out from the tiles, trying to calm her hammering heart.

Aries... you're a murderer...

Innocent –

The hallucination vanished as quickly as it came. Aries blinked and there was a familiar blue-haired girl hacking away at Phoenix, who was deflecting her fiery blows with forcefields that seemed to appear a few milliseconds slower each time.

"...Rin?"

"I've got your back!" Rin shouted back. "Come on, Aries!"

Phoenix snarled. "Foolish Zodiacs – why do you keep fighting? I –" The scientist leaped back to dodge a blow, "– will bring justice for all of them – you know you're murderers of –!"

"People can change!" This time it was another voice. Wielding Aries's broadsword, Kyson ran straight at Phoenix like a charging bull. The blade barely skimmed past her, but gave Brian a sufficient distraction to fling a dagger and graze Phoenix's arm.

"None of it was your fault," Kyson stated, skidding to a halt and heaving the broadsword over his shoulder again. "Perhaps I thought differently once... but that's changed. People can change and you are not bound by your past."

"Heh, sounds something like Destiny would say." Rin remarked as she blasted fire at Phoenix, who could only grit her teeth and snarl something inaudible. "But it's true, Aries –" She risked a glance at the white-haired girl. "Don't let your past bind you especially when none of it is your fault. So don't hesitate!"

Aries tightened her grip on her sword and nodded. Somehow, despite the dire circumstances, a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "...what kind of leader am I to abandon her team after some stupid thing some insane psycho says?" Aries lifted a hand. "Taurus, now!"

The dark-haired girl came barrelling towards Phoenix like a battering ram.

Phoenix's eyes darted towards her and she flung a hand up – but instead of anything happening, her eyes suddenly dilated, as if she were gazing out at something beyond the charging girl, and her arm trembled as she managed to choke out something that sounded like 'sister...' –

– then she was caught in the blow and was flung a good distance away, crumpling to the ground like a rag doll.

Aries didn't even need to shout the next command. Taurus and Kyson swung out their hands in sync, and the two rock needles speared the fallen woman, their tips coming out red.

"Whether we're murderers or not in your eyes..." Aries said, her voice suddenly cold. "You're trying to hurt my teammates. My friends."

"And whatever 'justice' you're trying implement here, despite King Ophiuchus already being dead and his tyranny over..." Rin added, her eyes shadowed by the dancing flames behind her. "You sound just like Ophiuchus, you know?"

Phoenix's eyes flickered towards them as she struggled feebly. Her mouth was moving soundlessly – her lips flecked red – as she watched them, her eyes suddenly seeming dull.

"Goodbye." The two girls said in complete sync, their faces as expressionless as stone.

Phoenix managed to summon a barely stable forcefield before herself and the two girls in a feeble attempt to protect hereslf. What she didn't expect were the two males – one with silver-blue hair and another with raven-dark – appearing almost like ghosts behind her as their invisibility fell away and bringing their weapons (a halberd and a spear, respectively) down upon her body.