"I don't mind." A familiar voice cut through the air, and Geno spun around in delighted surprise to find that graceful figure standing there.
"Twiggy! How are you here?!"
As if afraid she might vanish again, Geno lunged at her in excitement — only for Twiggy to slap a hand down on his head, holding him at arm's length.
"I came down here following this one. Seems like because she spent some time inside my body, she managed to drag a fragment of my consciousness along with her."
To be precise, it was only a sliver of soul-residue — something like a flake of skin shed from a human body. Not much, and not particularly important, but still once a part of a living person.
The Twiggy standing before him now was exactly that fragment, brought down by Odile — a kind of clone, in a way.
"As for what you asked — I agree. Once this is settled, bring this fragment of my consciousness back into my body, and I'll cooperate with you when the time comes."
Once she returned, Twiggy's consciousness would merge back into one, and she'd naturally know everything the two of them had discussed here.
"Well then, let's get to it. The sooner we clear up this mess, the sooner we can get back and help Nicole and the others."
Geno hadn't forgotten his friends upstairs were still in danger. Barely ten minutes had passed, but battles could turn on a dime — there was no time left to waste.
Seeing that both Geno and Twiggy had agreed, Odile nodded as well.
"Understood. Let's move, then. Please, come with me, Miss Twiggy."
With that, Odile took Twiggy's hand, and the two of them dissolved into beams of light, vanishing from Geno's Mind Space.
At the sight, Geno closed his eyes too and pulled his consciousness back into the real world.
When he opened his eyes again, only a few seconds had passed out here since he'd slipped into his own mind. The mismatch between time in the Mind Space and time in the real world left him briefly disoriented, but he adjusted quickly.
Looking down at Twiggy in his arms — still unconscious, but with color steadily returning to her face — Geno figured Odile must already be at work.
All that was left for him now was to keep her safe until she woke.
"Guess with Odile gone, I'll have to figure out the rest myself."
Back to the original problem: with Ether Sight rendered completely useless, Geno had little to rely on against the Nether Nymph's attacks besides sheer instinct.
Fortunately, that problem solved itself soon enough.
The Marionette's figure appeared before him again — but instead of attacking, she just stood there, staring blankly at him.
Geno tensed, bracing for a strike — but instead of attacking, her form flickered, and suddenly there were two Nether Nymphs standing in front of him.
"Whoa — what? Am I seeing double? Two of them?! Don't tell me she can clone herself?!"
The fact that this thing could split itself in two was almost too much for Geno. It had already been hard enough fighting one; now, facing two at once, the pressure crashed down on him all at once.
Glancing at Twiggy, still out cold, Geno reluctantly let his longsword dissipate and threw up the Ether shield he'd used before, hoping to buy himself a little more time that way.
But before he could act, the Nether Nymphs' attack came first.
The two graceful ballerinas twirled through the air, their skirts of Ether crystal flinging out sheets of razor-edged blades — a massacre dressed up as a dance.
Getting hit by even one would leave a person looking like a pincushion.
Clang-clang, clang-clang.
The blades scraping across his shield made an almost pleasant chime, but with an assault coming down like a hailstorm, Geno was in absolutely no mood to enjoy the music.
"Are you done yet?! How much longer is this going to take?!"
All Geno could hope for now was that Odile would hurry up and lend him a hand — or at the very least, keep Twiggy's body safe!
Smack!
A hand landed on his shoulder. Under Geno's anxious stare, that familiar figure finally rose back to her feet.
I've finally found you~ Good thing I never gave up~
A fittingly dramatic BGM struck up in Geno's head right on cue.
It wasn't just relief at seeing Twiggy back on her feet — there was also pure excitement at finally not having to play turtle-shell anymore.
"Papa's back, ladies! Get ready to die!"
Geno's mouth split into an exaggerated grin, and he readied himself for a big leap — about to land square on the two little Ethereals' faces and teach them the true meaning of cruelty.
But before he could, Twiggy beat him to it.
She yanked Geno back by the shoulder, then casually raised her saber and gave it a couple of practice swings in front of her face.
"Let me handle this. I've been asleep long enough — time to stretch my legs."
The moment he heard that voice, Geno knew for certain: this was Twiggy herself back in the driver's seat, not Odile filling in for her.
Just as Geno was about to suggest they take them on together, Twiggy's next move wiped his mind blank.
She raised her saber, and light symbolizing Ether began pouring off her body in waves.
Right after, the Fissures that had been Corruption her started gathering toward her chest, condensing into a swirl of iridescent light.
Twiggy's long hair lifted on some unseen current, and behind her a beautiful translucent figure gradually took shape — white-haired, just like her. It was Odile.
Then Odile wrapped her arms slowly around Twiggy from behind. The light at Twiggy's chest and the ring on her hand began pulsing in sync — and then, all at once, blazed brilliant.
"With this blade, I sever my long-held wish!"
With a furious roar from Twiggy, the light flooded the entire room. Even the Nether Nymphs across from them froze in place, and Geno himself was dazzled, unable to keep his eyes open.
When the glare finally faded, Geno looked back at Twiggy — and found her utterly transformed.
"...She's gorgeous."
Long white hair, goggles formed of golden Ether crystal, armor of gleaming silver head to toe, and boots and gauntlets in black and green streaked with an Ethereal aesthetic — she looked every bit a war goddess on the battlefield.
Somewhere deep down, Geno let out a silent yell: since when did we get ourselves a Kamen Rider?
Then, right before his astonished eyes, Twiggy charged forward, her saber cleaving toward the Twin Marionettes.
The Twin Marionettes weren't fools either. Seeing her bear down on them, they fell into coordinated motion at once, crossing paths to scramble her line of sight before striking in tandem — one hurling knives from a distance, the other closing in for a brutal melee assault. Their intent was obvious.
But Twiggy wasn't fighting alone either.
"Starlight Knight — transform!"
A booming BGM kicked in, and Geno turned into an armored half-Ethereal, raising his longsword high as he moved to Twiggy's side to block the incoming knives.
"I've got your back!"
Geno swung his blade and batted the flying knives aside. Twiggy seized the opening, flashing forward in a blur to drive her saber straight through the core of the Nether Nymph closing in on her.
Geno's spirits soared at the sight. He was already thinking about calling it a win and pulling Twiggy back to regroup before the next wave.
But the pierced Nether Nymph did something that left them both utterly dumbstruck.
____
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