Tails of Sacrifice

by CommanderX5


Ch.15 - Fort Selene Roguelike - Pt.5

Tails of Sacrifice

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Chapter 15

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Fort Selene Roguelike

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Part 5


The kitsune summoned Holy Flash, sending a bright light against the demonic creature. Arcana raised his limb in response and summoned a shield made of rock and dirt.

Guided by anger, Kyuubi stood on her rear paws and raised her armored paw, swinging it at the demon on the balcony. As she was about to swipe her foe off, an electric hand extended towards her forepaw, holding it at bay. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, feeling ongoing electricity in her every bone.

Using lessons from Zecora, she controlled her inner magic, preventing the electricity from paralyzing her. Deciding on a new strategy, she withdrew her paw and leaped forward, opening her mouth. She didn't get to sink her teeth into her opponent as a burst of flames covered her head. 

And what flames they were. 

The helmet on her head melted, her fur burned. Even her trusty, beloved bowtie fell victim as only the gem in the middle remained, crashing onto the floor.

Kyuubi summoned a barrier with her fourth tail and healing magic with her third, healing her scorched face. Much to her shock, the shield melted quickly. She raised her forepaws over her head in a vain effort to protect herself from the flames. A burning sensation overcame her limbs in an instant. Kyuubi could only feebly shake her head in an attempt to put out the fire as she fought against the sheer anguish.

Was she an experienced warrior, she would perform a countermeasure without a second to waste. However, it has been more than ten years since she had a taste of combat. Slow reactions and poor reflexes to her foe's decisive actions. She stood little chance against a powerful, war-hardened demonic general.

"Leave her alone!"

The flames stopped, and Kyuubi lowered her forepaws, which were furless and covered by liquid metal. Summoning ice and healing magic, she attended to her limbs as she continued to muscle through the intense pain. Her attention shifted to Lily, who assaulted the demon's barriers.

One punch against an electric one caused the earth pony to suffer electrocution. But Lily was nothing if not resilient. And she knew a thing or two about magic herself.

An electrified kick didn't reach the target as a forcefield of wind pushed Lily away, sinking her into a cracking wall.

Aided and protected by the wind, Lily rushed at her opponent, only to experience heavy resistance. A mix of wind and water magic assaulted Lily in the form of an intense whirlpool, which overpowered and took over the winds that protected the earth pony. A cloud of frost finished the combo. The earth pony crashed into the balcony, trapped in a block of ice.

The ice quickly melted, however, as Lily's hooves now emitted an intense heat. The battered pony attacked with flaming punches, slamming them against the barrier of rock and dirt.

Summoning a powerful blast of water with one hoof and a tornado from the other, Lily pushed the earth barrier away. The following icy kick ended up blocked by a burning shield, which surrounded poor Lily in flames.
 
In desperation, the little monk summoned an armor made of stone. Unlike the inexperienced kitsune, Lily quickly responded to each attack. Yet, in the end, she was still outmatched by the mightier foe.

Lily! Kyuubi, now fully healed, couldn't stand to watch her student suffer. Her ears dropped at this very sight. She stood on her rear legs and spread her forepaws, trying to smash her foe from both sides. Her second tail flashed with magic as she immobilized the demon with telekinesis. 

"Hah! Pitiful."

The large eyes of the kitsune noticed a growing black aura around flaming and electric limbs. A moment later, she felt pain in her second tail, her levitation dispelled. She watched as both the appendages stretched, intercepting her speeding paws. A wave of wind spread from the impact.

Kyuubi yelped before gritting her teeth, all the while keeping tears from forming in her eyes. Truly this battle pushed her tolerance for pain like few ever had. She felt a burning sensation overwhelm her left paw, and electricity run through her right limb. The demon didn't even look her way as a powerful stream of water shot from his icy mouth, pushing Lily, rocky armor and all, against a wall with heavy pressure. The minuscule earth pony strained against the torrential attack.

Lily, don't give up! I will get us through this!

Glaring fiercely at the demon, the kitsune put all of her strength into her paws while increasing her durability with her inner magic. She added magical armor atop that. Any survivability boosting spell she knew she used at this very moment. Slowly but steadily, her paws closed in.

"It seems you possess some strength, after all. It still won’t help you, little pup."

Arcana shot a veritable blizzard from his mouth, freezing the wet wall alongside the pony stuck in it. The balcony he stood on started to crack from the ongoing pressure. 

Suddenly, the support gave in, and the balcony fell crashing into the Colosseum, trapping Arcana under the rubble.

Kyuubi turned away from her enemy to rush to Lily’s aid. She ignored the pain in her limbs as she pressed her burned paw against the ice, heating it with sacred fire. The kitsune grabbed the tiny battered earth pony, holding her close to her chest as if holding her most valuable treasure. A few loose tears slid down her cheeks. Were they tears of pain or sadness? She couldn't tell. Maybe both.

Her breath hastened, her face became covered in sweat. She kept healing her precious student even as exhaustion started to take a toll. Curing herself and a powerhouse like Lily from severe injuries drained her reserves. 

Lily, wake up, please.

The little earth pony raised her head, her trembling legs barely visible among the fur. She looked up, her little face tired and sleepy.

"I c-can't b-believe I'm s-saying this. B-But." Lily took a quick breath. "I think we bit off more than we can chew."

Kyuubi gulped as she looked at the trembling rubble. Her student forced herself to look at it as well. The emerging demon didn't seem happy, nor all that injured.

He counters holy magic with elemental magic and then breaks telekinesis with dark magic. Even my size and strength are no match for him.

"You can say that again. My elemental punches and kicks aren’t doing much either. What's worse, this demon seems to know how to counter my every move."

"Playtime is now over, fledglings. Let me show you just how powerless you really are." Arcana snapped his flaming fingers.

Kyuubi's eyes opened wide while her nose caught the smell of burning metal. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped at the sight of intense flames raging on her armored tails.

"So you hid your weakness behind enhanced steel. Clever. But all you did was buy yourself more time." Arcana snapped his fingers again, summoning even stronger flames, which caused the kitsune to drop onto her stomach with a loud thundering crash. "I may not be able to melt the armor completely, but I wonder how well your five tails can endure the heat. Your protection is now no different from a burning coffin."

The kitsune struggled to keep her eyes open, to stand and keep fighting against the demon seeking to enslave her. Her sensitive tails became hotter and hotter. She tried to cool them down with magic, with little results.

"I said it before! I will do it again! Leave her alone!" Lily charged at the grinning demon. Her attempt to deliver a holy punch was interrupted by a barrier of strong wind. Step by step, the earth pony kept walking forward against the pushing force, only for her rear legs to be trapped in ice.

"I applaud you, little creature. The strongest monks I faced didn't possess half of your might. Priestess Kyuubi trained you well, it seems." The demon stretched his hands, grabbing Lily in a powerful grip. “It is almost sad to squash such potential. Well, almost!”

Kyuubi felt as if her heart simultaneously halted and burst, which surpassed even pain in her sensitive tails. Her poor student was held captive in a massive burning fist, enduring the flames. And then there was the lightning coming from another hand. Only Lily’s head peeked from the grip, screaming without a break. Her student struggled with all her might, but even her strength and durability had their limits.

"Two against one is hardly fair. Time I got rid of you, little one, and even the odds. Unfortunately for you, your death won't come swiftly.” 

No!! Kyuubi grit her fangs, once again muscling through her anguish and jumped forward, tackling the demon with her own large body, slamming him into a wall of the Colosseum. Seeing as her student was still trapped, she tried to attack with her claws, only for her limbs to freeze in solid ice. Slowly, more ice spread over her body while her tails still endured intense heat inside the armor.

She shook herself about, trying to move with every inch of her willpower. Unable to win with physical strength, she called for her magic, trying to cool down her tails and warm up her cold body, but to no avail. She tried again and again, anything to end her student's suffering and save her life. Kyuubi didn’t care what happened to her. 

I must save Lily. Please, God, I beg you, give me strength. It is the only thing I wish! Kyuubi prayed in the most beseeching tone she’d ever used as a stream of tears fell from her eyes. A moment later, even her tears turned into ice.

"So much strength, so much spirit. Hah! But in the end, a foolish youth like you is no match for a high demon like me." He grinned. “On the other hand, I may spare her if you become my loyal servant. Her life is in your paws, Priestess. Kneel and swear loyalty before my flames will leave nothing to save.”

Refusing to submit, Kyuubi roared, calling upon every last drop of her magic reserve. She didn't care if she would die. Lily's life was the only thing on her mind. Suddenly, intense steam came from her armored tails as the metal cooled down. The ice over her body melted, creating a puddle of water around her sizable paws.

"What? Impossible! My magic is superior."

The sixth emerging tail flashed with power, surrounded by an aura with a mixture of colors, different from the usual silver. 

Release her!

Kyuubi summoned storm clouds, bombarding the demon with electricity. Arcana unleashed the wind from his legs against the clouds, but Kyuubi held them in place. 

He released the pony from his grab and formed a barrier of dirt and stone. The lightning pierced through.

"You... So you think that gaining another tail will save you!? I’ve told you before; You will become my slave or die! Your resistance is futile and only further taxes my patience!" Arcana unleashed flames from one hand while absorbing lightning with the other.

Kyuubi summoned a barrier, a flaming one that she recalled from her time with Sunset Shimmer. She absorbed the incoming flames. A green aura surrounded her sixth tail as she summoned a powerful tornado.

Arcana summoned wind, water, and white mist, trying to freeze Kyuubi the same way he froze the earth pony. The intense wind brought through, sending him crashing into audience seats. 

Kyuubi proceeded to bombard the demon with a rain of icicles, allowing her anger and hunting instincts to make up for her lack of skills. Seeing as he shielded himself with flames, she summoned a stream of water. 

Gaining the upper hand bolstered the kitsune. Blow after blow, Kyuubi kept up the pressure, attacking mercilessly. Even clever use of correct elements proved too weak to stop her assault. Her raw power seemed to double. Even her waning reserves partially recovered. 

Seeing as the battered earth pony struggled to stand, she moved her sixth tail, wrapping it around her protectively, trapping the pony in unarmored fluff. Also preventing her stubborn close-to-death student from doing anything reckless.

"Why? Why does it h-hurt s-so much?" Arcana fell to the side. “Elemental magic is my very being!”

Kyuubi saw holes in the demon's body. 

His flaming hand cooled down. 

His electric hand lost its luster.

Even his icy head started to crack.

You ask why? Because I infused holy magic with my elemental magic.

"Then why was it so weak before...? Ah. Your sixth tail. It lets you use Elemental Magic to your full potential."

Kyuubi glanced at her unarmored tail, which safeguarded her student. In the intense moment when her student's life was on the line, and even her own was in danger, a new tail sprung to life. She didn’t take the time to celebrate this accomplishment, however. Instead, she only glared at Arcana, a thunderous snarl escaped her mouth. 

When I saw you put my precious student in danger, how you threatened to end her life, it pushed me over the edge. Kyuubi ignored the aching in her body as she approached the defeated demon with firm steps. Mercy was the last thing on her mind. These demons were bringing out the worst in her. What you planned to do will never come to pass. For what you did to Lily, your existence ends here! You brought it upon yourself. However, unlike you, I will promise you a swift demise.  

"Demise, me? You still don’t seem to grasp whom you’re dealing with, little pup. Nor do you seem to remember that you are in our fortress in my territory. Elite Guards, to me!"

The noise of a door slamming open reached Kyuubi's large ears. She looked to the side, seeing three golems storm into the room. Among them was the cyclops that not long ago withdrew from the battlefield. 

Kyuubi bit her bottom lip. Even defeating just one of them proved difficult for her and Lily. Her extra tail wouldn’t be enough. In a moment of distraction, she failed to notice how Arcana flew away. She clenched her eyes shut upon getting buffeted by the strong wind. Once she opened them, she saw the weakened demon stand behind his elite bodyguards.

"I want the kitsune alive! Crush the equine!"

Kyuubi concentrated her full power, summoning a massive wall of the sacred fire to block the enemy's path. She didn’t trust it to hold them off for long, seconds at most. With her student wrapped by her sixth tail, she ran for the hole in the wall, fleeing the battlefield.

She summoned sharp boulders, sending them flying against the walls in her way as she made it back to Nightmare's resting spot. Kyuubi blocked the hole behind her with a wall of stone for good measure.

She panted heavily, feeling as if her muscles were trying to kill her. Her whole body was hurting all over, as she didn't get an opening to heal it. The alicorn sitting next to the bag of loot looked up at her in confusion.

"Kyuubi, what–? Wait, did you grow another tail!? What in the name of the moon happened?"

I’ll explain later, Nightmare. Right now, they’re coming! Please! We need your strength! Kyuubi curled herself in the corner of the room, now focusing full attention on healing herself and her student. Her aching body trembled both from fear and magical exhaustion. She experienced an intense headache as she summoned a protective dome on top of healing magic. 

The pursuing golems forced their way into the chamber, now facing none other than Nightmare Moon.

The dark alicorn narrowed her eyes and stretched her neck, causing a few cracking noises. 

"So you are the ones then. Listen carefully, you mindless constructs. You have caused harm to my loyal allies. This offense alone demands retribution." She stomped and spread her wings threateningly. A loud sinister laugh echoed through the room. "But be all means, come forward, approach me. I am a bit tired, so I can't break you into tiny pieces unless you come closer."

Kyuubi sighed in relief, then covered her face with her trembling paws. What followed was probably far too gruesome for her innocent eyes. 

One thing she knew a hundred percent. Her exhausted team had to withdraw from the fortress. If the other higher class of demons were anything like Arcana, this was a journey they would not resolve quickly or without a far greater struggle. Let alone defeat a demon lord that was lurking about deeper inside. But for now, the one in her sights took precedence. He was dangerous, cruel. Far worse than Desire.

Arcana… You may have forced us away, but you won’t win. I will lay siege to this place again and again until you pay for every sin you've committed. I will purge your evil from this world, just as I will purge all others like you! This, I swear!

Kyuubi sighed, calming herself from her mental vow, but she still felt a small fire within. Even if she loved the peace and disliked fighting, those feelings could no longer hold her back. She had a reason to fight and determination to keep going, now more than ever. 

Kyuubi groaned at the sudden realization. Just like Ninetails wanted to avenge his kin, she too was driven by revenge. She was comforted by the fact that, unlike him, she sought justice. She would never harm the innocent, nor would she attack demons indiscriminately.

Furthermore, it was more than to avenge the monks, priests, and painful attempts on Lily’s life. This fortress filled with demons and the armies under their command was like a building storm that had to be undone by professional pegasi. A colossal threat that could cause a disaster in the future, one she could prevent. No way she would let that happen. 

The kitsune opened her eyes wide at another revelation. Could it be that redeeming Nightmare Moon and awakening Luna was not the only reason the spell sent her back in time and sealed on the moon? While this battle was over, the real war had just begun.