Epic of Caterpillar

Geraldine glanced at the woman in front of her.

She might have changed a lot since then, and even when her memories of such times were rather cloudy, the sole presence and facial expressions of this woman made it clear who she really was…

The one that planned her death and separated her from Sol, the man she once loved before Amiphossia appeared in her life to fill her empty heart with warmness.

"Annabella Down… You… witch! After so long, we finally met! I love your change in appearance, it really suits your demonic nature," said Geraldine teasingly.

"Tch! How is it possible that you are here?! I sealed your soul in the Forsaken Labyrinth! And what with that… strange body?!" asked Annabella in disbelief.

"Well, this body is courtesy of Kireina-sama, mother of Amiphossia-sama! Although before that, due to the contamination of the Dungeon's Miasma, I ended up turning into an Ice Ghost," laughed Geraldine, she was not the same as before, although her way of speaking was similar, playful get refined, her power was completely in another level!

"Your body was… created?! (I can even feel the power of several Boss-Rank Monsters within her… Just what is she now?! Not even Appraisal let me see her status because its level is not sufficient or something!)" said Annabella, while screaming internally as everything seemed to begin to crumble into pieces the moment she saw the new and better Geraldine.

"Yeah, it was made with the flesh of many monsters, and even Kireina-sama's blood and flesh too! Although most of my strength comes from all the training I have been doing since I acquired this new body… I have worked quite hard since then, serving Amiphossia-sama, as I have found a new reason to live and thrive at her side…! The past, to be honest, in the past, right? I do not really care much about what you did to me, really! Nor do I care about Sol anymore, I am not even in love with him at the moment, dying and being a ghost for so long really did empty my emotions… But Amiphossia-sama filled them once more, and now, I live to serve her and make her happy! However… She offered me this opportunity, so I will not reject it!" said Geraldine, as black lightning and cold blue flames emerged from her large cat paws, filling her entire body, which was wearing a slim and tight mechanical bodysuit that revealed her face.

Flash!

"I was planning in one day going back there to turn you into an Undead Slave… But I guess you've given me the chance now, Geraldine!" said Annabella, quickly understanding that Geraldine wanted to kill her, as she shrouded herself in phantoms and leaped away from the cat girl's claws, which hit the ground with a loud explosion of black lightning and cold blue flames!

Boom!

"Just as idiotic as ever, aren't you? Never show your back to a witch! Cursing Freezing Phantom Wind!" said Annabella, conjuring a large magic circle which she filled with Mana, generating a phantom wind filled with curses and freezing power!

Flash!

"Ice against me? You know that's not gonna work!" said Geraldine, as she released several red-colored fireballs against Annabella's attack, dissipating it and then unleashing a tornado of flames towards her.

FLASH!

"Phantasmal Shadow Barrier! Demonic Conjuration Enhancement, Slashing Moon Blades of Darkness!" cried Annabella, desperately enhancing her magic as she released enormous slashes of darkness resembling half-moons alongside defending herself with a barrier of phantasmal shadows.

"Fiery Slashing Claws!" roared Geraldine, intercepting Annabella's attack with her own slashing fiery claws, destroying them, and then leaping right towards her enemy once more.

"Black Thunder Tiger!" she roared, as Geraldine generated enormous quantities of black electricity, gathering them all around her body and then throwing them away into an enormous mass of black thunder, shaping itself as a furious tiger!

"What kind of magic is that?!" asked Annabella in disbelief, unleashing several spheres of darkness towards the black thunder tiger and successfully destroying it in time, only to be startled by Geraldine who flew towards her while being shrouded in blue flames.

"Blue Flame Enhancement! Slashing Blazing Claws! Great Fire Cat Onslaught!"

Geraldine conjured an enhancement spell, strengthening her blue flames, and then made her claws larger and stronger momentarily through a technique, only to be shrouded in such fire and begin an immense onslaught of slicing attacks with her claws, shrouded in blue flames, Annabella was hit several times as she fell through the air.

"Nnngggyyaaaah…!"

Boom!

Annabella vomited a mouthful of blood as she sensed several of her bones broken, she gnashed her teeth, quickly conjuring magic to regenerate her pained body, as she realized that her body was still shrouded in flames!

"W-What?!" she asked in disbelief.

"Like my flames? They're blue flames, and they don't burn your body, but your soul!" said Geraldine, flying towards Annabella as the witch glanced at her old romantic rival with a scornful expression.

"Y-You bitch! I hate you! Get away from meeee!" she roared, as her Aura was finally unleashed, releasing enormous quantities of miasma all around, shaping themselves as gigantic claws, and hitting Geraldine head on!

Boom!

"Aagh!" cried Geraldine, flying away, and hitting the ground, and quickly standing back up again, to see Annabella floating in the sky while her crimson eyes leaked an evil and frustrating presence.

"Y-You… I killed you! Why must you come here?! Why must you keep pestering my life after so long?! I will not let you kill me… I am destined to live for eternity at Sol's side, to be always happy ever after!!!" roared Annabella, completely insane.

"Eh? Destine to live for eternity and happily ever after?! Annabella, you are more insane than me! Sol had never loved you! You're a nasty bitch that no men would ever fall in love with!" said Geraldine teasingly, as Annabella roared in anger, releasing an enormous quantity of miasma once more, gigantic spears of darkness and purple poison began to fall over Geraldine, as the fiery cat girl evaded them with her swift movements and fast speed.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

"I really thought you were more mature, but I guess by living so much you've already gone more than insane and incredibly delusional too!" said Geraldine, smiling as her eyes released blazing fire, her claws moved incredibly quickly alongside her body, combining black thunder with a blue fire and cursed purple ice.

"Here, take this gift!" roared Geraldine, leaping towards the angered Annabella as she released an enormous storm of thunder, blue flames, and purple ice, clashing against Annabelle's Aura and breaking it apart!

Boom!

"Nnnggggyaaaaaaahhh…! Noooo! Nooo!!!" roared Annabella, as she gnashed her teeth through the pain of her entire body being frozen and electrified, while her soul was slowly burned.

Clash!

Annabella's body once more fell to the ground, her red eyes glared at Geraldine with tremendous rage and also… despair!

Despite using everything she had, Geraldine seemed to be able to break through her magic, the power she had been training for over three hundred years!

Geraldine not only had come back to spite on her but also to make her fall into despair through her sheer strength!

Indeed, Although Annabella had trained her magic for so long, she lacked deeply in other areas, and was very weak physically, even more, as she has not defeated monsters as much as Geraldine in her three hundred years, she was not even at a high level, which was reset when she evolved into a Demoness.

Geraldine ran towards her, as Annabella tried to heal herself, but she felt like her body wasn't answering her! She was completely paralyzed, with many of her bones broken into tiny pieces and her skin and flesh burnt down… She was barely hanging on to life…!

"Unnghh…! You… I won't lose to you! I will never… lose to you! Geraldine! I will kill you now, once and for all!!! Admire my power, the power that the Gods themselves have given to me! Divine… Beast Fragments!"

Geraldine was about to unleash a storm once more over Annabella, but was pushed down by the enormous pressure coming from the witch!

Flash!

Annabella's soul began to shake, as from within, three Divine Beast Fragments emerged, fusing themselves with her soul and flesh!

Another change occurred to her, as her entire body began to bulge and mutate monstrously, large pieces of flesh emerged one after another like bubbles over her body, as Annabella laughed wickedly, her monstrous form unleashing!

"That's… Divine Beast Fragments?!" asked Geraldine in disbelief, as Amiphossia noticed the slight Divine Power within Annabella.

"Would Geraldine be capable of defeating her…? Hm, not likely… But if I intervene… Wouldn't it be too easy then? She has to defeat this by herself… Oh right! She has her transformation equipment…" said Amiphossia, as she saw Geraldine smile before Annabella's intimidating form.

"I also can get pretty big if I want to! Transform!" roared Geraldine, as Annabella roared with her monstrous body, resembling a purple-colored lion with bat-like wings and the tail of a serpent.

Flash!

Geraldine's mech bodysuit that was tightly wrapped around her body suddenly started to expand even more, as layers after layers of metallic materials emerged one after another, her arms, legs, and torso growing over ten times their original size, as her main body was put into the chest of the enormous mech!

Geraldine's mech form was a slim and curvilinear girl made of dark blue and orange Divine Material-like metal, with enormous cat-like claws and cute cat-like metallic ears atop her mechanical head, which had two very large and luminous eyes, making her resemble an adorable android girl.

"W-What is that?! A metallic… giant?! I will not let you do… as you please! You will die today, Geraldine! So I and Sol can live happily ever after!!!" roared Annabella, rushing towards Geraldine while enhancing herself with her shadow spectral aura.

"Come at me, I've learned a lot about how to fight in close quarters from all my friends!" said Geraldine.

Geraldine enhanced her entire mech with her Aura, raising her legs and kicking Annabella's purple-colored lion head with a powerful uppercut!

BOOM!

"G-GAAH…!" cried Annabella, vomiting blood as her crimson eyes moved towards Geraldine, flashing maliciously as a powerful force hit Geraldine's entire mech!

Flash!

"Ungh… Devil Eye?!" wondered Geraldine, as the enormous force seemed to be some kind of gravity-related power, which pressured her to stick to the ground.

Annabella's enormous body fell to the ground, as she smiled through her lion head.

"This is the power of the Devil Chimera Divine Beast Eye! With this… I have you at my mercy through the manipulation of gravity!" laughed Annabella, as she rushed towards Geraldine while releasing dozens of magic circles, firing spears of darkness and phantasmal shadows!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Geraldine was showered in magic attacks, as her mech bodysuit began to be torn apart!

Amiphossia glanced with a worried expression… however, she did not want to interfere, as Geraldine had asked her that she wanted to defeat Annabella on her own!

She knew that her friend and servant wanted to prove herself, to see how much she had truly grown this whole time… and she, as the master she was, wanted to see her growth and trust her on her words!

"Geraldine, you can do it!" said Amiphossia, as she decided to aid her a bit at the very least by using her enhancement skills on her, showering her friend and servant with dozens of buffs!

Geraldine suddenly felt a rush of new power, as her eyes gleamed with fiery conviction.

"Amiphossia-sama… She's helping me despite when I asked her to not… But this is because of my own weakness… Indeed, there is still a long road for me to go… But for now, I must defeat this shadow of my past, so I can stay firm and proudly at the side of my Master!" said Geraldine, exploding in an enormous amount of energy as her mech quickly regenerated, leaping out of Annabella's powerful gravity attack and kicking her with her enormous mechanical legs!

Boom!

"Unnggoooh…! I-Impossible! You got out of a power that contains Divine Power from a Divine Beast?!" asked Annabella in anger, releasing a powerful breath cannon of darkness and phantom towards Geraldine through her gigantic lion's head!

Flash!

However, Geraldine generated a shield of black thunder, and an enormous blade of blue flames, taking into the breath cannon with her shield and then rushing towards Annabella, raising her blade, and throwing it at her!

"Shadow Phantasm Barrier!" said Annabella, defending herself from Geraldine's attack, however, her barrier that had some Divine Power simply crumbled into pieces!

"W-WHAT!?" roared Annabella in disbelief, as the enormous blade of blue fire clashed against her body, seeping deeply into her flesh and soul, as she screamed in agony!

"Nnnggggyyaaaaaaahh…! I-Impossible…! You cannot simply fight back against the power of a Divine Beast…!" cried Annabella.

"Shut up and die, Annabella! This is finally your end, after living for so many years doing anything but atrocious things, it's finally the time for you to disappear!" roared Geraldine, shaping her mechanical claws as enormous blades and stabbing Annabella's enormous body while being shrouded in orange flames, burning her alive as the witch cried agonizingly!

"Disappear?! Nnngaaaaaahhh…! I won't die…! I will kill you, you bitch! You fucking… whore!!! Sol was always mine! Always mine! I will fucking kill you again! So you cannot… come back to him!" cried Annabella, releasing countless spells all around, as Geraldine clenched her teeth and resisted them all while infusing black thunder and purple ice into the open wounds of Annabella's Beast form.

"I don't know why you keep babbling so god damn much about Sol! He is already dead, and I have long forgotten about him! If you were just a little less insecure about yourself, you might have one day finally found someone… But within your wicked heart, I doubt you can even fathom to love someone, other than your wicked obsession! Just die, and go back to the abyss where you belong!" roared Geraldine, as Annabella saw in her the same Geraldine from her past, who had confronted her before many times…!

Bitterness!

Annabella could not help but feel terrible bitterness!

"Nnngghhoooo…! A-Ahhh…! Sol…! SOL…! H-HELP! Help… Sol? Why is he not coming for my rescue…! I… Sol?! I am… alone?! I have always been… alone… No…! NOOOOO…!" cried Annabella, as her entire consciousness began to crack into pieces of glass, fading away…

Geraldine stood over the charred corpse of the monster Annabella had turned into, her entire mech bathed in blood…

"It's done…" she sighed, as Amiphossia smiled in her direction.

"Well done, Geraldine," she said.