A Knight's Downfall

Pitch-Black vs Inner-Darkness
Lamia and Aph charged up the stairs to the top, as more and more Rune Knights continued to charge at them. Lamia managed to take out most of them by knocking them away with her barriers, while Aph assisted by using her Gravity Magic to crush them to the ground. Making them unable to stand back up, until she was far away.

"Remember! We promised not to kill anyone! So, be careful Aph!" Lamia reminded Aph, as a Rune Knight charged at her, but unknowingly to him, hit an invisible barrier she erected. Easily knocking him away with another.

"Awww...that's no fun. Can I break them, though?" Aph frowned, sounding like a child who was denied from buying a toy they wanted. It was so innocent, it was downright chilling.

"....Fine. As long as it's not lethal" Lamia couldn't say no to that sad face. It was her weakness, along with cold coffee. She hates cold coffee. It gives her a nasty stomach ache. "I'm suddenly in the mood for some coffee...".

As the two finally reached the top. They stood before the gates to the Council's building "We're here..." Lamia said, looking around. She knew getting in couldn't possibly be this easy. "Keep your eyes open for an-..." Suddenly, both Lamia and Aph felt as if something was crushing them, as their bodies smashed into the ground. "Gravity...Magic...?!" Lamia identified these effects. She was familiar with them. It wasn't Aph who used it though. She explicibly told her not to use its full effect unless there is absolutely no other choice left.

"Scum..." A cold, stoic tone spoke. As Joan, clad in her black armor, and triangular mask, walked towards the two "To think, you'd be so foolish as to even hope to come close to surviving an attack on the Council" Joan pointed her sword at them, as a dark aura began to expel from it.

"You're...Joan, ain't'cha...?" Lamia asked Joan, rather casually.

"I have no reason to let scum such as you know my name. But as a memory for you to take along with you to the afterlife. Yes, I am Joan Arc" Joan replied, clearly, she viewed criminals as nothing more than scum, lower than humans, and not even worthy of being treated as such.

Suddenly, a burst of magic energy was expelled from Aph and Lamia's vicinity, as they both stood up, as if nothing was crushing them. Joan's eyes widened in shock, how did they do that? They couldn't have broken free through sheer strength, that's impossible.

"You broke my house. I don't take too kindly to people who break my fuckin' property" Lamia cracked her knuckles, as Aph unsheathed her sword "But...the same applies for people who kidnap my daughter and beat up my husband" Lamia's tone was full of malice, with the sole intent to kill this woman. Despite the promise she made with Lily to no longer kill. It could be difficult against this woman...

"....Beyond the mentioning of a husband. How did you escape the gravity crushing you?" Joan remained focus on her target. She couldn't allow herself to be distracted by nonsense.

Lamia grinned, but it was difficult to identify with her glasgow smile already being present "I dispelled it. It's a handy magic, really. A magic to negate magic" Lamia declared, rather proudly even "As long as I have it active, no one within the immediate vicinity can as much as make it spark even a bit".

"...I see. In that case" Joan held her sword firmly inbetween both her hands "I will simply kill you with my blade!" Joan charged at Lamia, closing the distance between the two in mere seconds. As she was about to swing at her, Aph immediately blocked with her own, larger blade, smiling ever so cheerfully.

"Hiiii~" There was an unnatural force with that simple word. Sending a chill down Joan's spine, as she backed away from this woman.

"What...was that...? This aura...it isn't magic...it's..." Joan thought to herself, overwhelmed by Aph's upbeat presence.

"Lamia~" Aph turned to Lamia, her eyes slightly squinted, giving a rather calm look to her, while keeping her smile "Go on ahead. I'll handle her" Aph said to Lamia, who nodded in reply.

Lamia took a running stance, and began running towards the gate. As Joan immediately retaliated by swinging towards Lamia, attempting to bisect her while she was running. However, Joan's sword suddenly fell onto the ground, breaking it, and so did her whole body. She felt heavy. As if...the gravity was crushing her.

Lamia ran passed Joan, and upon reaching the goat, openned it with one large barrier, breaking down the gate and walking into the building, where many more Rune Knights awaited. ''"Lily! I'm coming! Hang on!" ''Lamia thought to herself.

Joan's body became light again, as she grabbed her sword, pointing it at Aph "You! You...you can also utilize Gravity Magic...?" Joan asked Aph, naturally surprised.

"Eyup~ Learned it from my grandpapa~" Aph said cheerfully, resting her sword on her shoulder, as if its size was nothing to her.

"....I see..." Joan began to exert black magic energy from her body, and onto her blade "I suppose I should end this quickly then!" Joan swung her blade at Aph, releasing the same energy slash she used to cut down the hotel.

Aph remained put, grinning widely, as she extended her hand forward "Pity" Suddenly, the energy slash vanished into thin air, as a black orb was floating infront of Aph, a "black hole".

"What?! How did you...?!" Upon noticing the black orb in Aph's palm, Joan understood "...You...have access to that form of magic...I've never witnessed it myself...".

"Enough talk" Aph said, walking towards Joan "Let's kill~" In that instant, Joan understood she was fighting a madwoman. Aph charged at Joan, her eyes gleaming with bloodlust, as the two clashed swords, the sheer power of it caused the ground they stood upon to break.

"I will not lose to scum!" Joan declared, releasing one of her hands from her sword's hilt and delivering a punch to Aph, hitting her right in her right cheek. However, Aph only budged lightly, as she grabbed Joan's forearm and begun pulling her away from her face "Wha-...?!"

"Hmm~" Aph simply smiled, tasting her blood drip from within her mouth, across her chin, as she closed her eyes, as if admiring the taste.

Joan swung her sword, with her remainning left hand, at Aph, only to have it blocked immediately by Aph using her sword "What is this...physical strength?! You...don't even look that strong!" Joan exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed by Aph.

Aph chuckled, as she began crushing Joan's forearm, slowly breaking the gauntlet she wore "I have been carrying Gyūtō-chan for years. I've grown used to wielding it like a feather~. But a little assistance can't hurt" Aph replied, headbutting Joan, causing her hat to drop, and breaking the triangular mask she wore. The foreheads of the two women now bleeding from the impact.

"You...!" The gravity around the two began to increase. As their feet sunk deeper into the ground, breaking more and more "I will not lose! To scum like you!" Joan declared, as her eyes widened upon seeing Aph unnaffected by the immense gravity, still smiling cheerfully. "What...what is this...?!".

"I feel..." Aph released Joan's hand, and placed her hand on Joan's armor chest "Happy~" Suddenly, the gravity returned to normal, as Joan fell on her knees, tightly gripping her chest, and coughing blood. Her face was in absolute agony.

"So...you can't handle the intensity of the gravity gathering around your body either..." Aph suddenly frowned. She caused gravity to gather in a singular location, Joan's, causing Joan's entire body to feel as if it was being crushed from several direction.

The gravity returned to normal as Joan was gasping for air. Her eyes dilated from the sheer intensity of what she had just experienced "What...what kind of...monster are you...?" Joan asked Aph, absolutely overwhelmed by this.

"Monster? No. I'm not the monster. Having power you can't compete with and being overwhelmed by someone, doesn't make them a monster. It's their actions. And tell me...what did you do recently?" Aph's entire character changed. Becoming cold and collected, with her tone being especially icy "You kidnapped a little girl. And wounded her father no less, before her eyes. Do you think that qualifies as a humane thing to do?."

"That...! That wasn't a girl! That wasn't a father!" Joan snapped at Aph, standing back up "That was a Lacrima-based lifeform! And that was nothing but a criminal who murdered hundreds! Neither of these could ever be father and daughter! They can only serve to benefit the Council! By becoming a weapon and being arrest-...!"

"Silence!" Suddenly, Aph punched Joan in the face, with the added intensity of the gravity focused on her fist, she sent Joan flying through the building's wall, right into the building itself. Aph walked into the building, as Joan had already stood up, bleeding heavily from her nose.

"You never fought someone worth while, have you?" Aph asked Joan, who appeared irritated with that question "You've always fought small fries, haven't you? Once who can only be taken down with a single swipe of your blade, correct?" What Aph spoke was true. The majority of criminals Joan apprehended were nothing special. Only few managed to make her be on edge in a fight. And only one managed to lay any real damage to her.

She became rusty, as they say. She lost all need to work hard to win. She lost all motivation to fight hard. To try. To take her enemy seriously anymore. People shook in fear before her, some would even surrender upon hearing her name. She rarely, if ever, fought alone either. She always had a squadron, always had John alongside her as a partner. There was also her magic, the ability to manipualte Gravity. Always crushing her enemies using it. Always making them powerless. And forgetting to defend or improve her own physical fighting style. She became overly reliant on it. Her armor, which whistood powerful blows, was also a key element in victory. But now, when internal damage can be done to her, she had no defense. Alone, she was weak and fibble, especially against an opponent who can bypass her Gravity Magic.

"Even so...!" Joan gripped her sword's hilt with both her hands, as she exerting an enormous amount of black magic energy on her blade, destroying the floor from its sheer power "I will not surrender! Especially against a monster such as you!" Joan raised her sword upwards, preparing to swing "I will not lose! Never again!" Joan wouldn't allow it to happen again. Her child self would be dissapointed. Allowing others to be above her, stomp on her, and call her insignificant again. She won't cry and she will never lose again. Her goal from her childhood, to be an unbeatable Knight who takes down evil, has never been stronger than it is now.

Aph's smile returned, but it was different, it wasn't a happy or cheerful smile, it was simply...there. "Well done" Aph gripped her sword with both her hands, preparing to swing it, as her feet crushed the ground with the intense gravity "You made me acknowledge your existence".

"AAAAAH!!!" With a mighty roar, Joan released an enormous wave of black magic energy at Aph, that decimating the floor and even the walls and ceiling with its sheer intense power, as it got closer and closer towards Aph "I will not lose against you! I will remain on top! On top of the food chain!".

"To do that..." Aph's blade suddenly became coated in black miasma-like substance "You should first now how it feels to be at the bottom!" With one swing, Aph clashed with the wave of energy, holding it back, as the wave became smaller and smaller.

"What?! What are you...?!...Don't tell me!" The wave of energy vanished, all absorbed into Gyūtō, or rather, the black substance coating it "You...absorbed it....?".

"Nope" Aph pointed Gyūtō at Joan "I merely sent it into a place where nothing can escape it. Not light. Not darkness. A place where only nothingness exists".

Joan took a step back, she had no other tricks left. This was her strongest attack, and it was so easily countered. She felt...helpless.

"We're not done yet..." Aph said, her eyes gleamed with evil, walking towards Joan "Until one falls or dies. This fight isn't over!" Aph charged at Joan, swinging at her, as Joan instinctively blocked with her black blade.

The two began to try and push one another away, but it was clear Aph was overwhelming Joan "Show me your crying face!" Aph declared, as she cut right through Joan's blade, and cut Joan herself, from her right shoulder down to her right abdomen. Luckily, her armor protected her from any severe damage, yet her pride and spirit weren't protected.

Joan fell on her knees, as her broken blade pierced the ground next to her. Holding her broken blade, tears began to flow from Joan's eyes "What...?" Joan noticed the drops falling on the ground "Am I...crying...? No! No! No! No! I can't! I've promised to never...to never cry...again...never...lose...".

"Who did you promise?" Aph asked Joan, her expression becoming serious for once, frowning.

"That...is none of your....buisness" Whatever pride she had left, Joan hung onto it "It doesn't concern you!".

"...Very well" Aph began walking away, leaving Joan, with the wreck she is.

"You're just going to leave me?! Aren't you going to kill me like the rest?!" Joan exclaimed, standing up and facing Aph's direction.

"How people did we kill up to this point?" Aph asked Joan, who came to realize, none were killed. There were no casualties reported thus far.

"...Why...?"

"Because...." Aph turned her head towards Joan, smiling cheerfully once more "I apparantly promised my daughter not to kill anymore~" And with that, Aph continued forward, returning to her usual bubbly and overly cheerful self "Don't worry, girly! Mama's a comin'!" Aph declared, breaking through the wall instead of the already broken down by Lamia door, moving onto the next room.

Joan fell on her knees, as her grip tightened onto her broken sword's hilt "You...Aphrodite Cytherea...I will remember that name. Because one day, I will pay you back" Joan said, with new found determination, having gained someone she can call an equal.