Lila's Preview: Radiance and Freedom

Under the twilight of the stars, cars zoomed down the highway, hovering an inch above the black pavement as the magic of the world guided them along their path.

A sleek automobile, curvy lines and dark as a shadow. It zipped seamlessly down its own private stretch of road, windshield wipers swaying back and forth, sweeping away a few stray strands of water. In the back of this luxurious vehicle sat a man in a velvet interior, arms wrapped around two lovely ladies as he sat crossed legged with a huge grin on his face.

“I can't wait to get you two back to my place.” He was a slender man with a black suit, smooth white skin and long, silky white hair that he let fall over his shoulders as he laughed, drunk on the expensive liquor he had grabbed for the sake of pampering his newest escorts.

“Oh, you treat us so nice, Mr. Silver!” One of the girls giggled as she placed a hand on his chest. He groped her in response, hands gripping her large breasts as she gasped at his touch.

“God, you're so sensitive little miss.” He chuckled back in what he believed must have been a seductive manner. “Driver, can't we go any faster!?” He sneered, wondering why they hadn't gotten off the highway yet.

“S-sorry sir!!' The old man in front quickly hit the pedal, accelerating down the road, lest he receive the backlash of his young master's fury.

“God dammit, your incompetence totally threw me out of the mood.” The young man snorted, throwing himself back against the velvet cushions of his seat as he looked off into the city lights.

“Sorry sir..”

As they drove, a figure stepped into the scene. Like a ghost, it appeared down the road, the clack of high heels striking pavement over shadowed by the lone cars engine.

“S-sir?” The elderly driver began sheepishly.

“What the hell is it now!?” The young white haired deviant barked back.

“Th-there seems to be a woman in our path.”

“What?” The man shifted towards the window to get a closer look, shoving aside his “company” as he looked through the side opening to get a glimpse of the woman in question.

The figure, curvy and slender, ice blue hair flowing in the cold night wind, pulled out a silver instrument. A rapier, its slender blade caught the moonlight as its wielder struck the air with a thrust that caused a circle of archaic letters to sprout forward.

“Oh fuck, it's her!” The man realized with a blank face expression of terror.

“Sir, what should I do?”

“Turn around!!” The young master shouted in desperate response.

The blue haired woman in white struck the center of the circle and bullets of blue light shot out and scattered like rain, flowing through the air and converging on the car as it sped forward. The rain of light pelted the vehicle, denting it and causing it to spin out of control as the driver desperately tried to keep it steady to no avail.

The vehicle slid, smashing into the magically reinforced guard rail of the high way.

It was silent for a while, quiet for a single second before a terrified young man came scrambling out of the destroyed car, leaving the other passengers behind as he made an attempt at escape only for a blade to shoot through the sky and pierce his left shoulder, sending him flying backwards and pinning him to the road.

“Holden Silver.” A voice echoed in the night as a woman appeared from no where. A fair skinned lady, slim figure and sizable bust wrapped in a one piece sleeveless dress with a skirt that reached above her knee and seems on either side. The dress also featured two holes, a diamond shaped one over her stomach area and a square window over her cleavage. Under the dress she wore a a pair of tights cut up to above her knee and above the skirt she wore a gold belt in the shape of a V.

Her name escaped his lips in a whisper.

“Lila..”

The figure smiled, placing the sharp heel of her boot on the man's chest as she pulled out her sword, splattering bits of blood across the black road as she did so.

“Yes, it's me, Mr Silver.” Her smile disappeared and in an instant her blade's point was at the man's throat. “You know why I'm here, correct?”

“Of course I know, you fucking bitch.” And just like that, the blade was in his other shoulder, pulling out a scream of pain as the man's suit was stained red. “You still have that temper huh?”

“Tell me where he is.” She said softly, voice cold.

“You think I'd just give up the boss like that?” And again he was stabbed, this time through the left leg. “Oh my god, you fucking bitch!!”

“You shouldn't talk to a lady like that, I might lose my temper.” She replied, poising her blade for another strike. “No ones coming for you, I knew where you'd be and there's a field around this area to keep out unwelcomed guests.”

“Did your homework huh?” Silver mused through gritted teeth. “But I'm a member of Snake's Tongue remember.” He pulled out a phone and pressed the screen with his thumb. With a whirl of wind, a pod shot down through the sky and crashed into the road. “We always come prepared, especially when a product goes rogue on us.”

The pod's door slid open and out stepped a shapely figure shrouded in a black body suit that wrapped tightly around its lithe body. A woman, head encased in a helmet of solid black metal with lines of glowing red running along its side, converging on a single orb of demonic ruby in its center. The girl took another step and Lila quickly readied herself, steadying her footing as she raised her blade. In response, the orb of fiery red erupted in a show of dark energy, summoning forward a blood drenched katana from its center that the black shrouded puppet grasped.

“See that, you dumb cunt?” Silver sneered with a maniacal grin. “That's the new girl we got, a neat little toy ready and willing to do whatever it takes to please us.” He smirked at the cold look he received from his captor. “I can't wait to see that look sliced clean off your face after this field test is over.” He said between shaky breaths, crawling backwards and away from the ensuing battle.

“Stay right there, Mr. Silver.” Lila replied, eyes focusing on her new target as she shifted her footing. “This won't take long.”

The puppet's orb glowed, firing a beam of red energy straight at the warrior who quickly deflected it. It fired again, blast of burning red cutting through the night air but being redirected by the white knight. It continued its barrage but the warrior danced around it, deflecting each shot into the night sky as she twirled along the road.

The orb rumbled, particles of energy converging into its center before it fired a huge beam of destructive force.

As the charge of magic rushed forward, Lila straitened her back and poised her rapier in hand, white light building at the tip of her blade as she shot it forward, splitting the beam in two right down the middle. When the furious pulses of red and white colliding ended, she stood with rapier outstretched, feet firmly planted between the two lines of destruction on either side of her from the split beam.

“My turn.” She tossed her blade into the air, using two finger's to summon another circle of magic before her. With a snap of her fingers, white gloves appeared over her hands and stiletto heeled boots turned into flats as she kicked off the ground to twirl around and snatch her falling blade out of the air before striking the center of the circle with the its tip.

Magic discharged from the archaic lettering, blue lights that shot through the air, swirled through the sky and converged on their target in a hail of magical bullets.

The red puppet, katana in hand, seamlessly shifted through the onslaught before dashing forward.

Lila closed her eyes, body glowing a dim white before she accelerated at a lightning pace, appearing in front of the puppet in a flash of sword strikes. She went for the head, a volley of thrusts that missed as the red puppet twisted and swerved its head at every instant before impact. Lila continued with a low stab at the puppet's legs before spinning around to slice through its chest all to no avail as the puppet shifted its footing and back stepped away from every cut before returning with an overhead strike from its blood red katana.

Lila side stepped the downward slash before back flipping away from another swing that nearly cut her stomach open. She countered with a precision strike that the puppet ducked under, coming back up with an upward thrust. Lila tilted her head, the red blade passing over her chin as she went with the momentum, back flipping onto her hands and striking the puppet across the face with an uppercut-kick as she did so.

They both landed, Lila on her feet and the puppet on its back, skidding across the floor.

“I see Lillian is as sharp as ever...b-best sword we ever made.” Came the short, uneven voice of a weak Holden Silver.

The puppet got up, rolling back onto its feet like it was being yanked by strings. The orb of her helmet rumbled again, shining with a demonic glow as the puppet twirled the katana in its hand before sliding one foot back and taking a samurai's stance. It pounced, launching itself across the road with a ferocious swing that clashed against Lila's defense as she blocked the blood blade with her rapier. The ensuing backlash destroyed the ground around them, a field of energy exploding outward.

But ya know what, ya ice haired bitch, I don't think you're gonna last...

As Lila's focus stayed on the defense, the puppets leg whipped around to strike her in the side, sinking in her ribs before sending her flying, crashing against the guard rail and over the edge.

The puppet took a step forward, walking to the edge and watching as the ice haired girl fell to the busy level of traffic below.

“I have removed her from the field of influence she put up around this road...” The puppet turned to her master, emotionless and cold as she awaited her next order.

Silver simply smiled devilishly.

“Finish her off, and when you've got her by the throat, tell her this for me....” The black adorned puppet simply listened intently before nodding at his order and jumping over the edge to the crowded streets below.

“Ahhhhh!!” Lila shouted as she fell, back smashing into the roof of a speeding car. “That girl's not playing around.” She said, holding her side as she stood up, the wild winds blowing through her hair as the car she landed on sped down the public highway. It was the dim glow of red that made her turn around in time to deflect a beam of energy up into the night air with the side of her blade.

Falling from the level above, the puppet fired a volley of shots at the car Lila stood on. Closing her eyes, Lila's body once again glowed white as she released a barrage of pinpoint strikes into the sky faster than bullets, each thrust dispersing a red blast in an instant.

As Lila's body dimmed, the puppet landed on a van a few cars behind the one she stood on. It stood, ready to fire another blast but Lila's circle of white light was already up, firing a single bullet of blue magic that struck the puppet right in its orb and knocked it off balance.

Before it could regain composure, Lila accelerated, body flickering in and out of sight as she dashed from roof to roof, appearing in mid air before the puppet with a pulled back blade. Her rapier launched forward, piercing the air but striking metal as the puppet brought up its sword in time to deflect, allowing the rapier's piercing strike to glide across its katana in a flicker of red and blue sparks before bringing up a leg and stomping the white knight in her chest, sending her flying through the back windshield of the taxi in front of them.

“What the hell!?” The taxi driver shouted as he looked in the back seat to find a girl on her side, breathing in sharply as she tried to catch her breath amidst the shattered glass.

“Sorry sir, H.G.A business...” Was all she could say before she rolled off the back seat, hitting the floor just as a katana blade pierced the car's roof and punctured the backseat below.

The puppet stood on the roof, readying for another stab.

“Hey, you don't own this car!” Lila pulled out her rapier, drawing a circle of light in the air with a few flicks of the wrist and firing another bullet of blue energy through the roof, striking the puppet in its forehead and knocking it off the car. She got up, dusting herself off as she pulled out a notepad and jotted down a number before passing it to the cab driver. “Call that number and all repairs will be fixed.” She said before kicking the back door open. “Just ask for Arthur Hellion!!” She shouted over the wind before jumping out of the car.

She skidded to a stop when her feet touched the floor, rapier raised as she watched the puppet speed towards her, passing by the cars as it made its advance. Lila just stood at the ready, the cars zooming by the least of her worries as she watched the puppet launch itself high into the air.

High in the night sky, like a demon in the shadows, the puppet floated in the moonlight, blood red orb gathering energy. A circle of runes appeared in front of her, red archaic letters and designs forming into a sinister magical glyph.

“Spell of desolation.” Red lighting charged through the circle as the puppets aura grew rampant, its orb pouring out twisted bolts of dark magic. “God of malice and destruction, rise thy hand...

Lila stood below, gritted teeth as she held her ground and summoned a circle of white light and ancient runes.

She can use old magic?

The puppet threw its hands out, fingers spreading to condense the circle, condense the magic into a smaller form that settled in the space between her out stretched palms.

And then...

“And fall...” The force of the blast released a shock wave through the sky, burst of electricity expanding through the clouds as the condensed beam of red aura hurtled down to earth like the devil's lightning. Lila didn't move, her magic colliding with the destructive explosion, blocking it as the pressure destroyed the ground under her feet. The white magic held for another second before shattering to pieces under the might of the blow. Lila's eyes widened as she gripped her blade, blocking the beam as it shot her straight through the highway and into the underpass. Her back smashed into the concrete floor, the pulse of red energy unleashing a sphere of blistering aura when it struck the hard surface.

All that was left when the ferocious bolts of lightning ended, was a crater with a girl lying in its center, body limp and fingers barely keeping hold of her rapier.

“You are finished.” The puppet said, floating down to stand over the ice haired warrior. Lila moved to counter but was instead gripped by the throat and lifted into the air. The puppet squeezed, threatening to crush her wind pipe. “I have you by the throat now.” She informed, monotone. “Master says, “When you have her by the throat, tell her this for me...” The lithe figured doll pulled the barely conscious girl close to its face as she tried to keep a grip on her rapier. “Tell her “Your whore face is the first thing I think about every night.””

Lila's eyes shot open.

“End of message.” The puppet pulled back its katana twirling it in its hand for the final strike but stopping when a force of air cut its cheek. A pulse of killing intent, ice cold and monstrous as it whipped through the air like blades of wind. Before it could analyze the change in atmosphere, the puppet's arm grasping the girl's neck was severed and it was being struck in the stomach by a rapiers handle, sending it plummeting backwards out of the crater and into a pillar of stone.

“What did you just call me....” Ice blue hair turned white, rising like it was submerged in water as the killing intent grew stronger. Lila jumped, sailing out of the crater and landing on the concrete as the puppet pulled itself out of the pillar and fell to earth. Lila's feet touched the ground just as the puppets did and the two faced each other once again. The puppet moved to attack but a blast of killing intent shot it backwards, back pressing against the wall as it looked on at the girl in front it. Lila, hair now a pure white and eyes a crystal like silver, took a single step before disappearing, causing a small explosion of dust to erupt behind her.

She reappeared in the same second she was gone, standing in front of the puppet with rapier poised. In another instant she was attacking, a Gatling gun force of sword strikes that tore the puppets defense asunder before her leg came up to kick the tattered puppet in its side, sending it flying across the ground.

“This...power level...illogical.”The puppet calculated as it struck the concrete, barely getting up to stand on broken appendages as it scanned for the girl in question.

“Take it back...” The puppet looked up to see the force from its prey was still growing. “Take it back..” Lila's bangs hid her silvery glare as she held her rapier in hand. In a flurry of light, her rapier shined with a brilliance as runes engraved themselves on its surface.

“S class enchantment.” The puppet analyzed. None of these new variables made sense, the data it had wasn't anything like this, it didn't make sense. “Illogical.” It tried to understand but in another second, Lila was gone, reappearing above it and battering the puppet with a shining volley of thrusts before disappearing again.

The puppet tried to compensate, summoning a circle of its blood red magic and firing huge blasts of energy. 

It was all in vain though. 

Each shot fired hit air when the white haired knight disappeared as soon as she was there, constantly slashing away at the puppet in the blink of the eye at every turn. One swift movement sliced through the puppets orb and out came magical discharge as it rumbled furiously, breaking apart.

“Illogical...cannot...calculate..” The puppet stuttered, trying to keep its core stable as it went out of control but being unable to focus with each new slash across its body.

Lila stopped, sliding to a stop from her dance of blades and poising her rapier for a final assault.

Third dance

The magic concentrated on one point, runes of magic sliding up the silver surface of the blade and culminating at the very tip of the elegant sword. Lila rushed, the tip of her blade leaving a trail of light behind as she accelerated beyond human sight once again.

Firefly!

Lila landed on one knee, reappearing far behind the raging puppet as it tried to comprehend what was going on. It turned to attack but in a flash, thousands of slashes appeared across its body, a myriad of strikes that exploded outward and left the red puppet falling to its knees.

Lila stood up, white hair and silver eyes returning to their respective hues as a small sigh of relief escaped her and she slid her rapier back into the emerald sheath attached to her belt. With a few strides, she was soon standing over the limp body of her attacker. She knelt down and placed a hand on its throat for a pulse, another sigh of relief escaping her when she felt one.

“Few, I thought I'd killed you there for a minute, good thing I was holding back.” With a gentle tug, she pulled off the puppets helmet, displaying a beautiful girl underneath with radiant red hair. “Glad I managed to get this off, maybe Arthur can do something with it.” She turned, walking away with the helmet tucked under her arm. “Be grateful..” She whispered with a smile. “You're not a puppet anymore.”

A FEW MOMENTS LATER

“Well...I'm not surprised.” Lila stood where Holden Silver's car once was, it was now just an empty space with a dented railing. “That weasel, I'll get him next time for sure.” Her thoughts were thrown off by the sound of her phone ringing. She quickly pulled it out and a holo-screen appeared, a young man's very loud voice shouting at her when it did.

“LILA!?” Came the panicked questioning.

“Yes, brother?” Lila asked calmly, wondering why her dear brother was so distraught.

“WHERE ARE YOU, WHAT HAPPENED!!!?”

“Hmmm...nothing much.” She answered with a bright smile.

“Nothing much!?” Her brother repeated in shock. “Why didn't you answer your phone!?”

“It's nothing to worry about brother and hey, I'm bringing pizza home, what do you want on it?” She asked cheerily.

“Uh, I don't know, a meat lovers I guess.”

“Gotcha.” She replied before hanging up. “Meat lovers, I like veggie pizzas.” She placed a hand on the hilt of her blade as she looked out at the city below. “But anything for my little brother..”