Kat glanced at the surroundings hoping for a clue but nothing immediately jumped out at her. Focusing again, Kat tried to move her limbs but found them responding slowly.
*Dammit, seems that I'm not as fast as I think I am. Or perhaps it's the other way around, I'm thinking faster than I am. Either way, it looks like I won't be able to poke around too much if I want to solve this in time.*
Kat tried searching the nurses for any other indications that they could possibly be fake but found them to be matching in almost every way and the differences only served to help ensure they looked more realistic. For example, the way the lights fell over them were subtly different.
Of course, that was only to be expected because they weren't standing in the same position as each other. So Kat switched gears, the light from her flame was proof that one had to be fake. The issue was that the room was more than bright enough to prevent it having an effect on any other part of the nurses' uniforms.
*Shit what else.* Kat focused on her peripheral vision with Shizuka and Chiharu in it, but found that about as useful. Chiharu wasn't watching the nurses at all, she was looking down at Shizuka, so her eyes were out of sight.
Shizuka was even worse. Because she was just the ice stand in her whole body should be reflecting light, or casting some shadows, but it was as if she wasn't in the scene at all. It didn't even react to the lights from the blue crystal lamps, let alone Kat's own fire.
*Dammit. Why the heck are you making this so hard on me.* Kat looked over at Minor hoping she might have some way of helping. This was crushed however when Kat focused on Minor just barely in her vision with her eyes closed.
*Seriously! Could you not have done this to me world! Seriously what the hell. How is this even fair. The only people looking at me are the two nurses, everyone else has their eyes hidden. The room has no mirrors… where the hell am I supposed to get a clue from.*
Kat scanned the room one last time looking for some hint about her fire when her eyes landing on the ice cube that was currently blocking Shizuka's training area. Kat then proceeded to curse as she realised a second issue.
*Dammit, why!* When Kat had moved to intercept the nurses, she had ended up in such a position that her eyeline was blocked by Shizuka's tails. Oh sure she could see over them, but any reflection from her fire would be absorbed harmlessly by Chiharu's tails.
*Guess I need to move a bit then.* Kat beat her wings while her mind was slowed, and felt her energy roil in protest. Splitting it between her head, her flame and her wings was rather hard. *Dammit, I'm stretching myself to thin.*
Biting her lips Kat did the only thing she could and stopped providing her mind with the slowing effect. *I'll need to act as soon as possible.* Kat lifted off of the ground and the nurses continued, she was careful to move her legs slightly to not bother them as she looked over at the ice.
And there was no reflection. Not even a slight glimmer of light to show it being reflected. *Gotcha.*
Kat wheeled on the nurse she now knew to be fake, bringing her flaming hand down on the Nightmare. A moment before Kat would make contact with the fake it reached out, trying to tear away the vitarus fruit from the other nurse's hands.
Kat's tail speared out, blocking the path of the arm, as Kat set it on fire, hoping it would prevent some of the twisting. The nurse however was actually waiting for this trick. Grabbing Kat's tail, she pulled hard.
Kat found herself ripped out of the air, with the nurse stepping back and trying to fling Kat into the second nurse that was still walking forward without a care in the world. *Shit.* Kat went to start reeling herself in by her tail but realised that wouldn't quite cut it.
Kat folded herself completely flat as she brought herself in, curling into a ball as she slammed into the Nightmare nurse, just barely missing the real thing. The nightmare stumbled back slightly and dropped Kat's tail, which was actually to Kat's detriment.
Kat fell to the floor, but quickly tried to jump to her feet finding her wings uncooperative. Nonetheless, her tail was ready, and pushed her the rest of the way to her feet. Kat and the nurse eyed each other warily as Kat tried to plan.
*Ok, I can still feel my wings, and my tail is in perfect condition. Can I waste my demonic energy fixing those wings right now? Or do I just leave them out for the fight. I need them to balance, but if my tail is on the ball perhaps I can make due*
*At the very least I know that keeping demonic fire active over any given limb, while expensive, does prevent that part of me being twisted, and it is still much cheaper than repairing it afterward.*
Kat looked over her surprisingly full reserves and made the decision. Flaring her reserves she pushed as much as she could into her back feeling her wings slowly return to her. Once that was done Kat lit up her hands and charged.
The nurse hissed, but let herself take it, by rolling towards the bed. Kat wasn't willing to risk the Nightmare knocking the bed and messing things up though, and a tail coated in fire wrapped around the Nightmare's legs. Kat halted her charge in midair using her now functioning wings and pulled back tripping the Nightmare.
It screeched in pain, as Kat watched the area around her flaming tail start to dissolve. Kat's face broke into a faint smile *So I can fight you scumbags.* Kat let her fire burn, slowly coating the rest of her body as she lunged once again for the Nightmare.
It had other plans though. Losing its nurse-like shape and morphing into a black tar-like substance reaching out towards Kat in turn. They collided in midair with a thud, but the Nightmare was forced back.
Kat let her instincts take over, slashing and clawing away, punctuated by lunges from her tail. Kat watched as the Nightmare was slowing getting eaten away. She was winning… but not fast enough.
Examining her energy reserves she found herself quickly approaching halfway. *Dammit, I might have to risk the Grace special.* Kat let herself focus her eyes on the attacks, watching to see why she was burning so much energy and quickly found the answer.
The nightmare now it its tar form was dodging around her strikes, morphing out of the way. She still got decent chunks, but they were not as much as they could be, and her constant flaming upkeep to keep her body safe was doing her no favours.
"Minor" shouted Kat in her flurry of claws "You'll have to keep me safe for a bit"
Kat let her flames, burn. Exploded off her body. The instant she did so the Nightmare was covered in flames, seeping into its body and started to freeze it from the inside out. The two figures separated, as Kat fell backwards, her energy leaving her.
The Nightmare though was still standing. Looming over Kat with a menacing air. Minor took in a scared gasp, until the scene settled further. The nightmare was only standing because it was frozen in place.
Its once shiny and liquid form now solidified and dull. Minor looked over with worry at Kat, while Kat simply watched the Nightmare waiting for any movement. *How much have I got left?* Checking her reserves, Kat was surprised to still have a bit more than an eight left.
Trying to flex her muscles slightly, Kat found them responsive. *Ok, so I'm still good if it's not quite finished.* Kat held her breath as she watched the figure looming over her. Ready to use the last of her energy if the situation called for it.
A loud cracking sound rang out. Kat kept herself limp, not reacting in the slightest. Hoping that it would let its guard down when it broke fee. Slowly, a thick line appeared, going from the top left of the blob down to the bottom right.
The cracks started to spiderweb, as they grew and encapsulated the whole form. Slowing snaking their way with light cracking sounds. Before finally the figure shattered…
And fell to the floor. Small crystals of ice drifting down to the ground and Kat let herself relax mentally as well. *Ok. So they can be beaten. But probably only one at a time..* Kat let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding and closed her eyes for just a moment for a bit of rest.