One might think that thunder surrounded the entire Academy, if not for the fact that they were, in fact… howling like monkeys. It wasn't only them, however, as the whole world might as well be causing the planet to rumble with their almost unending cheers.
Everyone was watching as Dark Millenium could not even utter a single step; completely overwhelmed by the endless barrage of attacks that she was receiving from the members of the Hope Guild– of course, the people would be cheering.
The last they saw all the members of the Hope Guild in battle was when they fought with Darkday… and everyone knew how that turned out. And although they still showed themselves in public, it was only usually brief and with just one or two members fighting or subduing someone– and those don't usually last long.
So now, seeing them all together again, the people truly could not help but feel excited… especially since the one they were fighting wore an outfit similar to Darkday. They knew Dark Millenium was just a copycat, but the feeling of scratching their itch for revenge was still slightly nicked.
Dark Millenium couldn't even fight back, being bombarded by Tempo as he rammed his body towards Dark Millenium repeatedly; moving back and forth faster than the blink of an eye.
"Tempo, you're too far. Regroup!"
The cheers of the people then finally stopped as Tempo retreated. They held their breaths; their eyes, almost trembling with anticipation as they waited for Dark Millenium's doom.
Unfortunately for them, Dark Millenium, although slightly trembling, still managed to get up with no problem at all.
"…"
"This little bitch," Hera, whose veins were already almost throbbing and popping out of her grey skin, could not help but let out a short but very deep breath as she watched as Dark Millenium got up even after being bombarded by an almost barrage of strikes.
"Where did someone like this suddenly pop out from?" She then breathed out, her mouth slowly turning into a scowl.
"Hera, don't lose your temper like last time," Empress ordered.
"Pft, there are cameras. Big Ms. Celebrity here wouldn't do anything brash with them watching her," V scoffed.
"Oh, you seem to know me well. I'm truly touched."
"…That wasn't a compliment."
"I know," Hera also let out a scoff of her own. Her eyes, however, did not leave Dark Millenium even for a single second.
"Tch, let's just kill this fucker," trickles of green static then sparked throughout the arms of V's mecha suit; the robotic voice seeping out from the suit, not enough to show V's triggered emotions.
"Such a feisty mouth for one so young. You're probably the most foul-mouthed girl in the world right now."
[Hm, I guess you haven't met my daughter.]
"Pft, right," Tempo joined in on the conversation as he appeared beside Empress, "You got scolded hard because you kept sleeping with the boss."
"…"
"…" Tempo's eyes then slowly widened; his eyes almost popping out from their sockets as he slowly realized what he just said.
His realization was followed by an awkward silence; lasting only a split second, but for him, it felt like forever.
"…"
"…"
"I–"
"Focus on the task at hand," Empress did not seem to mind as she just briefly glanced at Tempo before her gaze returned to Dark Millenium. Her ever so slightly trembling hands, however, did not escape Butcher's eyes.
But Butcher did not say anything; only letting out a small but deep sigh as he shook his head.
"Butcher, Hera…" Empress then whispered, "You know what to do."
"Of course," Butcher then immediately kneeled on the ground, stretching his hand to the side as he tightened the grip on his knife.
As for Hera, she moved behind Butcher; placing… her left foot on his back.
"Are you ready, baldy!?"
"Y–"
And before Butcher could even respond, Hera's muscles moved almost as if they combusted. A small explosion then erupted in the air as Hera kicked Butcher away; strong enough that a skirt of wind surrounded Butcher, who seemed to be sliding on the ground with ease and without any interference– almost as if the ground did not even exist.
Butcher then plunged his knife on the ground– but once again, it was as if there was nothing there at all as the knife went through with ease, slicing through the pavement. Not like cutting through butter, not even like cutting through water…. It was as if he was just cutting through air.
And without even a second passing, Empress suddenly appeared to his left, flying at the same speed he was sliding.
"…" Tempo was now also running to his right– and with a nod, Tempo and Empress rushed to the sides, quickly surrounding Dark Millenium in a sort of triangle.
"…" Dark Millenium then looked around, carefully observing the two individuals that suddenly appeared behind her. Her clothes were once again tattered, revealing her skin that was still full of scars. But now, different from before, there were also fresh patches of blood.
It would seem that, unlike their first encounter, the members of the Hope Guild knew how much strength to use. Dark Millenium's helmet was now also cracked; causing her heavy breaths to be heard by everyone. Her right eye had also slightly revealed itself to the outside world, glimmering in perhaps a green, or maybe blue hue.
"W–"
And unlike before, the Hope Guild seemed to not be allowing any dialog between them as Butcher did not stop his advance; his knife, moving straight towards her and threatening to split her body in half.
"!!!"
Dark Millenium quickly took a step back, but as soon as she did so, a fist was already waiting for her. She was able to raise both her arms to block the punch– but still, the sheer force was enough to cause her to almost instantly slam towards the ground, rolling away several times like a ragdoll before the recovered and floated in the air.
"Kah!"
But just a few moments after her body left the ground, her body quivered as it was suddenly surrounded by green trickles of lightning; crawling violently throughout her entire body.
"Haha! Die, die!"
Dark Millenium's entire body continued to tremble erratically. But even still, she managed to stay afloat; her shivering head, slowly turning towards V as she continued to release green trickles of electricity from her mecha suit.
"Turn it off!"
And as soon as those words reverberated in the air, the green trickles of electricity shooting out from V's mecha suit instantly dispersed. And not even a second later, Hera emerged from behind V; her fists, already heading straight towards Dark Millenium's head.
And this time, it connected, throwing Dark Millenium straight back to the ground; her body, once again violently bouncing as it rolled several meters away. And before she could even slow down, an echo thundered in the air; a blur, smashing straight towards Dark Millenium's back.
"Kh!"
Dark Millenium's body bent almost to a fold as Tempo's knee almost crushed her spine there and then. But it would seem that her body was truly durable, as the most it did was cause her to once again be thrown like a ragdoll to the other direction.
Everything seemed to be moving too fast, however, as she did not even notice Empress, who was already waiting for her with her arm already stretched… directly blocking the path of Dark Millenium's neck.
And with a small but very deep breath, Empress pushed her body forward, slamming her arm straight towards Dark Millenium's neck. And it was as if all the dust around them exploded, rippling away several times as a deafening thunder erupted in the air.
Dark Millenium's body then once again violently rotated in the air several times, but this time, in place. It was only perhaps after the 5th rotation that her body ever so lifelessly dropped to the ground.
"…"
And without even checking whether or not Dark Millenium was alive, Empress grabbed her by the ankle and started smashing her on the ground like some sort of bat.
"Hera!"
And with that roar, Hera suddenly appeared beside Empress. And without even slight hesitation, stomped her foot down straight towards Dark Millenium's head. She did so several times before Empress finally let go of Dark Millenium's leg.
"Whiteking," Empress then breathed out. And as soon as she did so, another batch of white pillars plunged to the ground, surrounding Dark Millenium's body and quickly confining it inside with some sort of barrier.
None of them knew whether Dark Millenium was dead or alive, but it didn't matter. They knew that Dark Millenium could regenerate, not as fast as Hera, but still enough that she might be able to escape again– and they couldn't take that chance.
And so, just like that, Dark Millenium was finally neutralized.
Although a lot of things seemed to have happened, in truth, it has not even been 5 minutes since their first exchange of fists.
"…" The members of the Hope Guild then all slowly gathered around the barrier, this time, Whiteking also showed himself as he emerged from the skies.
"Is the bitch finally dead?"
"…No, we're still reading signs of life," Whiteking answered as he looked at Dark Millenium, who was lifelessly sprawled on the ground– if it was not for her chest that was ever so slightly moving, then everyone that would see her would most likely assume she was dead.
And very soon, Dark Millenium's arms began to move.
"…She can still move? Just how durable is this bitch?" Hera said as she started cracking her knuckles, "Open the cage, I'll clobber this bitch to dea–"
And before she could even finish her words, Dark Millenium slowly sat up; her trembling body showing her struggle to even breath. And soon, with a slight snap, her helmet crumbled into pieces.
"What the…" Hera's entire body then quickly deflated; her skin turning into its normal brown color as soon as her eyes met with Dark Millenium's. And just like Dark Millenium's helmet slowly turning to ash, so did Hera's eagerness to fight, "She…
…she's just a girl."