V.I.R.A.L - Chapter 270

Holding her head Iris watched Zinnia and Acceptance battling to the death. She felt incredibly sick stumbling around walking towards Monty’s body. Everything felt so surreal to her as she fell forward, catching her fall as she stared up at Monty, dizzy. Dragging herself along, she rested Monty on her lap, whispering. “Monty… I’m so sorry.”

“Wa- up. Iris w-.”

An unknown voice whispered out to her as Iris looked around, startled. “What was that? That voice… Why was it so familiar?”

Zinnia poured back, sliding against the grass, leaving a crater in her wake pushing her katana around. She looked up at Acceptance with a bold look of determination to hide her grave concern. “What do you want with Iris Bargaining? Are you planning on using her to break the seal?!”

Acceptance chuckled at this floating in the air. “Not attempt, I already have. Like you before, the blood of a legendary hero shall mix with the blood of the Judgement’s ten and set us free. Iris is a clone of Eve Berry. The blood of the legendary hero runs through her body. I will take what’s mine and set this world straight.”

“Like hell, you will… I’m not letting your kind hurt anyone ever again. Iris is my friend, and together we will put an end to your war.”

Iris turned everything going blurry for a moment as she stumbled to her feet, facing Acceptance. Holding her head again, she twirled a cube around her. “I’m going to… No, I will have defeated you?”

Zinnia turned to Iris placing a hand on her shoulder shaking her slightly. “Hey, Iris, hang in there. Stay with me. Wake up and smell the perfume.”

“Sorry. I’m alright now.”

“400 years ago, your parents took away what was rightfully ours. My people are dying, Zinnia; our world is decaying and falling apart day by day. It is my sworn duty as a Stage of Grief to free my people no matter the cost.”

“At the sacrifice of ours?! We’ve done nothing wrong why should we have to suffer like that?”

“You’re not wrong. Your race has done nothing wrong except merely exist in our world. Regardless my best interest is for my people if that means crushing every last human to do so. So be it.” Falling to the ground, Acceptance began laughing to himself, drowning in a puddle of darkness.

Zinnia stared on, nervous as a giant hand-poured from the darkness attacking them. Pushing Iris back, Zinnia avoided the sudden hand looking on in horror. “What the hell is this?”

A large black creature with purple flowers hanging all around stood wedged into the darkness from the darkness. Half of its body hidden away in the ground. Its mouth ripped open, letting out a mighty roar sending shivers down both girl’s spine. Acceptance began speaking through the dark monster in a distorted voice. “The pride of the Garden and our gatekeeper of hell. The dark Cerberus will swallow you whole!”

The dark Cerberus lunged forward-looking to devour Zinnia, only for Iris to react, ripping up a heavy wall blocking the attack. The dark Cerberus kept snapping at the wall, breaking it over time. Zinnia stepped back, charging her electrical energy through her katana. Turning to Iris, she yelled. “Drop the barrier when I say… Now!”

The wall crumbled apart as Zinnia blasted forward, unleashing a mighty blast of electricity blowing through the darkness and into the sky. The dark Cerberus came back together before it began to move around with its darkness. Lifting its head up, it began to roar with fury as dozens of small disjointed skulls poured from the mouth, flooding towards Iris and Zinnia. The two reacted fast enough, cutting down as many as possible until there was none left. Iris turned to Zinnia, nodding as she threw up pillars from the ground. Zinnia used as stepping stones to ascend above the beast. Swinging its arm around the dark, Cerberus destroyed the pillars forcing Zinnia to leap up in the path of the beast. It struck again only for Zinnia to phase through it turning to smoke.

Bringing herself together, she let all her built up energy burst out as Zinnia toppled back down with a built-up force and smoke rippling behind her. The dark Cerberus opened its mouth as Zinnia snapped through, exploding all around, ripping the beast apart. Flipping back out of the darkness’ path, she met back up with Iris waiting. The dark Cerberus came back together one last time now with two heads. “Damn it… How was that not enough?”

“That thing is made of pure darkness from the Garden. Any normal means of attacking won’t work. Only the polar opposite can defeat it.”

“Fairy-Tale? Can you, do it?”

Iris nodded, keeping her Garden form together. “I can. I just need some help. I’ll weaken its defence as much as possible until you can put down the final blow.”

Zinnia shook her head, holding her katana forward pointing to the beast. “No, you should be the one to vanquish this monster. Acceptance is hidden away in there. Sever the link, and it should fall. Only you can do this, Iris.”

“Only me?”

“I believe you can do it. You have to, please. Team Rhapsody. No, the world needs you, Iris.”

A sense of pride and accomplishment overwhelmed the girl as she couldn’t help but smile at this. “Only me? I’ve never been relied on for that much? I’ll do it. I’ll be the one to take down Acceptance!”

“You defeat me? Don’t make me laugh. You’re a worthless nobody who stole the powers of someone far superior. You’re always in the shadow of your worthless sister, never gaining your own identity. If she was here, she’d most likely have won the battle by now. You cannot do anything without others recognition. You’re a failure of a streamer and a sister. That is your truth.”

Iris looked down, nodding. “Even so, if that’s true. That doesn’t change anything. That just gives me more of a reason to prove myself. My name is Iris Hawthorne, and I’m more than just Alice’s sister. I’m a part of Team Rhapsody, the greatest group of heroes in the world.” Flying up, Iris avoided the countless skulls piling at her as her powers countered, keeping her safe. Clapping her hands together, a hailstorm of spears flooded the sky, leaving a heavy bombardment ripping the dark Cerberus apart. Because of this, Acceptance was left wide open, revealed to be hiding in the centre of the darkness. The beast came back together. “There you are… I won’t ever lose again!” Slamming down, the dark monster caught in with its jaw. Holding herself together, stopping the dark Cerberus from devouring her, Iris screamed out, breaking the jaw and freeing herself before flipping over the monster. With the target in sight, Iris created a pillar leaving a heavy blow breaking the darkness around. Acceptance looked up, furious as Iris held her hand up as one giant spear came from the sky. Flinging it down, she screamed out with her final attack. “Heaven’s Wrath!”

The spear piled through the darkness cutting Acceptance down instantly. He screamed out in pain, losing the will to fight. “NO!”

The dark Cerberus was destroyed as Acceptance collapsed to the ground down for the count. The darkness faded as Iris fell back down, stumbling back being caught by Zinnia. “You did it, Iris.”

“I did? I really did…”

Acceptance crawled back, panting. “No, I cannot lose. I refuse to accept this! I cannot lose!”

Acceptance flinched, falling on his back, gasping for air, struggling. “What’s happening to him?”

Zinnia scoffed, slightly surprised. “He fell victim to his own Stage of Grief. He couldn’t come to accept his fate meaning the darkness within him will devour him.”

“I cannot die! I won’t die. The Garden grows forever; we will return!” Acceptance roared, collapsing, whimpering to himself with his last breath. “I will always win…”

Zinnia stood up, looking around, shocked. “This world is collapsing. Acceptance is dead; his world is gone. We need to get out now.”

Zinnia took Iris’ hand, running as they began to flee. Iris turned back, looking at Monty whispering to herself. “Monty… I’m sorry.”

Climbing out of the cavern, the world began to fall apart behind them. Zinnia stumbled, struggling to climb with Iris as she looked up. “We’re almost there!”

Iris began to feel dizzy again, blacking out for a moment. Zinnia caught her trouble. “What?”

“I’ve got you! Don’t let go!” Iris gripped on as Zinnia climbed up again, only to slip her eyes widening. “Shit!”

Zinnia fell as Iris turned, screaming. “Zinnia!”

As Iris fell, a pillar of ice ripped out, saving her. Iris looked up as Alton crashed down, holding her hand out. “What would you do without me, Zin?”

Zinnia looked up, speechless tears running down her face. “Alton… No way.”

“I made it just in time… Zinnia, Iris. Let’s go home.”

With Alton’s help Iris and Zinnia escaped reaching the surface as Acceptance’s world collapsed hidden under the V.I.R.A.L HQ. Iris walked forward as the sun pierced down, blinding her. “We made it?”

Taking Zinnia’s hand pulling her from the cavern, Alton smiled. “I think that was the last major point the Garden leaked out from. For now, we’ve held it back.”

Zinnia stood up, hugging Alton. “I’m sorry for everything.”

“Please, don’t. I cannot accept any sort of apologises. I pushed you away for my own agenda. Everything is my fault.”

Iris stared at the two meetings again, wiping her eyes. “You’re back… I’m so glad.”

“We wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for you, Iris. You saved everyone… I’m sorry about Monty; you chose the right choice.” Alton claimed.

Iris nodded, lowering her head. “I know… He was a real hero until the end.”

Alton walked forward, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Your one of us now, Iris. We’ve already taken down Mortem, but we’ll need your help to restore order here. What do you say? Fancy finally joining Team Rhapsody?”

Iris wiped her eyes, letting off a glowing smile. “Yes!”

“I’m glad. You in Zin?”

“Anytime. We’re the heroes here. Let’s keep saving the world.”

The three walked off to a brave new world as Acceptance watched on with a smug look. “Isn’t this such a beautiful world?” Turning around, he faced Iris, wrapped in vines unconscious, unable to move trapped in Acceptance’s world. “Sweet dreams Iris. Don’t let the bed bugs bite…”