>>5231752“No, no no no! I won't die, not again!” she shouts in panic, backing up right against the altar. She looks back at it, then back to you, eyes wide with fear. She then throws her hands forward, and once more unleashes her spell once more with a desperate shout. “<span class="mu-i">Ningyo Geki</span>!!”
Again she fires ten violet magical threads, but this time you're not going to simply stand there and try to block them. Instead you dash forward, ducking under the threads and closing the distance almost instantly and swing. Your blade almost connects with her neck, when suddenly you feel several piercing stabs into your back, arms, and legs. And to your horror, you can no longer move!
“Gah?” you exhale, partially in pain and also in surprise. Looking over your shoulder, you see that the threads turned midair, and all impaled you from behind. “D-Dammit.”
“You almost got me.” the ghost says, sounding genuinely surprised. “Had you been faster, you would have gotten me. I must say, I'm impressed.”
But as the specter ducks under your blade and moves off to your right side, you feel her magic inundating your body; the threads binding you in place and keeping you from moving so much as an inch. But as her magic binds you, you feel your eyes widening in surprise as you realize that you've felt this magic before. This EXACT SAME magical energy, just an hour before. You feel your eyes widening in shock, realizing that you've been manipulated from the very beginning.
“Now, how about we have you take that pretty little head off with that dangerous scythe of yours?” she says, and for a second you feel your arms <span class="mu-i">moving</span> without conscious effort. But after less than a second of movement, your body simply stops. “Huh? What's this?”
“What're you waiting for? Do it.” you say, turning to meet the ghost's gaze. She looks worriedly towards you, and notice her hands are trembling. Then you hear it, feeling the two identical magics inside your body warring for dominance while that same comforting voice from earlier plays in your mind.
“I expect you to do your best.” you hear Serena's voice say, and suddenly the threads binding you are no longer enough to stop you. Whirling around your deathly blade flashes, cutting through the threads binding you to the ghost with a single fluid, practiced motion. “Don't give in, no matter what.”
“Why? Why could you resist my goddess's power?” she asks, shocked. “How is this possible?”
“You've been betrayed by one of your own.” you tell her, the ghost's eyes widening. “She led me here to take you out of the picture.”
“One of my own? Wait, do you mean?” she asks, you seeing a small, worriedly-hopeful smile on her face. “There... There's another worshiper of Regina in the world?”
