Punching over his shoulder into her face, Cinderella was thrown off Amael and through a near by wall, though the house was already empty by now.
"Hey, what did you do that for!", the other version of Cinderella said.
"Your question make no sense to me… It should be obvious what the problem was."
"Hm? Because you love me? So you're a wife-beater… What have I done, trapped in a toxic marriage!? Oh well, you are handsome so I guess it's a win."
"Your voice is truly irritating…"
Amael dashed forward, aiming to kick her in the stomach and through a wall as well. However, she simply leaned back with surprising flexibility, and he flew right past her, stopping himself mid air to punch down at her but she already kicked him alongside her dodging motion, throwing him back with even more surprising force.
"Ew, don't be clingy. I can't help that I love everybody equally~…"
Climbed out of the building, he looked around for the second Cinderella, but she was nowhere to be found and never came out of the building he threw her into.
"You love everyone? I find that hard to believe."
"Of course I do! How could I not, when everyone loves me so much, I just have to return the favor~…"
"That too, I find hard to believe…"
"That's weird… You're the perfect example. But I suppose you can't be good looking and smart, so I forgive you!"
"Your forgiveness means nothing to me."
"Hm~? How could that be~? No, I don't think you are telling the truth… But…"
She once again appeared behind him, cupping both his cheeks and caressing over them, one nail digging in a bit deeper than the others, but unable to penetrate Amael's skin.
"Can't you feel my love? I have so much of it, I just can't help but give it out every chance I get… Your name was Amael, was it not~? Yeah, I know even though you refused to introduce yourself. Doesn't that just scream pure love to you?"
He flapped his wings and she was once again thrown away, however she catched herself this time, reducing her momentum by doing a series of cartwheels, before standing still again.
"I introduced myself earlier when giving my speech. You obviously listened. This has no connection to fate or true love."
"That's not even truuueee… I was totally not there when that happened. I only arrived later, I promise!"
"I truly don't care."
"You're a real piece of work, y'know that? But that's what I like about you~…!"
She once again appeared right next to him, however this time more interesting in the sword he previously used to decapitate her. Wrapped her hand around the blade and clenching tightly around it, so much in fact that all her fingers were cut off. At which he immediately jumped back.
"What is wrong with you!?"
"Ah, look, did that disturb you~? I truly can't tell beneath all the love in your eyes~! Or are you perhaps confused? We did establish that you weren't all that smart…"
She licked over where her fingers were they regrew, while she regrew from all of her fingers on the ground as well, so there were now a total of six Cinderella's.
"You see, I'm unarmed… And ripping them off is really unladylike~ So I hope you didn't mind me borrowing your sword for a bit?"
His sword disappeared into light particles and he shot a beam of light at the talking Cinderella, who had her head removed once again. However this time it was vaporized, and there was no visible structure, besides the main body, to regrow from left. One of the other Cinderella's made a surprised and condescending noise, clapping a bit which made it even more condescending.
"Ooh, I see! Because you only used physical attacks so far, you figured magic would seal the deal! But… You are sadly mistaken, my love!"
Out of literally nothing, what could at best be a single molecule of Cinderella's head, grew a seventh one. While the body of the sixth also regrew to a fully functioning one.
"You tried talking to these people earlier, did you not? It makes me wonder, are you here to make friends with them? If so, if they were all dead, that would surely make you feel sadness comparable to love, would it not!?"
"What are you saying…"
"Ah, still so slow…"
All Cinderella's but one disappeared at the same time, while the last remaining one was thrown a knife by the Cinderella that never came back earlier, now behind Amael as both dashed at him.
Marneras on the other hand was much more successful, as he held onto the hand of the Hero, little needle-like arms sprouted from his palm, covered by the Hero'e larger hand. Crawling through gaps in his otherwise seemingly impenetrable armor, they reached his flesh and stung deep inside, each individual vein feeling as if it was put on fire as well as the open wound poked with a sharp knife repeatedly. However the Hero did not release a single sound, and lifted his other hand. With all his might, he slapped Marneras face so hard his neck snapped, turning well over 180° as he flew off to the side. However not without ripping the Hero's arm, which was still connected by the numerous needles, clean off and with him. As Marneras head snapped back into place, the Hero rose from his knees, being healed by a near by elf, as well as using his own magic to stop the strong bleeding.
"Lucky you… A few moments later and they would have gotten hold of your torso. Your little stunt would have ripped off much more than an arm by then."
"I am… Truly impressed. It is in the nature of small creatures to use deception to their advantage, so I naturally expected you to try something of the sort. However, to think you would take off my whole arm… You are without a doubt a formidable opponent, one of the strongest I ever fought."
"I too am quite impressed to see you remain so calm despite suffering such a critical injury…"
"Ha ha ha, truly, you are blessed with ignorance!"
"Excuse me?"
"Though this might be the most I have ever been injured in a fight, it is not the most dangerous situation I was ever in."
"What could possibly compare to this situation…?"
"Yoo want me to tell you? Sure. Maybe, even your ignorant mind can learn a thing or two from my mistakes."
"Go on… I won't attack."
"It was not too long ago… Maybe a year or so, when I was much less experienced… When I met a woman, no— a warrior, so fierce, it quite literally swept me off my feet. Though our strength at first appeared evenly matched, I had grown too comfortable around her during our encounter. I overlooked the fact that she was protecting someone, and was most likely just toying with me from the beginning to impress him… Or maybe she was holding back because otherwise he would have been in danger… It is hard to tell now. As I foolishly mocked her, and underestimated the full extent of her abilities, I suddenly faced the truest form of power. One so strong, it not only swept me from the ground, but the ground beneath me itself! Forced deep into the earths core, I had to endure a heat that my damaged armor could not fully withstand, and I lost my sword during my descent as well. Having to survive of the flesh of monsters which housed in a cave with no apparent exit, only accessible through the hole which I fell down in the first place. After months of regaining my strength and repairing my armor, I began climbing the hole up, where I luckily also regained my trusty blade, as I found it stuck in the wall. Without it, I might not have made it the entire way. Luckily, once I escaped, the woman was gone. If she had waited for me, for whatever reason, I would have ran away and never looked back…"
"You do not seem like the kind of person to run away, even now…"
"Yes… I am not! But even so, even a true Hero knows when he is outmatched. Which is also how I know, that today is not one of those times! Because compared to that woman, you are but a small and fragile creature! Ha ha ha!"
"…Your words move me. Won't you pledge allegiance to my emperor?"
"What a kind offer, truly, I knew you were but a small man who has lost his way… Sadly, to help you, I mustn't join you, but go against you. As it is what a true friend would do."
"A friend? I think you got something confused…"
"No, truly, I see it perfectly clear… All life is created equally. And for whatever reason we may fight right now, we survive this encounter, I can very well imagine we may once fight on the same side."
"You are very much confused… However, I can't help but think my emperor would take a liking to you. For that you deserve a second chance…"
"Ha ha ha! Maybe in the next life, little one. For I have still something to protect on this side."
"Very well… I will let go of the idea then."
If only Amael had the chance to have a peaceful conversation with his opponent, but he was the one who chose the inside of the city, so really he had only himself to blame.
"This is the point where you should run away, Amael! Run, run and try to save those around you, show me your love for them!"
He grabbed both the one in front of him and the one behind tightly by the throat, making her unable to speak. With her secured, he flew upwards into the stratosphere.
"You are a vile woman… If you truly cannot be harmed by any of my attacks, I suppose this environment will suit you best."
Flying even higher, he let go of her and the momentum carried her off into space.
"Now… Only five to go."
Flying back down towards the city, he circled over near by districts, looking for crazy woman running around. Surely, he found one, grabbed her by the neck after pouncing onto her like a bird from the sky, and threw her into space. As he tried to grab the fourth one however, he was met with an elegant dodge.
"Oh wow, I didn't expect that kind of approach… Color me terrified~!"
"I will search every bit of this city if I have to. You will not get out of here alive."
"Yes, that's the spirit! I can feel the love housing within that determined glare of yours! It would only be fair if I met it with something equally exciting… "Love Wonderland"~!"
Suddenly, Amael's body became extremely heavy, barely movable. All while Cinderella began ripping fingers our and throwing them on the ground again. It was then when he decided he had to use his secret weapon, given to him by his God himself for this mission, the Book of Abilities! Feeling that he needed to understand what Cinderella just did, and using the chance while she was duplicating, he read through the page that wrote itself while he looked at her with the book in hand.
"There… Love Wonderland, ability tied to the title of Incarnation of Lust… The user creates a domain with themselves as center, of absolute freedom around them, in which they are able to manipulate concepts, properties and causality to their liking for as long as the manipulated objects remain within the domain. Size and duration of the domain are relative to the heart rate of the user. Faster heart rate equals a larger domain and longer duration…? In other words, they become…"
"Lovable~!"