Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though Kurma had tried to destroy her before joining the fight against Madara, Eve's durability and regenerative capabilities proved too difficult to overcome without the power of Authority. Kurma was able to destroy her limbs, head, and much of her body, but the core serving as her heart and matter production factory remained undamaged no matter how much force or energy was applied to them.
With the fight between Madara and Siddhartha quickly getting out of hand, Kurma placed a series of seals on Eve's core, trapping it within a sub-dimensional pocket. She believed they would endure until the fight with Madara concluded, but shortly after she left the seals unattended, cracks began to form in the surrounding space-time. Soon after that, a delicate-looking fist broke through, followed by Eve, her body covered in a series of cracks that rapidly mended themselves under the influence of the crystalline nanites comprising much of her form.
Looking around the battlefield, Eve briefly took stock of the situation before teleporting to relative safety. Her CPU, Oracle 2, had determined that the success rate of saving Adam was less than 0.074%, so the most rational course of action was to proceed with her prime directive. So long as she could locate and absorb the power of the Ouroboros Cycle, she could rescue Adam and fulfill the desires of the Ormus Society in a single go.
Spurred forward by her conviction, it wasn't long before Eve found herself near the mountainous corpse of the Demon Lord of Gluttony. It had been for some time, but the moment Eve neared it, the fiery eyes of Gluttony lit up, followed by a raspy, strangely wet-sounding voice saying, "Despicable wench...you think you can steal what's mine?"
Like a zombie responding to the warmth of the living, Gluttony lunged forward with its monstrous, muscular, and half-rotten limb. A toothy maw on the palm of its hand opened up, but Eve managed to evade before she could be swallowed whole, appearing behind Gluttony with a series of six futuristic cannons framing her like the wings of an angel.
Taking aim at the back of Gluttony's head, Eve released a salvo of divine energy in the form of six powerful lasers. As a Demon Lord representing one of the cardinal sins, Gluttony should have been ripped apart by such pure and refined energy. Instead, the folds on the back of its head parted to reveal another toothy maw, the interior of which undulated and swirled like a vortex as it devoured the beams without issue.
As her processors kicked into overdrive, Eve ceased her attack and flew high into the sky. The Gluttony before her was effectively a marionette for the original's fractured Ego, severely limiting its movements. It was using the corpse of the Ouroboros Cycle as a fuel source, but it could barely tap into 2% of her dormant power. Any more than that, and it risked exploding from the inside.
Realizing that Gluttony was attempting to absorb her power to resurrect itself, Eve dematerialized her energy-based weapons and summoned an excessively large sword in their place. The ivory blade was easily more than a hundred meters in length, but it still paled in comparison to the size of Gluttony, barely exceeding the length of its shortest talon.
Undaunted by the colossal Demon Lord's size, Eve descended toward it like an orbital laser, slicing open Gluttony's palm and leaving a large scar down the center of its forearm. The name of the sword was 'God-Slaying Stigmata,' and it was endowed with the power to aggravate wounds and inflict immense suffering on its victims. Eve was planning to wear Gluttony down by rending its body with unmendable injuries, but she soon realized that wasn't going to happen as the gash on the massive Demon's forearm opened to reveal yet another maw.
Forcing Eve to retreat, hundreds of tentacle-like appendages erupted from Gluttony's forearm, their tips resembling the mouths of lampreys. Eve had no trouble cutting them down like rows of fleshy wheat, but the severed ends regenerated instantly while the detached tips attempted to swarm and surround her.
Though most would have tried to break free from the encirclement, Eve viewed it as an opportunity to exhaust Gluttony's energy. The tip of her sword had surpassed causality, so even if there were tens of billions of leech-like tentacles, they wouldn't be able to overwhelm her. The more there were, the brighter Eve's surroundings became as the trajectory of her sword gradually occupied every possible vector.
Realizing Eve's intentions, Gluttony clicked its innumerable tongues and retracted its tentacles. It may have been able to devour Laws in its prime, but its current form could barely be called a shadow of its former self. The actual Gluttony had long since resurrected in the second Little Garden, so the deceased Gluttony's existence was fading with each passing moment.
In an effort to shift the fight in its favor, Gluttony's primary maw, the one adorning its stomach, began to open, its torso contorting grotesquely as a suction powerful enough to swallow light and distort the fabric of space-time emanated from within. Even the sphere of light formed from the afterimages of Eve's sword began to distort, compelling her to cease her flurry and retreat to a safe distance.
While attempting to analyze Gluttony's actions, various data points and error messages appeared in Eve's vision. Even with some of the most advanced analytical abilities in the current Order, she couldn't make sense of the former Demon Lord's actions. After all, if he could revive himself by drawing in additional corpses or devouring the energy of the ruined Little Garden, he would have done so without external prompting.
With Eve's attention primarily focused on Gluttony, her awareness of her surroundings was severely diminished. In spite of this, her body moved on its own as a predominately white figure attempted to ambush her, its powerful claws passing through the area where her head had been less than an attosecond prior.
Manifesting one of her many cannon-like armaments, Eve discharged a laser-like blast at point-blank range. She intended to either erase or send her assailant crashing into the ground but only succeeded in forcing them back a few meters before the beam from her cannon was fractured like a fragile glass column.
Realizing who her assailant was, Eve's chest opened like a six-petalled flower, unleashing the same energy beam that had 'erased' Madara a few hours prior. Said beam enveloped her assailant in its entirety, but even after several seconds had transpired, Eve could still sense their presence. Even more concerning, she could tell it was adapting, gradually becoming immune to her penultimate attack.
Before her assailant could finish its adaptation, Eve ceased her attack and attempted to escape. The surrounding space had solidified, but her attack had created a gap she could use to teleport to safety. At least, that's what Eve intended before a &nbsp;white hand emerged from her waning energy blast, grabbing her throat and preventing her teleportation.
"Where do you think you're going, bitch!?" exclaimed the left-most head of Eve's assailant, none other than the main body of Azi Dahaka.
"Hmmm, I recognize this one." said the right-most head. "Isn't she the shadow of Lilith? The doll that madman created to pacify another of his creations?"
Tilting his head slightly to the side, the centermost head gazed deep into Eve's eyes as it replied, "No. They're similar, but this one is even more of a doll than the original. Her structure is far more durable, but she's 'empty' on the inside."
Using his free hand, Azi abruptly ripped off Eve's right arm, interrupting her attempts to summon Stigmata. When it began to regenerate, he used his shadowy wings to disrupt it, the abyssal black material burning Eve's synthetic flesh like a powerful acid as the central head commented, "This one is different from the others we've encountered so far. She didn't come here from the 'outside.'"
Understanding what the central head was trying to convey, the right head issued a curious, "Hooooooo~?" before hypothesizing, "Then she must be a remnant from the war. We must have overlooked her since she isn't truly alive."
"Who the hell cares?" asked the left-most head. "The bastard that made her is the same nutjob that wanted to steal our Master's power to create a ceaseless Order. We should kill and devour her here and now."
Though he didn't usually agree with the left head, the right head nodded in approval, speculating, "Since she's from this side, we should be able to devour her without issue. That mysterious energy that keeps stealing our prey shouldn't have any influence in this region."
Seemingly ignoring its counterparts, the central head looked past Eve, its lifeless red eyes focused on the distant Gluttony. It was very faint, but he could sense a familiar energy coursing through the colossal Demon Lord's body.
With their senses being linked, it wasn't long before the other two heads followed their central counterpart's gaze. For the briefest of moments, a look of longing appeared in the gazes of the central and right heads. The left head felt the same way, but instead of succumbing to reminiscence, it screamed, "That pig bastard! Just who the fuck does he think he is...!?"
Temporarily seizing control of their shared body, the left head flung Eve into a nearby mountain before charging toward Gluttony with crimson tears staining its bone-white skin. The central head quickly wrested back control, but instead of changing course, he shaped his wings into a pitch-black spear, diving straight into Gluttony's stomach.
Despite the disparity in their size and weight, Gluttony's enormous body was propelled backward by the aftershock of Azi's charge. Black blood and bile erupted from the many mouths covering its body, but instead of fretting over its injuries, a deep, earth-shaking cackle began to emanate from the very core of Gluttony's being.
Spreading his arms wide, Gluttony bellowed, "I knew that bastard would come running if I began using his Master's energy! I can't believe he flew straight into my stomach! Gahahahahahaha~!"
Though he had no way of breaking down Azi's body and converting him to energy, Gluttony was confident he could siphon the former's power just as he did the Ouroboros Cycle. With enough time, he could even-
Before Gluttony could finish his thoughts, shadowy tendrils erupted from his body, slicing him to ribbons mid-cackle. His body didn't immediately fall to pieces, but black steam began to rise from the cuts as a terrifying energy began to surge from his core.
As his many eyes widened, Gluttony muttered, "Impossible..." in a tone of disbelief. Unfortunately, reality, or, more accurately, Azi didn't care for his opinion. Even before Gluttony had finished his final utterance, the colossal Demon Lord began to inflate. Moments later, his body burst, rent asunder by a powerful black shockwave that tore apart the foundation of the Little Garden as if it were loose sand.
Hovering in the air where Gluttony once stood, Azi's wings, which had temporarily taken the form of a dark star, retracted to their original shape. The space around him was in disarray, but the white-skinned Dragon God didn't mind it as the gazes of all three of his heads were focused on the white-haired woman in their arms. Her appearance was such that even Gods would be given pause when observing her, but her half-lidded eyes revealed the same lifeless orbs as Azi, crimson red without a single shred of emotion.
Seeing the woman that had occupied his thoughts since his inception, an eerily human smile developed across the central Azi's face. Then, without a moment of hesitation, he raised his former Master's body over his head and ripped her in half, bathing in her abyssal black blood...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eve be sneaky...','Gluttony is a sin for a reason...','A moment's reprieve, tarnished by absolute evil...')

Sensing the power of Azi, seemingly encompassing the entirety of the former Little Garden, Siddhartha, Madara, and Kurma, the latter two in their dragon forms, momentarily ceased battling.
Staring in the direction Azi's power was emanating, Madara's draconic visage formed into a smile, prompting Kurma to exclaim, "Don't do it! Now that things have developed to this extent, we should retreat and ally with other powerful Players...!"
"You and Mr. Hands are free to do exactly that," replied Madara, turning to Kurma as she added, "I'm no coward."
Without waiting for Kurma's response, Madara's colossal figure abruptly contracted on itself, disappearing nigh-instantaneously. This was despite Siddhartha having placed a seal on the surrounding space, compelling the three-eyed, multi-armed Buddha to cross his arms and remark, "That one is full of tricks..."
Exhaling a profound sigh, causing her surroundings to distort in response to the space around her expanding, Kurma directed her gaze toward the horizon. There, Madara had just unleashed a laser-like breath attack that caused her surroundings to be consumed by abyssal black flames.
Though she didn't believe Madara could defeat Azi, Kurma decided to trust that she could at least stall the great evil, turning to Siddhartha to ask, "Can you use the remnant energy of the Gods to prepare a Six Paths, Heaven-Sealing Array?"
"It's not impossible," replied Siddhartha. "However, even if I were to do so, it wouldn't be able to hold Azi Dahaka for long. Without the power of Authority, there isn't much we can do but delay him."
Reverting to her human form, Kurma's expression formed into a pout as she considered appealing for an Adjudication, temporarily suspending the Pandemonium Gift Game. Things were quickly getting out of hand, and if the companions of the Sage Dragon Emperor refused to cooperate, they had little hope of reclaiming the Reality Axis, much less defeating Azi.
Furrowing her brows grimly, Kurma briefly considered the possibility that Vahn had betrayed them. The odds were exceptionally slim, but it was the only thing that explained why his subordinates were so uncooperative...
Interrupting Kurma's increasingly negative chain of thoughts, Siddhartha said, "You should retreat first. The energy of this region and the influence of Azi Dahaka has started to affect and erode your mind. Return once you have grounded yourself."
"Ah..."
Though she didn't believe Azi's influence could affect her so easily, Kurma took Siddhartha's words at face value. The alternative was accepting that Vahn had somehow hoodwinked Shiroyasha, Indra, and countless others, herself included. She didn't want to believe that someone referred to as the 'Dawn' was capable of such deception. Thus, after one final glimpse in the direction of Madara and Azi, Kurma turned away and flew off in search of allies, leaving Siddhartha to ready the 'Six Paths, Heaven-Sealing Array' on his own...
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Emerging from the remnants of the mountain Azi had thrown her into, Eve gazed at the seemingly endless sea of black flames produced by Madara, habitually analyzing their structure before turning her carmine gaze to the shimmering black and white sun dominating the horizon.
Exhibiting a hint of emotion, Eve's eyes glossed over and wavered as she muttered, "I failed..." in a dispirited tone. Now that Azi had consumed the power of the Ouroboros Cycle, the odds of succeeding in her mission and fulfilling her purpose had decreased to 0.00000000000000000000147%. Not impossible, but various 'miracles' would need to transpire to create an opportunity for her to succeed.
With few options, Eve got on her knees and brought her hands together in prayer. As she did, pure white light gathered at her back and above her head, forming a set of angelic wings and a halo as the vibrant blue hue of her hair transitioned to chestnut brown. At the same time, her fair, nearly translucent white skin became a healthy shade of brown as she said, "Oh Heavenly Father, I come to you in this moment of weakness and despair, entreating your mercy. The odds of success are stacked against me, but I know that with you, all things are possible..."
Opening her eyes to reveal distinctive aquamarine irises, Eve added, "As I kneel before you, I ask that you grant me the strength to persevere in the face of evil. May your radiant light shine upon me and guide me on my journey, and may your love fill my heart with courage and determination..."
In response to Eve's prayer, beams of light began piercing through the dark clouds that had formed overhead, drastically weakening the intensity of Madara's flames.
"Transform me, oh Lord. May I be revitalized and empowered with the Wings of Providence. Help me glimpse the path ahead clearly so I might walk in the footsteps of your divine plan..."
As the power encompassing Eve's body began to spread outward like a domain, the side of the waning black sun abruptly exploded, followed by Azi emerging from within, his leftmost head screaming, "I don't fucking think so, you bitch...!"
Instead of attempting to evade Azi's meteoric blow, Eve closed her eyes in resolution, whispering, "I put my faith and trust in you, as I know you will not abandon me in my time of need..."
Punching at Eve's head, all three Azi's expressions darkened as their fist impacted a thin but seemingly indestructible barrier. The force of their blow instantaneously disintegrated the surrounding mountain, but Eve's hair barely rustled as she opened her eyes to stare directly at them.
"Impossible..." said Azi's rightmost head, a fierce glimmer emanating from his eerie pink eyes as he remarked, "This is not the power of the God you serve..."
Though she ordinarily would have refuted Azi's words, Eve knew better than the three-headed Demon Dragon God that the power enveloping her was different from usual. It felt familiar, as if it was the same as usual, but as a weapon designed to destroy the current order, she could sense when changes had occurred to its structure.
Reaching the same conclusion as Eve, shadowy, light-absorbing blood began to leak from the voids surrounding Azi's eyes as the central head grimly remarked, "It would seem a Poet even more powerful than Canaria has emerged..."
Before the leftmost head could unleash a scream of profanities, a black blade of energy attempted to slice through the central head but shattered like glass on contact, prompting the trio to look back at Madara, staring down at them in her Six Paths Sage Mode.
Clicking her tongue, Madara crossed her arms and remarked, "You're one tough bastard..."
Seemingly ignoring Madara, the three heads returned their attention to Eve, causing the white-haired Uchiha's brow to twitch. Her attacks might not be effective against the Ouroboros-empowered Azi, but she refused to be ignored...
Earning Azi's attention, Madara's mane of colorless hair transitioned from raven black to a dark shade of purple, starting from its roots. At the same time, a black monkey-like tail protruded from her lower back while the predominately white, black-trimmed robes enveloping her body dissolved, substituted by an Egyptian-themed halter top and baggy white pants.
Forming a Ram Seal with her hands, Madara manifested her Susanoo in the form of a dark purple giant with six arms and three heads. Each set of hands formed a different seal, but neither Azi nor Eve paid much attention as they raised their gazes high in the sky, staring at the colossal objects that had veiled their surroundings in shadow.
Though she doubted it would have much of an effect on the current Azi, Madara accepted that she would be disqualified, summoning seventeen Authority-empowered meteors, each more than ten kilometers across and infused with the Law of Destruction. Their speed wasn't very impressive, but Madara preempted Azi's potential escape by encircling him with several clones, each using Shinra Tensei(Almighty Push) to restrain him.
As if the Shinra Tensei had little to no effect on him, Azi reached up with his left hand, grabbing the end of the stake impaled through his chin and emerging from his bone-white snout. He ordinarily wouldn't have been able to remove it, but after absorbing his Master's power and blood, his existence and Authority had been strengthened considerably.
Tearing the stake from his maw, causing cracks to develop across his head and down the length of his serpentine neck, Azi surprised Madara by effortlessly breaking free from her clones and barreling toward her with 'reality-defining' momentum. His movements were such that even a perfectly ordinary child could perceive them, but Madara barely had time to widen her eyes before Azi pierced the center of her chest with the stake, sealing her power and preventing her from being ejected from the Game Board.
Grabbing Madara's neck with his right hand, Azi opened his toothy maw to reveal a black void. Then, without a moment's delay, he bit down on her head, ripping it from her torso, chewing it, and slurping up her inordinately long hair as he directed his gaze to the meteors above.
While drawing Madara's remains into his chest, Azi used the shadowy tendrils that formed his wings to grab the stakes piercing his other heads, tearing them free. The moment he did so, the two heads opened their fractured maws, unleashing shadowy beams of energy that sliced through the meteors, leaving an eerie black substance that rapidly consumed the cataclysmic constructs of Destruction before they had a chance to impact the devastated terrain below...
Witnessing the horrific scene, Eve's eyes began to waver until one of the remaining Madara's abruptly picked her up, shouldering her like a sack of potatoes before taking off as the version consumed by Azi exploded in a massive cloud of rainbow-hued energy...
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Observing the battle between Madara and Azi from a distance, a serious expression marred Yuri's face. She had doubts about her ability to provide backup to the proud Uchiha, but seeing how quickly Madara had lost, she doubted even Ureko could trade more than a handful of blows with the monstrous Demon Dragon God. At least not with the power they currently possessed...
Borrowing a page from Eve, Yuri brought her hands together, directing her gaze to the sky as she cheekily appealed, "Yo, Vahn, give me the power to fuck this guy up."
In response to Yuri's appeal, the world around her appeared to undergo a slide transition as incredible power surged from within her. Only a handful of powerful entities could perceive it, but as one of the people Vahn cared about, Yuri was at least vaguely aware of each time he effectively rewrote reality. In this instance, he had made it so that the two of them had spent nearly a hundred additional years training in the Tower, allowing her to be the one to defeat a far more powerful version of her father, Zahard.
Punching her right fist into the palm of her left hand, a battle-hungry grin developed across Yuri's face as a crimson aura erupted from her body like an explosive tide. At the same time, her two Companions, Mirage and Veil, enveloped her body in a predominately white, pink-tinged outfit with fins and feathery protrusions. Mirage was a holdover from the previous reality, but Veil, a pale-pink, phoenix-like Companion, was brand new, something Yuri had experienced fighting alongside for centuries despite having been created specifically to allow her to contend against Azi...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Kurma is very easily bullied...','Eve discovers the Path toward Salvation...','A power far beyond that of a Poet OwO...')

Undaunted by Madara's Susanoo, Siddhartha rose into the air, a massive, thousand-armed bodhisattva appearing behind him as he stated, "This is not a place you should be intervening..."
Seeing the form Siddhartha's aura had taken, Madara couldn't help grinning as she retorted, "How amusing. I wonder if it's the fate of those with my identity to confront opponents with powers related to Buddhism? I suppose that makes you my Hashirama."
Unaware of what Madara was referring to, Siddhartha closed his eyes and calmly stated, "I am one, one is all..." as he made a sweeping gesture with his right hand.
Accompanying Siddhartha's gesture, the golden bodhisattva behind him slapped Madara's dragon-themed Susanoo with force comparable to the birth of a star. However, instead of exploding outward and devastating the surroundings, the energy of the blow was absorbed by Madara's Susanoo, rippling across its surface before fading completely.
While others would have commented on the 'impossibility' of such a feat, Siddhartha's expression remained unchanged, remarking, "Interesting..." in a sonorous monotone. At the same time, he formed a series of seals with his remaining hands, intending to seal Madara away instead of trying to face her directly.
"You think you're the only one who uses hand seals!?" shouted Madara, an excited grin spreading across her face as both she and her Susanoo wove together a complex series of hand seals.
Instead of verbally responding to Madara's outburst, Siddhartha opened his eyes to reveal blazing golden pupils. The moment he did so, it was like a pair of twin suns had peeked over the horizon, enveloping the battlefield in luminous golden light.
Though she should have been impervious to most forms of attack in her present state, Madara's vision went black as the eyes within her sockets were immediately reduced to ash. Golden light also filled her mind, similar to a genjutsu, but she ignored the damage to her mind, body, and spirit to say, "Let's see you remain expressionless after this..."
Clapping her hands together, Madara produced a series of black, rune-covered pillars that rained from the heavens like obsidian lasers. None struck Siddhartha directly, but their presence caused a tyrannical aura to pervade the battlefield, making it feel as though the encompassing space had completely solidified.
Initially confused, Siddhartha raised his left brow ever-so-slightly, asking, "Were you hoping to seal me, of all people...?"
As her eyes rapidly regenerated, the smile on Madara's face became even more vicious than usual as she replied, "Just thought I'd even the playing field a bit..."
Performing a half-ram seal with her right hand, Madara shouted, "Katsu!" in a booming voice, activating the runic formation formed by the pillars. The moment she did so, the Susanoo surrounding her and the bodhisattva behind Siddhartha abruptly vanished, followed by both plummeting out of the sky.
"...!?"
Feeling as though his connection with all of creation had been severed, a rare look of panic developed across Siddhartha's face as he attempted to right himself and prevent his descent. Fortunately, while his link with the outside had been severed, he could still draw power from his own version of an Internalized Realm, something he hadn't been forced to do since the moment he attained enlightenment.
Just as Siddhartha was able to gain his footing, Madara appeared right in front of him, her grin threatening to tear at the muscles of her face as she shouted, "Now we're dancing to the same tune, you bastard...!"
Punctuating her words, Madara slammed her right fist into Siddhartha's left cheek, intending to send him flying. Instead, a sound similar to a gong being struck echoed through the area as a metallic, rune-covered golden hue spread across Siddhartha's face and body. It was visually similar to the armor that covered the limbs of high-ranking members of the Asura Tribe, but the luster of the plating and sophistication of the runes were in a league of their own.
Before Madara could fully process the changes in Siddhartha's body, the latter grasped her wrist and bicep with two of his left hands. At the same time, he used all three of his right hands, including the one sealing Adam, to strike her abdomen, ribs, and chest.
While Siddhartha's blows dealt no visible damage to her body, Madara could feel her meridians exploding as a destructive golden light spread through her body and invaded her dantian-like core. Siddhartha was clearly attempting to cripple her, but the moment his energy reached her core, Madara's personalized Companion, a ten-tailed Dragon known as Juryuu, released a mighty roar, shattering the invasive energy like glass.
Feeling Juryuu's roar permeate his body and echo throughout his mind, a grimace covered Siddhartha's face as he remarked, "I see...it wasn't you who destroyed my Buddhist Palm, but this monstrosity..."
Forming seals with two of his right hands, Siddhartha attempted to press them to Madara's abdomen but was prevented from doing so as the latter promptly abandoned her arm to create some distance.
Clicking her tongue, Madara took a moment to regenerate her lost limb as she questioned, "Has anyone ever told you that you're a real pain in the ass...?"
Regaining his earlier smile, Siddhartha answered, "Among other things..." in a calm voice. Then, taking advantage of the brief lull, he remarked, "I've never seen this sealing formation before. You must have been preparing it for quite some time..."
Snorting through her nose, Madara retorted, "Someone thinks too highly of themselves. These 'preparations' are just something I came up with on the fly. If you sincerely think we've been conspiring to overthrow the Buddhist Faction, you're not nearly as 'enlightened' as you'd have others believe."
"Hmmm..."
Sensing no falsehoods from Madara's words, Siddhartha nearly second-guessed himself for the first time in millennia. Instead, he cupped two of his hands together, stating, "This place exists outside the influence of the Central Network and its protections. If you insist on continuing this fight, I cannot guarantee your safe return to the Little Garden..."
Matching Siddhartha's expectations, Madara began laughing the moment he finished speaking. Before he could mete out her punishment, however, Kurma appeared between them, arms spread as she exclaimed, "Enough! Now is neither the time nor the place for such disputes...!"
"You're that-"
Before Madara could finish speaking, Kurma spun around to face her, the look on her face especially sour as she asserted, "I don't know what that creator of yours is thinking, but I can say with relative certainty he didn't task you with interfering in our plans! Why are you so insistent on causing trouble when neither of us is your enemy!?"
Crossing her arms, Madara smugly retorted, "Causing trouble? Me? Have you forgotten which of us attacked first? I simply came here in search of that woman with blue hair. It was your side that decided to interfere and deny me my chance at redemption."
Frowning deeply, Kurma's aura began to surge as she said, "That woman is not a Player. She is a weapon, a vessel created by the Ormus Society to destabilize the current Order and implement a new one. The two of us are on a mission to prevent-"
Waving her hand in a dismissive manner, Madara said, "Skip..." before re-crossing her arms and stating, "I don't care about that woman's origins, your objectives, or the machinations of the Ormus Society. The future of the current Order has already been decided, so all that remains is for us to play our parts. I am a warrior. Fighting is ingrained into the very core of my being..."
Manifesting her gunbai, Madara pointed it through Kurma, aiming it at Siddhartha's face as she added, "That man decided to oppose me. Our fight shall continue until one or both of us has been defeated...!"
"You...!"
Feeling unbridled frustration, the golden, antler-like horns protruding from Kurma's head began to increase in size as white scales began manifesting around her eyes. Her irritation had been compounding since her failure to locate the Ethereal Queen, the surprise attack of Lahmu, and the sudden appearance of Azi Dahaka. She was elated when Sidd managed to defeat both Adam and Eve in short order, but she didn't even have time to praise him for a job well down before Madara appeared out of nowhere to throw a wrench into their plans...
Though most considered her a fairly passive existence, Kurma was still a Pure-Blooded Dragon. She was also the daughter of Vishnu and one of the foremost Goddesses of the Earth. Thus, once her patience exceeded its limits, she became a literal force of nature.
Unable to contain her frustration any longer, Kurma released a powerful roar, propelling Madara and Siddhartha backward with tremendous force. Immediately afterward, Kurma charged toward Madara, her eyes blazing with a fierce amethyst hue as she peppered the latter's body with a series of imperceptible punches.
"You want to fight!? You refuse to talk things out like a rational person!? Then taste my wrath, you infuriating piece of-"
Interrupting Kurma's furious outburst, Madara's body abruptly became imperceptible, allowing the petite dragoness to phase through her. Kurma promptly spun around, slicing at Madara's figure with a sword formed of radiant golden energy, but the latter was nowhere to be seen.
"Over here..."
Spinning in the direction of the voice, Kurma attempted to slice through Madara but found her sword stopped by the latter's palm, now covered in black and white scales.
"You're not the only dragon present," mused Madara. However, before she could say anything further, Siddhartha appeared behind her, adding, "She also isn't fighting alone..."
Punctuating his words, Siddhartha smacked the top of Madara's head, sending her crashing into one of the rune-covered pillars littering the ground. The pillars were designed to be indestructible, but the force of Madara crashing into it caused the material to buckle before splintering like a flower in bloom.
Though she ordinarily fought alone, Kurma didn't bother to rebuke Siddhartha for his involvement. Instead, she inhaled so deeply that her upper body appeared to inflate like a balloon. Then, once she reached her limits, she lurched forward and unleashed a destructive beam that carried with it the sound of a dragon's roar, erasing the fractured pillar and drilling deep into the foundation below.
While waiting for Kurma's breath to finish, Siddhartha began preparing one of his more complex seals. He had already acclimated to Madara's sealing formation, so he was nearly at full power when he pressed down with his hand, generating a massive golden palm that stretched more than ten kilometers from the tip of its middle finger to its base.
Emerging from the golden void created by Kurma's breath, Madara, nearly naked and covered in black scales, exclaimed, "Now you're speaking my language...!" as she met the massive golden palm head-on. She was still pushed down by it, but the speed of the palm slowed noticeably as the battle-enthralled Uchiha released a powerful roar that resonated with the remaining pillars.
Feeling his connection to the 'outside' becoming unstable, Siddhartha's expression darkened as he stated, "We may not be able to leave this one alive..."
Having calmed down a bit, Kurma's brows creased as she revealed, "It's not well known, but this one is a creation of the Sage Dragon Emperor. It won't be easy, but we should avoid killing her at all costs..."
Exhaling a sigh, Siddhartha began preparing a second seal as he replied, "How troublesome..."
Nodding her head in agreement, Kurma began preparing a seal of her own. At the same time, she began drafting a long list of complaints in the back of her mind. Once the Pandemonium Gift Game concluded, she was going to have a 'very' long conversation with both Vahn and Shiroyasha...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Siddhashirama...','Madara has no chill...','Kurma? More like Karen...')

Chapter 2348: Hunger