[Snake Eyes]
This was an ability used and created by Alice. While not yet a proper skill, it allowed her to enhance her own vision by channeling her electrical powers into her eyes. Under mundane conditions, such actions would only lead to self-harm, but through the mystical properties of Chi, it allowed her to succeed in creating this ability.
This ability was created by Alice to help her see while moving at speeds only someone like her would be able to achieve at her current level. As such, the ability also enhanced her cognitive ability, allowing her to process information much more efficiently and quickly; as a result, whenever she used the ability, it seemed as if time slowed around her, though it was only from her own perspective due to her sped-up cognitive performance.
While this was useful for when she was moving at high speeds or when she needed time to think, in times when she only needed her vision enhanced, such an effect would quickly become tedious. Because of this, she had practiced a substantial amount before learning how to decrease the output of her abilities, which had inadvertently led to her general skill in controlling her abilities improving.
Currently, she was using [Snake Eyes] at the lowest output—the point just before her cognitive acceleration became too noticeable.
Alice kept her eyes on the snake, keeping track of its every motion. Neither of them moved, the silent stillness stretching into the darkness. Even at a lower output, her ability still caused reality to seem as if it were moving slightly slower. This aided in the long, stretching silence between Alice and the serpent from her perspective.
Then, the snake shifted slightly. This was caught by Alice's eyes, and she quickly charged and channeled her electricity through her body, placed her foot forward, and launched herself forward.
With the sound of broken stone resounding behind her, Alice moved as swiftly as the wind. Within a matter of seconds, she was upon the serpent, bringing her hand forward in a piercing motion.
Despite how quickly she had moved, the serpent reacted at the same time she did and quickly slipped to the side, dodging her attack. At the same time, a burst of smoke came from the serpent, enveloping the area.
'What the? Smoke?'
Alice was confused, but quickly came to realize it was the snake's ability. She swung wildly, trying to see if she would hit the hiding serpent.
'This isn't going to work…' She understood that she wouldn't be able to hit the snake like this, so she switched methods.
'Let's try…'
She began charging electricity into her hands; she slammed down onto the ground.
'THIS!'
A large burst of electricity exploded from the point she struck, expanding in every direction. The electricity surged through the cloud of smoke, electrifying everything inside. With this, the serpent should have been dead, damaged, and/or stunned, allowing her to finish it off. Strangely, though, she felt as if she hadn't struck anything except the smoke.
'Strange.'
In the next moment, she stumbled to the floor.
'W-what? What is going on?'
Her mind began to spin as she became dizzy. Her vision grew blurred and her mind numbed. Then she realized, 'The smoke… It's the smoke!'
She quickly covered her mouth, but it was already too late; she had already inhaled it. Somehow, she hadn't realized the strange colour of the smoke, nor did she notice her noticeably sluggish movement.
'Damn it!' She cursed internally as her mind churned, trying to find a way to deal with her current situation. She could blow away the smoke, but that wouldn't change the fact that she had taken in the smoke already.
As her mind stirred for a solution, a shimmering glitter appeared in her vision, and her mind began to clear up as her vision stabilized. Confused, Alice spun her head, trying to find the cause of the phenomenon. Then, her gaze stopped on a little fairy some distance away, the glow from her body revealing her form within the fog.
As Bell came into her sight, she noticed that she was pointing in a specific direction. She thought for a moment, trying to decipher her actions, then she came to a conclusion and quickly turned in the direction the small fairy was pointing.
With the fog clearing slightly and her enhanced sight, even in such darkness, she saw the serpent jumping away from the fog. Reacting swiftly, Alice shot a charge of electricity right where the serpent would land.
With no time to react as it was already landing, the serpent fell on the charge and was electrocuted, causing it to stumble. Seizing the opening before she missed it, Alice lunged forward and grasped the snake's throat.
At the same time, Alice heard a voice. While she was understanding what the voice was saying for the first time, she already knew who it was.
As per Bell's instructions, she tightened her grip on the snake and dashed through the tunnel, going back where she came from and continuously electrocuting the snake as she did to keep it from resisting.
Eventually, she made her way back to one of the things they had passed on their way to the tunnel—A large tree, many stories high, with silver bark and golden leaves. Shifting her grip, Alice threw the serpent into the base of the tree, whereafter, she stood still before the serpent.
A deafening silence bloomed between Alice and the serpent once more, their eyes locked onto eachother's. Alice stood still, listening to Bell's instruction, and the serpent was unable to move because of her; thus, they were both unmoving.
Soon, the soft sound of bells and flapping wings broke the silence, as a larger and more womanly Bell.
Staring at the changed Bell, Alice strangely didn't question her transformation; instead, she found herself kneeling before her as if she were a queen. Bell gave Alice a light nod before turning to the serpent.
Not long after Bell's arrival, something else made an appearance. She did not question this either, as she already knew what it was, even if she didn't know how. It was a blue cat, crawling down from the mystical tree; this was the guardian of the holy tree, and it was furious that this serpent had destroyed Bell's home.
The guardian's eyes glowed with a silver light as it locked eyes with the serpent. They held eye contact for a few seconds, the serpent freezing in the process. Alice didn't know what the guardian did; perhaps it wanted the serpent to be intimidated and back down. Either way, she knew that whatever it did had not worked.
The serpent tore its eyes away from the blue cat and pushed itself off the holy tree, landing some distance away. At the same time, the serpent's body changed; its sleek white scales protruded and sharpened as two draconic wings sprouted from its back. Flapping its wings a few times, the serpent tried to fly into the sky, but the blue cat—the guardian—lunged at it, slamming it back to the ground.
Alice and Bell reacted slightly later than the guardian, dashing towards the two. Bell, using her extended nails, pierced the serpent, interrupting its counterattack and causing it to go still.
Seeing this, the guardian and Alice did not stop their attacks, rending its skill and electrocuting it, respectively.
After a few seconds of stillness, the serpent suddenly woke up, its eyes shooting open. It ignored Alice and the guardian, breaking free from them and dashing towards Bell, forcing its body onto her nails.
In that moment, Alice desperately dashed after the serpent to stop it from reaching Bell, but she was too late, and as its body slid onto Bell's nails, Alice's thoughts shattered, and she lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she found herself back in Lios, only this time it was completely ruined.
'W-what happened here?' Her face paled as her pupils constricted.
Due to the state Lios was currently in, she almost didn't notice Aries before, perhaps who she was running to. She was confused and distraught.
'How did this happen? What about my parents? My friends?' A flood of questions flooded her mind like a vortex, washing away all other thoughts. These were questions she wanted to ask Aries. She needed answers, so she shouted, calling out to Aries.
"Arie—" Her voice trailed off as she heard a set of footsteps along with hers and caught a glimpse of a large, gray, furry hand in her vision. Looking up beside her, she saw a large gray rat towering over her.
She lost all colour, her face fell, and her body became rigid. Taking in a deep breath, she screamed with all her might, echoing far and wide.