Stepping out of her portal onto the rubble of the large square where the battle with Punisher had started, she takes in the deafening silence as she gazes up at the full moon. The unconscious bodies of Kiwako and Hanako are gone. Sniffing in barely contained fury, she reaches out her hand at the celestial body looming over the city before noticing a stirring in the corner of her eye.

Shiori: Here you go dangling something in my face again, only to take it away…. If I didn’t know better I’d think you’d be begging me to shove your fucking Soul Gem up your ass.

Cecilia: (Not even trying to conceal herself, The Oracle lowers her hood and steps forward to confront Shiori) I’d arrived too late to contribute to the battle with Punisher. Whether this was by design or not, I leave to you. The chaos that makes my visions less reliable… you are the last remaining source. And when you are defeated, this city can finally heal. So here I stand, Firestarter. The one who put you on this path. I’d wonder if you might consider this a trap… but we both know you lost the ability to care long ago.

Shiori: I hope it was worth ratting me out, bitch. This is all your fault… Your city is in ruins, and there won’t be a fucking soul left alive who’ll remember you. No one’s gonna thank you for what you’ve done. So high and mighty… All to be no better than a piece of fucking gutter trash like me.

Cecilia: You operate under the delusion that I do anything for myself. The Balancing due for Mitakihara would have been far worse, had I not led you down the path to hindering this group. Kyubey loves nothing more than easy prey. A little misery, a little Rinju bloodline potential… it couldn’t resist, even knowing what a disaster of a person you are, and that your chaos truly was like a wildfire.

Shiori: Congratulations on building your own pyre, then. (her eyes glow red hot as the heat in the area rapidly rises, quickly becoming unbearable) And now, we burn the bitch.

Cecilia: (At first, Cecilia doesn’t seem to react.) And you along with me, Firestarter? How counterintuitive. (Cecilia then leaps back behind a larger section of fallen building, dipping into the broken concrete and shattered glass.)

Shiori: See you in hell, pig! 

The heat intensifies, lighting the very ground and everything on it on fire — including pieces of rubble that aren’t even supposed to burn, and thousands of voices begin to scream obscenities straight into Cecilia’s mind. As her hair turns into a single raging flame and her clothes disintegrate, Shiori ascends, an intricate pattern of countless tattoos depicting mouths in all shapes and sizes covering her entire body except for her face, which glows with the intensity of a raging sun. 

At the exact apex of her ascension, however, a pipe under the blaze bursts, and scalding hot water streams up, jetting directly into Shiori’s eyes—WRONG. The water evaporates as soon as it is exposed to the heat; having gone up into thin air in a split second. But why? Hadn’t Cecilia just seen her vision come true? With a grin, Firestarter looks down at the pipe, before disappearing in the blink of an—

Shiori: (she’s back) Do you honestly think that shit’s gonna work?

Cecilia: Hardly. But you’ve been making my vision difficult for far too long as it is. (The Oracle leaps over the object she was huddled behind— a still-working refrigerator, though the back of it explodes from the sudden heat from Shiori’s presence. Like the pipe before, the freon from the now broken device coats Shiori entirely.) Now be a dear and cool off. (Once again, Cecilia vanishes into another part of the building.)

WRONG AGAIN. A piece of the ceiling breaks off and falls on top of the refrigerator, crushing it and preventing the freon from going anywhere. And now, the entire building is going down, with the both of them in it. Didn’t it look stable enough to hide in? The Oracle is out of places to run or hide. If they were near the river, perhaps… but Cecilia is cornered, her cloak burning away, leaving a pale blue outfit underneath.

Shiori: (she appears in front of Cecilia again) I do whatever the fuck I want. And if what I want is to not get fucked over by your dumbass visions and kick your ass, then that is what I will do.

Cecilia: …Impudent child. (As the Oracle lifts her head, darkness stains her eyes, swirling oil stains where pupils should be. Her entire body shimmers, silver armor coating where burnt skin once was. Her silver staff appears in hand, the top seeming to melt and crumble until it resembles a spear. Jumping back far more than she would normally be able, she assumes a more combative stance.) What happened before will not happen again now. 

Shiori: (taken aback by this unknown transformation, Shiori dashes backwards as well, her bare feet once again touching the ground as she glares at Cecilia) Wouldn’t be hell without a goddamn Devil… What’re you gonna do, Pazuzu? Projectile vomit on me? Tell me my mother sucks cocks in hell? Don’t worry, I know! I put her there! (from the ground, several pale white, featureless figures burst out, humanoid in their appearance, but animalistic in their behaviour, swarming towards Cecilia as if the very earth itself is trying to eradicate her)

Oracle: (Light forms around Cecilia, as if a spotlight shone from the moon itself. The figures seemingly vanish upon contact with this light, only to re-emerge on the other side of the Oracle. She doesn’t move, simply staring Firestarter down.) Be not afraid. We will not flee. 

Shiori: I wouldn’t fucking let ya! (she darts in at a blistering speed, throwing a punch at Cecilia, but—

You had it all, you know. A way out. A way back. That which you coveted before you burned your mind was yours. I saw it, you know. Way back when you were sitting in a police car, I saw it. She did not, or she would have guided you towards it. But it was in the palm of your hand. And you threw it away. Are you still alive? Be not afraid, child. Your path, like all others, leads but one direction. And at the end, you will have the rewards you have chosen for yourself. 

—like the humanoid constructs before her, Shiori vanishes, appearing behind the Oracle)

Shiori: Fuck you! Are you gonna fight me, or what?

Oracle: We are fighting you. We do not need to fight. We have seen the end, and it is beautiful.

Shiori: That’s for me to decide! (she raises her hands, causing large spikes to shoot up from the burning concrete all around the Oracle, all at an angle aimed directly at her as they close in)

Oracle: (The spikes dig into the moonlight, seeming to pierce through Cecilia’s body, though she shows no reaction, as if her vessel were a mere doll.) A simple child does not seem to learn. 

Shiori: You rotten coward… (she stares Cecilia down, before relaxing considerably) I ain’t falling for this. I know how you people do things. You dismiss me. You patronize me. You humiliate me. Talking down, pretending like you don’t care — is the only fucking way you cunts know how to live. But you can’t fucking beat me like that, and if you wanna save this city …you’re gonna have to.

Oracle: I do not have to. We do not have to. The other tainted soul she has dominion over is on its way. 

Shiori: (she smirks) You said “taint”. Heh.

Oracle: …You subverted her vision, but all we were meant to do was buy time. The scars on her body are more than worth the price we pay to watch you fall… dog of the overtly zealous Pale Warden.

Shiori: Ain’t we all dogs? … Bitch.

Yui: (Diving into the scene, Yui collides with Shiori, knocking her back a fair distance) …That worked? Didn’t think Sis’s monologuing for time would actually do anything. Even Shiori can fall for it, I guess… (she glares at the Oracle) As for you, I’ll settle this business with you manipulating everything again after I undo Shiori’s wish. You just sit there and stay cool from the heat. Yeah? (Cracking her knuckles, she rolls her neck as she approaches Shiori) Fuckin’ summoning me like that… bitch, I was already on my way…

Shiori: (she gets down on all fours like a predator about to pounce on its prey) I’ve had it with you cunts and your fucking plans! If I gotta hear you two bicker one more goddamn fucking time, I’ll rip out your fucking tongues — so if you wanna die with some fucking dignity, shut the fuck up and FIGHT!

Yui: (Thunder rolls as the storm in Yui’s eyes flashes again.) Man, calm your sugar tits already. I’m not here to tell you what to do, I’m here to kick your ass and turn down the psychopath shit down from a twelve to a two. (Her staff forms in her hand, quickly morphing into a pair of golden gauntlets around Yui’s fists) 

Shiori: I hate hate hate HATE YOU! (like a blazing meteor, she charges at Yui, obliterating anything in her path as she claws at her opponent in a  blind fury)

Yui: (Wrong. Yui’s punches deflect each wild claw-like swipe, ducking under where it would be easier, side-stepping in between other attacks, then finally bringing a swift left hook to Shiori’s jaw.) …’Cause if you did, you would’ve killed me when you had the chance. 

Shiori: Wanna try? (she recoils violently from Yui’s puns, immediately reaching for Yui’s throat)

Yui: (she swats Shiori’s hand away and sighs.) A’ight, babe, but remember, you asked for this. (Yui begins throwing jabs with the precision of a professional boxer, but the speed of a wild, mythical beast.) C’mon then! Fight me! You begged me to fight you, right?! Let’s go!

Shiori: DON’T YOU FUCKING PATRONIZE ME! I can—(she takes one of Yui’s punches straight to the face) W-Why—(another one) WHY ISN’T IT WORKING? (she manages to deflect one jab, throwing a counter hook)

Yui: Hey! (surprisingly, Shiori’s attack connects straight on, and Yui chuckles as she rubs her jaw.) There ya go! C’mon, keep it up! Now we’re talkin’! (Yui launches into another barrage, a bit more fierce but a little more slowly this time)

Shiori: (she dodges most of the attacks, grabbing Yui’s wrist and headbutting her) I WAITED FOR YOU! WHY DIDN’T YOU COME FOR ME!

Yui: (Yui blinks, making no effort to free her wrist as she returns the headbutt in kind) Man, I’m not exactly hard to find! If you had shit goin’ on with your dad, I could’ve fucked him up! I almost did, in fact! (another headbutt) There was nothin’ stoppin’ ya from talkin’ it out with me, any time you wanted!

Shiori: Ngh… You think that’s when I got all fucked up? HOW FUCKING DENSE ARE YOU? All… you’ve ever done is LOOK DOWN ON ME!

Yui: Jeez, you’re dense… not that I’m not, but… (she grabs Shiori’s wrist with her free hand, sparks starting to crackle) We got time to talk it out though. Once I undo what that fucking cat did, I can make it right for all of us. Just sit still, yeah? ‘Cause I’ve been told this next part hurts. (The sparks in Yui’s hand begin to intensify)

Shiori: (she turns to Yui, gazing into her eyes for a brief eternity, like a child seeing the world for the first time) … You can’t imagine. (with one last defiant glare, she pulls her Soul Gem from the choker around her neck and before Yui can do anything, crushes it into her hand)

Cecilia snaps herself from her trance, running forward with a look of pure shock on her pale face. The heat faded in an instant, and the Oracle trembled at the sight.

Cecilia: Th… this isn’t… this can’t…

Yui: (Yui releases her hold on Shiori’s wrist, and watches her body fall limp on the ground before her) … 

Cecilia: Yui…

And afterwards, unceremonious silence. Yui stares blankly down at Shiori’s now peaceful form for a long moment, then rises without a word. She’s a little shaky on her feet for just a moment, but she turns away from the extinguished Firestarter and takes a few steps away. The neon wings fade into nothing, the streaks on her arms vanishing. The light of her battle high fades, and soon, her Puella form is dismissed as her hands smoothly slide into the pockets of her short, black leather jacket. Behind her, equally stunned into silence, stands the Oracle, until she reaches a hand out towards Yui as she walks away.

Cecilia: W… Wait! Wait, Yui! I… I…!

Yui: Get out. (Yui replies without turning around, barely above a whisper) 

Cecilia: Y…Yui?

Yui: Get out of Mitakihara.

Cecilia: Y-You… you have to understand. I didn’t… I didn’t foresee this. It was supposed to be okay. This wasn’t what I saw in my vision. I swear to you, Yui! I didn’t… This isn’t what I wanted. It was all supposed to be okay! This wasn’t what I planned—

Yui: Zero. (A loud bang follows, with Yui turned to the side, half-facing Cecilia. Her left arm is outstretched, and a smoking revolver with an empty chamber rests in her palm) …Get out of my fucking city.

Cecilia falls to her knees, clutching at her wounded, now empty left eye socket. Sparks from the wound dance across her palm, causing the Oracle to scream in utter agony. She writhes on the ground, her one remaining eye wide from the shock. A small clack echoes, drowned by Cecilia’s pained cries as the now empty revolver falls harmlessly beside her.

Yui: Next time I see the Oracle, I’m tearin’ her sorry ass apart. (Turning back again, she walks away from the scene completely.)

Cecilia: Ggh… hgl… Yui… (Cecilia manages to sit back up onto her knees, blood pouring from the wound on her face as she reaches out with her right arm, helplessly and hopelessly trying to reach out to her “sister”) Yu… YUIIIIII!