>>43050119

“No blood, no bodies,” Petra says suddenly, her hand straying to the machete strapped at her hip, “No signs of fighting at all. It wasn't like this before?”

It wasn't anything like this, you shoot back as you listen carefully. No sounds either, although you weren't sure what you were expecting. Gunfire and screaming? That wouldn't exactly be reassuring, but at least it would be... something. Trouble, you can deal with – well, you can hit whatever is causing the problem until it stops moving – but this eerie silence is unnerving.

Top floor, you remind yourself as you press the elevator's call button. Top floor, to that silent tomb still littered with the poisoned remains of the New Way's previous leadership. Hopefully the poisoner himself isn't there, pretending to receive his “orders” from his victims. Although, you think with a certain grim resignation, it would get that problem over with sooner rather than later. It's only a matter of time before you and Joseph find yourselves on opposing sides of the fight.

With a familiar grinding of metal, the elevator doors shudder open and you both walk carefully inside. Like every single one of your previous trips in this rickety cage, you can't shake the mental image of it crashing to the ground with you in it. Grimacing and shaking the thought from your mind, you reach out to press the button for the top floor. Then, you stop.

Staining the button for the sub-basement – you recall THAT particular floor – is a bloody fingerprint. Was that there the last time you were here? You doubt that, you doubt that very much.

“Worth a look?” Petra asks, her lone eye fixed on that little red smear. You said you wanted to leave as quickly as possible, but...

>Visit the basement
>Head to the top floor

>>43050125
>Visit the basement

>>43050125
>>Visit the basement
Yeesh fine. I got a bad feeling about this.

>>43050125
>Visit the basement

Also:
>you'd rather not encourage her misplaced affection
Ship status: SUNK

>>43050258
All Petra needs to do is become Peter, then it'd be alright.

>>43050180
>>43050194
>>43050258

Worth a look, you reply. Joseph might have some other victim down there, in his little torture chamber. If that's the case, you've got a duty to rescue them – or at least try – and punch his lights out. Before you can lose your nerve, you press the bloodstained button and watch the elevator doors shudder closed. As you descend, you keep wiping your finger on your trousers even though none of the blood clung to your skin. It just feels... dirty, for some reason, like you were tainted just from touching the thing. Ridiculous – you were gouging out eyes not so long ago and now you're worried about a little blood?

No, what you're really worried about is the chance that there might be more, a whole lot more, waiting for you in the depths of the sub-basement. As the doors slide open and you step out into the tight confines of the corridor, you let out a breath you hadn't realised you were holding. Nothing out of the ordinary here – no lakes of blood sloshing about on the floor, no piles of severed heads or amputated limbs, not even a single empty bullet casing. Nothing to suggest... anything.

Then the noises begin.

Groans mostly, deep and pained but somehow – and you'll never know how you could tell this – more human than animal. Shuffling sounds as well, like something heavy dragging along the ground, and the occasional banging of a fist pounding against metal. The noises only grow louder, layering over each other as more and more sources of those terrible sounds are stirred into activity. Grimacing, covering up your fear and revulsion with a scowl, you force yourself to approach the first door you see and draw back the metal plate covering the slot. Peering inside, you feel your blood turn to ice.

>>43050400

The thing inside was human... once. Now you're not really sure what you could call it, save for an abomination. An abortion, something that was wrenched out into the world half-formed. It's naked, genderless, and the pallid flesh hangs loosely off its bones. The limbs – the usual four you'd expect to see on a human – are malformed, some fused together into lame stumps, while others dangle uselessly. A single angelic wing, broken and twisted, shudders on the thing's back, feathers drifting loose every time it listlessly flaps.

The face is still human – that's the worst part. Human, but there is no intelligence in the eyes, only a muddy pain and confusion. As you watch, horrified, the deformed being struggles to rise, lifting itself from all fours to rest unsteadily on its knees. Limbs trembling with the effort, it fumbles its hands together in a mockery of prayer, mouth flapping in an attempt to form words. That's what finally drives you back, reeling away from the window in disgust. Nothing you've seen so far in this new world has been as bad as that, nothing could have prepared you for it. Then, hearing the multiple bangs and groans resonating through the basement, you realise that there are more of these things here.

Many more. How many cells are there, here in this basement? The last time you were here, you were in no mood to count them, or even glance down the branching corridors and take a guess. There could be dozens of those things here, maybe more.

“It was human,” Petra murmurs, turning away from the window with an ashen face, “I saw its sins. Cowardice, disobedience, lack of faith...”

Is that it? These are sinners, twisted into a hideous mockery of the human form because they weren't pure enough for Mastema's idea of God's kingdom on Earth? Could there be any human pure enough for that? You think grimly of Joseph in one of these cells, dragging his deformed body up into an attempt at prayer. Nobody deserves that, not even him.

I mean, I know it was the plan anyways but, Mastema fucking dies.

>>43050487

What the hell are you supposed to do with these pitiful things? Just leave them here, praying for a redemption that might never come? No, you're certain that they'd rot away long before God showed them even the slightest trace of mercy. One look at that thing in the cell was enough to convince you of that – any God willing to turn a flawed worshipper into one of those things is not the loving God you were raised to believe in.

A rustling sound draws your attention, dragging you out of the churning nightmare thoughts that had been filling your mind. Petra is digging through her pack, pulling out a gun. Not the oversized demonic pistol you'd seen her with earlier, but a simple human handgun. As you watch, she checks the magazine and racks the slide. Her shoulders tremble a little – ever so slightly – as she turns back to the door and points her gun through the window.

And hesitates.

“This is mercy,” she insists, not looking you in the eye, “Look at these things. They deserve a clean death. It's ugly – I know that – but I'd want the same.”

She might be right. The thought of being trapped inside one of those mutilated bodies fills you with a deep and powerful dread, but... to shoot them down like dogs?

>Petra, don't do this. Let's just get out of here
>You're right, but I won't let you do this alone
>Make it quick. Please
>Other

>>43050594
>>You're right, but I won't let you do this alone
>>Make it quick. Please

>>43050594
>You're right, but I won't let you do this alone
Mastema is going to pay for this.

>>43050624
I'm thinking giving him to Heartless with the command to break him(physicslly, mentally, and spiritually) before you kill him.

This escalated quickly

>>43050739
Damn twisted angel works fast. We've been gone for less than a day.

>>43050759
2days, but still. Near bullshit speed.

>>43050774
Didn't we meet Daisoujou here, rescue Petra and got her a new eye all in the same day?

>>43050808
Don't think so, but maybe. Still way too fast to anticipate this.

>>43050622
>>43050624

Wait, you say with an unsteady voice, you won't let her do this alone. She's right – it IS the merciful thing to do – but it's too much for one person to handle. You're here as equals, so you'll share the burden.

Petra lowers her gun and turns to look at you, relief plain to see in her eye. For a moment, it looks like she's about to say something – to thank you, perhaps, but then she closes her mouth and merely nods. With her mouth set in a tight line, determination visible in her rigid shoulders, she presses her gun to the window and, taking a moment to find her aim, pulls the trigger. The sound is hard and flat, painfully loud in the confined corridor, and your ears are ringing slightly as you approach the next door.

You take your own gun – the gun you hope to never point at another human being – and draw back the shutter. This creature is much the same as the first, its human origins obvious and yet obscured at the same time. There is no trace of life or intelligence in its eyes, only a dull suffering that turns your stomach. Still, your hands are badly trembling as you point your gun at the thing's forehead, shaking so badly that your pistol judders and jumps in your grip.

You need to do this cleanly. If you just wounded the thing, consigning it to a slow death, you think you'd lose your mind. Hell, you think you might lose your mind whatever happens. Clenching your eyes shut for a moment, you draw in a painful breath – even the air here is awful, reeking of blood and corruption – and focus. When you open your eyes, your hands are steady. Almost. Steady enough that you line up your sights with the creature's forehead. The gun jumps as you pull the trigger, and the deformed thing is knocked to the side like something struck by a hammer.

Good kill. Clean.

You think you're going to be sick.

>>43050890
WaitwaitwaitWAITWAIT

GO BACK UP AND GET DAISOUJOU

WE CAN TALK TO THE DEAD

>>43050890

It gets a little easier after that. You and Petra go from room to room, checking through the peepholes and shooting every one of the twisted humans in the head. At one point you have to reload, fumbling a new magazine of bullets into your gun. It's a tortuous process, your inexperience and shaking hands drawing out so long that you have to fight down the urge to ask for help. This is something you need to do. It's something you force yourself to do.

You lose count. Rather, you do your best not to keep count in the first place – you want to think about this as little as possible. In either case, you end up shooting more than a dozen of the pitiful victims, every shot you fine striking your exposed ears with another stab on pain. When you finally finish – when there isn't a single sound in the basement other than the screaming in your ears – you let out a long breath. It's finally over.

“None left here, either,” Petra tells you, her voice flat and emotionless, “What happened here? What could do this to a human being?”

An angel, you tell her in an equally empty voice, and a powerful one at that. Slowly, as you both lapse into silence, a deep anger begins to flow into you, filling up the emptiness you were left with. When you find Joseph, you'll kill him. Once, you might have been unwilling to make a threat like that, even to think it to yourself, but things are different now. You'll kill Mastema, and then you'll kill Joseph. Maybe the other way around – you're not fussy.

“Amelia...” Petra begins, her hand touching your shoulder.

>Take a moment to recover
>Go to the top floor. No point wasting time
>Push her away
>Other

>>43050910
Well they got to be dead first, which is what we are doing. We can come back down after this and we get him.

>>43050910
Pretty sure he can't talk to something mindless anon. Masters destroyed them mind and spirit.

>>43050933
>Go to the top floor. No point wasting time

>>43050933
>>Take a moment to recover
>>Go to the top floor
Deep Breaths, deep breaths, safety on, don't go making death promises right before meeting an avatar of death.

>>43050933
>Take a moment to recover
"You know after I took care of that angel I was hoping to help these people, at least inform them of whats been going on...damnit"

Then
>Go to the top floor.

>>43050950
>>43050934
Considering there was a bloody fingerprint, I'm betting SOME people died rather than being transformed. Maybe we can talk to them.

>>43050934
>>43050972
I think it's worth a try either way. Even if we can't get anything other than confirmation of what happened it's better than nothing

>>43050933
>Take a moment to recover
And yeah. We can't just force this down and deal with it later. Got to stay human

>>43051007
>>43050965
>>43050956

You're fine, you tell her slowly, you just need a moment. A moment to what? Recover, you suppose. Get your thoughts in order before you go rushing off to do anything rash. A long time ago, in a previous life, you would have raced off to get into trouble without thinking about the consequences, but that's not something you can get away these days. The stakes are higher now – in the old world, the worst thing you had to deal with was someone talking shit behind your back. The worst consequence would be getting a bloody nose or a fat lip. These days, people can die at the drop of a hat – as you've just been forced to witness.

“I can see your sins,” Petra reminds you, “And murder isn't one of them. We did the right thing.”

Maybe so, you reply with a frown, but it doesn't feel like it. If anything, it feels like you just helped to wipe out one of the last bastions of humanity. Christ – you were supposed to be fighting for mankind, striving to build a world for humanity alone. All you've done is exterminate those who fell victim to angelic influence.

No, you've waited here long enough. The longer you wait, the worse your mood will get. It's the air here, thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, filling your mind with dark thoughts. Shaking your head, you march back to the elevator and stab the button for the top floor. You're going to finish your work here. Once you've done that, you can think about your next move.

>>43050933
>Take a moment to recover

And then we tear a bitch apart. Possibly two, if Joseph didn't become one of these things.

File: Daisoujou.jpg (34 KB, 467x547)

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>>43051197

At the top floor, the golden doors to the council chambers are as hideously gaudy as you remember then. The smell has started to seep out, and you're barely out of the elevator before the first whiff of decay sneaks up on you. It's bad, but nowhere near bad enough to force you to turn back. A thought occurs to you as you approach the council chambers – the monk within was all too willing to share the “wisdom of the dead” when you last met him. Maybe he could tell you something about what happened here? Although, you will admit, the thought of listening to the last moments of those creatures down there...

You don't know how this thing will react, you warn Petra. Maybe he'll take one look at the Deathstone and pledge allegiance on the spot. Maybe he'll demand a fight to the death first – a request that you'd be all too happy to comply with, right about now. He might not be the man you're looking for, but some righteous violence would certainly help set your mind at ease.

“I'm ready,” Petra insists, holding her machete in one hand and the Deathstone in the other. Before you can say anything else – although what would you say to her? - Petra marches into the darkened chambers. “Fiend!” she shouts, a deep anger simmering in her voice, “Show yourself, or do I have to force you out?”

Cursing, you chase after her. You race into the dark room, but stop suddenly as you hear the little chime of the monk's bell. It's here, no question about it.

“I am Daisoujou,” the sinister voice rattles out from all around you, “So, human, you bring the Deathstone, fat with human blood – and yet without the scent of death around it. Interesting.”

“Do you submit?” Petra asks, a little uncertainty creeping into her voice, “Or do I have to beat some sense into you?”

If you didn't know better, you'd almost think she wanted a fight. Then again, she probably does – a good, honest fight to wipe away the memories of those ghastly executions.

>>43051374

“You bear the Deathstone,” Daisoujou admits – is that a trace of reluctance in his voice? - before continuing on. “I am compelled to obey. Be warned though, human. Few of my fellow Fiends will be quite so willing to cooperate.”

“Fine,” Petra snaps, “I welcome the fight. Now corpse, come with me.”

Offering you a sardonic smile – seeing a skeleton smile is something you can only describe as an “interesting” sight – Daisoujou vanishes into Petra's summoning device. Easier than you expected, but you have to share Petra's sentiment – you would have been happy to battle it out. This way, although better, feels somehow empty.

“So this is your friend that can speak with the dead?” Petra asks, peering carefully at the screen of her new summoning device, “Then we can go to that battlefield you mentioned. No time to waste, yes?”

Maybe. You're still considering your options – as far as you're aware, you're not on any kind of schedule here. You could see what the dead in the basement have to say for themselves first, although you debate the usefulness of anything they might have to say. Plus, you're not exactly keen to go summoning up ghosts of that old, familiar battle – you might find yourself face to face with a rather disgruntled face from your past.

>Right. Let's go
>I want to check something first. Back to the basement
>I'm having second thoughts about this
>Other

>>43051572
>I want to check something first. Back to the basement
Face the truth here, so we can properly deduce what exactly Mastema did.

>>43051572
>Plus, you're not exactly keen to go summoning up ghosts of that old, familiar battle – you might find yourself face to face with a rather disgruntled face from your past.

Oh, but I am Amelia. I am.

>Right. Let's go
As for the basement, I don't really want to go back in there and Moloch hinted that it wouldn't be all that useful.

>>43051572
>>I want to check something first. Back to the basement
The ones who didn't get turned, who died and caused that print to be made. They might give us information we need to find Mastema.

>Forgot to mention, updated Petra's character sheet with Daisoujou's information
>http://pastebin.com/ZdFaGhsC

File: 1439440650859.jpg (15 KB, 192x171)

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>>43051620
>If the dead are so wise, why are they dead? Checkmate atheists!

>>43051572
>>I want to check something first. Back to the basement
There might not be anything down there but I want to be sure. There's always a slim chance that Joseph wasn't involved. We don't want to kill the wrong person on a hunch

>>43051709
Guys, I just had a really nasty thought...what if Metatron did this?

>>43051830
Not his style. Nor the Archangel's for that matter.

This has the twisted Mastema all over it.

L O N D O N
O
N
D
O
N

>>43051595
>>43051612
>>43051709

Truth be told, you really don't like the idea of going back to the basement. You've just finished filling your lungs with clean air – assuming you count the stagnant, decay-rich air here as “clean” - and the thought of tasting that tainted blood scent again doesn't thrill you. But, on the other hand, you know that there might be valuable information down there. You've always relied on getting as much information as possible up until now, and that's not going to change now.

“The basement?” Petra frowns, “To speak with the dead – yes, I understand now. Very well.” Then, as she's turning back towards the elevator, she pauses, “It might not be... pleasant to hear, yes? You should prepare yourself.”

Oh, she doesn't need to tell you that. You know that whatever those poor corpses down there can tell you, it'll probably end up haunting your dreams for weeks to come. Even if you get nothing more than the groans and gurgles of their dying moments, that would be bad enough. No, you know exactly what you're getting yourself in for, but you won't turn away from the truth.

“You were warned,” Petra shrugs, with a certain amount of forced nonchalance. That's when you realise she was hoping you'd change your mind. She doesn't want to go down there any more than you do but, with Daisoujou on her payroll, she needs to be there.

Tough luck, you think as you press the sub-basement button and the elevator clanks into life. Descending, once more, into that chamber of horrors. It's as bad as you remember it down there, the choking smell and dim lighting all coming together to give it the atmosphere of a tomb.

And why not? A tomb is exactly what it is.

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>>43051906

“Show yourself, Fiend,” Petra murmurs, calling Daisoujou back to reality. With a rattle of bone, the monk appears behind her, hand raised in a benevolent gesture. For a moment, it almost looks like he's blessing Petra, touching his string of prayer beads to her head. Then, he lets out a slow and haunting laugh, immediately dispelling any illusion you might have had about his goodness.

“The shroud of death hangs heavily over this place,” he chuckles, “Even more so than the council chambers upstairs. Oh human,” he hisses to Petra, “You take me to such nice places.”

“Shut up,” Petra snaps, “These things are dead, aren't they? What do they have to say?”

“So you seek the wisdom of the dead?” Daisoujou asks with obvious amusement, “I wonder if you're really willing to hear what they have to say – you, whose hands are stained with so much blood.”

You grimace at that, all too aware that you're the reason these things – people once, you remind yourself – are dead. It might have been a mercy, but that doesn't change anything. Just summon them, you sigh, so you can get out of here as quickly as possible.

“Indeed?” Daisoujou raises an eyebrow, “So few of these men and women died with their minds intact, yet there is one. Shall I share his thoughts with you?”

“Get on with it,” Petra growls, “Stop wasting time, Fiend.”

Without any further words, Daisoujou lifts his little bell and begins to ring it, filling the sombre air with the tiny sound of its chime. Slowly, a dark form begins to take shape before you – not a human shape, but you can almost make out the impression of a face.

“Damn you, Joseph!” the hollow, echoing voice begins, “And damn you too God, if this is your will! Damn it all!”

You and Petra share a dark look. So that's it – Joseph did this to his own people.

>>43052062

“Yes, I remember it well,” the ghost moans, “We were told... told to gather in the chapel to receive a message. A revelation from God, Joseph claimed. We were all there, men women and children, when he stood up and said... he said...”

Children? All of a sudden, you feel sick – sicker than you've ever felt before. Petra's gaze is fixed upon the ghost, and she doesn't notice as you stagger backwards to lean against the wall.

“He said that there was no place for lambs in this new world,” the ghost whispers, “We would become lions, or we would be put to the sword. That's when he appeared – the dark angel. He rose up, majestic and terrible, and said that the faithful would be saved. Only those who were true to the Lord in their deepest thoughts would see Heaven. Then Joseph played that... awful instrument. The sound of it... it haunts my mind still.”

“He played, and we all started to change. Our bodies broke, twisting into forms that no man should ever take. The children, they... vanished. God took them... perhaps that was His only mercy. I ran – what else could I do? I ran before the change could take me, but I couldn't run forever. He shot me in the back, that bastard,” the ghost's features twist into a parody of a frown, “Damn you Joseph – you'd shoot an unarmed man in the back and still claim virtue?”

“Ah, but this is where I died,” the ghost's voice softens suddenly, “Even though I ran, the change took me eventually. If only I had been more faithful... to become one of those shining warriors...”

Before it can form any more words, the ghost fades out, the colours first bleaching from it and then even the silhouette vanishing. It's gone. It's finally over.

“We're leaving,” Petra says bluntly. You don't argue.

>>43052279

Neither of you is in the mood to talk when you leave the New Way enclave. Even when you enter the Labyrinth, neither of you talks. Petra walks a little closer to you – the only remaining sign of her nervousness – but shows no other reaction. You're both tired, frustrated and drained by the experience and what you've learned. Joseph murdered his own leaders, and then twisted his people into mutilated, twisted forms – and for what? To create a number of “shining warriors” as the ghost called them?

Without a thought, you end up leading Petra to the battlefield where you left Leon to die. Well, why not? You're already in a shitty mood, so why not make things worse while you're here? Pausing to look around, you glance in the direction of the Hellfire Club – now closed for business – before looking back to the hospital. How long, you wonder, before Scathach abandons this world as well? If you're not careful, you'll be the only person left.

“It was here?” Petra asks, “The battle?”

>Yes, it was here. Lets get started
>I don't think so. I can't remember exactly (Lie)
>I don't think this is a good idea. Let's just go back
>Other

>>43052455
>Yes, it was here. Lets get started

>>43052455
>Yes, it was here. Lets get started
Although technically there was also one a month before, inside. Less a battle and more a....slaughter.

Good thing Cass isn't here.

>>43052455
>Yes, it was here. Lets get started

>>43052455
>>Yes, it was here. Lets get started
Not even sure why we lied earlier about us just being spectators to be honest. Don't see the issue saying that we participated in this battle.

>>43052479
Man, I don't think Cass would have been able to deal with that stuff back there. Maybe we just shouldn't tell her?

>>43052512
I think saying 'Mastema killed them all' and leaving it at that would be best.

>>43052465
>>43052479
>>43052499
>>43052504

That's right, you tell Petra, it was here – you remember it well. As you walk, trekking towards the Hellfire Club, you describe the battle. Forneus' forces charged this way, you say as you sweep your arm through the air, marking out the route the charge followed. Trolls first, with heavy cavalry following behind. Most of them fell in an ambush, you add, hellhounds breathing fire. The smell was something special, that's for sure. Of course, you didn't see how the battle ended. Once Alice showed up, you weren't going to hang around.

“The young goddess of death?” Petra sounds impressed, “There are stories. Rumours.”

Yes, well, you've seen and heard enough to know that you don't ever want to get on her bad side. So, if Nebiros was right, all you need to do is summon up the ghosts of the warrior dead and that'll summon this Fiend.

“You heard her,” Petra orders Daisoujou, commanding the Fiend forwards with an aggressive gesture, “Call them up, Fiend, and let's hope for a good battle.”

“You'll get your wish,” the monk chuckles as he begins to ring his bell, “But you might regret it.” Before either of you can say anything to refute that point, a thick mist seems to rise up from the ground and a chill touches the base of your spine. There were a lot of people killed here, and they all seem to be taking spectral form now. You find yourself looking around, peering through ghostly trolls and looking for one lone human form. Nothing at first, but then...

“I hear the call of battle!” a bold voice roars out suddenly, “And I ride to obey!”

Spinning around, you spot another skeleton, this one draped in black robes and riding a blood-red horse. He waves a sword in the air and cackles, laughing in jubilation.

Can we tell Petra to be a little nicer to Daisojoubro. Like, chill.

Also pretty hype to meet Ghost Leon.

>>43052760
She doesn't like demons all that much but I think most of it is she is pissed off at what Joseph and Mastema did.

Besides Daisoujou is a big boy, he can take it.

>>43052801
>She doesn't like demons
Racism.

File: Red Rider.jpg (108 KB, 554x800)

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>>43052757

“You, human, you seek to command me? The Red Rider who brings war with every step I take?” bone rattles as the skeleton laughs, “Then let us fight! Let us make war most glorious, until we all collapse into this red and bloodstained dance!”

“Get on with it!” Petra shouts back, her teeth bared with ferocity. Her machete is drawn, held in a grip so tight that her knuckles are as white as bone. “Get down here, you bastard, so I can kill you myself!”

Petra, you hiss as her, she's not supposed to kill the thing! That defeats the whole point of trying to recruit it!

“Oh,” for a moment, the girl looks disheartened, but she rallies quickly “Oh, whatever. Come and fight, Fiend!” As she boasts, the phantoms around you begin to solidify, taking the form of mouldering versions of living soldiers. Vast decaying trolls rub shoulders with clammy, pallid snake-men, all ready for battle. Finally – the good, honest fight you've both been craving.

>Summon three demons and defend yourself
>Focus on looking for Leon's ghost
>Other

>>43052866
>Summon three demons and defend yourself
Heartless, Gurr, Eligor

All still fresh and resistant to dark.

Leon can come later.

>>43052866
>>Focus on looking for Leon's ghost

Time to find out if he really is dead . . .Jim.

>>43052891
>>43052866
This but
>Focus on looking for Leon's ghost
Have Amelia herself keep an eye out. Don't stray, just keep an eye out for him.

>And I forgot to mention, Valkyrie and Hresvelgr are still out of action.

>>43052891
Maybe Eligor can talk to his deceased troops and join battle once more against the snake men.

>>43053120
That'd be cool. Lead them to victory this time since Alice won't be here.

File: Eligor.jpg (893 KB, 1920x2644)

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>>43052891
>>43052896
>>43052927

You can't let this chance, a chance to – no pun intended – put some ghosts to rest, pass you by without making the most of it. Petra looks like she should be able to handle herself – already, she's waded into the mob of ghosts with her machete swinging and her pistol belching fire – so you can take a quick look around. Cassandra claimed that Leon was killed in battle, his body taken by forces unknown, but... you need to be sure. You won't be able to rest easily without knowing for sure.

Leon was brash, impulsive and a serious threat in the making, but you still consider leaving him behind to be one of your greatest failures. It haunted you for a long time but now, maybe, you can put things behind you. Still, you need protection, so you summon a trio of demons – Heartless, your reliable murderer, Gurr and Eligor. As they form around you, the flow of the battle seems to change. Some of the ghosts – the trolls, mostly – seem to... hesitate.

“Idiots! Craven fools!” Eligor bellows suddenly, slamming the butt of his lance into the ground with enough force to crack the concrete, “Get back in formation, you mongrels! We'll break these bastards yet, then return as heroes!”

Amazingly, you can't quite believe your eyes, the trolls actually obey. They fall back, retreating towards you and your demons, before forming a rough wedge and charging. The gathered snake-men are scattered, brushed aside by the brutal charge as you watch in awe.

“Now, master!” Eligor announces, “We've got them on the run!”

He's not wrong. With a backwards glance as Petra – she's surrounded by the ghostly snake-men, hacking away at them with a broad grin on her face – you start off into the newly opened clearing in search of your old... friend? Rival?

>>43053289
>your old... friend? Rival?
Didn't have much time to connect, what with being in a coma and all.

>>43053316
He called us boss though I'm pretty sure. He was like a quester participating in Amelia's thread. :(

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>>43053289

Heartless keeps any stray ghosts away from you, cutting them down with quick and ruthless strikes, as you search. The battle seems less ferocious now, with the newly loyal trolls taking the brunt of the damage themselves. Every so often, above the clash of blades, you hear Petra laughing or grunting with exertion, but she seems t have everything under control. The Red Rider himself seems content to ride through the air, his horse's hooves touching nothing but air, and observe the battle. Perhaps this alone is his challenge, rather than a direct fight?

Or maybe he's just waiting for you to tire yourselves out, fighting these reanimated corpses, or corporeal ghosts – whatever these things are. In either case, you're not willing to start the fight yourself, just in case that breaks some unwritten rule of his. Just as you duck under a thrown body – part of one, at least, launched into the air by Heartless' casual toss – you see something. A human figure, slumped on the ground. Motionless, looking like a man defeated, and immediately recognisable.

That's Leon – the sight of his ghost sends a stab of guilty pain through your chest, even as you find yourself walking slowly towards him. When you get close, you reach out to touch him but – of course – your hand just drifts right through him. What, exactly, were you expecting?

At least you've got confirmation, you tell yourself sadly. He died – his own fault, yes, but you certainly didn't help things. You're about to turn away, to return to the battle, when you look again at the ghost.

Now, he's standing – looking right at you with that mutilated face of his.

>He's just a ghost. Focus on the battle
>Apologise for leaving him behind
>Berate him for throwing his life away
>Other

>>43053507
>>Apologise for leaving him behind
>Berate him for throwing his life away
>Have Heartless enter the fray while Gurr guards us.

>>43053507
>Apologize for leaving him behind
"I don't regret my actions that day, there were too many unknowns to risk everything on but...I wish you would have survived. I'm sorry for not trying harder to get through to you."

>>43053507
>>Apologise for leaving him behind

I didn't mean for you to get killed there. Different circumstances, I woulda been able to grab you and bring you with us outta there. It might not mean much, but I appreciate you staying with the group while I was out.

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>>43053526
>>43053552
>>43053554

Your jaw flaps uselessly for a moment, but not a long one. You recover your senses quickly and order Heartless into the battle. He'll take care of things while you handle the diplomatic angle. Still, you have Gurr lurk nearby to defend you against anything that might slip through Heartless' iron wall. Then, with Eligor busy dictating the flow of battle – whatever that means – you return your attentions to Leon.

You didn't mean for him to die, you blurt out, but you don't regret your actions either. There were too many unknown variables for you to risk everything on, but if the circumstances had been different... You would have grabbed him and dragged him out of there. You're sorry for not trying harder to get through to him and, while it might not mean much now, you appreciate the fact that he stuck with you while you were out. He kept the wolves from the door while you were out, and you'll never get the chance to pay him back for that.

That's... you trail off, surprised at how much you said, that's it. You're done here – does he have anything to say? Nothing, as it happens. Leon's spectral face doesn't change, doesn't show any sign of doing anything at all. That nonchalant look infuriates you. Idiot, you snap at him, how stupid can one guy be, throwing his life away for nothing like that? Stupid bloody Scotsman!

You snap those last words out and turn away in disgust, but just as your eyes leave him, you would swear that you saw a trace of a smile cross his lips. A typically sarcastic smile, tinged with bitterness, but... you're certain you saw it. By the time you can turn to look again, the ghost has vanished.

He smiled at you. You SAW it.

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>>43053773

That thought is still dogging your thoughts as you return to the battlefield. There are only a few of the ghosts left now, trolls milling about aimlessly and a single snake-man, currently being hacked into dozens of pieces by a furious, gleeful Petra. As you watch, she finally stops chopping the body to pieces and, aiming at the head with her pistol, blows its head clean off. That's it then – the war is over.

“Victory!” Eligor roars, thrusting his lance into the air like a flag, “The day is ours!”

“This fight isn't over,” the Red Rider snarls as he finally descends to the ground, “A warrior must know no mercy and no restraint. A war is not over until every enemy has been reduced to ash and bones. Finish the fight, humans, or face ignominious defeat.”

Finish the fight? You frown for a moment as you think, before turning your attention to the undead trolls. He wants you to kill them as well? But they're not enemies – they're your allies!

“No they're not,” Petra announces, wiping a smear of pale blood from her face as she moves to join you, “Dull creatures, easily swayed, but not true allies. We should just burn them now and be done with it. I'll do it myself, yes?” With that, she finally summons Cerberus, flames licking around the hellhound's muzzle. Sensing the violent flame, the trolls begin to shift and murmur.

>Let her burn them
>Stop her
>Attack the Red Rider instead
>Other

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>>43053773
>He smiled at you. You SAW it.

Petra: Amelia, I'm here for you. Look, I like to kill things too. I'm so violent!

Amelia: IT'S NOT THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>>43053930
>Stop her
>Attack the Red Rider instead

>>43053930
>>Stop her
>>Attack the Red Rider instead
>>Other

You're right, we still have an enemy left . . .YOU! *unzip katana*

>>43053930
>Stop her
>Attack the Red Rider instead

>>43053930
>>Stop her
"Demons or no, they are still your allies. I only got as far as I have because of the team at my back. Besides..."
>>Attack the Red Rider instead
"are you really taking orders from the guy that's supposed to serve you?"

Rolled 42, 34, 61 = 137 (3d100)

>>43053952
>>43053967
>>43053979
>>43054001

Stop this, you snap at Petra, marching in front of the unsettled trolls – this isn't over yet! That Fiend might be right – maybe this isn't over until all your enemies are dead, but he's one of those enemies! Is she really going to mindlessly follow his orders, or is she going to rise up and take command?

Petra snarls for a moment, and you're almost certain that she'd burn the trolls whether you were standing in front of them or not, but then her ferocious expression changes into a violent grin. “Burning some helpless zombies... where's the fun in that?” she growls, pointing her bloodied machete at the Red Rider, “You, you'll be a real fight!”

“Fools!” the Red Rider shouts, but there is satisfaction in his furious voice, “I'll crush you and your pitiful demons! To the victor, the spoils!”

She's got a pretty weird idea about “fun”, but you're glad to see Petra changing her tune so quickly. You call your demons to your side, Heartless, Gurr and Eligor joining you, and race over to Petra. Try not to kill the thing, you warn her, just keep breaking bones until he stops fighting back.

Now, you think as the blood-red horseman brandishes his sword, let's get started.

>Please roll 3D100, for Heartless, Gurr and Eligor. I'll take the highest of the first three

Rolled 21, 82, 73 = 176 (3d100)

>>43054194
Get him boys!

Rolled 61, 40, 70 = 171 (3d100)

>>43054194

Rolled 59, 35, 19 = 113 (3d100)

>>43054194

>>43054225
>>43054230
>>43054234
Slow day for Heartless.

>>43054230
>>43054225

The Red Rider sweeps his sword down in a quick arc, sending out a churning whirlwind that catches Gurr's swooping charge. It's useless, however, as the flying devil bursts out of the far side without slowing and crashes into the horseman. The thing's bones don't shatter, so much, but they are knocked loose, a few ribs spilling out from within the hollow folds of the skeleton's robes. One of the bones bounces a little when it lands, rolling close to where you stand.

A moment later, Eligor's horse brings a hoof down upon the rib and crushes it to powder. “They might be a rabble of disorganised fools,” Eligor grumbles, in a voice like granite being ground into powder, “But those are MY soldiers, and not even death was enough to stop them. I won't let a dog like you have them killed on a whim!”

With a speech like that, it's a good thing the Red Rider was stunned. Otherwise, he might have been able to rally his defence for when Eligor finally charges, driving his lance into the mounted skeleton. It's not a perfect blow, but it shatters the Red Rider's sword arm – the weapon itself clattering uselessly to the ground. Defenceless? Not quite, but you've gone a long way towards disarming the thing.

Heartless is a little slower than usual – perhaps the lack of blood to spill and flesh to shred has left him disappointed – but he still strikes with the usual efficiency. Darting in quickly, he pulls a pair of iron stakes free and plunges them towards his target – not the Red Rider himself, but the skeleton's horse. The beast rears up and bellows in pain as the metal spikes dig deep, eyeballs rolling wildly in its sockets. Bleeding from the two deep wounds, the horse collapses, trapping the Rider beneath it.

>>43054435
Good work team!

Where the hell was Cerberus Petra

>>43054435

“Nothing to say?” Petra asks as she approaches, looking rather irked by the swift battle. She kicks away the sword and stoops down next to the fallen Fiend, drawing the Deathstone from her pack and waving it over the Red Rider's skull. “See this, Fiend? Fat with blood, just the way you like it. Now, are you going to play along, or should I crush your skull beneath my boot?”

You can understand her reasons – Chernobog seemed more like an abusive parent than a protective demon – but you still wish Petra was nicer to her demons. They might be servants, but you've never liked treating them as such. They work better, you've found, with cooperation and mutual respect.

“Good fight, Amelia,” Petra tells you, without looking up. You can still detect a trace of irritation in her voice, lurking beneath the appreciation. You hope that this isn't going to be a problem – this close to the end, you don't need her turning on you because she doesn't feel like she's getting enough of the spotlight. “Now, Fiend, do I have to repeat myself?”

“Taking prisoners is also a part of warfare,” the Red Rider mutters, something of a sulk in his voice, “You exult in battle, human, and seek to cover yourself in glory. That is enough for me. Very well, human, my sword is yours.”

Petra gives a satisfied nod as the Red Rider retreats into her storage to rest and recover. Now, with the battle over you turn your attention to the trolls. They certainly pulled their weight, but you really don't need a gang of decaying demons following you about. Fortunately, the magic that summoned them seems to be slowly failing, and their forms are unravelling with each passing moment.

“Excellent work, men,” Eligor tells the departing soldiers, “Now... dismissed!” Then, speaking almost to himself: “Get some rest men. You've earned it.”

>>43054721

With the battle over, you and Petra find yourself drifting back towards the fairy kingdom. It's been a long day – or, at least, it certainly feels that way – and you're about ready for a rest. You did a lot of... questionable things today and learned more than you ever expected to. Seeing Leon – his ghost, at least – hit you harder than you expected as well. For the first time in a long time, you actually find yourself missing him.

It'll pass, you tell yourself. Five minutes with him, and you'd be right back to wishing he wasn't around. That's one thing you can be pretty confident about.

“I feel good,” Petra tells you, “Fighting like that really clears the head, yes? You don't need to think or worry, just focus on the moment.”

You'd be lying if you said it wasn't something you've experienced before – in fact, during the night of the full moon, all you wanted to do was fight. That, at least, is something you share with Petra, some common ground that you can settle on. A shared lust for battle – hardly the usual material for a friendship.

“Leave some for me next time, yes?” Petra jokes. At least, you think it's a joke.

>Keep up next time then
>You kept them off my back earlier. Thanks for that
>It's not a competition you know
>Other

>>43054892
>>Other
Y'know Petra, the most fucked up thing i've yet to see in this world was done by a human. An angel-controlled human, but a human all the same. Not all demons are bad. For example, Heartless here is a great . . .guy? Seriously tho, Daisoujou helped me out a lot in persona 3, so lay off the guy.

>>43054892
>Keep up next time then
As a joke
>You kept them off my back earlier. Thanks for that
My demons have gotten taking down hard targets to an art. Had too since I usually fight hard targets without back up.

Seriously though I have a feeling there will be plenty enough for both of us soon.

>>43054943
>>43054892
I'll go with this.

And you know she had plenty of Snakemen all to herself.

>>43054927
>>43054943
>>43054951

Well, maybe she should keep up next time, you joke, punching her lightly on the shoulder.

“Really now?” Petra asks, shooting you a grin so heavy with predatory glee that you regret encouraging her. Next time you get in a fight, she'll probably get herself into trouble trying to prove herself. Idiot.

Really though, you add, she kept those things off your back while you were busy. You wanted to thank her for it. The only reason you brought down the Red Rider so quickly, you explain, was that your demons have a lot of practice at this kind of thing. They've been taking down hard targets since the first cornerstone, all that in situations where you don't have any backup. In either case, you've got the feeling that you'll both be pretty busy in future – there's not going to be any shortage of targets.

“You might be right,” Petra admits, “Yes, there will be plenty of fighting in the days to come. I have a gut feeling about that.”

There is one thing though, you tell her as you walk along. That stuff in the New Way enclave earlier? There was an angel involved, true, but there was a human pulling the strings as well. Not all demons are bad, and there are plenty of bad humans out there. You get what she's been through, but she should ease up on her demons a little. At least cut Daisoujou a break, you tell her, he's not such a bad guy.

“I don't trust demons,” Petra answers honestly, “I trust the strength of my own arm. But, as you say, many demons are not so bad. Yes, we should not be enemies.” She nods to herself, before smirking, “Ah, but I will not be like your friend and take one into my bed.”

If you'd been drinking anything, Petra's blunt comment would have caused you to spit it right out. True, she might not be saying anything you hadn't already guessed, but...

“We should hurry,” Petra says suddenly, “Something feels off.”

>>43055329

You think about asking for more information, but realise that it would be pretty pointless. If Petra's basing her judgement on a feeling, you're unlikely to get anything out of her. Still, you have to agree – something about the air doesn't feel quite right. You had noticed it before, but you'd assumed it was just the pressures of your difficult day bearing down on you. Now, though, you find your pace quickening without any conscious decision.

All the time you travel back to the fairy kingdom you never break out into a run exactly, but neither do you waste time. By the time you arrive, you're both taking quick steps with near-identical grimaces of effort on your faces. At least nothing is on fire when you first arrive in the forest, but then your phone chimes.

“Amelia?” the voice on the other end of the line belongs to Cassandra, “Where are you? There's trouble here. Um, bad trouble. Can you get here quickly? It's... It's Joseph. He marched in here with these... soldier things and started ranting. I managed to slip away, but... I think he's looking for you.”

Well now.

Joseph. Just the man you were looking for, and he's looking for you – it must be fate. You promise Cassandra that you'll get there as soon as you can and then end the call, sliding the phone back into your pocket and cracking your knuckles. Things are about to get interesting.

>I'll have to end things here for tonight. Next thread on Friday, and I'll stick around in case of any questions. Thanks to everyone who contributed today!

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>>43055329
"Who does Cass want to befriend? Humans or demons? Everyone knows she loved a fairy boy. She spoke with Archangel many times. What would have happened in that chapel between those two old friends if Amelia hadn't come along? We all saw her put Gabriel out of her misery. Do you want to choose a woman who's been fighting the demons all her life? Or a woman who makes love to them?"

>>43055431
Thanks for the run boss

>>43055431
I actually want Leon back now.

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>>43055554
Why do the good die young?

>>43055577

Leon died because he was pretty bloody stupid.

>>43055554

No you don't!

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>>43055624
Moloch, when are we getting moloch?

>>43055624
>No you don't!

Moloch, I am saying in absolute seriousness that that time where we played as Leon and killed that Harry guy was the most fun to read inner dialogue in this quest.

>>43055688

In the Tower - we need some extra firepower, after all!

>>43055754

I will admit, I did enjoy writing all that "u wot m8" stuff. Leon was kind of a dick, but still pretty fun!

So what's Cass been doing while all this has been going on?
Hard mode: Don't say Cu Chulainn

>>43056112
Spear practice.

>>43056112
Working on his Gae Bolge.

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>>43056145

>>43056157
More like Gae BULGE

>>43055801
Well you definitely gave Amelia a reason to kill Jospeh now, if there wasn't one before. Though when the time comes we should make it quick for him, cause in a way he was twisted by an angel too, just like the ones we mercy killed.

Mastema though...I am seriously considering just giving him to Heartless and tell him to 'cut loose' while we walk off and do something else.

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>>43056112

Doing unspeakable things!

And by "unspeakable", I mean what >>43056145 and >>43056157 said

>>43056356

How can you stay angry at this handsome guy?

>>43056356
I can get behind both of those anon. Although I'd tell Heartless "I want you to deal so much pain and Agony to him that not a single Devil of the hells would look upon it with joy, that even Lucifer and God himself would turn their head from the visage you create with his body."

>>43056420
Remove Mastema.

>>43056430
>Although I'd tell Heartless "I want you to deal so much pain and Agony to him that not a single Devil of the hells would look upon it with joy, that even Lucifer and God himself would turn their head from the visage you create with his body."

I think all that is implied when you let Heartless off the leash and let him enjoy himself.

>>43056454
Yeah but I was telling him that so he'd go the extra mile and pull out ALL the stops, and entrails.

This is all assuming Mastema doesn't just run away at the first sign of trouble. I seem to recall him being not much of a fighter. Not up close at least