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>>5736783
"Vlad? Vlad, we've arrived back in Vritannis." Serpico gently shakes you up, trying to make his words get to you despite your catatonic state.

Frankly, you do not feel like responding, you do not even feel like staring back at him, yet you are painfully aware of how long you have been ignoring your surroundings for what feels like an eternity, the vortex of negativity in your mind has spiraled into an aversion to participate in this fight. Though Griffith has no qualms with convincing people to kill and be killed by his name, the burden of being a king instead of a pawn suits your side of the chessboard with the burden of responsibility.

"Vlad, please. We can't do this without you, now. I can't negotiate with Frederico by myself..."
"Let him be. He'll bounce back eventually. And if he doesn't, so be it." Guts speaks before leaving the boat along with Puck, "That's one less person to stand between me and Griffith."

You're not sure what just came over you: Perhaps as a product of Guts' declaration, Serpico's plead for help, or the active wish to just get this over with, you raise your head and stare back at Serpico, unamusingly exchanging glares in silence. His face is as neutral as ever, but his Od reeks of a mixture of uncertainty and determination.

"Vlad! Are you feeling alright?" Serpico seems positively surprised to seeing the slightest of reactions from you after several weeks of taking care of your inactive self, but it shouldn't take a genius for him to figure out that you are not in your best mental state, to put it lightly.

>The world is likely coming to an end, and if not, hundreds of thousands will be purged to prevent this catastrophe. Me? I feel just fine.
>I don't feel. There is nothing to feel. And if there is, I do not wish to describe it.
>Take a wild guess Serpico. How did you feel when your mother died?
>[Stay silent. Let's just get this over with...]

>>5736802
>Start tonguing Griffith's fertile twink asshole like it's the tastiest thing in the world until he gives up on being evil and becomes our wife.

>>5736802
>I don't feel. There is nothing to feel. And if there is, I do not wish to describe it.

Sorry I was a little horny.

>>5736802
>>The world is likely coming to an end, and if not, hundreds of thousands will be purged to prevent this catastrophe. Me? I feel just fine.
World ending? Not my problem.

>>5736823
lmao

>>5736802
>I don't feel. There is nothing to feel. And if there is, I do not wish to describe it.

>>5736829
>>5736831
>>5736970
"I don't feel. There is nothing to feel. And if there is, I do not wish to describe it. I would rather not think about the consequences of my loss. I had more than enough time to consider my failures..." You jolt up as your body takes some time to get used to walking again. Serpico offers to take your shoulder, but you hold up a hand to him and assures him you're fine, to which he silently nods. Being used to not asking questions, he can tell you don't feel like oversharing.

"So, Magnifico, are we in the slightest of good terms? I will need to know which side you are picking between us or Falconia." You ask Farnese's brother if he will vouch for you or not.

"What kind of asshole do you take me for? Just because I can't fly or have magical powers, it doesn't mean I won't stick my neck out for Farnese! It's father who you should be worrying about."

"Right, his reputation might be in shambles, considering we've exposed what was meant to stay in private..." Serpico pondered. "Lady Vandimion must be the one in charge instead of the lord. I'm sure you vouching for their missing daughter along with Roderick will give us some weight to our words."

"That's not it. Giorgio's more likely the next one in line, so I assume he's picking up the family business by the bootstraps, and since the holy see is a shadow of it's former self, Poliziano being a successor to the pontiff won't matter much given how far you've worked in abolishing their church. Investments in warfare are a lot more cautious then you might think. It's by careful funding and who picks what side that determines how long the war will last. Why do you think the hundred year war happened the way it did with Tudor? the 87th year war didn't roll of the tongue so well."

"You people are wicked..." You whisper under your breath, knowing what the effects of extending the war caused to Midland and their people.

"Well, get used to it. It's basic economics. Like it or not, war is a business, and people will profit off of it. You'll be lucky to see a 50/50 split on the funds between Falconia and Ilos, because sometimes, the people there just want to see what side does with the money."

"But we can put a stop to that, can't we?"
"There's no 'we' here, Serpico. As far as our family is concerned, you're still a nobody bodyguard. Being a bastard doesn't mean you'll be recognized as a figure of power. You'll have to find a better way to convince father and the other aristocrats than having his blood."

Easy for him to say, when the Vandimion blood is all Magnifico has to ride on for the rest of his life...

>I'd say promoting Serpico to an aristocrat would fit him well, it'd be good to have his influence on our side.
>He doesn't need to be a Vandimion. He's more valuable as a fighter, and he already has the support of the people of Ilos. Whether your father recognizes him or not is irrelevant.
>What would it take us to convince them of our cause?
>Write-in.

>>5737065
>He doesn't need to be a Vandimion. He's more valuable as a fighter, and he already has the support of the people of Ilos. Whether your father recognizes him or not is irrelevant.

>>5737065
>>He doesn't need to be a Vandimion. He's more valuable as a fighter, and he already has the support of the people of Ilos. Whether your father recognizes him or not is irrelevant.
Glad to see you back becchi. Time to spend cash

>>5737065
>>He doesn't need to be a Vandimion. He's more valuable as a fighter, and he already has the support of the people of Ilos. Whether your father recognizes him or not is irrelevant.

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>>5737093
>>5737903
>>5737948
"He doesn't need to be a Vandimion. He's more valuable as a fighter, and he already has the support of the people of Ilos. Whether your father recognizes him or not is irrelevant." The firmness in your voice hits them like the bludgeoning of a hammer, showing your faith in Serpico and shocking Magnifico as he ponders on Serpico's true worth.

"Vlad... I appreciate the vote of confidence, but... I'm not nearly in the same position of power as the likes of Lord Vandimion--"
"But you can be, in Ilos. Now that Barnham is dead, I could use a new lord, and compared to all my other soldiers in the coliseum's army, your skills in swordsmanship are second to none. If you wish to, you could become an equal in power to mine. Surely Farnese didn't work alone back when she was commanding the Holy Iron Chain Knights. Even if you were silent and passive, you knew the best course of action to take, you were just never able to forge your own path."

Serpico's eyes are wide open, not considering being such a key part in your government, potentially even after the war. Though if there was one person who you were sure that would never betray his code of honor while having the wisdom and experience of a competent ruler, it was Serpico.

"Equal, huh? I still believe it would take years for me to proudly walk the path you've carved by yourself, but if you wish to call me so, I have no objections."
"We can leave the ceremony for later, but if we make it through this, I'll have your name proudly displayed along mine, as Serpico of Ilos. For now, I'm sure a change of clothes and being by my side will suffice."

As Magnifico and Roderick entered Vritannis, you've noticed how much of the remainders of Midland has changed. The Kushan invasion has left the holy city with plenty of repairs to be made, and aside from it's main road, the docks and a few walls around the major buildings, the city is as ruined as when you've left it.

The branches of the astral tree all unify towards the east, with the once dead roads being rejuvenated with all the greenery and the magical creatures from the astral being released, while several of them appear to be docile like Hyde's harpies, creatures like giant cockatrices, trolls and ogres were felt nearby, to which the soldiers of the holy army were all struggling to take care of.

As Hyde and Morda vouched to aid whoever was passing by, Magnifico called for an urgent meeting between you, the Vandimions, and all the major shareholders of the city's bank for you to convince them of your cause.

>Demand their assistance. They've already seen what the dark lords have done to their land.
>Gain their trust by promising to aid them rebuild their and keep them safe during the war.
>Tell them that appealing to godhood is a waste of time. Their public image is already in crisis, and playing both sides to this war will be later questioned by whoever wins.
>Something else.

>>5737903
And right on time, for once! Depending on how much we get done this might be the final thread, but I held on to naming it something final for the sake of holding my breath

>>5738125
>Demand their assistance. They've already seen what the dark lords have done to their land.

>>5738125
>>Tell them that appealing to godhood is a waste of time. Their public image is already in crisis, and playing both sides to this war will be later questioned by whoever wins.
>>5738126
any plans after you finish this quest?

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>>5738153
Not really? Maybe I'll do a playable epilogue or something, but finishing 2 long running quests without flaking is like 2 times over what the usual QM can do, so I don't think I'll be doing any more, or at least not nearly as long and as detailed as these, so I'm just along for the ride for now

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>>5738279
very sad

>>5738279
It was a fun ride while it lasted. Thank you QM for the memories, this was a good quest.
The fact that you're actually completing it and not flaking is something rare here in qst.

>>5738125
>>Demand their assistance. They've already seen what the dark lords have done to their land.

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>>5738153
>>5738143
You stomp your feet at the crowd, making sure to hammer in the situation they are in, the world as the know it will collapse before their eyes, and the apocalypse has already started. However despite the damage here caused being visible to all but the blind, their reception of you were a lot more mixed than previously expected.

"Well, yes. But how exactly are you meant to solve this?"
"Griffith's forces are much larger in numbers than yours. Wagering any bets on you seems like a poor investment."
"Weren't you the one who killed Mozgus and disbanded the Holy Iron Chain Knights along with Farnese? I don't see what we have to gain by aligning with you."
"Unbelievable..." You grimace as your allies try to form a plan between the ones who agreed with you.

"Sir Vandimion. With the good commercial relationships you've established with Ys, it's only fair you take our side with Ilos. Our country is far enough away from you to survive in case Vritannis gets destroyed, I could not say the same for you."

"Warfare is expensive, Roderick. We cannot expect us to loan you food and supplies when we are struggling already." Lord Vandimion nervously proclaims, which is enough for Serpico to uncharacteristically snap at him.
"And what do you know about struggle, 'Father?' Have you killed your mother at the stake? Have you grown in poverty? Have you done anything but appeal to your own ego in the lavish life you've cultivated throughout the years? Your own children are nothing but administrators of your estate! Even now that your only daughter has been kidnapped by the inquisitor of Midland, here you are, dragging your feet because you don't want to upset the little peers you have left after exposing the scandal you created by your adultery!"

"Why you litte-- Who do you think you are, talking to me like this?"
"Serpico of Ilos." He takes an ironic bow to his father. "Whatever threats you can muster are irrelevant. I don't need your money, the laws you know of are from a dead kingdom, and none of your soldiers have what it takes to detain us. My only family is Farnese and Vlad, you pompous folks are just bosses from a job I quit long ago."

You and Roderick stay silent as Magnifico and the others gasped by Serpico's sheer audacity, his icy stare emasculating his own father as Farnese's other brothers react to his information.

"Wait, Farnese was kidnapped by Griffith? Why didn't you say that?"
"Well that only makes things worse, doesn't it?" If we cut their funds altogether, they'll just slice her neck open!"

As the tension only rose, you started to notice the lack of Stanley and Lady Vandimion's presence in the room. Due to being a lot more prominent and more eloquent in her words than her husband, you expected her to turn the Vandimion estate into a full blown matriarchy.

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>>5738651
"Have you forgotten what happened in that ball only a few weeks ago? Don't you find it oddly convenient that Ganishka attacked Vritannis while The Band Of The Falcon 'strategically' only came after enough people had died in the invasion while we actually went through the effort of protecting you? How the rumors of the Falcon of Light returning only came after the death of Mozgus and the massacre in St Albion? Though I guess you would find it pretty ordinary, given how many villages and cities you've strategically left to die in the hundred year war!" Serpico's psychological pursuit presses on. Making Frederico red as he barely contains his anger for himself.

"There is no side to take here, no gain from supporting Falconia. Either hope for us to win, or wait for the demons to destroy the city once more." Roderick shouts between the panic rising around the investors. Though the visitors and their people should be at your side given how they were there to see what you had done, appealing to the ego of billionaires so self absorbed in their own isolated world of gold was hard to do as they were incapable of processing a problem money could not solve."

"THAT'S ENOUGH! YOU TWO HAVE INSULTED ME FOR LONG ENOUGH! I OUGHT TO--"
"Having a meeting without me, huh? Wouldn't be the first time, you slimy rat." Lady Vandimion barges in with Stanley's quill and papers, having already figured out what happened.

"Angela, I--"
"Don't you, 'Angela' me! Do you really underestimate my intelligence that much? Like I wouldn't notice the most important people in this estate missing for hours on end!" Lady Vandimion takes off her right glove and slaps her husband, assuming his chair and being filled in on what happened to Farnese."

"Oh dear... Sometimes I feel like I'M the ONLY ONE here who tries to keep this family afloat as a real family..." Lady Vandimion shakes her head after being up to date with what just happened, voicing her venomous words to Frederico. "I don't care if he's the reincarnation of God himself, kidnapping a free spirit like Farnese is the one thing that should instantly warrant my disapproval."

"Haven't we've made that mistake several times... She only comes back more feral." Serpico grins, the stress in his face disappearing. "I believe I must apologize, not only to Lord Vlad, but to my previous Lady. I do not know what came over me, and my impulsiveness could have easily jeopardized Ilos' integrity after we've worked so hard to establish it..."

>You have nothing to apologize for, Serpico. Or should I say, Lord Serpico?
>If you didn't shout at their faces, I would have done much worse. These people are blindingly stupid.
>Guess some of Guts' anger passed onto you for a bit.
>How have things been at Vritannis, Lady Vandimion?
>So, what can you do to help our cause?
>Write-in.

>>5738663
>>You have nothing to apologize for, Serpico. Or should I say, Lord Serpico?
>How have things been at Vritannis, Lady Vandimion ?
Let s see

>>5738663
>>If you didn't shout at their faces, I would have done much worse. These people are blindingly stupid.

>>5738663
>>You have nothing to apologize for, Serpico. Or should I say, Lord Serpico?
>How have things been at Vritannis, Lady Vandimion?

>>5738777
+1

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>>5738777
>>5738833
>>5738847
>>5738861
"You have nothing to apologize for, Serpico, their blindfolds won't take themselves off. Or should I say, Lord Serpico?" You tap on his shoulder, not being bothered in the slightest as Serpico basks in the freedom the wind spirits predicted him to have.

"I believe you should save your flattering to your future wife, Lord Vlad. Though I do appreciate the gesture." Serpico is visibly relieved of not screwing anything up, despite a pompous takedown being exactly what they deserved. If anything, he's better at convincing the religious aristocrats than you.

After asking Lady Vandimion of the current whereabouts in Falconia, she had no qualms explaining things in great detail:

"Oh, it has been dreadful, here! Not that long after you've left, Griffith tried to come here and take the credit over killing Ganishka. Some people were convinced thanks to his giant army, and the hypnotic aura he has, but Stanley was quick to point out his intentions! He might have the pontiff's approval, but that doesn't absolve him of the crimes he's done to the King and the Queen!"

"Pardon my ignorance, but if Griffith has taken part in destroying the royal family, why has nobody attempted to rescue Princess Charlotte?"

"Oh, that girl is a poor fool. I pity her, really. She's been neglected of having any interactions with the outside world ever since her father found out about Charlotte being in love with his wife's killer. After being rescued from the Kushan, that girl would eat human remains if Griffith told her to. When you manipulate someone since an early age, they are equivalent to slaves, doing whatever you wish to at drop of a hat. Love is as much of a vice as any other addiction, ain't that right, Frederico?" She sarcastically looks over to her silent excuse of a husband, much like Griffith's coronation, it seems she will wait until after the war is over to end her marriage.

"I don't like you one bit, Vlad. But that Griffith guy makes you look like a saint. The plan would be to let you both die in the war so I can do whatever I want, but this war business is actually paying pretty well on my end, so I guess I have to thank you for this." Stanley says, in his own prudish way, that he is also leaning to your side.

"Is the reception to this new war as split as it seems from this room? How do the other nations feel about this?"

"We have been draining resources from the Paneria alliance ever since the invasion just to keep these damn monsters off our holy city. There's been much shade thrown our way due to opposing the one who's with the pontiff, but seeing how Griffith refused to help us, I can't say that's been unwarranted. We can rally some men from Lana, Faris and Nise, but most of them are siding with Falconia, and it would take a great deal of money to bring them over."

"How much?"
"Enough to put me out of what's rest of my mansion."
"Heh, guess our pocket money won't save us this time..." Serpico whispers.

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>>5738922
"And what of the other nations? Are the Kushans planning on interfering?"

"Seeing how their houses are rushing to find an emperor after both of Midland's factions had played their part in killing Ganishka, I believe even their giant army is retreating their troops, though that hasn't stopped Griffith from pursuing them and expanding his territory for the sake of Falconia. I'd say it would be easier to convert them to Ilos, especially given how Silat of the Bakiraka clan is the next in line, and currently resides in Ilos."

"Silat? Yes, I believe I've met him before, last time I checked, Kalki was trying to form a truce with them."
"Your informant seems to be as good as ours. Last time I've heard news from Falconia, Griffith was expelling one of the past members of his Band from back in the hundred year war."

"Who, Rickert?" You recall that he planned to ask Griffith in person if he truly sacrificed his friends for the sake of manipulating destiny.
"Yes, I believe that was his name. He simply slapped him in the face and attempted to walk off the ordeal, like Griffith's soldiers wouldn't put his head on a stake. Thankfully, Silat and his clan appeared to save him in the nick of time, presumably seeking refuge in Ilos."

"Tudor is likely to join our side too. Griffith's name rings a bell a lot more than yours, Vlad. If they ever get afraid of Falconia's attempt to unify the entire continent into his kingdom, they only have you to negotiate with. Randel's assistance is already a given, thanks to your background. The only place we should be wary of is Grant, who has been reporting plenty of apostles that have been causing mayhem on Tudor as they march their way to Falconia." Stanley adds.

"Now then, what do you wish of me? Aside from weapons and armor, of course."
"Oh, don't you worry about that, Lady Vandimion. We already have a plethora of magical weapons coming all the way from Skellig, so we'll spare your expenses on that front." You reassure her, knowing that her efforts would best be spent on...

>Convincing as many factions to support our fight.
>Sending us the food and supplies the soldiers will need to last until spring.
>Lending us your best men to fight for our cause.
>Just loan some money, we can manage the rest.

>>5738946
>>Convincing as many factions to support our fight.
all or nothing

>>5738946
>Convincing as many factions to support our fight.

>>5738946
>Convincing as many factions to support our fight.

>>5738946
>>Convincing as many factions to support our fight.

>>5738951
>>5739004
>>5739022
>>5739252
"A daring proposition... Is that really all you'll ask of me?" Lady Vandimion is intrigued by your response, to simplify all you'll need in the war as gathering the masses to your side is considerably out of the norm.

"Yes, we have our own method of transportation to protect any who risk walking the dangerous roads between major cities." You point to the sky up above, and the branches partially obscuring the sun. "I'll administer a few of my men to personally escort them to safety if they agree to come with me."

"So you can travel through the sky with that tree? Marvelous."
"Pardon Mother, aren't you a bit too quick to believe Vlad's affirmations?" Poliziano briefly interferes, only to be shut down.

"After seeing a giant roosters eating away at the soldiers of Vritannis, I am appalled to hear your perception of reality lets you doubt what Vlad says."

"Well, that was a lot easier than I thought..."
"Not so fast, Lord Vlad. You should know that contacting all who support you around the continent won't be easy, or fast."
"Of course, I am ready to sign the contracts."

After reading and agreeing to her terms, you were shocked to see how much she charged. You were not in a position to really haggle her prices, but you can only hope that Barnham's left something to cover the expenses.

"Also, I should let you know that the contract is still active even with my passing, so long as there is one Vandimion alive. So even if you'll own Farnese over a thousand gold coins, you'll still have to pay it."
"If you are worried about your safety, The Seahorse fleet can stay at the coast. We are waiting for backup, either way, might as well help you while we are here."

After saying goodbye to Roderick and thanking him for his services, You, Serpico, Hyde and Morda, along with all the fighting forces you could find in Vritannis were ready to depart as you experimented on how the branches worked as a means of transportation.

After motioning them to come down, the tree bent it's woodwork to carve a path, slithering it's way to the ground as it's majestic Od blessed you in their high spirits. Though it's ramifications were countless, the wind current guided you towards your destination, only opening it's white, cloudy floor when showing you Ilos from down below. What should have been a journey of several weeks by horse at least, turned into a walk of only a few hours.

Ilos' transformation is as astounding as the speed of the world tree's branches. It is nearly unrecognizable from how you've left it. Between the destroyed mountain once behind it being replaced by the tree that pierced through the clouds, the highly advanced technical infrastructure that made it's walls a true maze for enemies to infiltrate, or the vast array of magical trees and magicians guarding the larger perimeter of what was once a coliseum, Ilos has turned into a city befitting the title of metropolitan capital.

>>5739317
"Lord Vlad" Kalki takes a bow after seeing you taking a seat at your throne. "It's great to see you once more, we have much to discuss."

"Indeed." You coldly reply, slowly preparing yourself of what's to come.

>What happened to the insurrectionists here, are they still detained?
>May I take some time off to see my mother Michelle?
>Tell me of all the major changes in Ilos.
>Was anyone with Barnham at the time he died? What were his last words?
>We have no time to waste, let us plan our assault on Falconia.
>Write-in.

>>5739322
>What happened to the insurrectionists here, are they still detained?
>Tell me of all the major changes in Ilos.
>Was anyone with Barnham at the time he died? What were his last words?

>>5739322
>>Tell me of all the major changes in Ilos.
>Was anyone with Barnham at the time he died? What were his last words?
>May I take some time off to see my mother Michelle?

>>5739323
>>5739542
"What happened to the insurrectionists here, are they still detained?"
"Yes, milord. Though a few of them died when I sent the Pishacas on them, the organizers of the rebellion are still being detained on where Barnham used to let the slaves at. I can lead you there, if you wish to."

"Of course, but only before you tell me of all the major changes that happened here after I left."

"Naturally. Barnham managed to establish a base of operations at the Santana estate, and with the soldiers we have sent to Enoch and the culture Barnham led of only fighting until proving superiority, there was plenty of time for the workers of the Holy Iron Chain Knights to learn magic and use their free time to help us build our new fortress. The maze around us consists of a base filled with water, Pishacas, magical barriers, and several witches and paladins in every layer of the fortress. The only way for us to pass through all of that is to open the main gate to the coliseum. But after Rickert showed us his high tech cannon's blueprint, we have formed a giant cannonball which we've personally named as "The Bludgeoner." The balls it fires are ridiculously large in size, and we only have a couple of them, but it can crush a dragon flat with a single shot."

"Have you fired it against a dragon before?"
"Yes. Solon, the leader of the rebellion, tried to fire it at the coliseum and the residential areas, but we've stopped him from doing so."
"How long was he planning this?"
"Ever since he saw you defeating Barnham. While myself and the people are in high support of you, milord, some of the fighters did not believe that you were worthy of being a lord after years of service, and they were only compliant because they would be devoured by our deceased lord if he did. Now that he died against Ganishka and both you and I were out of Ilos, no one was there to stop them from revolting."

"In his defense, he was right in suspecting us. I can't say your changes in the inner politics of Ilos were subtle." Serpico retorts, taking one step forward to get used to his role as a lord of Ilos. "Since Lord Vlad couldn't find a better candidate to govern by power and wisdom, he made me Barnham's sucessor, so you can add another big change for the list."

"Lord Vlad! Is that really true?"
"Well, who else would assume the position? Guts doesn't know a thing about finances and politics, and neither does Morda. Hyde might know something about it, but he made a detour to Jodie's house as soon as we got here, and I don't wish to interrupt their lovemaking after a good 2 months of abstinence."

"It will probably take that long for it to finish, but hopefully his harpies will be ready when we're about to move."

"No need to worry about that, those harpies have learned to fly about as well as our witches, and with the arm cannons Rickert gave us, our air fleet will give us an advantage over Grififth's terrestrial apostles.

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>>5739921
"Having Serpico as a lord was indeed an unexpected decision, but seeing the state we are in, it is a great idea to have a second in case anything happens to you..."

You stay silent after Kalki's affirmation, your mind drifting somewhere else...

"Not to imply that you will die, Milord, I was simply--"
"No, that's not it. You said that I would have an advantage against the apostles, but I doubt most of Griffith's army consists only of apostles... We will have to fight humans, too. Kill their men, and leave widows and fatherless sons along the way."

"Of course, lord Vlad. I thought you had already come to terms with that..." Kalki questions your thought process, the killing of thousands being so casual to him, yet so causal to you.

"Whoever wins will have to take control of Old Midland's folks, but unlike Griffith, I do not use any manipulation tactics, nor brainwashing by the means of dark magic to attain my goals. I will have to live with the opposition defiling my name, for crimes that I have indeed caused against their families."

"That's the truth of war, I suppose. Of course whoever kills the least amount of civilians will be more regarded as the true victor and have a stronger opposition when commanding the land, all crimes will be pretty much forgiven in periods of prolonged battles. The laws of men will only be but words on a paper, where the only ones punished will be on the losing side of the skirmishes."

"..." That feeling of hollowness once again clings to your heart, like your humanity is about to be lost, the moment you agree to Griffith's terms, yet your hand remains forced to fight or retreat, and it's too late now to retreat.

"Kalki, I have one more question before you lead me to Solon. Was anyone with Barnham at the time he died? What were his last words?"

"I believe I can answer that question in his stead, Halfling." The familiar Skull Knight appeared behind you as Kalki jolted away in fear, not recognizing the old king of Midland.

"About time you showed up, Skully." Serpico greeted him with confidence, knowing that wherever he was placed against, anyone fighting Gaiseric would be sure to lose.

"The mort that stands with the dark lord is no descendant of mine. All she inherits are the worst of my mistakes, with Femto being but a puppet to Void's cruel joke to spite my achievements of once being a ruler. If you wish to look into my memories, you shall know of Barnham's final moments."

Gaiseric got off his horse and approached you as you delved into his mind, seeing a powerful blue bear apostle holding Ganishka's foot with all his might.

"RAAAARGH!" Every bone in his body was shattered by the weight, yet Barnham still clawed at the ground and held himself by the smidge of his paws to the floor, making sure that Ganishka's last step didn't crush the entirety of Ilos and erased all of his legacy.

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>>5739935
"The joy of battle... The hardship of combat... The justice of the sword and shield! No creature with this amount of power could understand what any of that means! You are as fit to be an emperor as a giant match of explosives! I REFUSE TO LET ANY OF YOU TAKE OVER GAISERIC'S HONORABLE LEGACY! I'LL END YOU NOW!"

Growing inpatient, Femto flew all the way over to Ilos in an attempt to bring Ganishka closer to his control. The transformed emperor, having already lost his sanity after being transformed a second time, did not even comprehend how such a small looking humans was able to lift his enormous mass.

Yet with the teleportation of the behelit sword, Gaiseric managed to impede Femto from breaking away with Ganishka and planting the Shiva in his holy city, aiming to attack him and send him into the dimension even below the God Hand's for eternal damnation.

Barnham, having almost no strength left, was left dangling from the Shiva's raised foot as he limply fell over on the plant Cindy grew into, though with how much of he ate from Ganishka's paw, seeing both Skull Knight and Femto battling and dodging attacks through the sky left him with the clear chase of tackling the colossus with all he has left. And with one last push beautifully coordinated with the portal to the netherworld being redirected by Griffith to a vortex behind Ganishka, the apostle monster was pushed into the astral dimension as the ground shook all across Midland, exploding as the roar of the astral world forever changed the two once separate planes of existence.

Gaiseric was taken aback by what he had indirectly caused, while Griffith mischievously grinned from ear to ear as he descended to touch the astral tree now guarding Ilos, until he noticed the blisters in his skin and the cracking in his armor caused by the exposure from the inhibitors who still denied his access to the power of the creator, Vlad and Sivir.

Wounded and requiring a tactical retreat, Griffith pushed Gaiseric away with a powerful gust of wind, to which he managed to avoid by teleporting below not far from Barnham, who was slowly dying to the astral tree's rejection of any who had the Behelit's stench.

Being far below their league, all the bear apostle processed from all of that was that he had bested both Zodd and Ganishka, finally becoming the strongest apostle in Midland, eating his way to the top while nourishing a bright future for Ilos with the twin trunks of Cindy and the Astral Tree becoming one, much like his and your ambitions.

With one of his eyes gone and the other facing the sun, Barnham saw an armor resembling the king he admired so much, the only one that he truly had faith in.

"Your majesty... Is that you?"
"Yes, Sir Barnham. Much like a fly knocking down a human by it's toe, it was a feat unexpected to all." Taking pity on the dying Barnham, Gaiseric played along in his final moments.

>>5739949
"Considering I started my life as a half-life to my brother... I guess I did not do so bad, huh?" Barnham grinned as he returned to his restrained form, wishing to die looking as closest to a presentable human as he could in front of his hero. "Tell me, your majesty... Have I made you proud."

"Prouder than all of my lineage has ever done in over a thousand years. For your feats alone, you shall receive the title of the next Skull Emperor. It will be an honor to meet you in the afterlife." The Skull Knight removed his helm, or rather, his skull, to place it on top of Barnham's dying face, his empathy for the God Hand's victim towering over his desire to kill them.

"...Wonderful..." Were Barnham's final words, as his body went limp and his heart finally stopped.

As you cease your visions through Gaiseric's point of view, you hold back your grief, as for a matter of principle, you have no tears to shed for an apostle.

"That damned Barnham... Sounds exactly like the sort of death he would be happy with."
"He died as he lived. Believing in his cause, accomplishing his goals, and leaving a bright hope for it's closest allies. A death we all deserve, yet few of us will achieve." Gaiseric proclaims, more to himself than to you.

"Any idea of what happened to Zodd after that encounter?" Serpico asked.
"He can't be far from here, but since the tree expels apostles and the soldiers would attack him on sight, it's smarter for him not to show his face here." Kalki responds, not even considering that he might be a worthy captain.

Can you imagine the reputation that would give you? Vlad of Ilos, a lord who opposes Falconia with so much conviction that he managed to defect two powerful apostles to his side -One already being a captain of The Band Of The Falcon- as well as bringing the first king of Midland back from the dead just to show how much of a sham Griffith is? The letters from historians alone would commend you in your influence.

Of course it wouldn't be that easy, but contacting him was not impossible, thanks to your telepathy, but given the amount of people you still wish to speak to before planning out your battles, contacting Zodd might not be the highest priority right now.

>Contact Silat.
>Contact Rickert.
>Go meet Solon.
>Meet Michelle and Bernard.
>Something else [Write-in]

>>5739958
>Meet Michelle and Bernard.

>>5739958
>Contact Silat.
The spies will know a great deal of important information.
Also welcome back becchi!

>>5739958
>>Meet Michelle and Bernard.

>>5740066
Thanks, though I guess we are getting ready to say goodbye as a few anons have said.
>>5738443
Don't be sad! That's going to give us bad luck for when we roll!

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>>5739982
>>5740066
>>5740363
"Is Silat here?"
"Yes, actually. I believe he wished to ask you personally about your thoughts on Ganishka and the odds of his house to win the Kushan throne. Given how we've killed a few Kushans ourselves, joining forces with him might be controversial to both them and us, even if Griffith is the larger evil. I'll look for him and Rickert in a bit."

"Thank you, Kalki. Let me know when he's ready to meet us." You depart to the residential areas, getting ready to meet your mother and Bernard."

As you see the residential area, the crops had started to harvest once more, with the river under the bridge having several farmers and workers talking to each other at ease.

"V-V-V-lad?! Y-YYou're alive!" The short Benny was playing his songs to a few other kids who were handing him some bronze coins, until he waved at you to come over.

"Good to see you, Benny." You give him a handshake. Despite what occurred between the two of you, he seems to hold no hard feelings towards you.

"Did you expect me not to return?"
"They said you abandoned us... But Dad and I knew you wouldn't do that! but since you never m-m-messaged us..."

"I wouldn't run away from a fight I started." You kneel over to meet his gaze and reaffirmed him of your safety as well as his, and after apologizing to the crowd for interrupting his little show, you went home with him to meet your mother and his father to tell of your great adventures.

The house was right before the great astral tree, it's trunks being large enough to replace the mountain that was once before it. And as if protecting the other houses before him, a marble statue of the great Barnham, holding the trunks above his back was cemented in front of it.

"Here lies Barnham. Proud founder of Ilos and it's powerful coliseum army."

"D-Dad sculpted it. We don't like Barnham, but it paid well." Benny scratched his bald head, knowing it obscured the gravestone of his sister Cindy.
"Benny, boy! I told you to warn us before bringing any of your friends home--" Bernard is surprised to see you, quickly calling for Michelle, who nearly jumped out the window to check on you and your wounds.

>Hug your mother
>Apologize to Bernard and for Cindy
>Ask how they were doing while you were off.
>Tell them what happened to Sivir and Farnese.
>Write-in.

>>5740447
>Hug your mother
>Apologize to Bernard and for Cindy
>Ask how they were doing while you were off.
I almost want to do all of this, but I don't know if we'll have the time.

>>5740447
>Hug your mother
>Apologize to Bernard and for Cindy
>Ask how they were doing while you were off.
>Tell them what happened to Sivir and Farnese.
I want to do all of it. we should have the time.

>>5740483
>>5740710
"Vlad! I'm glad you're here-- Huh? Why, you look better than ever! I can barely see the scar you had across your eye--" She started carefully looking for scars to treat, but she was stopped by a powerful hug, followed by a whimpering apology.

"Mother, Bernard, Benny... I'm sorry... I let all of you down... I killed her..." Unknowing of the relapse of your depression, MIchelle wondered what you were apologizing for.

"Don't blame yourself, dear. Benny explained everything to us after he arrived. We understand that you were just trying to help her."
"The world might still be too harsh for the peaceful to walk freely, but travel the world, she did, and despite her untimely death, knowing that she managed to retain her sanity and meet Benny on her way here before she passed away is something I never even considered. To be honest, I was afraid of never seeing either of them again... I know you did your best, and that is what matter the most."

"What are you talking about!? I just killed your daughter! And my mother Sivir too! All the men and women who've placed their trust in me are doomed to a brutal death, and all I receive from my genocidal behavior is praise!?" You uncontrollably raise your voice as you shout of your failures in Elfhelm, a side of you which you've always contained now exposed to your closest confidants, now shocked by the sudden crack in your self-image.

As they invite you in and offer you some cold water as you regretfully explain yourself, you notice the foliage of the astral tree reflecting on your emotions. It's leaves changing from red to green and a tint of blue once you had finally returned to your usual, collected self.

"I was hoping Farnese was merely busy somewhere else..." Michelle thought to herself, yet her mind was read either way.
"Can he even motivate his soldiers in that state?" Benny's mind is also read.
"This useless idiot doesn't feel happy to not only kill Cindy, he'll bring all of us down with him!"

No... None of them would ever say that, but why are your mind reading abilities telling you so? It's like you're hearing just what you want to hear from them, instead of their true feelings...

"Listen, Vlad. There was a time where us old folks also believed we could change the world... That one day, society would wake up, realize the error of their ways, and fix itself once you've pointed out the problems... But time after time of seeing injustices being committed not only to us, but to the ones we love... Our only refuge to seek was to create our own home, to make sure the next generation does not give up earlier than us, and that perhaps our gravestones are blessed with the gusts of equality and liberty. No matter what happens, this is our home, and we're not going anywhere."

>>5740902
"Don't think of the Farnese cowering in fear as she waits for the worst, think of the Farnese that was learning magic with you with so much focus, she could barely keep her eyes off of you. Your student has surely been well taught, and she is not afraid of any demon king, when she knows her savior would remain victorious over anything hell can throw at him."

"Is she...? Can I...?" You hold your head, once again containing the downward spiral from within you to unleash itself over people who are trying their best to support your unfavorable position.

"O-Of course you can, Vlad! I-I-If me and Cindy did alright for a cripple, w-w-what does that say about you? Y-you got a lot to give!" Even little Benny seems to place your hopes onto you.

How is this possible? You've cultivated such hope onto them that it is nearly impossible for them to see you in a negative light, even if you wish them would hate you... Perhaps it would have been easier that way.

>I don't know how many times I can rise from the dirt... This might just be the last.
>These burdens are mine alone to carry, I don't expect you to relate to them, but I appreciate your words either way.
>Please, keep yourself safe, Mother. You're the only family member who didn't die by my hand...
>Even if I don't believe in myself, there are people who are sure of my victory. Failing their faith will only add more to the pile of corpses, thank you all.
>Write-in.

>>5740920
>"Even if I don't believe in myself, there are people who are sure of my victory. Failing their faith will only add more to the pile of corpses, thank you all."
>Take a moment to remember those who believed in you in their own ways that are no longer with you. Merlina, Barnham, Gallahad, both of your fathers, Sivir...they each believed in you and suffered for it, yet here you are tarnishing their memories by doubting yourself. Could you get any lower? You have no choice but to soldier on, lest you hate yourself even more.

A little bit of self-loathing to seal the deal. Surely nothing bad can happen from a man who makes thoughts into reality starting to hate himself. However, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make if it can eventually impart the final lesson onto Vlad: Death need not be the end of hope.

>>5740920
>Even if I don't believe in myself, there are people who are sure of my victory. Failing their faith will only add more to the pile of corpses, thank you all.
>Please, keep yourself safe, Mother. You're the only family member who didn't die by my hand...
I like this one, it feels poetic in some way.

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>>5740938
>>5741156
"Even if I don't believe in myself, there are people who are sure of my victory. Failing their faith will only add more to the pile of corpses, thank you all." You proudly proclaim as you remember the ones who are no longer with you. Merlina, Barnham, Gallahad, both of your fathers, Sivir...they each believed in you and suffered for it, yet here you are tarnishing their memories by doubting yourself. Could you get any lower? You have no choice but to soldier on, lest you hate yourself even more. You owe it to them to put an end to this nightmare.

However, you are still very afraid. Not of what will happen to yourself, but of the few who still give you a reason to open your eyes and see the cruelty of the world you are stuck in.

"But please... keep yourself safe, Mother. You're the only family member who didn't die by my hand..."
"Don't sell yourself short, Vlad. This is the most support the Santanas have ever had, and I have dodged plenty of encounters with death before. Griffith is lucky I'm not the one with magical astral powers, or else I would have erased him from existence long before the old king could meet him." She gives you one more hug and encourages you to finally move along with your duties.

Finally meeting Silat and his muscular bodyguards and a hooded old man, you tilt your head when seeing the blond, Midlandian blonde teenager sticking out like a sore thumb amidst the crowd. Who salutes you the moment you open your mouth.

"At ease. Who is the hooded figure you have with you?"
"Never would I expect to be serving you, Lord Vlad. Yet desperate situations require desperate truces." Daiba, Ganishka's powerful sorcerer, had unexpectedly joined forces with Rickert and the Bakiraka after the emperor's demise."

"Now that's an unexpected sight, how did you end up here?"
"Daiba was hiding himself in the streets of Falconia as a regular worker. The girls you sent as moles were quite useful in locating him, so we went through the effort of bringing him along with them back to Ilos. Best not risk us harming your allies if we get there." Silat explained.

"When we get there." Rickert corrected him.
"I'm aware of Daiba's powers, we've fought briefly on the coast."
"Briefly? No need to play up your capabilities, young man. That was the fight of our lives!" Daiba stretches with the loud snapping of his joints. "Though you do not look any worse for wear..."

"Rakshas tried to kill us after I struck Griffith, and though Daiba managed to help us fend off against him... He took Erica away."

>So you actually hit Griffith? Good job! That's more than what I've done...
>What can you tell me about Rakshas?
>How is Falconia compared to Ilos?
>You are all more welcome in the ring of Ilos. Be it Kushan, Tudorian or even apostle, we have no prejudice against the strong of will.
>Given how we've fought before, it's only natural for me to doubtful of your loyalty.
>Write-in.

>>5741271
>>So you actually hit Griffith? Good job! That's more than what I've done...

>>5741271
>How is Falconia compared to Ilos?
>You are all more welcome in the ring of Ilos. Be it Kushan, Tudorian or even apostle, we have no prejudice against the strong of will.

>>5741271
>So you actually hit Griffith? Good job! That's more than what I've done...
>How is Falconia compared to Ilos?
>You are all more welcome in the ring of Ilos. Be it Kushan, Tudorian or even apostle, we have no prejudice against the strong of will.

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>>5741343
>>5741366
>>5741523
"So you actually hit Griffith? Good job! That's more than what I've done, at least..." You speak the last few words on a lower tone.

"Uh... Pardon?" Rickert was not expecting to be congratulated by assaulting the possible future king, but he accepted the compliments nonetheless.

"N-Nevermind...You are all more welcome in the ring of Ilos. Be it Kushan, Tudorian or even apostle, we have no prejudice against the strong of will. If anything, you having info on Falconia will only help us in planning ahead against that fiend." You dodge his question by focusing on the tactical advantages Griffith and his fortress has.

"Well, I'd say it's the exact opposite of Ilos. He leaves his apostles inside a ring behind his highly guarded castle. The outside walls are guarded by an assortment of rapid fire cannons, the perimeter is much wider than Ilos, and the forest and rivers before the castle aren't accessible thanks to
the demons living there."

"Seems oddly convenient for Griffith. His palace was right under Wyndham's, so he inherited all the tactical advantages of the city capital with none of the downsides."

"And what's worse, the main road he uses to travel around are filled to the brim with residential areas. Unless he has a few safe zones for the civilians to evacuate, I don't see us pushing through the gates without destroying at least a few dozen buildings."

"Do you have any idea as to where Griffith might use to hold people hostage? I'm not only asking due to Farnese and Casca's, but that might also lead us to Erica's whereabouts."

"..." Rickert does not want to expect the worst, yet knowing of where Griffith was sent to be tortured all those years ago, he only had a single lead. "The tower of rebirth. Legend has it that Gaiseric's kingdom was under the gigantic pile of sacrificed corpses from the magician who brought the first king to his death, a place untouched by wind or sunlight. Guts and I have already gotten there once, so I'm sure I can lead you there again."

You're sure Gaiseric has the most knowledge out of all of you, perhaps even more than Grififth himself, if there is anyone who could turn the chessboard around to corner Griffith with his own chess pieces, it's him.

"I have already managed to contact a few hundred soldiers who believe in the Bakiraka clan's victory. Counting all the heads you have including the mages, the soldiers and the Pishacas, it should be around 1,100 men." Silat says, taking a map from Daiba to better illustrate his tactical prowess.

"A pretty good number to start with. What do you figure is the optimal way of invading Falconia? We could reach it in jut a few minutes if we used the astral tree, but I need to wait for the blood moon a few months from now, where the apostles are inhibited by the interstice creatures."

>>5741776
"The best way for us to win is to split our groups into three main fleets and travel our way into the key cities of Old Midland. That way we can deny them their main supply sources and investors as we establish our bases there. For some reason, Griffith is waiting for us to do the first move, he's had the chance to fight or invade us several times with his human army, yet he hasn't done so."

He was likely just waiting for you to start the war, so he could come off as the true peaceful bastion of morality to his loyal cattle.

"Either way, splitting us up sounds like a good idea. He has over twice the amount of soldiers we have, so in case something happens to one, we have the other two to take care of. Perhaps with the fast travel of the astral tree, we can even send extra reinforcements to which they can't predict."

"All I ask for is for you to not get in the way, should Rakshas and I meet in the battlefield. He has sinned against our clan, and It's not something I wish anyone else to take the credit for. That is the only condition I have for us to combine our units."

"Are you sure you wish nothing else of me?" You try to be more generous with the future Kushan emperor.
"There won't be a world to negotiate with if we lose this fight, will it? I would rather save your plead of allegiance to the Bakirakas for when it has any worth." His daring words go well with his confident posture and the flexing bodyguards at his side.

"So what are your specialties? Assassination?"
"That's definitely one of them, though my Tapasa and their martial arts skills should speak for themselves." Silat asks for one of them to demonstrate, gently picking up a stone pillar above his shoulder
and breaking on another one of the bodyguard's head, to which he didn't even move an inch, maintaining his meditating pose."

"Impressive!" Without the use of any magical assistance, those bodyguards could rival the strength of a minor apostle, surely having killed hundreds of men using their fists alone.

"I don't expect all of your men to be on the same level of strength as my Tapasas, but I assume you have some sort of ace in the card for your troops to match the strength of the apostles?"

>Morda knows necromancy, be it friend or foe, deaths will only increase her numbers during fights.
>Elemental weapons are being developed as we speak, Serpico and can teach my soldiers how to use them.
>Gaiseric's Behelit sword can pretty much erase apostles for existence, he is our strongest ally in this war.
>I can and mandragoras thanks to my plant origins. Our numbers aren't as small as you might think.
>Perhaps I can make some poison for my men to coat their weapons on. Be it apostle or human, if they have a heart, there's a way to stop it from beating.
>Write-in.

>>5741837
>I have a great number of aces up my sleeve, which combined will make us a true nightmare for those demons to fight. It would be unwise to hedge all of your bets on a single thing, after all. I gladly invite you to sit with us on the next War Meeting where we'll be going over all of our current plans and workshopping more - your insights would be invaluable to us. And it wouldn't hurt to make sure it's as secure from Falconia's spies as possible...

>>5741837
>>5741852
+1

>>5741852
>>5741894
"I have a great number of aces up my sleeve, which combined will make us a true nightmare for those demons to fight. It would be unwise to hedge all of your bets on a single thing, after all. I gladly invite you to sit with us on the next War Meeting where we'll be going over all of our current plans and workshopping more - your insights would be invaluable to us. And it wouldn't hurt to make sure it's as secure from Falconia's spies as possible..."

"Of course. When will the meeting be?"
"I'll try to set one later tonight."
"Understood."

As the sun sets, you see all your major captains gathered up on a round table, where most of your soldiers await at the inside of the coliseum. You've never actually seen so many people gathered up this close to you, it feels inspiring, in an odd sort of way.

"Am I really important enough to be here with the captains? I just got here today!" Morda leans back on her broom to Hyde, Serpico, Gaiseric, Rickert, Kalki, Daiba and Silat.

"I just need to test a little something." You ask for the astral branches to descend to see if other magic users can freely travel in the astral plane so long as they have your permission. And sure enough, after just a few minutes, Morda returns, carrying a giant egg with her.

"They got a cockatrice nest way up north, I'd advise you to watch out for that, but hey. I hear they make for great omelets!"

"Best ta keep a good number of magicians in each group, in case they need to use the tree. That way we can hide our true numbers against 'em while being on the lookout for reinforcement troops from other nations." Hyde suggests.
"Griffith is the only one with the gift of premonition. The others won't be so lucky when ambushed." Serpico adds.

"The real battle will only start once you get inside Falconia, so you need to spare your soldiers when you can." Gaiseric nods.

"Well then Lord Vlad, what is going to be our strategy?"

>We'll rely on the astral transportation as much as possible. It's our best advantage and our element of surprise against the apostles.
>Aerial strikes from above. With Rickert's hand cannons, the magicians and the flying Pishacas, their archers will be lucky to stand a chance against us.
>Why don't we bait them into fighting here? Our fortress's heavy artillery is impenetrable thanks to the purging barrier of the astral tree.
>My fleet will be the smallest compared to the others. With my new techniques, I believe I can take care of most of Griffith's troops by myself.
>Write-in.

>>5742161
>>We'll rely on the astral transportation as much as possible. It's our best advantage and our element of surprise against the apostles.

>>5742161
>We'll rely on the astral transportation as much as possible. It's our best advantage and our element of surprise against the apostles.

>>5742161
>>We'll rely on the astral transportation as much as possible. It's our best advantage and our element of surprise against the apostles.

>>5742161
>>We'll rely on the astral transportation as much as possible. It's our best advantage and our element of surprise against the apostles.
LETS GOOOOOOOOOOO.
I finally made it to the thread, I'm so glad to be back playing again!
If this is to be our last one, then let me say; it has been an honor having fun with you guys. I knew this /qst/ was special ever since the first thread I played in and we got the double crit in the Guts fight.
Thank you all, thank you beechi.
Its been one hell of a ride...

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>>5742304
Hey, thanks coming back! Hope you don't mind the waiting periods getting a bit longer than before though.
But let's save the goodbyes for when it's actually time to leave! For now, it's time to write that update!

>>5742189
>>5742227
>>5742297
>>5742304
"We'll rely on the astral transportation as much as possible. It's our best advantage and our element of surprise against the apostles. We can bring our people in and keep theirs out so long as I'm the one in control of the astral tree."

"Sounds good. That way we can also progress on our own pace while also always being at a tactical advantage on the field. We could just suddenly drop our firing squad on top of them and they would be none the wiser." Kalki agrees.

"But how exactly would we organize our troops? There's nine of us here, so 1,100 divided by 9..." Rickert starts doing the math, but The Skull Knight interrupts him.

"Make it 8, I will be attacking on the front lines, handling whatever adversary is too powerful to contain. Leaving a troop with me would only result in me having to hold back or go after them to make sure they are safe. I work best alone."

"Alright, dividing it by 8, we have around 138 men for each captain. Hyde will lead with Morda on the southeast, past the town ruins of Koka."

"Tee-Hut!" Morda gets way too much into the soldier persona, making a salute with her left hand.
"There ain't no better place to hide than above the clouds. Y'all better take good care of my girls, or else Griffith won't be the only one worried about lighting a fire up under his ass!" Hyde brandishes his cannon, now being improved and mass produces amongst the Ilonians.

"Combining the Pishaca armies together seems like a no brainer, so Daiba and I will have most of the kushans to themselves. I hope I can make amends with my race after so many years of questioning my ancestry."

"You'll have plenty of years to regret and think about whatever you have in your head, kid. For now, you should be good just worrying about controlling the animals. I'll take care of the Garudas."

"Right, we'll be going at a straight line towards the main road, visiting many of the merchant houses where no doubt most of Grififth's army will be residing. It's the toughest route in terms of fighting, so we'll need the heavy artillery to pass through there."

"That leaves the third fleet, going by the dense forested area that leads to the landmark known once as the swamp of the occultists. Since Vlad knows his way around plants, I expect him to go well with Silat's stealth. You'll be able to switch back and forth and drop along the forest with ease without the enemy knowing where you are." Serpico adds.

"That leaves you and I to be on support roles, right?" Rickert asks?
"Actually, someone needs to stay here and watch out for any possible invasions. No point in leaving a city without anyone taking care of it, we already know what happened last time."

>Serpico should stay in Ilos.
>Rickert should stay in Ilos.
>Actually, I want to take another route. (Choose to switch with one of the captains)
>I disagree with this formation. (Re-order the pairings for the captains.)
>Write-in.

>>5742654
>Serpico should stay in Ilos.
He has an incredibly sharp tactical mind, and his ability to hold his own against apostles means I won't worry so much about him. And as for Rickert...
>Request that Rickert sticks with Guts, as his mechanical arm is prone to malfunction if overused. His presence may be enough to aid Guts in regaining control in case he has to resort to using his armor, as well.

I'm actually more than happy to have Vlad go through the occultist swamp. We're very familiar with it, and...who knows, something in me says that we might be able to uncover something previously hidden now that we're at our "full" power due to having our pearl back.

>>5742992
+1

>>5742992
+1
I assume whoever's in Ilos is less likely to die fighting so Serpico's staying even if he wants to save Farny with us

>>5742992
>>5743170
>>5743371
"I believe Serpico should stay with Ilos. I don't wish to risk a second insurrection from rebels in case I'm not here when the war ends."
"V-Vlad! I just became a lord! Aren't we rushing things?" Serpico lightly protested against staying behind. "I wished to properly redeem myself with Farnese."

"And I swear on my life that you will have the chance. Even if it costs my life, you will see her again. I wouldn't trust this task onto any lesser man. You are just the most fit to guard Ilos in my stead, especially when compared to the kushans or the unknown visitors."

"...Right. I shall keep our people safe along with the spirits of the wind." Serpico reluctantly agreed, understanding the importance of his role.

"What about me?" Rickert asks. "Where should I go?"

"Since you most likely have synergy with the Bakiraka Clan, I would advise you to go with the Pishaca troops or alongside Daiba's fleet. Though I'd advise you to be on the lookout for Guts."

"Guts? What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing, for now. But since his mechanical arm is prone to malfunction if overused, and given the state he is in, I can't see anyone else attempting to contact him without it ending up badly. I'll let you know where he is in case we find him."

"Got it."
"Well, now that everything's settled, we should get a good rest for tomorrow's--"
"Hold on a minute. Aren't you forgetting something?" Silat interrupts you before you walk out the meeting.

"Am I?"
"Yes! Where is the speech for your men? You need to inspire them! Make them feel the pressure of their situation!"
"I... Can't say I had prepared anything for them."

"Well, they're all out here anyway. There is no better time to do it than now!"
Confused, you go out to meet your army. The mere sight of you is enough for them to cheer at the top of their lungs. For God's sake... Why are they so eager to die?

As they sit in silence, waiting for you to say something, you feel their eyes piercing you like daggers. You've never had this much attention drawn to yourself. Every word you expel from your mouth will now be engraved in their memories, living the legendary event of what feels like two gods fighting against light and darkness, with the victor deciding what humanity should interpret as good or evil.

However, you don't wish to be a god. You've never seen yourself as anything other than human.
"This is not the time to develop stage fright." You whisper to yourself, attempting to elevate yourself to match the Vlad Santana that will be in future history lessons. With Silat at your side to translate the speech to the Kushans, all ears are set on you.

>>5743514
>Make a hopeful, inspiring speech. Let them know that even if they die, they will see the victory of the living as they ascend to the other world.
>Be realistic. Many of them might die and your chances aren't overwhelmingly high. Advise all to be cautious.
>Let the bloodbath commence! Show the enemy no mercy! If Griffith wishes to win, he will only do so after holding your severed head towards the remaining survivors!
>Write-in.

>>5743517
>"Soon, we shall march to War against the forces of the Hawk of Darkness. Our enemy is one that wields fate and providence itself against us, and has enslaved countless souls to their cause. The Apostles you'll fight against have each sold their humanity to the dark powers that seek to use us all as pawns in their game, and the humans at their side are little more than brainwashed tools to them. We will not let them win! We'll take fate into our own hands, to create our own destiny and earn our own happiness! We'll show them the power of Humanity, and everything that it can bring to bear! Our struggles will never end so long as they remain undefeated, and we'll pay them back tenfold for everything they've done. Fight for your life! Fight for your destiny! Fight for your future, and your children's future! Fight for all that is truly good in the world, so that Evil may never triumph! Fight for the reasons you hold dear in your heart, and I will fight for those reasons too, right beside you. We shall show them no mercy, for they will give us none. Prepare yourselves for the greatest battle our world has ever known!"

>>5743597
+1

>>5743597
+1

>>5743597
>>5743899
>>5743914
"People of Ilos!" You ball up a fist and raise your voice so everyone across the coliseum can hear you. "Soon, we shall march to War against the forces of the Falcon of Darkness. Our enemy is one that wields fate and providence itself against us, and has enslaved countless souls to their cause. The Apostles you'll fight against have each sold their humanity to the dark powers that seek to use us all as pawns in their game, and the humans at their side are little more than brainwashed tools to them. We will not let them win! We'll take fate into our own hands, to create our own destiny and earn our own happiness! We'll show them the power of Humanity, and everything that it can bring to bear! Our struggles will never end so long as they remain undefeated, and we'll pay them back tenfold for everything they've done."

"Fight for your life!"
"Fight for your destiny!"
"Fight for your future, and your children's future!"
"Fight for all that is truly good in the world, so that Evil may never triumph!"
"Fight for the reasons you hold dear in your heart, and I will fight for those reasons too, right beside you."
"We shall show them no mercy, for they will give us none. Prepare yourselves for the greatest battle our world has ever known!"

"LONG LIVE ILOS!"
"LONG LIVE ILOS!" The men and women repeat after you. accompanied by cheers, applauses, and shouts of "Fuck Falconia!"
It seems like you have actually done a good job in motivating them. Hell, after seeing their attitude, you've become a little motivated yourself. Griffith hasn't seen the last of you just yet.

Though before you could leave your spot, you felt a familiar afterimage flying across your line of sight, and after catching it with your right hand, you noticed that someone actually managed to throw a sledgehammer at you from the crowds.

"What the--" You ask yourself as you see Solon being apprehended a second time.

"I apologize, Lord Vlad. It seems that he had broken the lock for his cell and managed to sneak into the crowd." Kalki informs you.
"Who do you think you are, standing on that platform instead of Barnham! Not only you have killed him and Gorrister, you are actively doing everything you can to replace him and tarnish his legacy! Don't think we're all supporting you because you are a righteous leader! The old culture of war will not die with us after a lifetime of development! You don't deserve Gaiseric's old kingdom!" Solon desperately shouts from the crowd as he is taken towards you, being thrown rocks and punched on his way there.

"This man is clearly out of his mind and unfit to serve you!" Silat says, despite you being able to see where he is coming from.
"Let me take care of him." You say, holding the sledgehammer he threw at you. "He shall be an example as to what we should do to our detractors."

>Execute him.
>Lock him away.
>Throw him away from Ilos.
>Bribe him.
>Attempt to convince him.
>Bludgeon his head with his own hammer.

>>5743981
>>Execute him.

>>5743981
>Execute him.

>>5743981
>>Bludgeon his head with his own hammer.
Really nail in the message of his own culture.

>>5744115
>>5744140
>>5744201
"Remind yourself of the future you chose. To mistake my wish for peace for passivity will be the last mistake you'll ever make, for it you are the only one showing the true weakness of character here." As the traitor is placed in front of you, you take a deep breath before striking his stomach with his hammer. Though you have held back considerably to not shatter his ribcage, the internal hemorrhage is potent enough to show you the pathetic sight of Solon puking out blood.

"Have him executed in the next morning. Decapitate him and bury him outside the fortress. If one swing isn't enough to behead him, then let him bleed." You order one of your guards to take care of him.

Though you expected your people to be intimidated or even fearful of your actions, they only screamed in unity, eager to display that brutality against the soldiers of Falconia.

Solon did not deserve your time of the day, too minor to even receive your attention after a failed assassination attempt, his executor was the only one who remembered his face.

The Bakiraka Clan were focused and silent companions, only driven by the wish to reach Falconia a second time to meet Rakshas. Though your journey was a long and arduous one, your hunting skills and your ability to grow trees were useful in always keeping your units from starving, as well as leaving them ready to assist the ones on fiercer battlegrounds.

As you did not have many horses around the dense forestated areas, your slow walking speed only helped in having time pass slower, until you finally got word of the others marching at a faster rate and having a higher encounter against enemies and apostles.

>Roll a 3d100 to see how well each troop progressed on their way to Falconia.

Rolled 60, 49, 16 = 125 (3d100)

>>5744255
Brutal!

Rolled 8, 28, 21 = 57 (3d100)

>>5744255

Rolled 39, 52, 9 = 100 (3d100)

>>5744255

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82 KB PNG

>>5744256
>>5744264
>>5744266
60,52 and...21.

Well the plan had to go wrong somewhere, didn't it?

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164 KB JPG

>>5744256
>>5744264
>>5744266
"ENEMY SPOTTED!" You hear a few Kushan speaking your language after sighting a familiar giant in the distance.

You've found where Zodd, The Immortal was staying at. Having deforested a good chunk of the fauna, sitting on a tree stump, sulking on his demi-human form, sharpening his cleaver without a care for the troops who approached him.

"He's by himself, should we try and kill him?"
"No. He'd make mincemeat out of several of you in the process. I'll take care of him myself." You take out your trident just in case Zodd proves to be hostile, yet by reading his intent, the lack of any soldiers by his side, and the events that happened to him, you have the feeling a good talk with the man behind the legend would prove to be insightful.

"Five." He exclaims as you approach the legendary apostle. "Counting Ganishka and Barnham, there are now four enemies who could have given me the death I wished, yet refused to let me meet my grave. And by two apostles who came before me, no less."

"The God Hand certainly has it's favorites, we can relate to that, in a sense. The younger generation will always find a way to tower over tradition. Be it due to fighting their predecessors when they are not at their peak, or simply because the elders pave the path for them to avoid the failings they have made."

"Not too long ago, that oracle girl from Griffith's Falcon army had an interesting premonition for me. She said that if I were to fight the ones who had once cut my flesh, I would have to choose between an easy victory, or to make the enemy's weapons my own. To finally dive head first into either madness or volition, the horror of a beast, or the honor of a warrior. I did not place much thought in her words when I left to fight Barnham, but now... Now I start to see the meaning in her words."

"You apostles and your damn sob stories..." You growl. "Just when I think I can mark you as evil fiends without redemption, you go ahead and show me your human side."

"A single mortal soul cannot contain pure evil, much like it can't contain pure good. Only fools would deny that all have evil in their hearts, and have the potential to bring out the worst in them at all times. whether they should or will is only a matter of time and attempts."

You have no rebuttal to give him, only staring at his mixed, conflicted expression and letting silence speak for itself.
"Philosophy about good and evil is unproductive when you have already chosen your alignment. Griffith is still the stronger enemy between the two of you, and if going against him will lead me to the vicious battles that originated my rivalry with Barnham like Sonia said so, then I am inclined to combining our weapons."

>>5744418
>I would be honored to fight alongside you, however briefly it may be.
>I'm not sure I fully trust you, Zodd.
>Anything that kills you faster, I'm all for it.
>How do I know you will not betray me in the near future if you're playing the neutral card?
>[Attempt to kill him while his guard is down]
>Write-in.

>>5744420
>If you truly wish to fight by my side, then bring your might to bear against me one final time. I will test your convictions as I tested Barnham's. Battle is how warriors bare their souls to one another, after all.
Sneak attack? No way. Letting him join us just like that? Hell no. We're going to get one last fight with Zodd, and if we both survive it...then we'll become allies until the end.

>>5744420
>How do I know you will not betray me in the near future if you're playing the neutral card?

Really

>>5744743
I'd rather solve this without fighting than risking bad rolls with the guy who can fight toe to toe with Barnham

>>5744420
>>5744743
+1

>>5744420
>How do I know you will not betray me in the near future if you're playing the neutral card?

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257 KB JPG

>>5744743
" And how can I know you will not betray me in the near future if you're playing the neutral card?" You proclaim, already implying that you're distrustful of Zodd.

"Betrayal? Don't mistake my words for a pledge of allegiance. An accusation of double crossing would imply that we would ever be in good terms. Don't tarnish the legacy Barnham left behind by counting his sworn inside his coliseum. I am not your ally, nor am I your enemy. I am just looking for a good spectacle, waiting for a chance to join in."

"Much like Griffith's wings, your freedom is merely a cope you tell yourself after realizing your rings restrict you to only flying against the air currents until you die. If you do not wish to fight for or against me, then what is the point of this conversation?"

"I shall give you a nudge in the right direction since you were lucky enough to find me here. Griffith tends to fight amongst his men in the front lines. He makes a beeline towards the fleet's captains, though this time, he is waiting for you to face him in Falconia."

"Is he going easy on me?"

"On the contrary. He wants you to prove your worth. His best men have already deployed, and since giants and cockatrices have been infesting Midland, you will be fighting the terrain itself before you can even reach him."

"Lord Vlad! We require assistance!" You hear Kalki telepathically communicating with you. "A series of earthquakes and landslides have been dwindling down our forces! I fear there is something underground."

"Vlad! There's giant roosters everywhere! Tons of' em! They ate some of the broom chicks!" Hyde simultaneously asks for your help as you wonder which ones require your attention first.

"Earthquakes...? There are no reports of natural earthquakes in Midland for hundreds of years!"
"I'm afraid that must be Igor. As Falconians become filled with despair by the prospect of your invasion, it will only be easier for newer apostles to volunteer to the front lines. A centipede fits the image of a bottom feeder such as himself."

You ponder as to which threat you should face first, as well as which situation will Falconia's army take advantage of first. Zodd seems keen on observing your actions, or at least going in the opposite direction you will choose, committing to the role of agent of chaos he appears to have donned for himself.

>Fight Igor, the centipede apostle.
>Fight the flock of cockatrices.
>Divide your attention between the two threads.
>Ask Zodd to help you.
>Tell him to stay here, or else.

>>5745177
>Fight Igor, the centipede apostle.
Our roots should be able to tangle him up easily enough. And we're highly anti-apostle specced. Roots could also stabilize the ground quite a bit.
As for the roosters...those could only be Cockatrices, right?
>Advise Hyde to either find a true rooster and make it crow at them, or to make the giant roosters look at themselves in a mirror. If legends are right, either one should kill it handily.

>>5745206
+1

>>5745206
+1
what eldritch lore are you reading

>>5745206
Support

I want ballistas and mages ready to impale the giant roosters, make some cleared spaces and make sure they are on the opposite site. Cut them down with two handed weapons if they ger close.

For us instead we will use the forest roots and branches for impale and crush this disgusting abomination while taking it out of the ground.

File: d6im867-e92389a4-f96f-4e4(...).png (442 KB, 900x551)

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>>5745206
>>5745223
>>5745456
>>5745610
Instructing Hyde on how to fight the cockatrices, you split half your fleet through the Astral Tree to send several ballistas and arches towards the cockatrices, while Silat and his trusted men hop along to Midland's main road, getting ready to fight the underground monster.

Arriving there, you notice how Falconia's troops have already started moving and shooting towards the Pishaca army, who started getting increasingly harder to control thanks to the coordinated attacks of the underground monster. Due to Igor not showing itself in the surface and the fast speed his provided by his several hundred legs gyrating under his body, it was hard to aim at him or even properly identify him with Od reading.

The coordinated attacks from the main apostle and his approaching foot soldiers made it so their formation remained intact while yours kept breaking with each attempt at retreating.

While you have ignored Zodd as you departed without saying a word, you are pretty sure that he can arrive in either place not that long after you, so you can only hope that he doesn't come at you with ill intent.

There he is, Igor, the crawling bottom feeder. His size eclipses the largest elephant Pishaca, as thick as a house and as large as a tower. Watching him from up above in the astral branches, you evaluate his speed to be as fast as Gunpowder's when he breaks the sound barrier. Coupled with the energy it's producing, it has to constantly play stop and go to readjust itself and make sure it's destroying the right rock formations.

Though Casca's Axe has been confiscated, your plant origins are sure to obstruct his path.

>Fire soul arrows underground with your mages until you hit them.
>Focus on fighting the upcoming horde of falconians.
>Impale him underground with the roots of your magical seeds.
>Flood his tunnels with your trident until he is forced to dig upwards.
>Something else.

>>5745699
>Impale him underground with the roots of your magical seeds.

>>5745699
>>Impale him underground with the roots of your magical seeds.

>>5745699
>Impale him underground with the roots of your magical seeds.

>>5745715
>>5745727
>>5745953
Time to kill Earthworm Jim! Roll me a 1d100+10 and we'll see if we'll catch him!

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>5746017

Rolled 68 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5746017
Rolling.

>>5746056
Earthworm Jim has been captured swiftly and dispatched of easily.

File: earthworm-earthworm-jim.gif (427 KB, 498x373)

427 KB GIF

>>5746056
You know what, you forgot to put the +10 but I'll count that as a crit.

>>5746056
>>5746071
"Make way, demon!" Is all you proclaim as you throw a portion of your seeds on the ground, letting them grow downwards as it's branches entrap the centipede apostle underground. This monster is beneath you, you have no business with inexperienced evildoers. Should this amateur really put up a fight against the Silver Eyed Santana, he should have 30 years of fighting experience at the very least.

Finally hearing a cry of pain from down below, you are sure that you managed to strike Igor at his midpoint, and wasting no time, you remotely expel your Odd onto the tree and yank the damn thing up to the surface, obstructing the Falconian's path to the Ilonians as the crater and the creature occupy several hundred meters of space between the battlefield.

As Igor squirms in place with your magicians firing their array of soul arrows onto him, it spins and spasms around in place as it pushes away and crushes any unfortunate men too close to it.

If this is the strongest these new waves of apostles are, then you have nothing to worry about.

"Who is that?!"
"The Phantom Impaler is here!"
"The one who killed Grunbeld? That bastard!"
"Don't rush at him, he wouldn't have killed so many without so much at proving his worth."

As you heard the enemies being intimidated by your presence, you raise your spear at Igor as he manages to sever half of it's body before it could completely decay, slithering on the surface as it trampled over friend and foe alike. The acid trail it left behind also burning and killing any who approached it.

Already preventing his escape, you extend the pole of your trident and use it to propel yourself up in the air, landing on the fast moving crawler as you nailed it's spikes on it's back. Igor is significantly slowing down with each passing second, yet it he still shakes his tail (Or what's left of it) with the hope of making you let go of him.

"Tell me, monster! Who have you sacrificed in order to prove your worth as Griffith's captain?" You speak to the inside of his mind.
"I have nothing to reveal from my enemy!" He proclaims, though you can easily see the image of him handing his firstborn to Ubik along with his wife so he could settle the fear he had from losing his nationality.

His wish to protect the seemingly peaceful city of demon made him transform into one himself. A sight that will not be uncommon once Falconia gets eventually raided...

"Have a nice death." You charge yourself with Od as you prepare your finishing blow.

>Impale him to the ground once again and break him to a halt.
>Pyke his body and throw him down.
>Control him to enter a tunnel and drown him with your undines.
>Punch a hole in his innards and let your Od do the rest.
>Plant trees inside him until the chunks stuff him dead.
>Something else.

>>5746479
"You are filth, to renounce your humanity, your own flesh and blood, your family. For the defense of a demonic tyrant. Pathetic."
"All of you walk side by side with nightmares, you bow and kneel to them what fools you are ! What’s your exscuse for do so !? How many lies will each of you tell yourself and believe ?!"
"No matter ! I VLAD SANTANA, KNIGHT OF MIDLAND AND LORD OF ILOS WILL CRUSH YOU ! HERE AND NOW !"

>Impale him to the ground once again and break him to a halt.
>Pyke his body and throw him down.

>>5746479
>Pyke his body and throw him down.

>>5746494
+1
>>5746220
I always forget to do that.

>>5746494
>>5746528
>>5746795
Another 1d100+10 then! Let's see if your courageous display will manage to scare off the rest of the soldiers.

Rolled 53 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5746848

Rolled 74 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5746848

Rolled 99 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5746848

>>5746955
Jesus, Nuclear Vlad has no fucking chill

>>5746955
nice

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1.68 MB PNG

>>5746955
Deader than disco

>>5746855
>>5746873
>>5746955
"You are filth, to renounce your humanity, your own flesh and blood, your family. For the defense of a demonic tyrant. Pathetic." Hatred and contempt flow through your veins, as the power of your imagination gives you the ability to conjure giant palms onto reality to better grasp the stomach of the centipede, the white constructs created by your soul making enough friction to let him stand still with your trident gyrating it's frosty, extended spikes, swirling the monster into a standstill.

"AAAAAARGH!"
Igor's only retort is despair, knowing that his sacrifice meant nothing but a longer, more gruesome death as you continue to tear him apart.

"As all of you walk side by side like the nightmarish creatures you are, you bow and kneel to the God Hand's leader so long as he drops you a splutter of it's evil secretions? What fools you are! What’s your excuse to do so!? How many lies will each of you tell to yourselves to convince you that becoming murderers for his bidding will justify your inhumane actions?!"

"HRGH! YOU WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND! THE BRAINWASHED MONSTER NEVER RECOGNIZES ITSELF AS ONE! YOU WILL BRING FORTH THE APOCALYPSE, AND I WILL RATHER DIE BEFORE IT HAPPENS!" Igor has the gall to call YOU, the harbinger of death. No amount of talking or convincing could ever bring this blind man to perceive true light. You are wasting your breath to one who has already committed his heart and mind to the opposition.

"No matter..." You lower your head, twisting the I, VLAD SANTANA, KNIGHT OF MIDLAND AND LORD OF ILOS, WILL CRUSH YOU HERE AND NOW!" Flinging the gigantic monster into the air, you tumble in the air as you plow what's left of the disintegrating centipede onto the floor, with all the Falconians who were unfortunate enough to see their leader's defeat being quick to yell at the sheer power of Ilos.

Having a quick analysis of the field, your troops have lost considerable numbers thanks to the earthquakes and the loose Pishaca trashing around. Were it not for your intervention, The Falconians would have likely overwhelmed your fleet, or at least stall for enough time for it's reinforcements to take over. Thankfully, you have managed to deceive them into believing all your captains have your level of strength.

"RETREAT! RETREAT!" The lost morale of Igor's troops have placed absolute terror in the eyes of all his men, with the vengeance of your soldiers making quick work of their frontlines who's back were greeted by several shots of darts, arrows, cannon balls, boulders and magical sparks, several of them were surrendering on their knees, as if the last remainders of their humanities were laid bare as their motivations were burnt to a crisp.

>>5747236
"Did you see what the Impaler just did?"
"He is undefeatable! A monster of pure hatred!"
"Imagine what he might do when he reaches the princess!"
"No matter, we can regroup in a few week's time once Locus gets here. He is Midland's strongest soldier and Griffith's councilor, a veteran of generational gaps compared to all of us. Vlad and the Ilonians will stand no chance!"

You hear some of the surviving soldiers speak to themselves with your enhanced senses, tending to the men at their side, between the screams of the dying and the cries for help as they tended to their wounds and amputated limbs. Their wish to die in wars is a façade, as is yours, and hopefully, your men, once the pain and adrenaline sets in, the horrors of the bloodied battlegrounds, the trampled skeletons and the beheaded, unrecognizable bodies are not sights that the faint of heart can ever forget.

"Lord Vlad! What shall we do against the retreating foes?" He asks, likely wishing to know if you had any intention in pursuing them and preventing them to regroup with Locus when you could also take the time to help out your wounded or deal with the surrounding Falconians.

You haven't heard from Hyde yet, which is concerning to say the least.

>Pursue the Falconians, don't let them regroup.
>Go to Hyde's scouting zone.
>Evaluate the damage done to your troops.
>See if you can convince the surviving Falconians to fight by your side. Not all of them are beyond saving.
>Imprison them somewhere, you have no time to think about reforming enemies as of now.
>Give them an honorable, painless death for not running away.
>Something else

>>5747249
>See if you can convince the surviving Falconians to fight by your side. Not all of them are beyond saving.
Probably a stupid idea on my part I'll admit.

>>5747249
>Evaluate the damage done to your troops.
They have breathing room, they need to use it to recover what they can from the ambush.
Meanwhile, we should...
>Go to Hyde's scouting zone.

>>5747397
Support

I am considering converting them to the cause but is not easy

>>5747282
>>5747397
>>5747488
Taking a few minutes to heal the gravely wounded and recounting some heads, you calculate with Kalki that around 300 men were lost due to the destruction of the terrain, compared to 120 Falconians, mostly due to your ranged fighters. Though you managed to be the victor thanks to demoralizing the soldiers with their captain's deaths, it seems your only shot at winning through their larger numbers with these troops is to make a beeline towards whoever is commanding them.

Still, around 40 men decided to surrender, and while you might not be able to make them defect and believe in your cause in the span of a day unless you bribe, blackmail or threaten then, those are still 40 potential lives you can save, which is the most you can say you've done when you're committing a massacre on Midland territory...

"Spare them. If they have dropped their swords, there is no point in slaying them. I will let you decide how to approach them with diplomacy." You quickly depart to meet Hyde, who was firing all his cannons and spells against the giant roosters, towering over the tallest of trees.

Thanks to Morda's necromancy and the overriding of Pishacas, she actually managed to remotely control most of the enemy cockatrices, which now have joined forces as live and undead creatures, their numb pain receptors making them viable damage sponges, standing tall unless something manages to go through their flesh.

"No significant losses here, Vlad Sir!" Morda salutes you by the branches once you approach her. "I'm not using necromancy on humans unless you give the a-okay on it, but since it was either this or having Hyde's chicks get eaten by larger chickens, I thought it would be fair game"

"Fair enough, so long as we don't do the same towards soldiers or civilians."
"Okie-Dokie!"

You chuckle to yourself, seeing how casually Morda treats warfare, almost as if she is treating it like another chore to do on Skellig.
Well, how could she be worried? It's not her land to conquer.

>Let us continue pushing forward!
>Let's stay here and wait for reinforcements.
>Any signs of Guts so far?
>Be on the lookout for Zodd.
>Write-in.

>>5747637
>>Let's stay here and wait for reinforcements.
>>Any signs of Guts so far?
Regroup and reform, Locus will get here only in a few weeks. We can take out this falconians and their commander before he is here.

>>5747637
We should stay here and wait for reinforcements, and I would like to suggest a scouting action to find out what might be waiting for us.

>>5747637
>Let us continue pushing forward!
Fair point on waiting for reinforcements, but I don't want to give them too much time to regroup.

>>5747637
>>Let's stay here and wait for reinforcements.
>>Any signs of Guts so far?

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4.04 MB PNG

>>5747749
>>5747782
>>5747816
>>5748029
"Let's stay here and wait for reinforcements. The Vandimions promised me some, and I'll be damned if they don't deliver their end of their bargain." Randel's men could arrive at any moment, and provided you do reach Falconia early, there is no benefit in raiding it now, given the blood moon is still several weeks away. For now, it's best to establish a few bases and some safety lines in case you're the one that needs to retreat.

Surprisingly, neither of your men reported on Guts for the following days where you transported your newly found troops to three separate locations across Midland. All they managed to inform you was that Griffith purposefully did not send many Falconians against you due to the infestation of hostile creatures from the interstice being released back into the physical world, letting you fight the terrain itself while he calmly awaits for your apostle army to grow at the cost of nothing.

Thankfully, Gaiseric promised to clear the path you tread by fighting them in advance, getting rid of all major monsters that would prove to be too much against the average human. Though it took him a few days to return to you, you were sure that a giant chicken would not be the enemy that would bring him down.

Unsuspectingly, Zodd was the one to report to you after a few days of laying low on your camps.
"Ah, there you are. I did not think a pipsqueak like you would find a way to travel through the country at a faster rate than mine."
"What do you want, apostle?" You spare him the pleasantries.
"I have seen your old majesty fighting a giant Jotuun army. Apparently, these colossal entities were the main cause of mayhem around Falconia after Ganishka was defeated, but since Griffith found someone else to do the deed for him, he is merely waiting for your men to die to take the credit for it."

"I have noticed that already, do you have anything of worth to tell me?"
"Yes, in fact. I have fought Gaiseric myself, and I know he is holding back against the Jotuun army. That is because your little struggler friend found the giants first and is fighting amidst them."

"Guts is there?" You try to read Zodd's intent, making sure he is not attempting to deceive you.
"Yes, though it appears the beast within him has finally taken hold of him. He is fighting with the raw instincts of a wild boar, yet his human body is faulting him already."

"That can't be... Puck should be treating his wounds!"
"And you think that tiny little elf would be able to stand in the way between that greatsword! I'm sure he has already abandoned him. The only reason the skull knight has not slain him yet is likely due to him hopefully wishing he bleeds out before he has to put him out of his misery."

Zodd has given you useful advice, though he likely just wants to go there to get a chance at fighting Guts himself. Point being, you have enough time to make a detour to bring Guts back again into the arms of Ilos.

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>>5748178
But is he too far gone? Do you still find it in yourself to sacrifice your safety once again just for the sake of a friend who might kill you, all the while barely recognizing you as he lets his inner hatred win against his vows to protect what he loves?

It was originally his idea to slay Griffith, not yours. Though unlike you or the silver eyed, Guts has no proud, magician heritage to speak of. No magical prowess to protect him, no royal or aristocrat ancestry to give him a base as to how the world should be.

No. He always came from the dirt, and relied on his own humanity to strive and escape the clutches of the dark lords. And though his efforts are commendable, humanity is as failed in it's motivations as it's species. He would not be standing here today were it not for the friends he consistently pushed away out of guilt and fear from not dying along with them. And with that, you remember that no matter how distant you two are from each other, he is as much of a kindred spirit with you as Merlina was.

You curse yourself, remembering how your lack of faith now also has a chance at affecting your odds. Could it be that by briefly not believing hi, you have already fated Guts to a premature end? Will you let your fear of killing another brother in arms dictate whether or not someone is worth saving?

>Approach the leader of the giants with Zodd
>Send a few of your men to help him with the Giants.
>Bring Rickert with you, he has known Guts for longer than you have.
>Leave Guts by himself.

>>5748190
>Bring Rickert with you, he has known Guts for longer than you have.
Guts is the priority. I don't care about the Giants terribly much.

>>5748489
+1

>>5748190
>>Bring Rickert with you, he has known Guts for longer than you have.

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>>5748489
>>5748515
>>5748534
"Rickert, would you mind accompanying us to Guts' location? You could be useful in snapping him back to his true self." You ask the young boy to follow you and Zodd towards the giants' den.

"M-me? Not that I do not wish to see Guts safe, but... Are you sure this is particularly safe for me?"

"Let me be your shield, and I will make sure your contributions to Ilos are repaid by reuniting with the true black swordsman."

Having to help Rickert place his equipment on Zodd's back was somewhat unsettling, but it was a lot more comfortable than sharing space with a horse, and the fact that he can actually fly made the travel a lot more relaxing than previously expected.

After a few days, you can sense what appears to be Guts' Od in the distance, though his mind was already overtaken by the hound, constantly talking over his head and assuming control of Guts' mind.

"That... That can't be him..." Rickert was shocked to see Guts, overtaken by his hatred of the world and of himself as his narrow helm gnawed at the leader of the Giants head as he pleaded for mercy, opening his skull and cutting at his brains until he could no longer move.

"He managed to defeat all the giants by himself?"
"Yet it didn't come without a cost." Zodd points to his damaged body as you landed a dozen meters away from him. The damage is unsurmountable, and automatically removing his pain inhibiting armor would only result in him going into shock.

His human arm was twisted and mangled to the point of his shoulder being pretty much glued to his body, having to contort every time he felt like moving, his metallic arm was crushed into a pile of scraps, barely resembling a hand. His neck was bent at an odd angle, and with the way he roared and walked, you could hardly call him a human.

Spotting the Skull Knight casually killing the last of the giants, the hound inside Guts manipulated him into seeing all living forms as his enemies.

"Yes! Have faith in your evil! What has that useless bucket of bones done to you? Having all the power to kill the God Hand and never using it for a thousand years? He is as much of an agent of chaos as them! Off with his head!"

"It is a shame that I will have to fight you in this state, struggler. Yet I would rather avoid seeing you turn into an apostle." Gaiseric brandishes his sword, waiting for Guts to approach him.

>Appeal to Guts' humanity.
>Astral project yourself onto the armor.
>Tell Gaiseric to step aside, you will fight Guts by yourself.
>Something else.

>>5748650
>Appeal to Guts' humanity.
>Astral project yourself onto the armor.

>>5748720
this

>>5748650
>>Appeal to Guts' humanity.
>>Astral project yourself onto the armor.

>>5748650
>Appeal to Guts' humanity.
>Astral project yourself onto the armor.

>>5748650
>Appeal to Guts' humanity.
>Astral project yourself onto the armor.
Finally found some time to read this again, as good as ever

>>5748650
>Appeal to Guts' humanity.
>Astral project yourself onto the armor.

>>5748720
>>5748842
>>5748998
>>5749003
>>5749065
>>5749118
Give it up for a 1d100! The doggo won't react likely over you going over his territory!

Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>5749445
Bratty dog...needs magic correction!

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>5749445

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>5749445

>>5749458
>>5749626
Balance.

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>>5749458
>>5749516
>>5749626
Hoping to channel your inner Schierke, you separate your soul from your body as your luminous body attempts to don the Berserker armor yourself, wondering how the hell she managed to share space with him so easily.

Guts' mind is as filled with hatred as destruction as his own fragmented self, his soul being locked away by the chains that once locked away his inner monster. As you attempt to reach him by calling his name, the beast of darkness ensnares your soul as it manifests itself in it's full glory.

The hound, or at least, how it perceives itself, is now the one donning the Berserker armor, his tail, too long to even be called a wolf's, has fused with the dragonslayer, becoming it's main source of attacks as it cuts and slashes at Guts' own damaged psyche.

"The burden of killing his own child became too much to bear. It is the destiny of humanity to resort to chaos when unable to process it's own misgivings. Such predictable patterns make it easy for logic and control to be suppressed by hatred, by the visceral need to destroy!"

"You are not Guts! His body is not your puppet, evil spirit! Leave him alone!" You say as you try to untangle your luminous body away from the rising flames coming from the hounds' mouth. Paralleling the fight the both of you are having in Guts' mind, Guts tackles you to the ground and attempts to pounce on your jugular as your soulless body reacts by pushing him away with your water currents, swirling above and under each of his swings thanks to your recovered flexibility, only retreating and parrying his blows, progressively moistening his sword in order to turn it into a block of ice, getting heavier and heavier as his strikes slowed down considerably, a two on two fight of mind against mind, instinct versus instinct.

"Oh, but we are. No conscious creature is beyond temptation. We are the thoughts that plague every crevasse of the human mind. Every human is a potential apostle. Even one as valiant as yourself is capable of evil, of hurting, of intentional destruction. Deep down in all of you, there is a desire, a fascination with accepting your primal self, and letting the monster inside to break loose. You cannot escape your decrepit thoughts, the part of you that you do not wish to admit that exists. In his case, it is the wish to push all away, due to his own knowledge of his destructive capabilities!"

As his mouth fired a cannonball, you pondered on how the only way for Guts to process the thought of Lucio being killed after achieving peace was to bathe in his old, broken self's idea of the black swordsman, reveling in the gore of his enemies and pretending he was anything but a broken man wishing to kill himself much like Zodd or yourself.

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>>5749718
Manipulating the fabrications of Guts' mind, you manage to throw the chains against the hound right before his mouth cannon reached you, reflected by a swift kick in the real world which managed to slip the dragonslayer out of Guts' firm grasp.

Your body double manages to force Guts onto a mud fight, bringing him down and raising a few seeds to constrict his movements, but thanks to his impaired anatomy and the reforming of his limbs, the armor naturally manages to escape from it's containment as it further mutilates his body, finding time to punch you in the process.

"Guts!!" Rickert screams from a distance as he attracts the attention of the beast. "I know you're in there somewhere! Keep resisting! Neither of you wish to kill each other in this fight! The old Falcons have suffered enough already!"

Though not understanding what exactly the berserker armor was, Rickert's words managed to get through to him, making Guts' soul untangle a part of him from some of the myriad of chains on him.

"...Rickert?"
His voice echoes inside the chamber of his mind as you form the construct of a spear to spike through the dog's stomach, making him disappear and regenerate his wounds with the thinning iron chords on the imaginary field.

"You should know that man's hatred knows no boundaries. What do you even plan on achieving by getting rid of me? As soon as I let go, he will drop dead from his wounds against the giants."

"YOUR LIES WILL NOT DECIEVE ME! I CAN STILL SAVE HIM!" You refuse to believe that he is already a lost cause.

Trading blows with Guts and the beast at the same time, your hands were tied as to whether or not you could attack him full force while the beast of darkness never held back in it's attacks. Your focus was dissipating along with your accuracy in deflecting the berserker.

"We were not pushed away. We were the ones who left. Let us have the death we deserve, or be slain by our sword!" The hound still manages to growl and taunt you despite having taken more hits than you. Being powered by anger alone made him endure a lot more than your fragile soul outside it's natural territory.

"I'm afraid I might have to intervene in their duel." Gaiseric mounts his skeletal horse and invites Rickert to step aside, but out of the falling trees, a familiar blue haired elf gets between the two of them.

"NO! FIGHTING HIM LIKE THIS WON'T DO HIM ANY GOOD!" Puck screams. "Vlad is still inside his brain! Don't do anything if he hasn't given up on it!"

"Puck? Where did you come from?"
"Guts kept cursing me until I left him to fight the giants alone! He knew he would kill me if I stayed, so he pushed me away! He's not fooling anyone! We all know he is not as heartless as he's making himself out to be! There's a human in there, we just need to reach him!"

"And what if we can't?" Gaiseric doubts the poor elf.
"Let's not think about that just yet..." Ricker rushes amidst your duel.

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>>5749838
"Guts! Do you remember this!?" Ricker suddenly pulls out the emblem of the old band of the falcons. "The emblem from the new falcons is not the same, I've met Griffith, and I have realized he was not the one worth following!"

"It was you who were in charge of our group after Griffith was maimed by that tortured!"

"It was you who came from nowhere to bring hope to our team!"

"If it wasn't for you, I would not have found a home with Godot and Erica! I did not take care of Casca in your stead for 3 years and decorated a hill with a sword for each of our fallen comrades because of Griffith, but because I wanted to honor their legacy! OUR legacy!! You were the leader we deserved! The true savior that shone a light that Griffith consumed by darkness! Don't let it engulf you too!"

The shackles have gotten thinner and looser as Guts starts to finally awake from the depths of his traumas, and though the damn wolf is still gnawing at your jugular and the blows you have taken from the inhuman armor were strong enough to flatten your enchanted one despite the burns to Guts' skin, you were only a few palms away from reaching Guts' arm and bringing his soul out of the hell of his own perception.

>Roll a 1d100 to reach Guts.

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>5749852

>>5749904
Hell yeah nice roll anon!

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>5749852

nat 1

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>5749852
Woops guess I should roll. I thought you just wanted one.

>>5749838
"You know mutt, some of what you say has some truth in it.
But you remain mistaken, once again. Opposed to temptations and evil thoughts, humans earn for better and deep down in their souls they want good. And we don't need to escape this thoughts, we can fight and conquer them ! Rise above ! I shall you that the murderous mockery you made of my friend, cannot stand to his true self !"

>>5749904
Damn! What is it with the good rolls streak after the Sea God? This is like the opposite of what we usually deal with, the power creep is real.

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>>5749904
>>5749977
>>5750037
Your arms manage to reach Guts and pull the rest of the chains still binding him, leaving you free to move out of his head and outside his body as you manage to push the helm of the berserker armor out of him as you heal what could be a potential attempt at beheading given his wounds. Thanks to the power to believe, you have managed to save Guts from the loss of his own sanity, while also healing him and preventing him from dying. And though the damage against fighting hm has left you exhausted and with wounds on your soul double, it is nothing that you shouldn't be able to heal in a couple of days' time.

"Impressive. Not even Flora had managed to rescue me from the brink of death in this state..." Gaiseric, remembering how he died is positively impressed to see Guts avoid his fate for now.

"GUTS!" Rickert and Puck rush to his side after the both of you fall down after a clash. Much like parrying your first duel, you meet the dragonslayer with the frozen pole of the trident. This time, the pole does not break, yet the force of the strike being parried sends the both of you flying to the ground.

"You have not slain me. Our hatred will still live, and his mind shall known no peace." You hear the hound as you retreating him back to his cage, growing smaller as he returns to the depths of Guts' mind.

"Guts is a man who strives for good above all. Do not mistake his failings and his breakdowns to who he is at his best, no retreat back to where you came from!" You speak to the beast of darkness as the humiliated, minuscule hound disappears as Guts takes control of himself once more.

"Damn it... Schierke makes this look so easy! How does she do it?" You start to feel the pain back in your body as you tilt your neck to see Guts being treated by Puck.

"It usually doesn't tend to get this bad... But given the circumstances? Yeah, I bet this is real humbling." Guts chuckles, making sure you recognize the little witch's value.

"I'm glad you're back, Guts..." You speak in unison with the three of his companions.
"I could say the same thing to all of you... After deserting you so many times, always running from my responsibilities, I still have so many second chances at redemption."

"While you might have faith in your evil, we have faith in your true self!" Puck proudly places the old band of the falcon's emblem on Guts' armor, the gesture being enough for him to remember all the swords still in the hill where Casca was left at.

"While I was in the group, I kept seeing myself in a similar light as when I was in the band. Being a cracked pillar of the group, with admirable strength, but waiting to collapse at any moment. As the cracks became far too evident, I wanted to leave as soon as possible in order for the others to not get caught in the rubber... But now I realize that I wasn't the pillar that held the group together, but the other way around."

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>>5750266
"Don't sell yourself short, you're still as much of an inspiration to me as you say I was to you. This is the least I can do." You smile as you manage to sit down to better see him, with Rickert agreeing with you.

"Same here."
"You big idiot! What were you thinking! This would have never happened if you didn't freak out when Vlad was down!" The crying Puck slapped the bridge of his nose senseless, though still flapping his wings to produce enough power to heal him.

"You're right, Rickert. I need to honor the true falcons and destroy their fake leaders... Though if I die on the way, please bury my body and sword amidst the hill where the others are. Failing or succeeding, my sword is taller and greater than Griffith's. If anything, I wish to have a better looking grave than him."

"Awfully petty now, aren't you?" Rickert laughs, holding back his tears.
"Let us not fantasize about our deaths just yet... We still have our girls to see before that, so let's think of the now." You tell him.

"Right... So all I can think for the now is:"

"...I'm glad you're all still here."

>The Beginning Of The End: Chapter End.

>>5750274
This is a nice way to see things off and prepare ourselves for what's possibly the final chapter.

>>5750322
I'll be taking a small break for the rest of the week while I plan the road ahead, but given how gargantuan the final events are planned out in my head, it might just take one more chapter depending on how things go.

The pacing is already a bit faster than what I usually do so I feel I'll have plenty of epilogue options once things are over and done with here

>>5750357
See you next week then, brother!
It truly feels great to have Vlad high rolling so much. We're gonna make it, bros.
We're always there to bail a friend out of trouble. I just wonder who's going to be able to bail us out of our own negative spiral...

>>5750274
Very nice

>>5750357
See ya there, same for the rest of you

See you all when I see ya!
VLAD BROS 4 LIFE.

Caught up the second time. Glad to see this quest is still around

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>>5750497
Who else?
>>5752497
Thanks! We'll be picking up where we left off tomorrow morning! Hope to see you there.

Somehow you managed to pass the following weeks holding your ground against Falconian troops and establishing your bases across Midland, yet it was not without having significant downs. While you were able to prevent catastrophes thanks to the fast travel of the astral tree, you could not be everywhere at once, and between the surprise attacks of the trolls, the wild apostles roaming Midland, and your inability to let any civilians die on the way, you were forced to see the nerve-wracking sight of corpses wherever you went. Corpses that once were full of dreams and expectations for the future, or so you wish to believe. The thought of them willingly dying for your cause while having no other aspirations was just as depressing to think of.

The fights all felt like busywork after some point. Griffith's soldiers began to push you back, only for you to show up with reinforcements so they would retreat. All implies that he is leading you to his capital on purpose so the chaotic war of attrition serves as better fuel for chaos, thus giving him more apostle units.

Valuing individuality might just be your greatest undoing against psychological warfare, truly the worst part about this. What one calls justice is menace and terrorism to your enemies. Even with your waiting for reinforcements, the surrendering of enemy troops who were convinced to fight on your side, at all times, your numbers barely totaled over 2000. And this is only talking about the march to Falconia, you have no idea how many of them will live once the rest of the God Hand show up...

Your nightmares returned once again. The sight of seeing the silver eyed slay you in your dreams followed by the beheading of the falcon of light is almost nostalgic, if not for the jolts and cold sweats followed by your awakenings.

Eventually, your brain had mercy on you as your nightmare filled slumbers became a lot more peaceful once the dreaded silver eyed of your nightmares approached you in the house you've built to live amidst the undead corpses of the swamp.

"Foolish Vlad. You have once again strayed from our path." The dark magician appeared to you in the same fashion she did in the dream where you've said your goodbyes. Without scars, with skin, flesh and bone under her robe.

"Merlina...? What are you doing here?"
"Your insolent imagination is the only place where I am still alive as myself. Your refusal to let go of the past summons me even where I do not exist." She answered without really answering your question, leaving you to interpret as to whether this is just another dream where she is in-character, or if your abilities to bring thoughts into reality has become truly concerning.

"I have been defiled enough times by you and the God Hand. I would advise you to let go of me as it is best for the both of us, but it seems you need to remember who is our true enemy."

>>5756542
"True enemy?"
"For the scribes' sake! Have you already forgotten a second time? All this time playing captain and looking for your origins has distracted you from Conrad! The one who has ruined your life! The one who cursed our clan into a plague that almost brought the world to ruin!"

"How can I think of Conrad now when Griffith is--"

"Femto is merely a distraction, he is a tool behind the ones still stuck in the dimension below this one! Don't you see that you are merely playing part in their plans! Griffith's end is not your story to tell! Leave him to your allies who have suffered in his hands and focus on your calling!"

"But I have suffered in his hands! He murdered my mother! He kidnapped Farnese! He threatens all that I stand for! Every one who is dying right now ties directly to our actions!"

"And look what that has done to you! Here you are at the peak of your powers and abilities, and yet you are falling apart because you cannot process hatred! As your image of yourself as a pacifists crumbles with each life taken, you still refuse to bare your fangs! Show no mercy to those who show no mercy to you! They surely won't have any trouble sleeping after erasing your name from history! Allow yourself to be ruthless, if only this one time!"

>Hatred is what destroyed you, and almost destroyed Guts, I will not repeat your mistakes.
>If there truly is a monster of hatred within me waiting to come out, then I will never see him, and I feel better this way.
>I cannot forget my true enemy, but Griffith needs to die first.
>Fine then, I'll make sure to leave Griffith to Guts.
>Please leave, Merlina. Your time has come and gone. Make sure to reincarnate in a good home.
>Write-in.

>>5756620
>You're right. I have seen what having too kind a heart had done to Sivir, for even in the face of danger she was unable to defend herself. But I won't let my hatred control me like it controls Guts - I will shape it into a weapon used to slay evil. I can no longer deny my origins and purpose as that weapon.

>>5756620
>You're right. I have seen what having too kind a heart had done to Sivir, for even in the face of danger she was unable to defend herself. But I won't let my hatred control me like it controls Guts - I will shape it into a weapon used to slay evil. I can no longer deny my origins and purpose as that weapon.
>I would also like you to stop using my dead friend as a disguise while trying to influence me.
Fucker didnt think i would notice huh?

>>5756755
>>5756813
"You're right. I have seen what having too kind a heart had done to Sivir, for even in the face of danger she was unable to defend herself. But I won't let my hatred control me like it controls Guts - I will shape it into a weapon used to slay evil. I can no longer deny my origins and purpose as that weapon."

"Good. Do not forget where you came from."

Despite simply interpreting it as your brain talking to yourself and saying "Go get em, tiger." You still felt pretty invigorated by not waking up with the sound of your heart bursting out of your chest.

Guts felt just as uneasy as killing regular humans as you did, but with the increasing apostles growing in the army, for better or for worse, he was already used to it.

After a few more days of traveling around, you, Silat, Rickert and Guts had managed to reach The Swamp Of The Occultists, or whatever was left of it, considering most of the place was dried up, only tall grass and a collection of red anemones were seen across the fields.

"Whoa! So this is the swamp of the occultists?" Puck flied around, loving to see the change in scenery. "It's beautiful! How come we've never been here before?"

"I doubt a place named swamp of the occultist was always this flowery." Guts comments as Silat and the kushan stay on the lookout for enemy troops.

"It wasn't." You affirm. "In fact, I believe there is something very different about the air in here."

Sure. It looks superficially and aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but you did not plant any anemones here. The red of the petals almost resembles the sludge of blood it was before, almost as it someone was trying to replace what was once there..."

>Investigate the area.
>Look for Merlina's tombstone.
>Ignore that and wait for Locus' troops.

>>5757545
>>Investigate the area

>>5757545
>Investigate the area.

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>>5757634
>>5758445
Checking your surroundings, you try to find where the house you built in the swamp was, and though it would take you a few days on foot to check the place yourself, a fast travel along the astral saplings shows you a vision that nearly makes you want to go there and shoot your myriad of astral spears onto your enemies.

"Come on! Those dice were loaded!"
"Best out of five, right?!"
"No, I said best out of three!"

On that small, humble hut you two bonded over day after day of cleansing the undead fauna of Midland and ending the corruption of the undead, were several soldiers, drinking and playing around in betting games during their downtime, apparently making a camping base around the place after seeing a suitable spot and appropriating it to their resting necessities. Despite being defeated plenty of times, their morale still seemed to be high thanks to the ungodly amount of numbers on their side.

Locus, the moonlight night appears to be alone with his thoughts next to the camp, observing the familiar gravestone after one of his soldiers approaches to take a piss.

"I would advise you to not drop your undergarments here." Locus calmly makes himself present.

"Ah, sorry mister Locus! Didn't know you were here!"
"That's not what I was referring to, Mule." The knight points to the gravestone of Merlina, prompting the young man to pay his respects and bow his head.

"Oh, that would be embarrassing on my part... Is that someone you know? Didn't think anyone would make a gravestone amidst the swamp..."

"This is the poor soul who guarded the swamp: Silver Eyed Merlina herself. Seeing how anyone who was not chosen by the forest had it's flesh decayed and it's organs turned inside out, it was the one curse I could never lift from Midland. And despite never knowing her personally, I am aware her true story is one of suffering and isolation."

"Really... Is this the reason why you decided to establish a base here?"
"There is more to it than that. I was able to briefly speak with Vlad before he declared war against us. He had asked for the old king of Midland to be trained by me, and though his feats are far from ordinary, I did not take him for such a powerful combatant back then. To sever Igor in half with a single strike when he was a limping man before me? What could have changed?"

"The way you're speaking about him, it's almost as if you regret not taking him under your wing,"

"I'm afraid that is not the case. I am not enough of a simpleton to believe Vlad would willingly join Falconia. But knowing that he once had the dream of being a knight for the king, and that the silver eyed managed to see his potential and bring this much out of his spirit... It is a sting of envy I believe I am not used to. There is not a bigger failure for a knight than to willingly let one of his own become rogue."

>>5758922
"There's no need to obsess over one Phantom of the past, is there? The Impaler might be strong, but look at how many soldiers are still on our side."

"One who has earned the title of a phantom Impaler is already a thousand fold more formidable than all the soldiers who have a right to bear arms thanks to the crest of their house alone." Locus stealthily implies that a thousand Mules wouldn't beat you at your weakest, but it seems to go one ear and out the other for the young soldier.

The way Locus speaks of you in such a respectful and competent manner compared to the other soldiers who are either afraid of you or filled with hatred is enough to bring you back to your senses. Unlike Griffith, Locus' resonance of calmness and elegance do not seem to be a farce for his lack of emotions or the absence of his free will, but rather his genuine thoughts and feelings hardened by the experience of a veteran.

"So... Do you think you stand a chance against him?"
"What I think does not matter more than the conditions of our victory. We either wait for him at nighttime, or we go after their troops on our own."

"You are very insistent on fighting them at night, huh? Is that why they call you the moonlight knight then?"

"You shall come to know that in due time. So long as I am still present at Falconia during the blood moon, they shall still by pierced by my weapon."

So Griffith is also planning for you to reach him during the blood moon? Wouldn't that go against his plans?

"Ah, right! That's going to happen in a few day's time, isn't it? What's so special about the blood moon, any way?"

"Your needless questions are unproductive. Were you not supposed to take a leak?"
"Ah, right! Sorry again, boss!" Mule finally leaves the long haired apostle, who despite the professionalism and objectivity at work, still seemed to have mixed opinions on the upcoming fight which he did not wish to share.

>You're already observing him by the tree, might as well ambush his troops now.
>Go there on foot with your troops, Locus deserves a fight between knights of the new and old kingdoms.
>Let them come to you. Stalling for time is crucial until the blood moon is near.

>>5758934
>>Go there on foot with your troops, Locus deserves a fight between knights of the new and old kingdoms
I can respect this even if tactically is a wasted opportunity

>>5758934
>Go there on foot with your troops, Locus deserves a fight between knights of the new and old kingdoms.

I have waited so long for this fight.

>>5758934
>Go there on foot with your troops, Locus deserves a fight between knights of the new and old kingdoms.

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>>5759163
>>5759169
While your hope for this world is waning, your chivalry is still ingrained in who you are. Refusing to fight Locus, who to this day remains undefeated in combat could be the lift to your ego you might just need to relieve yourself of the pain in your heart.

"So, are we invading them now?" Silat whispers, wishing to know on your next proceedings.

"No, we're going there on foot. swarming them with all our troops now would be too cheap and cowardly."

"What are you on about, Vlad? Meeting them at their estimated time of arrival could delay us by hours at least, and days at most! Do you not care about reaching Falconia with all our troops during the night of the blood moon?"

"Of course, but I haven't gotten any signals from Danaan on whether or not Schierke and the Skelligans are ready to join our fight. We can only enter Falconia when all of us are ready."

Despite going against popular demand, you decided to approach Locus as is, finally encountering him and seeing if each one of you could hold up their own against the legend of their opponents.

By the dawn of the final day, the anxiety of knowing this could very well be the last stand earth has against demon kind was enough to shake you into a frenzy, yet you managed to contain yourself in honor of your fallen soldiers, by fighting in the battleground of your old master, you can only hope that she sees how far you've come.

"Show them no mercy. The Phantom and his army will not lay a foot on the sacred grounds of the new city." Locus' speech is brief, but is enough for his troops to get ready along with him.

As always, the Falconian strategy of overwhelming you with numbers never ceased to intimidate your men, being around 800 to 300 soldiers.

If that wasn't enough, Locus' no nonsense attitude appeared to reflect on his insurmountable speed in combat. Not long after assuming his guard, he was already spiking and impaling all the men who in front of him. An entire line of soldiers, hanging by their stomach as his elongated lance pierced through all of them as it stretched like rubber.

Off he went to his next targets, and though Guts managed to protect Rickert from harm's way and Silat's Tapasas could hold their own weight against the incoming troops, Locus' speed and absolute control of his weapon, coupled with his range and the mastery of his mount to the point of it seeming like an extension of yourself, seems to form the image of an optimized Vlad, one that managed to ignore his feelings and become the living weapon he was made to be, with no thought to his victims, just mindlessly doing his job as fast as possible to get done with his next line of duty.

Truly a sight as mesmerizing as it is terrifying.

Still, this is no time to be sleeping on the job. dozens are dying by the second, and you have to find a way to stop Locus.

>>5760003
>Mount on a horse and attempt to go after him.
>Wait for him to attack you and meet his clash with a parry.
>Advance through his troops, he can't attack his own.
>Retreat to the forest side and look for better terrain.
>Call for reinforcements.
>Telepathically invite Locus to a duel.
>Something else

>>5760004
>Telepathically invite Locus to a duel.

>>5760004
>Telepathically invite Locus to a duel.
>Something else
Throw some seeds for impale and crush the first line of their army. Lets make their numbers advantage painful and deadly has they will have to charge through roots branches and spines.

File: Locus.png (3.58 MB, 1052x1596)

3.58 MB PNG

>>5760018
>>5760186
Aiming to protect your men, you throw several of your seeds to obstruct the Falconians line of sight, controlling the crowd to ensnare them and restrict the ones who don't have the advantage over the soil. In the meantime, you attempt to contact Locus as he stops himself from attacking your team.

"Fighting these foot soldiers is beneath you, Moonlight Knight. As much as it would be for me to start decimating your men. Why don't you approach someone who can match you in strength?"

"What?" Locus stops himself from galloping after hearing your pledge, unused to hearing stranger's voices in his head.

Signaling over to where you were, Locus drops the large amount of red mush that once were your allies on his weapon, and calmly approaches you in fighting stance.

"And so we meet again, Locus." You greet your foe, who appears to be looking slightly through you other than directly into your eyes.

"Your eyes have changed color, and your posture is very much unlike the last time I've seen you. I assume you have given into the God Hand's pressure and sacrificed someone dear to you?" Locus assumed you had cheated the system to bridge the power gap between yourself and Femto.

"Do not mistake me for an apostle like yourself. There is no trace of demon blood in me, no matter how many times the likes of your master pushes me onto the cliff of despair, I will walk on air if it means avoiding my fall."

"Your speech is one of bravery, yet it rings as hollow to my ears as the screams of the dead. I do not doubt your power, but I do doubt your character, if it means interfering on Griffith's plan."

"So you do know about his idea to meet the creator? Do you truly believe that Griffith will create a just world that mirrors his wishes?"

"I do not have a reason to doubt his claims. For decades, despite remaining undefeated in combat, famous across all lands, and being generously compensated for my feats, I never wished to stay with a master, unless he truly showed me a glimpse of his ambition. To recreate a world free of causality and the ties that bind you and I to this earth is one I will gladly give my life to. I have lived a life of servitude to just causes, and I wish to remain that way."

"What the hell do you know about just causes?! ABOUT GRIFFITH!?" You growl, getting angry at the way that murdered was embellished by one you used to respect.

"What I do know is that no matter how much control one has over his apostle form, to make a pact with them means forever losing a part of yourself. Your freedom. For a member of the dark lords to aspire for freedom of himself is not to be ignored."

>Your blind allegiance has made you a shadow of who you are. It's sad it has to end this way.
>It appears there is nothing I can say to convince you, so let's settle this like true knights of Midland.
>What did you lose to attain the power you have today?
>Write-in.

>>5760711
>>Your blind allegiance has made you a shadow of who you are. It's sad it has to end this way.

>>5760711
>How bitter it is to see Griffith claiming my dreams as his own. How can you believe that a dog chained by causality would ever be capable of breaking those same chains on everyone else? It is not something possible for one whose very existence is so tightly bound to causality. Humanity's savior cannot be one that has sacrificed others for their cause, but one that sacrifices themself.
>What did you lose to attain the power you have today?

>>5760761
This

>>5760761
support
i like it

>>5760761
"How bitter it is to see Griffith claiming my dreams as his own. How can you believe that a dog chained by causality would ever be capable of breaking those same chains on everyone else?"

"Presumptuous for you to say that. For the wishes of the people are for none to claim. The desire to tower above your limitations is as old as time itself. The both of you represent but different interpretations of the same desire. The weak have no voice in the world of the strong, so others shall speak on their stead."

"Still, it is not possible for one whose very existence is so tightly bound to causality. Humanity's savior cannot be one that has sacrificed others for their cause, but one that sacrifices himself."

"Your idealism seems to cloud your judgement once again. No matter what you might think of Griffith's sacrifices, it is undeniable that he has sacrificed a part of himself in this journey. There is nothing left of him but a desire to tower over the rulers of our plain. To discredit his achievements due to his methods is futile, for the same can be said of you. No matter what cause or ulterior motive, taking the lives of thousands will create enemies that will outlast your lifetime. To withstand your opposition, you need to be a father to your men, and at the same time, the nightmare of your enemies."

"Did you learn that before or after turning into an apostle?" Your words seem to struck a chord in Locus' heart, having long ago abandoned the humanity in his neutral heart, he reluctantly remembers what made him meet the God Hand.

"Since only one of us will remain alive in this encounter, I see no reason to hide my past." Locus closes his eyes and reveals his origins:

"Much like you, I aspired to be a knight in my younger years. The honor and grace of fighting for a virtuous master to me was a dream unlike any other. Thanks to my aristocrat family, I had the means and the free time to dedicate myself to chivalry, and it paid greatly. Before my 20s, I was already the an ace between my peers, the undefeatable lancer in town, even befriending the son of the local Baron, pledging my life to be not only his knight, but his greatest friend."

"Heinrich was always one to neglect his studies, so I grew an interest in politics by thoroughly searching through his family library. More than a knight to my lord, I slowly became their counselor. Since our land bordered close to Kushan territory, we were too small of a nation to overthrow and occupy their territory, so opting for diplomacy was my idea. We established good relations with the previous Kushan emperor, to which I have come to respect as equals in a time where prejudice between other nationalities was the norm."

"Though when his father passed away... Heinrich changed. An unexpected disease afflicted the still young, old Baron. And though we believed that he would recover, his passing riddled my young master with anxiety."

File: Locushuman.png (563 KB, 422x668)

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>>5761190
"His ignorance showed in his actions, he would revert several of the unanimously approved changes to the government if not for my intervention. The people would respect me in a far grander fashion than him, and though my role was merely as a councilor, it was clear to all that I was the ruler pulling the strings. I did not mind it, in fact, I was still honored to help Heinrich in any way that I could. Be it through fighting or commanding, I was forever indebted to him and his father's generosity. I already had a wife and a daughter to raise at the time, Life was filled with love, and that love blinded me to the envy seeping in Heinrich's heart."

"I could never see it coming, yet the red moon looming over me should be a sign of what was to come. When he invaded my house hold that night, I treated is as a casual meeting between old friends. I greeted him unarmed, while several soldiers were outside my house, I only suspected they were aiming at me after they fired their shots. I tried to defend myself, but the protests and screams of my young daughter alerted the guards, and when she tried to reach for me, they mercilessly killed her and my wife, without a second thought."

"After that... All I saw was red. The feelings of despair I felt cannot be put into words. And while the dark amulet my daughter played with was only treated as a toy by all of us, I soon learned that it was a portal for the lords of the netherworld to seize the opportunity to transform me into who I am today."

"But the God Hand only appears to those who have something to sacrifice... If your wife and daughter were dead, who else was there who could be important enough for you to--" Your question was interrupted by yourself, realizing Locus still respected Heinrich and his soldiers enough for him to be a sacrifice to his ascension in power.

"From that day forward, I only devoted myself to the causes I deemed fair. The town was soon occupied by Kushan. My lineage, my legacy, all were undone, and I had no intent on keeping it alive. Not even when the king asked me to participate in the hundred year war, I pledged allegiance again. Whenever I served someone for too long, I reminded myself of who I was, of the betrayal I could never forgive. I let the legend of the moonlight knight speak for itself, for the figure of the imortal Locus is just one of an apostle who still manages to bear the face of a human."

You drop your weapon as you hear a story faintly similar to yours. Staring at him is like being shown a mirror to what could have been of a Vlad born from Jacopo and MIchelle Santana, instead of Sivir and Hedwyn. For the first time, you see an apostle who appears to be regretful, ashamed even, to become the monster he knows he truly is. yet in this chessboard of the God Hand, A pawn will forever remain a pawn, and a knight will remain a knight.

>>5761203
Surprisingly, Locus does not lunge into an attack or even changes his stance, merely awaiting for you to be ready to fight him.

"I can see why you would come to respect Griffith so greatly, then. One that wishes to recreate the world without the burden of sin sounds like a ticket to freedom. Though I still fail to see why you would rather ally with him than with the likes of me."

"It is not hard to see why, for the way you look down to the ground as we speak is already proof of your character, Vlad. You walk the interstice of the tug of war in your heart, never committing to one side or the other."

"Pardon...?"

"You are not a natural born leader. You are undeniably skilled in combat, and very talented at the magical arts, yet you do not take pride in your killings. You fail to become a weapon, merely holding it in your hands. You see too much humanity in the ones you defeat, even if they are not anything resembling a human. You fail to detach yourself from your actions, thinking you are a murderer when you are merely playing by the violent nature of man. You cannot be a commoner, because your ideals are grand and you hope for a revolution. You can also not be merely a pacifist, for the powers from your origins have forced you to fight. And you cannot be a ruthless fighter, for you are afraid of being seen as a ruthless killer. The kindness and empathy you share between your brothers in arms cannot be seen by your enemies, and you refuse to be shone in a different light other than your true self. A valiant effort, but one that leaves you soft and troubled."

"So you would rather serve someone who has certainty that he is the villain of the story of some?"
"Perhaps, it could also be that the emptiness of elegance is what unites Griffith and I, for we have no other emotions to truly show."

You doubt that Locus' stoicism is genuine, for unlike Griffith and his ritual to become a God Hand, you have seen Apostles showing a range of emotions as wide as humans. Yet you are not here to question The Knight's coping mechanisms. You are here to pass through him and get to Falconia, and his determination to get the fight going reflects his professionalism and sense of duty.

"Come. Grab your weapon. I do not fight unarmed men."

>Separate into your soul double.
>Take your pole and jump into an air strike.
>Push him away with a water wave
>Protect yourself with an ice wall.
>Fire a soul arrow at him
>Something else.

>>5761221
>Lance and Horse are his favored weapons, so neutralize them both. Freeze the horse's legs to the ground so he can't evade you easily, and deflect his lance to the side. Freeze his lance in place with a momentary wall of ice, and step into close quarters where even if he should pull his lance free it would be ineffective given the length. From there, brutalize him with your purifying od to bypass that armor of his.

>>5761221
>Support
>>5761234
Be ready to parry and strike with our halberd if needed

>>5761234
Support

>>5761234
>>5761455
>>5761653
Alright, give it up for a 2d100 then! Let's see if Locus fights as well as he talks!

Rolled 57, 70 = 127 (2d100)

>>5761824

Rolled 78, 18 = 96 (2d100)

>>5761824

Rolled 32, 61 = 93 (2d100)

>>5761824

>>5761825
>>5761912
>>5762106
Feigning to charge at him and meet his clash, Locus rushes with his horse at unsurmountable speeds, making you activate your precognition and create an ice wall as thick as a tower, only for the knight to trample through it, sending you into the air further into the anemone field.

The speed of his attacks make you miss Gunpowder, but the strength in his body blows is nothing you haven't felt before, especially now that you can numb the pain and have a better regeneration rate than most people thanks to the power of your mind. So long as he doesn't aim for your vitals and pierces through, you can win this.

Locus charges once more, zig-zagging to prevent you from completely avoiding him, yet you plan on doing the exact opposite, freezing the ground under you to remove all friction as Locus' mount slides and loses control amidst his gallops, leaving you with a fantastic opportunity to slide under him and switch to your halberd, making a dent in his armor's shoulder piece as you try to reach him with your Od cleansing. Your soul double temporarily comes out of your body to close the gap, which makes the moonlight apostle grit his teeth.

As you parried the strikes of his elongated lance, you managed to freeze the tip, though with all the stretching he can do on his weapon, he can easily prevent the ice from completely freezing it and merely shaking of the frost at the end.

As you dodge through all the bends of his weapons, you do the same with your ice pole, both your handles seeming more like intertwined spirals as you dodged in place. A perfect match of skills, a level that could only be attained from masters of long ranged combat.

With the petals dancing in the air, one of them blocked his view for enough time not to see you holding a hand towards his spear, freezing his weapon until his arm became rigid.

It took all of his strength to twist your arm with his while so far away, yet he managed to make you drop your weapon by transferring his force through that ridiculous distance.

Switching to your halberd while you attempt to dual wield, you see him already closing the distance and appearing a few meters before you.

>Freeze his horse.
>Surf around him.
>Hose him away with a water wave, making him wet enough to be frozen.
>Force him to slip.
>Let him hit you, it'll be easier to strike him.
>Something else.

>>5762895
>Freeze his horse.

>>5762895
>Freeze his horse.
>Something else.
Blind him with a sudden flash of light. If the horse freezing goes well, we can see about impaling his own human legs with ice spikes from the trident on the ground.

>>5762895
>>Freeze his horse.

>>5762962
>>5762994
>>5763089
A 1d100 to deep freeze his horse! Gunpowder must be proud of you prioritizing inferior mount!
Go rollin!

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>5763144

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>5763144

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>5763144

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>>5763155
That's one chill horse.

>>5763449
kek

Sorry for the delay there boys, got sick for a few days and had to take care of that, that being said...
>>5763155
Damn!

>>5764368
Hope ya feel better m8

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1.53 MB PNG

>>5763155
>>5763156
>>5763200
Tripping him with your halberd, you manage to lift Locus into the air as your trident follows the underside of his horse and perforates it's stomach, the injury quickly freezing and rending him motionless.

You feel bad about attacking animals instead of the ones riding the horses, yet it seemed like a necessary evil to properly deal with this ridiculously fast knight.

As Locus tumbled down onto the floor, his face drifted onto the dirt as he failed to land safely, rolling along with his mount until he crashed into a nearby tree of your own making.
Not wasting any time, you run up to where Locus landed and attempt to slash at him with an Od Strike, only for him to block it with his elbow and hold the tip of the trident.

"A valiant effort. Truly an admirable display of how far you've gotten, but I'm afraid this is where your story ends." Locus snaps the icicle pole as it dissolved into water, and while you made sure to let the undines regenerate, it was the time he needed to unleash his apostle form.

A metallic centaur appeared to form where Locus stood. An armored apostle that fused with his own horse, brightly shining as his four hooves left him with complete control of his four directions, while the shield in his arm and the lance on his hand seemed to make him even more imprevious to damage than before.

The spikes converging his body made it so that even grazing him would result in a major gash forming on you, every strike could also easily slide out and negate the full force of the blow

"Allow me to bury you along with your master!" Locus charges at you a third time, becoming a blur as the sound barrier is broken around him. Having learned his lesson from the previous time, his elongated lance makes sure to reach you several meters before he is even close to you.

>Fire a soul arrow.
>Ride his lance until you can reach him for a direct strike.
>Send him up into the air with a water wave.
>Use your soul double to ignore his newfound durability.
>Astral Project and look for assistance with the spirits of the swamp.
>Something else

>>5764391
>Send him up into the air with a water wave.
>Something else
Let the power of our od infuse our trident and halberd, while creating spears of cold ice and ancient wood all around us. Ready to impale, wound and destroy the abomination, each of their points having poison in them.

>>5764412
>support i guess

>>5764412
>>5764670
Let's go for a 1d100! Hopefully it won't take much for him to be put down!

Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>5765814

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>5765814

Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>5765814
crit

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>5765814

>>5765843
>>5765850
>>5765907
"Undines! Way with him!" You force Locus to catch the waves as you dry up the soil with a geyser of water and hose him into the skies. Despite knowing what your arsenal was capable of, he lacked any elemental powers to counteract you, giving you ample time to think of an idea as he fell down.

Dual wielding seemed like a hassle, as you didn't exactly have the means to use both the trident and the halberd at the same time effectively. As you infuse both your weapons with the power of your Od, you try to form the image of the halberd on the opposing end of the trident, making it look more like a bladed fork with it's multiple uses in order to not waste time using it alternatively.

While you were at it, with the power of your mind, you attempted to form the attack you did on Griffith a second time, but with the fear of it not working a second time, the image of the lances became limp, too uncertain to remain sharp.

By the time you finally form a clean image, Locus has already managed to escape the tides, pushing it with his elongated lance and almost piercing through your arm if you didn't have the foresight to parry his strike. Putting all of the weight of the centaur apostle onto a single arm was a quick way to tire you out, and the tenacity of Locus was already making him a much more formidable foe than you expected by resistance alone, especially with all your given power ups.

"GRRRR!" A hint of anger escapes Locus as he contorts his weapon to block all the torrents of icicles you manage to form in your geyser, pushing them to bounce off of his impenetrable shell. With a spin of his lance, he strikes you along the head with its alien pattern of attack, looking more like an iron snake with how it coiled around itself just to whack you over the head.

It was not a bludgeoning weapon by any means, yet the force of the strikes by the apostle was enough to leave you bruised through your helmet. Though that's alright... you just have to get through his.

Rising with your controllable seeds, both you and him jump between the vertical walls in an attempt to get a direct hit on one another, trading spikes and slashes with each passing graze.

"Finally being honest with yourself, apostle? The warrior in you never left, and neither did your emotions! You are thriving to see who prevails."
"Having a worth opponent is not only within the dreams of an apostle, it is a must for any who ever pick up a weapon! I am only treating you with the respect you deserve."
"Likewise!"

>>5766790
Uncharacteristically, despite being so filled with hatred for each other's ideologies, there was a deep sense of comradery forming between the two of you. One that by all means, should not be happening while you are a mistake away from blowing the other into pieces.

The apostle killer who spoke to the human inside Locus had little words to the demon who brought the warrior inside the halfling who strived for peace, for they both managed to see the best in both their enemies, having faith in their true identity.

Locus managed to strike the first significant hit after he feigned an opening for you. After striking the apostle right in his head, you had failed to cut him despite elongated your strike, the poisonous Od failing to go in. Almost as if he had transformed his entire skin, body and organs into metal, he has no openings, no holes to make, he was moving scrap.

With you not being as lucky, you have to take the hit as he repeatedly bashes you with the shield on his forearm forcing you to ride his back and holding onto his spikes as he moved around as fast as he could in an attempt to throw you off.

"A rebel mount, huh? I had plenty of those."
"What are you made of?"
"It's best to ask what I overcame. And it was the bleakness of defeat." You divide your undine weapon into two and strike both pair of his hooves, the one attack he could not dodge while he galloped in four directions.

You both fell and rolled down the hill. almost reaching Falconian territory with how much you've walked away from the swamp, now being right amongst the enemy lines.

As all their weapons are pointed at you, Locus suddenly stares through you once again, appearing to be taken aback.

"What do you keep staring at the horizon for--?" You interrupt yourself after seeing the falconian soldiers doing the same thing, seeing thousands of robbed magicians appearing in the sky and from the ground.

"The cavalry's heeere!" You already hear a gruffer voiced Isidro appearing as backup to help your backline thanks to the astral tree, but who are those transparent souls coming from what appears to be the blooming of the petals.

"The one who cleansed our souls shall soon cleanse you into a new life!" Their eyes shone a glint of silver as they restricted every one of Griffith's soldier with their Od controlling magic, using the fuel of the soul to freeze them in place as what remained of their story was erased from the land.

"WH-What?" You pondered on how that could ever be possible, given that there should be nothing left of their already reincarnating souls to be manifest here... Unless... Your ability to bring thoughts into actions took the form of your clan to aid you in a boost of confidence.

"In that case..." You soon see each of the silver eyed turning themselves into astral spears, who flocked into the sky by the hundreds and left Locus with no room to escape.

>Roll to attempt the astral assault of lances onto the moonlight knight.

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>5766832

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>5766832

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>5766832
nat 100

>>5766870
>>5766878
>>5767046
With the astral spears attacking him. Locus impressively decides to run in your direction and manages to outrun the attacks with as much mastery over his movement as Griffith himself, using all his four hooves to acrobatically maneuver over terrain. Though the could not run forever, he was attempting to tire you out after realizing you were panting as you kept firing more arrows towards him. Launching so many projectiles without the help of Farnese and Schierke once seemed impossible, yet you managed to once more overcome your limits through sheer power of will.

As one of the lances skewers through the metal apostle's arm, he manages to throw out his elongated spear, who contours it's way into almost perforating your forehead, if not for a familiar scythe coming out of your head and deflecting the attack, dropping his weapon to the ground as Locus' coup de grace was nullified.

One piercing attack turned into several as Locus was impaled through what appeared to be thin air, being destroyed by the concept of purity.
Still wishing to play pretend as a human as he fell down, Locus quickly retransformed and took a knee. Despite the exhaustion, the pain, and the inevitability of his demise, neither of you seemed to take your confident smile off your faces. An uncharacteristic trait for the both of you while being in such a situation. Perhaps, after a lifetime of being focused on your goals, both knights could finally relish in the aftermath of the fight of their lives.

"Congratulations, Sir Vlad." Locus coughs, gritting his teeth to withstand the burning Od poison slowly undoing his skin from existence. Though he still had enough strength to try a last attack as you approached, he chose not to. Acknowledging your victory against the undefeatable knight. "You seem to have a talent at taking down legends. For what it's worth, I believe that if you managed to defeat the moonlight knight before he had the chance to see the last sunset, then no matter what you believe in, your wishes and struggles have gracefully towered over mine."

>Showing remorse? This is new for an apostle.
>You've fought valiantly to the end. It was an honor, Locus.
>You deserve better to agonize until you disappear, let me deliver you a painless death.
>This might be over for you, but Griffith is who I wish to destroy, you were merely in my way.
>Write-in.

>>5768279
>>Showing remorse? This is new for an apostle.
>>You've fought valiantly to the end. It was an honor, Locus.

>>5768279
>>You've fought valiantly to the end. It was an honor, Locus.
>>You deserve better to agonize until you disappear, let me deliver you a painless death.

>>5768279
>You deserve better to agonize until you disappear, let me deliver you a painless death.

>>5768362
>support

>>5768633
+1

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>>5768362
>>5768633
>>5769180
>>5769453
>>5769850
"You've fought valiantly to the end. It was an honor, Locus." You take a bow to him before adding the following "Though it's not often I see an apostle blatantly showing remorse for his life decisions."

"Do not be mistaken, I am very well aware that I have nothing to live for other than the kingdom I swore to protect. My family and my peers have long since been erased from this world. And though you have shown me that there is a chance that this kingdom and Griffith's dream might fall today, this misery is not as haunting as the knowledge that the next generation's strongest fighters only battle when needed."

"And why would that give you any closure?" You curiously ask him.
"I cannot pretend I do not know the consequences of joining the God Hand's army. Now matter how much elegance and pride I boasted to my soldiers, I could never deceive the man -The Monster- I faced in the mirror. In a way, despite never knowing you that well, I feel at ease knowing that I played a part in both of your journeys. A smaller piece contributing to a larger story between different interpretations of true freedom. Even if I lose my life here, I have come to terms that no other knight shall live in the unfortunate circumstances that brought us into the battlefield. We are far away from a world without wars, where violence is not the answer and an iron fist is not the ultimate authority, but if causality tells me that I am no longer needed, then I shall take my leave and exit the era of warmongers."

Though he still appears to remain loyal to Griffith to the very end, Locus dies knowing that you are equally worthy of being remembered as a revolutionary as his master. Though being so different in ideology and battling to the death, he took his defeat as naturally as if he was merely losing an argument. And you could not help but respect him with the same aura he gave you.

"You deserve better to agonize until you disappear, let me deliver you a painless death." You take a knee close to him and start healing him, an action that also only makes him die faster.
"May my last sublime view of this sunset bless you as it brightens the full moon and bleeds onto the sky. Let the moonlight knight disappear like the vanishing morning dew." His last words echo as he evaporates in the wind, with several of his soldiers begrudgingly surrendering and taking the knee. Both in respect to you, and to their fallen commander.

"Farewell, Locus." You stand up with a bow, seeing the gates of Falconia a few hundred meters, with the troops from Morda, Daiba and Skull Knight not too far away from their positions.

Griffith's kingdom might be impressive in size, but he shall soon be kicked out of his throne.
"Hold on tight, Farnese. I'm coming for you."

>What Remained of Wyndham: Chapter End.

>>5770102
Based Vlad, keep killing apostles.
Locus was a good knight, but serving a monster was quite damning. Still if nothing else our man has learned more again.

Siege of the demonic city, eh ? Time to summon more spirits help from the forests and swamps alike, and use our seeds for increase our ranks with tree golems and mandragola monsters. Griffith really wants to fight here, must be for further symbolism and the fact the city has a whole sepatated quarter that houses all the monsters and apostles. That place is probably so filled with negative Od that it might has well be a door to hell. In regard to hell, the god hand is doing nothing. So they are either content in watching or want to strike when it suits them.

There is a good thing in all of this, Falconia was surrounded by very productive and large fields so we will not have problem for food. Unless Griffith decided to burn them which is not a bad idea for him.

And so, Vlad takes another W.
My boy is truly a struggler at heart.

>>5770198
>>5772119
Glad you've enjoyed it lads.
Honestly I've been so used to writing Vlad fighting tooth and nail for his wins thanks to the inconsistent rolls that it's hard to write strong apostles being defeated by him without them being the jobbers this time, but it's a fun challenge.

Seems like I couldn't finish everything on this thread but that's alright. I like having even numbers so thread #12 will be the final one where we fight Griffith and each one of our friends will get time to shine in the epilogues.

Speaking of which, here are the choices. I should have those ready around the start of next week.

>Schierke and Isidro's training.
>Serpico defending the base.
>Hyde and Morda fighting the cockatrices.
>Guts vs the giants.
>Skull Knight clears the way for Ilos.
>Casca and Farnese negotiating with Rakshas.

Feel free to choose 3 of these and we'll close things of for thread #11.

>>5772129
>Serpico defending the base.
>Guts vs the giants.
>Casca and Farnese negotiating with Rakshas.

>>5772129
>Serpico defending the base.

>Guts vs the giants.

>>5772129
>Guts vs the giants.
>Skull Knight clears the way for Ilos.
>Casca and Farnese negotiating with Rakshas.

It’s strange to think that Vlads story is coming to an end.
We’ve been through so much, had to plan and scheme, to train our strength, to build; and now is the time for the sun to set on him and his adventures is close at /hand/.

I saw him at his beginnings, and now I look forward to seeing him at his end.

He has grown into a beautiful flower, that first danced in the wind as a seed, now comes his time to wilt.