BGM: Prayer (Bravely Default)
Episode 4: My Little Sister's Demonic Roar
BGM: Specialist (Persona 4)
The demon activity in the Pocket Netherworld was higher than before. The warning that came from this mysterious "Death Army" made Seraphina put all of them to work. "Alright, prepare all the shops and the communications with the Netherworlds! I want all systems running at full force!" she commanded with a megaphone. The Prinnies were carrying her into a throne as everyone prepared the settings, pushed boxes, adjusted systems… everything to make the preparations as finished as possible.
The others did helped too. Of course, they weren't happy with the fact that Seraphina was doing absolutely nothing and it was just ordering everyone around. "Geez, why does she have to stay in that throne so lazily while we do all the hard work around here? She's part of the team too, you know." Zeroken complained. "That's the way she is. Either way, we have little to no choices. This affects us as well, so we better do it." Christo commented, yet a little disappointed, showing that he partly agreed with Zeroken. Then, Red Magnus passed by both of them, ramming and making them fall. When he looked, both were under the boxes. "Hey, what'cha doing down there? If you guys don't hurry, I'll super finish it all by myself!" he commented and kept walking. The other two got up and looked angry. "I swear, this old man…!" Zeroken started to growl. Christo just sighed and picked up the boxes, continuing to walk.
Agni was carrying other boxes that seemed a little heavy. He got more than what he was able to carry. "O-Oh no, I'm losing my balance! I'm going to fall!" he commented while going down backwards. But before he could fall, both Killia and Lieze held him. Then, Asterius and Cerberus took the boxes out of nowhere. "Master, are you alright?!" Cerberus asked, extremely worried. "D-Don't worry, I'm fine. And thank you two for holding me before I could fall…" he said. Killia and Lieze just nodded and Cerberus just sighed with a sign of relaxation. "Agni, don't pick more than what you can carry, OK? You'll get hurt." Lieze spoke. "O-OK, I'm… sorry. I thought I could carry all of them by myself, but…" Agni explained himself. "Lord Agni, I know how anxious you are to recover your memories but all that we ask is that you take these problems alongside us and not alone." Asterius said. Agni nodded and Killia put him back into his feet.
"Ahem! Attention! I will hold a meeting now to discuss our next movements. The names I speak must come: Sir Killia, Usalia, Christo, Lieze… Zeroken and… ugh, Red Magnus…" Seraphina announced as the Prinnies took her to the lounge. "I wasn't called… why, though?" Agni asked. "Maybe it's because we're not totally a part of the team yet. But that's mean! I can understand why she wouldn't call Asterius, but why she had to leave me and Master out of it?!" Cerberus questioned. "You idiot, that is not it. Maybe it is because Lord Agni is constantly worried with his memories and Madam Seraphina knows that recovering them is important too." Asterius spoke, irritated. "If that's true, then I'll think more about myself and see if I can find anything. You two should go there and see what we'll do next." Agni said. "Alright. Wait for us here and we'll tell the details, OK?" Killia spoke and Agni nodded.
BGM: Reasoning (Persona 4)
Once Killia and Lieze left, Agni returned to think about something that could help him remember his past. At that moment, Cerberus and Asterius put the boxes they were carrying in the ground. "Master Agni, how about it? Can you see anything?" Cerberus asked. "At the very least, I'm trying. Thing is, this appearance of the Death Army is worrying me so much that it's hard to figure something out about my memories." He explained. "That is true. Although, they have picked weird… or rather, cliché Netherworlds to attack. If I remember correctly, Emperor Void Dark had attacked the strongest Netherworlds first and then-" Asterius began to explain, but Cerberus interrupted him. "Idiot, he didn't go to them first. Those guys were the most resistant, so that's the reason they are so known." He spoke. It was notable that the rude interruption had left Asterius angry, but he decided to move onto another topic instead of arguing with Cerberus.
"I have heard interesting rumors about a fugitive in the run. It seems she had escaped from prison not too while ago and is roaming around a Netherworld called Blood Parch." He commented. "A fugitive? And she's a girl, on top of that? She got some guts, I'll tell ya." Cerberus spoke, a little surprised. "So, do you have any details on her? Maybe with them, we could tell Killia and the others and go take a look for her." Agni suggested. "That is… the part of the situation I have wanted to evade." Asterius commented. "Eh? Why? Why aren't you going to give the helpful tips?" Cerberus asked. "Please, Asterius. The more details we have, the more easy it'll be to find her." Agni asked once again. "… She is a small girl, currently she appears to be 11 years old. Her hair is blonde, a golden blonde. She wears a white school uniform that appears to be made from Japan and a pink skirt. Also, she carries a fluffy pink bag in her back."
"…!" Agni exclaimed, surprised. "Master Agni, did you found something?!" Cerberus asked, excited. Asterius, on the other hand, wasn't that excited to hear what Agni remembered.
BGM: Princess in Distress (Paper Mario)
He was planting and taking care of the garden, just like his mother asked him to do it. Then, a voice called him. "Big Bro!" it screamed from the distance. When Agni looked, a little girl came right towards him with a big bouquet of flowers. "Look at the beautiful flowers I found! Do you think Mommy will like them?" she asked, happy. "Of course she will. She always loves the gifts you bring to her." He answered. She smiled, really happy. "Let's go give her the flowers, Big Bro! I want to see how she will look like when I give them to her." She said, running towards the door.
*BGM fades*
My sister… Claire Blackheart...!
BGM: Traumerei (Persona 4)
"My... little sister... I remember her." Agni spoke, but then, he started to ask more questions and his desperation seemed to grow further and further. "W-Where is she? Where is Claire?! Cerberus, Asterius…!" he asked, worried. "She's… being held as a hostage by the Death Army." Cerberus answered, regretful. "What?! What does that mean?! What are they doing with her?!" he questioned, starting to get angry. "As far as I could hear from them, it seems they plan to make Lady Claire become one of the XX Deaths. She is locked into a prison while waiting for her trial." Asterius explained, regretful as well.
Agni started to fill himself with anger. No… hatred would be a better word. Something about Claire made his memory jog a little more, but it wasn't still enough to uncover mysteries surrounding the existence of his sister in his life. "… I have to save her… I'm heading for Blood Parch!" Agni spoke, walking towards the Dimensional Gate. The servants knew that his anger was reasonable, but they were concerned about which route his mind would go in battle. "H-Hey, Master! Shouldn't you call yourself down first? Let's go call the others and then we can-" Cerberus tried to control him, but Agni forced himself out of Cerberus' grasp and ran away to Blood Parch alone. "This is bad! Let us warn them and head out at once!" Asterius spoke. Cerberus nodded and both left to warn Killia and the others.
BGM: Beautiful Dead (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc)
The group was resting in the lounge. It wasn't exactly a rest, since they were discussing the actual situation of the Netherworlds. "Once again, another war begins. And we were just enjoying a moment of peace…" Zeroken complained. "Some Netherworlds like Dragon Fang, Super Scorching Flame and Brutall Beast are holding their ground. But I heard that Poisondise already fell to this Death Army." Seraphina commented. "According to what I could gather, they are still attacking those Netherworlds. But the units on Poisondise already left for Blood Parch. It's said that a fugitive has gone to there while escaping from a rebellious assignment that happened in one of their prisons." Christo reported.
Red Magnus got up all of a sudden. "Then let's go, guys! We can super save that fugitive and super beat those dudes home!" he spoke, full of energy. "The problem is that we'll be going based a little on speculation. There's no way to know if the fugitive is actually there or not." Christo warned, concerned about going into the Netherworld based on some rumor gathered by the Prinnies. "Usalia thinks that we can have a chance of finding it, plip. We should go and check." Usalia gave her opinion. "Hey bro, what do you think? Should we go to Blood Parch or no?" Zeroken asked.
"We should try. If there's anyone that can help us, we can't simply leave them. Even if it's just a speculation, we can only confirm it by going there." He answered, while walking towards the stairs. "Killia, where are you going?" Lieze, who has been quiet all this time, asked. "I'm going to talk with Agni. He said he would be trying to find something else about him." He answered. "You seem to be pretty attached to Agni, Killia. I should warn you, though, as he might be an enemy, trying to trick us." Christo commented. "I agree with Christo, Sir Killia. Even if he made a delicious cake, that doesn't mean he's too trustworthy." Seraphina spoke.
Killia looked at them and decided to explain his reasons. "Back in the days, when I was Killidia, I threw myself into the world, seeking only his destruction. I was abandoned and wanted everything to be the same. But people saved me, stood at my side and gave me another meaning." He started and then looked at Lieze, who smiled back at him. "I promised to myself that I would never abandon someone in need once again. I know of your doubts, but I feel as if I can trust Agni. If he really was faking a memory loss, then he would already have turned at us." he said. "Bro's right. Besides, he seems to be at our side." Zeroken agreed with Killia. Seraphina and Christo were still doubtful at Killia's decision, but they remained quiet.
BGM: Shadow (Persona 3)
"Guys! We have a problem!" Cerberus said, while suddenly appearing. Asterius rose from the ground right near him. The rest got up and paid attention as the servants delivered the news. "Lord Agni rushed into Blood Parch by himself!" Asterius spoke. "What?! Why didn't you stop him?!" Seraphina asked. Cerberus sighed a little. "He just remembered about his young sister. We told him that she's a prisoner held by the Death Army. After we told that, he just rushed to the Netherworld." He explained.
Usalia was the first one to get worried. "We have to save him, plip! Those guys might be too strong for him to take them by himself!" she said. "I agree with little Usalia. Agni has a reason to be angered at them, but he can't lose control and just run…" Lieze commented and looked at Killia. "Please, save him before something happens. If his sister truly is alive, he can't just die now." She asked. Killia gave her a nod. "Alright, let's go and bring him back to his senses!" he said. They all went to the Dimensional Gate in order to move to Blood Parch. "The Death Army has strong movements in Lost Parch, dood. One of the Deaths is there too." The Dimensional Gate Prinny spoke to them. Just like that girl at Scorching Flame… Christo thought. They all went in the gate.
BGM: Elsa Maria's Stage Theme (Grief Syndrome)
A wasteland composed of nothing but pure shambles. It could have been a beautiful land once, it could have been always like this. No one knows exactly what happened and no story can describe what it was before. But Blood Parch was definitely a land of ruin, whether it was by war or by natural disasters…
They hurried back to the stage that opened their previous adventure. Looking around, there was no sign that Agni was there whatsoever. Even if it was clear, unlike the darkness of Spirit Internment, nothing in Blood Parch seemed to lead a clue to what way he possibly went. "HEY! LIL' A! SPEAK SOMETHING!" Red Magnus shouted into the distance. His voice echoed, but that was the only thing he could hear. "Wow, good job. Surely he'll hear us from here and will come running back." Seraphina mocked him. Of course, Red Magnus took that as an actual compliment and smiled at her.
Zeroken looked around a little more. "Why did he have to run like this? Is it because of his memories?" he asked. "I think that he's more concerned with his little sister than with himself, plip." Usalia commented. "I have another interesting rumor that I heard from the Dimensional Gate Prinny before we left." Christo spoke and everyone looked back at him. "According to what he heard and from the looks they described, the fugitive is a little girl." He spoke. "Do you think that this little girl could be Agni's sister?" Killia asked. "I can't say certainly that she is, but we have this possibility. If we find her first, all we have to do is bring her to Agni, so he'll calm down." He spoke.
"Hmm? Look, some guards are coming!" Seraphina pointed. They hid between a rock while the guards came. The guard band was composed of Dark Knights, 7 in total. "Did the girl passed through here?" one asked. "Nothing yet, Sir! We have no clues of her whereabouts either." another guard responded. "One of the other members stated that she went southeast from here. Let's keep marching in that direction and we'll find her." The first one ordered. The other knights moved forward.
"Do you guys think that this girl is the fugitive?" Zeroken asked. "Possibly. I can't confirm for certain, but there are some certain auras moving around here." Christo spoke. He used his skill to detect movements and see if one of those auras he felt is the girl's aura. "One of those is moving southeast. It's the direction they spoke about the fugitive." Christo reported. "But should we do something about those guards first, plip?" Usalia asked. "Yes. If we move and ignore them, they'll certainly come after us to find this fugitive. Not to mention…" Killia spoke. "We are their targets too. It's difficult to imagine us not fighting them." Seraphina completed.
Cerberus looked at Asterius and both nodded at each other. "Guys, prepare yourselves. We're going to open and you dive in!" he said. "Whuh? What are you talking about, Pup?" Red Magnus asked and Asterius laughed a little. "Pup it's your…! Argh! Forget it!"
BGM: Boss Battle Theme (Grief Syndrome)
Cerberus jumped from the rock and lunged at one of the guards, slashing him with his claws. "What?! Where did he came from?!" one of them asked. Asterius emerged from the guard's shadow and stood right behind him. "Should you worry about your ally or about yourself?" he spoke. As the guard looked back, Asterius blasted him away with a laser. The 5 remaining tried to corner them, But Cerberus started to move fast around them. "C'mon, don't be slow just for show! Be strong just to be… uhh… I don't know!" Cerberus tried to taunt, but didn't knew how to.
That gave time for the others to move and reach the soldiers. When Cerberus stopped moving, one soldier looked at what was coming and his sight was received by a fist coming from Red Magnus. He was sent flying directly into a rock. "It's an ambush! Go call reinforcements!" one of the guards said to the other. However, Zeroken rushed at him and with punches and kicks, he managed to put him down. "Alright!" he said, while going towards the others.
The rest of the guards tried to run, but Killia and the others managed to hold them. Usalia, Seraphina and Christo encircled them with bullets and spoons as Killia charged his fists. "Take this! Hellfire Fist!" he proclaimed. Killia shot a rain of fireballs over all of them, finishing with a bigger one that exploded into a fire tornado.
"Whoo! We did it!" Zeroken commemorated. "This will halt their movement and dispersion." Asterius spoke. Seraphina looked around at the desolation, trying to find any sort of movement around. "There's no one around us for the while. I guess we didn't gave them much time to call any sort of reinforcements, so we're safe for now." She spoke. "I did a search as well and there aren't any auras nearby us." Christo confirmed. Then, Red Magnus once again screamed. "OI, LIL' A! SHOUT IT OUT IF YOU'RE THERE!" his voice echoed but no response came from any direction. "Stop screaming, you peanut-brained monster! You'll give us out!" Seraphina scolded him.
Killia gave another look. As he looked around, a running shadow passed through his vision, at the distance, being clouded by the mist. "Christo, confirm me if that shadow right there is alive." He asked. Christo nodded and checked it out. "… Yes, that's definitely someone. And now that you mention it, this is the direction that those guards were heading… if that is the case…" he dwelled in thought. "Then maybe that shadow right there is the fugitive, plip! Let's go after her!" Usalia commented. The others nodded and then all went towards the shadow's direction.
BGM: Calamity (Persona 3)
The little girl was running nonstop. She was already breathing heavily, as if she couldn't run anymore. It was that chasing scene from the old movies, where the prey runs from the hunters and the odds are currently against it and definitely for them. "Haaah… haah… I need to stop… for a moment…!" she spoke, while looking around. Then, she saw a big and large bush of spiky vines. That isn't a good place to hide, but I'm out of options! I gotta hide here, fast! She thought. The little girl immediately jumped inside the bush, while enduring the pain. The guard wave came but stopped. "Where did she go? I thought I saw her running over here." One of them commented. "She might have not gone too far. Search around and find that pest!" another one ordered and they all dispersed.
Silence predominated the area. No one seemed to be around. Alright, it seems safe! I gotta keep on the run! She thought. But once she jumped out of the vine bush, she noticed that she was wrong. They haven't left yet so they were in the area. "Hmm? Look! There she is!" one called them. The guards of the Death Army encircled the little girl as she looked around, trying to find a way to escape. "We finally got you cornered, you slippery little brat. Time to go back to your room!" One of the guards spoke. She closed her eyes, waiting for the blow.
BGM: Persona Invocation (Persona 3)
Just in time, Killia and the others jumped right at the scene. They made a circle to protect the little girl. "Huh?! W-Who are you?!" she spoke, terrified. Zeroken looked at her and smiled. "Don't worry. Those bad guys won't do anything with you while we're here!" he said, cheerful. She kept shivering a little, but got calmer. The guards approached them, weapons in hands. "Move out! We are the Death Army, the most fearful warriors in the Netherworlds!" the guard spoke. "If you want her, you'll have to pass through us! And we're not going down without a fight!" Cerberus spoke. The guards kept their approach at will, not willing to stop. They were confident because they were surrounding the group, blocking their chances to escape.
"I don't want to be the one to crush our beliefs, but we're surrounded. They'll end up grabbing her while we fight." Christo spoke. "Then we'll open a way and she'll run. We'll catch her later." Killia said. The little girl looked around and saw a giant boulder near them. "H-Hey, look! Big, big rock over there!" she pointed to it. They looked and nodded. The guards kept approaching them more and more. "Alright, at my signal…" Seraphina spoke.
BGM: Master of Shadow (Persona 3)
"Now!" she ordered. Usalia took a bomb out of her Prinny and threw it towards the guards standing at the boulder. Then, once the way was open, Cerberus took the girl away to the boulder. "Stay here and don't you leave! This is a fight, not a game!" he said, running back to the others. The girl climbed the boulder and stood at its top, seeing it as the safest position.
The others were all handling the guards' attacks. While Killia, Red Magnus, Usalia and Zeroken were handling the offense well, Seraphina, Christo and Asterius were having troubles due to their long distance affinity. "This isn't really good for us. We can't shoot well while being surrounded." Christo commented. "I can't use my Overload right now. I don't have enough timespan to use it." Seraphina spoke. As soon as she finished talking, one of the guards used a Yo-Yo Trick on her. She was tossed in the air, but Asterius caught her before she could hit the ground. "There you go, Madam Seraphina. Are you hurt?" he asked. "Oh ho ho! Me, getting hurt? Oh please!" she spoke, proudly. In the meantime, Cerberus slashed the guard, breaking his defense and allowing Christo to shoot an arrow right at him. "You guys finished? Good, then let's go!" Cerberus spoke, lunging at other guards. Seraphina, Asterius and Christo followed suit.
The melee team was handling the guards pretty well. That is, until Usalia was tossed off from her Prinny. "Usalia! Urgh…!" Killia called her, but was attacked with a powerful slash. "We are the Death Army! We will not tolerate this attack!" the commander said proudly, but his soldiers were soon attacked by Zeroken's fast rushes. "What were you saying?" he said, cocky. The commander looked around, but the next thing to happen was him to receive a powerful punch coming from Red Magnus, launching him into the air. "Here we go, old man!" Zeroken said, going into the air with a powerful leap while infusing his kick with wind power. "Well said! Hah!" Red Magnus followed him with a powerful blazing uppercut. The two hits connected into a cross. "Cross Flame Gale!" both declared while the commander fell from the skies and hit the ground.
*BGM fades*
Seraphina, Christo, Cerberus and Asterius came back to the rest of the group. "Whew, I'm tired. After this, I might need a cup of tea…" she said. "This was a hard battle. We should proceed more carefully from now on." Asterius suggested. "Carefulness is for the weak! We just have to beat everyone who stands in our way and presto!" Cerberus disagreed. "Either way, is everyone alright?" Killia asked. "Usalia is fine, plip! More importantly, what about the fugitive?" Usalia asked.
BGM: Oh, I'm a Flamelet! (Secret of Mana 2/Seiken Densetsu 3)
The little girl jumped down the rock and went right to them. "Thank you so much for saving me! I was really scared!" the little girl said. Then, Asterius moved forward. "Milady, you are safe! Thank goodness." He commented. "Oh, it's Astie and Cerby! Hi~" she spoke, happy. "Ugh, don't speak that out loud. I hate that nickname…" Cerberus complained, slightly disgusted. "Milady, how did you managed to escape? They said the prison had tight security." Asterius asked her. "Oh… how can I explain this… a lot of BOOM! happened and there was some FWAH! and some CLANG! all around. And then I went like VOOSH! away from there. But then some GRAAAH! stopped me. But a nice guy came in and went all like BAM! and KAPOW! and he helped me escape. I jumped like BOING! into the BLIM-BLIM! before they could get me. And here I am!" she explained.
While Asterius seemed to understand, the others were utterly confused. Even if she was just a kid, everything that she spoke seemed like nonsense. "Wait, before I can question anything, who exactly is she?" Seraphina asked. The little girl turned at them, bowed gracefully and smiled. "My name is Claire Blackheart! It's a biiiig pleasure!" she said. "Nice to meet you, Claire. I'm Zeroken." He said, giving her a handshake. She took it and smiled from ear to ear. "Wait… did you say Blackheart? If that's the case, then you're his…" Christo spoke. Since Asterius and Cerberus seemed familiar with her, they all come to the same conclusion. "Yay! We found Agni's sister, plip!" Usalia said.
At that moment, Claire turned back to the young Overlord. "Huh? You all… know my Big Bro?! Astie, who are they?!" she asked, worried. "Do not worry, Lady Claire. Those people had found your brother and are helping him." Asterius explained. "You may haven't heard it, but Master lost his memories. He had recently found out about you and rushed here alone." Cerberus spoke. Claire started to get anxious and nervous. Rather, leave it at desperate. She escaped to find her brother and finally found the chance to do it so. "T-Then we have to go! Zoom, zoom! Big Bro is in danger!" she said. "Alright. But you must stay behind us, no matter what. Zeroken, you're in charge of doing that." Killia said and Zeroken nodded. At that moment, Claire grabbed his hand. "Hehe~ Holding hands makes me feel safer." She spoke with a smile, yet Zeroken's face was completely red. They kept walking forward, in hopes of finding Agni as soon as possible.
The landscape seemed endless and unchanging. There wasn't much sight of life around the parts, which leaved them worried. What could have possibly happened to Agni? Where did he go? Questions like those raided their minds as they tried to find an answer. "No matter how much we walk, we don't see him or some guards. I regret not questioning them before we gave them a beating." Seraphina spoke, rather tired. "We've been walking aimlessly for some time. How come we haven't found clues?" Christo questioned. As they looked, Red Magnus was the first one to point it out. "Look! It's Lil' A!" he said, pointing towards a certain direction.
BGM: Below the Duchy's Banner (Bravely Default: Flying Fairy)
He was confronting the guards alone, seemingly irritated about something. "Where is she?" he asked them. The guards looked at him, nervous. "S-Sir XIV, we don't know what are you talking about!" one of them said. Agni took his rapier out and pointed at them. "The fugitive! Just tell me where she is!" he spoke, loud and angry. "H-Honestly, we're looking for her too! That sneaky brat escaped from our fingers! Once we find her, we'll-" another guard commented, but he was interrupted by Agni, who pointed his rapier at his face. "The sneaky brat is my sister and if you do something with her, I'll send you to your doom myself!" he said. The guards backed off at his hostility, but one of them curiously asked. "So… the girl we're chasing is the sister of Sir XIV? Then, Deaths can have living beings as family?" he asked.
Once he heard that word, Agni felt a unbearable pain in his head. "Death… Death…! Argh… ugh…! My head… it's… it's…!" he kept twisting himself. "Sir XIV?!" the guards asked at once. "Ah... AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" his scream filled the air as he fell like a log. "Sir XIV?! Sir XIV, wake up!" a guard shook him in order to wake him up. "He fell unconscious. Let's take him to Sir VIII and see what he says about it." Another guard comments. Both call another guards in the area.
BGM: FF8 - Force Your Way (Dissidia 012 Duodecim: Final Fantasy)
"T-They're gonna take Big Bro! Please, save him!" Claire asked. "You don't have to ask twice! No one will take Master on my watch!" Cerberus spoke, aiming at them. "Claire, hide somewhere! We're going to save your brother, no matter what." Zeroken said. She nodded and went on hiding again. "Now that she's safe, let's take him back. Attack!" Christo ordered and all of them went forward. The guards heard them and entered into positions. "W-Who are those guys?!" one of them asked. "They must be the ones who attacked the other units. Everyone, into position!" the other one ordered. Once they were in formation, the guards charged towards Killia and the others and they eventually clashed. Asterius and Cerberus passed right through them and picked up the unconscious Agni, leaving the battlefield through the shadows.
Killia charged with Red Magnus as both went directly towards two guards. One of them tried to pound Killia with his axe, but he missed. Taking the opportunity, Killia punched him towards a direction. The red giant clashed his own axe against the other guard. "Gggh...!" the guard groaned, unable to hold his ground against Red Magnus' brute power. "Heh, this ain't the beginning!" he taunted as he smacked the guard away. Killia dashed back as both went into a Combo Skill. "Here we go, Killia!" Red Magnus called him out as he jumped into the sky while rolling like a cannonball. Killia followed suit and kicked him directly into space. After reaching it, Killia charged his foot with fire. "Flaming Spin Kick!" both declared. After that, he kicked Red Magnus back into the earth and he came down like a giant meteor towards the guards. Once he went in contact with the land, a massive explosion occured, leaving no one unscathed.
Usalia paired up with Zeroken as the two used their speeds to outlast the guards they were fighting. With swift evades and attacking on the right moments, they were able to take control of the fight. "Ow! Stop moving, you brats!" one of them said, while trying to slash Usalia. "Plip! So slow!" she said while shooting her special spoons. "Ouch! Hey, what the-" the guard tried to comment but was hit by a kick from Zeroken. "Whatsa matter? Not feeling it?" he taunted. "Now you die!" The other guard spoke, while trying to stab him with a spear. At that moment, they little bunny demon came right through them, ramming into both. Meanwhile, Zeroken flipped in the air and prepared for his blow, descending towards them with a kick. However... "Gaaaaah! I missed!" he panicked, while going directly inside Usalia's Prinny. "Zeroken!" she spoke, while jumping into the Prinny to take Zeroken off. "Pffft... hahahaha! Look how pathetic he is!" the guards laughed. Then, Usalia took her pounder out. "Here we go, plip! Extreme...!" she spoke while giving her Prinny a huge pound. "Kick!" he said while passing through the guards like a razor wind.
Seraphina and Christo fought with the distances, but their pursuers were diligent enough to defend the shots. "Nothing that we do works! Those guys are really good when they want to!" she commented while shooting. "Then let's chase them out together." Christo suggested and she nodded. They stopped running and waited for the arrival. "You two are dead!" the guards screamed together as they tried to swing their swords. However, Christo generated a magic field in front of them and its impulse sent the guards back a bit. "Malicious Eye!" both declared together. A flurry of hearts and magic arrows stormed through the guards, dealing damage enough to finish them.
*BGM fades*
When everything was finally over, Cerberus and Asterius returned with the unconscious Agni. The group moved towards them and tried to wake him up. "Hey Agni, wake up! This isn't the time to sleep!" Zeroken spoke while shaking his body. Then, he got up, a little groggy. "Ugh... where am I... what did just...?" he asked. Killia picked him and put Agni back on his feet. "How did you guys managed to get here...?" he asked once again. "We came here after you, moron. When did I gave you the order to run blindly into a Netherworld alone?" Seraphina scolded him in an arrogant tone. "Agni, be more careful. We all know how important this fugitive is to you, but-" Killia spoke, but he was interrupted. "I know, I know! I know I'm anxious all the time but how can you blame me? I just remembered about my own sister, learned that she's a fugitive on the run and you want me to be cautious? That's the same thing as you asking me to leave her to die!" he responded bitterly and looked away. "If you're not going to help me, that's fine. But I'm going after the leader of those troops and I'm going to save my sister!" he said as he began to walk.
BGM: Beneath the Hollow Moon (Bravely Default: Flying Fairy)
"BIG BRO!" Claire screamed while running. When they looked, she had left the hiding point and was running towards her brother. "Claire...? Claire!" Agni called her. She jumped right onto him, hugging him tightly. He hugged her as well, both letting their tears fall off. "Waaaaaaaaah! I found you! You're here! I… I…! Waaaaaaaaaaaah!" Claire tried to speak, but she was too happy to even say something. All that she wanted was to stay with her brother, which she assumed to be gone. "Claire… oh, how I've missed you… my sister, my family… I promise you, I'll never abandon you again. Never…" Agni spoke through his tears. The others didn't even get close to them, but they were all teary too. "I'm glad for you… Agni…" Seraphina spoke. "W-What is it, Sera? G-Gonna cry right now at this happy moment?" Red Magnus asked. "O-Oh-hohohohoho! M-Me, cry? What nonsense! Like if I would ever *sniff* cry at such a… a… BEAUTIFUL SCENE!" Seraphina tried to play the strong woman, but she couldn't resist to cry. "OOOOOH! MY HEART WON'T STOP SWEATING!" Red Magnus broke down as well. "Waaaah! Damn, this is so emotional!" Zeroken commented. "Pliiiiiiiiiiiip!" that was all that Usalia could say between her tears. Christo stood quiet while wiping his glasses as Killia just smiled through tears.
Cerberus and Asterius moved forward and stood right near the two reunited brothers. "M-Master, I'm… really happy that we managed to… to…!" he said, still sniffing and trying to hide his tears. Claire finally released Agni of her tight hug and looked at him. A waterfall still fell from her eyes. "B-Big Bro… don't leave me… I don't want to… be alone… I want you near me, forever! So please…!" she spoke. Agni gave her a firm nod. "I won't leave you, no matter what it may happen. We'll be together forever, Claire. That, I can promise you." He said. After that, Killia moved forwards and looked at him. "Now that we've find your sister, let's head back. Right now, we need to see if you're fine." He said. "I'm fine, really. What we must do now is going after the one who brought the Death Army here. And from what I've heard…" he said, putting Claire back to the ground while holding her hand. "Big Bro… he's in this direction. If we follow it, we'll be able to reach him." She pointed it. "Then let's go. We'll finish him and free this place form their grasp." Agni spoke while the rest nodded at him.
The group continued to walk a little further until they reached an area covered with a dense fog. They looked around, finding nothing. "This fog's so thick. I can't see anything in front of us..." Cerberus spoke. "This is weird. This fog is somehow blocking my Clairvoyance. I can't sense anything anymore." Christo commented. "Are we lost, plip?" Usalia asked. "B-But I'm sure it's this way! Big Bro, I'm not lying, I promise!" Claire spoke, nervous. "We're not blaming you, Claire. It's just that our team is a little weak. With the exception of Sir Killia, of course~!" Seraphina spoke and took the chance. Killia just sighed at her try while Zeroken looked around. "Uhh... hmm.. hey, look at that direction." he pointed. "Is that a sillhouette? It doesn't look human, though." Agni asked. "Heh, human or not, let's give it a beating!" Red Magnus spoke, ready to fight.
Hehehe... is that so, monsieur red monkey?
BGM: Guzma's Theme (Pokémon Sun and Moon)
The fog cleared. Sitting in a throne, surrounded by five squealing maids, the Death n° XVIII waved at them. "Bonjour, my darlings. What do you wish from moi? If it's a kiss, the line is over to the left." Karon spoke, while giving an interested smile. "Get real. The only one who shall touch my lips is Sir Killia and no one else." Seraphina commented. Killia gave her a disgusted glance. "You're the n° XVIII, correct?" Agni asked, while walking forward. "Agni, mon ami! I was worried about your state after you disappeared, but you know what they say. Everything that goes will return one day." Karon spoke with a lighthearted tone, as if he was actually worried about Agni. However, the latter knew that he wasn't. "Stop faking a friendship that doesn't exist. I don't know why, but I feel as if you're lying about being worried about me." He said. "Ah, how evil! Here I am, pouring my worries over you and this is the retribution I receive? Combien injuste et diabolique!" Karon complained.
Killia moved forward. "Enough with the games. Order your troops to retreat right now." He said. Karon clapped once and smile. "Ah oui. Well then, please hand over mon précieux Claire and I shall leave. Oh, you must come too, Agni." He said, smiling. "I'm not handing over my sister and I'm not going with you. Leave Blood Parch now." Agni ordered. Karon sighed. "C'est horrible. Now we are at an impasse. I can't leave without bringing both of you." He said, worried. Red Magnus moved forward and clenched his fists. "Heh, all we gotta do then is beat you to a pulp!" he said, taking his axe out. Agni followed suit and pointed his rapier while Killia entered in his stance. The rest behind them prepared themselves too. "Claire, stay back. This is going to be ugly." Agni spoke. Claire nodded and walked back a bit.
BGM: Battle! Team Skull Boss Guzma (Pokémon Sun/Moon)
"Defeat me? You must be joking. To think about defeating the Death n.° XVIII... that is surely thoughts of a lunatic!" Karon spoke as he took out a deck of mysterious cards. Soon, they started to glow as Karon floated around them. "A puppeteer must make use of his marionettes, non? I suppose we'll have an enchanting waltz. Monsieurs and mademoiselles, entertain me in this little teté-a-teté!" he said, dashing towards the group. Seraphina and Christo started shooting from behind as the rest went forward to attack him.
Usalia was the first one to reach Karon. She took her pounder out and started to fight him. Like a conductor, he used his cards to form a magical shield that defended all of Usalia's attacks. Zeroken followed suit and went to help his little friend. However, Karon didn't move an inch to attack. Red Magnus was the next one to attack. "Let's go, you two!" he said, while going with an overhead attack. "Right behind you, plip!" Usalia said, following Red Magnus with her pounder. "Take this, you flamboyant meek!" Zeroken provoked, going with a kick. But once the hits connected into Karon's card shield, he backed off as the cards scattered around them. "Eh?! What the-" Zeroken questioned when they started to glow. "For the opening act… Blighted King's Flare." He proclaimed. The cards exploded in a chain reaction, sending the three of them to different directions in the field.
"Usalia! Zeroken! Red Magnus!" Christo exclaimed. "This doesn't look good. He seems really strong too." Killia spoke. "We have to avoid casualties. Seraphina, you and Christo keep shooting from behind. We'll distract him at some way." Agni spoke. Karon gave them a denial shake and smiled. "Non, non, non, but this won't do. It's unfair just the weak me against you all. Maids!" he spoke, snapping his fingers. The maids who were once swooning over Karon took their arms up, showing their swords and dashing directly at the rest. Agni and Killia were pushed by them, while Seraphina and Christo backed off the fast as they could so they wouldn't be attacked.
While they were fighting against the maids, Karon noticed Claire all open. Playing the innocent child, are you? Well, I suppose your brother needs to know the truth behind your childish smile. He thought. With artistic motions, he sent his cards towards Claire. "Claire, watch out!" Seraphina spoke, but she seemed frozen in fear. Agni ran towards her and jumping in front, receiving the cards. At Karon's fingersnap, they exploded all at once, sending Agni to a rock. "Big Bro!" Claire screamed. Killia, who was fighting one maid, jumped out of the fight and went to aid him.
*BGM fades*
"Tch. Thanks a lot, you ruined everything." Claire spoke. Her tone seemed to be way more different than her previous, since she sounded more mature than childish. Her voice didn't change, though. "Claire…?" Usalia asked. She looked down and started to speak. "I tried to be an innocent little girl. You know, the kind of little sister every brother would want. That would make Big Bro happy. But I can't keep with the act. Not after what Karon did." She spoke, disappointed. Karon looked at her and smiled mischievously. "Oh, you sound way more attractive with that tone of voice. You know, you're the type to hide secrets here and there and I like that on a woman, even if she is a young girlie." He commented, pleased.
Claire just gave a sigh and looked back at the others. "I lied. The prison break? I did it myself. The supposed man who saved me? He's not real. I beat everyone myself. But if there's something that is true… is that I wanted to find Big Bro. And I wanted to be a nice girl and all… so he could be proud of me… but I guess I'll scare him so much once he wakes up. He'll never talk to me again… never…" she admitted everything, while lamenting over the future. "Claire, your brother won't hate you just because of who you are. You can be yourself and he'll love you." Cerberus comforted her. "D-Do you think so?" she asked, nervous. All of them nodded. Then, Killia managed to get Agni back on his feet. Claire walked towards him. "You probably heard everything right? Now you know that I'm a beast, you might hate me…" she said, saddened. But Agni put his hands at her face and raised it. "I don't care about what you are… an innocent child, a cold-hearted killer… you're my sister. I would never hate you even if it was the right thing to do, Claire."
BGM: Pleather for Breakfast (No More Heroes)
Claire opened a big smile on her face. But instead of showing happiness, it showed another emotion: bloodthirst. Even if she was happy, she couldn't show anything but a face of a murderer, ready to kill. She turned back to Karon and looked at him. "So… you say that I'm mature and attractive to you, huh? Tell me, how happy would you be… if I kissed you?" she asked. "Oh, that would be really nice. It's a progress on our relationship, Claire." He responded. She took her bag out of her back and opened its zipper. "Then you'll have a kiss… and that means I'll make you kiss the ground!" she spoke, excited. Her face twisted and she was no longer looking nice. All of a sudden, dried blood marks appeared all over Claire, from hair to shoes. From inside the bag, nothing came except a chainsaw blade that started to spin frantically. If that wasn't enough, she pulled the cord of her bag and then fire breathed out, alongside with a loud roar. "W-What is going on?! W-What is Claire doing?!" Zeroken asked, scared. "I don't know, but her power increased too much in a second!" Christo spoke. And after that…
"Hehehe… ahahahaha… KYAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Die… die, die, die, die, die die die die die die diediediediediediediedieDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!" she laughed, darting right at Karon. The maids stood right in front of her, holding their weapons at will. But Claire passed right through them, as if she was a truck, breaking through a wall. Once a close distance was reached, she swung her chainsaw bag like a bloodthirsty serial killer, as if she wanted to truly kill Karon. Holding his pride as a Death, Karon tried to play nice and simply defend her attacks. But soon he saw himself being pressed away by her maniac assault. Claire lost her entire self-control and no long could be called as a single human being. She was a monster, ready to destroy everything in sight. "H-Hahaha! Lil' Claire has some boost in her veins, eh?!" Red Magnus joked, but he was sweating. "S-She's definitely something else… this girl is crazy…" Seraphina spoke, scared as well. When Christo looked, both Usalia and Zeroken were hidden behind him.
Both looked at the scene. Agni understood why Claire feared that he might hate her. She was viciously attacking Karon, who seemed to barely hold his own ground. "I might sound rude, but your sister wasn't lying when she said she's a complete monster." Killia spoke. "Y-Yeah. Just look at it. Karon's barely holding his guard anymore." Agni commented. "H-Hold on, time out, time out! M-Mademoiselle, enough of this!" he asked, while defending a thrust. "Oh, what's the maaaaaaatteeeeeeeeeerrrrrr? It's not like if I'm some sort of proooooobleeeeem… riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight?" she spoke, pushing herself towards him. "W-Where's the cute little Claire we knew from before?!" Karon questioned. "Hahaha… that weakling jerk? Oh, I killed her. In fact, I did that thanks to YOUR TRAINING! Didn't you wanted me as a Death?! So HERE ARE THE RESULTS!" she screamed in delight. Claire rose her chainsaw and went for another smash, but Karon evaded them and backed off to set some space between them.
He breathed a little, as if he was tired. Claire just walked forward, with her seemingly everlasting murder intent. "Maids, kill her!" he ordered as the four maids from before went after Claire again. "Holy cow! She can't take them all on her own!" Cerberus spoke. Agni picked his rapier and ran towards her. "Claire, get out of there!" he screamed. She looked back at him and as she was distracted, one maid managed to thrust her blade through Claire's body. Blood started to drip fast, the red pond forming itself under them. "Lady Claire!" Asterius screamed as they all looked at the scene, saddened and angry. "I did it, Lord Karon!" the maid spoke. However, her body started to tremble as if she was scared. "He… hehehe… you did it… you idiot. Now, if you could be so kind…" Claire spoke. Her eyes opened in an instant, their radiance had a vivid dark crimson color. "Die for Me!" she proclaimed. The world in their eyes got black until no one could see anything anymore. Soon, a loud roar was heard and then screams filled the entire world. When everything got clear again, they saw Claire safe, as if nothing happened to her. But the maids were all defeated, parts scattered around the field. But that wasn't all.
Karon, who was hit by Claire's Overload Skill, barely held his ground. It's as if a knife pierced through his entire body. Arms to legs, toes to ears… everything hurt as he tried to move. "Gggh… what the heck…? How did she get… so powerful…? Is this what happens… when you force a child… to start killing like… some sort of expert… assassin…?" he questioned, breathing heavily. He looked back at her, who was still smiling like a maniac. "You want some more? I'm up for some serious fun." She spoke. "I… lost… but this isn't the last… you'll see of me… I will return and have it back at you… Claire…!" he spoke. Then, with a weave of his cape, Karon disappeared. Claire's chainsaw blade returned to the inside of her bag and her blood marks vanished in an instant.
BGM: Reminiscence (Fire Emblem: Fates)
"Big Bro, I'm… so sorry. I bet you were expecting the lovely and cute little sister from times ago… but I can't be that sister." Claire apologized, really sad. Agni held her hand as she looked right at him. "Didn't I just say to you before? All that matters to me is that you're here, Claire. Of course, you can be a little scary, but you're my sister. I will never deny you just because of this." Agni spoke, smiling. Claire began to portray a childish smile, different from the other one. "You're still so lovely, Big Bro! I love you so much! If you leave me, I'll kill you, OK?" she said, happy. "Don't worry. I don't think that'll ever happen." He said, while giving her another hug.
"I-Is that something she should ask of her own brother?!" Zeroken asked, surprised. "Shhh! Don't ruin the moment, you jerk!" Seraphina said. "I have to say, she is a box of surprises indeed." Christo commented. "Heh, next time it's me and her!" Red Magnus spoke. "Claire seems to be so nice! Usalia must keep her level up!" Usalia spoke about it too. Killia, Asterius and Cerberus walked towards them. "Anyway, let's see if we can discover more things now that you're here, Claire. Do you have any single memory of Master's life before this." Cerberus asked. "Pfft. You're asking me that? It's so easy! We… uh…" Claire spoke, but soon noticed that she wasn't being able to remember anything. "Wait, wait! We lived… it was on… I mean, we both were… agh, I can't remember, damn it!" she complained, completely frustrated. Agni put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I thought that it wouldn't be easy. Both Cerberus and Asterius have lost their memories too." he spoke, trying to reassure her. She sighed but there wasn't anything else to be done. "Alright, let's go back then. And Agni, be more careful the next time. You gave us a heart attack." Killia spoke. "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful." He answered. "Anyway… now that we're together, aren't you going to introduce me the others, Big Bro?" she asked. "Oh, right. Sorry, my bad." he said as he started to introduce one by one.
"This here is Usalia. She's really brave and strong." Agni introduced his little friend. "It's a little late, but it's nice to meet you, Claire! Hope we can be great friends, plip!" Usalia spoke, happy. "Hehe! Yeah, I think so too!" she answered back, smiling. "OK. This here is Christo. He's the brain behind the whole team." Agni spoke. "I do hope we can assist each other well, Claire." Christo spoke elegantly. "Uhh... yeah. But cut off the whole formalities, OK? I don't like that..." Claire spoke to him. "Well... anyway, this one here is Red Magnus. He seems to be itching for a fight against you." Agni said. "You bet I am! Lil' Claire, I'm gonna beat the heck out of you once we finish all this stuff!" Red Magnus challenged her. "Heh, sounding too proud for my liking. Beating you to a pulp will be waaaay to fun!" She spoke, happy with the idea. "Heh. So, this here is Seraphina. She's the-" Agni was just speaking, when he was interrupted. "I'm the one who provides home, weapons and all sorts of things for your brother and the others. Also, I'm a temptress. Oh-hohoho!" She laughed in glory. "Uhh... fine, I don't care. As long as I kill, that's cool." Claire spoke.
"And this here is Killia. He's the one who found me and saved me." He said. "Nice to meet you! And thanks for saving Big Bro while I was rampaging!" she spoke, extending her hand. "The pleasure is mine, Claire." he answered the handshake.
BGM: Gateway Galaxy (Super Mario Galaxy)
Claire backed off once she touched Killia's hand. Then, with a surprised face, she looked at him, at Agni and at their hands. "Claire, are you okay?" Killia asked her, worried. "Y-You... when I touched your hand... I reminded myself of Big Bro. I don't know why, but... it felt so similar..." Claire spoke. The two demons looked at each other and then looked back at her. "Killia... right? I'm sorry, but... no more handshakes. It's kinda bizarre to say something like that, but... I really don't want to touch your hand. I want to touch Big Bro's hand if I want to feel like that..." she spoke. He nodded, but both him and Agni were unable to understand why Claire backed off so suddenly. "Also, Big Bro..."
BGM: Hang in There, Peach! (Paper Mario)
"Can I go on a date with Zeroken?" Claire asked. Agni looked at her surprised and then looked at Zeroken, who seemed completely nervous and against the idea. "Uhh… Claire, aren't you a little young to think about those things?" he asked. "Big Bro, only the oldies would think something like that. We're on the hipster age! You feelin' me?" she joked around, while going towards her prince. "Besides, don't you think it'll be perfect? I'm the Red Riding Hood and he's the bad wolf." She kept speaking while leaning on his arm. "I kinda find it… to be the contrary." Agni spoke.
Seraphina gave a quiet laughter. "What's so funny?" Claire asked. "Oh, nothing. I just imagined how it would be hila- I mean, marvelous to see this scene." She said, while giving small giggles. "Uh… whaddya mean, Sera?" Red Magnus asked. Seraphina was going to talk, but Claire spoke. "It means that Seraphina's jealous of Zeroken. That's what it is." She spoke it freely, while everyone looked surprised. "Um, excuse me… but what did you just say?" Seraphina asked back. "You're not deaf, I'm not repeating." she answered while walking away, pulling Zeroken with her. "H-Hey?! S-Someone!" he called for help, but no one came to. The rest just walked away with her. This little brat... Seraphina thought.
Character Information and Updates
Claire Blackheart
Title: Murder Sister
Class: Humanoid
Evility: Killing Addict (Boosts ATK by 0.5% per 1% of HP lost.)
Weapon Skills: Boulder Crush, Yo-Yo Trick, Wild Crescent, Silver Slugger, Gravity Hammer, Dynamic Moon, El Diablo
Unique Skills:
Bloody Coaster: swings her chainsaw around enemies and finishes them by stabbing the ground and creating sharp spikes.
Killing-Go-Round: plants her bag in the ground and calls upon a giant spinner. It generates a tornado of slashes, cutting enemies from every side.
Deadly Crunch: calls a giant chainsaw out of her bag and presses it at the enemy. She pulls the cord, making the blade go faster, pulverizing her opponent.
Brotherly Love (Combo Skill with Agni): Agni fights enemies while protecting Claire from their attacks. However, that ends up angering her a little even though she does nothing. In the moment Agni is hit by an enemy, Claire goes at them fully enraged, creating a massacre in the field. Upon getting up, Agni joins her as they finish the rest of the enemies together.
Cute Terror (Combo Skill with Usalia): Claire and Usalia, against their control, end up charming their enemies with cuteness. Taking the advantage, Claire engages them in battle while Usalia follows suit a little bit later. They finish by doing the cutest poses they can make.
Overload Skill: Die for Me! (Deals massive damage to all enemies, automatically kills enemies with less than 10% of HP. The automatic kill will not happen in a boss.)
Karon
Title: Death n° XIII
Class: Humanoid
Evility: Dashing Charm (Increases damage caused against female units by 20%)
Spells: Giga Level Fire, Ice
Unique Skills:
Deceitful Queen's Deluge: stays in counter position. Once he receives a hit, Karon entangles his enemy with a card whip and drowns them into a massive wave.
Blighted King's Flare: stays in counter position. Once he receives a hit, Karon surround his enemy with cards and explodes all of them.
Jack of All Lusts: goes into counter position. Once he receives a hit, Karon awakens his Death Spirit and locks enemies into a magic field. He starts to drop fire balls at them and finishes enemies with a massive chain of explosions.
Overload Skill: Love's Vagrant (Reduces all damage caused by 30% for 2 turns.)