Chapter 25: Descent
"Time to take responsibility for the games that you misplay
"You believe in immortality, and we believe in judgment day"
-'Welcome to Hell' by Mono Inc.
Rouxls sat at his desk, scribbling down a multitude of notes. Helsing's coup had left the dark world in a state of disarray, and with Lancer restored to his rightful position of power, the time had come to restore order. Rouxls had taken it upon himself to draft an itinerary geared toward accomplishing that task.
Though Helsing had left a multitude of problems in his wake, efforts to rectify them were already well underway. Much of the blight left by his failed dark fountains had been cleansed. The army of defectors served as an effective replacement for the army Helsing had slaughtered during his takeover. Lancer was hard at work quelling civil unrest.
Rouxls almost had to remind himself that Helsing's assault on the light world was still ongoing. With all of his hard work – likely having come from years of meticulous planning – being so thoroughly undone, Helsing himself almost seemed like an impotent threat. For the first time since the beginning of his conquest, he seemed beatable.
'And it only costeth the life of a legendary hero,' Rouxls sighed. It was cold comfort, but at least it seemed like Kris' sacrifice would not be in vain.
"Rouxls, sir," a soldier entered the room. "I have a situation report from the light world."
"Ah, excellent," Rouxls set his pen aside. "Has that loathsome parasite Helsing been vanquished?"
"Not quite, but he's running scared. His ranks have been broken, and he's all that's left. We're working with the Delta Warriors to hunt him down as we speak."
"Truly? Helsing himself is all that remaineth?"
"Yes, sir. In fact, that's the main reason I came to you. We'll be going after him any moment now, and I'd like to request reinforcements."
Rouxls raised an eyebrow. "Have thou suffered casualties?"
"No, but I don't think we can afford to underestimate an enemy like Helsing. We should meet him with the full strength of our forces and crush him with overwhelming force, just like he did when he took over."
"Ah, poetic justice at its finest!" Rouxls stood and struck a dramatic pose. "Worry not! I shalt do far more than granteth thine reinforcements. I shalt accompany thou mineself!"
"I think I'd rather just have a team of soldiers. No offense, sir, but you don't seem like the type for direct combat."
"Clearly, thou overlooked my actions during the retaking of the castle. I assureth thou, I am quite capable in battle. Especially so against a singular opponent."
The soldier didn't seem convinced, but he nodded nonetheless. "If you insist. We should head out soon, though. They probably won't wait for us back in the light world."
"Of course. Thou mayst draft a team. I shalt join you shortly. I must haveth a word with King Lancer before we depart."
"Yes, sir. We'll wait for you outside the gate."
The soldier left the room. Rouxls let out a sigh and walked to the elevator, ascending to the throne room. He hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.
"Lancer," he announced his presence, giving a respectful bow.
"Oh, hey, Dad," Lancer smiled. "How's everything going?"
"Quite well, actually! We art effectively undoing everything that dastardly Helsing hath done to our world. Our troops hath broken his ranks and sent him cowering into the dark! 'Tis only a matter of time before we defeateth him for good."
"Hey, that's great news! Once we stop him, everything can go back to normal."
"Verily. For that very reason, I shalt depart for the light world to assist in defeating Helsing once and for all."
"Wait, what?" Lancer's demeaner suddenly became more serious. "You're going after him yourself?"
"Well, I be accompanying a team. The heroes art likely already doing battle, so we shalt be there to aideth them."
Lancer jumped up from his throne. "Dad, he's dangerous! He could kill you!"
Rouxls frowned. "I understandeth thine concern, but I will be okay. I am quite rather effective in battle, if I do sayeth so mineself. Combined with the might of our troops and the heroes, the odds art heavily stacked in our favor."
"I know, but…" Lancer's gaze fell to the floor. "Kris was a good friend, and that guy killed him. I don't want him to kill you too."
Rouxls said nothing. He knelt down to Lancer's height and pulled him into a hug. They shared an embrace for a moment, until Rouxls eventually pulled back.
"You haveth my word, I will not die by Helsing's hand," he said. "It would take a greater man than he to slayeth your father."
Lancer nodded. "Please be careful, though. Oh, and tell Helsing I called him a jerk."
"With pleasure."
With that, Rouxls turned to leave.
Meanwhile…
The dark fountain loomed overhead, cutting through the skies of the light world. A maelstrom of purple and dark blue dominated the oppressive blackness of the sky. Were it not for the corruption it represented, it could almost be considered a beautiful sight.
"Ralsei," Frisk said, gesturing to the fountain, "how long do you think we have before all that becomes irreversible?"
Ralsei analyzed the fountain's influence for a moment. "It's starting to get pretty bad. We have to stop Helsing tonight, or the world will go dark."
Frisk nodded gravely. She found it impressive that Helsing still managed to threaten the entire light world, even by himself. She glanced back at the small defector squad that accompanied them, silently hoping that they would be enough to turn the tide in their favor.
They came to a halt when they reached the fountain itself. It was in the middle of a clearing in the woods, completely unguarded. Helsing was nowhere to be seen.
One of the soldiers briefly looked it over. "You're not gonna be able to seal it from here. It's coming up from under the ground."
"Dark fountains can do that?" Susie questioned.
"Yep. That probably means Helsing's hiding out underground too. Anyone know how we might get down there?"
"I think I might know." Asriel gestured for them to follow him, and they obliged. He led them further into the woods, where they came across a mound of dirt that housed a pair of rusty metal doors.
"Ah, this place," Noelle said.
"You've been here before?" one of the soldiers asked.
"It's always been here, but no one's opened the doors in years. I guess now we'll finally get to see what's inside."
Asriel chuckled flatly. "You know, Kris used to joke about there being an eldritch demon in there. Helsing's probably down there, so I guess he's sort of right."
Susie hoisted her halberd over her shoulder. "Well, we already killed one demon, so let's go bag us another."
She kicked the doors. They didn't budge. Muttering angrily to herself, she pulled the doors open to reveal a nondescript underground bunker. The walls and floor were weathered concrete, and a series of flickering fluorescent lights provided faint illumination.
The group descended into the bunker.
Ralsei glanced at his surroundings. "What is all this?"
"Looks like something from the Cold War," Susie remarked. "Kinda creepy."
Everyone cautiously moved forward. The bunker was surprisingly large and sprawling, with several neglected side rooms lining the hallway. Everyone stuck close to each other, keeping their weapons at the ready.
As they walked, Frisk reached for Asriel's hand. "Asriel, just in case something happens to one of us, I want to thank you for bringing me to Hometown. I love you."
He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you too."
Susie noticed the gesture and took Noelle's hand. They exchanged glances, smiling at each other.
Eventually, the group came to a halt outside a large, open room. There, Helsing sat on the floor before the dark fountain, which cast the room in an ominous bluish light. He seemed enthralled by the fountain's twisted majesty, unaware of the group's presence.
"There he is," Ralsei said. "Is everyone ready?"
There came a chorus of affirmation.
"Then let's finish this."
With their weapons readied, they stepped into the room. Helsing lifted his head slightly as they approached.
"I was wondering when you would show up," he said plainly.
"Well, we're here." Susie met his gaze. "I hope you're ready to get your ass kicked again."
He scoffed. "You… all of you have ruined everything. Everything I've worked for, everything I've dedicated my life to, undone in a single day."
He stood and drew his scythe. "Still, if you were hoping that I would surrender without a fight, you're gravely mistaken. I won't accept defeat. I'll carry out my conquest by myself if I have to, but I won't fade quietly."
He turned to face them, his eyes shining with malice. He shambled forth, dragging his weapon along the floor, before stopping in the center of the room and straightening his posture.
"Dude, what happened to your hand?" Susie pointed out the cluster of spindly tendrils that had replaced the hand she sliced off. They writhed unnervingly as they coiled around the snath of his scythe.
Helsing smirked. "Even you couldn't take away my gift. By the grace of the dark, I am blessed.
"And by the grace of the dark, you will die."