(Carmine)
Maybe it was the loud noises or the fact that she has to socialize with people and not stay alone in a corner somewhere, but Carmine never truly enjoyed staying in the guild and loved being on the hunt for more and more missions, gathering more Jewels for herself.
She had an… admittedly strange fascination with any kind of currency, whether it's cash, gold, or jewelry. She loved seeing it pile up in her secret room in the house she bought a few years ago. Carmine wasn't quite sure why, but she remembered her mother saying that Dragons love wealth.
And Carmine is half-dragon, so maybe she has the same urges. Well, she does get angry a lot, and that too was a dragon trait, but she's trying her hardest to crush that habit. "Rage is a weapon, so you must control it. What warrior worth their salt if they can't get a handle on their temper?" is what her mother used to say.
It's very difficult though. She can't help but get mad when someone damages her outfit or weapon – it happens so fast for the girl. One minute she's fine, and the next moment she's seeing red.
She released a small sigh as her crimson eyes gazed at the outside, the – almost – silent train ride putting her mind to ease. She really does love a quiet atmosphere, even if her current companion is making her slightly uncomfortable.
Carmine glanced at the opposite side of the table, grimacing slightly as Gajeel held his stomach in agony. She didn't know why he followed after her when the guild decided to throw a party – Gajeel loved parties, which is why it threw her off a bit when he came along – but she's honestly not thrilled to have a teammate on a mission like this.
It's not even an S-Class. Just a regular nest of Forktails terrorizing a nearby town west of Magnolia. She's capable of dealing a hundred Forktails without breaking a sweat, so this shouldn't give her much trouble. Gajeel didn't have to bother her, right?
Not to mention; why is he in so much pain? Did he eat something bad or what? It's a bit concerning how much he eats, even more than her somehow, so he should be able to handle any food, right?
And he's trying so hard to hide it for whatever reason. Why is he smiling – well, trying to smile anyway – at her? It's like he wants to show her that nothing's wrong when it's pretty darn obvious that he's in pain.
"Um…" Carmine muttered with a soft voice. "A-are you… okay?"
"I-I'm fine!" He tried to assure her. "T-there's nothing wrong with me- hrkk!"
"You don't look fine to me." She said, her voice as quiet as her demeanor. "M-maybe you should drop off at the next stop? You look a little ill."
"I-I'm not… Ill…" Gajeel took a deep breath. "I-it's just… well…"
Carmine remained quiet, waiting for him to relax and continue his sentence. He took a while, almost doubling over in pain as he grunted and groaned with a sickly green face, but the dragon hybrid waited patiently regardless.
A few minutes later, the Dragon Slayer finally got it together, releasing a deep sigh. "W-we Dragon Slayers… have a weakness…"
"...A-a weakness?" She parroted.
What kind of weakness would they suffer in a train? Is there something exclusive about trains that turn Dragon Slayers into… that? Is it related to the Mana- er, Ethernano in the air? Something about lacking a sufficient amount to function?
Trains are usually crowded, so a lot of mages absorb the Ethernano inside, and this would mean the lack of it might be effective against Dragon Slayers somehow. From what Carmine observed, they're extremely sensitive to magic, almost as much as her even.
While Carmine never truly relied on absorbing the Mana-like energy particles considering her vast reserves and equally impressive regeneration, she can admit that using Ethernano is quite useful. She's never been skilled in forcefully absorbing the particles, but she could say that it saved her life more than on one occasion.
She's been quite shocked to see that this world uses a very similar system of magic, yet different in some ways. Magic Containers instead of Magic Cores, two different kinds of magic – being Caster and Holder - as opposed to one, and this one relied on emotions rather than skill and reserves.
True, her magic does increase when she's angry, but her mother always said that magical strength lies in control, skill, and experience. You can have all the mana in the world, but without control, it means nothing. You can waste fifty percent of your mana to destroy a large building, but with enough skill, you'll be able to do so with only a mere one percent instead.
Carmine's grimace transformed into a small smile. As expected from her mother. Incredibly wise and intelligent.
"It's b-because…" Gajeel grunted. "...Well…"
Ah, right. Carmine frowned in worry. He's still in pain.
...Maybe a little healing spell would help him? She's not sure how her magic would affect the denizens of this world when used as support, but she's not all that worried. If Ethernano didn't hurt her, Mana shouldn't hurt them, right?
"Y-yes?" Carmine leaned closer. "What's the issue? Maybe I can help?"
"W-we can't handle transportation."
She stiffened.
"P-pardon?"
"D-Dragon Slayers suffer from motion sickness."
...W-what? Why? How? What does transportation- what does motion sickness have to do with anything?!
There's nothing magical about motion sickness, nothing note-worthy about transportation that can cause such reaction. And why does it affect Dragon Slayers especially? Why not every damned mage in this gods forsaken world?!
"T-that's…"
So stupid! Carmine thought, barely stopping herself from saying it out loud. Why? I-I don't get it?
She refrained from voicing her thoughts, her lips thinning as she bit down a snarky response. Gajeel's reply threw her for a loop. Such a stupid and illogical answer was not something Carmine expected. She knew Gajeel wasn't the… brightest individual around, but she wanted an answer that wasn't this…
She giggled quietly to herself, hoping that no one heard her.
Hilariously stupid.
"W-what's so funny?!" Gajeel scowled.
"N-nothing." She shook her head, clearing her throat as a neutral expression took over. She extended her arm towards the agonized Dragon Slayer. "Give me your hand."
Gajeel blinked a few times in confusion, but listened and did as he was told. Carmine hesitantly grabbed his hand, his own significantly bigger than hers, then forced a small amount of Light Magic to him. The very first spell she was taught in this element: Healing Hand. An apprentice level Light Magic spell that healed non-fatal wounds almost instantly.
The golden light emitted from her hand quickly transferred to Gajeel, and not even a few seconds later, his grimace disappeared from his face as he looked in awe. Carmine quickly hid her arm under the table separating them again, still not very comfortable with the touch of someone she doesn't quite trust yet.
"H-how do you feel?" She questioned.
"...Better." He grinned. "A lot better! What kind of magic was that?"
"A-ah, well…" Carmine looked away from him. "...Light Magic."
Gajeel paused for a few seconds. "Light Magic has healing spells?"
"Yes…?" She raised a brow. "Isn't that how it works?"
"What? Naw, Light Magic and Healin' Magic are different." He leaned back, crossing his arms. "Hell, I'm pretty sure Healin' Magic is a lost art. You're turnin' out to be one hell of a prize, Bullet!"
"A-ah…" She tightly clenched her fist, internally scolding herself for showing something so valuable in this world. "Thanks…"
Lost Magic is a very valuable form of magic; basically being quite literally lost in history, so Light Magic, or Healing Magic, in this case, should be sought after, and she just revealed it to someone. Her mother would reprimand her for doing something so careless.
Lost, Ancient, and Forbidden Magics are incredibly rare forms of Magic, especially the latter of the three, and in this world, Destruction Magic is one of the most powerful forbidden arts, so Carmine showing it to Fiore years earlier made people target her.
She's admittedly thankful that she joined a guild – a wild mage being hunted down is something that happens every other day and nobody really bats an eye, and Fiore, while most likely gonna show concern at her disappearing, won't go to war for her sake, but now that she's a registered mage in one of the most prestigious guilds in the world, no one would dare to attack her in any way.
Of course, that didn't stop them from trying to steal her sniper rifle.
They were taken care of though. She made sure to give them a taste of this Destruction Magic they're lusting after, and she's not worried if people find a corpse or whatever.
Who could recognize something that doesn't exist anymore?
Carmine does refrain from using Destruction Magic for multiple reasons. One: Hoping that people would leave her alone and forget about it. Two: A lot of quests require the target to be alive, and using Destruction Magic is very counterproductive in doing that. And three: Destruction Magic is… dangerous, even for her. Her mother always warned her and her brother about the danger of using such a powerful form of magic, one that can annihilate solar systems once the user was skilled enough, and like any child, she took it to heart.
She wasn't sure about her bro, though. He kept using it everywhere while screaming "DESTROY!" regardless of the warnings.
Carmine smiled at the memory. She could barely remember much about her childhood, but there were certain unforgettable moments in her life. Like every lesson her mother gave her for example.
She's proud of her strong memory.
A flash from the past where everything disappeared made her breath hitch, but she quickly shook it off and calmed down before her companion noticed.
...Kinda proud of it.
"We're arriving at Eirth Town." The train speakers stated. "Please check you have all your belongings with you before dropping off."
"That the town, ain't it?" Gajeel asked. "Where your quest at?"
Carmine merely nodded, standing up as she took her sniper and strapped it on her back. The train finally stopped, prompting the two to exit it. The Iron Dragon Slayer followed after the Dragon Hybrid as she lead the way to the town hall.
"What's the quest about anyway?" Her guildmate questioned.
"A pack of Forktails terrorizing the town."
"That's it?"
"T-that was the only mission with decent pay." She answered. "There weren't any S or SS class missions."
"Could've taken a Year Quest." He said, his tone changing to a bored one.
"The Guild Master forbade me from taking them."
"SSS Class?"
"Those too." She said. "SS is the highest I can take without a team."
"Tsk, damned old man." Gajeel sneered, then sighed deeply. "Ahhh if I knew this was the quest you took I would've stayed at the guild."
"You can still go back?" She offered.
I would prefer it if you did. And thought, but kept it to herself.
"Nah, already made it this far." He shrugged. "Might as well see it to the end."
Carmine sighed and brought her hood up, quickening her pace to the town hall. She really hoped she'd be done with this quest as fast as she could and go back home.
You have wings, Carmine. She thought bitterly. Why didn't you just fly instead of taking the train...
Something tells her that this is gonna be a long quest.
(Akane)
Name: Akane 'Lucifer' Amamiya
Title: D̸͖̮͒͂͊3̷̹̃́̍^̸̗̃͠0̴̲̰͕́̐̂Ù̸͓̲̯͆̑%̴̱̈́͛̈́Ë̶̹̰̲́̑̈?̸̺̮̾
Age: 32
Race: Lesser Dark Devil
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Level: 45
HP: 15,000 [Regens 100 per minute]
MP: 12,000 [Regens 100 per minute]
SP: 12,500 [Regens 100 per minute]
DDMP: 0/20,000
STR: 189
VIT: 146
DEX: 217
INT: 252
WIS: 283
CHA: 5000
LUK: 250
Points: 00
"Hahhh…." I let out a deep, weary sigh as I gaze at my stats. "This is so pathetic…"
Are you done… grieving?
"Mhm…" I respond absentmindedly. "I don't think I can shed any more tears."
I assume you have a lot of questions.
...Not really. I still remember everything. Well, almost everything. There are a few chunks missing – mostly regarding spells and skills I had – but I still remember important things. I'm guessing this is part of the reason why every spell skill I have is gone for whatever reason.
Still have some of my Mastery skills and all that, and others are all corrupted and stuff. Letters and words keep changing rapidly so I can't exactly tell what they are.
Some perks were saved, new ones were created, but most are gone, and I gained a new trait. So not only I wasted ten years of my life, saw my family and empire erased from existence, and then thrown into another universe with all my stats not even a percentage of what they were used to be, but I also gained a very dangerous weakness.
"Heh…" I chuckle mirthlessly.
What a sick joke.
-[Fractured Soul] - Trait
Your soul has been damaged severely, weakening you and making you horrifically susceptible to soul-based attacks.
MP, SP, and HP regen are massively reduced
MP and SP cost for all skills and spells is massively increased
Stat gain is massively reduced
All skills are far harder to learn and master
Using soul-magic has a great chance of instantly killing you
Soul Damage resistance is insanely reduced
Running low on MP is dangerous, greatly impairing all your stats. If your MP hits 0, you have a great chance of losing consciousness, and a slight chance of dying.
-[Sin of Wrath: Cold Fury] – Trait
You do not forgive anyone who wrongs you, and you will be unhealthily obsessed with revenge. You will do anything in your power to utterly annihilate your enemies, physically, socially, emotionally and mentally.
Slightly easier to control, but far more detrimental to your mental health.
-[Lesser Gamer's Mind] - Perk
A weaker variant of Gamer's Mind, making you resistant to mental attacks, but not fully immune.
You are more likely to be calm in heated situations, but you can still panic and be confused.
-[Lesser Gamer's Body] - Perk
A weaker variant of Gamer's Body, making you more durable than normal. You're not immune to bleeding, and you'll need to sleep, eat, and drink to survive. Severe wounds will stop HP Regen. Must bandage or magically heal them to start healing once again.
Sleeping comfortably will only restore the maximum of 10% of your HP/MP/SP, and you will not gain any other benefits. You'll only be able to sleep once every 12 hours. Food benefits are lowered greatly.
-[Lesser Observe] – Skill
A weaker variant of Observe, a vision-based skill that'll give an idea of how powerful the target is.
Can easily be sensed by magically attuned targets.
After all the work I did, this happens. Millions of stats reduced to mere hundreds – thousands of perks and skills reduced to a handful. I know what I'm supposed to be feeling: Hate and anger definitely, but all that crying just made me…
Feel nothing.
Guess my powers really mean nothing when compared to those three.
But now both my powers and family are gone, so what the hell am I supposed to do now? Keep on living? With so many handicaps stacked against me like this? Not to mention this whole…
I look at my right arm, sighing deeply. It isn't normal; it turned into my Dark Devil variant while the rest of my body is human. Black and gray scale-like arm with glowing purple veins reaching up to my elbow, my nails becoming sharp claws that can most likely cut through steel like its nothing.
"Hehe…" I giggle. "And I thought Nero's arm was edgy..."
Guess this is some sort of a weapon you left me with? I can still use magic, but I won't say no to this.
You held on to a dangerous amount of Dark Mana, and I could not expel all of it out of you, so I merely redirected some to your arm instead.
Had you killed the mage you were fighting against, you would've turned into a fine red mist.
And if Gamer's Body wasn't weakened like it is now, then I probably would've been able to handle it, but thinking of hypothetical scenarios is draining, so just tell me what this can do.
These claws are deeply imbued with your devour ability. You'll be able to absorb any form of magic with it.
Which in turn makes me stronger?
Not quite. It'll only fill up your DDMP meter.
Ah yes, the DDMP meter. What is it exactly?
Stands for Dark Devil Magic Points. Once filled, you'll be able to take on your Devil form for a short period of time, making you temporarily more powerful and invulnerable to anything short of soul damage. However, being damaged will reduce the time you have for the form, so please be careful.
Hoh, that's new. Before this… happened, I was able to transform at will, but I never had the invulnerability benefit. My forms were incredibly powerful though, so I think this is a… bit of fair trade.
Please keep in mind that you must use the form when the meter fills up. If it exceeds the limit, you'll be forced to take on that monstrous form again, going berserk in the process.
You warning me means that it's more detrimental than beneficial. Fine, I'll keep an eye out. Any other surprises, or can I go back to being miserable and depressed again?
…
...So ten years, huh?
I've been going berserk for a decade. That's so long, yet I still remember that incident like it happened yesterday.
Dealing with intergalactic empires, invaders, rebellions, and all that was tiring and monotonous. I wanted a breath of fresh air, so I took two weeks off and let my assistants and advisors handle the Empire work as I took my kids on a picnic.
Everything was going so well. They looked happy as if they're having the time of their lives. I was content with just watching them too – I never wanted anything other than keeping them safe, but to do that, I needed to be powerful.
I've never been a good person- no, that's an understatement. I was evil, I relished in the suffering of others, I enjoyed crushing anyone who opposed me, no matter who they are. I've forced multiple races to go extinct – annihilated an entire world without any remorse. Children, elderly, men, women – it didn't matter.
I killed and destroyed to become strong. I saw anything that wasn't an extension of my empire as free EXP, free stats and skills, free perks, and unique racial powers. I didn't care who or what I annihilated as long as I became strong because of it.
And to this day, even when I lost everything, I regret nothing. I'll do it all over again with a smile on my face.
Nothing mattered other than me, my family, and my empire.
It was just a normal day, but then he arrived. I don't know how, nor do I know why, but in less than even a second, I saw my family vanish, and in the next instant, everything else was erased. My head went blank at the time. There was nothing I wanted to do more than rip him apart limb by limb and hang him with his own intestines.
But I was weak. Way too weak. Even with the power to obliterate entire galaxies with ease at my beck and call, I couldn't do anything to stop that thing.
"Really pathetic…" I sigh again. "From an almighty goddess to this…"
I-I apologize. I should've predicted his arrival, but I did not expect him to do it so fast. He was preoccupied with the parallel version of you for years- I never expected-
That's enough.
…
This whole… thing that had happened. Was it your fault? Maybe, but the fault equally lies on me as well. I spent years on useless politics instead of striving to become powerful. I got lazy, satisfied with what I had, and completely abandoned what I've always believed in.
My family… I don't regret having them- I never did. I loved them more than anything in the multiverse, and if I could, I'd bring them back from the dead even if it means losing whatever power I still hold.
But they made me soft. My husband hated senseless bloodshed, so I've always taken the diplomatic approach for his sake, instead of crushing whatever kingdom or empire that opposed me. It worked most of the time, but going on a one-woman rampage would've been the faster solution, and it would've powered me up as an individual.
I still destroyed other empires, but not as much as I should've. It merely became the second option.
I did not want my children to inherent my temper and greed, because we've both seen how many times they almost killed me. I made sure to waste many days playing with them or caring for them when I could've spent my time in a dungeon.
It was a slow descent, but I still remember a question I've asked myself. Was it really bad if I took a few days off? Said days would turn into weeks, and then into months, until I finally just… didn't care about conquest as much as I once did.
I lost my ambition, the very thing that I always believed in. The very thing that made me move forward. The very thing that made me win my battles. The very thing that made me complete impossible challenges.
The very thing that made me Akane Amamiya.
I still wish to wring the neck of the one that killed them. To rip him apart limb by limb before freezing his veins and shoving his spine far up his rectum until he starts to choke on it, but there is no doubt that my family made me lazy. Made me weak.
...What would you do if you see them again?
I giggle quietly.
What do you think? I'll still care for them and grant their every wish, no matter how impossible it is.
But make no mistake. I will not lose my sight anymore.
So they'll have to unfortunately wait until I'm fully done crushing the Admin's skull beneath my boot. Not like they're actually alive, so I can do that without worrying about their demands.
I frown sadly before shaking my head.
...I think I'm gonna start looking at my perks now. Maybe they'll cheer me up.
Doubt it, but what do I have to lose?
-[Fallen From Grace] – Perk
Once divine and mighty, beautiful and powerful, loved and feared, a Goddess in flesh and soul, but now fallen back to weak and humiliating mortality. Thankfully, you've still retained your divine blood and some of your divine abilities
Access to Divine Magic, a far more powerful yet costly version of Magic.
EXP gain is moderately increased
HP, SP, and MP are tremendously increased.
All forms of damage are greatly increased
Access to "Godform", giving you the ability to temporarily retain the peak of your Divine Power. Can only be accessed under extreme emotional distress
-[Divine Aura] – Perk
Your presence is that of a God's, powerful and intimidating to your enemies yet warm and calming to your friends, but demands respect from everyone around you all the same.
All allies will gain a slight boost in stats when in your presence, while enemies will have theirs reduced
Divine Entities will recognize this Aura and will act according to their personality and alignment.
Gaining followers and worshipers is massively easier.
-[Majesty of the Arctic] – Perk
Your knowledge, skill, and experience in Ice Magic is unmatched – able to bend any form of ice to your will. Divine, Demonic, Draconic, Cosmic or Primordial, Ice belongs to you and will be under your commands no matter what.
Complete immunity to any form of Ice Damage, and any ice attack that hits you will restore some of your HP, MP, and SP instead of damaging you.
As you are the lady of everything cold, you're able to control any kind of ice crystal as well as snow in your vicinity, and all ice damage is increased tremendously.
The colder the weather is, the stronger you become, and all your stats will increase greatly when it's winter.
...They're adequate, I suppose. I was used to overly powerful perks, so maybe that's why I'm not really impressed much. I'll make do with those three.
The whole 'greatly' and 'massively' remarks are quite vague though. Annoying, but nothing too bad.
What about my skills…
-[Mana Control: Legendary] – Mastery Skill
Magic. The energy that existed before the multiverse's birth, eons and eons ago when hundreds of gods wielded it to mold and create life and death. Granted to most living beings, and while some might use it differently than others, it is magic all the same.
Your skill in controlling your magic flow is only spoken of in legends. Only a few could reach such a level, and you're one of them.
-[Ice Magic Control: Mythical] – Mastery Skill
Ice Magic, while one of the most common elements out there in the multiverse, is no doubt a very powerful one. Control and manipulation over sharp and deadly weaponry made of ice, freezing the target's skin, blood, and flesh, or forming thick of walls to protect you, this element is the perfect balance between offense and defense.
You are peerless in the use of Ice Magic. With skill anyone would be in awe at, Ice Magic comes even more naturally than breathing.
-[Illusion Magic Control: Master] – Mastery Skill
The power to trick the mind and five senses is quite a difficult branch of magic to master, and especially powerful illusionists are fairly rare. Wield magic that can manipulate the target mentally, either forcing them to see images that do not exist, heightening up their emotions, or even outright controlling their minds.
You've mastered the Arts of Illusions, a feat not many could achieve. The minds of others are mere toys for you to manipulate as you see fit.
-[Martial Arts Proficiency: Master] – Mastery Skill
When weapons and magic fail, all you have to rely on are your fists. Essential skills for soldiers and nobles alike, Martial Arts have thousands of forms and techniques that are passed down with each and every generation.
You're incredibly proficient in Kossetsu, or Bone Break. Kossetsu is a sadistic form of Martial arts developed by two masters that mix Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Capoeira, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and dirty Street Fighting. Such arts mostly consist of lethal and deadly kicks that focus on pressure points, dealing intense and agonizing pain.
-[True Engineering Proficiency: Legendary] – Mastery Skill
One of the most important aspects of human evolution, engineering is a very versatile skill that requires natural resources. From mere technological vehicles to energy generators to destructive weapons, this skill is useful to any scientist.
Not only your skill rival that of Tony Stark, but you're also incredibly knowledgeable in Cyber, Magical and Genetic Engineering. The creation of Biological, Magical, and Technological weapons is at your fingertips.
-[Devour -1] – Legendary Skill
Your enemies are mere grubs and feasts to you, for every opponent you slaughter, you'll absorb a small part of their power.
Devour a tiny percentage of the slain foe's stats
Devour a tiny percentage of the slain foe's MP and convert it to DMP
...I'm still missing a lot of skills. Destruction Magic Mastery, Dark Magic Mastery, Thu'um, Swordsmanship Mastery, etc. Are they corrupted or deleted? Not to mention that all of these skills were Divine Rank, and not any lower. Can't see any upgrade window either.
Some are deleted, and others are corrupted. I'll be able to recover the erased skills after an unspecified period of time. If you grow stronger, the time should lessen.
Your skills are weaker because of the previous corruption. I managed to salvage them, but not at their strongest. As for the Rank-Up menu-
Right, right. More corruption. Fantastic.
What a pain in the ass.
So what should I do now? Looking at my perks and skills didn't help. Any ideas? By the way, what world is this? And where am I?
A mixed world. Akame Ga Kill, Fairy Tail, Kuroinu, and the Witcher.
You are currently in the Empire, past the borders of Veronica.
"Joy…" I mumble sarcastically, getting up on my feet. "And am I supposed to run around the wilderness butt naked? Till I find some clothes?"
I instinctively try to take out an item from my inventory, frowning when I wasn't able to. Don't tell me even my inventory is corrupted? Am I seriously gonna stay naked?
This day just keeps getting better and better…
Suddenly, a blue coat appeared in front of me, making me blink as it lands on the ground. I smile at the familiar piece of clothing, feeling the high-quality silk and magic as I grab it.
A Glittery, long, dark blue coat that slowly lightens up to lunar blue in the lower parts, with the inside of the coat being purple. A dark blue hood with white fur trim as well as white fur cuffs.
My Permafrost coat. Nowhere near the most powerful thing I've knitted, but definitely the most aesthetically pleasing. Really proud of how it turned out.
[Permafrost Coat] – Item
Weaved with the finest and magically enhanced silk, then enchanted with the ice and snow of a goddess. Seen as a mere prototype, this coat enhances the user's magical and physical resistance, and overall control over ice.
When worn, moderately increases Ice Damage and slightly decreases MP cost
Moderately increases Physical and Magical Resistance
I was able to recover this as its data wasn't severely damaged. I'll try to fix the inventory as soon as I can.
Mhm. Thank you, Game. Would've preferred it if you saved some underwear too, but this is good enough.
I wear the coat, covering my body with it as I bring up the hood. I reflexively put my hands inside the coat's pockets, my brows raising as I fish out two metallic objects. First one was a black lighter with a snowflake on it, while the other was a small, black metal case with decorative ice flowers all over it.
My personal lighter and cigarette case.
I open the case, smiling as I see ten cigarettes lined up, and without wasting any time, I take one out and light it up, a puff of smoke leaving my mouth with a sigh as I walk out of the cave, putting back the case and lighter in my pockets.
Should probably find a base or something...
What do you recommend I should do first?
Find a shelter.
"Hehe…" I chuckle. "We truly are like-minded."
Stepping out of the cave, I shield my eyes from the sudden sunlight, my face contorting into a frown. Trees surrounded the entrance, as well as a couple of muddy puddles under some trees. Looking up, I see the sun at its highest point.
"Not cold, not hot either…" I mutter. "Around 12 AM. Clear weather, but it looks like it rained recently, a few days ago at most. Spring?"
I continue my venture, analyzing the place as well as stretching my magical senses for any hostile entity. Nothing nearby, which is slightly disappointing, but I keep wandering till I find a road that could lead to a village or town.
I'd rather walk until I find a city to be honest, but I don't want to deal with Empire officials. I can easily use Illusion magic for manipulation to get what I want, but this isn't a world I fully know. Akame Ga Kill is a manga I've read fully, but this isn't just Akame Ga Kill.
The sheer amount of rules and plot that must've been changed from the world since it is mixed with three others should be enough to make it unrecognizable. Teigus could be magical artifacts instead of biological weapons for example.
And if that is the case, then what's to say that an experienced mage couldn't sense me or see through my illusions? I can easily handle a bunch of squishy guards, but with my extremely low Regeneration in all three stats, I don't want to get too arrogant.
Ironically enough, I think I have a chance of defeating Esdeath. She's still a monster even without her ice, but I can defeat her if I play my cards right. Not gonna test that theory out though. I still have many, many safer options.
Like growing an army before taking on the Empire if I want to take that route. Shouldn't be very difficult once I prepare. I already know their 'secret weapon' after all. However, I still need to keep my guard up for any unwelcome surprises.
For the time being, I think hiding low is my best bet. That Divine Aura perk is troublesome as much as it is helpful. I don't want to accidentally get the attention of Ankhseram or Gaunter O'Dimm at my current level.
If I was at my full power, I could crush them without even batting an eyelash.
I shake my head, casting an illusion spell to make my devilish arm look human. This isn't the time to be reminiscing about my former glory. Still need to find a roof to sleep under.
(Bandit)
If there was something Jeff hated, it'd be how boring scouting missions are. Sure, sometimes they hit a target like a merchant carriage or some stupid noble with even stupider guards, but most of the time?
Nothing happens.
They just hide in the forest, waiting for something or someone to cross the road, only for nothing to cross the dumb road. Jeff and his partner, Josh, have been waiting for more than two days now.
Jeff really wanted to return to their base to play with some of the women they captured right about now. Their base was especially great - a huge ruined and abandoned fortress surrounded by mountains. The Empire never made a move to reclaim it for whatever reason, so they just made themselves home.
He wasn't sure why they needed to even scout. They have enough supplies for a few dozen bandits for two months at least, but then again, his boss is an Orc. A surprisingly smart Orc, but one who still relishes in conquest or whatever Orcs like.
He also looked especially angry whenever someone asks him about what he used to be. The only thing they knew is that he was a mercenary in Eostia before coming to the Empire. He overheard him mumble about Hicks or whatever when the Orc was drunk.
Oh well, not like he cared. All he wanted are food, booze, and women.
"Hey, Jeff!" His partner approached him with a whisper. "I saw someone coming. A woman from the looks of it."
Speaking of women~
"Oh? Is she alone?" He questioned in slight anticipation. "What does she look like?"
"She's alone, yeah, but I didn't see her face. She was wearing a hooded cloak." He answered with an equally lecherous grin. "But her bod is smokin' hot man! I've never seen anything like it before. Hell, pretty sure she was naked under that cloak!"
"What is she, some kinda slut?" He chuckled.
"I dunno, but I'm about ta go have a turn." He said, pointing her way. "You can wait till I have my fun."
"Oi oi, where did this greed come from?" Jeff grinned, following after his partner. "C'mon, we can share, can't we?"
His friend chuckled at the implication. "We sure can~"
The two moved quietly and quickly, at the edge of the forest to see that, true enough, there is a girl walking down the road. A quick look showed him that she wore a very expensive-looking and beautiful blue cloak with fur trims on the hood and cuffs. She was walking barefoot, and with every tiny gust of wind, they saw small parts of her body. Nothing extreme, unfortunately – mostly her legs and thighs, but this was enough to get their gears going.
"Holy shit…" Jeff whispered. "You were not kidding."
"We haven't seen much, but it feels like we're looking at a goddess," Josh replied. "And I've seen The Goddess Reborn, Celestine, before."
"Goddess is the perfect word…"
"Fuck, I can't wait any longer." Josh said. "I'm going right now."
"Wait for me~"
Jeff followed after his partner, who then blocked the road for the woman. She stopped, her face still hidden by her hood, but there was a white stick that emitted in her mouth, Something similar to a pipe from the looks of it, but neither of them cared about that.
"Hey there, babe," Josh said, unsheathing his sword. "Looks like you're all alone here… and you know how dangerous that is, right?"
"Oh, I'm well aware." Her voice was melancholic yet mature, making the two pause for a second. It belonged to an older woman it seems. "Now how can I help you, gentlemen?"
Suddenly, Jeff doesn't feel very confident anymore. Something was off about this woman, very off. Her sheer confidence and behavior threw him for a loop – why is she so calm? It was very obvious what's happening right now. Most women would shake and beg them to be spared, but this?
Jeff felt like a prey looking at his predator right in the eyes.
Josh also felt the same from the looks of it, his expression and posture becoming tense. He grinned through it, showing bravado to scare the woman somehow.
"You can help us by taking off that cloak right now." He said, pointing at her with his weapon. "Need a good look at our new toy~"
She chuckled suddenly, throwing the white stick that was in her mouth away. "Very well."
That made the two freeze for a second. What? Jeff was ready for a fight or something, never really expecting her to listen. Maybe they did scare her and she was just playing brave?
He resisted a sigh of relief. Maybe he was overthinking. There's no way that this woman is an actual goddess, right? What would a goddess do here anyway?
Jeff's eyes widened.
Wait.
...Goddess? Why did he think that she was a-
The moment she lowered her hood, he realized why he thought that way.
Never in his 32 years had he seen something so perfect. Something so beautiful and flawless. No matter how beautiful or handsome a person is, there must be some sort of limit, right? This goddess never thought as much it seems.
Flowing and silky hair as black as charcoal hiding her left eye as the other one glowed crimson, and what was supposed to be a black pupil was instead icy blue. Her calm smile made the two back away a bit, in sheer awe and amazement at how gorgeous the woman was.
He could not look away. Something about her- something in his mind demanded him to kneel and worship her, yet another part screamed at him to run. To escape this monster that is calmly smiling at him, and he was torn.
She truly looked like a goddess, and the presence he's currently aware of told as much too, but at the same time, it felt as if she was the complete opposite of a goddess. Something horrifying.
As if she was-
"Hm?" She tilted her head in an adorable manner, making him flinch. "Is everything alright? You look a bit… surprised."
The way she said this told the two that she was very aware of their thoughts. The smirk on her face only reinforced the idea.
She took a step forward, prompting the two to take a step backward. "I've not scared you, have I? I hope not. I do need a little assistance if that is possible, but I'm sure fine gentlemen such as yourselves will be more than glad to help me."
And Jeff is now aware of the venomous sarcasm in the tone of her voice. This wasn't a question, this was an order, and refusing will mean a fate worse than death.
This woman is not normal.
"A-assistance?" Jeff repeated.
"Indeed." She smiled, stepping towards him. "See, after an unfortunate incident, I was forced to look for a shelter, and I was hoping you two would help me find one. I'm sure an abandoned fortress would be very good."
H-how did she-!?
"Oh, I know everything, Jeff." She grinned menacingly with a murderous glint in her eyes, making him fall on his ass. She knelt down to his eye level, asking a simple question. "So what will it be?"
The roar of his partner caught him off guard. Josh ran towards her with his sword, aiming to cut her in half, but in a single movement that both were too slow to see, the woman had her right arm straight through Josh's chest.
Jeff stared in horror as the monster pulled her arm out, a beating heart in her hand. A mere moment later, she tightened her grip, blood gushing out from the heart as she crushed it. She threw it away, looking at him with the same calm smile she had at the start.
"Apologies. You didn't have to see something so graphic." She said with a sigh, obviously lying. "Now where were we?"
"I-I-I get it! I-I'll do whatever you say!" He said quickly. "Just please don't hurt me!"
"I would never do something like that." She giggled sweetly. "Now, please… Lead the way."
The only thing he could do now is obeying her words. The purple glow coming from the eye hidden behind her hair made him realize just how fucked he really was.
This was no human, monster, or goddess.
This was The Devil.
(Akane)
I love intimidating weak mobs. No matter how childish it is or how old I am, I just love seeing them afraid by doing little to no effort. Merely gazing into those morons' minds told me what I wanted to know, then I just let my natural looks and charisma do the work for me.
Then killed his little buddy to scare him a bit because that was too funny to pass up.
I could've done way worse, but there's no need. Doing minimal effort will get me the same outcome anyway.
But an abandoned fortress inhabited by simple bandits? I'm quite lucky to have found this so fast. I'll use that place as a temporary base of operations, get hold of the bandits as a leader, then work my way up from there by gathering more recruits, resources, and all that stuff.
I can gather metals from the surrounding mountains, which then I can use for my engineering. Raiding will be a way for me to get more stats and levels, as well as the spoils and loots from the villages.
However, too much raiding will attract the attention of the Empire or Night Raid, and I can't afford to deal with them at my current level now. I need to space out the raids and focus on gathering resources, find a new backup base, get stronger, then I can maybe fight them off.
Breaking an assassin from Night Raid to serve me shouldn't be too difficult.
"T-this is the place, miss." The bandit gulped in fear. "P-please follow me."
I've already seen what it looked like from reading this Jeff's mind, but it's a sizable fortress surrounded by a lake. The stone bridge leading to it was broken, but they made a wooden bridge as a replacement. The fortress itself was made of stone, with a huge entrance as well as a yard out in the front.
Walls built from logs made by the bandits surrounded the yard and entrance, with two wooden watchtowers and a wooden gate. Behind the wooden walls lies a camp, mostly to guard the outside.
It was a simple camp, but the positioning is smart.
Smart for an Orc at least. Can't tell much about the leader from the memories of those two.
As I was lead inside, I hear a wolf whistle nearby. "Woah, Jeff! Where did you get this hottie? Aren't you gonna share?"
He stops, and for a split second, I can feel his confidence returning, making me frown slightly. Better stop this stupid idea of rebelling. I don't want to waste pawns.
"To your leader, before I turn you into a bloody smear across the wall," I say calmly.
His confidence gets completely crushed by the intense fear that spiked up, a strangled noise leaving his throat. He quickly walks- more like jogs at this point, ignoring his fellow bandits as I follow him into the fortress.
We passed by a bandit or two, rarely seeing a girl here and there, but it didn't take long to finally reach the leader's bed chambers.
He knocks on the door. "B-boss? Someone wants to see you."
I can hear a growl from the inside with my enhanced hearing, and it didn't take long for the door to open, and there stood the leader of the bandits wearing full leather armor. Very reminiscent of WoW Orc, with green skin, braided black beard, fangs, and war tattoo on his face.
His eyes widened slightly as he saw me, and with one subtle spell, I read his memories. Knowing his history, weaknesses, and goals, I resist a dark smirk from taking over my face. Not a dick-for-brains Orc that only wants sex – he's one of the honorable ones instead, a Tribal Orc.
This ironically makes him easier to control, especially with his goal of slaughtering someone who ruined his life.
"Who…" He blinks, regaining his cool. "Who are you?"
"Your chance at revenge," I answer.
He freezes, his eyes widening before narrowing. He glances at Jeff and nods at him to leave, which he did almost immediately.
Name: Thork Stonewolf
Age: 62
Level: 21
Power: C
Speed: D
Intelligence: C
Magical Power: F
Growth Potential: D
Danger Level: D
Vague. Very Vague.
I don't like it.
"Who are you?" He asks gruffly. "A seer? Mage?"
"You could say I'm both of these things, yes."
"What do you want from me?"
Straight to the point, hm?
"How rude." I scoff sarcastically. "You haven't even introduced yourself yet, Thork. You might hurt my feelings if you continue being so disrespectful, you know."
"How do you…" He growls, his fist clenching. "What do you want?"
"Hey now, I'm giving you a chance to apologize here." I sigh, then smirk with a shrug. "But fine, you look like you're about to burst a vessel, so let me get to the point before that happens: I want control over your bandit camp. Plain and simple."
His eyes merely narrow. He doesn't even try to laugh at my demand because he knows I'm not someone who should be messed with. Mages are scary creatures after all, and I saw how he noticed the fear on his underling's face.
"You think I'll give up leadership so easily?" He questions. "You'll have to defeat me in a fair fight firs-"
"You were a former Black Dog. A close friend with Vult – basically his right-hand man." I say, making him freeze. "But then that scout, Hicks, took your spot by blaming you of a crime you never committed."
As I utter those words, I cast Heighten Emotions and a weak Fear spell. His eyes widen in shock and a bit of terror, stepping back into the room. I only step forward, my smirk turning dark as I close the door behind me.
"Y-you…" He mumbles in shock. "How did you-"
"To save face in front of the Goddess Reborn, Vult kicked you out, and you were imprisoned for five years in the dungeons," I smirk as I see his face contort into one of contempt. "Once you served your sentence, you returned to your tribe… but they didn't welcome you, did they?"
This time, I cast a stronger Fear spell as well as a bit of Rage. This will play with his emotions, make it harder for him to think about anything but me. Specifically, how dangerous I am, which in turn will make his fear feel far more natural.
He grips his weapon- a steel battleaxe strapped on his back, but his hand was shaking. He's scared, yet angry, but not angry at me.
"H-how do you know all of this?!" He roars, trying to intimidate me. "Wh-what are you?!"
"They shunned and abandoned you as well. You were left all alone, with no family or friends, so you left the continent."
I heighten his sense of hatred and lower his fear, but not too much. He sneers darkly, growls of anger leaving his throat as he debates about striking me down, but he won't, and I made sure of it by getting closer and closer to him.
"S-shut up." He grunts, taking a step back. He can't even attack me, he's too afraid.
It's hilarious.
"You went to The Empire, to make your calling. A new leash on life." I chuckle condescendingly. "But once again, you were blamed for a crime you did not commit, this time out of racism instead of envy…"
His hatred spikes up as he remembers the noble that decided to fuck him over again, almost getting him killed and tortured. His knuckles turn white from how hard he was gripping his axe, his pupils shrinking into pinpricks as he scowls at me.
"Shut up!"
"If you ask me, I'd say that you were cursed with misfortune." I grin. "But we both know that's not the case, is it? It's just that this world is ripe with scum… so you tried to become one as well."
This time, he doesn't respond verbally – merely glaring at the ground as he grunts and growls - and I don't cast a spell either. This is enough for the first part, I have him hooked already, and regenerating mana takes way too long to keep spending so recklessly.
"You thought that this was the best way to not get hurt anymore." I get closer and closer until his back is against the wall. "But I can feel it. You're not satisfied, yet you do not care about returning to your old life. You want something else..."
This made him pause. Thork loses his scowl as he looks at me in confusion and surprise, as well as a bit of hope. I make sure to drain him of his fear and anger then replace them with bloodlust, hope, and a tiny bit of admiration.
"W-what…"
"You want revenge. Plain and simple." I say, looking at him straight in the eyes. "And if you let me, I'll grant it for you."
I heighten his hope and admiration, then give him a small sense of reverence. That'll make him believe my words far easier than it should've been. So many emotions mixed with my silver tongue and large CHA stat is bound to make him follow me.
I'm surprised there isn't a Reputation or Loyalty system.
It is cor-
Corrupted, yes. I know that. Thank you, Game.
"...Y-you will?" He whispers. "You can?"
"Dear Thork…" I raise my right arm, dispelling my illusion and revealing its devilish nature. "A Devil never goes back on her words."
And this is the final nail in the coffin.
"You… you're a devil." He states in awe and a bit of fear. "That's how you knew all of this…?"
"Indeed. Unfortunately, I lost a considerable amount of my power, so I won't be able to grant your desire right now." I tell the truth. "I promise I will make you crush the people who wronged you. All I ask of you are leadership… and time."
I can see the contemplation on his face, and his emotions are telling me enough.
"So what do you say?" I extend my arm towards him.
"...Devils never go back on their words?" He parrots, then grins cruelly before taking my hand. "Fine. I'll accept. I'll even sell my soul just to see them squeal."
Well, they never go back on words, yes, but you need to make an official contract with them, and this isn't one~
So simple-minded~
"Excellent." I smile. "I'm sure neither of us would regret this, my friend."
"Hmm…" He grunts, walking past me. "Come. We must tell the others about you."
"Of course. Lead the way please."
I follow him in silence that was broken after a few minutes.
"What are you called, Devil?"
"Oh yes, how could I forget." I clear my throat. "My name… well, it's not quite important."
He only grunts in return.
"But if you must," I smirk. "Then you may call me Boss~"
It's been so damn long since I've returned to this. I missed Akane so much :(
I fuckin' love the new image cover btw. Akane Commissions yeeeeeeeey!
Anyway, remember when I said I was gonna read Fairy Tail and Akame Ga Kill? Well, I did.
But I only read Akame Ga Kill lmao.
Honestly, I saw that Fairy Tail had 500 fucking chapters and just automatically gave up. I did watch the anime a few years ago, but I didn't watch the last season because I lost interest. I'm just gonna read the summary of the arcs on a wiki page instead.
Also, this should be very obvious, but the world is drastically different. Like, extremely different, so don't be surprised if you see a lot of changes in the plot or lore. Other than that, hope you enjoy~
Oh, one last thing, someone is impersonating me and Dark Wolf Shiro to spread hate or something, so please be aware that I don't actually go to people's fics and mock like some seventh-grader. I try to help the other author improve because I too understand what it's like to write.
One thing I found hilarious is how this person doesn't realize that I speak to Shiro on a daily basis as we're both in the same fucking discord server. If you're interested, come and join. We have multiple popular fanfic authors.
Discord
.gg
/khT5a69ThB