DOOM: Puer Infernalis V2
A/N: So, looks like I have made the right call with revising the original version. Hopefully, I can satisfy you all again with this version. Enjoy!
Revision started: 01-27-2020 A.D.
Revision uploaded: 03-18-2020 A.D.
Date reedited: 12-19-2020 A.D.
[Chapter 02: In the Goddess's Grace]
[Nearby Wakefield]
They had taken a trail that went up a rocky hill. Uneven terrain made for hell for the knights and their metal greaves, Alicia feeling the same discomfort as her knights. Hae-Lin had a bit of a laugh when some of them nearly or had tripped over a few rocks, although she was considerate enough to help them up although she had the slight tendency to rub salt into the wounds so to speak.
Corzo observed the large group of Orcs and Imps walking about in the camp. How such numbers had not been quelled yet is lost on him. That did not matter, they will leave this region way or another. Glancing behind him, the Drifter could see Alicia and her knights were also watching the growing numbers with morbid interest and fear. He could not blame them, such numbers remaining unseen for a substantial amount of time is a situation that causes immense problems through many individuals in power. Reducing their numbers here will contribute to Eostia's overall efforts to repel this drawn-out invasion and bring them a step closer to ending this millennium long war.
Or so would the consensus be. Frankly speaking, he cared little to whatever motives and agendas these natives have in their fight against this invasive army. First and foremost, he was a bounty hunter, only the profit matters in the long run. That was how it always was to him for many years.
Taking a glance in another direction, he saw Hae-Lin meditating. He could faintly feel the Divine Powers granted to her flowing through her veins. She was energizing herself that was for certain.
"How long until we send for reinforcements?" the child's voice reached his ears. He turned to face the heir to the Arcturus Throne fully before making a reply.
"It'll take too long, sweetheart," he inwardly chuckled as the Shield Princess's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at his nickname of her, "besides," he readied his Dangerous Game Double Rifle and aimed through the simple yet effective sights. Judging by their current distance, they were around half a kilometer or so from the actual camp itself.
"What me and my partner are about to do will negate the need for reinforcements." Alicia scoffed at his answer.
"Typical sellsword, never trusting of honored knights." He chose not to make a response yet, choosing instead to continue observing the activities in the camp below. Lowering the rifle, he reaches into his sack and pulls out a spotting glass before tossing it to the still meditating Hae-Lin, who caught it in one hand without opening an eyelid. Exiting from her meditating state, Hae-Lin stood up and looked through the glass, seeing the same thing Corzo was seeing.
"So, when will we strike?"
"Patience," he responded, earning a slight pout from her. She was always somewhat of a zealot at times, especially at eradicating anything Daemonic and/or Hellish. It was a miracle she had not tried to strike him or Taggert down due to their unique circumstances. Not that he would let her do so easily. There would have been a fight or two involved should they had gone that line.
"It would take time," he responded to Alicia's remark, "by the time reinforcements do arrive, they'd probably move or increase in number." He did not turn his head to face her, opting to focus on the war camp just half a kilometer away. Wrapping the sling around his support arm, Corzo lowers his stance to one knee and takes aim once more. He zeroed in at five hundred meters, further than what many would fire rifles with plain irons would use and steadied his rifle.
"One hundred Orcs, the Imps around twice that number, give or take," he relayed what he saw to the others. Alicia used her own ornate spotting glass compared to his own plain one and watched the war camp's inhabitants. Seeing that the Drifter was not lying, she hummed in slight discomfort before placing it back into her own pack.
"It would appear that you are correct, ruffian," she spoke, her tone bordering the thin line of respect and arrogance, "their numbers and activity would be a gamble to send for reinforcements."
"Good," the Drifter had not bothered to look at her, finger resting softly on the first trigger. Breathing in, he analyzed various things: the speed and direction of the wind, the distance from him and the targets, and the gravity of this world. Upon finding them satisfactory and adjusting accordingly, he squeezed the trigger.
Compared to their 0.70-Caliber muskets, which had snappish barks, the 0.50-BMG round was like a roar of thunder to Alicia and her knights. 908 meters per second, it was not even a second before the round outright slammed through one Orc and through two others. Their thick skin was akin to that of bear or other dangerous game and big game animals. It would withstand many small-arms fires but only for the first few shots. A high-powered rifle cartridge designed to defeat light armored vehicles and technology blows such thick-skinned advantage out of the water.
Without missing a beat, his finger switched to the second trigger as he transitioned to a new target before firing. The same result played out. With both chambers triggered, he pulls back the straight-pull bolt to eject the spent rounds and chambering two new rounds into place. Lowering the rifle, he turns to see the stunned faces of Alicia and her knights.
"Let's move, they know we're here now," he said before walking to cliff edge of the hill. Peering over, he could see that there was little for any of their land-based fighters, of which they heavily dominated Olga's armies, to use for climbing. Should the Orcs move onto their current position, they will have to circle around to find a path wide enough for their forces to pour through. He turned to the others, already seeing Hae-Lin readying her Sabbath SMG. The weapon will suffice, he supposed. 1200 rounds per minute, 9mmX27mm rounds in a 60-round coffin-magazine and with a rather effective suppressor screwed onto the threaded barrel.
"And how, pray tell, do you expect us to move without their notice?" Alicia asked in a peeved tone. "That musket of yours could rouse the dead from sleep!" She hissed at him, who simply walked down the trail alongside Hae-Lin.
"Then by all means, leave," was the response to the irate girl's words. "If you do, then whatever your Goddess wants, I'll deny." The Shield Princess of Feoh gritted her teeth. This man was using her faith to the Goddess as leverage and as a bribe.
Underhanded and barbaric, as expected of someone untouched by the Light. Still, there are many things riding upon this that overrode her pride slowly but surely. Stepping a foot forward, she spoke up.
"No, I shall not leave." She said in a firm tone, making the Drifter and the Angel stop in their tracks. "My honor as a knight means that I cannot turn away from a situation such as this lest I stain it with shame." She hardened her eyes and stared hard into the Drifter's own. She could not tell what emotion ran through those burning white eyes, but she could care less.
"As much as it pains my pride, I and my knights shall aid you in this fight." She saw the subtle nod the towering man gave in response before he shifted his gaze towards her knights. Her own knights nodded in confirmation, mustering as much courage they can under a gaze such as his. Finishing his gaze, he turns his attention back to her.
"Then saddle up, lass," he responded strangely, resuming his trek down the trail, this time everyone followed him. "Because my style of fighting is gonna be different than what your ilk are used to."
[-|-]
Alicia was at a crossroads on what to make of the strange man's words. On one hand, she can see a different style of combat. On the other, this was not how she had envisioned the supposed negotiations to go. She had expected a few exchanged words, not be dragged into what seems to be a suicidal attack against a growing war camp of Orcs! His companion was not much help, the swordswoman simply drawing her blade and strange pistol in some manner of excitement.
Lunatics, she deemed these two. Unfit for service under the Goddess's Light. Yet she could not deny the power of their weapons, especially that man's musket that can fire multiple times and hit Orcs at great distances near-instantaneously.
"I suppose you aim to catch them unawares," she hazarded a guess. The man nodded before pointing to the trees.
"I read that elves used to do this a long time ago, back when everyone was in tribes," he explained, walking up to the nearest one and beginning to climb up. "I suggest you and your knights stick to my pal Hae-Lin over there," he referred to the woman accompanying them as he situated himself on the higher branches of this thick forest.
"She'll watch your back granted that you watch hers in kind," even if he may not see it, Alicia nodded before turning to face the woman called Hae-Lin.
She was like Kaguya's own countrymen, thin eyes, and skin color of light olives. She gave a toothy grin, reminding Alicia of another Shield Princess that was rather carefree in her demeanor and service to the Goddess.
"Alrighty," her voice was just as chipper as Maia's, Alicia noted. "You heard Corzo, let's get their asses!" Her choice of words was not what Alicia had expected of a swordswoman such as her.
Still, perhaps this could be a blessing of sorts in disguise. It will allow her insight on what these two are and perhaps she can learn a new fighting style from either of them.
She just hopes her knights will emerge relatively unscathed by the end of this.
Without another word, Alicia steels herself as she stood to the side of the shorter swordswoman. They moved through the forests as silently as they could in armor. They had wisely spread out to cover a larger area as well as fool some of their enemies who may have tunnel vision.
"Here they come," the shorter of them suddenly said, raising the alarm amongst her knights with a suddenly calm voice. True to her word, Alicia and the others could hear the telltale heavy footfalls of the Orcs.
When the first greenskin loomed its ugly head, the sounds of crackling fire had begun.
[Near Ansur | Same Time]
Light, he was large. They had been following the Behemoth for some time now. Even from where she and her girls were, they could see him clearly. A sharp contrast from the brown and green, this green and silver man (she used that term loosely, since she was sure no man was that large) strode through the countryside like a wraith unleashed. There was no way in Selene's name this was not the Behemoth, she knows this was the man they have been tasked to retrieve.
The question was: How on Eostia is she and her girls going to achieve this without getting their collective arses kicked in? For a while, Maia had no concrete answer. She and the girls may love the thrill but none of them were truly insane and/or outright suicidal.
They have been shadowing the man for some time, mindful to keep their distance by a league or so. Any closer and the panicking horses would have alerted the man and that would have led to some nasty happenings.
Maia was not sure as to why the horses were spooked of this man. Perhaps it was his size, or it was his foreign scent. Klaus had told her that animals had a sixth sense of sorts that allows them to sense things most could not see so perhaps it was that.
Whatever the case, Maia was not going to risk getting closer to the Behemoth until her horses calm down.
"Boss," Eliza, her current second, called to her.
"Yeah?" Eliza pointed to where the Behemoth is, prompting Maia to follow the finger and see what had transpired. Bandits perhaps? Straggler Orcs and their allies? Or were the Black Dogs also on patrol on the orders of the Goddess? When she saw what was ahead, she stilled.
The Behemoth had stopped moving. In most cases, his back was facing them. Now, however, he was fully facing them. Somehow, he was looking right at her. Somehow, he had found out.
"What do we do, Boss?" another asked with unease evident in her voice. Maia looked briefly at the speaker before turning her attention back at the Behemoth. Breathing deeply, she made her decision.
"We greet our man," she said, tone serious as she looked at the green and silver giant of a man. She heard the same woman gulp in response. She was nervous as was she. They have made it this far, there was no sense in backing out.
Maia patted her horse, whispering into her ear. "It's okay, girl," she comforted her, "let us take this slow." She lightly urged it to move, the horse trotting towards the man a league or so away. Behind her, Maia's warriors followed in formation.
Looking forward, she could see that the man had not moved an inch as far as she could tell. She urged her horse to move and she slowly picked up the pace.
Time to make history, she supposed.
[-|-]
They have been tailing him for days now, ever since he had left the hideout to collect a few supplies to continue his little crusade. He would have thought they would grow bored and left him be. He supposed that is what he gets for having some form of optimism for himself. Still, none of his tails were hostile at first glance. But appearances can be deceiving as he had learned over the countless years of fighting. Using the scope mounted on his M461 Autocannon, he saw exactly who were tailing him in a second.
A sleeved jacket red in color that reminds him of blood and with a white fur collar, open at the top to show her rather impressive mounds, and blue skin-fitting pants held up by a snug-fit belt. Dark brown fingerless gloves and knee-length boots covered her hands and feet, respectively. At her hips were two scabbards, each one occupied by her swords. Her face was beautiful, young and with reddish-pink eyes that sparkled with mischief and wonder. Her hair was the same color as her eyes, kept short and barely went past her neck and decorated by a single black headband.
Maia of Ansur, self-proclaimed Queen of Mercenaries and the ruling Princess Knight of that massive hive of a city, accompanied by her personal band of warrior women. They seemed to have picked up the pace and were approaching him quickly. Their leader, Maia, rode her steed unlike most of the Princess Knights he had gathered information on. Where the likes of Alicia Arcturus and Claudia Levantine rode with grace and as if they were in a parade, Maia rode like a woman on a mission. Given how she and her warriors were trailing him, he would be their mission. When she was exactly fifteen meters away from him, she slowed down her horse to a trot and then to a halt at seven meters away. Her fellow warriors trailed behind her, spreading out as if to surround him.
Lowering his large gun, he greeted them with a small wave. Hesitantly, Maia waved back.
"Hey there, stranger," she spoke, her voice young and energetic, to him and he nodded in response. "I guess I should explain why we're tailing yah," she said, and he grunted in response, his baritone voice causing the other warriors to flinch slightly.
"A little context would be nice, yes." Maia breathed out a small sigh in relief.
"Well, me and my gals here have been ordered by the Goddess to track you down and bring you to her. She wants to speak with you, big guy," she voiced her reasons to him. He was silent, thinking it over and weighing his options.
On one hand, he could decline and continue what he and his two compatriots have been ever since they had arrived in this backwater world. On the other hand, he could accompany Maia and her girls to Celestine Lucullus and see what the Goddess needs of him and his allies.
Deal with the greenskins or discuss things over with a so-called Goddess.
"What's the catch?" he asked, knowing the answer despite his question. Maia simply replied a moment later.
"Well, on one hand we let you go and you're free to deal with the Orcs however you see fit," she explained, lifting one hand. The other followed a moment later, the redhead explaining that one as well.
"On the other hand, if we talked things over with Celestine, we could perhaps aid one another and be rid of these monsters quicker," the Marine nodded, humming in his throat as he weighed in his options.
It was not so much of a choice between two different extremes and more of a choice of pacing. Thinking it over, he knows that the more time he spends here, the more time Hell rebuilds their forces and can begin a new Unholy Crusade.
"Alright," he spoke up, gaining their attention. "Might as well finish up sooner than later, eh?" Even with the strange helm obscuring his face, Maia could tell he had some sort of smile underneath the covers. She grinned at his answer and spoke.
"If we head back to Ansur, we can get you something better than walking." To her surprise, he shook his head and tapped one thigh for emphasis on his next words.
"I can catch up with your horse." She blinked at his words.
"You… can?" He nodded.
"I could use the exercise," was the large man's strange reply. Looking to her warriors of the Bladed Rose, they too had confusion plastered across their faces.
She sighed and nodded slowly. It was a strange request and not exactly how she expected this conversation to go but hey, at least nobody got hurt.
The Marine spoke up once more.
"Lead the way then."
And lead she did.
[Near Wakefield | With Corzo, Hae-Lin, and Alicia's Iris Knights]
Alicia ducked under another Orc's swing. The massive metal club would have flattened her had her reflexes not been honed from years of training underneath Claudia Levantine. She struck the foul beast in its exposed underarm, her blade singing through the air and through thick flesh, making the Orc howl in pain. Pulling out, she struck another area, this time being the gut via a horizontal swipe. The gash that resulted of her swipe made the Orc's innards fall out. Alicia finished it off by beheading it, the greenskin's head flying.
She stepped back as another took its place. She wasted no time and stabbed the ugly thing in its eye. She stepped to the side and bisected an Imp that dared to blindside her.
Turning to her swordswoman companion Alicia saw that she was not to be judged by her size. The Eastern woman looked less like fighting the Orcs and their misbegotten kind and more like she was dancing around them. Movements fluid and graceful, Jung Hae-Lin struck at certain areas that, Alicia knew from many lessons taught by Feoh's finest instructors, housed various nerves that, if damaged, locked up certain functions of the body.
Cruel, as is the fate that awaits all greenskins and their demonic brethren, yet graceful, for their executioner played them to a fine symphony of battle.
Alicia thanked the Goddess for having someone such as her not against the Alliance. Light knows what would have been.
She skillfully ducked underneath another attack and retaliated. Her fellow swordswoman did the same with her group of enemies.
Alicia saw her grab her strange repeating pistol and fired off in a rapid manner, each bullet faster than what she could see and striking the foul beasts with deadly efficiency.
"Aim for the soft spots!" she barked out to her and her knights, doing what she had just said by stabbing an Orc through the eye and shooting another's neck. Seeing the merit of such advice, Alicia and her knights struck at whatever soft spot these beasts have.
"Look out!" The warning came too late and Alicia was struck from behind by a rather sneaky Orc, club raised once more to finish her off. Alicia could only stare at the massive wooden tool as time seemed to slow own for her. Her blade had been thrown away from the force and the distance between her and it was too far to close in the amount of time the Orc would bring down its on ugly weapon.
A quick burst from Hae-Lin's repeating pistol sent the beast falling to its side dead. Alicia saw that the Eastern swordswoman's hands were making a series of motions. A black stick of sorts was removed from the grip of the pistol and was replaced by another. Pulling back what Alicia could only assume was the cocking piece of the pistol, Hae-Lin fired off more rounds.
So that was how to reload such weapons, quick yet complex.
The short swordswoman went over to her and offered her hand. The Shield Princess took it and was taken by surprise at the strength behind the shorter woman. Jung Hae-Lin gave a toothy grin to Alicia Arcturus.
"Come on! Let's not let Corzo hog all the fun!" With those words, the short woman charged into the fray once more.
Alicia looked around to see her knights also fighting as hard as they can, taking down as many as they could before wisely blocking, parrying, or dodging any retaliation. Looking down, Alicia could see her discarded blade. Picking it up, she rejoins the battle once more.
She charged at another orc, running it through with her blade. She wasted no time and began to hack and slash her way through whatever these beasts threw at her. Two imps flew at her and she bisected them before they got too close for comfort. A few arrows whizzed past her and the imp archers cursed and tried to load in new arrows. A few shots from Hae-Lin's strange pistol made them cease living.
She nodded her thanks to the shorter woman and diverted a club to smash into the ground before beheading the orc holding it. Alicia roared as she faced them head-on, her sword singing through the air and slicing open the orc's gut.
Alicia could see more of the beasts headed their way and she met them with her sword. Behind her, her knights and the Eastern swordswoman followed and carried their weight.
All the while, sounds of thunder echoed throughout the forests, reminding them every now and then of the short woman's tall companion.
[En Route to Keine | Later on | Doom Slayer and Maia's Bladed Rose]
Maia noted a few things from their new companion on the way back to Keine.
First off, he never leered at any of the women present. Not saying she was annoyed, but she felt her feminine pride deflate a little bit. Either the Behemoth swung the other way (which she doubted heavily) or the man had the patience of many saints (again, she doubted it but not as much as the first one).
Second, the animals around him ranged from afraid to downright terrified whenever they were near him. She chalked it up to them being uncertain and wary of him at first, but after seeing one nearly kick the Behemoth (who simply dodged away from the two powerful equestrian legs), she suspected that there was something way off about this man.
And finally, the Behemoth still chose to simply walk alongside Maia. This confused her and her band greatly, and she commented her concern for his stamina only to be shrugged off. That was six hours ago, and not once had the Mercenary Queen see the green knight fall or stop to rest.
The atmosphere was tense, she could tell. Deciding to lighten up the mood, she spoke up to the Behemoth.
"Soooooo…" She drew out the word as the large man slightly tilted his head looked at her whilst walking beside her and her horse, "You got a name? Not that I don't mind calling yah Behemoth when we get to Lady Celestine but y'know how it is with formalities."
The man simply replied with silence, which got uncomfortable with each passing second. Then, after perhaps the longest nine seconds of her life, he answered her question.
"Flynn." One word was all he spoke before looking forward once more.
She nodded in response. Not much to go by but it is a start, at least. By now, she could see the top of the walls surrounding Keine. By her estimates, she, her warrior band, and the Slayer would get there in an hour or so.
Suddenly, the large man pointed with his left hand, and finally spoke up. "Place seems busy."
Maia blinked in surprise before nodding, an audible sound in her throat accompanying it. True to Flynn's word, Keine was rather busy. Even from here, she and her companions can see some festivities going on within the massive kingdom's walls.
"Yep, this is Keine. Capital of Eostia, central source of power for the Seven Shield Alliance, and home to Lady Celestine Lucullus herself. So," she glanced at Flynn as she continued, "What do you think? A little overwhelming perhaps?" She teased good-naturedly, a small smirk on her face.
To her surprise, the Slayer simply shook his head and replied, "I've seen bigger places. They were grander, too." She pouted playfully in response. Well, at least he was talking more, she supposed.
Just as she had estimated, they had arrived at the main gates of the city within an hour's time. She saw multiple guards at the posts, each of them wearing lighter variations of the knights stationed in this grand city.
"Halt!" The head guard position called out, in which Maia and her band complied with. Flynn stopped too but kept silent as his fingers were fiddling with his large cannon (how he has not tired carrying that thing one-handed baffled Maia). The man was ready for a fight if one should ever break out anytime now.
"State your business!" The head guard spoke in a loud voice so that everyone around him heard. Maia dismounted her horse and sashayed to the man.
"We're here on official business, Mister Guntrude." She said politely and gestured to her warrior band and the Slayer. "We've orders from Lady Celestine that we are to bring this man for reasons best left known only to her."
Quickly understanding, the head guard nodded to his men to open the gates. It took a minute, but the gate had opened wide enough to let them pass through. As Maia and her warrior band walked through, he said to Maia.
"Just make sure he causes no trouble, milady." Nodding, she flashed a toothy grin before mounting her horse.
She gestured Flynn to follow her, in which he complied with a silent nod. As he passed the guards, some of them gagged at a smell coming from the man himself.
That is when Maia internally slapped herself. Now that she got a better look, she could see that the man's armor was bloodied, decorating it in morbid patterns. That is not going to sit well with Claudia, she told herself. Given the festivities going on in this kingdom, the Dawn Templar Shield Princess is obviously within the White Fortress, accompanying Lady Celestine.
As they had passed the streets of Keine, many were gawking and cheering as Maia passed them. Children even rushed to her for some pats on the head or some hair ruffling, in which she joyfully did so. Maia also noticed that some of the adults, most notably the traveling merchants and even some of the knights were looking at her companion rather than her. On horseback, she was taller by an inch or two when put beside the large green knight. But on her own, the large man outright dwarfed her and the members of her warrior band.
The children were in awe at the sight of him, seeing the massive cannon in his hand and the armor he wore. They pestered him with many questions, but he brushed them off.
"Prim would have a field day with this guy," Maia thought, already imagining how the Behemoth would interact with their youngest Shield Princess Knight. She laughed in her head at the sight of this large man sitting on a tiny chair having tea with the young princess.
She heard the whispers of the adults as they passed by the bustling streets of the kingdom, many of those whispers were of fear and some were of awe at the man. "I guess his reputation's well spread out." She mentally noted as she and her warrior band reached the steps to the palace with Flynn in tow.
The White Fortress serves as Celestine's home for the past millennium, as well as serving as the main headquarters for the Seven Shield Alliance. Despite the years passing by, the palace remains as majestic as ever. It was the pinnacle of all things immaculate for many, with its tall and breathtaking architecture going up high into the sky. The entire castle was made of marble, resulting in a beautiful white color that fills the people with hope. And thanks to the use of magic, the castle stands strong, requiring only repairs of the supernatural kind to fix if any flaw were to be shown.
But for the Slayer, it was nothing compared to the things he had seen, felt, experienced, and remembered throughout his dimensional travels. From the mundane highly advanced facilities of the UAC, to the spiraling dark citadels of Hell, to ancient ruins of countless worlds, and many more sights to behold, the Slayer had pretty much seen it all.
Maia spoke up, grabbing his attention. "Okay, here's the deal when we get into Lady Celestine's throne room. Don't do anything that might piss Claudia off in a second." The Slayer simply nodded in response as he walked up to the doors of the palace along with Maia, the rest of her warrior band deciding to hit the taverns for another job well done.
As soon as the two of them reached the palace doors, they were greeted by a man of average height with mocha brown skin dressed in your standard butler's outfit.
"Hey, Jamal, I'm here on official business with Lady Celestine." The butler, Jamal, nodded in response but raised an eyebrow at the Slayer.
"Of course, Lady Maia… And this man?" he asked in a slightly nervous tone, shrinking in his place when the Slayer's visor fell onto him. Maia saw the butler's nervousness and quickly explained.
"That's Flynn. He's also on official business, don't worry about it." This calmed the butler down somewhat as he opened the doors, revealing a beautiful hallway decorated with a variety of gold, silver, bronze, and other rare metals and materials.
Again, the grandeur of the halls had nothing on the countless locations the Slayer had visited across the multiverse. Still, he had to give credit where it is due and show some form of respect. And he did so by simply gazing over the multiple decorations and treasures displayed along the walls.
He hummed as he gazed over each one, the halls going by faster with each one he passed. Maia smiled as she passed through the halls and kept up her pacing with that of the Slayer's. "At least the guy's warming up." She mused in her head as she looked at the back of the Slayer's chest plate.
There were many odd things that stuck out to her. From the odd indents that shaped multiple circles on his back, each linked together by thin metal pieces, to the insignia she found branded onto the upper portion of the Behemoth's left pauldron. While the lettering was alien to her, she somehow understood them. The letters spelled out UAC. The symbol was a triangle with the points being replaced by slants and each side had odd shapes sticking out of them. Inside of the odd triangle was a circle surrounded by smaller triangles, these ones having rectangular holes in them.
She tried as she might to see if the logo ringed a bell so to speak in her mind. When her mind began to draw blanks, Maia's eyes narrowed slightly. Whoever this Behemoth was, there is no doubt he works or had worked for a group completely unknown to anyone in the Seven Shield Alliance or their enemies. Maia pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance, already sensing the paranoia from the other Princess Knights. An unknown group was the last thing anyone needs right now, especially during a war such as the one they were fighting in now.
Luckily, the Slayer had not noticed her annoyance or had simply chosen to ignore it for more important matters at hand. Like finding where Celestine Lucullus is at.
After a few minutes of wandering the halls, the two of them finally reached the pair of doors that would lead into Celestine Lucullus's throne room, with two guards standing on either side. The Slayer and Maia stood in front of the two beautifully carved doors, with the latter speaking to the former.
"You ready to meet Lady Celestine?" she was answered by a nod from the large man, in which she marched up towards the two guards by the doors.
"Good afternoon, sers. I'm here on official business for Lady Celestine." The two guards tensed when they heard this, not so much from Maia but from her companion's staring.
"O-of course, Lady Maia." One spoke, but both wilted under the Slayer's emotionless staring. It was made a bit worse as no one really saw his eyes from behind the visor. Quiet as mice, the two guards placed their hands on the knobs and, with near synchronization, opened the doors to reveal the grand throne room.
Currently, only two people were in that very room. These two notable individuals were none other than Claudia Levantine, who stood by the throne's side with the alertness only veteran warriors could achieve, and Celestine Lucullus, who sat on her throne like a monarch of beauty.
Celestine Lucullus was a fair and bountiful elven maiden in the eyes of many, both male and female, thanks to her perfect hourglass figure. She was tall at 6'8"/2.032m thanks to her heels, having fair skin with no signs of flaw on them. Her flowing platinum blonde hair reached down to her feet, while her dark green eyes seemed to complete the image.
Her… dress, if one could even call it that (his eye twitched at the vulgar tone of it but steeled himself), barely covered her well-endowed body. The silk dress' white color did nothing to help conceal her as the parts that do cover her body were rather limited or lacking, covering only her breasts' nipples and the rather small area around each of them. There was a long piece of black silk, attached at the breast area via a golden ring, went down to cover her nether regions, the lower end of the cloth having a golden piece of jewelry with an emerald stone in the center of it. On each of her wrists were two golden bangles with one golden bangle on each of her upper arms. Her sandals had their wraps going up to just below her knees. There was also a wreath of mint-green leaves around her head, acting like a halo of sorts for this angelic beauty of Elven nature.
As they stepped into the room, there are two reactions. Claudia scowled for a brief second before recognizing Maia, and Celestine was… terrified? That expression alone did not feel right with the Slayer, as she was looking directly at him with that terror clear as day. He could see her trembling, although it was only noticeable to those who are observant of everything.
[-|-]
"You should be resting, My Grace. It would do our people no good if you are to fall ill one of these days." Claudia reprimanded her, but she simply nodded, not really bothering to make a verbal response. The past few nights had plagued her as of late. The visions that followed had her jumping at just about anything in fright, and it took the combined effort of Claudia, her Dawn Templars, and some of her guards to calm her down.
The things she had seen, the places she had seen, and the voices she heard were all alien to her. One vision showed her a metal room filed with dark-colored pipes and oddly dressed men and women walking about and speaking of strange terms that confused her. Another showed her a dark cave made entirely of what appears and feels to be flesh with corpse strewn about like macabre decor.
There as a constant in these seemingly unrelated visions. In some way or form, she would see Him, the Behemoth in Green Plate. In some visions, she would see him as a man on a mission, letting none obstruct his path. Others, she would see him in meditation, a dark yet soothing aura emanating from him.
The visions had taken a toll on her body and soul.
Her face was in disarray, with eye bags under her eyes and her hair being in disorder although that one was not too difficult to remedy as one can just use their fingers or a good comb or brush (the other two needed makeup for obvious reasons, the kind that concealed any flaws without the concealer being too obvious).
Before her friend could reprimand her more, the doors leading out of the throne room were opened by the two guards currently stationed outside.
"Lady Celestine, I'm back and I've brought the Behemoth as requested, your Grace." Maia's words reached Celestine's ears and of those around her as the doors opened to reveal Maia and… She felt her breath hitch. Suddenly the makeup was not cutting it anymore.
"No, it can't be…" Celestine started to shake but she was able to compose herself just in the nick of time, although her body still had a few trembles here and there. She could not believe it even if her own two eyes were looking directly at him. Entering alongside Maia was the very same individual who had appeared in her nightmares a few days ago.
He looked exactly like how she had seen him then. The gray helmet with the blue visor, the dark green chest plate and pauldrons, the silver gauntlets that reached his elbows with the vambraces, but they lacked a couter, to the brown pants in armored pads and the dark brown boots.
Her eyes widened as the Slayer's very presence seemed to suffocate her. His visor seemed to reflect everything in front of them, never revealing his eyes for all to see and yet she knew he was looking directly at her. It was scary, terrifying even.
She slightly shook herself out of her frightful state and noticed that the guards were still on edge.
"Thank you." She cleared her throat before continuing, "You are both dismissed, guardsmen." With salutes, the guards eased up and put away their weapons before leaving the throne room. Now there was only Maia, Celestine, Claudia, and the Slayer in the room. The Dawn Templar leader stepped forward slightly, her hand resting on the grip of her sword. Maia, meanwhile, had taken her place beside Celestine.
The atmosphere was quite tense despite the sunny day outside. On one hand there was Celestine, Claudia and Maia, the Goddess sitting in her throne with some fear creeping into her, the Dawn Templar remaining vigilant and keeping a watchful eye on the Behemoth, and the Mercenary Queen somewhat sweating from the tense atmosphere, and on the other was the Slayer, simply standing there watching the three of them.
Before anything negative could happen, Celestine broke the silence by clearing her throat.
"I… I've… I've heard about your exploits, good Ser." She said with a stutter at the beginning. The Slayer's attention was immediately on her, causing her to flinch inwardly. "You've been slaying Orcs and even bandits for nearly a year throughout our fair land. The common folk have sung praises of you."
She was responded with silence for a few seconds before the Slayer nodded his head lightly.
"Is that so? I'm guessing you want something from me, then." His voice was a mix of gruff and raspy, as if the man had not spoken in a millennia's worth of time. His words seemed to irk Claudia, who had now revealed her blade and held it towards him with one hand.
"Show some respect, you insolent oaf! You are given the honor of standing before Celestine Lucullus herself, and I will not tolera-"
"Claudia!" Despite her soft tone, her firmness and authority made the Dawn Templar shut her mouth and sheath her blade, although she scowled at the Slayer as if it were his fault in the first place.
The Goddess Reincarnated sent an apologetic smile at the Slayer's way. "I apologize for my friend's ire, good Ser. She is just protective of me." The Slayer simply nodded in response. He knew what it was like. Having to escort someone fragile every now and then had given the Slayer a sort of protectiveness towards them in a professional manner. Emotions were nonexistent when he does escort someone be it in the middle of a war zone or escaping someone's (or something's) clutches.
He began to gaze around the area, taking in the décor. Claudia spoke, her tone much like a disciplinarian.
"Do you now see the grace and beauty of this palace, cur?" To the females' collective surprise, the Slayer shook his head, surprising (and probably angering) Claudia.
"It's nothing compared to what I've seen." His voice had put Celestine and Claudia on edge. They expected him to be gruff, yes, but they never expected it to be raspy as well. Regardless, Celestine smiled politely at the Slayer. "What brings you here to our fair lands, good Ser?"
"An old… friend," he said, the three hearing the venom in the man's voice, "sent me and some companions to this land to collect some… artifacts."
"Artifacts, you say?" Celestine asked, a tilt in her head, and the Slayer nodded.
"Powerful things that could help me and my companions in riding the world of certain entities," he elaborated.
Maia then spoke up, seemingly catching on to what he had implied. "So, you and some people are here to get rid of the supernatural? What are you, an exorcist?" The Slayer shook his head at the first question but shrugged at the second.
"In a way, yes," he replied curtly as he could.
"O-oh…" suddenly the quiet, awkward atmosphere returned, the only sound being the occasional winds moving the majestic blinds/curtains/drapes throughout the throne room. It did not last long, however, as the silence was broken by the Slayer speaking up.
"You still haven't told me why I'm here," the Behemoth said, eyes locking on to Celestine's on behind his visor. "It has something to do with Garran's little infestation, doesn't it?"
Celestine nodded and began to explain why she had requested his presence in her throne room.
"Y-yes, you are correct in that," she confirmed. Breathing in, she eases herself before speaking once more. "This mission is something that could end this war without so much more blood to be needlessly shed." She swore she saw the Behemoth's shoulders sagged just slightly before they were back in their positions. "By dawn on the morrow, you shall be joining the Black Dogs into the Black Fortress. My task, if you shall lend your blade to this cause, is to head into the Black Fortress of the Garran Badlands and capture Olga Discordia of the Jagged Crown to me unharmed."
[-|-]
The Slayer stayed silent as he heard the last part of Celestine's request. This… was something he was no expert in. Send him to kill bandit tribes? You bet your ass he will do it before breakfast is served. Kill greenskins and their allies? Consider it done and done. Raid a cave filled with monsters? It has already been cleared thrice. But to capture the very leader of the enemy and bring her to the capital of Keine unharmed? The Slayer exhaled quietly before he spoke to the queen of this kingdom.
He is heard of her, and the legends surrounding both her and Celestine. How the legends spoke of their battles shaking the heavens above and the underworld below. He scoffed at such exaggerations, for he knows Hell and Heaven have more horrifying things to fear than some best friends' quarrel.
"Why me? Someone else could do this job better than me."
"I-I'm sorry?" Celestine tilted her head in confusion.
"Why ask me, a stranger killing off Orcs and bandits? Anyone with a weapon can do that?" Celestine's head lowered, her hair shadowing her face from view.
"Truth be told, a vision came to me a few days ago." The Slayer simply nodded, listening to her words.
"I saw a nightmarish landscape and an unending sea of monsters." Maia's eyebrows shot up to her hair while Claudia's eyes narrow, having heard this before.
"Then I saw you," everyone's attention was on Celestine at this point, "killing them all with no remorse or hesitation with the most bizarre of weapons." Claudia and Maia were outright shocked at what Celestine had revealed to them.
Celestine looked up to stare the Slayer right into the eyes. "I saw you take on impossible odds where many would have fallen. My people have suffered over this long war, Ser Behemoth, so I ask- no! I beg and plead to you, Ser Behemoth, that you put an end to this dreadful war, and I shall forever be in your debt."
The Slayer kept silent, clearly thinking the words of the High Elf over. The he spoke, his voice void of any emotion.
"Consider it done, Ma'am." Celestine smiled as she heard the Slayer's words, while Claudia still scowled but was relieved that her queen and friend had brightened up in her mood so much so that her tired state had somehow vanished. Maia grinned at the Slayer's answer.
"If that's all, I'll be prepping for the mission if you don't mind." He spoke.
"It is getting a bit late," Celestine said as it was nearing dusk judging by the dull orange skies outside, "I shall have a servant ready a room for you. We will discuss more when Master Vult and his warrior band arrive on the morrow." The Slayer nodded and turned on his heel to leave.
[-|-]
As soon as the doors slammed shut, Celestine released a breath she was holding as she leaned into her throne. She clutched her face with a dainty hand. There were many ways she could have ended the war, but she always was a person that considered the most peaceful options available and never had she made any violent options be done first even if nothing else could be done. As she removed her hand, she saw both Claudia and Maia looking at her expectantly.
"Let's go for a stroll, my friends." With that said she rose from her throne and began to walk down the steps. Not ones to disappoint their highness, the Dawn Templar and the Mercenary Queen followed close behind, all three of them formed a triangle of sorts with Celestine at the front and with either of them at the sides.
Their stroll around the castle led them to the eternally beautiful gardens, but the three were silent all the way. The only sounds that did accompany them were those of their footwear on the stony floors or carpeted walks.
Just as they had reached the gardens, Maia had spoken out. "You really do have your ways of surprising people, your Grace." With a cheeky grin, she added, "Not every day you get a vision about some big guy taking on a huge demon army."
"Indeed," Claudia decided to put in her two cents into the conversation, "still, I must object his presence, Milady. That man, he felt… wrong." This caught Maia's interest.
"You've noticed it too, Claudia?" She received a hum and a nod in response. By now, the three fair maidens were in the center of the gardens which has a fountain that has a statue of a beautiful Elven maiden holding out her arms in a comforting manner.
"I had, and I worry for anyone that has been near him. That includes you, Maia." She received a snort in response.
"Aw shucks, I didn't know you were concerned about li'l ole' me, Claudia. And here I thought all you care about were rules and regulations about 'being a true knight fit for the Goddess's service'." She received a stern look from the Dawn Templar, which just fueled up her playfulness by a degree.
"Still," she said, "I noticed it too. The guy's pretty silent, well-built, and pretty much perfect for a mercenary or a soldier role…" She got silent for a few seconds before continuing, "but the guy's presence was really disturbing, I'll tell you that much."
"I agree with you, Maia, that man is a danger. Milady," she called out to Celestine, who was busy running a hand across the smooth surface of the fountain, "I pray that you are doing the right thing for our people."
Celestine smiled softly but held a hint of sadness in them.
"You've been with him throughout the journey here, Maia. What can you tell us about our new friend?" At that question, Maia's playful smirk had disappeared completely.
"Well, for starters… the guy's quiet, unbearably so." Celestine and Claudia both nodded, having just experienced that a few minutes ago. "When he speaks, he prefers to get to the point. No jokes, no playful remarks, nothing. All business and no play." She shuddered briefly.
"Then there was his gaze. It was dead and alive all at once, it was so confusing." She continued talking.
"I've seen many men who are fearless, and many more that are afraid of what lurks behind shadows. But that guy? No macho act, no fear coming from him at all. I couldn't get a read on anything but one thing." That piqued the other two's interest.
"And what would that be?" Maia turned to Claudia, who was standing beside Celestine as usual. She replied to her in a humorless tone.
"Rage. I felt the crazy amounts of rage coming from that guy. He reins that in, but some just gets out that every animal in my warrior band was afraid of him."
Celestine and Claudia looked at one another in surprise before having the same thought.
"Just what has been unleashed?"
[The Slayer's new quarters | Nighttime]
The Slayer had settled into his bed in his new room. It was Spartan in decorations, just a single bed with a desk and two chairs. The only sources of light were from the lamp that was recently lighted and the multiple glowing areas on his armored vest.
He had already placed the Soul Cube on the desk, the Martian weapon glowing briefly before lying dormant once more. But instead of sleeping right off the bat, he began to inspect some of his weapons. Taking out the DS-117 Combat Shotgun first, he began to do a maintenance check on the weapon. His Argent Accumulators might repair any damages on his weapons, but it never harmed to do the maintenance himself every now and then.
After reassembling the weapon and putting it beside one of the wooden legs of the bed, he moved over to his M461 Auto-Cannon. The weapon was blocky in shape and tan in color with a few dark brown pieces to accentuate its looks.
The weapon had also served him well. It was his favorite weapon during his days in the UN Slayer Corps to the fuck ups that were the Phobos and Deimos moon bases and to many more conflicts beyond, with its 0.80-caliber High Explosive Armor Piercing rounds gibbing any target he had set his sights on to, armored or not. Its scope had helped him in engaging any target from far away while its Micro Missile pods helped him out greatly in close quarters. He never really understood how a belt-fed gun such as this be turned into a closed-bolt firearm, but he simply ignored it. If a weapon can help him kill things quick, then who was he to complain?
The room was quiet save for the sounds of various weapons being cleaned inspected and dry-fired (an act where the shooter takes an empty gun, inspects it for any errors before pulling the trigger to see if it can cycle properly) by the Slayer.
An hour or so had passed before the Slayer had kept away his weapons into the pocket dimension. Despite that, he never felt tired. The energy flowing through his veins made sure of that. Instead of moping about it, however, he simply did what he always does prior to any mission during his time in the UN Marine Corps and in the UAC's employ: Training.
He started out simple with five hundred push-ups, followed by the same number of sit-ups and jumping jacks. He repeated the process until midnight had come, the planet's full moon shining brightly in the starry sky. By that time, he was practicing his hand-to-hand fighting abilities with a few hard punches and kicks aimed at thin air.
By the time he was done, it was an hour past midnight. The Slayer felt like this would be enough for now and began to lie down in his bed.
Taking off his armored vest, gauntlets, paddings and helmet, the Slayer began to sleep soundly.
As he began to rest, the Soul Cube, which was dormant during his training, had awoken in a sense. Then it spoke, its voice sounding like hundreds of whispering phantoms.
"̴…̴g̷n̷i̴h̷c̷ao̴r̷p̴p̶a̴ …̶m̴e̶h̷t̵ ̷e̶s̴n̷e̴s̴ e̷w̴ ̶…̶sr̶e̴h̷t̴o e̷h̵T̵"̷ ("The others... we sense them... approaching...") the strange Martian artifact said before going dormant once again.
[Celestine's dreamscape]
Her dark emerald eyes opened once more to see the nightmarish landscape again. Her breath hitched in her throat, remembering the last time she was her. But the area felt… different somehow to her eyes.
Compared to the gray brimstone land she had first witnessed the Slayer taking on the demon army, this area was oddly brown in color much like the deserts to the Southern West portion of Eostia. This area was a canyon of sorts compared to the mountainous area of her first nightmare/vision.
Eyes gazing at everywhere around her, she eventually found something that drew her in. It was a stone structure of sorts, oval-like in shape and with multiple insect-like legs sticking out and grasping inwards, like a hand holding an object. Celestine was again fearful of what this object was but cannot help but be drawn to the green-glowing symbol etched into it.
It looked like it was forming the letter
D with a few etches around it. Whatever the symbol was, its presence alone somehow soothed her.
Then, like a curious little child at a store filled with their favorite things, Celestine reached out with one hand and touched the symbol.
It was there that the symbol had glowed blindingly, causing her to jump away from the stone structure in surprise. But the damage was already done. Reaching her ears was a voice, thick and gravely. Like a demon's voice if she heard a horrid thing as that speak before.
"…̵͖͋Ē̴͇L̶͇̏T̷̲͠TAB̵̫͗ ̶̗̀T̷̤̀S̵̻̏R̴̩̂I̴͇͂F̥̈ ̴̢̅È̶̳H̶̯̾T̶͖͊ ͚̃N̴͎͘I̶͚̚ ̶͋ͅ,̶̫̿E̳G̵̭͑A ̶̞̌TS̷̗͝Ṟ̷͆IF̵̼̕ ̵̪̊E̷̪͊H̶̠͒T ̷͉̃Ǹ̷̹I̵̺̚"̶̯̈́ ̷̡͑ ("IN THE FIRST AGE, IN THE FIRST BATTLE…") Celestine clamped her eyes shut and tried to block out the voice by covering her ears once more. But the voice was no longer speaking into her ears. It was already inside her mind like the horrid thing it was.
"̶̗̐…̷̲̌D̵̝͋Ö̶̤O̵̭̔T̴̥͘S̷̳̎ ̴͚̊Ě̵̖N̫̂Ô̵͎ ̴̣͋, D̴̝͊E̷̹͌N̴̰͆E̵̤̊H̴͉̊T̴̻͋G̷͕̚N̵̳̈E̳L̶̍͜ ̶̼̔T̴͇̉S̷͓̄RĮ̷̈F ̷̨͗S̵̗̽W̶̻̒O̵̩̎D̴͎̎A̶͎͗H̶̥́S̶̛̟ Ẻ̴͖HT ̣N̷̲̓Ë̵́͜H̵̛͕W̴̛͓"̶̨̕ ̵͍̆ ("WHEN THE SHADOWS FIRST LENGTHENED, ONE STOOD…") the sound of thunder caused Celestine to open her eyes and see a familiar figure. It was the Behemoth, this time he held a familiar weapon in one hand which was a diamond blue greatsword as he fought valiantly against another group of demons, this one consisting of the lean monsters in brown and blue and the pink bull-like monsters.
"…̷̛̰T̶͙́N̴͔̈́Ȅ̴̯M̷̝̆Ṛ̵͊O̶͇̐T̴͔́ ̶̔ͅL̵̡͠A̶̹͑U̵̫̓T̴͈̓È̬P̶̳͐R̶̳̈́E̶̽͜P̴̯̽ ̷̮͗F̵͑ͅǑ̶͙ H̶̳̊T̷̪̀A̷̻̽P ̷͊ͅEH̵̡̒T̷̰̄ ̷̝̇E̵͎̕S̷̥͛O̶̦̊Ḧ̶͜Ć̵̯ Ė̴̪H ̴̟̒,͇N̷̯̅O̴̜͂Ỉ̧Ṣ̶̛N̵̯͌È̴̮C̉͜S̷͔͆A̶̟͠ ̶̗̚D̴͚̄N̶̰͒O̶̪̐Ÿ̳E̷̳͝B̷̦̈́ ̴̲̈D̶̞̎Ȇ̷̼T̷̤̃N̶͇͘I̶̺̊A̵̳̋T ͉̋D̵͈̀N̴̰̔Ä̶͔́ L̶̥͗L̶̲͒E̷͜͝H̴̝̏ ̶̙̾F̴͓̂O̷̝̽ ̷͎̓S̵̱̉E̦R̵̭̕Ì̵̖F̶̥͒ E̷̓͜H̴̝͆T ̵̙̍Y̷̬͌B̶̤̋ ̶̛͕DĚ̴̫R̷͎̔E̶̛̪Ṯ̶̂Ŝ̶͍I̷̢̎L̵͕͑B̷̮͆ ̷̘́L̶͕̚U̷̠͘Ö̷̖́S̴͕̽ ̵͖͠S̷̺͑I̵̼͌H̵̨̿ ̮̆,̴̭̽N̷̤̍O̷͋͜D̵̮͋D̵̫͑E̶̢͒G̤̈A̴͐͜MR̵̨͠A̷̅͜ ̷̘̈FO̵̝͠ ̴̮͂S̶̡̛R̷͈͋E̶̫͐B̷̼̏M̷̦͆E̶̯͂ ̴͒͜E̵̟̋H̷̻͘T̷̡̾ ̷͚͐Y̴̫͋B̷̬͝ ̶̥̊Ḏ̴͘E͇NR͙̀U̶͖͠B" ̵͕́ ("BURNED BY THE EMBERS OF ARMAGEDDON, HIS SOUL BLISTERED BY THE FIRES OF HELL AND TAINTED BEYOND ASCENCION, HE CHOSE THE PATH OF PERPETUAL TORMENT…") She saw the Behemoth quickly cut down the demon group's smaller members before his greatsword disappeared in a flash of blue (which surprised her greatly) and was replaced by an odd contraption that launched fast streaks of light that tore through the bull-like monsters.
A flash of light had taken Celestine by surprise and by the time her vision cleared she was watching another fight taking place. This fight was in an odd city of sorts, with various stone buildings towering over her and possibly any noble house in Eostia barring the royal palaces.
"̷̨̕…̵̘̄E̶͇͌C̶͝ͅÁ̴̦E̷̙̒P̶̬̈́ ̷̙̒Ơ̶̙N̷̞̿ ̷͐͜DN͔̋U̵̝͝Ȍ̷̞F̵̛̺ ̴̮͂E̶̻̿H ̵̳̃,̵̤͒D̶̤̽ER̶̾͜TḀ̶̔H̷̗̅ ̷̖̓S̵̞̃Ṵ̵͛Ő̴̠N̷̨͛Ẹ̶̋V̵̩̑A̴̯̎R̵̼͂ ̴̲̀S̷͖͗I̷̪͛H̠̀ ̴̘̊N̶̢̒I" ̶͔͠ ("IN HIS RAVENOUS HATRED, HE FOUND NO PEACE…") The Behemoth moved swiftly, his contraption switched out for a smaller contraption that barked loudly and fired even faster streaks that outright destroyed the upper torsos of his enemies. Celestine watched the monsters fall and gasped in awe and terror of the weapons that the large green knight had in his possession.
"̶̡̋…̶͖̈M̴̦̔IH̶̘̄ ̴̡̆D̶̫͛E̷̬͊GN̳O̶̙͑R̷̩̔W̵̡͊ ̶͍͗E̵̩̋V̶͍̕Ä̴̺́Ḧ̶́ͅ ̴̮̕Ó̶͚H̶̢̚Ẇ̵͖ ̷̫́S̵̮͛D̶̡̓R̷̡̿OL̷̆͜ ̵̈́͜K̵͎̿R̶̳̊A̶̰̾D̷̬̈́ ̶͕̍EH̵̥̔T̵̹͑ ̷̯͌T̵̛̺Ṡ̴̼N̵̬̓I̷̱̎A̷͇̋Ĝ̵̙Ä̶̪ ̴̞̏E̵͈̋C̶̝̏N̴͓̏A̷͉̅E̶͉̎GN̵̥̑E̶̼̐V̵͈̅ ̷̲͆G̵͇̈́N̶̝͂I̴̫͂Ḳ̷̕E̵̺͑E̷̻͋S̴̤̏ ̟̆S̶̻̈́N̵̦͗Ì̵̤AL̷̨͐Ṕ̶͓ ̷̥̐L̶̳̈́A̷͇̎R̷̘̾B̴̪͐M̴͕͝U̶̻͗ ̶̭͆EH̶̓͜T͓̉ D̶̥͌E̶͚͌R̵̫͠U̷̫̎O̷͎̓CS̴̻̽ ̷͎͑E̵͎̍H̶̗͘ ̷̡̈DŐ̶̙O̴̗͝LB̵͉̌ G̷͔͒NḬ̴͌LI̴̛̬Ő̵̬B ̴̹̓H̵̼̀T̵̩̊I̴̘̊W̷̳̕ ̶͉̎D̴͍̍N̴̲͝A̷͓͛"̶̫͊ ̴̞͝ ("AND WITH BOILING BLOOD, HE SCOURED THE UMBRAL PLAINS, SEEKING VENGEANCE AGAINST THE DARK LORDS WHO HAVE WRONGED HIM…") The scene changed again, and Celestine saw the back of the Slayer as he was on his knees, surrounded by dead bodies of humans and demons alike whilst clutching a small person's body close to his chest. Walking around to get a closer look, she saw the two bodies he was clutching to his chest closely were that of a young girl and in her arms was a dead rabbit, its brown fur stained with its own blood and of those around it.
She felt tears running down her cheek when she saw the dead girl's lifeless eyes gaze directly at the Behemoth, as if blaming him for her death. The Behemoth started to shake, whether in sadness or anger she was uncertain.
Then the Slayer reared his head back and roared to the heavens above, wordless, and primal as he did. The raw rage emanating from his roar alone made the Goddess Reborn take a few steps back, the sounds causing her body to tremor with each step she took backwards.
She could not take it anymore and began to weep uncontrollably. Over the ten centuries/one millennium of fighting, she had seen many horrible things that had happened over the course of this feud between her own Alliance and the Demon Armies of the North led by Olga. She had seen families separated from their loved ones, the raped bodies of women, children and even men, and had seen the aftermath of brutal executions.
But she and her Alliance had endured them all, each failure simply motivating them to find an end to this war as soon as possible.
But everyone had their limits, and it looks like Celestine had reached hers at this point.
"̴̘̕…̵̝͠S̷͖͗Ĺ̴̤E̴̫̓N̵̙̾I̵̡̔T̷̝̽N̷͉͋E̷̱̐Ș̷̆ ̵̥̽Ṱ̴̇Ĥ̵̖G̵̢͒I̵̡͝N̶̺̔ ̴̙̚Ȅ̴͇Ḧ̵͓́T̷͚̄ F̷̭̾O̷͉͊ N̷̼̿WÔ̺R̶̡͆C̦̆ ̶̦̈́Ḛ̵̾H̷̘̆T̵͖͛ ̤́É̷͈R̴̺̿Ò̴̩Ẁ̴͇ ̴̰͑Ȅ̷͓H̴͙̚"̴̲̋ ̷͕͑ ("HE WORE THE CROWN OF THE NIGHT SENTINELS…") The scene had changed once again to show the Slayer standing in the center of a group of individuals, each of them wearing an odd assortment of clothing and wielded familiar and odd weapons alike. It was here that Celestine saw that same symbol on the upper left portion of his helmet, right where the forehead would be.
She saw the Slayer yell a wordless roar once more as he and the odd group charged against a more massive horde of demons. They were far too many and they were far too mixed in for her to properly distinguish each individual species.
̶̪͗"̴̳̽…̶̳͋M̴̻͆I̷̛̻H̷̱̊ ̶͙̑D̶̹͝E̷̫̽M̴̳͑A̴̧̒N̴̫̂ D̵̬̄R̵̜̃Ò̶̲W̴̖͋Ś̵̤ ̶̹̈́S̵̛̘I̷̼̍H̶̰̏ ̴̘͒F̵̤͋O̷̙̽ ̵͙͆E̷̘͝T̵̈ͅI͇B̶̻́ ̴͕̓E̵̳͌HT̴͇̓ ̷͇͑D̴̹̕Ȅ̵̠T̷̝̒S̵̭̈́AT̷̼̚ ̵̡̑O̴̱̿H̷̭̄W̶͓̏ ̗̈EȘ̴̌Ȍ̶̘H̵̢̆Ť̢ ̷͚͝D̶̖̀N̵͓͂Ă̴͙"̣ ("AND THOSE THAT TASTED THE BITE OF HIS SWORD NAMED HIM…") She witnessed the Slayer decapitate a large pink Minotaur before jumping up and switching away his weapon for a demonic cannon that started firing a thin red ray of light that sliced through the demon ranks as his followers (how she assumes them as such) took out any stragglers that the ray of light had missed.
Soon she found herself staring up to the Slayer as he stands atop a pile of rotting demon bodies firing one of his contraptions from before, which was the tan blocky weapon, at the demons that tried to climb the pile and attack him.
"̵͊ͅ…̶̞̕R̷̨̂E̵͚̚Y̵͔͌Ã̷̢L̴̩̾Ṣ ̶̘̅M̵̰̃O̶͎͛Ó̵̖D̶̼̉ Ḛ̵̓H̴̱̀T̷̳̀"̷̮̉ ̷̞̚ ("THE DOOM SLAYER…") The demon's voice had stopped narrating as Celestine saw the Slayer and his followers standing triumphant as many dead bodies of the massive demon army surrounded them.
[-The Next Day-]
The Slayer woke up at around five in the morning according to his helmet's HUD as it displayed the time on its visor as the helmet stayed on the desk. Seeing that it was still dark, he began to start the day training in unarmed combat.
Soon, the room was filled with the sounds of air being displaced and of fists and feet impacting against thin air. This continued over two hours until the Slayer stopped, his muscles tense from the recent warm-up. He tensed up and readied himself into a fighting stance once more as the only door of his room opened to reveal a young maid (possibly around the later adolescent/teenage years by his estimates) holding the door's knob in one hand and a tray of food on the other.
"Y-your food, S-Ser…" She meekly stated as her cheeks darkened with red. She had been given the task of delivering the food to the Slayer earlier under the orders of the Goddess herself, so she complied with no hesitation. What she did not expect however was that the Slayer had a body fit for a god and was already up and awake for some time, to which she blushed when her eyes saw his form being accentuated by his attire.
His face was obscured by shadows however, which disappointed her, but she wisely not let it show lest she conjure the large man's rage.
The Slayer simply nodded his thanks, took the food and their respective plates from the tray, and dismissed the young maid before closing the door gently. As he ate, the Slayer's sharp hearing picked up on the sounds of hooves and feet travelling together. Quickly finishing up, he donned his armor and helmet and took out his DS-117 Combat Shotgun from subspace as he exited the room. Heading down the flight of steps, the Slayer can see a massive band of warriors either on foot or on horseback heading towards the palace directly. The men of this band wore green leather vests, brown pants, and boots as their main attire in addition to many pieces of armor on their body. He also saw the symbol of a black dog emblazoned on the chest, and he immediately recognized them.
These were the Black Dogs, and it appears that they were late.
[The Black Fortress | Lowest Level of the Dungeons]
He could feel them. The Slayer and his dogs were on this continent as well. Balth'Azar sneered in disgust yet he smiled in delight. The very human responsible for weakening his race was here, one that had proven his strength time and time again. He could not wait until he would dominate and destroy the Slayer completely and lead Hell into a new age where they are the rightful rulers once more. No longer shall they be equals with the Makyrs, they shall prove themselves superior to all. And he shall lead them, creating an empire so vast that nothing shall ever escape his notice.
And all he had to do was collect the m̷̮̏u̵̧̍i̶͓͐ċ̵͉if̷̺̆i̴̯͒t̶͚̚r̴̘̉A̷͛͜ (Atrificium) before the Slayer and his lapdogs. He just needs to do it discretely. Loathe as he was to admit it, but not all battles were fought head-on. Some require a more delicate touch.
"Balth'Azar!" a female's voice grabbed his attention. Without even looking, he knew who had come to him: Zan, the detestable half-breed smith of this inferior world.
"̴̝̾? d̵̹͒lȋ̴͈hc̶̣͝,̵̬̆t̷̼͑ḯ̴̯ ̵͙͋ŝ̴̮i ̶̣͑t̶̛̪ḁ̵̂h̷̜͝W̷̢̛"̵̖̔ ̶̖̃ ("What is it, child?") he spoke, voice rumbling like earthquakes in his throat. She was afraid of him, he could sense it, yet she buried that fear underneath a façade to speak with him directly.
Admirable but ultimately worthless in the end. Zan spoke up, voice concealing any traces of fear from any lesser being.
"Lady Olga wishes to know of the progress of your efforts." So, the little queen wants to know what he is doing. It was bound to occur, he supposed. A master of direct combat, he as, but when it came to subterfuge, there was bound to be a mistake to be made.
"̶͖́,̶̙̊d̶̟͂l̶̈͜i̵̝͛h̷̡̀c̷̡͝ ̴̯̓,̶̝͐t̵͍̾on̷͙̓ yȓ̵͜ṟ̵̃ŏ̵͇W͕̌"̵̙͌ ("Worry not, child,") she tensed. Good, that caution would serve her well.
"̵̼̀.̵̳̅kã̵͕è̷̢p̴͍͘ṣ̴͆ ̴̭̕e̶̼̓w̴̡̌ ̵̧͘s̷̼̑a̵͋͜ ̵̖̄no̴͖̿î̷͓t̴͔̅ĕ̴͓ľ̶̘p̶̪̑m̷̥͑ò̴̼c̷̥͘ ̷̧̀g̷̳̀n̶͙̉i̶̥͋r̷̬͆á̟e̦ǹ̷̲ ̣si̵͍͋ tI̵̖͗"̴̻̈́ ("It's nearing completion as we speak,") as he said this, the Baron observed various monsters under his thrall arranging many corpses in a particular pattern.
"̰̌…̶̰͑n̴̙̏o̶̝̊o̶̻̓S̶̤̎" ("Soon…") he told himself loudly. As the last piece of this macabre altar was placed, the centre shined a bright blood red color that blinded the entire floor. Zan and the rest shielded their eyes and Balth'Azar had a daemonic smile plastered across his face.
"̰̌…̶̰͑n̴̙̏o̶̝̊o̶̻̓S̶̤̎" ("Soon…") The Baron could not help the smile that got wider. If he executes it right, this world shall be under his command.
It shall be the first amongst billions of worlds to be subjugated under his command.
A/N: Alright, so I have finished this chapter and not a moment too soon! DOOM Eternal releases of March 20th, two days before my birthday! And with that release, many theories have been proven right and wrong, none righter than the Doom Slayer being Doom Guy himself, but everyone already knew that.
Also, the Unmakyr…
*BREATHES IN*
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Anyway, after realizing that it was nearing release, I HAD to finish this chapter up. Not much has changed, yet, except for few new scenes and changes to dialogue. Up next, we will get into Doomguy meeting with Vult and his Black Dogs. Yeah, looking back, I realized that using Japanese naming in a primarily European inspired land was rather jarring to begin with.
I am going to have to wait for DOOM Eternal to release and watch various guides and lore videos so that I do not get even the most minor of details wrong (although since this is a fanfiction, creative liberties are acceptable if done right). My poor laptop cannot handle that game.
*Cries in potato PC*
So yeah, see you all next time!
[EDIT #01 07-04-2020 AD: Decided to add the direct translations of what Balth'Azar is speaking as to clarify what he says.]
[EDIT #2 07-04-2020 AD: Also did the same to the Slayer Testament portion of Celestine's dream segment.]