Event 26: Into The Abyss

"No sense sitting around any longer. I'm good to go. You?" said Jinta, putting on his helmet and standing.

Seiko looked up at him, her hood off, the light wind playing with her long black hair. She looked at her black katana, resting on the stone brick floor next to her. After all the fighting she'd done with it since receiving it, there wasn't a ding or scratch on it. Her own father's sword hadn't damaged it. She assumed there was a message in that, but was far more concerned with carrying out her role to be trying to find such a message. Seiko sighed, taking up her sword and standing. Unlike her sword, her coat had been damaged since she'd gotten it. The sleeves and end of the long coat were frayed and torn, as well as the rim of the hood. Oddly enough, though, not a single blood stain adorned the coat. Maybe it had something to do with how bonfires preserved items and their condition.
"You said you'd met Sif in our time. Which means we save him here. Any idea how?" said Jinta, his helmeted head showing that his gaze was straight into the swirling darkness far below.
Seiko followed his gaze. She was no longer immune to the Abyss. No longer its ally. Seiko shook her head.

"So we go blind, then. Guess that's not too much unlike what we've done until now," said Jinta, resting his hands on the hilts of his swords. He turned to look at Seiko.

"For what it's worth, I'd like to thank you for everything. I feel like I can say that now. You must have noticed: when you met me, I was quite truly empty inside. I was following that stupid 'prophecy' because I thought it was the right thing to do, not because I wanted to. With your help I actually did it, instead of giving up and failing far from my goal. In fact, what Solaire and I accomplished was in large part because of your presence. And even after, here you are, still teaching me about myself, still driving me forward. I don't care how many times I die anymore. I've never once considered giving up since you came around. If it takes all my Humanity, ten thousand more deaths, and horrors greater than anything we've seen, I feel like I can stand up after every single loss as long as I'm standing next to you. You have a certainty I admire. And I promise, from here on out, that I will live up to what you've done for me and find some way to repay you..."

Jinta paused, straight-faced in his helmet, a ray of sunlight showing his brown eyes to Seiko as clear as ever. A smile came to his eyes.
"I never did tell you what my promises are, did I? Solaire and I spoke about it once. I think that was what helped us understand one another. Like I told him, my promises are more than just words. A promise from me is a bond between myself, the person to whom I speak, and the God I believe in. It means that I will do it, even if I can't. That even if my individual potential isn't enough, I believe my God will give me what I need to keep that promise. With your certainty, I'm sure it will be easy to do as I say: 'never doubt me.'"
Now Seiko smiled. "I never did."

The two looked at each other, with full understanding for the first time, for a short while. As if by mutual agreement, they both looked at their path down the stairs at the same time, taking the first steps down into the darkness from which none had returned unharmed...

Interesting... Now that I know a bit more, I see those two can't be allowed to continue... No one spreads lies but me... And I, for one, am sick of the lie that is Artorias of The Abyss...

Right off the stairs something attacked Seiko and Jinta from behind. Seiko spun first, slicing the humanoid figure from hip to shoulder in an instant. The creature had purple skin, arms that would drag on the ground, and a bloated brown head with red jelly eyes all over it.

"Is that... A human?" said Jinta, his swords out, but down.

"Abyss corruption," said Seiko.

"That's the same thing we saw in the coliseum before Artorias killed it. There might be a lot more. And here I thought we'd have a peaceful walk."

Seiko considered the odd thing for a moment, wondering if she would have met the same fate back in the Kiln if things had continued.

"We should hurry," said Jinta, more concerned with letting Seiko think than actually being impatient. Seiko stood to walk with him, realizing her thoughts were wandering.

Down a few more stairs and the two found more corrupted humans. The Bloat Heads all rushed in, thick hands held high, to crush the two warriors. Jinta performed a spinning slash, angled up, and sliced the arms from every single one. Out of the shadow of his spin, Seiko stepped in with both hands on her katana, making a practiced slash across all their ribs. The arms fell in a heap behind Jinta and Seiko, followed a beat later by the bodies of their owners. They turned to continue off the landing and down more stairs when a slow and muffled clap sounded behind them.

"Bravo. Nice team work. Care to tell me what you think you're doing, going down there?"

It was Marvelous Chester, a sniper crossbow pinned under his arm and resting on his shoulder as he clapped with gloved hands.

"Isn't that obvious? Stopping the spread of the Abyss," said Jinta, turning to face him. Chester was up the stairs they'd come from, and with that crossbow he had a huge advantage at this range. With something meant for long range shots, firing at this more medium range meant the bolts preserved more force.

"You don't say. Even after Artorias himself failed to stop it? First, you should realize that's hopeless. Second, you should realize I can't allow you to try. You see, I am a Darkwraith, if you couldn't guess. I hope you appreciated the stolen Humanity I sold you, by the way. But now, because of my Covenant, though I claim full responsibility, I must take it back. You won't be perpetuating the lie of Artorias like you intend to. Now that I know the truth, that he was just another fallen hero, I can't see the fun in allowing his legend to live on in our time. So I'm ending it here, along with the two of you."

Chester quickly aimed his crossbow and fired a bolt. It cut through the right cheek of Jinta's Paladin helmet, leaving a tiny slit as an opening. Jinta could have died right there.

"Try to make it fun for me," said Chester.

Footsteps sounded behind Jinta and Seiko. Jinta spun, his back against Seiko's back. More Bloat Heads were coming up the stairs, alerted by the bolt Chester had fired. It wasn't just a threat, it was to make a pincer attack. Jinta and Seiko realized it all too late. Seiko held her katana in her right hand, tapping Jinta's hip with her left, trying to signal him to move to his right, her left, onto their current landing. It would give them more room to fight, and a few seconds out of Chester's line of fire. Jinta tapped his right heel against Seiko's left heel, showing he understood. A second of tension... Then sudden motion. Seiko and Jinta jumped to the side together, just as the Bloat Heads charged their last position. Jinta slashed with Emit Force, beheading one and slicing an arm from another. Before he hand time to attack again, he saw Chester put a foot on the stone railing above and prepare to fire. Seiko put both hands on her katana and slashed up, keeping the flat of the blade to Chester. A loud crunching sound that sent Seiko spinning to the floor signaled that she'd successfully blocked a shot. Chester expertly reloaded his crossbow, lightning fast, and aimed again, this time at Seiko as she rolled to her feet. Jinta got his chance to slash again, this time killing two of the Bloat Heads, one of which being the one whose arm he'd taken on his last slash. Seiko, her sword's hilt in her right hand, raised her katana again, placing her left hand on the flat of the blade. Just as Chester shifted his aim from her head to her knee and fired, Seiko let her foot slip back. The same knee that Chester had fired at disappeared behind her katana as another loud crunch sounded. Two crushed bolts lay on the brick floor of the landing. Seiko was now on her belly, but she popped right to her feet in the time it took Chester to reload again. With Estoc, Jinta slashed back-handed with Emit Force at Chester. The Darkwraith took cover, only for the barest second. In that second, Seiko leapt with all her might, flipping over the railing on the landing above. Face to face with Chester, she slashed upward, aiming to split Chester from crotch to crown. Just in time, Chester stepped back, holding his crossbow to try and block. It was such a close call that Seiko split the buttons on Chester's coat, as well as slicing his crossbow in half. Chester flipped back, springing off his hands and drawing throwing knives.

"As expected of the two who stopped Artorias, I'm sure," mocked Chester. "But he was just a raging animal, out of his mind and under the influence of the Abyss. You'll find I'm not so easy."

Below, Jinta had finished the advancing Bloat Heads and was rushing for the stairs when his gut told him to stop. A black ball struck the wall where his head would have been, blowing the bricks out and stitching the wall with Abyss-corruption. Dark magic. Jinta turned to see another Bloat Head down the stairs, this one with a twisted catalyst in its hands, readying more dark magic. Jinta dashed backwards to avoid the next spell, out of the line of fire. As quick as he could, Jinta drew his talisman and recited Great Magic Barrier. He rounded the corner of the stairs, getting blasted by dark magic full in his chest. It slowed him, like a heavy punch, but his barrier held back the magical portion of the damage. Dark magic had substance to it, unlike normal magic. His barrier wouldn't stop the heavy hits, but it would keep the magical damage and Abyss-corruption away. Too bad it only lasted a few seconds. More than enough time for Jinta to slice the Bloat Head to ribbons. He checked the bottom of the stairs, making sure no more enemies would follow him back up, then ran to help Seiko.

"You see?" said Chester, once again at the opposite side of the landing from Seiko. Her coat lay between them, slices in the sleeves and a hole almost exactly where her Darksign was. She'd shed it to try and hit with a blind attack. Seiko was bleeding from small cuts on her arms and legs, and the wound under her ribs. Seiko was livid. Absolutely blinded with rage. She hated enemies that wouldn't hold still, and with no Abyss to chain her opponent, she couldn't catch Chester. Jinta's head just about popped over the stairs when a throwing knife buried itself in the stone right in front of him.

"That's far enough," said Chester, practically an order. "I don't need you and those bloody miracles up here. Take another step and I'll put the next one through your heart."

Seiko was taking rattled breaths. Jinta could see she was outright furious.

"Seiko. Calm down and think. You can get him. There's got to be a flaw you can exploit. How many knives could he have?"

"'How many?' How many, indeed," said Chester. With one hand he flipped up one of his coattails, showing layer after layer of blades strapped to the inside. "And there are plenty more waiting for me in the bonfires. Now was that your best idea?"

Seiko ground her teeth, putting both hands on her katana and preparing to try again.

"Oh, yes, do make another attempt," said Chester, "I'm quite enjoying studying your style and watching you bleed."

Seiko's eye twitched.

Chester just stood there, knives ready, face hidden behind his jester's mask.

Again, Seiko charged, not attacking yet. Chester stood and waited. Seiko drew close and began an attack. Chester saw through it instantly, watching her footing and muscle movement. He spun through the attack, dodging perfectly, and throwing five knives, with a sixth sinking in right next to the other he'd thrown at Jinta. Seiko suffered four more cuts on her arms and a fifth that clipped the tendon under her right knee. She spun, more weight on her left leg than right. She physically shook, her breath hissing out almost as a snarl. Chester chuckled slowly. He stopped when Seiko cracked a crooked smile, almost laughing herself.

"What's so funny, you little whelp?" said Chester, rising a bit out of his stance.

Seiko spun her sword in her right hand, tossed it to her left, spun it again, then stabbed it into the stone at her feet. She pulled off her gloves and tossed them into the pile that was her coat. She clenched her pale fists and took a fighter's sliding step forward. Chester's head moved back a bit in confusion.

"You don't mean to tell me you're going to try and kill me with just your hands? I'm not just fast, you know. And to abandon your weapon in a fight is suicide. This will either get very interesting or very boring. You'd better not disappoint-" said Chester, throwing a knife at Jinta close enough to split the fabric near his shoulder. "- me."

Seiko just kept her crooked smile. Chester thought he was so smart? He had never bothered to learn who he was dealing with. Know thy enemy.
Seiko rushed in, feet practically sliding over the stone in her boots. She was blindingly fast this time, no sword to weigh her down. Chester barely had time to jump over her, spin, and back-peddle to be next to her sword. Seiko's charge had done what she'd intended. Chester flicked a hand, throwing his three knives to stall Seiko, who wasn't moving in the first place. She dodged the knives, knowing what he'd try next. With his dominant hand free, Chester grabbed the hilt of Seiko's sword to try and lift it. To do so, he had to look at it for a split second, though his eyes were hidden by his mask. Seiko knew when he looked when his hand moved in the right direction. His hand closed around the hilt as she crossed over her coat, and Chester saw his opportunity to cut her down... Except the sword didn't move like he told it to. He couldn't so much as budge the weapon. This error, combined with looking away from his opponent for a split second, put Seiko right in his face before he could do much. Jinta came up the stairs as well, seeing the opening. To stop him, Chester threw his other three knives, two at Seiko, one at Jinta. Seiko ducked under the knives, and Jinta stopped and sidestepped. Seiko came out of her ducking rush with an uppercut, right into Chester's gut. The force of the punch from his superhuman foe drove up under his ribs for a second before his body rebounded from the force, sending him into the air. As he came down, Seiko opened her left hand, slammed it into Chester's masked face, and directed his head into the stone bricks. His mask shattered and his head split like a crushed watermelon. Still angry, Seiko savagely kicked Chester's body over the edge of the landing. It turned to ash as it fell down into the Abyss.

With all her weight on her right leg, Seiko stumbled, catching herself with her left hand and knee.

"That was... Excessive... Or perhaps I'm just too nice. Either way, let's gather your things and get you to the bonfire to heal," said Jinta.

"Bonfire first," said Seiko. Her things could wait. No one was around to try and take them anyway.

"Right..." said Jinta, walking over and picking Seiko up. Without her sword, she was lighter than he was. Up the stairs a short way and they were at the bonfire they'd just left. As they drew close to the bonfire, its influence reaching out and sealing the cuts all over Seiko. The blood was still there, so Seiko swiped her hands over her arms and right leg to flick it off. Jinta went back down the stairs while she did, going to inspect her sword. Purely out of curiosity, though he'd tried before, he grabbed the hilt of her sword and pulled as if to lift his own falchion. Nothing. Seiko came down the stairs in time to see him remove his hand from the sword. She picked up her gloves, put on her coat, then pointed to his Estoc. With the opposite hand she reached out, asking to hold it. Jinta drew it, flipped it, catching it by the flat of the blade between his thumb and first two fingers. Seiko took it by the hilt. It immediately lost the telltale soft white glow that she'd grown used to seeing. She slashed with it at nothing and no trail of light followed behind. Jinta noticed as well. Seiko flipped the sword, went to catch it, noticed she was about to split her fingers, and let it drop. Jinta leaned forward and caught it before it hit the ground. The glow returned. Jinta sheathed the rapier.

"... I understand what you mean. 'Our weapons are useless unless in our own hands,' right? I hadn't thought of that. I'm not without strength, especially since my original weapon was a bastard sword, but I don't think anyone but Smough could raise your sword. And, of course, your father."
"None of those who could raise mine could fight with yours," said Seiko, pulling her black katana from the stone bricks. Jinta shook his head, bowing it, a bit disappointed in himself. Still not on her level.

With the way below them quite clear, Seiko and Jinta continued down more stairs, going past a pit that seemed to house another elevator, only it didn't come when they tried it. Pressing on, Seiko and Jinta came to the ruins of a large turret with a spiral staircase hugging its side. Below waited more Bloat Heads and a way into a large complex that seemed to sink into the blackness that wasn't so far away now. Since that seemed their best bet, the pair descended the stairs, ready to continue their fight...

Event 27: Chained To The Deep coming soon...

Author Note: As of this release, the edits, both major and minor, are done to tone down Seiko. I removed massive chunks from key events near the end of the main Dark Souls story. I had also intended to extend the fight with Gwyn, but I didn't get to it. If you are new to the story as of this release, as in, if you began on January 2nd, the Seiko you know will be more believable from the Dark Souls game capability. She's still just a bit beyond our reach as players, but at the very least she's not completely unstoppable. I should also point out that, as I said in review answers, I keep the deaths to a minimum to ease the burden on the reader. For more info on that, check the answer itself. As for this chapter, I hope I did well enough with Chester, since there's not a ton to go off of with him. The next event will get us to the Chained Prisoner and the next bonfire, and after that we're just mere steps from Manus. Of course, Twin Humanities isn't over until Kalameet is dead and our hero and heroine have escaped Oolacile. But all that in due time... Happy New Year, and thanks for reading.