Author's notes: I hope you all liked the first chapter of Disgaea: Tsubasa no Aku. If you were all wondering what 'Tsubasa no Aku' means, it's japanese for 'Wings of Evil'. It was hard coming up with a title so I chose that one. I'm sorry if that first chapter was too short, but I've been writing the Disgaea fic during my free periods in school, which usually don't give me enough time to think. Also, I have other fics that I've been working on for a very long time (click on my pen name and get ready to laugh at what I've been writing for the past two years). Seriously, I like that anime. Anyway I should get on with the fic.
Disclaimer: I don't own Disgaea.
Episode 2: Strengthing the 'Knot' (la la la!)
Celestia, a place where the beings known as angels live. A tranquil paradise of flowers, fountains, and anything that's pretty. The current leader of this world, Seraph Lamington, was secretly locked in his room...making a card tower. With Archangel Vulcanus out of the picture, the Seraph had more free time on his hands. He no longer had to worry about Vulcanus' frequent spazing periods, which often occured when he was busy doing something fun. Hey, the man looks bored all the time, he needed something to do, doesn't he. Well little did he know...
"Still playing cards, are we Seraph Lamington?"
Seraph Lamington jumped, a bit surprised that someone else was in the room. Unfortunately, the big card tower had crumbled into a pile of cards. "Geez...now you messed it up...Krichevskoy..."
Soon, both Mid Boss and Kirei stepped out of the shadows and into the light. "Sorry, Seraph." Mid Boss said apologetically.
Lamington sighed and replied, "If you're going to scare me like that, try it when I'm not enjoying my 'me' time." Lamington then turned his attention to Kirei. "So, the afterlife guides gave you a special resurrection, right Rayne, or is it Kirei now?"
Kirei nodded. "Both me and my husband. However, we're starting at minimal power."
"I see." Lamington replied. "So why have the two of you returned?"
"To check on our little 'knot' of course!"
"Ah yes, Laharl and Flonne." Lamington paused for a minute to remember all that happened. "It's been two years, and yet the two haven't progressed much..."
"I wouldn't expect them to." Mid Boss, or rather Krichevskoy, replied. "If I know my son, Laharl will be too stubborn to change. We have already told them about their importance to the unification of Celestia and the Netherworld, there is no need to rush it any further."
"He's right. There will always be a part of Laharl that will reject love." Kirei added. "We must be patient. The influence of Flonne, Etna, and everyone else will surely, but slowly, change Laharl and bring everyone together."
Lamington sighed. "To think, a demon and a human could have more faith than an angel. What is the universe coming to?"
Mid Boss chuckled a bit, but then turned serious. "But there is another reason why we've returned."
"And what reason is that?"
"A feeling of prejiduce. Something here is trying...to ruin our knot..."
It was early morning in the Netherworld, though no one could tell. The Netherworld always looked the same, with difference being that the moon appeared during the night.
Flonne, unlike most of the demons in the morning, was wide awake and ready for the day. She came out of the Overlord's Castle, surveying her surroundings. The Netherworld, to her it was a fun place where anything could happen. A place that needed something which Flonne, as a former angel, had: love. But she missed Celestia so much. After all, flowers were always in full bloom, and the Seraph would always let her gaze at them. Now she was residing at a place full of fire, brimstone, and awkwardly shaped structures. The only things one could consider beautiful in this world were the falling snow and the glowing moon, that often turns red when Prinnies were to be reborn.
Flonne sighed. "I wish the Netherworld had flowers...the kind that are so simple yet so pretty..."
"You must be pretty lonely then, to be banished from Celestia?"
Flonne shrieked. There seemed to be another demon around here. Is it a gargoyle, a pirate, or maybe it's a pirate gargoyle? Wait, are there such things as pirate gargoyles? Well never mind about that. There was someone here, and Flonne was afraid to see who it was. Is it a stalker? Maybe an angel hater? Or maybe a Stalking Angel Hater? Okay maybe we should stop looking into Flonne's thoughts. Flonne decided to use a techinque she used for those who snuck up on her. A technique she used on Laharl the first time she gazed her eyes on him. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!" And that's whacking the crap out of her 'stalker'. After a bit of nonsensical violence, Flonne decided to actually look at her stalker before continuing her mind-numbing assault.
"Calm down, I'm not gonna rape you or anything. (well that's reassuring...)" Her stalker chuckled. He had fiery red spiky hair, dark tanned skin, and blue eyes. There was a scar near his eye. Despite those usually scary traits, he had a very colorful attire, with large sleeves that was almost the length of his body. What was really peculiar was his wings: they had feathers, and those feathers were...white? "I'm sorry if upset you in anyway."
Flonne was pretty speechless at this point. Heck anybody would be if they almost killed a nice guy. The best approach was for her to bow and apologize, which she did. "I'm sorry, you just kinda startled me..."
"It's alright. I guess I deserved it." The boy looked at his surroundings. "Any angel would be startled in a place like this...it's no wonder you hit me like that." The boy chuckled before continuing. "So, do you feel lonely living here, Flonne?"
"How do you know my name?" Flonne asked him.
"Let's say I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time..."
"Eh?"
"Oh nothing."
Flonne thought about what he said. Finally, she said, "I do miss Celestia. I wish I could return...but...if I were to go back to Celestia, I would be leaving all my friends."
"Demon friends? That sounds kinda strange coming from an angel."
"Fallen angel actually."
"I see." The boy started to get up. "If you feel depressed, you can talk to me." Soon the wind started to pick up.
"Wait! What's your name?"
The boy turned to Flonne and, before leaving, said, "My name is Yuki..."
Yuki...the way he dresses...and those wings...is he...an angel...?
Flonne was soon knocked out of her thought process by the sound of an explosion coming from the Throne Room. She ran over there. Once again, Etna was engaging Laharl in order to teach him about teamwork. Even now, Laharl was still failing to use teamwork.
"Prince! You're not even trying!" Etna whined.
"I told you already!!! I don't need teamwork!!!!" Laharl, still defiant, shouted back.
Etna sighed again. "And I thought you would learn by now. After all, you were able to defeat Krichevskoy together with Flonne."
"He already told me. That fool, Mid Boss, is NOT my old m—" That's when Laharl's eye widened. His mind rewinded that last sentence. Finally, he exploded. "WHO THE HELL TOLD YOU THAT FLONNE WAS FIGHTING WITH ME!?!"
"Oh so you and Flonne were working together!" Etna teased.
Laharl had enough of this. "THAT'S IT!!!! I'M GONNA GO AND TOSS SOME PRINNIES!!! THAT MIGHT MAKE ME FEEL BETT ER!!!" Laharl stormed out of the room, in a fiery rage, leaving all in disbelief.
"You can all come out now." Trinity, the little mage, called out. Soon all the Prinnies came out tumbling over. Obviously, they were trying to hide from Laharl.
"Dood..."
"Hey Kurtis, you can come out too?" Aramis called out.
Soon, the little green prinny, formely a scientist, appeared. "Geez...Laharl should get a new hobby or something."
"You know, Etna," Flonne started. "You shouldn't have mentioned that to Laharl-san."
"Well he did fight Mid Boss with you, didn't he?"
"Well...we did beat him together but...Oh! Would you look at that? Sorry Etna, but Hazuki (archer), Trinity, and Sara (Female Warrior) wanted me to come with them to mall."
"Yeah yeah. Go ahead and make excuses, but don't think I'm on to you and the Prince." Etna teased.
"ETNA-SAN!!!!"
"Whatever, just go already!" Flonne left for the dimensional portal. As she left, a large grin appeared on Etna's face. Uh oh...this wasn't good. "Time to call together all the vassals..." Oh boy...she got plan alright.
That night, all the vassals met in the large room, connecting the throne room and the castle lobby. In the meeting were all of Laharl's warriors, Plenair the Dark Assembly receptionist, Aramis, Kurtis, and, of course, Etna.
"So you're wondering why I've brought you all here?" Etna started.
"Make this quick. I need sleep..." whinned Pailong, Laharl's fighter.
"So do the rest of us..." Raven, Laharl's female fighter, added.
"Yeah, it's bad enough that I have to see these two fighting all day..." Kakashi(ninja) said, pointing to Naruto(scout) and Hiroshi (Thief).
"SO YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STOLE MY PILLOW!!! YOU FRIGGIN THIEF!!!"
"WHO'S CALLING WHO A THIEF!!!! YOU STOLE MY HAT, YOU WORTHLESS SCOUT!!!!!"
Motoko(ronin) shook her head. "Never mind them. Why are we here?"
Etna cleared her throat. "Lately I've been noticing our two favorite demons getting a little...close."
"...who are our favorite demons?" Soon everyone's faces slammed to the floor after hearing Hazuki's question (archer).
"We are talking about Laharl and Flonne!!!!" Trinity scolded Hazuki. Hazuki eventually got the idea.
Etna sighed and then continued. "Anyway I have a plan to make them..." She saw a hand pop out of the crowd of demons. "Yes Steilhang?"
"If this plan is going to hurt Laharl-sama and Flonne-sama in any way then tell me now. I don't want a part in any of this." Steilhang, being the loyal warrior he is, would rather die than hurt Laharl in any way.
"I know what you're thinking, Steilhang," Etna replied. "But the purpose of my plan is to help him realize how much he needs teamwork. Seeing as he had been successful against Mid Boss with Flonne, I thought it would be better to pair him up with her. Besides, like I said, it seems that our favorite demons have become a little...closer." Then, the group started to hear a couple of chuckles, which later turned into a burst of laughter. This laughter came from three demons: Naruto, Hiroshi, and Bones (skull).
"HAHAHAHA!!!! You've gotta be kidding me!!!! Laharl and Flonne!!!!" Each of the three kept laughing and laughing until...
"Do as you wish..." Etna motioned for Motoko, Kakashi, Pailong, and Raven. Soon the laughter had disappeared, being replaced by an all out brawl.
"I'm still not sure about this, Etna-sama..." said Steilhang.
Soon, he felt someone nudging his back. It was Sara, Laharl's female warrior and Steilhang's partner. "Oh don't worry, Steilhang-san. They'll be alright. Besides, you do want Laharl-san to be stronger, right?"
"W-Well...I suppose so..."
"Then it's settled. Now we'd better get back to bed. We've got a long day tomorrow." Everyone soon turned in for the night, ready for their big plan to go into action.
"...damn...I must've slept with my sword...(doesn't sound right, does it?)" Laharl groaned from the pain he felt from his back. He then pushed his hand up to open the lid on his coffin bed. Strangely, all he felt was air. I never sleep with the lid open. So...WHAT THE--!?! It was then that he found out that he was actually sleeping on a rocky floor. As he rubbed his eyes, he soon realized that he wasn't in his room. He was now in a place called Tortured Cavern, a secret portion of the Castle designed for emergencies such as Krichevskoy's bad days. A large network of tunnels and rooms that led from the room between the lobby and the throne room all the way to the Stellar Graveyard. What's going on? Why am I out here? He then looked around to see if anyone else was with him. It seemed that only person with him was...
"Hm...? Laharl-san, could you keep it down?"
"GET UP, LOVE FREAK!!!! WE'RE NOT EVEN IN THE CASTLE!!!"
"Eh? WHAT!?!" Flonne bolted up and tried looked around the place. "Where are we?"
"This is Tortured Cavern. A hidden maze below the Castle." Laharl replied.
"Hm. I wonder what we're doing here?"
"I don't know, but I know the way out. Just follow me and don't get lost."
"So Etna-san," Aramis began. "why are we doing this again?"
"So the Prince can see how important teamwork is. He was able to beat Mid Boss with Flonne, after all."
"Well he'd better learn how important it is soon." Kurtis said, as he pointed toward Plenair, trying to negotiate with a couple of senators. "Or else we'll be in big trouble."
"PLEASE!!! LAHARL-SAMA ISN'T IN AT THIS MOMENT!!! COME AGAIN LATER!!!" Plenair exclaimed as she pushed back the rioting Senators (damn, she must be strong if she can do that).
"Relax. Everything will be fine. Trust me."
Of course, Kurtis was still very doubtful. After all, who can trust Etna?
Meanwhile, Laharl and Flonne continued to tread through the treachous Tortured Cavern. It's been nearly an hour till Laharl recognized where they were going.
"The mark from my old man's eruption." Laharl noted as he examined the wall. "We must be getting close."
"ERUPTION!?!" Flonne exasperated, a bit overwhelmed by Laharl's last statement.
"Yeah, this place was hiding ground for when my old man would go beserk..."
Flonne was pretty much freaked at this point. If that was King Krichevskoy was that eccentric...then what kind of catastrophe could Laharl-san unleash when he's older...
"If you're done staring at me like that, then let's get moving!!!!" Soon the two began to move again, until they encountered a couple of familiar demons. "Hey, isn't that my magic and missile squad?"
Laharl's Magic and Missile squad consisted of Laharl's far range attackers: Naruto(scout), Hazuki(archer), Trinity(Mage), Bones(Skull), Sirius(Knight), and Shin(Male Cleric). Using magical power and high powered long range weapons, these guys will take down an entire palace.
"Hazuki!!! Trinity!!!" Flonne was overjoyed. After all, she glad her friends could come down to help her. "I'm so glad you're here, can you help us out of this cave?" ...or so she thought...cause at that moment Hazuki fired off her Poison Arrow. "Hazuki!!! What are you doing!?!"
"Totenkruez!!!!!!" Naruto pulled out his gun sent high powered blast toward Laharl, who luckily dodged in time.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL DOING!?! DO YOU REALIZE YOU'RE ATTACKING YOUR OVERLORD!?!" Laharl was really pissed this time. Not only did he end up sleeping on rocks with Flonne, but now half his squad was attacking him.
"Sorry Laharl," Naruto began. "but Etna wants us to beat you and Flonne. See it says right here!" Naruto held up his directions. "'Secret Plan for Teamwork: Beat the crap Laharl and Flonne until they decide to work together.' See, we're only following Etna's orders." After a few minutes of silence, the rest of the squad whacked Naruto all together. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?!"
"NARUTO YOU IDIOT!!!!" Hazuki scolded him. "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO YELL OUT THE PLAN FOR LAHARL-SAN TO HEAR!!!!"
"Oh, so this entire thing was all Etna's plan to make me learn about teamwork? THAT FOOL!!!! ONCE I FIND HER, I'M GONNA RIP HER APART!!!!" Laharl took Flonne's hand. "C'mon Flonne,we're gonna go leave from Stellar Graveyard and then from there kick her ass!!!!"
"Um...Laharl-san...Manty, Dratti, and Gargo are blocking the path to Stellar Graveyard." Trinity said.
"Ooookay...the maybe I'll try entering from Prinny Land..."
"Sorry." Hazuki interjected. "Zommie and Ghoss are there."
"Shit. Then we'll just go to Joutenheim and..."
"Well that pretty much sucks for you." Naruto said. "You've got a whole line of singing succubbi and kitkats."
"Singing!?! I can understand the sexy bodies, but I'm not afraid of any song!!!!"
"Not unless it has the words...love and peace in it." Bones interjected.
"GAH!!! NO!!! NOTHING BUT THAT!!!!" Laharl has two weakness: sexy bodies and optimism. Although he has lately grown accustomed to it, he is still weakened by these two. What's even worse than platitudes and sexy women, are sexy women talking in platitudes.
"Besides, if you were to escape somehow, Etna can simply post that embarassing picture that we're not allowed to mention." Sirius warned him. "She still has the negatives you know."
Shin sighed. "Looks like you're screwed Laharl."
"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S SCREWED!!!!" Laharl charged toward his vassals...only to be shot and fried by his own squads onslaught.
"Laharl-san, are you alright!?!"
"Of course I'm not alright!!!! All my vassals have turned on me!!!!" Laharl exasperated.
"C'mon, let's retreat for now!!! I'll heal you later!!!" Flonne grabbed Laharl and pulled him with her.
A few minutes and a couple of burns later...
"ONCE I'M THROUGH WITH THIS, THOSE GUYS ARE GONNA PAY RUINING MY HAIR!!!!!" Laharl was incredibly pissed at this point. All of his vassals had finally turned against...not to mention mess up his perfect pair of rabbit ear hair. It felt as if his reign as Overlord is over...and it's only been two years.
"I'm sure they didn't mean it." Flonne said as she used her healing magic on him. "I bet they all wanted to see you get stronger. It's not like Etna wants you to die right now." ...though you can never understand what's going through her head...
"Stupid teamwork...all this just for that!!! Why am I learning teamwork!?! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE REDUCED TO NOTHING BY MY OWN VASSALS!?! WHY DO I HAVE TO WORK ALONE WITH ONLY THE LOVE FREAK!?!" Maybe it's because Laharl's really pissed off at this moment, but he took that last one a little too far. He could easily hear the sniffling of the fallen angel.
"...Laharl-san...you're so mean..."
"Eh? How come you're crying?"
"Why don't you ask yourself why I'm crying..." Flonne huddled to herself, feeling really depressed.
"I don't understand what the hell you're talking about!! Don't you understand what's going on!?! I've been tricked by everyone of my vassals and forced to stay out here until fight them off!!!"
"I think you're the one who has to understand, Laharl-san..." Flonne got up and turned to the tunnel they just got out of. "Even now you still have no love in your heart...I'm very disappointed..." Flonne headed back toward up the tunnel.
"Where the hell are you going?"
"Back to the Castle. Obviously you would rather sleep out here than believe in what I've been trying to teach you..." And so Flonne left Laharl alone, hoping to get out of here.
Laharl still confused on what was going on, tried to replay everything in his mind, trying understand what's going on. Geez...stupid Love Freak...what's she all upset about...wait! Was it when...
'Stupid teamwork...all this just for that!!! Why am I learning teamwork!?! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE REDUCED TO NOTHING BY MY OWN VASSALS!?! WHY DO I HAVE TO WORK ALONE WITH ONLY THE LOVE FREAK!?!'
I can't believe her, getting upset over that!! I mean it's not like we like each other or anything... Laharl turned toward the tunnel that Flonne entered awhile ago. ...but...am I really just gonna let her go there on her on...? What am I saying!?! This is so stupid...damn Love Freak... But then...another scene flashed before his mind. Something that he hasn't seen in awhile...
"Sayonara...Laharl-san...become a magnificent Overlord..."
"FLONNE!!!! ...you bastard...I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!!"
"Hey...what happened to Laharl-san?" Trinity asked Flonne. She had finally escaped the tunnel.
"I'm sorry, but he doesn't want to work with me. I want to leave the cavern right now, so please could you step aside."
"Um...Etna didn't say anything about letting Flonne leave the cave." Hazuki said.
"That's true, but she did say that we have to keep fighting till Laharl and Flonne decides to fight back." Shin reminded them.
"Well I guess that means you can't leave, Flonne." Naruto told her. "So you'd better find Laharl."
"Fine...I guess I'll just have to fight my way out." Flonne took out her bow and aimed at the squad. "Dark arrow!!!!!"
Shin stepped in front of everyone and place his wand in front of the incoming arrows. "Shield!" Soon, a barrier appeared before them, protecting the rest of the squad.
"Trinity, Bones, Sirius use your magic attacks!!!" Hazuki ordered them.
"Sorry, but you won't be needing it!!!!" Everyone gasped, as a familiar voice echoed from above. They all looked up, only to see a raging ball of fire rain upon them. "Blazing Knuckles!!!!!" That ball of fire turned into a column of crimson flames, sprouting out from the ground. The vicious attack knocked out all but Naruto and Hazuki, since the rest were mostly mages. Flonne's savior landed perfectly in front of her.
"Laharl-san...?"
"...look I'm not good with apologies...but I guess I'm sorry about earlier..." Laharl, almost hestitantly, said. "...I don't care about whether or not I use teamwork...it comes in handy sometimes...but I'm not gonna be liable for any injuries that my friends sustains..."
Despite the big words Laharl just used, Flonne understood what he was trying to say. You won't let your friends get hurt...? Flonne smiled. So you've had love in your heart all along. You were just afraid to show it...
"Quit spacing out already, Love Freak!!!" Laharl scolded her. "If we're gonna get outta here, we're gonna need some teamwork!"
"Hai!" Flonne replied as she readied herself for battle.
"Just cuz we don't have most of our squad to back us up doesn't mean we'll lose this one!!!" Naruto exclaimed. "C'mon Hazuki!!! Let's show 'em what we got!!!" Suddenly, Naruto began to split into four different versions of himself.
"Hai!!!" Hazuki did the same, this time splitting to millions of copies. Everyone one of the copies surrounded the couple. "Doppleganger!!!!"
"Inferno!!!!"
Volleys of arrows and blasts were now heading straight for Laharl and Flonne. However...just as the attack was about to hit, Flonne grabbed Laharl and jumped into the air. With nothing to stop the attack, the copies ended up hitting each other, D'OH!!!
"Holy arrows!!!!" Flonne soon sent her own arrows of light toward both Naruto and Hazuki. If that wasn't enough, Flonne chucked Laharl down toward the two long range attackers, gathering his powers into his fist.
"Blazing Knuckles!!!!!" Several blasts later, both Naruto and Hazuki were laid nearly charred by the attacks.
"I think you went a little too hard on them, Laharl-san..." Flonne said as she looked down on Laharl's charred up vassals.
"Relax. They won't die." Laharl reassured her. "So how about we just get out of he—"
"LAHARL-SAN, WATCH OUT!!!! BERRY BARRIER BALIDARE!!! TURN THAT HAND BACK AT IT'S MASTER!!!!" (she still knows angel spells) Soon, a barrier appeared before Laharl and reflected what looked like a hand back at it's user.
"HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE STEALING FROM THEM!!! AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"
Laharl instantly recognized that voice. "Damnit, I was almost caught off guard. I'm not letting you get away with this one, Hiroshi!!!!!" Laharl dived into the shadows and an all out brawl was fought out. The hand that Hiroshi used, appeared before Flonne and gave her the stuff it stole.
"Thank you Mr. Hand!" Flonne said. She took one good look at what the 'prize' was, and flushed in embarassment. "Oh my..."
Soon Laharl came out of the shadows, also kind of flushed. "Geez...if you're gonna steal from me...DON'T DO IN THE NUDE!!! IT'S DISTURBING!!!!"
"Uh...Laharl-san..." Flonne interjected as she held up a pile of clothes. Wow, that must've been some high level hand to steal all that.
"How...ironic...and yet sickening..." Laharl shook it off and turned to the next tunnel. "Well we can't spend anymore time here. Let's continue forward!"
"Hai!" And so the two headed for next area.
Few minutes later...
"Where are we now, Laharl-san?" Flonne asked as they took their eleventh turn.
Laharl looked around, searching for the next tunnel to take to the Overlord's Castle. They had spent hours upon hours, looking for countless routes to the Castle. After analyzing their situation and the current area they were in, Laharl came up with one conclusion. "Crap...we're lost..."
"Lost!?!"
"Calm down, Love Freak. We'll find a way out of here." Laharl reassured her. "We just have to find some clue or something..."
"Laharl-san, would this be considered a clue?" Flonne pointed to the tattered sign on the wall. The sign read 'The Overlord's Castle is NOT this way'.
"What dumbass built this place...?" Laharl said sarcastically. Well it didn't matter anyway. They were on their way back to the Castle...or so they thought. Suddenly large blades zipped out from the darkness, nearly grazing Laharl.
"It seems you two have finally made it over here."
"Yeah, we've been waiting forever for you two to get over here."
"Aren't those the..." Flonne began.
"Yeah, I know. So Etna got my 'Youkai Suicide Squad' to join in too." Laharl noted.
The Youkai Suicide Squad was a mixture of Laharl's strongest and most disciplined vassals, with the exception of his female warrior. This team consisted of Steilhang(M.Warrior), Sarah (F.Warrior), Motoko(Ronin), Kakashi(Ninja), his two brawlers Ravens and Pailong, and his Cleric Julietta (each team has at least one cleric). Unlike the other team that stays back and fire away, this team would charge head first into battle. However, they were skilled in close combat. With all these pluses for the team, this battle won't be a cakewalk unlike the M&M squad (Magic and Missile, not the candy!).
"So she even got you into this, Steilhang." Laharl pointed to his most loyal vassal.
"I'm sorry, Laharl-sama, but I want to see you become stronger. I have seen how well you and Flonne-sama work together and I was hoping that with her help, you would gain the strength to defeat anything."
"Hmph...nice speech Steilhang..." Laharl said. "Unfortunately, I'd rather not stay here any longer. If you all want to see how strong I am, then come at me all together!"
"As you wish." Steilhang turned to Sarah. "Ready?"
"You bet!!" The pulled back their swords and with their mightest slash, sent two large green sword beams at Laharl and Flonne. "Dimensional Slash!!!"
Laharl and Flonne easily dodged the attack. It seemed like this battle will be easier than they thought. However...
"You can't escape us, Laharl-san!" Suddenly, Motoko appeared right in front of Laharl and started circling him until a large tornado lifted him into the air. "Hurricane Slash!!!" Soon, Motoko slashed at Laharl, sending him down to the ground.
Meanwhile, Flonne encountered nearly the same problem as Kakashi pummeled Flonne into Laharl with his Tiger Charge. Then, the two brawlers appeared beside them, ready to squash them like a bug with their Big Bang attack. Luckily, Laharl was able to grab Flonne and dodge them just in the nick of time.
"Laharl-san, are you alright?" Flonne worriedly asked him.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." Laharl replied back. They were in a tight spot at this point. After all, the Youkai Suicide Squad contains Laharl's most powerful vassals. It's not a surprise that Laharl and Flonne would have difficulty. Despite this, Laharl wouldn't give up. This time he was surely going to win. The question is how to defeat them. Then... Wait...that might be it... Laharl began to clutch Flonne's wrist tightly, confusuing Flonne a bit.
"Laharl-san...?"
"Leave the rest to me and get outta here!!!" Suddenly, Laharl pulled Flonne over and hurled her into the air. Flonne's voice wailed through the sky, leaving Laharl to fend himself from the Suicide Squad.
"Even now, you still think you can do everything on your own?" Ravens questioned him. "You could hardly defeat the M&M squad on your own."
"I don't care!" Laharl said as he started kneeling on the ground. "Cuz...I quit..." The squad mortified. Laharl is going to give up?
"Laharl-sama..." The entire squad started to circle him. But it was too early for the team to be lax as the squad doubled back from a swipe. It seems that Laharl wasn't really going to give up after all. "So you weren't going to give up?"
"Of course not! I'd rather die than give up right here!" Laharl exclaimed to all his vassals. "Besides, I still got back up!"
"What are you talk—" Suddenly, a sharp pain surged from the bodies of the squad. They looked up and saw Flonne from above with her bow. It all made sense now. Laharl was lying about sending Flonne to the Castle. Instead, he threw he up in the air to get a decent shot at all of them with her Holy Arrows.
"Maybe you guys should watch your enemy and your mouth first!!!!" Laharl then dug his hand into the ground and summoned his powers again. "Burning Knuckles!!!" The crimson column burst out of the ground and incinerated the entire cavern. As the fiery glow waned, the Suicide squad were laid unconcious. Laharl and Flonne were victorious once again.
"Laharl-san, if you're going to try something like that at least tell me what you're going to do..." Flonne shakily said with swirling eyes.
"Well we jumped that hurdle. Now it's time we kick some real ass!!!" Laharl grabbed Flonne and hurried to the next room.
"Finally, we're back!!!" After two more hours of searching, Laharl and Flonne found the stairs that lead them all the way back into Overlord's Castle. However, this wasn't over yet. There was still one more demon out there that's ready to take the two on. Suddenly...
"Rocket Punch!!!"
"Laharl-san, watch out!!!" Flonne grabbed Laharl and pulled him away from what looked like a mechanical hand.
"So you two made it out after all?"
Laharl and Flonne instantly recognized that voice. "Etna!"
"You may have gotten out, but if you really want to get back into the Castle, you'll have to fight us first!" Etna said arrogantly.
This time Laharl and Flonne were up against Laharl's most closest vassals: Etna, Aramis, and Kurtis. Laharl knew exactly how each of the three fought. Both Etna and Aramis can summon more allies onto the field, which included Prinnies and Zombies. Etna was also very proficient in demon magic and close range attacks. Kurtis, though a Prinny, was a very capable fighter who kept most of his gadgets from his other life as a human. This was going to be a long battle.
"Heh, don't underestimate me!! I've tolerated this teamwork crap long enough!! It's time we show you what we can do." Laharl turned to Flonne. "Right?"
"Of course! The power of love beats all!!!"
"DON'T BRING LOVE INTO THIS!!!!!"
Etna giggled as the two argued over the presence of love in this battle. "Seems you two are becoming quite a couple."
"ETNA!!!!!"
"Either way, it's time that we finally test your bond." Etna whistled into the air and raised her arms. Suddenly, Prinnies began to circle around her, floating into the air in a massive swarm. That's when Laharl realized what was going on. She's gonna hurl all those Prinnies at us! "The battle begins. Drop dead!!! Prinny Raid!!!!" In a snap, the Prinnies hurled themselves at Laharl and Flonne. The Prinnies zeroed in on their target and came in contact, causing an immense explosion of green and red. For some weak servents, these guys had some really explosive powers. Laharl and Flonne barely dodged it. Etna began to gloat as she felt the end of this battle would be coming very soon. "Alright, Kurtis attack!!!! ...Kurtis? Where are you, Kurtis?"
"Um...Etna-san, Kurtis is right there." Aramis, the sarcastic zombie tamer, said, pointing to an unconcious green Prinny.
"Whoops, I forgot! Prinny Raid effects all prinnies! Silly me!" Laharl's face slammed into the floor. It didn't matter to Etna, anyway. "Well it looks like we're one demon down. Alright, ready Aramis!"
Aramis nodded and whistled into air. This time an army of zombies appeared before the couple. "And now for my final zombie..." Suddenly a large purple zombie appeared. The most unusual feature cannot be described within the confines of this story. While it is unusual, it is definitely the Netherworld's most dangerous item. "Say hello to my little friend!!!"
"NOT THE HORSE WEINER ZOMBIE!!!!!!" See, there's no way anyone could describe something so atrocious so accurately. Either way, Laharl and Flonne had a lot more to deal with now. Suddenly...
"Hold it right thar, sonny boy!" yelled a weird demon in a business suit. "We demons have been tired of children like you, going in and cutting body parts just to modify your 'toys'. So we hearby place Aramis under arrest for cutting demons and legend parts." The business demon then pulls out a stamp and pounded it onto his forehead, reading the abbreviation of Aramis' sentence. "We have a name for kids like you, and that's 'Children Oppressing Cut Korpses'!!" (I dare you all to spell it out in your reviews. Just make sure to actually review and not say...um...that word)
Laharl suddenly burst into laughter. After all, who couldn't after spelling it all out. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! THAT'S GREAT!!! THAT MEAN ARAMIS IS A CO—" Soon his laughter was halted by Flonne whacking him. (I love playing with abbreviations!)
"Laharl-san, that's not a very nice to say that!!" Then again, she herself was trying to hold it in. Either way, both Kurtis and Aramis have been taken away...leaving Etna all by herself. Ouch, that's gotta suck.
Seeing victory in sight, Laharl began to gloat over his victory. "Ha! How do you like that? I bet now I could beat you on my own!! Face it, Etna! I won!!!"
"You really think so, Prince?" That glint in Etna's eyes...she's not done yet. She's just getting started. "Even if Aramis and Kurtis are gone, I still have my backup." Etna's whistle once again echoed through the air. Soon enough, three Prinnies were standing proudly before her.
It's pretty easy to guess what Laharl would do at this point. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! YOU HAVE PRINNIES AS BACK UP!!! YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!!!"
"Watch it, Laharl-san!" Flonne warned. "You never know what Etna-san has up her sleeve!"
"Seriously Flonne, what can she do with those three Prinnies? Face it Etna, you've lost!"
Even then, Etna continued to grin. The twinkle in her eye was indicator that Laharl was simply being a fool at this point. "You really think so, Prince? Well, take this!!!" Etna suddenly grabbed two of her Prinnies and hurled them at Laharl and Flonne.
Seeing absolutely no threat in this attack, Laharl just scoffed at her. "Relying on your Prinnies explosive power again? You're really desperate, aren't you?" Laharl and Flonne simply ducked, letting the Prinnies fly overhead. "You have only one Prinny left! Do you still think you can win this?"
That's when Flonne realized that there was something a little strange. "Wait...Laharl-san...wasn't there supposed to be an explosion? The Prinnies are supposed to explode!"
"Nevermind that! C'mon, let's go and attack!!!" Suddenly, he felt something hit his back. It felt like an irritating itch to him. "What the—"
Flonne felt it too. "There's something on me!!"
That's when Laharl realized what happened. "THE PRINNIES!!!"
"That's right, Prince. I ordered the Prinnies to cling right onto your back! So what do you think?"
"I think you're just wasting my time!!!!" Laharl dashed at Etna, charging full speed. Instead of charging head on or waiting for the right time to counter, Etna rolled her last Prinny at Laharl's feet. Without realizing the obstruction in front of him, Laharl ended up tripping to the ground.
That's when something occured to Flonne, the true purpose Etna's Prinnies. "Don't tell me she's...LAHARL-SAN WATCH OUT!!!" Flonne ran quickly and pick Laharl up from his inevitable fall.
"Don't worry about me falling! Just help me fight!!!"
"Don't you get it, Laharl-san!!! She's purposefully making us fall!!! It's a trap!!!"
"But what could Etna do?" Then it hit him. The purpose of being tripped. The reason why the Prinnies were on his back. "...no way...don't tell me she's..."
"You're correct, Prince!" Etna said. "These special Prinnies are much more weaker, but are more powerful explosives! Because they are very weak, any strong impact on them will cause an explosion! Even something as simple as tripping on a rock!"
Despite this, Laharl wouldn't let up just yet. He decided if he was going to beat Etna, he might as well charge at his full power, and so he summoned his fire power again. "Blazing—"
"I wouldn't try that if I were you!" Etna warned him. "If your attack is too strong then the Prinnies WILL react to it!"
Laharl gritted his teeth and withdrew his Blazing Knuckles attack. Then he came up with another idea. If I can't close in on her, I'll just have to attack from long range! "Overlord's--!"
"Not so fast, Prince!!!" Etna grabbed her last Prinny again and hurled it at Laharl. Laharl quickly withdrew his spell and dodged the Prinny. This didn't look too good for Laharl.
"Laharl-san, you can't beat Etna like this!!!" Flonne exclaimed.
"I THINK I KNOW THAT ALREADY!!!!"
"But don't you see! Etna-san's working together with her Prinnies and creating the perfect strategy! In order to beat her, we have to play at her own game! We have to use teamwork!"
Laharl groaned, a bit annoyed that the words 'teamwork' have been echoing throughout this entire episode. "I know that...but how can we beat her?"
Flonne picked Laharl's head up and made him look straight into her eyes. "Etna-san, knows her Prinnies. She knew of their abilities and how they can fight. In order to fight her, you'll have to know yourself...and those who are you are fighting with. That's teamwork."
Know yourself and those who you are fighting with... Those words echoed throughout Laharl's mind. Laharl continued to think about what to do. I...think I know myself...then what do I know about Flonne...that Love Freak... That's when it finally hit him. Laharl grinned deviously as he turned toward Etna. "Oy Etna! You'd better be ready, for in a few seconds, I will be the victor of this battle!"
"You sound pretty confident, Prince. You sure you have something to back that up?"
"Of course!" Laharl's grin grew bigger. He had a big plan ready to end this battle. "Alright, Flonne...I hope you're ready for this."
"Hai!" Flonne happily replied. "...but...what's this big plan of yours?"
"Oh you'll see!" Laharl then turned to Etna. "Alright...HERE I COME!!!!" Laharl charged towards Etna.
Etna shook her head. Even now Laharl was resorting to nothing but his own strength. "Geez Prince, you haven't learned a thing. Oh well...better put you out of your misery." Etna clutched both her spear and her last Prinny, ready to finish.
Suddenly, Laharl stopped half way and turned to Flonne. "Hey Love Freak, before I go and beat the crap outta Etna, can you teach me about love?"
Etna couldn't help it. She had to crack up. "I can't believe I'm hearing this! Do you really want to learn about love before you get your ass kicked?"
Flonne ignored Etna and cheerfully replied, "Of course, Laharl! In fact, we should have the Prinnies join us too!"
"Huh?"
"C'mon Prinnies, I'm gonna teach you all about love!"
"Well if it beats hanging on your backs, then sure, dood!" The Prinnies began to slide off their backs and huddle around Flonne as she began ranting away about the importance of love.
"What the—IDIOTS, GET BACK ON THEM!!!! HEY I'M TALKING TO YOU!!!!" It was no use. Laharl's plan worked. Using Flonne's powers of love nagging, the Prinnies were able to get off their backs. Now that they were out of harm's way, Etna had no other vassals left. On the other hand, while Flonne was too busy with the Prinnies to fight, Laharl definitely had the advantage over Etna when it came to one-on-one. Etna sighed. She had no other options... "I give up...you win, Prince." ...but to surrender.
Laharl's voice crackled throughout the halls of the Castle as he basked in glory over his victory. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I'M THE GREATEST!!! THE MOST POWERFUL IN THE NETHERWORLD!!!! I AM UNSTOPPABLE!!!! FEAR ME!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
However, some of the other vassals in the castle were not interested in Laharl's victory. "SHUT UP, WE'RE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!!!!" "IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THAT, PRINCE!!!!"
Etna turned to Laharl "Either way, you were able to get through all this with the use of teamwork. I guess that means no more teamwork training!"
"Finally! Now that I've got free time on my hands--!"
"Wait, Prince!" Etna halted Laharl. "Don't you have something to say to your little sweetheart?"
Bright red was plastered all over Laharl's face as Etna teased him about his relationhship with Flonne. "YOU FOOL!!! JUST BECAUSE WE WORK TOGETHER VERY DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE...LIKE THAT!!!"
"Aw...is our lil megalomanic shy?"
"SHUT UP!!!"
"Oh what are you two talking about?" Flonne asked the two, gettting out of 'love ranting mode'
"Oh nothing. We were just talking about the Netherworld's future couple!"
"Future couple?"
"NO WAY!!! THE TWO OF US ARE NOT A COUPLE!!!!" Laharl continued to bark at Etna.
"The two of us?" That's when Flonne's face flushed a bright red, in embarrasment. "ETNA-SAN, WE'RE JUST GOOD FRIENDS!!! WE'RE NOT LIKE THAT!!!"
"Wait, till I tell everyone about this!!!" And so, Etna quickly dashed out of the room.
"GET BACK HERE!!!!" Soon, Laharl and Flonne, pretty much embarrassed and pissed at Etna, chased her down the Castle...together!
Next episode:
Etna: Today's episode I—
Laharl: All you lowly servants out there! Bow down for the your great Overlord has arrived!!!
Etna: Wait a minute!!!!
Laharl: I, Overlord Laharl, am now in power and you shall surrender everything to me!!!!
Etna: PRINCE--!!!
Laharl: There is no one who can oppose me!!!! Watch as I trash all my enemies and bring terror to all those who defy me!!!!
Etna: THIS IS MY SHOW!!!!
Laharl: Next time on Great Overlord Laharl!!!: The Overlord Has Arrived! Prepare for terror like you've never seen before. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Etna: ::large bang:: Shut up already!!!!
I improved on the length but description is, unfortunately, still lacking. Then again, at least it's better than how I used to write. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now that the whole teamwork thing is over with, we're back to a more humorous light hearted adventure.
