Author's notes: I hope you guys liked that 'not as sweet chapter'. Damn, not much reviews lately. I mean only Kizzi-chan reviewed (which is all right. At least I know she didn't stop writing or anything) but what happened to Bella and the rest of my reviewers? Oh well, it's all right. I should at least be happy that I have 30 reviews, not to mention that I'm actually writing this fic. The funny thing is that Hamtaro fic, which hasn't gotten reviews in awhile, is starting to get more reviews. Then again, that really angsty chapter did cause a spark, but whatever. I'm not here to talk about Hamtaro anyway. I'm here to talk about Disgaea and whether you guys review or not doesn't matter (actually I like reviews so please try to review more often, but if you don't that's okay)
Now that I've finally given a proper introduction to my dark priest character, it is time to see what he can really do. Let's see whether or not Laharl can stand up to Setsuna. The question is, though, what is Setsuna really out to gain?
Disclaimer: You guys do know that I don't own Disgaea; so let me try to claim a couple of things. I do own Setsuna the Dark Priest (Some of you may think of Sailor Moon when you hear his name. There is no way in hell that I'd get anything from Sailor Moon…well except that spoof from chapter 3, but that was making fun of Sailor Moon. No, the name Setsuna I got from the kendo girl from Mahou Sensei Negima and the crazy evil dude from Last Blade. I chose this name cuz it sounds cool. I couldn't think of any other Japanese name that relates to him.) The other characters that I own in this fic are Katy the angelic messenger, Yuki, Chiroko, and Kuroyami.
Episode 8: Messiah of Light and Darkness (part 1)
"Thank you for the wonderful day, Steilhang-san!" Sarah thanked her warrior partner. After a long day of stealing, fighting, and total chaos, Laharl's vassals were ready to sit down and finally rest. Laharl, Flonne, Etna, Aramis, and the Defenders were still out there in that circle of destruction.
Steilhang, trying not to blush, tried to act in a calm, collected manner. "Oh, it's nothing Sarah…"
"Humph! At least Steilhang listens to you." Hazuki pouted. "Naruto always tries to run away!"
"That's cuz you always want me to steal so much!!!!" Naruto snapped back.
"Well you were part of those search-and-destroy missions with Hiroshi, so you would be just as good as he is when it comes to stealing!!"
"You know, I hope Flonne-chan had a good time with Laharl-sama today." Trinity said.
"Don't worry about them." Motoko reassured her in her usually calm tone. "I'm sure they're fine."
"Ah, so the Ovelord is out today?"
"Yes, didn't you know? …wait a minute…" All of the vassals in the room noticed a very unfamiliar voice. They turned around and in front of the dimensional gate was a dark hooded character with a long staff with a cross on top. He had three awkward charms on him. "Who are you and how did you get here!?!"
The dark hooded man bowed to them and apologized. When he came up, some of his face was shown. He had jet-black hair that went to mid-neck and incredibly happy blue eyes. "I'm sorry that I came in without asking. My name is Setsuna and I'm looking for the Overlord of the Netherworld. As for how I got in, I found a dimensional portal over in Joutenheim, so I went through there and here I am."
Something wasn't right about the story. Setsuna said that he came in from Joutenheim, but there was a problem with that and Julietta, Laharl's female cleric and the guard of the dimensional portal knew it. "That's a little hard to believe, because the dimension portal in Joutenheim was diminishing. The only way for you to use it to get here, is to have someone open it for you."
Setsuna just continued to put on his happy expression, and replied, "Well I kind of opened it myself. Please, I just need to see the Overlord. It's urgent."
The vassals huddled up and discussed the situation. It was a little awkward for someone to just barge in there like that.
"So what do we do?" Sirius asked everyone.
"I'm a little wary about him. I sense something very odd." Kakashi said.
"I agree." Said Motoko. "He's giving off very little energy, but it seems like he's suppressing it. He's trying to hide something. Plus, you have to have a decent amount of power to even open up a dimensional portal like that."
"But he seems like a nice a guy." Hazuki said.
"You can never be too sure, Hazuki." Hiroshi told her. "Naruto and I have seen a lot of demons like him. He could be trying to fool us."
"Yeah. Who knows what kind of tricks he has in that cape of his." Naruto added.
"But you know Laharl-kun." Sarah said. "If he misses something while he's around, he'll get mad and start yelling at us for not keeping him around."
"That's true." Replied Ravens. "We can't have Laharl cussing at us for this."
"Still, we should keep a close eye on him." Said Pailong. "Let us at least keep him in the lobby and watch him until Laharl returns."
"I have to agree with Pailong." Steilhang said. "While we are unsure of this man's intentions, we don't want to throw this man away if it really is something important. For now, let us keep an eye on him. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
Steilhang and turned back to Setsuna to give their reply. "I'm sorry, but we can't allow you any further in the castle without the consent of Laharl-sama. If it's possible, please wait here in the lobby for him."
Setsuna simply nodded and agreed to stay. "Yes, I'll stay here. I know that you are simply doing your job and I respect that. I have a lot free time anyway. I guess I can stay and wait."
"Thank you." Steilhang thanked him.
"No, thank you for letting me stay." Setsuna calmly replied. Just as he was about to go over and sit down somewhere, Setsuna sensed something coming at him. Whatever it was, it was going really fast. Setsuna stepped to the side and the fireball flew right by. When he turned around, Krichevskoy's five top vassals were in front of Laharl's vassals, trying to keep them away from him.
"Let us handle this everyone." Zommie warned Laharl's vassals. The vassals were a little unaware of what's going on, but since they were their superiors, they decided to stay put. Zommie approached Setsuna in a very serious manner. Setsuna, on the other hand, was calm and bright. "You have returned."
Setsuna, calm as ever, simply replied, "Ah, I see you're well Zommie, Ghoss, Manty, Gargo, and Dratti. I guess it has been awhile. Does the new Overlord treat you as well as Krichevskoy?"
Zommie didn't act the same way. He was very skeptical of him. "Stop trying to flattering us. Why are you here?"
"I'm here to see the Overlord, of course."
"And what are you going to do with him?" Ghoss asked.
Setsuna shook his head. He couldn't give a straight answer. "That, I, unfortunately, cannot tell you at this moment."
"Answer us, Setsuna!!" Gargo demanded.
"We are not joking around with you! We want our answers straight!!" Manty exclaimed.
"And if we don't get them, we will be forced to fight you." Dratti warned him as she began to growl. All of them were ready to pounce on Setsuna all at once. Obviously, they had strong hatred towards him.
Even then, Setsuna remained perfectly calm. "I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you. This is something between Laharl-kun and me. I do not wish to fight, but if I have to I must. Let me say this again: I am here to see Laharl-kun now get out of my way before someone gets injured."
"I see. Stubborn as ever." Zommie said. He then pointed his arms at Setsuna, which made a click noise. "Then we'll have to destroy you! Zombie Gatling!!!" Soon, bullets shot out towards Setsuna. Setsuna dodged the strafe, but was then met by Manty's claw. Luckily, he was able to dodge that one as well.
"Bomb Magic!!" Ghoss threw out his explosion spells and tried to catch Setsuna with it. Setsuna was able to dodge this one as well.
"Red Nova!!!" Dratti shot out her flames and tried to torch Setsuna, but once again, he dodged it.
The next one, however, he wouldn't be able to dodge. "Cannonball!!!" Gargo shot out his power pillar attack. While Setsuna could easily dodge this one, the other vassals' attacks were coming at him. He was surrounded by incredibly powerful attacks, all of which were impossible to avoid at this time, so he had no choice but to take the hit. When they all collided, the vassals had thought they had won, but Setsuna remained untouched. In fact, he didn't receive any damage. He was able to absorb the power of their attack with his priest staff.
Setsuna, already tired of this battle, turned to the vassals. He was still pretty calm about the situation. In fact, he looked happy. "Wow, I didn't think I would get out of that one. I said I didn't want to hurt you, but seeing that you won't listen, I have no choice." Setsuna shuffled through his cape and pulled out four slips of paper. Each one had weird writing on them. "Sorry, but I'm not gonna hold back on this one." The instant he was done speaking, he was on top of Dratti. He placed that piece of paper on him and moved quickly to Manty, and continued until each piece of paper was on all of them, except for Zommie. That's when Setsuna began to chant. "I call upon the power hell pyre on thy seal. Bond onto your host and obey my command! Explosion seal!!!" Suddenly, the same slips of paper exploded. The explosion was powerful enough to rock the castle. When the smoke cleared, all but Zommie were on the ground. Zommie, who was severely damaged by the attack, held his wound, glaring at Setsuna.
"Y-you…"
When Setsuna looked at Zommie again, he was now incredibly serious. His blue eyes were replaced with vicious amber eyes. Hoping to not hurt any more demons, he gave Zommie one more chance. "Give up."
"Never!!!!" Zommie charged at Setsuna, hoping to at least get some damage on him. However, Setsuna took out a couple of beads and wrapped them around Zommie.
Setsuna, once again, summoned the power of his charms. "Beads of holiness bind my enemy and explode. Explosion Bind!!!"When the chant was over, the beads began to glow. What came next defeated Zommie for good: they exploded, taking out the last of Krichevskoy's vassals. The other vassals were horrified. Those five vassals were probably the strongest out of them, yet one person defeated them all. Not only did he defeat them, but also he came out of the battle unscathed. Setsuna turned to them and said, "If you don't wanna get hurt, then you'd better stay down. Don't throw yourself like this."
"We're not gonna let you get away with this one!!!" Steilhang ordered everyone to charge at him with their greatest attacks. Each one of unleashed all their fury onto Setsuna, trying to bring him down.
Setsuna simply pulled out one more piece of paper and placed it on the ground. "Please, forgive me for doing this. Seal of Holiness, obey the pact and summon your energy. Holy Seal Wave!!!!"In that moment, everything became white…
Flashback end"And that's what happened…" Steilhang told Laharl at the Hell Hospital. When Laharl, Flonne, and Etna arrived earlier, they found the bodies of all those defeated by Setsuna. Luckily, the Hell Hospital was nearby and they weren't dead, so all they needed was medical attention. Still, this was a really big problem and Setsuna was still out there.
"Is this Setsuna or whatever he is still here?"
"No, I saw him leave through the dimensional portal. However, he did talk to Pleinair and handed her a piece of paper. You'd better see her later."
"Yeah, and you'd better get treated." Laharl told his vassal. "I have feeling that you'll be out for awhile, so at least get some rest."
"Alright. Thank you, Laharl-sama." Steilhang then headed through the door, and into the examining room. As Steilhang left, Flonne and Etna were rushing over to Laharl.
Laharl asked them, "So how are they?"
Flonne bowed her head. "They're fine, but they won't be up for a few days."
"Esmeralda says that they can stay for awhile, just make sure to pay your fees later on." Etna told him.
"I understand." Laharl said. It was hard for him to understand this situation, especially since it occurred while he was out. Coming back to the castle to see everyone like this was a real shocker to him. There was only one way to deal with this. Laharl got up and headed for the lobby.
"Hey Prince, where are you going?"
"I'm going over to Pleinar." Laharl replied. "She might have some clues to the whereabouts of our intruder." Flonne and Etna nodded and followed after him.
Few seconds later…
"Yes, that mysterious man came up to me and told me to give this to you." Pleinar said as she handed Laharl the note. Pleinar was pretty much his head secretary, as well as Laharl's connection to the Dark Assembly. "I'll try to get the Dark Assembly to give you extra vassals if you need them."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Laharl told her. "They're my vassals so I want to keep them."
"Okay Laharl-sama. Then at least let me see if the senators will open up the battlefield."
"The battlefield?"
"Yes. It says it in the dark hooded man's letter. Please take care, Laharl-sama." After bowing to Laharl, Pleinar left through transporter cage to the Dark Assembly.
Laharl began to open the letter, but he was a little hesitant in what it was going to say, such as where a possible battle may be. Whoever Setsuna was, he was definitely a powerhouse. To be honest, Laharl was a little scared. After all, Krichevskoy's top five vassals have fallen so easily to this guy. However, Laharl was also thrilled to meet him. After months of waiting for real action, the battle against Priere finally gave him the challenge needed. Now that another powerful enemy has appeared, Laharl was so excited to fight him. Then again, he still had to worry about certain demons. He couldn't let her get hurt after what he promised. When he finally opened it, he began reading the letter carefully.
Dear Overlord Laharl,
I am sorry that you have to come to see your vassals like this. I was awaiting your arrival but your vassals launched an assault on me. I had no choice but to rely on my own self-defense. Now that I have your attention I want you to hear me out. I'm here for one purpose, and that is to challenge you to a duel. Seeing we can't hold it on your home turf, I have chosen the location. The location of our battle is on the back of the letter. Please meet me at noon and prepare yourself as well as any vassals you may be taking. I hope to see you there and prepared.
Sincerely, Setsuna, the Dark Priest
"So it is a challenge letter." Etna said. She pulled out her spear, ready for the challenge.
"So where is it being held, Laharl-san?" Flonne asked as she examined her angelic staff.
"I'm getting to it!" Laharl turned over the letter in order to find the location of the battle. When he finally found the letter, a grim expression was on his face. He handed the letter to Etna. "You won't believe where we're doing this…"
Etna took the letter and searched for the name of the location. Flonne huddled near Etna and tried to help her look for it. "Let's see. Oh here it is. The location of the battle is…" Etna's face was now full of horror. The location of the battle was a place that many would dare not set foot on. "…ETERNAL APOCALYPSE!?! Is he crazy!?!"
"Is the Eternal Apocalypse a dangerous place?" Flonne asked them.
"I heard it used to be the battleground for the 'Great Betrayal'." Laharl said, knowing about the battleground's history. "They say it's where Kuroyami, the greatest traitor of the Netherworld, battled the angels of Celestia in order to take control of it. His reason for leading such a revolt was to weaken both the Netherworld and Celestia and take control, but the fool was defeated. How he was defeated is unknown, but they say his spirit lives on and kills off anyone who crosses it."
"Either way, it's been known for being one of the most unstable grounds of the universe." Etna added. "You never know what's going to happen. It's climate changes in seconds, and structures can rise or tumble without warning. This is very dangerous, Prince. Are we still going to accept this challenge?"
Laharl, with his hands crossed, bitterly replied, "Of course! We're charging straight in and destroying that damn Priest! He'd better be prepared, cuz no one leaves a battle with the Overlord unscathed!!! So prepare yourself, cuz this may be the last sermon you're serving, priest!!!! Hmhmhm…hmhmhmhm…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"
Etna sighed, seeing that even in the face danger, Laharl still had the nerve to laugh it all off. Then again, it made Etna feel better since she knew Laharl wasn't afraid of his opponent. "Well, I don't want you screwing this one up, so I'm coming with you!"
"I'm not gonna screw this one up!!!! I'm gonna come out of this battle victorious!!! And by the way, this is a duel!!! I can't have you tag along!!!"
"But Etna-san is right!" Flonne reminded him. "This is no ordinary foe you're facing. You need teamwork on your side, which is why I'm going too!"
"But Flonne…"
"I've made up my mind, Laharl-san! Even if this is a duel, the least I could do is cheer you on."
"If Etna-san is going, then so am I." Aramis said as he entered the room. "After all, I have to keep my end of the bargain, since you saved all my zombies."
"I'm coming too!!" Gordon exclaimed with this fist high in the air. "I cannot let a priest tarnish his title like this!!!"
"So am I." Jennifer told him. "We're all here to help you."
"I may not understand the situation, but seeing that we all agree on the same idea, we have to go with you." Kurtis said.
"We are helping you. End of discussion." Thursday beeped.
Laharl sighed and headed toward his room. "Heh, suit yourself. I tried warning you, but I guess you guys are too stubborn. Well, you'd better rest up then. We've got a big day tomorrow." After warning his remaining vassals, Laharl left for his room
"Shouldn't the Overlord thank us for coming along?"
"No, I think Laharl-san was thanking us…in his own way at least."
Over at Celestia, the messenger angel, Katy, was making her way to Sacred Altar. This time when she entered, the Seraph was fully aware of her arrival and decided not to play around again. He accepted the letter from Katy and thanked her for it.
There was just one thing on his mind. "Who is it from?"
Katy shook her head, indicating that she was unaware of who it was. "I don't know, but he had a black cape and a priest staff."
"I see. Thank you, Katy." When Katy left, Lamington unfolded the message and read the letter. After reading it, Lamington chuckled a bit. Setsuna, you're overworking yourself. You continue your search as well as your own mission. One day, your 'curse' won't be able to keep you alive. If you need to rest, you're always welcome here, but I understand. I'll continue to keep an eye out for him. Then Lamington noticed the last part of the letter. It read:
P.S. There is a disturbance in the air. We must be on high alert.
With everything that's happening, how can I not be on my guard?
The next morning, Flonne had woken up from the coffin. As usual, Flonne had been sleepwalking into Laharl's coffin bed and slept with him. Normally, she would go out to the balcony, but she paused for a second. She looked to her side and noticed one thing: Laharl wasn't there. This was very unusual since it was Flonne that usually left the coffin before Laharl. She quickly pushed open the lid of the coffin and tried to make sure Laharl hadn't already left for the duel. Luckily, she found Laharl, standing outside on the balcony. Flonne breathed a sigh of relief and headed for the balcony.
"Laharl-san…?"
Laharl turned his head towards the door of the balcony. Flonne was right there, with a worried look on her face. "Heh, you're awake."
"Laharl-san, why are you up so early? Don't tell me you planned on leaving the castle?"
Laharl shook his head. "No, I have no intention of doing that. I just needed some air…and some time to think."
"About what?"
Laharl remained silent for a few seconds. Those few seconds were used to gather his thoughts to tell Flonne what she needed to know. Finally, Laharl let out a sigh and began to tell her what was going through his mind. "Do you remember that time we faced the Seraph?"
"Yes. You almost killed him…because you thought he took my life."
"Yeah. You tried to sacrifice yourself for us. Not just then, but even now. You tried sacrificing yourself during the protection mission and when we battled Priere, to protect me. I know that you're always the type of person to look out for others, and that is because you love all living things, right?" Flonne happily nodded in reply. It was true. Her love for love was too great. She never had a deep hatred for anything and has tried her best to keep herself from gaining such hatred. Laharl continued. "But, sometimes it hurts us even more every time you have to run in there and take a hit for us, or try to shield us from danger. What I'm trying to say is…" Laharl paused, trying to think of the right to say it. He did not want to make it sound like something other than what he trying to say. The last thing he wanted was for Flonne to think that he loves her in any way. He took a deep breath and told her what he needed for her to hear. "…I don't want you to get hurt during this battle. That's why I didn't want you coming with me. Seeing that you'll go no matter what, I won't prevent you or anything…but please don't try anything that will put you in danger. This time…I want to be the one sacrificing myself for you." Laharl didn't know if he said it the wrong way. That last line sounded a little too weird, and if Flonne caught on, she would be thinking something totally different.
Then, Flonne came up to Laharl and hugged him. Laharl was about to squirm, thinking that he said it the wrong way, but Flonne simply smiled at him and said, "Alright, I'll try to stay away from the battle as much as possible. I want to see you fight, but if you're worried about my safety, I understand. I'll try my best not worry you." Laharl couldn't help but smile as well. At the very least, Flonne will try her best to stay away from danger, which will allow him to be more focused during his battle. Flonne just kept smiling at him. You were so worried about me, weren't you Laharl-san? That was your concern when I almost ran away, wasn't it? All this time you've been worrying about my safety. If that is what you wish, then I won't hurt myself for your sake. I don't want you to be hurt anymore.
Then…
"Oh Prince, don't you think it would be easier to say 'Flonne-chan, I want to protect you with all my might'?"
"Yeah, but then that would simply imply that I…" Only one person could say tease Laharl like that. Someone who would spy and tease him all the time, despite his title. Someone…who just snuck into his room. "ETNA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!"
"I decided to hide in your room, just in case you decided to leave for the duel without telling us, but it seems you and Flonne-chan are being all kissy-kissy." Etna leaped out of the shadows, landing in front of Laharl and Flonne. The ever-perky vassal clasped her hands together and smirked; enjoying the moment the two were sharing together. "Well there's no need to hide it, Prince. Why not tell Flonne-chan how you feel?"
"I feel like bashing you and that friggin dark priest!!!"
"Oh c'mon, don't be shy Prince!"
Laharl was about to snap back at her, but then, Flonne put her hand in front of Laharl, preventing him from saying another word. "How Laharl-san feels is his own business. If he has something to talk about, then he'll tell us when he feels he's ready. For now, we should be more concerned about the battle." Flonne gave a small wink to Laharl. Laharl was relieved that Flonne was able to end this argument. However, Flonne brought something else up. "Speaking of the battle, Zommie-san said Setsuna-san was a priest, right?"
"Well, he said he was a dark priest, but yeah. Is there something wrong with that?"
"Well, it's just that…only humans are priests. There really aren't any angelic or demonic priests." Flonne was right. On Earth, the strongest humans are usually given titles. Those with strong ties to Celestia or even the Netherworld are considered priests. Priests have a different type of power that makes them different from warriors and even spell casters, like mages. Because these priests have connections with Celestia and the Netherworld, priests gain certain powers from their respective connection. There was something odd about this priest.
"She's right." Etna said. "Only humans are priests, but what does that have to do with this priest?"
"Well Zommie-san said that they have met before, right? Unless, he had a demon or angel perform a pact on him, there's no way he'd live long enough to meet Krichevskoy or anyone else." Flonne was right again. The human life span isn't as long as a demon's or an angel's. The only way for a human to live a long life is to have a high-level demon or angel perform a pact on the human. That's why many witches, such as Laharl's mom, can live so long, yet, judging from what they have heard, Setsuna may not have gone through a pact.
"So what are you trying to say, Flonne-chan?"
"Think about it. Setsuna-san cannot live that long if he's a human, yet only priests can be humans. If that's true then there's only one explanation for his long life span."
"You don't mean he's—"
"That's right. He could be a cross breed." Laharl and Etna understood what Flonne was trying to say. If he's a human with a long life span, but did not have a demon or angel place a pact on him, then the only way he could live so long…is by being a cross breed.
"I get it now." Laharl said. That's when he came up with another conclusion. "If that's true, then maybe he was the one attacked Priere."
Etna shook her head. "We can't be certain of that, but now that we know he's a cross breed, we have to be a little more careful. After all, if the one that attacked Priere could control her body, then there's not telling what this dark priest could do."
"Then we'd better be on our guard." Laharl said, as he headed for the door. "Well we'd better get ready for the duel. We have to be fully prepared for whatever he has. Let's go."
Later that day, our dark priest ruffled through his clothes pulled out his three charms: the double cross, the lapis lazuli and obsidian arrowhead, and the Gemini symbol. The three began to glow, resonating with his own powers. He clutched his priest staff firmly in his hand, and began to head towards his destination. On the way there, voices began to echo in his mind.
'So are we going now?'
Yeah, today's the day. For now, I have to forget about Yuki and focus my attention on Overlord Laharl. We have to go to Eternal Apocalypse.
"Well that brings back some memories. I just hope you don't get lost this time."
Why do you say that? I know where I'm going. We'll be there in no time. I'm definitely not getting lost!
A few hours later…
"DAMNIT!!!! WHERE'S THE FRIGGIN PRIEST!?!" Laharl shouted as he tried to dodge another falling boulder. It was two hours past noon, and Setsuna hasn't even shown his face. What made this even worse was that they were waiting for him in Eternal Apocalypse, one of the most unstable places in the Netherworld. Almost anything could happen here. Boulders could fall from the sky, a volcano could erupt, a blizzard could all of sudden fall, the ground might open up, souls could try to capture demons; it was hard enough just to stand on the place. "If another boulder falls on me, I'll rip that priest apart!!!!"
"You know, threatening people won't make Setsuna-san come, Laharl-san." Flonne reminded him as she jumped out of a closing pit.
"True, but why do I have to get the hot part?" Etna already had enough trying to deal with the lava. Even though her outfit was skimpy enough, she already felt so hot inside the place. Aramis was having the same trouble, especially since he was wearing something less revealing.
"Well while you're baking the heat, we're freezing cold!" Gordon whined. He and the rest of defenders were currently in the middle of a snowstorm.
Laharl couldn't stand it. After everything priest has done, he wasn't even showing up. "That priest must have tricked us so we could be weakened before he gets here!! That cheater!!!"
"Well, he acts demon-like." Etna said, noting the fact that the priest cheats. That gave her an idea. "Maybe we could give him a job as another vassal."
"Good idea! After I beat him, I'll turn him into one my vassals, get the papers, and…"
"Laharl-san now's not the time to think about that!!!" Suddenly, all the natural disasters began to diminish. Everyone was now perfectly fine, though a little confused. "What just happened?"
"What are you all doing here?" Everyone turned around. Behind them was a dark hooded figure with a priest staff. Gee…wonder who that could be?
"I could ask you the same question." Laharl said to the hooded man. "I'm looking for someone. Some dark priest dude or something like that. He said he was gonna meet me here."
"What a coincidence." Said the dark hooded character. "I was looking for some ruler. Would you help me find him?"
"We'd be happy to." Flonne cheerfully replied, always willing to help someone in need. "Maybe if we work together, we might find who we're looking for."
"Oh well, I guess if the Love Freak accepts you then I accept you." Laharl extended out his hand to the dark hooded character to introduce himself. "My name is Laharl, and I am the Overlord of the Netherworld."
The dark hooded figure smiled and took Laharl's hand as he greeted him. "My name is Setsuna, a dark priest." Now everything seemed to freeze the moment they both shook hands. They had remembered that they were out to search for someone in Eternal Apocalypse. Unfortunately, the only people who'd be here are those who were related to the battle. Furthermore, they began to remember who they were looking for. Laharl was looking for Setsuna, the dark priest, while Setsuna was looking for Laharl, the Overlord of the Netherworld. For that one moment, everyone seemed to be friends. Then time began to flow again and soon…
"IT'S YOU!!!!!" Laharl doubled back, away from Setsuna. After all this time of waiting, the same person they were looking for was shaking hands with them. Laharl felt sick just thinking of almost becoming his friend.
"Oh, so you're Overlord Laharl! Wow, I didn't think you'd be so young."
"And I didn't think you'd be so late!!! What took you so long!?!"
"Um…I got lost?" Everyone fell right on their faces. It was hard to believe that the same person who defeated everyone at the Overlord's Castle was completely dense and had a bad sense of direction.
"Is this guy really that strong?"
"I dunno, but I think he could be even more dense than Flonne-chan…"
"Hey!!!"
"So what are you all doing here? Don't you know this place is dangerous?" Setsuna asked.
"YOU TOLD US TO COME HERE!!!!!" Laharl could feel his temper rising. It seems that the great priest that defeated everyone in the castle was even denser than Flonne. He's probably not as stupid as Gordon, but you get the idea.
"I did?" Setsuna tried to remember what he wrote in the message to Laharl, trying to remember the location of the battle. After a few minutes of thinking, he finally remembered. "Oh yeah! Now I remember! The battle is in the next part of Eternal Apocalypse. Sorry, but this isn't the place. Come with me, and we'll battle over there."
Laharl, already fed up with Setsuna's slacking, couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to get this battle over with. "You made me wait here just to tell me that!?! I don't care where the battle is taking place anymore!!! Once I defeat you, you'll wish you didn't mess with me!!!!" Laharl charged at Setsuna with all his might. As he moved, he charged his powerful flames into his fist, and darted towards Setsuna. "Blazing Knuckles!!!!"
Just as Laharl was about to land his Blazing Knuckles, Setsuna simply glanced at him and suddenly; Laharl was caught in a pillar of holy energy. The attack caused major damage on Laharl, forcing him to double back. He glared at Setsuna. "Before attacking, you should realize that your opponent…" Setsuna reached into his cape, and pulled out the slips of paper again. "…may have set some traps."
Laharl instantly recognized the slips of papers. "So those are what you used against my vassals? The pieces of paper that somehow shoot power."
That's when Jennifer recognized what those were. "Those are…talismans."
"What are talismans?" Flonne asked.
"In certain countries, priests and priestesses use a different kind of power that allow them to send energy through charms." Jennifer explained. "The pieces of paper they use are called talismans. Talismans have different kinds of writing that allow the user to send different powers. Depending on what type of talisman you send, you get different results. These talismans seal off power, protect from harm, send out magic, summon spirits, and all sorts of other things. However, I cannot understand why this priest uses talismans. His power is beyond the need of them, so why does he use them?"
That's when Etna realized something. "Wait, if the talismans are weaker than his actual power, then that means…"
"He was going easy on Zommie and the others." Laharl began to grit his teeth. Not only did Setsuna beat Krichevskoy's vassals and his vassals altogether, he beat them at a fraction of his power. If Setsuna could beat them without even using a quarter of his power, then there's not telling what Setsuna could do at even half his power.
"You are all very knowledgeable and clever." Setsuna told them. "Not many demons realize that the talismans simply channel my power. As you have said, these talismans allow me to refrain from using my full power. It is also faster to use them summoning my powers for my attacks, and so I can do something like this!" When Setsuna threw his talismans up in the air, they began to wave and shake, floating over towards Laharl. That's when Setsuna began to chant. "I summon the rolling thunder. Obey thy pact and blast my opponent! Sparkling Thunder Ball!!!"Suddenly, the same pieces of paper transformed themselves into a thunder ball, which shot out lightning at Laharl. He dodged it, but the thunder ball didn't leave. It just kept shooting it's lightning at everyone except Setsuna.
"How cheap! Letting something else do the work for you!!" Laharl began summoning his powers again, this time not into his fist, but into the ground. "Now let's see you and your little toy handle this!!! Overlord's Wrath!!!!!" The energy he charged had appeared in the air, in the form of vicious fireballs. At his command, his fire shot towards Setsuna, destroying the lightning ball along the way. "Ha! Let's see your paper take this!!!"
However, Setsuna didn't look fazed at all. He took out yet another talisman in his cape, and hurled it at the incoming fireballs. Rather than charring it up, the fireballs were reflected toward Laharl. Laharl was shocked. "Krichevskoy had the same attack, but at least it was able to destroy my barrier talismans. You need some more training." When the fireballs were reflected, they shot back toward Laharl at an even faster rate, leaving Laharl no time to react.
Luckily for him, a barrier appeared before him and shielded him from the attack. Flonne heaved a sigh of relief. "That was close. Are you alright, Laharl-san?"
Laharl gritted his teeth. "Yeah, but I didn't think he could defeat my Overlord's Wrath!"
"Then we'll just have to attack all at once." Etna said.
Laharl didn't have a choice. It was either be defeated or defeat him in numbers. "Fine. Let's charge him with our strongest attacks!!!" Soon, Laharl, Flonne, Etna, and everyone else tried to combine their attacks together to defeat him. However, before they could do so, everyone except Laharl and Flonne was frozen in a green energy. Their movements had been restrained by unknown force. "Why are you just standing there!?!"
"I told you before we began the battle." Setsuna said. "You'd better watch where I place any of my traps. Right now, my silence talismans have sealed your friends' movements. Just like with all my talismans, they are temporary, but they are long enough to keep them from attacking. I'm just making it a fair duel."
With everyone frozen in place, Laharl's only bet was to fight him together with Flonne. Luckily, they were still a good team, and they have practiced their teamwork a little more. "Well, I guess it's you and me, Love Freak."
"Yeah, let's show him what the power of love can do!!!"
"Stop bringing love into the battle!!!!" After arguing with Flonne for a bit, Laharl's body started to blaze with fury. While his powers charged, Flonne placed her hand on Laharl's shoulder, charging her energy into him. When the power reached it's fullest, Flonne held out her palm open, charging more energy. When everything came together, "Fallen Overlord combo: Hellpyre Arrow!!!" her Holy Arrows shot into Laharl, which propelled him towards Setsuna. The faster his speed, the bigger the flames got, and the more powerful the propelled Laharl was. It was so fast that Setsuna couldn't dodge. All he has were his barrier talismans, which he used to protect himself, but the attack, was too great for them to handle. Laharl was able to burst through the talismans and for the first time, made contact with Setsuna.
Setsuna staggered, a first for him during this battle. However, he recomposed himself and stood upright. It didn't seem like it affected him that much. "Wow, to think that you two had such power…"
"How did that not affect you!?!"
"Oh don't worry, it definitely hit and caused some damage," Setsuna told him. "But it's not powerful enough to take me down in one hit. You two make a great team."
Flonne's eyes began to flare with determination, a sign that she could see a possible victory. "Yeah, and with love and teamwork on our side, nothing can stand in our way!!!"
"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING LOVE INTO THIS!!!!"
"Well, it's obvious that the two of you together can create a powerful force." Setsuna searched through his cape again, until he pulled out what he needed. "Looks like I'll have to change that." In his hands were some beads. The beads emitted some type of power.
"What are those supposed to be? Are they some kind of necklace?"
"These beads are charms, similar to my talismans." Setsuna explained to them. "The difference between them is that my beads are better at binding my opponent. Once the beads make contact, they can do all sorts of things. They are what I need to defeat you, Overlord Laharl. Prepare yourself!!!" Setsuna hurled the beads at Laharl. While they were still in mid-air, Setsuna started to chant once again. "Holy beads bind my opponent and send him to a place that cannot be seen or entered. Make contact with my opponent and make him invisible to the world. Binding Vanish Seal!!!" The floating beads soon gave off a very ominous green glow as the rushed towards Laharl.
While it was unknown what the beads could do, Laharl knew one thing: Setsuna wouldn't be throwing the beads if it didn't have any power in them. Whatever attack he was using, it was going to hit Laharl hard. Luckily, he was able to dodge the floating beads, barely."Ha! Is that the best you can do?" However, the beads didn't stop. In fact, once it started floating again, it flew itself at Laharl at an even faster rate. This time there was no way for Laharl to dodge it. Damn, it's not letting up! I hope I can survive this one! Laharl pulled out his sword, preparing himself for the worst. Suddenly, a flash of white illuminated the field. For the moment, Laharl couldn't see a thing. When the light died down, he saw white clothes wrapped in the green beads. That's when it occurred to him that he was saved by a sacrifice. "F-flonne…"
Flonne struggled with the beads, but they had latched on so tightly that it almost seemed to be crushing her. She looked back at Laharl with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry, Laharl-san, but I can't let you get hurt from this attack!"
Laharl stared at her for a minute with angry eyes. Suddenly he shouted at her, "You Love Freak, why the hell did you take the attack for me!?! You promised me you wouldn't sacrifice yourself again!!!!"
The beads tightened their grip on Flonne again. She shrieked from the pain, but tried to smile at Laharl. "I know that Laharl-san, but I can't let you die or get hurt. If I couldn't prevent you from this pain, I wouldn't know what I'd do with myself. I'm sorry…" Suddenly, the glow began so illuminant to the point of blinding. The entire field was now covered in nothing but a green aura, with no chance in letting up. When the glow waned, the beads were no longer there…and neither was Flonne. She had disappeared with the beads.
Laharl just stared at where Flonne was standing. In attempt to save him, Flonne once again took whatever was coming at him. She had become his shield. However, like in Celestia, she had sacrificed her life for it. Laharl remained completely silent, remembering everything that they have been through. The absence of the fallen angel was hard for Laharl to bear. Everyone could feel his sorrow. Soon, however, that sorrow turned into anger that radiated in a violent energy. He glared at Setsuna, the one responsible for taking her away. Soon, his entire body charged into a vicious flame that wouldn't be put out until it was satisfied. As he rushed towards Setsuna, he shouted at Setsuna, "YOU BASTARD!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!"
Setsuna tried to guard it, but the force of Laharl's attack had grown. One slash of his sword blew Setsuna a couple of feet. Despite this, Setsuna remained perfectly calm. I heard about this from him. This is what happens when Laharl-kun becomes loses control. I remember he told me about how Flonne-chan 'died'. Laharl-kun almost killed him. I see, his powers, subconsciously, come from his desire to protect his friends, especially Flonne-chan. However, her 'death' caused him to go berserk. If he wants to defeat me…he'll have to let go of this anger of his. When Laharl attacked again, Setsuna simply grabbed Laharl's wrist and, while placing another talisman on Laharl, tossed him. In mid air, the talisman exploded, but Laharl didn't seem to be fazed at all. "Laharl-kun, do you really think trying to kill me will get her back?"
"SHUT UP!!! I WON'T STOP UNTIL I GET AVENGE HER!!!! BLAZING KNUCKLES!!!!!" Laharl wouldn't listen. All he could think of was destroying his nearby opponent, and those thoughts charge his fist with even greater energy.
"Heh…you sure killing me will really avenge her?" Just as Laharl's Blazing Knuckles was about to hit, Setsuna grabbed Laharl's fist. Laharl was shocked. Even with increased power and rage of his Blazing Knuckles, Setsuna wasn't affected and simply caught it. How did he…? "Besides, do you really think this headlong clumsy style of yours can defeat me? You're only acting like a whinny brat who lost his marbles." Setsuna punched Laharl with a powerful electric punch that sent him flying. This was his first non-talisman attack, yet it really did a number on Laharl. Laharl clutched his chest, breathing heavily as he glared at Setsuna. Setsuna glared at Laharl with his dreadful amber eyes. "Even if your rage has increased your power, it has clouded your mind, making it easy for me to counter. Laharl-kun, do you really want to see Flonne-chan again?"
"Of course I do!!! Why do you think I'm still fighting!?!" Laharl shouted as he got up. His rage was still on.
"Well, what good will fighting do if you can hardly hit me. If you want to fight me, then meet on the other side of Eternal Apocalypse, and be ready, for when the time comes for me to fight again, I may not use my talismans. If you win, Flonne-chan will return to you." Setsuna started to chant and soon a dimensional portal appeared. Setsuna walked towards the portal.
Laharl felt that he wasn't finished. "Get back here!!!! Why are you running from me!?! What do you mean Flonne will return!?! You killed her!"
As Setsuna left, he glaned back at Laharl and decided to tell him the truth. "I'll give you this much: Flonne-chan is not dead, just not here in the Netherworld." Laharl was utterly shocked. Like before, Flonne temporarily gone from the world. However, if he wanted her back, he would have to defeat him. "Laharl-kun, if you want her back, please go to the other side of Eternal Apocalypse. I hope to see you there, Overlord." With that said, Setsuna left through portal.
By the time Setsuna left, Laharl's rage has diminished to mid level. He felt better knowing that Flonne was still alive, but getting her back was going to be difficult. Even in total rage, Laharl had no chance against Setsuna. If he was going to fight him alone, he knew he had to think of something and fast. This time I won't lose. I'll get her back. I also made a promise to sacrifice everything I've got for her. She may have broken her promise, but I won't break mine. I won't be satisfied until I get her back. Then…
"Prince!!!" Laharl turned around. Etna was racing towards him. When she had finally reached him, she her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breathe. "Prince, are you all right? Where's Flonne-chan?"
"She's gone…"
Etna gasped. She didn't want to believe what Laharl said, but there was no denying it. "Is she…?"
"If you're wondering, she's alive." Laharl reassured her. That made Etna breath a sigh of relief, knowing that Flonne wasn't dead yet. "However, Flonne has been captured by Setsuna. He told me that if I ever wanna see her again, I'll have to fight him. This time, he won't be holding back."
Etna couldn't help but feel a little worried. Seeing all the destruction Setsuna has caused with just slips of paper, without even using much of his power, made her feel uneasy, especially since Laharl will be fighting alone. It made her question whether or not she should let Laharl continue on. "Prince, will you be accepting his duel?"
Laharl nodded, firm in his decision. "There's no way I'm going back to castle without Flonne. I'll keep fighting until I get her back. I promised that I'd do all I can to protect her, and that's what I'll do." Just as Laharl headed farther into the Eternal Apocalypse, Etna spoke.
"Laharl-sama…do you really love her?"
Laharl froze in his tracks. First of all, Etna called him 'Laharl-sama', which made Laharl feel almost scared. In the past, Etna has called him nothing but 'Prince', but this time she called him, not only his real name, but used his name in formality. Then there was the actual question. It was true his feelings for her were strong, but did he really love her? Plus, this time, it felt like Etna wanted a real answer. She wouldn't use Laharl's name like that if she were teasing him again. Laharl didn't have any clear-cut answer. All he could say was, "I…don't know. I do have feelings for her…but is that really considered love? Because I'm a demon, I wouldn't know if I really do love her beyond being friends…but I do know one thing: I will make sure she returns to the castle with us." He then glared at Etna for a few seconds. "Just don't tease me about it."
Etna shook her head. A smile was plastered on her face. Not her usual grin, an actual smile. "There's no need to worry about it, Laharl-sama. Let's go and find her. Gordon, Jennifer, Kurtis, Thursday, and Aramis should be out of their spell by now. Let's go check on them."
Laharl nodded in reply. "Alright."
As they checked on the defenders and Aramis, Etna kept thinking to herself about what Laharl said. Etna was a little scared herself when she used formality with Laharl. Still, she was glad to know what his true feelings were. There's no reason to tease you now. After the battle with the Seraph, I've noticed that you and Flonne-chan started to care about each other more and more. However, every time Flonne-chan tries to show you her feelings, you try to distance yourself away from her. Sometimes, that's why I tease you. I tease because you can never get yourself to tell her your true feelings. But now, even though you are still unsure of your feelings, I'm glad that you're telling me your feelings for her. Even though I still tease, just please know that I want you and Flonne-chan to be together…
Somewhere in Eternal Apocalypse, Setsuna was shuffling through the stuff in his cape. He pulled out the three charms off his neck: the double cross, the lapis lazuli/obsidian arrowhead, and the Gemini symbol. He looked down on them and began to speak into them.
The stage is set. He will surely be coming here. You two had better be ready.
'Are you letting us out?'
Yes. He needs to be stronger before he reaches me. You two are simply going to act as checks on the way. You know, test his power.
"Finally, we're going to be able to get out and walk again!"
You're going first.
'YAYZ!!!!'
"Damn you…"
All right then… Setsuna began to twirl his priest staff, each rotation becoming faster. Soon, the cross, the lapis lazuli side of the arrowhead, and the Gemini symbol began to glow. Setsuna started to chant once again. "Oh holy charms, bring back thy angel from his sleep. Let his pure essence return to the universe and obey my command. I SUMMON YOU CELESTIAL ANGEL CHIROKO!!!!"
If Laharl and the others thought that Setsuna alone was difficult, they hadn't seen nothing yet. This battle was about to become a little more complicated…
Next Episode
Etna: Long ago, demons and angels lived in perfect harmony.
Flonne: I'm so happy for them! I wish that could happen here!!
Etna: …that is until the angels started turning into monsters!
Flonne: Oh poo…
Laharl: Did you really think she would do something about peace and love…?
Etna: But there is hope, for I, the High Priest Etna along with her slaves Laharl, the demon prince, Flonne the Love Freak, and Aramis the zombie trainer shall bring the peace back to all!
Flonne: Go High Priest Etna!!!!
Laharl: This has to be the most dumb—SLAVES!?!
Etna: Next time on Journey to the Makai: Here Comes Your Savior!! With my paper roll, I shall establish my peace throughout the land…along with some fun!
Flonne: Road trip!!!
Laharl: Paper roll…?
CLIFFHANGER!!! Yes, this is a very confusing episode, which went through numerous changes during the course of writing it. By the time I was finished, I had five hundred other different scenarios that this could've been written in. The fact that Flonne has vanished may have stayed, but this chapter was a lot different when I was first writing it. For one, it wasn't going to end in a cliffhanger. There was going to be more to it, but when I realized that I was already 15 pages in, and haven't gotten into the real battles of this part, I realized that I could either make this a huge chapter or split it into two. I decided the latter, and continue the rest of this part into the next chapter. If you're wondering what the spoof is this time, it's supposed to be Gensou Maden Saiyuki. At least it makes this fic longer. Oh and I know I'm missing one more vassal, but I forgot the name of the Golem. All I remember is five of Krichevskoy's vassals.
Speaking of which, Aku no Tsubasa will be coming to a close soon. That's right, I have four to five chapters left to this fic, so expect some big battle scenes from here on. While it is posted on my profile, the next thing on my list of fics is actually getting deeper into Nostalgic Feelings, as well as starting my next fic, which is a funny pseudo-sequel to Aku no Tsubasa. As for the upcoming chapter, it will be the continuation of this chapter. Watch as Laharl and Setsuna battle it out, and watch as Setsuna reveals a couple of his secrets.
