Chapter 49 - A Defiler's end
It was a powerful, tense moment of silence between them as Neptune, Compa and IF journeyed through the forest, making sure that they didn't get ambushed by the monsters, using the third girl's sensing abilities to navigate around the areas infested with Monsters. They didn't want to face any more distractions like that one just outside the Forest, in their minds all they were thinking about was getting to their comrade.
Those monsters they fought though, they just seemed to really like them for some reason because the more they ventured into the forest, the more they popped up, and in greater numbers. It was only thanks to a combination of Neptune's sensing abilities as well as IF's assimilation powers that kept them from getting overrun. Not only that, but these monsters, they seemed to possess a heightened form of intelligence, or rather, more intelligence than the average monster, This had been made apparent when they encountered an ambush party while going through a narrow walkway, a pack of 13 Flamecallers had ambushed them by using the trees as hiding spots, masking their presence with the wilderness. It was only through IF's quick reaction speed that the trio hadn't lost their heads during the initial attack.
"How much further, Iffy?" Compa asked the brunette who was leading the charge. Neptune had returned to human form to save power, on IF's reasoning that the enemy that Nico was fighting would be very powerful and she'd need all the energy she could get to help him fight it. she yelped when a branch swatted her in the face, holding her bruised cheek which was starting to redden. "This route isn't exactly the best one, honestly." she continued with a slight whimper, but composed herself afterwards.
She was a big girl now, she could deal with a little pain...
IF turned to look behind her at the Nurse-In-Training, her eyes hard at first, until they softened at the sight of her injury. She had to admit she had a point, this wasn't the main path and they'd been through a lot of wilderness already. Leaves stuck in their hairs, scratches from branches adorned their bodies, and their clothes had small tears through them. "It shouldn't be long now, guys. I sense that Nico's energy has skyrocketed, likely because he's transformed." she informed them.
The other two frowned at that. The fact that Nico had activated DDD meant that whatever he was fighting was something serious. It would take a powerful foe to for him to use that power, they knew this due to having fought alongside him for so long. Usually he would rely on his demonic weapons, or in recent events his Armour and its functions, to fight. If one were to force his hand, or the enemy was too strong otherwise, only then would Nico turn into Crimson Soul.
Power corrupted those who foolishly used it, that was a lesson he'd learned the hard way. That had been why he would only use it when necessary. "That's no good, we gotta get over to him, pronto if that's true." Neptune pouted as she swiftly summoned Murasama, drawing it from its sheath before proceeding forwards to cut through the wilderness. "C'mon guys, this is faster!"
Both girls looked at each other, before agreeing with Neptune's plan. It may seem barbaric at first, but when it came down to it, this idea did succeed at what they wanted. IF shifted her right arm into her Tentacle mutation, using all 6 to swiftly cut through the dense wilderness and carve a path for them. "Alright, I'll use my BOW powers to clear a path, you make sure Neptune doesn't get slashed." She told the Nurse-In-Training, who sweat dropped with a weak smile while the brunette continued cutting.
"Why do I get the feeling you wouldn't care if they did hit Nep-Nep accidentally?"
They took 5 minutes, but they eventually found themselves on a path… but not the kind of path that they were expecting. "Huh...? Do Paths… always look like a large meteorite drove along them?" Neptune muttered as they observed the area. The path they were on looked like it was the middle of a fissure, with steep sides that lead into the forest. Remnants of some strange black liquid were scattered throughout the fissure, with pieces of solidified black material scattered elsewhere.
"No… but I don't doubt that Ni-Ni was here." Compa responded with a frowned. She eyed several areas that looked like they were melted by something as hot as molten magma. That wasn't all, the Nurse-In-Training noticed that there were several faint flickers of this orangish red energy, something easily identified from Nico's DPU form. She pointed at one off these areas and continued. "Ni-Ni's fire in his DPU form kinda seems hot enough to do things like that."
IF noticed it too, and while she wondered what could have happened to make him resort to something like this, there was a more important issue at present. "Well we can sit here and twiddle our thumbs all day or we could go find Nico. I sense his energy is in that direction." She said, gesturing to their left where they could see faint traces of smoke in the air. "So, let's get moving people!"
The other two agreed, and joined IF in jogging through the fissure, Compa being the klutz she is tripping over her own two feet several times on large rocks, as they advanced towards their comrade's location.
Crimson Soul dodged a swipe from the Demon's Axe by the skin of his teeth, flipping backwards to get a kick into the Defilers jaw to knock him back. He then engulfed his sword in flames, swinging horizontally and unleashing an ATOMIC INFERNO on its ass. The Defiler Spawned Tendrils of Corruption from the ground that swatted the rays away, but they were too heavily damaged to try and attack him afterwards, thus they receded into the ground.
Seeing an opening, Crimson Soul poured energy into his wings, the limbs blazing brightly as he charged forth, circling around so he could attack from its right flank. He raised Soul Edge and slashed to its neck, but it used its Axe to block him. The male then kicked off it, back flipping and landing on a panel erected below him, a panel made out of his demonic flames. He slid backwards about 4 metres, before raising Soul Edge and blocking a slash from its Axe.
Him and the Defiler became locked in an intense power struggle, one that constantly generated sparks from their weapons as they tried to overpower one another. The Defiler had the advantage of a greater, bulkier frame, which allowed it to put more strength into its Axe. However, with a bit of demonic energy reinforcement, Crimson Soul evened the playing field, resulting in a stalemate.
'This is going nowhere fast...' the male thought to himself, before an idea formed in his mind when memories of his fight with the Killachine came back to him. 'That could work!' He gathered his power of flame into his being, and clenched a fist. From his side, a large fist easily the size of the Defiler, made from his flames manifested. It was pointed towards his enemy, and when Crimson Soul thrusted his limb forwards, the fist made to punch the Defiler in the face.
His attempt succeeded in breaking the deadlock as the Defiler tried to shield itself with its Axe, reinforcing it with that Corruption it seemed to favour along with its Tendrils. This attempt mostly succeeded, as it was merely sent sliding across the ground by 8 metres. However, the flames did leave their mark as the corruption shattered from its Axe, its Tendrils flailing about wildly behind it to get rid of the flames. However, they refused to go out, like the flames of a certain Sun Goddess in a certain Anime. In the end, it resorted to another tactic: detaching the Tendrils and leaving them to be consumed by the flames.
Swiftly, Crimson Soul called upon his flames once more, gathering the ones from the burnt remains of the Tendrils and forming another hand from them. This one floated beside him, clutching itself like a claw which mimicked what he was doing with his right hand. He then reared the arm back, the fire fist mimicking his motions, before thrusting it forwards to send the fist at his opponent. The fiery hand raced towards his prey, leaving a scorched trail beind it as well as residue flames.
Now knowing not to get hit by that attack, the Defiler roared as it made a mighty leap, easily scaling over 20 metres high to jump over the large hand, before sprouting more Tendrils to replace the ones it lost. With a loud roar, the creature reared them back, and then launched them at him with their tips aiming to spear every vital organ.
Crimson Soul formed a fiery shell with his wings, blocking the Tendrils from hitting him. He saw it land before him and start running, dragging its Axe behind it. He recognized this move quickly enough, having seen it used multiple times in their bout. Just before it reached him, Crimson Soul formed his wings into a pair of large fiery arms, ending in large clawed hands, before punching it in the face with one. He then upercutted it with the other, used both to grab its legs, before finally slamming it onto the ground hard. He did this several times before it managed to break free of his hold and jump backwards, getting some distance as it landed in a crouched position.
Their combat had been heavy hitting, high speed frantic action for the past 10 minutes, and it was beginning to show on their faces. Their bodies were sweating profusely, though both didn't pay this much heed as they kept their focus on each other, neither breaking their focus for even a second, for they both knew that, if they did, tHe other would open a can of whoop-ass on their asses.
On one hand the Defiler's use of Corruption was versatile, more than once did Crimson Soul get foolish and accidentally wander into some of his Tendrils that latched onto him, stopping him from moving to let the Defiler get in close and pummel the hell out of him. Fortunately, his demonic energy repaired the damage enough for him to continue fighting.
On the other hand, Crimson Soul managed to even the playing field by morphing his wings into weapons throughout the fight while swatting stray attacks with his Tail. He would make sure to keep the Defiler on its toes, constantly on guard even if it thought he was down. Not only that, but he was just as cunning with his traps, setting up fiery bombs beneath the earth that exploded when the Defiler got close.
In the end, they reached a stalemate, facing off against each other. The Defiler's body was covered with small cuts and burns, curtsey of Soul Edge. Its Axe was sporting several notches in its blades, while the fleshy bits bled black blood in some areas. This black blood was apparent from the rest of the cuts as well, the ones that weren't cauterized by Soul Edge's flames.
Crimson Soul was no better though. His form's Armour was shredded in certain areas, like the right shoulder, left side, right side of his head. His thighs could be seen, with the right one sporting a long gash that dripped with blood. his left knee was also bare, with similar smaller cuts visible on most of the exposed skin. Soul edge had multiple cuts on its fleshy parts, with the metallic edge sporting holes along the blade. The main eye was closed shut with blood coming out of it.
Both parties channeled their energies, restoring and regenerating their bodies. While that was being done, the Defiler gazed upon its adversary. Frustration and anger had bee prominent from this creature for a while now, from the start of the battle before back at the Gate, up till now. But right now, there was something else taking its place gradual: a reluctant respect for his opponent. "I must admit, within the last 4000 years of my life, I have not fought against anyone with the strength you possess. Even the other DPUs do not match it."
The Defiler's words caught Crimson Soul's interest as he held his sword defensively, Soul Edge shredding the black and red flames that covered it to reveal its mostly healed body. "Others? I assume then that you mean to say that there are more of my kind?" he asked it, though he didn't expect an answer to come from the Demon.
Much to his surprise, to the point where it was slightly visible on his facial features, the Defiler nodded as it began to explain. "It was long ago, when the humans did not have CPUs to believe in, when we Demons and our Gods, the DPUs, ruled Gamindustri. At that time, it was a far cry to what it is today. There were many more humans than there are now, and the floating islands were once part of a greater continent on the ground below the clouds. Back then, the DPUs were the supreme rulers, and we Demons their subjects. In today's era, these monsters you face are barely anything resembling what thrived in that era. What you call 'Abnormals' are more closely resembling of them. It was because of DPUs that monsters were first born."
This information piqued Crimson Soul's interest, but he had to make sure the Demon wasn't lying. 'You do not have to be concerned with it lying, Crimson Soul.' Biko's voice rang through his mind, for the first time since his transformation. 'I can sense no lies in its voice, nor any changes in its heartbeat. It is telling us the truth. Also, as It talks, I've noticed that the Fragmented Memories are coming together faster. They confirm what it is saying.' Crimson Soul narrowed his eyes at that, if what this thing and Biko were telling him was true, then there was a time when Gamindustri was ruled by his brethren, fellow DPUs.
Unaware of this conversation, the Defiler continued. "Back then, there was only one rule: the stronger you are, the more respect you were given. This applied to both humans and Demons, as while Demons were formidable, it was not impossible for a human warrior to arise that could fight them. One such human challenged the DPUs himself, their fight lasting weeks. While he was soundly defeated, the DPUs gained an awareness of human's potential, thus extended their rule of 'might makes right' to them as well."
So, this time this demon was talking about was a time when DPUs ruled, huh? It confirmed one thing for him, and that was the fact that he was not the first of his kind. For a while, Crimson Soul had wondered why he was the only DPU in existence at the current time, why weren't there others. Why was he the only one around? Histoire had told him once that the powers of a DPU were dangerous and had to be handled with caution. That meant she had known about them for a while, but didn't tell him for unspecified reasons. Why that was, he had no clue, but tat didn't mater. He would get his answers from her when they met in person. "What happened then? What changed for the DPUs to be gone and the same for the Demons?" Crimson Soul questioned. It sounded like these beings held power that was above that of the CPUs, so why did they disappear from history? Why does nobody remember them?
The Defiler scowled as he looked at the ground, keeping his Axe steady as it regenerated the last of its damage. "Unfortunately, while the DPU Leader, Sparda, was unaware of it, the Demons and several DPUs were abusing their power, causing chaos across the lands. These few believed that humans should not be allowed to achieve their full potential, that they would one day undermine out rule. They lead extermination campaigns on the humans, of which Sparda caught wind of. He took his remaining followers and fought them, leading to a bloody war that decimated both demons and humans alike. It was during the apex of this war, that the first CPU, Odyssey Heart, appeared."
Odyssey Heart? That sounded like the original CPU. There were faint records of her existence within the same ruins that Rebellion and the other demonic weapons in his possession were found. They described her as a being of power unlike any other, whose might and light was enough to rally a large human support that seemed to increase her power. The more followers she gained, the stronger she became as opposed to the DPUs who drew their strength from training and hard work.
"She, along with Sparda and his faction, vanquished the corrupt DPUs and their conspirators, finally putting the bloodshed to an end. Unfortunately, the damage that the war left behind was severe, too severe. Humanity was but a shell of its former size, and much of the land was no longer habitable thanks to demonic energy destroying it to the foundations. Thus, the agreement was made."
Crimson Soul remained quiet, while inside his mind was racing with this new information. He had no idea that such a war existed, nor that the floating landmasses were once part of a larger continent like this Demon had said. He would have liked to see what their home was like, but with what the Demon said about the Continent, there was likely nothing to find down there.
He recalled that there were attempts to descend beneath the clouds by several interested parties across the Nations, but they usually returned with disappointment. This was probably why. "The agreement was that Odyssey Heart and her followers would remain in Gamindustri, while Sparda and his forces, including the humans that wished to remain by his side, would leave Gamindustri for the Underworld, the Demon realm. There, they would thrive on their own, until such a time where they would be needed once again. The humans were given demon blood, eventually becoming demons themselves, and our civilisations thrived."
"… Alright, if what you are saying is correct, then why are you attacking Gamindustri now? It seems like Sparda would not allow something like this to happen." Crimson Soul questioned. While the Story was interesting, I didn't make sense that Demons would attack Gamindustri like this.
The Defiler responded while heaving its Axe over its shoulder. "It is simple, when the two worlds were separated, both Odyssey Heart and Sparda sacrificed themselves, losing their power and dying as a result. Odyssey Heart had already gotten a successor to her will, which would make the line of CPUs. As for Sparda, he left what power he could spare in the form of a DPU Core and hid it from the world, till such a time when it would be needed once again. Unfortunately, as time passed, the truth of the matter was spun into a web of lies, some of his followers were traitors in secret. They spread their word around, convincing everyone in the Underworld to follow them. Unfortunately, they couldn't return to Gamindustri right away, for the barriers between their worlds were too great. However, things have changed, and now we shall reclaim what its rightfully ours."
At this point, the insane gleam in the Defiler's eyes, which had dimmed significantly during the conversation, returned with full force. The corruption that the Demon used throughout their bout seeped over his body, restoring its Tendrils and making it even larger than it was before. The Defiler gave a loud roar, which sounded oddly like multiple human and inhuman voices mixing together. It raised its Axe and prepared to strike.
Crimson Soul knew at this point, that there would be no more talking. He could tell that this Demon was a mighty warrior, a being that was above his usual prey as a Spec Ops Agent. However, it appeared that it cared not for the lives it took. After hearing its story, Crimson Soul frowned to himself. This Demon, it was one of many that would care little for killing humans and causing chaos. He figured that it had only told him this because it was sure of its victory, as well as uncaring to such an extent. It only cared about destruction of life, and for that, he had to put it down.
Raising Soul Edge, Crimson Soul prepared to make the final move. However, just before he could do so, several things happened at once: A set of 6 Tentacles shot forth from behind him, past him, and slammed into the Defiler's chest before it could react, the impact enough to knock it onto one knee. The second thing was for a stream of Plasma Needles to hit it in the shoulder, electing sharp yelps from the Defiler as the needles dug into wounds that were freshly healed. Lastly, a purple and black blur slammed into the creature's side, knocking him over and with a cry of "CRITICAL EDGE!" destroyed a portion of the creature's body.
"IF? Compa? Neptune?"
Indeed, the three girls he had called the names of jogged up to him after they had managed to knock the defiler down temporarily. "Hey there, Nicky, it is good to see you're okay." Purple Heart commented, smiling in relief. She'd launched a sneak attack when she saw him in trouble, fearing that he had been injured. Her eyes narrowed in concern when she noticed the state of his energy reserves. "Are you alright? Your power seems to be running low."
The DPU nodded his head in response, heaving Soul Edge onto his shoulder. "I am fine. This enemy is a formidable one, it has me using more power than I have used previously against our past enemies. There is more, but we must save the talking for later." He then pointed Soul Edge at the enemy. "The enemy, codename the Defiler, has already recovered from your attack."
Hearing his words prompted the girls to turn to face the Defiler, their eyes narrowing at it while it's wounds began to close. The damage from Neptune's CRITICAL EDGE took the longest to heal, though, but it healed like all the others. "This Monster… it did have a large power level when I sensed it before, but it has greatly weakened now." Purple Heart remarked as she reached out with her senses. She figured that this thing had been weakened from fighting Crimson Soul in single combat.
"Well, then let's finish it off ladies. And you Nico, nobody forgets Nico." IF commented as she switched to her Blades. The others nodded in agreement, all taking formation before their enemy. Compa remained at the rear, with Crimson Soul and Purple Heart at the front with IF between them.
The Defiler roared as it began running at them, its feet leaving indents on the ground thanks to its size. It launched several Tendrils at them, making the party scatter top avoid them. IF was the first to move forth, dashing at the Defiler's newly healed side and jumping into a Disk spin with her blades outstretched. She angled herself into a manner that allowed her to slice through its arm, letting the limb fall to the ground.
A roar of pain was her reward as the Defiler stumbled back, Tendrils coming out his shoulder and slithering towards the arm. She knew what was going to happen, but didn't let it. "Oh no you don't buster!" she yelled, switching her left blade for her Tentacle set. She launched them at the Tendrils that were almost reaching the arm, a smirk forming on hr lips as the Tendrils were sliced to pieces by her Tentacles.
Anger filled the Defiler as it turned and rushed towards her, intending to pummel IF a new one with its remaining arm. However Purple Heart and Crimson Soul intervened, the former coming in from above while the latter came from the side. Crimson Soul wrapped his wings around himself, morphing them into a battering ram that slammed into its legs to trip it up. Purple Heart flew towards its face, her sword glowing brightly to indicate a Skill activation. She performed A CROSS COMBINATION, then chained in the skill CRITICAL EDGE for added effect.
Compa aimed her Syringes and fired several Plasma Needles at its face, making it growl in anger and pain at the injuries being shed upon it. It launched its Tendrils at her, and as Compa fired upon them with her Plasma Needles, IF sent her Tentacles to impale them from above, pinning them to the ground for Crimson Soul and Purple Heart to sever with their blades.
The Defiler stumbled back, its size shrinking to its original height when it first walked through the Obelisk. It gave another roar as Tendrils shot out faster than IF could react, embedding themselves into its severed arm and pulling it back to its socket, reconnecting it with a few squelching and bone snapping sounds. It readied its Axe once it got feeling back in its arm again, before raising it and bringing it down to the ground. It sent a long trail of Corruption that formed deadly spikes, spikes that were aimed at Purple Heart and Crimson Soul.
Both avoided by ascending into the air. "Iffy, give us an opening, we'll inish it off!" Purple Heart yelled, getting a confirmation from the brunette as she ran towards the Defiler, ripping its Tendrils in half in the process. While the brunette engaged the Defiler witrh Compa providing fire support from the rear, Purple Heart turned towards her fellow flying companion and addressed him. "When Iffy gives us the signal, we take him out with one fell swoop got it?"
"Very well."
While Crimson Soul was momentarily caught by surprise when Purple Heart began to issue commands like a real tactician, he rationalised it with the fact that her HDD form was more battle-prone than her human self who loved lazing about and wasn't that good at combat as she was in HDD form.
Down below, IF kept the Defiler away from her with her Tentacles, skilfully commanding the while dodging stray attacks from its Axe. She waited for her opening while Compa provided fire support firing Plasma Needles towards its regenerating Tendrils. She finally got her opening when it made a horizontal swing, sending a wave of Corruption her way. IF poured energy into her legs, before jumping high into the air and launching all 6 of her Tendrils. Each one embedded the tips into its chest, shoulders and stomach, keeping her from going too high.
"Alright buster, taste my…" she began as the Tentacles pulled her forward. She reared her blade arm back, like she was about to clothesline it. The blade shifted so it would cut its intended target, which was what happened when the Defiler was hit in the chest, a massive gash spreading across it that oozed black blood. "Lariat!"
The Tentacles ripped themselves free as IF landed in a crouch, then they smacked it from behind, cutting its legs to make it fall forwards onto all fours. Its Axe fell to the side, clattering against the ground. Looking up, it made to reach for its Axe, when something drew its attention upwards.
Only a second after it did so, did it see Purple Heart coming down like a falcon, landing on the ground before it with her Sword poised to strike She ran forwards, executing a CRITICAL EDGE. Once she dashed past it and cut through its body once more, Purple Heart turned and gave a wordless nod to the male of the group.
Crimson Soul dove down next while the Defiler was still recovering from its wounds, its healing factor gradually weakening with the lack of demonic energy and the strain put on it from healing its previous injuries. "I shall end you swiftly, Demon." He muttered under his breath, too low for anyone to hear him as he landed on the ground before it, his Wings having morphed into bladed whips that slashed through its shoulders, leaving them useless. "INFERNITY EDGE!"
The male dashed forwards, with his sword engulfed in his transformed flames as he dove past the enemy, leaving a massive flaming gash behind from the strike he made. The flames were then fed from his Wings as he turned and jumped above it, bringing Soul Edge, which was now twice its size thanks to the flame coating, down on it to cause a fiery implosion.
Finally, the damage became too much for the Defiler, which started to disperse into Particles. Crimson Soul landed behind it, kneeling at first before he stood up and dispersed the flames. As he stared at the defeated enemy, he saw it turn its head to look at him, the insanity-filled look having lessened to what it was when they were talking. It spoke lowly, so only they could hear it. "You have bested me… well done, young DPU… heed my words, I may be defeated, but others will come. Some through the Hellgates, others through other means. You have placed a target on your head, I hope you will… be… re…ady…"
The last of the Defiler's body was disintegrated, dispersing into Particles. Crimson Soul made no notion that he was celebrating his victory though, as he was pondering on what the Defiler's last words were. 'Hmmmm… the way he said that made it seem like the Underworld has more Hellgates, scattered across Gamindustri. Then there's the 'other means' part… I believe we will have our work cut out for us, Biko. Not just with the Key Fragments, but to stop these Demons from taking over Gamindustri.' He thought to his Demonic personification, who hummed in agreement.
'I agree, but for now I suggest you focus, you have females incoming.'
'What? What do you-Oof!' Crimson Soul grunted when he felt Compa suddenly embrace him from the front with Purple Heart doing the same from behind. He was barely able to keep himself afloat as they hugged him. "Ni-Ni... I-I'm so glad to see you alive!" Compa cried, burying her head in his chest armour. Her tight grip on him showed him exactly how worried she was.
"Compa's right, Nicky." Purple Heart scolded, but there was little edge to it, and he could sense a mix of relief and sorrow from her, showing that she was just as worried about him as Compa was. "You should think next time, before worrying us like that. I know you were sent here by your mother, but still…"
The DPU stared at them for a moment. For that moment, he had no clue as to how to approach them. 'It appears that DPUs in DDD do not handle emotion too well. Perhaps I should switch back…' he thought, and it seemed like a good idea since he was running low on power already. However, before he could revert to human form, Biko contacted him once again. 'I wouldn't do that just yet if I were you, Crimson Soul. I know you haven't forgotten that Hellgate back there. You should destroy it.'
Crimson Soul frowned as he remembered that object. From what the Defiler had told him, it was a Hellgate, a gateway to the Underworld, a portal that worked both ways. If left alone, it could spawn more Demons into this world. That couldn't be allowed at any cost, so he had one last job to do before returning home. "I would apologize, but our work is not yet done. There is a Hellgate where I first fought the Defiler, it told me that more will come after it when I defeated it just now, and I am inclined to believe it."
"Eh? More of them?" Compa squeaked, what could be seen of her face thanks to her Armour quickly draining of color as she thought about there being more demons. One of them looked scarily tough, and it was only through Crimson Soul's power that it was weakened when they arrived. The thought of there being more to come was NOT something she wanted to think about.
IF frowned at him. "How could you be so sure? I man, it could be lying to you." She commented.
He turned to her and addressed her firmly, gesturing to where the demon once lay. "I detected no lies in his voice when he told me. There was a lot of things he told me, however, we do not have the luxury of time now. The longer we take getting there, the greater the chance for there to be more Demons to vanquish, and my power is running ow enough as it is."
It was silent for a moment, until IF finally relented and nodded her head at him. She had little reason to not trust the guy especially with all he'd done for them. "Alright, then lets head to that gate of yours. It'll be good if we destroy it anyhow before we go back. Pretty sure we've missed our flight to Leanbox though."
"Do not worry, I believe we can get to this Nation in 2 days' time if we have missed it. Now then, let us be off before we have more Demons to deal with."
The Party ran down the Fissure that Crimson Soul admitted to causing with his Wings, IF laughing at this as she realised Compa had called it. Neptune did as well, although she wasn't too happy about a rival of hers knowing Crimson Soul better than she did. Though, she was his human form's childhood friend, so this was to be expected.
4 minutes later, they were at the Obelisk. Its tall, imposing nature was indeed intimidating to the girls, who shuddered at the sight of it. "So… this is the Hellgate you were talking about?" IF questioned as she looked the structure up and down. "Gotta say, I can see why it would be called that."
"Y-Y-Y-Yes, I-I-it sure d-d-d-d-does seem that w-w-w-way…" Compa stammered, shaking like a leaf in her armour as she looked at the top of the massive structure. The feeling she got from that thing was not good, not good at all. She felt sick just looking at it, like it was something that she would be having nightmares about. Add the Defiler, the Trauma and the Flamecallers to the mix and you get one hectic day.
IF noticed the stammering and commented on it first. "Well, I kinda see why you'd be scared Compa. This thing does give bad vibes. Hey, think you two can sense any Demon activity?" she asked, turning to the two inhuman beings in their group. On the way here, Crimson Soul had told them about the Defiler's tale, about it being a Demon from the Underworld and the story behind Sparda and the original CPU Odyssey Heart. It had been a large pill to swallow to be sure, but if they could stomach Neptune being a Goddess, then this wouldn't be too bad either.
"There is none in our surroundings, and since it hasn't been long since it was last used, I doubt there would be anymore coming soon." Purple Heart responded. She had told him during their jog here that she had learned how to sense demonic energy, as well as IF though she was only coming into the ability, something that honestly impressed the DPU. If someone else in their group was attuned to demonic energy then if something happened to him then they could still detect any demonic entities near them.
Crimson Soul wordlessly nodded in silent agreement, before raising Soul Edge to the heavens. "Get clear, this will be a big attack." he stated bluntly. They could sense the power that was gathering within Soul Edge, and didn't need to be told twice. As they quickly made for the wilderness, Crimson Soul gathered his energy and formed a Hellgate sized fireball on the tip of his weapon, before flinging it towards the Hellgate. The attack made contact, and engulfed the Hellgate in a fiery explosion.
Minutes later, the explosion was reduced to smoke that died when he swung Soul Edge to clear it. There was nothing left of the Hellgate, not even ashes, much to his satisfaction. "There… it is done." He commented, before being engulfed in flames and reverting to human form.
When he was done, Nico took his alternate self's place. He didn't even take one step before a heavy weight landed on his chest and fatigue washed over him. Nico grunted as he fell to one knee, much to the alarm of the girls as they jogged up to him. "Ni-Ni/Nicky/Nico!" they yelled in unison.
"I'm alright girls, I'm good… just a bit tired… used so much power before that I'm not used to the output." He replied, trying to smile reassuringly at them. IF pulled some Nep Bull out of her inventory, telling him to have it so he could get his strength back. He nodded in gratitude, he had been so tired that he could barely lift his head, let alone reach his Bracers. Downing the drink, he felt his fatigue get washed away in seconds, like a cool river flowing through him once again after being drained for an extended time. "Ah, thanks IF. That was just what I needed."
IF shook her head. "No problem. Anyways, I'm not sure if you've noticed but what happened to your flames, dude?" Nico looked up at her in confusion. This prompted her to explain, one arm under her chest and the other beside her head, waving its index finger at him. "I mean, your flames were usually orangish red, right? Well, they've turned black with a red outline like that one guy with orange hair and in black Japanese robes."
While surprised that IF had pulled a reference out of her backside like Neptune did daily, what she said was what caught his attention the most. Now that he thought back to it, he did recall his flames being a different colour, plus they felt much stronger than before. Why was that exactly? 'It's your Hellfire, Nico.' Biko cut through his thoughts to get his attention. 'It took some doing, but your Hellfire powers have fully awakened. Those flames you used before were an incomplete version of Hellfire, and now that you've fully woke them up you won't have to worry about seeing that orangish red fire again. Next time you come in your inner world, we'll train in its usage as well. Make sure you're ready.'
Mentally thanking his demonic personification, Nico looked at the girls and relayed the information to them. While they were curious as to who was telling him this information, they were content with the answer that information is ingrained into his mind during his transformation. Nico wondered if it was a good idea to tell them about Biko, but decided against it. it could potentially lead to something he didn't want to get found out by these girls.
He swore he heard IT cackling within his mind at that thought.
After they had finished their job here, the Party began walking back to Planeptune to inform Helen of the job's completion.
"… So, the Armour was a success?" After returning to Planeptune, Nico made his way back to Helen's office, telling the girls to wit in the Guild Hall. Neptune had complained about that, but he had reasoned that he could only take them with him before because he had express permission. IF was only a candidate, not a proper Spec Ops, and the girls were not even Guild Agents. Fortunately, he wasn't attacked this time and there was no arrogant Guild Agent being tossed from the office when he had approached, making this visit to her more peaceful than the previous one. As it was his mission originally, Nico was the one to tell her what had happened and the results of the armour.
"Yep, a success alright. Though these Obelisks making these powerful monsters is kind of worrying." Nico replied curtly. This wasn't the time to be so informal with his adoptive mother, and she could tell this from his eyes. She shared his concerns when he told her about the monsters that he had fought calling them Demons. He had told her about the Demons and their plans for conquering Gamindustri, but skirted around the parts concerning his DPU form, including the history reveals he'd gotten.
Helen nodded her head in agreement with her adoptive son. "Yes, it is fortunate that this time the Hellgate was in a remote area. If one was in a Monster Dungeon or worse an Abnormal one… the reason why I told you to go on this mission wasn't just to test your armour, but to also check to see if you could handle yourself against these monsters." Helen told him. When he raised a brow at her, she elaborated. "These Hellgates… they've been sighted in larger numbers throughout both Leanbox and Lowee. Not to mention the increased Abnormal activity there, including THEM. If you and those girls go there, you'll surely run into more Abnormals and Demons… maybe even some of THEM as well."
Nico scowled, he knew EXACTLY what kind of species she was talking about. The species that was connected to his secret, the secret he zealously guarded from the girls. If they were too encounter them… well, things wouldn't end well for them. They may not look as intimidating to them at first glance, thanks to the Demons making contact, but they held power that is comparable to the Demons, making them a formidable force to be reckoned with. "I see… I'll make sure to be careful then. If I encounter any of THEM, I'll make sure to take them down."
The older woman nodded as Nico confirmed his resolve in front of her. "I know you will." An amused smirk formed on her lips as she held her hands on her hips. "I mean, I DID train you MYSELF after all. It'd be a waste if you lost to those small fries."
A chuckle escaped the male's lips, and their formal atmosphere was replaced with a lighter one. Yeah, Helen did train him, and he would never forget what she put him through. Though, like all good things, this feeling came to an end. This one just did that a bit more subtly than one would expect. The atmosphere then turned sombre as Helen smiled sadly at him, holding her arms as she sat on the edge of her Desk. "Nicky-Nick… are you really going to not tell them? They're your friends, they deserve to know." She asked him, softly, worry shining in her eyes.
Slowly, Nico turned away from her, after being momentarily surprised by her question. His hair shadowed his eyes as he looked to the ground. His reply was equally as soft, but the firmness and resolution could be felt in droves from his words. "You know what the answer to that question is, mom." His lower lip trembled slightly as he continued, though she couldn't see it. "I can't bring myself to. What happens if they reject me, when they find out what I am? Neptune and Compa are freaking angels, but I doubt they would be able to stomach that secret. IF's a Guild Agent, soon to turn to Spec Ops, so she'll encounter and gain a hate for THEM too. Plus, with what happened… I can't-I just can't, not now, not ever."
"But Nicky-Nick, I'm sure they-"
"Please, mom. Don't make this harder for me. I'll make sure they never know, that they'll live a life of ignorant bliss while I scream in agony. That's only fitting for a piece of shit like me." His words were sharper than before, like a finely-honed blade that cut through her own without mercy. Knowing that he had caught her off guard, Nico began to head for the doors once more. His boots made loud noises, showing his guilt and remorse for what he had said and how he had said it to his adoptive mother, one of the few that knew his secret and didn't hate him for it. Out of everyone he knew, only her, maybe Chian, Aiden and Ivan knew his secret, nobody else did but them and him. The reason why they knew was because had had no other choice at the time, plus they had experiences that helped them understand him a bit better, though not completely. His mom was the one who first discovered it since she helped him get dropped off at Compa's grandfather's house all those years ago.
Now at the doors, Nico grasped the handle, opened the door and stepped out the office, his hair shadowing his eyes all the while. The door closed behind him, leaving Helen alone in her office. The woman stared silently at the door for a few moments, her eyes darkened with sorrow and depression, her face looking like it was suddenly 20 years older than it was. A sad sigh escaped her lips as she stood from her Desk and walked around it. "Nicky-Nick, those girls care for you. I can see it in their eyes, they all want to be your friend, but you keep pushing them away. You can't think that everyone's the same as all those other fuckers out there." She scowled angrily at the end.
While she didn't like the way her son thought, she couldn't help but understand why he thought the way he did. Like she said to the girls, Nico's faith in people had been near-completely smashed to bits, shattered beyond repair. To him, the world was too cruel for weakness. To him, the world would break him apart if he showed any signs of vulnerability in any shape or form. It tore her heart to shreds thinking about how lonely he must feel inside, the only monster among people. The secret he kept so heavily wrapped, and for good reason... it was slowly killing him on the inside. Nico must have known this, but didn't do anything to stop it. Like he said, he considered himself a 'piece of shit' despite what people thought. These thoughts just made his tale all the more tragic in her eyes. 'Nicky-Nick… just how could things end up this way…?'
There were so many times when Helen had asked herself that. More prominently back before Nico reunited with Compa. she could never stand seeing him the way he was for long, not when he looked so... empty, emotionless, like a broken record. He hid it well, but those facades were something Helen could easily see through. Few others could see through his Masks, but to those who did, well...
Nico always said stuff about Masks, he just took it to a whole new extreme.
Sitting on her chair, Helen reached down and pulled out a drawer, which was containing a single photograph. She pulled it out and closed the drawer behind her, looking at the photo with both fondness and despair in her eyes. This, like her Armour, was a sacred treasure of hers. It was somethings he wouldn't dare give up, no matter what.
The photo was of 4 people, one of them being a younger Helen. The other 3 were a woman with crimson red hair to her waist and purple eyes, a man with black hair and blue eyes, and a young boy with the hair of his mother and the eyes of his father. A sad, lonely smile crept onto her features as a single tear rolled down her cheeks. 'Joseph… Marina… If only you were here… you two would know what to do…?'
