Note: I don't own Disgaea 2
Well, it's been way too long since I stopped by.
III:::III
The dark bliss of unconsciousness was peaceful enough to spare Adell from what his possessed self was engaging in but that only came after seeing the atrocities committed. Being trapped within his own mind and unable to control his own actions had driven him mad to rage against the binds of his mental prison. But all of it was to no avail and he ended up wearing himself out severely, losing consciousness in the end.
But amidst the silent darkness, a faint voice called out his name and Adell was drawn from his stupor the moment his ears caught it. Slowly but surely, the voice called out his name again, only this time it was getting closer and it sounded femininely familiar yet his mind couldn't exactly place recognition.
"Adell." The voice called out again before Adell opened his eyes to see, to his complete shock, that it was Rosalyn. It wasn't the Goddess of Overlords but the actual Rozalin that he had, even though he would never admit to it, become attached to during their journeys through Veldime and beyond.
"Rozalin, is it really you?" Adell asked.
"It is." Rozalin replied, her eyes full of sorrow yet had a glimmer of joy. "I didn't think things would turn out this way."
"I'm really sorry about killing you." Adell said.
"It's not your fault." Rozalin replied, shaking her head. "I should apologize for what I did once she took over."
"You weren't in control of yourself." Adell countered. "There's nothing to forgive."
"But I am guilty. I wasn't strong enough to stop her!" Rozalin protested.
"Then maybe I'm guilty of the same thing in not stopping myself too when we fought." Adell said. The logics in their arguments had some similarities even though the situations between them were different.
"Let's not dwell on what had happened." Rozalin finally spoke. "Whether or not you got involved, the result would've been similar in the end."
Changing the subject, Adell then asked. "How are you able to talk to me though?"
"Do you remember the summoning ritual that your mother used?" Rozalin asked and Adell nodded before the blonde continued. "Well, thing is that the bond dissolved when you killed Zenon the first time but it later created a new bond of sorts when she possessed you before performing another ritual to inhabit a new body. Whether she forgot about it or just didn't care, I don't know but it somehow saved your soul from defilement even if your mind and body were taken when she rewrote you into being her vassal. Otherwise, you wouldn't be capable of self-thought like you are now. Your memories of the past and everything that defines your being are still there but being used to help fuel the false memories and the new being that Zenon had personally installed."
"So I'm being used by some dark entity she placed into me." Adell muttered.
"Adell, even though you've lived as a human and always believed yourself to be one, there is no denying that you are a demon or at least have some demon heritage." Rozalin replied. "What you have either neglected or didn't know about is what Zenon is now exploiting."
Silence followed as Adell thought over about what Rozalin had just said. In a way, while he had been surprised by this revelation, it did make sense on why the curse created by that fake Overlord didn't affect him. There was also the ridiculous title "Badass Overlord" that had been stamped onto his profile when he had beaten up that oversized talking red book. In some way, Adell had defined himself as a human and everything pertaining to that aspect of his existence had been replaced by the elements that made him a demon, bringing forth a hidden side that he himself had never suspected of possessing until recently.
"So I'm stuck in limbo while Zenon uses my demon side to wreak havoc in the living world." Adell said bitterly.
"More or less." Rozalin replied. "But even so, you are still connected to your body just as much as I am connected to Zenon. Since she made you into her vassal, the master-servant bond allows us both to speak to each other at least."
"Any idea on what happened to the others?" Adell asked.
"I don't know although Zenon's memories show that they didn't take part in the battle when the Overlords attacked." Rozalin replied, leaving Adell to ponder on their fate.
III:::III
The huge salvo of flying rockets had been potent enough the moment they hit the ground, stunning the hordes of demons before most of them fell asleep after inhaling the chloroform fog. Those that managed to resist the initial barrage were quickly eradicated by long-range fire from Irene, Monique, and several others that were placed into the role of cleaning up the field of active hostiles.
On the ground, Jin and Mick moved through the field, executing their sleeping foes with utmost precision. Not far away, Reiko and her group were very much doing the same, turning the area into a literal killing field stained in crimson. Thanks to the preparations and preemptive strike, the whole operation had gone easier than expected and the path to Trysting was clear.
At the front gates of the fortress, Jin and his group found themselves face-to-face with the glowing blades of the Sunrise Swords wielded by several Heavy Knights that were serving as road guards.
"You have to pay the toll. Six hundred thousand Hell Dollars per person and your weapons will be confiscated." One of the guards spoke.
"How about eight hundred thousand on the condition that we keep our weapons?" Jin countered, aware that some of his comrades were subtly preparing a response of their own.
"Are you jesting?" The Heavy Knight inquired fiercely, bringing his weapon to bear. The other guards followed suit and that would be the biggest mistake they made as Monique, Trent, Elise, and Alastor quickly combined their magic to create what would nearly amount to the largest sleep-inducing spell that would rival even the one that the legendary Senator Morpheus could conjure.
"Weapons away." Jin ordered and everyone complied before moving through the entrance gate. Entering the town, the group noticed the stares being sent their way as though they were strangers from a foreign land. Some women were ushering their children inside, men stood on guard while watching them, and the elderly looked timid at the sight of them. It was a quiet atmosphere, filled with tension and anxiety.
"You'd find more cheer in a graveyard." Alastor muttered quietly.
Perhaps it was bad luck that followed them the moment they entered the city. When seeking lodgings, the inns turned the group away in succession despite the fact that they had money to pay. The innkeepers looked very intimidated while giving immediate rejections before Jin led the group towards the mountainous areas of the city.
"They're afraid of someone." Fubuki remarked. "Who is it that rules Trysting?"
"I noticed one of the newspaper clippings at the Iota Inn saying that Lord Hanse had been killed." Elise replied. "Someone named Lady Cardashi has taken over a few months ago."
"Excuse me?" a feminine voice spoke and everyone turned to see a young Bow Mistress from the Archer class approach. "Would you all like to come to my father's inn? We have room and are willing to have you all as guests."
"Sure thing." Irene replied, pleased to see a fellow archer. "I'm Irene."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Amora. I hope we can be friends." The Bow Mistress answered before turning to Jin and the others, whom gave their names.
As the two girls chatted up on a variety of non-important things while leading the group, Jin signaled to Fubuki, Reiko, and Yukimaru to keep an eye out for stalkers. Both Mick and Emiria covered the flank. Time passed before they arrived at a very large manor that looked suited for the aristocratic class in room and board.
"Father! Are you there?" Amora called out as she entered with everyone behind her.
A minute later, a blond-haired man in simple attire with a long coat and glasses emerged. Irene tensed, recognizing the person as a Ranger. Though the war was long ago, the enmity between the Archers and the Rangers still remained.
The Ranger merely glanced at Irene with a cool neutral gaze before looking at everyone else. "I am Keith and I welcome you all to my home. I'm sure the journey has been taxing so please make yourselves comfortable."
Turning to Amora, Keith then said. "Please show them to the guest quarters."
"Yes, dad." Amora replied before leading everyone upstairs.
Only Irene remained at the entrance, staring at Keith. "It's interesting to see a Ranger have an Archer for a daughter."
"Perhaps but Amora wanted it and my wife encouraged her decision so it was fine with me. The sins of the parents shouldn't be passed onto the children." Keith replied before turning and leaving Irene at the entrance.
Looking at the stairway, Irene ascended, wanting to know where she and the others would be staying in.
IIIII::::IIIII
Even though they both had gotten to know each other well beyond the parameters of mere dating, Jin still had that shyness when it came to Monique, who seemed to be the more dominant character in their relationship. The Space Knight's forwardness was a bit aggressive, somewhat atypical amongst females although the Sword Master had seen the traits amongst some Magic Knights and Valkyries in another netherworld.
He had been relaxing within the hot spring pool that was obscured by large bushes, thinking more about the situation in Trysting before finding someone joining him in the water. It was Monique and the busty beauty was in sans clothing condition as she relaxed next to him.
"Still thinking about the next moves?" Monique asked, stretching her arms above her head while arching her back such that she gave Jin a good eyeful of her exposed ample bosom. "My face is up here or is there something on my chest?"
Jin blushed before averting his gaze. "Um…anyways, I'm just thinking about what went on when we came into Trysting. Hostile guards and innkeepers that refused to accommodate us despite our large cash offers."
"That does seem very odd." Monique replied before smiling coyly. "But we can talk about that later. After all that fighting in the field, I need to unwind badly."
If the Swords Master could turn a beet red, then he was close to doing just that. Jin did recuperate from being stunned to ask. "Right now?"
"Of course, silly!" Monique replied before pulling Jin to herself, lips locking in a passionate kiss. Though surprised by Monique's forwardness, Jin returned the kiss before moving south down her body, going underneath the water. Closing her eyes, the busty blonde relaxed against the edge of the pool, the water up to her neck as her breathing became irregular and coupled with the soft moans that escaped her lips. The smile on Monique's face showed more than carnal satisfaction amid the serious skill that Jin was showing right now in pleasuring her. Lost in the mixture of lust-laced emotions that she had for the Swords Master, the Space Knight was unaware of a certain small rock that was enchanted near the edge of the pool.
II::II
In a hot spring some distance away, Catalina, Emiria, and Asagi were bathing and looking at images in the water provided by the Clerical Saint. All three were blushing at what was going between Jin and Monique, the latter enjoying the receiving of some real pleasurable highs.
"You know, I'm actually torn between fainting and glaring in jealously." Catalina spoke, breaking the silence. "Jin sure knows how to pleasure a woman and drag her into a world of screaming bliss. No wonder I can sometimes detect Monique's scent strongly on him."
"Why are we exactly spying on them again?" Asagi asked.
"To see who wins the bet." Emiria replied, a bit embarrassed but still smugly satisfied. "I wagered that they would go to their extremes. Catalina thought it would be just a simple bathing together and you thought Jin would leave to let Monique bathe in peace. Looks like I'm the winner here. Both of you owe me a hundred thousand Hells."
Asagi and Catalina grumbled before the latter dispersed the magical window that displayed the images.
"You know, I'm surprised that you and Mick haven't gotten beyond first base yet." The Clerical Saint remarked.
"Unlike Monique and Jin, we are both more professional." The Iron Maiden replied. "Well, I think Jin is also professional too but he just can't say no to Monique when she gets into those sensual moods."
Asagi and Catalina laughed a bit in amusement, the latter then sighing a bit as she changed the subject. "So anyways, any idea who this Lady Cardashi is besides the sole ruler of Trysting?"
"I did a bit of research from a template someone left in the room." Asagi said. "Apparently, she has a habit of ruining men that she courts by stealing their fortunes via clandestine means and then killing them. I guess the last ruler of Trysting must have been an idiot to fall for her wiles. Since she took over, Trysting has its Marie Antoinette running the place. Her armies are formidable and the populace doesn't dare cross her."
"Do you think we should get involved in Trysting's affairs?" Catalina asked.
"It depends but we're in the Land of Carnage to search for the legendary weapons and get strong enough to fight Zenon once we return to Veldime." Emiria replied. "Honestly, I don't know what we can actually do here.
In a cold spring far away, both Reiko and Yukimaru bathed in silence under a freezing waterfall. Neither one of them seemed affected for their training to be kunoichi meant being able to withstand the frigid elements. The waterfall came from a glacial river that split two. On the opposite side of the rocky wall, Fubuki was in deep meditation within the second freezing waterfall, thinking about a variety of issues. Neither of them had to speak for in meditation, their minds could convey thoughts when in the right state within the freezing water. There was going to be trouble arriving soon but what it could be remained unknown.
IIII:::IIII
Given that the outdoor springs had been taken on a first-come first-served basis, the rest of the group had to use the bathtubs and showers. And even so, there was the unequal sharing of hot water.
Mick was still shivering from the cold water, mentally blaming Sara, Hawkeye, Irene, and Taro for hogging the hot water. While Elise, Trent, and Alastor also shared the misfortune of cold water, their magical skills allowed them to make it a short-lived liability.
Standing outside on the grounds of the manor, Mick looked at the stars, lost in thought at first before footsteps drew him back to reality and he looked to see Hawkeye.
"Yo, man." The Gunner greeted.
"Getting some fresh air?" The Battle Master asked.
"Yeah although I'm also looking around to see if there are any discrepancies in the manor's defenses." Hawkeye replied.
"You think we're going to be attack or something?" Mick inquired.
"Given the kind of government being run in Trysting, it's a possibility although Keith's estate is on the fringes of the domain." Hawkeye answered. "Before he went to tend to his wife, Keith explained that Lady Cardashi doesn't pay much attention to the fringes of Trysting, leaving them to fend for themselves most of the time. Those armies we took out today were regular bandits that tended to raid the areas."
"I see." Mick remarked. "Given on what is known about Lady Cardashi and the oppressive state of Trysting's inner regions that we saw, I do wonder…"
"Don't bother chasing ideals." Hawkeye replied. "When idealism and reality meet, it is reality that rarely backs down. Besides, we're not here to cause trouble."
"Unless trouble finds us like at the gate." Mick said before sighing. "Still, I guess you're right as I doubt it would be smart to run amok like a loose cannon."
A moment of silence passed before Hawkeye began to leave for the exit.
"Hey, where are you going?" Mick called out.
The Gunner turned around and tossed an envelope to the Battle Master, who caught it. "Going to see my girlfriend, she just came into the city and is waiting at the Yamamoto Market. If Jin asks, the envelope has a map of the place."
Mick shook his head yet couldn't help but think that Hawkeye was just begging for something to happen and drag everyone into it in some way.
IIII::::IIII
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