Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Title: Forgotten Memories
Author: The Rogue Shadow
Genre: PG-13
Rating: Drama/Humor
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Chapter 8: No Training for the Fight
- Etna -
As the cage rises up, both Laharl and I remain in silent while we contemplate the fight up ahead.
Despite the few numbers of senators waiting for us, it still doesn't get change the fact that they are quite strong. As of right now, Krichevskoy's own vassals are the only allies we would have that would be able to stand a good chance against the Dark Assembly, should they refuse his proposal.
How could they not? They hate him quite a lot for simply being who he is. Unfortunately, they do not belong to the Prince, and even so he would refuse to use them. Why is he so against any help from his father? Indirect or not?
King Krichevskoy is a great demon and a wise ruler. And though I am not necessarily happy with the fact that he is married, to a human wife at that, he does have good judgment. Any single one of the king's vassals would be a great asset to our upcoming fight. But no, instead Prince would go in there relying on just the strength of himself and me.
Man, this is insane…
I tighten my grip on the spear I'm holding and look at Laharl, who is standing calmly against the cage. His sword is embedded in the steel floor with his hands resting on the hilt.
Is he even nervous at all? Surely, he can't be so arrogant as to not know how strong the Assembly can really be. They have levels as low as ours that got as high as those in the 3 digit categories. There's no way in hell we'd be able to beat that.
"Hn, are you nervous Etna?"
I snap out of my thoughts and glance Laharl whose eyes are upon me. Seeing my confused reaction, he gives a smirk almost mockingly so. Taking his smirk as a challenge, I straighten up and look him in the eyes. I cross my arms over my chest and give him a smug look.
"Who me? Puh-lease… Only thing I'm nervous about is if there will be enough of those old farts for me to finish off."
The Prince gave me a skeptical look before shaking his head back and forth. He then gets up from his crouched position and starts walking towards me.
"Is that so? You have no doubts about surviving this fight then?"
I feel my heart skip a beat at the thought of it.
It never occurred to me that I might perish. Sure loosing always came to mind, but definitely not death. I'm… I don't think I'm ready to die. I still need to protect Aramis and give him the life he really deserves. Plus, I have to finish off Maderas so I know he'll never be able to put another family through what Aramis and myself had to go through.
"So, Prince… What is it that you're trying to say? You don't think I'll be able to live through this?"
He gives a sigh of frustration and sits cross-legged right in front of me. Resting his chin on the back of his hands, he leans in towards me.
"Look… honest to the Seraph, I want for this to work out. I want you to be my vassal more than anyone else. However, I don't want to loose you in the process."
Laharl gives a grin before leaning back with his hands now resting on the floor behind him.
"After all, it would kind of suck if you were to just kick the bucket after everything we've been through. Ya know?"
I smile at the bluntness of his words, but the slight humor of the moment doesn't take away from the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"You have quite the poetic touch when it comes to words, don't you?"
"Heh, I guess I've never been that great when it came to dealing with these kind of things. I'm not exactly the type of demon that speaks his mind when it comes to his emotions."
I feign a shocked expression and look at him.
"You? Having trouble expressing yourself? Get out!"
He rolls his eyes and I grin at him, just to let him know I wasn't actually serious.
"Hah, hah. You're such a riot, you know that, Etna?"
His eyes turn somber and stares at me, making me feel rather unnerved. It's as if he's peering into my soul. And if there's one thing that's not meant to be seen, it's what lies in my soul. My agony. My pain. My past.
"Look Etna… I know this may be getting old but I want to be completely clear on this. This will be your last chance to back out our deal here. We don't have to go through with this, you know. If you're having doubts then just tell me."
My eyes soften at the thought of his words. He really is thoughtful for a demon. Hm, on second thought, better make that for an arrogant, slightly spoiled prince of a demon.
Well, at least come through in words when it really matters.
"I appreciate the opportunity, Prince. I really do. And believe me, if it were anyone else but you, I'd be long gone by now. But c'mon, what kind of vassal do you take me for? Wasn't it you who said you didn't want someone who'd have loyalty issues in a critical fight?"
He gives a small smirk before scratching his chin.
"I may have said something like that."
"Anyway, while your offer still remains, my answer will be unchanged. You are not getting rid of me that easy."
The Prince gives me a small smile to me, which makes me feel more relaxed at heart. Almost like it were a smile of reassurance.
"Thanks Etna. For sticking by me."
I return his smile with one of my own.
"Anytime Prince… Anytime."
- Laharl -
By the time we reach the top, I can feel the adrenaline start to kick in. This will be my first real fight, aside from those bastards in the dungeon. The reason I'm considering this to be a fight is because the chances of the Assembly approving me decision are slim to none.
Those senates bastards hate me. And though this fight may not be easy, I'm certain that we can pull it off in the end. Who would've thought that I'd find someone this willing to be my vassal? Heh, makes me feel more than what I'm really worth.
So let's see, right now we're in the entrance room where the cages lie, then beyond that will be the appointment/schedule room, and then finally will be the court with the Dark Assembly.
As we step out of the cage, I wrap my hand around Etna's before giving it a small squeeze and letting go.
I know she's nervous and I'm starting to feel a little nervous too. Though, it's more so about her than myself. For some reason I can't explain, I really don't want her hurt. And naturally if she's going to be in the path of danger, I'll recklessly throw myself in the middle of it anytime.
Che, I must be going soft.
Turning to her, I open my mouth, hoping to say something to lighten the mood.
"Well, looks like this is the moment of-"
I stop suddenly, feeling a huge, yet familiar presence overcome my own. Almost instantly, I recognize who it is and give out a repressed growl.
Why the hell is he here?
"Uh, Prince? Is everything okay?"
To my right I see Etna peering at me with some concern in her eyes. I quickly force myself to cover up my current emotions and give her a small grin.
"Yeah, sorry about that. It was just a reflex. You know, the rush before the fight."
"Oh…"
I can see in her eyes that she holds some doubt, but I just look away. I need to deal with this fool right now before we start anything.
"Hey, listen Etna. Could you go up ahead and make sure the appointment is still good? Wouldn't want to come all this way for nothing."
"Uh, sure thing Prince. What about you?"
Avoiding her gaze, I turn my eyes to the ceiling and to the corners, looking for him.
"I just need to do some thinking. You know, come up with some sort of plan. I'll catch up with you in a bit, okay?"
"Oh, okay. I guess I'll see you inside then."
I give her a nod and watch as she exits into the other room. I wait until the door is completely closed before addressing the annoying presence.
"Alright, old man! Show yourself right now! I know you're here!"
Sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed as a shadow on the wall slowly morphs into the shape of a full-grown demon with a cape blowing to the side.
"Well, well my boy. It looks like all that training of yours is actually paying off. To sense me in such a well hidden spot."
He puts his hand to his head and gives a small chuckle.
"Of course, it could just be that the bond between the two of us is getting even stronger. Wouldn't you agree, my son?"
Snarling, I pull out my sword and point it at him.
"Shut up and tell just what the hell you think you're doing here. Last time I checked, Overlord's don't stalk their sons for the fun of it. Don't you have more pressing issues to reside over? Like, say, making sure the Netherworld isn't being invaded at the moment?"
My old man puts his hands behind his head and leans against the wall.
"Stalking? Is that how you see it. I think a more appropriate phrase would be… oh say, making sure my son doesn't do anything stupid. Like perhaps, challenging the Assembly at weak levels with weak weapons. You're too young to be going through teenage angst, so please tell me… why is it that you have a death wish?"
"Oh, shut up! I have no intention of loosing before I take your title as Overlord!"
"I'll tell you what. I, by myself, am strong enough to take on all members of the assembly single-handedly. If you're able to at least hit me, then I'll know you'll stand some sort of a fighting chance. So what say you, son of mine?"
I growl and move into my fighting stance. Pulling out my sword, I slice downward through the air. Without moving out of position, I turn my head upward to glare at his challenging gaze.
"Anytime. Anywhere."
He grins and pulls out his infamous golden spear and twirls it around before getting into his fighting stance as well.
So… he's going all out then. He must be if he plans on using his Longinus. Well, this should be fun. I wonder if I even stand a chance…
"Then how about right now. Right here."
Well only one way to find out…
"Hmph, fine by me!"
I charge at him with my sword to my right. He twirls his Longinus and shifts into a defensive mode.
Che… if he thinks he's going to win by defending then he's got another thing coming!
I jump into the air and swing the sword vertically down at him, which he blocks with little effort. With our weapons still locked, he spins around, sending me to right behind him.
Crap! My back's exposed!
Turning around quickly, I'm able to see a one handed spear thrust come right at me, one that I narrowly manage to avoid by moving to the side. I'm about to charge at him again, until I see him grip the spear by both hands and swing horizontally, sending me flying. Bracing myself for the impact, I hit the wooden floor and slide across it.
"Damn you!"
He rests his spear on his right shoulder and smirks.
"Don't tell me that this is the limit of your training my son… and after all that effort you've put into it too. What a shame! You'll never become an Overlord at this rate."
With those words, I feel my anger take over judgment and start swinging recklessly at him. However, despite the multitude of my slashes, not one of them hits their mark. No matter from what angle, he merely sidesteps or ducks.
Damn it, is he playing with me? That arrogant bastard… I'll kill him!
"Hey! If you're so freaking confident in your abilities, why don't you try and hit me now?"
He ducks under one of my sideways slashes like it was nothing and shrugs at me.
"If you say so. Just remember, you asked for it!"
Twirling the spear, he jabs the wooden end of it into my gut, forcing me to skid across the floor. He taps his fingers on his chin and looks at the space between the two of us.
"Hm, this should be enough distance for it… Brace yourself my son! Feel the awesome wrath brought on by a true master of the spear."
With those words he leapt into the air and began to summon red orbs of energy.
What the hell? Is he doing that attack I did before in the dungeon?
I continue to watch closely to find out it isn't the same attack. The red orbs slowly shift themselves to the form of red energy spears.
Damn, so that's his game… This is going to be one hell of an attack. Can I even survive it?
I'm almost about to consider to call it quits, but decide against it. Aside from my demon pride, there is something else that pulls at me.
Etna. What would she think if I were to just give up? How would I ever be able to face her if I did this? I need to show her that I'm better than him. I won't let her down. I'll become someone that she can be proud of.
Raising my hands into the air, I begin to summon energy orbs as well. Though these explosive orbs will not be shape shifting into anything, for they work well enough as it is. Not to mention the little detail that I don't even know how. Perhaps due to the fact that I've only learned this attack less than a day ago.
"An Overlord's Wrath? Is that what you plan to counter my magnificent attack with? How droll."
Overlord's Wrath? Is that what it's called? I'll have to remember that.
With searing determination in both of our eyes, we send our attacks at each other at the same time. I can only watch as the red spears tear through my orbs, forcing them to explode prematurely. Though my attack had not been able to hit my father, it had served its purpose. The explosions that were created served as a veil for me to get to his back. Dodging any of his red spears that made it through my barrier, I quickly run behind him as he lands from his attack.
"Gotcha!"
Whipping his head around, he is just in time to see me launch one of my other attacks. This is called the Blade Rush where I dash at him while slashing down vertically. This time, he is the one that barely manages to dodge, though I did manage to catch his cape, embedding both it and my sword in the wooden floor.
"My cape!"
He looks back and forth between his cape and myself, speaking to me in a somewhat whinny voice.
"Was that really necessary Laharl?"
He gives it a tug, only to find that it's not that willing to come out of the grave I made for it. I let go of the embedded sword and jump into the air. Looking down upon him, with his cape in one hand and his spear in the other, I smirk.
"This is the end old man!"
I then allow myself to fall head first, with my fist leading me.
This is one of my own special abilities. I call it the Blazing Knuckle!
"Ha! Here I come!"
I impact the ground at his speed, sending a column of fire around me, burning my old man to a crisp and sending him staggering backwards. Getting up, I see him give a snort, sending some smoke flying comically out of his mouth.
"Well now… that was interesting. Guess I underestimated you there."
He tugs his cape with enough force until in gets ripped by the sword, freeing it in the process. As he starts polishing his slightly charred spear with the tattered cape, till it regains its golden look. He then looks and grins at me.
"Looks like you're getting stronger after all my son. Maybe you do stand a chance against those fools up there."
Chuckling, he throws his spear next to me, embedding it less than an inch away from my feet. I don't even flinch. Instead, I just stare at him with a questioning look.
"Consider that a gift for your little spear wielding girlfriend. And as for you my son…"
He reaches behind his back and lifts out a sword out a sheath strapped on his back.
"This is the Cosmic Blade, a rarity in itself. Its power is quite great and may be more than you can handle. Though, if I am correct, then you should have no problem adapting to its awesome strength and using its full potential."
After tossing the sword at my feet, he turns his back and begins walking towards the cages with his shoulders shrugged.
"Then again, what do I know? You may very well be destroyed in the process of trying to master it. Heh, heh."
I snarl at his back and forcefully yank the sword off of the ground.
Too much for me to handle? Che… over my dead body. Though hopefully that won't be the case. Heh, heh.
"You're on old man! Just you watch! I'll demonstrate power that'll have you begging for me to be Overlord!"
"Me? Begging?"
He gives off a haughty laugh and walks into the cage. Still laughing, he pulls the lever, allowing the cage to descend back into the castle. However, during the process, it begins to sputter and stops halfway into the ground with his eyes at knee level. His laughter abruptly stops and he flips the switch up and down several times to no avail.
"What? You can't be serious!"
After a few more tries he kicks the cage with an angry look on his face.
"Damn it! Work you stupid piece of machinery! This is the reason why we spray the vassal's quarter with deodorant instead of pesticide? This is why they get injected with morphine instead of their annual hepitiaus shot? This is why they drink from the castle's sewer water instead of pure mountain water?"
I raise my eyebrow at the outburst as to which he blinks and chuckles nervously. Coughing into his hand, he gives a small chuckle.
"Heh, heh… Just goes to show you the reliability of human technology, eh?"
I give him no response, merely staring at him with a mixture of confusion and amusement. He answers my gaze with a somewhat angry voice.
"Oh, shut up… This could've happened to anyone you know."
With those words, he spins around, disappearing in a whirl of black smoke. I merely shake my head sadly at the display and turn around. I then stop, noticing that something was wrong.
"Wait a minute… spear wielding-? She's not my girlfriend!"
My statement falls on deaf ears, however as he already disappeared.
I sigh and wrench Longinus out of the wooden ground. Brushing off the splinters from the tip, I stare at the face of the spear.
"Well, that was loads of fun. I trust you'll give Etna full use of your powers, Longinus?"
The little mouth on the spear moves to answer my question.
"Indeed. Though it is by the king's order and not your own. You have not mastered the skill of the spear, and as of such you have to right to demand anything from one such as I."
I shrug at the reason, not really caring so long as the end result was the same.
"Whatever. At least it's not because of any power difference between me and my father…"
"Well, actually-"
"Shut it!"
With those words silencing the spear, I pick up the Cosmic Blade and angrily walk towards the door, forcefully opening it to see a startled Etna staring at me.
"Hey Prince! I checked the reservations. They're ready at any time… So did you finish with whatever it was you needed to do?"
Twirling the legendary spear around in one hand, I shrug.
"More or less. By the way, I happened to come upon a gift for you. You may find it useful, what with you being a big spear fanatic and all."
I then toss her Longinus, which she catches with her free hand, her other occupied with the lesser spear from the hospital. Almost instantly she is able to feel the strength increase and the improvement of her abilities. Her eyes widen and she looks at me shocked.
"Wow! This power of this spear is amazing! Prince, where did you get such a thing?"
I angrily growl under my breath, annoyed that once again he managed to show me up. This time he was able to impress Etna without even trying.
Damn him…
"Let's just say it's a loan. Hopefully, it'll be more than enough to ensure your survival."
She looks at the spear with wonder, before quickly looking back at me.
"But what about you? Don't you have a special weapon too?"
I roll my eyes at her concern over me. Honestly, I've never met a demon so worried about everything or for that matter about me. As much as appreciate her kindness, I'm going to have to purge her of that and make her more demon-like. The way she is now, she won't be able to survive for a single day in the real Netherworld. Thankfully, the worst she dealt with inside this castle was mere bullies.
"Hm, of course I have weapon of my own! I'm not so foolish as to charge head first into a situation without being prepared."
I could tell she about to add something to that, but decided against it. I decide to ignore it and instead, pull out the Cosmic Blade. I swing the blade, testing out its power and speed. The wind caused by the slash is enough to ruffle Etna's hair, causing a surprised reaction from her. I, in return, smirk at the power displayed by only a small slash.
Truly this is a great weapon, but that doesn't mean I'm keeping it. That would be like leaning on a crutch. A crutch given to me by my father. Hm, no thanks… this is just going to be a one-time thing.
Sighing, I look at Etna and at the portal, that once gone through, may very well seal my fate.
Oh well, might as well get this over with…
I pull out a bottle of Sake and gulp it down to increase the SP I lost with that Overlord's Wrath. Though I don't necessarily approve on relying on human goods, it does get the job done. Just hope that I don't end up drunk and make a huge fool of myself. Wouldn't that be a lame way to die?
"Hm, whatever. Are you ready Etna?
- Etna -
Nodding to the Prince, I walk towards the panel, which leads to the Assembly room, with more confidence. For some reason, holding this spear in my hands makes me feel as if I could do almost anything. It's not just the sense of power that comes with it either. There's something strange… almost familiar about this golden spear.
Where have I seen it before? Think Etna, where the hell was it that you've seen a spear? Who in the world even uses a spear nowadays?
I blink, feeling my heart stop momentarily, realizing who this spear… No, who Longinus belongs to. Stepping on the panel after the Prince, I'm able to manifest only one thought, before I'm sent to the place where the fight of my lifetime will take place.
Holy shit… This belongs to King Krikevskoy…
Snapping out of my senses, I realize that we're surrounded by darkness with a single spotlight on the two of us. Suddenly a booming voice sounds from nowhere, slightly freaking me out.
"He who has summoned the Assembly, step forward now."
I turn to the Prince, who slightly growls and walks a few steps in front of me.
"Ah, it is the son of Krikevskoy… and why is it that you have summoned us here today, Prince Laharl?"
He takes a small breath before raising his head upward, to the darkness.
"Dark Assembly, I come before you today to consent your approval of recruiting my first vassal, the demon known as Etna."
"The cost shall be 1,000 mana points plus the approval of the senate. Do you accept these terms?"
Laharl crosses his arms over his chest and laughs.
"Of course I do! I knew what I had to do long before I had to do it."
"Hm, then step forward to the new light."
Just then another spotlight appears, out of the range of the old one. Laharl walks out of the one we shared together and into the new one. When he finally stops in the center of it, I watch as his body glows a dark red aura and then fades away.
"The mana has been taken. Now the hearing shall begin."
All of the lights in the room suddenly turn on and I squint my eyes, having been in the dark for a while. When I finally get used to it, I'm able to see all the levels of rows ahead of us. All in all, I would have to say that there are about 20 senators here. Not that many considering that I expected an army of them. But I have to remember that they are all considerably strong. They consisted of dragons, golems, faeries, zombies, and a surt. Not exactly the most comforting selection of monsters.
Hm, they don't feel like ordinary monsters though. They seem… more powerful. I hope we aren't biting off more than we can chew…
My thoughts are interrupted as the golem nearest to us speaks, addressing the Prince.
"Prince Laharl, what offerings do you present to us to further convince us of your right to be bestowed with a vassal of your own?"
Even though he's only a few feet ahead of me, I'm able to hear his growl and the sound of his fists clenching.
"Offerings? I will give you no such things! I'm not about to bribe you fools for something that I should be entitled to! You must be dumber than you look!"
I feel a sinking feeling in my gut as he says those words, knowing that this would not end pretty. Kind of zoning out, I take a deep breath trying to calm myself. As I do so, I could swear I hear something like a palm being slapped on the forehead and a voice saying somewhere around the lines, 'Way to go you dolt. I'm sure they'll really like that…'
Who does that familiar voice belong to? Could it have been King Krichevskoy? No, after all why would he be here? He must have more important things to do. It's just a hallucination caused by stress. After all, this hearing could be going better…
"Fools? Dumber than we look? How dare you, you impudent prince! I have heard all I needed to hear. Do the rest of you agree?"
The others nod somewhat angry or miffed depending on how they took it.
"Then it is time to cast the vote. Dark Assembly what is your say in this matter?"
The golem is the first to vote. He steps onto the surface in front of him, raising his hands in the air, and giving the first of what was bound to be many disapprovals later.
"Nay!"
As soon as he says this, the next one rises and the next one as well, all giving off similar judgments until all but one disapproved of my employment. I nervously look at the Prince, who keeps his back to me.
I wonder what he's feeling right now… Isn't he nervous at all?
The golem, now glaring, casts his gaze to the Prince.
"There you have it, foolish Prince. Your proposal has been rejected. Now… will you leave in peace?"
Still looking at the Prince, I watch as his shoulders begin to move up and down and I hear him start to chuckle. Soon it turns into a full-blown laugh, with his back arched and his right hand covering his face as he laughs. Slowly letting his hand slide down his face, he straightens up and draws the Cosmic Sword from his back.
"Heh, heh. Leave in peace? That's a good one. I came here, expecting a fight. So if you guys aren't going to let me keep my vassal, then there's only one thing I can do."
He turns to me and smirks, causing me to grin right back at him. I pull out Longinus in front of him to let him know I'm ready to fight. The spear pulses a few times before unleashing all of its power into me. I feel myself strengthen over a hundred fold and slip into a fighting stance. Laharl then turns back and points his sword at the entire row of the Dark Assembly.
"Looks like I'll just have to persuade you by force."
I jump and land right next to him, ready to fight side by side. Things are looking kind of bleak so I have to be ready for anything.
"Hey, Etna."
Still in my fighting stance, I turn my head to him. He refuses to look at me though, keeping his eyes on the enemies ahead of us.
"Yeah, Prince?"
"As your mentor, I have only one command for you and no matter what, I want you to follow it flawlessly."
"Uh, okay."
"Don't die because if you do, then I'll never forgive you. Do understand?"
I slightly chuckle to myself.
"Always the way with words, huh, Prince? Just make sure that you're not too worried about me, that you forget about your own safety."
My comment catches him completely off guard. His eyes bulge and his mouth hangs wide open, stuttering. However, he quickly recovers from the shock and regains his composure. Well, for the most part anyway.
"W-what? Worried? Me? I-I never said I was worried!"
I grin at him and slide back into fighting stance.
"Whatever you say, Prince. But…"
Pausing, I turn my head to look at him one last time.
"The same goes for you, okay? Don't get yourself hurt over me."
He shakes his head and goes back into his stance as well.
"If you think I'd simply stand by and watch as you get yourself killed, then you're even crazier than I thought."
Grinning, I face the assembly, no longer worried about being alone in this world. Though by all means, I really should be more concerned with the battle up ahead.
Oh well…
"Hey Prince. First person to reach 10 kills gets treated to dinner. What do you say?"
"Heh, no problem. For future reference, I'm not into any of those fancy places that require you to dress up. Just something above fast food will suit me."
"Well then, it's agreed. It'll be a date."
His eyes bulge yet again and he turns to me.
"What! A date?"
"Heh, heh. See you at the finish line, Prince! And for future references, I do like fancy places! Hope you can afford it!"
I then rush off, leaving a bewildered Prince chasing after me.
- Laharl -
A date, huh? She must be crazy.
Jumping in the air, I send out a Wind Cutter, hitting the enemies in front of Etna, damaging a golem and a faerie pretty bad. She then jumps and impales the golem from the air, killing him off. She turns, grins, and sticks her tongue out at me.
"That's one for me!"
I sneer and break for the right then forward.
However, she must be even crazier to think that I'll be treating.
Grinning, I charge up an Overlord's Wrath that hitting a dragon, golem, and zombie, instantly killing the undead member. I then charge forward with a Blade Rush, killing the damaged golem. For the finale, I dash in a circle, creating a whirlwind, sending the dragon upward before I send him crashing down with my sword.
"Wow, this sword isn't half bad after all…"
I turn to see how Etna is doing, noting that she killed that faerie I damaged earlier. The red headed girl jumps up a few layers, then stops, allowing her to be surrounded by a bunch of demons.
Damn it! She's going to get herself killed!
I'm about to rush over there till I see her spinning her golden spear. She then rotates her body counter-clockwise; creating a green whirlwind of her own that sends those surrounding her up in the air. Stopping abruptly, she thrusts her spear towards the sky, sending a beam of energy towards the twirling Senates, creating a huge explosion. Afterwards only 2 fall from the sky, the other 4 being dead.
"Damn…"
I give off a small impressed whistle, which catches her attention.
"Not bad, eh, Prince?"
She thrusts her spear in the gut of a remaining golem and hurls him on the damaged faerie, killing the former and crushing the latter.
"Better catch up, Prince! I'm in the lead by four now!"
"So you still have time to count, despite all of this? And here I was worried for a sec…"
"Aw, Prince. You do care! And here I thought that you were a cold-hearted demon… How sweet."
I growl at her almost mocking grin. Though I suspect that it did mean something to her.
"First of all, this fight isn't over yet."
Swinging horizontally, I slice the head of a dragon charging at me, killing him instantly. I kick the body down and swipe the blood off my blade.
"Second of all, I am a cold-hearted demon!"
Smirking, I kick the groin of the corpse for emphasis. She rolls her eyes at me, but I ignore it. Stepping over the beheaded dragon, I run forward and jump over the Surt ahead of me, landing right behind him.
"Hah!"
I kick the Surt up in the air, through the roof, and high into the atmosphere. Then, jumping up after him, I glide through the air slicing him at all sides, before me final hit which results in an explosion that takes out over half his life. I drop to the ground, landing safely on my feet.
"Not bad, Prince. But looks like you didn't quite kill him."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that, my dear Etna."
She raises her eyebrow at me, though due to my dismissing comment or the name, I'm not quite sure. I look up and just in time, the Surt falls and impacts the ground, taking away whatever life he had left, killing him instantly.
"So that makes just two more to catch up, huh?"
"All I need is two more to win the bet. Then it's the most fancy, expensive place I know of!"
"You're just saying that because I'll be paying…"
"May-be…"
Che… the hell I'll be the one to loose… I've never lost a single bet and it certainly won't be to a girl!
I jump up, sending a wind cutter to hit two enemies further up. I then rush forward, giving them a blade rush to finish them off.
Just one more, and I win.
I decide to quickly take a look around to see how many more senate are left.
Looks like there's only 4 more to go. Jeez, with all these upgrades in stats, it hardly seems fair. Heh, heh. They haven't even had the chance to attack once. And here I thought I would be fighting for my life.
"Hm, almost seems too easy."
"I can fix that for you!"
My eyes dart up to see a shinobi fall from the sky, landing right behind a dragon. Etna spins around after stabbing a faerie and killing it, to see him through the dragon at the golem next to her. Then the strangest thing happens. The dragon gets absorbed into the golem, boosting its power to a whole new level.
"What the-?"
Before I can even finish my thought, the shinobi appears next to a faeire and tosses it at the powered golem, making it even stronger than before.
"What just happened?"
The shinobi smirks at me, bowing in a mocking manner.
"I granted your wish. It was too easy before right? Well I hope that's enough for you, Prince."
With those words, he throws a smoke bomb down, disappearing in it.
I'll never understand how they do those things…
Looking at the powered up senate, I mentally curse myself for wishing it would be harder. Etna, on the other hand, looks bewildered at the sight of our new formidable enemy.
"Greeeat… This'll be fun."
"Hm, well there you have it, Etna. He's our last target, the remaining enemy. Whoever takes him down wins the battle and the bet."
"Eh, let's get to it then."
Though I wonder… just who the hell was that ninja? And who exactly sent him?
- Etna -
Jumping at the golem, I stab him going downward, which barely does any damage. He in turn, grabs my spear and swings it to the right, sending it and me flying into the wall.
"Ouch… he's not bad…."
Laharl then gives it a shot, charging up his Overlord's Wrath and sending it to collide with the golem in a sphere of energy. However, the golem rather unscathed jumps and the Prince and grabs him tightly by the shoulders.
"No! Prince, you have to escape!"
My words are too late, however as the golem jumps with Laharl into the air and pile drives him into the floor with tremendous force. I quickly rush over to the Prince, to see if he's okay. The golem however, blocks my way and peers at me. I lunge for him with my spear, but he grabs it and slams me into the ground.
"Heh, heh. Is that all you have little one?"
Growling, I thrust at him which he jumps over and then slams right into me. Being barely able to move, I glare at him from the floor.
"Leave the Prince alone!"
"That fool deserves what he got. The arrogance of royalty, thinking that he's above everyone else. Tell me kid, just who are you? Why is it that you want to become his vassal? Or did he force this upon you?"
I narrow my eyes at the golem.
"My name is Etna and I chose this of my own free will. The Prince doesn't think he's above everyone else either. He's just a little conceited from time to time."
"Hm, I'll say. The nerve of him to say that he doesn't have to bribe us. Though I must admit, he did better than I expected. Tell you what, child. If you give me that spear of yours, then I'll spare his spoiled highness. It looks like it's worth a bundle."
My hands tighten around the spear defensively.
"What? I can't do that! This isn't even mine!"
It belongs to King Krichevskoy… Giving it away, even to spare his son's life, would betray his trust. I'm certain that he gave it to Laharl, who then gave it to be. He entrusted me with this to ensure that I would survive.
"Well if that's the way it is…"
He then lifts the Prince up getting ready for another attack.
"No, wait! Please… isn't there something else than I can bribe you with?"
Letting the Prince, slope down to the floor, he rubs his chin.
"What else do you have?"
I quickly search myself for anything I have of value. My heart stops as I come across the ruby pendant I have.
I've had it for as long as I can remember. Maderas said it was already on me when he first came across Aramis and me, which makes it pretty old. This is my only clue to my past. For all I know it could've belonged to my mother.
I let out sigh of defeat as sadness flow through me. Knowing what I have to do, I take off the pendant and hold it in front of him.
This is for Laharl's sake… as well as my own.
"This pendant has been with me for thousands of years. It's probably really valuable, but that doesn't matter to me. It's already valuable in terms that can't be measured with Hell. I offer this to you in exchange for the Prince's life. Please take it."
I hear some coughing and see the Prince struggling to stand up.
"Don't do it, Etna! It's not worth it. You don't have to become my vassal!"
My eyes fall downward and I clench the hand at my side.
"Maybe not Prince, but you are worth it. I can't have you dying, knowing that I could've done something. You're the first friend I've had and I'm not about to let that be taken away from me!"
I turn to the golem, looking him straight in the eyes.
"So? Is it a deal or not?"
He sneers at me, before grabbing the pendant and looking it over.
"I guess I could use it for a paperweight or something… You have deal, child. I, Ethos the Golem, accept your bribe. The Prince is allowed to live and as a result you are now his vassal."
Chuckling, he walks over to the portal, the battle having finally ended. Before he teleports, he turns around and smirks.
"Congratulations."
He then disappears, leaving me feeling rather bitter and depressed at the turn of events. I could hear the sarcasm in his voice, which would anger me, were I not feeling rather down in the dumps.
"There went my only chance of finding out about my family. I guess… it's probably for the best."
Laharl, struggling to even stand, begins walking over towards me before falling down. I rush to his side and sling his arm around my neck, helping him stay on his feet.
"You know, Etna..."
He coughs slightly and I see his eyes are beginning to loose focus. He's probably doing his best to stay conscious after that last attack.
"We're really going to have to work on your obedience to my orders. Next time I say something, just trust that it's for the best."
I keep silent, not certain if I should be angry that he didn't even realize the danger he was in or the sacrifice that I made.
"In any case, looks like you won the bet, so I'll be taking you out to dinner. Right now though, I need to get to the Netherworld hospital."
Feeling a wave of bitterness overtake me, it's all I can do not to just drop him right there.
"Yes, Prince."
And with those words, I begin talking towards the portal, stepping over the mutilated corpses.
- Laharl -
Damn it all, Etna. Why'd you have to go and do something stupid like that? If that pendant meant so damn much to you, you should have just let him destroy me. After all, you did all you could, so there would be no reason to feel guilty about it. But no… instead you sacrificed something that meant the world to you for someone not even worth it.
I look at the bitter expression on her face, as we begin walking towards the cages.
"Hey, Etna."
She turns her head to look at me with eyes so unlike her. They are no longer filled with simple joys and childlike attitude. Instead, they reflect her dark mood, appearing harsh and unforgiving.
"Yeah?"
"I know you may hate me for what I've cost you. There's absolutely nothing I can think of to make this better at all. The only I can say is that your sacrifice won't be in vain. I'm going to make this up to you one way or another. What you've done means a lot to me. I just want you to know that. I truly appreciate what it was you've done."
Her expression then softens and she lets out a small smile.
"That's just what I wanted to hear, Prince."
She wraps her arms around me and buries her face in my shoulder.
"I'm so glad that you're okay."
Putting one arm on her head and the other around her waist, I pull her closer.
"Mark my words, Etna. I will make this up to you. Just you wait and see."
And you can mark my words, Ethos, when I find you it'll be hell on the Netherworld. You'll find out that there are much worse things than simple death and torture. You took away something very precious from my vassal and you'll pay for it with your very existence. Just you wait and see.
---
A/N: Sweet freaking, Jebus! I've updated! Only took me… how many months... (sighs) There's no excuse I can offer to you guys for this. I've been lazy, having computer trouble, lost my inspiration, and been busy try to live some of my life. They're not good reasons, but I owe you guys the truth. I'm just very thankful that somehow there were some of you that didn't give up on me. Hell, some of you even posted multiple reviews, which motivated me all the more. It took all of your reviews to keep smacking myself, telling me to keep on writing. Seriously. Once again, thank you for what you've done.
Now, the reason this chapter is so long is because I seriously wanted to finish up the Dark Assembly. I mean it's been talked about for so long now in the past chapters about becoming a full fledged vassal, that it was starting to annoy me that I haven't even started it yet. Well, now its started and finished. It's about twice the length of an average chapter. Alright!
Despite all this, I'm not too certain about this chapter. There were some parts that seemed a bit off, so I did re-read this and made corrections to make reading this as smooth as possible. Any corrections or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Also, if you have any complaints, like say about how much time this took, I'll accept those too. After all, I deserve them. Heh, heh…
In any case, stay tuned for the next installment of Forgotten Memories! Chapter 8: No Time for the Date! Look forward to it! Much sooner than 3 months too! (grins)