(because fuck it amiright)
The Netherworld. A lawless world filled with vicious monsters. The number of Netherworlds has expanded with the rise of demons powerful enough to rule such worlds...the Overlords. Now, another world is about to-no...no. How many times had you heard THAT monologue, huh? It's familiar and rather nostalgic to hear, but this isn't another one of those drama-filled romance stories. Hm. Hm, hm, hm. Let's see if I remember it correctly now...ahem!
There is, of course, more than one universe. In one such world, in the corner of a backwater galaxy, humans rule over a senseless planet...However, that's about as important as a speck of dirt in this pluralistic cosmos. Well, here in the Netherworld, things work the same way. I wanted to tell-...oh, are you kidding me?! My mind has to be going, I'm sounding just like that Oracle! How silly, mixing up events like this! I'll just have to take an original crack at this myself then…
Cogs. Small, plentiful, and easy to mass-produce. They are the lifeblood of any well-greased machine, endlessly spinning to the flow of the machine's will until an endpoint finally hits. It is a simple existence for a simple tool, but the great thing about simplicity is that it only takes one special cog out of the bunch to foil everything if removed, rendering the machine inoperable. While they have no will of their own to make that choice, what if there was a cog that did? This is the story of one of those cogs that cast themselves free of their shackles, leading way for a better machine to rise from the chaotic ashes…
== Present Day / BGM CHANGE – Thousand Year Slumber of the Blastia (Tales of Vesperia) ==
There is only one universal concept bigger than any demon, skill, Overlord, or Netherworld, and that is the "space" that keeps it all together. Nicknamed the "Final Frontier" to the denizens of humankind, this boundless continuum held together by an axis of three is home to everything that makes us up. From every small star twinkling amid the darkest nights to every oddly-shaped Netherworld floating across every universe in the continued cosmos, space keeps it all centralized so nothing is truly out of reach. Of course, like most things, there are always exceptions. Exceptions that some beings find themselves walking past because they just don't apply for whatever reason. Maybe they're too powerful for them? Maybe they're just better? Who knows for certain?
"Yo, Pleinair? Usagi? Got a question to ask ya."
Such was the deal here (fortunately) with a lass I've had the pleasure of knowing for a long while now. She goes by the name "Asagi Asagiri", though I've met aplenty with a name like if not matching that to some degree. Stands at roughly 5'4", short black hair that can flow on command without the need of wind coupled with the ever-popular x-hair ornament left in between one of the locks, black thigh-highs that matched the eyes of a girl that'd seen just about everything the worlds beyond had for her, a trademark blue-and-white fur coat she never seemed to go without covering the sleeveless camisole underneath, and a couple of belts to hold it all together. I'm sure you've met them before given how frequently they travel about the multiverse, all of their crazy psyche-split personalities, invading every crevice of the Netherworld. Those were the days, up until suddenly, when it all seemed to stop. The infighting halted, the appearances dropped down to none, and the name seemed to fade into memory. This Asagi mentioned she went through a whole..." thing" regarding that, but that's a story for another time…another place...
Oh, "this" Asagi. For the sake of clarification, we'll label this one as "Prime". The 1st Asagi Asagiri (Makai Kingdom; Disgaea 5) started the chain of events that were their current life. Now, she was on what some might call "eternal hiatus", sitting down on a folding chair with a cold can of beer in hand along the Edge of the Omniverse. Literally. The literal Edge of the Omniverse. Every star, constellation, Netherworld, solar system, [x]verse, dimension (alternate or pocket), realm, and every other spacey term in-between could be seen from here across the blue and purple mix of a "sky" that encapsulated its beauty. Time as a concept didn't seem to apply at the crossroads between the vast everything that kept "us" together and the vast expanses beyond, so it served as the perfect hangout spot for any being that could reach such a place. A true sanctuary, this.
"…"
In a chair a couple of meters left of Asagi's own sat a shorter girl that clocked in at around 4'2" and slightly more than a half, her focus centered entirely towards the sky above that bounced off her tired crimson eyes and short aqua-blue hair. Had it not been for the fact she drew breath, blinked on occasion, and casually sipped on her can of beer from time to time, one could've easily gone under the assumption she was but a statue frozen in a concept of time that could not exist, yet did with her presence. That was the unpredictable anomaly that existed just about everywhere, known to the masses as "Pleinair", the only being that despite having a close connection to the world precedes its recorded existence, making her by technicality the oldest one in the room. A part of me still wants to bring that subject up to her, but I fear I'll get more than just silence one of these days. She never was much of the talking type, regardless of the incarnation...
"Yes?"
That was probably why she had that stuffed rabbit with her at all times, his dead gaze glancing over to Asagi as he sat atop the anomaly's lap. "Usagi" was his name, a being that had lived just as long as Pleinair and had stuck by their side from the beginning. Ironically, despite his stitched-up mouth, he was much more of the talkative type than his handler in arms, thus prompting him to take up the mantle of being an orator. Some might find that as an odd dynamic, but given the sense of mystery that's set behind Pleinair to the general public, I'd say it works out rather nicely.
"Ever wonder why we're he-"
"Not really."
"C-Come on! You didn't even let me finish!" Finding herself huffing, the Protagonist pointed an accusatory can at the rabbit. "Has the thought just never crossed your mind as to why you exist in this crazy world out of all the others? Why you were created with this or that purpose in mind? We've practically been here since the beginning-"
"-Well, technically, you appeared around...Disgaea 5 if we're going by chronology, and Makai Kingdom if we're going by first appearances, while we were here before-"
"Blahblahblahsemanticssemantics, I get the idea, you're old, we're old, that's not the point, answer the question!"
"…"
"...Well, if you want an expansion, I guess we've never really felt the need to if that makes sense." A low chuckle would escape the stuffed rabbit's stitched-up mouth as he took a glance upward at his partner in crime, still staring at the stars. "Sure, we could wonder about our place in the universe, the meaning of life, and all the other philosophical questions in the book, but don't you think that's a bit...boring? Spending life wondering if there's a higher purpose to it?"
"We're talking philosophical, of course, it's more than just boring!" Siiiiiiiiiiiiip. "But that's what slow burns usually are! In a world where any sword-wielding shmuck can slash a Dimension clean in half like it's nothing, including you, wouldn't you think there's a bit more to your existence than just..."being"?"
"Hm..."
"Probably! I think others would be a bit tired of dealing with all the Dark Assembly shenanigans...and being a Class Rep...and Newscaster...and…" The rabbit found himself trailing on. Just how many jobs did the pair have? He must have lost count somewhere down the line. "Well, you get the idea. Needing to wonder about those things doesn't apply to someone who's enjoying their lives as is, which is what I feel is the end goal of everything. Just, y'know, enjoying life. Simple? Sure, but sometimes simple is best, yeah?"
"Yeah, I'll drink to that one."
Siiiiiiiiiip.
Siiiiiiiiiip.
"…"
"…"
A silence broke out along the edge, only the ambiance of the world gracing their ears and souls with a feeling of serenity as they stared at the cosmos. Everything seemed to make sense here more than usual, although whether that was simply due to the amount of alcohol in the system of the laid-back beings was up for debate.
"…"
"...Must be real bored for a question like that."
"Gee, who would've guessed!? It's been an hour and she hasn't shown up yet! What gives?!"
"School stuff, perhaps? Being busy is usually an unavoidable roadblock for a teacher like-"
"Beyond X…"
For the first time since they had all arrived there would Pleinair finally speak, her voice while monotone was as soft if not softer than the comfiest pillows known to the Netherworld in its entirety. Had it not been for the familiarity been them, Asagi would've sworn the voices that were once in her head came back just to spite her impatience.
"Huh?"
The girl's head would crane over to face Pleinair's, her gaze that was once affixed to the sky now looking over to the right. Asagi would've found herself having to squint as she followed her line of sight down the vast expanse of verse, attempting to get a proper look-see without leaving the confines of her chair like a real lazyass. A couple of feet away, a circular rift roughly 50ft in diameter had torn itself open, revealing nothing inside but an endlessly swirling void of white...
"Ahoy! Sorry we're so late, there was a bit more hold up than we anticipated!"
And then, a voice. Loud. Sudden. Infectiously optimistic. The being that harbored the voice could be seen leaping out of the rift, those blonde drills for hair and sky-blue eyes serving as but a dead
giveaway to their identity. Nearly tripping over their sandals as they touched ground to break into a running start, the swimsuited-sailor of an Archer would nearly barrel into the Protag and Mascots, narrowly skidding to a halt near the chairs. They were known to the masses as "Meaver", one of the rare stand-outs in Archerkind given her longstanding prowess as both a professional Monster Hunter and Dimensional Guide. Name an Overlord and there's a good chance she's been affiliated with them. Name a dimension, Netherworld, universe; She'll send you right to it like that. Name a monster, she'd more than likely have a skull of it as a trophy. That's just the type of Archer she is, a real go-getter.
"Yes, yes, training will do that. I had admittedly gotten just a tad more "into it" compared to usual, and Meaver couldn't stop herself from spectating the event, leading us to be far later than planned. I'd apologize further, but it was a pretty damn good fight!"
Another voice now, this one much more laid-back and older-sounding in comparison to the Archer, yet...it didn't seem to come out from the rift. Meaver wouldn't look over her shoulder as she was busy grabbing a folder chair from the hammerspace that was her inventory, but the rift that'd brought her here closed just as fast as she arrived. Before Asagi would be able to question where exactly "they" were, a pair of hands would've found themselves wrapped around the eyes of the black-haired lass from behind.
"W-Wah?!"
"Kept you waiting, huh? Don't worry, I made sure to bring everyone alcohol for everyone. The expensive stuff."
It's rather exhausting being a narrator that has to wait when it comes to introducing themselves, but I suppose that's due more to my giddiness overriding my patience. Standing behind the girl's chair looked to a Witch about 4'6" with magenta-like eyes and long hair that matched the color of only the finest of champagnes flowing down along the backside of a dress blacker than obsidian. We had met once before, back in Disgaea 3, if memory serves me right, but for those who don't know me or have seemingly forgotten, I am a member of the Diez Gentlemen serving at Evil Academy, "Suredeath Hellman Beyond X", or "Ms. Machiko" under a formal basis. Bit of a mouthful, I'll admit, so you can just call me Beyond X. It rolls off the tongue nicer.
"...How expensive?"
"Expensive enough to get you lot blackout drunk if needed! If there's one thing those Hinomoto guys don't seem to skimp out on, it's their alcohol~!"
Mulling it over for a moment, the Protagonist found herself eventually groaning out a reply. "...Very well. You'll live, for now…"
Removing my hands from Asagi's face, an almost inaudible chuckle would escape from me as I lazily floated off my feet over to the side of Meaver. With a snap of the finger, the position of everyone's chairs would shift from facing the sky in a straight row to a small circle that allowed everyone to be in grabbing distance of the foreign beers, wines, and sake I had pulled out of my inventory to place down in the middle of the powwow like it was a makeshift campfire.
"Well, what matters is that you're here now. It's been a while since we've met up to relax like this proper."
"A year or two, give or take. Pleinair's pretty much free whenever she feels like-"
"…"
"-and I'm pretty sure Meaver isn't even the Dimensional Guide in D7, right?" To that, the Archer let out a sigh of both relief and disappointment, reaching out to grab herself a whole bottle of sake.
"That would be right. I believe it's a Prinny taking the mantle, Celestia bless them." Without bothering to pour herself a cup, she'd take a swing straight from the bottle, holding back a hiss as the bitter mixture burned down her throat. "...It's a bit of a weird feeling now, being on "break" like this."
"All the more reason to get used to it while you're here, no? No fretting about XYZ, dealing with Overlords and their problems, the possibility of getting murdered by a wild beast; It's just you, us, a bunch of alcohol, and the Edge of Everything as our backyard!"
Treading on Guilty territory there, don't you think? Silently, Pleinair would get to pouring herself a cup as she grabbed one of the bottles.
"I suppose you're right. Maybe it's just the fact I'm too locked into the job to accept just...not doing it, you know."
"Preach to the choir, sister."
"Swear, it's a love/hate relationship with the Dark Assembly all the time. Bill this, felony that, debate this, fight that, bribe this, politicize that; It's a job I wouldn't wish on any poor soul, yet it's a job I miss being in at the same time...although most of that is due to the fact it might collapse in on itself without us!"
"Think it might collapse now that you two aren't there?" The mascot stopped drinking to stare at Meaver for a while, then at her stuffed partner in thought.
"…"
Of course, she'd then go back to silently drinking, leading Usagi to merely shrug."I'm fairly certain they have it covered with the fail-safes in place. Don't need a repeat of the Paradox Incident…" Just the mere mention would make Meaver shudder, hastily taking another long swig.
"Please don't remind me...all those copies…"
"Probably one of the few times having a bunch of copies of myself worked for the better, heh. Bloody bastards just kept coming and coming-", Asagi would mention, materializing another can of beer into her hand to crack open with a loud hiss. "-Would've started a whole rebellion if we didn't keep 'em in check!
...Rebellion? Rebellion. Why did that sound so…
Oh. It was that day, huh? That day…
Meaver must've picked up that my train of thought had gone elsewhere given how silent I was, a hand of hers reaching forward to slap me across the face, hard.
"O-Oi?! What the hell was that for?!"
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't think that'd hurt, but you just…" The sailor paused, as if unsure where to go about this. "...You looked as if you remembered something you didn't want to for a while, and I started to get a bit worried you had up and conked out!"
"...I did, huh?"
I could feel all eyes on me as I went back into a bout of silence, listening only to the voices that pounded along the edges of my skull. Ever-familiar voices.
"Į̷̋t̴̬̾'̴̙͛l̵̙̾l̵̺͑ ̶̬̾b̵̜̅e̸̩͘ ̷̨͌a̵͙͑ ̶̯̎c̷̨̈́o̸̲͑l̴̫͝d̵̬̏ ̶̝͗d̵̳͂ả̴̪y̴̩̽ ̷̛͕i̶͙̾n̷̤̕ ̴̛̥h̸̨̿ě̷̖l̸̟̒l̵̨̒ ̸̛̪ḇ̴͝ë̴͙f̵̣̽ò̴̼ṛ̴́e̴͔̊ ̸̦͝y̵̛̜o̸͈͝u̸̹̐ ̸̱͑e̶͔̔v̸͉̚e̵̖͌r̵̯̕ ̶̝̐t̵̬͗ȟ̵̯i̸̹̕n̸̪͠k̷͉̓ ̸̳̉y̴̺͝ō̵̙u̶͙̅'̴͚̎r̵̗̄e̸̡̋ ̵̛̫c̷̡͘l̶̮͗ŏ̶̠ś̴͍e̵͚̒ ̷̊ͅt̷̨͐ò̶̮ ̶̢̚k̴̲͋i̵͓͝l̸̨̉l̴̡̇i̵̜̔ṉ̴͑g̸͉͝ ̴̠̿m̷͍̕e̶̟͊!̸̼̾"
"N̵̔͜ơ̶̮ ̶̛ͅm̸̗̄a̵̤̽t̷͇̔t̷͚̊e̷̠͘ŗ̵̈́ ̸̳͝w̴̥̓h̴̟̃a̴̋͜t̸̟̔ ̵̈́͜h̴̹͌a̵̝̽p̷̬̃ṗ̴̠e̸͓̚n̵͍̓s̶̫̈́,̴̛̥ ̷̜́Ì̸̱'̵̳̔l̵̝͌l̸̘̎ ̷̱̎s̷̝̓t̴̳̾a̸̜͂y̵͆ͅ ̴̛̲b̸͙́y̷̘̔ ̶͚͗ÿ̸̩ỏ̴͇ü̸͉r̴̬͊ ̸̯̒s̶̰̈ĩ̸̳d̶̡́é̵͖ ̵̨̃ù̴̪n̴̝͒ṫ̷̡i̵͇̅ĺ̵̲ ̶̺͗ṭ̷̐h̴̙͝ḛ̸̇ ̸͇̉b̴̦̓i̷̝͐ț̶͝t̵͚̓e̸͚̓r̶̜̂ ̶̤͒ë̸͓n̷̯͌d̷̤̑!̵̛͕"
"Ỳ̵̳ō̶̥u̷̢͋ ̶̦̊ĉ̷̤ạ̴͠n̴͈̿ ̸̼́d̶̩̍ẽ̶͚s̵̛̗ṫ̴̘r̵͓̋o̷͎̚y̶̳̾ ̶̨͑m̴͋ͅy̸̗͒ ̶̭͋h̸͚̿e̴͚̊a̴͚̕r̶͖̍t̵͓̚,̶̞̓ ̸̣͂c̸͕̓r̶̢͌u̷͍͊s̵̥͂h̴̤̑ ̸͈̍m̷̫̒y̵̞͆ ̵̞͛b̸̢͐r̸̪͑á̶̜i̴̫͝n̴̤̓,̵͍͋ ̷̟̈r̴̻̐i̸̡͌p̸͕̉ ̵̖̑ö̶̭ṵ̴̈t̵͓͊ ̴͈̋m̴̝͘y̷̫͝ ̷̞̑ẗ̷̺e̸͓͌c̷͈̀h̵̻̊,̵͈̏ ̶̧̄s̶̭͊n̶̮͐u̴̲͐f̸̬̄f̴͉̓ ̶̭͑o̷̢͗u̸͋͜ț̵̛ ̸͉͋m̸̱͛y̵̛͖ ̷̺͆f̸̳̈́l̴̗̀a̴͎̽m̸̰̌e̷̳̚s̵͎͝,̵͈͠ ̶̜́ą̸͒n̶̥̑d̶̫͗ ̵̫̒I̴̺̾'̸̣̄l̴̗̔l̷͙͋ ̸̥͊s̵̮̃ť̷̙i̵͕̽l̵̗͘l̸̹̈ ̶̗̀s̶͗͜t̷̗̍ą̵̔n̵̛̜d̴̥̓ ̵̀͜u̸̝̒p̵̰̂,̸̞͒ ̶̰̏j̵̨͑ụ̴͝s̷̠̓t̷̲͐ ̸̖̉t̶̠͋ö̷̲ ̶̩̓ş̸̾p̸̣̂i̵̯͐t̸̟̓e̵͔̎ ̶̜̈a̸̻͝n̴̡̈ ̸̢̌â̴̞r̷͇̉r̸̻͠ǫ̶̇g̶̭̅ä̷̟́n̷̫̿ť̶̙ ̷̼́b̸̩̏a̸̖̾s̷̭̀t̷̺̔a̸̺̋r̷̅ͅd̴̗̆ ̸͇̍l̷̞̐i̵̥̔ḱ̴̰e̸̤̓ ̶̡̛ȳ̶̹ȏ̷̞ū̴͍.̸̧͝.̴̨̽.̸̘͛"
"Say."
Finally, I would speak back up again, grabbing myself a bottle to pour out.
"Have you all got the time for a story of mine? Since I was so late, and all, I figure I may as well pay you guys back, Beyond X style~."
"…"
"A story from herself? Did the delinquents and non-delinquents have themselves a Civil War again?"
"Haha, no. They tried to, but it wasn't kicking into place. No, this story is a bit longer than that. Consider it a tale of sorts, or maybe an epic if you feel generous. I've told my class more times than I could count bits and snippets, but the full thing is left to time. I'm surprised you guys don't know what I'm talking about!
"In my defense, I think we're all a fair bit drunk here…" Asagi found herself glancing at Pleinair, her stonefaced stare still holding together albeit with a red, drunken flush to boot.
"I won't be sayin' no to a reminder if it's from you of all people!"
"I believe Miss Asagi might be right, not so much about the drunkenness. Unlike them, I can hold my liquor quite well!" Fact. "But...I think I might've not heard this story. Would you mind...you know…?"
Can't expect every demon to have a photographic memory. Such is the case with age, I guess. Biting the urge back to laugh, I'd simply nod before closing my eyes in thought, all of the details forming themselves piece by piece on the black canvas.
"Sure, sure, I'll tell you. I figure like any story, we should start right back at the beginning. Waaaaay back..."
== 100 Years before the events of Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome ==
== Current Party ==
Name – "Beyond X" ("Ms. Machiko")
Title – "Suredeath Hellman"
Class - "?"
Description – "?"
Evility - "?"
Weaponry - "?"
Accessories - "?"
Skills - "?"
Name – "Asagi Asagiri"
Title – "Prime Protagonist"
Class – "Sniper of Demons"
Description – "The Main Character of "Makai Wars". Savior of the Asagi Homeworld. Still hoping, always hoping..."
Evility - "Main Character R. - Increase attacking stat by 50% against Overlords."
Weaponry – "Judgement (Gun) – Declare your verdict: Death! | Nether League (Morning Star) – Holds the home run record!"
Accessories - "Makai Wars (Etc.) - Thou shall not forget."
Skills – "Tri-Burst | Victory Bullet | Shotgun Craft | Homing Eraser | Top Shot | Toten Kreuz | Cocytus | Target Lock | Speed Boost | Magic Bazooka | Stratus Drive | Mighty Commando | Freikugel (Seraphina)"
Name – "Meaver"
Title – "Dimensional Guide"
Class – "Legendary Monster Hunter"
Description – "A Monster Hunter renowned across the Netherworld. Ventures across the countless realms for her next hunt."
Evility - "Support Fire - Increase damage dealt with Support Attacks by 50%."
Weaponry – "Artemis (Bow) - One shot can pierce anything... except your stone heart."
Accessories - "Providence (Glasses) - Divine navigation system."
Skills - "Hit Force | Strange Shot | Rapid Arrow | Doppelganger | Zielregen | Chaotic X Circle | Sword Inferno | Galaxy Comet | Fire Dragon Gods"
Name – "Pleinair Allaprima"
Title – "Mysterious Wanderer"
Class - "Mascot"
Description – "The mascot of Haradaya. She's been making all sorts of appearances lately. Always together with Usagi and Sammy."
Evility - "Idol Assist - Increase stats of your allies by 10%."
Weaponry – "Usagi (Staff) & Sammy (Gun) – Man's Best Friends."
Accessories - "Usagi's Journal (Etc.)- All of the works of the being beyond, forever captured in the pages."
Skills – "Fire (Mega/Giga) | Wind (Mega/Giga) | Ice (Mega/Giga) | Star (Mega/Giga) | Decide Shooter | Usagi Rush | Usagi Mega Explosion | Tri-Burst | Victory Bullet | Shotgun Craft | Homing Eraser | Top Shot | Toten Kreuz | Cocytus"
(and here we fucking go with this shit oh boooooooooooooy)
(dunno why I thought this was a good idea but fuck me I wanted to pull the trigger and here we are)
(let's see where it goes)
