"Hyah!". Two blades clashed, although Okita quickly overpowered Aleister's own strike. The master quickly covered his right hand in Armament Haki, trying to punch the Assassin who easily avoided the blow. Green likes of Reinforcement appeared across his legs, running straight at his opponent.
But Reinforcement couldn't keep up with A+ Agility, Okita blurred forward and thrust towards his chest-
Only for Aleister to barely avoid it, Observation Haki screaming. At this point he was getting good at using Armament and Observation Haki, although his Conqueror's was falling behind. Armament Haki spread across his arms and legs, quickly followed by the tell-tale green glow of Reinforcement.
With increased speed Aleister clashed blades with Okita again, but even stacking both Reinforcement and Armament he couldn't out-speed or overpower the Servant. If he was lucky or caught her off guard maybe, but not in a straight forward duel.
The Magician's eyes glowed, preparing to use his Mystic Eyes-
Only for a punch from Okita to land right between his eyes and send him stumbling back, freezing at the blade against his throat.
"I win". Was all the Assassin said, the master nodding in agreement as she pulled back, but only one of them was showing signs of exhaustion and that was Aleister.
He'd improved, there was no denying that. He wasn't the same person who started this journey, he'd grown strong, he was superhuman now. But... His Zanpakuto still wasn't responding to him, staring down at the katana in his hand Aleister tried to figure out what was wrong.
"Still nothing?". Okita asked, frowning at the nod she was given. "I'm starting to think your Zanpakuto is just picky, the lightning one did sound prideful from how you described him".
"Prideful, yea... That could be it". Could that really be it? Was one of his Zanpakuto spirits just to proud to accept all the other powers he was using? If that was the case, how did he get it to tell him its true name? Maybe if he focused more on his Shinigami powers, his sword would respond?
That didn't sound like that bad of an idea.
Skills improved.
- Combat 42%
- Swordplay 29%
- Observation Haki 35%. 32% chance to be forewarned of attacks.
- Armament Haki 30%.
Aleister stared at the wispy, cloud like wisp in his hands, softly glowing. To be honest, he wasn't sure what he'd expected a soul to look like, he knew the various ghosts he'd seen around the bay and his own soul form weren't good examples, but he'd expected something grander.
Shaking his head, he turned back to the body he was experimenting on. Just some random criminal he'd captured, their eyes completely blank and only the soft breathing of their chest suggesting anything alive.
Well, if you could really be called alive when your soul was ripped from your body.
He quickly placed the cloudy wisp against the experiment's chest, watching as it was slowly absorbed back into the body. He wasn't even doing anything with Heaven's Feel, the soul naturally returned to the body it came from. He wondered if it'd still try this if the body was dead or if this would only happen if the body was living?
Aleister wanted to study it, but he had another more important skill to practice. Placing his hand on his experiment's chest again, he began to slowly extract the soul once again.
He needed to practice until he could do this instantly... Although that would certainly take a lot of practice.
Power improved!
- Third True Magic - Heaven's Feel.
The Third True Magic, capable of materializing the soul. Through it, the user's soul becomes an 'Eternal Generator' for all spiritual based energies (Mana, Reiryoku and such), meaning the user's soul will have an infinite amount of it. Because the user is now a materialized soul, their body can be changed in anyway, species, looks, or even sex.
1. User can now shift their physical body into a soul form, making them immune to any attack that doesn't effect the soul. The user must remain absolutely calm while using this, or it will not work.
2. Use can now shapeshift their body freely, but this can only be done while in soul form, changes made during soul form stick even in the physical body.
3. User can now interact with ghosts (AKA souls without bodies).
4. User can now rip souls out from a living body, but it takes some time (Around one minute per body).
The men and woman around the room were nervious, although none of it showed on their faces. This was one of the few times in the history of parahumans that a meeting like this was taking place.
A large screen in front of them lit up, showing a familiar armored figure sitting on a throne, yet they could almost feel Faust's smirk through his armor.
"Greetings good people of the US and PRT, I've come to make you all an offer". As Faust spoke, a part of the screen was covered in green coding, instantly analysis every word he spoke in order to try and detect if he was using any Master powers that worked through screens.
"And we should listen to anything you offer why? You've taken an entire city hostage, experimented on CHILDREN, committed mass murder, and thats only a few of the crimes we know about". One of the politicians from the US was the first to speak, conveying the general emotions felt towards the criminal.
"Sacrifices for the greater good, well MY greater good. I won't claim to be some misunderstood hero, I've made my goal of conquest clear. This world is falling apart, and I seek to bring order to it". Faust snapped his finger, and an honest to God maid (With wolf ears and tail, both completely natural from the looks of it) quickly came into view, carrying a tray with three strange fruits on it. "I want my people both safe and happy, and locking them away from the rest of the world isn't helping with that. I want people to be able to leave and enter my city freely, and to be recognized as its official leader".
"Not a chance in hell, your insane if you think anyone would agree to that!". Director Maxwell shouted, the elderly PRT leader glaring at the criminal parahuman.
"Agreed, what in the world possessed you to think we'd allow a criminal like you to offically rule anywhere?". Chief Director Costa-Brown asked, her mind flashing back to what Contessa had told her.
'Ensure Faust gets what he wants in the upcoming meeting'.
"Why I'm glad you asked, these are what I offer". Faust picked up one of the strange fruits, it resembled an apple, if an apple was made out of steel with red dots across it and strange swirling patterns. "This is apart of Project Devil Fruit, a project to create artificial parahumans".
Silence followed the man... No, perhaps devil's words. The men and woman in the room certainly felt as if they were making a deal with the devil.
"A single bite of one of these will turn someone into a Zoan, someone able to transform into an alternate form with powers and abilities. Theoretically even an already Triggered Parahuman could eat one of these to gain even further power". Faust made a show of letting out a sigh. "Of course, the process isn't perfect. Once someone has taken a bite the rest of the fruit becomes useless, requiring a completely different Devil Fruit to acquire powers.
So tell me... Are you willing to give me what I want now?".
Two hours later.
Aleister let out an exhausted sigh, that meeting had been exhausted. He'd been forced to explain in exhausting detail how Zoan's worked, the hybrid form, the more animalistic nature some displayed after eating, and even admitted that some Zoan's would be rendered completely powerless in water (He wasn't sure if that rule actually applied to SMILES, but he didn't want to risk it).
But in the end, he'd gotten what he wanted. Come tomorrow, there would be a country wide announcement, declaring Faust officially leader of Brockton Bay. People would be able to leave and enter freely, and as a bonus he'd be freed from all criminal charges.
Parahumans would be able to visit his city, but only for limited time and by agreeing to sign a contract, if they stayed over the time limit or broke any of the cities rules, they'd be treated as criminals. Of course the PRT were unaware the contracts were actually Geas that would paralyze the parahumans if they broke it. Sadly he wouldn't be able to force them to explain their powers and true identities, that was pushing a bit to far for the PRT's comfort.
Aleister would start on his end of the deal by sending three Regi Devil Fruits to a PRT agent who'd meet him outside the city, which would then no doubt be taken for them to test on before giving to anyone. Thankfully recreating Devil Fruits was beyond even the Shards, as long as he kept the secrets of making them to only himself and those he could trust.
Of course when the Devil Fruits were eventually consumed, the user would unknowingly agree to a Geas that would prevent them from being used against his forces and even included a deactivation command phrase that would completely stop the Zoan's from working.
Aleister gave Cyber one final check over, a grin on his face, success really did feel good and today had been success after success.
Unlike with the Faust Suit, all of her improvements were apart of her body. Although he hadn't been able to include all of them.
He hadn't been able to add the stealth system (Not without replacing all of her skin and remaking the Automata Mystic Code she wore). He also had to completely replace her hands with mechanical replacements to include the retractable claws.
The real-time intelligence system had been a failure, he wasn't working with a bulky suit and there was only so much space inside the body he could use, Cyber needed a brain after all.
All in all there had been some improvements, but Aleister felt he didn't improve things as much as he could've.
Check the improvements in her character profile.
Ana was not in a good mood, glaring hatefully at a window to the rain outside.
"Not a fan of the weather I take it?". Aleister asked, he honestly had nothing against rain, but the storm outside was pretty bad.
"I'm a snake goddess, what do you think?". The Avenger hissed, currently clad in a warm jumper to fight against the cold. "Rain was rare on the Shapeless Isle, cold weather near impossible".
"Rain's not common here, but it does show up every now and again. We're honestly lucky Leviathan didn't leave us in constant storms for months, it's happened to a few cities". For a few seconds his mind flashed back to that event, Leviathan had been terrifying even when he'd stayed far, far away from the monstrous beast. The only reason he'd come back unharmed was the literally unbreakable armor he wore (At least, unbreakable to most things).
"I see... I'm heading to the living room, theres no issues with using the fire place?". Aleister blinked, remembering the living room in fact did have a fire place he'd never used. He nodded and the Avenger walked away.
Well, that could've went better, but it also could've went worst.
Bond up.
Gorgon: 4.
Faust frowned as he sent another cape away, he'd confirmed a few of the criminals in the Birdcage had been given powers in a bottle, but so far nothing else had been found. But he at least had a few parahumans he wanted to keep an eye on for use in the future.
There were a few that were to dangerous to approach, such as the Fairy Queen (He really didn't want to risk it and he doubted the insane cape knew anything useful). But there was a few others he was able to hypnosis into giving him some of the information he wanted.
The group giving outer powers were called Cauldron, you didn't find them, they found you. Their end goal was unknown, but they seem to be after creating powerful parahumans.
The most dangerous among them was 'The Bogeyman', a woman in the suit who seemed to always knew what you were thinking and could find you anywhere. Her description matched far to well for the woman who killed Coil. If he had to guess, she was likely an extremely powerful Precog.
The rest of the group was more rumors then anything, and no two people agreed on a single member. He'd heard talk of Chief Director Costa-Brown, Alexandria, even Dragon being apart of the group. Most of it was probably misdirection (With Dragon it absolutely was), but perhaps something to investigate in the future.
There was one person a few Birdcage prisoners mentioned, The Number Man. A man who was suspected of belonging to Cauldron and helped many criminal organizations with money, being considered THE super-villain banker.
And all to lucky... A few of his old acquaintances knew how to get in contact with him. Aleister stared at the number he had gotten with a vicious smirk, he was getting closer.
Aleister looked over his new Infiltrator Units, glancing to a computer nearby to check their personality's were good. He'd already sent Medea and FB to handle making proof of the two Infiltrator Unit's existence, hypnotizing people and making digital records.
Unit 05 was the elder sister and would be named Natalie Harlaown, Aleister was hoping to have her join the PRT in a non combative role, but if that didn't work she'd get a job similar to Irisviel that'd let her search for Demi-Servants.
Combat wise she had same physical package and thenanite blood Raiden had, but Unit 05 wasn't designed for combat. That was Unit 06's job.
Unit 06, or Alicia Harlaown would act as his spy in the Wards. She'd act slightly depressed and closed off at first in order to pretend to Trigger, after which she'd become more energetic, with a strong desire to befriend the Wards after she joins the PRT (Of course with a focus on the Demi-Servants).
He also made sure she'd be sent to the same school as Miyu, with the two becoming fast 'friends' in order to work together to identity the Demi-Servant attending the school to befriend them should the Demi-Servant turn out non hostile.
She'd have the same basic physical package, but with an extra flight power that she'd claim was magic (Which of course would be looked down upon, but in truth it was an actual flight spell powered by a small built-in mana generator). He'd even added a small detail of translucent pink wings appearing by her feet, unnecessary but a cute detail. She'd also have a dimensional storage which held her combat weapon, a magically strengthened metal staff that could fire magical beams of energy.
If anyone tried studying the staff it'd return to the dimensional storage, with Alicia claiming it just appeared as part of her powers. He was actually a bit hesitant with any weapons, but surely some capes had them right?
Once the Holy Grail War in New York was finished, the two android sisters would willingly join his team with Unit 06 being upgraded into an adult twin of Unit 05 (With the backstory of her willing drinking the aging potion). If possible he'd also like to wait until he's actually dealt with Cauldron, so he had spies in the PRT to discover anything they knew.
If their identities as followers of Faust were discovered, the two would immediately ditch the PRT and rush to him.
All in all, Aleister was happy with the work he'd done. Now he just needed to wait.
We're getting closer to getting Cauldron, although I decided to leave how you communicate with The Number Man up to you guys. Be as paranoid or as casual as you want.