Stolas, moments earlier
(Sigh)…
Just another day of trying to survive my wife…the one of whom I never even wanted to be with in the first place.
Our entire marriage was solely political and was only ever about siring a precautionary heir to the Goetia family.
No thanks to my father…he never even spent time with me…
Despite me not wanting to be with Stella, I still cherish our daughter even to the ends of the cosmos.
The greatest, and the only good thing, to ever come out of this marriage.
Though the worst part about this whole situation is Stella never even liked me before we were betrothed…she just has that…evilness to her.
At least today there's a good reason for her to put on her nice-girl façade, considering Lord Morningstar's daughter wishes to meet.
It's strange, I've had meetings with her father before but never her specifically.
Why now?
Especially after the whole Hellquake that happened the other day.
Rushed over to my daughter and kept her under my wing, literally, when the ground shook.
It just seems…coincidental.
Plus…I haven't heard from Blitzy in a good long while…
I hope he's treating my Grimoire well, our meetup time is within the next few weeks, and I'm going to need it.
"UGH! STOLAS! Why in hell are we here?! It's embarrassing having to sit next to you and your stench is starting to rub off on me!" Stella complains, I turn my eye to her, trying not to hiss.
Every time I see her, her image burns itself into my mind, not in a good way but in the fact that this form is associated with the worst time I've ever had with any other demon in this world.
She's a tall, slim, white avian demon, with long, hair-like feathers that have gray tips and a large gray stripe on her head. Like me, has a short beak but it's pink, and she also sports very long curved eyelashes. She has gray markings underneath her eyes, which themselves have red sclera with light pupils.
For attire, Stella wears a white dress with puffed sleeves and feather trimming, along with black accents. She is seen wearing a crown, and has painted nails underneath her black gloves.
I had both those articles commissioned for her when she wanted 'regal attire'.
Yet to this day she's still ungrateful.
"I am aware it is impromptu, but it is of great importance, Stella. I could only do so after we ate today." I stoically explain, not making any facial expressions.
"And who exactly would be so important you had drag us out here?!" She rudely asks. "I can't afford to be seen with the abomination known as your presence!"
Okay, I've had enough, let's just have her put on the façade. At least I can breathe…
"We are meeting with Lord Lucifer's daughter." I say. "That is who."
Her eyes twitch slightly before she sits upright on her throne, not saying another word as she's staring at the door at the end of the throne room.
"Only going to embarrass us further once her family finds out…" She whispers under her breath, only irritating me even more.
I KNOW!
I know what I did was wrong…I just…guh…
I've not had the courage to confront her on everything that happened.
I unintentionally pull a drunken George Cooper on her once when she's been pulling a Mary Cooper on me for years…
(props to anybody who knows)
Guess I shouldn't've drunk that absinthe at that party.
Despite everything that's happened, at least I have one transcendent purpose in life…Octavia.
I look to my right, and on a throne built for her is my daughter.
Contrary to how I view my wife, Octavia is everything to me, I view her as being able to provide a life to her I was never able to have.
Like me and Stella, Octavia is an adolescent avian demon. She is lanky and unkempt, with a coat of gray feathers. Her eyes are pink with bright white pupils with light purple eyeshadow to go with her long eyelashes. Below each of her eyes are two tear-like streak eyelashes.
Octavia bears traits from both me and Stella. She has her my white, mask-like face with her mother's eyes and shaggy hair feathers.
For clothing, Octavia wears a black feathery shawl around her shoulders over a pink dress with light yellow stars on it, a black beanie hat with a pale yellow tiara design on it on her head, a pink choker around her neck, black leggings, and black heeled boots.
Frankly, in terms of her genes, I feel like she got enough from me to counteract Stella's…nature.
Regardless, I still can't express my love for her enough.
She's currently listening to her music on her Hellphone, with the earbuds blasting the tunes into her ears.
I decide to get her attention, I reach over to her and gently pat her on the back, causing her to pause the music and look at me.
"Hey 'Via, I just wanted to say thank you for attending this meeting with us." I say, she nods. "I greatly appreciate it."
"Welcome, I guess…" She mutters.
"You know who we're meeting today?" I say as I smile, trying to hype her up.
"Another business associate?" She quips, looking at her phone now.
"Oh no, much more important." I tease her slightly with it.
"Then who else? Would be surprised if it was the owner of Stylish Occult." She says as I reminisce about our time at Loo Loo Land.
It was a moment of growth for both of us, I came to understand that for her, things are changing and she's viewing the world and her life in a different light now.
I guess I only needed to hear it from her.
The worst part of it was I never had the gumption to tell her that the marriage wasn't even…I don't want to say not real…but not…I don't know how to say it.
I pull myself out of my lament and decide to reveal the hype.
"We are meeting with Lucifer's daughter today!" I say as if it were a surprise.
And so, well, surprisingly, she looks up from her phone and gives me a raised eyebrow.
"Seriously?" She asks.
"Oh yes!" I say, giddy that she's at least interested.
"Why?"
"It's…important."
"Isn't she my age or something like that?" She asks.
"Slightly older, but maybe you can make a friend!" I say, smiling.
She shrugs her shoulders.
"Cool." She says in her classic teenager fashion.
Well…at least I got her somewhat engaged in this.
All's left is a matter of waiting.
Charlie said she'd be arriving sometime soon, she should be pulling into the area of the mansion.
Is it just me, or is everything going too smooth-
Wait…
What's this…unusual feeling…?
It's…FOREIGN?!
Not in a good way…it's outside….two of them…
KABOOM!
I instinctively stand up from my throne at the sound of a very obvious explosion, assessing that it came from outside, not making contact with the structure.
Now there's 3, the third not as…malicious, so to say.
Stella suddenly gets confused and Octavia is now worried as she glances at me.
WHOO-BOOM-BOOM!
The subsequent explosions outside mean something is wrong, very wrong.
We stay where we are for a moment before Octavia breaks the silence as we begin to hear scuffling outside, a violent kind.
"Dad? What's…that?" My daughter asks, gesturing to the sounds coming outside.
"I don't know sweetie, but-"
BANG!
My attention is suddenly directed to the door of the throne room, and coming through it is-
"Charlie? What's going on?!" I ask the currently panic-filled princess of Hell.
She's carrying something in her arm covered in a cloth…weird.
Speaking of clothing, hers is slightly tattered with apparent soot and debris on it.
What happened to her?!
"OUTSIDE! TWO ARMORED! ATTACKING MY FRIEND! TOO STRONG!"
"What?!" I exclaim, not knowing how to process the words of somebody I haven't seen in years suddenly saying…someone's being attacked?
"PRINGLES!" I shout for our imp butler, he appears, slightly panicked at the explosions going on outside.
"Y-Yes sire?" He asks.
"Pull up a screen showing the outside! See what's going on!" I order him. "And send in security to subdue any attackers!"
Charlie seems to try and say something about that but is too late before Pringles is already sending the orders.
She's comically chewing on her nails.
Pringles reaches behind himself and pulls out a tablet, inputting a few commands and a screen reminiscent of a grimoire portal appears above the throne room…
Giving us a full view of the current war going on outside.
What I see…takes me aback to the Nth degree.
3 apparent armored fighters, one black, one white, and one red.
All wearing helmets of sorts.
The former 2 emanating a form of black and white fiery power…
It's so powerful I can almost feel it through the monitor…
What…is this…?
The red one is currently using a heavily mechanized spear or staff while taking on the two assailants solo.
Kai
After already having my helmet activated soon after I got hit by Maye, both her and Faye activated theirs after I yanked the latter towards me to save Charlie.
I also utilize some prototype bracers I deploy on my forearms, based on that of Cameron's bladed shields.
All 3 of us land near the empty part of the courtyard, and activate the pointed tip of my Stake Driver, engaged for combat as the two charge at me, letting the cannons they were using rapidly disassemble and lock themselves onto their armor, fortifying them.
They tend to use their fists as compare to weapons, but they won't shy away from using them when they can.
I thrust my weapon at Maye, who knocks it away while Faye drop-kicks me backwards. I recover and throw a grenade at them. Maye catches it and throws it back at me, forcing me to dodge as Faye takes me by surprise, judo-throwing me right at the grenade as it explodes, flinging me backwards. Despite the burning pain, I roll to recover again and reengage the twins.
I swings my spear at Faye who knocks it away again, but I uses the centrifugal force from it to spin around and land a counter blow on her head.
Maye kicks at my leg, forcing me to kneel, I redirect a punch from her but I wind up getting slugged in the face by her sister, knocking me on my back as I rolls backwards yet again to regain my stance.
I'm getting knocked down a lot…
These twins…some of the finest Mercenaries at the hands of the Demons…they're just so coordinated.
Like…one mind…two bodies.
But what happens next…disturbs me…as I know what comes next.
When the duo gets some distance in between the solo, their power seems to intensify.
Suddenly, in a flash of light, they're gone!
And as fast as they disappeared, they reappear behind me.
Maye kicks me in the back several times before a strong one sends me flying forward. I get clotheslined by Faye, and her sister appears below me, driving a leg straight into me and forcing me away, causing an indentation to form where I land. I just barely manage to roll out of the way of a coordinated double punch directed towards my head. When I do so, their fists get embedded into the ground.
They strike at me again, but I dodge both punches. I slams my staff in Faye's head while getting her sister into a grapple using my tool. The leverage of which I use Maye as a human shield while her sister attempts to dropkick me again. The maneuver is successful and the Faye winds up slamming her feet full force into Maye, knocking her away while I maintain my grip on the staff, countering with a leg sweep and slam Faye into the ground.
The twins suddenly disappear again and regroup with each other.
As per my mandatory training that paid off, as well as following one of my biggest philosophies, I adapt. Fast.
Despite this, I'm fortunate I've still got this armor on.
I whip out my pistols and unload them at the twins as they're forced to go on the defensive. I then shoot the Dragon's Breath shell at the twins as they continue to evade. Despite the fire itself not doing much due to their armor, the exceedingly bright magnesium-fueled light disorients them and I throw my spear like a javelin at Maye as it manages to slip through the plating of her armor, damaging it and potentially impaling her as it knocks her to the ground. I leap into the air and fire my grappling hook at the spear lodged into her and yank myself towards her, slamming my body right into her. When I get a hold of the weapon, I violently go for a stab towards the twin on the ground, her sister grabs me and judo throws me away again, soon going to help Maye up.
But Faye is met with something I wanted to try, as I grab the projectile on my belt and fling it at her. The harpoon-like mechanism, similar to the Stake Driver, embeds itself between the plates. Of which, I forgot to mention, tends to be a weakness in plated armor.
Before Faye has time to react, the device beeps, and explodes. The concussive force taking her to the ground.
When I finally have time to breathe and recover slightly, I open up my LeMat and replace the shell with a Slug, and I holster my Bergmann.
I almost forget that I'm going up against Duo Mortae as they suddenly disappear as they did earlier. Taking notes from my experience with them and Damian, I'm already one step ahead of them.
I parry one wild kick from Faye, and when I engage Faye…I decide to break it out.
I flick my left arm backwards in a readying position, and in a giant series of sparks comes the battle axe that flies into his hand, rotating from a locked position on my arm.
Gripping it strongly, I takes the twins by surprise and put a great deal of momentum into the heavy strike, breaking not only the guard of the Maye, but driving the axe right into the helmet, damaging it.
Faye tries to avenge her sister but is met with a violent leap attack from me slamming downwards, forcing her to block the strike, which causes her to kneel.
After her guard is down, she's met with a point-blank slug powerful enough to cause another indentation in her armor as she gets forced back.
In retaliation, the twins collectively thrust out their hands, causing a Flashbang technique and disorienting me.
This is where it gets painful.
Almost animalistically they pummel me to the ground, slamming their fists in every place where they can. In the next moments I can't help but block and deflect where I can, though I still get hit quite a bit.
The armor protects me, but it's only a matter of time until they break out…other methods…
Soon, the twins stop, looking elsewhere and noticing a small army of armed Imps and other demons from down here.
I'm still recovering from the pummeling in this little crater.
The twins look at each other, as if they were communicating about something.
Then, they direct their attention away from me…towards the army…and then…
They look at a portal of sorts, reminiscent of the one the imps who attacked me used…
This one is different in the fact that it seems more as something to look through, not to pass through.
There's Charlie, and 3 other avian beings I'd assume are Lord Stolas and his family.
They must've been watching the fight.
The 4 of them get taken aback when the twins spontaneously stare at them, as if-
They give them a 'Behold' gesture…
And what happens in the next few moments, despite me in my pain…will stick with them, likely for as long as they'll be able to remember.
Also, when I look up, I can't help but notice a…news chopper?
It says '666 News'.
Stolas
These beings…what…even are they…?!
As if they started to take things seriously, their fiery aura intensifies again whilst we watch them through the monitor, and suddenly run faster than I've ever seen anybody move in my life…faster than the speed of sound…as if I can only see them move when they meet their targets, my army, and nothing in between.
The dark armored twin drives its fist straight into the chest of one guard, the light one breaks off the horns of another and impales him with it. The former tears off the limbs of another and uses the jagged bones of the torn arms to stab straight into the eyes of another. The latter grabs the head of one, tearing it off and throwing it like a bowling ball at other shocked and terrified guards.
I know they'll come back later…but…
Why?!
This carnage…it's…merciless…
Like slayers…and bringers of doom…
Are they even living? Or just KILLING MACHINES?!
The dark one slams its fist so hard onto a smaller stunned imp that it comically caves into the torso and steals a hammer from another, the light one seizes a sword from one and butchers more by rapidly slicing off the legs and arms before the torsos even hit the ground.
Soon, in less than 6 seconds…everyone sent out there…
Is either dead, in pieces, or both.
What…is this power…?!
NOT EVEN OTHER OVERLORDS HAVE THAT KIND OF SWIFTNESS! MUCH LESS…THAT!
The twins look at the screen again, and vanish from the view.
"Oh sh**!"
I just about notice the red armored one exclaiming as he's locking two grenades…or mines, based on the flat shape of them, to his spear and disappears from the screen as well, sprinting like a madman towards…the mansion.
In the next 5 seconds, all happening in slow motion-
VREEE-WHOOSH!
CRASH!
In a flash of light and accompanied by the sound of our stained-glass window breaking, the deadly two make themselves known by appearing right above us, swinging their weapons at us…all meant for killing blows.
One is above me, and the other is above-
"OCTAVIA!" I instinctively shout as I'm diving towards her to protect her while she sits there, frozen like a deer in the headlights.
In the corner of my eye, I notice the red one was the one who broke through the glass, throwing his spear the same way he did earlier.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!"
In the moment before the twins manage to land their deadly strikes on me and 'Via, the spear comes in between us, and with the sound of a proximity mine being triggered, comes the same concussive force that we saw earlier.
We feel the backlash of the force as it blasts away the malicious twins, pushing them into the wide-open part of the throne room as they supervillain-slide to a stop.
The red one lands right in front of us, rolling to cease his motion superhero-style.
He…he saved us…
He looks behind him.
"Charlie?! Everyone alright?!" I hear his voice through his mask.
Charlie seemed to have been helping me protect Octavia, as whereas my arms were over her, Charlie was…using herself as a living shield?
She's having her arms spread in front of us, protecting us despite her being the princess. She's still in a state of shock, but is forcing a brave expression whilst she made it a priority to help protect my daughter…
"Y-Yeah…" She utters.
"That was very brave of you, protecting them like that." He commends her.
"S-sure…"
The red one looks back towards the twins, he flicks his wrist. From his left arm comes that same axe he used earlier and brandishes it alongside the mechanized spear, holding the latter over his shoulder and the former in his hand.
"Gettin' rusty, bruh." The sound of a female voice comes from the light armored one.
"Sloppy." A similar voice comes from the dark one.
"Yeah, hiatus'll do that to you." The red one replies, pointing the axe at them in a challenging demeanor. "Still brutal even today. Maybe I should take you gals more seriously than even before…"
As he says that, I can't help but notice…a similar sight on the red one to that of the twins occurs.
Coming from his form seems to be ripples in the air, like that of visible heat waves you can see in the desert.
As it happens…in the same manner as the twins…a distinctive presence makes itself known from him, like a force generating from within…
What…even is that?
"Oh, I concur."
In the moment that I believe everybody here blinked….
Another player…
Wait!
Where'd this guy come from?!
This one is…even weirder than the red one…
Stronger…at least currently.
He turns to face us, his green eyes almost piercing into my soul, but not in the obviously malicious way…more in an ambiguous way.
"Your majesties." He respectfully says as he bows before looking to face the twins. "Duo Mortae, how do you do this fine afternoon?"
"Ah phoque. 'Sup." The light one says in French, clearly playing a pun on the cussing.
"Yo, Krauss." The dark one adds. "Since when were ya a hero? Miss yo mamma's music?"
"Bored. Wanted some action. By the way, how's your dad?" The one I'd assume to be named Krauss retorts at the attempted insult, the twins growl at it, clearly having a nerve or two touched.
"The hell did you get here?" The red one asks, interrupting a potential 'Your Mom' fight looking at Krauss. "Shouldn't've been able to get to this place."
As much as that would've lifted the mood.
"C'mon man, most things you can do I can do better." He quips, raising his eyebrow. "Everywhere is my place, you just happen to be in it."
"It sometimes feels like it." The red one admits.
"Yunno…this is the second time here yer friend here has had ta save yeh." The light one says to the red one.
"Certain somebody said ya were still holdin' back. Yer ass is getting borin'. Where's that fire ya so vehemently had. Why not just drop that moping act and do some serious sh** for once, yeh?" The dark one adds.
"Don't tempt me."
"Heh, trust me, next time…we ain't holdin' back either." The light one says.
"Be ready…all of ya." The other twin says, not just to the red one…but to the rest of us.
"Because we sure as hell will be." They say in unison.
VREEE-WHOOSH!
In that same flash of light from earlier, the two armored beings, as I assume to be Duo Mortae, who attempted to assassinate us…are gone.
We're all left alone in our state of disturbed shock, everything happening in less than 10 minutes.
The princess right in front of me, Octavia to my right…and Stella nowhere to be found.
She must've bailed the second the fight came to us.
Her first instinct was to save herself instead of protecting our daughter?!
I thought there'd be some form of care for her from my wife…but I was wrong.
I'm pulled out of my silence by the heroic red armored being approaching us, standing at the end of the steps as his armored bracers retract into a smaller form on his forearm.
"Are you okay?" He asks, concerned. "Are you harmed?"
"Not physically…for the most part." I reply, assessing my form for damage. There is none.
Speaking of physically…those twins slaughtered all my guards…
I still can't get that thought out of my head…
"Charlie?" He turns to the princess.
"Functioning…" She says, looking down.
She goes to sit down in Stella's throne.
"Uh, Stolas? You alright with…?" She asks, looking to me and gesturing to the seat.
I nod, not caring at the moment, she slumps down on the chair and looks at her hands, trying to keep them still.
They're shaking.
"Take some time to relax, you'll…you'll need it." He says, stretching his arms after having an intense battle.
"Dad?" Octavia utters, still in my arms.
"Yes, my starfire?" I ask, looking at her.
Her eyes are still filled with residual terror, the fear that lingers after going through such a dramatic and horrifying event…all accompanied by the tears of newly created trauma.
This…had to have been an assassination attempt…and on my family no less!
THEY DARED ATTACK MY DAUGHTER?!
I…I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THEM FOR MAKING HER CRY!
I have to quell the fury that's boiling within me to truly assess what's going on and happened.
Especially the fact that Stella ran…
Nobody's coming right now at this exact moment…considering everyone here besides us and Pringles has been…eviscerated.
They'll come back within a day or so…or maybe longer, given their states.
"Dad…you…" Octavia starts to say, pulling me out of my thought process.
"Yes?" I ask in anticipation.
"You stayed…" She utters, squeezing me, the tears coming from her starting to mat down my feathers. "All that happened, and you stayed…"
"Of course, I did, 'Via. I made a vow to you I would never leave you. No matter what I never will." I reiterate my promise to her.
She soon sobs quietly into my chest as I gently embrace her with all the love a father could give his child.
"I love you…Dad…" She whispers.
"I love you too, Octavia." I reply.
When there are no more tears left to cry, she pulls herself away from my chest, chuckling at the distinctly darker spot where her tears wet my clothing, I join her in the laugh as she wipes her eye. I myself even wiping one that goes down my own face.
"It's a beautiful thing, the love of a father." The red one says to Octavia, glancing to me as he approaches us closer. "A transcendent thing, it is. When the world caves in, and the fires rage, the storm approaching, he loves you so much he will take on all of it, and the world for you."
I chuckle again, our savior's words are nothing short of the truth.
If it came down to it…
I'd burn the 9 circles altogether to protect my daughter.
"Thank you…sir. We are eternally grateful for you saving us." I say, bowing my head.
He scoffs slightly, but more at himself.
"Did so out of instinct, but also because I think it's hit the fan earlier than I thought…" He says.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I think there's a lot of things that are going to come full circle, some sooner than others…but there's one thing I want to get out of the way right now." He says. "To break the ice, so my intentions are known."
He puts his fingers to his neck, seemingly pressing a button there.
WHOO-CLICK!
The armored helmet he wears suddenly disassembles the way a convertible would, and packs itself behind his neck, revealing his face, taking both me and my daughter miles aback.
"I am Kai." He announces without the muffling of his headgear.
"Y-You're a human?!" I exclaim.
"H-How-" Octavia utters, her eyes widened, having never seen a real human before in her life, I guess this one is the first one in her experience.
He pulls out a badge of sorts and hands it to me.
It's a genuine mark of the First.
"You're the one he sent?" I ask, looking up from it.
"Yes." He replies as I hand it back. "To be honest I believe it was a good call coming here, as things might've played out worse if I hadn't."
"So…uh…why did he send you? Aside from saving our lives?" I ask.
"Do we have privacy here?" He asks.
"I can create a field for absolute secrecy, if that's what you want." I offer.
"Perfect." He says.
"One moment."
I take a second to remember the spell, hold out my hand, and perform the technique.
In a pulse of power, there's a sphere that forms around us, tinted on the outside and soundproofed for confidentiality.
On the interior it's lit by the same glowing fiery magic used to conjure it.
"Okay. Now what exactly was it?" I ask, not sure why this entire thing would be necessary.
"Charlie. Package." He turns to the princess, snapping her out of her state of almost-PTSD.
"Oh! H-here." She replies, standing up and walking over to him to give him that same clothed item she had when she came here.
He takes a deep breath, the kind of breath of somebody who has finally achieved the primary thing he was sent here to do.
But it seems more like the breath of you finally getting that one thing you wanted to do out of the way.
Ever so delicately he unwraps the apparently special package, and soon reveals the contents to me.
Both me, and Octavia gasp at the same time after seeing what has been returned.
"Dad…is…that your-?!"
"Yes…Octavia…i-it is…" I say, staring at it, not even blinking as my mind races to the worst scenarios.
No…
How…
HOW DOES HE HAVE THIS?!
HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE THIS?!
Could he…could he have…?
He didn't…didn't he?
He couldn't've killed Blitzy to get this…
"S-Sir? Where…or how…by chance did you come across this?" I ask, assuming the worst despite what's happened.
He holds the book in front of him, giving an expression of 'Just take it already!'.
I do so, and my Grimoire is back in my possession…weeks ahead of what I am used to.
"Sir, seriously, how did you get this?!" I reiterate my initial question to him.
"About a week ago I was in a city in the overworld. I suddenly got jumped by 3 Imps and their Hellhound." He explains as-a-matter-of-factly. "Fought them off and forced them to retreat, took that off them as it seemed important. I asked the First's son Damian about it, he explained it was your Grimoire. Both he and I found it odd that Imps would spontaneously attack on the overworld with no reason."
"Are…you sure there wasn't a reason?" I ask, trying not to make it sound like he deserved it even though as much as I'm trying not to think it, he didn't.
"I actually managed to squeeze some info out of the Hellhound before I fought the Imps. She said that they were hired, or ordered, by some grey lady with yellow eyes as well as armored twins." Kai says, gesturing to where the duo once was. "She said she and her crew had to kill me otherwise the blackmailers said they would kill somebody, or somebodies, as it looked like. I surmise that because they failed, they went ahead with the assassination attempt anyways."
What?!
Why would Blitzy and his band of Imps try and kill this man much less agree to something like that?
I…I guess if it was a threat of me or my family getting eliminated…I don't think they had a choice.
Then again, I am…so to say the key to Blitzy's 'business'.
"I'd imagine they needed a way to get to the overworld to fulfill the nonconsensual contract and somehow found a way to steal your Grimoire to do so. Thing is powerful, better if it's returned to its rightful owner." He explains.
Meanwhile, as he finishes explaining that…I have time to put this into perspective.
This mortal man who is still living, by the way, literally wanted to come to where the damned go just to return my book?
He doesn't know I voluntarily lent it to Blitzy to let him continue his work.
All I can really say is…
"T-Thank you…I am even more in your debt…than I am for you saving our lives." I say.
He scoffs.
"Better than being in debt with this guy here." Kai rolls his eyes and gesturing to the one named Krauss.
"Hey, you rack up the-" He starts to quip.
"Yes Coen, I know, I rack up the tab." He grits his teeth as he says to Krauss, that of whom I assume is his first name.
Guessing these two have some history.
Changing the subject, Kai gestures to the damage outside and to the structure.
"Hey, uh, do you guys have somebody to fix all that, or…?" He asks.
"This place can repair any damage, it'll all go back to normal by the end of the day. It's just the spell that was put here." I explain.
"Convenient." He comments.
"It very much is." I say as-a-matter-of-factly.
"You know, for the time being I am aware this may seem drastic, but I believe it'll be best if you take refuge at the Hotel." Kai suggests. "Strength in numbers and we can technically have a base of operations there."
"And don't worry, Kai. I'll join your little adventure for now as a freebie. Consider it a gift of loyalty for that of yours as a dedicated customer for my services." Coen says to Kai, who gives a look that either says 'For once…', or 'Yeah, sure…'
I look to Octavia for input on this idea, who looks to the carnage outside, her eyes widening and nods violently to me, wanting to get away from here for now.
"Okay…I do believe I know where it is, and I can have Pringles drive us there." I say to Kai.
"Perfect." He says, smiling.
"But…um…Kai…?"
"Yes?"
"Before we meet you there…something you need to know about this book." I say.
"Yeah?"
"Now, don't get me wrong, I 100% understand your reasoning behind why exactly those Imps had this…but I believe I need you to make one more trip…at least for now…for me. I say this because have never been disturbed by a power like the one I have witnessed today, even at my own father. If this threat that we're facing is as big as you say…we're going to need help. As weird as this sounds…I trust them, but it's as you said, strength in numbers."
He gives me the look of-
"You know them…don't you?" He stares into my soul, exasperated and even taken aback at this little twist.
I cringe and nod.
?, a few hours later
Shocked, agape, aghast…
Words can't describe anything that's happened within the past couple of days.
First, we fail our forced mission and we lose our only ticket to the overworld, then two of our nonconsensual employers take it upon themselves to follow up on their threat and make an attempt on the Goetias, THEN our lost target is the one who fights them off the same way he did us, and suddenly everything is quiet again.
I…don't even know how to feel about anything anymore.
These beings who forced us to try and assassinate the guy…they were just…I…I can't even describe how I felt…only that it pierced into my very being.
Even when I was standing in the presence of some of the most powerful Overlords down here in Hell…
I haven't ever felt anything on their caliber...except when my neck was grabbed and my whole form was slammed into pure concrete…cracking it.
Didn't even know I was that durable.
I still remember that pulse of power that came from him when he stared deep into my eyes.
He was the only one who matched that of those twins…
All 4 of us are staring at the screen of the live news broadcast on our box TV that shows the attack on the Goetia mansion.
I'm also scrolling through social media on my Hellphone, and the confusion and outrage is both simultaneous, with many speculating who the crimson one is.
I just bury my face in my hands uncharacteristically, as normally I wouldn't have a care in the world, but now I do considering that this could literally be the time our society changes.
I'm pulled out of my thought process by the arguing of my colleagues.
"And for the last time, Boss! I can't exactly retrieve the book when I get shot in the gut! You got shot in the horns and you're still b*tching about this! GIVE ME MY PAY!"
"Oh I don't think I can, Moxxie. Mainly because, hmm, let me think-WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN PAID BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET TO THE OVERWORLD FOR CLIENTS!"
"I didn't know he was going to steal it! I didn't think mortals even liked books anymore!"
"Sweetie, please take it down, we can figure this out."
"I know, Millie, it's just that Boss…you're blaming me for something I had no control over. He beat us, shot us, used Loona as a living projectile, and YOU'RE STILL TREATING ME LIKE THE BLACK SHEEP!"
"I don't see color, Mox. Only you."
"Probably because you're legally blind to everything but yourself."
"Hey, I have 20-20 vision, all I see is the future."
"More like a future of failure with you…"
"Oh I know failure Mox. We had a really big one recently…" He gets in front of Moxxie and pokes his finger at his head on each syllable. "BECAUSE YOU! LOST! THE BOOK-! GAH!"
He's interrupted on the last part by something being thrown at him, something clothed. It smacks him in the head and he comically falls down as it lands on the table. The clothing falls off it to reveal…
The Grimoire…
When Blitz 4 of us stare at it…before creaking our heads to the end of the table to see…
HIM
Out of sheer instinct, I bare my fangs and claws as my colleagues all whip out our biggest and best weapons and point it at him as he maintains his poker face, not even moving despite the heavy damage ready to be thrown at his face.
"Hello there." He says, looking to all of us individually. "Blitz, Moxxie, Millie…and Loona."
"What's up, Kickass?" I growl.
"Nice to properly meet you too." He says, staring at me. "And my name is Kai. I am not your enemy. What you saw, likely on the news, and what forced you to attack me, was."
Blitz merely growls and points his sniper rifle closer to his face as he approaches him.
"Yeah, Kai?! You know what it costs to keep these horns looking like they do every day, HUH?! Bullet to my head? What's stopping me from putting one in YOURS?!" He sneers as he chambers his weapon.
"Maybe a kneecap?!" Millie angrily hisses.
"Or how about a gut shot?!" Moxxie readies his trigger finger.
"How about all of the above?!" I growl again.
"Lord Stolas sent me. He requests you guys. Said you can have better office space in return for joining the cause."
"What cause?" Millie asks, her rage starting to quell as it gets replaced with confusion.
"To help defend against this new threat." He declares.
"Not exactly my glass of Jack, bucko-" Moxxie quips.
"He'll also pay you money." He elaborates.
Blitz looks back at us, still unsure.
"He specifically requested for me to return the book to you, mainly so you don't attack me on sight, as you almost did." He says, gesturing to the key to our business right in front of Moxxie.
"Okay…and how do we know he sent you?" Blitz asks the important question.
The crimson one looks upwards, thinking for a moment to recollect what he was likely told as a security answer.
"Because he said quote, 'Otherwise twice a month I want Blitzy to help toss-'"
"OKAY! OKAY! IT'S HIM! I know! It's him, he sent you! Alright! Don't continue!" Blitz comically freaks out and puts away his rifle.
"As you wish." He courteously nods.
Millie and Moxxie chuckle as they do the same, as do I with my fangs and claws.
"In addition, I had a feeling we were going to meet again, so I'd extend a few other…peace offerings, so to say."
"And what kind of peace offerings can you give? Considering you nearly killed us last we met." I quip.
He reaches within a bag he has slung over his shoulder and pulls out-
"My flintlock…?" Blitz utters, looking at the beloved weapon he thought he lost.
It's seriously different than before. Now it has a brass covering on the barrel with porting at the end, a single-shot 19th century sniper rifle firing mechanism built in, replacing the flintlock mechanism. It also has a long variable scope on the top.
"Fixed it up. Gave it a few upgrades as well. Cartridge loading, .50-70 and .45-70 options. Quick mount scope, detachable, and custom carving on the handle." Kai says as he lets the significantly shorter Blitz take the weapon, feeling it up.
He looks at the grip, noticing the snake-like scale markings on the wood. He looks up to Kai.
"I call it Snakeshot." He quips.
Blitz gets better feel for the gun, pointing it at the window and bouncing it in his hand, doing a quickdraw with it and looking through the variable scope.
He flips it a few times and slips it into his holster.
"I suppose I can let this go." He says in a manner that says 'Thank you, I'm not so mad at you anymore', knowing him.
He goes to retrieve the Grimoire on the desk and puts it behind him…
It comically disappears when he turns to go and get stuff for our trip.
I notice Kai is giving him a look that just screams 'Déjà vu'.
"Did you get stuff for us, by any chance?" Moxxie asks anticipatingly alongside Millie.
"Bit of a rush job, but here." Kai takes case he seems to have hidden under the desk when he arrived and slides it to them.
They open it to see weird giant hunks of metal, both crimson red like his armor.
"Uh…what're these?" Millie asks.
"Put 'em on the ground and step into them. I'd advice getting yourselves into more comfortable clothes before doing so." He says.
"Why?" They ask.
"Trust me, you'll understand."
The married couple look at each other before walking into the next room, some zipping and unbuttoning sounds come from it, and Moxxie comes out with a white tank top and undies and Millie comes out with a black bra and panties.
Both give looks of major uncomfortableness.
Okay…they were uncharacteristically willing to do that…
"Now step on the equipment." Kai requests.
"This better not be anything weird!" Moxxie stares at him.
"I'm coming for your head if it is!" Millie gives him the death look.
"I understand." He says.
I feel like in any other scenario he might've said something that would've just been…wrong.
He helps out the Imps by walking over to the pieces of equipment and setting them on the ground.
The couple look at him, before hesitantly slipping their feet into what looks to be slots specifically designed for them.
In the next few moments, the locking mechanism seals itself onto them, and the hunk of tech unfolds itself over their bodies, engulfing them a sea of two layers of crimson hexagonal segments, the bottom layer seemingly covering the gaps between the second layer that follows it.
The metal goes all the way up to their necks, with a distinct collar-like piece of armor on their collar bones.
When it all comes to, the end result is two heavily armored Imps I know as Millie and Moxxie, looking at the new layer of protection they seem to have on them.
They gawk at the advanced piece of tech, looking and feeling up each other and themselves.
"This is-"
"INCREDIBLE! HA! HA! HA!" Millie interrupts her husband and jumps around giddily while punching the air with her armored fists. "I feel so powerful in this thing!"
"So breathable, flexible-it's phenomenal!" Moxxie does some deadly acrobatics while doing the same. "How do you make something like this?!"
"Just remember how it's built." Kai says bluntly. "I merely do so."
Meanwhile as my two colleagues seem to get the best peace offerings out of all of us, I'm giving the human the deadpanned stare.
"Okay, mechanical genius, where's my god-tier piece of equipment or weaponry?" I sarcastically quip at him.
He doesn't return the stare.
Instead, it's a look of…
Well…
I don't know that that look is.
I think…it's the look that Blitz gave me when we first met.
It's the same look of…'I'm going to help you'.
And sure enough-
"I saved the best gift for you." He smiles as he approaches me.
"Why?" I ask, staring at him.
"I'll be honest. When we fought, I sensed potential within you." He says.
"What's that mean?" I ask.
"I feel like you can do good, maybe even great things." He says, smiling.
I scoff.
"I ain't capable of good, dude. That's not what I do."
"Because you haven't done it yet?"
"Maybe."
"Then maybe you need to be shown." He says.
"And how?"
He pulls out what looks to be a piece of plastic with something in the middle and a rubber end, he pulls off the cap on the top and holds out his hand.
"Give me your arm." He requests.
Not having much to lose, I grant his desire and hand him my right arm, rolling my eyes all the while.
"Now first I have to ask, what's your favorite food?" He asks.
"I don't see how that-"
Seemingly using that to distract me, he slams the rubber part of the piece onto my forearm, a spontaneous piercing sensation comes right from it as he keeps an iron grip on my wrist, pressing the top of it.
"GAH! What the-?"
"Almost there." He says.
When I look at what I know now as a syringe, I notice what was in the middle is a liquid, and it's being injected into my body via a spring pushing through the vial. When the syringe is empty, he pulls it away as a brief stinging-burning sensation erupts from it and fades while he's tossing the piece inside of the case that held Millie and Moxxie's gifts.
I rub the area where he obviously shot something into me.
"DUDE! WHAT THE HELL?!" I exclaim at him.
"Give it a couple days or so to adjust to your body." He says, staring at me.
"Huh?!" I stare at him as well.
"Congratulations!" He says, smiling.
"Loony?! What's going on?! I got everything and uh…what's-going-on?"
"Dude, what the hell did you do to me?"
"Oh yeah, you haven't figured it out yet." He cheekily smiles.
"WHAT?!" I shout at him, frustrated at this suspense.
"You're cured."
My mind instantly goes to a happy place, almost not wanting to believe what I'm thinking.
"Cured…of what?" I ask, anticipating the answer.
"Loona Hellhound…if I may call you that…using the blood sample I got from you during our first encounter, I utilized the white blood cells from it and stimulated them against the illness within you, I synthesized, and have introduced proper antibodies into your system to help destroy the virus."
"You…did…f*cking…not…"
He throws his hands up into the air, showing he's telling the truth, and saying something not many people can while her colleagues stand there wide-eyed.
"I cured your Syphilis."
Chapter End
