Welp, managed to turn out another chapter. Yay. After seeing people throw all their lunacy on Manager Don's banner and get nothing I was a bit concerned. Fortunately, after 40 pulls she came home. Anyways – I hope you didn't let the voices make you gamble for her and just sharded her this week. Don't be like me and save your lunacy for Walpipi (The Christmas event will make me lose it all…)
P.S. I've been having way too much fun watching one of my friends trying to catch up in Limbus. We had a 3-day Ricardo arc, then an YMFTCTB arc as well but they have reached MOTWE. Thankfully nothing bad happens aboard WARP trains, right?
To New Beginnings
"There is no cause for hesitation! A true hero succumbs to no hardships!"
With the sudden arrival of the Wild Hunt, to say that the tables had turned against the two bloodfiends would've been an understatement. The ID had wasted no time in summoning its spectral thralls and had had them swarm the enemy. Said enemy, suddenly finding themselves fighting the full might of Wuthering Heights of a different world, had attempted a desperate retreat back into the forest's depths. Had they succeeded, the Sinners would have lost sight of them and could have been subject to yet another ambush. Unfortunately for the vampiric duo, the rider of the Dullahan had many a trick up his sleeves, as had been evidenced by the purple-smoke-emitting Bloodbag corpses rising to their feet once again and moving to block their former master's escape route.
The shock of this betrayal, further adding to the kindreds' confusion and, dare Dante say it, mounting panic. The two had frozen up for but a second upon seeing their underlings turn against them but it had been just long enough…
The loud sound of Heathcliff's iron coffin slamming into the Bloodfiends echoed throughout the air. They were sent flying, no, actually only Casseti was. The other one, the former fixer Sasha had disappeared into coffin. Dante was still a bit confused why they referred to it as such when it was clearly an iron maiden, as evidenced by the briefest flashes of its spiked interior when it opened up to claim its pray. It reminded the Manager of a Wolf's gaping maw, eagerly salivating at the prospect of a fresh meal.
The long chains, wrapped around the coffin's cold iron exterior that served as the handle for this impromptu mace were then pulled taut and it and its current victim found themselves racing back towards Heathcliff, whose crazed look seemed to only grow even more manic with every bit of shortened distance. Before the coffin had even reached him, the Dullahan rider had prepared his weapon – a purple greatsword of fused mirror shards, and had settled a position, reminiscent of a batter squaring up for homerun. The fact that he was still atop his mount seemed to bother him not as he slammed his blade into the rapidly approaching object, shattering it and then sending it back in the direction of a still-writhing-on-the-ground Casseti.
The elder Kindred, in the process of recovering from the previous blow, had not noticed the encroaching danger until it was too late. The metallic projectile smashed into the Bloodfiend and left him buried in a shallow crater in the earth. He did not move again. The coffin, its structural integrity already compromised by the earlier blow, completely disintegrated, revealing a worse-for-ware Sasha.
The former MultiCrack fixer had lost three of her limbs, the prosthetic stubs showering their surroundings in sparks from severed wires. Several of the coffin's spikes could be seen sticking out of her body, apparently having lodged themselves deep enough to break off and remain in her. The crystal-like armor of hardened blood had been all but peeled away from Sasha's body, seemingly taking significant chunks of skin and flesh with it, judging by the grizzly red splotchy wounds that covered her from head to toe. Her appearance screamed of someone who had reached their limit, however it seemed that the Bloodfiend still had some fight in her as she rose on unsteady legs and proceeded to take a limping step towards Heathcliff… only to then face plant into the ground and go still.
'I had guessed that their endurance on the train wasn't natural then… But still that was a little pathetic… ' The Manager couldn't help but think such thoughts as he starred at the defeated Kindreds. Were these really the same two, who had given them so much trouble back in WARP. Apparently they weren't the only one in disbelief at the scene that had played out before them, as the exasperated and bewildered voices of the Sinners filled the air.
"It seems the WARP Train's environment contributed much more to our enemy's strength than previously thought. I shall file that for later analysis."
"…Forsooth, tis still an embarrassing revelation…"
"We had difficulty beating these shmucks, really!? Dante, please be honest, have we been slacking off too much?! What if Vergie decides to use this as an opportunity to cut into the snack budget again!?"
"Miss Rodya, I don't think tha-"
"Is food the only thing on your mind?! Why, Executive Manager ought to be the only one to-"
Dante tuned out the rest of the conversation, which had mainly devolved into an argument about the alimentary needs of the different Sinners and the allocated food budget. Instead they hurriedly removed the Wild Hunt Identity Card from its slot, not wanting to subject Heathcliff to more of that one's twisted thoughts than necessary. The man had certainly had enough by simply interacting with the Erlkonig, let alone by becoming a version of him. The Card was taken out with practiced ease and although it was quite and distant, the Manager was sure that they heard a sigh of relief from Heathcliff, as the Identity's presence disappeared from him. Normally, Dante would have had a little chat with him but in the process of removing the Card, Dante had noticed something odd. Not with Heathcliff but rather with Faust.
She had definitely used her Hex Nail E.G.O. That little stunt hadn't been part of the plan actually. Dante's idea had been simple – slot in WH Heath, get Bell out from Casseti's grip, use Pigritia in order to give the boy a better chance at escaping and then hope for the best. Faust's actions had come out of left field but had proven justified as the Gregor specter that had been summoned had been unable to completely cut through the Bloodfiends armor. And that's where the problem arose from…
While Dante was thankful for the Sinner's quick thinking, the very action shouldn't have been possible. The reason why was glaring back into their clock. The fact was that Faust did not have Hex Nail currently equipped. The Manager had to do a double, then a triple take but no matter how long they gazed into the PDA's screen, the E.G.O. didn't magically appear. 'What in the world… I have to get to the bottom of this.'
Determined, Dante looked up from their PDA screen and scanned the nearby Sinners, looking for the white-haired woman. It took a bit for them to find her, considering the fact that she was standing smack-dab in the middle of the group, although surprisingly she was not the center of attention for once. Instead, it was the boy who was receiving all of it. By the looks of things Bell Cranel was in the midst of getting the full course group introduction. The scene reminded Dante of that now distant day in D. Corp when they had first boarded the Mephistopheles (albeit in an unconscious state) and had had the exact same thing happen to them… Though it seemed that Bell was taking in the new information much better than the then very confused fresh amnesiac, judging by the fact that the boy was already calling some of the Sinners by name.
Taken aback by memories, Dante missed the approaching presence from behind them. That is until they felt someone firmly grab their shoulder. Startled, the Manager jumped, their mind filling with images of a Bloodbag managing to sneak up on them for a brief moment but… "Bloody hell! Easy there, it's just me!" The familiar voice calmed them down in an instant.
"Oi! What's with you Clockhead, standing all by your lonesome? You alright?" Dante found themself looking straight into Heathcliff's worried face. So lost in thought they had been, that the Manager had missed his approach.
"*Tick Tock*."
"Oh, what about? No, you know what it ain't matter right now. Come on Clockhead. It's a bit rude to simply stand aside while everyone else introduces themselves, innit?"
Honestly, Dante couldn't argue with that but then again, they had already shared their name with the boy.
"Tick Tock."
"Wha- The hell you mean I'm the only one who hasn't – ah shite… "While the two had been chatting, the others had finished their own introductions and were currently focusing on the duo. And although the curse from Heathcliff was partly due to suddenly finding himself the center of attention, it was mainly caused by the shit-eating grin that had appeared on Rodion's face as she pointed a finger at him.
"Now, then Bell~ That one over there is our favourite Manager Dante! And next to them is dear Heath~. Now, there's no reason to be afraid of him. He's all bark and no bite~!" Rodya finished Heathcliff's unexpected introduction with a cheeky wink in his direction. That little gesture was the straw that broke the camel's back…
"Why you-"An irate Heathcliff rushed off in the woman's direction, determined to give her a piece of his mind (and probably his bat given his prior track record). Dante fallowed after him at a much more leisurely pace.
Bell watched as the man, Heath(?), Miss Rodya had certainly called him that, chased after said woman, who had found herself a nice human shield in the form of the one, who had curtly introduced himself as Meursault. He wasn't sure what the extra body would do given what he had seen Heath(?) do mere moments ago and the snarl that now resided on his face. To say the boy had been concerned about the adventuress' wellbeing would have been an understatement but the apprehension quickly vanished due to the bright smile that Rodya wore and the exasperated sighs and uninterested stares of the bunch, surrounding him. They clearly spoke of the fact that this was a common occurrence and not a cause for concern. Still if this was par for the course, the murderous looks and the threats of 'I'll smash your head in' would take a bit of getting used to.
'Is this normal behavior for all Familias or is this a unique quirk of this one?'
Speaking of quirks and oddballs, Dante Familia certainly was chock-full of them. Bell couldn't help himself but sweatdrop when remembering a few peculiar introductions he had had the pleasure of experiencing… However, the boy could tell that the ones gathered here weren't bad people. There was a general air of trust around them. 'They didn't fit the description of villains from Grandfather's stories'. Bell couldn't help himself but grow a bit paler when a pair of red eyes glanced his way. 'They just have a few rough edges is all… Still, this is my chance.' Bell's gaze fell upon the figure in red that had joined the group.
Here Bell was, the door to his dream standing before him, waiting for him to get his foot in it, to take that most important first step. And so he did, stepping forth in the direction of God Dante and… proceeded to mumble under his breath stupidly. Suddenly very red-faced Bell's eyes seemed to find the ground much more interesting than the Divinity before him.
"?" Bell didn't need the ability to understand Dante to recognize the being's question, nor the need to lift his eyes to see that he had become the center of attention all of a sudden, the chase between Rodion and Heath(?) all but forgotten. Here he was, a mere sentence away from asking to receive the God's blessing, to become an adventurer and achieve his dreams, and he was hesitating… Just a few words and yet he couldn't say them. 'No, I will not falter now… Not after everything. Grandfather watch me…'
"?" Dante repeated their question.
"-PLEASE ALLOW ME TO JOIN YOUR FAMILIA!" Shouted the white-haired boy with a radiant smile, his voice seeming to drown out the forest's noises. The boy's expectant gaze bore into the clock, awaiting either the sweetness of confirmation or the bitterness of rejection. The suddenness of the question appeared to have taken Dante off-guard and the Divinity took a long time to gather their wits. The long awaited moment came after a prolonged silence.
"Tick Tock Tick Tick."
However, whatever it was that Dante had said exactly, the boy would not know. For in the moment when Faust had moved to approach the two and translate, Bell saw something strange. One moment, Dante was just standing there, all fine and dandy, the next, they were on the ground, a large hole having opened in the being's abdomen. Then there was movement all around but all Bell could focus on was the sudden piercing pain that emanated from his chest. Looking down, the boy saw a jagged red projectile lodged where his heart was supposed to be. Before he could even process the situation, the pain gave way to a numbing coldness. The last thing Bell's mind recognized before it was engulfed by darkness was Casseti's form, now fully covered in his armor of crystalized blood, and the sound of the Bloodfiend's maddened laughter.
Bell found himself in a []. No matter where he looked, all around himself he could see only shadows. No matter how far he walked, or at least he thought he was walking, the scenery did not change even a bit. After a while, the , having realized the futility of his actions, came to a stop. He did not know how long he just stood in []. Wait, where even was he? Wasn't he just []? His head suddenly hurt. Why did it hurt so? Who even was this he?
The spiral of [] came to certain end. The [] gave way to color and odd numbers(/) and phrases(X) floated about. Bright light filled the boy's vision and he found himself floating(?) towards it? A soothing voice echoed in []'s mind. [] remembered the stories(?)/truths(?) of what awaited mortals after death. It was so bright, blinding. [] was so close now, alas… The distant sound of a shattering mirror. The rattle of chains. And….
"Fallow that ever-distant world's star…. For the adventure is what your heart desires, isn't it? Or perhaps…."
A request? No an order. Like it was a command from some higher plane, [] was forced to heed the words. And so /he found ]standing not in darkness, nor was he bathed in the warm light of the [] realm but rather standing before a door, barred and shut. It stood imposingly tall, towering over Bell. A faint ticking rang in the air.
The boy could feel the [] presence beyond it and yet was powerless in the face of the mighty [] that blocked his way. hE fOuND himself BangIng oN IT. BlOOd fiLlED His MoUtH and rEd PaINTed The DooRS. The ticking was becoming faster. It was almost unbearable. The burning. The suffocating pain.
Just as Bell was about to give in to the [] and [] as it gazed into him, the doors swung open and a single arm reached through them, grabbing the boy's bloodied appendage, pulling him through and into….
Bell jolted awake, his body leaping off the desk he was laid on. His surroundings were bright. It took his eyes a bit to adjust in order for him to take in the unfamiliar room he now resided in. It was large though not too large. A tasteful wallpaper with an intricate pattern covered the walls and gave the place a sophisticated air. On one side, a strange device was projecting images on the nearby wall, on the other, a bookshelf filled with thick binders took the vast majority of the space. A familiar red coat hung from a hanger near said bookshelf. In the middle of the room stood a large desk, covered in all sort of things. And behind it, sat…
"Tick Tock." / 'I see you are awake.'
A familiar clock-faced God was gazing down into a small brick-like device. A familiar clock-faced God that Bell now seemed to understand perfectly that is. Bell's shock must have been evident on his face as the Divinity let out a small chuckle.
"Tick Tock Tick Tock." / 'Honestly, I kinda expected this but it still is a bit of a surprise.'
The God's voice reached Bell's ears once again. It was unlike anything he had heard. He couldn't tell whether it was male or female, couldn't gage how deep or how high it was. Briefly he wondered if he was even actually hearing words or if his mind was simply auto-translating the ticking but he did not have the time to dwell on those thoughts before the Divinity spoke again.
"Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tick…" / 'I know you must be confused right now but…'
"What happened? Where are we? Is everyone all right?" The floodgates open not a second after Dante had spoken.
"Tick Tock Tick Tock…" / 'Everyone is alright but, well, it's a long story, but the most important bit is that…'
The God seemed to hesitate then. As if they were unsure how to proceed. There was a long silence, neither side uttering so much as a word. Just as Bell was about to ask if everything was alright, the clock-faced being finally spoke their piece.
"Tick Tock….Tick Tick Tock." / 'I turned the clock… I turned the clock and you came back.'
They spoke these words, like they had a deep significance but they only served to confuse Bell further. Seeing that the boy wasn't getting the importance of the situation, Dante got out from behind their desk and walked next to Bell, handing him the brick-like device. Looking down at it, Bell saw something he never would have expected.
On its glass-like surface that shone with light from within the device itself, several words were displayed.
Bell Cranel/ Sinner No. 14
Level 1
Strength- I-0
Defense- I-0
Utility- I-0
Agility- I-0
Magic- I-0
Magic ()
Skills ()
"Tick Tock Tick." / 'It is my duty as the Manager to offer you a warm welcome to Limbus Company, Bell Cranel.'
But the words did not register in Bell's mind. His mind had ground to a halt the moment he saw his Status. 'I-I'm a….' That's about as far as he got before he crashed into Dante, the Child giving his new God a tight hug. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Tick Tock Tick Tock…"/ 'I have a sneaking suspicion Vergilius won't be pleased…'
AND CUT-
Gonna leave things off here for now. So yeah, Sinner 14. Guess Hestia will have to look for someone else, lol. So I'm just gonna say it here:
The Limbus Company system is getting converted into the Danmachi system with the Sinners starting at Level 3. Why 3? It feels like a nice middle ground between the cannon-fodder lv 1s and the first class adventurers. Also I think it fits given some of the shit the LCB has been through up to MOTWE and given the fact that Limbus is imo around the lower middle Grade of Fixers by the time the events on the WARP train take place.
So, uhhhh, with that out of the way, I might need some help for the Aliases for the our new lv 3 Sinners.
I have come up and locked in two:
Yi Sang – 'Ideal'- self-explanatory imo.
Heathcliff – 'Baskerville' – fits his whole hound motive/british book/involves murder and fighting over inheritance. + I really like the Hound of the Baskervilles...
With that out of the way…
Allow me to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Oh, and also luck on your Miracle in District 20 Rerun pulls. Have a nice one, Fox out.