Fantasy Hunter's Moon: The Sin & Sentence [IC] [CLOSED]

[Breadman]

Finally he hit the bitch in a satisfying way. Henderson prepared for another strike before he was stopped by Hudson's strike followed by the flash of light from Ventextos. The mutant had to admit that the combined effort was impressive. The demon princess was pushed on the defensive, even if she could still deal devastating blows. The hammer was still craving for more blood to eat and it kept repeating a singular word 'More...more...more...'.

Henderson was more than happy to oblige, but he paused for half a second to readjust his attack. The mutant had planned to hit her once again with the hammer, but he thought of something better. Go for the legs. Shatter them or at the very least trip her up so the others could have an easier time hitting the wench.

 

[joshuadim]

While others had been blown back by the sheer force of the blast, Venextos remained standing if only barely. His attack had hit, and to devastating effect, but it seemed as though this demon princess was still in the fight. Just how powerful is she? the sorcerer wondered as he staggered back a few steps and collapsed to one knee. His hands had the look of burned charcoal with his skin flaking off like ash, while blood pooled into his mouth with enough force to send Venextos into a fit of coughing which sent blood spattering to the ground beneath him. Looking up slightly he saw that Kellea now had him in her sights, and he was practically powerless to stop her in his weakened state.

Fortunately for him, it seemed as though the others would be able to hold her attention for some time... enough time to gather what little strength he had left to continue the fight. Rather weakly he grabbed his staff and focused on trying to heal himself alongside what Takato was doing as well to the mage's relief.

 

[K0mori]

Twirling backwards after Cassandra's intervention, Mariette planted her feet and snapped her fingers, dispelling the illusion completely. She smiled tauntingly at Kellea, although her hand was shaking from the surge of hunger that followed her attack, as she had stabbed instead of slashing again. "Zut alors, I forgot to tell you... I do impressions!" She turned her side sword around and licked the blood off the blade, and while it was enticing, it wasn't satisfying. Her smile turned to a crooked grin.

I... I need more.

Yes. Take it from her.

"How should I trick you again, you vache stupide?" Mariette spat. Then, her eyes went wide. "Oh, I know exactly how..." Pulling out her grimoire, she spat on the pages, her saliva still containing Kellea's blood. Chanting out another incantation, Mariette was briefly engulfed within a puff of smoke, and when she emerged, she looked exactly as Kellea had when she had entered the battle, except without a hat, and with a hideously ugly face. "Behold, I adorn my face with jowls and warts as a tribute to this mockery!" the false Kellea proclaimed.

 

[Infab]

The Land of Dead Kings - Vucrox - Ultra Boss Battle (Kellea) - TURN 5
Takato = 3. Misses Kellea.
Leakhena attempts to distract Kellea (Easily Bruised Ego.) D6 used. Chance Roll = 3. Chance Failed.
Henderson = 5. Does 16 DMG (Hellish Gauntlets, Abyssal Weapons) to Kellea. Kellea HP = 1510
Venextos attempts to heal himself. D6 used. Chance Roll = 4. Chance Successful. Venextos regains 5 HP. Venextos HP = 15.
Mariette = 10. CH Roll = 8. Does 14 DMG (Bladewitch, Hellish Sword) to Kellea. Kellea HP = 1496
Hudson = 2 + 1 (3, Velin's Tears.) Misses Kellea.
Gwen = 2 + 2. (4, Spiteful Survivalist.) Misses Kellea.
Jakob = 9 + 1 (10, With Badge & Gun.) CH Roll = 5. Does 8 DMG (With Badge & Gun) to Kellea. Kellea HP = 1488
Seriphine = 3. Misses Kellea.
Wesley = 8. Does 6 DMG (Shadow's Sword) to Kellea. Kellea HP = 1480
Cassandra = 8 + 2 (10, The Crimson) CH Roll = 3. Does 26 DMG (The Crimson, Abyssal Weapon) to Kellea. Kellea HP = 1454
Riberta uses Super Move: A Warlord's Judgement. D10 used. Chance to Hit = 10 (COME ON, HIT ME!) Chance Successful. Does 500 DMG to Kellea. Kellea HP = 954. Due to the nature of this Super Move, Riberta suffers 10 DMG. Riberta HP = 5.
Vincent uses Super Move: Calesvol. D10 Used. Chance to Hit = 5 + 3 (8, The Huntsman.) Chance Successful. Does 250 DMG to Kellea. Kellea HP = 704.

The Land of Dead Kings - Vucrox - Ultra Boss Battle (Kellea) - TURN 5 (ENEMY)
Kellea = 3, 5, 10. CH Roll = 3. Misses Mariette. Does 5 DMG to Takato. Does 6 DMG to Wesley. Takato HP = 10, Wesley HP = 9.

---



​

Takato's attempt to track and strike at Kellea proved to be fruitless, for as soon as he swung to strike her, she moved yet again. He missed, and she took notice. She reappeared next to him, and delivered a brutal punch to the side of his head which sent him flipping sideways till he hit the dirt. Leakhena's insults seemed to be ignored for the most part...or Kellea simply didn't hear them as she was focused more on Henderson moving in to smack her in the legs with his warhammer. Kellea kicked the warhammer away as it swung low, which still hurt greatly but effectively knocked Henderson away long enough to catch her breath.

It'd be a quick breather, as Hudson, Gwen, Jakob, Seriphine, and Jakob all rushed her at once. She parried Hudson and Gwen's strikes, swatting them both aside, before finding herself struck across the back by Jakob's claws. Moving away from him, Seriphine and Wesley set upon her. She dodged Seriphine's strike, but Wesley cut her again across the stomach. Furious, she struck back, delivering a cut of her own across Wesley's torso before kicking him away.

Cassandra then moved in, as quick as ever before. Her eyes were blood red by now, her fangs bared with a massive grin on her face. Her bloodlust had set in once more, just as it was now setting in for Mariette. Cassandra's speed allowed her to drive her estoc through Kellea's side before darting away, avoiding any counterattack from the demon. And then Kellea heard and saw what Mariette had done.

"Behold, I adorn my face with jowls and warts as a tribute to this mockery!"

The display enraged Kellea even more. "Y-YOU DISGUSTING, ABHORRENT, ATROCIOUS--" spat Kellea, before finally just darting straight for Mariette. And she arrived a split-second later, driving both of her swords into the being mocking her...only to find that it was an illusion. No one was there. Kellea looked shocked, and her head snapped about just in time to see Mariette arrive. Driving her own sword into Kellea's side like Cassandra had done. Cassandra reappeared again, pulling Mariette away yet again. This time, not because Kellea was about to strike at her.

This time, it was because Vincent was coming.

Kellea winced as the blade was jerked out, and she clutched at it before turning about. She spotted Vincent, whom was charging towards her...with a different sword? Kellea's eyes widened. Vincent's eyes were now pitch black, his skin pale. Veins bulging and colored a dull black. His sword had grown from a gladius into something far longer, now a pale grey. His veins seemed to pulse in his hands and forearms...and he somehow was getting faster. Kellea readied herself as he grew near, bringing her swords up and preparing to use her own speed to avoid him.

And when he arrived, teeth bared, he swung overhead, intending to carve her from shoulder to hip. She disappeared, reappearing next to him to avoid it. But she didn't avoid it. He used the momentum of his swing to twirl about and catch her in a backswing. The strange sword collided with her sword when she brought it up to defend herself, and it slammed her sword into her own shoulder, shattering the weapon and breaking her arm with a loud crack. She cried out in pain, before Vincent's fist collided with her mouth. The sheer force forced her head to recoil backwards sharply, sending blood and spit into the air as she stumbled backwards.

How the hell did he do that? How did he know where she would be? And where the hell did this strength come from? She spat blood into the sandy dirt, before glancing about to see that Riberta was now approaching. Still ablaze, coated in green fire. Her skin was charred in places, while it melted off in others. Dripping into the dirt as she walked. Her face was horrifying, a mix of bone and muscle now. But her blood red eyes were still there, locked onto Kellea. And she noticed that the Trident, still gripped in Riberta's now almost skeletal hand, was glowing. Riberta barked out a single statement, her voice sounding as if she had just gargled gravel. "YOU CAN'T KILL ME." she barked out, before planting her feet and pointing the Trident towards Kellea. What was she going to do, wait for her to attack then fight her with the trident again?

"You're not invincible, vermin!" spat Kellea, as she gripped her own remaining sword tightly and charged. What came next, she noticed far too late to avoid. The trident seemed to glow brighter at the tip, as lighting shot down its handle to the end as well as up Riberta's arms. A ball quickly formed at the end, about the size of a baseball, followed by a loud crack as if lightning had just struck. Kellea immediately froze in place, snapping her sword up in an attempt to block whatever was coming. And suddenly, a massive beam of magical energy burst forth from the tip of the trident. The moment it hit Kellea, she was sent flying backwards. She skipped and bounced off the ground, propelled by the beam of magical energy. Everything burned. Everything hurt. Whatever it was, it destroyed her sword almost instantaneously.

Whatever Riberta had done had also affected her as well. Her arms cracked and the remaining flesh started to dissolve into ash. But she kept holding on, focused on trying to kill the Demon Princess. And soon, it was over, as the beam disappeared. Riberta collapsed almost instantly, falling forward onto her face and lying there. The force of the beam seemed to douse the fire, but she was weak. Any more punishment would likely put her in a catatonic state.

When Kellea finally stopped flipping and skidding, she struggled to get up off the ground. Her weapons had been destroyed, her arm broke, and she looked worse for wear. But she wasn't giving up. She had to kill these people. Her perfection would not be questioned!

TWO TURNS UNTIL HUDSON CAN USE HIS SUPER MOVE AGAIN.
THREE TURNS UNTIL VINCENT CAN USE HIS SUPER MOVE AGAIN.​

 

[Damian0358]

Takato had the right idea in mind; he was at least successful in tracking her, but hitting her would be an entirely different issue. Though the punch to the head was painful, if nothing else, he was glad it distracted her from the Grand Magus, whom he could feel rejuvenated.

As he gained his bearings after hitting the dirt, he remained vigilant and watched the others strike at her once more. Vincent, especially, was curious, since he managed to retain enough speed to strike her when she least expected it, though he felt a stronger aura emitting from the sword than from Vincent, as though the sword was using Vincent, and not the other way around... still, he was close to achieving what he had intended, but perhaps what he needed was more consistent firepower.

Looking over at the qi he had swung at her to strike her, it hadn't yet dissipated, and that gave him an idea. In completely random directions, embodied with his small projectiles he used for mystic barrages, Takato scattered various qi projectiles, from orbs to needles, any shape he could think off that could either strike at her directly fast, or hang about before striking. He was going to try and overwhelm her, and if she, for one moment, failed to move aside, his opening widens. And he was going to make sure those projectiles tracked her, even if they missed.

 

[Breadman]

Again she knocked his hit away, but the mutant could feel something give way in that last parry hit. Her strength was deminishing from the constant assault. By the time he got his footing back, Henderson got a good look of what Vincent and Ribberta had in store. A spectacular light show of power and fury. Not even the hybrid could control her power by the looks of it, seeing how it scarred her and left her in a heap, nearly unconscious.

"The appetizer has served it purpose. NOW FOR THE MAIN COURSE!" The hammer screamed in his ear. Its hunger was unlocked and it demanded it be satisfied. But rather than weakening, its power felt stronger. Henderson gripped the shaft tighter as he moved in for a devastating hit.

SUPER MOVE: HUNGERING MAUL​

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"Stupid bitch! I'm talking to you!" screams Leakhena as she cracks her whip towards Kellea. If her insults won't catch her attention, maybe this will. Meanwhile, the sparks and electricity crackle louder and brighter. If she wasn't distracted by all the fighting, she'd notice Adriel's armor is making her look almost a bit like Velin right now.

 

[joshuadim]

The healing began its work trying to repair the incredible damage dealt to Venextos' body, but even though he was back in fighting shape he was still rather weak and his hand still bore the intense scars from the strain of such an activity as they were still deeply charred and ashen. But now, Venextos quickly stabbed his older staff into the ground and send out a healing stream with it towards Riberta with intent on helping her with her own grievous wounds while with his shadow's staff he fired out a purple spear towards Kellea.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson was pleased to see Kallea's confidence and composure wavering, the supernatural strike his heavenly weapon performed opening up a cascade of devastating moves that the others utilized. And yet he had to wonder just what these weapons were doing to them as he saw how their bodies reacted to wielding such power. Troubling as that was the hunter had to remain focused, for the lapse in judgement had him blindly rush into the demon and have his attack easily parried.

"Yeah, she's not invincible!" Hudson repeats, having recovered from being knocked back as he approaches the demon yet again. "But neither are you! Chipped paint doesn't look to great on you miss perfect!" As he shouts that at her he closes in, seeking to stab into Kallea yet again. This wasn't the time for glancing blows, he needed precision.

 

[SniperComZero]

Gwen was starting to get a little tired of getting swatted around like a bug. It was simply unbecoming of her, to have to dust herself off because of some overpompous statue flinging her this way and that. Though, now that the demon herself looks to be on her last legs. She lowered her demonic blade to her belt, a hand reaching over her back to pull the somewhat neglected machine of wood and steel from it. Still loaded.

If she could push herself into the air with that spell... what could she do to a bullet? With something so small, and so unbelievably fast compared to her, Gwen steadied herself, shouldering the rifle, and taking aim towards the demon. She took a deep breath. It would take all of her concentration to lead the projectile right to its target, even as weak as she might be. Posture forwards. Even if she attempted to dodge away, or catch it, a simple realignment would allow her to dome that up-its-own-ass thing that had accosted them, and had ruined any plans of her coming unscathed out of the demonic corruption. Her finger squeezed on the trigger, vision tunnelling onto Kellea.

SUPER MOVE: MAGIC SPEAR​

 

[K0mori]

She had neither the strength nor speed of Cassandra, but with the right tricks and careful execution, she could close the gap against almost any opponent. However, Mariette could feel her hunger surging again as she stabbed Kellea a second time. She could have attacked her in any other way, but strangely, Mariette was really starting to enjoy the effect her sword was having upon her. At the same time the insatiable bloodlust poured into her body, the fear she felt for her opponent disappeared. It was almost fun, and as her eyes took on the same predatory stare that Hudson had witnessed before, the Countess let slip an unhinged laugh.

"You... called me jealous, Kellea. The only thing of yours I envy is the nectar inside your veins."

Her entire sword arm was tingling as her armor bristled around her. She felt her fist tightening around the hilt, harder and harder, until a new sensation unlike anything else washed over her. She gasped hard as the gauntlet changed shape, contorting and twisting with her flesh inside of it, but somehow without any pain at all, until it was seamlessly combined with the blade of the sword itself like a single appendage. "Aah!" Mariette called out with fiendish delight, and new, glowing crimson pearl eyes opened along the length of a shimmering ribbon of silver which stretched to the tip of the hellish sword.

Again, the others were launching their strongest attacks against the now badly wounded demon, and so Mariette simply launched herself at her as well, sliding across the ground at the last moment and attempting to not only stab Kellea, but to impale her, and from such a low angle that she could lift her from the ground and let the blood pour out. She was unaware of one more trick her armor had in store for her.

Drink.... Drink...

SUPER MOVE: DEMONIC TRANSFUSION​

 

[Infab]

The Land of Dead Kings - Vucrox - Ultra Boss Battle (Kellea) - TURN 6
Henderson uses his Super Move: Hungering Maul. D10 used. Chance to Hit = 7. Chance Successful. Does 250 DMG to Kellea. Kellea HP = 454.
Gwen uses her Super Move: Magic Spear. D10 used. Chance to Hit = 2 + 5 (7, Falcon's Eyes, Spiteful Survivalist.) Chance Successful. Does 167 DMG to Kellea. Kellea HP = 287.
Mariette uses her Super Move: Demonic Transfusion. D10 used. Chance to Hit = 9. Chance Successful. Does 250 DMG to Kellea. Kellea HP = 37. Mariette regains HP. Mariette HP = 25.
Takato = 10. CH Roll = 3. Does 4 DMG to Kellea. Kellea HP = 33.
Leakhena = 8. Does 6 DMG (Irin's Whip) to Kellea. Bleeding inflicted. Kellea looses 3 HP per turn. Kellea HP = 24.

Kellea retreats!

---



​

The battle was coming to a conclusion, as Kellea moved to engage the group in one last attempt at proving her superiority. And she would fail to do so, as the others unleashed their more powerful attacks against the Demon Princess. Henderson arrived first, swinging his massive warhammer viciously at the demon. She attempted to dodge, moving about as he swung several times. Eventually, he caught her across the side with a swing, the hammer impacting against her ribs and cracking several of them. It also seemed to take a massive chunk out of her flesh, smearing across the head of the hammer as it sent her sailing through the air and into the dirt a few yards away. As she struggled to get up, she found that she had grown weaker somehow. What just happened? That hammer did SOMETHING to her. She clutched at her wound, cutting a look to the hammer that Henderson held in hand. She soon saw that the matter on the head of the hammer was slowly disappearing...being absorbed by the weapon itself. Her eyes widened, but as she stood up, she looked about to see Gwen aiming at her with her rifle. Shit, she couldn't catch the bullet right now!

As Gwen fired, Kellea attempted to use her enhanced speed to dodge it. She moved about, and suddenly found the bullet tracking her. And eventually, it hit, ripping through her shoulder. Kellea cried out, but soon found yet another reason to yell as Mariette's strange new appendage impaled her through her back. She was lifted overhead, the blood from her wound pouring down the blade. The ribbon of silver along the length of the blade began to turn red, as her blood was absorbed into the weapon and armor. Once she had her fill, she slung Kellea aside. The demon skipped across the dirt twice, eventually coming to form a heap in the sand.

She struggled hard to lift herself up, using her good arm to push herself up off the ground into a seated position. Then, she pushed herself up farther. She was caked in blood...her own blood, and most of her body paint had been worn away. She looked as though she was in a daze, eyes widened and darting about at the group's members. How could she lose? She was perfect. A perfect being couldn't lose like this. She soon felt Takato's qi balls pepper her body, battering it as she wobbled on her feet. And Leakhena's whip would be the final strike, the barbs of the whip striking her across her face.

Kellea cried out in pain, clutching her face with her hand. Flesh was missing, and her eye on her left side was now damaged. Her beautiful face...was now ruined. Tears streamed down her cheek from her remaining good eye, as she looked to the group once more. No more! She would not allow these insects to damage perfection any longer! She snapped her fingers, and a portal opened up immediately behind her. She backed into it quickly, refusing to allow any more of them to strike her. "I'll make sure you f-fucking suffer for this!" she spat, before disappearing as the portal shut.

 

[SniperComZero]

After landing her hit, Gwen felt a surprising amount of her stamina leave her. The rifle hung limply in one hand, and she could only watch in the instants it took for the rest of the group to descend and dogpile onto the demon, forcing a retreat. Something that was... slightly annoying to her. An exasperated groan left her lips at the threat, a high ranking demon slipping from their clutches to lick her wounds.

"...So, how long until we have a second bout against her, then?"

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"Tell Ralvas to send someone prettier next time!" shouts Leakhena as she tries chasing Kellea through the portal. She cracked her whip for one last strike, but unfortunately, it closed; the whip sending a pile of sand upward as it hit the ground. It's over. The crackling sparks on her armor slowly subsides also, fizzling away into nothing in the cold in the air. 'Huh... Well, it was interesting while it lasted...' No doubt this armor's enchanted but she wonders to herself, what would've happened had she been struck some more? Would the armor harden itself further? Would it send out electricity? Or were the sparks simply an indicator that the armor's staring to break apart? In any case, it doesn't look like she's going to find out right now. With that annoying pride demon out of the way, she coils up her whip, sheaths her sword, and looks around for Valeria.

"Hey, where's that woman we saved?"

Gods, Kellea better not have killed her while they weren't looking...

 

[Damian0358]

Takato had waited until the others had gotten way more strikes before beginning to overwhelm the Demon Princess with his mystic barrage, battering her as she seemed to be completely losing it in a cold fashion. He hoped he could continue on, but noting Leakhena's movements, he left her an opening as to not strike her too. But as she looked herself over after the whip strike, she retreated just like that. Just as swiftly as the shadow with Senya's body did...

Takato couldn't help but feel... saddened by the sight. Not only did someone once more flee from them via portal, but now it was someone they absolutely knew was a threat to them. As the others made their remarks, he just sighed slowly. He looked over to the others, and began looking to see who needed immediate healing.

 

[K0mori]

The blood had been pulled through the sword appendage like a giant syringe, flowing directly into Mariette's body in a flood of warmth and healing. As she slung Kellea aside, Mariette was practically giddy or even intoxicated as the "perfect" blood repaired and enriched her being. "Ha... ha... ha..." she laughed in a slowly rising cackle. "Ah-hah ha ha ha ha ha HA HA HA! I have drank from the fruit of hospitality!" she lauded as Kellea was pelted with Takato's qi attack. Mariette felt as if she could tear Taranoch himself off his throne, and she stalked toward the mere demon princess, slashing her blade around in the air with a slack grin adorning her face. "Délicieux... I will have the rest of it, madame!"

But, it was Leakhena who would score the final hit of the battle, sending Kellea wheeling into a mad retreat from the field. Only after she was gone did Mariette appear to regain some awareness, moaning a bit as she held the side of her head. The crimson pearl eyes dotting the length of her sword began to shut themselves away once more, and the silvery river retreated from the tip down to her gauntlet, which began to reform itself into the shape of a hand. "...I feel light headed, hah, hah..." she said with a blissful smile. She fumbled with her sword, putting it away with an uncharacteristic lack of grace, and joined with Leakhena in seeking out Valeria.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson cursed under his breath once Kallea left through a portal. Just how many times would these demons pull that nonsense while they were down here? Regardless he flicked the blood off of his sword before looking the blade over, trying to better understand how he performed such a strong blow with it. After a few moments of that he sheathed it and began to take stock of the situation.

The hunter caught a glimpse of how Mariette's body warped from the artefact she had chosen, prompting him to shake his head without saying a word. He didn't need his years of experience killing demons and their cultists to know what may lie in store for the others that leaned into these tools too much. While Hudson may have been more or less numb to it, it was disappointing all the same.

He took several steps forward, not bothering to look for Valeria with the others but instead trying to find where Vixas fled to. "Guide demon, care to lead us out of here before even more guests show up to ruin the lovely tour?" Hudson called out sarcastically, searching around his vicinity.

 

[Infab]

It wasn't long before Valeria, Ser Edmond, and Vixas emerged from inside the doors of the Keep, having ducked inside when the fighting with Kellea grew rougher.

"Hey, where's that woman we saved?"

"I-I'm here...I'm f-fine." said Valeria softly, cutting a glance to the others with her. Vixas looked over the group, taking note of how everyone looked, as well as the carnage they had wrought. Pride demon corpses, the corpse of Wallace, yet no corpse belonging to Kellea. "I see the so-called Demon of Perfection has fled. I do not sense her anywhere...nor do I sense any others hostile to us in the area..." He then looked to a few members of the group, tilting his head. "...I do, however, sense changes in the taint on your souls. You will need to settle your business here in the Abyss soon...lest you be trapped here among us as new demons. Tariun and I had hoped to get you away from the Titan's bones as quickly as possible, and that has proven difficult thanks to Kellea and Wallace...And now I realize that utilizing these weapons in prolonged battles is also starting to taint your souls. Let us leave this place, and return you to the train. You can take it to Dis, where you can hunt down the artifacts. Afterwards, you must return to the Abyssal Gate as quickly as possible."

Vincent clutched his arm, as he body regained its colors and his eyes returned to their normal color. His arm hurt tremendously, and he noticed that the veins in his forearm and hand were bulging and pulsing. Yet, it was only the arm which gripped the sword. What the hell was up with this weapon? He couldn't release it, oddly enough. As if his hand refused to open. Then, he noticed that the long grey sword began to shrink, returning to its smaller gladius appearance. And with it, he regained control over his hand. Able to now wiggle his fingers and flex his wrist.

Riberta groaned, attempting to force herself up off the sandy ground. She had been healed rapidly, thanks to Venextos' magic as well as her own natural healing, but everything still hurt like hell. Eventually, she found herself sitting on knees, gazing to the trident in hand as she sat there. So that's what the trident had been hiding? It had power of its own, likely added to by Adriel when it was in her care. Riberta was likely nowhere close to Adriel when it came to using the weapon, which was quite evident when she tried to control it during that burst of energy. She'd need to focus more when it came time to use it again. Perhaps she could even force more from the weapon...if it didn't kill her in the process.

Cassandra sighed, appearing next to Mariette as she twirled her estoc around. "Rather fancy armor you have there, love." she said, eyeing the face at the base of her neck before glancing down to her sword arm. It apparently had shifted back to normal, which was good. "We certainly knocked Kellea down a few pegs."

 

[Breadman]

"MORE MORE MORE MORE!" The hammer bellowed and echoed in Henderson's ear as the gore was absorbed. It distracted the brute long enough for him to lose sight of the demon princess enough for him to miss the final blows. When he finally returned his attention she was already fleeing, much to his annoyance. She would be back again. That was certain. "GIVE CHASE! CATCH! KILL! DEVOUR! FEAST!"

"That's enough out of you!" Henderson turned his head towards the hammer, one hand pointing towards it "You're obviously an artifact of great power, but you're still a tool. You do not give demands, but serve your wielder. You will eat when I allow you to, not before. Now keep quiet! I have one other wretch occupying my mind like a squatter and I don't need to hear the voice of another in there." The item went silent. Did it work? Did him imposing his will work? There was no answer or retort from it, so he could only assume so. He soon realized that he was also shouting at his weapon that only he could hear. Rather embarrassing look, he had to admit, but necessary to get a piece of mind. He wasn't going to take orders from some fancy hunk of metal on a stick.

It did make him think however. Did any of the other artifacts they wield try to influence their wielders like his did? Mariette was cackling like a madwoman and her voice did change for a fleeting moment. But that could have been from the bones enabling the more wild vampire traits rather than the armor she's wearing. He quickly forgot the awkward scene he just made as he thought about it more. What exactly enables these items to even do this? Was the forging process to blame? Or did it come after?

"...bah, demonic bollocks." he muttered as he realized that this sort of knowledge wouldn't be useful to him.

 

[joshuadim]

Venextos panted for air as Kellea retreated from the fight with grave wounds while the group coped with their own struggles as it seemed as though the Abyss was staking claim to their souls with intent on turning them into demons. As Vixas explained in detail, Venextos made quick work to close his artifact and end its power surge for the time being which brought a great deal of relief to his own body as one would feel when a great pressure is removed. It felt... almost liberating, yet it also felt as though he was incomplete without this newfound power he had used in battle however dangerous and damaging it had been to himself. It was a rather strange feeling to be conflicted like this, and Venextos frowned as he pushed such thoughts to the back of his mind as he realized such power could be an addiction that would lead to his own undoing.

As he gathered his belongings and himself, he looked about idly with a soft frown as he listened to what others were speaking. He found himself in agreement with Hudson's sentiment as the group needed to return quickly and get away from the influence of this place. "Yes... we should leave as soon as possible." he said, his voice suddenly shifting at the end. "...Merde."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"You will need to settle your business here in the Abyss soon...lest you be trapped here among us as new demons."

The supposed danger doesn't bother Leakhena in the slightest. She's already a demon, so what would staying here do? Though the image of Hudson turning into a demon and then flagellating himself with his flail to purge himself amuses her a little. She quickly cuts him a look, hoping that would come to pass just to see what he would do. As for the others though, she might allow some of them to stay in her home, like Vincent. She speaks to him as she walks past him towards Valeria. "If that happens, you can stay at my place." she says, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"I-I'm here...I'm f-fine."

Leakhena sighs in relief. Valeria might look anything but fine, but thank the gods she's still alive. She removes both of her helmets and wipes the sweat off her brow with a towel, noticing that her face is still continuing to repair itself. From what little she can see being reflected off her helmets, her old complexion is coming back, some of the scars are starting to heal, and her eyes are changing still. They weren't pitch black empty sockets anymore as her irises were now plainly visible, yet they've stretched horizontally beyond those of a human's. With how they've expanded at the sides, they look just like... a goat's? At least, they accompany her goat-like horns; making her look even more like a farm animal. Perhaps being raised in a barn had something to do with it.

"Are you sure?" she says to her after she's done examining herself. "I can give you my coat if you're still cold."

 

[K0mori]

"Rather fancy armor you have there, love. We certainly knocked Kellea down a few pegs."

"If only we could have finished the job," Mariette opined to Cassandra before thinking about what Vixas had said. As she glanced at her various companions, arguing with their weapons, speaking in warped voices, it was evident that Vixas was telling the truth. Simply getting out of the chamber with the old accursed bones was not enough to protect them from the Abyss's corruption - not that Henderson was seeking protection, but it was cause for concern for the rest of them. Again, Mariette considered whether or not it would be such a bad thing if she allowed herself to meet that fate as she looked down at the hand which had merged with the hilt of her sword.

"Since you mentioned it," she said, "Cass, I have to be honest, I don't know what's going to happen to me if I keep wearing this armor. We cannot possibly hope to win if we do not use every single advantage, but the magic within these items threatens to turn me into a demon." She lowered her head and looked away. "I... I think I would allow it, if I were to stay here as I planned, but I've had something of an awakening since we escaped. I am not so sure I want to remain here. But then again, I am not sure if that is my own instinct, or if I'm being goaded into forgetting the humility I've worked so hard to instill in myself... into embracing sin again..."

 

[Damian0358]

After identifying who was in need of healing, Takato slowly began making the rounds, as the others began talking with one another. The notion that his colleagues were getting tainted by continuously using the tools given to them was troubling, to say the least, so he tried imparting some of his hermitic energy onto those who need it, even if that's likely not to help. If nothing else, he could slowly sense at least some of their tools interacting with them, which was... interesting.

With all this in mind, Takato began to wonder whether his own soul was getting tainted by being in proximity to Zazriel's belongings. He hoped not, knowing what he had been told, and considering his own heritage, but it was a thought he was having nonetheless. He decided to concentrate on getting everyone up and ready to leave as soon as possible.

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson didn't even return Leakhena's glare considering Vixas had decided to ignore him completely. Obviously they had to return to the train, the hunter was asking for the direction back. Furthermore his examination of the group was over as he had seen and heard enough. Reasons such as this were precisely why he was so adamant about not taking demonic items, as they always carried some kind of price to them.

Presently he was walking away from the massive tomb and the others with a brisk walking pace, not wanting to risk even an ounce more of corruption. He didn't go through the trials of the Abyss and face his shadow just to eternally remain here as some monster.

 

[Infab]

"Are you sure?" she says to her after she's done examining herself. "I can give you my coat if you're still cold."

Valeria shakes her head. "I'm a-alright...I got used t-to the c-cold a long time ago..." she said softly, glancing to Leakhena. "...T-Thank you, though."

Meanwhile, Cassandra looked to Mariette as she spoke about the armor and her thoughts. "...That armor is messing with your mind, Mariette...Just like all these other artifacts are messing with the others." she said, glancing down to the estoc in hand. There was no telling what her weapon had in store for her in the near future. "...You should get it off as soon as you're able to. Then you'll be able to make far clearer decisions." she said, before looking back to Mariette. She genuinely hoped that Mariette chose to leave with her. Otherwise...she didn't know what she'd do.

The group gathered themselves as best they could, before setting out to leave the necropolis. They didn't have any time to waste. Get to Dis, get the artifacts, then get out of the Abyss. Or turn into demons and be trapped there for eternity.

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END OF CHAPTER TWO
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