@Pyromania99


"Attention all Sleeper Agents and Demons inside this fortress, the Prize is being held on the Cargo Hold, on the ship's lowest levels. All of you who remain loyal to the Armies of Darkness, converge there immediately and assist in crushing the remaining Machina resistance. Don't kill any humans on the way, I repeat, don't kill any humans on the way there. Round them like the cattle they are and force them to the Cargo Hold as well. Spread chaos through the enemy, force them to think if they are shooting friend or foe, if you can do this, victory is ours..."

Well, that were some clear orders right there. Even if the black-winged Demon - whatever her name may be - refused to cooperate, Suyi at least now knew where to go. Not to mention, she still had the hostage that could lead the way.

"...!" It was then that suddenly, despite any chitchat they may have had, some defense system sprang back to life. "Get down!" Giving the Combat Pilot a push to the ground to get him out of harms way Suyi made herself ready to destroy the petty defense turret, alas, before she could even reach it the Nameless Winged One already took care of it - not without eating some damage herself though.

"Good Job. Are you alright?" Suyiketsu simply replied before helping the Combat Pilot up. "Urgh...my head, it's not l-" - "Shut up and show us the way, you heard it yourself, no harm shall come to you." The Pilot went silent for a second, maybe pondering once more if he was a hero or a coward, before finally nodding. "Alright, we have to get through that door first!" He pointed forward. By now, not only were the turrets a problem but also some automated security doors.

"Tzch." Pushing the Combat Pilot forward she simply stopped in front of the pathetic door. Despite not being aware that the hull of the Elicitor she punched herself through was already damaged, the interior was way weaker by default, allowing her remarkable strength to make way after just a few punches.

"There we go." The Oni Princess said after she made a small hole through the door that she simply widened by tearing it further apart. "Give me a moment." Not done yet, the horned-one gave the door a bit more treatment until she was capable of ripping out a small tile of it - just to deform it enough to make a sort of shield with a makeshift grabbing part.

"You take care of the turrets, use that to defend yourself if needed, Nameless One." Ultimately, it was up to the gun-wielding Demon if she decided to make use of it or not - Suyiketsu didn't care either way. If the turrets weren't strong enough to penetrate their own fortress interior walls then her life was probably not at risk anyways. "Now, let's go." With those words, they would surely make haste towards the cargo bay, considerably slowed down by the defenses.

@KoL - Offering a rebuttal to Victoire.
@Flamelord - Being thankful for defenses.
@Ryonara - Putting way too much faith into.
@Rune_Alchemist - Standing ready to fight with Gwynn.

The Machina in command of this final line of defense looked upon the released Valkyrie stolidly, her inaction in countermanding any of Gwynn's words all the approval the defenders needed to heed them as the front line GRNTs shifted slightly towards her in order to maximize the effects of her holy aura. While some of the pure humans held the messenger of the Heavenly Host with contempt, the logical Machina understood that her aid, crippled as Gwynn may be, would do much to bolster their odds of success...

"Attention all Sleeper Agents and Demons inside this fortress, the Prize is being held on the Cargo Hold, on the ship's lowest levels. All of you who remain loyal to the Armies of Darkness, converge there immediately and assist in crushing the remaining Machina resistance. Don't kill any humans on the way, I repeat, don't kill any humans on the way there. Round them like the cattle they are and force them to the Cargo Hold as well. Spread chaos through the enemy, force them to think if they are shooting friend or foe, if you can do this, victory is ours..."

Only for the calculations to be reworked and found wanting. The Demons modus operandi shown through with this vocal declaration of their plan, turning the defenders upon their own forces in the hopes the Man and Machine would be too conflicted with their own number to target the demons slipping in amongst them. A sound plan if a human or Angel were in command of this force, but Aqua Regia wasn't flesh and blood. Ice flowed through veins, keeping her processors and the processors of those around her at peak efficiency. With the passive cooling of her own creation, Gwynn's holy aura, and their pre-established defenses, these would the be the toughest troops still left aboard the Elicitor.

Regia opened up her own link to the intercom, broadcasting her rebuttal to Victoire's ultimatum. "To all those aboard the Elicitor, know this. Any who enter the cargo hold before the Demons are eliminated or detained will be shot on sight. Do not retreat from this enemy and die upon our Queen's Treasure. Fight to the last, knowing you will be remade all the greater for your sacrifice."

As though to punctuate her statement the defenses were restored, every door save the main entrance sealing itself with thick slabs of metal before crackling with electricity. Inside the ventilation ducts, powerful fan blades whirled to life at every junction and grating to make undetected infiltration through the ductwork nigh impossible.

"Unit's Shizuka. Hibiki. Valkyrie Gwynn and I require your assistance. The Angel is wounded from our prior engagement, while I lack the available injector to attempt to mend the damage done." The Machina said, eying the severed tube elsewhere on the ground. Assist the Angel as her shield bearer while I prepare to attack the Demons before they arrive. This will require time to charge, so I shall require aid if they encroach upon our position early.

Along Regia's back, the four focusing units broke away from their silent vigil and hovered before her. Each tip joined together into an X-shape, and when Regia raised her rifle it became clear that this was the reticule for her most powerful weapon.

"Arming Niffelheim."

@Lonewolf685 - Speaking to Regia, agrees to defend against demons.
@Ryonara - replying to Hibiki

"I know this may mean nothing to you since we are still enemies, but I want to thank you. When we survive this battle, I hope that maybe tensions between the two of us would be easier. My name is Hibiki, by the way. My sister over there is named Shizuka. May I know your name?"

The voice from the human brought Gwynn out of her mental preparations. She looked at the human, scanning up and down, seeming to study her. After a few seconds, she simply sighed, shaking her head.

"We are allies for now, human." She sternly replied. "But I am not here to make friends, especially with you humans. I am only here to ensure the target does not fall into the hands of those vile demons since you humans are weak, foolish, and incapable of doing such a thing without the assistance of heaven." Her words, were likely harsh and probably wouldn't be instilling any confidence in her willingness to cooperate beyond this scuffle. they were the truth to Gwynn, however. As much as she disliked the humans and thought they were foolish, she really didn't hold any Ill will towards them. Humans and Angels should be working together to kill the demonic threat.

Such a thing, likely wouldn't ever happen. At least, not here.

"...I am Gwynn." Her voice took a somewhat softer tone as she spoke. "But I doubt we'll be together after this battle. My chances of survival are rather...grim, but I will fight to the last regardless. I do not fear death, nor do I fear those demonic hordes."

And then a loud voice spoke over the intercom. The demons, announcing their presence and telling them where their objective was. Really, today just couldn't get any worse, could it? Gwynn was using her healing aura to the best of her ability, but considering her condition, the effects were negligible. It seemed though, Regia wished to assist her in some manner. That was...a welcome gesture, but she didn't need it.

"Unit's Shizuka. Hibiki. Valkyrie Gwynn and I require your assistance. The Angel is wounded from our prior engagement, while I lack the available injector to attempt to mend the damage done."

"I appreciate the gesture," She glared at her from under her helm. "But focus on your own battles and your own survival. I will be fine...if not, then I will return to heaven." From the way Gwynn was speaking through all of this, it seemed she may be very well expecting to die in some manner regardless of the outcome of the battle.

~Silana Delacroix~

@Lucius Cypher - Ignoring Fran
@KoL - Victoire is present, though doesn't reply much too.

"I will achieve victory for us, my sweet Lolita. And if not...Then I shall suffer whatever punishment you desire."

Silana simply gave Fran the same cold shoulder she had given Suparna, letting the hug happen but not returning it.

"We will talk. You will make a decision. And 'both' will not be an acceptable answer." She said coldly, ignoring any further communication attempts from Fran. As much as the Lich liked the succubus (which, really, wasn't entirely a lot considering things), she would not have Fran fraternizing with someone she hated. And in this case, she wanted nothing more than to see Suparna writhing on the ground like the maggot she was.

More importantly, they had a mission. And it seemed as though the defenses had been raised once again. Silana simply sighed at the troublesome mechanical contraptions. She walked some distance behind Fran, using her corrosive magics to melt the armor on any auto turrets and melting holes through doors. Of course, it took some time but it was easy enough to melt holes through their defenses. She was of course, careful to avoid killing any humans as well as futile as such a thing was.

-Void-

"Indeed. It is such a pity that we are enemies. If that could change... It would be the greatest wish anyone could have." Hibiki said quietly to herself. She knew what she was saying could be taken as conspiracy against the Machina, so she made sure to not say it loudly. But for them to be allies against the demons would be great. For all three to come to some sort of peace would be perfect. But such wishful thinking wasn't needed here on the field of battle. The angel, Gwynn, made it clear that this was an alliance of convenience. She implied that she wouldn't even want to be saved if she should fall. Hibiki wondered if she should try to go out of her way to ensure Gwynn's survival or respect her decision. Surely they couldn't always be enemies?

Aqua Regia made an announcement over the intercoms warning against the other Machinas from entering the cargo hold. The announcement made Hibiki uncomfortable, which would have been easy to see on her face if she wasn't wearing her armor. She knew the Machina were ruthless, and Hibiki did her best to keep her hands clean of their more dirty business. She's fought and killed demons, angels, and occasionally traitors. But in this instance if any of her allies did get to the cargo hold due to the demons, Hibiki would have no choice but to gun them down. It wasn't as if her weapons had a nonlethal function. Additionally, Aqua Regis wanted her and Shizuka to help protect Gwynn as well as cover for Aqua as she charged her weapons.

"Copy."

"Copy."

There weren't any more words to be said. Hibiki bowed her head towards Gwynn and moved to her defensive position. She'd have a clean line of sight on the battelfield while also giving her good cover against ranged enemies. Shizuka stood by Gwynn's side, armed with Diana's sword and Gwynn's shield. Unlike Hibiki, Shizuka said nothing, not even a greeting. She was more focused on the demons coming into the hall.

Finally, the demons arrived.

Sure enough the first wave were the Machina's own soldiers, however their were obviously corrupted by the demons. Pulsating flesh growing from their body, dark energy sparking from their wounds, and the hellish noise coming from their mouths made it easy for the Machinas to know these were no longer their allies. They came through Hibiki's trapped entrance, triggering the bombs and turrets. The other entrance Hibiki kept a close eye on, and when enemies spilled through there she had her rifle ready to gun them down. As long as the enemy continued coming through those two entrances Hibiki was certain they could hold them off.

Trouble occurred, however, when a new entrance was made. From the ceiling. Bypassing the traps that Hibiki had set up, the corrupted machinas began dropping behind the defensive line right towards Gwynn, Shizuka, and Aqua Regis. Hibiki was already preoccupied trying to deal with the demons pouring from the main two entrances, though she did at least send her repair drones to try to patch up the hole in the ceiling before they were overwhelmed. Fortunately for Hibiki, Shizuka did not hesitate when demons started to attack her. Blocking the claw of one massive hellbeast, Shizuka slashed her blade through the monster's shin, causing it to kneel. With a quick spin she decapitated the kneeling demon and jumped towards Aqua, to ensure no demons interrupted her.

"At last, something is going as planned. This battle has worn me down way too much, it's about time we end." Victoire said to Fran and Silana just as she noticed that, despite the Machina best efforts, some of the corrupted against had managed to get inside of the Cargo Hold and the fight was proceed as expected with chaos and death being spread all over the area. "Proceed as you see fit, from now on the best to do is for each of us to use their skills to their best extent. We will rendezvous, after the battle, once the objective has been secured." Victoire was aware that Fran had some matters to discuss with her, but this would have to wait until the battle was over, if they lost this one chance to act probably here would be no other as the Elicitor must be very close to leaving the Dianex Valley right now.

"I'll be following my plan and get in from above, cover me if you can, while I try to find the objective and teleport away, that's all we need to secure our victory." As Victoire said so, she disappeared from their sight, just before using the confusion on the Cargo Hold to sneak in from the breach in the ceiling. The smallish vampire landed atop a nearby container as soundlessly as she could, eyeing the battlefield carefully from her vantage point, before noticing the disproportional number of soldiers around a heavier than normal container, likely the objective she was looking for.

"Charging in mindlessly would be insane, I need to secure a route for Silana and Francisca first, otherwise I'll be the one to meet the brunt of the counter attack." Victoire analyzed her options once more, at least blood was plenty as the Machina did exactly as she expected and slaughtered their allies mercilessly, proving the vampire with a huge supply of raw matter for her spells. "A distraction will do well, while I seize victory..."


Upon Victoire's command, all the poured blood that covered a sizeable portion of the Cargo Hold's floor, rose in countless goblets, before coalescing in the shape of hundreds of javelins made of corrosive blood, before shooting straight to the remaining forces of the Machina and the obnoxious Valkyrie that stood on Victoire's path to victory, aiming to turn all of them into bloody pincushions. Whether the spells actually succeeded or not, it would at least be good enough to take their attention away from the doors for long enough for Fran and Silana to join the fight without being shot.

As she waited for her plans to come to fruition, Victoire concentrated her perception on the heavily guarded container, finally noticing what she had come to take, "Two very interesting individuals, this Bastion and Diana, huh?" Victoire thought as she readied herself, all she needed, was a tiny bit more chaos now and their victory was secured.

"So much better, so much fun. Let's start from scratch and, blow up the sun!"

Thanks to the corrupted machina coming from the ceiling, and Victoire causing a distraction with her magic, Fran used this opportunity to rush into the room. Her body was surrounded by the shadow wolves meant to be her vanguard, but right now they were only her meat shields. Those who survived or otherwise were unaffected by Victoire's attack would fail to harm Fran, as the wolves would absorb their bullets until Fran was close enough to jump towards the nearest target: the Valkyrie. She had been looking for one this entire battle and now, now... Now Fran was going to get her prize. She didn't care if the demons won or not. As long as she could take this one, then that's a win for Fran.

Fran made sure to avoid Victoire's blood spikes, not wanting to become an accidental victim, using her time while airborn to take out her Bond of Matrimony and launch it at the Valkyrie. While she would certainly rough her up if she had to, Fran wanted to take the Valkyrie alive. She'd just need to bind her, poison her, and then escape. "You'll be mines, until death do us part!"

@Rune_Alchemist

Things were getting bad very quickly. Shizuka was holding her own despite getting overwhelmed, protecting Aqua Regis from being interrupted. But she alone couldn't kill every demon, and Hibiki was doing her best steaming the tide with gunfire and bombs. But the hole in the ceiling was their weakness, and more and more demons were flooding inside. Amidst the confusion, Shizuka noticed something odd going on on the ground. It looked like the blood was... Pooling at her feet. Knowing something was amiss Shizuka jumped up and put her shield beneath her, just in time to prevent herself from getting skewered by a spike made of blood. Hibiki was on an elevated position away from the bloodshed, so when she saw the blood gathering around her feet she simply rolled out of the way.

"Blood magic! And so powerful! It must be that Victoire from before." Shizuka and Hibiki heard her announcement earlier, and they both had a good feeling that this sorcery was her work. But if her magic was here, then that would mean she was too. Shizuka cut down more demons and spikes around her to give her room to move. She was in no position to try and find Victoire, as most of her focus was dealing with the demons around her. So it was up to Hibiki to find Victoire. Fortunately, her repair drones were still active so she had them search the room for her. Wherever Victoire was, she would have to be somewhere safe where none of them could easily get to her.

Meanwhile Shizuka was holding her own when she heard someone shout inanities. That's when she saw a demon... Shemale with a big axe, throwing a chain at Gwynn. Shizuka rushed towards her and stood between Gwynn and the demon's chain, bracing the shield to intercept it. However Shizuka was less confident that she could block that big axe. She was tough and the armor protected her, but Shizuka wasn't going to risk her limb trying to block a blade that huge.

And it wasn't long before Hibiki's drones found Victoire. All they had to do was look down from the hole near the ceiling to see a pale humanoid girl who Hibiki didn't recognize. She had to be Victoire, or at least an enemy. Formulating a plan Hibiki left her position and activated her Stalker Cloak, vanishing from all perception. It was too dangerous for Hibiki to try and use explosives near the box as the Queen's treasure was inside of it, but she could still climb. With a mighty leap Hibiki took out her knife, activated it's plasma blade, and stabbed it into the side of the box. Using it she climbed up the box to the top, her actions completely silenced thanks to the Stalker Cloak. She needed to act fast before Victoire defeated them.

@KoL@Lucius Cypher@Rune_Alchemist

Victoire's concentration was shattered the moment Hibiki got close to her. For all technology the Machina had, they couldn't account for the powers of the supernatural beings like Victoire, thus the Maid's sneaking failed, simply because Victoire did felt her very blood and life essence, betraying Hibiki's location. However, it wasn't the fact hat she was being attacked directly that caused Victoire to forget her spells, the bloody javelins that should be seeking victims, plopping back to the floor, forming puddles of vitae tainted by Victoire's power.

"You are lucky I'm not the type to prioritize pleasure over efficiency, girl... no, Hibiki, right?" Victoire regarded without even needing to turn her back away from the dagger the Maid had aimed at her. "The virgin blood running through your veins has really turned me on. Alas, I have a battle to win, if we do come across each other again, I hope you don't mind me imposing on you for a small bite." As she smirked maliciously, Victoire teleported from before Hibiki's eyes, snatching Bastion and Diana before teleporting back to her castle.

The Victory of the Demons was secured, no matter what the outcome of the fight was. Now, all that Victoire had to do was decide how she would be using her spoils, before that obnoxious, lame ass of a King demanded them to be turned on to him.

Fran's chain hit something solid, but it wasn't the Valkyrie. No, it was some sort of machina mook. Gritting her teeth Fran pulled herself towards the soldier, her axe ready to smash her. "Get out of my way!"

Shizuka struggled against the demon's chain; she couldn't cut through it and she couldn't pull her shield off. She'd have to choice but to let the shield go so she could dodge the demon's axe, rolling off to the side while taking out her pulsar pistol. However she couldn't shoot at the demon, as she was too close to Gwynn. A stray shot could end up killing the holy warrior, and Shizuka wasn't going to make that mistake a second time. "Tch!" Shizuka had to stay moving, as the battle was too chaotic for her to stand still. She could be attacked at anytime, so she needed to stay mobile. And the only path right now was towards the demon. At least as Shizuka ran closer, the chances of accidentally hitting Gwynn lessen, so she fired her pistol at the shemale demon before lunging with her sword.

Fran raised her massive axe to shield her from the soldier's bullets. While she could have tanked a few shots, she didn't want to get perforated by the hail of bullets. While Fran was defending herself, she also smashed her vial of poison onto the smaller blade. Now all she needed was a cut, and the Valkyrie was hers. She'd save that poison for her, leaving the bigger business end for mooks. "So you want to play? Then let's have some fun!" The soldier tried to stab Fran in the heart, but her armor was able to deflect it off at an angle. Fran than hooked her axe to the soldier's sword, swinging it harshly to disarm her.

Somehow, despite wearing a glorified bra, Shizuka's blade bounced off the demon's armor. "No - It didn't even touch her armor. It must be a force field!" The demon then tried to disarm Shizuka, her blade trapped within the axe's crook. There was a forceful yank which nearly disarmed her, but Shizuka wasn't going to give up that easily. She struggled a bit at first, before she raised her gun at Fran and fired at her from pointblank.

When Fran saw the soldier raise her gun she had to disengage. Instead of trying to take the sword out, Fran simply made sure it wasn't in the way when she rolled off towards the side, throwing a wild swing of her axe to cleave the soldier's arm. Or smash her gun, whichever happened.

Shizuka's bullets ended up hitting nothing but air when the demon rolled away from her. Though she didn't see, Shizuka instinctively knew that the demon was going to try to cut her from the side. So she activated her Force Shield in her left arm, the one holding her pistol, as she turned and faced the demoness. Unlike Gwynn's shield her force shield was much larger, capable of covering Shizuka from head-to-toe, as well as anyone else standing beside her. With her guard up Shizuka charged, raising her shield just a few inches so she could smash it into the demon's foot, knock her to the ground, and stab her.

Fran's axe smashed into some sort of tangible force field the soldier had. "Two shields? Are you such a coward that you need two shields and armor to fight!?" Flourishing her axe, Fran did not back down. If she couldn't go forward, she would come from behind. Using the Bond of Matrimony she hooked into the ceiling, rising up so she could get the drop on the soldier. She raised her axe high above her head and slammed down with as much force as she could muster, which would certainly be enough to cut through the floor, if not shatter into the level below.

Seeing the demon rise into the air gave Shizuka enough time to switch the weapons in her hands, allowing her to hold her pistol in her right and the sword in her left. When the demon came down, Shizuka tilted her shield at an angle so the demon's axe would just slide down her barrier while Shizuka started shooting at the demon. And because she was falling, the demon wouldn't have anywhere else to go but into the path of her bullets.

A few bullets managed to cut into Fran's face and exposed body, but nothing that would have stopped her. Her axe struck the barrier, with Fran using all her force to wedge it directly against the shield. Her feet were planted against the shield before Fran slide down the force field, her axe digging into the floor underneath. But it was all part of her plan. When the axe was buried deep enough, Fran wrenched it right out, right from underneath Shizuka's shield to get past her guard. Following the momentum of her axe Fran slashed upwards towards the soldier's back, hoping to bury her blade deep into the soldier's body so she could slam it into the ground.

Shizuka turned her gun towards Fran intending to shoot her. But when she did, she only heard a click. "Shit! Not now!" To make matter's worse, the demon somehow thought up of a way to get past Shizuka's shield, finding it's edge and jerking it out of the way. A tactic of a brute, but it worked. Shizuka, for the moment, had her back turned towards Fran. She tried to turn back to strike her with the sword, but Shizuka moved a moment too late. The axe connected to Shizuka's helmet, shattering it and knocking the girl against the wall. Blood splattered on Fran's face as Shizuka tried to open her eyes. Her helmet managed to make the blow non-lethal, but her helmet was destroyed now. Shizuka's bright blue hair flowed down her shoulders as she tried to stand up and regain her footing.

Fran had the upper hand now. She didn't let the soldier go when she smashed into the wall. If anything, it made Fran want her even more; she would take the girl as a prisoner, assuming she didn't accidentally kill her first. Maybe she could indulge herself a little in the midst of all this chaos, before going back for her prize. Still, she had to deal with this one first. So Fran dashed towards the soldier, raising her axe high above her head and dropping it right towards the girl's face.

Shizuka raised her shield arm up, but she could tell that her barrier was just about done. Her back was literally against the wall, and Shizuka couldn't take out her rifle before the demon could just cut her down. She had to fight her using the sword, but against someone as fast and relentless as her, Shizuka needed help. Hibiki could have shot this demon a thousand times over, but little did Shizuka know Hibiki was preoccupied with her own battle. Things were going from bad to worse for Shizuka. Then her shield broke.

As preoccupied as Shizuka and Fran must have been, they likely didn't consider the effect their duel had on other's present. Regia had been charging her weapon in an attempt to cut down the oncoming Demons, but the destruction of the floor sent her careening after the brawling pair shortly after they disappeared to the lower decks. The charging process had rendered her incapable of flight for a brief time, certainly more than it would take to harmlessly reach the floor below, and her rifle had fallen from her grasp at some point. "Acquiring new target."

Regia saw that Fran had her fellow Machina cornered and reacted with the only weapon she had that could reach. She swung her ice sword downwards, watching it extend as she fell till it was long enough to spear Fran through the back if she failed to notice.

Fran raised her axe once more to slam it down onto the soldier's shield, but when she did she noticed a shadow looming over her. She turned to swing, her blade connecting to a large blade of ice. A new opponent arrived. "Oh? You look cool~ Ice to meet you!" Fran jumped against the soldier's shield, pushing herself off to slam the girl into the wall while she propelled herself towards the new opponent, her axe poised to ram into her enemy.

The swing of Fran's axe shattered the overextended blade in half, leaving it a longsword with a jagged end that dripped liquid nitrogen readily. Regia landed in tense crouch without the opportunity or interest in responding to the ice based pun presented by Fran. With only a sword and solitary injector on her person, it wasn't the best odds for the Machina, but she had dealt with worse. Rather then take the ax head on, Regia launched herself to the side with a parting slash that sprayed Fran's face with a gout of the sub zero fluids as she fled the axes' reach.

Shielding herself from Regia's attack, Fran wasn't expecting to be attacked with water. The ice coated Fran's axe and made it heavy, turning her blades into clubs. She snarled at her opponent, raising her axe up to smash the ice off her weapon, but failing to do so. "Dammit, dammit! Love Tap doesn't like a cold shoulder!" The ice made it hard for Fran to lift her axe, but now she had a heavier bludgeon. Dragging it across the ground Fran resumed her attack, this time she started swinging before she reached her cyborg opponent, spinning around. The extra weight gave Fran the momentum she needed to become a vicious whirlwind of swings, and near by enemies both Machina and Demon alike were smashed out of the way.

It was disappointing to find she had only dulled the axe and failed in blinding Fran herself, but the Machina settled for what she could get. She was forced to stay in motion to evade the maelstrom of blows that drew closer with every frenzied swing sent her way, and Regia knew that she would scrapped if she were caught in it. Lacking a direct means to stop Fran, Regia swung her sword downwards before her to freeze the floor along Fran's path in the hopes that her momentum could be used against the Demon.

Fran continued to spin faster and faster towards the icy robot, but when she hit the icy floor she was starting to lose her footing. She had to lower her body to prevent herself from toppling over, but she was starting to slow down as her axe dragged across the ice. It wasn't going to be long before she'd loose momentum and with it, her power. So Fran did the only thing she could do. Timing herself just right, she tossed her frozen axe right towards Regia, using the speed from her swings to make the axe fly fast from her hands and towards the cyborg.

Shooting wasn't really Shizuka's forte. It was always Hibiki who was the better sniper between the two. But since Shizuka knew attacking the demon directly was foolish, she needed a new approach. And that approach was putting as many bullets into the monsters' back as she could. Taking aim through her sights, Shizuka fired a burst of bullets into Fran's back, right as she tossed her axe towards Regia. Now without that massive lump of steel, the demon couldn't shield herself.

The sheer force behind the axe throw was a truly impressive thing, and if it hadn't just cleaved Regia's sword arm off she may have. It was a small blessing that Machina could ignore minor inconveniences like that in order to snatch her arm out of the air. Regia dashed forward with her sword arm bared as her injector tube shot forth in advance to coil around the succubus; 'sword' and pierce it with the needle of liquid nitrogen. "Freeze, or I freeze it off for you."

Fran missed. Fran missed She couldn't believe her luck. A few bullets hit her back and Fran was forced onto her knees. When she tried to get up the cyborg was right on her, a frosty tendril wrapped around Fran's most precious weapon. A needle peirced the flesh and already Fran's body went cold. Through gritted teeth she smiled at the cyborg. "Heh heh heh... Chill. I won't do anything." Fran raised her hands up in surrender. She had served her purpose, seeing that Victoire was now gone.

It was clear that, while the Elicitor was still in their control and tunneling away on the now corrected course to Machina territory, their prize and the infiltrator Diana had been stolen away in the chaos. Gwynn had perished sometime in the fighting, overrun by the many corrupted Machina that were now all eradicated with their leader's departure. Regia had no more words for Fran, raising her sword arm high before driving the pommel down into the Demon's temple to rob her of consciousness. "Unit Shizuka, apprehend this Demon with extreme prejudice, Our efforts can not be without some tiny merit, and presently she is all we have to show."

"Roger." Shizuka bound the demon's hands together, dragging her body across the ground and back towards the sticky traps Hibiki had set up. This way the demon couldn't escape on her own. Soon Hibiki arrived, her stalker cloak deactivating. The two sisters knew that the demon's retreating didn't mean victory. It meant they had what they wanted. They looked solemnly towards the cargo container, knowing that despite their best efforts, it was all for naught. "Sis... What's going to happen now?"

Hibiki looked at her sister's face. She had a large scar oozing blood on her chin, and her sister reached out to wipe the blood away. "We're going to get her back. Next time, we'll be on the attack."

@Ryonara@Lonewolf685

Despite the trials and tribulations invoked by all sides, the Demons of Hell had taken victory from their enemies. The Prize had been stolen away from the Machina followed by a valuable spy of the Angels. No doubt the dragon known as Diana would be extracted for information to use against the forces of Heaven while the Prize known as Bastion would be studied. After all, there had to be a reason why the Machina had fought so hard to keep her, yes?

For now, the Battle of Dianex had come to a close with Heaven’s might retreating and the Elicitor escaping to fight another day. Although badly damaged and battered, what was lost could easily be rebuilt from the ground up. Furthermore, the Machina had their own captive with which to interrogate, a leverage of sorts for the loss of their Prize.

As it seems, only Heaven had been robbed of some kind of gain in this strife. Yet defeat only ensured a stronger victory in the future. For now, a period of rare reprise would take place and all forces would rest and recuperate for the coming battle. Rumor was that a great disturbance of power had been leaked out into the Sea of Ruthria and it was very likely the next conflict would take place at some point near the great body of water.

But that was matter best left to the generals and leaders of each faction while the soldiers made their own interactions amongst each other. And as for the many prisoners in this eternal war? One could only hope their wills wouldn’t be too broken this time around.

---

Krieger Marshaling Yards

It had been a long journey back for the Elicitor even after it had emerged from underground in the safety of Machina territory. There had been a lot to do, cleaning up the rest of the corrupted Machina inside the fortress, initial repairs to the damage suffered, securing the prisoner, and otherwise recovering from the battle that had taken place. Their retreat had been unharried as they entered the protective envelop of Machina territory, guard by energy fields, high yield weaponry, and such defensive implements to make an assault suicidal at best.

It was a homecoming that Endian was not looking forward to though. Had she had the capacity to do so she would have bruend with shame and humiliation, and in exchange she could only prepare herself to accept whatever punishment was dolled out upon her by the High Queen for this failure. Not only had they lost the Treasure to a simple trick that should have been guarded again, but the Elicitor had been damaged for no purpose. Sure the damage was fixable, but all their had to show for the brave fight they put up were two prisoners, of significantly lesser value that the Treasure they had been supposed to take here in the first place.

To be honest, Endian had done the calculations an was fully prepared for her body and consciousness to be destroyed as a result of this failure. It was on her head after all, regardless of the effectiveness of her subordinates. Presumably she would be replaced, whether it be by another of her model, or a separate unit entirely. It was possible that things might end differently, but that seemed most likely.

So for now she stood on the deck of the Elicitor as craft swarmed around the fortress, repairing external damage as Machina soldiers left the fortress itself to report for their assignments. "All damaged units, report to repair bays for damage control. All injured human personnel, report to the upper decks for transport to hospitals," she said aloud through the communications network, handling the after battle as best she could.

That said, she tuned her network to communicate directly with Regia herself. 'I am assigning you temporary responsibility for our demonic prisoner. You have authorization to use any assets you need, until given orders by higher individuals or the demon is firmly imprisoned by enhanced Machina.'

With that done she sighed as she looked out over the moving masses of metal and the buildings that breached the sky, the capital of the Machina. It was an impressive sight, a testament to the ingenuity and industry of Man and Machine, and something unequaled by both Hell and Heaven. It was what she fought for, and she would serve it to the end.

Her work here completed for the moment, she signaled an automated transport to take her towards the capital, to report to the High Queen for this failure. She had the suspicion that it would not end well.

@Lucius Cypher@Ryonara@Lonewolf685

The characteristic crack of a whip could be heard by anyone who dared approach the dungeon underneath Victoire's castle. She had been treating her prizes rather unkindly, befitting her sadistic persona. Bastion and Diana had been stripped of all of their belongings, dressed in a prisoner's garb (little more than a crude hemp sack with holes cut for their upper limb and head), stuffed in a cell, chained and generally abused to Victoire's amusement.

Even now, with the next large scale battle drawing near, Victoire continued her 'interrogation' with great pleasure, hopping that she would not be interrupted by a certain buffoon who called himself King of Hell, before she had her fill of fun. "Will you finally let out the secret you have that makes you so important for the Machina, or do I have to use more... forceful methods?" Victoire said, raising Bastion's chin with her whip's handle, forcing the kneeling girl to face Diana, who was even now tied up with chains, hanging from the ceiling by her tail and wearing a muzzle to prevent her breath attacks. "If you don't cooperate, I'll have to give your friend some more of my warm treattment." Victoire grinned wickedly as she direct Bastion's vision to the pit of burning embers directly bellow the bound Diana, who was being lowered ever so slowly by the vampire's servants.

Diana whose supple skin had been turned to a light brown from the successive attempts of this fiery torture, glared at Victoire with defiant eyes, before looking back at Bastion. The dragon girl would have none of it affect her, she would endure this undue and sadistic punishment as long as Bastion was safe, there was no need for the dark haired girl to betray any knowledge she might have.

Sure, help would come eventually, or best of all, Diana would find a way to slip both of them away from here. It was just a matter of waiting. Surely, Victoire couldn't keep them here forever, could she?

To everyone else who live, and died, in the Nexus, the grand news were that the next battle drew nearer, not so much of a pressing matter now, but enough for more reports from the front to arrive at each of the factions' lands.

Rumor was it that the battle would be for control of a large underwater ruin, entrenched near a tropical archipelago, on the southern coast of the famed Sea of Ruthria. The reports indicated that Intelligence gathering and Strategic would have a louder voice on the next battle's scenario. That is, unless the rumors about the yet mysterious ruins being the lair of the legendary sea serpent, Leviathan --The Serpent of the Abyss-- were proven to be untrue.

However, there was still time left for those who wished to enjoy their reprise. The drums of war thundered on the horizon, but the storm, had yet to arrive...

---

Heaven had truly felt the sting of defeat at The Battle of Dianex. Not only did they fail in their objective but they lost a good number of souls, including Valkyrie Commander Gwynn. On top of all this, reports indicated the demons had taken the prize along with Diana the Dragoness. With all of that in mind, one would think the angelic forces would have lost their moral or at least be hesitant about the next battle. Instead, the warriors of heaven had banded together with a much stronger resolve than before; including the spiritual gunslinger, Omega.

Up until this point, Omega had tried to stay behind on the defensive lines. His main concern had never been attacking or taking from the enemy, but protecting his home and people. But after such loses, he knew the heavens needed as many frontliners as they could get, or else the battles would soon be on their territory. Now he stood at the edge of their current encampment just outside the archipelago looking over the sea while spinning one of his revolvers. Though the ruins were the ultimate goal, they provided little in means of defensive support and with scouts reporting that enemy forces had arrived as well, any attempt to simply walk in and claim them would lead to a slaughter.

For now, they waited. Someone would have to make the first move, and when they did, the armies of heaven would be ready.

Torag Draken

In a heavenly fashion, the clouds over Heaven's archipelago camp parted, and the tall figure of Torag Draken, the Harbinger of Light, slowly descended a long, translucent staircase. Behind him flowed a number of Valkyries and lesser angels, reinforcements for the upcoming battle. After Gwynn's failure to complete the objective of the previous battle, the cursed being had been left in charge of her battalion, and he thought it a loss. Gwynn had been a brave commander, a powerful Angel, one with an unbreakable will, and the Nexus had decided to remove her from the equation. His ghastly voice cursed the realm in which he lived, the words chilling the spine of a passing angel. In the end, though, he would happily lead her force into battle, cutting down all who stood in the way of his advance. As his feet finally met the ground and the staircase withdrew itself, he continued on his way to the edge of the island the battalion was situated on. His armor clinking and his heavy footfalls gave away his approach on a being of green energy in a cowboy hat, armed with pistols. From the black mark on his face, a name was easy enough to guess. "Omega, our most... unconventional soldier. Tell me, what have you made of this force? Will they accept a new leader in place of Valkyrie Commander Gwynn?" He spoke as clearly as he could, the chilling and unearthly voice fitting Torag's state of life.

@Awesomoman64

---

Sliske Arkilius

The incubus known as the Ambassador of Hell pushed open the doors to the Blood Countess' castle, casually examining the stonework as he strolled through the main hall. Truly, it was a marvelous design. Every single brick of the walls had been etched by hand, most of which told the tale of the castle's owner. A bloody and complicated story it was, full of this girl's legacy and all that would be left behind when either the Nexus became bored or the war was lost. He chuckled to himself, reflecting on the futility of it all. In short, everyone here fought, die, and respawned for the entertainment of the place, and the trickster found it hilarious. He continued on his way, intent on getting to the dungeon that housed the captives of the vampire that lived here.

He found the way down just as a whip cracked, and he smirked to himself. He took his time descending the staircase, listening to the Countess monologue to her prisoners. The heels of his boots clicked as he reached the landing, a knowing smirk plastered on his face. "Miss Victoire Bordeaux, what a pleasure it is." He stepped from the shadow of the spiral staircase that had led him down to her, his hands open and to the side in a peaceful gesture. Both hands were empty, with the exception of a single gold coin in his right hand, which he flicked into the air and caught again. He had come prepared. "You see, news travels fast through Hell, as I'm sure you're aware. Basically everyone knows you have yourself a couple playthings of great value." He flicked the coin in front of the captive dragon, taunting the beast with a piece of the valuable metal her race held dear. It was all part of his little game, to see who would live and die the next day. "You and I both know this girl is valuable to the Machina in some way, and I can find out what that is. On one condition." With a little more force than necessary, the demon tossed the coin into the embers below the chained girl, earning what was certainly a death stare as the heat began to melt the soft metal. "You send the lizard back to Heaven. Her condition doesn't matter to me." He turned his back to the ruler of the castle and paced back to the stairs, taking a seat on the lowest one. "I may be referred to as Sliske. Y'know what, even better. Call me... His Supreme Majesty, the Silver-Tongued Singer of the Machina and Angel's Doom!" He laughed to himself briefly, his sharp teeth reflecting what light there was in the room.

@KoL

When the Elicitor returned back to it's motherbase, Hibiki and Shizuka tried to distract themselves with repairs. Dressed now only in their maid uniforms, they helped undo the damage done to the hull and exterior. Hibiki herself led a few operations on the hull, while Shizuka volunteered for the dirty job of removing corpses. Hibiki was no stranger to dead bodies, but Shizuka wasn't going to let her sister have to be face-to-face with some of the more... Gruesome ends. Around this time, many of the fallen Machina personnel were resurrected as well. They had to be screened for further demonic corruption, and at some point Hibiki and Shizuka were also called to be screened. This wasn't unusual after a brush with the demonic forces; sometimes they would lay curses or diseases that would cripple them on the next battle. So everything has to get screened for viruses, infection, or simply bugs planted on them (Both Literal and Metaphorical).

As the two sisters waited for their turn Shizuka leaned onto Hibiki. Hibiki put her hand on her sister's face before she started petting her hair. This was something that made Shizuka feel at ease when she was stressed out, or helps her sleep whenever Hibiki needed to go to bed, but Shizuka's holy spirit was too restless for that.

"What going to happen now sis?"

"Same thing that always happens. We'll have to do better and get ready for the next battle."

"When is the next battle?"

"Soon. There's always a battle in the Nexus. We'll find out soon."

"Are we in trouble?"

Hibiki didn't have an answer for her sister. They did the best they could against the demons and managed to live. But they had lost the precious cargo, Bastion, as well as the intruder. Gwynn died during the battle so they could not keep her as a prisoner. All they had was that succubi that frankly, Hibiki would have just shot and thrown off the ship. That last battle was a total lost, a complete disaster. Their next battle has to be better, or else who knows what would happen to them.

"Yes. We lost something very important. Now we'll have to get it back."

Eventually the sisters were screened for demonic corruption. They both passed without any signs of infections and were allowed to reutrn to their duty. As they walked through the halls Hibiki spotted the capital not too far. Even though this wasn't her first time here, the capital was always glorious to see. Massively tall structures, with marvels of technology attached to them like like gravity rings, perpetual motion devices, and so. Many. Lights. It actually made Hibiki want to go visit. "Hey sis, let's head to the city. There's something I remembered we have to do there."

Shizuka wasn't one to refuse her sister. They turned in their weapons at the armory, though Shizuka was allowed to carry the sword and shield from the angels. Hibiki questioned why her sister wanted to hold onto them, but Shizuka was adamant. In her own words, "I have to give them back." Hibiki was somewhat worried, but as long as Shizuka didn't cause any trouble because of them she wouldn't make too much of a fuss about it. Soon the maids received clearance to board a transportation shuttle to the city. And the first thing they would do was see the Queen.

@Flamelord@KoL

Omega could feel the light coming from the staircase that had descended from above. Typical, angels always had to make a big showy entrance, especially their leaders. While he had yet to meet him in person, Omega had heard stories of this one. Torag, though he didn’t have much previous experience as a leader, he was said to be an unstoppable force on his own, something this group would need if they hoped to take the ruins.

Despite not actually holding any high rankings, Omega had been acting as a sort of ringleader to the initial scouting party, which is why it came to him as little surprise that Torag approached him on how the force was doing. He continued to spin his revolver, but slowly pulled it closer to its holster until it perfectly slipped in. Once the revolver was resting in its holster, he turned to Torag before speaking, his face blank and expressionless mainly due to the fact he didn’t have one. ”The way I see it, these folks are hurting so bad for a good commander they’d listen to a bluejay if it started giving orders. Someone like yerself should have no problem in rallying the troops. Course that ain’t gonna be the real problem.” Omega turned back to looking out over the sea and holding his fingers out like a gun pointed.

”To the West we’ve got reports of demons popping up at an unknown rate, and though the scouts aren’t back just yet, we’ve been feeling some tremors from the North; Most likely Machina riding in.” He readjusted his hat sand continued speaking in a calm southern tone. ”Right now our only advantage is the fact we got here first. We already know the lay of the land and while they’re setting up, we can start planning our first move.”

@Mega Birb

Shooting awake, Mu-01 looked around. She was in the capital city of the Machina of Man, Hyperion. A glorious technological marvel home of High Queen Eos. But that didn't really impress Mu-01. She's been living here ever since she was in the service of the Machina. After a while, the lights and sounds get dull. More importantly, if Mu-01, that meant Grafdakka was offline. No doubt that he'd be resurrected and awaken by next morning, so until then Mu-01 will be representing him. Mainly because she was Grafdakka. Or more precisely, Grafdakka and Mu-01 were both part of a existence called Krieg. Their existence was a strange phenomenon that could only exist within the Nexus; a spirit bound to the life of machines, seeking nothing but war and destruction. It always seemed like the larger the unit, the more chaotic they were. That's why Grafdakka could never exist within the confined halls or courts of this great city. He was no a statue to be admire, but a weapon to be used against one's enemy. That went for Mu-01 as well; having left that exciting battlefield in such a glorious explosion, she was eager to return and relive that moment again and again. But in this form, she was not as combative as she could be. No, this form was a necessary evil. One meant to actually interact with other Machina of Men, not to fight with them.

Mu-01 was inside the hangar bay that was under the ownership of Grafdakka. The existence of Krieg was a closely guarded secret to Mu-01 and Grafdakka, and only the highest authorities knew the truth. Mostly because they already figured it out, and for the few that haven't, Mu-01 wasn't keen on sharing secrets. Here, Mu-01 oversaw the upgrade and construction of Grafdakka's war machine, his very body. At some point today she expects a delivery of Grafdakka's remains to be reconstructed and promptly repossessed. She's also been looking into an extra upgrade that should really help Grafdakka's main issue: his inability to enter small structures. His massive body was perfect for open warfare, but if the last battle at the Elicitor was any indication, close quarters combat was where the most important battles were fought.

But aside from that, Mu-01 did have a meeting to attend. She just received word on her e-mail that Grafdakka or his representative (That being Mu-01) were to report to High Queen Eos immediately. Why she wanted to see them was a mystery to Mu-01. She was largely unaware of the lose of their precious cargo, as Grafdakka had self-destructed before he heard that the cargo was stolen. So gathering up her belongings, the robot tank maid made her way towards the home of the High Queen. Hopefully whatever that was suppose to be said, it would be said quickly. Mu-01 was quite excited to test out those upgrades.

---

Brothers of the mine rejoice! Swing, swing, swing with me, raise your pick and raise your voice! Sing, sing, sing with me. Down and down into the deep, who knows what we'll find beneath? Diamonds, rubies, gold and more hidden in the mountain store."

Singing echoed through the mountain side. The Machina of men were not the only ones who had use for the resources available in the Nexus. The Angels of the Nexus had many allies whom did not befit from the divine gifts from above, and thus they too must rely on nature's bounty. But to ensure that the alure of material goods did not corrupt the Angel's allies, they sent a trusted adviser to work alongside them.

"Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone. Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home. Skin made of iron, steel in our bones, to dig and dig makes us free. Come on brothers sing with me!"

In the dark tunnels of the Dark Star Mountain, a busty, blond woman swung her massive weapon against the stone walls along her smaller, brawny kin. Each strike sundered rock from the walls, revealing more stones or the treasures within. Diamonds and gems for magic, iron and ore for weapons, or simply a hole for further exploration. This woman worked alongside the men folk, smashing stones and hauling rocks into carts to be dragged to the surface. On occasions she would leave these tunnels, but her work wasn't done yet. On the surface, a bustling camp of men and women worked hard to process the earth's bounty into weapons and armor. Up here the woman went from miner to smith, using her hammer to create rather than destroy.

"Hah hah hah! This is good metal. Now stand back, as I bring THE THUNDER!"

The woman raised her massive weapon high into the air, a localized storm of dark clouds building up over her. Many dropped what they were doing to watch as the woman brought down her hammer onto the ore, and at that exact moment thunder struck and channeled through the metal. The lightning surged through every pore and vein in her body, putting blood, sweat, and tears into this single strike to turn the raw heap of ore into a weapon worthy of a true warrior.

That was essentially Dora's routine here at the dwarf camps. A lot of mining, smithing, and singing. It was monotonous, sure, but occasionally they would get attacked by a demon raiding part or intercept machina scouts, giving the bored miners some sport. Today, Dora received work that they needed to increase the amount of iron they could gather. However, they didn't need more weapons. It seems that the HQ needed materials rather than weapons for some big battle ahead. Dora hoped that this time she'd get to be part of it; she was so caught up with work here at the dwarf camps that she rarely has a chance to get involved in battle. She had already asked for a temporary replacement, just so she could finally fight alongside her allies instead of toiling away in the mines.

"Atch, 'onestly, waste of me talent ta be toilin' away 'ere. Coulda been thar, I 'ear that them Machina had them a tunneling ship. Ha! The unly tunnel they know 'ow ta dig is a crypt. Cor, if unly I've been thar, it'd take more than dirt an rubble ta stop me."

@Awesomoman64@Mega Birb



"Can our first move not be to charge a machina gunline and fortified emplacement without support this time? I swear, more of my honor bound order following kin have died that way than in the entire history of our war with the Demons."

Miyu was sitting on the foot of the Daimyo V, leaning against the upraised leg. She was reading one of the those untrustworthy magazines, with the headlines "Is the Imperator's real name Sacchiro? Is the pilot of the bloodthirsty Grafdakka actually the robot maid Mu-01? Find out this and more!" on it.

"If you can get us past that little tactical hiccup, maybe we'll at least have a chance this time." Miyu's tone and words made it abundantly clear she was not a fan of most angelic high command. She turned a page. "Still, you two don't seem like the typical archangel pretty boy, so maybe you'll actually have a brain not drowned in honor."

"So, either of you seen anything in that lay of the land or got any mojo that'll allow us a better strategy than dying in a blaze of gore? If you don't, maybe we should deploy for the objective first and hope Eos values the objective enough to not shell it with artillery. Or alternatively, in the words of the Ogre King, 'We were late to the three way battle. Do you know what that means? It means, we win.' Demons should beat Machina, then we should be able to take out the Demons. Course, they'll probably whisk away whatever's important about the objective first. But I don't like either of those plans, so please, do have a better one in mind."

Henry Pearl Avaritia The 2nd

Henry chortled to himself as he gazed upon the soon to be battlefield, his army getting ready to march and slaughter all that stand in his way. He was absolutely giddy with excitement as he sat in his magnificent throne, feet kicking in the air a good couple of inches off of the ground. He had heard tell of the victory the Demons had scored during the last major skirmish, capturing a dragon of the Angels! If he didn't want to fight this battle so much, he would he knocking down doors so he could obtain such a rare creature. But he had instead heard tell of an even more valuable prize. One of the Machina of Man, in direct possession of one of the Angels. This was something he could not pass up on, he would get the dragon after the battle.

Henry couldn't sit still much longer, it was time to attack now. A glowing pentagram appeared underneath his throne and it slowly began sinking into the ground, that's what it looked like to the average bystander anyway. In reality it was just returning to his collection. Henry let his feet touch the ground and he stood up, letting his throne vanish completely before making his announcement.

"I have an announcement! There is a 16 foot tall Machina owned by one of the Angels, and I want it! If anyone can bring me the Machina owned by the Angel, they get first pick of battlefield loot and a promotion to lieutenant!" Henry bellowed as the army let up a cheer, consumed by their own greed. Not that any would succeed, but they would certainly soften the pathetic wench for the taking.

Henry laughed as he motioned for a nearby grunt to bring him some food. There were no questions after the first day and the examples he had made out of idiots who questioned authority. The horns of the questioners he had adorned all over his suit made sure of that. He then began preparing for battle, pulling out various pins and bracelets which had been adorned with minor protection magic. By the end he had a forcefield on him equivalent to a suit of high end armor. Yet he still looked immaculate in his black suit. Just the way he liked it.