The Mecha Maids managed to get back to the city, somewhat confused about their victory. There was no doubts that the Machina left that battle the victor: they got what they wanted from the fortress and effectively shut down operations there. But Hibiki couldn't help but wonder if anything she did actually brought them victory. From the reports it seemed that Diana had effectively sabotaged her own side, and Bastion had negotiated a cease fire in which the machina could carry away much of the supplies they were looking for. And while Shizuka was blindsided by a random explosion, she had managed to survive the blast thanks to her shield. The same couldn't have been said about the rest of the others however...

Still, they were back at the city so that wasn't a concern. It was time to celebrate! Shizuka was waiting outside of the apartment building that she and Hibiki lived at. While they were commanders now, it's not as if they've been moved to some luxury suite now. They still lived about as well as they used to when they were still maids, but at least they had a place here at the main city. Most everyone else had to deal with rooming in the bunkers on different military bases. Shizuka still wore her uniform despite Hibiki telling her to try something casual. The only reason Hibiki was still in her own uniform was because she intended to go meet with Eos soon, and she'd need to be professional. So Shizuka just stood on the side of the road waiting, waiting, until she saw a car drive up.

"Nissan?"

The window rolled down on the nissan to reveal Hibiki inside. Shizuka wasn't the most savvy when it came to car technology, despite being just as decent a mechanic as her sister is, but even she knew that Hibiki was driving a very outdated vehicle by machina standards. The look on Shizuka said more than enough for Hibiki to just smirk and blow a raspberry at her.

"Yup! Hop on in, there's things we gotta do."

The first thing Hibiki did was drop off Shizuka at a karaoke bar. Shizuka loved karaoke, and it was her job to make sure this place was up to snuff. Hibiki was going to get a few more things, namely guests and drinks. There was some things that you could only buy at certain places, and Hibiki knew where they were at. But as she was driving through the city she sent a message to the various members of the Machina, at least the ones who can drink.

"Hello! It's Hibiki! Me and my sister are going to be at a karaoke bar called Lyrica. I'm about to drive to HQ to drop off my report, if you wanna hang out with us I can pick you up there! I hope to see you all soon!"

@Flamelord@TheWindel@Mega Birb

Henry Pearl Avaritia The 2nd

---

Henry's Hellhounds snarled as Sliske intruded on his territory and Henry lifted his head up to look at Sliske. His eyes glowed Silver as he briefly contemolated trying to slice his head off with a chainsaw, deciding against it because it honestly seemed like way too much effort right now. Sliske offered a temporary truce in exchange for Henry's help overthrowing Rufus and Henry began to laugh like a madman. He started coughing up some blood in the middle of his giggling fit but it was definitely a lot less than earlier. He started laughing even harder though, slapping his hand on the ground for seemingly no reason.

"Your eyes are on fire you know." He managed to get out in the middle of his fit of giggling. Finally he took a few deep breaths and looked at Sliske. "This is fucking hilarious you know. You think you can take on Rufus. Unless you suddenly gained the ability to create black holes out your asshole, you stand no chance. What's even funnier that you went to me. My dad was ten times stronger than me and he got thrashed by Rufus. In what world do I make any reasonable contribution in your quest to dethrone the king of Hell? Honestly, the only reason I killed my dad was I saved my trump card till the very end when he thought I was dead. Henry shook his head and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of the Gates of Tartarus, offering them to Sliske. "You want one? I don't smoke, nasty habit and all that jazz. Anyways, I'll join you. I imagine if I don't you'll enslave my soul or some BS, but I don't like the shit shithead anyways. Fucking tried to choke Cero." Cero's head perked up at the sound of his name, the Hellhounds had mostly calmed down by now.

"You seen a giant robot around recently? That's mine and I wanted to go grab it before we go off to be tortured for all eternity. We should also grab Victoire. Fuck it, let's get the whole gang together! You missed so much, Balrog fused with a Machina. He's the robot I'm talking about by the way." Henry's arm had finally fixed itself and he used it to push himself onto his feet.
@Mega Birb

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,” Bastion said, staring down at her food. She wasn’t familiar with the idea of dying in the Nexus as it hadn’t really happened to her yet. But from what she had gathered, it was a fairly painful process that people had become desensitized to. Which was perhaps maybe for the best in the long run, but regardless of treatment and the like dying still hurt.

“Ah, so that’s what happens. But I think humans being reborn is a bit different than Machina. Still, I’m in no hurry to find out how that works,” she said, watching as Tatiana near-ravished her food. “You, uh, you’re really hungry huh? I guess that’s another thing death does to you. Weird, but it makes sense.”

Well then, while she was off chomping away at her food, Bastion noticed the ping of her message system. Reaching in her pocket to produce the communication device, she noticed a message from one of the Mecha Maids. Something about a karaoke bar. They had those here? Well, she supposed it made sense given that Hyperion was never asleep, always bustling with some kind of activity.

“You got the message too, right Tatiana? We might as well have some fun before the next battle begins. You know assuming you’re not still hungry,” Bastion said, still eyeing the other girl wolf down her breakfast. Just watching her suddenly made her lose her appetite a bit; not that she was going to say anything about it.

---

Tartys

"I bid you all a very fond farewell...."

The song that Tartys had sung faded away in the wind, lyrics and notes left to hang in the minds of those who had gathered to listen to her. Tartys herself let out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding during the course of her performance, and she let the guitar dip as her head bowed. It was a simple song, all told, and it did not match some of the performances that she had heard in Heaven, but it soothed her in a way that little else could match.

The voice in her ear brought her back to reality, and she let a smile grace her lips as she turned to look at Torag, who had come in at some point and was seated next to her. "You honor me," she replied with an accepting nod as he praised her performance. With his hesitance in speaking it seemed that her song had had some resonance, and that was all she could hope for.

Music might be a hobby of sorts, but it did not remain the focus for the entire conversation as it turned towards what had happened in Alt Signia, even if her contributions had not been as spectacular as those of their 'ally' in that fight. "We all did the best that we could. I merely wish that I could have been of more use in the fight. Perhaps things would have gone differently." In the grand scheme of the Nexus it might not matter that much, but she could nonetheless hope for that far off day when they had victory at last.

@Mega Birb

---

Tatiana Lorenz

Tatiana had to imagine that she made quite the sight right now, but she didn't really care about that fact. This food was delicious, like she had never eaten anything better. And, well, this body hadn't eaten any actual food before.

"Yeah," she confirmed with a momentary pause as she glanced up at Bastion. "Vat grown clone bodies hooked up to the mainframe so they can download stored neural nets when you die. Not the most pleasant experience, but it's better than being dead." She shrugged then, stabbing some food with her fork. "It's a lot better than whatever liquid nutrient junk they give the replacement bodies while they're in storage."

She'd prefer to not think about that if she could help it, if only because that made it easier for everyone concerned. She didn't want to dwell on mortality, especially with how much of a joke that was in the Nexus. Right now she just needed to focus on recovering, and preparing for the next fight when it came.

At that point she got her distraction, with Marquis arriving and sitting down nearby before praising them for their work in the battle. "Thanks sir," she replied with another pause from eating. "Glad it was worth it." She couldn't attest to how important their infiltration mission had ultimately ended up being, but at least they came out on top.

In the meanwhile a notification popped up on her comm unit, indicating that she had received a message. It looked like the same thing had been received by Bastion, which was a bit more of a surprise. Not a big one, but she figured they wouldn't be spending much time together given the secretive stuff that Bastion had been doing in the previous mission. Well, she wasn't about to complain otherwise as she stopped eating to take a sip of her drink. "Sounds good to me," Tatiana agreed after checking her message. This would be enough to tide her over for a good while.

Once she had finished the last bit of what she was eating she rose from her seat and deposited the tray in one of the recyclers, before turning back to face her companion. "Alright, let's go." She was ready to live a bit.

@Mega Birb@Ryonara@TheWindel

If there was one thing Dorafraki could enjoy, it was a good stiff drink. Sometimes she enjoyed it too much. And it was precisely due to her drinking habits that she was entirely unconscious during the raid on Alt Signa. A dwarven fortress that Dorafraki only had some hand in it's creation; she made the plans but during it's construction she left it in the hands of one of her apprentices. Hearing it falter to a surprise attack by the demons and Machina... Well, it was certainly a slap to the face.

And for that reason Dorafraki couldn't really show her face around Heaven. Even though she wasn't part of the battle she knew that people would look towards her about the recent news. How it could happen, why it happened, how she felt about it. She didn't want to talk about it. Instead, she sought to drink. Thus Dorafraki chose to leave Heaven for just today and journey into no-man's land. Syphax had left her a note about it and Dorafraki was hardly one to pass up a good drink. While she might not be too interested in sex this time around, she could use this chance to vent about Heaven, this war, and generally get shitfaced and start fights. She didn't care if she died here; the Nexus never lets the dead rest. So she commandeered a pair of wings and flew out of the holy city, away from it's defenses towards the tavern that Syphax mentioned.

Moving as fast as lightning Dora reached the tavern eventually, though admittedly she had no idea how much time had elapsed. A few seconds, years maybe? Lightning speed-travel tends to get pretty crazy over 88 miles per hour. Either way she was here. Hefting her hammer on her shoulder Dorafraki went to the tavern that Syphax had mentioned, entering by kicking the door open. She didn't care if the owners would get pissed, anyone who tried to jump her for it was going to get bashed in the face. "Aye! I'll take two tankards and a slovenly whore."

@Mega Birb@Banana@KoL

---

Just as Henry was talking about Balrog, Grafdakka crashed into his throne room, using the same entrance that Balrog himself had taken the first time. "Yoo-hoo! Did someone order a big, stompy mecha?" And there was Fran, swinging off one of the many spiked balls that flailed about on the raging titan's arm. She then leap from the flail and onto Grafdakka's crotch cannon, which had been fitted with an extra large condom to give it an even more phallic appearance. When Fran was doing to it made it pretty obvious where the condom came from. "Heeeey Henry! You shoula just let me play with that prisoner when I still had the chance! Because she certainly fucked you up!" Wrapping her chain around the crotch cannon Fran continued to swing about the giant mech as he seemed to have been struggling with something. Not quite fighting, otherwise there'd be more explosions, but more like he was having a hard time moving. Whether it was because something was moving him or he was trying to stay still was hard to determine.

Grafdakka fell to a knee and kept still. Seeing that he wasn't struggling at the moment Fran worked her way up towards the giant mech's head to stand hi above Henry and Sliske. "I hear that Rufus wants to talk to us about what happened. You know what that means. So! I'm here to offer you a deal Henry." Fran leap off Grafdakka's head to land in front of Henry, just a few feet away from him. She pointed up towards the ceiling, but from Henry's angle it looked like Fran was once more pointing towards Grafdakka. "Fuse with this guy. My illusions was enough to trick him into walking into our trap, but he's a feisty one. Even with Balrog infecting his spirit he's just barely under my control. Without me this could actually be a horrible idea, having this demon-powered war machine tearing things up in our big city. But I can see that you've already put your armor on him, so he's almost under your control now! Except of course... You'll need my help." Fran gave Henry a mischievous smile before walking closer to him.

"I don't think I need to remind you about Miyu again. So let's cut to the chase! I can help you break this machina in for you. We'll do a devil's deal too, so you know I can't just double cross you like that harlot did. In return however, all I request is that you help me capture more prisoners for my amusement. It's pretty easy really, practically a steal considering who we are. But there's only so much I can do on my own, and I could really use a friend who could nab me a pretty angel or an interesting machina for my to toy around with. And yes, I've already tried to get off on this dude. It's meh." Fran made a somewhat disappointed face when she mentioned Grafdakka's sexual prowess. Fran then took out a contract between her cleavage and a small, needle-thin knife. Obviously if they were going to make a contract it'd have to be signed in blood, as tradition dictates.

@floodtalon@Mega Birb

Henry Pearl Avaritia The 2nd

---

Grafdakka crashed through the hole in Henry's wall because fuck common courtesy. He didn't care too much though, this was honestly nothing compared to the rest of the day's events. Grafdakka had quite a few zany items on him now, the condom was definitely coming off as soon as possible, and Francisca was swinging around on one such attachment. She yelled about how Henry should've given Miyu to her and Henry shook his head. "Even if I had known what she was going to do I wouldn't have given her to you. I don't want my property to be involved in such... raunchy activities." He blushed slightly as he said the last bit. "And she is still my property, temporary escape or no. Her free days are numbered. Henry clutched his fist tightly and moved past Francisca towards Grafdakka.

"As for fusing, no. Fusions are risky business that I want nothing to do with. But piloting is something I can get behind. If you can figure out a way for me to control without having to fuse with him then we can negotiate." Meanwhile his mind was already racing. Rufus wanted to see them already? There's no way he just heard there talk of a coup, if he had then he would already be here turning them into moderate or something. No, he most likely wants to talk about the mission and how Miyu fucked them. Which was his fault for putting her in command.

"And Sliske. As for that thing we were just discussing... let's put that off for now."
@Lucius Cypher@Mega Birb

"My, my, that's quite the haul, erm... I mean, we are certainly packed tonight, huh?" Absinthe muttered to herself while cleaning a cup, once Syphax and Dora made their way inside of the bar.. So, that little plan to snag some extra 'support' to the war effort worked perfectly. Even Absinthe was impressed that it did, to say the truth and that nothing exploded on her face... yet.

"Anyway, it's about time to close already, I think. Thank you for your patronage and, please, come again~!" Out of the blue (blue, hehe, get it?), Absinthe snapped her fingers causing all the doors and windows of the bar to shut with magic barriers, before a sudden yank would shake everything in the bar and... then it fell down a huge trap hole/portal that would lead straight to a slave camp on Hell. Because, naturally, this was a Demon's trap to catch fools who think that there's such a thing as neutrality... and free drinks on the Nexus. "I hate to leave my hosts alone, but I guess my job here has been done. See ya later, sweeties and, you can keep the bottle. You are gonna work to the bone to pay for it anyway. Pff... bone, haha~" Absinthe said as she used a trap door to jump out of the bar. Oh, and those who have drank the blue absinthe (like Syphax) would be under a cham spell to obey the orders of their future slave masters.

Happy capture~~

---

"YOU MOTHERFUCKING-" The skeleton was cut off by the sudden fall.

As the bar landed in Hell, the swordsman was enraged at the situation. All he wanted was a damn drink and this is what happened to him. He was in hell, where he technically would've been aligned to had he actually sided with demonkind, but the whole 'killing-my-friend' thing happened... so... yeah.

Bonesword actually didn't fear where he was. Sure he was in the heart of the territory he was fighting against, and he only had his swords to defend himself with, but he had another thing beside him... potential allies. He turned to face Syphax and Dorafraki and began speaking to them. "... I know we're fighting against eachother in a war, but right now I think we work together to get out of here." The swordsman was at the disadvantage here, if Syphax was still allied to the Heavens after drinking that Absinthe Blue... oh shit he had a bottle of it. Who knows, maybe it'll come in handy. That's besides the point, though. If the three of these troops were to get out of here, the journey would be a lot easier if they all worked together. The skeleton outstretched his hand towards Dorafraki, offering a gesture of peace.

---

^{@Mega Birb@KoL@Lucius Cypher}

@KoL



The Daimyo paused outside Absinthe Blue's bar, witnessing what just happened, having been outside about to enter. Miyu had just tapped on the door, very securely locked it seemed, when the whole thing portal-ed into hell.

"Aw, darn. Well, that's another place off the list. Can't I find a nice place to have a birthday party?" She started heading back. "Actually, that gives me an idea..."

Sliske Arkilius

Sliske stepped to the side while Grafdakka and Fran made a combined entrance, a brick that was once part of the wall flying by his head at deadly speeds. "Glad to see that everyone's here." He took a seat on some of the rubble, crossing his legs while he listened to Fran's master plan concerning the giant robot beside her. He couldn't help but start to think that Eos was compensating with something this big in her arsenal, though that was her problem. He rose once again following Henry's dismissal of the previously discussed truce between the two demons, chuckling only slightly to himself. "I'd love to stay and argue about who made the biggest mistake yesterday, but I have an acquaintance that could turn the tide of this war waiting for me... and then a prison to visit. I bid you all, adieu." He clawed open a portal behind him and bowed out of the scene, flashing a mischievous smile to Henry before his head disappeared, the gate closing behind him and returning reality to normal. At least in the manor, that was.

On the other end of the portal, the incubus emerged just in time to see a green-haired figure tearing apart a child's body, blood splattering the vast majority of the small hut. Sliske couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, blind rage taking over the normally stoic demon that was Maen, the Mad One. He took a seat and crossed his arms while watching the horrific display, thinking of more than a few ways to win over the carnal beast that valued life just about as much as he did. He cleared his throat while Maen apparently calmed himself, coated in a fine layer of crimson liquid from his brutal killings. "Impressive, Mad One. It takes a sick mind to do that to someone." He stood up and gave the elder a bow, left arm flaring while his right was clasped to his chest. "I am Sliske Arkilius, and I have a proposition for you: Come fight with Hell. We can get whatever it is you desire. Riches, women..." He paused for a moment, standing erect and flashing the ancient a grin. "Or perhaps the sweet music you desire?" His expression gave a slight hint to some deeper knowledge of the Mad One and his habits, though it would likely be overlooked in the current hysteria filling the room. Turning on his heel, the incubus clawed open another portal, this one leading to a prison camp somewhere deep within Hell. "If you'll take me up on this offer, follow me. If not, I hope you enjoy this island and it's peacefulness. You did just murder the only inhabitants, after all." He stepped through the rift gusto, ready for his next stop in his list of errands for the day.

This time, he walked in on everything starting to fall apart at this prison, the bodies of imps and other lesser demons flying all over the place with various limbs missing. His calm expression broke into a snarl, picking up an injured ally and slapping him across the face to wake him up. "What the hell is going on here!?" The imp screeched slightly before choking out an answer, his speech garbled by the blood in its lungs.

"A... a harpy got d-down here... and he's tearin' the place a new one r- AHH!" He was tossed to the side, Sliske regaining his composure and making his way out to the courtyard of the prison to find even more bodies, feathers and steel flying while an unscathed birdman cut through the incompetent forces. Probably part of Heaven that had been lured in with a trap, but he wasn't corrupted even slightly, and didn't sport any supernatural talents by the look of it. Normal eyes, wired muscle, massive wings... the incubus ground his teeth, trying to figure out what it was that made this warrior capable of flooring Hell's forces with minimal effort. For now, he took a seat on the battlements, watching and formulating a way to deal with the beast. If a dwarf and skeleton were in the mix, he would miss them completely.

---

Syphax waved Dora over while she approached, smiling brightly at her arrival. In all honesty, he had expected her to be too hungover to even make it out of Celestia, but here she was. Today was gonna be a good day, he felt. Good drinks, great friends, and maybe even a fight to round out the events for the day. He raised the blue bottle to his lips, though paused and dropped it to his side when the bartender announced that they would be closing up soon. "Bad for business, closing up on some paying costu-" He was cut off by the sound of slamming doors and windows, the reality of the situation hitting him just as the building seemed to start falling. In a quick moment before a mighty crash, he drew his greatsword from his back and spun it in his hand, getting ready to take a slash at the maiden in front of him. He wound up and started the swing, though was thrown off by the building making contact with the floor of Hell, causing the blade to get shoved off course and take off a lock of hair from her head. She was then gone before he had a chance to collect himself. "Don't know what's pissing me off more; a false promise of free drinks, or not killing that bitch..." For the moment, he pocketed the bottle, saving it for later for a few different purposes.

When the skeleton armed with a pair of sabres suggested a temporary alliance, Syphax nodded in agreement. "I don't have any problems with it. Truth be told, I've always thought there were a lot of similarities between Heaven and the Machina... don't tell Deva I said that, I'll have my wings plucked." He shuddered at that thought, his aforementioned wings twitching ever so slightly while he took in his surroundings. Fire and brimstone was everywhere, demons with whips and chains waiting for them just beyond the bar's door. They looked tough, like they could take a few hits before keeling over, but that would need a test to prove. The harpy shouldered his sword, his talons flexing and scratching the floor while he thought. A moment later, he nodded to himself and looked to his companions. "We're fighting our way out, I highly doubt they have any commanders here to give any actual resistance. And if they have one here, we'll cut 'em down just like the rest." He line himself up to the door and dug his talons into the floor, readying to attack whatever was on the other side of the door.

He started his run, sword held to the side to stab a torturer once that flimsy door came down. He got close to it, lowered his shoulder and bashed right through it, taking the wooden slab off its hinges and sending it straight into one of his future captors, knocking him to the ground. For the other two there, a downward slash would bisect one while a sharp kick to the groin would put the third demon on his knees. He took a moment to flip his sword around and stab it through the door, piercing the throat of the poor bastard beneath. Just as the demon without functioning testicles started to stand back up, an infamous, curved dagger would pierce his shoulder and start burning the flesh around it, the smell filling the immediate area quickly. It would be ripped out and torn across his throat a quick moment later, and find itself back in its sheathe on Syphax's hip. The harpy also made it a point to take his sword out of the door and drop it into the scabbard on his back. A horde would come soon, and even with his inherit advantage against demons, he would definitely need a hand in this case.

"On second thought, I'm an idiot. I'm never gonna make this work. I should just send out what I've got and call it a day before I lose my nerve entirely." Miyu mubled to herself, deep inside her factory, holding a bottle, and then pressed a button.

~~

@TheWindel

And so, the Imperator of Heavon's Might, Deva, or maybe Sacchiro, depending on the veracity of a particular tabloid, received a medium sized package, carried by an angelic courier, with a pen handwritten note on the gold ribbon wrapping it. "Hiya, Miyu writing, wanted to thank you for the gift, even if I never figured out how to use it for anything. Maybe the next wielder can use it better than I." Inside the package was the magical shield Miyu had been granted mid battle, as well as a foot massage thingie with optional water bath mode. Complete with scented bath oils and a little holder place for a candle. "You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

"P.S. Receipt is at the bottom if you don't like it. Store credit only though."

"P.S.S. I asked Iona for gift ideas, so blame her if I messed up. :P"

~~

And so, the Serpent of the Cycled One, Lisa Bisk, didn't get anything, because Miyu didn't know she existed yet.

~~

And so, the Hunter of the Queen, Stark Zealot, recieved a long but thin package, carried by the Nexus-Express delivery man, with a typed note on it. "Hey, Miyu on the note. Saw your ricochet arrow shot in the Leviathan battle, so I thought you might be a skill type fighter, rather than the usual raw power/magic that gets thrown around a lot. I also read in a magazine that you knew swordplay. Could be wrong, it's an unreliable magazine. But hey, on the off chance it's right, up for a match someday?" Inside the package was a set of three wooden training swords. "You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

"P.S. Receipt is at the bottom if you don't like it. Store credit only though."

~~

@KoL

And so, High Queen of Mankind's Machina, Eos, probably didn't receive her package because it'd probably be searched by Marquis and/or Stark first, but if the Nexus-Express delivery man did somehow manage to get it to her, it would be a medium sized package, with a typed note on the blue ribbon wrapping it. "Hi, this is Miyu. Big fan of your work. Really neat stuff you've built. The Machina technology is really something else when it lets someone as inept as me fight on a battlefield with gods and demons and really really big guns. Apologies for the possibly insulting gift, but I was bleeding into my brain when I thought it up, and I never came up with a better one." Inside was a knitted sweater, white with blue accent patterns. "You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

~~

And so, the Stargazer, "Ciel", didn't get anything, because Miyu didn't know she existed yet.

~~

And so, the Eclipse Princess, Juno, received a medium sized package, carried by an angelic courier, with a pen handwritten note on the purple ribbon wrapping it. "Hey, Miyu here, I dunno if you actually like snakes, are a snake, or if it's just symbolic of your power, but hey, they can be cute, and this is cuddly. Sorry I couldn't find it in your colors, though it does have a bit of a purplish tint in the right light." Inside the package was a green snake kigurumi, a bit on the loose side, but that was usually intentional for pajamas of this type. "You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

"P.S. Receipt is at the bottom if you don't like it. Store credit only though."

~~

And so, the Blood Countess, Victoire, received a card, carried by a pathetic imp struggling to fly about on comically tiny wings. On the outside, it had what was probably Miyu with a witch hat tilted just low enough over her face to leave some doubt, speaking from the bottom of the page, her spooky speech bubble reading in big marker-drawn letters "What kind of boat does a vampirate sail?". About the card was sprinkled various Halloween style Bat and Pumpkin and various spooky skeletons that appeared to be hand drawn on various other colored pieces of paper and then cut out and pasted to this card. The inside read, "A BATleship. Or a Blood Vessel, I couldn't decide. Regardless. You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

~~

And so, the Claw of Heavens, Diana, received a small package, carried by an angelic courier, with a pen handwritten note on the gold ribbon wrapping it. "Allo, this is Miyu. Don't know whether I'm just playing to the stereotype or if you DO like this sort of thing, but if you don't, it's pretty easy to turn into something you want" Inside the package were two golden coins, and a few silver ones. Each one had a different design, not in current circulation as currency. "You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

~~

And so, the 2201st Prototype, Ni-Mu, didn't get anything, because Miyu didn't know she existed yet.

~~

@Lonewolf685

And so, the King of Hell, Henry, received a small package, carried by a pathetic imp struggling to fly about on comically tiny wings. Inside was a note and a bag of Ruffles. "Miyu again, here. Have a bag of chips. Because that's what I thought would be funny when I was bleeding into my brain. I got better, but not better at thinking of anything cleverer. so, uh here. You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

~~

And so, the Queen of Carrion, Suprana receiving a small package, carried by a pathetic imp struggling to fly about on comically tiny wings. Inside was an angel food cake. "Allo, this is Miyu, thanks for not letting Fran have her way with me. Have some Angel Food cake. And because I want to brag about how 'clever' I am, I'm going to point out that's funny because you actually eat angels as food! Regardless. You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

~~

And so, the Binding of the Trimurti, received a giant huge package, delivered by an angel smaller than the package, but with literally shining muscles, probably with some form of super strength. Inside was a really big rock. With a thermostat on it, and a note. "Hi this is Miyu. I haven't met you yet, but I've heard of you, so here, have a heated rock. I hope I'm not presuming too muchYou're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

"P.S. Receipt is at the bottom if you don't like it. Store credit only though."

~~

@Lucius Cypher

And so, Krieg, didn't get a gift because a. Miyu didn't know his secret, and b. Because she was holding onto her gift for Grafdakka until after his whole captured by demons situation resolved.

~~

And so, the Whore Princess of the Uterine Sea, Francisca Labrys Seax Luxuria, recieved a medium sized package carried between two pathetic imps struggling to fly about on comically tiny wings. "Heyo, Miyu here. Can I bother you for a sex tape? It's for a hilarious cause, I swear. Enjoy either way!" Inside was a supply of sex toys and a camera and some tapes. Honestly, it paled a tiny bit to her existing collections, but hey. Regardless. You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

~~

And so, the Fragment of Ukonvasara, Dorafraki Goldion, didn't get her gift yet because of her drinking problems. Namely that people abducted her and sent her to hell when she tried to drink.

~~

@Flamelord

And so, the Angel of the Second Hour of Night, Tartys, received a small package, carried by an angelic courier, with a pen handwritten note on the clear ribbon wrapping it. "Miyu saying hello. I wanted to thank you for your part in planning my rescue, even if it never went through. Sorry for the bland gift." Inside the package was a notebook, the outside of it a molded design of a curled snake. "You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

"P.S. Receipt is at the bottom if you don't like it. Store credit only though."

~~

And so, the Sergeant of the Mechanized Corp, Tatiana Lorenz, recieved a small flat package, carried by the Nexus-Express delivery man, with a typed note on it. "Hey, Miyu here. Sorry about last battle. Thought you might need this. :P " Inside the package was a book, "Fusion Reactors and You: Seven Essential Safety Tips". "You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

~~

@Ryonara

And so, the Mecha Maids, Hibiki and Shizuka, didn't get anything, because Miyu chickened out on her idea of getting them a sexy body pillow of Diana, for fear of being dragon lunch.

~~

@Awesomoman64

And so, the Divine Deputy, Omega, received a small flat sized package, carried by an angelic courier, with a pen handwritten note on the green ribbon wrapping it. "Hey, this is Miyu. I wanted to thank you for the rescue. Even if it never actually happened, I heard you were the one trying to get a plan together to rescue me and Diana before things got complicated. Thanks for that. So, sorry if you've already got these, but I hope at least one of them is fresh." Inside was a trio of westerns and western-influenced/influential movies, purchased from Machina lands. One traditional, one asian style but similar in story notes, and one sci-fi style. "You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

"P.S. Receipt is at the bottom if you don't like it. Store credit only though."

~~

And so, the Juggernaught, Balrog, received a medium sized package (though small to him), carried between two pathetic imps struggling to fly about on comically tiny wings. A third carried a sign with big cut out of of construction paper letters, and began reading it out loud, just in case. "Hey, big guy! This is Miyu. Wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for blowing you up. But seriously, trust your instincts. Most of your friends are idiots when it comes to common sense because they're too busy trying to be intelligent. Believe in yourself, you know what's important to you and how to achieve it. Never stop blowing stuff up." Inside was a pair of him sized sunglasses, with a glaring star pointed "covers far more than necessary style". Just as before. "These ones don't explode, or feed you bad targetting data. Or any data at all. They're just nifty looking sunglasses. The style grew on me. Regardless. "You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

"P.S. Receipt is at the bottom if you don't like it. Store credit only though."

"P.S.S. I may be slightly untrustworthy. :P"

~~

And so, the Serpent-Tongued Swindler, Sliske Arkilius didn't receive anything because the directions of "warm toned guy who's probably a demon of some sort and thinks he's really important" is not enough to narrow down the inhabitants of the kingdom of hell for a delivery.

~~

@Mega Birb

And so, the Harbinger of Light, Torag Draken, received a small flat sized package, carried by an angelic courier, with a pen handwritten note on the gold ribbon wrapping it. "Hello. Miyu writing. I wanted to apologize for how I treated you earlier at the Battle of Ruthuria. I know I tried to keep a civil tone, but in my heart if not my voice I was mocking your strategy. But, time has shown, and I think you've got far more intelligence and a far greater heart than I. My sincerest apologies. You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

"P.S. I got everyone else gifts but I couldn't think of any for you. So sorry!"

~~

And so, the Knight of the Southern Winds, Syphax Gallus Aquilus, didn't get anything, because Miyu didn't know he existed yet. Or rather, his name, seeing she had seen him once, but it wasn't exactly a time of conversation.

~~

And so, The Servant of the High Queen, Marquis, didn't get anything, because Miyu didn't know he existed yet. Despite having been on the same battlefields twice. Snipers get no respect unless they've got flashy arrows, it seems.

~~

@floodtalon

And so, the Spawn of Greed, Henry Pearl Avaritia the 2nd recieved a big package, carried between two pathetic imps struggling to fly about on comically tiny wings. Inside was a body pillow, with Miyu on it, in sexy dog costume, complete with look alike dog-collar, ears, and paws, holding a "Your fucking bitch." sign to just barely cover her chest. Her facial expression perhaps spoiled any potential apeal as it was completely smug shit eating grin, albeit, with a hint of blush. There was also a note "Hey, you never did tell me your favorite quote. Here's my favorite story, so I can keep you behind. You're invited to Miyu's 24th Birthday Party, Date: X of X, Location: , bring a silly gift for the White Elephant Exchange."

The story was handwritten on a notebook, decorated covers of dragons on the outside in an almost greek pottery style art.
"Once, long ago, there was a silver snake. She was very beautiful, but also very lonely, because whenever she became close to someone, she would turn and bite them. As her venom slipped through their veins, they would cry in despair, begging the reason for her treachery. And she would say: 'That is my nature; this is what I am. It is all I have that cannot be lost.'"

"But one day, she met a swordsman, walking in the light of the rising sun. 'I have spoken to my father,' he said to her, 'And he has spoken to your mother. You will come with me when I join my brothers and sisters, and we will conquer the kings and queens who rule Creation.' The snake nodded, for her mother had spoken to her already. 'I will come with you. However,' she warned him, 'If you were told of me by your father, you must be prepared for my fangs.' But he only smiled, and walked on, and she followed him."

"And along with the elements and the beasts and the wisdom of the stars the swordsman and his family waged war on those who ruled the world, until they were exilded or dead and all the lands and seas were theirs. Thus Creation came to have new kings and queens, and they built it into a golden paradise. All the while the snake had served the swordsman with her fangs and her coils and her silver scales, but still she could not deny her nature, and turned to bite him as she had done to those before. But whenever she made to sink her fangs in him, he would only smile, and catch her, and not once did her poison reach his blood. And when she tried to strike and failed, he would thank her, for like all the greatest of warriors he wished to be better, and her betrayals kept him quick and strong. He accepted every aspect of her nature, and so she fell in love with him, and with her magic took a human skin so that she could be his wife."

"Time went on and her love became stronger, while all his brothers and sisters gained knowledge and power. Eventually, they became so strong that they forgot what it was like to be weak, and the kings and queens of the world could not understand that it was too thin to hold them any higher. Before it would break, therefore, a group of wise men and women decided that they would have to do as the swordsman's family had done, and conquer the kings and queens of Creation. They planned in the earth where they could not be seen and up in the sky where they could not be heard, but although they were clever, the silver snake was more cunning then they, and she discovered their plan. But she did not tell her husband."

"'That is my nature,' she said."

"So the wise men and women called up the elements and turned them on the kings and queens of Creation, and drove them away to where they could never return. The silver snake fled out to the sea to spill her tears, for snakes are not allowed to weep, and she was forced to hide on a distant island before she could grieve for her only love. But some of the wise ones followed her, for they were indeed wise and knew her nature as she did. They hoped to kill her, but they knew that as a snake she would only shed her skin and live again; so they brought snow to her island, which she hated above all else, and she fled down into the earth. Then the wise ones placed a mountain atop the island to trap her inside, and she was left alone in rock and stone to mourn for her love and her freedom."

"They thought they had caught her forever; but none who have wisdom possess it all, and none of the wise men and women could see the crack in the stone in the silver snake's prison, from which a could wind blew. Because she hated the cold she kept away, but as decades passed the snake though more of the moon and the wind, and ached to go back to the world outside. So she stretched herself then and slipped down inside, down far, far into that tiny crack. And eventually, she came to the Underworld."

"The land of the dead is cold and grey and the snake felt weak and starved. But still she lived, and so she could not eat the food of the dead; with a might hunger she slithered on, seeking another path back to the world of the sun."

"Before she could see the world again, she was found by one of the Kings of the Dead. He marvelled at her fangs and at the gleam of her scales, and thought to kill her and make her his, so that she would destroy his enemies. He hunted her, and she fought; one by one she destroyed his ghostly servants, but still he came after her, knowing she was weak. She bit him with her fangs, but without blood her venom did nothing to him; she took him in her coils to crush him, but he burned with the cold of the dead and she could not touch him. Eventually, she could raise her head no more, and he struck, and she was slain."

"With her bones he made a cage for her soul, and he boiled her blood and her scales into gleaming silver. All of these things he bound together and wrapped in the spirits of a thousand thieves and a thousand traitors, a thousand rebels and a thousand pirates, and he hammered and folded them together until they could not get free and were bound in the shape of an evil sword. Forged from those who could not be constrained and tempred with the snake's twisting nature, he created a sword that could bend itself into other shapes to serve him, a mighty weapon indeed. But he had underestimated the snake's strength. Burning with fury and sorrow she took all the other ghosts who dwelt in that blade and bound them to her will, and turned her edge upon the king who had slain her, striking him deep and hard."

"He could not command the serpent sword and so, thwarted and enraged, he took a block of ice from the uttermost north and sealed her inside, to suffer the infinite cold for eternity. So she remained, for three hundred years and more."

"Until her love came back."

(Story from Keychain of Creation, referenced as Miyu's favorite story, continuing with theme of Miyu and Henry sharing their favorite quotes/whatevers with each other)

---

Deep within the depths of Hell, a king sat impatient upon his sofa. He'd been mulling over whether or not he should respond to the letter resting atop his arm rest, and ultimately decided that the rewards out weighed the potential costs of losing all the note worthy demons that actually made a difference in the battles. He knew that Eos and Deva were having thoughts to similar to his own, and didn't doubt that they'd be answering the letters themselves sooner or later.

"Too bad I'm not invited. Would have been fun..." Rufus muttered to himself with a weary shake of his head. There'd been enough dawdling. Now was the time for action. The King of Hell rose and swept his arm across the grand hall that was his throne room, countless ripples tearing their way open into the empty space to display the forms of the player characters most accomplished demons in his army. They in turn could see him, and if they wished could walk through the portal and arrive in the throne room before him.

His eyes narrowed before closing the one to Victoire, knowing the hell hound stealing succubus was busy breaking in a new servant from the Machina's ranks. Coincidentally, the portal Rufus opened blocked Sliske's view of the rampaging Angels in the camp.

"Attention, my oh so loyal and not the least bit treacherous subjects, I bring word of the next matter that requires your attention. Rejoice, for each Demon that answers my call stands to make tremendous personal gains from a being more generous then I, on top of aiding the faction, if they are successful." Rufus raised up the letter for all to see. "If you accept, then the contents of this letter will detail your mission. This is not a conflict for territory, but a test of skill between the factions. Ahem, the letter reads in a rather condescending tone, so bear with it."

---

BGM [+]

Greetings, Esteemed Rulers of the Nexus.

I believe you know what this missive is about, after your most recent "assessment session". Nevertheless, I'll explain in in case of your brains not being able to piece it together.

It's about time to put your developments to test. Fear not, however, for I was the one chose to do this evaluation. If you pass, I'll give you a "special gift" but if you fail... Well, you already know it, don't you?

The process will be simple enough. A game, if you want to call it that way. Send your forces to my laboratory, whoever is the first to overcome all the "challenges" I have set, will come out the victor. Just don't think that it'll be easy, because there's nothing I love more than a fresh batch of guinea pigs ready to be worked with.

With my most courteous feelings;

Hohenheim, The Alchemist of Genesis.

---

The King of Hell let the air hang silent with a scowl on his face, no doubt letting those disapproving of Rufus' reign have their laugh at his expense. When he was satisfied he raised a silver disk which was included with the letter.

"This letter was sent to the other leaders who are no doubt having similar conversations with their subordinates. If all those participating would step through their portal, I will transport them to the sight of the challenge using this device, as even I do not know where it is to take place. From there, it is believed Hohenheim will elaborate on the challenge itself, so keep your wits about you and don't be stupid."

"For this task, you will have no outside support from me, and that is the same with the others. Any cannon fodder is what you bring yourself, and don't expect retreat to be an option here either. It's succeed, or wind up on a slab facing devil knows what kind of horrors Hohenheim can whip up, so decide things carefully."

"I won't keep these portals open indefinitely, but if you need to grab any armaments, then now is the time to prepare yourself before coming forward.

---

@TheWindel, @LHudson, @floodtalon, @The 42nd Gecko, @Mega Birb, @Awesomoman64, @Ryonara, @Flamelord, @Lucius Cypher, @KoL, @Grombus, @Lmpkio.

Hell is hot. Well, blazing hot for that matter. What attracts demons so much to such torrid conditions? Is it to strengthen their immunity that of such harsh conditions? Or were they simply put here by the will of God, punished for the sins they've put into mention? Do they simply like scorching habitats? Hell, if they like it so much, why not go into the Sun? After all, its 5,777 Kelvin. They'd love it in there.

These are simply the thoughts that Ghelgath, The Wicked Lich King, wonders as he sits upon his throne. Yet his throne is nothing like the dark and ominous ones in the main regions of Hell. No... it's in fact the complete opposite of their materials. Ice. And speaking of ice, his entire castle is made out of such stuff. No he's not crazy. He's a demon alright. But he's not your average demon. He's of a special breed... an ice demon being a more appropriate term. Or a frost incubus, to be precise. After all, he was discovered in the caves of Scandinavia, completely frozen in a block of ice. Who knows how long he's been in there, but much of the world he once knew has completely changed.

And thankfully, he doesn't have to worry about his entire castle melting. The demons were nice enough to produce a special kind of unmeltable ice, which was then used to make his magnificent castle. Further more, Ghelgath's castle is located in the rather cooler regions of Hell, where lava doesn't flow as far or often and the temperature being more bearable then in the main hub. As long as he carries a special ball of ice he calls, "The Frozen Heart", he'll be able to withstand any force of heat that is thrown at him. Without it... he has only minutes before either passing out or even dying.

As he sits on his icy throne, looking out his back window at the bleakness of Hell, he can feel a ripple of energy tingle down his spine, followed by an electronic sizzle. Ghelgath looks behind him to see the form of the oh, so glorious, King Rufus. It's been a rather long while since he met eyes with him personally. And it seems he has something important to say to everyone else. He reads a letter, stating about putting their "developments" to the tests through a little "game", which may or may not involve the rival Angels and Humans involved as well. Sounds simple enough however. The Lich King sighs to himself, followed by a light chuckle.

"Ah at last..." he thinks to himself, "Heh heh heh heh, looks like the ole' Lich King is back in business. Challenge accepted."

And with that, a portal opens up near his location. Getting up from his seat, Ghelgath heads towards the portal and goes right into it, not knowing in the slightest where it'll take him.

Henry Pearl Avaritia The 2nd

---

Henry's dogs began barking when a few imps carrying a big package fluttered through the door/hole in the wall. It looked like the package was for him, knowing his luck it was a bomb. The package was from Miyu, meaning it was definitely either a bomb or a smug letter detailing how she had fucked him in the asshole. His blood boiled with rage and he vaguely considered setting the package on fire instead of opening it.

He snatched the box from the imps and his Hounds immediately attacked, ripping them apart limb from limb. His household was a strict believer in shoot the messenger. He opened it up to be greeted by Miyu with a shit eating grin wearing weird dog clothing. The sign was a nice touch and it was true to boot. She was HIS fucking bitch and she would sorely regret betrayal.

"Eh? A note." He tossed the body pillow into the Gates of Tartarus, a section where he kept personal non weapon treasures, and skimmed the note quickly. "My favorite quote? Oh yeah... that was a fun battle. I should prepare for our next encounter if I want to keep up." Finally Henry skimmed the story and frowned. Was Miyu trying to be symbolic or something? Henry never understood that stuff, but cool story nonetheless. Henry tossed everything into the Gates of Tartarus, just in time for Rufus to open a portal to his home.

Rufus explained some sort of challenge taking place and Henry shrugged. Sounded fun. He stepped through the portal and cracked his neck. Time for a new game to begin.

By the time the summons for her top troops had been sent out, Imperator Deva had already burned a mental image of the letter into the minds of those she deemed needed for this task. When all had gathered before her in her grand chambers, she narrowed her eyes before choosing her words carefully. Was this sudden turn of events a result of their last faction meeting?

“Good tidings my friends. Today harbors a rare event within the Nexus. As you all have read from the letter, the entity known as Hohenheim has extended her good graces upon us,” the Imperator said with hardly hidden disgust. Those who knew of the Alchemist should be aware of her sadistic nature and love of tinkering twisted little creations into the world.

“My divine presence will not be able to assist you in this fight so I suggest you prepare yourselves to face horrors beyond that of the Demons and Machina. Your main opposition will be Hohenheim’s palace itself and not the other Factions; keep this in mind when completing the trials set before you. Remember, the objective is to succeed and get into the Alchemist’s good graces, not defeat the other two Factions. Now go forth to prepare yourself. Once you have done so, I will teleport you to her location; there, my magic can no longer reach you.”

The Imperator cast lingering glances upon Juno, Iona, and Ananta for she knew that out of all of her forces, those two had the most idea of what Hohenheim was capable of. “If you have any further questions about your new foe, I suggest you direct them towards the Eclipse Princess, Ananta, and Iona,” she said before swinging her gaze to finally rest upon Miyu.

She stared at the Angel for a long time, pondering what she should do with her. As the others left to make their arrangements, the Imperator finally said, “As for you, I am allowing you to participate in this battle despite your actions in the last conflict due to the dire brevity Hohenheim poses to our cause. That, and I appreciated your gift. However, you will be directly placed under Juno’s watch and order. If that is understood, go forth and bring Heaven into further glory and triumph.”

---

---

Among those who have had received the mental image of the Imperator's message, was a simple angel. He has rustled light grey hair, skin as pale as snow, and with eyes crimson like blood. He wore a simple white shirt, with baggy black pants, and sports wings sprouting from his back. The angel is recognized as Kushiel, a post-war Angel who has given up on the idea of physical violence and has devoted himself into more peaceful subjects. Yet why was he, a non-violent Angel, given the mental letter when he's clearly not going to partake the event? He's not going to answer the letter.

But rather, he's delivering it.

After running through the holy halls, with yellow light flooding through the gigantic windows several stories high, Kushiel approaches a large golden door. He gingerly opens one of them, letting little light through as he steps into a dark corridor. It had an almost ominous feel to it, yet there is a strange feeling of holiness, of something pure, coming from within at the same time. The only things illuminating the room are two long rows of colorful stained glass, showing only a bit of light through the middle, but only stopping halfway in. The Angel briskly walks down the hall, looking only forward, as he is eventually lead into a circle at the end of the room, the rims illuminated by techno-like lights. He approaches it and kneels right in the circle of the circle, placing both hands on one knee. He bows his head for a few seconds, quietly reciting a prayer, and looks up.

"My lord." the angel says in a calm voice, "My humblest apologizes for my rude interruption, but I bring news from the Imperator. She has requested~"

Theme (0:00 - 0:31)

But before he could finish, a loud blare rumbles through the corridor. It was like that of a fog horn, but at the same time having a rather organic effect, like a growl. As it ends as suddenly as it began, Kushiel could feel something turning his direction. Yet all he could see was the blackness of the void beyond. However, he knew all too well of the being that dwells here. Then, peering from the angel's left and right, four giant paper-thin tendrils slowly came into view, flailing slowly like flags in a low breeze. Then, two points of light, erupted from the blackness, revealing two holes resembling eye sockets. Kushiel is looking into the eyes of the "Arm Of God", the "Angel Of Might", or most notably, as Zeruel, leader of the Laguna Hierarchy. He peers down towards the advisor rather portentously, and begins to speak.



"Cease the formalities, Advisor Kushiel." booms the mighty being, his very voice filling the entire room, "I've already received the dispatch statement long before your announcement. You need not to remind me."

Kushiel blinks once as he soon responds.

"But you will attend the event?" he responds cautiously, "Knowing you, I do expect you to decline the offer... but, you seem rather interested with it."

"Because I am." blatantly responds Zeruel.

This almost stunned the advisor, for Zeruel has not been involved with the war going on at hand since it's launch. His haughtiness prevented him from taking part, as he used to deem it as "pointless and insignificant" This event that'll be taking place will involve taking part of the war. He stammers several times before speaking again.

"But I thought you said you wouldn't be partaking in the War at hand?" Kushiel responds confusingly, "What made you reconsider?"

"You've neglected the basis." the being replies unemotionally, "Have you not forgotten the recent deaths of Fortitudo, Temperantia, and Shamshel that occurred just one week prior by several hands from Hell?"

"Please excuse my shameful ignorance, Lord Zeruel." Kushiel quickly responds in slight shame, "I remember you telling me about the incident."

"Despite the offenders having already been accounted for," the giant Angel responds without hesitation, "And having been executed under my hand, it is not enough to be proven satisfiable. The legions of Hell shall not be dismissed lightly."

His full body then gleams into view, a hulking black mass with dark orange ribbons forming down the bottom of his tendrils, along with white ribcages protecting his valuable core. He gleams down at advisor Kushiel forebodingly.

"I will make complete certainty of this myself."

The advisor quickly bows down again.

"As you wish my lord." Kushiel responds with a loyal bow, "May the Imperator shine good luck in your travels. Farewell."

As soon as the advisor exits the room, Zeruel's form changes from the hulking creature, to his human-form, an 8 foot tall, ghostly white, muscular human male. His face and mantle serves as the head and shoulders as he makes his way towards the portal that has just opened up for him. Without hesitation, the Arm Of God enters, ready to take on the challenges that await him from beyond.

"So, we're kind of, but not really, going to be fighting someone so strong that Deva, Rufus, and Eos can't do a quick chat and agree to nuke her into the ground as a team and then back up and let their respective minions fight over the loot." Miyu mumbled to herself, raising a hand to her chin to ponder. "Our goal is apparently to overcome challenges. And I'm going to be teamed with Juno, who is a couple million times stronger, faster, and more durable than me, to say nothing of her space-time-gravity manipulation. My only hope for being useful is if the alchemist put up some mild engineering challenges or wants to see some kindergarden level angelic magic."

Miyu paused for a few moments.

"I think I'm going to bring Party-Mode Daimyo for this one."

The rift that connected Sliske to the island a certain mentally unstable demon was now stranded on closed while what could only be a screen of Rufus appeared before him. His image blocked the rampaging of the harpy below, who was still making short work of the fodder sent to stop his destruction. Aside from this, Rufus started to explain some form of challenge, a sort of mental task opposed to the regular fighting would be a welcome change, though defeat meant he would become a test dummy for some time...

Unwilling to properly engage the trio tearing through the prison came like a hot knife through butter, the demon forced open a pair of rifts beneath the three, one swiftly sucking in the harpy and dwarf, while the other took in the skeleton. These would open up high above Heaven and Hyperion respectively, dropping off their warriors from normally deadly heights, which he hoped would kill at least two of them. He seriously doubted the loyalty of the harpy and had no idea of the skeleton's abilities presiding over nature, so as long as there was the acknowledgement of a lethal fall, everyone would walk out of that situation unscathed. Aside from the many dismembered demons that now littered a rioting prison camp, of course. A distinct snarl graced Sliske's lips while the rifts in the ground closed themselves, now forced to reveal one of his trump cards before a valid combat scenario arrived. His tail lashed out from behind him and seems to cut into the fabric of reality, opening a massive rift through which a series of heavy, supportive units came through.

This was the Hierarchy, the soldiers created in the conquering of that slave planet with the name Sliske branded across it. Perverted religion bending to his every whim, fueling his wrath with every righteous soul they subjugated. Battle Nuns, Warfathers, and the dreaded Overblessers poured from the tear in reality to take this camp again, this time using the captives of this camp to fuel their master alongside labor. No escape for those stuck here now.

The incubus cast a sidelong glance at the portal Rufus had kept open, then smirked to himself. "Time to put myself to the test... you four, come with me!" Three of the nuns and a warfather fell in step behind Sliske, following his movement through the gate and into the throne room of King Rufus. The incubus' heels clicked as he landed solidly on the carpet, immediately bowing low to his king. "I'd be glad to take part in some mischief." He stood back up and moved to the left side of the room, one of the frankly terrifying ladies accompanying him giving the king a lusty stare, despite the lack of a proper face. Awkward or attractive, that was for the king to decide.

He shot Henry a welcoming nod, and the same to a demon that seemed to be dropping the temperature in the room by a few degrees. This would be an interesting day, for sure.

---

Syphax had, in a sense, gotten lost in the bloodshed. From breaking down the door, he had no idea how many demons he had killed at this point, and nothing had come as a challenge yet. Swish swish stab and all that, fire off a crossbow bolt here and there, nothing too complicated... and then the floor opened up underneath him and Dora, pulling them both into a dark vortex which opened up in the vast expanse of the skies over Celestia.

For a moment, he thought that whatever opened that rift was just sick of him cutting up Hell itself, and he allowed himself to free fall. As a harpy, this wasn't a danger to him, though he realized there was some level of urgency when the living-stone that was Dora started falling faster than he was. He sheathed his greatsword finally and dove after her, quickly gaining on her with his wings spread. He dove down for a moment and came at her parallel to the ground, essentially tackling her and hooking his arms under hers. To compensate for the extra weight, he beat his powerful wings only marginally faster, slowly losing altitude to bring them both down softly. "Well, how was that for a date?" He smirked slightly and flew them in through one of the courtyards, which happened to have Torag and Tartys sitting within it, along with a host of lesser angels.

Syphax set Dora down before landing beside her, folding his wings and wiping some demon blood on the leg of his armor. Rare enough for him, he had gotten out of that conflict unscathed, and was already thinking of some way to tell the story of how he got stuck in Hell for about an hour. He passed a friendly wave to the corpse that was busy reading a letter, cracking a warm smile at the sight of an old warrior like him getting some mail. Sure, he was an authoritative figure and probably had stacks of official documents wherever he usually bedded down, but that looked like a more personal missive. This wave also extended to the angel with a guitar, who was beginning to draw a crowd. It was about now a message from Deva burned itself into his mind, requesting that he prepare for a less combat-oriented task. All he knew was that this was a chance to not only spend some quality time with Dora, but also give Heaven a significant edge should they win this one. After the loss of Alt Signia, it was something even a scrappy fighter like him could see they would need. The only downside was that he would be a lab rat for a little while should something fail...

With a proper risk assessment, he nodded and felt one of the pouches on his belt, making sure a certain bottle was still there. In a pinch, it may prove useful. "It isn't directly fighting, but let's see what this Alchemist has in store for us, eh?" He lightly elbowed Dora's side, hoping to get one of her usual jovial responses.

---

That was a series of surprising events, from falling down in a bar trap to being immediately released and back in... Hyperion from the looks of things. Granted he was a good ways up from Hyperion with no real way to land, but he was out of the trap that resulted from Absinthe Blue's attempted trap. Bonesword took note of her name, especially considering that she was basically on his hit-list now (even though it only had a succubi on the list prior). This wasn't the important thing right now, as what really mattered was a very long ways below him...

He was jettisoned out of the portal like a rocket, aiming right towards the ground with no real way to escape it. While this seemed very scary at first, the skeleton began to notice the skyscrapers of Hyperion being far beneath him as he plummeted towards the ground below. With a few very quick movements, the skeleton drew his Shroomblade and - after angling his fall to get closer to a building - began to grow as much plant life as he could around his blade, specifically vines. He was going to attempt to slow his fall by grabbing onto the building and bungee jumping with those vines, which would probably never work, but it was the best he had at the time dammit, and once enough of a vine was created (one or two vines isn't too terribly hard to concentrate on, even under pressure), he slung it over a flagpole like a whip and very quickly diverted his momentum to a horizontal plane.

He then had the issue of slamming into a goddamn building, but luckily he landed on a lower rooftop in a tumble. He was banged up and having a bit of a panic attack, but he was alive and kicking. There was one minor issue now though... because his skull, booze, and swords were the only things that made it onto the building. Everything else was plummeting down to the ground below him. He may have almost died, but he was still around as his skull was intact. While a small stump was growing beside him to carry the skull to a new body, the vine attached to the Shroomblade tapped one of the spots on Bonesword's head. It helped direct the skull to where he got his skeleton bodies from, because he needed one every so often. Once the stump - now nicknamed Stumpy - received the skull and gently placed it on his head, he began the trek to find a new body, with the swords being stabbed into the stump's side and the booze carefully placed on the head as well.

"... I really hope Eos doesn't find out about this..."

"..." Deep within her chambers, the High Queen of the Machina of Mankind, dressed in a new set of queenly garbs, stared blankly at the message written on the letter that hovered before her, held on a stasis field. Eos planned to contact the Alchemist before, but she couldn't anticipate this change in the patterns.

With a touch of a holographic screen, the ruler of Machina broadcast her voice, along with a scan of Hohenheim's letter, to the units more apt to take part on the Alchemist's "game". "Attention, all units receiving this broadcast. This is the High Queen of the Machina of Mankind, Eos. An unforeseen variable has altered the course of the war effort. The Alchemist of Genesis, a being that was banished to the edges of the Nexus eons ago, finally decided reveal herself through a test of aptitude aimed at the best agents of each faction. You are thereby tasked with taking part on this test and secure rewards both personal and to our whole."

"Take heed, however, for my assistance cannot reach the Alchemist's laboratory. You'll had to take decision and consider resources based only on your individual capabilities. The other factions have been invited and likewise will take part on the tests. The probability of confrontation is nearly of one however, our objective is not the defect of our foes, but to conquer the Alchemist's challenges and come back alive. This will not be easy, only those who are sure about their capabilities and skills are to take part. Once you have made your decision, press one of the two buttons of the interface I'm sending to you. Accept, will transport you to the Alchemist's fortress. Decline, will ignore the challenge permanently. There'll be no turning back once you have made your choice. Be wise." Once she had finished laying down her instructions, Eos uploaded the teleport program for the Machina units that had been selected for the battle.

Opening a private line to Stark Zealot and Marquis following the first message, Eos said, "A valuable prototype will have her baptism by fire on this mission. Both of you are tasked to watch over it, she must not fall of enemy hands, no matter what happens. Act with wisdom, the Alchemist of Genesis is being who powers are off the charts and she's said to be every bit as sadistic as she's powerful. That is all." After sending this last message Eos returned her attention back to the war effort, managing the forces of the Machina all over the Nexus with the same cold efficiency as ever. The fate of those who took the challenge were their own now.


"Salutations, my little lab rats." This sentence, uttered in a voice so condescending and haughty in tone that it could be long to none other than the narcissistic being known as the Alchemist of Genesis, Hohenheim was the first thing to greet the players of Hohenheim's little game as the Alchemist cast her gaze at the representatives of the Triumvirate from the isolation of her study.

"I'll cut to the chase, since I do not expect you to follow my reasoning if I cared to explain everything in detail." Hohenheim's voice sounded once more as the eldritch mists of the chaotic space of the Nexus' border parted, unveiling her castle/laboratory, finally. "This will be a challenge divided in parts, before I explain what each part will comprise, let me tell you about the boons I prepared to help you overcome my game."

"On each of the stages of the challenge, one member of each faction can call on my help. I'll draw a card from a tarot deck, containing on the Major Arcana and provide a boon, or a penalty, based on the interpretation of card in question, before discarding it. If you don't want to risk suffering a crippling blow, all you have to do is forfeit the prizes. Simple, right? But, there's a catch. Before you make the draw, you can choose whether the card will target your allies, or one of the opposing factions. Can you really trust that they'll forsake the chance to harm your allies, even if you don't want to run the risk of say, becoming my permanent 'guest', if you are unlucky enough to draw the Tower? Hahaha! Trust each other at your own leisure who cannot guarantee that the Star isn't an automatic win, making the risk worth it?"

A long pause, intent to sow discord and doubt on each of the participants' minds, before the Alchemist resumed her speech. "Well, then, now it's time for a rundown about what this little game of mine will be."



"The first stage, will be getting inside the premises of my Laboratory. Now, now, it may look like a simple enough task but, of course, I have a few cards up my magnificent sleeve. To begin with, you'll find that such a narrow bridge will barely allow for the passage of a few of you at a time, depending on size, maybe only one. You'll have to find a way to handle this bit of logistics on yourselves. Also, there's only one available entrance, that is the main gate, which is as wide as the bridge. Don't try to fly, escalate, dig --or whatever else you can do-- your way around the castle. You'll find that the barriers I set, along with the natural instability of the Nexus' edge, will get you on an unsavory fall down the interdimensional pit where dying won't bring you back. Hahahaha!

Oh, and in case any of you can teleport, open portals or the likes of it, know that if you try it to bypass my challenges, you are going to find yourselves prisoners of my dissection table within a very short order, since I hacked the space around my domains to redirect any teleportation that's intent to break my challenges to my dungeons. You are free to use such powers during fights and to teleport objects, but none of you will be getting in, or out of my domains without my permission. Capisci? My dear Juno, in case you are part of the ones out there, as I know very well you are... know that even my powers cannot control your mastery over Space and knowing the threats are only good to make you behave even worse, I have special proposal just for you. If you play by the rules, like a good girl, whether you win or not, I'll give you a ticket for an all-paid dinner and a night with a certain someone you are quite fond of."

"One last note, don't try to block the path for too long, much less destroy it. There are automatic defenses meant to avoid that a smart ass or another do this. It's a notice for your own continued health."



"Next is the second phase. Once you get inside the castle, you'll find the entrance lobby. There are three elevators there, pick one --they will work regardless of size, weight, etc.-- and you'll be lifted to the next stage of the challenge, take it again and you'll come back to the lobby. Both the up and down path are precisely timed, regardless of any movement related powers you might have. No tricks, no treachery. Simple enough, right? Think again... Hahaha!

First of all, each elevator can only take one individual at a time, try to fit two or more in any of them and you'll be on a way to my dungeons as well. Just like before, don't try to block the elevators, it'll not end well. For those that stay on the main lobby, know that I'll not let you stay alone for long. Some of my precious creations will join you while the others escalate. What is a party without a warm welcome, right?"



"The third stage is more or less like the second and the first combined with a cool twist. Cool, hahaha! Once the elevators bring you to it, you'll find yourselves at the storage vault for some of my experiments. It's comprised of a number of cryogenic pods, naturally the temperatures there are very low and highly unadvisable for long term presence if any of you is too fond of exposing too much skin.

All you have to do is navigate through this maze and find another set of elevators that will bring you to the next challenge. These elevators work just like the others, but there's a catch, they are marked. One for each faction, if you try to ride an elevator that's not meant for you... well, I guess your subintelects can figure the standard penalty for not following the rules, by that point, right? If you want to by pass this little maze by brute force, you can always break the pods. Just be aware that my babies don't like to be awakened early, in fact they get rather aggressive when done so.

By the way, if you bore me, I can always send some of my child to play with you."



"Fear not, if you manage to get this far, know that this is the last stage of the challenge proper. All you have to do is defeat the guardian I have set there and take the only elevator that there's there to get to my chambers. This time there's no trick, I swear. You can always try to avoid the challenge and climb the elevator without fighting. If you'll be able to or not is another story. Hahaha!"



"And finally, you'll be graced with the chance to meet I, the Alchemist of Genesis, face to face for one final talk. What will be of this stage? I can't even imagine. Surprise is the best thing of life, isn't it?

Just to make it clear. The first one to arrive at my sturdy will earn a reward for their faction. However, I'll hand personal rewards for all who I think are worth it."

Once she gave a complete rundown of the challenges stages and conditions, Hohenheim went quiet for moment to let everyone piece the information together. That is, until her haughty voice sounded again. "That concludes everything. One last warning, don't dilly dally too much, the main gate will only be open for a set amount of time. Once it closes, no one will get in or out of my Laboratory. For obvious reasons those who stay behind will be considered losers and teleported back to their pitiful dwelings."