A call had rang out across the Nexus, and by all accounts it had gone unheeded by most.

Yet it brought the Naga to pause, the startled yelps of the children astride her unheeded as she considered the prospect. It was true she'd come to the Nexus for a reason, but it seemed she was neither needed or suited to this place anyway, as Graf Dakka had well shown in the battle she'd participated in. And neither her lady Shiva or the Eel had called upon her services, so perhaps they would not mind if she explored a different avenue.

Besides, she had a few eons of vacation days saved up. May as well put them to use.

"Alright children. Climb aboard." Ever the care giver, she saw no reason to just leave the motley assortment of children in this dimension. Celestia was truly the best of the Triumvirate for them to congregate, but a realm outside was even better. Her body whipped around the park with Ashura arms outstretched, plucking up the children as they giggled in innocent obliviousness. This aroused concern in the pair of nuns now rising to respond to burst of motion, only to be swept off their feet along with the rest and carried off to a universe unmarred by the baleful laughter of thirsting gods.

"Fantastic..." Ananta remarked as she glimpsed the cosmos sprawl out before them, the Nexus expanding to it's full grandeur and shrinking with distance in the span of a blink. Stars were not points but streaks of light and the eye was drawn every which way, till motion lost all meaning and the minds of children could hold no hope of comprehending the blur of transit, though if she were to look closely she'd have seen an arc of light denouncing the Valkyrie Hildr's own transit to the happy verse, yet when she finally arrived in the world of cats she was already gone for parts unknown.

"Hmm, what an odd place." She said as cats walked down streets and operated motor vehicles with the same ease as those who looked to have come from the Nexus already, an assortment of seeming pacifists who Ananta could only summarize had received the same offer as she had long ago, or this world had developed along a similar path up to a point.

"Don't run off kids!"

She turned and found her passengers rapidly dismounting, the natural curiosity of children pulling them off in every direction with their caretakers in hot pursuit. At least she wouldn't be wanting for work in this new world.

Journal Entry, XX/XX

So that was a little adventure, wasn't it? I wish that I could've really seen the power of Henry, and while the idea of the Nile as a residence was nice, I'm probably gonna try and work here some more. Maybe later down the road I can get a lab in the city. That'd be quite nice.

Update on botany, I've figured out how to synthesize the Mockrose. Although it was hard to get it to work properly, it's finalized itself after I used a bit of the Freshmint as a way to get it to work properly. It'll spread out similarly to the Freshmint, although it'll have adverse effects on those within it. Using myself as a test subject, it didn't really effect me until after I was exposed to it for about thirty seconds, then I began to feel... incomplete. Weak. It doesn't do any damage, but it weakens the afflicted. Neat-o.

>NEW PLANT, MOCKROSE.

I got another letter from Abigail today. She's trying her hardest, but I was quite happy to find out that she'd be saving up to try and move to Hyperion as a defector. It brings peace to my mind that we'll be united again, not just as our own people, but as a... family... well, as much of a family that we can be. Maybe I'll adopt an orphan from Hyperion? It doesn't seem so rare for them to exist, since the Angel isn't fond of giving new life to those who she doesn't see as strong or important. Maybe one or two would be there? I'm getting ahead of myself, she isn't even here yet.

God I love h-

Bonesword quit writing his journal entry as he felt the ground shake beneath him. Something was happening, for sure. The skeleton unsheathed his Shroomblade as he stepped outside of his home, looking away from Hyperion into the expanse of the Nexus. Nothing was there, but the ground was still shaking. What was going on...?

Just as Bonesword thought an earthquake was going on, he saw the ground in front of him split open into a hole, a large green plant rising out of the ground and slithering up to him.... wait, slithering? Was it actually...?

"CHARLIE!!!" The skeleton ran forward and wrapped his arms around his faithful basil-isk, the large pun snake purring as it felt the skeleton's embrace. Bonesword thought he was gone forever, but thankfully, it seemed that the Angel was willing to resurrect his old companion. "Where were you, Char?" Bonesword asked, still hugging the giant snake construct.

Charlie looked off towards the distance, coincidentally where the village that Bonesword had been growing his pet project at was. After a moment, Bonesword figured it out. "You respawned where you were born. That makes sense." Charlie curled up around the swordsman affectionately, purring as he squeezed gently against the skeleton's legs and lower body. Bonesword smiled, reaching down to pet the beast's head.

"Good to see you again, kiddo."

Things were really looking up for Bonesword.

"The Datascape is the digital dimension than lies within the Cyberspace. You can consider it as the mirror of the interconnected network of all Machina. The only parts requiring exploration are those closest to the Kernel," Eos replied to HR-513. To clarify her request, she produced a holographic projection of the Machina Network, overlaid with a second projection of similar nodes of light. After separating the two, it was noticeable that there was a huge gap in the area of the second projection that corresponded to Hyperion and its closest territories.

"Normally, one cannot enter Datascape on their physical form. This fact alone makes exploration impossible for most," Eos made a pause once Endian turned on her heels and spoke to the Harvester. Obviously, some sort of idea was being processed on the High Queen's mind right now. "That said," she continued when Endian had said her piece, "Krieg may be able to assist you with this task better than anyone else. Their unique condition will likely prove to be invaluable for this task. You can enlist others' assistance as well, as long as it has no impact on the war effort."

"There's nothing more I can impart upon you at this time. You are dismissed," Eos finally said to the last two individuals who remained in her presence.
"Mmm~ I see it. So you are one of them," The Librarian said replied to Saef after he explained his history and why he was consulting her library. She appeared to be thinking deeply —or maybe sleeping— as he spoke but the way her body responded to stimulus make it quite clear that she wasn't unguarded.

That was so much true that The Librarian's ears perked up, shifting slightly just as Zack scuttled close to them. The bell in her tail jiggling softly as her predatory instincts kicked in. Nevertheless, the feline being didn't act on them and pounced Zack like an unsuspecting mouse that got too close to the supposedly sleeping cat only to find too late that it was all ruse from a superior predator. Instead, she turned back to Saef listening as he made his question. A moment later, the jiggling stop, as The Librarian's switch flipped to 'attack mode', if Zack got any closer to them without saying anything, he would have a cat-surprise.

"Mmm~ actually, I know a lot about Deva. A long, long time ago we used to work together before we became enemies. And finally, things got to this point since there's no use in fighting against her anymore," The Librarian said nonchalantly. With a gesture, she summoned an ornate dark blue tome with silver runes decorating its cover that seemed to possess an inner power of its own. It didn't see to come just from magic either; the tome itself was a piece of technology made to process magical energy to produce effects. By the looks of it, the book was both ancient and very advanced, the words on its cover seemed to match the language in some of the older volumes above Saef's desk. With a little work, one would be able to distinguish the Tome's name as 'First Apocrypha'.

"We made these together, but they are of no use now. Just dead Tomes, with no master or power of their own. The last memories of a world from long, long ago," The Librarian said. Her gaze slowly drifted around some of the shelves, especially the harder to reach ones, before turning back to Saef. "When there's time, I can teach you about it. Right now, it probably won't do."
"Oh~" Absinthe grinned smugly as she was approached by yet another individual seeking her great wisdom. The azure demon looked both Marie and Apia from head to toes, before crossing her clawed-gauntlet covered arms in front of her not so bountiful chest. "So, none of you two have heard of the tale of the great revolution yet? How Hell's bloody regime was finally vanquished and a dark covenant of hypocrisy and pettiness came to power, huh? Well, hehehe~ don't worry, your very own Absinthe Blue will impart her magnificence upon you."

For the next ten minutes or so, Absinthe would explain the history of Hell recent administration changes in great detail to her audience. It was anyone's guess she said was an exaggeration or not, but sure as Hell, it would make up excellent material for a novel series.

"And, I call it a Game of Couches. After all, Rufus still has one right over there, just bigger and pimpier," Absinthe said, finally concluding her Song of Plants and Fire. She looked at the two others intensely, her eyes shining with a cunning, or perhaps a mischievous, glint before adding, "Oh~ but you two, ladies, better take care if you go there talk with the Big Four. I heard that even looking at Rufus' newest lewd nest can get a woman to bear the Hell's next black prince." Absinthe rested both of her gauntleted hands over her while looking at them with a bashful expression in her face. Whether Marie and Apia would buy Absinthe's act or not was on their own, but certainly, the possibility was there, right?

---

A spotlight shone upon a star. The crowd cheered. She sang. Utada was in her element, basking in the praise and adoration of Machina who were probably going to be sent out to die tomorrow. She didn't care, it didn't matter that she was performing for dead men walking, she still got paid. Her performance came to an end soon enough, she pretended to be exhausted from putting her heart out as she bent over and panted. It was all very cute, they loved it. "Thank you all so much for coming, I'm done for tonight but come back tomorrow if you wanna see more!" She did a little wink and then skipped backstage, grabbing a glass of water and chugging it down. She changed into a sweater and jeans backstage, lifting her hoodie up to obscure her face. She needed a real drink right now.

She walked up to the bar and sat in an empty seat next to some random dude. "You know what I want Sam." The bartender rolled his eyes and began pouring her some fancy sugary drink, meanwhile the guy next to her stared at her out of the corner of his eye. "You're pretty good at making the crowd think you like them." Utada groaned internally, putting on her best smiley face and turning towards the random man. "I don't know what you mean mister, I love performi-" She stopped as she realised just who this guy was. Henry Pearl Avaritia, one of the strongest Demons in Hell and according to rumours spread by TEP guards, the Machina's newest recruit. He was sipping on what appeared to be root beer, somewhat aggravated by Zak killing his dogs. They respawned, but god damn was he pissed. "I'm a Demon, if you think a wink and a cutesy voice is gonna make me believe you don't hate everyone in this club than you're even dumber than Balrog. He didn't know how to use doors." Utada didn't have much to say to him, mainly she wanted to choke him out for shutting her down a few years ago with a super powerful EMP. But she also didn't want to get fired.

So they both stayed silent and drank their drinks. Finally Utada decided to speak up. "If you try anything to fuck over the Machina, I will be the 1st person to hunt you down and put a bullet in your head." She said through clenched teeth. Henry snorted. "I don't have a reason to fuck over the Machina. But if you wanna give me one I'll be happy to." A few more tense moments passed as Henry drained his glass. As he dropped a stack of bills to pay for his drink, way too much judging by the bartenders dropped jaw, he got up out of his chair and began to walk towards the elevator. "Your performance wasn't half bad though." With that being said he got into the elevator and hit the button for his floor. Utada waited for the door to close before she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and blushed. He was really cute, short but cute. "Another drink please Sam." Sam shook his head and sighed, a Demon paying for his drink and Utada saying please. He needed to stop drinking on the job.

Sometime In The Past

Apia stared at the ceiling, her mind cluttered with thoughts of sheer hatred towards herself. She had let herself be captured by Hell, or at least that's what she thought. Why had she let this happen? She could've retreated and avoided this, but she felt the need to take on the fight and try to show her power. Now look at where she's ended up. Tied down to a table in a windowless room. Not even her sweeties could come to her aid now. Maybe whoever was going to come through those doors was just going to kill her and move on? She hoped that's what would happen. Anything would be better than living with her failures right now.

It was rare for Hell to acquire fully and willing allies in arms, having had to resort to less than pleasant means to get people to see their way. But such was not the case today and it was of great interest for King Rufus to oversee a former Angel defecting to Hell. While the notion was not uncommon, it was still a rarity for those uppity souls in Heaven to stoop so low. According to reports, Apia had indeed allowed herself to be captured by a Hell raiding patrol; or at least, it had appeared that way to all involved. In any case, the one who had been summoned to "correct" Apia was staring from the darkness of her little cell, red eyes beaming behind a bone-like mask. Soon enough, Ira slowly moved forward to reveal herself, glancing up and down the bee woman's bound body in silence.

"... w-what are you... doing...?" Apia stuttered as she watched the red eyes out of the corner of her eye. She was feeling terror, and it was shown in the sweat rolling down her face. Was she sweating, or was it tears? She didn't know anymore. All she knew was that whoever this was didn't want to see Apia bleed... at least, not yet. Indeed, the malice and bloodlust that usually seethed off Ira's form was reduced to a near-minimal edge of apprehension and irritation. Rufus had told her to be thorough with this one and, truth be told, it had been a while since she had a target that wasn't serving as a cutting board.

Without answering Apia's question, the Great Demon removed her helmet and placed it to the side, the tool resting on a table somewhere obscured by the darkness. What the Angel saw was a face few beings had the opportunity to witness and Ira made no qualms with getting up and personal, maneuvering herself to the side of Apia's table. "Abandoning Heaven is no easy feat little Angel. To what reason do I have for allowing me to open your mind?" Ira asked, eyes still tracing down the bee's taut body with a pinpoint gaze.

"... Deva was going to kick me out, anyways... one of my sweeties told me..." Apia looked to the side as she spoke, a movement of her hand clearly shown, but not completed due to the shackles that bound her. "D-damn. Can't even cover my own face." Apia remarked, trying to make the best out of the situation. Her face was only a small smile for a second before disappearing back into a fearful expression. There was no making light of this situation at all. She was face to face with this maskless woman, whom she would likely remember eternally for what was about to unfold.

"So that's it then. A deserter that left before the worst could befall her...well, that's alright," Ira said, face breaking out into a little smirk now. This time her body did much more than simply watch, a hand reaching out to gently, ever so gently, graze a finger a few inches away from Apia's chest. "Rejoice in releasing your desires. Because here in Hell, everything is just one more reason to scream...." Ira warned, hand still gliding....

---

---

The Graveyard of the Lost is the Nexus greatest necropolis, the place where souls waiting to be brought back to life under a new mantle wait for their time. Sometimes, one can spend an eternity at this deadly silent and cold zone. It's no wonder that the spirits of the dead can grow restless and bitter in their chthonic lair. Hell's cold apathy drives them to despair, erasing any semblance of individuality or personality the dead may have, over time leaving only angry grey specters prowling the snowyscape.

It's said that whoever controls this land can gain significant leverage on the War, by having more masses of soldiers be reincarnated on their side. Stories tell of even a favor granted by the Angel of Death for those who come "know her caresses" while they keep the control of the Graveyard. A battle for this key location shall certainly be bloody and harsh. Once can only wonder how many bodies the mysterious Gravekeeper will have to add to their already great quota?

Nothing in the Nexus is ever as easy as it looks. Surely, gain the control of the Graveyard is no exception:

That concludes this battled briefing.

---

Well, he supposed it was that time again. And he'd only just returned to his laboratory to write down some notes, too. Bah, so much work to do, so little time... and yet, it had been a while since he'd done anything to assist any faction in regards such as this. His biomods, his nanomachines, all of that needed field testing sooner or later... so why not now? Quickly finishing up the notes, he stowed them in a damage-resistant holder within his robes, something to keep his research safe whilst he was out fighting. Not that he expected that to be necessary, but it was worth keeping them safe nonetheless. And after that, he headed away...

Some of the way, rather. As he progressed, flying out of Hyperion toward the scene in question, he found himself sidetracked by the sound of rumbling nearby; not long after that, heading toward the noise yielded the surprisingly-bizarre sight of a... giant snake? Surely not, it appeared to have leaves growing out of it. Was... was that a gigantic vine...? And was that a skeleton in a pirate's hat tending it? No, no, this surely had a better explanation. This required an explanation. The harpy swooped down toward the sight, reaching it in a handspan of time and alighting a few meters shy of... the skeleton, actually, which from this distance already reeked of corruption in a way that tinged one's very soul and immediately got his metaphorical hackles up. He trusted he'd be able to get out of the way if either he or the snake-vine-thing went for him, but still, a demon anywhere near Hyperion was somewhat rare of a sight. Maybe he could get some fun out of the interaction, too.

'Well, well,' he muttered coldly, as much to himself as to the oddly-clad skeleton, 'either I hadn't realised that the Machina allowed demons into its ranks, or you're trying to infiltrate Hyperion. I suppose since you have a home here, it's more likely to be the former than the latter... tell me, if you will. Your animate plant. How did you achieve such a feat?' The tone was mildly demanding, only somewhat unintentionally, but it wasn't as if he had time to chat for long anyway. He had a battle to partake in.

One must remember, that these are not happy ghosts in the Graveyard of the Lost. It is sacred, silent, and dangerous. There can be no peace with these dead, who have lost all of themselves but despair and hatred, and even that will slowly be scrubbed away to blankness.

"Awww... What a beautiful place! I love it!" Sapphire flitted about from crypt to tomb to headstone as she left the Angel Camp, her nose leading the way as her bright tail swished about. She was certainly out of place, simply by the vivaciousness of both attitude and color in this place of the grey dead. "I should spend some time here, it's just.. MMMM.." She breathed in deeply, before a line of drool stared to to leak from the tip of her tongue.. "This place is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!" Pink declared loudly, holding her paws under her chin as she wiggled her tail end and tail, the emotion and energy seeming to all the travel from the depths of her toes to her jubilant lips.

Of course, her obnoxiously Pink and loud intrusion would not go unnoticed, or permitted, for long. The dead rose to meet her, and no amount of cute charm or fluffy tail wagging would save her from their jaws. One must remember, that these are not happy ghosts in the Graveyard of the Lost. They are tortured retribution on those who would defile this place.

As the first ghost arose to punish this interloper, it revealed what might be a female aspect. It's faded gold plates and decaying feathers granted the vaguest semblance of what might of once been an Angel or Valkyrie. Or perhaps a Machina designed with their aspect, or a shining Demon of Light. It was so marred and blurred by the veil of death that it could not be told for certain. "Aw, you're adorable, come on over here and let me give you a kiss!" Yet rather than draw steel or spell at this aberrant spectre, Pink bounded towards it, sparkles literally falling from her eyes and twisting around her in ribbons.

There would be no mercy from this ghost for Pink's innocence, and it obliged her request to approach, spear held high. But as it approached, the ghost could not help but feel empty. Empty of its pain, empty of its hate, empty of EVERYTHING. And in this moment, Pink bounced up under its guard, shielded from its baleful touch by the sparkles that surrounded her, and gave it a kiss right on its indistinct lips, somehow clamping her legs around its incorporeal waist.

There was no happiness, no joy in its life from this touch, for no amount of Pink sparkles, or the warmth of woman's body, could bring it happiness or any positive emotion for Pink to bargain with. But in Sapphire Pink's embrace, it could feel no negative emotions either. There was literally nothing left. When Sapphire fought the living, those living could still have positive reasons to fight her, such as the desire to succeed. But one must remember, that these are not happy ghosts in the Graveyard of the Lost. They are left only suffering, but Sapphire Pink would not leave them even that much to exist with.

Before any neutral commands or programming could compel it to rearrange its guard to strike at the being that had slipped past its spear and seemed impervious to its touch, Pink bounced off the ghost with the bizarre agility of one whose physical body was a tiny component of the vastness of their being, landing atop a tombstone. "Thanks darling, you're absolutely scrumptious, I'd take you home with me if I could. Your suffering has such a lovely aged flavor. But there's so much more here to taste! Tata!" And so, Pink fled the ghost without leaving it even pain to remind it of its existence. Simply, nothing.

~~Undead Smooched: 1 Ghost~~

Motion darted in front of the cat eared librarian as something quickly skidded onto the smooth wooden surface of the table littered with tomes. The blocky blur slid between a couple stacks of literature across her vision from just out of view, very similar to a small escaping creature appealing to any predatory instincts one might just happen to have. "Ye can sign me up fer that class too little lass." said Zak suddenly from waaay over there on the other side of the table, his hand postured beneath his chin after having tossed the book next to others Saef had accumulated. "Gorgie boy here..." He briefly glanced to Saef. "It's Gorgie boy right? I'm callin ye Gorgie boy." The oblivious gaze of the fiery haired angle returned to the librarian as he continued. "Gorgie boy over here aint the only one diggin' fer historical goodies. I suddenly find myself quite the bit interested as well."

The familiar horns of war rang in Zak's mind, as he was sure it did for all angels when a battle was on the horizon. Well...he was mostly sure. It very well could have just been him, but his lackadaisical mind never bothered to think of asking anyone else about it. He couldn't help but manage a faint grin. "But as ye said, right now probably won't do. There's heads to be knocked about. Wouldn't ye agree Gorgie boy?" There was a somber tone in Zak's haughty voice. He had come hoping to learn something interesting. Instead he only learned the library had a previously unbeknownst to him sexy cat girl for a librarian. He made a mental note to investigate the matter more thoroughly later. "Anyway, I'll see ye in the fray." said Zak loftily as he made his way out of the aisle and toward the exit. "Dress fer warm weather lad!"


Piercing radiance streaked through the bleak winter sky, burning a path of brilliant amber and white amongst the clouds as a meteor like mass of flames hurtled down from the boundless void of the Nexus toward the icy land that was the Graveyard of the Lost. The mass of fire sliced through the frigid air, barreling across the pearly landscape in a blazing fury, roaring over the howling winds until it came crashing into the frozen earth with a thunderous clatter that shook the ground faintly. Frost and falling snow took back the pale sky as the faltering light of the flames diminished. A thin veil of steam and dust slowly began to dissipate from the fiery impact zone, carried away on an arctic gale. Something slowly began to emerge from the fading cloud of debris. A darkened silhouette looming in the pale haze.

The last of the dusty cloud was briskly whipped away in a blur of fabric, clearing a path for the crimson haired Zak as he cast a billowing blue coat over his right shoulder, stuffing his free hand into his pocket absently and stepping onto the battlefield. Sauntering up the side of the lofty steaming crater created in the incendiary wake in his landfall and stopping for a moment once he reached the edge, the angel let his gaze linger over the desolate tombstone laden terrain blanketed in a sea of ice and wiry trees stripped of foliage by the tundra. The crisp winds kissed Zak's skin, gently tossing his hair as it flowed passed him painting his head, eyelashes, and shoulders in small flakes of powdery snow. His hand emerged from his pocket with a slightly bent joint pinched between his thumb and forefinger, rising to his pursed lips as he ignited the tip with his pinky.

Smoke drifted into the air, melding with the murky white scenery as it escaped Zak's nostrils, leaving a faint smoggy trail as he began moving across the bleak ice covered soil, each step faintly crunching into the snow. "Little bit nippy innit.."

And so, it began. Another battle in the name of the Divine Imperator's glory. In the Heaven's base camp, Farris observed silently the calm scenery of the cemetery that would be their warzone for this conflict. Victory was imperative and she would do everything in her power to achieve it.
Farris turned around and looked the other troops of the Heavens.Aside from their usual army, a number of distinguished beings were present as well. "What strategy are we going to use? I suggest that we send scouts there and then decide on a better plan of action as soon as we have an idea of the enemies' position. Charging ahead blindly will serve us nothing," she said while pointing with her sword towards the ruined Basilica.

Sadly, it didn't look like they would have much time to articulate a plan. Not with independent actions such as those of that pink beastkin and Zack outright blowing the cover of their current location with a pointlessly flashy entrance that literally woke up the dead. "Well, I guess that we do not have the luxury of waiting anymore," Farris said as she bashed a skeleton with her shield.
"" "What a bother," those were the first words said by Victoire upon her arrival at the Graveyard of the Lost. The Blood Crimson eyed the land of the dead with disinterest. As one who was born undead she knew very well the touch of the grave. The calm and tranquility may be enervating to others, but they were nothing but boring for her.

"Don't be reckless. I have a task to do and would desire to see it through its end," Victoire said to the the other Demons. She truly didn't mind if they killed themselves right on then and there but if that happened she would face unneeded hardship, thus she would spare a bit of her time to help whoever is it that joined the Hell warfront this time. "Before I set out to do what I came here to, this will be of help," she added. With a command of the Blood Countess a patch of her dreaded Demon Roses bloomed close to the entrance of the catacombs, tarnishing the world with their deadly crimson. "As long as they have room to grow, this location shall be a safe retreat in case you need to replenish your forces. Now, I must take my leave. Worry not, I'll be monitoring everything. Rest in peace."

After she said her piece, Victoire walked into the catacombs, disappearing into their utter darkness.

— Demon Rose Radius: 30 meters —

---

A flurry of holy laser blasts cut down the few extra ghosts in the immediate area. The keener eyed among those watching might have caught sight of short pulses of sunlight leaping from rune covered weapons. Small portions of the photon packets colliding with the chilly air molecules and bouncing in random directions. Not enough to lessen the impact of the weapon but it prevented it from being completely stealthy.

Saef let his men do their job, instead turning his helmeted head to scan the battlefield. There was the still steaming crater off to one side. The red headed man he had met in the library smoking a cigarette at the edge of it. In another area a dog girl so cute and happy he had to wonder why she was on a battlefield at all cavorted through the gravestones.

Not the most quiet of insertions. I hope we don't get swarmed by ghosts before contact with the actual enemy.

And then there was the person responsible for saving his world. Farris had more than earned his respect when she swept in and routed the Demons about to consume what remained of his planet. That wasn't the kind of thing you could pay back in a single lifetime. She was also looking pretty annoyed at the moment.

"My men and I would make for ideal scouts." He said, walking towards the much older ascended human. "And if we reach that basilica it would give us an effective field of fire across the entire battlefield. "

Henry stepped through the portal and into the basecamp with purpose, the purpose of killing every motherfucker he saw. With a flap of his wings he was already in the sky, looking for combatants to rain hell upon. Nobody was immediately apparent so he instead landed in the middle of the battlefield on top of a fancy looking crypt, almost like a gargoyle he perched on the rooftops edge and waited for challengers. As he waited he began placing landmines in the grass surrounding the crypt, slightly hidden yet still spottable by observant attackers if they dared approach Henry. "Alright assholes, time to party! Come to me if you wanna die!" He shouted as loudly as he could, that should get someone's attention. Hell even if nobody from Heaven or Hell came, the ghosts were certainly starting to take notice.

Meanwhile Utada was taking a slightly less... loud approach, dropping in from an airship near Zak's landing location. As she fell from the sky she employed her emergency antigrav pads, slowing her fall to survivable speeds as she calmly landed in the forest. She began stalking through towards Zak's current position in an all white version of her normal outfit. Eventually Zak was in range, about 20 yards away from her. She peered through her scope to confirm that it was Zak and indeed it was. Utada creeped forward for about 5 yards, then loaded the underbarrel with a special fire suppression grenade. When it went off it would release a large amount of fire suppressing foam, preferably all over Zak. She fired it off with a loud thump and then lowered the barrel towards Zak, firing off a volley of armor piercing rounds directly at him.

Despite Flos bellowing out a rather impressive bellow to silence the masses, Mephilius didn't even flinch. Perhaps a hint of insanity has begun to grasp his mind, and even if it hadn't yet it wouldn't take too long before Hell corrupts him. After explaining the hint of "newsworthy material" to the Angel, he attempts to continue walking around the dungeons to hear the screams of agony echoing across the halls. That was when Flos' asked the Hell Knight to elaborate on what he meant and he slowly stopped. He paused for a second before turning towards the captor's direction and only gave a devilish smirk.

"Oh, how I can only give you so much..." he replies with a mocking tone, "Isn't it obvious? I suppose I might as well mention that Hell has turned into an Oligarchy. And who are the others beside Rufus? That you'll have to see for yourself. For now, sit back and watch the ceiling for a few more years..."

And with that, Mephilius simply walks away into the dungeon without saying another word...

---

Before the azure demoness would respond to Marie, they would be greeted by another new demon... this one taking the form of a bee. She was an interesting character to behold but also seemed confused that Hell is now ruled by an oligarchy as well. Of course, this also led the demoness, who calls herself Absinthe, to tell them of what happened. Her pompous nature was... not necessarily the best fit of personality for her and even the tale might've been a bit exaggerated, but then again who really knew. She certainly didn't. Yet regardless, the rise of the "The Big Four" is undoubtedly true as she later finds out from within.

"I see..." she replies to the azure demoness as she takes out her cigarette holder, "Well I must be going now. Apparently I hear that there's a battle coming up soon and I'm already hot and heavy for some action. Ta ta to you both."

With that, she enters the throne room and realigns her contract with Hell.

---

The portal to the battlefield took Marie and the rest of the demons down to a catacombs. It became blatantly obvious that they will fight in a graveyard. After Victoire gave her little speech to the other demons that are participating, the bounty hunter tips her hat and slides into the darkess as well. If she's going to get sneaky with this, she'll need to try and find a nice hiding spot in which to find and eliminate her opponents. Until she can get out of the catacombs, she relies on the darkness to her advantage, hiding in the shadows and ready to strike at any foe that awaits from within...

If no one is able to catch her, she escapes to the surface and attempts to sneak around for a fresh bounty.

---

Despite the crippling depression and anger about Rufus that brought the Ice Lich to his knees, Ghelgath didn't say submitted for long. He eventually decided that he can release his anger and frustation upon his foes, which after all he hasn't been in a battle since Arcadia. That sounded healthy to him. The best part about the battlefield here... is that there's plenty of snow and ice to go around. He's finally in his proper element and not just locked up in his artificially created ice castle in the cooler regions of Hell. Fun times are surely to be had then.

"Ehehehe..." he snickers coldly as his right fist is pumped with freezing ice, "Let's go freeze some bastards."

As Victoire announces her speech and leaves into the shadows, the Ice Lich also takes his leave as he enters another catacomb leading to the surface. Once he has control of the ice, he can summon his own army to take on the Angellic and Machina forces. All he hopes is that it won't end horribly like last time...

One by one, or in some cases by the hoards, forces began to emerge across the pale expanse of the battlefield. The march of ascended human soldiers trampled over the barren land not too far behind Zak, led by the one he met in the library. The angle glanced back over his shoulder at them briefly, smoke drifting out on his breath. If it hadn't been for them grabbing his attention, he wouldn't have caught the glimmer of gunfire spark out several meters away. Without much time to act, the angel spit the joint through the air. Bellowing explosions rattled out in a rain of charred debris and dust as the joint ignited, bursting into a white hot ball of flames which stained the misty atmosphere with a brilliant light. Zak rode the force of the imposing blast, surfing on the raging hot and cold winds that churned out as glistening wings of fiery feathers spilled from his back.

Disappointment drifted across Zak's otherwise aloof visage as the sight of his wasted joint, the sacrifice of which put him out of the way of the volley of shells. The angel glared out into the tangle of snow covered trees and cold wastes, gazing among the white landscape. He pondered why he always seemed to get the snipers as he fruitlessly scanned for the aggressor. It seemed they were behind cover or camouflaged. The amber hue of billowing flames began to dissipate, replaced by a glowing light which emanated from the palm of the angel. He only briefly mulled over the notion of playing hide-and-go-peekaboo with whatever hidden combatant that was trying to make him its target before deciding he didn't have the time. Fire lapped over his arm as the shining energy within his palm became a massive spear of blustering fire. With a swift flick of his arm, the spear was sent hurtling in the general direction of where he saw the gunfire. As it shrieked through the air at blinding speeds, the spear split apart into a radiant barrage which spread to cover several dozen meters of land, raining down with searing fury in an effort to consume the area in grand explosions.

Zak didn't waste any more time waiting to see if his attack would flush out an enemy or two. Instead he made several vague and eccentric gestures toward Saef and his men, most of them pointing toward where he aimed his attack. It was probably already apparent to them what was going on but Zak didn't give that idea too much thought. Without another second lost, Zak shot off like a fiery bolt on wings of gleaming fire, streaking over the terrain as he burned a path through the frozen over trees and crypts. He flew low, zigzagging between the gnarled tree trunks and crumbling stone monuments toward the center of the battlefield. He searched for a high point with a good view to observe the battle from.

Vacant groans and sickening cries of the decaying undead lingered in the air, filling the decrepit ambience of the boundless graveyard. Corpses dressed in tattered armor and strips of rotting flesh shambled listlessly amongst the graves, aimlessly clawing at the air as they reached out toward the rapidly approaching light that emerged over the horizon. Flames coated the earth, spilling over the decomposing masses as Zak shot overhead. Finally the angel emerged from his blazing ascent on top of a steep frozen hillside peppered with headstones. Smog trailed behind him, wafting up from the dissipating flames that burn out of his back before fading into the brisk frosty winds. Digging around in his pocket for another joint, Zak began to look around, letting his disinterested gaze wander about the...wait a minute. "...You...."

Awe and bewilderment struck the stone faced angel as his eyes widened before his expression was quickly consumed with a seething rage. He almost couldn't believe his eyes at the sight of Henry atop an ornate structure of worn stone and stained glass. He found the demons face rather forgettable before, but now he couldn't wipe it from his immediate thoughts if he wanted to. It clicked in his mind, all those demonic profiles he never really bothered pay attention to for longer than a moment when on the battlefield. He wouldn't remember some random he might have cut in half, but he remembers the one that cut him into bits. Zak wasn't too thankful. He wasn't too subtle either. One of the few things he and the one standing before him had in common. The blue in the angels eyes seared away into a deep crimson.

Bonesword turned to face Maceroy, his hand gently rubbing the snout of his trusted pet. How did he manipulate plants? It was odd, but something he knew he could do quite easily. Of course, if he was too forceful with it, he'd collapse, but he'd been good at keeping himself checked. It only happened four times, and those were... well... learning experiences, to say the least.

"Practice. Determination. A lot of research. I could probably teach you some things, later, if you really wanted, but right now..." Bonesword walked through his door, looking at Maceroy as he did so. "I'm going to be doing some more of my work here in my lab, trying to get an edge up in the next battle, after this one. You should participate, make yourself known to Eos."

With that, Bonesword closed the door behind him and Charlie, letting Maceroy go off and fight for the Machina.

---

---

---

---

"Ughh... corpses? Gross..." Apia remarked under her breath as Victoire gave her speech. It was nice to know that there was someone looking out for her in the grand scheme of things, even if it wasn't specifically her. After it was concluded, Apia nodded respectfully as she thought about how to approach this fight. She'd been out of action for a while, so... maybe the best course of action was to follow behind someone and possibly assist them? That made sense, right? Maybe she'd even use them as shield if she had to, although she really didn't want to resort to that.

Now, who to follow... ah, the cold guy! Ghelgath, was it? She heard about his... embarrassing plight to try and charm Rufus a few minutes ago, so maybe he needed some assistance in his endeavors here? Maybe they'd even work to get them recognized and possibly respected? That probably wouldn't blow over well with Ira if it didn't work... but she'd definitely try! That was important too, right?

"Hope you don't mind if I tag along." Apia said as she disappeared into the catacombs behind Ghelgath, a swarm of bees following behind her, docile at the moment.

---

Eve bounced on her feet, eager to get things going. Her feet were leaving cute little prints in the snow, and her armor was properly on despite how odd it made her look. Her wings were smoking slightly, probably as a way to keep her warm for the time being, or maybe to be prepared to fight the undead ahead of her. Either way, she spoke up to the others in the group around her, offering her input on the matter. "Now, I'm not going to say I'm against these ideas, but I will say that I am not one for staying behind. If you need a way to roast these bodies, however, I'll be willing to slam into 'em."

After a moment of thought, Eve piped up once more, with a more... useful idea. "I evaded being captured by demons for a good decade or two. Maybe I should scout ahead?" She was nimble, dodgy, and vibrant, so it somewhat made sense for her to scope out the situation instead of the others. In any case, she began to hover over an zombified man as he tried to swipe at her legs with half of his arm. He was determined, Eve will give him that.

Sometime In The Past

Screams of terror run rampant as a remote village became an unfortunate victim to the rage of a mighty Vassal. A blast of hot atomic fire bathes the town in fire as it spreads from one house to the next, killing several villagers in the process as a tall humanoid figure walks slowly through the crumbling infrastructure. Titanica has only been awake for several days and already she has been laying waste to every settlement and opponent she crosses, whether they be humans, angels, or demons. And she has been anything but merciless to either so far. It was time for the ten-thousand-year annual cleansing of the Nexus and this year she's even more wrathful than any of her previous awakenings. As the villagers flee from their burning settlement, Titanica issues a bellowing roar, one that would shake the heavens and the stars beyond. When will her rage end is anyone's guess, but so far there's no signs of her halting any time soon. If her path of destruction keeps up at this rate, the whole Nexus will burn in her wrath and undying fury...

But such was the fate of those unfortunate to dwell in the Neutral Areas of the Nexus. For how lethal they fancied themselves against any of the three Factions, it was still futile in the wrath of a Vassal hellbent. As buildings crumbled into burning dust around Titanica's feet and smoke rose into the air, one particular structure was to be noticed close by. It was the latest in Titanica's long line of targets and if she cared to pay attention, she would realize it was a mural of some sort; was, as it had been torn from its walls and lay burning. Yet even from her height, Titanica could clearly stare at the figure whose image had been immortalized by art. And even through the flames, the mural stared unmoving before being lost into the chaos of ash and dust. Perhaps it was a religious piece meant for prayer and worship among those of the Neutral Areas. It was a great irony on this day.

As the Vassal of Destruction looks upon the figure ingrained within the walls of time, her lips flare up in disgust as she issues a low guttural growl. To her, it looked nothing but a piece of religious sanctimony that they've made up, or even if the character is real she had no knowledge of her existence. Really nor did she even care that this person was looked up at by the masses. She will not save them... she will not hear their cries for help... she is nothing but disappointment in their times of utter darkness and despair. With that, her spines begin to pulse rapidly as Titanica exhales another beam of hot-blue plasma at the mural. The mural's destruction should definitely sway the mortals' morality into chaos and dismay as they will have no other choice but to flee or die horrifically in a flaming bath that is of their own town. Once she deems the mural to be blown to ashes, the Vassal begins to turn as continues on her path of destruction, waiting to find another town to destroy.

With her back turned from the once great mural, Titanica would be unable to see the tattered and scorched remains of what once was shrivel and wrinkle among the flaming ground. Writhe and squirm, twist and move, as if the scraps were somehow alive. It appeared to be the case because soon enough each remaining fragment slithered in mangled shapes and forms, pooling into one center. A mass of black, sheening like oil and as thick as molasses bubbled where the scraps converged. Everyone in the village had perished, leaving to it no witnesses to realize, upon closer inspection, that the mass was in fact a great pool of black, wriggling eels.

The vassal stops dead in her tracks as she cracks her neck to the right. It seems that this mural is much more alive than she originally anticipated. A deeper and more guttural growl escapes her lips as she slowly turns to face this new challenger that has risen up against her. Her tail smashes onto the floor twice as she eyes the swirling mass that's forming in the center of the village. Titanica soon recognizes them to be black eels, similar to those she sees in her time underwater, only they were slightly larger and more sinister looking. A short bellow escapes her mouth as she continues glaring at this mass of black ooze. "A challenger..." she growls menacingly as her spines begin to pulse rapidly once more, "Stay out of my way if you value your pathetic life."

No response was given to Titanica's heated words but the bubbling mass of slimy, dead-eyed eels did soon part. As if rising out of the grave, there stood the figure that matched the mural feature for feature. Eyes unblinking, uncaring to the vortex of flame and disaster around them, the woman in kimono garb was as still as the dead. "Titanica. I have been charged with making you docile for the time being," the woman said in a voice near-lost by the harsh winds and beckoning flames, emotionless as her own gaze. Only by the shared nature of Vassals would Titanica hear her loud and clearly. "I will show you one opportunity of mercy as par with my duties and decree of my Master."

A snarl and chuff would be the initial response given by Titanica. She promises mercy if she halts her advance? Her animalistic instincts tell her otherwise. Whoever this person is, she is clearly barking up the wrong character. She is the Vassal of Destruction, the Great Balancer of the Nexus, the one who will cleanse the Nexus clean and make way for new life to appear on scene. "You?" she asks unfazed by her threat, "You think you have what it takes to defeat ME?" She issues a threatening stomp as her heel issues a massive tremor and a crack in the ground as it sprawls towards the challenger, threatening to engulf her within the abyssal crevice. "Just who do you think you are?" finishes the Vassal boastingly as her eyes began to glow hot blue to show her dominance.

"I have shown you my mercy. Whatever happens next is of your own volition," the woman said. She neither ran away from the approaching crack nor did she fade back into her pile of eels. Rather, she took one step forwad, evenly and precariously so as not to damage her kimono. "Your rage is very bothersome. Surely being this emotional only tires you out." When those next words were said, they came as a gentle reverberation right against Titanica's ear. It didn't take much deduction to realize the woman was now standing on the other Vassal's massive shoulder. "You do not even ask of me my name. Such rudeness before me. A vile voice yearns to be silenced," the woman whispered deep into her prey's ear.

As the voice leaned closely into her right ear, Titanica snorts as she tries to shake her head out of that voice. "Get out of my way!" she growls as she sweeps her tail into several other burning houses, utterly destroying them on the spot. Then she stops and looks to her left... and there the woman was now standing on top her shoulder remarking on how rude she is. Her teeth gleam as her rage subsides for just a quick second to ask... "And just WHO... are you?" followed by a deep and nasty snarl of displeasure. Her right hand becomes clenched as it begins shaking in rage, trying to momentarily resist the urge in squashing this character like an insignificant bug.

"My name is Roma," the woman said, voice still stoic but her gaze holding the reflection of Titanica's own rage like a mirror. "Ah, you are restraining yourself. That is very good to see, though knowing of your exploits, I will need to force you into submission regardless." Roma's crimson pupils did not dilate or widen, merely staring down the other Vassal much like a spider would with its own eight, beady eyes devoid of light. And just like a spider, Roma daintly skittered along the length of Titanica's back until reaching her other shoulder, nary an inkling of effort in her posture or disposition. "Change size as much as you would like. I will accomodate for it," she said, raising up her sleeve to conceal a most dark smirk.

It was then when Titanica's eyes began to squint as she issues yet another scowl. With a mighty roar, the giant's other shaking hand violently recoils to smash this 'Roma' as she issues a thundering smack across her other shoulder, issuing a miniature shockwave in the process. At this point this character felt like an annoying little mosquito buzzing in her air and probably attempting to get a prick of her own blood. "BEGONE YOU FOOLISH CREATURE!" she bellows as she moves her weight to the other side as she stomps on another house and swipes a few more away with her massive tail. Now she's getting really more furious with this person, continuing to clench her shoulder to crush this Roma for good.

"As expected. I will need to use force for you." Roma's voice came in front of the great lizard now for the kimono woman rested upon Titanica's nose. Either she was moving at an impossible speed to avoid these blows or...perhaps Titanica was just that slow. Whatever the case, Roma pinched the bridge of her own nose and held in a sigh. "Titanica, has it never occurred to you what happens after you destroy these villages? You often leave them in flames, yes? And where fire rises into the atmosphere...." The first rumblings of thunder answered her thoughts, Roma not even having to look up to see the darkening clouds gathering from the heat in the air spiraling around them.

"...storms are bound to follow. This will not hurt," Roma said. At once her hand burst into a plume of crackling electricity and in mere moments a bolt much greater than Titanica descended down from the heavens above. With intent to scorch flesh and render earth asunder, Roma watched in silence as she felt the massive Vassal ripple beneath her feet. Titanica would be electrocuted for as long as Roma saw fit to wear her down. "I lied. This will be extremely painful," she deadpanned, ceasing her onslaught.

As soon as the first bolt descends upon the giant Vassal, she instantly feels a pain far greater than she had ever anticipated. A surge of hard-electricity courses through her veins as she roars in brutal agony. As she attempts to shake the first strike off, suddenly several more bolts begin to crash down on her. Each bolt issues an strong and excruciating surge of pain so unbearable in fact that any other non-vassal being should instantly be burned alive by the the first bolt. In addition, she slowly feels the energy seeping out of her body and the world around her slowly getting bigger and bigger. That's when she realizes that she was in fact getting smaller... back to the size of mortal men. She continues roaring in pain in spastic burst to keep her self awake and active to increase more adrenaline, even firing off several large volleys of atomic breaths upon the cindered town, but even this isn't enough to help her. Once she finally descends to her regular size, Titanica finally falls to her knees in submission. The mighty vassal breathes heavily as she tries to get back on her feet, only to resort back into her kneeling position. She felt devastatingly weak and vulnerable at this point.. to the point where she can't even call her atomic breath. It's as if every single drop of that energy was sucked completely dry from her veins.. She looks up viciously at Roma as she bears her sharp teeth with saliva dripping from her lips.

"You... BITCH!" she roars through her teeth, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"

A swift punt to Titanica's gut was answer from Roma; by the time she recovered from that, the Eel was standing rim rod still, as if she hadn't moved a muscle. "It is a shame Titanica. I had been looking forward to taming you at your full size and power. But it seems I overdid it. A rectifying mistake for the future," Roma said, once more kicking Titanica down but this time keeping her sandled foot upon the other woman's head with gentle presses. "Now let us begin your descent into temporary retirement...."

Explosions have a way of grabbing attention. Zak's blossoms of flame and the gunshots from the unknown sniper proved that once again. The noises snapped Saef's head around before he could respond to the harpy general's suggestion. His eyes flicking to the map on his HUD as he did so. One particular red dot pulsed to indicate a higher threat. It was in the woods a short distance away, his men should have caught it. Something to deal with later.

"Longsword and Gladius squads. Deal with the sniper. I'll be along shortly to assist. Everyone else start spreading out. I want to know if this is the only one out there."

The orders were sent over the company's quantum comms. Normal radios were hard locked for this mission. The Machina ruled the airwaves until the technicians back home could figure out a way to send secure transmissions. Maybe some sort of enchanted transmitter. Magic was one thing Heaven seemed to stay ahead in.

The small army moved as they were ordered. Most of them spreading out, increasing the coverage of the passive net and scanning the area with their own senses. The specifically mentioned squads moved to engage the sniper. Taking cover behind anything sturdy enough to do the job and sending a hail of fire into the woods at the red outline on their HUDs. Snow was melted and trees were shattered as densely packed and highly energetic light struck at a target that couldn't have more than twenty five meters away at best.

Saef turned back to the rest of the command group.

"We need to dig in or move out now. And I would rather not be a sitting duck for any sort of large scale attack our opponents might have up their sleeves."

@KoL@floodtalon@Banana

Utada frowned as Zak dealt with her assault with a flick of a cigarette and simultaneously releasing a devastating volley of fire torpedoes towards her. She retreated as fast as she could back into the forest, narrowly avoiding both the several explosions and the holy lasers that came afterwards. Right now she needed to wait for everyone to leave their camps, she had no hope of taking on all of Heaven's forces on all at once. And so Utada retreated into the forest, waiting for the right opportunity to strike out at the enemy. However in case any of Saef's men decided to pursue they would find a nice surprise in the form of a timed explosive, which would likely explode just as they caught up to the position she was previously in.

---

Henry smiled as his torture buddy flew in already drawing his sword before Zak even noticed him. The ghosts were crowding around the crypt now, some climbing the building to get a piece of Henry's sweet sweet soul. It wasn't long before Zak noticed Henry, his face contorting with rage as he remembered their fun times. Henry flapped his own wings hard and took flight to meet Zak, hovering in midair with his own eyes glowing their usual bright Silver. "Wow we really bonded in that torture room huh? Less than a day afterwards and you already want more." A large Gate of Tartarus opened behind Henry and two SMGs with a flamethrower attachment on the bottom emerged, dropping into Henry's hands as he quickly flicked off the safety. "Luckily for you I can give plenty more." With that being said Henry pointed his guns towards Zak and began firing, a practical storm of bullets emerging as Henry mixed in Silver bullets along with the ones from the SMGs.

...hm. A fellow scientist, then. Well, a scientist; it'd be a much more pleasant day in Hell when he'd choose to work with the skeletal demon willingly. On the battlefield. He did suppose learning more about the skeleton's plant control might be interesting, and it was only a shame about who it was attached to... he'd think more on it later. For now, he simply beat his wings again and left, flying skyward as he headed out.

Not so much time later, he arrived at the site of battle, a place as dead as could be expected. Naught but lifeless trees and a few graves visible in the distance, at least from where he'd believed the Machina's forces were gathering. He did have better things to do than wait around, naturally, so he swooped from above in to hear any speeches being made- if any were being made- then simply flew up again, drifting on the one pair of wings with his shock lance in hand perhaps two hundred, two hundred fifty meters over the battlefield, in search of anything resembling a foe beneath him. It was funny, really, how much more effective four wings were than two - not only were there the obvious benefits of faster flight when desired, but if he so chose, he could also simply use one set of wings at a time, switching whenever the current pair tired, and so conversing a lot of stamina. That, and in his case, he always had at least something resembling a shield if he was fired upon from down below.

Blinding light spilled out piercing the hazy air with a brilliant radiance as a small marble of molten white and gold energy brimming with overwhelming holy essence burned into existence above Zak's head. Clouds stirred viciously in the distant pale sky far above, churned into a spinning turmoil. Blistering torrents of incandescent might flooded out of the angel's body, boiling the frigid air into a maelstrom of torrid winds. The intense heat quickly scorched the earth, bathing it in a red hot amber glow. Fiery sparks and bits of molten metal spattered across the coalescent soil at Zak's feet as the flurry of bullets came in contact with the extreme temperatures emanating from his faintly luminous form.

"I'm going to cleanse you...and yer entire filthy mongrel species...from the face o' this existence with my own bare hands ya miserable demon insect." The marble of shining energy grew, exuding divine wrath as it carved its way through reality in a circle of dripping light. Rocks and bits of loose gravel danced across the baking earth as the land subtly trembled beneath Zak's feet, reverberating with waves of holy ether. Darkness scarred the heavens above as the lumbering clouds grew heavy and dense, raging like a sea across the sky. Casting his coat into the wind, Zak stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the approaching spawn of hell. Broiling hatred loomed in his mulish scowl, bleeding white hot fire from his irises. "By the might an' will o' Imperator Deva, guide my flames...."

Gravity around the angel grew heavy with the weight of flowing energy, bristling out of him more intensely by the second. A dull roaring resounded through the grave laden surroundings as the air writhed with roiling might. The circle of searing bright light above Zak's head completed itself in a shining halo, washing the area in a lustrous angelic glow. Rampant flames rose from the earth, flooding the ground in a lake of smoldering fire and consuming the closest hoards of shambling dead that crowded the immediate area. "I take my throne..." The halo flashed like a beacon, pulsating as it began coursing with power.

The turbulent clouds above swirled violently, giving way at the very center to a deep golden radiance. Light ruptured the milky sky, slicing through the atmosphere and pounding into the earth with a bellowing rumble, consuming the body of the fiery haired angel. A rain of flickering cinders trickled down from the sky in the wake of the roaring divine beam. Magma leaked from massive cracks that split the earth, shaking the near by ornate building to its foundations as fiery cracks splintered out from the impact of the beam. A harrowing cry echoed out from the flames, piercing the air as the light spilling from the cloudy heavens began to diminish. Steam and smoke tracked into the sky, wafting of the shattered ground and lava boiled the once frigid air. The heat expanded for several hundred meters, growing less intense toward the edges of the area.

Emerging from the fading geyser of angelic power was a humanoid embodiment of arcane holy fire. Flesh had been discarded, burned away in the wake of molten armor and ethereal flames. The being laid poised against the ground on all fours like a beast of legend. Seraphim wings of blazing might, six in all, billowed out from its back. A tepid trail of smoke specked with cinders escaped the jagged maw of the brilliant being. Long glowing locks of fiery crimson hair danced on the hot gale over its shoulders. Orbs of flame materialized around the blazing entity, orbiting around it in a wide circle. Piercing eyes of white amongst the gold and amber fire gazed out, staring straight through Henry. Zachariah, heavens Emperor of Flame.

In the blink of an eye Zachariah was gone, leaving behind a small wave of dust and broken earth as he shot into the air with blinding speed, the force of which shattered the ground he took off from. Energy congregated in his right hand, taking the shape of a large pure white spear which burned with divine flames. Several more just like it appeared around Zachariah, then even more, until an uncountable mass of brilliant spears filled the sky, shedding a pale hue over Henry and the sweltering landscape.



Zachariah reeled back, winding his might behind the weight of his arm before deftly launching the spear, piercing through the air in a shock wave of force as it hurtled like a missile toward Henry. Hundreds more just like the first followed closely behind, shredding through the air in a fiery onslaught baring down on the demon and the earth far below him.