@Lmpkio



The drone was fast, somehow managing to rip its sword free from the magic that had been anchored to it through the sheer velocity of its swing. It then ran back off into the battle instead of attempting another strike. Unfortunate, the drone would likely have to be dealt with at a later time.

For now Saef was free to help Lucifus. The Archangel had been busy dealing with something that gave off absolutely fascinating energy readings. The scientist in him had been dying to get a better look but well, he didn't want to actually die. Now that he had the time he could get a closer view of the temporal warping lasers that now hovered around Lucifus.

"Absolutely fascinating." He said as he closed in on the other champion, his jetpack engaged once again. He stopped outside what he generously assumed was the blast zone and cocked his head as he stared at the orbs for several moments. The energy flow was most impressive, and the way they just sat there without becoming undone and detonating just begged further study. He would have loved to meet the inventor.

He shook his head and clenched one fist before him. The orbs of temporally desynchronizing energy were abruptly encased in globes of golden light. Saef turned his hidden gaze to the Angel and spoke.

"Let's go. You attack, I'll defend."

"Brute force or not, it is still a competent plan," Amaterasu stated as she rode into the Oasis upon Chen's platform, careful to not attract the attention of any spare scorpions that might be riding as hitchhikers. Poor, unclean hitchhikers.

As the duo of heavenly forces proceeded into the Oasis, Amaterasu found herself unable to resist yawning as she stared forward. Lowering her arms (and the shield covered in the guts of scorpions), Amaterasu began to conserve her energy as she stayed awake. She couldn't afford to fall into a sleep, especially not here, and especially not with the... oh... well there was a Hydra in the distance. It had been destroyed now by the forces of Hell. Good thing for the Heavens, as they no longer had to worry about the threat of a Hydra spoiling their objective.

---

Bonesword instinctively raised his arms over his head to cover himself as the Hydra exploded in the distance, Charlie's stomach making a guttural growl as he watched the beast explode with his master. Well, now they didn't have to fear having to face that thing. They could continue on their path towards the stones in the distance and, probably better then, focus their fire back on the opposition.

Looking around, Bonesword could only see three real targets as he rode towards the pyramids. The dragon demon, the demon demon, and the pair of angels following behind by a distance. Assessing the situation, the main fear he had was against the demons, considering they were farther ahead than the skeleton was to the objective. He wanted them out of play before he continued on his mission. Raising his sword towards Mephilius, the quartet of Vulcan Yew guns began to unload their rounds at the firey demon as Charlie continued on the path towards the pyramid.

Running through his own checklist, the skeleton had his shield back at full capacity, all of his swords were still geared on him, and the path he was heading towards was still clear. The hydra's dark entails were leaking close to it, but Bonesword was on a path to avoid them entirely, so he didn't see them as a true threat. All he was worried about was the demons in the distance making his day all that much worse.

Xirphi stepped through the portal, she was exceptionally late to the metaphorical party, but to be fair she had just arrived amongst the forces of Hell. While those who saw her would make it clear that she was a demon, given her appearance and the general presence of her body language. She could see battles between the forces of Hell, Man, and her best friends of the Angelic beings. The blistering sun caught her attention for a brief moment, causing her to look up and appreciate its warmth as she was accustomed to a rather cold environment and times of warmth could be rare. The arena might not be a complete waste of her time after all, plenty of souls, a nice heat, everything seemed peachy.

The demon took a step forward in the sand, feeling the pangs in her stomach rising once more as she craved for the souls of those who fought in the arena. Yet, she had a job that needed to be done, so she began to stroll through the battlefield, attempting a somewhat of a leisurely stroll as to hopefully not be noticed by the others who were fighting. Her mind, however, began to betray her as she see all those fighting as morsels, ripe for the taking. It was a torture for her as she attempted to push through the arena, but something seemed to get in her way somehow. Some force prevented her from leaving, the force of pure hunger for those souls around her. Xirphi felt her lower jaw snap in half and her three tongues began to show themselves as her thoughts began to focus on purely that.

It was a hard battle in her mind, but she needed to move forward otherwise she might stay in the blaster arena forever and attempt to devour everything in sight. Plus, she was in a more weakened state given that she was hungry and hasn’t eaten a soul in a while. Xirphi turned away from the battle and noticed people leaving the arena, going to a nearby ravine. Of course allowing prey to leave was just terrible, thus she followed to find that, yes, it was a ravine, but not just any ravine, a ravine with many a scorpions.

Her aura began to flare up, uncontrolled hunger began to show itself and she charged head first at the scorpion menace. Xirphi began to spit acid into one’s face before turning to another and allowing her tongues to go to work, stabbing the scorpion through its eyes before viciously ripping out its soul and bringing it back to the host demon. The soul wasn’t delicious, nor innately powerful, but it was a good snack. Yet, snacks were not enough as it only provoked her hunger more.

”I hunger!” Xirphi roared, the four foot demon pouncing from scorpion to scorpion, ripping out their souls and spitting acid everywhere. Her aura caused some to even begin attacking each other, acting out cannibalism as they felt a hunger never before felt. Such was life for the demon.

Word got through Machina communications that their members were outnumbered and needed some extra help. This being 53-AD's first major battle within the Machina it was a prime time to gain some valuable experience. 53-AD entered the arena in a flash. He quickly scanned his surroundings seeing the vast expanse of an arena and further ahead a ravine. Being that he was alone, 53-AD correctly assumed that is where all the combatants were headed.

The next moment he was taking off across the desert sand without much of a noise. His bipedal legs propelled him at fantastic speeds straight across the desert, rifle at the ready. Sand blew in his wake creating a spectacle for miles around. Now was not the time for stealth, that would come later. Right now he needed to get to his allies and provide tactical support. As he continued across the sands he spotted a monstrous figure, but decided not to engage, "Better not get involved until I have some support", he thought.

Mephilus' electrical shot unleashes a powerful voltage that discharges through the water, yet it does little in halting the hydra's movement. It's in such an enraged state that it didn't seem to bother with the shock. Instead of halting it bites down on Nina, the only comrade that the knight had in competing against the others.

Just like that, she's gone.

His heart sank slightly at the fact that he'll now be a one man army, leading only his minions to their goal. A shame that the dragon was so easily defeated... she seemed to have much potential. And now, things seem to have gotten that much harder for him. He curses Hell under his breath for not having them supply another demon to join the fray, now facing with the reality that he's on his own. He'll need to be quick on his wits if he even has a chance to get to the goal...

But then the mighty beast freezes, issuing a distorting roar of agonizing pain and suffering as it suddenly explodes. Red mist, followed by chunks of flesh, guts, and scales, rain down on the entire battlefield, with some pieces splattering down on his armor. And in the middle of it, stood Nina roaring triumphantly in her victory. The Hell Knight took back what he cursed prior as he watches her exit to the next stage.

It looks like Mephilus ought to follow in pursuit, now slightly more confident in their odds of winning. But before he has the chance in advancing, Bonesword unleashes his guns on the demonic enforcer. As the knight runs to the next stage, he places his shield next to the line of fire, blocking the bullets while firing off a cluster round, as his suit's thrusters push him into the sky and to the next stage.

And little does the Hell Knight know... another scaly reinforcement has just arrived down at the Ravine.

---

As the archangel lands shortly after firing his beams, Rose retaliates by firing her own beam, which suddenly bursts into eight baby lasers. And they are all around him. The speed at which they are launched are still slightly faster and it appears as if Lucifus is going to get hit. He attempts to quickly erect his shielding, but even they too are running a little low and this time they aren't guaranteed to be put up in time. But out of pure instinct does Lucifus try, ready to take on the punishment that's coming towards him.

Yet fate barely saved him once again, as Saef returns the favor by having his orbs absorb the lasers. Lucifus immediately lowers his shields, trying to save up on the cooldown, nodding at his partner. Saef wants the archangel to attack, while he defends. They need to keep going or they'll be left in the dust.

"Cover me."

With that, he sets his eyes on the next stage, with Rose straight ahead as he makes a mad dash towards the next area, bashing straight into the Machina warrior as he does. As he dashes forward, he feels as if he's gotten slightly faster, or that the Nexus has reverted back to normal speed. He doesn't quite know what that was all about, but he had a hunch that Rose's lasers were the cause of his slightly slowed-down speed. And if so... he better make sure he doesn't get hit at all costs.

Henry lay on a hospital bed within some Machina hospital that probably hadn't been used in ages. God knows the humans didn't get injured and the machines certainly didn't go to hospitals. He was still unconscious after his battle with Kiara, under the influence of very heavy anesthetics to keep him from waking up and possibly tearing apart everything around him. It was perhaps the only solace a demon could have in the realm of the Nexus. Many a soldier often found themselves without sleep, plagued by terrible imagery of those long departed. For Henry however, dream came in the form of something....else.

It was a testament to Kiara's power that bits and pieces of images, flickering and few, flitted about in Henry's mind. Images that would make no sense to him, of places he had never seen before. In reality, they were nothing but misguided memories that did not belong, a consequence of facing Kiara. But to whose memories did they belong to, Kiara or her Vassal? Indeed, some images showed the Eel in them, leading the demon down a flurry of emotions and sensations. Yet with time, even they began to fade into the darkness of his mind, replaced with something....else. Some that moved in the shadows.

Henry observed these fleeting memories as if they were dreams, forgetting each as they passed by while some were engraved into his mind as if they were his own. But the memories slowly faded, replaced with the quiet and unsettling darkness of unconsciousness. Yet he was still conscious, or at least he thought he was. No time to dwell on that, something else was here. Perhaps a figment of his drug addled subconscious, perhaps some of Kiara's powers that remained within his head after he had been shot. He did not know, nor did he care. All he knew was, he wasn't alone. Henry remained on guard, trying to pierce the darkness with his gaze and figure out what lay in his dreams with him.

As he sifted in the scape of his mind, something began to emerge from the lowlight. A slow emotion that sparked the air like electricity indicated this was perhaps Roma's memory of....something else. Whatever it was had yet to reveal itself, appearing only as a figure whose back was turned from Henry. It was vaguely familiar and the closer he stepped towards it, the more he felt attracted as well. As if there was a force pulling him closer, dragging his curiosities to their full attention. Only when he was close, ever so close, did the air change in Roma's memory. The air began to stench of fear and something.....else.

Henry could feel it in the air, this invisible energy that told him this memory belonged to his mentor Roma. Finally his eyes found what he was searching for, a familiar figure but a hazy one at that. He felt unnaturally curious as to what this was and why shouldn't he? It's not like he had much else to do in this endless expanse of darkness other than to approach the mysterious figure that stood before him. One step became two, which became three, eventually he was right there when the air shifted once more. He could feel it now, something he had become accustomed to in his life. Fear. Henry's heartbeat skipped a little, but this was no time to cower. There was something else in the air, something not as familiar to Henry. He reached out to the figure, determined to turn her around so he could see their face.

"Who's there?" No wonder the figure was familiar; for the voice no doubt sparked something from Henry. One could hardly forget the force that pummeled him into mountains in the forges of battle. But Juno spoke with a sharp bite, almost a hiss in her tone. And when she turned around to stare down the demon, she appeared much differently than the last time they had encountered each other. Instantly his throat was in her grip, the demon jetted forward as Juno held him aloft from the ground. "What are you," she asked; from this view, Henry could see the feral, reptilian slits that had overtaken her gaze.

"Ah shit." Was all he managed to get out before his throat was in her hand, his legs kicking in the air as he struggled to breath. Just his luck that his mind would bring forth one of Roma's equals, the Vassal of Space, Juno. She had torn apart his magic and kicked him through a mountain, but this was a much different version of Juno clearly. It was in her eyes, that snake like gaze that pierced his soul as she asked who he was. No, not who he was, what he was. Time to talk, maybe if he answered correctly he wouldn't have to find out what dying in a dream felt like. "I'm nothing important really, just someone who wandered up to the wrong person at the wrong time I guess." He forced a nervous grin onto his face as he looked at her, not in the eyes, but at her face regardless. Was it just him or was she skinnier than the time he saw her?

While Xirphi could have stayed there all day and feast on the scorpions that seemed to be attacking each other at this point, she had a job to do. The snack of the scorpions staved off the hunger pangs for the time being but she knew it would be a little time before she began to feel the true effects of hunger again. She turned and began running through the ravine, moving faster now that she had absorbed the power of several scorpion souls though the boost was exceptionally small given the power of those feeble scorpions meant nothing to other powers.

She could see figures ahead, along with many piles of salivating meat, upon closer inspection Xirphi could see that the forces of angels and man were fighting. That was a certainly strange sight for her, though considering the Nexus, nothing was all too strange that it was outside the realm of reality. The demon did not let them stop her, though she did not want to get in the middle of their battle as taking unnecessary damage would likely cause her to stay behind her pack, unless they were all dead and this was just a pointless exercise. Using the weak souls she had consumed would likely not be a great idea either, especially since she would need to use them later in a dire situation.

Her instinct to attack them was suppressed, through her aura was not as she still hungered for their souls. Xirphi, regardless, gave the angels and such a wide girth as too not draw their attention. The demon dropped to all fours as to get more speed, as well as to lower her profile, though it was awkward given it was not something she did often though it was what her legs were designed to do in the first place. However, it seemed she was not fast enough as she could only keep up with them in pace as she continued forward. At least she could see them.

When Suparna came to see Iona, she was looking over a group of children training in one of of Celestia’s many gardens. As soon as the walking colony approached them, the kids were overcome by curiosity and dropped their activity to closer to take a better look at her.

Iona raised a hand to ensure that they would respect Suparna’s personal space before addressing the Maggot Queen. "It’s a surprise to see you walking around without Diana," she said in a nonchalant way. "Before I answer your question, let me ask you: Are you seeking to improve your skill with the blade, enlightenment, or is it atonement? I’ll not judge your motivations. In fact, your acting of seeking the thrill of warfare renews my hopes for you. However, the Nexus is a world of unending strife. I could point my finger to any direction and you would find battle happening there. Knowing your intention would help choose the most appropriate one for your needs."

A faint smile graced Iona’s lips as she continued to hold the children behind her radiant dark wings, waiting for Suparna’s reply.

---

53-AD picked up speed as he ran by multiple corpses of scorpions which stained the sands in their blood. One was unfortunate enough to get in his way so he had to punch straight through it after paralyzing it with a shot from his paralysis rifle. It exploded in a display of violence. More scorpions scuttled away as they had seen enough fighting and death. 53-AD did not object.

Continuing 53-AD saw a monstrous looking creature on all fours running. In front of her were some angelic beings. If AD-53 was to make it without being sensed he would have to activate his stealth drive. 53-AD cloaked himself and his sounds with his drive so that he could get past them without being sensed so easily. Unfortunately, he could not mask the imprints in the sand his feet would make. It would be a strange sight for anyone who was paying attention to the prints being made in the sand.

His bipedal legs carried him further even faster then the creature could travel. Being mechanical allowed him to not get tired, but to continue at a very quick rate. Even so he did not engage it. The angels up ahead may become more of an issue however.

He sent a message toward his Machina allies further down in the Oasis as he approached, "This is unit 53-AD, I require some fire support on angelic beings behind your location.."

@Lmpkio@Lauder@Spiffy



The two heavenly beings shot through the air like rounds from a Machina grav cannon. Most of the champions for each side had already left the Blood Arena, leaving the ordinary foot soldiers to reapply a vigorous coating of the location's namesake. It was an awe inspiring spectacle if one could ignore the screams of the dying...and the smell.

Luckily Saef wasn't just the egotistical scientific superstar he had once been. Battlefields no longer fazed him like they once had. Instead of yanking off his helmet and emptying his stomach the thaumaturge was setting another spell in motion. His sweeping hand sent an invisible current of energy at Lucifus, the channel momentarily humming like a high voltage wire as it enveloped the archangel. To any gifted with magical sight like Saef was, his companion and he were now cocooned in protective magic and connected be a cable of energy. Nothing would be touching them as long as his mana lasted.

His job done for the moment Saef scanned the battlefield around them. There was a Demon with an unusually strong aura in the ravine with them, a collection of foot soldiers from each side cutting their way through the local scorpion population...and another Machina drone who's movement's caught his eye. They were smooth and precise even a hyper-efficient member of the robot hordes. To say nothing of the fact that it went and vanished right before his eyes.

A helpful bit of text popped up on his HUD, his computer had also been tracking the drone and posited that this model also had stealth capabilities. Teleportation and high speed maneuvers normally resulted in large energy spikes. It's theory was reinforced moments later when a signal burst sang out from a course consistent with that of the vanished drone.

With a sigh, Saef began summoning orbs that floated around him. The small stars slowly forming a constellation around him as he streaked through the air.

"Careful." He called out to Lucifus. "We have a stealthed Machina drone around here somewhere."

---

The onrush of youth's brought the maggot girl to a halt, her entourage a step behind her as they were all bathed in the warm glow of Iona's light. Normally Suparna would have had to stifle a gulp of apprehension in the Vassal's presence, yet looking at the woman now there was hardly an edge to her demeanor to be found. What reticence remained melted before her nurturing tone, and she found herself fostering a small smile towards the poorly concealed children as she mulled on the offering.

"I...I could do with all of them, but that would be a selfish request. Suffice it to say I'm hardly better with a blade then those behind your wings, so seeking improvement when compared against enemies who have and will continue to improve for thousands of years would be the work of ages. And atonement..."

Her eyes darted downwards, eyeing the pale flesh of her outer shell as she clenched her fingers sharply together. More then anything else, she didn't have the gall to say to this Angel of Law that she didn't know where to start in that regard. For her crimes against the faction that now harbors her? That of nature itself? Or perhaps the very treachery and cowardice that brought her here now.

With a sigh the tension left her and she spoke, "I ask for Enlightenment through conflict. By my own strength I will stand, and hope that I can deserve the trust placed in me through my service. There are so many branching paths before me, and I lack the wisdom and knowledge to know right from wrong. It is time I fixed that."

In nearly an instant, Titanica finds herself back at the foundry where her search began. The wounds of the previous battle are still rather fresh as repair drones scurried back and forth trying to fix the damage. Massive gashes can be seen on the walls, exposing the inner workings of the factories and damaged refineries ooze with hardened lava. Yet it seems that none of the bots sound an alarm the moment she and Hoho arrived. The Vassal definitely thought her present was going to be noted, but perhaps these bots were perhaps too busy to look up; or perhaps Hoho was doing some kind of tampering. Who knew. It’s a great opportunity to search around, nodding lightly at the alchemist offering help if she’s needed. The Vassal didn’t feel like she needs her help, but at least the thought counts.

After several minutes walking through the ruins of the foundry, she enters a large hangar area, badly damaged by the battle. Still have the bots not sounded the alarm or even took note of the vassal’s presence. Not even bothering with them, Titanica continues to proceed, eventually entering a door that leads inside the facility. The twisting maze of corridors didn’t bother her, as she finds herself descending deeper and deeper down into the base. Lights began flickering the deeper she went, yet most of the lower levels seem to be more preserved compared to what happened outside. It came to the point where she couldn’t see any other repair drones coming down the hallways.

As Titanica turns towards a random door, it opens to reveal a large horizontal shaft, revealing yet another dark pit. This must be some sort of elevator shaft that reaches to the lower levels. Maybe whatever she seeks is hiding somewhere here. Even she is becoming more curious at whatever the Machina was doing down here prior to their evacuation. Having nothing better to do, she jumps down, descending deeper and deeper into the dark abyss below, until suddenly smashing open the roof of the elevator and landing right in it. Looking forward, Titanica reveals another long horizontal corridor. A large track can be seen in the middle, which suggests it must’ve been a train track that transported goods from section to section of the foundry. There’s a sign here.

To her right, it points “To Section G3” and to her left “To Research Division Complex”.

Titanica goes left, walking for roughly three minutes before encountering a massive mess. The research complex seemed to have been completely destroyed, as if an explosion took place here. It didn’t look like it was made from an outside factor, like if someone came in and destroyed the place. The facility prior to encountering this place in the lower levels past “Level 10” felt rather preserved and unaffected compared to the battle above. It felt like it was blown up on purpose… as if it’s hiding something. The Vassal’s curiosity spikes as she enters the decrypted facility. She doesn’t mind much other than debris from the walls and the broken lab equipment. Giant mechanical structures can be seen near the back of the little chambers, with even green liquid oozing from several tank-like structures in one location.

What were they doing here?

As she reaches the end of the facility, she encounters what appears to be a large command center. Titanica sees ruined chairs spread across the room, with burnt wiring, paper, and metal littered all across the floor. A huge badly damaged screen, ten meters high and thrice as long, overlooks the entire room, with most of the glass having been shattered by the blast. The vassal begins to look around, hoping to find as much information as she can. At first she finds herself coming up empty. Most of the information here has seemed to have vanished completely as soon as the blast was sprung. But as she turns towards the opposite side of the room, she eyes a small pile of papers lying on a table. The vassal approaches them, grabbing the top most paper and begins reading.

She immediately sees the letters “TEP” typed on the top of the paper before reading at the transmission. All it showed was boring scientific calculations and precise measurements. She glances at the rest of the papers, most of them being generally the same thing until she picked up the bottom most paper. The paper showed what appears to be a sketch of a metallic robot, sporting a saurian body and had rows of spikes on its back. This thing eerily looked like herself. She searches for a name, eventually glancing right at the title itself.

“Unit-T Prototype MK: II”.

This can’t be what she thinks it is, right? The mech’s structure, name, and even some of the weaponry that’s named… this has to be it. Is this what she sensed earlier? She attempts to pick up any strange signatures of any kind, sniffing the air as she virtually scans the entire facility, yet comes up with nothing but the smell of burnt metal and musty air. Whatever was going on here, it now only confirms the fact that “TEP” was attempting to hide their tracks. And for the most part they did a good job at even covering the scent. Yet not everything here was destroyed, as shown with the possession of this document.

It appears the vassal has what she needs. She could try to look around for more clues, but what else can she find? She can already imagine Hoho complaining loudly on the surface, or perhaps already having left the Foundry entirely. Without any delay, she turns back to the entrance of the facility and begins to make her way back out of this place.

Yet she couldn’t help but feel like she’s being watched.

Though frankly, what she felt was no concern to the great Alchemist. Hoho had tagged along with a whistling tune in her step, observing the busy little robots hard at work. She had offered Titanica her help and since she was denied, all that was really keeping her was some form of entertainment to be had. Eventually entering some secret room, Hoho took in the area with a dull glance and a yawn. "TEP again? You know Zilla, I've had my fair share of run ins with those guys. If they were the ones you're after you could have just, I dunno, asked?" What was going to be more follow up retorts died down into a curious pause.

Because now she too felt the sensation of being watched creep up her short body, a smirk forming on her lips. But how? Why was it now Eos was suddenly aware of the Vassal's presences? Well....maybe she had decided to end her tampering for a few minutes; just enough time for the High Queen to dispatch an agent to deal with the intrusion. And given the aura both her and Titanica knew all too well, it was becoming painfully obvious which one Eos had sent. "Heads up Zilla. We seem to have company."

Sure enough, the soft footfalls of Roma's frame echoed in the chamber before she eventually found the two. A most displeased look scrawled on her feature at the sight; it was bad enough she was dealing with problems of her own, what with recuperating Henry as well as managing Hyperion from the shadows. But to have three Vassals meet like this....she had a twinge of annoyance at who might be behind this fated gathering. But enough about that. Sleeves pressed against each other, Roma stared unblinking at the two. "Titanica. Hohenheim. Explain your presence here."

The Vassal of Nether had never heard of these "TEP" personnel before. How could she have known who they were if she wasn't aware of their existence. Even then, she doesn't even know for sure if this is who she should be following in the first place. For all she knew, this may not be the thing she's looking for and all that she's doing is being lead unwillingly into a trap.

Speaking of traps, here comes Roma appearing from virtually out of nowhere. Titanica had already begun to sense a presence as soon as she came out of the facility, but ignored it as she considered it was Eos who was monitoring her. Only after she hears the faint sounds of footsteps coming down the hall has it been confirmed. Now she sets her sight on the Vassal of Energy and her glare turned into a soured grimace.

"Ugh, this bitch again..." she sighs, bearing her teeth at the Eel.

She remembers the last time she encountered Roma, centuries ago as the Vassal of Nether was laying waste to a nearby town. Long story short, the two fought against one another, and the Saurian Vassal lost. Not only did she lose, but she was humiliated under white straps of toothy bondage ultimately being made a complete fool out of. Wayne was definitely not pleased by that sudden defeat and Titanica was severely punished for it. Now just by simply looking at the Eel, Titanica feels a volcano of vengeance slowly making its way to the surface of her conscience. However, she wasn't here to finish business with Roma.

"Roma." she blurts out with a hiss, "I can ask the same with you. As much as I want to beat your tiny face after our last encounter, I'm not here to fulfill my grudge with you. Nor am I here to destroy this place. And frankly, that's all you need to know. Step aside and we'll be on our way out of here, never to return."

Titanica's glare and misgivings were easily deflected by Roma's own deadpan stare. She could hardly care if the other Vassal had grudges to hold, especially when it was so long. Furthermore, Titanica and Hoho both in the same place was suspicion enough, especially for what the Alchemist was known for. Though to her credit, Hoho was keeping out of it, merely sporting the biggest grin on her face as her eyes switched from one to the other. "Is that so? Excuse me then if I have some difficulty believing your intentions. Were you alone, I might not have passed a second glance. But associating yourself with her has me, shall we say, concerned." The Eel's stared at Hoho now, who merely shrugged. "Do you provide proof that you mean no harm, and that you will leave this place without cause for alarm?"

Titanica attempts to quell her anger as even she shrugs herself.

"I'm looking for something." she responds in a calm yet firm tone. She then glances at Hoho for a second with a slightly peeved look, "With Hoho's help, yes. I thought I remembered sensing something here as I was traveling by. Something... personal, you can say. Yet it turned out I found nothing of value here. And in that light, this place has no use to me. I'm leaving this location in peace. That's all this is."

She raises her hands and opens them to reveal that she's innocent. The paper she found in TEP was tucked neatly inside her clothes, with not a crease or tip being exposed. Even so, it is true that she has no future plans of coming back here. This place has provided all that it can.

Oh this was going nowhere. Hoho had expected a deathmatch between these two or, hell, some form of amusement to sate her infinite boredom! But of all times....now they wanted to be civil!? Well, not while she could stand for it; before Roma could respond, the Alchemist leaned close to Titanica on her tip toes, eager to whisper words of wisdom. "Psst, Zilla! Don't you know the Eel is married to High Queen Eos herself? If this TEP or whatever is the best lead you've got, isn't it best to get as much information as you can? And who has the most knowledge about the Machina in this room...." she said, flicking her head to Roma with a predatory smile. That alone put Roma on guard, not liking where this was going and causing a spark to crackle between her finger tips. "I say you take her with you. See how much she's willing to spill."

The Vassal of Nether examines Roma carefully while taking Hoho's words into account. She indeed recalls the Eel's tight involvement with the Machina, but this would be the first that she has heard of her engagement with Eos. To her, this makes sense. And not only would she retrieve information that she seeks, but of course satisfy her vengeance against the Eel. Yet she's completely unaware that these poisonous remarks were already beginning to poison the mind of the already vengeful Vassal. If she hadn't had such a history with Roma, Titanica could've ignored it, but now...

This is an opportunity she cannot afford to pass off.

A echoing groan emits from her maw as she raises her head from listening to Hoho. She continues looking at the eel, at first looking conflicted about this entire endeavor. What seemed to be the glance of reason, turned into the same predatory smile that Hoho emitted just seconds earlier. A second later, Roma would find her body being constricted by two massive arms, squeezing her tightly against her chest. Titanica couldn't help but to look at her enstrangled prey, licking her chops as saliva drips from her aching maw. Today, unagi is on the menu and it's going to be a very tasty morsel indeed.

Roma's worst fears were starting to become reality because now both of them were giving off similar looks. "Titanica, what did she say to you?" she asked, already reaching for a knife. "Whatever it is, we can discuss this order-gahh!" Her cry brought Hoho's smile brimming until it looked as if it was eclipse her face. Roma's efforts at renewed negotiation had put her off guard, allowing Titanica to not only slip behind her, but also hold her in place. It was a cruel reminder that both were Vassals of equal power. As she was squeezed, Roma kicked about in the lizard's grip, her knife dropping to the ground. "Urgh, Titanica, enough of this!" With a glare she began to emit a pulse of electricity, intent to fry the other woman alive.

For her part, Hoho found the largest circuit of spared machinery and plopped upon it with legs crossed. Oh this was delicious...she almost felt like applauding her new partner in crime for giving in to her more base instincts. Honor and whatnot were wasted when they were Vassals, through and through. One hand opening a portal and depositing some red mush to her lap while another produced a small of fluids. "This should be good for research," she mused to herself, taking it all in silence as she transfigured the glob of red into popcorn, eagerly awaiting Titanica's next move....

Rose's voice would come in loud and clear through the Machina comm systems as she flew overhead, firing upon all sorts of mooks and minions from both Heaven and Hell. "This is your resident fire support Rose Jaeger, coming in hot!" Her various armnaments began to light up one after another, each one pounding the hordes of Hell and the holy soldiers of Heaven into oblivion to clear the way for Muramasa, Bonesword, and 53-AD. Her shoulder cannons however kept charging as she flew towards Amaterasu and Chen, firing at the very last moment before pulling up hard.

Chen however was more than prepared for Rose's amateur strategy, pulling both Amaterasu and himself off the platform and onto a soft pile of flowers that Chen had grown to break their fall. Chen landed first, with Amaterasu falling onto his stomach moments later. Chen didn't even bother with a grunt of discomfort, pushing Amaterasu off of himself as he looked at Rose's retreating form. His wings emerged as he took off after the girl with only a mutter of "Don't fall behind." to Amaterasu as he chased after the Machina fire support. Both were heading to the first pyramid, with Rose attempting to stall Chen by any means possible. If one took the time to look into the skies, they would see flashes of light exploding and parting the clouds, along with occasional bursts of a green energy.

---

But there was no time to look into the skies for Nina as she landed at the first pyramid, a feral snarl plastered onto her face as she struggled to calm down. She was torn on whether or not she should wait for her companion, but shoved the thought out of her mind quickly. He would catch up sooner or later, either that or he would die. And if he did there was no point in sticking around and waiting for him, so with that thought in hand she entered the first pyramid.

---

Bonesword had made a smart choice in staying away from the big players of the Nexus, with his current path in mind he was likely to completely bypass the heavy hitters of the Nexus and get to the pyramid in good time. His plan in theory was basically fool proof, which was a rare thing in the Nexus.

However there's an old saying in the Nexus that any soldier worth their salt knows and lives by. "No plan survives contact with the enemy." Bonesword would suddenly find himself frozen in place, unable to move even a single bone of his body as footsteps crunched through the sand behind him. "So you're the one who Gattica was making so much of a fuss over?" If Bonesword bothered to look at Charlie at all he would see that it's cowering, backing away from the feminine voice as the footsteps got closer and closer.

Finally the owner of the voice would come into view as she walked into Bonesword's line of sight, a woman with an air of dangerous elegance about her. From the black horns that adorned her head to the ornate dress she wore, everything about her screamed that she was important and dangerous. Possibly even more dangerous than anyone else on this battlefield. Bonesword would be also able to see a distinct aura surrounding her that he could instantly recognize, this was the biggest warning sign. It was of Death, something he was intimately familiar with. This aura of Death was more intense than any he had seen in his unlife, "You don't look like anything special to me. Just another skeleton minion of Hell." Suddenly she leaned forwards, examining him more closely from as she stared into his eyeholes. A small hum emanated from her throat, followed by a smile that would chill most to the bone. "What's your name skeleton?"

It seemed that whatever was ahead of her got ambushed, and getting closer she saw an skeletal being and a strange woman, along with a basilisk. Xirphi skidded to a halt, her three tongues manifesting as she stood a couple yards away from the three. She stood up and eyed them for a moment, noticing the skeleton was not moving away from the lady, though the basilisk seemed afraid, she began to circle around the right side of them, not sure at what to do in this situation. The Devourer could never tell if people were friend or foe these days, and unfortunately for her, most people were foe.

”Well, ain’t this fun?,” were her only words as she remained focused on the group, though her eyes were more on the woman than anything else. While she could attack and attempt to slaughter them both, there was some kind of aura emanating from the woman and it left a bad taste in her mouth. However, running meant her back would be turned to a potential enemy which was something that she couldn’t simply let happen. In the distance, further into the Oasis, she could hear the symphony of explosions, a sound that was not foreign to the Nexus by any means. Her sight moved to the edge of her eyes, wanting to see how close the explosions were, but it was only a glimpse as she forced herself to refocus on the two in front of her. Xirphi felt herself begin to build up acid in her stomach, keeping it at the ready in case she would need to expel some at the three if they proved to be a threat to her.

As soon as Amaterasu was pushed off of Chen, the goddess took her own form of flight as she followed behind him, wings made of pure light forming along her back. This was a desert that was constantly warmed by the heat of the sun. If there was any place in the Nexus where she could fight, it'd be here for sure. Despite it being night, the setting sun still left it's effect on the goddess, though it wasn't as strong as an hour ago.

The goddess watched Chen as he rose into the skies after Titania, but the goddess decided against continuing engagement with the Machina. If she proceeded to assist Chen, it'd mean only one thing. That the mission would have less of a chance of being completed.

So she continued, with an intent to take down some opposition from other forces. Namely the armored denizen of Hell that had been fired upon by the powers of the skeleton Machina. Flying as quickly as she could towards the demon, the goddess drew her sword of light as she slashed the blade towards Mephilius, a wave of holy light flying towards him at breakneck speeds. Of course, he could dodge, as there was time, but that hit would be nasty if left unchecked.

---

Bonesword stood in fear of the horned woman in front of him. This was... this wasn't a good situation. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, even Charlie was scared at the woman that halted his master. The woman's voice crept up his spine as it chilled his very soul, the skeleton listening to her words as if they were the words of Eos herself. To him, that aura told him she was more important to him than Eos, but he'd never admit that. It'd definitely destroy his life in Hyperion.

"You don't look like anything special to me. Just another skeleton minion of Hell." That was quite rude, wasn't it? Being compared to his brethren in Hell wasn't exactly a thing that made Bonesword very happy. He held his metaphorical tongue, though, as he was pretty sure this woman could easily destroy him within fourteen and a half milliseconds.

"What's your name skeleton?" Bonesword stood there and pondered before he gave his name. He was unsure of what exactly she was asking for specifically. Sure, he had a real name, but in actuality he went by Bonesword ever since he enlisted with the Machina. Which name was the most fitting to give the woman was the real question.

Then some kind of enemy ran up and said something rather... stupid. She kept her distance, but it still left Bonesword a bit miffed. Sure, they were currently in some kind of battle right now, but can't even the opposition recognize that there are things that mean a lot more than this war going on sometimes? Bonesword looked at her before glancing to Charlie, a simple task being put into his head. The basilisk slipped between the new enemy and the woman of Death as Bonesword gave the answer to the woman's question.

"I had taken up the name Bonesword ever since I had enlisted with the Machina, ma'am." Why end what's been persisting for a while? There was no real point in using his real name when everyone knew him as Bonesword, anyhow.

Charlie remained put as the barrier between the woman and the enemy as the Vulcan Yew on his sides and head pointed at the new arrival. They did not fire, rather they stood at the ready in case the enemy showed hostility. Bonesword didn't want this meeting with who he assumed was Death to go into chaos just yet.

She stared at Bonesword for a while, before suddenly snapping her fingers and turning away from him, he would find he had control over his body once more as she began to speak again. "You're much more respectful than most Demons who reside in the Nexus, that's smart. But," The woman suddenly flicked Bonesword's skull, a dull pain echoing through his entire body as he suddenly felt his connection to Charlie being cut. "You will refer to me as Mistress Indra from now on. A Vassal such as myself deserves the utmost respect, especially from a pitiful skeleton like yourself." If Bonesword attempted to use any of his plant based powers he would find it impossible, anything he attempted to summon would immediately die.

Xirphi's comment was not lost on Indra as she turned to the lizard Demon, her sultry grin morphing into a scowl as she looked down on the lizard. "Now then skeleton, we have an unwanted visitor. Get rid of the pitiful flesh sack, her presence annoys me." A throne of bones suddenly erupted from the ground, Indra sitting down gracefully as she looked upon the two Demons. A vague shooing motion was sent in the general direction of Charlie, the implication clear.

The lizard gaze a feigned look of hurt by the comment from the 'Vassal', looking at the woman before commenting in a sarcastic tone, "You wound me. I am not annoying, I'm just an asshole." Her expression shifted into something that showed amusement before her eyes shifted to the skeleton, unknowing of what he would do in the situation, her guess would be to obey the whim of this being and attack her. Xirphi let out a sigh before her tone went to something more serious, "Miss... Indra, right? I am really hungry, like hungry to a point where I;m starting to believe that fighting would seem like a chore more than anything. Maybe we could, like, schedule this another time?"

A whip lashed out at the ground near Xirphi's feet, the ground blackening and cracking as Indra toyed with her whip. "You're lucky I give you a chance to live at all after your callous disrespect towards me. Now silence yourself before I change my mind." There was not even a hint of amusement in her tone, it was very clear that the next strike would be Xirphi's last.

Looking down at the blackened ground and hearing the words of Indra sent a shiver up her spine, not many things did that to her and Xirphi was sure it was just the ungodly aura that was emanating from the Vassal. Xirphi gave a look of fear before stepping back, however, she did not even try to run as the odds of her making it far were slim to none in her mind. She kept her mouth closed this time, no snarky reply or witty comment to downplay the situation. Her eyes flicked back over to the one who called himself 'Bonesword', waiting for the skeleton to do something that would warrant her needing to A) run or B) plea for her life though some unknown way. She hoped that she would not have to fight the traitor demon, not wanting to waste any of the power from her snack of scorpions that she had earlier.

Bonesword stood staring at the newly arrived demon, a slight headache ringing through his skull. The skeleton began to speak, pausing slightly to give a quick thought to the situation before speaking again. "Mistress, if you are truly of Death, then answer me a single question..." Bonesword drew the Shroomblade as he took a fighting stance, aiming his sword directly at the foe that stood before him, his foe responding in kind by splitting her mouth open and allowing her tongues to take position. "Am I allowed the use of necromancy?" He knew how to do it, but it was generally frowned upon in Hyperion and everywhere else to practice the unclean magic that he knew and mastered.

Indra's merely nodded, her scowl turning back into a content smirk as she listened to the skeleton. While his phrasing of the question was lacking in respect, she would allow it to pass this once. There was something interesting she saw in the skeleton, perhaps Gattica was onto something after all... of course if she was there was no way she could let her get her stupid green hands on it, this one lied in her domain after all. "If you don't get to killing the fleshsack soon I will kill both of you. Just a friendly warning."

Bonesword's glance narrowed at the beast as he began running up to it, his right hand open and emanating some form of darkened magic. Xirphi would be surprised to find that a singular arm shot out of the ground towards her head as the skeleton leaped to the side, trying to keep his movements unpredictable so he could land every blow possible. Beneath the two fighters, the sands of the arena began to shift as the bones of scorpions and humans arose from the sands, seemingly hostile towards Xirphi and with intent to kill. Hell, even the husks of some of the scorpions Xirphi ate would rise, wanting to seek vengeance on the Devourer for their untimely demise.

The acid Xirphi built up shot from her mouth as the skeletal arm moved towards her, near instantly dissolving it before the skeleton summoned his little minions to attempt to do his dirty work for him. Seeing dead things come back made her believe that souls were being manipulated somehow and the thought of souls made her hungry, her aura flared out and even Bonesword, a being who had no need for a stomach, would find his non-existent stomach growling. The small lizard propelled herself upwards, using her tongues to launch her into the air to avoid the minions. As she came back down, her tongues began to rip through the corpses, searching for souls to drag back to the devourer and where they found none they moved on to the next, leaving only pieces in their wake.

"Ah-ah-ahhh..." Bonesword spoke as his blade channeled the energy of his honor into the legendary Honor Strike, sending it flying towards Xirphi's tongues with intent to cut them off. "Let's play fair here, eh?" Behind the skeleton rose a massive scorpion, clearly bigger than the rest, and constructed entirely out of bones. Climbing atop it's back, the skeleton began clenched his fist as the souls Xirphi was eating halted completely, their metaphysical movement being stunted and immovable and leaving the poor wretch to have to move with her mouth open. Additionally, as every raised dead crumbled under Xirphi's attack, two more took the place of the deceased. This battlefield was ripe for souls, and Bonesword was thankful for that.

The minions were starting to get annoying, and the skeleton stopping the movement of their souls made her angry as she was being denied her snacks. Xirphi felt her feet hit the ground and instantly a wave of heat seemed to launch itself off of her as she used some of the souls she devoured to generate the wave strong enough to set the parts of the ground on fire. Needless to say, the sheer amount of heat coming off of her would likely cause a man to die within moments from burns. "You speak of fighting fair necromancer?! Then fight me yourself and stop sending your minions to do your dirty work!," she roared as she began to run about the battlefield, ripping minions into pieces and visibly moving to catch their souls in her mouth to sustain herself.

Bonesword leaped into the air as the ground below him turned ablaze, the sheer temperature of it enough to turn the sands into coarse and grainy glass. Staring down at the battle field, Bonesword took a quick once-over before deciding his next move. Landing down on the heated glass, Bonesword ran towards his foe with the Shroomblade drawn, intending to end this fight sooner rather than later. While he was doing that, a series of hands shot up from the ground under Xirphi as they tried grabbing her ankles. If she couldn't move, she would have trouble dodging the skeleton's attacks. Behind the two fighters, the sands began to fall down and down as a deep ring formed around the arena, with the ring getting deeper and deeper with every second that passed. Bonesword had an idea, and he was going through with it.

The devourer's eyes were focused on the minions before she felt skeletal hands wrap around her ankles, turning just in time to see the skeleton charging her with a sword. Xirphi took the chance of having her tongues cut off by once again launching herself upwards with her tongues. The hands were ripped from the ground as she was moving upwards. Trapping the likes of Xirphi would prove far more difficult than Bonesword would believe.

Bonesword launched after Xirphi, bringing his sword up for a skyward slash as the hands beneath him propelled him further up into the air. The second Honor Strike channeled in Bonesword's blade as he rechecked his calculations. The hit had to be guaranteed, he was sure of that, but how well the Demon would respond to the hit was up in the air. Around the arena, the ring of deepening sands began to widen out and began to encompass the arena more. The fighters had time, but how much time that was in actuality was hard to say. A minute? Ten seconds? Bonesword knew, but he wouldn't tell easily.

At the bottom of the forming sinkhole, it was revealed that a large mass of skeletons of varying sizes, shapes, and backgrounds were all digging away at the sands, continuing them farther down and continuing them on the innermost circumference of the arena. The fall was a mighty one and would definitely hurt, but so would the skeletons tearing away at your skin once you were down there.

Xirphi knew there was going to be no way for her to avoid this attack, however, there was one way thing she could do that would allow her to live through this battle. The demon pointed her mouth towards the skeleton and retracting her tongues. In the next instant a large, pure white beam shot from her mouth at the skeleton, with the power of every soul Xirphi had eaten up until that point and much of her own energy the beam pierced its way through to Bonesword. This was her trump card, she knew it would render her out of the fight but it was a chance that she was willing to take.

The digitized sounds of Bonesword's shield depleting rang through the area as Bonesword took the attack. He was a necromancer, and feeling the flurry of souls into his body only made his aim stronger. That wasn't all, as the attack was fired from a Demon. It didn't exactly do much against another demon, but against the Machina's tools it did more than expected. This resulted in the depletion of the Shooting Star Shield, allowing Bonesword's next attack to have what it's effect intended. A golden, shimmering star flew down from the sky as Bonesword's attack contacted Xirphi's body. Combining the power of the star, the Honor Strike, and the Shroomblade's potency against those of a demonic nature, the damage output would easily be enough to completely end this fight.

The skeletons digging the sand pit ceased doing so as the attack landed, no need to continue such an act when the target of it was finally hit.

Xirphi felt the blade strike true, the blade impacting with her abdomen before tearing through her scales. While the blade did not completely cleave her in two it did cut deep into her and launch her out of the pit. The demon landed in the sand with a thud, her blood spilling from her as she stare into the sky. "My attack... failed?," she whispered weakly to herself as her hand went to her wound. She could barely keep consciousness, let alone move, so the process of moving her hand to the wound wads slow. "How?" she continued to ask herself.

"You lost because you're a pathetic fleshsack. That's all there is to it." Indra spoke up finally as Xirphi lay on the ground, slowly dying. "You were fated to lose the moment you tried to fight an obviously superior being. Living flesh can't compare to the beauty of Death!" Indra covered her mouth to hide a small giggle, she squirmed in her seat as she observed Xirphi's dying breaths. "Now then skeleton. Get rid of this sorry sack of flesh, every second she lives is an insult to me."

Bonesword landed as he went to his Shroomblade, grabbing the pommel of the blade and unscrewing it from the blade itself. He stared at the demon in front of him and prepared his execution of the demon. For a moment, Bonesword had an expression of apology on his face, but it was quickly blackened out as the skeleton threw his pommel at Xirphi, the pommel colliding with her head as the Shroomblade quickly followed up, the blade jamming right through her neck and out on the other side. Blood sputtered over the skeleton's blade, a little onto his boots, but Xirphi would at least have a quick death.

Bonesword turned to Indra as he pulled his blade out of the Devourer's neck. "It has been done. She was ended rightly, Mistress Indra."

"Indeed she has, one less fleshsack on my beautiful Shattered world of Death." A sigh of contentment escaped from her mouth as she said this, if one looked closely they would even see a small flush to her cheeks as she stared at Xirphi's corpse. "I think I'm going to keep an eye on you skeleton. You interest me." If Bonesword checked he would realize his connection to Charlie had reestablished itself, along with his ability to use chloromancy. "You may go. I've been sufficiently entertained for now, make sure to kill more fleshsacks in my name." And with that Bonesword was dismissed.

"Mistress Indra, may I ask one more question to you?" Bonesword asked as he retrieved the pommel stone of his signature blade.

The amusement that had been present in her gaze quickly vanished as she stared at Bonesword impassively, seconds of pure silence passed as she considered her next action.

"Why had you come and spared my soul? I had evaded your grasp for so long, why give me mercy now, Mistress?" Bonesword began to screw his pommel back into his blade as Charlie readied for the continuation to the Pyramid. Hopefully the pair had enough time to actually make it there before more trouble showed up. Though, the necromantic potential here was as ripe as any soil he had stood on.

"...hmm." Indra stared at Bonesword as he finished his question and prepared to leave, smirking as she came to a satisfactory conclusion. "Awfully brave of you to ask something like that. What if I decided to change my mind and take your soul just for asking?" She let another long silence pass before laughing out loud, waving her hand to clear any panic the skeleton would feel. "The answer is because I'm bored and you were amusing. That's all there is to it." With that being said Indra stood up from her throne, letting it stand there as she opened a dark portal to her next destination. "Don't rest on your laurels though. I could still change my mind if I ever start to find you boring." And with that last chilling statement she was gone.

Bonesword watched as Indra left the scene, and he was alone once more in the vicinity. He was... unsure of what happened. He had his first true interaction with a Vassal just now, that was certain, but what was really going on in the grand scheme of things? Was this some kind of test of his worth? The way Indra acted... it seemed spiteful at best. He was unsure of exactly what just happened, but he wasn't afraid at the same time. Maybe he could go and talk to Roma about this later, since she was a Vassal. Hell, Eos might even know something.

Regardless, Bonesword climbed back onto Charlie and rode off towards the Pyramid in the distance, his Vulcan Yew miniguns ready to fire yet again.

Even as he left the scene, a lingering thought was left in Bonesword's mind.

He'd meet Indra again. Whether that was a good thing or bad thing was left up to him to decide.

The First Pyramid was a sight to behold, built at the edges of the oasis, beside a monumental waterfall. A bridge linking the margins of the margins of the Ma'at River could be seen on the opposite side of the dimly lit ritual plaza dominated by the Pyramid itself. The hieroglyphs etched in the dark obelisks that guarded each of the plaza's corners talked of a story of the god that dominates the waters with an iron grip of terror and the massive crocodilian statues guarding the Pyramid's entrance made the identity of the creature clear.

No traps or elaborated maze-like pathways waited for those who crossed the threshold of the God's domain; this was a challenge of power, a test of their nerves and cunning. Only those who were ready to claim the title of apex predators could hope to defeat...

As soon as anyone stepped into the Pyramid they would find themselves transported to what must have been some kind of parallel dimension, or perhaps sent all the way back to the beginning of the Nightless Oasis. Otherwise, who what would explain the massive, lush marshland where they were threading now?

The interior of the Pyramid was, in fact, taken by wildlife, with vines and trees covering its walls, water at least to the height of the knee of an average height human covering most of the places not claimed by plants and occasional spots where the darker waters could reach untold depths. The cries of birds, crocodiles and other creatures that called these swamps their homes could be heard in the distance but all of them paled in comparison to the guttural voice that echoed through the ancient stones of the Pyramid.

"You have come to this place seeking to unleash a power you do not comprehend. Turn back now, or join the ranks of the countless ones who came before you," the voice said before the forest itself shook with a massive roar.
As the first one to enter the Pyramid, Nina would naturally become the first to be targeted by the Guardian's rage. The only warning she would have before being attacked was the unnatural stillness of the water around her before a loud snapping sound of jaws breaking out of the dark pond.

"You had your chance!" The two-and-a-half meters tall, crocodilian humanoid said as he swung his machete-like blade at the smallish dragon with impressive brute force and agility before following the combination attack with a tail-whip that splashed copious amounts of water in towards her face.

As if the attack alone wasn't enough, Nina would find that the vines and roots of the plants that covered the Pyramid's innards were trying to snare her, to make the Guardian's job easier.

Receiving the fire support helped 53-AD continue without engaging the angelic targets. Machine agent Bonesword was interacting with a powerful being of sorts after another one was defeated by his own blade. 53-AD made his way toward Bonesword and continued to remain cloaked. He waited nearby just in case in needed his support.

He levelled his rifle at the potential enemy and waited. If it became hostile he would engage the threat and attempt to neutralize it. He was about 100 yards away ready to go at a moment's notice.

"Damn is this Dragon Lady fast." the hellknight thinks to himself as his suit's thrusters struggle to keep up with her.

He still has no idea where or who exactly this dragon lady is, but he's only thankful that she's here to even the odds out. She's practically carrying the entire team at this point, which makes characters like Mephilius seem rather useless in comparison. However, no doubt that if he didn't call for her to snap back into action during the Oasis fight with the Hydra, things could've gone a bit differently. Or maybe not, who knows. Either way, this dragon is certainly kicking ass and hastily carving a path for Hell to follow. But how long will this last before she bites something more she can chew?

Soon enough they come up upon the first pyramid. It was a grand looking marvel to be held indeed, with the lights issuing a warm fiery glow while right next to a calm river. It does initially seem like a welcoming place, but Mephilius knew better. Horrid creatures ought to lurk in these halls, perhaps creatures with bird-heads and crocodilian mouthes, maybe even an undead pharoh of some sort. It's only the first pyramid after all.

The dragon had entered the temple first before the Hell Knight could land by the shore of the river, but as he lands, he hears a loud roar booming from the giant structure. He rushes towards the pyramid's entrance, only to see the dragon lady engage battle with a large crocodile-headed humanoid while becoming intangled in the plants below her. Worse of all, it wielded water, something that both he and the dragon are quite vulnerable to, considering their powers are worse against it. Fire definitely won't be good here. The Knight will have to rely on brute strength and other rounds to do the job. Good thing he has kept his electrical bolts in his gunlance.

Mephilus quickly launches several electrical bolts at the crocodile, diverging his attention and possibly stunning him as he rushes forward at the beast, his thrusters launching him and his lance quickly towards him.

---

As Saef joins up with Lucifus' dash towards the next area, the former picks up the reading of a machina drone that's nearby. The archangel may not have the advanced tech that his partner has, but even he can pick up the signals that they're being watched. No doubt this drone is going to hone on their location and call for reinforcements. He may not know where it is, but they alas cannot afford to hide or focus in dealing with it just now.

"Be on a look out for it." the archangel replies to Saef as he continues flying, "If you see it, we'll shoot it down."

Lucifus then proceeds to whisper quietly towards Saef regarding their next possible strategy, just in case the drone was able to record audio.

"But now, let us make haste and diverge from the others in the first Pyramid. Chen and Ama are in one group, so we should team up for the time being. We can combine forces with the other duo once we reach the last pyramid and go from there."

With that said, Lucifus finds himself by the First Pyramid. As he comes out of the the forest, a mighty roar rippled through the trees, which appears to be coming from the pyramid itself. Whatever is lurking inside, it's big and possibly scaly. As he enters through the hallway, he sees two reptiles duking it out along with an armored hell knight. One was a crocodile deity who appears to be guarding the place, while the others were that demonic dragon lady and the armored demon. They seemed to be preoccupied with one another... could it be a chance for them to sneak around them?

---

The last thing she briefly felt was the blade of Bonesword’s weapon being jammed into her head before a darkness the likes of which she has never seen washed over her. Her memories came to her, the people she has devoured and those who were all slaughtered in the name of her trying to rid her curse of hunger. It sickened her, but then her memories settled on her last attack, the concentration of those she has devoured into a beam. The skeleton had just taken it and it angered her more than the words of Indra before her death. Yet, there was little she could do, as the cold hands of death itself had wrapped around her weak and hungry soul.

However, the Nexus was not done with her just as it was not done with the eternal war that raged inside it. Xirphi’s crimson eyes slowly fluttered open as she came to, her first sight was the fiery hellscape that she was used to, in fact she thought she was back home again and thought her parents were going to greet her. Then, she found that she was in the Sanctum of the faction of Hell. It was a saddening thing to know she was still stuck in a place that only knew war, but what was worse was her hunger was continuing to plague her existence.

Getting to her feet, the lizard scanned her surroundings, it definitely was the sanctum. Xirphi began to walk forward and out of the Sanctum to the see the swarming demon nest that was the faction’s capital. She could see many demons, their souls made her hunger and the hunger was maddening, however, she did not want to die again so Xirphi held her head down and continued forwards, wanting nothing more than to get out of the capital. However, there was nothing the demon could do to stop her tongues from seemingly begging her to be unleashed so that they may end her hunger.

Xirphi couldn’t help but look up to see how far she had made it, apparently it was not very far, only a few hundred feet. The demon let out a sigh as she heard her stomach growl, thinking to herself I don’t think I’m going to make it out without nibbling on someone. Her face grew long as she made her way further and further through the capitol, not bothering to try and look at all the chaos that surrounded her, given it was Hell and Hell was… sinful?

Sometimes she didn’t know how to describe her home place, though being herself, she was not inclined to care about much other than pointlessly trying to fill her own stomach. The stomach which forced her into what could be called a demonic bar, Xirphi hadn’t even noticed that she had walked into the place as she concentrated on controlling her hunger. There were demons of many shapes and sizes within the bar, too many souls for her to stay. She turned to leave before she heard someone speak out to her, “Hey little lady, leaving just as you arrived? Come on, most of us don’t bite and the food is good!”

Xirphi knew it was likely a lie but the word “Food” prompted her to turn her head with the biggest grin that anyone could make. Near instantly, the one who had spoken to her found that she was sitting in front of him at the bar, bouncing up and down eagerly. The bartender seemed fancy enough in his attire and was generally attractive, Xirphi guessed he was an Incubus of some form. He let out a chuckle before speaking once more to the hungry soul, asking in a sort of happy-go-lucky tone, “Glad you decided to stay. Anything you’d like?”

”Yes!” Xirphi chirped happily before continuing ”I want every piece of food you have!” The little demon hungrily licked her lips, her eyes filled with happiness at the prospect of eating some food. Though, the bartender was slightly taken back by the demand, blinking a few times to register the request before getting out a notepad and writing the simple order of “one of everything” purely so they wouldn’t run out of food. While he did so, Xirphi took the the opportunity to look around the bar.

Unlike a lot of the red fiery hellscape she was used to, the room was lit with light from blue flames and while there were many different types of demon many of them seemed to generally be calm. Even those who seemed like wrath would be their primary sin, though she could never guess. There were round tables, square tables, even pool tables. Her eyes went back to the bartender who finished up writing down the order. “Would you like any thing to drink?”

”You got any mead?”

“Any particular type?”

”There are types?”

The bartender, with a more than confused look, shook his head and simply laughed before fetching the mead that Xirphi wanted. He brought her back a flagon of the stuff before getting out a rag and beginning to clean off the countertop. The lizard was more than happy to see a flagon with some mead as it reminded her of her time before the Nexus, when she used to roam the mortal plane and devour the human souls of the norsemen who tried their best to slay her. It was those memories that made Xirphi happy, a light smile coming across her face as she drank the mead.

“You got a name?”

”Oh, it’s Xirphi,” she said, snapping back to reality with her eyes focusing on the bartender.

“Interesting name. Nice to meet you, I’m Azazel,” the bartender said with a smile, as the conversation between the two began. “You got any stories to tell? Interesting adventures from beyond these demonic walls?”

Xirphi gave a blank, dead-fish stare before sipping some more of her mead, ”I died to a skeleton with a sword, working for the humans. You’d imagine that I am not in the best of moods.”

Azazel had to control a laugh, not wanting to just be rude to his customer. “That sure sounds less the optimal. Too bad you don’t have the power of Titanica, you’d unkillable,” he said in a sarcastic manner, though his sarcasm was not heard by the likes of Xirphi in gave a confused look and cocked her head. “You do know who Titanica is, right?,” he asked. The lizard shook her head as she continued to drink her mead. Then he began laughing at her, “You don’t know about Titanica, the destroyer of worlds?”

A more than annoyed look came on her face, had she been at her old power before the angels cleansed her, this welp would be paying for his words. ”Destroyer of Worlds? That means nothing to a devourer like me! I used to be the most feared thing known to the likes of man!,” Xirphi stated cockily, looking away from Azazel in what would be described as the most pompous head turn in existence.

“Bold words coming from someone who died to a skeleton,” Azazel laughed.

Xirphi sighed in defeat, before slamming her head down on the counter, cracking it. ”It’s true. I am at my weakest, I hit rock bottom,” she cried.

“Maybe you should try to find Titanica and have her train you,” Azazel replied sarcastically.

The lizard raised her head with wide eyes, the sarcasm of the statement not meeting the small amount of usable brain that she apparently had. ”You’re right!,” she said in a much happier tone, ”If I were trained by someone who is that powerful then I may be able to reach my old power again!” Needless to say, the bartender was shocked that his very blatant sarcasm didn’t work on Xirphi. She let out a very loud belch before nonchalantly continuing, ”Anyways, my hunger is quite literally driving me insane. I think I’ll take my food now.”

“But the chef isn’t done yet.”

”That’s not what I meant,” she stated before her true mouth opened up. The only thing that was last heard from the bartender was a scream of pain before his soul was devoured by Xirphi. The other demons looked on in shock, some getting out their own weapons as the lizard turned towards them before lunging into the fray.

---

On the outside of the bar, other demons gathered in curiosity as they heard the sign of battle and screams of pain. Some of them assumed that it was going to be a bar fight that had simply gotten out of hand, yet, they did not expect a small lizard to jump out of the window and land on all fours like a savage animal.

Xirphi’s tendrils we held at the ready, though there was no control in her form, instead she had lost her mind as she charged the crowd. Some of the demons attempted to move forward to fight her off, but her tongues ripped through them to grab their souls. Some cowards started to run, and the death of those foolish enough to stay and try to fend her off sent the peons screaming as she hunted them down through the streets. While her aura was largely flaring around massively, she was still devouring demons in which her powers were less effective towards.

The devourer left many dead in her wake, killing indiscriminately as her feeding frenzy continued on. Many of those who she was devouring were simple imps or those who were simply not demons meant for fighting. That left her to devour many, and her savage animal mind revelled in it as the senseless violence. Though she, herself, found little joy in killing, the madnenning hunger had consumed her, leaving her as little more than a bloodthirsty killer.

The power from the souls, she could feel them, she could feel herself growing stronger. It made her subconscious satisfied and she felt as if nothing could stop her.