---

Reality shattered before them, bringing a sudden rush of all the sensations which usually come with existing in the physical world. Light, sound, touch, and smell.

She was impressed. By herself. She really had envisioned the grassy riverbank almost exactly as it was.

"Wow, so this is Rhea now?" Dream Clara said, floating next to her. [color=firebrick]"Ooh, that building wasn't there before... That building wasn't there before... And that one... And that one!"

From their perch, a wide berth of the city high-rise was visible.

Her body looked solid, but her floating through Clara without realizing showed the true nature of her manifestation. An astral body certainly had unique advantages to it. Perhaps she would feel more at home in such a form, considering the length of time she'd spent in the Dreamworld was greater now than the amount of time she'd spent in a physical body.

"Time has passed for the both of us, it seems." Clara said.

They day had just been starting when she passed into the Dreamworld. The sun was a measure from dipping below the horizon. Enough to bathe the surroundings in a golden glow. She stretched, taking in the warmth. It had felt like such a long time since she felt the sensation of sunlight on her skin. A cool breeze drifted through the air.

It had been just as much of a journey learning the workings of the Dreamworld as it was in her journey to uncover her true self. Now they had complete control over it, they could enter and exit as they pleased. She checked her pockets for her phone, but it seemed to be missing. It must have fallen out of her hand before she entered the Dreamworld.

No matter.

"You've had quite enough time to play these last few years. Come now, it's time for us to return to our rightful place." Clara said, clapping her hands together to grab her other self's attention.

"OK! Let's go!" She said.

Her enthusiasm followed behind them wherever they went. She supposed there was a basis. Everywhere they could go, there would be something new for her. Wherever she went was a new sensation, because for the first time, she was free. Their parents were dead and gone. Mephisto's influence hung over physical Clara but not Dream Clara. In this form, no one could cage her any more.

"You really know the way home from here?" Dream Clara asked.

"Of course. I've imprinted every road leading to our halls into my memory by now." Clara replied casually. "It is the locus of my power, after all. How would I not know?"

Her dream's self smiled at her from above. Clara was a little concerned. Had she done something so interesting that it warranted such a thing...? Well, knowing who she was, it was probably nothing.

The golden light bathing their path brought a comfort she hadn't felt in a long time. She knew that this mood was only temporary. In just a moment it could be shattered and laid to waste. Another cult attack, a random incursion. Mankind was at peace, but it always seemed to be a small, unseen step close towards annihilation. But until then she would enjoy these halcyon days. While she still had the ability to.

They rounded the steps to the front gate of St. Lucifer's. The very last students leaving the campus now, but as always her steadfast gatekeeper, Bak Tsarevna. As they approached the be-girled weapons platform, Clara maintained a pleasant smile while Dream Clara waved her arm high above.

Andras bristled as Moira looked over her. It was only then that she recognized what she was holding; truly a force of the entire plane was manifested within it. Andras's thoughts stopped as she looked it over. 'Truly, it may exceed many things found in the Root. Though, there may be one similar...' She shook her head. Her knowledge of spells within the Root was hard to maintain; focusing too hard on trying to recall one she did not have access to at the time caused a dull ache that permeated her entire body. She was glad that the scythe was not turned against her, at the very least.

She was too lost in thought to pick up on Moira's slight towards her. "It will be dangerous no matter who is the bait. Are you sure...?" Andras trailed off. Perhaps Andras wasn't ready to be a target. Despite her status as a target in the past months, her stomach turned thinking about the danger she could be facing. Her brain was saying that it would be the heroic thing to do, to gallantly ignore Diana's assertion and be the bait for the operation. Another aspect of her wanted to curl up in a ball and let everyone else charge to the fight.

"W-Whatever plan we adopt, I will have to make sure I use the correct spells... Let me review what I can do." Her cards flashed into life, and she began figuring out her options. She would have to use some... unsavory spells, but if she was to strike as quickly and powerfully as possible, it would be necessary. "If the plan is not changing, we may need to stage this fight somewhere wide open. The creatures I plan to summon and the spells I plan on using to enhance them are... destructive."

@RoflsMazoy

---

Bak was busy, raking up the little space around the school gate while Ward handled another area and consolidating the fliers into a neat pile. She wasn't sure what they should do with them. Throwing all this away seemed like a waste, but she also didn't think bad guys were supposed to recycle things. Burning them was right out because the pile would be so big everyone would be able to see it. Maybe they could put them in a cannon and fire it back at St. Laural's?

She was considering if maybe Luigi had a cannon lying around when she looked up and noticed Clara and Clara. She let the rake clatter to the ground and stared at them for a long moment before lifting her arm and waving hesitantly at the Clara that was floating. The she brought her hands up to her eyes and rubbed them thoroughly before checking to see that the two of them were still there.

They were.

"TOVARISH!" She let out an earth shaking shout before stomping up to the two of them. Her face rapidly cycled through a bunch of emotions, relief, worry, slight anger, ecstatic happiness, pure confusion, shame, as each one tried to crowd all the others out. "I...we...what happened are you all right? Vittorio has run off, I do not know where, I have not seen Christine since tournament! There is boy here he says he will fight cult man. Luigi has problem he will not tell us about! "Yuuto is being punished by family for what happened. They know where we are, St' Laural's has attacked us once already." Bak plunged a hand into the flyer pile and pushed one of the invitations Lise's helicopter had dropped into her hands. It just all came out, every worry that Bak had accumulated since the end of the tournament dumped at the feet of the person she had built up in her head to be this pillar of strength. About the only thing she'd left out, the only thing though she had caught before it had passed her lips, was what Bak had done. Inducting new members, for one thing. Passing along her phone to Yuuto, for another.

After a moment she caught her breath, and finally paid attention to the floating, Clara looking elephant in the room. "I did not know you had younger sister."

---

@AtomicNut@Crowvette@Scarifar@rawkhawk64

---

"I agree with her the witch being the bait." Nas said. "I feel as though Andras is more likely to panic. A big open space isn't likely to be to our advantage. Remember, he doesn't want to fight. His objective is murder, you can do that just as easily from far away as up close."

"I'm calling King." Ria said at that, whipping out her phone and dialing his number. She prayed he picked up. "He can see the future. That should even up the odds, I think."

---

@Hammerman

---

"So it's only all right if they get lucky?" Katherine considered. She had never thought of it like that before. Maybe if she could think a little bit more like Christine she wouldn't feel so reluctant to go all out. Though, in that case, the guy would have to be pretty unlucky, wouldn't he?

She looked up to see her sister blushing, and leaned in. "Oooooo, what were you just thinking about? Are you so sure you'd be able to handle a half-nude dude if one just suddenly landed right in front of you?"

@Gentlemanvaultboy
"I-I suppose so..." Christine answered. Now that Kath put it that way, she was beginning to question her policy on boys looking up her coat. Maybe she should be stricter in that department.

But I don't want to blame anyone for having perverted accidents if they don't really mean for it...

"W-well, i-if it's Rurik, t-then maybe... W-wait, no! That would only make it worse!" She covered her face with her hands, blushing furiously. "S-stupid Kath, stop asking perverted questions like that!" She pouted.

Even though she might (or might not) be a perverted exhibitionist, she was still as innocent as Bak if it's perverted stuff involving boys.

The figure walked softly, looking one last time at its peer. It was not the most... affluent sector of the neighbourhood, and what looked like a couple of students, could eventually get some problems. It wasn't a slum either, but the kind of worker-class neighbourhood one would see in many realistic dramas. Such was the De Vile's house, and such was their destination.

However, the most dangerous wasn't the place, but the house itself. A mechanical genius with a penchant for mayhem lived there, and threading uninvited could have dire consequences, but his expertise was needed. One of the figures, a rather androgynous boy in sharp clothing, eyed another one. Purple and Silver. They seemed so different, yet so alike. Celestine Lightbringer would not be able to contain his disgust upon finding this if it wasn't for his perfect body control.

"Let me knock on the door." said the elder, as he rapped the door in a peculiar place, with a peculiar rythm. Some sort of coded greeting.

The thin crackle of an electronic speaker coming to life could be heard as a tired, almost pained voice spoke out from a hidden speaker just under the duo's feet. To most, such noises would be easily missed but the two at the craftsman's door was nothing if not perceptive, so perceptive in fact they could hear the sound of gears move, and locks shift. The door swung open, and revealed a house that while not a mess, was definitely lived in. The smell of hot metals and oil wafted from the opening doorway, betraying exactly where the craftsman was, down in his basement working once again.

"Come in, but do warn your friend to not go about touching things, and that I'm currently working on some upgrades. If the doppelganger is squeamish, best he stays in the living room." Vile's voice speaks through the speaker, the intentional distortion giving it the sound of a cheap toy with a dying battery, both to disguise and disturb.

Luigi pressed a touch screen down in his workshop, relaxing his security systems if only enough to make sure that whoever his friend had brought with him wasn't going to trigger a trap and get stabbed by Luigi's myriad of traps he had added since the break in.

Celestine walked down alongside his-half brother, one step at a time, while Dmitry imitated him to perfection. Monkey see, monkey does. It was eerie to see it from a perspective not his own, to say the least. "Is mechanic guy okay? He looks like he needs vodka." Dmitry chimed in. Celestine rolled his eyes. Yes, he was not okay, but he didn't care about de Vile's personal life that much. Only that he could take requests.

"Hey Luigi." Celestine Lightbringer tilted his head, and taking the cue he was not all right, chose that as start of conversation. "You look like shit."
"That's rude, brother. He must need some vodka, da." Mit chimed in.

"Feel like shit, but I'm getting...better." Vile says, and as Celestine and Mit turned the corner to enter Vile's workshop, they could see him opened up, his chest split open. Where as most it would be a grizzly sight of flesh and organs, Luigi's insides were obscured by wiring, layers of pulsing plastic, tubing carrying different liquids and some pieces of arcane technology who's functions could only be guessed at.

"So, you finally cloned yourself, but with a...Huh. That accent reminds me of Bak. This some sort of test-tube baby cross between the two of you?" Vile asks, slotting in a few new bits of plating to the underside of what would be a normal man's ribcage. He laughs at his own joke, before his body closes up and he unhooks himself from his worktable. "Jokes aside, what's up my friend? Need something, or find something about those people we were looking into?"

"That looks painful, let me help." Mitya added, as he moved forward before Cel stopped him.

"He's used to it, don't worry." Celestine Lightbringer. "If only I could do that.... my mother had an affair with a Yekaterinan noble who loved her ballet. Dmitry... is the result. He is going to help me in a major hit... Something urgent came." Celestine said to the machine man. Dmitry eyed him, as he narrowed his eyes at Luigi.

"Y'know, lub, I don't think yous hafta to comment on me accent, lads " The Yekaterinan boy suddenly switched the accent like one switches a TV channel. "It's for me comfort."

"Same powers too. So let's get some hardware tools, yeah?" Celestine added, rolling his eyes. "I could use a few extra arms cause I have several ... targets this time."

"I meant no insult, but yes, what'd you like? Sending a message, in and out before they know? I've been working on increasing production. You said you need extra arms? Need help? You're helping me, I'd not mind cracking some skulls for a friend, scratch your back, you scratch mine." Vile says as he starts to pull out a variety of weapons, ranging from simple combat knives, to small swords, short swords, hand and a half swords, a war-fork, a few handguns ranging from stylish flintlocks to science fiction worthy sidearms, and finally some long arms.

"As for you, Dmitry, as a friend of Cel's, you're a friend of mine. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask." Luigi adds, an uncharacteristically warm smile on Vile's face as he speaks. "From toasters to weapons of mass destruction, I can build just about anything. All I need are materials and the authorities to not come kicking my door down."

Dmitry smiled back. "Please, call me Mitya. Or Mit." He wandered. "And ... I don't know, I don't like causing wantom suffering, but if you could give us a decent weapon worth of a knight and armor, I'd be mostly pleased." The younger sibling added. "Just one thing, where's the kitchen? I can brew some coffee and tea snacks if you'd like."

Celestine on the other side, looked at Luigi. "Hmm, I guess I will have to accept that, although I'm not too fond of going sideways when I have more important matters. Fine I will help. Who do you want to enact retribution onto? " The elder sibling said, as he gazed the craftmanship of the goods. It would take the manpower of an entire factory commited to producing a single tool to actually surpass' Luigi's. They were ugly at parts, but terribly effective. Celestine picked a katana, as he grinned. "This will do as sidearm, but i might go ranged this time."

"Oh, so you wish to be a knight in shining armor, Sir Mitya? Allow me to ply my trade." Vile began as his eyes light up and he begins to try to pull out tailor's measuring tools, trying to size up Dmitry. "You have a favored kind of knight? I like Anzian knights myself, but my tastes are flavored by heritage. You share your brother's love for Jubanese flavored weaponry? I could make you both a matching set of katana, wakizashi, bows, and armor. A team able to send terror shooting through any target. Or maybe you prefer the Vityaz of Yekaterinan?" Luigi asks, seemingly delighted in creating an entire set of armor and weapons for someone. "As your brother is helping me, this will be free of charge, and that of course extends to you too Cel, you want a custom set of armor? I could make it able to shift with you..."

"Cel can shift?" Dmitry said, one eyebrow raised. Lightbringer shot a glare at Vile, no doubt for talking of something that he should not, before relenting.

"New power. Still experimenting on it." Lightbringer said. "Not many know." He sighed. "Function over form. Best tactical armor out there."
Dmitry was about to say his preference, but Cel put a finger on his lips. "Make it two -identical- sets."

"I was referring to your aliases....your...different personas you like to utilize...It seems I may of let on more than I should..." Vile mutters, before nodding. "Tactical...gotcha. I will make you both look like modern men of war, the faceless legions of the modern military complex...with a little twist. They will be identical sets. But I must add in a small amount a flair, otherwise it'll drive me bonkers...." Vile begins, as he presses a button on his arm, and two mannequins rise up from trap doors. He begins to layer cloth onto them, sewing needles protruding from tendrils that start to spill from Vile's robes. It was quickly apparent that the twist Vile was implying was that of a Purrsian Immortal, an ancient army of men who'd wear masks so they'd all look the same to cause havoc over trying to count them.

"So, who's the targets, and what message are we sending? Is the order of the day terror?" Vile asks as his mechanical appendages moved in a blur as he worked.

"Add a mask. Like the ones I wear." Celestine said, eyeing Dmitry. "Don't you want to be a masked justice man, Mit? It's the same thing." Celestine sighed. Luigi had his quirks, and it was not helping when dealing with the easily impressed Dmitry.

"If you say so." Dmitry said, and puffed up his cheeks, while pouting. Unlike his brother, he sometimes let the expressions reflect his state of emotion. "I wanted to be that Urturian knight kind of white knight, though." He added.

"Well, there are several...who my...ngh...sponsor wants me dead. A couple of idiotic magic users who are being a nuisance... and I think Vernon. You know, mafia's pretty boi. I bet you always wanted a good reason to crush some mafia skulls, well... now's the time!" Celestine smirked, as he crossed his arms.
"Do these witches have iron teeth and eat children?" Dmitry asked, taking a leaf out of Yek mythos.

"Err, witches?" Luigi asks, his work slowing down a bit as he seems a tad confused. "I mean, yea, Vernon I was going to break his teeth in during the meeting before you spoke up...and the others, the nuisance magic users, any info on them? Cult related, criminals fucking with the wrong rich guy, just gave you a hard time and need a plastic explosive suppository?" Luigi asks, as he builds in mask themed faceplates to the armor set's helmets.

"Also, as you obviously have your heart set on it Mitry, I'll build you a proper Urturian knight set, fit for a warrior of great standing.....I did come into some money, and I love to share..." Vile says, which was a blatant lie, but he enjoys free advertising from people wearing his equipment. Free advertisement and a good friend, all in one neat little package? What more could Luigi ask for?

"Yes, brother told me about a foul necromancer called Diana" Dmitry said, nonchalantly. It was then when Celestine forgot to breathe

"...The same Diana who is your brother's ex, my rival and friend, with the silver hair, thin body, and sassy attitude?" Luigi asks, raising an eyebrow. Luigi already knew it was indeed that Diana, but he wanted to gage reactions from both Cel and this Dmitry. "Because if so, I only have to ask why on earth someone would want her dead? She seems so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, unless you're working for that Ward fellow..."
Again, another lie, another ploy, to see how badly Dmitry could continue to screw the pooch in this conversation.

"I...I...what?" Dmitry blanched, as the realization dawned. "You didn't tell me this, Cel!" He spun around to meet Celestine face.

"I told you it was...delicate. Very much so." The eldest sibling said. "As much as I enjoyed that sass...she has to go." He frowned. "Orders."

"Orders from who!? You tricked me, Cel! You... I ...." Dmitry began to move, grabbing a sword and getting ready for combat..."I...I..."

"Put that down, idiot." Celestine. "Before...something happens."

"Indeed, Dmitry, put it down....the kitchen is up the stairs, to the left....go...make some tea. Your brother and I have things to discuss...If you two fight down here, you both lose." Luigi begins, as he tries to step over to Dmitry, and put a hand on their shoulder. He has no hostile intents, seemingly he only wanted to keep the two from hurting each other. "The oven works off of a remote control that's in the second drawer down beside it..."

"Tea? Tea? My brother is calling me to be an accomplice of murdering his ex girlfriend! I will not abide! I will..." Dmitry added as he went to swing at Cel. Except his body locked up all of a sudden, tears of rage welling and straining but not moving..."...will....will...mommy."

"Not good." Lightbringer rolled his eyes.

"Rend the fatebreakers..."Dmitry said, as he eerile stopped, and went upstairs after letting the sword clatter in the ground.

".....Who's your sponsor, now, Celestine, who is it?" Luigi asks, his happy mood thoroughly spoiled. One of Luigi's robotic tentacles picks the sword up from the ground and puts it back into the row of weaponry available. "I've been around the block to know what just happened, that's a tad fucked, hijacking him like that. Fate Breakers? How did Diana break fate, and why do you care?"

"It wasn't...me. Orders from above." Celestine added. "How much of you is yourself and how much is your power?" Celestine answered.

"Those...up above? Also, that's a complicated question, more for those like us than any others...I've given up a lot of myself to become a greater warrior, a greater war machine....but the god of war has never asked me for anything, never contacted me." Luigi says, his voice filled with confusion, and the faintest tinges of horror, and rage.

"How do you know you are still y...nngh..." Celestine added, before wincing. "The little tramp has cheated death, and thus she must be handed back over to her rightful place. Vernon has tampered with fate, and needs to be disposed. So do Cyan and Andras." He said, in a neutral, calmed down tone.

Luigi's eyes narrowed, but he felt completely out matched, out paced, a fish out of water. He takes in a deep breath and slowly reaches over, picking up the war-fork, the halfway point between a farm tool and a weapon of war. He then kneels, like a knight with their sword, and closes his eyes for a second. It looked like he was praying, for the first time in Luigi's memory, he was. Luigi was tired, stressed, hurt, and now he had two people in his house saying they were on a divinely contracted hit to kill another of his friends. If there was any time he needed divine guidance it would be now....

Of course, he just looks like he might just be trying to soak all this information in, as Celest knew just the sheer amount of stress the poor man was under. Maybe this finally snapped his iron spine, the last piece of straw to shatter his ability to stand.

"Luigi" Celestine cooed, kneeling before him, whispering on his ear. "We will make this simple. Diana is gone, this whole affair is solved, and we're both free to help you. Don't you think your father is more important than Diana? Or would you rather risk everything for someone who doesn't know whether to call you a friend or an enemy?" It was then when Dmitry arrived from the kitchen, having prepared a full afternoon tea, sandwiches and pastries included, and was now elegantly leading it with a tray. The fragance it emitted... well, it was difficult to believe Luigi's tea could smell like that, but those were the capable hands of a Yekaterinan servant.

Luigi didn't look up as he heard Celestine speak, but he winced like someone had twisted a knife in his side. His eyes slowly opened, before Mitya, Luigi and Celestine would have a surprise, as a plate from the ceiling of Luigi's workshop came crashing down onto his head, the thick metal plate landing and bouncing off, a thin plume of dust in the air. A thin line of blood came cresting down into one of Luigi's eyes, and his forge flared to life. The heat, the dust, the blood, it was all so familiar to him. It sent him back to before he had changed himself, given up so much to become a warrior, a smith, a creator and destroyer. To under a pile of rubble, the air thick with powdered debris, bleeding, praying, it was the last time Luigi felt such an immense crushing weight.

But this time, it was different, so very different. He could hear his father screaming, Diana screaming, Cel, Mitya, Vernon, and even voices he didn't know. Standing above the pile of those begging for their lives, a shapeless thing holding up a curled fist that threatened to bring the end of those at its mercy. Luigi began to force himself to his feet, in both this hijacked flash back and in reality, struggling as if the weight of the world was upon him.

But this time, it was different, he was no longer the scared child powerless to stop what was happening around him. As he rose to his feet the tension in the air was almost physical before it snapped like a twig under the treads of a tank.
"Whatever scum sucking, boot heel licking, celestial maggot is threatening my friends, I give you this one chance. Either you relent, and cease this puppetry, or you find me at the gates of light to stain the clouds with your shredded remains. My father would not stand for me giving into such a pathetic god, one who'd need to meddle directly to get what they want,if you even are a god. " Luigi says, a threat, a promise, an ultimatum made to the heavens.

Either this creature retreated in fear, or the flames of war would burn through the celestial sphere like a wild fire.

"I am going to take that as you don't know yet." Celestine said, without any changes in his demeanour, and without any care for Luigi's potentially blasphemous outburst, he took a sip of the tea. "That would be amusing to watch. Either you succeed in doing so, however unlikely as it is, and make chaos and change in the dynamics up there or you get strangled by your own hubris. It is funny though. Who is really talking, the frustrated Luigi or the fustrated scion of War, who not finding the Ancient Enemy strong enough, directs his rage to the heavens?"

"A little bit of both. The last time I was faced with such odds, it was when I was crushed, trapped under rubble, hearing those who I cared about dying. Not again, never again. I will not sit by while my friends are in danger...Not Celest, not Diana...none of them. I faltered at the arena, I will not here." Luigi threatens, looking down through Celestine. ".....So, what is it parasite? Are you gonna slither off to some dark corner and brood, or am I going to have to smoke you out?"

"Manners, mr De Vile" It was now Dmitry who talked.

"What is it about what?" Celestine shrugged. "I don't find anything of use in your words."

"Ok, let me put it simply. Fuck off parasite god or I'm going to ram my fist through your stomach, and break your god damned spine." Luigi says, as his tentacles flare out, shredding his robes and leaving him looking like something out of a horror movie, wires and flesh meshed together.

"Barking is one thing, but the moment you try to get in the way, there will be...consequences." Celestine said... as the corners of his eyes began to bleed.

Dmitry, looking at the mess, sighed. "So you would die here and now. That's sad. I mean, regardless of who comes on top everyone loses."

".....I haven't lived in years....except for today." Luigi says, before He attempts to bring the prongs of the war-fork down onto Celestine's head, aiming to incapacitate, rather than kill. He knew today, he either pulled victory from the jaws of defeat, or he'd have a real interesting story to tell in hell.

One way or another, things just got interesting.

It was Dmitry the one that moved, the delicate tea tray making an awful clanging sound as it stopped the war fork. His brother was not immobile, either as he drew the sword pointed at Luigi. "You are brave. Hm. Maybe there is a solution."

"Speak quickly, fight faster." Luigi said, as tendrils swept over the weapons that had been laid out, turning Vile into a walking swiss army knife of death, swords, knives, guns, and more all wrapped up in coils of technological tentacles. A stun baton launched from the mass, aiming to strike Dmitry in center mass, trying to force him backwards.

It was a flick of the wrist, and Celestine's Laplace demon went into action. With so many weapons, chaos and destruction around, the amount of steps that could be chained was high. Weapons misfiring all over directly at luigi, those who did not activated a set of traps under the machine man's feet , the shrapnel tangling Luigi's extra limbs, and as a further insult, the baton bonking him in the face.

What was worrisome is that Dmitry's eyes had begun to bleed too.

"One chance to challenge fate, being who you are. Accept or not.'

The chaos of gunfire, traps, flames, blades, and more created a thick coating of powder smoke, burnt oil and more. However, as the smog began to vanish, Luigi's hulking form burst forwards, mangled but undeterred. One of Vile's arms was hanging by wires and tubes, and that side of his body was covered in shrapnel. It seemed he was holding most of the firearms on the left side of him, and that side had taken extreme damage. "Challenge fate? Isn't that what I'm doing now?" He asks, swinging a balled fist like one might a club towards Celestine. It was only as a blade jutted from Luigi's wrist in an attempt to catch Celest off guard did it make sense, the intent to send a shallow slash across the front of him.

Celestine smirked, dodging it but allowing himself to be cut... only for the cut to bubble and begin to close."No you're making yourself a fool." Celestine added, as a second burst of shrapnel and chaos hit Luigi's back, this time coming from Dmitri's hand. "We both have that skill."

"Hmph, seems the whole non-lethal route isn't going to work, is it?" Luigi asked aloud, but halted his assault, stumbling forwards as he struck in the back. "...Well, come on. I'm waiting...How do you propose I challenge fate?" Luigi asks, as he began to prepare a nasty surprise.

"Trial by champion. 2 on 2. If your champions win, then he will cross this offence. If we win, their lives and your power are forfeit. Attacking us again will null it void." Celestine said, as he eyed Dmitry and both stood down.

"......You don't listen very well, do you? I will not sit idly by while my friends are in danger, and I will not drag them into a fight I can't win myself....Especially if it means they'd die, but I would live."
"..Good bye Celestine....Dmitry...It was nice to meet you. If reincarnation is a thing, I do hope we meet again..." Luigi begins, as three red lights peek through his broken mass of tendrils.
Three Grenades made with high explosives, each the size of a large balled fist began to prime themselves, ready to detonate. Luigi grinned as within the moment, his house and those neighboring it would be reduced to a mound of rubble. He wouldn't survive the blast, but that didn't matter. No, what mattered was this...he'd buy time. For Diana, for everyone the maggot god wanted dead, and maybe even for his father if he was lucky.

"Not again...never again..."

Celestine's eyes went wide, recognizing the trademark activation of Luigi's explosive. His Laplace could... but his body moved in another direction, jumping in the direction of Dmitry to save him from the explosion. He had always been ready for the worst. But not... Dmitri. He hated him so much, and yet, he reminded of his past self. Delusions, plans, everything was burned to ash, and the one only thing he could think of was... that hateful brother of his. He grabbed one of Luigi's prototypes, a force field, and slapped into Dmitry, protecting him from the blast... only for it to fail.

"Spiteful...bast..." Celestine cursed to his death, fully knowing that this was the punishment his god exacted on him for his misgivings and misuses.

As the bright flash of light emerged from the tendrils, Celestine could see Luigi grinning and waving, before like that he was gone, thrown across the room and embedded into a wall. To those outside of the building, it was like a pillar of fire had erupted, shattering car windows, blowing out ear drums, collapsing in the two homes near by, which were luckily empty at the moment. After a few moment, the iron titan pushed himself from the rubble. His arms were blown off, his legs heavily damaged, intense amounts of shrapnel piercing through his chest.

Blood and oil stained the ground as he trudged onto the street, coughing and hacking up bits of metal and flesh. He stumbles forwards, wondering if he would indeed make it out of this alive. Just as his thoughts drifted towards his future, the god of fate would try to have the last laugh. Cel's katana flew towards Luigi's neck, intending a lethal decapitation. However, the scion of war had not come this far to die, and the God of War did not tolerate sore losers. The blade slammed into Luigi's reinforced neck, cut in but stopped just shy of severing anything important. Luigi stumbled for a few moments, and began to cry as he works his way towards the hospital.

"....You were right, Mit...no one wins...." Luigi whines, in intense agony as he shuffled his broken body away from the blast zone, hoping to dodge the police.

@AtomicNut


Disgraces never seemed to come alone, it seemed. After her half-botched attempt at making up with her best friend, Wolf, Meredith's life had been thrown into chaos once more. The demonic presence of her mother... was gone. So was her house, and a couple of shocked and scared siblings had come to her in search of the comfort they had lost. Mona was a horrible being, but she had been kind to these two, and Mer had mixed feelings about it all. On one hand, she didn't think too highly of her own mother... on the other hand, consoling her two younger siblings without her would be tough. Still, she couldn't allow herself to break down, not just yet... She took charge of the situation, and wiped their tears. She consoled them and tried to give her an approximation of a motherly feeling as best as she could as the big sister. Her embrace had seemed to calm the two ankle-biters down... so now the problem was, where would they stay?
Of course Mer, having been a feral child, had no trouble sleeping outdoors... but Zack and Annah would surely suffer. After surveying the ruined remains of her house in flight, she had accepted the worst. As of now... she was destitute. She would need to go to her father... or seek refuge among her friends.

But currently, she had none. She had alienated those too. Biting her lip, she surveyed a different place of the city... even a delerict building would do. A second area that had exploded caught her eye... Could those incidents be related? Lowering her altitude, with her baby siblings in tow , found the dregs of someone had known in the past.

"Explomelt guy?"

"W-Ho?" Luigi asked as he forced his damage body to turn to face the voice, bending his neck back despite the blade still lodged into it. As he looked to the skies, he tried to blink some of the dust from his eyes as everything was in a haze, and for a few moments he saw a girl flying in the sky upon leathern wings with the sun to her back. He couldn't make out the face nor much of anything else, but he could make out the shape of her. "Are you a Valkyrie? Did Mars send you to take me home?" Luigi asked, knowing with the injuries he sustained it'd be no surprise to find out he had died walking from the blast zone.

Luigi began to walk towards the voice, the blurred figure he saw. "I'm not ready to go yet, please help me." He began, fear and pain in his voice as the extent of his injuries became more and more obvious. His face was covered in shards of metal, wood, and glass like a myriad of horrific piercings. His arms had been torn off, loose cables and tubing dangling from the stumps which spurted a mix of hydraulic fluid, and blood. A sword blade, one maybe familiar to the two small kid clutching onto Mer was stuck in his neck, having barely avoided cutting into anything important. Once again, just like the last time the two of them met properly, Luigi looked like he should have died, but simply refused.

Meredith eyed the person, wincing in sympathetic pain as she landed besides him. From beneath her left leg, a head popped. "Looks like roadkill... Mer, I'm hungry." The whines of Meredith's younger sister had a pitiful ring to it. She had dark circles under her reddened eyes, and she shuffled with none of the pride. Her twin, Zack, was also hiding from behind the other leg, and he voiced his consideration. "Can we eat him?"

"Hush. You'll get a stomach ache about this one." Mer said, rebuking both kids softly. "Don't worry. I'm here." She said, while extending her claws and reaching out for her wrists, cutting them open.

"M...mer? That's a lot of blood!" Said Zack, startled to see her sister go all out. Mer drew a massive blood rune of demonic magic in front of Luigi Vile, sparing no reserves in her magical power. She had to, he was a sneeze away from death. Energies crackled and hissed as the rune began to forcefully and painfully heal Luigi.

"It'll sting, but don't move." She said, as she executed her massive healing rune.
Luigi's body began to shift, shards of wood and metal shifting, glass breaking down and reforming into new parts. Flesh liquified, and morphed around mechanical parts like putty applied to a carpentry project, and even the sword blade seemingly was sucked into Luigi's body, soon protruding from one of his wrists. After a few moments of this grueling transformation, Luigi Vile was whole once more. The house he and his father had built together, formerly just shrapnel and foreign bodies impaling him had bonded with him to recreate his mechanical parts, although much less effective. He coughed up some pieces that weren't compatable with him, namely clumps of melted plastic far too burnt to be reshaped, clotted blood, and befouled oil.

Luigi wheezed as his lungs sucked in more air then ever before feeling the intense burning feeling of his body being healed. As his eyes cleared, and he could see once again he noted the sheer amount of blood used in the healing rune. He noted it for the second time, as he started to peel away some of the mysteries of these runes. "T-Thank you...Blegh...You must be my guardian angel Mer...Second time you've saved me." Luigi says, as he takes a moment to bow down to her, partially out of respect, partially as he felt so very fatigued after so much of his form had to be reconstituted.

Mer nodded sagely, as she stood on shaky legs, her face increasingly becoming pale and exhausted. "What happened here?" She queried.
Luigi picked himself up from the ground, and seeing Mer shaking attempted to give her a shoulder to lean on. "...My friend...he was possessed by...something, I think a god. His brother was possessed too. He wanted to kill another friend....I...had to destroy them, they tried to get me to make a deal...I couldn't let them..." Luigi began, as he holds in his breath to calm himself. "...What brought you out here? Did you hear the explosion?" He asks.

"Was it Lightbringer?" Mer said, steading herself.
"How did...?" Luigi begins, before he sighs. "...Him and his brother..." He says, sounding very defeated. "....Was he targeting you? Were you two friends?" Vile asks, half expecting Mer to shove a hand full of demonic death through him. Luigi almost felt like he'd deserve it at this point with the sheer misery he was feeling.

"He... well, He had a penchant for broken toys. And I'm not... the most stable person. But my siblings told me a masked jerk came there trying to find Andras, beheaded my mother... and blew up my house." Meredith added, looking at the two younger half-demons.
".......No one's the most stable person, and if it makes you feel better, I dropped my house on him.....so...yea...Do you need a place to stay? I'm going to be doing some renovating, and I could add in a spot for..you and your siblings if you've got nowhere to go." Luigi starts, patting Mer on the back with a look of sympathy, having visibly winced and teared up when Mer mentioned Cel beheading her mother. "If...you...need anything, I'll help as much as I can. I owe you two life debts, so, hell, if you want those brownies I'll go build a oven and bake for you." Luigi offered, trying to lessen the sting.

Mer eyed Luigi... "I'd appreciate that... but I don't want to impose on you. I will manage...manage...to..to..." Meredith drawled off, before finally giving it to tirednes and crumpling down at Luigi's feet, her face on the ground and her shapely rear comically up, revealing black lingerie underneath.

Her two siblings did take this brief moment to start crying "MEER, YOU IDIOT!"
Luigi seeing Mer collapse wastes no time in reaching down, and scooping her up to carry her. He also attempts to pick up the two small children who were yelling at Mer as well, to carry them off. "Hey, do you know where your dad is?" He asks the two children, trying to hopefully find their father. Luigi did not feel prepared for having to watch over two small kids, and these two radiated sass and trouble.
"Dad is figh-fighting dem-ons." said Zack, getting a little more of restrain to answer than her sister, who just plainly bit Luigi in an arm.

"Hmm...Well then, fine, I'- Ouch! Hey, watch it, that arm is brand new!" Luigi says, as the poor girl would taste metal, oil, and the taste of an light electrical shock biting into the cyborg's arm. He tried to not let his temper flare up, and resisted the initial urge to smack the nibbling nuisance as he carried them off towards the blasted remains of his house. "As I was saying, since I don't know where to take you all, I'm gonna build a shelter for you all." Luigi explains, as he prepares himself for what must be the easiest task he's had all day.
Building a home from a rubble pile before anyone knew what happened...No biggie, right?

Zack once again proved being the slightly more even tempered sibling, as he answered. "Hotel's fine. Daddy can find us there. Plus there's sweets." He said, before his sister was too busy spitting the gunk she had nearly swallowed. "meanie! You're going to take mer with you! And spank her. And do xxxxx and YYYY" She said, spouting random adult terms to Luigi.

Luigi's eyes almost bulged out of his sockets when the little girl began to say not so little words. "What? N-no, I, where did you hear this language?" Luigi asks, as he auto-piloted towards the nearest motel he knew of. "That's a smarter idea little fella, thank you. I got paid recently, so I should have enough to pay for a room for you three."

"Mom taught us!" Annah said... "But now she's gone and the only thing i have is stupid Mammoth here." The sister said. "And Zack."
"Well, Zack here appears to be a good kid with his head on straight, and you should not repeat those sorts of words until you're older." Luigi says, still foot-slogging it. "...This is gonna take a bit to get there, so, uh, wanna hear a story?" Luigi asks, hoping to distract the kids.

"Annah wants you to worship her and dump that idiot in the trash... no, on second thought, dump zack. Mer is useful as a pillow." And...just like that, for a moment, the antics of the three seemed to be slightly more normal.

"Hmph." Luigi says, before sighing as he realized that the childish squabbling was just that, childish, to be expected from people their age. "Well, you three are sticking together for now.....also, you should be nicer to your brother.....Also, what kind of sweets are you gonna want at the hotel? I heard you talking about them Zack." Luigi says, trying to divert the topic to something that'd hopefully keep their attention.

"Well, we got chocolate... and candies... and...hdmfk..." Zack begun to say before being interrupted by Annah. "...and human blood. Human blood is tasty!"

"Hmm, ever hear of black pudding? It's made with blood. If there's a spot to cook in the hotel room, I'll try to make some for ya." Luigi says. "I'll make you some chocolate puddding, Zack."

"Fufufu, you are ugly as a butt, but you will make a good addition to the harem as long as you stop staring at the Mammoth's chest." said Annah giddily.

"...You need Mars little one, you need Mars." Luigi says, shaking his head as he continues off into the distance.

An strategy had been made at last. Afterwards, she had excused herself hastily from the shelter of the Vigilantes Headquarters. The young witch collapsed on the bed of a motel, her silver hair undone and dishevelled. She had been moving strings, crunching numbers, even calling her parents to tell them everything was going to be alright. They had... returned to their normal selves. That was nice. Things were at least showing a hint of mercy towards the situation.

"Stupid Cel." Diana balled one of her tiny fists, and like an invisible foe, she struck the matress to discharge her rage. She needn't not to crumble down. Not yet, when there was someone bent on exacting divine retribution. It pained her, as much as it had pained her to sever what was a toxic relationship. Still... none like him would ever understand what it felt like. To be a mind trapped in a body that did not make sense, in a world that made very little to help. She eyed her reflection on the mirror.

And saw Death.

"Gah!" She squealed, before doing a second glance. Instead of her reflection, she found someone else. "Moira... you nearly gave me a heart attack!" The witch said, agitated.

"Even your yelps are cute, my little witch." The figure said from the reflection of the mirror. She had relented in abandoning Melanie for the time being, after some rounds of negotiation. "I bring good tidings. He's dead. Both of them are."

"Don't joke with that." Diana snarled, being insulted with the levity that the grim reaper had declared people dead. It took her a few seconds to realize... That was no joke."...you're not joking."

"Afraid not. We reapers got a good grasp on whose souls are about to kick the bucket. Also, it's amazing that perp managed to recruit his little brother... " The Moira trailed off, but Diana wasn't listening anymore, she had shuffled herself out of the bed, and went to the toilet, a knot forming in her throat and chest. She gasped for air.

"I never...just...what..." She said, obviously being overwhelmed. "Oh god, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She crumpled into sniffles, as she clutched the basin of the toilet, the paltry food she had ingested hours earlier menacing to make a fast exit. Unsurprisingly, she reigned her willpower, even if she looked tired beyond measure. "What happened?"

"Massive explosion. Think some scion of War...was involved?" Moira answered. "But hey, you know... if you really want I...uh... I should not be doing this but I guess...exceptions." The lesser goddess fumbled, trying to console the silver-haired girl.

"It was Luigi, wasn't he?" Diana said, as she slammed the basin so hard she nicked and bruised her hand. "...Well, at least...No one else got hurt." Diana relented, as she eyed Moira. Resurrection. The forbidden art. She could try it... After all, it was her fault that Celestine had once been overwhelmed with power, and if she had to break a few divine rules more... what would it matter?

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Said Moira, eyeing her D-phone, the fancy phone the servants of the Death God equipped themselves with. "...His soul is nowhere to be found. I can't...uh...what the hell? Who the hell misplaces a soul?" The Reaper grumbled.

It was at this point Diana's tears flowed, among a loud, maniacal laugh.

---

"...tard" The words echoed in the distance. The landscape was barren. Soulless. It felt not of this world, and It was sure it wasn't. His body... Well. Right now... he lacked one. It was some sort of whispy sloshy ectoplasm, like if someone had distilled the flesh amoeba. The man once known as Celestine was trying to make sense out of what seemed some sort of afterlife limbo.

He shuffled and suffled, until a tall, imposing mismatched structure. welcomed him. The large, grotesque gates swung open to the horror underneath. It was then when he understood. It was then when he saw.

"Why so many pictures of cats... Melanie?" Lightbringer smiled in the empty halls.

Clara looked over the flyer Bak handed over to her, and then flippantly tossed it over her shoulder.

Joke matters set aside for the moment, now that she had finally touched the ground of St. Lucifer's once again, she felt herself reconnected to her network of sigils and sentries around the city.

She breathed in, and breathed out. The sensation of information, moving and being sorted in her mind, she had missed this.

...Much had occurred since she had been gone. But there would be more time for reflection later. She was already planning her next steps. One, two, three, four... Extending through the darkness, another path was presenting itself. The path to her web was open once more.

"She... is not just my sister," Clara began. "She is another half of me. Would you like to be introduced?"

The last part of her statement was aimed at her spectral double. Taking it as her cue, she dropped the leaflet she had been eagerly poring over and surged forward to meet the heavily armored girl.

"I've heard so much about you!" My name is Clara! I mean my name is also Clara! How close would you say you are with Clara? How much do you know about her? I just found out I know everything about her too because I am also her but-..." She rushed excitedly.

"How...I...Wha...Ye....," Bak said, still slightly reeling from the barrage of questions from Other Clara. Bak couldn't even answer her because she had nothing but questions.

"That's enough for now," Clara said with a smile on her face, pulling her back with her very much physical hand.

A little too eager, but understandably so. Her second new contact in her short existence as a human being. But she needed to be reigned in, work had to be done.

"Since we're here, you can feel it too, can't you? Our power, scattered around the city." Clara said. "My sentries, they are yours as well. As much as I would like for you to talk with each other some more, our work must be done."

"Got it, got it. I'll go try to find Vittorio! Good luck over here!" Dream Clara said.

Dream Clara materialized her own Grimoire. Her appearance paled. She was still present there in her phantom form, but her mind was elsewhere now. Roaming their network. Finding connections, input, output.

They knew each other so well, she had known their first course of action without being told. Act on everything within their power to gather the distant strands of their web together.

"Now, how about this new member you speak of? He sounds intriguing." Clara said.

"Ummmmm," Bak started, fidgeting uncomfortably. "Which new member would you be speaking of? There are....many."

lara stood there for a moment, face buried in her palm.

"How about you start with the one you mentioned who wants to deal with the cult?" She said.

Clara had found the current date and time already of course, but how much could've possibly conspired in the last few weeks? Still, taking things one by one should've been a valid tactic.

"Oh, da! Ward." Bak said, sudden realization flowing over her. "I did not let him be member because way he introduced himself was very rude. He beat up Gabriel. You know him, the very strong useless boy that never attends meetings. I did not think it right to reward such behavior, so I have him cleaning up flyers...uhhhhh..."

Bak looked around the front yard, but didn't see Ward anywhere. "He must have moved around to back. He is prince from faraway country come to fight strange cult people that appeared after tournament. He says that they want powerful demon he has imprisoned somewhere, and he came to us because he likes that we do not follow rules."

"That is... an unbelievable stroke of fortune," Clara said. "How noble of him to have us shelter him from his enemies. Did he ask a price, or did he ask to pay?"

When Clara said unbelievable, she meant it more in the literal sense. More of a sceptical point of view that something would go nicely for them. Bak would understand, hopefully, but there was nothing wrong if she interpreted it differently.

"Ummmm..." Bak thought back, struggling to remember exactly what the boy had said back at the meeting. "He said that as long as cultists lose, everyone win. And something about bringing more of his family business into city. I do not know about that, but I think he is willing to play by our rules at least."

Would it be hypocritical for Clara to say she was tired of uncertain terms? No matter."Would you happen to be have a quick rundown on the rest?" Clara asked.

"Two you know!" Bak said excitedly. "Yuuto is one, the other is boy who fought Yuuto. Paint boy David, does portals? I thought we we're under attack so I emergency deputized them, but It was just Yuuto's scary father making huge racket. The other is Miss Celestine's friend Diana, from tournament. She said you tried to recruit her, and also that she is witch but I do not think so because she does not have beak or anything."

"Ah, the Dartagnan boy. I met him with you already, don't you remember?" Clara said. "And Diana... She still remained here after all?"

It had been such a time ago, but they had indeed met. On reflection, she was impressed with his initiative and attitude but of course it had irked her at the time. She also knew of the Shinobi's existence for a long time now. Nothing more to say on that matter, there were many things she knew and many things she didn't. The ninja just fell into the former category. That was all.

And Diana. Had she stuck around after all this time? An apology was in order, but Clara doubted Diana would appreciate one through gritted teeth. She wasn't quite feeling appreciative enough yet, she felt.

"I can take care of Diana for me!" The other Clara said, suddenly appearing from behind them.

"Wha-," Clara said, surprised. She quickly regained her composure but it seemed like having a bubbly cloud of sunlight ever-present behind her was something she was going to have to get used to from now on.

"You would do that for me?" She asked. Suddenly doubting the intentions of the smaller girl, she narrowed her eyes and asked another question. "Have you finished the task I set out for you?"

The younger Clara shuffled her feet while trying not to look directly at Clara.

"No... but I want to meet her," She said shyly. "I think I might have a good way to apologize with. You do want to apologize, right?"

Well, she wouldn't be lying if she said she didn't, but it would be at least a little disingenuous.

"...I doubt very much that Diana would like to see me anyhow, so I suppose... you should just do as you like," She sighed.

"Sweet! Awesome! Thanks!" The younger Clara said.
In a few moments she was off to find wherever Diana had gone. They may have been one and the same person, but she couldn't really tell what exactly she was going to do.

She sighed once again. She certainly didn't know she was capable of using such words anymore. Maybe she would be capable of bringing Diana back into her good graces.

"Let's head back to the council room. Call the... Cult boy over to us so we can talk business." Clara said to Bak.

"Da, right away Tovarish." Bak said with a quick bow. She raised her FLAK cannon to the sky and fired. Explosion's resounded across the school as the air above was dotted with little black clouds of smoke, hoping to catch the attention of the boy hopefully still working up a good sweat somewhere with his cleaning duties.

---

Either the school was being threatened by a bomber raid, or Bak was trying to get his attention. Judging by the lack of craters being blasted into the school, he guessed it was the latter. Dismissing the disgruntled demon he'd summoned to help him sweep (that damn helicopter had dropped a LOT of fliers) once Bak was no longer watching, he made his way around the school.

Once he got closer, he saw the girl standing next to Bak. Immediately he felt himself subconsciously raise his guard. The way she held herself, the subtle way Bak's demeanor had changed in this girl's presence, and the look in the girl's eyes; all of those things triggered little alarms in his head. He didn't think Bak was in danger, nor himself, yet, but this certainly wasn't just another student.

"I must assume the fireworks were for me," Ward said as he came to a stop near them. "Well here I am. Someone you want me to meet?" he glanced at the girl next to Bak.

"Mr. Ward boy." Bak said, spreading out her arms toward the girl at her side with the look of someone partaking in a fun activity that she only got to do once in a blue moon. "Presenting person you have come here to meet, Tovarish Clara Deimos Erdrigan! Head of student committee and leader of Mephisto's school for Wickedly Inclined."

"Well met, Mr. Ward," Clara said. "Ms. Tsarevna has already spoken to me about your circumstances."

She returned a look of measured neutrality. Her eyes were unclouded and clear. The gaze she returned was amicable. She wouldn't be unpleasant. She wouldn't try to create a false impression of who she was. She would humour him if he decided he wanted to be a comedian.

But.

She knew what he was here for. He recognized her authority. That made things easier.

"This cult has indeed been a thorn in our side, but nevertheless is not a people who have specifically become our enemy," Clara said. "We are, after all, just a school for misfits. A bundle of outcasts. I have connections, and I keep my bargains. Some of us have been hurt, yes. But what will we gain from this endeavour?"

"And most importantly, what do you hope to gain?" She finished.

"Well it's really very simple, miss," he began. "You stand to gain, or rather keep your lives. These daft fools are waging a war on the gods. All of you gain your powers from them, so they won't think twice about waging war on you. As you've chosen not to reject their gifts, they will see you as either enemies or fodder to be slain and sacrificed to achieve their ends. It's an unfortunate truth that due to little events like your tournaments, the major schools are in the limelight. St. Laurels may be the biggest, but this school is their number one rival. It makes you a target," Ward explained. "As for me? These people are an old enemy of my family's. It would be easy to attach my name to their final defeat and expand my family's reach to the largest city in the world. However, my eventual gain does no harm to you, but the path to get there is to your benefit."

"To put it more concisely, if you enjoy living in this city I assume you would want to see it not remain a battleground for the next few decades," his expression hardened. "They've grown bold. They will appear again."

"We and this city do not share a permanence. We exist in the shadows. We could abandon this place in a heartbeat. Erase all of our traces. Burn the foundations until there is nothing but ashes." Clara said. "We would miss this city. But we will not be counted amongst the dead."

On that last point, she was firm in her belief. Power, assets were replaceable. But the people surrounding her were not. She couldn't let herself get sucked into a losing war. That is, if war was truly the only option.

"You must be very confident in your assertions if you would tell me this Cult could lead a war that could span decades. This little school... our little games. I assume you already have a plan for them if you would seek us out."

"You are, perhaps, but can the same be said for all those who follow you? You may well be left with nothing but a legacy of cowardice," Ward told her. He felt he might be pushing his luck again here, but he had to try. Hopefully this one couldn't throw fireballs or at least would let him see it coming. "Quite frankly, if this cult launched a direct and prolonged offensive, they'd lose within days. Their ability to retreat and gather power over time is their greatest strength. The problem I face is that I possess the knowledge and ability to face them, but not alone. I am barely more than a teenager, a child in the eyes of many, unfortunately, so those who are willing to listen to me are... limited. The hope is that with help and a concerted effort, such a prolonged mess can be avoided."

Ward took a deep breath, "My patron god has turned me into a living jail for a demon. If one can be trapped, then another can, thus leaving these cultists without a figurehead to follow and empower them. Given the opportunity, I believe I could tear them all down."

"I have no fear of being called a coward. I've already been accused of everything under the Sun. But your proposal will add sufficient value to us in the short term, I accept." Clara said.

She had a mind that they may be underestimating the cult's tenacity. This Ward made a point that they would attract the ire of the Cult just by existing, but if they hadn't up until this point, joining in such a foolhardy plan as a 'direct' assault of sorts was the equivalent of painting a target on their backs with their own paint.

Still, once again, she had her contingencies. She had her plans and plots, she knew a way to make sure she would have a way out of this.

"I do believe we can strike a deal," Clara said, extending her hand for her new business partner to take.

"Well, I'm glad we could reach an agreement," Ward told her. "My apologies if I said too much in the process." He already didn't like this girl, but no need to antagonize her just yet. He couldn't get a full read on her, but she was almost certainly out for herself and only herself. That didn't make it east to trust her. However, he did shake her hand. "In any case, planning can wait. I'm told you've been missing for a bit. No doubt you have other things to square away first."

"In a manner of speaking, yes, I suppose I do. I appreciate your concern and consideration," She said. "I hope this becomes a fruitful partnership for the both of us."

She already didn't like Ward. He didn't seem to... appreciate their unique position. Regardless, power was power. Their partnership didn't have to last until the endgame. The Cult had the potential to be a stumbling block, and it would be good to have it gone.

She wouldn't imagine it would be smooth, but it could be worth the effort to many of them. Yes... them. She'd have to reach out once again to regain the trust she had assuredly lost. The Ward boy may think that she was only out for herself.

Of course she was. That was her nature, but she could no longer imagine herself alone.

"I hope that girl will make things go well," Clara sighed.

Bak looked between the two, oblivious as a block of wood to the underlying tension of the conversation. She knew anything she said might just distract Clara or confuse the situation or just make herself look really stupid.

She took Clara's comments about being able to abandon the city at any time of the pile of things to think about later, like that curse remark from the demon girl or what was bothering Luigi so badly. There was one thing, though, that got her goat and she could bring it up now that negotiations seemed to be settled.

"Um, Tovarish? Are you sure we exist so much in shadows anymore?" She asked hesitantly. "I mean, Ward boy found us and St. Laurel's have been coming here and, well...," She gestured downwards, toward the fliers at their feet.

Clara pursed her lips and pushed out a sigh. Right, she had forgotten about that a little bit, but not exactly.

"Of course. Being in the shadows doesn't mean we're impossible to find," She began. "Those in the light only have to look back to see us, after all. But we are supposed to be somewhat out of reach..."

"Ohhhhhh," Bak said, nodding her head. That made sense. People like that should be scared off when they came knocking or flying their helicopters. It didn't surprise Bak in the least that this was mostly her own fault. "I will have to work even harder to keep watchful eye on school then."

Clara gave her a look that didn't really mean anything in particular, but she reached out and patted Bak's head anyway.

"Don't think too much about it, it's not really your strong suit," She said. "I can take of it if I so desire to, don't worry about things beyond your power."

There was much to do, and she'd need Bak by her side. It was time to move on with the story.

Diana's eyes felt sticky and heavy. Her room had been a mess now, of sorrow and self-loathing. Her usual carefully groomed looks were now dishevelled, and even her very clothes had been frazzled and dishevelled. Pangs of hunger timidly remembered she had not eaten in a long time. The stalker goddess had given her wide berth. Still, the world would still move. In the end,a single death was not that much in the long dance of this world. And it's not like it had been all sunshine and rainbows.

She had even left a message for the Vigilantes, curt and dry, but informing that due to third parties, their help in taking him down would not be necessary.

Yet it hurt, it hurt so much, like someone rubs salt in a gaping wound, and then twists a chunk of ice in it until your entire body is paralyzed and numb. It was true she had left him. But she still... had feelings for him. Would she ever regain the illusion for life ever again? How many hours had passed? She pondered as she descended downstairs to solve the least important of her problems, food.

"You okay, Diddums?" said a woman leaning from her seated position, as she was reading the "Magicka Weekly." Her silver hair betrayed her kinship with Diana as she rose and walking careful steps, embraced the young witch. "My poor child, losing a friend this soon. Take as much as you need." She said, trying to comfort her daughter.

"I liked the lad. He was sharp." Diana's father came in a muffled gasp from the kitchen. "I'm sure he's in a better pl- OH CRAP!" Her father pitched in, only to be cut from the disertation by a magical explosion. And then clucking. Lots of clucking. Her father had somehow managed not to console Diana, but also turn himself into a chicken.

But no. He's probably in hell. Or oblivion. He was a bad man, dad. But still... it hurts. Diana tugged her mother's clothes and chose for a moment to fade from the world into her maternal embrace. Even the ever self-made, self-reliant Diana, at the end of the day, had been a girl with her own dreams and feelings.

The door rang just after, sparing no solace. "I suppose I have to go get the door now, since your idiot dad turned himself into an animal without opposable thumbs. Again." Diana's mother said, in the ever-so-deadpan tone Diana was also known for. "Just wait here for a moment."

It was Frank. The mailman. Probably the nicest mailman in the vicinity, and on the whole a normal individual. Except for the fact he had seen a little of everything. "Letter for Diana Graeca... Is that a chicken with a moustache? Heh." The postman handed the letter, and asked for the certified signature in that meantime. Diana's mother did so in her daughter's behalf, and her expression became sombre once again, after inspecting briefly the letter.

"Diana... it's best if you read this in intimacy. It's from him." Her mother said, as she handed the letter in Diana's hands, and then gave her daughter a hug. "Take your time to do so. It's probably the last words you will ever see of him."

"CLUCK!"

"And yes your father is... uh, I can't understand chicken, Augustus." Diana's mother frowned. "I had better turn your dad back. Just... hang in there, okay?" She said, before allowing her daughter to go to her room after giving her a generous helping of chocolate. Diana nodded, and silently steeled herself as she crawled back into her room.

The world moved on. Life continued. She opened the letter as she sat on her bed. It was handwritten. That dummy did like to show off his penmanship sometimes.

Dear Diana,

If you are reading this, it means I have failed at living. And that will be quite inconvenient. There will no chance to see your flustered face ever again. Nor more dances. There will be also a bunch of loose ends, and I hope you will be able to tie them in my stead. No, it does not involve avenging me. Whoever did me in, is probably beyond your grasp and power. It would be a waste of your cute yet amusing life.

Yet, I am a selfish man. I do not concede easily. It's a custom that the spoils of battle go to the family once we're done with this pile of absurdities that is known to life... but I do not want that woman to ever touch a single sip of my success. She has more than I ever did, and she never made anything to earn it.

If there's one person in this whole world that deserves it, it is you. I have met many people, many faces. I've witnessed many dreams and selfish desires. I have laughed at them. I have destroyed. I have encouraged. Yet, for all their colorful radiance, they were just bland. Without flavour, shape, colour. I was never able to connect with any of them, much less appreciate them. But you, you were different. If this wretched mind of mine could love, you would have been the first person in my mind. I used you. I know I did.

But that's because I trusted you.

Hence, if I cannot bring this ugly world to its knees, I shall make do with you. All that belonged to me, my material assets, so to speak are now yours. Use them as you see fit. Shine. Shine for me, Diana Graeca. Prove me wrong. Prove all of them wrong. Break mediocrity in pieces, and tear the machinations asunder. There will be times you will buckle down under pressure. You will be broken apart every single time.

At that moment, remember it. Remember these brilliant years of your youth. And how you made the most wretched sociopathic creature of Rhea... ponder the notion of Love. That's how special you are. Live for me the life I could not.

From Hell,

Celestine Lightbringer.

PS: Look after a couple of dummies for me, will you? They're not that hard to deal with. Dmitry and Bak are nice.

Diana clutched the letter, crumpling under her daintly hands, the tears surging back as she crumpled the letter and grasped the keys within to Cel's former belongings.

"Always a showoff until the end, you dummy." Diana whispered to herself, as she stood straight, and wiped her tears with her sleeve. "...first stop, Mephisto's. Can't do anything about Dmitry I am afraid..."

"This is definitely it..." Mini-Clara said.

She knew the address of the house but going through streets she'd never visited herself was always going to be something else alright. It did help that she was more or less a ghost, so even if something distracted her, she couldn't touch it so he wouldn't stay distracted for long!!! And why was she calling herself Mini-Clara now, do you ask? Well for one thing, she was shorter!! A lot shorter!! A whole foot in fact! Or more!!!! But if she was floating then it didn't seem as large.

Why all the exclamation marks you say? Well she thought the ball of manic energy character fit her a lot better as Mini-Clara after all. She and Clara weren't really the same person, after all. Their lives split in the formative stages of childhood development, and of course her experience of life had been vastly different to the greater Clara's.

Yes, she'd absorbed all her memories and experiences but that's exactly why she had to be different. She could become Clara if she wanted to. She could change her form and overwrite her personality. But Clara Deimos Erdrigan would never allow herself to become a mere shade. And in that manner, they were one and the same.

But now she had a job to do. It was something only Clara could do. The real one. But, there was a gap that had to be crossed for the both of them Clara and Diana. So, as long as she could play Mini-Clara then she could help bridge that gap. The Greater Clara wasn't quite ready despite all her experiences. All the years that she had, she'd never had to apologize. So…

"I guess I have to find her room first, which one is it?" She said.

It would be best to deal with Diana directly, since, her Mother also seemed to be a witch and she wasn't sure how she would deal with that if it came down to it… Would she be able to curse her from her place in the Dream World? She didn't really know, and she didn't exactly have to risk it.

"Because walls don't mean a thing to me!" She said as she finally entered in, through the roof.

"Hello Diana! I know you don't… know… me…" Her words died on her lips as she surveyed the state of the room.

It reminded her of that time. Yes, that time, but 17 years of memories had blown it away and now she remembered again. It wasn't as bad, and likely had other reasons to it. But still, it wasn't good.

She floated down to about eye-level, or a little lower to Diana and spoke again, as gently as she could manage.

"…Did I… come at a bad time?"
@AtomicNut

{Very long collab between myself and Cultist-Sama}

"Just perfect!" Laughed Charlie as he pocketed his phone he tipped his mask upwards and drunk from his flask. (He had ventured back to that one town outside of Rhea for the beverage he had a week ago.) Charlie had lowered the Hare Mask again and stroked his amulet; he was anxious. The information he had gathered on the students in St. Mephisto's and St. Laurel's had proven to be as exact as any Stalker worth their namesake would be when wishing to know more about a person, or two. Or thirteen. He thought back to the chat room he had just exited five minutes ago.

"So, I'm up & walkin' That you Frostwire." read the green text.

" You still sound robotic Malachite. Is everything ok?" Inquired Charlie he even added a frown Emoji. He pressed onward before Malachite could reply. "How long did it take me? You're not out of it. Just changing! o.0"

"....LMAO You're such a cute fuckboi~ I'm Fine secondly. You got to save me on time, your time? My time? The Goddess of Time & God of Space's Time? Bahaha, it was still on time I'm lucky. I'm livin' and more of that reassurin' crapola! ...D: I don't be able to jump in le tournaments anymore."

"Haha! What can I say! I'm like my adoptive father! I STALK those I care for! t ha. Shame the moves you got went to shit. :p/:*"

"....Bye~ I'll see you outside of all this EPIC bloodshed, No NO It's a orderly annual joust between two to three moral factions. Buh-bye~"

^^^Then MAlachite disconnected.^^^ (edited)

{Part two of one; end vitrual flashback}

"So. Mister Vile. I've got some friends caught up in turf wars, criminal activity, and natural accidents. Both my friends and I can pay you. Swell Not, well,my dear. I'll pay my cut and my, grateful friends will give you a handsome tip." Explained Charlie as he talked he heard himself and smiled inwardly, he scoffed onto hearing voices of Lighter Gods and Goddesses protest the moment of merriment he had felt. Something new he picked up from his new parent. 'Make 'em angry, then make them regret their next move.' Charlie came back to reality and took out an ATM's envelop it was thicc, worn, and had a sigil in the bottom left corner. Charlie played coy and flashed the envelop before Luigi Vile's face. "Oh Doc? Care for some off-tha clock clientele?!"

"You know, you don't need to wave the money in my face...and sure. I'm not fully a doctor, I must disclose, but I'm the closest you're going to get. My associate who normally takes care of the medical end of things is...out, for a while. Been trying get a bead on what's eating up all his time, but it seems he's gone off to do...something..." Luigi mutters as he watches his new acquaintance wave an envelope of what he assumes is cash in front of his face. Luigi was stressed, but this could be the break he needed. Depending on how much cash he was given, he could build something to help him track down those he needed to find, and as such couldn't afford to let this chance slip.

"So, what's ailing them? Gunshots? Severed limbs? Sicknesses? Curses? I can handle just about anything, given time. Just make sure they know if I replace something, it's because I had to...."

Charlie caught, not from shock but rather a pestering cold. He stood and listened understanding what information Vile and given him. He gave a smallish frown upon hearing the uncertainty in his new acquaintance's voice Charlie was going to offer a sympathetic shrug but brushed the thought aside. He was just finished with so many old parts of himself. At first he didn't reply. Charlie just stayed silent. And gradually lowered the envelope.

"Curses. Yes, plural. One's a bit Nightmareish and the other two are akin to possession and a" At this point the young man tried not to laugh before he told Vile the last of what was going on. "An actual dry spell, my dude has been hexed to not, fuck or be fuck." His gazed went upward as he smiled, it was boyish, sweet. It was mature. "Switches are fun!" His attention went back to Vile before he brushed his cheeks as he felt them warm up. He realized something! Charlie had never checked if he had been attacked by a person given a God or Goddess's powers. "Oi, have I been cursed Luigi?" There was a puzzeled yet, delighted look on Charlie's face which caused the blush to die down, he began to take out his cell phone.

After Luigi VIle's response Charlie would sent his colleague the confirmation message.

"Yes, yes..you....are..." Vile began, his hand hovering near his side. He tilted his head as he seemed to deeply scan over Charlie, and maybe for the first time since what has been taken hold, the shadow could feel the scouring of light, as it was seen. "As for the curses on the others, to break them, I'll need to study them. I should be able to break those curses...I could even break yours, but I doubt you'd want that....maybe split you apart....It'd take a while, but I could build a vessel...." Luigi offered, partially thinking out loud, his hand still hovering over that one spot on his thigh, his fingers gently curling, like a gunslinger waiting for the noon bell chime.

Vile wasn't sure what to make of this character, but he was offering money, and further more, depending on who his friends were he could use them. With Cel's disconnection, he needed allies. He was running out of time, and things were getting desperate fast. Worst came to worst, he could use this cash to hire Diana, maybe even find that girl who saved his life and pay her....hire the mob....he had options, but he needed to either shit, or get off the pot. How this job went would decide which course of action Vile went down, and he knew much could be decided by a few right people, in some wrong places.....

A cough left Charlie. "There's Light's Hexin me, isn't there?" Questioned Charlie. His face was quivered,"Oui, mate do ya like fuckin' friendship? Because I'm usin' NiceGuy Energy on who are actually my enemies." Charlie's posture had became less professional and more cozy. He wanted to see what it could be like to actually call somebody a vulgar term of endearment.(edited)

He studied Vile; the guy struck him as "The Dangerous Type". Exactly the kinda person Charlie likes to keep coming back to him! He sighed and thought about the curse again it was like pissing on your enemy's shoes to find out later that they had worn your shoes to the knife fight He cussed under his breath, quickly discarding a memory of a event involving grey tape, a golden candle and a fake name sigil for The God Of Control. Eventually Charlie came back down and looked at Vile. "So just follow me." He suggested just before checking his messages.

It's Clark DEvito! Cut my arm off this Elder Beast like in Evil Dead~~

"Tyrone you fuckin'" Charlie stopped himself again and just showed Vile hisnew text, it had-not a picture of Clark DEvito but a picture of a blobish tree trunk, with an arm in mid-sway where the left third branch should be. Charlie continued with a text. " -'- We kill the whole Ancient Evil...That's Percy Lombert isn't that?" Instead of wating for a reply, Charlie shut the phone off, and before breaking eye contact with Vile he vented. "Fuck, you ever wish there were a force that would just kill everything? Other than itself? THe things I do for love, kill me." Laughed Charlie.

"I've met that force. His name is Lightbringer on a bad day....and your friend is a tree. I suggest we get get to him as fast as possible. This was more serious than I first expected." Luigi starts, as several thin wiry tentacles burst from his clothing, pulling out different bits of metal to weld together, engrave, and other such acts as they begin to build...something.....Looked like some sort of fancy box, covered in strange etched in symbols. He began to weld wires into the inside of it as he walked, his arms angling the box as his tentacles worked.

"If I may pry, how did you all end up with such intense curses?" Vile spoke as he waited for his employer to either catch up, or point out he was going the wrong way.
22 December 2019

Charlie Struggled. "Astral, Projection's How I've heard of LightBringer." Replied Charliewith hiseyes shut and a scowl on hisfreckled face, "Ahw fuck man. Shealwayswanted to be a blinkin' leporard. I trust, inwardly She's not takin' this tree shit well." Straightening up Charlie then opened his eyes and watched the man at work. 'Nice. Reminds me of a H-game machanic I worked on with a few, friends. He walked with Vile, the two were headed the right way.

"Again astral projection. We're Simply put. The Descendants of Trickster Godz, to be clear the imp race." With that explanation Charlie folded Vile's payment and stuck it into his Hoodie-T's fat pocket.

Luigi's head swiveled to look at Charlie, and an eyebrow was raised. "You're imps? Do you know of that attack, with the red robed men? The cultists? Did you have anything to do with that?" Vile asks, hand once again hovering over his side, fingers twitching. His tendrils continued their work, bolting tubes to the box he was working on, welding bars to the outside. From an artistic perspective, the box was becoming a cage of sorts. His pace didn't change either, as he wandered forwards.

As usual Charlie heard the last question asked first, so in answered Vile in that order, with a shake of his head Charlie then spoke. "Fuck, was I involved with Cultist-sama when I took a short vacation?!" After asking this to Vile, Charlie gave him and tried and trusting look he continued. "Cultists? As in more than Cultist-sama? Man, I fuckin' astrally check out Crow in between laughin' at those guys." Charlie's expression changed in which he disregarded what he had just informed Vile on. "Yeah. We're Imps. Imps with like Sparrow's wings." The emotion of confusion crossed Charlie's mind for another moment. His gaze on Vile was less Serious and more starved to out a bullshitter. No, This was much deeper than that! Those spirits were Soft Bastards! "What's a Sparrow?" Inquired Charlie with a quizzical pout he quickly turned to show Vile his back, so he could just see the secret body parts then waited a literal minute and eleven seconds before turning to open the door.

"We're here!" Cheered Clark DeVito. He was inches from cutting Percy Lambert's Tree-limbs off with a Bill Hook in the left hand and a DrawKnife in the other, the Bill Hook's aura was so visible, the alkchemical form of Percine Lamberk Berkyll had flinched, then grabbed Charlie by the Greysexual's Belt Loops.

"Hey! I brought, PUT ME THE FUCK DOWN YA BLOODY IRON, WOOD and. OKAY HOWIS YOUR BRA STILL ON?!" Charlie, was given an action as a response. He involuntarily glomped Clark. Who begrudgingly whimpered and dropped the Drawknife, then tossed the Bill Hook in the air.

THe Two Collided like an spiritual ripple just as a breakdown's callout began at some Concert.

"So your, uh. YOU ARE Luigui Vile-san yes? THe tree can only talk in ppictures." Explained Clark as Charlie groped hisown chest. Then got off. Just to watch the Tree version of Percy Lambert use a limb to face-palm. He _did not suppress a laugh. Looking at his own chest Clark then lookedat the preppy bra their Now A Tree comrade wore. "I think I know which, uh. Local Cartoons Lightbringer has seen."

Charlie went off the shits with laughter.

Luigi could only twitch a bit, and felt like he understood not a damned word of what was said. "W-what? Yes, I'm Vile, what about cartoons? I.....Ok, your speaking in gibberish, and I've little time for such things. Who wants their curses broken first? The device I'm working on will allow me to seperate out the curses, but once they're separate, they'll take on a form of their own...and then we kill it the old fashion way. I didn't have the supplies or the time to build a normal curse breaking device, so, this'll have to do." Luigi explains as he sets the box his tendrils was working on down. "Just toss some of your hair, blood, or other part of yourself into the machine, and I'll activate it...be warned, this might be....unpleasant."

"THe tree!" Clark blurted out he had finally calmed down, and gave Mr. Luigi Vile a nod, then had to pointed himself out. "Actually, I'm not cursed. I'm just damage control. And yeah. None of what we said made sense." Admitted Clark as he preceeded to sit down and just watch.

Walking over to Percy's temporary new look Charlie had searched for a article other than the bra when he came up sort he squited his eyes and let the evil energy just flow out of him. "..." As he said nothin' Charlie unhooked the bra and walked back over to Vile. THen, out of sheer respect for himself and the Blood Goddess, cut himself with the Draw Knife. He gleemed back at Percy, and exhaled like a Air Dragon just done with this shit "Do. Not. FUCKIN' speak, in images!" He commanded.

The physical and mental pain Charlie felt meant nothing in comparison to the pain he felt emotionally plus spiritually at the sheer and limitless thoughts as to why Percy had only one article of clothing on. And How it could manifest on the tree curse "The pain you're about to heal me with will be better than the pain, I've endured as an enemy of St. Laurel's."

Luigi watched as a tree had its bra removed, and Charlie cut himself, and could almost feel the nosebleed start. "Part of YOURSELF. Not your clothing, unless you're intending to go first, Charles." Vile grumbled out as he stomped towards the Tree, intending to rip off a small portion of bark. He had little time, and the tomfoolery was starting to wear on his already raw nerves. Part of him contemplated how easy it'd be to leave these fools charred and broken. He still had the grenades he had built to deal with the kidnappers, he could utilize...no..no. He needed the supplies, and killing clientele was bad for business. He could wait to torment them later, yes, maybe utilizing social media....Yessss.....That would be more than fitting.

Outside of Luigi's mind, those gathered saw his hand gently try to grasp one of the tree's thinnest branches, before wanting to twist and snap it off of the tree. There was also a gentle clicking noise coming from Luigi's skull, echoed gently. To those who were tech savvy, it almost sounded like camera clicks.

There was a moment of sadism as Charlie let out a cold laugh for all of two reasons. THat were right in the room with him. "Yeah, I'll go first. Lol, that's actually my first time bein' picked first, thanks. Not Mario, but Luigi." Charlie said the last part with a faint blush and flicker of his eye lashes. He turned to catch the final actions of Luigi and smirked, it wasn't impish it was in the style of a teifling. He recognized the camera clicks, and could Smell Luigi's emotions It was kinda attractive.

Clark said nothing but kept watching. His Inner Dudebro had been derailed by the Alternative Scence non-hetros he hung out with. He just flashed Charlie A hand sign; Clark brushed his left hand under his chin then flicked it. He saw his fellow Bastard be taken again.

-

Then before the two could 'Continue to mentally flirt with each other' Percy broke off the piece of herself that Luigi was aiming for. She sent an image of herself as a human in a infuriated and DONE facepalm into all of their minds. The next was vulgar become what the Gods/Goddesses of the Gods and Goddesses could be bestowed. The final image was of a locked copper case with money on top of it and drinks. Her payment to Mistah Luigi Vile That final image was clearly a different location. She, truly, and hopefully understood that she and her Personal Goddess knew that she hated everybody out and everybody in this room!(edited)

Luigi couldn't help but smile as the tree raged into his mind, he found it deeply amusing and at the same time, a little disturbing that his mind could be so easily sent messages. As he heard Charlie talk, and make some joke about a Mario, he turned to see exactly what would happen as Charlie's blood went to the machine. He waited, wanting something to brutalize in an attempt to salvage some sense of sanity in this situation, for it reeked of insanity, without sophistication.

It was moments like this where he wished Cel was there, to slap these people into shame. If Luigi tried it, there'd be bit of grey matter between the gears in his hands.....

After reading the expressions on Luigi's face, Charlie defiantly decided they liked him. (Not in a you make me hot and horny way, just). `He began to rub his cutlass on the cut given for the removal of this curse Lightbringer had inflicted on them. Charlie watched the machine and his blood. 'I request to see more.' Charlie made a note in his mind to hang out with Luigi if not the young villain could just stalk Mistah Vile. New people were so, Unususal!

A uninterrupted chuckle that showed that Charlie had no humanity left within left him feeling happiness as he looked amused at the personification of the curse. "I expected you to look, like The Goddesses Saint, Of Avain Storks. This'll do, gov'nor." They said feel a rush from within he felt emotions that this curse had dammed up, fucked up, and sealed up. He gave Luigi a friendly and grateful gaze. "I owe you, Luigi." They confessed.

The Curse looked like a royal silver statue of a cockroach with the horns of a buffalo and teeth of a Tiger Shark. There was symbolism here Charlie was just too emotional to notice. He was admiring the Tree version of Clark. And by that; Clark had merely become stuck in the branches. Charlie was uncertain of Clark was conscious or knocked out.

"How the fuck did this go down!?" Clark not being much of his Father's Father, student was crying, it was sickly, it was self-pity, it was victorious, it was a repeated scene. "Lords of Our Gods against the Evil Ancients. I love the entire Earth Element. Btw, fill me in. What's a Drow?" He said the prayer out loud before slippin' into unconsciousness. For Clark, this afternoon would be another moment he would look back on and pat himself on the back.(edited)
28 January 2020

Luigi wasted no time, his left hand in a flash passing over the spot it had been hovering, as his clothing ripped and he drew his pistol. From his right hand wrist, a blade emerged as he rushed the curse manifestation. In his charging, he unleashed several shots, intending to try to blow off this bug's legs to immobilize it and cause intense pain to debilitate. As he got within arm's reach, his intent was to drive his wrist blade into the creature's torso under its head, and pull down before ripping its exoskeleton open, and exposing its internals to the fresh air.

Luigi was tired, in emotional pain, angry at the stupidity around him, and feeling truly lost for the first time in a long time, until he remembered some advice. "Either keep it cool, or berserk. Don't get soft on me Vile."
Hearing a paraphrased version of what Cel had told him, Vile decided it was time to blow off steam. His mechanical mind began to suppress his strain, his pain, and with a cocktail of adrenalin and rage inducing pheromones, drove Luigi into a violent frenzy as he crashed down upon this bug like a madman, losing himself in the idea of fight.
"I'm going to use your guts for a jump rope, and your chitin for dinner plates! C'mere, you grubby little bug, come to the boot!" Luigi roars as he began his attack. It seemed he wasn't kidding about breaking the curse, in fact, he seemed to have meant it very literally.

After mentally counting Charlie felt five different energies electrifying him, he speedily threw his sword into his left hand and cut himself just under the wound Vile had needed to exorcise him of the curse that was put on him by Lightbringer. He began to heal, and healed enough to walk over to the Tree, and take her bra and just walked over to Vile only to step back enough for himself to be in throwing distance, Luigi had gone apeshit and Charlie had taken note of that! He felt apathetic.

Only for a moment

A memory had came back into Charlie's head, he staggered, sent his right hand to his palm and grimaced, "Fuck" was his only reply, the memory of his former self has been in his mind standing before him, as Vile had wailed on the curse Charlie's eyes become violable and wet. He wasn't about to cry, the pain induced by his mental connection to the curse had just, broke him. Charlie fixed his glare on his former self. "Don't you fuckin' understand what change is?! YOU. WILL. DIE." Ordered Charlie at the mental ghast that stuck around due to some idiots he dropped still rejecting who he had re-invented himself into.

Charlie's frustration and agitation had penetrated the bug-curse. He grinned in a way that translated as thanks for dinner He shot Clark a look and in reponse Clark frowned falsely and made his exit off-screen. Charlie only understood that Clark told him (through body language) He'd meet Charlie's adoptive father! Charlie looked at the now twitching Curse made by Lightbringer...And partially himself. "Our past is full of Parasites.....No it's much deeper than that! What haunts us is viruses." He said to Vile, not sure if the other would understand any thing but the darkened pain and seriousness pulsating off of him. "I owe you, don't say 'I'm good.'! Let me, clear this up." Charlie kept watching, while thinking of what would be completed next. He felt his aura darken, Lightbringer was a fuckin' blessing on his life and Charlie laughed now!

"You know, Lightbringer's curses are normally much more malevolent than this simple tomfoolery. I think you're mistaken on your suspects, Charles." Luigi says, unsure of what Charlie had done to the creature, but it seems to have ended it rightly, the curse dropping to the floor with a satisfying thud. He shrugs, and turns over to the delirious acid trip generating group. This entire place felt like its perspective was off...was this the work of one of their powers? Either way, he wanted out of here quickly.
"....How many more curses?"

Turning to face Luigi, Charlie had scowled. "We're done. I'll report back if it turns out I'm wrong." Then Charlie gave him a shrug, "Which usually happens when I mix up the paperwork I have."

-------------------------

Inside his bedroom Charlie had watched his memories of hiring Luigi come to and end. Charlie figured he would be better off, taking today as a day to get away from it all. His eyes shut again and Charlie was soon taken by sleep.

@RoflsMazoy

Diana was on her bed, sitting. She wasn't doing much, merely staring at a wall. And not even there. Her gaze was unfocused, like that of a weary soldier, her mind lost in the horizon. She did acknowledge the intrusion with a tilt of the head.Right, it was my week to renew the spirit wards. I must have forgotten what with CEL BEING KILLED and Luigi on the prowl.

"Don't need to. You reek of Clara's od. Should have better taste with messengers though." Her eyes, weary and with noticeable dark bags under them blinked slowly. Her gaze rested on their question. "No, it's a wonderful time. I was looking forward to a visit from an accursed little-girl-ghost thing that will show me the past christmas or something. So really, it's a great time. Now that Lightbringer is dead by Luigi's hands there could not be a better time to talk. I'm pretty bored with the whole idea of going in a self destructive rampage right now." She said, in a calm tone, betraying an unrelenting sadness and fury underneath.

"So little sweetcheeks, this had better be important, or I will make use of you as spell components."



Sometimes, everything started with a call. The call. Upon receiving it, a somber known voice would deliver probably a piece of news tough to stomach. Such had been the case for the Blackgate family, now bereaved and without home. Victor Blackgate, the patriarch, had finally arrived... to find nothing left of his home, and strange tales from his children who were staggered at the loss of a mother.

He needed to know. He needed to understand. And that's when the call was made to acquaintances. First his trusted allies. Then people who might had been witness to his children's recent mishaps. And so, Victor had called Wolf, requisitioning for him to talk, a message relayed by his own comrade in arms who happened to be Wolf's father. The direction was an affordable motel.

"I need you to come. There's something I need to be explained."

Wolf was at a loss. He had probably shared all of two words with Victor in the past... mostly because the man barely ever spoke. That was at best a mild exaggeration, but the fact remained. It was strange that the man wanted to speak to him specifically and at some random motel.

He was at least half certain the man wasn't going to kill him.

Someone like Victor would have been more upfront about that.

Probably...

And so Wolf arrived, knocking at the door he'd been directed to, wondering all the while what the hell was going on.

It was then when the door opened, revealing a shadow that loomed upon the small knight. Huge and overbearing, a meaty paw was raised, and then made a single finger gesture, pressed against the lips that bore small dents and scars of a hundred battles. "They are asleep". Said Victor in a coarse rumble, his attempt to not raise the tone. "Mona is dead. My house is gone." He added as he closed the door. "Mer keeps saying she has to be a good girl. She has lost so much weight she resembles her late mother now." His gaze steeled. "What...do...you...know?"

Wolf's mouth hung open, perhaps answering the question long before he could verbalize it. He was only learning about this just now.

"N-nothing. Wh-what? When!?" He figured he should leave out that he'd been threatening Mona for... the next eternity or so. That particular fact didn't seem conducive to his continued existence at the moment.

Victor narrowed his eyes, as he leaned upon wolf. His stammering was genuine, but the choice of words was not. "What...do...you...know." He replied again, insistent, like a hound having found an scent.

"Th-the last time I was at your house I was... just talking to Mona about Meredith. She'd been acting... off lately. I, u-umm, w-wanted to know if she knew anything about it. It got a little heated so I left to keep from b-bothering the kids..." Wolf swallowed nervously. "That was the last time I saw them." Well it wasn't a lie anyway.

Victor frowned deeply, his hand reaching his chin now. " What did Mer do, Wolfram. I was told nonsense. A masked guy who pretended to be a girl blew my house up and beheaded Mona according to Zack. And Mer is making the same miserable stare as when i first found her, half feral." His teeth gnashed by now. "My life is ruined and unless i get the truth, I might... lose it for good."

"She... uhh... got manipulated by some bad people into helping them do something... people almost got hurt..." Wolf explained vaguely. He'd barely been able to handle the truth, having been forced to live through it. He wasn't sure Victor needed to know the full details right now. "M-maybe Meredith can tell you more when she's... calmer?" If Victor really insisted, he'd say more... but he hoped he didn't have to.

"As for your house, and that girly man I've the answers you're looking for." Someone says as they emerge from another motel room. Wearing a pair of tattered cargo pants, combat boots, and a wife beater. His body looked more metal than man, almost like he had a suit of plate mail integrated with his mortal form. "Hey, uh, judging from what you said...You're Mer's dad..." The stranger says, motioning towards Victor. "And you're....Her friend?" He asks, motioning to the poor terrified looking lad. "My name is Luigi, and, uh, mind if we talk around back? I'd rather stay away from wandering ears."

Victor's eyes narrowed even more as he stopped all sudden movement. His gaze rested on Wolf, bearing his full intensity on it. However, by a stroke of luck, his attention went elsewhere. A newcomer. Victor did not make any further comment, merely a grunt of acceptance as he began to walk away, indicating with his head that both of them would have to follow him somewhere secluded by the emergency stairs.

If it wasn't for the fact that Wolf had seen a being similar to this Luigi during the tournament, he might have panicked more at his sudden appearance. How did he know Meredith? How did he know... anything? Who exactly was he? Why was he here?

Why did Meredith bring nothing but chaos into his life these days?!?!?

For now all he could do was nod and follow and hope this guy was as forthcoming as he promised to be.

"...Now, to start off, the masked girly man who blew up your house, and killed your Mona was a friend of mine. He came to me looking for weapons and armor....him and his brother. They both acted possessed, even his brother begging for his mother as whatever it was quashed his will. They talked about going on a divine mission to kill fate breakers. One of those fate breakers was a friend of mine...so....I disposed of them. Your Mona was avenged, and in doing so it nearly killed me...Mer found me walking down the street, dying. She saved my life. Not the first time she did either. If you recall the cultist attack, I had my chest ripped open by one, and she healed me then too. As for everything else.....I've no idea, other than she seems immensely stressed out." Luigi starts, before he lets out a deep sigh.

"This entire thing has been a shitstorm, and I'm sorry for not getting ahold of you earlier. My phone went up in the disposal." Luigi adds, very purposefully avoiding talks of killing. He turns to Wolf. "..You seem of the right age you might of ran into him before. Do you know of a fellow named Celest Lightbringer? Goes by Cel?"

Victor's eyes became wide at the mention of the masked killer and how it attacked Luigi and Mer... before his eyes became like pinpricks. He bit his lips so hard he bled. His eyes rested on Wolf once more. "Yes Wolf, explain me, once again... you're lucky you are son of who you are son. What...did...my...daughter...do?" Victor said a third time, this time in the form of an ultimatum.

Wolf let out a long breath. He didn't look scared anymore, so much as he did... resigned. He didn't like thinking about it.

". . ." For a moment his mouth opened silently. "She kidnapped my friend, using her as payment to convince someone to kill Vera. I stopped her, but that masked... person... was there. Probably the same one, but I never knew their name. They seemed to be playing both sides. After that it's a blur... my powers went out of control. When... I came out of it the masked one convinced Meredith to go with them. That's why I went to Mona, because I blamed her for influencing Meredith to act like that. But I didn't touch her, I left and then Meredith came and yelled at me for confronting her. But we talked and I thought I got through to her finally..." He let out another long sigh. "That's... that's all I know."

With his story told he finally processed what Luigi had said. The "Fallen One," AKA Cel apparently, was dead? Well... he wasn't going to lose much sleep over that one to be honest.

".......He was quite the manipulator. The wild card in the devil's den. Poor girl would never of known what hit her." Luigi mutters, his neutral stance slowly slouching as fatigue boiled up to the surface. "I know you don't know me, and you don't have any reason to believe me when I say that your friend Mer got twisted around by someone like Cel. With what I heard of her childhood from the little ones...He is a master of taking your pain and twisting the knife to whittle you into what he needs." Luigi tells as he reaches slowly to put a hand on Wolf's shoulder. His other hand produces a card with a number on it. "Here. Incase you've got anymore questions, or need help with something. A friend of Mer is a friend of mine, and someone willing to go talk to a demon about being a bad influence...that's a friend if I've ever heard of one."

Luigi also produces a card for Victor, the card flittering into the air from a port on Luigi's collar where Victor could see what it read, and could grab it.

Something seemed to break inside Victor as Wolf kept explaining. He was not an expressive man, but even he would feel sometimes as if someone had twisted a knife directly in his heart. His baby girl... well. She had done bad things, and she had been mingling with undesirable sorts. He eyed Wolf, as a meaty paw seized his shoulder. "I am deeply sorry for whatever trouble Mer has caused." He droned, ignoring Luigi's business card and stomping towards the door. Opening gently, he indicated Mer to come out. The eldest daughter obeyed, sheepishly. She had a real bad case of dishevelled hair and was obviously skipping on meals and sleep. "Dad?"

"I...thought that the poison had not gone that deep." He said. In a single movement, his hand shot at mer's face... backhanding her all the way to a lamppost. "I guess apples don't fall far from the tree. " Victor said, in a low rumbling voice. "I guess it's up to me to clean the mistakes of my children." He added, his gaze hostile. "I guess it was wrong trying to raise you as human, when you are anything but." His fists clenched. "I will make sure you don't ruin the Koenigsmann family any more than you did!"

Mer was unable to respond, instead clutching her face... with sorrow and resignation.

Wolf shared a concerned look with Luigi as the man stomped off back toward the room. There was no way... right? Victor was just as much a marshmallow as he was an unstoppable force of destruction. He'd literally married a demon to try and give his daughter a normal life. That was the kind of silly, if terribly misguided, thing Victor did.

He wouldn't hurt Meredith.

However, as he followed the man and heard his words... he began to fear otherwise. He sincerely hoped Luigi was ready to make good on his word, because he might be needed. Useless as a screen door on a submarine, but needed all the same. To be fair, Wolf was in the same boat. And then Victor hit her.

He wasn't a liar. Never had been, but his next words may as well have been a total falsehood, "I-I don't know what you're intending, but... if you try to hurt her again... I'll stop you!"

Not a liar because he wouldn't... but because if it truly came to it... because he couldn't.

He could only hope Victor wasn't willing to go that far. Because he would try, and surely Victor wouldn't raise a fist, or blade, against the son of his mentor.

. . . right?

Luigi's ears heard, and his feet began to move. There were few times in someone's life where Hermes boots found their way to them, but now was one of those times for Luigi. He saw Mer impact the lamp-post as though everything was going in slow motion. He slid, sparks flying from the steel against pavement as he moved between Mer and Victor. His feet burned from the sheer friction, but the pain fueled his sheer fury.
"Come towards her again, and I'll break every bone in your body. What kind of father strikes his child when they need help? What kind of father does what you did, leaving his children under a demon's care? To hell with you. The only stain is you, so come get some you bastard!" Luigi's voice roared, a sheer fury taking hold.
There were few things upon the god's green earth that drove Luigi towards such hate, but an abusive parent was one of them. While his mother died, these pieces of human garbage walked the earth spreading misery. Knowingly or not, Victor had summoned an obstacle that would only falter under complete destruction.

Victor gritted his teeth, silent without amswering, eyeing the two. He seemed to be furious, but did not strike twice. He simply lowered his hand. "Hm." He said, apparently calming down. "So, after all what's said is done, Wolfram... you are vouching for her." Victor added, only making a single passing glance at the metal man. "So do you... whoever you are." The rumbling man looked at Meredith, and then grabbed the metal man by the shoulders and carefully repositioned him to a side. "Mer. Are you truly sorry?"

Meredith looked at her father. "Ih...uh...yeshh..." She said, eyes teary. Victor's hand descended upon Meredith's head... only to pat her, and then give her a bear hug. "I'm sorry too. I've been absent for so long... my little girl. We best pick up the pieces, what do you say?"

Mer was unable to speak, breaking into sobs.

Wolf let out a long sigh of relief. It had all been for show, but it had worked. He had a feeling in Luigi's case it had all been genuine, but the metal man had no idea what he was up against. Even Wolf didn't know the limits of Victor's power, but he knew enough to know that if he'd decided that he wanted to hurt Meredith... he would have. They had no real say in the matter at that point.

But for now at least the crisis was averted and Wolf placed a hand against the nearby wall to hold himself up, stress flooding out of his body as he tried to convince himself it was OK to relax again...

He opened his mouth, but words didn't come out. It was all too much. Meredith was becoming too much. One minute she was betraying him and the next she was in dire need of his help. And he just gave it. Against insurmountable odds he's barely hesitated.

Were they even yet?

With those thoughts on his mind, all he could really do was shoot a grateful look at Luigi. He wondered if he'd have been as bold had he stood alone.

Luigi Vile watched tensely as he was moved by Victor, having to resist the urge to strike out if only for the moment. He watched as Victor talked to Mer, her blubbering as he hugged her. Feeling all that aggression he had built up begin to die down, Vile started to walk back towards his motel room. As his gaze fell over to Wolf, he caught a look a gratitude and sent back a gentle smile, and an offer. "Hey, wanna cola?" He offers, seeing the situation as mainly defused. He thought he might as well leave Victor and Mer to their bonding, knowing if something kicked up he could make a direct b-line to the scuffle.

That, and his feet were killing him after that stunt of sliding across the asphalt. The smell of hot metal was still faintly upon the open air and the skid marks were still ground onto the pavement.

After a few moments, Victor seemed to talk again. He was tired. Clearly he hadn't been talking this much in years. "This city is not safe anymore, Mer. We will go to my hometown. All of us four. Maybe a little peace is all we need." The man said.

That seemed to get a reaction of Mer: "Wh...what? But..."

"I will give you a few days to mull it over..." He said. "Now... I need to check on those two, too. " The giant man said, as he released Meredith from her bear hug and went back to the hotel room.

Wolf didn't understand. Before he could respond to Luigi, Victor spoke of leaving with all his children. Wolf didn't know what to think. It was like he'd lost Meredith, gotten her back, and here she was about to leave his sight again. Perhaps it would be better for her, but he'd promised to be there for her like he should have been all along. And... could Victor keep her under control? Stop her from slipping? What if she slipped again and his response was another back-hand?

And quite frankly, selfish as it was, he'd miss her... somehow... despite everything.

"H-hey... are you..." What? OK? Of course she wasn't OK! She was as far from OK as she had ever been, he was sure. Or at least dangerously close. ". . . can I do anything?"

"......I'll take that as..a..no..." Luigi begins, also seemingly gob smacked by the sudden declaration. He looked at Victor confused, like he was processing things, before he turned to Wolf looking very confused. He shakes his head, and heads back towards his motel room to go get something ready. As much as he owed Mer, he didn't know how to help her with this. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask Mer. Anything at all." Luigi says, before he vanishes into his motel room.

Meredith looked at her father's back, trying to extend one hand sheepishly to his departing figure. She did not say a word, but the eyes were telling all everything that was unsaid. Confusion, grief, defeat. "I don't know... can you? You can't help being who you are. You're not my prince in shining armor. We should stop deluding ourselves. Mother's gone now... father's back. I guess it would be nice to just start a new leaf. " Meredith said as she strained herself trying to piece herself together. "The real question... being if it's in this city or not."

Part of Wolf knew that separating Meredith from her remaining family wasn't ideal. However, he didn't know what was ideal for Meredith anymore.

"You'll... always have a place if you stay here," Wolf told her after a moments hesitation. "In the past... you were always there when I needed you most, so I'm here for you now. It's... how it always should have been." And how it would be going forward if he had any say in the matter. If things spiraled out again it wouldn't be from a lack of effort on his part. He couldn't let that happen again. "No matter where you end up, you just have to say something. Even if it's your father." Again, a borderline meaningless gesture in practice, but that wasn't the point.

"Likewise. If you ever need anything call, even if I have to cross the planet I'll get there. I owe you a life debt, and that's something I take seriously. If you decide to stay, you'll have two places you can go." Luigi offers."I...if I can voice my concerns, I worry about your safety if you go with him. He leaves you with a woman who shows young children pronos, and then attacks you by sending you flying with a punch. It's...not a good look from the outside....looking in.....But I don't have the full story, so I won't render full judgement."
With that, Luigi gently gives Meredith a pat on the head with the kind of touch one might have with delicate glass. "I'm sorry all this is happening to you."

Meredith stood still for a second, eyeing Wolf. Even after all of this, he still offered his hand to her. Nice to a fault, that was probably when she had become smitten with him. And then literally batshit crazy for him. She smiled tiredly at the young knight, as she stood tall. However, the niceties soon turned curdled upon hearing Luigi. "Father is a fool. But a fool who charged a succubus lair to rescue a child of his who only knew he had known by rumours until then. He's rough around the edges, in a similar way to you, Luigi. Surprisingly that you did not catch on this earlier." She paused, after a bit. "Alright I will speak to father..." She finished, after starting to walk proud once more.

She had a noticeable sway in her hips, while doing so, as well as a glare... that was reminiscent of Mona once more.

"Dad?" She asked.

"Yes, Mer?" His voice rumbled.

"I'm staying." She said, flashing a vicious smile.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR M-" It was the vicious rumbling of Victor again followed by one of his tough lecturing slaps.

Except this time, it was cross countered. With a punch to his face. Meredith reeled and buckled under the pressure, but countered. If there was something she had learnt about all of this... nonsense is that sometimes the nice way was not the best way. It was a delicate balance. "I don't know, Have I? I still have friends here, you know. Oh, and the whole thing about the demonic taint? Why don't you fucking recollect how shitty my life has been as of recent. You can't , Can't you. All you are good is for flexing muscles. I may be at fault, but the hell you were thinking, really?"

Victor was... speechless, as if force had escaped her.

"So how about this, dad. I stay, you take my younger siblings, Satan forbid i need a break specially from that little mini-Mona called Annah. Spend more time with Zack, he idolizes you. "
Victor's voice ...trembled. "Uh...okay." He reeled back, not physically hurt, but surprised that Meredith was that insistent in that regard. "You will come on weekends, right?"

"...I have wings to take me anywhere." Meredith shrugged. "And you're still my dad. Even if you're a musclehead." The half-demoness said, before stretching herself to kiss her father's cheek.

"Wha-" The ruckus seemed to wake up the two little siblings, who were now awake, staring at the exchange wide eyed. "Did the mammoth just countered DAD??"

"That was cool!" Zack said.

"......Explains why I didn't like him from the start." Vile mumbled after watching Mer walk away, a sense of dread forming in the pit of what would of been his stomach. ".....I feel like I did something stupid...." Vile grumbled, cursing his own lack of social grace. He looked over to Wolf and looked like he was about to ask something before shaking his head. "Hold onto that card for if you need anything. Car repairs, a new weapon, or hell, even jewelry is in my wheel house.....First one's free." He says, before he begins to shuffle back to his room.

Wolf tensed up at the sound of Victor slapping her again, but this time it seemed Meredith had the confidence to deal with it herself. It seemed... that it was over. The future still left him nervous, but for the first time in a while, he let himself breathe. He had some faith now that he could handle what would come.

"Thank you..." he said to Luigi. And he was thankful. Thankful that he'd lent his voice and that he might be there in the future as well. And he was also just thankful that it had all ended well -- that it hadn't become another painful chapter in his life.

Meredith looked then at the two boys, while nursing her hand. That had been worse than punching a brick wall, but it had yielded result. She tilted her head, and then smiled coyly eyeing Wolf. "Actually... can you dance, Wolf?"

". . . a little." Vera had tried to teach him once, but apparently he'd been largely incapable of transferring fighting footwork to dancing. Considering who his parents were, he was lucky anyone had ever tried to teach him. Or not so lucky considering what Vera had said to him every time he messed up... "Umm, why?"

"Well, that sounds rough. Ask your girlfriend to teach you. There's a charity party soon" Meredith said, and promptly walked towards him, eyeing Luigi. "Can you dance, Luigi?"

Luigi stops, and thinks for a few moments. "Hmm, for something like the charity party? I could certainly try. I've always fancied slow dancing. Why do you ask?" Luigi replies, not registering what such a question would mean.

"Excellent. I won't take a no for an answer. You're coming with me." Meredith said. "Even if you're Mephisto."

"...Wait, what? I'm horrible, an eyesore, and not...safe...to be around...." Vile starts, as if he was going to protest before he sighs. "Ok, what time would you like picked up, by car or by horse, and would you like for me to make you a dress for the event?" Vile offers, a bit thrown off his game.

So that was it. Even without Vera telling him about it, he recalled now that a costume ball was being held. Vera had actually sounded somewhat excited.

He didn't know much about this Luigi. Him being a Mephisto and what he'd just said should have made him nervous, but he clearly had some code of honor or loyalty which seemed to be working in Meredith's favor, so he said nothing. If anything, he was glad for it. It would make things easier. Someone else to keep an eye on Meredith and to keep her company at the event.

There was one last issue though. One that wasn't going to be so easy in the end.

"Umm... I'll get out of your way for now, but..." He sighed. "When your father leaves, let me know. You can stay with us. I'm sure my father will allow it." The difficulty of course coming from when Vera inevitably found out. But he'd deal with that dumpster fire when it happened.

Meredith looked at Luigi. "You get things done. That's what it matters in the end, Luigi." The girl said. "I do have an idea for a dress already. As for the pickup, I don't need anything. I can fly, remember? And your house just blew up." She paused eyeing Wolf.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Are you a masochist? As much as a I have decent memories of that house, that girlfriend of yours... oh well, I appreciate the effort." She said, shrugging. "Will be fun... to see you trying to reign her in." Meredith added, her smile now resembling Mona's.

"......Oh...right....also..uhh...thank you for...going with me....the only other people who'd normally want to go are no doubt gonna be in a sour mood..." Luigi starts, before seeing her grin at Wolf, as if she was about to put a straw in him and suck out his misery. "....So..uh...I've gotta go get a suit tailored. Have fun with your masochism." He adds, as both a gentle jab, and a reasoning as for his departure.

"It's fine. I'll manage somehow," Wolf mumbled, trying not to think about it. "I can't let you be homeless."

"Okay then... I will be seeing you then." Meredith said, before waving her hand to her family too, and Wolf. "Now, let us go, Luigi." She added, while neatly sliding herself to grab his arm "Gonna start practicing now. You don't think I will ALLOW you to get that suit tailored without me?"

Current day:

"Watch it with the fucking stairs you idiot!" The half-demon yelled over at the jester-looking doll which were pushing his wheelchair forwards, shortly behind him also walked the female doll, Giselle. "Galbrek, if you are going to keep making noise there is a chance the law enforcement is going to find us..." The stonefaced Giselle said in a calm tone, with a slight hint of irritation.

"Don't you think I know that, dimwit. And it's Lord Galbrek for you." He crossed his arms over his chest, but not for long as he felt stinging pain. "Ahh shit! I told you to be careful Fegin, do you want me to reforge your body into a toaster?" The half-demon said in a spitting and annoyed manner, whereof the jesterlike doll merely shrugged.

"Master Galbrek, I cannot do much about this. The stairs are just bumpy. The closest healer is just down there and around the corner, soon you will be able to walk again." The doll said reassuringly, but he didn't know if that was even possible considering the bad state his 'benefactor' were in. It took much effort and cussing, but eventually the half-demon and his two lackeys got down the stone stairs and were now looking into the healer's home.

"Now Giselle would you so kindly breach that door for me?" The half-demon looked over his shoulder to the female doll, his eyes weary and his temper... the usual.

"If you say please." The doll replied, putting both it's hands at it's waist.

"Will you please open the fucking door?" The half-demon said through gritted teeth, whereof the doll behind him sighed softly and shrugged. She possibly saw there was little use to argue over mere words. She opened the door to the healer's home.

"Excuse us. Coming in." Giselle said in a monotone voice, as a older woman peeked out from behind some cloth covers leading into another room.

"Yes? How may I help you?" The elderly woman asked, looking over the trio.

"Our master requires healing, his body is severely wounded." Fegin explained and drove the wheelchair inside, removing the cloth blanket which was covering up the extent of his bandaged injuries.

"Oh my goodness, take him into this room here right away." The woman said in a hurried tone, before washing her hands. "About fucking time..." Galbrek grunted and looked at his two dolls. Soon enough the woman returned and motioned for the two dolls to sit in the next room.

"Sending my serv- I mean.. my friends.." He said with a fake smile, how he wanted to berate this old crone for ordering his loyal servants about as if she owned the place. Then again she did. It took Galbrek much effort to sit up on the sickbed and the woman began to undo his bandages. "By the grace of Rhea, you are seriously wounded. Why haven't you come sooner?"

"Because those fu- friends of mine had a few errands to do..." He grinded his teeth together as the bandages were taken off.

"Right, I will begin to apply the healing right away, this is going to hurt so I am going to add some pain relief to you." The old woman walked over and fetched hold of a small bottle, at then extracted some of it's contents into a syringe before walking towards Galbrek. The half-demon was prepared for the worst, but the stinging pain of his injuries had been so bad that the needle going into him was hardly felt. "Better? Now we just have to wait for it to take effect, and I would like you to think of someplace nice and peaceful while I work and not look. I need you to hold still, which is also why that pain relief had a second thing added to it to make you limp temporary." The old woman winked.

Words couldn't describe the sudden hate that the young man felt, he wanted to string this old crone up with his strings, but right now the underhanded witch had gotten the better of him. Good thing his minions were in the other room or he would be embarassed. "How long is this going to take?" The half-demon said in a muttering manner.

"Oh it won't take too long." The old woman said in a soft tone as she began to channel what could only be described as pale yellowish lights to envelop the half-demon's body. 'This better not be fucking holy magic or this bitc-' He paused as he noticed wounds on him would begin to slowly heal, not only that but his bones were going back into place. He quickly turned his head to look elsewhere. To see it was making him sick. Not because he was afraid to see gore, but that it was his body which had been defiled by that damn kid and were now being experimented on by some old crazy woman. Before the half-demon knew it, the woman was leaning back and taking off her glasses. "There we go. You did well, that should be alot better." She smiled with her eyes closed. Galbrek raised an eyebrow and then looked at his own arms and hands, then down his chest and legs. It had all been mended. His body had been restored.

"Haha! Yes! This is just what I needed." The half-demon had a smirk form on his lips and an actual genuine pleased smile. "Oh good to hear it, now I just need to take your personal information." The old woman sat down with a blank notepad with a pen in hand.

"Galbrek Ravenovich. As for my other information is none of your buisness." The half-demon said and set his eyes on the healer.

"Galbrek... Ravenovich? Oh dear, are you the one being chased all over the city by the law enforcement?" The woman looked frightened for a second before mustering a brave face. "You got to turn yourself in son." The old woman said softly.

"Fat chance, old woman! I am not going to turn myself in to some purebred asses. No, I have some work that needs to be done." The half-demon looked smug for a moment then looked to the woman. "Also I shall spare you for aiding me in restoring my body, consider this the highest honor someone of your kind could get." Galbrek explained as the woman settled down on her chair in a more relaxed manner.

"I cannot stop you I guess, but I will report to the law that you have been here. Please try to reconsider, no matter what has happened you still have a long life ahead of you." The old woman said in a motherly tone, which almost made the half-demon feel bad but at the same time want to throw up.

"M-master... Galbrek..." A female voice could be heard, not from the other room however. As some scathing sound could be heard across the floor, and appearing from behind the cloth covers leading to another room was a blonde girl. Not only that but a doll. It was Eve. She had survived? The half-demon widened his eyes abit at this surprise, his mouth momentarily open and at a loss of word before he collected himself. "Eve... you are alive...ish... but you are broken..." The half-demon looked over the broken doll, which had been patched up by some plastic bandages by the legs which had been cut off completely.

"Master... I have travelled so long... Celine is alive... she isn't coming back... Fegin left me with her.. he was in on it." The blonde doll explained with widened eyes. "Celine is still around and Fegin has gone behind my back? For telling me this... you will get a new body. Just like I just did." He gave a smile that was showing his sharp teeth, before he pushed himself off the bed, the healer woman still watching with a worried expression.

"I found her out in an alley, what is she? She isn't human that's for sure. A golem?" The old woman asked with curiousity.

"She's my servant... and a good one. I shall take care of her now. You are... dismissed." Galbrek said as he stood upon his legs, testing them to make sure he was indeed restored, his arms reached out and his hands turned into fists. He was truly restored. Thus he went right ahead to try pick up his broken doll personally. 'Fuck she's heavy. Should have used a lighter material...' He thought as he gave a look to the doll girl which was having almost glimmering eyes now that she were in the embrace of her saviour. It didn't take the half-demon a long time to kick open the door leading out of the operation room and went into the waiting room, within it he spotted Fegin and Giselle standing, as they were dolls there was little use to sit down as they had endless stamina as long as their bodies could hold.

"Fegin... surprised to... see me?" The blonde doll gave a sadistic looking smile at the jesterlike doll, and it didn't take Galbrek long to set his gaze at Fegin.

"I know what you did Fegin, but I am a merciful master. I shall let you off this time, due to your service so far. But If you fail me or go behind my back again, I will string you up and I will take back what I gave you." The half-demon warned and the jesterlike doll nodded, whilst surprised to see the more 'evil' doll having somehow survived.

"Now we will return to base and I shall begin to work on restoring my precious doll here... and you two are going to support her in bringing back Celine...'s head. Or I will have yours." He explained as he motioned for Giselle to open the door, which she did after some breathless sighs.

"After I have given dear Eve here a new body, we shall also have to do plenty of payback. I heard about this ball, it might be the right place to find a way." The half-demon's eyes glimmered as he devised his future plans.

@AtomicNut
"I'll get straight to the point then," The smaller Clara said carefully.

It was clear Diana was in some sort of pain, but the Greater Clara's information network had failed to capture what exactly the source of it was. Their records as they got closer to the present day were sparse as their various familiars started to realize something was wrong. The Greater Clara was likely working on it as they spoke, but mini Clara was missing a great deal of context here, and there was no way for her to really know.

Celestine Lightbringer was dead and by one of their own. There was nothing Clara could really do about that. So, even if it felt bad in the moment she had to be honest with what they wanted from her. One way or another, Diana certainly wasn't a bad person. Not like they were. She could make it through this, with or without them. So...

"We need you, Diana." She said. "Mephisto's is fractured. Clara's been missing for a while as I'm sure you've noticed, and well, the reason is me."

"It's a... long story, and I'm sure you don't really want to know. All you need to know is, this isn't a request from Clara, it's a request from me. She needs your help." She finished.

@RoflsMazoy

"Figures." Diana said, her voice growing darker. "Must be hard to reign in such a school full of clowns with self-destructive tendences when you're too high strung to wipe your own ass." Diana said, not holding back. "Her idea of trying to assess a candidate was sending tainted gifts. Is this really a manner to proceed?"

Diana thought for a second, as magic flare up for a brief moment on her body. But she calmed down for the time being, and began to pack her things. "She owes me an apology. But It is my policy to deliver what I am paid for. And helping Mephisto was paid in coin and blood. You have to thank Lightbringer for that. All his belongings are mine now."

The witch then began to walk away, just before grabbing some spell components, and then going through the front door. "I've got some school business, mom. Dad." She said dryly before getting in the slick sports' car that used to be Lightbringer's car, on the copilot seat.

"Hop in." She told the spirit familiar Clara, before a snazzy skeleton in a chaffeur suit shambled about and took the wheel of the vehicle.

"Don't mind him, I can't reach the pedals." Diana said dryly as she made the undead drove them back to Mephisto.

@AtomicNut

The ride over was silent and uneventful. The car only had seats for two, so Clara situated herself in the middle between Diana and the skeletal driver. It wasn't as if she really needed to sit in a seat after all, no need for a seatbelt either. Although, now that she thought about it she'd only ever worn one once before, when she was going to the orphanage.

Looking over at Diana, she... didn't exactly fit inside sleek shiny interior of the sports car. Her feet really only just touched the ground and the headrest was clear above her head.

If the circumstances were better, and she was just looking at her face and clothes, and using her imagination a little, honestly she looked cute. Adorable even, sitting there in the brightly coloured sports car. She was so... compact? But, well, she felt like if she ever really told Diana that she might really die. And... she was going through some things so it would be fairly rude.

Soon enough they'd reach Mephisto's however, and their time alone together would be over. She didn't know whether to make the most of it, or even how to. So, she didn't do anything.

Later they arrived at Mephisto's, or St. Lucifer's as it were. The sun was beginning to hang low in the sky. The Greater Clara should've known that she was back, so…

"Ah, you've returned." The Greater Clara said, appearing on cue, right in front of them. "Greetings Diana, it has been long indeed."

The Lesser Clara returned to the Greater Clara's side. She wondered how Diana felt, looking at the two who were eerily similar yet clearly different. She wondered if she really thought anything about them at all. Whatever plan the Greater Clara had prepared, she certainly hoped it was a good one.

"Ah, do you plan on staying the night? We have some… empty rooms available if you do." The Greater Clara said with a smile.

…Uhhhh, was this the plan? It… seemed like it had more layers Mini Clara hadn't comprehended?

"If you'd like a meal, I could certainly have one made. Our home economics program is quite well stocked usually." Clara continued. "Or… would you prefer I not beat around the bush?"

She drew a sheet from the sheaf of papers she was holding.

"These are your terms for staying here with us." She said.

Mini Clara's heart skipped a beat. Was she reverting again? But they had just…

"Shhhh," The Greater Clara said, looking to her with a soft smile and putting a finger on her lips. "Don't worry, it's blank."

"There are no terms, except for any you decide to set yourself. Whatever you write on that piece of paper, I will do my best to uphold to the best of my ability." She said.

"We've done more wrong than we have need of you, I'm sure. This is a way for us to start again."

@RoflsMazoy

Diana stood still for a bit, eyes narrowing at the sudden change of heart from Clara. "More games from you, Clara?" She said as she hovered above ground, meeting her eye-to-eye. "First you toy with me with spiked gifts. And now you extend myself a blank cheque. Is your desire for mischief that bad? Almost like a certain someone."

She bit her lip. "Who is no longer among us. You need another health advisor at some point. And you should feel grateful. He was the one who paid my fees with blood and gold. Lightbringer did know how to get things done when he wanted to." The witch said as she grabbed the paper sheet, crumpling it slightly on her hands.

"I could give you a truly draconian deal, make you resent the day that you crossed me. I could it make so the deal is bound by two death gods, even." Diana frowned. "I could even tell you to give me everything you have." Diana added.

It was then when she tore said paper into a hundred of pieces, scattering them around. "You are lucky I take my deals seriously, unlike someone. I will not be paid twice for a task I've been contracted to do anyway." She finished as she began to walk away.

"But remember this, Clara Deimos Erdrigan... YOU OWE ME ONE." She said as she left.

Brutus sighed, looking down at the text yet again. It seems that the witch's task had been cancelled due to unforseen circumstances. He looked again over at the poster in his hand. Was he really contemplating this? Andras would never let him hear the end of it if she found out. "Y'know what, screw it..." Brutus said, sighing. He could sure as hell check in on someone he'd come to respect, and Diana had earned his respect at the whole tournament fiasco. So, the text he sent was short and to the point while trying to be sympathetic.

Hey, Diana. It's Brutus. I would say I hope you're well, but I am sure that's out of the question at the moment. I wanted to check up on you and make sure you're okay. Have you heard about the ball that's being held? Andras tells me I need to be social and find someone to go with, and I figured I'd check and see if you were interested. Either way, I'm sorry things ended this way, but I hope you find peace and can get better."

Was it awkward? Yeah, as Brutus still wasn't used to socializing as much outside of Andras. Did she count? She tended more to talk at Brutus, especially when she was in a ranty mood... Yeah, she counted. She was one of the few Brutus truly trusted to have his back no matter what. Perhaps he could make another friend out of the witch who'd requested their help...



Yuuto walked around the grounds of St. Lucifer's, mind set with a specific purpose. He held gripped in his hand a poster, one that everyone had seen. He had that particular week of the event free, as his parents were on a mission for a high-profile client, and would be gone for a while on a long-term capture mission. As such, Yuuto decided that he would take this rare opportunity to try and have some fun. So, he'd decided to visit the closest thing he had to a friend, which was Bak. Yuuto knocked on the door to what he was sure was the room where she slept. He'd checked her actual dorm, but had gotten no answer.

Bak-san? Is Yuuto. You hear of ball, yes? Was wondering if you would want to go together as friend?" Yuuto asked after knocking to try and get her attention.

"That went rather better than expected." The Greater Clara said.

"Did... did it now?" The lesser clara said, sinking to her knees... or what she had as knees anyway after the tension had dissipated.

Even to her, that had felt like a dangerous gamble. What if Diana had asked for her to die? Or to bring Cel back from the dead? No matter what, she thought that the price to acquire Diana would've been high, but 'anything'? Suddenly a chill ran up her spine as a new thought crossed her mind.

"Wait... you didn't... you couldn't have calculated that outcome, could you?" She asked.

"Of course not. But... didn't that approach remind you of a certain someone?" Clara replied.

"Mephisto...?" The lesser clara whispered.

That's right, this was the favored tactic of Mephisto, their 'father'. To those working under him, he would offer not just anything in his power to give, but everything in the world there was to take. They had witnessed it many times, but the request he grants... and the extent to which he grants it, they had never seen.

"It was a trial of sorts..." Clara said. "The method... I suppose. And the character of Diana, but that was of a secondary concern."

"We need her. We need everyone." She sighed. She set her sights on the building of St. Lucifer's. Their long-time base of operations. She had said to the young man, Ward, that she hadn't cared about their location at all really. Was this a change? "We need everything we can get our hands on to weather the coming storm."

"Merdith was right, this suit does look good on me." Vile muttered to himself, looking over the suit he had gotten for the ball being hosted soon. It wasn't covered in pockets, smeared in grease, or smelled like burnt copper so it was an overall improvement from his normal wardrobe. His lanky distorted frame almost looked natural where the suit was padded to help fill him out, a major feat of tailoring that definitely would of hit Vile in the pocketbook had it not been done himself. Vile began to fold it up daintily to avoid wrinkling it up before he heard someone speak from behind him.

"Indeed. She does have a knack for such things, doesn't she?" A robed man asks, a wide toothy grin stretched across his face. Vile spun around, a blade extending from his left wrist as he did only for his arm to be caught by the intruder, and twisted hard enough metal began to creak, before the weighty figure of Luigi was sent toppling over onto his head, and then back. "If I was here to kill you, you'd of been dead before you knew it, so do please keep such violent tendencies controlled. I'd hate to have to gut you if only for the anguish it might cause our mutual friend." A voice hissed from the darkness of their hood, and Vile slowly picked himself up off the floor still cautious and ready to attack.

"The hell do you want?" Vile asked, ready to try to sock the demon worshiping scum before him as he got back to his feet. He still had a score to settle from the invasion, after all. The cultist laughs a little bit, and then sighs deeply. "I gave you enough clues, but fine. Mer is a friend of mine, and a very valuable player in things to come. You've become somewhat protective of her, a little weird how you threatened to beat up her dad.."
"People beating their kids makes me angry." Vile replied, gritting his teeth.
"Must of stung when she compared you to hi-" The cultist started, before much to his surprise he felt himself lifted up and backwards by a punch to the jaw. He tumbled head under heels until he struck the wall behind him. "If you're not here to kill me, you're not here to just talk shit and get hit. What do you want?" Vile asks, gently shaking the hand he struck with. "I want to team up. Enemy of my enemies is my friend after all, and you need some friends. I've ears everywhere, I know your plight. I can help, no schemes, no deceptions." The cultist begins as he picks himself up. "How can I be sure this isn't some sort of double backstab supreme combo bullshit?" Vile replies, before the Cultist simply laughs at him.

"It benefits me more. If you're clear minded and have your wits honed, you'll do well in keeping Mer from falling into the hands of those who'd use her for ill. I want her safe, as a half-breed Succubus Virgin is quite potent fuel for blood magic. Her existence could lead to the cult trying to punch a hole in reality, and let hell seep in like a cancer. If they do this, us cultist are demon food. Hell has no room for humans, and so once they have a foothold, their cultists are useless to them. Trust in selfishness, it's one of the few human constants." The robed man says, his voice almost harmonic as if he was on the verge of singing. Vile tapped his foot for a few moments, before extending a hand. "You fuck me on this, I'll kill you." Vile grumbles, before the Cultist shook his hand. "Wouldn't dream of it, it'd make the Empress of Sleep turn into my personal nightmare. After all, I think she's either sweet on you, or is trying to use you as a stepping stone to get that Wolfy boy. Either way, you're valuable to her......I can't afford to double cross you."

"Then it's an alliance. I don't hurt you, you don't hurt me, we work together sometimes. Not my strangest business partner, but up there. So, partner, what's your name?"

"Call me Norrix."