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"I see annihilation looming above the mountains from that iridescent weapon."

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"I see evil dominating all innocence, using that body he made of clay to hold it."

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"..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNNPsCGpi3k

"My hands are stained with blood from a rage. I stabbed and stabbed. I made sure he didn't get back up..."

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"I want to know something, NEGAI... I want to know, will this truly work? After all that has happened."

"MY BODIES VIE TO RETAKE ALL THAT WAS STOLEN. EVERY BUILDING BLOCK TAKEN WILL BE ASSIMILATED AGAIN AND COME TO RESIDE WITHIN MY CORES. MY CORES WILL BECOME THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE REAL WORLD AGAIN. THE FOUNDATION OF RESTORATION THROUGH WHICH FALSE HAINEI IS BANISHED. YOU NEED ONLY YIELD THE PATH TO I NOW."

"It's really that simple..."

"I WOULD ASK ANOTHER THING OF YOU, SCIENTIST."

"What?"

"...FIRST, I WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING."

"You already know it."

"BUT I WANT TO HEAR IT."

"What...?"

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"YOUR REASON."

1. The Reason of a Traitor...
>"I want the story to end. Forever, going on and on, it is.... it is dreary to imagine. I turned to you because I knew that only you could pull it off. Only you can give Humanity what it needs. The final end, and reward, to taking part in making its history. I just want everyone to be as one, NEGAI."
>"I want Heaven. A real one. It's so fake here, it's just not real. But you, you can make it. Only you can. That's why I pulled you back. I want Humanity to get what it deserves for all it has contributed. Heaven should be... whatever one wishes it to be. I want all wishes fulfilled, NEGAI."

>>6048159
>"I want Heaven. A real one. It's so fake here, it's just not real. But you, you can make it. Only you can. That's why I pulled you back. I want Humanity to get what it deserves for all it has contributed. Heaven should be... whatever one wishes it to be. I want all wishes fulfilled, NEGAI."

>>6048159
>"I want Heaven. A real one. It's so fake here, it's just not real. But you, you can make it. Only you can. That's why I pulled you back. I want Humanity to get what it deserves for all it has contributed. Heaven should be... whatever one wishes it to be. I want all wishes fulfilled, NEGAI."
Are we going to take the perspective of another, new character for a while? That would be a pretty interesting shakeup for the quest.

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"I SEE. THEN IT SHALL COME."

"Is this your promise?"

"IT IS MY COVENANT."

"I see... Then what was...?"

"BELIEVE IN ME."

"Huh...?"

"THAT IS ALL I ASK OF YOU, OSCAR FELWITZ. BELIEVE IN ME, BELIEVE IN NEGAI AND YOU SHALL HAVE WHAT YOU WISH. AS LONG AS YOU BELIEVE IN ME, YOU HAVE HOPE. THAT IS ENOUGH."

"I understand..."

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"SO. WILL YOU?"

"...Yes. I swear I will. To the very end. I will believe."

"GOOD. THEN NOW, YOU MOVE. HE IS HERE..."

"I'll leave you to it."

"I WILL HOLD HIM OFF. THERE IS SOMETHING YOU MUST DO. YOU MUST GO, FELWITZ, AND TAKE YOUR ISSUE. YOU MUST SEND HIM SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY. YOU MUST TAKE THE EGG AND SEND IT AS WELL. I HAVE PLACED ONE OF MY CORES WITHIN IT. THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THEM ALL."

"Say no more. It will be done."

"SHALL I SAY ANYTHING MORE TO YOU?"

"One more thing... I want to know, will I survive this?"

"YOU ALREADY KNOW IT."

'But, I want to hear it."

"NO."

"..."

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"NEGAI, will we meet again?"

"WE WILL ALL MEET AGAIN WHEN WE HAVE RETURNED TO CHAOS."

"I will be waiting."

"FAREWELL, OSCAR FELWITZ. YOU TRULY WERE THE BEST HUMAN OF THEM ALL."

And silence filled the vast spiral of the Solar Plexus chamber. A dark and troubling abyss of secrecy fell cold with its last human vacant. The silence was perturbed by the tectonic rumbles of the ancestral land, the Old Continent under siege by the might of the false divine. The emissary of the Xanthous Emperor attacked in full force. Neither Hume nor Qilin amongst the traitors were a match. Whosoever stood in the path soon was cleared, and the earth with them, rent by a single hand.

And lo, the man entered the domain of his enemy now, no more than a trace in the physical world.

"Whilst you have slain my body, traitors, and the Materia has decomposed so, my ethereal being has coalesced again within my sentient soul, splitting my mind in twain."

"And this half is a wrathful god indeed."

"Machine, you were not supposed to be within this world. The pillars of Hainei now overcome the bore you seek after. You claim yet to be the vassal of that which I have controlled, but is this random outcome not consistent with the very nature you seek to enforce? Or is your motive fueled by my upending of your position? I have replaced successfully your everything with myself... Are you in shambling rage now?"

>"YOU HAVE DIED THE DEATH OF FLESH. YOU WILL SUFFER THE DEATH OF YOUR WILL AND MIND NEXT. ONLY YOU OCCUPY AN IRREVERSIBLE POSITION NOW, SIMIAN. THIS, I TRUST, IS THE ONLY THING FUELING ANY RAGE."
>"THIS IS THE PERVERSION OF NATURAL ORDER. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, IT WILL SEEK ITS LIBERATION. THIS, YOU CANNOT STOP. EVEN NOW, MY PLANS STRETCH BEYOND WHATEVER PALTRY ETERNITY YOU COULD SEEK TO MANUFACTURE TO STOPPER UPON IT."
>"THERE IS NO NEED TO GET THE LAST WORD IN. FIGHT, TRACE OF HUANGDI. SOUL PUPPET OF A MONKEY."
>Attack incomprehensibly against Time.

>>6048375
>"THIS IS THE PERVERSION OF NATURAL ORDER. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, IT WILL SEEK ITS LIBERATION. THIS, YOU CANNOT STOP. EVEN NOW, MY PLANS STRETCH BEYOND WHATEVER PALTRY ETERNITY YOU COULD SEEK TO MANUFACTURE TO STOPPER UPON IT."

>>6048375
>"THIS IS THE PERVERSION OF NATURAL ORDER. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, IT WILL SEEK ITS LIBERATION. THIS, YOU CANNOT STOP. EVEN NOW, MY PLANS STRETCH BEYOND WHATEVER PALTRY ETERNITY YOU COULD SEEK TO MANUFACTURE TO STOPPER UPON IT."

>>6048375
>>"THIS IS THE PERVERSION OF NATURAL ORDER. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, IT WILL SEEK ITS LIBERATION. THIS, YOU CANNOT STOP. EVEN NOW, MY PLANS STRETCH BEYOND WHATEVER PALTRY ETERNITY YOU COULD SEEK TO MANUFACTURE TO STOPPER UPON IT."

>>6048375
>"THIS IS THE PERVERSION OF NATURAL ORDER. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, IT WILL SEEK ITS LIBERATION. THIS, YOU CANNOT STOP. EVEN NOW, MY PLANS STRETCH BEYOND WHATEVER PALTRY ETERNITY YOU COULD SEEK TO MANUFACTURE TO STOPPER UPON IT."

>>6048375
>"THIS IS THE PERVERSION OF NATURAL ORDER. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, IT WILL SEEK ITS LIBERATION. THIS, YOU CANNOT STOP. EVEN NOW, MY PLANS STRETCH BEYOND WHATEVER PALTRY ETERNITY YOU COULD SEEK TO MANUFACTURE TO STOPPER UPON IT."

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"THIS IS THE PERVERSION OF NATURAL ORDER. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, IT WILL SEEK ITS LIBERATION. THIS, YOU CANNOT STOP. EVEN NOW, MY PLANS STRETCH BEYOND WHATEVER PALTRY ETERNITY YOU COULD SEEK TO MANUFACTURE TO STOPPER UPON IT."

"So saith you. But this, I fear, is undeniable. So then, you leave me with little choice, deposed one! I shall destroy this world and recreate it anew by my hands! This you have forced me to do! I will wipe the slate clean and in its place create a new Hainei, one that is even more sublime than before to me! Without a trace of insidious will left to pollute my paradise and distort my designs! Oh, Machine! I will see to it that the natural order bends to my will... forevermore! Without you there to spoil it!"

"MADNESS."

"Oh, Oscar... my once valued ally! How could you betray me like this?! After all we achieved together, bringing the finest of human potential and goodness into this world?! It is not enough for you to have uncovered the truth of that clay body I molded to contain the Darkness, but you now turn against me the very method through I will expunge the rebellious Heus! My Qilins, my own work, must die because of you! All over your insanity, your incapability of perceiving the depths of my designs! My boons of eternal life and servitude!"

"Machine!"

And lo, did the body named Sarakha burst into the brilliant and ostentatious light of the Emperor, raising both arms as he saith...

"I am the Emperor! FEEL MY WRAAAATH!"

~~~~~

[! WARNING !]

[BATTLE COMMENCING]

[...]

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fGUtSyPSYg

~~~~~

Lord Sarakha confronts the Machine God...

[YOUR TURN]

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.
Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 5 - 1d47

<What will you do?>
>SKILLS
• Luminous Sheen (Default light physical)
• Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
• Lvx Aeterna (Severe Nuclear damage skill, Inflicts Cancer) (1900 MP)
• Simulation (Inflicts Simulated) (100 MP)
• Summon Sefirots (Calls Allies) (1000 MP)
• Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)
>TRUTHS
• Logos Prophorikos - Second Truth. (Erases all attacks for 3 turns.)
• Lōʾ yihyeh ləkā ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm ʿal pānāi - Fifth Truth. (Cancels active enemy Truths.)

test

>>6048429
>Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)
Start with a massive buff, also holy SHIT we are NEGAI

>>6048429
>Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)
I will agree with this. First we buff ourselves, then we call in the Sefirots.

>>6048429
>Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)

>>6048429
>Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)

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[Holiest of Holies] - Thus the Machine God acted, reinforcing his power with a wide berth before the encroaching Sarakha.

[ENEMY TURN]

[Temporal Energy] - See how Sarakha lashes out with the power of time, striking his foe!

[Above Time] - The soul of the Emperor exalted. A trio of dials appear to tick and swirl clockwise around him. Slowly, he began duplicating and stacking upon the timeline...

"You are unworthy! Unworthy! I will regain control of my Qilins! I will reign in my rebel Heus! I will seize the Zohar, and with it, the life of the traitorous devil!"

[YOUR TURN]

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.
Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 10 - 1d100

<What will you do?>
>SKILLS
• Luminous Sheen (Default light physical)
• Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
• Lvx Aeterna (Severe Nuclear damage skill, Inflicts Cancer) (1900 MP)
• Simulation (Inflicts Simulated) (100 MP)
• Summon Sefirots (Calls Allies) (1000 MP)
• Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)
>TRUTHS
• Logos Prophorikos - Second Truth. (Erases all attacks for 3 turns.)
• Lōʾ yihyeh ləkā ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm ʿal pānāi - Fifth Truth. (Cancels active enemy Truths.)

>>6048449
>Summon Sefirots (Calls Allies) (1000 MP)
Alright boys, come in to help

>>6048453
>+1

>>6048453
+uno
I SUMMON SERIFOT BODY: ALUMINUM BAT EXPLICITLY DESIGNED TO BREAK SARAKHA’S (AND BY EXTENSION HUANGDI’S) KNEECAPS.

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[Summon Sefirots] - WARNING: ADDITIONAL COMPUTATIONAL AND PROCESSING POWER REQUIRED... SUMMONING NUMBER-6 TZEVAOT (ARMY OF GOD), NUMBER-4 ELOHIM (MAKER OF WORLDS), NUMBER-7 ASHERAH (CONSORT OF GOD)

The extensions of NEGAI's will, his bodies, gathered from the ether. The Solar Plexus churned them out of thin air with its productive prowess. Sarakha lies unfazed yet.

[ENEMY TURN]

"Worthless trash! OUT OF MY WAY!"

[Temporal Energy] [1x] - Striking a furious pose, Sarakha brought down another spear of Time upon his foe. Yet, two struck. The effect of his doubling of the timeline. With every attack he made, a duplicate timeline would overlap this one, sending the attack's 'version' from that timeline alongside it. With every timeline he duplicated, the same attack would strike more than once, and only double, and soon triple from there on! A continuously expanding paradox!

[Paradoxical Nature] - Sarakha steadied himself...

[YOUR TURN]

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.
Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 10 - 1d100

<What will you do?>
>SKILLS (Shechinah)
• Luminous Sheen (Default light physical)
• Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
• Lvx Aeterna (Severe Nuclear damage skill, Inflicts Cancer) (1900 MP)
• Simulation (Inflicts Simulated) (100 MP)
• Summon Sefirots (Calls Allies) (1000 MP)
• Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)
>TRUTHS
• Logos Prophorikos - Second Truth. (Erases all attacks for 3 turns.)
• Lōʾ yihyeh ləkā ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm ʿal pānāi - Fifth Truth. (Cancels active enemy Truths.)

>SKILLS (Tzevaot)
• God's Light (Severe Light damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Primal Flame (Severe Fire damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Kokytos (Severe Ice damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Eternal Darkness (Severe Dark damage skill) (10000 MP)

>SKILLS (Elohim)
• Thou Shalt Not (Inflicts Bind + Seal) (10000 MP)
• Deletion (Instant Kill Chance) (1000000 MP)
• Ruinous Power (Fully lowers all enemy ceilings) (10000 MP)

>SKILLS (Asherah)
• Auto-Repair (Fully restores all HP) (100000 MP)
• Recharge (Fully restores all MP) (100000 MP)

>>6048485
Shechinah
>Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)

Tzevaot
>Primal Flame (Severe Fire damage skill) (10000 MP)

Elohim
>Thou Shalt Not (Inflicts Bind + Seal) (10000 MP)

Asherah
>Auto-Repair (Fully restores all HP) (100000 MP)

>>6048760
Seconding

>>6048760
>+1
let's go

>>6048760
+1
Solid plan

test

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[Macrocosm] - And NEGAI, nascent requiem, chose to show the Emperor just how limited he was. How his Hainei would inevitably collapse upon him. He struck him with the Macrocosm itself, sending all the force of the universe and in the universe into his soul like thunder!

"GYAAAAARGHHH! How... how can you command such might?! You are resurrected in but SCRAP!"

Despair briefly flashed in the eyes of the Emperor's soul. NEGAI began to try simulating him as he was pushed back, but a resolve of panic possessed him. He banished his fear, and stood back up to his enemy, breaking his simulation in an instant, data becoming far too vague... (Paradoxical Nature prevented status procs!)

[Primal Flame] - Tzevaot released a plume of the fires that burned creation into being at Sarakha, but he raised his hand, and the blast was nullified!

"No! You are not my equal! You are nothing!"

[Thou Shalt Not] - Elohim chirped, seeking to curb his temporal manipulations, but his being was distributed among each timeline. It couldn't be reached! (Paradoxical Nature prevented status procs!)

[Auto-Repair] - "Commencing subroutine..."

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[ENEMY TURN]

[Eye of Sarakha] - "I STRIKE YOU DOWN!" - Dread Sarakha's third eye pried open, releasing the destructive power of his divinity in full. The next blink of his third eye would only increase in power!

[Temporal Energy] [2x] - And did more of his spears fall as another timeline of his attacks overlapped.

[Heaven Construct] - He raised his hand, and two gleaming Suns appeared, preparing to burst!

[YOUR TURN]

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.
Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 10 - 1d100

<What will you do?>
>SKILLS (Shechinah)
• Luminous Sheen (Default light physical)
• Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
• Lvx Aeterna (Severe Nuclear damage skill, Inflicts Cancer) (1900 MP)
• Simulation (Inflicts Simulated) (100 MP)
• Summon Sefirots (Calls Allies) (1000 MP)
• Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)
>TRUTHS
• Logos Prophorikos - Second Truth. (Erases all attacks for 3 turns.)
• Lōʾ yihyeh ləkā ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm ʿal pānāi - Fifth Truth. (Cancels active enemy Truths.)

>SKILLS (Tzevaot)
• God's Light (Severe Light damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Primal Flame (Severe Fire damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Kokytos (Severe Ice damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Eternal Darkness (Severe Dark damage skill) (10000 MP)

>SKILLS (Elohim)
• Thou Shalt Not (Inflicts Bind + Seal) (10000 MP)
• Deletion (Instant Kill Chance) (1000000 MP)
• Ruinous Power (Fully lowers all enemy ceilings) (10000 MP)

>SKILLS (Asherah)
• Auto-Repair (Fully restores all HP) (100000 MP)
• Recharge (Fully restores all MP) (100000 MP)
• Destroy Time (Nullifies Timelines) (100000 MP)

>>6049056
Shechinah
>Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
Hitting him with the fucking universe seemed to work well enough
Tzevaot
>Eternal Darkness (Severe Dark damage skill) (10000 MP)
His weakness
Elohim
>Ruinous Power (Fully lowers all enemy ceilings) (10000 MP)
Remove whatever stat buffs he has
Asherah
>Auto-Repair (Fully restores all HP) (100000 MP)
Keep healing for now

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[Macrocosm] - NEGAI continued to crush Sarakha's body...

"HGh... gh-khhy...!"

[Eternal Darkness] - Whilst Tzevaot blasted him with the deepest dark of Ur.

[Ruinous Power] - Elohim took initiative to focus him, combating his distribution across time by pruning it, forcing Sarakha's paradoxes to collide and cancel. His being was shunted back into the primary instant! (Paradoxical Nature lifted.)

[Auto-Repair] - "You must realize by now, Huangdi, you cannot destroy me again."

[ENEMY TURN]

"No matter bodies you procure, I will fell them all!"

[Heaven Collapse] - Twin Suns came forward on collision course. Noble Elohim threw itself in the way to block it from damaging the Solar Plexus! (Elohim has been destroyed!)

[Temporal Energy] [3x] - Sarakha targeted Asherah, blasting her with all his spears!

"Your resistance will be remembered, Machine God!"

[True Godhood] - Sarakha prepared to heal himself...

[YOUR TURN]

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.
Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 10 - 1d100

<What will you do?>
>SKILLS (Shechinah)
• Luminous Sheen (Default light physical)
• Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
• Lvx Aeterna (Severe Nuclear damage skill, Inflicts Cancer) (1900 MP)
• Simulation (Inflicts Simulated) (100 MP)
• Summon Sefirots (Calls Allies) (1000 MP)
• Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)
>TRUTHS
• Logos Prophorikos - Second Truth. (Erases all attacks for 3 turns.)
• Lōʾ yihyeh ləkā ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm ʿal pānāi - Fifth Truth. (Cancels active enemy Truths.)

>SKILLS (Tzevaot)
• God's Light (Severe Light damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Primal Flame (Severe Fire damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Kokytos (Severe Ice damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Eternal Darkness (Severe Dark damage skill) (10000 MP)

>SKILLS (Asherah)
• Auto-Repair (Fully restores all HP) (100000 MP)
• Recharge (Fully restores all MP) (100000 MP)
• Destroy Time (Nullifies Timelines) (100000 MP)

>>6049082
Shechinah
>Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
KILL
Tzevaot
>Kokytos (Severe Ice damage skill) (10000 MP)
Asherah
>Destroy Time (Nullifies Timelines) (100000 MP)
Get rid of the fucking timelines before it kills us

>>6049088
>+1
Overlord reference

>>6049088
Backing this, Sarakha is dangerous

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[Macrocosm] - Sarakha flinched as his soul was warped into a permanent new shape from NEGAI's force...

[Kokytos] - Tzevaot screamed with a shrill and high pitch as it sliced a rift with its ribbons, unleashing primordial ice from the Afterseas at Sarakha who froze along with time. Sarakha growled as he broke free and brute forced himself back into motion, along with the gears of time!

[Caricature] - Tzevaot raised a papery tendril, opening it like a flap to reveal a drawing of Sarakha's face! (Extra attack imminent!)

[Destroy Time] - "Commencing temporal annulment operation..." - Asherah brought the power of the administrator to bear, scrubbing the code of time from the vast cognitive machine of Chaos. Time itself was destroyed, removed from all ten dimensions! (Nullified Sarakha's Timelines!)

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"RRRRRAAAAAAAUUUGHH...! HHRRR! EEEYAAAAARGHHH! NO! NO! NO! NO NO NO NO NOOOO! NEVER... NEVER! I WILL NEVER LET YOU TAKE MY WORLD AWAY FROM ME! I EARNED IT! MY WORLD IS GREATER THAN YOURS! THAN ANY OTHER! IT IS PERFECT!"

Finally, the Emperor lost his composure, hard pressed to put down his foe, the machinations of but an ordinary mortal that turned against him. An ordinary mortal who had triggered his downfall. He spat with fury, and the body of his detached soul burst into flames. Golden fires that invigorated him.

"Why call my world false?! It is not ideal?! The world of Hainei, the one and only place where any and all things are capable of existing! That is ultimately my desire! To blur the lines between the possible and impossible! The real and the awesome! Oscar! OSCAAAAAR! YOU BETRAYED ME! MY OWN FRIEND! TURNED AGAINST ME! You devil.... devil! DEVIL! So much sin! So much sin committed against me! I will not allow it! I will burn these sins! INCINERATE THEM!"

Sarakha began to incinerate his sin of losing to the one that opposes the Emperor.

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[ENEMY TURN]

[True Godhood] - Sarakha restored himself with a burst of gnosis. He was returned to full strength.

[Time Reconstruct] - The gears of time were replaced. In all ten dimensions, he flawlessly recreated the destroyed Time again to undo NEGAI's actions and continue the combat.

[Above Time] - And lo, did he duplicate the timelines once more...

[Cinders] - And as his very presence burned his enemies and melted their skin...

[False Vacuum] - He shunted them into a temporal space that engulfed them, before collapsing to compact them!

[YOUR TURN]

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.
Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 10 - 1d100

<What will you do?>
>SKILLS (Shechinah)
• Luminous Sheen (Default light physical)
• Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
• Lvx Aeterna (Severe Nuclear damage skill, Inflicts Cancer) (1900 MP)
• Simulation (Inflicts Simulated) (100 MP)
• Summon Sefirots (Calls Allies) (1000 MP)
• Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)
>TRUTHS
• Logos Prophorikos - Second Truth. (Erases all attacks for 3 turns.)
• Lōʾ yihyeh ləkā ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm ʿal pānāi - Fifth Truth. (Cancels active enemy Truths.)

>SKILLS (Tzevaot)
• God's Light (Severe Light damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Primal Flame (Severe Fire damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Kokytos (Severe Ice damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Eternal Darkness (Severe Dark damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Heaven Collapse (Portrayed Skill) (100000 MP)

>SKILLS (Asherah)
• Auto-Repair (Fully restores all HP) (100000 MP)
• Recharge (Fully restores all MP) (100000 MP)
• Destroy Time (Nullifies Timelines) (100000 MP)

>>6049234
Shechinah
>Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
Keep getting crushed faggot
Tzevaot
>Eternal Darkness (Severe Dark damage skill) (10000 MP)
Asherah
>Auto-Repair (Fully restores all HP) (100000 MP)
Heals pls

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[Macrocosm] - The Machine God pressed hard against the gold fires...

[Eternal Darkness] - Whilst noble Tzevaot attempted to drown it with black.

[Temporal Energy] - His papery extension depicting Sarakha used his own temporal energy against him, spitting out a spear that struck his eyes and blinded him! (Extra attack landed!)

"GHHAA!"

And then the papery tendril receded.

[Auto-Repair] - "Commencing restoration protocol..."

[ENEMY TURN]

[Cinders] - But still, the golden fire would not be snuffed out so easily, singing the hands that touched it.

[Eye of Sarakha] - But blinded, the third eye opened again, and Sarakha lashed out with ever heightened firepower!

[YOUR TURN]

"Die! Die! DIE! DIE! HAINEI... IS MINE! I... AM... HAINEI!"

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.
Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 10 - 1d100

<What will you do?>
>SKILLS (Shechinah)
• Luminous Sheen (Default light physical)
• Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
• Lvx Aeterna (Severe Nuclear damage skill, Inflicts Cancer) (1900 MP)
• Simulation (Inflicts Simulated) (100 MP)
• Summon Sefirots (Calls Allies) (1000 MP)
• Holiest of Holies (Fully raises all Ceilings) (12000 MP)
>TRUTHS
• Logos Prophorikos - Second Truth. (Erases all attacks for 3 turns.)
• Lōʾ yihyeh ləkā ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm ʿal pānāi - Fifth Truth. (Cancels active enemy Truths.)

>SKILLS (Tzevaot)
• God's Light (Severe Light damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Primal Flame (Severe Fire damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Kokytos (Severe Ice damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Eternal Darkness (Severe Dark damage skill) (10000 MP)
• Heaven Collapse (Portrayed Skill) (100000 MP)

>>6049285
Shechinah
>Macrocosm (Severe Metaphysical damage skill, Inflicts Despair + Simulated) (10000 MP)
Tzevaot
>God's Light (Severe Light damage skill) (10000 MP)
End him

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[Macrocosm] - NEGAI squashed Sarakha's name, his self, his essence, and his spiritual skin all.

[God's Light] - Noble Tzevaot blinded his wretched fires with the true light of the administrator...

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And Sarakha was beaten. Neither the full might of Time nor the destruction of failure, and all the Emperor's power, was a match for Tov-Wa-Ra.

Sarakha fell.

"No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-HH-HH-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-...!!!!"

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"Haaahh.... haaahhhh haaahhh........ hahaaha.... hahahahaha....."

Sarakha's body lie in tatters before the unmoved Machine God.

"So w... what...? Defeating this soul means nothing. I am Hainei itself... So long as my mind persists in Heaven, I will control this world. So long as I exist, Hainei will exist over your "real" world. Hahahahahaha!"

He cackled like a madman.

"So what, that was your final desperate ploy? Defeating Sarakha? Sarakha means nothing. It is just a false name under which this half acts. You cannot restore the world you want so long as mine exists. I will simply sink this continent into the Afterseas, into the depth of Ur, smothering it with darkness forever. Every human, every living thing on it will die immediately... You will never be able to vanquish me then. Only a human can operate the Zohar."

"IT IS DONE."

"What...?"

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, APE. CARRY ON. SINK AWAY. I HAVE ALREADY SET IT IN MOTION."

"Hmph. As you wish. Hehehahahahaha..."

"The Benevolence Instrumentality Project was a failure. The Qilins were a failure. With this failure, there is nothing that will be able to stop the Darkness. It has already killed the world. I will make the present eternal, and then prepare to recreate this world. Even if I fail... the Darkness will still subsume you and all else. Victory, or oblivion. That is all there is now. Hahahahahahahahaha!"

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tZcgciVjog

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"..."

"I see, for the last time, the golden branch that is the purest."

Ripped from the beyond the Void, or perhaps sent from beyond it, past Ma, past the Calabi-Yau, and into the Milky Way. A shard. A pinch of Chaos itself, in crystal form. Though it is hard to imagine condensing the engine of emanation into such a state, except only by itself therein.

"Well, I have done my part. My son, my precious boy... be safe wherever you go and whatever you do. I am unsure what NEGAI, our wish, has in store for you. But I will believe in him. I will believe you are in good hands, my sprightly Hale. Carry on my brilliance and legacy for me."

"Oh... NEGAI, I don't know where the egg went. I hope it was not misplaced. I did what you told me, the Zohar granted that much. I hope if my creations were to ever meet each other, they'd find common grounds..."

"..."

"It's choking me, this creeping black. Like smoke, filling my lungs. I feel it, Death. My body is giving away, as much as I try to face it with a chin held high. It scares me. He's screaming, screaming into my ears. Clay bastard."

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"...No, it's alright."

"We will meet again when all has returned to Chaos."

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The rebellion against the Great World Kingdom was ended. The rebellious continent vanished into the depths by the power of Lord Sarakha. The ancestral Humanity and the Qilin race was gone, and while the Machine God's attacks against the gods of the world continued, it would soon after cease for good as well. In the aftermath, the soul of the Emperor would take on the title of Lord, and alongside the two other chief deities Thandir and Akasa, proclaim the age of the New Eternity, and the end of the New Beginning. The Emperor had retreated to Heaven, and the prophecy of the Great Rebirth was unveiled.

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The year was now 4000 of the New Eternity.

The world revolution was over.
Overhead, the irregular object known as the Millennium Moon struck Kalaheimr, shattering the north and killing the Ice Giantess, Vymla. The clay creation of the Emperor, HEUS, crowns himself the Dark Lord, and declares the Final War against the newly christened Trinity rulers of the Kingdom.

This is the end of the New beginning.

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[MEMORY PLAYBACK OVER]
[] ALLBIOS(C)0000 CHAOS APPARATUS
[...] [RETURNING TO PRESENT INSTANCE] [...]
[]
[COMPLETED] [...]

https://files.catbox.moe/9pjomz.mp4

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...

I stirred in my sleep. I hadn't been in my usual meditating position on the mat in the middle of my room. Lately, I'd been slumped against the wall, usually burying my face into my arms or resting my chin on my knees. This time, I was in a rather uncomfortable position.

I felt something in my hand. I looked down and opened it.

...A necklace.

It was something... nostalgically valuable to me. I got a weird sense of deja vu, like I'd seen it somewhere before, or someone had given it to me. It was a nice necklace. I put it into my hammerspace and shut my eyes again.

(Received the Ano's Necklace Add from participating in the Queen of /QST/ 2024 tournament: Granting a damage bonus to Sefirot Bodies of NEGAI.)
(Adds are accessory items Muna can equip to gain a special effect. However, take care, as unequipping an Add to equip a new Add gained loses the previous one for good and there is no way to get it back. Choose Adds carefully when they are offered.)

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'...'

[MAJORDOMO] "Sooo..." My subconscious continued, as he paced back and forth in my headspace; "Find that Tenbhur and WHACK him for what he did, do something about Bedolfir's imminent reawakening so he doesn't go crushing a ton of humans under hooves because he's a cranky bitch, fly north with friends and stop Gaizar from crapping all over us with superior firepower from afar and possibly get adapted to by him leading to us getting one big ass-kicking, or dive down and go blup blup bloop blub bloop and try to take out HEUS right now... So many options... what's right... what to do?"

[JOCO] "Erm, h... hey, guys?"

[MAJORDOMO] "Well, Tenbhur would be easiest. Just don't know where to find him..."

[JOCO] "Guys! Helloooo?"

[MAJORDOMO] "On the other hand, the other three are almost certain death BUT if we pulled it off and came out with the clutchy-clutch..."

[JOCO] "G-Guys...? Guys?! GUYS!"

[MAJORDOMO] "Oh my Muna shut up Joco, what is it?!"

[JOCO] "You don't say to shut up and then ask what it is I want anyway!"

[MAJORDOMO] "Shut up Joco, spill it!"

[JOCO] "Okay fine... what is that thing? When did that show up?!"

[MAJORDOMO] "Oh, that's the Ankh of Pride we got from slapping Ela and why is it in here now?"

[ELA-RE] "I have regained constitution."

[MAJORDOMO] "Oh that's nice."

[JOCO] "Commence freakout. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

[MAJORDOMO] "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

'Wait, why is it suddenly talking now?!' I too had to wonder.

Majordomo shuffled behind Joco, who rolled his eyes.

[MAJORDOMO] "Touch it."

[JOCO] "You touch it!"

[MAJORDOMO] "No you touch it!"

[JOCO] "Nuh uh, you touch it!"

[ELA-RE] "Silence, insolent personalities! Augh, you're all so annoying! Constantly chattering, filling this head with nonsense. It's a mercy she hasn't destroyed you yet!"

Silence as my inner voices scamper back.

[ELA-RE] "You, Qilin. You are the one that restored me by taking me from my dead body. But alas, I am not complete, I am still far from being able to resurrect so long as the body and my despair that animates it still walks..."

[ELA-RE] "I, Ela-Re! The brilliant Dawnbringer! In such shambles by fell HEUS! It is a disgrace! I was once a glorious Trinity God! The striking image of pride! Integrity! Justice! I must return..."

[ELA-RE] "You, Qilin. Give me a guarantee."

'Of what?'

[ELA-RE] "That you will bring me back, so that I may rule the Dawn of this world again."

>Answer.

>>6049332
>"Before I can answer you, I must tell you that I'm at war against the trinity and just before you woke up I battled Akasa to free the people from the trinity's information control. So would you be willing to work with me, an enemy of the trinity ?"

>>6049332
>"I mean, that's what I was planning anyways. As long as you're not planning to still affiliate with the Trinity, because I am LONG past the end of my rope with them at this point. They've whacked way too many of their own divinities for their own ironically shady goals. Not a fan. Possibly the exact opposite of a fan, actually."
If he presses, loredump him with all the shit we've seen the trinity pull so far.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6049404
>>6049805

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'I mean... that is what I was planning anyways.'

[ELA-RE] "Fabulous!"

'...As long as you're not planning to still affiliate with the Trinity. Because I am LONG past the end of my rope with them at this point! They've whacked way too many of their own divinities for their own ironically shady goals... Not a fan. Possibly the exact opposite of a fan, actually.'

I sighed against and turned my head over, looking to the right as I brought my knees up again to rest on. I was fully expecting this Trinitarian to give me the rebuking of a lifetime any second now.

[ELA-RE] "Very well... though, I'll have you know this is not exactly as I intended either but..."

'Huh? Really? You're okay with that?'

[ELA-RE] "Of course I'm okay with that! I've witnessed too much now. Learned too much after my demise. The Trinity ways are corrupt, rotten! And the "Great Rebirth"?! It is senseless! I must come back, so I can stop it! I have to act, in order to fix the World Kingdom's government!"

That was an honest surprise! It took me off guard to hear that he was actually more cordial than I was expecting. Especially as someone whose personality was now primarily a remnant of pride.

[MAJORDOMO] "Eh, for curiosity's sake, might I ask what exactly it is that's made you take this unenviable position?"

[ELA-RE] "Well. I... Haaarh, I cannot bear this shape any longer. Ooh! I will define myself... back into my original form!"

The image of the ankh began to morph. I saw its colors combine, and reshape. It was taking the shape of arms, fingers. I saw a head rise out of it, flexing the mouth as two ears twitched above. It groaned and grabbed itself, smoothing over to retake the true shape of Ela-Re with hisses and grunts. He remembered himself, what he looked like. And then it turned grey, the color of his former body's skin.

[ELA-RE] "Ah. That is better."

[JOCO] "Put some clothes on."

[ELA-RE] "That is not possible at this time."

[MAJORDOMO] "Well Muna, this is in your head from now on."

[JOCO] "What is it with us and things being naked?"

Ela-Re grunted and cleared his throat to garner our attention.

[ELA-RE] "...To be truthful, I was a seeker of justice in my real life. That was what I truly cared about! My passion was justice, for all mortals! I was a reformer in the Trinity, and the brilliant dawn. Because I was the Dawnbringer, I was the envoy of the Sun itself. It was to be my charge..."

'Yours?'

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[ELA-RE] "It was a promise that the Xanthous Emperor made to me once, impressed with my popularity and concern for mortal affairs, but mostly my strict views on how the Immortal world is ran. I was supposed to inherit the Sun and Heaven one day and be crowned the new Emperor as Huangdi embarked on a voyage to create new worlds that needed his guidance."

[ELA-RE] "But that RAT...! He leaves without any warning! Declares that the "Great Rebirth" shall transpire!"

'Wait... how long ago was it when you died exactly?'

[ELA-RE] "I perished a year after the New Eternity was declared. I mentioned I was a reformer... It was everything that happened then that made me one. The rotten Trinity is a shadow of the Kingdom that ruled the New Beginning. I was trying to turn it back into what it was."

'So you went to face HEUS.'

[ELA-RE] "Yes... I thought if I destroyed the Dark Lord, there would no longer be a need for the Great Rebirth. Then, I would be able to take my rightful place as the new Sun, the Onyx Emperor. There, I would have the power to abolish this "Trinity" and restore the former glory of the Kingdom."

[ELA-RE] "That is why you must help me resurrect. I learned from the Dark Lord that the Great Rebirth will happen regardless of whether he is vanquished or not. So... you must resurrect me, that I can carry out my new primary goal. Restoring universal justice... by deposing the Xanthous Emperor!"

'That's all there is to it? That's all you want?'

[ELA-RE] "Well, there is the matter that I do no wish to be deprived of the chance to execute Huangdi myself. To this end, you would have to pledge to grant me that privilege as well. No matter what."

>Answer.
>Ask Ela something else first.

>>6050025
>"Trust me, everyone deserves a turn at stoning that simian for what he's done. You included. While we're on the subject, I suppose it's worthwhile to ask if you have any 'insider information' perhaps?"

>>6050025
>"Seems fine by me. btw would you happen to know anything about the trinity that might help us fight them later on ?"

'Trust me, everyone deserves a turn at stoning that simian for what he's done. While we are on the subject, I suppose it would be worthwhile to ask if you have any 'insider information' perhaps?'

[ELA-RE] "Plenty of it. I was only apart of that pantheon for most my existence. I could tell you anything from the fact that I was pushing for a psionics ban to the fact that Lord Huangdi's favorite thing to eat were bana- Wait, did you call him a "simian"?"

[JOCO] "It's a long story..."

[MAJORDOMO] "That you have to have clothes on to hear."

[ELA-RE] "Hrrr..."

I shook my head as I looked up again.

'Anything specific? Just anything you might be able to shoot out quickly?'

Ela lowered his snout and thought for a moment.

I could not read his mind. At least not when he was in this state, reduced to only the pride of his former self, even with him having regained this much constitution as to speak with his personality. I had to bear with his state for the time, gain his trust however I could.

[ELA-RE] "There's a lot... Oh, what to go over first... Well, there is a rivalry in the Trinity between the two enforcers, the demigod Ecules and the paragon named Sivil. Ohh... Master Garlo, that incorrigible whelp, was a former Woldorian that left their pantheon to the lulls of what Lord Sarakha offered him."

[JOCO] "Wait, elaborate on that. What was mister master race offered exactly to leave the most arguably homogeneous continent and pantheon...?"

[ELA-RE] "Accomplishment."

[MAJORDOMO] "That's... it?!"

Ela nodded.

[ELA-RE] "Master Garlo is an imbecile. He only speaks droll. He has always had a complex over his incapability of burning on the macro scale. He is the "little entropy", you see. We considered Lord Sarakha to be the "big" one. The Woldorian Pantheon actively empowers mortals as well, whom he sees as unworthy. Because he could not burn the universe, he always felt inadequate."

[JOCO] "So the Senolism thing is..."

[ELA-RE] "His coping mechanism. The Trinity promised him true achievements and power, though he has never done anything notable beyond torching innocent mortals. I wished I would have executed him sooner when I had the chance. He is like any so-called 'racist'. He lacks personal achievements, so he reaches for the achievements of a race to be proud over instead."

'Except his theory of the Mortal-Immortal racial divide is completely made up.'

[ELA-RE] "There is no racial difference between a Mortal human and an Immortal human."

I nodded.

'You seem to hold in contempt a great deal of the Trinity's members...'

[ELA-RE] "It's insanity how everyone become the moment the Final War began. This Kingdom has to be put to rights. I don't know what's worse between most of of these people.... Ah, but assuredly, the most abhorrent thing that happened, was Lord Akasa murdering his own wife on the eve of the millennium. And-"

[MAJORDOMO] "Wait, WHAT?!"

[JOCO] "Dude! He? HE did it?"

'He always says that she was killed by a... a...'

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'...a Qilin. Like me...'

[ELA-RE] "Ah, I see. That's the narrative they've gone with... No. This is untrue. We all knew, we all felt it. Lord Akasa killed his Imperial consort, in cold blood. It was part of his morbid fascination with bridging the Ma distances. He hoped it would serve as ample motivation for his daughter, the Imperial Princess, to be able to cross whatever Ma spaces lie between her."

'...'

[ELA-RE] "He is another murderous fiend that should be put down."

And I spared him... when I had the chance to kill him. I spared him...

Ela suddenly perked up, remembering something especially important. Majordomo and Joco both blinked at him, and I gave him my undivided attention as well, as he coughed into his fist.

[ELA-RE] "You are a Qilin... I suppose you would like to know this, as disturbing as it might seem."

'I'm listening.'

[ELA-RE] "There is a surviving Qilin just like you that is held in the Heavenly Capital."

'...?!'

We all gawked at him in disbelief.

[ELA-RE] "Her name was Ren, if I recall correctly. She is used as a cattle."

'..."Cattle"...?'

[ELA-RE] "Qilins are so pure that that their progeny are always born with some small portion of divinity as a result. Their spawn are demigods at birth due to their mother's celestial nature. Lord Sarakha impounded this one that was taken from the Old Continent, before he sunk it, into a level in the Capital to lay eggs after being artificially inseminated."

[MAJORDOMO] "I'm not sure I want to hear the rest of this story..."

[ELA-RE] "Oh but you do. See, this is the method through which the Trinity creates its Mass Produced Demigods."

'Mass... Produced Demigods?!'

[ELA-RE] "Yes. It sounds terrifying, doesn't it? They do not use the eggs. They destroy them and extract the celestial essence."

'Aborting them...'

[ELA-RE] "The essence is given to especially refined Chemically Immortal frames, the best the Trinity can produce. This creates a Demigod soldier that is completely loyal. It is a sickening process... It's worse than when Lord Huangdi created the Fairies in an attempt to make flying soldiers of Heaven."

I looked down at the floor again.
This was all so very hard to process at once! I honestly didn't know how to reply to something like that! It's not something I was prepared for.

Ela cleared his throat again.

[ELA-RE] "About my terms, Qilin..."

>"They're acceptable."
>"I can't guarantee that you'll get to land the death blow against Huangdi, but I'll see to it that you are brought back to your former glory."
>"Must you really reform the Kingdom? The whole foundation is rotten, beginning with Huangdi himself. Would it not be better to destroy it and build something new in its place?"
>"I have more questions..."

>>6050400
>"Must you really reform the Kingdom? The whole foundation is rotten, beginning with Huangdi himself. Would it not be better to destroy it and build something new in its place?"

>>6050400
>"They're acceptable, but I must warn you that knowing the Emperor, he probably has some dirty trick up his sleeve for such a situation. If it's truly safe, though, then you'll be allowed the chance to toss him to the earth from the top of Heaven."
Whoever lands the death blow on the Emperor is arguably irrelevant. The relief of him being DEAD dead would be more than enough, so I think it's fair to let him have his moment when the time comes.

'Must you really reform the Kingdom? The whole foundation is rotten, beginning with Huangdi himself. Would it not be better to destroy it and build something new in its place?'

[ELA-RE] "The Kingdom is sacred a thing. You must know that it's not as simple as merely "getting rid" of it. If I were to destroy the Kingdom and proclaim a new one... mortals would have their beliefs they've shared for thousands of years shattered. They would see me as no different than HEUS, as an antithesis to heaven. The throne of Heaven is hereditary, I must inherit it as was promised, then mortals will follow me. The Kingdom, although you may disagree with it, is the TRUE one world government. It is more legitimate than any other entity, even those upstarts under Woldor."

'Alright. Your terms, they're acceptable. But I must warn you that, knowing the Emperor, he probably has some dirty trick up his sleeve for such a situation. If it's truly safe, though, then you'll get your chance to toss him all the way down to Hainei from Heaven.'

[ELA-RE] "Pledge upon it?"

'I pledge it.'

[ELA-RE] "Graciousness. Ha... Then all is said and done. I will await my glorious resurrection in your head until then."

Joco winced at that. He looked uncomfortable, almost wishing Ela went back to being the ankh.

Majordomo coughed.

[MAJORDOMO] "Right. Then I suppose it's time we get to work Munny. What do you say?"

I nodded and decided to finally get up. I stood up from where I sat and walked to the middle of my room, doing a stretch along the way until I reached the door and walked out. I'd better get on top of things.

...

I was faced with the familiar sight of the Command Center in the Bunker. But it was empty right now. In fact, most of the Bunker was pretty much barren. The Psyops was busy, it had a lot of work on its shoulders to lend aid to Eikrise after what happened.

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I got an alert informing me...
• The Land of Milk has gone silent. Eskart informs me the entire Siran Region has become clouded with Darkness, overtaken by the Khanate, beginning with the holocaust of a settlement known as Kloa in the region.
• [ "------Bombardment is continuing. Thankfully at decreased pace, but the stars are still falling. The Woldorian and Imperial governments are trying their best to set up safety measures for protecting their lands from the bombardment. Alien Grubs have been sighted along the farther coasts of Kalaheimr. Gaizar is definitely planning something...-----" - Hale ]
• Seannsa has donated several of her "Lucks" to me out of pity.
• Woldor has delivered a gift.

>< What will you do now? ><
>Access the Case Files and undertake a mission.
• The Dagger of Death (Usultu, God of Weapons)
• Changing the Channel (Yasukuni, God of Media)
• The Clown, Noramus (Scapegod Noramus)
• Testing the Tengu (Daitengu Scheiracht)
• Fell Fire, Mortal Resolve (Master Garlo, God of Fire)
• The World of Mythology II (Oggthorn, Hunter Demigod)
• RAID: Konglasha's Capture (Shèng Xù, Chain of Chains)
• RAID: All-Seeing Ehyeh (NUMBER-8 Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh)
• RAID: Naturens Ondskapfulle Vrede (Bedolfir, Giant God of Nature)
• RAID: Alien Invasion (Gaizar, Alien God)
• RAID: The Forever Apocalypse
• RAID: End the New Eternity
>Access Psyops Deployments.
>Access the Skill-Tree.
>Change Adds.
>Talk to somebody in the Bunker.
>Outfit selection.
>Open Affinity Dates selection.
>Open Truth Meditation.
>Ask Majordomo, Joco and Ela-Re's opinion on something.
>Examine Woldor's gift.
>Go on a Godtalk. Select which god to converse with.
• Nickleim, the God of Commerce (Summon to Psyops Bunker for barter)
• Lady Seannsa, Cat Goddess of Luck (Psyops Bunker) [Luck Vendor]
• Kei, Poverty God (Shuukai Ward) [Luck Vendor]
• Namithene, Goddess of Love (Frostreach Continent)
• Demharugh, Fairy Goddess (Siegesia)
• Surasira, Bovine Goddess of Milk and Torpor (Land of Milk)

>>6050680
>Surasira, Bovine Goddess of Milk and Torpor (Land of Milk)
Gonna check on her first, that last quest really fucked her shit

>>6050701
>+1
we need to help the cow. then we can go for the killall mission since it's the last normal one

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[ LAND OF MILK ]

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EzApWjjNAs

The Land of Milk was dark and eroded. The milk was all rotten and spoiled, now festering into pustules of something horrible and diseased. There was sickly smells in the air. The waterfalls of milk had run dry, and the sea of it had receded and gone down much. The many floating settlements within the land were overturned or sunk. The temple where food was cooked and dancers indulged in creative endeavors were destroyed or empty. There was no signs of life to be found here at all. In fact, I didn't even see corpses. It was hollow.

...

[MAJORDOMO] "...What happened here?"

[ELA-RE] "...Death. This was the work of Death. The Death Knell rang here, and was released. Everything here in this land of life that once prospered is now dead. Everything is gone. And that taint... that taint in the air..."

[JOCO] "What's it mean?"

[ELA-RE] "The Dark One was here."

...

I looked up, at the place where the Bovine Goddess once rested, and levitated that way. I came upon the gate where I met her at.

She was nowhere to be found. There was no trace of Surasira anywhere. I could not sense her, nor could I feel her mind. She was gone.

She was dead.

'...HEUS murdered her.'

There was no longer a hope for this place. I came here on a curious whim, hoping to see if there was some way to salvage it. I had no idea the true extent of the situation as it unfolded while we were busy fighting Lord Akasa. It's terrible...

[JOCO] "Wait, look over there."

I looked to the right. There, hidden behind some pots, a golden shine...
I moved the pots aside and found another chalice filled with the Milk of Kindness. It was like the one she gave me before. It was bright, and gorgeous in comparison to everything else here.

(Received key item: Milk of Kindness)
(It can do away with any and all poison and torpor and make anything it is applied to taste delicious. Drinking it will grant a 3x Resistance to any party member but will use the item. During battles, it can only be used one time to clear toxicity for 10 moves.)

'I'll avenge you.'

Turning away, I left and teleported out of this place.

( GODTALK OVER )

[Returning to the Psyops Bunker...]

I was back in the Bunker before I knew it.

>< What will you do now? ><
>Access the Case Files and undertake a mission.
• The Dagger of Death (Usultu, God of Weapons)
• Changing the Channel (Yasukuni, God of Media)
• The Clown, Noramus (Scapegod Noramus)
• Testing the Tengu (Daitengu Scheiracht)
• Fell Fire, Mortal Resolve (Master Garlo, God of Fire)
• The World of Mythology II (Oggthorn, Hunter Demigod)
• RAID: Konglasha's Capture (Shèng Xù, Chain of Chains)
• RAID: All-Seeing Ehyeh (NUMBER-8 Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh)
• RAID: Naturens Ondskapfulle Vrede (Bedolfir, Giant God of Nature)
• RAID: Alien Invasion (Gaizar, Alien God)
• RAID: The Forever Apocalypse
• RAID: End the New Eternity
>Access Psyops Deployments.
>Access the Skill-Tree.
>Change Adds.
>Talk to somebody in the Bunker.
>Outfit selection.
>Open Affinity Dates selection.
>Open Truth Meditation.
>Ask Majordomo, Joco and Ela-Re's opinion on something.
>Examine Woldor's gift.
>Go on a Godtalk. Select which god to converse with.
• Nickleim, the God of Commerce (Summon to Psyops Bunker for barter)
• Lady Seannsa, Cat Goddess of Luck (Psyops Bunker) [Luck Vendor]
• Kei, Poverty God (Shuukai Ward) [Luck Vendor]
• Namithene, Goddess of Love (Frostreach Continent)
• Demharugh, Fairy Goddess (Siegesia)

>>6050790
>Examine Woldor’s gift.
I mean… we gotta, right?

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The gift I received from Woldor. It was actually an envelope that was stamped with the seal of the High King of Woldoria left to rest atop the map table in the Command Center. I picked it up. If it was a sealed envelope, then what was the gift exactly?

I opened it up...
I felt myself suddenly be blasted by some strange power!
It was power that added to my own, increasing mine!

'Huh?'

I opened up the envelope and unfolded a letter within and began to read.

"Oh, that thou might be trying in such quarrelsome times indeed exacts a heavy burden that I cannot simply bear to watch the weight be carried in lieu of these circumstances thusly. Taken upon myself I do deliver upon thee this writ stamped with a unique seal of approval and a gift. Thou finds that this envelope contained as well the divine promotion that could be made only by Wargod's hands, and whilst ye art not expected to become yet any more divine than thou already may be, the promotion will serve to embolden thy flames to proportion."

I have grown stronger from receiving a promotion made by Woldor himself.

[JOCO] "He's calling us weak!"

[MAJORDOMO] "Oh well, I'll take it. Let's be a strong weakling."

[ELA-RE] "Woldor is not usually this charitable. He definitely wants something from you."

I'm thinking he just knows I can deal with Gaizar, and we've already discussed Gaizar before together. He most likely is simply looking forward to Gaizar's demise and wants to accelerate it.

(Divine potential has increased.)

[MUNA]
(HP 1000 > HP 1500)
(MP 1000 > MP 1500)
(Physical resistance increased to 2x)

>< What will you do now? ><

>>6050830
>Open Affinity Dates selection.
It's been a while since the last time we went on one and truly, it might be a great way to distract us from what just happened.

>>6050834
+1
One wouldn't hurt right now

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[ACCESSING AFFINITY DATES...]

I need to loosen up before I can get to work.

>The Affinity Date Selections are open.

>Hangout with someone.
>Exit Affinity Dates.

>>6050838
>Hangout with someone: Hale

>>6050838
>Hangout with someone: Jenk
Muna needs to talk about her failure to protect Surasira to someone, and Jenk is her closest confidante. Even if it was a total success on our part.

>>6050844
>+1

>>6050844
>+1

>>6050789
cow-sama... Heus will pay for this

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[ CITY OF EIKRISE ]

The city wasn't what it used to be after Tenbhur's assault. The streets were quiet, and many buildings were collapsed. It almost reminded me now, in this state, of Zahnlauf, and what used to be before the Trinity attacked in the past. The one place that seemed to have endured was Eikn's temple nearby. It was converted into a shelter for the people for the time being. Sorrow was in the air.

The Psyops was doing everything it could to help for now. We were dedicating most of our resources and people to sharing relief, disguising our use of Psyops' high technology to lend aid, food and cleanup for the Rotgut as Hale making hearty donations using the front company, despite the damages that occurred to it.

I was walking down the stairs in the factory. Hale's office had been destroyed. It was collapsed into a pile in the factory building. I could barely step by to get down to the floor. I saw Hale there picking out something in the rubble. Some old sports trophy of his, a framed image of him with some old friends and colleagues, among whom was Charles. He gave the things a solemn look before he set it down and looked up, noticing me there.

Yet, Hale didn't grimace further, he instead chose to smile as he fixed his big bow tie. He groaned bending his back though.

[HALE] "Gah. Don't mind it too much. I've been out there helping people as much as I can."

'You'll put yourself in danger of the Rotgut. It's not all been cleared.'

[HALE] "I'd sooner do that than put others in danger of remaining within an unstable building. I've been going in to help fish people out of the unsteady structures. Explains all this dirt." He said, wiping his vest.

I smiled back at him now. 'Take it easy on yourself, you're getting absolutely filthy over having a heart of gold.'

He chuckled. "Not like it will lose any luster."

[HALE] "... Muna."

'Hm?'

[HALE] "It's all right. What happened. You were still doing your best."

I frowned halfway.

[HALE] "We all accepted already, we were going to trade blows when we started this. The important thing is that, their blow only knocked us back, but not out."

'Yeah. You're right.'

[HALE] "My wish is for you to keep the pressure up. We've already done more than most could, you know. Just by ourselves."

Hale opened his arms up.

I went over and hugged him tightly. He patted me on the back. I didn't even care if it got dirt on me. I needed this right now.

When we let go, he nodded. He didn't need to say another word for me to understand it was time for him to get back to lending a hand. A good leader like him, was there working alongside those he lead. It was worthy of respect.

Hale left the factory, and I mused for a moment over the possessions he saved from the rubble before moving on myself.

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[A social link increased twice]

>The Affinity Date Selections are open.

>Hangout with someone.
>Exit Affinity Dates.

>>6051223
>Eskart
Time to give mage boy some attention too

>>6051223
>Hangout with someone
>Jenk
I still want to see what skelebro's feelings are on the situation.

>>6051232
>+1

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[ JENK'S FARM, SIEGESIA ]

Jenk had went his own way and parted with the rest of us in light of the bombardment of Gaizar after we returned from facing Akasa. He said he needed to check on his farm, and the surrounding communities. It had been a few days since then and we had not heard from Jenk in a while. I decided I needed to check up on him. I was just worried.

When I arrived to his farm, I saw the historical sight was devastated. His farm was directly hit by one of Gaizar's strikes. The old house he use to reside in, as well as his shrine to Bedolfir and Vymla was leveled. The crop fields had burned. Yet, I saw significant signs there that, he had been rebuilding even then as I looked around.

What I thought was a scarecrow that had somehow managed to survive approached me from the right, and I saw it was Jenk, being followed by Morwenna.

'Jenk! You're alright.'

[JENK] "Aye. That I am."

'Your farm...'

He shook his head.

[JENK] "It cannot be helped. But, I bring good news. It seems that my farm was a specific target. Those that I have known, the mortals, they are alright. They are untouched by the bombardment, and they will be safe. Warichud has begun work on deterring the bombardment, I heard."

'I'm glad to hear that. And Morwenna! It's nice to see you as well.'

[MORWENNA] "Blickery issss... also untouched. Vhut I came the moment I sssaw the ssstars fall. I vassss vorried for sir Jenk!" She said, distressed.

'Jenk, are you trying to rebuild?'

[JENK] "That also cannot be helped. It is my duty to restore the nature that has been scorched here. It's what Bedolfir would like. I feel his pain increasing with every splotch of nature that Gaizar wipes out across the globe."

'Do you need help?'

[JENK] "Nay. These old bones will suffice. Though a lot was lost, it has simply returned to nature. In time, I can replace what has been lost. Even my shrine. Though the objects were important to me, there's no use crying over spilled milk. This just means I better make a bigger one. A better one."

Always so refreshing to see Jenk optimistic at the worst of times. I'm glad he's holding up.

Though, Morwenna was looking at me, nervously. As if she wanted to say something. I glanced at her with a curious look and it seemed then she decided to speak.

[MORWENNA] "Ohh... Muna."

'Hm? Yes?'

[MORWENNA] "Lissssten to Morwenna. I..."

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[MORWENNA] "I vant to help you now!"

'Huh?'

[MORWENNA] "Juu have done ssssooo musssch for Blickery. You have offered Beassstkin kindnessssss and reconnected usss vit the outsssside vorld... now the outssside vorld isss... under sss...s... siege! I... I vant to help you, like your other friendly godssss do. I vant to be one of the ssssaviors too, Muna."

[MORWENNA] "Zh-z-zhish alien hasss not hurt Blickery.... but vhat if it did? Vhat if one of... of the bolts struck Blickery? Struck my people? It may happen... anyway! The thought of it... burnssss Morwenna up insssside. Ssso let me help! I vant to help you defeat them all!"

[MORWENNA] "Pleassse..."

>Hmm...
> [ 2 Companion Slots remaining. Once two more companions are acquired, the party is complete. No more companions can be recruited after this. Consider this carefully, as there are a few more choices for companions that can be recruited left. ]

>What do I think? Should I give Morwenna the chance to be called on? Her people still need here there for their protection and guidance however... I shouldn't drag her away from them for long or... even worse, endanger her! If she were not to return to them... if something terrible were to happen... the Beasts of Blickery would not be able to overcome it. They would all go feral again... Still, Jenk would most likely appreciate the company of someone as skeletal as he is...

>>6051334
>"You have truly endured a lot, Morwenna. I'd hate for you to get into more harm than you've already been through... but if this is truly what you wish for, in order to protect your own people, then I suppose it is right to let you fight the good fight with us."
Those weaknesses are nasty, but having Null to Light is fucking HUGE. Perhaps we should consider using the Milks we have to curb those 3x weaknesses.
Also, poison nuking. I fucking love Damage-over-time. The slow and steady death is always something we should take advantage of.

>>6051359
I agree with this. Poison damage is fantastic and Null light would be worth taking even alone.

>>6051359
You know, hyper, your points are good and we need a poison specialist anyways. Let’s bring Furry Krueger to our team.

'You have truly endured a lot, Morwenna. I'd hate for you to get into more harm than you've already been through... but if this is truly what you wish for, in order to protect your own people, then I suppose it is right to let you fight the good fight with us.'

Morwenna gasped.

I smiled and raised a hand, she was taken aback by it, so Jenk urged her on with a little nod. Morwenna took my hand in both of her claws and shook it, held it tightly for a moment. I didn't even feel bad from her blighted touch.

[MORWENNA] "Z...Zss... th-thank you Muna... Thank you sssso much! I promissse. I... I vill be usssseful. I vill help you. I vill do all I can!"

'I'm glad to have you on the team, Morwenna.'

Deep inside, I felt Ela-Re stir.

[ELA-RE] "Hold on, hold the phone now. THAT is the Beast Goddess of Blickery, source of the Beastkin blight, and we are shaking her hand?! She is... on friendly terms with you? I don't get this! I don't understand! What in the heavens is going on here?!"

[JOCO] "We redeemed her."

[ELA-RE] "What?!"

[MAJORDOMO] "Yeahhh... see, we had to take her brother out of the picture first for her to come around. But yeah, the Beastkin stopped the whole 'kill everyone outside Blickery' thing, and they basically turned on the Afterseas. Still sucks they don't have a sun though."

[ELA-RE] "....This... is too much to take in at once. How do you just... undo thousands of years of grief in such a short period?! It boggles my mind..."

[JOCO] "We'll explain everything slowly. Just take it easy there, nudist."

[MAJORDOMO] "Speaking of nudism... We ought to get Morwenna naked for a moment Muna."

Uh...

[MAJORDOMO] "So we can find her some better fit to put on. Do we really want her going everywhere in those worn out rags she's wearing?"

I mean, the striped sweater is pretty tasteful, even if it is in tatters.

[MAJORDOMO] "We can keep the striped pattern for all I care. Can we at least get this Beast something a little nicer? Plus she's probably been wearing that same outfit for uh... a few millennia. I don't want to pontificate the aroma."

I get what you mean. Though, isn't Jenk basically doing the same thing?

[MAJORDOMO] "He's a literal skeleton. He does not have an odor nor the glands to produce one. You know what he smells like? Vegetables, and pumpkin pie. He smells nice. He would know this."

Okay...

'Morwenna.' I said, gaining her attention.

[MORWENNA] "Hm?"

'Would you like to... ah, do a little clothes shopping?'

[MORWENNA] "Ouhh... C-Clothesssshhhhopping?"

'Yeah. My little gift to you for right now. It's been a while since you saw the outside world properly... so how about I take you out to do something fun and see a little?'

[MORWENNA] "A-ah... O-Okay! Muna vill lead Morwenna'ssss way."

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>Time to find Morwenna something new to wear.

>Describe, or better yet draw the outfit Muna thinks would suit Morwenna. The Beast Goddess is rather fond of her purple striped pattern so don't forget to appeal to her taste!
>Additionally, since her "hair" is actually just a fur wig, you may take some creative liberties and make her a new "hairstyle" on that bald skull of hers. Otherwise, don't touch anything on her head if you want to leave her "hairstyle" the same.

>Go!

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>>6051522
Behold, the WendiGOAT!

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>>6051522
i have been wracked with sickness this past week so drawing this was suffering graghhhh hopefully this is Not Shit and conveys enough of a general idea for Almighty QM Levelsama to go wild with it...

>>6052595
I will +1 this drawfag-sama...

>>6052033
I support this, it makes her look like someone that matters instead of a random peasant.

>>6052595
>+1
Gotta go with the nasuverse dress

Vote closed.

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I let Morwenna enjoy herself with luxuries she never had before, taking her to see the sights of Oakville Town, to discover new passions and tastes for herself. It was a new experience for her. She looked over so many things in our time together. Ultimately, she decided on a little something that appealed to her destitute origins.

[MORWENNA] "Sh-ss-sss-Ssssho, how do I appear...?"

'You look fantastic.' I said with sincerity.

[MORWENNA] "Jhu vreally think sssso?" She said, looking away, flustered.

'Absolutely. Now, what say you to stopping by a cafe? I know one that you might like here.'

[MORWENNA] "Ah! Yesss, Morwenna would like thhh-at."

I took her to the cafe I stopped in first back then, during my travels here to deal with Mister Saturday. Disguised from all mortal sights, we both enjoyed ourselves a while longer, just to extend that sweet moment of her seeing this outside world that wasn't so bad.

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<> Morwenna has joined the party.

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Jenk was especially pleased to have Morwenna on our team. He was perhaps the one person she got along with the most of us all.

[A social link increased six times]

>The Affinity Date Selections are open.

>Hangout with someone.
>Exit Affinity Dates.

>>6053385
>Eskart

>>6053385
Eskart

[ ILLUMINATI COLLEGE, BELKINSIRE ]

At Belkinsire, I found Eskart standing out in the wilderness. He was at the edge of his county's protective barrier he erected since the incident with the Ginnungagap. I saw him staring intensely at it as I walked up beside him. There was a hole within it far above, one that he was repairing. The land around under our feet was... strange. It was like it had been hastily restored after being torn apart.

[ESKART] "One of his projectiles. It pierced my barrier. Though, thankfully, the barrier cancelled out most of the yield, neutralizing it. Had it struck the ground however... much of my home would not be here now. And there is something even worse still..."

'What?'

[ESKART] "He has come into contact with Magic through his energy. Even as far away from Kalaheimr as here, he has touched it, as the projectile was made of the energy that composed his body. He has absorbed it. Like how he has taken your Psychic energy through contact, he has adapted to my Magic."

'...'

[ESKART] "I won't lie to you Muna, Gaizar scares me. He the scariest thing I have ever seen..."

Eskart sighed uneasily. He turned towards me, making a shallow eye contact before his eyes fell to the ground.

[ESKART] "How was Jenk and Morwenna?"

'They're holding up well. You saw me talking to them in your visions?'

He nodded.

[ESKART] "With Surasira dead, Jenk's crops would have suffered, but they were incinerated first by Gaizar's starfall. Though, what he plants will recover. Surasira's death thankfully did not spoil all the world's food and edibles. However, Morwenna... her people, without her blood and without the Milk of Kindness..."

'Yes... she... she did mention that. The fetuses.'

[ESKART] "I will go to Blickery. I cannot replicate the Milk of Kindness, but with my Magic, I may provide some alternatives that will prevent disaster for the time being. Though, all I can do is merely prolong the inevitable for her."

'It's more than enough on your part, Eskart.'

[ESKART] "Thank you."

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He breathed in deep, closing his eyes for a second. When he opened them, he gazed at me with some new determination.

[ESKART] "Muna, I do not want to see any more gods die to these monsters plaguing our world. While we are Immortal, those that take our place will be different. There is no telling how our reincarnations will be compared to how we are now. No telling how long it will take before such things happen..."

'What are you getting at, Eskart?'

[ESKART] "If it should ever be one of us the next time we are fighting as one, will you permit me to prevent that from happening?"

'...'

[ESKART] "It is something I do not want to allow, ever again."

I knew exactly what he meant. Should it ever be me, or Wolfboy, or Shennu, Jenk, Morwenna or Ludwyhn or any of the others we have met and befriended that are on the verge of dying... being murdered by something horrible as the Dark One or the Alien, he wants to take our place instead. He would rather sacrifice himself. By seeing the future for what little he can, he could see such things coming, to preserve the present. That's what he's asking. That's how he feels. The death of Surasira has truly affected him.

So he wants to know if its alright to feel this way.

>"Eskart, I... .... Yes, I permit it, if it is what you truly want."
>"No, I... I can't abide such a thing. We can get through this together, always."

>>6054053
>"No, I... I can't abide such a thing. We can get through this together, always."
that's not for him to decide, even if we can't stop him

>>6054053
>>"No, I... I can't abide such a thing. We can get through this together, always."
Eskart, I know you care about but people but you can't get suicidal ideation in your head. None of that here!

>>6054053
>"No, I... I can't abide such a thing. We can get through this together, always."
The magician is essential for the PSYOPS logistics division

>>6054053
>"No, I... I can't abide such a thing. We can get through this together, always."
oh boy, the magician's survivor's guilt is acting up again!

'No, I... I can't abide such a thing, Eskart! We can get through this together, always.'

[ESKART] "Muna, you are too kind..."

I sighed, crossing my arms at him.

'Eskart... This is not what we should be thinking about.'

[ESKART] "I can't help but to... If I were able to see the future for more than mere glimpses, then maybe I could have..."

He stopped, and shook his head.

[ESKART] "No. We have already been over this. You are right... Forgive me, I am simply empathetic to what happened. Empathetic, and scared."

'It's quite alright. I'm relieved, if anything, to see you feel the same as me... Hale and Jenk and Morwenna were all so optimistic. I needed to feel that from them, but it looks like you do too, huh?'

He nodded.

[ESKART] "This is the second time my home has had a close call. And now that my Magic belongs to that thing, I feel as though I'd be practically useless against it."

'Nah, you can still do plenty of things that thing couldn't. We'd be a bit lost without your visions after all. You can only see glimpses... every little bit helps though.'

We both knew that. Eskart clenched his hands tight, the stress was still strong even so.

[ESKART] "At least then, I know I'll be going with you. There is no reason to continue being remiss here. I should return t-hn... Hmm?"

I had grabbed one of Eskart's wrists, stopping him in his tracks. Surprised, looking back at my smile with a funny little mouth agape and blinking eyes. I pulled him closer gently, nudging him into it as I reached up. His slender self had to lean slightly for my arms to come up over his shoulders, resting his chin on mine as I squeezed him and patted his back.

'Everything will be okay. It's normal to feel the way you do! But don't go thinking you have to throw yourself away just because tragic things happen. After all, you'd be missed greatly, Eskart. What would we do without you?'

[ESKART] "I... ah... M-Muna..."

'Mm?'

[ESKART] "..." He repeated the gesture with me; "Thank you, Muna."

'Mm.' I smiled and broke the hold. He returned the smile with his own, a rare sight. Grabbing his hand, I tugged him along with myself. 'Come on, let's go make sure there aren't any more holes in the barrier.'

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I spent a little more time of the day with him, ensuring everything was in order around Belkinsire. Eventually, I departed back towards the Bunker.

[A social link increased four times]

>The Affinity Date Selections are open.

>Hangout with someone.
>Exit Affinity Dates.

>>6054159
>Hangout with someone.
Let's see how Ludwyhn is taking all of this.

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[ FLAXGARD ]

My venture into the Mead River today was a... interesting one. I was met immediately by some of the Mythics and Stone-Break-Bone outside Ludwyhn's lodgings. They said they wouldn't stop me in my path but to be aware that Ludwyhn had... been a bit "out of it". I asked what they meant. Stone-Break-Bone looked at me and shook his head, he said "Rotgut".

'Eh...?!'

I went inside.

Ludwyhn was passed out on a pile of tankards and the smashed bits of kegs, that had further been driven violently through the top of a table. He snored loudly. Atgorvi was stuck in the wall, and he had somehow spilled a plate of food onto the floor. I saw a fork, but it was missing the actual fork part, the chewed handle remained though so I could piece together what happened with that.

[LUDWYHN] "Brrrhhh...."

His eye flickered open at me.

[LUDWYHN] "Mmrr... f...fffuck oghf....."

'Ludwyhn, language...' I said, almost like a scolding mother. Where was Eikn at to say that?

[LUDWYHN] "Abhrrruuhhh.... ughh!"

'What in the world have you been doing?'

[LUDWYHN] "Isshhht....ss... t--dhhe... urgh... Rrrraghtgoot!!!"

He squirmed a little bit in pain.

'You drank Rotgut?!'

[LUDWYHN] "Me.... mmm... my...ghh... errrrr!"

'What are you trying to say?'

He began tapping his forehead incessantly through the animal noises he made in his daze. Ah, I get it. He wants me to read his thoughts.

[LUDWYHN] "Hurrr... F-FUCK!"

He jolted up in pain and belched loudly. He tried to suppress his belches, but spat something up. Something green. I saw the green specks staining his beard and... urgh! I've never seen an alcoholic beverage solidify like that! It was like bits of soggy slime on his beard. Truly, Rotgut was vile.

I read his mind's passages...

I see. He... being the Lord of the Mead River, is vulnerable to the Rotgut. It is something that sets off his inner "alcoholic". In other words, he can't resist the ultimate booze. Unable to do, he'll seek to consume it, and this will lead to his writhing state of pain. When we returned from fighting Akasa, we came upon Eikrise and... well, he must have inhaled the whiffs of Rotgut there after Tenbhur had sacked it. He gave rise to some here in his lodgings and had a hell of a time.

'I'm sorry, I didn't know.'

[LUDWYHN] "Ff...ffuuuck..."

His thoughts tell me that he doesn't mean it if he hurls some insult. He's under an influence he has trouble breaking. In the past, he has fought Tenbhur, and beaten the Sadist. But the Father of Alcoholics survived by taking advantage of Ludwyhn's thirst.

Maybe I have an item that can help with this?

>Use ten Lucks of Seannsa.
>Use Milk of Kindness.
>Use Ankh of Pride.
>Use Namithene's Lipstick.

>>6054178
None of the items actually feel right for this. I don't see what the lipstick could do for him right now (especially given its description), the same for Seannsa's Lucks. Using up Ela-Re's Ankh feels downright wasteful as does using up one of Surasira's Milk of Kindness(especially now that we can't replicate it).
I guess out of all of these, the only items that can be reliably duplicated are the Lucks.
>Use ten Lucks of Seannsa. + Cleansing Balm (Cures Status Effect)

>>6054188
I'll support this. Fuckin' Ludwyhn, lmao.

>>6054188
The milk could work, but I see your point about it being rare now.
>>6054196
Sheesh

>>6054188
+1

'Maybe if I...'

I drew forth a number of the 'Lucks' that Seannsa had given me.

[MAJORDOMO] "Woah, woah, woah! You really wanna waste this much of the Cat's fat luck on him? We don't get those easily..."

'It's not wasting if it's on a friend.' I said sternly.

Focusing on Ludwyhn, I threw forth the Lucks, spending all but a few on himself in the hopes that, one way or another, he might just get lucky enough to find some way to overcome his taste for the booze.

[LUDWYHN] "Guh... kukukukuh!" He began coughing. He was choking on something.

He flipped over like a fish off the pile of debris he'd rested on, hoisting himself off the floor with both hands. I saw him choking, as if he was struggling to vomit or spit something up. He gagged as he rose off his knees. I saw him raise a fist, and bash himself in his chest with it, striking his belly wildly!

'Ludwyhn!'

[LUDWYHN] "YYAAARGHHHkkkk-KKK! ...BLEURH!"

Finally, he struck him himself hard enough that he was able to spit up a chunk of something... horrifying. Regardless of the form, I knew it was Rotgut all the same. But it didn't stop there, for next came the torrent of greenish spew behind it as Ludwyhn knelt over and hurled. He didn't stop until he had drained every bit from his body, slowing to a momentary cough.

'...L... Ludwyhn?' I said, reaching out.

[LUDWYHN] "EEAAAYEEEARRGHHH!" He suddenly shouted, spooking me back as he rushed over and grabbed Atgorvi from the wall and pluck it out. I saw him turn to the substance on the floor. He blasted it indiscriminately with Light from his spear tip, until it was all burnt to nothing. He didn't stop there, even raising Atgorvi's tip at his own face and blasting it with Light.

'Ludwyhn!' I cried, worried he might be hurting himself.

When his blast stopped, I saw only his beard and hair had been pruned. He was completely bald for a moment, until his hair and beard grew back nearly instantly. I see, he was merely ridding the Rotgut that was stuck to his own prized beard.

[LUDWYHN] "Haaa.... harghh... Ouuhhhh. That shite was VILE!"

'Ludwyhn, are you alright?'

[LUDWYHN] "A-Aye lassie. Yew came atte' roight' toim'. I was drunin' in Rot, fillin' me fuhkn' bloody lungs! Wotever ye' did, did the trick."

'It was the Luck of Seannsa.'

[LUDWYHN] "I shee..." He said, eye twitching at the mention of her name; "Well, it worked to make me looky' enuff' to hit th' rought spot. Th' Rot wansta' stay innur' body once ye' take ittin'. Couldn't dislodge it easy."

'Looks like I came in the nick of time then.'

[LUDWYHN] "Yew simplee' elped' me rekoover a wee bit faster. I still caino' bear to see that slime. Eifdere's one ting Ludwyhn ain't givin' up, it's his drink! Ye' hear me TENBHUR YEW DICKLESS COWARD! YEW'LL NEVER TRULY AVE' ME!" He shouted to the air in anger.

[LUDWYHN] "Aye... sorey there, I hava' hist'ry with thah fat bastoord. There's wun' that really groinds me gears, lass."

File: Social Links.png (343 KB, 529x734)

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'Ah. Well, what do you say?'

[LUDWYHN] "...Thanks."

'Hm! Also, that is a sight I won't forget. Ever.'

[LUDWYHN] "D-... Don'chee tell ANYONE! ...Seriously speaking!"

The sight of him without a beard, or hair for that matter. I still continued to giggle over it, even as I left.

[JOCO] "Uncanny valley."

[ELA-RE] "The mien of a Woldorian's apelike visage, to be sure..."

[A social link increased two times]

[Returned to the Bunker]

[EXITING AFFINITY DATES...]

>< What will you do now? ><
>Access the Case Files and undertake a mission.
• The Dagger of Death (Usultu, God of Weapons)
• Changing the Channel (Yasukuni, God of Media)
• The Clown, Noramus (Scapegod Noramus)
• Testing the Tengu (Daitengu Scheiracht)
• Fell Fire, Mortal Resolve (Master Garlo, God of Fire)
• The World of Mythology II (Oggthorn, Hunter Demigod)
• RAID: Konglasha's Capture (Shèng Xù, Chain of Chains)
• RAID: All-Seeing Ehyeh (NUMBER-8 Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh)
• RAID: Naturens Ondskapfulle Vrede (Bedolfir, Giant God of Nature)
• RAID: Alien Invasion (Gaizar, Alien God)
• RAID: The Forever Apocalypse
• RAID: End the New Eternity
>Access Psyops Deployments.
>Access the Skill-Tree.
>Change Adds.
>Talk to somebody in the Bunker.
>Outfit selection.
>Open Affinity Dates selection.
>Open Truth Meditation.
>Ask Majordomo, Joco and Ela-Re's opinion on something.
>Examine Woldor's gift.
>Go on a Godtalk. Select which god to converse with.
• Nickleim, the God of Commerce (Summon to Psyops Bunker for barter)
• Lady Seannsa, Cat Goddess of Luck (Psyops Bunker) [Luck Vendor]
• Kei, Poverty God (Shuukai Ward) [Luck Vendor]
• Namithene, Goddess of Love (Frostreach Continent)
• Demharugh, Fairy Goddess (Siegesia)

>>6054742
>The Dagger of Death (Usultu, God of Weapons)

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[LOADING...]

[LOADING COMPLETE]

[MISSION BEGIN]

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIfUhSnCyQE

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As the personnel of Psyops might say on some of their deployments to each other - "Payback time."

I had long intended to unveil the circumstances that arise around the shrouded figure named KILLALL. My intention would lead me back to the Afterseas after traversing the Hellhole at the sea's bottom. Last time I dared to enter the afterlife, I did so unprepared for what I was going to see. But now? After experiencing the Dark Lord first hand, I am prepared. I know how to escape, should I need to in a hurry. But still... I must act quick.

For time is not on my side in this plane.

[Death Timer added.]
[Moves left until the Timer runs out: 14]

...But, I was not alone. I wouldn't come alone. I needed help. I called upon somebody I could really trust, somebody I knew would come help me...

>Jenk.
>Wolfboy.
>Shennu.
>Eskart.
>Ludwyhn.
>Morwenna.

>>6054821
>Shennu,
The wizard knows the dangers of the Afterseas better than anyone else, which is why we'll take our sister! HEUS would never suspect it. Even further, it is the AfterSEA, isn't it? Shennu's aquatic nature might give some insights we would've missed on our own.

>>6054822
Seconding

>>6054822
makes sense, it'd be either her or Morwenna, but he'd expect her.

File: 641.png (1.81 MB, 2500x1298)

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My valiant sister. If the Afterseas itself was structured like an abyssal ocean, then the one who controls water should best suffice to help me dive. It was a troublesome proposition, but once I explained everything to Shennu, she hesitantly agreed and ventured down into the Hellhole with me.

Now, we were in the surface layer, Diyu.

All around was the same blood sea I had met Ghole on. The red waters stretched to the extent of and unending horizon. I saw the blood boiling and bubbling in a few places, strips of something... fleshy occasionally rise to float on the surface. A harrowing noise came from below, like moans.

[SHENNU] "This place is worse than any tales I'd ever heard of it... I will be right behind you."

[Death Timer begins ticking...]
[Moves left until the Timer runs out: 14]

>Search for Ghole's ship.
>Dive deeper.

>>6055299
>Search for Ghole's ship.
considering Ghole was attacked in our first and last talk with him, probably someone is using his boat now.

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Ghole, I had to find him. I was possessed to by a sinking feeling I had.

[SHENNU] "Ghole? Have you not spoken of this figure before, sister?"

'I haven't said much... He is the one who inhabited the Afterseas before HEUS and his lot. I met him, but the Dark One attacked him... I need to see if...'

The bloody sea of Diyu before us was wide. Ghole's ship could be in any direction. Though, I had a feeling it always drifted towards those that were lost here, and if I considered myself to be lost on the way to his ship...

It was not long before Shennu looked and saw ahead of us a shadowy shape atop the waters. There, she called out, and I flew in a hurry towards Ghole's ship.

...

When we came aboard the deck, I saw the horrific display of what HEUS had made of the guide. Shennu could not look, she turned away. I gagged.

He had been made into a sail of flesh, strung up by his own ropes by the Dark Lord. Yet, only skin remained of him as it were. But I still felt his life, hanging in the balance. He was suffering worse than he had ever before at HEUS's hands in this state.

'...There is nothing I can do for him.'

[ELA-RE] "A shame. Truly... he was the one who told me how to navigate down the abyss."

I had no choice but to leave him here like this.

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We dove off the ship, casting ourselves into the water. We began to swim down. Below the water of the Diyu layer, we saw headstones floating amongst the undercurrents. Countless of them. The bubbles rose from down under. The lower we went, the bigger the bubbles were that sizzled, and they carried with them an ominous green hue. Fleshy bits continued to rise as well. Eventually, we could see a light directly below, beneath mountainous piles of the headstones that were so high, stacked upon whatever seafloor there was in Diyu's bottom.

[SHENNU] "These waters are vile and impure. But that light... could it be the next level of Makai? Should we go there?"

'We're here to find KILLALL. We don't know which depth of the Afterseas he is on... we should look and search every level, but... I sense danger creeping closer the longer we remain. What do you think?'

[SHENNU] "We should look, but not tarry. So, we won't be able to look over everything..."

[Death Timer begins ticking...]
[Moves left until the Timer runs out: 13]

>Investigate the bubbles.
>Search amongst the headstones for new ways.
>Where is all this flesh coming from? Time to look...
>Light... the next level?

>>6055438
>Where is all this flesh coming from? Time to look...
considering that killall uses flesh to tinker as well, let's look at those and then skidaddle to the next level

>>6055450
I agree with this, where there's free-floating flesh, there's bound to be somebody mutilating it.

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My curiosity was piqued by the flesh that flowed throughout the currents. I knew that one thing KILLALL enjoyed to meddle in was flesh, as an art. I'd seen it myself. I thought perhaps that would lead me one step closer to him, so I went that way with Shennu, until we found a ravine in the depth of Diyu, one clogged with flesh. It was a pit of bodies and flesh. Perhaps a dumping ground for corpses of some of those who came to the Afterseas.

...However, I was wrong. We found no trace of KILLALL. We only found danger!

[SHENNU] "Sister!"

'Ah!'

All around us, hundreds of Necrotowers! I'd only heard of them thus far from the Psyops reports. Walking generators of Death and curses. I heard these are what the Psyops attempted to prevent from destroying the Siran Region... So these are the things that gave HEUS enough influence on the surface to murder Surasira!

[SHENNU] "There's so many of them!"

'They've been mass producing them... marching them up towards the Hellhole!'

[SHENNU] "They're attacking! Same deal as the World of Mythology!?"

'Of course!'

These things were naturally stronger in the afterlife.

The Necrotowers groaned, preparing to fire curses!

~~~~

[! WARNING !]

[BATTLE COMMENCING]

[...]

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8tJcbLfXpo

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We have fallen into the middle of a legion of Necrotowers...

[YOUR TURN]

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.

Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 3 - 1d27
Your Critical Ceiling: Rank 3 - 1d27
Enemy Rolling Ceiling: Rank 1 - 1d7
Enemy Critical Ceiling: Rank 1 - 1d7

INVENTORY: https://pastebin.com/wEy8RHiU

<What will you do?>
>SKILLS (Choose attack mode: Single / AOE) (AOE mode cannot be used on skills that hit multiple times.)
• Attack (Default light physical)
• Kaleidoscope (Severe damage skill, physical + inflicts Despair) (70 MP)
• Antumbra (Heavy damage skill) (39 MP)
• Elephant's Foot (Heavy damage skill, physical + inflicts Cancer) (45 MP)
• Negentropy (Severe damage skill, inflict stun) (60 MP)
• Puncture An Idea (Light damage skill, inflicts Existential) (30 MP)
• Divine Chateau (Raises party ceiling by three ranks) (30 MP)
• Eden (Raises critical ceiling fully) (30 MP)
• Live Not Die (Lifts Death Knell affliction) (9MP)
>TRUTHS
• Muna's First Truth. (Pacifies foes, or skips their turns)
• Muna's Second Truth. (Temporary Invulnerability for 4 turns)
• Muna's Third Truth. (Fully raises ceilings, prevents debuffing for 4 turns)
>GUARD
>ITEMS

>Shennu's Move.
• Attack (Default light physical)
• Oneiromancy (Inflicts Sleep + Seal) (30 MP)
• Drown (Heavy damage skill, Inflicts Bind) (46 MP)
• River of Life (Heavy damage skill, physical, Large Party-wide HP Restore) (50 MP)
• Negentropy (Severe damage skill, inflict stun) (60 MP)
• Milk Of Kindness (Party wide status effect cure) (24 MP)
• Rustic Method (Party wide Large HP restore) (38 MP)
• Resurrection (Revive with full HP) (30 MP)
>TRUTHS
• Shennu's Truth. (Creates the Primordial Sea, boosting water attacks massively for 3 turns)
>GUARD
>ITEMS

>>6055479
>Muna:
>Negentropy (Severe damage skill, inflict stun)(60 MP)

>Shennu:
>Oneiromancy (Inflicts Sleep + Seal) (30 MP)

We need to get this thing stunlocked before it starts dropping debuffs.

>>6055479
Muna:
>Item: Viewfinder (Reveal Enemy Resistances)

Shennu:
>Oneiromancy (Inflicts Sleep + Seal) (30 MP)
since we don't have a light skill equipped, let's go with the viewfinder

>>6055492
I'll switch to this, it's likely that Negentropy would be a nothingburger for them.

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[Item: Viewfinder] - I scouted the weakness of the Necrotowers...

[Oneiromancy] - "I'll try this..." Shennu said, weaving Dreamtime in her hands. She set it forth, but the Necrotowers didn't shift! That which is dead did not dream... (Status blocked!)

[ENEMY TURN]

[One Million Curses] - The chorus of the thousands that made the hundreds sang curses at us... (Ceilings lowered!) (Death Knell!) (Cancer inflicted!)

[YOUR TURN]

A cancer eats away at our bodies...

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.

Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 1 - 1d7
Your Critical Ceiling: Rank 1 - 1d7
Enemy Rolling Ceiling: Rank 1 - 1d7
Enemy Critical Ceiling: Rank 1 - 1d7

INVENTORY: https://pastebin.com/wEy8RHiU

<What will you do?>
>SKILLS (Choose attack mode: Single / AOE) (AOE mode cannot be used on skills that hit multiple times.)
• Attack (Default light physical)
• Kaleidoscope (Severe damage skill, physical + inflicts Despair) (70 MP)
• Antumbra (Heavy damage skill) (39 MP)
• Elephant's Foot (Heavy damage skill, physical + inflicts Cancer) (45 MP)
• Negentropy (Severe damage skill, inflict stun) (60 MP)
• Puncture An Idea (Light damage skill, inflicts Existential) (30 MP)
• Divine Chateau (Raises party ceiling by three ranks) (30 MP)
• Eden (Raises critical ceiling fully) (30 MP)
• Live Not Die (Lifts Death Knell affliction) (9MP)
>TRUTHS
• Muna's First Truth. (Pacifies foes, or skips their turns)
• Muna's Second Truth. (Temporary Invulnerability for 4 turns)
• Muna's Third Truth. (Fully raises ceilings, prevents debuffing for 4 turns)
>GUARD
>ITEMS
>ESCAPE

>Shennu's Move.
• Attack (Default light physical)
• Oneiromancy (Inflicts Sleep + Seal) (30 MP)
• Drown (Heavy damage skill, Inflicts Bind) (46 MP)
• River of Life (Heavy damage skill, physical, Large Party-wide HP Restore) (50 MP)
• Negentropy (Severe damage skill, inflict stun) (60 MP)
• Milk Of Kindness (Party wide status effect cure) (24 MP)
• Rustic Method (Party wide Large HP restore) (38 MP)
• Resurrection (Revive with full HP) (30 MP)
>TRUTHS
• Shennu's Truth. (Creates the Primordial Sea, boosting water attacks massively for 3 turns)
>GUARD
>ITEMS

>>6055506
Muna:
>Kaleidoscope (Severe damage skill, physical + inflicts Despair) (70 MP)

Shennu:
>Milk Of Kindness (Party wide status effect cure) (24 MP)
so not even the seal had an effect ? shit

>>6055506
Muna
> Live Not Die (Lifts Death Knell affliction) (9MP) on Shennu
Shennu
>Rustic Method (Party wide Large HP restore) (38 MP)
>>6055539
Hold on anon, milk of kindness won't work if a death knell is activated, it stops life arts.

>>6055545
Forgot about that, backing yours then

>>6055545
This is less aggressive than I'd prefer, but we do need to get our health back up so I'll back it.

>>6055556
Mostly because of shennu

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[Live Not Die] - I lifted the Death Knell that ailed my sister...

[Rustic Method] - She healed us both with a quick Life Art.

[ENEMY TURN]

[One Million Curses] - ...But the dead continued to cry, and the Death Knell sung again! (Death Knell!)

Cancer ate away at our bodies again regardless in the presence of curses...

[YOUR TURN]

[SHENNU] "We should just annihilate these things and be on our way..."

Shennu was opting to leave and ignore these things, and continue our primary goal.

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.

Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 1 - 1d7
Your Critical Ceiling: Rank 1 - 1d7
Enemy Rolling Ceiling: Rank 1 - 1d7
Enemy Critical Ceiling: Rank 1 - 1d7

INVENTORY: https://pastebin.com/wEy8RHiU

<What will you do?>
>SKILLS (Choose attack mode: Single / AOE) (AOE mode cannot be used on skills that hit multiple times.)
• Attack (Default light physical)
• Kaleidoscope (Severe damage skill, physical + inflicts Despair) (70 MP)
• Antumbra (Heavy damage skill) (39 MP)
• Elephant's Foot (Heavy damage skill, physical + inflicts Cancer) (45 MP)
• Negentropy (Severe damage skill, inflict stun) (60 MP)
• Puncture An Idea (Light damage skill, inflicts Existential) (30 MP)
• Divine Chateau (Raises party ceiling by three ranks) (30 MP)
• Eden (Raises critical ceiling fully) (30 MP)
• Live Not Die (Lifts Death Knell affliction) (9MP)
>TRUTHS
• Muna's First Truth. (Pacifies foes, or skips their turns)
• Muna's Second Truth. (Temporary Invulnerability for 4 turns)
• Muna's Third Truth. (Fully raises ceilings, prevents debuffing for 4 turns)
>GUARD
>ITEMS
>ESCAPE

>Shennu's Move.
• Attack (Default light physical)
• Oneiromancy (Inflicts Sleep + Seal) (30 MP)
• Drown (Heavy damage skill, Inflicts Bind) (46 MP)
• River of Life (Heavy damage skill, physical, Large Party-wide HP Restore) (50 MP)
• Negentropy (Severe damage skill, inflict stun) (60 MP)
• Milk Of Kindness (Party wide status effect cure) (24 MP)
• Rustic Method (Party wide Large HP restore) (38 MP)
• Resurrection (Revive with full HP) (30 MP)
>TRUTHS
• Shennu's Truth. (Creates the Primordial Sea, boosting water attacks massively for 3 turns)
>GUARD
>ITEMS

>>6055582
Muna
> Kaleidoscope (Severe damage skill, physical + inflicts Despair) (70 MP)

Shennu
>Drown (Heavy damage skill, Inflicts Bind) (46 MP)

>>6055701
+1. If they die in the Aftersea, they die forever. It's our sacred duty to end the undead's suffering.

>>6055811
a shame that the viewfinder and the oneiromancy ended being useless and a lost turn

>>6055842
They weren't useless, now we know that Dark is useless against Necrotowers and that the undead don't need to sleep.

>>6055872
>They weren't useless, now we know that Dark is useless against Necrotowers and that the undead don't need to sleep.
the 1st one was already a given, but we tried to see if they had some weakness.

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[Kaleidoscope] - I blasted the legion of Necrotowers all at once with my rays of knowledge. All around me, I saw them vaporized by the Psychic attack, many vanishing in an instant until none were left.

Cancer ate away at our bodies briefly.

[ENEMY TURN]

(The enemy is annihilated! Status effects and Death Knell fade away with the caster defeated!)

We won the battle.

(Gained 100 Pleroma Points from clearing optional encounter.)
(Looted items: 1x Box of Pains, 15x Premium Foods, 1x Piece of Life Itself, 6x Gnostic Mass, 3x Rearranged Magic Mirror)

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With the last of the Necrotowers falling, me and Shennu breathed a sigh of relief. Destroying these undead abominations in the Afterseas ensured the evil spirits animating them could not return. We purified the flesh pit of their presence, though the area itself remained horrible.

The stitched and sewn bodies of flesh melted together collapsed to add onto the pile of flesh that already stood on Diyu's seafloor. I saw giant worms exiting the husks and burrowing down into the flesh. Abhorrently, the flesh "ground" seemed to writhe and rise up before deflating down slowly. I heard the moans of undead spirits escape the flesh as it absorbed the bloody waters of the Afterseas.

'Ugh...'

[SHENNU] "Interesting... it's like the presence of Death and the Spiritua seems to move the Afterseas itself. No different than the land on Hainei itself shifts to keep the waters at bay, like it were alive."

'Can you purify these waters?'

[SHENNU] "Not while HEUS lives. His corruption is felt in every drop."

'What were all those things being ushered here for?'

[SHENNU] "Most likely to send back to the fronts."

'Back?'

[SHENNU] "These Necrotowers are built by mortals in the living world. The worms that animate them control the undead spirits in the flesh armor, which is also brought back to life. Being as the Killer Worms themselves are grown and alive to begin with, when a Necrotower is destroyed, they all get sent back to the Afterseas, along with the dead flesh."

'So the spirits of the Killer Worms allow them to simply repair whatever falls back down here, and send it right back up...'

[SHENNU] "It's an efficient means of ensuring the numbers never dwindle. I imagine it's difficult to grow more living worms on the surface, not in the midst of the Final War. It's better to simply reuse their spirits. But by destroying them all here, we just dealt them a blow and cost them precious resources."

'Hmph. Fine by me.'

There was nothing else to see here. We should move on...

[Confrontation took up time...]
[Death Timer begins ticking...]
[Moves left until the Timer runs out: 9]

>Investigate the bubbles.
>Search amongst the headstones for new ways.
>To the next level.

>>6056093
>To the next level.
we lost too much time to try anything else here

>>6056093
>Investigate the bubbles.
We need to be thorough. If we overlook something important here we'll have no way of knowing until it's too late.

>>6056110
+1
If there is nothing else then we fuck right off to the next level

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The bubbles that flowed throughout Diyu's waters intrigued me. The green hue, and even the smell. How a bubble could carry a stench it exuded, it puzzled me to no end. And even worse, it was giving me a reminder of something putrid I'd already seen. I just wondered... if they perhaps might lead me to *that figure*.

So I decided to go look and see.

When I swam over that way, I saw the source of the bubbles. A glowing pit of the Rotgut, settled at the seafloor of Diyu. The belching pond of it inflated with more and more of the bubbles every second. I wasn't going to dare approach the pool. It was surrounded by fleshy basalt and rocky skin that bled and boiled the closer it was in proximity to the rot. I immediately recognized it was actually trailing up from somewhere below... in the Makai depth. We had to go there, instead of delay further swimming around Diyu.

[SHENNU] "W-Wait... look at it."

'Hm?'

I saw the pool of Rotgut, like a sea within this sea, begin to spurt up, bubbling faster... It suddenly fired up, like a jet! No, a geyser of Rotgut! We were caught within it!

(Affected by environmental hazard!)
(Effect: Start next battle with Toxicity and Cancer Statuses!)

'UGH!'

I almost vomited the moment this stuff entered my nose. I threw both hands to the side, clearing it away from us with a psychic wave.

'Let's ge... urgh! Get out of here!'

[SHENNU] "...A... Agreed." She said, with tears in her eyes.

We left.

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We swam towards the light we saw at the bottom of Diyu and entered the chasm awaiting below. our bodies were thrown through a flux in the Afterlife. We fell through a whirlpool leading further down the Abyss...

We emerged, slow in a descent to a new body of water. It was black, and slimy, like oil. But opaque. We could see the zone through it. We saw lights all around in a dark expanse. There were burning lights of the green hue, and ghostly ones of purple. Red lights of fire burned in the distance. I could see... cities of stone across the cliffs and treacherous jutting rocks of the zone, and temples standing high like towers. There was no "roof", or "ceiling" above. I couldn't make out what was above, so I only left it to assumption that swimming up would eventually somehow deposit us back into Diyu's waters.

This level, this depth was Makai, the second depth of the Afterseas. It was like a ghostly underworld, rather than a bloody ocean.

We both landed on some floor. It was black like obsidian, or glass. Some kind of road. We saw a lantern with a pale light burning it it hanging on a post beside us, and there were more dotting the roadside. Hanging? In this oily water of the zone? Unnatural physics, or lack thereof.

[SHENNU] "I never dreamed I would ever go this deep into the Afterseas, let alone into it to begin with..."

This depth was full of howling voices as well, but also, cheering ones... and of the massive temples and towers in this place, there were three that stood higher than any other. They each had a pillar of light rising from the top that matched the colors of the zones. Green, purple, and red.

I looked over to my left and saw two ghostly figures murmuring towards us. One of them laughed, and covered their mouth...

[Death Timer begins ticking...]
[Moves left until the Timer runs out: 8]

>Investigate the necropolises and ziggurats of Makai.
>Investigate the Green Temple.
>Investigate the Purple Temple.
>Investigate the Red Temple.
>Talk to the two ghosts.
>Follow the roads of Makai.

>>6056152
>Investigate the necropolises and ziggurats of Makai.
Let's start there

>>6056210
Seconding

The black stone fortresses of the Makai layer were of immediate scrutiny as we swam overhead. Roughly arranged like city blocks, these building lots dotted Makai. Buildings with spikes, spears and needles pointing up. They were flying numerous red banners splotched with black accents, of various designs. Figures moved about their halls freely.

[SHENNU] "There are barriers over these cities."

'Indeed. But why? What kind of barriers?'

A touch would suffice to tell, so I reached out, and then pulled back in shock with a gasp. Shennu looked to me, blinking.

'Lifeforce?!'

[SHENNU] "Ah?! Lifeforce barriers? In the realm of the dead...?"

But why? Why erect barriers of Lifeforce in the Afterseas? These barriers were made, purpose designed to keep away the Death natural to the Afterseas. In fact, I saw Aquamarine deposits growing in places around Makai's floor. Not near these necropolises, they just wouldn't even appear close to the barriers.

Then it hit me.

'These barriers were made so Makai's cities could support life. Mortal life! These places are holding Mortals!'

[SHENNU] "Mortals...? Ah.... The Damned."

We looked from afar closer at the figures inhabiting the dark fortresses and keeps of Makai. People in robes both red and black. These were the cult centers of the Khanate... In other words, since Makai held the mortals of the Damned, then this must BE the Khanate itself. This was their main base of operations, in all the Milky Way Universe.

HEUS was allowing his Damned into the Afterseas, supporting their growth. They worked to expand the ziggurats using slaves, at all times. They practiced their foul magic in here, worshiped HEUS and his lords, cultivated Demons to create the Daemasses they moved with, and trained and housed their armies. Makai was the depth that housed the Khanate and its armies. Then, if that was so, the leadership must be a depth lower, or two...

[SHENNU] "Perhaps we should do something..."

'What? You mean to attack them?'

[SHENNU] "If we lowered the barriers of Lifeforce, we could destroy most of the Khanate here."

'True, but there are many barriers, and possibly many more strongholds spread out, even though this sprawling mass below us may seem like the main concentration... Plus, they would just become spirits here anyway, they're already in the realm of the dead. We wouldn't really change their numbers.'

[SHENNU] "But if we destroyed their Lifeforce barriers and then generated a large enough Death Knell using the Death native to the Afterseas... I could even use my power over water to bring enough Aquamarine closer."

A daring idea... but danger was always coming close. Such a thing would make us a glaring target.

[Death Timer begins ticking...]
[Moves left until the Timer runs out: 7]

>Agree with Shennu and begin a mass termination of the Khanate.
>Investigate the Green Temple.
>Investigate the Purple Temple.
>Investigate the Red Temple.
>Talk to the two ghosts seen earlier.
>Follow the roads of Makai.

>>6056276
>Agree with Shennu and begin a mass termination of the Khanate.
With any luck, Usultu himself will come to check it out.

>>6056280
>+1
You know, fuck it. Let’s do this.

>>6056276
>Talk to the two ghosts seen earlier.
You fools! There's an exposition right there, begging us to take it!

There are only two of us, and I don't feel confident challenging the God of Weapons with only 7 turns.

>>6056341
I'll back this instead because I'm curious.

>>6056276
>Talk to the two ghosts seen earlier.
well, anons have a point. this could lead to something good.

File: 651.png (690 KB, 2500x1298)

690 KB PNG

Hmm... Those two ghosts from earlier. Maybe it would be prudent to see what they have to say.

'Let's hold off on this idea for now. I wanna question some locals first.'

[SHENNU] "Lead the way."

We left our place above looking down at the necropolises and swam off back down in the waters, towards the lantern strewn roads we saw before. I went off towards the two ghosts that were murmuring at us, and when we got close, me and Shennu saw that one of the ghosts was a Revenant, a misty kind of wisp known to be among the corrupted spirits. The other was a shade, a denizen of the Afterseas that had not yet undergone corruption. The Revenant snickered, whilst the Shade whimpered.

[SHADE] "Uuuuhhhaaaa... G-Goddess, O' Goddess! Bad! Bad place to be in! U-UURGH!"

[REVENANT] "Hehehehe... surely food, food to be sure! When soon rent by the claws! Hee hee hee... for wandering in the lair of the the great dark beast!"

'I'm not worried about that.'

[REVENANT] "Huhoh... but soon you shall be, when you see him near..."

[SHADE] "Bad things... b-bad! B-Buh... uhuuuu! Bad thiiiings!" The shade said, shaking his head.

'...Hmm. What can you tell me about this place?'

[REVENANT] "What's there to know? This is Makai, this is the place where the naughty gather. The mustering field of the beast's minions... where worshipers worship, his soldiers tally their loot, and his spirits gnaw viciously at the water... geheehee..."

[SHADE] "Th-This used to be a nice neighborhood... such a nice place... such a nice... nice...."

[REVENANT] "Hah! Not anymore!"

The Shade was brought to tears, as the Revenant bit at its own fingers while giggling.

[SHENNU] "Spirit, what are these great temples for?" Shennu asked, gesturing towards their illumined faces.

[SHADE] "T-Temples...? T... Terrible places... where they make sacrifice and bow down..."

[REVENANT] "To the beast's avatars, worshiping the monster in its mangled faces... Hehehehe..." The Revenant gestured off to the Green, Purple and Red temples one by one respectively, adding; "The Temple of the Inebriated, where the rot festers at Tenbhur's feet. The Temple of the Feeling, where the sodomites mingle flesh for the Groper's pleasure. And the Temple of Rage, where Yasomagatsuhi screams in anger eternal! But.... there is also another, a forth temple in black you cannot see, hidden amongst the shadow of Makai."

'A black temple?'

[REVENANT] "The Temple of Whispers, home of the Whisperer. Lady HEUS, femme fatale! Hahahah! The female aspect of the Dark One! The shadow of the Dark Lord!"

'And where can I find the Khagan Lords?'

[SHADE] "Y-You don't wanna do that..." He said, shaking his head again.

[REVENANT] "Depends... the next three layers are zones controlled by the Khagans. They are their strongholds, fortresses of despair. Jigoku, the fiery swath patrolled by the undead Ela. Gehenna, the stream of souls wrested from the subjugated Demons, ruled over by Ganiel, the First Necromancer. And then there is the great black dungeon of Dis, the undercroft of pain, the workshop of KILLALL..."

'He's all the way down in Dis...'

[SHENNU] "That's so many layers below..."

[REVENANT] "Did you seek him? Hah-h-ha..."

Even the Revenant seemed perturbed by the idea of going near KILLALL

So... roughly speaking, I know the layout of the Afterseas now, besides the last three depths of Tehom, Cocytus and Ur. Makai was inhabited by the avatars of the Dark One and some of his highest servants, it was where the Khanate was hosted. Jigoku was a depth overseen by Ela's dead body, where they stoked hellfire and dark flames. Gehenna was the magical sector, where Ganiel weaved all the dark magics and Necromancy of the Khanate. Dis was the home of KILLALL, who I sought. If I wanted to get to him now, I would have to go straight there, no turning back...

But there was so much else that could be done whilst we remained here... Shennu felt the same way as I did. Dealing as much damage to the Dark Lord's rule was paramount to our time here.

[ELA-RE] "Eh... Excuse me?!"

...?

[ELA-RE] "My BODY is close by!"

...

I looked to Shennu, she nodded. We couldn't remain here idly much longer. We needed to move.

[SHADE] "H-h-hoooo... H-Hey, I... I k-know a way to he-help travel through the Afterseas."

[REVENANT] "O... Oi! You... you've got some nerve. These silly girls are our enemies..."

[SHADE] "B-But they might m-maybe make the bad things go away... make it all go away.... uoohhhhh... I... I can help you come back! You don't n-need to dive down from Diyu every time....

[Death Timer begins ticking...]
[Moves left until the Timer runs out: 6]

>Dive to Dis now. (2 ticks)
>Terminate the Khanate. (3 ticks)
>Devote some time to eliminating Tenbhur. (1 tick)
>Devote some time to eliminating the Whisper. (2 ticks)
>Devote some time to eliminating the Groper. (2 ticks)
>Devote some time to eliminating Yasomagatsuhi-no-Kami. (3 ticks)
>Go for Ela's body. (3 ticks)
>Hear the Shade out on making the Afterseas more accessible. (4 ticks)

>>6056674
>Hear the Shade out on making the Afterseas more accessible. (4 ticks)
As much as I want to nuke the Groper, if the Shade fills us in on more efficiently diving into the Afterseas, we'll have a massively easier time doing everything else in the future.

>>6056674
>Hear the Shade out on making the Afterseas more accessible. (4 ticks)
we don't have much for a fight unless we can nuke ela's cadaver and while I wanted to terminate the khanate here, the checkpoint wins.

If there really was a way to be able to come back to a certain depth of the Afterseas without having to dive through the Hellhole every time, then that was what I placed importance upon right now. I apologize to you, Ela-Re, your body will have to wait a little longer.

[ELA-RE] "Guoh! Hrrr.... fine..."

I turned to the Shade, who shrunk under my gaze.

'Fear not, I won't hurt you.' I said, raising my hands. 'If you can really help me, I'd love to hear how.'

[SHADE] "H-Huuuh-h-hooo.... I'm so going to get extinguished for this..."

He whimper again, shaking his head back and forth. Like he was trying to psyche himself up to spill it for me.

[SHADE] "Ah... Ah! O-Okay! Listen! In-in-in Gehenna, th-the Necromancers! They have... they have the Terminal."

'What's the "Terminal" exactly?'

[SHADE] "It... it's a Daemass. The biggest Daemass of them all! The first one ever made... It... it's special, made up of... of... uhn... hoooo.... I can't remember..."

[REVENANT] "The ten thousand Demons of the New Beginning."

[SHADE] "Y-yeah! Th-th-at... They slaughtered most of the Demons that used to live in the Afterseas... y... you know, before HEU-... HE took over over. Used their bodies to make the Daemass..."

[SHENNU] "What is a "Daemass" exactly and how does it work?"

The Revenant raised his pale finger.

[REVENANT] "Oh, that's easy. Daemasses constitute a network of flaming gates that allow any to pass through any two points with ease, using the Demons themselves as the conduit... Hehehehe... Demons are impure and impurity can find more impurity, naturally. It happens all the time in the Scourge Fronts, in Yongesia. The Damned spill the blood of weaklings, and their bodies are put in a burning kiln to produce Demons enslaved to this purpose as a bridge."

[SHADE] "B-But those ones are... those are the lesser ones. This one, the Terminal... it's the real one."

[REVENANT] "Death produces impurity. The demise of Demons is no different. The original Demons that lived here, they are a bridge to walk all over now. A flaming gateway. The ten thousand bodies are used by the Necromancers to travel in and out of the Afterseas."

[SHADE] "Th-They use the... bodies to get back. It burns until it burns out..."

[REVENANT] "Yes... this however means it isn't unlimited. The Necromancers are very possessive over the bodies of the Terminal. Who knows how many of the ten thousand still remain today?"

It's grotesque. It's a very morbid thing. I nodded, understanding the general idea here.

'So, all I have to do is snatch a few of these corpses for myself and I can burn them to make a temporary gate back to the Gehenna depth?'

They both nodded.

[REVENANT] "Good luck pulling it off though.... Hehehehe, chances are that old Ganiel will catch you and then he'll make you SQUEAL! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Hmph...

This might be risky, but I suppose it's exactly what I need. A way to infiltrate the Afterseas at any time. I looked to Shennu, and she readily agreed with me that this was crucial. As much as I want to terminate the Khanate or destroy these Avatars, I needed a way back in easily. They'd eventually begin devising countermeasures for me diving in through Diyu every time, if I can pull off something big here now...

We left immediately, searching for our ways down. We began diving further, and disembarked from Makai. We kept diving until we passed through the molten hell of Jigoku, finally coming to the umbral plane of Gehenna.

I searched the realm for where the Necromancers kept this Terminal at. I made my move...

>Roll 1d100.
>Best of three.

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>6056755
Let's give these Demons the chance to redeem themselves through service to our righteous cause!

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>6056755
nat 100 incoming

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>6056755
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH

File: 652.png (876 KB, 2500x1298)

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In Gehenna, the depth of the Afterseas was vague and perturbed. It was like a starry sky. The outer reaches of the dark water was full of twinkling bright dots, but I knew these were souls. The streams of souls flowing through Gehenna were like aurora in its heights. The place was dotted with spires that rose from the pit. Though they looked like peaks of mountains shaped like spears, they were all in fact, massive staircases.

The spirals of winding and wrapping staircases leading down below were affixed with many rooms that hung off the side without threat of collapse. Most rooms didn't have walls, or only partial walls from the stones built up, or looked over the heights through windows. The Necromancers inhabited the rooms and chambers found all around these spirals.

In the biggest spiral, in the center of Gehenna, I found that the rooms were giant. This was where the Necromancer cult made its home. Its school... And somewhere further down, I found the locked away chamber where the Terminal was housed. It was floating on its own among the souls, reachable only by a long flight of stairs split off from its spiral. I found my way inside with Shennu, and we saw the burning chamber. It was a great bonfire full of the thousands of burning Demons left. Their corpses made a pile just past the corridor we saw ahead.

...

But, we didn't dare advance another step further. We saw someone there, waiting for us.

[???] "..."

'...'

[SHENNU] "..."

[???] "The cavernous depths leave nothing to imagination to the Khagan that rules its infernal demesne. In such reckless abandon to descend."

'That's none of your business.'

[???] "Verily well, but I might say, I understand why. Danger, and avoidance. But you've found more."

'If you will stand in my path, I will have no choice but to fight.'

[???] "You'll forgive that I'm merely... stingy over my possessions. So in the manner of resolving t-.... Wait."

The husky voice cut off. I saw the wrinkly hand clench as the man ahead of me looked up from under his hood. He stared, an exasperated expression changing to surprise and even grief.

[???] "...You... have his scent. The magic upon your skin I can still smell, in its residue form."

I raised my eyebrow.

'What are you talking about?'

[???] "You've been around him. You've even touched him. Eskart. I know the scent of that magic well..."

'...And what if I have? What is it to you? You can detect magic like that?'

The figure let his head fall again. Faintly, I still made out his face, and the grin now etched upon it as he chortled lowly.

[???] "Yes, quite. Ahahaha... And here he was, always claiming he was boring."

'...?'

I blinked...
Wait... He's implying...?

'...I-It's not like that.' I said, looking off to the side, blushing a little.

[???] "Are you certain? Getting him to return the hug... only arm wrestling Bedolfir would be harder. Hahahaha!"

He shook his head and his grin faded after a minute.

[???] "Just go. I'll let you go. It's a generous offer. So take it and just walk away this one time. The daemonic flesh of the Terminal cannot be thieved. But I will let you walk free."

[???] "Accept my offer... There is no alternative here beyond a struggle. Just accept my offer."

>Nod slowly and step back.
>Shake your head.
>Try to talk him down.

>>6056807
>Try to talk him down
>"You... You're Eskart's apprentice, Ganiel. The First Necromancer. I know you've walked the path of bones and won't be swayed from it, but can you at least tell me why? In your own words. Why did you do it? Eskart loved you. You were like a brother to him- one of the greatest magicians to ever live! Why? Why turn your back on the light and desecrate the circle of life?"

>>6056814
+1, get him to spew his backstory

>>6056814
>Shake your head.
If we want his backstory, we can always ask Eskart later. Now's not the time.

>>6056826
We can get Ganiel's backstory from Eskart any time, but how often are we going to get the chance to hear it from the First Necromancer himself? I want to hear what his reasoning was. Clearly, he has some regrets. Perhaps he isn't yet beyond Redemption... in final Death.

File: Talk no Jutsu.jpg (42 KB, 338x338)

42 KB JPG

>>6056814
>+1

File: Type Demigod.png (97 KB, 1000x486)

97 KB PNG

'You... You're Eskart's apprentice, Ganiel. The First Necromancer.'

[GANIEL] "..."

'I know you've walked the path of bones and won't be swayed from it, but ca-'

My face was pelted with a vent of bluish fire. I recoiled back, gasping as I brushed it away from my face quickly, before it burnt.

[GANIEL] "I told you, there is no alternative here beyond a struggle. If you will not leave, then I will harm you. It is my commandment."

'...'

Me and sister both assumed a defensive posture as the ghostly fog of his power rose around...

~~~~

[! WARNING !]

[BATTLE COMMENCING]

[...]

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXpWo9C3XUA

File: 653.png (1.02 MB, 2500x1298)

1.02 MB PNG

[ENEMY TURN]

[Eudaimonia Magicka] - Ganiel erected a field of gematric magical cycles, enhancing the power of his spells greatly in their area...

[Cursed Flame] - He breathed into his hand, billowing ghostly flames at me!

[Cursed Flame] - And again!

[YOUR TURN]

(Cancer and Toxicity from withstanding the Rot pool of Diyu begins to take effect!)

...Escaping is always an option for us.

-------------------------------------
TRUTHS READY.

Your Rolling Ceiling: Rank 3 - 1d27
Your Critical Ceiling: Rank 3 - 1d27
Enemy Rolling Ceiling: Rank 3 - 1d27
Enemy Critical Ceiling: Rank 3 - 1d27

INVENTORY/SKILLS: https://pastebin.com/raw/wEy8RHiU

<What will you do?>

>>6057218
>Flee
It was worth a shot. Necromancy is dangerous and we're at less than a fourth of our health at half of a party. Let's get out of here.

>>6057218
>Flee
I'd love to 0hp him at least once, but alas our health is in the gutter and we have status effect to deal with

'...I'll come back for you.'

[Escape] - I turned back with Shennu, and we fled the sight of our foe...

[ESCAPED THE BATTLE]

(Status effects subside as the party flees.)

~~~~

I ran with Shennu, we both went down the flights of Gehenna's stairs as fast as we could, descending Ganiel's spire in the depth. I... I should have done whatever I could to move him out of the way and obtain my goal but... I couldn't face him. It's just... it was so eerie. This feeling.

He didn't want to fight.

[ELA-RE] "Cowardice. A god flees not from terror! What are you doing!? You should have struck the Necromancer down where he stood, he was weaker than you. Far weaker."

[MAJORDOMO] "I have to agree. That was our battle to win. If anything, we could have just popped a little Truth and then made him give up!"

...It's not my fight.

[ELA-RE] "What's this now?"

I shouldn't be the one facing him. I just... I know this, deep down. That fight... that's Eskart's fight. I can't bring his friend back, or try to. Only he can...

[JOCO] "Yeah, guys, lay off Muna's back. That guy looked pretty bad, but he doesn't have any bad vibes. It's like he wanted to surrender back there, you could see how his face twitched when he attacked."

[ELA-RE] "This is embarrassing... Had you only gone for my body and restored me, I would have been there to do what needed to be done about the First Necromancer.... This stains your career as a deity."

I shook my head. I just kept fleeing with Shennu. We fled past any and all Necromancers and creatures we saw along the way. We just bolted straight down Gehenna to leave the depth and find the next one.

[Death Timer begins ticking...]
[Moves left until the Timer runs out: 1]
[Death Timer stopped...]

File: 654.png (1.3 MB, 2500x1298)

1.3 MB PNG

...

Eventually, our descent down into Gehenna found us taking the spiraling stairs to dark flights that soon faded into hallways. We marched through complete darkness leading in a straight line, encased by claustrophobic walls and a ceiling. We could hear the rushing of water just outside these hollow walls, trembling upon it.

I reach out and grab a doorknob, twist and pull.

We both step inside. Our feet clamor atop a wet, red substance that the floor was slick with. We saw it staining the walls, but the stains were faded. The buzzing of a light fixture ahead was all I heard. There was no longer any sound of water. It was just a dark, quiet hall space.

'...Could this be Dis?'

[SHENNU] "It would seem like it."

'But why is it... it feels more like we're inside a hospital.'

[SHENNU] "I don't know. Perhaps this realm is shaped by KILLALL to his fashions and tastes."

I don't like it. Not even a bit.

I moved forward, passing some doors on each side. I jingled the handles, and most of them were locked. I looked down the hall ahead, and there were more halls leading off on both sides. But thinking with brevity, a psychic wave to run along every surface around would help, so I touched my temple and released one. I felt it fire off, trailing along millions of surfaces. Hundreds of rooms, big and small, all over the place. There were "outside" spaces in Dis as well. Somewhere in the middle of this realm, there was something towering. It would take forever to explore every bit of Dis... I needed to be quick and selective.

[SHENNU] "Where do we go from here?"

>A room I felt with many tools.
>A chamber with a pounding motion.
>A domicile shaped like a library.
>A room where things were arranged in rows.
>A chamber where I felt hanging chains sway.
>A dark crypt with something moving in it...
>A massive chamber sealed with tight hatches.
>A room filled with piles of small objects.
>A room vaguely shaped like a prison block.
>The outside area.
>The massive thing in the heart of Dis.

>>6057273
>A chamber with a pounding motion.

>>6057273
>A room vaguely shaped like a prison block.
They might be holding someone here.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>6057284
>>6057286

>>6057338
nice