Valvatorez (
arcadianvampire) wrote in
daybreakacademy2020-12-09 01:37 pm
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Episode Two! The Liberation of Hades!
The ill omens and warnings brought to Daybreak Academy in the form of a swarm of Prinnies and a single member of the Abaddon Group unfortunately prove very true the moment that Daybreak forces arrive in the Outland of Hades. Upon their arrival, fighting has already broken out all over the realm between two forces: the loyalist daemons serving and protecting Death King Hugo, and those that are rising up against him. Hades has all but fallen into a full fledged civil war.
The rebel faction is disorganized and loose, but putting up a fierce fight. However, the news of the arrival of Daybreak's forces, headed by both the former Tyrant Valvatorez and Emizel, son of the Death King himself, brings a great morale boost to the Resistance. While there is a lot of initial mistrust about inviting Humans into Hades to solve an internal dispute, shows of strength, power, and badassery will generally go a long way to winning over members of the Resistance. So you know, get on that.
Hades itself is quite a dark place, where a gloomy but unmistakably Halloween-gothic aesthetic is present everywhere. It turns out, Valvatorez's own office is something of a love letter to his old home, though perhaps somehow even more extra. Regardless, Hades is a fairly dangerous place, packed with humanoid daemons and monsters of all sorts. Their strength and power all vary wildly, from weak, pathetic goons to formidable foes that will prove a challenge. Hades is a wildly diverse place, and generally speaking anyone can probably find a foe meeting their strength, regardless of class or race.
Among the Resistance, you can find a scrappy mix of almost anything under the sun there. Lower level creatures like Prinnies, Zombies (who are sentient, fully conversational, and often sassy), Spirits, Orcs, and Mothmen are among the most common of Resistance monsters, but other higher level ones like Dragons show up too. Almost every humanoid class appear too (save for Celestial Hosts, Androids, and Battle Suits) within the Resistance, with Warriors, Valkyries, Skulls, Mages, and Thieves (watch your pockets) being the most common, while Mage Knights, Professors, Masked Heroes, and Heavy Knights tending to be rarer. However, there are very few Reapers and Bouncers among the Resistance; most of them have remained part of the Loyalist forces.
Reapers and Bouncers make up many of the officer and leadership positions of the Loyalist forces, along with some curious looking automatons. Some of these even appear to be ordering Reapers around in the name of Hugo, but they do not track as Daemonic, but they do seem to be powered by some kind of innately evil force. They are affected by Radiance, which badly disrupts their ability to move, fight, and generally cause trouble, despite their seemingly non-daemonic readings. Despite this, make no mistake, any of these Androids will prove to be a significant danger for anyone engaging them. Short of Death King Hugo himself, they are the most formidable foes in Hades right now.
Which leads us to the mission: March on the seat of Death King Hugo's power: the Blight House, a proud, stately structure like a palace, and where the rulers of Hades have resided since its founding. The Blight House is well guarded by high level daemons, monsters, and even a few Androids. Getting there will be a challenge. Getting in will be even harder. And within awaits Tyrant Valvatorez's old rival, Death King Hugo himself. Though he may look somewhat aged, he will prove to be an incredibly formidable opponent, packing immense physical strength, powerful magic, and a scythe capable of severing souls from mortal bodies. Humans should avoid the stroke of his scythe at all costs; even if he chooses not to rend your soul from your body, he does have a tendency to leech magical energy from his targets. That said, like all daemons he will prove susceptible to Radiance, but a daemon of his caliber will still take quite a bit of punishment from it.
Hugo will not prove interested in talking for long. If you want answers... you better be prepared to beat them out of him.
[OoC: Threads will be under one of two categories. The first is general battle and throwdown with enemies within Hades if y'all just want good battle threads. Feel free to use whatever classes of monsters and humanoids you want as enemies or allies short of Celestial Hosts (angels), and Battle Suits (humans in power armor, unless you want them to be Daybreak troops? That'd probably be fine.) Other than that, I'm not the boss of you. Remember that this is Disgaea, and it tends to be silly, over the top, and often goofy. Don't be afraid to make NPCs weirdo goobers if you want. Give enemies ridiculously named and themed attacks, or weird character gimmicks or tics. Have fun. And as always, if you need NPCs threaded for you, leave a request in your thread title and we'll NPC some goons for you.
The Hugo Fight will be done via standard round robin threading. Go nuts. Hit him hard. Show off.
There will be also an ending thread setting up part two of the conflict, appearing tentatively on the 13th of December. Though that'll be a wrap-up plot point for this stage, fight tags will continue after that time.]
The rebel faction is disorganized and loose, but putting up a fierce fight. However, the news of the arrival of Daybreak's forces, headed by both the former Tyrant Valvatorez and Emizel, son of the Death King himself, brings a great morale boost to the Resistance. While there is a lot of initial mistrust about inviting Humans into Hades to solve an internal dispute, shows of strength, power, and badassery will generally go a long way to winning over members of the Resistance. So you know, get on that.
Hades itself is quite a dark place, where a gloomy but unmistakably Halloween-gothic aesthetic is present everywhere. It turns out, Valvatorez's own office is something of a love letter to his old home, though perhaps somehow even more extra. Regardless, Hades is a fairly dangerous place, packed with humanoid daemons and monsters of all sorts. Their strength and power all vary wildly, from weak, pathetic goons to formidable foes that will prove a challenge. Hades is a wildly diverse place, and generally speaking anyone can probably find a foe meeting their strength, regardless of class or race.
Among the Resistance, you can find a scrappy mix of almost anything under the sun there. Lower level creatures like Prinnies, Zombies (who are sentient, fully conversational, and often sassy), Spirits, Orcs, and Mothmen are among the most common of Resistance monsters, but other higher level ones like Dragons show up too. Almost every humanoid class appear too (save for Celestial Hosts, Androids, and Battle Suits) within the Resistance, with Warriors, Valkyries, Skulls, Mages, and Thieves (watch your pockets) being the most common, while Mage Knights, Professors, Masked Heroes, and Heavy Knights tending to be rarer. However, there are very few Reapers and Bouncers among the Resistance; most of them have remained part of the Loyalist forces.
Reapers and Bouncers make up many of the officer and leadership positions of the Loyalist forces, along with some curious looking automatons. Some of these even appear to be ordering Reapers around in the name of Hugo, but they do not track as Daemonic, but they do seem to be powered by some kind of innately evil force. They are affected by Radiance, which badly disrupts their ability to move, fight, and generally cause trouble, despite their seemingly non-daemonic readings. Despite this, make no mistake, any of these Androids will prove to be a significant danger for anyone engaging them. Short of Death King Hugo himself, they are the most formidable foes in Hades right now.
Which leads us to the mission: March on the seat of Death King Hugo's power: the Blight House, a proud, stately structure like a palace, and where the rulers of Hades have resided since its founding. The Blight House is well guarded by high level daemons, monsters, and even a few Androids. Getting there will be a challenge. Getting in will be even harder. And within awaits Tyrant Valvatorez's old rival, Death King Hugo himself. Though he may look somewhat aged, he will prove to be an incredibly formidable opponent, packing immense physical strength, powerful magic, and a scythe capable of severing souls from mortal bodies. Humans should avoid the stroke of his scythe at all costs; even if he chooses not to rend your soul from your body, he does have a tendency to leech magical energy from his targets. That said, like all daemons he will prove susceptible to Radiance, but a daemon of his caliber will still take quite a bit of punishment from it.
Hugo will not prove interested in talking for long. If you want answers... you better be prepared to beat them out of him.
[OoC: Threads will be under one of two categories. The first is general battle and throwdown with enemies within Hades if y'all just want good battle threads. Feel free to use whatever classes of monsters and humanoids you want as enemies or allies short of Celestial Hosts (angels), and Battle Suits (humans in power armor, unless you want them to be Daybreak troops? That'd probably be fine.) Other than that, I'm not the boss of you. Remember that this is Disgaea, and it tends to be silly, over the top, and often goofy. Don't be afraid to make NPCs weirdo goobers if you want. Give enemies ridiculously named and themed attacks, or weird character gimmicks or tics. Have fun. And as always, if you need NPCs threaded for you, leave a request in your thread title and we'll NPC some goons for you.
The Hugo Fight will be done via standard round robin threading. Go nuts. Hit him hard. Show off.
There will be also an ending thread setting up part two of the conflict, appearing tentatively on the 13th of December. Though that'll be a wrap-up plot point for this stage, fight tags will continue after that time.]
Mook Battle Threads!
gimme some doods because you know how this is gonna go down
X marks the spot, after all.]
no subject
Get her! She must be Contracted to the Traitor!
[A burly, particularly vicious looking Baciel took aim at Desi and fired a massive purple energy blast in her direction, as a trio of angry Spirits flung magic her way too, with a Warrior and a Samurai bearing down on her with an Axe and Sword.
Fortunately, Desidera wasn't alone out here in the field. Gunvolt threw up his Flashfield around them, Radiance dissipating the daemonic energy blast. By now Gunvolt had enough control to make sure he didn't hurt her with the bubble himself, and he drops the barrier the moment the energy fades.]
You're really popular around here. Looks like we're gonna be busy.
[With that he draws his lightning sword and parries an incoming strike from the Samurai.]
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[The assumption that she's Contracted to Valvatorez is not something she'll bother with addressing or correcting, as the idea that he's mentoring anyone at all without their being bound to him by either of the two expected means would probably convince these daemons to try even harder to bring her down. Neither she nor Gunvolt need things to be made any more difficult.
With the ranged attacks blocked and the Samurai soon to be preoccupied by Gunvolt, the immediate threat as far as she was concerned was the Warrior. His axe soon was soon yanked from his hands as it bit into a shadowy mass that thrust itself up between him and Desidera as he tried to strike, where it then wrapped itself around the weapon and forcibly disarmed him.
He barely had a moment to express any sort of surprise at this when Desi took advantage of the opening, closing in and giving him one hell of a punch, sending him flying back several feet, bowling over the Spirits in the process as they were floating too close to the ground.
Taking the axe for herself, she then started looking toward the Baciel, to see what he would try to do next.]
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[He said, casually parrying the samurai's blade a second time, though the daemon maiden's strength put him on the back foot. His one handed grip left him at an energy disadvantage, but a more dirty fighting style helped out. After all, he still held a gun in his other hand.
A quick snapshot or two at point blank tagged the samurai and her blade with darts, which he followed up with several quick shocks of lightning. He avoided dumping too much voltage into the daemon, but it was definitely enough to cause her to scream, drop her weapon, and fall to the ground muscles twitching and convulsing. The groan of pain escaping her lips revealed she still lived, at the very least.
Meanwhile, the poor belted Warrior pushed himself back up amidst a pile of cursing, angry Spirits, all busy squabbling over whose fault all of this mess was, and they quickly dissolved into squabbling among themselves.
The Baciel, however, gained a glint of interest at Desidera's dispatch of the Warrior and hefting the axe. A toothy, threatening smile crossed its lips. Between her feat and Gunvolt's near effortless dispatch of the Samurai it looked like he had a real fight on his hands.
Finally.
The Baciel flexed its free arm proudly, daring her to get close, all the while its arm cannon charged up a vicious purple. Instead of a single laser this time, he started firing rapidly at both of them like a machine gun.]
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However, that was what the Baciel wanted, and with her in the air like that, there should be no way that she can get out of the way when he points his arm cannon up at her and lets loose.
However, that was what she expected, having recognized the dare for what it was. The Desi that takes the brunt of this attack isn't actually Desi at all, but one of her shadow constructs; a decoy that bursts into apparent nothingness when it is struck. The real Desi uses this opportunity to slip behind him, and once she's in position she baseball swings the flat of the axe-head directly into the back of the Baciel's head, looking to put him down without causing any truly severe (or worse) injuries.
If it's not enough to knock him unconscious, it'll probably still hurt like a bitch.]
no subject
Urgh... you're pretty good.
[He doesn't seem like he's getting up. But that doesn't mean the end of the battle.]
Incoming from above!
[Gunvolt's warning rings out as the shadow of a flying dragon overhead passes by, followed by a stream of terrible flame from the creature's mouth at Desidera. Mounted on its back is a Beastmaster, armed with a bow, who takes potshots at Gunvolt in the distance, while it circles around. Worse, a trio of Mothmen dive in, spraying the area with poisonous pollen, and a Gunner, a Heavy Knight, and a Ninja drop down from the backs of the Moths.
Gunvolt effortlessly dodged the arrows, sidestepping each shot as they came as though they were coming at him in slow motion, without even using his Prevasion. Throwing up his flashfield protected him from the pollen as well, as it all simply incinerated on contact. Seeing the lightning surrounding him, the Heavy Knight and Ninja instead turn their attention to Desidera, while the Gunner tried to draw a bead on Gunvolt.
The Candle read the Gunner's actions like an open book, rolling out of the way of the incoming shot and returning fire with his Dart Leader. Though the shots were practically laughed off by the daemon, the lightning that arced to him immediately afterward sure wasn't.
The Heavy Knight lunged toward Desidera with a large pike, and the Ninja vanished to her flank to try to land a blow with his fist. Meanwhile, the dragon circled around in the sky with the Mothmen... it wouldn't be long before they made another pass.]
no subject
Rather than darting to either side like they might expect, though, she goes up, her shadow becoming a spring and launching her with such velocity that the dragon soon finds itself with an additional, unexpected rider. It having to try to adjust itself mid-flight throws its rider briefly off-balance, but not enough that she would fall off.]
Hi.
[At that moment, the Beastmaster could probably assume that she's going to be brought down like the Baciel was, but instead of anything of the sort happening, Desi just snatches the bow away instead, saying:] I'm going to have to tell you to stop. [As if punctuating that statement, she tightens her grip on the bow, the increased pressure on it causing it to start splintering before it just breaks in half, held together now only by its string.
Hopefully it was just some cheapo from RosenQueen.]no subject
Uh... hi there. [And then the bow, meant to withstand the strength of the pull of a daemon's arm, began to splinter and crack in her hand. Fear shuddered throughout her body in that moment, especially after laying eyes on that X symbol she wore.] ...Y'know what, I think I'm okay with that. Hey, uh, Alistair, I think we should probably go home and think about our life choices.
[The dragon, which by this point was profusely sweating somehow, through his thick scaly hide. It quickly nodded.]
Yeah, yeah, I've been meaning to catch up on Lords and Ladies on Webflix anyway! Please don't hurt us, scary girl.
[The dragon quickly changed course and headed away from the main battlefield, where Gunvolt was still tangling with threats down below.
The mothmen were already down by the time Desidera had dealt with the Beastmaster and Dragon. Pretty easy, given Gunvolt's powers made for an excellent bug zapper, and shooting aerial targets was easy for a practiced marksman like him. Of course, that left him dealing with the by now recovered Heavy Knight and Ninja. The Heavy Knight's relative lack of mobility wasn't an issue for Gunvolt, as he was easily able to keep out of pike range, but the Ninja continually pressed attacks against him relentlessly, attempting to dart in and out of Gunvolt's Flashfield when he had the chance.
Of course, that was because Gunvolt was essentially fighting with a hand behind his back, trying to be gentle the whole time. Tired of taking risks and potentially wasting energy, Gunvolt flipped a setting on his Dart Leader, and took two shots at the Heavy Knight, though the Ninja dodged away, thinking the shots were meant for him. GV's aim, true as ever, struck the Knight and surprisingly, the tags bounced away from him, and into the Ninja's blind spot: his back.
With both targets marked, Gunvolt unleashed his lightning, and frying both into neutralization much like the samurai before them.
For the moment, things were quiet, but there were more coming, for sure.]
no subject
[With that, while Alistair changes his course to leave, Desi rolls backward and off into a freefall, taking control of the shadows being created by Gunvolt's actions to give herself a temporary net. She can take hard impacts fairly well, but doesn't want to take the risk of a botched landing.
Once she's on the ground, she releases those shadows and moves over to Gunvolt's position.]
The dragon and his rider won't be giving us any more trouble.
[She knew that things wouldn't stay quiet very long. When would it be safe for them to try to catch up with the others?]
you know what, toss some NPCs my way
She's not alone, at the very least, as a particularly spectacular display of her abilities earned her a mini-party consisting of a Valkyrie, a Mage, a Healer, and a Thief.
She hummed thoughtfully as she walked along, rapier in hand. She turned back to her group with a confident grin.]
Well, stay alert, everyone!
[It's the Valkyrie who answers, nodding with a determined fist pump.]
Right!
Done, along with another party member
Leon had fallen in with Lia for this leg of the adventure, carrying a veritable armory on him consisting of a magically enhanced handgun, a shotgun, and some sort of prototype rifle-styled railgun issued to him by the school. It might look familiar, if Lia poked around the Anvil in the past, or took up a request to stress test an invention of a friend of hers...
Either way, Leon peered through a pair of binoculars into the distance, but quickly drew them back. He hefted the rifle again, heavy as it was, and took the safety off, resulting in the rifle emitting a high-pitched electric whine as it charged up.]
More of 'em headed our way. Let's give 'em Hell.
[The thief grinned, a catlike readiness to get on the prowl, drawing her handgun and giving an exaggerated wink.]
They won't get past us, meow! Try not to die, Pitchkart!
[The Mage wrinkled her nose at the Thief, clearly offended at the very suggestion. She still readied her staff and made ready for battle.]
Maybe don't get distracted by stealing every shiny thing you see before you tell me how to handle battle, Calico!
Can the in-fighting you two!
[Leon's warning came with the loud snapping rapport of his railgun firing off into the group of daemons heading their way. Mostly a pack of Orcs with maces, though there were some bigger foes in there, including a Warrior with a massive axe, a Blue Skull ready to throw ice magic their way, a Samurai with a spear, and a speedy Kunoichi that was moving to flank the group and cause disruption. One of the orcs was picked off by Leon's shot, causing them to tumble over and shout an expletive in Orcish.
The Healer in their team frowned.]
That was really quite a rude thing he had to say about your mother, Leon.
no subject
Lia, meanwhile, summons one of her usual guns to her hand and fires a few shots at the Kunoichi--it's clear she's not so much aiming to actually hit the Kunoichi as opposed to attempting to divert her path.]
Boss Battle: Death King Hugo
[Once the party breaches the gates and kicks down the door to the Blight House, they'll find resistance inside to be all but absent. It seems the majority of the forces were meant to keep people out. And while the battle outside still rages intensely, the walls inside the Blight House are eerily quiet. The doors inside are mostly closed, but there appears to be open doors leading into the main hall, where a tall, imposing figure in a snappish suit awaits, arms folded over his chest.]
...You've finally come. Though I did expect you sooner. Faculty and students of Daybreak Academy. My old rival, Valvatorez. ...And even you as well, Emizel? ...I see. So you've made your choice, then.
Welcome to the Blight House. Unfortunately, I cannot extend you much in the way of hospitality. For the well-being of Hades and its people, I will put an end to this rebellion.
[He extends a hand to the side, a foreboding, cruel magical scythe warping into it. He shows no sign of backing down, but if you want to get in a word edgewise before the inevitable occurs... now is the time.]
no subject
[Kokoro stands tense, not attacking yet, just watching to see what he's doing first.]
Those who believe their way the only way always do.
no subject
Is it really for everyone's well-being...? Everyone's so unhappy...
no subject
[Valvatorez flipped open his cape and drew his sword, in response to Hugo's taking up of his scythe.]
I was referring to my son. I did not expect to see you return, Emizel. Much less at Professor Valvatorez's side.
[Perhaps that much was a lie, and even Hugo knew it. But there was something of a theater to it. Whether it was for himself, those that opposed him, or someone else was harder to ascertain.
Yet, through all the theater, there was an odd melancholy to Hugo's serious, commanding voice. It was buried somewhat, but even for all of his imposing presence, his eyes did not belie the iciness one might expect from the King of Reapers and a powerful daemon.]
That you have gotten this far without your Tyrant powers, Valvatorez... that is no small feat. You are clearly not as weak as many believed you to be.
...But you all understand how things are done here in Hades. If you truly do not believe Hades is on the right path, you must prove that your conviction is stronger than my own.
Do not hold back, and show me the pride and nobility you all have. En garde!
[A dark, powerful feeling crept into the room, the floor itself shaking in response to it. A black, chilly, miasma engulfed Hugo, and when it cleared, it revealed his battle form, like the Reapers they had fought outside.
Hugo did not hesitate. He rushed the group with a broad strike of his scythe, swinging broadly to disperse the team, and then following up with explosive Fire magic at anyone foolish enough to still be grouped up.]
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[Emizel saw the attack. It was going to hit all of them, including him. ...They had to run, now. It might be too late already but they had to try. Anyone caught in that was done for.]
[...Or perhaps, they would have. Perhaps Hugo was truly holding back, maybe due to his own son being there; but somehow that had less firepower than expected, a longer wind up than usual. There was enough room to escape, albeit barely. A bit singed.]
[The fact he would attack him at all, it's...no...something really isn't right.]
[He took a deep breath.] Father, at least listen to them! Hades won't last for much longer like this!
no subject
You must know the truth of their words, whether or not you care for it!
no subject
A blast that big isn't something he can absorb, but he can draw off some of its power, at least, redirect it back. Fire gathers around him, and he lets fly a fireball of his own. ]
Denouement - Answers, Looming Threats, and a Pathway to the Final Episode!
He was breathing heavily, gazing at the crew with intense eyes much like his rival's when faced with a serious threat. Hugo had perhaps been finding enjoyment in the battle, but... something was off.
Valvatorez threw out his hand to the side, his cape flicking with it.]
Be careful, everyone! This was only his first form! He has at least two more to go!
[Hugo fixed his gaze on his old rival, standing before him... lesser than centuries ago, and yet... somehow greater. A greater daemon than he remembered, even if his power paled. He then looked over to his son, the blonde haired daemon standing proudly with a gaze that showed a conviction, and yet conflict, he had never seen in the boy. He knew his son hated this, but here he was: facing the truth, standing on his own two feet. Maybe "pride" wasn't what was in Emizel's heart in that moment, but the sense of duty was clearly there... duty, and loyalty to Hades' principles. Hugo cracked the faintest smile when looking at his son, before slowly standing at a neutral position, pain and aches pulsing in so many of his muscles.
His eyes scanned across all the individuals gathered here. Students and faculty of Daybreak. So strong. So proud. Noble. Is this what Valvatorez saw worth protecting in the Human World all this time? The paragons of a world so many in Hades didn't truly understand...?]
...I'm afraid not, Valvatorez. This... this was everything I had. My power... is all but spent. In this, you have all bested me. I hereby yield to you.
[The vampire's eyes widened in shock, in disbelief. And then his face folded into anger.]
Impossible! There is no way my old rival has fallen this far!
Are you so sure, Valvatorez? Are you so sure that you have not grown in strength, united with your comrades as you are? Was that not the power you were curious to understand when you walked alone? Though I am weakened by forces beyond my control... the strength you all carry as one is far greater than even you seem to understand.
[Emizel tilted his head, looking at Hugo in astonishment and confusion.]
Father... you said something weakening you beyond your control? What... what could that even be?! What happened to you? What happened to Hades?!
[Then, Emizel's eye caught something curious, hiding in the back of the chamber. One of the androids they had seen outside. Though this one was a little different in appearance: armor jet black, with soft red highlights, made difficult to see amongst the furnishings of the great hall. The young daemon didn't hesitate, calling out There and blasting the machine with an eruptive, high level Wind spell which tore at it and flung it out into the open, it landing with a crash, splaying it on the ground and disabling it in one go.]
...When these monstrosities arrived, it was already too late. Hades had been subtly drained of its magic power over centuries. The trickle was slow... very slow. And by the time we noticed, these androids were able to impose the will of their master on our Outland. Much to my shame, I was unable to stop them... and my cooperation was required, lest they start exterminating the citizens of Hades outright. Though that... was more recent. So while those failures are fresh and forced, I cannot turn away from my failure to notice such decline for so long.
[And the quiet part unspoken would be... how would Hades defend itself if its most powerful daemon failed to? There was no answer that was good. Valvatorez's expression unfurled to something resembling neutrality.]
...That's why you sent Emizel to the Academy, isn't it?
Part of it. Though the deal we made stood as its own bargain as well. That much was not a lie, and never was. ...And seeing the kind of daemon my son is growing into... I feel like you have very much kept your end of it. But there's more pressing matters to ...
[With that, the lens on the android's head flickered blue, and lit up brightly. An intense, ethereal looking hologram appeared above the corpse of the android, a blue-tinted figure in a suit came into view.]
Oh yes, you have way bigger problems to worry about now, Hugo. Even if the androids are gone, I'm still gonna keep draining Hades until I bleed it dry. Fitting, considering you couldn't even protect your own world, and lost to a ragtag bunch of idiots led by a has-been of the highest order.
That's right, I see you there, Valvatorez. And yes, I know exactly who you are. But I doubt very much you remember me. But I've waited a long time for this. Really, couldn't be more perfect. Exactly the daemon I wanted to see.
And who are you supposed to be? I would have the name of the one who would dare do such a brazenly foolish thing, so I may punish them properly.
Oh, I see you still know how to talk big, even if you're what, a foot shorter than you used to be? Barking like a small dog. It's quite a riot. But I'm feeling magnanimous, so I'll tell you my name. Nemo. But that's Judge Nemo to you, Valvatorez. Given you couldn't even protect one person with all that power you used to have, you're not worthy of any titles or formalities. Hell, I shouldn't bother using your name for letting her die like you did.
[Valvatorez blinked at the accusation. Though several in Daybreak knew his story, it had only been recently that he had really spoken of it actively. And everyone at Daybreak would've kept their mouths shut. ...How on earth could...?
But then suddenly, his name clicked: Nemo. No one.
No one controls Hades.
...Hugo had been trying to warn them all along.]
Enough of your blather! What's your game?
My, my. Impatient as ever. You should calm down. It's not good for your blood pressure.
Anyway, my game is the annihilation of the human race. No big, y'know, just the usual. And I've got just the weapon to do it, especially considering those Heralds seem to be piss poor at actually making Nightfall happen. The name "Fear the Great" ever ring a bell to you? Well, it should. But if it doesn't, I'm sure you can figure it out.
Hades has been a big help in being a power source. But it wasn't enough. So I started fueling it with souls too. Also helpful seeing as how there's so many Reapers in Hades. Oh, and... yeah, I have this, too. Look familiar?
[The hologram shifted over to the vision of a sword floating in the air, surrounded and held in place by several magical warding rings, which seemed to be pulling darkness and power from the blade itself.]
Pretty sure that was yours, Valvatorez. Yoshitsuna, right? The sword you refused to use to bring punishment upon humankind for her death. The one that abandoned you for being unworthy. Or so you thought, I'm sure. It too's been very helpful in charging Fear the Great... and it won't be long before the weapon's fully charged. Weeks, maybe.
So you rats better find out about it... and if you want to stop me, you know where I'll be. That is, if Utultar doesn't kill you all first. But I'm sure you'll be too stubborn to die to that vermin. So we'll make it a race: find me before Fear the Great goes off, and maybe you all will get to survive.
Doubt it though! Later!
[The transmission cut out there, leaving Valvatorez standing, fists clenched, dark magic curling from his body in a simmering fury.]
no subject
That sort loves to play games. We know what we have to do.
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[Lia lets her weapons vanish, then cracks her knuckles.]
Once Utultar's dealt with, this guy's next. I can't wait to wipe the floor with that jerk!
[The glowing petals around her flicker.]
And I don't know about you guys, but I'm sick of this game nonsense.
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[Although, it definitely seemed Valvatorez had some sort of history with him. He glanced over.] You met him before? Where did he get that sword from?
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That's the spirit, you two. He will not get away with this. We'll put an end to all of this, and see Hades restored and humanity saved. No matter the cost.
[The black mana around him slowly died down, his tempestuous anger burning out little by little. He looked over to Emizel, when the question was asked, and back to Hugo, who seemed to be sharing a similar quizzical gaze.]
I am quite curious of this myself, Valvatorez. That you were not carrying Yoshitsuna in our battle just now made me wonder if you were holding back even further. And how is it that Nemo is so familiar with you? And what sort of failure was he talking about?
...I am not entirely sure who he is. His face isn't familiar to me, and he did not give us his name. [He paused, glancing back to his students.] What he gave us was an alias. "Nemo" is a pronoun in Latin, not a name. It simply means... "No One."
But he gave me enough for an idea. A couple of them. He knew that Yoshitsuna was once my sword. Or perhaps, more properly, it chose me as its wielder, much like how Caliburn chose King Arthur when it was drawn from the stone. Yoshitsuna has similar qualities. It will not allow itself to be wielded by those it deems unworthy. For daemons, it's a weapon of similar fame as Excalibur, Durandal, and the like. Few humans know of the blade's origins or existence, though it is documented in obscure, heavily guarded sources. But I do not believe that is how he knows of it.
No... he knows exactly why I lost my powers as a Tyrant. He knew it was because... I failed to protect someone I promised to protect, until I showed her the meaning of fear. And I had promised until I had, I would not drink a human's blood. She was murdered in a moment I let my guard down. And from then on, because I had not fulfilled my end of the promise, I refused to partake in human blood ever again. It's a promise I kept for over 400 years, and it cost me everything at the time. My power, my pride. Even Yoshitsuna, which I did not attempt to call to my side for quite some time, and when I did... it never came.
...He said you refused to use it to punish humanity for her death. Tell me, why did a Tyrant refuse to bring his wrath upon humankind? The daemon I knew back then did not give humans much more thought than as targets of terror, and occasionally food. Retribution would've come naturally to you.
[The daemon was quiet for a moment, closing his eyes in reflection.]
...It was her last wish that no one would have to die because of her.
That's the kind of person she was. A healer. A woman of boundless compassion for others, one who waded into a war zone to treat injured soldiers regardless of affiliation or nationality. Someone who gave everything in the service of others. She would go without food to make sure her patients had medicine. And through it all, she knew no fear. Even knowing that she might die, she stood up to a Tyrant to save a wounded man she did not know, and offered her blood in his place without so much as blinking.
She gazed upon the King of Fear. And made him blink.
...Do you understand, old friend?
["Friend," in daemon terms, could be a complicated thing. Hugo and Valvatorez were once archrivals, enemies... but at the same time, that carried with it a sense of understanding few daemons had. And very rarely, would the truth of that be spoken aloud.
Hugo, himself, gave him a solemn nod.]
...I do. And it sounds to me like Nemo is very familiar with what happened. He said he was waiting for a long time. Four hundred years... would be that, to a human. But how would he even be alive this far removed from that era?
I do not know. But in the end, it does not matter. Nemo will be stopped, whoever he is be damned. At the end of the day, for the sake of all of us, that's all that matters.
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[She nods seriously.]
You have my condolences for what's happened to your land. We will deal with everything in the way of saving the world, this man included.
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[She crosses her arms over her chest.]
Whatever he is or has become doesn't matter, though. We'll strike him down, for the sake of Hades and for the sake of the of the world at large.
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[ THIS NEMO GUY IS A BIG MEANIE POO POO HEAD ]
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I have no right to ask for your aid after my failures as an Overlord. However... I cannot begin to thank you all enough for thinking of and fighting for Hades and all of our people.
Though my strength is spent, I will offer you whatever I can to help stop Judge Nemo. It is the very least I can do to start owning what happened here.
...You've some fine pupils, my friend. Such courage and heart in all of them.
[The vampire chuckled, and closed his eyes.]
I cannot claim much credit for that. They became that way on their own. At most I give them a little push, but they're the ones that do the work that make them who they are.
...And I am proud of each and every one of them. Your son, too.