2.2 Infernal Leadership
- Location
- Earth
210 EXP spent
106 left
[] Get to know your team and start training
[] Actually, perhaps your base commander would not mind some company?
[] Hang out with Lucifer
[] Actually, perhaps your base commander would not mind some company?
[] Hang out with Lucifer
First of all, you have a round of introductions; too many names for you to remember all at once, but it feels like the right thing to do. Paoras is met with a certain amount of both curiousity and amusement, at least until she takes one of the other soldiers down with a single fist to his stomach. She quickly establishes herself as the second most powerful member of this group, after you.
Training is both interesting and boring for the most part. You finally finish that long-term project you were working on, allowing to deny anyone from catching your attacks at last.
The boring part is the drills you run. Well, have to run. As a matter of fact, Hell's basic combat strategies are not particularly well developed. Which makes sense, you guess, considering that the best bet those average soldiers have against Angels is to bury them in bodies to stop them from getting off the ground once caught, and to hope they die before their harmful presence can burn all the soldiers.
There is also some strategies about mounting flight-capable Demons like Hell Beasts, but nobody ever thought about installing seatbelts... or a saddle, at least none that would fit such a creature. Doing that is dangerous at best, though a prime opportunity for soldiers to be equipped with harpoons, which is the other interesting strategy your subordinates told you about.
There is one more basic strategy that developed among the legions, mainly for combat against other groundbound forces like Nightmare nests or the occasional scuffle with the Elvin Empire; two Demons form up into a team, then separate tasks. First one of them stands in front to hold against the opponent while the other activates Blood Lust, the common soldier's offensive boost. Then they switch positions for the other teammate to do the same.
That one was what interested you most about basic combat tactics. After a few test runs of it however, you began to wonder.
You only have a few dozen men and women under your command. Only having half of them for almost half a minute does not sound promising. On the other hand, with Paoras to guard and you leading, any opponent would likely receive a nasty surprise.
So you create a variation of that strategy; instead of forming into teams of two, everyone will boost themselves for battle immediately while Paoras and you hold back whoever or whatever stands in your way. The Dark Stars will make a fine addition in that regard because they can add additional power and defenses.
That gives you a solid foundation, though it bothers you a little to give up the initiative like that. As your last battles showed, the first strike can quite often be the last.
Initiative however, you understand with a certain amount of amusement, is what a German girl can do best. You have two Hell Beasts, which is three less than you feel would make it work out perfectly, but two should at least help. So you begin to prepare, even if it is boring.
For fast strikes, your team will form into four lines of five to charge forward, as well as a denser spearhead in front led by you and Paoras. The Dark Stars will stay in the front with you, and Hell Beasts with riders fly above. You actually have them decide by themselves who will take that position, and offer suggestions for how to make the ride safer.
The Hell Beasts will be reinforcing assaults, attacking enemy positions with their fire breath right before your ground force slams into them.
It will take some work to coordinate and a lot of practice, especially staying in orderly lines and knowing one's positions, but now you have an offensive and a defensive strategy. The practicing of those, however, is boring.
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"It's weird," you admit later that day. Elisabeth nods understandingly and takes a sip from her tea; yours is still a little hot for your liking, so she is the only one currently drinking.
When you decided to see about spending some time with the woman in charge, you did not expect it to turn into an impromptu tea party. Then again, it is not something you mind particularly much; she is quite good at making it appear as if she was not the boss of you, even though you both know the gap remains insurmountable. You are grateful to her for at least giving you the illusion of it being otherwise.
"I can understand that quite well. Taking up the mantle of leadership for the first time is a most unusual feeling, especially at your age." The Demon offers you a soft smile, though you feel it is a little too patronizing for your liking. "I was about fifty years older than you are now when I first took over a squadron."
You nod and test your tea again, finding it cool enough to at least sip from now. "That's a little weird, isn't it? Are all the minor commanders at least that old?" It does make you wonder, seeing that Elisabeth is quite powerful; she has to be as the bastion commander.
The woman herself merely huffs in amusement and shakes her head. "Not at all. You see, I used to serve directly under my brother's command. He is much more powerful than I am, so I only got such a position of my own when we separated, though I was always his second."
Your eyebrows rose as she spoke, which Elisabeth definitely noticed. She still lets you ask, though: "You're a natural Demon, right?" She nods. "How do you have a brother?"
"Ah." Your question prompts the older woman to lean back and empty her cup before answering. "It is not a common occurence, but certainly not rare. You being from a mortal race however, I understand why you would not know." Your eye twitches, but she apparently does not notice; her smile remains as she explains: "If you intertwine two promises, where breaking one will inadvertendly lead to the other being broken, the result will be what we call siblings."
You nod and take another sip while she refills her tea from the kettle; Elisabeth has her head turned away, expression as unreadable as usual. "An example of such would be two men at the top of different states, good friends, having promised each other to always stand together, with a peace treaty being built on top of that very promise. So when I was born from betrayal, my brother soon followed from the minor war it created."
It sounds sad every time you hear about how those people were born, but Elisabeth does not appear bothered at all; this is normal for her. Though that fond smile she has confuses you a little, at least until she continues talking on her own: "Despite me being the older one, Argus eclipses my power easily. He was born with two Affinities instead of one, and managed to unlock a third just in the last century where I barely had my second."
You consider interrupting her, but she seems happy to talk about her brother. So you let her, careful not to appear too amused about how soft her voice got by this point. Though it also impresses you quite a bit. "He is a General by now, leading half a billion Demons as frontline commander; you will find few finer warriors in the field aside from the thirty five Dukes, and they rarely even leave Hell."
She halts and falls quiet, cheeks tinting the slightest bit of red. Seeing you grin only strengthens the colouration, so you pick up where she left off: "He sounds like one hell of a guy. You two seem to get along pretty well." Which, admittedly, you did not expect in infernal society.
Elisabeth shrugs weakly. "I am proud I can call him my brother is all."
You consider to tease her about it; the temptation is strong. However, Elisabeth treats you with more respect than she would have to, even if it might be for her own ends. Then again, you have your own angle in this as well; it may just be about getting home safely, but still.
Instead, you switch to another topic of interest: "I didn't hear much about Hell's hierarchy so far. What about those Dukes?"
The change of topic is noted and accepted with a nod; Elisabeth's skin returns to its normal pale colour and she begins quietly: "The Dukes and Duchesses of Hell are basically the most powerful beings you can expect to encounter if you ever go there. I know how you are and I understand, but... if you ever so much as encounter a single one, bite off your tongue before you even consider insulting them."
Her warning makes you blink in surprise, the intensity of it not lost on you. Elisabeth is leaning forward, her face set into what may be a stern expression. "Every single one of them is so incredibly powerful that they could sweep through the Keep and everyone in it on their own, including you and Lucifer."
She waits for you to nod and leans back. "I am... sorry for being so intense about this matter, but I really do not want to lose you on the off-chance you mouth off to one of them. As rarely as they leave Hell proper, the news of you may draw attention from some of them." She shakes her head and continues, distracting you from your own thoughts about her admission: "A Duke or Duchess stands in rank right above the Generals and below the Lords of Darkness."
The question you were meaning to ask is pre-empted when she shakes her head: "Do not even try to imagine the kind of power one must have to be up there, and it only gets higher. After them come the Satans, many of which are true gods instead of normal Demons."
The Satans. There is probably supposed to be some gravitas there, but you can only feel a mixture of exasperation and resignation. Of course that is how the big shots in Hell are called, though you are pretty sure those Lords of Darkness are not the same as the Dark Lord you heard about in the news. That one must be newer then. You nod again. "Am I likely to meet either of them?"
She shakes her head at that. "I doubt it. The Lords of Darkness keep close eyes on the Dukes and the Satans rarely care for individuals. They stand at a point in Hell where petty insults bother them no longer and all that stand in their way are simply crushed. When the Satans leave Hell, you can be sure that even Archangels will flee wherever they go."
Excepting Gabriel, you quietly add. She is probably not as well known in this time, and you are not willing to risk anything by sharing this. Knowing the heights to which this particular Angel will rise, someone might decide to tear her down while it is still possible.
Yet, if there is anyone who you immediately believe could challenge such powerful beings, that is her. The Grand Archangel.
"And, of course, Hell's core." Elisabeth pulls you out of your ruminations, thoughtful instead of warning now. "The Lucifer-Tesseract is what our home spawned from and the supreme god of the entire endless domain. A deity that cares for little except to uphold the coherence of Hell and to annihilate any true threat to it."
"Lucifer...Tesseract?" You really have to stop being surprised by this. Elisabeth shrugs, probably relating the question to a certain Angel's name.
"That is how it is called, yes. I can not tell you if there is any connection to Lucifer."
You sigh and drop the matter. At least you learned a lot.
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Your teatime with Elisabeth took a lot more out of the day than you expected. This does mean you end up falling asleep quite content from the pleasant conversation.
The next day is filled with training, though Lu does take some time to talk to you about your new team; your thoughts and ideas are met with interest and suggestions, both of which you appreciate.
Toward the afternoon however, Lu apparently decided to take a little trip with you; a trip which is done by air, which means she basically holds on to you and flies around. It is not the most pleasant experience, though you keep your mouth shut about it; Lu appears quite happy, and it gives you a bit more insight into angelic wings.
Thanks to your augmented sight, you can see quite clearly the small bursts of force every single feather produces; they do not appear strong by themselves, but there are many of them. This is why Angels do not have to flap their wings aside from maneuvering. Lu does not seem intent on doing any stunts, though; her arm turned wing is tightly wrapped around your waist to ensure your safety.
You are floating atop the parted mountain range, looking down at the various vegetations and creatures far in the distance; there is so much different magic in your field of view that you decide to practice adjusting the filter of your new sense, as it makes actually seeing anything in the sea of colours quite difficult.
"Has anyone told you why this place has been named as it was yet?" The question comes unexpected; you turn your head, but Lu merely has her gaze directed downward.
"No. Is anything special about it?" You have to admit that 'Metatron's Divide' sounds a little different from what you are used to, but not all that bad. Lu chuckles.
It only takes her a moment of thought before she begins: "Archangel Metatron was born thousands of years ago, long before Heaven and Hell interfered with this war. He stood brave and kind to his allies, but also merciless to his enemies.
"There were always smaller conflicts and skirmishes once in a while, at the border, with larger conflicts on Valhalla. Sometimes a powerful actor would appear, but rarely was it one as powerful as an Archangel or a Duke of Hell. Both came here for a duel that some call fated, some call foolish, and I call useless. I do not even remember that demon's name, save to say that he lost." You snort at that, though the tale does intrigue you. Lu continues without hesitation.
"Metatron stood in the sky above his enemy's dead body, an entire mountain range rent asunder in their battle; only these few hills are left, the valley being where their fight was fiercest." You disagree with calling it hills, though that does make you wonder how the original mountains looked like.
Moreover... "I never heard of Metatron. What happened to him?"
Lu casts a weak smile down at you: "I happened. This duel took place a thousand years ago, and I came as fast as possible when I heard about it. Once I arrived, Metatron stood victorious, but not for long. I tore him out of the sky that day." You sigh, but she does not seem to mind. Much to your surprise, a little smile appeared on her face.
"Demons can have a rather morbid sense of humour. This valley is called Metatron's Divide for two reasons. The first is that this duel quite literally divided the mountains. The second is that once he defeated his foe, the Angel himself was cut in two by my cross. The area where his blood was spilled is where the Keep's central spire now stands; they put special attention to that when rebuilding this base."
"Oh."
That is both morbid and actually funny, whatever it says about you to think that. The Keep in the distance only drives home how ancient Lu actually is; she has lived for about three thousand years at this point, that is thirty times what you might reach if you are really lucky with your genes and modern medicine.
"How long have you been with Hell?"
The questions makes it out of your mouth before you can stop it; Lu's arm tightens around your waist for a moment, but she gives no other indicator of being bothered by your question. She is good at that.
You float in silence for long moments, the Angel quietly contemplating the vast lands below. "I do not really count the years aside from marks such as Metatron. I know he died when the war between Fairies and Dark Stars raged for two thousand years." She falls silent once more and squeezes you a little tighter against herself. "Perhaps a thousand and four hundred years, roughly?"
Which still makes half her life; you are not sure what to feel about that. You are not sure what to say, either. You want to ask why, you almost feel the need to ask, but stomp down on it. Now is not the time for such a sensitive topic.
"I see." You leave it at that and do your best to squeeze her arm, though the feathers make this a little difficult. "How about we go look at some flowers or whatever kind of stuff you can find down there?"
Lu's only response is an amused huff, though it is followed by her descending slowly. You are not too curious about the flora or fauna of an alien world, but it should suffice as a distraction.
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Upon your return, you find it quite late already; the sun is sinking and while you could still do a little bit, you feel like calling it a day. Lu's training has not become any easier, especially because forming magic into suitable shapes to throw around is a lot more difficult than just finding the right angle to deflect an attack. You are still not completely capable of so much as forming a simple shockwave.
Then again, her weapon is troublesome to stop with those in the first place; unless you manage to convert the magic into regular force, it is just snuffed out the moment it impacts her no-magic field.
Calling her a cheater would be rather hypocritical, though. You are a Magical Girl after all.
You ponder this as you round the corner, having decided to climb the stairs today instead of taking the runes. Your thoughts stop short when you behold the figure in front of you, though.
He towers over you, almost a full metre taller and clad in heavy armour, black and blue; even his face is hidden away by a helmet, though you have the feeling that the knight is looking right at you. He paused his step by the time you did.
You do not remember ever seeing someone like this, and faintly recall Lu saying that the leadership for the charge is supposed to show up soon. Considering how intimidating this Demon is, you have the feeling you found one of them.
Seconds pass in an uncomfortable silence before he moves; you almost flinch, but suppress it and square your shoulders defiantly. Weapons remain immaterial, but you are ready to fight if need be.
However, he merely examines you; a half-circle around you and another back to your front, then the knight nods once. "You are Defiance." His tone is calm and collected, devoid of emotion. He did not ask a question, you know; this was a statement. You nod anyway, softly biting your tongue. The urge to be a jerk just because lessened under your constant vigilance, or perhaps you just got better at handling it, but it is still there.
"Lead me to the bastion commander's office, then." This is a command without doubt and you have to bite down a little harder not to tell him off. Especially after the lesson about not picking fights Elisabeth just gave you.
So you nod again, unwilling to so much as open your mouth, and start to walk. The runes would be faster, but you have time to waste.
Much to your surprise, he breaks the silence after the first flight of stairs. "Word about you traveled all the way back to Hell. Many have yet to believe the claims about you, and even I was skeptical." He pauses and you consider answering, but decide against it. Until you know what his temper is like, you are not going to risk it.
"But I can see the gait of a formidable warrior. Light steps, constant vigilance, you were taught well." You blink over the compliment and start to wonder what his aim is. The top dogs in Hell are not supposed to compliment people... right? At least you think so. Maybe he just wants to butter you up?
Either way, you relax a little and shrug. "I still have a lot to learn."
"Quite true," he agrees without hesitation; whether it is an insult or another fact, you can not tell. "Though before learning, you should focus on staying alive in what is to come. Valhalla will be bloody."
"I know." You still can not tell what he actually wants, but at least he does not take offense to the fact you answered him or something like that. In fact, he remains completely silent after that until you reach Elisabeth's office, where the next surprise waits.
Instead of just walking in as you somewhat expected, he raises one hand and raps on the door twice; a polite knock, which is soon answered by the woman in charge. The knight nods at you and pushes the door open.
"Argus? What a surprise, I did not expect you before tomorrow." While her surprise is evident, that at least tells you who you were dealing with.
"I made haste after the recent attacks, sister." And with that, the doors close behind him. You stand there for a moment, dumbfounded about the fact that you apparently just escorted her brother here. Then you shake your head and wander off to get some sleep.
You have another week of training to look forward to, so you will need the rest.
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Pick three:
[] Hang out with Lucifer
[] Play with Paoras and her siblings
[] Go out with Orux
[] Just train more, you will need it
-[] (optional) Write in what to train
[] It sounds like a good time to test yourself; but who to ask for a spar...
-[] Paoras
-[] Orux
-[] Dragul
-[] Lucifer
-[] The Ashen Maiden
-[] General Argus
(Pick up to 3)
[] EXP-Plan
-[] Write-in what to buy
-[] Save it
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-Crystalwatcher
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+20xp Met General Argus
+150xp Oh Look, a Class 5 Demon
+10xp Weird Siblings
EXP gained: 180
Total EXP: 286
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(Unlocked Level 4 Character Sheet: Lucifer)
(Unlocked Level
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Unlocked soft exploit:
-Negate attacks during an Intercept-conflict, cancelling the conflict
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