Remove ads

Peril's Origin - A Magical Girl Quest [Complete]

Reader mode
I was going to make a new plan... but literally all thats coming to me is "Be like Taylor! Go for the eyes...".

Fucking brain is fried right now.
 
Speaking realistically, the best combat plan is likely going to be using aetheric tide and targeting weak points.
 
I don't want to kill it, myself.

[x] Leave it alone and go back. Maybe this is some of its aura seeping in, but you don't want to disturb this one.

But I will offer a plan for those who do.

[] Plan New Toy
-[] Cast Conundrum first. Optionally, recast if it feels comparatively fragile.
-[] Attempt Arcane Slash corrosion with Reaper's Will. If it doesn't work, try Stardust Striker. Repeat if necessary.
-[] If that fails, prevent its attacks and wear it down with Reaper's Will.
-[] If you get a chance, strike a weakpoint, perhaps on the furry underside. Use Reaper's Will if you can, but switch if needed to reach.

We could also charge a massive laser for the first attack. Assuming it doesn't heal, we could also stay at range and use Argent Star, I guess.
 
[x] Leave it alone and go back. Maybe this is some of its aura seeping in, but you don't want to disturb this one.
 
Voting has started? I'm also in favor of not killing it.

[x] Leave it alone and go back. Maybe this is some of its aura seeping in, but you don't want to disturb this one.
 
[X] Leave it alone and go back. Maybe this is some of its aura seeping in, but you don't want to disturb this one.

Let's be fair, the beast never did anything to hurt us. It's... Actually not too different from how we stumbled into non-confrontational interactions with Neverwas, somehow.
 
That sounds like a good reason to me.

[x] Leave it alone and go back. Maybe this is some of its aura seeping in, but you don't want to disturb this one.
 
Remove ads
Pacifism Reward
  • Threadmarks
    • Well, this is kind of awkward. There are things happening this chapter, things that I really do not want to preface or finish with this big boy's sheet. So you get that right now.

    It is not threadmarked under Informational because all the other sheets are also in actual chapters and not bonus content.
    And no, you are not going to get another chance to fight him later. With your vote, Heidi refuses to fight a Duramboros.

    Duramboros

    ​
    Stats

    Health: 150,000
    Base Damage: 300
    Base Resilience: 9,000
    Magic Modifier: 6

    Affinity: Mountain
    Weapon

    Giant Body
    Level 10
    Attacks Per Turn: 2
    Affinities: Mountain
    Ability: Batter | Hit by Modifier


    Tail
    Level 10
    Attacks Per Turn: 2
    Affinities: Mountain
    Ability: Crush | Brutal Carve
    Spells

    Eye of the Storm
    Level 5
    Base Damage: N/A
    Magic Modifer: N/A
    Affinities: Mountain
    Ability: Vacuum
    Abilities

    Large Enemy
    -Duramboros' take 50% less damage from smaller enemies.

    Serenity
    -All beings within 50m of a Duramboros lose any and all violent urges for as long as they remain within reach.

    Nutrient Storage
    Level 10
    -Duramboros' possess a second Health pool of 10,000 points that regenerates 10% of its content each turn. They may transfer any amount of Health from there to the regular pool to heal.

    Inhuman Agility
    -Any Duramboros can perform feats of agility that beggar belief.

    The Juggernaut
    -Beings smaller than a Duramboros require twice as many actions as they normally do to interfere with its actions in any way.


    You successfully made it around a backflipping kind-of dinosaur that can make storms by twirling around really hard. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is up to you.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • 3.18 Lucifer's Lament
  • Threadmarks
    • [] Leave it alone and go back. Maybe this is some of its aura seeping in, but you don't want to disturb this one.

    You deliberate about this for a while. Try to find a reason to summon your weapon and lash out; this guy is not going to force you on the defensive, he just accepts your presence and minutely shifts around in the sunlight. Foul breath rolls over you as you think, little more than spikes of discomfort.

    In the end, it is clear that you do not want to. All the others were attacking you in some way, fighting, defending their own turf, and so on. Or they were going to, if you had not struck first.

    This one does not.

    It just lives here, minding no one and nothing.

    Another breath ruffles your clothes. You sigh and turn around, head shaking and shoulders almost slumped; the Duramboros does not react to your retreat.

    Your gaze sweeps the ground, undisturbed instead of torn apart as it would have been with any other opponent. It feels weird to just walk away after so much time spent fighting to the last. You trudge along, feet barely leaving the grassy earth, back to where you figure Lu is waiting. A quick glance up confirms it, but you just do not feel you can meet her gaze.

    It takes a while until the faint crackling of her burning mana comes to your ears, barely disturbed by background noise. She does not speak for long, heavy moments, casting what feels like silent judgement. The bright light really does not fit in, casting wide shadows onto the ground.

    "I can't do it," you finally admit. "And I won't do it."

    Another moment passes until you hear a quiet sigh and a hand comes to rest on your shoulder. Looking up, you find Lu holding her usual calm expression. "It is alright, I understand. The choice is yours to make for now, but if we are delayed as you assume, we might have to get back to this later."

    Your throat feels dry and you swallow before answering with a soft nod. The big guy will be left alone unless you have absolutely no other choice. Lu lets go to look you over, then glances back at the giant in the distance. "You should be immune to its peace-inducing aura. What changed your mind?"

    The first response she gets is a shrug and a huff. "I'm not sure, it just feels... wrong to attack something that won't ever attack me first." It is not even particularly cute or anything, this does not feel like kicking a puppy to you. "Maybe it's because this is the first thing bigger than me that doesn't try to put me five foot under."

    Your suggestion prompts a weak smile and it is almost like a bell rings. You are not entirely sure why you expected her to be mad at you, but she thankfully is not.

    Wait, a bell?

    "Halt!", a voice shouts from some ways away and both of you turn your heads with rising dread. With how focussed you were, you forgot to pay attention to the sky.

    Two Angels are in fast approach; not fast enough to rival Lu's speed, but enough to reach you soon. A glance flicks to Lu and you reach out, ready to be picked up and carried away. But your friend stands motionless, wide eyes focussed on the approaching pair. Perhaps she knows them.

    Your attention turns back to the other Angels. Both of their hairs are white with an azure tint where light illuminates them. A man and a woman, the latter in the lead and... wearing a miniskirt. Her breastplate and probably magically imbued clothes aside, she wears a miniskirt.

    And for some reason, her face looks kind of familiar.


    The boyish one behind her appears quite similar, with the same snowy white wings and hair colour. He follows the other one and is partly hidden from view, but you think they share their facial structure. Might be siblings, so if there is a fight you can use one as a hostage to keep the other at bay.

    You jab Lu's hip with your elbow, eliciting a twitch and little else. Aside from flight being out of the question, you are starting to get concerned about her. Who are these two?

    Glancing back, you find that the approaching Angels are still on their route... and then the woman's eyes widen once she notices Lu's third wing. A gaudy cross materialises in her hand, golden tip gleaming in the sunlight. Red rubies glint as she shifts her path, now directly aiming at your friend. Your eyes narrow and you bring out Aetheric Tide. Lu still makes no motion to act, shuddering. Something is really wrong, but you can not say what.

    The ringing of bells grows louder and soon enough, the charging Angel reaches. She says nothing, tip of her own cross aimed at Lu's chest. Your eyes meet hers when she almost passes you, adopting a weirdly familiar expression of surprise when your spear rises to push her off-course. Just a little push, but enough to make her shoot wide. The following kick you deliver to her side makes her sail over Lu's shoulder, clipping her black wings, and hitting the ground with a squeak. Lu does not react to the impact or her ruffled feathers.

    You can still not put your finger on just what is wrong. And there comes the boy Angel, ignoring both of you to fly to his friend. "Lu!"

    His shout has your mind grind to a halt, fitting all those pieces together. All those familiar pieces, the almost-same expressions, weapon, facial structure.

    She lied.

    Both of you slowly turn to the two pristine Angels, watch the woman be helped to her feet and insisting she was only surprised, not injured.

    Lu lied.

    Your friend has her eyes on them still, hand balled to a fist and wings shifting erratically now. She opens her mouth a few times to say something, but only garbled noises come out. You feel similar, at a loss for what to do or say.

    When you asked her if her younger self is on Milidia, she said no. She lied. That very self is now right in front of you.

    "We can't deal with a fallen one, sis. Let's fall back and get everyone!"
    "Don't worry so much, she's not even moving. See? We will be fine. Hey, you! Surrender yourself now!"

    Lu does not respond, she just stares, still shivering. You have the urge to shake her or hug her or call her name, anything that might elicit a response, but crush it under a metaphorical heel in favour of keeping your guard up. If these two attack her, you need to be ready. She can't defend herself right now. You can't fight those two down either, killing this woman would create a paradox.

    This is a conundrum. Maybe you can... "How about you two get lost before I kick your asses?"

    That might have been a little harsh, but it does draw their attention to you; as unimpressive as a woman half their size stepping up probably is on its own, you interpose yourself between them and Lu. No more words are spoken and you finally let your own aura free, rolling over everyone present and making the two flinch. Past Lu's gaze hardens as she focuses on you, but then she scoffs. "And you think we're scared of a little Elf?"

    Ah, right. One Elf isn't going to scare anyone.

    "What if she's one of those adventurers?"
    "..."

    Or maybe they do? Whatever those are. You take it, considering that his interruption makes the younger Lu's posture falter a little. Although she stays poised to attack, cross held in both hands much like you hold your spear. Her form is actually kind of sloppy in comparison, but she can not be that old yet.

    Your mind is still running a mile a minute, trying to figure out a way to get them to leave so you can take care of Lu. Your Lu.

    That is when her younger version casts a single glance back and grins. "We'll be fine, Michael. I will-" "NO!"

    All of you flinch when Lu shouts over herself, hand reaching out for the younger one feebly. "Don't say it!"

    She shouldn't whimper like that. You have a really bad feeling. When the other Lucifer narrows her eyes and tenses up in a display of defiance, you immediately twist your body and throw your spear at her throat with the blunt side forward.

    (Aetheric Tide: Attack Negated)

    But she catches it on her own cross with little difficulty and still so many wasted movements. Aetheric Tide shoots past her and quickly flicks over the ground a few times before coming to lie. You can not reach her before she speaks: "I will protect you, no matter what. Always!"

    A choked noise comes from Lu and darkness rolls over the world, much like your own aura before. It snuffs out the light in the air and makes both Angels freeze to the ground as if God himself stood before them. Lu shudders, mouth opening and closing but not speaking. her wings roil and writhe, unseen flames crack and burn as if someone spilled gasoline over them.

    Blood leaves your face to go wherever, leaving you deathly pale as yet another realisation sinks in. Something horrible, something you so dearly hope is not true. But you need those two gone, now!

    "Leave."

    Your voice is toneless, any inflection stolen by the numbing horror lying heavy in your gut. You say no more, but it is enough to snap both out of their shock. The other Lu looks a lot more unsure and lets herself be pulled away. Both Angels take flight, prompting your friend to reach out for them with a garbled noise, her wings only producing puffs of air that could hardly lift anything bigger than a feather.

    You only watch their receding backs a moment longer, then you have to catch Lu when she drops to her knees. Fat tears glisten in her eyes and leave red tracks on her ashen skin, choked sobs working their way out of her throat. Still she tries to speak, eyes unfocussed, before they grow wide as saucers and bloody dots appear within from how wide she opens them.

    A blood-curdling scream follows, a shrill noise that almost bursts your eardrums and tears deep into your chest. Lu slams her hand against her head, tearing at hair and skin and bloodying herself without ever stopping to scream.

    You hold her as best as you can, but it is to no avail. She does not even seem to realise you are there, caught up in all of this and continuing to scratch at her face. You can't hold her still even with two hands to her one, she is too strong and you have no leverage. "Lu, listen to me! You need to calm down!"

    Unfortunately, your cries yield no response. Lu is completely out of it.

    A brother. Lu had a little brother. She continues to wail while you hold her, startling the nearby wildlife that has not already fled.

    Then something changes right behind you, a kind-of presence settles over your mind that is dispersed by your magic almost as quickly. You almost do not notice in your attempts to comfort Lu, only throw a quick glance behind... and stop.

    Right behind you floats a robe with only shadows visible beneath its hood, a faint but familiar pressure on your forehead making it clear this is the same being you met months ago and have not seen in almost as long.


    Neverwas, the Lesser Nightmare, or Fear as they call themselves. You just stare right at them for a long moment while they stare right back, the hood shifting minutely as they behold your wailing friend.

    Then the wail shorts out and Lu whimpers. "C-come back, hic", she gets out before taking a breath. "Michael, come back!" Following that, she continues to scream. Scream for a brother that is long gone.

    The only reason you can make out Neverwas is because each word feels like it stings in your ears as it passes them. Um... should I, should I come back later? C-Can I help you?

    The robe fidgets awkwardly when you glance back. Lu is unlikely to calm down anytime soon, but you really do not want to leave her alone. "I'm sorry!" you shout over her, "Can we talk later?!"

    Neverwas nods with a weird amount of enthusiasm and dashes away to the giant creature in the distance, which is the last you see of them before you return to Lu.

    The transition your friend makes is gradual, going from a near-constant wailing interspersed with whimpers and calls for her brother to mostly whimpering and sobbing. She still calls for Michael, but begins to hug you like an oversized teddybear. You ache from how tight her embrace is but bear it, tears of your own only barely held back. Your front is being soaked by tears and blood from where she scratched open her head, with more being smeared onto your back from her one hand.

    You bear with it, endure it, refuse to shrink back.

    This is your fault in the first place. You and your thrice-damned powers. If comfort is the only thing you can give right now, then that is what you will do even if your bones break.

    A curtain of light appears on the horizon while you stroke the back of Lu's head and murmuring to her calmly; your eyes narrow at the sight, especially when they come closer and their auras begin to fade except for one that makes its way into the darkness and lights it up. Lu falls quiet for a long moment, croaking out another sob and then wailing once more. Your murmurs are drowned out by the shrill noise.

    Moments after she is done screaming however, all the pinpricks of light stop in the air; your vision is blurry and you have no hand free to see, but all except one turned around by the time you blinked the tears away. The undisturbed aura of light recedes as well while another, mostly extinguished one comes closer, revealing another familiar face. A face you know and that makes your heart beat faster in fright.

    You remember how easily she destroyed Argus. Every moment you spent right in front of her on Valhalla is burned into your memory.

    But you crush that feeling, too. It is Gabriel without doubt, but a much younger one. If she fights, you will take her on and beat her. Lu can not defend herself, so you have to.

    A mane of light, greyish blue hair flutters in the wind, only partly bound into a braid. She has her sword drawn and eyes focussed on where you are. Her armour is a dark brown instead of the ocean blue she will later wear, far less decorated, almost plain. But that does not bely her gaze or her facial features. It is her without doubt. Once she closes however, her eyes narrow and she dismisses her blade. The thrust from her wings begins to weaken, and War Angel Gabriel slows down as she approaches the two of you.

    Lu is back to whimpering, shuddering sobs wrecking her body that still clings to you like a lifeline. Her mumbled pleas have become unintelligible and her tears have mostly dried, but more might follow soon. You soothingly rub the back of her head while keeping your eyes on Gabriel, who lands after another minute. Your tense form is taken in by an unreadable gaze, then her eyes fall into the wrecked Lu.

    She raises her hands immediately, empty palms open. "Peace. Just what happened here?" Her voice is soft, yet cuts the miserable silence like a knife. Her features soften when Lu sobs again, but the gaze she gives you remains resolute. She will have an answer.

    That puts you into a tight spot; the true extent of your failings only becomes apparent once your power over time is revealed, and various shows and stories taught you not to flaunt that status. On the other hand, she is Gabriel.

    You avert your gaze for a long moment and press Lu's face against your chest, spending what comfort you can. Her hand weakly paws at your back to hold on. "No one can know about what I will tell you, for any reason." Your eyes meet hers again and you make up your mind entirely. Gabriel actually takes a step back from the intensity you convey. "She and I both aren't from this time. Everything comes back to that and I don't know what will happen if someone tries to change the future with what I tell you."

    She is silent, expression hardening. Yet a single flick of her eyes to the blubbering mess spread over the ground and clinging to you lessens the tension again. She twitches, hands rising minutely before being forced back under control.

    Gabriel closes her eyes before nodding at you. "I see. While I can not give you my word on anything beyond this matter... I solemnly swear to protect the secrets you divulge here with my life, and pass them to no one except any that are themselves aware already."

    Her words stun you. A promise made like this sounds incredible. A promise made by Gabriel herself. To you. And yet you also notice the loophole she left herself so she can actually talk to people about it if they are in the know. Angels probably learn to word their promises carefully.

    "Thank you." It is a lot to ask of a stranger and you are grateful that Gabriel is willing to give you the chance. But this is the difficult part, so you motion into the distance. "The woman I chased off earlier, that was Lucifer, right?" Gabriel frowns but nods, confirming what you already knew.

    You do not like to say what you have to, your chest aches just at the thought of what you did. A sad glance goes down to your friend. "And with me is the same Lucifer, a few thousand years older."

    The quiet hangs over all three of you, all noise overshadowed by an ominous choir picking up, Lu's magic continuing to coil around in her anguish. You let Gabriel find the link on her own before continuing: "I, I didn't know, I promise. Lu said her past self isn't here but there she was. It's, I don't know why she lied." You bumble through your explanation, unsure what to say or how.

    Thankfully, Gabriel does not accuse you of anything. She merely nods and steps closer, slowly reaching out to caress Lu's face before embracing her as well. "I see. So she became like this after meeting herself?"

    You shake your head and nudge Lu a little, making her lean a little more into the other Angel. Her grasp on you slackens, but a fresh batch of tears spills out together with a pitiful whine. "No, only after the younger one... she promised her brother to always protect him."

    Gabriel's expression softened as she started to tend to your friend, but now it falls slack and pale. "After that? Such a promise is dangerous. Are you implying what I think you are?"

    "Yes." You can not look at her anymore, it would be another stake through your chest. A few tears squeeze their way out of your burning eyes. "It's my fault she ended up like this." You brought her here, you did not push about her past self, did not relocate elsewhere. You could have done so many things to prevent this.

    But then again, if Lu had never made that promise in the past, you would have changed the course of history. You were always set up to cause her fall.

    A large, warm hand on your head pulls you out of your thoughts and to meet a gentle smile. "Please do not be so unkind to yourself. This, all of this if it is true, is a tragedy, but you could not have known."

    "You don't believe me?"

    She pulls Lucifer closer to her chest and holds her tight, then gives you another, more uncertain look interspersed with breaking eye contact. "I, well, it's a lot to take in at once. I don't think you're lying to me, but I can't say for sure. Right now...." She trails off and squeezes Lu, who whimpers. The message is clear, she gives you the benefit of the doubt for your friend's sake.

    "I guess that makes sense." You take a step away and rub your aching sides. That will probably leave a few nasty bruises. Angels are crazy strong. "Thank you, again. This is more than most would do for two strangers."

    Gabriel's lips twitch into a weak smile and she shakes her head. "I always do whatever I can. How can we expect kindness of others if we are not willing to give it freely ourselves?" This draws a weak smile from you in turn, but shifting your weight makes you wince and gets Gabriel's attention. "Are you alright?"

    You do not even need to think. "Yeah, I'm fine." While it is true, you also do not feel like complaining about such a small thing after everything. And everything you inflicted on one of your dearest friends.

    Then something pricks at the edge of your senses and Gabriel perks up, scanning the countryside where Neverwas is hovering closer again. "There is something there, but I can not say where," she warns you while holding onto Lu.

    Right, you probably should resolve that. "I can see him and it's fine. He won't attack us." Gabriel throws you a curious look but you shrug. "Can you take care of her until I'm back?"

    "Of course."

    You thank the Angel again and jog over to the Child of Nightmare, who waits for you patiently once it is clear you are coming their way. The matter of Lu still pushes down on your mood, but you put it aside for now as best as you can. This is technically the first time Neverwas met you... wait.

    Some other matters become rather clear now, making you grit your teeth at the shenanigans. That's how they knew you could see them immediately the first time you met them.

    "I am no expert on the behaviour of Angels, but I do believe your friend is unwell. Will she be alright?" Neverwas' voice slightly grates on your temples just as it always did before. You kind of missed it but didn't, really.

    "No idea," you answer while your shoulders slump in defeat. "I'm not sure she will ever be okay again, I don't think she has been okay in ages." You let out a groan and drop to the ground, trying to get a hold of all those dark thoughts and shoving them away. "Did she really feel enough fear to bring you here?"

    Neverwas folds themself somewhat and imitates your posture, if more upright while mist coils around them comfortably. "Yes, although not for long. I was meaning to travel either way. We meet in unfortunate circumstances... but it is a great joy to finally meet one who is neither a Wish nor a powerful Fear but still capable of perceiving me properly." Their robe flutters excitedly and they lean closer, unseen face looking you over. "Your powers are quite impressive but please, tell me your name. I am so curious, I have never seen a being quite like you before."

    You make an understanding noise and get comfortable. Lu is safe with Gabriel, so you need to focus on getting this just right. Neverwas is not a bad guy after all.

    "It's Adelheid, or Heidi if you want." You pause for a moment before adding a quick "What's yours?" Then something else jumps out at you. "And what do you mean with my powers?"

    There is a strange chittering sound while the darkness below their hood writhes; it might be laughter, if not for how eery it is. You get goosebumps just from hearing it. "I am Neverwas, born of the fear of the unknown. I have always been able to perceive the full extent of other's powers, including their working and application. One of my powers is based on it, allowing me to develop immunities to specific powers of my choosing."

    The mist coils excitedly and you do not manage to get a word in before they continue; you put aside the fact they never mentioned that power before. "It is such a joy to finally meet one I can speak with. The flow of your mana is odd, so unlike the Elves you so resemble. Your powers are far beyond them, too. I have never seen Affinities like yours before either, oh, and what is a Story Maker?"

    You can not help but giggle about how eager they are, making a placating wave with your hand to calm them down a little. "I need a chance to actually answer your questions, you know?" They immediately stop talking and lean forward, so you do as you said you would. "It's true I'm no Elf, I'm human. It's just a few thousand years too early for my race to be out here. You know that area where there's no magic a few dimensions away?" A nod of the hood. "That's where we live. It will get magic in, uh, a long, long while."

    "I am not sure I understand. How do you have... oh. Mastery over time itself. You are not from this time then? How long are you staying? Are all humans powerful like you? Do you think I could visit your home once it becomes accessible?

    This is kind of cute, you have to admit. An actual smile worms its way onto your face. "I don't mind you visiting, but it'll be a while. Others might be a bit scared of you, so be careful. Magical Girls like me are kinda rare, though. One in a million, basically." You absently play with a strand of your disheveled hair as you consider the last question. "And I was planning to leave soon, in a few days. I'm sorry, but I need to bring my friend back to her time and I don't belong here."

    Neverwas stills for a moment, then deflates before copying your dismissive motion. "No, I understand. As glad as it makes me to have found you, keeping you here where you are unhappy would not make me any happier. I am used to being alone, and you will emerge again in the future. I merely need to find you." Whatever kind of organ or practice they use to speak, you can hear how listless their tone became. On a whim, you lean forward and wrap the shade into your arms.

    Neverwas makes a sound comparable to a falling tree, the whispy cloth almost parting under your fingers. You never touched them before, feel something as fleeting as mist compress as you hold their robe close. Maybe mist is all they are after all. "It's okay," you tell them quietly. "I'm sure there will be others. We are going to meet again at least once, I can promise you that. In about three thousand years. But I need to ask you a favour. The me you're going to meet there will be younger, weaker. I already met you there and learned a lot about you, but please don't tell me anything about that then. Can you do that?"

    The words fell from your mouth without thought, but now they are out. You refuse to let this friend of yours stew in misery if you can prevent it. Neverwas envelops you in more mist, squeezing as gently as they can in an imitation of your embrace. "I will burn it into my memory. I promise."

    Relief floods through you, the burden on your shoulders eased a little. "Thank you," you murmur to your renewed friend.

    . . .
    IDENTIFIED BREAK LINE
    . . .​

    When you return with Neverwas in tow, Lu has fallen asleep. Gabriel is cradling her, gently rocking back and forth while quietly singing a lullaby. She sees you but does not interrupt her song, so you quietly move over to her side and watch Lu. Her face has already been cleaned and is pristine except for a few specks of blood and reddened teartracks. A crude bandage covers her forehead where she scratched it open.

    You barely notice that she is significantly taller than Gabriel, being face to face with her despite sitting while the other Angel is standing on her knees.

    It would be looking kind of funny if the situation were not what it is.

    Once the last note fills the air and Gabriel falls silent, you offer her a quiet nod. "Really, thank you for doing this." You are not sure if you could have done that much. Gabriel just smiles, so you continue to whisper to her: "What was that song?"

    Her smile droops a little and she glances at the sleeping Lu. "Lucifer's favourite lullaby. I heard her friend sing it for her and her brother a few times." A deep breath, then Gabriel eyes you again. "She calmed down and fell asleep when I sung it. It might have been a coincidence, but this is one of her personal quirks. Few Angels calm down that quickly with a single song."

    What she says is that what evidence she has indicates you told her the truth, while also not saying that she still does not believe you entirely. Being around Demons and learning how people say and not say things really pays off.

    "I never knew that." You sit and give your friend a longing look, unsure what to do even now but wanting to do something to help her. "She doesn't like talking about the past."

    "I can imagine why." Gabriel's voice is devoid of humour, expression somewhere between a sigh and a frown. "She should be good for a little while." She does not stop stroking Lu's head though, even when her eyes scan the surrounding area again. "Um, is this robed person still here?"

    Neverwas tenses a little by your side, but you just poke their robe to distract them. "Yeah, he is. You only parse what Neverwas actually did when you can't see or hear him anymore. He's a Child of Nightmare" Gabriel pauses about the last part, fidgets a little, and then glances back down at Lu.

    "You certainly keep odd friends." Then her eyes widen to a comical extent and she snapes back to look at you. "Oh no, I, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm so sorry." The apology gives you pause, especially because she keeps fidgeting. "I am War Angel Gabriel, currently second-in-command of the Ninth Host. Who would you be?"

    She is still holding an Angel taller than herself up and quickly adopts a deer-in-headlights look when you have to pause to take it all in. Then you crack, giggling; even the hand you press on your mouth does not stop it from spilling out. Now is not the time to laugh, but you just can not stop. It is just too silly.

    By the time you can finally clamp down on it, Gabriel has her head lowered and Neverwas looks back and forth between you. After one last huff, you take a breath and work up a smile for the blushing Angel. "I'm Adelheid, or Heidi if you want. Nice to meet you... well, as nice as it can be under these circumstances."

    "The same, it is a pleasure.

    Gabriel gradually calmed as you spoke and her lips curl into a faint smile of her own while Neverwas adjusts their position by floating around.

    Then comes a moment of awkward silence, with neither of you having a clear idea of how to proceed. Lu can not fly right now, so getting back to your shelter will be a bit of an issue... or a long walk.

    A loud boom in the distance makes you whirl around, finding the Duramboros getting to its feet. It sneezes once more, noise levels similar to a cannon being fired. Then it begins to trot off toward the already mutilated piece of forest nearby. Probably in search of food.

    "Perhaps we should leave," Gabriel suggests from behind you. "A Duramboros is not dangerous unless attacked, but there might be other critters nearby. Nothing shies away from them." You turn back to find her eyeing the gentle giant, a weak smile on her face. "Then again, we can be certain that nothing will attack us while near one of these."

    "I concur with Gabriel. These Duramboros are a peaceful species."

    You figure you should not mention why you were here in the first place. Still, Lu should not stay out in the open or near where you were caught by a patrol. You doubt Gabriel will tell anyone where your shelter is, even if you let her know. "I'd rather bring her back to the place we built up. Don't worry about her safety, I can beat anything that tries to get at her."

    A chittery chuckle comes from Neverwas, who obviously knows why you are so sure of that. Gabriel appraises you again with a curiously raised eyebrow. "Are you certain? I can defeat most creatures found on Milidia, but some of my previous fights ended by a hair's breadth."

    You just give her an unimpressed look and cross your arms. "Look, I killed almost everything bigger than myself in at least ten kilometres around the place we stay and turned it into food. The big guy over there is the only one left."

    Her eyes bulge a little and flit over your form again, but she nods quickly and vigorously. "P-Pretend-I-didn't-say-anything!" It comes out so fast you almost do not parse it, but when you do you can not help but giggle again.

    "Heh, it's fine. Can you carry Lu?"
    "Of course."

    . . .
    IDENTIFIED BREAK LINE
    . . .​

    The walk back is kind of weird, and quiet for a good while. Neverwas teleported ahead to scout, leaving you 'alone' with Gabriel. Lu has not woken up yet despite the bumpy ride.

    "Now that we have a little time," she starts while throwing you cautious glances, "I was wondering what brought you here. You must have been on Milidia for a while if you needed this much food. Could you not have brought provisions from the time you hail from?" She has a point and you find yourself becoming sheepish. That is something you are a little embarassed to admit.

    "Well, uh, I would. But I sucked at time travel when we got here. The only reason I used it at all is that we'd be dead if I hadn't. But now we were stuck here, so I spent the last... two? I think two months training to get better at it." You fold your hands behind your back with a grin. "And I'm almost good to go, just a few more days. Then, uh, this happened." You motion for the sleeping Angel Gabriel carries and she nods before glancing down at Lu.

    "I see, so you are stranded and on your way home." The short Angel chews on her lip while looking between you and Lu. "I, well, I don't know much about time or how it works, so I will trust your judgement. We have to capture fallen Angels normally, but this one, this Lucifer, she needs to return to her own time first. I leave it to the Host there." She speaks slowly, a note of displeasure clear even to you. Yet the words themselves bother you.

    After a moment, you throw her a searching look. It needs to be asked, you have to know. "So you are on board with locking them up until they go insane?"

    Gabriel grimaces immediately. "No, no I'm not." She shakes her head but does not meet your gaze. "But we are just a handful who want to lift the heavy sanctions, without the pull or manpower to do anything about them. I am already stretching myself thin with my own duties, but I wish I could do more." The last part comes out softly, almost too quiet for you to hear.

    She will be the most influential woman in the LDC. Hearing a lack of influence as her reason is extremely jarring, but you get it. "Okay, I can understand that." You need to get back to this in some other time, see if anything comes of it.

    Silence falls again and you keep wandering; it is still late Summer, meaning that the sun continues to toast you from above. Sweat glistens on your skin as it does basically every day; at least your outfit is breezy.

    On the other hand, you tanned like crazy over these months. To the point you considered chucking off pieces of clothing so you at least tan everywhere, but it is probably far too late for that. You always wanted to tan properly, but not on a sunbed like you heard people do. There was just rarely a chance to sunbathe long enough, or you did not manage to stay still when you had one.

    Now you got your wish. Partly because you did something else, partly because Lu drilled patience and discipline into you.

    Your friend murmurs in her sleep but does not wake, prompting Gabriel to adjust her grip; she holds Lu in a princess carry, delicately avoiding her wings. Ashen hair almost drags over the ground with how long it is.

    Once it is clear the fallen Angel will stay asleep, you both focus back on the path; it is different from the ground, but you can soon see the bit of forest your shelter sits at appear in the distance. Except that your destination is on its other side.

    Some walking is still to be done. Or maybe....

    Gabriel interrupts your train of thought: "I guess that explains the signs of combat and parts of creatures we found in the area. I didn't think of that before now." You make an agreeing noise while she glances at you again, then sigh about the following question: "Could you, uh, tell me what race you are from? At first I thought of an elven adventurer, but your ears are round. And you're far too big for a Fairy, and, um." She blinks, then sweeps you with her eyes again and falters a little. "You're not... a Demon, right?"

    It had to come up eventually, but it still sucks that you keep having to explain who and what you are. "No, I'm human. Won't meet anyone else from my race for a few thousand years, we're currently building our first civilisations in the dimension that has no mana." This time however, before she can be shocked or ask more question, you change the subject: "This is the second time I hear about these adventurers. Who are they?"

    Gabriel purses her lips for a moment, but then hangs her shoulders and apparently accepts that it is her turn to answer questions. "You will find a handful of adventuring parties on each elven world, especially on the newly colonised ones. They explore the wilderness and take down the more vicious creatures, or do any other worthwhile tasks that might come up out there."

    She hums and smiles at you. "I met a few over the years. Most of them are odd in some way, but they are as good as everyone thinks. Any Elf who takes up adventuring stands head and shoulders above the average legionnaire."

    That is kind of odd. You never heard about something like that before. You never heard about any outstanding Elves period; where are they in your time?

    You mull this over for a moment, but decide to shelve it until later. For now, you have something else to do. "Hey, Gabriel? Come here for a moment, I'm going to try something."

    "Um, okay?" She actually steps closer while you start to grin and reach out to hug her waist as best as you can, the unconcious Lu trapped between her chest and your head. "W-What are you going to do?"

    Her slightly wobbly question is kind of cute; you just squeeze her side while imagining your shelter, five seconds into the future. "Don't worry. Voyage!"

    A portal opens right in front of you as always, only quite a bit bigger this time. It crashes into you before Gabriel can ask and you hear her faint gasp before the moment in eternity swallows all sound. Light and darkness flicker all around before you fall through another portal, once again holding onto her and Lu.

    Your shelter is just a few hundred metres away now. Still not accurate, but you are getting there. Success!

    Gabriel looks around with her mouth hanging open while you pump your fist, then whines at you: "P-Please give me a warning next time! Just what is that place?"

    You shrug in response, though your grin can not be disturbed by anything right now. "No idea what it is. I don't actually call it anything, either. I just pass through there each time I time travel, but it works for teleporting to places too. It's just, uh, still a lot less accurate than I want it to be."

    You motion for the shelter in the distance and receive a thoughtful nod from Gabriel, who then looks Lu over curiously. "She just slept through it. I thought I was drowning except there was no crushing weight on my chest. No light, no darkness, just vague shapes."

    "Huh. I had both light and darkness, but no real shapes. Maybe it looks differently for each of us." That is interesting; Lu never said anything when you took her along, now you are wondering what she sees. Chances are she will not tell you either way, though.

    "Maybe." Gabriel sighs and adjusts her hold on Lu again, then gets moving. "Your place looks... cozy?" It's a ramshackle hut in the middle of nowhere. You just snort but say nothing, she was only trying to be polite after all.

    . . .
    IDENTIFIED BREAK LINE
    . . .​

    It is a weird mood taking hold of you all; you chat a little bit with Neverwas, but the thoughts you had pushed away earlier return to take root. Gabriel is obviously bothered by something as well.

    Your time traveling is the reason War Angel Lucifer made the promise that led to her fall. It is your fault she fell. Every moment of agony she had to live through for so long is because of you.

    Gabriel does not blame you, and Neverwas does not do so either. You hope Lu sees it similarly, but also hope she does not and actually screams at you or something like that. You feel you deserve it, even if the others tell you it was an accident. You know it was, but that does not change your feelings.

    When Lu does wake up hours later, night has fallen. You are sitting at her bedside and watch over her when she stirs; her eyes slide open without any other sign of waking. She simply stares at you, through you, and ignores you. Just quietly sits up on her bed and wanders outside without a word.

    Neverwas remains in the corner they lowered themselves to hold watch, watching you follow her outside.

    She does not go far, merely slumps down under the moonlight and stares at the sky.

    "Lu?"

    Your quiet call yields a flick of her eyes but no other reaction. She just stays like this and watches the sky. Not a word leaves her lips.

    You stay with her for a while but soon grow too tired, but you bidding her a good night receives no reaction either. She is still there when you wake up, now guarded by Neverwas. She does not take food, even if you push it against her lips.

    By the time Gabriel lands later in the morning, Lu at least got up and brought out her cross to do her stances. She still does not speak, not even when the shorter Angel goes to talk to her quietly.

    At least you can be absolutely sure now, Gabriel is tiny for her species; maybe two and a half metres, where Lu is already short at around three. You might have teased her at any other time, but right now you do not feel like it at all.

    The mood stays somber and all of you do not speak much that day, only keep an eye on Lu. You can not really bring up the motivation to practice with Voyage.

    Gabriel told her team that she is doing some sweeps of her own in this area to ensure the Fallen she 'chased away' is not returning, so they adjusted their patrol routes. She will keep you company and free you of prying eyes for the rest of your stay. It is a blessing to have her, awkward as she is without some kind of clear goal to put herself toward.

    Sadly, Lu keeps up her silence for the rest of the day, spends the entirety of it practicing and then falls asleep under the stars. She still does not eat, does not do much at all beside interrupting her practice whenever one of you comes close.

    You dearly hope that she will break her silence and stop fasting soon. But you can not do more than hope.

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

    Food: 3
    (Gabriel brings her own food)
    (two units saved; Lu did not eat for a while)
    Completed Practice: 55 / 60


    [] Plan for the week
    -[] Action 1
    -[] Action 2
    -[] Action 3

    Hunt small critters
    (secures food for 3 days, auto-success)

    Foraging
    (secures food for 3 days, auto-success)

    Hunt medium-sized critters
    (secures food for 7 days, may turn into a combat encounter)

    Hunt large beasts None left to hunt
    (secures food for 14 days, combat encounter)

    Hunt the biggest and baddest Heidi refuses
    (secures food for 30 days, boss encounter)

    Practice
    (adds between 2 and 3 days to the training counter; 7 days if all actions are this)

    [] EXP-Plan
    -[] Write-in what to buy
    -[] Save it

    =====​

    +25xp Genocide Route Aborted
    +30xp Met The Untarnished Lucifer And Her Brother
    +1,000xp Established a Stable Time Loop
    +20xp Met Neverwas (Again)
    +20xp Met Gabriel (Again)
    +150xp A Bleeding Heart


    EXP gained: 1,245
    Total EXP: 1,336

    =====​

    (Unlocked Level 5 (Max) Character Sheet: Lucifer)
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Well, that was a dramatic chapter.

    I was expecting the fairies coming back, not that mess. And you would think having a fallen in front of you would be a good reason not to make an oath, let alone one telling you not to make it.

    And Neverwas, too. I thought it was quite young when we first met it. Huh. Three thousand years...

    As usual, plans are off for me. Maybe 2 practice and hunt medium? Hopefully that counts five practice days.

    [x] Plan Hope That's Five
    -[x] Hunt medium-sized critters
    -[x] Practice
    -[x] Practice*2

    [] [BONUS] point Stardust Striker's Laser-shockwaves into the correct direction instead of everywhere in the swing arc EDIT: Invalid voting section

    [x] [EXP] Plan And So On (770 EXP)
    -[x] Stardust Striker 19->20 (190 EXP)
    -[x] Stygian Tempest 10->11 (100 EXP)
    -[x] The Handle 15->18 (480 EXP)

    We have put a lot of exp into the striker, so an exploit for that makes sense even if I prefer the Aethyric tide switch. For EXP, finishing the striker and progressing the tempest. There's 3 levels on the handle for the APT milestone. If that doesn't give the ability, we can check 19/20 or just go straight to 21 for the next APT.
     
    Last edited:
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top