destinystrings | Conquestum Paradisi

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho! How unfortunate for this man!"

The golem staggers a bit under the flame blast, but it doesn't seem to be weak one way or the other to it. It shakes its head a bit and continues to lurch forward, swinging its original attack at its target. Meanwhile, the daggers fly towards her... and bounce off her harmlessly, triggering another cackling spree on her behalf. "My my my, it looks like you need to sharpen your knives!" she exclaims gleefully before launching another stream of dark orbs in the Persona's direction.

Ramiel hissed as it swatted aside the dark orbs like they were mere pebbles, only to be forced back into its own flames from the force of the deluge of water. Steam billowed around it, and the fire - or the Persona - released a high pitched scream-

Only to abruptly vanish.

The Persona was gone, and with it the flames. A brief lull fell on them, and through the steam a silhouette of a figure was visible. Their hands were lifted up as if in prayer, fingers slightly clawed.

"Alright. We'll try something different..." the voice murmured.

The steam cleared, revealing their opponent. It was a very...unremarkable man. He was dressed in a dark coat, military fatigues, and a balaclava, with a heart patterned mask shielding his face. His shoulders quivered with laughter as he lowered his hands, a dark, miasma like energy pulsing around him.

"Mephistopheles. Weak Heart."

The miasma surged outwards, spilling over the battlefield as a near physical cloud. It carried the sickly sweet smell of rot, clinging tightly to Atsuro and Misery, and to their Persona, feeling like oil against their skin. A slow, disgusting poison that sapped the energy of Hearts's enemies until they were nearly empty husks.

"Let's see how well this works," Hearts purred, waggling their fingers in a mockingly coy way, a shadow looming behind them. It carried a humanoid shape, but was indistinct, like it was nothing more than a shade - but the clear source of the miasma.

"Hngh...!"

Atsuro sinks to one knee as the deadly miasma washes over his entire party. Enki releases a choked cry and vanishes as Atsuro momentarily loses the mental focus to maintain its presence; Seiten Taisei attempts to flee skywards but fails to avoid the attack, tumbling to the ground as his cloud is borne away by the spewing smog. There's one saving grace - high above, there is a final soft plinking sound as the last Shield All on Badb Catha dissipates, leaving the raven unscathed by the incredibly noxious gas.

He had no idea what had just happened, but he could feel the effects well enough. He could hardly draw breath; in his chest, his heart beat and throbbed erratically as if something was clenched around it. Whatever toxin this was was beyond anything he had experienced before. Not even the Bel demons carried an attack this debilitating...

Heck, this was almost worse than giant maggots hatching inside his body. Less disgusting, though; he was mildly thankful for that. Atsuro spares a glance at his game system and is not terribly surprised to find that his HP counter is rapidly ticking down...

HP: 243/521
MP: 172/195
☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠

"Tch...! Badb Catha... Buy us some time!"

In a flash of light, Seiten Taisei vanishes; Atsuro sets to clicking buttons frantically on the COMP as his remaining demon surges forward with a screech. The Might Call it had cast earlier on the party was still in effect. With surprising strength and speed, the raven goddess swoops at Hearts with an attack that was guaranteed to strike a Critical point. Badb Catha wasn't terribly strong, but it would have to be enough.

((Dual unlock soon? Not that it will be terribly effective aha T_T.))

"Wh... what is this disgusting... guh."

Misery loses her focus, dropping to the ground. The golem dissipates as well. "Wretched beast... emitting wretched stenches..." She forces herself to her feet, gritting her teeth. "Miserable... will not be..."

She shakingly summons her backup. She's not sure what that element is, but hopefully THAT MAN would be able to ignore it. This would be such a stupid place to die.

The embodiment of insanity himself emerges, grinning as always. Misery herself can't focus enough to attack, but she feels a strength in Ballos she hadn't before. Curious. She just... needs a bit before she can command him.

((Sure, what the hell. :V))

Hearts hissed at the bird swooping down at him, and Mephistopheles's intangible form surged forwards, phasing through Hearts and solidifying to take the attack full on. A strange, whispery noise fluttered through all of their minds at that moment, and the shadow fuzzed out, almost as if it was in danger of vanishing to the winds, but quickly pulled itself together.

"Tch, drawback is this one isn't sturdy," Hearts grumbled, massaging his chest as he turned his attention to Misery. Oh, she actually managed to summon a Persona? Impressive. Oh well, that meant she should go first-

Oh wait, this was supposed to be non-lethal... well, 'accidents' happened.

"Mephistopheles," Hearts hummed, "Suffocate them a bit more," he ordered, his voice full of sick glee as his Persona obeyed. The miasma spewed out even more, thickening until it was a cloying black cloud, bloating and surging forwards like some sort of tsunami of poison.

((Sorry, can you give us a moment to do something? It'll be quick, I promise! I'll let you know to tag again.))

What the heck.

Atsuro has the strength left to pull his hat over his mouth to try and avoid getting any more of the miasma inside of him. ...Not that it has any effect whatsoever. The second time isn't any less disgusting or vile than the first, and he finds himself coughing and gasping for breath once again as it concludes. His mind, though, is silently rejoicing that the man had chosen to waste his 'turn', so to speak, with another attack that didn't directly harm either of them.

HP: 166/521
MP: 172/195
☠ ! ☠ ! ☠ ! ☠ ! ☠

"...........Laksmi...!"

He presses the button of confirmation on his COMP as firmly he can, barely managing to spit out the name of the demon he wanted to call. The appearance of the goddess isn't dramatic - another simple flash of light, and she appears kneeling in front of her summoner, a warm smile on her face. She has a glance to spare for Misery as well, and with a nod, she reaches forward to cup Atsuro's face in her hands.

"Be at ease, my children... The blessings of Kichijoten shall soothe thy wounds."

The spell is cast in an instance. The power of the goddess's Affection washes through Atsuro, Badb Catha, and Misery alike; with a sharp intake of breath, the boy feels the grip on his heart loosen and fade away. The poison has been dispelled and his strength recovered, though the lingering effects of the toxin remain. He can still feel a certain heaviness in his steps, a frailness to his frame... But he has, at least, the strength to stand now.

Racial Skill Affection: Cures a large amount of HP and all status ailments to all party members.

"Misery... We've got to use this last chance! Let's give it all we've got!"

As he speaks, Enki coalesces into physical form again beside him; both Atsuro and Enki turn together to give a hand to Misery and Ballos still on the ground.

((Stat decreases haven't been recovered!))

The heaviness leaves her, and there's a bit more bounce in her step. Ballos, however, seems even more energetic, if that's possible. She scowls a bit, taking his hand as she rises. "Tch. I suppose I will have to owe you for this one as well... We will deal with that later." She stands, and points her staff at her enemy. "For now, your advice is sound. Let's finish this miserable maggot properly!"

As unfitting as it is to find humor in a time like this, he responds to Misery's snarled suggestion with a chuckle. Through the entirety of his ordeal back home, he had relied on the strength of his friends to keep him going, to keep him sane. Seven days didn't seem long, in retrospect, but during the time he had lived it, it had been a nightmare with no end. And had they not found their answer together... it never would have ended. He missed them terribly. Even the Kazuya here - as much as he loved him - wasn't exactly 100% the same Kazuya he knew at home. But even if he was displaced from the reality that was his own, even if none of them could ever truly call this place their home...

He could still rely on his friends, couldn't he?

He is opening his mouth to respond to Misery in kind when he suddenly realizes something with a sharp gasp of surprise.

...........Time has stopped.

Before him, the scene is frozen in place. He can see their enemy in half-stride, heart-shaped mask set upon his face; underneath it, no doubt, a sadistic grin. He can see the remnants of the miasma, floating harmlessly in the air, unable to affect them in this moment outside of time. And he can see...... Misery. Whom he notes, with some surprise, is clearly experiencing this alongside him. He manages a wan smile before he returns to glancing around their eerie surroundings once again.

This is... familiar. He has felt this sensation once before... That time, it had been in the Velvet Room, under Igor's watchful nose. ...Eyes. Watchful eyes. Atsuro becomes aware, dimly, of a sound rather like glass breaking and tinkling to the floor. Then... a whisper inside his head.

Thou art I... And I am thou...

Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin'd.
Harpier cries:—'tis time! 'tis time!

Do with us as thou wilt!

Time slows.

She looks around, bewildered. What on EARTH was going on NOW? They didn't need these distractions...

She frowns. Atsuro is there as well, shooting her a smile. Her eyes narrow a bit, and look at their opponent. "I am thou... thou art I..."

And then THAT MAN is no longer there, instead replaced by these strange new beings. Strange, familiar, and... somehow more comfortable. And with them, the awareness of new abilities.

Do with us as thou wilt...

Perhaps she shall indeed.

Time restarts. And somehow she communicates a thought to her... companion. "Let's see how delicate this little flower is, eh? Sisters? Vicious Strike."

A delirious cackling, and the sisters surge forth with glee, swiping with wickedly sharp nails at their foes.

Edited 2013-01-27 02:10 (UTC)

((OK thanks for waiting! We're going to continue as normal now.))

((salutes!))

Oh.

Well then.

This was unexpected.

...new plan.

Hearts stalled to a halt when the two Persona before him merged into one - well, three, but of the same being - and took a cautious step back into the welcoming embrace of his own Persona. Mephistopheles's hands (or what shadowy impressions resembled them) pressed against his shoulders, the dark miasma a comforting warmth against his skin.

"A-Ahaha, wait, wait wait wait-!"

Hearts threw up his hands when the new Persona attacked, cowering against Mephistopheles when the Vicious Strike lashed out. His Persona moved to protect him, but he still felt the effects of the attack, letting out a pained whine and staggering down on one knee when Mephistophele's form wavered from the force of the strike.

"A-Ahh, no! No, please don't!" Hearts yelped, his arms over his head protectively as Mephistopheles struggled to pull itself back together. "Don't! If you attack it even more it'll scatter and leave me alone!"

He could... feel Misery's thought somehow, not sounding in his ears, exactly, but more... the meaning of what she wanted to convey simply becoming apparent in his head. He reaches back tentatively with a thought of his own.

"...Look, he's floundering. This is supposed to be when we offer him a chance to give up, right?"

Before him, the Weird Sisters appear once more, standing now with strange staves held before them. A certain darkness arises around them as they begin to whisper...

Hoarfrost from the northern wastes,
Bring the gelid bite, unplac'd;
And the depths of bog and fen:
Chill the bone, again, again!
Now the body, weak, shall stumble
'Neath the brittle burden, crumble.
Though his soul cannot be lost,
Yet he shall regret such cost!

Peace! the charm is good!
Sisters - as thou wouldst!

One after another, each witch points their two-pronged staff towards Hearts and his Persona. And one after another, a howling gale of hail and ice blasts forth to assail their enemy. ...Atsuro frowns, though, as one of the spells goes off course. Ice Dance strikes only twice.

"Let's offer him a chance to give up after he's unconscious."

Edited 2013-01-27 20:27 (UTC)

Oh my, I DO like how you think sometimes. I was worried for a moment you'd let sentiment get in the way of common sense in a situation like this. I knew I kept you around for a reason.

She looks for a convenient piece of rubble or debris and, spotting a garbage can, casually teleports it over the "quavering" man's head and drops it. She doesn't buy your act for a second, buddy, she's seen it before.

Mephistopheles shields Hearts from the worst of the Ice Dance, even if the attack made its form become more and more unstable. Hearts let out moans of pain, curling up tight on the floor and flinching with each strike. Oh dear, attacking a man while he was down. That was cruel - mean - smart.

Very smart.

Abruptly Hearts uncoiled and did a backwards roll, smoothly rising to his feet in the same movement as the rubbish bin clanged loudly on the floor where he had been.

"No mercy, is it? How cruel of you all, how admirable."

The man laughed, and the noise whispered in both Misery and Atsuro's mind through Mephistopheles - who at this point was just a blurry, indistinct blob. A blob that faded faster and faster until-

It abruptly exploded, miasma spewing out in a great rush. Hearts didn't hesitate for a moment. As the black miasma surged over his opponents, he lifted his hand, the blue card of a Persona summoning-!

"Ramiel!"

Again the angelic being erupted to life, fire roaring to life. There was one drawback to Mephistopheles's miasma. It was flammable. Very very flammable. So with the ring of fire closing around them again-

The miasma clinging to all three of them - Persona included - ignited instantly, and a massive explosion ensued.

Well. They had given it a good go all around.

In the moments before the explosion engulfed him, time seemed to slow again, if only in his own mind. He reflected on what he might have done differently and came up only with the thought that perhaps he ought to have started with Laksmi in place, although... given her own weakness, it was a bit of a gamble. She would take massive damage from Ramiel, but then, spending every turn casting Mediarahan wasn't a terrible idea, either. It was really the miasma that was the main difficulty...

...Ah! Of course. That was it.

"Next time we go up against this guy... Null Curse and Fire Drain."

See how he liked that. This incomprehensible thought may reach Misery; a second incomprehensible thought follows shortly after.

"Gates...!

Then the force of the explosion reaches them.

He hears a small gasp behind him; the goddess of the dance is Weak to Fire, and he imagines she is immediately destroyed, reverting to data that returns to his COMP. Even in destruction, Laksmi's cries were gentle. He hadn't the least idea where Badb Catha had flown off to - had she stayed nearby, perhaps they could have teleported out in a last-ditch attempt to flee.

As for Atsuro himself... At a solidly high level with no elemental weaknesses, an attack of this sort would have left him severely injured but still capable of recovering under normal circumstances.

Too bad his defenses had been completely drained by the Mutation attack.

When the dust has cleared, Atsuro can be found enjoying a dirt nap with more clothing damage than anyone really wanted to see. Fire was awkward like that.

HP: 1/521
MP: 172/195

He stirs with a low moan.

His survival and retained consciousness is less a miracle than it is the work of Endure.

Meanwhile, Misery's only real regret at this point? Not being smart enough to use something fast and powerful enough to just kill the bastard already.

The explosion wraps around her, the feel of flames and pressure ripping through her, sending her flying backwards towards a wall. She smacks into it, feeling something snap in her chest, before crumpling into a heap. Lacking any similar capacity to endure, she is out for the count.

Although she can't help but feel, shortly before she loses all senses, that this defeat is an all too familiar feeling for her.

Edited 2013-01-27 23:59 (UTC)

"Haha..."

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, Hearts was still standing, completely unmarked from the explosion. There was a thin layer of soot covering his mask, but aside from that...

It appeared his Persona had shielded him from the brunt of the explosion, the giant wings having cocooned him from the blast, and the Persona itself absorbing the heat before it could harm its master. Now pleased at having regained the upper hand, Hearts decided to stroll over to the miraculously conscious Atsuro.

"Well well well, you are a stubborn one," Hearts said, nudging Atsuro's shoulder with his boot. "Your bitch friend passed out before you! Wasn't expecting that. Maybe I should just stomp on your neck 'til it snaps."

Hearts's voice was filled with sick glee, and he very gently pressed his boot against Atsuro's neck, as if preparing to crush the windpipe. But... thankfully he moved away, dismissing his Persona with a wave of his hand.

"Nah, I'll leave you here. Mission accomplished and all that. Enjoy dying, or surviving, or whatever happens..."

And with that Hearts left without a backwards glance. Their entertainment value was gone, and therefore, unworthy or any further attention. Hahaha...

"Tch..."

He had survived a demon invasion, a war for demon supremacy, the possible end of the world as he knew it, and as far as he knew, even an encounter with the source of all demons itself. To lose now to some psychopath with an overgrown blowtorch...

He had always believed in the strength of humanity. In some respects, it was his defining trait. Because of his belief, he could follow Kazuya wherever he went, be it as the next Messiah or the Lord of all Demons, trusting that his humanity would win out. Because of his belief, he could have faith in his people to make the right decisions when it came to the matter of controlling demons, to grant them the power that would allow them to progress into a new age of human civilization never seen before. Because of his belief...

Because of his belief, he had befriended a witch. And together, they had reached into the depths of their hearts to pull forth a miracle.

Would his belief die along with him...?

"Don't... call her that................ asshole."

If he hadn't the physical strength to defy what this person stood for, he could still manage the words. Atsuro couldn't know it, intellectually, but he was instinctively aware that in no reality out there did he leave his closest friend behind to fend for his own. Loyalty. Faith. Friendship. Compassion and understanding and trust and all of that gushy sappy stuff. Whether or not they truly held any strength, he could never accept a world where such things were meaningless...

He draws a heavy breath and feels the heavy foot upon his neck. If he is to die, then...

He would come back and haunt this person for the rest of his days.

No, not the time. Wrong thought to have.

If he is to die... it would be in defense of such things. Not out of guilt that he hadn't been able to prevent the slaughter here tonight, not out of visceral anger at the sight of the travesties. He would fight these people because he could not accept the world they desired, a world where lives were meaningful only in proportion to the power that life controlled. He would fight for his belief.

It was that simple.

...It seems a small eternity before the man above him removes his foot and walks away with a chuckle.

When he is gone, Atsuro allows a rattling gasp to escape his body before he lifts his head from its resting place against the ground.

...

He had to get them to safety.

Conquestum Paradisi

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