In the Name of the Almighty (Razgriz x Karameida)


Jibao's goat eyes leered at the Queen, loving the anticipation he saw amidst the fear. Yes, the loathing she held for his kind was legendary...She looked down on them, like they were trash. Like they served no other purpose than to be subjects for her own twisted ends. Letting out a laugh, the Prince just stated "Something the matter, Lilith? How can you be surprised; I am not a Hell-lord for no reason! I'm my father's favored son, the purest of his line! And when you and I couple, my dear, our lineage will be all the stronger!"

Deep beneath the massive pile of broken stone, War's body lay trapped, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth; his breathing was ragged, though his anger still burned, even as his body's will to go on faltered. He could not hear the commotion outside, but his mind still wanted to end this braggart. To shatter his body so badly not even Death could resurrect him. At this, his brother's face flashed to the forefront, the memories of their last encounter surging. "Death...I still must kill him...I will not die here..." he whispered, barely audible and not coherent to anyone enough to make them take notice.

"I...will..."

Those words seemed to emanate from nowhere, the tone chilling as it dripped with tangible fury. Jibao's eyes broke from the Queen, looking around to see where it came from.

"I...WILL..."

At this, massive green clanking chains seemed to materialize, the links rattling as if buffeted by some unknowable force. From between the cracks of the stone pile, white-green light could be seen leaking out. Inside, multiple bonds appeared around the Horseman's body, a few ten thousand of the millions of seals starting to quake and weaken under his growing ire.

"I WILL NOT DIE! NOT HERE!"

Just then, a combination of intense sound - the noise resembling metal being sheared and shattered - and energy burst, flinging the massive boulders across th entirety of the make-shift arena, the pressure nearly overwhelming as War seemed to somehow get a second wind. The skin of his body had darkened to a mahogany-red hue, Jibao forced to his knees as the overpowering energy threatened to suck the life out of him; many of the younger demons near Lilith and Sabine simply could not handle the stress and their bodies imploded, crushed under the sheer weight of the Horseman's anger.

The look on the Horseman's face surpassed even what Sabine had witnessed after the conversation with Daemara, the only noise being a hollow-sounding, echoing growl that left his throat: He was going to annihilate this creature, kill him so far dead. And even though the blade and arm he was given were severely mangled, he still brought them forward...Then just charged howling like a mad beast. Jibao barely had time to dodge, losing an arm as the sheer destructive strike of his swing caused a shockwave to blow out one of the opposite walls completely, leaving a cave nearl a mile deep where it once stood with a massive crater at its mouth...But this was the last attack Jibao would dodge, for War's mechanical fist then dug itself into the Satyr's abdomen, crushing his chest and rocketing him into the opposite stone barrier, coughing up blood as he looked to the Horseman that now loomed over him.

The mangled arm now gripped the sword as well, War's entire physical strength behind this final blow; time for Jibao seemed to slow as the blade came down, his pitiful wail of mercy drowned out in the Rider's bestial roar. The last he felt was the blade cutting into his skull, the force of the strike shattering the blade and badly crushing the prosthetic limb as the wall behind the Satyr and the goatman's body exploded; the winds seemed to reach levels that made even the worst Earth hurricane feel like a gentle breeze, Lilith and Sabine both forced to cover themselves and brace lest they be blown away. For a few minutes, there was nothing but the wind and the sound breaking rock and metal; once it died down, all that stood in the arena was War, his flesh arm holding the now stump of a blade, his teeth still clenched in anger.

And for a few moments, he said nothing, only looking down at the broken weapon; snarling in disgust, he threw it aside before marching resolutely away from the non-existent corpse of the Satyr King's son. He only made it two steps, however, before he fell to a knee, blood coughing up and out of his mouth; seemed the current power surge he just experienced did some unexpected self-inflicted damage, his good arm coming up to clutch the horribly mangled mass of metal and bone that was his new arm. The only connections being the last few wires that were spliced to his existing tendons.
 
Lilith :: Sabine ​

Lilith clenched and un-clenched her jaw as Jibao once again promised to impregnate her. A shudder of revulsion passed through the Succubus body at the thought. "I...." she started to say but stopped. Was there no way to get out of her bargain with him? Her mind frantically sought out idea's and inspiration "Uh...." she started again, hoping something would happen. However, nothing did and she was faced with the horrible reality she would actually have to mate with that thing. "For fucks sake. What a mess, what a horrible, terrible, awful, mess. How could he lose?" she thought to herself bitterly. "It...seems that...J-JIbao has..." she started to say, forcing the words out as she went along, not believing she was actually saying it. "earned my f...favors....for the night.." she said practically gagging as she clung onto the railings tightly.

Sabine was the first one to notice the energy leaking out. She gazed at the pile of rocks intently for several moments before a small smile appeared on her lips. "He is alive...I knew it." she thought, her hands still clasped in front of her chest. She felt his anger and power wash over her skin and a small shudder passed through her, adoring the fear that he invoked as well. Her hands came to grip the railing as well when War erupted from the fallen rocks, attacking Jibao like a man possessed. She felt excitement stir in her form as she watched him fight. "It exceeds everything that I thought. He's the perfect subject for me...." she thought as she held on to the metal poles, idea's running through her head, designs and upgrades on a scale she'd never been able to go before because none of her other subjects could handle it. But he could, she was certain he could handle anything and everything she could do to him. "Amazing." she breathed out.

Had Lilith not been holding onto the rails, she'd have been blown back like everything else. She strengthened her grip a relieved smile on her lips. "Thank whatever lord or god did this." she thought feeling the dread drop from her chest. Her smile of relief turned into one of vindictive satisfaction as War killed him."You certainly took your time, War." she said as the smoke and debris cleared, revealing his still standing form. "Now, lets get that arm fixed up." she said with a little smile. Sabine rushed down to where he was, stopping hesitantly a few feet away before approaching him and placing her hands on the destroyed prosthetic. "It seems I was vastly misinformed about your power but I managed to collect some very valuable information from your fight. I have a design in mind that I think will suit you much better." she said helping him up.

It wasn't long before the technician had War strapped back to the operating table. Clucking her tongue she began to cut the wires connecting it to his body and removed the unrecognizable prosthetic limb from his person. She wrinkled her nose at the thing and tossed it into a pile of scrap parts. When she had finished she disappeared from sight, though the sounds of her shuffling and moving around could still be heard, along with some unrecognizable muttering. When she emerged she had an armful of materials, which she dumped onto a nearby table. After that she began to slowly assemble a prosthetic limb around his frame. Every so often she'd take off from the table to run off and grab other supplies and materials. She was intently focused on the construction of the limb, her brows furrowed in concentration, she didn't talk to the horseman during the "operation" only making mental notes to herself and off-handed comments about something she'd need to grab. The process was long and arduous but slowly it started coming together in design and power as she worked in special materials to strengthen the prosthetic more.

An indeterminate amount of time passed before she straightened up and looked at the completed limb. "This should last you longer and hold up better." she said looking at it. "Before I let you off though, there is just one more thing I want to add...." she said trailing off. Turning on her heel she walked back off " Where did I put that stone?" she murmured to herself as she disappeared. Some time later she came back with a single item in hand, an odd looking stone. "This might hurt a bit but...it'll be worth it." she said a little too happily. Placing the stone in a little hallow at his wrist, she began to chant the outer rim of her irises turning a shocking blue. The inside of the stone began to glow, the same blue as her eyes before slowly shifting to an intense red as she bonded the stone with him. Bright red runes traveled up the length of his prosthetic and over his shoulder stopping at his neck. The Runes on his skin began to leak blood as she continued. After what seemed like an eternity, the technician sighed, her eyes going back to normal. The stone however, continued to glow that same red color. "Well, thats done." she said stretching her body out. She unstrapped him and took a step back "I hope this one lasts you longer. If you do damage or destroy it, I can fix it and perhaps upgrade it some." she said fairly certain she might not see him again. War, going to a Succubus for aide on his own? "Yeah right." she thought.
 

War was fairly weak by this point; though more of Death's seals had been shattered, a great deal more remained. And this alone meant that his endurance would be quite limited, and would only be truly restored once he got his sword and Ruin back. Even now, his face was twisted into a grimace of pain; though at least now he wasn't quite as howling mad as before. With the twisted limb removed, he watched as she rebuilt it. Panel by panel, wire by wire, the limb was restored to full working order.

Stronger, better, more resilient. More able to deal and receive damage.

And once she finished, War sat up in the chair; this time, the metal was bonded more strongly to the bone, allowing for more assurance to the integrity of the limb. Flexing the metallic fingers a few times to make sure that it was indeed, he said nothing as she asked to have him return if anything went wrong. Leaving the adoring tech to her work and dreams, only saying in parting:

"Don't rely on seeing me again, wench.".


Aenea​

Meanwhile, above ground, Death and the Senshi remnants traveled by stolen boat to the island that was often referred to by mortals as the home of Circe. Oddly enough, it was one myth where they actually had most things right; though unlike later stories told, she did not destroy the island or even leave. She merely used her magical proficiency to ensure that no one else would bother her after the hero Odysseus landed here.

"We're close...Hopefully with any luck, her wards will have kept her hidden enough to where neither Angel nor Demon would be able to find her." he explained; he had already told them of a way to get more information about everything. And how they might go about making sure that they could end this before War might have a chance to return. To do so, they would need to locate and permanently seal War's cursed blade. The nexus of the Red Rider's power and perhaps his only vulnerability, and Death was hoping the person being sought could lead them to its whereabouts.

But of course...Such a person necessarily took safeguards and precautions to prevent unwanted intrusion. And this particular individual was never keen on visitors.

However, as they might approach the barren-looking island...Death noticed a lack of protection around it. Even the true nature of it, formerly a lush paradise that only looked desolate and unforgiving, now in fact looked like it had been ransacked and destroyed. Death could feel the revolting energies: There was a struggle, a huge one...And though she was good, her chances of actually succeeding in fending off a full assault were slim to none. A thought that made his non-existent stomach fall flat out of his gut; if they'd managed to capture her of all people, then getting to where they needed to be would prove even more difficult. And once the boat landed ashore, he was all too quick to say:

"Setsuna...I apologize if I come across as pushy, but I urgently need you and your comrades to find Circe. Head to the center of the island; I will do what I can to unlock any seals that impede our progress. If Circe will be anywhere, it's where her magical energies are most closely tied. Her home will be the only place that she can ward most effectively. You'll recognize her house when you get there; and we must take care to search every inch."
 


Jupiter stared at the water as it hit the side of their boat while they traveled to an island as per Deaths instructions. Thus far, they had not been informed of who they were supposed to meet, all they knew was this person could supposedly help them. Her eyes traveled over to the front of the boat, where Pluto had been standing during nearly the entirety of their sea voyage. The eldest Senshi had her hands braced against the sides as she gazed ahead of them even though she could not see. After a moment Jupiter shook her head and continued to gaze into the inky black water. Pluto trusted him and he certainly did help them back then, against War. Had he not been there, the three of them and what was left of the cosmos would have surely been torn asunder. She thought back to her fight with the monster that had been the red rider, the memories causing a cold chill to travel down her spine. Unthinkingly she hugged herself and rubbed her arms to ward off the sudden cold as she thought. She was a Warrior and had fought innumerable monsters and countless strange beings to protect her friends and world but never before had the blood lust been so palpable, so all consuming. At the time she hadn't had the luxury of being able to honestly react to any of it, they had barely even had the time to act at all. But afterwards, her body had shaken in fear and the tremors had not subsided for days.

She opened her clenched fist and looked at it, even now, she still shook when she recalled that beast. Sighing she clenched her fist again. "Pluto seems as sure of herself as ever and Saturn...its hard to tell with her...but I..." she started thinking before trailing off. "I, what?" she mentally replied to her unfinished thought. No answer came. Frustrated she let out a louder sigh and let her head droop, her eyes closing as she pondered nothing at all. She could see no possible end to this hell that had been wrought, she wasn't even sure why she was still even fighting. The world was dying. Slowly, sure but dying nonetheless and she sincerely doubted that a single being was going to give them the answers they required to fix all of this.

She had lost her faith and will, she felt like a hollow vestige going through the motions. "What am I still here for?" she mentally asked herself again. She had asked this question so many times over the years, she couldn't even count but she still had no answer to it. "I don't know why I'm fighting but neither do I ever consider just giving up." she thought a little bitterly to herself as the boat swayed in the water. Lifting her head a bit she stared out blankly across the water.

Jupiter had hated these moments of stillness in their lives, it left her too much time to think. It was easier, so much easier to just lose herself in the motions of battle. It drowned out her own accusing mind.

Pluto felt the swaying of the ship beneath her as their boat cut through the water quietly. She wondered who this being was that Death sought and who Demons and Angels would also try to seek as well. Pluto couldn't see the Island as they approached it, but even from here she could feel something dark swirling around and from the unease she felt from Death, it boded ill for them and their journey. Before long she felt the boat run on dry land and they quickly disembarked. Before she could ask him anything he was speaking to her quickly and rather urgently, however she definitely caught the name. "Circe?" she thought, honestly surprised. Before she could question further, Saturn spoke up beside her about their heading. "Death say's we'll find her in the center of the island and to hurry." she said, relaying his message. She had thought Circe had been a fanciful legend, which meant that in all likelihood they were on the Island said to be her home, which Pluto always had trouble remembering the name to. She was a little disappointed that she would not be able to see it.

Saturns gaze raked over the defiled island. She wasn't as sensitive to things as Pluto was but you didn't really need to be to know that they might have come too late already. It looked like the land had shriveled up and died, as if poisoned. "I think, our haste might be already too late." she said. "I agree with Saturn here. Whoever it was you thought might be here, if they are still here I very much doubt they are still alive." Jupiter added as she also looked around herself warily. "Hrm.." was the only response they received from Pluto.

"Something feels very wrong with this land, Death. Though from your tone, it sounds as though you already fear that the person we are looking for has met with an ill fate." she thought to him, agreeing with her two companions as she focused on the energies left behind. Nothing concrete came to her but she felt more of the lands magic. "I feel a strong magic, old, something that had become part of the island itself but it feels diminished. I also feel something dark, violent and ancient overlaying that. This whole place feels twisted." she said, her tone clearly troubled. "Well, we shall see with our own eyes before long." she said as they traversed the barren land. Jupiter shot pluto a strange look and shook her head a little."So to speak in your case." she said amused.

The rest of the traveling was done in silence. The world around them became so quiet, they could have heard a bird flapping its wings high overhead, had anything still been left alive to make noise. Time passed for the small group, the minutes ticking by into hours. After a long while, they came to what they suspected was the center for the Island. A large house stood there and normally it would have looked rather grand and splendid but it now looked as if two massive armies had met and fought here. The front doors were hanging open, windows were shattered, the outer part of the house looked as if it had been scorched. Some of the ceiling had fallen in, in several places, chunks of the house were blown out and the land around the house was gouged out with deep scars. "It seems like Saturn was right after all..." Jupiter finally said into the silence.

A little while later they stood inside the destroyed home. The damage they'd seen from a distance had been bad enough but it was several times worse up close. Not only had it looked like an army had fought their way through this place but the stench of decay and rot told them that it had happened quite a long time ago. Furniture was smashed and overturned; if any vegetation had still lived, it no doubt would have already taken over much of the house. But as everything on the island had seemingly died, it meant that nearly everything they saw had been caused during the attack and then left completely alone for only the wind and rain to beat against and while it had happened awhile ago it had not been enough time for them to do any real damage. They silently looked over the home, checking the rooms they could even though they knew nothing could still be alive here. The minutes ticked into an hour before they'd checked the entire house. "I'm sorry." she thought to Death. "Well, Pluto. Isn't it time you tried to see what you can see?" Saturn said speaking up. "I suppose so." she replied on a small sigh. Reaching her hand up she untied the veil from around her eyes; the veil had been given to her by one of the angels to help shut out her heightened ability. Pulling it away she revealed her eye's closed shut with small scars two inches long running from the outer corner of each eye. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes, revealing vivid purple irises, outside of the color and scars, they looked normal. Pluto's eyes however, only look normal when there was something for her to "see", a vision. Otherwise, they looked like the eyes of any normal blind person.

Pluto blinked twice and looked around herself, adjusting to the transition as well as to the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that accompanied every vision. What she saw must have been the house before the home had been destroyed, it all looked much as she expected it to look but was still quite wonderful to actually see. From a different section of the house she heard voices, turning her head she tilted it to the side slightly before heading off to where she'd heard them coming from. Behind her followed Jupiter and Saturn, though they could not see nor hear what Pluto could.

Before long, she arrived at a room where a rather attractive woman was breathing heavily in a chair. Upon closer inspection, she could see sweat beading the womans face and exposed skin. "Damn it..." she heard the woman curse. This must be her, Circe..." Pluto thought to herself, unaware that Death was also watching the scene play out through her eyes. "What in the hell has happened to the world?" she heard circe ask. "How could this have happened?" she asked herself again, she looked exhausted. Pluto furrowed her brows and looked out a near-by window. The grounds around the house were already demolished as much as Saturn and Jupiter had seen, even though the house, as of yet, remained intact. From downstairs an explosion sounded, Circe's eyes widened in shock and she stood up quickly from her chair and ran out of the room. Pluto followed behind to the front of the house where the doors were blown in. "Damn you." Circe cursed angrily. "Knock, Knock..." said a dark voice from the doorway. "Leave me be creatures." she commanded them. "We come with an invitation..." the voice said instead. "I do not care." she responded coldly. "Oh but he does care, very much so. And he's decided that 'no', will not suffice this time." Another harsh voice responded. She saw Circe's knuckles whiten from her grip on the railing. The creatures walked through the destroyed door and looked up at her grinning. "It took the lives of many of us Archdemons but we'll finally secure Circe for our master." the Archdemon said, flashing a twisted grin. "The hell you have." she responded angrily.

Pluto watched the exchange, her brows furrowing a little. "Why would archdemons be here for Circe? Who wants her?" she thought to herself as Circe readied to attack the intruders. She could already tell that Circe didn't stand a chance of winning on her own and with the look on the Sorceress face, she didn't expect to win either. The senshi watched as Circe attacked breaking the brief calm, the battle dragged on all throughout the house. Despite her disadvantage and exhausted state, Circe destroyed many of her would be attackers. However the stronger ones pressed in around her until one of the Archdemons successfully subdued her, pinning her hands behind her back and tying them off with a cloth specifically designed to seal Circe's magic. "To hell with you and your master. Finish me off now or you'll regret it." The woman spat out to her captors. "What a coincidence, thats exactly where he lives and where we are going. Hell." " You'll be begging for death before long." one of the Archdemons added in laughing.

Soon the images of the demon and the house faded away as her world once more was plunged into darkness. Bringing the veil up she re-tied it around her face, concealing her milky white eyes once more. "Well?" Saturn prompted once Pluto had finished re-tying her veil. "Yeah, you've been running around this house like crazy." Jupiter chimed in, a hand on her hip. "It seems she was attacked by Archdemons seeking to take her to their master. I know not if she still lives but she is definitely not here anymore. One of the Archdemons said they were taking her to hell, Death, do you know why?" she said summarizing what she'd seen and heard.
 

When they approached the house, the Horseman could feel the reviling energies...Practically see what happened as if he were there himself. He knew by now that indeed Circe was gone. An inaudible curse left him as he realized that one of the few contacts on Earth which could get them where they needed to be was gone; granted he had others, but they were far harder to reach. And likely tied up with this brand new war raging about; despite the years that had past, the various pantheons chose their own actions to better protect what they held sacred...Or even what they simply didn't want destroyed just because it fell under their domain.

Upon arriving at the house, Death's worst fears were realized: Circe was gone, and further inspection of her home did not turn up a corpse. Which could only mean she was taken...And based on his knowledge, there was only one individual who had continually sought her out.

This came out to be true even as Setsuna began to scry into the past, letting the ambient energies saturate her senses to replicate the events that occurred. Death could see every detail, every little facet that the Senshi of Time perceived. And though the monsters declared who they were, it was all too easy for the Horsemen to recognize them: Archdemons...Some of the worst incarnations of the Dark Prince's armies, the one the human Bible referred to as 'Lucifer'. He watched as they bound her and took her through a portal back into the depths of Hell, as the King liked to refer to it. And though he was often referred to humans as 'the Dark Prince', the truth was Lucifer ruled Hell with an iron fist and a merciless demeanor.

And when Pluto imposed her question, Death was silent for a few moments, gathering the strength to reach out to her again. He hadn't realized being sealed in his own weapon like this would be so draining on him, but he knew very well why Lucifer would take her now. "The one your world calls Lucifer has sought out Circe's audience for some time...And on multiple occasions, as you heard the demon mention, he had sent his strongest to try and take her by force. Death began to explain, adding "He wished to have her for himself, so far reaches his avarice and lust. And as you might guess, Circe is exceptionally powerful for an earthbound arcana master; your planet's tale of the hero Odysseus did little to fully express the true magnitude of her strength. And Lucifer, being a self-proclaimed 'collector', seemed to decide these recent times to be his opportunity to steal her away. The rampant chaos in this world feeds the demons, making them stronger than before."

Even so, this new development was more distressing than ever; unless they found someone else to help them reach the Underworld safely, it would mean one of two options: Either storm the main gates, or literally have these three kill themselves. Neither of which were attractive options, or even sensible; he did have a backup plan, but with the recent outflux of new souls it was going to be difficult to assume in his current state if it would work. He just prayed his earlier message Despair delivered had been received and that she had understood it. It was someone he knew for quite some time, someone he knew all too well who could be very dependable.

"Setsuna, advise your comrades that we will remain here for a time; there is someone I reached out to in the event this did not work. And with the Archdemons having claimed their prize, I doubt we will be seeing them again...."

He was starting to say, but then felt a sudden surge of dark energy; this was not good, that much he knew. It wasn't Archdemons this time, he could tell that much, but he was having difficulty determining the nature of this new presence. And with how heavy the air was getting around them, he could this was a spirit of considerable power. "Damn...It seems we're not alone. Setsuna, you and the others ready yourselves; I fear we might be in for a fight."

Outside, a nearly-naked humanoid beast - skin a deep red color, possessing six arms and four heads mounted atop powerful shoulders and wrists adorned in silver - had descended on the island, creating a rather massive crater on impact before standing up. Nostrils flared as he sniffed the air, the front-facing head grinning as the others looked about. "Yes, Ravana will be pleased once this menace is dealt with; it has been too long since the Devas tasted true defeat. And we can't have *him* interfering, not when we are so close to actualizing our victory over them." it spoke, giving a slight huff as it jumped out of the crater and started running towards the four of them.

"Death! I know you're in there along with your three little whores; stop hiding like a coward and come face me! Ravana demands your head and as one of his strongest warriors, I have come to claim it! I, Patrvarna, give you ten seconds before I collapse half that house and force you out!" the beast shouted as it stood outside the house, flexing his six arms as if to demonstrate the power of his body. Not that it was anything to sneeze at, being who he was had its perks after all.

Death seemed contemplative, knowing all too well what he was being confronted with now. "An asura...This is not good. Not good at all." he muttered; these creatures were beasts of power that rivaled and in some cases bested the gods in terms of strength. Thankfully, they were fewer in number now; his brother War had seen to that, ever since Ravana had threatened the balance one too many times and forced the Horsemen's hand. But that meant many of the ones that remained were the strongest, naturally...Death couldn't kill them all, lest the Balance shift in the opposite direction.

Patrvarna, on the other hand, was not so patient. Extending one arm out, his middle finger and thumb were touching to form a ring, palm facing upward. "Still trying to hide, are you!? I gave you your chance, now choose between being crushed or defeated in battle!" the demon shouted, giving a 'flick' and sending a massive shock of air that would completely level Circe's home; Setsuna and the others had thankfully already emerged, the home they had entered completely wiped away.

Patrvarna smirked, taunting "So good of you to show yourself; I was worried I might have to pick through the rubble to find your host's corpse, Death. I happen to know that you're extremely weak, by the way...Being sealed in your weapon has done you no favors, hasn't it? But don't worry; you can die knowing that Ravana's strongest acolyte has bested you. And should any of these ladies survive the battle, they will know the honor of servicing a god of the Asura realm." He then chuckled, "However, I will be kind enough to offer a deal: Tell your host to surrender your scythe and yourself, and I will let the three of them live. Ravana has enough godly servants, far prettier than these lowly mortals, that he won't miss them."

Death said nothing in return; things were looking grim indeed. And with his current state, he could do virtually nothing to support them. He hadn't expected an Asura to come out and search for him; he figured they would be too occupied warring against the Devas for control of their plane of existence. Even so, he could not back down or retreat...But nor could he let these three perish because he had not given this enough insight. It was a conflict of interests, the likes of which he'd never seen...But there truly was only one option. "Apologies, Setsuna...But this might be where we end our journey...Asuras are exceptionally powerful creatures, and with how we are now, we would be hard-pressed to even damage him. Please...Give him my scythe. Asuras are arrogant, yes, but they're creatures of word. They're too prideful not to be. If you do that, he will leave you and your comrades be."
 


The three eyed the new enemy warily, Pluto tensing at Deaths instructions. "What are you talking about? We can't do that." she said furrowing her brows in a troubled expression. "Forgive me but I feel that is a very unwise course of action." she thought to him pursing her lips as she thought things over. No matter what they did, it would turn out rather bad. They could not fight the Asura but neither could they hand him over. They could not afford to lose the grim reaper, any hope they may have had was with him. "We can not win this on our own, Death." she mentally stated sighing a little. She could feel her companions gazes on her as well as their questions. "We can not fight him. Death wishes for us to hand him over to this being. He assures us they will keep their word and not harm us." she said flatly. A heavy silence hung in the air following her statement. "If we do that, we may as well hand over any and all hope we have of salvaging this mess." Jupiter said, voicing all of their thoughts. "There isn't much you can do, sealed as you are. Handing you over would give us a bit more time to struggle in futility in this disaster and nothing more." she said, matter of fact. "We fought and struggled for the past three years and have accomplished nothing. Learned nothing. Our first answers and leads came when you woke back up." she continued, anger edging her words. "I have no qualms with dying in battle...." she said trailing off and summoning her weapons. "I will do what I can and hold out for as long as I can. You get as far as you are able." she said, not turning to look at them. Ironically, if moon had still been alive all they'd have had to do was tell her and she'd have been gone before any of them could blink.

However before anything could be done or confirmed the Asura bellowed out and charged them, apparently tired of waiting. Jupiter braced her body about to act but before she could move a muscle something came flying from behind them, piercing the Asura on the left side of his chest and sending him flying back. Turning, Saturn and Jupiter saw an impressive looking woman hovering ten feet in the air, she had large back feathered wings, horns and wearing nothing but black cloth with metal accents that just barely covered the most important parts of her anatomy. She was tall, standing at over six feet, easily and built like an amazon, at her side was a scythe that stood taller than she did. "You will pay for your insolence, cur." the woman said. There was no soft or feminine quality to the females tone, it was a cold, hard and flat voice that only added to the overall effect. It was a voice that brooked no arguments and thrummed with unsubtle power. She was a very imposing and intimidating figure. Gripping the snath of her scythe, she dive bombed him, the outer edge of the blade aimed at the beings neck, intending to decapitate him.

The Asura shrieked and rolled to the side and jumped to its feet causing the blade to sink into the earth harmlessly. Patrvarna brought his leg up readying to kick his attackers ribs in, the women however brought her arm up in a defensive posture, lessening the damage the kick did, though it still managed to send her back into a nearby tree with a painful cracking sound. With a grunt she brought her Scythe up in front of her and advanced on the Asura once more with an almost single minded determination. When she was about a foot away, she swung her Scythe at his feet, fully expecting him to jump over it. When he did, she raised the scythe and swung back the other way, cutting deeply into the creatures thigh. He danced back away from the blade glaring at her, a snarl on his lips and his hand placed over the gash "You will not escape alive." he promised her. Not giving an inch the female continued to press him steadily back, striking at his sides with her Scythe and making him fall back even farther. Here and there he'd strike at her but never managed to land a solid hit on her, which only served to further enrage the creature who howled out insults and threats. This went on for awhile until the Asura found himself with his back pressed against a massive tree and unable to proceed back any farther. Swinging her Scythe with greater force she brought it down at an angle intending to slice through his neck and downwards, sensing her intentions, he twisted his body and brought his arms up to protect himself. The blade cut through one of the arms, sticking part way through the next one. The Asura grinned but before he could taunt her, she brought her leg up and kicked him square in the chest, the force toppling the tree behind him and bringing him to his knees with several sickening snapping noises. Without so much as a single millisecond of hesitation, doubt or uncertainty nor words to taunt him with, she removed the blade from the creatures arm and placed the curve of the blade against the back of his neck and pulled with all the strength she had, the blade sliced through the flesh easily. She watched his head roll from his shoulders, stopping in front of her, the body slumping back to the ground.

Turning on her heel she walked over to the group, her sights set on Pluto. Stopping before her she brought her Scythe up and pointed it at the Senshi "You." she stated, her eyes going to the Scythe on her back. "I would ask how you came by that and demand that you hand it over without trouble. A mortal like you should not be wielding Harvester." she said her mouth a thin line.

Jupiter stepped forward, scowling at the newcomer. "And who are you to demand anything from her?" she challenged. "I did not address you, Mortal." she stated casting Jupiter a dismissive glance. "You bitc--" she started saying only to be cut off by Pluto "Thats enough Jupiter." she stated calmly. She could feel her friends angry gaze but was glad when Jupiter didn't say anything else. "Who are you to demand such a thing of me?" she added, repeating what Jupiter had asked. "I am a Reaper. Second in command to Lord Death himself and I will find out how you came by my masters weapon." she said not deigning to give her name to them. "Is she a friend of yours, Death?" Pluto mentally asked him.
 

Death might have not been able to express anything in his current form, but it was clear he was displeased with Pluto's insistence. They might have been human, but they were stronger than they knew; and the Reaper still had no real idea how their bonds would come to affect each other. And it was clear the Asura was not patient; none of them were, being spirits of evil and destruction.

However...He would find himself relieved when he felt a familiar presence: Nythera, one of his direct subordinates and unquestionably the most powerful of what mortals referred to as 'Reapers'. "It seemed Despair managed to deliver it...Perhaps this fool's errand we've embarked on is not over yet." Death commented gratefully, truly glad that she had come. It must have been hard to pull her away from her normal duties, with the massive influx of new souls and all. But she seemed to understand that his message communicated the grave importance of this matter.

And as powerful as the Asuras were...None of them could hold a candle to Nythera, save for Lord Ravana. And it showed as she engaged the god-like beast before her; and though Patrvarna got some hits in...As soon as she had him against the tree, it was over. The deity had no time to even bellow a declaration of revenge, his godly aura flowing into her weapon as it severed his head and forever claiming his essence within its lethal figure.

However...He then realized that he might not have thought everything through; he'd forgotten her protective streak when it came to him and his weapon, not so much out of affection but out strong will and a clear sense of duty. And truth be told, she wasn't wrong; no mortal should ever wield a Reaper's scythe, let alone the one that belonged to the figure that could be (quite accurately) described as their boss and leader. Even so...He didn't need Nythera trying to kill the last hopes humanity had to save their world from complete damnation and destruction.

"Setsuna...It's alright. I promise, she will not harm you; let her have my scythe. It is probably best I describe the situation myself." the Horsemen told her; and though he could tell she did not like it, she did comply and would inform her colleagues of why she was handing him over.

"Hmph, well, at the very least I can thank you for having the sense to---" Nythera began to say as her fingers still curled around the Reaper's personal weapon, but she would freeze as she then heard:

"Nythera...That's enough. Those three are with me, and have been safeguarding me. Please, for my sake, show them proper respect. And for the time being...Do not take the Harvester from Setsuna. I do not know how else her being able to wield me will have affected her."

Her pupil-less eyes widened in shock before going to the Harvester, her tone clearly conveying the surprise, "My-My Lord! What are you doing in there?!" The Reaper paused for a moment before stating "The short version is that I was forced to fight my brother...And wound up in this; I have no idea how this came about, as I did not know I could even enter my own weapon in such a way. It seems that it wished to house my most core essence, allowing myself time to rebuild my strength." Nythera seemed a bit lost, but just said solemnly, "Yes...Your steed's deliverance told me of such circumstances, but I couldn't fathom *him* driving you to such an extent." Placing her hands before herself, she then mouthed soundless words before a white mist seemed to descend over Harvester; before long, she and the Senshi would see Death himself standing before them. Her spell imparted a small reserve of her own massive energy stores, allowing her Master to walk freely for a short time but still leaving Pluto in possession of the weapon.

"Nythera...I appreciate you coming all this way, as well as your dealing with the Asura." Death began, showing his gratitutde even though he knew deep down there was very little she would refuse of him. He then continued on, "But as you know, time is of the essence. I need to find a way to Tartarus, to speak with Hades and gather more information about the condition of Earth...And more importantly, if he knows anything about my brother." This would leave the Reaper woman in silence for a moment, his voice low as he added, "I had hoped to leverage Circe's magic to attain passage, but I'm afraid Lucifer has taken her for his own purposes. I implore you, there of, to grant these three passage to the Underworld; we'll need to make use of Charon's fares."

Bowing his head a little, he then said "I realize that it's not exactly a glorious task, being asked to shuttle living mortals through a realm of death, as I know this...unfortunate outcome....has thrown everything into an inescapable vortex. But it is of dire importance I speak to him...So please, Nythera, can you help me?"
 
Pluto :: Jupiter :: Saturn :: Nythera :: Charon​


Nythera's mouth thinned even more when she was told to return the scythe to the mortal woman and leave it in her possession, a displeased expression briefly registering on her face as she conversed with her Lord. She had put everything instantly on hold the moment despair had shown up and had immediately set out, her mind whirling with questions and though he had answered most she still had several others that were bothering her immensely. However it would seem she would have to wait to have all of them answered as time was of the essence. Her gaze shifted back to the blind warrior "Apologies. I was unaware of the circumstances." she said, both the words and tone sounding very stiff and forced. She did not seem very apologetic, the Senshi decided.

She turned her attention back to Death almost immediately, a small smile appearing on her lips as she bowed her head at his thanks. "Of course my Lord." she said rather humbly. Raising her head she narrowed her gaze slightly at the mention of Circe's name and pursed her lips in contemplation at the news. Circe's help would've been invaluable, Lucifer had long sought her but Nythera never thought she'd actually fall to him, she didn't think it would be wise to leave her in his possession but it wasn't a priory at the moment. She opened her mouth to make a note of it to her Lord but stopped short, shocked when he bowed his head to her. "But of course my Lord! If that is what you wish then I will do everything in my power to aid you." she said sounding just the tiniest bit flustered as she bowed her head to him, Jupiter would have sworn she saw the imposing figure blush, however when she raised her head her face was just as businesslike as before. "I see no problems with attaining passage for these three." she added nodding her head to herself as she thought about what needed to be done. What they were planning to do was very against the rules but if Death asked it, she would see it done. Sometimes needs outweigh rules, not often but sometimes and this seemed like one of those situations. She gave pluto a detailed outline of what was required of them before leaving to take care of whatever it was she had to do, though she looked very reluctant to leave her Master in the hands of humans.

"So. That was one of your underlings, huh? Are they all so.....protective?" Pluto asked death neutrally as they followed Nythera's instructions. Though before he could actually answer, Jupiters voice rang out from behind them "Are all of his followers such insufferable rips?" "Hmmm" was Saturns only input, though the noise sounded oddly amused. Pluto tried not to smile and mostly succeeded "I imagine one would need to be.....detached to be a reaper." she said trying to remain impartial. "Uh-huh." she said not sounding convinced."I had the distinct feeling the bitchiness was due to something other than her reaper work..." she said under her breath before trailing off and lapsing into silence. Pluto pretended not to hear her, sometimes Jupiter was more observant than people gave her credit for.

"So, whats with having us walk to this specific location? Are we going to walk into the underworld?" she asked as they continued to travel. "I imagine she just needed time to make preparations in order to take us there without killing us first." Saturn said. "That doesn't exactly answer why we're walking somewhere though...." she muttered. "Either we need to be in a specific location, or the specific location makes it easier or..." she said trailing off "Or?" Jupiter prompted "Or she just thought it would be amusing to make us walk somewhere. Those are the only real options available at the moment, you can ask her when we get there." she added. Admittedly, the only reason she listed that last option was because she was uncharacteristically amused with Jupiters animosity towards Nythera.

When they reached the location, they found the imposing woman there already and waiting. "Preparations are complete." she said. "Was there any particular reason you had us walk here?" Jupiter asked her with a hand on her hip. "Its easier. I can do it from most locations but this is the easiest place to jump from." she said in her usual cold tone. "Bitch was amusing herself..." Jupiter thought "I see, needed to make it as easy as possible, huh? Don't strain yourself too much attempting this then. I'd feel bad if you pushed yourself too far helping us." she said with an overly sweet smile instead which earned her a glare from the reaper woman. "Make sure not to move around too much, otherwise I can't guarantee you'll make it there in one piece." she added glancing at the largest Senshi.

Before the back and forth continued, Nythera closed her eyes and began to chant in a language Pluto had never heard before. As she did, the air around them hummed and shimmered as the world around them faded away and the solid land beneath them vanished. A sickening and dizzying sensation over-took the three human women as they were taken from the Earth. It was such an intense feeling they thought they were going to be sick everywhere or pass out but before either happened, they felt something solid beneath their feet once more and the sick, dizzy feeling slowly receded. When Jupiter and Saturn's vision finally cleared they found themselves in a place that was unlike anything else they'd ever seen before but oddly, it fit exactly what they'd also sort of imagined.

"These are the three?" a voice sounded behind them. "Yes, Charon." Nythera answered though she never turned to look who it was. "I see..." he eyed the living women speculatively before bowing to the side and revealing a boat. "This way then just remember our deal, Nythera." he hissed out, to which she merely nodded her head. "Get on and don't move around." she said to the Senshi.
 
Death::Charon::Nythera::Hades​

Death kept his silence; he knew Nythera would be able to handle herself, even as Jupiter made her displeasure known. He knew she did not have the type of sight needed to perceive the most concentrated vortexes of ethereal energy, the kind that one such as his second-in-command could manipulate. It was only through using this type of method that mortals even stood a chance of surviving their fleshy shells on the trip into the 'afterlife'.

If he had brows, he would have raised them as they questioned the apparent hostility of Nythera towards them supposed his underlings could be seen as 'protective'; though truthfully, he felt it was more they held such pride in their duties that they wanted to perform at their very best. And the female reaper was no exception to this. "Nythera's quite right; there's a very good reason mortals don't visit the underworld realms, as your people call them. So if you three would be so kind and keep your focus." he then requested of them. Unlike them, he had no qualms upon 'jumping' to the next plane...Landing next to a dear old friend of his.

"Charon. Good to see you again." the Horseman stated, the robed figure giving a slight bow, "Sire...You honor me with your presence, as always." Death gave a small nod, producing five golden coins that each had a hollowed square in the middle. "M'lord...You needn't pay..." Charon began to object, but Death took the figure's bony hand and placed them in the palm of the open fingers. "I know, but I want to, old friend. You have a thankless task, Charon; it is the least I can do." Charon just stood there for a moment, eyeing the fee before muttering "You have my gratitude, sire..."

Once everyone was onboard, Charon grasped the large oar at the back of the boat and pushed off, letting the small craft be taken by the current. The air around them was still...Dead, the only contrast the slight crimson hue coming off the walls of the surrounding chasm. Not that anyone could have expected much less; though if one looked over the edge, they would see shadows moving beneath the dark, red-tinted waters. "You all probably know this, but please don't lean over the sides of the boat...Terrible things lurk beneath us. Things that would love to take mortals under the surface, to do with as they please. And they're quick..." the boatman cautioned; he figured none of them would be stupid enough to do so, but he'd had his fair share of those few that did even though mortals rarely came down to the underworld without already being dead. And once taken, there was no saving them.

In any event, the trip went without incident, and the group disembarked. "Thank you again, Charon...Be well." Death remarked, Charon nodding silently and asking, "Shall I wait? I'm told the next group won't arrive for some time...And you three will need a way back." Death pondered for but a moment before replying, "Wait ten minutes...If we do not return by then, then do not wait up. We will catch the return trip." And with that, Death led the group with Nythera by his side towards the Underworld; several souls could be seen wandering beside them, aimless and lost as they wondered why they were here.

However, their next big surprise would come as they were met with a large, vicious-looking dog. A beast that served as one of the many guardians of the underworld's gates, and though it seemed to ignore Death and Nythera, it viewed the Senshi as unwelcome visitors, its massive figure tensing, each of its three heads baring its teeth. And with limbs that made Earth's skyscrapers look like pinecones in comparison, it was not something to be trifled with. Death paused, readying to put the beast to sleep before a loud voice boomed,

"CERBERUS! DOWN!"

The giant dog gave a low growl, its six eyes focused intently on the three mortal women before backing up a few paces, the ground shaking as it stood aside. And as if by some unseen force, the gateway it was guarding opened, the twin drab slabs grinding as they parted to reveal a dark and foreboding palace in the center of an otherwise blank and empty void. It would be quite a walk, but the information this person held could be extremely invaluable.

"That is where we need to go...Hades will be expecting us." he then stated nonchalantly, moving forward. It was almost like the myths described: It was empty, devoid of much except for the rocky formations that served to bring some form of difference within this realm. Shadows danced in every corner, spirits shuffling along beneath them as they traversed the land-bridge that seemed to appear before them out of thin air...Evidence that this god was somewhat unwelcome to visitors.

However...When they approached the main palace and entered, they found the ruler of this place sitting comfortably, a not-unattractive woman by his side. "Well now, Death...Usually it is I that goes to you, but I will admit I am pleased to see you are well, all things considered. My informants told me of your encounter with your brother War...Unfortunate you had to clash with him in such a manner" Hades commented, Death motioning with a hand, "You can thank Nythera for that; though my time that I can be unbound currently is minimal. So I'll cut right to the chase: My brother, the situation with the souls on Earth. I need to know everything you know, for it is a matter of urgency."

Hades stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Yes, I can see why you would need to know such things...However, I will tell you that most of my information is incomplete, especially surrounding War...But I can tell you that he has returned. And he was last seen taken by Lilith's accomplices..." At this, the Horseman seemed to falter; already, War had broken from his confines. He knew the Red Horseman was tenacious...But this was not good, and there was little doubt that his brother would be seeking out his sword again. "War has returned...Are you sure, Hades?" Death asked, the god of death only giving a small bow of his head and replying, "I would not make light of something as dire as that."

The death deity's pupil-less eyes then traveled to the three mortals and Nythera, a small smile on his face. "Oh dear, how rude of me. You'll have to forgive my lack of manners. Would you all care for something to eat? I imagine traveling from the mortal plane to a realm where only souls should exist is taxing."
 



Things were oddly quiet in the underworld as their trek went uninterrupted becoming almost boring. The only scare they had was when Cerberus made his presence known, only Jupiter reacted then, jerking back she was about to summon her weapons when a low, dark and commanding voice ordered the beast to back down. "Relax Jupiter, Cerberus is a guard dog, of sorts." she said to her quietly as they moved past the massive beast. "Ahh...right.." she muttered under her breath, eyeing the dog warily as they began walking. Taking a deep breath she un-clenched her fists, forcing herself to relax.

It wasn't long until they came to their objective, the Lord of this Realm and the owner of the voice that commanded Cerberus, Hades. Next to him, sitting comfortably was his bride, Persephone. As Hades and Death talked, Jupiter leaned in close to Pluto. "Hey, wasn't persephone supposed to have been tricked by Hades or something? If so, why does she look so content? Maybe even happy?" she asked the elder Senshi. "You know that Myth?" she said in response, quite surprised. "I only remember bits and pieces of it." Jupiter admitted shrugging. "Well. There are a few variations on it..." Pluto said trailing off and shrugging her shoulders a little bit. "I see." Jupiter responded. Before their conversation could go any farther though, Hades attention moved to them, asking them a question. "Uhm.." Jupiter responded uncertainly. She didn't want to be rude but she didn't think she could stomach any food just yet, luckily Pluto spoke up saving her from answering. Her voice was clear and calm as she bowed her head to him respectfully "I thank you for the consideration but we would have to decline, it seems time is even shorter than we originally thought. I do not wish to delay us any longer than necessary." she finished, Jupiter looked slightly relieved.

"When you said Liliths accomplices, were you referring to the Succubus, Lilith?" the blind warrior then inquired. "That would be correct." Persephone said, finally speaking, her voice was melodic and feminine with a slightly sultry undertone. "Odd..." she said trailing off before picking up her train of thought once more "Admittedly, I don't know War very intimately but...he does not seem like one to indulge in....those kinds of vices..." she said choosing her words with care. Persephone laughed in amusement, a smile on her lips "Oh, you can be assured, if he's with Lilith, its not because he desires a tryst with her or her Succubi." she said with certainty. "Lord knows how many eons Liliths been desiring that." she added with a grin. "But that does leave the question of what exactly he is doing in her company..." Persephone said, growing serious. "Is it that big of a deal for him to be with her?" Jupiter asked furrowing her brows a bit. "Unfortunately, it is. Lilith had to offer him something very good to keep him there complacently. I fear that whatever it is he is doing there, it does not bode well for your mission." she answered the red warrior solemnly. "How long has he been with her, do you know?" The youngest senshi then asked, until this point, Saturn had remained silent, observing the conversation only. "Roughly a week or two, in Earths time. Plenty long enough to do and attain any number of things." the Queen answered with a slight nod of her head.

At this, Jupiters eyes widened ever so slightly "He's been back that long already?" she said surprised, to which the Lord of the realm merely nodded his head. The news troubled them all. "Less and less time..." the blind Senshi murmured shaking her head, a frown on her lips. Even Nythera seemed troubled, having a hard time grasping the fact that War had managed to break free of her Lords spell so quickly. She knew that War was incredibly powerful but he'd never been an equal to Death, none of the Horseman had been. So to learn that he'd broken free in record time was shocking to the female reaper. "So the only reason it wasn't noticed sooner is because he's been with Lilith this whole time...." Nythera said with a scowl, trailing off. Again, Hades nodded his head. "I believe we should return with all haste." Pluto said gravely. "I apologize for the intrusion of me and my comrades and thank you for your information." she said bowing to the rulers of the underworld, conveying her gratitude. Jupiter, Saturn and Nythera nodded their heads and Death gave his own farewells before the group headed for the door.

"Ah, I'd nearly forgotten...." Persephone's voice rang out behind them causing the group to pause and turn towards her curiously. The beautiful womans eyes were on Jupiter a faint smile on her lips "I would like to clarify one thing for you, I was not tricked by my husband." she said. Jupiter looked confused for a few moments before comprehension dawned in her eyes and her cheeks reddened considerably "You...uh, heard me?" Jupiter asked. "No, not really but...I could get an idea of what you were talking about. Considering you were staring right at me with a confused expression and talking with Pluto there." she replied grinning a little wider. "Ah-hah....I...uh, sorry.." she muttered growing a little redder. "Its fine. Those greeks certainly had a flair for the dramatic. What did they call it again?" she asked falling silent as she thought " "The Rape of Persephone"? I believe?" she said, at her side Hades visibly grimaced. "Well, my mother certainly wasn't happy...but the short of it is, I was out and I fell ill. Hades did take me down here but only so he could save me. He nursed me back to health and by the time I recovered, I did not want to leave." she said with a wry smile.

At this, Hades placed a hand over Persephones "Persephone had many suitors outside of myself but Demeter was unwilling to part with her daughter." Hades said, this time Persephone herself grimaced."So to that end, she hid her away from everyone." he continued. "But you managed to find her?" Jupiter asked, at this the corner of Hades mouth lifted in a half smile "There is little that can be hidden from me once I have a mind to know about it." he replied. "At any rate, I had plans to approach her myself with my offer but when I found her, well, as you heard, she'd fallen extremely ill. I think its the only time I reacted solely out of emotion, I took her without a seconds hesitation or thought." he finished, his wife placing her free hand over his own. "And thats what happened." she said, looking back to the group. "I see.. Jupiter said trailing off not entirely sure what to really say next. Should she thank them? That seemed ridiculous but then so did just about any other reply one might normally say. "Well, uh, thank you for your time.." she said uncertainly, noting the Queens amused expression as they exited the throne room. "Let us hope, we have not missed the boat." Nythera murmured into the silence as they hurried back to Charon.
 
Episode 8: Body and Soul​


Death withheld a bemused chuckle; it was oddly satisfying, seeing her correct a mortal assumption about that tale. If there was any that didn't deserve the bad reputation he was given, it was most gods of the 'underworld'. True, Hades had been smitten with the lovely spring goddess for some time...But being who he was, he found himself unable to seek her counsel for some time.

And it didn't help that Demeter was overly protective; she didn't have the best view of Hades, but begrudgingly accepted her daughter staying with him and becoming his Queen. And unlike the tale told of her having eaten pomegranate seeds that forced her to reside for a third of the year, she simply chose to remain by his side. For the sheer act of kindness that most of the other 'Olympians' thought him incapable of.

Needless to say, he did not blame Jupiter for her ignorance; it wasn't like she was there. She might have been guilty of many things, but knowing the truth of Hades and Persephone's relationship was not one of them.

And when they approached the boat, Charon would be there, having waited as instructed. "Sire...That was quicker than expected. Is all well? Relatively speaking, of course" the boatman asked, Death replying "I wish it, old friend...Sadly, it seems our task has grown ever more dire."

And after a short pause, he clarifed, "War is among us."


Few admitted it and fewer still knew it to be true, but at its most basic level conflict was synonymous with hunger. Hunger for destruction, hunger for sustenance. For power, wealth, anything and everything. Desire, not material possession, was the root of all evil.

And for a certain Horseman, he was becoming quite fat from his vassal's hunger. Oh, the impure thoughts that clouded her mind could be described by him in only two words.

Simply delicious.

Her hate, her pain, her despair...It all drove her farther and farther from the pure path she had been on. He had spent his idle time, a metaphysical representation of himself floating within the void of his own scales, delving into her deepest thoughts. All the adventures she had been on, all those joyous times she had shared with the other Senshi. Every time she and her mother had faced annihilation and emerged triumphant.

And her mother, oh her mother...Was such a DELIGHTFUL button to push. Especially since it would bring to her mind a very particular someone that pervaded her every fiber, every last waking moment of her conscious being.

That raging demon that shattered her past life, the mad butcher of a 'brother' that tore apart everything she had lived and fought for so carelessly and so frustratingly easily...

The Horseman named War.

Famine, however, couldn't care less about any of that; he just thought back to Venus...Taking her was a divine experience in its own right. His body had been broken during his fight with Jupiter, a smile forming along his crook-toothed mouth as he thought of her too. That amazon-like build, those fat mounds on her chest...He was getting excited just thinking about it. She had denied him, as he knew she would; her pride would never let her fall without significant effort...But claiming her would have been its own treat...

And if he did get out, he would see about giving it another shot...A thought that brought him great glee, a low laugh echoing through his vassal's mind.
 


Famines vassal sat near a window, her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she stared unseeingly out of it. Dark Lady as she was called, sat un-moving in her spot as if completely lifeless, her mind remorselessly playing the same exact memory in perfect clarity non-stop. It had been three years since he'd been banished from their world; but banishment was not severe enough for her, the bastard deserved a permanent exile in death. Nothing else would suffice for her. For three years Famine had dripped poison and malice into her heart and mind, he had drowned her in hatred until not even a shred of her former self remained. The woman finally stirred in her chair, taking a deep breath before standing up. His voice whispered to her again, telling her to go hunting for souls once more. This time her orders were to hunt something stronger than the men, women, children and lesser demons she had been killing, she was to hunt something that might finally release him.

The woman decided to hunt a monster known as a demonic chimera, a creature with a multitude of demons life forces all twisted and bound together. Demons souls fused together better, giving them the appearance of a whole creature rather than a thing made up of a hodgepodge of monsters parts. Demons souls were also stronger by nature. Such a twisted set of souls would be perfect for hopefully releasing Famine. It did't take her long to locate the monster as it rampaged over the damaged earth killing everything in its wake like every other creature had been doing since Wars descent. A razor chain whip began forming in her clenched fingers as a sinister energy enveloped her. Without pausing she drew her hand back and struck out, the whip biting into the creatures side and sending it crashing into a nearby building with a loud shriek.

The beast emerged from the wreckage moments after disappearing in it, blood pouring from the wound she'd inflicted on him. The beast charged after her with a sword in hand, jumping over the beast she struck out with her whip again, slashing the beast across its back. It let out another shriek as its scorpions tail slammed into her, cutting across her hip and stomach before she was hurled through a stone wall. Reaching out, she pulled herself upright, the dark energy that had enveloped her began to drip into her wounds like flowing black blood, letting out a horrid hissing sound at the same time as the injuries closed up. Stepping out of the rubble she resumed her attack on her target, she watched it jump up and stretch out its leathery wings several feet above her. Drawing her arm back once more she lashed out with her weapon and watched as it connected with the outer edge of its wing, jerking her arm to the side the bladed whip sliced horizontally across the wing span towards the creatures body and at the last minute she shifted so the whip sliced up vertically shredding through the large bones easily. The creature plummeted downward, the female lashing out once more as she took off its unarmored arm right before it hit the earth sending up dirt and debris into the air in thick clouds, obscuring her vision.

Hearing a rush of wind, she jumped back but not before the blade of the beast cut across her thighs, the wound fairly deep despite her efforts to avoid it. But still she stood once more, warm blood flowing from the wounds and down her legs. The black energy began to drip into the injuries once more, the sound of sizzling and singeing flesh again could be heard as the wounds closed up. Making a stabbing motion with her hand, the whip sped towards the monster, before impaling it in its exposed midsection, the serrated edges catching onto muscle, skin and organs. She ripped her weapon from it, the creature stumbling forward from the pull. The woman attacked again, her whip taking off one of its legs as it crashed to the ground. She watched it struggle to get up, her whip taking off the remaining arm before swinging it to take off its tail, though it was no threat anymore she still continued to lash out with her whip, taking off skin and muscle with every lash. When finally she stopped, her and the surrounding area was covered in blood and skin, the chimera barely breathing in the center of the mess. "The soul is yours for the taking..." she murmured trailing off as she took out a very familiar set of scales. Holding them out in front of her she watched as the scales drew out and absorbed the monsters twisted souls.

The woman watched, waiting to see if it would be enough.
 

Famine knew this next creature would be no easy feat to deal with; demons alone were troublesome for most warriors, but ones made of multiple souls of demons? It was almost impossible to think about; the Chimaera were a rare breed, but powerful. War engines designed to destroy and devour, shock troops that could be made and disposed of as the need would reflect. However...For them, he had told her because he was certain this would free him. Demon souls weren't all that potent, but a Chimera would provide thousands in a matter of moments.

He had hoped the overflow of so many souls at once would give him the energy to liberate his body from this cursed prison; and when she did locate the beast, he was elated. "Oh good, you found it! Now kill it! Kill it dead and let me feast on its essence!" he commanded her, his vassal already going to work.

Good, good! Her power was already forming admirably, the essence of regeneration she was borrowing from him serving to rapidly heal the otherwise grievous wounds cutting her body up like a Christmas turkey. The chimera fought with its typical ferocity, but her skill, agility and resistance to injury and the otherwise lethal poison in its tail would ultimately prove to be its undoing.

And there it went, Dark Lady systematically dismembering the colossal monstrosity until it would fall over near-dead. Its limbs and tail lay scattered among the ruins of their battlefield, blood pouring from its wounds and staining the ground a nice shade of bluish-red.

"Excellent, excellent! With this, we should easily have enough souls! And then my dear, you will have the power you need to crush War beneath your heel!" he declared rather brashly, seeing through the 'eye' in the center of his scales. "Oooh and it just got done feasting; there's so much vitality in this one it's almost ready to burst! You've done well...Very well!" he squealed, the scales creating a vortex that seemed to pull the creature's disfigured body toward it a little.

Before long, orbs of black light rose from its figure, the Chimaera taking its final breath as the multitude of souls would flow out from it and into the brass piece. A veritable cyclone of spirit energy formed before it, a black tornado that as quickly vanished as it had appeared...Before long, the scales themselves covered in a layer of translucent dark energy, the scales vibrating rather intensely before the motion and heat would end up fading away...

And they would both see that nothing had happened. Famine was stronger, as was Dark Lady...But he was not freed.

"How....There were so many! That should have been more than enough!" Famine shouted rather angrily; just how much had Jupiter weakened him when she shoved his scales into his mouth? "Oooh, Jupiter, you've been such a bad girl! When I do get out, I'm going to have my way with you until your mind breaks in three!"

Dark Lady would then hear a sigh, "Well...Dark Lady, it seems we still have more souls to collect. But at the very least, you should feel a good deal stronger now. Our bond will see to that much...Mmm, yes. Quite the powerful butcher you've become; naught but the strongest demons will have any chance of besting you."
 
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Mercury frowned and let out a small sigh as she looked around herself. "Well?" she heard Neptune say behind her. Flipping the small see-through screen up she shook her head "I'm not picking up on anything, I don't think he's on this world." she said, frustration edging her words. They had been trapped within this realm for an unknown amount of time and in that time they had traversed many worlds, Mercury guessed that these were all the worlds that the horseman had taken as his. Exactly how many worlds had fallen to Conquest? She wondered. Though they had covered a lot of ground, they had not yet run into the ruler of the realm himself, not even once. Was he purposely avoiding them? Or was this place really that large? Mercury guessed the latter, someone like him would not purposely avoid a fight, especially with ones who had helped seal him away.

He would not be pleased and was either waiting for them to find him or he was also actively hunting them. At the very least they could still use all of their abilities here, they had been forced to the moment they'd been dropped into this world but it was not with the horseman, instead they had fought mindless followers of Conquest. Each world they visited held some form of life and all of them swore allegiance to their enemy. "It feels like we've been here ages and in all that wandering we've still not found him, what the hell?" Uranus said taking a heavy breath. "I had thought we'd run into him a lot sooner than this, doesn't help that this place is a lot more massive than I ever could have imagined and we can't even be sure how long we've even been trapped here." Neptune said, a troubled expression on her face.

A long moment of silence followed this and in this silence, Uranus spoke "Are we absolutely certain that he was actually sealed in here with us?" her question was met by an even heavier silence. Mercury was almost certain that it had succeeded but....she would have liked some kind of proof that they had stopped him. That was the biggest reason she was seeking him out so actively, she wanted to see with her own two eyes that he was no longer a threat to their world. "I'm fairly positive he is here somewhere...all we can do is keep looking." Mercury finally said looking around the area to make sure nothing was alive near them "I wonder how the earth has fared...." the blue warrior thought to herself trailing off "I hope every one is alright...." she thought again, trailing off once more. Shaking her head she looked at her two comrades, they would need to be moving soon; no place was truly safe for them, not when every life form was their enemy. "We should probably get moving." Mercury finally said taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

The senshi gripped their weapons a little tighter and started moving once more in search of their target.
 
How long has it been?

Even the Rider of the White Horse had no idea; and with him now inside his own crown, he had no way of summoning the magnificent steed that would have carried his form to slaughter these three little tarts for their insolence. His robes, before tattered and destroyed by the Senshi's combined assault to seal him within the various subdimensions he'd controlled, were somehow made anew. Indeed, it was as if nothing had happened to him physically; save the lack of his ornamental headpiece, he looked exactly as he had upon arriving to the Earth.

Thankfully, each of the Senshi couldn't go very far; and from what he'd gathered, they'd been traveling together. Smart...But also stupid, as it would make the task of killing them much easier. And the subjects of each 'world' - each one inside the crown more acting like a portal to visit each planet itself - were all too happy to point out which direction they'd gone.

After all...If they hadn't figured it out by now, these were all worlds he ruled with an iron fist.

And now...After all this time of traveling from world to world, he'd finally found where they'd gone to. He could tell they were looking for him; well, he wouldn't want to be rude and keep them waiting.

Taking his axe in hand, he gave a mighty sweep and cut a swath of space in front of him; a tunnel of energy appeared, allowing him to step through. Yes...This was where it ended. No longer would they desecrate his sanctuary with their filthy footsteps.

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"Senshi...I hope you've enjoyed my hospitality up to now." the trio would then hear a voice booming around them; before long a column of energy struck down directly in front of them. The force violent enough to send them careening back as Conquest crashed down to the solid ground before their feet.

"I must admit; it's been a long time since I've been truly angry. Normally I would leave it to that heathen brute War...But for your transgressions, consider me well and truly enraged." said the Horseman, standing tall before them and letting them see him in his flawless glory. "Note how I have been repaired; benefits of the conqueror, as they say. And you...Filthy whores that muddy my lands with your very presence....dare to EXIST IN MY WORLD!?! YOUR HUBRIS KNOWS NO LIMITS!"

His voice would seem to carry even power than before; all around him, the white energy that was present on Earth flooded into him, granting him even greater reserves of strength to draw on. "FOR YOUR CRIMES, I SENTENCE YOU ALL TO IMMEDIATE EXECUTION!" Conquest bellowed, raising his axe as he charged the three of them, swinging the weighty bladed weapon down with what was likely enough force to cleave a mountain clean in two.
 
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