Zashiii

“Well, that was disturbing,” Shishi muttered as she tore her gaze away from the telescopic sight of her sniper rifle. The apprentice knight of the Order had been taking her time in shooting down the demons from a distance. The use of using mundane projectiles to deliver touch spells had always been her preference. One could say it’s from the influence of her family. “They seem to be advancing faster than we had expected,” came her uncle Shethid’s reply. The man had been standing at Shishi’s side, eyeing the mass of enemies. “I’m done with my task below.” At her uncle’s words, Shishi looked downwards to the street below. The two had been standing atop a random two-storey building situated some distance away from their previous position. Uncle Shethid had decided to take a more proactive approach leading them to initiate combat further up ahead their expected defensive point. “Golems? Is this also a portion of Gaia’s blessing?” Shishi mused as she took note of the five or so earthen golems constructs Shethid created a few moments ago. “Yes. I had a lot of spare time in that jail cell so I entertained myself with expounding past concepts and simulations. This one was derived from the Lady Blackbush’s necromancy that she used back in that failed raid at Last Chance. A similar concept but I used Gaia’s geomancy as base for the constructs. Very energy efficient. Once the golems are fully established, they can absorb energy from the very ground itself as long as they are close to it.” Shishi’s eyes sparkled in astonishment. “Ooooh.” “Then there’s the other stuff you wanted to try,” Shethid continued as he pointed to two more figures at the ground. “Although I’m not really a fond of that.” “Thanks, Uncle. Should we get started?” It did not take long for the battle to start. As the demon horde reached Shethid and Shishi, chaos ensued. The earth golems threw spears of rock and then proceeded to use their crushing fists in melee. With a blade of sacred light on her hands, Shishi lead the fight against the enemies with providing protection ad support. Unfortunately, there were too many to fight no matter how many they managed to take down and soon the group was completely overwhelmed…. “Uncle, that was a bust,” Shishi exclaimed as she watched the constructs’ defeat. “Even if those earthen clones of ours have greatly reduced performance, the results are more than clear enough. This means we can’t take them all on our own. I guess whittling them down from range would be the better course of action.” “As expected,” came the Shethid’s reply as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. Adjusting his position at motorcycle seat, he turned back to look at the aftermath of the battle which occurred a few hundred meters away from them. “It should be anytime soon.” “Yes,” Shishi nodded as her bike slowed down to a halt. As one, the duo put on their respective sunglasses. Few seconds later, explosions happened. It seemed that the constructs have built in self-destruct tendencies if things go sour. Once the blasts died down, Shethid turned to Shishi. “We should move now and rendezvous with my friend, Li.” With that, Shishi’s motorcycle rumbled again and sped through the streets.

I'll be posting this weekend 😅

The Dead Mistress gave Riha a flinty side glance. It would have been nice to lend a hand but it seems Shikai got that part covered. The problems of being one of the best healers around. Even now, she's still insecure of offering help after having been turned down time and time again. It's like every hurting being she encounters would rather prefer suffering over fast treatment. Masochists the lot of 'em! Instead of focusing on her fellow members, she turned her attention to their task instead. They were task to install a totem for the god Alignak. The thought of gods left a bitter taste in her mouth. She'd been dealing with these deities for a long time now that she's grown sick of it. Still, work is work. She might not like it but she'd damn well accomplish her task. "So...." she started, "What now? Any ideas where to place it?" She looked around hoping to find any more inspiration on how to proceed. This eerie place must be what they called Corum or so she heard. Without a guide, they could get lost easily. Well, they can't get lost if they have no set destination anyway. So instead of rushing ahead, she decided to produce another stick of cigar from her pocket, lighting it then set it between her full lips. A good smoke really helps when one waits for future developments.

"Uh..uh.." Delan struggled to form coherent words. It seemed that the seeds not only corrupted her insides but also did a number on her vocal and speech capabilities. Or maybe she just ate too much of it that it hurt her tongue and throat. Either way, she forced herself to form the words that need to be said, "He-hello," she finally spoke with much difficulty. The words sound queer and alien coming from her mouth. There seemed to be some disconnect between her mind and mouth at the moment. Was it the seeds doing? "I...My..name is Delan," she forced more words out. "Who-who are you? Who is Kogal? Wha-what are these seeds? Am..am I dying?'

Linda blushed at Issac's words. As she positioned herself before the targets, the gun was already in her hand. Unlike Issac, she was not fast enough to do any of those quick draw shenanigans. If she was still the Blackhead then things would have been different but she had long since relinquished that title along with all the power and benefits. Well, that was in the past now and she had no regrets with he choice. As soon as the targets were out, she started shooting. One shot after the other. After the six shots, she too quickly reloaded without missing a beat. Once everythign was done, she could not help but pout at the results. 'That sucks. Couldn't even get one head shot."

That familiar voice in her head brought Delan back to reality. Mouth full of seeds, she barely noticed her drool dripping down the sides of her mouth. Her mentla state right now was such a wrreck that she's thrown all inhibitions and propriety out the window. Still, the seeds had done their due and Delan was sinking deeper and deeper into Esben's trap. Delan looked up to find this new face as she wiped her lips clean. "Who-who are you?" she blurted out. Her head spun as she tried to process what was happening around her. Soon she found herself being pulled and dragged away from this spot annd into an unknown place. Where is this person leading her? What is she planning to do with poor Delan? Such questions ran through her mind and yet she was unable to say any of them. All she could do was trudge allong, trailing after the stranger into an unknown fate...

Shishi bowed her head deeply. "Thank you, Sir Tenkai for indulging me in my selfishness." Then she once more draw that cursed blade but this time she put down her guards, letting the cursed ego weapon to ravage her pure and innocent mind. After this spar, she might have to repent and make amends to the Nameless Goddess, fervently asking for that goddess' forgiveness. But that would be for later, she had more pressing matters to attend to right now. Like Sir Tenkai. For starters, she waited for Tenkai to be prepared. Once the man's attention was on her, Shishi started the spar with straightforward charge. As she drew closer, six motes of light shot out of her body and homing in on Tenkai towards Tenkai. Once they come into contact with an object or at least get with in five feet of the target, the would explode like stun grenades. Hopefully, that should provide enough distraction for Shishi's surprise non-lethal stab to reach Tenkai. Meanwhile, she could feel it now, the cursed sword worming its way into her thoughts and consciousness. Soon, her most hated corrupted version of her would make an appearance. She prayed deeply in her heart that Tenkai would be able to stop her before that happens. @Tenkai Matsumoto

Somewhere to the side of the paragon fleet, a lone airship made an appearance. It was moving at a rather frightening pace in hopes of joining the larger fleet. Atop the airship stood two shady figures. Both wore similar looking long coats with the hoods covering their heads and most of their facial features. While their haphazard positions were greatly inadvisable for the common man, it never bothered the pair. Their attention were more focused on catching up to their fellow paragons and perhaps even aid their benefactor to escape this rather cumbersome predicament. "Well that was fucking weird," the taller one was the first to break the silence. The voice was definitely female despite the rough quality. "Them fuckers up there be sending these goddamned signals everywhere. It's grating on my nerves. Like fuck!" "Eh? What does it say?" the shorter one replied barely attempting to hide the sarcasm in her cutesy yet monotone voice. "No fucking idea. Bloody cunts prolly be doing some shady shit. Or maybe I'm just a bit tired from flying this fucking ship we stole from that bitch." The shorter paragon responded with a chuckle. "Let it go. We came here for Lilith and Uncle Ankou. Just focus on that.." the she paused to take a long swig of spirits from her flask of alcohol. "Anyway, heard anything from Sagittarius yet? Even Aquarius had been silent recently." "Got nothing on my end either. These fucking bitches be going silent when we need them the most. Well, fuck that-" The two suddenly paused for a moment as if suddenly noticing something wrong. Then they faced each other, both with worrying expressions. "The younger sister is here. Shit's gonna go bad for us." The shorter one just nodded but kept her mouth shut. SIlence fell on the two as they eagerly anticipate the ensuing battle. As the stolen airship continued its journey, one could not help but notice the matching symbols at the back of these paragon's coats. A woman pierced by spear... Inside the Imperius Bellum, a blonde woman stopped in her tracks. It was a faint yet familiar feeling that Shishi Ravenbush was taken aback. Then it was gone in a heartbeat. Shrugging it off, she returned to her quarters to prepare for the operation. She was just excited at the prospect in chasing after the Lilith, her cult and her paragons. These villains had been left at large for a long time. This operation should put an end to that vile group Entering the room that the Order provided, her gaze instantly fell at the aged and faded cloak draped over the chair. it was probably a gift since she received it together with that sentient armor from that package her older sibling sent a few weeks ago. The last time they met was in Dougtom after that Aleth incident. She hasn't heard from her older sister since then. Still, it was the thoughT that counts. "I should prolly give her a visit once this is over," she mumbled to herself as she put on the coat. "But only if I survive this time."

A pocket dimension? Interesting. She was both relieved and disappointed that the cabin barely felt any of the turbulence upon reaching this new realm. It would have been the quite the new experience but fate was just cruel to thirsty woman like her. The unquenching thirst for knowledge and new experiences had always been one of her greater flaws. Her eyes drifted to the new world outside. Dark and possibly barren except for the neverending waters and the beam of light that came and went ever so often. But not all was lost as their ship was still working. Yes, that was the most important thing right now. "That lighthouse does seem interesting," she spoke out loud."However, can we still locate Bladesweeper?" Just need to focus now. The important part is that the signal hasn't been lost yet. It would be bad if they had to search every nook and cranny of this new land. Using that method to find two airships did give her quite the headache. "Hmm...what else is there outside," she mused as she expanded her own senses pass the airship and into great unknown hoping to find something of note....

But what is there to corrupt? Delan looked at Esben as her hands reached into the bucket of seeds. This was quite the feeding program and Delan could not stop herself from eating. It seemed her hunger and desire could never be satiated and yet one thought lingers in her mind. Am I being corrupted? It seems that Shishi was not thorough enough in creating Delan if there was any portion left of the homunculus that can still be corrupted. Still, it was an interesting notion, one that Delan would not mind exploring. Ahhh.. it's starting... She could feel it now, The seed burrowing inside her, going deeper and deeper with each passing second. The seed's juice, the black ooze that filled her insides, spreading into every corner of her body. And then she's slowly losing her sense of self. She...she was getting rewritten. Delan gave one last final look at the world as herself before someone else took over. As her conscioueness went black, somewhere deep inside her mind a voice spoke. "A pity. You would have been a good foil for Shishi."

Speed was of the essence. The white-haired woman took one heavy step forward before leaping high into the air to face the dying god. At the peak of her leap, her hair turned black and her face shifts to one the masses were more familiar with. Right now, she was the notorious Mistress Blackhead last seen in Tia. On her hand was the High Lord's blade, Baeoi, glimmering with dull grey light. Several spectral spears manifested around her, one for each god she and her companions have slain and all were aimed at the trapped old god Virgo. With a swing of her blade, the spears were propelled forward, each one brimming with divine energy which delivered powerful blows upon impact. Weakened and bound, Virgo’s death was near. However, the black-haired woman once known as the Mistress, whispered to the goddess. Words only the two of them could hear. That was when Virgo’s head dropped down and all defiance disappeared from her face. All that was left was acceptance to for her fate. Her body shrunk down to seven feet tall, yet the divine spears were still sticking out of Virgo’s body and the tendrils of darkness still kept her chained and restricted. The black-haired woman looked down at the fallen goddess as tears fall down her cheeks. “Please accept my apologies,” the woman muttered before her fist plunged into the goddess’ chest and exited through the deity’s back. Pulling her fist out, she unclenched it to show the divine essence she pulled out of the god. As her appearance reverted back to the one Capria and Arashi were used to, she turned to her companions and spoke. “Thank you for your help. We should split the reward for this."

"Oh,' The Dead Mistress gasped. The sudden display of affection was both questionable and disconcerting. Well, she and Shikai did have a lot of missions together so perhaps this level of closeness was warranted. While she could not reciprocate the hug, she did not squirm out of it either. "It's been a while," she said once Shikai released her from that hug. "How's the fleet nowadays?" After hearing the man's response, the woman aslo nodded to Cain's peace sign greeting. There was more work to be done. One couldn't recover Bladesweeper by just standing around and twiddling their thumbs. The time for action has come. Well, sort of. They need to find the ship's general location first. As she entered the ship, the Dead Mistress felt sentimental all of a sudden. Now she's missing her own ships. She was more than certain that one of her so called 'friends' prolly borrowed them by now, without even asking permission. Thinking such idle thoughts seemed to give her a headache. A sigh escaped her lips. She needs to focus more on the job. Shifting her attention from her wayward thoughts to the people on board the ship, a thought struck her. Were they always this edgy? Anyway, that should be enough daydreaming for now as she listened to what Cain had to say. "It's a good thing we already have an idea of Bladesweeper's general location. The journey can't be as bad as that Keli incident."

🤔 Tough choice. I guess I'll pick James' ship.

"Impressive," The Dead Mistress exclaimed as she eyed the portal. "Always a pleasure to see budding talents." The white-haired woman took a long drag from a recently lighted cigar. Her lips pursed as she exhaled the smoke from her lungs. It had been a while since she had entered a portal that gave her discomfort. It's not that it looked dangerous or unstable, more like trust issues. Still, this newcomer was a member of their organization so taking this lead of faith should not be a problem. Looking back, the last time she jumped into a random portal was in Ceyana. Ahhh...the good times. Leaping into an unstable rift caused by the joining of two realms was clearly not a good idea. The stuff she went through when she was stuck inside the rift. She did found it amusing that she survived. In the end, she took it as quite the learning experience. The things she pay in her pursuit of knowledge. Sighing, she eyed the unconscious body of Riha. She would have offered to carry the woman but it seems Shikai already got that part covered. With nothing much to do, she stepped into the portal. The new location was so different from the old one that it greatly amused her. The head and humidity was quite the welcome development. She found the experience rather refreshing especially after experiencing that sea of lava way back in Taen when she fought that rampaging elemental, or the fiery realm when she joined that expedition in search of that cornerstone back in Genesaris. "Mmm...Interesting," the Dead Mistress mused as she regarded the lack of activity around them. She turned to Shikai then only to see that Riha still hasn't woken up. "We could just carry her with us, Shikai. I'm sure she's not that heavy."