OBI
"Come on, slowpoke!" I hear her yell, and chase after her across the field. "Seriously, Hat! You'll never catch me at this rate!"
"I'll get there eventually!" I reply, though I'm not sure that's the truth. I've been going after her for hours now, but haven't gotten any closer. Really, my feet should be hurting by now, but I keep moving anyway, ignoring everything else. "You could give me a break, Sun! I'm still new at this!" My voice isn't what it normally is. Huh. How odd.
"Aww, does the wittle baby want a handicap?" she mocks, twirling across the red flowerbed. "You're lucky I'm the one teachin' ya. The others would've broken your legs by now." She waits until I get close to her, then jumps away and continues to run. "Nice try! Don't be so obvious next time! You gotta learn to hide your intentions!"
Smiling, I run after her again. I chase her across the hill and into the forest, then back out unto the hills. We run for what feels like days, the sun never once easing up. This might just be the happiest I've ever been in my life. Sun is amazing.
Is?
Oh, that's right. She's dead.
Suddenly, the hills disappear, replaced by a burning village. Sun is here with me, trying to fight off a group of mercenaries sent to dispatch us. We try to get out, but every path we take gets intercepted, and we're pushed deeper inside.
"This is bad," I say, struggling to catch my breath. The smoke is suffocating, and the heat makes it impossible to think straight. "What do we do, Sun?" We have no way of leaving. The gang is closing in on all sides, making our discovery only a matter of time. Either they butcher us, or the fire gets us â if the smoke hasn't already done enough damage to kill us, that is.
"I don't think we're getting out of this one, Hat," she tells me, turning to look at me. Her face is charred, and her eyes are dead, like she doesn't even care.
The town before me slowly fades away, and I start feeling an immense pain throughout my body. I try to scream, but something seems to be keeping my mouth shut. As I open my eyes, allowing the world to come to me, I start to recall just how it is I got here.
We were fighting someone, and then I got pulled away. Right, a devil did it; He took me through a portal, and all was dark after that.
I try to move my arms and legs, but they appear to be restrained. Shit. I'm a prisoner now. Is it the devils? I hope not. They're nasty enough when trying to kill us, so I'd hate to think of what they might do to someone they purposely captured alive. And I do know that that's what happened, since the guy who took me easily could've killed me from behind, but chose not to.
"Your pet is awake, Juno," I hear a man say. The distortion of the sound of his voice makes me aware that I'm in some type of water. That's odd. I seem to be breathing fine.
I hear clicking on some glass, and my eyes start adjusting to the scene in front of me. There's a woman standing outside my tank, wearing only a black corset and some underwear. She's tapping on the glass separating me from her. "Wake up, darling. Nice and easy." Her voice is kind of familiar, and not in a good way.
I try to say something, and get reminded that something is covering my mouth. It's some type of tube, going upwards, toward the top of this thing I'm in. Is it some type of tank? The liquid around me has a greenish tint to it, so I guess it's not water. For some reason, I don't feel like I've been a captive. I feel fine, actually â maybe even better than fine. I feel strong.
My attempt to speak causes bubbles to form in the tank as my muffled voice fails to make my intentions clear, and the woman on the other side smiles widely. "You were there with Jonah, weren't you? Yes, you must be one of his friends. Oh, how fortunate am I, getting the chance to repay him like this."
I tug on my restrains, then realize they're woven around my limbs. They're not chains, but something slimy instead â slimy and firm. Ah, so that's where I know the woman from; She's Juno, the devil who killed Jonah's mother. I guess killing me will be her revenge. That doesn't make sense, though. They could torture me in any way they want to, and I'll be powerless to stop them. I barely even managed to fight around that necromancer, and he's got nothing on the crazy bitch standing before me now. They must have something else in mind.
Caressing the tank with her hand, she takes a few steps to the side, revealing a man behind her. He's a perfectly average guy, just really pale, and with really long, black hair. It almost looks like a mane, actually, even if most of it is up in a ponytail. "The process is succeeding, my lord," Juno says. "It won't take long now. Maybe another day or so." Whatever she has planned, I'll be having no part of it.
God damn it. I was finally free, too. I could've just moved on and had a normal life. Fuck you, Jonah, for dragging me into this. I was never supposed to care for you guys. You were just a way out of the spy life, that's all. You shouldn't have mattered beyond that. Now look at me; I'm more a prisoner than I ever was before.
"You're probably worried," Juno tells me, and I suddenly feel a jolt of mana around me. It's not coming from her, and doesn't seem to be affecting me. It's just... there. What's going on? "Don't be. Once the incubation is complete, you'll have become greater than you ever were before. You're about to bid your frail humanity goodbye, and join the ranks of lord Nyarlathotep as one of the devils."
Fuck me sideways. They've got to be shitting me. I'm going to become one of them?
I start thrashing around the tank immediately, pulling on the black restraints around me. Juno immediately starts doing something with her magic, but I'm unable to tell what until it hits me, paralyzing me once more. "If you'd like to retain at least some of your human features, you should start playing nice," she says, her hair suddenly turning into a patch of green snakes, all of which start hissing at me. "We can make you look like a toad instead if you'd prefer. It's not like we'll entrust infiltration missions to you, so there's no reason for you to look human."
"Loose lips sink ships," the man behind her says, and then someone new walks up to him from behind. "What is it, Illu?"
The third devil, least human of them all, looks like a rotting corpse. There are stitches extending from the two ends of his mouth, as if holding his jaw in place. One of his eyes is stitched shut, while the other is a dull, lifeless grey. The unkempt black hair makes him look like he just woke up, with his slouch adding an extra layer of boredom. "The cat made contact, saying the idiot clown wasn't at the rendezvous point." Even his voice makes him seem bored. A bored, rotting corpse. Perfect.
"They have names, Illu," chides the long-haired one. "Tell Risk to wait a bit. Rem isn't known for keeping to the schedule."
"Did that. The fairy told Risk that Rem got into a fight with that other fairy boy â the one who killed Ms. Dominatrix before. Says he's probably dead."
"Rem cannot die," the dark-haired man responds. He's definitely the one in charge here. Is that Nyarlathotep? If so, where'd that aura of fear go? Now that I think about it, Juno's is gone, too. None of them seem that frightening anymore. Is it because of the tank? "Jonah isn't one to be underestimated. Have Risk postpone his hunt and look for Rem. If anyone can find his weakness, it's someone with access to Weiss. He either got chopped up or locked up. Tell Risk not to stop until he finds him." Despite getting his orders, the corpsey guy doesn't go away. "Is there anything else?"
"That all you have to say to me?"
Sighing, the long-haired man turns to face the other devil. "Must we go through this every day?"
"You said my time was coming."
"And it is."
"When?"
"When we make our move on Alfheim."
"What are we waiting for, exactly?"
"For Jericho's location to be revealed to us, Illu. With her out there, it's dangerous to send you out. You know how she feels about us."
"You don't seem to fear sending Risk and Rem out. How is that fair?"
Turning toward me again, the one I assume to be Nyarlathotep looks annoyed beyond belief. It's a look Jonah gives me whenever I open my mouth about Raksha. "Rem cannot die, and Risk can handle himself."
"Like he did when he let Juno die?" Illu replies, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You've always held that damn cat in too high a regard. He's not close to the strongest of us. You know full well only you are above me."
Juno, seemingly irked by this, is the next to face the rotting devil. "Is that a challenge?"
For the first time since I've awakened here, I start to feel that pressure they typically give off. Their manas clash, causing cracks to appear in the ground beneath them. Nyarlathotep sighs again, stepping in between the two. "You know better than to indulge him, Juno."
"I've been putting up with him ever since he was released, my lord. Please let me teach him a lesson at least once. It's about time we established a hierarchy, anyway." Oh dear. Trouble in paradise?
"We'll deal with the outside enemies first. I'll not have any infighting until the world is ours again. Illu, don't bring this up again." Even from within the tank, I nearly shit myself when he releases some of his own mana. The other two are immediately brought to their knees, as would I have been if I were out there. There's no way this guy can be beaten. This is ridiculous. He's ten times stronger than the other two combined. How the hell are we gonna do anything to stop him?
"I apologize, my lord," Juno says immediately. You might be expecting fear, but instead she seems to be filled with absolute delight. Her eyes are full of awe as she grins up at her king, the snakes on top of her head gone once more.
"And you?" Nyarlathotep asks, turning toward Illu, who's giving him a murderous look. If anyone's gonna be their weakness, it'll be him. "Do not bother me again, Illu."
Groaning, the ghoulish devil stands up, showing great struggle in doing so, and walks out of the room, hands still in his pockets. Once he opens the door, another person steps in, but I can't really make them out from this distance.
"Your power truly is magnificent, sire," Juno moans, still on her knees. The blissful look isn't leaving her face. "Surely, our victory is guaranteed."
"Our arrogance caused us to believe that the last time, Juno. Best we not make the same mistakes again." He looks at the newcomer, whose power is significantly lesser than what the devils have shown thus far. "I am in your debt for teaching me this. It seems you humans have your worth, after all. Before, we never would have learned from our mistakes. That was our greatest folly."
"I love to serve, your grace." I recognize the voice as soon as I hear it. It's Aisha. What the fuck is she doing here?
"No, you don't, my dear," Nyarlathotep tells her, "but I am in your debt all the same."
Approaching the tank, she looks up at me, and her features betray a flicker of surprise. She quickly masks it, crossing her arms beneath her chest. "Is it working this time, or has she failed yet again?"
Juno looks ready to kill her as soon as she makes the remark, but clearly doesn't dare act without her king's permission. Nyarlathotep himself merely chuckles. "Yes. He has awakened in perfect condition."
"And you'll uphold your end of the deal?"
"Yes, my dear. You'll become one of us as per our agreement."
Now that I can see her, I notice she's wearing the same black fur as the Demon King himself, letting a cape made of it fall down her back. Aisha's betrayed us? Can't say I saw that one coming. She's always been more reserved than most, and almost as sneaky as Jonah, but I had thought her heart was in the right place, at the very least. Does that mean we're in Pluto now? That's where she was sent.
"This one was friends with the fairy boy, Jonah," Juno says, circling Aisha like a predator, her eyes narrow into slits. "You wouldn't happen to know him, would you?"
Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Aisha proudly holds her head high. "If I did, I would have mentioned it by now. Why don't you make yourself useful, and make sure the transition is completed?" She doesn't take her eyes off of me as she speaks, but I wouldn't say it's because she's scared of Juno. "I did know his twin brother, though," Aisha suddenly adds, and my eyes widen. What's she mumbling about? "This one is called Obi. The other is named Marcus. Marcus is the one accompanying Jonah, not Obi."
"That is a lie," hisses Juno, pointing her finger at me. "That scar on his face â he received it when Jonah attacked me. I knew you were a snake-"
"Quite ironic, coming from you," Aisha interrupts, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Jonah is an expert healer, and strong enough to take on two royal devils at the same time, even maintaining the upper hand for most of the battle, and you believe he'd allow his friend to be scarred?" Oh, I get it now! She's not a traitor after all! Yes. Good. I've got a way out of here now. I just have to make sure I don't let the others know what's happening. Best to act like I don't know Aisha at all.
Turning my gaze toward Nyarlathotep, I see him smiling. "If you'd like us to test dear Aisha's loyalty, there's a simple way to do so." Holding up his hand, he creates a dark orb out of nothing, and hands it to Aisha, who hesitates before letting her fingers touch it. "So long as you carry that, we'll be able to communicate. To prove you're truly on our side, I'd like you to deliver me a child's corpse."
If I didn't have this thing in my mouth, I surely would've gasped. That vile cunt! He can't be serious!
"A simple matter," Aisha says, pocketing the orb. You've got to be kidding me. It's not worth it, Aisha. Don't make the decisions I've made! "Will any child suffice, or have you got someone particular in mind, your grace?"
"I believe the heir will be challenge enough. Oh, and take Illu with you. If he doesn't get his kicks soon, he'll become a danger to some of the others. Try not to get in his way if he insists on doing things himself."
"And if he winds up being the one to kill the heir?" the woman replies, reaching out to touch my tank.
"Think nothing of it. Merely assisting him is proof enough, I believe. You humans tend to value your young beyond all else, after all. Killing a child is something only the most heartless of you can accomplish."
"My lord, is it really the best idea to send him?" Juno interjects. You might expect Nyarlathotep, the big bad evil overlord, to hate being second-guessed, but he seems very casual with the succubus. "The last time Risk and I had him do something...."
"I am aware of what he did, Juno. Even if he destroys the city, it will be fine. We can always rebuild. His bloodlust needs to be satisfied, and he is far more valuable to us than a city ever could be."
"May I at least make another request?"
"Go on."
"Send Sylph with him, lord. She'll keep him in line. Her powers are well-suited for that." Juno directs a malicious grin at Aisha, who remains unfazed. "She'll also keep this one from becoming collateral damage."
"Very well, then. Have her follow him. Arrange for them to meet at the gates." Turning to walk out of the room, Nyarlathotep waves a hand over his shoulder. "I'll be in the library. Don't disturb me with anything that can't be called an emergency."
"Yes, sir," the succubus replies, taking off as well, albeit toward a different door. Before following, Aisha gives me a wink, mouthing something, and the liquid around me suddenly becomes much hotter than before. Once the two leave, the heat increases even more, to the point that it starts to boil. I have to use all my mana to enhance my body just to avoid dying. The liquid starts getting hotter and hotter, turning into steam which then fills this tank. The black stuff binding me loosens a little, allowing me to pry my left arm free. After that, it doesn't take a lot to break out. I focus my mana into my fist, then punch through the glass, shattering it. The liquid from the tank flows out freely as I make my way across the room, toward the direction where Aisha headed. I definitely don't want to be near Nyarlathotep. If he sees me, it's over. Zero chance. Aisha will probably be killed, too.
Okay, Obi. Calm down. You can move, and you have your magic, for what that's worth. Can't take any of them on directly, but that doesn't mean I can't sneak out.
"I thought I heard something," someone says behind me, and I immediately create a dagger, jumping toward them. The figure moves out of the way gracefully, almost as if dancing, then lands several few away â too far away for me to hit her with this. She's strong. I can tell that much already. A lot stronger than I am, but she's nowhere near the level of Juno and the other royals. Good. This way, I might at least have a chance to escape. The girl, seemingly young and fully human, looks an awful lot like Yukiji. In fact, nothing about her feels demonic at all.
"You're human," I say, and she nods, seemingly stuck between gloom and apathy. "Any idea who it is you're working for?"
"My kind."
"You just said you were human," I point out, looking at the many doors this dark room has. There are several other tanks like the one I was just in, too.
"Right now, I am," she tells me softly, and I feel the wind pick up around us. "You saw Juno switch forms, yes? Shall I do that, too?"
"Not gonna be necessary," I gulp, taking a step back. "Don't suppose you'd be willing to let me go?"
The wind abruptly stops, and the girl gives me a shrug. "Sure." No fucking way.
"Just like that?"
"just like that." She gives me a nod, then starts to walk away.
"Not sure I buy that. What do you stand to gain?"
"I don't like how cruel they're being," she says simply. "If you feel like returning the mercy later, remember me as Sylph. Your king will know me as Nanami, the one who helped him escape."
Nanami? That sounds awfully familiar. Damn. My head's a bit cloudy. I can't remember where I know that name from for the life of me. Fuck! It'll just have to wait.
The wind picks up again, clearly flowing in a certain direction. "Follow that and you'll find the exit. The only devils here are the ones you already saw, and one other. Stay away from water and you should be fine." Using the wind, she propels herself upward, making several giant leaps forward, until she's out of the room.
Shit. I've wasted too much time already. If they've got some way of sensing the tanks from afar, I'm screwed.
Turning around, I run for my life, as fast as my legs can carry me. Thank God for the wind. I would've been screwed otherwise, because this place is one big mass of corridors. I take a left first, then a right, making sure to peek around the corners before actually making the turns. There don't seem to be any guards here. Odd. What happened to the infected people Juno used during the attack on Polaris? Did they die off? Probably. That might be why they're switching up their methods with me.
The wind leads me up to a metal ladder, leading straight upwards, where there's a giant hole in the ceiling. I climb as fast as I can, then hear water flowing bellow me. Glancing down, I see the corridor being flooded by immense amounts of water, and hurry up to the top. How the hell did that happen? Did something break? Was it Aisha, or maybe Nanami?
Shit. Now's not the time for this. I just need to get the hell away from this place.
Once I'm on the surface, I focus all my mana into my legs, increasing my speed as I run across the endless amounts of sand surrounding the hideout. There's no way to tell I'm going in the right direction, but it's not like I can stand around and try to figure out where in the world I might be. Okay, so I've got no food, water or even clothes, and the most powerful cunts in the world will be on my tail as soon as they notice I'm missing, if they haven't already.
After a few minutes, I get a massive headache, and reach up to touch my forehead. In the process, I discover something I wasn't expecting to find there; I have horns.