"Are you telling me we're all gonna die?" Menelik inquired, his voice filled with uncertainty.
"Yes," Nozarg replied with an eerie calmness, "This world will be remade in Nix's image."
"Alright cool, can we rewind again?" Menelik asked desperately, "You said Zephr was playing tag? Do you all have physical bodies in here?"
Nozarg's laughter, like thunderclaps, shook the area, and a sharp snap echoed from him, casting a blinding white light over the surroundings for the briefest of moments.
"What… What the fuck is this place?" The horror in Idris's voice was palpable, and it wasn't just him who was horrified—everyone apart from Nozarg was mortified by their surroundings.
In every direction they turned, there were bodies, possibly even hundreds of them, representing a diverse array of species, from Humans to BirdFolk. Each one was suspended in a grotesque stasis, some bearing vicious wounds, others missing entire limbs, and even their heads.
"It's like a graveyard," Oiwa whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Yes," Nozarg confirmed, his presence casting a looming shadow over the group.
Nozarg's complexion was nearly pitch-black, yet it had a ghostly gray hue in the fading light of his snap. His physique resembled that of a muscular humanoid, with a bare chest adorned by golden arches and curves that seemed to form a necklace-like set of tattoos. His face remained an enigma, illuminated solely by a faint glow that circled his bright blue eyes. His otherworldly blue hair framed a set of long, thin black horns that crowned his head. He wore loose, flowing blue trousers that concealed most of his feet, but the sight of nine toes peeked out from the cuffs of his pants.
He emitted no aura, but his very presence was overwhelming to the group in their current state. Fortunately, the light from his snap was dwindling, plunging the area back into total and consuming darkness.
"As you can see, my sister is a keeper of souls," Nozarg explained.
"Who is she holding them for?" Oiwa inquired, curiosity tinged with dread. "Soul Keepers, they hold them for Necromancers, who…" Oiwa's voice trailed off, and the realization hit not only her but the entire group like a tidal wave.
"That son of a bitch is a fucking Necromancer?!" Menelik exclaimed, his anger and disbelief evident. "That piece of shit Zero is a Monarch?"
Death moved in a manner that defied perception. Maeve found herself constantly on the defensive, dodging and absorbing blows. As Death maneuvered, a trail of afterimages followed, an eerie procession that left observers guessing which one was the real threat. Even if Maeve managed to discern the true attacker, Death had an uncanny ability to change positions in a flash, thrusting their sword from another image.
The dark shroud that cloaked Maeve's form had been her shield, but now, for the first time since she had enveloped herself in it, cracks appeared.
Death circled around her in a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree dance, moving with such velocity that it seemed as if multiple assailants were striking her at once.
Maeve felt trapped, unable to escape into the shadows. Each time she tried to vanish, Death's lightning-quick reactions pinned her down, thwarting her attempts. She was caught in a relentless cycle.
In a moment of desperation, Maeve decided to let the magic her mother had bound her with take a stronger hold. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to surrender to its influence, embracing the darkness that now enveloped her. The ceaseless assaults faded from her mind as she granted the magic more control.
Her eyes veiled in black, Death suddenly drew back. They plunged their sword into the ground and raised their fists.
"Come forth, Demon," Death declared. They lowered themselves into a battle-ready stance, their hands hovering in a peculiar configuration. "Let me free your soul from its mortal vessel."
Maeve charged forward, and in an imperceptible blur, Death delivered four lightning-quick punches to her chest, sending her hurtling backward. Death surveyed their surroundings. They stood on yellow bricks that led to the castle gate, encircled by silver statues, each representing a different figure from the Uthol Forest Elves' history. But beyond this, all they could see was devastation. The vampires advanced effortlessly through the city, and the few remaining elves had retreated to the south side of the castle.
Death refocused their attention on Maeve as she struggled to rise from the bricks. "Your mother must be proud," They mused, taking measured steps forward and raising a hand. "To have a daughter with such mastery over darkness." With a sudden motion, they drew Maeve closer with irresistible force, seizing her by the throat in a vice-like grip. "But it's a shame that mine is stronger." The grip tightened, and Maeve felt the darkness shroud around her beginning to fracture. "Tick-tock, how long will it take?" They squeezed harder, and the first layer of darkness shattered, releasing tendrils of shadow in all directions. "One down, eight... No..." Death exerted even greater pressure, and the air filled with more obscurity. "FOUR... To go."
Maeve's words were muffled, almost inaudible. "Zzz...o."
Death pulled her closer to their visor. "What was that?" They loosened their hold, and as they did, the veil of darkness parted from Maeve's face, revealing a confident smirk and silver eyes ablaze with excitement.
"ZEEEEEEEERRRRROOOOO!" Maeve roared with all her might. In response, Death squeezed once more, shattering two additional layers of her shroud. But just as he did, a colossal bolt of brilliant purple lightning struck from the sky, sending Maeve flying free and propelling Death back toward the castle gate.
As the lightning dissipated and the purple sparks faded away, Zero slowly rose from the smoke it had generated. He stumbled unsteadily, gazing first at Death and then surveying the destruction around him, struggling to maintain his balance as the world continued to spin.
"Are you drunk?" Maeve inquired.
Zero spun around, pointing in various directions but not quite at Maeve. "No, I'm just dizzy as hell right now." He closed his eyes and swayed unsteadily as he attempted to regain his balance. "I wasn't expecting to be Blood Pact summoned while I was sprinting across Sidra fast as fuck like that… I’m also hungry as shit. Say, do you happen to have a pocket potato? I'd kill a bitch for one right now." Zero opened his eyes and peered down at Maeve, no longer seeing three spinning versions of her. "Also… are you done pretending to be evil or what?"
Maeve grinned and pulled herself to her feet, accepting Zero's outstretched hand. "Almost." They both turned their attention back to Death.
"Who's the big, scary purple brute?" Zero inquired.
"The literal incarnation of Death," Maeve replied.
"I thought Zephr was Death?" Zero remarked.
"So did I."
Zero turned to Maeve, puzzled. "So they're not the same person?"
Maeve shook her head. "Doesn't seem like it."
Zero turned back to Death. "Hey, Death. Are you and Zephr the same person?"
"I am not a person; I am Death."
Zero gestured toward Death and shook his head, baffled. "What's with this guy? That didn't answer my question at all."
"Can you just shut up and get your whip out?" Maeve snapped.
"My whip?" Zero's tone turned cold as he refocused on Death. "It’s that serious then?"
Maeve nodded silently, and Zero summoned his dagger, extending it to his side.
"Yeah, I’m gonna need that pocket potato if we getting this serious," Zero admitted. With a swift transmutation, the golden dagger transformed into a long brown leather whip. It glowed with a white light as the blade extended and thinned, dropping to the ground in a graceful cascade. Zero lifted the handle, allowing more of the whip to unfurl, then cracked it in the air, creating a resounding boom.
"No, you need to go ahead and use Banihi or whatever you call it immediately," Maeve urged.
Zero kept his gaze on Death, giving a nod. "It's called Bankai, Ban...Kai, Bankai. It's not that difficult, honestly. I guess… To be fair, I don’t even know if that’s what it’s even called, I just stole the name from a Human I met in a Dungeon when I saw him do it."
He began to manipulate the whip, swirling it through the air, making it spin violently until it started to smoke and burst into flames. The fire traveled down the leather, enveloping it in an orange and yellow blaze. The leather transformed into a long silver metal chain connected to a black metal hilt with menacing spikes. At the end of the chain sat a glimmering diamond encased in the same silver metal.
Zero snapped the chain forward, causing it to ripple and rush toward Death's visor, stopping just before making contact while extinguishing the flames. With another snap, he retracted the chain, and the force shook the ground as he brought it back to his side.
"If you manage to land a hit on them, you can have a pocket potato to hold you over," Maeve offered.
Zero glanced at her and then back to Death, a smile on his face as he swirled the whip, sending the flames back along the chain. "You know," he said, the flames crawling from the handle down the chain, heating the metal as they went. "Thanks to your little act, we've got to figure out a way back into the afterlife to rescue Oduduwa."
Maeve chuckled to herself. "Yeah, I'm not entirely sorry about that. I had to play it safe; they were already watching."
The flames reached the diamond, turning it into a red-hot glow. "One hit, and I get my potato?" Zero asked.
Maeve nodded. "Yep. Just one."
Zero's smile widened. "That’s easy... Also, all our new friends hate you now."
"Are you telling me we're all gonna die?" Menelik inquired, his voice filled with uncertainty.
"Yes," Nozarg replied with an eerie calmness, "This world will be remade in Nix's image."
"Alright cool, can we rewind again?" Menelik asked desperately, "You said Zephr was playing tag? Do you all have physical bodies in here?"
Nozarg's laughter, like thunderclaps, shook the area, and a sharp snap echoed from him, casting a blinding white light over the surroundings for the briefest of moments.
"What… What the fuck is this place?" The horror in Idris's voice was palpable, and it wasn't just him who was horrified—everyone apart from Nozarg was mortified by their surroundings.
In every direction they turned, there were bodies, possibly even hundreds of them, representing a diverse array of species, from Humans to BirdFolk. Each one was suspended in a grotesque stasis, some bearing vicious wounds, others missing entire limbs, and even their heads.
"It's like a graveyard," Oiwa whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Yes," Nozarg confirmed, his presence casting a looming shadow over the group.
Nozarg's complexion was nearly pitch-black, yet it had a ghostly gray hue in the fading light of his snap. His physique resembled that of a muscular humanoid, with a bare chest adorned by golden arches and curves that seemed to form a necklace-like set of tattoos. His face remained an enigma, illuminated solely by a faint glow that circled his bright blue eyes. His otherworldly blue hair framed a set of long, thin black horns that crowned his head. He wore loose, flowing blue trousers that concealed most of his feet, but the sight of nine toes peeked out from the cuffs of his pants.
He emitted no aura, but his very presence was overwhelming to the group in their current state. Fortunately, the light from his snap was dwindling, plunging the area back into total and consuming darkness.
"As you can see, my sister is a keeper of souls," Nozarg explained.
"Who is she holding them for?" Oiwa inquired, curiosity tinged with dread. "Soul Keepers, they hold them for Necromancers, who…" Oiwa's voice trailed off, and the realization hit not only her but the entire group like a tidal wave.
"That son of a bitch is a fucking Necromancer?!" Menelik exclaimed, his anger and disbelief evident. "That piece of shit Zero is a Monarch?"
Death moved in a manner that defied perception. Maeve found herself constantly on the defensive, dodging and absorbing blows. As Death maneuvered, a trail of afterimages followed, an eerie procession that left observers guessing which one was the real threat. Even if Maeve managed to discern the true attacker, Death had an uncanny ability to change positions in a flash, thrusting their sword from another image.
The dark shroud that cloaked Maeve's form had been her shield, but now, for the first time since she had enveloped herself in it, cracks appeared.
Death circled around her in a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree dance, moving with such velocity that it seemed as if multiple assailants were striking her at once.
Maeve felt trapped, unable to escape into the shadows. Each time she tried to vanish, Death's lightning-quick reactions pinned her down, thwarting her attempts. She was caught in a relentless cycle.
In a moment of desperation, Maeve decided to let the magic her mother had bound her with take a stronger hold. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to surrender to its influence, embracing the darkness that now enveloped her. The ceaseless assaults faded from her mind as she granted the magic more control.
Her eyes veiled in black, Death suddenly drew back. They plunged their sword into the ground and raised their fists.
"Come forth, Demon," Death declared. They lowered themselves into a battle-ready stance, their hands hovering in a peculiar configuration. "Let me free your soul from its mortal vessel."
Maeve charged forward, and in an imperceptible blur, Death delivered four lightning-quick punches to her chest, sending her hurtling backward. Death surveyed their surroundings. They stood on yellow bricks that led to the castle gate, encircled by silver statues, each representing a different figure from the Uthol Forest Elves' history. But beyond this, all they could see was devastation. The vampires advanced effortlessly through the city, and the few remaining elves had retreated to the south side of the castle.
Death refocused their attention on Maeve as she struggled to rise from the bricks. "Your mother must be proud," They mused, taking measured steps forward and raising a hand. "To have a daughter with such mastery over darkness." With a sudden motion, they drew Maeve closer with irresistible force, seizing her by the throat in a vice-like grip. "But it's a shame that mine is stronger." The grip tightened, and Maeve felt the darkness shroud around her beginning to fracture. "Tick-tock, how long will it take?" They squeezed harder, and the first layer of darkness shattered, releasing tendrils of shadow in all directions. "One down, eight... No..." Death exerted even greater pressure, and the air filled with more obscurity. "FOUR... To go."
Maeve's words were muffled, almost inaudible. "Zzz...o."
Death pulled her closer to their visor. "What was that?" They loosened their hold, and as they did, the veil of darkness parted from Maeve's face, revealing a confident smirk and silver eyes ablaze with excitement.
"ZEEEEEEEERRRRROOOOO!" Maeve roared with all her might. In response, Death squeezed once more, shattering two additional layers of her shroud. But just as he did, a colossal bolt of brilliant purple lightning struck from the sky, sending Maeve flying free and propelling Death back toward the castle gate.
As the lightning dissipated and the purple sparks faded away, Zero slowly rose from the smoke it had generated. He stumbled unsteadily, gazing first at Death and then surveying the destruction around him, struggling to maintain his balance as the world continued to spin.
"Are you drunk?" Maeve inquired.
Zero spun around, pointing in various directions but not quite at Maeve. "No, I'm just dizzy as hell right now." He closed his eyes and swayed unsteadily as he attempted to regain his balance. "I wasn't expecting to be Blood Pact summoned while I was sprinting across Sidra fast as fuck like that… I’m also hungry as shit. Say, do you happen to have a pocket potato? I'd kill a bitch for one right now." Zero opened his eyes and peered down at Maeve, no longer seeing three spinning versions of her. "Also… are you done pretending to be evil or what?"
Maeve grinned and pulled herself to her feet, accepting Zero's outstretched hand. "Almost." They both turned their attention back to Death.
"Who's the big, scary purple brute?" Zero inquired.
"The literal incarnation of Death," Maeve replied.
"I thought Zephr was Death?" Zero remarked.
"So did I."
Zero turned to Maeve, puzzled. "So they're not the same person?"
Maeve shook her head. "Doesn't seem like it."
Zero turned back to Death. "Hey, Death. Are you and Zephr the same person?"
"I am not a person; I am Death."
Zero gestured toward Death and shook his head, baffled. "What's with this guy? That didn't answer my question at all."
"Can you just shut up and get your whip out?" Maeve snapped.
"My whip?" Zero's tone turned cold as he refocused on Death. "It’s that serious then?"
Maeve nodded silently, and Zero summoned his dagger, extending it to his side.
"Yeah, I’m gonna need that pocket potato if we getting this serious," Zero admitted. With a swift transmutation, the golden dagger transformed into a long brown leather whip. It glowed with a white light as the blade extended and thinned, dropping to the ground in a graceful cascade. Zero lifted the handle, allowing more of the whip to unfurl, then cracked it in the air, creating a resounding boom.
"No, you need to go ahead and use Banihi or whatever you call it immediately," Maeve urged.
Zero kept his gaze on Death, giving a nod. "It's called Bankai, Ban...Kai, Bankai. It's not that difficult, honestly. I guess… To be fair, I don’t even know if that’s what it’s even called, I just stole the name from a Human I met in a Dungeon when I saw him do it."
He began to manipulate the whip, swirling it through the air, making it spin violently until it started to smoke and burst into flames. The fire traveled down the leather, enveloping it in an orange and yellow blaze. The leather transformed into a long silver metal chain connected to a black metal hilt with menacing spikes. At the end of the chain sat a glimmering diamond encased in the same silver metal.
Zero snapped the chain forward, causing it to ripple and rush toward Death's visor, stopping just before making contact while extinguishing the flames. With another snap, he retracted the chain, and the force shook the ground as he brought it back to his side.
"If you manage to land a hit on them, you can have a pocket potato to hold you over," Maeve offered.
Zero glanced at her and then back to Death, a smile on his face as he swirled the whip, sending the flames back along the chain. "You know," he said, the flames crawling from the handle down the chain, heating the metal as they went. "Thanks to your little act, we've got to figure out a way back into the afterlife to rescue Oduduwa."
Maeve chuckled to herself. "Yeah, I'm not entirely sorry about that. I had to play it safe; they were already watching."
The flames reached the diamond, turning it into a red-hot glow. "One hit, and I get my potato?" Zero asked.
Maeve nodded. "Yep. Just one."
Zero's smile widened. "That’s easy... Also, all our new friends hate you now."
