Welcome to Hellious (Mission 2.0)

[Zeke Omoihake]

Zeke pulled his hand back and held back any objections till Ingway finished. He could tell he'd touched a nerve, something that was beyond his understanding of the man. There was a passion in the way he raged, and while he didn't understand what the golden-haired man's issue was with the divine, the meat of his argument was what he focused on.

"Well, I mean...I'd be lying if I said you didn't have a point, t-that is about Heaven I mean. To be honest I've never given the Gods and all of that much thought. Heck, I thought I understand what the afterlife was suppose to be, and then this gets thrown at me." Zeke stopped to reflect on the events of The Game, and for a moment wondered what exactly that had been if it wasn't what the afterlife was. Was it only for the worthy, or only because they had needed someone to come to Allorum? Was that even the work of Gods, or something else totally different?

Catching himself staying silent for too long Zeke snapped his wandering gaze back to Ingway, clearing his throat before trying to get back to making his point. "But demons are demons man. We're in Hellious, which I think is suppose to be a land of evil, so even if these guys can think they'd all be evil right?" Zeke felt almost stupid trying to voice these thoughts. Of course to him demons were just evil. They weren't people, Zeke basically thought they were like the orcs from Lord of the Rings. They popped out of a pod ugly and evil right from the get go.

"Ugh, I suck at this..." He gave his head a scratch and slumped against the wall. "Look Ingway, I don't know if it's right to kill demons, and I don't know if the Gods are good, but I know that I trust Mark. If he says this is all to save the world, then that's what matters. I've, I've got a lot I want to protect up in Allorum Don't you have something up there that you want to save?"

[Zaria DeGantz]

Zaria held her sword up in a weak attempt to defend herself. Seeing as she had only a regular sword, it didn't do much good in terms of deflecting the mist. "Well..this is useless." She thought, quickly re-sheathing her sword and opening her water container. "I really don't want to use this...but it seems I haven't got much choice!" Her gloves glowed, and she suspended the mass of water in the air. When the mist came close enough, she created a shield from the water in hopes to deflect the mist.

[Ingway Desmodius]

There it was again, that comment, "what are you fighting for?" It rang in my ears and picked at my conscience. All I could do was sigh upon hearing it, figuring if there was ever a point to come clean, now was it.

"Listen Zeke, I'm not like you, or Mark, or any of those other people out there. I'm no altruist, and the only real thing I fight for is myself. I'm selfish, and only recently have begun to have...well, a crisis of conscience regarding that whole thing. But the more I see what it's like to be a "hero," I just don't think I'm built to be such a thing."

It really hadn't been that long since these thought of heroics managed to crawl into my head, but it was a constant point of internal contention to me. Perhaps it was time for me to find something to care about, to fight for, but I couldn't for the life of me think of anything. Heck, even Seigmand, a person I'd never heard called "hero" was willing to do what was right, even at the cost of being hated and scorned. There was no reward to be had except the satisfaction of doing what was right, what was necessary, and part of me wondered if I could ever do that; something I didn't like...in order to do what was needed.

I could feel the last words linger, slowly echoing in my head before my mind almost tripped from the paradigm shift that undercut me. I respected Seigmand more than any other man I had met, and in my mind I knew that he would be out there, even at the cost of his own morals, to do what was needed to set things right. Perhaps the gods were using us to get revenge, but it's not like me sitting here refusing to do anything would change that. I'd still be selfish, and they'd still be bastards.

Perhaps I was the one that needed to make the first step forward and change, cause I knew that gods wouldn't do anything different if I was here or not, but I could make a difference for the people I fought beside, and help them in this struggle. I couldn't help but feel a wealth of shame at my earlier condemnation of the group, myself so easily forgetting that they, just like Zeke, were all fighting for something that they cared for, and I felt like I needed to make that up to them some how.

"But...perhaps, I'm just not build to be that kind of hero. Perhaps I'm of a different design..." I remarked as I stood from where I sat, feeling renewed, at least a little, in what I needed to do. With a quick set of hand motions, I quickly armed myself with all my armaments, turning to Zeke with a grin that felt a bit more natural.

"Thanks Zeke, really. I think I've got my head placed a bit more firmly on my shoulders now. Guess I just needed to vent a bit to get my thoughts sorted out. I won't kill, but I won't let you, or anyone else, suffer for your involvement in this feud between realms where it's in my power. That's what I can do."

[Zeke Omoihake]

Zeke threw his hands out in protest as he shook his head. "Hey don't even worry about it. We've all got selfish reasons for being here Ingway, and you don't need to be Superman to count as a hero. You help us out, in a place like this against all these odds and you're a hero in my book. Now, what say we get a move on and show Hellious what us humans can do?" Beaming with a giant smile at his companion Zeke gave him a quick reassuring pat on the shoulder before rushing up to deck to join up with the others.

"Crap crap crap crap crap crap!" He swore in a panicked tone as he raced back to where he'd left Ingway. "They're gone! Where'd they go man? What if they got captured? Or worse? What if demons come to take the ship Ingway? All we've got are the ghost crew, and these guys suck!" Zeke turned to see a couple of them glaring at him, none too happy to be so casually insulted. "Heh...sorry." Leaning in close way beyond the boundaries of personal space Zeke whispered to Ingway. "They totally suck man, what do we do?"

[Mark Angelus Fri]

Brea's strike forced the mist to dispense in different directions, making the effects of the nightmare unnoticeable to whomever breathed the weakened dark magic in. Except when Zaria used the water, which seemed to completely isolate the nightmare energy, effectively getting rid of it.

Meanwhile, Shanira's strike with her sword would have been devastating enough, but because of the incredibly quick speed she did it at it only managed to shove the blade further into the demon which did a stunning amount of damage.

The demon scanned the area, desperate to do something that would end its pain. Than it saw it, the chords of nightmare energy pouring through, it reached up to one of them and ripped the chord open, pouring the energy out faster than Brea would be able to cut it.

"Nehahahaha, how do you like that!?" It laughed as the mist began to spread throughout the room.

"I doubt I'm the only one who's tired of hearing you talk..." Mark growled as he charged a light aura around his blade, "But don't worry, I'll take care of that problem!"

Mark unleashed the light from his blade in a form of a flying scythe that literally cut the demon in half. Mark smiled, there, that was finished..., Mark thought in with a slight smile at his victory...

...and that was when the demon started to grow his entire body back.

"...You've got to be kidding me..." Mark thought as the dark mist began to consume more and more of the realm.

[Kodoku Itami]

"He's a demon." Itami pointed out bluntly as he stepped up next to Mark. "Is it that unusual that he has a resistance to Angelic magic and weapons..?" His onyx-black eyes looked across at Mark, the iris' turning red and the tomoe rotating into view as his gaze turned back to the reforming demon. His eyes evolved further, the ecliptic shape of his Mangekyō forming into view as tears of blood welled up under his eyes... He had been practising with this ability, but he would still pay the price afterwards. No doubt he'd be blind for a few hours.

Six purple ribs, large in shape and ethereal formed around Itami, before a large purple skeleton with two short horns on its forehead and glowing yellow pits for eyes, started to climb forth from the ground behind him. It didn't break of crack the ground, it seemed to phase through it instead. Eventually, the entire upper torso was free, and the skeleton positioned itself, attaching back to its own ribs and thus, shielded Itami with it's own ethereal bones. The rivers of blood ran freely from his eyes as he gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Demon." He growled bluntly. "Fear my power... Face Susanoo. Demon Lord of the ninth realm and Patron Ancestor of the Kodoku Clan." The demon lord was only in its skeleton stage. Itami could apply muscle and flesh if need be, but it took a massive expenditure in his energy, and the skeleton stage was formidable enough. Itami pointed a finger at the demon, the skeleton copying his movements.

"Bow before us."

[Mark Angelus Fri]

There seemed to be a silence as the Demon just stared at Itami, the only notable sound being the hissing of the nightmare gas from above. Than suddenly the Demon started chuckling nervously before breaking into a cracker of high pitched laughter.

"Here I thought- no that, why I didn't..." he managed to get out, rubbing its many pincers together as a sign of nervousness, "I had no idea you were a POWERFUL TRAITOR!"

"How dare you help this archangel - and worse, HUMANS! The lowliest of all life and you're helping them!?"

The creature suddenly detached itself, letting the fog of nightmare energy flow into the room freely. And now with its body detached from the ropes it seemed far... larger than usual. "I'll eat every one of you!" Its mouth suddenly grew large, aiming to swallow everyone.

---

Meanwhile as Zeke and Ingway were trying to figure out a way back to the group, there seemed to be a great amount of movement on the battlefield ahead of them. The Angels seemed to have an upper hand right now, but when another one of the pipes opened up to reveal hundreds of demons crawling out to repel the invaders...

Things began to take a bad turn, not just for the angels but for the two humans as well. Right in front of them another giant pipe opened up, allowing a horrendously large demon to climb out along with a smaller demon standing with a sense of authority on the giant's shoulder.

When the giant demon finally managed to get its entire body out of the pipe, it seemed all so much larger. It was about to move on to where the fighting was when the smaller demon stopped him.

"Hold on..." It growled, stabbing its long claws into the neck of the giant to halt it. It didn't seem to bother the large demon enough, just a small amount of pain to let it know what its master wanted, "I can smell... humans..."

[shanira]

Shanira was already in the middle of doing an excited victory hop as Mark sliced the demon down. It was the coolest thing, they'd all hit him with everything at once and the archangel had his impressive finishing blow, it'd been only too perfect.
Of course she wasn't impressed to see either that the demon re-grew itself, bigger and nastier, which just made Shanira narrow her eyes and ball her fists at her sides. Now things were getting dirty! And where she only understood bits of Itami's words, she caught at least 'demons...resist...angelic weapons'--it was enough for her to suspect he was insinuating angels really were no good against demons.

Which factually probably made a lot of sense considering angels were usually well-equipped to deal with demons, but that was a fact that Shanira refused to accept so to her, Itami was just talking stupid.

With the demon mouth growing wide to swallow the group the weapon-less Shanira gave a determined stare. There had to be something, anything...
She looked down at her fist and grinned. Her hand began to glow and she turned towards the demon's mouth, taking her speedy run straight for the inside of his mouth with a wound-up fist growing with every step with light magic and with every intention of storming inside the demon and smashing her powered-up fist with her gained momentum right into the back of his throat...or anything she could punch in him first, really.

[Mark Angelus Fri]

"Dammit, wait!" Mark cursed as she just managed to slip past his grasp. She wasn't actually... no, she wouldn't...

Yes, she WANTED to be swallowed and she got what she wanted, the creature swallowed her right up and closed its mouth right afterwards, giving a 'satisfied' look as it ate the Guardian.

"SHANIRA!" Mark roared, even if this creature could regenerate, Mark was about to rip right into it and not stop until he would pull her out.

[shanira]

And inward the angelic guardian charged, swallowed and soon found she was surrounded by moist, squishy darkness!

'Oh, well son of a...'

"Huaaah!!" she unleashed her punch as originally planned into...what was this thing, the back of his throat? She couldn't really see too well, Shanira was lucky to be able to see at all thanks to the magic she focused into her fists, giving off a faint glow. The first punch she landed she thought she did some good damage with, though feeling everything squishing around her fist made it hard for her to tell for sure.

Maybe it was the stomach lining. Eww.

Either way the heat inside of the beast was anything but satisfactory, and Shanira wanted the hell out. ha. hell. Her fists glowed again as she took a breath and with a loud, angry scream she began punching away repeatedly, with every hit she increased in speed faster and faster until she reached the point that she would have been at in a run. The demon she could no longer feel as she pummelled him with punches, partially because she had been moving so fast and partially because as she continued the creature's lining actually broke down...

And just as quickly as Shanira had tragically disappeared, she began to reappear with a loud "rrrrrraaaaaaaagggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!" as the demon's stomach started shifting and popping, eventually with one final blow a hole exploded through him and out hopped the tenacious guardian, turning to face the demon again right away to see how her 'fine' work had taken to him now!

[Mark Angelus Fri]

"That little one was so tasty that I could... I could..." The Demon stopped before clutching its stomach before suddenly screaming, "WHAAAAAAA! WHAT IS THE BITCH DOING INSIDE ME! DIE ALREADY, DIE!"

The Demon was stupid, so stupid that it started stabbing itself in attempt to kill Shanira. She probably didn't even notice considering how far off its attempts were and when she burst out of it the Demon gave one last fleeting scream scream before falling limp.

Mark couldn't believe it, Shanira's plan (if she had a plan) actually worked and he was stunned by it. "Holy crap, Shanira..." Mark gasped as he watched the demon fall, "I'm not sure if I should hug you for killing that thing or yell at you for that crazy stunt."

What Mark didn't realize was this: the demon wasn't dead, sure it had its insides blown out but somehow it still had some little source left... and it planned to kill the woman who did this to it. It leaped up into the air, all of its pincers pointed straight down at Shanira, "DIIIIEEEEEEE!"

[Kodoku Itami]

A large purple, skeletal hand reached and plucked the demon from the air mid-drop. The demon was lowered to the skeletons rib cage where it hovered before Itami, who stared at it with bleeding eyes. His left hand crackled with lightning as his gaze lingered on his opponent. He spoke, his words laced with venom and authority.

"I am no traitor. My family left Hellious millennia ago and prospered for it. And we shall rise again." The skeleton tightened its grip, before tossing the demon into the air. Itami raises his left hand and pointed it skyward, at the opponent he had just flung forth. His right hand reached across and clutched onto his left shoulder, all excess energy pouring into his attack. The conditions weren't good enough for Kirin, he needed open air for that, but this attack alone should do.

"True Chidori Spear!"

The lightning shot forth like a sword, and imoaled the demon, halting it again in mid flight. A sudden burst of energy from Itsmi traced down the bolt of lightning, and straight into the demon. The Kodoku's demonic energy burned through his opponents and overloaded it, there was a high-pitched squeal of energy before the demon was blown into atoms. Literally nothing was left. Itami let out a cry, his eyes forcefully reverting back to normal, Susanoo fading back into the ground as the assassin dropped on to one knee and covered both his eyes with his hands. The pain was unbearable, like holding a naked flame to his face. It was the longest he's sustained Susanoo for, and could feel his vision fading.

"Dammit..." He growled under his breath.

[shanira]

Shanira had grinned proudly at herself for the fantastic defeat of the demon, not just because her awesome skill at punching it into oblivion but because of the shock and awe that took Mark when she emerged from the demon's ugly belly! Was he impressed?

She stared at him with her wide grin as he spoke, debating whether or not he should hug (he said that?!) or punish her for her recklessness. As he said it she took the moment to look over the commander, noting his impressive muscle structure and for a brief moment she let her thoughts wander to something along the lines of 'I think I could stand to be yelled at all day if it meant I got a hug out of that...'

Shanira's grin widened, trying to pass it off as her being somehow flattered by what Mark told her. She was going to answer with something a little less goofy and more professional when the demon launched itself back to life screaming at her. As it leaped into the sky she blinked at it, for a moment trying to figure out a plan for this when suddenly...he died! YAY! She didn't even know how to really explain how Itami took care of it...aside from disintegrating it into oblivion!!

Awesome!

"The demon stood no chance!" Shanira exclaimed proudly, though as she settled down her hands fell to her hips and she gave Mark a serious look as she threw in, "but I suppose it wasn't the smartest idea to charge into its mouth like that. I hope I haven't let you down too much, Commander."

Now came the question of where the hell they went next...hmm...

[Mark Angelus Fri]

What was with that look Shanira was giving him? Mark quickly turned away, as if the look would crack through the armor of 'calm' he had.

"What we need to do next..." Mark began as he walked over to Itami, putting his hand on Itami's shoulder and asking if he was alright before turning back to Shanira. "We need to find a way out-"

The area suddenly started shaking, large tremors moving through the area, "Of course!" Mark began as the shaking caused him to fall to one knee, "I had a bad feeling that this would happen; we kill the demon of this realm and the entire thing begins to go down!"

The surrounding area began to degrade and spiral out of control, walls began collapsing and the structure became too weak to hold... and than it fell. The entire land just caved in, opening them up to area of complete darkness as they fell deeper and deeper into Hellious.

---

Meanwhile with Zeke and Ingway the demon only seemed to be able to smell out their scent with ease. The smaller one leaped off the shoulders of the one and looked around, he became angry and shocked.

"That smell," it began, "I didn't think the intruders worked for him... but if that's true..." He looked over in the direction of Zeke and Ingway before yelling:

"Duo Angelo! I know you're over there!"

This just got a little bit more complicated...

(End Thread.)