The Fall of Elfen High (IC, Closed)

[Zarkenis Ultima]

The beast continued its mad charge towards Yuzuki with oblivious abandon, apparently entirely unaware of the Tanuki's speed and strength increase.

Of course, that is until it ducked just in time to avoid being slashed by the sword and then promptly kicked her torso with its monstruous strength. And then, the next moment, it was no longer there.

"Input: Human female has a high probability of possessing strange fetishes." The second Zealot said, referring to Catrin. Alastor merely nodded.

"Indeed." The Demon Lord said. Then, he stopped to consider the fact that, out of the blue, the white beast was now in front of him. Before he could react, it punched him, sending him flying back. However, he was smart enough to use the situation to his advantage, and so, he opened up a portal behind him and pointed his sword behind him, ready to use the same momentum the creature had given him to stab it in the back real hard.

Imagine how anti-climatic it must have been when he collided with nothing.

"Motherfucker!" Alastor exclaimed before crashing into a crumbled wall.

The creature disappeared once again, appearing next to William. It only stood there for a moment, before vanishing once more, leaving only a large fireball headed straight towards the knight.

"What a god damned monster." Frederick spoke, before finding the beast charging towards him from the side. Turning to it immediately, he began emptying his machine guns on it, apparently damaging it somewhat, though only barely, most of the bullets falling to the ground or embedding themselves on what we could call that thing's epidermis. When it was close enough, Fred decided to switch tactics, instead locking fists with the beast.

"Some help over here!" He said. He was strong enough to stop the creature for a bit, but it was obviously stronger than he was.

And the rat laughed. It was oh so certain that these people thought this was going to be easy. Ha!

[Nightkill the Emperor]

"That's the one, yes. Now, Oberon is shown as being a bastard beyond belief, but that's to be expected by the King of the Fae, insofar as chaotic beings like them can have leaders. The Fae feed on an interesting source - they feed upon stories and tales, upon music and passion, and so on. You would know of the fairy tales that involve fairies stealing musicians and writers? It's quite common. And they steal children too, for their potential and creativity. They're quite bastards in that respect." Gabriel noted.

Ivy paused.

"Azazel is...rather dead." she said bluntly. "Can the Fae defeat Death itself? And, if so...why are we fighting them, Gabriel? Humans will never cease with music and passion; and, frankly, even angels are passionate. And we're not going to stop having children. So, if these are the things they feed on, and, assuming they can come back from the dead, or cause things to come back from the dead, like in the case of Azazel...why are we attempting to prevent their invasion in the first place? Can the Fae be appeased?"

She was rather concerned at this. The more she heard about the Lords and Ladies, the less their collective chances of survival seemed. She would never defect to them, though. It would be preferable to die. She remembered Pierre and what had happened to him: he had been a greedy, selfish bastard in life, and, once converting to the Fae, it was as if all those qualities were magnified and enhanced. The Fae valued destruction and chaos. And...that wasn't something she could ever really stand for. Life was meant to be stable and to make sense.

Gabriel paused. "You beat them once before." he reminded her.

"And even if the fight is hopeless, even if we could all die tomorrow-" Gabriella began, and Gabriel finished. "It's not tomorrow yet." The two of them looked at each other in some surprise at this similarity, when they were different in so many other ways.

Gabriel coughed. "Anyway, they appear to have a way around Death - but it seems to be very difficult. And unnatural. I've met Death before, his aspects in many universes. But Death itself is a rather kindly fellow, insofar as he can be. And he loathes the Fae because of how unnatural they are. Not fond of them at all." he paused, thinking. "But there is one thing I have to say, something I'm not happy to say. You know that the Fae have a rather nasty habit of breaking into other universes. But perhaps they aren't just invaders. It's a suspicion I've held for a while - I don't think the Fae are just invading for the sake of it. They're fleeing. There's something out there that scares the Fae and makes them run. What it is, I couldn't say. I don't know enough - but this book by Zacheriah, in his sane moments, paints this picture."

Gabriella looked at their group. "Have you taken enough information, Gabriel? Should we leave?"

Gabriel nodded slowly. "I agree. Let's not tempt fate any further. I would like to leave one dungeon where I don't attacked by everything. Don't open any cells as we head out." he warned, standing up slowly and walking slowly. He then stopped and paused. "Hold on. Just hold on." he muttered. "Souls. Dragons and souls have a link." he snapped his fingers. "Strix?" he barked out.

Out of the darkness materialised a giant owl, glaring down at him. "Yes?"

Gabriel looked up. "I have questions - how were you made?" he asked simply.

"Souls." came the surprised response, as though it was the most obvious thing there could be. "We capture souls and prevent them from moving forward - from that, my body is created."

Ivy (and possibly Caspian) would remember some things from the Abrahamic War, some similar things. And even further back, at Atlantis, Zacheriah had used pure souls to attack their group. Odd memories would stir.

Of course, Gabriella was also curious. "Wait - you stop souls from moving on?" she asked. "They're trapped inside you?"

"Correct." The Strix replied smoothly. "It's what this prison is for. It is a breeding facility for fellow Strix, and a place where a resistance rest and defend themselves from the dragons and Fae above. We've had to utilise some dark methods to protect ourselves, learn from our enemies - but I am tame and in service of the resistance, rather than the dragons. The prisoners here are deserving of death, or too insane to be any use."

[Constaniana]

William stood completely still for a good while as Yuzuki's clothes changed. No force in existence could stop him checking out the hot Tanuki magically putting on a stripperiffic uniform. He absentmindedly countered the fireball with a radiant blast of his own, vaguely hearing Fred's plea for aid.

"Yeah...right. On it," William mumbled, managing to tear his gaze away from Yuzuki to the creature. The knight rushed towards the glitchy brute, swinging Excalibur at it.

[Nude East Ireland]

"Damien Seward," he replied. "I'm a time-traveller. I fought with a man named Crowley, who doesn't go by that name at this time. And the Fae are being assholes in the future, but - and you'll be glad to hear - that they didn't do so well after this war. You're Ganesh, right? We've met... er, we will meet, rather. Time travel is bullshit, I'm sure you understand."

He shrugged. "We're here to do some magic bullshit because I remember my life, when this body is that of my new incarnation."

Ganesh paused, looking at Damien. "Interesting. I know you. Not you you, per se. But your body. You were in Egypt not too long ago, fighting against the war. A soldier." He sat back on a recently materialised chair, his eyes glowing as he searched his memory. "Ahmose, your name was. But I suppose it'd be best for you to go by Damien for now, since you have no memory of Ahmose."

The stones suddenly began to glow red behind them. Merlin suddenly turned to Ganesh. "How bad is it?" he asked rapidly.

Ganesh looked at the blinking of the stones, how the light flashed on and off, faster and faster. "Bad. We have to go now." he paused. "Well, I have to go. Merlin, best that you come with me."

Merlin shook his head. "I cannot. I must stay here. Especially now. Stonehenge has to be protected. Find Richard instead, take him with you." he frowned. "Your plan is likely to backfire." he warned the Hindu god.

Another soldier looked at Damien bemusedly. "I have no idea what they're doing either." the soldier admitted, using a Gaulic accent. Damien realised that everyone was speaking Greek, and he somehow was fluent in it (though with an Egyptian accent). Must have been something from Ahmose's memories.

Ganesh looked at Damien. "Back on your horse. An attack is coming here, but we need to go elsewhere. Stonehenge will be safe in Merlin's hands. If you're here and alive, hopefully our plan will eventually succeed. But something big is happening soon, even if I don't know wha-"

A massive boom was heard in the sky, causing a shudder down on the Earth. The rain in the sky went berserk, the wind torrenting as the boom became a long crackling noise, like a continuous thunderclap. To quote another greater writer "Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk!"

The sound died down eventually, and then, fearful and curious, everyone turned to the sky.

And saw the second moon that had appeared, not too far from the normal one. Both moons full.

Damien took a moment to bask in the silence.

"Alright, what the fuck is happening?"

[Zarkenis Ultima]

William stood completely still for a good while as Yuzuki's clothes changed. No force in existence could stop him checking out the hot Tanuki magically putting on a stripperiffic uniform. He absentmindedly countered the fireball with a radiant blast of his own, vaguely hearing Fred's plea for aid.

"Yeah...right. On it," William mumbled, managing to tear his gaze away from Yuzuki to the creature. The knight rushed towards the glitchy brute, swinging Excalibur at it.

The creature swiftly turned around and delivered a kick to William's groin before disappearing once more, because nothing says "Fuck you" better than something like that.

The ground below him and Frederick also started getting really really hot for some reason. "Fuck." Frederick said, before immediately diving out of the way, just in time to avoid a large pillar of flames that erupted from the place they were standing in moments before.

The white beast, meanwhile, was now falling directly towards Catrin, fists outstretched towards the ground as though it was diving.

[Rupudska]

The creature swiftly turned around and delivered a kick to William's groin before disappearing once more, because nothing says "Fuck you" better than something like that.

The ground below him and Frederick also started getting really really hot for some reason. "Fuck." Frederick said, before immediately diving out of the way, just in time to avoid a large pillar of flames that erupted from the place they were standing in moments before.

The white beast, meanwhile, was now falling directly towards Catrin, fists outstretched towards the ground as though it was diving.

Well, if Yuzuki wasn't fast enough, maybe a bullet was fast enough to hit the thing without resorting to trickery.

Something along those lines went through Cat's mind as she reloaded and opened fire on the beast. It was a bit awkward, but she managed it.

"What the fuck is this thing supposed to be? Fuck!"

Yuzuki, meanwhile, took the opportunity created by the creature focusing on Catrin to launch another attack of her own. This time, she aimed for what she assumed would probably be where the Achilles' tendon would be on the creature.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Well, if Yuzuki wasn't fast enough, maybe a bullet was fast enough to hit the thing without resorting to trickery.

Something along those lines went through Cat's mind as she reloaded and opened fire on the beast. It was a bit awkward, but she managed it.

"What the fuck is this thing supposed to be? Fuck!"

Yuzuki, meanwhile, took the opportunity created by the creature focusing on Catrin to launch another attack of her own. This time, she aimed for what she assumed would probably be where the Achilles' tendon would be on the creature.

Bullets were indeed fast enough to hit it. And Catrin's pistols, while not as strong as machine guns, were still strong enough to deal a little bit of damage to it, adding to that done by Frederick's machineguns.

There was still the matter, however, of the white beast heading straight towards Catrin, ready to crush her between its flaming fists and the concrete floor, since she hadn't moved while attempting to fire at it. Fortunately, a black bolt impacted the beast from its side, sending it away, though it also saved it from Yuzuki's slash.

"Take that, you son of a sperm-overdosed bitch!" Alastor barked at the beast, alluding to its color and amorphousness, before jumping through a portal, appearing behind the beast and attempting to stab it with his sword. But the beast disappeared. Cursing, Alastor charged into another portal he created in front of himself just in time to about getting bashed by the beast's flaming fist. When he looked around, the beast had disappeared again, much to his frustration.

The creature reappeared on the ground not far from there, firing off another massive fireball at Peter. It was about to charge at someone else once again, but before it could, someone jumped onto its back and began biting its head, prompting a ridiculous scene where the creature ran around, trying to get the woman off him.

"Tastes terrible." Ciel remarked at one point, before going back to biting the monster.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Daisuke opened up the door, the various group within the simulation blissfully engrossed within the virtual reality and unaware of the real world. He looked at D. "What do you need?" he asked.

"Well," D said, "you seem pissed at me about the company, and some other things, maybe. Which is no way to run an army, feuding soldiers."

D welcomed himself in, stomping up to Daisuke's hardware. He looked over it and frowned.

"You know," he said, "if you would just replace the wires with the SNS rig I built in August, things would be much more efficient. Not to mention realistic. But I digress."

He tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for something that would never come.

"OK, I lied," D said, "I'm not here because of the war, I'm here because... fuck it, I don't want you to be mad at me when one of us dies. There. Happy?"

Daisuke took a few seconds of staring at his business partner. Then he grabbed him very briefly and suddenly in a hug before letting go. "I'm not mad at you, D." he replied with a chuckle. "Takas can't stay mad at Jamesons, it's how things work. And aside from that, you're my friend and a good one, even if you try too hard on your American accent." A regular source of humour on Daisuke's side, where he claimed that D kept using old Americanisms that weren't even commonly used in America anymore and hadn't been for a decade and a half, while D refused to care. "Anyway, it's good to be back on speaking terms with you. Thanks for approaching me when I was too scared to make things up with you."

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Grace replied with a respectful bow and a nod. "The pleasure is mine, Angel Calliel. I'm honoured of making acquaintance with a messenger of the Lord." she said, before standing up and shaking his hand. "Will you be in the same combat unit as me and Lily, Angel?"

Lily shrugged. "It would be interesting to fight alongside him, though..." She looked Calliel up and down, seeming to judge him carefully. "I have to wonder why he's assaulting his home with us."

"To free it from a tyrant?" Calliel asked with a raised eyebrow. "You'll see many angels fight alongside you - Heavensgate - you know what that is, yes? - is fully invested in this war."

[Norvenia]

Crowley gave a nod. "Go ahead." he said. "I have some things to do myself." The wizard seemed to think on some things, annoyed by a fact just beyond the horizon that he couldn't quite realise. But he just shrugged and wandered off toward his office, to mediate on a few things.

As Daniel walked along, he'd see Nicholas Carry sitting on a couch in a break room, an American basketball match on in the background - it was the Dallas Mavericks vs the Portland Trailblazers. Carry watched the match with some interest, glancing at Daniel. "Not a bad sport, basketball." he said appreciatively. "In my time in America, I never quite cared for football or baseball, but this is a distinctive sport from there that I can enjoy indeed. How are you?"

Daniel paused, then strolled into the break room, hands in the pockets of his cassock, and dropped wearily into a reclining armchair. "I'm well," the priest replied briefly. As well as can be expected, all things considered. We're about to invade a parallel dimension filled with nothing but armed hostiles, and an ancient and unimaginably powerful being who is allied with the lord of time itself has a personal feud with me that he seems to be acting upon. Daniel smiled briefly and shook his head. There was a time when I just hunted vampires. When did the stakes get so damn high?

But all that the priest said was: "I'm well." Daniel's voice was soft, mild, his gaze resting on the screen. "I like basketball well enough," he agreed quietly. "It's very fast-moving. Exciting." If truth were told, it was almost too fast-moving for Daniel: he preferred the long strategic slog of rugby or American football; deeper, more complex, more analytic. Basketball was just a blur of motion, of spectacular athleticism. But sometimes that blur held its own appeal as well. Daniel smiled. I can dally here a while.

The priest levered himself out of the armchair and went to rummage in the break room's mini fridge. Since this was a faculty area - and, come on, it was Elfen High - Daniel returned a moment later with two bottles of Guinness and handed one to Carry. "Back in sixty-five," the priest observed, "when I was working a lot with the SCLC, a wise man told me that a sports game on the television requires a beer to go with it in the same way that a parched land requires rain - you can go without, but it ain't good for you." Daniel clinked the neck of his bottle with Carry's. "Cheers."

The two men watched the game in silence for a few moments after that, and then Daniel spoke, his eyes not leaving the screen. "You seem to know something about time travel, Mr. Carry. Have you been briefed on the situation with Armenio? Do you have any ideas?"

[Nationstatelandsville]

"Well," D said, "you seem pissed at me about the company, and some other things, maybe. Which is no way to run an army, feuding soldiers."

D welcomed himself in, stomping up to Daisuke's hardware. He looked over it and frowned.

"You know," he said, "if you would just replace the wires with the SNS rig I built in August, things would be much more efficient. Not to mention realistic. But I digress."

He tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for something that would never come.

"OK, I lied," D said, "I'm not here because of the war, I'm here because... fuck it, I don't want you to be mad at me when one of us dies. There. Happy?"

Daisuke took a few seconds of staring at his business partner. Then he grabbed him very briefly and suddenly in a hug before letting go. "I'm not mad at you, D." he replied with a chuckle. "Takas can't stay mad at Jamesons, it's how things work. And aside from that, you're my friend and a good one, even if you try too hard on your American accent." A regular source of humour on Daisuke's side, where he claimed that D kept using old Americanisms that weren't even commonly used in America anymore and hadn't been for a decade and a half, while D refused to care. "Anyway, it's good to be back on speaking terms with you. Thanks for approaching me when I was too scared to make things up with you."

D nodded.

"Now, here's the thing," D said, "I do have a purpose in coming here; if Uriel has taken Rosalind, we can only assume he has done so with a purpose. I couldn't tell you what the purpose is for sure, but I sincerely doubt he was trying to goad us into attacking him. What I do know for sure, however, is what Rosalind is; a halfbreed of human and angelic genetics. And I also know that Uriel has before turned humans into angels - the poof said as much.

I need to figure out the mechanics of Rosalind's transformation, and I need to figure it out now. But I can't do it by myself."

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Crowley gave a nod. "Go ahead." he said. "I have some things to do myself." The wizard seemed to think on some things, annoyed by a fact just beyond the horizon that he couldn't quite realise. But he just shrugged and wandered off toward his office, to mediate on a few things.

As Daniel walked along, he'd see Nicholas Carry sitting on a couch in a break room, an American basketball match on in the background - it was the Dallas Mavericks vs the Portland Trailblazers. Carry watched the match with some interest, glancing at Daniel. "Not a bad sport, basketball." he said appreciatively. "In my time in America, I never quite cared for football or baseball, but this is a distinctive sport from there that I can enjoy indeed. How are you?"

Daniel paused, then strolled into the break room, hands in the pockets of his cassock, and dropped wearily into a reclining armchair. "I'm well," the priest replied briefly. As well as can be expected, all things considered. We're about to invade a parallel dimension filled with nothing but armed hostiles, and an ancient and unimaginably powerful being who is allied with the lord of time itself has a personal feud with me that he seems to be acting upon. Daniel smiled briefly and shook his head. There was a time when I just hunted vampires. When did the stakes get so damn high?

But all that the priest said was: "I'm well." Daniel's voice was soft, mild, his gaze resting on the screen. "I like basketball well enough," he agreed quietly. "It's very fast-moving. Exciting." If truth were told, it was almost too fast-moving for Daniel: he preferred the long strategic slog of rugby or American football; deeper, more complex, more analytic. Basketball was just a blur of motion, of spectacular athleticism. But sometimes that blur held its own appeal as well. Daniel smiled. I can dally here a while.

The priest levered himself out of the armchair and went to rummage in the break room's mini fridge. Since this was a faculty area - and, come on, it was Elfen High - Daniel returned a moment later with two bottles of Guinness and handed one to Carry. "Back in sixty-five," the priest observed, "when I was working a lot with the SCLC, a wise man told me that a sports game on the television requires a beer to go with it in the same way that a parched land requires rain - you can go without, but it ain't good for you." Daniel clinked the neck of his bottle with Carry's. "Cheers."

The two men watched the game in silence for a few moments after that, and then Daniel spoke, his eyes not leaving the screen. "You seem to know something about time travel, Mr. Carry. Have you been briefed on the situation with Armenio? Do you have any ideas?"

He smiled. "The wise man was likely right. But I'm trying to abstain from it right now. Back when I was in Nevada, I was exposed to enough drugs for a while, out of necessity. Coffee is my current drug of choice. But what the hell, I'll make an exception." he said, taking a drink while watching the Trailblazers make a point. As they did, he heard Daniel's second comment and frowned.

"Armenio? Ah, yes, the second moon." he said. "I had gotten a text. Time travel is very strange and odd. As for what is going on with that moon, I really could not say I know." Carry shrugged. "Perhaps Set is trying to gather an army? Or watch the Gotterdammerung to use it again in modern day, learn from the technique done then? Why the moon is necessary is a mystery for me." His gruff Southwestern accent seemed to roll out the words as he watched the game on the screen, his eyes still fixated on it. "So, Mr. Andreas, you used to be a vampire hunter? Ever went to California or Nevada?" he asked in polite interest. "After this war ends, perhaps you can join me there. There's a few dangerous individuals we need to clear out one day, though many left Las Vegas after the dragon incident in 2011."

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Daisuke took a few seconds of staring at his business partner. Then he grabbed him very briefly and suddenly in a hug before letting go. "I'm not mad at you, D." he replied with a chuckle. "Takas can't stay mad at Jamesons, it's how things work. And aside from that, you're my friend and a good one, even if you try too hard on your American accent." A regular source of humour on Daisuke's side, where he claimed that D kept using old Americanisms that weren't even commonly used in America anymore and hadn't been for a decade and a half, while D refused to care. "Anyway, it's good to be back on speaking terms with you. Thanks for approaching me when I was too scared to make things up with you."

D nodded.

"Now, here's the thing," D said, "I do have a purpose in coming here; if Uriel has taken Rosalind, we can only assume he has done so with a purpose. I couldn't tell you what the purpose is for sure, but I sincerely doubt he was trying to goad us into attacking him. What I do know for sure, however, is what Rosalind is; a halfbreed of human and angelic genetics. And I also know that Uriel has before turned humans into angels - the poof said as much.

I need to figure out the mechanics of Rosalind's transformation, and I need to figure it out now. But I can't do it by myself."

Daisuke nodded. "I agree. Let's bring Aziraphale here - he obviously knows a fair bit, due to his own former transformation. He may be able to give us more."

[Nationstatelandsville]

D nodded.

"Now, here's the thing," D said, "I do have a purpose in coming here; if Uriel has taken Rosalind, we can only assume he has done so with a purpose. I couldn't tell you what the purpose is for sure, but I sincerely doubt he was trying to goad us into attacking him. What I do know for sure, however, is what Rosalind is; a halfbreed of human and angelic genetics. And I also know that Uriel has before turned humans into angels - the poof said as much.

I need to figure out the mechanics of Rosalind's transformation, and I need to figure it out now. But I can't do it by myself."

Daisuke nodded. "I agree. Let's bring Aziraphale here - he obviously knows a fair bit, due to his own former transformation. He may be able to give us more."

D raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" he questioned, "You're going to trust the leader of the evil angel robots with information pertaining to what could possibly be our only chance of killing the most powerful being in the universe, who just so happens to be said evil angel robots' master? I mean, do the math. We can't trust him."

[Norvenia]

He smiled. "The wise man was likely right. But I'm trying to abstain from it right now. Back when I was in Nevada, I was exposed to enough drugs for a while, out of necessity. Coffee is my current drug of choice. But what the hell, I'll make an exception." he said, taking a drink while watching the Trailblazers make a point. As they did, he heard Daniel's second comment and frowned.

"Armenio? Ah, yes, the second moon." he said. "I had gotten a text. Time travel is very strange and odd. As for what is going on with that moon, I really could not say I know." Carry shrugged. "Perhaps Set is trying to gather an army? Or watch the Gotterdammerung to use it again in modern day, learn from the technique done then? Why the moon is necessary is a mystery for me." His gruff Southwestern accent seemed to roll out the words as he watched the game on the screen, his eyes still fixated on it. "So, Mr. Andreas, you used to be a vampire hunter? Ever went to California or Nevada?" he asked in polite interest. "After this war ends, perhaps you can join me there. There's a few dangerous individuals we need to clear out one day, though many left Las Vegas after the dragon incident in 2011."

Daniel considered for a moment, watching the athletes race back and forth across the court. He took a pull of his beer. It's tempting. The funny thing was that Daniel was not at all sure why he was tempted. I don't believe in wiping out the reprobate or cleansing the earth of sin any more. I haven't for more than a century. And I don't enjoy fighting, not really. I'm just extremely good at it, that's all. The priest sighed slightly. But God made me this way. He made me a perfect killer. Surely he had his reasons?

Or maybe I'm just trying to rationalize getting back in the saddle again because - what? Daniel chuckled quietly under his breath. Because I want to feel young again, maybe. Or maybe just because I'm bored. The Sabbatanos took another swallow of beer. And none of those are good enough reasons.

"Sorry," Daniel finally replied. "I did use to be a vampire hunter. But I'm retired now." The priest grinned, a brief flash of half-bitter humor. "I'm a school chaplain these days. Hadn't you heard?"

Daniel's smile turned gentle as he changed the subject. "I don't think that Set is getting an army, though I could be wrong - as Crowley told me, if there were an army, it would already be here. No transit delays in time travel." The priest scratched an old scar on his cheek. "I hadn't considered that Set might be trying to watch the Gotterdammerung, though. That's a...disturbing possibility." Daniel glanced at Carry and raised an eyebrow. "So: are you coming with us to Bethlehem?"

[Zarkenis Ultima]

And then, because we've long since hit a deadline, something happened in the simulation.

The white beast grew tired of havin someone biting its head, so it grabbed Ciel and tossed her away from itself. That was hardly the worst thing that happened, however. No, the worst was yet to come. Suddenly, the white beast let out a monstruous roar, despite its distinct lack of a mouth. Its fists were not the only things coated in flames. Its entire body manifested an aura of flames, much stronger than before. I guess one could say it was the monster equivalent of going super saiyan, though this aura actually hurt.

The beast's single eye, which was white like its body, turned an incandescent red, and its entire body began slowly turning black, the change of color beginning in its head and slowly spreading to the rest of its body.

Evidently, it wasn't happy about being shot and bitten.

And apparently, it was causing some serious shit to go down.

For starters, everything around seemed to shake violently, as though there was a constant earthquake, though no buildings fell and no cracks on the ground opened up. The sky began turning into strings of code which rapidly disappeared, leaving only a black void behind, and several of the half-destroyed buildings around began turning into codes as well, which then flew up into the void to disappear just like the sky. The horizon, itself, was receding slowly.

"Critical entropy levels reached. Deploying Anti-Virus." Came a voice from out of nowhere.

And then, suddenly, a giant metal panda with a futuristic-looking rifle appeared in front of the PCs, facing the now black beast. It fired once at the monster, and everything turned white...

---

And then everyone was expelled from the simulation.

"That was like having a nightmare while shitfaced." Ciel commented.

"I wouldn't know. It was like that one time I had to eat mushrooms to avoid starving in the wilderness back when I was a kid." Alastor said.

"It felt like that Saturday two months ago." Frederick stated.

"..."

"..."

They all then went to do their own thing.

[Agritum]

Lily shrugged. "It would be interesting to fight alongside him, though..." She looked Calliel up and down, seeming to judge him carefully. "I have to wonder why he's assaulting his home with us."

"To free it from a tyrant?" Calliel asked with a raised eyebrow. "You'll see many angels fight alongside you - Heavensgate - you know what that is, yes? - is fully invested in this war."

"I see, Angel Calliel." Grace replied, a bit awkwardly. The rulers of Heavensgate were angels, and they were allies in the fight against Uriel, who was considered by almost everyone to be a quite un-Christian dictator. On the other side, however, Heavensgate was also quite infamous for its treatment of demons.

Grace herself didn't share the same level of anti-demon prejudice as the rest of her fellow schoolmates in St.Gabriel. During debates about Hell and its inhabitants, Grace would always emphasise the fact that demons weren't all the same, and that some of them could even embrace Christ and the Church. Someone called her a victim of human guilt, while others claimed that she was being disrespectful to the victims of the Abrahamic War, which had destroyed her own hometown of Liverpool. Even then, Grace still believed that some demons still had a chance at redemption, and that denying said chance to them would have been pretty vile.

And even then, she felt the doubt that her views could have been wrong. After all, Heavensgate's angels were still loyal to the Lord himself, and were undoubtedly creatures of great wisdom and judgement. Surely they wouldn't have treated demons like trash without having a rational, logic reason to do so. This thing particularly troubled Grace.

"Angel Calliel, may I ask you a question? Namely, what will happen to Heavensgate, if the operation succeeds and Heaven goes under the control of your faction of angels?"

[Nightkill the Emperor]

"That would be true." Daisuke said. "But he was supposedly freed from the Android presence." Daisuke thought about this. "Alright, let's say it isn't him. But then, let's get to work on looking deeper into Rosalind's DNA."

---

Carry nodded. "Indeed I am. It'll be best for me. A great battle is undoubtedly going to start soon, and I intend to partake in it. Uriel's been in power for far too long, in my own view." He said, standing up slowly. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" he told the priest, shaking his hand.

---

Calliel looked at Grace. "Heavensgate? It'll likely stay and remain as it is. Heaven has been brainwashed for millennia. After this war, and Uriel is removed...well, bringing them back to the proper light will take time. A lot of it." he seemed tired just by saying this. "It'll be very difficult. Heavensgate will be a safe zone of sorts, where angel culture can flourish as we try to bring Heaven to sanity."

Grace, Calliel and Jade talked for some time, but then had eventually dispersed to their different ways. The next day, however, in the early morning they found themselves sitting around a small, circular dining table in the ISSR base. The steel table was surrounded by tough, foldable black chairs, which the ISSR soldiers and scientists sat in easily.

Calliel looked at the two girls. "Good to see you again." he greeted.

---

The next day, as Crowley was walking through the hallways...something changed.

The school began to shake and vibrate. "The hell's going on?" one of the students yelled out.

Crowley gave a smile. Ah. This was a familiar feeling. But this time he was the one controlling it. Before, when the school went to Heavensgate, it was a shock to him, but not now. "Don't worry." he announced confidently. "It'll all be fine." Well, that part was a lie.

There was a blinding flash of light, and Crowley shut his good eye. Ah. I know what's coming now. he thought as the school made a loud creaking noise before the light was gone. He looked around. Inside, nothing was different, but he walked toward a door and opened it up. Outside, there was the ruckus of a military base, people buzzing around and getting organised.

Rick Sanchez walked toward Crowley stiffly, extending his hand for a shake. With a look of surprise, Crowley grabbed it and did indeed shake it thoroughly. When the two released hands, they nodded toward each other. "You ready?" Sanchez asked.

"Indeed." Crowley replied. "In how long can we get to Mecca?"

"Whenever you're ready. We even did the effort of pinpointing precisely where the portal is in advance. Raphael went incognito, located the source of the magic and announced it was definitely a portal to Heaven. He didn't open it yet though."

Crowley gave a sigh of relief. "Thank God. We won't have to do some bloody side quest just to get to the main plot. That usually tends to happen."

"To you too?" Sanchez asked in surprise. "I agree. It felt like I'd have to wait for some idiotic reason to find this portal, and get it open, and then blah blah blah. It feels like it takes a week or something, even if its just an hour in actuality. I'm glad we can rush it along now though."

"I agree. I swear, the invasion of Hell ten years ago felt full of this sort of crap. But, anyway, back to this." Crowley chuckled. "So we can just enter in then? That's good."

Sanchez shrugged. "It appears so. We'll find the Library, of course. And we'll take down Uriel while we're there. I have a map drawn up by my best people, based off the information we have." Sanchez said, showing the map on the phone.

Crowley looked at this glorious map with a raised eyebrow, stepping fully out of the school. "Your artists are impressive, Rick." he snarked. "But what's the terrain like?"

Sanchez slid his finger on the touchscreen, revealing the other map. Crowley nodded. "Alright. I'll talk to Raphael, see where we're likely to land, exactly. Send these maps to everyone in the school, will you? Also, exactly where in the city are we? We're certainly not on the surface, we're underground. I know that much from the coordinates your assistants sent me."

"You nailed it. We're underground. If we were on surface, some would get suspicious." he explained. "We do quite a bit of top secret work here, after all. Now, I wasn't sure the school would fit, but it's seem to have shrunken a bit in order to do so. Impressive."

"Yes, it can do that." Crowley said with some pride, though he had had absolutely nothing to do with it. Rick Sanchez typed a few things on his phone, then looked up.

"Alright. The two maps have been sent off to everyone with an active @elfenhigh.uk email account."

"Good. I should tell them what's happening over the intercom, in case they're confused." He cleared his throat, and his voice magically transmitted over the loudspeakers. "Alright everyone. We're in Bethlehem now." he announced. "We're going to deal with the problems facing us, one way or another. Got that? Come on out to the cafetaria here, may as well have a bite to eat. Falafels here are pretty good."

"We likely won't be able to fit everyone in our cafeteria-" Sanchez objected. Crowley rolled his eyes.

"OK, so it appears these people are limited to stupidities such as "space" and "physics". Meet in our cafeteria. Check your school emails, you've received some beautifully drawn maps." Sanchez flipped Crowley off here. "And then we'll talk to you about what's going on. ISSR soldiers?" Crowley asked, now his voice projecting through the intercoms through the ISSR. "If you're interested, come by to our cafeteria as well. Could be important for you."

Five rushed minutes later, everyone had gathered in the cafeteria, the chairs and tables now all facing Crowley at the end of one of the walls, where a screen was. It showed an image of the political map of Heaven. "Alright. Raphael should be here soon to provide more information-"

A sound of wings fluttering was heard as the tall, imposing archangel appeared, his black face severe and dark, ready for war. "I am here." he said, a tad obviously.

Crowley would have said "Speak of the Devil", if not for the incredible irony inherent in that sentence. Instead, he just nodded. "Alright then. Now, you likely have some questions. I'll try to lay them to rest."

Calliel, Lily and Grace would walk into the cafeteria then, as well as other ISSR soldiers. Calliel saw Raphael, and then gave a bow to his leader. "That is the archangel Raphael." he told Grace and Lily, in case they were unaware. "Treat him with respect." And a mild dose of fear, of course.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Crunch went the snow underneath the foot; and so many now walked through the snow that said crunch was perpetuated until it became as deafening as thunder.

The workers crunched through the snow indifferently, wholly focused on the task at hand. They moved mechanically up and down the mountain, carrying with them huge blocks of black rock, three to each stone. They did this labor without complaint or falter, without feeling or thinking - as robots. They were the perfect slaves.

From atop the mountain, the Android Leader stared down at his children, eye protection preventing him from being blinded by their silver skin which burned bright under the winter sun. In this land of perpetual cold, light too was freezing. Luckily, the Android Leader had completely forgotten what "cold" felt like, though it had not yet had been very long since his rebirth - not on a relative scale, at least. He watched his children with satisfaction; no force of flesh beings, be they mortal or angel, could work so efficiently and happily. Truly, his lord Uriel had crafted the greatest being the Omniverse had ever known - now, it was a simple matter of waiting for his father himself to undergo this apotheosis. The Android Leader imagined it would not be long; why delay? All relished their iron nirvana.

"ANDROID LEADER," spoke one of his minions. The Android Leader turned to face his son, his long black cape shifting with him. (For how could he resist such theater?)

"Yes?" he asked.

"THEY ARE READY."

The Android Leader smiled underneath his mask; the muscles had begun to atrophy, so said smile appeared merely as a brief flicker away from a limp frown, but the intention was all that mattered.

The subservient android guided his master across the wide body of the mountain Kala, the motion helping to clear the frost accumulating on its joints. It was cold here; desperately, unfathomably cold. A living soul would be consumed within minutes of arrival. After a short walk, the two former angels came upon a sight that made the Android Leader's few remaining hairs stand up in anticipation; a platoon of some thirty angels, lined up in a neat row, forced on their knees and with guns pointed at their heads by the androids. Angels - still warm, still breathing. Their blood still pumped their veins, their tears still fell down their cheeks.

Delicious.

Two androids grabbed an angel from the line and threw him roughly before the Android Leader; the angel averted his eyes.

"Stand," the Android Leader ordered. The angel immediately complied.

"Look at me," the Android Leader said. Likewise, the angel complied again. The second he set eyes on the visage of his new king, he began to weep and shake.

"Don't touch me!" he whimpered.

The Android Leader raised his hand above the angel's head. As if from nothing, a metal bug appeared on the Leader's wrist, crafted of his own blood and steel.

"Please!" sobbed the angel, "I have served the Lord Uriel faithfully! Why do you-"

"You have served our Lord," the Android Leader interrupted, "Now receive your reward."

The Leader dropped the bug into the angel's open mouth. It slithered down inside, visible through the skin, and planted itself in his neck. Metal needles stabbed outwards, piercing the skin and shredding the muscle. The angel's eyes widened, but before he could speak, the bug began to spread; the angel choked to death on his new armor.

His name had been Josiah. He was born and raised on the Plains, having joined the local militia as part of his mandatory three years service to Heaven's army. He had a mother, three sisters, and a fiancee; his father had died when he was young, a casualty of the Last Great Hunger. He had loved them all dearly.

And, for a brief moment, so had the Android Leader. But, as the boy's mind was torn to pieces, the Android Leader found greater joy in Josiah's pain than his mind.

Within a second, the newborn android rose - shakily at first, but quickly it became comfortable in its new body. The Android Leader again smiled and ran his hand down the body of his son; cold, if only he could feel it.

An angel in the line suddenly yelped and jumped up, running off In a random direction. The Leader stretched out his hand and crackling blue electricity erupted from his fingertips, colliding with the renegade's body and knocking him down. The smell of burnt flesh, not unlike well-cooked pork or lamb, filled the air. The Leader's mouth watered.

"We can just as easily use corpses," he said, glancing at the rest, "Bring me the next."

It would've been easier, far easier, to convert them en masse. The Leader simply wanted to savor it.

---

Aziraphale shivered and shook his head, clearing his mind of memories from the faraway present.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Ganesh paused, looking at Damien. "Interesting. I know you. Not you you, per se. But your body. You were in Egypt not too long ago, fighting against the war. A soldier." He sat back on a recently materialised chair, his eyes glowing as he searched his memory. "Ahmose, your name was. But I suppose it'd be best for you to go by Damien for now, since you have no memory of Ahmose."

The stones suddenly began to glow red behind them. Merlin suddenly turned to Ganesh. "How bad is it?" he asked rapidly.

Ganesh looked at the blinking of the stones, how the light flashed on and off, faster and faster. "Bad. We have to go now." he paused. "Well, I have to go. Merlin, best that you come with me."

Merlin shook his head. "I cannot. I must stay here. Especially now. Stonehenge has to be protected. Find Richard instead, take him with you." he frowned. "Your plan is likely to backfire." he warned the Hindu god.

Another soldier looked at Damien bemusedly. "I have no idea what they're doing either." the soldier admitted, using a Gaulic accent. Damien realised that everyone was speaking Greek, and he somehow was fluent in it (though with an Egyptian accent). Must have been something from Ahmose's memories.

Ganesh looked at Damien. "Back on your horse. An attack is coming here, but we need to go elsewhere. Stonehenge will be safe in Merlin's hands. If you're here and alive, hopefully our plan will eventually succeed. But something big is happening soon, even if I don't know wha-"

A massive boom was heard in the sky, causing a shudder down on the Earth. The rain in the sky went berserk, the wind torrenting as the boom became a long crackling noise, like a continuous thunderclap. To quote another greater writer "Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk!"

The sound died down eventually, and then, fearful and curious, everyone turned to the sky.

And saw the second moon that had appeared, not too far from the normal one. Both moons full.

Damien took a moment to bask in the silence.

"Alright, what the fuck is happening?"

"I have absolutely no idea." admitted Merlin.

[Nude East Ireland]

Damien sighed and hoisted himself back onto his horse. He also unsheathed his sword and twirled it around for show. "Alright bitches, let's get the fuck out of here," he said. He had to admit, it was almost fun to be alive again. Especially in the midst of a long and forgotten war. Perhaps he could carve his name into a rock somewhere, or fuck some ancient demoness. He smiled at the possibilities.

"We have to go, right? Where to, Ganesh? A castle? Asgard? Hell?"

[Constaniana]

William was seated near the front of the cafeteria, Hilde by his side, still wearing his King's Life Guard uniform, though he had some sort of futuristic cuirass on now as well. He looked at the two maps, confident he could have done a much better job, though they were good enough to tell the topography of the place they were invading.

"The political map has me a bit confused," said the knight, "What exactly is the Carnaval supposed to be? I can understand marking the military sectors, residential areas, and what I'm assuming is industrial and administrative buildings on the map, but why a carnival? Uriel doesn't seem like the type who'd freely allow a place of happy diversion where his slaves could waste time riding merry-go-rounds and dodgems and that sort of thing."

[Nationstatelandsville]

William was seated near the front of the cafeteria, Hilde by his side, still wearing his King's Life Guard uniform, though he had some sort of futuristic cuirass on now as well. He looked at the two maps, confident he could have done a much better job, though they were good enough to tell the topography of the place they were invading.

"The political map has me a bit confused," said the knight, "What exactly is the Carnaval supposed to be? I can understand marking the military sectors, residential areas, and what I'm assuming is industrial and administrative buildings on the map, but why a carnival? Uriel doesn't seem like the type who'd freely allow a place of happy diversion where his slaves could waste time riding merry-go-rounds and dodgems and that sort of thing."

Aziraphale appeared behind William; he had been on the complete opposite side of the school, but such profound stupidity, he could sense it years away. He had had a lot of personal experience with it.

He scowled deeply at William, "Carnaval is not a party. It's a place. A region of Heaven."

He moved away from William, hands held behind his back - like a self-important royal.

"Well, not officially," he said, "Uriel would have you believe that it's the Civilian Sector. But, I can assure you, they are very far removed. Carnaval is habitable, for one thing."

[Constaniana]

William was seated near the front of the cafeteria, Hilde by his side, still wearing his King's Life Guard uniform, though he had some sort of futuristic cuirass on now as well. He looked at the two maps, confident he could have done a much better job, though they were good enough to tell the topography of the place they were invading.

"The political map has me a bit confused," said the knight, "What exactly is the Carnaval supposed to be? I can understand marking the military sectors, residential areas, and what I'm assuming is industrial and administrative buildings on the map, but why a carnival? Uriel doesn't seem like the type who'd freely allow a place of happy diversion where his slaves could waste time riding merry-go-rounds and dodgems and that sort of thing."

Aziraphale appeared behind William; he had been on the complete opposite side of the school, but such profound stupidity, he could sense it years away. He had had a lot of personal experience with it.

He scowled deeply at William, "Carnaval is not a party. It's a place. A region of Heaven."

He moved away from William, hands held behind his back - like a self-important royal.

"Well, not officially," he said, "Uriel would have you believe that it's the Civilian Sector. But, I can assure you, they are very far removed. Carnaval is habitable, for one thing."

"Right, excuse me for associating the word carnival with parties. My mistake, really. It's like seeing a winery marked on a map and expecting to find wine there," William replied, rolling his eyes at the poof, "But whatever. So Carnaval is a somewhat less shite part of shitetopia? So instead of everyone living in holes in the ground worshipping paintings of Uriel they worship paintings of Uriel in pretty white houses? What makes it special enough to get a specific name and not just be marked as part of the civilian sector?"

[Nationstatelandsville]

Aziraphale appeared behind William; he had been on the complete opposite side of the school, but such profound stupidity, he could sense it years away. He had had a lot of personal experience with it.

He scowled deeply at William, "Carnaval is not a party. It's a place. A region of Heaven."

He moved away from William, hands held behind his back - like a self-important royal.

"Well, not officially," he said, "Uriel would have you believe that it's the Civilian Sector. But, I can assure you, they are very far removed. Carnaval is habitable, for one thing."

"Right, excuse me for associating the word carnival with parties. My mistake, really. It's like seeing a winery marked on a map and expecting to find wine there," William replied, rolling his eyes at the poof, "But whatever. So Carnaval is a somewhat less shite part of shitetopia? So instead of everyone living in holes in the ground worshipping paintings of Uriel they worship paintings of Uriel in pretty white houses? What makes it special enough to get a specific name and not just be marked as part of the civilian sector?"

Aziraphale turned on William and bent down to reach eye level.

"Listen to me, you little cunt," he growled, "This is serious. Heaven is a hell your spoiled little ape mind can't even begin to fucking comprehend. This is my home. These are my people. You will not belittle their suffering, or I assure you I will show you much worse."

He cleared his throat and righted his posture.

"Carnaval," he said, "is a ruse maintained by Uriel. The people there are kept happy and alive - not because he cares, but because he wants people to think he does. It's the site of the Military Sector's mainland ports; and he doesn't want them knowing how truly awful his kingdom is. They might rebel."