epidemiology | EVENT ★ SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

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EVENT ★ SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

Following the sudden entrapment of a group of ALASTAIR diplomats, it's clear the true threat to Chantes is still afoot. The sun's disappearance may have been what was on the mission tin, but the man behind the plot is still alive and kicking.

On the day the people inside the castle go incommunicado, King Christophe's head is unceremoniously tossed out from one of the towers. The word travels like wildfire from there: the Order of the Chimera's leader, Michel, has taken roost on the throne. But he doesn't seem keen on leaving much to rule — he's been busy littering the city with symbols from his grimoire. And with the king's death, they begin to stir.

If ALASTAIR sent the recruits here to save Chantes, Michel and his rituals are why.

THE DEMONS

All around the city’s landmarks (and a few within the castle), runes have shimmered into existence. Remember those? Bothersome little things that nullify powers. But they’re not nullifying powers this time. These runes shimmer a low, sinister red, even by the bright light of midday. They wait, complacent, not really doing much of anything… that is, unless you try to destroy one of them.

The moment a rune is tampered with in any way it flares brightly, and a thin red mist seeps out into the air. Each entity from the rune is a little bit different and fights in a different way, but all of them are unquestionably demonic. Some of them manifest physical forms and attack with claws and bolts of energy, but many of them are not so blunt. In fact, most of these demons are much more insidious, as recruits will quickly discover.

POSSESSION

Most of these creatures use possession as their main tactic, although their methods vary. Some demons keep themselves invisibly after that initial red leak of mist, choose a target, and begin to whisper in their ear. They’ll promise anything — power, riches, fame. Their words alter what might otherwise be sound judgment, making their target believe that not only are these demons perfectly capable of delivering, but they will impart their gifts just as soon as the recruit takes care of this one little task. Attacking your friend isn’t really so much to ask, right? Just think of the reward, just around the corner!

Some demons spark a frenzy in their target. An unquellable rage rises within them, urging them to lash out at anyone around them. Maybe they see a nemesis from their past transposed over a friend, maybe they’re trapped in an unpleasant memory and trying desperately to fight free of it — whatever it takes, these demons relish provoking an uncontrollable need to fight.

And finally, some of them will outright inhabit the body of their target and control all of their actions and words. The recruit will be fully aware of their actions, but unable to prevent any of it. They can only watch as the entity within them does whatever it takes to disable the friends around them — treachery, outright attack, whatever is needed.

In each case the demons can be exorcised if you happen to be with someone with a knack for it, but otherwise impossible to drive out. The demon will remain in its host until someone else successfully destroys the rune it came from, which will finally kill it. The demons know this, of course, and will focus all effort on stopping any damage to their rune if it seems under threat.

The destruction of runes inside the castle will open a thin breach in the barrier spell over it, allowing those inside to slip out (or those outside to slip in). They’d better move fast, though, as the breach will heal itself again in about 30 seconds. Miss your chance and you’ll have to hunt down and destroy another rune. (NOTE: Characters trapped within the castle may escape with enough time to take part in the possession aspect of the event with the rest of the game.)

Anyone with a sense for magic can easily tell that the longer these runes go without being destroyed, the stronger their energy pulses. Eventually even ordinary folk will feel it. Townsfolk in the area become uneasy and restless, and proximity to intact runes will begin to fill you with a sense of dread and unnamed anxiety. Something is coming. Something that must be stopped before it can be let into the world.

THE SUMMONS

No matter how quickly the recruits move, there always seems to be one more rune to find, one more demon to defeat. And still that energy is building. When the town clock strikes 12 noon, the runes are at full strength, and they begin to launch into a coordinated ritual. A summoning spell, to be exact. The demons disappear, their energy sacrificed to bring forth something even worse.

All over the city portals begin to open and beasts begin to claw out of them. These are chimeras, straight from myth, each one half the size of a building. They have vast wings and three heads a piece, a lion, a goat, and a dragon — plus a live snake for a tail. The tail’s what you should really look out for. A bite from the snake turns the bitten limb into solid stone, which will take either three days or a splash of blood from one of the chimeras to return to flesh and blood.

It can be discovered that these monsters have an odd vulnerability to pure iron. If struck or stabbed by something made of iron their skin blisters and burns — enough of this could prove lethal to it. Or you can murder them the old fashioned way, if you’re good at killing giant monsters.

Attacking them isn’t the only thing to be worried about, though. They’re smashing down buildings and attacking indiscriminately, so some characters might find their time well-spent evacuating citizens rather than partaking in the fight directly. The structural damage might be inevitable, but it’s at least possible to mitigate loss of life.

THE AFTERWORD

A few hours after the final chimera is killed, un-summoned, exploded, whatever its fate might be, recruits will find their ALASTAIR-given jewelry coming to life. It looks like they’re finally breaking their silence. Words scrawl across whatever surface you see them on, written in ornate purple script:

On behalf of this land, thank you for your diligence and hard work. You have ten days to settle your affairs in this world before your return to Oska.

Just that, then the jewelry dies out again. It’s a bit of an underwhelming show of gratitude, but it gets the point across. Say goodbye to any non-recruit friends you’ve made here, get the last word in on any arguments with the locals, settle your bar tabs — or rack them up, as per inclination.

In ten days every ALASTAIR recruit will simply fade away into a white mist from the perspective of the locals. But until then the city is yours, and most importantly, safe.

OOC INFO

Welcome to the concluding log of Chantes! There's been quite a few pieces to it, so here's an overall list of the week's noteworthy plot posts:

Peaceseeking player plot

Loki and Ahad addressing Michel's disappearance

A request from Arthur

Event follow-up with the fate of Michel. Please note that regardless of Michel's end, we will be reading player suggestions and taking them into account for the overall fate of Chantes.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ is she simply in luck or was he merely pushing the limit on arriving fashionably late? It's a question maybe worth asking but not quite at this time. The chimera doesn't seem particularly interested in a child, but when one is right in its path and displaying a capability for magic, it becomes worth devouring or otherwise killing. The thing right now is its advance is slow because it is destructive and it is quite okay to crush such a small thing that is already injured an unable to run.

It's close, that second wave of heavy rocks that come more purposely towards her in larger volume and higher quantity. When the first few slam into Sieglinde's barrier and crack it, the final one actually creating a puncture, her barrier crumbles only halfway before it flares in a rejuvenated glow, sparks snapping and climbing up the air to re circle fully around her in time to endure the next onslaught of crushing debris.

There's that to see, of course, and it remains standing quite well so long as Sieglinde doesn't drop her concentrating. That and Masamune crouched down hovering over her in a shieldlike fashion, looking over his shoulder towards the beast still there making an increasing mess. ]

So, this your first time meeting one in person? You knew quite a bit about them when we first met. [ he looks back to her now with a smile. He doesn't seem worried he can't handle this or otherwise remove them both from the danger. ]

You doing OK?

[How recently was it that she'd told that person, "I cannot run away from my fate, even if I tried"? It seems so bitterly ironic now, on all fours in the rubble, palms and knees bloody, fine dress torn. She wants to, she does- wants to put her feet beneath her and run as easily as everyone else, but she can't. Her knees and elbows shake, threaten to give out, and each slam of falling rock onto the shield makes her wince, all her concentration put into maintaining the spell-

Until it's breached, and she looks up in horror, twists around to see the point of the rock inches from her spine, until... The barrier is given power beyond herself, a sparking, humming power that removes the threat- she turns her head and relief spills over her features, to see him alright, by her side-]

Masamune- !

[She wants to move closer to him, but the shield flickers and she shores it up, gaze only half-focused on him as she tried to keep her concentration intact. It was fine... The chimera was large but she'd told him of how they were defeated, back then, hadn't she? And-]

We were trapped in the castle for hours, and when we got out it-

[When had the world gone to hell? Was it truly the work of that man Michel? And if so... Where was he now?]

You're alright-

[ what a nice greeting! It's a good feeling to be wanted. Masamune looks mostly fine, save dirt and blood that is mostly not his own. He'll get closer to her once they finish with their unruly guest party member here. Although he's perfectly capable of taking down something of this size the old fashioned way but Sieglinde's information has proved quiet useful in making even shorter work of them. ]

Of course. I promised, right?

Keep your shield up, don't let it intimidate you into dropping it.

[ he wouldn't go get himself killed on her while she was trapped.
While his katana are all sheathed, he does still have one hand occupied with a weapon—a dirk of iron construction—that has proved surprisingly worthwhile and rather numerous for its usefulness in this situation. Iron blades bend out of shape too easily to normally be better than what he's used to by far, but hey... they seem to do some quite impressive damage on these things and are in abundance. Not to mention combining them...

well, let's just say that it's even more convenient than normal for someone who can dual wield and has experience taking large powerful monsters out to do so. Unsheathing one of his dragon katana, he takes on a stranger method of holding onto it via his teeth—if one knew his relationships to identify it as taken from an enemy, then it's even stranger.

Masamune stills, then, waiting as the chimera advances. He doesn't allow even the smallest muscle in his body to twitch despite this being a very trying showdown. Afterall, a beast of that size heading towards you, taking out surrounding structures that only add to the danger... well, it's clear that when he told Sieglinde not to drop her shield, he was trusting her with a lot more responsibility than he would any child. And he does so because he doesn't view her as such in this predicament. She's a young woman capable of just as much if not more than anyone else, even if she has a handicap. Exchanges aren't uncommon... and that's why you fight alongside others, anyway, isn't it? To cover your weaknesses and bolster your strengths.

As still as he is in the seconds following, one more second further and suddenly he's go. Masamune is fast when he wishes to be, even when dealing with unfamiliar techniques or situations. Using that speed as momentum, he jumps, managing to out maneuver the snapping teeth of dragon head's agile range of movement and land onto its back, plunging the dirk into where the beasts spinal cord would most likely join to the the base of the heads. For such a relatively small weapon, it does, a lot of damage—even without seeing it the monster's reaction suggests that well enough.

Just as the chimera seems to spin in order to lash out in response to the pain, it drops midmovement, crashing into the ground in a heap and strangulated groan, leaving the warlord to land in front of it with the dust and debris kicked up clearing out. Both blades are in his hands now and both drip with evidence of usage and the resulting gore of fatally injuring the chimera. Actually, when all is said and done, he's not exactly clean of it himself and he has to use his sleeve to rub spattered fluids and tissue from his face.

All right, that's one chimera down, but... judging from the sounds about the city, plenty more to go for any hope this place has of surviving. They all don't go down that quickly, either. Circumstance indeed seems to dominate the factors that lead to the beast type's fatality. ]

[He had promised, hadn't he? And since their arrival in this place... Had it been mere months? Masamune had not broken a promise to her yet. It was a reminder she needed, and one that made her curl her fingers into determined fists in the rubble beneath her, managing to get off all fours and at least sit back on her haunches in her gown now dusty and torn, hair half fallen from the style she'd left the flat wearing.

She did as she was told- bolstering her shields' ability with the regained confidence Masamune and the sight of him, prepared, ready, gave to her, trying to steady her breathing even as she looked up at the rampaging chimera bearing down on them. The legends didn't do it justice, and in the space of those moments she's torn, looking between her guardian, utterly still, like a coiled reptile just waiting to strike at the right moment, and the lumbering beast, it's roar, the beat of wings, the snap of tail-

It happens so fast she can barely follow it, Masamune becoming a blur, the targeted attack on a weak area, that vulnerable place where neck met skull, and the crash that shook the ground, spit up rocks and debris that deflected off the shield she managed to maintain, wincing slightly but holding. Until he came back, wiping his face, and she dropped the shield to try and stand. Try, because though she had the will, she collapsed back into the rubble at first, knees shaking too badly to support her. She'd try again.]

You took down that beast so easily-

[The weapon in his hand that wasn't his usual "kahtana"... That was the one the chimera was weak to. As the legends said- he didn't seem to be moving as if favoring a side, but at the sight of the blood she can't help but ask, a healers instincts.]

You are not injured... ?

[ it is amazing how mere months can seem like a lifetime when framed by the right circumstances. For him, to think of this place as a measure of real time, wouldn't he have to scold himself for getting too friendly with strangers?

In actuality, he believes this to be so, but there are a few that he would not give up with all the logic to do so in the world.

His time with this girl is one of them.

Masamune waits a moment, holding out just in case the beast perhaps has enough life in it to make one last effort to attack in any way, but it seems this was a cleaner kill than most and he has Sieglinde to thank for that.

Shaking his dragon blade swiftly with a firm jerk of his wrist, Masamune resheathes the weapon with most of the grime shaken away. He doesn't have much for the dirk, but it's not even the size of a sword, either, and after shaking that too he slides it under a strap at the side of his upper thigh. It's a little awkward but it's not exactly something he had a lot of time to plan out and certainly he has no reasons now to conceal it.

Heading over to her, he shakes his head. ]

No, maybe a few bangs here and there but none of my blood is anywhere but where it should be. [ to emphasize, he gives a light tap of his finger to his chest, indicating it's all inside and he's not bleeding anywhere.

He kneels down directly in front of her now, giving her a once over before offering an affectionate pat to her head. ] You did good! It was only easy because you helped out. You okay? [ he shifts his hand to give a gentle tap at the side and of her head near one temple. ] Here as well as elsewhere?

[ fear is a powerful weapon and can damage faster and more permanently than most physical injuries. It would be bad to overlook it. ]

... What the hell happened back in there, though? I wasn't all that confident in peace talks but I wasn't expecting everything suddenly going to hell, either.

[Strangely enough, it's the quiet moments now that seem deafening in her ears as opposed to the crashes and roars of not seconds earlier. The sound of the blade being wiped free of blood and sinew, the crunch of gravel under Masamune's boot. Her ears are ringing with the absence of sound, even as they pick up the telltale echoes of destruction elsewhere around them. But at least not right here, not right now.

She sags slightly in relief to hear none of that blood was his, tucked her chin in for that pat on the head- grounding. Calming her breathing, in and out, in and out, narrow chest settling from the frantic fear that had engulfed her. There was yet time to be afraid, but... When he was that calm, that sure, she could latch on to it- remind herself to be the same way, even on such unfamiliar territory.]

A- ah... I am uninjured...

[Well, uninjured mostly, besides the scrapes and small cuts that came of her weakness, ones she didn't even quite feel yet, adrenaline still pumping powerful in her veins as the words began to spill out.]

We- we managed to meet with the King, but he refused to listen and then threw us from the throne room... But before we could leave the castle some sort of barrier was erected- it rendered all magic impotent and we could not escape, nor contact anyone from ALASTAIR- I tried-

[He was the first person she tried to contact. Kida, and Riza, and nothing worked-]

Once we destroyed those runes we were able to escape but by then...

[All hell had broken lose. Literally.]

[ so that's how it was, then. Just simple coincidence that they were there when Michel entered. Masamune nods to her explanation. ] Looks like everyone underestimated Michel's capability while deciding to focus on his behaviour.

Although, not sure what his intent was, the way he's got this all unfolding doesn't seem to give much of a kingdom left for ruling. [ funny how nobunaga did similar as a demon king. Did Michel sell himself off to one to do all this, then? Or does he just so happen to be the type to have such an affiliation be enough to rot his humanity?

Maybe it doesn't even matter now. ]

Looks like from the very beginning we were right to assume an actual chimera would be making its presence known. ...or several. In the end, none of this should be surprising. All we can do now is clean up and take out the trash.

[ Masamune leans in now so that he can scoop her small form into his arms, careful to hoist her without being rough and accidentally agitating any of her injuries. Small they may be but even tolerable pain can be distracting and annoying enough to cause a potential problem. Besides... he doesn't want her to be associating him picking her up with pain or varying discomfort, anyway. ]

One thing's clear. We don't have a lot of time left. The city is only so big so we better get to work.

[Sieglinde could only shake her head, both at the situation they'd ended up in and to try and clear the ringing in her ears both, a hand moved to her brow, smoothing away hair that had fallen in her face and brushing away dirt.]

Loki allowed me to see Michel's grimoire... It became clear he was researching methods of summoning demons, but I was mistaken... I did not think he had come this far...

[It seems so foolish a mistake to have made now- to guess on another mage's capacity to have completed a spell or not, gathered the ingredients or not- it could even have been a purposeful mislead, that spell and that list half checked off... But there was nothing she could do for it now, was there, it was too late for anything but fighting the chimeras that had appeared, the demons-

Sebastian hadn't responded to her messages. Had he gone to join their number? Shifted his allegiance to the winning side? After all, he was bound not to her but to Ciel... Nothing kept him at her side but "kindness", whatever that was worth from a demon. More likely not kindness at all.

She lifted her arms to be picked up, only a small wince as she settled herself and wrapped an arm around his neck for balance, neck craning as she anxiously looked around, eyes wide. She has seen the destruction a tank could wreak in a forest but this... In a city...

They're trying to take you back. Back to that place. Back to the Witch Forest.

The whisper seemed as if it was just in her ear, and she stiffened up immediately, eyes widening as she half spun about in Masamune's hold. But there was nothing-]

Did you hear that- ?

Villains gotta be tricky or they wouldn't be very good at their jobs.

[ he says it as cheerfully as possible under the circumstances although it's as far as he goes, looking around the area and starting to walk cautiously in a direction. Now that he had found her, choosing a new destination wasn't quite as easy and he doesn't want to put her in an unnecessary danger either.

He pauses in his step when Sieglinde whirls and asks the question of him, looking slightly confused. ] Hear what?

[The sounds of fighting in the distance, the roar of a chimera, a scream, they faded in and out of her awareness as she turned this way and that in Masamune's arms, desperately seeking the source of the voice

You won't escape again if they take you back. You'll live there and die there. You can't let them.

It seemed at once to be so close, a tickle against the back of her neck, against her ear, and yet also distant, echoing, a barely audible whisper.]

That voice-

[She won't let you go again. The Green Witch's duties aren't yet complete. Either complete them, or bear an heir to continue your legacy- there's no escape.

Sieglinde felt her heart pounding in her chest, beating fast, fear gripping her much worse than it had even when faced with the charging chimera and her shield threatening to give out. Those words... The promise of that fearful thing-]

Over there!

[Finally pinpointed what she thought must be the source, pointing over to a pile of rubble to east, to beyond it, or behind it, she couldn't know, fingers digging into Masamune's shoulder, urging him to go closer, though she didn't know why. That sort of thing- she wanted to run from it, flee from the content of her nightmares-

But something was calling.]

[ Sieglinde's behaviour becomes concerning to the point when she does actually try to pinpoint what she's hearing with a source, Masamune is actually willing to take her there without much hesitance. For him, there's no reason to think she is hearing things versus he is not hearing what is occurring and so it results in him indulging, although his expression is suspicious at best. ]

Over here...? Are you sure— [ ...the rubble? ]

[As they approached, Sieglinde's expression grew more and more troubled, her darting gaze and the twitch in her body seeking to guard her back, keep an eye out, beginning to manifest as something akin to paranoia. The voice was over there, but it was also in her ear, in her head, and she was beginning to regret what she had thought was an attempt at bravery, curiosity, began to think they should flee instead, but her voice was frozen in her throat.

If you let them take you back you know what they'll make you do... What they'll make you create...

Her gaze grew somewhat unfocused, wholly unaware that largely hidden beneath the rubble and on the other side from where they stood, a demon's rune pulsed softly beneath the debris. It was so insidious, that whisper, curling around her spine and creeping into her brain, misting over her eyes and clouding her sight. She wouldn't. She wouldn't let that happen, wouldn't go back to that forest, that village, that laboratory where she'd created that poison, she wouldn't-

Your mother's here to take you back.

Without a word, even her breath silent in that moment, Sieglinde turned her head back to look at Masamune- but it wasn't him she was seeing at all, the color draining immediately from her face.]

Please don't take me back-

...Sieg?

[ he can't even muster the focus to insist he isn't going to take her back anywhere—where would he take her back at a time like this?

He isn't even close in terms of managing to connect two and two over this. ]

What are you talking about—

[Between one glance and the next, Masamune's face had warped into one she'd grown up with, the disfigured countenance of the village wise woman, the one who had always been there to chastise her, to remind her of the Green Witch's duty, to raise a voice against leaving the village, against contact with outsiders, against all of the things Sieglinde had selfishly desired.

The woman who had proclaimed herself her mother, in the end. The one who had bade her rejoice in the poisonous gas she'd been tricked into creating, completing her parents' legacy.

Where a moment before she'd been still Sieglinde was suddenly all motion, lashing out as best she could, struggling with all her might to get away, to push that person away from her even if it meant she'd gal the few feet to the ground below, panic overtaking her as the demon kept whispering in her ear, changing her vision to suit it's needs.]

I won't go back to Wolfsschlucht! I won't work on SuLIN anymore! Let me go!

[It was the same voice that haunted her nightmares, that had her waking up in a cold sweat, eyes wide and panting. Your mother will take you back to the village where you belong, little witch.

No. No, no, no-]

[ although he recognizes her words well he's more concerned about dropping her and so he instinctively reacts only to hold onto her tighter. ]

What?! Hey, Sieg, calm down. Get a grip, it's me!

[ not that he really expects that to hold much weight, anyway. But still, it's the initial reaction given, anyway. While he should probably think more rationally about this (and consider letting her down to avoid her hurting herself in a struggle, even that seems like a bad idea in the current scenario. ]

[What just moments before had made her feel safe, the protection Masamune offered and had offered her since her arrival in Chantes, the circle of his arms, was now akin to a prison, the threat of being sent back to the village from which she'd finally escaped.

As his grip tightened, she only thrashed all the harder, deaf to his words that instead were twisted by the demon that had set up residence in her skull.

To her mother telling her to calm down. To her mother declaring it was her. To her mother staring at her with those eyes that had utterly failed to understand why her daughter was so horrified to learn what she'd created.

I won't go with you- Please-

[In her squirming, twisting attempt to flee, her hand fell upon the jeweled knife that Aqua had placed in her hands in the castle, and she suddenly froze, half turned away from Masamune with the metal cool in her hand and the demon's whisper growing louder, louder, loud in her ear.

If you don't do it, she'll take you back. If you don't hurt her, you'll hurt thousands...

With a wretched sob, Sieglinde's fingers tightened on the knife, teeth grit, and she closed her eyes as she thrust the small blade into Masamune's side, slipping it past his armor and into flesh and muscle and rib.]

[ he's been stabbed with far worse. But, there are fundamental differences and one of them here that makes this still hurt like a bitch is that she manages to find the perfect niche for a weapon of that size, bypassing his armor and plunging into unprotected flesh. And her thrust sinks the bite of steel deeper than he would have assumed possible—enough that when the knife's edge rakes against a rib bone's surface, it is just right enough to drain the color from his face at the sharp pain that accompanies the weapon.

To his credit, he doesn't drop her and the only sound that escapes him is a choked inhale, although he does sink down to his knees (just in case he does end up having to let go of her or she rips herself free considering like it or not, his hold has been compromised a bit by the shock alone. ]

...Hey... Sieg, stop—get a hold of yourself...! [ but even as he is attempting to make words get through to her, he's doing the best he can to ignore the sensation and get a good look around. He can only assume it's a demon but that won't do either of them much good unless he can locate its rune. ]

[Why wouldn't she let go? Why wouldn't she let her go? Sieglinde had entered fight or flight mode, but unfortunately for her... she wasn't very good at flight, nor ever fight. The demon guided her hand to find the perfect place where Masamune's armor connected, where the blade could slip in, but the moment it did her hands began shaking.

She's weakened... now's your chance-

But she didn't want to- even if her mother wanted to take her back, could she actually kill her? No, there was a far more likely option for her, and now that his grip was weakened and she was closer to the ground, she wrested the dagger from his side and took it with her when she finally broke free from his grip- pointing it at him, bloody tip wavering as she struggled to get herself between Masamune and the pile of rubble. Why, she didn't know, but the voice urged her on.]

Don't move... I won't go back-

[She steadied her grip on the knife with both hands, struggling to stay upright, chest heaving, hyperventiling as she stared Masamune- no, her mother down.]

I'll die before I go back-

[And the demon who'd possessed her seemed to plan on at least one of them doing that, whether it be Sieglinde killing her protector or dying in protection of the rune she hid behind her.]

[ ...is that where it is?

Clutching the wound at his side, the open injury stinging as much as the rest of it hurts with constant pain, he watches and listens to her. This will be hard, and he may treat her like being part of the dragon family but she wouldn't be able to withstand an elemental attack.

Can he reason with her? Or can he provoke the demon— ]

Where will you go if not back with me?

[ lets go, demon bastard. he'll play right along with you and beat you at your own bullshit if that's what it takes. ] Does the outside world really deserve your sacrifice of discovery and achievement? What has it done for you now? You're alone.

[It sounded so familiar. Hadn't her mother said such things? Asked her why she was even upset when she'd created such an amazing thing... Told her that the outside world offered her nothing, that she owed them nothing-

But how could that be, even as the demon in her mind urged her onwards, don't listen to her, she'll use you again, and Sieglinde knew that but why, why couldn't that woman just understand-]

The outside world-

[Her voice was choked up but she tried to get past it, tried to tighten her grip on the knife, tried not to think about the blood that dripped from the wavering tip. She hadn't wanted to hurt her but she had no choice-]

Doesn't deserve what you made me do- you lied to me-

[She had too many things to say to that woman and yet couldn't say what she wanted at all, no matter how many times she'd gone over it in her head.]

I'm not alone! You couldn't kill me- or Wolfram- or the visitors... And I'm not alone here, either!

[She had Masamune, and Kida, and Riza, and Sakura, and Merlin, and Rin, and Gilgamesh, Julius, Olivia, Loki, Steven, so many names and people she never would have met, tears blurring the edges of her vision, torn between her own reaction to her mother saying such things and the demon urging kill her, kill her, or you'll have to kill yourself.]

Aren't you, though? How did I manage to get a hold of you in the first place if you aren't alone?

[ he's not sure which way this will go (will she second guess him or will she second guess her eyes? demon influences are powerful and no one is an exception to their influence, so he wouldn't find it disappointing she couldn't do the latter, but all the same if she can... he'd be stupid not to make sure it's something he can't exploit). Regardless, though, he figures either way works so long as he can get her to move far enough away from the rune. He drops his hand from the wound to set his palm flat on the ground, looking towards the girl but not seeing. Rather he's preoccupied trying to feel through the ground and find if there are any potential conductors that he could get away with using that can avert the current around her if worst comes to worst. ]

[That stung- it was obvious, how Sieglinde winced away from it, shut her eyes briefly, swaying where she stood and barely managing to keep her balance amidst the unsteady terrain that was a cobblestone street. Or, what used to be one, now littered with cracks and pits, chunks of rubble from the surrounding buildings, all things for her tiny feet to catch and trip on.

She's trying to manipulate you again... Like she always did... You can't reason with someone like that-]

Silence! I won't listen to you anymore-

[But her voice wavered, just as her body did, torn between the demons whisperings and her own innate nature. It had been easy to stab when she'd been so close, been physically held captive, but now...]

I hate you! Why couldn't you have just died back then- !

[Before she'd even been born. Before the demon could whisper it's your duty, she's your mother, so it's your duty to kill her before she hurts anyone else. Before she screamed, cried, lunged forward with the dagger held close to lunge, try and stab for that woman's chest.]

[ Well, it works. Admittedly, he hadn't expected that to be her reaction so quickly (if at all), but from a different perspective it's actually potentially a good thing. A growing point.

From the current perspective, though, it's just really inconvenient and painful. Masamune shifts in react, if only to make it not seem this mother of hers she is seeing as him is being a martyr of some sort. She's in reach and that's all that matters to him, so he lets her come at him.

It, of course, helps that even in his lighter armor he has a chest plate to catch that weapon. She's small and not skilled with balancing herself nevermind thrusting a weapon so while it will sink and dent and possibly injure due to grinding friction, the main damage is the pain from the impact against his chest to begin with. Masamune wastes no time, though, flinching from the impact but reaching out to wrap an arm around Sieglinde's back and yank her forward up against him. His other hand still on the ground, crackles to life with the previously subtle static before it erupts and darts itself forward to the rubble pile, like a viper lashing out in attack. It sounds like the gnashing of teeth, sharp and powerful and once it reaches the rubble, the visible blue lightning current jerks and circles, spinning itself larger until it takes the form of a dragon's head with teeth open and slams into the rubble headfirst, ripping debris apart and scorching the earth in the radius of the pile, leaving nothing above it anything but smoke and charred remnants broken down to pebbles. ]

—Hey, calm down and breathe!! It's OK. You're okay. I won't let her take you anywhere. [ just like he won't let these demon fuckers screw around with his baby girl and live. and it being a demon didn't even matter; human and anything else attempting the same would fall to the same fate without second thought. ]

[In her rage, her fear, the panic stirred up by the demon inside of her to try and force her to these ends, Sieglinde isn't fully aware of anything in that moment, just unsure why she didn't feel the blade sink in, (her mother wore no armor, after all), unsure of what she could do to make her leave, to kill her or hurt her or anything at all, and the demon was urging her on, again, again, if you don't kill her she'll take you and you'll never see the outside world again, you'll live there and die there and none of your new allies will ever-

Before she was pulled fight against her mother's chest despite her struggles, before everything was lightning and the demon screamed, (or maybe that was her screaming), a flash of pain that wasn't quite hers, before...

It was gone, along with the rune it had sprung from.

The world focused, retightened so fast it felt like whiplash, as Sieglinde realized several things at once. There was a dagger in one of her hands. Masamune was holding her tightly. Her legs ached. Something was wrong. Her mother was gone, and-]

Masamune... ?

[And there was blood on her hands, warm blood, and her voice trembled, barely audible.]

Are you bleeding... ?

[ his sigh of relief is more audible than he intended and he lowers his head down to bury his face against her mess of hair. While he hadn't had any doubts he would be able to bring her back from under the influence, his adrenaline dying down with his magic finished, the fear of her being in such a situation apparently bothered him all the same. She's not a fighter and it makes him sick thinking about her being constantly subjected to dangers, nevermind dangers like possession that make her reckless too.

His fingers are still feeling a little numb from the passing of the electric current through him but he curls then against the dirt and ground all the same. ]

Yeah... [ lying wouldn't work here even if he tried it. He doesn't want to lie to her anyway, even if he would like to spare her from the reality. ]

Nothing major and definitely nothing you can't heal, though.

EVENT ★ SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

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