The Slums

[Umbra of Chaos]

Uria

They swayed back and forth with a confused look on their face. "Fiiiiine." But they turned their attention to the masses with a stern look. "Okay, you all can't stay here anymore. I'm gonna help Lubei so you should all go stay in the mountains! Mother has a plan for you there."

They issued their orders and the masses obeyed, unquestioningly.

[YOLF]

Lubei

As the numerous beings clambered off, a rumbling breath escaped between the demon's lips. Lubei nodded at last once they were out of sight, and made his way down with eerily light steps, his coat fluttering behind. On his search for the unfortunates to lay to rest, he only spared a glance to make sure Uria was following.

6:00 AM

There wasn't much to recover of the bodies, but Lubei couldn't make up his mind whether it was an inconvenience or a blessing. If it was his people, nothing down to their bones would have been wasted, but here he had no assets or person to entrust with those gifts.

Yet, a pyre had been made. Rather than wood, he had mostly procured the pieces of the torn husks for fuel, and stacked them upon a skeleton of planks from shattered furniture, resting around and over the withered corpses. The heads alone he had separated and buried at the foot of the nearest trees, in their own coffins of ice, while he left Uria to start the fire. It took a time to take, but it burned with faint smell and dense smoke. Lubei crouched inches from it, laying out the basic offerings. He spilled a sliver of his blood into a cracked bowl, and on the heat flushing his face, he had cooked two rudimentary "cakes" from the meat of a passing bird.

The demon king brought his palms together for a single god, and asked mercy and certainty from the kings of death, before letting two of the three offerings join the pyre. When Lubei finally walked away, he tore the remaining cake in two, and dropped half on Uria's hands. The other half disappeared into his mouth with a slight crunch and a gulp.

"Your Mother has a plan for those you transformed, you said?" He asked, looking to the retreating gloom on the horizon.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Uria

Nexus Time 6:00 AM

"Yep yep! I bet it's going to be something really, really fun too. I'm kinda jealous they get to go run around when I don't. But there's something important happening soon." They turned around, facing the place that they had originally come from. The forest where Lubei had found them was not directly visible but they faced it nonetheless. "The thing at the forest is going to be born soon. Do you want to go see?"

[YOLF]

Lubei

The demon king's closest hand wrapped around the hilt of Three Poisons, remembering its weight on his belt. He stared at Uria's guiless, excited face. What would be born in that spillage of invasive divinity that even this little monster would take note of? He couldn't guess, but he didn't have to. He needed information, and almost as important, he couldn't let Uria out of his sight again.

"Let's go."

[Kotomine_Rin]

? ? ? ?

NEXUS TIME 6:15

Was I too late...?

Wow wow wow! Holy jesus macaroni, this is bad. I think you scared all the cute ladies out of here.

The ashen man's eyes narrowed, but he suddenly let out a small gasp and had to grip his cane harder than he liked. The cracks on his face were deeper than this morning...he was truly running out of time. But this meant nothing, as long as the spider succeeded in his mission.

He touched one of the cold coffins of ice and closed his eyes. Was this ambition, or complacency? Such coldness, it was all the result of an empty life. He could sympathize with trying to bring it meaning. His other half would probably scoff at the idea and just break the icy prison out of pity. Instead the Ashen man tried to give it some of his own life to save the trapped soul within... to no avail.

But this... he didn't wish for it to end like this. The fact of the matter was he could have stopped this. But that child's power... he had only seen it once. He wouldn't have been able to stop it even if he tried. The least he could do was evacuate the others. And yet-

You wanted to see it for herself, huh? I guess we've never changed even after all that time. You can't even cry over the loss of life anymore eh? The nightmare in his mindscape almost cackled, taking the form of a bird of flame and avarice. First Sakura, now this... even he had to smile at the way the detestable bird kept this all up.

But there was no malice in this laughter. No, it was the hollow laughter of a man who'd rather force a smile than cry again. "She is dangeorous." He stopped smiling, resolute. Hmmmmm? To who I wonder? The people, or your dream?

The crumbling man of ash and paper's eyes glared. No, it was more like they were focusing on his true intent.

A man of metal and broken dreams approached them. As if expecting him. After all, they were dear old friends, weren't they?


Van

He came as soon as he read the letter. By chance, he came to stumble on a lion of shade. His suspicions were only confirmed once he read the letter it brought him. A cry for help, an ominous omen. But more than anything, it addressed him by name. Could it have been somebody from the Citadel of the Sky? He had no way of knowing, he was still lost in this strange place.

And following the ebon beast, he only found his suspicions confirmed. Frightened people, hiding and cowering as if to run from some great evil.

And then he saw it. The pyre, the frozen graves. But even more frightnening was the silence. These parts of the city were not exactly filled with life, but he felt not a single living soul here.

Except one man, sitting in the middle of the graves atop a stone... reading a book. The knight's eyes widened, and he marched forward in anger. Outrage. Sorrow at the lives that had been snuffed from... this.

"You... did  you do this?" He walked forward, and nearly roared if it weren't for his restraint. "Answer me."

He soon wished he hadn't. For when that man lowered his book, he saw him. To call him pale as ash would be an understatement. That man had not a single shred of life in his body. And that body was crumbling, cracking like porcelain to reveal a blackened interior. He couldn't explain it, but he had a strange feeling from that sight. It's as if he had seen it before.

It felt abhorrent. Wrong. But something told him it wasn't malicious. The lion only confirmed this sentiment, as it approached the man and rubbed its ebon sheen by its side. But to think such a pallid man would have survived this place.

"I tried to stop it, I'm afraid. But their power... it was too frightening. It was as if two evil stars had aligned. I..." That man was crumbling. Slowly, but surely. He couldn't just let him blame himself like this.

"It's alright. Were you the one who sent that call?" He approached the man, and felt a deep sorrow and regret coming from his words. Only when it nodded, did he realize. No, a compulsion in his head or perhaps some kind of instinct told him that he had probably tried to do something. He must have fought somewhat, else why would he look so hurt?

Van's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?"

And so these two unlikely men met once more. For this was the will of the world.

[yinsukin]

Hobo Gretta

12:45

"You couldn't find any?"

An old man shook his head at the question.  Truth be told, he wasn't that old.  In fact, he was only 40 years old, but the stress of living on the street mixes with the actual grime in the most disgusting way possible, giving the otherwise middle-aged man the worn down eyes, baggy cheeks and a weak beaten down smile.  "No..." the man muttered. "They were all out, not even scraps."

The young woman who had asked the question sighed and said, "Thats fine..."

It was a nice afternoon.  That was the one nice thing about this place.  A land forgotten by people slowly being swallowed by nature.  The vine covered buildings grew stronger as they were swallowed in the harsh rays of the sun.  Looking up at the sky, Gretta couldn't help but wish that the slums weren't more like in movies, a harsh underbelly buried beneath society.  Maybe if it were like that, she could bury herself in society's sins.  All that is left now is her own.

Leaving the old man, she turned a corner into the alleyway that she called her home.  This alley way was all that hid her from the sunlight.  She hid in the shadow cast by society, just like she always did.  In the corner next to the dumpster laid a wet box.
  As she stood over the sad excuse for shelter she had, she once again sighed, squatting next to the box.  "Why?"

Gretta knew why.  Her man was beating her, broke some of her teeth.  It was her fault.  She was such a gold digger.  She was nothing without his money, nothing at all, yet she rushed out of the house one night and never turned back.  In a sense, this pathetic hallowed out woman was all she ever really was.  That thought finally forced the tears to fall down from her cheeks.  "I hate myself," she whispered to no one.

The shadows that surrounded her intensified.  They weren't mere shadows anymore, but darkness itself.  The light outside of the alleyway faded and a pair of red eyes stared back at her from above. The girl could faintly make out the shape of a demon, with devilish wings and horns that signified its allegiance to satan.

"Huh... Wait....  I don't have any money" she screamed.

"Foolish human, to have fallen so far," the demon said.  "Say goodbye to the person you are, as I reach into your flesh and consume your soul."

"No... please!  Anything but that!  I'm not ready to die."

"Oh but you will die.  You struggled and thrashed, but all it brought was me and my appetite.  As your reward I shall kill the weakling that is before me and consume your soul."

"STOP  NO!"

The darkness crept closer, wrapping around her ankles.  It dragged her back into the very pit of darkness itself.  "Fear not," the demon said, its voice almost seductive in nature, soothing even.  "You will be born anew."

"NOOOO!"

A hand reached into her chest and yanked out her soul.  The orb, so bight and blue, almost seemed to shine like a bright star.  The woman faded out, her eyes closed.  Yes, on that day she died.


Aruna

1:15

Aruna's sharp teeth sunk into the soul, taking a bite out of it.  The girl's stress, grief, hopelessness; it tasted like the what humans would call good restaurant food.  It was worth tracking down.  The darkness repaired the gaping hole, restoring it to full strength.  No that wasn't true.  It wasn't just full strength.  When the girl wakes up, she would find that the weight upon her soul would be lifted.  This would be the day her helpless self would give way to a true force to be wrecked with, free from the weight of self-loathing.

So then... what should I do with myself?  What even is my problem?

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

12:45

Continued from Xibalba


Relaxed, he dangled at the edge of a rooftop and observed the girl from above, like a kid looking down on ants.

Humans were foolish and weak. The kind of creatures who bred and thrived over others, ignorant and blissfully unaware of just how small they were. It was no secret that Zeke disliked humans, which was why he found sights like these quite endearing from time to time. But unlike his master, he didn't hate them. They were weak, and foolish- yes, and even worse than that, they were completely worthless. But they had something great and unique, something even he couldn't scoff at.

Heart.

A true expression of will, and the power to draw that will from bonds. Unlike other beasts, humans showed their true value when at their lowest. Some welcome the end with arms outstretched, while others come to face death incarnate, arms in hand. That conviction was something he had seen time and time again. And to see a foul beast rob a creature of that heart... no, he could not judge her. He stole the opportunity and destiny from the hands of men time and time again, so he would not insult her for following her nature as he did. But heart and logic don't always match, and he was guilty of the same thing he admonished Serana for.

Few things in life still shook or sickened Zeke. But what Aruna did to that woman made him truly frown.

Suddenly, four ebony wings stretched from his back, like a messenger from God's. But they were warped, wrong, like a chaotic imitation of something glorious. Or perhaps it was the glory that imitated that primal darkness to begin with. And that darkness was descending, wings stretched and an unhinged smile, before crashing a handful of feet right behind Aruna with a creat impact. When the blast and dust cleared off, he winked at her like an old friend.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

The blast of wind called, no forced Aruna to turn around, only to be greeted by the perverted image of that fake demon once again.  Aruna's demonic red eyes narrowed.  "False demon Ezekial?  I did not think I would run into you so soon," she said, taking another bite of the soul.  Finishing her meal, he released the orb, allowing it to fall into the body of the woman lying unconscious at his feet.

"Fly with me.  I want to show you something."

With that, his wings flapped, blasting the ground with a rush of air.  With another flap, she shot into the sky and perched on the side of the roof.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

With wide cheeky eyes, he brought his hand towards her and pointed his index finger up! Patience, a dramatic gesture, and then a dissappointed cross of the arms after he took a few steps forward and was looming above the human.

Poor little one... she was beaten... how foolish.

A pity. This bird could have soared high. She could have endured, grown, changed, and eventually shattered the lives of those who abused her. It was only fair, and it would have been just. His father learned of this justice, but the ones who did this to her never would. She would live on in blissful ignorance, find happiness for a while, only for it to be snuffed out again. Repeat the same mistakes, forget the same mistakes, and yet smile all the same. She would just suffer again, never to change or grow.

He devoured her there and then. His darkness touched her and consumed her bones, flesh, spirit, and assimilated them onto himself. And once there was nothing left, he slowly turned to Aruna with that same casual expression.

Tears were streaming down one of his eyes. Were they his, or hers? Did it matter, now that they were one?  His wings flapped, and he approached the demon. Surprisingly, he offered a hand to that creature, a being he should hate more than anything. He grinned at her cockily all the same.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

"Ezekial stop!  NO!"

Aruna reached out his hand, but it was too late.  The demon watched in horror as the false one perverted the very act of feeding, committing the ultimate sin, assimilation.  Long ago, the demons challenged the gods, thinking they could harness the power of the human spirit to defeat the gods, but they failed.  Why?  Why was this fool committing the same sin?!

"You...  My MEAL!  I just consumed her soul, released her from the weight of her pain!  How dare you!  Is that?  Is that what you've been doing?  Is that why you look so old now?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

He shrugged, and pointed to her left arm. Her arm of light.

He raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly at her, as if that was the answer. Or perhaps it was the question.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

"You...  Do you really have nothing to say?!" he said, drawing back his arm.  "and don't point at my arm!  What, you want to eat that too you power hungry beast!?  What could you possibly need all those souls for huh?!  What do you need my arm for?!"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

He blinked, and his eyes widened for a second there. Zeke floated about with a finger on his chin, thinking like he seriously didn't even consider it for a second. When he seemed to figure it out, he grinned wildly like an arrogant monster, and just pointed to the sky. The heavens.

No, beyond even that.

He cocked his head at her, and a dark power began to swell from within him. Unlike before, this darkness was far more palpable.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

The light on her arm reacted, shining to match his darkness.  The sheer weight of that darkness was enough for her to reflexively summon the light?  No that power, the one whispering to her, it was calling out to her to use it again.  'You foolish fake demon.  You can't be seriously gathering this much power for powers sake.  You cannot challenge the gods with human souls!  Its impossible!  All you'll do is end up a pale imitation!"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

The void stared at Aruna with incredulous eyes. Zeke... he...

"Pfsh~ Faahaahahahahahah!" Zeke rolled ovder and grabbed his stomach.  He acted like he knew everything about her, and didn't even seem to acknowledge what he did. What it led to. Countless lives had been snuffed out and assimilated to his collective, there were irreplaceble things that were lost- he was laughng, and still laughing. Someone was killed today because of what he did. He was laughing.

How about another joke Aruna?

He wheezed and coughed like his lungs were falling apart, and sniffled with a giggle before wiping a tear. Zeke had not broken down eye contact once, and now he was shaking his head like she'd just gotten it all wrong.

A flash of strength, and he immediately charged forward. The darkness of his body became an inescapable void, - and suddenly pulled everything into him. He already moved with beastly speed to rush Aruna with a flurry of hand jabs hard enough to split bone. His grin and expression were as sly as they were devious.

Avaricious.