Xibalba

[Umbra of Chaos]

Joseph

"Freedom, huh?" He shrugged his shoulders but he didn't actually sound too disinterested. "Where is it then? I can send some things to help you look for it if you want. I don't know if I actually want to go there myself. You like being the more public one anyways, don't you?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

For a moment, he stopped. There was a sudden chill in the air, an undescribable feeling. For a moment... it was like being in the maw of a beast.

He hoisted the kid up, grabbed him and gave him such a noogie on the head that he'd feel it for about 3 years. Zeke's swirling eyes swirled almost as hard as his knuckle bone, making a total mess of Joseph's soft silky hair.

"Ahh, come on you rascal. We're comrades, aren't we? A team is supposed to work together. C'moooon. You're not going to get anything if you're afraid of a little sunshine!" Despite the theatrics, Zeke looked seriously distressed by that statement. Even genuinely hurt. His fangs were showing through the troubled visage, looking on the poor kid like a poor kid who didn't know better.

"I'm telling you, a captain without a crew is a sad thing. Your cooperation is valued and appreciated, so quit moping and groaning and say yes damn it!"

He hoisted him up again to face level, staring right in Joseph's eyes with big fat puppy eyes. "You wouldn't give up on a friend, right?" His lower lip trembled, if Joseph was trying to break Zeke's heart he was succeeding more than 10 000 Seranas and an 50 Ivannas ever could.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Joseph

"Hey!" His face instantly shifted into a scowl. Nothing that was necessarily hostile but it was certainly unhappy. His hands were even rubbing his head! "I told you I don't like pain! I'm going to take you seriously if you do it again."

After almost a minute he finally stopped and focused back on his compatriot. "...Fine. But only this once, and you have to protect me."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

"Kahaha! Of course, of course! It'll be just like the good old times, just you and me." And with that, he gave him a big kiss on the forehead and a bear hug.

Ahh, comrades really were something amazing.

"But FIRST there's WORK to be done!!"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke
11:20 AM NEXUS TIME

It wasn't a comet that parted the skies, but his bloodied husk shooting like a star. His face still looked shocked until he noticed the clouds. By then, he was already approaching the ground at breakneck speeds. Thus he impacted, causing a monstruous crater to cave in. That blow he couldn't so much as perceive, the palpable hatred and will surging from his master.

Simply marvellous.

A crater ripped open from the ground where he landed. Despite that, he looked pretty fine. It wasn't his body that was hurt, but his feelings. His one regret was the fact he was unable to see that other one's priceless expression.

"Phew... my, my. How was that? That's what a villain just released from some good ol' mind whammying would say anyways, eh?"

The heat completely vanished as soon as it appeared, and Zeke just laid there for a while, tired as ever, before lazily getting up. He just rubbed his sleve and put a pouty hand on his hip. Suddenly, his eyes had a glint of recognition and even respect for the mage. He turned around- Huh? Where did everybody go? He blinked sheepishly and coughed, sweating down his neck a little.

"Ah come on. If empty words are enough to get people to hurt one another, no one in this world would be left by now. I'd expect this kind of play from a human, not a superior existence. Come on, even I have some standards. "

He rubbed his head in embarrassment, though he wasn't speaking to anyone in the moment. It was only logical, his actions had done far more good in the long run for elvenkind than any half-hearted word could have done harm. He truly and fully believed that his dearest master would be the rational one and follow her logic, rather than emotion. After all, they were the same. He understood her more than anyone, and she understood him. The fact there could even be bad blood between them was genuinely unthinkable. Because Zeke was unable to understand anyone who wasn't himself.

[Aiden]

Serana

Zeke felt a presence burn through his mind, through the aberrant substance of his wretched existence in this equally wretched world. It was an elemental thing, something more pure than the visceral responses of the body which the living interpreted as malice. No, this arose directly from Serana's malevolent spirit in its most basic form. He felt it oppress upon his own spirit, and knew that the consequences of attempting to flee would be dire.

Not in form, for that was inevitable, but rather in temper.

She was beyond words in her fury.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

"I see."

A chill ran down his entire body, causing it to freeze. To scream at him. But he realized, no, he knew that there'd be no running from this. And besides, he disliked that kind of play. Instead, he took whatever curses the'd muster against him with the same smile as ever.

"...You know, I didn't get the chance to say this before, but this place really is beautiful."

Compared to the mocking face of before, or even the rage-filled act from earlier, he almost looked serene. He just took a few small steps forward, arms spread out, and smiled. It wasn't like before though, this smile was almost pained. It didn't contort his features or turn his face into a mask. He just looked like a person, and someone who had only strived to be by her side.

"It must have been painful. The first time you had to erect these walls, all on your own, with your small hands and no one to wipe your tears. Look around. We've built this place together, and gone through hardships to get where we are now. It's our home, we made this... we're comrades, aren't we? Was this fate? A joke of some kind?"

He shook his head.

"It's love, Serana. Love moves us forward. You love elves, don't you?" There was no perversion in these words. It was a genuine, almost innocent question. It sounded like a completely different person was talking to her. A person who could have once been gentle and kind.

But that person could never exist.

[Aiden]

Serana

It was silent. Zeke felt that he had been listened to, throughout, as if engulfed in a heavy blanket of focus and recognition. But the dead creature he had sworn his fealty did not see fit to expedite her response to his soliloquy.

But finally, he heard a voice as if from a short distance. "There are horrors in the Shadow Realm, numberless and without end. Our numbers end when the corpses do." The sound of heels tapping gently against the streets, unphased by the crevices rent through them by Zeke's impact.

"We will require the living as a source of replacements over time, and I would rather they breed slowly and please my senses before their end is necessary."

The void-born horror bound to Serana's will witnessed her arrival, in the end, and received a swift kick to the face.

"I suppose you could say, my oh so foolish servant, that elves are the one form of life I have not yet tired of."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

She is coming. As soon as he turned, her foot smashed into his face. Suddenly, he was blown back, only to land on the ground. What his expression marked, no one could tell, but as the sun glared behind him, Zeke looked even darker than before. "My, my, my. I misjudged you. you're a pretty nice girl. I get it, I get it... heh heh heh... how wonderful... as expected of the only one worthy to lead me... hehehe..."

He seemed to struggle to get up, yet he was unharmed. When he did, his slouching back moved and squirmed like a snake, and even hunched over, he towered over Serana. Despite that, he did not look down on her. He looked happy.

"I wish that I could be the noble soul you deserve. A gentle anodyne for all the trampled lives, a pretense of decency when it suits our interests, pretty words for deeds black as the sky.  It would help you sleep at night, I'm sure. But that way of thinking makes me sick."

A darkness too hollow to be understood. A hunger too deep to be satisfied. It was like looking at the abyss, and being stared back by your reflection. Yet his words were calm, gentle even. But it burned, like the sun glaring at her with love and cruelty. All that changed was the perspective. The mirror stared at her, and its jaws gaped wide enough he could swallow her whole.

"But it doesn't matter. I transgressed against you. Come now, surely a kick isn't all my impudence is worth. Don't worry, I won't run or stall any longer."

[Aiden]

Serana

"I see you misunderstand even simple explanations." Serana did not sigh, for that was the weakness and gracelessness of the living. She somehow made looking up to meet his eyes into an act of looking down upon him, throwing her servant into his proper position. She did not flinch at the sight of emptiness, for she had ventured eons in timeless shadow without so much as a palpitation. "And for that you will be punished twice over."

She turned on her heel, and began to make her way back toward Sur Carys. "Come, and see the sleepless fiend that holds your leash perform her work upon you."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

"Sure. I love you." His gaze softened a bit, if only a bit. With that, the same four dark wings as before erupted from his back, like a black angel's holy ark. He had no need to beat his wings any longer, but he still enjoyed it nonetheless. Or maybe he just liked being dramatic.

He followed Serana with no complaints, and for the first time ever, no comments. Only a smile.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke (After the torture)

"Don't grow that back until I say so."

Those were the last words she told him after that unpleasantness, words she would have no rebuttal or protest against. His dear queen had been particularly vicious about this whole affair, to the point he found himself quite speechless for an indefinite amount of time. But that cruelty, he could fogrive, women were passionate like that when it came to useless jewels like pride. Maybe that sort of greed was why he liked her in the first place. But he had to respect the punishment, at the very least it had been fair. But punished or not, it was no excuse to just do nothing.

So flapping his wings above the dark city, he observed silently the work of her undead minions, before moving his gaze to his own men. Simulacrons, simple in design to fool the eye, but dark organisms from the old world nonetheless. And their work and designs were his own, they were as much part of him as he was them.

Suddenly, he landed to observe their work more personally, especially how they operated on the walls and structures of this domain. It was very important they worked the formulas and circles just right in order to maximize efficiency, and built this gate correctly. Just by looking at them, he gave them new instructions to follow his design, and his own new template analyzed from his body's data. Soon, they would not even need mana clusters or living things in order to draw energy. He had about less than 48 hours until they would change and degrade as well. They would become assimilated, at which point they would only be able to cloak the city's magical refuse.

Before it'd be exposed, he'd ensure the tower would be so powerful the notion to hide would seem like folly for his dear mistress. What he showed Joseph was just a cheap trick, this was the real deal. So he smiled, crossed his arms, and bid his men adieu before soaring away. He still needed somebody's help to finalize the prototypes. A dear friend in need... So much to do and so little time...

How fun.

Continued in the slums

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

Nexus Time - 1:00 PM

Outside the capital of the dead - Continued from the slums

Four dark wings flapped back to the dark being's nest. He watched ove rthe progress with an empty, hollow look... and smiled down when he glanced at the demon. The wayward traveler finally returns home! But he would not enter that nest of his. No, he was quite far from the first gate, let alone the tower.

Circling the ground like a vulture, he finally settled for a barren hilltop, topped with dead trees and the same pleasant air as ever.

He tossed Aruna on the tree casually, giving no regard for the unconscious demon's health or safety. No, it was probably past unconscious and straight up dying right now. Fortunately, he had better plans.

He walked up to the tree, his gait malevolent as ever... but knelt before the broken demon. He looked over its vessel, broken by battle, and touched it softly, until his hand trailed over its left arm. There was no doubt now, this was a grace. This might be easier than expected.

He put his hand up above the demon, and clenched his fist. A trail of black liquid, dark as night, dripped from the hand that was pierced earlier, colored by stars and nebulas from far, far away. What should be blood flowed like water, but seemed more like the void of space. And imbued with his magic and being, it was filled with his own will and life, like an extension of himself. One he dripped down into Aruna's cracks and wounds, until the gaps were filled and his organisms started stitching the demon back up. This was a similar process to assimilation, but rather than trying to take over Aruna's body, Zeke was using his own self to repair it.

The demon was fed and nurtured like this for a while, resting on his lap under a dead tree. As he did all of that, he watched over the city and pondered on what the best move would be.

[yinsukin]

Aruna

Aruna's arm began to glow.  Perhaps a defense mechanism, or a response to something.  The demon blinked into existence, his broken body shifting into a different form, something less deadly, overtly threatening.  The redhead stared up at Zeke and said,

"Damn... so I failed huh?  Hey....  Why am I still alive?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

He blinked and almost guffawed at that incredible transformation. What was that, some kind of weird demonic defense mechanism? Trying to charm an old man and snatch his heart? Pwahahahah!

It was working.

He didn't bother answering her question. Instead, he pinched her nose between his fingers like some goofy old grampa toying with a cute granddaughter. She was so cute! So cute so cute so cute so cute so cute so cute so cute so cute so cute so cute so cute so cute so cute!!

Can you hear me? A voice rang inside the demon's head. It didn't belong to Zeke, or rather, it didn't come from his lips. But there was no mistaking who it was.