19

Chapter Text

Late Morning

Base Level, Strategic Military HQ

Xerxes, Eastern Empire

BAROOOM!

"GO GO GO!!"

"Watch the left flank!"

"Shit! Fuck!!"

"She's a monster!!"

"You're damn right!" Garmstrong slashed through the man's arm, his hand and gun falling to the floor. She kicked forward, his ribs audibly snapping as he blasted backwards.

Clicking to her left had her ducking without pause, a short volley of gunfire cutting through the spot her head had just been in. Garmstrong spun then, her gaze narrowing in on the source.

Another soldier, armed with two handguns, met her gaze.

He was trembling.

And rightly so. Because in about 2 seconds, he was going to see Hell.

Before she could make him regret his decisions in life, a wave of electricity engulfed him, zapping him to the bone and frying him into the next life.

"Apologies, General!" Charger called, slapping the floor and raising a cage of lightning all around them. "I'm going to take out as many of these traitors as possible, so you'll have to be a bit quicker if you don't want to miss out!"

"Tch." Garmstrong whipped her blade to the side, the blood of Drake's treasonous followers splashing against the earth. "Push up on that wall you just blasted open, if you want to be a hero. Go be an excellent decoy for us, Colonel."

"Understood!" Charger snapped off a salute, the lightning disappearing as he bolted off to the side.

Garmstrong suppressed a sigh, already looking around for a new target.

God, this was a shit show.

Half of her soldiers now working to kill both her and the half that decided to remember their actual fucking duties and the proper loyalties that had been instilled in them.

HQ was a literal warzone. And it was all Lieutenant General Drake's fault.

Her office was destroyed. Garmstrong had to blast through the floor herself to avoid being turned into paste by one of Drake's pets. Several hallways existed where they hadn't before, explosions and attacks from a good number of her own goddamn soldiers – Scylla's soldiers now, it seemed – shattering walls and busting through floors until sections of HQ resembled concrete Swiss cheese more than a military base.

That was equally true of their current location, with craters and holes and piles of rubble and bodies decorated the large entrance hall. It used to be a lovely area. Now, the carpets were singed and drenched in blood, the ends of the area and any furniture that may have once existed having been turned over and broken and busted up and stuck together, until makeshift fortifications and walls and odd facsimiles of cover took up the available space.

Honestly, the only bright side in the past few hours was finding a pair of still-loyal soldiers through whom she'd been able to send out a message across the rest of the base.

"Traitors of Xerxes! This is your former commander, General Garmstrong. I order you to lay down your arms. If you comply, you will be let off with mere punishment respective of your actions. Any further treasonous activities will mean death. I call on all soldiers still loyal to Xerxes and to the Eastern Empire: take up arms and drive out these treasonous bastards! Do not falter!"

That had been just past midnight.

Now, it was late morning, and they were still laying siege.

The four gates leading to outside the centermost section were guarded, and the innermost foyer was under the heaviest blockade imaginable.

No doubt, they were sealing off the lower levels.

Garmstrong would be impressed with their resilience, if it weren't her own former subordinates working against her. And it didn't help that Shades – the creator of the beasts that had been terrorizing her city for the past few months worked for Drake, go figure – were attacking at intermittent points as well.

The first few of the beasts had been formidable, that much was true. Now though, they were little more than cannon fodder. Almost like they were being created and sent out on the fly.

Still, they were at the point where even cannon fodder could be deadly.

As it was, the couple of squadrons she'd managed to gather up were only just now scraping a dent in the annoying formidable defense. Charger had just recently sparked and detonated part of the enemy's ammunition stockpile and blown-up half of an outer wall, giving another avenue of approach should they choose to take it.

That was likely what the enemy expected. Good. With them now having to guard multiple areas, they had to spread themselves thinner. Of course, that also meant Garmstrong had to spread her own forces thinner in order to force a two-prong attack.

Too bad for them, though. She wouldn't be doing that.

The only force she'd send there would the Colonel. He could manage just fine on his own as a distraction and as a potential threat. He wouldn't be able to break in the rest of the way by himself, even with a slightly thinner defense, but that wasn't his goal.

The goal was to give the opponent the idea of a two-prong push.

With that in the back of their foes' minds, the rest of her forces could push directly forward against a weaker line.

Slightly weaker.

It would still take some time, but they would get through. And when they did…

When – not if, but when – they got out of this, she'd make damn sure every soldier that hadn't turned out to be a treasonous bastard would get an equivalent promotion and pay raise. Every one of her soldiers that died for the cause would get promoted twice over, and their families would be delivered a hearty recompense for their brave child's actions.

And every shitty fucking traitor that decided power was worth more than loyalty to Xerxes and the Empire and most of all, her, the likes of which had brought them up from nothing and made them the best and strongest non-augmented humans in the nation, would find themselves executed and their name disgraced for all time.

"Move your asses!" She called, stabbing her sword into the ground. One of the runic arrays on the blade glowed, and a wave of earth rolled forward, growing and accumulating until it reached halfway to the ceiling.

It crashed down, the mudslide smashing through one of their enemy's not-so-makeshift defensive installments. Even as her attack was still flowing through, countermagical efforts were already going into effect. Before any of her soldiers could capitalize on the brief breakthrough, a new wall had been built up and reinforced, materials pulling in from the ground outside the installment.

This had been the case for most her attempts at breaking through.

That was fine.

Each time her foes rebuilt, more and more material for their defenses diminished. The earth around the installments was growing increasingly deep. If they ended up pulling too much, then the foundation of their defensive walls would falter, taking the defenses with them.

Again, it was just a matter of time.

…Assuming they had enough time in the first place.

With how things were looking, they might just need a miracle.

-=-=-=-

Tanya sighed.

"I can't be bothered to figure out who's on what side here. I have neither the desire nor the time."

She strolled down the hallway, unconcerned with the multitude of guns and magic spells being aimed her way.

"Don't come any closer!" The closest man to her shouted, his shoulder plates denoting him as a Lieutenant Colonel.

"Oh?" Tanya raised an eyebrow. "You're clearly scared out of your mind. Yet, your hands don't shake even the slightest bit. You're well disciplined; I can respect that. Not that it will save you."

Bang!

The spent shot clattered to the floor, her active barrier fading immediately after.

"Hah?!"

Now the man's hands shook.

"Listen, I'm not exactly trying to get on General Garmstrong's bad side. I'm actually in a hurry, if you can believe it, so I'll just save us all some time and jump to the ultimatum. Leave now and I'll let you live."

Tanya raised a hand, pointer finger extended. A ball of spinning magic appeared above her fingertip.

"Alternatively, if you're loyal to Scylla, feel free to stay and die."

A few of the soldiers exchanged glances, before lowering their guns.

Smart. Unless it's a ploy, in which case they've only delayed the inevitable.

"What are you doing?" The Lieutenant Colonel yelled at them.

The more intelligent of his soldiers continued to ignore him, instead lowering themselves to the ground as well with both hands raised in the universal "Don't Shoot" sign.

The Lieutenant Colonel though… not quite as intelligent as his subordinates. So then, it's… okay, five that appear to have acceded. That leaves… three, five… seven to take out. Simple enough.

Tanya stretched her arm out.

"Bang."

A hallway did not lend itself well to group encounters. With enough people, the area got too crowded, and it only made sense that you'd get stacks of soldiers in front and behind one another. With that in mind, despite being outnumbered, Tanya had the clear advantage of mobility in the enclosed space.

Not that mobility was a factor here.

She only needed three shots for seven soldiers.

Of course, it didn't matter the circumstances. Against cannon fodder, Tanya would always have the advantage. In her old world, the importance of quantity and quality of soldiers varied depending on the battle. Often, it was the individual excellence that carried a mage battle, but equally as often it was the larger mage group that guaranteed victory.

However, in this world, the power scaling of magic was much higher. Quality was vastly more important than quantity here, in basically every situation.

Needless to say, Tanya fit in the "quality" department quite handily.

Now then.

"Oi, you." Tanya singled out the closest one to her.

"A-ah? Me?" The soldier pointed at herself.

"Yes, you. How do we reach the lowest levels from here?"

-=-=-=-

Same Time

Near Eastern Gate, Strategic Military HQ

Xerxes, Eastern Empire

Slash!

Mary kept moving, the three Shades behind her collapsing into piles of bloody limbs and shadowy mist.

Dust and specks of red mud dirtied the calves of her pants and her boots, the latter of which were heavily stained in crimson despite the fact that none of the Shades had even gotten close to touching her. Nor had she attacked any of them with kicks or legs strikes, having simply cut through any foe in her way on her mad dash towards the centermost section of Xerxes.

She took a moment to catch her breath as she slowed to a light jog, barely winded but recognizing the necessity of the motion anyway.

After all, she'd finally arrived.

The eastern gate of Xerxes Military Headquarters' outermost set of walls towered above her to the left and right. That dome of red energy over the entire center area blocked the space between, the physical gate itself sitting wide open. Empty.

Overconfidence? Maybe they'd assumed no one could get past the Shades.

Mary shifted to a walk. Just a few steps from the barrier, her steps paused.

Without hesitation, she leapt directly up.

"Glycon, trap!"

Just in time. As soon as her feet left the ground, a massive serpent roared along beneath her, pouring from inside of the gate. It curled up, forming a half circle around the outside of the gate and stopping.

Mary landed, the large snake at her back.

Giant serpents… female voice…

A gasp drew her gaze forward.

"Mary?" A familiar blonde woman stepped through the red barrier, stopping a short way away.

Well, that tracks.

"Eve."

"You're… not asleep?" Eve sounded… oddly relieved. As if Mary wasn't pointing a katana at her. "This is… a happy coincidence. I had already accepted another love of mine's demise but look! Here you are!"

"You're working for Scylla." It wasn't a question. She already knew that, of course. Tanya had brought it up the other day. Speaking of which, "Where's Tanya?"

Eve sighed, her expression souring slightly. "Straight to the point then. Yes, I'm one of Scylla's Heads. And I've no clue were this 'Tanya' of yours is. Really, you'd be better off-"

"How about Tasha, then?" Mary interrupted.

"-with… huh?" Eve blinked. Realization slowly dawned on her face. "I- no. That… that blonde is your mentor? That ugly rat who nearly killed poor Nin?"

"Tanya's not ugly."

Why did I say that?

"And Nin deserved it, from what I hear." Mary brandished her blade. "And if you're in league with a monster like that, it sounds like you deserve it as well. Why are you doing this? What's your goal?"

"My goal?" Eve laughed. "Well, if my love is asking me… I just want power, darling. With enough power, I can care for my slither babies indefinitely, take as many lovers as I like, live however I like. It's really that simple."

"And Scylla's goal?" Mary pressed.

"Scylla? If you insist. You see, our organization's going to-" Eve cut herself off with a grin, "As if I'd just tell you, love or not. This isn't some adventure novella. All that matters is success; you don't need to know what that entails. So, what if Scylla has to break a few eggs to make that omelet?"

"That tells me enough."

"Does it?" Eve tilted her head. "Hm, hmmm… well, I answered a few of your questions, so answer a few of mine now, okay?"

She held out a hand. "Why must we fight, sweet one? Was our time together not exquisite? You're strong; I've known that since I first laid eyes on you on that train and fell in love. We don't have to do this."

Mary disagreed. "I think we do."

"No!" Eve clenched her outstretched hand, an almost desperate expression overtaking her for a moment, "I said I had already accepted the loss of you, but now I don't have to! Join me! Help me break this curse of mine!"

Curse? No, I think you're just insane.

"Run away. Come to me. Leave your guild, your home, leave Tanya or Tasha or whoever else you're with, and join me. We'll protect each other. We can be happy together. Scylla will make us stronger than you could ever imagine."

"We can be happy together."

Mary sheathed her katana.

Eve's eyes widened.

"Not happening."

Mary tightened her grip on the hilt, her eyes hardening.

"…Yeah. I thought so." Eve sighed, appearing genuinely sorrowful at her response. It was almost enough to make Mary feel bad.

Almost.

"I'm sorry." Eve said, "I know I love easily, and often. Too often, perhaps, yet I've never forgotten any of them. I'll always remember you. But if you won't join me, then you have to die here."

She kept her fist outstretched, extending the pinky finger.

"Python. Charge."

Her fingernail disappeared. Another serpent, smaller than the "Glycon" which was currently surrounding her and Eve, burst into existence.

Mary's eyes flashed, sparks of green flickering along her cheeks.

Then, she dodged to the right, narrowly avoiding the charging beast.

I couldn't cancel it?

Python swerved, parts of its coils brushing along Glycon's as it turned on a dime.

Mary jumped up this time, landing on the snake's head. Her blade flashed from its sheathe, slashing diagonally down.

"Python, roll!"

Mary nearly lost her balance, pushing off and landing atop Glycon. A shudder ran along the serpent, though no action was taken.

The serpent is a separate entity. Eve… summons them? Using her fingernails, it looks like. And then, controls them by some other means. There's no obvious connection, which means I can't exactly cut it off.

"Python, tail! Attack with your tail!"

Wait.

Now that she was paying attention…

There's a weird energy there. Through her commands. Is it a Skill? It can't be magic, since we're outside the red barrier.

Mary leapt forward, Python's tail slamming on her previous position. Glycon groaned, somehow sounding annoyed despite being a snake.

Could… could snakes make groans?

Not important. Focus on her. If it's through her commands, I should just take her out.

She sprinted towards Eve, the other's woman's eyes widening in terror. Mary shifted her grip, ready to alter her sword style on reaction to whatever Eve decided to pull.

However, instead of dodging, guarding, or calling another snake – in other words, the three things Mary was anticipating – Eve looked right at her, cupping her hands around her mouth and opening it.

There's a symbol on her tongue-

"Stop moving!"

The weird energy she'd only just noticed earlier filled her ears, buzzing across her brain. Mary froze for the briefest of seconds.

"Python, kill!"

Mary broke the hold, just in time to spin around and catch the roof of Python's mouth as it closed around her.

Her voice! She summons the snake somehow and then uses a voice-related Skill to control them!

Mary shoved upward, the slimy roof of Python's mouth shooting open. She jumped back, the wet maw snapping down immediately after. Mary jumped again as soon as she landed, flipping over Eve's position and slashing down at the other's head.

Eve dove forward, narrowly avoiding a rather bloody haircut.

Mary landed in a crouch, blade extended out to the side.

And control others, apparently. What's the criteria? Animals? Humans are technically animals, right?

She didn't give Eve another second to breath, dashing forward again and leaving cracked pavement in her wake.

Not that it matters anymore. Now that I've felt the energy…

Eve opened her mouth again. Green sparks flashed around Mary's eyes, zigzagging down her cheeks.

"Stop moving!"

Mary did not stop. Eve panicked, holding up a hand.

"LUCI!"

Another snake appeared, smaller than Python and just slightly shorter from the ground up than Mary. Its jaws snapped down, Mary's image fading away in its jaws.

Nothing happened.

"Did- did you get her-?"

Slash!

Eve blinked, pain exploding across her lower back. She collapsed, her legs no longer responding and keeping her upright.

Mary slid to a halt, whipping the blood from her sword with a familiar ease. For good measure, she pointed it behind her, at the newly arrived "Lucy", just in case it decided to keep fighting.

It did not. Neither it, nor Python or Glycon, reacted at all. They just… stopped moving, breathing and clearly some sort alive, but unresponsive.

I'd hoped they only acted on commands, but this kind of seals it.

She spun, walking towards her fallen foe.

"Fallen" was a good way to put it.

Blood poured from the woman's back like a morbid waterfall, a gash cutting horizontally clean across Eve's lumbar. Without pausing, Mary reached down, grabbing one of Eve's wrists and dragging her forward.

She was able to just walk out of this earlier, so…

Mary stepped through the red barrier without trouble. Immediately, the emptiness in her chest filled in, the comforting warmth of magic flooding through her flesh and bone.

Whoa, I love being right. It's an oddly new feeling.

She tugged on Eve one more time, ensuring the other woman was fully inside the barrier before dropping her. The woman let out a weak groan, the rise and fall of her back slowing with each breath.

No, you don't get to die yet. I can't interrogate you if you bleed out.

Mary crouched down, crimson flames licking along the length of her sword.

Though, I'm certainly not wasting any full potion on you. Sorry about this in advance. I know it's not a fun feeling.

"This is going to hurt." She warned unnecessarily. The flames cut off, the green magisteel nearly yellow from the heat.

Mary braced a hand against Eve's shoulders, the other holding her katana. After a beat, she pressed down hard, covering the length of Eve's wound with her superheated blade.

Eve thrashed under her hold, screaming herself hoarse. The smell of burnt flesh and melty blood filled the air as the skin along her back was violently cauterized.

Mary wrinkled her nose, pulling her sword back after a sufficient amount of time. She slid her hand down from Eve's shoulders, a soft green glow following along her fingers.

Eve quit thrashing soon after, the minor healing spell soothing her pain ever so slightly and ensuring her new burn scar wouldn't get infected.

I'm starting to think I've gotten too desensitized to this sort of thing.

"That's enough, I think." Mary stood, activating a short burst of water magic to clean off her hands. "I only healed enough to keep you alive. Your spine, though... well, I'm not worried about leaving you here. Not like you'll be going anywhere. Unless those snakes of yours get hungry, you'll survive."

She blinked, tapping Eve's side with the tip of her boot.

"Hey, did you pass out?"

Eve did not respond, her faint breathing the only indicator of life.

Mary sighed.

"That's fine, I suppose. I wanted to get information out of you, but…"

Another explosion rocked the headquarters, this one much smaller than the one from earlier yet easily noticeable from this distance.

"I think I can figure it out myself."

-=-=-=-

Late Morning

Base Level, Strategic Military HQ

Xerxes, Eastern Empire

"Pull back! Pull back and encircle him!" Garmstrong slashed her sword through the air, darting backwards to avoid a slithering stone column. "Don't let him touch anything!"

"Do you really think the cannon fodder is going to stop me, General?!"

"Tch." Garmstrong grit her teeth. "I've seen my fair share of traitors today, Colonel, but you're really vying for the top spot!"

Somehow, their shit situation had gone from "terrible" to "the fucking worst case" in a matter of seconds. And it was all his fault.

A barrage of bullets tore through his shirtless chest, the shreds of his black uniform and white undershirt flapping in the breeze. The man, if he could even be called that, merely laughed, crouching down and slapping a palm against the floor.

As it had the previous times, the ground exploded, waves of earth and columns of stone spanning out in a circle from his position.

He stood after, lazily and casually in a way that had Garmstrong's blood boiling. His other palm slapped against his chest.

Garmstrong's eyes widened.

"GET DOWN!"

His torso flexed and bulged, the bullets that hadn't gone right though him spitting out in all directions like a makeshift flesh shotgun. Several of her soldiers went down, gouts of blood splattering up against the light blue sky like crimson constellations.

Those that hadn't been hit got up immediately, moving to follow Garmstrong's orders in spite of the terrible monster mowing them down.

"Really, General. A traitor? Me?" He held his arms out wide. "Can't you see? This is for the good of everyone. I'm going to become your new God. Feel free to fall to your knees and pray at any time. If you do, I might consider sparing your worthless human lives."

"Nin Gen is a shit name for a God!" One of her soldiers called in response.

Garmstrong hadn't said it. Still, she couldn't help the slight grin on her face at the backbone of her subordinates, even in the face of such insurmountable odds.

Nin did not share this sentiment, it seemed. He sighed, visibly disappointed.

"Well, I tried." Raising his voice and his arms, he yelled across the battle-torn outer foyer once more, "My offer stands to any with the sense to take it! Pray for repentance, and I shall be merciful!"

He paused.

"Probably!"

Naturally, he just had to show up at the worst possible time. But then again, that was probably the point, Garmstrong couldn't help but realize.

They'd just been breaking through, the last of their traitorous foes' barricades crumbling under hers and her soldier's collective assault, when burst through the sealed double doors that they'd been trying oh so desperately to reach.

And now he was ripping Garmstrong's remaining forces to bloody shreds.

That was mostly literal, by the way.

"Go fuck yourself!" This time, it was Garmstrong speaking.

"You've been talking an awful lot, yet it's your subordinates that are experiencing my ire. Not you." Nin glanced at her, his arms lowering to his sides. "Let's fix that."

He disappeared in a blur.

Garmstrong slashed upwards, deflecting Nin's arm at the last possible moment.

Has he always been this fast?!

Nin smirked at her, falling back just a step before lashing out again.

His palm stretched towards her face, stopping just centimeters away.

"Huh?" Nin blinked. "Oh, I see. You're better than I gave you credit for, General."

Garmstrong's blade stabbed upwards through Nin's forearm, twisted sideways to prevent him from pushing forward. Her arms flexed painfully, the blade trembling and dripping in Nin's blood as every single ounce of her strength went into keeping Nin's arm from reaching her.

"Inhuman bastard!" She spat.

"Well, you aren't wrong with either of those words." Nin yanked at his arm, ignoring his injury just to pull Garmstrong closer, "Be happy, General. Your last words will be a correct statement. Not many people get that luxury."

His other hand closed in on her before she could react, landing on her shoulder with a light puff of air at the force.

"Now, go ahead and die for me." Nin smiled as Garmstrong's frozen in shock visage staring back at him.

His smile began to dim slightly as Garmstrong did not explode into a puddle of blood like he'd been intending.

Garmstrong seemed to realize it at the same time as he did. She reacted accordingly, ripping her blade from his arm and backpedaling to a safe distance.

Nin let her go, staring at his hands in obvious confusion. He flexed them, clenching and unclenching his fists and allowing his energy to wash over them.

"What the hell?" His forearm healed as he did this, the muscle and bones of his forearm knitting back together.

He frowned. For a second there, his ability hadn't…

"Hello, Nin." A female voice spoke up, a barely suppressed anger evident in her voice.

"I'll admit to being impressed at how much animosity you pour into just two words." Nin looked up, raising an eyebrow. "…You sound awfully pissed off at me for someone who isn't General Garmstrong. Do I know you?"

"You don't remember me, then?" Mary stepped forward, her katana swirling with electrical energy. "I cut your arms off once, you know."

"Oh. Oh!" Nin pointed at her, realization dawning on his face. "You were at the house with that Western Hero girl, Tasha! I completely forgot about you, forgive me. As a budding God, I have a hard time keeping track of my future subjects sometimes."

"A budding God…?" Mary's shoulders tensed, the leather hilt of her katana creaking in her grip. "A God worth following wouldn't kidnap innocent civilians and turn them into mindless beasts."

"Now, that's interesting statement to make. It almost sounds familiar. What kind of Gods have you met, exactly?" Nin grinned, unmoved. "As far as I'm concerned, a God is someone perfect, with the power to do whatever they want. That's what I'm going to be, so who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?"

Relax. Calm down, breathe…

"I'm Mary Sue." Mary answered simply.

Don't get so worked up that you make a mistake. You can't afford to mess up here.

"Mary Sue?" Nin glanced over her, really looking at her this time, "An adventurer named Mary, with a green blade. You wouldn't happen to know Eve, would you?"

He blinked.

"Actually, how did you get here? The barrier's only keyed to certain individuals. And the only one of them that you could have run into would be…"

So, I couldn't have just walked through it? Good thing I dragged Eve along with me. I guess being in contact let me bypass it.

"Eve, right? We met on the train a few days back. And then again, a few minutes ago."

Don't let Nin get to you, but try and get to him. He'll make mistakes when he's angry, that's the type of personality he is.

"Kind of like you." Tanya said, with a smirk. "Only far less likable."

"She let me in, actually."

"Did she?"

Around them, the remnant of Garmstrong's forces charged for the doors, no longer held back by Nin's singular assault. Neither Mary nor Nin paid them any mind, the latter of the two slowly growing more and more upset as time went on.

"Scylla's a lot more pathetic than I expected, I won't lie." Mary lied, "Eve wasn't anything near a challenge. I killed her without any trouble at all."

Nin froze.

"What did you say…?"

"I said, 'I killed her without any trouble at all'."

"That's- that's what I thought you said." Nin lowered his head, his shoulders beginning to shake. "But, I'm going to ask you a third time, just to make sure. If you're smart, you'll give me a different answer. Now tell me… What. Did. You. Say?"

"I. Killed. Eve." Mary emphasized each word. "Was that clear enough for you?"

You could hear a pin drop.

"…Crystal." He hissed.

Magic and a unique energy exploded from Nin's frame, the aura practically pouring off of him in his rage. To a normal human, it'd be enough to suffocate on.

Mary merely let her own magic flow through her, readying herself for the coming battle.

Tanya's aura was far more powerful anyway.

Yes, come at me, Nin.

Mary brought her katana up, holding it horizontally parallel to her shoulders, with the blade pointed outward and her other palm pressing up against the pommel.

If there's anything I know well, it's the thought process of someone who's lost in their rage.

Her eyes sparked neon.

-=-=-=-

Around the Same Time

Deep Underground, Strategic Military HQ

Xerxes, Eastern Empire

"Right, this is far enough." Tanya stopped, right next to a set of ornate, dual doors identical to the past several they'd sprinted past upon reaching this level.

"Ma'am?"

"I told you not to call me that." Tanya waved the soldier off.

I got enough of that a life ago.

"But anyways, this is the door I'm looking for. I can tell. So, we're done here."

She made a shooing motion.

"General Garmstrong and her forces seem to be moving through the main foyer, from the sound of things. They're somewhere higher than up. I imagine she and her forces will end up attacking somewhere else. Join them. I'll be fine on my own from here."

"Well…" The soldiers who'd been helping to guide her exchanged glances. "If you insist, ma'am."

"I insist." Tanya narrowed her eyes. "That you listen to what I say, and I don't call me ma'am like I've asked the past 20 times."

She turned towards the door, before hesitating.

"Actually..." Tanya pointed at one of the soldiers in particular. "There's one more thing."

-=-

The doors shuddered open, barely used hinges hardly even creaking despite their obvious age and lack of use.

Tanya stepped inside, deciding to take in the expansive chamber before bothering to acknowledge its lone occupant.

The room, if you could call it that, was massive. It was more akin to a great hall than anything else, extending lengthwise a notable distance with large stone pillars lining the left and right sides. Cool stone tiles of multiple shades and colors dotted the floor, with the ceiling seeing itself covered by arches of a similar material to the pillars they were connected to.

It was only after carefully analyzing her current surroundings that Tanya let her gaze fall to the center of the room.

"…You've finally arrived."

"I had to rely on a blood tracing spell that's changed hands and form multiple times in the past couple days." Tanya strolled forward, only stopping once she was a few meters away, "Forgive me for taking my time."

"You are forgiven."

"I- no, that was sarcastic."

Octavius ignored her, instead reaching down and picking up a large brown leather sack. He tossed it her way almost casually, the bag landing once and bouncing with an audible clank.

It rolled to a halt just centimeters from her boots.

"Your armor pieces and gear that were stripped from you upon your arrest. They were difficult to find given I was not aware of your location; Nin's subordinates were particularly spiteful in their concealment."

Yeah, that doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

Tanya nodded. "Appreciated."

She knelt down, opening the bag and reaching inside. From it, she pulled her magisteel forearm gauntlets and her magisteel-knuckled gloves, along with her shin guards, her goggles, and her waist belt.

Her thumb brushed over the shallow gash across the left gauntlet, before she slid both it and brother on over the dark green sleeves of her overcoat. Then, on went the shin guards and her gloves. After that, Tanya stood, sliding her belt through the loops of toughened cloth along her overcoat's lower back and sides and securing it in front.

"Now then," Tanya said, pulling her goggles overhead and letting them rest around her throat. "Our duel comes next, I assume."

"In accordance with the pact, yes."

"Right. Before that, though, there's something I want you to answer for me."

"According to -"

"-the pact, yes. I'm aware." Tanya held up a hand, "I have every intention of fulfilling our pact. But it wouldn't hurt to converse a bit first. I'm curious, so indulge me."

"…If you insist."

"I was wondering about this scheme of Scylla's. See, I've got some of the pieces, but it's not all quite there."

Octavius nodded at her to continue.

"As far as I've figured, Scylla's trying to drastically alter the lives of nearly a million people, through the use of a massive ritual circle made using the shape of the walls and streets of Xerxes proper. What's the point of it all? I'm sure it's not just senseless violence."

"Is this necessary? What matters now is the fulfillment of our pact. Our duel."

"Extremely necessary." Tanya fixed him with a steady gaze. "Our pact specifically states that we are forbidden by blood to injure or kill one another, until such a time that we do battle, one-on-one. There's no mention of time. If you don't answer me, I'll simply leave."

"Do you believe I will allow you to do so?"

"You wouldn't be able to stop me. You'd have to kill me to keep me here."

"…Of course." Octavius narrowed his eyes, "Unless both of us acknowledge our battle as the duel outlined by our pact, then by attempting to force you, I would be breaking our agreement. You've ensnared me quite well."

"Naturally. I made sure this second pact of ours would benefit my plans and ideals most of all, since I knew you'd agree to it no matter what."

Octavius chuckled. "Have you truly figured out my character so thoroughly?"

Tanya laughed.

"You aren't the first bored immortal who's decided to bother me. But I must admit: you are far superior to them. You, at least, understand reason. To an extent. That I was able to speak with you and come to this agreement at all is several points in your favor."

"Is that so?"

"I'll spare you the philosophical drivel. You can reason, much to my satisfaction, but you are, ultimately, ruled by desire."

"Oh?"

"You've lived a long life, haven't you? You're strong; a novice could see it from your magical aura alone. And above that, or indeed because of it, you're bored. Why else would you desire to fight me, so much so that you would abandon your allies? For a chance at an equal? Purely for combat's sake? That and more; it's the desire to be entertained, isn't it?"

Something shifted in Octavius' expression.

Tanya smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.

"That's it, huh? And not just boredom, but a mind-numbing, senses-dulling lack of interest that sinks its teeth in your bones and gnaws at the marrow and muscle until every nerve is dead to the touch. And now, after all this time, something's come along to pique your interest. It hurts, doesn't it? That buzz under your skin, the anxiety thrumming in your chest, every sensation doubled and tripled until your brain almost can't handle it?"

"…How do you know this?"

You ever worked in an office?

"Take it from someone who knows war. The frontline is the quietest place on the battlefield, because at its peak, the only thing you can hear is your own blood pounding in your ears."

Far above them, a faint rumbling shook the headquarters.

Octavius let out a slow breath.

"…Are you aware of the requirements for becoming a True Demon Lord?"

"Huh?" Tanya blinked.

A True Demon Lord? She narrowed her eyes. Does that mean some of the Demon Lords aren't real ones? Maybe that's why Milim is so much stronger than Carrion…

"Er, no. Enlighten me."

"A being that wishes to become a Demon Lord first requires the Seed to do so." Octavius held up a hand, "This alone is separation enough. With some exception, the distance between those with a Demon Lord Seed and those without is like that between the world and our moon. In fact, much of the Demon Lord Council is made up of Demon Lord Seeds, rather than True Demon Lords."

And I am immediately proven correct, that's always nice.

"But, much like a normal seed, the Demon Lord Seed will not grow on its own. In order to Awaken, it requires sustenance. Energy, on a scale and of an origin nearly impossible to gather unless one has the appropriate will to do so and the reserves to handle it."

Octavius closed his eyes, holding out both arms with open hands, palms facing the ceiling.

"10,000 souls. Once Harvested, the Festival begins. A True Demon Lord is born. A being nearly unmatched in power and influence, challenged only by an equivalent Awakened Hero, fellow True Demon Lords, and the True Dragons. That," Octavius opened his eyes, staring at her passively, "Is not Scylla's goal."

"…Eh?"

"Drake does not have a Demon Lord Seed. Nor Nin, nor Eve. Only one of Scylla's Heads does, and it is I. No True Demon Lords will be created through our efforts, not even I, for that is not our true goal. Soul energy can be used to water the Demon Lord Seed, yes, but that power is not exclusive to the Awakening process."

Souls… 10,000 souls are enough to Awaken a True Demon Lord. It's enough to create someone in a similar vein to Milim. Xerxes has approximately 1,000,000 people.

"The soul energy will exist regardless of the process. Through our ritual, the lives of the citizens of Xerxes shall be made forfeit. They will belong in their entirety to Scylla. Can you imagine it? An army of one million, controlled and empowered through the magic of their masters."

One million mindless, unwaveringly loyal soldiers...

"They will all be utterly at Scylla's mercy. One word, jump, and they would all jump. And, for the one's who desire evolution such as Drake and Nin, it would be very little trouble to order some 100,000 ensnared citizens to end themselves and donate their life-force to the cause."

Octavius lowered his arms to his sides.

"The Seed is not required. The energy can still be made use of, for the imprint a living being places on the world is not so easily torn away from the fabric of the World. In the end, the power obtained from such a process... it could even rival that of the True Dragons themselves."

A bead of sweat trickled down the back of Tanya's neck.

Even if you assume Scylla is dividing the soul energy equally among its Heads, that's still… more than 150,000 souls per individual.

For the first time in a long time, Tanya felt a hint of true fear trickle in.

"Of course, that is assuming one wishes to take that route in the first place. So, now that I've sufficiently answered your questions… shall we begin?"

She shook it off easily.

No, they haven't done it yet. I can still end this.

The magic of their pact tugged at Tanya. She accepted it.

"I'd rather deal with this quickly, so yes." Tanya held up a hand, palm facing towards him.

I'm going to end this here. I said it once already, but if anyone wishes to claim themselves a God, I will step in and humble them. With excessive force, if need be.

"I've other things to attend. Shall we dance, Octavius?"

I've had enough of false deities and assholes trying to control everything. I'm sick of fighting in fucking life-or-death battles, running off to war, and clashing against megalomaniacs with a penchant for bothering me and interrupting my life specifically.

"Do keep that confidence about you, please." Octavius said quietly, "It will make this far more interesting."

Tanya nodded.

"I accept this as our duel."

The pact fell into place, solidifying hers and Octavius' connection.

There was the briefest hint of a smile on his face. "Very well."

He was gone in an instant, his hat fluttering to the ground and the tiles cracking under his feet.

He's fast. But not as fast as Milim.

Magic the same color as her eyes bled into the skin around them, sparks of energy burning around her as she dove to the right.

Wind blustered the air, their movements quick enough to leave most people covering their eyes and ducking for cover.

Tanya rolled, ending in a crouch. Behind her, Octavius slowly turned, pulling his fist out of the spot she had previously occupied. A spark of interest glinted along his face.

"…That wasn't my full speed. But even so, it is likely that no one else in Scylla could have dodged that." He shook out his hand, before shrugging off his crimson suit jacket and tossing it aside. "I will move faster this time."

Yeah, thanks for the warning.

Tanya backed up slightly, until the back of her heel tapped against a stone pillar. She intentionally glanced down, carefully blanking her expression.

Without looking back up, Tanya dove forward this time, narrowly dodging through Octavius' legs as he tried to take advantage of her "lapse".

His fist buried itself up to mid-forearm in the pillar, the force so perfectly contained that only the slightest cracks emanated from the hole.

"I'm impressed. Even near my full speed, you avoided me entirely." Octavius began to turn, "It's been so long, I don't quite recognize the feeling. My- huh?"

He blinked, as his lower half slid to the floor. His top half remained, thanks to his right arm which was still buried in the pillar.

Then, the pillar collapsed, having been bisected horizontally at the same time as Octavius.

Tanya came to a stop several meters behind, the black blade of her sword dripping crimson onto the stone tile below. Quickly, she spun, throwing out a flame-covered hand.

The pile of rumble exploded, a massive column of blue fire taking temporarily taking the place of the destroyed stone pillar.

Tanya held the magic for a good while, waiting just as long as it took for the heat to become almost unbearable before letting it fade. Even so, she continued staring, keeping a calculating eye trained on the ashen, melted stone debris.

That was too easy. He's not dead.

As if on cue, several chunks of the rubble disintegrated, others dislodging and falling to the side.

Again, I'm proven right. I'm not happy about it.

Octavius' lower half rose, a massive gout of semi-solid blood reaching out through the pillar debris and yanking his scorched upper half back on top. His torso slid together at the waist with a disgusting wet sound that had Tanya suppressing a shiver.

That's just like… no, it's different. It's just the blood; there's no mist or obvious energy.

Tanya sighed.

Of course, a vampire would be able to control his blood. Is it too much to ask for a fatal blow to actually be fatal? Maybe this is my fault. Maybe I should just avoid fighting people that have a measure of control over their blood, something that definitely should not be as common as it apparently is.

A soft red glow covered Octavius' body, his burns healing. His melted face reformed with a grimace, his fangs poking out and whips of blood knitting sections of flesh together.

-=-

Art by me @tanjaded

-=-

Blood…

Tanya's eyes widened. At the same time, Octavius gestured at her with a hand.

Blue flames washed over her blade, vaporizing the remnants of Octavius' blood along its length in the exact same instant they spiked up and made to stab at her.

"You figured it out." Octavius' voice was rough, barely comprehensible as his vocal cords repaired themselves, "Clever. I knew I chose right. Drake could never stand up to me like this. He could never scratch this itch. This pain… it's been a long time since someone's injured me like this. Since someone's attacked me with so little remorse, with such great ruthlessness."

"Huh." Tanya blinked, "You're basically a hikikomori."

"I- excuse me?"

"You're a shut in. Someone who doesn't leave his home. That's the only reason you'd be so excited to fight me. There's plenty of people in this world far more powerful than me. If it's a good fight you wanted, you could have found one just by traveling for a month."

"No, you don't understand." Octavius shook his head, his short burst of excitement diminished, "It's not about power. As you said earlier, it's about an equal. Deny it you might, but there's something about you that's far different to anyone else in this world. And that makes us kin. There's no one else just like we are."

"I'm not exactly denying a difference." Tanya shook her head. "But I'm barely unique. At the risk of sounding cliché, even if I were to die today, there'd be others with my goals standing right behind me. Also, we're certainly not kin. You and I will never see eye to eye. We have fundamentally different ideals."

"Different ideals? Power is what makes right in this world, and you know that just as I. Why else would you be so strong, have such an air about you? By mere happenstance?"

"Yes." Tanya emphasized. "I'll spare you the sob story, but I never exactly wanted any of this. I'll say it again; you and I have fundamentally different ideals. Your desires are utterly separated from my own. They disgust me. We have nothing in common."

"What?" Octavius furrowed his brow, "You would denounce my desire? Even when it allowed you this battle, a one-on-one bout entirely on your own terms?"

"Of course. In fact, it's because I have such a distaste for your boredom-ravaged mentality that I was all the more willing to abuse it for my own ends." She frowned. "It's only right that sapient beings should grasp at their desires."

Every so often, Tanya quietly wishes that she hadn't been reincarnated in a world with monsters and nonhumans, only because saying "sapient beings" rather than just "humans" was mildly annoying.

"That's the right sapience grants us. I won't fault you, nor Scylla for that. I am someone who thinks the freedom of others is important. Therefore, it is your right to pursue a higher position."

"Then mine and Scylla's desires should not run against yours, by your own logic."

"No." Tanya shook her head. "This plot of Scylla's, it threatens the freedom of others. I find that… well, detestable isn't the right word. It bothers me, let's say, that you all would casually use your own right to dismiss that of others. Do you truly think so little of your fellow sapient lifeforms?"

"Most of sapient life is weak. They are the farthest thing from entertaining imaginable. How else could my boredom have been pushed to such an extent?" Octavius said simply, "It is because the vast majority of life is boring, useless. They are worth little more than clumps of rock, only good for throwing to the side. I, after a millennium, have come to know this well. Now, with my first chance in countless years at true entertainment, is it not my right to grasp the chance with greedy hands?"

"…Even the weakest, most rough-hewn clumps of misshapen life have a use. And indeed, that rock which you initially believed only worth throwing away, may soon rise from the ashes of itself as a diamond."

"To be honest, Sue, you're a lot stronger now."

"I do not enjoy wasting resources. To waste is deplorable. But, ultimately, it is something I can tolerate. However, what Scylla is doing also happens to threaten my own personal freedom. And that is something I find absolutely intolerable."

"Intolerable, you say? And what are you going to do about it, then?" Octavius had enough waiting, it seemed. He strolled forward, "No, don't answer that. I know what you're going to do. We're going to fight. Our real duel begins now."

"In accordance with our pact." Tanya dropped her sword, a magic circle appearing underneath it and swallowing it. "Let's fight for real, Octavius. The sooner I beat you, the sooner you can get out of my way."

This was the result she'd desired upon forming this agreement of theirs.

Looking at things logically, it was doubtless that she'd end up fighting him at some point anyway. In fact, it was even more likely she'd end up doing battle with him alongside one or more of his fellow Heads.

Tanya, however, had decided to take advantage of the situation. Octavius wanted to fight her specifically. She knew that, and thus convinced him to form a second blood pact that would ensure a one-on-one battle, specifically occurring under the consent of both parties.

Neither could inflict harm on the other until the battle was mutually agreed upon. No one was allowed to interfere. Along with a few other tidbits and minor points that had been hashed out just a few corridors away from Scylla's council room.

Octavius returning her armor pieces hadn't technically been a part of the pact, but it wasn't too much of a stretch to assume the vampire would want to fight her at her best. That meant returning the equipment and armor she was accustomed to fighting in.

That Octavius was so willing to allow his fellow Heads of Scylla to operate without him either spoke of foolishness, confidence, or just plain lack of care. Tanya was leaning towards the third option, in truth.

This man was the kind of person she detested more than most. Someone consumed by desire, in his case an intense desire for an end to his millenia-old boredom. If he hadn't been so consumed with this and had used his head, he never would have agreed to this.

But then again, that in and of itself was assuming he was, at most, her equal or only slightly above her in power. Desires were nothing without power to back them up, and if Octavius was powerful enough, then… well, then none of this mattered at all.

If she couldn't kill him, it literally did not matter what he did with his time. Because if Tanya died here, then they were all fucked.

Who else could stand up to Scylla here and now?

Mary was powerful, but at most she could handle the weaker Heads of Scylla. Eve, certainly, and Nin as well due to her being a bad matchup for him. Drake, maybe, though that was purely based off of what she could feel in his magical aura.

But the other two Heads she hadn't met, or Octavius?

"You desire the end of Scylla. I desire the end to my boredom. Let us see whose desires are stronger."

No, she had to end this here.

"Don't go turning this into a battle of will." Tanya settled into an easy, lowered stance. Blue magic extended down over her forearms and past her knuckles. "I hold few desires, but those few are ones that I hold on to with very greedy hands."

-=-=-=-=-=-

Known Skills List

Tanya:

Common Skill: Thought Communication

Extra Skill: Magic Sense

Extra Skill: Magic Aura

Extra Skill: Voice of the World Communication

Unique Skill: Formulaic Casting

Unique Skill: Tetrabattery Limit Enhancement

Mary:

Extra Skill: Magic Sense

Extra Skill: Magic Aura

Extra/Intrinsic Skill: Physical Enhancement

Unique Skill: []

Notes:

melty blood

In case you're wondering, the "absorbing souls" without Awakening as a True Demon Lord thing is canon to Tensura. It's the thing Clayman did at Walpurgis when he was about to die. Anyway, one of Scylla's Heads is down. With more soon to follow?

We'll just have to wait and see, in the next chapter: "Never Give Up".

P.S. this next chapter's just gonna be nonstop hands

Thanks for reading!