Beginning of the End - Rise of a Demon Hunter

The golden vixen was currently sitting in the comfort of her new guild, no worries or troubles plaguing her mind for once. Simply relaxing at one of the tables alone, she sat on the bench holding a piece of beef jerky in her hands as she munched on it carefully. There were certainly better items on the menu, but this was her choice for today. Meat. The animal inside of her kinda required it. And it really didn't taste all that bad either, so she was happy with her choice. Which was probably quite apparent to anyone who looked over at her three tails, every single on of them waggling from one side to another happily. When it came to emotions, Eris had a hard time concealing them because of things like this. Her body language was strong and often completely uncontrollable by her. Whether that was a weakness or strength of hers was yet to be decided. But so far, the guild was accepting of her, regardless of her attire, race and even past which was still one big unknown. With a sigh, the girl would place what remained of the jerky back onto the plate which rested silently on the table. Her ears twitched few times in somewhat irritated manner. The guild was always very lively, even now as evening swiftly approached outside. In fact, it was probably even worse than during the day as groups of people started forming around the tables, drinking and talking together.

It was still little too early for any of them to start undressing and dancing on top of the furniture due to intoxication from their drinks, but even this much could be little uncomfortable to the Fox. After all, her senses were much stronger than those of a regular human and the noise from here was basically multiplied as it entered her brain. At some point, she would just grow unable to actually take it, leaving the rest of her meal on the plate. Without a word, she left the main building and headed for Fairy Hills, the establishment which provided living space for many mages of the guild. And Eris was one of them, seeing how she did not have anywhere else to go. As sad as it was, she had absolutely nothing outside of this place. With her memories completely gone, she just turned up one day, confused as a newly born babe. Not even properly knowing the language spoken in this nation, she was cared for and allowed to become part of the family. After a bit, she would even start helping with jobs for mages! All of that allowed her to be reborn, so to speak. But that never stopped her from wondering... who was she in the past and what did she lose? Thinking like that made it feel like the world was standing completely still around her whenever she stopped ever for a second. No matter how many days she would spend here... or perhaps it was actually weeks already?

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Who really knew at this point... Eris didn't watch the time too much, as it was something that she didn't need to be concerned about just yet. The door to her room would open as easily as ever. And soon, the girl was resting on her bed, both hands behind her head in place of a comfy pillow that was instead just lying somewhere on the floor and buried beneath plush toys and books of all kinds. When not out and about, the vixen found some comfort in books that could be found here and the guild's library. Stories of heroes and villains, information about the world and everything that existed beyond it. Was it just another desperate attempt at regaining her memories? Or perhaps it was just another diversion that allowed the unusual girl to forget even more. She was an active girl that could forget herself if action. And when no one else was around, she would start contemplating if she should start doing some contracts solo instead of having to rely on others. She was way stronger than most members anyway, so she probably could. But would that actually help? Right now, she was uncertain of anything because everyone she knew was too busy to living their own life where they knew precisely what was going on. Unlike them, the Fox only wanted to have something that she could use as a point of reference, something that would allow her to stop swimming in this sea of uncertain.

Forcing a loud sigh out of her, she closed those amber eyes of hers and dove deep into her own dreaming world. Why was she so lonely for these past few days? She got to know so many other members of her guild and even people outside of it, and yet, not a single one of them had time as it appeared. It was so strange, she didn't quite understand it. After all, she was all alone not that long ago when she woke in that forest with no memories. And back then, she didn't feel lonely one bit. In fact, it almost suited her, feeling how she felt. Could living creatures really change this much? Just because she made new friends, she became completely dependent on their attention? Truly laughable, wasn't it? Or perhaps it was perfectly natural. There was no one around that could tell her the answer, give her any reassurance at all. And so, the world around her slowly faded into the eternal darkness of sleep and night. Yet, the girl did not know what was waiting for her in only mere moments. The journey that she would soon embark on, the answers that she would soon receive. Was she ready for it all? Even if she wasn't, there was no escaping it anymore. The beginning of the End was nigh and no one would be able to truly escape it. For every story has a beginning and an end. And this particular story was indeed entering its final chapter at long last.

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A vast landscape hidden in the dark. A valley, surrounded by large mountains that created a shape of a bowl, filled with a lush forest of young looking trees. And on one side of it, where mountains were slowly fading into the flat ground, there was a temple. In front of it, a large platform with a ring, nine different symbols of an unknown language adorning it. All of this was hidden under the blanket of the night's sky, though the moon was shining bright enough to pierce it and illuminate everything one’s eye could see. In a sense, this place was extremely reminiscent of Joya, as if it was its miniature version. That nation was hidden between the mountains too, covered in a thick and unforgiving jungle. But in comparison, here was just a perfect place for a picnic, a sanctuary where anyone could escape from the clutches of the cruel reality. Eris found herself in this place by means unknown, just suddenly standing at the stairs leading to the temple, directed as if she was moving away from it until now. Confused, she would grasp her head in her sweaty palms for a bit. Where was this? It did not feel familiar at all. She was no longer in Fiore, or any other nation on the continent she knew and loved. Was she eve still in Earthland? Despite the distant vegetation appearing similar to the one that could be found in that world, it was still doubtful. But with no recollection of how she got here or how to leave, she could only move forward and hope for the best.

And so, her figure clad in black and gold, her feet descending the long and wide stairs one by one, she would eventually find herself on the round platform. It was wide enough for even several different airships to be able to land here. What was it used for exactly? She didn't know at all, of course. Just like anything in this place, this too was completely unfamiliar to her. Although... not that she looked closely at it all, the symbols scattered around and placed in nine figurative corners of this Circle, she managed to recognize some of them. As if guided by her instincts alone, she would then look up into the skies to see the stars. There were many, all completely visible and forming beautiful paintings for her to gaze at. Constellations were always a big mystery to the girl, as she could never properly see them. But this time, there was one that she could actually see, crystal clear. A shape that resembled a fox with nine tails swaying in the wind. A curious one indeed. She did not recall seeing anything like this on Earthland's night skies. But for some reason, it made her small. As if she wanted to reach it, she would extend her hand forward and open up her palm, restricting her own view of the stars. Though, something happened right after. A crimson red light, consuming the entire blanket of the skies and coloring the world in the carnage. Something was coming for the vixen.

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Every single one of the stars that formed that constellation suddenly disappeared, instead creating a black body that would run through the air and eventually land on the platform right in front of Eris. Just like the constellation, it was a nine-tailed fox. It's body a pitch black color with strange circuit-like blue markings going down its fur, it's gaze a crimson red and capable of piercing the dimness of this place. And every single one of those tails swaying in the air, like brushes coloring the very reality in the darkest of ink. It would strike fear even into the eyes of the brave Fox ronin, who started taking her steps back, unconsciously trying to get away from the beast. But she was unable to, as she suddenly tripped over her own feet and fell onto her behind, now sitting on the hard ground and watching the monster approach her faster than the wind could carry a sakura's petal. But it wasn't moving in to attacks. Its maw was open for a bit, yes. And filled with razor sharp teeth that could tear anyone apart in seconds too. However, it would stop mere moments before reaching the girl, suddenly closing its mouth and letting out a sound similar to snorting.

"Oh? It would appear that you still have a lot to learn, Dark One. A true warrior does not try to run away from a foe, even if that foe is million times stronger than the warrior. You're not there just yet."

It spoke. A female's voice came out of the beast, tearing apart this world with each word spoken. It was hard to understand, as if there was static interfering with it all. Or perhaps, as if her voice was painted completely black, nearly unrecognizable from the darkness of this world. But after few seconds of processing it all, the vixen would manage to understand at least the main concept of what the beast was saying. Picking herself back up onto her own feet, she would breathe heavily for few seconds before finally calming down, as the being in front of her clearly had no intention of actually hurting her. At least as of right now, anything could change the very next second. But for now, everything was calm, everything was quiet. Even just the girl's gulp was loud enough to echo through the valley at this point.

"You... who exactly are you. Did you bring Eris to this world? Eris desires answers and you clearly have them!"

The fox laughed at turned around, suddenly circling the young appearing girl in somewhat threatening and predatory manner. But still, there was no bloodlust in the air, no desire to attack whatsoever. Just what was going on? Eris could only wait patiently for the being to finally have enough of the deafening silence and speak out again, that voice being no better than sharp nails scratching on a blackboard, something vile and designed to break apart those who are not worthy of listening.

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"We are the lord of this realm. The mighty fox demon, some used to call us. But they are no longer around to call us anything. You, however, may address us as Vermillion. We know much about you, as we have watched you from the very moment you were born. And we have invited you here through dreams. We know not how to explain it in terms you would understand, but you can view this place as your dream, but also as a real place in the universe. You are here because we have an offer for you. One that you will not decline."

Honestly, for how much the beast said, not much was cleared up for Eris. But at least she now had the fox's name. Vermillion... there was absolutely nothing red about this one! Deciding to not think about it too much, she just wiped her face with her palm and sighed. Dream, but also real... how was she even supposed to work with that. For now, there was really not much else she could do other than just rolling with it. So she nodded her head to indicate that the best should continue on with the offer.

"You crave your missing memories, do you not? You have already recovered some, a sign of their power finally weakening. But we can return them all. We can give you your name back. And along with it, the power you once had, empowered by our own essence. All of that is what we offer, for one simple promise. That you will be on our side when the time of reckoning comes. If we give you back what you once had, you will help us defeat the traitors that plague this universe and stole everything from you."

Eris was taken aback. Obviously, she was. The offer sounded... unbelievable. Just who was Vermillion. And who were they? She wanted more answers, but she also had the feeling that she would receive none until the two of them would agree to seal the deal. Taking few seconds to weigh the cons and pros against one another, she finally decided. Honestly, there was no way she could refuse such a deal. There was a good chance that all of this was just a dream or delusion in the first place anyway, as it all sounded far too good to be true. And in the end, searching for her memories and who she was in the past, it was her goal. Ever since she found herself on the front steps of Fairy Tail, this was what she was trying to achieve. To refuse now and not take every single chance she could to get where she desired to be it, that would be no better than giving up altogether for her. So in the famous last words - what could go possibly wrong?

"Eris gets it. You have her word that she will fight by your side against whoever these traitors are! Let us seal the deal!"

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Vermillion would laugh as each of her tails would start moving through the air, their tips drawing strange black symbols in the air. And once they were finished, their colors would change into a crimson red, the letters warping into tiny balls of energy that would float through the air and eventually fly into Eris. An overwhelming surge or power and emotions suddenly burst forth, far too strong for her to handle. And in an instant, she lost her consciousness. Once she woke, she was lying on the steps to the shrine with the black nine-tailed fox by her side. It took her a bit, but she would eventually steady herself as she got up and back onto her feet. Everything felt... slightly different. Her mind was still covered in a mental mist, unfocused and lacking. Her body, on the other hand, felt light as a feather and strong as a mountain.

"Finally back. Let us not waste any time. Draw your weapon and show us that you still know your own powers. Tear apart the horizon itself!"

Eris remained silent and suspicious of everything. But she did as she was told, grasping the two katanas on her back and drawing them from their sheaths. The moment she did so, the blades exposed to the air would be suddenly coated by a magical power, colored completely black. It took the fox Ronin by surprises as she nearly let go of the weapons. But she did not and instead tried to take a closer look.

"Shadow? And there is a white aura around it too? What is this...?"

No one would answer her question. So instead, she just tightened her grip on the weapons and swung them forward at full force. Normally, such swing would create a wave of cutting gale because of the girl's unbelievable force. But now, a wave of black and white magic would shoot forward, colliding together and merging in the end. A huge wave of destructive power was created, tearing apart the platform in front of them and then continuing into the woods beyond, causing an explosion of chaos and leaving a new clearing in the place of landing. Amazed by the power, she would start taking steps forward and swinging her blades in different directions, pumping them with the magical power from inside of her body. Eventually, she found find herself in the middle of the circular platform, destruction all around her. She would sigh and turn around to find Vermillion creeping closer too.

"What precisely did you do? This is my own power, yes... but it still feels quite a bit different."

"So you finally remember who you were, Noheme. We have augmented and improved your powers in our own way. For we are all demons from the higher plain. We are certain you already are familiar with Slayers, yes? Consider yourself one of them, as you have been given these powers by a shadow fox demon Vermillion. Such honor is not something everyone could get at all."

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"A demon slaying magic gained for the sole purpose of defeating the Miracle Demons... I see now. I have never even imagined they had enemies like you. You hide in a world like this to avoid their gaze, do you not? What a turn of events, really. I can't believe I have allowed them to devour my name like that, just to save a mortal I barely knew. But... everything bad is good for something, I suppose."

Along with those words, the vixen would bring up the two blades in her arms and smirk. Yes, this was a completely new magic for her. But there was also familiarity in it, as she used to control darkness and light before. In that sense, she already knew plenty to make this work. Vermillion on the other hand scoffed.

"You are in no condition to fight us yet. But that is fine, for we have a substitute. Train away on this little one."

One of her tails would once again start brushing through the air, leaving shadows in the three-dimensional space as if it was no big deal. It seemed that reality itself was a canvas for this strange, yet powerful creature. A symbol was drawn and soon would transform into a miniature version of the Kyuubi itself. It was kinda cute, actually. At least until the point where it moved all nine of its tails into the air and created a ball of magical mass that then fired at Eris like a magical cannon. Lesson one - dodging. The shadow beneath her figure would change it's property as she sank deep into it, suddenly moving on the ground as a blurry line of black. This allowed her to re-appear behind the poor creature, a black and white aura already surrounding a singular blade she was wielding. The other one was sheathed again, as for this particular strike, she had to put all her force into it. The miniature would block the blade itself with its tails with ease, however, the attack created an explosion of dark energy that formed a column of solid shadow, slowly dissipating to reveal a crater where she swung, along with a couple of severed tails.

"Heh, just like that. This'll work!."

The beast was found few meters back as it leaped away from the girl. But even the distance would not save it, despite its opponent wielding close-ranged weapons. One swing into the empty air would draw a black mass onto space itself and a second strike would give it force and intent, sending forth a wave of black and white in a similar fashion to before. Though an attack like that was far too weak to actually do any real damage. It was meant for distraction, as Eris ran right behind it. And the moment it slammed into the miniature beast, she would sidestep around it and prepare another attack from the thing's side. As if several new arms grew out of her body, the vixen would lunge forward in a whirl of shadows and darkness, swinging her sword in several motions seemingly all at once. From the outside, it would probably appear as a vortex of black consuming the small nine-tailed fox. And once it was over, the creature would be still left standing. But this time, shaking and barely capable of any movement anymore, as lacerations adorned its entire body. It seemed that this was the end. Simply letting go of her blade, the weapon would stick itself in the ground. And just as it happened, a sword of shadows would pierce the beast from below, finishing it off.

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"We see you have grasped the basics of the magic we gave you. Your style is... unique. We thus applaud you. I believe we have done as much as we possibly could have now. However, this is not the end of your journey. There is another person you have to meet. They too hide from the Miracle Demons. Although, their choice of seclusion we do not share. Earthland. You will have to traverse it, visit the place called Sin. She hides there. She is the ally you need. We give you this pendant. It will guide you to her."

The corpse of the miniature nine-tailed fox would slowly start to dissipate as a shining light emerged from it. Something akin to a pendant, a crimson red gem that radiated with magical energy. Who would have thought that the Miracle workers had enemies hiding in Earthland of all places? Even Vermillion had this dimension of hers, separate from the regular reality. It seemed that the girl would have to go on a small hiking expedition across the continent. Bowing to the giant fox, everything would suddenly go black. And once the vixen's eyes opened, she was back. Lying in her bed within the Fairy Tail guild, as if it all truly was just a dream. But she still remembered everything about herself and magic coursed through her veins, more powerful than ever. With a smile, she would immediately start packing her things. The journey to Sin, it was a long one. Across many nations, on land, sea, and air. Switching between fast moving machines and slowly running horses, the girl would spend night and day moving forward, only sleeping when she was completely exhausted or was forced to stay in one place for a longer period of time. But it was all still interesting to say the least. Now that she remembered, she recalled how she ran across nations from Joya to Fiore only using her own two legs. A clueless goddess and nothing more she was back then. And yet, she kinda missed it. There was a tiny wish inside of her that would beg for another chance at having a clean start. Perhaps if she had another chance like that, she would be able to do things better, avoid all bad that had transpired. To prevent a tragedy was something a lot of people desired.

But eventually, she would finally make it. The border between Sin and Pergrande Kingdom. She had already crossed it without experiencing too many problems. And in front of her, an expansive land of charred ground and rivers of lava would paint itself. So this was the place where all demons originated from... what an interesting place. Its visage would surely scare off many travelers and even mages. But to someone like Eris, this was but another landscape she had to traverse. The strange medallion given to her by Vermillion would still guide her to the correct location, so at least she would not get lost. Her trip only took another set of hours before she would encounter something akin to your regular camp, hidden among the rocks. It was more than just surprising to see something of the kind here. And to complete the package, a presence of another human being not too far from here. Moving toward it with caution, the vixen would soon spot a young looking girl standing by an edge to a ravine of some kind. It was also clear that they both already knew of one another. And so, Eris would approach from behind, suddenly hearing the girl speak out.

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"The Hell's Gate. That's the name people of Pergrande Kingdom had given that strange, black monolith-like structure. They just love connecting everything here with Hell. And apparently it wasn't always here either, it appeared out of thin air only a few years back. It's supposed to serve as a connection between the Underworld and Earthland. I wouldn't necessarily say that it's true, but monsters and demons certainly have been coming out of it and filling the area. Though I already dispatched a fair amount of them myself."

A full moon was glowing bright red right above them, illuminating the scene quite nicely. Eris had to agree with one thing here. Compared to the land of Fiore, which was usually calm and peaceful outside of mage jobs and missions, this place featured a much more different landscape. Rivers of fire and lava coursed freely, and even from where they were standing, some demons could be seen, although they most resembled the flames so it was very hard to tell. The black monolith, with something akin to a portal glowing pure red, was also visible from there, thanks to the light the ambiance provided. As Eris looked at the pendant in her hand, it would become clear that her destination was pretty much at the exact same spot as the structure itself. In other words, she would have to clean up the mess along with the lady by her side in order to progress her own quest of mysteries. This was going to be one hell of a time, looking at the extra difficulty provided by the landscape. What kind of foes might she face in this place? It actually made her incredibly excited. With her arms crossed, she continued to gaze over, thinking of the best route to take to this so called 'Hell's Gate'.

"A girl possessing Hell Demon Slaying magic in the land often referred to as Hell itself and ready to attack something called Hell's Gate. This could not have gone any better! But I guess I could use some help. Monsters around these parts seem like they're no joke and I can feel that you're a mage, or something akin to it. And there's no harm in asking. Besides, I can always use the company of a cute girl such as yourself~. Oh, and the name's Eris Sytry."

She would wink and smirk as she tried to convince the young lady to join her on this little expedition. Honestly, she was confident enough with her new abilities to just tear this place apart by herself. But as she said, the exquisite company was the main part of that deal. Even after all that had happened, the ex-goddess had her taste and lust still inside of her. Whether that was a good or bad thing was yet to be judged. But from the looks of it, the girl had absolutely no problem accepting, as it seemed that she wanted to crash the party herself already. It was always nice when two people with a common goal found one another like this.

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"Name's Ann-Marie Ek, a mercenary for hire. A pleasure to meet you, Eris."

She introduced herself to the vixen, sealing their deal of cooperation for the next few moments.

"I assure you we'll have plenty of company in form of demons once we move down there too."

She also answered in a playful and teasing tone, a smirk appearing on her face as well. She would turn toward the flowing lava once more and slowly loosen her cape, letting it fall to the ground beneath her feet. A fairly tight looking multi-layered attire of black and red, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"If we're to do this, let us finish quickly... the faster we get rid of this heat, the better."

It seemed that the lass was not exactly a fan of the climate around these parts. But as it usually was with these types, as long as the pay was fair, they would go to hell and back. In this case, almost literally. And once such information was released into the open air, of course, Eris would try to use it and tease the poor girl a little bit.

"What, don't like the heat? Just wait for us to get down there. Saunas and hot springs will be a joke after we get rid of those bad boys by the looks of it."

She would exclaim, watching the heat that seemed to be so intense that it was slowly warping the space itself. But she would not be caught up in such view for too long, as she walked towards the edge of the precipice soon enough. Standing there, she rose her arms to the sides and looked at her new companion with an excited smile adorning her face.

"But just getting in there and finishing them all off sounds little too boring. So, how about we race? First one to make it to the bottom wins!"

With that said, the Fox Demon Slayer allowed her body to fall backward, her feet separating from the rocky end of the line, free-falling towards the battle that was about to unfold down there. Mid-air, she turned backward, unsheathing the sword that rested by her side as she let out an eager and excited yell. Ann didn't even have enough time to properly respond, the vixen just leaned back and let the gravity do its job. But it seemed that the mercenary wasn't really interested in beating the demon-like girl, as she just moved to the same spot and looked down. Her eyes carefully observed, fixating on the golden-haired witch who was falling to the flaming ground. And once she managed to safely land, she would jump down as well. Of course, she had a plan of her own, as she already failed to get down before her. And there was a good reason for her to watch where the fox landed, as she was aiming at that exact same spot. After all, with all that boasting before, her body would be strong and capable of withstanding quite a beating! While Ann's body was pretty small and fragile in direct comparison, at least if someone was to look at the two girls side by side. And so she landed right on the Fox Ronin, using her body as a pillow that made her landing a little more gentle. Though she was probably face planting the hard ground right now because of that. Of course, she moved from the other girl's back as soon as she could, giving her chance to get back up on her own feet before enemies approached.

"What a lady, breaking my fall like that~"

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She teased the vixen back, a painful revenge for her making fun of the mercenary not liking the heat. But on that topic, she really felt as if she was thrown into an oven. This place was not pleasant at all, and she was profusely sweating already. Even though she came prepared for this environment, the Hell's Gate certainly wasn't helping in the slightest. If she knew that something like this would happen, she would have brought her swimsuit! Even though her current outfit kinda looked like one already. But at least it wasn't so bad that either of them would be melting before they reach that hellish gate itself, even despite Eris' fur on her ears and tails that probably contributed to overheating in their own way. For now, they were still capable of holding it together, but still would look at each other with concern.

"So... ready for some baddies?"

As Eris finally managed to shake off the shock from being jumped at from that height, she was already able to see the first group of demons that were approaching their location. They were smaller than most demons and did not look to be much of a threat, actually. So among all the demons that existed in this place and she knew of, Sytry figured they must be Imps of some kind, serving more as scouts rather than actual warriors. But that only meant the initial clash would not be that fierce, nor long. For they were typically weak demons even at greater ranks. At any rate, if they were easier to kill, then there was really no point in waiting and allowing them to get the first hit in! Taking advantage of the fact that those beings wouldn't expect a human to come down flying of all things, she moved her hand to the right and entered her fighting stance. And her shadows quickly followed, embracing the weapon and making it's blade pitch-black, radiating with a white aura all around it.

Disappearing from her spot, she would already be sprinting toward her first prey and then leaping into the air. And the first thing that the Golden Fox did was to bring the katana down as she fell, so the extra force coming from gravity's acceleration, coupled with her own power and magical properties her blades now had, would be more than enough to cut through one of them, slicing it in half without suffering any resistance whatsoever. Just like a hot knife slicing apart butter! The creature, being torn from head to the lower torso, didn't even know what happened, only that its body separated and burst into flames, dissolving into nothingness. The others, however, were perfectly aware, and reacted pretty badly at that display. So as Eris landed and regained her stance on the ground, she would look up into the skies. Shame that these were all enemies. If there were regular neutral or even friendly beings around, aside from the mercenary still way back, they would surely think of her entrance move as a really cool one!

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"Why do you always look the coolest when almost no one's watching..."

The girl asked herself as she would let out a groan, more annoyed than anything. Seriously, when was there a time that she had performed a cool attack and someone had praised her for it? Actually, now that she was thinking about it, there was one. With her new mentee, Liam. So she probably had no right to be actually complaining like this. In any case, she soon shifted to a mischievous half-grin as before. She just had to admit that she was not expecting all this to happen. And speaking of people, Ann finally caught up with the fox as she kinda fell behind. It seemed that some of her equipment actually kinda fell apart the moment she landed. And so would come to another remark from the golden fox.

"Got such a good look at my chivalry that your clothes almost fell apart, huh? I don't blame you, that strike I just performed was a majestic one! Not many swordsmen in the world that could beat me in style I'd reckon. But more importantly, see those things above? They're about to come in three, two, one..."

Almost instantly, about three other Imps went down, charging at them. Ann certainly wasn't having her day, as she didn't even manage to properly retaliate in their verbal war, things were going down that quick. Eris looked at her with a challenging face, smiling like a child that just got back her toys. They were both already sweating and they hadn't even been here for even a minute... And yet, she somehow felt pretty comfortable. Maybe because of the presence of demons all around them, the slayer within her screaming with joy. Quickly producing a bottle of lacrima-cooled water from her attire, she would toss it at Ann before jumping towards the demons again, unable to contain herself any longer. She could feel the magic inside of her writhing in delight, a primal instinct that was telling her to just slaughter everything that was around them.

Was this what it meant to be a Slayer? Or maybe it was just her own nature, one from the old times when she used to be just an arrogant goddess that would not back down no matter what? In any case, she just wanted to be consumed in battle right now. And so, her sword would find it's way to one of the Imps which was flying directly at her. The poor creature got slashed by the shadow sword in an instant, its flesh cut apart as if it was made out of paper. As the Imp fell down, the other two would rush towards Ann instead, possibly figuring out that trying to attack Eris herself was a death sentence. And that was fine with the vixen, as she wanted to see how the mercenary would handle herself, for she did not have the chance to do so yet. She was curious about how she fought and what magic or weaponry she possessed.

"You want to see a show? Fine, I'll give you a show alright!"

Word Count - 6410 / 17000 (Oh hey, this is my 1000th post. Neat~)

Her voice was loud, almost shouting as she quickly tried to come back with at least something right after she separated her lips from the bottle she was holding and drinking from. She really wasn't dealing with the heat well, was she? But as she said, she had a plan to show something. Moving her hands behind her back, a click could be heard before she revealed her hands again, aiming them toward the incoming Imps. They were covered in metal, a strange type of gloves that appeared as claws of a wild creature or a beast of great danger. As the poor hellish creatures approached, she started sprinting towards them, jumping and swiping at them in a style that reflected her weapon. Her hits were connecting without any problems as she suddenly started dancing around, her claws slashing and tearing the lesser demons apart. For someone who wasn't currently using any magic, the girl was really quite impressive. With no chance to strike back, both of the demons fell to the ground with deep gashing wounds covering their little bodies. Looking at it all, Ann truly was a proper mercenary, not showing any mercy to those who stood in her way. It was almost as if she was bullying those poor demons that weren't strong enough to defend themselves and fight back. But of course, neither of the two girls could actually care any less about that. They were her for the very reason of dispatching all these guys after all.

"Well? Your two strikes might have been impressive, but how about dancing with the enemy? I think the judges are on my side now."

Eris looked at Ann with a rather amused expression upon hearing those words. But she did have to admit that her style was something the vixen liked quite a bit. Beastly and merciless. There was no need to be gentle on the battlefield, especially when facing such beasts as these ones. And now that the girl's memories were back, she also recalled her own fighting style that was quite similar to Ann's. In fact, the mercenary girl as a whole kinda reminded Eris of her own past self. But those days were gone now, as painful as it was. A new life lied ahead and it looked mighty interesting still! As the golden fox didn't know why, but adrenaline always filled her body whenever she gazed at those hellish creatures. It was a feeling she could not even properly describe, but honestly, she didn't care one bit. She only knew that engaging the enemy in battle would bring her joy, make her feel properly alive and as a part of this wretched world. Or perhaps feelings like that were perfectly normal in a fight to the death. Perhaps she could find out soon enough, for more demons appeared in the distance. A group of four demons, who probably caught on the show earlier. Or maybe they were just attracted to the smell of fresh flesh and blood.

Word Count - 6913 / 17000

"Saying things like that, maybe you're confident enough to go on and take down that next group by yourself? Go ahead and impress me, dear. I would certainly not turn down a strong and confident girl that can cut upon few demonic throats~."

It took a moment of silence, but Ann would finally smirk and crack her knuckles. She was clearing having a good time, even when faced with a threat like this. Even though there were demons all around them, the two girls were still talking to one another like it was no big deal. And Eris kinda liked that, partners that were overly formal or depressed all the time were more often than not unbearable and uncooperative. Not that these two were exactly cooperating, so far they were just trying to show off their amazing abilities to the other person and cutting the opponent down only as a bonus to that. Although, the mercenary girl would show off something completely different now. Extending her hand forward, she started chanting something to herself as the space and time in front of her form started slightly distorting. And soon enough, a passage to a different world was formed. A Re-Quip magic? Not exactly, as what she pulled out didn't seem like a weapon at all. It was a... suitcase? Not waiting for anything, she would press a button that was on one side of it and threw it into the air. To the vixen's surprise, the container opened to reveal a mechanical content which started expanding, folding out and taking shape. What eventually landed back on the ground was then completely different from what was sent flying, as a mechanical body suddenly stood tall on the battlefield. Resembling a human being with wings of metal, it was one strange construct.

"Alright girl, go get them! Make mama proud!"

Ann would yell out and command, showing her machine a thumbs up with a satisfied smile on her face as if it could actually understand the gesture. With a clear and swift nod, her odd companion took off and headed straight for the group of approaching demons, her flight speed much greater that any regular human's run. Simply flying between them, she grabbed two of the humanoid demons by their heads with her iron grip, crashing them into the other two demons behind them, sending them all flying into the air as well. And once there, she would fly around them few times, kicking them all back into the ground individually. Since her physical strength was higher than human's, as one would expect from a machine, it was probably enough to finish those poor bastards off. And just like that, the feminine machine would fly back and land next to Ann, it's goal accomplished perfectly. Suffice to say, Eris was quite impressed by it all. The speed in which it reacted to her order had been astounding. That was indeed a nice ability to have. Or perhaps saying ability was incorrect, as the machine seemed to be more of a companion?

Word Count - 7422 / 17000

"Well, you certainly came prepared. Didn't think you had an ace like that up your sleeve if I'm being honest. Even I have to admit that was a sight to behold."

Ann would only proudly place her hands on her hips as she puffed out her chest some. It was clear that the praise went a long way after all that teasing they were throwing back and forth at one another. Credit just had to be given where t was due.

"Naturally! After all, I arrived at this place before you did. I have my own tasks in this land once we're done here, so I had to come equipped well enough to actually deal with them."

However, before they could say anything else, and without noticing, a creature came from above, shooting a stream of flames from some sort of tentacle-like appendage, so hot it was overwhelming even before the flames collided with the ground. The creature would land violently right if front of both humans and their mechanical companion, and with its arms' maws still shooting fire, it'd deliver a violent spinning attack towards them. Ann, who was talking and thus had not managed to see it coming, got hit by the fire stream before being able to block the impending circular move that sent her flying away. The poor girl, colliding with a wall of cooled down magma, had to cough up blood a bit of blood. Having taken a large amount of damage in just a split second, it seemed that she was rather out of it for the next few moments. But still trying to get back up, she saw the creature that had just arrived into the battlefield. It looked rather irritated, for it released an ear-piercing roar from both mouths that it seemed to possess. An abomination of charred flesh, lava and grossness were about the best way to describe this demon. While it walked on two legs, it's general shape would be more reminiscent of a centipede more than anything. It also had two head, one firmly attached to the body while other being part of a moving tentacle.

"Damn it!"

Eris who did not get hit by the demon's first attack managed to take few steps back and firmly grasp her sword, ready to attack back. However, the beast was swift and the tentacle was already only a split of a second away from decimating the second girl as well. And while the vixen managed to enter a defensive stance, she had to prepare for a momentary world of pain, as her weapons we hardly made to defend against attacks of such magnitude. But she felt nothing. The mechanical doll Anna unleashed automatically shielded her, as it failed to shield her master, in a form of shoving the golden fox far away so the attack would not reach. The problem was, the doll was now in the same situation as her summoner. It took a full force of the attack instead of Eris and was not heavily damaged. So damaged, in fact, that its body started falling apart, causing it to simply stop moving and performing any actions at all some way from the battle itself.

Word Count - 7957 / 17000

"Far too short-lived..."

It would appear that now it was back to just the two of them, as the mechanical construct took too much damage in that one quick rush. It was most definitely enough to show them that this demon meant business, unlike the previous ones. He was on a completely different level from them, much more threatening and actually fighting back. Or rather, he had the upper hand and it would be the human duo that had to fight back this time. A proper demon that resited in the land called Sin. So this was the level of the enemy they could expect here! Somehow, just looking at the beast made Eris quiver in excitement. Those they were killing until now were nothing more than products of this Hell's Gate. And now, they finally had the real deal to take care of! The problem right now was Ann. She probably had to catch her breath it seemed, so the vixen would have to distract this thing for some time and allow her companion to recover. Nodding to herself, she would strip and throw away the black cape with a hoodie that usually covered her fox ears. But she left the goggles that were usually part of it. And this time, she would actually wear them on her eyes too. Was that a sign of her finally being serious? Well, the demon was about to see. And not to mention, the less clothing, the less would the heat bother her... probably. Letting the new magic flow through her body, Eris' form would be engulfed in shadows, her skin appearing gray and rough through the aura that now surrounded her. She was fighting with nothing but her own power until now. However, the Shadow Phantom was unleashed, her magic flowing free now. And while she still had to practice her actual spells, there would at least be some extra force behind her strikes now.

As long as it would boost her attack and give her an extra edge in this battle, then it was enough. Quickly sprinting forward, she would swing her blade toward the ground and with the sheer unleashed energy, a wave of volcanic stone and rubble was sent forward. It probably didn't do much in the way of actually damaging the demon, but it at least had to be annoying to it. And still, the force that she sent it all at the beast, some visible damage actually showed as the stone pummeled it's rough and crimson red skin. A distraction like that also gave her enough time to get beneath the monstrosity and start dancing around, grabbing her second sword and slashing away at the beast's legs without any mercy whatsoever. Her blades would leave a trail of shadow in the air as they dug deep into the rotting flesh, tearing it apart from the bones and skin. Of course, the centipede demon would not just let that continue, as it started stomping around and sending its tentacle searching beneath its own body for the girl. Sliding from underneath there, she would stop right in front of the demon and smile, temporarily sheathing the second sword and grabbing the first one into both of her hands.

And with all her force, she would jump and impale the beast with her blade, or at least tried to do so. Apparently, that part of it's body was much tougher and the vixen only managed to send it flying backward with some minor damage as she landed back on the ground herself. Hoping that Ann was back to her senses, she looked back in her direction, waiting for her attack that would damage the monster further, or even better, finish it off completely. Even though that was extremely unlikely, as this bad boy was resisting even demon slaying magic for now. Now that Ann's doll was out of the fight, the young girl had to come up with a different plan of attack. As she got up on her own again after somewhat recovering from that insane attack, she would let out an annoyed sigh and look around. Her body was hurting like hell, and she knew that she had taken quite a heavy blow. But at least it seemed that her doll managed to shield Eris from the most damaging parts of the devil's attacks, so in the end, it did fulfill its duty. Now that was a pretty powerful opponent, alright. If she had come to this place any less prepared than she was, she would have probably already been dead.

Word Count - 8721 / 17000

"I hate to admit it, but that Fox has much better chance of pulling through than me. But I have my own mission here as well, dammit! Might as well go all out and test out all the equipment before I decide to die and fail my employer for the last time!"

With a grin adorning her face, the girl's body would quiver in excitement. She finally knew why this nation was off-limits to regular human beings. And she finally knew what a proper challenge meant. Little did Eris know that her temporary partner was now finally experiencing her own twisted dream of dying against a powerful opponent. Or at least was preparing for it to happen. But she would not go down without a fight, that much was clear. Producing a small disc-like device, she would slap it at her own belly where the machine would stick and start producing magical energy. And soon, from inside of it, a burst of lightning would emanate, just as Ann let out a battle cry.

"Don't you think I will give up just because you got one hit on me you bastard! I will show you the power Ann-Marie Ek truly has!"

The mechanical mercenary, covered in lightning and with a somewhat distorted voice, darted from the crevice in a diagonal line. Her speed, enhanced almost to double of her usual maximum, allowed her to return in a matter of a couple of seconds. In the meantime, the great demon was still focused on Eris, who was doing her best to keep it in check. Though her attempts to slash at it were still met with exactly the same result. If they truly desired to hurt the demon, they had to weaken it first somehow. But the creature wasn't happy with a plan like that, as it suddenly let out a sound that could be considered as a laugh, opening one of its giant maws and letting out a gigantic stream of lava that would move right toward the vixen, as it swung at her with the other appendage, trying to slam her down to the ground, as if dunking a basketball. What it had failed to take into consideration was that there was a certain another girl eager to return the gift of the surprise attack. Clad in her lightning armor, Ann almost flew above, thanks to the dramatically increased speed and acceleration. With a confident smile, she reached behind her back again, and would pull out two pistols, one pure white, as a ray of light, and another one black, like the deepest abyss. Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all. A lovely pair of twin pistols the girl owned. She would skillfully spin the two pistols, her body moving until it was perpendicular to the ground, right above the lava demon.

"Meet my two darlings, you piece of ass!"

Ann's body the spun wildly, like a peg-top, unleashing a barrage of bullets from the semiautomatic weapons. The speed in which she fired was quite astonishing, taking into account they were semi-automatic and that reality should allow only for so many bullets to be fired at once. The salvo of fired ammunition rained down on the demon, who was still worried about the possibility of the other girl cutting him down with her blade when he wasn't looking. And it worked extremely well, every single one of the shots taking the beast by surprise. The creature's large body got struck by all of them, which had to be rather painful, as the bullets mercilessly pierced through its skin and flesh. On their own, they did very little, but the concentrated fire, coupled with a number of projectiles and the extra damage from infusing every single bullet that was fired with the lightning that surrounded her did quite heavy damage to it. Not to mention all the damage taken from the vixen prior, it was now doing its job as well. Once Ann landed on the ground, she quickly hid her pistols and instead pulled out a mechanical sword that would fold out and increase it's size several times, showing just how nice it could be carried when folded into itself. Her body, still clad in lightning, gave her a much more threatening appearance, similar to the way Eris was clad in her shadows right now. It seemed that the rivalry of abilities was still going on.

"What do you say, Fox? I can make myself look cool as well!"

Word Count - 9472 / 17000

Unfortunately, the vixen was currently somewhat unable to answer her remark, as she was leaping back in sudden motion. Lava from the demon's attack was finally reaching her and she didn't exactly want to melt in it just yet. But even now that her partner was back in action, it would still be somewhat difficult to take the beast down as it was right now. It was in that moment that Eris would figure out another way of using her shadows. In the end, this was even more of a training that the previous session with Vermillion. Afer all, now she was actually facing something that could take away her life! She extended her hands forward and strengthened her grip on the katana she was holding as she suddenly thrust it into the ground. In a flash, several shadow trails would fly away from the weapon's position, eventually parting with the ground itself and forming four gigantic columns all around the demon, marking a square territory that he would fit in. Due to his huge figure, it was a bit difficult for her to command the spell, especially since she just came up with it and this would be her first time actually using it. However, she remembered the past she once lived and her previous abilities. The days when she commanded her own darkness and light, her spell that would create a dark room around her and the enemy, space where her abilities grew even stronger. And just like back then, she did it now as well. and what more, she did it in time.

"Don't think you'll be able to tear through this so easily!"

The entire demon that was slowly heading her way suddenly stopped, as the columns suddenly shot out countless black strings which would wrap all around its crimson red body and temporarily restrain it. Thankfully the flying squirrel of a woman, Ann, was far enough from her spell to avoid being caught in it as well. If she wasn't, she would have been restrained in there along with that monster. It would still take some more practice for Eris to be actually capable of selectively controlling every single string that was created by this spell after all. They would both smile as the demonic presence started wavering ever so slightly, the creature clearly heavily damaged from their onslaught of magic. But it still wasn't enough, it still had the strength to stand and fight the two. Only now Eris felt the heat from above. As she looked towards its source, she noticed that the attack from before didn't stop completely just yet.

The lava was still dripping from the demon's hideous body and moved as if it had will on its own. And it would find it's way right above the vixen, too. Trying to shield herself again against the searing magma, she used focused all her magic into a defensive position as shields enveloped her weapons and slightly changed their appearance into one of a shield, creating a temporary armor that was capable of at least some defense. And with a loud splat, she got hit while stumbling backward some more to get out of it's range. It was rather painful, but the Shadow Phantom mode which made her body not entirely physical helped her deal with the pain and actual damage a little bit. Still, the lava managed to burn her entire defensive spell away and leave quite the burn on her body, dealing some good damage. At least the shield managed to protect her from getting scorched entirely, as it would be very improbably that she would be capable of finishing this fight in such state. Breathing heavily, she would stumble around as her hazy vision returned to normal in few seconds.

"Don't falter! I'm almost ready! We can finish it!"

Word Count - 10112 / 17000

Ann's words quickly pierced her, completely drawing her attention back to the scene in front of her. Sighing at the sight of the mercenary's strangely heroic nod somewhat over the top appearance, she would get ready as well. The demon was still paralyzed, even though the pillars of shadows were slowly starting to collapse as it's strings would be torn into pieces by the beast's physical strength or vaporized by the heat produced by its body and magic. Funny, Eris never thought that she would be this glad for having such a spur of the moment decision. And just like Ann shouted, it was just about the time they finished this business once and for all!

"Hit it with everything you got the moment I destroy the barrier! if you do it earlier, your body will get stuck in it as well!"

She finally replied to her companion's words with her own, filled with surprising energy and clear determination. There was something she had to do before the barrier was completely gone. In full sprint, she started heading towards the centipede demon and once near enough, she would jump to one of its knees and from there to its body. Heading straight for the head, she would jump into the air and show her gleaming blade with shadows dancing around it in a quick motion, as it was displayed right in front of the moon from the demon's perspective.

"Always aim for the enemy's weak spot. I'm not sorry in the least!"

She would scream out before she started falling and landing the hit. In a single slash, both of its eyes were cut apart, hopefully blinding the creature completely. She didn't see any other eyes, but one never knew. And in that moment, the barrier would fall apart, and the demon would be free to rampage again.

"Bring it down, now!"

She would scream toward Ann, giving her the signal she was waiting for so eagerly. In fact, she was already in a starting stance, similar to that of an athlete just about to sprint 100 meters. As the electricity gathered, loud cracks could be heard, coming from the lightning bolts going wild. Once she gave the signal, she was more than happy to oblige. A fraction of a second later, Ann wasn't there anymore. Instead, her enhanced speed had taken her, in a single leap forward, from her initial position to the demon's. With both hands, she gripped her machine sword tightly and drove it up and behind it's back.

"Took you long enough!"

The girl shouted with a smile, impaling the creature's head with her weapon. It was a blow strong enough that the demon's weight was forced into the ground, forming cracks that eventually lead to an entire crater being formed beneath it. Confused and hurt, it would stumble backward as Ann leaped back from its head. But it was still standing, which would quickly tell the mercenary girl to start dancing around its body and slashing at it with everything she had. Slashes would cut through its skin, revealing a pulsating molten flesh for the demon slayer which stood some distance away. Every single shadow in the area was drawn to the girl, as darkness enveloped her and her weapon. She would hold her katana in both hands taking a firm stance and holding the blade vertically right above her head. And just from that one simple gesture, a vortex of chaos would form above her, trying to pierce the skies themselves. But it's real target was something much smaller than what was above them. And this one single strike was meant to finally finish it all.

"Get out of there! Demon Butcher!"

Word Count - 10730 / 17000

With the full force of her body behind the black blade, she would swing. A veil of shadows, the final curtain of the demon's life would pierce it as a wave of magic cracked the land in two. And once everything faded back to normal several seconds ago, only a broken body of once a mighty beast would be found standing perfectly still. As if on cue, the wind would start blowing in the alley once more, making the unmoving enemy fall to the side. And as the demon's body hit the ground, its centipede-like appendages slowly descending as if they were dying out, both Ann and Eris would be able to hear the unmistakable sound of a voice, echoing in the area. It was coming from the seemingly feral demon, after being defeated by both mages. Despite its words being hardly as fluid as those of Vermillion, the nine-tailed demon fox, this demon was clearly a creature capable of thinking, speaking, and possibly, planning.

"Mere mortal creatures... defeated me? A demon born in our land of origin, Sin...?"

the huge beast roared, almost in pain and turmoil. It seemed that the fight had been a huge blow to its pride, since he had not even managed to kill any of his opponents, apart from the mechanized doll... and as a lifeless machine, that hardly even counted. He couldn't fathom that anything other than demons could be that strong. How had they managed to acquire power? Much to his dismay, there were plenty of humans and non-humans that were far stronger than demons of this land. Even Eris who was slowly getting the grip on her own powers once more would soon obtain the skill needed to cut down any foe in her path. Behind his body, which was beginning to fade, the Hell's Gate still loomed over. The gigantic monolith was still radiating with power that seemingly drew more demons to it, as well as the red pendant that was in the vixen's possession. Ann would then sigh and look at Eris, showing her a thumbs up.

"Nice work, Fox. This guy was tough, but we got him good!

She would then silently approach the vixen, although not too much because his electricity aura was still there, and he didn't want to hurt her. In fact, she only now remembered that she should probably turn that device off, her hands quickly fondling all over the mechanical circle on her belly. And once she managed to do so, she would smile brightly.

"That attack of yours was awesome! But are you alright? I saw you getting hit pretty badly back there too."

The mercenary girl asked, concerned about her new partner. Even if she had come to this place on her own accord, she still felt a bit responsible, given that it was his own work she got drawn into. But to that, Eris would just giggle.

"Just a few burns, that's all. And as you've surely noticed by now, I'm far from your ordinary human. My body already started fixing the damage caused. Before long, I'll be as good as new. If I really wanted, I could easily take on another ten of these guys!"

Word Count - 11266 / 17000

Ann rather didn't answer that, in case more would actually show up. In such case, she would much rather just run away and hide under a rock instead of actually fighting more. Right now, she just wanted to lie down and sleep for few hours, regain her strength. And while Eris was in much better state than that, she too could use some rest right about now. And maybe she would get the chance to do so soon, as her goal was nearby. The black monolith still stood tall. Without a single word, the vixen would start approaching it ever so slowly. Ann would join too, as she clearly had nothing better to do at the moment.

"Right, we should probably bring this thing down. That should decrease the demon activity in the region and stabilize it a little bit. Maybe even enough for the soldiers of the neighboring kingdom to come and try to claim this land, restore it to something of beauty."

It didn't take long at all before they stood right in front of the strange material. Eris would hear whispers coming from it, something that was completely inaudible to the mercenary. And with a single touch, the entire structure would turn bright red, making the other girl jump back in shock, thinking that another demon was coming out of it or something.

"Calm down. It merely reacts to an item I have. This is... goodbye, Ann. There is a chance we will randomly meet again one day, but it would be unwise to try and find me on your own again. This is where we part ways. I wish you best of luck in whatever quest you're even on here. Ad Infinitum."

And just like that, the once goddess would walk right into the red material, phasing through it. She could only hear the muffled voice of a girl that was once her companion back in the real world before she would open her eyes again, finding herself in a cozy and warm environment. The walls that surrounded her were made out of wood, beautiful windows adorning it with gentle sun shining through it and illuminating the corridor. Fancy furniture would decorate the otherwise bare hallway with flowers atop them. A pleasant smell that filled the air and brought comfort to all. Everything was so different from the hellish landscape the girl was in just a moment ago, she could barely believe that this was the reality. A pleasant dream out of nowhere would explain this better. But she also remembered how she entered Vermillion's realm. So suddenly and as if she was dreaming. And yet, it was all true. It all did indeed happen. This place was probably working the same way.

And so, the vixen would gather her wits and courage, taking one step forward, then another. And soon, she would find herself walking through the corridor, which was colored in gold from the non-existent outside. The girl did try to take a peek outside of the window. But they were all completely white, too bright to reveal anything that could be on the other side. And while the unbelievably pleasant atmosphere beckoned the girl to just sit down onto the floor and enjoy a moment of solitary peace, she desired to continue. She desired to see the person that the nine-tailed demon wanted her to see. After all, that one person was the entire reason for Eris to be here right now. The reason why she traversed all those lands completely alone. And why she fought that magma centipede demon in order to get past it and into the Hell's Gate. It was quite funny, actually. The way they called it, and yet it leads to a pleasant environment like this. The irony seemed to be the spice of life around here. And only a few more steps further, the corridor would grow into a large open space. The wooden floor would go into an oval-like shape, a hole in the middle making what the girl stood on more into a catwalk. In fact, the moment she looked around properly, she realized that she was on the middle floor of a flying airship. A zeppelin of some kind.

"What in the world... is this?"

Word Count - 11977 / 17000

Goldfish was swimming through the air as the walls were adorned with overflowing bookshelves and paintings of people the girl did not recognize. All kinds of trinkets were scattered around, oddities from various places to spice the atmosphere a little. And yet, the smell around here was pleasant and sweet, even to someone with much more sensitive senses like Eris. Flowers were around too, stuck in their pots and growing tall. Their colors bringing life to the already vibrant place. Honestly, if the vixen didn't know any better, she would have thought that she somehow entered a child's adventurous dream, for this scene appeared like one to her. A piece of peaceful fantasy that was not interrupted by anything unnecessary. Only the pleasant things that could not be rejected by anyone. She would walk and hear the wooden planks creak beneath her, sigh as she placed her soft hand on the more rough metal railing, leaning on it slightly.

Even the lower part beneath her seemed to harbor similar strangeness, though there was also more technical equipment which would keep the entire vehicle running. Though to be honest, the girl could not tell if she was actually moving or not. The front of this thing was nothing more than a bulbous glass, everything beyond it just a crystal clear blue color. There was just no sense of motion at all, not to mention not knowing where they could possibly be. After all, this place was connected to a monolith in the nation of Sin. Vermillion led her there with the pendant and even said that this ally of hers was hiding in Earthland itself. Just like with everything in this ethernano filled world, magic was at play. Was this all just an illusion. Or maybe a pocket dimension stored within the obelisk? There was really not even a point in answering that anymore.

"Welcome, Goddess of the Astral Moon Noheme. I hope the place is to your liking. Unfortunately, I was not informed of your tastes, so I had no time to adjust it in any way. I hope you understand."

A voice came from above. Now that the girl heard it, she realized that she never looked in that direction. Suspended on some kind of floating device was a wooden platform which housed mechanical cogs, a chair, table and a canvas. And of course, in the chair sat a young looking girl. A long golden straight hair would flutter in a non-existent breeze as she held a brush in one of her hand, pallet in another. She was clearly working on a painting with the canvas in front of her and all. But her presence... it was somehow very soothing. The vixen didn't have to be a detective to deduce that this one wasn't a human either. This place was connected to magic. And that magic was in turn connected to this one. Not to mention that she knew the goddess' name which should have been forgotten. Vermillion knew it as well, which probably meant that this was the person Eris was supposed to meet. The one to which the red pendant lead her. For everything around her, she looked strangely... normal and human.

Word Count - 12515 / 17000

"And you are?"

"I came to adore the name, Alice. So please, call me that if you so desire. I am the one who paints. A demon of the Painting, if you will. That is what I was labeled by a certain race in a certain world. There, demons were considered much more than just vile creatures which wanted to burn the entire world down. I found it quite romantic, so I went with it. Do you think all demons are bad, Noheme?"

The vixen's ears would twitch few times as she decided to jump up on the platform with Alice, sitting on one of the lower cogs. For something made out of metal, it was strangely comfortable, almost like a silk woven by the most gentle of hands.

"Clearly not all are. But I was given a demon slaying magic by your friend, Vermillion. So there must be plenty of bad ones to justify that."

"In every world, there are select few who desire to be different from the rest. This can either lead to a creation of vile creatures, or most kind ones depending on the natural state of the society. Don't you think its something most amazing? That a desire to be different can lead one both onto the path of dark and light."

"That's just how free will works, ain't it? So what of it... some decide to be good, some decide to be evil. You can't really force a person to do something they don't want to do once their freedom is established. I just want to know why you're talking about something like this."

The girl would chuckle, the strokes of her brush audible clearly as they echoed through the flying ship. From her position, Eris could not see what she was actually painting. And yet, she could somehow imagine it in her head. A colorful and vibrant painting that would bring joy to anyone who's gaze would fall upon it. But why do such a thing in this world where only Alice existed?

"The miracle demons have the power to cause miracles to happen, bend the space itself to their will so that even the smallest and improbable chance can come up victorious. The Shadow Fox demon controls a domain of shadows. A world engulfed in a gentle and quiet darkness. So what exactly do you think a demon of the Painting can do, Noheme?"

One of the flying goldfish would swim through the air right in front of the vixen as she sighed. Natural laws and reason clearly held no dominant position in this place. That was the nature of magic sometimes. Bending reason and logic that common man had. Somewhere even of the belief that magic was simply just science that they could not properly understand yet. And perhaps they were right. Or maybe it was just that mortal mind desired reason for everything that it could perceive. An anchor point that would hold them in a single spot for at least few moments, lest they would be destined to drift on the sea of uncertainty for all of the eternity.

Word Count - 13031 / 17000

"I make things I paint into reality. This entire place was once on my canvas. But then I pulled it out, gave it life and purpose. Now, this piece of art is my home, my sacred sanctuary where no evil can claim me. Do you find it beautiful? Or perhaps terrifying? The power of giving life to something that is no more than just color on a piece of canvas. I know I would be afraid of it, if I were in your position."

"I don't think there is any reason to be really afraid. I mean... yeah, you could use it to harm others. But doesn't that go for everything? Those who wish to inflict harm onto others always find a way to do so. I've learned that again and again. Betrayal, war, and despair. It's all just one side of a coin. I held both dark and light in my hands firmly before. I know that both of them can be used to aid others... or to hurt them. The darkness that can bring comfort and light which will burn you to ashes. You can't label anything in this universe as strictly good or evil. I've told you already. Freedom is the scariest thing that you could even imagine. It allows us to become good or evil. It allows us to both save and kill. It permits us to throw everything away and start over. Just like I did. Just like she did."

There was silence. A dreadful silence the girl could drown in. Somehow, Eris felt as if she could talk about anything to Alice. As if she knew for the longest time despite them meeting just now. What was this strange comfort? So warm, yet distant. It almost made the goddess sleepy on the spot. Her eyes would be closing slowly as the everything around her became nothing. Such a strange comfort... it reminded her of her very own beginning. Born from a cluster of magic in the void. But she was not alone. There was another girl that was born this way. Someone she once called sister. But she knew better now. They were no sisters. It would be more accurate to call the other girl just another of her kin. The same species. Even their lives were so vastly different. The vixen could only imagine what it would be to live the same life as Leila. And so, Alice would put a new canvas in front of her and start painting.

Word Count - 13448 / 17000

A story like that would begin in the nation of Stella, it's plains mostly made out of hard rocks with very little vegetation. She would be born in the most unusual of ways, befitting a goddess of the Astral Moon. A single shard appeared among the rocks, its surface pristine and pleasant to the touch, coated with black sigils that no one could decipher. A sight most uncommon for sure, indicating that this was work of powers above nature itself. The fact that this shard was saturated with magical energy only supported this theory and made it possible to think that perhaps a mage summoned this spectacle. Was it an attempt to bring down a meteor onto this land? Or was it an experiment of different nature? No one knew the answer, and even less knew about the shard itself. After all, it was in a rather desolate place, hard to get to. Eventually, rumors about the entire area being cursed spread and common folk had no longer any desire to see the mystical stone for themselves. There was only one solitary being who thought little of this fabricated curse and wished to see that sorcery on his own. A traveler that came from different land with plenty of experience.

Someone that was not quite... human. A demon, creature that was thought evil by many. This one, in particular, was associated with shadows, his skin of gray and black color. Claiming that he simply wanted to see the entirety of the Earthland, people did not get in his way for they feared being killed by his mighty power. Seeing the whole world, it was goal very ambitious, but maybe this Demon could achieve it. However, he had no idea that his life would change drastically after visiting the shard. For when he approached it, he noticed a small child lying under it. A newborn girl that was crying on the cold ground with no father or mother, her body that of a human, but with parts of a wild animal. She had a pair of vixen ears and a tail that was slowly swaying across the ground in a sad motion. It was not hard to make the link. And even demons were capable of emotions, some perhaps even more than humans. He could not leave this girl here to die. There was no other option than to take her with him, for if he left it in a nearby village, she would surely perish as well for her inhuman appearance. That, or her life would be a living hell. After all, the rumors about a curse were strong and a child like this would never be treated well in this place. Not to mention that Stella was nation heavily oriented on harsh training. It would be but a question of time before someone would take her away and have her train herself to death. Knowing all that, the Demon made the hard decision of taking care of this little girl, giving her a name. Eris Sytry.

"Is that truly how her story went? Being born into the world like that... must have been harsh. More harsh than I imagined..."

Word Count - 13978 / 17000