ShadowSunRisen

Gods, Angels and Demons in New Haven

Shadows grew longer as the faint dusk light of the setting sun had long disappeared. It's 9pm. Midnight is coming soon and a life will be taken in its passing.

The string was pulled and the fates held it close with a strict hand, poised to cut.

---

Montag's dismissal did not phase Carol. In fact the strange woman seemed more intrigued by being put off, her eyes never losing sight of him as the detective turned to leave.

For the first time she looked away from Montag to give a glance at one of her tattooed associates. A man who had been reclining against a wall in the background of the interaction. He would stand up and march forward, past the guards who were as still as statues. He too was dressed in the white sleeves and red vests of waiter staff, making it strange he was able to bypass security staff so easily.

He did not need police experience to understand what was happening here, Carol and her team had access that he didn't. Access they probably didn't deserve considering they were supposedly staff just like him. They were able to go upstairs with no trouble despite the guards. Most concerning was Marie on the second floor of Meropis who Carol's team got closer to.

"You shouldn't turn your back on me, fuzz boy." Carol however, was staying put.

"Do you think you were the only one sent here? I know things you don't. You should have left while you still have the chance, because after tonight your life will never be the same again."

Time came to a crawl. Carol would grip Montag's hand very suddenly and with alarming strength. The noise of the kitchen disappeared, with the lights of the hallways going out. The color of the world receded and was replaced with a monolithic black and white that left only the bright green of Carol's eyes as the last source of color in Montag's perspective. A long and loud drone could be heard, like an object falling through an empty ship. Deep hums of a great metal beast that was no where in view, throbbing in the boy's ears. The witch had done something to him with that touch, his skin felt about to burn.

"Do you feel the hand of Phobos going through you? Your mortal flesh vulnerable and exposed. Phobos and Deimos ruling over your heart, filling your entire being with fear, falling forever..."

Carol's words began to echo, growing further away. Eduard felt he was falling, cast down backward into an endless hallway. The hallway he had passed through on his way here to be exact. Montag himself remained horizontal while the hallway had been tipped vertically down. Paintings, furniture, and lamps would stay still and static, uncaring of the effects of gravity. Stuck in a warp of familiar reality and sent falling into an endless loop. The strong vision was abrupt and mind consuming, all from a simple touch of the woman's hand. Carol intended to have the boy suffer for his intrusion and to do away with him with this mental torment. The world he inhabited previously had been replaced with this terrifying vision that consumed his being.

Luckily, Montag was no longer on his own. Coming through the backyard entrance was Abigail who had recently left her meeting with Thomas. She was in a perfect sight to view what was happening to Montag and the perpetrator Carol. It was up to both of them as to how they'd deal with this incomprehensible threat. The priestess could see the black tattoo pulsing and swelling larger as Carol hummed some unfamiliar and creepy tune. None of the bystanders looked to be doing anything in the way of helping Montag.

Ark Riders, Race Across the Stars

Although Rema's passion is strong, Mevalo appeared unphased. She found an unlikely ally in Claudia however, but she simply didn't understand this was a matter of honor as well and not just racing skill.

"Why would you not consider style valid? Do you really want boring, uninteresting racers who take their time and carefully scoot by their betters? Nonsense. You want to see the best and for them to perform the best, that is if you are a real race with real prestige. Aren't you?"

Rema challenged right back with crossed arms, and would then nod over to Claudia.

"I like your fighting spirit. You seem to be the only one here with one who wants to actually win. These losers don't even know how to win, even when it's handed over to them."

Another hard glare to Aurora. Romans were not famous for their respect and sportsmanship it appeared.

"Don't call me Remy. Or you will eat my blade and I will rip it out your stomach with my bare hands. Nice to meet you."

Violence and friendliness are hand in hand with Rema. Speaking of hands she gave Claudia a hard handshake that felt it would tear her arm off with her brute android strength.

It was important to show she'd be willing to cooperate for her preferred type of racer. A move all the crowd would appreciate all the more. Gladiators too, often worked in teams.

Tower of Fable

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Before Nephy's new offensive could begin the wolf was under attack from all angles. First came Runa with her telegraphed spear strikes that were easily deflected and swatted away by parries from her katana. The wolf would give a simple counter attack in a well telegraphed overhead cleave that Runa saw coming in more ways than one.

"Annoying pest!" She'd bark at the ghostly engima before being interrupted by Akiko's new attack.

An unseen force indeed, but still left a faint enough physical presence for the wolf's natural instincts to feel the disturbances on the lagoon water. She'd jump high into the air to avoid the swing from the invisible force, just barely doing so. Her eyes are wide with alarm as her body reacted for her, the wolf having no idea what just happened...

Unbeknownst to the wolf she had just set herself up perfectly for Kanbaru's motorcade zipping through the air. Nephy was a sitting duck hanging in the and was quickly slapped across her body with the tire of a flaming motor vehicle.

"W-what is this!?" The imperiled wolf yelped as she's sent slamming into the ice wall by angry steel, breaking through the barrier and knocked out several feet by the force of the impact. An attack that could easily kill lesser beings. Nephy was sent rolling through the lagoon water, having to catch herself with a quick flip in the air. There was a tread mark streak across her cheek left from the hit. Her disheveled hair hung loosely from her face as she staggered back to her feet.

"The new ones can bite back..." She'd murmur to herself, new respect for her enemies. Her black sheathed katana began to glow with dark purple energy, rolling over the blade like the glint of light. She channeled her own life force into the twisted sword Nekuromata, humming with its master's power.

However, the fight was not to continue. Many of the gathered had already felt the strange presence, and Nephy would as well as her ears flicked in warning. This was getting too complicated, and she would need more time to deal with the likes of Kanbaru and Akiko. Her mission after all had been completed, the new flock were made of some interesting power. Some of them, at least. She would need more time to study and play with her food.

"Hmm. Seems the powers that be are stirring back to life here. We'll have to settle this for next time. We both still have much to learn about each other. For once, I am excited, there's so many interesting people here, even ones out of view..."

Still she wasn't just about to leave without giving a parting gift. That channeled energy would be violently expended as Nephy shot streaks of darkblade across the field. They would mobile sword slashes that would glide across the lagoon like a fast ghost, ripping to shreds anything caught in the path.

With her final attack, the wolf would vanish without a trace. The spot empty where she last was, disappeared back into the darkness of the Abyss, plotting her next encounter.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________



An airborne princess landed in Katie's arms, knocked out of breath and was fully convinced she was on a one way ticket back to the deathsphere again.

Instead she's in a strange girl's arms, admittedly kind of pretty. She gave a sheepish smile and a weak blush, unsure on how to properly respond at this moment.

"Hey, thanks for the save!" She'd beam at her rescuer, before being let down.

"Alright, now. Where am I and what is going on? Who do I need to hit with my scythe to be relevant again?"

She hoped she didn't miss all the fun.

Ark Riders, Race Across the Stars

Metal would wrench and shatter under the violent fists of an enraged Rema. The track wall was torn to shreds by the fists that slammed and tore through them like the claws of a bear. The roman stood hunched over, staring at the ground as her blinding rage made her shake and see red. She could not decide what she wanted to do. Destroy the racers, destroy the track, climb up through the stands and crush the host. All seemed like valid targets but her conflict kept her still.

After some quiet time in thought, Rema discovered what she wanted to do. She'd leap up with powerful android legs and snatch a camera, dragging it down with her with a smack on the asphalt. She'd focus the camera on her face, and began to shout.

"That last match was a joke. A failure of a race. That went to a contestant who did not deserve it, and instead gained off of the success of greater warriors than herself. My true Roman virtue demands that I claim the first place as my own, due to my skill ad vigor. The legitimacy of this race hinges on this, so for the sake of true honor. You must give it to the rightful contestant, which is of course me."

With this bold declaration, the egotistical android would slam the camera into the ground and shatter it to pieces. Much more Mevalo property damage as the mad android gestured to the crowd with her golden gladius raised.

"The people know who their real victor is. Who the real champion of the people is! It is me, Rema Tiberius!"

Her gladiator days gave her that stage stealing charisma that all the best warriors had. Being a gladiator wasn't just about strength, it was selling yourself as someone to rally behind.

Her purple eyes would gaze over to Aurora, narrowing into slits. The gladius aimed right for the girl's chest with her arm fully stretched out and pointed toward her.

She knew just who she was going to crucify now.

Tower of Fable

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Nephy was confident she'd blow away her feeble opponents in mere seconds than minutes. Her accomplice was going to be deeply disappointed when she had already finished off all these newcomers faster than the last batch. More bodies for the fodder, more souls for her war machine. All worth it in the end.

Instead, the wolf found herself forced away from Akiko by a new opponent, forced to land a ways away by the power of the parry. Her blade blade rung slightly after the fight, and she looked up to the newcomer with scorn. Akiko's new guardian would make things difficult, but not impossible.

Akiko's Hellsword began to overwhelm Nephy's summoned undead, causing them to stagger and yell as the souls contained in those rotted bodies screamed out in pain from the invasive power. Nephy immediately would speak words of power into her blade, murmuring ancient spells.

"You are in peril! Return to me!" The wolf shouted, and the undead warriors collapsed as their souls quickly returned to their home inside the black blade. Nephy winced from the pain of her family, feeling a dark rage come over her. She would not allow any necromancer to tamper with her undead kin.

Thomas and Kanbaru had recovered behind her, back onto the attack. Hellsword's summoned crabs were stomping forward as well for an all out offensive. The wolf can't help but smile.

"All this attention is flattering. Hold on a moment and let me compose myself." The samurai said with a smile, stretching out her arms as if to embrace her attackers. She'd fall backwards instead, splashing up black liquid as she disappeared into the mire, vanishing completely.

There was silence for a moment as the wolf appeared to have retreated. Perhaps entirely from the battle. That didn't seem right as something stirred in the lagoon below, rapidly approaching Kanbaru and her vehicle. Out from the depths the wolf would launch herself upward, behind Thomas and Kanbaru. In the time it took for them to readjust, Nephy had her moment to strike.

Focused on Thomas first, she'd swap out her black blade for a silver yumi, a handcrafted bow. Wielding three black arrows at once, she'd sling a volley at the boy's way to strike him out from the sky with those incredibly fast missiles. Her weapon would disappear in a black smoke, replaced with a long staff naginata blade from which the wolf rushed out to strike Kanbaru's wagon right in the wheels to disrupt it. Her next strike would be for the warrior herself.

"Back. Off!"

The staff met scythe as Riku's weapon poised the blade back, causing Nephy to recoil and snarl. She was getting sick of these interferences!

"I can't believe we're fighting together. But that's right! I'll come help you Kanbaru! Cuz we need to work as a te-"

The princess doesn't finish her sentence. With an angry yell Nephy swatted the princess away as if she were a bug, sending her flying across the floor with incredible speed across the lagoon. She would skip like a stone as she went airborne off on the other side of the lagoon, right in front of another travelling group.

"Out of my way, scum."

With the princess gone, she'd return to her opponents with her staff raised high. It glowed with dark powers, ready to skewer anyone and anything.

"I can hit you anywhere, at anytime and with such strength you can't even imagine it. Go run home now or pray to your gods, I will destroy every last one of you!"

This fight would end soon, one way or another.

Ark Riders, Race Across the Stars

The roman let out a roar as she's kicked from Skull Rider's ride with the swiftness of a fly swatter smacking a bug. She's sent barreling down the road from the hard force. Castor and Pollux quickly make a sharp turn to catch the falling Rema in their seat. They had to slow down and aim themselves, losing out precious time to the Skulldugg and the Spike for Aurora to cinch the victory. Belladonna barreled forward in a mad dash to cinch the third place spot before promptly crashing into a wall. The horses swung the wagon around just in time to avoid being crushed by their own vehicle. All the while Rema is rocked around like a ragdoll, barely able to hold on thanks to her android strength.

"Bovis stercu! Faex! Shit! Fuck!" The roman swore up a storm in a garbled mix of Latin and English, waving her arms and kicking the wall of the track so hard it dented inward from the impact. She'd scream out up into the heavens, just a large ball of pure rage at this point. She accepted nothing less than total victory, and getting thrown over by the Skull Rider was a humiliation she could not bear.

"Where is the winner!? I will kill them, hang them on a cross and crucify them! Where is she!?"

Tower of Fable

"Thomas, don't just rush after her! She's dangerous!"

Riku's words fell on deaf ears. Thomas brought forward his glaive and left her behind as he charged towards the wolf warrior. She had wanted to plan out an attack, but both Thomas and Kanbaru moved much too quickly for that. The princess is left behind, unsure of what to do.

"Uh! I'll...be here for support, yeah! I'm ready!" She'd call after the pair, taking up her arms and staying in the reserve in case something went wrong. Playing second fiddle is a new experience for her. She'd stare down at her feet and glance up to the ceiling, feeling very out of place.

Though truthfully she's happy to keep some distance from Kanbaru.

"...is there any crabs I can still help with?"

---



The amount of opponents bearing down on Nephy doesn't seem to phase the wolf in the slightest, she welcomed the challenge. Though of all her potential attackers, she least expected Thomas to be the first to reach her to strike. She too, felt some respect grow from the brazen charge, but it was just so foolish...

Seeing Kanbaru move fast like an arrow out of the corner of her eye, Nephy saw an opportunity in this double attack. The glaive turned sword met Nephy's enchanted katana, the weapons crossed and held in a lock, stopping Thomas's attack dead.

"Weak. I'm not sure why you thought you could just run up to me like that. Seems you have a lot to prove, dead weight."

With Kanbaru about to make contact, Nephy would grapple with Thomas to pull him forward, directly in Kanbaru's line of fire. The wolf stepped aside. Her obsidian blade pulsed with a purple energy, readying it's power. The wolf would slash forwards, the slash travelling across the lagoon waters, moving as quick as a bullet from a gun. The magical strike was set to strike Thomas right in the back, Nephy hoped it'd hit both him and the JSTR warrior and knock both out at once.

With her first opponents given proper trouble, she'd turn to face over to Ami and Akiko. A thin smile on her face, her eyes cold and eerily relaxed.

"I welcome the uneven fight. But if you really think it's so unfair, then sure. Let us even things out."

The hilt of her black blade would come to rest against her lips. She'd close her eyes and start to mutter a prayer like chant, imbuing the blade with her words of power, making it grow with an azure fire that began to burn up bottom up to the hilt. Nephy then stabbed violently into the ground beneath the waters, dragging her blade through the soil to cut deeply into the earth. She'd strike the sword back out of the water with a show of great strength. The spot where the dark blade struck began to glow brightly, the cut coming to life in a show of light as something began to stir beneath the waves...

From the crevice Nephy created, skeletal warriors broke out of the waters. The warriors were massive, larger than humans and brandishing giant weapons. Ragged old samurai armors from ancient battles with rusted but still very deadly weapons. One wielded a large naginata, twin blades on either side of a long staff. The other carried a giant axe, wielding it around madly in an attempt to cleave anything that stood in it's way.

"Old brothers in arms. Come to my aid. Cut apart that one over there, limb from limb. Make the living fear the dead once more."

At Nephy's command with a pointed finger right to Ami, both warriors came barreling her way the second they were free from the ground. The two would split up into flanks just as Thomas and Kanbaru had done earlier. They were beings who knew nothing but violence and death, and would strike out at the berserker in frenzied charges. With Ami presently occupied, that turned Nephy's attention to Akiko.

"Did you think you could sit this one out? You just made yourself a wonderful target. I hope your summoned toys are ready!" Nephy hissed with an urge to kill. She'd break into a mad stride, reaching great speeds with her sword held steady at her waist. She'd jump high into the air with powerful legs, aiming to land on the summoner and cut her apart in one single swing before she could activate her defenses.

Nephy's plan was to be shock and horror. Aim for vulnerable targets and keep moving to never be pinned down.

Gods, Angels and Demons in New Haven

Carol's piercing gaze bored through the boy's own, seeing the spirit that inhabited that flesh. She'd stay quiet for a moment, holding onto that cat like smile a moment longer. She took a few moments to process all these new details about her newest object of interest.

"Oh Mr. Arnault doesn't concern me. My concerns are far beyond your tiny understanding." She'd snark in a smug tone.

She'd walk around Montag, proudly showing off the black mark down her neck with no effort to hide it. The tattoo appeared to morph and change in Montag's vision. The snake would squeeze tightly around the dagger, climbing up to get a better view of the detective. It was so fast a movement like an illusion of the eyes than anything real.

"You look a little familiar, reminds me of a cop I knew. Not sure you're quite who you appear to be, not that we really are either."

Some of the servants would watch the scene from afar, Montag had gathered a lot of attention in a short amount of time. All of the serving staff watching carried those same black mark tattoos. Some had ink on their arms, others on their leg. Like Carol's they would morph and transform if gazed upon, as if they carried some sort of spirit inside of them. Carol continued to toy with her prey, suddenly getting behind Montag and speaking directly into his ear.

"I strongly advise you get going here, 'waiter' boy. Things are about to get very interesting and I am not sure you are going to want to be around when it starts. The exit is this way."

Carol prodded him towards the kitchen Montag first came through with a hand. It was becoming increasingly clear they had their own mysterious agenda for Meropis Villa and had figured out Montag as a third party actor they wanted no interference with. Montag could attempt to pry into these strangers and try and get a glimpse of their plans but that carried clear risks with these threatening stares and sinister tattoos.

They were prime suspects of the murder soon to happen this evening, just a flight of stairs away from Marie.
---

"Oh yea yea. We all want change, I understand. Threatening my villa and reputation however is a lot more different than asking for change, lady." Thomas's tone sours as his patience wore thin. He'd take a moment to compose himself.

"Alright, I'll write a check for seven hundred and fifty dollars, alright? I don't believe you're not affiliated with someone, but it's clear Bob was the one to do it. Whatever, just tell me where to send it and I'll send it."

He'd flip out a checkbook from his chest pocket, quickly thumbing over to a blank slip and beginning to fill out the information. With some quick strokes of a black pen, he passed over the filled out slip to the confused priest.

"Now with all due respect to God the creator and the Virgin Mary, get the hell off my lawn." He'd growl to Abigail, thrusting the check into her hands.

Above the pair on the balcony, a girl leaned on the railing to observe the conversation below. They were behind Meropis Villa now, where the bedrooms lay for its residents. Marie Arnault watched her father do his business, finding the entire exchange amusing.

"Are we giving out another bribe, Dad?" She'd call down from the balcony with a big smile on her face.

"Marie! I told you if you didn't want to socialize then stay in your room!" Thomas shouted back up in an instant.

"I like to find my own entertainment, dad. Your big parties are just full of boring people trying to impress me. I'm fine here reading my books."

"I don't have time for this. Take the check and do as I asked." Thomas returned his attention to the priest, already preparing to leave.

"And you! Stay inside as I told you to!" He'd bark at Marie, pointing a finger at her.

Marie would watch on from above with her bored expression, unphased by her father's warning. She was a girl who had it all in her luxury life but never could find that thrill that came to people who lived outside her tiny bubble. She'd look over Abigail with some awe, always enjoying those that gave her father a hard time. Slowly she began to retreat inside, stretching out her arms and clearly in no hurry. Her arms were held behind her back and she swayed in the evening breeze, wishing she had some better music than the noisy band outside.

There was the girl to protect, relaxed and calm. How Abigail would find a way to get upstairs to her or persuade her or her father of the danger tonight would be a challenge in of itself.

Tower of Fable

There was not much of a fight for Riku to join. Ami's sudden reappearance and Kanbaru's power had made short work of the slimy crustaceans before Riku could reach them. She ended up sprinting nearly into Ami's fire. She skidded to a halt in the waters, taking a breath as she viewed the destruction from right up close. It was a stunning sight, a sign of Ami's passing.

"Oh not you again...already!?" Riku quickly began to doubt her own power in wake of Ami's, the rivalry flamed up once more. She had managed to gain some power with the Serei card but it felt like nothing in the wake of such power.

"Yeah, of course I saw that! It's Ami..." The princess was angry and upset, turning herself away to gather her feelings. She couldn't let herself be so sore over that defeat.

"Seems like it's all taken care of now. Let's regroup with the others, and see what's the plan on how to handle this level."

The princess would just have to prove herself later, she felt. However, she'd get a chance to test her mettle much sooner than she expected.

"Wait a second...I feel something is wrong." The princess peered over her shoulder, checking her sides. A dark chill ran up her spine, a bad sense crawling over her.

"Some other power is here. I don't know what it is. It's like, constantly blinking in and out. It's some sort of presence, like...a bad one. A demon of some sort!" Riku's voice rose as the details of the presence began to fill out.

"There's something more than just these crabs here, be on your guard."

----



Nephy watched intently as the group decimated the crabs, with a display of power that greatly intrigued her. She ran a claw over her lips and bit the end of a nail, grinning for herself. She hadn't felt power like this in so long, her mind racing with new possibilities. Sitting on the sidelines was no longer an option, and with Runa off on her own scheme the wolf decided it was time to act.

The white wolf would spring out from her perch out into the air, landing directly in front of Kanbaru, Ami and Akiko with a large splash of black water. Her madness tinged eyes would glance over them, then admiring the slain foes of the party.

The wolf rose upward and stretched out her arms, cracking her neck. She appeared casual and calm, glancing her dark and sunken eyes over the cast of adventurers before her. She had a sharp smile with fangs exposed proudly. A deep scent of blood and an aura of malice was a detail in her every movement. Long and wild gray hair hung out from her head, dirty and unkempt with split hairs everywhere. A thick scar traced over her right eye, perhaps a wound or perhaps self inflicted.

"Very impressive work here. Hmm. From some of you, at least." Nephy would cast some foul looks over to Riku and Thomas.

"Creatures like me have been locked in here in the Abyss for a very, very long time. We're all just scrambling to break free. There are no rules here, and everyone is out for themselves. If you want to survive here at all, you'll have to test your worth against me."

"Oh yeah. I'm Nephetos, by the way. You can just call me Nephy. I'd like to offer a challenge to you all. Fight me, and survive. Or, die and I eat your soul. Does that sound fun to you?"

A pale and sullen palm came to rest on the hilt of her sheathed sword, prepared to move at a moment's notice. She took in each of her prey, eyeing them up from head to toe with hungry eyes. She saw the energies beyond mere flesh and blood, the very spirits that animated their bodies. She would rip them out, ideally with her victims screaming and crying before her. The struggle of life and death battle was a thrill onto itself.

"I'm ready whenever you all are, don't be shy. I'll take you all on. I like to kill the weakest ones first and save the big strong ones for last."

The true denizens of the Abyss were finally waking up.

Ark Riders, Race Across the Stars

Blue and red flames shout upward from the war chariot as it climbed faster speeds. The spiked tread wheels left hard cut marks on the gravel beneath them, an every time the rolling metal monster went airborne they'd land with an explosion of kicked up debris and sparks behind them. Rema like everyone else was focused on the skull rider, bloody intent written across her face as she squeezed her fists into tight balls of rage.

"I really, really hate showoffs." She snarled, face growing red in rage.

Now it was time for this ancient styled chariot to prove itself. The loops ahead would send any vehicle without the right materials to their death. Rema would improvise with a mix of her spiked treads and a boost of nitro fueled speed and some anti grav repulsors. With some clicks at her dashboard, Belladona emitted two large disc shaped gadgets at the bottom of her chariot. They manipulated the gravitational pull to prevent the machine from plummeting down from the looped track. Next she use the treads to stick to the road as much as possible, carving up much of the track as she quite literally dug a trench through the road to cling onto it. Like a surfer riding a wave, she'd bob and weave through the loop before coming out onto the other side. Now she is greeted with the most difficult obstacle of all, the empty chasm Skull Rider left in their wake.

Rema swore in latin and kicked the reigns to push Castor and Pollux to their limits. Blue and red fire again shot out several meters in length from the back of the chariot. As the chariot sprinted in as much speed it can muster in the short track left, Rema would make a silent prayer to the god of war to protect her.

She overshot her jump by half a football field's length. She landed on the farther side of the track easily, chariot skidding up fire and flame as the road is torn to shreds by the now well worn treads. Even better, she hand landed within spitting distance of the Skull Rider, and quickly catching up to him. Rema in a fit of pure exhilaration would scream at the top of her lungs in a war cry and fling herself over in a mighty jump to land on the back of Skull's vehicle.

"I'm coming for you! Outrun my gladius you sniveling coward!" The fanatical android crawled up his ride, gladius in her mouth. She'd soon raise herself up and attempt to strike the rider down! Her war machine stormed behind her, the horses able to keep themselves nearby as their master charged in for the close combat she loved.

Rema wanted victory, at any cost.