A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Seras hummed. "But, who creates the diversion? Anyone who meets the enemy first is most likely to be injured. My loyal crew aren't loyal because I use them as sacrificial lambs. What say you about protecting their lives? We cannot simply rush in. That's just asking for casualties."

Kat shrugged. "It's going to be a battle. Someone is going to get hurt in all likelihood, so why does it matter?" she inquired.

"That kind of thinking is why you are not captain anymore." Seras replied.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Well, Seras definitely had a point. Even if they were crew these were individuals, and Pru couldn't simply throw them at the town without expecting at least some sort of casualties. That would definitely hurt morale, and there would be no telling how much longer Pru would actually have a crew.

But that in itself raised an interesting question. "Is the crew more concerned with their own safety or the safety of the ship?" And that answer would determine how she went. If they held the ship's safety over their own then they would go by land. If they were more worried about their own welfare then they would sail in under the cover of darkness.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Seras decided to address that question. "We love our vessel, but our vessel can be repaired and remade. Lives lost cannot simply be brought back with masonry and carpentry." she declared. That's when Kat nodded. "Then we shall sail under the cover of night and load the mermaids right onto the boat from there." Kat concluded. Though Seras laughed. "Though, as much as what I said is true, we still need a vessel. I'd prefer to lose neither life nor transport. Just because one outweighs the other doesn't mean one simply just doesn't have value." the first-mate declared.

Kat just shrugged, flourishing her wings. "Either way, we wait until night. Right, Prudence?" she inquired with a gesture towards her companion. And indeed, Prudence would find the waters quiet and the skies clear even until night. The moon took its place overhead, and left the girls in its somber and elegant white light.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

True, they had to wait, but that was only for the approach. The fact that the day looked to be pretty clear just wouldn't hold well for a sudden onset of cloudy skies, and if Seras was this concerned about their approach then maybe they could do a little more to help mask the ship. "Yuri." And she would probably need some outside help to do it. "Kat and I are going to focus our efforts on getting some cloud cover ready for when we actually hit. If you could help by bringing in some fog it should keep us hidden until we're practically on top of the village. That should give us the best chance to get in and out and take the least amount of damage doing so. And I think we may need to start doing so by dusk. If the weather itself takes a sudden turn it may put people on edge, but a gradual change should keep everyone relaxed enough to surprise them." This may be a major tax on their magic reserves, but if they all took it nice and easy at the start they should be able to pull this off without dipping into complete exhaustion.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

Yuri's face rose when Prudence called out. Her, or his, aura was completely submissive as they came forth. "You wish something of me? Oh, if it's just fog, I can do it easily~" she cooed. Yuri clasped their hands together as if in a begging pose, or paying respects to a superior. "Is that all you wish of me? If you want more energy... I'll always be ready to give it~" she reminded Prudence of her overwhelmingly masochistic nature. Like always, she had a look of need in her eyes. A demon's delight.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

"Just for now. But we'll need to start channeling sometime after dusk if we don't want to draw their suspicion. We'll need to throw out some cloud cover before we strike so it doesn't seem odd when a patch just happens to show and block out the moon. Same with the fog.

"And I may want your help later." The demon finally spoke, her wings stretching out a bit as if she was preparing to get to some serious work. "We still don't know what kind of defenses we'll be facing, so the ship will need some form of protection. Once we're close enough I'll get out to deal with anything that would seriously threaten our escape, but we'll still need someone to stay behind and keep him safe." With that she gave a nearby rail a loving little pat, but even then she was thinking ahead. Once they were moored she would need to leave, and that would put some strain on the tether that connected her to her human half. She wasn't sure how tightly she could stretch it, and this would be the perfect chance to give it a test to see just what her limits might be.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

As Prudence thought about it, it seemed someone else did as well, someone who had been relatively incognito, much like Yuri. Perhaps even almost forgotten. "Wouldn't that be an issue since you seem to be of the same soul?" Alvin said, helping the female sailors keep the ropes tight while they were still fawning a bit over the male aboard the ship. The problem with men aboard an all female ship is that they will naturally be distracted by him one way or another. "Or did your soul split? How does that work, exactly?" he inquired.

"It's none of your business, Alvin." Katerina addressed the man.

"So, that means you don't know either." Alvin stated.

Katerina sneered at him and looked to the shore. "You wouldn't know the first thing about complex weaving, so explaining anything would be a waste of time to you."

Alvin chuckled. "That's a convenient way of agreeing with me. Though it might just be that Prudence here doesn't know either."

Yuri just scratched her cheek. "The soul is a really complex thing, and Prudence's just split in half. Normally, she should have simply stopped existing. A soul isn't just a ball of putty you can do whatever you like with, as amazing as that sounds~" she gave a bit of a delighted grin as she imagined taking that treatment. "The demon side couldn't use magic, so it's obvious that the 'brains' of the soul, to put it simply, is with the human half. Entities can form on their own with only succubus magic, so if I had to guess, the demon half is just a shadow of the human Prudence. That's my theory, anyway~"

Seras cleared her throat. "Well, that mystery aside, we've nothing to do now but wait until it's time to strike. Who's up for some party games? Green Dragon Inn, anybody?" Seras offered to play a fairly standard party game. It was mostly loved by Seras because a mechanic of the game involved gambling with coins. Seras enjoyed using real money to make the game more serious.

Katerina shrugged. "I'm up for it, but we're not using silver daggers again, you damned cheater." she cursed at Seras. Indeed, silvers in gambling were a lot to toy around with, and only something the very wealthy would squander casually.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

But Alvin was right. Prudence simply didn't know. They were two separate entities, each with their own thoughts and desires, but then they could share so much between each other. They could feel each other's pleasures and pains. They could hear their twin's thoughts as if they were their own. It actually took some effort to block one mind from the other, and even when they tried and succeeded they both felt extremely relieved once that barrier was finally taken down. Their was just so much about their split that they didn't understand, and even if Yuri was right in some way it still simply felt wrong to call the demon nothing more than a shadow.

In fact that actually annoyed said demon. She wasn't merely some empty soul that happened to reside in her other half's former shell. She could feel the magic that ran through her veins, could feel it pulsing and wishing to actually do things, and with a little push in the right place it could manage some rather interesting things. And that was what she did. Her tail stretched out a bit, enough to let the spade wind up behind the former alp, and with one flick that flat of it managed to give the woman a rather satisfying smack on her ass. It wasn't vicious, just a curt rebuke for her poor choice of words, but once it was done... Well, maybe Yuri was being a little more devious than they thought. She could have said that exactly to get someone to punish her, and that simply played into her kink. The little minx...

Either way the moment had passed, and now it was time to waste time. And for that Seras immediately went to gambling. "I'm in. Not me." And if anyone wondered why... "It's too easy to accuse us of cheating." And it was really easy to do. They could probably give Seras a run for her money, but then they'd have to listen to Kat complain and threaten and plot her revenge, and that wasn't fun. It could be fun later, but at that moment they simply weren't up for it.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

The girls, Yuri, Prudence, Katerina, and Seras play a game of Green Dragon Inn (aka red dragon inn.)
(It's modeled after the actual board game, if you don't know the rules, the premise is to either reduce all other players money to zero (they start with ten) or bring their 20 fortitude to a number equal to or below their alcohol content)

Spoiler

Arjay: Everyone sits down at the table, Seras gives everyone their cards to play Green Dragon Inn, a party game of punching and drinking, with harmless cards. She brandishes a twenty sided die, and everyone rolls on it. Seras and Prudence roll high, but Prudence rolls just a little higher. So she went first, with her first action, she laid down an offensive card, dealing 1 damage to Seras, leaving her with 19 points to go before she went down. Seras grinned. "I'm your first target, eh? Do I look like the biggest threat, or do you desire an early enemy?" she inquires
Termite: Pru just grins and keeps playing
Arjay: After that, Prudence gives Kat a drink card. All while this is happening, Yuri looks particularly annoyed at being ignored. Prudence draws a drink card, and it's a drinking contest event. Everyone draws drinks, and Kat immediately draws a dangerous amount of alcohol. She grits her teeth at her misfortune, though takes everyones gold with a spiteful grin. So, the half gender plays forth a card that spikes Prudence's drink, seemingly out of nowhere. She says nothing, just seemingly punishing Prudence for ignoring her.
Arjay: Immediately, it's Yuri's turn, and the girl just seems to have it out for the demonic twin. Unleashing a card that not only harms, but curses Prudence. "You seem to have angered her, Prudence." Katerina chuckles.
Termite: "Then this should make her happy."
Arjay: Prudence plays a card that reflects Yuri's attack, dealing damage back in return and ignoring the pain, but not the curse. Yuri then smiles, content that she was punished.
Arjay: Katerina's turn, she reduces her alcohol content, and not only that, but plays a powerful card that deals heavy damage to Yuri. Having taken 2 from Prudence, and 3 from this, Yuri is already in a lot of trouble. "Lets get rid of the weak link, shall we?"
Arjay: Smiling, feeling superior, she draws a drink, and both Yuri and Seras chuckle when it's a hefty dragon's breath ale. +4 alcohol content. Katerina's morale was gone as quick as it came.
Arjay: Right after, Seras's turn, Seras aggressively plays a card to start a round of gambling, there's a shimmer in her eyes that reflects the coin in front of everyone, she desires it. Yuri holds her peace, with Prudence and Seras and Kat vying for control and victory. However, Kat is wearing a gigantic grin. "Give up, my hand is full of gambling cards. You were all fools for anteing this much." she boasts, eight copper anchors on the table.
Arjay: Seras, in the middle of gambling, shrugs and lays down a card. +1 alcohol content to Katerina, on top of her already high 7 count, making it 8. "YOU BITCH!"
Termite: Prudence had to chuckle at how serious Kat was taking this game, but after that she decided not to go any further in this round of gambling.
Arjay: The gambling ends with that, neither Yuri nor Prudence offering anymore contest. Katerina scoops all the gold in, grinning like a devil. "It's only 8 copper, will you calm down?" Seras says with half-lidded eyes. Katerina returned the look with fire in her eyes. "THIS IS WAR!"
Termite: "Shouldn't you be slurring that, 'Cap'n'?"
Arjay: Prudence notes how they're taking real shots in light of the game, Katerina's already had 8. She relaxes back into her seat, admiring her stack of coin. "I'm a demon, I'll do what I want."
Arjay: Seras draws an event card that makes everyone at the table drink... A Cup of Coffee. An awkward moment follows where everyone is given such a cup, and nobody says a word as they sip their warm beverage. Following that, Prudence chooses to do nothing on her turn. Something that catches everyone's eye. "Eh? Lost your nerve?" Kat inquires. "What's wrong, little pru?" she cooes.
Termite: Again, Pru does nothing but grin before returning to the game.
Arjay: "Talk to me, damn you." Katerina glares, agitated.
Termite: "Just biding my time."
Arjay: Yuri's turn, she eyes everyone at the table, and notices Seras has been content. She plays a card to make the woman cursed with a mind hex, and take one damage.
Arjay: Calmly, Seras nods, placing down a card that makes Seras put a coin into the pot. Coldly, she smiles, looking at everyone as if ready to retaliate at any transgression.
Arjay: Yuri calmly draws another drinking contest. Both Yuri and Kat go pale when they draw dragon's breath ale. Though Yuri quickly slams down a card to ignore it. Seras decides to help Kat win... By spiking her drink. Again. +6 alcohol content to Katerina. "Why is it always me!?" she curses. "You wanted more gold." Seras replies. "I DIDN'T WANT YOUR HELP!"
Arjay: Katerina's turn. Kat coldly slams down a card at Seras, firing a flintlock pistol for 2 fortitude. Seras just shrugs, and smiles sweetly at her former captain.
Arjay: Katerina's drink card. She lays it down, stares at it. "This card wasn't in the game, Seras. Did you add this." she said flatly. Meanwhile, Seras was calling out to a crew member to give her a glass of dishwater. "I'm not drinking it."
Arjay: Seras' turn, she suddenly brandishes a card that brandishes knives! Everywhere! Everyone takes 1 fortitude, but Yuri simply smiles, and winks, laying down a card that double curses Seras.
Arjay: Following that, Seras draws a ale with a chaser... Wine with a chaser... More ale with another chaser... Into troll swill. Meanwhile, the whole room seems to light up with Katerina's award winning smile.
Arjay: "This is why I invite her, always an eccentric one." Seras simply laughs it off.
Arjay: Meanwhile, Prudence's turn, plays a card similar to Seras, bringing everyone down 1 fortitude. Yuri pulls at Prudence's dress as they were sitting together. "Hey, just like we're drinking, can you hit me too? Just a... Light punch~"
Arjay: Seras and Kat avert their eyes.
Termite: Pru thinks about it, and with everyone averting their eyes she figures why not. But instead of punching the alp Pru motions Yuri to stand, and a moment later a rather loud smack can be heard as she lifts her hand from the small demon's ass.
Arjay: Yuri makes a sound unthinkable. A wail of pleasure that also sounded like a curse of its own, as if smacking her ass would invoke dark dieties. Everyone's heads were lowered, the unnatural sound of pleasure the alp made making them overwhelmed by her overly perverse nature
Arjay: Yuri's turn involves her both playing a card, and in general, being paid one copper from each person at the table to never make that noise again.
Arjay: Katerina's turn, she smiles, and leans back, as if a ruler of arrogance. She slams down a card, a sword, and points at Prudence. "Some should be more involved. Your silence bores me, and this is your punishment." 2 damage to prudence
Termite: With a look of mock shock she holds a hand to her chest. "Katerina, you wound me..."
Arjay: "Only because I love you~"
Arjay: Drawing wine for a drink, Katerina whips out another card. She passes the drink to Prudence. "I wound you, I intoxicate you. How do you like this abuse?" +2 alcohol to Prudence
Arjay: Meanwhile, as Katerina said the word abuse, Yuri was staring eyes of deathly jealousy.
Termite: She likes it melodramatically, a hand to her head as she swoons in exagerated fashion.
Arjay: Watching both women act like they're in a play, Seras merely rests her elbow on the table and her cheek in her palm, squinting one eye at the two.
Arjay: Suddenly, Kat goes quiet as Prudence suddenly throws down half her hand. Dealing one damage to Kat, drawing a card.
Arjay: It allows her to take another action, meanwhile, kat is visibly sweating. She places an EXACT copy of that card, 1 more. Kat, sweating, can only take 2 more hits. Then, she raises a card, staring at Kat with a cold smile. "Wait, no... I have so much money! I was doing so well! Mercy!" she begged, but like an executioner, she slammed it down. 2 damage.
Arjay: Kat's mouth was hanging open. Eleminated.
Termite: With Kat eliminated Pru suddenly looked a little sad. "Kat, I love you too... but now I can't show it, so I'll just have to show Seras."
Arjay: With Pru looking over, Seras was gone, in her seat is the card she played in response. Hide in the shadows, ignoring Pru's attack
Termite: "...Clever girl..."
Arjay: Yuri's turn, she'd been staring at Prudence ever since their theatrics. Apparently jealous of her being the target of abuse. Vindictive, Yuri unleashes a tide of curses upon Prudence, crippling her.
Arjay: At the end, she buys Prudence another drink, smiling. "Here~" she says sweetly, her stare tipped with venom.
Termite: With a roll of the eyes Pru answers with "Such a diva..." before taking her drink.
Arjay: Seras's turn, she lays down a gambling card. Yuri plays a card to opt out immediately, as if she's been discarding all her gambling cards in favor of getting more delicious curses. Pru raises... Unphased, Seras raises back. "You really want to go there?" she inquires with a devil's grin.
Arjay: The two go back and forth, Yuri is amazed at their powerful struggle, the two calm and unphased. Katerina is still unconscious, staring at her now halved pile of wealth. Then, Seras deals a decisive blow. A cheat card. Not only a cheat card, but one that immediately forces Prudence out without the ability to contest. Seras smiles, as if she knew she was going to win the whole time.
Termite: "Hm... I'm beginning to see why Kat thinks you cheat all the time."
Arjay: Seras shrugs. "I do not fight battles I do not know I will win. I won the moment you decided to dance into my web~"
Termite: As Pru plays her card she looks at Yuri. "Is this enough, or are you going to keep ignoring Seras?"
Arjay: Yuri glances at Pru, slightly coldly, like a mistress. "Is this a request?" she inquires with a neutral tone.
Termite: "I shouldn't have to make one, should I?"
Arjay: "Should you?"
Arjay: As Prudence goes for an attack, she reflects it with a card, causing it to hit Seras instead. Seras quickly replies, playing a card to dodge one damage, out of Prudence's 2. Then she reflects the damage back at Prudence, causing the pain hex she was cursed with to activate, hurting Prudence for 2. Her entire attack backfiring thanks to Yuri. "I've been thinking, I've been too forward lately. If you want to abuse me... You have to work for it~" Yuri cooes.
Arjay: It rounds over to Yuri's turn, who calmly lays down a card. Poison. She elegantly gives it to Prudence, bringing the demoness to the brink of defeat, while also cursing her to deal less damage. "You're going to have to hit me really hard if you want to phase me, Prudi~"
Arjay: Yuri's drink, dirty dish water. Seras is once again calling for a cup of it. Yuri is about to actually drink it, before Seras actually gives a start, lowing the alp's hands. "... Kat's right, I'm going to remove this card."
Termite: ___
Arjay: Seras, noting the sudden change in atmosphere and how they were suddenly put on the edge by the overwhelming presence of Yuri, of all people, Seras got serious. More card combos, doing one card after another, inflicting serious damage to the alp, who merely grinned... and cast more dooming hexes on Seras.
Termite: "Seras, you know what needs to be done."
Arjay: Seras nods. "Aye." she agrees. Meanwhile, Yuri had gotten multiple seats stacked together to be sitting higher than the others. She looked down upon them like worthless peons.
Arjay: Yuri's turn, she delivers a desicive blow to Seras, who delivers one last counter attack to the imposing final boss-like alp at the table. Yuri's bounty of gold soars as she collects Seras' wealth, before she draws... A drinking contest event. Already on the brink, the dragon's breath ale finishes Prudence off. Meanwhile, Yuri lords over the table as the victor.
Termite: With a bit of a frustrated sigh Pru rose. "Well, we probably should have listened to you in the first place, Kat." A moment was taken to work out a few kinks her body had made due to the minor stress of the game and its unlikely outcome. "Well played, Yuri." With that she gave the girl a rather friendly pat on the knee, no malice at all in her voice, and after another stretch she simply walked off without incident.
Arjay: Relaying hindsight to Kat, Kat replied with closing her mouth finally, and looking up. She left the table with just as much as she put in, it seemed. Which meant... That the realization caused her to grin, and laugh. "For all the ill intentions, you two were the ones who actually lost!"
Arjay: Seras scratched her chin. "I didn't think Yuri would just unleash herself like that." she said. Yuri shrugged. "I discarded all my gambling cards. I figured, why gamble when you can just defeat people?"
Arjay: Seras sighed, looking out the window. "It's already dark. It's that time, ladies."

After their game, it had gotten dark. Everyone left the inner side of the ship and came out to behold the darkness of night cast away by the full moon. "Well, captain? Shall we begin?" Seras inquired with an excited grin, eager to more than make up for the money she lost to Yuri in their gambling game earlier. Kat, Alvin, Yuri, and Seras all looked at the Prudence twins with expectation. The time to loot that town for all it was worth was upon them, and rescue the mermaids on the side as well, of course.

 

[Termite]

Re: The Coming of Heaven's Wrath (Prudence;Termite)

"Let's." The human had actually been waiting for them once they left the cabin, and for a moment the two took a deep breath before looking out to the sky. And just as everyone believed it was clear with a bright moon revealing everything for miles around.

That needed to change. The twins came together with purpose, the demon embracing her other half, and once they were secured the demon took them both into the air. Their trip was short, just a quick hop up the mast until they were right beside the crow's nest, and with a quick hop the human Prudence was standing within it, obviously starting to crowd whoever was stuck on look out duty. "Katerina, care to join me?" It was the demon's idea, and if the two of them were going to pull this off then they would need to work together with as little distraction as possible. Being so high would effectively isolate them from the others without being out of reach, and as a bonus it brought higher than just about everything else. This would let Prudence more easily reach out with her threads. Considering how far she was reaching it seemed rather foolish. What was a few dozen yards when one had miles to climb? But this was a human trapping. It made her feel closer to the air, to the atmosphere itself and all it contained, and even if it was nothing more than symbolic it would help.

With her mind in the proper set she started threading her spirit into the air, her magic spreading out to lightly caress the moisture that hung all around them, and with a few gentle pushes she started creating small wisps that started drifting lazily on whatever current hung above them. With every second she started gathering just a tad more, the wisps starting to become light clouds, and as those clouds gathered she added in an extra push, the air currents shifting as a result to start pushing her creations over toward their target. She wouldn't be able to do much, her clouds themselves wouldn't block out much light and wouldn't move very quickly, but with Katerina adding her own threads to the mix they would surely be able to accomplish much more. They just had to keep it from becoming too obvious that someone was manipulating the weather.

While the two weavers were setting up the demonic Pru glided back down to the deck. "I'm going to keep myself as quiet as I can so I don't distract them, but if something pops up I'll give my sister a warning. Otherwise I think we should just let them be. Yuri, ready for your part?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

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Chapter 6: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens​

Reaching the Crow's nest, the short green haired girl would quickly leap over the side to grapple a rope leading down to the front of the ship and slide down using her gloved hands to give Prudence and Katerina some room. Once the demon reached the human half, she would give Prudence a nod. "We will have to pour out a lot in order for the clouds to become dense. If we do it too slowly, they will spread out too far and hardly block the moon's light. If we do it too much, then it'll be suspicious. We have to do this just right, Prudence. This part is the most important one." she announced, before holding her arms up and lifting her head to the sky, and closing her eyes to concentrate, as her threads would join with Prudence's in the sky, reaching high, and higher, yet higher still. Thousands of feet into the air until it touched the atmosphere of their world, where the emptiness of space touched with their clouds. Where that impassable space existed that formed the barrier between worlds. Countless other worlds... Just like the ones the angels and the demons came from. Reaching out so far helped remind Prudence why it was so hard to travel between those worlds, when it was already this hard just to touch the sky. It was only thanks to the gods that demons and angels could manage it.

Down below, Yuri nodded. "Yes, I am ready~" she said with a smile. Seras nodded as well. "Do that thing that you weavers do. Even though it just looks like you're doing nothing." she said. Then, Yuri got down to sit on her heels, putting her hands on her knees, and closing her eyes, taking a deep breath. She stayed there, as if sleeping, before the demonic Pru saw the threads come out. A mist emerged from Yuri, using herself as a source to cause the fog. The crew stared at her in amazement. It certainly looked unusual. In mere moments, the fog was thick enough to cloud their vision. Though, as the wind came in, it pushed the fog towards the town, giving them vision again. Yuri needed some help.

 

[Termite]

Re: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

Katerina was right. They needed the density of these clouds to be just right. Too light and the wisps that grew would do nothing to hide them. Too heavy and they could actually develop a small storm, something that would seem far too unlikely given how clear the sky had been just moments earlier. No, they needed clouds that would look puffy during the day, thick and robust and just enough to block out the sun once they slid overhead. Those would do the same for the moon, and they wouldn't need to be overtly large. Just enough to hide the ship's approach and the unloading of the raid party. By that point all hell should break loose and they wouldn't need to cover themselves any further. The small fog bank Yuri created would help them as well, so their cloud cover could be even smaller and off center, a mass didn't look like it was going to settle completely over the town and would feel far more natural.

To do all that the demons would need to gather the moisture in the air and encourage it to collect. Prudence and Kat worked together to manage this, and though they both were stretching themselves to reach so high they would succeed. They were not some rank amateurs trying to change the weather. They'd had years of experience, years of fine crafting that gave them control over even the slightest of threads, and their weaving would come together just as they planned. But once their little creations had been made Prudence slightly nudged Katerina's threads aside. "I'll keep this thing contained, you give it the push it needs." Even if the two worked well together their minds weren't linked, so both of them trying to nudge the clouds where they needed to go might end up with one interfering with the other. By dividing the tasks they would have more control over each of the aspects they needed, and they wouldn't accidentally unravel each others work until everything was in place. Or so Prudence hoped.

Meanwhile Yuri was proving quite skilled at producing her fog. The ship was soon encased, and with it hard to see out it would also be hard to see in. But she wasn't skilled enough. The wind picked up and caught the demon's bank, and as it drifted toward the town Pru realized they would need another that stayed closer to the ship.

So how could they do this? She herself had no skill with magic, at least not as far as pressing her threads out into the world was concerned. They needed someone else. Someone with some skill. Seras showed some earlier, but she would be needed at the helm. Aside from Kat she was the most familiar with launching a raid, so she couldn't be distracted. Who else did that leave? The demonic Pru could only ponder this, but after a few seconds the answer came to her. "Alvin." The catman had shown himself capable of large feats with that rain of sugar back when they first encountered his ship, so he could probably manage what she had in mind. "Can you settle the winds a bit? They're dragging our cover away from us before we can put it to use." That shouldn't be too hard, just a slight redirect of any nearby thermal currents to let the air settle more gently and just enough to let Yuri's work go undisturbed.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

Combining to make their cloud, Prudence felt a push, but it didn't come from Katerina. It came from nature itself, pushing the clouds right for the town. "The plan all along was to use the wind instead of wasting our energy fighting it. Now that we have made our cloud, we're done. We will have our coverage for about forty five minutes. That's all we need to subjugate that town." she said with a grin. Meanwhile, Alvin stepped forth to do as he was asked. "I got it. The wind will keep taking the fog though. So me and the lovely boy here will just stay here till you come back, making fog for you guys. If that's alright~" he winked. Seras would only seem to find that natural. She didn't like the idea of men fighting anyway.

Seras looked to the demon Prudence. "It looks like we're good to go. I'm taking my crew, you decide who you're bringing with, captain." she said. Despite being second in command, she took charge of the situation. Whoever Prudence decided to bring with on the attack, Seras would look to the town. It was so open that they could attack from any direction and it wouldn't matter. The issue with such a vulnerable town. Though the place of interest would of course be in the middle. A single, golden cross shining in what little moonlight remained before the clouds would make it vanish from its glory and be consumed by the darkness. Which meant that Order Crusaders would be in the town to protect it. Though nobody would find this surprising. The real question is whether heroes, or even an angel lurked within. Given the quantity of mermaids they were taking, it was up in the air. Seras stood behind Prudence, drawing her sword slowly, as her crew did the same. Prudence, the most powerful of them all by far, they'd let lead the charge. Unless she so desired otherwise. It seemed like most of the humans were in their homes, sans some guards poorly watching the forest for threats. The town was begging to be raided with how vulnerable it looked. A thought that no doubt ran through Seras' head as she licked her lips. Not an honorable fighter. The more advantage she had, the happier she seemed to be. A real pirate.

 

[Termite]

Re: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

Most everyone else seemed prepared. Alvin and Yuri would stay behind to keep the fog rolling through town while Seras and the rest of the pirates would simply wade right in and cause all kinds of mayhem. That only left Pru, Prudence, and Katerina relatively unaccounted for. So, how would they best use that to their advantage?

"All right, ladies, looks like we've got ourselves a fat little prize just waiting to be plundered. I can already see a couple of you just itching to get dirty~" Of course the demon couldn't help but grin as her first mate was practically lusting over the very idea of conquest, and she made a point of, well, pointing it out to the crew. "And far be it from me to get between a lady and her one desire. Just remember that we came here for a reason. There are some lovely lasses being bled dry for these Order bastards, and we need to save their scaly asses. And once that's done there's nothing stopping us from having a bit of fun~!"

While Pru was on deck giving the girls a bit of a pep talk Prudence sat in the crow's nest and simply let herself relax for a bit. But after a couple of seconds she gave out a huff and looked over toward Katerina. "I think you and my other half should move as a separate unit. Seeing two demons running around the town should draw out any heroes that may be hiding, and if there's an angel waiting then I know you'll want to go after her. That should give the rest of the crew an easier time. As for me I'm going to linger around the docks. Someone should stay behind to defend the ship, and even if I've used a bit of energy I should be more than enough to fight off any cheeky grunts that think they can just walk in and take over. What do you think?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

Seras chuckled, drawing two scimitars. "All the better! This town will be MINE!" she declared, before stalking forward with her crew. In the next few minutes, the pirates could cause screams of panic and attack to erupt. The others had that time to react.

Katerina would nod at the human Prudence. "We should head straight for the church. Call me a betting girl, but that's where they'd store heretics I'd imagine, right where 'God' can watch them." Kat spat, before taking flight, and moving to join the demonic Pru. "Let's go." Kat said. Looking up, they could see a faint shimmer in the darkness. "Even in oblivion, god's angels makes that little symbol shine. It will be their downfall this time." Kat said, as it was telling them right where the chapel was, as Kat headed in first. Though soon, it wouldn't matter who was in front to receive the enemy. In the fog, Pru felt someone, or something, prick her with a curious thread that was lost in all the magical fog. It took only a moment after that, before a roaring war cry of a man erupted through the village.

"DEMONS! HERETICS! ARM THE MILITIA!"

Kat only grinned. "That's right, your demons are right here~" Kat said, using her weaving to materialize hellish blades into her hands not but a foot long. As they approached the church, soon rampant screaming came from within, as the chapel lit up with a blazing fire from within. The windows became clearly visible, all their angelic decorating lit with a pure blue flame. It didn't seem to engulf the church itself, as if it was contained, but it made the church a pure burning beacon in the darkness, as if it was meant to cast off the demon's darkness with its holy light. Silhouettes of the women were visible from the blue flames as shadows, their forms bound to crosses, and legs not two appendages but fins as they cried out. The cries were all women. Kat quickly reached the obvious conclusion. "They're burning the mermaids so we cannot save them!" she said, before rushing forth, hopefully with Pru in tow.

As they approached the chapel, they'd hear what sounded like praying, a deep religious incantation as if to prepare oneself for a bloody battle. "The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it. This is the message we have heard from her and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in her is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with her while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as she is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. My love, my God."

A figure would be blocking their way to the chapel, armored, menacing, and shining with angelic energy.

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"And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

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"

 

[Termite]

Re: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

The symbol of light and 'order' shone through the fog, and as the demons flew closer Pru started becoming a little more anxious. And that was all thanks to what she'd become. She was still a demon, that wouldn't be denied, but she was limited. The threads she controlled refused to escape her body. The weaves she could create were lost to her, that potential somehow locked within the human, and though she could still do some rather interesting things to herself there was no way to use true magic. In essence she was diminished, unable to use a skill that most demons took for granted, and if she couldn't manage that then how effective would she be against the forces that worshiped Heaven?

That thought was cut short the moment something pricked her. Some stray thread struck her, a slight annoyance that had her grunting out "The Hell?" as she saw that thread vanish back into the fog that hid them, and as if to answer that question a call to arms broke through the air. Some man was screaming in alarm, the sound itself grating to her ears, and had the demon the chance she would have picked up a rock and thrown it at the bastard for bothering her. But that would have simply been a distraction. Their goal lay at the church, and with Kat rushing forward with her blades forming in her hands Pru came in right behind her ready to strike out at whatever dared get in their way.

But something was wrong. The church itself was brighter than it should be, a pale blue light pierced through the fog, that light growing more intense with each passing second until the demons found the church lit from within by some Light-be-damned holy fire. The building itself lay untouched by the inferno, but the screams from within spoke of something darker. Silhouettes could be seen within, the outline of woman becoming clearer, their arms and fins bound to crosses as they cried for mercy and salvation. A moment later Kat voiced what Pru could see. The mermaids were being burned alive to keep them from being rescued.

But there was something else that the demon quickly realized. The fact that the mermaids were crucified en masses meant that they'd been left that way. Since their capture they'd been strung up within this chapel, their very life bled from their bodies as they were suspended for who knew how many days on end. They were treated as something less than cattle, hung out to dry like some common fish and left to watch each other's suffering simply because their existence was worthy of divine punishment.

The moment that realization struck Pru became quiet. Deathly so. She even started to lag a bit, her face shrouded by some convenient shadow even while the Hero made his appearance. His chanting could be heard, his armor and his faith plain for everyone to see as he stepped forward and prepared to face whatever had come to threaten his religion, but for all intents and purposes Pru appeared to ignore him. What could be seen of her gaze remained on the church, and it never faltered at the demonic pair came closer and closer.

Kat was the first to truly arrive on the scene, but the moment she started settling herself to face some threat Pru would shoot past her. Once the succubus passed Kat would be able to see traces of blood along her blades, the slight tug of someone actually grabbing them proof enough that Pru had intentionally injured herself for some reason, but if Kat wanted to know why she wouldn't have the chance to ask. Pru launched herself at the church in the next instant, her body diving head first before her wings spiraled and wrapped around her to she could quite literally drill through that pane of glass and leave her untouched as she unfurled and practically leapt into the flames. There was no telling how far the fire had spread, whether it filled the chapel itself or was kept contained to consume the mermaids and nothing more, but either way Pru didn't seem to care. She simply dove inside, her body rushing to get closer to the mermaids, and as she did she let her arms whip out toward those nearest. It would be almost impossible to see, but anyone watching would suddenly find crimson blades flying toward each of the crosses, and as Pru kept flailing around those blades would either sever the bindings that held their captives or sink into and destroy the wood itself if the Order was so sadistic as to use a true crucifixion and nail their victims to their posts.

For Pru herself her mind was focused on one thing and one thing only. She needed to save these mermaids. Too much depended on their safety, and no creature should be made to suffer like this simply for the 'sin' of existing. That's why her fingers dug into the cuts she'd inflicted in each of her palms. She couldn't get her threads to leave her body, but that didn't stop her from using her body itself as a weapon. She wove her threads into her own blood, the magic itself taking hold and turning the iron within into steel as it was flung away, and it let her throw sharpened weapons in every direction as long as she had a steady flow to keep her magic fueled. It didn't matter where the flames lay or how they affected her, she was going to make sure none of these mermaids burned.

But there was something else. Those watching should be familiar with demons. Kat was one herself, and the Hero was trained to face them as were whatever of his underlings were lying in wait. They would each know that demons themselves embodied each of the Sins to one degree or another, and even if one dominated they all held at least some aspect of the others. Pru tended toward lust and pride, lust for obvious reasons and pride since she would do whatever the hell she wanted no matter what her sisters thought of her. But at that moment there was something else. It lay hidden, held back so she could do what she could to complete at least this first part of their rescue mission, but whenever she turned her eyes were hard and cold. They shone softly with a dark light, and anyone that saw it would recognize the barely contained malice that was threatening to break free. It was a warning to everyone involved not to interfere. In that moment Pru was focused on her goal, but once her charges were safe then nothing would be left to hold back her wrath. And if anyone dared to get in her way then they would learn just how dangerous she could truly be.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

When Prudence dashed past, the hero only glanced at her. Just a glance inside the visor, she felt what seemed like drained eyes looking at her. As if the man wasn't full of the vim and vigor of a man believing he was righteous. He was a man brought to murder and gave up his humanity to do as his masters wished. Hollow, and easy to understand was the hero. As if he didn't even have a soul, just a puppet that gave everything to the strings. Or lost himself to them. Either way, Prudence didn't find the man try to stop her at all, she simply left with him and Kat facing each other. They poised to fight.

Smashing into the church, Prudence found the mermaids gathered in the center of the church. Perhaps miraculously, all of the dozen mermaids crucified on both sides of the walkway down the middle were alive. Though they seemed to be on the brink of death. Their life force was almost gone, and it seemed they used all of their magical power to keep each other alive while the Order priests bled them for their life giving blood. Impaled by their hands as Prudence half expected, family members were trying to tell their loved ones it'd be alright. The flames sought not only to burn their bodies, but such a magical flame would do away with the soul as well, unraveling their existence altogether. Despite this, they tried lying to their younger kin, that it'd be better on the other side, when they'd soon never exist again. Not even death awaited them, just oblivion.

Prudence's arrival was timely, as several mermaids were already burning alive with more down the line about to be lit by the trailing flame. Her movements cut the stakes that held them up, while the mermaids struggled to get free, to get away from the fire while they all seemed to be bathed in some kind of oil that made them very susceptible to the flames. Prudence would find a comfortable place in the center to stand as the fire was carefully designed to only burn the mermaids. The mermaids on fire begged to be put out, screaming blood murder as their bodies and souls were being turned to ash. Trying to figure out how to put them out would take too long. Prudence was already too late to stop a handful of them from being 'purified' by fire. A sense of perhaps helplessness would set in as Prudence would find there was nothing she could do to stop their demise.

A mermaid that looked along in her years suddenly used her threads to throw water from a nearby angel statue's hands and splash her kin, dousing the fire with a loud hiss. Prudence wouldn't nor have been expected to know the water was there, but the mermaid did, and Prudence enabled her course of action to work without more flame to ensure the fire remained lit. In a hurried flourish, Prudence saved their lives by mere inches, with some help thanks to a thoughtful elder mermaid that barely had signs of maturity. A single wrinkle telling a tale of great age thanks to how the succubus curse maintained appearances. Still, they were bound, weakened, but safe as the blue fire went along either side of the walkway, and straight up to a massive painted glass window overlooking the fire.

Spoiler

Only one word written in the language of the humans she could see above the glass: "Patience". And it felt like it was looking over her. The eyes of the angel in the painting patiently staring at her. Remaining calm despite how much she was ruining the efforts of her hero. Or maybe she already thought him worthless, and was waiting until the demons discarded him. Either way... There was no denying that the eyes of the painted angel were staring at her. She could even feel the presence connected to the glass. If Prudence didn't do it on her own, the Glass would shatter into tens of thousands of little shards, giving way to the darkness outside, and the presence of the eyes was gone, as if to ensure Prudence didn't trace them back to their origin. Leaving behind only the knowledge... That the Angel of Patience now knows Prudence's face and soul. In parting, Prudence would realize the presence of the prick came from the angel herself. The hero didn't spot her, she did.

Though, soon enough Prudence would be reminded of said Hero, when the doors of the church slammed open. Before her was the hero himself, but slumped. Soon he was thrown forward, landing in a heap at Prudence's feet with Kat standing behind where he did. His body looked defeated in a way Prudence might not understand. Kat didn't seem to wound nor drain him. He simply looked up in his armor weakly, before noticing that the glass was gone. Shattered. It seemed to shatter his spirit as well. Even if his body still rose, sword in hand. "You probably can't see the fucking threads because your human side isn't here." Kat stated. "He's just a puppet. Now off his strings with the departure of the puppeteer. I'm guessing you killed whoever it was?" she asked, seemingly dismissing of the hero standing between them.

His sword arm was slumped, and he looked full of openings. Still, the hero seemed to understand his purpose. His head rose to look at Prudence. "I asked an angel to put the will of god into me, and so she did. Then before I could ask why I did the things I did, the angel was gone. To kill the beautiful face of a human being, to hear their human cries. To see their human colored blood. It's so real, yet it's fake. Yet it looks real. yet it's fake." he rambled, and went to hold his head in one hand as if he was having issues in his mind. Inane incantations, descriptions of the indescribable. Indistinguishable from questions of inexplicable actions against the very laws of humanity, to make one inhuman. "I've lost the understanding of boundary between sin and virtue. The path of a Hero is not for the naive, to be sure. I simply need become a puppet for my Lord and then I can do her will. But without those strings, I am useless." he rambled further, before both he and Katerina rose their blades, with the Hero facing Prduence, if she did not kill him yet while he suffered his own insanity. "The angel said onto me, I am in Fate's hands now. And you... Must be her messiah. Yes... Hehehe...." His shoulders shook as he laughed. "I will have faith, for I have nothing else."

If not killed by that point, the man would charge, raising blade overhead and slamming it down over Prudence's head, who'd be able to quite simply grab the blade and hold it in her hand as blood of unknown color oozed from her hand. He was powerful, no doubt, but he was weighed down heavily by hesitation. His force ended at her hand, instead of through it. Prudence would feel that this man couldn't hurt her even if he could freely whack at her, he simply had no determination to do so. "Even if this is a fight I cannot win... I have faith in the Lord. I shall die here and become her puppet in the golden palace. This shall not be your victory, demon!"

In the end, he was just a raving madman. A Hero to the people, but in reality, he was a pathetic sight of God's Puppet. Forced to rationalize killing innocent mermaids by giving up his free will because he couldn't muster the courage to do it himself. First hand to the witness of their screams, it seems like he lost something very important with his choice to believe in God. In his voice, and in his empty eyes through the visor, Prudence could see him pleading. Waiting, wanting, for her to make him a martyr. The battle was over the moment the angel left. God's grace faded from the town. Debauchery was rampant outside. Seras' crew revealed their vile nature as they stole what wasn't theirs, and left battered and bruised families with disgraced husbands, one even hanging from the chapel's cross itself upside down and naked, with his wife's sex toy sticking out of his ass.

The pirates left the village with bags of loot, while the Hero seemed to have nothing left to say. Prudence could give him a fight if she wished. Though in the end, he was just a toy that she happened to find was left behind by an angel that saw no use of him after Prudence's performance. Amidst all the chaos, the church was eerily quiet. Kat stood in the doorway, her blades lowered, frowning.

No matter Prudence's choice, even if she did nothing... Katerina just left. Anyone could tell the Hero was of no threat to Prudence, and of no consequence. The other demon simply gave the toy away for Prudence to destroy or throw away as well.

 

[Termite]

Re: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

Those screams... Holy Hells, those screams...!

The demon had been quick, the wood that kept the mermaids locked torn to pieces by the blades she threw, but it wasn't fast enough. A number of them had already caught fire, the blue flames climbing and dancing across the oil designed to let that God-be-damned fire spread through their ranks. It was sickening how efficiently these girls were set to burn, and if Pru weren't so frantic she'd spit in disgust.

But those screams got to her. She could see the mermaids burning. Hear their panic as the fire bit into their bodies and their souls. And that was what caused her to cringe. She could feel the pain in those voices. She could feel their spirits being turned into nothing more than smoke and ash, and it caused her own soul to cry out. It knew this pain. It felt itself being torn apart by forces beyond its control. It felt itself withering into nothingness as the one who gave it life turned and sucked it away before it even had a chance to live. These women were dying on the most fundamental level, and as the demon started turning, looking for something, anything to ease that suffering she suddenly realized she could do nothing to stop it.

Thankfully Fate had other plans. One of the mermaids, one of their elders by the looks of it, managed to raise her own threads. She threw them into a statue, and a moment later Pru found a small cascade of water rising into the air before it doused the others and managed to smother the flames before they could consume their prey. Their lives were barely saved, the fire itself kept from spreading any further by design, and with that an intense sense of relief washed over the demon and transferred over to the human who had stayed behind to guard their ship. At that point Prudence had kept mainly to herself, her focus centered mainly on her surroundings and any threats that dared to show their heads, but after taking a peek through her sister's eyes she started to look for something more. A cart. A carriage. Something she could use to transport the Order's victims to the safety of the ship. And if she found it she would grab some of the nearby crewwomen's attention. They would be ordered to abandon their looting and stand guard, and once someone was cornered Prudence would leave. She needed to reach the chapel quickly. Those poor souls were going to need all the help they could get.

That left the human unaware of the eyes the demon found staring back at her. Those flames were designed with a purpose, and as Pru followed their trail she soon found the stained glass window looking down on her. And there she found Patience. The very Virtue chosen to oppose Wrath. Some would have said this was nothing more than an image, a depiction of worship for those who followed the Order's faith, but Pru could feel the truth. There was a presence within it, a very real connection to that very angel, and though that image completely shattered a few seconds later and took that gaze with it there was no denying the truth. Patience orchestrated this entire thing, and now she knew the very soul that thwarted her plans. The only question was whether Patience had seen the truth of Prudence's split soul or believed that Pru was just like any other demon.

Before she could give that question much thought she was interrupted by a body suddenly landing in a heap. She turned to find the Hero from earlier, his body nothing more than a husk as Katerina simply threw him into the church and let him crumple under his own weakness. He rose, but he was already defeated, Kat revealing that this puppet had lost his strings now that his puppeteer had simply vanished. She guessed that said puppeteer had been killed, but the answer could be far worse. "No. She left." And for now Pru would leave it at that. She wasn't going to hide what she'd seen of Heaven's strongest Virtue, but at that moment there was far more to worry about.

One of those rose on unsteady legs and started to clutch his head. The Hero started rambling, his consciousness itself somehow just as hollow as the power that held him, and as he rambled he revealed why he had been reduced to this. He questioned his beliefs. He questioned his faith. He was tasked with taking the lives of mamono, but even then his conscience couldn't help but feel guilt over destroying something that looked and sounded so human. It left him unsettled, and to keep his faith he asked to be filled with the will of God. And so he was. The entirety of his existence was overrun and overwhelmed by the Grace of the Lord, and there was no telling how many atrocities he had committed in Her name.

But that Grace was gone. He was nothing more than a useless husk, the shell of a man who desperately holds on to the faith that even he questioned, and taking the meager scraps he still clung to he raised his weapon with every intent to kill the demon before him. Such was his fate, as told by the angel that abandoned him. And it was pathetic. Pru rose her hand to stop his blade, and even with her blood hardening beneath her skin to stop his sword she realized she didn't even need to bother. He stroke was weak, ineffective, the hesitation within him leaving him completely impotent and helpless even as he fought for the conviction that simply wouldn't answer. He was simply lost, and all he could pray for was the end that would deliver him to his Lord so he could become Her puppet once more.

He was lost. The village was lost. God's Grace was lost. There was nothing left to stand before her, and Pru could only sit and scowl as her hand tightened and yanked the blade from the Hero's hand. His weakness would leave him useless, and a moment later her other hand would grab him by the neck and effortlessly lift him into the air. It looked like she may choke the very life out of him, and for a moment she actually considered it. "I could break you. I could tear you limb from limb, tear your heart from its chest and leave you as nothing more than the empty shell you already are." A moment later her hands came together, and with one violent motion she ripped the Hero's armor in two and threw them to the sides to leave the man completely exposed. "And I would be right to do so!" The next instant she swiped at him, her nails acting as talons that tear through his clothing and left him scratched even as she turned to deliver another. "You kidnapped the innocent! You stole them from their homes! You murdered them before their sisters, and it was all for your bloodthirsty heathen of a god!" Each point earned another scratch, and soon the man was left nearly nude and helpless, the only bit of decency left in the shredded undergarments that just barely managed to hide everything from view. "I should destroy you." She lifted him by the neck again, and this time she turned so he could see what she did. "Just as you tried to destroy them." And she could. Traces of the blue flame still lingered, and it would be easy to simply toss him onto one of them and watch him become nothing more than wasted ash.

"But you're not even worth that." His body was tossed to the side, the Hero landing amidst the shreds of his armor. "Your Faith has abandoned you, and despite what you say you have abandoned your Faith. If you still believed in the righteousness of the Lord you wouldn't have become this pathetic shell of a man." And that was the truth. He questioned God's truth, and that led to his downfall as a Hero. The only use Heaven had for him was as their puppet, and now that he was cut loose he was worth absolutely nothing. "You have no use. To anyone. Until you can do something about that I have absolutely no interest in you." And the demon simply turned to walk away. She didn't look back, didn't even bother to pay him anymore heed as the looked toward Katerina and the mermaids, and some would call her a fool for that. The Hero had been discarded, but he landed near his sword. He had a chance to rise, to gather himself, to actually make something of the man he used to be and strike at the demon that had simply tossed him aside like trash, and if he did that would be his final mistake. The moment he tried to attack Pru would turn and slam her fist into his chest. For a moment it would seem like a normal punch when she hit, but once her fist had purchase its strength would grow. The force of that strike catch him and lift him before it was done, and once it ended he would be pushed so hard that he would tear through the opposite wall. He would be completely broken then, his desire to become a martyr granted.

Whether he took that parting shot or not didn't matter, Pru's mission was a success. The mermaids from Atlantis had been saved, even if a few of them only held on by the barest of threads, but for now they were safe. If Prudence was successful she would be arriving soon, and depending on what she'd brought the twins would go about finding some way to make the ladies comfortable before they were loaded up and brought to the ship. On the way the human would do what she could to ease some pain, even going so far as to ask the elder mermaid to show her how her kind worked their magic. It was something they were famed for, an intrinsic ability to heal even the most dire of wounds, and though she may be unable to since she didn't have that inherit ability simply seeing it in action would help her find someway to restore their broken bodies. The rest of the crew could go about their business looting and plundering whatever they sought. Prudence had the treasure she needed. Now she was going to make sure she kept it safe.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Re: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

The hero, limp in her fury, had his pride of armor torn from him. Beneath it, Prudence would barely recognize him as a man or human being. His flesh was a morbid distortion of scars and stitches. As if he was sent through the process of flagellation a thousand times over, until he became well more than just death's acquaintance. He looked like a tanned, ruined corpse that shouldn't possess the capability to move. And indeed he did not. Her close contact shows that it was through weaving that he could move. Now those threads were leaving him. With the angel's departure, his ruined body was just that. And he had no words for those she spoke to him. Both understood the reality of the situation, but only one felt the full weight of it's consequence. And so he laid there, his bones making faint but repulsive cracking noises as he tried to move. The experience of moving without the angelic weaves to aid his body clearly an agonizing experience. His gray hair was sparsely there anymore as well. He was a soldier that wasn't allowed to stop fighting. Now, granted his release, after all his years of service. Trash.

His only response, was a voiceless whisper in return. "Indeed..." before his reply faded into the howling wind conjured from woven magics off the shore. This would be his grave.

The human Prudence would soon return. The pirate forces met only with a few serious injuries that the mermaids quickly treated. Past that, it was a total victory. They ransacked the town, and many had youthful boys tied together with rope and with sacks over their heads to rob them of any sense of direction. Some even walked without any cloth, freshly taken by the rowdy women in question. Between the church and the pirates, an observer may be unable to tell who the villain was. Though, a certain pair of eyes saw both as evil, one who no one knew was there. All anyone heard was a caw, and flapping of wings. Unaware of it's nature or agenda. All some would feel, was that they were observed. Pru would find this was the second time she felt eyes cross her. Though it didn't stare. Just lingered, collecting her, and then leaving. Without a trace.

The twins, standing in the glory of victory, had their choice of celebration. To seek more from the ruined town, whatever was left, or to leave it all behind as the fires of the church burned. The mantle of god herself cracking, to come down upon the former hero. If left alone, there'd be no doubt what his fate was.

 

[Termite]

Re: A Demon's Answer to the Heavens (Prudence;Termite)

There was nothing more to be done. Pru had decided his fate. The Hero accepted it. He was going to pass, his own essence fading just as quickly as the threads that let him walk, and in a few more moments he would become the corpse he resembled. Nothing short of a miracle would stop it, and it was painfully obvious that no miracle was waiting for him.

So why the Hell did she pity him?

The demon was left to ponder this, her own introspection blocking the link she shared with her sister as the human arrived and set about to assist where she could. This left the both of them occupied in their own way as they left to rejoin the ship, and neither of them so much as turned their heads to acknowledge what was being done to the town that surrounded them. That didn't mean that they weren't aware. They simply didn't bother with it. This raid itself wasn't all that different from a demon raid, and considering everything they'd gone through before their rebirth the pair weren't in the slightest bit interested in joining their crew's 'fun'. But they weren't about to tell the crew to stop, either. This was what they wanted. It may even be part of their nature by this point. Telling them to cease and desist would only lower their morale, maybe even enough that they would mutiny and end up throwing the twins overboard the first chance they had.

Besides, there was something else to worry about. Pru felt that prick again, and Prudence caught it at the exact same time. Someone else was watching them, another spiritual glance falling over them, and though this one left quite quickly it was enough to rise them out of their thoughts and search for whatever threat may be waiting. Unfortunately all they ever found was the call of a crow and the faint flapping of wings, but even if they spy was never found there weren't many creatures out there that didn't fit that description. If it was her then the only question was what she wanted...

But now that their funk was gone the question of a spy brought up something a little more important. "Kat, we may have a problem." The demon addressed her counterpart while her sister went back to assisting in whatever way she could. "That Hero's patron wasn't killed. She simply left. She wasn't even there to begin with. She acted in proxy, and once I stopped the mermaids from being burned she abandoned the area. But she made sure she got a good look at me and my soul." A moment was taken to let out a breath, and Kat would be able to hear the stress being released before Pru spoke once more. "Patience knows who I am."