[E3|F10-SP] Yomotsu Hirasaka - <<Wail of the Banshee>>

[NIGHT 0]

Back to the grind. NIGHT figured she had been on hiatus for long enough by now.

Floor 10. The woman was greeted by the familiar darkness and the settlement's warm hues as the white of teleportation faded from her view. She let out an exhale of comfort, her head turned upwards towards the cooler glows of the floor. Truth be told, she'd contemplated on setting her home somewhere in the midst of Yomi's presence, but decided against it out of her convenience and aesthetic. Still, despite the dreariness that came with the underdark, even in the brutal moments of her anguish did she find the village's presence and its surroundings a welcoming sight. And NIGHT had hoped that the environment had felt the same way.

"Well look who finally decided to show up!"

Nevermind. She could tell that Yomi had a grudge against her. One cold blink and NIGHT's gaze rested upon the vicinity of the figure that had called out to her, the player too afraid and too upset to look upon the duple directly. DAY had been sitting idle, upon a rock off to the side of the town's square, an exemplary smile upon their face.

Radiant. The smile they donned was too radiant, and the robed entity a little too relaxed and carefree for her liking, especially while wearing that mask they touted as their own. Goddamned Gemini. A twitch of her eye, as NIGHT's scowl mirrored DAY's grin. The former chose to step away from the platform once and for all, making her way out of town in a huff. And for good measure, she felt Nyanko shift in her jacket, mewing back a word of alarm as his owner sauntered off.

"H-hey, wait! At least acknowledge my presence with a greeting or something!"

Words are too good to waste on a fragment like you--!

---

Yui's Grace (1/2), Mega Slime Farm will be used. (+3SP to Thread Closing.)

Spoiler

NIGHT
 | HP: 830/830 | EN: 80/80
 | ACC: 6 (4, +2) | DMG: 21 (16, +3+2) | EVA: 5 (2, +2 +1*) | MIT: 6 (36, -30) | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 (0, +3) | PROSP: 3 (0, +3)
* [ Filling ] used to provide +1 EVA.

---

[Skills]
 | Mod Count: 4/5

1. Two-Handed Straight Sword | Passive | RANK 5/5
   > Ferocity, Precision, Finesse
2. Heavy Armor | Passive | RANK 3/5 
   > Athletics
3. - - -
4. - - -
5. - - - 

-[Extra]

• Survival | Passive 
• Concentration | Active -- CD: 3
   
• Familiar Mastery: Fighter | Passive | RANK 3/3

---

[Equipment]

• Dracbane
  -- [ Vampiric (Offensive) | Natural successful attack rolls of 9-10 heals the player for 10% of their Max HP. ]
  -- [ Bleed | Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 deal 24 unmitigated bleed damage each enemy turn for 2 turns. Bleed damage does not stack, but can be refreshed. ]
  -- [ Accuracy | +1 ACC ]
• Reminiscing The Lord
  -- [ Mitigation II | +18 MIT ]
  -- [ Paralytic Venom (Defensive) | Natural successful attacks against you of 8-10 removes the enemy’s action on their next turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties. ]
• Silver Crescent Necklace
  -- [ Accuracy II | +2 ACC ]
  -- [ Evasion II | +2 EVA ]

-[Battle-Ready Inventory]

• [T1E2] Evasion Dog (1) -- [ Evasion II | +2 EVA. ]   >> Empty Slot
• [T1E2] Focused Dog (1) -- [ Accuracy II | +2 ACC. ]   >> Empty Slot
• [T1E3] Ultra Lucky Hot Dog (1) -- [ Loot Die III | +3 LD. ]   >> Empty Slot
• [T1E3] Golden Dog (1) -- [ Prosperity III | +3 PROSP. ]   >> Empty Slot
• [T1E1] Imagine If Azrael Was A Hot Dog (1) -- [ Protein II | +2 DMG, -30 MIT. ]   >> Empty Slot
• [T1E3] Strength++ (1) -- [ Damage III | +3 DMG ]   >> Empty Slot
• Intermediate Dungeon Map: Floor 10 (#140365) | >>

---

[Misc]

• -- [ Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots ]
  -- [ Rested | -1 EN for the first two expenditures of each combat. ]
  -- [ Col Stash | +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests. ]
  -- [ Relaxed | Increases out of combat health regeneration by (5 * Tier) per post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. ]
  -- [ Clean | In a thread, -20% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player. ]
  -- [ Filling | In a thread, +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. ]

Spoiler

a/n: haha i beg you please dont look

as of my writing, calming the soul isnt done yet, but it introduces an important character, DAY, who has an established dynamic with NIGHT. most of that story is planned and half of it is written, likely enough to bridge what i have here to when calming the soul is up. i dont want to promise anything, but i do want to apologize now about the continuity errors that may arise before and after this thread in the chronological timeline.

with that said, this thread is a shoutout/a love letter to both the gemini and calming the soul. so with regards to the latter, please look forward to it.

edit: you have a choice of mood music. [♩] [♫]

[NIGHT 0]

DAY had lowered her hood as per usual, leaving a familiar face with bright blue doe eyes and a loft of locks bundled up into a complicated ponytail. While their rendition on the suspicious appearance had helped wane NIGHT's resentment on the matter, it still didn't budge her overall discontentment with the entity. It was a moment before the doppel caught up with their adventurer, NIGHT turning her head away, attempting to ignore them to the best of her abilities.

"You didn't even say goodbye when you left the house this morning!"

"I didn't know you were awake." Didn't really bother to check, either. 

DAY crossed their arms, sucking on one side of their cheek. "Well you could've at least taken the effort." NIGHT rolled her eyes, a finger instinctively going over to Nyanko for the reassurance of her sanity. The kitten leaned into the touch with a smile. "So~? Where're you headed?"

"Do you really have to know everything I do?"

"Well, I'm choosing to hitch along for the ride today!"

"That's your choice," the player bit back with a squint. She tucked her hand away in her pocket as they trudged down the path away from Yomi, NIGHT shifting her gaze back towards the lake around the settlement.

Hands on their hips now, the white cloak around their shoulders lifted up following their arms. "And I think I deserve the right to know!"

"Y'know, DAY," NIGHT paused, stopping in the middle of the bridge to look over at her stalker, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. "You know what I think?"

The beam back the player got only irritated her further.

"I think I should be able to go a day without you hounding me, even till the depths of hell." She gestured, for good measure, back over to Yomi. When her sights shifted back to DAY, all she spotted was a smug grin that fit astonishingly well on her perfect face and NIGHT scoffed in disgust and retaliation, continuing down the bridge away from town. "-What are you, Cerberus?"

DAY, in response, rolled her eyes back at the player. "It's not like I have three heads."

I wouldn't want you to have three heads. Imagine how soon I'd go deaf with all of you talking my ears off.

"The dog's a nice touch though." A sickening smile, as NIGHT glanced back at the fragment, her own expression in stoic disbelief to mirror her Gemini's joy.

"Yeah," she confirmed, choosing to look at something else. "Yeah, of course it is."

[NIGHT 0]

"Well if you're not going to tell me, then..." A shrug from the blonde, as she leaned forward to try and catch NIGHT's attention. "I can guess, right?"

"Knock yourself out, as long as-"

"Okay!" They shot back upright, slamming a fist against their palm. "Right, I've got this one in the bag!"

NIGHT's irritation continued to stew. At least let me finish my sentences...

"You were at the Stygian the other day... You paying that a visit again?"

As the duo entered a crossroads, the player led her follower down a path that wasn't towards the aforementioned river. DAY watched the road as the two made their turn, glancing over to NIGHT curiously, her fingers idly counted the other few points of interests on the Floor. "You... didn't do that on purpose, did you?"

"What you see is what you get," NIGHT replied, glancing over at her duple for a second. "You tell me."

The Gemini narrowed their eyes, lowering their head in return. "Mmm... Then, what about the Void?"

"What's even at the Void?"

"Dunno. Uhh... Spooky noises? Figured maybe you were going to find out."

NIGHT wondered why she was even willing to humor the entity with her comments. She figured she'd at least be curt about her remarks. "Nope," the player added, checking in on Nyanko once again. "Try again."

"Tartarus."

Sure enough, the deteriorated building came into view on the horizon, peeking out from hiding behind the leaves of the trees that flanked their path. As soon as DAY spotted the darkened blue block in the distance, they performed a little fist pump, hissing out a small "Yesss!", their face lighting up with glee.

Like a tourist to Alcatraz, NIGHT thought, taking her eyes off of DAY and back onto the road.

[NIGHT 0]

If someone were to ask for NIGHT's depiction of Tartarus in general, she would've imagined and described it as a massive glowing tower, laced with blue clocks and green pillars, a staggering, indomitable layered construction with partially constructed walkways and rotated roof toppers pushed forward and back out of its sides. While the player was vaguely familiar with it's name and its origins, most of her references for the locale was from a video game she shouldn't even have gotten her hands on. At least, not until a handful of years ago.

She got Persona 3 when she was like 14. And she'd liked the cut of Yukari's practical gib.

It disappointed her that in reality, the prison fortress hadn't held up to her overwhelming expectations. Granted, she was already in an iron structure of her own, alongside a figment of the powers that puppeteered them around. And it was way cooler than a school torn up in distortion for an hour every day. But it was a living hell she couldn't escape from. At least the main character in that game could go back to school and hang out with friends once in a while.

Anyhow, the two had reached the edge of the moat that bordered the fortress walls. While the obvious solution for crossing over into the prison stood plainly before them, it was also the spitting image of danger in an adventure film. NIGHT was looking at a few rows of aging, black wood, laid edge-to-edge with its counterpart on the other side. It'd almost looked like it was begging to be broken with just a simple step, and NIGHT hesitated, looking over the edge, down into the ditch below it. Sharp, wooden stakes, haunted by skeletons, reminiscent of the aberrations she'd encountered back at the Stygian.

Yikes.

DAY had been leaning over a boulder nearby, their face in a pout as they held a cheek up with a hand, elbow resting on the stone's surface. "Well, what're you waiting for?" They goaded the player, who'd been looking about the entry with caution and a frown. "Go on! You know that bridge isn't going to fall apart at all, right?"

"--! Tch..."

NIGHT grumbled to herself, fingers running through her hair. Her sights went over to DAY, and she trudged over with a miffed look on her face, a hand in her pocket. With the other, she took hold of her duple's wrist and pulled them forward, feeling no resistance, the latter stumbling forward in a shock. "Wh-- hey, what're you doing?!"

"If you're so sure about it, you cross that bridge first."

NIGHT let go of DAY as she reached the spot where she once stood, gesturing them to step forward onto the darkened wood. DAY scowled in return, rubbing their arm as they did so, brows furrowing. "You could've just asked!"

"Does it matter? We were both going to pass over at some point." Noticing that there were no signs of giving on the wood's part, NIGHT started to pace over it as well, sliding her hands back into her pockets. "Besides, you're the one who wanted to follow me anyway. At least make yourself useful while you're here."

"Okay, like what? You've got anything in mind?"

NIGHT hummed, slowly starting to arise with answers. When DAY looked back at her as they were walking, however, her train of thought stopped, the woman's sights settling upon their face once again. Then, in a speedy realization, she pulled her gaze away, pretending to have been unfazed. "I'll think about it. Just... keep walking for now."

"Right..."

[NIGHT 0]

"Woah!"

The two stepped into the building, NIGHT's eyes shifting from the rows of corridors on the ground floor, to looking upwards as she spotted a stray chain dangling from above. Snaking her gaze following the ornament, she'd come to realize that the prison was more maze-like than she'd expected. Concrete supports and connectors went through each block of prisoners, their numerous cells lining the inner borders of the fortress, and then some for the central cornerstone shelves further within. Each of them held a prisoner, ghastly or monstrous in form, the captives wailing aloud or bashing painfully against the cages they were kept in.

"Look at all those winding passage ways! Wow...!"

It was with DAY's presence that NIGHT couldn't find herself capable of smothering her awareness of her surroundings with a dissociative facade. Back when she was taking a walk down the glowing blue river, she'd managed to find herself unfazed by the ghastly ectoplasm of nature. Meanwhile, for some place so familiar yet liminal and horrific, the prison was subject to her prejudice. The woman shrunk back into her tracksuit for a moment, as beside her, the blonde stepped forward, looking down the hallways to their left and right.

"I wish I could say I'd been here before," DAY mentioned with a smile.

Mirroring her grin, NIGHT replied, "If you wanna get to know the place better, it's never too late to turn yourself in, y'know. You've already committed several crimes against me; I'd think you deserve a lifetime's sentence in jail."

"So--" DAY turned around, ignoring the woman's quip to look to her double. "Where're we headed first?"

We. Of course.

"Why not we split up for this one? Take a walk down that way--" NIGHT gestured, over to her right. "-- and we will let each other know if we find something cool." DAY raised a brow, and the woman shifted her glance, looking over to her left. "I'll take this route. Sounds simple enough, right?"

DAY sighed, taking a moment to pause, folding their arms and shifting their weight to one feet. "Only if you tell me what you're looking for specifically."

"One cave entrance. Now march, shorty." NIGHT turned herself around, beginning to stride down the corridor ahead of her, fading into the inky darkness alone.

"I'm taller than you."

"I don't hear those feet moving."

"I'm going, I'm going!"

Spoiler

Starting the search for the Banshee's Lair.
ID: 141464 | LD: 7 (4, +3)

[NIGHT 0]

Now alone, NIGHT finally let herself relax, if only a little, as she wandered down Tartarus' hallways. Keeping up a tough facade in front of DAY was difficult, and completely out of her depth. And yet, the banter was welcome -- NIGHT knew it to be true. With most of her friends missing, and her slow approach in making new ones, someone to open up to was more than what she needed.

Except for the extra baggage her companion came with. Attempted murder, for one, and a side of assisted traumatization was another. NIGHT felt her skin prickle with fear, as she ran through the four doors again in summary in her head. She closed her eyes, wincing, before looking over to Nyanko, who was nestled up gently in her tracksuit pocket once again.

NIGHT shot him a smile. "Sorry," she began, starting to zip up her outfit. "I'm going to need the warmth for a bit. Do you mind?"

"Mew!"

She transferred her kitten over to the bag by her side, the little feline sitting tightly and snug, head popping out at a corner once again. "There," she added, adjusting the flap over her familiar's head. "That should do it."

"Meww!"

Looking for this rumored cave entrance wouldn't be easy, NIGHT figured, as she scanned a crossroad she'd finally found herself come to, sinking back into her now zipped jacket. While what most would call 'confidence' only surfaced for NIGHT when she was around her doppel, the woman couldn't let go of the feeling of fear when she was alone, in the midst of the ghasts that were locked up and chained down, watching her cross their paths.

Eerie. NIGHT wanted nothing more than to tackle hunting some other monster, but she had plans in the area after this hunt was completed. No harm bulking up her tasks while she was here.

Now, which way should I go...?

The notification of a new mail had caught her off-guard, and she let out a yelp of surprise, looking around her vicinity for danger. A few seconds passed before she realized she wasn't in trouble -- it was just her Gemini playing tricks on her again, the bastard. With a groan, she opened the menu, pulling open the details of the message, feeling her heart still racing, pumping hard against her chest.

To: NIGHT I found what you were looking for! The Banshee's Lair, right? Even if you didn't tell me, I still could've figured it out. In fact, you should be thanking me for being thorough. It's over the way you sent me. Haha, did my message get you? ;)

The second message came in hot and quick, appending itself as another paragraph to the mail she was just looking at. With an embarrassed grumble, NIGHT quickly typed out an objection in reply, before shutting the interface with a wave. She steeled her nerves with a huff and a loose patting of her cheeks, before shoving her hands into the outer pockets of her coat, storming back the way she came from.

She could still rescind her appreciation for her double, right?

Spoiler

ID: 141467 | LD: 19 (16, +3) | Banshee's Lair found.

[NIGHT 0]

DAY was sitting by some rubble, set aside to a pillar when NIGHT approached. The robed figure had one leg over their other, back hunched over and a hand holding their cheek aloft. The racket from the prisoners' around them was noticeably softer, if not muted, from before the player came along, and picked up when she'd sauntered into their field of view.

"Took you long enough," the entity commented with a reticent look, rising as they adjusted their ponytail for a bit. Opposite where they stood, there was a large crack in the prison wall -- a blind spot down the corridor and in the prison's construction, where it was devoid of jail cells for a passing, before the caged constructs returned. "It's over this way. You know what to do, right?"

NIGHT nodded, before narrowing her eyes at the rubble and the lair entrance. "Wait -- you didn't break down the prison's walls, did you?"

"Huh? Where's that suspicion coming from?" DAY shot her a dirty look, straightening her back. "Is it just because I'm a Cardinal entity? NIGHT, that's insensitive!"

The player raised a brow, scratching at her cheek. "Could you, though? Like, if you'd wanted to."

"Not at all, thank you very much!" They had their arms folded by now, pouting as NIGHT pulled open her interface again. In her mail were the details of her hunt, sent once again from Bistro, her other info-broker still set on researching the variant bosses.

Two flicks as she scrolled down the letter, scanning for the excerpt of information she was looking for. "Well I didn't know. I don't know how the system works from where your standpoint is."

"Well, now you know better. So refrain yourself from saying such things like that in the future."

"Hold up." NIGHT raised a palm, running over a sentence with her eyes. "Then you'll forgive me if I ask something else about your presence. Says here that the Banshee is accompanied by guardians that'll spawn alongside it for each person that shows up." She dropped her mail, whisking the menu away with a wave. "Does that include you?"

DAY's eyes widened, and the player felt a sensation of regret while trying to avoid eye contact with her double. Silence, as the two sat at an impasse for a moment. "Um..." The blonde locked her hands together, sliding her fingers in between the gaps. "Uh... W-well..."

NIGHT pinched the bridge of her nose. "And look who's the expert here now."

"Y-you just caught me off-guard, that's all! Uhh-- yes? Um, no?"

A grumble, as NIGHT lowered her hand from her face. "DAY. If you don't know, just say so, before you hurt yourself or put us in danger. You can just hang back here while I go ghost busting for a bit."

"B-but I want to come too!"

Just how attached was this being?

The player pulled a look of uncertainty, looking up for a moment. She hadn't seen the familiar face her Gemini wore scrunched up into a pitiful, selfish look like this before, and NIGHT felt uncomfortable with the doppel's excellent contortions, playing with her own heart strings. Another shift of her sights. The woman toyed with the idea of bullying DAY just a bit further, though dropped it at the thought of new information. "Well then, you're going to have to pull your own weight. Can you fight?"

"Ah!" A raised hand, as DAY lit up in excitement. "As well as you can!"

Oh right. Down to the proper posture and everything.

"Although I think I can summon any weapon and use it as my own..."

Any weapon? The player felt her eyes widen in response. What, like a system-assisted genius?

"Hey, hey! Do you have any preferences NIGHT?"

With a sigh, the woman stepped forward through the lair's entrance, careful about where she placed her foot around the crack's debris. "Just do what you want. Keep your distance in battle and pick up your share of the monsters."

"Wh-- hey!" DAY shot up from where they sat, jogging their way over into the lair. "Don't leave me behind!"

"You're the one who's being slow here!"

[NIGHT 0]

While the setting within the prison was coated in blues, the lighting of the scene quickly transitioned to a warm yellow, shadows of the stone around them painted in greys against cream. It was almost artificial, like a lamp set on the floor that someone had forgotten to turn off. NIGHT checked the ground periodically, wondering if there was any trace of where the glow had been coming from -- unfortunately, nothing seemed to give it away.

"...!"

They'd travelled down one direction, making a sharp turn over on the right. Instantly, the path had opened up, making the cavern at the end entirely visible from the duo's view. The room's atmosphere was darker, colder, as NIGHT shuffled forward, revealing the Banshee herself standing idle and proud at the back of the room. To her sides were four guardian skeletons coated with rotten flesh, each capped with a dirty banged-up metal helmet, shambling in place with their weapons drawn.

The pack was waiting for them.

"Well, mystery's solved," NIGHT stated, folding her arms as she turned to face her partner-in-crime. "So which ones would you go for; the left or right?"

DAY set an arm to their hip. "The ones you didn't pick up, of course." They shot back a grin, teeth glinting in the dim light. "On your mark."

Don't get too excited now, the player imagined, furrowing her brows. "Where's your weapon?"

"Hm?" They tiled their head, lips pressed into a pucker. "You didn't state a preference, so I was just gonna go with whatever comes to me first."

You're going into combat on the fly--?!

"What's up? Do you have a problem with that?"

"No," NIGHT rebutted quickly, looking back towards the Banshee, watching the white of the creature's dress float over the tiles of the floor. "I was just curious is all."

And surprised. DAY took her parallel's moment of pause to stretch, her hands locked as she raised her arms upwards, letting out a squeaky grunt. You tell me not to make any assumptions about Cardinal-based characters, but then you pull this kind of information on me...

The player drew her blade, pulling the steel from her back with a hand, letting its weight drag its tip to the floor, the metal hitting gently upon the rocky floor. There was a sheen upon Dracbane's edge as it caught the glow of the corridor. "Well then," she started, gripping her new blade's hilt with two hands, shifting into her battle pose. "Let's give these guys one hell of a time. Shall we?"

Her question was rhetorical, but it prompted a cheerful response from her doppel anyway, as NIGHT stepped into the fray with a light jog. In her approach, she picked up speed when the enemies began charging at her, the Banshee beginning to wail for her demise as she continued her swift advance.

One lunge, then two. NIGHT found herself side-stepping the first guardian, before slowing and ducking beneath the attack of the second. From her low angle, she pushed herself off the ground with her hind leg, raising her voice to a detrimental volume as she let her blade soar across her front, wringing all her effort and strength into pulling the sword to her side. One shout of fury, and a devastating light, her weapon summoning a gash of power to strike upon her enemy, the Banshee's underlings acting as unfortunate casualties caught in the crossfire of her swing.

It wasn't enough to bring the boss down. Following through with the system's commands, NIGHT followed her swipe up with a powerful cut through her center, letting out a grunt of satisfaction when she did. Two final actions, a sharp adjustment of her blade to her right, before severing her mark with a downwards diagonal cut, before the player took a leap backwards, halting her maneuver with a gloved hand touching the ground.

A tragedy for the Banshee. From the side of NIGHT's vision, she could spy the boss' health faltering, dropping slower and slower as it reached the orange from the green, and then into its red. She held a breath as the monstrosity began to wriggle, letting out a ghastly moan in its agony. The red trailed further, finally reaching the end of its bar, before the foe cracked and shattered into pieces, a faint gust of wind emanating from where it once stood.

And with that, the ghost was laid to rest in peace once again. Or pieces, if you'd asked me.

Before NIGHT could relax, however, she let go of her admiration of the sparkling remnants in the sky, turning back to the fragment behind her. A screech, from the last guardian, as DAY struck through its abdomen with a glowing spear in hand -- simple, plain, but one forged out of complete light. The undead fell apart as it hit the floor backwards when DAY withdrew her thrust, its pieces scrambling in with the mix of ashes, presumably of its fallen brethren.

With a twirl of their weapon, the Gemini set its base onto the ground, crossing their legs as the leaned against the makeshift pole. An exhale, for their hard work, before they lifted their sights, meeting NIGHT's gaze, the player observing them in silence. "Looks like you didn't need my help with the boss after all. Well, at least I held up my end of the bargain."

"You... picked a spear?"

"Huh? This old thing?" DAY steadied herself, picking up the weapon with both hands and looking over its make. "No I didn't. It was just the type that came to me first, remember?"

That's too coincidental, NIGHT thought to herself, sheathing her blade as she approached her double. The player stopped when she got close enough to examine the spear better. Bright and glowing a faint blue, its details were lost, though one could trace out what it may have looked like from its outline alone. "So you summon these," NIGHT clarified, with a glance upwards.

"Mhmm, that's right. And any other weapon I'd get would take on the same properties as well."

"Hmm..."

NIGHT reached out a hand towards the weapon of light. Instantly, a sense of foreboding dread began to fill her veins, as a crackle of electricity began to spark audibly from her curiosity. DAY willed the equipment away with a subtle curl of their wrist, and slapped NIGHT's hand away from them, an expression of uncertainty donned upon their face.

In the moment, one of her fingers caught a stray jolt of electricity that had flicked away from DAY's weapon, and NIGHT squeaked. "Ouch!"

"That's what happens when people get handsy with these. They're entity bound anyway, so don't even try."

"I wasn't trying to take it away from you." NIGHT shook her hand, wincing, hoping the pain would leave her soon. "I was just curious about its make is all."

DAY tucked a lock of hair behind their ear, closing their eyes. "Yeah, sure. I believe you."

As they began to leave the room, NIGHT worked on clenching and releasing her struck hand, taking in deep breaths. She wouldn't try that again, of course, but she wondered if she'd ever get the opportunity to ask how it'd felt, using a weapon like that in hand. After all, coated in such brightness with its form left vaguely unstructured, it was a wonder how it was even wielded to begin with.

Although, a stray question passed her mind, one that she decided to shelve away, never to be contemplated upon again -- what would their two-handed sword have looked like? And how similar would it be to her own?

Spoiler

ID: 141475 | BD: 6 (2, +6 -2)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Banshee.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG

ID: 141476 | BD: 14 (8, +6)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Undead Guardian Zombie #1.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG | 252 - 15 = 237 DMG

ID: 141477 | BD: 16 (10, +6)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Undead Guardian Zombie #2.
21 + = 23 DMG | 23 * 12 = 276 DMG | 276 - 15 = 261 DMG

Banshee | HP: -2/250 (-252) | DMG: 200 | EVA: 2
Undead Guardian Zombie #1 | HP: -197/40 (-237) | DMG: 120 | MIT: 15
Undead Guardian Zombie #2 | HP: -221/40 (-261) | DMG: 120 | MIT: 15

[1, 1, 2] NIGHT | HP: 830/830 | EN: 65/80 (-15) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

"So what's next on the agenda?"

DAY shuffled out the Banshee's lair with their arms hugging the back of their head. NIGHT followed suit, her interface open in front of her as she went through her inventory. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I did, that's why I asked!"

"Well I'd tell you, but I haven't finished examining it yet. Be patient."

From behind her screen, DAY looked upwards towards the prison's higher floors, letting out a large, audible sigh. NIGHT swore she heard them complain, but let their mumblings go, focusing on unveiling and tracking down the dungeon she had planned to head into. Highlighting the listing in her keep, she consumed the dungeon map, summoning forth a handful of new menus that layered over each other, detailing her current location and her destination separately.

Letting go of their lead, DAY drew closer to NIGHT, who had slowed her pacing, too engrossed in her map's design. They peered over her shoulder as the latter finally stepped over the cavern's debris, the two figures engulfed in a mix of cool and warm lights. NIGHT's finger was hovering over the several layers of Tartarus, as she followed the target entrance down its corridors to the first floor, taking note of each bend and doorway she'd have to pass through just to get to it.

The player shrunk away from her doppel's intimacy, resisting the urge to click her tongue. Too close. She felt her eye twitch in annoyance. Couldn't they just wait to hear it?

"Hmm... Oh! I see. I know where that is."

DAY looked over to their double, wearing a smile, a finger resting on their chin. "Why'd you open it in here, though? You could've gone to literally anywhere else on this floor, and you decided on the prison?"

"Only because I had business to take care of today," came NIGHT's defense, trying to keep the close Gemini within her sights. "Business that, need I remind you, you weren't invited to."

"Oh come on," DAY turned around, folding their arms. The player chose this moment to step backwards slightly. "You've let me follow you this far. It's only for one day."

One more day of my life I'll further regret.

"Plus, if you're planning to head into combat, you know I can fight alongside you now. The least you could do is appreciate the help I'd bring you!"

"Maybe," NIGHT returned, and DAY's face relaxed a little. "If you didn't mechanically introduce more monsters to the field." Her gaze returned to the Gemini's, the player glowering as she continued. "Just because you can take out enemies for yourself doesn't mean you'd be assisting me in any of my troubles. At best, you'd be acting like extra baggage on top of what threats I normally face."

DAY's face shifted into one of irritation, their arms hugging them tighter. "You forget that I can fight just as well as you do. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that's how my strength is measured in battle."

The player scrunched her face up at that information. "Your performance is even tied to my strength?"

A noise of agreement, DAY forming a smirk on their face. "If anything, doesn't that mean you should be trying harder?"

Forming an L with their hand placed upon their chin, they returned a sunny disposition back at the woman. NIGHT growled at her duple's remark, starting to shuffle down one direction of the corridors. She didn't care if it'd been the right path to take; more importantly, she didn't want to look upon DAY's smug (and disgustingly cute) face right there and then. Not to mention the mirrored powers of her duplicate gave her something important to think about. Maybe one day a rematch would give her a solid gauge of her own abilities.

"By the way!" DAY called out to NIGHT, the woman stopping in her tracks for a beat. "You're headed down the wrong lane again! It's over here!"

She let out a noise of annoyance, starting to turn around and trudge back up the corridor once more.

Of course it was.

Spoiler

Tier 1: Intermediate Dungeon Map: Floor 10 (#140365) used. | >>

[NIGHT 0]

With how the detention center's layout wound around non-linearly through its floors, it was easier for NIGHT to perceive it as some desolate, sick castle, rather than a jailhouse. Thick layered-brick walls, dangling chains, blocks that opened up into ground-floor windows and and long stretches of walking in between flights of stairs: together, they'd imparted that impression onto her, reminiscent of an abandoned medieval stronghold left to drown under the darkness of the night.

It was on the fifth floor that they'd stopped ascending the fort, treading down another hallway. Another break in the wall signified their entrance, though this one seemed to be more deliberate. The glow from within was drenched in bright gold, and an ornate ivory frame decorated the doorway. NIGHT raised a brow as she turned to glance at DAY, stopping short of entering through the opening. With a hand, she gestured over to it, accompanied by a tilt of her head. "This is it?"

"I'm pretty sure," DAY replied, halting beside the player, both hands on her hips. "Aren't you going to go in?"

"After you. Treachers first."

DAY shot her a quizzical look, before smirking, flipping a lock of their hair proudly. "If you really think that way about me." They stepped into the light, pacing forward down a slope, and NIGHT watched their back, indifferent to their comment.

No need to be so proud of it.

She scanned the area around the entryway, ensuring that there were no roaming threats to look out for when they'd returned from their venture, before following behind the blonde, hands in her front pockets. "Nyanko, keep an eye out." Without a reply from the kitten in a few seconds, she figured he must've fallen asleep at some point, glancing down to verify her assumption. Consider that command rescinded then.

Down they went, the brick-laden walls becoming much more structured and even. From foreboding sets of blue stone, the dungeon contrasted the prison's setting, forming something akin to a dusty, well-lit Egyptian tomb. The corridor expanded, opening up into the first of what NIGHT could only assume were a handful of chambers, with multiple sets of undead skulking about a polished floor.

DAY was the first to summon their weapon. A halberd this time, its shapes easier to discern from the full blade at its tip. "Couple of stragglers here!"

"Keep your voice down," NIGHT returned, taking a stand beside her duple. "And try not to underestimate your opponents. That's how you lost to me, remember?"

DAY spluttered out an objection, shock revealed upon their face. "I didn't underestimate you."

"Oh yeah? Well try besting me first before you say that. Oh, wait." The player shot back a knowing smile, grinning from ear to ear. "You can't, can you?"

"Not unless you initiate the fight first."

NIGHT's eyes darted over to the shambling figures in the distance, dropping her look of satisfaction. Good to know. That's all I wanted to confirm.

"Why're you so salty about it, anyway?"

"I feel like I shouldn't have to remind you that you practically tried to kill me in that one fight." Sword drawn, NIGHT shifted into her stance. "You should be counting yourself lucky I even give you my time of day after that. Now, get ready, second-best--"

"--Hey!"

"--because we're going in for a beatdown."

Spoiler

ID: 142026 | BD: 16 (10, +6) | MD: 3 (8, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #1.
21 + 2 = 23 DMG | 23 * 12 = 276 DMG
> Dungeon Skulker #1 is bleeding! (-24 DMG) [1/2]
Dungeon Skulker #1 missed!

ID: 142027 | BD: 7 (1, +6) | MD: 0 (5, -5)
NIGHT missed!
Dungeon Skulker #2 missed!

ID: 142028 | BD: 12 (6, +6) | MD: 2 (7, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #3.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG
Dungeon Skulker #3 missed!

ID: 142029 | BD: 11 (5, +6) | MD: 0 (5, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #4.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG
Dungeon Skulker #4 missed!

Dungeon Skulker #1 | HP: 50/350 (-300) | DMG: 120 | BLEEDING: [1/2]
Dungeon Skulker #2 | HP: 350/350 | DMG: 120
Dungeon Skulker #3 | HP: 98/350 (-252) | DMG: 120
Dungeon Skulker #4 | HP: 98/350 (-252) | DMG: 120

[2, 0, 1, 1] NIGHT | HP: 830/830 | EN: 51/80 (-14) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

DAY's calls for a proper distribution of monsters were drowned out by the rush of adrenaline as NIGHT rushed onto the field. No more talking. Her vengeance for justice upon her doppel would only be righted by any other means other than talking it out, and if that meant an unplanned initiated combat with the creatures that lurked about nearby, then so be it. After all, what was one good dungeon crawl without blowing through a good few monsters?

Her footsteps drew not the enemies' attention, and the player took this opportunity to draw first blood, gunning past four different targets and cutting through each of their abdomens with a powerful swing. When the skulkers' attention were finally caught, aware of the infiltrator in their midst, did they retaliate in kind, scrambling up together and charging back after the black blur, letting out screams for death.

So death is what she would gift them.

Upon stopping in front of the fourth, she jumped upwards, striking it with a downwards cut and leaping over the figure easily. Landing on the ground, her whirl backwards was her second strike upon the army that were seeking out her blood. With one slash of light, then two and three, each of the sentinels scattered into ashes, their remnants fading away into the light of the room.

All but one.

They dove for her, an unprecedented outcome for the woman still suffering from recoil of her sword arts, clobbering her with a bony arm straight across her chest. She stepped back finally, when she was able control her movements once again, watching her foe do the same. Except, now stricken with her armor's signature venom, it could do nothing but spasm in place, its shriek nothing more than a plea for its executioner to put an end to its misery.

Meanwhile, at the back of the room, DAY was having a little more trouble.

"Wait-- you didn't even split the monsters--! Ughh...!"

Her double's advances meant that combat initiation had began, and they were nowhere as prepared to fight as the player with their blade at the ready during their charge inwards. On the contrary, still standing with their halberd by their side, they finally shifted their weapon of light off the ground, gripping its length with both their hands. So much for the element of surprise for them.

Following up on NIGHT's rush, DAY's run inwards had their strikes more focused on two per creature, going through and snuffing out their serving of monsters one at a time, and settling for nothing more. Taking advantage of each undocumented advantage the system had in midst of combat, the Gemini's first kill consisted of a confident thrust through a skulker's head, followed up by an impossibly quick withdrawal, before their second pierce went through the opponent's neck. Their slash outwards was well-timed with the moment the creature began to break out into fragments, their blade pulling out undisturbed by the enemy's fading mesh collider.

DAY continued forward, chaining their movements into their next attack upon the unfortunate soul in their path. They'd lunged at her, a move that was easily side-stepped, as the pike-user spun their weapon in their hands with an unusual complexity. A familiar scowl matched their concentration as they pulled their halberd into a swing -- one sweep against the lazy guardian's feet, and it started to fall. When her target was locked in mid-air did her quick strikes undo the enemy, three thrusts of her spear too quick for the human eye to follow. The second undead dissolved, toppling upon the floor in a scatter of blue dust, the doppel's blue eyes burning bright in response to the death of their kin.

Spoiler

ID: 142055 | BD: 12 (6, +6) | MD: 0 (5, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #1.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG
Dungeon Skulker #1 has been defeated!

ID: 142054 | BD: 13 (7, +6) | MD: 5 (10, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #2.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG
Dungeon Skulker #2 attacks NIGHT!
120 + 2 = 122 DMG | 122 - 6 = 116 DMG
> Dungeon Skulker #2 has been paralyzed! It may be unable to move!

ID: 142053 | BD: 9 (3, +6) | MD: -4 (1, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #3.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG
Dungeon Skulker #3 has been defeated!

ID: 142052 | BD: 9 (3, +6) | MD: 2 (7, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #4.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG
Dungeon Skulker #4 has been defeated!

Dungeon Skulker #1 | HP: -202/350 (-252) | DMG: 120 | BLEEDING: [2/2]
Dungeon Skulker #2 | HP: 98/350 (-252) | DMG: 120
Dungeon Skulker #3 | HP: -154/350 (-252) | DMG: 120
Dungeon Skulker #4 | HP: -154/350 (-252) | DMG: 120

[3, 1, 2, 2] NIGHT | HP: 714/830 (-116) | EN: 36/80 (+1, -16) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

NIGHT lowered her head with an exhale, her eyes fixed upon the agony of the creature ahead of her. Two hands locked upon the hilt of her blade, she swung Dracbane over her head, feeling the flare of her edge come to life with one thought. Her eyes burned with anticipation, watching the jitter of the skulker slowly start to wear off. But she wasn't one to let the monstrosity struggle free for her own amusement.

Say your prayers, now.

One swing was all she needed to grant her victim emancipation. Galaxy Destroyer engulfed it in light, her blade's metal finally hitting the marble floor with a loud clatter as the undead foe burned in the bright, overwhelming purity. Hanging in the air were bits of its figure, the creature letting go of its mortal coil, receding back into the nothingness that it once was. As its screech faded away, what was left in the yellowed space was the combat of her double, left to clean up the last of the monsters in the room. So NIGHT watched, pulling her blade back into her range, setting it into the polished floor and leaning against it, upper arm upon Dracbane's pummel.

DAY's strategy relied mostly on single-target attacks. It was no surprise, then, that upon the revelation of two of their kin getting destroyed, the remaining guardians of the chamber would commence their two-timed attack. And still, still they would fall to the strategic, underhanded excellence of the doppel's attacks, grace embodied in all of their maneuvers.

The skulkers had encircled around DAY, two sharks trapping their victim in a hold. When one struck first, diving towards the blonde, they cut them down with a swing too powerful to their side, pinning them to the ground. Then, a surefire strike through their skull, breaking through the helmet upon its head without mercy, followed up by a clean return of their halberd.

Without hesitation, they whirled around, back stepping as they did so, twirling their weapon with a frown. Where they once stood, the second enemy struck fast, before diving back in their direction with a jump. Their leap forward was easily parried by a quick thrust upwards, DAY catching their skeletal arm to its side in the process. One swing to their left, stunning the creature with a knock on its helmet, and they rescinded their attack. Two more strikes to the abdomen, and the entity felled the last monster with ease, brandishing her spear through the guardian's disintegrating form, the weapon's flow scattering its ashes. In the midst of the dancing lights, DAY followed up with one final unnecessary spin of their halberd, setting its base to the floor with a slam once more. With a sigh, the cloak upon their shoulders visibly sank, but they pepped up wearing a smile on their face, quickly after satisfied with the outcome of their battle.

What a show off.

Spoiler

ID: 142056 | BD: 12 (6, +6) | MD: 6
<<Galaxy Destroyer>> vs Dungeon Skulker #2.
21 * 13 = 273 DMG
Dungeon Skulker #2 has been defeated!

Dungeon Skulker #2 | HP: -175/350 (-273) | DMG: 120

[2] NIGHT | HP: 714/830 | EN: 27/80 (+1, -10) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

A satisfactory outcome for their first wave of monsters in the dungeon. NIGHT retrieved her blade from the ground, returning it to its sheathe, as she watched DAY discard her weapon away just by letting it go. The doppel tucked their hair behind their ear again, as NIGHT mused upon her observation. Was that really how I would've fought?

She'd chalked up her fighting style to be more defensive, reckless, throwing caution to the wind with her scathing strikes and overpowering her enemies with raw sword art power. There was no sense to be elegant on the field, not where strength was the name of the game for both players and constructs alike. She clenched her fist and opened it, feeling the glove's leather tighten around her hand and released their hold upon her skin. Dominate the opponent, that's what her strategy was. And in contrast, her double thought very much the opposite.

Careful, precise movements, as though fighting was a dance and an art to be mastered. Perhaps DAY's combat style revealed the truth behind the meaning of a 'sword art', the term a literal description of how one was supposed to glide in battle. Meanwhile, NIGHT had considered it to be a mechanic to be exploited, burning bright blues and whites to be tossed and struck upon her victims without a second thought. Her swings casted smears of ever-growing light, devouring her opponents and chopping them up to shreds, whereas the spear-user's grace had been the highlight of their performance, weaving in and striking true, nary a moment's wait in between their attacks. Careful watching, dodging, and counter attacking; all while toying with their weapon, making a real show out of their movements.

NIGHT felt a tinge of envy. She wondered if she might've pulled something like that off, too, had her weapon afforded her more grace and her blade felt more comfortable in the palm of her hand.

The player folded her arms, shoving their feelings deep down and restoring their apathetic front. "Room one's down," she announced, waiting to see DAY's head turn to face hers before turning around on the spot, beginning to walk once again. "C'mon, let's go. The sooner we finish this, the sooner you can leave me alone."

"I'm still going to see you back home."

"You're burning daylight here!"

DAY clicked their tongue, before sauntering after her parallel. "Don't just ignore whatever I'd said!"

Spoiler

NIGHT | HP: 754 (+40)/830 | EN: 28/80 (+1) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

"So? It's been two fights now," DAY mentioned, hands locked behind their back as they scurried over to NIGHT's side. "You must've seen something you liked about my fighting, right? Well, what did you think?"

NIGHT continued looking straight ahead, knowing the stampede of praises that had already flooded her mind earlier. "It looked like you were cheating with how graceful you were."

"Graceful? You thought I was graceful?" A smile spread upon DAY's face as NIGHT immediately regretted the backhanded compliment. "Oh, NIGHT, stop it--!"

"Then I will." The woman halted in her tracks, steeling her gaze as she shot back a glare to her companion.

"What--?"

"No player would ever recover from attacking that fast. Not to mention that you're using a weapon that's best suited for one-on-one combat, and yet you matched your paces with mine."

DAY looked incredulous. "But you saw me take on those foes down one by one! I was totally in-line with protocol there!"

"I'm using a two-handed sword, attacking several enemies at once." NIGHT pulled out her weapon for demonstration, the hand-me-down gleaming in the light. "It's one of the most optimal ways of getting rid of hordes of monsters in two fell swoops. Meanwhile, your two-handed assault spear tactics would usually take a player of an equal level to mine quadruple the amount of arts just to do the same. Over an extended period of time, no less, especially if they were taking on foes individually like you did."

She kept her blade, folding her arms once again. "The fact of the matter is, I don't know what game you're playing when you said you matched me in strength."

"When I'd said that, I meant I killed enemies just as quickly as you do," DAY clarified, watching NIGHT turn around and continue heading down the slope towards the next room. "Isn't that enough?"

"With advantages like that, you should be taking out enemies faster than I do."

DAY's face lit up brilliantly. "So that means I am better than you after all!"

NIGHT felt her eye twitch.

"Are you kidding?!" She stopped to turn around again, her head snapping back to look upon DAY. "Not if you don't play by system rules, you're not! To anyone's eyes, it's obvious that you've got something up your sleeve that others don't, and I'm pretty sure it's because you're taking advantage of what the systems allow to you do." NIGHT tilted her head, crossing her arms once more and narrowing her eyes at DAY's uncertain expression. "Wait. Tell me; I'm curious. Have you even used a sword art before?"

Unfortunately for NIGHT, DAY looked all the more lost at the term. "S-sword art?" They scratched at their cheek, face forming an (´･ω･`). "You're not making that up, are you?"

"I--" NIGHT was too in shock to bury her face into her hands.

"Um, no...? Should I...? I don't think I really need to..."

... You've got to be kidding me. Cardinal locked me together with this thing?

"Besides, it's not like I'm going to fight against anyone else in the future or anything! System entities like us don't need to use advantages catered to players, anyway! I'll be fine!"

Of course you will.

"And I'll still be taking that spot of being better than you, thank you very much!" With a cheeky grin, DAY made a V-shape with their fingers, setting it to their eye as they bent over slightly. The cutest pose ever seen. NIGHT clenched her jaw further, before turning around and walking away, focused on ending the conversation right there.

"Whatever," the player added, hiding their face behind a hand. "You can believe that as long as you'd like."

Spoiler

> Relaxed | Two turns have passed since combat. Energy has been restored to full.

NIGHT | HP: 794 (+40)/830 | EN: 80/80 (+52) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

It's a miracle that my voice stabilized there, NIGHT considered, her gaze idly resting upon the corridor's ceiling. The hand she'd placed over her cheeks still rested there, the player only removing it at all once the opponents of the next chamber came into view. Four skulkers, same as before, but four more figures, larger and bulkier, paced about the room. Coated in darkness and laced with gold and emeralds, the figures patrolled the arena in a set route, to which NIGHT quickly ushered DAY backwards, noticing one of them approach. In the monster's fist was a shield garbed in gold and encrusted with jewels, an equipment piece that NIGHT clicked her tongue at.

"Awful," the player commented, loud enough for just her double to hear. "We split our targets up once again. Two of each per... us. Okay?"

"You sure you don't need big ol' me to take out the sentries for you?"

"I was going to thank you for your co-operation, but now I know you don't deserve it." NIGHT rolled her eyes at their self-satisfied smile, turning their sights back from looking over her shoulder for a moment. She brandished Dracbane once again, this time without fanfare, before taking off down the slope, leaving DAY with her last set of instructions. "En garde."

"Wh-- hey!"

NIGHT tumbled onto the marble floor, landing in the room just as the lone sentry had passed her by. She skipped forward, setting her grip on her sword right in her hand, before sprinting further, slicing at the first target in her path.

Except, she tripped, missing her swing. The skulker, now alert to her commotion, dove in for a strike, her armor's venom seeping into its skin as it did. A loud screech, calling attention to the outlier in the room, and immediately all sights were set on her as NIGHT staggered forward, trying to right herself once again. Some terrible luck she had. Better make wiping the floor with these enemies quick then.

"Hey! Over here!"

Oh, her one and only saviour.

DAY slid down the slope, leaping into the aggravated fray with a shimmering battle-axe in hand, a white, blue and gold mess of an entity charging right into a rushing sentry. Striking into its side, they tossed the creature away without effort, before hopping over to a duo of skulkers neatly struggling side by side, clamoring for NIGHT's attention. With one well-placed swing, the double chucked them further back away from their counterpart, giving the player a smug grin before following up on her attack, keeping the set of enemies she'd picked up hot on her tail.

Well, with that out of the way...!

All that was left were the three enemies left rushing at her. Leaving her first attacker in the dust, the creature frantically struggling to move, NIGHT dove and cut through two of the pack, dashing into their sides with ease of her sword. The third slash followed, Dracbane diving deep into its target, and--

-- For some reason, it began to bubble with red, glowing orbs. There was a rumble set in between her fingers, and NIGHT struggled to hold onto her blade. A chainsaw? No, that can't be right--

In her musing, the sentry she'd dug into took a moment to hoist off her weapon, knocking it aside. Dracbane flew out of NIGHT's hands, and she yelped on instinct, before soaring through the air, pummeled forward by the sentry's own shield towards her blade. They'd paced on the spot, getting ready to charge back at her, before something caught hold of their movements.

At least she didn't have to worry about that one for the moment.

Spoiler

ID: 142093 | BD: 7 (1, +6) | MD: 4 (9, -5)
NIGHT missed!
Dungeon Skulker #5 attacks NIGHT!
120 + 1 = 121 DMG | 121 - 6 = 115 DMG
> Dungeon Skulker #5 has been paralyzed! It may be unable to move!

ID: 142092 | BD: 11 (5, +6) | MD: 2 (7, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #6.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG
Dungeon Skulker #6 missed!

ID: 142091 | BD: 12 (7, +6 -1) | MD: -1 (3, +1 -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Sentry #1.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG | 252 - 20 = 232 DMG
Dungeon Sentry #1 missed!

ID: 142090 | BD: 14 (9, +6 -1) | MD: 5 (9, +1 -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Sentry #2.
21 + 1 = 22 DMG | 22 * 12 = 264 DMG | 264 - 20 = 244 DMG
> Dracbane restores life to its user. (+83 HP)
> Dungeon Sentry #2 is bleeding... (-24 HP)
Dungeon Sentry #2 attacks NIGHT!
150 + 1 = 151 DMG | 151 - 6 = 145 DMG
> Dungeon Skulker #5 has been paralyzed! It may be unable to move!

Dungeon Skulker #5 | HP: 350/350 | DMG: 120 | PARALYZED
Dungeon Skulker #6 | HP: 98/350 (-252) | DMG: 120
Dungeon Sentry #1 | HP: 268/500 (-232) | ACC: 1 | DMG: 150 | EVA: 1 | MIT: 20
Dungeon Sentry #2 | HP: 232/500 (-244-24) | ACC: 1 | DMG: 150 | EVA: 1 | MIT: 20 | PARALYZED | BLEEDING [1/2]

[0, 1, 1, 2] NIGHT | HP: 617/830 (-115-145 +83) | EN: 66/80 (-14) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

The hell-- was that?

As NIGHT pushed herself upwards, she pulled Dracbane closer to her, a crimson red clouding her view. Suddenly, pulsing with life, her health bar at the corner of her vision began to fill up. I'm healing? But-- how?

Her blade was dormant now, but she still felt the sensations of its crazed outburst earlier in the fight. When she'd sank its edge into the sentry, red hot orbs seemed to spawn. Was that the source of its madness? It had to be tested. Bahr didn't prize this weapon in exchange for her favour for no reason.

At a corner of the room, DAY had struck fast, bouncing from target to target in their own pack. The two skulkers were the first to go, the Gemini diving around and about their slow attacks. Their pure white weapon had meant to deliver the same speed of strikes as her opponents. However, with what strangeness came with being a Cardinal entity, any moments of pause seemed to have vanished in their movements. DAY wielded the axe feverishly, its blade bashing through the skull of the first minion, before they tossed their target into the next, dealing enough damage to both enemies that would knock out their health in their entirety.

A devilish maverick. With two of her foes down, it was time to settle upon the remainder of her pack -- the sentries. DAY had dodged their charges the first time they came against the duple, the latter leaping upwards in a fantastical manner, before landing right on their feet, similar to a feline's maneuver. Now that the small fry were taken care off, upon one of the larger enemies beginning to approach the double again, they swung their battle-axe right into the center of their shield, going head-to-head against their enemy, looking to see which of them were stronger, and whose weapon would shatter first.

Back to NIGHT, the woman looking over the field again. Two of her struck targets were rushing straight for her again, and she conceded, opting to attack them first before re-evaluating her next move. Her weapon's hilt locked tightly in her grip, she swung once downwards diagonally, sending a blast outwards to push aside the running stragglers. In her shift towards her paralyzed targets next, out the corner of her eye she spotted the familiar bloody orbs hover around one of the fallen targets, as Dracbane woke from its slumber once again.

This time, NIGHT refused to let go.

The orbs found their way towards the player, a red glow outlining her form for a moment -- one trait she was able to capture in battle when she'd swung her blade back into the side of the sentry she'd stunned earlier, culling it down to its knees for good. Then, towards the remaining skulker left untouched, she struck once again, her single cut with her sword pleasantly making a dent in its pitiable health bar.

Spoiler

ID: 142097 | BD: 8 (2, +6) | MD: 2 (7, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #5.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG
Dungeon Skulker #5 is paralyzed!

ID: 142096 | BD: 15 (9, +6) | MD: -1 (4, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #6.
21 + 1 = 22 DMG | 22 * 12 = 264 DMG
> Dracbane restores life to its user. (+83 HP)
Dungeon Stalker #6 has been defeated!

ID: 142095 | BD: 11 (6, +6 -1) | MD: 5 (9, +1 -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Sentry #1.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG | 252 - 20 = 232 DMG
Dungeon Sentry #1 attacks NIGHT!
150 + 1 = 151 DMG | 151 - 6 = 145 DMG
> Dungeon Sentry #2 has been paralyzed! It may be unable to move!

ID: 142094 | BD: 12 (7, +6 -1) | MD: -3 (1, +1 -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Sentry #2.
21 * 12 = 252 DMG | 252 - 20 = 232 DMG
Dungeon Sentry #2 has been defeated!

Dungeon Skulker #5 | HP: 98/350 (-252) | DMG: 120
Dungeon Skulker #6 | HP: -166/350 (-264) | DMG: 120
Dungeon Sentry #1 | HP: 36/500 (-232) | ACC: 1 | DMG: 150 | EVA: 1 | MIT: 20 | PARALYZED
Dungeon Sentry #2 | HP: 0/500 (-232) | ACC: 1 | DMG: 150 | EVA: 1 | MIT: 20 | BLEEDING [2/2]

[1, 3, 2, 3] NIGHT | HP: 555/830 (-145+83) | EN: 51/80 (+1, -16) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

Loot:
-- [ Col Stash | +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests. ]

ID: 142094 | LD: 12 (9 + 3) | CD: 5
+ 4,200col, Tier 1 Materials (2), [T1E2] Unidentified Rare Weapon (1), [T1E1] Unidentified Uncommon Consumable (1), Easter Eggs (3)

[NIGHT 0]

So the orbs were helping her. She could tell. With how her health began to rise, NIGHT could only chalk it up to a good thing to have seen the sword's effects in action.

At least, she would've continued to do so, had her amazement not been caught off-guard by a sentinel she'd targeted earlier. A shoulder tackle, before she was swept off her feet, landing ungracefully on her back with a thump. NIGHT growled at her attacker, before picking up her blade once again, getting back up on her own two feet.

Foolish mistake to have struck her like that. Now her opponent was stunned, with Paralytic Venom having to say something about her foes.

She took her time to rise, getting comfortable with her grip for her final strike. To draw out Dracbane's power and see it in action, isolated from the other distractions of battle; this was what she was preparing for. With a familiar cross-slash now marked by two more vertical cuts, she sent out her blades of light to their respective targets with a grating flourish, marking her opponents lives null and void in a cacophony of burning white flashes and red, sullen orbs.

Look upon ye master, foul beasts, NIGHT mused with a grin, as she set her blade upon her back. A wave of cool rejuvenation came to her with a beckoning motion of her hand, the orbs gathering to her at her call. The Hunter is here to collect. The price, you ask? Your lives. A snicker to herself, as she watched her health bar rise. What an interesting effect. She could tell now that it was definitely worth the favour she traded away.

Over on DAY's side of the field, the contest of strength was quickly over. The sentry's shield had given way to their blade first.

At its shattering, the sentry was shocked, surprised for a moment. No doubt its reaction gave the controller behind the entity a second to switch between pre-coded instructions. It also made for a rather understandable opening of attack, had any player bothered to rid its shield in the first place, as DAY took advantage of their faltering to punish their weakness with a swing from the side. Fluid, unbreaking, a chained reaction that slammed the now shieldless figure into the wall.

And its partner was no different, subject to the same torment of losing its guard once they'd swung their defense around to block their attack. Two empty-handed creatures, set side by side, pinned against the walls of the room in terror. No more will to continue living.

Good. All that was left for DAY to do was to push them out of their misery. As the doppel approached their two shivering forms, a shadow fell over their eyes, the shimmer sight of hope now filled with wishful thinking of ending their victims' lives. 

With two swings of the executioner's axe, the figures were gone. Nary a trace of them left, save for the sparkling dust they'd inevitably left behind. A complete and utter victory once again for the systematic prodigy, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

Spoiler

ID: 142099 | BD: 15 (9, +6) | MD: 0 (5, -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Skulker #5.
21 + 1 = 22 DMG | 22 * 12 = 264 DMG
> Dracbane restores life to its user. (+83 HP)
Dungeon Skulker #5 has been defeated!

ID: 142098 | BD: 14 (9, +6 -1) | MD: -2 (2, +1 -5)
<<Calamity Disaster>> vs Dungeon Sentry #1.
21 + = 22 DMG | 22 * 12 = 264 DMG | 264 - 20 = 244 DMG
> Dracbane restores life to its user. (+83 HP)
Dungeon Sentry #1 has been defeated!

Dungeon Skulker #5 | HP: -166/350 (-264) | DMG: 120
Dungeon Sentry #1 | HP: -208/500 (-244) | ACC: 1 | DMG: 150 | EVA: 1 | MIT: 20

[3, 4] NIGHT | HP: 721/830 (+83+83) | EN: 39/80 (+1, -13) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

Loot:
-- [ Col Stash | +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests. ]

ID: 142098 | LD: 22 (19 + 3) | CD: 5
+ 4,200col, Tier 1 Materials (2), [T1E3] Unidentified Perfect Armor (1), [T1E3] Unidentified Perfect Consumable (2), Easter Eggs (3)

[NIGHT 0]

DAY heaved the axe back upon their shoulders, standing with pride over the dismantled, unarmed sentries. "Well, that's all for room two," they declared, turning around with a sweep of their feet and a cheerful smile upon their face. Likewise, NIGHT resolved to tuck Dracbane back into its sheathe, before looking around for the next sign of progression further into the dungeon.

"...?" A frown, as NIGHT paced over to the center of the room. She recalled in which direction they'd came from easily. However, there were no same square cut-outs in the visible vicinity. From what the player could tell, that meant a lack of any further corridors leading to any other chambers. What gives?

There's nothing else here?

She set a hand to her hip, giving the room yet another scan, just in case she'd missed out anything important. Instead, the sign she'd been looking for simply tapped her on her shoulder, and as NIGHT spun around to look at DAY, her eyes were suddenly greeted by a blinding white brilliance. She winced with a groan, and covered her eyes.

I don't know why I didn't expect to see that.

Taking that as a cue that something was up, DAY glanced behind them, realizing their blade still in hand. With a shrug, they waved it away, tucking and folding their arms underneath their cloak. "Well? What's up?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," NIGHT replied, trying to blink away her momentary blindness. "C'mon, let's go."

The dark adventurer began heading out, back towards the entrance. Expecting DAY to follow, she hadn't even turned around to observe that the doppel had merely stood idle, tilting their head to the side curiously. "Uh, where're you going?"

"To the next room, why?"

"That's the way we came."

"I know that." And I wish you hadn't pointed it out. NIGHT glanced back with a long face, immediately regretting her decision to do so when she spotted DAY wearing a sly smirk. "Why, you've got any better ideas?"

"You really don't know huh? It's really this way." A gesture with a thumb, the entity pulling a toothy grin. NIGHT followed their point, looking towards the wall nonchalantly. It was ornate and decorative, laden with intricate gold markings where the rest of the room was hardened brick, but still there was nothing else of note about it. At the player's lack of response, their double added, "Look up."

When NIGHT did, the door's appearance finally registered. It towered over the room, looming over the two human entities. The markings had been wrapped around its frame, bordering between several pillars that jutted out the wall, and only near the chamber's ceiling where there were signs of a gap indented into its make was she able to tell that DAY was right.

"What kind of--?!"

Spoiler

NIGHT | HP: 761/830 (+40) | EN: 40/80 (+1) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

"S-so, that's it then."

"Mhmm!"

"That's gotta be the boss room, right?"

"Yup!"

NIGHT rested her face in a hand, completely dumbfounded. How did I not see this, then...?!

"You players never really look up much, huh?" DAY quipped, loosening their arms and setting a fist to their side. "Y'know, I thought it was just a rumor, but here you are proving the stereotype right!"

NIGHT's expression soured at DAY's observation, the woman turning to her with a look of annoyance. "Come again? You heard it from somewhere?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I did. What's wrong with that?"

The player hadn't exactly expected the entity to be wandering out and about at all, let alone pick up on things that others might've said. She wondered for a moment what kind of regimen DAY had on a regular basis, during the times when they weren't tagging along on her own adventures.

"Nothing. Forget it." NIGHT clamped their hand over their mouth for a moment, trying to process how to best approach the humongous entrance standing in her way. Tossing aside her concerns of getting it to budge, she strode up to it, calculating where best to exert her force. Right in the center should do it, she supposed.

Two hands set to either sides of the door, and she shoved her weight against it, to no avail. With a frown, she turned around, leaning back into it, grunting as the door squeaked open just the slightest bit. Her eyes had been clenched shut from her effort, before she opened them, the first sight she took in being DAY's amused face, the entity grinning shadily. "What. What're you looking at."

"Oh, nothing. Just watching you struggle is all."

"If you have time to watch me, you have time to help; now get over here and heave."

"Mmm~, I don't really want to. There's something entertaining about watching you expend your energy on a fruitless effort."

A fruitless effort?

NIGHT clicked her tongue and scowled, continuing to press her body against the door, feeling the metal grate against the floor. "Great," she returned through gritted teeth, her focus set on shifting her legs accordingly so that she wouldn't slip. "Then forget I even asked."

Why did I even let you tag along, again?

Spoiler

> Two turns have passed since combat. Energy has been restored to full.

NIGHT | HP: 801/830 (+40) | EN: 80/80 (+40) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3

[NIGHT 0]

Turns out that NIGHT didn't have to work very hard to get the door ajar. She'd nearly toppled over backwards, netting a disastrous laughter from her like-in-kind, but with a growl and a turn, she waved it off. What she paid more attention to was the inside of the boss room, the player slipping through the crack she'd made, wandering inwards entirely.

It was pitch black. As she took a step forward, torches at the side of the room began to flare to life. One by one, they were lit, the lights progressing from the front of the room to the back, and at the very end stood two bulky figures; one in red, and one in blue.

They let out a synchronized howl, a guttural, chilling noise, deafening enough to caution NIGHT into taking a step backwards. Without warning, the blue creature on the left began to sprint. The two weapons in its hand slowly started to glow and gleam in the light, shadows snaking their way around and past their owner as they brushed past the torch fires; it held curved blades in their palms, and their face --

Unmistakably, it had to have been a minotaur.

It charged forward towards NIGHT, the woman barely having time to duck out of the way of its path, and without warning it crashed into the door she'd just forced open, bending its metal fully with an engravement of its side. Flying off its hidden hinges, the metal scrap now soared through the air, in the direct path of the recovering doppel, who'd been caught entirely by surprise by the sudden event that had occurred.

By a stroke of luck, the large chunk of metal crashed in front of DAY, before bouncing off the ground and into the floor behind her, as they stumbled and looked around, watching their threat carefully. Fate, however, did not prepare the Gemini for the strike that was to occur next -- in an instant, the minotaur crashed into the tiny figure, knocking them back into the scrap metal with a brutal force. DAY clashed into the obstacle with a loud, resounding clang, and NIGHT peered from where she stood behind the door, genuine concern swirling in her eyes.

But that wasn't the end of combat just yet. That was only the beginning.

From behind her, the red creature shuffled forth. In contrast to its aggressively quick counterpart, this equine-masked demon was slower, deliberate in its movements. In two hands it carried macahuitls fashioned out of gold, the weapons' shiny surfaces glinting splendidly in the dim light. And with one, slow raise of its arm, it began to strike.

Spoiler

ID: 142122 | BD: 9 (5, +6 -2)
<<Tempest>> vs Mezu, the Warden.
21 * 8 = 168 DMG | 168 - 50 = 118 DMG
> Mezu, the Warden has been stunned!

Mezu, the Warden | HP: 632/750 (-118) | ACC: 2 | DMG: 200 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50 | STUNNED

[1] NIGHT | HP: 801/830 | EN: 74/80 (-6) | ACC: 6 | DMG: 21 | EVA: 5 | MIT: 6 | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 1 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 3 | PROSP: 3