The stone temple was baking underneath the gaze of the sun in its highest position but Amelia could not feel the effect of her rays as she crossed the boundary from the escape underneath the darkness into the light of the temple which contained their next stop on the plan to end the rising of the dead and save those who found themselves under siege without any hope of reprieve.

Until Amelia and her army had arrived to be seen from the top of the structure that was giving her nothing but a cold, dead feeling, even as the sun continued to shine upon a new day as they attempted to cut through the demons which had obstructed them for long enough for anyone to grow tired of their efforts.

No quarter was given to these monsters by her as she dug the knife into their little bodies before those next to her finished off these creatures that only knew how to attack the living and nothing of the tactics which had brought them this far along the journey which had drained her of something while she watched the results of the battles happening all around her as they handled these demons with ease.

With the wind bringing that awful smell of electric discharge and what sounded like the sound of demons being banished back to hell all Amelia could imagine was the relative fun that was being had by her senpai Sora, Roboco, and who ever else had ended up in that area when the monsters had appeared around the area because the sky near her seemed to tremble before the sight before them all that she had watched from the backline as the memory of their last encounter came back to her.

‘Out of breath, feet pounding aboard wooden steps, trying to move fast enough to catch even one glimpse, the salt ocean air as her only comfort with the traces of her magic in the air’

Her body seemed to react to the intensity of her magic with a shiver and the ghost of a feeling coming right through her, it was perhaps the strongest feeling that seemed to stretch for an eternity as all around her she could see her friends moving forwards as though trying to form a wall with their bodies.

Somehow she doubted the Greeks had existed in this world and yet there they were with them keeping her from being openly exposed in the moment. Movement was like a sluggish hell as she tried to move past the wall itself to see what could be actually gained from the nightmarish sight that was set before them all even with all the weapons they had before them.

Individually this was a cakewalk if they could just get past the monstrous presence that was there hidden behind the book and tentacles under the control of the priestess who looked upon the field of talent she would know in another world with nothing but a blank face upon it as Amelia’s face came into view of the girl and the weapon in her hands that could bring about the end of the world if she so let it.

Neither side of the divide seemed to recognize the other for the real danger of this clash playing right in front of them with the demons taking a back seat while Amelia tried to analyze the potential tragedy for what it was worth as the world itself seemed to come to a complete halt as the people underneath their banners became nothing more than chess pieces for her to try and move towards a perfect victory.

Just from looking at the sight before her it was not going to be a clean fight and Ina, she hoped it would go her way this once, stood behind them cutting off each and every potential future that she could see while she racked her brain to find a work around. It was only by sheer luck that Ina took her time as part of the nuclear countdown that was hanging over all of their heads while the early demons went down easy enough.

The closest person to Amelia’s side was the demon that Choco, Subaru, and Shion had found in the caves that seemed to know Choco of all people as the Oni Ayame swung upon those demons without regard for her own safety; she would have a disregard for her own life if she also essentially had a gun for her defense as well.

Everytime she swung her weapon they seemed to fall down without so much as protest, if any of them managed to survive even more one round with the oni she would eat her own hat. Ayame had more to her than just that weapon of hers that was made clear when she had that glint in her eye that always rocked her world when Amelia watched the remains of her swings faster than her normal sight.

The narrowing of her eyes and the raising of her guard at the sight approaching them all with Ina behind them all gave her some reassurance as someone else was potentially seeing the danger that was hidden behind the demons that served as a deadly force which paled in comparison to was what right after them, someone like Reine could probably deal with them along with some support.

To her right alongside the recently promoted Miko, who could now use magic instead of simply healing, was the ever reliable Suisei alongside her own weapon that made her long for the day when she might one day have something other than her own rapier to use against the numerous forces that she tore through as though they were nothing but paper alongside the healer turned holy warrior.

If there was anyone she would want on her side no matter the situation it would be her even as she seemed disappointed there was no blood for her to draw from with the demons which had seemed to make the majority of the army which had failed to stop them recently alongside the numerous Deadbeats which had been put under whoever it was that controlled Calliope’s forces without her consent.

Between Ayame, Suisei, and Miko who came as a plus one to any conversation, with direction by Amelia’s tactical genius she was sure they could do enough to make due eventually but while they continued to cull the enemy Ina continued to lurk without saying anything while simply adding more and more fears that she would be loathe to explain when she managed to return back home to the safety of her own timeline.

‘There was a space there she should be’

It was the worst sight to see just where she might have room for Amelia underneath her gaze as the demons now came to surround their master in support as she moved towards the sights of battle and where it was that destruction which paled in comparison to her ancient magic that would leave a mark larger than the pitiful level of magic that had been observed by her discerning eye while nothing escaped her lips.

Amelia lost all feeling from her limbs as even as she raised the rapier in her hands that would be her weapon against the magic that continued to provoke something within her, all but warning that this was going to be hell. What did it say that it might be considered so explicit even before she found the chance to nock another on the tally of idiotic decisions that would be written by those that she surrounded herself with?

She just knew her newest conspirator would savage her in the aftermath and she would deserve it.

Watame was no Reine, hell she wasn’t even AZKi, and there was none of the acceptance that came with the reality of war when she was the one being asked to cosign the signature sign of insanity that she had learned to exist when Amelia determined the only way for anyone to escape from impending disaster was for her to put herself on the frontlines.

Asking Watame for her favour as she held the harp in her hands had to be the most offensive thing she could’ve done to the conscious objector and yet all she would have to do was look past Amelia and see the walking sign of death and the way to which she seemed almost relaxed to the reality before her that she did nothing more than give her the blessing she had been looking for from her hands playing those special strings.

The last sound Amelia would remember would be those strings being pulled as she saw her coming with the last of those creatures, one more push, a good enough distraction, and soon enough they would be on the other side of the divide with everyone hand in hand to admonish her for the ridiculous decision that was always made when it was her time to drown in the punishment for her unknown sins.

And this time it had nothing to do with her lies…

Nakiri Ayame was what might be considered the nicest denizen of the underworld, caveats and the like aside, she was not normally one for anger or anything approaching that side of the spectrum where demons received their, as she was finding out, deserved reputation for mindless beasts who knew not that she was far superior to them and that they should be running away in fear in the face of her prowess.

She had proved it a bunch against their fellow demons and they still came for her as if there was a chance that she would ever fall against these mindless beats, which only left the one commanding them even if by happenstance.

If not for the overwhelming aura there was really not so much to fear from the woman that walked ever slowly behind them while they attempted to protect her from any kind of immediate attack with their bodies, how she was commanding them she did not know, which was a good call upon their part because she could see many ways to which she left herself open if only she had the opportunity to slip between her non existent guard.

She wanted nothing more than to dash that neutral face of hers and cause a replacement for the image that she could see clearly as if she was living it, herself being on the opposite end of that ancient magic looking upon her with nothing but a silent weight and nothing beyond those eyes while her own were marred with anger at the sight.

Scary stuff.

But for now her fingers continued to hang upon the guard of her katana which was ready for the moment she could finally strike the image which continued to force itself in her brain as she watched the crew of adventurers underneath the command of their leader Amelia.

On the edges of the monster's line of sight she watched the way Amelia Watson moved past the wall of theirs keeping the ones in reserve safe from any harm as something was moving from the north that she heard by the sounds of battle and that holy light.

That Sora woman was special in some way that she just couldn't put her finger upon as she felt the weight of her magic which removed the lowly demons somewhere around them without much complaint; she wanted to know a lot more about the holy woman chasing after the mythical Seiso.

Their flank assured for the moment she watched their leader stand out in all the ways that made her nervous for the leader of the army as she realized how out of place she seemed when she gripped the hat on her head and fit it snugly before walking out there without a care for the danger she was in.

It was as if there was nothing between herself and the vessel of dark forces even when they tried to take their own bites out of Amelia, she simply dodged and seemed to ignore the blood pooling when sometimes even she would be unable to avoid the creatures in one single step, unable to move immediately Ayame focused on cutting them down for the moment which built alongside the tension between both sides.

A vacuum of noise formed around the area where she watched Amelia and the woman on the other end see one another face to face and she only had to look at the stance and attitude Amelia took to the danger staring her in the face to worry for the survival of their tactician as her weapon seemed less than meant for the moment.

Her hand moved down to her katana, the moment she had been looking for coming to life in her sight, as Amelia said something that she could not hear but could guess with the way her opponent seemed to react as if struck before she even attacked.

Then came her actual lunge.

It was like a fountain of blood bloomed from her action as she struck the flesh of their vessel and seemed to expel some of her blood from the very same spot which had drawn blood from a stone and given Ayame a sight to unnerve her for a moment before the familiar energy that had driven something within her bones was released right into the expectant face of Amelia; amidst the fear and panic driven by ancient magic it felt like a second pair of hands guided her next swing.

She had been laughing when she unleashed the magic that had been building from the moment she had entered the temple with these adventurers from the boat escape, her visage was impossible to ignore despite everything else going on around her with the countless number of bodies killing the demons under the command of Ina’nis as they attempted to draw more flesh from the bones of Amelia.

And then she had come face to face with the woman who was supposed to be another one of her unfortunate victims for disturbing her rest and living to tell the tale even for the moment. She had been relaxed to the very end even when she showed off that magic that left countless others scrambling for the exit along with those of powerful stature weary of what she might do next.

Blood had already spilled from her bones and yet she still stood there in opposition from the natural human senses which should’ve told any blood and flesh human to run from the sight before her but she still was there for her to see in battle as the first opportunity was taken by the human foolish enough to engage in ritual sacrifice by such a manner that would need clarification by the Ancient Ones for acceptance.

More blood continued to make itself known as her own injury from her attacker reflected upon the body of her new victim who simply said nothing to the blood being spilt between them both as the end was sure to come and for a glorious moment there was nothing to hear from the woman that had laughed in the face of death and lost it all by goading her until there was no way for her to escape from punishment.

It was all gone for that second, before the sound came rushing back to her ears, in that moment Ina’nis could be said to be content like a cat which caught the cream before laughter broke her peace like an explosion and she was caught unaware from then and there continuing to stand and exist in defiance of the ancient magic which should’ve tore through the human and removed her from this very plane.

The call of that old voice’s warning went unheaded as Ina’nis attempted to wrap her head around the bloodied woman no worse for wear despite the attempt on her life as the worst she had to show for it was another flow of blood that blossomed from all over yet still leaving her with the ability to have a laugh that unnerved her more than anything had in recent memory or her communion with ancient forces.

Not that she would have the time to wonder…

She could see her coming before she actually swung the katana that dug into her flesh and carved through her as if she was butter, it was as if there was some kind of attempt by the Ancient Ones to help her when each strike was faster than many would even be able to comprehend much less react to.

An Oni of all creatures ending up as part of this band of brothers was something she would have never expected when she had moved after the sailors which had departed from that ship, they were a rare sight and if not for the potent remembrance of her own memory she would’ve thought she had somehow wronged the oni in the past with the way she had a visible mix of joy and anger as the flesh of the vessel gave way to the constraints of humanity.

What in the world could she have done to an oni of all things?

They would have an eternity to learn together.

Once the flesh of the vessel fixed itself to an acceptable standard Nimonae Ina’nis came back to life like a veil had been lifted from her head as she took in the sight of these adventurers standing around as the legions of the underworld had been repulsed for the moment and all she had to center herself was the heat of the sun, the sight of a familiar woman with her hand on a weapon, and the laughter of a familiar tone which had her shoot up as though the past never occurred.

It was a quiet thing but one that broke through the haze and the emotion around being defeated for the first time in her recent memory as there was a pause in the sound right before it began once more as if on a timer that was constantly running in the background that she could not reach no matter how hard she tried to gain information upon the sound that made her uncomfortable from her position on the ground.

The glint of metal was a shiny north star in the face of her attempt to stand up once more in reaction to that noise as the face of her killer continued to have the kind of expression that was fit for when she had to deal with a particularly irritating traveler who had annoyed her enough to send that whole ship down to the bottom of the ocean.

“Ayame…six times… Ancient Ones…”

She understood what that break in her laughter was for the first time as the newly identified Oni looked to where her opponent now rested while somewhere over the horizon looked to be other members standing upon the top of the temple while they looked like nothing more than ants to them down below.

The mention of the old beings ran something through her own body as the katana within her sight was sheathed once more and there was the unusual feeling, something she might remember for eternity, of being pushed to her feet by an outside force that was bringing her to the sight which was to some degree her fault if the whispers were to be considered true before the madness was visible to her eyes.

Tears flowed down her face an unmeasurable rate as the quiet laugh of hers made it a sight to behold as she could not stop laughing despite the tears that obstructed all normal ability for her to function, even the presence of Ina’nis could not do anything not do anything to stop the tears and the laughter that made her want to give up anything just as long as she would stop with this farce and come down.

Ancient magic was rarely for those that chose to delve into the other side of destruction and understand an enemy before one would strike and ruin the fight from within the enemy instead of simply wiping them away from the plane of existence and bidding them farewell while they no longer existed beyond a memory.

But coming to understand each and every little things from the humans that shared this here planet was more important then most other objectives could be and thus she prepared the kind of magic which was better left for the healers and magicians that attempted to dabble in more than wanton destruction and the ever so rare pacifist.

Peaceful magic was nothing like the magic that she knew was to be nestled inside the memory of her oni companion, even as her hand rested upon her katana like she should, and even then it was a sight to behold in comparison to those of the holy light just because there was very little thought to anything that could be considered evil or used in such a way outside of their constraints.

It was however, as she would defend with the full force of her being, completely divorced from the Yabai magic that was truly worrisome.

When it passed over her opponent it only seemed to spit back nonsense as she looked between the readings, the blood very much still fresh, and the reaction which she received for the trouble.

Her eyes were trouble to look at, it was like no one was there to receive the signals she was sending. Someone willing to engage in combat with a kraken should not be like the demons which had fallen underneath her command and it made some of her tentacles tense up with what seemed to be like a mental gnashing of her teeth.

Ina’nis could not tear herself away from that hated reflection based in that data that showed her nothing but that she had certainly left her mark upon the soul of the woman known as Amelia Watson, at least that was known to her beyond the jumbled readings that showed her… having touched her soul four years ago?

No…

The voices were on edge for something which would never come as she looked around the arena and neither saw or felt that which caused them to be on edge even just standing right here around the woman and the oni which was supposed to her enemy when surrounded by the paralyzed and the woman who would become immortalized in the myth about the Kraken and the Oni.

Amelia Watson’s role in the entire myth long forgotten by the time they were producing some of those performances upon the mainland.

What she had learned made it all the better that no one would remember this portion of her legend, when they were made to listen and hear of the time she had suffered underneath a mysterious affliction without any recompense and leaked the most terrifying secret that would need to be buried in the back of her mind.

Already she could imagine the way they would strike this from the record while she disappeared back into something haunting the waters while taking the secret to her eternal grave, none of this would’ve ever happened in history and she was glad only she would have a recollection for this scene.

Ina’nis would accept the challenge before her as she heard the sounds quiet as she continued to look over the woman that seemed wrong even when she had laughed in the face of her own destruction.

The oni could deal with that combustible mind which held more secrets than she could ever imagine even if she was to communion with her gods for days upon end with nothing more than the potent memory of her soul being touched by the kind of force that made her own power seem as though child’s play when seen through those eyes from an outsider.

For now she would simply learn to accommodate these people proving themselves much more than simple adventurers, there was something about the woman even without the knowledge that made her need to see what came next, hopefully for them all she would never get to witness the sight of that touch being undone with whatever came next for these adventurers.

It would simply remain something she meditated upon after they had put this entire journey behind them all; and in the wind she walked with an unearned confidence and unrepentant confidence in her ability.

For everyone’s sake.

.