Who prays to Angra Mainyu, honestly?

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Who: Zetta and Ross; Zetta and Hibiki?!
When: December 23 & 24
Where: The Near Shore
What: Zetta answers prayers. Ross comes along for one. Hibiki shows up for the other. Hilarity Ensues.

December 23.

What is it with forests, anyway?

[Zetta's divine power transports the pair of them -- or rather the three of them, if one counts the unfortunate minion on book-carrying detail -- down to the Near Shore in a flash of malign black energy that practically screams 'evil!'. As much as getting named a god is an incredible step down for him, Zetta has to appreciate that this particular divinity has a little style.]

[Find the blighted tree and investigate. Simple enough. Finding themselves deposited on the outskirts of a park, maybe less simple.]

...Okay, never mind. Not forests. Super. [Zetta scowls at the faint patch of winter-worn green, addressing Ross without looking his way.] This sounds way too easy to be easy, huh?

December 24.

Hyaaaha ha ha ha ha!

[Who is Zetta talking to? Because it isn't the minion that's lugging him up the walk to the neat little townhouse from which a heartfelt prayer had come. And there's no one else around to hear... But as an Overlord and protagonist, Zetta has a heartfelt obligation to narrate his life.]

This is perfect! A prayer to watch TV? I'll sit back, do nothing, and have another devoted follower spreading the good word... uh, bad word... without needing to so much as flip a page.

I sure hope it's some decent show, though... [A brief expression of worry crossed his face as the minion shifted the Sacred Tome to one arm, the better to access the bell. But hey, what's the worst that could happen on this prayer?]

Comments

[badassfreakingoverlord]

[The clump of ayakashi essence that formed the net sloughs off as the borderline severs it, dissolving into so much loose energy that vanishes like mist.]

[But the creature isn't done yet. The more they assault it, the more it spreads it attention, more tendrils and more limbs forming to lash out weaker but more numerous attacks against the crowd. It isn't relying on physical injury any more -- every strike that lands, even the weak ones, spreads a little more blight into whoever it touches, and that sum total of blight is transmitted back to Zetta as surely as if the ayakashi had touched him itself.]

[Zetta, for his own purposes, doesn't seem to notice. One of the minions turns and lobs a Braveheart spell onto Ross and the minions he is nearest, sending power surging through them.]

[shiitan]

[He grit his teeth. The power boost helped, but he could only cut down so much at a time. Maybe the minions weren't shinki like he was, but he was still compelled to rush to their sides and let loose a borderline to confront the limbs that threatened them, even as the limbs dissolved only to multiply. He was running himself ragged for little objective gain. He knew that, but not why. Not only that, but he was too preoccupied to notice that the blight had been spreading to Zetta as well.

It was only a matter of time before he stumbled to one knee, breathing hard, and yelled out the words he'd been stubbornly avoiding since the beginning.]

Call my name!

[He had to swallow his pride to keep the blight from spreading any further.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

[It's fine. They'd fought well, though not up to Zetta's standards -- but nothing could be up to his standards in his current state. So when Ross calls out for the inevitable, Zetta doesn't hesitate.]

Maki!

[shiitan]

[His human form faded as he went back to Zetta in a flash of light. A bookmark wasn't a terribly effective weapon, and he'd hadn't spent any time in this form to boot. Even his vessel power was a mystery to him.

But, he still sensed mana. His own mana, even though he was in vessel form. It felt like it was flowing outwardly from him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Flowing outward...to Zetta?]

How good are you at magic?

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Because I'm just that awesome, I calculate all attacks and abilities based on my ATT score. So -- most badass Overlord in all the cosmos, remember?

[Hey, he's actually feeling something from this. Power. His own mana power is intact, but being a book he has very few outlets for it. Now this... feels like something he can channel.]

Whatcha got for me?

[shiitan]

You're neglecting INT? Tsk, tsk.

[Anyway.]

I want you to imagine the shape of your favourite weapon, except it's made out of mana. [He wasn't sure if this would even work, but whether it would was up to Zetta at this point.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

You should see my stat multipliers. I'm overpowered!

[Favorite weapon out of mana, huh? After a moment's concentration, Zetta fixes the image of his own oversized sword in his head. From there, the 'made of mana' part is a surprisingly easy visualization for him.]

[shiitan]

[That same oversized sword made of magical energy began to materialize as Zetta focused. It glowed a bright sunshine yellow that wasn't unlike the colour of Ross' own magic when he could be bothered to use it.]

Now fire it at the ayakashi. Pretend you're throwing it with your real body if that helps.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

[Oh, that's fairly easy, all things considered. Like with his real body, huh?]

[The book twitches violently, but the sword flips up and back into midair -- then, as Zetta's own mana power enters the fray, splits into a half-dozen copies of itself to hurtle down at the ayakashi with crashing, destructive force.]

[shiitan]

There you go. Now just keep doing all that until it's weak enough to Rend.

[His tone came out as usual, but his emotions weren't quite the same. That was one of his spells, though Zetta had put his own spin on it. Was he going to need to teach him how to use his magic properly? Surely a demon as old as Zetta wouldn't need lessons on math, physics, and the like. Or so he hoped.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

[Raw power does the trick, damn it. Hell, that's his Evility. And the mana power Zetta had managed to put into the attack, coupled with the damage Ross had inflicted with Borderlines and the limited but present effects of the minions, gave the swords enough strength to really hammer the ayakashi.]

Hyaaaaha ha ha ha ha! Wither and die, you monster!

[shiitan]

You're having fun with this, aren't you.

[Nevertheless, his mana output remained steady. His cooperation meant the reason for him being in his vessel form in the first place would be gone faster.

Also, watching the tree ayakashi get pelted with magic swords was oddly therapeutic. He was more than fine with watching it be chopped into literal firewood.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Damn straight! I've been fighting through minions so long I barely remember what a proper battle feels like!

But we've been brutalizing this bastard enough, and the damn blight is starting to itch. Ready to finish it off?

[He could just cast the spell here and now -- but he wants to be certain Ross is prepared for the shift! It isn't courtesy or anything!]

[shiitan]

Already? I was hoping to have more time to beat it up.

[He may have been holding a grudge over getting caught in that tree-climb web trick. Just a little itty-bitty one.]

But if the blight's getting worse I guess we have no choice... Go on, then.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Yeah, it wins the endurance fight, sadly. [Which is frankly insulting! Nothing should be able to top Zetta in any way, shape, or form! Stupid rules of the Far Shore.]

[That just makes him all the more eager to blast it, though. Power gathers around him, a mix of their combined mana.]

ZETTA REND!

[Twin beams slash out of Zetta's eyes, slamming into the ayakashi's form. For a moment, they look to have done nothing... but then the spirit begins to tremble and glow red. Because cool guys don't look at explosions, Zetta turns neatly in midair, the better to laugh as the mushroom cloud rises behind them.]

[shiitan]

[Cool guys may not look at explosions, but Ross had no such illusions about himself as he attempted to get a glimpse of it. He could wiggle and turn a little, granted, but he definitely wasn't getting the view he would have if he was in his human form.]

No fair, book boss.

[He was low-key concerned about what happened to the minions, but he didn't dare say that.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

[They weren't in the target squares.]

Quiet, I'm doing you a favor. If you look at the explosion, you're totally lame.

[Cool guys don't &tc.]

[shiitan]

I don't really care about that though.

[Someone might as well stamp "marches to the beat of his own drum" on his forehead by this point.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Then you should be honored that I'm looking out for your coolness for you. Now return!

[No sense keeping him all bookmarked up with the battle won.]

[shiitan]

[With a glowing light, his vessel form faded and his human form appeared a few paces away. He covered his shinki mark with his other hand almost on instinct. The last time his vessel form had been used to fight was... Nope, he wasn't thinking about that anymore, as much as his idle thoughts wanted to jump at the association.]

Is that all for today?

[That was the response Zetta got instead of another insubordinate quip.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that did it. This park ought to get its act together in no time with that big ugly thing done. [Oblivious to Ross's secret character depth, Zetta turns back to scowl at the tree. In some intangible way, it already looks better. Or feels better, maybe.]

Let's get out of here.

[shiitan]

[Well, Zetta not noticing also meant he didn't need to explain himself. That was more than acceptable!]

I'm not going to make a cool exit.

[At this point, he was just going to go home and take a nap.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Uh, does that mean you don't want to teleport back to the Far Shore? Because going with me automatically makes you cool...

[shiitan]

Is that how it works? [There was a hint of a wry smile.] If you want me to come home you should just say so.

[That...wasn't exactly a "yes, I don't want to."]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Hey, you can go wherever you want and do whatever you want. [That, at least, Zetta has going for him: very few demands on Ross's free time.] I'm just offering you a ride back if home is where you want to go.