SMT CotBW: Wiping All Out

((Vel, Light, and Squish))

The trio ventured into the dark labyrinthine halls of Home IV. Corpses littered the floor, and the scent of demonic scum and energy was everywhere now, even on their skins. At an intersection of hallways, something that looked like a chicken with its head cut off ran by across their bath, from the right hall.

Would you follow it? The dangers and mysteries of the Home's new shape in the Dark world is nothing like you've seen before, getting lost is as easy as taking your foot off the right path, which makes it even worse when you don't know what the right path is.

"Thank... ah, you." Constance was taken by surprise when the demonic energy sank through her skin. She could feel it prying, prodding her as if it was searching for something. When it seemed to find what it was looking for, Constance felt a strange tingle in her brain, as though the energy had settled there. As they walked towards the entrance, she felt a foreign power pulsing through her, although it felt as natural as an emotion. Without really knowing how, Constance knew she had the ability to heal wounds. The presence of this power was greatly received, providing a good boost to the girls' confidence.

Constance was grateful for the breath she had held as they entered the derelict Home; meaning her senses were swamped with the reek of demons and death a precious few moments later than Nikolai. Instantly she felt the impulse to leave; her body reluctant to inhale any more of this fetid air. She fought the urge, along with the nausea that came with it. Constance took breaths through her mouth until she was confident she wasn't going to expel the contents of her stomach. As they walked further in, she huddled her quarterstaff to her chest, taking a small comfort from the soothing chill of the metal that was pressed into her clenched fingers. She was glad for Nikolai's attempt at a distraction.

"I was born in Home Two..." Constance paused for a moment, her gag reflex threatening at the feel of her tongue waving through the tainted air."... my mother's a teacher, and- oh!"

She halted her sentence in favour of a gasp, soon covered by her hand at the sight of the strange creature that darted across the hallway.

"Maybe it's seeking out the survivors..." She suggested. The notion of following a demon was not appealing, but if it led them to their objective...

"Damn it, you two!" Seriously?! Why would they let it just run past them? "Don't just stand there; let's get that bastard!"

Normally, Evrard wouldn't have been quite so rash and angry, especially given that he'd been in the shoes of the younger person who wasn't sure of their role yet. That was normally. Now, though, he was still fired up and inexplicably bloodthirsty from the demonic energy that the old man had surrounded him with. It made his vision seep red, and made his mind turn to very simple ideas. Dominate the boy. Control the girl. Kill that fucking demon.

Evrard shot past his two comrades, dragging his sledgehammer's hardened metal head across the ruined floor as he passed. A heavy groan and screech filled the hall as he stormed forward, seeking the demon that had dared to show itself.

Evrard followed the headless chicken into the dark abyss of the hallway, and around him the shadows seem to grow more substantial, until the people who'd pay attention would see that the shadows were truly there, a physical mound of darkness, that was actually moving.

The headless chicken leaped into one such mound of shadows, after which it slowly began to disappear, until it was gone, leaving one just the original, but two more`in it's place. However instead of being headless, the demon was now apparently complete, and now had a head....

But not one of that of a chicken.

​

They got up off the ground and began to bumble around until they organized themselves enough to fight, with all 3 of them in a row before Evrard.

Evrard howled with laughter at the sight of a demon getting punched with fire in the face. This was what he'd signed up for. He didn't care about rescuing any idiots too weak to survive or too stupid to get themselves out of trouble. All he'd ever cared about was getting in and having the power and the opportunities to smash through as many demons as he could!

"Now that we're all ready to fight..." Evrard leaned back and kicked the head of his sledgehammer up from the ground into the air. After it reached the air above his head, he grabbed onto the handle with his second hand and lunged forward towards one of the demons. A wide grin spread across his face as he slammed the hammer down, aiming for the demon's skull and leaving himself open completely. Death or glory, time to see which I'll get! "Time to die!"

Constance sheepishly followed Nikolai. Evrard had 'kind of' approved of her suggestion, she supposed. As she caught up with their ally, she was all too aware of the corpse propped up against the wall as they passed the intersection in the hallway. Had the demons played this trick before?

As Constance turned the corner, she witnessed the headless chicken leap into a mass of shadows; they were actually manifesting here. Three demons, with heads to accompany their bodies now, arranged themselves in a battle-ready formation.

Maybe I won't have to get involved... She thought, just as Nikolai blasted one of the demons with a jet of fire. That, and Evrard's unshakeable... She wasn't sure what it was; bravery or blood-lust. And these demons didn't exactly seem ferocious. Maybe they were just pranksters like the Pixies?

Whereas Nikolai had positioned himself to attack, Constance had remained to the side of the shadowy hallway. She continued to hold her quarterstaff across her front, but wasn't entirely prepared for an attack.

A blast of flames knocked over a Onmoraki, but it quickly rose to it's feet, seemingly fine. It twitched and leaped with glee, as it fired a return volley of flames at the newly made pyromancer.

Not even a moment later, Evrard brings down his weapon towards the central onmoraki. The Demonic Energies that pooled into evrard earlier took shape, and gave form to a new ability, that dwelt upon his powerful rage. The attack formed in front of his sledgehammer, slamming into the Demon before his hammer could, ripping the demon's face to shreds, and the body disintegrated to nothing.
Evrard learnt ANGER HIT!

The one on the far right, seemed hesitant to attack as it watched a large, dark skinned demon with a purple hat appear behind the party.
" Hee-ho. I'm Black Frost, and I'mma be ya Support, hee-ho. Aeric reccomends you try and capture the first demons you find, though it looks like Muscle guy already killed one, hee-ho. Just try talking to them!"

(Demon conversation Program activated: You can initiate a conversation with a demon, and try and do things to win them over, just try anything, dancing crazy, magic tricks, you name it. When you do this, Demons will attempt to talk back, and in general, won't attack you back, unless another party member is rude enough to try and attack the demon)

" These Guys tend to not like talking about cool or fun things, but they do like strong people and talking about physical activities, hee-ho."

Evrard
Health 95%
Spirit 100%

Connie
H 100%
S 100%

Nick
H 100%
S 93%

Onmoraki A
H 100%
Onmoraki B
H 0%
Onmoraki C
H 69%

Whatever the jolly black snowman pretended to be, giving out dollops of advice like they were pez candies, Evrard didn't buy it. It could've been the old man's demon, or it could've been the old man's master; regardless, though, even if he couldn't sense demon power levels or anything supportive like that, he knew when he was outmatched. That 'Black Frost' likely wouldn't even need to break an icy sweat to turn him into a pile of meat and bones.

The slight fear gave way to hesitation, though, and hesitation quickly snuffed his temper and gave Evrard a moment to regard the third of his demonic prey and his 'allies'. The girl was staying back, possibly the smartest thing Evrard would've suggested if she wasn't going to attack yet, but the guy...Nikolai...was following the great demon's instructions.

Evrard glanced over at the third little demon, the one that had yet to attack them. It looked weak, pitifully weak, and from how easily he smashed the first of its kin to nothing, that weakness likely was a thing they all suffered from. Still...beginnings were beginnings, and if anything, it could at least be good for knowing where any other humans might be, or even being a demonic shield.

"Hey, pay attention, trash." Evrard sneered at the third demon and thrust his sledgehammer towards it, though he was far enough away that it couldn't be an attack. Let the demon even dare to refuse his offer. The only options left to it were to submit or die. "Obey me, or I'll wipe you from existence."

Constance wasn't startled by the prospect of talking to demons; she had done it before, for two hours in fact. However, these demons were not pixies. Would they even speak back? She then remembered the COMP's ability to make the language of demons understandable to the human ear. However, Constance was completely happy to let Evrard and Nikolai converse with them, leaving her to stand awkwardly next to Black Frost. She did hope that this exchange wouldn't take too long; every second that delayed them put the missing recruits in more danger, or forced them to endure another second of pain.

Constance was certain she wouldn't have refused a man that had flattened her comrade then barked at her in the way Evrard had. Nikolai took a softer approach she noticed. it would be interesting to see if he succeeded, for she was sure that would be the way she would talk to a demon. If she would attempt to frighten a demon, the girl imagined that she would merely be laughed at.

The Onmoraki that Nikolai was trying to compliment didn't really seem to care. It really only seemed more angry, but then it's attitude changed to a somewhat curious one, went up to Nikolai, and bit into him. Nikolai could feel his energy drain and health falter, but the strange chicken demon seemed content to fall and sit in front of him.

Meanwhile, the final demon realized it was being yelled at feircely by a man who's hammer evaporated his ally, and any courage it could have had faltered, and a shadow of fear swept over the demon's face, and it began to shudder, unwilling to move or run.

The Black Frost seemed to have some plan of action in mind, and began to tell them how to incorporate the demons into their comps and bodies.

"Just go to the Demon summoning program APP, and hold your open hand towards the demon and hit the big red circle, hee-ho. But I think you should probably let the Cute girl ovah heah take this guy, Pyro-ho."

"You heard the black snowcone, runt." Evrard pulled his hammer back and rested it on his shoulders. He glared at the cowering demon with disdain. If it was so quick to shake in fear from a weak threat like his own, then the demon was far too weak for what he wanted. It wouldn't provide him with any power of worth. "Get over to her..." He gestured to his ally behind him. "...and start obeying. Or just die. Your choice."

Constance gazed on, flinching as the small demon sank its tiny fangs into Nikolai. It didn't last too long, and soon its hunger seemed to be sated. Having assumed that the second demon was secured by the domineering Evrard, Constance was surprised when Black Frost suggested she take it instead. Immediately she glanced at her hammer-wielding comrade, who soon shirked the demon off in her direction.

As the chicken-bodied creature waddled up to her, Constance was shaking; was it going to bite her too? She noticed that the demon too was shaking from its encounter with Evrard.

"D-do not worry... I won't harm you." She said as softly as she could. Constance refused to bow down to the demon, however.