Chapter 27: That Which Lurks Underground Pt 1
~TLE not activated~
By me, @tanjaded
-=-=-=-
First, there was nothing. I was nothing.
At no point did my existence begin or end. I was simply nonexistent.
And then I was something. A light, shining through my eyelids.
Light. A bright, ethereal light, surrounding me on all sides. A feeling best described as divine in nature flowed through my body.
And then it was gone, a faint remnant. Everything else swam into focus.
There was something cold and smooth underneath me. I could feel.
A tang, something my mind registered as "metallic" filled the air. I could smell, taste.
My sudden existence frightened me. I moved, violently.
"Careful, my child." A man's voice, smooth and warm. I could hear.
Large hands rested under my arms, helping me from where I'd fallen. Something warm covered my shoulders, scratchy yet comforting.
I was alive. And…
I opened my eyes.
"You've only just begun." The man smiled.
I could see. I existed. The flush of emotion filled my chest. I cried and clung to the man. My father. I don't know how I knew, but in that moment, I was aware of it: this man had created me.
Had given me life. An existence. A soul. Souls.
"Soon. Soon, you shall achieve what all beings strive for."
"Perfection." The words fell from my lips, like the sweetest of honey. "The Truth."
I knew nothing yet, but somehow, someway, I knew this.
Father hugged me.
"That's right."
And from that moment on, I never knew peace.
…
…I wouldn't want it any other way.
-=-=-=-
Evening
Centermost Section
Xerxes, Eastern Empire
"Well now, look what the cat dragged in."
Nin looked up, blood splattered across his goggles. He smirked.
"That doesn't work when you're the one visiting, Eve."
"Of course it works. You're the one that looks like shit, after all."
Eve stepped further inside the room, strolling past shelves and tables filled and covered with everything you'd imagine an evil scientist loving. Vials of bubbling fluid, pipes and tubes steaming and flowing, books opened and not, figurines, statuettes, bloodstains, unidentifiable stains…
It was all there and more.
"Honestly, would it kill you to clean up sometime?" Eve wrinkled her nose, stepping around a particularly fresh stain on the cobblestone floor. "A lady shouldn't have to visit in such conditions."
"Well, if you happen to find a lady to visit here, I'll make sure to roll out my best red carpet."
Nin straightened, pulling his arms out of the massive shadowy corpse. Blood and black mess clung to his arms up to the elbow.
"Very funny." Eve stood a respectable distance away.
Nin raised his arms. "What, no hug for your good friend Nin?"
"If you come near me without washing off first, Drake will need to make a new son. Preferably one that knows how to mop."
"Fine, fine." Nin rolled his eyes good-naturedly. He pressed his hands against their opposite forearm, the tattoos along the back of his hands glowing briefly. Red electricity sparked for a moment, and the gunk coating his arms vanished into mist.
"Better?"
Eve said nothing, instead pointing at the large industrial sink she'd made him install a while back.
"Fuck!" He threw up his arms. "Fine, fucking A. It's like my efforts mean nothing to you."
Eve watched as Nin trudged over and vigorously washed his arms, keeping a close eye to make sure he didn't skimp out.
"How about now?" Nin said, drying his arms off with a towel and looking over. "Am I finally presentable enough for your delicate sensibilities?"
"Well, it's a start." Eve walked over, and the two shared a brief hug. "Now, you just have to do something about that ugly face."
"There's nothing wrong with my face."
"It's your face. Of course there's something wrong with it. No matter how much your change it, it's still you."
"Now you're being hurtful." Nin let out a huff, crossing his arms, "You're only such a comedian when you're in a really good mood. So go on, spill it. What have you been up to in the week since we've last met?"
"Oh everything!" Eve smiled, a dreamy look overtaking her. "I think I met her, Nin. The One! I think I'm… in love."
She sighed like an infatuated schoolgirl.
"Uh, hate to burst your bubble Eve, but you say that all the time. Like, once a month at least."
"You don't understand, Nin! This time, it's real! I can tell!" Eve sighed again, a hot blush splashed across her cheeks, "Her name was Mary… and she's perfect. So innocent, so cute, so strong. Her hair is this adorable short style, with braids in the front, and her eyes-"
"I get it, I get it!" Nin waved her off.
"Although," Eve's expression darkened as she continued, "She has a 'friend'. Her employer, she said, that she's on 'friendly terms' with. Tanya…"
Nin sighed. "Whoever this 'Tanya' is, I fear for her life. Don't do anything rash."
"Oh, like you can talk?" Eve snapped, "Who was it you couldn't kill, that's now in Xerxes on your tail? Some 'Tasha' woman? If I were there, I would've done to her what I'll do to this Tanya, should she even think about getting nearer my darling Mary."
"That is to say, you'll murder them."
"Yes, that is very clearly what I was implying."
"I thought so, which is why I'm so disappointed." Nin spread his arms wide, "You're being so basic with your plots. Merely murdering this 'Tanya'… so boring. Tsk, tsk. You're starting to take after Octavius, it's so boring. Meanwhile, I have already come up with an incredibly clever and entertaining method of dealing with Tasha."
"Oh really?" Eve crossed her arms. "Go on then, my creative and entertaining Fourth Head. How will you clean up you own mess? I'm eager to find out, especially since you're always utterly incapable of cleaning up literally everything else."
She nodded at the massive shadowy corpse behind him. Nin ignored her jab.
"I'm glad to hear you so intrigued, Sixth Head. Here's what you must know," Nin held up a finger, "By this time tomorrow, Tasha the Hero will be taken care of. Cleaned up and wiped away like the stain she is. I've already set my plan in motion with help from Octavius. All that's left is to set the bait."
"Octavius is around? So, that's why Drake is calling for a meeting." Eve said, "He must want that lazy vampire to actually attend for once. Have you been in contact with Drake recently?"
"Not recently, no. We're both busy setting everything up, you know. Father is focusing his effort on the tunnels and on public opinion, and, well," He gestured at the dead Shade he'd been elbow deep in earlier, "You can see I have my own work to do as well. And you?"
"Communications between Xerxes and the capital are being carefully monitored." A snake poked its head from her satchel, it's forked tongue flicking about curiously. Eve brushed a finger against its head, a fond smile on her face, "I have my littler ones keeping a close eye on everything. We won't need to worry about them, nor should we be bothered by those buffoons in Cerberus."
"Excellent. All that's left then is this one loose end."
"A loose end that came about from your carelessness."
"Yes," Nin sighed. "I'm aware. That's why I'm going to tie it up tomorrow, like I just told you. That way, I can report to father about a clear path ahead, rather than one potentially shafted by a single hero annoyance."
"Fine fine, don't get so twisted." Eve stepped forward, patting him on the shoulder, "I'm only messing with you, anyway. Tell me more about this plan of yours. I'll totally help out if my schedule is free."
"Why wouldn't it be free?" Nin immediately regrated asking, as Eve shot him a grin.
"Well you see Nin, when two women love each other very much-"
"Shut up."
"-They will oftentimes find themselves rather busy. I am of course referring-"
"Eve, shut the fuck up. I get it."
"-to the absolute bed breaking making of love that two impassioned lovers can find themselves engaged in- mmphhhmmph."
Nin covered her mouth with his hand.
"I get it. I got the meaning, Eve. You can stop now. For the love of everything, just stop."
Eve nodded.
Nin pulled his hand back with a sigh. "You're evil."
"I'm evil?" Eve raised an eyebrow. "You experiment on people and transform them into those Shade abominations."
"Yes, I do. And I'm a monster." Nin deadpanned.
"…Point taken."
"Of course, I mean that metaphorically. I'm not calling myself a literal member of a monster species."
"I said point taken!" Eve huffed. "Jeez, just tell me about your stupid plan before I decide to actually fill my schedule for tomorrow."
"And now you know how I feel." Nin clapped his hands together. "Alright, so here's what I…"
-=-=-=-
Morning, the Next Day
The Maj Inn
Xerxes, Eastern Empire
Tanya tucked into her waffle with the gusto of a starved man seeing his first meal in days.
Also known as: her usual amount of gusto no matter the meal or how recently she had eaten.
Mary said as much, as she said down across from her.
"No one's going to take it from you." She didn't even blink as a plate was set before her, simply digging in immediately.
Tanya picked up her cup of coffee, sipping leisurely at it.
"Eating quickly is a habit, even so far removed from war."
"Well, I just think you're a glutton." Mary said, "By the way, did you manage to find anything yesterday? I got back to the inn before you, which I honestly didn't expect."
"I found a Shade, if that's what you meant. We had a brief scuffle."
"So, it's dead."
Tanya nodded. "A few of Xerxes' local military officers approached me afterwards and took me to meet their head officer, a General Lotte Garmstrong. Apparently, these Shades have been a problem for months, and I was more than happy to provide her a description of our foe in exchange for her help."
She set her mug down on the table.
"And what about you? How much did you manage to accomplish before returning?"
"Well, I was able to note the main runes and their structure at the southern and eastern points of the wall." Mary set a leather-bound journal on the table, sliding it over while picking up a slice of bacon with her other hand.
"Only the south and the east?" Tanya finished the rest of her waffle, wiping her hands on a cloth napkin before flipping the cover open. "Well, I suppose there were a good number of runes. Did you have trouble figuring out the order?"
The question was genuine, which only made Mary want to sink into the floor.
"No, it's just..." She looked away. "I had to buy that journal first, before I could write anything down."
Tanya glanced over the pages, only marginally interested in the contents. She had no intention of trying to decipher them without the full set, after all.
"Was that a problem?" Tanya closed the journal. "I'm sure I gave you more than enough coins for that on top of your train tickets."
"No, you did." Mary reassured her, "I just... couldn't... find a store."
"You couldn't find one? But you eventually did, right?" Tanya raised an eyebrow, "This one right here."
"Yeah. I did." Mary coughed into her fist, her cheeks coloring slightly, "After like… 3 hours."
"…Are you alright? You do know how to function in society, yes?"
"Of course I do!" Mary snapped, "It's just difficult to find a damn bookstore or whatever when you can't read any of the signs."
Tanya blinked. "What?"
"You heard me."
"Yes, I suppose I did. You can't read…"
Ah, that's right. This world uses Japanese kanji, hiragana, and katakana in its written language. Meanwhile, most of the spoken languages I encountered in our previous world were verbally Japanese or a variation of English, while at the same time using different symbols and characters for writing. Truly an isekai world, despite its abnormally war-tuned setting.
"Huh. You can't." Tanya shook her head, "And you never brought this up before now?"
"I've never had to write anything in this world before now. Or really buy anything, either. Most of my time is spent ether training or resting. And I basically never worry about food, since Shuna or Gob'ichi cook all the time. Between the two of us, you're the one with the actual job, in case you somehow forgot."
"Right…"
"To be honest, the only reason I know what the symbols on my sword mean are because Kurobe told me about them and their meaning." Mary continued, sweatdropping, "I didn't even ask. He just started gushing about the blade as soon as he handed it to me."
"…Remind me, when we get back to Tempest, to teach you the written language here." Tanya said, tactfully ignoring that this situation was ultimately a lapse in her duties as Mary's superior. "It's the same language we're speaking right now, so you should pick it up fairly quick. We'll do that in place of your magic training until you get the hang of it."
"Is that alright? Shouldn't we keep training anyway?"
"Don't worry about it." Tanya waved her off. "You can keep the rust away by applying what you've learned against Hakurou. To be honest, Sue, you're a lot stronger now. You don't need me looking over your shoulder anymore. Not as much, at least."
"Oh." Mary looked away, the back of her neck growing hot. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me for telling you the truth. If anything-" Tanya paused, as her tracing spell yanked harshly at her Magic Sense. "Never mind. Our foe seems to be playing his hand."
"Really?" Mary made to stand, her plate still half-filled.
Tanya motioned for her to stay put.
"I'll deal with this. Finish your breakfast, then finish the task you've been assigned." She gestured at the journal, "Get the rest of the runes transcribed, from the north and west. Nin is not our only enemy in this city, so don't let your guard down. Make sure Souka knows as well, when you link up with her."
Tanya paused.
"Actually, why didn't Souka help you find a store? I know for a fact she can read."
"Oh, right." Mary's brow furrowed. "I didn't see Souka at all. I kind of assumed you called her back for something or other, so I did everything yesterday by myself. Then, we didn't talk about it after we got back. Did you not…"
She trailed off.
Oh. Tanya blinked. Shit.
-=-=-=-
A Little Bit Later
Between Southern Sectors
Xerxes, Eastern Empire
Nin stepped outside the warehouse, stretching his arm high above his head.
He yawned, rubbing absentmindedly at the bags under his eyes. They faded away under his touch, his hair lengthening to just past his shoulders at the same time.
It was a beautiful day out. Sunny and cloudless, though chilly. It would probably snow in a few days, he thought idly, enjoying how to cool air felt on his skin.
He stretched again, this time spreading his arms to either side, before bending down and touching the toes of his polished grey combat boots. His white, long sleeve button up shirt wrinkled at the motion, the back coming untucked from his black military trousers.
After several seconds, he straightened up, a satisfied groan escaping him. It was the perfect day, really. He had finished much of his work, he had a plan to deal with an annoying bug…
All was good.
Nin blinked.
…Why do I feel like I just raised a flag.
He looked to the left and right, checking either way down the street. No one was around, this area sitting behind and between several other, much taller buildings. Most normal people wouldn't even know this area existed, which was exactly the point.
A flash of blonde caught his eye.
Huh, that's odd. I thought Eve had business to take care off before helping me out. He squinted. If that's the case, why is she-
The person began running at him. Nin's eyes widened, and he ducked back inside the warehouse.
"Shit shit shit!!"
The door slammed open behind him, rapid footsteps getting closer even as he rounded a corner and jumped down an entire flight of stairs.
This wasn't the plan! I was supposed to find her!
He sprinted down a hallway, the extremely clean wooden flooring a stark contrast from the busted and beaten down appearance of the warehouse just a floor above.
How did she find me instead?
He turned another corner, ducking inside the first door he found. In the center of the room, a large trapdoor lay open, an earthen tunnel leading directly down into the earth for several meters.
Without hesitation, Nin jumped, falling through the trapdoor and the vertical tunnel underneath it. He fell like a rock, the tunnel shifting from vertical to a sloping horizontal, until he slid out and landed in another, much larger tunnel.
He kept running, alternating between sprinting and shadow hopping through the cylinder-shaped horizontal expanse.
-=-
Tanya landed with a muffled thump, a dirt kicking up under her boots.
Another tunnel? It's fairly big, too. About the size of a… hm.
She held up her sword above her head, blue flames along the blade lighting the area around her. The tunnel seemed endless, pitch-black shadows sitting in every crevice, alcove, and gap in the earthen walls.
About the size of a subway tunnel, actually. Is this one of those underground magitrain tunnels Xerxes is digging?
Her magic flared briefly, and she slashed in a circle, forming a ring of blue flame in front of her. She pulled back her other arm, her palm glowing. Then, she thrust it forward.
FWOOOSH
The ring expanded to the walls and shot forward, leaving intermittent splotches of flame along the tunnel as far as she could see. She kept the flow of magic steady for several more seconds, keeping the ring of blue fire in mind thanks to Magic Sense.
Still darker than I'd like.
Abruptly, as if a string was cut, fire ring disappeared from her senses. At the same time, the connection formed by her tracer spell went taut.
There you are.
She ran for a moment, then took off, flying at breakneck speeds that were almost definitely too dangerous for such an enclosed area. Too dangerous for almost anyone else, at least.
Thanks to this, it didn't take long to reach what she was looking for. Or rather, who she was looking for.
It didn't take long at all to find her prey. He wasn't even hiding.
Tanya touched down lightly.
"Fancy meeting you here." She called, pointing at him with her sword. "Should we engage in banter first? That's the stereotype you're going for, right?"
"I've been waiting for you, Tasha." Nin held out a hand, full of false bravado, "So very kind of you to finally show up. I'd say I missed you, but we've hardly been apart."
"You know what, never mind the banter, okay?" Tanya said, "So, this is a trap then? Perhaps you should try better next time; I'm not exactly feeling the welcome committee."
Nin and Tanya began circling one another.
I need to avoid his hands, that much is obvious. Unfortunately, the space in here isn't the greatest, and if I use anything too powerful, I'll collapse the tunnel on my own head. Decisions, decisions.
"You've been making a real nuisance of yourself, and it's only your second day in Xerxes. I'd be impressed," Nin's grin turned downward for a brief moment, "If it wasn't so irritating. Has anyone ever told you that you're a real annoyance?"
"More than you know." Tanya flipped her sword into an underhanded grip, "You have no idea the amount of joy it brings me. Really though, don't worry too much about it. It's not like you'll have any more worries at all after this."
This whole situation is odd. Those tattoos are weirdly familiar, for one thing, and his ability to… what, to shred things? Whatever he was trying to do to my knee last time, that's weird as well. And also, not related to the tattoos, I think. When he destroyed the house, there was this red electricity, and his tattoos glowed. But I didn't see either when he tapped my leg.
"Is that so?" Nin replied.
"You'll be dead soon. Don't you know? It's hard for a corpse to carry anything into the afterlife."
Also, his power, both magicules and that unique energy, is circulating through his body, but the flow is irregular. Not entirely unlike Sue's magic, though they're clearly not the same. Where her flow lags behind, his flow is disproportionate. In fact, it seems like…
"Well, I appreciate your candor." Nin flexed his hands, "But I'm afraid you're the one who will die here. You have no idea what you've walked in to, do you? Did you think I would set up a trap with no plan? That I was merely lurking in a warehouse, or underground, with no reason, no hidden ace up my sleeve to put that smug face of yours six feet under, permanently? Don't be ridiculous. You'll meet your end here, in these tunnels where all Scylla's wishes will be fulfilled. Your blood will be the first, and your corpse will serve as a fine frontline puppet in Scylla's army. My greatest Shade yet! You should be honored-"
Ah, is that it? Tanya was not listening. The flow of power is... his hands are particularly bright under Magic Sense. That would make sense, so let's test it, shall we?
"Shut up already." Tanya stopped circling, turning to face Nin fully. "Did you lead me here to talk? To prattle on about your evil schemes, to continue acting as though you have the upper hand?" She scoffed, "Who gives a shit?! I'm going to kill you, and then I'll find this 'Scylla' you've so helpfully namedropped and kill all of them too."
"Tch." Nin stopped as well. His grin sharpened. "Keep that same energy, hero. How could I not have the upper hand, when you've already lost?"
He held up a hand, a disk of red magic circling his ring finger.
"I had to call in a favor from the Second Head for this. So, I hope you appreciate my efforts in the midst of your suffering!" Nin thrust his hand forward, runic script and crimson magic swirling quicker and quicker between his fingers. "Enjoy this blood curse, from me to you!!"
Tanya stiffened.