large back up June Roferia through Water Love

Roeferia vs Letheria

  In the house there stands two people, two demonic women; one of them is wearing a black gothic dress with red hem and corset lace, has a long purple demon tail with a spade like tip, a pair of purple demon wings, long wavy black hair reaching halfway down her back, tiny slightly curved horns on the sides of her head and red eyes. The other woman is nearly identical in face and red eyes; however her gothic dress is red with black hem and lace, she has no visible tail, same exact wings though, hair tied up in a bun and no horns.

  The woman in red speaks, "How are you here little sister? I did not hear your name called for the Overlord Tournament."

  "I was summoned." says the woman in black.

  The woman in red looks around, "by these children? how?"

  The one boy and girl, brother and sister, 16 and 15, practically born back to back so they almost feel like twins at times.

  "A twist in magic," says the woman in black, "no doubt because this world was being twisted by those demon gods and eldritch that were showing up. I was summoned, contracted, so I cannot be part of the tournament. A shame really, my Netherworld of hungry plants would be so much more fitting for this world than your drab boring underworld of the forgotten. So much simpler too."

  "If that is how it is," says the woman in red, "then we have no more business, you play with these kids Roeferia; but they will know the name of Letheria as their world's goddess of death!"

  With that there is a flash of red light and the demon calling herself Letheria vanishes.

  "Roeferia," stammers the boy, "wh...who was that, what was she talking about."

  "New York," says Roeferia causing the two children to stare wide eyed, "was Letheria's doing, the dome, the giantess you saw was a projection of an Architect of Hell, a demon empress holding a tournament in which twelve demon lords would compete for who would hold dominion over this world's souls of the damned. As I am not part of it I don't know who all is out there; I didn't recognize the monster that attacked the city; but my summoners, there are millions of netherworlds and many times more demon lords who not only have their own domains but would fight for the chance to claim dominion over human souls."

   She produces a twisted smile, "after all, soul bodies can be so useful, endless supply of regenerating meat, power sources, toys, so much to gain in the name of burning away human sins for they can be reborn with a refreshed soul ready to whisper in your mortal form's ears not to make the same mistakes you did in your previous life."


  Roeferia calms down and holds out her hands, her red nails glow as she summons a red floating crystal ball, "I do not know YET who is in this tournament, but there is no rule against spectating."

  The ball glows and produces images, the two children watch, nine sigils appear.

  "Only nine left," says Roeferia, "that means three have already been defeated, I sense it, that tentacle creature that attacked New York has been defeated, I however do not know which other two were defeated, I can only see shadows of who is left and that giant monster is not among them; but let's see who is left."

   The image brings up a vision the boy and girl would recognize as a devil, a large red man with the lower body of a goat with red fur, a muscular build, and large black bull horns.

   A voice not Roeferia's speaks, "Lahk Fhar, Overlord of the Red Sun burning Hell."

  Roeferia moves her hands and another appears,  this time a snow white woman with long white hair, her forearms covered in white wool with three black segmented claws for fingers and a thumb to match poking out of the wool; her lower body is that of a white goat with a long thin black tail with a spear like tip. She has a pair of curved ram horns on her head and intense blue eyes.

  the same voice, "Overlord Victoria of the primordial Desert Hell"

  "Huh," says Roeferia, "she doesn't look like a demon from a desert hell, who else we got,"

  The girl has to clasp her mouth shut and stare in horror as the image brings up a giant skeleton wearing white tattered rags, long arms, hooves for feet, and a deer skull for a head and blue dots in the eye sockets.

  "Winter King," comes the voice, "ruler of a Frozen Forest pocket dimension."

  "Not an overlord," says Roeferia, "but someone trying to get a Hell of their own."

  The image changes to something that confuses the two humans as it shows something that looks like they came from an anime. A tall woman in a lab coat, pointed elf like ears, and insanely long down her ankles blond hair.

   "Overlord Vivicious," comes the voice, "Overlord of the Infinite Hospital Hell."

   Roeferia moves her hands and the image changes to the woman who was just in their house so Roeferia moves it quickly to the next. This one looks like a naked woman with eel like white skin, no signs of genitalia or even nipples, her eyes are solid red, her nose a ridge with slits, her mouth wide and full of shark teeth, she has four large smooth tentacles with squid whip like ends protruding from her back, two upper back and two lower back, so thick and long she is able to hold herself up off the ground with the lower ones. The back of her head is covered in long white hair but looks oddly shape like something is beneath the hair in the image.

   "Overlord Albia," comes the voice, "Overlord of the Catacombs of the Metropolis Hell,"

   "A regional layor overlord," says Roeferia, "looks like an eldritch,"

  The image changes again, the next one looks exactly like Albia except no tentacles, black hair, black eyes, and black lips.

   "Acricia," comes the voice, "No dominion, slated to created an acidic hell if victorious."

   Roeferia moves the sigils and a woman appears wearing a white long simple gown, long black hair, and wearing a white simple mask with a smiling slit for a mouth and slanted angry eyes with glowing green lights inside.

   "Overlord Akiko," comes the voice, "Overlord of the primordial hell of Dark Waters,"

  "Shit," says Roeferia surprising the two, "that's a nasty one, thought she was just a myth...wait the goat woman was said to rule a primordial desert hell...if that's...two silent overlords in this tournament; unbelievable."

   She moves the sigils again for the final one, the two only briefly see a flash of white, someone really tall and bosom with long arms, black hair or cape and also wearing a white mask; but Roeferia practically crushes the spell between her hands before the voice can speak, wide eyed, terrified.

  "Roeferia," says the girl, "what...what was that."

  "A monster," says Roeferia, "even among demon lords, a fairy queen that rules a labyrinth she populates with dolls she makes out of people who catch her eye."

  "fairy," says the boy snickering.

  "Fae," says Roeferia sternly, "are gods, gods over aspects of nature. That one, has various flesh harvesters and other vicious harvest spirits in her court. Make no mistake my summoners, that one is a horrific creature. But why it would be in a tournament makes no sense except...the doll business. The souls of humans would be turned to toys and dolls to be sold to collectors and scattered across the multiverse...maybe, or her minions would rule while she takes the ones she likes for her collection; just speculation of course. Being fae it may just be doing this on a whim."

  "Roeferia," says the girl after a brief pause, "what do you think is going to happen?"

  Roeferia pauses, "well your souls are mine per out contract my summoners," her smile and glowing eyes remind them of what they did, however her next words are solemn, "but I don't know most of these demons, and primordial hells are said to be ruled by silent ancient death goddesses that sleep for all eternity, and there are two of them here on this planet right now, along with a few monsters and my sister. Honestly surprised everything's been as calm as it has since New York, humanity has almost forgotten about it; honestly a mere six months and humans forget and disbelieve just about anything. But really there shoud be massive battles causing disasters everywhere. If I had to guess I'd say the powerful ones don't care, leaving the others to fight one another till they butt heads. Its not as if this tournament has a time table...maybe, sometimes they do, but clearly this one either has a longer time table or none. In short my summoners, you don't need to worry, when its all over you'll be my little toys so keep making your wishes and live as long as you can; I won't let the other overlords have you."


   *****

  Celestial Summoner Book 2 chapter 4:

   The roles we play:

    The offer was extended, the mysterious woman who emerged from the spirit revelation mirror has offered to tutor Mirai in the arts of summoning; explaining she was her tutor in her last life and would like to continue those lessons. Mirai however has declined the offer, explaining she has graduated from the Grand School of Summoning, and through a series of questions disguised as dialogue revealed her school history, her knowledge of spirit types, the rules of battles, and her experience with Tempestia.

   Holly Lia standing before the gates of the city with Mirai and Lance has taken it all in and cracks a smile, "I see, tell me something Mirai; why arn't you surprised by seeing your pure spirit, the threat of the Primal Shadow, or the fact many other horrors are bound by contracts on this world as you have implied...Daiyakisar, Rhoan the demon general, Azuaria, you have told me a few names of great importance where they are from; yet; you said it all like you were reading it from a history book rather than living and experiencing these encounters yourself. Why is that?"

   Mirai is confused, "I mean, like I said, they're not common, but not super rare spirits; lots of spirits come with those back stories."

   "Back stories," says Holly, "okay and what about your experiences with Rhoan?"

  Mirai looks away, "I...Tempestia has already threatened him."

  Tempestia riding on Mirai's shoulder looks up at her face as Mirai continues, "I overheard them; he is going to back down and not;"

   "You view him as a real threat," says Mirai, "because he doesn't want to be bound to your family and you've had personal encounters with his vindictive nature towards this arrangement. I imagine at some point he even tried to end your bloodline to get out of the contract."

  "Hey!" shouts Lance.

  Mirai puts her hand up, "Its true," her eyes shake a little, Holly, this mysterious woman looks like she is looking right into her soul.

  "He is real to you." says Holly, "I wander, Mirai, tell me the truth, how many spirits do you know of personally that have as you say a back story of being an eldritch horror or demonic being that was the center of bloodthirsty murderous cult, a man eater, a soul harvester, a world ender, or overlord of some dark dominion in part or in whole?"

   "Like I said," says Mirai, "there are plenty of spirits with back stories,"

   "Back stories," says Holly interrupting her, "battle spirits, elemental faeries, daemons, shadows, eldritch, celestial, thirteen great fairy queens...rules, battle conduct, its all just text on a page. Mirai, this isn't summoning, this isn't demons, gods, and fae, this is a game!"

   "Its not a game!" shouts Lance brandishing his sword.

   "Be silent child," hisses Holly, her eyes briefly glowing and her pupils turning to slits, "I am talking with someone whose soul is a god and a demon and everything in between, THAT however means nothing to her because this forsaken dumping ground of magic has habituated her, jaded her to the concepts, but tell me Mirai how many of those backstories have you seen? How many villages have you seen massacred by monsters, wars fought with the powers of gods slaughtering soldiers, cults sacrificing innocent people to blood lusts, or souls screaming in agony as they are torn apart again and again in an endless cycle of pain and regeneration by the demons of the many Hells? Its not real to you, it is just text on a page, stories, a colorful background for that powerful spirit someone puts into a turn based battle; a game."

   Mirai scowls, "Its...not a game," she says quietly.

  Holly walks away a few yards and raises her staff, a ring of green cards appear orbiting it, "Mirai, prove to me its not a game. That all these years of growing up in a world of magic and summoning, attending a school focused on summoning various types of spirits and monsters has not been a waste of your time; prove to me that you are at least as competent as your previous form."

  Holly turns dramatically, "Prove you are capable of commanding the sleep walking form of that entity resting on your shoulder. Prove it and I will leave, fail in my test and submit to my tutelage in the true ways of summoning and the proper understanding and respect of the powers you command!"

  Internally Holly is smirking as she imagines someone else standing in her own place, someone in black and red, a tall bosom woman with shoulder length blood red hair and peircing ethereal blue eyes.

  "A bargain," whispers Mirai looking over at lance, "you saw her eyes right?"

  "Yeah," whispers back Lance as he nods.

  "Alright," says Mirai, "Holly Lia, sorceress from another world. I agree to your bargain, but on one more condition. If I win, you submit to me and become one of my spirits!"

  Mirai holds up a blank capture card.

 Holly's eye actually twitches as she thinks to herself, "This is a stupid world," she then says aloud, "Very well, but the contest is of my choosing, as is your opponent."

   Holly raises her staff and chants words Mirai doesn't understand and a sigil appears on the ground beside her, a rotating strange eight pointed star within a circle from it rises a woman who looks alot like Tempestia save that she has pointed ears, is wearing yellow robes, and has long but only to the small of her back straight blond hair. Holly looks at the woman the woman's eyes illuminate yellow with hints of waves of darkness as Holly's eyes glow with an intense white that gives off little flames. Mirai's irises illuminate purple for a second before she recoils and holds her head.

  "What's wrong?" asks Lance

  "They're speaking to each other," says Mirai, "in the language of higher spirits, that; higher self of myself I contacted earlier tried to eavesdrop but it was too much I only got part of it. I think they're talking about everything we discussed and rules; but it was like whispers and screams at the same time I just...couldn't,"

   "don't push yourself," offers Lance.

   In that intant a platform appears under Mirai raising her up, across the field another rises up and a blue grid appears on the ground a 7x7 spaces each about five feet by five feet wide, the standard professional grid for a short ranged battle. As usual there is one space in front of Mirai and three to her left and three to her right.

  Holly is standing to the side however instead of the opposite platform, there instead is the mystery woman.

  Holly's voice comes through the holographic screens appearing on the control center of the platforms, "Per the rules of this world this is a standard summoning grid, environment is this grassy field. The terms are if Mirai wins she is going to capture me in one of her cards to serve her as a spirit, if however my chosen champion wins Mirai accepts this world treats summoning as an inferior game and follows my tutelage as my student. And just to nip this right away, Mirai, I am not battling you myself because I'd be too lenient and possibly hold back against you and the one you call Tempestia. However this individual here is Corinth, known on her world as the demon priestess. She is a summoner, and won't hold back. The rules of this contest are simple. In the first round each summoner can summon up to five spirits onto the field but only in the first two rows in front of them; in all subsequent rounds they can make one personal action either affecting the status of one spirit on the field, themselves, summon another spirit so long as a spot is available in the first two rows; or directly attack an opponent's spirit but only if they are within the three rows in front of them; they can affect their own team anywhere on the field; they can then issue one command to each spirit they summoned to either move one space, attack, defend, or use one of their other skills. Then the opponent acts. As a turn based contest this goes back and forth. One side looses when the hit points on their podium reaches zero, or can no longer summon any spirits by any means. The give up option is not present."

  Holly looks over at Corinth, "in order to prevent Corinth from sentencing me to servitude; however I trust your pride won't let you just lose."

  "Obviously not," smirks Corinth, "and to be clear since this one didn't hear everything we discussed your majesty, are we seriously calling; her; Tempestia as a rule?"

  "For now," says Holly, "out of respect."

  "Very well," says Corinth, "while we are the challenger I will defer to Mirai the summoner to go first instead seeing as this is her world, something I do believe is within the rules."


  Round 01:

   Mirai pulls out the ornate crystal card, "Tempestia I summon you!" she places the card down on the hologram on the stand corresponding to the field, Tempestia appears in the square directly in front of the platform. She summons another card to her hand and places it to the space directly to the right of Tempestia, "Gummy Bunny Queen,"; a pink made of gum bunny girl appears.

   "Now," she says, "I summon Succubus Mermaid," and places the card to Tempestia's left side, summoning from a watery vortex to hover in the air a mermaid with a black scale tail with red tips to the scales, grey skin wearing a black frightful bikini top, short black hair, a pair of demon wings, and blazing red eyes.

   She places another card she summons to her hand directly infront of Tempestia, "for my four summon I summon Blade Leaf Dryad," a beautiful lithe woman with slightly green skin appears, she has long pointed ears, olive green hair, and is barley coverd by thin leaves over her breasts and pubic mound. Her arms also sword a blade of long straight leaf like blades.

  After a moment of thought and studying the field she places a card away from the others at the far right corner of her first row, "I summon Lesser Phoenix," a small bird made of fire appears in that spot.

  -Corinth's turn

  Corinth looks over the field and summons to her hand a yellow staff with a blue orb clutched in an eagle like claw and aims it at the field, "Arise guardian spirits!" four beams fire out, two at the two spaces to her right (Mirai's left) and two to her left (Mirai's right) of the first row directly in front of her, what appear are four Onryo, pale women with long disheveled hair wearing white gowns. Surprising both Mirai and Lance, not just that she could summon four at once, but that she'd summon ghosts of all things, a type of spirit they know from school and experience can't be controlled once summoned, they will move aimlessly on the field and attack opponents at random. Corinth smirks and raises her staff, "I call upon the powers of the goddess of chaos, by the bloodlines of Rokonaka through the Inferverse I summon forth Supreme Overlord Rhuda!"

   The ground shakes and a dark cloud appears a hundred feet above them in the sky as a red sigil appears in the spot directly in front of Corinth from the sigil slowly rises a woman with an athletic build and fairly large breasts, she is wearing what appears to be an armored bikini, her feet are three toed black dragon claws and armored like some boot with a curved blade over her knees, her arms likewise sport clawed hands and armored hauntlets. Behind her a long thin tail swishes about like a whip with a serrated spear like tip covered in blue flames. She sports a pair of large black demon wings, as well as two sets of horns, a set or curved black ram like horns, and connected above them at their base on the sides of her head long slightly curved almost gazelle like honrs; her appears to be only neck length and black, however a large plumbe of blue flames in the shape of hair rises up and down to the center of her back between her wings. Her eyes are blue and glowing, her skin slightly grey and her face like Corinth's similar to that of Tempestia.

   "Who dares summon me," says Rhudra, "what moronic fool would make such a fucking stupid mistake!"

  She turns and glares up surprising Mirai and Lance, "Corinth," says Rhudra, "what is this? Do you know what I was doing just now? Who the fuck do you.."

   She walks into the barrier around each square Mirai and Lance didn't even realize existed.

   "There's a barrier," whispers Mirai.

  "Rhudra," says Corinth calmly pointing her staff out to the field, "look over there please."

  Rhudra glares at her and turns, "What..." she pops her neck, "What the fuck is this?"

  "A turn based summoning contest," says Corinth, "and look just past that dryad at that Nature Goddess, look familiar."

  Rhudra raises a brow and leans over peering past the Blade Leaf Dryad, "Well, that's interesting, but I don't sense much power...don't tell me, a dream form. Oh this is rich."

  Rhudra turns, "Still doesn't excuse summoning me like this, and why the fuck did you summon me through the Inferverse, this fucking form makes me constantly horny and you locked me in a box you teasing bitch."

  "For the limitations," says Corinth, "any other way and you'd have destroyed the entire arena the second you accidently walked into its barriers, that said."

  Corinths eyes glow yellow again and Rhudra's an intense blue with electric sparks, Mirai looks down at Tempestia who is standing there stoic as ever but her eyes clearly fized on Rhudra and glowing slightly.

  "Got it," says Rhudra turning back to the game, "Okay Corinth, I'll play this little game for now." She places her clawed hand on her chest, "We can take turns beating the shit out of each other all civilized like."

  She points her claw like finger directly at Tempestia, "You better give me a good fight father."

  Tempestia stands silent not responding. Rhudra *growls*, "fine, using such a fucking limitation. Turn based combat bullshit, don't get mad when I knock some sense into you."

  "and that," says Corinth, "I do believe ends our opening round."

  -Round 02

Mirai studies the field, "okay personal move," she sets a card down for the far left spot of the first row in front of her, "I summon Lesser Phoenix," another Lesser Phoenix appears in that spot.

  "Now first Lesser Phoenix, consume,"  the Lesser Phoenix on the far right ignites the grass under it and absorbs the fire becoming a little bit stronger.

   "Gummy Bunny Queen use Bounce Defense," the Gummy Bunny Queen strikes a cute pose and its body glistens a little for a second.

   "Blade Leaf Dryad use Sharpen," the Blade Leaf Dryad runs her leaf blades over each other making an unnatural metal slicing sound and the glow green for a second.

   "Succubus Mermaid move one space forward," it floats forward by one space.

  Mirai pauses looking at the enemy side and down at Tempestia, she remembers the battle against Daiyakisar where Tempestia took on a warrior form, and the dark water summoning in the Ocean Temple that she tells herself must have been The Primal Shadow as represented on the size limiting grid; and looks over at the move screen and how its still blurry; and what the opponent said about limited form...also called her father, but ignoring that.

  "Tempestia, I command you to take on a form if you can that matches that Rhudra in strength."

  "As you wish my princess," says Tempestia stoically, a great red eight star sigil appears under her, her eyes shoot wide and she lets out a loud scream that surprises Mirai, a pillar of dark red shoots up engulfing Tempestia. Her gown turns black, her hair blood red. The gown splits down the black turning to shadows that become the same clawed feet and arms of Rhudra, a long tail with a spear blade like tip, and a pair of wings, she too sports the same four horns, two curved, two long, and the same battle bikini. When the pillar of red light vanishes the two are virtually identical except Tempestia's tail has a blood red flame on it and her hair is a thick waved of dark red flame like energy.

   Tempestia pops her neck and runs her claws over her curves, "At last I'm back,"

   She flies up and spreads her wings, Rhudra raises a brow as the wings are clearly beyong the grid limitations on space and then lowers back down to the spot, "Oh my, oh my, do my eyes decieve me, my little child has become a demon lord; decided to take my place in the Inferverse as the Netherian Succubus Supreme Overlord have we?"

   "Look behind you," says Rhudra with a smirk.

  "Hmm," says Tempestia looking back and giving Mirai a quizzical look, "checking memory,"

  After a pause she says, "I...see. Are you afraid Mirai? The stoic and silent nature goddess form so feared your rejection, a timid personality crafted to prevent you from rejecting our embrace again like so many of your past lives...well like three I think, I sometimes mix up your past lives with Akiko's; you both end up becoming kick ass ghosts between lives."

   "YESSSS!" shouts Mirai surprising everyone, "I knew it, a demon lord, awesome. I fricken knew it! The facade, the timid personality, hitting ghosts, eldritch and light spirits fearing you, other demon lords showing up trying to get you back."

  She gestures over at Holly and Corinth, "Hah, if I knew I just had to command it in battle I'd have done it sooner. That angelic moth form you took was so over the top and an obvious disguise painting over demonic features. I mean, sea of darkness, slumber, I mean really Tempestia you twisted other spirits into demonic forms in the Ocean Temple and your own subordinates took on that generic form to try and get revive you fully. I knew you were half asleep...I mean you told me that much; several times."

   Mirai is all smiles, "Rhoan usually looks like a butler, but has this giant armored demon form, and he acted like your subordinate, even blamed you for being here. Hah! a succubus overlord even tried to get to you. I knew I had summoned something awesome for my partner, you just needed to fully awaken. Okay Tempestia get ready because we are kicking so much ass from now on!"

   Tempestia raises a brow, "Well...that was unexpected, fine whatever, then my princess the Netherian Succubus is at your service, our contract naturally does not change."

   She turns and smiles at her opponents.

   -Cortinth's turn

   Corinth raises her staff the jewel glows gree as she orders with all the confidence of a general commanding their troops, "All Onryo one step forward!" all four Onryo move one space forward at the same time.

   "Impossible!" shouts Mirai as she and Lance exchange a look, "that's against the rules!"

   "No its not," says Holly from the side lines, her voice echoing through the holographic displays, "This is what I was talking about, you spoke of the limitations regarding ghosts as if it was some solid rule; you were taught each spirit can only act or be commanded a certain way. You were never taught how to properly control the souls of the dead; one can imagine for a reason given this society. But by what logic can you stand there and claim ghosts somehow do whatever they want on a battle field that is also preventing them from attacking your or your side directly? The magic is still binding them, you just were never taught how to take it one step further. Think about it as something other than backstories to make the spirits more colorful and what sense does it make you can command demon lords, elemental forces of nature, and beings worshipped as gods; but not a ghost?"

   "I...guess," says Mirai.

   "Corinth," continues Holly, "is a summoner, who summons all the same spirits and monsters this world has; has done so for centuries, and doesn't even need those cards you use."

   "Although," says Corinth, "I do have Rhu'ne'mon cards I collected from Volca."

  "Roo..what?" says Lance to the side.

  "Long short," says Holly to the side, "its the old name for those spirit cards you all use here, a name given to them on another world when commanding mystic monsters."

   "If we are done here," says Corinth, "I chose to forgo another summon this round, and instead order Rhudra to take one step forward as well."

  Rhudra *sighs* and moves one space forward,


 -Round 03

   Mirai studies the field and smirks, "you're going to regret relying on ghosts, trying to teach me a lesson, when you're clearly new to this game. Control them or not, this is a standard short range field, if this were a larger battle ground contest it would be different."

   After a brief pause, "for my personal action I cast fire rocket on my own Lesser Phoenix,"

   She holds up a card and a fast fire ball blasts down and strikes the Lesser Phoenix to the right, it absorbs the blast and transforms to double its size.

   "Now it is no longer Lesser Phoenix but a Pet Phoenix. I bought these two just a few days ago and hadn't gotten around to enhancing them yet. Few think to cast attack battle spirits on their own spirits."

    Mirai performs the spirit commands.

   "Pet Phoenix move one space forwad,"

   "Lesser Phoenix, consume"; the Lesser Phoenix at the far left burns the grass under it, absorbing the fire and becoming a little bit stronger.

   "Succubus Mermaid, use dark aura." the succubus mermaid is covered by a shadowy flame like aura.

   "Blade Leaf Dryad, defend" it raises it leaf blades in a blocking fashion.

   "Gummy Bunny Queen, move one space forward."

   "Tempestia," Mirai pauses and looks at the holographic screen for Tempestia now completly blurry again, "um...defend."

   Tempestia holds her clawed hand out and says, "Spirit Shield," summong the circular disc of blue energy in front of her. On the holographic screen some words unblur in the move list, *Spirit Shield*.

   "Still has that move," says Mirai softly, "these discover as you go restrictions are tricky to work around. Need to think what you might be able to do in this form and how to phrase it so you'll do them on your own so its unlocked as a command."

  "That ends my turn," says Mirai

  -Corinth's turn

    Corinth raises her staff to the air, "for my personal move as well as the command for all four Onryo I give you this gift oh Princess of the Enchanted Forest!"

    Mirai raises a confused brow as Corinth continues, "I call upon the powers of darkness, in the name of the goddess Rokonaka, the shadow that casts light and the light that casts shadow I sacrifice the necro force of these four vengeful spirits to access and call from the dark waters beneath Hell!"

   All four Onryo scream as green light erupts from their upward turned eyes and mouths blasting into the air, twisting, and gathering into a sphere above Corinth's staff, all at once all four Onryo vanish like the morning mist. Corninth thrusts her staff to the heavens forming a massive green sigil of strange stars and symbols rotating in seven circles, "I call forth from the dark waters that born from the goddesses of death and chaos, child of darkness, mother of nightmares, from the forgotten corridors of corrupted innocence I summon forth the eldritch one, the Doll Collector!"

  The sigil collapses violently, vibrating as a intense dot of compacted sigils with darkness clawing to get out of the symbol covered ring wheels. She thrusts her staff downwards, firing a dark red and blackness filled beam at the spaces to Rhudra's right (Mirai's left) *two from the left side of the board and two inwards from Corinth's side*

   This blast forms a dark red sigil on that spot from it slowly rises a ten foot giant woman wearing a white bell shaped dress, tight around her waist, large breasts that are as white as cotton, her arms just as cloth like and inhumanly long, her hands long and thing with pointed fingers like claws; her neck and head hidden in darkness and wearing a white mask that floats in a shadow; a shadow that extends back into a massive plume of hair like a black cloud moving as if in wavs down to her waist but also stretching out behind *clipping* through the barrier of the square she is in as if she cannot be trully contained in this universe. The mask floating where a face should be is white and shaped like a woman's face with oval eyes with black spirals painted around them, blue orbs of light inside the mask's eye holes where eyes should be, and the mask's lips painted black.

   "Interesting," says Tempestia, "Be careful my princess, I am certain she is playing a dangerous game here."

   before anyone else can speak a massive orb of red light appears in the sky above the arena, a woman's voice speaks from the orb, "For allowing herself to be summoned to another world The Doll Collector forfeits the Overlord Tournament."

   Without explination further the light vanishes. Rhudra turns to her right, "Sister, you know you can deny a summoning if you are in an Overlord Tournament...also there is an Overlord Tournament going on...that you were in?"

   The Doll Collector turns slowly and speaks slowly, "It was boring, little sister. I saw this game being played by family, mother and two sisters, looks far more fun than waiting around while the dolls fight."

   Holly looks up at Corinth giving her a concerned look, Corinth *shrugs*, "I didn't know, however with her consent we can continue."

   Corinth *smirks*, "Rhudra, if you would please, move forward by one step."

  Rhudra moves forward one space and says, "No offense sister but so far I have found this game rather dull, just standing around and not fighting."

   She taps her clawed foot against the edge of the space, the entire blue grid lights up and the ground shakes, "I am half tempted to flip the table."

   "What," whispers Mirai.

   "If you don't mind," says Tempestia, "I would appreciate it if you played by the rules of this world daughter."

   "Or what," says Rhudra defiantly, "your not even awake right now, sleep talking threats while you lie in bed just wasting the day away."

   Tempestia's tail strikes the ground kicking up dirt and grass with a loud whip crack making Mirai jump in surprise, "Perhaps," says Tempestia, "you need a good spanking."

   "Well threaten me with a good time," remarks Rhudra.

   "Where did you even hear that?" asks Tempestia.

  "Been checking out alot of Earths," says Rhudra, "remember, oh wait, your barely lucid right now. That's a dream form, while I am."

 Rhudra does a seductive stretch, "cosplaying as a demon lord. I take it this is the world Sanu was just at, that explains that weird form she and Nina were in when I passed them in the hallway."

  "This," says the Doll Collector in a haunting ethereal voice, "is wasting time, Corinth's turn is over. It is now Aunty..." her mask tilts in confusing, "I only know an old name for you, what name are you known by now?"

  Mirai looks down at Tempestia, over at Rhudra and Holly, "Uh," says Mirai, "the spirit of my opponent is addressing me directly without being prompted...um...Mirai."

   "Mirai," says the Doll Collector, "I like it, I am known as the Doll Collector, as I collect dolls. Your dolls playing with mother are cute, I especially like the bunny. I digress. It is not your turn, Aunt Mirai."

  *Round 04

   "Alrightt," says Mirai, "she just lost four powerful ghosts and replaced  them something else I've never seen before, that looks like a ghost and...called me aunty,"

   "My Princess," says Tempestia, "The Doll Collector called you aunty because your higher self is the sister of her mother. Which to be honest you've met, in a manner of speaking, the masked Onryo you regarded as my passive form's sub-summon that emerged in search of myself in the Ocean temple; currently going by the name Akiko Yamamura, her higher self is known as a goddess of death; as in death its self within the pantheons she addresses herself in."

  "I," says Mirai, "I didn't even have...to ask you this time, what is going on?"

  "In addition," says Tempestia, "a bit of advice,"

  She turns and flies up to be face to face over the short distance to the one space before the platform, "how many spirits Corinth summons or sacrifices is irrelevent in this battle. How many you do however is. You will not defeat her via a war of atrition, look at her platform, notice how she has been summoning. Her holographic display has floating sigils on it to represent the spirits while you have physical cards laid down. The terms of this contest were which ever side loses all their HP or all the spirits they can summon are defeated. In a regular contest you and your opponent would have only the 200 maximum cards you can carry, not all of which are spirits that battle but also enhancements, healing, and direct attacks."

  "Uh, yeah," says Mirai confused, "so..she al..so..wait...are you saying.."

  Tempestia nods (a far more frightening gesture than it should be thanks to her horns), "Corinth is not a summoner of this world, she uses direct summoning, what this world refers to as ritual summoning; however due to her immense magical power she can perform high level summoning of this manner quickly; it has always been her primarily means of doing battle. Already the two she has on the field, the only spirit in your aresonal that can even stand against them is myself, although in this form where I am lucid not awake my power would be even with the form Rhudra is in now...but not the Doll Collector's current form. You cannot rely on trying to simply overpower her forces."

  "Got it," says Mirai, "I have to be tactical, treat them as obstacles and target her life points directly. But still fewer she has, the easier to manuever around; this is a short range grid battle, limited movement, reduced range on attacks."

   Tempestia turns and lands back in her spot.

  "Cute," remarks Rhudra across the field, "how about you wake up and we have a real fight."

  "Alot of talking," remarks Lance up to Mirai, "I have never seen a battle where the spirits banter so much during, especially not in a turn based fight."

  Rhudra tilts her head and looks down at Lance, "Oh, the enchantress of the enchanted forest; seriously that book gives you all weird titles, any who, she has a cute little cheering section. And a soldier it looks like, tell me something boy are you all grown up? Would you like to come up here and put on a real show for the ladies?"

  Lance looks away, "Its just like Miss Ora's partner spirit."

  Rhudra taps the grid barrier around her space with her claw, "But I guess you can't. Hmmm, can you? Have humans ever walked out onto one of these fields while in play? Are you so different from what you summon pretty soldier."

  "Pet Phoenix!" says Mira alot louder than neccessary drawing everyone's attention to her, "I command you to move one space to the left." the Pet Phoenix moves one space over right beside the Gummy Bunny Queen.

  "Lesser Phoenix, move forward one space."

  "Succubus Mermaid, forward one space,"

   "Blade Leaf Mermaid, forward one space."

  "Gummy Bunny Queen, forward one space."

  "Tempestia, forward one space."

   "With that, my turn is not done, I can still perform a personal action, it can be done before or after ordering the spirits after all."

   She summons a card to her hand, "I summon, Najiraune!"

  She places it to appear in the space directly in front of her. A giant red flower appears from the ground and opens up to reveal the feminine but red scale covered torso of a snake woman, complete with clawed reptilian hands, a semi-snake like head (muzzle is slightly mammalian, and a cobra's hood

   "I can also summon powerful spirits, my family goes way back and have alot of really strong spirits. I brought an army of powerful ones because this area has had problems with spirit poachers in the past; and as powerful as Tempestia is, her passive facade personality has made ordering her to act quickly a bit problamatic, so yes, I packed along some ruthless monsters like the infamous Najiraune; a grand boss level mystic monster known for trying to devour her opponents and filled with a plethora of skills."

   "Now, I end my turn."

   Lance looks on in surprise thinking, "Was not expecting that, first she's so excited her partner spirit is really a demon lord and I never suspected she'd have something like that in her deck."

  -Corinth's turn.

   "So much planning," says Corinth, "but you know, this was over before it started."

   Corinth raises her staff to the heavens, "By the power of the celestial goddess Rokonaka I call upon the stars themselves to answer, I beseech thee, I bekon to thee, I plead to the hearts of chaos and creation, come forth Sahralia the Star Killer!"

   The sky turns from day to night, something visible for miles around and beyond; the Grand Summoning school can even see the edge of the celestial effect. From the epicenter of this event a beam of blue blasts down from the heavens striking the spot on the field directly in front of Corinth. The light clears and the heavens close up again; revealing on the field an elequent woman with a glowing blue skin, S-curve segmented horns, long dark blue hair, wearing a many shades of blue wide sleeves oriental gown, a long reptilian like tail with a blue tuft of fur at the end, demonic wings, and eyes of icy blue.

  "Now," says Corinth, "I make no other moves."

  "What is this nonsense," says Sahralia speaking not to Corinth but the demonic figure standing in front of her, to Rhudra.

  Rhudra's eyes light up shooting sparks as Sahralia's glow with blue flames.

 "I see," says Sahralia, "This is the planet Nina was crying about. I was tempted to come here myself. After all Mirai was once my summoner as well."

   Mirai shakes her head as an odd image flashes in her mind, sitting on a couch holding three animals in her lap, a blue ferret with horns, a red squirrel-fox, and a yellow dog. There is a girl there she doesn't recognize with the ears and tail of a black cat and some guy who is definetly not Lance.

  *Round 05

   "I see," says Tempestia flying back up to converse with Mirai, "my princess, Corinth is testing the magical limitations of this world. I can predict one of two moves she may take next, neither is good."

  "Please return to the grid Tempestia," says Mira sternly surprising the spirit. As Tempestia flies back down Mirai projects her voice, "I am Mirai Tokona of the Tokona family, founders of the Royal Adventurer's Guild. I am a graduate of the Grand Summoning School and ranked among the top percent of summoners in the kingdom! I am not intimidated by the demon followers of a demon lord contracted to me! I will not surrender her back to your Hell or any other Netherworld. Do you understand? Regardless of how many or how strong of spirits you can summon, it means nothing to me! So stop with the psychological warfare."

   She calms down, "and Tempestia you once asked me if I wanted to send you away, I heard you talking to Rhoan, I don't want you to leave okay. You are my familiar...eh..what...I mean you are my partner spirit."

   She points at Corinth and shouts, "No one is taking MewMew from me.." she pauses, "I..what...I mean Tempestia, ugh, whatever."

   She shakes her head, "For my personal action I cast Necro Shield on the Najiraune,"

   A green glow briefly comes over the Najiraune.

   "Next, Pet Phoenix move forward one space,"

  "Lesser Phoenix move forward one space,"

  "Succubus Mermaid, diagonally forward to the left,"

  "Gummy Bunny Queen, diagonally forward to the right,"

  "Blade Leaf Dryad, diagonally forward to the right,"

  "Tempestia, forward one,"

  "Najiraune use phalanx of vines!"

  The Najiraune lifts up its petals to reveal the twisted spiral of vines around its base that shoot into the ground, stalkes with cone shaped heads fully of teeth erupt from the ground, one space in every available direction around it, left, right, diagonally left and right, and in front. due to being up against the platform no behind spaces could be filled.


  "that ends my turn," says Mirai confidently, the field looks dominated by her forces, while Corinth only as the three spirits out.

  -Corinth's turn.


   "For my first move," says Corinth, "I do this,"

  She raises her staff, "By the binding of souls, by the contracts that transcend the boundaries of death, life, time, and the universe I call to thee from beyond the veils of existence!"

   A swirling vortex of blackness and stars appears above the battle field, she aims her staff at Mirai, "By the contract embedded in the eternal soul of this woman I summon thee!"

   "What is this?!" shouts Mirai as a yellow smokey glow rises from her body, her eyes glowing purple. As Corinth thrusts her staff skyward the mist erupts off of Mirai's body into the portal, only a second later for a yellow beam to fire down from it, striking the space directly to Rhudra's left (Mirai's right) in the second row from Corinth's podium. A yellow rotating sigil appears there and in a flash of yellow and black particles a man appears there wearing a yellow leather vest, yellow leather pants and boots, a yellow and open trench coat, and large yellow cowboy hat. He his hair is blond and his face scruffy. His eyes a peiring gold.

   He smiles, "Mirai! Been so long *oomph!*" he walks right into the barrier of the grid.

   "What is this nonsense?" he says.

  Rhudra *chuckles*, "A turn based grid battle system, short ranged, seven by seven squares. Your precious Mirai has amnesia thanks to what the Architects of Hell did to her world, this is her, but not her, a reincarnation who is effectively the same person with minor tweeks like her last name being weirdly rearranged. Corinth is summoning us to fight against her team, which as you'll note is made up of low class monsters and our mother."

   "I, see," says the man, he tips his hat at Mirai, "My apologies ma'am, perhaps this will help jog your memories."

  There is a bright light and in his space now stands a small yellow dog wearing a cowboy hat.

  "Wh...what," stammers Mirai, she turns to Lance, "Luke where...where am I...where's Nikki? Albia? Where...wait...no...you...Lance, your name is Lance, where, what is going on?"

   Mirai looks down at the Field at Tempestia, "Mistress where am I? Where's Vicky...I mean Nikki and Luke and...Vicky...that...that's the succubus we met, I...who the fuck is Emily...wait what...I am...what is..."

   "Well that ends this prematurely," says Tempestia holding her hands up as if to clap.

  "Mirai!" shouts Lance, "get ahold of yourself, remember me, Sakura, Angela, I don't know what psychic trick they're playing but stay focused!"

  Mirai shakes her head, "Got it, right, okay Corinth, what is that spirit?"

  The dog is illuminated by light and returns to human form, "I am Zahnon, Zahon the Dimension Walker. God of destruction."

   He looks around, "Clearly someone is trying to jog your memories to have this cast here, although I am not certain if your past selves ever met the Doll Collector."

  "I summoned her," says Corinth, "because I needed at least one who wouldn't hold back in this contest."

  Rhudra laughs, loudly, boisterously, *Oh hoo hoo hoo!*, "and you think I will? Corinth, Corinth, little sister, I am the demon lord of thunder and lightning, I have corrupted mortals, spawned an aristocracy of vampires on an adjacent world to this one, and conquered an entire continent in the Inferverse as my own personal playground. Oh...and killed gods and angels alike. A few little mystic monsters and rough housing with my father isn't going to make me hold back."

  "Okay," says Mirai down to Tempestia, "I am trying not to go insane here, but seriously, why does that other demon keep calling you her father?"

  "Because," says Tempestia, "I grew a magic penis, fucked the witch that released me from my eldritch seal from the bottom of an ocean, and sired Rhudra in the process."

  "Oh," says Mirai blushing slightly, "I, um, okay, are...are you angry. I know I yelled at you but,"

  Tempestia holds up two fingers, "Two chimes remain, I am in groggy and grumpy mode right now."

  Mirai smiles, surprising Tempestia, "got it, not fully awoken, not at full power yet. Lets get those levels up."

  Mirai shouts, "Hey, so are we playing or what over there?!

  Corinth glares, "Very well, looks like the temporal shock wore off."

  Mirai is forcing a smile, but in her head flashes of memories, of a tall blond woman, a nekojin transforming into a shadowy magical girl, another man with a sword, but a katana instead, and a strange pale female creature with four tentacles coming out of her back are all flashing around inside her head, along the giant black scorpion woman, the tall buildings of metal and glass from her dreams, and legions of people and monsters of different worlds.

  "As I have summoned Zahnon," says Corinth, "I can't direct him at the same time, however, know the power of these beings and tremble!"

  She dramatically points her staff to the field, "Doll Collector take out that Succubus Mermaid!"

  The Doll Collector stands there as thin black stands of hair shoot down into the ground around her from the nebula ascending from where her head should be behind the mask, beneath the Succubus Mermaid two spaces in front of the Doll Collector the sharp pointed black blades peirce from the ground and through the monster causing it to pop instantly into blue flames, causing both Mirai and Lance to shoot their heads back in surprise.

  "I don't know," says Corinth what terminology this world uses for all its spirits, but I did overheard you refer to your Najiraune as a grand boss, and the Succubus Mermaid is a boss class, so I can assume the mystic monster terms at that level at least are there for comparison young summoner. As you may be aware your...Tempestia is in the form of the Netherian Succubus, as is Rhudra, something known as a Supreme Overlord, to keep this short, every single entity I have summoned can be qualified as a Supreme Overlord in that sense. With my magic I can summon one after another at such a powerful level, and I can safely assume the only thing you have that can counter any of them is Tempestia, who in that form is equal to the form Rhudra is in...but remaining in that form won't be able to defeat Sahralia, Zahnon, or the Doll Collector, who can counter and negate every single attack used by a mystic monster including one using such a form as their avatar."

  "I'm not easily intimidated," says Mirai, "and as my honor as a member of the summoner clan...um...I mean my honor as a member of a noble house in this wor...kingdom...oh just shut up and fight already."

   Lance yells up to Mirai, "Mirai, don't lose focus, its just some..."

  He falls silent as a voice peirces his mind, "You begin to annoy me boy, you may be Mirai's friend, but I will not be interfered with."

  Back on the field Corinth continues her commands,

 :"Rhudra, move one space forward," She moves forward the one space, now only one space stands between the two succubi, one with blue flames the other with red.

 "Sahralia," says Corinth, "use the starlight satellite on one of those ugly toothy vine limbs the Najiraune surrounded its self with if you would please."

   Sahralia raises her right hand to the air and despite being clear on the other end of the field, she summons a white beam lead by a tiny star patter to strike down from above on the vine to the diagonal right forward of it from Mirai's perspective, instantly causing the summoned/body part to poof away in blue flames via a small white explosion.

   "If this weree a larger field," says Corinth looking at the screens showing her what these entities have to work with in this world and their ranges, "


*Round 06

  "Okay," says Mirai, "for my opener,"

  Tempestia's hands glow blue as she brings them together as if in a slow clap, instead of a clap however a loud chime can be heard, that is by everyone except Lance who looks confused as Mirai just stops mid-sentence and looks around.

  "Enough is enough," says Tempestia, "time to end this farce,"

   She brings her glowing hands together again, another chime, and a spiral of blue flames erupts around her, her tail shrinks and vanishes, her wings turn to shadow wings, the interior side turning red in the process, they descend and fuse together into a cape. Her clawed hands and feet shift as shadows that flow over her body forming boots, tight pants, a corset and short sleeves. Her nether flame hair shrinks to become mid-back length blood red and slightly wavy hair. Otherwise however she looks completly human and like she did before.

   "Of course," says Mirai, seeing the blurry holographic screen clear up, "a sorceress, that explains the variety and transformations. So you were really a sorceress that sought immortality becoming a spirit in the process and thus able to be bound to a contract; although that does make the form you first appeared in..."

  "The star light moth form" she says, "or rather the true form of the fairy queen aspect of myself, very close to the primal shadow, so much so I have often refered to it as the white or angelic primal shadow. Several of your past lives...or maybe Akiko's, truth be told those forms are like living dreams and as such hard to remember my actions in them; and both of them are drawn equally to you and Akiko, you are so much alike, after all you are sisters."

  "The...higher," Mirai pauses looking at her now, flashes in her mind, a giant in black armor, a demon even more draconic than the form she just saw, flashes of what she realizes were other lives.

  "The truth is," says the woman who was Tempestia, "in some lives you feared me, in some rejected me, there is even one where your own people were going to burn you as a witch, but that dream state form of mine acting on auto-pilot slaughtered every single person in that court room; your fear pushed me away. You were so near to being the first princess to awaken...well, that is aside from Tikara and Mystica whose proclivities caused them to take on lives that in a single life time could achieve enough enlightenment and mana to ascend back to their true forms on their own."

   "Wh..what," says Mirai, "I...don't understand,"

  "Of course you don't" says the woman, "I may have jumped a few levels there; the truth is, you are the only princess left not to ascend now. Akiko ascended shortly after she came here, Victoria before that. The truth is we were born to magic, within in you is a soul worshipped as a goddess, revered as a princess, a queen, and feared as a demon. You can go by any title you want."

  "A sorceress," says Mirai, "seeking immortality, the forbidden spell of reincarnation."

  "This," says Holly from the side, "coming from a society that has people selling their own souls to guilds as battle game monsters and servants. A bit hypocritical."

   "Mirai!" shouts Lance as Mirai's mind is flooded with visions, a witch with a floating white gown angel by her side, a girl playing in the woods out behind her house being saved from two men by what looks like Tempestia, seeing her again in another life so much like that one saving her from a winter king spirit, her as a different woman traveling with a tall blond through a city of glass and steal, then...she sees herself sitting in an attic using a summoning ritual with a black stone and summoning a tiny red creature, her friends, Luke, Nikki the nekojin, being a summoner, demons, vampires, giant monsters including Azuaria, watching them on boxes.

  Outside of her mind she is convulsing, holding her head in pain.

  "Time to clear the field," says the woman, who claps her hands, a flash of blue light and the entire grid battle ground vanishes, as do all the spirits Mirai's summoned, returned to their cards, however Sahralia, Zahnon, the Doll Collector, Corinth, and Holly remain; as does Rhudra although now wearing what looks like black leather tight fitting body armor with no signs of a tail, horns, or wings, her hair short and black with blood red tips.

   Mirai is standing on the ground, her physical mind fighting against the influx of ethereal past life memories pouring in from her soul.

  "I give the gift the temporal sleep," says the woman putting out her hand, a strange slightly brown in color bubble forms around Mirai, her body floating in the air inside it, asleep.

  "Release her demon lord!" shouts Lance charging at her with his sword. As he charges the leprechaun leaps off his should and grows to three feet tall trying to stand in his path, "No boyo, you can't. I thought she looked familiar before but now I am certain,"

  "Stand aside!" shouts Lance raising his sword again and lunging through the air. As he brings it down however he is frozen in the air the woman holding out her index finger, the tip of her long black nail barely touching the edge of the sword's blade.

  "You annoy me child," she says gripping the sword between the ends of her index and middle fingers and with a slight twist yanking the blade from his hand while tossing him aside.

  There is a sudden explosion in the bubble of purple energy, Mirai rushes free and stands between the woman and Lance, she turns, her arms out as if shielding Lance, "He is my friend."

  "So be it," says the woman, "I will respect your wishes, my princess."

  The woman holds out her hand, within it a tiny copy of the contract sigil appears, she curls her fingers around it slowly but stops. She looks at Mirai, "Do you wish us to leave now? Would you like to continue this story or come with us for another."

  Mirai walks over to the woman and hugs her, "I want you to stay with me here, no more leaving me, no more sending me away...and please don't destroy the world again."

   The woman unclinches her fingers and the sigils lowers, fading into the palm of her hand.

   "I am awake now," says the woman, "it won't be like before with the uncertain spirit."

  "But," says Mirai, "you could still ride around with me as a tiny spirit, play along, they'd never see it coming."

   *Sigh*, she places her hand on Mirai's head, "Okay, my princess, we'll do it your way."

   She takes a step back, her clothes shift back to the white gown, her hair turns black and elongates again.

  "No," says Holly.

  "I'm not asleep again," says the woman, "its just a transformation."

  "Um, Hollia," says Mirai surprising her a little, "I kind of remember alot now...not everything, I think my physical brain can't really handle it all at once. So, um, I could really use a tutor, if you still want the job."

  Hollia smiles, "Of course."

  Lance holds out his arm summoning his sword to him, the leprechaun stands beside him, "boyo, its over. You have no idea what those are, they are not like me and Aegis Leo, we'd rather not fight someone who can unmake us."

  "Speaking of," says Mirai, "my head is fuzzy and I don't think many of my...um, lives were as magical as this one, so how'd you just...turn off the battle grid?"

  "The Achilles Heel, er, weakness," says Hollia jumping in, "of this entire magical system. All anyone needs to know is a descent level magical disruption wave spell to completly shut down these turn based and limiting battle systems; they like summoning its self are magic."

  A memory flashes before Mirai of being in a bubble watching a red grid and a giant black armored woman smashing the grid with her fist shaking everything apart.

   "Right," says Mirai.

  "If that will be all," says Corinth, "I will be on my way."

  "Want to play more," says the Doll Collector,

  "Oh, come with me then," says Sahralia, "I know a place you'll love."

  Corinth vanishes in a flash of yellow light, Doll Collector and Sahralia vanish in a flash of blue light. Zahnon walks over, "Well this has been interesting, if you ever need my help Mirai give me a call." He hands her a small paper card that in her hand transforms to a summon card with a picture of the yellow clad cowboy on it as he vanishes in yellow mist.

  "He really missed you." says Tempestia.

  "Right," says Mirai, "Um...I know I named you...twice, but, with some of these memories that feels...awkward, and I don't think it would be a good idea to call you Mistress, especially not around certain people. So if its okay, in private, I'd like to just call you Rhulan, okay."

  "More memories back than I thought," says Rhulan, "alright, but given certain events that have occured I think it best I stay looking like this for the time being."

   Lance travels behind as the woman everyone went from calling Holly to Hollia steps into the carriage, followed by Mirai, now with this "Rhulan" who up till now was an unnamed spirit she was calling "Tempestia" returned to her doll sized form riding on Mirai's shoulder.

   Lance sits in the carriage across from them.

   "I don't suppose anyone cares to explain what just happened?" asks Lance as the carriage continues on its away, the carriage driver by the way sweating bullets and repeating to himself *saw nothing, say nothing*.

   Mirai *shrugs*, "I don't know what to say, you were there at the spirit revelation mirror. I guess, um, my higher self is a sorceress, really old and really powerful, has lots of friends who also did magic, and made a fairy world, and...I still don't remember it all but I think there was an uprising by the magical creations, and sort of killed us, but being pure magic were just stripped of our power and forced to find incarnations to regather enough power to remember and re-ascend to our true selves...and I've..heh. I guess my style of magic in mortal form doesn't really lend its self well to gathering internal power or enlightenment. I'm a summoner."

   She looks over at Hollia who nods and down at Rhulan who also nods.

  Lance shakes his head, "remind me to never mess around with spirit revelation mirrors, soul contracts, or any multi-life stuff again, no more missions like this. Too much of a head ache, I can't think of anything crazier that could happen today."

  "Oh right," says Mirai, "um two questions, first did anyone see where that other woman went, Rhudra, I think I remember from a past life, but didn't run into her myself very often I don't think. But I seem to recall..also that battle and the fact she clearly had a stronger true form above that demon one, she is pretty powerful; so, um...where'd she go? I didn't see her vanish with anyone, and she was just gone when Zahnon gave me a card."

  "Probably flying around somewhere checking out this world," says Rhulan rolling over in Mirai's lap, "I may be awake in the sense I am back to my body, but I could use a nice normal, none spirit journeying nap as me for a change."

   "Yeah," says Mirai, "just one last thing, you said when we...met this time around you've never been to this world, but its pretty obvious given the events that happened that you're one of the thirteen great fairy queens of this world."

   Lance turns and stares wide eyed.

  "eh," says Rhulan, "that form has never set foot on this world, that form was as close to this world as the primal shadow form because its through the fairy queen that the magic is focused to this world, but the primal shadow was the form used to link to here, hence those spell cards *yawn*, okay sleep now."

   Lance just looks between the three of them, remembering the quest they were on, the ocean temple; but another party had gone to the Great Fairy of Storms temple and supposedly fixed what was causing the cards to not work, and this Tempestia was able to be summoned because of the problem and...now he has a headache and chooses not to think about it.


******


  Imperial Planning:

   Rhulan has raised an army, reawakened the Ark Ship, and taken inventory of what technology and powers have arisen on Aesperia. The unexpected result of the descendents of the settlers being mutated by the magical nature of Other World into having general enhanced physiques, with strength, speed, durability, healing, stamina; all came as a bit of a surprise; although matching what few people she could determine were Aesperians or descended from them she encountered through the multi-verse; although only two centuries have passed locally somehow. With the scientists and magicians she has trained, and with them founded several universities across Aesperia to study the sciences and magic; they have uncovered just as they had when she and the council first arrived on Aesperia technological systems from a precursor civilization; self sustaining via nanite facilities and machines; as well as another technology they can now thanks to her expertise correctly identify as newer to this world in a sense but vital to it "Goddess tech". Atmosphere, magic, day/night cycle, and seasons controlling planetary systems.Along with absolute proof this world wasn't always flat, but that it is the crust from an Earth that was seperated and preserved in a massive structure. Of course these facts are only part of the plan, the plan to uplift the Aesperians. However other matters are needed.

   Deep within the Ark ship, and through a castle being constructed above it as she slowly has the ship its self descend further into the ground to help hide what she is trully doing, she has set up a mana system. The device will channel her power into the Ark's core, planning to disperse it through mana wells positioned across Aesperia, feeding into technological systems so as to blur the signals of them also channeling to mana wells positioned on several worlds with magical auras to eventually filter into Espara to bypass the seals to feed into the prisons of her wife and daughter; increasing the size of the prisons, thinning them, while also strengthening Migdra and Rhudra so they may someday break free of their prisons. A lengthy process to prevent the trap from being set off and alerting the dimension police. A process she realizes will reduce her power so much she will have to enter states of periodic hibernation within the castle; and due to specific internal discoveries of her own nature discovers that during such hibernations her dreaming mind won't stay put in her own head, that wandering, some forms lucid, but most not, dreaming state will project out to parts of Aesperia or various worlds, seeking out specific souls. A truth Rhulan is annoyed by and needs to adjust the stasis system to compensate for temporal differences between realities resulting in uneven stasis periods, some that may even locally last years. Although these extended and uneven hibernations will boost the mana system and make it harder for the Dimension Police to discover, it also leaves this world she has uplifted without a ruler, power corrupts and local governments in such a short time had shown this corruption.

  The immortal Aesperians, something Rhulan addressed shortly after defeating the Stingers and had tracked down. These individuals had the experience and power to oppose them and raise their own empires; yet did not. The two known as Pharoah and Queen she discovered left Aesperia shortly after she did, Rhoan she had discovered thanks to the Odin's Eye spell was a general in some hell world along side Jessica; and even less time had passed for them; a mere 50 years, she hasn't been able to bring herself to pay them a visit given more pressing concerns; a fact she nearly laughs at, so much time trying to get into that Dark World, but her attention is focused on saving others now. The one who called himself "Dead Man" had made deals with the Stingers for peace in a small kingdom in Arabarish; she ended up having to conquer his kingdom to show just how much more powerful she is now; allowing him to continue ruling there provided he no longer hinders technological advances in the area. Xiang had a similar problem but allied with the growing Rhulan Empire quickly upon realizing she had amassed considerable power and was using the Ark ship to manufacture technology and weapons for her ever growing army. Count Vampyre had become an isolationist, and was convinced she was a vampire; her powers and attire gained for the long time she told him she traveled the multi-verse convincing him of that. Acquiring his unquestioned loyalty did require Rhulan using her vampire queen form to convince him.

  So it was, the Rhulan Empire expanded, till all of Aesperia was under its control. To prevent the Dimension Police from catching on to her plan, her mana was dispersed across the world via nanite systems, a double edged sword also being used to keep control of unruly war lords and power hungry kings as because they were based on her power she could shut off the nanites at any instant, turning whatever was made of them to dust, including the very technology and weaponry they had become reliant on in the many years and now generations that have passed. The next phase of the plan is simple, she needs to seed mana wells to the key worlds, sending Shadow Vampires she has created to Jenna, Homnes, Volca, Peres, Yggdrasil, and Espara with devices for that task.


******


  *another story here*


   Lisa's Awakening.


  "The White Walkers are a completly lost cause," says the doctor escorting the men in suits, politicians and generals through the secure underground Neveda facility, "nothing but mindless fungus hitching a ride on human bodies, the red algae infections too; what the media aptly called the abominations. However;"

  The doctor stops before a one way mirror, inside are ten people, men and women, grey skin, white hair, and green globular glowing eyes. They are wearing clothes and performing intelligence tests, shapes, colors, even learning to red and write.

  "Our staff has dubbed them Green Eyes,"  says the doctor.

  "They've regained their humanity?" asks one of the men in suits.

  "For the most part yes," says the doctor, "and an unfortunate happenstance, this infection looks to have been one of the more common infections, the cracking grey skinned zombies we had to put down in mass. As it turned out if they recieved enough protein they'd after a few years start to heal, although changed, and become these. Unfortunatly I say they regained their humanity only for the most part as while they can recognize objects, shapes, and in a few cases read and write, none so far have retained much in the way of personal memories. The brain was damaged during the zombification states via oxygen and nutrient loss, and much of the brain's mass was more copied and replaced by the green geletanous substance you see as their eyes."

  "Intelligent slimes using human hosts," says one of the generals, "harly a triumph in a cure. That only changes the situation from a viral outbreak to some assimulation style invasion by an unknown hostile. At the very least I assume you intend to put them to work."

  "Um," says the doctor not sure how to respond to that, "at this time they are not unlike mentally disabled patients, they have minimal capacities, and unfortunatly they are still infectious. Their bodily fluids can still infect anyone who makes contact, its why we communicate with those here only through monitors and robotic arms."

   "Should just put them down," says another general, "the implications here are frightening and they are the majority of the infected. It does come across as some other organism trying to usurp humanity."

   "That said," says the doctor, "I have something else to show you."

  He takes them to an elevator going further down, "Tell me," says the doctor as the elevator descends, "have any of you heard the rumors about the Red Eyes."

 "Urban legend," says one of the politicians proudly, getting a raised eyebrow from the generals.

  "Our men," says one of the generals, "have reported grey skins with red eyes, they're fast, keep their distance, some towns folk our units rescued reported them claiming them to be vampires."

   "Stage 1," says the doctor, "looks like any other zombie, but the eyes turn red, becomes a vicious monster. But like the Green Eyes, they regain human intelligence and undergo a startling metamorphosis.

   He takes them to a one way mirror, there are chairs, and a camera facing the mirror. The room is dimply lit. Inside there is a woman, skin pale white, lips blood red, hair long and dark red; her eyes are striking, where the eye should be white it is red, the iris is enlarged to double that of a human eye and is layored colors of sky blue and violet giving it an almost flower like apperance and a slight glow, the pupil is a slit like those of a cat. The woman is dressed in black pleather material with a long dress like train trailing from her hips and wearing thigh high boots.

  "What; is this?" asks the politician who had spoken before.

   "Who is there?" asks the woman as she picks up a wine glass from the table in the room, a red thick substance inside her, her long red fingernails almost metallic in apperance.

  She sips the glass and smiles, "I hear, let's see, six men, one is the good doctor, three are rapid; afraid, and two are a little sped up, adrenaline. But of course."

  Her eyes glow, "I can also see your auras. Frail old men. What do I owe the pleasure?"

  "This," says the doctor the five men, "is an advanced red eye. Super humanly strong, fast, durable, enhanced healing, stealthy, feeds primarily on fluids, although can and will also eat meat, bright lights arn't fatal but do irritate them and can pause a nervous reaction resulting in temporary paralysis, they can through their nails infect the grey skins causing them to become obedient to them; thralls in other words; and most alarmingly can infect non-human animals causing abominal mutations which then are loyal to and protective of the red eye that infected them. Gentlemen, for all intents and purposes what we have here is a real life vampire."

  ******

  *Subject: Lisa
    (Real name unknown)
   Ethnicity prior to transformation: unknown.
   Nationality prioer to transformation: unknown

   The subject was discovered by forces investigating rumors of a cult centered around a museum turned mansion by an individual claiming to be a "Vampire Queen". Previously undocumented mutations were discovered in the delapitated ruins of the surrounding old town area, discovered to be ordinary animals mutated by the "Vampire Queen", who was demanding sacrifices in exchange for her "protection". The situation was assumed to be just another cult leader using the chaos of the on-going catastrophe with gothic attire. However the investigation kept turning up mysterious organisms, human beings willing with the promise of being "turned", and the previously thought to only be an urban legend "red eyes", which were discovered to be the initial stage of the transformation. Similar to how Green Eyes and Abominations start out as "regular" zombies, the Red Eyes start out as near mindless savage zombie like creatures that appear to gradually mutate various inhuman features before the final transformation. At least four fully "turned" subjects were detected in and around this town including some that may upon later research be determined to be an Abomination equivalent for Red Eyes, sporting bat and demon like wings, spikes, and tails. We have determined the individual identifying herself as "Lisa" chose her attire and demeanor based on the cultural concepts of vampires from media and not an innate trait. Effectively bringing the more modern interpritation of vampire in fiction into reality. We fear due to the simular traits and culture other individuals may attempt power grabs of the same type.

   This subject was captured during a daylight raid upon her compound, finding that like the vampires of folklore they undergo a very deep hibernation like sleep. The raid was done secretly and quietly. Whomeever this individual was prior to being turned they were not an expert on tactical security leaving enough holes in their defenses for a well trained team to infiltrate, acquire and retrieve her quietly.

  The subject however has fully adopted this "Vampire Queen" persona and continues to act with confidence; however the fact she does clearly demonstrate human level comprehension skills indicates this particular infection could very well be considered the royal elite of all the infections.

  *****

  part 2













*****

   (Love in the water)



   Its kind of funny thinking about it, thinking about when I started this job; what it was like; what must be going through the new guys' heads every time they get a lecture or are in the field. Finding out what all is real, what all is just like the myths and legends, what folklore is pure bullshit, and what is partially true or kind of true. Learning about things only some obscure legend in one tribe mentioned one time, or arn't even known in any legends or myths we know of because reality is everyone likes to interpret things based on their own personal and cultural bias; put a spin on them, and sometimes you only get part of the picture, see one thing acting in different ways so think that one thing is a dozen others; or get glimpses at a dozen different things and interpret them all as one thing. Heh, just finding out ghosts are real, and those kids starting out who find out vampires are real, some like the folklore, and their shock and horror learning about the two dozen more things we have under that category not in any myth because before we got high tech no one ever survived an encounter; or just covered it up like we do. Not to mention finding out just how much is really out there, how much we ignore, hide, cover up, or simply have to leave alone. Would be nice if all we had to know about was the things we have to deal with, but some kid goes out there into some godforsaken sewer, misses the signs, and instead of a dark dweller or a fish man he's got some pissed off cephalopodic psychomorph on his ass and he has no idea what it is, or what to do, so fucks up and gets himself killed. Same scenario could be repeated for fields, forests, and down town in the big city if I were so inclined to kill time repeating every horrible possible outcome for some green kid tracking a little beasty and getting on a big one's nerves instead.

  There are two kinds of things we are really careful around, more so than anything else, to the point we are taught to report signs of them, and possibly send in a specialist team which almost always consists of put up barriers to keep the public away or bury what we found. These are classified as Fae and Eldritch. Honestly not much difference besides aesthetics and tricks. In both cases the truth is what we're dealing with are things our ancestors based their gods on. Like everything else the stories arn't exact...or rather mostly wrong, mixing up royals and ancestors with these powerful monsters someone made a deal with in exchange for something, or worshipped and would show up ever so often. Thing is, these things demand offerings, sacrifices, and all manner of special conditions; and they expect people to remember it all; or else. It depends on what specifically it is, and we've got researchers who spend their whole lives trying to figure just what gods in theology and mythology were based on what individuals or species or whatever the case may be of these; confounded by historical changes thanks to cultural drift and politics. Ultimatly you arn't going to meet Zeus or Thor or Kali or Ishtar or Satan, or whatever. You're going to meet something in some old ruin, cave, pool, sea side, or more often a pocket dimension linked to some random ass place, that sort of fits maybe this or that description that it won't deny, but its usually some "you're free to believe whatever you want" deal so long as the proper respect and offerings are given. These things are the mob bosses of the entire supernatural world. And we are trained not to fight the mob bosses, we're trained to fight the homeless meth addicts of this whole other world under our noses.