The backroom is a shrine to the unholy methods of a SpiritSage. He has ectoplastic canisters holding all kinds of souls. There is an overgrowth on the walls that emits a natural anti undead pheromone, creating a barrier for the spirits he keeps. Reeve catches the back of her from the irritation Styx causes. They also used the vines from a Styx plant as hanging space, with the heads of various undead hung up for ambience.
Topa works as fast as he can. He has never seen an undead have such an adverse reaction to holy magic. The general and somewhat benign magic found in this place isn't supposed to do this. Pluto's spectral suit is literally hissing as the bones inside are turning to ash.
Reeva is panicking like she always does because her older brother is around and he is the cool and collected one. "Enough! He is dying. This is hate. The living like to cover it under a cloak of moral authority, but it is hate. From a god no less, are sure this guy is no one special?"
Reeva takes a few steps with shaky hands, touching Pluto. She has heard of this when holy magic laced with some kind of intent attaches itself to an undead. Her friend Bromhellga calls it smite sickness. "He has smite?"
Topa shakes his head. Smite is a mild rash. This is a full spiritual reaction. His bones are melting inside his suit as they speak. He is a man of spirits. So approaches it from that direction, rubbing clotting oil to keep his spirit together. "Hold him down. If I can anchor him to this spirit, then at least he might not die.
A stiff hand grabs his Reeva with eyes that cut, "Give him Sammy." Topa refuses, pulling his hand back. This isn't the little sister he remembers she has never, not once used her strength against him. This change shakes something in him, he thought unmovable in her heart.
"I won't Esame'el is a forsaken." Reeva likes to call his magnum opus Sammy. Which only irks him more. This forsaken has the highest potential of any spirit he has created. To think that she would demand that he give to it Pluto is unthinkable. No matter how much she glares at him with those killer eyes of hers. He won't he moves back not breaking eye contact. He can't what will he do? Start again no! It's already bad enough as it is now. This spirit is his path to redemption.
After a few seconds that feel like a literal eternity to Topa, whose skin even gets wrinkles from the stress, She is applying to him. "I won't get any more spirits for you if you don't help him." Since the Bone Hall, she has known that her little brother will bring about significant change. While she doesn't believe in the stillness, as that is some crypt child fantasy, mummies tell their embalmed spirits to make growth.
Most undead shuns Topa. Only the dregs of society that nobody cares about is where he has eked out an existence. He trembles, thinking about having to return to scavenging in the here beyond. He would rather die than go back to that. "Fine, but I want him to pay back with a body of equal value."
Reeva agrees on Pluto's behalf. "I will make sure it is stronger." Topa grows six other spirit hands. Working inside the spirit is extremely delicate. Especially as he is in awe of the sheer complexity of his soul. He hasn't seen a spiritual tapestry-like it. "Lifeless!" Topa has never met someone who was never alive. They are exceptionally rare, an altogether different kind of unlife. Topa is searching for a slither of necroforce, as it is a decent bonding agent. Without consent, this is going to be rough on Pluto's soul.
Topa leverages all his senses, taking his ghost into Pluto to better understand the nature of his power. There is a massive unholy structure at the centre of his surrounded by a crown of thorns. They appear to Topa as Pluto's soul, but this is clearly a spirit formation and they are not naturally occurring. Still, he can't linger too long.
Topa finds a small cube sealed seven ways to hell leaking an energy that can manipulate. As he touches his ghost, form crumbles. "What a formidable soul power," Topa wonders what else he could find if he was here for fun or research. Still, he doesn't need to touch anything, he interweaves the Forsaken into the sealed cube.
Topa's body suddenly rattles as he returns, a hopeful Reeva, "Did it work?"
Topa looks at his sister, "I hope so!" At first, he thought that the sealed cube destroyed the forsaken, but wisely as the fundamentals of spiritual blending teach him. He had matched the sealed energy as closes as possible. It took over four hours of work but, he confirmed that something was there. The changes from Pluto's soul mean even he doesn't know what will happen.
Pluto is in a vision and in it. The God of light is torturing Pluto, mumbling to himself. He is back in his old body, flesh and bones. Back to that night again, the fear anew. The pain is just as terrible only as he is crying in the pool of blood asking the gods why this is happening it answers.
"Because you are my plaything boy. I made you what you are and I will take it from you too." Pluto can hardly believe it. This isn't a memory. The way the gods speak is like a picture saying a thousand words. Only they say one word and you are flooded with thousands of memory to provide context. Pluto relives his suffering again, finding that his fate has been pulled and twisted. His happiness contorted out of his destiny just so that Unibas can have a laugh.
Every part of me burns with hellfire hatred, it was hard enough being alive. Getting tricked by the god to whom I dedicated my whole too is even worse. There is something sacred about a man's faith and to have so utterly broken again. Then I now come to find out it is over some petty gag he is having with his brother. The feeling of worthlessness, wrapped in shame and anger. At myself for being such a fool. Forgiving glory to a God who values my life-less than the American cops do.
"Send me back why keep here?" I ask. My body is stiff. Unibas appears as his favourite paladin, a pale, thin sun haired moron. Eyes bright like a half-moon. That is Cai Chan, I have defeated him countless times. I wonder if he is here too? We used to be best friends, then he took the first-round tournament money. Broke our promise to share no matter who wins and made my life hell from trying to pull myself out of the mud.
Unibas is brooding over something while he pulls my legs apart. Ripping them right off the joint. I had forgotten the weakness of the flesh, even in my short time as a lifeless. I prefer the bones to corpse flesh. I scream, cry and yell obscenities at Unibas, about how he doesn't have a mother. A sore point I am hoping I will make him destroy me. He doesn't only taking an arm and making it slap me as I weep from pain.
I don't know anymore. I don't die. I'm constantly in pain. The seconds feel like days and days like years. I beg for Reeva to save me, for the master. The pain doesn't let me rest, it gnaws at me constantly. I beg the Unibas, who is unmoved in the slightest. I remind of who I was to him, unlike the others, it was me that made the church popular again. As a last desperate call "Pepa help me!'
💬 'New spirit detected!' I don't know what she is doing, nor do I care as long as it will me. I will gladly do anything she wants me to.
"You are finally in my grasp. I will not let you slip away again, toy. Not until..." My vision starts crumbling, a most beautiful siren comes crashing through into my vision. Unibas looks at her weirdly. He tries to wave her away, she simply growls floating towards. He raises three walls, each one bigger than the one in front of it.
The siren touches it causing it to crumble, she doesn't this each wall. From a single touch, they all turn to dust. Unibas is mid cast when she destroys From was building. Unibas rages trying to kill me, thousand of spears radiating purifying light fly towards me. A hexagonal shield appears around me. The spears turning to stardust as soon as they touch the shield.
"I will find you again someday and finish this. Hear me toy, your life is mine!" Unibas retreats, the siren hugging me out of the restrains. My body fizzling out until I am only bones...