( Many years ago. )
" Friends..., so we're friends now... " Raiden says to Adrian as Adrian sits beside him.
A lot of bodies are seen around them, as this is the second year of the two's relationship. Meaning that this is the first bond of friendship the two were made as the two began to conquer some parts of the underworld.
" Well, of course, Raiden... " Adrian says as he drinks his tin-can drink he just got from a guy he just defeated, for he smuggles anything in his pocket for goods.
" Since you're the only one who can stand beside me for even months... " Adrian tells Raiden, telling him that most people couldn't even stand, talking with him with full confidence and most of them are pussies to even walk the same path as him.
" Really...? but I- " Raiden says as he sees the number of people he defeated.
" Yes, I know... "
" You still had much to go, but... "
" Look at the guys you defeated, don't you realize... " Adrian says as he shows who the hell that Raiden just defeated with his just-awakened [Hand Scythe] Gift.
" This guy is Thorn Wreckoner from the Wrecker Guild, Tier IV. "
" This one's Drum Broker from the Wrecker Guild too, Tier IV. " Adrian tells Raiden that despite him can't handle fighting many people, he shows him that he can actually manage to fight those stronger than him, even at any odds possible.
...
( Back to the present. )
" Hope this hurt you for a bit, you over-Gifted bastard! " Raiden says using his Thunder to hurt Adrian up.
Not just him, Raiden was actually buffed by Kara using their [Power Resonance] in order to make sure that he manages to disorient Adrian.
"( Raiden... )" Kara says as she remembers their discussion earlier.
Back then, Aphrodite warns them, especially Raiden, that in order to defeat Adrian, one of them must be the vanguard to hold as much power as to enact the destructive attack. That person must be strong enough to do so since they will put all their power into that very specific moment when Adrian is losing his hold.
" When will he lose his hold? he seems in control long enough. " Raiden asks since he was with Adrian a long time to know that he already mastered it.
" Soon, when Adrian smells what's within Ragna's blood. "
" Ragna's blood? " Kara asks.
" The
" The
" You're saying that the brat has the very thing that every Demonic/Deviant being likes!? " Raiden was so overwhelmed to hear this, to think the reason why Ragna left them for a while to fight Adrian alone is to become their bait.
" Indeed, that's why he told me to make sure all of us prepared some plan while he did the damage first into that Deviant Anchor Demigod... " Aphrodite says.
Returning to the present, Raiden continues to drill Adrian up, trying to make the Deviant cells protect it, in order to make it all focus on protecting Adrian's stomach, hence where he stores most of his Absorbed Cores using [Greed & Gluttony].
"( Now, this better work Galen... )"
"( The Destructive Ki, you gave me... )" Raiden says remembering Galen's Ki transfer over his hand in order to make sure his attacks destroy Adrian both outside and inside.
When the drill does its thing, it began to destroy the stolen Gift Cores inside Adrian's body, destroying all powers he absorbed and stole from others for years.
" GARRGGHH!!! " Adrian feels the pain, realizing that he's on edge, again.
" RAIDEN, YOU BASTARD!!! " Adrian shouts to Raiden as he then decides to force himself to move to the side, letting Raiden lose his momentum.
" NO!!! " Ragna shouts while his Energy for movement is not that restored.
"( C'mon..., c'mon..., c'mon my body why the hell are you fatiguing...! shit! )" Ragna tries to make his body move, trying to make his body loose it's fatigue by force.
< Fatigue -10 >
< Fatigue -30 >
< EP 100 >
< EP +50 >
As it happen, Adrian quickly manifested [Neptune's Lance] and stabs Raiden in the stomach without any hold.
" No! " Kara quickly reacts over this, without thinking further which made Ragna panic as the [Twelve Eye of Time] shows him...
" Inquisitor, stop! " Ragna was given a vision, a troubling vision that he fears might've happened to her since he didn't pick her as a [Permanent Companion].
He the vision of her, being brutally damaged, a vision that shows Kara's fate, and after that vision, the vision stops while Ragna still tries to move, he already wasted all of his energy earlier to give the others the chance to deal with the rest.
" No, Inquisitor, don't! "
"( Dammit, I can't move! )"
"( I also don't have any Energy Potions left and Meal to destroy all of my energy! )" Ragna says realizing that in these very minutes, he doesn't have the time to even open the
" Inquisitor! " Ragna shouts as from the smoke that slowly dissipates, he slowly sees what he fears.
" No... " Ragna says when he sees it.
" You shouldn't come here, Inquisitor... " Adrian says as blood spurts on his face, he says while managing to fend off his Deviant Lords' ecstasy over Ragna's blood.
" I don't know your relationship with Raiden, but... " Adrian says to her as he uses his Deviant cells to stab her in her stomach too, creating a hole in her body like a doughnut.
" It makes you vulnerable...! " Adrian says as it can be seen that Kara was stabbed in her most vital innards.
" Kara! " Raiden shouts as he sees this, seeing how big the hole made by Adrian is in her body.
" Oh no! no no no! " Raiden says as he tried to reach her.
" Kara! Aphrodite! can you hear me!? " Raiden asks.
" Don't bother asking, Raiden... " Adrian tells him which made him shocked.
" You knew it too, didn't you, inside your very mind. " Adrian tells, explaining to Raiden that the two women are currently in their combined state, making them one both physically and spiritually.
In that very moment, the two are at their strongest and at their weakest since both of them are technically one then both of them will receive the same effect in that combined state.
In this situation, as Kara's wounds were too fatal, Adrian stabs her using his Deviant Gifts that hurts even the Divine, this could also mean.
" Say goodbye to your hoe, Raiden... "
" Your hoe..., and her goddess... " Adrian says as he confirms the death of the two women which broke Ragna's heart as he sees this.
"( This, this can't be... )" he says for he didn't realize that what he chose back then not only spared someone's life (Battle Maiden) but also meant.
To sacrifice the ones he didn't choose.
< Permanent Companion chooses: [Battle Maiden] >
< The other Companion fates depend on their own actions, the Player couldn't interfere any more since they were not Chosen by the Player... >
< To be left alive from this Abyss Tower. >