Castle Hell
The Spirit KND regrouped in the castle as Nolan and Dimentia recapped the incident to Death the Kid. "Skull Face… Tower of Babel… a parasite that developed from a Zanpakutō… is it even possible?"
"We have to do something about this!" Nolan stated. "Whatever those parasites are, there have to be a few of us that can destroy them and save the victims! They should technically be spirits if they came from a Zanpakutō!"
"We can't without the proper investigating. What if the parasites are ordered to kill the people immediately if we get too close? What if the parasites are linked to their life force? Even trying to capture Skull Face is a risk in that regard, especially if he's now holding Jirachi as a hostage!"
"But Skull Face also said they were made with Sound Chi. Remember what happened during the Pirate War? What if Sugar hosted a musicbending concert that all the patients heard, would the parasites be defeated by that? If her musicbending could reverse the effects of timebending, then surely…"
"That's certainly a possible solution, but it also brings attention to another concern. If Skull Face is targeting the Tower of Babel, he'll need the Firstborn Meloetta. No doubt, his accomplices will try to capture her. We should make a plan to find and protect Meloetta."
"We should also probably guard the Tower of Babel." Dimentia suggested.
"Balder mentioned that the tower was impenetrable without the Lost Voices." Nolan replied. "What are those?"
"The Lost Voices," Kid answered, "are the languages of four, very ancient civilizations that once worshipped Meloetta. They submitted their very own languages as the keys to the Tower of Babel, ultimately losing their ability to speak them. Now, those Voices are hidden in four hidden sanctuaries across the Spirit World."
"Pretty much falls in line to what Skull Face was saying. But in that case, we should probably secure them along with Meloetta. Skull Face's minions probably know where-"
"YOU will do no such thing."
They faced the entrance: Divine Angel Balder marched into the office. The head of the angel boy, Leic hung upside-down outside the office door, having followed Balder out of child-like curiosity.
Balder stood on the right of Nolan and Dimentia. "Mr. York, do not think I can't see into your heart. I was listening to the whole conversation, including Skull Face's suggestion that the Tower of Babel could restore their voices. You wish to unite the Lost Voices and open the tower."
"I already know he's trying to trick me!"
"And yet, you feel there is truth to his words. You feel that as long as you can stop him, you can safely use the tower. But such a risk is too dangerous. I, for one, do not believe that Skull Face's ability could destroy their voices, ergo there is no need to open the tower. If we do, then we risk the languages altogether, and there will be mass panic and chaos. We cannot open the tower for a second with such a risk. Vermin like Skull Face will not have their way. And speaking of vermin… Dimentia, I come bearing a message from His Lordship, God Arceus."
"A message?"
"Recently, Arceus has picked up a scent akin to the Daemonis, lurking around various planets in the Mortal World."
"A Daemonis?!"
"He wasn't sure if it was a Daemonis per se, but the scent is very similar. But he believes the duty should fall to you to see them dealt with."
"I'll get right to it immediately."
"But whatever it is, I can't help but wonder if your very being here is what attracted them to begin with. After all, isn't the usage of your chi what attracts them?"
"I only used a little bit when Skull Face attacked us."
"But you also sent a weapon to the Mortal World, did you not?"
"That used chi that was borrowed from Palkia, even though it was made with Phoenios tech."
"Be that as it may, the point is that your being here is a danger to this universe and it would be better not to have you around. After all, you were already abusing Jirachi for the longest time, and no one could do anything about it. What stopped you from attacking my homeland? I lived nearly one million years ago, during which time you had already developed your empire. I was among the many adults you mindlessly slaughtered in your pitiful quest."
Dimentia bit her lip, struck by this sudden revelation. Upon thorough examining… "You were one of the Lumen preachers… The ones trying to make children worship the gods…"
"My ways of teaching may have been strict, but they were not deserving of death, not that it mattered to you. No matter how much you think you changed, you're as big a menace as you were on that day!"
With a swift motion, his two-ended sword was drawn, one of them slashing through Dimentia and suspending a child in the air. Nolan recognized it as Dimentia's younger self in jester clothes, no different than what Valentine had done moments ago… and yet, Dimentia looked upon the child with confusion. "Who is… that?"
Balder twirled the weapon and forced the child back into Dimentia again. "My Zanpakutō can strip a person's early years of memory and make them embody physical form, their age relative to the amount of years taken. I wanted to remind you of the harm you caused to this universe. You should know that the gods are still very angry about that incident that occurred on the Noah. It is not only the fault of the Daemonis, but your superiors for not keeping a better eye on them."
"I was angry about it, too! But it wasn't my fault that they-"
"And now we are expected to rely on YOU to keep them at bay. Mark my words, if this 'Daemonis' causes too much damage and you are unable to stop it, I will see to it you are not welcome here again!"
Balder then faced Nolan and immediately continued, "And as for you, Mr. York, neither you nor your Spirit KND are allowed to get anywhere near the Lost Voices. My Divine Angels will protect them from Skull Face's forces and subsequently bring them to justice, but should we catch you in the area, you will be thrown into the Fog of Lost Souls."
"My friends were turned to statues, and my living friends are being poisoned, I need to stop them!"
"My orders are final. Kid, I expect you to keep them under control. Good day to you all." And with that, Balder turned—the Spirit Kids peeping into the room quickly retracted their heads, looking totally nonchalant as Balder marched out of the room. Once he was outside, the angel spread his wings and flew back to the Spirit World.
"Sigh…just stand down for now, Nolan." Kid sighed. "We can at least make a plan to secure Meloetta… provided he allows."
Nolan sighed with a grumble, stepping out of the room with Dimentia. "I… should probably get going." Dimentia said somberly. "What are you going to do?"
"Probably sulk for a bit, then go against orders."
"Hm-hm. Well, whatever happens, I hope you can stop Skull Face. I'm sorry I couldn't help, but… Balder is right. Interfering with the 'Fate' of this universe gives rise to Chaos, unless the Daemonis were interfering as well."
"Then you'd better stop them from interfering. Don't forget, Dimentia, we're still KND at heart. Protecting the people of this universe is our duty."
"Yeah… it is."
Sector WITCH Treehouse
"There you go, Uno-san!" Maria smiled as she placed a flower crown over the bald head of the Nigel statue, making his shock-stricken expression seem just a bit prettier. "Now you have the perfect hat to cover your bald spot, uuuuu!"
The stone statues of Nolan's friends were placed around the treehouse's extravagant outdoor garden as decorations. Nolan was slouched on a bench between Dillon and Corey's terrified statues. "Don't feel sad." Maria said as she approached him with a lollipop. "York-san is a good man, and York-san's friends are good. That means good things will happen to them."
"The good things don't just happen, Maria. You have to make them happen. That's why I can't just sit here. But I've never really worked against the law in a long time. I can't ask anyone for help, or else they'll get in trouble."
"Maybe some food will help you feel better. Look, Gohda-san is here!"
A muscular butler with a sweet smile, narrowed eyes, and smooth green hair walked in with cooked lobster slathered in a sparkling brown sauce, accompanied by tomatoes with ghostly leaves. "A Rock Lobster Spirit made soft by Soften Sweet Gravy, with salad made with Soul-Soothing Salad over Heart-Throbbing Tomatoes."
"I've been wondering, isn't it disrespectful to the spirits to eat them?" Nolan asked.
"York-san, the spirits give to us by nourishing us." Gohda responded. "It is a law of nature no different from the Mortal World. And besides, spirits will reform over the course of time. You only disrespect them by not eating them."
"I'm not a chef, so I'll take your word for it."
"York-san, this is Gohda, one of my family's butlers." Maria introduced.
"It's an honor to be serving you, York-san." Gohda made a pose with his right arm, angling it so the hand lay horizontally at the chest. "I do hope you enjoy my cooking. Maria-chan calls me the 'Golden Chef,' and I am bound to live up to the title."
Nolan chewed off a piece of the lobster, his soul growing softer from its tasty, soft exterior. "Ahhh…it's not good to eat when you're upset, but it sure does make a man feel whole again."
"Nolaaaaan!" The three looked to the sky as Emily Dickson flew down to the garden. "Nolan, I've been keeping tabs on the situation; one of the Lost Voices was already stolen from its sanctuary!"
"What?! Dammit, we have to do something about this, Emily! We have to find the other Voices before Skull Face!"
"But the Angels have guards stationed around all the other sanctuaries. There's a battle taking place at a fortress where the Voice was taken, I'm sure they'll get it back before long."
"It's no good. Skull Face will just move the Voice again if the Angels get too close. I don't care what Balder says, I have to get it back myself. All we need is good old-fashioned stealth."
"I'm sorry, Nolan, but I don't really wanna risk angering the Angels. No offense, but I have a family to get back to."
"Sigh…it's okay. Still, I don't want to attempt this alone. And there's only so much Maria can do with espionage."
"Uuuu…it's true." Maria frowned.
"From what I hear," Gohda began, "almost every spirit who specialized in espionage in life have all retired from the act… except for one particular case of a man who's invaded various Hollow Hives for their resources, and has escaped with hardly any of them noticing."
"Yeah? And who might that be?" Nolan asked.
Hollow Hive (Play "Encounter" from Smash Brawl!)
Within the dark depths of a Hollow Hive, a fearless old man charged bravely. Donned in a gray camouflage suit with several packs of equipment, a gray headband, complete with grey hair and a mustache on his wrinkled face, he hid behind a stone when an Ursa (a bear Hollow) marched out of a tunnel on the right. After confirming the beast was alone, he shot it in the head with a Heaven Gun. There were some Boarbatusks sleeping in the passage, twigs littering the ground to alert them of intruders, but some quick jumps of the Flash Step allowed the man to skip across the twigs gracefully without alerting them.
The man made it to a central room, atop a path where multiple windows viewed inside. He hid behind a wall as a Menos looked over, a very tall Hollow with a black body, almost resembling a thin mountain, a long-nosed skull, and spikes around its neck. The Menos rotated, examining the openings of the winding passage, but the man stayed low and crawled against the bottom of the wall. A Beowolf was crawling up, but the man extracted a cardboard box and hid inside it. The Beowolf noticed the box and went to sniff it. …Finding nothing suspicious, it kept patrolling. Once it was gone, the man pulled the box off and continued.
He made his way all the way to the bottom and snuck into another corridor. A Sabyr Hollow (resembling a saber-tooth tiger) was guarding the path, but the man got down and crawled quietly until he was close enough to shoots its skull and destroy it. He came to a giant hive where millions of Lancers (wasp Hollows) were swarming about. The man drew a Sonic Grenade, bit it open, and threw. The grenade exploded with a soundwave that caused the spirits to go crazy, not paying him any mind as he snuck past.
Inside a room with an altar, four Seers were floating about. They were orb-shaped Hollows with tentacles, and would serve to alert the hive of intruders. The man hid around the corner, studying their movement carefully. There eventually came a point where they all bundled on the opposite side, allowing the man to creep up, swipe the box on the table, and swap it for a fake. With that, he made his grand escape from the hive, bypassing all the Hollows using the same maneuvers again. (End song.)
The man escaped from the hive and raced up the nearby hill. Reaching the edge of the woods, he stood calmly and opened the box. Inside were cigarettes, one of which he proceeded to light, the flame turning gold and bright like a sun. "Solaris Cigarettes. Ahhh…tastes like Heaven." He smoked the cigarette peacefully.
Little did he know that a hand was reaching from the darkness. "Gotcha." It grabbed his shoulder.
"WRAAAAAAAH (WRAAAAAAH, wraaaaaaahhh…)!" The old man's scream of agony echoed for miles.
"Settle down, I'm not an enemy." Nolan assured.
"Huh?" The man faced back at him curiously. "Who are you?"
"A fellow old man who likes to break into private businesses. Your name is David, right?"
"It's Snake. Solid Snake."
"I'm Nolan, but you can call me Sandman. I remember that you aided the Kids Next Door during the Firstborn Quest. You fought against GUN."
"The Kids Next Door? I was only really helping the metahumans that GUN imprisoned. I've been a soldier for GUN ever since I was born, but when I saw the unjust things they were doing to those innocent people, I just couldn't approve. Commander Gunkan abused his power and acted based on a childhood grudge. I rejoined them after he learned his lesson…sigh, but my age crept up on me quicker than I thought. So what, were you one of those operatives? Come to say 'Thank you'?"
"I suppose I do owe thanks for what you did for them. However, I wanted to recruit you for a mission. You seem like you haven't slowed down in the afterlife."
"A mission? What kind?"
"Classic espionage. But let's not talk out here; too many dark spirits. Let's meet inside the dollhouse."
"The doll what?" Snake asked as Nolan led him to a horse-drawn carriage, where Maria held the reins for sentient rocking horses.
"Hello, Snake-san." Maria greeted, shaking the adult's hand with both of hers. "My name is Ushiromiya Maria."
"Nice to meet you, kid."
"Bleh! Snake-san's breath smells like smoke, uu-uu. Snake-san should have candy, uuuu!" She presented a jack-o-lantern lollipop to Snake.
"I don't eat candy, kid. Grown-ups have to watch their sugar intake."
"Uuuuu! Snake needs candy! Snake is younger than Maria. Candy is fine, uuuu~"
"If you don't, she'll turn you into a butterfly." Nolan warned. "Trust me, she did it to Dillon one time."
"Uuuu…" Snake moaned in agony as he unwrapped and stuck the sweet in his mouth.
"There you go, Snake-san~. Now, hold still, Maria will put you in her dollhouse."
Snake glanced at one of the dollhouses on Maria's seat. "You don't expect me to fit inside that-"
"Dollify, Sakutaro! Uuuuu!" She cast a spell on the adults, turning them into strips of light that flew into the little house.
"Agh…what the-?!" Snake gasped, surrounded by colorful walls and decorations.
"This is quality travel." Nolan remarked, going to the kitchen. "We have real food, some TV, good medication, and this house serves as a barrier to sensory abilities."
"Sigh…the 'Kids Next Door' is exactly what I imagined it to be."
Maria began steering the carriage through the forest while the men spoke inside the dollhouse's living room. Nolan explained to him the incident that happened with the Tower of Babel, and how the Angels forbade the KND from interfering with the situation. "This is Skull Face." Nolan slapped a file on the table. "He's responsible for the attack. And these are his accomplices, Valentine, Ibara, and Bayonetta."
"President Valentine? I heard the man was a legend back in his day. Why is he working with these crooks?"
"Perhaps pursuing some sense of justice, who knows? Anyway, I heard they've stolen one of the Lost Voices. It was taken to a stronghold, but I fear they'll relocate it if the Angels cause too much commotion. I have to take matters into my own hands, and I need a fellow Stealth Master to help me."
"At the risk of being punished by the Divine Angels?"
"You worked against GUN, I thought you would be fine with it."
"Picking a fight with God's lapdogs is different than with the World Government's lapdogs. Suppose we get the Voice, where do we put it?"
"We can hide it in the dollhouse. Like I said, this place hides from sensory powers."
"I was seriously going to joke that we hide it in this 'pretty little dollhouse,' but you nullified my joke!"
"All Maria has to do is keep traveling, and if we stay low, neither Skull Face nor Balder will suspect her. I heard that no one outside the SKND knows she's an operative; it's so that she can sneak people close to strongholds in this manner. Furthermore, she even has a magic clone to keep appearances in the treehouse in case any operatives come to visit."
"It's not exactly comforting to rely on a kid for this type of thing."
"We sort of have to rely on kids in this occupation, but I'd like to rely on adults, too. So, will you help me with this?"
"Hmmm…fine. After all, life is boring when I'm not on a battlefield. I feel like I always need to be active. So, saving the universe sounds like a good way to do that."
"I can empathize with you already."
"But while we're traveling, feel like watching a few tapes from my good old days?" Snake opened one of his pouches, revealing some tapes.
"Sure. Maria has one of those old-timey TVs, thankfully."
Gates of Heaven
Dimentia left the Underworld and stood by the Spirit World's gates to recollect herself. Beside her, a chibi being with blue shiny hair and white garb similar to hers appeared. "We mustn't waste time. We must focus our minds and locate the being Balder spoke of." the mini male said in a calm voice.
"I know, but… I'm just tired of always being forced back to my past, meeting people that won't let me forget."
"I hope Arceus will give him a good talking later."
"Yeah, like a talking ever really taught anybody."
"Who are you talking to?"
"YAH!" Dimentia yelped and whipped around. A young angel boy in an oversized white robe was staring up at her with an innocent expression, his cute head tilted, hands behind his back, and his feet crossed like a triangle. "Oh, hi there. …Haha, you're a pretty quiet boy if you could sneak up on me."
"I hid my chi! I kinda followed Balder from the church and eavesdropped on you guys. All that stuff he said was pretty mean. I hope you aren't too hurt."
"Well, I appreciate the consideration. But it's okay, I'm fine."
"That's good. Y'know, you remind me of someone I know. Kinda, sorta. Want some chocolate?" He held up a candybar.
"Sure, I didn't eat much at the party." Dimentia picked it up. "…Hey, wanna see a cool trick?" She focused power and turned the bar into a rabbit, then a duck.
"Wooow!" The child's eyes brightened. "That's like instant arts and crafts!"
Dimentia proceeded to eat the chocolate. "Anyway, I have to go. Thanks."
"Wait!" The boy grabbed her shirt. "You're gonna go fight an evil monster, right? Let me come with you!"
"This job is kinda dangerous for a kid."
"But I'm a Spirit Operative! A highly trained one, too. Look what my Zanpakutō can do: Pacify, Flutterwing!" He drew a sword as it transformed into a colorful butterfly shape, placing it to Dimentia's chest.
Butterflies fluttered out of her being as she felt herself laugh from a tickly feeling. "Hahahaha! I actually feel kinda better!"
"I could feel you were tense, so I turned your negative emotions into butterflies. They're gonna come back after a while, but a moment of laughter makes the soul healthy. I can turn spirits and energy into butterflies, too!"
"That's nice, but this job still might be too dangerous for you."
"But I gotta come! My friends just got done with a really hard war, so I can't let some monster ruin everything. At least let me tag along and watch you. You look cool!"
"Hehehe…" Hearing praise from an innocent boy felt refreshing after her previous talk. "Well… I guess in case some dark spirits try to attack, you can help me fight."
"What?!" yelled the chibi man. "Dimentia, this boy can't come along! This mission is totally out of his league, and besides, he's…"
"It should be fine if we're not keeping him from some major event. You're not busy with anything else, are you?"
"Nothing but the norm!" He cheered. "So, were you talking to someone?"
"Oh, I was talking to Plex. He's a voice in my head."
"Imaginary Friends are fun! My name is Leic Spirithive. So, where are we going?"
"Let me see…" Dimentia and Plex focused their minds, sensing for an aura that could resemble a Daemonis. "…I'm seeing a planet… whose upper hemisphere is covered in clouds, with a big tree at the very top. It's Mira!"
"Okay!" Leic happily climbed onto Dimentia's shoulders. "To Planet Mira we go!"
"No, you are not coming." Plex climbed up her left and tugged on his robe. "Off. Get off." He tried to slap him. "No children allowed."
"No offense, Plex, but traveling alone isn't the law of this universe. And I kind of prefer someone 'present.'"
"Then why don't we send one of our own to help, they'll certainly be more qualified!"
"They can handle their own problems. This universe is my home and it's my job to protect it, no matter what Balder says. In fact, for the sake of saving a bit of energy… Leic, can you Descend us down to Mira?"
"Sounds like a plan." Leic focused his chi and called forth a ray of light, carrying himself and Dimentia to the Mortal World.
DDLC Side Quest: Bone-Crushing Tale: What is believed to be a Daemonis is wreaking havoc in the Mortal World. Play as Dimentia and hunt the fiend down!
The player can now switch between Nolan and Dimentia's story arcs.
Skull Base
Skull Face and his band took refuge inside a hideaway, viewing in the distance as Divine Angels were attacking another stronghold. "Hmmm…the Angels are particularly adamant about protecting the Voices. I know that Babel is a sacred place, but I can't help but feel there's something more at play here."
"Our 'friend' won't be able to hold off this attack for long." Ibara said with a snide glare. "Where is that Umbra Wench?"
"She has a life outside of the Spirit World, you know, but she'll be back. Bayonetta feels that Babel can uncover the truth about her own origins. She won't back out when we're this close to unlocking it. And that 'Sandman' will be a valuable asset, too." Skull Face withdrew a metal capsule, a tiny light floating inside the glass. "My parasite is sure to have affected him by now. He will be determined to gather the Voices…"
Coruscant hotel
"Check it out, Bayonetta. Nabbed me a hundred thousand big ones for those Gold Lynel heads and Goddess Plumes." boasted a short, chubby man with a round black cap and shaded glasses, wearing a green winter coat and red scarf. He spoke with a Brooklyn accent. "I tell ya, the underworld business is bustling when ya have your own link to the Underworld. But don't leave me hangin' for so long; do ya get a kick out of pissin' off Arceus's Angels or somethin'? Listen, I saw that big motherfucker 23 years ago and I decided I want nothin' to do with it. So, don't go draggin' his pony-ass my direction, ya dig?"
Bayonetta, who seemed much too tall for the room, sat cross-legged on a rather short chair. She was looking at a window, dim light poking through the blinds, frowning in thought. "What's wrong, Bayonetta, still bummed after losin' to that bear and bird? You underestimated 'em, that's what ya did. Next time, bust out some more magic tricks, show 'em what you're really made of."
"It's more complicated than that, Enzo. I feel like I'm finally close to learning who I really am. To finally proving if the visions are true. Ever since I defended the Negatives from Balder, I've been seeing the Tower of Babel in my dreams."
"Yeah yeah, women always thinkin' about their dreams. I got dreams too, I dream of makin' it to my kids' birthday and sharin' a cake with 'em. And when I do, boy are they gettin' the allowance, haha! No worries, you'll still get your percent."
Bayonetta rolled her eyes at his rambling and continued thinking to herself.
First Church
Balder remained alone at the sacred altar, eyes closed in both thought and prayer. After all the stress he endured today, he needed the presence of Arceus… but could not bring himself to talk directly. He could not let his sin be discovered… yet, he wondered if Arceus already knew.
Balder carried a small child with black hair and glasses into a cellar. He lay her sleeping form on the bed… then left the room and sealed the door. Later, the child awoke. She looked around in confusion and worry. "Mummy? Daddy? Where am I?…"
Balder opened his eyes and turned when Ash Landers stepped in. "My Lord, have you seen Leic anywhere?"
"Isn't that boy your responsibility?"
"Yes, but I thought he might…oh well. Perhaps he returned to the Mortal World. More importantly, the Angels we've sent to retrieve the Voice have been faltering. They were attacked by clones that we assume were conjured by Valentine."
"What a troublesome ability. Send in more from the Paradisos and eliminate those copies."