C 124
So how did you get back here anyway, Layla?" Azazel asked. "I've been working on transportation methods myself, but it's been slow going?"
"Huh? I used your Artificial Sacred Gear of course." I replied.
"Hm? Is that so?" Azazel commented. "I wasn't sure if the thing would even work anymore after it crapped out the first time and stranded me and Penemue here. It's good that it had one final use in it before I will scrap it." Azazel said as he walked over to a workbench and fiddled with some of his tools.
I gave him a puzzled look. "Scrap it? It's been working fine so far after it fused with me. Better than fine actually. You might have accidentally made the strongest Sacred Gear ever, Azazel." I said to him.
Azazel dropped the screwdriver he was holding before he quickly marched forward and stood right in front of me. I noticed his eyes glowing and I could feel his magic examining me. He jumped backwards and let out a startled gasp! "What the fuck did you do, Layla!?" He said with genuine shock and concern. He was looking at me like I was about to keel over or something. "You actually fused with that thing!? Are you insane!?" Azazel yelled at me.
I raised my voice as well. I didn't like being yelled at for no reason. "WHAT'S THE PROBLEM!? Was it because I already had a Sacred Gear? That's fine, they work together with no problems!"
Azazel seemed to come to some kind of realization as he slumped down on a stool. "Shit…I forgot you didn't know. I never told you what the core of that Sacred Gear was, did I?" He asked me much more gently this time.
I shook my head. That was what this was about?
"Fuck…" Azazel cursed. "Alright then. For some ungodly reason you appear to be alright. Not dead or possessed so I guess that's a good sign."
"Why would I be either of those?" I asked him with concern. What the hell did he use for the Gear's core?
Azazel sighed. "A couple years ago, I ran a series of incredibly stupid experiments even from a mad scientist's perspective. I wanted to reach not just beyond the dimensional gap, but beyond the known universe itself." He started to explain. I gulped as he continued. He then told me about how he had actually succeeded. Although, he wished he didn't. Using a ritual of his own design that involved sacrificing very rare magical objects. Azazel opened a small doorway into "The Beyond" as he called it. It was a stupid name, but he picked it not me.
"And I'm guessing 'The Beyond' wasn't exactly empty?" I asked.
Azazel chuckled darkly before he lifted up his shirt slightly. I gasped at what I saw and ran over to him. The skin on half of his torso was almost pitch black and looked sickly. His injury also gave off a feeling that I couldn't quite describe. It felt like he was struck by something beyond evil and bordering on madness itself!
"Why didn't you tell me about that kind of wound earlier. You knew I had Twilight Healing!"
"I was struck by an Eldritch being who's power I couldn't even begin to describe. Just looking at the thing for a few seconds gave me–a Twelve Winged Fallen Angel–an incredibly painful migraine." Azazel explained. "I didn't want to worry you and I didn't think Twilight Healing would be able to do anything." He sighed.
That was stupid and prideful of him!
I immediately summoned my Purger of Darkness and started to try and heal him. "Yeah, well I have my Balance Breaker so we'll see about that!" I placed my hands over his black skin and started trying to heal him. I poured in a 100 MP…and then 1000…and then 5000! His skin started to shift back to its normal tone, but only slightly.
Azazel actually looked shocked as he watched himself heal a bit. "Well, damn. I'd resigned myself to an unfortunately slow and agonizing death as my flesh rotted away. That's part of the reason I've been trying with Penemue to have a kid and all. To leave something behind when I was gone…"
I glared at him. "Even if you died, I'd just bring you back. You're too important to our faction to kick the bucket. Baraqiel would be a horrible replacement. The guy can't even manage his own relationship with his daughter." I said. Azazel probably thought I was joking but I still had 3 revives left. I'm sure I'll be able to get more later as well. I was still kind of irritated that I had to waste one on Raynare of all people though…
"Ha! Ain't that the truth. Baraqiel spends too much of his free time alone and has terrible social issues because of it. I honestly have no idea how he seduced Shuri in the first place." Azazel said as he inspected his skin again. He gave me a genuine smile. "You really are an amazing little sister. I think a couple more Healing sessions and I might be fully healed. Penemue will be ecstatic!" He said and genuinely looked relieved.
I smirked. "Of course, I'm amazing! We'll set up a schedule later. So what did the being look like? And is part of it inside my Gear?" I asked.
"Yeah, it is. It looked like an indescribable blob the size of a moon with millions upon millions of tentacles. And it was covered absolutely everywhere in eyeballs. One of its tentacles lashed out at me. It was far too fast for me to dodge or block. A single hit! From a single tentacle out of MILLIONS and I was almost dead…" Azazel said as he held his hands up and an illusionary image appeared in the air. I felt my head ache as I gazed upon the image and I had to look away! Azazel continued, "When I canceled the ritual and slammed the portal shut, part of the tentacle that had breached into our dimension was cut off from the whole. I managed to destroy it much later, but I saved a single one of its eyes."
I got the picture from there. That Eldritch horror of an eyeball was now fused with my very soul. 'Awesome…' I thought sarcastically.
[It could be worse.]
'How's that?'
[Azazel could have used the whole tentacle for the Gear?]
"..."
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