C127: End of the Abyss P9
Overall Word count = 1960 on 8/11/2024.
As for Cassandra, she has an idea of how this all works so there is no confusion on her face. In fact that very idea is why she has come here to make a request.
"Alright, ill get you settled in in a moment. And what did you want" Axel addresses Daphne first about getting her own ring first and then turns to Cassandra, the still brooding woman has her head down now that attention shifts to her.
"Um. I, um. I have two matters that i'd like to speak to you about. The first is that I had another dream recently. One I believe involves you…you and the dungeon"
"Cassandra, this is not the time for your typical mood drowning talk. They.."
"No, it's alright, i'd like to hear this. The last time she spoke to me was about Antares. Her warning was the reason I hurried so fast over there and saved Artemis when she was very injured." Axel interrupts Daphne who like always does not understand Cassandra due to the girls curse. Meanwhile, Axel who is stronger now can better detect the curse with his gluttony.
Axel approaches Cassandra and while she is surprised, he places his hand on her head. Nen chains wrap around her shoulders to keep her up as he channels his gluttony energy into her. Her body rapidly weakens but his energy only needs to cover her head and there he finds the source of her curse.
He could have left the curse alone and it would have constantly provided him with a few magic stat but he is already level nine while she is still level 2. The effect is not substantial enough to tempt him, so he might as well cure her of it and get a small chunk outright into his stats.
"CASSANDRA" Daphne attempts to rush forward but is too slow for even the pregnant Aisha who steps forward in time to grab her by the collar of her uniform and lift her up.
"Settle down, he won't hurt her for no reason." As she speaks, Axel sets down the now very pale girl onto a nearby seat. Axel sits down next to her as he begins to explain his actions.
"Cassandra, your head was the receptacle of a curse. One that plagued your very words. It ensured that nobody…would ever believe anything you said. I don't know if this was done maliciously or a result of your so-called prophetic skill but you are cured now. I have swallowed the source of this curse at its source. I understand if you hate me because I likely had stolen months if not years of your hard work in regards to your own stats. But if you are willing to forgive me then I can help you rise up during this expedition."
The tired girl goes through a rollercoaster of emotions, from shock to horror, to a sense of freedom. A few minutes tick by as she slowly regains a bit of strength in her body, at least enough to lift her hands. She decides to follow through with her resolution in regards to the second matter she had wanted to approach Axel about.
She reaches into her uniform that she had already been loosened up beforehand but not entirely that she stripped. Yet as her hand reaches inside, she pulls out a piece of black rope. She hands it over to Axel's hand. He lightly tugs on it and some more robe flows out of her suit until a collar slides up the prophets neck.
"I shall be in your care, master." She weakly whispers but Axel can clearly hear her. He understands the sexual implication of this but he doesnt feel any lust at the moment since Haruhime had just drained him as well as the seriousness of the matter. He hides the leash and collar connected to it. He hides this from everyone with his body so Cassandra is not shamed by her own actions at this time.
He stands up straight and looks at the group, "well I got her answer, so I have to apologize to the rest of you, our trip will be delayed for another 2 hours. You all get to know each other, maybe form a few plans and teach them how to control their nen. In half an hour you can unlock Cassandras and start teaching her." He gives the group their orders and places his hand on Daphne's head.
Of course Aisha had already let her go. She had sitten down once she began to hear about a curse that Cassandra had. She began to rethink all the warnings that Cassandra had given her over the years that came true and how she blatantly ignored them like a fool and the Apollo Familia ended up in trouble. She even remembers the day of the war game with Axel that Cassandra confided in her that it would not go their way. Overwhelmingly so.
Naturally she had not believed her then but she finally recognizes her foolishness. As such she does not resist when he places his hand on her head. She can feel a strange energy flow through her which seems to spark her body in creating or releasing the same type of energy. It soon begins to overflow from her entire body but Axel helps her contain it, if temporarily through his esper power. Just like he blocks his gluttony, he contained her nen. He then disappeared to get to work on their rings. The others temporarily set down their things before they begin to teach Daphne the basics of how to contain her nen by herself along with a few tips and tricks to get into the habit of doing this passively.
Axel returned to Mt Doom to forge their rings. The energy of this area helps temper the rings further as he recreates celebrimbor's forge here before he gets to work. The process to make both their rings takes two hours, mostly for Daphne due to her unique 'nature' ability. He only had a small fragment of the energy he took when he absorbed it. He made it so the ring would give her more control over the defensive aspect of that skill, boosting her stamina so she wouldn't be utterly tired out when she uses it.
The reason it took so long really is that he also had to implement a failsafe with his gluttony in case that his changes had caused a negative growth with her skill as she could very well turn into a full on tree if not careful. Cassandra's ring was much faster as he simply influenced her soon to be awakened Nen to find into her 'mind' so that they become better interlinked so she can cast spells for much longer periods of time. Of course he gave the typical absorption ability, stamina and other boosts he could give.
When he returned, he found that the two girls were concentrating heavily on their lessons. He didn't interrupt them but instead joined Raikou for some tea.
"Are you sure about this? The dungeon is important to a lot of people." She asks
Axel nods as he states, "Orario and the dungeon is a focal point to many peoples lives but that is only because of magic stones. Orario serves as a safety net for the people of this world. Everyone has ignored their past. Only you all haven't forgotten" He takes her hand, she has a sad expression on her face, as if remembering her past.
"Orario is…stuck in time, unable to move forward or backward as long as the dungeon stands."
"You will become the enemy of both gods and man if you do this" Raikou warns.
"As long as Sabrina is safe and unharmed then the dungeon will die regardless, they would simply be clueless, laying out false hope that the dungeon remains, unless Lord Ouranos can tell that the dungeon is dead. Even then they might investigate all sources for the cause of it dying. They could very well trace back to me or Sabrina due to our fight with Tiona. Multiple eyewitnesses, and the group of immortals coming together to fight and protect. We can only count our lucky stars that someone didn't sync the idea of the dungeon dying with Sabrina already. She was born and it started dying."
Axel explains his worries and Raikou tightens her grip on the hand that is holding his own.
"Everything will be alright. I'm certain of it and have faith in you." Axel smiles in Raikou's direction and gives her a kiss before saying,
"Im going to try to fight that one once more. Watch over me" She nods in response and Axel meditates to enter his mind 'palace'.
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Axel stands in the quaint little village again and before what he assumes is the village chiefs house again. He enters past the foyer and heads towards the dining hall. Once he does, he finds the faceless kid sized shadow figure simply standing there, looking out the window. As if detecting your presence, the shadow turns around to look at you.
Axel has fought the shadow tens of times and failed each time. Even after receiving Stein's soul magic, he had only ever just lasted longer. Yet he feels this time will be different. He extends tendrils from his body, the mana threads he has been learning under Gorgon. He has them spread out throughout his 'body' and begin to chisel onto it the magic runes that are responsible for healing his mental/soul body. The reason he has not tried this before is that it makes it so the runes are perpetually on. This drains him massively and so he has to finish the fight quickly.
Once the runes are placed, he rushes forward but the shadow remains where it is and only brings it's arms up slowly.
Axel goes to punch its chest but his arm is cut off by the shadow as it seems to blink over to his right side. He rapidly recovers his arm and goes for a kick that connects with it's face but not before it's cut off as well. Axel channels his own mana burst to dash over to the side of it as his leg recovers.
Both sides are poised to punch each other and Axel's strike connects with the shadows face, knocking it back but it is at that moment that the shadow flickers over to the side as Axel's head is disconnected from his body. Due to the force of the strike, it is sent flying up.
Axel quickly realizes that he is still conscious and can even move his body. He can only surmise that it is because of the healing runes chiseled onto his body that allows this moment of brief respite. The shadow doesnt seem to realize that Axel is still 'alive'.
He concentrates his power and with a mana burst, he finally lands a blow on the shadow upon its jaw. Axel has long noticed that the shadow primarily follows a human-like body and naturally follows the same rules. So with the strike to the jaw, its 'brain' was shaken. Axel then follows through.
Discombobulate to further stun it.
Snap the neck.
Then with the last bit of consciousness he has left, reattach his own head to regain his consciousness. Axel witnesses how the shadows body once more breaks apart into fragments as it then flows into his body. His 'mind' gradually acquires new information but to say Axel is shocked is an understatement.
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Alt Title: Curse Uncursed and Mental Victory