[Date: 1/25 - Saturday]
[Time: 12:00 PM]
[Location: Verdant Grove - Verdant Temple]
"Ugh, where the hell is your little boyfriend? I don't have all day to wait around for your little hero," A Love Demon said, floating in the air and filing her nails.
"C'mon, Tori, be more patient! He'll be here soon. This is a HUGE step for my superstar! He will be the second person in history to actually complete the Crest of Love!" Lustie giggled, sitting on a ruined statue and waiting for me to arrive.
"Right. Shiro is now on the road to becoming the Savior and it's showing. You'd do well being patient," Talenta said, leaning against the ruined statue with her arms crossed.
Flirtoria rolled her eyes as she continued to file and check out her nails. She scoffed lightly and exhaled softly. "He better be just as you described, or else I'll kill him myself and strip away his Crests and find a new host for our powers."
Charismari shook her head as she sat upon a stone cylindrical surface, smoothing out her black nun attire. "You'd find it very hard to actually kill Shiro, Victoria. He's able to match beings like me, Talenta, and a Dragon Boosted Passion on his own, let alone fight and defeat Philosopher Stone wielders."
Flirtoria quietly scoffed and descended to the ground. "Yeah, okay. Sure, he has the feats to prove himself, but he better have the charisma, the talent, the passion, and the sensitivity you all keep mentioning, and most importantly, the ambition."
"Being a Savior and wielding the Crest of Love is no small feat. Besides, once he finally obtains the Crest of Love, he will be complete. He better hope his body can handle such power.." Flirtoria added, walking over to sit next to Sensitia.
The Nine Love Demons waited a while longer for me, each of them having their own side conversations. After a moment longer, I finally arrived at the location with Ani following behind me.
My Love Demons looked over at me and smiled, and I returned their smiles to each of them. I looked ahead and noticed Flirtoria, my gaze immediately meeting hers.
"About time you show up, Human. Now we can finally get this ritual started," Flirtoria said, standing up and walking forward.
Flirtoria had a striking and intense appearance with a blend of ancient, mystical, and seductive elements. She had distinct Egyptian-inspired features. She wore a gold and black headdress with a cobra or snake motif, a common symbol of protection and royalty in ancient Egyptian culture. Her choker also matched this theme, adding to her overall regal and mystical aura.
Her long white hair added an ethereal quality to her appearance, emphasizing an otherworldly presence. Her glowing green eyes were sharp and her pupils were vertical. Her eyes also seem to have a piercing gaze, giving her an intimidating and commanding presence.
She was wearing a form-fitting black glossy outfit that emphasizes her sensuality. The design is sleek, tight, and alluring, giving her a seductive edge. Her accessories, such as the golden jewelry around her neck and the jewel embedded in her choker, reinforced her status as a figure of power and perhaps even divine importance.
"What? Are you just gonna sit there and stare at me? Are you gonna say something?" Flirtoria asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.
Ani looked up at me and noticed I was entranced by Flirtoria. "Pepe..?"
I grunted softly and closed my eyes, clearing my throat. "Sorry, I was just thinking you'd look... different."
Flirtoria tilted her head, her gaze becoming more critical. "Excuse me?"
[Lust-E: Yeah, I forgot to mention, Flirtoria is way different than the other Love Demons. She's a bit more sassy and has a more sharp tone to her.]
'I can see that...' I said to Lust-E mentally.
"Sorry if I sounded a bit rude, but y'know... every other demon has some motif going on. Like Lustie is a Demon and Charismari having an angelic motif. Passion being a dragon and Luckie being a Kitsune. I just thought you'd look...more like Nymph," I said.
Flirtoria scoffed, placing a hand on her hip. "Is that so?"
"I mean he does have a point," Lustie giggled, shaking her head then floated to the ground from the statue. "Shiro, meet the final Love Demon, the Flirtatious Nymph, Flirtoria. She is in fact a Nymph, but just not your common Nymph."
"I am the most rare kind of Nymph. Most Nymphs are seen as Greek but I am an Egyptian Nymph. I am not only the daughter of Felola, but also the daughter of a powerful Pharaoh of my home in Esoria. I am Lady Victoria III, descendant of not only Wadjet but also Cleopatra herself!" Flirtoria said with pride, placing a hand upon her chest.
I nodded, glancing at Lustie and raising an eyebrow. "Well she's certainly a character..~"
Lustie giggled softly and nodded. "She is indeed..."
"Alright, enough of this meet and greet! Let's get started on what we are actually here for. Shiro already wields Eight Love Crests and with me being the final piece, we can begin the Unity Ritual," Flirtoria said, walking to take her place.
I watched as the other Love Demons stood up and formed a circle around me. Lustie had Ani stand at a distance from the ritual, but still allowed her to watch the ritual take place. The Nine Love Demons' bodies began to glow, their auras flowing around them and entering my body.
Red, Orange, Blue, Pink, Purple, Green, Violet, Gold, and White, all nine of their energies began to flow around my body, my entire body feeling a new surge of energy coursing through my veins. My veins faintly began to glow iridescent colors, but the glow felt different...stronger even.
"The Crest of Love, it's more than a Sigil that grants you the inability to fumble a woman, but it is a source of power for a Savior. It is a Unifier," Lustie said, her aura slowly breaking away from her body.
"It is a Crest that grows stronger the more love you're able to generate and obtain. The stronger the love, the stronger the Crest," Talenta added, her aura breaking away as well.
Luckie nodded and get aura began to break away as well, her fox tails swaying happily. "A Savior's power is built around Love, Trust, and Unity which is what this Crest represents. You can not be a Savior and not feel Love."
"Esoria is a World of Love and Unity. No one race or power source is stronger than the other. We are all equal and unified by one purpose, to keep our world balanced and safe from those who wish to break away that unity," Charismari said.
I slowly opened my eyes, my eyes glowing an array of soft colors and a Sigil formed in my eyes. I took a deep breath then exhaled, each of my Crests floating around me in a circle.
Lust, Charm, Talent, Flirtation, Passion, Empathy, Romance, Luck....Ambition, they all meant more than a trait to me. Each one offered a different power source, a different usage, but all of them were equal in efficiency. All nine Crests merged together and formed the Complete Crest of Love and shined on my chest, where my heart was.
[New Ability Unlocked: The Power That Comes From Love.]
[New Skill(s) Unlocked: Savior's Flash, Divine Impact, Liberating Force/Unity Overdrive]
Ani watched from a distance in awe, her eyes sparkling with amazement as she gazed at me. She couldn't help but to stare, her eyes drawn to my form completed. 'Such a beautiful form...'
I looked at my hands and arms, feeling a power that even I couldn't have imagined. "Whoa...and I thought that my Tribal Forms were beyond this world. What is this form?"
"This is your Redeemer's Form. Stage one of your Savior's Form. Your body can't handle the true power of a Savior's Form yet, but you'll have time to truly level up. For now, let's get you in a test drive," Ambitia smiled at me, floating over toward me.
Talenta turned around and pointed at a tower in the distance. "There are a few Karma goons that have been captured by Syndicate members. We told Naomi that we were going to save and bring them back to Sanctuary City. This is a perfect first trial for your new form before the journey to the Northern District of Sanctuary City."
"We promised Charlotte and Naomi that we'd get you completely ready for the endgame against The Syndicates during the war for the Northern District. This is it...if you manage to succeed in this mission, you'll be more than ready for what's to come," Lustie smiled, gently running her fingers through my hair.
I smiled at Lustie and looked at the others, seeing their smiles and nods. I turned back to Lustie and nodded. "Let's get this started.."
Lustie nodded and looked in the direction of the Verdant Tower. She cracked her knuckles and her ears wiggled and the tip of her tail turned into a blade. "Right on, partner..~ Let's go save our allies.."
I stretched and readied myself to make my way toward Verdant Tower. I got down into a running start, iridescent lightning crackling around my body then I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I leaned forward and launched myself forward, dashing through the lush greens.
Ani noticed me rushing off at high speeds and grunted at my new speed, wondering how she would even catch up. She noticed Passion land beside her in her dragon form, her eyes meeting Passion's.
"Come on, hop on~" Passion said, urging Ani to mount her.
Ani nodded and mounted her back, making sure she was stable on Passion's back. Once Ani was stable, Passion took flight and flew after me with my other Love Demons.
[Lust-E: Stay alert, Shiro. I am detecting many traps in the area.]
{Suru: I can confirm. You should activate your Unleashed State to avoid the alchemy traps.}
I nodded and my Crest of Love shined on my chest, a blue flash surrounding my body as I activated my Unleashed State. I continued forward down a path through the forests, my eyes constantly scanning around for traps.
I began to notice a few traps setting off on their own, dodging and parrying each one. I began using my environment to my advantage, continuing my skilled evasions then used a tree to propel myself forward. I landed on the ground and noticed a stone structure crashing down, blocking my initial path.
"This way!" Luckie called out, taking the path to the right.
I nodded and followed behind Luckie, noticing that I was temporarily exiting the forests and entering a ruin area. I looked to my left and noticed the Verdant Tower standing tall in the distance.
[Notice: Syndicate Members nearby.]
"No time to slow down now, let's make quick work of them," Talenta said, flying past me and summoning her spear and shield.
"Gotcha," I said, following behind Talenta and summoning my gauntlets.
I leaped forward, noticing a few Syndicate Members trying to stop us but I used my Wind Control to propel myself forward, cloaking myself in my aura and ramming my way through the wave of enemies ahead. Talenta threw her spear down and caused an explosion of esoteric energy, blowing away multiple Syndicate members at once.
I noticed I began to near the water and leaped forward then Talenta threw her shield toward me. I landed on the shield and began to surf on the water, riding the waves and evading the traps set within the water and the falling stone pillars.
[Lust-E: We are about to enter the forest again. I have mapped out the best possible route for you to take. At your current speed, you will reach Verdant Tower in t-minus ten minutes.]
"Ten minutes huh? I'm moving that fast now? This boost is amazing, but I'm starting to feel a little strain," I said, continuing to surf along the water.
[Lust-E: It's a new transformation your body has to get used to. It's just like your Unleashed State and your Awakened State. Your body needed to get used to those forms.]
"Yeah, I get it. I just hope my body can last long enough to complete this mission," I said, chuckling softly then leaped forward back on land and dashed into the forest again.
I ran through the forest and noticed a pit in front of me and knew I had to jump down it. I leaped down the pit and used my Wind Energy to safely land on the ground then rushed forward once again. I rammed my way through a stone door by cloaking my body with my aura.
I ran through a small cave then noticed debris falling to block my exit and stopped momentarily. I looked around to find an exit then heard an explosion above me, the explosion causing the cave to slightly rumble. I looked up and noticed the hole in the cave ceiling that Passion made.
"Only way is up~" Lustie giggled, flying upward through the hole in the rocky ceiling.
I chuckled softly and combined the Water and Fire elements together to create a geyser beneath me to propel me upward. Passion caught me with her talons and hurled me forward, allowing me to continue along the path to the tower.
[Stamina has lowered to 70%.]
[Warning: Mech Unit Dectected.]
"Mechs? Where the hell are these goons getting this technology?" I asked, noticing three Syndicate members fly past me in power suits.
"Let's work together for this one, Shiro," Luckie said, running next to me in her fox form.
I nodded and braced myself for the next wave of enemies. I deactivated my Unleashed State then my Crest of Love shined once again, golden energy flashing around me and I activated my Lucky Break ability.
[Lucky Break Gambling Activated.]
[Rolling slots...]
[{5}{1}{8}]
[Win! Stamina Regen +20%, Durability -30%, Speed +50%]
{Suru: Master, sidestep to avoid their attacks!}
"Got it," I said, continuing to rush forward.
Luckie began to summon orbs of Fox-Fire and caused them to surround my body. I watched the three mech units, swiftly sidestepping to evade their projectiles and elemental beams. I began firing the orbs of Fox-Fire at the mechs, each one hitting their mark and causing an explosion.
I watched as the three Syndicate members crashed to the ground and their suits exploding. "Ouch...yeah that's gonna leave a mark.."
Luckie chuckled at my quip, rolling her eyes slightly. As she continued running alongside me, she heard rumbling and looked back, noticing a large mecha chasing us. "Master, cloak yourself in your aura and use a Boost Dash! We can't let that thing catch up!"
I looked back and grunted heavily as I noticed the large mecha behind us then looked forward, cloaking myself in my aura and propelled myself forward at high speeds. Luckie and I began to use the trees to evade and dodge each missile shot at us.
Lucky Break began to work overtime, multiple miracles happening to keep the projectiles from hitting either of us. As we rushed forward, we both slid under a small stone bridge, causing the Mecha to ram into the stone structure and explode.
I rolled forward and recovered onto one knee. I slowly stood up and looked back, catching my breath then exhaled softly. "Geez...this doesn't seem like a trial. Did St. Kieran have to deal with this in the past?"
"Yeah, he had to deal with this kind of stuff in the past. But, don't let this discourage you~ We believe that you can pass this trial. You're doing this for Karma," Luckie said then ran forward.
I smiled at Luckie's words then rushed forward as well. "Yeah, for Karma.."
[Lust-E: We are nearing Verdant Tower, just a bit longer.]
I nodded and continued forward, pushing my body even further. As I ran along a path, I noticed we were exiting the forest for a second time, this time on the pathway toward the tower. I leaped forward toward the waters, Talenta tossing me her shield and I began surfing along the waters again.
Evading the traps and collapsing constructs, we began to near the tower even more. I boosted myself even further, leaping back onto the land and reaching a stone gate. Lustie pressed the button to open the gate, allowing us to push forward.
"Shiro! There's a gap ahead! Allow me to carry you over!" Passion called out, flying above me.
"Okay!" I called out and ran forward at top speed then jumped up, holding my hand up.
Passion caught me with her talons and began carrying me over the gap. We neared the tower, but noticed the entrance was blocked off so we couldn't enter the tower from the entrance.
{Suru: Master, I've routed a Detour Path! There's a second entrance at the top of the tower!}
"Alright, map the path for me," I said, letting go of Passion and landing on the ground.
Suru sent me the new path and I began to follow the detour path. I began to run along the side path of the tower, scaling up rock walls and using Passion to ascend higher platforms. As we hurried toward the the peak of the cliff, a beautiful waterfall caught my attention and I noticed a shortcut within the waterfall.
I leaped toward the waterfall and Flirtoria shifted into her Water Nymph form, creating bubbles for me to bounce off of to reach the top of the waterfall. Passion caught me again and tossed me back onto the land.
[Lust-E: We've made it to the Tower. You don't have to rush anymore. Just scale the outside to the tower's temple and we can rest from there.]
{Suru: Be warned there will be Syndicate members ready to take you down. It's better to take on your Cipher Persona so you aren't easily identified.}
I nodded and summoned my mask and cloak, putting them on and the glowing lines began to shine iridescent colors. I looked to my side and noticed Ani landing beside me.
"Are you ready? This is the final stretch," Ani said, stand in up straight.
I nodded, adjusting my mask. "Yeah... let's go."
Ani and I sprinted forward together, scaling up a few ledges and platforms together to reach our destination. Along the way, we encountered multiple waves of Syndicate members, the two of us taking them down together.
As we continue forward, we noticed we neared the peak of th tower until we were stopped by another Syndicate members wearing a powersl suit. Ani and I looked at the unit, Ani's tribal tattoos glowing blue and my eye shining through the eye of my mask.
"That's far enough, Unknown Combatants! You will not get passed me!" The unit declared, stretching out his arms in front of him and unloading multiple energy bullets at us.
Ani and I split apart then I rushed forward, landing a Sanctuary Combo, knocking the unit off his feet with a flurry of Flares then knocked him in the air. Ani leaped forward for a downward chop, but the unit recovered in the air and kicked Ani to the ground.
Ani flipped backwards and landed on her feet, her angelic aura surrounding her body. I adjusted my mask then my glowing lines along my cloak shined orange, awakening my Angelic Source.
"Let's show him the Mojisolan Way, koʻu aloha," I said, my eyes shining brightly.
"Maluhia," Ani said, her tribal tattoos glowing brightly.
Ani and I let out our Tribal Howls, our energies surging around our bodies. The unit watched us, his expression filled with awe but quickly shifted back to his serious face.
"You will not pass by me!" The man bellowed, propelling himself toward us.
Ani gracefully blocked his attack, allowing me to counter him with a swift uppercut to the helm of his power suit, knocking him upward. I followed my attack with downward chop, knocking him back to the ground then Ani rushed forward, slapping a Talisman upon his chest. The talisman exploded, knocking him away.
The man grunted softly as part of his power suit was now damaged. He looked forward and watched as I walked forward. He held his palms together out in front of him. "Die!"
The man fired a powerful energy beam toward me, but I swiftly dodged it and rushed forward, landing a clean Superkick to his face to stun him and cause him to stumble backwards. Ani vaulted over me and kicked the man backwards.
"Return," I commanded, the orange glowing lines on my cloak shining brightly.
{Golden Tongue Activated (1/10)}
Suddenly, an attractive force began to pull the man back toward me as I began charging up and attack. The man tried to fight against it, but it was too late as he was already in front of me.
"Savior's Flash," I said, striking the man and a powerful pulse of divine energy blew him away through the wall of the tower behind him.
I looked at my hand and was a bit surprised by my new attack, the power of the attack significantly stronger than my usual Destiny Flash. I smirked behind my mask, looking forward with renewed determination.
"Alright... let's go in and save those Karma goons," I said.
Ani nodded and watched me walk forward then followed behind. She couldn't keep her eyes off me, also surprised by my new strength. She knew that with this new power of mine, barely anything could stand in my way.