cancry | Superbia Underside Log

Superbia Underside Log

SUPERBIA DUNGEON LOG
Third time's the charm for the Executors, it seems. Their confrontation with Miss President ended peacefully and with the Superbia loop ended, the school was finally able to enjoy its hard earned festival. But it's not quite a straightforward happy ending – the way back up to the previous layers is still sealed and regardless, if the Executors want to progress, they'll have to make their way through the Underside. Finding the entrance isn't too hard. After all, it's where all of this began. At the spot in the gymnasium the previous Student Council President was corrupted, a familiar stairway stretches down, down, down into the darkness. It's been a long time coming, but it's finally time for you to graduate Superbia.
THE UNDERSIDE
♪♫ Maze Fortress – Sakuzyo ... or so you expect, anyway. Entering the Superbia Underside is just as disorienting as always, but for totally opposite reasons to the other Undersides. While the other Undersides have been vaguely recognizable distortions of their Layers, this one is so similar to Superbia that for a second it's almost unclear whether or not you really are in the Underside or not. It almost feels like a repeat of heading down to Superbia for the first time as you descend the stairs but as you get closer, your intimate familiarity with the Layer allows you to pick out the subtle changes. It's more run down than the school itself and you can see Revenants flitting around to and fro in all directions. A few locations seem to have been switched around and warped but for the most part, Superbia stands as you've always known it, frozen in perfect stasis, just the way a certain someone would have wanted it. AREAS OF INTEREST ⚝ SUPERBIA LOCATIONS: As mentioned above, many of the locations from the Pride Layer are in place as you know them here, carved into place by the repeating loops. They're run down and overrun by Revenants but assume that any locations not mentioned below seem to be the same below as they are above. ⚝ STUDENT COUNCIL ROOM: Given how things started, it seems like the logical place to go. The Student Council Room isn't a big place, so it shouldn't take long to examine, right? Or so you might think. The instant the door opens, dazzling light pours out, blinding you for a second. It takes your eyes a moment to adjust but when you do, you'll see the reason for that is that the walls of the room have been replaced with thick, almost perfectly transparent glass with the summer sun pouring in aggressively from the outside. As you follow the curve of the glass up, you realize this isn't just a room – it's a giant glass birdcage. And... I don't have to tell you it's occupied by a bird, do I? ⚝ CLUB BUILDING: Once a monument to the delightful inanity of high school life, the club building has been completely taken over by Revenants. To call it an infestation would be an understatement – the instant you open the door, you find yourself utterly swarmed by them and in the confusion, you'll be chased away from the exit! All you can do is keep climbing and fighting your way up to the third floor, and from there the roof, which is made a litttle hard by the fact that the Revenants seem happy to weaponize the equipment of the club rooms against you. Watch out for that falling piano!! Make your way to the top roof and you'll find a particularly grouchy Revenant on top who doesn't seem eager to let you go! ⚝ GYMNASIUM: See for yourself. HAZARDS ⚝ Structural Damage: Similarly to the Avaritia layer, many of the buildings around the city have fallen into disrepair due to the presence of the Revenants here. While some of the bigger structures are fine, Revenants may burst through walls to get to you and letting them go on a rampage in an enclosed space could bring the whole building down on top of you! ⚝ Revenant Types Present: Charles, Metrodorus

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Etoile sighs, the tone of her voice a lot more frustrated than it has been. She’s not going to escalate things, but she’s also tired of all the cryptic comments.]

I get that there’s a lot that we may not know, but there’s not a lot of sense in beating around the bush about things.

From what I understand, and I will ask all of you to correct me if I am wrong, we would normally be able to go back to the layers above Superbia. As it stands now, something happened and it blocked our access to the upper layers. I was under the impression that the time loops in this layer were part of that, but that was just a theory.

I’m doing my best to be upfront and honest with all of you. I would like to ask for the same, please.

Believe what you will. The fact of the matter is that regardless of who caused the damage, so long as Executors like you exist in Purgatory, the Cogs will not turn.

[ She says it almost matter-of-factly, but there's an uncomfortable gravity to her words. Not helped by the fact that she takes one final step towards the three and resummons her sword to her hand. ]

I imagine that you may have come here chasing some manner of Authority or other? In an attempt to secure your passage to the lower levels. But regardless of how deep you go, you will not repair the Cogs. You will be trapped here like the rest of us and you will be aware of every moment that the years pull apart your minds and your hearts.

[ She lifts her sword and points it directly at them. ]

Please. Don't be afraid. This is a kindness – I will strip you of your duties and break you down to return to Limbo where you can sleep peacefully for the rest of time.

The Authority of Superbia is not your concern. And I don't recall saying we were afraid.

[He didn't hesitate to draw his sword again at the sound of her movement, stepping in front of Etoile. She wasn't yet as experienced as the rest of them, and this was shaping up to be a problem.]

Neither do I recall asking for your help in deciding what we do and where we go. If our actions should be a mistake, then it is ours to discover and rectify, not yours. This is the only chance I will give you; walk away.

[It is not perhaps an unnatural stillness that seizes Chiron, given that they're dead and he has moderately accepted that such things as breathing and eating and sleeping are unnecessary, but given that he tends to do many of these things anyway, the way he freezes on his spot, eyes watching their would-be opponent like a wary cat, might be of note.

The smile is gone.

Perhaps the good part is that he doesn't add in his two cents, no snarky commentary, no mildly inflaming remark. He merely takes in her words and processes them.]

[Etoile may not need to breathe, but she does so anyway. She takes another deep breath, her hand tightening around the grip of her sword.]

No.

[There's a weight to the word that hasn't been there before, as she's unconsciously choosing to speak with a trace of the Authority.]

I didn't wake up just to be put to sleep again. I believe there's always a way to change things, naive as that may sound.

If I'm wrong for believing in that hope, so be it.

. . .

So be it, then.

[ The girl takes one step back and lifts her sword skyward. The air around it seems to fluctuate for a moment – you can't see exactly what's happening because suddenly, trying to look directly at the blade makes your eyes throb in protest. Plumes of energy in that same fathomless black as spent pneuma pour from her weapon and then with a deft swoop of her arms, she splits the blade in two and stands before them, more than ready to fight. ]

Show me how far your convictions go, Executors.

????? ????

????? ????, Chiron, Phoenix, Etoile.

violet

Etoile.

Edited 2021-10-16 20:49 (UTC)

It all happens so fast, and there's so much that makes the hair on the back of his neck stand, a crawling and clammy feeling not unlike what had him so out of sorts from the gym upon investigation, amplified. But he will not run this time, will muster through it.

He moves, aside, further out of the direct line of ???'s aim. "Phoenix, get her out of here!"

Etoile may be able to hold her own, but she's only been one of them for--a few weeks(???) at best. He's not...sure. But certainly she has yet to face anything like this. With Phoenix in front of her, if they don't move, they might both become skewered.

But now being on an off angle, Chiron's grip on his scythe firms, and he twirls it a few times before swinging it, taking a page out of Lion's book and arcing the blade toward her neck. Does he think it will be that simple? Of course not. But he has to try.

"Calm yourself."

...This feeling was just familiar enough to harden his resolve; to know that even should the fight before him be impossible, there could be no retreat.

"Etoile, stay back. If you see a chance to run and find the others to help, take it. If not, then-"

I swore an oath to stand with ■■■■ and keep him safe. Whatever it takes--

"-I'll protect you."

His body language had changed in a flash; calm negotiation turned to hardened steel. Phoenix didn't flinch or back down at all from where he stood in front of Etoile, blade flashing to block and parry the violet one.

The moment Etoile sees those blades come for her, she jumps backwards, hopefully out of range. She keeps her sword held horizontally in front of her, ready to block. Her body language also changes in the moment it takes her to jump, any trace of naivete giving way to pure determination.

She takes a moment to get her wits about her, glancing behind to gauge how far from the door she is and how long it will take her to run out and grab everyone. "Got it," she finally answers, any hesitation gone.

She's going to look for an opening, but at the same time, she's not going to hesitate to make one if she gets the chance.

Though she seems unhurried on the surface, her movements are brutally swift. The black blade, thrumming with energy swings upwards to intercept Chiron's blow even as Phoenix intercepts hers. Her stance is solid and she looks past the three of them to the door just as Etoile does the same.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave."

That's all the warning they get before thick clusters of black crystal suddenly begin to bloom in place over the door, sealing it closed.

Fleeing is not an option.

"Then we'll simply have to go through you."

Easier said than done, but three of them and one of her? They might just stand a chance. Maybe. He squints against the inherent wrongness of the dark blade and disengages, aiming to maneuver behind her. Another arcing swing of his blade, then, straight down at her. If two of them can occupy her swords, perhaps then the third--

"My, and here it sounded like you wanted to be rid of all of us. Can't handle that many at once, I take it?"

His sword burst into flame and pushed back against the violet blade with intent to keep her on the defensive. He'd had the same thought as Chiron; two swords, three of them. If they were careful, they might be able to drive her back.

“Merde,” Etoile mutters, as the door is sealed. “I should have known it wouldn’t be as easy as all that.” She’s not down for long, though, moving to parry the violet blade. “We need to find a way to break the seal.”

To that end, she takes a step back, kisses the gem on the hilt of her sword, and charges a beam of light. She aims directly for the bird-girl’s chest, hoping the beam will knock her off balance.

Three Executors vs one enemy would usually be more than enough to turn the tides – and to their credit, she does seem a little perturbed to have them all coming at her at once. But if they're going to box her in from all sides, then the only way to go is

up.

With a clash of weapons against weapons, she strikes out with her blade, dealing glancing damage to Etoile and Phoenix to create an opening for her to surge upwards into the air. It happens so fast that it's hard to follow her movements and the gymnasium is so dark it's almost impossible to pick her out in the blackness of the shadows.

Not that you need to be worrying about her, when a rain of razor-sharp shards of obsidian come pelting down from wherever she's hiding in the rafters. Each Executor takes a blow of damage.

The darkness wasn't exactly a problem for one of them, and perhaps on that front it was lucky Phoenix was there. Tracking something in the air was a little more difficult than on foot, but ???? was ever so kind as to launch a directional attack at them. Impossible to dodge, but easy to survive for now--and easier still to hear whistling through the air.

"Etoile-" he called out, pulling a shard of obsidian from his arm and pointing at where it had come from with his flaming sword, "-fire again in that direction. Chiron, be prepared to intercept when she moves."

Chiron gives a mild grunt of pain when he's cut in several places by the shards. But a minor irritation in comparison. Her movements are difficult to see in the darkness, and he's got half a mind to do something about that--but Phoenix is naturally better able to track her.

A determined-to-the-point-of-insanity young man he may be, but Phoenix is also no fool. He bides his time, eyes toward the ceiling, awaiting Etoile's--and subsequently ???'s--move.

“I’ll take the shot as soon as I can, I need a second,” Etoile answers. She hisses as she plucks a shard of obsidian out of her hair, pricking a finger. As it stands, she’s trying to get a read on where ??? is; even with Phoenix pointing in the right direction, it’s hard to get a glimpse of her in the darkness. “I think I see her, it’s just hard to get a read on her. I’ll line it up, just have to be careful that she doesn’t try to dive bomb us from up there.”

Edited 2021-10-17 23:50 (UTC)

When the clatter and tinkle of the obsidian fades, the gymnasium hangs in a deathly silence. It's so quiet it's difficult to hear anything at all over the sound of their breathing. But then, just to the back of the gymnasium comes just the faintest creak from the rafters.

Before any of them can respond, another shower of obsidian shards come hammering down. All Executors take a blow of damage. In the chaos, the girl has started to move again but now that she's darting around in the rafters, it's easier to get a bead on where she is.

“For all that talk, I’m starting to think you’re afraid to follow through on your intent!”

He staggered slightly under the newest assault, pulling another shard out of his shoulder. This was a real problem; Phoenix could track her, but didn’t have any range to reach that high.

“Chiron, can you get up there? Knock her down and we might have a better shot.”

For his own part, he stepped in front of Etoile to shield her and raised his sword with intent to parry the next projectiles he heard coming.

“Stay behind me until you’re ready to fire again.”

"For Glacian's sake--"

Quite right, if they aren't going to get her to come down, they're going to have to take the party to her. Doesn't mean he has to like this petty cat and mouse game.

But they can hear her knocking about up there better at any rate. Chiron crouches, takes a leap into the air, and vanishes in a moment of magenta afterimage--warps up ceiling-ward to join their mysterious dark counterpart, appearing on a rafter nigh-instantly. Oh how he'd love to take a better look at her magic, when it's not being aimed at them. He still has a few shards in him because fuck this noise.

And wherever she seems to be, Chiron takes a big, arcing swing in her direction--one that, whether he hits her or not, he aims to finish into the ceiling to carve out a part of it with hopes to penetrate the darkness. Even should she not fall, she may not have anywhere left to hide.

"Let's shed a little light on the situation, shall we?"

It definitely doesn't mean Etoile has to like it. This time she doesn't bother picking the shards out of her hair; it's time she can spend trying to target their adversary. She might not be able to attack directly with her sword, but she realizes in that moment that she doesn't have to.

"Chiron, I'm firing up there," she says, gathering what light she can into her palm. "Ready in three, two..."

As she speaks, she goes en pointe, pirouetting and gathering the energy in her palm.

"One!"

With that, she focuses. Even if she doesn't hit, she can at least help get some light in there. In a quick movement, she sends her star upward. If she knocks their foe off-balance, great. If she manages a direct hit, even better.

The star shoots through the darkness, cutting through the darkness like butter. Shadows scatter in all directions and though it's hard to aim at something you can't see, somehow Etoile manages it. The star shaves through the air so close to the mystery girl that it slices her cheek and she feels back in surprise. She's caught off guard enough that it gives Chiron time to swing his scythe and though he just barely misses the girl, the tip buries in the ceiling and bone white cracks splinter out.

Debris rains from the hole and piercing light floods in, drowning out even the worst of the shadows. Like this, she can't hide.

But of course, neither can Chiron.

The girl surges forward, striking out with her blade - the black one. There's a burst of black energy and then--

Then she pierces Chiron with it, all the way to the hilt and out through his back. For a frozen moment, they stay like that up in the rafters. Then the girl shoves him hard and they both come toppling down to the floor with a hard crash.

He feels triumphant for a moment. Only for a moment.

She's hit, even if it's not by him, which means this isn't entirely hopeless. And his strike still allows the light to come flooding in, just as intended. Even if...even if somehow something inside him turns at the idea of sunlight. He hasn't the faintest why, but it's a moment punctuated by a strange, distant revulsion.

And then it's punctuated by the black blade sliding into him, through him.

Strange how this, too, rings a clear and distant bell that cannot be placed, but it's something he'll reflect on later. If he survives the encounter. His hands, still on the scythe, tremble for just a moment before the weapon slips from his hands and seems to shatter midair into a hundred tiny glistening crystals, vanishing as easy as it came to hand in the first place. A strand of pneuma trickles from his mouth, and then she shoves him, and down they go.

In the moments before they hit the ground, he reaches out a hand, like in some kind of slow motion, an attempt to touch her, to make contact, to drain her if only to temporarily take on some of her vitality. But even if he makes contact, it won't be enough, not enough time and not enough thought in the motion to make it happen. They hit the ground with a mighty crash, dust plumed up around them.

“Chiron—!"

This felt too familiar. Like a dream that belonged to someone that was and wasn’t Phoenix himself. An insurmountable dark power standing before him bearing the threat of taking everything, and the complete helplessness to stop any of it. And what had he done, when hopelessness reached its peak and no other options were left to him?

He'd sworn an oath to someone once; someone whose name and face were lost to him here. Someone he'd cared for enough to risk...no, to sacrifice everything to protect. Now as then, he felt something sparking to life in his chest. Desperation? Perhaps, but there was more to it--there was ironclad resolve, and a blazing force about to spin wildly out of control.

If he did nothing, Chiron was going to die. Gods, maybe he was already, for as much as any of them were alive to begin with. Then Etoile, himself, everyone they had grown to know and care about here. What would he do to protect what mattered to him? What would he give up to see all of them leave this layer under their own power?

Whatever it takes, I will-

Phoenix suddenly doubled over and dropped to his knees, choking out an anguished scream as his whole body caught fire with a ghostly blue-purple flame, short sleeves making it abundantly clear that he was burning from the inside out. His skin turned ashen and smoldered in orange cracks as though his whole body was charcoal kindling a wildfire, heat radiating as he glowed as a pyre in the darkness.

Had it hurt so much in his memories? No...this was worse. This was a thousand times the flame it had been then, every inch of him slowly incinerating from within. Testing him, in a sense; daring him to endure the impossible if he wished to do the impossible in turn.

By the immeasurable pain in that agonized scream, all present would have been forgiven for believing he would instead break beneath the strain.

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1/2

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REMAINING DURABILITY: PHOENIX & ETOILE: 2.5 | CHIRON: 4

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REMAINING DURABILITY: PHOENIX & ETOILE: 1.5 | CHIRON: 3

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REMAINING DURABILITY: CHIRON: 0.5

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1/2; cw body horror