Re: The Phenomenal Fracas! (GBS2G6): [Round Two: Witch's Haunt]
01-11-2011, 12:00 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Anomaly.
D...Dammit. Finch... do me a favor and don't get yourself killed. Please... Then again... Maybe I should be worrying about myself. Syvex dragged himself along with his multitude of arms (except the one that had been smashed to pieces), trailing black ichor from his very-slowly-regenerating bisection wound. He was going lightheaded from blood loss; the intense sunlight was inhibiting even simple blood generation. He was possibly closer to death than he had ever been. He only needed darkness. But he dared not go back in the house - after all, whatever malevolent force inhabited the house had been the cause of this. There was only one option left for Syvex.
The lake.
Syvex pushed onward, looking akin to some sort of awkward snake-insect as he made his way to the lake. The voices, the ghosts... none of it mattered with the overbearing threat of death. Should've never tried to go to the basement... What was I thinking? 'Hmm, the door led outside of the house! Let's try going in anyway!' Such an... id...iot... Syvex was quickly losing focus, but at this point, it didn't matter. He stood at the edge of the lakebed, and without a second thought, took a deep breath and clambered into the water. Soon, sweet darkness once again enveloped him, rejuvenated him. He felt his wounds seal themselves shut as the lower half of his body slowly wove itself together, a near-perfect replication. Maybe it wasn't the same as before - he might have gained a foot or two from such major regeneration - but it didn't matter. The dark depths of the lake invited him, protected him, <font color="red">never leave stay forever the depths forever eternally ours eternally what was that.
Maybe it's not the best idea to stay down here. I'm not bleeding to death anymore, surely it's not that big of a problem. Maybe I can find Sandman, kill him before anything worse happens. Syvex propelled himself at a much faster rate back to the surface of the water, back into the bright, scorching, blinding, horrid sunlight. Actually, it didn't seem nearly as bright as he remembered it. And therein lay the problem.
Clouds were gathering in the sky above. A non-colorblind observer (Syvex noted that the colors which so tormented him had all but disappeared) might have noticed the subtle red shading of the clouds, as well as the very obvious color of decay spreading through the grounds. The latter even Syvex could see; not because of the colors, but because of the rather obvious red foam of desolation pouring in all directions, killing all plantlife it came in contact with. That... probably isn't good. Someone must've done something that went horribly wrong.</font>
- - - - - - - - - -
The Malevolence was at its most powerful since it was summoned to this realm, centuries ago... First the Order, then this family had held it back for generations, rendering it unable to devour this world, this tiny, weak world, all its! All for the taking... No one could stop it now that Lily was gone. Lily was no more than a puppet of the Malevolence now. The long line had come to an end. And now... Now the Malevolence could deal with these intruders. Not just the one, what good would one small man do for it? These contestants... They flowed with a power unseen in centuries, perhaps unseen on this world. They would be absorbed, devoured, their spirits made puppets of the Malevolence. The grounds were its plaything, it could control the spirits more powerfully than ever before.
And so it would lead them to the basement.
- - - - - - - - - -
Syvex made his way back toward the manor, growing increasingly unnerved by the foamy liquid which relentless crept across the ground, seeping into everything it could find. He had already made up his mind - he would have to find Eureka, and that meant delving into the house once more. Despite all the chaos pouring out of it, trickling steadily through the grounds and beyond, he couldn't leave her to die from whatever horrors no doubt lay within. Steeling himself, he charged the front door and swiftly threw it open, finding it to only lead into the bottom of the lake. Instantly, the water began gushing out, preventing Syvex from pushing it closed again. A rapidly-flowing stream rushed down the path and across the grounds, finding its way back to the lake again and forming some sort of odd infinite loop.
On a whim, Syvex broke a window and climbed through, finding himself in the same pantry he had first tried to enter the basement from, just before the laws of physics stopped working correctly. The key difference was, it was much larger and much more labyrinthine than he had remembered. Shelves trailed off and twisted in intricate, chaotic patterns, while their contents spiralled in directions which didn't even exist. The door had managed to wedge itself upside-down in the ceiling, which was much higher than should have ever been possible. Syvex sighed, then rapidly climbed up the distorted shelves and lifted himself through the misplaced door.
Syvex next found himself in an old bedroom, relatively intact given the circumstances. Nevertheless, he still had to keep the demon sealed yes that was always her purpose he needed to stop it before it could destroy the world destroy everything she was the only one that could stop it stop the malevolence no, no, shut up, find Finch! Syvex fell to the ground, clutching his head in pain. N-nno, arrgh, wha-- stop the malevolence you must we must the Order has fallen-- What are you talking about I'm going crazy again arghgh--! As Syvex lay helpless on the ground, his mind tormented by the spirit, the carpet curved up and closed around him, as the Malevolence dragged him down to meet his fate...
- - - - - - - - - -
Tamerlane stumbled through the halls of the manor in a daze. His encounter with the scientist and the pirate had only served to further his ire, and now the doors of the manor seemingly led into the wrong rooms. The sand mage headed for the front door and wound up in a fancy dining hall; checking the cabinets revealed some sort of storage shed. I don't have time for this! I need to find the snake and kill it! It could take me on when I was weak, but now... Now it dies! Tamerlane continued to tear through the manor, angrily smashing wine glasses and priceless vases alike, desperately searching for the one who had so plagued him.
And the manor's distortion seemed to be growing worse. The rooms themselves rapidly began to lose structure, blending with other rooms, twisting and turning through the ether, ignoring every known convention of physics and logic. A large, inside-out bed, lodged halfway through a floor which further along became a ceiling. A chandelier which hung from the floor and whose lights spiralled off into nothingness. And soon, Tamerlane opened a door and found it led into a simple hallway - one which stretched as far as the eye could see and then some. Tamerlane broke into a frenzied dash down the hall, for reasons he didn't even know for sure. All he knew was that union comes reunion is coming everything comes to an end it's all the end for all of us. Tamerlane disregarded the voice in his head as it grew louder and louder, more and more overbearing.
Eventually, Tamerlane could no longer resist. He was no longer in control of his own body; simply a passenger locked deep in the mind. He could only watch in horror as the floor began to split apart behind him, an infinite void beneath the unending floor. The voice of insanity continued to gibber inexorably, controlling his every action. Eventually, this spirit simply decided to stop altogether, causing the sand mage to slip through the cracks and fall into the darkness.
- - - - - - - - - -
Oh so now you've got even more problems of your own is that it?
It's more important than you can imagine.
Can you just tell me something that makes sense for once?
Do you think this house is rearranging itself on its own?
I - what?
You've gotten entangled in our affair. It was none of your concern.
Dammit, it's my concern now that you've possessed me and honestly we probably won't be staying much longer anyway.
No, I beli-iei-ievvvee thaaat you will stay forever stay with us forever join us yes join us Eureka Finch join us join us JOIN US
Eureka slowly rose to her feet against her will, seemingly trying to supress her every action but failing miserably. With large, unnatural steps, she began plodding across the roof, unable to control her own body but still perfectly aware of everything that was happening including some red mist pouring out of the house wait what is that. Eureka took a sharp turn and began walking straight for the edge of the roof, looking out over the quickly-decaying grounds as the sky grew darker and darker. That red mist looked like it could kill her easily and oh god you aren't seriously jumping into that are you oh god.
Eureka flung herself from the roof of the manor, managing to let out a half-silenced scream as she descended to the ground.... Through the ground... Eureka found herself falling through a distorted series of rooms from the manor, all connected together in an impossible mess of a vertical tunnel. Soon the walls of the tunnel turned into nothing but an endless stretch of doors, opening in series with deafening, resounding slams as she passed them. They began peeling from the walls, falling through the air at her as she could only watch in horror. She turned mid-fall to face downward, only to see a door open below her before she fell into the darkness...
- - - - - - - - - -
"Hi, scientist guy!"
"I... what?"
"Hey, this place is pretty confusing and do you know what's going on because I think I'm lost."
"...I, um... no?"
"Okay then, bye, science guy!"
Before the scientist could even register what had just happened, the sentient treasure chest traipsed off into the manor, perhaps to search for someone who knew what was going on, perhaps just because she was easily distracted. Regardless of her motivation or lack thereof, she barged through a random door only to end up falling over an edge before gravity suddenly pulled her to the wall of a strangely-oriented room. Strangely-oriented in that the room was upside down, yet gravity seemed to ignore logic and just stuck things to the nearest surface instead.
"Hey! Mother! Where'd you go?"
As if on cue, the familiar voice returned once more. "H...hello, Miq. P-please, get away from here while you still can... If you join us join ussss can. It--it haa--as... all of us join us all shall--has us under control. G...get away."
"O...kay then, Mother."
Miq started toward the door, only for it to slide to the side just before she could enter. Annoyed, she turned and tried to enter the door again, noting with dismay that it slid down the wall (which was the floor) and up the floor (which was the wall). Miq trundled down the wall and came to the edge of the floor, immediately flipping planes of gravity and landing on her front side. After a moment of disorientation she righted herself and continued chasing the door, which defiantly disintegrated into nothingness. Mother, her voice distorting and fluctuating rapidly, spoke up again.
"I--iiii'm S...sooOOrry..."
The apparition held out its hands in an extremely unnatural motion, as if manipulated by a shoddy puppeteer. Miq's shell - the wooden chest - began to vibrate slowly, gradually growing into a violent shake before exploding into tiny fragments of wood. The Organ, completely unscathed in spite of this, was instantaneously lifted into the air and subsequently plunged into a black void...
- - - - - - - - - -
Riko watched in perplexion as the mobile treasure chest waddled down the hall before disappearing into a door. Not wanting to stay outside with the growing storms and the red mist, he followed Miq's path, going so far as to open the door that had just slammed shut behind her. Instead of finding a room, though, what the scientist found was nothing. Reality itself simply ended at that door; an infinite emptiness was all that awaited beyond.
Unfortunately for him, the door opened inward. In an instant, he lost his footing and stumbled over the edge of the abyss, kept from falling into the abyss only by a doorknob. For a moment, the scientist stared into infinity, shocked and terrified for his own life. Worse, his fingers were slipping, slowly but steadily. If he didn't find a way to climb back up to the inexplicably floating doorframe, that would be the end of him. At least the father had momentarily silenced himself, leaving Riko able to think clearly for once. And it was at that point that he remembered exactly what powers his own vials had temporarily granted him.
Just before he lost his grip, Riko swung his feet up and drove them into the knob on each side of the door, stabilizing himself (albeit upside-down) via magnetism. He then strained to reach back to the doorframe before taking hold and pulling the door back slightly. The scientist then took hold of the top of the frame, pulled his feet from the knobs and swung himself into the safety of the hallway. He collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, horrified by his near-death experience. It was as he was picking himself back up that Father decided to become much more vocal.
"come with us riko join us become one riko join us forget what i saw join join joooiinnnnn"
The sudden psychic assault knocked Riko back to the ground, causing him to topple back out of the door, and into the abyss he had so earnestly tried to avoid...
- - - - - - - - - -
Ripper watched aghast as the Malevolence twisted the girl's form into a pale shadow of what it was just minutes before. That... abominable thing, that mockery of humanity, lurched slowly forward, limbs bending at impossible angles as she... it strutted toward the pirate. Bloody hell, need to get away from this thrice-damned demon! Reducing little girls to this - probably responsible for the house too... Ripper started to run, only to find that the ground beneath him was very interested in going the exact opposite direction at the exact same speed. As he increased his speed, the decaying ground did as well; if he changed direction it followed suit. The remains of Lily drew closer and closer, gibbering on and on in his mind about "joining" and "saving". As the pirate was about to give up hope, he heard a distinct voice.
"Adrien. A man of God, even if a pirate, does not deserve this fate. Your journey cannot end here. Come, Adrien."
Before Adrien's eyes, an apparition of Pastor Blackwood materialized, beckoning him to come. The ground lost its treadmill-like qualities, allowing the pirate to sprint as fast as he could manage toward the manor. He flung himself through the front door, emerging in a bedroom whose contents (excepting the pirate) ignored gravity entirely, freely floating in midair.
"Th...Thank you... pastor?"
"It is no trouble, Adrien. I am Pastor Blackwood, a (former) priest of a nearby church. What is happening right now... It means that demon -- some call it the "Malevolence" -- has been released. Soon I will lose control as well. You have to stop the demon, Adrien. At least try to bring it under control. We've done all we can. Don't let it -- join us yes you must join us all shall join become join -- destroy our world. The souls of humanity are at stake. Go!"
Blackmask looked on in awe. The souls of humanity? This couldn't... no... He solemnly looked down at his vial of holy water. Could this possibly do anything? He would have to at least try, or essentially be responsible for the destruction of everything. Deep in contemplation, Blackmask didn't even notice the armoire floating above him until it dropped on him, throwing him into a black void...
- - - - - - - - - -
Muriegro watched in silence as the misshapen body of Lily slowly stalked toward the pirate before the latter managed to break free and make a run for it. The puppetesque corpse waited noiselessly, watching, unmoving, as Ripper disappeared into the manor house, before it turned around to face him. The girl's eyelids were stretched impossibly wide, her eyes rolled back into her head. A huge, uncanny smile was spread across her face, whish remained unchanged as she spoke - rather, as the Malevolence spoke through her.
HELLO MISTER I AM SO GLAD YOU AWOKE ME
AWOKE ME FROM THE DEPTHS
THE DEPTHS
THEE--E-E DEEeeEEPTHS
Muriegro looked on, expression unchanging, as the shoddy excuse for a little girl advanced toward him. Laguja could still not detect the spirits of the house, nor could it divine precisely what force was at work on the grounds, and was rapidly spreading. It was unsure exactly how to proceed, other than "stay alive long enough for someone else to get killed", not the most favorable modus operandi due to the uncertainty involved. Laguja refocused Muriegro's attention on the girl, who had come quite close by this point.
"Stand back. You will regret going any further."
"Lily" surprisingly obliged. She grinned at Muriegro, staring with empty eyes. Her head flopped over to the side and let off a loud crack before she beganto speak again.
MURIEGRO LAGUJA MURIEGRO LAGUJA
YOU WILL JOIN US JOIN US
JOO-OO--IN
USSSS
Instantly, the broken girl launched herself with frightening agility directly at the cultist, being redirected to the side at the last minute. Muriegro broke into a run, using vague premonitions to barely dodge the witch's constant attacks. Unfortunately, Laguja did not have enough time to adjust for the sudden appearance of a large, red hand from the lake as Muriegro leaped over the now-broken bridge. The hand dragged him down into the depths, into a black void, as Lily's voice echoed in his ears.
NOW YOU WILL JOIN US
YES JOIN US
JOIN US
JOIN
US
- - - - - - - - - -
The seven found themselves in a dark, dank room, its stone walls and wooden floors twisted and distorted in ways which challenged the rational mind. All were suspended in midair, including Miq's organ, kept alive by a mysterious force. All of their attentions were not focused on the room itself, nor were they focused on each other. The spirits had left, and the puppetmaster had entered the stage. It was now that the contestants got their first glimpse at the Malevolence. And most were horrified beyond belief.
The Malevolence lacked a physical form of its own - rather, it was entirely composed of other organisms, twisted into one nightmarish abomination. Bones - mostly human ones - jutted out at random angles. Eyes of all kinds of creatures dotted the completely random arrangement of body parts; numerous limbs stuck out uselessly from the mass. Its assortment of mouths gibbered in incomprehensible languages of utter insanity. Tentacles composed of parts of countless organisms were attached to it at every angle, and the occasional unchanged part of a recently-absorbed creature could still be seen occasionally emerging from the constantly-oscillating mass.
The contestants quickly came to the realization that they were each suspended in the air by the eldritch creature's tentacles, which were very slowly, but still noticably, bringing them closer and closer. It had become clear what had happened to the family, and was soon to happen to all of them. "Join us." Their spirits would be enslaved, bent forever to the will of the Malevolence.
But most of them were much more powerful than anything the Malevolence had ever encountered. And they weren't exactly enthusiastic about having their souls devoured. As if to prove this point, the appendage holding Muriegro suddenly tore in half, dropping him several feet to the ground. Instantly, another shot out to ensnare him, which he managed to divert away from himself as he sidestepped. It was at this point, however, that everything began to strip away, just as it had when they had left Afterparty hours before. The Malevolence dematerialized, and the spacially-confounding chamber was equally lost into the ether...
- - - - - - - - - -
From the now-familiar dark void emerged once more the features of none other than the Prestidigitator, illuminated by his pillar of light as he had been after the first round. What was strange about this, though, was that there were still seven left. The grandmaster took it upon himself to explain rather handily.
"Very nicely done, combatants. Not only did you make the laws of physics stop working, you also managed to release a soul-devourer horror on the world! But don't worry, that world was just a fabrication. It's gone now. As you have no doubt noticed by now, there are still seven of you left, despite the second round being over. For the first time in Grand Battle history, I've ended a round without a death. Because, to be frank, there's not much point if I let you all die in there."
The Prestidigitator scraped his cane across the ground, dissolving the void and replacing it with a beautiful sunlit countryside. Tree-covered hills and mountains dotted the landscape, giving an overall feeling of tranquility. The contestants looked around to find themselves on top of a large train of some sort, traveling at very high speeds. The Prestidigitator's voice echoed through the landscape.
"Welcome to the Iron Rose. This was a train constructed to traverse the world at unheard-of speeds, as well as being the largest train ever built on this world. Quaint, almost. Commuters and vacationers alike (all rather high-class, naturally) comprise the bulk of the train's occupants, and... well... I don't think they'll take all that kindly to your intrusion. Best of luck, and watch out for any... 'hidden surprises'."
The Prestidigitator's voice ceased, and the contestants prepared to continue on their way, be it killing each other or simply trying to survive (or even escape). After a scant few seconds, though, the voice came back.
"Oh, I almost forgot. After what happened last round, this round will be double elimination. No one leaves until two of you are dead this time. Good luck."
In an instant, the new stowaways were dispersed throughout the surprisingly-roomy train, to once more fight each other to the death for the amusement of a higher being.
D...Dammit. Finch... do me a favor and don't get yourself killed. Please... Then again... Maybe I should be worrying about myself. Syvex dragged himself along with his multitude of arms (except the one that had been smashed to pieces), trailing black ichor from his very-slowly-regenerating bisection wound. He was going lightheaded from blood loss; the intense sunlight was inhibiting even simple blood generation. He was possibly closer to death than he had ever been. He only needed darkness. But he dared not go back in the house - after all, whatever malevolent force inhabited the house had been the cause of this. There was only one option left for Syvex.
The lake.
Syvex pushed onward, looking akin to some sort of awkward snake-insect as he made his way to the lake. The voices, the ghosts... none of it mattered with the overbearing threat of death. Should've never tried to go to the basement... What was I thinking? 'Hmm, the door led outside of the house! Let's try going in anyway!' Such an... id...iot... Syvex was quickly losing focus, but at this point, it didn't matter. He stood at the edge of the lakebed, and without a second thought, took a deep breath and clambered into the water. Soon, sweet darkness once again enveloped him, rejuvenated him. He felt his wounds seal themselves shut as the lower half of his body slowly wove itself together, a near-perfect replication. Maybe it wasn't the same as before - he might have gained a foot or two from such major regeneration - but it didn't matter. The dark depths of the lake invited him, protected him, <font color="red">never leave stay forever the depths forever eternally ours eternally what was that.
Maybe it's not the best idea to stay down here. I'm not bleeding to death anymore, surely it's not that big of a problem. Maybe I can find Sandman, kill him before anything worse happens. Syvex propelled himself at a much faster rate back to the surface of the water, back into the bright, scorching, blinding, horrid sunlight. Actually, it didn't seem nearly as bright as he remembered it. And therein lay the problem.
Clouds were gathering in the sky above. A non-colorblind observer (Syvex noted that the colors which so tormented him had all but disappeared) might have noticed the subtle red shading of the clouds, as well as the very obvious color of decay spreading through the grounds. The latter even Syvex could see; not because of the colors, but because of the rather obvious red foam of desolation pouring in all directions, killing all plantlife it came in contact with. That... probably isn't good. Someone must've done something that went horribly wrong.</font>
- - - - - - - - - -
The Malevolence was at its most powerful since it was summoned to this realm, centuries ago... First the Order, then this family had held it back for generations, rendering it unable to devour this world, this tiny, weak world, all its! All for the taking... No one could stop it now that Lily was gone. Lily was no more than a puppet of the Malevolence now. The long line had come to an end. And now... Now the Malevolence could deal with these intruders. Not just the one, what good would one small man do for it? These contestants... They flowed with a power unseen in centuries, perhaps unseen on this world. They would be absorbed, devoured, their spirits made puppets of the Malevolence. The grounds were its plaything, it could control the spirits more powerfully than ever before.
And so it would lead them to the basement.
- - - - - - - - - -
Syvex made his way back toward the manor, growing increasingly unnerved by the foamy liquid which relentless crept across the ground, seeping into everything it could find. He had already made up his mind - he would have to find Eureka, and that meant delving into the house once more. Despite all the chaos pouring out of it, trickling steadily through the grounds and beyond, he couldn't leave her to die from whatever horrors no doubt lay within. Steeling himself, he charged the front door and swiftly threw it open, finding it to only lead into the bottom of the lake. Instantly, the water began gushing out, preventing Syvex from pushing it closed again. A rapidly-flowing stream rushed down the path and across the grounds, finding its way back to the lake again and forming some sort of odd infinite loop.
On a whim, Syvex broke a window and climbed through, finding himself in the same pantry he had first tried to enter the basement from, just before the laws of physics stopped working correctly. The key difference was, it was much larger and much more labyrinthine than he had remembered. Shelves trailed off and twisted in intricate, chaotic patterns, while their contents spiralled in directions which didn't even exist. The door had managed to wedge itself upside-down in the ceiling, which was much higher than should have ever been possible. Syvex sighed, then rapidly climbed up the distorted shelves and lifted himself through the misplaced door.
Syvex next found himself in an old bedroom, relatively intact given the circumstances. Nevertheless, he still had to keep the demon sealed yes that was always her purpose he needed to stop it before it could destroy the world destroy everything she was the only one that could stop it stop the malevolence no, no, shut up, find Finch! Syvex fell to the ground, clutching his head in pain. N-nno, arrgh, wha-- stop the malevolence you must we must the Order has fallen-- What are you talking about I'm going crazy again arghgh--! As Syvex lay helpless on the ground, his mind tormented by the spirit, the carpet curved up and closed around him, as the Malevolence dragged him down to meet his fate...
- - - - - - - - - -
Tamerlane stumbled through the halls of the manor in a daze. His encounter with the scientist and the pirate had only served to further his ire, and now the doors of the manor seemingly led into the wrong rooms. The sand mage headed for the front door and wound up in a fancy dining hall; checking the cabinets revealed some sort of storage shed. I don't have time for this! I need to find the snake and kill it! It could take me on when I was weak, but now... Now it dies! Tamerlane continued to tear through the manor, angrily smashing wine glasses and priceless vases alike, desperately searching for the one who had so plagued him.
And the manor's distortion seemed to be growing worse. The rooms themselves rapidly began to lose structure, blending with other rooms, twisting and turning through the ether, ignoring every known convention of physics and logic. A large, inside-out bed, lodged halfway through a floor which further along became a ceiling. A chandelier which hung from the floor and whose lights spiralled off into nothingness. And soon, Tamerlane opened a door and found it led into a simple hallway - one which stretched as far as the eye could see and then some. Tamerlane broke into a frenzied dash down the hall, for reasons he didn't even know for sure. All he knew was that union comes reunion is coming everything comes to an end it's all the end for all of us. Tamerlane disregarded the voice in his head as it grew louder and louder, more and more overbearing.
Eventually, Tamerlane could no longer resist. He was no longer in control of his own body; simply a passenger locked deep in the mind. He could only watch in horror as the floor began to split apart behind him, an infinite void beneath the unending floor. The voice of insanity continued to gibber inexorably, controlling his every action. Eventually, this spirit simply decided to stop altogether, causing the sand mage to slip through the cracks and fall into the darkness.
- - - - - - - - - -
Oh so now you've got even more problems of your own is that it?
It's more important than you can imagine.
Can you just tell me something that makes sense for once?
Do you think this house is rearranging itself on its own?
I - what?
You've gotten entangled in our affair. It was none of your concern.
Dammit, it's my concern now that you've possessed me and honestly we probably won't be staying much longer anyway.
No, I beli-iei-ievvvee thaaat you will stay forever stay with us forever join us yes join us Eureka Finch join us join us JOIN US
Eureka slowly rose to her feet against her will, seemingly trying to supress her every action but failing miserably. With large, unnatural steps, she began plodding across the roof, unable to control her own body but still perfectly aware of everything that was happening including some red mist pouring out of the house wait what is that. Eureka took a sharp turn and began walking straight for the edge of the roof, looking out over the quickly-decaying grounds as the sky grew darker and darker. That red mist looked like it could kill her easily and oh god you aren't seriously jumping into that are you oh god.
Eureka flung herself from the roof of the manor, managing to let out a half-silenced scream as she descended to the ground.... Through the ground... Eureka found herself falling through a distorted series of rooms from the manor, all connected together in an impossible mess of a vertical tunnel. Soon the walls of the tunnel turned into nothing but an endless stretch of doors, opening in series with deafening, resounding slams as she passed them. They began peeling from the walls, falling through the air at her as she could only watch in horror. She turned mid-fall to face downward, only to see a door open below her before she fell into the darkness...
- - - - - - - - - -
"Hi, scientist guy!"
"I... what?"
"Hey, this place is pretty confusing and do you know what's going on because I think I'm lost."
"...I, um... no?"
"Okay then, bye, science guy!"
Before the scientist could even register what had just happened, the sentient treasure chest traipsed off into the manor, perhaps to search for someone who knew what was going on, perhaps just because she was easily distracted. Regardless of her motivation or lack thereof, she barged through a random door only to end up falling over an edge before gravity suddenly pulled her to the wall of a strangely-oriented room. Strangely-oriented in that the room was upside down, yet gravity seemed to ignore logic and just stuck things to the nearest surface instead.
"Hey! Mother! Where'd you go?"
As if on cue, the familiar voice returned once more. "H...hello, Miq. P-please, get away from here while you still can... If you join us join ussss can. It--it haa--as... all of us join us all shall--has us under control. G...get away."
"O...kay then, Mother."
Miq started toward the door, only for it to slide to the side just before she could enter. Annoyed, she turned and tried to enter the door again, noting with dismay that it slid down the wall (which was the floor) and up the floor (which was the wall). Miq trundled down the wall and came to the edge of the floor, immediately flipping planes of gravity and landing on her front side. After a moment of disorientation she righted herself and continued chasing the door, which defiantly disintegrated into nothingness. Mother, her voice distorting and fluctuating rapidly, spoke up again.
"I--iiii'm S...sooOOrry..."
The apparition held out its hands in an extremely unnatural motion, as if manipulated by a shoddy puppeteer. Miq's shell - the wooden chest - began to vibrate slowly, gradually growing into a violent shake before exploding into tiny fragments of wood. The Organ, completely unscathed in spite of this, was instantaneously lifted into the air and subsequently plunged into a black void...
- - - - - - - - - -
Riko watched in perplexion as the mobile treasure chest waddled down the hall before disappearing into a door. Not wanting to stay outside with the growing storms and the red mist, he followed Miq's path, going so far as to open the door that had just slammed shut behind her. Instead of finding a room, though, what the scientist found was nothing. Reality itself simply ended at that door; an infinite emptiness was all that awaited beyond.
Unfortunately for him, the door opened inward. In an instant, he lost his footing and stumbled over the edge of the abyss, kept from falling into the abyss only by a doorknob. For a moment, the scientist stared into infinity, shocked and terrified for his own life. Worse, his fingers were slipping, slowly but steadily. If he didn't find a way to climb back up to the inexplicably floating doorframe, that would be the end of him. At least the father had momentarily silenced himself, leaving Riko able to think clearly for once. And it was at that point that he remembered exactly what powers his own vials had temporarily granted him.
Just before he lost his grip, Riko swung his feet up and drove them into the knob on each side of the door, stabilizing himself (albeit upside-down) via magnetism. He then strained to reach back to the doorframe before taking hold and pulling the door back slightly. The scientist then took hold of the top of the frame, pulled his feet from the knobs and swung himself into the safety of the hallway. He collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, horrified by his near-death experience. It was as he was picking himself back up that Father decided to become much more vocal.
"come with us riko join us become one riko join us forget what i saw join join joooiinnnnn"
The sudden psychic assault knocked Riko back to the ground, causing him to topple back out of the door, and into the abyss he had so earnestly tried to avoid...
- - - - - - - - - -
Ripper watched aghast as the Malevolence twisted the girl's form into a pale shadow of what it was just minutes before. That... abominable thing, that mockery of humanity, lurched slowly forward, limbs bending at impossible angles as she... it strutted toward the pirate. Bloody hell, need to get away from this thrice-damned demon! Reducing little girls to this - probably responsible for the house too... Ripper started to run, only to find that the ground beneath him was very interested in going the exact opposite direction at the exact same speed. As he increased his speed, the decaying ground did as well; if he changed direction it followed suit. The remains of Lily drew closer and closer, gibbering on and on in his mind about "joining" and "saving". As the pirate was about to give up hope, he heard a distinct voice.
"Adrien. A man of God, even if a pirate, does not deserve this fate. Your journey cannot end here. Come, Adrien."
Before Adrien's eyes, an apparition of Pastor Blackwood materialized, beckoning him to come. The ground lost its treadmill-like qualities, allowing the pirate to sprint as fast as he could manage toward the manor. He flung himself through the front door, emerging in a bedroom whose contents (excepting the pirate) ignored gravity entirely, freely floating in midair.
"Th...Thank you... pastor?"
"It is no trouble, Adrien. I am Pastor Blackwood, a (former) priest of a nearby church. What is happening right now... It means that demon -- some call it the "Malevolence" -- has been released. Soon I will lose control as well. You have to stop the demon, Adrien. At least try to bring it under control. We've done all we can. Don't let it -- join us yes you must join us all shall join become join -- destroy our world. The souls of humanity are at stake. Go!"
Blackmask looked on in awe. The souls of humanity? This couldn't... no... He solemnly looked down at his vial of holy water. Could this possibly do anything? He would have to at least try, or essentially be responsible for the destruction of everything. Deep in contemplation, Blackmask didn't even notice the armoire floating above him until it dropped on him, throwing him into a black void...
- - - - - - - - - -
Muriegro watched in silence as the misshapen body of Lily slowly stalked toward the pirate before the latter managed to break free and make a run for it. The puppetesque corpse waited noiselessly, watching, unmoving, as Ripper disappeared into the manor house, before it turned around to face him. The girl's eyelids were stretched impossibly wide, her eyes rolled back into her head. A huge, uncanny smile was spread across her face, whish remained unchanged as she spoke - rather, as the Malevolence spoke through her.
HELLO MISTER I AM SO GLAD YOU AWOKE ME
AWOKE ME FROM THE DEPTHS
THE DEPTHS
THEE--E-E DEEeeEEPTHS
Muriegro looked on, expression unchanging, as the shoddy excuse for a little girl advanced toward him. Laguja could still not detect the spirits of the house, nor could it divine precisely what force was at work on the grounds, and was rapidly spreading. It was unsure exactly how to proceed, other than "stay alive long enough for someone else to get killed", not the most favorable modus operandi due to the uncertainty involved. Laguja refocused Muriegro's attention on the girl, who had come quite close by this point.
"Stand back. You will regret going any further."
"Lily" surprisingly obliged. She grinned at Muriegro, staring with empty eyes. Her head flopped over to the side and let off a loud crack before she beganto speak again.
MURIEGRO LAGUJA MURIEGRO LAGUJA
YOU WILL JOIN US JOIN US
JOO-OO--IN
USSSS
Instantly, the broken girl launched herself with frightening agility directly at the cultist, being redirected to the side at the last minute. Muriegro broke into a run, using vague premonitions to barely dodge the witch's constant attacks. Unfortunately, Laguja did not have enough time to adjust for the sudden appearance of a large, red hand from the lake as Muriegro leaped over the now-broken bridge. The hand dragged him down into the depths, into a black void, as Lily's voice echoed in his ears.
NOW YOU WILL JOIN US
YES JOIN US
JOIN US
JOIN
US
- - - - - - - - - -
The seven found themselves in a dark, dank room, its stone walls and wooden floors twisted and distorted in ways which challenged the rational mind. All were suspended in midair, including Miq's organ, kept alive by a mysterious force. All of their attentions were not focused on the room itself, nor were they focused on each other. The spirits had left, and the puppetmaster had entered the stage. It was now that the contestants got their first glimpse at the Malevolence. And most were horrified beyond belief.
The Malevolence lacked a physical form of its own - rather, it was entirely composed of other organisms, twisted into one nightmarish abomination. Bones - mostly human ones - jutted out at random angles. Eyes of all kinds of creatures dotted the completely random arrangement of body parts; numerous limbs stuck out uselessly from the mass. Its assortment of mouths gibbered in incomprehensible languages of utter insanity. Tentacles composed of parts of countless organisms were attached to it at every angle, and the occasional unchanged part of a recently-absorbed creature could still be seen occasionally emerging from the constantly-oscillating mass.
The contestants quickly came to the realization that they were each suspended in the air by the eldritch creature's tentacles, which were very slowly, but still noticably, bringing them closer and closer. It had become clear what had happened to the family, and was soon to happen to all of them. "Join us." Their spirits would be enslaved, bent forever to the will of the Malevolence.
But most of them were much more powerful than anything the Malevolence had ever encountered. And they weren't exactly enthusiastic about having their souls devoured. As if to prove this point, the appendage holding Muriegro suddenly tore in half, dropping him several feet to the ground. Instantly, another shot out to ensnare him, which he managed to divert away from himself as he sidestepped. It was at this point, however, that everything began to strip away, just as it had when they had left Afterparty hours before. The Malevolence dematerialized, and the spacially-confounding chamber was equally lost into the ether...
- - - - - - - - - -
From the now-familiar dark void emerged once more the features of none other than the Prestidigitator, illuminated by his pillar of light as he had been after the first round. What was strange about this, though, was that there were still seven left. The grandmaster took it upon himself to explain rather handily.
"Very nicely done, combatants. Not only did you make the laws of physics stop working, you also managed to release a soul-devourer horror on the world! But don't worry, that world was just a fabrication. It's gone now. As you have no doubt noticed by now, there are still seven of you left, despite the second round being over. For the first time in Grand Battle history, I've ended a round without a death. Because, to be frank, there's not much point if I let you all die in there."
The Prestidigitator scraped his cane across the ground, dissolving the void and replacing it with a beautiful sunlit countryside. Tree-covered hills and mountains dotted the landscape, giving an overall feeling of tranquility. The contestants looked around to find themselves on top of a large train of some sort, traveling at very high speeds. The Prestidigitator's voice echoed through the landscape.
"Welcome to the Iron Rose. This was a train constructed to traverse the world at unheard-of speeds, as well as being the largest train ever built on this world. Quaint, almost. Commuters and vacationers alike (all rather high-class, naturally) comprise the bulk of the train's occupants, and... well... I don't think they'll take all that kindly to your intrusion. Best of luck, and watch out for any... 'hidden surprises'."
The Prestidigitator's voice ceased, and the contestants prepared to continue on their way, be it killing each other or simply trying to survive (or even escape). After a scant few seconds, though, the voice came back.
"Oh, I almost forgot. After what happened last round, this round will be double elimination. No one leaves until two of you are dead this time. Good luck."
In an instant, the new stowaways were dispersed throughout the surprisingly-roomy train, to once more fight each other to the death for the amusement of a higher being.