And So The War Begins

[Felix Falora]

"So this is where his life force is?" Shadow asked Leon, smirking softly at the prospect of another death on her hands.

"Yes... Is this a problem?" Leon asked.

"I find it ironic. I ended a life here once... now I get to do it again," Shadow said.

Meanwhile, farther in the park, Shinichi landed. Raising his arms, his hands glowed a dark purplish color and five stones raised from the ground, forming a circular pattern. Energy spawned in the middle of the circles, forming a circle shape as well. It was a portal... a portal to Hell. The energy, however, had not finished spreading out... The portal was incomplete.

[zerowonder]

Big Daddy stood behind Shadow his lights glaring but blocked by Shadow's opaque figure, like the sun being swallowed in darkness during sunset. The tall, metal-clad monster loomed over Shadow protectively, observing the man in front of them warily.

[Felix Falora]

Shinichi did not even turn as the three approached him. "You are too late... nothing can stop the summoning of the Master's army now," he said.

"Normally I would applaud your actions," Leon said, "but I have a kingdom to overthrow and a score to settle, so I'll drop the villain's reign for a moment and do something good for once."

"Being the queen of Hell appeals to me, especially considering who wants to be King." A flirty tone was added here, shot for Leon, who smirked a little at it. But then it was dropped. "That's why I'm going to eliminate every particle of your existance."

"Strong words from a little sorceress," Shinichi said, still looking away from them. "I don't think your guardian realizes you're not what he thinks you are under any circumstance."

[zerowonder]

Big Daddy did not respond, he just stood there probing the two males for any signs of aggression towards Shadow.

[Felix Falora]

Leon's agression was all focused at Shinichi, as was Shadow's. Shinichi, however, proved to have some agression for Shadow, seeing as she was currently his enemy along with Leon.

[zerowonder]

Judging from the conversation and the expressions towards eachother, Big Daddy concluded that Shinichi was the biggest possible threat to Shadow in this current scenario. Although misled, Big Daddy would fight to the death with whoever strikes his partner. Stepping in between Shadow and Shinichi and taking a defensive stance, Big Daddy let out his warning growl to intimidate Shinichi.

[Felix Falora]

"I understand your predicament, Big Daddy. You are looking for a little sister to defend... but there are none here. You're defending something that is far more complex then the simplistic nature of your usual charge. She will fight. She will kill. She may even aim to love and quite possibly die. The thing you protected had only one purpose... to collect ADAM and eventually be cured or killed for others to retrieve it." Shinichi's words were suave and persuasive. Even a thief, much less a human, would be far-pressed to not agree... though Big Daddy wasn't human, then again.

[zerowonder]

Shinichi's words although clear were muffled as they reached Big Daddy's ears inside the large, round, steel helmet; however one word seemed to arouse the monster.
"...ADAM..."
Shadow had not once searched for ADAM, or even addressed Big Daddy with the name that bonded him with Little Sisters.
"Mr Bubbles!"
An epiphany was impossible due to the mental hard-wiring that all Big Daddies endured. But...
"Hurry, Mr B!"
If Shadow isn't a Little Sister then there is no reason to protect her, but that would mean instictively searching for another.
"Hypnotise Big Daddy!"
He is a machine. To become independant, to obtain free-will would mean reversing the operation of skin grafting, plasmid injecting, voice and mind modification.
"Wake up! Please wake up!"
Big Daddy stared at Shinichi, a desperate groan rumbled from inside his helm, like a lost helpless animal.

[Felix Falora]

"There are no little sisters here... not yet... With no ADAM here, there's no need for them... I'm afraid... Oh... What?" Shinichi's eyes trailed to what seemed to be a girl walking near a dead body. Leon's eyes also trailed to it, but he saw it for what it was.

"An illusion," he said simply.

"Ahhh... yes. Unfortunately, though, it is the actions of what is happening in another dimension... It seems my master sees a world in which these Little Sisters are still running free."

"He aims to help because it now rids us of a loyal compan..." Leon began.

"Let it go... This machine was created to protect them, not me... I can protect myself whereas they need protection," Shadow said. "Let him do what he was programmed to do... whilst I blow this Fallen back to where he came from with my magic."

"The portal to this dimension full of Little Sisters is opening," Shinichi said as he noticed a portal open up in the middle, just a little ways away from Big Daddy. Inside the portal, a voice could be heard.

"Mr. Bubbles?"

"So that's a little sister's voice," Shadow said. "... Ugh... Sounds exactly like Shine in a way."

[zerowonder]

The voice stimulated Big Daddy who immediately stepped forward and peered into the portal. Peering back up were the eerie eyes of a Little Sister dressed in a ragged, purple girl's dress. Another voice came up, a shrill female voice.
"The light, it blinds me yet guides me... What is this? Have I finally found one? I've found one. And it's MINE!"
A splicer. Armed with iron spikes. Leapt into Big Daddy's view. The Little Sister shrieked. The voices of other splicers attracted by the cry drew nearer.
"MINE! The ADAM is MINE!"
It was clear that the splicers were also desperately searching for Little Sisters. Big Daddy roared and dived into the portal, his landing shook the platform and drew the attention of splicers to the portal above him.
"A higher power... I'm coming for it!"
Several splicers crawled through the portal like rats from the sewer, while others faced off against the Big Daddy. Red lights.

[Felix Falora]

"... Just for the times we spent together, I will aid you," Shadow whispered into her breath, then began chanting words as energy appeared into her hands before the energy was finally released in the form of...

"THUNDAGA!"

Lightning began striking the splicers, only the splicers, as if God was utilizing his lightning bolts in target practice, seeing as god is perfect. All of the splicers, as Thundaga was a multi-hit spell, began taking damage.

"I'm sorry Leon..."

"It's fine," Leon said. "Bonds run deeper then anyone can comprehend." He drew his sword and walked towards Shinichi. "Go help Big Daddy if you will... I will fight Shinichi alone."

[Felix Falora]

While Shadow was off helping Big Daddy destroy the Splicers, Leon walked towards Shinichi, sword drawn, tounge rubbing across his lips in a maniacal way. "The portal to Hell will not open for another hour or so... plenty of time to destroy you and end this before it can begin," he said.

"It will manifest by itsself. Because I need not keep my focus..." Shinichi grinned and drew his sword. "I can fight you while it takes manifest."

"Then we shall end this here! I will not tolerate of cowards who would use a sacred name to manipulate... especially my brother. I will not let his spirit break while he is necessary to my plans," Leon said.

"Ahhhh, Lilx..."

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Felix whimpered again, feeling the mention of his soulname to another crush him inside.

"Ahhhhhh, that's his name... I must forget that... but later," Leon growled. "I will end you first... and then Felix and I will destroy Lucifer and restore balance. I will fight God the way it was meant to be."

"A losing battle?"

"On equal grounds."

The two placed their blades to each other and Shinichi smirked. "I will die before I let that happen," he said. "My master and I have big plans for this dimension and we will do anything we need to to triumph."

"Then face me in combat, naive fool, and we will see who wins," Leon replied.

A moment passed, a duelist's courtesy for his opponent, and then a fierce clash as they drew back and immediately moved in. Their blades clashed with fast movements that the naked eye could not percieve much less keep up with. Leon parried, Shinichi thrust, Leon feigned, and Shinichi rolled. Each competitor had years of experience when it came to the blade, their skills honed, their love for blood and violence driving them on. Leon jumped and Shinichi took off after him. The two began to fight there as well, turning it into Aeriel combat as they slashed, flipping and rolling to dodge, parrying, thrusting, slashing, stabbing, aiming to maim and injure the other.

"I will not back down from a weakling such as you!" Leon declared while blocking the other's slashes and then drawing first blood, managing to catch Shinichi across the chest. That's when things truely got violent as Leon did not stop with the chest. He sliced for the arms, the legs, the stomach, the shoulders, each blow leaving more blood then what was expected. He grinned, thinking himself victorious when a duelist's courtesy was abandoned and suddenly Shinichi shot a wave of dark energy into Leon's stomach, sending him flying and crashing into a tree.

"You worm... you'll never win!" Shinichi replied and began fiercely assaulting Leon with the dark energy, throwing wave after wave, bashing Leon further into the tree. The Falora's fist clenched as blood was drawn, but he was not suffering pain. A smile adorned his face. Pain was pleasure for this, one of the most masochistic people in the world. And with the ability to manipulate his blood, disadvantages became severe opportunities. Suddenly his blood formed a shield around him that repelled the dark energy wave back into Shinichi, ramming his stomach with such force that it took him off guard and sent him falling to the ground. As he stood, he noticed Leon's blood, spilling from the wounds his energy had left, began to take the shape of arm blades from the cuts on his arms, a breastplate from the wound on his chest, a helmet from the wound on his head, and leggings from his leg wounds.

"I am the incarnation of all evil, you fool... What did you expect such an entity to be?" Leon growled as he walked towards Shinichi. "I can manipulate my blood into anything."

"You will be a fun toy to play with," Shinichi admitted. With that, he charged back in with his sword. But Leon's speed increased with the use of lighter weapons and his arm blades, surprisingly solid and strong despite being made of blood, eventually knocked Shinichi's sword from his grasp. He then made to stab the Watanabe in the throat, but he grabbed the blade and then swung Leon around before throwing him into another tree. He then charged in, his fist slamming the tree as Leon dodged the blow by jumping to the side. He then managed to slash Shinichi's cheek open, but the Watanabe gave him a roundhouse kick to the side, catching him off guard long enough for the arm blade throw yet again. Leon stood up and then made to attack again, but he stopped in shock as he saw the clouds grow dark.

"All the times Lucifer had been here... they were... his images... He will now be here truely... physically..." Shinichi said, grinning.

Lightning struck near the portal as it opened fully. From it, a foot appeared, garbed in black steel. Leon's eyes widened, his body stiffening up in both anger and fear, as he saw who stepped through.

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Felix began screaming. Masahiro, too, looked scared for his life. "What's going on?!" Trevor asked.

"That fool really did it... he summoned ultimate evil to this world," Masahiro breathed.

[zerowonder]

A deafening roar erupted from within Big Daddy's helmet as he charged at full speed towards a group of splicers. Bullets ricocheted off his diving armour, the bulky beast stampeding into the crowd, his screaming drill blending the bodies of shocked splicers now splattered the premises. Several splicers leapt onto Big Daddy's back, only to meet a ton of fist in the face. The horde of splicers seemed endless, clawing at the terrified Little Sister being valiently defended by Big Daddy.

[Felix Falora]

Shadow raised her hand to cast another spell, seeing all the splicers attacking. But just then a great power struck them. Shadow turned and noticed Lucifer step out, grinning like a madman. Sword drawn, he sliced the air in front of him and all the splicers dropped dead, not a single scratch hitting the Little Sister. Yet if Big Daddy examined Lucifer... he would be the biggest threat to his charge ever.

[gantzgun74]

[Can I join in? If I can, here comes my post.]

He had watched the entire fight play out before him. A weak looking old creature carrying a mace, magic flowing through his veins like blood.

He wouldn't sit back anymore. Hell was here, and he wasn't about to have a repeat experience of his last taste of it. He never died in that experience, but it was a close to Hell as he had ever got in his life.

It was time to take a stand.

"SCATHE!!!"

Though a barrier errected around Lucifer the moment the moment the Beam of pure energy connected, it was a surprisingly powerful spell for any mage anyone had seen.

That was when they saw him.

He appeared to be an old creature with something of a hunch on his back. His skin was pure brown, long floppy ears coming from a dog like face, which carried a fierce expression from an old visage. In his hand was a mace, highly decorated, yet reaked of the holy element.

He jumped forward, putting himself beside Big Daddy and Shadow. "You will not take another step, Satan." He could tell that's who he was looking at, even though he had never seen him before.

Roland didn't need a look at this creature to know who he was. "You may not know me, but I know you. Many people were placed in your domain during an attack on the Castle of Dalmasca in the world of Ivalice. I was one of the few that survived. I've seen your powers at it's imaginable worst." Energy gathered into his mace. "And I will not allow you, a repeat performance."

[If I'm not welcome to join, go ahead and tell me, and I'll take this post off. Hope you enjoy!]