The Red Hand

"She wasn't always like this..." Arcus said as he slowly stood up. "The Penelope I knew at the beginning of our journey... Granted, she was arrogant, entitled, smug... But that was just part of her charm..." He laughed while the Demi-God in question struggled to stay conscious. "She could also be kind, caring, helpful... It wasn't till much later that those other traits overtook her..." He paused as Penelope once again fell unconscious, slumping over against the wall, her head resting against the metal cell bars with a clang. "At some point... At some point, Penelope stopped connecting with mortals. She saw herself as something above them..." He tightened his fist in frustration. "She began to act more and more like the Gods..."

"She took on their worst traits." Halifax continued for him. "I do remember how she once was, though I still think you're being generous with your assessment, Arcus." The Divine Blade said as she walked up next to him. "She definitely got worse over time, but even at the start, she was just an arrogant Demi-God with something to prove. Penelope was no better than Demigra, Excalar, or Petimi in that regard."

{It didn't take long for her to go from a happy kid to a cynical and down right jerk ass Demi-God. Even a few decades after our travels started I could tell she was trending in a downward direction. Perhaps I should've done more for her...} (Halifax)

"Those three... They were the worst combination of arrogance and hubris..." Arcus shook his head as he recalled the pain involved in hunting the three Demi-Gods down. "They took things too far and allowed themselves to completely separate from the people of Enoris..."

{They were no better than Demons who treated people as little more than toys for their games. It was disgusting how they acted.} (Arcus)

"Those three viewed mortals exactly the same way they viewed us. To them we were tools and nothing more." Halifax spat in disgust, angry as she recalled the battle with the three Demi-Gods. "Those three subscribed to the Gods mentality that anything not born of the Divine only existed to further their plans. I'd go so far as saying they were exactly the kind of children they strove to make."

"Tools..." Arcus repeated the word, quietly. "At the end of the day, isn't that all we really are, Halifax?" He turned to her, asking a question that he'd never really thought about. "We're weapons forged by the Gods to be wielded by chosen Heroes. What else can we be other than tools? Our entire purpose is to be used by others to change the world. How could you call us anything else?"

"I used to think like that." Halifax replied, putting her hand on his shoulder. "For millennia, I believed my purpose was to be used as the Gods saw fit. That the most fulfilling thing I could do was serve them and do as they asked..." She clicked her tongue. "That was until they forced me to slaughter the Dark Elves."

"I... I'd heard the rumors... So it was true..." Arcus said, his eyes filled with sadness. "You were the one they had..." The Gods had mostly kept it a secret from everyone per Gale's agreement with Elariel, but that didn't stop the spread entirely.

"It was when Elariel ordered me to do something so heinous... so repulsive that I knew the Gods couldn't be trusted." Halifax growled in frustration as the memories of that time flooded back to her. "Had they limited things to only those Dark Elves who were truly trying to bring about destruction, then I wouldn't have raised an objection... But no... No... They gave me to that monster and let her loose on an entire population. Not a single man, woman, or child was spared from that bitches' sadistic torment. And I... I was forced to watch in horror as my power was used to reduce a once proud people to little more than cattle..."

{It quite literally broke me and sent me into a place that... Hell, I don't think I ever really recovered from... I just got better at coping with it.} (Halifax)

"Answer me honestly... How much of your... alliance with the Demon Lord because you want to save the people of Enoris versus a need for catharsis?" Arcus asked, his eyes cutting into her. “Do you really just want to watch this world burn?”

"It started out as me wanting to protect the people of this world from their scheme..." Halifax said as she turned, kicking a rock across the room and barely missing the silent Amakusa's head by a few inches. "But the more time passes... The more I find that... That I really just want them to suffer..." She sighed, shaking her head. Halifax didn't fully understand her own emotions or feelings on the matter, which frustrated her. Her desire to be a Hero wasn't gone, but she found more and more that it was overtaken by apathy for this world and its people, especially when Akagi was involved. "Logically I know that I should be doing something to curb Akagi's excesses, but every time the thought of 'Hey maybe this is too much, you should stop her' crops up... I'm also hit with 'why do you care what happens to them?" She continued, a pained expression forming on her face. "It's... I don't know how to explain this, but when I'm with Akagi... Everything just feels right, you know? That part of me that thinks I should take action gets quiet and a feeling of happiness kind of bubbles up inside me..." She laughed quietly. "It sounds crazy, and it probably is... But for whatever reason... I've come to like the Demon kitty and I really don't want to lose her."

{She's my friend... A good friend... I've only known her for a little while, but now... Now I can't imagine a world without her.} (Halifax)

"Even if she burns this world to the ground?" Arcus asked. “Would you stand and watch even then?

"I... No..." Halifax turned back to face him and shook her head. "I've still got my limits. If Akagi really does start acting that unreasonably, I'll stand in her way. At the end of the day, I'm still the Divine Blade Halifax. I won't abide by the slaughter of innocent people nor will I stand by while the people of this world are unduly tormented. Akagi is my friend, one that I've admittedly taken an unhealthy liking to, but I won't compromise on that."

{At least, I hope that I won't. It's possible that when push comes to shove...} (Halifax)

"But anyway." Halifax said, pushing that thought out of her mind. "What are we doing with the idiot?" She said pointing to Penelope. “I'd like to see her punished, but I'm willing to work with you on the matter. We've got a history, and its not like I hated Penelope. I have a lot of good memories from our travels together, so I think I'll defer to you on what comes next.”

"I... I'd like to handle her myself." Arcus replied, slowly. "If that's possible. I know that's a lot to ask given our situation, but perhaps you could convince the Demon Lord to allow me some time with her?"

{Maybe I can get through to her if it's not too late... No... I'll make sure its not!} (Arcus)

"Akagi probably doesn't really care one way or the other how she's ultimately treated, though I can't say she'll agree to just leave the two of you alone to your own devices." Halifax replied. "You did lead an army against her, after all. That's not something she'll just brush off and forgive easily."

"Yeah, she'll probably turn her into a pet like me." Amakusa said as she gave a nervous laugh.

{The Demi-God shall awoo with me. Its only a matter of time!} (Amakusa)

"Honestly, knowing her, Akagi will offer to turn Penelope either into a mortal being or a living weapon." Halifax's words took Arcus off guard, not expecting something like that to be possible.

{The second one is a fate I couldn't agree with. Doing so would lead to her being treated EXACTLY like she treats us, which goes against everything I've come to believe about our kind. At least stripping her of divinity and making her Human would be a just and ironic punishment, one that I think makes perfect sense.} (Halifax)

"S-She can do that?" Arcus stammered in disbelief.

"Akagi can insert a subpersonality into a Hero, temporarily free me from my restriction on harming Gods, kill said Gods via a connection between their Avatar and their real form, as well as turn into the floofiest cat imaginable. So I'd think morphing someone's form wouldn't be very surprising." Halifax rolled her eyes, wondering why he thought something so 'simple' was outside her reach at this point.

{Was that fluffy cat part needed?} (Arcus x Amakusa)

"I just want a chance to show her that she was wrong... And the opportunity to correct my failings." Arcus said as he put his head in his hands. "Divine Weapons should guide their wielder, not allow themselves to be strung along and overlook such obviously problematic behavior. I fucked up so bad here. I let her get like this... Its all my fault..."

"I mean, would she even've listened to you?" Amakusa asked. "From what I was told Penelope was really racist and basically looked down on anyone who wasn't a fanatical devotee of the Gods. I don't think gentle chastisement would've been enough to correct that behavior. Divine Weapon or not you're not going to talk someone down from that ledge."

"Maybe, but the real issue was why she started to act this way." Arcus sighed as he looked up at her. "The more time she spent with the other Demi-Gods and her mother the worse things got and before I knew it she held the same dim view of mortals that her cousins did. You know full well that she wasn't like this at the start and while she had rough edges Penelope was a good kid that played with Humans without batting an eye."

"As we can see from multiple past examples, the Gods do tend to rub off on their progeny." Halifax commented with a snort. "Just look at Rehael. That woman is the shining example of insanity."

{She makes Penelope look like a Gods dammed Saint!} (Halifax)

"Yeah..." Arcus said with a wry smile, unable to disagree. He'd never liked the Reaper and was more than happy to keep Gale's prized child at arm's length, as did most others. “Rehael is...”

{Yeah...} (Arcus)

"Oh yeah, that crazy bitch." Amakusa clicked her tongue as she recalled her interactions with the Angel. "I know I talk a lot of shit on Akagi, but that so-called Angel is just... worse."

{I've watched her torment children just because she wanted information out of their parents. She's completely fucked in the head. At least Akagi has SOME rules and just wants to be left alone... I'm... I'm defending the monster now... Fuck...} (Amakusa)

"I know, right?!? At least Akagi is cute and fluffy." Halifax laughed, her comment causing the other two to look at each other then sigh. "Kitty tends to make everything more palatable!" She laughed before continuing. "Where even is the Angel of doom anyway? I would imagine she's moving according to Gale's machinations."

{We should kill her as soon as possible. Whatever she's doing can't be good and leaving her around is a massive risk. I'll have to get with Akagi on her.} (Halifax)

"I have no idea." Arcus answered with a shrug. "I don't tend to keep an eye on her. But if I were to guess she's probably doing something that Gale believes will give him a better chance of victory against the Demon Lord."

{Lady Reflia mentioned something about the Gods' plans to handle the Demon Lord, but what said plans are were never disclosed to me. The most I could figure out was that some kind of power source was being created, and even then I've only got third hand info from Penelope's conversation with Hilare.} (Arcus)

"Well, we need to be wary of her." Halifax said as she looked down and flexed her hand. "Rehael is easily the most powerful Demi-God, and the last time I fought her, it was to a standstill. That's just how dangerous she is."

{And I'm pretty sure she was holding back.} (Halifax)

"She actually tied with you?!?" Amakusa's eyes widened in surprise. "Doesn't your precog basically make you unbeatable though? How could a Demi-God hold their own against you like that?"

"Just like how Penelope used a tool to block my ability Rehael was able to as well. I suspect it was via the same magical method she used." Halifax's said as he pointed to the gauntlet on Penelope's right hand.

"Huh..." Amakusa thought for a moment. "Random thought, but what happens if you look in the mirror and use it? Do you see what you're going to do next?"

"No." Halifax shook her head. This was not the first time the Divine Blade was asked this, and found it to be a funny, yet understandable, question. "I can't see my own future. I suspect that's because doing so would break something or violate some rule of causality, I don't know. I've tried it a few times but it's the same as looking at Rehael or Penelope when they're using those items, no ghostly image of the future appears if I look at myself."

{I asked Elariel about it once before and she just shrugged it off as a limitation of the power. I don't think her own powers work on herself, but I can't confirm that.} (Halifax)

"But it works on the Gods?" Amakusa asked, still confused and wondering why it works on being far above her but not herself.

"It works on all the ones I ever tried it on at least." Halifax replied, not understanding why Amakusa was stuck on this point. "It actually worked on Elariel, which was surprising considering she's the Goddess of time, but yeah they're not protected from it either. Akagi apparently has a similar way to counter act it, but didn't use it during my sparring match with her."

{Though she did tell me Demon Lords are part of Space and Time, so why would she be exempt from it? I never thought about it until just now, but how can a being that's supposedly bound to reality like a Demon Lord maneuver around it? Hell, how the fuck can anyone for that matter? Aren't we all part of the fabric that makes up... Ugh... This is too complicated for me...} (Halifax)