You grit your teeth. It can't in any be possible. There were limits to some things that just
can't be broken!
[Q]
No. No, I refuse to believe it!
"Denial won't change the fact," Explains Caster, that blasphemous witch!, "While I can
feel the power rolling off this... Crimson Tear, I still don't know how to access it's power safely."
There could be no way someone, a
witch could be that incompetent! Even the meagerest of crapsacks could instinctively use the power of a Crimson Tear! Ugh, figures. this world is so
backwards. First no Hoptpods, then magic is some how a secret, now you find out that the
mages here can't even power their spells with the soul of a forsaken child without you holding your hand! That's like the first thing they should be taught at the wizard academy (or where ever it was the pointy hatted bastards learned to explode crap with fancy words), right after learning how to harvest said souls!
Oh you'll show her how to do it. You march over and snatch the Tear out of her hands.
[Q]
Open wide.
"Huh?" Close enough. You're hand shoots forward.
Caster initially struggles as you begin to shove the Crystallization of pure Suffering larger than her head down her throat but that lessens as she no doubt realizing it somehow fit in her remarkable small hole without somehow ripping her in half like she worried it would. Sure this wasn't how most people used the Tear, instead just guiding the power from a distance. They were just cowards though.
This was how a Crimson Tear was meant to be used, how you used it, by taking it's mighty power into yourself permanently. Oh yeah it was dangerous to eat souls without being sure you could subdue it, but if you died than that just means you didn't deserve it in the first place!
In no time at all the Witch collapses into a violently retching pile, tears streaming, sweat pouring, chaotic waves of magic far beyond what could be achieved by even the greatest magi whirling around her. She screams and arcs her back at an unnatural angle, the magic expels itself outward in an instant. Spent she collapses onto the temple grounds. Is she... No wait she's panting a bit, even smiling which is a much better sign. Good, that means you wouldn't have to degrade yourself with the grunt work of making your own castle.
You take your hand off Soichirou's shoulder, where you had put it to keep him from rushing forward. He looks weary. After a short time Caster lifts herself up into a sitting position and stairs at her hands in awe. Physically there wasn't anything different from Caster now and Caster then, disheveled appearance aside, spiritually however was a whole different story. In her coursed far more power than she probably ever dreamed of holding, let alone naturally producing, even in the prime of her life.
"M-my body..." you really not getting why she seems so fascinated with that, "It's... alive, it's real!" Okay now she's just stating the obvious, well a little bit of insanity never hurt anyone. Besides she just looks so happy... "And this... Power!"
There we go. She starts to laugh. Slowly softly, then it builds and builds. Longer, louder, deeper. She rises to her feet, lifting her hands palms up wide above her head. Power begins to roll of her in waves as she laughs at the sky, Saber who had been momentarily forgotten at her feet begins to struggle more. You let the witch have her moment.
Yup you sure are an awesome master, giving such awesome presents. What little minion wouldn't love to be given MOAR POWAH as a gift?
After a few minutes you judged she's settled down enough, you gesture to the large area of devastation so she can get to work. She gives a look before smirking. She raises her hands and moves them about madly, like some hopped up conductor. Magic washes over the area, and from the ground up it begins to form. Brick by brick it builds up, It's slow at first but as it progresses it speeds up exponentially. In minutes a castle stands tall in the crater. It's tall and thin, precariously balancing it's bulbous middle girth on a twisting column that looked dreamed up by a mad man, only able to stay upright by being anchored to the walls of the crater by chains thicker than most men. The entrance was only accessible from a long narrow and shoddy bridge with no railing. A quick look revealed spikes and traps blanketing the floor of the pit. Some even had skeletons already impaled on them somehow. You look up. ...yup it's gathering storm clouds around the spiraling tower in the center. You return your gaze to Caster. She's panting and sweating, even with a Tear this probably took alot of power, let alone skill but a has a feral look of pride on her face, a toothy smile going from ear to ear.
[Q]
Caster.
She turns to you glassy eyed.
[Q]
Good job.
You give her a matching grin and a thumbs up. Yup, definitely worth not killing her. It's hard to find such useful minions. Not to mention the bitch had
Style~ which was worth just about as much in your book.
She nods, then sways a bit before catching herself. Then reaching down she grabs the now madly struggling Saber and drags her off to the castle followed by Soichirou. You aren't sure but you think her grin had actually gotten
bigger.
You pick up your own prizes for the night, awkward give their number and size compared to you but not a problem. As enter your new lair you ponder a bit on what you'll name your new kingdom after you conquer the place.
~~~
You take back what you said about Caster. She didn't have
Style.
...Bitch had
UBERSTYLE! Much better than just about any other place you'd been in. Drazyl could give it a run in quality but in the end you preferred the aesthetic choices of Caster far more. She had such an eye for detail too! Every wall held elegant and subtly threatening designs, shadows dance around corners at the edge of the eye, every step and sound echoed ominously yet still the whole place seemed suspiciously quiet.
Much better than that castle you stole from that child queen.
You tossed your prizes into the various rooms you found that you felt suited them best. The chef in the kitchen, and the brunette in a dungeon for later. Really smart for caster to include that too. Though her taste in torture implements was odd, very few blades, an over abundance of candles, a rack that had for some reason been styled as a horse, and the wall held a shelf of odd rubber clubs of various sizes and thicknesses. At least she had a bunch of whips, gags, and threatening looking (if completely confusing to you) devices but that was a bit offset by the silk ropes, feathers, and padded leather straps.
Well differing tastes in torture aside the place was great.
You're currently laying on your bed cuddling your new body pillow. No way were you going to let this girl leave your side! Your head snuggles into chest where the smell is most pleasant, arms wrapped around her waist. You simple relax there, comforted by the lovely smell. Eventually though the combination of it, her warmth, the bed, and the screams and shouts coming from other parts of the castle lull you into a blissful slumber.
~~~
Awareness didn't return quickly, you'd first notice something warm yet oh so comfortable wiggling beside you. Your brain doesn't really register it, just deciding to enjoy the presence. You'd spent quite a while like that, somewhere between reality and dreams. But eventually the memories return, slowly though. Oh that's right you had escaped the void. You have new minions. ...And now you have the most wonderfully comforting bedwarmer~ On that thought you snuggle a bit closer. She eeps.
You look up into her eyes from where your head is positioned in the center of her chest, between two very soft and warm pillows. She doesn't seem to realize or remember what has happened. She seems pretty scared. You give her your comforting smile. Something you only bare recall ever using, only ever before you had gone down the path of death.
[Q]
Last night was amazing~
Oddly this doesn't cause her to relax in the slightest, quite the opposite.
[X]Let's just stay like this all day~
[X]Let's go get breakfast. Off to test out our new cooking slave!
[X]Let's see what this world has to offer. A day on the town, with our new friend of course!
[X]Let's get some more information. Discussions with Rin and Caster.
[X]Write in.