The Red Hand

*WOOSH* *SKREEEEEEEE*

"That one took far too long." Sol exhaled deeply as she vaporized a large lizard creature with a blast of white fire. She'd been fighting it for some time and only now just managed to deal with the monster. It wasn't particularly tough, rather it was hard to hit due to its high speed and since she didn't want to obliteratethe entire structure there was only so much power she could use. "Is it just me, or are the creatures down here-"

"Built to counter you? Yes." Alm interrupted her as she walked over, walking stick in hand. "Do not think that the past me was nothing more than a whimsical fool. I crafted many methods of fighting Gods, and these creatures were each designed to fight in the War. It's only natural that I'd craft them with abilities to counter Divine Power. Not to mention that you can't simply overcome them with raw strength. Well, unless you intend on bringing the entire temple down around us."

"Okay, that's all well and good. But why not at least call them off so we can get to the bottom faster?" Sol said as the two continued down the long stone hallway. They'd fought countless creatures like the one she'd just destroyed, but Sol knew well that there were far more between her and what lay at the end of the Temple's underground maze; though she had no idea what the point of their existence was.

"Consider this a trial." Alm replied, seemingly annoyed by the questio. "It will serve to prove that you've properly acclimated to your new form, and will help you to adjust to the mixture of power flowing within you."

{A being born as half divine and half Primordial is already an odd mix. Now that the full power of a God has been melded inside of you there is much to test and learn.} (Alm)

"That's a good reason but we both know that you just want to see me get tossed around." Sol retorted, and Alm did not reply. "That new, cute form does little to hide your true nature."

"I am merely thinking of the best way forward. Never would I think such things about the woman who keeps making fun of me." Alm shrugged. "I am far too wise and honorable a being to act so petty as to want to witness you beaten by my creations. Thoughts to the contrary are simply your paranoia."

"Whatever you say, kid. Whatever you say." Sol chuckled. She found the way Alm tried to play things off comical, especially since her words and expressions tended not to line up "I must admit that I'm quite curious about the thing at the bottom of this place. You said that fighting and defeating it is an important part of your plan to stop the Gods from escaping. It sounds strange that I'd need to battle something you made in order to use it. Was it not possible for you prepare it beforehand?"

"The visions of the future granted to me shortly before my death at Vikes' hands detailed the Blood Magic Ritual the Gods will use to try and break their bindings." Alm continued as Sol tossed some white fire to burn a group of slug-like creatures to ash. "I had little time to prepare for such an event given the circumstances, and I had even less context. Had I known then what I know now, I would've done things very differently. Alas, visions are rarely clear, and I did the best I could with what I had."

{Included in those short flashes of the future were glimpses of a being which I now understand to be the Demon Lord, and while I still don't quite understand everything, I know that only she will be able to stop Gale from achieving his goal. That man cannot be allowed to leave Enoris, for naught but pain and suffering will come to wherever his foul existence lingers.} (Alm)

{It's so damn cute when she talks like that. I just want to pick her up and give her heatpats!} (Sol)

"Considering you managed to seed the magical lay lines across the globe with your spell in the few years before you were struck down, I'd say I'm impressed with how much you accomplished in such short time." Sol nodded.

"I could easily consider this whole thing my magnum opus, but sadly, it wasn't complete by the time of my destruction." Alm groaned. "I lacked the time and resources to complete the rebound formula fully. As it stands, the Gods' power would overwhelm it upon activation. I wanted to deepen the spell and ground it much more firmly in the material world, but seeding bloodlines proved difficult." Kalego had wanted to pass down power through the generations of Humans, ideally to increase its potency, but it was almost impossible to predict how that would impact the future and in the end she'd given up on the idea.

"Hence why my power is necessary." Sol said. "The only other being with the power to handle such immense amounts of energy would be the Demon Lord, but she will be busy finishing the Gods."

"Indeed, your fusion of power will make for the perfect conduit and control mechanism for the counter spell's power." Alm said as she cast a spell that made light glow from the top of her staff. "As long as my deception is not discovered, their Ritual will rebound right back in their faces. It will not kill them, but they will be scattered and reduced to their most base forms."

"Though they will reform." Sol noted that it would only be a temporary setback to the Gods. "It may take time, but something like this won't keep them down forever."

"I am aware and that's fine. After all, the Demon Lord will then destroy them." Alm replied. "All we need to do is prevent the Gods from escaping. Compared to the task ahead, having the Demon Lord destroy them once and for all will be a simple matter. The energy captured and rebounded by my spell will destabilize the barrier between world and make opening a stable portal easier, with a bit of help. I've already started preparations on the second phase and it should only take a few days or less to open a connection without shattering this world in the process."

"You really did think of everything, huh?" Sol chuckled as they descended another set of stairs.

"If you pat me on the head again, I will punch you." Alm hissed, guessing that she was about to do just that.

"But you're so cute!" Sol snickered as she tried to pat her on the head, avoiding a swat. "Come on! It's not my fault your new body is so adorable! I just want to pick you up and squeeze you! How about I make you my official little Sister once this whole thing is done? I'll make sure to spoil you good!"

"I..." Alm shuddered at the thought. "I've already got an overprotective and doting older Sister... I don't need a second."

{Shiroe... I don't even know what she's going to think when she finds out everything...} (Alm)

"Oh yeah, you mentioned that Hero before." Sol recalled that Alm had spent time in the care of one of the summoned Heroes before her memories returned. "I'm sure she's going to scold you for disappearing next time you meet."

"It won't be long until we do, since you'll need to grab her shortly." Alm said as the two stopped at the bottom of the stairs, just as a large three-headed dog charged from the darkness.

"Oh! That one looks kinda funny." Sol said before tossing a light 'grenade' in front of the creature, which exploded and splattered it across the walls.

"I was hoping it would survive more than a single blast. Oh well, the next ones will just have to do better." Alm said before continuing forward.

"You really want to watch me get beaten up, don't you?" Sol whined she followed behind. "But wait, what was that about me getting that Hero? Isn't the one you've directed the Fairies to bring here going to be enough?" She asked, but Alm did not respond. "Wait... You're not planning to-"

"I have no choice." Alm replied curtly, her harsh tone catching Sol off guard. "The life force of a single Hero will not be enough to complete the final circuit... With the destruction of the Hero Hitomi, and the disappearance of Hero Muichiro, there is no one else who can act as a-"

"Hold on!" Sol yelled, which caused Alm to stop. "While I went into this with the knowledge that the sacrifice of a Hero was be required... You didn't tell me that you'd do something like this!" She said as she spun Alm around and met her gaze. "That girl went through hell trying to find you, and from everything you told me, she sees you as family. How could you even contemplate sacrificing her like that?!? After everything you've been through?!?"

{And if you feared that one Hero's life force wouldn't be enough why did you not take steps to secure the other two?!? Was there really nothing that you could've done to awaken me any earlier? Was there truly no other path open to you, Kaleago?!?} (Sol)

"I don't want Shiroe to die either!" Alm yelled back, her voice shaking the underground temple, as her power momentarily leaked out. "Do you have any idea how much the thought of betraying her makes me sick to my stomach?!? That I have to take Shiroe's life to save this world... I cannot bear the thought. But. I. Have. No. Choice!" She said as she slammed the butt of her staff into the ground, causing the whole temple to shake. "I have had a great responsibility placed upon me by virtue of these memories. Kalego's plan was one crafted to save this world and prevent its people from dying! I can't... I can't throw away all of that for one life, even if it makes me want to vomit at the mere thought!"

{And even if I wanted to, I don't have that luxury.} (Alm)

"You..." Sol paused as a realization washed over her.

"Until just recently, I was little more than a servant girl with no idea of what my destiny was to be. All I cared about was spending time with my Sister... and I was happy..." Alm said as she turned away to hide her tears. "But I can't go back to that... Not now... I must do this... This is my duty. My reason for existing. There is no other path available to me. Thus I must live with this gravest of sins."

"Did... Kalego... He put some kind of compulsion in his memories, didn't he?" Sol said as a shadow fell over her face. She'd never even thought of such a thing until now, but figured that it was possible to encode a kind of 'programming' that made going against his will difficult or impossible.

"Of course I did. I'd be taking a great risk if I did not since the one who inherited my memories could easily choose to ignore them when the time came." Alm replied. "I have no choice but to ensure the plan is completed. What I want is not important. This is my role. I am the inheritor of his will, and I must fulfill my duty no matter the cost.”

"Even if that means Shiroe vanishes for good?" Sol asked, to which Alm responded by continuing down the hallway. “Are you truly okay with that outcome?”

"Come, we still have much distance to cover, and I'd like to get to my workshop before the moons rise again." Alm said, ignoring her questions.

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