Chapter 364

Ethereal light rippled from the edge of the Norfolk Virginia common-tier dungeon portal. Wisps of light that tumbled across the ground like serpents. The portal was contained, like all others under the control of the Pandora Committee. A concrete prison designed to protect against more humbly tiered light-touched. Against a real threat, though, the paltry security team was present to respond. It was a pathetic showing that made his nausea only worse. His eyes narrowed into slits as he watched the energy swirl between those two pillars.

He crossed his arms. The combat gear creaking just a little as the fresh post-pandora materials bent. He tilted his head to the right, blue eyes searching the surface as he contemplated the swirls. His lips pressed into a thin line, an unwelcome thrill running up his spine. He tapped his foot once to silence the feeling. His jaw clenched a bit. This shouldn’t be a problem, even if he was solo. He’d done more difficult dungeons with the others. He’d fought more dangerous enemies than this dungeon could possibly produce. And yet…

“Is there a problem? It’s just a common-tier dungeon,” Crusader spoke into his thoughts. 

His lip twitched just once but he kept it concealed. That woman was becoming a sore spot. Crusader. She’d earned glory against Liberty, personally putting down First Wind. It was offensive. Like she was one of the agents in this world personally acting against him. A blight on his game. A glitch. An error that he should stomp out. His eyes flicked to the left, visualizing the young woman standing behind him. He imagined her with her arms crossed and that slight frown on her face as she glared at the back of his head. 

“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” Crusader cut into his thoughts again. “You’re invincible, right?”

He bore his teeth to the portal, keeping his face forward. A small warbling cry cut into the air this time. The irritating rat with wings that Crusader kept around as a pet. Like something that pathetic could ever be considered a proper familiar. His nose wrinkled in disgust, but he held his ground. He refused to admit anything, accept anything, only that disgusting word that bounded about in his mind. Risk. Risk was a flaw. Any plan that involved risk meant the deck wasn’t stacked properly. Risk meant a failure to prepare, failure to cheat, failure to control. It was unacceptable. Invulnerability eliminates risk. It was simple. However…

“Easy, hot wings,” Evergreen said. He glanced to his right now, visualizing the woman standing off to the side with that same relaxed poise. Utterly in control of her surroundings. Confident that a breath could kill most anything that got near her. Most anything. “Some dungeons have void spaces. Otis might be indestructible, but he’s still just a regenerator in the end. Can’t regenerate from falling into nothing.”

Otis’ eye twitched, he clenched his jaw tightly as he played along. “Yes, a regenerator can’t recover from something like that,” he said as if he were admitting some deep flaw of his own. He let out a breath. “A little mental preparedness for a solo dive isn’t out of the question, is it?”

“Sooner you get it done, the sooner we move on to the next,” Crusader grunted, her bird squawking in agreement. “The sooner we can put this whole thing behind us, right?”

Something about her tone made him grind his teeth. She was an observer from the Pandora Committee though, assigned specifically to keep tabs on him just like Evergreen. If either of them disappeared he would be the chief suspect. His fame rating was steadily climbing to the next level. He couldn’t afford to deal with them without stacking the deck in his favor. Too much risk involved in killing them now. As much as he really, really wanted to.

The bird squawked again. The bird dies first, he thought as he strode forward. “This won’t take long,” he muttered and passed through. A moment later, a drone floated through the portal and he glanced up at it. He restrained his disgust again and pointedly looked away. Of course they’d be monitoring him for his ‘safety’ throughout the assignment. His finger twitched. Not that it mattered, opening his menu and editing the dungeon would accomplish nothing; it was already common difficulty. Just the same uncapping its mana would only lead to problems for him.

No, unfortunately there was only one way to handle this.

He pulled his sword from his belt and rested it on his shoulder and stared into the dungeon. A perfectly square tunnel stretched out in front  of him. The walls were all made of the same dark gray stone. Instead of a natural craggy surface, though, the walls were an irregular pattern of squares of the same stone. His eyes narrowed at the disturbingly unnatural architecture and started to march forward as rattling growls carried down the hallway.

Let’s just get this done, and get back to the overworld.

—

Sonya strode through the high walls and glamor of the Gallleria. Lips curled up in a smirk while the crowd parted around her like a sea. Marta was just a step behind her and to the right while Erina was on her immediate left. She’d gone without her usual suit for a walking advertisement of ASTA’s latest and most modern fashions. Her hair bound up in a loose, stylish bun to keep the silver hanging from her ears on display. A pair of ‘sunglasses’ that were more a single piece visor made out of pink transparent material over her eyes.

The top was a hot-pink tank with the Lucci logo on it and over that was a puffy white street jacket with a collar that looked like a cloud around her neck. The skirt was sharp and made from a white, shiny material that paired well with the studded belt around her waist that glowed faintly with internal LEDS. The heels were closer to boots, with thick heels that made more of a ‘thump’ with every light step she made. Cyberpunk street fashion of the future and all eyes were on her.

Erina had gone for something a bit simpler, a black designer shirt and blue designer jeans to go with a pair of high-end tennis shoes and a lucci-brand cap that shadowed her hard eyes. 

Sonya glanced her way. “I thought you hated showing off,” she murmured with amusement, turning to wave at someone who took a photo of them.

“On the contrary,” her surly big sister said. “There’s no point in amassing riches if you aren’t going to use them. As long as it is done with dignity.” She shot Sonya a look and a raised eyebrow.

Sonya laughed as she runway-walked through the crowd of bewildered bystanders. She turned her head sharply towards one cluster and raised an eyebrow, looking directly at their cameras and striking a walking pose. She turned back and her lips curled upward. “What better way to lay low, than directly in the public eye?” she tittered to her sister. “Something frivolous and fun. Besides, I promised myself a little therapy shopping.” She snickered. “I really should check on my business now and then too.”

Erina snorted. “Don’t you have enough clothes, silly girl?”

Sonya clapped her hands together and gave her big sister a wicked grin. “Oh Erina… I need extra therapy today. This shopping isn’t for little ol me,” she purred as they reached the large entrance directly ahead of them with the word LUCCI hanging above it.

Erina turned slowly towards her little sister, her dark eyes flashing in quiet warning. “...Sonya.”

Sonya raised a hand and snapped her finger. “Marta dear, please go in with the maids and start picking a few things for me while my sister and I wait for her fashion show.” She said that part loud enough to be heard by some of the people in the crowd. Erina fixed her with an impotent stare and then glanced up at the crowd, then back at her again. “Oh.”

Sonya shrugged and grinned at her. “Two birds, sister.”

Marta had already bowed with her own version of a mischievous smirk on her face and turned to the small collection of six maids who had accompanied them to add to the pure shock-factor of the whole show. The woman who had always dreamed of being Head Maid clapped her hands sharply once before gesturing to the building. “Ladies?” she intoned and they fell into step with her as they marched like a military unit behind her into the building, past the helpless looking greeter at the front.

Sonya swept away from Erina’s indolent gaze and towards the greeter. She took the womans hands and gave them a playful squeeze. “Sorry dear, had to check in on one of our biggest storefronts at some point, right?”

The greeter opened and closed her mouth like a fish for a half second before regaining her composure. “W-welcome to Lucci, Miss Chernovna. I’ll let the manager know you’re here.”

Sonya preened and gave her a winning smile. “Perfect!” She turned and grabbed hold of her sister’s wrist and dragged her inside as the gathered crowd stared in poorly contained shock. The tabloids tomorrow were going to be endlessly amusing. Sonya’s mind was a whir as they passed the long jewelry counter, racks with purses more expensive than a normal family’s car. She caught Erina looking between them like a deer in headlights. “What happened to using your riches with dignity, Erina?” she teased.

“I was talking about you,” Erina bit out. “This outfit is more than enough for myself.”

“Liar,” Sonya laughed and brought her to a couch to sit down. Sonya stepped back and stood just a bit away from the dressing room. Her arms crossed as she scanned the store. Maids were darting back and forth between racks while employees frantically followed them, trying to keep  up with the sudden change in energy. Sonya checked her nails and glanced past the displays and product towards the exit where people still craned their heads to look inside. She shifted just a little bit to the left to stay perfectly in view.

“Cairo is going to be the beginning of something messy with the UN,” Sonya said lazily, keeping her voice low. She shot Erina a sideways look. “I don’t like how they’re taking verbal pot-shots at Carla.”

Erina squinted at her and then huffed out a breath, leaning back into the plush surface behind her. Her eye twitched at the comfort her simulated body could experience. “They’re technically not wrong,” Erina pointed out. “The PC is a subsidiary organizaiton of the UN.”

“Maybe they should go independent,” Sonya said with a shrug.

“That could start a war,” Erina said.

“Would it really?” Sonya asked with a raised eyebrow and glanced towards the crowds again, waving at them with a sparkling smile. “The UN has troops, but which side are the light touched going to pick? The organization that struggles to adapt to the new world, or the one that directly supports them?”

“And governs them,” Erina added but crossed her arms thoughtfully. “Point taken.”

Sonya glanced towards one maid that was picking up a very flashy looking outfit. “Oh! How about something with a high collar.”

“I’m not dressing up like him,” she bit out.

Sonya raised her eyebrows. “Ah right, he does like those kinds of outfits doesn’t he? Nevermind.” She waved a dismissive hand towards the maid and the woman nodded before moving on.

She senses Marta approach from the side along with a woman who is probably the manager of the store. Sonya turns slowly and smiles at the beleaguered looking lady. “Oh hi! Thank you for letting me commandeer for a while,” she hummed.

The Manager cleared her throat. “Miss Lucci didn’t inform us you’d be coming.”

“I didn’t tell her,” Sonya chuckled. “Call it a surprise inspection and blame me for being eccentric.”

The woman’s eyes were practically circles. “I-I wouldn’t dare!”

“Do it because I told you to, then?” she laughed. “Madame Lucci will get it, it’s fiiiine,” she teased and waved a hand. “I need to speak with my maid, just try to pretend we aren’t here.”

The Manager gave her a look that said she was asking for the impossible but bowed anyway, quickly turning to leave. Sonya grinned after her and flicked her eyes back towards the crowd again. She tapped her chin and continued watching them, using the opportunity as a paparazzi photo op. “Our France visit?” she asked Marta.

“The pre-election dinner will be in a month, Miss Chernovna. I have already confirmed our RSVP with Mister DuCast’s people and made arrangements for the hotel we will be staying in,” Marta said with a slight bow. “As for the situation in Paris. It is currently stable, though I do have some reports from our contact there.”

Sonya glanced her way and she felt Erina look up from her slouching pout. “Oh? What does Beyol have to say?”

“He reports that there is a growing movement in some of the old aristocratic circles in France as well as some of the wealthier individuals of influence. They seem to be trying to form a new aristocratic class. It’s becoming quite noticeable,” Marta relayed primly, her hands clasped in front of her lap. “He also reported that certain… unusual individuals were being spotted with growing regularity within these circles. Individuals with reddish skin, like Mister DuCast.”

Sonya raised her eyebrows. “Interesting.” In the previous timeline, Astaroth styled himself like a solitary Dark Lord that harvested humans to feed his growing war machine of feral demons. He treated the monsters like beloved pets. This was a significant shift from his usual MO but it was not an ability she was unaware of. Most of the ‘handlers’ for his pets were those he’d ‘uplifted’ into demonhood. “He’s using demonhood as a status symbol.”

“That was Beyol's assessment as well,” Marta agreed.

“Creating a new race and setting it up as an aristocracy,” Erina said quietly. “Far more insidious than the other heralds thusfar.”

Sonya shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what they are,” she said lazily. “I’m still ending this after the election,” her lips curled up into a small smile. “I want this to be poetic, just like the others.”

Her sister nodded sharply. “Good, that’s how it should be done. Theatrics are part of your way as a villain, and tearing him down when he’s at his peak will be very satisfying.” She said with an almost-chuckle.

Sonya glanced at Marta who was quiet for a moment, assessing Sonya’s face. Marta’s eyes softened and she nodded. “You’ve done the same for the others, why stop now, miss? As long as you are happy with the direction. I am here.”

“Thanks, Marta,” Sonya said quietly as a bit of a noise came from the crowd near the entrance. A woman with an hourglass figure in a fitted hoodie pushed past. A few people hissed after her but she ignored them, walking inside. Sonya raised an eyebrow until she noticed the flash of white hair tipped with purple. She chuckled and gestured for the maids to ignore it. 

Kera stalked around the displays and came to a stop in front of her. Sonya looked up at her with a grin. “How are things?”

The electrical supervillain cracked her own savage smile. “Riot’s back in New York, boss,” she said. “Want me to go make his life miserable since his boss is away?”

Sonya grinned. “By all means.”