Colin's posts

At that point, Gabriel had snapped. There was an actual audible crackle in the air, and it was his mana. Zeke took an actual step back from him, and Azazel was cowering even MORE, before taking Erica and hiding behind the couch that was the closest. He had no idea what was going to happen, but he decided to take a little bit of a preemptive measure against... whatever might happen.

And in that split-second, Gabriel was behind the imposter.

Then, his fist slammed into their lumbar region, but that wasn't it. The impact hurt... quite a bit... but then something else happened. The imposter could feel Gabe's mana seeping into them, which they'd been told wouldn't do anything.

They fell under Vanessa's protection aspect of the contract.

However, the mana then raced throughout their body, almost like electricity. And while they couldn't quite describe what they felt... it was almost as though they'd been smote. But without the dying at the end.

Zeke seemed enraged at that, and was about to dash forward again, when Gabe threw his arm out, stopping him. The archangel was quiet... silent... but there was something about him.

Something that had Zeke feeling uneasy, and Azazel recoiling out of fear.

"...I could never harm Erica's face." he stated, taking a step forward.

"However... the face of one who would dare use her likeness to bring harm to those she cares about?" he then asked... before a light-cloaked fist slammed itself into the opposite cheek of the individual, sending them flying into the closest wall.

"...that is another story." he commented.

Zeke, meanwhile, realised what the imposter had actually SAID... and wondered if they had been underestimating Vanessa all this time... and if she was truly more formidable with her information than anyone had realised.

Gabriel looked ready to lash out right there and then, but then stopped. He stopped and hung his head low. He looked defeated at the thought of that, but Zeke raised an eyebrow and looked at the imposter, before looking back at the real Erica, and then looking back at the imposter again.

"Azazel?" he addressed the demon.

"Yeah?" Azazel responded.

"Death is linked to the soul, right?" Zeke asked. "I know it sounds like an obvious question, but humour me." he stated.

"Of course." Azazel replied.

"Is DAMAGE soul-linked?" Zeke then inquired.

"...possible, but... highly unlikely." Azazel muttered. This was enough for Zeke, and before the imposter knew it, Zeke was right up in their face, and slammed his fist into their cheek, his follow-through slamming them down to the floor.

"Is Erica's cheek hurt!?" Zeke exclaimed.

"....no!" Azazel yelled back, after checking.

"Meaning YOU get to be a punching bag, as long as we don't kill you!" Zeke declared, which caused Gabriel to perk up from his previous sorrow.

Gabe was silent for a moment.

"I know the truth now." he said.

"It won't last long, I can feel your damned manipulation clawing its way back into my brain." he told her.

"But while I HAVE this clarity..." he then went on, cracking his knuckles. "I am going to make sure YOU regret what you have done to Erica." he told her further, as Zeke stepped forward.

"And if HE doesn't make sure we are rid of you forever, I will." he added, brandishing his sword now.

Azazel, meanwhile, just held onto the real Erica, using his own mana to disrupt hers, whenever it was activating for teleporting.

Azazel looked over towards her, and nodded.

"Right, I'll head there-" he started to say, before Lunet interrupted.

"Just drop everything." she said. "Zeke said her life and well-being were on the line." she added.

That had been enough for Azazel, and he disappeared from where he was, appearing in Erica's home. He looked around, sensed her and the angels, and raced towards where they were, rushing into the room.

"....what the hell!?" he exclaimed.

"If she used her demonic mana to try and escape, can you interrupt it and stop her?" Zeke asked.

"Yes, most certainly." Azazel confirmed.

"Good." Zeke responded. "Do that. I'm getting a medic here, and getting Levi here." he added, as Gabriel shook his head. He then looked to the entrance of the house, wondering if the imposter would show up.

@totalanimefan: And it makes you feel all warm from the inside out.

"Damn it." Zeke cursed.

"Sorry, Lunet, I thought I dialed Azazel's number." he said.

"Whatever, can you contact him? He needs to be at Erica's home. NOW." he told her.

"I don't have time to explain, but please. Call him and tell him to be here NOW. Erica's life and well-being may very well be on the line with this, and I am NOT exaggerating." he said further. "I'd say Cain works as well, but you said he's busy. Anyway!" he continued.

"I'll fill you in later, I promise."

"Erica!" both males exclaimed, as they saw her fall unconscious.

"She needs to be secured! NOW!" Gabriel barked. "Like this, she has NO free will, and Encrae can puppet her easily!" he exclaimed.

Zeke just nodded in response, before looking at Erica.

"She... uses demonic mana... not much can counter that... but other demonic mana!" he realised.

"Azazel might be able to disrupt it and stop her from using it!" he went on.

"Do it! Now!" Gabriel commanded him, which caused Zeke to nod and lift Erica up in his arms. He then tried to teleport away, but it was stopped, and he stumbled back with Erica.

"...that damned contract stops you from taking Erica away." Gabe growled, as Zeke grabbed his phone and dialed the first contact that he saw 'Callimachi' on.

@totalanimefan: Both. Depends on the weather, and if it's cooler or warmer. However, hot is usually my default for cider.

"Erica!" Zeke exclaimed.

"...she is being held back." Gabriel stated. "...those that still remain under her influence... they CAN speak of her secrets." he said. "However... when they try, they are given a taste of pain. Immense pain. And the pain they suffer is just a taste of what's to come, should they continue to speak." he went on.

"That alone compels them to stop speaking." he continued.

"That's... that's horrible..." Zeke responded.

"That is Encrae." Gabriel replied. "So Erica is gravely injured, she is feeling the influence of omni-dimensional beings, and has some of Encrae's mana within her, still." he summarised.

"She can he helped though, yes?" Zeke asked.

"Her physical injuries can be tended to, the right person can remove the omni-influence from her, but Encrae's mana is an entirely different matter." Gabriel lamented.

Zeke and Gabriel looked at each other when she said what she did.

"...ignoring the 'Mistress' comment..." Zeke growled quietly, looking off to the side, with Gabriel sharing a similar look of disgust. "...it seems like Vanessa got way in over her head." he commented.

"Seems it." Gabriel replied.

"And while it couldn't have happened to a nicer person, this is information that is even MORE alarming." he stated.

"We need to get her healed, we need to rid her of those influences, and she needs to have her head on straight so that she can properly tell us where they might be." he went on.

"..." Zeke was silent, before looking at Erica.

"What can you tell us about where she is?" he asked her.

@totalanimefan: It really is! It just hits the spot!

Gabriel's pupils shrank when he heard that.

"That book..." he said quietly.

"Book?" Zeke asked.

"Ezekiel, I should convene with the other archangels ASAP." Gabriel responded. "I want to pummel this imposter into the ground, but I think this might take precedence over that." he told him.

"And you need to get her help from... damn it, that Siren conduit is missing-" he then said, as yet ANOTHER piece fell into place. "DAMN IT!" he cursed loudly, looking at Zeke again.

"Get that conduit that works in Media Relations to look at her." he told him. "She needs, effectively, exorcising. On a MUCH grander scale than ANY demon, angel, or GOD." he declared.

Zeke let out an exclamation when he caught that glimpse, and Gabriel looked over towards him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"She... that... I..." Zeke stammered, almost panicked, before shaking his head to mentally slap himself.

"She... she needs help, yes, but... but it's going to be serious professional help. Help that very few people can give." he went on.

"...stop speaking in vague statements." Gabriel growled.

"I'm pretty sure I glimpsed something akin to The Ancient Ones." Zeke clarified, which caused Gabriel to look suddenly stunned.

"...no..." he whispered, looking at Erica again.