Third Chapter: Doom walks the Halls.

[rose_liberated]

[Tonight, something terrible has come to Baal's castle, and torn a line of death directly to the bank vaults. Now it's emerging, wearing loose pants and a long coat that buttons up to the throat and with a sword in each hand

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[highondaylight]

*In front of Zenon - well, now that she'd came out - stood, well, a tiny, blond obstacle. But one that was pretty powerful-looking.*

Because you messed with my servant, and I don't very much like that.

[rose_liberated]

You shouldn't have had any servants. They will inevitably only betray you and die.

[highondaylight]

That's only because you don't know how to handle them, I think. It's not like it takes much. The right lessons, the right care... And occasionally, just stopping their ability to think anything you don't want them to.

And it's not like their death should concern me. I have had centuries to get used to that idea, after all.

*Evangeline smirks, taking a few tentative steps in towards the Overlord.*

And, if that were the case, why the hell would you be letting yourself keep two servants? Especially when one of them happens to be mine?!

[rose_liberated]

[Black lightning lances down and the demoness looks very angry.]

I have no servants! I am a being of solitude, and all who approach me must die.

[highondaylight]

Oh? Because that certainly wasn't the infested girl or my servant told me. Rather the opposite, in fact.

Wow, Zenon, Evangeline seems COMPLETELY unfazed by the lightning cracking down.

[rose_liberated]

[Meh, that's cool, she doesn't really control it. It just happens.]

Delusions and dreams from which I had only to wake. I cannot allow the mistakes of the past to repeat once again.

[highondaylight]

Oh, really?

Because I'd say declaring your soul as a loner to be just as stupid, in the end. One doesn't grow and evolve like that. One doesn't improve on their evil in a vacuum. You only become stagnant, pointless, and, worst of all? Boring.

[rose_liberated]

[Zenon twitched. Something in the arguement is obviously getting through to her.]

I've seen where refining your evil leads you. I decided I didn't want to go there. I spared my enemies, laid down my arms and died. And nothing changed.

[highondaylight]

Really?

I'd argue quite a lot changed. You found something... Something that that little twitch indicates you're starting to realize again.

There's certain joys that you cannot have alone. That only servants and associates can truly bring you.

*Evangeline steps in again.*

Refining your evil only means doing more with it. Finding what will bring you joy. After all, to assume people will always be the same is as foolish as to assume that you can avoid evil.

[rose_liberated]

Joys? Yes, they can bring some fleeting joy into existence. But the pain they cause is far exceeding that little pleasure. And there is no greater insanity than repeating an action and expecting a different result.

[highondaylight]

Of course that's the case. You must repeat the action with the right twist... And in the end, you finally find the right solution. For example, working with the robotics club at the school you've been trapped in to build a few sentient robot assistants. They're pretty reliable.

And, what is the alternative? Without sometging to bring joy, there's no real point to existing, is there?

[rose_liberated]

We've been over this before. I've tried to stop existing, remember? And if I can't, then I'll simply ensure my solitude the hard way!

[Finally, let's stop this witty banner! Let's fight like men! And women! And women who dress like men! For Zenon, ITS CLOBERIN' TIME!]

[highondaylight]

*Evangeline simply laughs in response, raising one hand.*

Bit of a catch-22 then, huh? You can't stop existing, but to truly exist, you can't really be alone, either. Souls don't exist in vacuum, after all, no matter how much they'd like to be.

Allow me to show you what having others to teach me has done!

*And that's over thirty bolts of magic flying at you from various directions. Did Evangeline even do ANYTHING to start the cast?!*

[rose_liberated]

*Wondering too much about things like that will get you killed. And when you can abuse teleporting, you don't need to wonder. You just need to be somewhere else and you are.*

Allow me to show you the lessons taught to my with the blood of a thousand Overlords.

[highondaylight]

*Evangeline didn't even seem surprised at the teleport, instead swinging to Zenon's new location with another set of bolts - twenty-nine, this time.*

If she thinks I'm a one-trick pony, she'll try to break that trick... And open herself up. Dunno how tough she is, but I can make it work.

[rose_liberated]

[Zenon's going to put a little less energy into dodging these. Which means she is going to try to parry a few that would otherwise hit her and maybe even let one impact flesh to test its strength.]