About half an hour had passed, and Slenda gave a light knock on the door before entering the room.
(Y/n): How did asking them go?
Slenda: The girls agreed to help, they're ready when you are.
(Y/n): That's good. Tell them to get ready.
Lazari jumped from the bed.
Lazari: Sweet! I can't wait to see those three again.
Slenda looked at you.
Do you think we should bring her along? She asked.
You nodded in response.
(Y/n): This shouldn't take too long.
Scaria, Stripes, and The Rake all prepared themselves while you and Slenda left the room. As you walked to the manor, she expressed feelings of concern.
Slenda: I know that the girls are trained, and we have an army, but let's not forget who we're going against. She hasn't made a move in a while, aside from, you know.
(Y/n): I do. We're not there to hunt her down. Not yet at least. We're there to retrieve Lazari's three friends.
Slenda: But what comes after that?
(Y/n): Well, after we take them, she should only have a few proxies left. But Lazari did mention a third sister.
You looked at her and shrugged.
(Y/n): But one person can't make that much of a difference, right?
Slenda: You were one person, and look at what you've done.
(Y/n): That's true. Alright, we'll take this slowly, one step at a time.
Slenda: That's all I ask.
(Y/n): So who's coming along?
Slenda: Everyone, just like last time.
(Y/n): And the proxies?
Slenda: We could bring them along. But do you think you could keep track of all 45 of them?
(Y/n): If we all made an effort to keep tabs on them, it shouldn't be too difficult. Though I don't think they're ready yet.
Slenda: They haven't trained for very long. It would be for the better if they stayed.
(Y/n): All right. We'll leave in an hour.
Slenda: First, you should go see Ann. She has something for you.
(Y/n): Ok.
You then left the manor, and made your way to the clinic. You opened the doors, and saw Ann holding a few syringes. She turned around, and greeted you.
Ann: Oh, hey (Y/n)!
(Y/n): Slenda sent me.
Ann: Good, good. Come here for a minute.
You got closer to Ann, who grabbed all four of the syringes she'd been working with. She then kissed you on the lips.
Ann: That was because it's been a while. But these are for something else.
(Y/n): A bunch of shots?
Ann: Sort of. Do you remember how much damage you sustained after that fight with Phantom?
(Y/n): I do. The scars are definitely there.
Ann: It was a lot. More than anyone should ever take. You were lucky to have even survived that encounter.
(Y/n): You're telling me.
Ann: What I'm trying to say is that your body won't last if you keep getting injured to that degree.
(Y/n): Is that what these things are for?
Ann: Somewhat. These will temporarily numb the pain, as well as "heal" your body. But they won't beat severe wounds.
(Y/n): You're that worried huh?
Ann: We have every right to be. As I said, you were lucky to have survived that fight. Which brings me to my next point.
You raised an eyebrow, and crossed your arms.
Ann: You really can't take another injury like that.
(Y/n): Ann, you know I don't get hurt on purpose. But why are you emphasizing it so much?
Ann sighed, before shaking her head.
Ann: I can patch you up if you suffer a few cuts or bruises any day. But another deep gash, like the one you received in your upper chest, I can't fix that.
(Y/n): What do you mean?
Ann: I recall telling you that your body can't keep up if you keep getting hurt. Well, I was right. If you take another injury like that, I'm afraid you won't be able to come back from it. So please, for your sake and for ours, be more cautious. Please?
She looked up to you, her eye beginning to tear up.
(Y/n): Ann, I promise I'll do my best to avoid being hurt. But what do you mean when you say that you were right?
Ann: I mean that I knew that your fight with Phantom was the closest you'd ever come to dying. Who do you think took care of you in the time you were out?
You grunted. The message you got wasn't that your days were numbered. It was that you couldn't get super messed up anytime soon, or at all. Ann came close and hugged you.
(Y/n): Ann, please calm down. I'll play it as safe as possible.
She sniffed.
Ann: I know, it's just that we're all going to Zalga's mansion. Call me paranoid, but something doesn't seem right.
(Y/n): True, but when does anything feel right?
Ann: When we're together.
You could hear her let out a laugh, which caused you to do the same.
(Y/n): I thought I was the one with cheesy lines?
Ann: It's good to mix things up every once in a while.
(Y/n): I suppose it is. Though I do have a question. Why am I the only one being given these?
Ann: Because I don't know if they work.
(Y/n): What? You're worried about me dying, but you also gave me these strange shots that might not even work?
Ann: Well, it's not that they don't work. I just don't know how well they work. So you'll be testing them out.
(Y/n): What's the worst case scenario for these?
Ann: They would just numb the pain, and nothing more. You might temporarily lose feeling in whatever limb you used it on.
(Y/n): Are you serious?
Ann: You'll just have to find out. But you'll still be able to use said limb if that does happen.
You sighed.
(Y/n): You're something else, Ann.
She gave you another peck on the lips, followed by a giggle.
Ann: I know.
You left the clinic, having taken the strange syringes. You certainly hoped that they would work, as losing all feeling in an arm or a leg (even if temporarily) didn't sound pleasant. You then wondered about the girls themselves.
Sure, they would be able to handle any proxies at her mansion, but what if Zalga herself targeted them? The only one who was ever able to stay toe to toe with Zalga was Slenda.
(Y/n): I guess the proxies aren't the only ones who need to train.
Lazari was more than excited to tag along. But you began to wonder if she was capable of defending herself. She had that strange form you saw a while back, but you weren't too sure how it was summoned.
In the time they'd been there, surely she and her sister learned a few things from their mother. You decided it would be a good idea to ask her if she had any sort of abilities.
You made your way back to your room, and knocked on the door. Stripes opened it.
Stripes: Hey (Y/n). Is it time?
(Y/n): Not yet, I was just curious as to what you and your sister knew.
Stripes: What we know?
(Y/n): In terms of what you might have learned from Zalga. Any sort of magic or fighting skills?
Stripes: Well, I was always better with the physical stuff, but Lazari was more of a book worm. You might want to ask her what she knows. I myself have a decent amount of knowledge on that stuff too, but not as much as her.
With that, Stripes let you into the room, and you approached Lazari.
(Y/n): Hey Lazari, could I talk to you?
Lazari, who had been getting her nails painted by Scaria, gave you a warm smile.
Lazari: Sure, what do you need?
(Y/n): Your sister said you were a bit of a book worm, I was wondering if you knew any of the things Zalga knew.
She put her free hand up to her chin.
Lazari: I know a few things, but I'm not the best at what I know.
(Y/n): That's ok, could you be more specific by chance?
Lazari: Sure, I'll list them off. I know how to conjure flames, use dark magic, temporarily weaken ones powers-
(Y/n): Woah, slow down a bit Laz.
Lazari: R-Right, my bad. I can weaken ones powers, do this little thingy I call a 'memory wipe', and even separate a soul from it's body. I think that's everything. But that's nothing compared to what Sadiya and Zalga know.
You took a minute to gather your thoughts. That was a large list of things, many of which seemed like they would be super useful. Your train of thought was interrupted when she spoke up again.
Lazari: There's also that freaky monster form, but you know I don't like using it.
(Y/n): I know Laz, besides...
You pat her head whilst giving her a smile.
(Y/n): I wouldn't force any of you to do something you didn't want to.
Scaria: Your nails are finished Lazari.
Lazari: Ohh, what do you think (Y/n)?
She proudly presented her hands to you. Her nails were a bright red, just like her hair and her eyes.
(Y/n): I think they're pretty. They match your eyes. You did a good job Scaria.
Lazari blushed, and placed her hands on her cheeks.
Lazari: T-Thanks.
Scaria: Aww, thank you (Y/n)!
Stripes: Is that all you needed?
(Y/n): For now, at least.
Stripes: We'll get ready. Let us know when it's time to go.
(Y/n): Sure.
You then left the room. You were a bit surprised that Lazari of all people held that knowledge. You figured Stripes would've been the one to hold more knowledge.
It seemed fitting, once you thought about it. Lazari would be more eager to learn, while Stripes' physical capabilities would be her strength.
She mentioned "Sadiya" again. Just who is she?, You thought.
You knew she was their sister, or at the very least, related to them. Considering that Lazari said that she didn't know as much as this "Sadiya", you began to wonder just how powerful she was.
She certainly wasn't as powerful as Zalga, but it wouldn't surprise you if she was the strongest of the 3. You walked down the hallway, when you noticed an opened door.
Curious, you peeked your head in. There seemed to be a lot of paintings and art related stuff.
Hillary's room. I wonder what she's been up to, You thought.
You went ahead and let yourself in. It'd been a while since you last looked at her art. The last time you saw a drawing of hers, you recalled it being rather lewd.
There were some new paintings, some of which seemed fresh. There was another of the entire mansion, but with the added newcomers.
It seemed like there was space left on the illustration, as if to make room for any others. In the bottom right corner was the label "A Few New Additions".
There was another, and it seemed to be a very detailed image of your face. In that drawing, you had a bright smile. The painting was labeled "Our Beautiful Soulmate".
You felt a small blush form, and you grinned. Of course, upon seeing these paintings, you couldn't help but wonder if she still had the art book of lewd images laying around.
You felt the need to look around, but brushed it off, as that would be invading her privacy. So you turned around to leave the room, when you spotted her standing there.
Her hands were behind her back, and since her mask had been sitting on a desk, you could see her blushing madly.
(Y/n): Oh, Hillary? I didn't mean to come in here. The door was open, and I thought I'd check on you. But you weren't here, and I couldn't help but notice all of the lovely art you had hanging up-
She interrupted you with a hug.
Hillary: I-It's ok. I was going to show you those anyway, as a surprise of sorts.
Her arms were wrapped around you, and she gave a gentle squeeze.
Hillary: I've been told that we're going to Zalga's mansion.
(Y/n): That's true. Are you coming along?
Hillary: Of course. What other way would there be to prove that I've gotten better at fighting?
(Y/n): I know all of you have been training pretty hard in your spare time.
She nodded, then looked up.
Hillary: When are we leaving?
(Y/n): Sometime soon. I need to make sure everyone else is ready first. How about you? Are you ready?
Hillary: Yes, but I'm feeling really anxious.
(Y/n): Why anxious?
Hillary: I can't stop thinking about what could go wrong. What if someone gets hurt, or worse?
(Y/n): We take that risk everytime we face Zalga. If anything happens to any of us, I'll take full responsibility.
Hillary: Still, what if-?
(Y/n): Shh. Everything will be alright.
You shut her door, and sat down in a chair. You then patted your lap.
(Y/n): Come sit with me. Let's talk for a bit.
Slowly and reluctantly, she sat in your lap.
(Y/n): Hillary, I promise we'll all be ok. I won't let anyone get hurt.
Hillary: I know you won't, but I can't stand the thought of losing anyone. It's just-
She sniffed, and as you looked into her ocean blue eyes, you saw tears begin to form.
Hillary: As I was painting that illustration you were just looking at, I thought about how many close calls we've had.
(Y/n): There certainly were a lot.
Hillary: It's no secret that Zalga is dangerous. What has me confused is the fact that she hasn't made any sort of move. I spoke to Slenda earlier, and she said it's as if Zalga is waiting for us.
(Y/n): It's pretty strange, but she doesn't have very many proxies. She's practically on her own at this point.
Hillary leaned into you, resting her head on your shoulder.
(Y/n): If anyone here has come close to dying, it's me.
Hillary: That's not a good thing either (Y/n)!
(Y/n): I know, but even then, most times that was because I overestimated myself. So we'll all be as cautious as possible, alright?
She sighed.
Hillary: Ok.
She gave you another squeeze, and you nudged her chin. You looked into her eyes, before your lips met for a kiss. She shut her eyes and melted into said kiss, while you hugged her tight.
Eventually, the two of you parted your lips for a french kiss. As your tongues tangled, you reached a hand down and gave her butt a slap. She let out a small yelp, and pulled back.
(Y/n): What's wrong?
Hillary: N-Nothing! I was just surprised is all.
You gave her another spank, which in turn caused her face to turn even more red. She also let out a light moan.
(Y/n): So you do enjoy being spanked?
Hillary: W-What?! Who said that?
(Y/n): That doesn't matter. But now that I know this...
You gave her yet another spank, and pulled her close.
(Y/n): I'll put this information to good use~
The two of you then kissed some more, albeit a bit more roughly. You would stay like this for a few minutes, before Slenda gave a knock on the door. You pulled away from Hillary, who seemed slightly disappointed.
Slenda: I sensed that you were busy, so I gathered the girls and let them know of our plans.
(Y/n): Oh, w-what did they say?
Slenda: They're all ready when you are. But there's no rush. I can tell you're a bit preoccupied at the moment~
Hillary giggled, while you just let out a nervous chuckle.
After ten minutes, you stopped. Only because you knew that if you went on any longer, there would be a mess made from that room. You left it, but not before giving Hillary one last slap on the ass.
As you approached the stairs, you heard movement. Not from behind you, but above you. You looked up, and saw the black and white mask stare back.
Kake-Gao: [Oh, hi (Y/n)~]
(Y/n): Hey Kake, what are you doing up there?
Kake-Gao: [Just hanging out. I couldn't help but overhear your time with Hillary.]
(Y/n): Somehow I get the feeling you were listening from the start.
Kake-Gao: [Kekeke, what if I was? What are you going to do about it~?]
(Y/n): Not much from here. But if you dropped down, maybe-
You were interrupted by the sound of her letting go of the ceiling and dropping to the floor. She landed on all fours as she slowly made her way to you.
Kake-Gao: [Oh, what were you saying
(Y/n)? I couldn't hear you very well from up there.]
You waited until she got closer, trying your hardest not to blush. Eventually she stood up, and walked towards you, swaying her hips with each step.
Kake-Gao: [Nothing is going to stop me now, kekeke~]
She got within arms reach, and began to place her hands on your shoulders, when you sprung to life. You quickly grabbed both of her wrists, and pinned her against the wall.
From there, you lifted her mask, and gave her a single kiss. You then let her go, and she seemed mildly shocked.
(Y/n): [How's that for doing something?]
Kake-Gao stuttered.
Kake-Gao: [T-That's not fair! You caught me off guard!]
(Y/n): [How many times have you pounced me from that ceiling? I'd say it's more than fair.]
You turned back and blew a kiss to her.
(Y/n): [Be ready to go in a bit. We'll be leaving soon.]
Kake-Gao just sighed, red faced. She would have to step her game up.
After about fifteen minutes, all of the girls were rounded up and waiting in the manor. Slenda had ordered the proxies to stay in the mansion and train.
(Y/n): I won't lie to any of you, what we're about to attempt is dangerous. I don't know what Zalga is up to, or what she might have planned.
Slenda: Don't let that deter you or get in your head. But we also shouldn't forget what we're there for.
(Y/n): To retrieve Nina, Zero, and their dog.
Angel spoke up.
Angel: We're sticking our necks out for people that don't even like us?
Jill: I have to side with Angel on this one. We've been nothing but lucky so far. I don't want that luck to run out.
Jane: We have both quantity and quality on our side. She has little to nothing.
(Y/n): Our main goal is to snatch those three. If we can manage to kill Zalga in the process, then that's great. Otherwise, we just want to hold her off for as long as possible.
Jess: Getting rid of her would be pretty nice.
(Y/n): Look, if any of you don't wish to come along, then feel free to stay. Just know that your support would be greatly appreciated.
Nobody wanted to stay. At least, that was the message you got from their silence. Though some had their worries, for the most part, the girls were ready to go. So your group left the mansion. On the way to Zalga's mansion, Slenda spoke to you.
Slenda: Some of the girls are still frustrated that we're doing all of this just for the sake of saving Lazari's friends.
(Y/n): I know. But I gave the choice of staying behind.
Slenda: You know none of them would do that. Those girls care too much.
(Y/n): I care for them too. What's the strangest thing you've ever seen Zalga do?
Slenda thought for a moment.
Slenda: I'm not sure. She once read from a tome. That tome caused the ground to shake.
(Y/n): Really? What happened then?
Slenda: A liquid that resembled blood came from the cracks in the earth. I remember it burning really badly.
(Y/n): Sort of like that mist stuff I dealt with a while back?
Slenda: The two were similar, yes.
(Y/n): That sounds pretty bad. What happened next?
Slenda: I'm still here, right?
The two of you shared a laugh.
(Y/n): So you can sense us, right?
Slenda: That is correct.
(Y/n): And she can too? What exactly do you sense?
Slenda: I sense your presence, and ever since I gave you those abilities, your power and spirit. Zalga shares a similar sense, but she can sense the spirits of regular humans, while I can only sense those of powerful beings.
(Y/n): Seriously?
Slenda: Yes. I believe that was the reason she was able to find your sister.
(Y/n): If things go right, she won't be able to sense anything once we're done with her.
Slenda: We'll get revenge for what she's done.
You nodded.
(Y/n): For now, let's focus on getting there.
Meanwhile...
The strange girl with pink-ish hair approached Zalga's mansion. She wore a black vest with a grey bowtie, a grey pair of shorts, and a black pair of boots. Her skin was a faded red in some spots, and a light-ish tan in others.
Her veins glowed a bright white as she knocked on the rather large doors. Her light blue irises in her black eyes seemed to stand out as she waited. She was a tall woman, standing at six foot three.
The girl let out a frustrated sigh, as she was the impatient type. She was about to knock with even more force when the large doors creaked. They slowly opened, revealing none other than Zalga herself.
Zalga: Oh, if it isn't one of my lovely daughters.
(??): Adopted daughters.
Zalga: There's no need to be so hostile, my dear Sadiya. I know what happened to your father still burns within you. But I think you might be more interested in knowing what happened to your sisters.
Sadiya paused. Her eyebrows furrowed, and a rather menacing frown formed on her face. She took on an angered tone.
Sadiya: What do you mean? What happened to them?
Zalga sighed, looking off into the distance.
Zalga: Well, if you should know, they've fallen for someone.
Sadiya: Fallen for someone? What, did they fall in love with one of the proxies?
Zalga: No. Worse. They've both fallen for a vigilante. Not just them, but Scaria as well.
Sadiya clenched her fists. Two of the daughters of one of the most powerful beings in existence fell for a human? A "hero" at that? She was infuriated.
Sadiya: And what have you done to stop him?
Zalga: My dear, I've done many things. Some of which can be considered horrible.
Sadiya: Please, fill me in. Clearly it wasn't horrible enough if you couldn't stop a human.
Zalga turned to her daughter, and flashed a small smile. This, in turn, caused Sadiya to swallow a lump that had formed in her throat.
Zalga: He's not just any human. Somehow, Slenda has given him powers. Not just that, but after killing a very powerful ally of mine, he is now capable of harvesting the powers of those he kills.
Zalga then went on to explain all that you'd done. Not just that, but each and every action she'd taken to stop you as well.
Sadiya: Do you think he'll come for Nina and Zero?
Zalga: I believe so.
Sadiya: What's your plan?
She then presented a small tome to Sadiya. Its cover seemed to have been made from worn out leather, its pages written by Zalga herself. Sadiya read the cover, and quickly looked Zalga in the eyes.
Sadiya: No, you're not telling me that you're going to-
Zalga: Only if needed. I hope it does not come to that. But I suppose only time will tell.
Sadiya: How much time do you think we have?
Zalga: Not a lot.
Zalga took a deep breath, and then exhaled.
Zalga: It seems they're already on their way.
The two of them then heard a voice from across the field.
(Y/n): We're not on our way. We're already here.
Zalga ordered Sadiya to go inside. She would've fought the idea, if it weren't for the reason she was given.
Zalga: Slenda, (Y/n).
She snarled.
Zalga: It's been some time.
Slenda: It has.
(Y/n): We're here for Nina, Zero, and Smile Dog.
Zalga: You're not getting them. I'd advise you to turn around and head back to your mansion.
(Y/n): As much as I'd love to go home...
You pointed a finger directly at her.
(Y/n): That's not going to happen.
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