Milo rarely found himself corrected. As it turns out, there were indeed materials to handle plasma pistols... the problem was where they came from.
Milo had never seen a creature like the one he was currently observing, it was just... so off putting. It seemed like a distortion of what was supposed to be a praying mantis, and a rather large one at that.
It's scythe like claws were massive, probably twice the size of Milo, instead of two bulging eyes they were six. Instead of four legs it had eight. The most disturbing thing of all was the nasty looking liquid dripping off from its mouth.
Milo had checked the database extensively. This was a Fallen Monster. Most of the materials Milo had been using so far were of the Awakened quality. So in theory, if he killed this mantis and others like it, he should be able to create the plasma pistols.
In theory, of course there was no guarantee that the chitin of this praying mantis could withstand the load of the enchantments, however that was okay, because if this didn't work... then nothing would!
Of course, they were other monsters in the Dark City of a higher class. Yet Fallen Demons just seemed way out of Milo's reach. Hunting down this praying mantis was already quite the stretch.
Fortunately, Milo was not ill equipped to deal with this thing. He had prepared... nothing, except he studied it's weaknesses a lot. Of course, they were the common weaknesses like the joints and the eyes. One specific weakness stood out. There was a joint at its neck, which meant that if given the opportunity, Milo could lob its head clean off.
The only issue was actually reaching the neck itself without getting sliced in two from its giant claws. Due to the nature of Milo's cohort, consisting of only two damage dealers without any solid tank... they were just going to have run and hope for the best.
"So, don't get hit, and kill it before it can kill us? That the best we can come up with?" Olivia asked while observing the still praying mantis.
"Something like that, maybe I should've asked Effie for help." Milo gripped the [Prototype] in his right hand tightly.
"I'm sure we will be fine. These new weapons haven't let me down yet."
Strapped across Olivia's torso were the set of throwing daggers Milo had made for her. They were like many of Milo's creations, a steel black. However, near the sharp tips is where they gained a faint orange glow.
Olivia's right hand sported the arming sword itself, again a simple steel black with digital blue. Same deal with the throwing daggers, a faint orange glow surrounded the edge of the blade. Heating up weapons could do a lot more damage to an enemy then one expected.
"Alright, whenever you're ready." Milo stated, and Olivia quickly snagged one of the throwing daggers from her set.
She sat still, braced her arm, and threw the dagger. It whistled through the air and...
Milo heard a pained chitter erupt from the giant praying mantis. It's eye had been pierced, and a yellow-green ooze spilled from the wound. Two more throwing daggers pierced the air, however the praying mantis was already on the move.
Milo moved towards the praying mantis, he had to get creative with what his technology could do.
He had always tried to ground himself when transforming his technology. He didn't extend it beyond its original mass, he didn't add any materials that weren't already there. He played it safe. Yet, Milo had found that playing it safe rarely got him anywhere.
It was his gut instinct to confess to Olivia what he knew that gained him a valuable ally and a close friend. It was his gut instinct to run into the forest in his First Nightmare despite knowing the creature that dwelled within.
It had always been the reckless decisions he made that usually benefitted him, today would be no exception. The pauldron of the [Mobile Suit] shifted, it extended and powered up. It became a shoulder mounted cannon. Milo split his consciousness into two. The cannon aimed towards the eyes of the mantis, and Milo continued his sprint towards it.
Milo saw a blur, then the praying mantis was in front of him. Its right claw rending the air itself as it flew towards Milo. Milo threw his upper body down. He could feel the wind as the claw sliced directly above him.
At this rate, Milo wasn't going to be able to keep up with the praying mantis in speed.
'Technology... is constantly changing, constantly adapting.'
Milo braced his legs, and the [Mobile Suit] recognized his command. The legs began to form multiple thrusters that whirred with power.
Milo then noticed something pop up in his visual HUD.
{Power Limit 25/100}
'There's a limit... as long as I stay within that limit, my body is mine to change.'
Milo loved the idea, the thrusters activated and Milo practically flew towards the body of the praying mantis. He had nearly let go of the [Prototype] from the sudden burst of speed. Milo barely managed to angle it so it'd stab into the praying mantis as he crashed straight into its chest.
Milo heard another series of chitters through the ringing in his head. It felt hard to breathe, the air must've been knocked out of him. Milo forced the [Prototype] deeper into the body of the praying mantis, causing it to sway and attempt to knock it off.
Milo then activated the enchantment. Countless bolts of electricity shot throughout the body of the praying mantis.
One bolt managed to reach the eye socket of where Olivia had hit it, Milo was surprised it even made it that far.
There was still no notification for the kill however, and so Milo pulled his sword out and jumped back. The mantis stumbled back, its mandibles creating this clicking sound... It was unpleasant, ear screeching even.
Was this some sort of desperate last attempt at distracting the enemy? Milo just grit his teeth and prepared to move forward. However, it seemed Olivia had beaten him to the punch. Milo spotted her jumping from a balcony onto the praying mantis' neck. From there she sliced downward with the arming sword.
Normally this wouldn't work, after all, this was a Fallen Monster, regardless of how easy Milo had managed to pierce it due to his Divine Aspect shenanigans. However, Milo had created given those weapons scorching hot edges for a reason.
The sword cut through in a clean cut, the meat of the praying mantis' neck sizzling from the heat. The head fell down, followed by that same green-yellow ooze from earlier.
The job was done, and the two had just killed a Fallen Monster, as a duo... This felt way too easy.
"Milo! We have a problem!"
"What is it?!"
"This thing was only an Awakened Devil! Not a Fallen Monster" Olivia walked over towards Milo.
"That doesn't make sense, the database said-"
THUMP THUMP THUMP
Both Milo and Olivia shared a single glance before running towards the nearest shadowy alleyway. As the two crouched down. Olivia whispered
"What the?" Before Milo could ask what happened, the creature had arrived, the Fallen... Tyrant?
It wasn't the praying mantis that was catalogued in the database. It was much bigger, nearly taking on the size of a two story building in the Dark City. It destroyed part of the houses just to get here. It also had a light pink hue to its chitin exo skeleton. It was an orchid mantis. At least a demented version of one with grotesque features.
The first thing it did was look over the dead body of Awakened Monster. It let out slow and low chitters, those chitters quickly transformed into an almost rageful click. Like it was screaming at finding its child dead.
Milo knew from one glance, they were losing against that thing. There was no chance of victory, the fact it had produced off spring likely meant it was above the Devil rank. There was just no chance.
"No weak points." Olivia whispered, only confirming Milo's suspicion.
"Let's get the hell out of here."
So that's exactly what the two did, they just ate their losses and split. Running back to the Slums of the Dark City.
***
Sunny watched the whole ordeal with a strange look on his face. They had seriously mistaken such an obvious thing as a Awakened Devil with a Fallen Monster? The two wouldn't even look alike.
Sunny recalled his shadow and headed for the Dark Cathedral. He had some questions he wanted answered.
Moving through the Dark City was second nature to Sunny at this point, with the addition of the Prowling Thorn to his arsenal there was hardly anything that prevented him from going somewhere. Outside of Nightmare Creatures of course, that was always an issue, but even then. If he played his cards right, he would be okay.
Well, that would've been the case if not for the leash put on his neck by Eva... he really ought to try killing her again. Was it a fruitless endeavor? Maybe, but Sunny rarely found himself not attempting to slice her head in two or to throw the Prowling Thorn into her chest. Of course her command would override his attempt, but there was sure to be one day where she slipped up.
One day when that stupid bond would fail her, and one day would he hear the Spell announcing the kill.
Until that day came, Sunny would gladly keep going at this fruitless endeavor. It was inevitable, Sunny was sure of it. He was Fated, and according to Eva, Fate hardly let things out of its grasp, he would be no exception.
However, as Sunny arrived at the Dark Cathedral, he found it oddly empty. Just where did his master go?
'Who cares, freedom!'
Sunny quickly made his way back to the exit only to see Eva there along with a... pretty boy.
"Ah, Sunny this is Kai, Kai this is Sunny. I hope you two get along. Kai, can you prepare what we discussed, I also need to talk to Sunny."
"Of course, I'll get to it."
"Remember, if you try to run away, I'll find and kill you~" Eva called out with a dangerous smile as Kai flew away, however she also glanced at Sunny just long enough for him to notice.
"Who was that?" Sunny asked, trying his best to ignore the mixture of hate and fear that look gave him.
"Your friend." Eva replied, then her expression shifted. "So, what was Milo doing?"
"Hunting, they were looking for a praying mantis, apparently they thought it was a Fallen Monster. Except they stumbled across an Awakened Devil and a Fallen Tyrant."
Eva let out a thoughtful chuckle. "Ah, I forgot I was supposed to update that Lite Memory. That things outdated... I'll keep it that way."
Sunny watched as his master wore an evil expression. Then he tried to throw the [Prowling Thorn] at her to no avail. With a disappointed click, he walked off to the little space he had, the priestess' chambers.
After all, he had to practice with Saint while watching his shadow... according to Eva at least. It had produced something interesting results. Despite his hatred, Sunny had grown a lot under Eva's commands.
'Wonder what those two were trying to accomplish.'
Hopefully they weren't creating some super weapon, because Eva would just throw Sunny at the problem... something about his [Fated] attribute carrying him. Whatever the hell that meant
***
"Sunny was watching us." Olivia stated plainly, Milo meanwhile looked at her with wide eyes.
"Do you have a reason for thinking that?" Milo asked as he worked on weaving yet another keepsake.
"The shadows in that alleyway, one of them didn't belong there. It was the shadow of a person, that was Sunny's shadow. He was watching us for some reason."
"I'm assuming Eva and him are collaborating then somehow. This isn't good at all... no it'll be fine. Just so long as we don't play into her schemes, we'll be fine."
Olivia smiled softly. "I'll drink to that."
Milo sighed. "You'll drink to anything." He then summoned the [Frigid Cooler] for a night of laughter.
***
Cassie rarely found herself getting a clear vision of the future since her arrival at the Bright Castle. All of it was blurry, constantly changing. Like the future didn't know what it wanted.
So the vision she had just received was all the more rare. It was a visceral scene, a shadow being cut down by a blue light. A keen eye being pierced through by a cobalt serpent, and worst of all, an angel dying to a blur of green.
Cassie understood this, she understood what this meant... which made it all the more important on what would happen next.
She summoned the [Quiet Dancer] and let it guide her throughout the house. Eventually, it stopped, and Cassie called out.
"Nephis."
There was a moment of silence before Nephis responded "Yes?"
"It's time for the expedition."
"I see... do you think we will find him?" Nephis asked. Her voice didn't show emotion, yet her words showed worry.
"We don't need to worry, we'll find him. She's holding him captive after all. So we just need to find her."
"Should we just kill her?" Once again, not a hint of emotion betrayed in her voice. The overwhelming heat filling the room spoke for Nephis.
"We shouldn't, just trust me, and everything should go as planned."
Cassie understood the burden of knowledge alone. As much as she wished that her burden could be shared, this was something to be done alone. After all, she saw what happened when she shared her knowledge in one of her visions. One that belonged to a different future... or perhaps to the correct future
"I'll make sure of it." Cassie reassured, unlike Nephis however, her voice wasn't as steadfast.
"Alright, lets go."
So the two departed to begin the expedition to get their back. The expedition to change Fate.