Infinite Journey: Dark Souls

"So I've changed my mind now~ You're allowed to be a hooligan, but I can't be a little hooligan too?"

The scene was truly bizarre. On the braid in front of the demonic beast, an ash creature and a demonic beast were talking nonsense. Meanwhile, the witch's braid rose and fell slowly, making it impossible to discern whether she possessed any thoughts. Similarly, the Witch of This Shore was also observing their conversation, gently waving her cloak, her intentions completely unreadable.

"So, let's go back to our earlier guess. We mentioned earlier that your stance is different from the monsters'; you're probably using them?"

"Hey, what nonsense! The context doesn't connect at all! I never intended to speculate, and I certainly never used anyone else's information!"

"Oh, you admit to using magical beasts, then that makes sense. This means you're not a member of the magical beasts at all. To deduce your identity, we need to hide the magical beast aspect. And once we hide that, what's left of you..."

"I've said I've never used you. I am the Demon Beast Circle, and now I want the Demon Beast Flame to devour you all!"

All those entangled in the braids watched this bizarre negotiation unfold. The soldiers were alright, calmly resisting the curse while waiting for their captain to finish off the other side. Mami stayed beside Kyoko, anxious to check on her comrade's condition but also entangled, looking at Kyoko's exaggeratedly black soul gem with constant worry.

As for the trio, they were tied up in a strange way, with sand sitting on their heads.

"Your goal is beyond the scope of negotiation. Let's talk about what you have left. For example, that longbow, which, unsurprisingly, is the power generated by Ribbon Flame's 'unforgettable longing' for each other. Thinking about it that way, aren't you yourself, in a way, also a demonic flame?"

"Flame Beast, attack, eat—" Neither of them followed the other's lead, and they made another dangerous move. Madoka Beast seemed to want to carry out her orders, but the moment she gave the command, the woven sword slashed down. "Alright, alright, just kidding~"

The black liquid churned for a moment, then stopped.

"I hope you won't cross our line." The knife stopped again near the doll's neck. This time, Zhi didn't retract the knife, but continued speaking to herself. "Continuing from the conclusion we just reached, there's the part of you that doesn't belong to the monsters, and your understanding of us Ashes. As a creature of this world, it's impossible for you to have seen us from the beginning."

“That’s right, I’m the one who told Ashflame about it.”

"In conclusion, you should... Please, I haven't finished analyzing yet..."

"Someone has already told you the answer, so what's there to analyze?"

The topic started jumping again, and Warcraft Circle, as if deliberately picking a fight, directly confirmed a conclusion that Zhi hadn't even mentioned yet.

"Heh, alright, you devil. Or should I call you 'Little Flame'?"

"Hey—! Don't call me that so intimately, that guy can hear me."

"Fine, you devil. You've achieved your goal of disrupting my negotiation. Now it's your turn."

The digression led to an unspoken conclusion: what does "demon" refer to in Zhi's eyes? A creature born from the chaotic flames of Lordran? A fantastical species from the Type-Moon universe? Or perhaps, in the Circular universe, the only girl worthy of the title "demon"?

"Very well, you've gone to great lengths to confirm my identity. In return, I'll just state my request directly."

A jumble of feathers, woven from murky colors, floated faintly onto the demon's body.

"I want you ashes to stop interfering with this world."

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Even in the depths of suffering, Destiny Sixty-Four must strive to cry out for salvation.

"I want you ashes to stop interfering with this world."

Blackness covered everything—a terrifying color. Curses and malevolent thoughts surged through her brain, like a hundred thousand madmen laughing maniacally within her. In this state, Ribbon Flame struggled to make out the conversation between the demon beast Circle and Weaver. Negotiations, threats, demons, truths—she cared nothing for them until Ash was ordered to cease his current actions, at which point she painfully raised her head.

The braided hair, which indiscriminately entangled living things, naturally caught the girl who was hovering on the edge of battle.

"We'll release them if we agree to your terms?"

"Now that you've left, I'll naturally have the child take back the curse."

How can you convince me?

"It's very simple, because..."

The loss of magic made Ribbonflame's Soul Gem turn black more easily. She longed to faint like Kyoko, spared the torment of this curse. But she couldn't. She had to wait for Ash to reclaim her magic, wait for Ash to find a way to defeat that inexplicable enemy. Unfortunately, what she received was Ash being asked to evacuate.

She raised her head, her swaying vision filled with the ghostly faces of vengeful spirits. She knew it was an illusion, a hallucination brought on by the curse. She pushed the illusion aside, trying to see Zhi's expression clearly, and then analyze whether she would agree to the condition.

"Because you've achieved your goal, haven't you? Although I don't know the specifics, the reason you're still staying in this world is to see that person. You can see her anytime now. Tell the person who told you the truth to come out, meet her once, and then hurry back to your world."

Ribbon Flame couldn't see clearly; she couldn't make out Weaving's expression. But she didn't need to. She could feel the excitement boiling over among the ashes—they could see their former captain. If she wasn't mistaken, Weaving had already contacted Ash Flame—the surrounding ashes conveyed this emotion, causing Ribbon Flame's heart to slowly sink.

She knew it was true, and she heard Ashflame's voice too.

"Ha, just like you said, we can see each other anytime."

"So you're not in a hurry to use this as a condition to complete the negotiations? However, you wouldn't want to meet her with a pile of corpses, would you? Oh, I forgot, if you die, there won't even be any corpses left."

Because she was aware of Ashflame's existence, Ribbonflame's mind was filled with a thought even more profound than a curse.

Don't agree, don't agree, don't agree... No, agree!

It's hard to say whether it was anticipation or the intense emotions that turned into a curse.

"Don't doubt that these curses can't work. She should have told you. These black things are the despair of a magical girl from an entire universe!"

The demon under the cleaver spread its hands, as if to embrace this chaotic world.

The murky colors of the feathers, woven into a jumbled mess, were scattered and almost coalesced into wings behind her.

Don't agree, don't agree, don't agree... No, agree!

The persistent whispers testified to the despair, and the Soul Gem grew even blacker.

"..."

"Silence? That means you're considering it. I think your way of thinking is excellent; the goal is clear, efficient, and feasible. Even if, under the current circumstances, your approach only leads to a cold-blooded decision, it doesn't mean it's wrong. Come on, you only need to disappoint a few girls to fulfill your long-awaited wish!"

Don't agree, don't agree, don't agree... No, agree!

Curses can lead to despair, and despair can fill a curse. The ribbon flame, corrupted by the curse, was already on the verge of collapse. The demon's words were undoubtedly the final straw that broke the camel's back. Having deeply understood the way Ashen acted, she had already foreseen the most desperate ending. There, only a helpless magical girl suffered the curse in the darkness.

Now the demon reached out her hand to the ashes, and she smiled. And the ashes…

Don't agree! Don't agree! Don't agree! Don't agree!

"Is this all you ever say? Don't you want to change this outcome?"

Before Zhi could give a reply, Ashflame's voice rang in her ears again.

"Who was it? Oh, it's you, the guy who got Ash to achieve his goal!"

Having found an outlet for her curses, she poured out her desperate words to the voice communicating with her.

"I'll ask you one more time, don't you want to change this outcome?"

"Of course I want to! But what can I do! Why did you have to show up at a time like this!"

"There is a solution, just say your request out loud."

"What kind of solution is this? Why should they help me for this? Compared to you, what am I to them? It's all because of you! It's all because of you appearing at this time! Originally I, originally I..."

"You were just passively waiting for a miracle anyway."

The desperate outpouring stopped because his actions had been rejected.

"No! Miracles... I stopped believing in miracles a long time ago! Yes, this isn't a case of doing nothing. I've analyzed it, and even if I didn't make my request, Ash would have taken the opportunity to eliminate the monster and help me regain my magic power... if you hadn't appeared."

"Is that so? The fault lies entirely with me, so you're shifting the blame onto me, even giving up your own wishes."

"How could I! How could I give up my dream? I just... I just..."

"You're just running away, running away from the truth you least want to face. Look, Zhi is already going to answer that devil."

The darkness cleared instantly, and the scene of the demon reaching out to the ashes was reflected in his eyes.

The woven knife was lowered, from the demon's neck, and slowly, slowly, slowly it was sheathed. Conversely, the right hand holding the knife slowly, slowly, slowly rose. The five fingers were about to open, the open fingers were about to extend, the extended hand was about to—grasp the demon's right hand.

The demon kept laughing.

"Don't agree!"

"What's the use of just shouting to me in telepathy? Say your request out loud!"

She bit down, grinding her lips until they bled. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, a deep pain that jolted her awake from the curse-filled mind. She made up her mind and opened her mouth again. Blood clung to her teeth and mucous membranes, dripping from the corners of her mouth. Mixing with the bitter, salty liquid sliding down her cheeks, it left a poignant trail.

"Please! Ashes! Please help me!"

The longing shouted from the bottom of one's heart resounded throughout the cursed hell.

The hand that was about to grasp the demon's right hand stopped.

The smile shifted from the demon's face to the ashes' face.

The palm continued to extend.

He slapped away the demon's claws.

Destiny Sixty-Five Ash Flame, appearing in response to that request.

The devil's deal is always a shortcut to hell.

Swatting away the demon's outstretched claws signifies confronting hell.

The tangled feathers, woven from murky colors, scattered and coalesced into the wings of a demon.

The original purple was replaced by a more murky color, which emerged from the longbow, resembling an abstract painting with its claws outstretched.

The katana inadvertently severed the doll's neck, but the demon unleashed from the tiny doll no longer cared about the integrity of its vessel. The doll's neck was severed, but its head remained. A murky color covered the doll's body, connecting it to her remains. She raised her longbow, and the abstract, incomprehensible arrow shot towards the ashes.

"!!!"

An indescribable sound echoed behind the demon, and moving alongside it was the witch known as the Flame Beast. The curse surged, its blackness spreading faster than the release of a murky arrow. All those trapped by the witch were under the control of her braids; in an instant, the escalating curse engulfed them.

Unfortunately, it failed to erode the environment.

"My sister really picked the right time!"

The witch on this side withstood the attack.

Xiaoyan had been subtly manipulating things from the very beginning. The sand overflowing from her hourglass perfectly filled everyone's Witch's Kiss. ​​The hourglass, as a tool, was for telling time. The act of telling time gave the sand the effect of interfering with it. The time process of the curse's erosion was disrupted by the overflowing sand, and after a slight delay, the ashes shone with the light of flames.

The firelight was not the work of the Witch of This Shore. It was a very precious ember, an ember capable of turning ordinary people to ashes.

The Ashes used all these precious items, and clusters of bright flames became lamps in the darkness.

The lamps lit up, and against this backdrop, the murky arrows and the gleaming katana clashed. A fire of the heart and another power rising from the depths of the soul were annihilated. It was less a physical attack and more a contest of minds. The sparks ignited by the conflicting ideologies of these minds were dazzling.

"Why? This doesn't fit your way of thinking."

"Sometimes, all it takes is one reason for even the most rational person to act impulsively for someone they don't even know!"

Forced aside by the murky arrow, Zhi leaped onto the flames' braid. After a question and answer, the demon floating in the air collided with the golden-white blade again. The braid wriggled, trying to pull away the ash's foothold, and the Witch of This Shore seized the opportunity, spewing sand upon her. The cloak and braid became entangled, stabilizing the flames' form and bringing the sand and curse into direct contact.

"Hurry up, I can't hold out for much longer!"