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theratboyking · 1 year

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Softly Into The Night

Chapter One: You Call On Me As Bell Begin to Chime

Pairing: Cardinal Copia/Reader/Papa Emeritus iii (this will also have eventual Copia/Terzo but that won't be for a while)(This is also a slow burn so it's gonna be a while until we even get here)

Word count: 6.5k

Summary: Demons are real, angels exist, and my father is the Prince of Darkness. A dream I can’t seem to wake up from. And two mysterious strangers that seem to have a connection to me. What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Summary: Everything is spinning around me. This wasn't my room, this was somewhere else entirely. I was so lost in thought that I had completely forgotten about the strangers in the room with me... The two incredibly handsome strangers. Oh no.

Warnings: 18+ (this is going to get be a wild ride folks,) Slow burn, Idiots in love, kinda soulmates? poorly translated Italian (I am sorry to all the Italians out there) fluff, angst, this is a ghost fic so you know religious trauma, some chapters will likely get kinda deep in the religious philosophy but maybe not depending on the direction this goes, eventual smut (Chapter will be labeled)

AO3 link <-Previous Next ->

Lucifer’s P.O.V:

It is simply extraordinary, I have simply never seen anything like it before. I have heard of children of both human and demon parents living into adulthood, some even coming when the darkness called them. This was something else entirely. Never have I heard of one taking a demon form before. Perhaps father too has plans for the future. This seemed impossible.

But here she was. Hovering several feet off the floor. Hair losing its color - turning into a stark white sticking out in all directions. Her body started to elongate an inky black spreading from her fingertips to her biceps, her nails sharpening. Her mouth hung open as a silent scream ripped through her throat, teeth looking as if she could rip through a man. In her eyes, a fire broke out - blue flames sprang to life casting a glow to her face. Her skin had changed now resembling that of porcelain.

“Extraordinary.”

Suddenly she collapsed to the floor. The fire has extinguished and she’s stopped thrashing, but she was still breathing. Her body slowly returns to normal, her clothes ripped at the edges but for the most part held together. It was as if it had never happened. She had fallen into a deep slumber. Nothing remained of her eldritch form, only a streak of white that now took residence in her hair. It was as if nothing happened.

The clock chimed. The world beginning to wake with the sun. Let’s hope my timing is not off tonight. I snap my figure a ring of fire erupts in the living room. One of my ghouls appeared in existence. He stiffens at the sight of me, quick to attention. They were always so stiff when they first came to this world.

“Do you have a name, ghoul?” He seemed surprised that I had asked.

“Y-yes sir.” The response was quick and unsure of itself. “Nova sir.”

“Nova,” His skin looked like the night sky, his horns sticking up from his head and coming to a sharp point. His hair looked like a dirty mop. His eyes were the only contrast, pure white. Truly nothing stood out about him, he was rather small for a ghoul, and surely others would be a better fit for this task. The clock chimed again, hanging heavy in the air. Dawn is approaching fast.

A sigh escapes me, “You will have to do I suppose. Now, I have a very important job for you Nova.” I pause looking towards (Y/N), gently picking her up from the ground and turning my gaze to Nova.

“Sir?” His head tilts in confusion. Clothes slowly materialize on him, his face covered by its mask.

“You will be tasked with ensuring the Princess is safe.”

Nova looks on in shock, unsure if he should protest against my order. Ultimately deciding to not test how good of a mood I was in, he bows slightly “As you command, my Dark Lord.”

A smirk finds its way to my face, “Excellent, now come along. We don’t have much time and we have places to be.” I begin to hand my princess to Nova.

“Where are we going?” His question was hurried as I entrusted her to him.

“Isn’t it obvious Nova? We’re almost late for church.” My voice is carefree as I snap my figure. Flames overtake us as we begin to fade out of this plain.

The Living room soon began to transform into the familiar walls of my church. The tiniest bit of light begins to stream in from the stained glass, the colors begin to spread through the room. The large organ was displayed proudly on the back wall, silver pipes just starting to shine from the light. It does appear that they have gotten the figure of Baphomet fixed, they will be happy to hear that. Darkness took up most of the room, I had some time left. No candles had been lit yet and the Pews remained empty, the bells haven’t even been rung yet, it looks like I’m just a bit too early.

“Te l'avevo già detto che non avrei fatto parte delle tue idee a metà, idiota!” An irrorated voice breaks through the calm morning. Ah here they are.

“I am truly hurt Cardinal, have you so little faith in me? It is my first mass back from touring, I have to make it one to remember. Besides, you worry too much, you need to relax” The other voice was much more carefree.

Their steps grew louder the closer they got to the massive doors that separates the Nave from the hallway. Light is spreading through the room, the morning light beginning to cover the darkness. The door begins to open, their bickering continuing.

“How can I possibly relax with you constantly pulling me into your theatrics? Even as Papa you always find a way to get me in troub…” The cardinal sentence came to a dead stop, his strides fatling, taking in the sight before him. Papa soon followed behind, wondering what had shocked his companion so.

“Copia what is… it” Papa’s words failed just as the Cardinals had, “My lord.” he dropped to his knees, head bowed. This seemed to knock the Cardinal from his trance following Papa to his knees. The light had taken up most of the room.

I clasp my hands together. Staying in the darkness the sun had yet touched, I began my journey to them. My excitement was on full display, “Ahh, Papa Gabriele Trezo Emeritus iii and Cardinal Antonio Copia. Truly a pleasure,”

The cardinal brought his gaze to mine, uncertainty falling as he spoke, “How… how may we serve you, dark lord?”

I came to a stop in front of them, “Please no need for formalities at the moment. There is very little time left and I have a very important task to give. Rise, my sons.”

Quick to their feet they dare not speak as I continue, “The Antichrist has been set free.” I gesture towards Nova, beckoning him forward. “I am entrusting her safety and her training in the hands of my most loyal followers. She will stay here until destiny calls. When the time comes you will know what to do.”

Their eyes never left her form, captivated by her small form. They did not show any fear, only curiosity, the aura that surrounded the three of them held something familiar, as if reaching out to grab onto each other.

Oh, how interesting. Perhaps fate had been kind in its grace, this will be fun to watch unfold. By now the morning sun had almost completely taken over the room, light taking the shadows. My time had run out. I can feel myself being pulled by the darkness of my realm.

“I am afraid my time is up,” Turning my head back to the pair, they have yet to look away from her sleeping body. Nova is protective in his hold, only seeming to tighten the more I fade. Perhaps she truly will be ok here.

“And boys,” This caught their attention, and they looked toward my fading form. “Do take care of my daughter.” They share a look of shock, unsure of what to say. I chuckle, relaxing, allowing myself to be pulled back to the depths of hell. Destiny is now in motion.

Back to Reader’s P.O.V:

It’s dark, everything is so dark.

I’m floating. Am I dead? I don’t think I am. I can’t feel any of my limbs. I can’t find it in myself to care, it was comfortable wherever this was. I feel like I could sleep for eternity, maybe I can just go back to sleep?

“You need to wake up, little one.” A voice broke through the silence.

What was it talking about? I’m so tired I couldn't even imagine wanting to get up. I’m too comfortable to even consider it. I was completely fine - just five more minutes.

“You never make things easy do you? I shouldn't be surprised, your father never did either.” The voice sighs, “Let’s speed this up shall we?” A sharp snap breaks through the silence.

I gasp for air, jolting my eyes open, throwing my head in any direction it would go. It felt like I was feeling what it was like to be inside of a body for the first time. There was a sound in the distance. It sounded like the ocean. Where am I? Despite being able to move again, there was still no light.

I start to walk through the void in the direction of the sound. The breeze hits my face, the smell of salt water fresh in the air. Am I at the beach? I've only ever been to one once in my life when mom and I were living in Maine, I remember how cold it was. But it wasn’t cold here - It was warm and welcoming it felt like it was hugging me. The faint sound of seagulls made its way to my ears.

The closer I get to the sound I can start to make out what looks like a balcony. I’m walking into someone’s house. Stepping out into the open a comforting warmth spread through me. As I looked around I couldn’t help but feel as if I had been here before, there was a familiar feeling to it but I know I had never been here before. The home looked old, almost like it had been in someone’s family for generations, looking Mediterranean in style. It felt lived in despite there being little there. The space wasn’t small but it looked like whoever lived here probably just moved in. Boxes were placed all around the room that the balcony led to. Despite this it was beautiful.

The balcony was, for the most part, plain. A small dark oak table and some chairs sat in the corner looking like someone was just sitting there. Coffee cups littered on the table and the chairs were pulled out as if someone had just left. Was there anyone here?

“Hel-” I choked out the sound of the ocean cutting me off.

I had never seen anything like this before. The last time I had seen the ocean it was overcast and the cold ocean breeze almost froze me to death. This was entirely different, the sunlight bounces off the clear blue, making it shine like it was made of diamonds. It was breathtaking. I could get used to a view like this.

“Piccolo topo? Are you alright? You’ve been up here for a while.” A voice arose from inside the room. The voice was deep and incredibly smooth, there was a distinct accent to it. It was warm and welcoming.

Another voice soon followed, there was also an accent to it but was slightly higher in pitch and was dripping in charm as he spoke, “Si, weren’t you the one that you, and I quote, would die if you didn't eat something in the next hour, il mio tesoro.”

There was something so familiar about their voices but I don't think I have ever heard them a day in my life. A wave of comfort washed through me and I could feel a smile forming. I could feel a tug in my chest, pulling me towards where they were.

“Coming,” I yell in their direction, it feels like my body is moving on its own but I didn’t want to stop. I had to be near them but I don’t even know who ‘they’ are.

I make it to the door trying to push it open to let myself into the room. It wouldn't budge. In fact, it was as if everything around me had been frozen in time. The breeze had stopped and the waves no longer crashed to the shore. It was as if everything around had been frozen, all sound leaving the scene. Everything was getting impossibly bright, I had to shield my eyes. I was so close to them. I could feel it, but I didn’t know where. I could feel pressure in my hand like someone was holding it - pulling me to them. It was only getting brighter, I couldn’t see anything anymore. Frantically looking around for a sign of anything, it was a voice that broke through. It sounded like it was directly in my ear but that was impossible, no one was near me,

“Some things are better to experience in the waking world, dear.” Mom? I jerked my head to the side, it was mom. She was far away but it was her, and there was someone else standing there with her, I just couldn’t see who it was.

“Mom!? Mom! Wait!” I could feel my legs moving toward them, I’m running but no matter how fast I went they were not getting closer.

“It’s time for you to wake up, my little princess. They’re waiting to meet you” Lucifer? He was further away than mom’s voice, what did he mean? I am awake, aren’t I? Who were they?

“Wait. What’s going on? Mom! Dad! Wait. Stop. What do you mean” It’s getting dark again. I’m falling through the air again, frantically searching for anything to grab onto. I’m being swallowed whole and I had nothing to save me. I can’t see it but it felt like the ground was nearing, I braced myself waiting for impact.

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I wake with a start, almost gasping for air. Fuck, my head is pounding, everything still feels like it's spinning. A deep ringing in my eyes lingered. What happened? The last thing I remember was passing out after shaking Lucifer’s hand, then pain. Wait, Lucifer… Last night… So I’m not dead. Did it happen or was it all a dream? It felt so real.

I tried to sit up only to find a weight on my chest and my legs prevented me from stretching out my sore limbs, I could feel the rising and falling of their chests on my body. Something was gripping my hand. There was someone else in bed with me.

I can feel the panic setting in my chest, I can’t seem to catch a break this week. Groaning, I struggled to bring myself into a sitting position, stirring whatever had been resting on me. They were saying something but I couldn't hear what it was. I was blinded by the light that flooded the room, it took me a second just to get my eyes to focus on anything. When I could finally make out the room I had found myself in, I was stunned. This was not my room.

My eyes drift around the room. The space was large with a high ceiling. The walls were made of dark wood in contrast to the beds that lined the wall in front of me. There were about twelve of them all perfectly made and covered in light gray sheets. The windows took up the top half of the wall, they were lined with what looked like dark gray bricks that looked older than the rest of the room, spanning the length of the room. My eyes drift to the one that was in the center. It was the tallest going all the way from the floor to the ceiling and was made entirely of stained glass. The picture displayed what looked like Lucifer standing watch over those who were unfortunate to be there. It felt like he was looking directly at me. Stunned, my panic subsided for a moment at the sight. I began to take in my surroundings.

Realization began to dawn on me, last night wasn’t a dream. The events of last night play through my mind, Lucifer appearing, my mom and him telling me everything… My powers. It was all real. It did happen. Was this the Ministry Lucifer was talking about? What about what I saw before I passed out? My hands look the same as they always have. Besides the fact that I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, I feel completely fine. I was so lost in my thoughts that I had completely forgotten that others were in the room with me.

“Signora, you’re awake” Gently one of the strangers spoke up. The hand that was gripping mine left. The comfort going with it.

Wait, that voice, I’ve heard it somewhere before. But that can’t be right.

Sitting in the chairs that had been placed by my bedside were two strange men. Two very handsome strange men. One was taller than the other, He was dressed in a black cassock. He held a look of concern on his face, his hair slicked back and was a chestnut color with streaks of gray throughout it. A thin line of a mustache rested above his lips. His eyes were adorned with black pain around them, but it was the color of his eyes that stood out. One eye was almost chocolate the other however was absent of all color only the black of his pupils was visible. It was hard to look away from his eyes, they held something so familiar about them, it felt like coming home.

The man sitting next to him had the same striking eyes, only one eye was a soft green instead of brown. They also felt familiar, almost beaconing me in, telling me never to leave. They stood out on his face, paint covering most of it resembling that of a skull. His hair was black and parted in the middle and was pushed out of his face. He was wearing what looked like tails, his face also had a similar look of concern etched onto his features. I couldn't tell if it was because I hadn’t fully processed what is going on or if it was them; but I wasn’t scared, just more confused than anything.

“What happened?” Cringing at my voice, it was coarse and incredibly dry. I would kill for some water right now.

“We were hoping you would be able to explain that.” The shorter of the two spoke, his voice hypnotic. He lifted his hand signaling over a lady who seemed to work there.

She was dressed in what looked like a habit, almost surprised to see that I was awake, “How can I help you, Papa?”

“Sorella, if you wouldn't mind fetching Sister Imperator, I’m sure she would love to meet our guest now that she is awake.” His eyes looked into mine, they were intoxicating, and I wanted nothing more than to get lost in them. He looked away a smirk forming on his lips, “And please if you could get our guest a glass of water.”

“Yes right away Papa.” Bowing her head as she turned to complete his request. I couldn't help but notice that there was a lift to her voice, almost as if she was flirting with him.

The other man rolled his eyes, shaking his head, “I suppose some introductions are in order.” he turned to look towards me, as he cleared his throat. “My name is Copia. I am a cardinal here. And this i-...” The other man interrupted him, a fond irritation forming on Copia’s face.

“Papa Emeritus iii, but you cara mio, may call me Trezo.” grabbing my hand, and placing a light kiss on my knuckles. I couldn’t help the heat that rose to my cheeks.

“(Y/N)” I was flustered by them, there was something I couldn’t place but I just wanted them near me. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital wing here at the church. You’ve been here for close to a week.” Copia tried his best to lessen the news, an awkward chuckle escaping as he rubbed the back of his head. Something was enduring in his display. I would find it cute if it wasn’t for the bombshell he just dropped.

“A WEEK!” I shriek, out of the corner of my eye, I see the candles on the table beside me flicker upwards from my outburst. That can’t be right, how could it have been a week? It was just last night that Lucifer came to my home.

“Sì, you gave us quite the scare. The ghoul with you hardly ever left your side. We just convinced him to make himself home in the ghoul quarters.” Trezo’s voice seemed to always hold a carefree nature.

“How could it have possibly been a week? He said it would hurt not to knock me out for a fucking week.” My voice is quiet, I would have expected Lucifer to stay till after I woke up to at least explain what was going on. He had time to fucking do his little horror show before introducing himself, but didn't have time to at least tell me of anything else that now suddenly exists. I hardly even know where I am let alone what a ghoul is. Fuck this migraine is getting worse. Bring my hands up to rub my temples I groan.

The sudden force of Trezo’s hand on my thigh brought me out of my thoughts. My gaze snaps up to meet his as he rubs circles in a calming motion. There was something so familiar about his touch. It was something I never knew I could crave, I never wanted it to go away. Wait… what was I thinking. I had never met either of these men before in my life. Yet, as I looked between both of them and as they looked back at me… It felt like I had known them my whole life.

It was as if that thought had hit me like a train, “I’m sorry I don't want to seem rude, but why are you here?”

By the looks of it, they’ve been here for a bit. Trezo’s hair looked a bit messy so did Copia’s, their clothes were wrinkled. Their outfits made it seem like they were important parts of the church, surely they had other things to attend to. Yet here they were as if it was the only place they could even think about being.

“Well, that is a bit complicated, haha.” Copia began rubbing the back of his head, “ We were the ones your father entrusted to, or in a way we were. He appeared in the main cathedral just before dawn. Trezo and I were on the way to be ready for morning mass when he appeared with your ghoul. He left us with the message to make sure you are safe and taken care of till the time is right. He told us who you were, and rest assured you are safe here but there are still many questions that need answering, I'm afraid.” He was looking anywhere that wasn't me, it felt like there was something he was leaving out but I didn’t want to push it further. What did Lucifer mean by when the time is right?

So he also has time for cryptid messages. Good to know. Copia was right though, there were a lot of questions and I did not have the answers to most of them. I was just as in the dark as they were.

“You’ve caused quite the commotion, bella. It’s not every day we have newcomers, much less one that makes such an entrance. We’ve been taking turns sitting with you, waiting for you to wake up since you arrived. We didn’t want you to wake up alone in a strange place.” There was something earnest in the way Trezo spoke. I couldn’t help the blush that rose to my cheeks, whatever fear I had was gone. A moment of silence passed over us but it wasn't uncomfortable. We were taking each other in. There was something about them that pulled me in, and I couldn’t help but feel that they felt it too.

The rapid sound of footsteps approaching ruined the moment. The newcomers came rushing around the corner soon after, the sister from before following closely behind. The one leading the bunch was an older woman and two older men followed her soon after. The woman was the shortest of the three, hair gray with a stern look on her face. It looked like she never smiled. I’m not sure how the shorter of the two men was even able to keep up. He looked like one good gust of wind could kill him - his eyes were a milky white color. His face was done in a similar fashion to Trezo's. The tallest of the bunch had what looked like it was permanently stuck in a ‘don’t fuck with me’ look, he was baled and had a thin mustache on his face. He had sunglasses covering his eyes and was incredibly intimidating to look out… And they were all coming our way… Great.

“Sister, please. She has just woken up. I will not allow you to harass my patients.“ The Sister’s protests were hurried, but the new women did not seem to care. She was on a mission and would not rest till she had what she was looking for. This was gonna end well.

“Here we go '' Copia's soft remark confirmed my suspicions. The look on his face was one of annoyance as he punched the bridge of his nose.

Trezo tightened his grip on my thigh, providing a little bit of comfort. “Aww sister, lovely of you to join us. And I see mio padre e mio fratello has also decided to join you. Always a nice surprise to see you, Secondo.” The carefree nature he had when it was just the three of us now had a sharp edge to it.

I could see the eye roll from behind the tall guy's glasses, so he must be Secondo. Odd names to have, does that mean that there’s another sibling? The older man must be Trezo’s father. They came to a stop in front of the bed. The looks they gave me ranged from curiosity to displeasure.

It was as if both Trezo and Copia had done a complete 180. They both sat up straight, no longer relaxed. Their faces no longer held their smiles, instead replaced with hard stares towards the newcomers. There was a building tension in the room with each passing moment - A pit was beginning to form in my stomach. My anxiety came back with a vengeance.

“...Hello” Fuck, why didn’t I just stay quiet.

“It is good to finally awake. We were starting to fear that you weren’t going to wake up.” The older man spoke, “It’s not every day that the Antichrist shows up at our doors. I am Papa Nihil, I see the Cardinal and my son have been keeping you company. What is your name cara?”

“We do not know for certain if this girl is truly the antichrist” the woman was quick to correct Nihil, not even giving me a chance to give them my name. So she was the one I was gonna need to convince.

“Don’t be rude sister, she hasn’t even been allowed to give her testimony. Now, what is your name piccolo?” The taller man sounded bored, almost unbothered by the way the sister was acting. So this was normal then? Or was he just like that? I couldn't help but shiver under his intense gaze, he was terrifying.

“(Y/N)” it was hurried but I wasn’t about to back down, “now it's only fair I get everyone’s name.”

“Forgive me, I am Papa Emeritus ii. This is..”

The woman interrupted him, “Sister Imperator.” There was something in the look she was giving me I couldn’t place, but I refused to look away. I was not about to show my fear to her. Not after everything I had just been through. “Now why are you here?” a look of disdain falling onto her face with her question.

“Isn’t it obvious sister? (Y/N) has been entrusted to us, and she will be staying here as the dark lord has said.” Trezo cut in. There was something deadly in the way he spoke. While he still had his smirk there was something else under the surface of it.

“I would strongly advise against it, Papa. Some random girl shows up unconscious with a demon and a ghoul. Does this not seem a little strange to anyone else?”

“I am aware of the circumstances but I also was there, and so was the Cardinal. We know what we saw. There is nothing to question here regarding the legitimacy of who she is.”

“Who is to say this demon was truly our Dark lord?”

“Are you questioning my judgment Sister?”

“No, of course not. We do however have rules Papa, as you like to forget, these are very questionable circumstances. We should be thorough with our questioning before blindly making a decision.”

I feel like I should interject, this has been going on for a minute and it didn’t seem like either was going to back down. It was almost a display of power, to see who was truly in charge here. No one seemed to give it much thought. did this happen often then? I took a breath sitting up more, ready to make my case but I was beaten to it.

“Perhaps we should allow her to tell us what happened, there is still more to this story that we don’t have answers to.” Copia broke through their bickering, gesturing to me to begin my story.

I hesitate, meeting Copia’s eyes offering me the slightest bit of reassurance. He nodded telling me to speak.

“Well… It all started when…” The events of that night spilled from my lips as I explained what had happened. I left no detail out: I had told them of what had happened the night before, how Lucifer had appeared in my apartment. I told them what Lucifer had told me, about how I needed to learn to control my abilities, and how it was unsafe for me to be in the open anymore. There was a moment of silence after I finished, everyone seemed to have their thoughts on the matter.

“And what proof do you have on the matter?” Imperator’s voice was cold like ice, still not convinced by my account.

“Is what Papa and I saw not proof enough in the matter Sister?” Copia questioned, coming to my defense.

“This is not the first time someone has shown up on our doorstep claiming to be the Antichrist, nor will it be the last, Cardinal. There has already been a rise in supernatural activity around the world. Even if one of her parents were of supernatural descent, she will only be a beacon to those who don’t much care for what we represent. It is incredibly foolish to allow her to stay here unless it is truly the wishes of Lucifer himself.” She was quick to shoot him down, I could feel a twitch of anger forming in my chest at the way she spoke to him. Deep breaths calm down and remember what Lucifer said, I need to keep calm.

“Yes but sister, this is the first that an actual demon has brought its offspring to us. That cannot be a mere coincidence.” Secundo interrupted her, still looking deep in thought. “I don't doubt her story, the signs have been clear for quite some time. She has been sent here for a reason. I am more than willing to teach her but it will be no easy feat. I don't believe there is much choice in the matter. I have only heard stories of what happens to those like her if left to their own devices. They never end well.” There was little emotion in his voice as he spoke. Trezo and Copia seemed to go stiff at his warning.

“He does have a point, Sistor, the circumstances are extraordinary.” Nihil finally spoke up, looking towards Imperator.

“Yes but what of the safety of the abbey?” Sister Imperator's response was impatient, almost not looking for an answer. Her stance dared anyone to challenge her.

It was Trezo who spoke up “We have more than enough keeping us protected Sister, if need be we can put more ghouls around the place, more protection markings around the Abbey. We cannot just kick her out with no real way to protect her.”

“Her presence here would only further put a target on our back. She cannot stay here.” she dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

Trezo stood from his chair, his patience finally leaving him. His hand left its place on my thigh. “I’d watch your tone with me. Need I remind you, Sister I am Papa, I am the one who’s in charge here not you.” His aura was dangerous, he was the complete opposite of the man who I had just met. If it wasn't for the circumstances the change would have left me feeling a completely different way.

Copia stands from his chair to stand behind Trezo, gently grabbing his shoulder, “Trezo…” It was a warning, telling him to calm down before this escalated further. Trezo relaxed slightly but his body remained rigid, ready to jump to my defense at any moment.

Imperator refusing to back down. “And I will tell you that it is foolish to jeopardize everything based on what some halfbreed is telling us.” Her words were cold and full of venom, I was taken aback by her words. What did she just call me?

This is the match that finally sparked the argument. Chaos started to erupt around me as I looked on helplessly. Everyone was yelling at the other trying to get their point across, even Copia had joined in on the yelling. The pressure that had been growing in my chest only seemed to be getting harder to push down. The only one truly opposed to me staying being Imperator. Secondo said I could learn to control this, he would make sure of it. I haven’t even been here long enough to cause any issues but Imperator was determined to ensure that I would not stay there.

It was getting too much. I feel like I can’t breathe, everything is just too loud. I can feel my heart hammering out of my chest, my breathing was starting to come out in quick irregular breaths. This needs to stop, everyone needs to shut up. I just need it to be quiet so I can think. The rising pressure grows with each passing moment.

The windows around me begin the rattle, I can see the fire in the room beginning to rise with my breathing. Ooh no. I hadn’t even noticed the chaos around me quieting. “Bella, are you alright?” Copia’s voice breaks through my breakdown, hand coming to gently rest on my arm.

The pressure in me finally snapped, I could feel the pulse that went through me. The shattering of glass filled the room as well as the groans of the gathering around me. All of the windows had been shattered excluding the stained glass of Lucifer, his eyes feeling as if they were baring into my soul. The candles still standing as if nothing happened, the flames hanging high in the air. The force of the blast sent everyone to the ground, excluding Copia who had been pushed into the wall behind us. There was a shift in the air as everyone began to stand to their feet. They all held their look of shock, almost not sure how to react to what just happened.

"As I said Sister, this is no ordinary case. If what myself and the Cardinal saw is not proof enough for you then surely that was.” Trezo’s voice grew colder with every word he spoke, his eyes bored into the sister, “She will be staying here. Secondo will see to her training. And we will do everything in our power to make sure she is safe. It is Lucifer’s command as it is mine. Have I made myself clear?” He was no longer the carefree man I had met moments earlier, no, Trezo’s voice held venom to it and a commanding aura had taken over him. He was a man of power and he knew it, he was no longer playing this game.

Her icy staring turned to meet me. If looks could kill, I would be dead. “Yes, very clear your eminence.” Still holding the same chilling voice, bowing slightly before she stormed out of the room. Barking to the siblings that had come to see what all the noise was about to clean up the mess, completely disappearing from view.

“Welcome to the Satanic Church, your grace.” Nihil's hoarse welcome did little to ease the tension in the room, he smiled before he began his journey back to the depths of the Abbey. At this point the room was filling with other members of the clergy, all wondering what the

“Looks like I will have work cut out for me.” Secundo chuckled, a ghost of a smile on his face as he turned to leave. “We begin Monday morning, I expect you in my office by the time the morning bells finish ringing. Don’t be late.” Shooting a pointed look that sent shivers down my spine before exiting the room. Why does he have to be so scary?

I fell back into bed, I didn’t realize how exhausted I still was. The room was getting incredibly loud and my head still felt like it was spinning. The reality of the situation is finally dawning on me. What have I gotten myself into?

As if sensing my discomfort, Copia grabs my hand, rubbing soothing circles into the skin, “If you would like to sleep, you should. We can give you some space bella ragazza.” He nodded toward Trezo, as they both began to leave.

I don’t know what came over me but my hand shot up to grab his arm, stopping him before either of them could get too far. “No. Stay. Please. I just really don’t want to be alone right now.” They shared a look of surprise, neither went to leave but they didn't say anything either.

“I completely understand if you have other things to attend to. You don't even know me. I’m sorry, that was probably a dumb request.” I stammer out trying to backtrack.

“Of course, we will stay.” Trezo cut me off, a genuine smile gracing his lips. “If you will excuse me for just a moment. The job does come with some perks sometimes” He winked as he began to disperse the growing crowd. Copia took his place back in his seat, going back to rubbing circles on my hand. My heart fluttered as a soft smile formed on my face.

Maybe this wasn’t so bad.

Translations:

Te l'avevo già detto che non avrei fatto parte delle tue idee a metà, idiota! - I already told you I wouldn't be tricked into your half thought ideas, idiot!

Piccolo topo - Little Mouse

il mio tesoro - My treasure

cara mio - my dear

Bella - pretty

mio padre e mio fratello - my father and brother

Cara - Dear

Piccolo - little one

bella ragazza - beautiful girl

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party-pixie · 7 days

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yo, owner of daily demon spotlight here, what'd you think of smt v? i wanna have tempered expectations for when vengeance comes out, so i was curious how someone who played it felt about it. ty in advance! :)

hi!! overall i really liked smtv tbh, at least enough to keep playing to get every ending (and then see the vengeance reveal THE NIGHT I FINISHED MY LAST RUN 😭)

i'll try to keep it a little vague in case you don't want too many spoilers but......there's still some spoilers lmao i'm so sorry but i at least tried to leave out the huge details or not explicitly say them

in terms of gameplay, it's really fun!! it's pretty difficult at first (i played on hard mode my first run but i've read that normal and casual can be challenging too i guess esp if you're new to the series) but it gets easier as you progress. a lot of people seemed to have a problem with the level scaling, esp for the shiva battle since he's a lv96 superboss (optional really but required for the secret neutral ending) but the bosses in the very final dungeon are like......lv80-85. even the final boss is only like lv85 unless you're doing the secret neutral route then he's lv90 i think. i didn't really think much ab the level scaling until i saw other people talking ab it but.......yea i had HUGE problems with shiva, i had to max out the level of my whole team just to take him on, but then it turned the endgame bosses into a total joke. i had a hard time with some of the other bosses too, the ones i remember the most being hydra, nuwa, lahmu, surt, and vasuki but it might be different on lower difficulties. the magatsuhi gauge + the skills were fun to use but the one you get at the very beginning that just comes with being a nahobino is.........kinda the only one you really need a lot of the time since you can just crit everything when you use it. it didn't really make all of the other ones obsolete tho since some were really good for survival like buffs/healing, it's just that it was a little too easy to get away with using the critical one for most of the time

oh, the unique skills were a good addition too, a lot of them were super useful like idun's, demeter's, and danu's since they all had good healing + extra effects. a lot of the new demons were good too, i haven't used all of them but the ones that i did use either really saved my ass or i just enjoyed having them on my team. although, i'm pretty disappointed the last 3 bosses aren't fusible and i'm ESPECIALLY disappointed that lucifer isn't fusible considering he was in apocalypse. he has such a good design in this game i'm so upset i can't have him on my team 😭 oh yea, and demons being locked behind an alignment is a little annoying but i don't really mind it much????? idk i feel like it gives the game a little more replay value, so i don't mind as long as it's not overly difficult to get. danu. inanna. and maria being locked behind certain alignments and ALSO being locked behind 70% compendium completion was a little annoying, but if you've got the macca to burn you can just summon directly from the compendium for new fusions until you get 70%, so it's not overly difficult to do. maybe a little tedious. i also liked the essence mechanic, but getting them was SUCH a pain since there isn't really any consistent way to farm them except for the aogami essences which are a little easier to get. i prefer the demon whisper from iv/a tbh but essences makes it easier to get certain skills on demons without having to do fusion gymnastics to get the perfect build

another thing is that there were only two real dungeons since the open areas were kinda supposed to serve as dungeons to a certain degree, but those two dungeons were........pretty underwhelming. the first one was really annoying cus it had a fan mechanic that would blow you to certain areas around the rooms and you kinda had to be careful with the timing on certain ones. it wasn't overly difficult to get around, it's just the fans that were a pain. the second dungeon was also the second to last area you go thru in the whole game and the setup was so ridiculous??????? like, it had a ton of long hallways and dead ends which is kinda to be expected but when you see a pic of the whole map for each section it's like "who the hell designed this?!" it's not even difficult to get thru, it's actually SUPER easy even with the time stopping doors gimmick which you can just......ignore entirely and the only consequence is losing out on some treasure. the layout is just weird and chaotic and seems like it might've been rushed cus it's also pretty empty, tbh both dungeons are

for the game's story..........oh god. it's pretty clear it was really rushed cus it was super underbaked. i didn't hate it, i actually liked the beginning a lot! but it falls off really bad after the second lahmu fight imo and the pacing just ends up all messed up. like the second lahmu fight feels like you're still early in the story but it's more like closer to midgame. and after finishing each major area, you end up going back to tokyo and having a meeting with your friends and director koshimizu at the research center, so all of those cutscenes look more or less the exact same since it's always in the same room and even the placement of the characters is almost the same. i've seen some people complain ab the lack of world building and while i don't think it has as much as iv/a did, a lot of the world building just ends up coming from talking to npcs and doing side quests instead of the main story. idk if that's good writing/design really but it's how the game ended up. there's also a few parts where they seem to be building up to something really big, but then the thing they were building up to ends up being mostly underwhelming. like the part where you meet yuzuru in da'at in front of the broken train, it feels like something is ab to happen, like a demon is gonna ambush them or they're gonna run into another friend like dazai, but then the convo ends and nothing happens. but it feels like something should've happened! and the pandemonic summit should've happened a lot earlier imo, idk i just feel like the placement of it is off cus after the summit, you're in the last main area and the end of the game is basically right around the corner. as long as you can beat the shit out of odin, zeus, and vasuki, you can get to the end relatively quickly, but it feels like more should've happened between the summit and the end of the game

i really liked a lot of the side quests tho! i think the khonsu one was my favorite and i wish he and miyazu didn't get sidelined so badly 😔 but the gameplay was really what kept me coming back for ng+ so many times tbh

the characters are all severely underdeveloped too, the only character that gets much at all is dazai tbh. yuzuru is off doing his own thing for a huge majority of the story and his sister miyazu is completely useless, getting minimized to being the chronically ill girl who just hangs out in the fairy forest the entire time. she get sidelined so badly which was so sad to me cus i ended up loving her, esp after the khonsu quest. sahori could've been given a little more, i wish she had a bigger role or something. tao also could've been expanded on a lot more especially considering her role in the grand scheme of things. even aogami doesn't get much of a backstory but it seems like they meant to try and touch on that but couldn't cus of time constraints. dazai is the only one that gets much of an arc at all, and it's decently interesting. i get that they might've wanted to try to do what nocturne did where you almost immediately split off from your friends and only meet intermittently, so their development happens offscreen, but i don't think this game did that very well. it also doesn't help that the world of v is so much more whimsical compared to nocturne

and oh god the ending...... i thought the cutscene where you finally ascend to the throne was beautiful so i don't necessarily hate it, but the way they tied the ending in with everything else was so obviously rushed and not well done. if you've played any of the other mainline games (mostly nocturne and iv/a are my frame of reference since i haven't played i or ii and haven't finished strange journey redux yet) it's really different in a way that i didn't really like. after you beat the final boss, the cutscene where you'd see or at least get an idea of the kind of world you created is so.....disappointing a little bit???? i won't spoil the endings for the other games in case you haven't played them, but the gist of them is that you're with your respective alignment rep and they're talking to you. but in v it's just.....you're getting narrated at by some guy! the whole thing is kinda just an info dump of how the new world turned out instead of getting to infer from the conversation with the alignment rep you sided with! like, really?? it would've been nice to see how the alignment reps felt about the new world at least

i was treating this as kinda a spoiler but tbh if you've played any other mainline game you can kinda expect lucifer to be the final boss or an endgame boss, but they basically used him as a huge infodump at the end?????? if you do the secret neutral ending he starts talking sometimes mid-battle about stuff about the universe that was never mentioned earlier in the story???? like, he talks about how the universe is doomed to reincarnate (which i know is par for the course in smt but still....) and that you have to kill him to break the cycle, but nobody else really mentioned that during the story. and i guess you could suspend your disbelief and say only he knows about it since he consumed the knowledge of the creator so of course none of the other characters would know, but that whole thing just felt really random, like the devs suddenly remembered that smt is supposed to have themes of reincarnation so they threw that in at the end. i don't think he mentions any of this in the other endings, and you don't even fight him in the normal neutral ending! and then after you kill him and see the cutscene about the new world, you find out in the post credits cutscene that none of that shit even worked!! so what the hell was all that for!?!!?!? i get that smt always has huge nihilist themes so the whole "you just did all of that for absolutely nothing cus we're doomed to reincarnate forever" thing isn't out of left field, but man seeing that post credits cutscene REALLY made it feel like i just did all that for absolutely fuckin' NOTHING. i'm kinda conflicted about it honestly, cus it was an interesting twist! i was surprised by it and the way they revealed it was really cool! but it also felt like it just diminished all of the world building lucifer just dumped onto us literally 10mins prior

the requirements for the secret neutral ending also felt really weird cus you're supposed to help all of these demons and it's basically showing you that even the demons aren't completely evil, but then the ending for that route is just "nah fuck all of them, this world is only for humans" and i just don't think it was a very good writing choice. the requirements make you feel like maybe there IS a solution for all of this conflict and maybe there is some kind of way to coexist with demons in a positive way, but then you see the ending and it's like oh......nvm then. maybe it turned out that way cus of time contraints, i don't know. i pretty strongly believe the secret neutral ending was meant to be a route centering around miyazu and khonsu considering the requirements to get it, but then the time constraints made atlus have to dump khonsu and miyazu off into a side quest and shift things around

overall, i'd say it was a good game! the gameplay is a lot more compelling than the story, but the problems with the story really only become glaringly obvious if you play it 4 times over like i did lmao. i've seen some people ask if they should play the game or wait for vengeance, or say that they got the game to play while waiting for vengeance to release and tbh.......i don't think it's all that worth it, if i didn't have the game already i'd just be waiting for vengeance since the story of the original game is still gonna be available, it'll just be a different path entirely. plus vengeance is supposed to have a lot of improvements both storywise and gameplay wise, so i feel like it's better to just wait. i'm really looking forward to it tho, i've been loosely following the trailers/news and it looks like miyazu will have more of a role and they've added a lot of cool gameplay mechanics 🥰

i wasn't expecting this to be so long, but i feel like there's a lot to say about the game even if it seems like there isn't. i just really liked the game despite all its problems and it's in really close second as my favorite after iv, so the release of vengeance makes me wonder if it'll top iv as my favorite. thanks for giving me a chance to word vomit ab it lol

#save #ask #excuse any fucked up spelling/grammar i am like slightly wired from a long day lmao #but i have the energy to answer this so i dont mind doing it now #the gameplay problems i mentioned are prob going to be fixed/improved on for vengeance #i saw news ab a more reliable way to get aogami essences so im hoping that also goes for demon essences too #and i think they've tried to improve on the level scaling issue too #i doubt they're touching the original's story tho so you can still play that within vengeance #ill be really surprised if they do anything to it tbh #but even if they do fix it up a little itll prob be a better experience than the original #so i doubt you'd end up missing out on anything #EDIT OH MY GOD I JUST REALIZED I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT YAKUMO WHEN I TALKED AB THE CHARACTERS #i mean tbf he didnt have shit going on either #i thought his relationship with nuwa was sooo cute tho

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