MOCK WEEK - WEEK 1 TRIAL

[foundationmods]

It was noon on Friday.

No matter where they were, no matter what they were doing...the moment the chimes rang out through the hall, they felt a change.

The world...began to expand, as they felt themselves leaving the world they were on, and towards another, much larger world...🗈

This new world looked like...the inside of an ornate courtroom, like something that wouldn't be too far from some kind of grand fantasy novel.

The Witch, Lambdadelta was there, sitting in the most important place, smiling brightly at everyone. There was no music to be heard, but... perhaps on another plane, in another place, someone else heard music as they gazed upon the proceedings.

As they looked around, they might have also been surprised to see that their forms had changed - perhaps only slightly, or a much more dramatic change. It seemed like this place demanded a different form in some way, even if it was just a change of clothing.

...There was a deep silence in the room, one that no one wanted to break. It was the faint tension in the air, like the moments before a race or a competition begins.

Yesterday had been the start of the game. But now, armed with all they knew...now, they had to truly go up against the Witch, and somehow.....win.

Right?

Comments

Re: FANTASY RETELLING - 1/ ??

[strawberryshortcackle]

It was a quiet summer night, and the moon’s light fell softly through the window into Riku’s room - though not for long, as he locked his window and shut the curtains automatically, following what had to be a common routine.

Much like any of the others who had been brought into this game, Riku had been quietly winding down for the night. There wasn’t much on his mind, only a faint curiosity at what tomorrow would bring, if anything.

Part of him wondered if the Witch had been lying about the whole thing...but then again, if she was telling the truth, then tomorrow they would wake up to a fake murder scene to go over as part of the game they ‘agreed’ to.

Just as he was through thinking that…a dark corner of his room seemed to gleam, a few sparks appearing out of thin air from the shadows. Noticing this, Riku attempted to shine light onto that corner of the room and banish the darkness , but it was too late - the sparks shivered and grew, until-

“Yahoooo, it’s meeeee, the powerful and adorable Lambdadelta~! How are you doing tonight, Riiiikuuuu? Hope I didn’t disturb anything~”

At her appearance - bright and magical, just like the first time she’d ever appeared before them - Riku looked at her with a faint wariness in his gaze.

“...I'm fine. What're you up to, visiting so late?”

“Huh? Well, nothing much. Just that you’ve been chosen for the victim this week, is all.”

At that, Riku’s eyes widened, his stoic persona shattering for just a moment.

“What?!

...Who’s the one that “chose” me, then?”

Lambdadelta wagged a finger at him, like a mother scolding her naughty child. Only….There was not even a trace of any compassion in her expression, only a deep amusement and excitement. That look….would send a chill down anyone’s spine…

“You don’t need to know, okaaaay? All you have to do….is be killed by me. It’s that simple~”

He grit his teeth, thinking it over.

The Witch had said deaths were temporary, but….with his life at stake, he wasn’t the least bit sure that he still trusted in her words. She’d also said the killing was ‘fake’...and if he had to die, then that had obviously been a lie.

“Don't think I'll just follow along so easily. I don't just let myself get killed, no matter the situation.”

Lambdadelta huffed a little, puffing out her cheeks. It would have looked cute, if this hadn’t been a conversation between a murderer and her victim.

“Aww, come on. This is part of the gaaame! You can’t just say you want to quit just because you got picked, you know? Just lie back and accept it, okay? I’ll even make it quick and painless if you cooperate!”

“....Not like I'd have much choice, do I?”

Those words sounded like he’d accepted his fate - indeed, if anyone had heard them, they would have assumed he had given into the will of the Witch.

But they would be wrong. Despite feeling a rising tide of hopelessness pooling in his chest, Riku never gave up thinking about how to escape from this situation, trying to grasp at even the smallest possibility for escape…!

But Lambdadelta giggled, unaware of his determination, and shook her head.

“ Glad you understand so well, Riku-kun~

Well, I think I’m done talking about this. Time to get down to business. Oh, but I don’t want to get my own hands dirty with this, so….hmm….Should I just summon one of the Goats to take you down?”

Lambdadelta seemed to consider this, before shaking her head.

“...Nah. Even though you don’t have your powers, that would make this way too messy. And it’s not like I can just reconstitute your corpse from being chewed up, you know? I’m not an Endless Witch, and I want to take it easy on people on the ‘human’ side for once.

So….ah! I’ve got the perfect idea...Beato might be a little mad, but I’m only going to borrow one for a moment.”

From her position in the air, the Witch thrust her hands down at the ground, where an ominous glow began to form. Stepping back, Riku watched, feeling a sense of dread as the glow spread into a wide circle, mysterious symbols appearing along with inner lines.

When it was complete, a magical circle thrummed with dark energy on the floor of his room, and he knew just from feeling it that there was no way he could interfere with whatever she was about to do. With a sort of temporary feeling of awe and helplessness, he could only watch as she began to chant:

“Come, arise, forgive the Sin! One of the Seven Stakes of Purgatory...aaah, it doesn’t really matter which one responds to this! Whoever you are, respond to my call! The Witch of Certainty, Lady Lambdadelta, demands you appear!”

The glowing from the magic circle rose, the red light twisting into shapes - first as a pointed stake, and then...slowly becoming a humanlike form. Long hair put up into high pigtails, the outline of some outlandish costume appearing…

When the light faded, a young girl was standing there.

“Asmodeus the Lustful, right here. ...Lady Lambdadelta, it’s been sooo long! I’m so honored you summoned me!”

...To Riku, this felt as if he had entered into a dark, shadowy timeline.

Still, he was no fool. He kept his eyes firmly on her face - he didn’t want to even give something with the title ‘The Lustful’ an excuse to do….whatever - knowing that he was the one at the greatest disadvantage here.

...In fact, he barely had an advantage at all.

Despite that, he still spoke - quietly, yet incredulously, much like anyone would be when faced with this sort of situation.

“...Are you kidding me right now?”

Lambdadelta, ignoring her soon-to-be victim’s reaction to such an impossible thing happening in front of him, simply waved her hand. “Don’t mention it. Listen, so I’ve got a job for you, and he’s standing right over there. Kill him however you want - just make it impressive, okaaaay~? I’ve got to make the first murder look good, even if this is just a trial game.”

Amodeus looked over at Riku and gave a delighted squeal, hovering over to Riku’s side for a moment.

“Oooh, he’s just gorgeous! Thank you for letting me have such beautiful prey, Lady Lambdadelta! *giggle* Are you scared, cute boooooy? *giggle giggle* So cuuute….you’ll get even cuter when I pierce right through you, you know? *giggle* You’ll let me run right through you, right? Riiiight~?”

Not caring for any protests, the woman merely laughed loudly before suddenly changing form to one of the stakes that could be seen in the master bedroom. Instead of obeying gravity, like an inanimate object should, the stake floated in the air...and then shot up, flashes of light following as it spun around the room.

Pang-pang-pang-pang!

The noise it made as it hit the walls was akin to that of a gigantic woodpecker, seeking out the delicious bugs under the trunk of the tree it clung to….only it wasn’t seeking bugs, but human flesh…

Riku was no stranger to battles of life and death, so he managed to see the stake headed straight for him. But with no way to defend himself…!

*Splorch.*

The stake….lanced straight in his gut, the pain white hot and blinding. It was an awful wound, and as the blood dripped down to the floor, Riku grit his teeth, not wanting either of them to hear him crying in pain.

“Oooh, see? Riiiiight through you! Hey hey, come on, let me do some more, please? Let me pierce you some more! It’ll stop hurting soon, I proooooo~mise! Kyahahahahahahaha!”

Asmodeus ripped herself right out of Riku’s gut - and that was when Riku began to make his move. If she were confined to the room, then all he had to do was get out of it!

“Running awaaaaay? Oh, come on, I won’t let you get away from me that easily~ I’m greedy with pretty boys, you know? I have to pierce them aaaaalll up, *giggle giggle* Kyahahahahaha, run, cute boy, see if you can get away from me!!”

The light of the stake of lust lit up the room again...and again, a dull *splorch* resounded as Riku staggered back from the white hot pain lancing through his chest, a red flower of blood blooming on his shirt from the wound the stake made.

But the she wasn’t done playing with her new toy. Laughing cruelly, even as he still hurried for the door, she shot straight through his hand, palm first - the tip of the stake showing through the back of his hand…!

Pulling it out to that same, irritating laughter, he reached for the door -

...Only to find that it was locked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” The Witch’s voice sneered from the corner. “I’m not going to just let you waltz right out of the room. Look, it’s right there on the door, see?”

Incredibly, in front of him, letters began to appear, written in a deep, red ink...almost like blood.

‘S O |’

“You’re ‘Shit Out of Luck’, right? *cackle cackle*”

The blood, dripping down from the letters, from his hand and from his body...seemed to take his fight with it. Was he….really not getting out of this situation alive? Even though he wanted to keep fighting, keep going….

...His body….was beginning to give out….

Turning around just before his knees gave out, Riku collapsed to the floor - but still defiantly stared at the Demon who was still clanging around the room. This - this had to be his end, and yet...he refused to go out cowering or unconscious.

A human, perhaps, might have left their victim to bleed, self assured by the death they would face from blood loss. But, in the end, Asmodeus was a demon.

And she had no mercy.

*THOCK*

Riku’s body shuddered...and relaxed. The reason was quite simple, as any living being would have done the same under the same circumstances.

That was….because the stake...had pierced right through his forehead, killing him instantly.

He slumped against the door, his eyes nearly closing all the way, the stake sticking halfway out like some kind of grim oni or unicorn horn. But in a scattering of red, even that disappeared...leaving only a gaping hole behind, and the demon Lambdadelta had summoned.

Asmodeus groaned and stretched, acting like she’d just gotten done with some sort of strenuous, yet pleasurable activity, color rising to her face in a bright red as she floated around in an energized manner.

“Aaaaah, that was so greaaaat! I’m gonna remember that last face he made for sooooo long from now on! It’s so disappointing he didn’t last long enough for me to pierce him a couple more times….Hey, hey, I have to tell everyone - they’re going to be sooo jealous!”

After quietly checking that Riku was, indeed, completely dead...Lambdadelta just smiled, conjuring up a candy and tossing it her way.

“Ah, will they? I guess I get it - Furniture wants to be used, right? And it’s been a while since Beato used you guys, so I thought you might be a little rusty….guess I didn’t have to worry at all.”

“Of course you didn’t! Even if we were out of use, we’re still top notch magical furniture! Anyway, if you ever need one of us sisters again, make sure you call for me specifically, okaaay? Especially if the victim’s a cutie like that one. *giggle.*”

“Yeah, yeah. Bye-bye, Asmo-chan. See you again, someday.”

With those carefree words from the Witch, Asmodeus vanished in a brilliant twisting of light, leaving only Lambdadelta behind...and the body still slumped against the door. Looking over her work, she giggled - and turned her back on the body, not sparing it another glance.

“Thanks, Riku-kun. It was fun, seeing you scurry around like that. It managed to alleviate just a little of my boredom, anyway….Just the tiniest sliver.”

And with that, Lambdadelta herself vanished away.