Chapter 498 – Yamata No Orochi (Part 2)

Yamata no Orochi is a name that anyone even passingly familiarity with Japanese mythology would recognize. Its eight-tailed and headed form has been depicted in just about every kind of media, and its legendary appearance has inspired countless other monsters in fiction. FWO was filled with many examples of legendary creatures, inspiring Bosses or quests related to them, and that included the legendary Orochi itself making an appearance. Locked away deep within a dangerous dungeon that no one with sense would dare approach, the Yamata no Orochi sat as a final boss of sorts. As the final challenge for an arduous Summoner quest line, the creature would face whoever was brave or, honestly, foolish enough to challenge it. Succeed, and you would be recognized as its master; fail, and your life would be forfeit, literally in FWO's case. Few dared to enter its lair, and even fewer actually tried to challenge the beast. The Orochi offered no benefit to anyone outside of Summoners, and reaching it was difficult enough even for powerful martial or magical builds. Thus, the creature sat, slumbering at the roots of the world. That was, of course, until one young girl dared to brave its trials.

*BOOM* *WOOSH* *SKRAWR!*

"Yamata no Orochi! I summon thee forth! Heed my call and obey my commands!" Alice yelled as the pentagram exploded in a bright flash of light, from which a long, snake-like form erupted forth before splitting into a familiar sight.

"Oh... Oh my God..." Elna backed away as the creature emerged from the pentagram, swooshing and flying through the air before eventually halting in front of Alice, who was perched precariously at the edge of the outcropping, an electrical charge crackling in the air around her. The awe inspiring sight of the Orochi was something to behold, though most would probably be terrified rather than simply awestruck.

*ZOORP* *SIZZ* *BIZZ*

"I-I'd heard rumors that it was in the game... But..." Sabia covered her mouth in surprise as the light slowly shed from the Orochi's form, revealing its golden scales. The creature was lizard-like in its appearance, and one could be forgiven for thinking it a Dragon due to the shape of its many heads. The Orochi's scales shone brightly, as if the light of the Sun was escaping from deep inside its body. Even this deep underground it became bright as the mid day Sun with the sheer amount of light pouring out. Each of its eight heads was attached to its snake-like body with long, thick necks, and at the opposite end, there were eight tails just as legend described. The creature was massive , so much so that it could not hope to fit within the relatively cramped areas of the Dwarven highway. One could be forgiven for thinking that its relatively small legs couldn't hope to allow any kind of serious motion, made worst by the fact that it was easily the size of a fifteen to twenty story building. The Orochi was tall enough for the base of its form to sit upon the ground as its sixteen eyes met Alice's, seemingly freezing the girl in place as they observed her.

"I don't even want to imagine fighting that thing." Merkyul laughed nervously. He could tell that the Orochi was powerful, so powerful in fact that he wagered it would've given members of the Assault Team a run for their money in a serious Raid Boss Challange. Add to that the fact Orochi was likely stronger in the real world than it was in FWO, and all of Black Company was on edge just as much as they were filled with awe by the sight of such a legendary creature. For as Alice had just said, there was no guarantee it was cooperative.

{I really hope she can control that thing, otherwise...} (Merkyul)

"Why does it look like Ghidorah?!?" Elna yelped as she fell backward. “Is it just me or is that thing breaking some copyright?!?”

"Someone on FWO's dev team had to be having a laugh with this one." Hitamaguchi chuckled nervously.

"Well, technically, Ghidorah was inspired by the Orochi and not the other way around, so..." Roxlex shrugged as he watched Alice and the Orochi lock eyes.

*WOOSH*

As 'Master' and 'Servant' locked eyes, Alice felt a powerful wave of energy crash into her mind. So powerful was it that it nearly knocked her down, but she held firm, steadying herself with magic as she kept her eyes fixed on the Orochi. In FWO, she'd completed the quest requirements and obtained the creature as a summon. However, the creature came with a few quirks . Summoning it was not guaranteed to result in it acting on her behalf, and it could just as easily turn on her rather than do as she commanded. This was, naturally, not normal. In fact, no other Summon that she was aware of had such an independent and rebellious mind. Summons were intended to be completely loyal and would do anything requested of them by their master, even sacrifice their own lives. The Orochi, on the other hand, seemed to listen to her only when it felt like it, hence why she'd only summoned it twice before, and even then only when necessary.

{T-This p-pressure... It's t-trying to invade m-my mind...} (Alice)

A battle of wills erupted as the Orochi's overwhelming power crashed into Alice like a tidal wave. Its mental attacks battered against her mind over and over again as it attempted to break and enthrall her to its will. The creature was testing her, desiring to see if the little girl that'd become its Master truly had the right to command it, for the Orochi was a prideful creature that had no tolerance for weakness.

"I... Won't..." Alice grit her teeth as blood dripped from her nose due to the psychological toll the fight was taking on her. "You... Are... Mine ." She tensed her body as she took a step forward toward the Orochi. "I... Am... Your Master... Do... Not UNDERESTIMATE ME!" Alice roared, her voice exploding outward in a powerful wave that shook the entire cavern. "I am the Demon Lord's Daughter, Alice Dumetor! You will blow before me!" She stepped forward again, her step shaking the rock beneath her feet as Alice began her mental counteroffensive. "I've already defeated you once. I passed your test, met your challenge." She said with heavy breaths as she continued toward the Orochi. "I earned the right to wield your power. I proved myself worthy of it, Orochi ." She said as the mental battle between the two intensified, blood continuing to drip from her mouth as she struggled against the Orochi's mind. "And as your Master, I am calling on you to fulfill your contract and bow before me."

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"Shouldn't we do something?" Elna asked the rest of Black Company, who simply stood and watched as Alice continued toward the Orochi. "If anything happens to her, Akagi is going to kill us!"

{Or make us wish she did!} (Elna)

"No." Merkyul shook his head. "We must stand and watch. This is her battle. We shouldn't interfere."

"Alice would be furious with us if we got in her way." Sabia chuckled. "Akagi probably would be too."

"Yep." (Hitamaguchi x Roxlex)

"You're all crazy." Elna shook her head as she got to her feet. "There's no way in hell that girl can tame that thing! Its a monster!"

"Underestimating Alice's ability bit us in the ass once before, so this time I'm betting on her." Sabia replied. "After all, she is Lady Akagi's Daughter."

"And a Demon Princess won't lose to a mere monster." Merkyul smirked.

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*CRACKLE* *SPARK*

The load on Alice's mind as she battled the Orochi was truly something incredible. Lessor minds would've long since been broken, but not Alice. She'd been through far too much, experienced true pain, and simply had too much to live for to allow herself to be overtaken by anyone else. The young girl had been forced to prove herself again and again over the years as countless people thought her weak and helpless. During FWO, she'd used her power to manipulate Summons to great effect as part of the Assault Team, but even then, she was always viewed as a child who needed protection. Even during her time with Libra, a period where she parted from Akagi's side and struck out on her own for the first time, she was never treated as an equal by the other members.

Naturally, Alice grew to resent this treatment, which is why she created a homunculus body to assist Akagi in her war with the Gods. She wanted to be seen as an equal, someone who was more than a defenseless child who needed protection. Even Akagi, someone who knew well what Alice was capable of, was guilty of such coddling, and while Alice knew it came from a place of love, it still frustrated her to no end. Hence why she'd put so much effort into the war with the Dwarves. She hoped that victory here would once and for all show that she was not simply a child, but a young woman equal to the other Returnees and deserved their respect.

"You... Will... Submit !" Alice growled as she continued her slow push toward the Orochi, who seemed shocked that she'd held out this long. "Mom is counting on me to defeat that Lich and bring in the the Dwarves! And I won't allow someone like you to get in my way!" She said as sparks flew around her as their minds continued to clash. "I am the child of a Demon Lord, and the world's greatest Summoner! There is not a beast in this world or any other that I cannot tame! AND THAT INCLUDES YOU !" She screamed, sending a massive psychic shock wave back toward the Orochi through their connection. The massive creature reeled in pain as Alice's iron will slammed into its mind.

For a moment, the Orochi seemed to right itself, bringing its sixteen eyes to bear on Alice as she stood at the edge of the platform that overlooked the battle. Its heads sat mere feet from her, but just as it looked like the Orochi was going to prepare for another assault, its eight heads slunk backward, bowing as the mental battle between Master and Summon concluded. It had acknowledged her will, her strength, and her right to call herself its Master.

" It's about time you understood your place ." Alice said with a smirk that one could've understandably mistaken for one of Akagi's. " Now that we've corrected your behavior, I've summoned you here for a reason. " She said as she pointed to the raging battle below, uttering a single command. " Kill them all. "

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