The Twelve Apocalypses: A Damned Soul's Path to the Abyss

So. Passion was one hell of a drug, and I was apparently an emotion addict. Or at least somewhat predisposed to emotional addiction?

Regardless, I was vulnerable, and I didn't like it.

Honestly, I shouldn't have been surprised. All my previous experience suggested weakness in this area, starting with what happened when I decided to kick off my ascension with 'just one or two souls.' I got myself hooked on the feeling right away. Before I knew it, I was 500 souls down and several problems deeper into an already dangerous situation.

Remembering how quickly that emotional tide pulled me under, I shuddered. Then I tried to stand a little straighter, despite Mia's grip on my collar. I knew I was blushing. I would have covered my face if I weren't still carrying the box. As it was, I tried to recover some level of dignity by staring fixedly at the wall, my expression carefully blank.

I was immensely thankful for Mia.

My original plan for visiting Passion hadn't included her, and without her… Well, if I had even managed to reach Amahis Armory, who knows what mess I might have made inside the store itself? While Tibath was all smiley at the moment, I doubt her good mood would have lasted if I had charged in and hugged her. We had met only once. I was practically a stranger, and a mortal at that.

Another shiver ran down my spine as I once again remembered the recruit who got killed for hitting on a demoness too aggressively*.*

Huh. I guess she's actually alive again now. Wonder if she managed to fix that particular bad habit.

Maybe behavior correction murder was a thing among demons?

Yules' excited voice broke me out of my escapist introspection.

"I'm so happy you're back!" She clasped my shoulders, her whole face beaming. "You have to tell me all about how the armor worked out for you! Was it okay? Wait, you're not here to complain, right? I mean, you're not wearing the armor, and—"

"The armor is amazing!" I cut her off quickly when I saw that her expression was veering into panic. "I was the envy of all the recruits and quite a few demons, I bet." I exaggerated a little, but only on the latter count. Then my tone became morose. "It's better than amazing, really. Or rather, it was."

"Was?" Yules asked, with just as much trepidation as I had experienced going into my first battle.

"A vindictive asshat ruined my armor," I complained as I held the box out to Yules.

She snatched it up, eyes widening as they landed on its contents. Then she rushed the box over to the counter for a closer inspection.

Unfortunately, as she yanked the chest piece out, it finally gave up its last connection to life. The plate remnants snapped off the leather undershirt and clattered down to the ground, taking a few strips of leather with it.

Yules stared at her ruined creation.

"Who did that?"

The voice was cold, angry, and vindictive. A jolt of fear coursed through the very core of my being as my eyes snapped over to Tibath.

For the first time since I had met her, the demoness was all fierceness and pure murderous intent. Her mana was leaking out, too. As I watched, it began to spontaneously ignite around her body. Except, instead of the normal orange-red flames, hers started out blue.

"Mercutio." I threw the demon under the bus, immediately and willingly. "Son of Melchom, of the logistics division in the Legion of Torment. I think we're distantly related, and he really doesn't like that."

Even such a tentative admission of that familial link made me want to throw up. But I wasn't going to lie to an angry demoness, especially one whose power level seemed closer to the general's than to most officers I had encountered.

She looked from her distraught daughter to me, and back again. Then her face went blank. "I see. Well, then. I suppose that particular division is going to be experiencing some issues."

The way she delivered the announcement left me no doubt that these issues would, in fact, be cropping up.

"It's all ruined. I can't even try to salvage this," Yules pronounced sadly. "Whoever ruined it, they used mana. Not even repair or mending spells would work."

Frowning, I tried to inspect the armor a little closer with my mystical senses. It was extremely subtle, so much so that I had entirely missed it, but there were traces of mana lingering in every cut, rend, and burn mark. Some of the mana had sunk deep into the leather remnants, infecting the armor itself. It was like a purposefully botched enchantment.

"You'll be able to remove such contamination in the future," Tibath said. Yules turned to look at her hopefully, and the mother's expression brightened into a decent mask of her previous cheer, even if it was skin-deep. "As long as your customer here doesn't mind, you can hang onto the armor and turn it into a proper exhibit someday. The first piece sold by the grandmaster armorer Yules Amahis."

Tibath's voice took on a teasing lilt, and she swept her arms out like she was presenting the armor to the crowd. It had the intended effect of making Yules blush and distracting her from the recent disappointment.

"Honestly, I loved the armor," I gushed, making my contribution to the change in mood. "It was amazing while I had it. It's one of the main reasons I'm here at all! And I was the most impressive recruit of my batch by a mile, thanks in part to that armor you're holding. Mia's alright too, I guess."

I tacked on the final comment with a smirk at the cat girl. Well, I tried to turn and smirk at her. She was still holding onto my collar, so my expression was reduced to a pout when I almost choked myself.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I've been so rude! My name is Yules." The bundle of energy rushed up to Mia, eagerly shaking her free hand.

The cat girl looked startled for a second, then offered a tentative smile that did wonders for her typically expressionless features. "I'm Mia. Nice to meet you. You made the armor for this idiot?"

"Yep! All me! The first piece I ever sold." A shadow passed over the demoness's brightened face as she looked down at the pitiful remnants in her hands. Then she looked back up at me, her eyes burning with enthusiasm. "But I can do better."

I couldn't resist a smile. There was something bouncy and energetic about Yules that had pulled me in from the first moment of meeting her. The sheer… well, passion she put into her work was infectious, making you like her all the more for it. To have that joyfully creative attention directed at you was a heady feeling.

I started to say something, but a tug on my collar made me release just a 'glurk!' sound instead. A side-eyed glance at Mia showed her staring straight ahead. As usual, her face was blank, but I could swear I detected a hint of annoyance in her eyes.

Glaring at the cat menace, I cleared my throat and tried again. "Actually, Mercutio destroyed my armor illegally. It happened after the invasion was over. When we were… inducted into the Abyss. I'm guessing he destroyed it after my body collapsed into ash."

I enjoyed the way Tibath's eyes tightened for a moment. What I wouldn't give to see the encounter between her and that ass, if and when she eventually got her hands on him. But I wasn't just sharing the info to make Yules sad and her mother angry at Mercutio, even if I was unintentionally succeeding at both.

"That wasn't the only thing he did, either," I went on. "He pulled off a whole lot of nonsense, so the general is reimbursing all the recruits that were with us. In my case, among other stuff, I got this!"

Reaching into the crate, I pulled out the gift card and held it aloft like a priceless treasure. For me? It honestly kind of was.

"A voucher for three thousand souls, to spend on armor!"

I made my declaration grandly, yet my words had the opposite effect of what I was hoping for. Instead of looking excited to make another sale, Yules visibly drooped. A sad little "Oh" was her only verbal reaction.

"Yules?" I shot her mother a confused look, only to find the woman watching us like she wanted some popcorn. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Really, it's nothing," the young demoness rushed to assure me, putting on a cheerful façade. "Well, then, I guess I'll go back to my practice. I mean, I'm sure you have a ton of stuff to talk about with my mother. Congratulations, by the way. That's huge. You'll actually have some semi-decent enchanted pieces this time. Should keep you much safer until you ascend."

She retreated towards the back room, refusing to look at me.

Then it clicked.

After all, I wasn't a dense idiot of epic proportions. Just regular proportions.

Didn't mean I couldn't have a bit of fun, though.

"Yules? Where are you going? I'm sure I'll need plenty of advice from you," I began, injecting just enough confusion into my voice.

She turned, giving me an expression that bordered on huffy. "I'm sure my mother will take care of you properly."

"Doesn't mean you can't— Ow! Woman, would you stop that?" I hissed, rubbing the top of my head where Mia had chosen to bonk me without warning.

"He wants armor from you," the cat menace said, her voice as blank and even as her features. Honestly, other than the mess that was our first meeting, had I ever seen her flustered? When I was nearly dead, maybe? "I also want to purchase armor from you, but I don't have funds as generous as his."

Looking at Yules' face was like watching a sunrise occurring indoors.

"Really? You want my armor?" Then her expression dimmed, and she stopped herself from latching onto either one of us. "But… my mother is much better. The armor you could get from her would be superior to anything I can make."

"Not really," I stated bluntly, since it was working for Mia. "She's a master of her craft. A grandmaster. Her work comes at a premium. So, with our funds, we could probably get better stuff from you. Besides, I want you to make my armor, not your mother. Even if she gave me a discount, I would still pick you."

That earned me a full flush from Yules, a look of vague disapproval from Mia, and an amused grin from Tibath. I barely noticed the other two, though. I kept my eyes mostly fixed on Yules, trying to convey my sincerity.

While I was exaggerating a little, it wasn't a lie that her armor had saved my life. Maybe it didn't directly ward off killing blows, but just wearing it limited my opponents' options. It also adjusted to me constantly. I could move more nimbly and with far more comfort in my armor than other recruits, just by virtue of its excellent fit. That made all my maneuvers in battle more viable. Maybe I could have pulled them off with shittier armor, but could I have done so safely every time?

No. I did, realistically, owe Yules. Especially since I was pretty sure she parted with that armor for less than she should have. When I said she was my first choice, I meant it.

For a moment, Yules just stared at me.

"Oh," she said blankly.

Then I had my arms full of a young, jubilant demoness. Her muscular frame felt remarkably soft when pressed against my chest.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I won't disappoint! You even got me a new customer!"

I smiled awkwardly and patted her back, very aware of her dangerous, powerful mother watching the two of us with a growing smile. I also caught Mia's expression. The cat menace was not pleased, which was a whole new box to unpack, analyze, and figure out how I felt.

Later.

At the moment, I still had more happiness-ammunition to use against Yules.

"You're welcome, really. Also, two sergeants showed interest in your work. One of them is my commander, and the other his brother. I directed them to this shop, and they said they would definitely consider looking for you."

"Really?" She looked at me with such adorably wide eyes, I couldn't resist twisting the knife.

"Yep. The general, too. You know? Of the Torment Legion? Amazing guy. He saw your armor and thought it was very impressive. He mentioned he should come by to visit at some point."

Okay, maybe I was enjoying myself a little too much, but seeing her practically pass out then and there was fun.

The young demoness broke into a string of muttered exclamations I couldn't understand, which earned me another displeased sigh from Mia. Thankfully, Yules' mother seemed to know exactly what to do. Tibath rolled her eyes, grabbed her daughter's shirt, and dragged her towards the back room.

"Shouldn't you begin discussing what kind of enchantments your customers might want?" she teased.

This snapped Yules out of her daze. Her eyes lit up and focused on me, and I felt my own excitement surge. Enchantment fascinated me.

It was especially fascinating now that I had a large enough budget to make it possible. Even without costly spells, Yules' armor had already kept me alive and helped me succeed.

Now, with three thousand souls to play with?

I was so very ready for that conversation.