Lady Calamity and the Shepherd (Tales of Berseria × Tales of Zestiria Crossover)

Chapter 35: Malevolent Crucible Maharaurava

Phi yawned as he sat and examined the groups surroundings. It was night and they had been travelling for a while now. Magilou was snoring on her floating Guardian, Eizen was in a sitting position against a cliffside, Eleanor was sleeping peacefully, Rokurou was also snoring and Velvet was sleeping in a seated position with her head on one of her knees. It had taken all of them, even motherly Velvet and Eleanor, to allow the Empyrean to take the watch. Though he managed to wear them down. Phi then looked at Laphicet. Laphicet was lying down beside him, his eyes closed and his breathing steady. Phi just watched him, expecting something unordinary to happen. "Are you just gonna keep on staring at me or are you actually gonna keep watch?" Laphi then asked, causing Phi to jump. "You're awake." He told back.

Laphi sighed and sat up. "Of course. I can't sleep calmly anymore." He told the Empyrean, his golden gaze looking around the surroundings as well. "How come, if I may ask?" Phi asked, going back-to-back with the young Crowe sibling. "I always feel a hunger every time I close my eyes. Not to mention, I always see Innominat's symbol as well, glowing, beckoning me to join him. Though, because he isn't the fifth Empyrean anymore – thank you for that by the way – he doesn't have the same power as before. Though, it wasn't until you showed up did it start becoming more frequent, to the point of where he now has a voice." Laphi said, bringing his knees to his chest and hugging his arms around them. Phi sighed. "It was Heldalf. He made the Previous Shepherd as Innominat's new vessel. He booted me from my seat of power and now I have no idea what to do. I lost the blessing of the world and everyone's prayers. Not to mention Pendrago worships Maotelus, and since Innominat's on the throne-" "He'll start gaining more power from the prayers. Figured that out myself." Laphi finished for Phi.

"Why are you acting like this with me?" Phi asked, stiffening. "Like what?" Laphi snapped back. "Like that. I just met you and you already hate me." Phi explained. "Hmm... I don't know. Maybe because you're stealing my own sister's attention from me!" Laphi snapped. "It's not like that-!" Phi exclaimed. "To hell it is! Ever since you came back, Velvet has been paying more attention to you than me! And when I try to get it back, she doesn't even look at me anymore!" Laphi yelled, standing up and running off, tears falling from his eyes. "Laphicet! Wait!" Phi called, getting up and running after him. Right when they both vanished from sight is when Velvet opened her eyes, cloudy from being woken up. "Hmm..." she questioned, looking around.

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Laphi continued running until he approached a large monolith looking object. It had a hatch, so he opened it and descended into the ruins. "Wait! Don't go in there!" Phi yelled, entering after them. The doors slammed shut behind them both as they descended down the stairs and into the main area. "Just stay away!" Laphi cried, neither of them hearing the scuttling around them. "Look! I'm sorry for how Velvet has been treating you as of my arrival! It's not my fault! Velvet loves you! Not just because you're her sibling, but because you are the reason she lives! Even back then, she fought for you! When you betrayed her, it broke her heart and mind! She just couldn't believe that you hurt her!" Phi yelled back. Laphi grew silent processing the information. "So she... she still loves me?" Laphi asked, looking up with big tears falling from his eyes. Phi just rushed him with a hug and said "Of course." Laphi smiled and hugged the Empyrean back.

After a couple of minutes, they pulled away and looked at their surroundings. "So... where are we?" Laphi asked, shivering from the dark energy around them. Phi looked up at the never-ending ceiling of Malevolence and paled. "Oh no... We're in a Malevolent Crucible." He answered. "Huh?" Laphi asked. "A Venomization Pit." Phi answered just as three Orb-Weaver Hellions jumped out, hissing at them. "Get ready for a fight!" Phi called, getting his papers out. Laphi turned into his Innominat form, his paper sword appearing in his hand. "Go!" Laphi yelled, shooting at one of the Orb-Weavers as Phi took on the two others.

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"LAPHI! PHI! WHERE ARE YOU!?" Velvet called out, nearly in hysterics as she and the rest of the group were running around. "Velvet! Calm down!" Magilou called out, standing on her Guardian as if she was on a surfboard. "NO! NOT UNTIL WE FIND THEM!" Velvet yelled, running until they approached the Malevolent Crucible. Velvet reached for the door until Eizen yelled "WAIT!" Velvet froze and looked at Eizen. "Don't open that! If you do, then you'll be forced to fight with no escape until you defeat every Hellion in there!" Eizen quickly explained. Velvet just turned, a sickening feeling in her gut. "Wait... was this used for Venomization?" Eleanor asked, gasping. "Yes. It is. The Red Alert Islands all sunk due to the increasing Malevolence. The islands literally broke apart. So previous Lords of Calamity used these to spring up the Hellions." Magilou explained, sitting down on her floating Guardian. Velvet put her hand on the door anyway.

"WAIT! VEL-!" but Rokurou was too late. She pulled at the doorknob. Nothing happened. The door remained closed. "-vet..." Rokurou finished, paling. "No..." Eleanor gasped. Velvet began shaking.

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Phi and Laphi were now back-to-back, breathing heavily. Not only were Orb-Weavers in here, but also some Goblin Carts, a couple of Mud Slimes, a group of Leeches, a load of Scorpstars, a handful of Orc Groomers, a horde of Wild Boars and lastly some Rock Giants. "We're at our limit!" Phi wheezed out. "No kidding..." Laphi said, his form blinking between his human form and his Innominat Form. That's when Phi came up with an idea. "That's it! A Mystic Arte!" Phi called, dodging a swing from an Orc Groomer. "A Mystic Arte!? But we already tried that!" Laphi called back, absorbing the Malevolence from a Wild Boar before dodging a spit up from a Mud Slime. "No! A combined Mystic Arte between Maotelus and Innominat!" Phi explained. "Think that will work?" Laphi asked, landing back-to-back with Phi again. "It has to." He said, both him and Laphi jumping up as each Hellion lunged at them.

"The World's Malevolence!" both called, power radiating from them. "Let it be Suppressed!" Laphi said, extending a hand downwards, causing a pure white magic circle to appear below the massive amounts of Hellions. "May it be Purified!" Phi called out, extending a hand upwards, causing a silver magic circle to form above them all. The whole Crucible began to shake violently. The Hellions began to panic. "CLEANSING!" both Maotelus and Innominat called. A ray of pure white shot upwards as a column of Silver Flames shot downwards. Both clashed, causing a loud explosion to erupt. Meanwhile, Velvet and the group outside were trying to bust it open when the felt the ground rumble. "AHH!" Eleanor yelled, falling from the cliffside as the land she was standing on broke off. "GOTCHA!" Rokurou yelled, quickly grabbing her hand before she plummeted to her death. Eleanor blushed as she was pulled up by only one of his arms. "Th-Thanks..." Eleanor stuttered her face beet red. Rokurou just grinned like it was no big deal. "No problem!" he told the Exorcist.

"Where the heck did that come from!?" Eizen asked. "You don't think..." Magilou questioned, glancing at the doors. That's when they were thrown open and an exhausted-looking Laphi and Phi walked out, scratches and bit marks littering their bodies and their clothes were torn. "Ow..." Laphi said, falling forward. "That hurt..." Phi said, falling forward as well. "LAPHI! PHI!" Velvet cried, bringing both of them into a big hug. "Velvet... crushing... us..." Phi gasped for breath. "Can't... breath... Gonna... die... again..." Laphi gasped out. "I don't care! I thought I lost you both!" Velvet screamed, tears falling from her eyes. "Velvet..." Phi called out, emotion in his voice. Laphi didn't say anything, just enjoyed the hug from his big sister as she cried.