Croix was yet closer to unraveling the secrets of the tiny note that she found. With each successful spell fired off at the note, even if the text returned back to being unintelligible mere moments after seemingly getting decrypted – sadly, not nearly long enough for Croix to capture what was actually written on the note – it seemed to hold out for longer and longer. Even if the time that the text stayed decipherable only increased by mere nanoseconds, she could still barely notice some degree of change.
"It's surprising how a single enchanted slip of paper can give someone so much trouble. Yet I can see the spell is obviously weakening. I suppose it won't be long until I get the necessary evidence. This little note shall be my ticket to accomplishing my plans yet further after all."
Concentrating for a few more moments, and firing off another spell, Croix was mildly satisfied when she saw that, after the holy flames cleared up, the writing on the note was turned intelligible yet again… And stayed that way for far more than a couple seconds.
Chuckling to herself, the lavender-haired woman took out her usual tech and took a quick photo of the writings before turning her attention back over to the slip proper. Perhaps it was about time for her to see just what it was all about…
A mauve-haired young girl stirred up from her sleep, shivering from the cold still. The bedroom was as uncomfortable as it could get, with cold drafts blowing from nearly all sides. The bed was falling apart and constantly creaking at any wrong movements, while the bare minimum of a mattress was in downright awful condition, torn at places with some springs sticking out.
As the half-demon stood up from her bed, she was rather surprised to find a small paper slip on her bedside table. One that seemingly had something written on it in some odd, smudged red ink. Of course, knowing the world around herself too well, the girl could very much assume that it probably wasn't actual ink.
As she looked over at the slip of paper and read it's contents, her sole visible eye widened to no tomorrow, her iris shrinking down to the size of a dot due to her sheer shock.
"Dear Sucy, if you are reading this, chances are that I'm long gone – either I'm not here in the city anymore, or I'm dead by now.
Please, hold no ill will against me, as I swear, if I had the strength to not only escape, but to also take you along, then I would do so without any hesitation.
Alas, my newfound strength only seems to be enough to break the chains confining me and binding me to that horrible man's will.
Yet you aren't bound by anything. You are free to do as you will. But first, I think we both agree that there is one thing in particular that needs to be done.
It's about time you finish what I didn't have the strength to do.
I'm sorry that I had to leave you like this… Daughter."
As Sucy finished reading the note, a pair of all-too-familiar hands grabbed hold of her – one by her waist, and one over her mouth. She honestly didn't expect her father to sneak up on her like this at the worst of times. And it seems that he was in on the "bad news", too.
"Well now, it seems that the little filth got a parting gift from her coward of a mother. How sad that even your own mother doesn't want you after all. But if it's any consolation, little demon, I've got a much better gift for you. One that we both shall certainly enjoy…"
As Sucy felt the other hand slip somewhere it shouldn't, she growled and bit on the one hand muffling her, forcing her father to scream and let go of her for a moment.
"Why, you! How dare you just bite your father and master like this?!" – The man shouted out as Sucy got some distance between him and herself, turning around to face the unlucky summoner. Sucy's only response to that was another growl as she gazed up at her abuser.
"I command you to drop to your knees and apologize for what you did right now! You are my daughter, you are bound to me by the same spell that keeps your mother in control, and you will do as I say!" – The middle-aged man with unkempt black hair shouted back.
It wasn't until he saw something in Sucy's expression that made him freeze in fear. Not just the usual kind of rage, but the same kind of look a predator gets as they corner their prey. Even if Sucy was only partially a lilim, she still inherited the one survival mechanism they're infamous for.
And as Sucy let out a downright inhuman screech after completing her transformation, her father realized that he was going to be on the receiving end of her claws and fangs.
"No… Back off, back away, you hideous monster!" – The man shouted as he fell down onto the floor and tried to crawl back away from the now much more dangerous Sucy. As he looked over the claws brandished by the half-breed that he formerly thought was entirely at his mercy, he shouted: "I didn't know what I was dealing with! Please, don't hurt me!"
Another ungodly screech. Flashes of red, screams of pain ending on an agonizing gurgle. That was all Sucy could remember from that moment onward up until some semblance of clarity hit her and her transformation reverted. The first things she saw after coming back to her senses were the blood on her hands and the endless claw marks upon her father's dead body, making her quickly realize that she took the life of a human being just now.
So that's what her mother meant in that letter. Not that Sucy had any time to think on it, as she soon heard the sounds of the front door being busted down. In a few moments, not thinking through her actions, she was quick to sprout the wings that most lilims usually kept perfectly hidden, and flew right out of the bedroom window. She didn't even notice how exactly she managed to go any further from there, considering she was bound to just crash right into the barrier surrounding the city, but it appears that something allowed her to safely slip on through.
Alas, the breach left Sucy severely weakened, even if she had to put minimal effort into it due to the barrier surrounding Blytonbury being at it's weakest near the house, as this is where the abyssal energy continued pouring out and piling up. Trying to fly at least some distance away from the city, it wasn't long until Sucy crashed down into the snow, and didn't even attempt to get up, passing out there and then in the howling snowstorm…
Sucy didn't jolt awake. She didn't sit upright in a near-instant, breathing rapidly, yet she still opened her eyes widely, mere moments after awakening. Trying to catch her breath as she slowly got up, the mauve-haired demon checked her surroundings. She was still in the odd infirmary, on a small bed, with a bedside drawer and a chair pulled up just next to it, with a particular brunette leaning back on it and seemingly being sound asleep.
Sighing, Sucy stood up from the bed slowly. Any and all aches she had were long bygone now. Yet there was one thing she had to make sure of.
As Sucy left the room, Akko slightly stirred from her sleep and looked around.
"Huh… Wha…Sucy?" – Akko groggily remarked, yet the girl she was supposed to watch over was already out of hearing range. After letting her eyes adjust to the darkness and realizing that Sucy snuck out of bed, Akko ran right after her, yet at least attempted not to cause too much noise.
The building felt downright desolate at night. The only people here other than Sucy and Akko here were just a couple of random night-shift guards, who were sleeping their asses off like no tomorrow.
Poking around for a bit, Sucy soon managed to find the elevator, with Akko watching over her just nearby. As Sucy entered the elevator and the doors closed behind her, Akko could briefly see that Sucy's destination was the last floor – more specifically, the roof.
"Why would she need to go all the way out there? She… She's not going to… Oh dear, no!" – As Akko theorized just what Sucy would need up on the roof, she immediately rushed over to the stairs. She had to get there one way or another now, just to make sure Sucy wouldn't pull anything dangerous!
As Sucy stood at the edge of the roof, she looked over what little she could see of the city – considering that the building wasn't exactly tall, she couldn't really see all that much. It was the middle of the night, all lights were out, and not even a single car drove nearby. Considering everyone was already asleep, it came off as no surprise to Sucy.
Right now, however, the silence was the least of her concerns. The mauve-haired demoness had one last thing to check through as she undid the bandages on her chest. Even despite the fact that she went outside with just the bare minimum of clothing, she didn't seem to mind the winter cold the tiniest bit, the most she felt bing a light stinging. Right now, all that mattered to her was one thing.
Akko rushed out just in time to see Sucy drop the bandages right off the building, and saw that the demoness was standing right at the edge. With a horrified wide-eyed look, Akko shouted: "Sucy, don't do it!"
The violette uttered a mere "Hmph" in response. Falling down upon all fours, Sucy screamed out in pain from the all-too-familiar feeling of her whole skeleton restructuring to accommodate the temporary transformation that had kicked in by her command.
What Akko saw just now left her equal parts terrified and amazed.
Just now, Sucy sprouted a pair of rather sizable membranous bat-like wings, their total wingspan practically being bigger than her entire body. The brunette could only look at the end result of the demoness' transformation in complete awe, not having anything to say on the matter as she stood there wide-eyed with her mouth agape. The demoness didn't need to turn back to respond to Akko's reaction on the matter as she stood up on her feet again.
"I guess I have a lot of things to explain now."