Chapter 24 – Consequences.

Leo blinked. "Malevolence?"

Oscar nodded. He held his hand up to his breast. "Each and every human in this world carries within them… a darkness." His eyes fell on the daemons of the group. "Such darkness is borne of emotion. And when one's emotion overflows… a daemon is born."

"You… you mean to say," Eleanor gasped in shock, "that daemonblight… is a lie?!"

Oscar met the former praetor's eyes. "Yes." He admitted frankly. "I'm sure your malak companions know of this." His eyes glanced over at Eizen.

Velvet turned a hard gaze onto the man. "…Is this true?" She asked in a dangerously low voice.

Eizen inclined his head slowly. "…It's taboo among malakhim." He explained softly. "For humanity's own safety." He shook his head. "I'll explain more in detail later." He muttered succinctly.

Velvet studied him closely before turning her gaze back onto Oscar. "…Then why the therion?" She prompted.

Laphicet spoke up abruptly. "The therions… devour 'Malevolence.'" He recalled.

Leo's face dawned with horror, registering the decrypted song lyrics from the book on Innominat. "You mean…" He gasped, his eyes widening. "But if that's the case-!"

Oscar nodded with deep satisfaction at the man's revelation. "Removing the therion from the earthpulse point will cause the malevolence to overflow, and consequently destroy the lives of thousands."

Laphicet gasped. "You don't mean!"

"Yep!" Magilou nodded deceptively cheerily. "If you don't have a therion at an earthpulse point, everyone in the surrounding area will start turning into daemons!" She grinned evilly. "One life for a thousand. What a nifty exchange rate." She sang.

"That can't be!" Eleanor yelled, tears in her eyes.

Oscar's eyes hardened as he glared at the traitorous praetor. "That is how this world is." He stated harshly. "This is the truth. Should this girl be taken away from this earthpulse, the blood of hundreds of people will be on your hands, and your hands alone."

His eyes zeroed in on Leo's. "Does that choice not seem clear?!" He roared loudly, impassionedly. "Which will you choose?! The lives of one daughter, or the lives of dozens of daughters?!" He slammed his fist onto his breast. "This is how the Abbey saves the world from suffering! Through necessary sacrifice. Through a sword of will and reason." He declared heatedly. "WE DO WHAT MUST BE DONE! No matter how painful it might be, no matter how twisted it might seem, we do it! For the greater good!"

He extended a hand. "Do you not see Leo?! Join us." He pleaded. "You were always a skeptical person, but one grounded in reason. You should see now that the path you are on will only lead to destruction and suffering." He took a step forward, eyes unwavering. "Please." He breathed softly. "Help me fight these monsters who seek only the destruction of our world for their own selfish and pointless needs."

Leo stared at the hand.

This was the truth. This was how the world actually worked. And it was horrifying.

What did he choose?

He glanced back at them. His group. His friends. They were the bad guys, he knew that. But he'd never truly faced that fact until right now.

His eyes inadvertently met Velvet's. Those amber eyes were hard and cold as they stared emotionlessly back at him. Leo was doubting his position in the group and they both knew it. He watched as her fists clenched in emotion. She didn't care. He knew. She would do anything for her revenge.

That was just the sort of daemon she had become.

He knew he cared for both Velvet and Eleanor. But did that really justify helping to destroy the lives of so many other people?! He had no idea.

He couldn't think straight.

"Do you not see, Leo?" Oscar intoned softly, his light words echoing off the chamber walls surrounding them. He glanced over at the woman by the man's side. "You too, Eleanor. Do you not see that this is all a necessary sacrifice? This world's pain and suffering comes at a price. The best way to save everyone… is to pay it."

Eleanor's fists clenched, tears rolling down her cheeks. "B…But!" She stammered. "To… To turn that girl into therion!" She exhaled shakily. "To put her mother through so much suffering that she turned into a daemon and offered herself to her own daughter!" She cried, "She was her mother! She was all this girl had!" Her breath hitched. "Her one and only mother…"

Oscar looked away in emotion, clearly pained by the tragedy. A certain degree of shame clearly also haunted his conscience. "…It's true. It's all horrible." He admitted quietly.

Fisting his hands, the praetor shook his head resolutely. "…But even more horrible would be if even more daemons spread through the land. Just like your village. Just like what happened to your mother." Oscar said softly, avoiding eye contact.

"…!" Eleanor shook with indecision. "That… That!"

CRASH!

Eleanor and Leo flinched as Velvet suddenly attacked the distracted Oscar, sending him crashing harshly into the waters surrounding the chamber. "It's not nice to make a girl cry." She muttered hatefully at the unconscious body by the water.

She turned her eyes to Leo.

He avoided her gaze.

She strutted past him without another word.

"It's now or never." Rokurou announced, breaking the silence.

Eleanor shook with indecision. "I… I…" She stared at the sobbing girl. She saw a young girl, trapped underground forever, a prisoner for the good of everyone else. She turned around and saw Velvet approaching, daemon arm extended.

"Wait!" She blocked the therion's path.

"Move." Velvet growled.

"If… If you're going to do this…" Eleanor shook her head. "At least spare the child! You just need to weaken Innominat! You just have to sever the link! Have you no compassion?!"

Velvet's expression didn't change. "This isn't up for discussion." She brushed roughly past the woman.

No. That monster. She wouldn't!

Leo shook himself out of his shock and ran up to the rest of the group.

"NO! Don't you dare!" He barked harshly.

Kamoana abruptly glanced up in fear at the monster towering over her, daemon arm raised.

The arm went down.

"VELVET!" Eleanor screamed.

Leo gasped, seeing instead of an explosion of blood, a brilliant yellow glow. With a shatter, the barrier dissipated. Task complete, Velvet took one last look at the hapless child on the ground and turned around, walking back. Breaking out of their shock, Laphicet and Eleanor instantly ran forward to comfort the kid in unyielding relief.

Leo let out a shaky breath.

He'd thought… For a second there he'd believed it. He'd truly seen Velvet as a monster. One who would sacrifice thousands of lives with no qualms about killing an additional one.

He watched as Velvet returned to the group. She didn't look at him.

"I'm curious about something Grimoirh said. I can always kill this one later." Velvet explained casually.

"If we're taking her with us," Rokurou stated, "we'd better grab her and go. Oscar's forces must be regrouping above as we speak, now that Mahina's no longer wreaking havoc."

As the rest of the group healed up and Kamoana was introduced to the group and the situation, Leo stood at a distance, deeply conflicted.

Oscar's words had indeed reached him.

What he said… made sense. It made overwhelming sense. It was obvious what the clear choice was.

As he watched Hawk's attempts to cheer up Kamoana next to Eleanor as she tenderly told Kamoana of her own mother... He just simply couldn't find it in himself to feel good about it.

Who would?

Who would feel good about such an answer staring right at that lively child's face, and sentence her to eternal torment? Numbers, the greater good, sacrifices; all of those articles of reason seemed paltry in comparison that that little girl's sobbing laughter as Hawk licked her cheeks clean of tears.

It was just one of those questions that had no right answer.

But Leo would have to answer it. He needed to. There was no way he could toe the line anymore. He had to pick a side, and he had to commit to it.

That, or he could just run away once more.

Damnit. This was a big load of bullshit.

"Hawk's so adorable!" Kamoana crowed as the group trotted along the Manann Reef back towards Haria.

Laphicet giggled in response. "Isn't he?" He bent down to meet Hawk as the malak returned with a dripping wet stick in his mouth.

"Fetch on the water, huh?" Leo remarked, trotting over to the kids.

Kamoana looked at him shyly, still uncomfortable travelling with these grown-up strangers, but perked up when Laphicet readily answered, "Yeah!" He nodded. "Hawk can dry himself off, so he doesn't mind getting wet by swimming out to get the stick!"

Hawk gave a yip to his master.

Leo grinned. "Lucky bugger." He kneeled down and ruffled the wolf's sodden hair. Then, the man turned to the latest member of the group. "Hi there, Kamoana." He greeted warmly. "My name's Leo. I see you've already met my wolf." He patted the wolf's head fondly.

Kamoana's eyes lit up. "No way! You're Hawk's owner?!"

Leo puffed his chest up. "Yep! This here is my servant, made to do every order I say! I force him to go weeks without food, and to never, ever have fun. Bad Hawk!" Leo scolded roughly.

Hawk whined, and his ears drooped, beaten.

Kamoana gasped in horror. "You…" She pointed accusingly at Leo. "You're a bad man!"

"Yes. I'm a bad man and I only keep Hawk around to be my own personal footrest." Leo grinned evilly. "Now," he turned to the wolf, "Hawk! Do my bidding!" He ordered.

With a dramatic growl, Hawk shook his head.

Leo blinked. "What?! Are you refusing my commands?!" He gasped in disbelief.

The pup hefted his ears and growled at him.

Leo got up and gasped melodramatically. "The nerve!" Shock turned to anger. "You… filthy little mutt! I'll teach you to disobey me!" He picked up the stick Hawk had been playing fetch with and raised it high over his head. "Have at ye!"

Hawk growled loudly, puffing up his chest defiantly.

"Go Hawkie! Go Hawkie!" Kamoana chanted wildly. "Beat the bad man! You can do it!"

Laphicet sniggered behind her back, giving Hawk a subtle thumbs up at his emoting.

Leo struggled to keep his face straight as he roared a raucous battle cry. "Take this, scum! HYAAH!"

He 'swung' his 'sword.' Also known as moving the stick as if he were swinging in slow motion.

Hawk let out a wild howl and dodged the 'attack.'

Kamoana let out a raucous whoop. "Great job Hawkie! Now, teach the bad man some manners!" She cheered on, punching a fist into the air encouragingly.

Hawk gave a determined nod in Kamoana's direction before heroically tackling Leo into the water.

SPLASH!

"GAHAHA!" Leo sputtered as he surfaced once again from the waters of the Manann Reef. "T-that wasn't part of the plan!" He whined softly.

Meanwhile, back on land, Kamoana was cheering wildly, hugging a distinctly not-at-all-ashamed Hawk who was utterly basking in the praise. Laphicet was nearly rolling with laughter at Leo's betrayed face. Everyone else in the group had stopped to stare at the commotion. Enjoying the spectacle, no doubt.

Grumbling sourly, the man swam back to the rocky reefs. Soaking wet. Again.

He muttered vicious curse words under his breath (for he actually didn't want to swear in front of Kamoana), and offered the stick, dripping wet, to his wolf. "…Here you go, Hawk. You've bested me." Leo grumbled. "Fetch on the water, huh?"

Hawk yipped and gleefully took the stick back, ignoring his master's seething glare.

Kamoana yelled in glee, celebrating the fact that the wolf had beaten his bad master soundly. Laphicet gave Leo a sympathetic pat on the back, smiling.

Despite himself, Leo couldn't stop grinning as he watched the kid go crazy hugging his wolf, cooing warmly. He was glad he'd managed to distract her from her mother's absence. She was just so… alive. And innocent.

…To think her life was worth the lives of hundreds of others.

Leo's grin faded.

Ominous clouds greeted them as the group neared Haria.

"Not good… The Malevolence is overflowing." Eizen muttered.

Velvet eyed him closely. "Just how long have you known about this?"

Eizen shook his head. "Not now. Back at the ship." He stated firmly.

Leo glanced around anxiously. "Is it… going to be just like Oscar said?" He asked quietly.

Magilou nodded soberly. "Of course. He wasn't lying or anything silly like that. That's just how it all works."

Leo stared at her, hard. "Then…"

"If that's so," Velvet interrupted coldly, "then this'll prove a good distraction for us. Let's get through the town quickly."

Leo stared at the woman, aghast. "Do you… just not care?!" He burst out.

The woman turned to him ruthlessly. "Do I care?!" She let out a scoff. "No! Because I. Am. A. Daemon." She stressed out dangerously. "It's time you finally realized that."

Leo was lost for words as the woman turned on her heel and slammed her way through the gates, uncaring of the suffering she had caused. Hawk whined at his master. Leo gave the pup a sad shake of the head before following.

Inside, the people of Haria were all listless, as if they had all forgotten what they had been doing. They were all wandering around, emitting copious amounts of purple aura that the group now recognized as malevolence.

The entire village was silent. Deathly silent.

The group blinked in surprise as Grim pattered her way up the group, a familiar book on her back. "Hey Grim!" Magilou called out in greeting. "What's up? Find out anything new about the book?" Her bright tone clashed horribly with the ominous atmosphere of the besieged village.

"No," Grim shook her head, "I'm afraid the malevolence has grown too dense for me to hole up at the inn reading." The malak explained.

"…So, it's true." Velvet muttered as she turned her gaze to the villagers.

Them the screams began.

Each and every person abruptly began howling at the top of their lungs in pure agony as the very foundation of their beings were undermined and overtaken.

Magilou noted dryly, "They're all hitting their limits."

And then just like that, the villagers of Haria succumbed to daemonblight. Or rather, malevolence.

Leo cursed as he grabbed his rifle. "Fuck!" He swore openly. "Why the fuck is everything like this?!"

Velvet grabbed the barrel of his gun firmly. "This is just how it is." She growled, making direct eye contact with the man. "Now quiet. Down." She seethed, wrenching the man's barrel down firmly. "We'll leave Oscar's forces to deal with the villagers."

"The villagers that we caused to turn into daemons!" Leo hissed. "This is all our fault!" His body trembled with emotion.

This town… these people… Everyone!

"We?" She scoffed darkly. "Don't make me laugh."

She let go of the rifle. "All of this is because of me. You don't matter." She stated coldly. "If you don't want to be a part of this, don't follow me. It's that simple." Her face darkened. "All I want is to kill Artorius. I'll sacrifice the world for that end. It was high time you realized that."

Leo grasped for words, but they wouldn't come.

It was true… up until now the extent of Velvet's true nature had stayed mostly abstract to him up until this point. He'd thought it would be simple; stick with an old friend to keep their demons away. But… The things she was doing now…

He watched over Velvet's shoulder as the peaceful and friendly villagers he had met all had their lives brutally wrenched away from them. All because of the saving of a mother's only daughter. His gaze once again went to the confused girl staring around her destroyed village.

He just didn't know what to do!

"Fuck." Leo shook his head. "I don't know." He confessed. "I don't know yet." And he really didn't. He didn't know what was right or what was wrong. He didn't feel good at all either way. He was lost.

He met Velvet's eyes. "…I'll come with you until I figure it out for myself."

"Pathetic." She remarked derisively. "Ever the fool."

Leo gave a sigh. "Yeah… You're not wrong." He muttered, his grip on his rifle tightening hatefully.

"Enough of this." Eizen interrupted. "The exorcists are still chasing us. We need to get back to the ship."

Velvet nodded, no longer sparing Leo a glance. "Let's go."

And so, the group ran. The group ran through the destruction that they had caused.

This was the consequence of their actions; the killing of hundreds of people. This was the cost of one woman's selfish revenge. A price that had simultaneously freed a single innocent young girl from a horrifying prison.

And Leo had no idea how to feel about it all.