This feels like the end of something crucial. After this the plot kinda goes a bit off the rails (though not as much as one might think maybe). Fight scenes will be sub-par as usual, but you expect that by now.

Thank you to anyone that's been with me so far :) It took 49 chapters and 3-4 years but we're finally about a quarter of the way done! Maybe in a decade we can reach the penultimate arcs!

Quick note: My proofreader has been unavailable for the past two days so the Saxe-Gotha fight and aftermath will likely contain mistakes. I'll replace them when he's free. Also, the pic is the closest I could find even if it is blatantly Vampiric. Looking for bandages just led me to fetish pics and anime burn victims are either too good looking or all female. Just pretend that's him mid-transformation.


"Raziel, get up!" Louise shook the burnt corpse of her Familiar, ignoring the warmth emanating from the ravaged flesh, "God damn it, get up! I know you can hear me!" She pulled on his arm to try and make him stand. He'd suffered through worse than this; she'd seen him survive injuries far worse than a few burns. There was no way that he was dead, that he would leave her like this.

His body remained still. She bit her lip and looked to his left hand - The runes were all shining, though their light had been noticeably dulled. He was alive. The runes wouldn't be shining otherwise...right?

"You...You need Humanity, is that it?" She asked desperately. He wasn't going to answer her. Staying in this place would only put her at further risk, she knew that, but leaving him wasn't an option she was willing to consider, "Look, you can take some of mine, alright!? Here!" She grabbed his left hand and placed it at her chest, "Raziel, come on...just take some so we can leave..."

She let go of his hand and it fell back to the ground with a dull thud. She shook her head; He was fine. He was going to be alright. He wasn't dead. She just had to carry him out of here past all the violent madmen and reach the edge of town where there were slightly less madmen.

Easy enough, right?

"Come on, you're not dying here." She slung his arm around her shoulders and stood up shakily. The smell of burnt flesh was overpowering and it brought uncomfortable images of Tarbes back into her mind. She wasn't one for cursing God, but she couldn't help but wonder what exactly it was that the deity had against her. Ever since she'd received her blessed magic - actually even before she'd received it - she'd been put into a consecutive series of dangerous and life-threatening situations. She always looked forward to the day she had magic, but at this rate she was beginning to wish she was back to being the normal, safe and not constantly-in-danger Zero.

She kept to the alleys, moving only when she was sure that they had taken no notice of her presence. The screams of the sane denizens being attacked and eaten were uncomfortable to listen to, but a part of her - then same part that had surfaced ever since her powers first manifested - reminded her that it was a good thing - If there people out there being eaten alive it meant that the madmen's attention would be on them and not on her. She could worry about her cowardice when they were both safe.

Her left eye darkened, causing her to nearly trip in her surprise, "Ow, what the hel..." It felt as if her eye had been pricked with a needle. She ignored the white-hot feeling of pain and looked down at her Familiar; his left eye had turned into a glassy shade of pinkish-red while the right retained its bizarre dark coloration. The Familiar's Bond...why had it activated? She hadn't cast the spell and she wasn't aware that he could invoke it without her consent. Was he trying to tell her something?

Her question was when her Familiar sluggishly turned his head to look behind her. Despite the darkness she could see them clearly: Two figures, hunched over and staring at her hungrily. She could see the blood marring their teeth and coating her fingers, but it was nothing the unnerving movements of the Humanity underneath their skin. It was as if she was seeing through them rather than at them.

Was this what Raziel saw?

Her musing were cut short when they charged right at her.

"Shit!" She quickly let go of Raziel and fumbled for her wand.

The first hit was against her cheek. Louise let out a strangled cry of pain as the nails scratched against her skin roughly, "Let go of me!" She struggled to push him off. The madman's partner grabbed her at legs, his mouth already open and salivating with a disgusting mixture of blood and saliva.

Ignoring the blood from her wounds, she tightened her grip on her wand and jabbed it against his face.

"Explosion!"

The sound was deafening, but it was a small price to pay. The first madman flew back and hit the wall, a sickening crack echoing through the alley. The second one's attention was drawn away just long enough for her to kick him away and scramble back.

"Explosion!"

The spell was stronger than before now that she no longer had to worry about getting caught in the blast. The man's body was flung back, his arms all but destroyed because of the explosion's impact. Louise closed her eyes and ignored the guilt that was threatening to rise; Void Mages could feel the effects of any spell. Derflinger had told her that it had been placed there by Brimir, ostensibly so his Gifted wouldn't abuse their powers for personal gain.

Right now she just thought it was grating.

"Ah..." She hissed and traced her fingers through her scratched cheeks. The cut was rather light all things considered, but the feeling of blood between her fingertips was something she'd never get used to.

Panting, she crawled over to her Familiar and looked down on him. His mismatched eyes looked back at her, the eyelids coming down slowly in a sluggish blink. It was odd, seeing one another through the other's eyes. She looked terrible - Her left eye had turned an uncomfortable shade of black and it only seemed to emphasize the bleeding wounds she'd received.

Still, she was lucky that a few scratches were the only things she'd gotten. It was a miracle she'd gotten this far without being seen.

"At least I know you're alive..." She muttered. Uttering the counterspell to disable the Sight, she slung his arm around her shoulder stood up once more, "Raziel...you can hear me, right...?" She shook him lightly, causing him to blink slowly in response, "Good...that's good..." She took a ragged breath and shook her head. Now wasn't the time to second-guess herself.

Moving through the town had been a nightmare when she was alone, but with Raziel weighing her down it was downright impossible to avoid being seen. Thankfully she'd avoided running into any clusters and only came upon three of them at most. They must have been spreading out to look for more 'prey' now that the initial feeding had passed. Or perhaps, the hopeful part of her thought, the army had finally rallied to drive them back.

She snorted. Now she was just being foolish.

She paused as she felt her Familiar stir. Reaching a hand ahead, he groped the air blindly, trying to grab something only he could see, "Hunger...feed..." His voice came out in raspy whisper.

"Raziel, what's wrong-"

She was interrupted when he suddenly pushed her off. Louise winced as her Familiar fell on the ground with a dull thud, "Humanity...must..." He grabbed the rough surface and crawled forward desperately, muttering to himself once more about things she didn't understand.

"Raziel, now's not the time for this!" She hissed. She knelt down to pick him up again but he batted her hand away with a growl, "Ow, son of a-" Her words died in her mouth when she finally got a good look at his face.

She's gotten used to the dark eyes and corroded flesh, but she had to draw the line at the rows of razor sharp teeth lining the inside of his mouth. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and she scrambled back in shock as rot spread to the rest of his face. She'd seen something similar before - When she'd first summoned him and when he'd gone mad after defeating the spirit that possessed Prince Wales. She knew that his human appearance was only skin-deep, but this was something different, something much more monstrous than the rot and decay.

"R-Raziel...you're still you, right?"

He didn't reply. Louise made to call him once more before more strained gasps came from behind her. Turning around, she didn't even bother to muffle her scream as she caught sight of more madmen. She could count at least half a dozen, but she couldn't put away the idea that there were more of them around.

What grabbed her attention were their eyes. Some were blank while others were bloodshot, but they all held one thing in common - None of them were looking at her. She didn't need to follow their gaze to figure out what had drawn their attention: It was only her and Raziel in this alley, after all, and from the looks of thing she wasn't the one who appeared to be 'leaking' Humanity.

"...They hunger...you can leave...it is me they wish to consume..." Raziel stood up shakily, hands desperately holding onto the wall to keep himself balanced. The black substance seeping from his skin covered him like a dark blanket "...Leave now...before-"

"Stay away from him!"

Desperation taking hold, she cast the first spell that came to mind - another Explosion, naturally - before grabbing her Familiar's hand and running. Raziel followed after her, his steps uneven, but she didn't let it deter her. Ducking into another alley she cast another Explosion behind her to kill their remaining pursuers, "You're not going to take him!" She hissed.

"...You are...this body's summoner...?"

"What?" She looked back at him, her confusion evident, "Raziel, now's not the time for you to start speaking crazy." She came upon a split in the road and turned left, "Come on, we need to leave town. With any luck we can catch up to Julio and-"

She should have seen the attack coming - it wasn't as if they made any attempt to camouflage themselves - but by the time she caught sight of the madman charging at her it was too late. She could only raise her free hand in a pathetic attempt at defense as the charging figure knocked her away with a haphazard swipe. She rolled on the ground painfully and she just barely caught sight of the madmen piling on top of her Familiar.

They were surrounded. She couldn't count how many of them there were, but she could see no escape.

"No...let go of him...!" She pointed her shaking hand at the group and cast another spell, "Explosion-"

An inhuman scream caused her to drop her wand, a chill coursing through her body. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the madmen backing away, hands moving to cover their ears and letting out screams of their own.

And at the center stood her Familiar, miraculously untouched.

Manus slowly stood up once more, his limbs twitching unnaturally as he re-aligned himself. His gaze flickered between the numerous figures before he lunged at the closest one, his arms wrapping around his neck. Louise watched with morbid curiosity as his hands disfigured into malformed claws before they ripped open the madman's neck in a torrent of blood and Humanity.

Instinct took over and the madmen began to back away. Manus let out another scream and another emotion forced its way through their madness.

Fear.

A few dared to attack, using their bare hands and whatever they had on hand to attack him. Manus jumped to the side, his movements akin to a marionette with its strings cut, before continuing his assault. He grabbed the closest Hollow and snapped its arm, taking the dagger it held in its hand. Ignoring its roar of pain he slammed it down onto the ground before stabbing the dagger into its chest.

Louise looked away in disgust as he stepped on the dagger's hilt, driving it deeper into the man's chest. It let out another pained scream, but it only seemed to entice her Familiar as he dragged the blade from its chest down to its stomach. With his free hand he rooted through the wide gash and pulled out a bloody clump of Humanity before crushing it in his hands.

Why didn't he just kill it? What was the point of this?

Whatever madness possessed these men wasn't enough to make them stay. Many left, but a few were brave or mad enough to stay. They died like the rest; Her Familiar...tore them apart. Hands turning to claws so he could flay them alive, his teeth turning razor sharp so could feed on the rare few that grabbed hold of him. It was as if she was watching animals tear one another apart.

He didn't kill them...not all of them, anyway. A few were lucky enough to be killed quickly, but she saw many left alive to suffer - Pinned to the ground with knives and swords, their limbs dismembered but still alive to scream in agony. She wanted to believe it was chance, that he didn't mean to, but she could tell by his movements that it was deliberate. An act of revenge for all they had to go through or was it something else?

She couldn't deny that a part of her felt satisfied at what she saw, even as she tried to remind herself that it wasn't their fault someone had driven them mad. She shouldn't have felt anything but disgust at his actions.

And just like that they were alone. Raziel stood in the middle of the bodies, covered in blood that wasn't his. The cries of the few that had been left 'alive' were beginning to dull, replaced by soft moans and cries for what she could only assume to be mercy. They still said nothing, but the way they frantically gestured to the weapons pinning them to the ground made it clear what they wanted.

It was almost pitiable.

Forcing herself to stand, she grabbed a discarded knife and drew closer to one of the struggling figures. When it finally caught sight of the knife she held in her hands it ceased its struggles and looked to be almost at peace.

She knelt and stabbed the blade into his neck.

She repeated it for everyone else: A quick jab into the neck, and their souls passed onto Valhalla. All she could offer them were her prayers that they found peace, "Father Brimir watch over you..." She closed its eyes and let out a held breath.

Nothing. She felt nothing. Not too long ago she would have balked at the idea of killing even if it had been out of a sense of mercy - Life was precious, was it not? - but now she could slit their throats without even pretending to have a facsimile of shame. She looked down at the bloodied knife and let out a sigh. She was going mad, she knew it, but at this point there was little she could do to stop her descent.

Now to deal with her Familiar.

"Raziel..."

"...Nothing has changed..." He looked back at her and, mercifully, his monstrous features had; though the burns on his body remained. She looked straight at his brown eyes and held up her hands in a gesture of peace, "We still fight one another...The Gods are dead but we still drag ourselves closer and closer to the abyss. The Witch of Chaos...she knows not what she toys with. Manipulating the bearers of the dark to madness of her entertainment."

"What are you talking about?"

"...Nothing you will understand." He adopted an expression of shame, "I...apologize. This must be confusing to you." Raziel sighed, "Up till now I have been blind, stepping forward with my eyes covered. Things are...much clearer now...for the first time since I awoke in that asylum."

"Explain." She looked around her warily. This wasn't the right time for this conversation but she needed answers, "Raziel, what's happening?"

He raised his left hand, showing her the glowing runes, "My memories...I remember everything now."

"What? You mean about your time in Lordran? I thought-"

"No. Even before that...long before I took another man's skin for my own." Raziel gave her a bitter smile, "First the warrior in the asylum...then Gwyn's reincarnation. Always stealing another man's life for my own."

"...You're not making any sense." Louise closed her eyes and breathed slowly, "We need to leave now, before more of them come. Once we're safe you're going to tell me everything from the beginning."

"...There are some things better left buried, Louise." Raziel muttered. He looked up at the sky briefly before moving to walk past her; no one would bother them now. There were few things the Hollows understood, but fear could still overpower madness if the reason was primal enough.

"Wait..." She grabbed his hand and nearly let go in shock. She was used to the dull chill that came with being Undead, but now his hands were warm. Almost as if he was alive.

"...What is it?" He gave her a half-lidded glance.

"You...You are still Raziel, right?"

He looked away briefly before answering, "...You may call me that if you wish." Manus slip his hand away from her and offered her a smile, "I owe you my life and that will never change."

She bit her lip and watched his retreating figure, "...That's not what I asked."


His first memories were hazy, if they could even be called that. The first thing he could recall was the intense agony of being ripped apart: Death was one thing; your soul would be spared the annihilation and with luck you would be reborn again into a better life. For the Gods it was all but guaranteed due to the crucial roles they played. Their world would not, could not exist without the Lords of Fire and Light.

But what of him? Dark could never hope to match Light in power, so they had to use subversion. The Light spread its blessings to a chosen few: The Lords were the most obvious recipients, and they in turn gave their blessings to those who swore fealty to them. Giants, half-breed Demigods and any other willing to sell their loyalty and freedom for a taste of paradise.

The Dark wasn't as careful with what it chose. It spread itself throughout all of mankind, giving little pieces of itself to their very souls. They could never hope to match the Gods and their disciples in power, but for every one of them that fell another hundred would rise to take their place. They had the potential to grow stronger while the Light bearers stagnated, choking on their belief that their inherent superiority guaranteed them eternal victory.

Gwyn knew this. For being an old man drunk on his own power he was surprisingly perceptive. Or perhaps the Light had deigned to speak to him. Whichever the reason he stopped the problem before it could arise; claiming divinity over the humans he promised to protect and watch over them so long as they paid tribute and worship to him and the rest of the Lords. Whether out of fear or genuine reverence they complied, building altars of worship and licking their heels in exchange for blessings.

He knew. He had been one of them.

He was better off than most of his kin. He had power; not enough to match those of the Gods but enough to give him an inflated sense of ego. Looking back on it now he had acted the part of the jester perfectly, but he was too arrogant to see it. He lived his days drowning in vice and sin, indulging in the benefits his higher station afforded him. Despite his proclamations of being Humanity's Paragon he cared little for his fellow men.

History would remember him differently, of course. It always did. He would be remembered as Humanity's champion, leading them to claim the glory properly due unto them. Others would remember him as a puppetmaster, pulling strings from behind the shadows to ensure mankind would gain the chance to claim paradise for themselves.

None were true. He and Gwyn...they were both pawns, they were simply too proud to see it until it was too late.

The string of events leading to their downfalls were something he preferred not to recall. Eventually he had been buried alive, driven mad through the centuries by his isolation, until he had been 'rescued' by the Oolacilians.

The pointy-eared bastards had been tempted with promises of power by one of the serpents; a head he hadn't finished off before it could escape the hydra's destruction. For whatever reason they believed they could gain power through his suffering. They spent days, months, perhaps even years pushing his mind to its brink, their hunger for power pushing them into more and more depravities.

Not that he had any ground to judge.

The rest was as history claimed it: He had finally gone mad from their tortures and Oolacille fell. Innocent people died, he had no doubt of that, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. He wanted them all to die screaming, to twist their bodies until they finally resembled the monsters they truly were. The suffering they had given him would be returned a hundredfold.

And then he had been slain. History claimed that it was Knight Artorias, the brave Abysswalker who gave his life to stop the dark beast. It made for a heroic tale of bravery, loyalty and sacrifice.

The truth was far more complicated than such simple stories.

He didn't know what it was that caused him to be the cause of his own 'birth'. He knew time in Lordran was convoluted, but to be responsible for his own death and rebirth was something above even his own comprehension. It was an eternal recurrence: The knight would slay him, he would be reborn and he would slay himself once more. Like the spinning of a wheel it continued on for eternity.

Rebirth had been guaranteed for the Gods, but for Humans it was never so certain. For all his power he was human, and his soul could have simply been annihilated upon his death.

No, he supposed that would have been too merciful. Fate had other plans for him yet.

Still, of all things he never expected his soul to shatter. Four of them, all powerful emotions, had separated.

Wrath, anger at the knight that had slain him, unaware that they were one and the same. Lust, the primal instincts that governed him in his early days. Desire, the want for power so he could never be hurt again. And finally Fear, his cowardice at the suffering he'd endured.

All of them had left him, taking parts of the soul for their own. It clung to them desperately, unwilling to accept being left alone in the darkness. They cared nothing for it, wanting only to tether themselves to the world separate from their progenitor.

Fear hesitated, however briefly, but in the end its cowardice won out and the soul had been left with the scraps. It was incomplete, nothing more than the few pieces they had chosen not to take with them. Calling it a soul would have been mistake; he was nothing more than a lurker in the dark, bits and pieces that clung together desperately in a pathetic attempt at life.

The 'soul' wandered, drawn to Humanity even as it knew it was futile. It would never be truly alive, not like they were. Eventually it was attracted to the asylum, drawn to the suffering of its unfortunate inhabitants, and he possessed one of the corpses lying in the cell - A lowly swordsman, his face and name lost to history. It stole the man's flesh and used it as his own, feeding off the Humanity from the Undead that had been carted into the asylum.

It laid there, forgotten to the world, creating a mask to protect itself. 'He' was given a semblance of a personality if only so that it could defend the 'soul' better. 'He' was never supposed to leave, devoting 'his' time to the soul's protection.

And then a knight took pity and dropped the key to 'his' cell. The semblance felt curiosity and rummaged through the corpses pocket, fishing out the rusted key. 'He' had never been outside the cell and something drew him to leave.

The rest, as the Oolacilians would say, was history.


Two days. Two days of constant screaming, crying and corpse-burying. The New Years were supposed to be a time of celebration, a time where they thanked Father Brimir for the year they had been given before praying once more for blessings in the coming days.

It wasn't supposed to be the day they buried their loved ones.

Louise pressed her hands to her head and sighed. The first day of the new year and all she wanted was for it to be over. She had no loved ones to bury here, but it didn't make the subsequent days any easier. It still pained her to see the survivors mourning, to watch as they cried for their dead loved ones. War was simple, or at least that was what she wanted to believe; your allies and enemies were clearly distinct and there were boundaries.

But what were they supposed to do when faced with killing their allies in order to save themselves? Many of the soldiers fighting for Tristain were mercenaries (Germania's loophole to avoid sacrificing their own soldiers, she supposed) so they had less at stake, but that also meant that they were much more willing to desert when the money became far more trouble than it was worth.

And as expected, in the wake of the madness many had left altogether with some even defecting outright to join the 'winning side'. Cowards, the whole lot of them. They would be lost in the void for their betrayal.

"Hey, Desiree, you alright?"

Louise blinked, looking up at Jessica blankly. The younger girl looked down at her worriedly before offering her a glass of wine, "Here, you look like you need this."

"...Thanks." She accepted the glass gratefully and forced the liquid down her throat in one gulp. It tasted weird without watering it down with fruit juice first, but a little alcohol was exactly what she needed right now.

Her eyes drifted to the rest of the people inside the inn. She had taken sanctuary here since, as expected, business had dwindled due to recent events. Now more than ever people took comfort in sex, but since the inn didn't allow anything save light touches most of the soldiers that remained contented themselves with the whores that were taking up space in the camp. Staying here was preferable to hearing the desperate attempts at intimacy through her tent flaps.

Not that it was much better here, mind you. The inn's employees, normally sporting easy smiles and risque attires, were milling around the inside of their temporary workplace in obvious despondence. Many of them weren't even wearing their 'uniforms', and she had to admit it was odd seeing them as...well, normal girls. Many kept to something of a routine, wiping down tables and washing utensils even when there was little need to. The few that didn't tried their best to stifle their crying, though they weren't doing a very good job of it.

As Jessica had explained, luck hadn't been on their side the prior nights. Two of the girls had died, despite Scarron's best efforts, and it had hit them hard. She sympathized, but in all honesty they were lucky they had lost only two of them. Given the massacre in the rest of the town it was a miracle that half of them hadn't gotten eaten.

One of the doors to the side opened and Siesta stepped out, her hands bloody. Jessica rushed over and Siesta gave her a small, comforting smile, "Uncle Scarron's alright, Jess. He's just..He needs some rest." She closed the door behind her, but not before Louise caught sight of the burly man lying on a bed, a bloodstained bandage covering his forehead, "I changed the bandage. He should stop trying to get up so the wound doesn't reopen."

"You know how dad is." Jessica let out a frustrated breath.

As she understood it, the reason more of the girls hadn't died was because Scarron had protected them. A noble gesture, but he'd still taken a mace to the head in order to do so. He was lucky to be alive all things considered.

Finally her gaze shifted to the far wall. Her Familiar(?) stood there, back pressed against the wall and arms crossed. He had been quiet ever since he had explained...or at least did his best to explain. His recollections were disjointed and the only thing she could say for certain was that he had been responsible for his own birth. He likened it to her going back in time in order to give birth to her own ancestors.

Oh, and that he was some beast born of darkness. But that was something she pretty much knew already.

Frankly she was more worried what it meant for him. His memories had returned and he had described it as 'three lives being forced to share the same body'. He seemed stable for now, and it was certainly an improvement over his previous condition, but how long would that last? How long until he started losing his memories again or he lost control of the monster?

Raziel(?) caught her gaze and offered her a minuscule smile, one she did her best to return. His body had been wrapped in bandages to cover his disfigurement from the fires; it reminded her far too much of her early days with him.

"...This sucks." She laughed to herself bitterly. It was a stupid thing to say, but there was very little else she could use to describe it - Their current situation was comparable to coming home and finding an Elf had slaughtered your family.

She got up and left, giving only a brief 'I'll see you back at camp' to her Familiar(?) when she passed him by. She needed to check in with the commanders...the few that hadn't been shot, eaten, stabbed or beaten to death that is. She'd seen the way they looked at her; they prayed for a miracle, expecting her Void magic to turn the tide and bring back the dead in one feel swoop. She couldn't give them that, but she would still try to do her best.

Manus watched the girl go, his eyes following after her till she finally disappeared from his sight. It was...odd, trying to understand his feelings for her. His memories of his time in Lordran - once as the Revenant and once more as the Vessel - made it difficult to focus. Three lives, many contradictory to one another. Once he strived to end the Gods due to the manipulations of another and then he gave his very soul to the fires, seeing the darkness as the greater of the two evils.

And now he was her pet. A plaything.

"...It's not her fault." Raziel sighed, shaking off his negative thoughts. These memories...they didn't belong to him. Not truly. He was a mask, a facade meant to protect whatever remained of Manus from harm. He should have even been 'alive'; whatever madness had pushed him to search for that key it was clear the soul didn't expect for him to change so severely.

But now wasn't the time to have an existential crisis; he'd done enough pointless navel-gazing in the past few weeks and he didn't need to add any more. Maybe he wasn't 'real', and yes he'd been living a lie, but he wasn't about to lay down and die. The soul was vying for control, he knew that - It was why his hallucinations attempted to kill him earlier, why he felt himself fading.

He wasn't Hollowing. The mask was simply beginning to crack.

"Raziel, are you alright?" Siesta asked him worriedly, placing a hand against his shoulder in reassurance. She'd managed to escape the town without injuries save a few light scrapes - Small blessing he supposed. She'd been worried about him ever since she caught sight of his wounds. It was unneeded, but comforting. He felt no pain and the scars were superficial despite their appearance - The Humanity healed him, but the scars remained. The flame of the Witches always burned strong, branding their victims even when the pain faded.

Still, he had little doubt that he appeared ugly. It was better than when he...Manus first awoke in the abyss so he wasn't complaining.

"I am fine...the scars are nothing more than a reminder. You need not worry." Raziel scratched at the bandages covering the left side of his face. He hated being able to see out of only one eye, but it had become a distressingly common occurrence ever since he arrived here. While he hated Lordran, he couldn't deny that they never aimed for the eyes.

"I know, but still..." She looked away and bit her lower lip, "I still can't believe all of that happened. It's been days and it still feels it happened a few minutes."

"We need to move on. That man is lucky to be alive." Manus scoffed, "One mistake and his skull would have cracked open."

He briefly thought of using Humanity to heal the man before deciding against it. It was too risky to feed off the corpses or take some from Jessica or Siesta, even if they would have no doubt been willing.

"He helped Jessica and the others!" Siesta defended quickly, "It was brave, and if it wasn't for him more of them would have died." She looked at the sealed door sadly, "Jess is taking it hard. I hope she's alright.

"If he dies, she will move on eventually." Manus shrugged, "Death comes for us all, Siesta."

"Maybe...I don't know what I'd do if one of my family dies." She frowned, "We're going to leave on the third ship later today. I'll see you there...right?"

"Louise will want to leave this place, yes." Raziel replied halfheartedly. The message was clear - He would only leave when Louise did. He hadn't told Siesta about his new 'condition', so as far as she knew he was still doomed to die before the week ended...granted he likely still was, but at least he received answers before ceasing to exist...of course now that added to the problem of what would happen when the mask keeping the beast inside was broken.

Too many problems and not enough time.

He stepped outside into the snowy landscape before Siesta could prod him more. Much as he loved her company staying around her was difficult given his conflicting memories. The runes kept him focused on Louise, that was easy, but Siesta's connection had no magical bindings. It was getting harder and harder to focus on her when his memories wished to block her out.

"...Snow is falling harder." Manus looked up at the gray sky and picked at the falling snowflakes with bandaged hands. It never snowed in Lordran (save for that painting in one of his lifetimes). There certainly was a chill that permeated the land, but that was due to world itself dying around them. It had been two days since he could draw a clearer comparison between this place and his 'home'. For all the war and death this world was alive, almost vibrant in a way.

Were they doomed to fall like Lordran had? Manus seemed to believe so long ago, but he had his doubts. Even if fate was cruel, why would it ensure that the world perished? It had nothing to gain from doing so.

He walked through the town, snow crunching under his feet as he made his way back the the camp. All around him he could see soldiers, merchants and others of their type hurriedly packing their belongings. They wanted to leave this place, afraid that if they stayed any longer their friends could turn around and eat them in frenzied hunger.

Raziel couldn't blame them. He'd nearly shattered when the witch used whatever magic she'd cast.

He stopped when he caught sight of the empty merchant's stall. It wasn't unique, and it was rather small compared to the other stands, but the dress caught his eye. Ornately designed, the yellow fabric stood out against the wood. He brought his fingers through the length of it; he couldn't feel anything over the bandages, but it comforted him regardless. Through all the madness she still retained a powerful presence in his mind.

"Dusk..." Manus shook his head. His love for her was fake, a fabrication of hope from his torturers. Constant pain would have allowed him to get used to their methods, so they used her to provide succor when he had begun to resist their depravities. It wasn't truly her - simply one of his torturers providing an illusion - but he latched onto her regardless.

And the real one suffered for it, being 'protected' out of a demented sense of love. He had taken her, but in the end he had also been the one to rescue her. The gallant knight saving her from the monster.

Hah...whether it was fate or chance he couldn't deny the absurdity of it.

"...Raziel, is that you?"

Manus turned to stare at the new figure, his mouth pressed into a thin line, "...Guiche?" He wasn't surprised to see him here. Guiche had told him long before that he would be going to war, even confided in him of his fears of dying.

Right now, however, he couldn't find it in him to care. They weren't exactly friends.

"Whoa, it really is you!" He circled his arms around him in a quick embrace. Manus' eyebrows knotted in discomfort, "Oh, sorry about that." He scratched the back of his head and laughed, "I just didn't expect to see you here is all. Believe me, it's nice to see a friendly face in all this madness." He eyed the bandages covering his body, "I take it you got caught in the attack. Is Valliere okay?"

"Uh...yes, nothing more than light scratches," Raziel replied, "The wounds I received healed quickly enough, though scars remain."

"That's a relief." He clapped his shoulder, "It's good to see you again. I haven't seen any of my schoolmates ever since I arrived here and a familiar face is comforting." He frowned, "The attacks came as a surprise. I was lucky to make it out of there with nothing vital taken." He forced a laugh.

Annoying. This man was annoying, Manus thought.

"Good for you." Manus faked a smile and side-stepped him, "I need to see Louise. Stay safe."

"Hmm? Oh, you as well. I suppose we can talk more when we get back, huh?"

"...Of course. I will see you soon."


The tent had been empty when he arrived. Where was Louise? He looked around the dark interior before stepping inside. They hadn't spent much time here ever since the madness had spread - Louise had been afraid of sleeping alone so she took to resting at the inn...well, sleeping in-between her constant nightmares that is. She had bad dreams ever since Tarbes but recent events had only amplified her condition.

He trudged over to the bed and sat down, letting out an exhausted breath. He felt odd, weighed down almost. This body...it didn't feel like his. Granted it wasn't, but this was something else entirely. It felt as if...he was wearing a suit of armor that didn't fit him. It weighed him down, kept his body protected at the cost of stifling him.

"Maybe..." He raised his left hand and watched as the flesh corroded, leaving nothing but disfigured bones that resembled claws. He'd killed with them before, back when he had escaped the abyss and again when he had regained his memories. He couldn't deny a certain feeling of satisfaction when he'd done it, though looking back he should have kept his sadism in check. He didn't even know why he'd done it; at best he could surmise that it was revenge for the suffering he'd endured for the decades he'd spent in the Kiln because of Gwyn's paranoia.

But if so it was a rather pathetic reason.

And as quickly as it appeared it was gone, replaced once more with a normal hand. He tore away the ripped bandages, exposing the burned skin to the cold air. It was brief, but he felt...free. And once more he felt stifled, chained down painfully.

"Nice trick there, partner. Got anything else new?"

Oh yes, him. Manus walked to the pile the sword had been hidden in and pulled him out, "You have been quiet for the past few days. I thought perhaps you had passed away."

"Yeah, well, it's not like anyone was listening to me." There was an unmistakable hint of venom in his voice, "Last I checked I wasn't the one who left his partner to rot."

"You know why I did it." Manus scoffed, "Whatever magic that binds us together is...discomforting. We are not bound as tightly as I am with Louise, but there is a connection. At its worst even being near you worsened my condition." He threw the sword on the bed before sitting down beside him, "It matters little now. Being near you is still disconcerting but I am in no danger of losing myself to madness...for now, at least."

"So what, you remember everything now? Wait, why am I even asking; the runes are glowing brighter than that explosion at Tarbes." Derflinger clicked, "Listen, partner, I can't read your mind or anything but I still got a general idea of what you're feeling and...well, lets just say you're probably the most fucked-up partner I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Not even Charlie half-cock was this bad and he had syphilis when he got me."

"Glad I could amuse you." Raziel laughed. Talking with Derflinger was easy enough; the blade took anything that happened in stride.

"Hey, you still got a lot of making up to do for the silent treatment you gave me." He replied pointedly, "So...how is it? I mean I thought you'd start going crazy and shit when you got all your memories but you're pretty damn calm. You alright?"

"...As well as I can be." He admitted, "I question the reality of my memories and actions, but beyond that I can see clearly." He grabbed his hilt. His skin burned at the contact, but he ignored it, "...Are you doing that intentionally?"

"Hey, don't look at me! You're the one who turned to some kind of damned hel beast!" Derflinger accused, "Whatever's happening I can tell that it's changed you." He sighed, "Look, partner, I'll be straight with you - I got no idea what the fuck's happening, alright? I knew the runes were sealing your memories but I had no idea why. I mean I always felt a huge headache whenever you go on one of your screaming fits but this is something else. Now maybe I think you should've never gotten them back. If you gimme some time I could probably reseal at least some of them. What do you think?"

"Why? So I could continue walking blind?" Manus shot back, "These memories...they are not pleasant, but they are the truth. I would rather live with the knowledge of a sad truth over a comforting lie."

"And are you happy, partner? Huh? Now that you found out you were some kind of fucking monster in those memories do you feel satisfied with yourself?"

"I have always been a monster, Derflinger. All that has changed is the kind of monster I am."

"Oh yeah, there it is. Yeah, go ahead, pull out the 'I'm an Undead card' like it answers everything." He pushed outside the hilt, exposing his blade, "Partner, when are you gonna realize that excuse is bullshit? Yes, you're rotting, but does Pinky care? She went back for you on that burning ship long after she found out what you are. If you're going to use an excuse at least make it a believable."

"You do not know what my memories are. You would not understand."

"Wouldn't I? Trust me, I've seen a lot in five thousand years. Shit gets blurry after a while but its still there." Derflinger countered, "I'm gonna tell you the same thing Pinky's been telling you ever since she found out - You're not a monster. Maybe you were at one point in those memories you got but that's not you anymore. Why keep them and weigh yourself down? Just forget about em and move on."

"Maybe they are not mine, but I am still bound to them." Raziel closed his eyes, sighing, "I was never supposed to leave that cell. I was supposed to protect it forever."

"Well you did leave that cell. And guess what? You're here now, not wherever that Lordran place is. Whatever you were supposed to be doesn't matter at this point - What you are now is my stupid fucking partner. The guy who makes things harder for himself when he doesn't need to."

"..."

"You don't have to beat yourself up over everything. You have regrets, so what? You think I haven't been privy to some fucked up shit? You do a lot in five thousand years." He tapped his hilt on his leg in what he could only assume to be a comforting gesture, "Just stop acting like such a drama queen, okay? Hearing your 'I'm a monster cause I look like burnt meat' shtick gets old after a while."

"Believe what you will then," Manus scoffed, "You may find it easy to let go, but it is harder for me to do so. Now that the memories have returned I cannot just simply...will them away and blind myself once more. I would be lying to myself."

"Brimir's tits you can be annoying, you know that?" He clicked, "Well it doesn't matter since you're stuck with me. Don't even think of leaving me behind again, you hear? I'll find some way to haunt you and trust me if you think I'm annoying as a sword you haven't seen anything yet."

"Do what you must...partner." Raziel rolled his eyes, though he couldn't deny the feeling of relief that rushed through him. He didn't believe in the sword's advice of willful ignorance, but it was nice to see that he wasn't alone.

Louise came by not long after. He opened his mouth to greet her before quickly noting something was wrong - Her eyes were downcast, her lips pressed into a thin line as she grabbed a small satchel and stuffed a few bottles into it. Was that all she was taking with her? She understood that they didn't have much time before they left but he could carry her luggage for her.

"Is something the matter, Louise? If you need me to carry your belongings-"

"I'm not leaving."

"...What do you mean." He stood up and walked closer to her and grabbed her shoulder, turning her to face him, "You wish to stay? Is it safe?"

"What I mean is..." She took a deep breath, "The commanders ordered me to stay and hold off the army. They...They think that if I don't people won't evacuate in time."

He shouldn't have been surprised. They believed she could cast miracles, after all. Still, he couldn't stop the rage that white-hot rage that ran through him. They were going to run and leave her to die out of nothing more than cowardice.

"...Fine. I suppose I should have expected no less." Raziel gave her a wry smile, "Where do we-"

"You're not coming." She tied the rope on the satchel and slung it over her shoulder, "They asked me to do it, they never said you had to. Go on the ship with that maid and get away from here when you have the chance." He could see her hands shaking, "Meet me at the church before you go. I'm gonna write a letter for everyone. I can't say goodbye personally but I can at least write something."

"What? You cannot be-"

"I know you feel like you owe me your life, but you've paid that debt already. More times than I can count really. You gave me your life, so I'm giving it back."

"Louise-"

She hugged him tightly, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as she pressed her head into his chest. He could do nothing but reciprocate the gesture even as tears began to soak through his shirt. This would be the last they would see one another - There was no chance of her surviving this, both of them knew it.

"As of this moment you're relinquished from your duties as my Familiar. Thank you for everything and...goodbye."


"You and Miss. Valliere are going on the next ship? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Siesta gave him a look of worry. He could see her reasons for doubt; according some of the scouts the Albion army had been seen undertaking a forced march to the port town and they weren't likely to be merciful given the state of conflict the two countries were embroiled in. At best they could see a massacre quickly followed by a surrender - Just likes Tarbes all over again.

"Yes. Do not worry about us. I worry more for your safety." Manus smiled, taking her hands in his gently. He had to do this perfectly, "Scarron and Jessica need your help to move past this. We can talk more when we meet up again." He shrugged lightly, "We will be held up at the castle, so please remember to send the message to Cattleya when you get the chance. She will worry for Louise's safety and it will allay her fears."

He couldn't leave her to die.

"Yes, of course." She nodded. He made to separate their hands but she held firm, "Hey, Raziel..." She bit her lower lip, "Just be careful, alright? Whatever it is you and Lady Valliere are doing you're putting yourselves close to danger."

"The commanders simply want to ensure that we can salvage as much as possible. Nothing more, nothing less." Manus replied. All lies, of course; the commanders and high ranking officers were the first to leave. Cowardly bastards, "We will meet you again when you come back to the academy. I...do not know how much time I have left, but it will be comforting to pass in the closest place I have to a home in this land."

"You're still here, so there's still some hope that you're not going to die." She squeezed his hand reassuringly, "Never give up hope, okay?"

"Right..." He once again turned to leave but her hold on him never loosened, "Siesta, I have to-"

"I love you." She looked away, her cheeks burning, "Sorry, I know this really isn't the time for this, but-"

"I...I love you as well." Raziel closed his eyes and laughed, doing his best to hide the bitter feeling in his chest. He wanted to be with her, to be selfish and put what he wanted even if he knew it would only end in tragedy. Wanting something they could never have...it was something that described humanity perfectly.

They shared another kiss. It wasn't lingering or passionate, nothing compared their previous displays of affection two nights prior, just a small kiss. Raziel ignored the part of him that wished to go with her, to leave Louise behind to her death. She'd said it herself; he'd already given his life for hers many times over. She would have been fine if he escaped, if she died alone.

So, as much he didn't wish to, he pushed her away. Before the temptation became too much.

"Goodbye." He turned and left, not even waiting for her response. He didn't need any more doubts.

He retraced his footsteps to the church once more. While churches in towns weren't uncommon, this one had built it a small distance away from the town proper. Given that this was a trading port he supposed the priest eventually got tired of his sermons being interrupted with cries of fresh mutton and discount armor.

No one gave him a second glance as he passed, too busy with their own affairs to worry about anyone else. None of these people would know what Louise - and himself by extension - were sacrificing for them. The high ranking military officials would take credit for 'bravely holding off the advancing Albionese dogs' (Derflinger's words) and both of their bodies would be thrown down a ditch.

"I can't believe you lied to her." Derflinger mused, his hilt rising from the scabbard attached to his back, "Partner, I'm not one for this romance crap - swords really don't have that luxury of course - but most lovers usually give each other proper goodbyes when they run off to do the heroic last stand."

"I did not want to lie to her." Raziel sighed, "But she would only be hurt if I told her the truth. I do not need her to involve herself more than she already has. She...She will hate me for it, but she will move on after a time. Everyone dies at some point..."

"See, now why do I get the feeling this'll just make things worse?" Derflinger said, "Listen, partner, I got a lot of owners over the years; some good, some bad, most of em stupid. But whenever I got an owner who actually had a loved one they were leaving behind cause of war or sacrifice or whatever they always regretted not being able to say goodbye properly. You let her leave now and you're going to regret it."

His expression appeared pained before quickened his pace, "I have made my choice, Derflinger. Whatever regrets I carry I bear of my own choosing."

"...If you you say so." He lowered himself back into the scabbard.

They stayed in an uncomfortable silence until they reached edge of town. As Raziel caught sight of the aged chapel building he asked softly, "Hey, Derflinger...have you ever...had a partner like me?"

"What, you mean melodramatic wiseguys who act way too depressed for their own good? Yep. I mean you're definitely one of the worst but I was used as a prop by the head actor in a traveling troupe and lemme tell ya that guy could whine like no one else-"

"You know what I mean..." Derflinger never seemed to comment on his undeath or his...tendencies like the others had.

"Oh, you mean the whole 'I go insane and turn into a hel beast' thing? Or earlier about you being a walking cadaver?" Derflinger paused, drawing out the question. Raziel rolled his eyes, "Well, if you mean that then...no, can't say I have." He hummed something unintelligible, "I mean it didn't really surprise me, ya know? You see a lot in five thousand years and between the Vampire, the Pirate, a couple of Elves, a Winged One and Steven from the bank you kinda get used to seeing weird crap."

"I am just another page in the book for you, then..." It was a general observation. He didn't feel resentful of it all that much; once he was gone it wasn't as if he would be around to care if he was remembered or forgotten.

"Hey, to be perfectly fair you're a really thick page of that book...with messy handwriting to boot." He laughed at his own joke, "But seriously, if you're worried about me forgetting about you then there's no need - Memories may fade overtime but a part of me is always gonna remember what a colossal pain in the ass your were. Besides, you're the first real partner I've had in centuries so you got that going for you."

"My own living mark in history. I am flattered." Raziel laughed softly,

The rest of the short walk was spent with a light back and forth that continued until he spotted the figure standing next to the church's doorways. Julio leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and (for once) his smile crooked. The priest looked up as he approached and tried to hide his uncertainty, "Sir. Raziel...I was told by Miss. Valliere that she would be undertaking this task alone." He laughed under his breath, "I should've known you wouldn't be able to leave her behind."

"Gwyn..." Manus stared at the moon-eyed priest for a moment before allowing himself to sigh, "Even after everything we have suffered through that confidence of yours has never waned. I would have thought the years in the kiln would have broken you like it had me."

The priest's eyes widened for a moment before his smile widened, "Ah, it appears the memories have finally returned. I knew there was something different about you." He leaned in close, his breath tickling his face, "So I am curious: Now that you know of the relationship you once shared do you hate me? Does your nature compel you to destroy me till nothing remains?"

"I would prefer if you keep your distance." He pushed him away, his expression grim, "But no...I do not hate you. That was torn out of me ages ago." His lips quirked up by a minuscule amount, "I hated you before because I did not understand. Your soul was that of Light and simply being near you infuriated me. Now that I know everything, I feel more weary than anything else. I suppose understand who I really am has changed things."

"You are confusing yourself, 'Raziel'." He sang the name as if it was something inherently amusing, "We may have their memories, but we aren't them any more than they're us. I remember the days of Anor Londo, the time a God fought against a wraith in the cathedral."

"Gwyn, why is this no surprise?"

"Because our destinies run together, old friend. ...Like two rivers that have crossed and can never be distinct again. At your every fatal turn, you will find me."

"And the free will that you said was mine, what has become of that?"

"You still have it. And that has everything to do with my presence here now."

"It was your machinations that set everything in motion. The coin you tossed has struck. Now you must abide by its outcome."

"The coin is still turning, Manus. To reach the resolution we both can live with, that would best serve our futures, The Dark Soul must not grow stronger."

"Because you do not wish it? Is my free will to be exercised only when it accords to your whim?"

"Believe me, I know what I am." Raziel muttered. "Tell me one thing - Why you? Why did I appear like you?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Julio replied, "Our masters and their Familiars are all bound by the same string. Four parts of a single whole. When you had been summoned, how were you physically?"

"...Louise told me it was similar to what happened after we saved the fool of a Queen. My body had been destroyed in the kiln..."

"And the runes searched for the closest substitute." He raised his right hand, "It was either me or Lady Sheffield; our mysterious fourth member hasn't been summoned or perhaps the runes deemed them less compatible than I was."

"We really are bound to one another." He traced a hand through the chapel's wall, "The last time we...they had met, it had been at Oolacile's cathedral." He clenched his fist tightly, "I...He was angry. Gwyn wished for him to listen, to understand that they were being set against one another. But the years in the abyss had broken him; it did not matter what Gwyn's reasons were anymore."

"I will admit he acted rashly." Julio's shoulders sagged, "Looking on it now it seemed so obvious you were the sacrificial pig, but back then he had grown rash, blinded by paranoia and seeing traitors in any soul that contained even a hint of darkness. When you appeared on court with those wings, he had decided that you had all but announced your guilt."

"Velka played us both for fools, did she not?" Manus laughed, "Neither of us saw it. A Goddess of Sin that deluded herself that her purpose was judging the 'guilty'. In her eyes everyone had sinned, everyone deserved condemnation. She could not hope to defeat you on her own, so she set us against one another. Her spies whispered in your ear and she had tricked me into believing I had gained her favor. She knew you would throw me into the abyss - the punishment for traitors - and that I would survive."

"And then she sat back and watched as we tore each other apart." Julio shrugged, "It's ancient history, Raziel, one that doesn't concern us anymore." He touched his shoulder gently, "Whoever they once were doesn't matter. We're here now, not them. We have a purpose, more than simple petty squabbles of power. Our lives don't matter as much as our masters."

"Well, well. Maybe you did learn something after all. The old Gwyn would die only for himself."

"He gave his life for his ideals, as I expect you did as well." He said, "But we've dawdled long enough. I'll be frank - I need to convince Ms. Valliere to abandon this pointless sacrifice."

"...It is her choice-"

"No, it was a choice made for her by those short-sighted cravens." His voice turned cold, "They're blind. They look at her and see a weapon, a tool they could use to profit themselves and themselves only. Her destiny is far more important than petty squabbles over land." He took a deep breath, "We are expendable, we can be replaced. Our souls will return in due time and until then others can take our place. But those blessed by Allfather Brimir's legacy...they are irreplaceable."

"Why not tell her so yourself?" Raziel raised an eyebrow.

"I did. I tried my best to convince her of how foolish this 'sacrifice' would be." He nudged his head to the door, "She kicked me out. If I had more time I could have earned her trust, but it is far too late for that." He took hold of his reflection's hands and held onto them tightly, pleading, "She trusts you, Sir. Raziel. You do not wish for her die. You came back for her even when she released you from your obligations. Please...convince her to live."

"You are asking me to stay here alone, then?" He asked back. He didn't really mind, but he had to make sure.

"Yes...regrettably so." To his credit Julio at least appeared to have meant it, "As I said before we are expendable. I would give my life for my master if he ever asked for it; it's what any Familiar would do."

"I will relay your...request." He pried their hands loose, "But in the end it will be her choice. It is her life and it lies in her what she wishes to do."

"...I know you will do the right thing."


The cathedral was shabby.

He'd only been in this place twice and that was the first thing that came to mind each time. He would have thought a place like this would be well-kept for given the religious practices in this land but he supposed he was wrong...though he doubted the citizens here cared all too much about the weekly masses given the war that had engulfed their country.

Still, being here was uncomfortable. He winced and rubbed his head as a few faint memories flashed briefly. He had poor experiences with churches in all three lifetimes and he didn't relish having to spend time in another given his fragile mental state.

The place was empty as expected save for its lone occupant: A young woman wearing a nun's habit kneeling in front of an altar, her back facing him. His eyebrows knotted together; Louise had changed into a nun's habit? He knew that she had faith, but why go through all this trouble simply to pray for luck? He shook his head and walked towards her. Fear of death made one do bizarre things-

"Sir. Raziel, is that you?"

That...didn't sound like Louise.

Rhea stood up from her kneeling position, both hands covering her open mouth as she looked at him in surprise, "It...It really is you..." She allowed herself a slight smile and stepped closer to him.

Raziel stepped back, "You shouldn't be here."

A flash of pink hair. Louise looked up at him, her expression torn between confused and angry, "What do you mean I shouldn't be here!? I told you to-"

"You told me you would come for me. I...I didn't think you would keep your promise." Rhea blinked, trying to fight away tears, "I knew you wouldn't leave me-"

"I told you to leave on the ship!" Louise stamped her foot, her voice rising with every word, "What part of 'You're no longer my Familiar' do you understand!? Don't you get it, Raziel!? If you stay here you're going to die-"

"I thought I would die if I stayed her any longer. That..That unholy beast, he nearly-

"He told me that I should leave, but I can't do that. You know what will happen when the army gets here. People-

"-died. Those sickening experiments, he tortured them...turned them into monsters. It was...terrible. I thought I would be-"

"-the only one staying here! There's no sense in both of us dying! Leave now and-"

"-take me with you...please...please save-"

"-yourself, before it's too late-"

"Shut up!"

Raziel legs shook and he fell on his knees, hands pushing against the floor to hold himself up. This wasn't real. None of this was real. Rhea was dead, Louise was here. It wanted to break him completely, to make him lose himself in the madness. He clenched his left and grit his teeth as the flesh was torn away- No, he could control it. He was dying already...the damn thing could wait a few more hours.

When he looked up once more Rhea was gone, Louise taking her place. Her lips were pursed but she offered him a hand, one which he took gratefully.

"...Apologies."

"...I'm used to it at this point." She gestured to a small table to the side, "We should probably take a seat...I get the feeling you're not exactly planning on leaving."

The sat across one another, the only thing occupying the table between them being a small bottle of wine and a single glass; he recalled her stuffing it into her satchel earlier. Without a word she opened the bottle and poured until the crimson fluid filled the cup to the brim, "I don't have another glass, sorry. I didn't think I'd be having this drink with anyone else, after all." She stared at him pointedly.

"...I do not drink. Not since what happened with the lust poison." He waited for her to finish her glass before continuing, "I...apologize for my earlier outburst. For a moment you appeared as if you were Rhea..."

"Rhea...that girl you saved in the catacombs?"

"Yes." He nodded, "It must be this place...I have always had poor experiences in and around churches." He shook his head, "...I understood enough of what you said earlier. I...take it you are not happy I decided to stay?"

"Really? What was your first hint?" She scoffed, "Raziel, I didn't say those words because I thought they sounded dramatic - I wanted you to save yourself. Brimir knows you deserve it after everything." She slammed the cup down, "But what did you do instead? Oh right, you completely disobeyed me. Again." She clicked her tongue, "You know what I should have done instead was tie you to the ship...though I'd still give you a half-shot of coming here dragging the ship with you."

"That would be quite a sight..." He said.

"So...what happened to the letter?" She continued, "You're not gonna tell me you left it in the trash somewhere, right?"

"I gave it to Siesta. She agreed to give it to Cattleya."

"Huh, I'm surprised she agreed to do that. I thought she'd resent me for you staying here in this last stand." He looked away, his expression pained. Her eyes widened, "Raziel, please tell me you didn't..."

"I...told her we would be leaving on the next ship-"

He was cut off when Louise groaned loudly, slapping both hands to her face, "Great. Just great. I thought I could at least die without anything else weighing on my conscience, but now this...fuck, Raziel, do you have any idea how hurt she's going to be when she finds out!? It's bad enough that you're going to die but you lied to her. I'm not exactly friends with that maid but no one deserves that-"

"You mean like your family and friends?" Manus asked back, his voice dropping to a snarl, "We are both leaving people behind, Louise. You more than I." He leaned back on his seat to avoid her angered slap, "Hitting me will not change anything. You might believe that dying here serves some heroic purpose but you know more than I that a letter will not be enough to convince them of that."

"I know that!" She bit back an angry roar and took a deep breath to calm herself, "Do you think I wanna die? Of course I don't! But if I don't do this then who will? I know it's futile - Unless we can hold them for a whole day or make them turn completely around people are still going to die. Not everyone's going to escape in time; there are too many people." She bit her lower lip, "But every minute, every second we keep them from marching here is another life saved. I know we can't save everyone, but I can save as many as I can. I could never look them in the eyes if I did anything else."

"Why are you doing this?" Raziel asked, "This war is lost. There is no more 'honor' or 'glory' to be won-"

"You think I'm doing this for that?" She snapped, "You know what? Fine. I admit it: I'm doing this for myself. I'm selfish." She laughed bitterly, "Ever since Tarbes I could never forget the feeling of thousands dying...all because of me." She closed her eyes, "Ever since I got this power I've used it to kill people. I tell myself that it has to be done, that I'm doing it to protect people, but it doesn't help. Now I can't...I don't even feel anything when I take a life. That's not right. Killing is still killing, it shouldn't be something I feel nothing about."

"You have nothing to be guilty about-"

"Don't I?" She interrupted, "These aren't golems I'm killing. They're real people. People with lives, families, friends...and how many did I kill with a single spell? Thousands? More than that?

"And you would rather they kill you?" He asked back, "We talked about this before, Louise. You or them, it cannot be both."

"Knowing that doesn't make it any easier..." She whispered, "I feel disgusted with myself. I didn't feel guilty when I stabbed those men two nights ago...hel, I felt happy when I saw you brutalizing them. I'm going mad." She sighed, "Part of the reason I helped those Winged Ones escape that madhouse was because I wanted to save someone, to reassure myself that I didn't have to just kill people to do something good. Guess what happened." She continued before he could even open his mouth, "Most of them died during the attack two days ago, and those that didn't are knocking down deaths door. I released those monsters on those towns to save them and for what? Nothing!"

"You cannot honestly blame yourself for that."

"Can't I? If I just left them to die those villages wouldn't have been raided and people wouldn't have died. The greater good, right?" She hissed, "So yes, I'm doing this because I want to alleviate my guilt. I don't want to die, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just ran now."

An uncomfortable silence passed between them. He knew Louise had been troubled by her actions, but he couldn't understand the severity of it until now. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her that she was a good person, but it would have been hollow coming from him. Who was he to judge what a good person was? He who killed without a second thought and was created to be nothing more than a mask.

"...It's still not too late for you to leave," She offered, her voice soft, "There should still be a ship. You can make it if you hurry."

"...I am not leaving you." Raziel repeated, "You do not need to stay here. I can hold them off myself, and Cattleya's bonfire should save me from death-"

"Really?" She clearly didn't believe him, "Raziel, out of how many times you've nearly died, not once did you leave and magically pop up in that bonfire thing." Her eyes narrowed, "I saw you get shot in the head and your body stayed in the great hall. You're not going to make me believe that you always had an easy escape."

"All Undead return to the bonfire. That is-"

"Except you're not really an Undead at this point, are you? You told me before that Undead didn't bleed, didn't taste, didn't cry, but I've seen you do these things."

"It does not mean-"

"Do Undead have beating hearts?" She pressed. Raziel opened his mouth to reply but nothing came, "I heard it when I hugged you back in the tent. It was weak, but I'm sure that's what it was." She placed a hand atop his and squeezed, "You're alive, Raziel. Maybe you're not 'normal', but neither are big sis Amy and big sis Daisy and I love them all the same."

"...Touching words, but it does not change anything." Manus slid his hand away and pulled the off bandages covering his face. Louise flinched at the sight of his blackened skin. She thought the burns were grotesque, but the pulsating veins were another thing entirely, "This soul is not mine, Louise. Even if I do leave I will be living on borrowed time. I may have staved off the Hollowing, but it did not save me. It...It is taking over...I do not have much longer."

"Then we're dying together." She affirmed.

"You still have a life to live. How many years of life do you have left? You have years, I have days. This is not a hard choice to make."

"You want me to trade your life for mine?" She shook her head, "No. Not anymore. You've saved me enough times, Raziel. If you're not going to let me save you then at least let me be there."

He wasn't going to change her mind, he knew that. He could knock her out and give her to Julio but would that solve anything? Her mind was fragile enough as it was and finding out he had 'given his life for hers' would only worsen things. Both of them were barely clinging on. They were both living on borrowed time, it didn't matter what the reasons were.

He couldn't save her if she wasn't willing to save herself.

"...You are stubborn." He groaned before finally nodding, "...Fine. It is ultimately your life to live and I cannot for you to save yourself." His voice grew softer, "I hope you have no regrets."

"I have regrets, but it doesn't change anything." She finished off the remaining wine in her cup before refilling her glass. Already he could see a rosy tint on her cheeks, "I wanted to spend more time with big sis Catt, big sis Amy and big sis Daisy; I wanted to be there to support the Princess through all of this; I wanted to make my parents proud; And I always wanted to tell honored sister Eleanor..." She took another large gulp before continuing, "...That she's always been a colossal bitch and that's why the Count of Burgundy left her."

"Maybe if you scream loud enough she will hear you..."

"Good idea...!"

He watched incredulously as she all but ran to the closest window before yelling out 'Honored sister Eleanor is a colossal bitch!' as loud as she could. Quick as it came she walked back to the table and finished off the rest of her glass, her expression never once losing its morose demeanor.

"...You are drunk."

"Your point?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing." Raziel covered his mouth to muffle a laugh, "You have earned it considering the circumstances."

The rest of their time had been spent with light conversation. They were lying to themselves, the both knew it, but there was nothing else they could do. Their friends and family weren't here and all they could do was cling to one another until...until their time came.

"...It is time." He watched the setting sun through the window. Most of the ships had already left, but he knew that there would still be people remaining; there weren't enough rooms to take everyone to safety given the sudden rush. Hopefully they realized this and used the delay to escape the town on foot rather than waiting for the ships to come back. It would make this all pointless if they stayed.

"Already? I thought we'd have more time." She forced a smile before before her mouth opened with a silent 'oh', "In all the commotion I almost forgot about the New Year tradition." She rummaged through the satchel before fishing out a ring with a chain running through its center. He raised an eyebrow, "I found it when I was going back to town. The merchant gave it for free since he was in such a rush to leave."

He took in the necklace's details; both the ring itself and the chain holding it were nothing unique, comprised of nothing more than slightly dulled silver and interlocking metals. The ring itself was equally plain save for the small pentagram carved into its center.

"A signet ring," She explained, "When I saw it...it reminded me of home." She took a moment to calm herself before continuing, "I was going to give it to you when I saw you back at camp but...well, they told me about this." She laughed wryly before pressing it against his hands, "It's common practice to give presents to close friends and family on the start of the new year. I thought it'd be appropriate."

He gave the necklace another look-over before nodding. He...wasn't sure how to feel about the gesture. Well, he was thankful of course, but beyond that he wanted to both tell Louise that he loved her and that the gesture was pointless and empty considering their circumstances.

He settled on thanking her.

"It's...thank you, Louise. I appreciate the gesture." He quickly unclasped the chain and wrapped it around his neck. Mercifully it was long enough to be loose, "But...I did not get you anything."

"You already forgot this?" She tapped the scarf covering her neck. Siesta's scarf, "When that maid saw me with it I thought she was going to get angry, but she didn't seem to care. Guess she had more things to worry about," She shrugged, "Anyway, that's it I guess. There's not much else to do now except face it with some dignity."

He nodded and stood before she grabbed his face and pulled him into a sudden kiss.

The kiss, if it could even be called that, was quick. It wasn't like the kisses he'd shared with Siesta, born out of attraction and lingering feelings. The contact was light and he only had time to blink once before they separated. Louise coughed into her hands and gave him an easy smile, "A kiss for good luck." He raised an eyebrow and she stifled a laugh, "Don't make a big deal out of it. Families share kisses like that as a show of affection."

"You could have just simply told me good luck..." He muttered.

"Yeah, well, we're about to go off to our deaths so I figured there was no room for regrets." She paused before continuing, "Look, Raziel, we're not gonna have a chance to talk after this so I wanna get it off my chest - When we first met I was scared, angry even that I got an Undead as my Familiar. I didn't want a monster."

"I understand-"

"Let me finish." She held up a hand, "But...Raziel, I haven't known you that long but I want you to know that...that I'm glad that I met you. Our relationship isn't the most stable, I know that, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world and I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I never met you. I...I love you..." She bit her lower lip before continuing in a rush, "Uh...I mean in a platonic way, of course. We're close and all but I don't like you that way-"

"I love you as well." He couldn't help but laugh at how quickly her mouth shut. He thought it was obvious considering he was willing to stay for her, "Come then, let us face the abyss together once more."


As expected, Julio hadn't been happy.

Louise had gone on ahead, giving him quick directions on where to go, before riding off and ignoring Julio's pleas. As soon as the pinkette had disappeared from sight the priest rounded to face him, his expression was one he hadn't seen on the young man before - Pure, unbridled fury.

"Are you insane? Why would you let her die here?" Julio snapped. Raziel moved to push past but the reincarnated God pressed him against the wall, one hand against his neck and another holding his left hand, "Do you have no idea what this means? It means you're supposed to protect her. It means you should be willing to give your life a hundred times over if it means she's safe."

"Let go of me..."

"You don't understand. Do you have any idea of the role she's meant to play? You've doomed this world like your predecessor. Everything you touch you destroy, leaving nothing but death in your wake."

"You forget the role you played, 'old friend'" Manus snarled, "We both destroyed Lordran; Light and Dark fighting for dominance, blind to the consequences of their actions." He laughed, "You of all people have no right to claim that you care about her. You left her in the hall to be abused by those mercenaries; where was your bravery then?"

"I trusted you to keep her safe. Despite our differences I knew you would protect her from true harm." He shook his head, "I see I was mistaken. Do you think you're doing the right thing? She'll die in agony and we have to search for the new Void Mage when she perishes. Our time is already short and your selfishness has cost us more than you know."

"...Are you finished?" He asked, "Just because I no longer hate you does not mean I trust you." His right hand took hold of Julio's wrist, "Louise made her choice...it is not in our place to make her decisions for her."

"...Your predecessor was stubborn back then, too. It always frustrated me remembering it."

Julio crashed his lips against his forcefully. Raziel's mouth widened in surprise and he took it as a chance to deepen the osculation, pressing him harder against the wall as their teeth mashed together uncomfortably. It was disgusting; there was something inherently wrong with the contact, a feeling that worsened when Julio's tongue entered his mouth and began to trash around erratically.

He was half-tempted to bite his tongue off, but he didn't want any reminders of the taste.

Manus pushed Gwyn off, causing him to reel in sudden pain. That new body of his was far more fragile than his previous one, "...I see you have not lost your tastes. You may be in a different body but your appetites remain." He wiped his mouth roughly with a free hand, "...You want to kill me." It wasn't a question and Julio didn't bother to refute the accusation, "Try your luck then."

"I'm not a fool..." He raised both hands and laughed mockingly, "I may have been gifted with blessings because of this soul, but I retained their inclinations as well. You feel it as well: It pushes you to kill, to feed like a glutton. I have desires that are improper for a man of my station, but I know better than anyone that it is futile to try and suppress these urges. I simply channel them into something more harmless and pleasurable."

"Leave me out of of it." He wiped his mouth again. He didn't want that assault to be one of his last memories, "If you want to kill me, then shoot me or stab me. I would prefer that to this."

"I will keep that in mind." His smile held no mirth, "Go on then. Before the temptation grows stronger and I...express my affection for you again."

"...Good luck with averting this world's destruction. I hope you have better luck than when you last tried to 'save the world'."

"We shall see, my friend."


An army of seventy thousand came to greet them.

The vanguard had been first; a 'small' group of maybe a hundred that had gone ahead of the main army. They were marching close enough to one another that Louise could take out most of them with the first two blasts - along with getting a few more scars in her brain for good measure - while Raziel finished off the survivors. Surprise had been their only advantage - They certainly didn't expect a girl and her Familiar to be their opposition. They expected demoralized soldiers and weakened mercenaries, not a Void Mage.

"...There they are." She pointed to the marching bodies off in the distance with one hand, her other cradling a bloodied flintlock against her coat. She could barely make out the individual soldiers marching through the snow; there were far too many of them. The only distinct figures she could make out were the Ogres and Orcs being being led forward by collars.

Raziel nodded and stood beside her, his left hand turning into a grotesque claw while his right held onto Derflinger. She saw the 'corruption' lining his skin spread, consuming most of his face and turning his left eye black, "Are you alright? The last time you used that...it didn't end so well."

"I am fine." He muttered. Mercifully his teeth hadn't turned into sharpened pincers, though she didn't count on that to last long, "I will distract them when they come...just make sure to keep yourself safe for as long as you can. We are dying here but we are not going to make it easy for them."

"Right..." She took a deep breath and shot the gun into the air. Behind them the horses let out a loud neigh before running back from the direction they came. She didn't need them to get killed for this, "...Now it's just the two of us."

"Three. Hope you're not forgetting about me, Pinky." Derflinger clicked. Louise's shoulders sagged in mock disappointment, earning a laugh from her Familiar.

The first few soldiers were simple. When they had first seen him they could only stop and blink, unsure if they were really seeing someone charge at them without the support of allies.

Their doubts evaporated when Manus impaled one of the stunned mercenaries with a clawed hand.

"Shit! Kill him, kill him!" The soldiers closest to them raised their guns and aimed before a distorted scream pierced through the air. Immediately they felt fear overtake them and they dropped their weapons, heart beating against their chest wildly. Many all-but collapsed, fighting to stay conscious even as the urge to claw at their own bodies began to overtake them.

Raziel continued the assault, swinging Derflinger at the bodies closest to him. The fear was induced and he couldn't count on it lasting long. Already he could see a few soldiers from outside of the howl's reach coming for him.

The rest of the army rushed ahead to try and help their comrades before they were consumed by a fiery light. Louise bit back a scream as she heard - felt - the screams of the dying soldiers. She had to distract them - As monstrous as her Familiar had become he was still one person. She needed to keep them from focusing on him. She pointed her wand at another cluster and cast her spell.

Two swords cut against his back. Raziel let out another scream and threw a ball of fire behind him, discarding Derflinger in the process. He needed to heal himself. He took a quick swig from the estus before dropping the bottle; it burned against his skin. He...He needed Humanity. Nothing else could heal him. Picking up Derflinger, he ran to the closest corpse and stabbed his left hand into its chest.

Move. She had to move. Louise cast her third explosion and ran, nearly tripping over the frigid snow. If she stayed in one place they would find her. Already there were bullets and arrows shooting in her direction.

A shot hit against his stomach. He opened his mouth to scream but it came out weakly, muffled from the pain. Sensing his weakness the soldiers piled on top of him, stabbing whatever flesh they could reach.

"Raziel!" She tried to cast a spell before something caught her eye: A rain of arrows, coming right for her. Eyes widening, she cast an explosion at the barrage and turned to run. She didn't get get far before a stray arrow pierced through her calf and she fell.

He could see Louise fall from his left eye, the bond flaring, "Louise!" He renewed his struggle. With every soldier he pushed off another came to take their place; he needed to get them off now. Biting back a muffled curse his hand right hand flared and pillars of fire rose from beneath him, burning anyone brave enough to keep their hold. The fires burned through him as well, eating away at his skin, but it was a small price to pay. He needed to get to her.

Blood. That was her blood. Sitting up, she pressed a hand against the wound (as best she could with the arrow sticking out) while the other groped desperately for her wand, "Brimir damn it all, where is it!?" She was beginning to feel lightheaded. Swallowing, she tried to stand before the pain caused her to fall on her back. Damn it, it was far too painful. She...She couldn't pull it out. Her shaking hands grasped the exposed wood and snapped it in two.

He didn't get far. For all his fire and darkness, he was still one man against thousands. He managed a few steps before they were on him, at least two on each side holding him down. He barely heard Derflinger scream his name before he was kicked away by the soldiers struggling to hold him down.

She was becoming lightheaded. Crawling on her side, one hand holding her recovered wand and another pulling her ahead, she took deep, ragged breaths and let out strangled moans of pain. She could hear her heart beating against her chest, and seeing the attacks Raziel suffered weren't helping. She didn't know where she was going and she understood that she had no hope of getting away, but she kept crawling, hoping against all logic that they could survive for just a bit longer.

The pain was too much. He'd lost count of how many times they'd stabbed him, how many spells they flung at him or how many bullets had pierced his body. His struggles weakened and he could do nothing but watch as a figure on horseback pushed through the crowd, a group of Mages steadfastly following him. It must have been someone important, but right now he couldn't tell who it was.

The dragoons were coming for her. Even now she could see them, the large dragons and their riders bearing down on her. She pointed her wand at them, "Explos-" Her incantation was replaced by a cry of pain as a wind blade cut through her arm, forcing her to drop her wand. Desperately she scrambled back, her injured arm pressed against her chest to stem the tide of blood.

"Is this him?" His voice was hazy. Raziel looked up and mustered a half-hearted glare at the man. He heard his captors nod back, referring to him as 'General Hawkins'. Hah...he supposed he should have been honored to be given such special attention. He watched as the man's eyes shifted to his left hand and his expression curled up in disgust. Bloodstained claws had no place on humans, after all. His heartbeat quickened as the man unholstered his gun and placed it against his chest. Hah...for a moment he felt truly alive and it was going to be taken from him.

Raziel was dead. She saw the general's finger squeeze the trigger before her Familiar fell, his vision fading as they finally released him. His soul still hadn't left his body, but she didn't know how much longer he had left. Staring up at the dragon riders she closed her eyes and let her mind wander back to her friends and family. She took a deep breath and tried to stop herself from shivering as she heard the loud roar. She had to face this with some amount of dignity.

"Louise..." Hawkins' brows knotted together in worry at the soft voice. Turning back his mouth could only drop in shock as the young man(?) raised a hand weakly in the direction of the dragoons. He reluctantly followed his gaze and let out a yell of surprise as she caught sight of the unidentified dragon pushing through the riders.

A dragon came for her, but not the ones she'd expected. Opening her eyes she found herself speechless as Julio dismounted and rushed over to her, the other dragon riders behind her struggling to not be thrown off as their dragons bucked and defied their commands, "Come, Miss. Valliere, we have to go. I can't distract them for long." He didn't give her a chance to reply before he picked her up and retreated back to Azuro.

She raised her hands to paw at his face, "Raziel...we can't leave him..." Her voice was weak. The Bond allowed them to see, not hear. She needed to...she needed...

Julio looked down at her and offered her a reassuring smile, light-tipped fingers caressing her cheek as her consciousness faded.

"After them!" The commander gestured to the retreating dragon frantically. It didn't matter to him. He saw Louise stroke the priest's face before the bond faded, giving him back both his eyes. All the better for him to see the dragon take flight, leaving him here to his death.

She lied. She left him to die. She'd told him they would face this together and she ran away with the lightbearer.

...Pathetic. He had actually believed her. He laughed, tears escaping from wounded eyes as the mask began to crack. He wanted to be happy for her, to be relieved that she was alive, but all he could feel was resentment. She'd made such a good show of it - Releasing him from his binding, urging him to live out his own life and for what? So she could test if the mask truly believed she cared about him?

Pathetic fool. Blind till the end.

Hawkins' attention was drawn back as his soldiers pointed their weapons behind him. Turning back he nearly let out a cry of fear as he tried to understand what he saw - The young man(?) standing unevenly, his form more monstrous than before: Whatever corruption was contained in his left hand spread to the rest of his body. He could see his teeth sharpening, the bones jutting out of his body unnaturally in misshapen bursts.

But it was nothing to the ungodly wails. A grotesque combination mix of crying and laughter. Its face broke into a distorted smile even as tears continued to trickle down its face. Merely hearing it made him want to tear at his brain.

Everything was hazy; the Humanity called to him, beckoning that he reunite them. He saw blurry figures, each indistinct from one another. The cacophony had set them off, driving the dark fragments wild in a frenzy to escape their fleshy confines. They wanted to be free, to be reunited with their progenitor. He felt his hunger grow and any restraint disappeared.

Manus was all too willing to honor their wishes.

"Concentrate fire on him!"

No one did. Manus watched impassively as the soldiers collapsed, many already tearing at their skin in an attempt to release the Humanity from their prisons. Their Humanity wished to be free, to reunite with one another so the Dark Souk could return to its full glory. It didn't take long for the blood to start pouring from their wounds, the prisoners desperately gnawing at their chains to taste freedom.

Hawkins' clambered onto his horse and ran. His hands shook, instincts urging him to tear at the throat at the man next to him, but he resisted. This...This wasn't right. Many others had similar ideas and ran, while a few brave fools decided to attack the monster corrupting them all.

Manus dodged the manic strikes. There were many of them, but they were scared, fighting against the urge to kill one another. He let out another roar before slamming his hand down on the ground, releasing a large number of dark sprites to surround them in a circle. The soldiers barely had time to look at them before the circle narrowed, burning anything in their path with dark flames.

Those outside of the circle's reach scrambled to the burnt corpses, hands hysterically searching through the bodies for more Humanity. A few soldiers continued to raise their weapons but they were afraid, unwilling to go near him.

A barrage of arrows came from above, uncaring of the possibility of their comrades being hit. Manus raised his left hand and let the arrows bounce against the translucent shield. He needed to chase after them...looking around the ground briefly he found the talking sword and picked him up.

The rest of the army fared no better. For every soldier that tried to charge the monstrosity many more had ran or turned against one another. Hawkins saw a few unlucky ones transform, their skins corroding and their bones stretching unnaturally till they barely resembled humans. How far did the monster's reach hold? He thought to rally those marching at the back, but its influence seemed neverending.

Whatever this creature was, Tristain must have prayed to demons in order to gain its aid.

Another two dead, much to the sword's growing protestations. Their fear was growing. With every second that passed Manus could feel their Humanity growing more and more wild. He knew the feeling all too well. Slowly but surely his own veneer of sanity began to crack and instincts took over. He dropped the talking sword and knelt down in front of a corpse to feed.

"Partner, stop! That's enough!" Derflinger screamed. The creature ignored him, feasting hungrily on the fresh corpses littering the battlefield. Those foolish enough to still try and attack him found themselves more than easily matched by the now corrupted soldiers. Hunger...he needed more...he needed to reunite them all into one. Then the Light would be purged and only Dark would remain.

This battle was lost. Hawkins made it close to the edge of the field and looked back at the gruesome sight that awaited - Soldiers slaughtered by the dozens, madness breaking their minds. Creatures born straight out of nightmare picked apart those few that had been brave enough not to run while the rest...he couldn't bear to describe it. He had never once thought to feel pity for the Firstborns, but watching them tear apart their own stomachs only for madmen to feed on them was a fate no one deserved.

"Partner, can you hear me!? Come on, listen to me!"

Raziel was gone; all that remained was an animal indulging in its urges. It fed on another corpse, its grotesque appearance only continuing to worsen as it consumed more Humanity.

"Damn it, this is not how it's going to end! You hear me!?" The creature ignored him. Derflinger concentrated on the runes; even through the the corruption they were still their, the glow dulled but unmistakable.

He had once chance at this.

The creature's feeding paused. Letting out a feral roar it could do nothing but watch as the runes glowed brightly, excruciatingly burning against his skin. Blackened hands grabbed for the sword's hilt and, without giving him a chance to consider otherwise, stabbed himself in the chest.

The effects were instantaneous.

Hawkins held onto his head tightly as a splitting headache coursed through him. Still, he was one of the lucky ones - The transformed creatures rolled on the ground, screaming unmistakable death wails as their progenitor stabbed the sword deeper inside him; Soldiers who attempted to tear off their skin stopped, managing only to groan in pain as their sanity finally returned to them; Firstborns grew docile once more, many collapsing outright.

...Was it over? What happened?

The monster stumbled, doing its best to remain upright. Its monstrous features subsides, the malformed bones and corroded skin making way for normal human features. It let out a strangled scream of pain, one that sounded disturbingly human.

Through blurry eyes he saw the shadowed figure run - nobody willing to stop it from doing otherwise - into the thick forests. A part of him was tempted to give chase, to make it suffer retribution, but he knew better - They'd barely survived, and even then he had no idea why the creature decided to stab itself. Pursuing this could only end in more suffering befalling them.

"...Sir, what do we do now?" A soldier looked at him expectantly, pleading for answers.

"Sound the retreat." He looked over the soldiers dotting the field, "We need to...to tell Emperor Cromwell what's happened."


He stumbled through the forest, the pain rising with every step he took. What...What was happening? Where was he? He looked around frantically; the trees blocked the light of the moon, making it difficult for him to see. He took hold of a larger tree and coughed out a mix of black and red liquid. He didn't understand. Why was he injured? Why...Why could he walk even with a sword sticking out of his chest? That wasn't possible. He should have been dead.

How did he get here? The last thing he remembered was-

"Argh!" Brief images flashed through his mind, all unfamiliar to him. He...He couldn't focus with this stuck inside him. Biting back a cry of pain, he grabbed the sword and pulled.

The scream was louder than he would have liked. He laid the sword at his side and tried to cover the gaping hole, "Hurts...it hurts..." He sobbed. It was too much...was he going to die here? He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes. His consciousnesses was fading and the pain showed no signs of letting up. He had no idea where the closest town was and he couldn't walk - he doubted he could even crawl - more than a few feet at best.

"...Screamed...hurt..."

Even through his whimpers he heard them - Voices, young by the sound of them,"Go get bis sis! Hurry!" He crawled to a tree and leaned against it, the sword lying a small distance away from him. Blood continued to pour from the open wound and yet he felt no closer to dying.

He laid there, looking up at the sky to try and distract himself from the pain, before his ears picked up on something else.

Footsteps.

He saw them through the shadows. Their features were indistinguishable due to the darkness, but he knew they were children. They were far too small to be anything else.

The taller figure behind them was the one who caught his attention. Unlike the children they showed no fear or hesitation, walking up to him before slowly kneeling down, a soft hand gently caressing his face.

"Oh no...please be alright..." Her voice was soft, gentle. She pressed a hand to his chest and he flinched. It hurt, but their other hand took hold of his shoulder to balance him. He could see enough of them now to know that they were female, at least, "Please stay still. I can't help you if you struggle."

"Wh..What? Who are..." He was cut off by the sudden flash of purple light. Looking down he saw the purple gem shatter, the ashes scattering into the wind. As the light faded he managed to get better look at his savior: Long blonde hair that reached her back and blue eyes that comforted him just by their very gaze. He saw her pointed ears, a trait no human possessed. She gave him a comforting smile and another image flashed through his mind.

A woman who showed him kindness when no one else would. A princess that knew nothing of the darkness but still saw fit to try and comfort him.

He...He knew her...

"...Dusk?"


And done! Wooh, this took me days to write! My procrastination urge was particularly bad for this chapter, so hopefully everyone is satisfied with this update. I was going to end the chapter on another 'Henrietta and Alsanna talkshow' segment but my friend convinced me otherwise. I'll just start the next chapter with it :)

First things first, I know the fight scene was pathetic from both a written and story standpoint. For the former I'm not even gonna bother apologizing since that's business as normal, but as for the latter - There were 70,000 people in that army. Realistically speaking Louise would be found quickly since she's standing on a hill with no cover and they have dragon rides and Raziel would be swarmed because, enhanced strength or not, there's thousands of him and one of them. Even his new 'fear scream' doesn't do much when he's facing actual thinking soldiers over insane madmen.

Likewise the whole 'rampage' scene doesn't accomplish anything if you really think about it. It's pointless: Sheffield and Joseph aren't gonna care while and the total bodycount, not to mention the amount of traumatized soldiers, far outweigh the casualties than if they'd simply gone on the ship back to Tristain. Just in case anyone accuses me of lauding the guy - No, you're not supposed to cheer when Raziel goes 'balls out' and the fact that he turns into a mindless animal because of it only serves to emphasize this. I don't mean to moralize but this isn't supposed to be a fist-pumping moment, just a terrible one.

Oh and think of the 'Manus/Raziel' debacle less as a split personality and more like a venn diagram. It's not true schizophrenia, more a form of bipolar disorder with 'Manus' representing his colder and crueler personality while 'Raziel' the kinder and softer traits he received from spending time in Halk.

Lastly his feeling 'betrayed': If it comes off as irrational then it's supposed to be. His mind is already cracked enough as it is, coupled with the beating he just took and the whole scene they had with the 'I love you' exchange he'll either be really happy she made it out or be really pissed off because that made it meaningless. He wants to be the former, but with his mind fractured like that coupled with his degrading sanity and Manus' complex about being betrayed and lied to he jumps to the worse possible conclusion and loses it.

Well, with that done I hope to see you next chapter...whenever I get around to writing it. It's back to slice of life/angst (mostly for Henrietta, Louise's family and Siesta) so it should be easier.

Demons Anarchy of Pride - First Sin's lore? Sure. Aldia himself? Likely not. The guy is already cut off from the cycle, meaning he shouldn't involve himself. Why would he care? He's out so that should be all that matters.

L0st'n'F0und - Hey, nice to see another reader :) But yeah, the time paradox is pretty damn nonsensical. Still, Dark Souls has used Stable Time Loops in both 1 and 2 so why not?

Mingyu - Well it was supposed to be desperate :P He risks forgetting about her, so why not make a powerful memory to burn her into his mind? Obviously didn't work but hey.

Loyaltothelegion - Why do people look down on Undead? Cause they're zombies, and generally we don't root for the rotten cadavers. As for the Manus rampage...well, here it is, but I doubt this is gonna shut up Sheffield. All he managed to do is kill people who aren't that much different from the Tristanians, which really only hurts them what with the inevitable- Oops, better stop there :P Anyway, see you next chapter.

Thaqif - For that last time, NO! If I want to do crossover I'll do them like I did with Shadowrun, but I refuse to adopt fics. As for not liking the drama - Depression and hopelessness are Dark Souls bread and butter, so if you don't like it then go look for another DS crossover; there are a lot more lighthearted ones that might strike your fancy.

Kishinokurobi - Hey now, I never said he got a boner :3 Siesta squeezed, but he still had his pants on when he got attacked so for all you know they were going to spend that entire time with nothing but heavy kissing :P Translation: I'm petty and want to win this argument :)

Isa Lumitus - Not the perfect analogy. Think of them more like farmers that raise pigs to get big enough so they can be eaten for Pork Chops, except in the case of the Vampires the humans are self-sufficient and don't need taking care of. Hence why most Vamps kill them without a second thought - There's so many of them that you don't need to ration. I mean we don't take bits and pieces of pigs and wait for them to heal, we chop them up and turn them to bacon.

Everquesting - Hey, great to see a new reader :D Sorry for the typos; I didn't get a proofreader until WAY later and while it's not perfect I can safely say it's a marked improvement from the previous chapters. Hope you keep reading.

Oh, and I sent you a PM with my long response. Didn't want to clog up the Authors Notes with it.

SirSquirtle - Anything's possible :D Alsanna showed up, so Solaire isn't an impossibility. Although if I do go with it he's unlikely to be the same - Raziel and Julio aren't Gwyn or Manus, after all, depending on one's view.