Ch 37: Paradise Lost (Part 2)
Caine
(3 years 1 day after Valefor massacre)
Years of living in Kalichi does wonders for one's tolerance towards hangovers. Waking up after a night of heavy drinking-by a Devil's standards, mind you-and I feel only mildly parched, rather than wishing for death.
So instead of regretting my previous night's decisions I instead snuggle deeper into Kuroka and Shirone, the two Nekoshou mumbling lightly in their sleep and adjusting their own positions.
Shirone with her arms possessively wrapped around my waist as she burrows her face into my back, my own arms entwined around Kuroka as she-with infinite familiarity-drools onto my arm.
…Why do I love this slob again?
Chuckling to myself I lean forward and playfully bite her ear, the Yokai predictably muttering to herself and flicking her ears in sleep-addled irritation.
So damn cute.
A massive yawn from my six o' clock clues me into Shirone's awakening, the cat girl purring deep in her throat as she pulls herself upward, resting her head on top of mine in a position that wouldn't be comfortable to anything but a cat.
"Good morning, Caine…"
"Morning, beautiful. Feel up to fixing the Church today?"
Her hazel eyes briefly blink in confusion-
-before an adorable mewl of displeasure escapes her, her tone stubborn as she mutters, "Don't wanna…go back to sleep…"
Chuckling to myself I summon a few Shades to lift her body into the air before dropping her entirely onto mine as I roll to my back, Kuroka face-planting into the pillows like a rock as the albino Yokai gives me a petulant glare…even as she snuggles deeper into my arms.
A snuggle that turns into a yelp and jolt of surprise as I lightly smack her on the ass, grinning as I reply, "We had yesterday to play, today is all about work. I want to check in with Linus and Ferdinand anyway, no telling what that thing I got shot with has loaded onto it, if anything."
Shirone doesn't reply other than to bite my neck with disgruntled crankiness-a light blush adorning her cheeks from the booty pop-as Kuroka moans into the pillow.
"Ish too early for dish…shleeeeeepppppp…"
Rolling my eyes I lightly grasp the back of Kuroka's neck-like a mother cat, really-and set her on her side, the Yokai's golden eyes still hazy with the vestiges of slumber.
Ok, time to play dirty.
"Well, I guess I'm ok with that…I mean, I'm just gonna have last night's scenes on repeat inside my head then, keep myself entertained and everything…"
Both sisters look at me in confusion as I pervertedly grin.
"Specifically the two of you making out, slowly undressing one another, spreading your legs and-"
I bear witness to the incredibly rare sight of both cats blushing scarlet, Shirone smacking me upside the head as she yells, "We were drunk, you stupid pervert!"
"Yeah, what little sis said! Get your mind out of the gutter!"
…Oh the delicious irony of Kuroka calling someone else a pervert…
"Ok, so what exactly is on the schedule for today?"
Both cats had been quick to dress and follow me out of the house once I'd hung the threat of fantasizing about the two of them over their heads, the three of us making good time towards the church.
"Well first we're gonna swing by the church, get everything all fixed up there. Then I want to stop at Linus and Ferdinand's followed by a quick tour of the gangs, just to make sure they haven't slaughtered each other in the meantime. You can never tell with those guys…"
They both sagely nod, knowing full well that relations between the Black Wings, Griffons and Exiled could be charitably described as…frosty.
A comfortable silence falls as we make our way to the church…and I can't quite shake the odd, icy feeling in my gut as we move closer and closer.
I dunno if it's something David said yesterday or if someone is following us…but my instincts are practically screaming that something is wrong here.
Naturally Kuroka and Shirone pick up on my nerves, the sisters shifting into their cat forms and taking to the rooftops.
It doesn't really help.
My fears only get worse as we draw ever nearer, the gutter scum of Kalichi becoming more and more congested as we draw closer to the church proper.
Why is there so many of them? I get that David and the rest give free handouts…but even by this cities standards there are a shit ton of unfortunates hanging around.
Apprehensively slipping into the shadows surrounding the crowd I finally come into view of the church-
-and my heart sinks.
The entrance is destroyed, cleanly cut through by some sort of bladed weapon and there's the slightest traces of blood decorating the edges.
Leaping forward and shoving aside the gawking onlookers I pop out of my Shades at the front doors-
-and feel the world tilt on it's axis as I see Sister Bianca dead on the floor, her head a good three meters away, connected by a trail of almost completely dried blood.
No…
Shit shit SHIT!
Two horrified gasps behind me that are the Toujou sister's reactions go almost completely unnoticed as I take a leaden, panicky step into the church itself, praying to whatever god might be listening that it's just Bianca, that this is all just a cruel trick-
-my hands go limp at my sides.
Chiro is neatly bifurcated, his intestines coiled between the two halves of his body and just now beginning to dry. Other members of the church are scattered about, all in various stages of dismemberment and injury…but all of them pale in comparison to the two centerpieces, the ones that cause me to suddenly dry heave in equal parts horror and grief.
David, the man who I instinctively referred to as 'Dad' just yesterday, missing an arm and his head, sprawled in the center of a ring of destruction and spent bullet casings, obviously having gone down fighting.
Lisa, one of the few, genuine friends I've formed in this damn city…dead against one of the walls, a ragged wound that starts at her heart and exits her right shoulder, the blood that obviously resulted from such a terrifying injury spiraling upwards into a sigil that sets my blood aflame.
Two broken and twisted Angelic wings, set inside a stylized geometric graph.
…CROCELL.
Even as tears freely intermix with a bloodthirsty snarl…my heart breaks as Kuroka collapses to her knees, face pale and slack as she witnesses the corpses of the people who saved her and her sister from a slow, torturous death at the hands of Kalichi all those years ago.
As Shirone, tears freely carving a track down her ethereal features, stumbles toward Lisa's body, limbs shaking in grief so intense it needs a physical outlet.
Revenge…revenge can wait.
It will come…but Shirone, Kuroka…and we…we need to give them a proper burial, not this…this mockery.
I almost stumble as I rise to my feet and walk towards Shirone, aiming to give Lisa's corpse some form of meaningful rest-
-and my instincts instead scream a warning, my eyes flashing up towards the bloody Crocell emblem as it begins to glow-
Oh FUCK.
"WATCH OU-"
The world explodes around us.
It's hot…why is it so damn hot? Kalichi isn't hot, it's cold down here, Ravel's Phoenix Heart a years-long luxury that I'm damn glad to have…
…Fire.
Fire all around me.
Oh, right…the church and-
-raw, bloody agony rips it's way through my head as events come rushing back, of how we fell for such a simple trap, a desperate cry to see if Shirone and Kuroka are still alive slipping past my open lips-
-and I instead collapse, coughing out flecks of ash and blood, smoke roiling around as the church burns down around me.
"S-Shirone, Kuroka!"
My voice is less of a voice than it is a rasping shriek, something in the back of my throat tearing itself in two as a fresh stream of blood chokes me, my body screaming out in pain that I barely even feel.
No, dammit, where are they?! They couldn't have-
-there!
My Shades pick up and drag over the two Yokai where they lay sprawled out on the ground, still in one piece.
I practically sob in relief as I notice that Shirone is still alive and well, even if her clothes, hair and a fair portion of her skin were burnt off in the explosion.
Those can be regrown as long as her pulse is still strong, which it is.
And then I see Kuroka.
In seeming opposition to Shirone her appearance is still largely intact…if it weren't for the burning red fragment of wood embedded in her skull, her eyes rolling as her body spastically jerks.
Shit shit SHIT! I-I don't know how to heal this, Lisa can…can…
…
FUCK!
Tiana…Tiana and the Black Wings, they can fix this!
Some small form of salvation presenting itself amidst this damn mess I gather up the two Yokai and stagger towards what I think is an exit.
A desperate kick blows apart whatever it was that was barring our way-a wall, I think-and I prepare to stagger outside…but not before one final scene burns itself into my memory, one that'll be the basis of my nightmares for years to come…if not forever.
Only a smoldering crater remains of where Lisa's body was while a bloody, shredded mess spread out across a good five meters of floor marks where David once laid, the explosive trap catching his corpse full force.
Bianca, Chiro and the rest are slowly cooking, the sizzle of meat and fat like screams in my ears, the wet farts of internal gases ripping their stomachs open as their body's muscles contract and curl, turning them into charred parodies of Humans, the smell causing me to puke yet more ash and blood.
The outside is confusion, and desperation.
The Black Wings…where are the Black Wings? I always know my way around this city, so why don't I know it now?
"…ne…of it…Caine!"
…Ferdinand?
"Fucking Hell, Caine, are you there?! Fuck, get him and the Yokai out of here, he's almost dead on his feet! MOVE!"
Blackness.
Muscled and toned arms that I earned through rigorous training, now swaddled in simple bandages…magic healing is needed elsewhere.
"The Hell happened out there, I thought the church was-"
A shooting pain, right behind the kneecap. A chunk of the largest pew Lisa, Vallia, the sisters and myself used to sit and play games on caught me there.
"Then fucking find out! If this can happen elsewhere-"
Kuroka and Shirone's hands, desperately clutched in my own, a silent plea for them to stay alive, to not leave me alone. Not now.
"Good, now get in touch with your leaders and fucking tell them to keep an eye out, this is enough of a mess already…"
My fault. All my fault. My fault they're all dead, my fault they're dead for helping me.
"Caine. Hey, Caine!"
My eyes meet Ferdinand's, something that I think is concern prevalent in his stare.
"I…I think I know how this happened. That bullet you got it with, the other day? It wasn't a bullet. Linus took a look at it and it turned out to be some kind of tracking artifact, something that can show you where the target has gone and how to get inside."
…
He knows.
Gyer knows.
Everywhere I've been, everyone I've met…
He. Knows.
…
Today. This exact hour. This exact minute. This exact second.
He has to die.
I'm going to kill him NOW. Before its my fault again.
"Linus."
"…What's up?"
I neutrally stare, unblinking, at the Human where he was fixing up some of the damage done to the sisters.
"Are they ok?"
"…Mostly. Whitey should be just dandy and while the fragment that was in Blacky's skull hit true…it didn't actually do anything other than heat the brain to some pretty dangerous levels. She'll likely be ok."
…That's good.
"I need Spagg. Where is it?"
He doesn't immediately leave or tell me what I want.
"Umm…why do you need, him, Caine? I don't think-"
My Shades yank him across the room, directly in front of my face.
"WHERE. IS. IT?"
A moment passes.
Then he sags and listens.
"…I'll get him."
The Human walks out.
Good.
"Caine…look, I'm sorry about what happened to Paladin and Lisa-"
"Probably not more than I am."
"-but for the love of Lucifer don't tell me you're thinking of breaking into EDEN and trying to kill Crocell all by yourself."
"I'm going to break into EDEN and Kill Crocell. Alone."
All of my equipment was destroyed with the Church, all of the things I was carrying on my person also gone. And I don't have time to go to the gangs and get supplies from them.
No matter. I'm used to scavenging what I can from dead bodies. There'll be plenty of those once I'm done.
"Caine, please. The gang leaders are gonna be here in less than an hour, we can talk strategy then. Right now Gyer doesn't know you or the Toujou sisters are here, you'll be sa-"
"HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE YOU IDIOTIC FUCK!"
The Devil quails, trying to gather his courage but doesn't have time.
"He knows where everyone is! The gangs, the shop owners, THIS VERY HOUSE! I'm done letting other people else die for my sake."
Silence, until the Human returns, his creation and something else in his hand.
"Here. Spagg is fully charged and ready to go, he should be able to get you through the wards just fine. And take this, too."
An egg-shaped grenade is placed in my palm.
"A new creation of mine. Pop this and all magic effects in a dozen or so meter radius will go haywire. Just…just stay alive out there, ok, Little Dude?"
I can only nod, slipping into a Shade and streaking for the border of EDEN.
Funny. The last time I was in EDEN I was being stealthy, sticking to the shadows and avoiding being seen.
Now I couldn't give less of a fuck.
Absentmindedly tossing Spagg into an alley somewhere along the way-it's job done-I cross the street and approach Skyhook's entrance, idly noting the single guard posted at the main doors.
If he's smart, he'll stay out of my way.
"Hey, who the fuck are you?"
I send a dull glance at the dead man.
"Caine Valefor. Where's Gyer Crocell?"
Realization hits the guard, the fool backing away and surreptitiously reaching for the gun at his waist and channeling Magic to his free hand in what he no doubt thinks is a stealthy maneuver.
Idiot.
"Lord Crocell is out of EDEN right now…but he'll be back in a few hours. If you want to wait inside I can-"
My patience runs out and before he can react I'm sending a Weiji-do enhanced blow to the bridge of his nose, shattering his skull and making a bloody hash of his brain.
His gun and boot knife will be useful.
My Shades flip said weapons into my hands as I stalk forward, shoving aside the main doors to Skyhook.
I resist the urge to sneer at the welcome that awaits me. Either the guard I just killed signaled a bunch of rapid response teams before he died, or Crocell left a bunch of these walking corpses specifically for me.
Three Devils clad in Scaramite armor, almost a dozen Humans packing military-grade assault rifles and perhaps another dozen Devils, Fallen and other Supernaturals.
"Well I'll be…long time no see, thief."
I almost crack a smile as I recognize the Scaramite-clad guard who I encountered a few months back, during our raid of Skyhook.
…Almost.
"Talk about convenient! I mean, I'd always wanted to pay you back for the shit you pulled last time you were here but could never just find the time to leave EDEN…and now here you are, delivering yourself to our front step-"
Without so much as raising my arm I fire the pistol I liberated from the hip, the shot perfectly slipping through the Devil's visor and ricocheting around inside his helmet, blood and skull matter spraying from the slit as he bonelessly collapses, the Magic-resistant armor that could stand up to some of the most powerful beings in the world without a scratch now just an improvised coffin.
Fucking idiot.
The rest of the gathered circus shifts their collective attention from the dead guard back to me, a reptilian anticipation curling in my gut.
These clowns should make for a good warm up.
Gyer
"Alright, everyone take a half-hour to rest up once we're back inside, then we're headed back into the rest of that dump to continue our search."
My Peerage give nods of acknowledgement, all of us eager to continue our mission so that we can leave this shithole of a city all the faster.
The rest of our tour after the Church massacre hadn't yielded much, what few restaurants, shops and other out of the way locations we'd visited either abandoned or empty.
We'll revisit some of those places on our second tour, alongside a few new locations.
Sooner or later that little Bastard is going to come after us…
"Hey, King? I think we got our wish. Take a look at Skyhook's entrance."
Anticipation roaring to life in my gut I follow Berne's gaze, resisting the urge to smirk as I see a few confused revelers…and the very dead door guard.
I suppose it could be some opportunistic fool that killed him…but the fact that he's only missing his weapons and was cleanly killed with one hit has me convinced it's the Valefor scion waiting for us.
Finally.
"Stay cautious and keep your eyes peeled…I'd rather not have to make use of that dead man's switch when we can kill the damn brat here and now."
Terse nods are my only response as Berne slowly clears the entryway, his sword loosely held in one hand and ready to snarl to life at a moments notice.
We follow in his wake-
"Fuck me…I think we succeeded in pissing off the twerp, King."
The lobby of Skyhook is a charnel house.
The three bulwarks of Skyhook's security forces, the Scaramite-clad guards, are all dead on the floor, crimson leaking from their visors or thin gaps in the plating…all clean kills.
The rest aren't in as good a shape.
Elemental spells are the most eye-catching causes of death, with burnt, electrocuted and generally fried corpses scattered across the architecture and creating one Hell of a stink.
Less dramatic-but far more prevalent-are the bodies riddled with bullets.
A few are down with clean shots through the eyes or skull…but most look as if they were strafed with machine-gun fire, likely from their own rifles.
…The most disturbing ones are where it looks as if the guards were splattered by some imaginably powerful force, their bodies-at least what remains of them-crushed against walls, floors and even the ceiling.
Blood is everywhere, creating a dangerously slippery platform to fight from.
"Does anyone have eyes on Valefor? Keep close watch on any shadows you see."
"Gonna be kind hard to do that, King…there's shadows everywhere."
I try not to scowl at my Knight's words, knowing it's the truth. In between the broken and indistinct lighting, scattered corpses and significant damage to the architecture it's a damn mess of shadows in here.
You never quite realize just how prevalent and numerous shadows are until you're trying to watch every one of them for a murderous Devil that can kill you in an instant.
Fine. Let's see if a bit of taunting will do the trick.
"I know you're in here, Valefor! Upset that we killed your friends at the church? Understandable, their deaths weren't quick. That Elven whore in particular simply would not shut up. Screaming, begging, crying…all while Berne gutted her like a pig, the poor girl squealing like one all the while. How will you scream, Valefor, when my boot is grinding into your neck?"
…
Silence, only the occasional clatter of falling masonry or drip of blood to break the quiet.
Pallas bites her lip and softly shakes her head, whispering, "I can't sense anything but residual magic, likely from the battle earlier. If he's here…it's not on this floor."
The rest of my Peerage nods, Berne muttering, "Makes sense. He'd probably have an easier time of it if we were all in some kind of corridor or something along those lines."
Exhaling slightly I beckon for them to follow, striding past the scaramite-clad corpses and heading for the stairwell. We'll have to continue the search elsewhere-
Click.
I whirl around, eyes widening as I see one of the scarmite-clad bodies smoothly rise to it's feet, a spherical object rolling into our midst-
-where it detonates in a kaleidoscope of prismatic colors, my magic briefly deserting my body and causing my head to spin in naseuating dizziness.
What the fuck was-
CRUNCH.
Gilbert spasms where he stands…a knife driven clear through his head, the blade held steady as the scaramite-armored body yanks back on the blade, wrenching it free from it's intended target.
Awful realization hits me as I watch my Pawn's eyes dim, life leaving them right before us.
Valefor tricked us.
He hid inside the armor and avoided Pallas' senses by doing so...and we fell for it.
Gilbert's corpse is tossed aside as the bloodied suit of armor leaps toward me, indecision and shock at my Pawn's death freezing my movements-
"King, MOVE!"
And Berne's shout snaps me out of it, my Knight triggering his sword as the familiar buzz sound rattles my teeth, a blindingly fast horizontal swing streaking towards a gap in Valefor's stolen armor-
-and the blade clangs off a swiftly raised gauntlet, the armor's magic cancelling properties blocking the strike with ease.
But it buys enough time for me to find my center, to take stock of the situation.
"Pallas, now!"
I summon forth a globe of water almost as tall as I am and send it streaking towards Valefor, that stolen armor of his a double-edged sword. With it he may be immune to any of our magic-based attacks…but he can't make use of his shadows or any other similar techniques. There's a reason only Devils who are physically strong and martially competent are given scaramite armor, the metal's properties making magic abilities of both wearer and opponent largely useless.
I aim to exploit that.
While the armor would ordinarily cut the flow of magic to my summoned water should I try to strike him with it, Pallas quickly summons a storm of wind, the combined elemental magic creating a self-perpetuating whirlpool that ensconces the Devil and restricts his ability to move and breath.
Just like I predicated he begins to rip off the armor, our constricting magic blown apart in a blinding spray of droplets as that strange martial art of his springs to life.
…
And for the first time ever since I saw him back at his family manor-before we razed it to the ground-I meet the gaze of my hated enemy.
He looks like a ghost of the battlefield.
Skin both pale and angry red, as if he was recently burnt while also losing a tremendous amount of blood. Sunken eyes of frenzied green and crimson, ragged patches of black hair with a single streak of blonde sparsely decorating his scalp, as if great strands of it were torn off by some uncaring force.
An incredibly toned, tall and tight body-even by Devil standards-swaddled in primitive bandages while visible lacerations and gunshot wounds dot what skin is visible, tiny pin-pricks of unknown origin dotting his entire frame.
…I wonder what he sees in me.
The moment passes as the Devil leaps forward, shadows springing to life around him-
"Andreas!"
-and the Valefor scion abruptly loses his traction and momentum, my Queen's gravity-manipulating powers lifting him into the air and buying a brief second where the Valefor scion is unable to maneuver-
-and Berne sprints forward, sword shrieking towards the boy's head.
I have to bite back on a snarl of irritation as the Valefor's shadows snap forward and yank him far enough away that Berne's sword only rips his right arm off in a jagged arterial spray, the heir finding purchase on the slick ground as Andreas' magic loses it's effectiveness.
Calling forth my own powers a spiraling lance of compressed water points at the distracted Devil-
-and whether it's due to injury, exhaustion or some other cause…my attack catches Valefor square in the chest, throwing him clear across the lobby where he smashes into one of the few standing support columns, slumping to the ground with only a single shaky arm there to keep the brat from breaking his nose on the marble tiling.
The results of my strike are clear to see. The right side of his chest is a bloody mess, skin ripped and muscle exposed as blood freely pumps from the injuries, his breath ragged and bubbling.
…He's done.
"Almost three years…three years of our game of cat-and-mouse, of who knows how many bodies piled high, a monument to our conflict."
Victory courses through my blood as I slowly approach the dying scum, my Peerage warily flanking me and watching for any signs of retaliation.
"Three years of a guillotine hanging over my neck, three years of having to live among this refuse…you know what I say to that, Valefor?"
I raise an arm, one final lance of water forming and pointed directly at his face.
"Goodbye, and good riddance."
Caine
…
So this is the end, huh?
This is how I die.
Dead, at the hands of some pampered asshole that not more than a few hours ago was responsible for the deaths of people dear to me.
Of a man who I had mistaken for a father. Of a girl who might as well have been my sister. Of a group of truly admirable individuals who tried to do something as incredibly impossible as merely doing the right thing…all while living in the most run down and violent city this side of the Underworld.
Dead, killed by a congenially rich bastard who thought nothing of using corpses as a trap…who thought nothing of killing my family.
That's who's going to kill me?
…
…
NO.
FUCK THAT.
FUCK HIM, FUCK MY OWN WEAKNESS, FUCK ME DYING, FUCK ALL OF IT.
I reach out to Kalichi. All the violence, all the death, all the pain and sadness and ferocity and bestial rage that makes up this urban jungle-
-and I let it in with a smile.
Vallia
A shaky breath of relief leaves me as the transport circle works, bringing me and the four Fallen directly to Ferdinand's home.
The initial jump to the church had refused to work, which had sent alarm bells ringing inside my head.
Sure, there are a number of reasons it may not have been able to work…unscheduled repairs, unnoticed damage…but a feeling of uneasiness had remained.
…An uneasiness that comes roaring back to life as I notice Ferdinand's haggard and harried appearance.
"Ferdinand? Are you all right?"
He jumps halfway to the ceiling before breathing out an aggravated sigh as he realizes it's just us.
"Why didn't you fucking knock?"
"We came through the teleportation circle, dumbass."
Mittelt's blunt words cause the man to flinch, running a hand through his hair in a shaky motion.
"Oh, right…sorry, I forgot the church one wouldn't work…"
I think that uneasy feeling I was experiencing is a shared one, if the way all five of us share a quick glance.
"Ferdinand, why wouldn't the church one be working?"
My question seems to strike like a knife to the gut.
"It's…"
He fumbles for words…and abruptly sags, collapsing into a nearby chair as he rubs his temples.
"The church is gone, Valliana. I'm sorry."
The world tilts on it's axis.
"G-gone? W-what do you mean gone? Is everyone ok?!"
A haunted look appears on his face that has Kala gripping my shoulder tightly in support.
"I…don't even know where to start. Linus and I found Caine leaving it as it burnt down, Kuroka and Shirone had apparently been hurt badly by-"
I sprint out of the room, that smokey smell of cooked flesh and singed hair causing a fresh wave of panic to wash over me.
[Valliana, calm down! We don't know the full details of what happened yet-]
I ignore Albion's attempt at consoling me, sprinting through the building and slamming open the door that the smell is originating from-
-and could sob in relief as I find Shirone and Kuroka sitting upright, even if they're rather groggy.
"Huh? Dragon Girl? What are you-"
I pull the two Yokai into a fierce hug, sheepishly pulling back when they both hiss in displeasure.
…I may have missed the fact that they were both covered in bandages and gauze. Kuroka in particular has a thick wrapping around her head.
"I'm so glad you two are alright! What happened, where's everyone else? Ferdinand said that-"
Shirone grabs my arm, Kuroka vocalizing the intent behind the gesture as she asks, "Whoah ok, slow down there, Dragon Girl…what's got you so worked up?"
…
Something cold washes over me at their confused looks.
Very slowly, very deliberately I ask, "Do…do neither of you…remember?"
Both Yokai narrow their slitted eyes.
"The Hell do you mean remember? Course we do! We were headed to the church with Caine and then we…we…"
Both cats slowly begin to tremble, my stomach unable to sink much further as I distantly notice the Fallen and Ferdinand walking in behind us.
"They…they were all dead."
I grasp their hands with desperate strength, hoping against hope that they're wrong.
"W-who? Who was dead?"
No reply other than pale faces as both Yokai's eyes gain a thousand yard stare.
Whirling on Ferdinand I try not to let my voice crack as I demand, "Who? Who died?"
He looks a million years old as he slowly sits in a nearby chair.
"…Paladin, Lisa, Sister Bianca, everyone else…they're gone."
Those simple words seem to crash the world down around my ears, Raynare suddenly placing a hand on my back as I belatedly realize I almost collapsed.
[Hatchling…are you-]
"T-t-then where's Caine? Where is he?! He-he can't be-"
I can't bring myself to say it.
"No, Caine's still alive…for now."
Relief wars with further anxiety.
"What the Hell do you mean for now?"
Mittelt asks my question for me as Ferdinand clenches a fist.
"Gyer Crocell was behind the church attack, he used some crazy artifact to find out where Caine has been traveling to and from, tracked those places down…and killed everyone there. The fucking kid predictably blamed himself…and marched off to EDEN to face Crocell, his Peerage and who knows what else on his own."
My blood freezes in it's veins.
"He did WHAT?! The fuck did you let him do that for?!"
Mittelt's enraged roar sounds like it comes from the end of a tunnel as I lurch to my feet, the raw need to keep Caine from doing anything stupid-or at least bail him out of it-driving me forward.
I'm not losing anyone else, now that I'm here!
"C'mon, we have to-"
Ą̖̳̩͖͖̻̦̅̄͆̈́̃̑͞N̵͙͖͔͉ͦ̽ͤ̔͗͜D͙̠̙̏̃̇ͯ̚ ̵̘̞ͣ̑Ş̤̮̜͖̙̈̐̓̂͐͟O̞͍̒̄͛̃̉ͮ͌́ ̦̝̼̩͛̕͘I͍̙̲̝̖̼͖̰ͭ̍͊͛̅ͬ̾T̸̪̬̟͕̳͍̙̼̆̓ͣ̀ ̢̭̳̪̟͍̒͗̍̏͘ͅC̰̭̯ͪ͋ͧ́͟Ó͖̗̝̗̩́͆ͬ̀̉ͥ̚̕͞M̞̭͈̝̱̟̈͑ͧ͊̎̇̄E̢̟͎̤͕̖̱̟̭̍̂ͩ͋̈́̓ͯͭ͢S̷͎̻̤̟̝͚ͭ͛͑̐͟ ͍̲̈̈̉̋́͢͠T̵̴͖̯̠̳ͧͫ̓͒̄ͅO̴͙̬̭͖͇ͣ̋͗ͬͥ͆̉̒̈́͞ͅ ̴͔̫̞̱͖̯̿̋̈́͆̑̂͑͒P̉͋̐͒̃ͭ҉͠͏̘͇̭̬̭͖̼Ā͙̜̫̩̠̘̹̉ͧͩͪ̍̅̚S̾̔̇̒̏͗͏̱͇̣͉̝Ṣ̡̠̥͕̦̫̮̦̂̑ͅ,͔̪͈̲̣̅̀͌̀ ̃ͣͫ͒ͧ̿͏͔̣͓̠͘T̨̪̺͎͓̍͘H̵̘̜͚̣̦̩̹͈ͮͦͮA̷̹̬̥ͫ̆ͦ͡T̶̰͗ͫ̃͂̚͝ ̶̘̞̗͚̗ͨ̔̾ͮT̡̙̥̤͍̘͓̖̣̀̊̏ͭ́H̶͔̞̲͔ͬͮ̅ͣḘ̢̢͎̟͇̪̲̱̓̄́͛̒ͣͤͨͅ ̽ͩͤ̇͆̃̚͏̹̖͔̬̕͢ͅL̦͎̱̱͗I̧̛͔̩͚̖̟̓̓̿̈ͬ̎ͨ͘Ŏ̮̮͛͜N̦͔̯̦͓̋̕͠ ̄͗̐̐҉̧̠̭̠͞B̯̜̩͇͖͆̏ͬ̃̍̏ͧA̴̵͎͎̬͔̼͒̃̐̚͞R̸̺͓͍͒ͮ̊ͯ͑͆͑̆̒͘Eͪ̋̀ͭͥ͑̃̚҉̳͓̱̬̠̹̙̬͕͜S̷̲͙͕̍͌̂̍ ̶̶͔̞͇̫ͥ̐ͭͫI̸̜̰̯̙̗͕ͣͯͫ͛̎̕͢ͅT̶̨̤̄͋ͣ͋͡'̎ͮ̏ͨͪ͏̲̼̦̩͈̟S̡͖̫̗̜̙͎̦ͣ̽̕͘ͅ ̛̫̤̺̝̗͙͓ͭͮ͐͑̇̓͢T̡ͯ͛͊҉͏̦̣̠̠̝̭̘ͅE̗̫ͨ̿̃̂͑ͮ́͝E̐̈͗ͭ͛̇̂̅҉̭̰̞̗̯̯́T̴̢͇̺̬̝͎͈ͦ̊̊ͭ̅ͩͨH̿ͣ̇̔͊ͥ͂͏̞̹̯̘̺̖.̢̙̝̹͍̤̹͓̈́̀ͩ̂ͩ͆̅̓͞
…
What…what was that?
I have to pick myself up off the floor and a quick glance around the room shows that my reaction was by no means the only extreme one.
Raw bloodlust, malice and instinct had taken a physical form and hit me for all it was worth, a cocktail of such madness that even just a second of exposure had left me reeling.
[Albion…did you feel that?]
[I did. Hatchling, I have a bad feeling about this. Something just went very wrong…]
Hearing those words from Albion of all people raises my stress levels to an even higher tier as I turn to glance back at Shirone and Kuroka-
-and freeze.
Shirone is curled into a ball, eyes squeezed shut so tightly that I'm amazed her tears can leak through at all, shaky and frightened breaths wracking her frame. Kuroka is just staring blankly into the distance, her voice a haunting whisper.
"No, he didn't…no no no…please no…"
Gyer
I take a moment to blink, slowly pushing myself upright as my brain reorganizes itself.
What…what hit me?
For a split-second it was like all of Kalichi had suddenly howled for blood, grasping at my very soul with ravening talons…Maous above it hadn't been pleasant.
I notice the rest of my Peerage slowly regaining their feet, looks of no doubt equal trepidation adorning their faces.
Was that something Valefor did?
A quick glance towards where the boy is laying reveals he's still slumped over, blood leaking from his wounds and in no shape to battle.
A quiet sigh of relief leaks past my lips-
"Heh…heh heh…"
-and it dies mid exhalation.
Valefor is laughing. A dry, raspy chuckle to be sure…but laughter all the same.
…
And why can't any of us stop shaking?
"…You sure did a number on me, Gyer…"
Valefor's voice is weak and wet, the boy no doubt less than a minute from death.
So why does he sound so amused?
"I should probably fix that…"
watch?v=yqzt03rA8VU&index=95&list=LLPb9QcsQSjQ-ZjknfuFwTqw&t=0s (Legend of the Legendary Heroes - Kakusei)
A necklace that I previously hadn't noticed hanging around his neck-some kind of blue gemstone embedded in the center of it-bursts into flame, a roaring crackle of azure flames engulfing the Devil's body as my heart almost leaps out of my chest.
Those-those are Phenex flames.
How the Hell does the Valefor have those!?
With the sound of burning meat and cooking flesh the boy's body begins to regenerate, his arm reappearing amidst a burst of flame and the gruesome wounds decorating his frame vanishing into clouds of ash.
HOW THE FUCK-
His newly created arm is raised aloft, an insane grin decorating his now rejuvenated features-
-and with a wet ripping noise and burst of released power…two wings sprout from his back, a total of four appendages decorating the scion's body.
A number equal to mine.
"What I seek are the burning fields…"
OH SHIT.
"[Empyreal Wildfire!]"
My Peerage doesn't need to be told to run as Valefor's palm slams into the broken tile, all of us sprinting towards Skyhook's main entrance while I gather as much water as I can to shield us, a tidal wave of the purest liquid that meets Valefor's elemental magic head on-
-and gives way immediately, hardly even slowing the ravening flames that spread outwards from the insane Devil's hand with a piercing scream of evaporating water, my legs burning with exertion as the exit is so close.
Berne doesn't even slow his pace, slicing outwards with his blade and opening up a gap that he rams his shoulder into, creating an opening for us that we pour out of-
-and not a moment too soon, the last vestiges of my improvised shield exploding outwards in a wave of steam, killing fire right behind it as the dozen or so unlucky onlookers outside of Skyhook are turned to embers and dust before they even have a chance to scream.
Idiots, they should have just run…
Hauling ourselves off the ground I hear Pallas shout, "What the fuck was that?! How did he manage to heal himself and cast high-level fire magic?! He was practically dead!"
I wish I had answers.
A sudden groan of unimaginable weight snaps our attention back to Skyhook…
And my jaw drops, panicked screams from EDEN's revelers echoing across the city as Skyhook tilts, it's base completely melted aside from the rapidly softening steel supports.
It's going to collapse.
How the Hell did Valefor do this?! He was dead to rights, on the verge of bleeding out with no power left, I sensed it!
And then things get worse.
With a whisper of snakes winding through thick brush and bats taking flight massive tendrils of shadow wind all across the destroyed skyscraper, tightening and stiffening with a shriek of distressed metal and concrete-
-and Valefor stops the building, all 92 floors, from collapsing.
With nothing save his family powers.
"Maous above…"
"No Maous here, Gyer…only you, and me."
Valefor's voice seems to echo around us, coming from no distinct origin and oddly reverberating…as if it was the air itself speaking to me.
"Tell you what, let's make this a sporting fight to your death, shall we? I'll give you twenty minutes, Gyer. Run, gather your forces, strategize, pray to whatever higher powers you might believe in…it doesn't matter. You're already dead."
From within the burning remnants of the ground floor a shadow-wreathed figure stares directly at me…and it's eyes of crimson and emerald dance with hellfire, the previously cheery and amicable voice taking on a tone so cold the Leviathan's powers would seem as warm as a summer breeze in comparison.
"You just haven't stopped breathing yet."
This is a sad chapter. It's a brutal one and easily one of the more grim pieces I've written thus far. And it's not yet reached maximum levels of grim.
And yet, at the moment, I can't really seem to bring myself to feel too down about it.
Because hot damn the new Godzilla: King of the Monsters trailer dropped and HHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY FUCK does it look awesome!
Ladies and gents, we've graduated from men in rubber suits pretending to be giant monsters on lego sets to straight up primordial gods of nature wrecking the entire world.
...
Hot damn that 2 second of king Ghidora in action gave me such a stiffy.
L'assassin orange: Please don't go mentioning things like death toll...i'm already knee deep in regret over having to kill my own characters :_(
Thorvaiso: ...
...I now feel bad about the 'painless' part.
OshiroNai: He'll definitely have a new set of priorities once all is said and done, that's for certain.
FataLInfluence0: Will I kill best girl?
...
I'll prepare myself if that turns out to be the case.
Guest: Sorry in advance?
Special thanks to user Xanothos for reminding me what text generator to use for the crazy text, my silly ass had forgotten!
