Chapter 54: Snake of the Festival (part 3): The Anticipated Return
Kazumi had already returned to the Haridan room, and Hecate was left alone. All alone, like she had always been before. With her human half gone, and Yuji turned into the Snake of the Festival, the Priestess didn't know what to do anymore. And she felt the void deep within her begin to become deeper again.
There was nothing left for her here. Nothing here would comfort her of her loss. And she longed to be by the side of the one she loved. But to do that, she would have to fully return to what she was.
With the death of Konoe Fumina, it was more than possible. The Priestess Hecate decided to return to Sereiden and Bal Masque to stay by Yuji's side once again, as the Supreme Throne.
As she made her way towards the open window, she spotted the flute Yuji had given her for Christmas on her bed. She took it and kept it in her mantle as a memento of the fun times which she believed were now long gone with her human half.
Now reverting back into the cold-hearted Hecate, who only cared about Yuji and the Snake of the Festival, she left the mansion without so much as a glance back towards her friends, for she did not even believe that they were her friends, but rather, Konoe Fumina's.
At the same time, Pheles entered the mansion, supporting Johan with her shoulder. They brought back the gray long coat Yuji had worn, as well as a few weapons left from the fallen Denizens in the battlefield. The others went downstairs to meet her.
"Welcome back Pheles," Wilhelmina said. "Yoshida Kazumi told us how you were summoned."
"Johan's already filled me in on most of what's going on," Pheles said. "I'll try to do the best that I can to help you."
They felt the presence of the Priestess become more and more faint.
"Aren't you going to follow her?" Margery asked Sydonay. He shook his head.
"Traitors are never welcomed back in Bal Masque, although she may be an exception, given the circumstances," the Thousand Changes said. "And, I have a feeling that there is something she still needs to learn on her own."
"Now that Sakai Yuji and Hecate have sided with Bal Masque," Alastor said, "I'm afraid to say that they have now become our greatest enemies."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"But how powerful can he be anyway?" Pheles said, trying to cheer everyone up.
"You definitely didn't see what he did earlier," Margery said.
"Absolute carnage," said Tiamat.
Johan looked to Wilhelmina. "You wouldn't happen to still have that False Reiji Maigo, would you?" he said.
SnSnSnS
Sereiden was only a few miles away when Yuji stopped in midflight. The silver flames that covered his body vanished as he hovered above the city, deep in thought. He looked back towards the mansion and touched the Ember Case ring that hung on a chain with Azure. The ring was the only thing left that could stop him now that he had achieved ultimate power. It was all that was left that allowed him to go back to a normal life.
But he was never meant to have that kind of life. He had already passed the point of no return since the day he had learned about the Reiji Maigo more than a year before. And he believed that he was his destiny to make sure that others could keep their own ordinary, peaceful lives. After pondering for a moment, he removed the ring from the chain and ground it into dust in his hand.
"There's no turning back now," he said. "I've come too far."
He flew towards the flying palace. The anti-flight barrier no longer affected him, as his new, more powerful form was extremely resistant to nearly anything.
He made his way to the strongest, most heavily guarded gate at the exterior of the palace. Several guard Rinne tried to shoot at him with javelins and fireballs, but Yuji easily parried everything with his hands. As the guards realized that their efforts were useless, Yuji held up his hand and flicked a fist-sized fireball that exploded violently upon impact and demolished most of the defense turret.
Yuji walked towards the gate. It was ten times taller than him and was made of metal ten feet deep. Its outside handles were nonexistent and it only opened outwards. It was said to be the only unbreachable area in Sereiden.
Yuji knocked on it to the tune of "Shave and a Haircut" and, on the last note, slammed his palm on the middle of the gate. It swung wide open.
He entered the palace. The halls were empty, and they were in deep darkness. No one went out to challenge Yuji, especially after seeing him effortlessly obliterate an entire army singlehandedly. However, he could sense a multitude of presences gathered in a single place up ahead.
He Yuji made his way towards the presences. Although it was just his second time in the palace, it was as if he had been there his whole life, and he knew his way around better than anything else.
He ended up in the throne room. There, many Crimson Lords and Denizens were gathered on both sides of the great hall. At the other end, beside the throne itself, stood Beol Peol.
Yuji walked forward. Halfway through, Beol Peol also moved ahead towards him. The Judge of Paradoxes kneeled before him.
"Welcome back my lord Snake of the Festival," she said.
Yuji walked past her and stood before the throne. He turned back to her and the Denizens.
"From now on, you will all address me by the name I have always carried," he said proudly. "I am the Snake of the Festival Sakai Yuji."
"As you wish my lord," Beol Peol said, still kneeling. "What is your first order?"
Yuji sat upon his throne and looked down on the Judge of Paradoxes.
"Beol Peol, you are to leave Bal Masque, never to return," he said coldly.
Beol Peol looked up. Everyone else was surprised as well.
"My-my lord?" the Judge of Paradoxes said in disbelief.
"Are you deaf?" Yuji said. "I want you to leave."
"But why my lord?" Beol Peol said. "Why banish your most loyal servant?"
"Such a blatant lie," Yuji said. "Don't think that I don't know about your plot to eliminate me and take over once I change the truth of the world."
Beol Peol just looked at him in fear and surprise.
"Yes, I know what you've been doing," Yuji continued. "You planted a spell that had the essence of the Ember Case's ability to severely weaken any being into the Pandora's Box. So that when I would initiate the Grand Order, it would take effect and then you would manipulate both worlds into becoming your own to rule. You tried to plant the spell outside Sereiden, on the way back, knowing that I am oblivious to what happens outside my own palace. However, after installing the Pandora's Box here, you did not expect me to be able to scan everything that has happened to it through the palace itself."
"If you knew I was a traitor, then why spare me?" Beol Peol asked as she stood up again.
"Because without your loyal followers, you are not even a threat," Yuji said. "That's why I gave you an exact list of who should be sent out to their deaths, because they were all loyal to you only. And now, I have no further use for you."
"You-you manipulated me?!" Beol Peol said angrily. "And now you're just going to cast me away now that my job's done?"
Yuji shrugged. "You did the same to others your whole life. It's time you know how they felt," he said. "Remember that there will always be someone greater than you. So if you are a master strategist, then I am a supreme master strategist. Now leave!"
Beol Peol turned her back towards him, but, after taking one step away, she spun around and threw her chain at Yuji with all her rage.
Yuji easily caught the weighted end with a single hand. The next moment, he effortlessly crushed it to little fragments.
"Were you even trying to hurt me?" he said. "That was bad comedy."
Beol Peol still burned with hate towards her former master, hate that overpowered her fear. She grinned evilly.
"You think you're so great and good, Sakai Yuji," she said. "But I know what you really are. Deep down, you're just as bad as I am. 'Protecting' was just an excuse for your lust for more power."
Yuji pointed a finger at her. From it came a powerful bolt of silver lightning that exploded a foot in front of the Judge of Paradoxes and blew her back towards the door of the hall.
"More bad comedy," Yuji said. "Now get out of here, or the next one won't be a warning shot anymore."
Beol Peol got up and brushed the dust off her dress. Without any more words to say, she turned and left. From the side of the hall, Fecor was about to follow her, but Yuji called out to him.
"Fecor," he said. As the Crimson Lord turned his head, Yuji turned his hand into a silver serpent that lunged straight at him with blinding speed. It snapped its jaws a centimeter from his face, making him tremble with fear all over his body.
"Don't even think about following her," Yuji said as he retracted the serpent and turned it back into a human hand. "And by the way, you're demoted from General back to bodyguard. I want you to watch over two very important people that will be returning here soon."
A fearful Fecor bowed obediently and returned to the ranks of the Denizens.
SnSnSnS
When Pheles and Wilhelmina opened the vault that contained the False Reiji Maigo, the warm flame of Power of Existence flooded the room and completely healed everyone in the mansion.
"All that Power of Existence must have been building up every midnight," Wilhelmina said. "But the Hougu is still far too dangerous and unstable for anyone to use."
"And that's why you need me and Johan to restructure it," Pheles said.
When they returned to the Haridan room they found the others already there. Shana was in a corner, crying, while Alastor was with Chigusa. They had just seen Yuji banish Beol Peol through the Wandering Heart.
"To think, he actually out-Xanatos Gambit-ed the Judge of Paradoxes," Margery said.
"The Snake of the Festival was always a cunning planner," Alastor said.
"Guess they don't call him 'Snake' for nothing," said Marcosias.
"And now his intellect is added with Yuji's own, which is already pretty high," Alastor said. "His level of power has gone far beyond even mine to defeat."
"But how can Yuji be many times more powerful than you Alastor?" Khamsin asked. "It was you who defeated the Snake of the Festival in the past, as I remember."
"True, but now he has the Anti-Flame Ring Azure, which, knowing him, he had probably made sure Yuji would acquire through a very complex plan," Alastor said. "This time, he has become one with a being that was already strong, at least in terms of willpower and intelligence: Sakai Yuji."
"So in a way, the Yuji now is so powerful that he makes even guys like me and Sabrac look like little girls," Sydonay said. If Shana hadn't been in so much grief, she would have reacted violently to that.
"Truly invincible," Tiamat said.
"But he should still have a weakness, right?" Pheles asked. She and Johan were already at work on the False Reiji Maigo.
"Don't be too sure," Johan said. "Yuji's been trained by most of these guys, so he knows a lot of their moves. And he is more than capable of countering anything we throw at him."
After completing the restructuring of the False Reiji Maigo to work for him only, he put it in his chest.
"But Yuji himself proved that even the most unbeatable of beings can be defeated," he said standing proudly. "For the sake of the old Yuji, let's not give up! Fight!"
The group shouted out with Johan. "Fight!"
But Shana was still grieving at the side. "For the sake of the old Yuji, huh?" she mumbled.
SnSnSnSnS
Yuji stood on a balcony that overlooked the city in the direction of Konoe's mansion. Over a dark long-sleeved robe he wore a black light breastplate. He also wore a blood red sash around his waist, and around his neck was as the scarlet one that Shana had given him. A gold brooch was added to the latter cloth. Oh his finger was the Anti-Flame Ring Azure.
As he stared into the wide space before him, he thought deeply and made plans. But they were interrupted when a familiar presence appeared behind him.
"I'm glad you returned to me," Yuji said as he turned around and smiled, "Hecate."
The Priestess kneeled before the Snake of the Festival Sakai Yuji. "I live to serve you," she said.
"Please don't," Yuji said as he took her hand and helped her back to her feet. Then he held her close to his chest. "I consider you my own equal, much like another I love."
He leaned on the rail of the balcony. "But our Trinity is still not complete. There must be a General, although it won't really be needed once we implement the Grand Order," he said. "We need someone who defines the very meaning of strength. We need a person who is already close to the both of us, a person very close to my heart. We need someone who has shown what it truly means to protect."
He looked over towards the mansion and touched the scarlet sash around his neck.
"We need Shana," he said.
