Author's Note: I have one more editing pass of the the rest of this story to fix something, but it's fully drafted sans epilogue. With the release of both 13 Sentinels (Vanillaware RTS?! And I've heard it has Time Travel?!) and the remake of Higurashi, which is the other inspiration for this fic, I figured it was a good idea to go ahead and get this out. I apologize for the long wait. I hope you can enjoy this anyway.

Traveler Day Six

There were still two guards standing at the entrance of the stable adjacent to the inn. The best way to deal with them, unfortunately, was Sorcery. Not his best suit, but if there was anything that Lillet had taught him, it was to be flexible in combat. Being a one-trick pony was a surefire way to be knocked down by whatever was the counter to your strategy. And a counter always existed.

Despite the obvious issues with using Sorcery in the middle of an investigation on Sorcery violence, Bartido started drawing the rune behind the stable. He only got one stroke in before he spotted a harried looking Gertrude Silvaner coming around the corner. Bartido surreptitiously wiped the one stroke clean with his left foot before stepping toward the young woman.

"You're still here, huh?" she said, though somewhat more quietly than he was expecting.

"Seeing if I can't get out of here."

"Good. Go fast; be safe." She hurried away… away from the main area of the town.

"Come with me," Bartido said, on a hunch and an impulse.

She stopped, then chuckled in the same soft tone. "No, Bartido. I have my own battle to fight; I can't leave here until it's done."

"I'd better see you again, then," Bartido said.

She turned around. "You will." She brought a wand up and drew it across her face, subtly changing it in several different ways, and Bartido's eyes widened in recognition. He almost shouted but for the finger she put to her lips. "I would prefer it if you survived; perhaps now you'll believe me."

But that's when Bartido made his decision.

Margarita Surprise turned back around when he approached — though she once again wore the face of Gertrude Silvaner. "Go, Bartido. There's no reason for you to stay. You'll just die like the rest of them."

"So you know what's going on here?" Bartido asked. More and more of the weird things he had seen and heard from 'Gertrude' were falling into place in his mind.

"This is the day everything goes to hell, if it hasn't already," she said, turning back and starting off in the direction that she had been heading in the first place. "If you stay, you die. If you leave, you live. I… hoped you'd leave."

"I picked that part up," Bartido remarked dryly. "But how do you know all of this?"

"I took a page from Lillet," Margarita said as she slowed down approaching a corner. "Now, if you're going to be with me here, shut up. And let me draw." She started to draw a Sorcerous rune.

Bartido dropped back to give her space and drew his own rune — if Margarita thought that there was going to be fighting, then there was going to be fighting. That was true even if she wasn't implying… no, it was better not to speculate.

Bartido had only infused his rune once before Margarita was looking around the corner once again. She then stepped around just as the first imp came out of her own rune. As the imp hung out in the rune while more were apparently called, Bartido continued to charge his own rune and stepped to the corner. He didn't step out, though. He'd easily be able to hear what Margarita was saying, and perhaps even who she was talking to.

"Ah! Miss Silvaner. What brings you out so early today?" Bartido knew that voice…

"Let him go, Bonarda." Now Bartido's eyes narrowed.

"Pray tell what you are talking about, Miss."

"The child. Let him go."

Child?

"Why, I don't know what you're talking about—"

"You said that, liar. But I know why you're here."

"Aren't you a rude one."

Bartido glanced at the runes. There were three imps now, as well as the two blobs out of his own rune. There was a pair of crystals in this little corner — which is probably why Margarita was approaching from this direction — but they didn't have all that much in the way of mana. Bartido sent his blobs to collect from one, leaving the other to Margarita, though her imps stood by, even as a fourth one appeared.

"I'd prefer to keep him out of the chaos," Margarita said.

"Out of the chaos? Do remember child, that chaos can be a good thing."

Margarita sighed.

"Don't believe me? Chaos is change. Anti-stagnation. Without chaos nothing would happen. A world could get stale like that. Boring, even. What's life without a little spice?"

"You're stalling."

"It's not time yet."

Margarita snorted. "You're only helping me."

"And me," a new voice chimed in. And Bartido would know that voice anywhere. Peeking around the corner as Bonarda turned around, they both saw Lillet Blan come around the opposite corner. And she was flanked by a pair of Phantoms.

"Ah, Mage Consul Lillet Blan. It's a pleasure."

"Truly?" Lillet didn't sound like she believed him. "Or am I something to get rid of?"

"Why would I want to get rid of more chaos?" Bonarda said. "After all, what could be more chaotic than a young woman who bested Grimlet?"

To Lillet's credit, her only reaction was to raise her eyebrows. Margarita cursed quietly, though Bartido could hear her. He joined in. That was not a well-known aspect of what Lillet had done at the Silver Star Tower, and the fact that Bonarda knew about it…

"So then, Devil," Margarita said, and Bartido ducked behind the corner again before Bonarda could turn around. "I guess that means that you were a friend of his."

"Devils aren't precisely 'friends', child, even if anyone at all are friends," was Bonarda's response. "Everyone for themselves."

Margarita's vulgar response was short and to the point.

"Mr. Bonarda," Lillet said. "You are under arrest for the—" She cut off with a scream.

"Lillet!" Margarita cried, and the imps — there were now eight — shot out from the alley and charged.

Bartido peeked around the alley and saw… was that Grot? No, Grot didn't have red skin. It was almost like… no, it was exactly like what Lillet had described about Grimlet and Gammel Dore had looked like when Grimlet was in charge. Except this time, it was some other devil and Bartido's cousin. He flicked his wrist, giving orders to his own familiars to join the fray.

Lillet had managed to get the Phantoms between her and the devil-person, but he was simply laughing at the ancient warriors' feeble attacks. Bonarda was laughing as well, a shrill unpleasant sound that made Bartido want to cover his ears. Margarita had several other familiars that joined her in the street, including several demons, and she charged Bonarda. He jumped — impossibly — to the roof of the building on one side of the alley.

"Don't think I'm just going to sit here. I have other things to accomplish today!" And then he disappeared over the rise.

Margarita didn't have time to go after him, as she had to charge over to Lillet, who was barely holding against the other devil. Bartido drew a third rune right in the middle of the street, though he sent both of the golems and all three homunculi after Margarita to aid his former schoolmates.

Margarita's demons also did little against the devil, but it bought Lillet the time she needed; apparently she had the mana to spare, as suddenly not only was she joined by additional phantoms, but they had the madness to their swings that indicated berserk phantoms, which had a much better time holding off the devil than her regular phantoms had. All with Bartido's golems and homunculi providing ranged support.

Margarita provided the coup de grace: four grimalkin finally appeared, and while the first sleep spell barely phased the devil, the second made him stumble, the third stopped him in his tracks, and the fourth took him down.

There was a long stretch of silence as all of the familiars stopped on the commands of their masters, and said masters stared down at the fallen devil. Bartido broke it first walking over and stooping down next to the devil to get a better look. That close, there was no denying that he was wearing Grot's clothes, had a chin that jutted out just like him and…

Crap.

"I'm sorry, Bartido," Margarita said. "I… really should have known that there were two devils. I always thought Bonarda was the devil that took over someone else, as I never did see Bonarda after the —"

"Is there any way to save him?" Bartido asked.

"I'm not sure, beyond Lillet's favorite method," Margarita said.

"It seems that all devils are aware of that trick now," Lillet said. "It only ever would have worked once anyway."

"I was afraid of that," Margarita and Bartido said in unison. Bartido smiled at Margarita, while the disguised woman merely rolled her eyes.

"Heads up," Lillet said, her demeanor instantly changing into the 'ready for battle' stance that Bartido recognized.

Margarita cursed again. "I hope those phantoms are ready for a workout."

"You know what's coming?" Bartido asked as he regrouped his own troops.

"They call it 'the Beast'," Margarita said. "And I'm glad none of us are facing it alone. Buy me time, okay?"

Lillet and Bartido shared a look. "I can make a Chimera," Bartido said.

"So now I'm buying time for two?" Lillet asked.

"I have the homunculi and the golems," Bartido pointed out. "I will be helping."

"Well help now," Lillet said, turning and facing the oncoming rush of a giant… beast.

It looked like a demon/dog cross, though it looked about as awkward on all fours as a human would. It lumbered around the corner two alleys away, barely able to fit its whole bulk into the space. "Get that Chimera over here!" Lillet shouted as all of the familiars gathered to take the charge. Bartido sent his golems to the front — they weren't the best at soaking up damage, but they would certainly be better than the homunculi in their glass flasks.

The chimera was not yet complete in the Spawn rune when the Beast plowed into the defensive line formed by the phantoms and golems. The phantoms had set their eerie swords against the charge but couldn't really physically hold the thing back otherwise. The golems, which couldn't really set an attack against a charge, were the physical barrier that prevented the Beast from just plowing through into the mages behind. The grinding of the mechanical gears as they did their best to arrest the momentum of the charging animal grated on the ears, but they did their job. The golems could be dismantled with a feather afterward, though.

"I need that chimera now!" Lillet shouted.

"Two seconds!" Bartido shouted in response. The Beast took those two seconds to rake teeth and claws across the arrayed defensive forces. The golems fell instantly, though the phantoms' astral bodies that made it hard to physically stop the Beast served them well. One even ducked through the Beast to harass it from the other side, and maybe get it to take the time to turn around.

But when the mass of meat that was the alchemic chimera came charging in from Bartido's third rune, it was all that the Beast could pay attention to. They were of similar size, so it was like the clash of two titans. Crashing together, the mass of animal tumbled into one of the buildings, nearly taking it down. A replacement golem lumbered around the corner to provide support fire, though the homunculi had all retreated as they didn't have the energy to help at the moment.

The chimera continued to battle with the beast, though both started to tire only a minute or so after they crashed into each other. That was enough time for Lillet to reinforce with both fairies and phantoms, and spread them out so that there were too many different locations for the Beast to look. Even as the chimera disintegrated the Beast was already confused as to what new threat to attack.

"Got it!" Margarita suddenly cried. An orange glow shattered the early morning light and Bartido didn't see what happened as he had to close his eyes against the sudden glare. All he knew was that when he opened his eyes again, there was a very familiar boy laying on the ground where the Beast used to be. Margarita was already moving to the boy, while Lillet was moving to Grot… the devil. Bartido went over to join her.

He looked at Grot, who actually looked like himself. "That's… freaky."

"Convenient," Lillet said. "It takes a moment for him to… re…"

"I get it," Bartido said, trying to save her from continuing her search for a word.

Lillet turned to Margarita. "Do your Grimalkins…?"

But Margarita cut her off with a long string of curses. Lillet looked confusedly at Bartido for a moment before going over to Margarita, who continued to curse fluently — not that Bartido didn't know that she could, but he was pretty sure he'd never heard her go off quite like that. At least not when she knew he was present.

Bartido got the opportunity to lean down next to Grot and give him a good once over. It didn't seem like he was too hurt. Of course, that could change really quickly, if he were to wake up. And share his body with a devil again. But what could he do about it? Lillet might have another idea. And Margarita seemed to know something about it. Perhaps he should go check on them.

Though crying women were never good signs, and Bartido regretted coming over instantly.

"He's dead! I killed him again!" Margarita said to Lillet. She was clinging hard to Lillet's dress. Lillet was patting her friend's hand.

"It seems that you have more to find out about him, then," Lillet said in response.

That made absolutely no sense.

Or… wait.

"When will you be able to find out more about him?" Bartido asked.

Margarita seemed to have collected herself. "The next… next time through."

Bartido's eyes widened, and he cursed fluently in his own country's language, and then threw in some from each of the other languages he knew. He finished with "you have got to be kidding me."

Margarita chuckled darkly.

"Is that the only loose end left in your understanding?" Lillet asked.

"That and how the second devil picks his… victim," Margarita said.

"It's not always Grot?" Bartido asked.

Margarita shook her head.

"After that, though, all you have left is figuring out why you're… stuck," Lillet said. "Don't forget about that. And make sure to leave enough time to do something about it," Lillet said.

"I know, but thank you," Margarita said as she extracted herself from the blonde. She looked to Bartido. "Did you have anything?"

"Tell me earlier."

Margarita raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"I hang around here in order to help my cousin," Bartido said, gesturing back at the prone figure behind him. "Clearly that didn't work out this time. But maybe if I knew what was going on the whole time, or even just doing something different around Grot, maybe he's not the victim."

Margarita frowned. "Maybe, maybe not. But, knowing what you're doing and why you get caught by the blockades will help me. Though I really don't know if there's an ideal victim here. And I'll see what I can do about your own problem… next time."

"Right, next time," Bartido said, making a face. "So I guess all of this fighting is kinda pointless right now."

"Oh, I learn something every time I fight, it seems," Margarita said. "I… don't really want to know how long I've really been doing this."

"Right before finishing, it might be useful, but I don't blame you for that feeling," Lillet said.

Bartido knew that he was a bit of a third wheel in the conversation — how many people could really relate to looping through time, anyway? — so he turned around to head back over to Grot…. Who seemed to be stirring. "Uh, ladies, I hate to cut this short…"

And when his cousin rose, he immediately took on the red skin and other modifications that… were the devil's.

One of the grimalkins quickly cast sleep again, but before any of the others could, the devil charged the four of them and tore into the demon cats. Bartido's chimera was so close to falling apart at that point that it had only one good charge in it left. He waited a moment for the cats to be taken care of and then used it to keep the devil from charging Lillet, Margarita, and himself. This bought enough time for Lillet's berserk phantoms to come in and start their work, but it seemed like they were… insufficient.

"What else do we have?" Bartido asked. He barely had enough mana to create another golem — the crystals that Margarita and he had set up by initially were long exhausted.

"I have more phantoms where that came from," Lillet said, "but I'm thinking we need to sneak more grimalkins in."

"Too late!" came a voice, and Bonarda was suddenly among them, backhanding Lillet hard enough that she crashed into a nearby building. "You three are far too competent to leave alone, aren't you?"

Bartido turned and attempted to block the next strike toward Margarita with his arm, but Bonarda basically went right through him. The arm fell limply to his side as Margarita sprawled onto the path. He called his final golem to provide cover fire against his cousin while he stood firm in front of Margarita. The longer she lived, the more of a chance she had to remember what she needed to remember to get out of the loop.

But he couldn't buy her any more time.

One more backhand sent him against the building opposite Lillet, and it felt like his spine shattered on impact. He groggily tried to keep his eyes open and his familiars working, but he felt the magical ties to his runes slipping away. There was no more that he could do. The last thing he was able to see of the ruined street was Margarita staring at him wide-eyed.

"Good… luck…" he managed to say… though he would never know if anyone was able to hear his last words. He let himself fall into the swirl of greens and blues that threatened to engulf his entire being.

Can you see them? They writhe among the shadows.

Can you hear them? They scream my name again.

Can you feel them? Their breath gives me chills.

I can't watch it again. I must stop this.

Any way I can.

Tomorrow's sunrise… is it my last?

Tomorrow… Revenant.