Hero of Remnant: Veil of the Aether

by Aetherveil

Following after the events of the Volume 3 Arc, Dante, and his partner Inuba travel across Remnant to make their way to Haven, searching for clues that will lead them to the real mastermind behind the attack on Vale 6 months prior. They will meet allies, both old and new, and face challenging new enemies on their journey. Secrets will be revealed. Continuation of Hero of Remnant.

61. Chapter 61:The Lost Kingdom of Summer

Hi guys. Surprise, I'm not dead.

Frankly speaking, I've been stuck in what's basically the countryside in Europe. Went to see family, and we traveled a lot. Aside from that, internet wasn't great anywhere, and the only place I could go was to the city, which was like two hours away.

Seeing as I didn't have my own car, I wasn't gonna ask any of my family to drive me for like 2 hours just to get some internet.

In any case, I managed to at least finish up and edit this chapter yesterday, and I'll be working on the new chapter tomorrow morning as of the time I'm writing this (Which is like the afternoon since I got back only about thirty minutes ago as of writing this).

So yeah, I'm sorry for totally ghosting you guys for nearly a month now. Or was it more than a month? Can't remember really.

In any case, here's the new chapter! Enjoy!

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Chapter 61: The Lost Kingdom of Summer

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"What the hell…" Dante commented in surprise as he looked out across the distance.

"Incredible…" Noland spoke out, placing both hands on his cane as he propped it into the ground, "Of course..! Now I understand!"

"Um, what about this do you understand really Indianna Jones?"

Noland chuckled in amusement to Dante's remark, "I believe I've identified our kingdom in question."

"Let me guess, you've been here before."

"Funny, but no. There have been clues all around us, I just couldn't piece it together until now."

"Clues like..?"

"Did you know the environment here wasn't always so cold and filled with snow?" Noland asked, cracking a smile, "In fact, it was a land of summer some odd 2 millenia ago."

Dante looked back up at the pitch black ceiling in confusion, "That used to be a land of summer?"

"Indeed. And the ruined kingdom we see before us… is none other than the lost Kingdom of Eternal Summer, Romantia."

"Aptly named…"

"Indeed. It was a kingdom of creativity, intelligence, acceptance, art… and of course, love."

"Terrific." Dante said as he rolled his eyes.

"It would seem you're not as enthused as I am." Noland noted.

"I'm not all too happy we're stuck inside an underground cave, with an abandoned kingdom that's like haunted with ghosts."

"Are you afraid of ghosts?" Noland genuinely asked.

"No. They just piss me off is all with their 'phasing' crap. Makes 'em harder to cut down."

The young man chuckled at the devil's response, thinking of it as typical of Dante.

"In any case, you did say this 'Vein of Power' was here, did you not?"

The teen gave the young man a quizzical look.

"I overheard you and Eclypse earlier when you two were… having your moment. It was difficult not to notice how lovey dovey you two were."

Well, he's attentive, I'll give him that.

Not all too surprising either, since you declare me your lover to the whole world…

It's fun and you like it. I know you do.

Dante sighed as he looked out at the ruined kingdom once more, eyes finding a winding path of stone leading down as he began walking it.

"So this kingdom… How'd it fall?"

"The history isn't all too clear, but what was evident was that the kingdom experienced many coups of leaders throughout its years after the last genuine emperor ruled." Noland explained, "After her death, the kingdom slowly started to fall into depravity. Then, it simply ceased to be heard from again."

"How does a kingdom up there wind up down here?" Dante asked, Noland walking beside him as his cane lit up with light.

"Unknown. The only knowledge we have of the Kingdom of Eternal Summer are texts and artifacts that made it outside and were scattered around Atlas. The texts detail a great many things, from the comings and goings of citizens, trade deals, the list of rulers from the first emperor to the last true empress. Almost everything but its fall."

"A well documented kingdom like that doesn't just drop off the map and… well, land here." Dante gestured to the entirety of the underground.

"I agree. Which makes me only think this kingdom was intentionally… heh… brought low."

"Haha, so funny…" Dante mock laughed, "So the likely thing that happened is that the kingdom was intentionally pulled down here. But by what?"

"Perhaps we'll find out."

"I'd rather not kill anything gigantic down here on the chance we collapse the place."

"I agree. But at the very least, we should find that Vein your sword spoke of. Perhaps it could be of some use to us in the future."

Dante exhaled briefly before he looked out to see themselves closer to the entrance further below, and with surprisingly nothing in their way so far.

"You said this kingdom popped up some odd two thousand years ago. Think you can place it after the Age of The Brother Gods?" the devil asked.

"Well, given what we know now, while compiling the first uncovered records of civilization after the Age of The Brother Gods, and the records of Romantia, the kingdom started around two hundred years after the extinction event. It began as a small village, then grew into a town, a city, and finally a kingdom."

"And the rulers?"

"All of them splendid until the time of the Last Empress."

"You mentioned her quite a bit, this empress. Was she really that good?"

"From what records archaeologists could uncover, she was very well loved by her people. Her council, however, was a different story."

'So she was one of those rulers then… The kind that looked out for and loved the people more than those of a similar status."

"Some writings detail her as a genius of sorts, granting knowledge that helped keep the kingdom safe and prosper. But as I said, her love for the people wasn't so well received by the council."

"The first coup." Dante pointed out.

"It's been speculated it started around her time, but I would imagine the concept of overthrowing rulers within the Kingdom began with her."

"She does her best and gets a kick in the ass… Typical…" the teen noted as he and Noland stopped before the gates, "Seems like the gates are still up even after all this time."

Without a word, Dante gave an effortless push to the doors, and they slowly creaked before immediately toppling down with a loud and echoing thud.

"Whoops."

Noland chuckled silently as he lead the way with his glowing cane, the duo passing by many an empty home or stall front for businesses. The dark made it eerie enough, but the small wisps Dante could see only served to make him more tense.

Are you afraid?

No. Like I told Noland, I don't want to be messing with ghosts since they're tough to cut down.

Are you sure it isn't because you're afraid?

I'm sure. Can you pinpoint the Vein from here?

Yes, but it's a little difficult. The power here is… freely flowing about.

The wisps…

Whatever is here has been sleeping for centuries. Millennia perhaps.

All the more reason to be careful…

If I'm right, I think we just go straight ahead. Can you see the huge structure up ahead?

Dante stopped in his tracks, prompting Noland to do the same, as he squinted his eyes and looked up. His Shadow Eyes allowed him excellent visibility in the dark, but the problem was that he could only see buildings, people and the like by lines. Corners, edges, gaps; all those things appeared as dim, white lines in the pitch black darkness, making out plenty of shapes and figures, but no distinct features for the most part. Unless, of course, there were numerous gaps, etchings and so forth.

So when Dante scoured the numerous broken down buildings with his Shadow Eyes, it was a bit difficult to find the coliseum Ecylpse pointed out. At least, he thought it was a coliseum. Given the drama classes he took in high school, the design of the structure looked like a theater with how… fanciful it was.

It almost reminded him of Shakespeare's Globe Theater, with a touch of Roman Coliseum influence to it.

Whoever had it built definitely had an eye for style.

"How about it, Dante? Do you have an appreciation for the arts?" Noland asked.

"Sort of. I'm not… deeply invested as you might be, but I can appreciate something good and worthwhile when I see it." Dante replied, "Why? I look like the kind of guy who doesn't like art and poetry?"

"You are of a more… rambunctious temperament."

"Fair enough." The devil chuckled.

"Did the girl in the picture inspire you to take up such things?"

The teen froze in his steps, looking back at Noland with a wide stare.

The cane wielder reached into his inner pocket where he kept his Grimoire, pulling out a picture and presenting it to him.

"You dropped this on your way down."

Noland glanced over the photo briefly, seeing both Dante and a light blonde haired girl in the photo.

They seemed very happy.

The devil immediately snatched the photo out of Noland's hands, not out of anger, but something else Noland hadn't seen the devil express.

Regret. Shame.

The teen looked over the photo himself before carefully tucking it away in his pants.

"To answer your question, she did." Dante explained, "They were short on members for the drama department due to sickness. So I joined them for the semester, as did she. While I wasn't all for it at the beginning, it was actually pretty fun once I got to know everyone better."

"She is longer in the world I assume?"

"Not anymore, no."

"Hmmm… Scars indeed…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dante asked.

"We both share wounds from a past that has long since come and gone. Only, I would presume you bear greater wounds than I do."

"What about you then? I've been spilling my guts all this time."

Noland smirked, eyes trailing the ground for a moment before he looked to Dante.

"Perhaps I'll tell you once we resurface." the young man answered, leading the way again as Dante followed, "It is good to know that we both have similarities in terms of what we have lost. I would think we could become fast friends soon enough."

"If that's gonna happen, it's not gonna be because we're sharing our past tragedies. It'll be because we can trust each other more." Dante clarified.

"Very well." Noland smiled.

The devil made to move up, but immediately halted himself and Noland as his eyes scanned the darkness. He could hear something further in the distance slowly clanking towards them.

"Armored targets heading our way." The once immortal pointed out.

Noland tapped his tool on the ground, making the light in his cane shoot up like a flare. The bulb of light froze in the sky, illuminating the shattered streets and homes as both the devil and the young man spotted the approach of armored foes.

Each armor was crimson red, elegantly wrapping around their thin bodies like flowers. Nine of the ten knights were smaller, and had large shields shaped like roses, with longswords having guards shaped like a bundle of brambles.

The head of the back more or less donned a similar design of armor, only he wore a cape that looked like it was made of white roses. He also had a long horsetail-like plume, also of white color. This bigger knight was the only one to use a large ultra greatsword as a weapon, its guard resembling a patch of entwining thorns.

(Devil May Cry V OST - Proto Angelo)

"Interesting… So it seems there were indeed loyalists to the Empress afterall."

"These are her knights?" Dante asked.

"Remnants, no doubt. But a tale for the afterwards, no?"

"Right. Time to kick some ass."

(0:21)

Dante ranin first with Eclypse summoned in his hand, smashing his fists together to form a pair of white and black greaves and gauntlets as he crashed into the bigger knight first. Noland chuckled as he pointed his cane forward, commanding Râzla forward as well. While Dante and the commander slid back past the other knights, the Beowolf pounced on one immediately, biting their head off. It then swung itself around, Râzla's legs turning into a large, reaping blade that took the heads of two more. Leaping back, the Beowolf avoided the attacks of the regrouped knights, weaving through them as spikes jutted out of his body quickly to keep them back.

Dante could be seen in the distance bashing the commander around with his fists, weaving in between the sword strikes like a boxer before ducking under a swing and flipping backwards. The fronts of both feet hit the underside of the knights chin, knocking him back a fair distance as Dante leapt in for the kill. The commander recuperated quickly and raised his huge sword in front of him to block Dante's fist, countering the strike by pushing Dante with his sword and spinning around for a powerful swipe.

(1:39)

The devil raised up his arms to block the huge blade, but the force was enough to send him flying, allowing the commander to go into a sprint after him. Noland's eyes tracked Dante crashing into one of the buildings nearby, making him pull out his Grimoire and point his cane at the commander. The knights legs were encapsulated with sharp shards of ice, allowing the devil to emerge from the building and strike. With one punch, Dante's fist crashed into the commander's face, completely flipping the huge target twice until it fell down on its face.

Seeing Râzla needing some assistance, the teen had time to rush over from behind, wrapping his arms around one of the weaker knights. With some effort, Dante lifted the knight up and leaned back, suplexing him once before he flipped over his enemies body to suplex him again, and again. After the third, he immediately leapt up into the air, turning his enemy around and grabbing his legs before he pile drived the armor into the ground head first, completely shattering the target into pieces.

(1:59)

Leaping back, Dante leaned back to avoid another swiped that would have dug into his side, and made another dodge as he began landing a few punches into the sides. Râzla had the chance to attack, his head and entire maw expanding largely as he chomped on one of the knights, then thrashed his head around violently into the other knights. They were continuously knocked about until the Beowolf clenched its jaws tighter and snapped the enemy in two.

Noland circled his cane around the five remaining minor knights, forming a wall of ice to cage them in and trap them with Râzla. The Beowolf's body sunk into the ground like a puddle, its glowing purple eyes being the only thing seen as numerous, inky black spears shot out of the ground, impaling and destroying most of the knights in one go.

(2:50)

Two remained for Râzla and Noland to take care of, the Beowolf immediately charging in and throwing himself at them. His body warped itself, three curved blades jutting out of his back. The two outer blades were smaller, and the center blade was massive, turning the spinning Beowolf into a bladed wheel of death as it crashed into both knights.

They did their best by blocking with their shields, but Râzla's momentum and his sharper blades rended the metal shields, like a motorized wheel churning water. As the wolf passed by, he took the shield arms of the knights, spinning past them to a halt as he dug his claws into the ground. The Beowolf charged in once more on all fours, flinging his body into horizontal spin as his back transformed again into bladed edges.

His quick sweep cut both legs of one knight, the wolf reorienting himself into a stance before he pounced and bit off the falling knight's head. Finding it's bearings, the other knight made to swing, but Râzla's tail swept up, reaping his sword arm before the tail swung down and cleaved the metal body in half.

Looking back, Noland watched as Dante and the knight commander continued their match, only now the commander was using his bare fists, body crackling with red Aura. For the devil, the knight's movement seemed sluggish before, even when he dropped his sword. However, after that red Aura shrouded his body, his movements became faster and more powerful, but at the cost of being wilder.

It gave Dante more of a fight now, at the very least.

Devil and knight clashed as they struck their forearms against one another, trying to overpower each other as their feet dug deep into the dirt.

(3:45)

Dante however decided to move sideways, allowing his enemy to stagger forward and take a brutal knee to the face. The teen made to punch the commander's face, only to have his arm caught before a gauntleted hand shot out and grabbed his neck, raising him up in the air.

The teen delivered a few quick strikes to the face, then struck his attacker's hand to loosen his grip. Planting his feet onto his enemy's chest, the devil kicked himself away, getting his bearings in time to see the knight trying to tackle him. Lowering himself, Dante ducked under the commander as he placed his hands on him, raising the large knight high above his head with a proud chuckle.

With a loud grunt, the devil turned himself around and slammed the knight head first into the ground. Disoriented by the young warrior, the teen playfully lined himself up as a football player would line up a kick, then rushed forward and punted the commander's head, sending him flying into a home nearby.

The teen raised up his hands to signify he had scored a goal, then immediately went into a defensive stance once he saw the rubble exploded. The commander emerged, letting out a distorted growl as he took up his large, ultra greatsword once more, red Aura vibrantly crackling all around it's weapon.

Instead of blocking the huge sword with his arms like he did previously, he moved to dodge the powerful swings, only using his armored legs and arms to glance blows off his person. With faster swinging speed, it made countering all the more harder to do, but not completely impossible. With how quickly the knight swung, there was a moment in his attack patterns where he slowed down due to exhaustion possibly, which gave the devil his opportunity to deliver a shattering blow to the commander's sword hand.

(4:32)

His enemy now completely disarmed, Dante's fists and feet brimmed with platinum Aura as he struck in a flurry, delivering a series of powerful punches and kicks that quickly cracked the knight commander's Aura. A hundred or so strikes happened in but a few quick moments as the devil leapt back and delivered the final, crushing blow. The punch completely obliterated the knight's body, the metal armor exploding into shards as the suit of armor crashed into the ground with a heavy, echoing thud.

(End Song)

---

Dante let out a deep exhale as he pressed his fists together, his gauntlets and greaves dissolving into platinum Aura and quickly forming back into Eclypse's Longsword form. Holding her tightly, the devil knelt down where the knight commander lay, looking over both him and his dead soldiers to find something quite… shocking.

"Empty…" The teen noted, lifting the commander's helmet before dropping it, "Spirits?"

"I would imagine that to be the case. There seems to be a seal." Noland pointed out with his cane.

"Bound souls… Even in death they serve."

"The only question now remains whether by force or by loyalty to their leader." The young man said as he tapped his cane on the ground, "Given who the last true leader was, I would perhaps say they bound themselves here out of loyalty."

"You made the Last Empress out to be some great ruler. Clearly enough that some soldiers remained bound to their armors after death." Dante spoke, "So why the coup?"

"A coup happens for two reasons mainly. Either in a effort to overthrow a despot, or out of greed. The records uncovered did indeed make the Empress seem not only like a true genius, but a benevolent ruler."

"Greed, then."

"Greed indeed." Noland answered as he continued walking down the road to the theater, minding his step around the armors, "After her death, the kingdom slowly went into a decline. Then… Any records of the kingdom ceased to exist. It completely vanished off the map. Studies by the efforts of many archaeologists and scientists seem to suggest the kingdom fell a hundred years later."

"And how did it get here?"

"Didn't you notice? While the citadel above us has layered stone and concrete, the foundations are made of very thick layers of ice that have gathered collectively. The latent power within the kingdom has likely kept it from being buried entirely. Hence why we were in freefall for such a time."

"A huge ceiling of ice huh… Must be some serious power down here to have kept all that ice from burying it…"

"Perhaps it was the empress' final will to keep her kingdom persevered, even if she was betrayed." Noland pointed out, "Such was her love for the people."

"Think she's down here?" Dante asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. Her personal court mage handled the accounts and records of the empress up until the empress was ousted. The record I came across noted her being chased out of the kingdom. A few soldiers who went out in search of her came back three days later, saying she had died."

"Then those knights we just fought…"

"Could have likely been the very same soldiers. Perhaps they didn't go out to bring her back to be executed, but instead searched for her out of their sense of loyalty."

"I guess we'll never know."

"Don't give up hope so soon." Noland urged, "Perhaps we may find more here than what the histories have presented us. And find the power you and your sword sensed."

"How 'bout it Eclypse?" Dante asked, raising his sword in front of him, "Picking up anything else?"

"Not at the moment, no." She pointed out, "You said the empress had a court mage, right? If the mages here are anything like we've seen, it's possible they could have kept themselves alive somehow all this time."

"And likely the reason for both the power spike, and the creation of these armors retaining the souls of soldiers loyal to the Last Empress."

"But why hide out in a theater?" Dante asked.

"Well, the empress did fancy herself both a genius and an artist. Perhaps that's where she spent most of her time. If so, then it'd be a more suitable place of remembrance rather than the palace."

"If the court mage really is alive and at the theater, think they're gonna try to kill us?"

"Who's to say? The knights didn't seem to want us here. Probably to keep would be looters out." Noland stated, "If they are alive and keeping guard in the theater, it's possible we might be vagrants in their eyes. It'd be wise to speak to them first before attacking, or us giving intent to attack."

"If we even get the chance to say 'we're not dipshit looters' before they might try to kill us."

"Then let us hope we will be heard."

"Yeah… Let's hope."

---

Inuba snapped her fingers, shutting off the white flame on the stove and took the kettle off the stove as the intense whistling died down. Carefully, she poured green tea in ten different cups, adding a small spoonful of honey to each one. Circling her finger around, the spoons began sifting in their tea cups in a clockwise motion, letting the honey devolve in the fresh tea before she snapped her fingers again.

The spoons floated out of the cups, white flames holding their ends as they flew into the sink. Setting aside the kettle, Inuba looked over the tray, making sure all ten tea cups were in order and the tray of biscuits she baked were still warm. They only thing left in the house was some batter, so using some ingredients from their rations, she prepare some biscuits for everyone to nibble on, and tea to relax their minds.

It was… an eventful day. Everyone needed some peace and rest. But the kitsune wasn't content with just sitting back and letting everyone stew in their sorrows. So she took the time to prepare all this for everyone to mellow out and relax.

Including herself.

She was worried. Rather, she was always worried about Dante, moreso now that he was… vulnerable. Not to mention, alone with a stranger they hadn't met until a few hours ago. As of now, she could barely feel his presence, or Noland's. It seemed like they went underground?

That seemed strange to her since they told Inuba they were going hunting for food.

Perhaps their hunt had taken them underground. But that deep? Something seemed off. Part of her wanted to go investigate, but she had to help keep everyone together here. It comforted her that she knew Dante could handle himself, and that Eclypse was with him.

But at the same time, she was unnerved by the fact Eclypse was possibly alone with him.

Giving her propensity for committing lewd acts just about anywhere and everywhere, she had to keep strict watch over the girl to make sure she didn't "take" Dante on the spot in some secluded space.

Did it make her a bit jealous? Somewhat, considering she wasn't as spontaneous or aggressive as Eclypse. But it did give the kitsune to try more… exciting things in the future.

Inuba shook her head, slapping the sides of her cheeks to refocus herself. She was more concerned with Dante's safety than anything. But she couldn't stop thinking about the feeling Noland kept giving off. It was as if… he wasn't whole.

Like he was empty.

The kitsune was hoping she could trust Noland to not have devious intentions. She, like everyone else, would keep a watchful eye until they could fully trust him.

But for now, she would serve people tea for some much needed relaxment.

"Hey there!" Ruby peeked in, "You made tea and some biscuits?!"

"Yes. I thought it would help everyone relax given how… rough today was. We could do with some rest." Inuba explained, "You seem more relaxed than I anticipated."

"Well, Dante has told me just about all of the 'world ending scenario' stories he's been involved in, so… I guess I'm just more hopeful after hearing those stories." Ruby explained, "He's overcome so many impossible things with you and all his friends, so having him here with us gives me hope that all of us can do it."

"That's good to hear." The kitsune nodded happily, "We'll figure out something in time. As Dante always says, 'there is always a solution, however impossible it might be'. We need only search for it closely."

"Do you think what Dante said to us might be true?"

"What he said..?"

Inuba remembered the brief conversation she, Ruby, Eclypse, and Dante had separate from everyone else. The devil made sure only to have his words fall on their ears, for he told them of something he noticed from Jinn's story. He wasn't sure of his theory, which is why he didn't want to tell anyone else yet unless he was sure. But he felt compelled to share with them at least, and so he told them. In addition to everything he said, he asked Inuba and Ruby to remain and help lift everyone's spirits.

The kitsune was hoping her tea and biscuits would do the trick, if only help just a little.

"It could be the case. The fact remains that we're still in the dark about most of all this. We know the truth of the world that used to be and the allies and enemies we face today. But there is still much to discover on the road ahead." Inuba stated, "We only need to keep level heads, and not despair about an answer we can't quite see yet. But in the mean time…"

Inuba held up the tray, prompting Ruby to smile as she took a few biscuits and one cup for herself.

"I thought I smelled something good!" Athyra spoke as she entered the room, "It's only been a week and I'm in love with your cooking!"

The kitsune happily raised the tray for Dante's mother as she immediately grabbed a biscuit, quickly eating two pieces in one go as she moaned in delight.

"Mother! We were in the middle of a conversation!" Dawn said as she entered the room, "Oh, ms. Kitsukami. You've prepared something I see. No wonder she quickly sprang up."

The sister looked to the tray, immediately spotting the tea as she warmly smiled.

"I see you've even prepared some tea for us. Many thanks for your generosity." She said, taking a cup of tea for herself.

"You're welcome." The kitsune happily nodded, "Oh… Ms. Rose, did you manage a final check of inventory found around the house?"

"Yep!" The little reaper affirmed, "We found about thirty cans of food and some bottled water!"

"Given our current rations that we salvaged from the train, that's actually very good news. If our situation does become more dire by chance, Dante, mother and I can easily forgo eating or drinking to save up."

"Speak for yourself kiddo." Athyra answered, continuously shoving one biscuit after another into her mouth, "I've been what's essentially a ghost for the last eleven years. No way in hell am I not gonna drink or eat."

"Mother, for us such things are more of a luxury rather than a necessity. Everyone else does need to eat." Dawn spoke.

"Then let's hope we make it to Argus before we run out of food or water."

Athyra's daughter sighed as she took to her tea once more, looking out the window to see the steady snow falling in the evening sky.

"This whole situation is curious." Dawn's words attracted the eyes of all in the room towards her, "In all of the houses, each household died rather peacefully in their sleep. It would make sense if they were slain in their sleep, but…"

"I find it odd myself to be frank." Inuba noted, "As ms. Dawn noted, everyone in this village died peacefully in their sleep. Before we buried the corpses, I examined each and every body that we came across and found no signs of bodily trauma. Not even traces of poison were found. Factoring in the cold climate, and comparing it to the rate of decay, I would have to say the people in this village died at least eight months ago."

"This place is pretty out of the way too. So I don't think bandits came here either. I mean, they would have stolen just about everything if they did come here. Especially the food." Ruby stated.

"Land's haunted." Athyra told them, eerily wiggling her fingers.

"Mother…"

"Hey, just saying." The older woman shrugged at her daughter, "All of us here know supernatural forces exist, especially in this World. Maybe some ghosts got pissed off and cursed everyone in a permanent sleep."

"It isn't unlikely…" Inuba said as she tilted her head, "This situation does present a few trademarks of a curse. Alongside the healing arts, my family has a history of cultivated knowledge in creating and dismantling curses, and from my studies, I learned that most curses, particularly those meant to affect groups of people, have set conditions or are in need of specific ingredients."

"Like what?" Ruby asked.

"Did you notice anything strange that didn't seem like it belonged? Charms, talismans, magic circles; was anything of the sort seen when you and everyone else where exploring the rest of the farm?" Dawn asked.

"We didn't see anything like that I think…"

"That's troubling…" The kitsune pondered as she sat down.

"I'm telling you guys, it's ghosts."

That could very well be the case if there aren't any signs of markings or the like. But some form of bodily harm would have been present. So what could've caused this..?

"In any case, we should check on the others." Inuba said as she stood up again with her tray, "Ruby, would you come with me?"

"Sure thing!"

---

Dante and Noland stood outside the large, wooden double doors, eyes glancing up towards the rather imposing theater. Given its design, and what remained of its color, this place would've been an absolute gem. A place of beauty and art for all to come and witness.

Now it was nothing, just a broken down building; stone was misplaced, the walls were shattered for the most part, and the doors were severely chipped and splintered. And like with the doors to the kingdom, as soon as Dante gently poked the wooden doors, they came off their hinges and fell down with an echoing thud.

"It's like I've got Qrow's Semblance all of a sudden…"

"Hmm... Your incredible fortune in conflicts would say otherwise." Noland pointed out to the teen as he entered first.

"Not all of those battles ended with a sweet victory you know."

"I'm aware. But the fact remains you emerged each time, did you not?"

"I guess…" the once immortal shrugged, as he and Noland continued down the darkened halls, "But at what cost, each and every time? What more did I lose the more I kept winning?"

"Are you angry at my questioning?"

"No…" Dante simply answered, "Frankly, thinking back on everything just as you asked me that question, I'm more or less angry with myself. Sure, I've got a damn good track record and won just about every fight I've ever been in, but at the end of the day, I still considered myself a failure when I couldn't save people. Especially those closest to me."

"It's admirable to wish to save everyone, but surely even you know that you can't save everyone." Noland stated.

"I know that." The devil glanced over briefly, "Doesn't mean it sucks less when it still happens."

"Do you have some sort of savior complex then?"

"No, not really. At least, I think I don't. Most of my life I've just been doing things for people, either because I was asked to or they told me to. Never really put my needs and wants before others. Never saw a point to it really since I didn't value my own life nearly as much as everyone else's lives. So I devoted myself to living for others essentially, and saving them."

"You think of yourself as worthless?"

"Used to." Dante shrugged, "Never really had much in my life except for the few people that were there or used to be there. Before I remembered just how far back I knew Inuba or Eclypse, a seven year old me just woke up in the hospital one day, not knowing who I was or how I got there. No one came to visit me. No one came to take me home. So I just sat there for days, doing nothing but think."

"And?"

"And… I thought to myself, 'What kind of a bastard must I have been to have nobody there to take me home?'. It was… I don't know, disheartening, I guess. Made me feel like I was nothing and no one. Just a worthless nobody."

Dante stopped suddenly, looking behind him to realize Noland was just a bit away, standing completely still. Rather, the rest of his body was still, but his hand was clutching his cane rather tightly as he kept his eyes low.

"You make me talk about the stupidest shit sometimes, you know that?" The devil sighed.

The young man brought himself back with a chuckle, looking up at the teen, "I simply ask questions. It's you who decides in the end whether or not to answer them."

Dante rolled his eyes as Noland joined his side once again, the duo walking down the halls together once again.

"Your life is worth something to numerous, if not many people. Whether for good or for bad, every person you have met on your journey throughout your life has had their own life impacted in some shape or form. Luckily, it's mostly for the good." The young man explained, "You and your family are a special existence meant to do great things. And you have indeed done incredible things on your path through life so far. I have no doubt you will continue to do great things with your life."

"You make it sound like its preordained or something…" Dante stated.

"A feeling, if anything." Noland smiled, "Months ago, I had no idea of what lay beyond the borders of this World, much less the kind of beings that existed. Then I hear of you, a complete mystery, out and about in the world performing all sorts of incredible feats. Redefining 'what's possible' with every step you took. Simply being here with you to witness it all is nothing short of a spectacular occurrence."

"I think you mean 'harrowing' if we're being real." The devil replied.

"Is that humility I sense? No wonder you have such a good reputation."

"Yeah yeah…" the once immortal waved off.

Stopping short of an open doorway, the duo peeked their heads inside, looking around the inside of the massive room and staring in awe. Pillars and floors of black and white marble shattered into pieces, tattered carpets of deep red that were likely a brighter color back then, rows of wooden seats splintered and in pieces across most of the ground. The ceiling was also rather exaggeratingly high.

Most awesome of all however was the stage itself. It had the same marble as the grounds and pillars, and even had metal linings of silver embossed in the stone, giving it an array of elegant swirls and patterns that enhanced the beauty of the rotunda-like stage. Banners of red hung from the ceiling, held together by silvered cords of thread.

What shocked the pair of teens the most however was how the stage was kept in pristine shape compared to the rest of the theater. It was neat, clean, practically as if the stage remained untouched by time.

"This is… curious…"

"Yeah… And pretty damn fishy if you ask me." Dante replied, eyes looking around the whole space.

"Perhaps remnant traces of magic has kept the stage in such perfect condition?"

"Maybe… Or somebody kept it in pristine condition."

Just as he spoke, Dante spread out the fingers of his right hand, quickly summoning Eclypse as he grasped her tightly, spun around, and sliced through a marble pillar. The slice left a red hot mark in the separate halves as they flew by the teens. Turning once more, the devil pulled Noland behind him and swung down on a fireball, turning it into nothing more than a cascade of sparks that swept past them.

"Alright damn it, quit it already!" the teen shouted at the elevated stage.

From behind the rotunda, a person dressed in elegant purple robes trimmed with gold stepped out, hand ablaze with fire as she kept her index finger pointed at the duo. Her hood was kept up and obscured her face entirely, even with the azure flames dancing around her hand.

"Wretched vagrants… Leave this place at once." Spoke the woman, "I won't allow you to rob this sacred place."

"Easy there Avatar, we're not looking to rob this place." Dante explained as he kept Eclypse raised, "We're just travelers that fell down here after exploring."

"Simple travelers cannot overcome the Crimson Knights so easily. Now speak the truth, or be incinerated."

"The only incineration you're gonna be doing is lighting up candles." Dante said, "Why don't you flame-off, Human Torch?"

"My name is not 'Human Torch', imbecile."

"Then who are you?"

"I am-! Wait, I'm not giving you my name!"

"Why not?"

"Because you're some devious vagrant that'll do indecent things to me!"

…

...

"What..?"

"You can't fool me with that handsome face! You're probably some sort of deviant that lays with different women frequently like some sort of beast!"

Dante heard Noland let out a brief chortle, turning to see the young man holding a hand to his face.

"Popular indeed…"

"Shut it scrawny..!" Dante growled before he looked back at the woman, "Look, I'm not gonna do anything to you, alright!"

A sudden thought came to the teen as he smiled.

"Besides, you're probably not even that cute if you're wearing that hood."

"W-What?" she screeched, azure flames dying down as she used both hands to pull down her hood, "I may not be as well endowed as most women, but I at the very least have some beautiful features!"

She was indeed cute and young looking with a beautiful flow of slightly messy blonde hair and emerald eyes. Even her pout was sort of cute. It almost reminded him of when Ruby pouted.

"Well well, she is rather attractive…" Noland noted.

"Yeah, she is pretty cute."

The mage went bright before she raised up her hands, fingers lit with azure flame.

"Look, can you not try to roast us, please? We're not here to steal anything." Dante explained as he dematerialized Eclypse, "We felt a huge power spike and found the cathedral up top before we fell down here. Your knights attacked us, so we made purée out of them because they didn't give us much of a choice."

"Power spike..?" The woman pondered, eyes trailing the ground before glancing back at Dante, "You there, vagrant, handsome boy with the white hair."

"Me?" Dante asked innocently.

"Who else you buffoon?! Approach me!"

The devil sighed as he took steps forward, towering over the woman as she nervously took a step back.

"Let me see your face." the woman asked, gesturing for Dante to kneel.

The teen did so, feeling her cold hands touch the sides of his face as she inspected him.

"Deceptively handsome… For a devil. But a kind hearted nature underneath it, like that of an angel." The woman's eyes narrowed, "I sense pain in you. Conflict that has riddled your courageous heart with grief. But… I also sense overflowing love that has mended your fractured heart. And a plethora of joyous emotions bound in you."

"What can I say, I'm a really nice guy."

"Hush." the woman said, slapping the side of Dante's head harshly, "Your courageous soul… It is one that fears no enemy, and bows to no one. A soul that seeks to be just and righteous with his path, and one that does not know the meaninf of 'impossible'. You are indeed quite the Rebellious Soul…"

Dante glanced up at the woman, seeing her pull back her hands and allowing him to stand.

"You are the one that was foretold."

"Foretold?" the devil questioned.

"Nearly two milennia ago, it was foretold that our lustrous Kingdom of Romantia would fall into depravity after the passing of the last Empress. While that came to pass, there was another telling, that somewhere in the distant future a young man would arrive amongst the ruins of our once great kingdom. It wasn't until a year and a half ago that I began having visions, though they never gave me a clear image."

A year and a half ago… That was around the time I came here to this World.

A coincidence maybe?

Too accurate, Eclypse. You know how prophecies and the like work by now. While I still think most of those are hocks of shit, there are still some people capable of accurately seeing deep into the future.

And if I recall, accurate future sight can only be found in mages or would be mages. Which this short girl is.

"What have you been keeping here that requires a court mage to guard this broken down kingdom for almost 2,000 years?"

"How-?!"

"You aren't the first mage I've seen little lady, and I've been around long enough to see some really freaky shit."

The mage glanced a brief look in Noland's direction before turning herself and Dante in the opposite direction.

"That friend of yours. Do you trust him?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Dante asked.

"He's hollow inside. Empty. All I feel in him are dark emotions. Rage, melancholy, self-loathing." The woman explained, "A dark desire born of hate burns within him."

The devil looked behind him, seeing his companion leaning against one of the pillars as he read through his Grimoire, never taking his eyes off it for a moment.

Just what happened to him? Noland's naturally calm and composed, so I wouldn't think something like hate festers in him. But maybe he's just holding all that in. His reaction to my story earlier… Maybe it resonated with him more than I realized…

"I trust him enough for now. He's strange, sure… But he's been reliable. I don't think he's got any ill intentions focused towards me or my other friends. For posterity, what kind of rage we talking about? Stub my toe kind of angry or hungry angry?"

"Are you an idiot?!" The mage whispered in frustration.

"Yes, some days. Now spill it."

The young girl sighed before looking seriously at Dante.

"His heart is filled with vengeance, so much so that it would scald any other person."

"Vengeance, huh… I know a little bit about that myself." The teen stated, eyes drifting towards the ground, "Guess I'll press him later."

"I only warn you because of the reason you are here. Preferably… I would rather see it in your hands than in his."

"You can tell me I'm worthy or whatever all you want, but frankly, I'll just outright deny it."

"That is why I wish to entrust what I have kept safe here to you." The small mage noted, "You do not vainly seek power for your own amusement, or to sait a greedy temperament. From my perspective, and from what I've seen in your heart, you're a rather simple man."

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or a compliment…"

"A compliment, I assure you." The girl nodded, "The only thing you desire is the love of others. Anything else, like power, fame, or riches have no value to you. They are… mere necessities by comparison. You're almost like…"

The mage sighed, looking up at Dante.

"You will be tested, just like I tested your heart. The final decision has yet to be made. My task was only to see if someone like you was worthy to proceed further. The rest… is up to Fate."

"Fate." Dante scoffed, "Sure thing, Ms. Mage."

"My name is Avara, handsome buffon." The girl proclaimed, waving her hand over to Noland, "Scrawny boy! You may step forth to join your friend!"

The young man chuckled at the nickname, shutting his book as he hid it back into his pocket.

Avara and Dante stepped towards the stage, shards of marble forming a pair of stairs at the base that allowed them to climb up. The mage guided Dante to the center, making sure he stood in the etched, white rose pattern as Noland joined him shortly after.

"You are to remain on this platform, scrawny child. Understood?" The mage pointed at the young man.

"Understood." He nodded respectfully.

"As for you, Dante Aetherveil…" The girl held her breath briefly before she exhaled, "Hope that you are truly found worthy."

The devil gave her a double thumbs up before he looked to the shifting ground, noticing the circle descending slowly between the marble stage. It took about two or so minutes, but the platform eventually exited the darkness as light shined below them.

The entire space was of light, making the whole room look as though it was an infinite space of white. But what made this room all the more beautiful, like the architecture above, was the glistening shards of silver and white rose petals that floated about in the space around the duo.

"And I thought The Plane of Angels looked beautiful in spite of how shitty the Angels were..." Dante commented as he looked around.

"Quite the mesmerizing sight indeed… The Emperors of old after the Age of The Brother Gods indeed had a certain… artistic flair. But this…" Noland held his hand out, letting some of the rose petals and slivers of silver fall into his palm, "This is quite a sight indeed… A byproduct of the Latent Power here, no doubt."

As the platform came to a stop, the duo's eyes immediately snapped to the long walkway of white marble, watching it stretch out for a few yards. The walkway soon expanded outwards into a rounded platform, where at the center…

A sword remained embedded in an outcrop of crystal.

The weapon itself was of magnificent design, and by Dante's estimate, almost as tall as he was with the butt of the handle stopping just at the base of his neck.

The sword's base surface was black, but the areas of the blade's large edges looked to be made of polished silver. Embedded lines of gold ran from the hilt down the black surface, stopping a foot near the tip.

The blade itself was elegant, but aggressively curved and staggered, the tip being the only part of that was double-edged. It curved in on both sides to form an inlet before curving out again into twin corners, pulling back across the expanse of the blade in crooked curves and smooth, rounded bends before ultimately settling into the finer details of a small hilt, which was made to glance caught strikes away.

"That's where the Vein of Power is coming from. Even so..."

"What is it, Eclypse?"

"The sword isn't cursed or anything, but… I can feel something deep within… A powerful will slumbers in that sword."

Powerful will..?

"Do you mean to say the sword is sentient then?" Noland asked as Dante got closer to examine the sword.

"Hard to say if I'm being honest. Sentient thought and lingering will are two very different concepts. For starters, to be sentient is to be able to think and act in the moment, whereas the 'will' of a being can linger on after death or passing on. Residual thoughts, in a sense."

"I suppose we won't know more unless the sword is drawn from the stone." The young man pondered, "Well then… Seeing as you and your sword were able to find this place, the honor is all yours."

"Right…"

Dante stepped forward slowly, keeping his eyes peeled for anything sudden that could have come his way.

Master, if I'm being completely honest with you… I'd rather you not take out that sword.

Why not? Is it dangerous after all?

N-No, but… Well…

Eclypse's thoughts went silent, but the devil could feel how uncomfortable she felt. It wasn't as though she were intimidated or afraid, but rather…

Like she was jealous?

I'm enough, aren't I?

…

So that's what it was…

You should know by now that nothing or no one can replace you, Eclypse. Besides, why would I ever replace you? You're perfect as is.

He could hear the girl giggle in his head, which was most definitely a good sign.

If I were materialized right now, I'd kiss you until you'd go numb. Though, I wouldn't want any outside spectators.

Dante chuckled as he closed his eyes briefly, opening them again as he stopped before the lustrous sword to take in it's beautiful shine.

I'll never once think about replacing you Eclypse. However… Noland made a damn fine point. We need all the help we can get these days with what's ahead. Sentient or not… we need this power.

Understood. Just… be careful.

Dante let out a short exhale, staring at his palms as he clenched his fingers a few times, soon making up his mind to reach. As his fingers wrapped around the handle tightly, the metal sang softly with his touch as he felt the cool metal chill his hands. It was then he could feel the power within the sword for himself; a graceful yet powerful force that was commanding and benevolent.

There was no doubt that this sword was that of a powerful ruler.

It was then he could feel a rush of power flowing through him. It felt warm and gentle. It was different than Eclypse, where the power the girl gave off was intense and seemingly infinite.

But the thing that was similar between this sword and Eclypse was one thing.

Unwavering force of will.

The devil closed his eyes once more as he let his platinum Aura flow, blanketing his entire body like a raging flame as it engulfed both him and the sword.

I don't know whether or not you're alive or not, but I'll still give it a go. If you're there, and if you can hear me… I could really use your help for what's ahead of me. I don't know if I'm worthy by your standards. Not sure I'm worthy by anyone's standards really. Even so… please lend me your strength, so I can protect what matters most to me.

As Dante pulled the sword from the stone, the Aura blazing around him died down. Rather, his Aura was being sucked into the blade.

For a blade as large as it was, it was surprisingly light, as if he were wielding a dagger rather than a large sword.

Immediately, the sword began to vibrate before breaking out into violent shaking, flying out of Dante's hands as the blade brimmed with pure white Aura, floating in front of him. The white light engulfed the blade entirely, shining bright enough to blind the devil as the light expanded outwards.

After shielding his eyes, the teen lowered his arm, completely taken aback at what he saw.

Now, a person stood in place of the blade, standing proudly with her hands on her hips.

"Heh heh! Well done! Very well done, young man!"

Her voice was high pitched, both soft and beautiful sounding. Yet that loud, graceful voice was commanding and vibrant.

Dante looked at the woman, taking in her features one bit at a time.

Her hair was a light, golden color, and styled into a half-bun with a braid that rounded around the base of the bun, which was held together by a platinum ribbon. Her ribbon left enough strands of the woman's hair to let her bangs frame her face and the side-bangs to trail down and brush against her cheeks.

Proud, boastful emerald eyes that shone with a bright eagerness stared back at the once immortal, giving the teen a feel of her commanding yet gentle presence.

She was indeed beautiful, having lithe legs and wide hips that were accentuated by the wide flare of her skirt. Her waist was narrow, emphasizing an hourglass-like figure that lead up to her generously ample bosom. Small, slender shoulders were hidden beneath the large sleeves of her white dress, which in and of itself was extravagant.

The large skirt flared out from her small, corset-clad waist, platinum ropes holding it tightly closed at her stomach while the tails of the attire trailed down to cover her knee-high platinum, metal grieves. The white of the dress's skirt only covered the extent that the long tails of a coat would, the rest filled in by a white, transparent fabric with silver-trimmed frills at the dramatic ends of them. With the material itself practically being see-through, it was able to show off her bare thighs hidden beneath.

From the looks of it, it seemed like she was wearing a leotard, with the dress modified to fit or mold together perfectly with what she wore underneath.

Her torso was covered up in a platinum fabric covering, leaving the skin of the top of her torso bare and framed by the white coat-like top resting over her shoulders, also flaring out in a mildly dramatic, squared off puff of fabric. Platinum pads adorned the tops of her shoulders, her sleeves narrowing down to form snuggly over her slender arms before flaring out again in wide, white sleeves filled with more transparent white, silver-trimmed frills.

She had to be as tall as Inuba from what Dante figured, considering the top of the young woman's head reached up to the center of his chest.

Dante was far too captivated to speak, only snapping to attention as soon as she spoke.

"Hear me and hear me well, young man! I am Navâra Calîxus, the seventh Emperor of the Kingdom Romantia!" The Empress proclaimed proudly as she held a hand to her chest, looking up at the towering Dante, "Are you the one that will become my Wielder?"

"Wielder..?"

The devil's head jolted up as he looked behind him, seeing Eclypse walk up to him and glare at the shorter Empress.

"Yes! Wielder!" Navâra pointed out, making Dante look back to her, "You already possess someone like me, so it shouldn't be too difficult to understand."

"Like her? Wait, you said you were an Empress, right?"

"Correction! I am still an Empress!" The woman proclaimed proudly as she crossed her arms and posed.

She looked up once more at Dante, smiling all the while as she gazed deep into his eyes. Her forwardness, and how the teen was able to easily see her cleavage from simply looking down at her made him step back nervously as she slowly followed after. Just a step or two back, and the devil felt his back move into Ecylpse's chest, making him immediately slip out of the way.

Taking a moment, the Empress cast her gaze onto the platinum haired girl, seemingly giddy as she made even Eclypse somewhat uncomfortable. Regardless, the taller girl stood her ground, allowing the short girl to have her look around as she hummed amusedly.

"What great fortune! I've not only the privilege to bear witness to a handsome boy, but also a beautiful woman as well! Truly a splendid day indeed!"

"Hmph. It's only natural that I am beautiful." Eclypse spoke equally proud.

For all her bluster, Dante knew full well his sword was trying to remain cool and unfazed by the compliment.

"You still haven't answered my question." Dante asked, drawing the attention of both girls, "What are you exactly?"

"I've already answered such a question. However, if you wish to hear me speak more, then I will gladly oblige you!" Navâra spoke, "I am much like the beautiful girl that stands next to me, however there is a key distinction."

"That being..?"

"You asked me before if I was an Empress, when you really meant 'were you not a human'. And the answer is yes, I was indeed a human long ago. I am not pure, like this woman is. Rather, I became like how she is after I passed millennia ago."

"You… died..?" Eclypse asked in confusion, "And came back as you are now? Like me?"

"The distinction… She became like you after she died, whereas you were born just as you are now. That's what she meant by pure." Dante stated, "Eclypse, did you know something like that could happen?"

"Not in the slightest. As far as I know, I thought I was the only one that could do what I do. Much less be born in the fashion that I was. But to think there were people like me…"

The platinum haired girl leaned forward a little to take a full glance of the smiling Empress, who proudly posed for the girl.

"That sword stuck in the crystal... That was you, right? Or rather, the form you take as a weapon?"

"Indeed! I do have a rather spectacular form if I say so myself!" Navâra spoke as she puffed her chest out a bit.

Well… She isn't short on self-confidence, I'll give her that.

Clearly.

"Now then… Step forward proudly, young man! I, the Empress of Romantia, have heard your plea! And being the benevolent Empress that I am, I shall gladly bestow upon you the privilege to wield me! Be honored, and forever grateful for such a grand privilege!"

Self-confident, huh? Did you by chance mispronounce "narcissistic"?

Be nice, please.

Dante stepped forward, watching Navâra extend her right hand in front of her expectedly as she held her head high. The devil slowly knelt on one knee, taking the Empress' hand as he kissed it, much to the light-golden haired girl's delight as she hummed gleefully, and much to Eclypse's displeasure as she clenched her fingers together tightly.

"My my! I am pleasantly surprised by your manners as well!"

"Um… Thank you, Empress. I am unworthy of praise."

"Heh, think nothing of it! I am indeed an Empress, but now, first and foremost, I am humbly in your service as one of your proud Blades! Rest assured, I take both roles very seriously!" She spoke as she withdrew her hand, "Now then… Since I've decided to come into your service, it would be wise to 'seal the deal', as they say."

The devil looked up in confusion, only to be further shocked when Navâra leaned down, clasping the sides of Dante's cheeks as she kissed him. He was too shocked to move by the sudden action, so all he did was kneel there frozen as the Empress continued her long kiss.

The Empress' white Aura shimmered around her body, as did Dante's platinum Aura, for a few brief seconds before vanishing. The girl drew herself back slowly, and stared into his eyes with a narrowed gaze, humming gleefully before standing up straight.

"And now we are one." She spoke, shifting her hands so that her fingertips touched the underside of Dante's chin, "Congratulations, Wielder! You have undoubtedly made the correct choice in deciding to utilize me!"

"I-I didn't so much decide considering you just decided for yourself!" Dante quickly argued as he stood back up, "You didn't even give me time to think it over!"

"There was nothing to consider in the slightest!" Navâra waved off, "You came to my kingdom in search of me and the power I wield! I have not only given you my power, but also given myself to you willingly!"

…

She was right, but the way she said it kind of sounded wrong…

"Let's get something straight, short stack." Eclypse walked over, towering over the Empress, "You may be an Empress or whatever, but I'm the original. I'm the one in charge. I'm the strongest one."

"Indeed! When I see you, I can certainly ascertain the depth of your power for myself. But now that I am linked to our Wielder, and by default, you… I can truly fathom the intensity of the power you wield."

"Then understand something else while we're at it."

Eclypse wrapped her right arm around Dante's waist, pulling him towards her as she nestled her face against his and wrapped her left arm around his chest.

"He is my lover. And soon enough in the future, my husband."

Immediately the young devil slapped a hand to his face to hide his embarrassment.

"Do you have to do that all the time?!"

"Of course. It's only natural that I should constantly cement my position as 'best girl'. That way any woman, or man, would think twice about looking at you like a starstruck idiot." Eclypse replied.

"Then… you are not only his greatest sword, but also his lover?!" The Empress asked, totally shocked.

"Yes."

The three stood in silence as Noland stayed further back, reading his Grimoire and only looking up every now and then.

"How marvelous! How beautiful! How beautifully marvelous!"

Both sword and devil were taken aback by Navâra's sudden and oddly cheerful comment.

"Truly a perfect pair without question, both living such a beautiful life as Wielder and Sword! Man and woman!" The Emmoress exclaimed joyously with dramatic movements, "Today is a truly blessed day, for I have met two outstandingly beautiful people!"

She… unnerves me in the sense that I can't follow her thinking.

She's certainly… eccentric...

"I am now more eager than ever to join you all on your journey! Not to mention…" Navâra spoke as she approached the duo, "I am also eager to see what has become of the World I used to live in as a human. Long have I slumbered here in my kingdom. Long have I awaited the day to leave this place. Yes, surely I could have wandered the World of Remnant alone. But my new existence… My current existence as a Blade meant to take the hand of a Wielder… Surely a journey would be more exquisite with a companion or two at your side, no?"

"I'd say so." Dante stated.

"I'm glad we're in agreeance then! So that is why I have waited here all this time, slumbering and dreaming of the promised day."

"Dreaming..?"

"Indeed, good Wielder!" The Empress exclaimed as she leaned forward towards Dante, "Long ago, before I went into a deep sleep after my first day returned in the World, I had a dream. In this dream, I would awake to see the World different from the one I once knew. A premonition that I would wake far into the future. But more importantly… I was not alone. As I looked across the skies and the planes and the virtuous kingdoms…"

The girl leaned back, pointing a finger at the devil as she continued smiling.

"I saw you standing next to me."

"You saw me..?" Dante asked.

"In a manner of speaking." Navâra added, "I saw only your shape, the rest blind to me due to your majestic nature. But still, it was enough to know who it would be whenever I came face to face with them."

"You stayed here on a promise that you couldn't have possibly known would have come true."

"But it did, did it not? Therefore there is nothing to be concerned about."

"There's plenty to be concerned about!" Dante spoke earnestly, he being the one to step forward and make the Empress jolt back a little, "What if I never showed up? What if I decided not to come down here at all?"

Navâra's brief moment shock of shock transformed into a smile, her smooth hand resting itself on Dante's shoulder.

"But you did arrive, and did decide to come here of your own accord. True, I couldn't possibly know if you would come here this day even if I had future sight. Afterall, the future isn't set in stone and susceptible to change. Even so, I kept faith and knew that one day you would be here."

"But..!"

"Pay no mind to it any longer, Wielder! For today, I have found you, and you have found me. Is that not enough?"

Dante opened his mouth to say something, but immediately held back, knowing meaningless words on his part wouldn't help him.

"Today is a day of joyous celebration, is it not? Right now, we shan't dwell on what may or may not have been, but only on what has been." The Empress spoke, looking up at Dante once more, "Besides… Now that I have seen you for myself… I would think the wait was well worth it, no?"

The way she winked at him made the devil jolt a little, but all the same, both he and Eclypse made way for the tiny Empress as she lead the way, stopping short of Noland.

"You there, young man. Are you my Wielder's servant?"

"He's an ally." Dante strongly noted.

"It's as he says, your highness." Noland said as he bowed, "I am your Wielder's traveling companion, and at times, his guide if he is willing. I must say that being here in person and seeing the majesty of your kingdom in person does the tales of old no justice. Words alone simply can't capture the beauty of such a kingdom."

"Heh heh, indeed! One may document and read of beauty all they wish, but they can never truly see it or experience it without witnessing it in person!" Navâra spoke proudly, "You too are a courteous man who knows his manners well. I see that my Wielder keeps good company too. Well, that much is to be expected."

As she moved past Noland, and stepped onto the round platform, the Empress crossed her arms and looked down upon the three with a wide smile.

"Now then… A feast must take place is in order to celebrate today, is it not?"

---

Eclypse let out a load, sultry moan as she tilted her head back, keeping her arms tightly wrapped around Dante's head as she buried his face in her large bosom. Intense shocks of pleasure coursed through her convulsing body like lightning, winding up her muscles like tight ropes of steel as she continued straddling him, panting heavily.

It took a good minute or two for her muscles to unwind, but the girl could still feel the pleasant shocks running through her, now calmer in their waves. The devil still kept a firm grip on Eclypse's firm, sumptuous, curvaceous rear, only relaxing his hold when his own shocks of pleasure simmered down a little. His hands traveled upwards slowly, palms brushing against her smooth, pale skin as he wrapped his arms around the small of Eclypse's waist, holding her tightly and in place as the duo reveled in each other's warmth and elated ecstasy.

The platinum haired girl leaned back a little, letting Dante's face escape her cleavage so that she could look deep into his eyes, one hand still holding the back of his head while the other firmly latched onto his back.

Both sword and Wielder looked absolutely dazed as they held each other tightly in the hot open baths, their lower halves soaking pleasantly in the warm, rose scented waters. Although, with the numerous times they delighted in each other, the rosy scent was disappearing more and more by the minute. It was absolutely intoxicating still being glued to one another like they were.

Eclypse's hunger still hadn't settled. The way Dante looked at her with dazed, innocent eyes only served to stir up her cravings, making the girl look down on the young devil with narrowed, predatory eyes. The young man could feel her burning desire just by the glance she cast alone.

He didn't know why her gaze alone began to arouse him again. Maybe it was the lustrous, platinum shine. Maybe it was the way she narrowed her eyes so earnestly and sensually.

Or maybe it was the way her slit pupils gazed deep into his eyes, as if she were the devil and had captured young, tantalizing prey.

Dante was perfectly fine with being Eclypse's prey.

Like that, the girl greedily went for seconds, teasing Dante with a few brief pecks on the lips, until she went for long, deep kisses to slake her burning thirst. When she finally settled, Eclypse pulled back very slowly before resting her head against his chest, her breathing calming down after a few seconds as she basked in his warmth, wrapping her arms around Dante's back to keep herself in place.

"It's been… too long…" the sword said between breaths.

"Eclypse… It's only been a day…" Dante replied in a similar manner.

"Still too long for me…" she said with a brief laugh.

Even that made the devil crack a smile, pleased with her typical response. But there was still something on his mind from earlier, which in essence, might've fueled Eclypse's intense "loving".

"Were you getting jealous?"

Eclypse buried her head further into Dante's chest, keeping her face hidden.

"It's not my fault. You were ogling that short Empress."

"I was not!" the devil quickly defended, "Yes, she was beautiful, but I was more so unnerved by how… direct she was. Like personal space isn't a concept for her."

"Uh-Huh. And you totally weren't unnerved by how she clung to you and pressed herself against you."

"Still shocking…"

Eclypse reached up and pinched her master's nose, making him laugh despite the small flicker of pain he felt.

"Still, she's kind of impressive, isn't she?" The teen noted, "Sure, she seems a little selfish and a little narcissistic, but she's direct and honest. And if her history is anything to go by, she's actually kindhearted and cares about other people, regardless of status or race."

"She's a little moody, but pure hearted at the very least. As much as I hate to admit it, she's perfect in terms of acting as the source of your Light Powers, given that there's some similarities between both of your personalities."

"How similar are we?" Dante questioned.

"You're both greedy, for starters."

The devil winced a little at the comment as Eclypse smiled.

"But there's no question that you both have kind hearts, and care for others a great deal. If anything… the only thing eerily similar between you two is how selfless you both were."

The girl gripped Dante tightly, thinking back to earlier when Navâra and the devil "formed" their contract.

"I still didn't like how she kissed you without my permission…"

"And if she had your permission?

"I would have considered it after she submitted an application."

The teen couldn't help but laugh at Eclypse's comment, making even the sword smile as she giggled a little.

"I see! From what I understand, this application is akin to a contract, is it not? Where is it so that I may sign?"

Eclypse looked back first, eyes immediately narrowing into a glare as she quickly grabbed Dante's head and buried his face into her cleavage to obscure his sight.

The Empress was in the hot bath waters, hands on her hips proudly as she stood completely bare bodied, as if it were nothing.

"How long have you been here?"

"Just a bit after the both of you entered!"

…

…

How can she answer so simply and honestly like that?!

"I wished to take the time to know the both of you better since we'll be working together from now on. However, not long after you entered, you began partaking of one another. Seeing as I am not heartless, I did not wish to interrupt you, and instead watched."

She definitely has a few screws loose… Then again, I have no right to judge since I'm no better. I did the same thing when Master was having fun with the Lewd Fox and Ruby.

"I must say, you both are very passionate with your lovemaking. It was actually very exciting to witness. Though, seeing how you two went at it, it doesn't surprise me now that you are a perfect pair."

Letting out a relaxed sigh, the Empress finally sank into the waters, leaning back into the inwardly curved marble as she rested her arms atop the marble and crossed her legs.

Seeing as she was slightly decent now, Eclypse let go of the struggling Dante as he reared his head back, gasping for air. The sword moaned slightly as she lifted herself up, allowing her to turn around and sit in Dante's lap to face Navâra.

"Both of you are indeed a beautiful pair. It makes me jealous really."

"You? Jealous?" Eclypse questioned with a coy smirk.

"Indeed! In spite of all that I have as an Empress, even one such as I feels jealousy at times."

"Is that so…"

The platinum haired girl made sure to take note of that.

"More importantly… I have… questions." Dante spoke up, "Earlier at dinner… you showed off some amazing power. Frankly, I'm not sure of what I saw, but I'll ask anyway. Do you have Reality Bending powers?"

"Reality Bending? Oh no, nothing like that!" The Empress waved off, "That was a result of me making use of what's mine in any way it pleased me. In essence… my power allows me to be selfish in any manner that pleases me."

"Shocker." Eclypse commented with a roll of her eyes.

"Can you give me an example?" Dante asked.

"Hmmm… My natural power is that of producing Light from my sword and my own Aura. In addition, this allows me to move with unnatural speed. It's not quite at the speed of Light, but still quick enough that it surpasses the speed of a lightning strike a substantial deal."

Both sword and Master shot the Empress a quizzical look.

"While I do use Light based powers, I have another power that I have aptly dubbed… Empress' Privilege! At my insistence, I can use skills that I generally do not possess for a short period of time. I can do anything from piloting ships, to using swords skills, learning different kinds of arts, learn different military tactics, and much more! For instance… If I were to use my skill on you, I can take on some of your traits, although to a lesser degree."

Talk about unfair… It's like an ability where she can make red into a different color, like blue.

"So you can gain any skill for a short time with absolutely no training in any of them?"

"Of course not!" She proudly exclaimed, "But seeing as I am a well-rounded genius and a profusely curious individual, I have at least attempted to learn about almost every practical skill known to man! That is why I am able to have such an ability! Even so, this ability isn't without it's limitations."

"That's already a powerful ability… What kind of limitations might it have?" Dante asked.

"The first is that I must make physical contact with said person or object in order to have my power take effect. The second, the person I touch whose power I wish to make use of must be as strong as I am or weaker than I am. If my target is more powerful, then I'm afraid I won't be able to make use of their ability."

"So it's a gamble then when you touch someone and try to make use of their power. And if it succeeds…"

"Then I can make use of their specific power as I see fit. Of course, this too has its limitations in that I can't completely change the ability. For instance, if I utilized a person's ability to produce flames as their Semblance, I can use the ability to the same extent, only I can either change the color of the flame, make it burn hotter if only a little, or make my flames able to dance to my whim and take on whatever shapes I choose."

"Truly the embodiment of selfishness…" Eclypse noted.

"Indeed! For what is a Ruler, if not selfish?"

"Wait a minute… Since you're my other sword now..!"

"You've realized it now, have you? Splendid!" The Empress proudly proclaimed as she crossed her arms, "With me serving as your other Blade, little by little, I can help you lift the preset limitations of your own powers, and allow you to use them more freely as you please! Am I not amazing? Go ahead, praise me to your heart's content, Wielder!"

"You're actually pretty amazing, Empress. I'm glad the trip was actually worth it now."

"You needn't be so formal with me, Wielder. I may be an Empress, but I will allow you to address me as you please."

"Navâra, then. It was nice meeting you."

The golden haired girl brightened up a great deal, sporting a wide smile as she scooted herself closer to Dante in nearly an instant, sticking the top of her head out eagerly. Thanks to his time with Inuba, the devil knew what she wanted almost immediately, and stuck his left hand out to pat the top of the Empress' head as she let out delighted hums.

Eclypse quickly pulled away Dante's hand, making the golden haired girl pout.

"Come now, there's no need to be greedy my fellow Blade! Surely we can share our Wielder!"

"No, we can't." Eclypse said as she struggled to push away Navâra's hand, "Besides, if you want to be more involved, submit an application so I and the other three can consider it."

She's small, but she's unnaturally strong… Almost as strong as me…

"Oh?! You are in a relationship with three other women as well, Wielder?! How splendidly greedy you are! I'm falling for you even more now!"

"H-Huh?!" Dante jumped.

She wouldn't answer him, but would only pester Eclypse further as the two argued with each other, leaving the devil silent and confused.

---

"Everyone's so depressed…" Ruby noted as she looked out the night window, "I mean, they were pretty upset as is, but…"

"It's as if they've given up entirely..." Inuba commented as she peered through the window as well, "Everyone else is unnaturally depressed. The only exceptions are you, Ms. Aetherveil, Ms. Dawn, and myself. Given we're not of human persuasion, we're highly resilient to charms or anything that would affect our mental states. However… I think your overwhelming positivity is what's keeping you afloat."

"I do always think try to think there's a brighter side to a situation…" Ruby smiled, "We searched the house twice over today and still found nothing. Not to mention…"

"Dante hasn't returned with Noland either… I can feel that they're still alive, and I'd like to go search for them, but we need to keep watch over everyone in case we're attacked."

"Right." Ruby nodded, looking over at the kitsune, "Inuba… Can I ask you something?"

"Y-Yes?"

"On the train, you seemed a little… off… Are you alright?"

"M-Me..? I…"

Her nine tails stopped whipping about as she clutched her hands tightly.

"I'm fine, for the most part. To tell you the truth… I'm somewhat weaker than I used to be since…"

"Since the incident with Scylix?"

"Yes. As I'm sure Dante explained, should I have drawn on those powers of a Divine Beast or a Divine Being, but not fully become one or the other, those powers will fade over time, and I permanently lose my Candidacy to become either. And so, those powers have long faded." Inuba explained as she stared at her palms, "I may have lost a significant portion of power, but it doesn't matter all that much to me."

"Then..?"

"Truthfully… I'm afraid Ms. Rose… I'm afraid of fighting anymore. Rather… I'm fairly terrified to do so after…"

"B-But that wasn't your fault! We all know that, and Dante knows that too!"

"I know, but..!" Inuba's hands shot up to her mouth, as if she were feeling sick all of a sudden, "I can't help but think about it… I still have flashes now and then about that time… And in those memories… I can still feel everything from burning up to my own hands trying to-!"

Ruby's hands immediately held up Inuba's own trembling hands.

"It's alright. What happened happened, and no one blames you for it. If you focus on things that were completely out of your control, you won't be able to move on and those memories will only hurt you more."

Inuba looked up at the little reaper holding her hands, seeing her smile right back at her.

"If Dante were here, he'd say something along the lines of 'Crap like that doesn't matter anymore, it's in the past', or something along those lines. You know how he is."

"I'm afraid I'm not as exceptionally strong as he is…"

"That kind of thing doesn't matter. You're you. You don't have to be Dante to be strong. You just gotta believe in yourself. But if you need help, you shouldn't be afraid to ask anyone either." Ruby said as she gave Inuba a hug, "Don't take Dante's example though. It took him way too long to figure out how to ask other people for help."

That made the kitsune laugh as she rubbed her eyes, leaning back as her tails slowly whipped about again.

"There's so much true with that statement that I can't help but laugh… But you're right, Ms. Rose. I still might be afraid, but… I must work hard to move forward completely."

"Inuba… Call me Ruby. You don't have to be so formal with everyone."

"I apologize… It's a habit really, given the household I was raised in."

"That's right, aren't you basically a princess back on Primordial?"

"Yes, technically speaking. Our family is Royalty in the Apparition Realm considering we're the Head Family in power. Not only do we possess a powerful military force, but our other strengths lie in a variety of entrepreneurships. Smithing, gambling, agriculture, anything you can imagine really. Thanks to my mother, we even managed to extend our reach into the Human World and attain a mass amount of wealth that surpasses all other clans."

"Wow… You're like Weiss' family with Dust, only you guys are everywhere almost!"

"Almost." Inuba offered with a smile, "I do believe my mother will start expanding some ventures soon enough in order to keep herself and my father well funded, along with us as we continue on our journey."

"No wonder you bought a lot of the supplies!"

"I assume Ms. Schnee somewhat took care of everyone's monetary needs?"

"Yeah… She kinda did… But we made sure to pay her back when we could!"

The kitsune smirked as she sat on the couch, pulling her legs in to hug them.

"Dante's gonna be okay. He and Noland are probably just hiding out somewhere for the night since the blizzard's still going."

"Speaking of Noland… What do you think of him, Ruby?"

"Well… He's okay. I mean, he's silent most of the time, but he seems pretty smart and he's nice enough."

"Do you trust him?"

"I guess I do. He hasn't done anything fishy yet. Noland's not that talkative about himself, so I don't know much about him."

"I can only hope that wherever he and Dante are, that they're safe." Inuba said as she looked out the window once more, "We should rest for tonight and search the farm once more. If they return tomorrow morning, then we'll leave the farm."

---

"I don't think there's much left for me to say really. Other than to be patient with her." Avara said as she walked next to Dante, watching as Navâra and Noland were up ahead speaking to one another, "She's… a little difficult. Not too many people have the patience to deal with her antics."

"Thankfully I've got a lot of patience then… Besides, she's not so bad really." Dante shrugged, "So… You alright with sitting here while your cousin goes out and explores the World?"

"H-How-?!"

"You both have golden colored hair, only yours is a noticeably lighter shade. If you were sisters, you'd practically have the same color and shade. That, and you both have emerald colored eyes." Dante pointed to his own eyes briefly, "Wasn't that hard to figure out. You're also pretty close too, in the way that family fights with each other."

Avara sighed as she looked around the ruined kingdom, eyes falling on the short Empress up ahead.

"I served as her court mage after she succeeded the throne. She was frankly the last in a long line of succession, never having known her father. I would warn her that her mother plotted to use her for her own agenda. I would watch as the officials meant to support her betrayed her. Then… I saw her on her last day. For the first time, I saw her without her smile that would seemingly never fade. And later… I, and the last few knights loyal to us would find her dead outside the kingdom. We would bring her back and lay her to rest in her tomb."

"What exactly happened to your kingdom that brought you down here?" The devil asked.

"I do not know… I've kept myself alive all these years using my magic, and did the same for nearly a hundred years after Navâra passed. I was no longer a court mage, and spent my years guarding her tomb." Avara spoke up, looking to the sky, "Then… fire rained down from the heavens. Lightning splintered the sky. The earth shook and shivered, bringing our kingdom low. Soot and ash blanketed the skies for days, and the climate would change from a land of eternal summer to one of cold winter."

"You survived though, and preserved the kingdom."

"Indeed. After the fall, I erected a magic barrier to keep us from being completely buried under the ash and snow. I called upon the souls of those knights to guard me as I returned to the tomb to keep watch. A year later, my cousin's body would disappear, only to seemingly form out of the ether as a new being. A being like the sword you carry with you."

"Then she went to sleep soon after waiting for me."

"That she did. It took some persuading on my part, but I asked her to remain here. I experienced the first vision, relaying it to her. In the end, she decided to wait for you her for the next few thousand years, keeping your shape in her dreams. What was centuries for me, was likely mere days for her."

"Must've been boring sitting here all alone."

"I did venture outside once in a while when civilization stirred up above. The construction of the citadel up above was overseen by me around three hundred years ago, and welcomed a relatively small amount of people now and then. However, as per usual in this World of ours, Grimm came and killed the people up above. Now, the occasional vagrant comes to stay for a time to shelter themselves from the cold."

"Either way… You did good Avara. You should be proud." Dante patted her shoulder.

"Thank you. But it was simply my duty."

"Are you ever going to leave this place?"

"Perhaps." The girl answered, "But I'm not quite ready to leave yet. This kingdom still holds a great deal of memories and sentimental value to me, so I'd like some more time before I… out it behind me for good."

Avara stopped suddenly, looking to Dante with a serious glance.

"She may not come out and say it immediately… But you mean a great deal to her, Aetherveil."

"Why is that?" The teen asked, "I'm just a stranger to her."

"From your perspective, yes. But in her eyes, you are the one she has waited for all her life."

"That's just…"

"Ridiculous? Perhaps. But for her, nothing is ridiculous." Avara spoke with firmness in her voice, "Even after being forsaken by the people she swore to protect, she never changed her way of life. She gets lonely very easily, and fervently craves the attention of others around her… but she never changes who she is."

"It still doesn't explain anything… She had dreams about me after she went back to sleep. So what? Why I am so important to her, a person I never once met before today?"

"You sought her out, Aetherveil."

Dante's eyes widened momentarily, pausing in his steps as he fully turned to face the girl.

"The connection you made with her through your contract… To you this may have been a random chance encounter. Nothing short of an accident, really."

Avara spoke bluntly, but she spoke true. Dante was confused by the whole act of it. He was both amazed and confused by Navâra's seemingly quick adoration of him, a complete and total stranger. The extravagant and dramatic way she acted only made it harder to understand her motivation and true feelings.

So why..?

"In her eyes Dante… You calling out to her as earnestly as you did became something totally irreplaceable to her in a mere moment. So much so that she will absolutely lay down her life for you now. That is how much you calling out to her means. That is how much you mean to her."

…

…

It was just… too simple. So simple that it seemed virtually unbelievable. But the few hours Dante spent with Navâra today served to remind him of her selfish yet innocent nature.

And it made it just a little more believable.

The devil rubbed the back of his head, sighing as he looked up at the pitch black darkness above.

"She's certainly nice enough…"

"Then do your best to treat her well."

Avara stuck out her hand, prompting Dante to shake it as she smiled back at him.

"I wish you luck on your journey, Aetherveil. May you conquer your enemies in the battle to come."

"Why are we paused?! Hurry now, Wielder!" The Empress spoke as she approached the two.

Her shining emerald eyes blinked quickly between the two, her own hand soon quickly grabbing hold of Dante's hand as she held on tightly.

"Cousin… You have done well to protect my precious kingdom during my absence. And for that, I can't thank you enough. In my previous life you served me exceptionally well, and have continued doing so in my second life."

"Y-Your words honor me, your highness. I am simply your servant."

"Now now, enough with the formalities!" She pointed out to her cousin, "You are my family, regardless of the position you held at the time you served me. If you still insist, then I only have one task for you left, my blood."

"Y-Yes..?"

"Live your life freely the way you chose to from now on, Avara. The only thing I ask of you is to leave this long forgotten place."

The mage bowed her head happily, looking up earnestly at her Empress soon after.

"Yes, your highness!"

"Splendid! Now then Wielder, onwards!" Navâra commanded, leading Dante by the hand.

The teen looked back a final time, giving a wave to the once court mage as she waved back, watching them depart.

"You will have to show me the World once we reach the surface, Wielder."

"Dante."

"Hm?"

"My name. It's Dante Aetherveil. It's only fair you call me by my actual name if you ask me to do the same."

Navâra smiled, "Very well, good Dante! If that is your wish, then I will eagerly grant it!" She spoke.

"For starters, you're gonna notice that the World is a little bit… different than what you remember it to be."

"In what way?"

"Well… In a lot of ways. But I think with how curious you are, you'll end up liking it."

"I'll gladly take your word for it then! Though I would prefer we visit some extravagant locations once in a while as we travel. Like a honeymoon, I believe."

"Honeymoon? One day of knowing each other and we're already at the marriage stage?"

"I believe the term is 'love at first sight', good Dante!"

"But you barely know anything about me!"

"It matters not! I will have plenty of time to get to know you better as we travel!"

This girl…

Dante's eyes drifted down Navâra's somewhat exposed back, seeing her smooth shine under the faint light above them. His gaze traveled lower, noticing the small, diamond shaped cut that exposed her rear slightly. The cut had the same translucent fabric her dress was lined with, but he could still very clearly see a small portion of her rear, making his head jolt up immediately as his face reddened a little.

The Empress glanced up, seeing the teen blush. As a result, she could only smile as she paced herself next to Dante, clinging to him tightly with a small giggle.

Shortly after, Eclypse appeared next to the devil, tightly clinging to his other arm as she glared at the tiny Empress, growling slightly. Unperturbed, Navâra gave her fellow blade a confident, defiant look as she kept her hold of the young man, completely determined to win his heart as well.

As for Dante… he was more than certain his life was going to be a little more hectic from now on with Empress Navâra in the mix.

---

Behold the great Empress! I have to say, she was a lot of fun to develop story wise, power wise, and all that. I plan to incorporate a lot of these sorts of things as we progress, since I feel it's important to expand at the right time about certain concepts or put a little more into the World of Remnant. For instance...

We now know Eclypse isn't the only one of her kind in the world. Are we going to see more of her kind later on?

Who knows?

Aside from that, again, I'm sorry for the long wait. But I'm basically back now.

That's all I've got for now, so with that...

I highly recommend you all go check out the freaking amazing story Rogue Huntsman written by Xera Stark. The story overall is absolutely fantastic and is a must read, so I suggest you seriously read it. You won't want to miss out on this story. Plus, I'm working on it with him as a co-author, and my characters are in it too. So if you want to see a sort of alternate story and such with my characters in it, go on over and give Rogue Huntsman a read.

And hey! Go check out HydraFLow's story Lost in Binary! It's equally as awesome and entertaining, and tells Rogue Huntsman's story from his characters' perspective, like how Knights of White and Black (my alternate story) tells the tale from my character's perspectives.

Questions? Ask them anytime. I will try to answer without spoiling.

Please remember to review, follow and favorite this story if you really enjoyed it and want to continue seeing more of it. And hey, even tell others about this story! Remember that your support is what helps make this story grow even larger and what helps improve it. With that, I bid you all an excellent week/weekend!

Bye-bye now!