Lost Connections

by AliciArcher

Death's Foresight Melancholy If that breaks off from the start of the Chapter 63: Lost Connections.

1. Chapter 1

Death's Foresight Melancholy If: Lost Connections

"Alcor, you ruined us. If you hadn't been born… Your sister would have a better life. This is all your fault. I wouldn't have to do this if you never existed."

"Hic…"

"Daddy, please leave him alone. He didn't do it!"

A small boy stood before his father as he held his throbbing head. Tears filled his eyes as his older sister put herself between her enraged father and himself. Why was she trying to protect him? Why protect someone as worthless as him?

"Denebola… go to your room."

"B-But! Mom… Daddy's beating Alcor again!"

"Listen to your mother!"

The frantic child stepped back as her mother raised her voice. She cried as she was dragged away by her mom as another loud slap echoed through the cabin accompanied by another wail. The scent of alcohol permeated the air as the sound of a bottle breaking could be heard. A sharp cry as the father's voice boomed.

"Dammit you piece of shit. You got your dirty blood on my boots."

"Hic… it hurts… it hurts… stop… please stop…"

"Who the hell cares about what you feel? Nobody will even remember you anyway! Everything will be forgotten one day, so it doesn't matter what I do to you."

"AHHHH!"

Another shrill shriek filled the broken home and echoed out into the dark forest surrounding them.

"My forgettable self hopes you two aren't too comfortable. It seems my useless servants have forgotten their objective and died. It's such a shame. It's really a shame. A terrible shame. So, would you do something for me? Please, die. Die so that I can be with my sister once more, you devils!"

Alcor felt rage fill his very soul as he stood across from the devils that stole his sister from him. The two devils before him were nearly identical save for their eyes. The pink-purple eyed devil held the emerald eyed devil in her arms as she looked at him with shock. They didn't forget about him so soon, did they?

"Lyra… I-I can't fight him like… urrgh… this. My shoulder's… shattered…"

The devil on the ground spoke to her devil companion as the one who could still stand set her down gently taking the fallen devil's dagger as she stood back up. Alcor raised his sword and pointed it towards the devil on the ground as she gripped her shoulder in pain.

"At least those forgettable fools managed to incapacitate you. I wasn't expecting the second half-devil, but killing you both won't be an issue. You must be tired even if you can take up a blade. So, I'll nicely ask once more. Would you please die? Die, so that my sister can forget you as soon as possible."

"Hey~. Masked freak~."

"Eh?"

The devil's tone was icy as Alcor tilted his head and took a step forward. The devil pointed her weapon forward as she got into a low stance.

"Lady Deneb~, would be sad if Prylla~ or I were to die~. So, I can't grant~ your request~. No, I must refuse your request~ a thousand times over~! I love Lady Deneb with all my heart~, and I'd never do anything that would~ ever hurt her~! So, you filthy sinner~ in the name of my Lady Deneb~ I will enact the death penalty upon~ your worthless self!"

"In your state? Hah! Your hard work will only go forgotten and unnoticed."

"Lyra… don't…"

Alcor let out a snort as the injured devil attempted to speak. The devil was correct about one thing.

Alcor was indeed worthless garbage meant to be forgotten.

"Pryyylllaaaa! Lyyyyrrrraaa! Where are you?!"

Deneb yelled loudly across the empty village as the eerie silence began to eat at her. Where did they go? It wasn't as if visibility was an issue since every building in the village was completely leveled from Deneb's outburst at the cultists that attacked her. Deneb heard the dying shriek of the Elgina, so she figured that they'd likely still be at the hilltop, but it was entirely possible that they had to fall back. Deneb reached the hilltop as she stepped over numerous corpses of fallen cultists with very particular wounds.

"These were made by Lyra's dagger. They were definitely here."

Deneb looked around as her eyes glazed over the body of the dead snake. Deciding to head over gritting her teeth as she approached the mabeast's head. Deneb let out a relieved sigh when she saw that there wasn't a mangled corpse sitting in it's ruined jaws, however, that still didn't answer the question as to where those two had gone.

Deneb walked forward towards the opposite side of the hill when the sounds of someone sobbing softly hit her ears. She instantly took off in the direction of the sound as she rounded the hilltop to see what was on the other side. At first her heart felt lighter as she realized the crying girl was Lyra, however, her relief was only a fleeting moment as she saw what Lyra was holding.

"Hic… I'm sorry~… I'm so sorry~… I'm so so sorry~..."

"L-Lyra… W-Why are you crying?"

Deneb's eyes widened as she saw the tears streaming down Lyra's face. Her eyes were puffy as snot dribbled down while she held something in her arms. Lyra turned her head back towards Deneb as her hand touched her shoulder. Just as Deneb's hand made contact Lyra quickly turned her head away as her sobbing intensified. Her chest heaved as she gasped between her words trying to form a coherent sentence.

"L-Lady Deneb~... I'm sorry~... I-I couldn't~... I'm such a failure~."

"Hey, that's Prylla isn't it? Hey, Prylla we won… we won didn't we…?"

"I'm sorry~... I'm sorry~..."

Lyra couldn't offer her anything more than words of apology through her cries.

"Hey, everything will be fine now… It'll all be fine now… Prylla, just… open your eyes. Just open your eyes. Come on, we can't keep walking into the future with our eyes closed. So, open them!"

Prylla's face was covered in black blood. Her mouth hung slightly open and her arms were limp with one hanging down while the other laid over her stomach. Tears began to bead within Deneb's sapphire eyes as she dropped to her knees next to Lyra, shifting Prylla's body so that her head rested in her lap. Deneb cradled her head as she wiped the blood from her face.

"I'm sorry~ Deneb~... I'm so sorry~..."

Deneb felt Lyra's arms wrap around her as she nuzzled her head into her neck. Deneb stared out blankly as the tears that had formed in her eyes began to leak freely. She continued to stare off into the distance as the hills shadow began to blot the light from the area.

"I will never forget you."

Deneb spoke softly as Lyra's sobs began to sound distant. Her blue eyes narrowed as she recalled the one responsible was still out there. If Alcor thought that Deneb would simply forget this she would teach him just how wrong he was. For Deneb was one to never forget about things important to her and he had stolen someone she held nearly as dear to herself as her own brother.

"Let's go, Lyra."

"Lady Deneb~... hic."

Deneb stood up still holding Prylla's body in her arms as Lyra released her. Lyra led her to where Porey was secured as the two of them returned to the church in silence.

The atmosphere in the church that housed the Moderate Faction had turned sullen in the coming days since Prylla's funeral. Deneb had her buried underneath a garden where she had Ireyne plant where she placed all of her favorite flowers. Everyone seemed to be buzzing around as they tirelessly worked through mountains of paperwork once Deneb had ordered Barthroy to report any sightings of anyone even remotely similar to Alcor. Deneb may not have ever seen his face, however, Deneb assumed that he wore his mask almost constantly when in public therefore knowing his face was pointless. Days passed quietly as they tirelessly searched for even the smallest clue as to Alcor's whereabouts even so it was as if he had completely vanished. Deneb was nearly ready to give up when a ray of hope appeared before her one day while she was relaxing on her throne.

"Lady Pandora…"

"I'm sorry to intrude upon you, Cardinal Arided. I understand you've suffered a terrible loss recently. I'd like to extend my sympathies."

"Yes, thank you. What brings you here?"

Pandora's platinum hair shined radiantly as Deneb smiled for the first time since Prylla's death. Deneb's tone was rather languid as she leaned forward in her seat. She reached up to rub her puffy eyes, setting her hand back down in her lap.

"If there's anything I can do for you, Cardinal Arided, please ask."

"...I'm searching for a man who calls himself Alcor. He's the sinner who… who…"

Deneb hesitated for a moment before she began to speak. Pandora's calm expression felt soothing to her as she began to explain her predicament, however, she cut herself short right before she spoke out about the crime that had been committed by the foul man.

"There's no need to push yourself, Cardinal Arided. You want to find this, 'Alcor,' right?" Pandora spoke casually, pausing for a moment until Deneb nodded in affirmation. "I'll lend you all the support you require in respect of the Love you've shown. That's something precious I wouldn't dare tread upon."

"Thank you, Lady Pandora."

"It is my pleasure, Cardinal Arided."

"What are we~ doing here~, Lady Deneb?"

"Pandora has given me the locations of all the Witch Cult facilities throughout the Empire. If Alcor is hiding anywhere it'd likely be at one of these."

"Couldn't he hide~ somewhere else though~?"

"Barthroy would have found him by now if that was the case. Especially if he was hiding in the city. The silence points to one of these locations."

Deneb stepped over a fallen branch as she extended a hand back to Lyra to help her over. Lyra accepted Deneb's help even if she didn't need it. To her even the slightest bit of contact with Deneb was a blessing and she would accept it no matter what it was.

"This one~ was in a cave~, right? We could turn~ it into a little love~ nest after we're done searching it."

"You're unbelievable sometimes."

"You've been chasing~ this tirelessly ever since then~. It's been over a year~, Lady Deneb…"

"And I won't stop until I have him impaled on my blade."

"Shouldn't you spend your time~ looking for your actual brother~?"

"Lyra…"

Deneb's face looked pained as Lyra brought up old wounds casually. It took her a while to accept Prylla's death, however, Lyra was the first out of the group to return to their normal selves. Ireyne and Pierry took longer as they had to readjust the workload in her unfortunate absence. It was made even harder since Deneb reallocated most of their resources away from their primary goal in order to avenge her death.

"This is it. He's in there. I know it."

Deneb stood across from the cave entrance as she curled her fingers into tight fists, Lyra placed her hand on Deneb's shoulder to reassure her, however, Deneb's eyes took on a menacing gleam. After all this time they had finally reached him. He was within her grasps and she could finally wring out his neck.

"Lyra, stay here. I'll do this alone."

"B-But~!"

"I don't want to lose you too."

She spoke calmly even if her face betrayed her voice. Lyra opened her mouth to protest before backing down and looking around for a place to hide. Deneb walked forward calmly as she entered the old cave without a second thought.

The inside of the cave was cold and damp. The light from the entrance didn't reach very far into the entry leaving it poorly lit as well. Deneb walked forward anyway as she reached her hands forward into the darkness ahead coming into contact with something made out of wood.

"A door…"

She ran her hands across the door in the pitch dark as she eventually found the handle and opened it. The first thing her eyes were met with were the dim lights of mana stones lining the wall. Now that she was no longer walking into the dark she continued forward down the path she was certain would lead to who she sought.

"Here it is."

She stood before the door that separated her from the man she sought. Taking in a deep breath as she slowly reached forward to open the door hesitating for a moment just before her hand gripped the handle. Shaking her head as if she was scolding herself she thrust open the door suddenly.

"Ah, sister. I was getting worried you'd forgotten about me. Have you finally come to your senses?"

There was a makeshift bed on the floor in the back corner of the room that was nothing more than a pile of hay and a cloth which was the only thing resembling furniture in the cramped space. Alcor was sitting upright on his 'bed' stretching out his arms as if he had been sleeping soundly moments ago. The sight of his masked face did nothing for Deneb's mood as her lip twitched and her eyebrows furrowed.

"Senses? Come to my senses? All of this just to bring me to my senses? How many times? How many times do I have to repeat myself? Do you seriously not realize why I came here? It certainly isn't to join you."

"B-But, sister… that devil's spell should've been lifted from your mind! Is isis it because I failed to kill the other one? Ah, I forgot something important once again! What a tragedy! A terrible terrible tragedy! It's horrible, it's contemptible, it's unforgivable. I will fix my mistake! I must fix my mistake! To forget a goal when one is so close to achieving it is a terribly sad affair."

Deneb spoke scornfully towards Alcor who didn't seem to notice her expression as he jumped up from his bed. He spoke with a forced melancholic tone as he started to pace while gripping the bottom of his mask.

"You've already stolen enough from me. Didn't your parents teach you that taking things that don't belong to you is sinful? You've stolen something precious to me, and now plan to take even more? Do you think I'd stand by and watch idly as my home, my way of life, and my family are trampled upon? If so, then there seems to be a disconnect between our views of right and wrong."

"Aha, but sister isn't it my right to take back what's been stolen from my forgettable self? Surely you can understand that humble plight. Since ancient times, no matter the culture, if one's loved one's are hurt, isn't it natural to seek revenge?"

"So this is all because of some twisted notion of familial ties. Let me ease your mind, Alcor, I. Am. Not. Your. Sister. Nor will I ever be. You murdered your parents out of revenge for your poor upbringing. You severed the connection between you and your family of your own accord."

"I see. You've truly forgotten then… good. Good. That's very good. Then thenthen you can forgive me right? You can? Since you forgot you can forgive me for what I did. I didn't mean to do it. I never meant to hurt you. I never wanted to make you cry. I never wanted to see your angry face and your scornful eyes. I wish… I wish we could go back… yes… to… ah, it seems I've forgotten that as well. Then do you remember me now?"

Alcor reached a hand behind his head with another grabbing the front of his mask as he pulled it off to reveal his face. He had short messy black hair and nasty looking brown eyes. There were dark circles beneath his eyes which gave the impression of permanent anger on his face. Deneb let out a scornful snort as she averted her eyes away from him.

"Will you not even lay your eyes upon my forgettable self?"

"I'm sick of this charade."

"Ghuu…"

Alcor's eyes welled up with tears as he spread his arms out widely. Snorting once more a bright light filled the room as Zeam pierced Alcor's abdomen in a swift motion. He let out a groan before quickly falling forward limply against Deneb. She retracted her blade from him as she let him fall to the ground; blood quickly started pooling around his body as she stepped back.

"Whatever ties that connected you to me are now severed."

Her heart ached terribly as she stared down at the corpse without a single sign of remorse. She was left with only a deep sense of regret. She didn't regret killing her self-proclaimed brother, rather she regretted she could only do it once. Not even a thousand deaths would be enough to atone for the sins he's committed. She stood still for a moment longer before turning away to leave the dark cave behind.

Months had passed since the death of Alcor and life had mostly gone back to normal. Deneb stuck to her usual routine of following her gospel and lounging around while she continued her work for the Empire. In the mornings Lyra would rouse her from her slumber while trying to cheer up her mood to no avail. Ireyne would make breakfast and Deneb would take a bite or two before leaving to do whatever her gospel had in store for her. She'd sometimes be gone for days on end, maybe even weeks without even attempting to contact the rest of them which would cause them to fear the worst.

Out of the three of them the one who was most affected by Deneb's behavior was undoubtedly Lyra. Ireyne simply tended to groceries and kept them fed while Pierry made sure their finances were in order, as well as sending their soldiers to quell rebellions in the domains they controlled. The major duties being taken care of by them left the most important duty Prylla left behind for Lyra. Caring for Deneb. This was a duty she was more than ecstatic to be handed since it gave her a wonderful opportunity to remain close to Deneb. This alone was enough for Lyra, however, Deneb seemed to have an opposing opinion to the matter.

"Lady Deneb~, at least let me~ come with you~. There's no telling~ what sort of trouble you'll~ get yourself into this time~."

"No."

Lyra pouted at Deneb's flat refusal as she adjusted Porey's saddle. Lyra reached out toward Deneb to grab her shoulder only to receive a fiery glare back. She lowered her hand and twiddled her thumbs looking back up at Deneb.

"Will you at least contact~ us this time~? We can't afford to lose you~. I can't~."

"Tch. I'll consider it."

Deneb clicked her tongue irritably as she mounted Porey. The ground dragon glanced at Lyra from the side before nudging her lightly with its beak. Lyra lifted her hand to pet the animal, however, was met with a sharp rebuke as Porey snapped at her. Deneb didn't seem to care about the ground dragons' poor behavior as she flicked the reins. Porey let out a mighty roar as he sped off at Deneb's command, kicking dust into Lyra's face as she watched Deneb become smaller and smaller in the distance.

"That jerk~ did that on purpose~."

Lyra grumbled angrily as she patted down her dress and wiped off her face. Porey's bad behavior began a few months ago around the same time Deneb started leaving for weeks on end. At first he was a bit difficult to control, but he soon started biting anyone that tried to ride him other than Deneb. This placed a great deal of stress on Ireyne who needed him to get groceries from Rupgana and transport them to the church. The problem didn't last too long as Barthroy was more than willing to give them a falo due to the debt he owed Deneb. They were gracious of course, but they also knew that relying on him too much would pose a significant problem.

"Lady Deneb~... I miss you~..."

Lyra spoke mournfully as her heart panged painfully in her chest. To her Deneb was her life, and to see her slowly start to shut everyone around her out filled her with pain. Lyra wanted nothing more than to stay by Deneb's side even if she had to give up everything else.

Deneb took in a deep breath as she looked around the room. It was a rectangular room on the smaller side with a counter and an old man sitting on a stool behind it. The place had all sorts of items of varying quality lying about. It was a small shop for random antiques and she was here for a very specific reason. Reaching into her haori touching the pocket she had Lyra sew into it she gently caressed a rectangular object residing within it. This was a habit she hadn't formed recently rather it was something she's done ever since she received the dark book. Whenever the dark pit in her head felt too overwhelming she'd gently rub the book's spine, feel its pages, read over its contents, and the painful desire that lay deep in her heart would quiet down albeit temporarily.

Glancing at the old man behind the counter once her heart slowed down giving her a clear mind to think about her situation. She thumbed over a few trinkets in the back corner checking through her peripheral vision to ensure nobody would see, she reached into her haori and removed her gospel from inside. She watched carefully over her shoulder as she quietly opened the book and turned it to the most recently filled in page. Her target was a young man around twenty years old that had recently been arrested for burglary and two counts of second degree murder. According to her gospel he will escape from prison today and attempt to rob the store she was currently perusing.

Slipping the book back into her inner pocket she picked up a random shiny ring she found. She pretended to inspect the gem with a faux curiosity while watching for the old man's reaction. A small smile etched onto his face as Deneb assumed that he likely thought she was going to be a customer. It wasn't a completely incorrect assumption to make as she did intend to at least make her way to the counter. She walked quietly to the counter and the old man stood up with a giddy look eager to make his first sale of the day.

"Did ya fin' everythin' alright today?"

The man's face was lined with wrinkles and he spoke with a kansai dialect as he greeted her. He had that overly friendly behavior that all merchants used for their potential customers, at least the ones that wanted to make money did.

"I had a question about the stone in this? I'm looking to buy a gift for my aunt, and I was wondering if this is a real ruby?"

"Ah, Let me take a look. Oh!"

Deneb reached over to hand the elderly man the ring when she suddenly let go of it. The ring struck the counter as it bounced onto the floor behind the old man. Deneb raised her hand to her mouth with a fake shocked expression. The old man turned around and bent over slowly while gripping his back. He rose just as slowly a moment later as he inspected the gem for her nodding in satisfaction.

"I 'member when we got this 'un. Some lady sold it t'me after getting into some fight with 'er man. I'm not really the question'n type, so I didn't ask for any details. But, I can assure ya that this is a gen-u-ine ruby."

"Thank you. How much would you like for it?"

"This 'un gonna run ya round 1000 gold coins."

"I'll take it."

Deneb reached into her haori and removed a small brown leather pouch that jingled loudly as she set it on the counter. The old man glanced at her then back at the pouch with an intoxicated look on his face. He didn't notice the sneer forming on Deneb's face as he pulled the small string sealing the bag shut to reveal the gold coins within. He poured out the contents on the counter as he began to count out the exact value of the coins.

"Exactly one thousand. Nice doin' business with ya."

The man looked pleased by the successful sale as he picked up the small ring to hand it to Deneb. He was about to drop it into her open palm, however, she quickly moved her hand upwards to make contact with his fingers, activating her authority at the moment of contact. Her presence in the room caused it to swell with dark shadows obscuring the imagery around her, however, that wouldn't be much of an issue to her this time. She quickly turned her mental dial causing the image of the old man before her to move rapidly as the light stopped shining directly into the windows telling her it was noon.

The shadows that obscured everything had vanished as she was now at a point where she had no presence. Watching the entrance carefully she inspected the future customers that would enter one by one. The first was a young woman and child who would purchase a teddy bear. The next was a man looking for a ring to propose to his woman, however, he would leave disappointed as the only ring in the shop was the one Deneb had bought. She snickered to herself in the illusory world as she watched the man slink sullenly out of the shop. Skipping to the next person to enter she saw a man roughly twenty years of age walk into the small shop. He darted to the far end of the shop as soon as he entered and circled around the perimeter slowly reaching under his shirt to pull out a knife.

There was no reason to look any further as Deneb was certain that he was the man she was after, however, her sense of morbid curiosity got the better of her. She watched with mild interest as the man argued with the old man for a few minutes before proceeding to violently stab him in the neck. Taking the gold coins Deneb had just given the man and running out of the back door.

Snapping back into her body after utilizing Object Premonition was always a sudden shock to her. No matter how many times she used it she'd never get used to the feeling of leaving her body behind as she took an afternoon stroll through fate. Her knees threatened to give out as she quickly put her other hand on the counter to steady herself. The nausea disorienting her and making her want to vomit. Concern fell over the old man's face, however, Deneb didn't need nor want his false sympathy; she despised those false expressions on his face. Curling her fingers upward she snatched the ring from the man without a word.

"Ey, miss? Are ya okay? Ya don't look so good."

"— —"

She didn't want the man's help. Turning around to leave the door the man called out to her again. Stopping in the doorway for a second to inspect the frame leaving a small scratch on it before taking off into the crowds that filled the streets. She didn't care if he lived or died. The only thing that mattered to her was finding her dear brother, and if she had to stomp upon the world to do so. She would stomp without hesitation.

Some time passed as she sat on the edge of the rooftop behind the old man's shop. The sun had risen to its peak in the sky and beat down on her forehead causing small beads of sweat to form. Taking her sleeve she wiped her forehead kicking out her feet as they dangled from the edge. She decided it'd be best to wait for the sinner to escape through the rear of the building letting him come right to her. It was a simple plan, but it would be incredibly easy to pull off. Now that she's set the path for her target to follow she only needed to wait while he ran head on into her trap.

"This is terribly boring."

Deneb muttered to herself as she glanced at the time tower in the distance. This was always the most uninteresting part of her days. Once she's set the path she would simply find a place to sit and wait until the pieces fell into place. It wasn't always so terribly boring to her as she usually kept something to entertain herself. Sitting under the scorching sun while waiting for a murderer was not her idea of fun. Not to say she had much fun anymore. Deneb's days had been filled with only the most mundane of activities ever since she killed Alcor.

"It's not fair."

She spoke bitterly as she kicked her leg out again. Quickly placing her hand into her haori and caressing her gospel as a surge of emotion began to rise within her. The bitterness and rage slowly morphed into regret and sadness before fading away just as swiftly as they arrived. If she could go back in time and change the way she handled the situation in Faradar perhaps things would've turned out differently. If only she had chosen better, her mother would still be alive. She would still be smiling next to her and scowling at Lyra for whatever crazy thing she did that time. She'd smile happily as Prylla hand fed her and patted her head. She missed the way she smiled, her gentle scent, her tender affection. Nobody could replace the bond between the two of them.

Her eyes became wet soon enough as she recalled her memories of Prylla. She wiped away the tears that rolled down her cheeks as the back door of the shop had opened, and the man she was after walked out of it with blood on his shirt.

"It's truly not fair."

A remorseful look in her eye, she hopped down from the roof landing in front of the man. He jumped, backing up a bit at her sudden appearance.

"Oh? Did I frighten you?"

"Hnk! Just get out of my way."

"That's quite rude, you know. I was just looking to have a friendly conversation with you and you're trying to run away. I really can't understand how people can grow up with such poor manners. It's becoming quite the problem lately. Isn't it polite to respond to someone who engages you in conversation? So, tell me. Isn't it?"

The man attempted to rush past her only to be met with her foot connecting with his stomach sending him into the wall. He slunk down groaning as she casually walked over to him and leaned down to speak.

"You see, I know what you've done. I've watched it with my own eyes. You killed that old man in there and stole the money I lawfully paid him in exchange for this ring. Now I like to think of myself as an expert when it comes to crime and punishment, so keep in mind my observations are quite well informed. Murder is a capital offence is it not? I suppose I would classify it as another second degree murder under your belt. Which puts you at three. Do you know what a person is called that commits three murders with a time window inbetween them? A serial killer. Only a few moments ago you've crossed a line few dare to cross into the dark depths of sin. For what? A thousand gold coins? Was taking that man's life without rhyme or reason truly the only way forward for you? What did he ever do to you to warrant stealing not only his lawful property, but his very life as well? It is my common understanding that this in fact marks you as a sinner who gleefully steals both life and property from any that cross his path. This not only makes you a danger to society at large, but also a danger to my dear brother. Of course, I wouldn't accuse you of such crimes without allowing you a moment to defend yourself. So, please state your name and offer up your best defense."

The man looked up at Deneb's blue eyes as she looked down on him with contempt. His lip quivered as he stared back at her blankly. She waited for a few seconds in silence before her eyebrow twitched. Tilting her head to the side and placing a finger on her chin before nodding to herself.

"Ah, I forgot. My apologies. It is customary to offer one's own name before asking the name of another. I see why you're so frightened now as you have no idea who you're speaking to. Allow me but a moment to rectify this error. I am the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Pride, Deneb Arided."

"— —Ahhh… ah… aaaha…"

The man made an odd gurgling noise as he tried to move to no avail.

"It seems you have a broken bone or two. It is no matter. I'm sure that pain pales in comparison with the pain of your victim. Perhaps a little more would loosen your tongue? Here, I'll count to ten and if you don't speak by the time I finish I'll pursue a guilty verdict."

The man's gurgling turned to manic coughing as he rolled over and began spitting blood out of his mouth. Continuously clearing his throat as more and more blood continued to flow out. Deneb had already reached seven by the time she realized the reason for his lack of speech. She continued counting, reaching ten as tears began forming at the edges of his eyes.

"It seems there's something stuck in your throat. It's quite sharp as well."

Looking down at the man whose knife was lodged between his veins in his throat. It hadn't pierced any of the major veins, however, removing it would be certain death. He was drowning in his own blood as it pooled into his lungs.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to run with sharp objects?"

Smiling sadistically Deneb mocked the man as he squirmed on the ground. He attempted to reach upwards to remove the blade, however, Deneb pinned him down, angling his head upwards to allow the blood to be pulled down by gravity. His face slowly began turning blue as his frantic movements ceased. She released him, drawing her sword from her hip. A bright light shining from behind the small shop as she ensured to take his life completely.

"Hah- Hah-"

She panted above his body as the sudden drain of mana left her feeling a little tired. She felt that same sense of dissatisfaction from when she killed Alcor. Regret, sadness, and anger flowed through her at that moment. She sheathed her blade and began to caress her gospel to quell the rising emotion, the only expression left on her face being a blank stare. Turning towards the street she began to walk solemnly to go find a place to lay down that didn't smell like death.

"It truly isn't fair."

Lyra sat on top of Deneb's bed hugging her pillow trying to get even the smallest whiff of her scent. It wasn't something she would normally resort to doing since she would just be able to sniff Deneb directly, so going about it in such a roundabout manner wasn't necessary. Lyra took another strong sniff before lamenting that Deneb's scent was no longer on the pillow.

"Hnn~... This isn't fair~. Why doesn't~ she just come home~?"

Lyra grumbled as she flopped down onto the bed. She had little hope that Deneb would contact them at all since it had already been several days since she departed without more than a few words to her.

"I miss her~."

Tears beaded in her phantom eyes as she curled into a fetal position hugging the pillow tightly. She laid there for a few hours before a quiet knock caught her attention. She got up to look at the door to see Ireyne leaning against the door frame.

"I wasn't sure if I should interrupt. However, I think you might want to come to dinner."

"Don't wanna~."

Lyra huffed as she squeezed the pillow pulling her knees towards her chest. Ireyne fully entered the room and sat at the edge of the bed placing a hand on the phantom's knee.

"Lyra… I know you miss Lady Deneb, but you still need to eat. Also, you can't stay in here hugging her pillow all day."

"I can and I will~!"

Lyra squeezed the pillow harder as she turned away from Ireyne. Ireyne sighed as she moved closer to the lonely phantom grabbing onto the pillow and wrenching it from her arms.

"Lady Deneb is upstairs."

Ireyne spoke bluntly as she tossed the pillow back onto the bed. Lyra's eyes twinkled as she processed what Ireyne had just told her. Only a second passed before she found herself rushing out of the room and up the stairs. Reaching the top in seconds she spotted the one person she had been wishing to see. Deneb casually flipped through her gospel while sitting on her throne and didn't seem to notice her as she froze in front of her.

Lyra stood there for what felt like an eternity wondering if the sight in front of her was even real. Her long brown hair sat gently on her shoulders as her blue eyes scanned the pages of her gospel. All Lyra could want in that moment was just a second of her touch. Her feet moving on their own she ran at Deneb's throne and launched herself arms spread wide.

"Laaaaady~ Deeeeeneeeeeb~!"

"Hn."

Deneb grunted in an annoyed manner as she snapped her gospel shut and stood up causing Lyra to fly past her and slide across the ground face first into the wall. Lyra stood up and turned around as Deneb placed her hand on her hip before stuffing her gospel into her clothing.

"I~... I~ missed you~!"

"Okay..."

A single word reply was all Deneb had for her and even so she didn't feel the least bit unhappy about it. Even the smallest utterance of a sound was a blessing to her ears. Lyra didn't even mind the dry robotic sound of her voice as she approached her in a more composed manner taking in any part of her into her senses she could.

"Are you~... going to stay for awhile now~? There's no need to keep~, pushing yourself~. You should take a break~. I know~! You should spend the night~ holding me~!"

Lyra rapidly fired her questions at Deneb who hadn't even blinked as she stared at her. Deneb didn't stop her as she wrapped her arms around her and began burying her nose into her hair. She lapped up the scent greedily as her negative emotions felt like they were being cleansed from her heart.

"I don't know if I'll be staying for long."

A longer sentence left Deneb's lips causing Lyra to smile cheerfully. Even if only for a moment Lyra would cherish every second spent with Deneb. There was no action Deneb could ever take that would cause her love for her to fade and she'd always be ready to accept whatever droplet of love in return whenever she was ready to offer it. No matter how small it may be.

"B-But~, you'll be staying~ for a little while~?"

"Maybe."

Deneb returned a noncommittal response to Lyra's sincere question. Lyra was at least glad she was still speaking to her. If Deneb ever shut her out completely she had no idea what she would do.

"I have the table set. Why don't you eat something?"

"..."

Deneb only nodded as she slinked quietly into the dining hall with Lyra still holding onto her. Lyra took the seat directly to Deneb's right which was the seat nearest to her that didn't violate the taboo. The seat across was empty as it had been since Prylla's death and it was forbidden for anyone to sit there. Pierry sat next to Lyra in his usual spot and Ireyne sat across from him. Other than the noticeable absence Lyra felt as if nearly nothing had changed.

Pierry's hair looked slick with grease and he had the appearance of someone who's been working out recently. Ever since Deneb had killed Alcor she stopped assigning him with random tasks which left his schedule very sparse with his smaller duties. He helped Ireyne with some of the house work from time to time, however, she quickly adapted to the change and could manage it all on her own. Even though he looked filthy he had no noticeable scent due to the over abundance of karnago powder he applied to himself.

It was likely Ireyne that forced him to use it instead of taking a bath since she likely didn't want to delay dinner for him. It was a special powder with a strong odor that could erase a person's body odor along with the powder's smell within minutes if applied to the body. Lyra was thankful for its existence as he likely reeked.

"Lady Deneb, aren't you going to eat?"

"I am."

"You've barely touched your food."

Ireyne spoke in a concerned tone as she pointed out the fact that Deneb's meal hadn't been touched at all. Ireyne frowned at Deneb's response as it was clearly not true. Lyra flicked her eyes between Deneb and Ireyne who were staring at one another engaged in a heated silent battle. Ireyne let out a defeated sigh as she continued to eat her meal as Deneb stared at the plate motionless.

"Here comes~ the dragon carriage~!"

Lyra took a small bite of her meal onto a fork holding her hand out underneath it. She did a few swirls in the air with it offering it up to her mouth. Deneb glanced at the fork, at Lyra, then at Ireyne who was watching intently. Ireyne seemed to be in support of Lyra's attempt to get her to eat even if it was a bit childish. Lyra was certainly more than happy to hand feed Deneb evident by the smile on her face as she urged Deneb to accept it.

"Ahh…"

Deneb relented as she opened her mouth allowing Lyra to feed her. Relief passed over Ireyne's face as Deneb finally ate something. Lyra continued like this until Deneb finally had her first full meal in months.

"Lady Deneb, is there anything you wish for me to do?"

"..."

Once Deneb ate all of her food Pierry broke the uncomfortable silence. She didn't respond immediately as she swayed back and forth. Pierry clenched his jaw awaiting her answer, and tension in the room felt like it was skyrocketing more so than when Deneb finally ate.

"No."

A mournful look fell over Pierry's face as he dropped his silverware from his hands. It clinked on the floor as the sound of Pierry's chair scraping against the floor echoed in the room. Pierry left the dining room without another word with tears ready to leak from his eyes.

"I'll go talk to him."

His sad expression didn't go unnoticed and Ireyne quickly folded up her napkin sliding out of her seat following after him. Lyra finished her food and followed Deneb back to her room glancing at the door to Pierry's office grimacing at the sorrowful sounds coming from within.

Ireyne sped up her pace as she shuffled down the stairs quickly while taking care not to trip. Pierry already had a head start though and already closed the door to his office before Ireyne could reach him. Making her way to the door she stood outside it taking in deep breaths in order to keep her composure for whatever awaited her. Placing her hand on the door handle and twisting it she opened the door entering the room. The usual tall stacks of paper were gone with only a few small piles no thicker than a finger sitting on his desk.

Ireyne knew that the amount of work he had decreased steadily ever since Deneb completed her hunt for Alcor. She hadn't been too informed on the complete nature of his work, but she knew enough that it was for more than just bureaucracy for bureaucracy's sake. Whatever reason Deneb had for drowning him in as much work as he could handle and then some was unknown to her, however, she suspected this was exactly what she was trying to prevent.

Pierry sat in the back corner of the room with his face buried into his knees facing away from the door. Her heart ached upon hearing his gentle sobbing, and she felt terribly for the man. He had lost more than she could ever imagine, and she certainly didn't want to watch him suffer. She walked over to his desk and pulled a couple tissues out of the box that sat on top of it. Satisfied with the amount she had, she slowly approached him, placing a hand on his back and gently rubbing it in a small semicircle offering up the tissues to him.

"Pierry… What's wrong? If you need something to do I can give you some of my duties."

"That's… hic not it."

He accepted the tissues without complaint as he wiped the tears that were streaming from his eyes and blew his nose. Ireyne left him for a moment and grabbed the waste bin as well as the entire tissue box and brought them over. He tossed the used tissues into the waste bin and Ireyne returned to her soothing to try and calm him down.

"Then tell me. What's wrong?"

"I just… can't stop. Every time I close my eyes… I can't sleep… Drinking isn't helping anymore…"

Ireyne ceased rubbing on his back choosing to sit next to him, placing her arm all the way around him. She gently caressed his shoulder allowing him to speak freely.

"I keep hearing their voices… I can't make it stop. At least I could ignore it when… I had all that paperwork…"

"Whose voices?"

Pierry began sobbing again and she handed him another tissue allowing him all the time he needed. He continued to cry until his eyes dried up and no more tears dribbled from them. Ireyne wiped the wetness from his face allowing him to rest his head on her shoulder. His breathing slowed down and Ireyne decided to probe him once again to try to understand what was going on.

"Pierry, whose voices?"

"My mother, my father, my son, my daughter, and my wife."

Pierry listed them all once by one his pale yellow eyes holding a haunted look to them. Ireyne finally understood what he meant as the terrible memories of that horrid time resurfaced in her. She had gone to his destroyed home when they were attacked by the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, and had witnessed their decaying corpses strewn about the place.

"I can hear him sneering at me. Berating me for leaving the faith. I can see the disappointment in my mothers eyes." Pierry began rocking himself back and forth speaking in a flat tone. "My son's cries as he begs me to save him, and my daughter's scorn for being a drunkard." His tone began to rise as he became more distressed, Ireyne continued to try to console him fruitlessly as he continued. "My wife begging me to spend more time with the kids. It should've been me. It should've been me."

"What should've been you? Pierry… you did nothing wrong."

"You don't get it. I should've been the one to die. Then at least they wouldn't have to die knowing their father, their son, was a worthless drunkard who never did anything for them!"

"Pierry, that's not true. Lady Deneb saved you for a reason."

"If she didn't then they'd still be alive."

Ireyne's eyes widened and she had nothing to offer in return. She simply had no idea what to say as Pierry gazed up at her with his miserable expression. She couldn't fathom ever thinking that about Deneb. In her eyes Deneb had saved her from her circumstances regardless of how much she denied that it happened. Even if Gluttony's authority swapped her and Prylla in her mind she would always believe Deneb was the one to take her hand that day.

"You need to rest."

Ireyne came to the only conclusion her mind could fathom. He was simply too tired and delirious to think properly. After a good night's sleep he would wake up tomorrow relieved of this terrible burden on his mind. She would give him more tasks to do and continue to offer any support she could should he wish to accept it.

Pierry went silent as Ireyne helped him stand and led him back to the servants quarters to sleep in an actual bed for a change. Come morning this would be just a bad memory that would fade with time.

That's what Ireyne simply wished.

Dad, help us! Please! It hurts. It hurts!

"Stop."

Honey, you've barely been home lately. The kids miss you, please come home.

"Stop it."

Pierry gripped his head as he tried to ignore the voices of the dead. He had already run out of paper work to do, and Deneb had been gone for another week without a word. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out without something to do to remove his mind from his circling thoughts.

"It should've been me."

You useless drunkard. You're mother and I have decided it's best that you take up a job in the church. At least try to make something of yourself for their sake.

Slamming his head downward onto his desk hoping that the brief burst of pain would be enough to quell the resurgent memories. Their criticizing voices in his head replayed like a broken record on repeat as the fragmented memories stitched themselves together forming false ones designed to torture him. The only respite he could get was through the overwhelming amount of work Deneb used to give him, and the numbing sensation from his alcohol. Images of their mangled corpses flashed across his vision and he was unable to escape it even with his eyes closed.

You've joined the Witch Cult? Tch. I always knew you were a good for nothing.

"Why? Why me?"

Pierry grumbled out as his eyes began to water. Tears leaked down his face as he laid his head atop his arms hoping that someone or something would hear his cries. He never wanted to be part of the Witch Cult, and never in his life did he think he'd stoop so low as to join it. If only he had never met Deneb maybe his life would've been better. He might've kicked his alcohol addiction, and finally moved up to head priest in the church. Maybe then his father would be proud of him.

Honey, you're too hard on yourself. Take a break and relax.

His deceased wife's voice echoed in his head with her familiar calm tone. However, her offer of support only proved to make him feel worse. He'd never see her again. He'd never laugh with her again. He'd never hold her ever again. Remembering the night they perished only proved that he was unworthy of her love. While they were being brutally murdered he was out getting drunk at a bar instead of being with them. He didn't accept Deneb's offer to join them to find happiness, he was hoping that by following her he might die.

"Why am I still alive?"

He spoke out to nothing as if he was praying that something would smite him where he sat. If Deneb never involved herself with him then his family would've been free of him. The circular thoughts continued to swirl in his head as he grabbed a couple tissues and wiped his face. Tossing them into the bin which was starting to overflow. He couldn't sleep because if he did their ghosts would haunt him, he couldn't stay awake for their voices attacked him, and he couldn't die because Deneb wouldn't let him.

A soft knock on the door pulled him out of his head for a moment as Ireyne entered the room. Her skin had become remarkably pale over the years and it only served to bring out her black hair and blue eyes. She was wearing her usual gray button up shirt with her sleeves rolled back, a pair of black pants, and black shoes. Her attire never truly fit her position as a maid; rather, it was more reminiscent of a server at a restaurant which Pierry felt was fitting.

"Pierry, it's time to come up for dinner."

"...I'd rather eat in here."

"Lady Deneb will be joining us today."

Ireyne furrowed her brow at Pierry's attempt to avoid eating in the dining room. It wasn't atypical for him to eat in his office before, however, she was very insistent that they all eat together as much as possible. She quickly added in the fact that Deneb would be joining them today which caused Pierry's head to perk up. A small glimmer of hope shining in his heart that she might have some sort of assignment to distract him from the hell within himself.

"I'll be right up."

Ireyne smiled thinly as she left the room to head further down the hall towards Deneb's bedroom. Pierry figured Lyra was still hiding away in there waiting for Deneb to come back. He couldn't blame her as he was essentially doing the same thing, however, the reasons they wanted her to return were different. Pierry sighed as he rose from his desk and slowly ascended the stairs hoping that Ireyne wasn't lying.

Pierry felt a small wave of relief flow through his tired body as he glanced over at Deneb's form sitting on her throne perusing her gospel. She was really here, and so he had a chance to ask her the question burning in his mind: Please, let me die.

He took his spot in the dining room and waited patiently. A few minutes passed and Deneb entered the room taking her seat at the head of the table with Ireyne and Lyra. Lyra took her spot next to Pierry while Ireyne sat across from him. Pierry kept his eyes down to avoid seeing the expressions on everyone's faces as they would only be melancholic. Even though Ireyne would make them all eat together to try and keep everyone's spirits up, it usually had the opposite effect. The empty seat at the table was evident of the gloomy feeling that made Pierry feel like he was suffocating.

"Lady Deneb, aren't you going to eat?"

"I am."

"You've barely touched your food."

Her lie was quite obvious as she hadn't even lifted her fork. The heated silence only caused Pierry's nerves to rattle as he tried to silently give himself the courage to ask the question.

"Here comes~ the dragon carriage~!"

Pierry opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it, as Lyra's voice interrupted. Just ask her. Just ask if she'd let you die. All you have to do is ask. The thoughts swirling in his mind as he gripped his fork tightly hoping no one was paying any attention to him.

"Ahh…"

He was about to speak when Deneb accepted the food Lyra had offered her. Biting his lip he relented allowing her to continue being fed by Lyra. He was a coward at heart and didn't deserve joy much less release from hell. He quietly finished his meal staring at the empty plate before raising his head to see that Deneb had finally finished as well. Lyra had a wide smile on her mouth, and even Ireyne had a small smile. This was his only chance, if he didn't ask while she was likely in a better mood, he may never have another.

"Lady Deneb, is there anything you'd like me to do?"

"..."

Silence. It wasn't what he wanted to ask. And then…

"No."

Despair filled his empty heart as he unclenched his jaw. His anticipation shattered by the frail voice of a girl he was sure hated him. She wanted to make him suffer. Why hadn't he realized it sooner? She takes sinners and punishes them for their crimes, and what better punishment for a sinner like himself than to be forced to live when he only wished to die. He can't even ask the correct question without messing it up. Standing up from his seat he left the dining room to continue serving his life sentence.

Ireyne kept a close eye on Pierry the next day. She had him join her for all of the household chores and kept him from trying to slink away to his office. It was truly the least she could do for him. She may not be capable of healing the wounds within his heart, but she could at least offer him a distraction until Deneb was back to her old self.

She truly missed the happy child that would tell her how much she liked her cooking. That jealous face Prylla would make whenever Deneb praised her too much, and the fierce cleaning competitions for Deneb's attention. Prylla was certainly someone she considered a friend even if the start of their relationship was erased.

"Pierry, you need to use a little more force when scrubbing that. The grime can really get stuck to it sometimes."

"Like this?"

"That's it."

Ireyne watched Pierry do the dishes holding back her smirk as he fumbled around with the plates. Offering him a pointer here and there while never criticizing him should he make a mistake. He increased the vigor of his scrubbing as the dark stain came off the plate beneath the hot water. His hands were pruning from the water as Ireyne offered to take over for a bit to allow him a moment to rest.

"See? This isn't so bad. It can be quite relaxing since it doesn't require much thought beyond not shattering the plates. Plus, it's certainly better than doing taxes."

"I suppose you're right. I never really did them back… Anyway I… uh…"

Pierry's voice trailed off as he seemed to forget what he wanted to say, or he simply didn't want to say what was on his mind. Either way Ireyne was glad he looked less miserable than the day before. For the first time in months he seemed like he was actually rested, and he finally took a proper bath that morning. It was the small things that Ireyne had to start counting as blessings ever since that terrible tragedy.

"I was thinking about visiting my parents soon."

"Oh really? It's been awhile since you've gone."

Ireyne brought up her trip plans casually probing his reaction. He spoke with mild interest, however, it was enough for her to latch on to.

"They own this small restaurant in Rupgana that's quite popular with the common folk. I used to work there before I left to be in Lady Deneb's service. The food there is incredible as the reviews say."

"If their food is anything like yours then it's probably delicious."

Ireyne puffed out her chest proudly basking in the completement placing the plate in her hand on the rack of clean plates. Pierry scratched behind his ear and started putting the clean plates back into the cupboard.

"Why don't you come along? I'm sure they'd be more than happy to meet you."

"I-I wouldn't want to intrude. You don't get to see them that often."

Pierry shook his head rapidly trying to decline Ireyne's request. She glanced back at him before turning her head away pouting. She wanted to try to get him away from here for a while to see if it would alleviate the pain he was trying to hide even if only a little.

"No, I insist. Lady Deneb wouldn't want me to leave without an escort anyway, and you're the only one who can do it."

"B-But…"

Pierry attempted to reject her request once again only to swallow and relent. Prylla used to be the one to supervise Ireyne's visits to her parents as Deneb had dictated. With Prylla gone Ireyne hadn't been able to go for well over a year now so they were likely worried sick about her. So, it really took care of two birds with one stone. Pierry would get out of the church for a while to breathe some fresh air while Ireyne could alleviate her parent's worries.

"Fine."

"Excellent. Now, start on those, and I'll go see Deneb."

Pierry nodded reluctantly and Ireyne smiled, clapping her hands together. She left the room swiftly to go let Deneb know of her plans so Lyra could take care of her in the meantime. Deneb was sitting on her throne while Lyra kneeled down next to her leaning her head on Deneb's shoulder. Deneb paid her no mind as she flipped through her gospel seemingly hoping that it would suddenly update.

Lyra was the first of the two to notice Ireyne's presence, however, she didn't say anything. It wasn't unusual for Lyra to not be bothered to speak to anyone besides Deneb, however, the lack of acknowledgement was a little hurtful. Ireyne gave herself a little pinch to take her mind off the minor slight and spoke.

"Lady Deneb. I understand that you've been incredibly busy lately, however, I'd like to ask if I could go visit my parents? It's been over a year since I've been able to see them, and I'm sure they're worried about me."

A still silence flooded the large room as Lyra seemed more intent. Likely hoping to hear the sound of Deneb's voice. Deneb herself didn't seem to react to her whatsoever. Flipping to the next page of her gospel her eyes moved from left to right then flicking back as she scanned the pages like she was searching for something. Ireyne at first thought that she simply didn't hear her. It was certainly possible that she wasn't speaking loud enough, however, Lyra's reaction to her didn't seem to support that thought.

Lyra herself looked disappointed as she resigned to lay her head on Deneb's shoulder. Ireyne sighed, waiting for a response and receiving none. She must've heard her, right? Ireyne decided to try speaking up even if it felt illogical to do so.

"Lady Deneb. I understand that you've been incredibly busy lately, however, I'd like to ask if I could go visit my parents? It's been over a year since I've been able to see them, and I'm sure they're worried about me."

Repeating her exact question a second time she politely waited for Deneb's response. Instead Deneb calmly moved her hair from her face, continuing to stare deeply into her gospel. Lyra had even started poking her cheek as if she was checking if she was still alive. She proved that she was as she waved Lyra's hand away from her while scowling. Ireyne was left with only one possibility: Deneb simply didn't care what she did. It was disheartening to her, however, she wasn't all that surprised.

"My Lady… I hope that one day you come to terms with what happened. I won't ask that you do it overnight, and I understand that it takes time. However, she wouldn't want to see you like this. She loved you with all her heart, as do we all. So, I pray that you'll come back to us."

Ireyne knew that touching this subject was incredibly painful for the girl. It was something they had tried to avoid all together. She held out hope that once her hunt for Alcor had ended she would start smiling again instead she came back a shell of herself. Ireyne didn't know exactly what happened when she had killed Alcor, but she could tell it changed her. Ireyne sighed one last time feeling like this might be it for her time with the Moderate Faction.

It had fallen apart. Whatever joy she felt being a part of it was fading away with each passing day. Pierry's misery and Lyra's sorrow eating away at her own soul. Trying to tie everyone together was truly not a task fit for her. That was a point Prylla had always beaten her on. No matter what she could never compare to her in that aspect nor did she want to. She was content with her place within the Moderate Faction, and even found incredible joy in it some days. It was certainly less dull than her previous life and she never had to deal with irate customers either.

"I'll be going, Lady Deneb. Lyra, please take care of her."

"..."

Deneb gripped her gospel tightly in response, almost enough to puncture it with her fingers. Lyra looked up at Ireyne with a sad expression, however, even Lyra knew that everything couldn't remain as it was. Ireyne had no intention of returning and knew that Lyra would do her best to care for Deneb, so she felt confident that she'd at least be well taken care of. She bowed one final time to her mistress before returning to her quarters to begin packing her things. Ireyne turned away walking into her quarters to pack her things to set out in the morning.

Deneb had never spoken a word of refusal at her departure, not even coming outside to see her off. She and Pierry loaded up the carriage with their things, taking the falo, and traveling back to Rupgana. Ireyne felt immeasurable grief as she left her life behind once more, however, she knew it was for the best.

"I'm sorry, Prylla. I could never be you."

"Hm?"

"Nothing."

Ireyne muttered to herself quietly, causing Pierry to glance over at her, she quickly dismissed it. The church became smaller and smaller behind them and soon disappeared from their sight. The only thing they could do was continue forward into an uncertain future for the first time since they've met Deneb.

After they left, Deneb stayed in her room for several weeks. Lyra had to outright beg her to eat, sleep, drink, and bathe. Some days she was more resistant to Lyra's care than others, however, Lyra found great success in hand feeding her and due to Lyra's unique disposition she could easily overpower Deneb to force her to bathe. It pained Lyra's heart terribly to make her do things she didn't wish to do, however, it was for her own good.

She would lay in her bed all day and night nary a sound escaping her beyond the quiet breaths that would exhale through her nose gripping her gospel tightly. Lyra had to go as far as checking whether she was still breathing fearing that she'd suddenly pass in her sleep. Having to take care of everything by herself posed a great burden on her, but she would never abandon Deneb no matter the circumstances.

She would spend Deneb's waking hours making sure she was fed and her self-care was maintained. At night Lyra would use that time to thoroughly clean the entire church in the event that Ireyne and Pierry ever wished to return. She felt incredibly sad that the two of them had left, however, she understood that this wasn't a sustainable way of life. She wished she could've brought herself to say something before they left in Deneb's place knowing that it wouldn't have changed anything. All she could do now was spend the rest of Deneb's life with her hoping that she'd one day recover.

"Lady Deneb~... it's time~ to eat~."

Lyra called out to Deneb who was laying on her side on her bed. Gently rocking her shoulder in an attempt to get a response from her. Complete and utter silence was the only thing that answered her call leading to her feeling terribly lonely. Staring down at her still form Lyra decided that she might as well lay with her and at least hold her for a while. It wasn't particularly urgent for her to eat at exactly the same time everyday, so giving her a little leeway wouldn't be the end of the world.

Lyra laid behind her, laying her arm over her. Cuddling with her like this became a normal part of her daily routine between making sure the pantry was stocked, cooking, and cleaning. Deneb never once resisted against it nor spoke a single word of complaint. She had hoped it offered comfort, no matter how small, to her. Otherwise it was for her own selfish reasons. There was only a single small comfort she had left to offer.

"Deneb, no matter what... I'll always love you."

Lyra leaned her head a bit forward and spoke softly directly into her ear dropping her inflection. A few seconds of silence passed before a soft weeping could be heard from Deneb. Lyra closed her eyes to hide her irises as she felt Deneb turn to embrace her. Lyra had perfectly mimicked Prylla's voice, and was now mimicking her appearance. She may not have been the same person, but she could at least offer Deneb a chance to see her again. It was her reason for existing, and she would want it no other way.

"I miss you… I miss you…"

Deneb clung to Lyra tightly as her sobs became louder and louder repeating the same phrase over and over again. It didn't take long for her sobs to begin wracking her entire body as she cried into Lyra's chest. Lyra smiled quietly as she gently caressed Deneb's head allowing her all the time she needed.

"It's okay, I'm right here. I'll always be right here. I love you."

Lyra spoke gently in perfect mimicry of Prylla's voice. The upper portion of her dress was getting stained with tears, however, she didn't mind it. If there was one thing her and Prylla had in common it was certainly their love for Deneb. They may have loved her in different ways, however, they loved her with all their heart, mind, and soul. So, Lyra hoped that she might mimic even an inkling of that love for her.

"I… ahhh…ahhh… love you… I love you, Prylla…"

Her speech was broken by pained sobs until she managed more than a fragment of a sentence. A heart wrenching declaration of love from the girl to someone that was no longer there. Lyra's heart ached knowing that those declarations of love weren't meant for her, and she felt terrible for accepting them. She was greedily stealing the love meant for another, and yet she felt she was running out of options.

Deneb continued to sob in her arms for hours until she eventually fell asleep from exhaustion. Lyra wanted to remain in her embrace forever, but there was something she needed to do. She gently removed Deneb's arms from around her and slid off the bed taking care not to wake her. Deneb in her crying had released her death grip on her gospel allowing Lyra to do what must be done. She only wished that Deneb would find it in her heart to forgive her one day. Taking her gospel she went to the kitchen and lit the oven. The fire cackled as she held the dark book staring into the flames.

She knew that what she was about to do would potentially ruin her relationship with Deneb, but after seeing where the book has gotten her over the past two years she felt that it was only leading her somewhere dark. Her obsessive search for her brother was why Prylla had died, it was what drove both Ireyne and Pierry away. It was why she was so terribly broken now. If Lyra was the only one capable of seeing it then it was her duty as Deneb's dutiful self-proclaimed wife to rid her of its curse. If it meant protecting her Lyra would happily risk everything if only to see her smile again.

Taking in a deep gulp of air. Lyra tossed the book into the fire and watched as it slowly turned to ash. Hoping that whatever darkness clouded her mind would burn away with it. Once the book had turned to ash she shut off the oven and took the remains, scattering them in the wind, so that the ashes would never be recovered.

The next day the church was wracked with a painful cry. Far worse than Lyra anticipated. She hid herself in the servants quarters covering her ears as she rocked back and forth trying to stop herself from running to her side. She couldn't bear to see the pain she caused Deneb by what she did, but she knew it was necessary.

"AHHHHHHHHH! AHHHAHAHHAAAAH!"

Lyra tried everything she could to ignore the gut wrenching screams that echoed and threatened to rip her heart apart. She had little hope of forgiveness for this, however, there was still a small sliver of her soul that believed in Deneb. That she would overcome her sorrow and walk away from her delusion. Lyra would continue to wish to whatever entity was listening to her quiet plight. Rocking back and forth to selfishly soothe herself as if she was the one in pain.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Another painful shriek giving to a melancholic silence. Uncovering her ears Lyra hoped that the worst was past.

Merely did Lyra wish.

A few days after Lyra had committed her grave atrocity. Pierry had returned to the church with a frantic look in his eye. She barely had enough to process anything before he had grabbed her by the shoulders and began shaking her violently.

"Lyra, Ireyne… Ireyne…"

Pierry repeated her name multiple times as he continued shaking her. Lyra managed to stop his frantic repetition pushing him back from her as he breathed in and out heavily.

"Pierry~, now's not~ really a good time~..."

"B-But… but… Ireyne she's…"

Lyra had finally noticed the state of Pierry's face. His eyes had dark bags beneath them, and his hair was a complete mess. Not only was it incredibly dirty looking it was also clearly unbrushed. His once gray robe had multiple dark stains on it that varied between dirt and alcohol. He reeked terribly and simply being near him was overwhelming to the nose.

"Please~, go take a bath~ and calm down~. I'll hear~ you out then~."

Lyra gave him a firm ultimatum and he rapidly nodded his head slinking off to the bath. She rubbed her nose that had been assaulted by his terrible smell wishing he had at least washed himself before barging in. She was glad to see him at the very least since Deneb had refused to even let her in her room ever since she burned her gospel. Lyra wasn't sure if she was getting proper nutrition or not even though the food she would leave outside the door was being taken inside. Whether she was eating it was unknown to her though.

Pierry came out sometime later, water still dripping from his brown hair. The awful scent was gone thankfully and he appeared much more composed now. Lyra led him into the dining room taking a seat in her usual spot offering his old spot to him. He sat down and placed his arms on the table interlocking his fingers rubbing his thumbs together.

"That's better~. Now, what's going~ on with Ireyne~?"

Lyra skipped all the small talk, choosing to go straight for the reason he was here. Pierry seemed a little relieved she didn't bother asking about how he's been or anything like that as he opened his mouth slightly and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Ireyne's gone missing."

"Huh~?"

Lyra tilted her head wondering if she had heard him properly. She simply couldn't believe it. Pierry's expression, however, was completely serious.

"We haven't heard from her in days. She wouldn't have just left like that. She wouldn't have…"

"Pierry~, I'm sorry. I don't~ know if I can offer~ any help."

"I wanted to speak to Lady Deneb. Maybe she can find her?"

"..."She knew that the hope Pierry was seeking was fruitless. This was Vollachia where the strong devoured the weak, and nobody was going to bother with some commoner woman who'd gone missing. It was a cruel and unfair system that she despised, however, she at least owed it to Pierry for a chance to speak with Deneb. Even if she knew that she was likely not going to respond. "I'll take~ you to her~."

Lyra spoke solemnly, causing Pierry's brow to raise slightly. She didn't mean to cause him any additional concern considering that whatever existed of the Moderate Faction was well and truly dead. She led him to the lower level where Deneb's bedroom was located. He stared at her with a confused look as she stopped outside the door as if asking if she was going to open it.

"You'll have~ to talk to her from here~."

"Are you kidding me? This is serious. Open the door."

"She's locked herself inside~. The only reason~ I know she's alive~ is because she takes the food I leave outside it~."

Pierry grimaced, breathing deeply as he turned to face the door. He knocked on it three times loud enough to know that she heard him. Clearing his throat he made his desperate plea.

"Ahem, Lady Deneb. Something terrible has happened. You've gone through a lot and have no reason to concern yourself with this, but I'm hoping that you have at least a little bit of compassion left for your former servants…" Pierry paused for a moment waiting to hear any sort of rustling on the other side, but was met with only silence. "Ireyne has gone missing, Lady Deneb. If… if… if you truly ever cared about any of us. I ask that you lend your aid and find her. I fear that something terrible has happened to her, and I couldn't… I…" Pierry choked up for a moment quickly regaining his composure, but his tone was becoming more heated. "I couldn't bear to live with myself if something happened. So please, Lady Deneb stop shutting everyone and everything out. Help her. She served you faithfully for many years, and it's the least you could do to repay her for her dutiful service. I know I have no place to make any requests of you, and if you wish to punish me for this I'll gladly accept it. Lady Deneb, please save Ireyne."

One second. Two seconds. Ten seconds passed without a response. Pierry was fidgeting relentlessly, eagerly waiting for anything. Any sign that she had heard him. Lyra shut her eyes knowing that his attempt was futile when the soft creaking of the door entered her ears. She quickly raised her head as she saw Deneb for the first time since her sin. Her eyes looked red and puffy with fresh tear stains on her face and black nightgown. Lyra finally noticed how her skin had grown exceptionally pale, almost sickly looking, but Lyra was simply overjoyed to see her face.

"..."

She stared at them from behind the door for what felt like an agonizing eternity. Pierry began visibly biting his lip as he waited impatiently for her response. It took everything out of Lyra not to immediately jump into her arms apologizing profusely for what she did. She knew she did it for her own good, but to see her like this was agonizing.

A few more moments passed in silence when Deneb's arm slipped out from behind the door and she set an empty plate on the ground, closing the door without a word. Lyra could see something break in Pierry's eyes as she bent over to pick up the dirty dish on instinct.

"—You selfish bitch! After everything she's done for you this is how you repay her! I was right about you! You never gave a damn about any of us! You should've let me die! You bitch! I wish I had never fucking met you! You ruined my life! You killed my family! It wasn't Hainelga! It wasn't Holosseo! It was you! It was you! It was you!"

Pierry pounded the door angrily as he screamed at the top of his lungs. Lyra felt frightened at his sudden display of rage and backed away. His screams turned to sobs as he stormed upstairs slamming a door shut. Lyra felt she should've run after him and tried to reason with him, however, the soft sobbing from behind Deneb's bedroom door was more concerning to her. She may have liked Pierry to some extent, but for Lyra Deneb would always take priority over anyone else.

Lyra had to choose between Deneb and Pierry. The choice to her was rather obvious. A single strong kick was all it took to break her door down, and she thanked herself that she did. If she had waited any longer Deneb would have impaled herself on her sword. Gasping, Lyra dove forward grabbing Deneb's arms, forcing the blade from her hands and tossing it to the edge of the room.

"Deneb~! No~!"

"—!?"

Deneb looked at her with a shocked expression, tears still rolling down her face. Lyra's heart was breaking into thousands of tiny pieces at even the smallest notion of losing Deneb. Seeing her so close to taking her own life was all she needed to know that they couldn't remain in Vollachia any longer. It was taking too great a toll to continue trying to live like this, and Lyra needed an easier way to keep watch on Deneb at all times now.

"Lady Deneb~, please never~ do anything so reckless ever again~. I-I~ can't live without you~."

Lyra couldn't hold back her own tears as she held Deneb tighter than she had ever before. She feared that letting go for even a second would cause her to disappear. Lyra loved Deneb more than anything that existed in the world and losing her would doom her to an eternity of hell.

"I love you."

Lyra couldn't actually believe what she heard. The words that left Deneb's mouth were almost inconceivable to her. She never once expected Deneb to ever speak them aloud no matter how much she wanted to hear it. Deneb's limp arms slowly rose to life wrapping around Lyra's waist returning her embrace. They remain there until Deneb passed out once more, and Lyra would pack their things in her sleep so they could leave this cursed place behind them.

Lyra filled their carriage with everything they'd need for the trip; she hoped that Porey would be up for it since Deneb would be coming along. She wasn't too worried since by the time she stopped leaving regularly his poor behavior improved and he was finally allowing Lyra to touch him again. Lyra went to head back into the church as she noticed that the falo Ireyne and Pierry had taken was still here which meant that he had never left like she thought he did.

Concerned she began searching each and every room of the church starting with the dining room and kitchen. Finding nothing she moved to the servants quarters and went downstairs to check the rooms there. He was nowhere to be found in any of them leaving only the bath left. She entered it placing her hand over her mouth at the horrific scene.

Pierry was laying face down in the large empty tub with a pool of blood surrounding him. A kitchen knife was lying to his side covered in his red blood. Lyra didn't need to approach him to figure that his throat was slit, and he was certainly dead. She closed off the room quietly and rushed to Deneb's room to see her sleeping peacefully. She let out a relieved breath as she scooped the girl up into her arms and took her away from that terrible place.

She placed her down gently next to her on the carriage prompting Porey to start moving as the two of them took off into the night. Lyra didn't want Deneb to see such a gruesome sight so soon after attempting the same herself. She didn't need to know what had happened to them. She didn't need anything else besides to get as far away from here as possible.

Lyra was all that Deneb had left, and in order to preserve that final fraying connection, they left Vollachia and made their way to Kararagi where they would start life anew together. Looking longingly into the night sky, Lyra wished it could be that simple.

—A very heavy atmosphere was in the carriage. It wasn't heavy due to any nervousness, or caution rather it was gloom that filled the carriage.

"..."

Porey pulled the carriage diligently through Vollachia, and they were traveling through the Dragon Kingdom towards Priestella. Money wasn't an issue as Lyra had taken everything from their old home and had it exchanged as soon as she could. It would hopefully be enough to find a place to live until Lyra could find work so she could support Deneb. Even though money wasn't going to be an issue for them there was still another more serious problem.

"Aren't~ you going to speak~? Deneb~?"

"..."

Lyra ran her fingers through Deneb's hair as she lay on her lap. Normally Lyra would be jumping for joy to have Deneb so close to herself, however, if she was going to take care of her having Deneb's help on that front would be necessary. She had to be able to trust that she wouldn't try to hurt herself again so she could have some peace of mind while she left for work. Perhaps she'd hire someone to look after her while she was away.

Deneb kept incredibly quiet since they had left the church behind. To the point that Lyra was checking to make sure she was still alive every ten minutes or so. The anxiety that filled her heart was endless since this is the first time she walked into something unknown to her. The only time Lyra could get a response was…

"Deneb, are you hungry?"

"Mhm…"

Lyra mimicked Prylla's voice causing the girl in her lap to stir. She nodded her head and Lyra smiled simply glad she responded at all. She wasn't fond of pretending to be her, however, she would gladly do anything for Deneb and if it meant masquerading as a dead person; she'd do it a thousand times over. Looking ahead at the massive Tigracy Bridge which led to the Watergate City, Lyra couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. Even so she couldn't waste too much time sightseeing. They would enter Pristella, get something to eat, and find passage across the Tigracy.

"Don't worry, Deneb. I'll get you something soon."

Lyra reassured the girl, slowing the carriage down as she got in the long line to enter the Watergate City of Pristella.

Kararagi City States was the western most country in the world. It's a country that compares to the Holy Kingdom of Gusteko to the north, the Sacred Empire of Vollachia to the south, or the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica to the east. Their history was quite shallow in comparison to the other great countries. A few hundred years ago, a bunch of warlords fought in the west, and they eventually combined and became the Kararagi City States as a single country.

Their values were completely unique in comparison to the other countries. It not only has its own distinct politics, but distinct national characteristics and culture too. Wafuu culture and Wafou were some examples, but most characteristic of all was their particular dialect. It was a dialect that was particularly easy to understand in Kararagi, and it was part of their unique culture that spread.

"Good afternoon, Deneb. Have you been feeling okay?"

"Yeah…"

Deneb laid on her bed quietly reading a book when Lyra returned from her job. She didn't pay her much attention, but she did at least acknowledge she was spoken to. Lyra set her things down on the small wooden table choosing to go peek at what Deneb was reading.

"Haven't you read this one five times already? Don't you want something else?"

"I'm fine."

"I'll buy you something new to read tomorrow. Temple Elementary School starts break tomorrow, so I'll have plenty of time to spend with you."

The corners of her mouth crooked up ever so slightly which filled Lyra with great joy. Her worries alleviated, she ushered Deneb to lay on her lap so she could pat her head. Lyra was very quick to get a job and since they already had quite a bit of money saved up they hadn't had any issues so far. Lyra was well educated and a job where she taught at a school children institution was well suited for her, which was called 'Temple Elementary School'. As someone who had mastered all sorts of skills like arithmetic and etiquette, she was very sought after for general education.

Lyra was the sole contributor to their household, and while they were getting by, it was an obvious fact that they'd run out sooner rather than later. So, Lyra had taken up slowly trying to convince Deneb to come work with her. Lyra knew that Deneb was extremely intelligent in multiple areas and could easily go into a more specialized education field that outearned her several times over. Tutoring for shadow magic, or perhaps magic enhanced swordplay which she excelled at in particular. Either option would procure them enough funds to live comfortably for the rest of Deneb's life.

However, Lyra was fine with spending her time spoiling Deneb to her heart's content. If Deneb wished to stay inside like that all the time, Lyra couldn't do anything to stop her. Not that she really wanted to either. Being wanted by Deneb was Lyra's only wish in life, but she was not only wanted, but needed by her which was all the better.

Between the two of them Deneb had adjusted to the culture of Kararagi far more easily than Lyra had expected. Deneb even looked at some of the buildings with a strange sort of nostalgia that Lyra didn't understand. She seemed to fit the Wafuu style with ease, and she seemed much less distressed here. This only made Lyra happier that she decided to leave Vollachia with her. She continued patting her head while Deneb quietly read the book until a soft knock forced Lyra to get up.

She opened the door and immediately scowled.

"What's wrong Lya? You look scary!"

"Hmph~. Don't be so rude~, you know why I'm mad~ at you."

"Come on, Lya, that sure is a cold way to greet me. I'm really depressed, so stop it. Besides, you can't expect me to keep an eye on Deb everytime you leave the house. You gotta take care of your wife on your own."

The one who opened his big mouth and laughed at Lyra's words was a demi-human with a wolf face. He was tall with black hair and a black kimono, and he bit on a golden kiseru with his back teeth.

"Hal, I~ don't pay you to laze~ around all day~!"

The name of the wolf she called Hal was Halibel. He was Lyra and Deneb's neighbor of the housing complex they lived at. He was the first acquaintance they made in the city of Banan and helped them get started so to speak.

"Anyway~, I'm also really depressed~, and it'll only improve~ if you do your job~!"

Lyra's neighbor's counterattack caused her to lash back with equal ferocity. Halibel shook the kiseru in his mouth up and down. After that, as he exhaled smoke that entered his lungs, he said, "Go ahead and get more and more depressed. Causing so much trouble for your wife really makes you hopeless, you know? How brave of her to not complain once even though her wife walks outside dressed like that day after day. I feel a little bad for Deb."

"I only dress~ like this for her~! It's not my fault the men~ keep staring at my chest~! If I could change~ it, I would've already."

Lyra dropped her shoulders dejectedly since what he was saying was partially true. Her inability to change her outfit had caused a great deal of angry wives of men trying to assault her on the streets. It wasn't a particular issue for her alone, but they started following her home forcing her to fight them off. She'd sent an uncountable number of women to the town healer over the past few months.

"Anyway~, did you decide~ to come do your job~ only after I got home~!?"

"I thought Deb would like a pity party to mourn her exhibitionist wife"

"I'm not an exhibitionist~! You lazy~ dog~!"

"Now that's just cruel Lya."

Lyra turned around and went back to sitting with Deneb allowing Halibel to enter the small tenement. Even though he was incredibly lazy Lyra felt a peace of mind when he was around to keep an eye on Deneb. It made going to work much easier for herself. Although all she normally saw him doing was napping, grooming, drinking, or using his kiseru, he was the tenement house manager. This made him the perfect choice to check on Deneb to make sure she was okay while Lyra was out.

"I suppose I~ should fire you then~."

"Don't say something so sad, we can be friends. It's true that I decided to check on her after you got home, but it was only to make sure her wife was taking good care of her. Putting that aside, I think it's precious how hard you work for her. Isn't it just lovely?"

"Slacker~! Lazy bum~!"

"Ah, how does Deb put up with your cruelty? I guess misery loves company though."

"Hal?"

"Oh! Oh! She spoke! See? I told you so."

Halibel jumped for joy as Deneb finally noticed him while Lyra fumed. Between the two of them Deneb seemed to be fairly comfortable around him, and was fairly willing to speak to him. Lyra didn't believe it since she had to pretend to be someone else in order to get her to speak to her, but seeing this filled her with despair.

"Don't look so sad, Lya. She just knows greatness when she sees it."

Halibel spoke of himself proudly which ticked Lyra off. She couldn't deny that Deneb seemed to like the wolf man even if she was still mostly mute.

"Who did you even~ go to to become a manager~?"

"Hmm, sorry to disappoint, but I just happened to be acquaintances with the owner of the tenement house. With that connection, I was able to be a couch potato… Sorry, Lya, I'm a winner."

"Grrr~, damn you!"

Lyra growled at him like a dog after listening to his shaky story. In the end, personal connections meant everything where even academic backgrounds were useless. Lyra and Deneb had no personal connections within Kararagi which made everything that much more difficult. Trying to find Deneb a job where she could laze around all day and do nothing would be preferable even if it meant giving up her new dream of working as a school teacher with her.

"Struggling alone~, without any support~!"

"You have Deb. Struggling alone is an exaggeration!"

Halibel opened his large mouth widely and burst into laughter at Lyra's theatrical display. The wolf man's laughter quieted down as Deneb finally sat upright.

"...Hungry."

Her stomach growled loudly as she rubbed her stomach while looking at Lyra. She glanced back at Halibel as he puffed on his pipe.

"Hey! Hey! You can't cook me, I'm not food."

"I wasn't~ thinking that~, hmph."

"It's all over your face. You totally want to spit roast me!"

Halibel made his wild remarks as Lyra half-heartedly denied them. She stood up and walked over to their poor excuse for a kitchen and began making lunch for Deneb.

"Soft."

Deneb muttered out a single word as she stumbled over on her weak legs, face planting into Halibel's hairy body. Halibel jumped in surprise while Deneb rubbed her face against his fur causing him to bellow.

"Woah! Deb! Deb! You have a wife, you know!"

"Deneb~! You know~ you're not supposed~ to walk on your own~!"

Lyra yelled as she turned around from the counter and pulled Deneb off Halibel. Carrying her by the waist and setting her back on her bed. Deneb snorted angrily while Lyra glared at Halibel who was rubbing his fur where her head had been.

"You did that on~ purpose you, playboy~!"

"Playboy! Playboy! Why does it have such a lovely ring to it? From now on, I'll be calling myself 'The Eternal Playboy'. Does it sound good? Does it sound bad?"

"It's horrible~! Why would I want to spend~ eternity with you~!?"

"Ah, don't feel so bad about it, we'll get along great. Besides, it's only natural to want to hold something soft and cuddly."

"Then she~ should be holding me~!"

Lyra took Halibel's jokes far too seriously, and seeing this exchange Deneb gave a nod of silent approval causing Lyra to feel dejected. She wanted to be the only one Deneb held, but she knew that trying to monopolize her affection like that wouldn't be good for her. Trying to rehabilitate her alone wasn't working, so by enlisting Halibel's help, she hoped that her Deneb would return to her one day.

"You have~ too much free time~."

"Why say that all of a sudden?"

"You look jobless~, absentmindedly butting~ into my time which should be spent~ with my wife~."

"When there's someone below you, you cheer them on right? I'm the group that gives you courage. Rather I'm ready to catch Deb when you fail."

"That's not~ supportive at all~!"

Lyra yelled at Halibel who continued to crack thoughtless jokes. Although Halibel technically had two jobs it certainly seemed like he didn't have any. Even so, after months of hard work Lyra had barely anything to show for it. Deneb was still quite unresponsive, and they were getting close to running out of their reserves. Even after everything she's done to secure them financially she couldn't compare to Pierry's ability to save them money.

"Anyway, what did you two do before coming to this town?"

Halibel's casual questioning made Lyra's eyebrow raise, holding her breath for a moment. She knew that he couldn't possibly know about their true origins and they had absolutely nothing connecting them to the Witch's Cult. She knew that admitting any of this would likely be grounds for summary execution, and she hoped that Deneb didn't accidentally let anything slip while she was away. As far as Lyra knew Deneb hadn't as much as used her Authority once since her gospel was burned.

"I moved from~ place to place~ in Kararagi with Deneb. We had a lot~ of trouble finding a place~ that would let~ a half-elf live there, but I'm glad we settled in this town. It's all thanks~ to you that we were~ able to rent a tenement house~."

"About that, you should thank Elder instead, the one who referred you. Connections are a way of life. If you're blessed with them, that shows you have something to offer."

"..."

Lyra looked solemn before shaking her head. Considering all the connections that they had lost in starting a new life. If she had taken what Halibel said to heart that would mean she had nothing to offer Deneb, and that was something she couldn't accept.

"Moving from place to place in Kararagi….eh."

"Come on~, Deneb~. Please just put your~ kimono on."

"..."

Lyra sighed at Deneb's refusal to wear her kimono as she laid stiff as a board on her bed. There was an important banquet that a parent of a child at the school she taught had invited her to, and she thought it was the perfect opportunity to try to socialize Deneb with people other than herself and Halibel.

"Deneb, please put it on."

"...Sure."

Using Prylla's voice Lyra managed to convince Deneb to stop resisting, finally putting on her black kimono with a purple flower pattern. Years had passed since they had moved to Kararagi, and things have mostly remained unchanged when it came to Deneb's reluctance to speak to anyone beside Halibel and Lyra using Prylla's voice. Deneb was an 18 year old girl who still needed constant care as if she was a child. Lyra never minded it though.

"See, was that so bad?"

"Pretty…"

Deneb lifted her sleeves as she spoke a single word. Lyra nodded feverishly agreeing with her assessment of herself. Lyra was invited to a banquet that would give Deneb plenty of opportunities to meet people. Seeing Deneb wear something other than a nightgown was certainly enough to lift Lyra's spirits though.

"Ah~, she's too beautiful~! I should've declined~!"

Lyra shielded her eyes from Deneb's beauty jokingly, however, it was a real fear that she had. She wouldn't want anyone to try making any moves towards her wife after all. She had her own predicament to worry about beyond that of any unwanted gazes towards Deneb.

"How~ am I going~ take this off~!?"

Lyra inspected her own kimono that was the inverse of Deneb's wondering how she was supposed to wear it since she only ever wore the single outfit crafted from mana. She designed it to be as enticing to the eye as possible to arouse Deneb, however, she was sure it had some sort of defect since it never worked. Leaving her stuck with an outfit that was useless.

"Hmm…"

She snapped her fingers making her outfit disappear leaving her completely in the nude. Deciding that this would have to do, she put her kimono on without any underwear hoping no one would notice.

"Let's go Deneb."

"...Ok."

Deneb nodded, still staring ahead blankly, taking Lyra's hand. She stumbled a bit as she tried to walk, but she managed with Lyra's help. She walked hand in hand with Deneb towards the Riften estate, the two of them turning the heads of all passersby that witnessed their beauty.

The banquet hall was filled with guests from various parts of Banan. Magoji Palace, however, had an overwhelming number of women. At the very least Lyra wasn't particularly worried about any men attempting to steal Deneb away from her, however, the stares of the woman in the banquet hall was almost frightening.

Seeing Deneb in her kimono was always a treat to Lyra, but her anxiety regarding the stares from around her wasn't getting any better. Despite the woman around them knowing they were married, or rather Lyra claimed they were, it didn't ease their grips on their husbands.

That being said, she was at least managing to not worry about Deneb finding someone to talk to. As she relaxed and answered the obvious questions about her mysterious wife while mingling with the guests a familiar voice chased away all of the women gathering to take a look at her.

"—Deb is such a great wife."

"Isn't she the best~!?"

Lyra instinctively agreed with the praise Halibel gave Deneb as he reached out his large hand and rubbed her head. She purred almost like a cat leaning into his hand, a small smile finally creeping onto her face. Lyra froze seeing that smile as a great joy filled her heart.

"Lya, I'm going to develop a drinking problem if you don't stop crying."

"Shut it~, you furball."

Wiping the tears from her eyes while Halibel salivated, staring at a plate of food being held by one of the employees. It was the first time Deneb had smiled in months, and so it was something worth celebrating. Even the smallest achievements were something Lyra dearly cherished.

"Ah~, she's truly a gift~!"

"Agh! You're boasting about her! I have to drink some alcohol to get through this!"

"No you don't~, why are you even here~?"

She smacked Halibel's hand as he reached for a bottle of liquor, pressing him for an answer. Halibel opened his slit eyes slightly, and made an evil smile.

"Of course the gatekeeper would know me. It's the power of networking which you still haven't learned."

"Help~! Trespasser~!"

Lyra spoke up sarcastically causing Halibel's hair to stand on end. He looked around suspiciously before bursting out laughing.

"—My oh my, it's Mr. 'Eternal Playboy' and Mrs. and Mrs. Arided. I'm so happy to see you."

"Oh, Rif, long time no see. Sorry for coming today even without being invited."

Halibel replied to the man called Riften, who greeted them, as he raised his bottle of wine which he got ahold of god knows when. Riften calmly nodded at that behavior, and lowered his head respectfully to Lyra and Deneb.

"You should really~ take security at these events more~ seriously. This suspicious man~ got in without~ any trouble."

"Hey now, that's cruel, Lya."

"I like your attitude, but that would be unnecessary. It's rare for Mr. 'Eternal Playboy' to show up at banquets like these. Not nearly as rare as Mrs. Arided though."

Riften acted gentlemanly and glanced over at Deneb. Halibel remained relaxed as always while Lyra kept her arm around Deneb's waist knowing she'd slump over if she didn't. Even though Deneb looked physically fine she barely ever left her bed and as a result could barely walk without support. Her face was the very image of a doll, and yet she was more beautiful than anyone else Lyra had ever seen.

"Did that~ 'Playboy' nonsense seriously spread~?"

"Taking what you like is the Kararagian way, after all. I'm happy that I was able to get a simple title thanks to Lya."

"Grrr~."

Lyra quietly growled at him causing a smirk to appear on his wolf face. Lyra particularly hated the 'Eternal' part at the front. She couldn't fathom spending an eternity with the wolf man.

"So what have the Beauties of Banan been up to lately?"

Riften tilted his head casually as he asked his question. He addressed them in a way that would cause a normal girl to blush, however, neither Lyra nor Deneb reacted to the moniker. Lyra frankly believed there was only one Beauty of Banan, however, the local men had insisted the two of them were the most beautiful women in the city.

"Work~ at Temple Elementary School~ has been going~ well. I even got~ a raise which helped with our financial~ straits a lot. Other than~ that the same as usual~."

Riften nodded deeply, him and Halibel exchanged a few words, and he went back to entertain the other guests. It was his obligation as the host after all.

"Enchanting the entire city, hm? Now that's what I call impressive."

"Mm~. Mm~. Deneb is truly~ the most beautiful woman alive~."

Halibel probed with another joke which Lyra took completely seriously. Nodding twice and offering Deneb more praise. Her blank expression was all one needed to know that there was barely a person inside her anymore though.

They mingled through the night and exited the main gate to go home sometime later. Lyra's goal to socialize Deneb had failed miserably as everyone was more interested in her appearance than what she might've had to say, but she wasn't going to give up.

Lyra nodded to the gatekeeper as they left, continuing to help Deneb walk slowly. She held Deneb up who was leaning into her not even trying to stand on her own. Two beautiful girls wearing kimonos, and a street illuminated by the night sky and paper lanterns. Lyra had no doubt that Deneb liked it here even if she hardly ever verbalized it.

Deneb slid down Lyra's side causing the top of her kimono to start sliding off sending her into a panic. Nobody seemed to notice her lack of undergarments at the banquet but getting undressed in the middle of the street was certainly bound to stir up odd rumors.

"Deneb~, we can't do anything naughty~ here. Not that'd I'd mind~, but at least wait to undress~ me until we get home~."

Speaking jokingly, Lyra led Deneb to a side alley to strip off her kimono and quickly reassemble her usual dress. She certainly would like to do those sorts of things with Deneb, but as she is she was in no position to do much of anything. Lyra wasn't going to force her to do anything she didn't want beyond what was necessary to sustain her life.

"...Tired."

"Let's go home~."

Lyra stifled her reaction to Deneb's quiet voice. As she lifted her off her feet, resigning to carry her home if she had to. A princess carry was Lyra's preferred method to haul Deneb around when she became too tired to walk on her own. Mostly since it allowed her to see her cute face. She knew that she pushed her a little farther than normal today, and would certainly happily cuddle her all night long.

The conversation between the two stopped almost as soon as it started. However, the silence wasn't something uncomfortable. It was just something that went between them naturally. Even though they weren't talking, Deneb's quiet breathing as she curled up against Lyra's chest was all she wanted to hear. It was something that never felt awkward to her. If it was just the two of them, the silence was something normal. Thus, the world that fell unnaturally silent was a matter unrelated to their own.

"Deneb."

As soon as Lyra realized something was up she called out to Deneb in Prylla's voice. If she needed Deneb to flee from danger it was simply the only way to communicate that with her. Lyra held onto Deneb's form tightly as she gently set her back onto her feet. Her blue eyes fluttered open, casting a glance at the end of the dark street.

A small person was standing at the end of the street at night. The shadow was in front of the moon, and its whole body was vague as it was beneath the cover of night. It was shorter than both of them, and looked thin and delicate. She had the sort of black dress on that could be mistaken for darkness, and her hakama was boldly shortened to only cover half her thighs, and she could easily see her white, long legs stepping on the ground.

It was an unarmed, young woman with a lot of revealing spots —if she was just that, then she'd seem like a beggar or prostitute. And although she didn't like the idea, neither of those were rare in large towns. Poor people who lost their family and lived in the streets and prostitutes taking customers in back alleys were natural to encounter. Lyra was even accused of being a prostitute when she first came to Banan. It was the glitter in the woman's eyes that made Lyra think she was different.

Starlight was in the background and a shadow was casted on her face, but the woman's eyes were shining in a penetrative way. That sharp light frightfully and violently directed hostility towards them both.

Lyra knew what she would have to do and immediately started channeling her mana to conceal both her and Deneb's presences to allow them time to flee.

"—What… are you doing?"

The presence deeply rumbling the atmosphere swept towards them as wind. It was a woman, but it wasn't. She had the shape of a person, but she wasn't a person. It was a repulsive enemy.

"—What… are you doing?"

The enemy repeats the wind, her words. It was a question, a threat, an attack, and mercy. It was mercy since it allotted Lyra all the time she needed. Lifting her hand into the air while firmly gripping Deneb's with the other. She silently thanked the enemy for her mercy for if she simply chose to attack she might've succeeded.

"—Die."

The moment Lyra's fingers snapped and her magic was set off the enemy reached their straightforward judgment. The pressure increase became so severe that it practically burned the skin, and the hostility gave rise into murderous intent. Wind blows. As fi the seasonal night wind lukewarmly and gently brushed against her skin.

"—Come here!"

Lyra jumped away to the side holding onto Deneb. The space where they had been split roundly within an instant. The space splitted, as if it was bitten off by the jaw of a beast. Anything that stood in that spot would surely be dead. And so, no doubt about it, Lyra was afraid.

"How~?"

"Die."

Lyra's illusion seemed to fail miserably and so she resorted to running. She was glad that she chose to switch back to her dress because she wouldn't be able to dodge the furious gusts of wind that threatened to end her life.

"Die. Die. Die. Die. Die."

Her murderous intent gushing out again and again as the shortest chant using the smallest amount of words, leaving no way out. It was too tall to jump over for Lyra, who was holding onto Deneb. Even if she were to jump high, they'd become easy targets. Escaping into a place with lots of crowds was certainly an option, however, they were backed into a corner.

"Deneb. Please, wake up."

Lyra chose her only option. Trying to appeal to Deneb to use her Authority to swat the enemy away.

"Die."

Without budging an inch, the woman repeats her chant of death and Deneb remains still.

"Die."

The wind's jaw eats the sky, the ground, and the town.

"Die."

"Deneb, please!"

The enemy was so many leagues above Lyra that it wouldn't even be an exaggeration to say that it was like a cat playing with a mouse. A way to turn things around, a suggestion to turn her despair into hope, an attack to paint over the distress—

"..."

A powerful blade of wind tore through the air aimed directly at the two of them. Lyra moved hopelessly knowing that it was going to strike them both down, however, if she had to die she'd glady die with Deneb. But…

"If I could just~…"

Lyra forces her voice out in response to the raging wind that was trying to kill them. Her pleas to Deneb have gone unanswered.

"Die."

They were being cornered. Soon enough the jaw of the wind would sever their legs, slurp their guts, and devour their lives. Before that happened, she just wished to hold Deneb close to herself for one final second.

"Ignoble Heart."

The raging wind was quelled fiercely by an unstoppable force. The wind beat against the large aberration in the sky fruitlessly as it tore forward. The woman leapt continuing to chant death over and over and another spatial laceration met the biting wind. Each subsequent anomaly being controlled solely by the smallest twitches of Deneb's fingers became smaller and smaller. However, it gave Lyra the opportunity to escape the corner they had been pushed into which also allowed Deneb time to recharge herself.

"Die! Die! Die! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!"

"—That's not happening. That's enough."

Even though Lyra already felt a little hopeful about the situation she felt much more relieved at the sound of the wind biting on steel. The bite attack changes the space that had been breaking up to this point. It didn't stop with one blow; a loud, sharp sound cut up the night in line with the consecutive bite attacks.

The change made the deadly trade between Deneb and the girl cease. The circular chant of death ceasing with it. The one who appeared was a tall person with a black kimono that shook at its edges. It was Halibel, who smoked the kiseru in his mouth and stood between them.

"Halibel~?"

"Yes yes, this is the Hal you all know. That was a close one, huh, Lya. I didn't think Deb had this kind of power in her, it would've been bad if I hadn't come. The entire city would get destroyed if I let this continue."

Lyra couldn't wrap her head around his appearance, but she was grateful. Halibel paid them no more attention as he turned to face the woman.

"It'd be hard to fight that girl."

He didn't even sound like he was in the mood to fight, and he slowly stepped towards the enemy. Lyra stepped back knowing that he could handle after all he was the one deemed as the strongest within the Kararagi City-State.

"This is~…"

"—Unbelievable, is what Lya might be thinking. How about you?"

Halibel, facing the woman, takes the words right out of Lyra's mouth, and he talked to her in an overly familiar tone. He put aside Deneb and Lyra, who were behind him, and stood in between them and the woman as if to say, 'You have to get past me before you lay a hand on these two,' but the enthusiasm didn't show on his face. He was being aloof, just like whenever he'd nap in their house while he was supposed to be watching Deneb.

The woman kept the same attitude. She didn't seem interested in Halibel's appearance, rather directing her hostility towards Deneb and Lyra. Her agitation seemed to only skyrocket, and anything in her way would get smashed.

"Die."

The murderous intent became wind, and the attack cuts the space into the shape of a glob. The bite attack went for Halibel. A threat at the end of death that went through natural defenses and relentlessly ripped apart its target. There was only one way to protect himself against that —don't let the bite attack reach him.

He put his hand inside his kimono, and threw something at lightning speed. An object was thrown at such a speed that no ordinary person could've seen it — that collides with the wind — the bite attack didn't crunch on Halibel's guts; it stopped at a completely different place and crunched on the thrown object.

"It doesn't matter if I can't see it. My nose is extremely effective."

"—"

"Oh, but don't get me wrong, okay? I'm a wolf of dogs, and that's one of our important aspects."

Halibel always said something to relieve tension whenever he met someone for the first time. After that, she turned her head slowly, although it wasn't like she'd understood him. The woman finally looked at Halibel with her piercing eyes taking them off Lyra and Deneb.

"Oh, so you finally look this way…"

"Die."

"—There."

Halibel misfires the bite attack once again by throwing. However, the woman change the priority of her murderous attack, and the fire power focussed on Halibel at once.

"Die. Die. Die. Die."

Halibel waved his arms and demolished the murderous winds wildly fired all at once. After brushing away the first gust of wind, Halibel went, "Alright," as he gained some momentum and said, "It seems you took interest in me, so how about I meet your expectations."

"Di—"

"Hoho. —Which me would you like to get killed by?"

Halibel stepped on the streets with his zoris, and he roughly shook his body left and right. An irregular feeling, and footwork that was captivating in a way. Right after that, a Halibel's body shook strangely—

"Now," "Which me would you like?" "I'm the devoted type." "And I'm like a bossy husband."

"Wha~?"

It wasn't the woman that raised a surprised voice upon seeing the unbelievable phenomenon, but Lyra, who was being protected in the back. And it was natural since Halibel just said a bunch of words unanimously as four people.

"By the way, my strength isn't divided into fourths. I'm four people, and my strength is quadrupled."

"I begged and begged my parent's for siblings, and then more came."

"Sorry, that was a lie."

"I saw myself in the mirror and pulled them out."

"Sorry, that was a lie too."

The four Halibel's crossed their arms, smoked their kiseru's, and randomly spoke as they pleased. It was like coming into a bad dream, however, Lyra knew they weren't illusions. They were all there and they all felt real. The four Halibels, fighting power quadrupled. Halibel who didn't multiply, but cloned himself. Seeing that right before her made the woman stop acting for the first time. It was doubtful whether the continuous bite attacks would continue to work on four Halibel's. The possibility of having her invisible attacks defended against and getting hit with a severe counter attack increased immensely.

Whether the woman was capable of such calculations was up to question, however—

"Die."

"...Is that all you can say? Even Deb here can say more than you."

"Hey. Try not to make reckless remarks there. You'll make Lya sad."

Halibel chastised Halibel as the woman bent her knees and jumped. She effortlessly jumped to the building next to her, and she looked down on Halibel and the others while cracking the roof with her bare feet. The moon was in the background, not one bit of the light in her eyes weakened, and it looked so beautiful that it was beyond understanding. Halibel, who stood as four on the ground, and the woman dressed in black with the moon behind her, glared at each other.

"Deneb~?"

Two of them didn't break the stalemate. It was Lyra, who could only be a spectator. Halibel looked back at her, who held onto Deneb as her voice trembled.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the woman tried to blend in with the night sky.

"Sh—!"

Three of the Halibels wouldn't overlook that. The throws attacked the woman from three sides, and two of the shots were repelled by the wind. However, the third shot drawing an arc slips through the wind, and the thrown object —the kunai pierces the woman's thin back. The woman gets injured with a slight groan and tries to flee. However—

"Ignoble Heart."

Another utterance echoed out of Deneb's mouth as a haze in the form of a spear impaled the woman through the abdomen as she tried to run away. It seemed that even though Halibel was satisfied with the enemy's retreat Deneb wasn't. She fell from the sky striking the rooftop on her way down hitting the ground painfully. Three of the Halibel's dashed over to check her for life while the remaining one ran up to Lyra and Deneb.

"That was really something, Deb. I didn't know you had that sorta thing in you."

"Yes~, Deneb's amazing isn't she~?"

"Want to sleep. Too noisy."

Halibel's slits widened as well as Lyra's eyes at the almost complete sentence that left her mouth. They both turned to look at each other before they both bursted out laughing. It was a ridiculous reason for killing someone, however, she might've saved countless people with her killing blow to the mystery woman. For that Halibel was deeply thankful.

"Hey!"

"Over here!"

"You should see this! She's still breathing!"

The three Halibel's that surrounded the woman yelled out, cutting off their celebration. The three walked over to the woman's body to see a small white orb beneath one of the Halibels's foot next to a young woman that looked nothing like before. She had light brown pigtails and an ordinary but charming face. However, she was so pale that it looked like she could faint at any moment, ruining it, and she had awful bags under her eyes.

"Her wounds are fatal, and I've stabbed her with a curse to make sure she doesn't get away. …She's done for."

"Don't tell anyone though."

"We'd have to get rid of you."

The Halibels joked even during the circumstances, but Lyra didn't mind it. The attacker that threatened Deneb's safety was dealt with, however, she was left with a burning sensation in her mind. Why did she look so familiar?

Slowly her eyes opened, as if she had felt their presence. They were light blue eyes. Lyra felt guilty because of how similar her features were to Deneb's own even though Lyra took great care to keep her looking healthy.

"I…"

"..."

"I hate you…"

The girl said that in a voice full of hatred as if she was coughing up blood. Glaring at Lyra fiercely, her intense hatred being directed solely at her now.

"Auntie, I hate you…"

Tears flowed from the girl's eyes. They weren't looking at her any longer, but at something far away. Lyra felt something inside herself break along with it.

"I'm sorry, Reize~. I'm not her~."

Light faded from her eyes as her last spark of life left her. Lyra felt her own eyes well up with tears realizing who she was speaking to. A forgotten bond lost to time that Lyra was forced to face in her place. It wasn't fair. She shouldn't be the one that had to face her.

"...Home. Want to go home."

"I think Debs got the right idea."

Lyra held onto Deneb tightly as Halibel escorted them back to the tenement house. She wasn't sure how long Deneb was going to live, but she would stay by her side no matter how long it might take. Until the day she passed on without her and Lyra would be forced to walk the world alone for eternity.

—Until the final bond that still gave her life any semblance of meaning frayed and disappeared.