We arrived at the port in taliesin. I'm not looking forward to this. And neither are velvet and laphicet. I don't want to see the ghost town aball has become. But i've come too far. Done too many awful things to give up now. I'm seeing this through to the end. No matter how painful. As soon as we arrived, I was approached by a familiar face.
"It's been a long time. Young lad. Where have you been?" the mayor asked. Three years. And this guy's still mayor? Oh well. Makes this easier.
"Been on a personal quest." i replied.
"I see. Well if it's personal i will not ask more. So what brings you to taliesin. My old friend?" the mayor asked.
"Just coming through…we're heading home…" i said.
"Returning to aball eh? Fair enough. I'm pretty sure the people there miss you." the mayor said. Me velvet and laphicet were confused.
"I'm sorry…but there's no one waiting for us in aball. Everybody there died. After the scarlett night three years ago…" i said. Sadness in my voice.
"That's not true. Why just yesterday. A young girl named niko came here offering us her special quiche." the mayor said. I can't believe what i heard. How can i? I saw the body myself during the advent. There's no way in hell she's alive!
"...we'll be going now. It was nice talking to you again mr mayor." i said. Wanting to end this conversation as soon as possible.
"Rather friendly with him weren't you?" magilou asked. As we walked towards the gate.
"That's because i saved alot of talesin's people three years ago. It was when i went to get laphi's medicine. They left a bunch of civilians outside to die. But i killed the demons." i said.
"Well i'll be damned. Used to be quite the hero huh?" rokurou asked.
"Yeah…but it's safe to say i've fallen pretty damn far…" i said.
"Indeed. No father can a hero fall. Then a hero who became a demon king!" magilou said.
"Mu…velvet…about what the mayor said…is niko…" laphicet began to ask.
"She's gone laphi…all three of us know that." velvet said.
"I saw the body myself…i wish she wasn't…but she's dead." i said. Laphicet looked down to the ground. Sad. we continued our way through taliesin. We even ran into more people i saved that day. and their families. Thanking me. Saying that they'd be widows or widowers if not for me. Or their kids hugging my legs. Thanking me for saving their mommy and daddies. I had a sad smile on my face this whole time. These innocent people don't know how far i've fallen. That there hero. Is the demon king. The abbey's bane. The most evil thing in berseria.
"Are you alright mu?" laphicet asked.
"It's painful remembering who i used to be…it reminds me of how far I've fallen into hell." i said. Velvet grabbed my hand.
"We both have fallen…it's painful for me as well…to remember the hard working village girl i used to be. But I know…she's not gone…even with the dark flames of vengeance that burns in my heart….and that young hero who protected me and laphicet is still there. Don't let the label the abbey threw on you. Tell you otherwise." velvet said. Looking at me with those beautiful amber eyes. Full of determination. I ended up blushing.
"Thanks vel." i said with a smile. We then headed out. To aball. And in the forest that me and velvet used to hunt prickleboar…we saw an unconscious girl. I couldn't believe who it was. It was niko! She was being attacked by a big bug demon. I killed with a quick x slash from my ethereal blade and stormhowl. I then walked over to niko and kneeled down.
"I can't believe it! Is it really you?" velvet asked. Niko soon woke up and saw us.
"Velvet!? Mu!?" niko asked. I pointed my sword at her.
"How the hell are you alive!?" i asked.
"I could ask you the same! Where have you been all this time!? Everyone thinks you three were eaten by demons! But i knew it couldn't be true!...both you and velvet are too strong to let a crummy demon take you down!...you're alive." niko said. As she got me and velvet into a group hug and cried. Both me and velvet hugged back. She then let us go.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your friends…laphicet! You've gotten better!" niko yelled as she looked at laphicet.
"Yeah I did. Thanks for noticing." laphicet said. With an neutral face.
"I have to let everyone know the good news! Not only have you come back to us! But laphi's gotten better!" niko yelled. As she ran towards aball.
"Niko's alive…she's alive." velvet said.
"You'll pay for this melchior…" laphicet said.
"Melchior? You're saying this is one of his illusions." eizen asked. Laphicet nodded.
"No doubt. He'd try to pull this with me countless times. Giving me the illusion of my sister and best friend. But I didn't want an illusion. I wanted the real thing." laphicet said.
"Melchior would go this far to trap us? Create an illusion of all of aball. Just to trap us?" eleanor asked.
"Yeah. the old bastard's got the magic power to do it. And also the lack of empathy for other human beings. the only things that fossil wouldn't hurt is flowers." laphicet said.
"Yeah. that sounds about right. You can fight against pain. But can you fight against happiness?" magilou asked. I never thought i'd think this. But she's right. Fighting against pain is easy. It's something you don't want. But would you fight against something you do want? We then made it to aball. And we're greeted by everyone.
"Velvet! Mu! Laphicet! You're all right!" a male villager yelled.
"Oh thank heavens! And laphicet all better now too! It's so good to see you all!" a female villager yelled.
"Where have you three been? You didn't even write." a villager boy said.
"Why would we bother? We thought the village was wiped out that day." i asked.
"Yeah it nearly was." the male villager said.
"But just when we thought it was all over. Arthur–lord artorius saved us!" the female villager said.
'No! It was his doing in the first place!" velvet yelled. I heard laphicet scoffing.
"It's bad enough you dig up this personal memory of ours just to trap us! But do you really have to use it to spout more of your abbey propaganda old man?" laphicet said. Utter disdain in his voice.
"He tried to sacrifice laphicet!" velvet yelled. I stayed quiet. It's like laphicet said. This is just one of melchior's illusion.
"There's no way he'd do that. Shouldn't you check on your sister velvet?" the male villager asked.
"Her sisters dead." i replied.
"She's in a coma. But celica's not dead. She's at your house." the male villager said.
"Don't worry. We all pitched in to take care of her." niko said.
"Celica's alive?" velvet asked in shock. I looked over to laphicet. His face was that of utter hatred. He knows this is all an illusion. A lie. And I do two. And i'm also pissed. These memories are sacred to us. So to see them be reduced to a petty trap. I'm going to tear that sad old fuck into bloody pieces.
"Celica's alive…i don't.." velvet said. Putting a hand to her chest. And then running to her house.
"What's wrong?" riku asked. I turned around to see eizen punching rokurou in the stomach.
"Well. that didn't break it." eizen said.
"If it was that easy to break out of the old fart's illusions. I'd have alot of scars." laphicet said.
"Next time you suspect an illusionary arte. Test out your theory on yourself!" rokurou yelled. Clearly in pain.
"You think we're all seeing an illusion?" riku asked.
"I know for a fact this all one big lie…i've been hit with this kinda illusion before…and i know everyone we're seeing is dead. I buried them myself." laphicet said.
"Laphicet…" eleanor said.
"What about you mu? You said yourself. That you wanted this life back more than anything." magilou asked.
"Indeed. I want my peaceful life here back more than anything…but i want it to be real…this is just an illusion…an abbey trap…i want this back more than anything…but not if it's an abbey lie!" i yelled.
"Mu…" riku said.
"Let's split up for now. Me laphicet and riku. Will stay with velvet. The rest of you. Find the therion. The sooner we find it. The better." i said.
"Hold it! I'm staying as well!" eleanor yelled. I sighed.
"Fine. hope you three don't mind." i said.
"Not at all. First one to find it wins eizen!" rokurou yelled.
"We'll see about that!" eizen yelled.
"Most everything be a dick measuring contest with you two idiots!?" i yelled.
"Apparently…" magilou said. Completely deadpan. As she rokurou and eizen went to go find the therion. While me laphicet riku and eleanor followed velvet.
"Our home…it hasn't changed one bit." velvet said.
"Yeah it hasn't." i said.
"Don't let this fool you velvet. This is just more of Melchior's bullshit!" laphicet said. Velvet then unsheathed her blade and cut her hand.
"I won't be fooled!" velvet declared. As riku healed her hand. We then headed saw celica on the bed. Unconscious. I know this was a lie. She was dead even before i met them
"I won't be deceived!" velvet declared. As she walked forward. And touched celica's face. Only to fall to her knees. "You're warm…celica…you're really alive!" velvet sobbed. I looked over to laphicet. Who looked at the ground. Rage on his face. We both this is a lie.
"We found her at the shrine. A short while ago. We couldn't believe it at first. But she's been unconscious since then." niko said as she walked in.
"She's alive…that's all that matters…i'll be her to see you wake up…i still have to thank for everything you taught me." velvet said. So celica was the one who taught her everything. We all walked out. We we're all lost in thought.
"Are you okay laphicet?" riku asked. Laphicet then drew his axe swinging wildly at nothing.
"Where are you!? Don't you dare hide from me! Show yourself! You sad pathetic old coward!" laphicet yelled as he continued swinging wildly.
"Laphicet! Calm down! I know how you feel. But swinging our weapons like maniacs is not gonna draw Melchior out of hiding!" i yelled. Laphicet stopped swinging. And looked down on the ground.
"Laphicet?" eleanor asked. To make sure her boyfriend was okay.
"I hate this…all these people i miss more than anything. And melchior is using them for a trap. Celica…niko…people i love and miss…being used as a trap…those memories are sacred. To have them defiled like this by that old bastard…i'll kill him!" laphicet yelled. His voice filled with rage. I saw his golden eyes turn red again. But then we heard the door open. And saw velvet walk out.
"Sorry about that." velvet said as she walked towards us.
"It's fine." i said.
"So what do we do now?" riku asked.
"Maybe you should make something for celica. She can handle soup. Maybe if she smells something that she makes. She'll wake up." niko said.
"Yeah…maybe…could you please look after her for me while me and mu buy what we need?" velvet asked. Sounding like her old self. Niko nodded.
"Of course! I am at your beck and call….by the way ar-" niko tried to ask but was interrupted by velvet.
"I know what your going to ask. And yes me and mu are a couple now." velvet said.
"I knew it! It was only a matter of time! I gotta tell everybody!" niko yelled as she ran off. Velvet than grabbed my hand and started pulling me.
"Let's go. My knight." velvet said as she began pulling me to the village…seeing that kind and determined village girl again…it was painful. To see her innocence being brought back out in the form of a massive lie.
Laphicet pov.
Velvet was acting how she used too…before that awful night. Niko…celica…everyone of aball…all an illusion…of melchiors trap…nothing is sacred to that old bastard except flowers. I saw an big patch of flowers by the house. I used a fire arte to burn them. Then put them out with an water arte.
"Why did you do that!?" riku asked.
"Because flowers are sacred to that fossil. If he insists on using our dead loved ones as a trap. Then i'll burn what's sacred to him…hey melchior if your watching and listening…fuck you! And fuck your flowers you old bastard!" i yelled.
"Laphicet! Language! There's a child here!" eleanor yelled. As i looked down at riku.
"Those are bad words riku. Don't use them ok?" i asked.
"Ok." riku replied. We then followed velvet and mu.
Melchior pov.
How dare he burn innocent flowers! And for what? Because i used the memories of the dead to trap them! Memories of the dead are not sacred! It's better than what that traitor deserves.
"Are you really seething over flowers? Get your priorities straight old man!" the woman behind me said. A woman with yellow hair. Wearing the same get up as that accursed demon mu. Except it was a black skirt instead of black pants. And instead of an angel and demon wing with a sword between it was a vortex. She also had a look of insanity in her eyes. And a machete giving off electricity on her back.
This was ophelia sanda. The thunder sadist.
"Yeah incase you forgotten we have those people to deal with. When are we getting our revenge on that father killing asshole mu!?" said the man with blach hair. Who had two laser pistols at his waste. And two high tech revolvers in holsters under his arms.
This was rosencrantz supesu! The mad gunslinger.
"Calm yourselves. Death is a fair mistress with alot of patience. We'll deliver him back to her soon enough." said the other black haired man. Who had a huge scythe leaking dark magic on his back.
This was claudius shi. The servant of death.
I don't like working with these three maniacs but my lord calls for it. Ophelia soon looked through the orb where i was keeping and eye on the demons.
"Who's that sexy black haired chick pulling him along?" ophelia asked.
"That would be the lord of calamity. Velvet crowe. The beloved of the demon king." i replied.
"So that's his girl…you thinking what i'm thinking?" rosencrantz asked.
"Kill the bitch right in front of him? Hell yeah! There's nothing more painful then seeing those you love die! My favorite kind of pain to inflict!" ophelia yelled in glee.
"There are plenty of ways to end an live. Flesh that burns. Bones that break. But to break someone's spirit is to truly destroy them. And that's the kind of revenge we desire!" claudius yelled.
Those three truly are disgusting creatures. But my lord demands this of me. And besides. I too wish to see these demons suffer. I let these armageddon knights have there fun.