Disclaimer: Shadow Hearts belongs to Nautilus and Aruze. And I do wish they'd hurry and get Shadow Hearts 3, From the New World localized. Oh yes!
Part 14
Roger flew them north to Mount Fuji the next morning. Karin had not slept well the night before, her mind roiling with what she had not told Yuri, and with her own feelings, both for the fighter and for the exorcist. And, in the morning, before they had left Inugami Village, she and Lucia had bought supplies from the traveling caravan; and Karin caught up on all the latest gossip and news of home from the twins that ran the store. Pierre and Gerard, whom she had met so long ago in Florence, now traveled the world in their truck, and still carried the best supplies, if not some of the most expensive items she had ever seen. Then, after dividing the items, the party had made ready to go and Karin took a seat in the front of the plane, near the cockpit and away from Yuri. Her mind was still awash in the emotions of last night and the nervous anticipation of today's coming battle and she wanted to be away from any chatter. Roger was piloting again, of course, and Kurando sat next to him, his sharp crimson gaze scanning the countryside as the plane took off. As they lifted, the village receded into the distance, the bright blue of the clear sky as blinding as the sun in the early morning. The deep greens of the forest below were a soothing blanket and Karin let her eyes take it all in. This was where Yuri had been born, where his father had lived and married Yuri's mother, farmed and then later moved on. This was where his aunt Saki remained, her one son heir to the family home and family honor and obligations. A small part of her was envious of Saki and Kurando. That same small part that looked with longing on the cool blues of a nearby lake and the soothing greens of the forest and wished she had a home on that mountain below them; a home and a husband and...
Some while later they approached Mount Fuji and Roger's plane circled the majestic volcano once before finding a place to land. From the cockpit and porthole windows, they could see the great cone of the volcano, a blast hole of white ash, and steam rose in the morning air from fumaroles on the northeast face; Roger pointed down to an opening at the base and Kurando nodded.
"I'll tell the others," he said and came back to the passenger compartment.
"We've found a place to land at the foot of the mountain, but it will be a long trek inside. There's steam rising from vents on her face and I think we may have trouble in there."
"Do you think it will explode?" Joachim asked with his usual grave voice. Kurando's shrug was diffident.
"If it does we..." he looked at Lucia. "We'll all be dead. I hope that won't be the case," he said and watched as Lucia smiled, nodding her head.
Roger set the jet down and Karin joined Yuri at the gangway, handing him his pack and watching as he slid it onto his belts, and after a few moments, Roger joined them, looking up with worried eyes.
"From what you described, Yuri, I think Astaroth must be in the magma chamber. That will be deep within the mountain, at its very heart," Roger said, tapping the young man's pack. "You will be careful, won't you?"
"Yeah, sure," he said and he looked to Kurando. "So we have to figure out how to get in there. Any ideas?"
"Well," Gepetto interrupted, "it shouldn't be too difficult. Kato and his forces were here ahead of us. And we don't know what mysteries may also be in there."
"We should all take precautions," Joachim said and Lucia, standing next to him, put her hand on his elbow.
"We're all going to die," she said and then giggled. By now, everyone was ignoring her.
They entered the volcano through an ancient steam vent; hollowed out and rough sided, the vent was as big as a mineshaft and just as dark. Yuri provided the lantern again, giving it to Joachim to hold while he took point. Shortly they found a glowing chamber and transport points, small circles of standing stones.
"Seems like these were used to get deep inside," Kurando said, investigating the stone circle. There was a small altar at the back of the circle and he picked up a glowing stone and placed it on the altar. The transport point lit up. "Ah, so that's how it works."
Yuri nodded brusquely. "Come on," and he entered the circle, Karin right behind him. They transported deeper inside the mountain and instantly monsters attacked them. Karin and Gepetto used fire magic while the wolf used a water crest and they soon cleared the way, but Karin couldn't help noticing Yuri was a little slower than he had been; he was just as strong, but his reaction time was down and she wondered if it was the Curse settling in. She bit her lip as she followed close behind him.
They used the transport circles three more times and ended up in the bowels of the mountain. They stepped out into a deep, dark chamber that was blisteringly hot. Blanca was panting heavily and Gepetto looked about ready to pass out; Karin turned to Lucia, who was also looking quite faint, and asked if any of her oils could help protect them until they got out of the volcano. Lucia shook her head.
"No, but I can try something – maybe a light citrus to energize us and some moon oil to make us feel cooler," she said, slowly pulling her phials of oils from her pack. Karin nodded and gathered the canteens. While they waited, Joachim scouted ahead, taking a few strides down a side passage. He was shaking his braided head when he returned.
"It dead ends that way, so we'll have to check the others," and he pointed along two other passageways.
"I don't know about you, but I could use a sit down," Gepetto stated even as he slid down to sit on a rocky outcrop. He winced at the sharp rocks and hissed, feeling the heat through his pants and coat. "Damn it's hot down here."
Karin fanned herself with one hand and wished for a hankie to wipe away the sweat. She was thoroughly soaked and, when she glanced down at herself she shuddered. These clothes don't leave much to the imagination when wet, she thought. At least no one has commented. She opened her own canteen and knelt on the hot ground, clicking her tongue at Blanca. The wolf looked at her with dim yellow eyes before sighing and crossing the ground to her. She cupped a hand and dribbled water into it, letting the wolf lap it up with his hot tongue. Finally, Lucia finished her work, putting the stoppers back in the canteens.
"It's an experiment, so if it tastes bad, I am sorry," she said, offering the containers back to their owners. Gepetto looked at his small silver flask and sniffed.
"No wine?" he grumbled.
"That's the last thing you need in this heat," Karin remarked and Gepetto scowled at her.
"I'll have you know, young lady, that I can handle my liquor, and this heat, and anything else you wanna throw at me, you got that?" Gepetto didn't look like he could handle anything at all to Karin but she bit her tongue, especially when she saw Yuri shake his head at her. Instead, she took him his canteen, wiping the wet from her hand on her damp skirt. Yuri chuckled softly.
"I am so hot, I feel like baked sushi," he quipped as he opened the canteen and took a sip. He sighed, squinting at Karin. "Even my dog is hot," he grinned and she stared at him before blushing. No, he didn't mean Blanca. Damn him, she thought and caught his eyes roving over her, lingering just a little too long at her bosom, the nipples showing prominently in the wet material.
"If it weren't so hot, I'd kick you," she said, trying to sound angry and failing.
"Just kidding," he sighed and Karin shook her head.
"No, you aren't."
"We should get moving before the heat bakes our brains," Yuri said to the group and Karin moved past him, speaking softly so only he could hear.
"Too late for you," and Yuri huffed a breathy laugh.
They checked out the passageways, accidentally stumbling on the correct path and descending even deeper into the volcano's heart, finally reaching a river of magma splashing its way under a rock bridge.
"That doesn't look natural," commented Gepetto and Yuri agreed.
"Astaroth," he stated as if it weren't obvious, and started across the land bridge of stone, avoiding the puddles of still molten magma.
Karin wiped the sweat from her face with her hand and shook it before pulling up her canteen. The water smelled of Lucia's aromatherapy essential oils and she sipped carefully, feeling the magic of the oils in her mouth and down her throat. It tingled like lemons, yet felt minty and suddenly she felt much cooler, her skin tingling and she turned surprised eyes onto Lucia.
"You've outdone yourself, girlfriend," she said and was rewarded with a toothy grin from the Italian beauty.
They crossed the scorching land bridge with wave after wave of intense heat roaring over them. Moisture sizzled and dried instantly and from being wet with sweat they found themselves dry and dehydrated. The others stopped to sip their water while Karin and Yuri went ahead, pausing at the opening to the magma chamber. It was a huge vaulted cavity with the magma forced underground, but pushing up in one corner was a huge crystal formation and inside, curled up like a child, was Nicholai.
Oh my god, oh my god, what has happened to you, Nicholai? Are you even there anymore? she thought. Across the chamber and beyond the crystal was a black shadow, and Yuri moved toward it.
"Kato," he told her, drawing her attention, and then set off at a run. The older man was lying injured behind a stalagmite of frozen crimson magma. Karin walked more slowly, hearing the others moving in behind her and she found her steps taking her closer to the crystal prison. She had not expected this, that he would be imprisoned or in such a state. She had expected him to be tall, proud, and virile, stating to the world and to her, how great he was – how great Astaroth was. She wished it were Nicholai; she wished he would wake up and speak.
"Kato," Yuri called as he approached the injured man and Karin looked back. The soldier was trying to sit up and Yuri knelt, pulling him up and leaning him on the rocky spire.
"Yuri," he said, "so you have finally arrived." The man's voice was deep and shaking, his face showing dark bruises and scrapes while his uniform, usually impeccable, was torn in places and filthy,
"How you doin'? You ok?" Yuri asked, gently patting him on the shoulders and then down his arms. "Nothing appears broken."
Kato made a wan smile. "You tell me. How do I look?"
"Like something the cat dragged in," Yuri said with a grin and then looked up when an echo in the chamber caught his attention. It reverberated again, bouncing from the crystal to the walls and ceiling before settling at the crystal again. Karin realized it was Nicholai, speaking.
"You're too late," the voice was a rasp of sound, not quite human, not quite alien, and Karin shuddered.
"Nicholai!" she called. Behind her, Kato rose shakily to his knees.
"That's no longer the Nicholai that you knew."
The voice laughed again, the raspy sound cutting through Karin like a knife.
"Nicholai," she said, and her world spun for a moment, teetering on the brink of want, desire, and memory.
Yuri had found her at the shrine later that afternoon, sitting in the dim interior, the rainbow diminished slightly with the moving sun. She was sitting on the center stones, her eyes wide and unseeing when he entered, the crunch of dirt under his boots and the chink of this belts echoing in the expanse of the shrine. She did not look up, letting her eyes gaze on the pool, the mist of the waterfalls behind her obscuring the surface. She didn't want to see anything, didn't want to feel anything, she wanted to cleanse her mind of distractions - and it wasn't working. She thought of Nicholai, the memory of that encounter... had it been a dream? she wondered. Or was it something more substantial? She had felt dirty when she awoke that morning in Petrograd, in the back rooms of Edgar's clock shop. She had felt dirty, and naked and very much afraid. She had looked over at Yuri, asleep and curled up much as he had been in the dream, and wanted to crawl to his side – lie down next to him and curl into his arms. She hadn't, of course, but she had wanted to. Instead she sat stroking his hair, softly, looking at him with love in her heart and a yearning she only now could put into words. She loved him. And sadly, she loved someone else too, someone they were going to fight and probably kill tomorrow: Nicholai.
"So there you are," his voice said and it sounded a little worn, a little impatient. Karin looked up to see Yuri coming toward her. He looked fine, but his eyes were pinched and there was the sheen of perspiration on his forehead. He'd been fighting. "Saki said you were waiting for me. What's wrong?"
Karin nodded, looking him over and he paused, embarrassed. "How do you feel? You look like you've been fighting."
Yuri grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, 'Rando and me were huntin' birds," and at Karin's confused expression, "Anastasia and her stupid photo album. She wanted pictures of those damned Tengu's that Kurando mentioned, and next thing I know, instead of having supper, she's haring off inta the woods. Well, I was for leaving her but Kurando insisted," he said grinning, and Karin knew he was just as anxious over the diminutive dutchess as his cousin.
"You wouldn't know what to do if anything happened to her Yuri," she said.
"Sure I would," he said and could not stop the smirk from forming on one side of his mouth. "I'd just have to tease you instead."
Karin blinked and swallowed. He'd tease me? She looked at him, her grey eyes clouded with want and hope, and Yuri looked down, his cheeks suddenly tingeing and he toed his boot into the rocky floor.
"Um, Yuri, there is something I wanted to talk to you about," she said and she rose to her feet, turning her back to him and staring for a minute at the waterfall; the mist frosted her with moisture and it felt like gentle fingers touching her. She shuddered before turning back to face him. He had walked further in, stopping at the pool's edge and he clearly was puzzled.
"Yeah?" he asked, and waited.
Karin gathered her thoughts, trying to find the best words to use. Yuri wasn't always good with words, often stumbling over an idea before using the wrong ones in frustration, and the effects of the Yadorigi, the cursed mistletoe, was making it worse – he was forgetting things; little things like Blanca's name, or Gepetto's doll, and once, even who she was. But she didn't want him to misunderstand, or to forget. She wanted him to know what she was feeling. And what had happened - before.
"When I first met you in Domremy," she began, biting her lip slightly, "I was sent to Italy with Nicholai and we returned to the church and…"
Yuri frowned. "Yeah, I know." His response was as dark as his look; he had tilted his head down and his long bangs were covering his brows, shading his crimson eyes, and Karin felt suddenly very afraid he might not have forgiven her for her part in that confrontation.
"I'm sorry Yuri. I had no idea…"
He waved it off. "I don't blame you. It was Nicholai."
Karin looked down at the dark pool, the light of the rainbow glinting like diamonds in the dark surface. She sighed.
"Yuri – I – I love you," she said. "I have since I met you. You forgave me for hurting you, you trusted me to travel with you, to fight alongside you. And you gave me this," she lifted the little silver cross from beneath her blouse. Yuri stood at the water's edge and stared at Karin. His eyes, dark beneath his long bangs, could only be seen in glints from the rainbow.
"Hum?"
"In spite of everything, I do love you," she continued in a rush. "I know I'm no match for Alice … you're such a dummy, I know you never noticed how I felt."
"Karin…" Yuri began, reaching out one gloved hand toward her, but she shook her head, the long scarlet tresses slipping their ponytail and falling like a fire fall around her shoulders.
"No, it's fine. I'm okay with this. You don't have to say anything. I guess I always knew in my heart that you felt the same way about me too – or I hoped so, and that's why I risked my life, because I love you. And, now that you know that, it's enough." It will have to be enough for now.
Yuri looked up at the waterfall, the mist foaming down and around the pool and then back to Karin.
"I'm sorry," he said.
Karin took a deep breath. "I know. It's not your fault. I had expectations… but Yuri, there's something else I have to tell you…"
The young fighter shook his head.
"Look, can it wait? It's getting late and I'm starved."
Karin felt dumfounded for a moment, then nodded. Maybe it's for the best. He knows I love him. He doesn't need to know about Nicholai. Yuri has his own feelings about him. I won't burden him with mine.
"All right. I'm coming."
Karin was hearing laughter, coarse, brutal laughter and she looked up. She had let her eyes drift to the ground while remembering last night and now she saw Yuri pass her, walking a few paces closer to the crystal, his lips parted in a vicious grin and his eyes... they glowed. He was ready for trouble – looking forward to it.
"So, bright eyes, did you miss us?" he asked.
The man in the crystal, curled up in a ball, did not move, but his voice reverberated through the chamber, and Karin could hear traces of Nicholai in that voice.
"Very soon now the destruction of this world will begin."
Yuri paused at the foot of the mound where the huge crystal was set, looking up at the avatar of Astaroth.
"Destruction?"
Nicholai's voice spoke from within the crystal.
"Yes, that's right, destruction," and Karin felt her heart lurch. He sounds so like Nicholai, she thought. Is he still there? Is he aware or conscious at all? Oh mein Gott. "The malice released in the world will soon destroy it."
From safety, and surrounded by his own companions, Kato called out to Yuri: "What are you going to do?"
"Waste 'im," the fusionist said with confidence. Beyond him, in the crystal, the curled up body of Nicholai spoke again.
"It cannot be avoided. My soul has been revived. The age of mankind is coming to an end. Joy, sadness, desire, all of it is finished now. I will usher in a glorious new future," and Karin saw the body moving slightly, unfolding from its fetal curl. Beside her, Yuri stood with one hand on his hip, a smirk on his lips and total defiance in his eyes.
"Before you do, can I ask a favor?" Yuri said and Karin felt a frisson down her spine. She looked up at the human in the crystal and heard Nicholai's voice reply.
"What do you wish, human?" and his words dripped sarcasm.
Yuri grinned as he raised his arms for a fight.
"I'd like you to shove it, straight up your ass," he said.
There was a cry of rage from the mound and the crystal shattered, sending shards slicing through the cavern. But instead of Nicholai, instead of the white clad exorcist, out came Astaroth. Incredibly tall, misshapen and ugly, the demon-god came forth, hovering inches above the ground, its huge talons both long and sharp and dripping with poisonous malice.
"Be careful," Kato shouted from the rear. "Those claws are deadly. One scratch..."
Yuri nodded, but did not reply. Instead, he was focused on the approaching demon. Karin moved up next to him, glancing at his face a moment, imprinting it in her mind. He could die today. I could die today. Then she turned toward Astaroth. No, it will be him that dies today. She pulled her sword, igniting it with flame, and leapt at the descending Duke of Hell.
This is not Nicholai, she thought. He's not here; Nicholai is gone, swallowed up by this evil thing. And we have to destroy it, before it can spread like a disease. With fire on her sword, she slashed at Astaroth, scoring little wounds on its hard skin, while next to her Yuri leapt in, his Dragon Claws raking and puncturing the hard skin, blood and ichor oozing out and down the sharp tips. Karin was unsure if the blood was from the Claws, which always bled, or from Astaroth. She withdrew to re-fire her blade and saw Kurando suddenly blur and change, his fusion Tsukiyomi appearing and, with graceful movements, sending a slash of light energy at the demon, while on his other side Joachim hefted a huge pillar of stone and moved in to smash with it. Karin turned her mind to her task, firing her blade once more and sending a silent prayer to God and Nicholai, begging forgiveness.
She attacked again, slicing the nearest leg a dozen times before ducking to avoid a malice-tipped claw as it swung down toward her. A huge hand suddenly grabbed her by the back of her dress and flung her aside as Astaroth moved forward. When she climbed to her knees, bruised and battered, she saw Amon as he turned back to fight the demon lord and, where she had stood, Astaroth's malice-laced foot. She would have been crushed.
"Here, let me," Lucia said and the tall Italian beauty knelt, setting her killer fan aside and pulled out a small green bottle from her pouch. "It'll help stave off infections," she said and Karin saw that she had some deep gouges and cuts, in spite of Amon's thrusting her from harm's way.
Or maybe because of it, she mused. The ointment smelled of mint and Karin inhaled slowly, her eyes feeling heavy lidded.
"I wish this was over with," she said softly and Lucia caressed her shoulder with one long-nailed hand.
"I know. But we can work together. Let me use some of my oils to help everyone, and then I'll give something for you to fire up that blade, shall we?"
Karin looked up at Lucia, the dancer's large brown eyes glittering with life, and she nodded. "All right." Together they stood at the back of the combat, Karin ready to protect Lucia while the young woman mixed a quick solution; she put it in a small silver bowl and then asked Karin to light the oil.
"Careful," she said. "Don't want to burn it up all at once." The fluid in the bowl began to smolder then fume and a thin veil of smoke rose from it. She gave the bowl to Karin and then opened her fan. "Let's make a little wind, shall we?" Karin had thought Lucia would simply fan the smoke, but instead the dancer used her fan in conjunction with a small crest. Wind suddenly built up around the bowl and whisked the smoke up and through the combatants, sparkling like faerie dust over them before suddenly granting them increases in agility, and physical strength. Lucia smiled when she saw little Anastasia throw her egg and the resultant crushing of Astaroth's tough hide.
"There, that should do it. Now for you," she took another small bottle from her pack, this one a brilliant red and when she removed the tiny stopper, Karin was instantly assailed with the smell of cinnamon and cloves something else indefinable. "Sun Oil," she said. "This should heat things up," Lucia said and dribbled a few tiny drops onto the blade. "Now, ignite it." Lucia moved back and Karin raised her sword, saying quickly the fire spell to send flames into her blade. Instantly the sword blazed to life, the fire so intense it burned her to look.
"Oh!" she exclaimed and Lucia giggled.
"Better than I thought," she exclaimed. "Go on."
Karin moved out, leaping forward to join the fray. Her heart was lifted up, her spirits soaring as the light of her sword brought the power of flames, the power of her fiery soul, into the conflict. She felt full of power and energy and knew it was Lucia's special oils aiding her. She saw Amon moving his arms, calling forth dark magicks to strike Astaroth, and she knew she had mere moments to make her move. With almost blinding speed, she swept in, striking repeatedly at the exposed limbs of the demon, its flesh searing, melting and oozing down into a putrescent puddle. Swept up in the fire of combat, Karin felt herself rising to the challenge, her vision clear, her heart pounding steadily and her movements as swift as her thoughts.
Finally, the fire flickered out on her sword, and Karin moved back, her shoulders slumped in fatigue, and she looked up to see Yuri deliver the final blow to Astaroth. Its huge body bent and warped, twisted beyond recognition, gaping wounds leaked ichor and chunks of its flesh lay melting on the hot lava rocks of the cavern. Karin felt her stomach roil at the sight and turned her head away, one arm wiping away the sweat from her forehead. She had never felt so tired in her life. She heard groans around her and looked over to see Gepetto kneeling on the ground, his doll Cornelia clutched in his arms, his white beard straggled and black with filth. Lucia was making the rounds, checking for injuries and Yuri... She looked across the chamber to where, moments ago, Astaroth had stood and saw Yuri bending over a crumpled form dressed in white, lying on the smokey ground.
"Nicholai."
Forgotten was her fatigue as she struggled to her feet, sliding her sword into its sheath as she stumbled across the stones. She could hear Nicholai groaning in pain, hear his voice as he muttered her name, calling to her. He was hurt. He needed her! Karin did not feel the grinding pain as she slid to her knees, the rocks piercing and tearing her flesh as she knelt beside the fallen exorcist. She took his hand, afraid he was too far gone for her to help him, but he opened emerald eyes, staring at her like a starving man.
"K-Karin," he breathed and Karin touched his face with her hand, her heart reaching out even as her fingers caressed the bruised and battered cheek.
"Oh, Nicholai." Nicholai moved slightly under her hand, trying to rise, then twisting suddenly, moving up toward her, his hand grabbing at her neck. Behind her Yuri yelled, and Karin looked up in time to see Yuri's hand shove her away, leather glove in her face as he sent her reeling away to safety. When she looked again she cried out in alarm, for Nicholai had grabbed Yuri instead, one hand firmly holding him in a vise-like grip while the other – silver-white light surrounded Nicholai's right fist as it seemed to plunge into Yuri's chest, the glow blinding in its intensity and washing everything around it into ghostly hues. Yuri was in pain, his face a mask of confused agony as he fought the effects of Nicholai's attack.
"Don't think you can escape the curse of the mistletoe, Godslayer," Nicholai said, the words ground out with his effort. Thanks to you, all my plans have been ruined..." The fusionist struggled to break free, but the exorcist's grip was like iron, and the magic in his hand had him paralyzed. Karin stood up, drawing her sword.
"I thought... you forgot that," Yuri said with a groan, his breath catching in his throat, his face a mask of agony, and he began to collapse as Nicholai continued pressing his hand into his chest, the energy of the mistletoe bathing them both.
"No," Nicholai breathed into Yuri's face, "and now you'll die for it."
Karin was rushing toward Yuri, sword drawn, screaming Nicholai's name when Kato suddenly stepped in from the shadows. She had forgotten all about the soldier as he had remained in the background during the combat. The big man pushed between Yuri and Nicholai, gave the exorcist a stunning blow, knocking him to the hot ground. Released, Yuri fell limply to the rocks and Karin did not hesitate to turn toward him instead, and she rammed her sword hard in its sheath as she knelt by the unconscious man. Nicholai, on his back, rolled over and came up with a sharp rock shard. Karin saw it at the same time Kato did, but could do nothing to prevent Nicholai's attack.
"You'll die instead," the exorcist cried as he lunged at Kato and Karin cried out. There was no way he could move to avoid the plunging shard of rock, but in the next instant his protector, and Karin thought, lover, Ouka intervened. She had been in the shadows as well, watching over her master, but when his life was threatened, she thrust herself between Kato and danger and took the blow meant for him. On his knees and looking up at Kato, Nicholai's eyes grew large, a small smile playing on his lips until he realized what had happened. And Karin saw it then, that even though this was in fact Nicholai, he was truly insane.
Kato stood stunned, one arm holding Ouka, her head resting against his broad chest and the other suddenly reaching out, reaching for Nicholai.
"You bastard!" he exclaimed and his large hand swiftly gripped Nicholai, thrusting a thumb into one eye and clamping down hard. Karin, seeing this, turned away. Nicholai screamed, calling out her name, before the sound of crunching bone silenced him forever. Karin, holding Yuri's hand, looked up to see the limp body of Nicholai Conrad fall to the hard ground, dead.
Oh Mein Gott, she thought. Oh Nicholai, I'm sorry, I am so sorry. I love you. I loved you. But not that way – not enough to sacrifice my soul. Forgive me. She turned to look down at Yuri, wiping a quick hand across her eyes.
Reviewers:
MissPixel: hehe, glad I could get your writhing. That was the whole idea. Not that Yuri was really in the way, mind. But ... yeah!
Raven, yes Karin's a mess right now. And it's not going to get any better for a while. Which is not to say there won't be closure when the time comes.
Puffy! Canon doesn't indicate Karin loved Nikki. She almost fell for his temptations, but the things he said woke her up. Well, really the things Astaroth said thru him. But personally I think there was the possibility of feelings. The developers seemed to think so and ... well, we all know I wear rose coloured glasses. Just call me a romantic at heart. And no dear, that wasn't the only sexy scene.