Prologue
Two days ago, on an unusually sunny afternoon in the city of London, the traveler Takanashi Kiara was lining up at the telegraph office near the Occidental College for Young Women. It was quite warm, so Kiara had her worn traveling jacket folded up neatly and hanging from her left arm. All the while, she hummed a small tune that had been stuck in her head while she waited patiently for her turn to send a telegram to France.
Usually, sending a telegram to France was an incredibly difficult ordeal for her over the past few months. After all, on top of keeping her identity as the Phoenix hidden, she was charged with the task of scouting out the Grim Reapers and taking note of their activities in London. That mission constantly put her in close contact with hostile reapers, so Kiara spent a lot of time hiding from them, fighting them or running away.
To make matters worse, Kiara quickly realized that the Grim Reapers had an elite who was tasked to chase after her - the incredibly talented Calliope Mori.
Every time that Kiara was hunted down by the reapers, Calliope Mori was there to lead the charge. Kiara had clashed with Calliope so many times that the two of them forged some sort of unspoken bond in their many battles. The Phoenix admired the Reaper's strength and tenacity while the Reaper acknowledged that Kiara was a crafty, slippery and worthy foe.
Kiara grew so fond of Calliope that she started calling her foe 'Calli', much to the Reaper's embarrassment and disdain. Despite all this, the Phoenix and the Reaper continued to clash and speak through their weapons and various skills.
The talented Reaper never managed to defeat Kiara in their skirmishes, but the Phoenix knew that Calli was getting stronger with every clash. They rarely spoke, but whenever her orange broadsword struck against the otherworldly metal of Calli's scythe, the two had a conversation in combat - in a language that only the two of them could understand.
Kiara was getting used to the rhythm of these wordless conversations with Calli when the Reaper suddenly disappeared a few days ago. That made Kiara's mission much easier, but it left the Phoenix quite disappointed.
"I wonder what happened to her…" Kiara hummed thoughtfully.
While she was lost in her thoughts, Kiara nearly bumped into a gentleman who was making his way out of the office. The gentleman, the esteemed Dr. John H. Watson, tipped his hat and apologized. Kiara answered with a polite curtsy and then took Dr. Watson's place at the telegraph office wickets.
"How may I help you today?" The clerk asked Kiara with a bright smile.
"Telegraphs for T. K. Torii please." Kiara answered happily. She then handed the clerk a small bag filled with British twopence coins, "Oh, and I'll send a telegram afterwards too."
The clerk nodded dutifully and retrieved a single telegram addressed to the alias name.
It was from Ms. J. M. Middleton - Jenma's codename. That coded telegram then told Kiara exactly why the Grim Reapers weren't giving her as much trouble in London recently.
After the Sea Serpent incident on the RMS Teutonic, the letter said, the Grim Reapers were shifting their attention to Continental Europe. Something big must be happening in France, Kiara realized, if the reapers were willing to pull the elite Calli out of London on such short notice. That same reason was probably why Jenma was calling for Kiara to come to France as soon as she could.
Kiara tore up the coded message and then turned to the clerk waiting on her with a smile.
"I'd like to send my message now." Kiara said calmly, "K-dash-K-dash-R-dash-K-dash. Stop. That's all."
As soon as the clerk finished sending the message, Kiara paid off the telegraph fees and left the office as well. The sun was already starting to set when Kiara went into a back-alley and climbed up to the roof of the Occidental College dormitories. She then put on her worn traveling jacket, spread out her wings and flew south towards France.
However, it wasn't going to be as straightforward of a journey as Kiara thought.
AlterMyth
Auf Wiedersehen
Forty-First Scene - Twopence Truce
Even for the mighty Phoenix, traveling across the English Channel in the dead of night was no easy task. High winds, low visibility and the presence of civilian and military vessels passing through the channel meant that Kiara had either to exert herself to fly high or fly fast. After the news of the RMS Teutonic spread throughout Europe, however, naval vessels doubled their patrols on coastal waters and forced Kiara to fly high and fast - burning away at her stamina.
Kiara was a mighty Phoenix, of course, but her stamina wasn't limitless and the thinner air far above the clouds made her dizzy. In better conditions and a more favorable wind, she would have been able to fly south towards Bordeaux in one night. That night, however, she had to make a stop halfway.
That stop was Paris - the beating heart of the French nation and the Belle Epoque .
She landed behind the thick shrubbery of a large public garden and did her best to fix her hair and appear somewhat presentable. She then sauntered into an opulent Parisian hotel in the center of the city.
That hotel was a hub for travelers as well as the core or France's telegraph infrastructure, so Kiara frequented the hotel whenever she was in Continental Europe.
Despite her worn clothes and less-than-pristine visage, Kiara was welcomed into that hotel by the staff with open arms. Kiara's fluent French helped her win their hearts, of course, but she knew most of the concierge staff by name too. Because of this, the staff was more than willing to exchange Kiara's British twopences for French francs and offered to send telegrams for her free of charge!
Over time, Kiara turned that hotel into a home away from home - a place where she could kick back and relax after a long, rough journey. It was exactly what Kiara needed after her rough night flight.
So, Kiara asked for an evening newspaper and sent a telegram to Bordeaux as if it was second nature to her. She was even chatting with the concierge about what she should have for dinner when she caught a familiar figure in the corner of her eye: a certain flustered pink-haired beauty speaking to another concierge staff with unusual politeness.
Calliope Mori.
From what Kiara could hear, Calli was trying to send some telegrams and was asking to have her British twopence coins changed for francs. However, Calli's French was broken at best and she was having a tough time getting through to the concierge. The elite reaper's shoulders were slumped over - a far cry from the steeled stance of the confident warrior that Kiara faced on the battlefield.
Perhaps it was because Calli had been traveling too.
Kiara rubbed her chin and considered her options.
One part of her told her to finish up her business, slip away into her room and take a nice long bath while Calli struggled with her French. After all the ambushes that Calli led against her, Kiara could take it easy this time and enjoy the show.
However, Kiara heard the sound of the hotel's grand piano playing along with the din of the hotel lobby that was still busy well into the night too. It made her realize that this was a chance for her to ambush Calli for once - in a way that the elite Grim Reaper wouldn't possibly expect.
Kiara chuckled slightly and then spoke loudly in French - loud enough that Calli and the concierge clerk serving her could hear.
" Elle est mon amie. S'il vous plaît, faites ce qu'elle dit. "
Kiara basically told the staff that Calli was her friend and asked them to do what she needed them to. The concierge staff smiled warmly at Kiara and finally started changing Calli's coins.
Calli heaved a sigh of relief and then beamed at Kiara for a moment.
"Hey - thanks for saving my hide there." The Reaper started shyly, "How can I repay…" However, when Calli's eyes met with Kiara's, she finally recoiled, "...you? Wait…!"
"If you want to repay me, then buy me dinner tonight." Kiara started with a proud smirk, "Unless you want to fight on an empty stomach, Calli."
The elite Reaper paused for a moment and considered her options. There was a flicker of crimson red energy around Calli's hand but Kiara's smile didn't wane. The eyes of the guests and the concierge staff also turned towards Kiara and Calli. All the while, the grand piano continued to play.
"How's this for a story, Calli? Right now, the two of us are just travelers on a journey in a rather nice hotel in beautiful Paris." Kiara suggested an alibi. She then offered her hand to the Reaper, "I am tired from my travels and so are you… so shall we have a truce tonight?"
Under the weight of all those stares, Calli relented. She ruffled her head of pink hair with frustration and gave in.
"Guh! Fine. Just for tonight." Calli then picked up a twopence coin from her purse and reminded, "But i'm not exactly swimming in cash, okay!"
"Just spending an evening with you will make any meal filling for me, Calli!" Kiara replied happily, "The restaurant in this hotel is very good! Affordable too!"
Calli, however, just rolled her eyes and shook Kiara's hand. She then went along with the whims of her enemy for now.
The Phoenix and the Reaper finished up their businesses at the concierge and the two of them respectfully took turns sending telegrams. Neither of them eavesdropped on the messages they sent, but both of them had an idea of what those messages were and who they were for.
After they had sent their messages, Kiara led Calli to the lobby restaurant. The two of them were seated near the fireplace and browsed through the menu for a short while. It didn't take long for the both of them to make up their minds.
"Lasagna." Calli and Kiara told their garçon waiter at the same time.
The coincidence delighted Kiara while Calli shrank under the Phoenix's warm gaze. The Reaper then muttered weakly to the garçon .
"Uh… can I get a bottle of red wine, bud? Wait, I mean, uh… je voudrais...uh... "
The garçon tilted his head, but Kiara happily translated Calli's additional order for her - and then asked for two glasses as well. Calli lowered her head and thanked Kiara a second time.
"You know, I used to think that elite reapers had everything in order." Kiara jabbed at Calli, "I didn't expect to see this cute side of you so soon!"
"H-hey, I'm learning my French okay?" Calli argued, "I've been posted in England and America all this time, so I didn't think I'd have to learn another language all of the sudden!"
"Don't worry about it, Calli - I didn't know French well before either, or English for that matter!" Kiara revealed and sympathized, "Though I did have hundreds of years to learn them, so I do have the unfair advantage here." The Phoenix then looked fondly into the fireplace beside them and reminisced, "I spoke all sorts of languages over the past millennium - I had to forget many of them too when they died out or evolved too. Otherwise, I'll go crazy from the overload!"
"How long have you been around exactly?" Calli asked with great curiosity, "How much of this world have you seen?"
"This is my third life cycle, five hundred years each." Kiara explained plainly, "I've watched empires rise and fall." The Phoenix then turned her eyes to Calli and she spoke, "In this cycle, I am five hundred years and four months old."
"Four months past your expiration date." Calli reminded, "Phoenixes are meant to live for a maximum of five hundred years before they have to die and be reborn. That is the natural order of things since before you or I ever came into this world!"
When Calli said this, their plates of lasagna arrived together with their bottle of wine. The Reaper poured a glass for Kiara and then for herself. Kiara took her glass of red wine and swirled it around listlessly.
"That's why you and your friends have been hunting me down." Kiara looked at her distorted reflection on the sloshing wine, "I broke the Phoenix oath - and it's the job of the reapers to end the cycle of troublemakers like me."
"You could have just died and then be reborn four months ago, Kiara." Calli took her own glass of wine and argued, "You've revived two times in the past, right? Why did you hesitate to do that four months ago?"
"A lot of Phoenixes choose to end their cycles, Calli." Kiara answered with a longing tone, "I'm the last Phoenix in this world. Many of my friends and family found reasons to live long beyond their expirations. Maybe they found love. Maybe they found a cause to fight for. Maybe they grew tired of being immortal." The Phoenix then glanced at Calli's eyes and mused, "You're young, but you're immortal too, Calli. You'll understand what it means to be stuck in eternity. Sooner or later."
Calli had no answer to Kiara's lament. Instead, the Reaper took a sip of wine and then dug her hand into the pocket of her traveling jacket. She then pulled out a familiar envelope with a broken blue triangle seal and showed it to Kiara.
"Did you live on because of this?" Calli asked, "I believe this is yours."
"That's a part of it." Kiara admitted, "You've read the letter, haven't you? An opportunity of a lifetime, it said. Even someone like me could make many people happy."
"It sounds like a scam to me." Calli offered the letter back to Kiara, "You're a Phoenix living on borrowed time. What in the world could you possibly offer?"
"A sunny personality, for one." Kiara grinned and took the letter back, "I'm a pretty good talker - and I speak many languages, yes. I can also sing and dance like in the operas - or maybe even Vaudeville theater!" She then smiled warmly at Calli and added, "Jenma wasn't able to deliver it, but you've got an invitation letter to join HoloMyth too, Calli! We could work together and bring a little happiness to the world."
"Me?" The Reaper raised her brow, "Either this Cover Corporation is desperate for talent or it really is a scam."
Kiara laughed heartily, nearly clucking like a chicken at Calli's remarks. However, the Phoenix's bright pink eyes sparkled in the light of the crackling fireplace.
"Even if it's a scam, Calli, it doesn't matter to me. If I can make just one person happy with my performance, then I'll know that my three lifetimes have been worth it. That's why I'll share Jenma's wish - and I'll do my best to make it come true!"
While Kiara was speaking, the lobby was filled with applause and the pianist who had been playing there had stood up to take a bow. Calli and Kiara joined the applause and began to eat their lasagna. However, the Reaper couldn't help but steal glances at the now vacant grand piano.
A small smile then formed on the Reaper's lips.
"Say, Phoenix-girl." Calli pointed to the grand piano, "You said you're a good singer, right? Mind showing me what you're made of?"
"Is that a challenge?" Kiara chuckled. She then raised up her glass of wine and teased, "All you have to do is ask, Calli!"
With that, Calli picked up her wine glass and shared a toast with Kiara. Their glasses clinked in the lobby of the Parisian hotel and the two of them claimed the grand piano for themselves. Calli sat on the left side of the bench while Kiara sat on the right.
The two of them then proceeded to make beautiful music well into the night. Their fingers danced on ebony and ivory and their voices sang the melodies that they had kept locked deep in their hearts. Together, they discovered songs that they didn't know they had hidden inside of them.
It was a liberating experience - playing piano with someone who was supposed to be their enemy.
As their melodies became harmonies, the two girls started to wonder about what could have been.
What if they had met earlier in a better time?
What if they both received their Cover Corporation letters properly?
What if the two of them were able to perform together on stage and bring joy to the world instead of grief?
Those questions, however, would remain unanswered. The both of them knew this. At the end of the day, they were enemies. Their performance that night in the Parisian hotel was a black swan - a fever dream that the two of them would have to wake up from.
"For our sake, Calli…" Kiara whispered somberly, "I hope that tonight is the last time that we meet."
"Yeah." Calli agreed halfheartedly, "I hope so too. Promise?"
"Promise."
Despite their earnest words, the both of them knew that this was wishful thinking.
Forty-Second Scene - The Third Whistle
The very next evening, sparks flew wildly in the dead of night on the smoldering grounds of the Fleur de Lune hotel in Bordeaux. Kiara Takanashi's fiery broadsword clashed with the orderworldy metal of Calliope Mori's scythe as the two warriors locked eyes on the battlefield. It was the start of another conversation in combat between the two rivals - a conversation that neither of them wanted to have.
The bright pink eyes of the Phoenix trembled under the unrelenting gaze of the Grim Reaper before her. All the while, the wall of flame that once protected her and her allies weakened into mere embers - no longer able to hold back the march of the dark swarm of reaper recruits.
"Calli…!" The Phoenix started, hoping that her voice would reach the Grim Reaper.
Kiara's words, however, fell on deaf ears and a hardened heart. Calli retracted her scythe and was poised to strike once more.
Bullets continued to whiz back and forth through the garden, but the army of reapers gained more and more ground.
A stone's throw away from the frontline, Kiara saw Gura facing off with the reaper named Chadwick in the corner of her eye. Aquamarine clashed with otherworldly metal and rang throughout the burning garden, paired with Gura's groans of pain.
This was when the Phoenix heard Jenma's whistle for the third and last time.
Kiara's heart sank, but she had heard her orders loud and clear.
The Phoenix shored up her strength, pushed Calli's scythe away an inch and then followed through with a kick to the gut. Calli anticipated Kiara's strike and blocked it with her elbow. However, this was part of Kiara's plan.
As soon as Calli blocked her, Kiara twirled around mid-air and spread out her wings. She dissolved her broadsword and magical shield with a flash of orange light and then flew towards the struggling Gura. Kiara caught the Atlantean mid-air in her arms and soared together with her away from the two menacing scythes.
"Kiara…" Gura croaked in anguish, "That Reaper just now…"
The Phoenix closed her tired eyes and tears started streaking down her cheeks. She realized that Gura overheard her conversation with Amelia earlier. A bitter smile then formed on Kiara's lips as she reminded the Atlantean.
"Phoenixes never break their promises, Gura. Not then. Not now. Not ever!"
That was a lie, of course.
After all, Kiara and Calli promised each other that they would never meet again. It was a promise that the two of them made in the heat of the moment while their hearts were beating as one - but it was a promise that the both of them were willing to break.
Kiara shook off her doubts and flapped her wings with every ounce of her waning strength. She brought herself and Gura over the French colonial mansion. Shots from the pistols of the foot-soldiers flew around them but the Phoenix deftly flew around the gunfire.
When the pistol shots thinned out, Kiara dropped down to the rooftop where the detective was waiting for them.
Amelia took Gura from Kiara's arms and then helped the Atlantean back up to her feet. All the while, the detective checked on Gura.
"Chadwick's a monster, Ame…" Gura croaked, "I gave it my all, but I can barely keep up. If Kiara didn't swoop in, I would have been done for."
Amelia went silent when Gura mentioned Kiara. She then turned towards the Phoenix with a cold gaze and repeated her words from earlier.
"The third whistle has been blown, Kiara. I don't want to lose any friends tonight. Are you ready to do what needs to be done?"
Kiara's heart was chilled by Amelia's words. She still remembered the bright smiles that Calli flashed her way while they ate dinner together and played the piano side by side, but the Phoenix eventually nodded to the detective.
"I will do what I have to, Ame." Kiara spoke firmly, "I will protect you, Gura, Jenma and Miss Ina tonight - or die trying."
Kiara spread her wings and carried Amelia and Gura down through the hotel's open skylight. When they landed in the lobby, the management trainee Jenma was there waiting for them with a grim expression on her face.
"Okay ladies, report in." Jenma asked, "How many more of them are still out there?"
"Fifty-ish recruits and two scythes." Amelia reported with a frown, "There was one sickle that got away on horseback too, but it probably retreated."
"Less than ideal…" Jenma groaned, "We're barricaded inside the hotel for now, but I watched that battle from my binoculars. Our barricade won't last very long."
True enough, the barricade of furniture at the front doors of the Fleur de Lune was already being attacked by the reaper army. The light from Kiara's pillars of flame had all but died out, but the torches of the reapers shimmered menacingly through the boarded up windows.
"That's why I blew the third whistle." Jenma explained, "We're changing our priority. Let them come to us. Then, the scythes have to go."
Amelia brandished her Webley revolver and took Gura's Single Action Army revolver too - with the Atlantean's blessing. The detective and the manager then picked off whatever reaper they could hit with their weapons between the wooden planks in the windows, but they couldn't stop the determined horde at this point.
Moments later, the scythes of Calli and Chadwick tore through the weakened barricade and breached it wide enough for them to squeeze through.
Calli and Chadwick marched through the breach first and came face to face with the desperate defenders. Amelia tried shooting them down with her two revolvers, but the reapers wielded their scythes with incredible skill and blocked every single one of her shots.
"Your counter-offer ain't looking so hot right now, Miss Amelia Watson." Chadwick whirled her scythe and shook off the bullets that she had blocked. She then rested her weapon on her shoulder and insisted, "This Jenma lady is selling you lies, detective. She and her Cover Corporation aren't from this world. They're interlopers who aim to disrupt the balance of ours! Meanwhile, little miss firebird here is waaaaay past her expiration date."
"Expiration date…!?" Amelia's eye twitched, "What do you mean by that?"
"Don't let them get to your head, Ame!" Kiara cried and dashed forward towards Chadwick with her broadsword drawn, "They're trying to pit us against each other."
Calli, however, intercepted the Phoenix and blocked her path. The Reaper's scythe met with Kiara's broadsword again and the Phoenix was put on the defensive.
"And you're a terrible liar, Kiara!" Calli erupted with molten emotions. She then swung her scythe at Kiara, "Last time we'll meet? Bullshit!"
Kiara raised up her broadsword and caught the blade of Calli's scythe midair. Neither of them said a word, but Kiara could feel Calli's disappointment and anger through the weight of the Reaper's blade. The Phoenix, however, pushed back against Calli and roared.
"I have to keep this dream alive, Calli!" Kiara swung her broadsword and traced a line of flames through the air, "It's not too late to join us!"
While Kiara was pleading with Calli, they heard Jenma cocking her Glock pistol.
"Kiara, get down!" Jenma ordered. She then pointed her gun at Calli and opened fire.
The Phoenix ducked away from the line of fire while Calli dodged the manager's rapid gunfire with impressive skill. Jenma then drew her senpai 's katana and swore.
"I'm gonna hunt down every last one of you reapers!" The mild-mannered Jenma's mouth nearly frothed with rage, "I will avenge Enma- senpai if it's the last thing I do!"
Forty-Third Scene - And The Moon Turned Red
Kiara's broadsword, together with Amelia's guns, Gura's trident and Jenma's katana lined up against the twin scythes of Calli and Chadwick once again. There was a red line ten paces wide on the hotel's tarnished marble floors that neither side seemed to be ready to cross just yet. It was a fragile stalemate that could shatter in an instant.
Moments later, that stalemate was broken by a cry coming from the outside.
"Enemy cavalry! Enemy cavalry is approaching!"
That announcement caused a commotion among the foot-soldiers who were still outside the hotel. The distant galloping of horses was accompanied by a bugle blast and a fusillade of distinct rifle fire. Six Lee-Enfield rifles shot into the ranks of foot-soldiers alongside a pair of French Army-issue Lebel Mle. 1886 long guns. Those rifles fired to the tune of a certain British girl who rode ahead of the cavalry and shot a modern Mauser C96 pistol.
"Right on time, Lowry!" Amelia grinned with delight. She then pointed her Webley at Calli and Gura's SAA at Chadwick and taunted, "The tables have turned. You guys are screwed now!"
"Huh... Lowry's daughter is on your side, huh?" Chadwick laughed maniacally, "I see, I see… but that won't stop us tonight. I'm just getting started here, and I'm not going down without a fight!"
Even as Chadwick's army was getting mowed down, the senior reaper brandished her scythe and charged towards Amelia - the weakest melee fighter among the defenders. The detective fired her two pistols at Chadwick, but she only managed to fire three shots before the distance was closed. Thankfully, Gura, Jenma and Kiara all intercepted Chadwick at once and blunted her powerful assault together.
Beads of cold sweat formed on Amelia's brow and she took a step back from the frontline. If it weren't for the powerful shield of her allies' weapons, the detective knew that her head would have been rolling on the floor just about now.
However, in that moment, that was the least of Amelia's concerns.
While the defenders were locked in melee with Chadwick, the elite reaper Calli had broken away from formation. She was running down the hall toward the honeymoon suite!
"Shit, she's going for Ina!" Amelia gasped in horror.
"Don't worry, I won't let her get away!" Kiara disengaged from the melee and hopped back. She then turned to Amelia with a conflicted smile, "Help Jenma and Gura, Ame. Leave Calli to me!"
Amelia furrowed her brow, but she didn't have any other choice. All she could do was bark wildly at the mighty Phoenix to spur her on.
"Go, Kiara. GO!"
The Phoenix nodded, spread out her wings and flew after the running Calli through the halls of the Fleur de Lune . While Kiara flew, she traced lines of embers through the darkness and recalled the many tender memories she shared with her enemy just the night before.
Kiara and Calli chased after each other in the halls of the grand Parisian hotel after their small piano concierto . The two of them laughed heartily, drunk on wine and the illusion of freedom that they shared that night. The Phoenix caught the Reaper in her arms then and she learned the warmth of the guardian of the underworld first hand - warmth that only Kiara was able to feel.
That night, however, when Kiara closed the distance with Calli, the Reaper whirled around and swiped at her with her scythe.
The Phoenix blocked the scythe with her shield and the two of them squared off under the moonlight pouring in from the hotel skylights. Their pink eyes met each other and they were locked in gazes that could pierce souls. Conflicting emotions stewed in their hearts as they held their weapons tightly.
All the while, the presence of the grand piano in the Fleur de Lune lobby reminded the both of them of their tender encounter. The harmonies that the two of them played and the poetic lyrics that they sang echoed in their minds too, but those memories too melted away in the harsh heat of battle.
"I really hoped that we wouldn't see each other again, Calli." Kiara whimpered and held her shield firmly before her, "I really wished that we could have worked together!"
"We both know that's impossible, Kiara." Calli countered. She then pointed the blade of her scythe at her opponent and hissed, "Your so-called manager wants to destroy me - and your so-called friends want to wreck my friend J-chad! How could I ever work with people like that!?"
Calli dashed towards Kiara and slashed at her with her scythe. The Phoenix blocked the attack with her shield once more, but the Reaper hooked the shield and dragged Kiara closer to her. Then, in the blink of an eye, Calli clenched a fist with her free hand and threw a powerful haymaker punch straight into Kiara's face.
The punch sent Kiara flying straight into the grand piano, denting its beautiful facade. Calli then raised her scythe again and swung at Kiara again. However, the Phoenix rolled away and the scythe slammed into the piano - destroying it with a cacophony of noise.
That was the point of no return, Kiara thought. She gritted her teeth and raised up her shield again. The words that the Phoenix had kept to herself during their night in Paris finally escaped her lips.
"I don't understand, Calli! You Grim Reapers have always been the stoic, honorable guardians of the underworld" Kiara argued bitterly, "You've kept to yourselves for as long as Phoenixes can remember… but now, reapers are getting involved in the affairs of human beings!"
"Amelia Watson is one story, but Jenma and Ina'nis Ninomae are another!" Calli countered just as bitterly, "Jenma and Enma aren't from this world. They don't belong here - and their arrival upset the fragile balance. So it is the duty of the Grim Reapers to destroy them!"
"What about Ina'nis!?" Kiara cried tearfully, "Do you have any idea how much she means to Amelia and Gura!?"
"She has been chosen by the Ancient Ones to be their new Priestess." Calli spoke firmly, "Our Death-sensei has been tasked to deliver the Priestess to their realm… the feelings of the detective and the Atlantean don't matter to me."
"What about my feelings, then!?" Kiara wailed, beating her chest with anguish, "Or yours! Don't you feel any remorse!?"
"That's not up for me to decide!" Calli lashed.
With that, the Reaper and the Phoenix clashed in the ruined lobby one last time.
Kiara's broadsword and Calli's scythe flew through the air at breakneck speed and sent sparks flying all around them like fireworks. All the while Kiara's blade cast powerful blasts of flame that the determined Calli stubbornly withstood.
Suddenly, while Kiara was weaving flames through the air, she suddenly felt lightheaded. Her movements grew sluggish and her flames weakened even more. Whatever advantage she had over the elite Reaper fizzled away like the embers of her flames. Calli's assault, on the other hand, never wavered.
With one precise stroke, Calli disarmed Kiara and sent her fiery broadsword flying. Then, the Reaper pulled back her scythe with a backhand swipe and tore into the Phoenix's back.
Bloodied feathers of orange and green landed on the ruins of the grand piano while Kiara Takanashi fell down to her knees, bleeding profusely.
From where she knelt, Kiara raised up her bloodshot eyes up to the dark silhouette of Calliope Mori against the bright silver moonlight. That silhouette raised up its scythe for the coup de grace but a small, tearful smile still managed to grow on Kiara's lips.
The defeated Phoenix closed her eyes and spoke with a cracked voice to the silhouette of the Reaper. She repeated the words she said when she bid the Reaper farewell in Paris.
"In German… we say…"
There was a moment of pause.
Before long, the Reaper replied.
" Auf Wiedersehen ."
Then the Reaper's scythe fell.
Epilogue
Calliope Mori walked slowly through the halls of the Fleur de Lune hotel. A troubled expression was painted on her face while her black dress and her face was stained with unnaturally warm blood. She reached the door of the honeymoon suite and found the sleeping Ina'nis Ninomae lying there on the bed together with the powerful Necronomicon she cradled in her arms.
The Reaper recalled Kiara Takanashi's words echoing in her mind, but the sounds of rifle gunfire from outside the hotel reminded her of her mission. She shook her head and dissolved her powerful blood-stained scythe with a flash of dark crimson light. Then, Calliope knelt down and carried Ina'nis in her arms - almost as if she was taking care not to wake her.
Despite her efforts, Ina'nis winced and a pair of names escaped from her lips.
"Ame… Gura… don't leave me. It's cold..."
"I'm sorry, Priestess Ninomae." Calli whispered and hoisted Ina'nis up from the bed, "This is for the good of the world - and for the good of those you love… and for the ones I..."
A pang of pain gripped at Calliope's heart now. She lowered her head and gritted her teeth, but she didn't have the time to hesitate.
She had already chosen her path, after all.
Just like how Kiara Takanashi chose hers.
Knowing this, Calliope left the honeymoon suite together with the sleeping Ina'nis. She broke chains that locked a door to the hotel's courtyard and left the building through there, away from the intensifying noises of battle that continued to rage on.
There, on the courtyard, Calliope found a reaper waiting for her with two horses in tow. It was the sickle-wielder who was impersonating Jenma's senior 'Enma'.
"Primary objective achieved." The Enma impersonator cheered, "But what about J-chad senpai ?"
"We'll meet up at the anchor." Calliope answered flatly, "Now help me secure Ina'nis to my horse."
"Understood, senpai ." The impersonator replied eagerly, "Death-sensei will be proud of what we've done tonight. I might even get my own scythe for this!"
"You probably will." Calliope mused, but her eyes wandered up to the bright full moon and her thoughts escaped her lips, "But.. why are we going this far?"
Moreover, the elite reaper was starting to wonder just what else J-chad and Death-sensei were keeping from her. In her hands, she held an orange-green feather that dissolved to ash under the light of the silver moon.
"Did you say something, senpai ?" The sickle-wielder then asked.
"Nothing." Calliope shook her head, and let the ashes fly in the wind, "Now - let's peace out before the Gendarmes find us."
"Of course, senpai ."
To Be Continued