Prologue
Fireworks shot up to the dark, cavernous sky over the town square of the Sous La Lune bastion and then burst into beautiful, golden brocade crowns that sparkled in Calliope Mori's bright pink eyes. The veteran reaper stood on the sidelines of the perimeter around the elevated wooden stage built around the square's ornate fountain. From there, she kept watch the ceremony taking place before Ina, Death-sensei, Mr. Lowry and his guests and the myriad of Grim Reapers gathered there that late evening.
All eyes in the town square were on Calli's kouhai , a junior sickle-wielding reaper with a head of new, reddish-purple hair and bright purple eyes. Calli watched her kouhai proudly march towards the center of the stage with her sickle firmly in hand. The junior reaper made a curtsy to Ina and then presented her sickle to Death-sensei, who was in the guise of the elderly Captain James Morrison.
Death-sensei gave the kouhai a wrinkly smile and inspected her sickle with a proud twinkle in his eyes. He took the sickle and spoke with his firm, booming orator's voice that competed with the fireworks bursting in the air above them.
"Junior reaper of the Potomac Platoon. You have served your unit with great valour and distinction in our French Campaign. Thanks to your efforts, you were able to awaken the Priestess' latent powers in the library with her own free will. You were also able to extract your superior, Calliope Mori, and Priestess Ninomae herself from the Fleur de Lune hotel in spectacular fashion. What say you about your feats, junior reaper?"
"I was able to do all this thanks to Mori-senpai's training and chief J-chad's leadership." The kouhai spoke humbly and then stole glances at her two superiors, "I wouldn't have been able to do this without them, sensei ."
"Very good." Death-sensei's smile grew wider, "Calliope Mori and Jacqueline Chadwick are two of my greatest students. The both of them have approved your promotion without a shadow of a doubt. On this momentous day, in the presence of your fellows and the Ancient Ones, you will have the honour of forging your sickle into a fully-fledged scythe!"
"I would be honored to continue serving you, sensei ." The junior gladly accepted.
When she said this, the sickle in Death-sensei's hands started shifting in form with crimson red light. The weapon began floating in mid-air and slowly took the shape of a Grim Reaper's scythe.
"The fire of your soul is burning strong, even in the afterlife." Death-sensei praised, "Your scythe will become powerful - and so will your name! What name do you wish to take to battle, junior reaper?"
The kouhai smiled warmly and opened her mouth to say, "Ir…!"
Before the kouhai could finish, she heard the faint crack of a distant rifle in the midst of all the fireworks. Her warrior's instinct kicked in immediately. She furrowed her brow and cried out.
"Death-sensei, look out…!?"
While she was speaking, however, she suddenly felt Death-sensei's hands on her shoulders. The Lord of Death pulled her in front of him and put her in the path of the rifle shot. The junior reaper's heart sank and a pang of regret gripped at her very soul.
Then, the rifle shot tore straight through her purple left eye and cut clean through her head. It was a fatal blow. However, her flesh wasn't stripped from her skeleton like it normally did. She just stood there lifelessly before falling down to her knees - almost as if she were dying a mortal's death a second time. Her incompletely forged scythe fell down to the stage of petrified wood as an incomplete lump of metal. It was still red hot but was now bent wildly out of shape and looked nothing like a sickle or a scythe - like metal taken out of the furnace long before it was ready.
Calli's heart ached when she saw what became of her junior. Then, she noticed the smile on Death-sensei's lips grow wider.
It reminded Calli of her mission - and why she decided to defy the Lord of Death himself.
She used to look up to him as the greatest guardian of the Underworld.
Now, seeing him and his malicious schemes unfold made Calli feel sick in the stomach.
No more fireworks took to the sky and panic began to set in on the stage. Calli clenched her fists, but she held her tongue and continued playing her facade of a role for now. She and J-chad promptly began evacuating the stage while their troops cleared out the town square. Calli and J-chad were just about to go center stage to check up on Death-sensei and Ina when a second rifle shot rang out from the same spot.
Calli saw Ina's face grow pale in her throne of petrified wood, but Death-sensei was unfazed as always. He pushed aside the junior reaper's lifeless body as if it were a dead weight and then drew his weapon - the tremendous grand scythe that pulsed with incredible magical energy. It was a weapon that stood taller than the already statuesque figure of his guise as Captain Morrison and cast a long shadow over the seated Ina, but he wielded the weapon as if it were weightless.
Death-sensei whirled the weapon like a centrifuge and channelled magical energy into it until it glowed bright crimson red. He caught the pole mid-whirl and wielded the scythe with both hands. With a mighty roar, he raised up his weapon and swung downwards to cut the rifle bullet clean in half - incinerating metal with otherworldly flame.
"Amelia Watson in the flesh." Death-sensei's voice thundered in the town square, "Can you hear me, detective? You and your lot should have died on the RMS Teutonic. Hell - you should have died long before you boarded that boat!" He then raised up his weapon once more, "Your petty schemes cannot stop the march of progress. The Ritual of Death and Destiny shall continue. Woe to you for daring to defy the inevitable!"
With that, Death-sensei swung his grand scythe through the air and cast a vertical crescent moon wave of crimson red energy. The magical wave burst through the air and broke the sound barrier with a sonic boom that echoed throughout the bastion. Then, the wave struck the hills from where the sniper rifle's shots were coming from.
Death-sensei's attack tore through solid brimstone with frightening ease and scarred the earth, leaving a deep trench of crushed stone and magma. Moments later, the ground and the elevated stage in the town square shook mildly as if a mild earthquake went off close by.
Calli's heart trembled like the aftershocks of the blast.
That was the first time she had seen Death-sensei's full power. She turned to the Lord of Death and saw him panting heavily after unleashing so much magical energy. Parts of his wrinkly human facade were coming undone. His hair and half of the skin and muscles of his jaw were scattering into dust and he had to mindfully plant his feet on the ground again.
Calli knew that stance well. It had been drilled into her head since the day she began her scythe-swinging lessons together with J-chad.
It was going to be a horizontal slash, charged with more magical energy than the last. Death-sensei swung his scythe with immense strength and skill and unleashed another crimson crescent of magical energy. That wave also broke the sound barrier and went flying towards the sniper's position and threatened to tear off the top of the brimstone hill.
Calli brought out a pair of binoculars and watched the flying wave, quietly praying that Amelia would make it out of the blast zone. However, Death-sensei's swipe was impeccably aimed.
The Grim Reapers and the entourage of Mr. Lowry cheered as if they were watching some fantastical exhibit of the World's Fair. Calli, J-chad and Ina, however, were horrified by the unbelievable display of raw power. Everyone else was calling for Amelia's demise.
All of the sudden, a fiery figure descended from the cavernous sky over the Sous La Lune bastion. Calli turned her binoculars up to the falling fireball and saw the majestic figure of Kiara Takanashi with her wings of orange and green feathers spread out. She skillfully flapped her wings and picked up more and more momentum before she summoned her fiery broadsword with a flash of bright orange light.
Kiara and her sword traced lines of flame through the cave sky and she chased after the crimson crescent. Then, Kiara also broke the sound barrier. It was only at that point that Calli realized what the Phoenix was planning to do.
" Kusotori …" The fond nickname escaped the veteran reaper's lips.
Ina's purple eyes sparkled while she watched the rapidly descending Phoenix while J-chad stole glances of her enamoured pupil and smiled. The senior reaper didn't dare to say a word.
They watched Kiara catch up to the wave in the blink of an eye and she swung her flaming sword with her own magic. All the momentum that she had picked up and all of the magic she had gathered up in her blade came together and struck down Death-sensei's fearsome magical wave, redirecting it downwards into the River Styx.
What followed next was a massive, underwater explosion.
Water and mist from the River Styx came pouring down over the town square like heavy rain, but the fiery sword and its valiant wielder remained flying over the wooden bridge. She then cried triumphantly.
"KIKIRIKI!"
Soon enough, Amelia's rifle began firing again. The exhausted Death-sensei parried the rifle shot with his grand scythe again but his eyes were already unfocused and he was barely standing. Despite this, his grin remained on his fleshy, skinned lips.
"Manifestations of the Ancient Ones are always rife with such chaos and carnage." His grin grew even wider under the unnaturally pouring rain, "This one shall be no different." He then turned to the pale-faced Priestess Ina in her throne and continued, "You had best get used to conflicts like these, Priestess. This is the new age that your ascension will usher in, after all."
Death-sensei parried a fourth - and then fifth - shot and smiled at the brief reflection of light he caught from the scope of Amelia's rifle. He then spoke as if the assassin were standing right next to him.
"I look forward to seeing your despair, detective." Death-sensei gave Amelia a patronizing bow before he dissolved his scythe and turned to J-chad, "Chadwick. Take charge of the situation. Mr. Lowry and I will carry on the ritual in the shrine."
J-chad gave Death-sensei a sharp salute and watched him put on a typical reaper's cloak and then pull the hood over his head. Mr. Lowry and his entourage did the same, shrouding themselves in Grim Reapers' garments. Death-sensei, Mr. Lowry and his entourage then left the town square together with half of the garrison and they disappeared into the sea of black hoods.
On their way out, however, Calli could sense Mr. Lowry's scheming, unsettling eyes watching her and Ina while he left the stage. All the while, she couldn't help but notice the strange, eye-shaped pendants that Mr. Lowry and his entourage wore around their necks.
Did that have something to do with the ritual, perhaps?
The rest of the garrison - together with Calli's hundred-strong Potomac Platoon organized themselves and began firing back at the sniper and the Phoenix, albeit sporadically with their pistols to cover the retreat.
That left Calli, J-chad and Ina on the stage. The veteran reaper then smiled at Ina and offered her hand.
"It's time to get going, Ina." Calli smiled warmly at her, "We're gonna get the hell out of here."
"I can't wait." Ina answered with a smirk and took Calli's hand, "You weren't lying when you said I just had to sit back and enjoy the show."
"Yeah, and it's now your turn to go on stage, kids. Don't do anything too crazy." J-chad put a hand on her hip. She then lightly kicked Calli's bum and snickered, "Well - crazier than starting a full scale war outnumbered like this, you madlass!"
Calli rubbed her bum and kicked J-chad back, but she wished her mentor well. The two of them shared one last complex handshake together before they parted ways.
AlterMyth
The Ritual of Death and Destiny
Fifty-Ninth Scene - Managerial Decision
In the midst of the sporadic gunfire, J-chad watched over the situation from the stage at the heart of town. She kept her eyes on Calli and Ina as they took a vanguard of thirty reapers with them towards the wooden bridge towards the West Bank of the River Styx. The rest of the garrison and the Potomac Platoon took up defensive positions around the town.
Even though the attack was a ruse, J-chad decided to give a believable performance. She literally was on a stage, after all, so she was going to give this operation her all. After all, Amelia's sniper rifle and Kiara's aerial assault were challenges that the senior reaper wanted to face head on.
More than that, while she watched the mighty Phoenix flying to and fro over the battlefield, J-chad wanted to know first-hand how the girl that stole her little Calli's heart fared in total war.
J-chad put a hand on her hips and then called the attention of her troops.
"Everyone, listen up and listen up good! Potomac, Birdshot. Garrison, you're fusiliers now! Fire-by-rank! Knock that spring chicken out of the sky! Rearguard - suppressing fire on the sniper! Make that detective hesitate! Double time!"
At her command, her scattered forces regrouped on and around the stage. The Potomac platoon handed their rifles over to their French allies and brought out American pump-action shotguns and birdshot ammunition. The French garrison, on the other hand, formed ranks and fired organized volleys.
The combined hail of gunfire made Kiara keep her distance and put a stop to her fiery assaults. Meanwhile, the organized rank fire silenced Ame's gun and forced her to take cover much more often than before.
Satisfied, J-chad was tempted to sit back and enjoy her handiwork for a moment. However, a smoke grenade tapped against her designer shoes and expelled thick plumes of black smoke. Half a dozen other plumes of smoke erupted throughout the town square and threw J-chad's army into chaos.
The veteran reaper, however, simply sighed. She already knew this part of the 'script' after all.
"The lady of the hour is here. I've been waiting for you to show up, Jenma! You dropped this!"
J-chad kicked the grenade with incredible force and sent it flying like a cannonball to where it came from. However, the grenade was struck down by a peculiar red-bladed katana and torn in half.
"You actually parried something this time." J-chad hummed.
"I'm a management trainee, Chadwick." Jenma hissed and swung her katana through the smoky air, "It's my job to learn - and to learn quickly!"
"How about learning when to give up?" J-chad challenged and summoned her menacing black scythe.
"For the sake of their idols…" Jenma holstered her pistol and steeled her stance with her katana in hands, "That's the last thing a good manager should do!"
When Jenma said this, she dashed forward and assaulted J-chad. The katana clashed against the scythe and sent sparks flying between them. It was an intricate dance of war on the town square, moving to the irregular beat of gunfire. In one moment, Jenma gave an inch to her enemy - before retaking that inch in the next.
J-chad threw another roundhouse kick at Jenma, but the management trainee was prepared and ducked. Jenma promptly retaliated and threw a high kick of her own - and J-chad was able to block it with a quick elbow guard.
"Impressive." J-chad praised and pushed Jenma's shoe away from her, "You're faster on your feet now." A grin then grew on her lips, "And I just realized: nice shoes there, girl. Same brand as your companion."
"Enma-senpai picked them out for me." Jenma hopped back and squared off with J-chad again, "You've got a good eye, Chadwick."
"A very good eye." J-chad sneered, "Nice underwear, by the way!"
Jenma's cheeks flushed bright red, but J-chad teased her - gesturing a chef's kiss. That ticked Jenma off again and the two clashed blade-to-blade once more.
This time around, the two of them stayed with their blades locked and with little distance separating them. Despite the cacophony of battle going on around them, they were close enough to speak frankly.
"I had the honor of fighting your companion, Jenma." J-chad spoke with a more respectful tone this time, "She was a terrific warrior and she looked damn cool swinging that sword. And those glasses…!"
"Get on with it!" Jenma urged, pushing J-chad away and clashing blades with her once again.
"When we were fighting, Enma talked about you, Jenma." J-chad revealed, "She said that she knew you were going to come to her rescue. I thought she was bluffing. I thought you were way in over your head." A smile then formed on her lips, "I'm glad you proved me wrong. I can see why she trusted you."
"Enma-senpai…said that about me?" Jenma gasped.
J-chad nodded and grinned, "Now, I think I can trust you too." The veteran reaper shoved Jenma away from her and then dissolved her scythe with a flash of crimson red, "Take care of little Calli for me, will ya? She looks tough and sounds tough, but she's the biggest, sappiest sweetheart you'll ever know. You came here to recruit her too, right?"
Jenma slashed her katana through the air and sheathed it. She then gave J-chad a polite, respectful bow before they parted ways: J-chad exiting stage left and Jenma going stage right.
The management trainee stopped halfway, however and glanced behind her. She looked at the tall, well-built figure of J-chad and mused.
"You wouldn't make a bad manager yourself, Jacqueline Chadwick."
Sixtieth Scene - The Knight and the Priestess March On
Priestess Ina'nis Ninomae ran hand-in-hand with Calliope Mori through the large wooden bridge over the River Styx. They were accompanied by a small contingent of Calli's Potomac Platoon that marched double time in formation ahead of the two. On their way to the bridge, Ina turned to her guardian.
"So how exactly are we going to get out of here, Calli?" The Priestess asked as her long, white veil trailed behind her. Bullets then whizzed back and forth overhead so Ina struggled to keep her head low, "This place is a warzone!"
"I've already prepared the motorboat at the jetty inside the keep. It's gonna be faster - much faster than our rowboats." Calli explained and kept her head low as well, "When we get there, we'll start up the boat and wait for Ame, Gura, Kiara and Jenma to fall back. Once we're all in, we'll go down the Styx."
"The entire bastion is on high alert, though!" Ina argued, "Will we really be able to make it out of here?"
"There's an old stream we quarried for brimstone nearby. Only a few folks know about it." Calli insisted confidently and kept Ina close while they ran, "It'll take us through a waterway without any bastions alongside it. That's where I'll open up a portal for us to get through."
"A portal to where, Calli?" Ina shouted over the gunfire.
"Portugal!" Calli grinned confidently.
"Seriously!?" Ina gasped, "That far!?"
Before Ina could say anything else, one of the Grim Reapers of the vanguard ahead of her was shot through the head and fell lifelessly onto the wooden bridge. Just like the other fallen ones in the bastion, that reaper's skin didn't dissolve into ash. What stole Ina's attention, however, was the familiar crack of the rifle that stuck that reaper down.
It was a shot from a beautiful Krag-Jorgensen M1892 rifle carried by the capable hands of a wonderful detective.
"Ame's here!" Ina clutched Calli's hand tighter with excitement.
"Yeah." Calli squeezed back, "I sort of wish that Watson didn't have to shoot my boys and girls, but they'll come back before long. This will be a good lesson for them all." The veteran reaper added, "At least we're putting on a convincing show. I have to make it look like I'm putting up a fight though!"
When Calli said this, she started commanding her platoon for the very last time. Ina watched her companion give commands on the fly. Moments later, the platoon broke off and spread out into smaller teams. A small group returned fire on the hill while the rest carried on through the bridge together with Calli and Ina.
They were making their way to the drawbridge to the central keep when a lively blue shark's tail poked out from the brush. An aquamarine trident then came flying into the heart of the formation and fatally stabbed a sickle-wielding Grim Reaper in the chest.
Gawr Gura emerged from the bush with her Single Action Army revolver and unloaded the cylinder onto the advancing army. Then, with a wave of her hand, she dissolved her trident from the skeletal corpse of the downed reaper.
"Howdy pardners!" Gura gave the reapers a toothy grin and taunted while she reloaded her revolver, "You folks ain't getting through me!"
Then, with a flash of powder blue light, the trident reappeared beside Gura and she slammed its base triumphantly onto the ground.
"Gura…!" Ina's eyes shone with delight, overjoyed to see the Atlantean-turned-cowgirl again.
Gura tipped her hat to Ina and then rushed to assault the Potomac Platoon. Ina was tempted to call out to the shark-girl too, but Calli held her close and reminded her of their roles. So, Ina kept her silence for now and settled for a wordless smile for the Atlantean.
"The Priestess and I are pushing through to the keep!" Calli told her troops, "Cover us!"
The Grim Reapers did as they were told in the heat of the battle. They formed a corridor for Calli and Ina to sneak through while they fought off the sniper and her Atlantean skirmisher.
Little did the Platoon know that Calli and Ina were never really in danger. It was all smoke and mirrors.
Out of their small contingent, only Calli and Ina made it to the entrance of the keep. To their surprise, the drawbridge was already lowered for them. However, the local garrison stood in their way.
"I'm here to bring Priestess Ina to safety." Calli spoke firmly, "Please let us through and we'll be on our way."
"The keep is our jurisdiction, Americaine ." The head of the French garrison argued. He then drew his large scythe to assert dominance, "You will not order us around as you wish - not after the crimes that you have aided and abetted!"
A dozen reapers from the local garrison rallied behind the scythe-wielder and stood in her way. Calli put herself in between Ina and the blockade.
"What crimes are you talking about!?" Calli protested, feigning innocence, "I'm the knight in charge of Ina's protection! Stand aside - unless you want to obstruct the ceremony!"
"For the honorable Calliope Mori to finally speak lies with a straight face… I never thought I'd see the day." The scythe-wielder seemed utterly disappointed. He sharply accused, "You are the one who allowed the Upperworlders to moor into the Sous La Lune . You brought them into the Lord of Death's private quarters, aided them in drugging Brutus and then allowed them to assault our fellow Grim Reapers in our own home!"
Under the weight of those accusations, Calli hesitated for a moment. She already knew the answer in her heart - the reason why she was rebelling against Death-sensei - but she couldn't find the words to speak right there and then. While Calli struggled with her words, Ina stepped forward from behind her guardian and faced the scythe-wielder fearlessly.
"Those aren't just any 'Upperworlders', reaper." Ina spoke coldly and stared straight into the scythe-wielder's eyes, "They are my friends. They are going to bring me home… and you're not going to stop them. You will allow them through and let us leave this bastion!"
"I'm… not going to… stop them…" The scythe-wielder spoke groggily for a moment and his stance wavered. Then, she shook his head and gasped, "I'm… huh? Wait…!"
Ina's purple eyes were glowing gold, so the scythe-wielder broke eye contact and hissed.
"The Priestess is using the Ancient One's magic against us!" He warned his troops, "Stop them! Capture them!"
When the garrison head cried out like this, Ina pulled off her white veil and threw it at the reapers standing in their way. Then, twelve purple tentacles burst out from behind Ina's back and lunged towards her distracted opponents. Each tentacle struck the reapers like the haymaker punches of a prize boxer from behind the veil.
Then, one of the tentacles pulled out the crowbar from Ina's dimensional storage and raised it up over the scythe-wielder's head. The head of the garrison saw the outline of the crowbar through the white fabric of the lacy veil before he cursed his luck.
" Sacre bleu… !" He gasped.
Ina then gritted her teeth and bonked the scythe-wielder's head as hard as she could with her tentacle's crowbar, downing him.
"When in doubt…" Ina remembered Ame's words fondly, "Discombobulate!"
The librarian-turned-priestess then drew the futuristic P220 pistol with her own two hands. Once again, she recalled the techniques of her dear companion Ame when she fired her weapon - from keeping her body square with her target and breathing calmly while squeezing the trigger. Thanks to her memories, Ina managed to unload the fifteen-shot magazine into the Reaper blockade with acceptable accuracy. In the span of a few heartbeats, the white lace veil was tattered and torn and covered in crimson red blood.
Calli hummed with intrigue before she drew her own scythe and cut down the remnants of the blockade. It didn't take long for Ina and Calli to defeat their enemies on the bridge. The Priestess turned out to be a much better warrior than Calli thought. So, Calli flashed a smile at the priestess and she smiled back triumphantly.
Both Calli and Ina were finally breaking off the chains that bound them.
It was a liberating, exhilarating feeling
Sixty-First Scene: The Unholy Alliance
When the rush of battle finally died down, Ina and Calli caught their breaths and looked down to the mess of bodies strewn around them on the drawbridge. Ina lowered her pistol, now with its slide pulled back to show its empty chamber. She then used her tentacles to poke around and turn a few of the bodies around.
"What in the world is going on…?" Ina tilted her head and looked down on the fallen reapers sprawled out on the drawbridge.
"I wish I could tell you, Ina." Calli knelt down and observed the bodies as well, "Even if a reaper is mortally wounded in the Underworld, they're supposed to dissolve into ash like they would in the Upperworld."
"Unless there is a force stopping the process." Ina theorized, "But what…?"
Before either of them could investigate further, they heard the unsettling rattle of heavy metallic weapons slamming against the high brimstone ramparts of the inner walls above them. Sweat formed on their brows when they dared to look up.
There were a dozen or so men and women there that Calli didn't recognize. Even from where they stood at the mouth of the jetty, the veteran reaper could tell that those folks weren't locals. They were living, breathing human beings just like Mr. Lowry… and yet they gave off an aura that made Calli's hairs stand on end. Their clothes seemed like black habits of monks and nuns but the strange eye-shaped amulets they wore seemed like anything but holy.
"Those amulets again…" Calli recognized it, "Mr. Lowry and his goons were wearing those too. And what the heck are they setting up over there?"
Ina's face went pale.
She knew what those were. She had only seen them in pictures, newspaper clippings and blueprints, but she knew full well what they were capable of.
"Those are Maxim machine guns, Calli!" Ina holstered her empty pistol and urged, "We have to go. NOW!"
Calli didn't get the chance to question the Priestess before the two Maxim guns came to life and peppered them with rifle-caliber lead. The veteran reaper tried to whirl her scythe just like she did to block gunfire, but the Maxim guns quickly overwhelmed her with their sheer volume.
Even though Calli managed to block most of the shots headed towards her and Ina, dozens of bullets still made it through her guard. Some of those shots cut through the sides of Calli's cheeks and legs and threatened to give her an unwanted haircut. Ina, on the other hand, brought her tentacles forward to protect herself and her guardian from the rest of the shots.
Thankfully, one of the Maxim guns jammed halfway through and the hail of gunfire became much more manageable. However, the shrouded humans on the ramparts were already scrambling to fix the second gun and were preparing to deploy three new ones on the ramparts.
This was their chance!
Ina grabbed Calli's hand and they ran together down the jetty. Calli kept her scythe behind her and whirled it in spite of the many wounds she sustained. Ina, on the other hand, extended her tentacles forward towards the motorboat. The Priestess used her tentacles to carefully undo the moorings and start the powerful twin-petrol engines at the same time.
When the one operational Maxim gun ran out of ammunition, Calli crouched down and snagged the trunk of luggage that the Watson Expedition had brought with them on the rowboat they stole. She tossed the trunk to Ina who caught the heavy luggage with two of her tentacles. The Priestess then stowed the trunk carefully in the motorboat hull ahead of them.
With that, Ina and Calli hopped onto the motorboat and sped out of the jetty as quickly as they could. They slipped through the outer wall's watergate just as it was being closed and made it onto the River Styx. The five Maxim guns opened fire on them and their boat, but the shots were spread out and their accuracy grew incredibly poor.
Ina and Calli cheered as they felt the wind in their faces while combing through their hair. However, they no longer had a safe harbor to pick up their allies like they originally planned. It made them wonder how they were going to make it out of the Sous La Lune bastion together.
Epilogue
Half an hour after the Watson Expedition's assault was set into motion, the elevated stage at the heart of the Sous La Lune 's town square was quiet and devoid of life. J-chad had brought the bulk of the defenders to retreat towards the hill of the house-turned-shrine. The rest of them pressed the attack on Amelia Watson's position - taking losses from the detective's accurate sniper fire and the stubborn ambush from Gawr Gura's trident and Kiara Takanashi's fiery broadsword.
Only the corpses of fallen reapers and members of Mr. Lowry's entourage remained on the stage and on the cobblestone boulevard. The waters of the central fountain, therefore, were stained in crimson red blood.
That relative silence, however, was broken when the corpse of Calli's kouhai finally stirred to life. The junior reaper was dazed and lightheaded at first, but she managed to pick herself up from the petrified wood stage tainted with her blood. She then brought her hand up to her left cheek and felt an unsettling chill coming from where her left eye was supposed to be. The pain from the incredibly well-placed .30-40 Krag rifle round was still fresh in her memory.
She wanted to make a joke about having her mind blown away, but she thought it was in bad taste. Instead, she looked at her own reflection in the bloody waters of the desolate town square's fountain.
This was the first time that she revived with most of her body still intact, the kouhai mused. She didn't have to start from zero with a skeleton like she was trained to do. This came at the cost of intensifying pain that hit her like delayed punches to the gut. However, what truly pained her was how Death-sensei used her as a human shield without any hesitation whatsoever.
Oh right, she recalled. Her weapon was being transformed when she got shot.
She then noticed the deformed lumps of otherworldly metal by her feet. That was what had become of Reaper's sickle - broken into two pieces. Those pieces somewhat resembled the blades of a scythe, but they reminded her of black horns instead.
What a waste, she thought.
While the junior reaper was still writhing from her pangs of delayed pain, she stumbled upon one of the men from Mr. Lowry's entourage. From what she could tell, the man caught a bullet in his back and died on the spot. She turned him around and gasped.
"Shot through the heart…" She mused, impressed and horrified by the detective's marksmanship.
However, her attention was quickly stolen by the eye-shaped pendant that he wore over his black clothes. It was a piece of fine gold jewelry that was now stained in the dead man's blood.
Then, all of the sudden, the eye in the pendant seemed to blink like a real eye. The junior reaper jumped back, frightened by the unnaturally animated object. That eye looked towards her and seemed to stare right through her very soul.
She stepped away from the dead man and his possessed pendant, afraid of what was seeing with her one good eye. Unfortunately, the junior reaper noticed long, tall shadows emerging from the bloody water fountain behind her.
"W-what's going on…!?" The junior reaper whirled around in horror. There, she saw a massive congregation of tendrils that were darker than pitch black emerging from the void, "Who… no, what are you!?"
The congregation of tendrils didn't answer her. Instead, dozens of inhuman eyes started appearing on the largest of the tendrils and stared her down. The void from which the abomination appeared slowly grew larger and claimed the brimstone fountain, dragging it all into the unknown.
"N-no…!" She gasped desperately, but her body froze in place. The myriad of eyes staring at her were glowing gold and robbed her of her strength. Just looking at them made her feel like she was going insane! All she could do was struggle fruitlessly and scream, "Get away from me! G-get away!"
Surrounded by eyes and tendrils, the junior reaper knew there was no escape for her. With every inch that the void claimed, more and more tendrils broke through from whatever godless dimension they came from. Soon enough, the void expanded and claimed the planks of petrified wood beneath her feet.
Then, she fell helplessly into the void - along with the unfinished lumps of otherworldly metal that she failed to forge. One by one, the bodies of the fallen Grim Reapers and the man from Mr. Lowry's entourage fell into the void too.
In their place, a thousand tendrils of utter darkness took root in the Sous La Lune bastion.
All of them were searching for their Priestess.
To Be Continued
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