"Rosa, my love," Balder stumbled forward, leaving his weapon on the ground. He didn't care, as all forms of fear or worry just slipped away from him. To look upon her again was something he never thought would happen. Seeing so much death surrounding them had begun to plant seeds of doubt within his mind. The possibility that she wouldn't have made it through. That he would find her lifeless, or clinging to her last breath, all alone.
But she wasn't, she was here and more alive than ever. He was going to run in to embrace her, until Rosa raised a single revolver, lining it up to his forehead.
He stopped just as quickly as he had started moving. His eyes widening to a degree Rosa had never seen before, and a true look of shock the reserved Sage never expressed.
"Rosa, what are you-" Balder started, raising his hands slightly to show he meant no harm. She had quickly cut him off.
"Did you do this?" Rosa asked, her words cut through the smoke-filled air, her beast within growling through her tone.
"Rosa...I don't-"
"Is this your doing, Balder?" Rosa raised her voice, her eyes now harkening a dour aura.
Balder's face gave it all away, he was panic-stricken. But more so, he was hurt. He lowered his hands, his eyes giving way to the sorrow he buried deep within him.
"This was not my intention," He said, just loud enough to not be a whisper. Rosa's lips sneered, pulling up the other gun to match the first one.
"Do not lie to me, Balder. Tell me the truth, now! Did you bring this calamity upon the Umbran Clan?" Rosa said, shouting at him. Her voice had wavered, however, a sadness beginning to choke her.
"They lied to me...The Laguna," As Balder said those words, it dug into him like a knife being twisted within his guts. To hear it out loud made it all the more painful.
"They told me the Umbra had planned a rebellion! I am the only Lumen Sage left, I was called to my duty to keep the balance. But...this was all just an excuse. Just a reason to see this extinction through. Paradiso and the Laguna plan on wiping out your kind now for good," Balder said, averting his eyes from Rosa's, and stared down at the ash-ridden street.
Rosa still had her guns raised, but her anger seemed to subside. Her hands shook slightly out of hesitation.
"I am here to make sure you and Cereza are safe. That is all that matters now," Balder raised his eyes back up to hers, and she could see pain coursing through him, just by looking into the eyes.
She lowered her guns to her side, starting to approach him tentatively. He remained still as she closed in on him. He waited for a response. A slap or even a bullet to the head, anything. But he was met with her warm hand resting upon his cheek.
"Well then, you are certainly late," Her voice had dwindled to a whisper, returning to soothing nature he had remembered her being. He could finally smile again, even if it was very subtle. He raised a hand and cuffed it over hers. Her presence brought in a calm and safe understanding. But the tender moment didn't last, as his eyes widened to look about, mostly around Rosa.
"Cereza," He said, panic returning to his voice. "Our little one, where is she?"
Rosa broke her embrace with Balder to turn back in the direction she was heading before.
"I have not found her yet. But I have a good idea as to where she might be. Too the river, on the far side of the valley. There in the mountain lies the Ors Fafen, a secret route only known to the Umbra. It's used for escaping the valley in a time of need, such as this."
Balder reached out and grabbed her hand before she had time to take off again.
"Wait, my love, how can you be so sure? Where is this Ors Fafen?" Balder asked.
"I had taught Cereza at a young age where to go if such a calamity would occur. She and Jeanne have enough wits to know how to get there. There is an underground tunnel system that they have explored for some time now. They could be there or already out and heading to the river," Rosa turned back to Balder, trying her best to explain it all, but to be swift about it.
"Ors Fafen is near the river bridge, one where you and I had snuck off to a few times. A hidden place where most prying eyes can't see," Rosa's fingers intertwined into his hands even tighter, reminiscing on the happy memories.
"Where the Lobelia flowers would bloom? I do remember this. I can get there from here," Balder said, bringing her hands up to his chest, clutching them tightly.
"I will search the tunnels. If we split up we can cover more ground, but we must hurry. I don't know how long the others can hold them at the clocktower," Rosa said, slipping her hands out from under his grasp, turning back to the matter at hand, and beginning to move forward.
"I have seen a few Umbra heading that way already. The Laguna has surely caught on. With haste, my love," Balder said, as he kept his pace striding next to her as they began to move quickly through the smoke.
With a unified jump, the Lumen Sage and Umbra Witch converted into their beast forms. Rosa's giant paws plundered down and echoed across the stones, as Balder's wolf form hurtled himself over the flames, leaping over the debris with ease.
The two ran through the smoke-filled night, bypassing and Laguna or witch along the way. Only one thing mattered now, and nothing was slowing them down to get to it.
"We have to be getting close by now," Cereza said, desperation seeping into her words.
"I recognized some of these trees, we should be close!" Jeanne said, keeping the optimism up as her friend once did earlier. They kept along with their quick pace, trying to keep the distance between them and the angels as much as possible. The footsteps had never fully subsided, meaning their trackers had not let up on the pursuit. The lingering noise was all the more a reason for them to keep running.
A few more yards through a heavily shrouded area, Cereza and Jeanne had spotted movements ahead of them. An array of figures moved back and forth through the trees. The girls both instinctively stopped, keeping their eyes fixated ahead. They strained to see what was moving. But then they could hear the sound of clashing metal, gunshots, and the battle cries of both a witch and an angel.
They exchanged looks and quickly searched for shelter. They were able to find a fallen, hollowed-out tree log, big enough to fit them. They crawled through until they were just barely peeking out of the end of it, their hands sinking into the damp wood, with bugs crawling about.
From the safety of their newfound shelter, they were able to observe the fight that was ensuing in front of them. An Umbra witch, one who looked to be only a trainee, was engaging with a group of Affinities. Their spears sliced through the air with heavy swings, narrowly hitting the female warrior. It was obvious to see she was having some difficulty in trying to evade them. With every dodge out the way, she stumbled to regain
her footing as another one had swung as well. She managed to pick a few off, but still had to keep out of the way of the eight other angels charging at her.
"She could help us!" Cereza said a small whisper as they fight from afar.
"She has to get rid of those monsters first! Maybe we should go, and just sneak around them when they aren't looking," Jeanne suggested, her eyes staying glued to the fight.
"But what if they see us?" Cereza asked, clutching her small ragged doll closer. Looking from the fight to Jeanne, her eyes swelling with watery eyes.
Jeanne was surprised to see Cereza's sudden change of attitude. The sight of the angels had brought back a level of fear to the surface, one that Cereza hasn't conquered yet.
"We can't worry about that, we just have to-"
Jeanne couldn't finish her sentence as a painful cry echoed out, and carried out into the dark wilderness.
The Umbra had been struck through her shoulder, a spear blade piercing all the way through her flesh. Her blood began to drip along its golden metallic surface. She shuddered and sobbed for only a few seconds, trying to catch her breath to unleash another scream, but she was quickly silenced.
The young witches watched with horror as the other Affinities began to bring their spears down onto her as well. Piercing into her in every which way they could, her cries subdued down to gurgling coughs, until her voice was completely relinquished, and only the sound of tearing flesh remained.
Cereza stared wide eye, witnessing a death most horrid. The stories of the monsters had always just been that to her, just stories. They were merely creatures from a far-off land that she wouldn't have to worry about, ones that the Umbra could fight to protect people. But to see them now, and the truly horrible nature these holy beings possessed, made her shrink on herself. She had begun to shut down, detaching from the world.
Then she saw them, the many hands of Inferno reach up and grab whatever was left of the witch's corpse. Dragging down each piece of her with no regard for her. Every scrap of flesh and organ was taken.
Cereza heaved and began to hyperventilate, as she wanted to scream. Before she could, Jeanne reached up and tightly cuffed her hand around Cereza's mouth,
leaning in close to her. The dread could be seen in her eyes as well. They felt each other tremble.
Cereza stopped in time, as the angels had dispersed, and continued on their warpath forward. The two of them realized they were heading in the same direction they were, towards the mountain pass.
Jeanne still had her hand clasped around Cereza's mouth when she could feel the warm sensation of tear droplets on her hand. She turned to Cereza, seeing her in a full-blown breakdown.
"It's okay, they didn't see us," Jeanne said, trying to comfort her. It was clear she was also trying to process the scene they had just witnessed, but she couldn't be panicked like Cereza was. Whether it be Cereza's courageous efforts from earlier, or just the overwhelming desire to leave and never see these creatures again, Jeanne took her stand and needed to be steadfast.
"You have to be quiet, we can't have them hear us. It's going to be okay. They didn't see or hear us. We can probably sneak past them if we are quiet enough, okay?" Jeanne said, speaking calmly and slowly to try and ease her friend's panic. Her eyes were still dosed with streaming tears from behind her large glasses.
"It's gonna be okay, we're gonna make it," Jeanne promised, slowly removing her hand from Cereza's mouth. She placed her hands onto her friend's shoulders, hoping that her words will be enough to calm her nerves.
Cereza, through a few of her quiet sobs, nodded to Jeanne, as well as wiped away the tears that were streaming down her cheek.
Jeanne gave another nod and reached into her pocket to pull out her Umbran Watch, placing it in her palms in front of Cereza.
"Do you have yours? We could do an incantation spell to sneak past them easier," Jeanne said, the watch slightly illuminating from the hint of magic the girl gave off. Cereza reached into her pocket and pulled out hers.
"Yes, but I don't quite remember the spell that well. Will it work?" Cereza asked, her voice hoarse and cracking still.
"It's okay, just follow my lead. Repeat each word after me, and really focus hard. Remember what our mummies said. 'Keep a clear head and take a deep breath. It will only falter if you do."
Cereza nodded, looking down at her glowing watch, closing her eyes to focus on it.
"Zirdo Li Dosig, Casarma Cinxir Aaoim Li Brgdo," Jeanne whispered, closing her eyes as she focused. With a sniffle, Cereza looked down to her watch and repeated the words.
"Zirdo Li Dosig, Casarma Cinxir Aaoim Li Brgdo," Cereza muttered, but the watch barely fluttered to life. Jeanne began to illuminate more. She opened her eyes to see Cereza's watch.
"Focus harder. Think of something else, something that makes you feel safe," Jeanne encouraged. "My mummy always said a good way to start is to remember something that makes you feel safe."
Cereza nodded and closed her eyes again. She mumbled the words under her breath over and over, thinking back on a happy memory, trying to force the horrid images out of her head.
She thought back on a time when she and Jeanne had been out on one of their rambunctious adventures. They had been occupied with chasing down an oversized frog they had enchanted by mistake. It was a spring evening, and it was a whole day filled with laughter, a carefree time when they didn't have to worry about anything like this. The sound of Jeanne giggling as she hoisted the behemoth croaking frog up into her arms made Cereza forget.
As she focused on the memory and continued to repeat the words, her watch became illuminated just like Jeanne's. She opened her eyes and looked up to her friend with a beaming smile. The incantation was complete.
The group of Affinities kept their stride forward, their bird-like heads swiveling around, looking through the thick brush to find any other Umbra that might be running or approaching. What the Affinity failed to see, or most importantly hear, were Jeanne and Cereza walking parallel to them, hidden within the bushes and tall grass. Thankfully the night sky was on their side despite the bright moon shining above. But besides being well hidden, their feet made no noise as they stepped forward.
Keeping their minds focused on the magic incantation, they didn't expel any noise as they walked. The snapping of twigs and crunching of leaves were gone with each step. Even their breathing was silent to all around them. As long as they focused on the spell, it would hold its effect for as long as they needed.
But focusing was the difficult part for Cereza, as having the same Affinity that killed one of their own only mere feet from them made it all the more terrifying for her.
What made it worse is when one of them stopped, swinging its head into the hair, making a huffing noise coming from under the armored beak.
"What is it?" One muttered to the alert angel, their Enochonian sharp.
"I smell them...They're close by," It said, its beak kept upwards.
Cereza had stopped, her eyes peering out from a shrouded bush, watching the angel as it swung its head around. Jeanne looked back to see her friend had stopped, staring at the Affinity.
She gestured to her with a small wave, which nearly caused Cereza to jump out of her skin. She shook her head at her and tapped the witch watch hanging around her neck.
"Focus," Jeanne mouthed to her, remaining silent.
Cereza nodded, continuing forward slowly, keeping her mind focused on the spell. Her feet were like the void itself as no noise emanated from each step she took.
"They must be close by. Do you think it is the small ones?" Another Affinity pitched in, its beak also smelling the air.
"What shall we do with them?" Another asked.
"They will perish with the rest of them. A witch is a witch, and their presence besmirches the grace of Jubileus," The original one spoke.
Cereza stopped again, her eyes snapping back towards the angel as their words settled into Cereza's thoughts. Jeanne stopped again, clearly just as scared, but had to make an effort to keep Cereza on track once more.
"They'll die with the rest of them," The angel finished, beginning to step closer to the shrouded bushes that the children were sheltered under.
Cereza's eyes widened, beginning to tremble once more. Her watch began to flicker as the magic's power began to dwindle.
Jeanne had silently moved back towards Cereza, clutching onto her arm. Cereza eyes meet Jeannes. Jeanne gripped her shoulders, trying to keep her eyes directed towards her as the angel approached. Cereza's had heart rate quickened, as her chest heaved up and down, but no sound could be heard. But the magic light continued to falter.
"It's okay," Jeanne mouthed again. The angel was feet from them, looking over the bushes, not seeing the small Umbra hiding underneath. Cereza's breathing slowed,
and she closed her eyes to bring the focus back. The lights glowed once more, as their silence persisted.
With an affirming nod towards Jeanne, they turned and kept shuffling forward. The angel turned back to its group and they kept marching forward.
"They should be the only ones left now. Fortitudo says the siege was gone well at the bridge. Every Umbra within that city has met their end," The angel spoke, and a haunting noise that could only be perceived as a laugh echoed through the dark woods.
Cereza stopped, her heart sinking into her chest, the color slipping from her skin. And in the blink of an eye, her watch's light dissipated into nothing.
"Mummy?" She said aloud, her voice cutting the cold air, despite it being little more than a whimper.
The angels reared their heads towards the bushes, an unearthly screech coming from the group as they raised their spears and swords.
Cereza felt her whole body tense up and freeze as the harrowing cry pierced into the night. She stayed still, even with the angels now fast approaching their hidden spot.
It was Jeanne's sudden squeeze around her hand that brought her out of it.
"Run!" Jeanne screamed, pulling her forward as hard she could until Cereza could find her feet once more and started running with her.
The angels' spears began piercing through the bushes in an attempt to slay anything that moved within it. Despite hearing them, the darkness remained an ally to the children, and they were able to bob and weave through the attacks duck below even further. Like mice scurrying away from a cat, jumping and crawling around anything they could to escape.
Cereza's hearing had blanked, an eerie ringing had taken over as she couldn't focus on anything else but running. Adrenaline was so overpowering that she forgot anything else at that moment. The only image pulsing repeatable in her head was that of the dead Umbra, and that death she would meet if she stopped running.
Eventually, the spears and swords stopped penetrating the flora, as the girls had managed to maneuver ahead, crossing over behind trees and large boulders that littered the thick woodland. Their small stature made it easy for them to escape. But their loud footsteps would not give them complete solace.
They ran out into a clearing, the only straight path forward to the river. The tall grass is not nearly tall enough to mask them in this open space.
"This way, we're close!" Jeanne whispered, her voice not just as scared as Cerezas. She looked behind her to make sure her friend was still close behind.
But as she turned around, and Affinity had dropped from the sky, right in front of her. The booming thud caused Jeanne to fall back, landing on her bottom and causing Cereza to run right into her.
The two squeaked out whatever cry they could, but the looming site of the angel froze them in place, their voices locking up.
The remaining Affinities landed in all directions, surrounding them in a circle, their spears now outstretched in front of them.
Cereza and Jeanne pulled each other in close, feeling each other's hearts practically beating out of their chests. They held their small feline friends even closer, as they looked around to see the monsters closing in.
"These are the small ones, yes?" An Affinity asked its head cocked to the side in a bird-like manner.
"One of them is the half-child. The abomination," Another clucked, getting closer with a bloodstained sword.
"Which one?" An Angel cocked its head towards its winged brethren.
"It does not matter. Both of them will be cleansed, just as the others have been," One said, its tone much darker, its hand passing over its serrated blade.
Jeanne and Cereza trembled even more so, and they looked up to one another. Seeing tears streaming down each of their faces.
"Will we...see our mummies?" Cereza muttered, barely a whisper.
"I...I think so," Jeanne said, gripping onto Cereza's arm.
"I'm sorry Jeanne," Cereza said, her words sputtering between each sob.
"I'm sorry too," Jeanne said, the realization finally striking her, as her composure broke down the same way Cereza did.
The Affinities raised their weapons above their heads, silhouetting in the moonlight. Cereza and Jeanne clung onto each other as tight as they could, their eyes squeezed shut.
And in a moment, a light overtook them.
A bright, radiant light that blinded them even with their eyes shut. It dwelled for a few seconds before passing. Even the noise around them seemed muted.
Cereza hesitated to even open her eyes. She didn't feel any pain or any impact. But she suddenly felt warm, like a soothing presence washed over her.
"Is...this it?" She thought to herself.
"Cereza…" Jeanne whispered in her ear. Cereza then realized she could still feel Jeanne's grip on her arms and shoulder.
Cereza's eyes crept open and expecting to see either Inferno or Paradiso, or anything else of that sort. But was instead met with the sight of a glowing ornate robe in front of her.
A man, standing much taller than either of them, stood in front of them and between the angels in which had just been surrounding them.
Cereza then could feel it, he was the one who had been giving off the warm presence. She couldn't see his face but looked up to see his long flowing platinum hair sway behind him. His robes were adorned with beautiful red beads. But what caught her eyes the most was his weapon that outstretched to his left, gripped tightly in his hand.
A double-sided blade, just as beautiful and detailed as his own robes. Her eyes drifted to the sight of a shimmering talisman dangling from the handle under his grip. It was a carved marble stone, with a familiar insignia she had seen before.
One that she had seen her mother carved into the stone outside her cell when teaching Cereza about the Lumen Sages.
In that brief moment, Cereza could feel the fear, the terror, hopelessness that had grasped her slip away. She thought she would be afraid, seeing that he resembled the Laguna so closely. She could tell from Jeanne's tight grip and continued trembling that she was still afraid. But Cereza wasn't, she looked at this being at thought of him as an actual angel, what an angel should be.
The man then looked over his shoulder but only slightly. Just enough for their eyes to meet. His stark eyes filled with what she perceived as a surprise, or even shock. Cereza merely looked back up at him, her mouth a gap sightly.
"Cereza?..." He muttered, his breath seemingly caught in his throat.
It was then that Cereza finally understood who this was. All the small details and stories that her mother had told her over the years had all connected together like a puzzle piece.
"Daddy?" She said back, her voice trembling as the realization was still settling. Her father, Balder, had finally come.
"How dare you, as a member of the Lumen Sages, how dare you dare defy our duty!" An Affinity struck the ground with the butt of the spear's pole, its Enochian tongue knocking the quiet and serene moment out with one bellowing cry.
Balder's head swung back around, his hand tightened around his glaive's handle once more.
"It is the order by the Four Cardinals of Virtue. To wipe this valley clean of any Umbra Witches. You know this, and yet, you defy the act!"
"I will not let my child or my wife be struck down like some animal in the night. This is not keeping the balance, you have lied to me!" Balder's voice boomed, pointing a rigid finger out towards the angels he had managed to move away.
"The balance has already been toppled, when you and that dark woman conceived that child. Your acts have brought out these dark times. You are lucky to bear the Left Eye and to be the only remaining Sage to do so. Fortiduo would not have hesitated to strike you down," An Affinity raised its sword.
"Lucky!? My clan has been wiped out, and those I loved and hold dear are dead and you call me lucky? You are a disgrace to the Dea, and you drag the name of the Laguna and even Jubileus through the dirt!" Balder swung out his glaive, pointing in a defiant manner, the angelic language spitting off his tongue.
The Affinities hissed and screeched at the words Balder had slew towards them.
"This is your final warning. Surrender the Umbran children or face the fury of the Laguna! If you don't, such a traitorous act will be your last mistake. You will never see the light of Paradiso or glory of the light ever again!" The Affinity cried.
Balder turned the glaive in his hand, still pointed towards the rally of Laguna. With the other hand, he lifted it above his head with an open palm. Suddenly an illuminated peacock feather appeared in it.
And before the angels or the two small witches could react, Balder spun around and circled the dirt around Jeanne and Cereza's feet. It was a fluid and swift movement with the most grace anyone could have. As soon as the circle had closed, a golden globe had enclosed the children in a protective circle.
Balder positioned himself in between the angels and children.
"As I said before, no harm shall come to them," Balder said, reverting to his English tongue, deep and dripping with anger.
The Affinities raised their wings and brought them down with a charged forward thrust. They were closing the distance, all weapons raised at the ready.
"I am Balder, last of the Lumen Sages and Master of the Heavens. And as long as I stand, the light will always remain with me, and Jubileus, the Creator, will grace me!"
With another flick of his wrist, a flurry of glorious feathers sprouted from his back. Leaning forward, he expelled himself into the fury of angels.
Under the golden protective barrier, Cereza and Jeanne watched on as Balder slew through the angels, cleaving into them with clean and precise cuts. The Affinities cried and screeched as they met their end swiftly. Each one would attempt to swing and land a hit, but he was just as fast as his dark counterparts. He moved about the battlefield like a dancer, his glaive like an extension to his arm as he brought down enemy after enemy.
Balder only had one Affinity left remaining, the one who had cursed him of his woes. It crawled backward on the ground, its clipped wings making it impossible to fly. It raised its hand with a pleading squawk.
"Mercy upon me, Master of the Heavens. We are but just the servants of the Third Sphere. Have pity!" The Angel cried as its clawed hands shook, as it kept trying to back up. Its back met up with a large oak tree, stopping it from going any further.
Balder looked down at it, his eyes softening a bit as his grip on the handle loosened. He hesitated, looking over the beaten and broken Laguna warrior. The Affinity lowered its hands, thinking that it would be spared to see another day.
But without changing expression, Balder's blade effortlessly slides into the angel's chest. It stuttered for a moment, struggling to breathe as the blade sunk further.
"May Jubileus, the Creator, grace you," Balder said as he dove the blade as far as he could and swung it out, cleaving the angel in two. It was dead as soon as the blade escaped its flesh.
The night had become quiet again. The distance sound of Laguna and Umbra Witches were faltering, but not completely dead. But for now, it seemed that they were safe.
Balder turned back towards the protective barrier, as Cereza and Jeanne had stayed put underneath it. Balder waved his hand and the dome disappeared into a sputter of dust. He approached them slowly, his eyes focused solely on Cereza.
The two children stood, still close to one another. Jeanne stepped behind Cereza as Balder grew closer.
"Daddy?" Cereza asked once more, her voice regaining its strength.
Balder went to say something but his mouth just hung open, trying to find the words to say. He stopped a few feet from them, slinking down to his knees, his glaive falling to his side.
"My dear, sweet child..."
"Daddy!" Cereza cried as she pounced forward, boisterous happiness springing up with that word.
She threw herself in his arms, wrapping her arms around Balder's neck like a serpent. He stumbled back a bit, trying to regain his posture.
"It's you! It's you! You're here!" She laughed, smiling as if nothing horrible had just occurred. Balder brought her in closer, clenching his eyes shut as he tried to hold back his tears. But to no avail, his body shuddered as he failed to hold back his audible sobs.
Cereza pulled off of his neck and looked up at him, seeing the tears streak his face.
"What's wrong, daddy?" She asked, her voice going quiet again. Balder placed a hand on her head, stroking her hair as a smile broke across his face.
"It's alright little one. I'm just….so happy to finally see you," He said, collecting himself as much as he could. "Heavens be, you've grown up so much since I last saw you. You were just a small babe when I last held you."
"Mummy said I was too small to remember meeting you. She always told me you were the prettiest, and wore nice clothes, and had white hair like Jeanne!" Cereza word-vomited as her hands wandered up and grabbed a few pieces of his locks, and also tugged at the snapped rosary beads lining up his uniform.
"Who is Jeanne, little one?"
"That's Jeanne!" Cereza turned around and pointed at a still terrified Jeanne, who used her cat doll, Charles, as means to hide behind as much as possible.
"She's my best friend! And she's helped me learn magic and also helped me get away from the bad monsters!"
Balder looked back up towards Jeanne. She didn't get any closer and averted her eyes away from Balder.
The Sage rose slowly from the ground, Cereza slipping out from around his neck, moving her clinging hands to around his leg as she walked with him. Balder hobbled slightly to reach Jeanne, but she recoiled a bit as he got closer.
"It's alright. I am not going to harm you, I promise you that. I will make sure that no bad monsters get to you," Balder lowered himself down again, reaching out a hand for Jeanne.
She hesitated for a moment longer, before grabbing a hold of his hand and stepping closer. Balder stood back up, keeping the two Umbra close to him.
"Daddy, where's Mummy? Is she okay?" Cereza tugged at the beads that hung down from his robes.
"She is out looking for you, but she'll meet up with us soon," Balder placed his hand onto Cereza's head, ruffling her hair.
"Mister, what about my mummy? Where is she?" Jeanne tugged down at his arm that she still held onto. Balder saw the creeping worry in her eyes.
"I'm...not sure, child. I do not know who she is. But the Umbra Witches are making their stand at the bridge. I'm sure she'll make it through," Balder assured her, though his answer didn't seem to comfort her. She merely furrowed her brow and looked to the ground below her.
"Come now, we should get moving, before any other-" Balder turned to move the children along when a piercing screech echoed above them. They all turned to look up and see sole Harmony, crying out as loud as it could.
Kicking up his glaive into his hand, he thrust the blade-like javelin through the air and pierced the angel to silence its cries. The glaive fell with the Harmony, but Balder was able to retract it from its body midair as it fell, before hitting the ground with an unnerving crunch.
Following its scream, the sounds of the thundering footsteps returned, now closing into their location.
"Get behind me little ones!" Balder used his hand to guide the children behind him. He once more summoned a peacock feather to form the protective circle. Balder then stood at the ready, blade raised.
The clamoring footsteps got closer, the outline of the large Braves getting closer in the distance. Through the dark shadows under the trees, their large fists, and massive axes cleaved through the foliage with ease.
Balder positioned himself into a lower position, ready to jump when they would break the tree line into the open field they occupied.
The Braves' behemoth bodies bulldozed through the last remaining trees, two of them with axes already mid-swing. Balder felt himself lean into the front of his toes, practically on the edge of the jump. But a flurry of bullets flashed from behind them, implanting themselves into their backs.
The Braves attempted to turn around to see their attacker, but one was met with a face full of talons as a large black tiger scaled its way up the Brave's body over it. The tiger then turned back to its human form, Rosa.
Without a second guess, she ran back into the fight, jumping over their heads and unleashing more volleys of bullets down onto them. The Braves were quickly becoming torn up, their armor chipping and falling off with each blow it received. Their flesh shredding.
Rosa was too fast for the brutes to keep up with, and Balder didn't even have enough time to join the fight before she put them down with a final, well-placed bullet.
As the hands of Inferno reached up to claim their reward, Rosa spun around to face Balder, who was caught with a dumbfounded look across his face. His glaive was barely being held in his hands as pure amazement struck him.
"Mommy!" Cereza squealed happily from inside the golden globe. Balder shook himself back to the task at hand and ceased the magic circle. He watched as Cereza clumsily but hastily tumbled out to Rosa.
Cereza greeted her the same way she did Balder, with a leap into her arms.
"Cereza" Rosa breathed with a sigh of relief. She spun her around and embraced her tighter. To finally hug her child, without the bar of her cell hindering, only made her cling harder.
"Are you hurt? Are you two alright?" Rosa pulled Cereza back, looking her over whilst moving her thick braids out of the way. Her cat doll was still resting in her arms.
"We're okay mummy. Daddy saved us!" Cereza said, looking back to Balder with a beaming smile. Balder approached them, Jeanne still clinging onto his robes. He embedded his glaive into the ground for the time being.
"Your smile is brighter than the sun itself, little one," Balder said, gently clasping a hand over Cereza's cheek.
"You are a very brave girl, both of you are," Balder looked down to Jeanne with an assuring smile, but she still wore the same concerned and confused expression.
"Can we leave now mummy? I don't want to see any more monsters," Cereza said, looking past her mother's shoulders into the dark woods. Although, the darkness was hardly doing much at all now. The fires in the city beyond seemed to have amplified ten times more than before. The height of the fires was menacing over the treetops.
"Yes, we should get moving. There are still more on their way," Rosa said, turning her gaze to Balder.
Rosa and Balder began to trek through the tall grassy plane with Cereza in her arms, and Jeanne keeping up with Balder by grasping tightly to his hand. But he was slowed down by her stopping frequently to turn around and look back towards the towering flames.
"But...Mummy…" She said, desperation forming in her words.
"We have to go Jeanne," Rosa turned back towards them.
"But what about my mummy?" Jeanne said, frustrated and slowly slipping into tears.
"She's…" Rosa started, but her heart just fell into her stomach as Jeanne looked up at her. To see that worry and sadness in her eyes, it could've been the same look Cereza would give if she hadn't made it out of there. She hesitated for a moment longer, struggling to find any words to say.
"She'll be okay," She finally said. "She knows what she is doing."
The words felt sour on her tongue, and it was all the worse to see an unconvinced and once more saddened look on Jeanne's face.
"Quickly, now. I can hear the river. We must hurry," Balder emphasized, as he gave a gentle tug on Jeanne's arm to keep moving, her eyes still looking out towards the flames.
The unified war cries of the Laguna were now suddenly getting closer, their footsteps shaking the earth below them.
"Come on!" Rosa said as they broke out into a sprint.
"Witches have many tricks up their sleeves. Dark and poisonous tricks to fool the innocent minds. But your tricks and manipulations shall bear you no fruit now. You have nowhere else to go," A voice thundered through the sky, a disjointed voice that had nobody to connect with. Not until Fortitudo rose up over the tree line, his feathered wings bending them over with each powerful thrust.
Rosa and Balder immediately placed the children behind them, raising their weapons up to block the little Umbra from the creature above. A deep and unearthly laugh bellowing from its horrid chest face.
"You still do not learn, do you? Such a waste of energy to try and stop this now. The time of the Umbra is over. No one else stands but you. These will now be your resting places. Die now, atop of your own unholy soil," He continued, the draconic heads swiveling about.
Rosa's eyes widened when he mentions that all remaining Umbra has vanquished. She felt her whole body feel this tremendous weight from bearing such news. She had had a clear goal in mind, but this was not the fate she wanted her sisters to face. Why hadn't they just run?
"I will not simply roll over to die! Especially not for such a sinister being as yourself. The Umbra will live on!" Rosa said, raising another gun towards the massive angel.
They then could see other flying Affinities and Harmonies approaching over the horizon and a mass of Laguna charging through the woods in front of them. So many that it was almost impossible to distinguish what they were and how many.
"Sinister? My dark child, you are brave to refer to a Cardinal of Virtue as sinister. Make no mistake, we are not without mercy. Jubileus will grant mercy to the innocent, and as such, the small Umbra you protect will not be forsaken to the fiery pits of Inferno. They will spend their eternities in the holy land of Paradiso."
"Silence! The little ones will not succumb to any death, nor will any remaining Umbra! It's over Fortitudo! Your cleansing has been thorough enough, leave those who are alive to remain at peace," Balder called up to the Laguna, a fury resonating in his chest.
"Lumen Sage, if my children tell me correctly, that you have taken arms up against the Third Sphere. A disgrace, but more so a sad thing. I had given you the privilege of the Right Eye when you were brought back to your Valley, and granted your Sage duties. And this is how we are repaid? No, young Balder, you will have your end here as well as these Umbran creatures. If you care for them so, more than your own Dea and brethren, then you deserve the same death!"
Fortiduo's heads reared back, unleashing a deafening roar that shook the foundation of everything around them.
A flurry of Affinities nose-dived towards them, and they prepared for their offensive attack.
In the crowd of Laguna, a creature was moving fast, faster than the angels around them. It bobbed and weaved and leaped over all the other angels around it. It cleared the woods and darted across the open planes so quickly that it was almost impossible to see for a moment.
It leapt into the air towards the Affinities on their descent. A massive snow leopard, but its fur matted with blood and cuts. In a blinding light, the figure transformed and an Umbra Witch emerged from the Beast Within, striking down the Affinities with one powerful swing of their dueling whips.
The cracking of the steel whips in the sky froze Rosa in her place. Denial and disbelief clouded her mind, not understanding how it was possible.
The Witch landed in front of them, the angels falling and clashing the ground behind her.
Jeanne looked out from behind Balder, her sorrowful face suddenly lighting up to a bright smile that she hasn't had ever since this cataclysm began.
"Mummy!" She cried out, joyfully but also desperate to want to run up and embrace her the same way Cereza could.
The Umbra Elder, Isabelle, straightened up after she landed. Her concealing uniform that had kept her face hidden had been stripped away. Her crescent moon headdress is gone as well, torn off. In the years that Rosa had known her, she couldn't remember the last time she had seen her face.
A face with sharp features, just as beautiful as most Umbra are. But her green eyes were a stark contrast to her rather pale skin. As well as the platinum colored hair that Jeanne had shared with. It was full and curly, with long strands freely swaying below her waist.
She looked at them, her eyes unwavering despite her obvious wounds that seemed much more serious than flesh wounds.
"This is not possible...The Left Eye has perished! I had made sure you and your kin never made it out of that tower!" Fortitudo cursed, the metallic heads creaking with a deafening noise.
Isabelle remained quiet, approaching the other four as the other angels were still rampaging closer.
Rosa and her locked eyes, giving her a nod. And an unspoken message had gotten across to one another.
"Balder...take Cereza and Jeanne across the bridge and out of the Valley. We will handle this," Rosa said, putting Cereza down next to Balder, moving quickly.
"No Mummy! Do go, there's too many!" Cereza cried, reaching back up to Rosa. Balder had already taken a hold of her to move her back.
"It will be alright dear. You just have to trust me, okay?" She said, kneeling down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. She relented, but her eyes began to well with tears once more.
"M-mummy?" Jeanne said, now out from behind Balder. Her bloodied state only caused her daughter to crumble even more.
"Jeanne...I need you to be brave for me. Can you do that?" Isabelle kneeled down towards her, cuffing her cheek gently. Using her thumb to wipe away the tears.
"...Yes mummy," Jeanne said, whimpering.
"Very good," Isabelle said, her voice just a whisper to her. She rose, her dagger-like eyes cutting over to Balder.
"You take care of her, Sage. Or I will personally drag you down to Inferno myself," Isabelle hissed. Balder merely gave a quick nod, understanding the severity of the situation.
Balder quickly formed his Beast Within, the wolf form large enough to carry both of them. Cereza at any other time would be overjoyed to see the Wolf finally, but the sound of approaching angels and looming Fortitudo above left no room for her to find joy.
"You be careful, my love," Balder said, his canine head turning back towards Rosa. His mouth didn't move, but the words sounded out like a disembodied voice.
"Always, Balder," Rosa said, giving him a small smile. With a small howl, Balder turned and sprinted off with the small Umbra clinging on for dear life. The two children called back to their mothers.
Rosa and Isabelle stood side by side, with Fortitudo looming above, and the remaining army of Laguna charging forward.
"This is it then?" Rosa asked, not letting fear take a hold of her.
"It is. And if we are going to do this. I need you," Isabella turned towards her. "All of you."
Rosa's brow furrowed, but couldn't ask her what she meant as Isabelle extended a hand out and grabbed a hold of the connected chains intertwined at the center of her chest. Gripping them with such force, Rosa nearly fell to her knees, trying to keep her balance as she pulled her forward.
"What on Earth are you-"
"Sun, Moon, Light and Dark."
"As long as the Sun graces the world with light, a void shall be present in it!"
"As long as the stars shine brightly, the blackness that surrounds them will continue to grow!"
Rosa could feel something, the chains, they had begun to tremble and shift on her body.
"As long as the summer flowers bloom, the winter freeze shall take them!"
"As long as the sound of a newborn's cry fills the air, the dying breath of man shall go unvanquished!"
They began to shake violently along her body, she could feel this massive wave of energy overtaking her. She couldn't move, as the words that Isabelle was saying were echoing in her head as well.
"As long as the winged messengers of Jublieus descend to the Earth, the demons of the damned shall ascend to meet their calling!"
"And as long as the illuminating power from the heavens remains strong!"
Rosa nearly blacked out, her veins feeling numb and her feet began to give in. The chains begin to crack. Isabelle's left eye now glowing a vivid and blinding red.
"The shadow remains cast!"
And with the incantation complete, the chains and shackles expel themselves from Rosa's body, dissipating into ashes upon the ground.