Life.19: Resistance is Futile

.


.

"Ah, young Cristaldi! Buongiorno!" a familiar voice greeted jovially, "The Pope summoned you as well?"

Ewald looked up to see the gigantic figure of the Cardinal-Priest blocking the sunlight for him, "Eminence Strada," he greeted back before focusing on the entrance, "Indeed. Do you have an idea for what purpose? It feels off for the Supreme Pontiff to summon us without prior notice."

"I'm just as in the dark as you are, my friend," the Apex of Humanity rubbed the back of his head, "I hope it has nothing to do with what I did yesterday."

Ewald narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Eminence Strada, what did you do?"

The taller man grinned sheepishly, "I may have sneaked into the cafeteria last night! Hahahaha!"

"… At least there are still some exorcists that do appreciate the cooking of our cafeteria," Ewald scoffed, "All this generation do nowadays is only complaining about the condition of the rations we serve."

"Young Gesualdo seems fond of our dishes," Vasco reminded him, "Not a single day has he wrinkled his nose in disgust."

"A one in a million."

Like a sniper in the prone position ready to fire, Ewald and Vasco waited outside the well-decorated doors until they received the green lights to step inside.

Ewald was cherishing the calm silence, but unfortunately for him, Vasco had other plans, "Found a woman that stole your breath already?"

Ewald groaned, "Not this again…"

"I worry about your dim future," Vasco persisted, "forgive this old man for acting like a broken record, but you are in your forties and without a wedding ring! I will fool death many times until I get to walk your fiancée to the altar!"

With his remaining arm, Ewald rubbed the side of his head, "This must be another trial of the Lord."

"It would be my joy to one day bestow my blessing to the weddings of all members of the Vatican," the Cardinal-Priest kept rambling, "You, Young Gesualdo, young Quarta, young Shidou… I hope I'll still be alive to see that dream turn into reality."

"I never took you like the romantic type, Eminence Strada," the Cardinal-Deacon half-joked, "look at you. So consumed by the concept of wedding ceremonies, maybe it should be you the one searching for your better half."

"Me?" Vasco roared in laughter, "Oh no! I'm past my prime to propose someone. And besides," he looked down to his hands as his face darkened, "I don't deserve it…"

"What an ugly character," Vasco broke the tense silence, "Satanael, that is. He knew where to pull our heartstrings and easily exploit them in his favor…"

"And he could be the nicest of his race," Ewald sneered, "now imagine how worse are the rest of the Fallen Angels."

"There's a rotten apple in every barrel," the Cardinal-Priest countered, "never drag the reputation of a group through the mud for the actions of few."

"But a rotten apple spoils the whole barrel," Ewald shot back, "every group has one. Satanael and Kokabiel are the rotten apples that spoil the barrel in Grigori, despite these two being exiled from the organization. All the Fallen Angels saw and heard how boldly and foolishly Kokabiel declared the restart of the Great War and how successfully Satanael won against the Vatican, what stops them to think that they can't do the same?"

It was silence afterward. A clash of glares between Ewald and Vasco that none of them seemed to back down.

"… Every group has one?" The Apex of Humanity finally spoke, repeating the words that impacted him the most, "Then tell me, with your blunt honesty, young Cristaldi, who is the rotten apple of the Vatican?"

Ewald was taken back, "What?"

"Is it Valper Galilei?" the former Durandal user intoned, "or is it me? The Frankenstein's Monster born from the series of deadly experiments performed over prisoners of war? The Übermensch in the flesh!" Vasco's face became disturbingly void of emotions, "… or will it be you and young Legrenzi with your short-sighted views of Devils and Fallen Angels?"

Ewald squared his jaw, "… Erase those thoughts, Eminence Strada. I will never go far as to cause commotion in the Vatican City."

"And I will pray to the Lord for that day to never come," Vasco broke the stare to focus on the doors, "if an aberration like me received an opportunity by the previous Pope, then others deserve a second chance as well."

"Thank you for your patience. Please come on in."

The Cardinals heard the muffled voice coming from the room of the Pope. There was a click on the doors as they opened only a crack.

Not intending to waste the time of the Pope as well as theirs, Ewald reached for the knob with his remaining hand, but Vasco impeded him to walk any further.

The Cardinal Deacon frowned, "Yes?"

Vasco pressed a finger to his closed lips. Then, the two-meter tall titan steadily moved to the entrance and pushed the door wide open with a tap of his forefinger.

Both men watched how a bucket full of confetti fell off to the ground.

Ewald released a long sigh, "Still with this nonsense, Your Holiness?"

"… Impressive. You saw through my trick," the Pope said.

Ewald just discovered the room was in a veil in blackness as well, not a single source of light to illuminated the office. But he could feel the blue gaze directed at them.

Vasco chuckled, "The oldest trick in the book, Your Holiness," he said cheekily, "Perhaps older than I am."

The sound of a finger tapping on a surface echoed in the room, "Hmph. Maybe I should come up with better ideas then," the Supreme Pontiff mumbled.

"No, you won't…!" Ewald almost raised his voice and instead massaged his temple, "Please open the curtains, Your Holiness."

"… Fine."

They heard a soft thud somewhere amid the darkness, followed by gentle steps and the sound of the curtains being spread.

And the room saw sunlight.

"Let there be light: and there was light," a young foreign-looking girl returned to her seat behind the desk, wearing a set of clothes exclusively only for someone of her status—the papal regalia.

Once she sat down, the girl didn't waste time puffing her cheeks, "You're so mean, Vasco," the girl whined playfully to the elderly man, "I almost got Ewald if it wasn't from your intervention!"

"As long as I breathe, I won't let a fellow Cardinal be a victim of your mischiefs!" Vasco boasted, "You should try next time when this geezer is not present, Your Holiness."

"I will get my revenge," She fought back a giggle and beckoned them inside, "Please don't stand outside. Be sure to close the doors on your way here."

They obeyed and locked the doors, both Cardinals genuflected before her presence.

"On your feet, Ewald, Vasco," the Pope ordered whilst indicating the chairs opposite. "Sit, please."

Ewald obeyed but Vasco remained on his feet with an awkward smile. "As much as I would like to give my back a rest… I cannot fit in any of your seats, Your Holiness."

The Pope hummed, "I should prioritize that," she made a mental note to herself before growing a triumphant smile, "In the meantime, consider it as punishment for spoiling my prank."

"Ah! So merciless!" the Apex of Humanity feigned to be hurt. "Forgive me, Your Holiness, it won't happen again!"

"Hmph! We will see," The Bishop of Rome suddenly narrowed her eyes, "And have you two forgotten? Drop the titles while we are away from prying eyes."

Ewald finally spoke, "With all due respect, Your Holiness," she sighed, but he continued, "Your status is nothing that we should treat lightly. That's not the way that we should—!"

"Ah! My mistake, young Ordinton!" Vasco apologized, "this old man completely forgot!"

"Vasco!" Ewald stared at him incredulously, "That's not how you address Your Holiness!"

"You finally said my name!" Vasco barked a laugh, "it took you over thirty years to finally say it, but it was worth the wait. Thank you for cheering up this old man's day, young Cristaldi!"

The eyes of the Pope suddenly sparkled, "Now my turn please," she waved her hand to capture his attention, "You do remember my name, right? Say it, please. Say 'Meredith'."

Ewald felt a vein pop on his forehead as his superior batted her eyelashes at him, "Your Holiness," she stuck her tongue at him, "can we proceed to the matter at hand?"

"As you wish," defeated, Meredith wore off the papal tiara from her auburn hair, "I will start with you Ewald since it will be a brief exchange," She laid down the tiara on the desk before brushing her rope braid. "How are you feeling?"

The Cardinal Deacon curved an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"You lost an arm," her eyes flickered briefly where his limb used to be, "don't you feel any discomfort? Any pains? Aches? Should I get Diethelm to meet you at the medical wing to give you a quick checkup?"

Ewald briefly glanced over the empty sleeve and winced. The livid and humiliating memory of his clash against Satanael scarred somewhere in his mind.

"Ewald?"

He recovered from his trance to see her worried look. He pursed his lips, "I will live, Your Holiness. It's hard getting used to these new circumstances, but it's nothing I can handle."

Meredith never withdrew from his gaze, lacing her fingers together, "I will insist to Lord Michael to find you a replacement."

"Your Holiness, there's no need for that," the Cardinal-Deacon declined, "The Archangel has his share of responsibilities as well in Heaven. It isn't wise to pester Lord Michael for such trivial matters while he's occupied with—!"

"I am the Servant of the Servants of God. I won't let the pleas of the people in the Vatican fall on deaf ears," the Supreme Pontiff interrupted, "nor I will tolerate that you refer yourself as a trivial matter, Ewald. You are one of the Cardinals, I need you in perfect shape in case there's another attack to the Vatican."

Anything he had said to keep the arguing alive was easily swallowed. He lowered his head, "I… understand, Your Holiness."

"I'm glad you do," she meant it genuinely. She gestured the doors behind him, "I won't waste more of your time, Ewald. You may take your leave."

Ewald was caught off-guard and perked up. This was the first time their conversation turned brief, "Nothing more, Your Holiness?"

"Nothing more," Meredith parroted, a playful smile framing her lips, "unless you're willing to wait for me to finish paperwork and join me for a walk on Saint Peter's Square? It's been a while since we took a breath of fresh air together, hasn't it?"

And there it was, "My shift isn't over."

"A shame. Very well, you may return to your post, Ewald. Thank you for coming."

"If you'll wander around the square, please remember to not let anyone see you wearing the papal regalia," As the black-haired left his seat, he genuflected once again, "Your Holiness," bidding his farewell and giving a nod to Vasco, he took his leave.

Once the Pope was alone with the Cardinal-Priest, she spoke up, "You've been quiet throughout the whole ordeal, Vasco," Meredith noted.

"Oh, I didn't want to intrude," the Apex of Humanity explained, "I have no business intervening between kith and kin bonding over."

"Bonding over?" She chuckled emptily, casting her sights over the papal tiara resting on her desk, "I wonder if he still sees me that way, or all stayed buried in the past."

"He does, young Ordinton. Don't let his serious attitude get under your skin," Vasco could feel how the ambiance was growing awkward and coughed on his fist, "I take it that you wanted to speak with me personally?"

Meredith pinched her nose with a sigh, "Hit it right on the nose. I'm aware that you and Ewald headbutted before I invited you over."

The Cardinal Priest curved an eyebrow, "Eavesdropping, young Ordinton?"

"I ask for your forgiveness," she gave a smile that contradicted her apology, "but I'm glad curiosity won me over—I almost caused a blunder if I allowed Ewald hear the information I'm about to share with you."

"I'm afraid I'm not following."

"I talked with Lord Michael a few days ago," Meredith revealed, "there was an important meeting in which leaders of different factions participated to defunct the Khaos Brigade once it grew into a greater threat."

He furrowed his brow, "Khaos Brigade…" he repeated, "are these the terrorists that invaded the Vatican?"

"Correct," she nodded, "they're working to put an end to the Khaos Brigade once and for all."

"Those are great news!" Vasco exclaimed, "why would young Cristaldi be against this?"

"Because the Governor-General and Satan Lucifer are part of this organization," Meredith toyed with the Piscatory Ring on her finger, "and Pagan Gods are also contributing to this cause as well. I fear that… they will not take the news lightly."

Vasco's forehead puckered, "I understand. You fear that it will cause an uproar in the Vatican City if such news were exposed."

She pursed her lips but nodded again.

"What I fail to understand is what I'm the one hearing this," the Cardinal-Priest wondered, "forgive this old man for not catching up quickly with your mind, but what is my role on this?"

"Because you are a gentle and compassionate man."

The goliath laughed bashfully at her words, "Now, now. I don't think I deserve that type of praise, young Ordinton," he rubbed the back of his neck, "You just want to see this old man wear a red face!"

"Just for this single moment, if I could frame and hang your blushing cheeks on the wall of my office, I would," the auburn-haired replied humorously, "but that's not why I'm applauding you, it's simply a fact. You never held lingering hate against Devils and Fallen Angels. You can see the bigger picture, unlike Ewald and Teodoro. That's why I want you to recruit potential from our ranks and make them part of this international task force. You have a good eye to judge someone's character—whoever you pick, I'll have faith that they will represent positively both Heaven and the Vatican City. If I may leave a suggestion, you can start with our poster boy."

"Young Gesualdo?" Vasco put a thinking expression, "Yes, he's promising for this task."

"Then will you do it? Will you help me?" she clasped both hands together, "Please?"

"I don't remember spoiling you this much, young Ordinton," he smiled gently at her, "but yes, I will look it up."

Meredith beamed, "I'm glad to hear that, thank you!" she pushed herself off her seat to stretch out, "Ah! I'm beat of sitting around in my office… that walk across Saint Peter's Square is starting to sound tempting…"

"I'll be keeping keep you company, young Ordinton," not only because of safety protocols, but Vasco needed that fresh air refreshing his lungs, "but remember what young Cristaldi mentioned early on, you must take off your papal regalia once you exit through these doors."

She scowled.

"He has a point," Vasco gave her a pleading stare, "you can't let anyone see you on that outfit, young Ordinton. People will be shocked if—"

"If they discovered that the Pope is a little girl," she finished distastefully, "Yeah. Got it."

She snapped her fingers and her body was engulfed in magic. The papal regalia was gone—replaced by a wardrobe fitting for a young nun.

It reminded Vasco of Asia Argento, "Have you forgotten? Unless it comes from a Sacred Gear, magic is considered heresy by the Church."

Meredith flashed a cocky smile, "I am the Church, you old bear."

"Back in my times, seniors should be treated with respect by young people!" He chided her in a joking manner. "Shall we?"

"We shall," Vasco was the first to leave to check the perimeter for her.

Meredith stayed behind and waited in her office until she was flashed a thumbs-up. This was the protocol Meredith had to follow whenever she itched for adventure, the Cardinal made sure the corridors were empty for her to exit unnoticed the office of the Pope. Afterward, she walked to whenever direction pleases her with either Ewald or Vasco lagging.

A Cardinal bodyguarding a mere nun could draw unnecessary attention, making curious eyes wonder the reputation of the nun to have the strongest people on the Vatican as bodyguards.

She insisted many times that it wasn't required.

But as older people get, the stubborn they become.

As such, they followed her from afar.

She saw the head of Vasco peek from the doors of her office.

He nodded and she proceeded.

"Secret after secret. Just how many secrets the Vatican will pile up? How many skeletons are hanging on the wardrobe now?... And how many will come to light?"

.


.

A splash of cold water blasted all over his face, and Freed could only groan at the rude awakening.

"For fuck's sake…" He groggily opened his eyes as they accommodated the lights of the room.

He would rub the tiredness of his eyes, but they were tired on the back of his chair by something viscous.

He could only do whiplashes to dry off his face, "It's been a long time, Freed."

He paled at the familiar voice. He turned and the same eye color he had were glaring at him. He groaned, "Aw fuck me," he just realized the gray-skinned Devil looking straight at him, "Aw, fuck me in the ass!" Freed finally exploded, "I knew this was a fucking bad idea! I fucking knew it!"

Sitting in front of him, Danhauser offered a forced smile, "I wouldn't believe my Knight and Rook until I saw it with my own eyes, and here you are. I always thought I'd find you dead on an alleyway, but you proved me wrong. What's your secret?"

"Go fuck yourself."

"Thought so," Danhauser chuckled, "Straight to business it seems," he turned to Siegfried, "You don't mind if I do that to him, don't you?"

"I remember he shot me before," Siegfried recalled, "the bullet almost took my ear."

"Wish I had," Freed snarled.

"Have fun, master," Siegfried remained calm, "Do whatever is necessary."

"On the same page then," the Devil brought a hand up, coating it with Worthlessness, "Heart or lungs."

Freed blinked owlishly, "The-what? The fuck you're talking about?"

The heir merely fused his Senjutsu with his Clan Trait, "Heart or lungs."

As Freed tried to understand, the Devil already picked for him. Danhauser poked the spot where his heart was before pulling back.

At first nothing. Then a pressure made itself noticeable in his chest. It started mild, but eventually, the pain became unbearable. He tried to clench his chest, but both of his hands were still tied by Pitch Resin. Freed kicked his legs out of instincts, only for Danhauser to keep the chair pinned down.

Breathing became a struggle, which lead to lightheadedness. The black dots on his vision started to sprout. Freed tried to formulate any words, but could only choke.

Then it all stopped, and Freed coughed dryly. He took a sharp intake of air between his coughs, "S-Shit…" he breathed out, "w-what the fuck was that…"

"I just made your heart stop beating," Danhauser responded, "Not right off the bat, mind you. The heart's a stubborn muscle. But, not that stubborn."

"Holy shit, man…" Freed shut his eyes, trying to prevent from tears falling over, "I almost passed out… you… you dipshit."

"Painful, eh?" Danhauser once again fused his Senjutsu and Worthlessness in a hand, "we can avoid this little dance, Freed. Do yourself a favor and play along with me."

Freed faced difficulty breathing, but not enough to drop unconscious. Through his sweaty and painful expression, the former Exorcist managed a snicker, "Ya… ya can make any part of my body stop working? Shit. N-neat trick. I'd love to do that with someone... the stuff I do feels dull now."

"A fucked up ability, but makes people talk," Danhauser commented, "I try to only use it on pieces of shit like you, but sometimes..."

"Haah… fuck you, buddy. Seriously. Fuck. You," Freed spat on the floor before grunting, "Spill them. The fuck you want."

Danhauser finally dismissed his powers, "Who are you working for?"

"The Hero Faction," Freed cracked a bone of his neck, "A shitty group with a huge hard-on for humanity. Yuck."

Siegfried took a step forward, "What happened between you and the Church?"

"I ditched them for good," Freed shrugged nonchalantly, "I was getting fed up with these fuckers and their lame-ass religion. Why would I need those shitheads when I can put my skills to better use somewhere—"

"They kicked you out," Siegfried cut him off flatly.

"That moron got in the fucking way!" Freed snapped, "I was shooting some fucking vampire making a run and the dumbass jumped on my line of sight! It wasn't my fucking fault!"

"Imbecile," Siegfried kneaded his eyes, "You still killed an ally."

"Yeah, people die," Freed rolled his eyes, "Who would have thought?! Big-fucking-surprise!"

The swordsman sighed, "And then the Hero Faction took this chance to recruit you."

Freed snorted, "If by recruited ya mean getting fucking kidnaped then yeah I guess."

"Kidnapped?" Danhauser leaned furward, "Go on."

"Oh, but they didn't want me at first, of course, they didn't. I was their second option," Freed felt his eyebrow twitch, "I fucking despise being the option b."

"And who was their first target?" Siegfried asked.

Freed looked at him deadpanly, "Are you fucking serious?" he saw no reaction coming from his former partner, "You! You were their first option you dumbass!"

Siegfried pointed at himself, incredulously, "Me?"

"You see any other Siegfried around here? That fucking meathead kept calling me scuffed Siegfried. You were absolutely at the top of their list, fuckface." Freed cackled dangerously, "Never before wanted to put a hole between someone's eyes, but never got the window to do so."

Danhauser raised an eyebrow, "Who?"

"Heracles," Freed shifted on his seat, "that's his name alright. He never wasted time to claim he's the dude that inherited the spirit of Heracles and flex his arms to the newbies. He is just a damn showoff I tell ya—not a threat to any of you."

"He has the spirit of the Greek Hero…?" Siegfried looked at Danhauser, "like Jeanne who has Joan of Arc."

"So it seems," this was all information that Danhauser knew already. What interested him was the situation of Freed, "Who else you know?"

"Somebody called Connla," Freed nodded at Siegfried, "He reminds me of you—a hardcore deep throater."

Siegfried rolled his eyes.

"What I'm trying to piece here is why they had any interest in you whatsoever," Danhauser eyed him, "Sure, you know Siegfried. But you're trash."

"Choke on a dick," Freed snarled, "I wasn't the only one that got captured, but many more. We were just their test subjects. Their damn flock."

"… For what purpose?"

"To see who could adapt to a certain Sacred Gear."

The red orbs of Siegfried broadened, "Oh no way. That can't be…!"

"Oh hell yes," Freed grinned wickedly, "Many died during the process. They were just fucking weak that it was laughable. Oh well, no one will remember their faces anyway. So, who cares about them."

"But you did survive," Danhauser ignored his rambling, "You passed with flying colors."

"Damn straight I fucking did!" Freed would look at his nails smugly if it wasn't for the fact he was tied down, "I'm just fucking badass, man."

"… Impressive. You are the user of a Sacred Gear now. Welcome to the league, I guess," Siegfried still tried to recover from his shock, "Which one?"

Freed flashed them a smirk, "Untie me and I'll show ya."

"… You're a new breed of stupidity if you think we will."

"Deal," Danhauser snapped his fingers and the Pitch Resin on Freed's wrists fell off.

"Fucking finally," Freed stood up and stretched. "My ass was getting sore."

Siegfried looked at the Pure Devil, wide-eyed, "M-Master?!" he stuttered, "He could—!"

"Please," the heir huffed, "If he tries anything funny, we can easily stop him," Danhauser raised an eyebrow as their prisoner massaged his wrists, "Did they hurt?"

Freed looked up, "Nah. I just always see guys doing this when they get handcuffs taken off them."

"I see," Danhauser waited, "Well?"

"Yeah, yeah," Freed cracked his fingers and concentrated. Seconds later, a rifle that looked like it was made by alien technology materialized on his grasp, "There, happy?"

Danhauser had to blink many times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, "What the hell is even that…"

"I've never seen something like that before," Siegfried studied the gun carefully, "nor have I heard of a Sacred Gear that looked like a firearm."

"They call it Star Bust Star Blaster, and it's a nasty bitch," Freed summoned a longsword whose blade appeared to be made of plasma, "it comes with this shit too. It can cut a solid building like butter—I've tried it myself. Butchering off limbs has never been that easy and fun~!"

"Star Bust Star Blaster? What a shit name," and Danhauser thought Azazel was awful making Sacred Gear names, "What happened to the original user?"

"Dead as fuck," Freed cleaned off his ear casually, "There were rumors that the original user has been in the Hero Faction for a while. But one day they realized that he had shitty Devil ancestry and ya know what they did?" he did the throat-slitting gesture, "Kccch! Under the bridge, he goes!"

"They… seem to have a strict, recruitment system," Siegfried noted gruesomely.

"… Could this be the reason why Freed was ordered to stay behind?" Danhauser pondered, "So he's able to achieve Balance Breaker as fast as possible?"

He did remember that Connla himself fought against the Gremory Team with his Sacred Gear in the Light Novels. Until he achieved Balance Breaker, he was immediately teleported by his superiors before he could be captured.

Maybe that was the goal for Cao Cao. He was sure that Freed would eventually face them and to make sure he triggered Balance Breaker throughout the fight.

Danhauser returned at the subject at hand, "And who transplanted the Sacred Gear on you?"

"Dunno. Never got a look on his face," Freed sniffed, "I was knocked out when they took me to the butcher. I just remember seeing that weird-ass purple mist floating around—I thought they were farts at first, but they didn't stink."

"That has to be Georg, former ace of Grauzauberer and wielder of Dimension Lost," Danhauser glanced to his servant, "Remind me to ask Azazel all the information he has for Dimension Lost. For a Belial, knowing is half the battle."

Siegfried nodded, "Understood."

"Last question, Freed," Danhauser returned to the carbon copy of Siegfried, "Who's the one leading the Hero Faction?"

"I have no fucking clue there," the marksman shrugged, "Heracles always referred him as a leader—never by his name."

He knew it was Cao Cao, but Danhauser was honestly surprised that the holy spear user went incognito.

Danhauser clicked his tongue, "Well, I guess that's that," he stood up from his chair, "Contact the rest of the peerage, Siegfried. It's time to work."

"Understood."

"Hang your scanties, shitty Devil. You're after them, don't you?" Freed didn't wait for any confirmation, "Alright, alright. Fine. Cool—count my ass in."

"Really now? You want a truce with us?" Siegfried folded his arms, "And why we should ask for your help?"

Freed cackled like a maniac, "Oh, I have a bone to pick with them," his Sacred Gear released a dangerous aura, "No one gets to call me scuffed Siegfried and get a mere slap on the wrist. Oh, no! Not that easy they will get away from my revenge! I will make sure they feel lots of pain. Yes, I will make sure of it."

Freed nodded at the gray-haired Devil, "So? Whatcha say, shitty Devil? You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Deal?"

"Your call, master," Siegfried said to him, "he's good with the gun than I am, for what it's worth."

Danhauser began weighing his options. Many humans died because of this Sacred Gear with Freed ending that cycle. He never heard of this Sacred Gear before, neither of Ingvild's. How strong could Star Bust Star Blaster be?

"By taking Jeanne and Siegfried from Cao Cao, it forced him to search for potential substitutes," Danhauser realized.

Cao Cao sacrificed a lot of numbers that could be useful as meat shields. A lot were snuffed out on their search for that chosen one. The single human to be capable of wielding the Star Bluster Star Blaster.

No way Cao Cao was going to let Freed go that easily, not after investing too much in this project.

"We could lure them in a trap," with a smile, Danhauser offered his hand, "… I think Grigori could hire someone of your skills."

.


.

A punch.

A kick.

A headbutt.

No matter the strengths behind their strikes, Lavinia did her best to keep her barrier active.

Thousands of malevolent eyes looked straight into her soul. They were all piled up that some of them must be suffocating by the lack of space.

After fighting numerous waves of enemies, she reached a point where she was forced to play defensively. The beginning? Like fish in a barrel. They were easy to kill and didn't pose any threats. However, for each victory, came another round with increasingly difficult waves of challenges. New monsters, numbers increased, more resilient to damage, their attacks grew stronger over time, they sprouted limbs such as wings and some were able to cast abilities.

She triumphed, but it came with consequences.

For the smallest mistake she made, Lavinia was punished by wounds inflicted across her body, but thankfully no broken bones. She was bleeding and had to keep one eye shut to prevent blood from infecting it. Her magician clothes were tattered.

She made sure to keep her witch hat protected on the house.

Speaking of.

Keeping her palms firm on the barrier, Lavinia glanced over her shoulder to see the culprit behind her new circumstances.

The cabin that teleported alongside her.

It shattered her heart seeing some damage inflicted to Glinda's home, caught in the open fire.

"It's fine, just a few scratches. I can totally fix this," she turned back to her enemies with a hard stare, "It's nothing that a bit of paint can't handle."

After the nth headbutt of the same monster, cracks started to appear on the barrier.

By subsequently waving her hand through the air, she lifted them all in the sky.

After disabling her barrier, Lavinia quickly formed magic circles around hovering monsters, and they were instantly pierced from multiple directions, turning them into dust.

"Wave clear."

The Magician placed her hands on her knees and collected all the breath she could muster before the next horde came after her.

As Lavinia arched back properly, she passed an arm over her forehead, wiping it from sweat and blood.

She didn't know how much time had passed since her kidnapping. Hours? Maybe days? The sun was still set on the same spot after she and her home were abducted from the real world.

"Thirty," But at least she kept count of the multiple waves, "Just how many times must I face? Until I can no longer fight for my life?"

[That building must hold a special spot in your heart] A mysterious voice echoed, alarming her, [Many times you risked your life to protect it.]

Lavinia conjured magic circles for each hand. "Who are you?" She demanded, eyes furiously darting each corner of the dimension, "What do you want?!"

[That was an impressive display of power, Lavinia Reni,] the voice ignored her questions, [there's no doubt you are a top-tier Magician. However, is there a reason to refuse using your Longinus?]

"Is this how we're going to speak?" the blonde sneered, "will you show your face or will I be talking to the wind? Are you afraid of someone who fought to the last sweat of her brow?"

This time, her interrogator listened, [… Very well.]

The purple mist started to slid in her direction, it slowly took the shape of a vortex.

Two figures stepped forward—one face was familiar while the other was unknown.

They were heading her way.

"Not another step!" she warned them, aiming at them. "I will not hesitate to put a hole in your chests!"

The young man that seemed to be the one giving the orders brought a hand up—preventing Georg from doing anything perilous. He spoke calmly, "Peace, we don't want to harm you."

"Peace?" Lavinia repeated incredulously, "You caged me here to fight for my life… for your own, sickening enjoyment… and you still dare to say that?"

"Please, understand that our intentions weren't for the sake of entertainment," he tried to reason with her, "but rather, to have an estimate of your capabilities."

She simply glared.

"… It seems we are off to an awful start. As much as I would love to introduce myself, for confidential reasons, I can't… yet," Cao Cao gestured to his right hand, "I believe that you two are acquaintance with each other."

Georg offered a nod, "Lavinia."

"Traitor," Lavinia spat out.

"Indeed, off to a great start," Georg muttered as he fished something from his pockets. He showed it to her, "You are still bleeding. Drink this."

Rather than tossing it, he made sure the potion floated safely in her direction.

Lavinia grabbed it, "A Phoenix Tear," she noted.

"It should patch all your wounds," Georg commented.

"I don't need your sympathy," Lavinia dropped the vial as it shattered. She channeled her magic around her.

The blood on her skin was gone. The wounds patched. And her clothes were as new as the day she got them. She once again wore her witch hat.

Cao Cao was amused, "Your Sacred Gear aside, your ancestry is truly something to behold."

"… Don't read too much into it," Lavinia replied cautiously, "my family tree is made of common people."

"I know. That's what makes it better," Cao Cao praised her, "You are not a descendant of any notorious Magician, and yet, you were able to study in Grauzauberer—an association is known not only by its top-notch lessons but its extremely rigorous admission standards."

"You were part of Grauzauberer not due to your bloodline, but for your capability to be a Magician, a strength that you were born with," Georg added, "Magicians like you are hard to come by, Lavinia. You are a gemstone on a pile of mud."

She shot him a chilling glare, "I never asked for your opinion, traitor," she sharply faced Cao Cao, "And you, enough of your hollow words! What do you want from me?"

Cao Cao merely smiled, "Lavinia Reni. May I ask you a question?" The blonde didn't reply, but he took it as a 'go ahead', "What is the purpose of the human race? Is it to become the servants of Devils by selling away their humanity? Is it to hide behind the robes of faith and the wings of Angels? Or is it to be chased down by the spears of Fallen Angels just because some were born with tools of unlimited potential?" he shook his head, "None. I reject those answers. I chose something else. I chose the impossible. I chose Hero Faction. A faction where humanity won't be constrained by the supernatural. Where the Magician won't be bound by petty morality. Where the Sacred Gear User will unlock their true potential."

He suddenly summoned a spear that stole her breath, "The Hero Faction can become your group as well."

"True Longinus," she whispered.

Her awestruck expression was satisfying to see, "And with your help, humanity will break free from this wheel."

It was silence afterward. Cao Cao and Georg were staring at her expectantly and Lavinia knew why—they were waiting for her answer.

She couldn't lie, their goals impressed her. She imagined that only Mephisto worried about what happened in the Human World, but it was good to hear that there were also humans out there fighting to make a change.

Her gaze stopped over the Mist User. Was this the reason why Georg abandoned Grauzauberer? Did he truly sacrifice his career as a Magician by shaking hands with this man? To join arms for the sake of giving humanity a light of hope they could look up to?

If it's true, then her views of Georg changed drastically.

"How do you plan to do that?" Lavinia finally asked, "how will you free our people from its shackles? Such goal… it as hard as ending world hunger—even more."

"By vanquishing the evil beings that keep harming humanity."

The blonde frowned, "Who are these evil beings?"

"The whole supernatural world," her eyes widened at the claim, "We will erase its very concept from the core of this world."

Lavinia felt a knot tighten on her throat, "This… this is not fixing the problem; you're making it worse! You can't blame everyone for the actions of few!"

"Lavinia Reni. For too many years, we gave the supernatural time to stop and repent for their violent actions against us. For too many years, humanity was at the bottom of the food chain. Fleeing from threats, rather than fighting them. The pantheons were bigger than us. Stronger than us. We were mice, scurrying in the shadows, hoping the giants won't see us. Not anymore. Humanity is no longer fleeing. We're the giants now."

"Genocide," Lavinia breathed out, horrified, "Your goal is to cause the largest genocide the world has ever faced."

"Their comeuppance is at hand."

"No… no!" Lavinia took a step back, "the Hero Faction will stand atop a pile of corpses if your agenda is accomplished!"

"The mud on our boots will hide the bloodstains."

"… You're not even disgusted with your fucking words! If Devils are supposed to be the personification of evil, then what does that turn you?!" Lavinia snapped, "How can you even look at the mirror and call yourself a hero with these twisted ideas?!"

"We are the villain in someone's story, Lavinia Reni," Cao Cao countered, unfazed by her outburst, "We are the hero in another's."

Her gaze became cold, "… I agree. Finally, something we mutually agreed upon," she clenched her fists tightly, "Cao Cao, you are the villain of my story. I won't join your terrorist group."

"Pity. It is truly a shame that you picked the wrong choice," Cao Cao lamented, "… At first, I refused to believe it, but it seems that coexisting with Devils negatively changed your mindset."

"…"

"And it so happens that you're planning to start a Magician Pact with one of them."

"… Stay away from him," Lavinia growled.

"Your reaction further proves it," Cao Cao shook his head like a disappointed father, "You belong to Danhauser Belial, the one roach that will pose a challenge to exterminate. Don't worry. I just need time to find the proper poison."

Cao Cao slammed twice the butt of True Longinus on the ground.

At cue, the very same monsters Lavinia slew against resurfaced from the mists of Dimension Lost. Once they spotted her, they bared their teeth, walking in circles around their fresh prey.

"I am giving you another chance to choose," Cao Cao tapped his spear on his shoulder, "I would rather avoid anything that could cause you harm—you are flawless as you are, Lavinia Reni. If you received any kind of damage that could permanently incapacitate you, then I wouldn't forgive myself."

Lavinia could feel her heartbeat travel all across the back of her mouth. She did her best to not be intimidated by their display of power. The sweat on her temple started to speak for her.

Georg moved forward, "You don't have to do this, Lavinia," he tried to persuade her, "we can make a deal."

Cao Cao raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Lavinia's face wrinkled in anger, "Why would I make a deal with the likes of you? The very same man that betrayed Chairman Mephisto?"

And he knew which buttons to press, "I know about Glinda."

Her heart missed a beat, "M-Mom?! But how?!"

"She visited the human world years ago," Georg continued, "Japan."

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes at his subordinate.

"That can't be… what for…?" Lavinia decided to push her luck. "Why?"

"Not so fast, Lavinia. I shared enough," Georg declined, "help the Hero Faction, and the Hero Faction will help you."

Of course, it was going to end up like that, but it didn't hurt to try. She now hesitated. If she accepted, she could finally find Glinda. All these years of searching and not finding a legitimate clue could end at this precise moment.

But what Georg said could also be fabricated.

And even worse, she had to cut ties with her friends.

She even felt disgusted from mauling over her options when the answer was so obvious.

"Am I that desperate?"

Lavinia lowered her head, enough for her large hat to shadow her expression, "I'm nothing like you, Georg. You, who betrays people you grew up with as naturally as you breathe. I won't be able to look at my friends in the eye if I backstabbed them," She looked up with glowing eyes, "Balance Breaker."

The eyes of Cao Cao expanded into dishes. A strong blizzard surged through her and shot forward. The beasts of Annihilation Maker charged but became statues after being exposed to the true power of Absolute Demise.

"Watch out!" The Hero Faction leader was embraced by the mists of Georg before Lavinia's Balance Breaker devoured them.

The last thing Cao Cao witnessed was the purple land of the artificial world being repainted by winter itself.

.


.

After returning to the artificial world produced by Dimension Lost, Cao Cao and Georg watched their new surroundings.

Just as he predicted.

It was Christmas-white. The grassland was underneath a white blanket of snow and ice. The winds howled like a horror movie. On the ceiling of this new world were sharp stalactites ready to fall. They could barely see with the snowstorm blocking their vision.

He almost thought they were in the artic. Or a violent snow crystal.

"It was a good move to come prepared beforehand," Cao Cao pulled something out of his pocket, and grabbed an eyeball big enough that occupied his whole palm, "with Leonardo's minion, this should give us some immunity to the."

Pocketing back his charm, Cao Cao squinted his eyes to enhance his vision, but to no avail. "Where is she?!"

Georg saw his leader's breath in the cold, but couldn't hear a word, "What?"

"Where is she!?" Cao Cao raised his voice through the rough climate. He tried to take a step forward but almost slipped because of the persisting ice.

"Georg! Use your mist to open portals so Leonardo can…" Cao Cao stopped halfway once he saw the bespectacled man turned into a sculpture of ice.

"What?!" A chill on his back warned him to summon True Longinus. He tried to move but realized the ice was as well freezing him from toes to head.

The light of his spear embraced his body, enough to dispose of the ice all over his lower body.

Not even with Leonardo's monster protecting them was enough to counter the Balance Breaker of Absolute Demise.

At this point, he imagined that Georg wouldn't be able to rely on his mist.

"How strong is she?" He took another peek at the gift of Leonardo and saw it now became a frozen ball. He tossed it aside—a flash of recognition possessed his eyes, "Now I understand… Because of the climate caused by her Longinus, all ice-based abilities are greatly amplified—to the point that she can even freeze the mists produced by Dimension Lost. Throughout her Balance Breaker… does it turn on par to a High-Class Longinus?"

He felt her chilling presence and spoke, "You truly are full of surprises."

Growling grey clouds appeared above and launched lightning strikes at him. Cao Cao countered by jumping out of the way.

However, the Mist User was unable to move, "Damn it!" Cao Cao tackled him out of the way before the lighting punished them.

"I can't study her while protecting Georg!" Cao Cao put the gears on his sharp mind to work, "Not on these conditions!"

He saw a dozen lighting spears heading on their way. "I have no other option." He spun his spear above his head, the True Longinus slowly being covered in a powerful light. "Balance Breaker!"

Cao Cao slammed the back of his spear to the ground, causing particles of light to circle him until they evolved into seven orbs.

"Maniratana!" He called out, and one of the seven orbs moved in front of him to swallow Lavinia's magic before sending it back to her. "Assaratana!"

Snapping her fingers, Lavinia requested a wall of ice before the bolts could harm her. She sensed a presence behind her and whirled around in time to see the spear user descending at her.

"Did he just teleport?" She moved away in time for Cao Cao to land back on the ground.

Landing roughly back to his previous spot, Cao Cao looked over the frozen Georg. "Assaratana." One of his orbs responded by moving toward the Stray Magician and poking him—teleporting him outside the artificial world.

Lavinia watched the whole display, "Each orb has a unique ability it seems," she started to make mental notes, "One can teleport and the other can deflect the attacks back at me. Interesting."

Five more to go—she thought. Unfortunately, it's impossible to identify each orb when they are so lookalike.

"Well then," Cao Cao calmly faced her his orbs rotating around him menacingly, "Shall we proceed?"

"You could have escaped as well," Lavinia pointed out.

"I could, but it'd be a waste of chance. My Balance Breaker is incomplete," Cao Cao revealed, taking a stance, "It's on "a work in progress" state you see. Maybe with this fight, I can evaluate whether should I tweak some minor things or completely redo it from scratch."

Lavinia scowled suspiciously. She doubt that was all of it, "I see," she contemplated, "If I must fight you against you and your seven orbs, then I might as well summon my guardian angel."

Cao Cao felt a chill craw on his back. Through the snowstorm, he spied a tall silhouette calmly approaching him.

Once it emerged from the roaring snowfall, Absolute Demise stopped in front of him. Cao Cao saw the horrifying figure towering him.

A three-meter tall doll of ice and sculpted as a woman wearing a royal dress. Its four, skeletal arms could easily pick him by the waist and crush him.

He looked up to match its glare. No nose or mouth, Only six eyes on the left side of its face and the right side covered by thorns of a rose.

His opponent started with a curtsy, and Cao Cao saw underneath the dress his own reflection on a pair of long blade legs.

And suddenly, it disappeared in a blur.

"It's fast!" Cao Cao felt a big presence from behind and turned around in time to block the ax kick with the center of his spear. The impact alone produced a shockwave that made all the snow on the ground shoot away.

He tried to shove it back but found out that the doll kept adding pressure that he was forced to drop on a knee. "Itthiratana!" he ordered and his orb crashed onto the foe, but was easily caught by one of its huge hands.

Aside from being turned into a ball of ice, nothing happened to the enemy Longinus.

Curious. Itthiratana worked only on females—its powers made those of the opposite sex lose their special abilities for a brief time.

If it didn't affect the three-meter tall doll, then that could only mean that…

"Genderless," He tilted his head, dodging his frozen orb thrown in his direction, "Gahapatiratana!" clay-like warriors answered his call by thrusting their weapons forward, forcing his foe to jump back to safety. Cao Cao and his soldiers tried to take advantage of its defenseless state but almost lost their balance after taking a single step.

He realized he was standing in the middle of a frozen lake. He looked over his shoulder to see Lavinia in the air and still freezing the ground completely.

He pointed his spear at her, "Fire!"

Three of his terracotta small army dropped to a single knee and took aim and fired at the blonde. Lavinia had no difficulty blocking their arrows. She realized that their soldiers only served as a distraction when Cao Cao was gone.

Lavinia looked over to see the spear stretching in her direction. She narrowly dodged the strike, feeling only goosebumps as the spear passed through the gap of her shoulder and head.

The Italian Magician moved out of the way and shot at him a gust of wind that broke his stance—enough for her to build distance.

As Cao Cao recovered, Absolute Demise skated straight at him—all his army of clay subjected as ice statues. He watched the doll jump and showcase a beautiful spin before slamming down its leg.

The frozen lake split open and from the waters deadly spikes made of ice surged straight at him, all summoned by the Magician. Cao Cao had to teleport his body out of harm.

But that was what Absolute Demise wanted. It charged forward and once again Cao Cao was forced on the defensive as the monster continued striking with its feet with quick jabs.

As he continued avoiding its sharp legs, Cao Cao tried to analyze the Independent Avatar as much as he could, but sometimes he was rudely interrupted by Lavinia offering airstrike in the shape of icicles. Whenever he teleported out of the way, Lavinia's Longinus seemed to understand his next destination and waited for him.

That… thing's combat style was hard to read. Its attacks were inconsistent.

No… Absolute Demise wasn't fighting at all. It was dancing and putting on a show from an audience that didn't exist. The way it moved so delicately and dangerously, like a professional ballerina knowledgeable on Taekwondo.

He backpaddled and blocked anything the giantess threw at him. He played along on the choreographed dance until he found the window to counterattack.

It tried to bait him with feinting attacks by quickly swapping with its other leg to strike his blind spot. It even baited him by making it look itself with the guard down, but whenever Cao Cao tried to stab it, Absolute Demise changed the route of his attack with its heel. He was able to block it, but the shockwave made him wince.

After being shoved back by a roundhouse kick stopped with his Longinus. Cao Cao stabbed the lake and propelled himself backward, hurling himself out of the ice rink.

But he didn't make it halfway into the sky as he was launched back to the ground by a powerful rush of wind.

After his rough landing, the Ice Princess was already waiting. Absolute Demise spun aimed for his neck, he bent down and swung True Longinus in a spiral, but the Longinus Avatar jumped back and launched a lance of ice in midjump.

Cao Cao responded by splitting it over. He bent down and dashed straight at his foe along with a dozen terracotta soldiers. Absolute Demise placed its four hands on the snow and turned Cao Cao's path into a layer of ice. He fell off alongside his soldiers and quickly rolled out of the way when the ice carpet sprouted deadly spikes, leaving him all by himself.

He quickly got up and was met by a thrust of its sharp leg. He moved aside and amputated its leg like a hot knife through butter. He was ready to split it in half, but Absolute Demise did a backflip with its remaining limbs.

Throughout that backflip, Absolute Demise was able to cut him with its heel.

He covered his fresh wound with a desperate growl. The ice spread all over he was marked, and his weapon wasn't spared either. He prevented it by releasing the unmatchable light of True Longinus.

He saw the ice sculpture dash at him, using its four arms instead of its leg. He pointed the tip of his Longinus and fired a beam of light that was easily dodged—he summoned more soldiers and they charged at the doll, but they easily froze over.

He thrust his spear and it extended straight to the enemy, stabbing its shoulder. The Ice Princess was backpaddled by the impact but recovered by grabbing the spear by the neck before it retracted back to its owner.

"Everything freezes over if it gets close to you," Cao Cao complained whilst the ice traveled after him, using his spear as means of transition, "the temperature decreases exponentially the closer I get to you. As if you had a defensive aura."

With True Longinus still stuck on Absolute Demise's shoulder, Cao Cao fired another torrent of light that hurled Ice Princess back. He watched with satisfaction as his foe rolled on the snow.

"Angel!" Lavinia's cry was followed by furious attacks of magic. The Chinese returned them with his orb, but they didn't hit the mark.

Even after his projectile shattered the shoulder of Absolute Demise, it continue to dart to the ends of the world like a shooting star. Once it crashed on a surface, the whole dimension quivered.

Cao Cao almost lost his footing because of that. He saw underneath him a shadow growing bigger and looked up to see the stalactites he saw early pouring down at him.

Even Lavinia had to make maneuvers in the sky to prevent the stalactites from killing her in midair.

Cao Cao narrowly jumped out of the way, "I have to be careful with my range attacks. I can accidentally destroy Georg's Balance Breaker… curious."

Dimension Lost was famous not only because of its ability to transport the user to whenever he pleases, but because it ranked as the strongest Sacred Gear in terms of defensive capabilities—either equal or superior to the current Satan Asmodeus' technique.

But a mere beam of light of his Longinus was able to threaten the artificial dimension.

"This new world," he briefly studied his surroundings before turning back to his foe, "Rather than reinforcing Georg's Balance Breaker, it made it brittle."

Ice was an element easy to shatter after all.

Thanks to his inactivity, the warmth of his body dissipated and the exposure of this frozen world finally started to become evident.

He felt the cold wash over his skin, looming a threat of numbness. His teeth rattled together and he imagined if his tongue somehow touched True Longinus, it'd be stuck.

"If Absolute Demise doesn't kill me, this place will," Cao Cao used the glow of his spear to try to keep himself as warm as possible, "Shattering it is the smartest and safest choice…"

And Cao Cao didn't need to fire multiple beams all across the sphere, as easy as Georg disabling his Balance Breaker should be enough to escape this hellish winter.

After all, it was because of Dimension Lost that constructed the artificial space, Absolute Demise merely froze it over.

However…

"She could call for reinforcements," he clicked his tongue once Absolute Demise shakily picked itself, snow falling from its ravaged body, "And we would be forced to retreat empty-handed. We made it so far to leave without her skillset in our group."

As long as Georg's Balance Breaker remained active, communications and means of escape to the real world were impossible to her.

He readied himself as Absolute Demise approached him, ignoring its lethal wounds. A leg and half of its body were that Cao Cao took from the Independent Avatar.

Unfortunately, its body easily regenerated back its missing limbs. The Ice Princess offered a second curtsy at him, before disappearing from sights.

"I need a plan," Cao Cao grasped his Longinus tightly, studying his surroundings to spot his opponent, but the raging snowstorm complicated everything, "I can't die here, but I can't let her find a way to escape either."

Could it be this the reason why she refused to use her Longinus while fighting the monsters of Annihilation Maker? To keep him as uninformed as possible of her mastery over Absolute Demise?

Despite the odds, Cao Cao laughed a little, "As I thought, you are truly amusing—Lavinia Reni."

He wanted her badly now.

"That small earthquake," Cao Cao saw Lavinia fall on a silent line of thought. He gritted his teeth once her eyes flashed like a pair of light bulbs. She knows, "Is that it?"

Cao Cao ignored Absolute Demise and instead dashed straight at the blonde, the Independent Avatar was quicker and blocked his way, but he used terracotta soldiers to clash against the doll, followed by teleporting himself out of the way.

Lavinia seeing something thrown at her way moved out of the way to avoid getting touched by one of his orbs. The second one was easier to dodge, but Cao Cao appeared from it.

Seeing how he was about to stab her, Lavinia acted out of instinct by trapping Cao Cao inside a human size snow globe and made some distance.

Cao Cao cut in half his prison and saw multiple clones of Lavinia glaring at him, but instead of attacking him simultaneously, they flew in different directions except for the original one.

And then, Lavinia snapped her fingers.

To the sound of explosions came the terrible tremor. Cao Cao saw the fissures spread across the ground and the roof.

Everything was threatening to collapse apart.

As everything crumbled, a magic circle appeared beside his ear, [Cao Cao! Do you copy?!]

"Georg," Cao Cao grunted as he teleported away all the stalactites raining down at him, "You made it."

[Leonardo helped me,] Georg briefly explained, obviously ashamed, [I let my guard down. If only I knew Absolute Demise could…]

"We can lick our wounds later, I need you to focus," Cao Cao ordered, "Disable your Balance Breaker."

[What?! Are you mad?!] Cao Cao narrowly evaded a projectile, only leaving a small cut on his cheek. [It's a horrible plan, Cao Cao!]

Damn it. Damn it all.

This could cost them.

But...

"I agree, it is foolish," Cao Cao admitted, "do you have something better in mind?"

[…]

"Do it. She lost already."

[… Very well.]

After the reluctant answer, the whole world began getting overshadowed by a gigantic fog that eventually bent and crashed down.

The tsunami-like wave that hit was nothing like the waves that lapped the shore every minute of every day. It was a wall of purple mist, wide and powerful. It raced at the snowy forest as swift and unforgiving as an axe, felling anything and everyone in its path.

Cao Cao casually watched as the tidal wave sprinted at him.

He closed his eyes before it wrapped him in frigid foamy fingers of the mist floor.

.


.

Lavinia fluttered her eyes open as they adjusted to the new light of her surroundings—or the lack of thereof.

Once they fully opened, she recognized the forest and the hoot of the owls. It was nighttime. They were back in the real world.

Her Sacred Gear was with her, but her Balance Breaker was gone.

"Well fought—Lavinia Reni," and they weren't alone, "but this is over."

She saw the holy spear stretching with immense speed but not after them.

Once she saw Cao Cao's target, the color on her skin drained.

The cabin. Her childhood.

Absolute Demise was about to deflect the spear with a kick, but the purple mist caught it first.

Georg observed the Ice Princess trying to freeze his abilities, to no avail, "It's useless," he adjusted his glasses, "Without Balance Breaker, your ice is no match to my Longinus."

"No!" Lavinia tried to invoke multiple layers of defensive crests to halt the True Longinus, but her magic didn't answer her desperations after the orb of Cao Cao touched her—disabling her abilities. Including turning the Avatar of her Longinus into shards of ice.

But Lavinia kept her attention firmly on the holy lance. The True Longinus continued stretching at the speed of a racing train.

She didn't stand there hopelessly. She acted by using her body as a meat shield.

But before the blade pierced her body, it stopped inches away from her face, "Just as I imagined," Cao Cao hummed, "that cabin has a valuable spot in your heart. Is it yours, or does it belong to this woman Georg mentioned before?"

Once Cao Cao retracted his spear, Lavinia found herself inside Dimension Lost.

The fear was evident on her face as she searched for means to escape, but her confinement was flawless from any defects.

And suddenly, a strange miasma started to pump on her prison. She hurriedly continued fighting against her inevitable fate as her gaze started to blurry.

"… Do you believe in fate, Lavinia Reni?" she heard his calm voice echoing as she tried to fend off the aftereffects of the gas, "I do."

As she tried to hold her breath, Lavinia could feel his aloof gaze observing her squirming form.

"A man who elates ears through music is fated to become a composer. A man who creates life with a brush is fated to become a painter," Lavinia could feel her eyes growing heavier, "A man who is born with a Longinus is fated to slay the gods. This is our ambition—to see what lies at the end of power for humanity. This is what the Hero Faction is about."

Georg waited until his sleeping powder took complete effect on their catch. "Done," he confirmed before teleporting their captive to the headquarters, "We should head out fast too. Who knows how many felt this source of power."

"Georg. This Glinda holds any important significance to Lavinia Reni?"

"Yes. From what Mephisto Pheles mentioned, Glinda is her foster mother."

"I'll shoot in the dark here and believe Glinda went to Japan because her 'daughter' was active in that part of the world."

"Not at all. From the information I've gathered, it seems she was hired by someone from the Five Principal Clans."

Cao Cao furrowed his brows, "… I see," he made his Longinus dematerialize in holy dust, "better get a move on, Georg. Take us out of here."

"Understood."

Dimension Lost warped them into its cold embrace, before vanishing from the forest.

.


.

The young god's eyes were wide and panicked as he was led toward the leader's quarters.

It was the bottomless divine energy emanating from the door at the end of the passageway that gave him second thoughts. The power traveling through the claustrophobic halls of the enormous, palace was felt by every guard aboard the Vimana—as intended.

The guard, that lead him throughout the floating palace, rested a reassuring hand on the scout's shoulder.

They came to a halt before the door, "Deep breaths," the guard advised, "Mother Goddess will want to hear what you have to say."

With that, the doors opened by themselves. Inside the room were other gods wearing the same armor as his guide. The scout didn't hear the words spoken between them; his gaze fixed on the single woman seated on the dinner table.

Parvati.

"Mother Parvati," said the guard, "I figured you'd want to hear this."

Parvati said nothing, nor did she turn, still intent as she was on her dinner. The armored guard nudged the young god forward. He stumbled before he caught his footing and shuffled closer. The novice god approached the wife of the God of Destruction as he would a cliff's edge.

The scout gathered the courage to address her, "L-Lady—!"

"Mother," Parvati turned from her food to stare at the visitor. Her eyes were as cold and sharp as a lioness. "It's mother, child."

The child nodded profusely, his face now drained of color.

Parvati smiled, her attention returning to her food. "Have you eaten today?"

"N-no, mother."

"Neither have I," she stated, "You shouldn't be skipping your nourishments, child. You are a soldier of Mount Kailash. I need you in shape when the time of war comes," she poured herself a glass of water. "After this conversation is over, will you promise your mother to have a good dinner?"

"I-I promise, Mother Parvati!"

"Good! Now," she drawled, swinging her gaze back at her guest. "What did you want to tell me?"

"A... a couple of men," said her scout, his words faltering. "Two of them—younger than any of us. They were on Europe."

"Go on," Parvati encouraged him.

"He was trying to be crafty. But I saw him. My squad saw him, mother."

"Mm-hmm," Parvati muttered as she began to lose interest. She turned back to her dish.

"Get to the point," the guard urged him.

"One of them could control a fog with a twitch of his fingers. Its color was purple."

And suddenly, Parvati rose from her throne, like a sea monster rising from the depths of the ocean. "Tell me where."

"A small place between the countries of Italy and Switzerland."

"Valle Vigezzo?" The mother goddess glared at his guards, "Get everyone to the meeting room. We've got work to do."

Her guards paid their respects before leaving the room.

Parvati approached and stood face to face with the scout. She gestured to the large table full of different exotic dishes, "Eat and drink to your heart's content."

She strode purposefully toward the exit and walked alone in the hallway.

Her footsteps not faltering, Parvati crafted a magic circle beside her ear, "Ganesha, honey," her motherly voice resurfaced, "do mom a favor."

.


.

Guest reviews:

Guest: Yes, Dan will have girls from Ise's harem. Three of them were confirmed on Shin and the other one is Ravel.

Guest: Malacoda is fun to write about, I share your sentiment.

Guest: The Queen of Dan has made their debut a long time ago.

Guest: Thank you! I hope I wasn't late in delivering the chapter.

.


.

I was saving this chapter since January 23 is the birthday of Lavinia Reni herself. And what a better way of wishing her a happy birthday than uploading a chapter dedicated to her and in which she may get tortured next chapter!

So, happy birthday to the best Magician girl.

There's a reason why Meredith is the Pope, I think it's pretty much obvious, but if you don't know, you will find out later on. I made a promise a while back that I wanted to expand Heaven, and I will, and this is one of them. This also involves the Holy Relics, aka, Sephiroth Graal and so on. Some of the Longinus I changed a few of their abilities, mainly Meredith's.

I think I made it op, but according to this fanbase OP=good.

Nothing else to say, I hope I can release the next chapter fast. But no promises.

Until then!

.


Next Life: Unforeseen Complications