Heart of the Melting Blood
The Moonlight Legend

Written by: Lone Wolf NEO
Conceived by: Lone Wolf NEO

Disclaimer: Lone Wolf NEO does not own any of TYPE MOON titles, Guilty Gear or any of the games, anime, movies, books and the like that are the property of other people. All original characters in this story are his creations and property. All insert characters are copyright or owned by their respective represented real-life entities. The author would appreciate it if the content of this story isn't plagiarized without his permission.

For new readers: the setting is in the timeline after the events of Shingetsusan Tsukihime, FATE/Stay Night and Melty Blood. This is the sequel to the earlier instalment of Heart of Melting Blood RELOADED, and runs roughly in parallel with Sheo Darren's The World Within and Without. Please refer to the two stories for background information.

Chapter 01
In A Foreign Land

It had been years since the attack on the Gear village took place. Now, Alex was no longer the sacred knight upholding the code of the holy orders. He was now a traitor, betraying people he once entrusted to serve and protect. He was now a sinner, killing and claiming every life standing in his path shrouded with delusion. The lone wolf of holy orders now had his soul tainted and coated with blood, and everyday the desire for massacre enraged inside of him. The kodachi carrying the name Black Sabbath was his only companion and witness of all tragedies happening before him. He was the victim of his people's betrayal and hatred against him. He was a dead warrior. A warrior who failed to protect the people he cared of. A warrior whose heart and soul were connected to the people.

"When the people die, so does the warrior. The failure of a warrior is when he or she fails to protect the people and the person they vow to serve and protect. Without them, their existence is nothing in this world."

The ex-knight halted. Weakened, he fell to his knees and broke to his tears which streamed down his sorrowful eyes for the unknown times. "Why… why all these things have to happen to me? Why…?" he whimpered and screamed from the bottom of his broken heart. The creatures of the jungle were startled by the sombre cry and scattered for safety, avoiding the disturbing howl of the lone wolf.

The scream halted. Alex slowly stood back on his feet, staggering to keep himself balanced. The lone wolf lost balance and fell on the ground. The remaining strength was seeping out of him, and he was unable to move. All he could do was to slowly lie on his back and stared up at the open sky. "I have failed… I've failed to save them… the people… and Hikaru…" A tear flowed down his bruised cheek and dropped on the ground, as he silently cried. "Forgive me, everyone…" he whispered and slowly shut his eyes.

"Wait. This warmth… so familiar… how…? No, it can't be. I must be dreaming, am I?"

He opened his eyes and looked upward, noticing that a pair of ruby eyes was staring down at him in the warmest gaze he ever saw. Trying to move around, he found that his head was rested on a warm, maternal lap and was softly caressed by a warm palm. "Who… are you…?"

The woman was smiling at him. "Dizzy."

"…Dizzy?" At that time, he could see a pair of wings shielding him from the sunlight. It was as if she had been sent from the Heavens to accompany him in his final moment. "You're so beautiful… just like her…"

The woman placed a finger upon his trembling lips. "You're injured, sir. Please, don't force yourself too much, or you'll hurt yourself even more," she hushed, softly caressing his bruised cheeks.

Alex lifted his hand, trying to reach for her face before she took a hold of it and put it on his chest, resting it. "Are you… are you a…" and he almost fell asleep, as a beautiful hum began to take over his strength and conscious. "Wait… don't… I must ask you…"

Then he blacked out.

x-x-x-x-x

"This train will arrive in approximately one minute. Please make sure that all baggage are carried along, and none of your belongings are left behind. We are very happy to have served you along this trip, and we'll look forward into seeing you at the next travel. Thank you, and have a pleasant day."

Alex opened his eyes and stared outside the windows. "A dream… how long I haven't had the kind of dream?" he whispered. He was hesitant to stand up, and waited as the passengers had left their seats and approached the door, carrying their belongings along. Slow as he was, he reached for his sports bag and walked out of the train and headed toward the entrance door.

"Well, here I am," he uttered after walking out of the train station. He looked around him while putting down the bag he was carrying. "Let's see… I must find somewhere to stay before night arrives. I'm so damn tired, I need to sleep after all these travels." He outstretched, holstered the bag over his shoulder and walked down the road. He stopped at the signboard and looked up. "Mi…sa…ki… Town… huh?" he pronounced the name written on it. He shrugged and kept walking down the road that headed to the town.

Months had passed since the events of Heart of Melting Blood RELOAD took place, and Alex was taking a break from the long journey he took since he left Kiev. Already he visited various part of the world and witnessed numerous occasions that happened before his eyes. It had also been 10 years since he last lifted his sword to fight for the people; no longer he fought as the Holy Knight, but rather as his own self. Now that he remembered it, he missed the people he met at the city, especially the lone wolf of author's world and his wolf pack of Melty Blood. No longer he had to think of his endless rivalry with the Holy Knight Ky Kiske or the Corrupted Flame Sol Badguy, as well as discriminations he had to receive from the people.

His heart was tickled. The memory he shared with the alchemist of the Atlasian Academy at the city remained fresh in his mind. He still remembered the joy and sorrow he shared with purple-eyed woman, and he wished he could meet and thank her for understanding him.

x-x

"I don't really want to do this, but I have to go. There are still errands I must settle before I can finally rest assured. I'm very sorry."

"Alex, you could've just taken a break from these… wanderings. I mean…"

"I know, Miss Sion. 10 years have passed, and still I don't think I've had everything on my side finished. And besides… I have to pay her a visit."

"Hikaru… isn't it?"

"And Laila… as well."

"I'm going to miss you. There are still so much I want to know about you. Well…"

"It's only a travel, Sion. You know both of you can meet each other again."

"Aw, our Atlasian mistress has a crash toward the black feather. I'm so jealous. Boo-hoo."

"Stop it, Arcueid! You're embarrassing me!"

"Come on, we already know you're attached to Mister Alex. Just tell him that you want to be with him forever. Nya!"

"I said stop it! You're disgracing Alex!"

"Well, as Sion said earlier, we're going to miss you after this. Do come to the town and visit us whenever you have time."

"I will, Mister Shiki. How can I forget the deeds you people have done to me? I owe you one."

"Don't thank us. Thank Sion, she's been helping you a lot, you know."

"Thanks for helping me, anyway. I'd still be wandering around the world without a reason if it isn't for the people."

"Leaving for another journey again, Alex?"

"It can't be helped, Aoshi-sensei."

"Farewell, Alex. Let our path cross again when the day comes."

"We'll miss you a lot, Alex-san! Don't forget to write letters to us, okay?"

x-x

"Missing me, huh?" he uttered and broke into his grin. He stared up at the evening sky and chuckled. "Yeah, everywhere I go, people tend to miss me a lot. I don't know what's inside their mind, though, but it might be a good sign." He shrugged and continued walking down the road that headed to a nearby playground. He approached the bench and took a seat on it. "Better take a break. My legs are tiring out," he uttered and leaned against the bench. He grumbled and rubbed his sore legs.

He, later, took out a harmonica from his pocket and examined the item. "Now let's see how well I can play this thing," he uttered and played a song with the instrument. It only took a couple of seconds before he was caught in the hypnotizing music of the Wild West.

He stopped playing the harmonica. A child's cry caught his ears and he immediately looked for the unfortunate adolescent. He saw a young girl standing in the middle of the alley, weeping over her spilt ice cream while a woman beside her was comforting her. Shaking his head in wonder, he walked toward the couple. "May I offer my help, ma'am?" he asked.

"Thanks for the offer, sir," the young mother spoke while patted the girl's back. "I tried to tell Akiko that I'd buy her ice cream on the way home, but she insists to have one now."

Alex chuckled to hear the problem and knelt beside the girl. "Akiko, isn't it?" he asked and patted her head. "Now tell me what the problem is, I'll try to help."

"I want my ice cream…" the girl whined and pointed at the ice cream. "I don't want to go home until I get my ice cream back…"

"Aw, poor you," he uttered and chuckled. "Listen, Akiko. I'll buy you ice cream, and you must promise me to go home with your mother. Okay?"

The little girl stared at him in disbelief. "Really? Will you buy me ice cream, big brother?" she asked, her eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Of course I will, because I don't like to see a cute girl crying over lost things," he answered and patted her head again. He, then, excused himself, ran toward a nearby ice cream stand and came back with ice cream in his hand. "Here you go."

"You did buy me ice cream!" the girl excitedly cried and took the ice cream. "Thank you very much, big brother! I will not forget the deed you've done!"

"Thank you very much, sir," the young mother spoke and bowed before him. "You've been very helpful to us today. How can I ever pay you back?"

"No big deal, ma'am," he replied and grinned. "I just want to cheer little Akiko, that is. Besides, I don't have anything much to do for now, so I thought I might be helping other people just in case."

"Thank you for the ice cream again, big brother!" the girl spoke and smiled before walking away from him with the woman. "Bye, bye! I hope we can meet again, big brother!"

"And don't spill the ice cream on the road, okay?" Alex replied and waved back at them. He walked back to the bench and fetched the backpack before resuming his journey.

"Alex?"

He turned around and was in surprise when he saw the person who called him. "Miss Sion?"

The woman in purple clothes gasped when she saw him. "Alex! My goodness, what are you doing here?" she asked as she quickly approached him.

"I was just walking around here," he answered and put back the backpack on the pavement. "And helping unfortunate child getting back her ice cream. Well, I actually bought one for her."

"Damn, I never expected to see you here," Sion spoke and smiled. "I kinda miss you since you left Kiev. How good to see you here."

"Oh, really?" Alex spoke and laughed. "Did you miss me because I always treated you with ice cream? Or is it other way around?"

She scowled at him. "Hey, you're teasing me. Sheesh, I thought you'd change after travelling around the world."

He laughed again and scratched the back of his head. "So sorry, Miss Sion. I thought I'd still tease you like we used to at Kiev."

"Just as I thought, you don't change at all," the girl mumbled and pouted.

"Aw, come on, it's not that bad to be teased by a friend," he uttered.

x-x

"So, you decide to take a break from your travel, huh?" Sion asked, as she and Alex walked down the downhill road. "That's good for you, since you must've been tired from all the travelling."

"Well, actually, I've gone to many places and there's nothing for me to visit," Alex told and took a bit of the ice cream.

Sion glanced at him. "Are you telling me you've travelled around the world already? Wow, I've never met a man dedicated so much to travelling. Are you a wanderer or something, Alex?"

Alex chuckled at the comment. "I'm not qualified as a Wanderer, Miss Sion. Not yet," he spoke and continued eating the ice cream. "Well, you know, for someone who has travelled around the world for too long, the person must take a break at least. Don't you agree?"

"Now you're talking like a philosopher," Sion spoke and playfully elbowed him. "You're weird sometimes. I wonder whether you manage to make a few friends from your travels."

"Not much," he spoke and stared up at the sky, "I prefer to walk around alone, watching the people from faraway and not interfering with their affairs."

"An understatement, I believe," Sion insisted and ate the ice cream he bought for her. "Then what about the one standing beside you right now? You never said you're going to abandon the person alone, aren't you?"

He glanced at him in a teasing sight. "Are you giving me some kind of hint, Miss Sion?" he asked, staring at her soon-to-blush face.

"Stop teasing me, will you?" she demanded and elbowed him. Alex swiftly evaded the attack and jumped to her left. "Hey! Stop acting like a kid, will you? The people are watching at us."

"Oh, come on. We're friends, aren't we? There's nothing wrong for me to tease you," he insisted and playfully stared at her more flushed face.

"Friends or not, you're making me embarrassed!" she cried and chased him down the road. "Come back here, black feather! You're messing with the Atlasian alchemist!"

"Hah! Whoever reaches the finishing line last will have to make today's dinner!" he shouted and sped up. "Try to outrun me if you can, Miss Sion!"

"Don't underestimate me, Alex!"

x-x-x-x-x

"Sir, are you sure we still have to go after him? I mean, after these passing years, he should've forgotten the mistakes he had done."

"Sinners are sinners, and it is our duty as the Judges to clean this world from these kinds of people."

"But sir, why we have to wait until this day? Why don't we just punish him on the very first day?"

"He had people behind him when we first met him. But as time passes by, he began to isolate himself from the society and roams the ground as a lone wolf. And besides…"

"And besides?"

"We have a perfect bait for this task."

"I see."

"Well, my comrade, spare me some privacy. I need to ease off my mind for a while."

"Yes, sir."

The soldier walked out of the office, leaving the mid-40's man alone. The man in the crimson-red knight uniform folded his arms and grinned, occasionally rubbing his mid-length beard. "Heh, just you wait, lone wolf… your judgment will come upon you. You can no longer escape from the Judges."

"So, what do you think," the man spoke, noticing the presence of a young woman inside the office, "of the soon-to-come judgment day? Of course, I expect nothing much from you regarding this matter."

"I have no comment about the event, sir," calmly the woman spoke.

The man grinned. "As expected from the one who once lived with the wolf. Very well, you know your task already, don't you? Now go, time awaits no one."

"Understood, sir."

The young woman in dark blue robe walked out of the room, again leaving the man alone. He glanced at her for a moment before closed eyes and grinned. "Soon… everything will come to an end. Very soon…"