Heart
of the Melting Blood
Legend
of the Moonlight
Written
and conceived by: Lone Wolf NEO
Lone Wolf NEO does not own any of all the games or anime or manga featured in this story, but he owns the copyright to all his original ideas in this fiction. The author would really appreciate it if readers do not plagiaries everything inside this story without his knowledge.
Chronological Note: Heart of the Melting Blood: Legend of the Moonlight takes place scarcely half a year after the event in Heart of the Melting Blood RELOADED, and currently runs roughly in parallel with Guilty Gear: the World within and Without written and created by Sheo Darren. This is Heart of Melting Blood: Legend of the Moonlight's new arc, the Awe of She Arc, which takes approximately a week after events in FATE Arc, and takes place in a peaceful, seaside town away from all the chaos and disorders. This is the arc where another half of the story will be revealed, thus completing the story… hopefully.
Chapter
15
Invoke
and be Ignited
Midnight came, and the summer house was silent. The sound of crickets chirping from beneath the woods further added the tranquillity of the night. It would be just another 12 hours before the Summer Festival, and the women were more than eager to enjoy the festival in their new yukata. So eager they were that they were busy chattering with each other along the night, forgetting their time to sleep.
Not for this lone wolf.
Alex was standing next to the windows. After having fun with Dizzy and the summer group earlier today, he decided to put all thoughts of the memory aside and concentrated his mind on Eiko. The woman with self-proclamation as the leader of the Maidens of Purple Lotus, and with unknown revenge against him; he was wondering of what she wanted from him.
"Meet me at the hill this midnight; I'll be waiting with all the answers you need."
"Fine, if she insists to," he pondered and wore his eyeglasses. He looked at the reflection of himself on the mirror, sighed as he watched at his messy appearance and left the room. As slowly as he could he stepped toward the kitchen, not wanting to wake up all the sleeping residents. He later took the marionette gloves from sleeves of his shirt and wore them. "Good, this should do it," he uttered and ran toward the hill. It was an easy journey as the hill was not far from the summer house, and he reached the destination in under ten minutes.
"You're late, Alexander Hahn," Eiko, the woman he wanted to know who was heard saying as he approached a boulder at the topmost of the summit.
"I'm never late, Miss Tanaka. A man always keeps true to his promise," he said and looked around the hilltop. "So can I get the answers you had promised to give?"
Eiko said nothing to answer him. Instead she snapped her fingers, and in seconds the hilltop was full of maidens who appeared from nowhere, and were surrounding Alex. "I should give you the answers, but I will not do so until this revenge is exacted," the woman spoke and walked away from the boulder.
"Again? Just what did I do that have angered you?" he asked.
"Because you killed Johansson, and you destroyed our future!" she cried and clenched her fists. "When I thought I could tell him I agreed to become his wife… you took his life and you took our hope away! Murderer! You must be punished for this!"
She pounced at him and landed a punch onto his midsection. He braced himself for a while, endured the attack then pushed her faraway. "Miss Tanaka, I'd advice you not to do that," he said and evaded a maiden's attack from the behind. "And please explain to me what I had done to you. I really don't know anything. Honest."
"Don't talk to me!" Eiko screamed and ordered her minions to attack Alex en masse. "I know what you had done, and I won't hold back until you pay everything back! Don't say that you forgot everything!"
Caught in the chaos, Alex parried and deflected and evaded all attacks that were directed at him. He was unlucky to overlook a maiden and was kicked on the back of his head. He was knocked away from the maidens and crashed on a pile of woods. He tried to get up when he saw Eiko approaching him, failing to notice the chain whip she was holding as he had dropped his eyeglasses during the crash.
"Miss Tanaka, please, you need to explain everything to me," he pleaded and shook his ringing head. "If you don't, then how am I going to admit my mistakes?"
"You're a criminal, and a criminal doesn't need a reason to listen to," Eiko answered and aimed the chain whip at his head. "Prepare for your death, Alexander Hahn!"
His head and ears rang more, and he could not see the oncoming attacks. All he could heed was an angered battle cry, and a slipstream of air that was coming at his way. Then a glimpse of flashback knocked his mind, and he remembered everything that happened in it very clear.
x-x
"Where do you think you're going, Alex-san?" all along came Hibiki's concerned voice as he was stepping away from the summer house. He turned around and saw the swordswoman walking out of the kitchen.
"Where am I going? Of course to take a breath of tonight's fresh air," he said, not telling her his true intention. He later noticed the two suspicious eyes were staring at him. "What's the matter? Don't you believe me?"
"You're forced to fight somebody out there, aren't you?" Hibiki suggested.
"What are you talking about, Miss Takane?" Alex asked. "I did tell you I'm going out for fresh air."
Her eyes peered. "I saw you wearing the marionette gloves before leaving the house. As far as I know, there are only two groups of people who would use the gloves," she spoke. "Puppeteers for a marionette show, and assassins to kill people. And assassins wouldn't wander around with such weapons unless there's someone they have to face."
"What does the last group have to do with this conversation, Miss Takane?" Alex asked.
"Alex-san, I'd advice you not to do anything stupid that would hurt you," Hibiki reminded. "It isn't not for me, but for Dizzy-chan. What will she think if she sees you getting hurt?"
"Please, Miss Takane," Alex pleaded and started cracking his fingers. "I don't really like to have argument with you, but I need to go. This matter must be finished tonight, or I won't be able to…"
Hibiki stared at him for a very long time, even as the midnight wind started breezing. Then she sighed and handed him a wooden sword. "Here, take this with you. You might need it," she said.
He took the wooden sword and slung it on his belt. "Thank you, Miss Takane. I promise I won't let myself be hurt. And please don't tell Dizzy where I'm going; she might be worried if you do. And if she does find out," and here he glanced back at Hibiki, "don't allow her to interfere. This is for her own good."
Hibiki nodded. "I will, Alex-san. A warrior will hold onto her words whatever happens."
x-x
Alex immediately withdrew the wooden sword and deflected the chain whip. He jumped away from Eiko and shot strings from his palm, entangling the maiden he targeted at. He pulled Eiko toward him, landed a punch on her midsection and knocked her out before jumped away from another maiden that was attacking.
"He's getting away!" Eiko shouted as she regained her balance. "Block all paths to this hill! Don't allow him to escape this area!"
He stopped in the middle of the escape and plunged the wooden sword into the ground. Instantly a massive shockwave was unleashed and knocked most of the maidens away. He slowly arose, spun the wooden sword in his hand and made a stance with strings fully withdrawn from his marionette gloves.
"I'm sorry, ladies," he spoke as the maidens pounced back at him. "But don't blame me if something happens to you!"
x-x-x-x-x
Hibiki returned to the kitchen after finishing some matters outside the summer house with Alex. She had seen him going to the hill, and from her intuitions he was going to be in trouble. Hence she decided to lend him her wooden sword, and it was the best thing she could do to help him.
She headed to her room and found herself facing the worried face of Dizzy. From the look of it, she could guess that the Gear woman was looking for someone. "What's wrong, Dizzy-chan? You're supposed to sleep at this time, right?" she asked.
"Where has he gone to?" Dizzy asked.
"Who you're talking of, Dizzy-chan?" Hibiki replied.
"I saw Alex leaving the house. Where's he gone to?" the hybrid repeated the question. "Hibiki-chan, please tell me where he's gone to."
Hibiki was reluctant. She had promised Alex to keep the duel secret from Dizzy; yet somehow the young woman was very persistent and kept asking her of where Alex had gone to. "Please, Hibiki-chan; I may not know what he's up to, but where is he?" she pleaded and stared at the heir of the Takane clan in the infamous, if not frowned upon, puppy-doggy eyes. Hibiki coughed when she saw the dreadfully cute stare. Supreme and disciplined of a warrior she might be, she would still be helpless against a certain puppy-doggy eyes. Besides, the person who gave her such kind of look happened to be her friend, if not the best, and she understood her better than anyone else.
"Onegai, I beg of you…" Dizzy pleaded, as her eyes became more droopy and watery.
"Dizzy-chan…" She breathed out. This better be good; gomennasai, Alex-san, but I can't keep the promise. Tightly holding the shirasayanihontou inherited from her late father Genzou, she stared at the Gear woman. "Alex-san is…"
"INVOKE AND BE IGNITED!"
Subsequent to the battle cry, the hill behind the summer house trembled with force equal to the tsunami that struck the south-eastern region of the world's largest continent. Hibiki, Dizzy and the rest of the residents were shocked by the monstrous quake and looked at the hill. What they saw was both shocking and terrifying; a group of warrior maidens and a lone fighter were 'dancing the sky' and exchanging hundreds of attacks, with the lone fighter shooting strings from his palm and knocking maidens that were trying to get close with the wooden sword. Dizzy, especially, was the most surprised.
"Alex?" The Gear woman rushed toward the fight scene when Hibiki stepped on her way. "Why are you stopping me? I must help him!" she cried.
Hibiki shook her head. "Alex-san doesn't want you to be in his way," she uttered. "Let him be."
"I don't care of that! I must help him!" she cried, her eyes burning in rage.
The fight scene continued, as the massive group landed from their aerial dance and was engaged in fierce ground battle like never before. The warrior, the lone wolf of the Assassin's Guild and the former knight of the Holy Orders, were surrounded by the maidens of the Purple Lotus who were fully armoured and better equipped. Experience-wise, however, he had upper hand against the female fighters better; after all, who else had fought the knights, Gears and assassins in his past, managed to edge the best Holy Knight in Egypt and almost defeated the Dragoon judges in the judgment day?
Alex managed to knock most of the maidens away from him and opened a battle stance, while staring deeply at the women. He was breathing hoarsely for the want of air, and his suit was torn to pieces. The hand that was holding the wooden sword was trembling even as he tried to keep it tightly firm, and his other hand was bleeding from extensive usage of the puppet strings. That, with injuries he had from previous battles, did not deter him and he was more than eager to finish off the duel he had unwanted earlier. He would prove his innocence, even if hurting the maidens would be the last option.
"I've told you ladies," Alex spoke and warily watched at the maidens, "I won't hold back against all of you. I'd rather let you leave than to continue this fight." The maidens ignored the advice and resumed their fighting stance, and Alex could only sigh to see the response. "If you still insist to fight after this, then that's your own choice," he said and aimed the wooden sword at them.
"I shall kill you, Alexander!" Eiko screamed and pounced at Alex. Easily he evaded the punch and jumped away but a backhand kick hit the back of his neck afterwards and he did not see it coming. He was knocked back to the ground, was promptly mauled by the maidens en masse. He managed to break through and fled when a maiden appeared behind him and cloth-lined him. The maiden jumped over the downed fighter, dived back at him and aimed her gauntlets at his head. Quickly he threw the wooden sword at the maiden, knocked her aim off and rolled out of danger. He wasn't in luck again; Eiko had already waited and delivered a hard punch onto his torso. He was sent toward a boulder, crashed on it and knocked out. The leader of the Purple Lotus maidens approached the unconscious lone wolf, withdrew a bladed gauntlet and aimed it at his head.
"No, stop it!" Subsequently Dizzy jumped in front of Alex and opened her arms wide, as if not letting Eiko hurting Alex further. "Please stop it! He can't fight anymore!"
"Step aside, lady. Who do you think you are?" Eiko demanded.
"I'm his friend, and I'm responsible over his health!" Dizzy answered, not intimidated by the maidens who were encircling the twos. "Please don't hurt him anymore! Onegai!"
Eiko was crossed by the demand and ordered her minions to take the Gear woman away. "Your presence is nothing but hindrance. Take her away," she said and approached the dizzied Alex. "And you're going to witness this execution. It'll be a lesson for those who are trying to look down at us the maidens of purple lotus," she said. "Your days are over, Alexander Hahn. Say your last prayers."
"No, please leave him!" Dizzy cried as she tried to get away from the maidens' arrest. "Please leave Alex alone!"
x-x
"No! Leave them alone! They have nothing to do with this!"
"Silence, Alex! For a knight whose responsibility is to protect justice and peace from enemy of mankind, you betrayed the code and chose to protect them! You have betrayed the teachings of the God and you have betrayed the honorary code of the Holy Orders."
"I don't care of that! Just leave them alone! They can't fight; even you knew that after your comrades attacked the children!"
"We killed the children because they possessed threat to mankind should we leave them to live. What do you know about these Gears you're trying to protect, Alex?"
"I protect them because they're the same as us! They live, they have soul, they have family, and they share this planet with us! Why can't you understand?"
"Your heart has been corrupted by these Gears, and you chose to live with these lowlifes. For that you shall die with them today."
x-x
"Do you understand what it takes to defend these people you called enemy, Alexander Hahn? You abandoned the orders, killed your own comrades and everyone else who would stand in your way just for the sake of this family of yours. As your mortal enemy, I am so surprised by all the acts you had done."
"I don't care if I have to kill all humans… they're the ones who must be blamed murdering my family, and I must punish them."
"Even if you'll forever be mankind's most detested traitor? Even if you're forced to abandon the world and live in solitude? Even if you're going to become a lone wolf? You should think of the consequences that will follow if you're going to take this path."
"I have no longer believed in everyone or anyone in this world… what's the use of justice if it can't even save someone we love and care so much? Even you must understand what it takes to become someone betrayed by his own people and lost all faiths."
"Fine. Then I'll show how justice should be served."
"For the sake of these people, I accept your challenge, Justice!"
x-x
As if invoked by fury, Alex hastened to stand up, ignored his blurred eyes and pulled out final strings from the marionette gloves. "Don't hurt Dizzy…" he growled and started shivering uncontrollably. "DON'T HURT DIZZY!" He screamed a deafening battle cry, jumped over Eiko and entangled the maidens that were taking Dizzy away. Subsequent to that the maidens were jolted by energy currents seeping through the strings and collapsed, shivering from chi overload. The lone wolf then pounced at Eiko, ensnared the maiden and stood behind her with a strand of cord aimed on her neck. "You may do anything to me, Eiko, but hurting Dizzy is a no-no…" he threatened.
"Then I shall kill you right now!" Eiko elbowed him hard, knocked him away and aimed her fist at him. Alex, however, was quicker and slammed his palm on the ground; immediately she was trapped in a web charged by chi. Unable to move and stunned by the electrocuting surge, she saw the angry eyes of the assassin staring down at him, and felt the murderous intent coming from them.
"Nobody dares harming her," Alex was heard speaking and spun the wooden sword. "And nobody dares involving her in this mess. I'll show you…" and here he lifted the sword and charged toward Eiko. "THE PRICE FOR HURTING HER!" With that said he propelled the wooden sword forward, driven by anger and madness, and aimed it at Eiko's throat.
"That's enough, Alex-san." Hibiki jumped in and deflected the thrusting attack. Alex was knocked back and charged back at the maiden when the swordswoman sliced the wooden sword into pieces. He promptly stopped, regained his sense and looked back and forth between Hibiki and Eiko. "You don't have to continue this. Please think of those who might be waiting for their homecoming," she calmly said and put an assuring hand upon his shoulder.
Alex calmed down and shook his head. "What the hell have I done?" he asked and cursed himself. "Damn, I'm not supposed to do this…!"
"As for you, Eiko-san," Hibiki spoke and released the maiden from the web. "You don't realize one thing about Alex-san: he suffered from amnesia and may have forgotten what he had done in the past. Even if he remembers, it would still be hard for him to regain everything back."
"But what about Johansson? What about the guilt he had done?" Eiko asked.
The Takane heir merely smiled and lightly patted her shoulder. "Forgiving one's mistake is the best thing you can do for now, even if it may be hurtful to your heart. This is the best of advice I can offer."
She frowned, trying not to protest the answer. "But… but…"
Hibiki turned her around and pointed to Alex who was assisted by Dizzy. "Look at him. Does he look like a criminal to you?" she asked.
Eiko said nothing. Instead, she tramped toward Alex and flung a fist at his chest. It was weak, and barely tumbled him. "Baaka!" she cried and repeatedly pounded his chest. "Alexander baaka! Why do I have to let you go and can't avenge Johansson's death? Why?"
Alex merely touched her shoulder. "Miss Tanaka, I…" and then he smiled. "Why don't you come to the Summer Festival with us tomorrow? It's going to be fun if more people are coming."
"Alex, are you sure it'll be fine for her?" Dizzy asked.
"Well, I have to admit that she's trying to do you any harm," he answered. "But let us just do what Miss Takane suggested. Okay?" He stared back at Eiko who started crying and pounded his chest again. "Hey, cut it out, okay?" he asked and seized her shoulders. "It's over now. If you still want to hit me, then you better do it now because we may not have time for that tomorrow."
The maiden, instead, stopped pounding him and cried on his torn cloth. "Why must you be nice toward me?" she sobbed and clung onto him. Alex did not say anything and let her cry on him, even as the midnight breeze started blowing gently. "I hate you, Alexander… I hate you…"
