Chapter 30
Beneath the Mask
Deep in the forest in the Forsaken Realm, a young girl with black hair strolled around aimlessly, her gaze on the ground. She was holding a rather large suitcase with a few pieces of clothing sticking due to how packed it was. However, as much as she had packed, there was something she had forgotten to bring along with her. Something crucial, that she was regretting not bringing right about now.
"I'm so hungry..." She moaned, rubbing her empty belly as it growled for food."Damn it, Isabella...why did you have to bring so much underwear. What good is it going to do if I'm just going to starve to death? Maybe some money? No...I set on this journey so I can earn my own money! I'm a tough girl! I just need to get a job so I can get started. No problem at all!"
Another loud growl from her stomach seemed to drain her enthusiasm, causing her to lean against a tree."I could really go for some pork right now...or maybe so steak...Although, anything sounds good right about now. Maybe even that wild boar that's coming over...Wait, huh?!"
In effect, a wild boar was charging at full speed towards her, causing the girl to quickly jump out of the way and making the boar crash against the tree. Without missing a beat, the girl ran as fast as she could in hopes of losing the wild animal chasing her."I changed my mind! I will never eat meat again! I don't even like boar meat, so you shouldn't eat me eithe-KYAA!"
The runaway girl tripped with a branch, causing her to fall face-first on the ground."W-wait! I'm not very tasty! I haven't bathed in two days! I'll give you indigestion!"
The boar didn't seem to care or understand what she was saying, simply approaching slowly and cornering her against a tree.
"YOU STAY AWAY YOU BIG DUMMY!" A young boy swung down from a tree branch with a vine holding a stick. As he came close to the ground, he slammed the stick against the boar's head stunning it momentarily. However, much to his chagrin, his hand slipped and rolled on the floor a few meters away.
"A kid...? What's a kid doing here?" Isabella pondered before the horror of the situation hit her."H-hey! It's dangerous here! Go, get out of here!"
"No way!" The kid leaned on the stick to get himself back up."I can't abandon someone when they need help, Miss! Come over here, ugly! Why don't you pick someone your own size?"
"But you're not-You're not even its size!" She cried out as the boar changed targets, huffing in rage before going after her savior.
The boy had a confident expression on his face, but internally...'Oh, man! Oh, man! Oh, man! What do I do?! I was talking big but I can't take this thing down! No, I can't think like that...I have to at least try!'
With a battle cry, the brown-haired boy threw his stick at the boar, but to his surprise, the boar simply bit the stick in half and continued its charge.
"I'm so screwed! Wait, I can just use my magic!" Abel jumped to the side, barely avoiding being stomped on, and held his arm out."Fire!"
A bubble of black energy came out of his arm, hitting the boar on its side and causing it to recoil."I did it!"
His celebration was short-lived, unfortunately, since the boar recovered quickly and tackled him against a tree and landed on a rock, hitting his head. The boar had had enough, charging at his unmoving body and prepared to snack on him.
"Water Magic: Waterfall Burst!"
A beam of water sent the boar flying several yards away with so much power that it crashed against a tree was enough to knock it out.
Isabella panted, the adrenaline slowly leaving her body as her Grimoire floated around her. Her bag was on the floor, the contents scattered around after she had desperately looked for her Grimoire to save the brave boy.
Worried, she ran to his side, lifting his body off the rock and placing him gently on the grass.
"Uh...am I...dead? Are you an angel?" Abel's eyes weren't focusing on her, rolling around as his face was contorted into a goofy smile.
"Look at my hand. How many fingers am I holding?" She showed him four fingers, grabbing his cheek to make him focus on her other hand.
"Four."
"Are you feeling dizzy? Nauseous?"
"No...but my head feels wet."
Isabella gasped when she realized the blood dripping down his forehead."Oh, gosh! Let me get my bag. I have a first aid kit there!"
The young daredevil chose to not move, closing his left eye to avoid getting blood in his eyes."Sister Rika is going to be very upset...I didn't help with the cleaning and got myself hurt after leaving so abruptly. I wanted to prove that I could do things on my own with my brother, but...I can't even use my magic properly..."
"You poor thing." Isabella knelt next to him, placing his head on her lap and setting her kit on the side."I'll clean the blood first, okay? It might sting a bit. I'm sorry...I don't have any healing spells, sadly. I'm Isabella Fontes. May I have the name of my hero?"
"Hero? Who, me? Also...my name is A-Ouch!"
"Stand still, "Ouch"." She giggled, wiping the blood off with a cloth soaked with alcohol.
"My name is not Ouch. It's Abel. Just Abel." Abel winced, his body relaxing after the pain subsided."Why did you call me a hero?"
"Well, you saved me just now."
"But I didn't do much other than getting hurt. I'm no hero...not like the cool ones in the stories I read. Always saving the day and stuff."
"Is that why you jumped in to fight that boar." Isabella gave him a disapproving glare."You silly boy. You could have gotten seriously hurt for my sake. You can't do stuff that you read in stories. Sometimes it's not safe."
"But I want to be a hero. That's why I'm aspiring to be a Magic Knight..."
"Well..." She gave him a lopsided smile, helping him sit up after she was done."You're on the right track. You saved me nonetheless. You bought me enough time to pull out my Grimoire from my bag."
"You have a Grimoire, Ms. Isabella?" Abel's eyes widened in glee, giggling like the child he was."How old are you?"
"I turned 15 a few months ago." Isabella chuckled at his enthusiasm. Not ten minutes ago he was sprawled on the floor, bleeding and now he was as if nothing happened."But honestly, my magic isn't that strong. I guess to be more precise I'm not exactly Magic Knight material. Your magic, though...I don't think I've seen it before. What is it?"
"Yin Magic!" Abel declared, puffing his chest with pride."It's really cool, right? But I can't do a whole bunch with it. I think I need my Grimoire for that. I'm 9, so I have to wait six years until I can get it. Unlike my brother, who can launch attacks with his Yang Magic."
"Yin and Yang Magic? I've never heard of that before. But then again, there are countless types of magic out there. Sit still, okay? I'm going to bandage your head." She grabbed some bandages from her bag and began wrapping them around his head carefully."So, you have a brother? Older or younger?"
"Older. Allegedly. Well, that's what Sister Rika says, but the truth is that we were both left on the orphanage's doorstep."
"You must be very close. I'm not sure how orphanages work, but it's rare for blood-related siblings to be in the same orphanage." She noticed Abel lowering his head, rubbing his left arm."What's the matter?"
"My brother and I...we're not exactly close. He doesn't like having me around and says my presence bothers him. I try to be nice to him and get him to play with me but he prefers to stay by himself, reading books. I don't know why he doesn't like to spend time with me."
Isabella frowned at that, wiping off some tears that were forming in his eyes with her thumb."It's okay, Abel. Siblings can be complicated. I have a sister of my own, younger. She's very standoffish and prideful. She would rather do things on her own than ask me for help. At first, I thought it was because of our age gap. But then I realized that our personalities don't really connect. And that's perfectly fine. Sometimes siblings are the opposite of one another. One might like what the other one hates. Perhaps your brother isn't the type to go around playing like you and is more of an introvert. But I'm sure he doesn't mean when he says he doesn't want you around."
"I don't know. I ran away from home today because...I screwed up. I was trying to help my brother with a puzzle while he went to the bathroom. I wanted to give him a surprise and prove to him that I wasn't a big dummy and that I could help him. I wanted him to think of me as reliable. But I ended up tripping on a toy and flipped the table, completely ruining the puzzle." Abel clenched his fists, trembling."I'm so clumsy and weak. My brother excels at everything. He's smarter, cooler, stronger, faster. Everything I'm not. I live under his shadow but I hope one day I can stand by his side."
"You ran away too, huh..." She finished patching him up, securing the bandages so they wouldn't come off easily."I ran away from home too. My situation is a little similar to yours, it's quite funny. Our parents are rather strict, you see. They think we're not capable of handling the outside world and want us to follow in their footsteps. My sister wants to be an astrologist. As for me, I want to be the owner of my own restaurant. I didn't want to follow in my parents' footsteps, and I wanted to show my sister that she too can achieve her dreams. That's why I ran away from home. I...I don't think it was the right thing."
Abel watched as the young woman sat next to him, hugging her knees."My sister never saw me as reliable. Even though I wanted to be her role model and make her smile. By running away and going to start on my journey to achieve my dream, I thought that I'd show her that she can one day achieve her dreams too. But I left her all alone in that house. To possibly suffer because I'm not there. Well, not that she needs me anyway. She's way more capable than I am."
"That's not true, Ms. Isabella. You're cool yourself. I mean, look at what you did. You saved me from being boar chow. I'd say you're plenty capable."
"Only because you saved me first because I didn't have my Grimoire ready." She laughed dryly."I'm not confident about my magic. It's not as great as my sister's magic. Just regular water."
"So what if it's water magic. I think water magic is really important. I mean, if water magic didn't exist, how could we put out fires? Or how could we water our crops or make field days for kids to have fun? Your magic sent that boar flying! It was like a water cannon or something. It didn't stand a chance."
"Yeah, I did send it flying." Her eyes regained some life to them, giggling.
"You're a hero, Ms. Isabella. And if you did that to show your sister she can be whatever she wants in her life, I think it's admirable. Maybe that's why my brother is so tough on me. I think he wants to test me and be sure I'm ready for anything. One day, I think everything will be better. We just have to keep trying."
Isabella reached for his cheek, cupping it gently, causing him to whine."You're right. I guess that's all we can do in the end, right? Thank you. We just met and yet you believe in me so much."
"Well, duh. You saved my life."
"And you saved mine. But you jumped in without even thinking about it. That makes you a true hero in my opinion. That is what you want to be, right? A hero is someone selfless, always doing their best to protect those around them. No matter how small a life may seem, it's a hero's job to do whatever it takes to save it."
"I know! I want to be a hero and save people, like the heroes in my books. I want to help make this world and better place and make everyone safe so they can be happy. And accomplish their dreams, kind of like you."
"Just as long as you don't get yourself in danger again."
"I don't care. I'll be happy as long as I can protect someone."
"Just promise me you'll be extremely careful, okay? We need heroes, not people to mourn. But I know you'll be a fine Magic Knight when you grow up. I'll be rooting for you on the sides. I hope by then I've opened up my own restaurant. But first I applied for this job at a nightclub to get experience. Since I'm still basically a kid, I'll just be doing simple things like cleaning and stuff. I'm hoping to build up my experience so that one day I'm ready for the world and what it has to offer."
"If so, then I want to be your very first customer, Ms. Isabella. I'll bring my big brother, and all my siblings from the orphanage."
Isabella held her little pinky in front of Abel, which he gladly took with his own."It's a promise. I'll even bring my sister so she can be your brother. Who knows, maybe you guys will get along with her since you're close to her age. Let's work hard! We'll make our destinies!"
"Yeah!" Abel cheered as they both shared a giggle.
"Abel! Where are you?!"
"Oh! It's Cain!" Abel perked up, alarmed."He came looking for me!"
"That's great." Isabella helped him stand up, rubbing the top of his head."See, I told you he cares about you. As he should. You're his baby brother. Now go on. Don't keep him waiting."
"Thank you so much for everything, Ms. Isabella!" Abel lunged in for a hug, causing her to gasp at the sudden gesture."You're the best!"
"Hehehe. Well, I do try." Isabella returned the hug, placing her head on top of his."Now go, my little hero. If I'm ever in danger, can I count on you to save me?"
"You bet! No matter where you are or how much time it passes, I'll come running! Bye-bye!" Abel pulled back, waving her goodbye as he ran towards where he heard his brother."Cain! I'm here!"
Cain, who was crouching down on the ground in search of any clues to find his brother, yelped at his name being screamed."Abel?"
"You came for me, big brother!" Abel tackled his brother, nearly causing him to lose his footing.
Cain rose his arms, having half a mind to push Abel away from him due to the indescribable disgust he felt towards him. However, he opted for the easier solution and waited for him to let him go."What happened to you? Sister Rika was freaking out when you suddenly left."
"I'm sorry, brother!" Abel lowered his head, hands behind his back."I ruined your puzzle...I didn't mean to. I wanted to help but I tripped."
"Oh, that. Don't worry about it." Cain shrugged, not really caring about the matter."I did that one twice already. I only attempted in doing it again because I'm waiting for Sister Lucia to get me the new one I asked for. So it's whatever. I'm not mad about that. More importantly, what happened to you?"
"I...uh...I tripped..." Abel quickly picked a rock up with stars in his eyes."Yup! I tripped with this rock! I rolled downhill and hit a tree!"
"Huh. You tripped with a rock, rolled down a hill that's like at least 40 yards away from here, somehow kept the rock, and magically patched yourself up with bandages?"
"W-well, when you put it like that..."
Cain snatched the rock from his hand, lightly tapping him on the head with it, causing him to flinch."I won't ask any more. But you should be more careful and try not to get yourself killed. Especially by a rock."
"I'll keep that in mind." Abel followed his brother close behind."Though that's a very specific example."
"Ms. Isabella..." Abel whimpered as he watched the two Children of Sceva leave him frozen against the wall."I couldn't...I couldn't save you...? I wasn't there and...and because of that y-you..."
Fresh tears streamed down his cheeks, his eyes completely vacant, devoid of any emotion.
"What you think is merely wishful thinking." Tobias's words echoed in his mind."You can't save everyone. No matter how hard you try. That's why it's better to sacrifice one life to save many. You will never be a true hero."
"Was...he right? I can't save anyone?" Abel's breathing became erratic, almost to the point of hyperventilating.
"It's their fault." A mysterious voice spoke in his mind."They not only killed her but turned her into one of their puppets. She's not the same person you once knew. And this ice is the perfect example."
"They did this..." Abel repeated in a whisper.
"That's right. They snuffed the life out of her, cutting her poor existence short and crushing her dreams. She probably never even met her sister after she met you. Poor her. Died without knowing."
"Her sister...our promise..."
"So...are you willing to cut loose? This is a drag for me, but I am willing to help you. All you have to do is cut loose...and kill them for what they did! Slatter them all!"
"I'LL KILL THEM ALL!"
A burning sensation in Abel's chest caused him to scream in both agony and anguish, his screams echoing throughout the cave they were in.
"Hazama?" Leviathan was the first one to notice the sudden shift in the air."What was..."
Hazama turned on his heels, gasping when he saw the black mask covering Abel's eyes and nose. His Hellbreaker levitated in the air and flew over, breaking the ice apart when it hit, freeing the boy. Abel grabbed his sword, bending his knees slightly as he let out a raspy growl.
"What's...with him?" Levi took a step back, taking Hazama by surprise.
'So not even she knows what's going on with him.' He surmised, thinking about what to do."Then it's probably his own magic. Levi, get out of here. I don't think he'll listen to what you have to say."
"Abel! Please! Forget about everything and come back to me-"
With a swing of his arm, Abel sent a slash of black energy, destroying the ground in its path.
Hazama grabbed Levi by the collar of her shirt, tossing her away from the attack before he jump in the air, avoiding it. The slash of energy broke through the wall, leaving a deep hole that allowed water to start pouring in.
"I'll handle him. Just go! You damn moron, you already got me in enough trouble by not bringing a fucking mask! What if someone recognizes you?!" Hazama barked, feeling a cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck."His mana keeps increasing. It's so damn cold...it's as if I'm staring at the devil himself."
"Who cares about the dumb mask?!" She gritted her teeth."Don't you dare hurt him, understand?!"
"I'll just make him calm down. And make sure to leave immediately. Make sure no one recognizes you. In fact, go into your second form right now." Hazama gave her a nod, watching as the girl left the area, leaving the two alone."Okay then. Let's see how strong you've gotten."
Without warning, Abel lunged at him like a feral beast, taking various swings at him at great speed. Hazama was having trouble blocking his attacks, feeling each impact make his hands tremble through his sickles. Each strike wasn't nearly as calculated or planned as they had been, but the power behind them was unmatched.
"How the hell did he get this strong?!" Hazama bit his lower lip, forcing himself to jump back to gain some distance. However, Abel wasn't letting him get away that easily, immediately running after him in a frenzy."Guess I won't go anywhere unless I rough him up a bit. I'm sorry kid, but I'm taking one of your eyes!"
The red-haired dodged to avoid the slash of the black sword, winding his arm back and aiming for Abel's face to cut through his mask. The sickle came close to the eye hole of his mask, but the Yin-magic user was faster, kicking his arm up and causing him to drop his sickle due to the devastating impact of his attack. With a roundhouse kick, Hazama was sent skidding away, coughing blood inside his mask.
"How about this?! Hell Fire Magic: Spiral Blast!"
Once more, fire came out of his Grimoire in the form of a spiral, surrounding Abel from all sides, leaving him in the middle of the ring of fire. Suddenly, Abel's mask began to change again, covering now the entirety of his face and taking the shape of a crow's face. The berserk teen rose his blade, a black aura surrounding him and black electricity covering his body. The aura became denser, forming a ball of mana engulfing his body.
"Take this!" Hazama cried out, firing a flame burst of flames at Abel
Abel howled like a feral beast as the sphere launched itself towards the fire, completely overpowering as if it were nothing.
"No way!" Hazama activated his Brand of the Beast, flame-like black patterns appearing across his body and gifting him an increase in speed and strength. He used his boost in power to jump out of the way of Abel's attack. Much to his horror, the ball of Yin began bouncing around the cave randomly, each time coming closer and closer to hitting him and forcing him to be on his toes.
The Third Child of Sceva jumped from one place to another, narrowly avoiding being squashed by the ball of energy coming after him. Soon enough, he realized that every time it bounced off the walls, it was becoming faster. And the first time he confirmed his theory was when he felt the right side of his face gracing it, leaving a deep cut on his right arm. Abel continued going from side to side, causing a sense of insecurity in Hazama.
"He caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting this kind of power from him. Just what the hell are you?!" Hazama threw a fire spell in a last-ditch effort, but to his shock, Abel's ball changed trajectory mid-air, crashing against the ceiling and bouncing back to the ground, hitting Hazama head-on as they both collided against a wall.
"D-damn it...!" Hazama grumbled, his face against the wall and his body going deeper into the wall at incredible speeds. Once Abel decided it was enough, he retracted back into the cave, his aura dissipating and the ball of Yin disappearing into thin air. The boy let out a bloodcurdling scream, losing more control of himself and letting out more mana from within him. Thrusting his sword on the ground, Abel separated his legs and planted his feet firmly on the ground, extending his arms outwards.
Concentrating his mana in one spot, a black ball began taking shape, expanding in size rapidly. With a loud shriek, Abel fired his attack, shattering the ground beneath it as it went inside the hole in the wall.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Hazama's eyes widened, unable to dodge the attack due to being stuck in the wall. A loud explosion made the cave tremble, threatening to cave in. Smoke came out of the hole and Abel took this as an indication of victory, letting out a triumphant feral-like scream. He grabbed his sword, hitting the ground repeatedly before hitting himself on the head with it.
As he went ballistic, Hazama opened his eyes carefully, feeling rubble on top of him, preventing him from moving. One thing was clear to him, his mask was completely in tatters.'I can't go out and show my face. If they manage to ID me, I'll put my daughter and my business in jeopardy. I'm sorry, kid, I didn't want to use this on you. But I have no choice.'
Letting his Brand loose, his body began to change drastically and his power increased to new heights.
Abel continued thrashing around the place, unable to control himself. His mask was slowly expanding on his body, already covering his neck. A loud noise caused him to halt his movements. Like an animal caught in the act, he turned to where the noise had come from, staring at the now-empty hole in the wall. Before he could approach it, a blur came out of it, grabbing him by the face and slamming him against the furthest wall, causing more water to flood the place.
"Malefic Hell Fire Magic: Chaotic Stampede." He grumbled his spell as the green aura surrounding his body dissipated.
Hazama's transformation made him into a humanoid with grey skin with no trace of clothes long, sharp claws, and a pair of black wings on his back. His face was that of the skull of a dragon with the horns of a deer, along with crimson eyes with the symbol "II" carved in each of his pupils. He glanced down at the water that reached his knees, grimacing at his reflection.
"Tch. I hate using this form. But I can't let anyone see my face." Hazama growled under his breath, releasing Abel's face. His mask was gone, and his eyes were closed and made no movement other than his breathing."Was that mask giving him power? No. It's merely a decoration. It felt different from us. I don't know what Mother wants him for, but if we let him run loose, he'll become stronger and more difficult to contain. Oh well. For now, I have to follow her orders."
Grabbing Abel by his shirt, he was careful enough to not hurt him with his sharp claws."I can't exactly leave him here. He'll drown. I'll drop him off somewhere and leave. Our part here is done. Vetto should have easy access to this place and he can take it from here."
Flapping his wings, Hazama levitated just in time before the water's level increased, eventually flooding the cave behind them."After I drop you off, I'll be on my way out of here, Abel. Our part is done. You're lucky. Seems like I won't kill any of your friends after all. But I can't say the same for that freak, Joseph."
"Hah. He talks with such confidence as if he has the situation under control." The voice in Abel's head continued speaking, unbeknown to him."Well, I hate working extra, so I'm stepping out of this for now. So you'll be on your own, kid."
"So, are you going to start talking..." Raiden seethed, putting more weight on his arms as his blades went deeper into Joseph's blades.
The younger boy bit his tongue to prevent himself from screaming, threatening to bite it off due to the agonizing pain."O-okay! I'll talk. Either way, no matter what I tell you, it won't make a difference. Well, I guess it'll make this more fun." He chuckled, his expression almost full maniacal despite his situation."Shoot. What do you want to know?"
"First and foremost, how did you get here?"
"Ah, starting with the boring stuff, Mister? Well, okay. I can tell you that no problem. See, we're well aware of how to get safely into the Underwater Temple. Even with our transformations, which you are already acquainted with, we would have difficulties coming this deep into the ocean. Not to mention, we had to get our forces in here. That is until we got someone else on board with our little dysfunctional family."
"You're saying you got another Child of Sceva?" Raiden narrowed his eyes at the implication."And I assume they have Water Magic, making coming here easy. We had our fair share of troubles since Noelle was doubting herself and isn't proficient at controlling her magic. But for people like you...people who are no human, as you claim. People who are capable of using Forbidden Magic and transforming into these...things. People who want to end the world for their sick pleasure."
"Sick pleasure? Hardly. This is just what the masses want. For everything to end." Joseph giggled."Although, I do find some pleasure in all of this. And it's not the fact that I get to kill who I please. No, I don't kill people."
"What, sacrificing them and eating them doesn't count for you?"
"I consume corpses. Fresh corpses. Nothing rotten, otherwise my tubby hurts. While I'd be justified in killing everyone in my path, the world will end anyway, annihilating humankind. Which is why I offer salvation in the form of...shall we say, reforming."
"Huh? Reforming?"
"I love dolls, Mister. They're the only thing genuine in this world to me. When my owner would lock me up for days, the dolls I created were the only thing that offered any kind of companionship. They are so free. Free of suffering, of feeling pain, of loving, feeling anything. They never have to eat, sleep or drink. You can have as many as you want and have them on your side. Same as corpses, really. That's why I find them so appetizing."
"I don't get what you're trying to say." Raiden huffed."You're no different from Mary from what I can tell. What do dolls even have to do with this salvation you're offering. Also, what do you mean by owner?"
"Well, you see, I like to keep my house full of guests. But I'm getting ahead of myself. As for your question, I did have an owner. My parents sold me for a few yul when I was born. So my owner groomed me to be her pet. I was raised to be her dog. Lived like one too. I had a collar on and everything. She would keep me in a cage most of the time. But I was allowed some yard time now and then. My food was served in a bowl and my toilet was some newspapers. Overall, she was an okay mother figure. Except she had a particular hobby. She enjoyed torture. So much so that she had her basement where she would torture other people for the pure pleasure of it."
"W-what? But that-"
"One day, she had killed her victim prematurely. She grew desperate, looking for anyone that could help her satisfy her needs. That's when she chose me. I'd show you the scars, but they all disappeared due to my healing factor as an Alternate. But it all varied. It's kind of a distant dream now. On the first day, I lost all my nails. The second day I had boiling hot iron rods stabbed into me. My skin peeled off by a dull knife. Nails were hammered into my fingers to maximize pain, since fingers are compacted with nerves. My fingers were broken. Every day was filled with new torture to break my body and mind. But during all that, she would give me sweet words of comfort. She would tell me how I was such a brave boy and how I made her happy. Part of me was glad because it filled me with such a sense of worth. However..."
For a moment, Raiden felt a cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck. This kid's expression was nothing short of insanity. His eyes filled with layers and layers of malice, like the layers of an onion."I wanted her to feel what I felt. The delicious pain that I came to love! And she did just that! When I grew up, I managed to tie her up and showed her how wonderful the world she so much loved was. I kept her alive for months, torturing her every day! I was so jealous I could have died! But you wanna know the funniest thing ever?! She begged for mercy! She cried so much I had to gauge her eyes out! Isn't that ironic?!"
Raiden visibly cringed at the kid's mental state. He was laughing like a maniac, repeatedly hitting the back of his head against the cold ground, leaving a splatter of blood behind but he didn't care.
"Becoming an Alternate was so hard for me, you know? You have to sacrifice the person or people most precious to you. I had to say goodbye to my owner. One day, Mother came to me after she found me lurking around town. She knew I was perfect for the job. She offered a solution to this world's problems. Complete eradication. Of course, I wanted to spread the joy of pain to everyone I could, but if no one is going to be alive once the Antichrist descends, what would be the point?"
"Hold on? Go back to that sacrifice part. You mean to tell me that to become an Alternate you have to offer those close to you? So all of you..."
"Yup. We've killed those closest to us to get our powers. You have to show dedication. Show that you're willing to serve the cause. Well that, and the ritual to become an Alternate requires that."
'I see.' Raiden grimaced.'That's...a great price for great power. It's hard to imagine people like Mary and this kid having someone close to them. Then again, the closest person to him is the woman who tormented him every day. Besides, their psychopaths. Their minds work differently. I don't think he's lying to me. They tend to show too much information. Perhaps they're planning to lead me somewhere with said intel? Whatever the case, I shouldn't be complaining.'
"What's with that face?" Joseph cooed."Do you feel sad for little old me?"
"While I do feel upset about your upbringing...you've still killed countless people and are planning to destroy the world."
"And? I know you're a killer too, Mister. Mary has a sharp sense of smell for blood. Besides, I can tell you're used to extracting information by torture." He glanced down at the blades stabbing through his palms."You restricted my movements while also making sure you'd have leverage over me. Plus, from the intel we have on you, should be a Junior Magic Knight. Despite that, your abilities far exceed those of your rank. Your battle instincts are far superior to any regular Magic Knight I've seen. You've been a Magic Knight for a few months now from what I understand. And yet, you move and act as if you were born on the battlefield. You move as if every move can be lethal, yet you also know how to drag out things like this. Are you really just a Magic Knight?"
"Stop talking like you know me." Raiden coldly replied."I'm not a mindless murderer like you. I'm a Magic Knight who fights for his people and to eradicate evil from this world in the name of God."
"Right. You're one of God's little foot soldiers, fighting for His name like it'll do you any good. You probably have killed countless people in the name of "goodness" or whatever. Such a hypocrite, Mister. God has long since abandoned this world. That's why the Antichrist is the only one who can bring salvation."
"Unless we stop him. Who is this Antichrist anyway? The diety you worship? There is no deity higher than God."
"A diety? No. More like a product of him. Anyway, no matter what you do, even if you kill me right now, it will not stop his revival. We don't gotta do anything other than what we're doing because the Antichrist is destined to arrive in the world soon. And his descent will mean the end of all life as we know it."
"What do you mean it's inevitable? Mary said he was already here but incomplete. If that's the case, what part do you guys play in all of this?"
"I wonder about that. As just like I said, his coming is already destined to happen. No matter what you do and how you struggle, it will happen. But until then, I can offer people the salvation they need. And you'll see just what my salvation is. I love pain...so much so that none of this even hurts anymore."
He tried moving his hands, digging the blades deeper but he didn't flinch."After everything I've been through, do you honestly think this hurts?!" Joseph began pulling on his hand as hard as he could until he completely cut his hand in half, cackling in glee. Taking Raiden by surprise, the Second Child splattered some blood from his hand on Raiden's eyes, impairing his vision. Using his butchered hand, he reconnected his mana strings to Raiden's puppet, causing it to regain life again and head for his human version.
Raiden was too busy trying to wipe the blood off his eyes that he couldn't react to the puppet piercing his hands with its blades, pinning him against the wall much like had done to Joseph.
"Feels great, doesn't it?" Joseph stood up, waving his bloody hand around. Black dust began surrounding it as he began to heal rapidly, bones and flesh connecting once again as if nothing that happened."You called me out earlier because I wasn't taking you seriously. But that changes now. I don't think I'll need to use my Brand any further than the second level, but I want to use this spell on you and show you what I meant earlier."
Raiden watched in horror as Joseph's brand began glowing, a third number six appearing on his palm as his body began to morph. He kept his attire, but his body as a whole was no longer that of a human. His skin, if it could even be called that, was entirely rigid and unnatural, almost like an actual doll. His face was that of a toy, his eyes were inhumanly large and his mouth was closed in a thin line. His eyes had turned red and the symbol "II" had been carved in them along with a pentagram.
"Now..." Joseph's mouth was moving as if someone was making a puppet talk by hand, his jaw closing and opening as if mimicking lips moving."Let's get the puppet show on the road!"
