Episode Twelve
Negotiations with a Warlock, Will Tsarevich's Soul Be Saved?
A sound soul
Dwells within a sound mind
And a sound body.
Nail and Vyse soon forgot their vendetta and were racing through the halls of the academy to reach the infirmary where their friend slept.
Tsubaki lead the way to the infirmary where Professor Aurion was just arriving. They all stopped outside of the door and stopped to catch their breath.
"I came as soon as I heard," Merios said, "what's wrong?"
"As far as I can tell, his soul wavelength is deteriorating. I need a Meister to look at him," Tsubaki explained. They followed the professor to Tsarevich's bedside. At first glance he looked the same, but it was clear that there was something wrong. He was white as a ghost and sweating bullets.
"What's happening to his wavelength?" Tsubaki asked.
"It's as you said. It's deteriorating," the professor confirmed.
"What does that mean?" Hammer asked.
"It means that unless we can figure out what's wrong with him, Tsarevich is going to die, right, Professor?" Vyse asked, skipping past the formalities. He had learned long ago from his clan that skating around the subject of death didn't help anyone.
"That's right, Vyse," the professor confirmed.
"What are we gonna do? We have to help him!" Hammer stammered.
"There's nothing that we can do," the professor said sadly.
"What about your healing wavelength?" Vyse asked.
"That's not going to work. My healing wavelength uses the power of my wavelength the person I'm using it on to accelerate physical healing. It's not going to mend a broken soul," the professor said.
"So we just wait and make him as comfortable as we can until he dies?" Vyse demanded.
"Vyse…" Tsubaki started. He shot her a look that told her not to say whatever comforting words she may have rehearsed for this eventuality.
"No. We're not going to give up. Not until we know that we have done absolutely everything to save him. This is, I'm afraid, beyond our abilities. I will talk to Lord Death and see if he has any ideas and we'll go from there," the professor said. Vyse stormed out of the infirmary. He had been banking on Tsarevich making a recovery. He knew there was a reason that he didn't allow himself to get attached to people: they die. And once they're gone they're gone. He befriended Tsarevich and look what happened.
I'm cursed, he thought, to lose everyone I care about.
"So the boy's condition is getting worse. That's unfortunate to say the least," Lord Death said. Merios was standing before him in the Death Room. Soul was at his usual place, perched on the box containing the magic tools.
"Is there anything or anyone that we know that can mend a broken soul?" Merios asked. He was disturbed that it didn't seem to be a big deal to Lord Death at all. It was as if he were distracted by something.
"The soul is a very mysterious thing. While it is powerful, it is also very fragile. I don't know of anything that can be done," Lord Death admitted.
"Talk to Stein. That guy has a gift when it comes to wavelengths. He might be able to do something," Soul suggested. Merios nodded.
"Have we made any progress with the Witchblade?" Lord Death asked. Merios was disturbed that Tsarevich and his condition was being dismissed as too-bad-so-sad so quickly, but if there was nothing that someone could do, there was no point in deliberating.
"Nothing worth reporting. He's hostile and uncooperative. There's virtually no way to make him comply, so I am trying to gain his trust to see if he will allow us to try wielding him. That may prove to be difficult as his wavelength does not follow the rules of a normal Weapon," Merios explained.
"I want you to devote all of your efforts to the Witchblade, Merios. I know that your favorite student is in critical condition right now, but there are matters at stake that concern us all. If you can find any information about the magic tools that he had with him, and the ones that Chandra has possession of, we need to know," Lord Death said.
"I'm doing everything I can, I assure you. What about Tsarevich? If I'm going to be assigned to assisting Stein with the Witchblade, I would like for someone to research what can be done to help him," Merios argued.
"Don't worry. We're not going to abandon the boy to his fate, Merios. I will have Kid do some research and see what we can come up with. Tsubaki will continue to care for him as best we can in the meantime. I need you to do what you do best. I need to you unravel the mysteries surrounding the Witchblade's wavelength and find out if there is any way we can use him against the Witches," Lord Death explained.
"Forgive me, Lord Death, but I feel like you're not telling me everything. I tried to access information about Eibon and I found all of the information restricted. Our focus has been devoted to collecting magic tools and preventing the Witches from getting them. That makes sense enough I suppose, but I don't understand how the Witchblade is so important and what he has to do with the magic tools," Merios said.
"I've already explained everything you need to know. The Witches are gathering magic tools to organize a strike at the Academy. Some of those tools are very powerful. We want to make sure that we have what we need to counter them. The Witchblade is the perfect Weapon to use against them because he will not be as susceptible to their magic. He may very well have been the most powerful asset they had," Lord Death said. Merios was getting angry.
"That still doesn't answer my question about his connection to the magic tools? What is it? There must be some connection or we wouldn't be this worried about harnessing his power for our own," Merios countered. Lord Death was silent.
"Eibon was a personal associate of mine—part of my personal guard hundreds of years ago. He developed these magic tools to be virtually indestructible. He took safeguards against Witches, Reapers, Meisters and Weapons. There was one eventuality that I think he might not have prepared for," Lord Death said finally.
"You think that Liir might possess the power to destroy the magic tools," Merios said out loud. He was starting to see the pieces of the puzzle come together.
"There's no way to know that for sure," Soul chimed in.
"It's a risk we're going to have to take. If the Witches find a way to use a powerful tool against us, being able to destroy the tool altogether since we cannot gain possession of it may be our only shot," Lord Death said.
This didn't make any sense. He knew Lord Death and he knew the power that he possessed. He was the Grim Reaper. Why in the world was he so concerned about the power of the magic tools? Sure, they could be dangerous in the wrong hands, but he was the most powerful being alive. Was he afraid that the Witches might find a way to use the tools to destroy him?
"Not all of this makes sense and I don't like being left in the dark. I can't do my job like I'm supposed to without all of the information," Merios said.
"I don't want to raise any alarm about this, but I've seen what happens when Witches get their hands on a magic tool. It's never pretty and it usually results in a lot of death. My son will do his best to find a way to save your student. Right now, I need you to put your focus on the Witchblade, and any information that we can glean from him," Lord Death said resolutely. There was a tone that the Reaper had, every now and then, that let Merios know that there was no use in arguing. He hadn't seen Lord Death this serious in a long time. The situation must be much direr than he thought.
"There is something that I forgot to mention, but it might put your mind at ease," Merios said. Lord Death inclined his head and waited for Merios to finish. Merios took a deep breath and began.
"As you know, he had several magic tools, or parts of tools on his person when we apprehended him. He disclosed to me that he selected to tools to use as collateral to make sure that his coven did not abandon him. Chandra should not be able to use the magic tools because of the ones he took without her permission," Merios said.
"That is good news. It buys us a little time, at least," Soul offered.
"Yes. That is good news indeed. But it will only delay the inevitable. Eventually there will be a fight between the DWMA and the West Coven. We need to make sure that we're ready when that time comes," Lord Death said, "you're dismissed, Merios."
"That impudent little bastard!" Chandra screamed. She slammed her fists on the table sending flames erupting from either side of each fist, scorching the wood. Scarlet gulped and stepped back. She hated when she got elected to deliver bad news to Chandra. She had been known to shoot the messenger before.
"Scarlet! Tell me you didn't know that he was doing this," Chandra said. Scarlet was glad that she didn't know. She'd never be able to lie to Chandra. She can always tell when someone is lying.
"No, Mistress. I didn't know. You've already interrogated everyone as to where the tools are. There're only two possibilities: someone outside of our coven snuck in a stole them—," she began. Chandra hissed and malicious flames billowed out of her mouth like a dragon.
"There are far too many traps and hexes set up for that to be possible. Only someone within the coven could have done it you idiot!" she screamed. Scarlet found herself shaking. Chandra was scary any other time. She was downright terrifying when she was furious.
"The only person who had access to the tools besides you was Liir. He's the only one who could have gotten in and out without us realizing it," Scarlet said.
"Why? Why would he do this? Why would he betray us? He took away the components that would allow us to destroy the Reaper! Why, Scarlet! Why would he do this?" she raged again. There was a full-scale fire on the table. Flames licked up the table cloth and sent smoldering ash floating in the air.
"He wouldn't have betrayed us to the DWMA, Mistress," Scarlet said resolutely.
"No, you're right. He's using it to keep himself valuable," Chandra said. The flames everywhere extinguished and Scarlet let out a heavy sigh of relief. Chandra started laughing.
"He's doing it out of self-preservation. He knew that I would leave him to the mercy of the DWMA once he had collected for me what I needed. He thinks that we will come and save him now, but I have a better idea," she said smiling.
"Mistress?" Scarlet asked; she confused at why she was happy about this news all of a sudden.
"It's a bold move, but the Reaper will never suspect it; that's why it's going to work," Chandra said. Scarlet just waited, hoping that she would explain herself.
"We'll keep the focus on Liir. We'll make the DWMA think that he's all that matters and that we're going to rescue him. We'll bring our pieces of the puzzle to the DWMA and use the Alchemizer right there in the heart of the academy," Chandra said. Scarlet's eyes went wide.
"Won't that be too dangerous, Mistress? There will be countless Weapons and Meisters guarding those magic tools," Scarlet pointed out.
"Not if we use a distraction to lure them out of the academy. Scarlet, you will double your efforts to continue recovering working magic tools for me. Go to the far reaches of the continent if need be. When the Reaper sends his Meisters after you, we will strike at the heart of the academy when he least suspects it," Chandra said.
"Yes, Mistress," Scarlet said. She dismissed herself. She knew that Chandra was done talking to her. She didn't like the plan. It set Scarlet up as bait and that didn't work out so well for Liir.
What choice do I have?
"Don't try anything funny. I'm not your average run-of-the-mill Meister. If you attack me or anyone else, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Liir looked up at the professor with a bolt in his head. He gave him the creeps. He kept turning and cranking that bolt like he was realigning his mind.
"I have to say though, that a small part of me hopes that you do. If you're dead, no one will mind if I dissect you. You're a one-of-a-kind specimen. Do you know how rare that is?" he asked, turning the bolt in his head again. Liir could just look at him and blink for a moment. What kind of people did they let into this Academy? Threats of torture he expected but not to be dissected for the sake of science. The blonde woman with a patch over her eye came to his side taking his hand in one of hers and resting her other on his shoulder as if to bring him back to reality.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked. Merios, the more level-headed and much-less-creepy professor took the liberty of answering him.
"We want to study your wavelength. There are instruments in this room that will record everything about your wavelength: frequency, output, range. We're also going to look at it with our soul perception," he explained.
"What if I refuse?" Liir said.
"We're going to do it whether you like it or not. Your wavelength is always there, we're just going to turn off the radiation that prohibits your magic and your transformation," Merios explained.
"And if you try to escape, it may not work well for you," Stein added. Liir had fought Merios before and knew how powerful he was. He could tell by the reverence that he treated Stein with that he was even more powerful. The blonde was a Death Weapon and he was in a tiny room with only one way out. He would have to fight off all three of them, make it out of the room, and somehow escape the Academy without getting caught. He ruled out the possibility immediately.
"Well, get on with it," Liir said. He wouldn't offer them any promises of not trying to escape because if a good opportunity presented itself everyone in the room knew that he would try to go for it. How could the blame him? They were denying him the most basic of all human rights: freedom.
When the radiation disappeared it was obvious. He knew immediately that he would be able to transform and use spells. He didn't though. There was no point in starting a fight. He did have something that he could do that would keep him in control of the situation.
"Soul protect."
With the spell activated, they would be unable to see any part of his soul with their Meister abilities. Unless they found some way to see through the spell and he doubted that seriously. He stood there wearing his signature smirk and waited to see what the Meisters would do.
"I figured that you would do that: a soul protection spell. I'm impressed that you're able to perform the spell, but unfortunately it's not going to help you," Stein said, peering at him over his spectacles.
"You're still able to see my soul?" Liir asked. He figured that he was bluffing.
"Anti-magic wavelength."
Stein must have had an enormous and powerful soul. Liir was perceptive enough because he was a Warlock, but he realized that he was standing inside the Meister's wavelength. It negated the spell and he was exposed. He was laid bare before their scrutiny and he felt naked. Still, he would not give them the satisfaction of knowing that they were getting to him. He just stood there and let them do what they wanted.
"Astounding," Stein said peering with his mind's eye.
"I know. I told you it's something of a wonder," Merios added.
"What?" Liir asked. The only parts of his soul he had ever seen was with spells that he had crafted in secret and it would still only let him see a part of it. He was curious to see what these Meisters saw and had to say.
"You have a very powerful soul, and that's no surprise; you seem to be well aware of your own power. What we are making exclamations about is the wavelength itself. If you could see our souls you would see our wavelength, the flow of our soul, if you will. You would see that they flow fluidly in one direction," Merios explained.
"But mine does not?" Liir asked.
"Yes and no," Stein replied, jumping in. "You see your wavelength behaves as if there are two souls super-imposed upon each other. A Witch soul, flowing one way, and a Weapon soul flowing the other way."
"Why is that such a big deal?" Liir asked.
"Do you remember the technique that I used on you when we were in the forest?" Merios asked.
"How could I forget?" Liir asked bitterly.
"What I did was force my wavelength through your body and your own wavelength. For a moment, our souls were connected and my soul was flowing against the wavelength of your own. Normally, when soul wavelengths collide it can be damaging for both people involved," Merios explained.
"So why didn't the technique hurt you?" Liir asked.
"Because some Meisters have the ability to manipulate their soul wavelength, bending it at will to ebb and flow as they see fit. The wavelength that I blasted you with was designed so that you would sustain injury and I would not," Merios added.
"Basically, in order for your wavelength to be transmitting two—signals, if you will—in a constant loop with each other and there to be no interference requires incredible precision. It enhances the effects of both signals created one large, completely unique wavelength," Stein said.
"You have limitless potential, Liir. You are both Warlock and Weapon, and yet neither one. You belong to both worlds and neither," Merios said. Liir raised an eyebrow.
Again with the potential speech…
"I'm not sure the Witch coven would have truly grasped how astounding you really are, Liir," Stein added. Liir hated to admit it, but since he didn't understand himself, where he came from or what he was capable of doing, he was determined to hear more.
"Tell me more," Liir said.
Another week had gone by and there was no updates on Tsarevich's condition. Apparently, whatever was causing his wavelength to deteriorate worked very slowly. This didn't make Vyse feel any better. He had been raised around the concept of death and knew that a swift death was merciful and a slow death as punishing. He went to visit everyday and found Tsubaki constantly caring for him. Lord Death's son was there too from time-to-time.
"It's Witch magic," Death the Kid said once, while Vyse was there.
"Witch magic? Are you sure?" Tsubaki asked.
"I'm positive. I've been peering at his soul for days now, checking for anything out of the ordinary—any inconsistencies. The only thing that could cause something like is Witch magic. A curse, to be precise," he said at last.
"Can we lift the curse? Aren't their Meisters and Death Weapons out there that can lift Witch curses?" Vyse interjected. Kid and Tsubaki threw him a dismissive glance and then continued their conversation.
"This is a curse unlike anything that I have ever encountered. You remember the snakes that Medusa used to infect people?" Kid asked.
"How could I forget?" Tsubaki replied, her expression darkening.
"This curse works much the same as that, only instead of infecting the victims body, it infects their soul. It's like a shadow, really. The only reason that I can detect it at all is because Tsarevich's soul has deteriorated enough that it's visible," Kid explained.
"What about an anti-magic wavelength?" Tsubaki asked.
"Only if you wanted to kill him instantly," Kid said, and then added, "think of like this: when you have a cold, your blood is infected by a virus. That's how this curse behaves. It's bonded itself Tsarevich's soul and if you get rid of it in one shot the damage to his soul would be irreparable. It has to be drawn out or extracted out. Only someone with extensive knowledge and practice with Witch magic or the person who put the curse there would be able to do it," Kid said.
Vyse had heard enough. He knew exactly what he had to do. He left the infirmary and headed for the dungeons. Held captive deep down inside of the Academy's bowels was the one and probably only person who could save Tsarevich. Vyse wasn't sure what he was going to say or do when he got down there, but he knew that he had to do something.
"It feels like we've been here forever, Liir," Tsarevich said. The hallways on either side of the void that had once been so far from each other got closer every day. At least, what seemed like a day to Tsarevich. It was really hard to get a good grasp on time in a place like this. He didn't need sleep, or food, or any other normal human need.
The only other places of escape where the hallways that led to his and Liir's mind. They were endless, spiraling hallways filled with countless doors that led to memories and experiences from their life. It would take eternity to visit just his own, let alone Liir's. He wasn't sure the Witchblade would allow him access to it anyway. The friendliness level between them ebbed and flowed. The only thing to do in the place that they were was to talk, and visit memories of the past.
Tsarevich had spent countless hours visiting the happy memories of his past, dating back to childhood memories he did not realize that he had retained. There was one in particular that he wanted to find and he was worried at first that he would not be able to find it in the endless maze of hallways and doors, but surprisingly it was the first door that he had tried.
He stopped before he walked in. He had an idea that he knew most people would advise against. If Professor Aurion was there he would be scolding him for even thinking it. In the situation that he was in, it was not like there was going to be any consequences he couldn't deal with. He wasn't going to wake up and eventually he was going to die. He might as well relive the memories that meant the most to him in his life.
And I might as well have someone to share them with.
"Liir! Hey, Liir!" he called across the void. Liir perked up and looked his way. He was in his usual spot outside of his memory hallway: sitting down, knees hugged to his chest.
"Come over here. There's something that I want you to see," Tsarevich said. Liir didn't hesitate. His excitement was obvious though he appeared to be trying hard to hide it on his face.
"You know where this leads, right?" Liir asked.
"Yeah!" Tsarevich said, "It's a hall of all of my memories. All of my life's experiences, right?"
"Yeah…you would…let me see those?" Liir asked.
"Sure. Why not?" Tsarevich asked.
"It's so…intimate…so personal. I just…I wouldn't want to show you memories of my life. I would feel guilty seeing yours," Liir confessed.
"That's the greatest part of one's life, Liir: sharing it with others. Come on! I want to show you the day that I knew I wanted to be a Meister," Tsarevich said. He took Liir by the hand and dragged him through the door.
It was as if they had been transported into Death City some ten years ago. Tsarevich knew where to look across the street. Just like he thought, a little boy and a little girl, just a few years older, were peering out the window in awe. There was a great hole in the ground where the Kishin Ashura had burst forth. In the sky, Lord Death was peering down at him with a murderous glare.
"Do you remember where you were on this day?" Tsarevich asked.
"I was training in the West coven. My Weapon powers had manifested less than a year before. I was nine. I remember that I could sense the power of the madness wavelength from far away from Death City. I knew that something powerful in the world had been awakened—something sinister—something that had been sleeping for a long time," Liir said.
"Look over there," Tsarevich said, pointing at the window he was looking at.
"Is that you?" Liir asked.
"Yes. That's me and my older sister. I got a front-row seat to one of the greatest conflicts of all time: Lord Death versus the Kishin. I knew then that I wanted to be a Meister. I wanted to wield a Weapon and be heroic like Lord Death. I wanted to fight evil and protect the people of this world," Tsarevich said.
"Those are lofty dreams," Liir said sardonically.
"I suppose. What did you dream about doing when you were a child?" Tsarevich asked. Liir looked at him with an expression of utter shock. He didn't even answer he just froze, as if Tsarevich had just told him that a loved one had died.
"I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?" Tsarevich asked.
"No it's just that—no one has ever asked me that before. No one has ever cared enough to ask what I wanted," Liir said. Then he started sobbing. Tsarevich put his arm around Liir which was kind of a feat considering the height difference between the two of them.
"Hey, it's okay. It's alright, man; you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Tsarevich said.
"That's not it. I just haven't thought about it for so long that I've forgotten. It's like a dream that died so long ago I've forgotten what it looks like," Liir explained. He wiped his eyes and composed himself quickly. He shrugged off Tsarevich's arm and turned to leave the memory. Tsarevich was hot on his heels.
"Hey. Why don't we go find your dream?" Tsarevich asked.
"What? How?" Liir asked.
"Let's go into your memories. I don't how it works here but I always seem to find the memory that I'm looking for. I'm sure it's the same for you. Let's go find out what you wanted to be when you were a kid," Tsarevich said.
"What's the point? That ship has sailed now, just like you're hopes to become a great Meister. You're going to die, remember? I killed you. Why are you being nice to me? It doesn't make sense," Liir said.
"It's okay, Liir. You don't have to be afraid. I'll be with you every step of the way…at least for as long as I have," Tsarevich said. Liir finally cracked a smile and Tsarevich returned it.
Vyse wish that he had a way to hide his soul. If he could there would be no one that he couldn't sneak up on. Meisters, especially gifted ones like Stein and Aurion would always see him coming. Still, as blessed as their soul perception was, they still could not read minds, and he had something crazy planned. He didn't bother knocking, he just walked right into the observation room that they were keeping the Witchblade in.
"Vyse what are you doing down here?" Professor Aurion asked.
"I came to see him," Vyse said, pointing at the Witchblade. He was going to play it civil, but if they weren't going to go along with what he wanted they would all be taking a nap.
"What business do you have with Liir? Don't tell me you're coming back for revenge. The two of you almost killed each other so I'd say you're even," Professor Aurion said. Vyse shot a look at Stein. He kept twisting this bolt that went completely through his skull. That man gave Vyse the creeps like no one he had ever met. It was like it was everything he could do to keep from slipping into madness.
Vyse looked past the cold, stainless steel room and into the two-way mirror where Liir was. He looked as good as new. He was wearing his clothes, of course, but Vyse would put money that professor Aurion had made him as good as new. He didn't have any hatred for the Witchblade now. Maybe it was because he needed him to do something now. But it wasn't time for internal reflection.
"You probably haven't heard because Kid and Tsubaki just figured it out, but the reason that Tsarevich's soul is deteriorating is because of a curse that Liir put on him. Kid says that because of the kind of curse that it is, there's probably not a Meister or Death Weapon alive who can lift it. Only the person who put the curse there would be able to lift it. He can save Tsarevich and I want to ask him to do it," Vyse explained.
"He's not going to," Stein said, interjecting, "He has no incentive to."
"Stein's probably right," Aurion admitted.
"It doesn't hurt to ask," Vyse said.
"He will want something in return and the only thing that he wants we cannot give him," Stein countered.
"You're right. He's going to want to be let go and Lord Death will never allow that," Aurion said.
"So lie to him," Vyse said. They both looked at him with wide-eyed expressions as if they hadn't thought of such a simple solution. Now Vyse was frustrated.
"Do I have to spell everything out for you? Tell the Witchblade you'll let him go only if he agrees to lift the curse from Tsarevich. Take him up there in handcuffs or something and after he's lifted the curse, put him right back in his cell where he belongs.
"It's infuriating to think that this Academy would value the life of a prisoner before one of its own. I don't know how valuable he is, but I know that Tsarevich is my friend and your student and if we do not do something for him he is going to die. It might be against your moral code to lie, but not mine. I'll do all the talking if it will bother your conscience," Vyse said.
"Wait! Don't do this!" the blonde lady with an eye patch suddenly spoke up. All eyes were on her now.
"You need Liir to trust you and if you do this you'll never gain his trust," she said.
"The life of a student is in jeopardy, Marie," Stein pointed out.
"It's wrong. It doesn't matter if he's a prisoner—Warlock or not—that's not the way that we should do things," she protested.
"Would you leave one of our students to die? Is the trust of our enemy more important than Tsarevich's life?" Aurion asked.
"No of course not!" Marie said. She was getting upset. Her fist were clenched and she was glaring with her one good eye at Stein and Aurion.
"Then what would you suggest we do, Marie?" Stein asked.
"Let me talk to him," she offered.
"What are you going to say?" Stein asked.
"I'm going to be perfectly honest with him. It would be a good way to test him as it is. He might save Tsarevich just because he has the opportunity to. Think about it! His coven has abandoned him. They're not coming to his rescue. They used him as bait! We have to stop thinking of him as an enemy and start thinking of him as a person. Imagine if we actually won him over to our side and we gained a powerful ally," she said. Vyse shook his head at this notion.
"He's a Warlock—just like you said. He cannot be trusted simply on who he is. He's evil. He's a Witch's attack dog and that's the only life that he has ever known. There is no chance for repentance for him," Vyse said.
"You're wrong! The Demon Swordsman Crona was one of the Academy's fiercest enemies and over time, when given the chance, he became one of our most promising Meisters and dearest friends," Marie countered.
"Time is of the essence. We don't have time to wait until Liir decides to become a good person. Tsarevich will die before then. He doesn't have long," Vyse said.
"He's right, Marie. I understand where you are coming from, but we have to prioritize. The life of our student is more valuable than the trust of our enemy," Stein said.
"Just give me a chance! Let me talk to him. If what I say doesn't work then we can try your way. Please! Just let me talk to him," she pleaded. Vyse wanted to argue but he knew that this decision was not up to him. Not unless he ignited the sleep bomb tucked in the hidden pouch of his clothing and knocked them all unconscious. He wasn't quite ready to resort to that.
The two professors looked at each other, deliberated internally for a moment and shrugged. They looked up at Marie and gave her a nod, silent approval to go ahead with her plan. She walked towards the locked door that led her into the room beyond the one-sided mirror and prepared to talk to the Witchblade.
Marie walked in and looked at Liir and offered a genuine smile. He did not return it, but kept his gaze fixed on her. She walked over to him and extended her hand.
"Hi there. My name is Marie. We haven't been properly introduced. I am Franken's research assistant," she said. Liir just looked at her, then her hand and back at her again. He was cold and emotionless. She expected no less from him considering how they had treated him. She took a seat at the table across from him and looked at him.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"There's something that I want to discuss with you if that's okay," Marie said, keeping her smile painted on. She looked Liir over as discreetly as possible. He was tall, well-built, young, and handsome. His eyes, she remembered were extraordinarily dark and now were a striking emerald green.
"Do I have a choice?" he asked. She ignored him being defensive and decided to break the ice.
"Your eyes are green now. If I remember correctly they were darker before, right?" she asked.
"That's what you want to talk about: my eye color?" he asked.
"Well, no. I suppose I was making polite small talk to break the ice," she admitted.
"Well, at least you're honest. My eyes are naturally green like this. I use a spell to keep them dark because they are less conspicuous. Eyes this green is a genetic sign of hailing from a Witch family. Dark brown eyes are the most common eye color on the globe. It's a disguise," he replied.
"That makes sense I suppose. They're beautiful though: you're eyes," she said with a smile.
"Thank you. No why don't we get down to what you wanted to discuss. Forgive me, but I'm not really in the mood for polite small talk," he said. She let out a sigh and decided that it was a losing battle. She might as well get right to the point. Time was of the essence after all.
"I want to talk to you about one of our students—the one that you fought," she said.
"Which one? I've tussled with two of your brightest and best," he said with a sneer.
"The Meister that you fought at Eibon's Observatory," she clarified.
"Oh! Tsarevich! How's he doing?" Liir asked.
"I think that you know the answer to that question, Liir," she replied.
"You're right. Forgive me. I thought I would indulge in a little bit of polite small talk myself," he said slyly. He was despicable, that was for sure, but she was not ready to give up on him yet.
"You put a curse on him that causes his soul to deteriorate. We cannot lift the curse without killing him because it has weaved its way into the very fabric of his soul if you will. Lifting the curse would cause catastrophic damage to his soul and would probably kill him instantly," she said. He began to clap. He smacked his hands together slowly and rhythmically to make mock applause.
"Very good! You really are astute for a research assistant, you know. What are you? A Meister? A Weapon? None of the above?" he asked.
"I'm a Death Weapon," she replied simply.
"A Death Weapon! How prestigious," he said mockingly, "So that means that in the course of your career here at the DWMA you devoured ninety-nine Kishin eggs and one Witch soul, right?" He asked. She saw immediately where he was going with this. Why should he give her the time of day when she had eaten the soul of a Witch.
"That's right," she replied.
"I'm sure you're following my train of thought like connect the dots, aren't you. I can see the wheels turning behind that eye of yours," he said. He was starting to offend and irritate Marie with his abrasive attitude but she was not about to let it show.
"We come from very different worlds, I know. We're on different sides of this conflict—at least we were," she said.
"What has changed?" he asked.
"Our disposition—or mine has at least. Before we are Death Weapon or Witchblade, we are just a man and a woman," she said.
"Spare me. Please just get to the point," he said.
"Fine," she snapped. She had tried being polite and that wasn't working so she figured it was best just to get to the point.
"The student that you injured will die unless you lift the curse. I want you to save him," she explained. There was a resonating silence in the room so thick you could scoop it up with a spoon and eat it by the mouthful. It was interrupted by Liir's sinister laughter.
"You really are a hilarious, pathetic woman, you know that? Why would I do that? I'm not stupid, you know. You're not going to give me the one and only thing I want from you—my freedom—even if I do lift the curse and save your student. Why would I do something like that if there's nothing in it for me?" Liir asked.
"I know that you lived a life of conflict and killing when you lived in the Witch coven. It doesn't have to be like that. Not anymore. You're here with the DWMA now. With enough time, if you prove yourself trustworthy, you could have a life here free from the tyranny of the Witches," she said. He slammed his fist on the table and glared at her.
"Don't talk to me about tyranny! You eat the souls of Witches! You hunt my kind and take their souls for power! I live in a world of fear because of you and the organization you stand behind! Your words and your promises are empty and even if they weren't I wouldn't waste my time at a place like this anyway!" he bellowed. She was standing now to, her hands pressed firmly on the table as she leaned forward to get closer to his face.
"Have you no decency? No humanity? No compassion? That boy will die if you don't help him. If you help him it will go a long way with us; I'll see to that! Please! I'm begging you," she said.
"Listen to me you ugly, pathetic one-eyed sow. The only reason that I would lift the curse off of him is that I could have the satisfaction of cutting his throat and drowning you in a bucket of his blood," he hissed. She gasped at the horrific picture he had painted and decided that she had heard enough.
"I'm sorry that you feel that way, Liir. I'm not giving up hope on you. I hope that you change your mind, and soon," she said and stormed out of the door. She slammed it behind her and looked at the three men who were offering looks of sympathy. She didn't realize it but she had tears in her eyes. He had unnerved her more than he had originally thought.
"I don't think he would do it even if we offered him his freedom," she said, breaking the silence.
"No, probably not. I don't think that he'll come around to our side for long time—if ever," Stein said.
"You're probably right…but I had to try," she said.
"What now?" Merios asked.
"Now we do things my way," Vyse said. He pulled a small round object from behind his back, pulled a ninja mask over his nose and mouth and threw the object to the ground. It exploded and sent a gas throughout the room.
"Vyse…what are you…doing…?" was the last thing that Marie heard Merios ask the boy and she fell unconscious.