"DAMMIT!" Theseus swore out loud, his words echoing throughout the entire castle, let alone the dungeon room that now looked completely DEVASTATED by their battle. Holes littered the entire floor deep enough to rival those dug for coffins for a funeral. Many of them had cracks branching out across the stone, with similar holes and indentations spread across the walls from the moments when they had been slammed into them during their fight against the abomination that Zolgear had become.
Yet none of this particularly concerned the blonde male again.
His shouting did catch Lars attention after the man had finally obliterated Zolgear from existence the second time. He shift his attention to the upset Theseus, raising his eyebrow in confusion when he saw how he had facepalmed himself and looked like someone who'd been duped, before walking on over to him. "What seems to be the matter Theseus? Did we miss something?" Lars asked the blonde-haired boy, pocketing his hands inside his pants. To be frank, he'd anticipated the Shark King to be over the moon at the thought of wiping that scumbag off planet earth.
He himself sure felt that way, for multiple reasons.
Theseus moved his head and stared at Lars with his scarred face that even now Lars didn't envy him for now sporting. "You already guessed my answer. We messed up." Furrowing his brows together, Theseus pocketed his good hand back inside his coat after doing the same with his broken arm. "Big time."
Now what was he talking about, Lars wondered. The manipulator knew that the male in front of him wasn't lying due to the way he spoke, his inflections betraying nothing connected to deception, nor was he an idiot despite how he often acted like a wild beast one step away from going on a blood rage. From the way he cursed out loud, along with the body language he currently exuded, the blonde must have realized something very important, something that they hadn't considered when planning this little operation of theirs. So, in light of concluding everything and tying up loose ends, the Devil decided to ask him. "What did you discover, Theseus? Explain to me how we messed up big time."
Explain, the blonde did after cupping his chin and formulating his words better. "Do you remember how Zolgear came into the picture with a new body and armor we never seen before?" Theseus ask Lars, returning his gaze to the Devil.
The said devil nodded his head, his brain quickly working to process these observations. His brain cells rana million miles an hour to figure out where the blonde had been going with this information.
While this process went on, Theseus spoke again while throwing his remaining good hand to the side. "The moment we bested him the first time, it didn't take him long to come back here but in a completely different form than before. Not only that, but it seemed starkly different compared to his original self, we didn't see him use any kind of magic which from what we know Zolgear used that as a primary means of offense. That body merely used weapons and physical strikes against us. Which means…"
At that point, Lars widened his eyes in realization (parts of his mask had been broken during the fighting revealing parts of his face) when he finally grasped what Theseus had been getting at. Before long, his newly revealed features settled into an expression of grim realization. "He can switch bodies whenever his own is destroyed." Lars stated, before he gritted his teeth and slapped himself on the head. "How did I not think of that before?!" he swore to himself.
"We all didn't figure it out because we didn't get the chance to. it wasn't long before he came back after all. That bastard had some cards up his sleeve not even we knew of." Theseus assured Lars a bit, though it also had hints of a lecturing tone to it as well and as much as the Devil wanted to give the blonde what for that he couldn't really blame him.
Here he was, an agent who specialized in manipulation, acting and information gathering, yet he got blindsided by something that he hadn't even heard of before. Well, that was a lie Lars remembered hearing brief whispers of 'something' but he hadn't paid it much heed due to the lack of evidence. Part of him even couldn't help but be impressed that Zolgear had managed to conceal something like this from even himself and his informants, that old bastard had more of a crafty nature than he'd anticipated.
Even the best of them made mistakes, it seemed… didn't make it any less humiliating though.
"Ah great, I don't want to deal with multiple Zolgears in one place." Lars groaned out in disdain while trying so hard to not imagine many Zolgears surrounding him in a circle. All of them laughing at him and ridiculing him for his mistakes, the very thought of it made him want to blow this entire castle sky high just to rid himself of this humiliation.
A look of silent understanding crossed onto the Shark King's face."Me neither Lars." Theseus agreed with the devil as well R, not liking the thought of multiple Zolgears going after Mio. There was a limit to what even he could do, let alone Hellsing, and the thought of so many bastards like him running about made his Devil-hating instincts surge. Right then, he did an 180-degree turn with hs coat flapping from the motions as he strode towards the dungeon room's entrance, which had been thrown open during the battle. "Come on. Let's go find the source of his body stockpiles before he goes to another, forcing us to deal with him for a third damn time."
"Agreed." Lars agreed with Theseus before he started to follow him, a strong killing intent surging in his eyes. He just wanted to be done with Zolgear by this point, this old bastard was starting to resemble a damn cockroach with just how persistent he was to clinging to life on this plane of existence. After having tried offing him multiple times now, one could understand why he felt somewhat exasperated at the thought of killing him… again.
With their goal to permanently end Zolgear firmly established, the duo of tired and exasperated warriors proceeded to head towards the dungeon room's exit side by side, both yearning for the moment this was all behind them. Neither worried much about Zolgear's aid Zest, since she hadn't been abe to rescue her master in either of these battles between them meaning that she hadn't managed to deal with Maria.
Their plan was simple: find the source of that bastard's immortality, either from his underground laboratory or something that allowed him to switch bodies. Theseus, Lars and Mio will find where it is and destroy his source of immortality.
However, just when they were about to exit the castle's main room, the boys thought of the red head girl. They had only heard their own sets of footsteps just now, whilst nothing came from Mio's end which caused confusion (and a little bit of dread) to be born within them.
"Huh? Where's Mio?" Lars asked in confusion.
Theseus didn't respond to Lars, a faint chilling sensation running up his spine when an idea hit him, one that he hadn't considered before now that he REALLY should have. 'Oh shit… don't fucking tell me…' the male thought as he felt like he was having a Lars moment right now. His face started losing color at the dread pooling within his stomach. Slowly, he lifted his head and turned to look behind himself at where Mio was, Lars soon following suit.
From there, a few feet away, they saw Mio just standing there. Her body froze to place, her hair shadowing her eyes. She didn't respond to Theseus or to Lars when they called out to her, and was it just them or did she currently resemble those far off figures in those classic horror movies with her rather eerily silent demeanor? It DEFINITELY didn't do their nerves any favors, that was for certain.
Thoughts like these swirling around their noggins, both Theseus and Lars quickly walked up to her. Once they were close to her Theseus proceed to ask Mio. "Mio, did something happen?". He waited for a response but she didn't respond to him after a while. She stood there like a statue. "Mio, are you there?" Theseus once again asked Mio but again she didn't respond to him.
When Theseus was about to open his mouth for a third time, he widened his eyes when he noticed, the same with Lars, the way her energy was behaving. Before the energy had been raw, violent and priml like a savage beast but the strings of Mio's will had been able to keep it reasonably under control. However, from what their senses were telling them there were hardly ANY such 'strings' left, was alarming for the both of them.
"What the-"
"(GASP)!" Mio suddenly hunched backwards, interrupting Theseus sentence whilst the male stepped back after having been caught off guard by her actions. He didn't even get a chance to recover either before Mio suddenly fell to the ground like a puppet being cut from it's strings, and akin to a patient being yanked from their life support Mio's form began to spasm on the ground. "Urk! Guh! Ack! Hhhhhaaaa! Argh!" she screamed, gasped and choked with her gauntlet-clad hands grasping her throat as she attempts to get her lungs in control. Her Tail and wings fluttered wildly and frantically, further expressing the panic and terror currently taking control over her
Urgency flooded his senses as Theseus quickly kneeled beside Mio and took her hands in his, a frantic look engraved into his eyes. "Mio! What's happening?!" Theseus pleaded with the red head girl. She didn't respond to the male as she continued to spasm and flap on the ground like a fish out of water. Looking up to Lars, Theseus's gaze demanded that he try and do something to help but Lars, sadly didn't look like he had any clue what to do either and just stood there on Mio's opposite side helplessly.
Before long, all of the redhead's movements ceased, resulting in her prone form spread flat out back first across the ground, her right hand still in Theseus' own whilst her left had fallen limp onto the floor. She lay there motionlessly, gazing upwards almost blankly towards the hole in the ceiling above. "Mio, don't worry! I'll bring you Michel and Asia. they'll fix you up right away as soon as we lea-"
"Ỵ̸̜̼̞͔̳̱̳̼̉͌́̃͑̔̊̅͌́̀̈͜͠͝o̶̢̧̢̲̪̮͔̦̗̥̟̟̎̊͛͂̉̈́̆͗̊̔̉͘͜͜͜ư̵̡̦͇̬̯̺̻̣̻͉̥̈́ͅͅ'̸̢̡̘͈̼̫̮̳͍͉̣̘͈̅̐͐̆̎̿̾͐̆͛̽̂̂͜͝v̴̧̧̱̞̹̝͇̥̲̱̗͍̋̄̉̑̐̊̊͗̂͆̈͆ẻ̵͇̬͇͇͉̒̈́͌͑̈́̒̓͘͠͝ͅ ̴̢̩̫̼̼̘̠͈͙͕̥͚͓̊͂̃͛̽̌͜͝ͅl̴͍̹͂͑̀͑̃̌̍̌̃͛́͊͜͠ỗ̷̖͚̱͖̱̫̞̺̹̼̂̂̀́̋͌́̿̽̚͘͘ͅs̷̢̝̠̯̠̔́̃̄̎̐̏͛ͅt̵̝̝͍͓͖̓̈́̿̏͊̉͛́̑̽͆̕̚͠ ̵̗̺̘̠̩͍͉͖̰̠͕́́̅͂̓̾̈́̀̎͠K̸̰͔̳̬̩͕̩̐͂͐̒́͒̄͑͜a̷̗̹̯̬͎̙͒͗̉́́̾̿̅̈́̀̚͘i̶̦͐̇̚t̶̺̜̠̳̦͓̬̰͉̝́̋̾̃̉͊͒̽̚͜͝o̷̢͓̝̟͈̦͓̮͓͔̫̫̺̿̊́́̄̽̑̒͗̀́ͅ.̵̥̻͇̎̾̂́̾͂͛̑̾̌̃̚̕"
"?!"
Theseus became stunned when the redhead spoke all of a sudden, the sheer auto-tune kind of voice that was used IMMEDIATELY sending alarm bells into overdrive within his mind. In a flurry of motion Theseus let go of Mio's hand, letting it drop to the floor as he stood up and took a few steps back, just barely suppressing his instinctual desire to summon his Trident back into his good hand. His scared face had stretched thanks to the wide eyed gaze he sported, the male having frozen himself gazing at the spot Mio occupied on the ground. If that auto-tune, distorted voice that DEFINITELY wasn't hers wasn't spooky enough for him, the damn thing had even went and called out his real name. "What….what did you sa-?!"
When Theseus was about to demand Mio, he saw her lifting her head to glance over to him, which allowed Theseus to see how her eyes had turned completely white unlike their black and red state from before. The woman smiled evilly at him, a smile that did NOT look natural on her in the slightest. In fact, he believed it would better suit a snake or a similarly serpentine being with how wide it spread across her face, threatening to split her face apart at the seems.
He wasn't the only one however, for Lars had been frozen in shock as well. However, unlike Theseus who likely didn't have a clue yet as to what was going on the Devil did, almost instinctively… which only made the pounding fear inside of him worse as his heart raced a thousand times a minute. The energy acting up in Mio's body and the distorted voice that is coming from Mio while showing her pupils were gone…
There was no mistaking it, he'd heard of this before by some of the most fanatical of his race. This was the coming of the lord of evil itself, only one word fit to describe this chaotic being:
Satan.
It wasn't long before Lars courageously stepped forward and confronted the being which had now stood up, clad in a dark red aura unlike that of Mio's previous one, matching lightning dancing across her form as it hovered above the ground. Despite fighting the urge to wet himself from fright, Lars did what he could to keep a brave face going as even a Devil like him would be quivering in his boots upon feeling the ruler of Evil's power.
"Satan." he called out its name, catching Theseus' attention with the male soon figuring out what's happening to Mio. Lars continued his speech despite his shaking body and madly sweating flesh. "What did you do with Mio? What have you done with her? I demand you to tell me now Satan!" Lars demanded gradually building up from a weak, quivering voice to that of a furious creature who didn't get what it wanted after years of planning. It had been the best he could do in such circumstances.
The possessed girl turned to Lars, still smiling before it faded away to be replaced with a wicked grin.
"M̸̧̨̱͇͚͕̖̆͠ỉ̸̪̲̰̖̣̦̟̬̲͖̮͓͈̓̈̉̎̆̃͊͊̉̽̔͘ơ̴͕͍̩̝̝͝,̷̙̗̻̤̣͙͚̓̀͒̽̈́̽͗̚ ̵̗̱̪͑̌͋̓͌͒͂̈́̚͝͠ţ̵̢̮̤̭̤͎̙͕͚̥̍͜͝ͅh̵̨͈̻͎͈͔͉̊́͝è̶̢̙̠̖̥̱̥͙̩̟ ̴̨̥̻͈̭͉̙͕̗͉̽̄ṉ̶̝̝̞̠̋̿͐̾̕̕͜͝a̶̮͇͍͎̦̭̙͔̰͓̼͍͖͐͆̐̅͂̇̈́͑̍̅̍̕͝ḿ̵̱̩̣̟̩̖͚͍͂̈́͋̽̃͒̎͋̆̕̚ͅe̵̢̥̝̍̓͊͑̿̅̋̄̓̈́̚̕͝ ̶̩͕̰̑̒̓͑̀͛̾h̶͔̯̘̄ừ̶̮̹̤̝͖̥̟̘̺̟͎͋̽͛̿̓̈́̿͑͜͠͝͝m̴̠̿̿̏̍͛̀̄̅̀̎͑͘͜͠á̴̖̲̯͚̞̮͍̬̬́͌͆̔̉̇̾͊͘̚n̶̨̧̪̯̝̥̞̦̥͂̽̇̉̀̓͋́̍̍͝s̶̥͖͍͂͊̈́̐̅̃͘͜͝͠ͅ ̷̨͙̻̱̻͖̲̀͂͜ͅh̴̡͇̖͖̤̠̥͎̐͜͝͝ä̸̡̡̢̦̼̱̥̺͎͉͖̤́ṽ̶̨̬͓̮͓̭̮̪̗̬̼̏̀̒̿̒e̸̠͓͍̹͓̿͜ ̸̣̔̆͛̈́̔ͅg̴̛͔̟̼͓̩̼͗͆̅͜ḯ̴̧̛͙̳͈͖͕͓̗̱̗͋̀͂̏͆̉̇͝͠͝ͅv̵̦̭̜͍̲̗̭͈̠͆͊̆̀̈́̈́́̍͠e̶̪̓̚n̵̗͓͚̫̾͘͠ ̶͖̹̫̦͓̑͋̐͒̾̀́͝͝ẖ̶̡̡͚̲̣̜̖̙͍͔́ͅe̸̪̼̮̜͔͎̝͕͔̎̆̋̏̈́̉̊͑̀͒͘r̶̡̮̺̻̤̝͉̅̍̅̌̐̐͜͝͝,̵̢̧̢̟̩̻̯̖̘̗͕̘̾͌̈́̋̅̀͜͠͝ ̷͖͈̟̪͛͗̎̑̂̈́͆̕ͅi̸͕̬̺͇̗̝̽̐̉̇͆̀̏ͅș̶̜͉̺̣͙̤̩͓̦̈́͒̎̾̍̋́́̀̚ ̷͚͆͒͒̄̅n̷̡̢̢̲͕͔̦͎̟͔̦͆̎̈ͅò̸̢͓͉̗̫̘̬̱͍̤̗̻͇̃͒͛̃̈́́͂͊ ̶̺̇̌̒̽̓̀̍̅̇͑l̸̥̜̳̩̫͇͔̯̿̆̑͆̅̈͗͋͗́͠o̵̱̖̭͖͕̲̲̙̰̜͙͔͛͌̍̉́͛̚ṇ̵͚͍͔̼͓̭̮̃̽́̏̑̒͊̈͗̕͝g̴͉͔͇̹̻̬̥͈̼̩̺̽̌̾͂͌̈́̄̽̓̃͜͝e̵̙̝͉̋̑͆͋̅̎r̶̥͔͖̘̼̜̤͚̤̀͆́ ̸̨̨̧͚̻̣͓̩̼̪̮̫̟͌̀̀̂͠h̸͍̼̽̑̾͋̃̒̍̉̒́́e̸̢̛̛̪͍̙̱̩͊́̐͗̐͐̑̒̚͠r̴͉͇̟͔͈̬̠̤̫̪̲̓̐ȅ̵̘̯͎̼̦̮͈͎̲͒́̓͆̚.̴̨̛̙̗͍̼͔̩̲̑͐͌̐̾̆̃̌ ̶̪̩̻̐̄̉͗͒̄͘̚̚͠͝͝S̸̢̢̛̛͇͙̯̺̗̣͙͍̳̽̀͛̅̽̏h̶̳̝̹͕̄̿̈́̍͛̆̾̔e̴̦̫͍̬̺̥̥͎͕̙̘̽̓̄̔̊͐̋͝͝ ̵̖͈̙̥͌ͅͅh̷̛̭̞͙̣̒̾a̷̧̛̜͙̟̜̬̦̱̙̳̫ͅs̷͔̳͖̦̝̐̇̓͗̉̂̈́̓̓̉͘͘͠ ̶̝̻͋̒́̇̓̃́̓̓f̷̨̥̘̪̜̝̟̮̥̼̯͍̗̎̈͑̍ú̸̧̪͙̟̭̤͇͙̙̖̬̜͆̉́͠ͅl̴̺͈͕͔̬͚͈͉̠̦̻̭̜̋̾̅͑̀̊̎̚͝ḟ̵̛͖͚͔̯̜̟̹͙̠̞́͂́̀̑̿̍í̷̻̗̙̘̓̒̒̉̂̕l̸̺͖̤͇̻̥̠̋̈́̅̆̉̉́́̏͌̈́ͅl̵̛͚̺͙̅̈́͆̈́̒e̶̲͓̝̠̻̫͉͒͘d̵̨̰̣̲̪͖̺͚̯̣̙̆̏̑́̒̚͘͠͠ ̸̦̟̺̜̲̮͎̈́̀̊͜ͅh̶͕͈̠̙̅̌ȇ̷̛͓̲̭͔̬̤͐r̶̥̂̿̾̆́̋́̅̊͆͒̈͠ ̶̢͎̱̜̹͍̯͓̓̑̀d̷̘̋̓͗́̐̎̃͋̽̂͋u̷̡͍̰̦̔̚͝ţ̴̡̺̱̖̝̠̣̯͖̬̐̒̈́́̋̌͊̌̎͑͜i̴̡̡̟̹͇̠̞̻͉͈͌͑̎̍̀͗̂̕ḙ̴͓̳̹̟̊̔̓͋̀͌͜͠͝s̶͉̘̭̥̼̖͎̦̯͉͙̏̊̄͛͛̔̋̅̀͗̒̿͝ͅ.̷̤̻͌ ̷͙̱̥̆̅A̸̪̤̖̜͔̼̝͖͙̿̈́̀͜s̴̢̢̺͍̤͎̹̻̖̯̤̥͛̉̓͑͌̏̕͝ ̸͉̞̝̼͈̺̽̏͛̅̀̐̏͑͂̆̈́͂͝s̸̜̮̊̊ǘ̷̙̘̹͓͕͈̾̔͆̄͜͝ç̵̢̣͚͈̱̬̠̗̪͗͌̐̕̚h̴̯̃̈́̋͒͛̎̌̈́̽,̷̎̃͠ͅ ̷͖͙͎̼͍̗̰̄̃͆́̿͛̑̕͝͝I̷̖͕̋̽̔͂̀̐̈́͋ ̶̛͉̖̼͕̟͇̑̉͋̄̋̍̍̈́̊̕͝h̴̨̪͍͖̮͖́̇ă̴̟͎͖̦̟̫͑̌̓́̒͜v̵̧̨̜̻̹̬̥̳̰̭͕̗̿̉̉́̅̾͆͋̔̍e̷̡̖̫͗͂̎̈́̎̓̔̊̔̌͘͠ ̶̢̮̪̘̼̳̅̃́̐̾̈́r̸̨̛̝̯̯͙̱̣͓͈͉̫͈͑͂̅ē̷͉̯̙͖̩̲̣̝̪̲̠̐̚l̸̖͔̦͓̱̳͛̃͂͝į̶͙̲͔͚̇̉̔̂̕̚ȩ̸̧͈͓̼͖̼̻̏v̵̨͈̼͕͔̙͚̮̠̯̞̳̋̒̀̾̈́͌͜è̷̡̧̝̟͚̭̹͙̥͖̥̦͊͜͝d̶̡̙̮̗͉̻͖͍̈́͋̕ͅ ̷̡͉̥̱̪̹̳̣̱̩͒̽̽̑̌͐́̃͌̅͝͝m̴̘̺̩̳͙̙̒͒̈̀̽͋̇̀̐̂̕͘͝y̸̬̦̭͍̣͋̐̇̃̊̓́́͐̄̏͝ ̴̢̛̙͍̆́̉̇̃͝d̶̞̯̮̺̖̞̘̓̽̍̐̔͒͑̂̔̑̆̓̂͜a̸̮̻͖͔̪͎̦̜͉̱̞̠͆̒͗͝ū̵̙͔̟͍̮̥͖͎̟̔̐̓̑̈́̒̑́͋͌g̸̛̫͎̭͚͈̙̰̠̟͚͇͑̈̊̎̉̾́͝h̶̰͉͙̫͍̋̿͛͆̐̍̃̎̚͝͝͠͝t̴̢̜̺̦̫̰̭̰̩̲̭̀̂̈́̿̃͆̇̓̈́͌̑̚ͅę̵̨͚̱̹́̽̍͝r̴̢̨̧̛͍͕͉̟͐̋̀̒̌̐̽͛͊̈́̀̈́ͅ.̴̧̂̈́̒͛̉ ̷̧̦̳̞̟̏̈̑̌̉͜G̷̲̿̽̎̆̂̕ą̵̡̺͕̘̙̬̦̘͈̋̀͋̓̍͗̒̋̓͝ͅͅv̷̨̩̯͕͑͊͂̉͛̚̚͝e̶̡̨͔̼̘͕̮̯̬͓͛̄̀͜ͅ ̸̧̧͉̞̳̩̞̮̙̹̟̼̂̽͂̋͊͒͂̂̓͋͂͜͝͝h̸̨̼̫̞̝͔̲͇̐́͊̑̎̍̒̔͋͋́̄͜e̶̯͇̫̣̖͚͚̠͙̬̍̇̓͌̈́̋̈͘r̴̨̪̲̩̟̪̬̟̊̈̄̉̅͆̓͑̈́̋ ̶̡̛̤̼̜̱̫̜͔͍̽͊̎̒̔̔̄̈́̅̍̚a̴͍̥̼̭̖͇̿̒̆ͅ ̵̧̢͉͓͙̣̙̪̃́̇̇̊̊͝d̷͇͖͎̖̩̝̈́͒̄͒̅͛͠e̷͍͑ş̵̈́́̃e̷̡̨̡̙̻͇̬͓̪̱̔͆̄̈́̑̋͗͆̉̑̑r̶̝̤̭̪͔̖̲̘̈́̿v̷̻͎̮͍̦́̓͂̄̌̽̅͜ͅĕ̵̲̱̭̣͉̳̜̜̲̖̈͆̔̓̅́̚͝d̶̢̨͙̳̭͍̜͕͌͂̐͐̍͗̃ ̴̭̌͆́̓͠r̸̢͈͙͇͙̭͍͓̽̾̅̍̀̑̕͜͜e̵̩͕̭̝͖̰̪̹̱̣͛͊́̔̔̑̋͒̐̀͜s̸̯̄̅̌̇̕͝͝͝ţ̵̬̝̣̳̹̝̞͔͓̀͋̓͑̂͋̿̑̋́̏̎͜.̴̛͔͑̊̌̔̕"
"No..." Theseus muttered to himself. Widening his eyes, almost in despair from hearing the simple words Satan had said to him. Saying that he had eliminated Mio, the thought of her being gone from this world brought some uneasy feelings inside of Theseus's chest. The image of her happy smile aimed at him, followed by the images of their date before the ambush from the Hero Clan, all of it flew through his mind like some kind of old cinematic movie, replaying the moments they spent together with perfect clarity. It also hit him that their 'date' had been the last time they'd actually hung out together outside of school and training, something which only made those feelings worse.
In the end, it all came to a boiling point with his despair quickly giving way to anger. Gritting his teeth in anger, veins began sprouting from Theseus face and arm, his aura beginning to surround him.
He was about to summon his trident and end Mio's life here. Despite what his feeling is telling him to not do it he resisted those feelings and doing what was about to be his biggest regret, no longer seeing her smile in his mind.
Just before things could escalate more worse, Mio's body suddenly collapsed once again and her aura started violently reacting with the boys' senses picking up new 'strings' wrapping around the violent energy from seemingly out of nowhere. Not only that, but the whole body of this one young adult woman fell to the ground similarly to before, with the various appendages moving out almost randomly like the brain wasn't even in control anymore.
Satan itself seemed completely baffled, widening its pupil-less eyes when he felt something it did NOT anticipate in all it's millennia of slumber: Mio's consciousness, it was resurfacing from the void-like depths it had been sent into thanks to Satan's awakening, and it was NOT going back. In fact, aside from fighting to regain control over the violent energies within this body, her consciousness also seemed to begin the task of pushing back against his own.
"What? What is this?!"
After he shouted this, the origin of all Devils heard the voice of his daughter roar out through the confined of the skull. 'Get the hell out of my body! This is my body, not yours!' she bellowed, darkness starting to seep out of the body they began dueling over with a physical manifestation of this being how one eye turned black and red whilst the other remained pure white.
"Stand down, child! You are weak, so let me take over!"
'Fuck you, bastard! You think I'll let you?! Get the hell out of here!'
"Why do you resist the inevitable?! You haven't been able to do anything because of your weakness! Weakness is meant to be snuffed out, that is the law and order of this world!"
'What makes you say about weakness?! You don't know me! You've never known about me for the rest of my life! You were never there and you ruined my life! You destroyed everything that I loved!'
"Love?! Love is not meant for us Devils! We are the origin of all evil! We are chaos incarnate, when we want something we take it! We cause ruination, we leave devastation in our wake! Widows unnumbered, orphans beyond count! Our biggest priority is ourselves, no need to let other bullshit get in the way, we carve our own paths using whatever methods we deem fit!"
'Thats what you want! Not me! I'm not a bloodthirsty monster nor would I ever become like you! You only care about yourself than anyone else rather than do what a father would do, comfort their child instead of forcing them into becoming what they are not meant to be! It is no wonder why God desired to eliminate you from the face of the world! And practically so I'm actually happy to hear that from other peoples word than your disgusting mouth father.'
"You like that pathetic hypocrite?! He who spouts nonsense about chastity and 'living by the books' then punishes people just for having an opposing view? He who views humans as the be all and end all race, completely discarding the rest of his creations like trash? He who traps people with 'chains' like love, logic and order? He who denies humans their true nature? He who 'claims' to cherish all but then discards those who do not agree with how he runs things?! Open your eyes, child! That so-called 'god' is nothing but a pathetic, snivelling hypocrite who refuses to see the folly in his own actions, or how those actions inspired others to commit atrocities that make MY kind look tame! We're evil, and we Devils do not shy away from it! He and his ilk like to CLAIM they are the righteous ones while doing whatever they damn well please behind closed doors! That pathetic 'church' is just like that!"
'That is what makes us human! We decide what is right or wrong. If we choose to be evil then we shall, but if we choose to be good then we can! God did not try to change human nature, but instead helped them and shaped us into what we are! Sure they committed atrocities in the past, but has he ever influenced humans? No, rather he lets them do what they do in two words: Free will. We are not immortal or strong because if we were immortal and strong, who would stand by our sides? Who would we spend time with? Who would we interact with, share jokes or share stories with each other? If that is the case…then its a sad life, a sad existence.'
"That is just weakness! You are just simply putting yourself into a facy ass illusion! An illusion called 'freedom' which is a myth, alongside a 'joke' of a religion! If you had free will, then why are so many punished senselessly while the perpetrators walk free? You claim that we Devils are monsters, and I do not refute that claim but embrace it proudly, for you HUMANS claim to be better than us yet conduct mass atrocities all the damn time while getting off without punishment by blaming uninvolved parties! Look at countless genocides throughout history, your humanity's full of nothing but petty squabbles, suppression of 'free will'! This so-called 'society' has left humanity a bunch of weak, spineless cowards who throw one another under the bus for self-preservation, just like any animal does it's young in the wild! Humans have not grown in countless centuries, they are simply animals hidden beneath suits and marriages!"
'You're just jealous that you can't admit that they are better than you. Human being are evil course, but that doesn't mean that we can be better! You're just jealous that they have everything you don't! A home, a life, family, and friends. We are not perfect nor are we capable of becoming Gods. But that's how we are, God must really pity you father. He felt sorry for your existence before deciding to destroy you.'
"Bah! That hypocritical fool is no god, nor is he as 'just' as he claims to be! A true 'god' would be cold, unflinching and would treat his believers like they weren't even a part of existence! Gods would hold no care for specific individuals, only the ideals that should be followed otherwise harsh punishments are dealt. Just look at the old testament, all those stories came from some truth to them. God was NOTHING like what you humans made him out to be, he was not a 'holy ghost' nor was he merciful. He had not a shred of mercy in his form, whilst his humans inherited all his flaws as well! Life exists only for one purpose, to live and to die. So why not just follow our baser desires? Why should we not take what we want, gratification is the only thing that gives meaning to this pointless existence!"
'Sometimes pleasure cannot ever give the most satisfaction. What is the use of gratification if there is nothing to be satisfied? How can we be satisfied if the trees weren't planted? How can we be satisfied if children lost their parents? What is the use of gratification if people's loved ones die? No one can be satisfied, not in every way. That's why mistakes happen, thats why we are flawed. God did wipe out most of the world, but did he render humanity extinct? No. We are what we are: humans. If people ask for help, then they would help them and feel the satisfaction of helping someone. It is why God allowed humanity to resurface. Anyone can change father.'
"Then why has there been next to no progress towards that 'change' you like so much? Why has none of humanity's problems been dealt with? Why do so many live like domesticated animals in the 'cages' they call society? The reason is simple, they are WEAK! They've allowed themselves to sit within the festering illusion of safety, and when that illusion breaks upon war's arrival on their doorstep they do nothing but cower, whine and complain! All an individual needs for gratification is to satisfy their base desires! Money, power, glory, intercourse, all of it are simply part of the same curse that is living. Why else have these pathetic, snivelling excuses for living beings resigned themselves to live in that pathetic illusion? They have no drive, no goal, no 'will' to change! Only carnage, death and chaos spurs them on, like a kick up the backside! Just look at how many wars are fought, wars are the biggest spurs for change, further highlighting humanity's pathetic nature!"
'You judge humanity for its actions instead of looking deep into humanity itself. Have you ever tried being human once father? Have you ever thought of having flesh? Have you ever thought of interacting with those God created? Because if God had extinguished mankind…then I wouldn't be born then. You would've lost me, your only daughter.'
Outside Mio's mind where she struggled against the origin of evil, her physical body panting heavily from the exertion while trying to endure the constant mental attacks her father launched on her. One could see this battle waging around her energy where the strings would be destroyed by various energy pulses, only for more to take their place or even for the strings to endure.
Off to the side, Theseus stood there with Lars, both helplessly watching her struggle without any means of interfering. They had quickly deduced that the redhead was currently battling against Satan due to the way the bastard seemingly kept speaking to nothing but air. Mio lays down on the ground, face first before she attempts to get up, using both of her hand but could only get up a few inches.
'Ugh, can't sit back and do nothing here…' Theseus thought to himself out of frustration. As someone who usually got things done himself, he HATED being on the sidelines, it didn't matter what those circumstances were. He was someone who got things done, it was why he had the reputation he did.
In the end, he just couldn't take it anymore.
STEP-STEP!
Lars looked at Theseus who had started walking forward to the struggling girl on the floor. He stared down at her body before she fell down, in a sleeper positon with her head on top of her arm and hand in front of her.
He squats down before sitting on his knees. "Mio." he calls out her name, reaching out towards her with his sole good hand… though if both arms worked they'd both be moving right now. As for Mio, while she couldn't move her head or eyes, she could only stare at Theseus' lower figure until she felt something bruising alongside her cheek. Barely managing to glance at the source, she found that it was Theseus' hand gently rubbing itself down her cheek. "Mio, it isn't how you are like your father, its how you are not." Theseus assured Mio while not afraid to get close. The option of exterminating her was no longer an option that brought happiness to him, but for now he decided to not question that for he had bigger fish to fry… as much as that analogy unnerved him due to his connection with a lot of marine life. "It's the choices you make. You choose your options, your destiny, your own fate into your own hands. Don't let it control over you Mio. You decide on your own fate."
Back inside of Mio's soul...
"Weak, so weak. So vulnerable. That is what humans have been reduced to. All because of their sloth, while enamored with their own sense of arrogant self-entitlement and debauchery."
'You're the weak one. father. You've never gotten the chance to feel any love or friendship. And I feel sorry for you.'
"Like I said, love is not for us Devils. We live to sin, we live to indulge in our own desires, we live to take, we live to cause chaos, carnage and destruction. We leave nothing behind in our wake, nothing but ruination, devastation and emptiness. That is what evil is, and that is what we Devils are. You are of my blood, and by extension my kind, so this fate will be tied with you for the rest of your existence. There's no escaping nor denying it, even now you will be forever hunted, persecuted and your 'charges' targeted forever. Nobody will grant you peace, you will never attain this so-called 'mundane life' you crave."
'That's alright, because if it hadn't then I wouldn't have met new friends, obtaining this new life…..I wouldn't have met Theseus as well. I may hate and despise you, but you're my father. Thank you for making me who I am and for letting me to meet him."'
"….What are you saying? You are willing to fight?"
'Yes. Its like what Meredith once told me: if you want peace, then prepare for war.'
"….."
Outside of Mio's soul, the redhead's body suddenly lurched upwards into some kind of sitting position, somewhat akin to a possession as black smoke exited out of Mio's wide open mouth. Once it all left, her form collapsed back down onto the ground back-first, laying there unmoving. Theseus stared at the unmoving girl's body before looking at the black smoke. Then smoke had loomed over Mio's form briefly before condensing itself into a humanoid figure standing next to her, one that sported a pair of hollow red eyes here glaring down at Mio's panting figure, face pointing upwards into the air.
"You're a fool, daughter, and you will lose….everything."
Mio stared up at her father with no fear in her eyes. Turning her head a bit to get a closer look at the king of evil itself. "Even if I lose everything…..I won't be like you father…. Unlike you….at least I'm not afraid to admit….that you are a sad existence." she whispered between those pants she was doing, yet the woman's gaze remained as firm as ever as she bore a sympathetic gaze towards the dark being.
Theseus now stared at the figure of the living embodiment of destruction and darkness itself. Mio called this figure her father which means this must be Satan himself.
Mio continues to speak. "But if anyone…..tries to or dares…to take it away from me….they would be shown…..no mercy. This whole town is my house father…and you know….know what the British always say?... God save the Queen."
The dark particles and smoke flutters along the winds generated from the castle. Satan looked down on his child literally, with an unreadable expression on his face. Total silence dominated the castle for a while.
Though all things come to an end eventually, and this would be no exception. This got proven when Satan spoke once more… but unlike before he didn't speak in that eerie, distorted voice but rather a calm one. "Do not pity me child. I don't need it nor do I need your sympathy."
The way Satan spoke those words pretty much confirmed how he was refusing to be shown any pity or remorse towards him. He was the embodiment of evil itself and he is the opposite of YHVH. He doesn't need anyone in his life. No friends, no family. Only himself.
Truly a sad existence, indeed.
"You shall regret ever refusing me, daughter. The gates of Hell shall no longer open for you. When the time comes for whenever you need help, you will gain nothing from me daughter. When the time comes for the demons to roam the mortal plane, you will regret those choices."
Even as Satan spoke words that basically condemned her and isolated her from perhaps the only 'birth' parent that she could have had, Mio couldn't really find it in herself to care all that much. It honestly seemed pretty understandable, though, given the situation that had happened. "It is my choice father….not yours. And I…..will decide if….I regret them. No one else."
"We will see." Satan said to his daughter before turning around and swiping his hand.
Upon doing so, a mass of black flames manifested into existence. Almost IMMEDIATELY, the onlookers could tell those were Satan's flames, for unlike Mio's who had crimson flames with black outlines, these flames were a pure black color. So black that they looked like they could suck in all light around them and drown everything within their embrace to a world of fiery damnation.
It felt like they were just MELTING from the little that had been summoned, which spoke volumes about their heat levels and intensity. An intensity that could only come from witnessing countless horrors, atrocities, and crimes abundance to the point where hatred had scarred the user irreparably.
Once manifested into existence, those blackened flames began to spiral inwards, soon forming some kind of dome. The dome enlarged itself till it was about the same height as Satan's smoke-covered form, and judging from the way he looked at it the onlookers could tell that it was likely some kind of teleportation spell since there were some similarities between the dome and the occult-style Magic Circle Devils used.
Satan walked past Theseus who stood up. Neither of them looked at each other, even when at the eye distance. One simply did not acknowledge the other and vice versa. Just when he was about to enter the portal, Satan stopped for a moment, and in that moment a surge of emotion erupted inside of Theseus, who's instincts DEMANDED that he dodge.
His instincts got proven right when Satan said the following.
"This will be set as a reminder for defying me, foolish girl."
Bringing up his hand, Satan covered it with a blackish red aura before proceeding with a 180 degree turn. Swinging his hand like he were backstabbing someone, a beam of darkness was launched like a crescent wave towards the blonde male's position.
WHOOSH!
"?!"
Theseus widened his eyes at the abrupt actions, but thanks to being more in tune with his instincts than normal people he managed to dodge the beam at the last moment… but…
BAM!
"ARGH!"
Even when he dodged the crescent beam, a small chunk of it still managed to barely nick Theseus right above his right eye's. Almost losing his balance following the surge of pain that he felt from the impact, he nonetheless managed to keep himself steady by spreading his legs and putting his weight upon them till his head cleared up. Putting a hand over the right side of his face, the blonde glared with his remaining good eye at Satan. Smoke emitted from his right eye as he held onto it.
Satan and Theseus both had a stare off, seemingly attempting to bend the opponents will and make them succumb to their own self-perceived superiority. A sick, heavy tension filled the air between them as neither party backed down, even as their respective auras began to sway towards the violent side.
Meanwhile, Theseus was thinking rationally about his chances of escaping this situation intact. Just from reading this being's energy signature showed him that while not at full power (likely due to being rejected by Mio), Satan nonetheless remained capable of throwing down and wiping the floor with him. Especially when Theseus wasn't 100% himself either. As he knew that he used his remaining strength to dodge the attack, the fatigue is coming to its effect due to the feeling of many pierced needless he felt around his body and muscles tearing themselves apart.
However, in the end the blonde male's fears about fighting this being were dismissed when Satan turned back to his portal, having seemingly lost interest.
"I have no interest in settling matters with the broken boy. It will be a waste of my precious time."
Basically what Satan said was that taking Theseus out wasn't worth the trouble, already knowing the outcome of who would win and who would lose. The fact that the being was aware of his past which got proven when he had been labeled a 'broken boy' with such a derivative sneer.
Of course not being a fan of being dissed by anyone, Theseus snarled like the beast he believed himself to be at Satan, all the while still covering half his face before the origin of evil finally entered the portal. Once he entered the portal, the fiery spiral begun spinning around, almost hypnotically before it started shrinking itself. It didn't do this for long, before disappearing completely.
Once it had vanished, it took with it the threat Satan would pose to Theseus and Mio… for the time being.
Nevertheless, focusing on the present allowed the fatigue that had been building within him to finally take hold of Theseus body, the male starting to lose his focus. His vision began to get blurrier by the second as waves upon waves of weariness started their drastic assault on his consciousness. His legs begun shaking with increasing visibility the longer he tried to keep his balance steady, but before long they gave in. He almost fell to the ground if he hadn't reigned in his consciousness to tie it to the waking world, then took his trident out to stab it on the ground.
BAM!
"Hhhhhaaaaaaaa." Theseus breathes out cold hair as shadow enveloped his face while his eyes glint. Thankfully that loud sound also roused him from slipping into the world of unconsciousness, hence why he had done it hard enough to make more cracks form over the floor beneath them. Honestly, part of him still retained some bafflement at how this floor hadn't collapsed yet from all the damage it had taken, props to whoever had a hand in building this place.
Speaking of this place, he figured that Zest had been taken care of by Maria at this point, due to how she hadn't shown up just yet. Part of him did worry about that perverted succubus, she may be a big pain in the neck… but he didn't truly hate her for what had happened. He still hoped she had managed to survive that battle relatively intact, and if she had been injured… then he'd REALLY like to pay that blonde bitch back for each one inflicted upon her. Also the ones she gave him earlier too, even though he had been a daft cunt for not realizing her presence sooner.
Nonetheless, Theseus felt more than eager to just get back home after everything had gone down. He'd dealt with enough shit for one day, and just wanted to take a nice long nap before going back on his usual patrolling duties. Heck, maybe he could even get a few hits in on Vali whenever he was an annoying little prick, or perhaps he could prank Kuroka then blame it on Kuroh, that could be fun. The thought of the torment he'd dish out on his homies made him smirk a little, a few chuckles escaping the male whose mood began to brighten. 'Still need to get back at them for making fun of me earlier…' the male thought, a sinister and evil smile spreading across his lips.
Just when he was about to say something to Lars who had been silent the whole time…
"Theseus."
Hearing his name called out, the said blonde turned towards the source, only to blink in surprise when he found it was Mio standing there, upright and well which was more than he could say about himself, using his Trident like an old man's cane. Not only that, but the redhead looked to have turned back into a human now, with her form returning to that school uniform-wearing, normal eyed self of hers. The sight of something normal after all this hectic shit that had gone down, proved to be a much needed breath of fresh air for the Shark King, who let out a low exhale before aiming a small smirk in Mio's direction. "Hey there, Mio. Good to see you're back to normal, today's been full of surprises." he remarked, rubbing the back of his head. "REALLY wanna go back and… pay some people back for making fun of me, hehehehe…"
Briefly, Mio shuddered at the sinister undertones behind that chuckle the Shark King had made, a slight sweat drop forming over her forehead at the rather… typical Theseus she knew, though the sight prompted a relieved smile out of her at the same time. Some normalcy felt pretty good right about now, especially after having a rather intense father-daughter reunion which had ended… well, it hadn't ended COMPLETELY horrible, it definitely could have gone worse she figured. "Y-Yeah, today's been a pretty hard day… for all of us." she admitted, giggling slightly behind a closed fist before placing a hand on her hip and leaning on her left leg. "You look like crap, you know that?"
"On, that I can agree with you…" Theseus replied, instead of snapping back at her which he didn't really feel like he had the energy (nor the will) to do at the moment, the blonde simply agreed with her. He felt real tired right now, and the reasons had already been shown so he wouldn't be going into those details again. "No matter, we best get a move on. Now that Zolgear's ass is grass and that Satan bastard's ouuta our hair for now, we gotta get back to Hellsing…" the male mused, before letting out some faint shudders at several mental images of a pissed off Meredith that manifested within his consciousness. "They'll definitely not be too pleased with what happened here."
Oh yeah, Mio could definitely agree with Theseus on that one, knowing her ,magic mentor Mio could definitely tell that Meredith will likely be giving Theseus utter hell for this. Though she did hope that it didn't end as badly as the last time she tried punishing the shark king, NOBODY wanted a repeat of the divide between the two.
Still, as she watched him start muttering about some 'ideas' he had for pranks that she would swear to never speak of to anyone lest they be performed on her, Mio's smile grew increasingly warm, affectionate and loving as she remembered everything that had happened up till this point. Honestly, everything felt like some kind of cheesy kids' fairy tale, where the prince rescues his princess from the evil king's castle, almost. Almost in that Theseus was FAR from being a prince nor was he majestic, no it felt more accurate to call him a vicious beast on a war path after someone tried taking what was his.
Though, the thought of her 'belonging' to the blonde male in any capacity didn't really unsettle her at all, in fact Mio actually liked the idea. Her heart felt like it got set on fire by the thought of him holding her without intending to let her go, the thought of Theseus being… well, hers in that sense. Considering just how far he had gone for her sake ever since she had first met him while on the run from her demonic pursuers, giving her countless pieces of advice and introducing her to people whom would NOT be so easily messed with by the Supernatural world… there was just so much she owed to Theseus that she may never be able to truly pay him back.
Nevertheless, this warmth in her chest and strong affectionate desire boiling within her gut at seeing the male, especially when she noticed his shredded clothes which exposed the muscular physique that bore no small amount of attractiveness to her (she REFUSED to think about all those times she dreamt of being able to feel those chisled abs of his). All of it, she needed to get it out and to do so, there seemed to be only one way for her to do so in any meaningful capacity.
"... By the way, Theseus?"
"Hm? Yeah, what is it, Mio…?"
Calling out to him, Mio managed to grasp his attention after breaking the male out from his musings about pranking a certain set of individuals. She managed to move her hands to touch Theseus' scarred face, gently caressing it whilst removing whatever bangs covered his confusion-riddled eyes.
Though, when she said the following after snaking her hands around him and pulling him into an embrace, that confusion turned into shock REAL fast.
"I…..love you."
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
"…..What?"
Somewhere else in the castle
Deep beneath the castle, on the same floor which housed the dungeon room that the young adults currently occupied, there was a single room filled with concrete bricks for the hallway, ceiling and walls. There were multiple iron bars leading to various holding rooms. One could call it a dungeon similar to the one Mio had been held in, but with the embroidery such as crimson curtains and the almost cylindrical shape to it, and one could see that it held more of an extravagant feel to it.
Amongst those that were held within these cells, one of them sat on a single wooden chair with her hands on her lap, somewhat retaining a rather ladylike demeanor like someone trained to be classy and with feminine manners. The person in question looked almost identical to Maria herself, having the same silver colored hair as well as matching purple eyes, horns, and pointy ears. She looked to be wearing a white lacy dress with a red rose on her chest, a choker and two black ribbons in her hair. The dress split in front of the knee area, exposing a pair of white heels and a matching white pantyhose.
The older looking Maria remained silent as she sat in that position with her eyes closed, ignoring everything in her surroundings. She briefly opened those eyes of hers and then looked down at the ground for a while before she heard some voices sounding off near her.
"-sake this is just taking too lon-"
"-ry to rush me, I'm trying to concentr-"
"-ell its taking too long now-"
Lifting her head towards the source of the strange voices, although she could tell they belonged to a pair of agitated males, the woman lifted her eyebrows in surprise and confusion. She had not heard such voices before, so who could they be? They definitely didn't sound like Devils, she had ample experience with such creatures in her many centuries of living.
Curiosity getting the better of her, something that had not happened to her in a long time, she slowly got up from her seat and headed over to where the voices was coming from. Heals tapping against the cold hard concrete, she walked over to the iron bars to peer out to try and see the voices' owners, before she saw a muscular man wearing some formal white shirt and black dress pants. He sported modern military gear over his torso, implying a combat-oriented background the woman suspected, though what she quickly noticed was how the man was squatting down and was doing something with the lock.
Beside him looked to be another male, though unlike his partner he wore a uniform she remembered from several centuries ago, when the age of the samurai still dominated Japan. He himself looked to be pretty agitated with something, a look which was also present on the other man's face.
"Come on already. Just hurry up already Karasuma."
"I told you to not rush me Toshizou. I'm focusing right now, so don't distract me." Karasuma rebuked at the former general.
"And how long has been going on for?" Toshizou retorted, arms crossed in front of his chest.
"About five minutes."
"It felt more longer than that! It feels like an eternity!"
"If you just had some patience, then it wouldn't be taking this long."
"Oh fuck it! Just destroy this damn thing already. We're wasting too much damn time."
"I'm not breaking the lock down." Karasuma once again rebuked Toshizou, remaining calm compared to the increasingly agitated warrior like yin and yang. He'd worked with people more irritating than him, so retaining his patience was quite easy. "It would only cause more ruckus than before. We can't rush, now be quiet and let me concentrate. An old century lock is something not to be scoffed at."
After having listened to their conversation, the woman finally felt like she had enough courage to speak the two males. She'd gleaned enough intel to assume that the two were human. "Who… who are you two?" She asked the male duo with some paranoia and weariness in her tone.
Upon hearing her voice, Karasuma finally noticed the woman in front of him after lifting his head to glance at her. This only lasted a couple moments before he returned to picklocking, though he still spoke in an assuring manner to try and placate her worries. "Don't worry madam, your daughter sent us." he told her
The woman, upon hearing that, widened her eyes in shock. 'Maria!' she shouted mentaly, revealing her identity to be Maria's mother, before she abruptly grabbed the iron bars while looking closely at the two men. "Is she okay? Is my daughter fine? Tell me is she's alright!" multiple questions spouted out from her mouth while looking at the men.
"Oh don't worry about that little sprout, woman." Toshizo assured her, holding out a hand towards her in a placating manner. "She's fine, alright. In fact..." pausing once more, he let out a small smirk at the mention of the silver haired succubus, a tinge of respect in his following statement. "She had some major balls in pulling this operation off. I would've recommended her to be a part of the Shinsengumi with how she has performed, though my superiors wouldn't have liked it."
Hearing that her daughter was not only alright, but apparently she had managed to successfully launch a rescue operation to free her set the woman's nerves at ease. A short while ago she had felt Zolgear's power vanish from this castle, which implied multiple things for her but the biggest was the possibility that he had done something to her daughter. Knowing that wasn't the case helped ease her mind, the woman heaving a low sigh while stepping away from the bars, placing a hand over her chest. "Oh, thank goodness.
He then looks at her once more before he commented again. "It would be very surprising that you're her mother instead of her sister. I mean come on just look at her, she practically doesn't look old enough to be one-OOF!" he grunted all of a sudden.
Karasuma hit the former general at the stomach while still picklocking. "Don't be rude Toshizo. You don't question or ask a ladies age."
"Shut up will you, no idea why that shit exists, older ladies are sexy in their own ways just like any young beauty."
"Everyone has their own opinion idiot, its not the same as back in your age." Karasuma lectured like the instructor he was the former general before he resumed working on the lock. Eventually, a slight smirk formed on his lips when he twisted the lock.
CLICK!
Soon he got the noise what he wanted to hear, prompting the man to get up and open the cell door, allowing Maria's mother to exit her cell. The place where she had no clue how long she'd spent fretting and mulling over things.
Once she was out of her cell, she grabbed both sides of her dress's skirt and performed a curtsey towards them. "Thank you for rescuing me on behalf of my daughter." she said, lowering her head towards the two men in a situation that did NOT imply anything lewd, for a succubus.
Hijikata shrugged his elbows to her. "Eh you don't have to thank us, lady. We've done our part and now I wonder if he's done as well." the former general responded casually. Though deep down, he didn't feel nearly as nonchalant for some reason, the man looking out towards the corridor from whence they had arrived apprehensively. He didn't get why himself, but he had a feeling that Theseus is going to suffer…..a lot.
Karasuma had that feeling as well for his student, even though he was a Hellsing Agent, he was still a uni student under his care, and for some reason Karasuma got the impression that things were not going to be easy for Theseus from here on out. Shaking his head to rid himself of those thoughts, Karasuma looked out towards the corridor with an entirely different topic in mind. "We need to leave, since its likely that the kids have likely taken care of things on their ends."
"Whatever you say boss." Hijikata said to Karasuma before they began to walk through the dungeon hall, Maria's mother silently trailing behind her all ladylike.
The trio was silent as they walk through the dungeon before Hijikata made another comment. "You know, how about after this whole charade or fiasco we could get to know each other since we're going to be working together for a while. Why not we have a drink, what'd ya say Karasuma?"
"...maybe in the distant future, but it could be nice."