Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales of Series or anything related to it whatsoever as they're all owned by Studio Bandai Namco. I also do not own Marvel's What If...? Series nor anything related to Marvel Studios whatsoever. This story is rated M for mature story. Other than that, enjoy!

Tales of Berseria: What If...Artorius Collbrande Sacrificed Himself Instead of Laphicet Crowe? – Prologue

Introduction: Time. Space. Reality. It's more than a linear path. It's a prism of endless possibility, where a single choice can branch out into infinite realities, creating alternate worlds from the ones you know. I am the Watcher. And I am your guide through these vast new realities. Follow me, and ponder the question..."What If...?"

Velvet Crowe, also known as the Therian and the first Lord of Calamity, fought against and killed the organization meant to protect the world known as the Abbey, led by her former brother-in-law known to many as Artorius Collbrande, all in order to seek revenge on the very man who killed her younger brother, Laphicet Crowe. Her journey of vengeance would eventually lead her to save the same world she despised so much with the help of her companions, including the Malakim who saved her from her despair. And eventually, their sacrifice saved the world for years until another event unfolded.

But in another universe, instead of Artorius Collbrande sacrificing Laphicet Crowe, he made the sacrifice on himself from the single choice he made to himself, and Velvet's journey to the unknown as a hero would begin.

The story began at Aball, Village of Longing, where the Scarlet Night began and when daemons began to appear to attack and rampage in the village, and the 16-year-old woman, Velvet Crowe, ran in search of her older brother-in-law, Artorius Collbrande, whom she calls Arthur, while her younger brother Laphicet Crowe, was at their home in hiding while unconscious. Velvet ran and ran in search of Arthur until she saw him standing at the cliff, where he stood close to the Shrine of Tranquility, where he would perform the ritual known as the Advent.

Here, the ritual known as the Advent would be performed. But in this universe, instead of using Laphicet Crowe as the sacrifice, Artorius Collbrande chose to be the sacrifice.

"A-Arthur!" Velvet called, "Arthur, what're you doing?!"

"Velvet..." said Arthur, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?!" Velvet cried.

"You've done a wonderful job caring for Laphi," Arthur answered.

"Arthur, you're scaring me!" Velvet yelled, "Why won't you just tell me what's going on?!"

He smiled at her and said as he pulled out his sword and was ready to stab himself, "I'm going to do what is the right thing, for you and for Laphi."

Velvet gasped, realizing what her older brother-in-law was about to do before she hurriedly ran to try and stop him as she screamed, reaching her hand out to him, "ARTHUR, NO! STOP!"

However, it was too late.

Arthur stabbed himself in the stomach with his own sword, shocking Velvet as she saw her brother-in-law falling on his knees while the purple, fiery portal had opened above the shrine.

"NOOOOO!" Velvet screamed as she hurried to him before he began to fall into the shine.

Immediately, Velvet caught Arthur by the arm as she tried to hold onto him from the cliff and into the depths of the shrine, and yet she could see his face looking up at her and smiling at her, despite the pain he inflicted upon himself for the ritual.

"Arthur!" Velvet cried as she tried and struggled to pull him up, "P-Please, just...please, tell me what's happening! Why are you doing this?! Why would you...why would you kill yourself?!"

"For you, Velvet," Arthur answered weakly, "This is...my gift...to you and to Laphi. I want you both...to have a future...where you'll never know the suffering you felt before. I want the both of you...to live."

"Please, don't leave me, Arthur," Velvet pleaded, "I need you. I-I don't understand."

"I-It's okay..." said Arthur weakly, "Y-You don't...need to understand...n-not yet. But...I-I'm sure...someday...you will...and...I know that Celica, your sister, and my wife, would want...the same...as I do...that you, and Laphi, live out your lives...in happiness..."

"Arthur...!" said Velvet as tears began falling from her eyes, "Please, no! I don't want you to die!"

"It's...okay, Velvet," Arthur gasped, "D-Don't let the past...d-define you. Just...remember...you're still alive."

"Please, I can't hold on, Arthur!" Velvet cried as her grip on his arm was beginning to slip, "Please, don't go! Please!"

"Velvet..." said Arthur as his vision was beginning to get blurry and his consciousness was starting to slip away, "I'm...sorry...I'm...running out of time...b-but...there is...s-something that...I-I want you...to do. Velvet, t-take your brother...a-and go...to the Holy...Midgand Empire...where the Abbey...is formed...t-tell them that...Artorius Collbrande sent you both...to them...they'll...look after you...and they'll...help you in...fighting the daemons and...the daemon-blight...and save...this world..."

"Why won't you come with us, Arthur?!" Velvet questioned as tears continued to fall from her eyes, "If you did, then the three of us can do this together, right?! Please, just come with us!"

Arthur shook his head and said weakly with a sad smile, "No...I can't...go with you, now...this is...my choice to make... I can't change this now...and I...will go soon..."

"No, please...!" Velvet begged.

"But Velvet, there's something...that you...can do for me..." said Arthur weakly, "This...is my last...request of you."

"W-What is it, Arthur?" asked Velvet.

"T-This world...is beautiful...full of life...full of wonderful people...like you..." said Arthur weakly, feeling his life beginning to slip more and more, "S-So, please...p-promise me...something...p-promise me...promise me that...you will...protect this world...f-from the daemons...and the daemon-blight..."

Velvet looked tearfully at her brother-in-law as he looked back up at her.

"P-Promise me, Velvet," Arthur repeated, "Will you...do it?"

"Y-yes, Arthur," Velvet sobbed as her tears continued to fall, "I promise! I promise I will!"

"Good..." said Arthur before he coughed out blood as he was beginning to feel himself getting closer to death.

"Arthur?!" Velvet questioned worriedly.

"V-Velvet..." said Arthur weakly as he looked at her with a smile one last time, "It's time...goodbye...Velvet..."

Then, with whatever strength he had left, Arthur let go of her hold on him as he fell and plummetted down into the depths of the shrine while slowly dying as his life slipped away.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Velvet screamed in anguish, reaching out to him, unable to do anything as he disappeared into the darkness of the shrine, and soon saw her brother-in-law being devoured by a flaming dragon that was Innominat.

"N-No..." Velvet sobbed as tears kept streaming down her cheeks seeing that her brother-in-law was gone, "NO!"

She then collapsed on the ground and began crying her eyes out.

Then, she heard growling as daemons began approaching the crying Velvet, ready to attack her, before she heard a distorted, yet familiar voice, in one of them as it said, "V-V-Vel...vet..."

Velvet gasped as she recognized the voice of her ber best friend in her village, Niko, and she got up to look at the daemon that was Niko as she said, pleading to Velvet in a distorted voice, "P-Please...k-kill...kill...me...e-end...it...please..."

Velvet gasped in horror as she realized that the villagers of Aball, all of whom she knew, had all turned into daemons due to the daemon-blight, and Velvet and Laphicet were the only ones left, and the daemon that was her best friend was begging her to kill her as more and more villagers who had turned to daemons began approaching her.

"N-Niko...!" Velvet cried.

"V-Velvet..." Niko spoke, "H-Help...me..."

Velvet looked on in horror before she closed her eyes and began to sob and cry, knowing what she had to do since she could not purify them, before she readied her gauntlet blade and said, "I-I'm so sorry, Niko, everyone. Goodbye, old friend."

Then with a yell, Velvet began charging at the horde of daemons, all once the people of her village, and she swung her blade-gauntlet at them, killing them while hearing them begging for their lives and mercy.

"Please, end it!"

"Stop! Don't hurt us!"

"Mercy, please!"

"Help me!"

"No! No, please!"

Velvet ignored the pleas and cries of the daemons and continued to swing her blade-gauntlet wildly around, slicing and cutting down more and more daemons while her gauntlet was covered in the black blood of the daemons.

"I'm so sorry," Velvet sobbed, "Please forgive me. Please, forgive me. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Then, after all the daemons had been slain, Velvet stood and watched her home village burn to the ground, no doubt caused by the people who became daemons, all while tears flowed down from her eyes as she watched the fires.

"What am I going to do, Laphi?" Velvet asked herself, "Everyone's dead. What do I do, Arthur? What should I do, Laphicet?"

As the Scarlet Night ended, the sun was slowly rising, and the fires began to subside. However, the damage had been done. Velvet's home village had been destroyed and nothing was left. Velvet fell down to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably and crying.

"Velvet...?" she heard her brother, Laphicet Crowe, call her, and she gasped before turning to her sickly younger brother who had just woken up and got out of their home that remained intact as he asked, "Velvet, what happened...w-what happened to the village...?"

Velvet turned her head away from her younger brother and did not answer, scared of how much her younger brother would hate and despise her.

"Velvet? Tell me, what's going on?" asked Laphicet worriedly, "W-Where's Arthur? And what happened to everyone? A-Are they okay?"

Velvet was silent for a moment, scared and unsure of how he'd react if he knew the truth, so she got up while wiping away the tears and turned to him with a smile that she could muster up and said, telling him a half-truth and a full lie, "They're gone, Laphi. A-And Arthur...he's gone, too. All of them, gone."

"W-What?" Laphicet asked, not understanding what she was saying, and was shocked to hear the news about his older brother-in-law, "What do you mean? Where did they go?"

"It's okay, Laphicet," said Velvet in an attempt to soothe his worries, though she was lying, "The village burned down, and they're gone. But, they're okay, wherever they are."

Laphicet Crowe looked at his older sister with tears beginning to form in his eyes and he asked her, "How can you say that, Velvet? How can you be so calm? A-And how can you know that they're all okay?!"

"Because I know they're all together," said Velvet as her voice was about to break while tears were threatening to form in her eyes again.

"B-But, why?" Laphicet questioned.

"Because the daemons attacked Aball," Velvet lied as tears were starting to form in her eyes again, "And the rest of the villagers scattered in fear. But, it's okay. They're all okay, I just...I just don't know where they are."

"But...how did they get out?" Laphicet asked.

Velvet closed her eyes and said, trying her hardest to hold back her tears, "I don't know, Laphi. I-I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

"No," Laphicet protested, "This isn't your fault, Velvet. It can't be."

"It is, Laphi," Velvet sobbed as she hugged her younger brother and cried, "It's all my fault. I...I don't know where the villagers are, a-and I don't know where Arthur is." She then pulled away as she looked at her brother with a smile as she lied, "But, I know...I know they're okay, Laphi. They're all okay. I-I'm sure. You'll see, Laphi. Someday, I'm sure you'll find them again. So please, just...trust me, okay?"

Laphicet Crowe sniffled and said as he looked at his sister with a smile, "Okay. I trust you, Velvet."

"Thank you," said Velvet, smiling sadly before she then started walking into the house.

"W-Where are you going, Velvet?" Laphicet questioned as he hurried and followed her.

"We're...we're gonna leave this village." said Velvet as she began packing up whatever essentials they needed, "Now, c'mon, Laphi, pack up whatever you can so we can leave Aball. We can't stay here anymore."

"But why?" asked Laphicet, "Velvet, please, just tell me, what's happening?"

"Please, just trust me, Laphi," said Velvet as she finished packing and then kneeled in front of him, "You can trust me, right? Trust that we have to go. We can't stay here any longer, alright?"

"O-Okay," said Laphicet as he nodded and went to his room to grab his belongings and began packing up the necessities.

Velvet watched her brother pack whatever he could before looking down sadly as she thought, "I'm sorry I have to lie to you, Laphi, but there's no other way. I promise I'll tell you the truth one day, but not now."

Then, the Malakhim, Seres, appeared visible thanks to the sacrifice of Artorius Collbrande and walked to the grieving Velvet.

"Lord Artorius has sacrificed himself and opened the gateway," said Seres, "Now, Innominat will rise."

"He's dead," said Velvet with her head hanging low, "Everyone's gone. They're all dead. And now...Now I have no choice but to do what Arthur asked of me."

"You still have your brother," said Seres, "As well as the Malaks."

Velvet turned to Seres as she said, "Seres, I'll need you to help me look after my brother for me. Help me protect him, and make sure he's safe. Can you do that for me, Seres?"

"Of course," said Seres, nodding her head.

"Thank you," said Velvet, smiling softly at her, "For everything."

"Of course," said Seres, her lips curving into a smile before she asked, "But, Velvet, are you sure of lying to your brother about the truth? About the death of the others?"

"There's no other way," said Velvet as a tear rolled down her cheek, "I don't want to lose Laphi, too, not like the others. I have to lie, to protect him from the truth. To keep him from knowing the pain and the suffering. To let him have a better life than what we had. Besides, I don't know when he'll be strong enough to handle the truth. He's only a boy, and he's already sick. I-I can't put that burden on him. He has to be kept in the dark until the time is right."

"I understand," said Seres, "Well, then, if there's nothing else, We should be ready to leave soon."

"Yeah." said Velvet as she saw he brother finished packing his things.

"So, where are we going, Velvet?" Laphicet asked.

"Somewhere far away from here," Velvet answered as she and her brother, along with Seres, left the village, "We'll go someplace safe, and we'll never come back. And hopefully, we'll find Arthur and the others someday, together."

"Sounds good to me," said Laphicet with a smile as they walked on.

With the village gone, Velvet, Laphicet, and Seres departed for the unknown, leaving the destroyed village of Aball behind as they journeyed through the world, searching for a new home. They were heading off to the Holy Midgand Empire where the Abbey is established, where the Abbey will protect the people and prevent the return of the daemons and the daemon-blight.

Three years later, an audition was being held to bring in new recruits for the Abbey as the high-ranking members, Oscar Dragonia and his older half-sister, Teresa Linares, stood and watched as the interviewers looked over the applicants.

"Hmm, these new recruits are rather disappointing," said Oscar, "I hope the next one has better luck."

"Yes, it's quite a shame," said Teresa.

"Still, we mustn't give up," said Oscar, "It's our duty to ensure the safety of the world."

"Oh, there's no denying that, dear brother," said Teresa, "We can't give up. We must continue to do our best. For the sake of humanity."

"Okay, this next one should be the last one." said the male interviewer named Eran Doyle Dorian, "Hopefully, this last one has a bit more luck than the previous applicants."

"Alright, send in the last one," said the female interviewer, Melesina Tayth, as she and the male interviewer looked at the last file.

"Okay, it says the last one's name is Velvet Crowe, 19 years old," said Eran, "She had a little brother, Laphicet Crowe, who died at the age of 12. Oh, and according to the file, it seems the two of them lost their village when they were young during the Scarlet Night.

"Oh, my," said Melesina, "What a shame. I hope they're doing alright."

"Indeed, let's hope so," said Eran as he then called the last applicant, "Okay, Ms. Crowe, you can come in now."

A moment later, the door opened and revealed a 5'7" tall young woman with long, black hair and golden eyes. Her attire consists of a red and brown, short-sleeved shirt over a black, one-piece uniform, with belt pouches, and shin pads strapped above brown and maroon boots, a crimson trench coat accented with red and yellow, and her hair that reaches past her waist and is woven in a braid tied by a red strap around the tips. In her right hand is her gauntlet blade, while in her left hand, she is holding and reading a book.

"Oh, wow." said Oscar, surprised.

"Hmmm..." said Teresa, intrigued.

"Hey," said Velvet as she smiled, closing her book and placing it in her coat pocket before she saluted, "I'm Velvet Crowe. Thank you for seeing me." She then added with a wink, "But, you can call me V."

"Ah, welcome, Ms. Crowe," said Melesina with a smile, "Please, sit down. Tell us, how long have you been living here?"

"Not that long," said Velvet as she sat in a chair in front of the two interviewers, "Me and my brother came here not long after our village was destroyed when we were 16 and 11, respectively. After our brother-in-law...well, died, and after the rest of the villagers left, we decided it would be best if we just left. Since then, I've been traveling and making ends meet before coming here."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Ms. Crowe," said Melesina, genuinely apologetic, "Oh, and I heard that your little brother, Laphicet, died of an illness at the age of 12. Again, I'm truly sorry for your loss."

"Thanks," said Velvet as she then said, "Please, just call me 'V'."

"Alright, V, then." said Eran with a smile.

"So, I'm sure you're aware of the dangers out there," said Melesina, "Tell us, why do you wish to join the Abbey, V?"

"Honestly, to honor my late brother-in-law, Artorius Collbrande." said Velvet, "Does that name mean anything to all of you?"

"Oh, yes," said Melesina, her and Eran looking surprised, "We've heard a lot about him. He was a great man."

"Well, he was a member of the Abbey, too," said Velvet, "He told me to join the Abbey, saying that they can help protect me and my brother. When he...died, and the rest of the villagers ran away, my brother and I fled and came here. My brother and I have nowhere else to go, so we have no choice but to rely on the Abbey. The reason why I wanted to join the Abbey is to honor him. But also, I want to honor him by helping protect this world from the daemons and the daemon-blight. And, honestly, I have no one else in this world but myself and my Malak friend named Seres. I want to find a place where I belong. I'm not strong enough on my own, but if the Abbey can help me protect this world, then I'll gladly join and be a part of it. And...since losing Laphicet from his illness, I felt like I had lost a part of myself, so joining the Abbey will help me find myself again. That's why I wish to join the Abbey."

"Hmmm." said Eran, thinking for a moment as he looked at her profile before he said, "But, V, you do realize that the Abbey has people who fight daemons on their behalf are exorcists, religious soldiers who quell daemons. And, according to your profile, despite your fighting capabilities, you don't have any exorcist abilities and artes, nor do you have a strong enough resonance and purity of heart to become an exorcist. You may not even pass the screening test."

"I am aware," said Velvet, "But, even without the artes and the purity of heart, I still want to help protect this world. That's why, when I came of age, I trained myself hard in fighting daemons, and I've even had Seres and the other Malakim train me, too, though not to the same extent. Even if I can't pass the screening test, I'm willing to do anything to help. And, before Artorius's death, he trained me as his disciple at a young age, so I am more than capable in battle."

"Oh, wow." said Eran, "Impressive. Okay, well, we can see your passion for wanting to protect the world. I think we can let you join the Abbey."

"Really?!" Velvet asked.

"Yes," said Eran, "You've got the makings of a true hero, V. We've seen that you can do it, and we'd be happy to have you join the Abbey."

"Pfft, you're not willing to recruit her because she's really pretty, are you?" Melesina teased, "Don't tell me you gotta crush on her."

Eran blushed madly before he yelled in denial, "O-Of course not!"

Melesina giggled while Velvet grinned, causing Eran to blush more.

"Alright, stop teasing him, Melesina." said Teresa with a serious look at the two.

"I'm just messing with him." said Melesina as she grinned.

"Haha, very funny, Mel." said Eran, still blushing, before he composed himself and asked Velvet, "A-Anyway, V, are you willing to take the oath of an exorcist?"

"Yeah." Velvet nodded, "In honor of my late brother-in-law, my home village, and the family members that I lost, I will join the Abbey. I will fight the daemons, and I will do whatever it takes to protect this world from the daemons and daemon-blight, as long as I live."

"Excellent!" said Melesina, "Then, I guess that means the interview was a success! Congratulations, V, you're now a part of the Abbey."

Velvet smiled as she was accepted into the Abbey, and this was where her story as a hero would begin as she was now a part of the order dedicated to protecting the world from the daemons.

"Laphi, I hope you're watching over me," she thought to herself, "I promise I'll do what Arthur asked of me and make you and him proud. Although I never got to tell you the truth of what truly happened at Aball since you died, I hope that you'll forgive me someday."

Later that night, a few hours after Velvet's acceptance into the Abbey, she was at the cemetery where her younger brother, Laphicet Crowe was buried, and she stood at his grave, wearing her new attire, a white exorcist uniform, similar to her black attire, though she does plan on changing back to her old clothes if it got too uncomfortable to wear since it wasn't really her color.

"Hello, Laphi," said Velvet with a small smile as she looked down at the gravestone, "Sorry, it's been a while since I last visited. It's been a year since you died, and now I've finally made it into the Abbey. It's all thanks to Arthur, really. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to make it. He helped me and raised me, and even helped me raise you. But...he's gone, too, and so is everyone else. I'm...alone. Well, not completely alone, I still have Seres, and she'll help me keep moving forward. So, I've joined the Abbey, and I'm gonna make you proud, Laphi. Both you and Arthur." She then set the flowers she bought from the store near his grave, and she closed her eyes as she placed her right fist over her chest and kneeled in a respectful manner.

"I swear on my life, Laphicet," said Velvet, her eyes full of determination, "I'll make sure you're not forgotten. You and the rest of the people that I've lost will be remembered. This, I swear."

And thus, Velvet's story as a hero had begun, and she was dedicated to protecting the world in her late brother-in-law's stead, and in the name of her family and her friends.

So, what do you guys think? Please, be sure to leave a review for me on what you guys think of the story! I hoped you all enjoyed it. Don't be shy and don't just read the story, REVIEW it and tell me what are your thoughts on the story! And please, no flames!

Also, whatever happens next in this story, I will let you guys decide! So, go ahead and take this What If...? Story! It's free to adopt! Write down the story and tell me what and how you think the story will end! And, this work is shared at Archive of Our Own, so you can work on the story there, too! Good Luck!