{Arc 13: Of Memories and Vengeance}
{|} Prologue: Swept Away {|}
"Ready to go when you are Lia."
"Same here. Let's get going, see if we can find Kazuma and Chris and lend them a hand if needed."
Lia and Erika then begin to exit the fancy mansion by way of the large hole in the wall, only to be stopped by Anna who blocks their way while having her arms spread wide.
"Hold on, you two. Just where do you think you're going while leaving me hear alone with them?"
Anna then points towards the ceiling, indicating the foursome of Megumin, Darkness, Yunyun, and Cielo who had been moved up to the second-floor bedrooms so they could rest more comfortably on beds as opposed to the less forgiving floor.
Erika and Lia follow the invisible line her finger's point was making before looking back at her. Lia then answers by saying-
"We, me and Erika, are heading out to check in on Kazuma and Chris, make sure they're doing OK as, based on what happened to those four, they must have succeeded in their task against that Cecily girl, despite Aqua being there as well."
"And what about me?"
asked Anna, getting Erika herself to ask-
"What about you?"
"What about me? Do I really need to explain it to you both. Why am I being left behind, alone here with them. What if they regain consciousness while your away and they start attacking me. How can we be sure they'll be back to normal when they even wake up and how can we be sure of the reason they even passed out like they did? For all we know, that only happened because they were coming to their senses back there. How do we know what anything that happens even means?"
Erika and Lia don't respond right away as Anna did have a point. Finally, Lia speaks up, saying-
"Maybe you're right. Maybe them passing out is just a sign of them starting to remember, this they're knocked out so the power over them can reassert itself before they can wake up again..."
"I personally doubt that's the case. Don't know why, but my guts telling me them passing out is a very good thing."
"Point to all this is we can't be sure of anything. Not until we go find Kazuma and Chris and check in with them directly, hence why me and Erika are heading out. To find them and confirm with our own eyes and ears."
Anna thinks about this, then nods before asking-
"Alright, fair enough. But why do I have to stay behind and watch over them? Can't I come too."
"Someone has to stay behind and watch over them, Anna. I naturally need to go because I can sense the direction Aqua is in, thanks to the magical ''leash' she's forced to wear that's connected to me."
"And I should go because of my DR's ability to make force fields and barriers. Also, once they awaken and assuming they're back in their right frame of minds, someone needs to be here so they can be informed as to what's happened, just in case their heads are all fuzzy and their memories still a little wonky. Understand?"
"(sigh) Fine, I'll hang back and watch the mansion... but next time something like this happens, I get to..."
Before Anna could finish, a glowing ring appears around Erika's right wrist, something she notices as her eyes quickly turn to looking at it. Lia and Anna also look as the glow of this magical mark was hard to ignore as Erika says-
"Huh, what's... why is MY end of the magical leash suddenly appearing like..."
Before she could finish, Erika suddenly lifts into the air, as if some invisible force had grabbed hold of her and was pulling her towards the sky. This, of course, makes her yelp out in surprise before the confusion turns to terror and panic as she begins to cry out for help.
"Ah, what the hell. Why am I... oh no, someone do something already!"
Lia and Anna quickly run forward, grabbing onto Erika and pulling with all their might to get her back onto the ground. Unfortunately, instead of success, the two girls find themselves being lifted up into the air as well as the invisible pull only grew stronger. As they try to understand why this was happening, a voice suddenly rings out for the three of them to hear.
"Hm, what is this? Why are you three... ah, right. That one and the water goddess are connected in a ways."
"Eh, who said that?"
"Why are you asking us? Like we'd have an answer to that."
"You, whoever you are. What's going on? What's this all about?"
each of the three girls asked, but the unseen owner of the fourth voice, who was Rubrikt, doesn't answer their questions, instead saying to himself-
"This could be bad. At this rate, they'll be forced through the ceiling and go flying off into space. We can't have that now, can we. I also can't have them being sent to the same place those three were sent to either as they hold no connection to that place, nor do I wish them to interfere either. Guess I'll need to do this!"
A moment later, a spiraling portal pops open in the air right above the three girls, making them all freak out even more. The voice of Rubrikt speaks up one final time, saying-
"Don't worry, you three will be fine. Think of this as a fun little side experience to keep yourselves busy till Satou Kazuma and the two currently mortal goddesses make their big return. Now, I hope no one is easy to vomit as this is going to be one hell a ride!"
With no other choice, nor any way of escape, Lia, Erika, and Anna are sucked into the portal and off into the unknown; their own little mini adventure having begun.
{|} Chapter 1-A: A Charn like World {|}
} A-Part {
The world was cold!
That's what her senses told her as consciousness began to return to her. What came next was a stiffness in her body, mainly from her back. Then came the understanding that she was in a sitting position, her stiff back resting against something not especially hard but still uncomfortable.
It takes some effort on her part, but she is finally able to open her eyes, finding her gaze looking out over a vast body of water. Clearly, it was an ocean, but it was obvious that there was something off about it. For one thing, there were no waves lapping against the shores of this place she was in.
Second, there was the lack of that salty taste in the air that was common when one was standing, or sitting as she currently was, near or by the ocean. No, there wasn't the hint of the salt in the water, nor did she smell anything else in the air.
In fact, she realized that the very air itself was off, having this sense of heaviness to it. It was cold, stale, and moderately hard to breath in and find your lungs being filled with oxygen. That's not to say that this place she found herself in was lacking any oxygen. If that was the case, then she would be in some serious trouble. It was just...
The air felt empty and void of life.
With great effort, the girl stands though the discomfort in her back made it clear it didn't enjoy her actions. Once back on her feet and finding her leg strength returned, she looks around and finds what she had been resting against was the trunk of a large tree that appeared to be lacking its leaves.
She then extends her hand outward, resting against the bark of the tree, finding it having an almost rock like quality about it. It wasn't that the tree was dead, nor did it feel like it was in a state of slumber for harsher winter months. No, what she felt from her touch was almost like it had become fossilized.
"Poor thing, what happened to you? In fact, what happened to all of this?"
She then pulls her hand back, turning to look at the ocean again. She then begins to walk away from the tree, down the hill towards the waters and as she goes, another truth about this place became known to her.
The coloring of this world was seriously off. It was almost like someone had covered everything with a kind of gray filter. Even when she looked at her own hands and arms, there was a clear grayish hue there overlapping her usual pale skin tones.
Once she had reached the waters, she kneels down and dips a hand beneath the waters, quickly noticing the stagnant texture of the liquid. What this meant was obvious to her. There would be no life found swimming in waters like these.
She pulls her hand out of the water, then she turns her gaze to the sky and sees nothing but dark gray clouds covering all that she could see. It was only now that something else became known to her and that was the lack of wind blowing.
She then places a hand against the sandy and earthy mix of earth, trying to get a feel for the true state of the world. As she feared, she couldn't feel any trace of life's presence within the earth. Like when she touched that tree, like the lack of warmth in the air, and the emptiness of life in the ocean, this world was void of existence.
'So many questions, this place is making me ask myself. Just where the hell did he send us?'
"AHHHHH, SOMEONE SAVE ME!"
came a scream in the air, the sound having this warping like effect behind it. Despite that new strangeness, the girl knew right away who it was that was calling out for help. The girl quickly gets back to standing, her attention now in the direction the warping voice had come from.
"Aqua? AQUA...!"
she shouted, being caught off guard when her own voice has a warping sound behind it when she had said Aqua's name for that second, much louder time. She begins to run, not waiting for a response which takes a few moments to come before...
"Eris, is that... ERIS, PLEASE SAVE ME!"
came Aqua at last, making Chris speed up her running. Or, at least, that's what she attempts to do but she quickly found there was a heaviness that seemed to be weighing her down. Not much, but just enough to make her breathing harder and more ragged. Was it because of what had happened not too long ago, when facing down Liberation, or was it a side effect of this strange world's atmosphere.
Or was it a combination of both.
Chris called out Aqua's name several more times and Aqua would call out in response, each time sounding more desperate. Chris feared what kind of danger Aqua had found herself in and hoped she would reach her in time. When Aqua finally came into view, Chris came to a dead stop, her eyes locked onto Aqua before she smacks her head, turning her head left and right as she silently curses her idiot sempai's actual state of being.
Aqua wasn't in any actual danger, unless you consider her dangling about thirty feet up from a tree branch she was desperately clinging onto. After letting out a sigh, Chris looks up at Aqua and says, with no small amount of annoyance in her tone.
"Aqua, what the heck are you doing?"
"What am I doing? WHAT AM I DOING? What does it look like I'm doing, Eris. I'm trying NOT to fall to my death here. Isn't that obvious!"
"(deadpan) What's obvious to me is the fact you're being an idiot. Hurry up and get down from there. We need to figure out where the hell we're at right now, to say nothing of finding Kazuma."
"How am I supposed to get down, huh? You know I don't do well when it comes to climbing trees."
"Then how did you get up there... you know what, never mind. Just let go and fall down. It's not that high up so you should be fine, especially if you can manage landing on your feet."
"You want me to... LET GO? What are you stupid, you must me because you've been spending time with that damn NEET. Look, if I let go and fall down, I'm going to hurt myself. Probably pretty badly too."
"You're not going to hurt yourself, Aqua. Trust me."
"Easy for you to say, Eris. Someone as touch skinned as you would probably be fine, but for a dainty and delicate goddess like me..."
"(becoming more annoyed, perhaps even angry) What are you implying, Aqua. Are you suggesting I'm not capable of being dainty and delicate too. I have half a mind to... no, need to keep focused. Look, just drop down already and I'll catch you, so you won't need to worry about making a rough landing."
"Really, you will?"
"... Yeah, I promise!"
"Well, OK then. Here I go. (loosens her grip) Wait, why was there a pause before you...ahhhh!"
Aqua begins falling, having lost her hold when she had loosened her grip. Chris moves to catch her, but stops short, allowing Aqua to land boobs first on the ground. Aqua groans for a few moments before she snaps back to reality and she jumps to her feet, face filled with rage.
"You lied. You didn't catch me at all, you... lying liar who lied. What about your promise?"
"Consider that payback for what you just said to me, about being a hard body type. Also, don't forget you've broken A LOT of promises to me in the past so don't act so hurt. And speaking of being hurt, you appear to be fine so stop your belly aching and be glad those breast of yours broke your fall."
"At least I HAVE breast, unlike you. Ow, speaking of, my poor girls are all sore now. What are you going to do about that, huh? Compensate me for being a jerk just now."
"That's the pot calling the kettle black. What about what your crazy group of followers have been doing to my faithful. Compensate ME for all their past antics first, then we can talk about me repaying you for anything."
Aqua, being Aqua, just puffs her cheeks out while turning her head away in stubborn defiance. Chris sighs, rubbing her temples before saying with a more measured tone.
"Look, we can talk about this later. For now, let's just focus on finding Kazuma and figuring out where it is we're at right now. Sooner we can do these two things, the sooner we can figure out what to do next."
"But my sore boobs..."
"Aqua, just use a little healing magic on yourself. You are an arch priestess, after all, so..."
"... I am? (remembers her chosen class) That's right, I am an arch priestess on top of being a Goddess. Why didn't you remind me sooner, Eris!"
"You seriously forgot..."
"HEAL!"
Chris can't help but smack her head repeatedly. How has Aqua managed to stay a goddess for as long as she has, Chris wondered. She was such an idiot that she gave other idiots a bad name.
"Eh?"
This brings Chris out of her mental limbo, looking at a very much confused looking Aqua. She asks-
"What's wrong?"
"Eris, what's going on? My magic... I can't activate any of my magic spells."
"What?"
Chris quickly tries using several of her own skills, finding that none of them would activate. She then digs into her pockets and pulls her adventurer's card out. Understanding what Chris was doing, Aqua pulls her own out as the two girls look their cards over, finding a strange kind of static flashing across the surfaces of the card.
"Eris, what is this? What's going on here?"
"Of course, I should have realized it sooner. Aqua, this place... possible this whole planet. Why didn't I realize it before?"
"Realize what?"
"This world, I don't know how or why, but it's clearly a Charn-class world?"
"Charn-class?"
"You really don't know? Actually, I guess that makes sense. Listen Aqua, a Charn class refers to a world where someone or something did something forbidden to lead the world into total ruin. It could have been saying an unforgivable, deplorable word or cast a death curse tier magic; it doesn't matter. What matter is the end result... all that we're seeing and feeling around us now. This world has been locked eternally into a state of nigh-death. A place where nothing can hope to live."
"WHAT, THAT'S HORRIBLE! Who or what would do such a thing?"
"I don't know, but that's all the more reason we need to find Kazuma and find a way to escape before... oh now."
Chris's voice trails off as she begins to look around, her line of sight stopping on the outline of a village that wasn't too far off from them; a village she only now took notice of. Aqua looks towards the outline of the village too for a moment, then back at Chris while asking-
"What is it, Eris? What's wrong?"
"I know this... I know where it was we were sent too."
"Where?"
It takes a moment for Chris to respond; turning to look at Aqua as she says-
"We're home, Aqua, we're home... Arbel!"
} B-Part {
"WHERE?"
Chris blinks a few times before saying, disbelief in her tone.
"Arbel, you know. Our old home. Well, it was my old home. Not sure if your mortal life was here in Arbel, but you were the goddess of this place once."
"Doesn't ring any bells."
"... You can't be serious. You're kidding, right. Are you telling me you don't remember your stint as this world's goddess. About being trained by Kyna to succeed her. You REALLY don't remember any of that?"
Aqua takes on a thinking pose, eyes closed, and brow furrowed. Finally, she gives a response while having a sheepish look on her face.
"Ah... maybe...?"
"(smacks her head) Seriously, what is wrong with you. I'll deal with you later. Right now, I need to find Kazuma."
Chris then goes running past Aqua, heading to the village in the not too far off distance.
"Hey, wait. Eris, what's wrong. Why are you mad. Wait up a second."
Aqua then follows after Chris, both heading into the village. While she didn't know for certain if Kazuma would be found in this place, she could still hope he'd be, a hope that was emboldened as it became clear where it was they had arrived at.
'No doubt about it, this has to be Sala village; where me, Kyrs, Linear, and Realm lived for a time until my ascension into the heavenly realm and my becoming a goddess under the tutelage of goddess Kizmit. Then does that mean the tree I awoke under, was that...'
(a lifetime ago)
Eris opened her eyes, a single truth coming to her quickly as she full awakened from the night's sleep.
The room she had woken up in wasn't her bedroom.
Eris begins to panic, calling out for her father, for Krys, and any of the helpers around the house. When none of them respond, Eris finds herself beginning to panic, even hyperventilate.
'What's happening? Why did I wake up here? Where am I? Father, sister... Ritu, please...'
The door of her room opens and a familiar face comes walking in.
"Eris, what's wrong? Why were you crying out like that?"
Linear was clearly worried if the expression on his face was any indication. He moves to Eris's side, making her quickly hug him as she shakes and cries into his chest.
"Ritu, I... where are we? This isn't my room. Did someone... kidnap me?"
"Um... yeah, someone did kidnap you, Eris. Me, Krys, and Realm; we came around and kidnapped you. What, don't you remember?"
"Huh... oh, right!"
It finally all came back to here, the memory of the events of what had happened the day before. How Krys had finally returned home after having been away for so long, and with Ritu in tow. They had then, during their escape, had encountered father and shortly after, the Praegem.
Many truths were revealed to them all after that and in the end, father had sacrificed himself in order to give them time to escape and while the Praegem had tried to stop them, Realm had managed to force him back just enough to allow them enough time to teleport back to Sala Village. Currently, she was in her own little room inside Ritu... no, Linear's home where he lived with Krys and Realm.
Eris takes in some deep breathes, calming herself before looking at Linear with a relieved look.
"Sorry about that. I guess my mind still hasn't had a chance to process... EVERYTHING really. I mean, there's just so much I need to take in, understand, and accept... and all in just a short period of time too. I guess there hasn't been enough time for me to let it all sink in yet."
"Understandable. Took me a fair bit of time too when my past memories, and all the other connecting truths, were restored. So, hungry?"
Eris nods as Linear turns and leaves the room, returning a few minutes later with a tray that had both their breakfast as well as drinks. Linear then sits at her side and they share their first meal in a long time together. As Eris chews the last of her meal, Linear asks-
"So, putting aside what happened a few minutes ago, are you adjusting to your new life here. I mean, do you like your new room, Eris?"
"It's wonderful. The room isn't as big as my old room but... I like it. Wonder if that's because a room like this is more my style or if it's because this room was given to me by you?"
"It could be a bit of both when you think about it. Anyways, now that breakfast is done, do you want to go do something with me."
A few minutes later, Linear exits the house with Eris hugging herself against his back. While she had insisted that she felt strong enough to walk, Linear insisted she ride piggyback instead. While it was embarrassing, being seen doing this by others, Eris couldn't deny she still enjoyed being close like this with him.
They walked their way through Sala Village, saying high to any of the locals they crossed paths with. Eris knew she would like living here as these people were both good and kind, always a smile on their faces and never giving her looks of pity nor did she get the impression of judgment from them.
"So, how are you liking Sala so far, Eris."
"It's beautiful, and quiet too. Not quiet like it was back home, where it had a sense of the eerie about it. No, this quiet is nice, calm, and peaceful. And then there's the air. While the salty flavor make take some getting used to, it's still far better than the air from back home that always had this oppressing feeling about it."
"I know what you mean. It never even occurred to me till after coming to live here that the air of Laga Mergo had this kind of oppression behind it. A weight that seemed to crush down the very soul."
"Mm."
There is quiet after that as Eris allows herself the time to just look around and take in the sights of what will now be her new home. She also enjoyed breathing in all this air, feeling it invigorate her being like nothing she had ever experienced before. And she was just wanting to revel in the feeling of her body being pressed against Linear's back.
It was then she realized something. To be more exact, she finally noticed the lack of two specific individuals.
"Out of curiosity, where's my sister and Realm? It just dawned on me that neither of them are here with us. In fact, my sister didn't come running in to check on me when I was having my panic attack. Considering I was being rather loud, and the walls don't seem to be very thin, what with all noise I heard you all..."
Eris suddenly realizes what she was saying and quickly buries her fully blushed face against Linear's back. Linear can't help but chuckle at her action while allow her a few moments to calm herself, or at least try to calm herself, before he answers her question.
"As I'm sure you know, Krys rather likes sleeping in whenever she can manage it. Realm is, in many ways, the same as Krys. She likes sleeping in as she can be as lazy as she can be destructive. Even more so recently after the three of us... well, I'm sure you have a good idea especially since you clearly heard us last night."
"... Yeah, I did. From the sounds they were making, they really seemed to be enjoying themselves."
"That's... the nice way of putting it."
"Do you think... maybe one of these days, I'll... that I'll also get a chance to experience all that too?"
"Sure, someday. If that's what you really want, that is. Anyways, how'd you like to see something cool."
Eris nods as Linear makes a slight course change with his walking, taking them towards an arched gate that leads out of the village. Once they had left the village behind, Linear walks till they reached the shore. He stops, allowing Eris a chance to gaze out at the ocean, breathing in the salty air, and wishing she could wade into the waters, at least up to her ankles.
Linear smiles then says-
"I'm betting you want to go for a little swim, huh?"
"Ah... not really, though that does sound like fun too. I'm actually wanting to step into the waters, let my legs soak for a bit. Would that be OK?"
"Sure, we can go doing that... but first, there's something else I want you to see."
Linear then returns to walking, leaving Eris to wonder what it he was wanting to show her. That answer is revealed soon enough as she finally sees it; the large tree growing on a hill overlooking the ocean. She knew then what his intentions here with her were.
After climbing up the hill, Linear comes to a stop before the tree, only then letting Eris climb off his back to stand again, He then helps her sit, her position allowing her a good view of the ocean waves as the lap against the shore.
"Almost feels familiar, doesn't it."
"Yeah, like that one tree back home you often took me to rest under. I can't believe you still remember that, Linear."
"Why shouldn't I. Those times with you are a precious memory to me. A memory I'm glad we'll be able to continue here now in this place."
Eris nods as Linear goes to sit by her. She turns her attention back to the ocean and closes her eyes, letting it all sink in; enjoying the feelings all this was making her feel. She then feels him place his arm around here and she allows herself to lean against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"This is nice. I'd almost forgotten how these times with you felt, Linear."
"I'm sure the addition of an ocean to look at must be a bonus, huh. And do you want to know the best thing about all this?"
"What?"
"We can do this each day, every day if we want too. Something we couldn't do back then we can now do whenever we want, for as long as we want."
"Yeah, this place... I'll have no problem seeing this as my home from now on."
'Because above all else, I'm here with you, Linear.'
(back in the present)
Chris finally came to a stop before a house that was a little off the beaten path from any of the others in the village. Aqua catches up a few moments later, her face beat red as she tries desperately to catch her breath.
"Eris, seriously, don't be in such a rush. You know I'm not one for any kind of endurance running."
"And you call yourself a goddess, Aqua. Just stay out here and work on catching your breath, less you end up passing out there. I'll go in and check around."
Chris goes to open the door, making Aqua say-
"Wait, what are you doing, Eris. I know we haven't seen anyone since getting here..."
"And we aren't going to be seeing anyone, Aqua. Remember, this is a Charn-class world."
"My point is this. Even if the owners are long gone, isn't still a little on the rude side to just enter someone's home without asking."
"I feel like I need to point a few things out to you about that, but that can wait till later. For now, don't worry about it. Besides..."
"Besides?"
"... This place was my old home, before I became a goddess."
Chris then steps inside, taking a moment for her eyes to look around the large room. So many memories came flooding back to her now that she was here in this place. It honestly made her wonder why she had allowed herself to forget, why she hadn't returned sooner.
She then sees a series of pictures scattered about the room and she approaches one of them, taking it into her hand which she lifts up to get a closer look. In the picture was her, sitting in a chair with Krys standing to one side, Realm on the other, and Linear behind them. They were all smiling, all happy.
This makes Chris smile as she closes her eyes and hugs the picture close to her chest.
'Such beautiful memories of this place. Of our times together. Why didn't I...'
Chris remembers her purpose her, placing the picture back down where she had found it. She makes a mental note to return here once her powers as a goddess were fully returned so she could collect all these pictures and move them over to her room in the mansion to go along with all the new pictures she had with her current family.
Chris then moves through the house, making a straight beeline to one room off in the back. She quickly opens the door and steps inside and comes to a stop. Chris finally exhales the breath she didn't realize she was holding at the sight of the figure laying on the bed within. She feels a tear escape and she smiles as she steps forward till she was standing beside the bed. She then reaches out and brushes her fingers through the sleeping persons hair as she says with relief in her tone-
"I finally found you, Kazuma!"
{|} Chapter 1-B: A Fool's Fate {|}
} A-Part {
A loud gasp comes from Cecily as her eyes shoot open wide. She quickly gets into a sitting position as she breathes in and out heavily for a few moments as her mind, which was a storm of confusion, tries to process many things she wasn't used to processing.
Once she had calmed her mind, she begins to look around and quickly realizes she wasn't where she thought she was supposed to be at. As she gets onto her feet, finding them wobbly and difficult to keep from falling out from beneath her, she says to herself with a confused tone-
"What's going on. Just where the hell am I? Wasn't I back at my mansion, having fun with lady Aqua and the others? Why would I be out here, in such a strange..."
A memory surfaces; the face of that demon or was it a devil. It was looking at her with eyes filled with evil fire, its roar chilling her to the bone and making her quake in terror.
Unable to hold back, Cecily hunches over, one hand held against her own stomach as she begins to vomit. Once the first wave had subsided, another memory of the beast assaults her mind, causing her to vomit even more. Once she had finally finished, she collapses onto the ground, shaking violently as she holds her head with both hands and unable to realize she was currently laying within her own puke.
"I was right. That dark goddess and her champion. They truly are monsters; the true form of the champion is more than enough proof. I'm afraid, I'm absolutely afraid, lady Aqua. Lady Aqua... lady Aqua... lady..."
Cecily then recalls more of what happened. How the dark goddess and her hellish champion had attacked them, damaging her holy abode so they could abduct Aqua and herself. They had brought them out here, away from Axel and from the assurance of getting help to fight back. This causes Cecily to clench her fist in rage which is just enough to snap her out of her terror induced state.
Cecily jumps back to her feet, eyes practically bloodshot from the fury she was feeling as she shouts out-
"Damn them, DAMN THEM! How dare that fallen goddess and her beast dare attack us like that. Not only did they damage my home. Sure, maybe I damaged their unholy house first but that's no excuse to do the same thing to me. And if that wasn't bad enough, they put my precious Megumin, Yunyun, and their friends in danger, but they dared lay hands on my deity too. Oh, I am so going to make them..."
Cecily stops, once again recalling that Aqua and the two evil creatures were MIA. Did they... could they have really killed... Cecily shakes that thought from her head as the very idea was just too impossible to think about or imagined.
"Damn it, how could I fail in such a way. I mean, I had the power of my family's... oh no."
She finally realizes that something was missing from around her neck. She reaches up, feeling her neck and confirming that the Charisma Choker was indeed not there. This confused her as it should be there, that it would be impossible for it to not be there. What could have...
Another memory comes back to her, the one where the beast goes slicing into her very neck. She found she could still feel the blade cutting into her flesh, slicing her head off. Once again, she can't hold back puking and as she recovers from this latest episode, her eyes fill with even more rage and hatred.
"I was a fool. I should have ended this the moment I capture those two. No more holding back, no more acts of kindness from me. When I next see those two, I'm going to kill them, and I'll make sure their deaths are both slow and painful. Now, where could they... NO!"
There was only one place that made sense to her. Only one place they would have gone, would have taken lady Aqua who she was confident was still alive as her body wasn't here. They would want to bring down ultimate revenge against her for what she had done and to do that...
'Megumin... Yunyun...'
Cecily's scream of hatred and rage seemed to echo across the night as she begins to run faster than she had ever ran before. If anyone were to see her now, she would come off like some feral beast out for blood. Even though she wasn't in the best of shape, the adrenalin coursing through her body made any pain and discomfort mute.
As she ran, all she could think about was what had happened before and what she was going to do once she found Kazuma and Eris. Of course, she hadn't remembered everything, especially all the parts about Aqua confirming everything Eris and Kazuma had been saying.
No, all she could remember was the stuff she personally believed and anything that contradicted that wasn't deemed worth remembering.
Luck must have finally been on Cecily's side as she had actually picked the right direction when she had started running as she soon reaches Axel. Despite the area she had arrived at was the outer wall of the city, she didn't waste time with finding one of the four gates that led in and out of the city. No, she somehow managed to scale the wall to the very top, then running to the opposite side before hopping down and continuing on her way.
By this point, her rage had reached such a peak that any rational thought had been lost. Because of this, she failed to realize she was no longer heading towards her stolen mansion. Instead, she was just running around from one spot to another at random.
Because of this, she soon found herself fast approaching the Erisia Cathedral and as she starts to pass by, someone emerges from inside the cathedral and directly into Cecily's path, causing the furious arch priestess from the Axis cult to go colliding with said person which sends them both falling onto the ground.
"Hey, what was that for?"
said the person who had emerged from the cathedral. Cecily, meanwhile, finds herself snapping back to her senses as a result of the impact and fall, responds by shouting out-
"Ow, that hurt. You need to watch where I'm going there, buddy."
"I believe I had the right of way back there, seeing as I wasn't the one screaming up a storm while running around like a bat out of hell."
"Whatever, I don't have time for this. (Cecily gets back on her feet) I can't be wasting time here, not when my dear goddess and my beloved are in danger. Now, stop wasting my time and..."
Cecily had already turned and was beginning to run in the correct direction of her mansion now but doesn't get far as the person she had collided with stops her with a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Now hold on one second, can't you even apologize for what just happened. And what the hell are you talking about anyways. What danger are you going on about?"
Cecily swats the persons hand away while turning back to glare at her as she shouts out-
"God dammit, what did I just say. I don't have... wait, maybe you could help me. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not all that great when it comes to fighting. You look pretty strong so what do you say, want to help me put the beat down on a dark goddess and her champion."
"Ah... what are you even going on about?"
"Look, there's no time. Just stop being difficult and come with me already... wait, I just need to know. Are you, in any way, loyal to the dark goddess Eris?"
"... No, I'm not a follower of the goddess Eris. Wasn't aware of her being a dark goddess but seeing as your attire clearly states you're a follower of the goddess Aqua, I guess that would make sense."
"So, you're really not a follower of Eris?"
The person shakes her head, making Cecily breath out a relief filled sigh. She then grabs the hand of the person and forces her into following after her.
"Then you can be of help to me. Now stop resisting and accept my need for your help."
"Alright, fine... just stop yanking on my arm like that. I'm afraid you'll rip it off its socket. Also, wanna tell me what this is all about as we go?"
Cecily was already running with the woman following after her. Cecily, without looking back, says-
"My name is Cecily. As I'm sure you've guessed, I am a priestess for the Axis church. After recovering a sacred treasure gifted to my family long ago by the goddess Aqua, I came here to Axel to save all from being controlled by the dark goddess Eris."
"I... see."
The woman narrows her eyes as she thinks to herself-
'I thought so. This is her, that Axis priestess I sensed was dangerous. I need to keep my guard up with this one less...'
"Everything was going great, fantastic even. I was freeing everyone I encountered, including my destined love, my second lover, and their friends. I captured the dark goddess Eris, who was running around in a human form, and her champion, and had even finally met my glorious goddess Aqua in the flesh. Things were going perfect... or at least that was the case until Eris and her champion managed to escape from their cages and ambushed us. They took us outside Axel and... and I honestly don't remember the rest. All I know for a certainty is that my precious goddess Aqua and my family's special choker are missing; likely having been carried off by Eris and her beast."
'On second thought, never mind. Something tells me I have nothing to fear from this one now!'
Cecily then brings a hand to her chest, clenching her fist tightly as she says-
"Megumin, my love. My dear Yunyun. Please be OK. I'll be there soon, I promise!"
"Megumin? Yunyun? Wait, what are you..."
"Huh? Oh, right... the reason why I need your help. I believe the Eris and her champion have taken Aqua and my family's relic back to the mansion, where Megumin and the others should currently be at. Most likely, those two evil creatures must be planning something horrible to all of them once they're all together."
"I see. That changes things then. Megumin and Yunyun, as well as their fellow party mates, are good friends of mine. If someone threatens them, then I will do what I must to protect them as I'm sure they would do me. But if we're heading to their mansion, then why are we heading this way? Surely you must know that the mansion they live in is located a ways outside Axel's eastern gate."
"Not anymore. After seeing the nightmarish visage of that place, I moved them out and gave them a more worthy mansion to call home. Speaking of..."
Cecily and the woman finally reach the outer fenced wall that surrounded her stolen mansion. Cecily goes to walk over to the gate that opened into the mansion but stops and looks back at the woman she had brought with her.
"Before we continue, I need to know if you're ready for this. If my fears are correct, we'll find the dark goddess Eris and her champion awaiting us inside, along with my goddess and my precious friends. I need to know if you're up for this."
"Honestly, I don't know. But seeing as I'm friends with Megumin and them, I can't just stand around and let anything happen to them. Besides, I actually need their help with something."
"What do you need... that can wait till later. Let's just hurry up and get in there. By the way, what's your name? I'm Cecily, by the way."
"Serena, pleasure. Now, let's get in there and see what's what."
Cecily nods before turning back and leading Serena beyond the walls. As they walk quickly towards the mansion, Cecily realizes something important, making her ask-
"By the way, what's your class, Serena. I confess your choice in attire doesn't help me know what that could be."
"Makes sense. I may not look like it but I'm an arch priestess, same as you I guess."
"An arch priestess, huh? That must mean you've pledged yourself to a divine being as only those who've devoted themselves to a divine can class as an arch priest or arch priestess. I know you can't be a follower of Eris as you said as much already and you can't be a follower of lady Aqua as all priest and priestesses must wear blue, in accordance with the holy scriptures. So, who do you give praise too?"
Serena can't help but smile as she gives Cecily her answer.
"Oh, that's simple. My goddess is lady Regina; goddess of Vengeance!"
"Oh, I see. I can see that, I guess. So, lady Regina is... your... wait, what did you just say?"
Cecily stops, turning back to see Serena smiling wide.
"That's right, Axis priestess. I am a follower of Regina, the Goddess of Vengeance, she who you of the Axis would label a DARK GODDESS! To be more exact, I am lady Regina's high priestess."
Cecily, on reflex, jumps back while taking up a battle stance. She then angrily says-
"I see, so that would explain the dark presence I've been sensing from before."
"Really? If so, then why didn't you speak up about that before when you believed me an ally?"
"I... ah, I was just thinking I was feeling the power coming from Eris and her champion, even though it was a lot closer than was to my liking. I should have seen through you cunning deception sooner."
'You didn't sense anything at all did you? Guess it's true what people say. Axis cult members are habitual liars yet are to dumb to even realize it!'
Cecily glares at Serena, debating on if she should make the first move or not and as a result, she recalls what Serena had said before, about how she was also looking for Megumin, Yunyun, and the others.
"Tell me; what are your plans for my Megumin and the others?"
"Hm, my plan? Well, I guess I can tell you. I'm going to use them as sacrifices for the revival of lady Regina."
"What?"
"Yes, I'm afraid it's true though I confess I do wish it didn't have to be this way. In truth, I have come to like that party, though our interactions were brief. Nevertheless, releasing lady Regina from the seal that keeps her trapped is far more important to me and seeing as the seal needs STRONG offerings to see it broken and their party is the strongest here in Axel, well..."
"You really think I'll let that happen, heretic? On my honor as a faithful follower of the goddess Aqua, I shall not let you go any further. Now, do you have any last words to speak before I end your existence?"
"Just one actually. (points a finger at Cecily) DEATH!"
A flame appears around Serena's finger that last for only a second before fading. Cecily doesn't even have the time to react or acknowledge this as her eyes go wide while her body goes cold. Her vision fades as her body falls lifeless on the ground. With just that one word, the life of arch priestess Cecily had been ended.
Serena steps forward, then kneels down while placing a hand onto Cecily's body.
"I truly am grateful for this blessing, lady Regina. The power to make my foes suffer the injuries they try to force upon me while leaving me untouched, even by the most greavious of wounds. In turn, I am still free to do anything I please to my enemies without care or fear. Truly, this blessing is one that makes one invincible. Now, what to do with you? I could just leave your corpse here but that could be found later, possibly even revived if you're lucky. We can't have that now, can we."
Serena then stands, takes a few steps back, then holds out her dominate hand as a flame of ice blue coloring appears. Serena smiles as she casually tosses it from her open palm down onto Cecily's body.
"Purgatory's Flame, a special kind of fire only those who serve lady Regina can use, or at least what's what the holy text says. It shall only consume that which it touches and nothing more. Now, you may rest now, poor deluded child of Aqua. Your suffering is over."
Once Cecily's body had been consumed and the fire gone does Serena turn to look at the mansion.
"And now... let's go collect the offerings to lady Regina!"
} B-Part {
Yunyun groans as she opens her eyes, finding a figure standing over here. She couldn't make the figure out at first, as her vision was still rather hazy. But as the healing she could feel being done to her body, specifically her head progressed, her vision cleared up enough to see who it was that was healing her.
"Miss Serena? What..."
"Shh, wait a few moments more. I'm almost done with you."
Yunyun nods as she closes her eyes for a moment, then she begins to look around. She could see Darkness and Cielo were already awake and sitting upright. Looking around more, she finds Megumin also awake, though she was standing, back to everyone as she rested her head against a wall.
"There, that should do it. How are you feeling?"
Yunyun sits up and is about to speak when her memories of the last few days come rushing back to her, making her grip her head with both hands. Seeing this, Darkness, having seen this happen, moves over to Yunyun's side, kneeling down beside her and placing a hand on her back.
"Calm down, Yunyun. I know what you must be thinking because we all had those thoughts too when we awoke. Just breath and don't let it overwhelm you or else you could only make it worse."
"But... but I... we... what have we done?"
"What we did we didn't do because we wanted to. I know what you're feeling. You're angry; angry that you were brainwashed by the power of the Charisma Choker, angry over being made to attack and hurt Kazuma again. You're angry, I know. I feel the same way, we ALL feel the same way, trust me. But now's not the time for us to be dwelling on those regrets. We need to focus on the here and now, especially given the situation."
Yunyun goes to respond, but stops herself as she recalls what had happened before blacking out. She recalled the explosion, running from the kitchen to the living room to find Kazuma and Chris taking off with Aqua and Cecily as their captives, then the four of them facing off with Anna, Lia, and another girl.
"Wait, where's Anna and Lia... and that other girl too? Are they still here?"
Cielo responds to this by saying-
"They weren't here when I woke up. Miss Serena, do you know anything about them?"
"I'm sorry. When I arrived here and started using my healing powers on you all, I found no one else apart from you four, and the little one in Megumin's arms. I honestly don't know where those three could be now."
The three girls nod, then Yunyun looks back to Megumin. She realizes Megumin did indeed have Chomusuke in her arms. She also notices Megumin was shaking every slow slightly, possibly even crying. Worse of all was the fact Megumin hadn't said anything since Yunyun had awoken on top of standing away from the rest of them off in her little corner. She goes to ask Megumin if she's OK, but Darkness asks first-
"Could they have gone to check in on Kazuma and Chris after we passed out? On that note, why did we pass out to begins with?"
"Maybe it means the control the choker had on us was broken. I mean, we all remember the truth now which adds weight to that belief. Maybe having been influenced by it's power for several days could have that result once released. As for Lia, Anna, and Erika? I can only assume they went to check on everyone's status."
said Cielo, making everyone go quiet. Yunyun once again looks again at Megumin and goes to ask how she was feeling, But before she could say anything, Serena speaks up with some ominous news.
"I'm afraid things may not be so good."
"What do you mean, Serena?"
asked Darkness.
"Upon returning here to Axel, I noticed something strange around the Erisia Cathedral. I saw a young woman with blonde hair and wearing the attire of an Axis priestess running inside and she had someone slung over her shoulders. Curious, and concerned, I followed her and found the person she was carrying was... Satou Kazuma himself."
"WHAT?" (x3)
cried Yunyun, Darkness, and Cielo. While Megumin didn't verbally respond, hearing Kazuma's name said was enough to trigger a jerk from her body.
"I tried to catch up with her, to find out what she intended with him, but she entered what appears to be some kind of dark crypt that lies below the cathedral. As much as I wanted to follow after her, to rescue Kazuma as I'm sure her intentions aren't pure and noble, I had this feeling I would need help and so, I searched you all out and..."
Darkness grabs Serena by her collar while shouting out-
"Damn it, Serena. Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"I... I'm sorry. I felt I should prioritize getting you all back on your feet first, so we could all head after that Axis priestess together."
"Maybe so, but you should have still..."
"Save it for later, Darkness. We can't be wasting time right now. If Cecily has captured Kazuma and is taking him down into those catacombs, then we have to follow after her before she does anything to hurt..."
"If she does anything to hurt him, ANYTHING AT ALL, I swear I'll show her no mercy!"
Everyone stops and looks at Megumin who finally turns back to looking at them with tears in her eyes. Chomusuke hops from Megumin's hands to her shoulders as Megumin clenches her fist with enough force to draw blood. She grits her teeth too as she says with a low, threatening voice-
"Cecily, she was always so... so annoying. She always acted so high and mighty, like she could do no wrong. Always only caring about what she wanted while ignoring the wants and needs of others. She's vain, cocky, arrogant, self absorbed and self important, with no concept of personal space. She does as she pleases and is a slave to her own desires. Despite all that, I still considered her my friend."
After taking a breath, Megumin states loudly-
"I could forgive her for brainwashing the people of Axel. I could forgive her for brainwashing me. I could forgive her for brainwashing all of you... though just barely. I could forgive her for trying to do all manner of perverted things to me and Yunyun while we were under the influence of the choker's power, when we were her willing servants, though I know I really wouldn't want too."
Megumin saying that makes Yunyun avert her gaze, not wanting to be reminded of that night at it made her feel she had betrayed her feelings for Kazuma, even if nothing had ended up happening. Yunyun was also sure Megumin felt that same way as she did on that topic.
"But the one thing I will NEVER, EVERY forgive her for is the pain she has caused Kazuma and what she made us do to him. No, that is the one thing I'll never forgive and if she doesn't anything more to him before we can reach them, does anything to make him hurt and suffer, I swear I will KILL HER without a second thought!"
Everyone nods in agreement. They then go grab their gear before rejoining Serena who had stepped outside as they got what they needed. Once they had reached her, Serena gets a nod from them as she says-
"Alright, then let's get going!"
And with that, the five girls and one cat began their run towards the Erisia Cathedral, only one of them truly knowing what was awaiting them all at the end of their little search and rescue mission.
{|} to be continued... {|}
AN: And so begins arc 13. At present, I'm expecting this arc to run seven chapters, with each chapter releasing every five days of each other. Chapter 2 should be released on October 5, chapter 3 on the 10th, and so on.
The format for this arc is going to be a little different than what I have done in previous arcs in that half of the chapter will be focused on what's happening with Kazuma, Chris, and Aqua while the other half will focus on what's going on with the rest of the girls. I expect this to be how all the chapters of this arc will flow, save for chapter 5 (which will be mostly about Aqua) and chapter 7 which will focus on the aftermath of the events from arc 12 while setting up arc 15.
And for anyone who worried that Cecily would somehow get off easy for the things she did, well... guess this chapter showed she got what was coming to her, perhaps even more than that!
Before we end this, I'm sure some of you will notice (both with this chapter and in upcoming chapters) that the powers Serena has differ a little from what was established with the alternate timeline Serena seen back in arc 9. This is intentional as such powers are different between timelines. That means expect a few changes between the two Serena's.
Till next time...