NMHA Ch. 30 - Eclipse
"Do you have visual?"
"Affirmative. I have visual. Though... are we sure we want to do this?"
"I've told you before Vee, it is not about what we want. It is about making sure our home has enough funding to survive."
"I know that! It's just... they're just civilians. Not businessmen, not political enemies, just people. What would ma and pa think if they learned I...?"
"These people live in luxury while we have to make do with the scraps. Also, last I checked our paycheck depends on this."
"I still don't like it."
"You think I do, Vee? I'm not happy with this either, but morality is a luxury that we cannot afford. So continue the mission; engage and capture."
"...Affirmative."
"Are you sure you want to back out of this business venture?"
"I'm afraid I am. I mean no offense whatsoever; I know you and yours are good business. It's just..."
Jaspal Valac wanted to pull her hair out. She knew exactly what the businessman on the other end of the line was talking about, and just like the last half-dozen deals whose bottoms opened out on her, this one was balking too.
"I get it." Her voice, however, remained perfectly composed, polite and understanding. "You want to ensure that you avoid flack from my King's financial audit?"
The affirming hum on the other end was the exact same as the others too. Ever since the news broke that the Underworld Financial Services office made its public inquiry into Luna's cash flow, her own business partners were fleeing joint operations faster than she had expected.
Being the Maestra of Macrocosms' Pawn had been greatly beneficial considering her rapid ascent, but now that association was coming back to bite her and her family in a painfully direct manner.
And considering that Luna had been kidnapped shortly beforehand? She didn't need any predictive bloodline to see how the two were related. Luna had made a lot of enemies in the Assembly by virtue of going against the grain in a significant way, both in origin and political ideology.
That said enemies would leap at the chance to take advantage of her extended absence was all but guaranteed, and it was equally clear that scorched earth was to be the modus operandi. Especially given just how rapidly her support base had reeled back.
Her partners must have been facing pressure to back away, else have their assets frozen as the inquiry extended to them.
"Then I will cancel our trade package. I do hope that you return to discuss reopening our partnership again once this financial inquiry blows over."
Silence on the other line.
Jaspal frowned, pressing the phone closer to her ear and mouth. "Hello? Did I lose you?"
The other businessman sounded less contrite now, and more... nervous, as he replied back.
"I... I'm not sure we'll be approaching the Valac family again with joint ventures any time soon."
'What?'
"I beg your pardon? I understand that this news regarding my King is distressing, and halting joint operations is a valid action to take, but I am unsure why you are so concerned as to pull away for an undisclosed period of time?"
"I..." The swallow on the other end was apparent, but Jaspal had built good rapport with her business partners, and she knew that it was coming into play now. After a few more seconds, she knew it had paid off. "I can't say why exactly, but the Valacs have been an important friend of Ars Suppliers for years now, so leaving you completely high and dry would be... distasteful. I can't say why exactly, but I can say that it has something to do with the inquiry itself."
Oh.
Oh.
Oh hell.
Jaspal lifted a hand to her face, desperately wishing she had something strong on hand at that very moment. "The inquiry is rigged?"
"I can't say," her... ex-partner hedged, but the svelte ravenette knew full well that he was all but confirming her guess. It wasn't a denial, after all. "But if you knew, then I'm sure you'd understand why Ars Suppliers has chosen to cut ties with Valac Shipping for the foreseeable future."
Luna's Pawn pointedly did not throw the phone across the room, but it was a close thing all the same.
Instead, she inhaled...
"I see. I think I do understand now." Then she exhaled, ruby eyes sliding shut. "Thank you for informing me of your departure, and I wish you well for the future."
Perhaps it was a little rude to not wait for his return well-wishes before ending the call, but considering the circumstances he'd have to forgive Jaspal for being in an ill temper.
The financial inquiry was rigged.
Luna was going to be charged with monetary misdemeanors, if not an outright federal crime, to strip her of her office.
And if she ended up disappearing or dying in prison, even if the kidnapping was foiled? People would theorize and wonder, but whoever decided to knock her King off her post would be able to get away with it scot-free. It happened with political prisoners all the time in human countries.
Even if somehow she, Ruval, and the FFP managed to procure definitive evidence that the verdict was false, Luna's reputation - fragile as it was without the mantle of heritage - would be in shambles. Even just being accused was a hit to her public image that she could not withstand.
Her time in Assembly was over.
The Valacs were being increasingly isolated, the danger of being forced out of Assembly growing greater with each contact lost.
Luna herself was nowhere to be found.
The businesswoman Devil could see the signs; all their work would have to be continued by someone else, and they themselves... would have to figure out another path forward.
But could the FFP even survive such a blow, that their face would be marred with the brush of a fiscal scandal? Would they even try to continue Luna's mission? Or would they be so focused on just surviving that loss that they'd be assimilated into the GKF fold?
Jaspal stilled, red eyes widening in realization.
The GKF.
If they were working with the OSF to cut out a troubling element from their Assembly...
That couldn't be the case, though. Could it? The two absolutely loathed each other, and they had ever since the Civil War. Even before, if one used the argument that the OSF was basically the same thing as the True Satan Faction.
But... the pace of which that Luna and her allies were being phased out, the thought had a lot more merit than Jaspal was comfortable with.
She stared down at the phone, a conflicted expression flickering across her face as she reached back down... only to still as the phone started ringing.
The Valac hadn't set any further meetings for the day, which meant one of two things.
The ruby-eyed Devil swallowed, then lifted the phone to her ear off its station.
Immediately she knew it was the worse of the two, as a baritone oozing the oil of a machine bore through the receiver.
"Jaspal."
She swallowed, forcing down the way her throat tightened up to speak properly - as she had been taught. "Father. I was not expecting you to call any time soon."
"I had no intention to, until recently. I have... overheard news about your... King's, unfortunate fiscal inquiry."
"An inquiry which I believe we both know will end badly for her, regardless of the evidence, yes."
"Yes, that." His dry response shut Jaspal back up. "Then I take it you have been facing difficulties of your own by proxy?"
Her father might have taken his hands off the wheel for Jaspal to test her own at overseeing their businesses, but she knew full well that he'd kept abreast of the happenings within the company, seeking any opportunity to call her out on loss of revenue.
Though Jaspal had done a good job. Business was booming, and she'd proven herself a highly capable executive through her dealings and alliances.
The same kinds that were now backing away, and they both knew it.
"Unfortunately so, though we will have to wait to fully understand the long-term ramifications-"
"Spare me the verbosity girl, I know the signs when I see it. Stockholders are fleeing Valac businesses in droves, shares are plummeting, and business deals are drying up faster than a water droplet in the desert."
"...They are," she agreed, though she knew full well that she'd no choice but to.
"...Are you daft? 'They are'? Is that all you have to say for yourself?"
What could the ravenette say? Everything he'd said was true. The Valacs as a business had tanked hard, and though they had their fingers in many pies, they were under an official audit, and their assets all but frozen.
And in the end, it was her fault.
All he needed was for her to make one mistake.
"Nobody could have expected this to happen, father."
"Exactly, and that is exactly the problem!" Jaspal winced as the harsh tone barked out, holding the phone away from her ear briefly before returning it. "As a Valac, you are supposed to remain collected and careful, yet it all but seems as though you disregarded my teachings in a fit of whimsy the moment you saw the newest get-rich-quick opportunity on the block!"
Her grip on the phone receiver tightened.
"I was approaching an inexperienced Devil with vast untapped potential to make an ally out of her before she was poached by more prominent houses."
"Had you truly done that, that Bael woman would be in your Peerage, not the other way around."
'You think I didn't try to recruit her, you heartless...' she couldn't finish her own thought, lest she stoke her own temper further.
Yet every single time she'd so much as hinted at it, Luna picked up on the insinuation immediately and politely, if firmly, shot Jaspal down.
So what convinced Jaspal to accept that very same idea as the recipient, rather than the offeror?
...Was it the fact that she promised that she'd protect the ruby-eyed Devil from the ire of her father?
For a while, Jaspal supposed, Luna had done just that.
Then again, she hadn't predicted that the inevitable attack on Luna's reputation would be so thorough. Or fast. Or wide, going so far as to sweep her allies up in the mockery that was this 'audit'.
The Valac heiress had miscalculated, and badly.
"Her ascent showed no signs of slowing down, and we work well together. Additionally, through Dame Bael I have been able to obtain a semi-regular correspondence with Lord Ruval Phenex and Lord Diodora Astaroth. Considering that both come from high-ranked Pillars, I would say that the long-term benefits of such a relationship with my King still are quite likely to outweigh any losses we face from Dame Bael's inquiry."
Silence on the other phone. Wait, no, she could hear her father muttering.
"...Why did I ever think it a good idea to let my hand off the company for even a moment?"
Nostrils flared and eyes sharpened, yet still she could do nothing. Jaspal was, after all, still merely heiress. Even if she'd taken over on a significant portion of the Valac business, her father still held all the administrative powers.
"You knew better than to suborn yourself to someone with no heritage. You knew better, yet you did it anyway. And now the entire family is paying the price."
What else could she have done, though? Luna had been her best chance to get out of the rut she'd found herself in for so long! She'd almost gotten out of it too!
"I said that I believe the benefits will outweigh the costs. I intend to make sure that these losses are only short-term."
"Good. At least you are willing to take responsibility. Then I expect to see your resignation from the position of CFO by the end of the day."
'What?'
"...Pardon?"
"Resign from your position. It is clear that you cannot be trusted to safely handle the Valac business, so you must step away from the company so you can let an actually competent CFO fix your mistake."
'Resigning over a single mistake. That's all he was looking for, and he's got it. Not even considering that it was a social one, rather than a business-related one.'
Teeth grit. "Anything else?"
"Denounce your King and seek a Piece Trade. I have already compiled a list of suitable Kings to receive your Pawn piece, and expect you to choose one within forty-eight hours. Your public denunciation is scheduled for tomorrow."
'Suitable Kings'. Business partners and allies of the Valac patriarch, and likely the same sort of people her father was.
And... wait, denounce Luna?
"And this denunciation is to be done based on her financial audit?" Jaspal queried dully, the gravity of the situation sinking in.
"That is to be the impetus, but not the entirety. You are to denounce as well the Bael girl's political affiliation and proposals, her lack of bloodline, and proceed to publicly cut ties with her. I expect you to cease any further contact with her immediately."
"So it comes down to her not having heritage?"
"It comes down to her aiming too high and being properly smacked down." So Jaspal was right. "This game is no place for little girls with big dreams, and the Valacs have been struggling to remain in said game to begin with. That you would tie yourself to the Bael girl is impermissible, and I am ashamed to have signed off on it."
"I see." Indeed, the ruby-eyed Valac was sifting through papers right now, looking for something to keep her from being overwhelmed.
"That ends now. I will return to controlling the Valac business in its entirety, and you will be returning home for remedial retraining."
The hand sifting through the drawer froze, the pupils of that hand's owner shrinking.
"...I beg your pardon?" Jaspal's voice, despite her best efforts, had a faint waver to it.
"I thought I said already that you can't be trusted to continue operating the family business." The voice hadn't changed, but the Devil knew her father had heard the quiver in her voice. "You are too emotional, too prone to flights of fancy. I've taken it upon myself to ensure that even though you have ruined decades of building business alliances you will still have some use to the family."
She wasn't a fighter, which meant being part of a combat Peerage was supposedly out. She'd mercantile skill, but that was being tossed out the window because of a supposedly bad call she made on Luna.
For a low-noble family like the Valacs, that meant her father was speaking of one thing. The implications chilled her to the bone.
"Father, I-"
"Enough," the patriarch's voice cut her off cold again. "Consider yourself lucky that you weren't disowned. I have half a mind to throw you out all the same, be thankful that I don't strip you of your name and title outright. Now, if I don't hear you say 'yes father' as your next words, stating that you understand what you will be doing going forward and intend to be a good daughter, I will do just that."
Jaspal felt numb. This couldn't be happening. All the hard work she'd done to show her father up, it was all being undone because of some selfish bastards who ran the show that didn't like her friend? How was that fair? How was any of that fair?
Something ugly roiled up in the back of her throat, that same desire to show up those fogies, shove her callous twat of a father's pretentious expectations back in his face, that utter longing to make them watch her and weep bloody tears, because they would never be half as good as her-
Yet still. She could make use of this. Yeah, she could. She could...
Something wet and salty slid down, catching her lip with a tang slipping through.
"...Yes father."
"Good. Then I will see you tonight." And she heard the click of the phone from the other side.
That click broke the hazy fugue that Jaspal had entered to maintain her facade. In doing so, she slammed her arms on the desk hard enough that she heard something crack, but in the moment the ravenette couldn't care any less.
"Damn it all..." she hissed, voice quickly growing into one filled with an impotent rage. "DAMN YOU!"
Whether that was aimed towards her father for putting her in this predicament, or her King for getting caught in her's, even Jaspal didn't know.
"...Jaspal-san?"
With her face now in her hands, elbows on the desk in a picture of what could only be defeat, the ravenette didn't see who it was that entered. She was good enough at remembering voices to recognize who, though.
"Kuroka." She lifted her head from her hands to give a weak smile to the teenage girl who had stepped into the room, looking distinctly awkward at walking into the Valac's office. "I apologize, it's just..."
"You're frustrated over something, nya," the Bishop finished, nodding at Jaspal with an expression of understanding. "I was wondering if you wanted to help me teach Shirone how to access her natural abilities?"
"Hm?" Ruby eyes glinted with mild confusion. "How would I be able to help? I don't have the ability to use Senjutsu like you two can. I hardly even know the first step."
"Luna mentioned that you're really good at analyzing things. Maybe you'd be able to notice something about my sister's process that I wouldn't. Since Luna's missing and we're supposed to stick together, it... could be a good way to get to know each other a little more?"
Right. Her.
Jaspal looked away, her inner conflict once more fully on display.
"Did... your conversation have something to do with her?" The amber eyes of the Nekoshou narrowed faintly, brow lifting in concern.
"...My father called."
"You mean the unforgiving perfectionist asshole, nya?"
That got a small huff of laughter from Jaspal, but even that was shaky. "Yes, him. He wants me to cut all ties to Luna and denounce her tomorrow."
"Why?"
"So the Valacs can wash their hands of her. Since the inquiry has been rigged by the Devils running it, Luna is going to be charged with some form of money fraud regardless of her innocence. My dear father-" she spat the word, "-wants to minimize the loss of Valac holdings, and decided my abandoning her would be a good measure to do so."
Kuroka didn't quite like the sound of that. "Huh? But she didn't do anything wrong."
"You're right, of course. But Luna's enemies can fake evidence, and she has not been around long enough to have enough political strength to fend off attacks of this scale when there's this much momentum."
"That's... that's so unfair."
The Valac smiled again, though both it and her ruby eyes held no warmth.
"It is. But that is the Underworld; if you don't have a bloodline, you're nothing to a Pillar. And even if you are..."
Her gaze returned to her phone. "Those with power over you can make you do whatever they want."
"That's fucked up." Kuroka hissed, nose flaring. "I know that's how the streets work, but I thought that people in high society were supposed to be better than that?"
"Then you fell for the pretty cloths and extravagant foods. It is exactly the same, just with extra layers of foppishness. The worst part is, it works. The Underworld has been stable ever since the last Civil War because the people in charge have such a hold over the government. Even if it is at the expense of people such as you and I."
Those words hung in the room for several seconds, the Nekoshou looking away while the ruby-eyed Devil stood from her seat and walked around to join Kuroka on the other side..
"I still don't know what I will do regarding... the demands placed upon me, but at the very least I can try to help you and your sister." The smile on her face turned a little warmer, a little more genuine. "If I must return home and cut off ties with Luna, I can at least send you to the Phenexes beforehand. You and your sister will be well looked after there."
The younger girl scowled. "Don't know how I feel about them after Luna got nabbed from their hotel, nya."
"I think the fact that she got nabbed would mean they take their security all the more zealously. Lord Ruval is in a furor over the matter, after all, and he rarely acts in such a way."
Jaspal's lips quirked further upward as she leaned in, as though sharing a secret. "Between you and I, I think his parents are rather alarmed by how passionate he is about bringing her home."
That got Kuroka giggling, even if it was only a little bit. "Yeah, he's totally into her. Our King is a lucky one, nya?"
A brief flash of jealous bile rose up in the back of Jaspal's throat at the comment, because of how true it was. Most women would kill to have someone like Ruval Phenex so devoted as to go on the warpath to rescue them, herself included. Yet Luna seemed so... stubbornly neutral to his approaches. They were close, yes, but from what Jaspal could tell, Luna seemed to prefer keeping Ruval at arm's length.
Another mystery about their most unusual King that would room in the Valac's mind until it was resolved.
But first... Jaspal needed to take her mind off of the choice she had to make, at least for a little while.
"She certainly is. So how about we go and help your sister learn her birthright?"
Luna hadn't been escorted to Eltren to begin his experimentation yet.
She found it strange, and also concerning. It had been a few hours since she woke back up, and who knew how many since she had that lovely torture session with the magical scientist, after all. What sorts of equipment was the Naberius heir putting together, that she'd be left with a guard for so long despite his preparing to take a new avenue in his Super Devil research via her body?
Was he also trying to burn any bridges she still had to the Underworld, to make sure that she had nowhere to run?
It... was worryingly possible. If Eltren had her kidnapped out of a hotel on Phenex territory, then it was clear that there was very little he wouldn't do in order to keep a hold on her.
Luna was almost expecting mind magics of some sort to keep her docile, or some magical form of prisoner's mark, but he'd went with a remarkably... mundane method of containment. Granted, the way her powers were sealed it was an effective method all the same.
But that didn't mean she was powerless; far from it, especially now that she'd managed to form a direct bond to the rawest form of Ulan's blessing. It wasn't much, but the fact that she was able to fill the ceramic shard she'd hid in her bust with enough magical potential to act for a one-time discharge meant that she had a chance of getting herself out of this.
And Luna meant to exploit that chance with every possible effort.
The Worldweaver had pretended to fall back asleep, and used the opportunity to start etching in a magical circle on the wall, a small one but effective all the same.
It was at times like these that the brunette was once again thankful for her enhanced physical attributes; she would have been completely incapable of such minute motions required to make a good magical circle at such an awkward angle at a size small enough to conceal with her body had she still been human. Even now, Luna knew that if Ruval were to see her create this circle, he'd be disappointed in her.
But that was alright. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and as long as the circle operated as she needed it to - that being cleansing the invoker's body of magical sealants and suppressants - then she'd accept a shoddy job.
The worst part was the speed of which she had to work. She could visualize the runes and glyphs she'd need to inscribe for the circle's desired effect easily enough, but making them was another mess entirely. One miscalculation and the entire spell would fail: high stakes for something she'd only get one shot at doing.
The slow work gave the brunette a healthy respect for magicians, who had to work with symbols such as these for all of their magics. It also reminded her of computer programming, in a sense, though certainly the process was more... exhilarating.
At least, when she also didn't have to hide said process from the Devil with a shotgun who still apparently thought she was asleep. Not only did Luna have to get the spell right the first time, she needed to formulate it at an awkward angle, with awkward motions, to keep it from being noticed in the first place.
If ever there was a time to host a litmus test for Lunarunn's knowledge of circles and ability to craft them, this would certainly be it.
Almost on cue, her warden, 'Lucas', lifted a hand to his ear, then gave a short nod. "Hm? Understood."
The hand lowered, and his attention turned to the brunette in the cell. "Oi. Get up. It's time to move."
Lunarunn figured that now was the moment of truth. Time to move, alright.
She stirred, slipping the fragment into her hand... then jabbed it into the center of the circle.
Almost immediately, both she and Lucas were blown back by the force of the magical power stored within the ceramic shard, Luna's hand lighting up with pain as broken shards dug into it. Those same shards were promptly swept away as she felt the circle's intended effect take hold and wash over her, not unalike one would feel being promptly submerged in water.
And with that 'submersion', whatever it was that had been sealing her was similarly stripped away, white flecks flying off her form and vanishing into small motes of light before dissipating altogether.
With the removal of that white dust, Luna's body felt... not completely whole, not after that electrocution, but absolutely back in fighting shape, the Worldweave bond blazing brightly in the back of her mind.
If she'd had a moment to revel in the return of her powers, she would have, but her situation was still rather dire. Indeed, even as she was getting back on her feet she saw her warden bringing his shotgun to bear against her.
Well, she couldn't have that, now could she?
Luna, from her crouching position, threw one hand forward, and from it Worldweave lashed out, the barrel of the gun folding in on itself before being ripped out of Lucas's hands and embedded in the wall. Similarly, Lucas himself was thrown against another, the bars that kept Luna in her cells flying forward to embed themselves in the wall, binding the other Devil. Before he could call for backup, her other hand swept to the side, willing the air to carry no sound but her own. Even as the Devil craned his neck to the communicator he'd used before, nothing escaped his lips, and it was with wide eyes that he realized what the brunette had done.
Another swift gesture crushed the communicator as she stepped out and approached him, gaze cool and calm.
"I get you were just doing your job," she started, almost casually, lifting a hand to his face. "But I can't stop here. There's still so much I have to do."
The fear in Lucas's eyes was evident as that hand got closer, but where he may have been expecting a swift but gruesome end, instead was... simply a hand. Yet, there was more at work here. He knew it, especially given the slight frown of concentration on his escaped prisoner's face.
"You're gonna have to go to sleep for a while." One side of the Worldweaver's lips quirked upward in a sardonic smirk, eyes shining with all colors as she focused on filling his lungs with an adequate amount of anesthetic to knock the warden out. "Think of it as my way of saying 'thanks' for being a... morally-decent Devil that I don't torture you like your boss did to me, or kill you outright. Can't guarantee the second bit for the rest of your friends, though. Sorry. Nothing personal, alright?"
Indeed, Lucas could note the black seeping in around his vision, and it was with a mixture of relief and fear that his body went limp, consciousness escaping to the back of his mind.
Once that was finished, the Worldweaver looked around, frowning as she dug through his armor for anything of use.
What she could find was some binding wire, a flashbang (because go figure), some bandages, and a smoke grenade.
It wasn't much. She could make it all with Worldweave anyway, and so figured leaving everything but the bandages would be the safest bet.
'Ulan.'
"Yes Luna?"
'Keep an eye on the corners of my vision. If anyone throws stun grenades my way I need to know before they go off. Otherwise, I'm fucked.'
"Understood. I have to say, I'm liking this focused mindset of yours."
'I sort of have to be right now. One thing's for certain, though. Even after this is all said and done, I'm through with sitting around.'
Luna didn't get any response, but she could tell there was a glow of... satisfaction and pride, from the blazing bond between them.
And so the warehouse became a hunting ground, the Worldweaver on the prowl.
Enough was e̵̩̭̦̣͉͆nough.
Jamie had awoken from his nap, and had since joined his friends - family even, brothers in arms - around a table, playing cards to pass the time while their patron did his work. Much like one might expect from guarding a young woman whose powers were blocked off, it was surprisingly dull work. So they had to pass the time somehow.
One hand came to rest on the growing pile of face-down cards. "One three."
Another did the same as the other pulled away. "One four."
Jamie, as it was his turn, pulled three cards from his hand and set them on the table. "Three fives."
"Bullshit," that same person from before snorted, rolling his eyes. His expression quickly became one of exasperation as the large Devil turned the three cards he'd set over, proving his bold claim true. "Oh are you shitting me? Damn it Jamie!"
Yes, that passing of the time even included something so inane as the game of Bluff.
"Eat my dick, Flywire," Jamie chortled, a wide grin splitting his face as Flywire gathered all the cards in the pile and added them to what had been the few remaining cards in his hand, grumbling curses. "So, just a couple more weeks before our contract's up with the Naberius. How's everyone feeling about it?"
"I know I'm ready to get back home," the Devil to Jamie's right sighed. "It's been a while, I'm almost a little worried that we won't even be let back in."
"Considering we're their main source of revenue? I'm expecting a party when we come back with enough money to feed the village for half a decade," Flywire retorted.
"I know, I know, it's dumb." He laughed, an easy self-deprecation entering his voice. "It's been a year, almost. I get that's our usual tour of duty, but it never really goes by any faster for me."
The other Devil smirked. "I definitely agree with you though about looking forward to getting back; I'm sick of getting reamed by Jamie at card games."
The mercenary in question crossed his arms, lifting his shoulders in a smug shrug. "Ya don't like it? Get good, twink. Or better yet, just stop calling bullshit on my plays."
"You know I'm going to get you one of these days, and it. Will. Be. Glorious."
"Keep telling yourself that. I'm sure it helps you get your daily wank out."
The others started laughing when a scowling Flywire flipped the large Devil the middle finger.
- KSSSSSH -
Something in the distance crashed. It sounded like whatever it was made quite the spill. Immediately Jamie was on his feet, pistol at the ready.
"I don't think that was Clay."
"You sure? Clay can be pretty clumsy."
"Not the time to play Devil's Advocate, Jackson. Naberius has us all on duty in case something happened with the prisoner."
"It's one girl, powdered to the gills with unicorn dust! How is she going to cause problems?"
Silence. The air was still, no sound passed through following the question. What did pass, however, were the glares of Flywire and the last two Devils at the table as they rose and drew their own respective weapons.
"Jackson," Jamie started, voice dangerously slow. "Do you know what Murphy's Rule is?"
"...Me and my big fucking mouth."
The large Devil opened his own to add a scathing remark to Jackson's realization, but when nothing came out, his blood turned to ice, like the chill wind that blew around them, plunging them into darkness as the camping lamp - their primary source of light - failed.
Immediately, they placed their backs against each other, flicking on flashlights to ensure they could still make visual, yet despite the faint heat the bulbs did not shine. Their world was dark, their surroundings silent.
The only comfort that Jamie had was the pressure of his brothers-in-arm, covering his back with their own.
The silence and darkness grew, the five of them moved, trying to escape this area of sensory deprivation, Jamie barking into his own communicator to try and get the message across that the prisoner had escaped.
He did not know if his four other companions were doing the same.
He could not see.
He could not hear.
Yet when four became three, the shockwave as one was torn away from their formation, the remaining Devils could feel it all too acutely.
Even as Jamie reached for his flashbang, three became two.
When he threw it, two became one.
He did not know if it worked like it had last time.
He could not see.
He could not hear.
But he could feel Flywire, the tryhard he was, shiver with the recoil of gunfire, probably roaring his defiance at an enemy they could not see, nor hear, nor touch.
The last warm back of his brother-in-arms meant that once he too was stripped away Jamie felt all the colder.
He could not see.
He could not hear.
But he could still feel.
So Jamie felt chest cave in, ribs shattering under a crushing blow and ground leaving his feet as he felt his face take their place.
Had he fallen?
Had he been hit by something?
Had he been thrown, like how his brothers had left him?
He did not know.
He could not tell.
And when the cold, sharp edge dug into his neck, even that became irrelevant.
After all, he could not see.
He could not hear.
And after fleetingly few moments, he could no longer feel.
The brunette scowled as she undid the laws she imposed on the mercenary Devils' impromptu game room, not bothering to give any of them any more attention than she needed to.
All that mattered was clearing this place out, and figuring out where the hell Eltren was.
Once that bastard was dealt with, then she could decide her next steps.
As she continued on her way, Luna pointedly did not look back, even as she wiped the blood on her hand off on her skirt.
The Worldweaver wasn't sure she'd be able to keep moving if she took in the carnage she was creating.
Yet at the same time, the action of dealing death itself was... surprisingly easy.
The Devils who'd kidnapped her were... fragile. So much easier to hurt than she'd thought, at least initially.
But now that the tables were turned, now that they had no element of surprise, it was clear just how much Luna stood above them in terms of raw power.
They had been so... fragile, their bodies breaking open with vivid, visceral red s̵̭̟̚͝ô̵̺ ̷̥͐ḛ̷̓̚a̷̺̞̍̐s̸̭̯̀̓ì̷̡͐l̸̡̙̏̂y̶̭̟͂...
Luna lifted a hand to gingerly brush along one of her temples, hiding a wince. Even after leveraging her bond with Ulan to charge that ceramic shard and use it to regain her full scope of powers, it felt like she was getting random spikes of feedback. She wasn't sure why, but it was more than a little concerning, especially given the circumstances.
But she couldn't bother to pay it much mind now. She had a mission to fulfill.
And that mission was to end everyone in this building. Otherwise, they'd just be back. Or worse, they'd go after someone more vulnerable, to get at her.
The Worldweaver couldn't let that happen. She'd been led around by the nose far too many times to take this lying down. Enough was enough.
She didn't feel good about it, she couldn't after learning that these were the kind of Devils she was supposed to help, but it had to be done.
Just one more stain on her hands, even if Luna didn't feel quite as guilty about what she
Was it because she was doing the deed herself, that there was only a little regret burning in the back of her mind? Was it because out of all the people she'd had a hand in killing, these were out of pure necessity?
Or was it simply because she was already too far gone to really feel the impact of what she was doing?
'Those are bad thoughts. I can come back around to them later, but for now, I need to clean out the warehouse and find Eltren.'
Luna nodded to herself, lowering the hand lifted to her head to hurry onward, continuing her hunt.
At some point the warehouse lights turned on, an alarm blaring out over the intercoms at the same time.
They must have found one or more of the bodies.
Sneaking around wouldn't have any more meaning, now that everyone was on high alert.
Her gaze shifted up, toward the window that had once shown down before her, when the Naberius heir tortured her. The clearing was a little ways off, but she had a feeling that her primary target would be in the area. Perhaps in that office up above?
Only one way to find out.
Luna lifted a hand again, stardust coalescing within her outstretched palm as she gathered her strength, before hurling it in that direction.
The orb flew straight and true, crashing into the office and expanding in a mighty blast, the resulting destruction sending debris flying in every which way.
Yet, it happened all the same, with no response from where she'd fired. Perhaps Eltren was elsewhere.
She didn't pause and let anyone draw a bead on her location to retaliate for the damage she'd inflicted to the building, instead drawing on her bond to empower her motions, lunging to the side as mercenaries started appearing from every direction.
"Here they come. To your right!"
Her gaze turned starboard, hand lobbing outward. Where a man's heart once laid now laid naught but dust, the flash and bang from his side indicating a threat neutralized. Her other drew across her breast, wrapping herself a cloak of purest null-velocity, trapping multiple ammo drums worth of weapons fire within its folds. A roar and both arms spread outward sent forth a tsunami's worth of crashing, crushing force in retaliation. Bodies became little more than flotsam in the great wave's wake.
To Devils, to stand before one far above their rank was a crushing affair, helpless as a human is to break the rainfall.
To the mercenaries, Luna was no mere rain, but a tempestuous force that devastated everything in her wake.
Indeed, those that tried to stop her were swept aside with contemptible ease.
Numbers became not a factor, but a casualty report.
At some point, those numbers began to dwindle, and those still moving turned to flee.
Storms showed no mercy to those they caught.
Neither did Luna.
They signed up for this, and more importantly they moved to attack her, and possibly even her's.
They would get no quarter from the Worldweaver.
As the last fleeing mercenary fell to the ground, a hole drilled between his eyes clean through the back of the head, Luna lowered her outstretched index finger, aquamarines drifting shut as she let out a quiet sigh, the lone beating heart in the aftermath of her reprisal beating loudly in her ears.
A moment of silence for the fallen. She could not let them live, but the harbinger of their demise could at least give them this.
Her eyes reopened, and they rose to see the last mercenary standing above her on a shelf, staring Luna down with baleful grey eyes.
She recognized this mercenary as the same one who'd disposed of Ruval's pendant before.
"You sure made a mess," the mercenary commented, almost offhandedly, gesturing to the bodies of all their slain comrades. "How did you get out?"
"If I told you, I wouldn't be able to get away with it next time." The brunette scrutinized the one above her. If that one managed to survive her assault, or had been watching until now... was this one a High-Class too? Clearly there was more to this one than the others.
"A pity. I was hoping to at least satisfy that curiosity before I took you down for my brothers-in-arms."
"Why not help them beforehand?"
"Information is half the battle. I got a pretty good idea how you fight, since their sacrifices gave me the time to study you."
That sounded... familiar. Even if the mercenary was still armored up, their face largely obscured save for those stormy greys.
She had no time for this.
Luna jerked her head back toward the cell.
"You sure you want to fight for a lost cause when you still have the chance to save at least one of your allies?"
The stormy greys grew stormier. "Are you saying you spared Lucas?"
The Worldweaver nodded. "I did. Against my better judgement, perhaps. He helped me get out, if inadvertently, and helped me figure out where I went wrong in the Assembly."
The silence between them was tense, but Luna could tell that the mercenary was mulling over her words, and found them reason enough to stand down, if for a time.
A sigh. "If only that mercy extended to the rest of my brothers-in-arms."
"Maybe one time it would have, but I couldn't risk it. I can't let you all come after me and mine again."
"So you killed nearly an entire mercenary cell to make sure of it? Such boldness." The lone standing cell member gave a short laugh, though it lacked humor. "That kind of audacity's pretty admirable. If it wasn't aimed at people I cared about, anyway."
"You should have left well enough alone."
"Sorry kiddo, but that's just not how this world works. We get orders from the big guys, and us small fry have to obey. Or else. Could even say that your kidnapping's part of your 'or else'."
That caused a snarl to rise to the bloodstained brunette's face. "I strongly doubt you're 'small fry'."
"Compared to the Pillars? I'm nothing. Just a Branch of a bottom-rung house."
That... made Luna's mind raise flags. This wasn't just some random nobody she was talking to, after all.
"Then why are you here?"
"Because we have to keep touch with our roots, and for a long time, my name was worth just as little as the names of everyone you've slain. Us chaff have to stick together if we want to make it in the Outlands."
The mercenary dropped to the floor, wings spreading out briefly to slow their fall as they landed softly on the same level as the Worldweaver. Instead of taking any position to fight, however, they started walking away.
"I know what it's like to be at the bottom though. I do. I can't be too upset at you either, because like it or not, we're mercs and you were defending yourself. We get paid to put our lives on the line, and this job turned out a bad one. Between those, and because I have to rescue the last other surviving member of the guard, I'll step out of your way for today."
They paused, then turned their head to glance at Luna from the corner of their eye.
"But if we meet again, pray that it is under... better, circumstances. I hope Lucas really did help you see reason, Lunarunn Bael. I'd hate to have to kill someone who only wanted to help people like us."
Something about that rubbed the brunette the wrong way. "I doubt you could kill me."
If Luna could see the mercenary's face, she was sure that she would see a dark smile. "Maybe. Maybe not. But that doesn't mean I don't know people who absolutely can."
More pieces, but the puzzle wasn't coming together just yet, even though Luna was sure it should have been.
No matter. That one was a non-factor now.
What mattered was finding-
"Oh, right." Said mercenary spoke up again. "Eltren's meeting up with a few of my brothers that he sent out for another mission, the next warehouse over. Try not to catch my family in the crossfire again when you finally do nail that piece of shit to the wall, alright?"
And with that, the other standing individual stepped out of sight.
Why... would they just drop that information like that? Were they calling the job a bust and hoping she'd grant leniency to the last few mercs she might encounter?
Too many questions, too little time to get answers.
It was time to meet Eltren again.
This time, however, she was far from powerless.
And this time, she'd make sure he saw justice for his cruel ambitions.
Luna turned and started running, back to the office she destroyed and the hole in the ceiling that had formed as a result, wings extending behind her as she leaped through, taking flight briefly to locate 'the next warehouse over'.
Indeed, not too far off she could see another massive structure, much the same as the one she was floating above now. Perhaps a staging ground, so that whomever tried snooping around would only find the one and not the other?
There were magics that could subtly influence thinking that way. It certainly wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
Regardless, with that next building located Luna flew toward it, landing at a window to peer through it. She didn't see anyone, so she entered, cutting out a chunk of the window and setting it to the side in order to fit through without making noise.
Even if this facility was also on high alert and staffed by guards, a quiet entry point would prevent her from coming up against a bulkhead.
Yet when she entered the office and looked down, there was no guard. No person or Devil in sight.
Had she been duped?
It was possible.
If she was, that mercenary's days were fleetingly numbered.
Yet, her decision to trust the mercenary's word proved validated when she jumped through the upper office window and landed on the ground: Luna did in fact notice something.
A bounded field, leading further in to the loading bay.
Luna, without hesitation, stepped through, hearing sounds of open electricity in the distance.
'Eltren.'
It made her shiver, wrapping her arms around herself almost on instinct, but quickly regained her composure and started running, stepping around rows of filled shelves and piles of both crates and boxes.
When she finally reached the clearing, it was to see Eltren standing near a body, his hand unclasping around another person's throat as residual sparks flickered around the broken form of...
Pupils dilated.
Time stopped.
The person Eltren had released, whose warm eyes had gazed upon her with pride for the woman she had become.
The person not far from at the Naberius's feet, who struggled to let her go, yet cared for her all the same that he would try and let her fly free.
Yet when she blinked, that warmth was gone, in its place a chilling, horrifying stillness as the body collapsed to the ground.
Yet when she sank to her knees, she could see a stain of juice on the inside of the collar, of the vibrant apples he so proudly tended to, mixed with a red she was becoming all too familiar with.
Luna's mouth opened, though she wasn't sure what would come out.
Perhaps she should have known, by the way her lungs had constricted, her chest tighter than it had been ever before.
Perhaps she should have known, by way of Eltren had yet to bring her in for testing, now turning to her with a cruel smile playing at his lips.
She should have known.
She should have known.
She s̴̩̦͂͝h̸̛̦͒̆o̴͖̟̒̈̕ù̵̬͐͘l̷͎̆d̵̲̜̆̈́͘ ̸̧̭̅̑ḣ̵̘͍̿͝ą̴̞̻̂v̶̗̐e̶͔͒̕ ̸̣̻̗̾̾ḳ̷͙͈̒n̶̬̫͠o̷̧͓͒̽̿ẃ̵͉̼̩ṉ̶̨̄̈́͑-
"...M-Mom? Dad?"
"So how does Senjutsu work, exactly? I know the basics, but beyond that I am rather in the dark."
Jaspal took a seat after asking that question, looking between the two Nekoshou, one with black hair, and the other with snow white.
Kuroka, almost instinctively, had placed herself between Jaspal and Shirone, but nodded in the direction of her fellow Peerage member as she obliged the Valac's question. "It's... kinda difficult to explain, nya. I suppose the best way to put it would be... the world itself is alive, and those who have the training or talent to feel the planet's breathing can draw on it?"
"So, in a sense, you'd be taking the breath of the world and repurposing it for your own needs?"
"Sorta. It's more a symbiotic relationship, nya. We take in the world's energy, purify it, and then by using it release it back into nature. Some might be used up in the process, but the remaining life energy released is strong enough to increase the... ambient, life of the area. It's good for us, and for the planet."
"Ah... Kuroka-nyee? Would that mean that a good Senjutsu user could make even more food?"
The voice was small, light, and almost made Jaspal squeal as white ears perked up in interest. How could someone be so. Freaking. Cute? And what kind of crime was it to have such an adorable, innocent girl end up trapped on the streets?
"Considering that plants are enriched by Senjutsu, you could use Senjutsu itself to grow a plant if you wanted," the older sister confirmed, before a sly glint entered her eye. "If you wanted, you could probably grow a whole feast."
"Ah!" The amber eyes of the young Shirone lit up, and she leaned forward. "I wanna learn!"
A beaming Kuroka pet Shirone's head gently, causing the younger girl's tail to curl up with delight."I thought you would. It's as much a gift to us from okaasan as the pin in your hair."
"Teach me, Kuroka-nyee! Teach me!"
"Haven't I been doing so already?"
"I haven't gotten anywhere with it though,"
"Small steps," Jaspal interjected, smiling lightly. "If you don't know how to do something, rushing the process of learning will mean you mess up somewhere later down the line."
"Right. And you know what happens if Senjutsu users mess up, right Shirone?"
"Mhm! We go feral, like 'grrr'!" The moe factor of the little girl holding up her fingers like claws and bearing her teeth. It was almost too much for the Valac to bear, but she managed with a laugh.
"I'd almost think you hid Shirone away as long as you had because you wanted to keep her for yourself, Kuroka."
Said Nekoshou stuck her nose out and put her hands on her hips, eyes closed and smirking. "My sister is the cutest and most precious little sister in the whole world. I can't blame you, nya!"
"Alright, alright." Jaspal laughed again. "Why don't you two sit down and Kuroka start channeling, so I can get a good idea of how it works?"
"Right, nya!" So Kuroka plopped down on the ground, legs crossed, and Shirone took her place across from her older sister. The two looked at each other, then the black-haired Nekoshou took a deep breath.
Almost immediately, Jaspal could get a feel for what was going on. It wasn't anything specific, but she could tell the way that Kuroka was breathing was drawing in natural energy, and with each exhale released a small plume of light-blue aura.
"You're cycling the life force you're inhaling right now, is that right?"
Immediately the breaths and the aura stopped. "Yep, nya! The first step to channeling Senjutsu is knowing how to take it in and release it, and Nekoshou can do that super naturally! Why don't you show her, Shirone?"
"Mm!" A brief nod, then an expression of concentration came over the younger youkai's face as she started breathing too. Much like with Kuroka, Jaspal could see instinct take over, the concentration smoothing out as Shirone copied her sister's breaths, drawing in the energy of the world, then letting it out, more potent than before.
"Hmm... It doesn't seem as... refined? That might just be an inexperience thing, though."
Kuroka didn't seem entirely convinced, but gave a nod to Jaspal. "That's sort of what I was thinking too, but I was her age more or less when okaasan and otousan passed away, and I've been able to do it like that ever since."
"Maybe that event triggered something in you?"
"Maybe... but I'd rather focus more on helping Shirone get the hang of channeling than focus on myself. So the next part is actually taking in some of that life energy to empower yourself. I haven't gotten too far with this part just yet, mostly because Shirone seems to have a difficult time actually internalizing that energy."
"I told you, it just slips away, nya!" the white Nekoshou pouted.
"That shouldn't be the case though." Kuroka's head turned back to look up at Jaspal. "Which is why I wanted to see if you could pick up on something."
In a sense... she could see where Kuroka was coming from. She didn't exactly have any teachers or any way to figure out how to do Senjutsu right. It was somewhat miraculous that Kuroka had gotten as far as she had to begin with.
"Alright. You go ahead Kuroka, release it into the air, and then you try doing the same, Shirone. I'll keep an eye on you both, and try to figure out what differences there might be."
A nod from both youkai, and then their eyes closed. They started breathing. This time, there was less exhalation of life energy, and a faint sheen began to coalesce around Kuroka. As for Shirone, she seemed to be doing the same, yet...
-THUUUUM-
Jaspal gasped as what felt like a wave of alien aura ripped through the room, chest erupting into cold fire and coughing violently as a sheer, overwhelming sense of wrongness threatened to devour her-
She managed to withstand, thankfully, only feeling a hint of bile rise up from the back of her throat as she held onto her seat to keep from falling out of it entirely.
The other two weren't nearly so lucky.
Kuroka cried out, before stumbling away from the circle, unable to stop herself from vomiting onto the floor. The concerning part was what exactly she was puking up; a pitch-black resin that bubbled on the ground, writhing as though alive and pained by the contact with the air.
And Shirone...
Shirone lunged for Jaspal with unnatural speed, a rabid shriek tearing from her throat as small hands sharpened into outstretched claws.
The aura surrounding her was of a darkest black, and roiled with that same sense of wrongness that had torn through her, the same sort that Kuroka spewed up.
Perhaps another time, where she had no combat training to speak of, Jaspal would have died then and there.
But under Luna, even if her role was information collecting and disclosure, she'd taken at least some training, in case she found herself suddenly under attack.
That training paid off in the situation she found herself in.
Even disoriented and sickened as she was, the Valac was able to dive out of her chair, though stumbled to the ground in the process.
Shirone turned, ready to lunge again as she saw the ravenette fall, but was tackled by her sister to the ground before she could.
"What the hell is happening?!" Kuroka cried out, fending off the maddened Nekoshou with marginal success; claws ripped at her clothes and dug into skin. She threw Shirone away against the wall, where the white-haired youkai scrambled back on all fours, spitting and hissing. "Jaspal, what did you do?"
Wait, Kuroka thought that she had something to do with this? "I didn't do anything, I'm just as confused as you are!"
"This has never happened before, what else could it have been!?" the adolescent shrieked back, before rushing against her younger sister. Yet between the two, Kuroka found herself losing ground quickly. Whatever it was that was driving her lone remaining family into this rampage, it was empowering her, strengthening her to a degree that she couldn't hold back against.
As the two yowled at each other on the floor, each trying to get one up on the other in a bestial display, Jaspal watched on with growing horror. Her eyes took in everything she could to try and make sense of the situation, but it left her with a single, all-encompassing question.
'How did everything go so wrong so fast?'
"We're close."
"Good. She's in the warehouse district?"
"Can't say. Just that the trail leads here." Masaomi lifted his head to see the buildings ahead. "But warehouses are a pretty good place for clandestine operations. I'm not too surprised if Luna is being kept here somewhere."
"Then we'll have to figure out where she is."
"Without disrupting any civilians in the area."
"No promises."
The exorcist wasn't sure what he would have done about Ruval's flippancy, but something much more pressing came to mind.
That is to say, a good chunk of one warehouse's roof exploded into so much debris, as someone flew out of the opening... minus two legs and an arm.
Ruval made to pursue that 'someone', clearly recognizing him based on the snarl that had formed, but that same expression slackened as something - no, six somethings shot out of that same hole. They impaled the fleeing figure, trapping him by way of punching straight through his arm, his torso, and his neck, before dragging him back from whence he came.
They might have heard squealing too, but if it was from the fleeing Devil then it had to have been cut off when those black spikes punched clean through cartilage and bone, creating a guttural schlook that echoed into the night.
Masaomi paled. That... that wasn't right. Nothing about that was right. It didn't look right, it didn't feel right, it didn't sound right-
Even those thoughts were overwhelmed, however, when a blood-curdling wail, distorted into multiple monstrous tones but undeniably female, broke through the night, accompanied by a shockwave that drained the light and life from the entire vicinity.
As it blew over the two, Masaomi threw his arms up, grunting as the wave seemed to sap at his vitality. The feeling quickly passed, but he still felt a touch colder than before. The Devil did nothing, seemingly unfazed in his own quickly-paling shock.
Ruval completely discarded stealth by this point, taking flight with his own expression filled with abject horror as he realized he knew that voice.
And so did the exorcist, who took off after the Blue Phenex in a dead sprint, the same thought racing through his mind as the one that the Devil yelled.
"Oh fuck. Luna!"
A/N:
And so the boot drops. Welcome to the pain train! Destination: who even knows at this point?
Before anyone comments about this being too 'dark' or 'edgy', there is a reason that Luna melts down as badly as she does. I simply have yet to explain it. Though I should also say that she would have flipped out either way, just not to this extent. As is fitting after learning that people she had been trying to protect were captured and killed for that very same reason.
Just as a heads-up, I not only start a new full-time job in this coming week but have nearly a full course load of schoolwork starting as September rolls around, so my writing may be a lot more limited going forward. Granted, I get the feeling that half of that schoolwork I can coast on by with, but the other half I definitely need to put some effort into. Combine that with, as I mentioned, a full-time job? The next few months are certainly going to keep me busy, that's for sure. Hopefully things will settle into a pretty workable routine, where I still have a good amount of free time.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks again to Enki (AKA P1oneer of the Stars) for helping me iron out the wrinkles in the chapter before I posted! I've been watching some vods on popular books and writing tips, and I hope it shows in the quality of the chapter.
Tempura Wizard out.
