Chapter XII. Wish Upon Your Weapon
After obtaining the two Seed of Beginnings, Iruma tied his to his waist as if it was on a belt while Isabelle stashed hers in her coat pocket, ready to exit the ruins with Acheron, Naphula, and Ryūko. This was the second night of the Harvest Festival and they were looking for another way to meet back up with Lied. The three navigated their way through with the route gifted by Toto the Genie moments ago, although their trial to obtain the seed was quite time-consuming.
"Hey, Brother." Said Ryūko, "I believe we do have to explain ourselves in regards to Naphula, right?"
"Ah! She's right! What do we say about Naphula being with us?" Realized Iruma, "I mean, we're supposed to be rivals, but they did help us get the seeds. Acheron and Isabelle will split their seed between the two of them. Maybe we can split up our points three-way? Or maybe I'll split my points in half with Lied and then split my half in half with Naphula... I'll figure it out after we meet back up with him."
While he pondered, Naphula was mimicking his gestures adorably before they both exchanged a high-ten. Ryūko sighed before she looked ahead, as though she anticipated the worst. Her ruby and sapphire were shaking in the notion something would be a bigger threat along their way out, thinking it was the person hunting her class down.
The five continued to walk their way out. The twins, Isabelle, and Acheron noticed that Naphula's scent was no longer a bother, especially since the twins remember their innate ability to adapt to new environments quickly. The Harvest Festival reminded Iruma about those days as a child with his sister, but the latter took a few pants of anxiety at that same thought. She rubbed her upper arms as those dreaded memories resurfaced and the color on her face slightly faded off. The Suzuki twins did everything they could to survive, but moving into the Netherworld allowed them to gain exposure to mysterious new things with every rough step and smooth pathway. Iruma initially was in fear of getting eaten by all demonkind that appeared rather intimidating, to which Ryūko and Isabelle would gladly put their lives on the line for his sake, but those demons turned out to be great demons ever since their arrival in their lives. From making friends and getting sufficient sleep, to healthier living and exciting school life, things almost seemed perfect. Every day brought excitement and meanings so worthwhile living for.
They soon found themselves in a cave illuminated beautifully by crystalline specks everywhere. Iruma and Naphula took an excited leap to run to the exit, Ryūko, Isabelle, and Acheron followed while the odd-eyed cambion still had a heavy feeling something would turn out horribly wrong. They made their way around jumps and lifts, but Ryūko has her thoughts right on the money because she felt a strong force of magic on her head, causing her to gasp as if she was hurt. Iruma attempted to check on her, but he too felt that magic affecting him. Naphula felt concerned, but Iruma reassured them the both of them were alright. As they climbed up a higher ledge, Ryūko's eyes suddenly were fuelled by wrath and fear.
"Guys, behind me right now!" She warned with her voice shaking as she took a defensive position, readying her hidden wrist daggers.
"What seems to be the problem, Ryūko?" Acheron asked.
"Sis, your voice shook." Noticed Iruma, "What's wrong-"
Right in front of them, when it was supposed to be impossible, Iruma and Ryūko's good-for-nothing human parents arrived with their stuff.
"Who are those people? And why do they look like Iruma and Ryūko?" Acheron asked with an eyebrow raised.
'That blue hair... Those smiles... No way. They're Iruma and Ryūko's parents!' Isabelle thought with shock filling up her mind.
"How've you two been?" Asked Mrs. Suzuki.
"Your mother and father are out living their best lives!" Said Mr. Suzuki.
No questions for how would they end up in the Netherworld as Iruma deemed that they would be stupid enough to go wander about anywhere. As happy-go-lucky as they always were, the couple attempted to bring the twins back with them after declaring they were broke for another time and planning their next get-rich-quick scheme. Obviously, Ryūko and Iruma had about enough of this tomfoolery and needed to tell them off about their heinous deeds. But all for naught it was as the couple made their plans without the input of their blood children. But it gets even worse as they attempted to gaslight the teens into thinking they were always good kids by their obedience. As they swapped directions, the twins realized soon that it was an illusion playing with their minds because the voices they heard were distorting before transforming into an amalgamation so monstrous.
It was forcing them into a corner of defeat. Ryūko hated the feeling in her guts, but there was no other way out. She turned to her brother, held his shoulders tight as the latter saw those rare pristine glass tears dropping from her regal eyes.
"Iruma... I'm sorry, we have no choice." Attempted Ryūko in keeping her composure, "Fall back. Literally, fall back for your sake. I will return to you soon, my sweet brother. Forgive me for what I must do."
The cambion threw her arms around her brother to attach a strange item resembling a parachute bag on his back, leaving him certain that Ryūko was sacrificing herself for him once more. She looked over the ledge behind Iruma, exchanging a look to ask if he trusts her. He nodded with regret. It was then, she reluctantly pushed Iruma off the stone before he fell into the abyss below. Isabelle, Acheron, Naphula looked at Ryūko's broken state, she looked down and sobbed remorsefully on her knees as the illusion of her human parents appeared again behind her.
「いつまでこんなことを続けるつもりだ？」
Itsu made konna koto o tsudzukeru tsumori da?
For how long do you even plan to keep this up?
「あなたが私たちに頼んだことはすべて、本当は自分で苦労して仕事を得ることができるのに。」
Anata ga watashitachi ni tanonda koto wa subete, hontō wa jibun de kurō shite shigoto o eru koto ga dekiru no ni.
Everything you asked us to do, when you can really just get a job yourselves the hard-earned way.
「家族愛という悲しい言い訳は、私たちを子どもとして無視し、代わりに金銭的な奴隷にするための茶番劇だった。」
Kazoku ai to iu kanashii iiwake wa, watashitachi o kodomo to shite mushi shi, kawari ni kinsenteki na dorei ni suru tame no chaban geki datta.
Your sad excuse of familial love was all a farce to simply disregard us as your children and instead be your monetary slaves.
「 私たちが合法的に働けるかのように見せかけるために、身分証明書を偽造してまで。」
Watashitachi ga gōhōteki ni hatarakeru ka no yō ni misekakeru tame ni, mibun shōmeisho o gizō shite made.
Even going as far as to forge identifications cards to make it seem as though we can legally work.
「 私たち日本人は、本音で嘘をつくことで知られている。20世紀の歴史も、人々が私たちの国をどう思っているかも、私たちのやり方も...何もかもが嘘なのだ。」
Watashitachi nipponjin wa, honne de uso o tsuku koto de shirareteiru. 20 seiki no rekishi mo, hitobito ga watashitachi no kuni o dō omotteiru ka mo, watashitachi no yarikata mo . . . . . . nani mo ka mo ga uso na no da.
Us, as Japanese people, are well-known to lie about what we truly feel. Our history in the 20th century, what people think of our nation, how we do things... everything is a lie.
「 情けない連中だ。あなたたちは、私が行きたかった方法で、私たちの人々の悲痛な心を楽しませる仕事ができると私に信じ込ませた。しかし、あのころの私を、何の役にも立たない歓楽街に送り込み、決してやってはならないことをさせるという厚かましさがあった。」
Nasakenai renchū da. Anatatachi wa, watashi ga ikitakatta hōhō de, watashitachi no hitobito no hitsū na kokoro o tanoshimaseru shigoto ga dekiru to watashi ni shinjikomaseta. Shikashi, ano koro no watashi o, nan no yaku ni mo tatanai kanrakugai ni okurikomi, kesshite yatte wa naranai koto o saseru to iu atsukamashisa ga atta.
You pathetic lot. It hurts me so bad, how much you made me believe I can work in ways I wanted to go in entertaining the saddened hearts of our people. But having the [REDACTED] audacity to send me off to a [REDACTED] load of good for nothing red-light districts to do things I should never be doing back in those days.
「 私の心は傷つき、魂は堕落し、人間への信頼は失われていた。あらゆる面で完璧な娘になるように育てれば、私たちにあんなことをしたことを後悔させてくれると思っていたのに。」
Watashi no kokoro wa kizutsuki, tamashii wa daraku shi, ningen e no shinrai wa ushinawareteita. arayuru men de kanpeki na musume ni naru yō ni sodatereba, watashitachi ni anna koto o shita koto o kōkai sasete kureru to omotteita no ni.
My heart was broken, soul corrupted, faith in humanity gone, and I thought my upbringing to be the perfect daughter in every way possible would make you regret doing all that [REDACTED] to us.
「何年もの間、私はあなたを愛せると思っていた。私たちが快適に暮らせるように、この家族を持てるように努力した。でも決して十分ではなかった。」
Nan nen mo no aida, watashi wa anata o aiseru to omotteita. Watashitachi ga kaiteki ni kuraseru yō ni, kono kazoku o moteru yō ni doryoku shita. De mo kesshite jūbun de wa nakatta.
For so many years, I thought I could love you. I tried to make things comfortable for us, to have this family. But it was never enough.
As she had mentioned, we then saw why Ryūko has been so hungry for validation from others, but now forcing herself to utilize unhealthy methods of maintaining her reputation as the Prinzessin der Babylus, the beautiful embodiment of deadly sin Pride, a leader who protects all, and a victor unstoppable. She even had the nerve to wake up early before the Harvest Festival began to train far more than necessary, noted that she tried to train for longer nights on end. All the while before the real competition, her face still remains stable to hide her hard work and pursuit of all things made to be perfect- those that damage her inside. Not to mention the highlight of Japanese work culture pinning her down in the past to the bone as an child actress, maid café waitress, illustrator of graphic content she was too young to witness, editor, substitute chef and the list goes on and so forth. All of these professions made her develop many senses of livelihood in urban spaces, but the pressure and time constraints put tolls of her health without being able to afford time to rest or consume medication. She grew sick and her mind was full of crass subjects that never left her head in what seemed like an endless cycle to put her insecurities to the test for her whole life if she ever cared. But no, she cared to let her brother live without suffering the damages she fought with all her might whether she was strong or weak.
"Whoopsie. Welp, down they go." Said a strange voice as Naphula grew frightened of going back alone.
That voice and the second silhouette belonged to a trespasser that followed Coco Orobas to use Trauma on the twins, getting them out of the way. This odd fellow named Ocho was praising Coco as if he were head over heels for him. The latter told Ocho that the reactions as the twins fell down were coincidentally something he didn't have in mind.
"Their falls were but a coincidence. Just a result of my spell's ferocity." Said Coco as Acheron's ears perked up to hear his former classmate's voice, "Even if they have survived, it won't matter either way. Ryūko and Iruma will be haunted by their trauma through the festival's end."
Acheron is surprised on why would Coco would do such a thing while Naphula was furious to hear that because they just lost two of their newest friends, attempting to punch Coco, making Ocho wondered who they were. But that didn't last very long as he was disgusted by Naphula's scent.
"I beg you, Master Orobas! Could you get rid of this nasty freak, too?" Asked Ocho.
"No, we're only after the Misfit Class." Replied Coco as she looked over to Acheron's position, also seeing his silhouette, "No one else matters, especially Acheron. Let's just ignore this stinkbug."
With that, they took their leave. But one thing somehow stuck to Coco's mind, Ryūko's response to the illusion.
'Was that the true face of the Prinzessin?' He wondered, 'She sounded very defensive, distressed, if not already anticipating this would be her end. Yet she still manages to do her will to protect Iruma before standing up to the illusion. Could she... the Prinzessin der Babyls... actually be... a child victim of severe circumstances?'
Naphula was still angered by them and took a look down at the ravine below in tears in their attempts to call Ryūko and Iruma out for a living response.
"Isabelle, what should we do now?" Acheron asked. "We need to know if Iruma's okay but we also have to keep an eye on Ryūko."
"Hmm..." Isabelle pondered before she thought of something. "I'll go after Iruma while you go for Ryūko. But right now, she's in such a state that she cannot be bothered right now. You should keep your distance in case she might attack you."
"I'll try to manage. And I hope you find Iruma in time. The Harvest Festival is going to end soon." Acheron replied as the two split to help each of the Suzuki twins.
"Naphula think you can handle staying here by yourself?" Isabelle asked their companion, who nodded, as if to say she can manage for a while.
As the two jumped into the ravine, Acheron shapeshifted into a large bat while Isabelle opened up her wings. The former went after Ryūko while the latter went after Iruma.
Down in the abyss, Iruma was laying on what appeared to be a deflated safety cushion. It must have been to contraption Ryūko secured him with before she pushed him down to save his spirit. He awoke and rose from his shut down. He looked to see where his sister was, but she was nowhere to be seen. While having the need to go and find her, Acheron, Asmodeus, and Clara appeared before him in their uniforms with grim expressions. Iruma tried to reach up to Asmodeus, but his hand was slapped away as it sounded like he found out Iruma was human.
"Stay away from me, human." He scowled, "Your magic and mana are nothing but want-on lies. Just an elaborate deception."
"We used to be friends. And yet you hide this secret from us." Acheron said with a glare.
"You're such a liar. I hate you." Concurred Clara.
Seeing him as a traitor, Acheron, Asmodeus, and Clara turned their backs on the one they thought they could trust. They were out of his reach when attempting to cover his truth. Ameri's voice sounded the walls behind Iruma with the same expression as Asmodeus, Lavande stood at her side, as well.
"To think that you were lying to us this entire time..." Scorned Ameri, "How disappointing."
She ran off as Lavande said her permanent farewell in suit and direction. Kalego also appeared nearby, sarcastically commenting on how would this be expected.
"It's impossible for humans and demons to co-exist." He said, "In my opinion, your housemate should give up on her vision of such and you should have never been allowed in the Netherworld."
When it all seemed to envelop Iruma with absolute abandonment, Isabelle, Sullivan, and Opera came by. However, they did not come to help or comfort him. Rather, Isabelle simply turned her back on him while Sullivan and Opera decided to send him back to Earth.
Remember that Coco said the effects of Trauma were still active, meaning those illusions were not leaving until it's focal point of projection was destroyed. The dark amalgamation returned, much larger than before. Iruma made a run for it to hide behind a stalagmite big enough to not be seen. Iruma knew they were all illusions by his gut feelings, but he was paralyzed by the fear of being left behind for good after all the time he spent in the Netherworld turned his loneliness upside-down. He sobbed as badly as his sister did before being pushed down, not wanting to be all alone again. When all seemed hopeless, it appeared that Bachiko came in to remind him about what she taught him as an archer. When that light of saving grace disappeared, Iruma finally stood up to forge his power as the archer he was trained to be and using the most important basic of all magics: the power of one's imagination to transfigure it as the user commands through their core desires. Concentration skyrockets when in a life or death situation. That lesson that took great patience to pass by a hundred times, was the ultimate key for Iruma to face his fears and follow his heart's desire to protect those precious to him while being able to live in the Netherworld.
It turned out the source of illusion stemmed down from a magical spider. Iruma was relieved to know he was right to assume he was battling an illusion. He picked up his Seed of Beginnings and was ready to prove he can stand shoulder to shoulder with his peers despite being human. Like his ambitious sister, whose blood splitting the line between human and fallen angel, he was going to make sure that he would win this whole festival.
Meanwhile, Isabelle has finally landed at the bottom, retracting her wings as her feet have touched solid ground.
"Iruma? Where are you?" She called out for her human housemate but she couldn't find him. She continued walking until she sees her two parents, wondering why would they even be in the cave unless they found another entrance. She approached them but was met with these words no child would ever want to hear from their parents.
"Sweetie, your mother and I are getting a divorce." Damien suddenly announced.
Isabelle was appalled. Why would her parents suddenly announce their divorce?
"It's not your fault, Isa. It's just that your father has to return to the human world for good." Kattrin added in.
And just like that, Damien and Kattrin turned over and walked way as Isabelle could only watch in horror.
She then hears the voice of Shichiro, Sullivan, Opera, Henri, and Melinda. Isabelle turned to another corner to see him standing there.
"I'm sorry, Isabelle. I failed you. We were unable keep the secret any longer." Shichiro apologized before Isabelle heard the words of her friends, from her classmates to Ameri to Kalego. They were all surrounding her from every opening she could see.
Asmodeus: What a disgusting creature!
Keroli: To think I would be friends with such an abomination.
Lavande: Her demon blood is tainted. She doesn't deserve friends like us.
Ameri: My father regrets getting your parents together.
Kalego: Your kind will never be allowed in the land of the demons.
Clara: You're no demon or human.
Kaminari: You're nothing but a freak. That's what you are.
The rest of her friends: Freak. Freak. Freak. Freak...
"No. No! This can't be real! This isn't real!" Isabelle tried to deny what she just saw as she covered her ears, closed her eyes, and hid behind a big rock as she tried to drown out the words circulating through her head.
'Ever since I started living in Lord Sullivan's mansion and studied in Babylus, I've been trying to put my past behind me. But I still can't shake the prejudice and bigotry that I had experienced ever since I started mingling with my peers. They were always scared of me or mocking me. I never wanted to tell this to the rest of my friends until they are ready to be trusted.'
Isabelle then calmed herself down as she looks over to the illusion. It was now shapeless like the one Iruma faced and was still repeating everything it said, like it was stuck on a loop.
"I need to remember, what was that lesson Captain Gremory taught me and Acheron?" Isabelle asked herself before the answer clicked in her head, "'Never underestimate your opponents or fall blind to their next move hiding under the guise of close defeat.' Rather than waste time on what's in front of me, I should resort to tell myself that they are no longer worth my intelligence. I've been blinded by these hallucinations, but what I should have been doing was focusing on my way out of this vision, all because I've been so distracted."
With that in mind, Isabelle jumped out of her hiding spot to face the illusion head-on. She took out her magic guns and carefully aimed at the illusion from the back, making sure its words will not make her waver. She fired two blasts at it and once they make contact, the illusion disappeared, revealing that the source was a swarm of Netherworld bats that were lurking deep below the cave.
"So it was those bats that controlled the illusion. No matter, I am willing to tell my cambion heritage to everyone if and only if I am ready to. Right now, I still have a festival to win in." Isabelle said as she dusted herself and continue finding Iruma so they can reunite with Acheron, Ryūko, and Naphula and get out of the cave.
During their battles, Acheron still kept on searching for Ryūko's whereabouts. Upon shifting back to his demon form, he heard cackles a short distance away. Traversing, he could tell that the cackles were wild, unrestrained, and malicious. Upon reaching a clearing, he observes Ryūko's corrupted spirit fueled by sin once again, confirming that such laughter is coming for her.
"Ryūko..." Acheron breathed in with awe and fear.
Ryūko was face-to-face against a demon who was her lover, whose voice was obviously distorted.
"I still remember you admitted to be half-human, but you're pretty damn stupid to have fallen for me, Ryūko." Jeered the illusion.
'Human...?' Acheron gasped in his thoughts.
Ryūko only smirked before laughs of arrogance were heard.
"Oh, but you think this part of the illusion would affect me, darling?" She devilishly questioned, "Sure, my voice broke as I saw my first reminiscence from up there, but that doesn't mean I get the same effect from down here because your voice is in a huge mess."
She was on a rampage against whatever she was targeting, only revenge in her eyes was left. The cambion could tell the difference between her real partner and the projection in front of her. Her red eye stinged for a moment before she dodged a hit from the illusion-turned-entity.
Her enemy's voice replications of her undesired future did not seem to impact any thoughts. Rather it was what made her the absolute embodiment of pride and the cause of her unhinged lust for perfection, that both made heavy damages to her soul. Ryūko only had her katana out for the action, she dodged every attack without striking back just yet. With her heterochromatic eyes narrowed, there was no holding back for this girl. Her wrist blades charged again its soulless body, but they phased through the strange visible form. She then understood that the source of her illusion was not as big as initially thought, still looked out of control. She fought the entity with all of her might, but every hit made it feel as though she was fighting a spirit than a real monster. But never had Ryūko once thought it through because her rage now has made her drive into insanity.
"Is this really your ace in the hole, Orobas?" She questioned before another laugh, "If I knew this would be up, I would've liked the idea of cutting your legs off!"
'So she figured it out it was Orobas' doing, too.' Acheron deduced in his thoughts.
Uncontrollably, Ryūko's Shadow Quartz was doing things she never thought would be possible for her extent of utility by creating shards that shatter upon formation or behavior similar to Ophiocordyceps unilateralis in much quicker infections.
This surprising turn of the tables was quite the extremely dangerous spectacle. The illusion of other factors not related to her human life were completely ineffective in inspiring fear in Ryūko, implying how her source of problems always was the experiences she had to face with great force to protect her brother. She completely shut off her sense of reason after hitting her chest with her dagger's pommel, yet this wasn't her evil cycle at all. Was she using this to take out all of her hidden frustrations from the pressures of being the Prinzessin der Babyls? More than that, frankly. The cambion was attempting to unleash the wrath of the demon in her blood by letting down her cold elegance that everyone admires in order to feel how those returning to origin lose their sense of reason and go insane. But her fight against the mob of traumatizing voices could not come to any end. Ryūko was simply making blows without seeing her enemy's weak point.
"Why?! Why?! Why?!" She hissed, "Why won't you die?! See yourself gone because it takes more than my wrath to be stepped on by the inevitable defeat!"
She cursed under her breath several times in evading attacks. There wasn't an ounce of fear nor stability in her still narrow eyes, but her loss of control was perhaps the most dangerous of her we have ever seen. But when it all seemed to have no end, a voice spoke up.
"Mein Fräulein! Content your senses!" Shouted Reficul. He was loud enough to reach his master's ears in spite of her near endless revenge spree. His call snapped her out of the trance, but Ryūko felt her right eye in pain after they hid behind a stalagmite. Ryūko felt undeniably odd, yet her mana was not fully drained.
"Are you alright, Mein Fräulein?" Asked Reficul, "Such a sight you had when blinded by vengeance. Even I have never witnessed such catastrophic ways of combat without controlling oneself."
"I have no idea what occurs to my crimson eye, but I'm physically fine." Replied Ryūko, "That really was just me needing to take out all of my frustrations, worry not."
"You still have some mana left." Noted Reficul, "Perhaps you may use it for that Shadow Quartz Breathing you have developed?"
Like Iruma, Breath Style Magic requires heavy concentration and a person's desire in order to work effectively. In this case, however, the forms of said magic may be better used in more specific combat scenarios, at least per knowledge passed down to her by Sir Sombre. Finally gaining on all of her senses, Ryūko sheathed her daggers and places her hands on her Diabolin Blade. Facing the enemy head on, she took a deep breath in to bring out the rest of her true power.
"Shadow Quartz Breathing: Third Form - Кровотечение Вечного Гнева [RU - Eternal Wrath's Bleeding (Krovotecheniye Vechnogo Gneva)]" Cried Ryūko out in the sensations of a warzone. Her blade unleashed as she rans with all her might to deal a blow on her target. The katana had a substance that looked akin to blood on its edge, upon contact with the opponent swarms of dark crystals began to form on the open wound. She repeated this several more times until the target was frozen in place due to immense crystallization. Nothing could stop the infectious stone from moving to the insides of her amalgamation as grew numb to even hear those voices. Her quartz was a parasite in this Breathing Form, consuming every last part of the frozen enemy before she hits it with her katana, shattering it to smithereens.
"She did it. She broke the illusion." Acheron whispered in pride and awe.
Satisfied with her own performance, Ryūko smirked lightly as she cleans her sword with her wrist guards in single sweeps.
"Marvelously done, Mein Fraäulein!" Praised Reficul, "Truly remarkable is your magic!" Just as he said that, Ryūko felt yet another sharp ache in her ruby eye.
Reficul grew more concerned of this, but Ryūko reassured her companion she was alright. It was then they took a look back at the object of her illusion. The crystalized contents had them decipher it was a rabid fox, even though it was all shattered after Ryūko's magic.
"I wonder if demonic rabies turns victims into zombies..." Joked Ryūko, "In any case, we better find Iruma and Alikred. We're not going to lose this festival. Not at all!"
And so, Ryūko recollected her stability after a long night of going all out against her core issues of heart and manages to reunite with Iruma and the rest as she had promised. But would they be able to get out of the dark ravine in time for the Harvest Festival's end? That will be unveiled in the next chapter! Stay tuned!
~Interval~
Right around the time Isabelle, Ryūko, Iruma, and Acheron got used to Naphula's smell, they got through a steep obstacle to have their backs on the walls to go elsewhere because Naphula warned them about it. The quartet finally somewhat understand what Naphula was saying. Well, saves them the trouble from getting a translator.