Moon Cell Irregular
By psychored1911
Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/EXTRA and Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei
Chapter 7
[DELETION_IN_PROGRESS]
[0.00%_COMPLETE]
Ruler wordlessly released her Master from within the Sovereign's Regalia as a prism of crimson code entombed the fallen Caster-class Servant. She had no need to fear for her Master's safety any longer. After all, there was nothing their adversary could do now to harm him in his sorry state.
Hakuno's eyes wandered towards Caster's corroding body, kneeling in close to get a better look. While he did that, Ruler approached some of the unconscious students sprawled beneath their feet, "How are your classmates? I didn't hurt them too badly, did I?"
Hakuno awkwardly shook his head and quickly assessed the visibly injured student by his left, using his phone's flashlight to illuminate the place. It seems like they were in the campus' basement, "Well, I doubt you caused anything fatal, but they definitely need medical attention, and I don't think we should move them ourselves, lest we break them even further."
Ruler's heart dropped as her eyes wandered towards the badly beaten students below their feet, "Perhaps I didn't hold back as much as I should've."
"Don't blame yourself. Getting the tar beaten out of them is better than keeping them under Caster's control. You did what you had to." Hakuno said reassuringly as his eyes wandered towards the tome Caster dropped during Ruler's beatdown. "Hey wait a second, isn't that Caster's Noble Phantasm? Why isn't it getting deleted along with him?"
Ruler shrugged as she picked it up, looking at its cover with disgust. "Perhaps it's not his Noble Phantasm at all, but merely a Mystic Code he's been using to amplify his magecraft. Hopefully, it can give us some insight into his whereabouts, and maybe the fate of his previous-"
"Get... *gasp* your fucking… *gasp* hands… *gasp* off… *gasp* my stuff… *gasp* you… *gasp* bitch…"
Just as she was about to open the tome, Caster suddenly sat up and put what little remained of his corroding torso against the firewall, gasping for breath as he spat futile curses at the Master and Servant duo. Clearly, this guy was determined to be a douchebag till the very end.
Handing her Master the tome, Ruler approached the dying Servant and crouched down, her steely, amethyst eyes meeting with his hateful, pitch-black orbs. "Oh, you're still holding yourself together. Would you like to confess thine sins before you face obliteration? As a Saint, I am more than capable of performing the Sacrament of Reconciliation."
The malicious magus tried to spit at her, only to hit the firewall instead, "Go… to Hell…" he snarled, "I promise you… you might've struck me down… but more will… still die… and it will be… all… your… fault…"
Contrary to his expectations, Ruler didn't get even remotely upset with Caster. Instead, she simply raised a brow in disappointment. "Is that so? So you're admitting you had accomplices. That complicates things. No matter. My Master and I will see to it that your legacy upon this world shall eventually be all for naught. Goodbye, Francois Prelati. May the Lord have mercy on thy soul."
Ruler stood up and walked back to her Master with a smile on her face, conveniently ignoring Caster's look of disbelief.
"Are- ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Caster screamed, his weakness and corrosion forgotten as he slammed what remained of his body against the firewall, only exacerbating the deletion process even further. "I KILLED SCORES OF PEOPLE FOR THE SAKE OF MAKING THEM SUFFER! I TURNED OUR FRIEND INTO A MONSTER! HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BREAK DOWN INTO A SNIVELING WRECK AFTER ALL I'VE DONE! YOU BITCH! YOU FUCKING BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU AND ALL-"
He didn't even get the chance to finish his futile threat.
With his pride in tatters and his goals crumbling at the seams, Caster's deletion was finished, erasing every trace of him from the face of the Earth.
[DELETION_PROCESS_COMPLETED]
[100.00%_COMPLETE]
[MASTER_{Atrum_Gallliasta}_AND_SERVANT_{Caster}_HAVE_BEEN_DELETED]
[_]
[USED_COMMAND_SPELLS_DETECTED]
[REFRESHING_SOVEREIGN'S_COMMAND_SPELLS]
[_]
[COMMAND_SPELL(S)_RESTORED]
[COMMAND_SPELLS_REMAINING:_3]
"..."
Hakuno stared at his Servant in stunned silence as she took the tome back from him without ever looking back.
Ruler raised a brow, shrugging as she skimmed the tome, flipping through the pages without a hint of anger in her soul. "What? People like him revel in getting a rise out of others. Had I shown any sign of weakness, I would've given him exactly what he wanted. But I don't owe that monster any form of kindness, now do I?"
...Wow… "...You scare me sometimes, you know that?"
Ruler snorted at the remark before returning her attention to the tome. "You should more be afraid of his other Noble Phantasm. We were fortunate his Master's incompetence disabled it, otherwise, things could have taken a turn for the worse."
Hakuno shuddered. "Should I even ask after all I've seen?"
"I would rather you help me find these accomplices of his, since this worthless waste of paper isn't going to be of any help." Ruler said, slamming the tome shut in frustration, "This thing's little more than a Mystic Code made to amplify his magecraft. There are diagrams for torture and other cruel tricks, but there's nothing here that will tell us what he's been doing or who he's been working with."
Hakuno was inclined to agree, but a quick glance at the other students readdressed his priorities. "Finding the people Caster was working with is definitely our main concern, but we should also focus on getting these guys out of here." He borrowed a phone from one of the students and dialed emergency services, making sure to leave the call anonymous "Be ready to get us out once I'm done; we shouldn't linger here any longer than we have to."
They left in a hurry, making sure they were not caught by any security cameras or any security measures (not that they could've stopped a Servant, but still). Shortly after they left, Ruler said she wished to head back to the church before they went home. She had two reasons for doing so: one, she wanted to establish an alibi, just in case his parents and the police suspected anything of his 'absence' from the school; two, she claimed she wanted the Sacrament of Reconciliation before they returned. She must've been more bothered by harming everyone there than she let on. Hakuno had no reason to deny her, so he obliged, using the time in the venerated halls as a momentary reprieve before they clean up whatever fuckup of a mess Caster must've made.
Fun fact: he didn't notice it the first time he was here, but it turns out the church was connected to Laeticia's high school, The Academy of St. Francis Xavier. Must be one of the reasons she chose this school in the first place.
Hakuno sat at the back row, away from any prying eyes, not that there were many to begin with; the only priest he saw was the one who saw Laeticia into the confessional. There, he began to examine his left hand, which bore the Sovereign's Regalia and his three Command Spells. He had no idea why he had all three of them, considering the fact he used one only minutes after meeting Caster. He could only guess that the Sovereign's Regalia had something to do with it. Whatever the case, it'll certainly come in handy later on.
A few minutes passed, and eventually, Laeticia and the priest emerged from the confessional, where the two bowed respectfully to each other once more before going their separate ways. Laeticia, no- Ruler, took a seat next to him and gave him a comforting smile. The fire in her amethyst eyes was still there, but the guilt and unease building up within her had all but vanished. "I suppose you have more questions for me, Master. Where would you like to begin?"
"We can start with this." Hakuno showed her the lunar ring, the crownlike ring that seemed to be comprised of three rings merged into one, on his ring finger. "You clearly knew what it is and how it works, didn't you?"
Ruler nodded gravely, "The Sovereign's Regalia. As I've said before, it's a special Mystic Code only given to the Champion of the Holy Grail War. Whoever owns it has complete authority over the entire Moon Cell Automaton."
Hakuno doubted that the Moon Cell would simply forfeit its power to him just like that, but kept it to himself. Instead, he remembered the Code Casts Ruler taught him. "This thing also allowed me to Code Cast on the physical plane, didn't it?"
Ruler gave him a puzzled look. "What are you talking about? While you didn't have any Mystic Codes to facilitate your Code Casts, you still should have retained your ability to do so."
"...What?" Hakuno stared at her in disbelief.
"Perhaps I wasn't too clear with my initial explanation," Ruler mused, crossing her legs, "The last time we talked about this, I only defined what Magic Circuits were and the role they played in both traditional Magecraft and Spiritron Hacking. Whilst traditional Magecraft requires prana, Spiritron Hacking requires spiritrons to function, which naturally occur either in the physical world or in SERAPH as pseudo-spiritrons. I have sensed spiritrons in the environment, so Codecasting is possible, but since you hadn't asked about it, I did not bring it up. I'm sorry for not clarifying it sooner."
"Don't worry about it. At least I won't be a deer in the headlights next time we see encounter another Servant." Hakuno told her reassuringly. "Though, something tells me that extella() isn't the only Code Cast available on this thing."
"The Regalia is still an extension of the Moon Cell, so of course it will have more than a simple Anti-Army Code Cast in its arsenal." Ruler said, folding her arms. "There are four Code Casts integrated directly into the Regalia that is unique to it alone: {extella()}, {moon_crux()}, {my_room()}, and {record_data()}. I already told you what {extella()} is, and {my_room()} would just send us into the eponymous Reality Marble, so let's talk about the other two. {record_data()} is a passive Code Cast that's being used now as we speak. It allows you to record any data you observe to be used at your own discretion. Whatever you observe, even in passing, can be recalled at an instant if need be. That includes any spells you've seen: psionic, spiritronic, or pranic in nature…" her voice trailed off, "...Including the magecrafts used by Caster…"
Hmm… a Code Cast like that is definitely fitting for the Moon Cell. Still, it sounds a bit too good to be true. "I'm sensing a 'but' coming."
"But, having that information doesn't mean you will automatically understand how to use it." Ruler gave him an annoyed look for the comment before continuing. "Think of it like a search engine into everything you've ever seen: all the information is there for you to use, but to understand, to learn, you will still need to search for it, and then train yourself how to use it. The same goes for any magecraft or other abilities you may record: it's there for your use, but unless you learn how to use it, odds are you will only end up hurting yourself or worse."
Ah, that figures... "Noted. What about {moon_crux()}?"
"{moon_crux()} is a powerful Code Cast to be used during combat, but it's one of those 'Show, don't tell' kinds of Code Casts. Unfortunately, I wouldn't advise using it unless we were actually fighting another Servant." Ruler explained.
"Why not?"
"Collateral damage. Lots of collateral damage."
Hakuno then pictured the church they were in as a gigantic pile of rubble and broken glass. Yeesh, not a pretty thought at all. "...Yeah, I can see why that could be a problem. Let's hold back on that one for now. What else can this thing do?"
"The Regalia grants you power over the Moon Cell, remember?" Ruler reminded him. "If you so wanted to, you could receive all the answers you could possibly want. However, the same rules for {record_data()} still apply: the data's all there, but you still need to put in the effort to understand it. Why don't you give it a try; we could certainly use a lead towards Caster's plans. Just close your eyes, and will the Moon Cell to your whims, and it will do the rest."
Hakuno closed his eyes and focused, allowing the connection between him and the Moon Cell to overtake his senses.
[LUNAR_SOVEREIGN_IS_NOW_CONNECTING_TO_THE_CORE]
The next thing Hakuno realized, he found himself face-to-face with the Moon Cell's Main Core, the Angelica Cage. The spiritronic sea that housed the Angelica Cage hadn't changed at all since he last saw it: the knee-high 'water', the stone columns that surrounded it, the monument of crumbling pillars, not a single thing had changed. Still, the foreboding air he felt when he confronted Twice and Saver was all but gone; he almost felt welcome in its presence. Perhaps this thing did accept him as its Champion. Whatever the case, countless holographic screens surrounded him, all of them blank and translucent. The Moon Cell was ready to answer to its Sovereign.
And who was he to keep this machine waiting?
"Alright Moon Cell, tell me what I want to know." Hakuno declared. "Show me what Caster had planned at my campus."
The Moon Cell did not give him a verbal response. Instead, the holographic screens came to life, with countless brief scenes and walls of text flashing before his eyes, orbiting around his body as more and more information began to flow from the screens. This wasn't gonna work. Time to focus.
"All right, show me the school right now." He ordered.
One hologram stopped before his eyes and expanded:
First High was a mess. There was an entire fleet of ambulances surrounding the campus, with paramedics hauling injured students out of there as quickly as they could while police officers and reporters were trying to get a statement from the few uninjured students and staff they could find. Hard to believe only around twenty minutes or so had passed since he called it in.
Hakuno wearily shook his head, "If they only knew what happened…" As much as he wanted to empathize with them, he could let the professionals handle the injured. He needed to figure out what Caster was doing. "Alright, mark a timestamp on everything I observed during the Prelati incident."
::05:32 PM (LIVE): First responders and emergency services are securing First High School. Injured students are being evacuated.
::5:19 PM: First responders arrive, and investigate the anonymous tip.
::5:04 PM: Anonymous tip called in. Ruler and Lunar Sovereign leave First High School.
::4:57 PM: Caster defeated by Ruler.
::4:36 PM: Caster reengages Ruler.
::3:09 PM: Ruler summoned by Command Spell. Caster retreats.
::3:08 PM: Conflict initiated. Caster attacks Lunar Sovereign.
::3:05 PM: Hostile Caster appears before Lunar Sovereign.
There was a window of roughly one hour and thirty minutes between Caster escaping and Ruler catching up with him. Weird, it felt much longer for some reason. Perhaps those illusions of his screwed with their perception of time? It didn't matter, there was a big enough window for Prelati to do something while they were preoccupied, even if he was multitasking via screwing with Jeanne's head. Best time to check if any.
Starting at 4:36 PM, Hakuno slowly rewound the feed, looking for anything of note in or out of the campus for anything Caster might have done. The first (last?) thirty minutes were of Caster using that group of entranced students for that creepy cult-like sermon he was doing when he and Ruler walked in. It's disturbing as hell, but at best he was using them to humor himself with his human shields. The next (previous?) twenty minutes were just him corralling the entranced students into the basement in the first place. The last (first?) forty minutes, however...
One by one, a small group of vacant-eyed students, all Course One regardless of year, marched sluggishly through the courtyard into the back of a semi-truck, with Caster mockingly acting as a drum major of a marching band. There, some shady-looking man bound the helpless students to the container walls by their wrists and ankles, making sure they were nice and tight.
::Person of Interest Identified.
::Hayato Shishio.
::Age 47, Male.
::Occupation: JSDF Sgt Major (deserted).
::Wanted for desertion and grand theft of military resources. Prime suspect in 6 arsons and the murder of 29 individuals, including military and Magic Association personnel.
A holographic profile appeared next to the scruffy-looking man, complete with a name and brief description of him. It was clear that he was working with Caster, but was it through Caster's magecraft, or was it genuine cooperation? ...No, that look in his eyes… crazed, enraged, but clearly in control, just like Gilles'… he was working with him out of his own free will.
"Is this all of them, Mr. Galliasta?" the man asked once he secured the last student inside.
Caster, or rather 'Mr. Galliasta' (was that the name of his Master? Probably should check into him later), just grinned giddily. "Why yes they are, Hayato! You know what to do with them!"
The scruffy-looking man seemed perturbed by 'Mr. Galliasta's' giddiness. "Mr. Galliasta, is something the matter?"
'Mr. Galliasta' just grinned back, clearly happy at something unknown to his accomplice before hopping out the back. "Tell Sayaka and Kamono not to wait up for me! The greatest of opportunities has just dropped into my lap! And who am I to pass on such an amazing chance to break one of the purest souls in existence~!"
Hakuno paused the feed, balling his fists in anger. That bastard really thought he could break Jeanne. He wanted to punch that smug face of his in, but he reined it in. He's gone now, but his legacy is still out there, and a whole lot of people are still in harm's way. Still… there was a lot of work to be done. First, he needed to find out who Sayaka and Kamono were. They may be the lynchpin to this whole thing, since conspiring with a deserter to kidnap students in a truck while leaving everyone else none the wiser was horrifying, but otherwise confusing and made little sense for a motive.
"Who are Sayaka and Kamono?"
::Person of Interest Identified.
::Sayaka Mibu.
::Age 16, Female.
::Occupation: student at First High School, vice captain of the kendo club.
::Founding member of the First High volunteer alliance.
::Absent from class today.
::Person of Interest Identified.
::Kinoe Kamono.
::Age 17, Male.
::Occupation: student at First High School, captain of the kendo club.
::Founding member of the First High volunteer alliance.
::Absent from class today.
"Sayaka Mibu?"
Hakuno was taken aback. He didn't recognize the second individual at all (his last name was ringing a bell, but he was currently drawing a blank), but the first one rang countless alarm bells in his head. Playing on a hunch, he took a moment to check on the students that Caster kidnapped. Sure enough, an entranced Kirihara was among them, alongside… Mitsui and Morisaki? What did they do to warrant their wrath? Unless…
"How many of these students received disciplinary action for harassing Course Two students?"
Again, no verbal answer from the Moon Cell, not even a simple yes or no. Instead, it showed a profile for every single last student in the container, each of them listing at least one infraction against a Course Two student in some form or another. The only student among them who didn't seem to have any record was… Mari Watanabe, the head of the Public Morals Committee? Now he was confused. She seemed like a paragon compared to the rest of these students. Why was she lumped in with the rest of these guys?
While Mari's presence among these delinquents confounded him, the rest of the pieces began to fall into place. Sayaka and Kamono are part of the 'Volunteer Alliance', so they would have one hell of a beef with any Blooms, regardless of who they are. Prelati preyed upon them just as he did with Gilles, pushing them to the edge and adding fuel to their fiery rage. This plan of his was the final step: Caster was going to kidnap these students and bring them to Sayaka and Mibu, using Shishio (more than likely an accomplice for an earlier crime) as his personal delivery boy. After that, it would be like pigs to the slaughter…
Hakuno shook his head, his face stern and his soul resolute. It will not come to that. Not if he had anything to say about it. For a moment, Hakuno thought of simply sending the police an anonymous tip and ending it there, but decided against it. Caster was a psychopath, but he was a careful psychopath. Had the latter not gone off track and tried to attack him for shits and giggles, he probably could've gotten away with it and nobody would've been none the wiser. Odds are, they would see the police a mile away and flee before they even get close. And even then, what was he gonna put in the anonymous tip? That a pyromaniac deserter and a pair of vindictive students are working with a serial killer from the 15th century to slaughter a bunch of delinquents? That would never hold up in court. If he was gonna do something, he had to do it himself. And while he was here, he might as well use the Moon Cell to his advantage.
"Where are they right now?"
::Yokohama Shipyard, Truck License S2U-T2M, Container #E101-212
Hakuno sat down and let all the data download into his mind, closing his eyes rather than taking the blackout head-on. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed an item folder directly to his left. The Moon Cell was giving him something? What could it be? He reached out to it, and the item folder dissolved into ones and zeroes before getting absorbed into the Regalia.
[CODE_CAST_{thesis_of_the_still_heart()}_RECORDED]
::{thesis_of_the_still_heart()}
::Medical Code Cast developed by Dr. Kiara Sessyoin, M.D.
::Accesses target's secret garden, normally hidden deep within the inner part of one's soul, then exposes the impurities hidden by the secret garden in order to cleanse them.
Another pop-up materialized before his eyes, describing the Code Cast that was absorbed into the Regalia.
"{thesis_of_the_still_heart()}..." Hakuno read aloud before glancing at the Angelica Cage. "Now why would you give me this?"
Once again, no verbal response from the Moon Cell. Still, it's unlike the Moon Cell to do anything without a purpose, so it probably sees something that he doesn't. Or maybe it wanted him to use it on Caster's accomplices. Whatever its intentions, Hakuno knew he needed a plan, however brief it may be. He couldn't afford to waste any time, but neither could he afford to make any mistakes.
[LUNAR_SOVEREIGN_IS_NOW_DISCONNECTING_FROM_THE_CORE]
Hakuno left the core shortly afterwards, finding himself resting on Ruler's lap the moment he came to.
"Welcome back, Master." Ruler smiled "How was it? Did you find what you were looking for?"
Hakuno sat up, resisting the urge to return to her soft, soft lap pillow in order to face her eye to eye "Erm, sort of. Come on, let's go. I'll fill you in on the way over."
[PRIMARY_OBJECTIVE:_RESCUE_KIDNAPPED_STUDENTS]
[SECONDARY_OBJECTIVE:_CAPTURE,_ELIMINATE,_OR_INCAPACITATE_HOSTILE_ACCOMPLICES]
[_]
[WARNING]
[CONFLICT_IMMINENT]
[ESTIMATED_TIMESPAN:_WITHIN_TWENTY_MINUTES]
It started raining.
Countless drops of water began pouring over their heads as the skies began to darken. The sounds of crashing waves and the faint smell of sea salt permeated the air, with countless shipping containers as far as the eye can see. The shipyard was a maze; with minimal security (No CCTV and an apathetic skeleton crew) and rows and rows of identical containers, it would take a ship manifest, a map, and an experienced employee to get started
Good thing the Moon Cell makes for a good GPS.
With a good couple of minutes of running, they found the semi tucked away in a little, innocuous corner.
"...P-Please… you don't have to do-" A female voice (Mari?) desperately pleaded.
"BITCH, SHUT THE FUCK UP!" A second female (Mibu?) angrily roared.
*SMACK!*
"How dare you try to claim the moral ground after everything you did!" Mibu(?) spat venomously.
"...B-But… I didn't do anything…" Mari(?) claimed between sobs.
"Exactly." Mibu(?) snarled, the resentment and rage dripping through her words. "You. Did. Nothing. You had every chance in the world to stop them, but you. Did. Nothing. Well guess what, Bitch? Once we make your fellow Blooms suffer the same pain they gave us, we'll gladly do the same to you."
"...No… stop… stop, don't hurt t-"
*SHTLINK*
"GYAAAAAAAH!"
[CONFLICT_INITIATED]
[HOSTILE_COMBATANTS_REMAINING:_3]
Of course, the barely audible conversation that came from the semi's direction was more than enough to confirm it as their target.
Outside the semi was the deserter, Shishio, pacing back and forth, enjoying an e-cig with a victorious smirk as his fellow accomplices tortured their victims with relentless abandon. From the looks of it, he was to keep watch while Mibu and Kinoe had their 'fun', and then to get rid of the evidence once they were finished.
Clever. Good thing they never factored in a Servant and Master hunting them down.
Hakuno and Ruler, now soaked from the sudden downpour, surreptitiously ducked behind a nearby container, their approach masked by the repetitious rhythm of raindrops.
Shishio glanced at his phone, twirling the e-cig in his left hand before muttering something imperceptible to their ears.
Ruler simply shook her head, leaning her back against the container with a disdained look on her face. "You know, as much as I want to see Prelati's accomplices brought to justice, I'm not exactly fond of the means the Moon Cell has suggested."
Hakuno frowned as he crouched down and peeked at Shishio, who stopped smoking in order to check his phone. "What choice do we have?" The Moon Cell's predictions made it very clear that prematurely involving the police would end with the accomplices in the wind and everyone in the truck dead. Granted, the alternative method the Moon Cell provided to him essentially involved delving into their soul and rewriting it, but it was the best plan within their given timeframe.
In other words, fuck it: save lives first, deal with the ethical implications (and any other consequences) later.
Once he was sure Shishio was distracted, Hakuno activated the power of the Regalia and unleashed the Code Cast within.
[CASTING_{thesis_of_the_still_heart()}]
[LUNAR_SOVEREIGN_IS_NOW_ENTERING_SOUL_OF_(Hayato_Shishio)]
[_]
[SECRET_GARDEN_(Military_Experiment)_EXTRACTED]
[PUNISHMENT_INITIATED]
[CLEANSING_IMPURITIES]
[_]
[IMPURITIES_CLEANSED]
[HOSTILE_COMBATANT_PACIFIED]
[HOSTILE_COMBATANTS_REMAINING:_2]
[LUNAR_SOVEREIGN_IS_NOW_EXITING_TARGET'S_SOUL]
Shishio dropped to his knees, clutching his head in horror as countless emotions he thought were abandoned suddenly reappeared and bombarded him all at once.
As for Hakuno, he fell on his butt, overcome with exhaustion. He couldn't have been 'gone' for more than a minute, but it felt like he was lurking within Shishio's soul for hours, cleansing the impurities within. He saw some really fucked up memories in there. Jesus, this guy went through hell. Not that it excuses his actions, but still.
Ruler immediately yanked Hakuno out of Shishio's line of sight before he could be spotted, pulling him against the container and checking up on him, "Master, are you alright?"
Hakuno gave himself a brief slap to the face, psyching himself up physically and mentally. "I'll live. Nothing years of therapy and a good night's rest won't fix." he quipped half-jokingly, catching his breath before quickly peeking at Shishio, who began sobbing on his knees while dialing someone (possibly the police) on his phone.
*SLAM!*
"What the hell are you doing?!"
The container door swung wide open, and out came Mibu and Kinoe, both of them wearing blood-drench aprons and holding large kitchen knives in their hands. Everything about them, from their posture to the wrathful look in their eyes, reflected nothing more than fiery hatred, ignited by their past, exacerbated by Prelati, and more than ready to burn down out of control.
Mibu swatted the phone out of Shishio's hands and raised her knife above her head in an icepick grip, only for Shishio to roll out of the way, drawing his CAD and pointing it at the two, frantically alternating his aim between the two whenever one of them so much as inched closer to in.
"Divide and conquer. One of the oldest strategies known to man." Ruler mused. "Which one will you target next?"
Hakuno's tired eyes wandered towards Kinoe, who was not-so-subtly reaching for something, most likely his own CAD, tucked behind his pants. "Guess he's up first." Hakuno said, aiming the Sovereign's Regalia at the bespectacled boy before letting the Code Cast do its magic.
[CASTING_{thesis_of_the_still_heart()}]
[LUNAR_SOVEREIGN_IS_NOW_ENTERING_SOUL_OF_(Kamono_Kinoe)]
[_]
[SECRET_GARDEN_(Brother's_Betrayal)_EXTRACTED]
[PUNISHMENT_INITIATED]
[CLEANSING_IMPURITIES]
[_]
[IMPURITIES_CLEANSED]
[HOSTILE_COMBATANT_PACIFIED]
[HOSTILE_COMBATANTS_REMAINING:_1]
[LUNAR_SOVEREIGN_IS_NOW_EXITING_TARGET'S_SOUL]
Hakuno fell back again, sliding down the back of the container, feeling even more tired than before. Sweet, merciful Buddha that worked with Twice out of essentially pity did that Code Cast take a lot out of him.
"Master," Ruler said worriedly, crouching down so her amethyst eyes were level with his. "If you can't handle it, you can let me handle the last one."
Hakuno wearily shook his head as he peeked past the container, finding Mibu getting cornered by Shishio and a newly-turned Kinoe. "No, you've done a lot already. I got this…" He channeled the spiritrons within his magic circuits through the Sovereign's Regalia one more time before aiming it at the deranged Mibu.
It was time to end this once and for all.
[CASTING_{thesis_of_the_still_heart()}]
[LUNAR_SOVEREIGN_IS_NOW_ENTERING_SOUL_OF_(Sayaka_Mibu)]
No two souls are alike. It would be foolish to assume otherwise. Each soul is unique, and their soul room (As Hakuno put it) reflected their souls perfectly. In Mibu's case, her soul resembled a war-torn dojo. The once sleek, wooden floor was ruined, marred by holes, loose splinters, and rubber scuff marks. The walls, once decorated with awards and other sorts of kendo equipment, were now damaged, with the white paint peeling off and the furnishings scattered haphazardly to the wayside.
The only thing that seemed untouched amidst all the destruction was a sole kendo trophy standing at the center of the room, dated back to 2093. However, despite its spotless appearance, one could almost sense the taint that emanated from it. This was undoubtedly the Secret Garden that warped Mibu's soul.
Naturally, Hakuno picked it up, the Secret Garden dissolving into ashes before getting absorbed into the Sovereign's Regalia.
[SECRET_GARDEN_(Blooming_Hatred)_EXTRACTED]
Just as the Secret Garden dissolved, an effigy of Mibu appeared before him, brandishing a kitchen knife and garbed in a bloody apron. The same thing happened with Kinoe and Shishio; their soul is trying to remove the foreign body (him) by any means necessary, apparently by using a projection of itself to combat him. Not that it ever worked, since they were more-or-less docile until he pressed the right buttons. When they weren't, well, that's another story.
However, from his previous observations, this self-defense mechanism of sorts is another reflection of the soul, just like the dojo hall around them. Only, unlike the room, the effigy only reveals itself when the soul is laid bare, its corruptions exposed, and thus more malleable to change.
Making it a perfect indicator of what needs to be done.
"So, why did you do it?" Hakuno asked, pacing around the Mibu effigy inquisitively.
The Mibu effigy scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? I hate the Blooms. They weren't going to change their ways, so I had to take matters into my own hands."
"You couldn't wait until justice ran its course?"
'Mibu' snorted. "Justice? The Blooms won't get justice! Those monsters can get away with whatever they want, all because they're stronger than Weeds like me! The school even encourages this! When was the last time you heard anyone from the Public Morals Committee taking the side of us Weeds?"
"A couple of weeks ago, when Tatsuya protected you from Kirihara and the rest of the kenjutsu club." Hakuno answered bluntly.
'Mibu' twitched in irritation. "Don't you dare talk about those two bastards! That son of a bitch Kirihara tried to kill me! He should rot in Hell for all I care!"
"And Tatsuya?"
In contrast to her earlier outburst, 'Mibu' seemed more… disappointed at Tatsuya's mention. "I thought Tatsuya of all people would understand the plight of us Weeds, that he would understand our goals, but even he was complicit with all this injustice! He didn't care about me- I mean, us, at all! He only cared about appeasing those Blooms with their hands on his leash, including that fucking sister of his!"
"So you're saying he should care more for you than he should his sister?" Hakuno argued, folding his arms.
"Tch, I knew you wouldn't understand either." 'Mibu' grimaced, turning away from him.
"Then make me understand." Hakuno countered opening his arms up wide/ "Tell me everything you have to say. Come on. This is what you really wanted, isn't it? For someone to hear you out?"
'Mibu' paused, clearly taken aback by Hakuno's statement.
"Start from the beginning, then." Hakuno pressed onwards "How about from before you enrolled in First High School."
For a while, there was only silence, with 'Mibu' refusing to meet his gaze. Then…
"...In middle school, I was the national kendo champion. I won every tournament, and broke every record. However, besides my club activities, I moonlighted as a protector of the weak, sanctioned by my school's Public Morals Committee, and I hunted down any bullies I came across. That was the responsibility of the strong: to protect the weak, isn't it…" she chuckled darkly before continuing. "But when I moved onto First High, everything changed. The Blooms, they relished in their superiority, and made sure we Weeds knew it. Bullying was rampant, the Weeds were being treated unfairly whether I was there or not! I tried to stop it, but…" she trembled vigorously, her anger overtaking her. "The Public Morals Committee, they stonewalled me and my friends at every turn! They claim that they're preserving public order, but they really did nothing to solve the problem. Especially that bitch Mari!"
Hakuno could feel the hatred dripping through 'Mibu's' mouth at the mention of that name.
"She kept claiming that she was on our side, that she wanted to end the divide between the Blooms and the Weeds, but I know she didn't care about us when our back was turned! I saw her covering for her friends that one time, the way they chatted with each other made me sick to my stomach! The bitch didn't even deserve her position as vice-captain back then, let alone join the Public Morals Committee! Everyone knew she only got where she was because she was Captain Chiba's fucktoy!"
These were some very alarming accusations, and definitely something Hakuno would look into after this was over. But for now, he just continued. "So, how did it lead to this? How did you get associated with Mr. Galliasta? That is how he introduced himself, wasn't it?"
'Mibu' almost laughed out loud. "Mr. Galliasta, he was the best. I only met him back in February, but everything he said still rang true today…" She almost basked in reminiscence before continuing. "Captain Kinoe introduced him to me that day, and told me Mr. Galliasta managed to help him with his 'brother problems', as he put it."
Hakuno shuddered, remembering what the 'brother problems' were when he ventured into Kinoe's soul just minutes before.
"Mr. Galliasta told me to embrace my pain, my hatred, to let it consume me. He taught me so much, and he even came up with our final plan of revenge. Kinoe and I were to mark every damn Bloom that ever bullied Weeds so Mr. Galliasta could kidnap them today. Once the coast was clear, we were to bring out all the torment we endured onto them, make them suffer as we had suffered. Only then were we allowed to reveal to the world their treachery, and have them serve as a warning for those who bully others."
Hakuno could only stare at 'Mibu' with wide eyes, utterly speechless.
'Mibu' took his silence almost positively. "Do you understand now? They had to die. They were never gonna stop, so we had to do it ourselves."
"...You have got to be kidding me."
[PUNISHMENT_INITIATED]
[CLEANSING_IMPURITIES]
The dojo was engulfed in a firewall, one that left everything but Hakuno surrounded by a red, translucent barrier of code.
To her credit, 'Mibu' did not seem too startled by the firewall, only leveling a glare at the raincoat-clad boy before her. "What?! What the hell is your problem!? What the fuck did you expect me to do? Forgive them? Those bastards would-"
"I'm not saying you should forgive them," Hakuno countered. "Hell, I'd be surprised if you didn't hold a grudge. Hatred makes a great motivator, after all."
"Then why?" 'Mibu' screamed, outraged. "Why are you defending these damn Blooms?! I was doing this to protect the Weeds! I was serving justice!"
"The only person you were serving was yourself!" Hakuno scoffed, not buying any of her bullshit. "Do you honestly think this will end the way you think it will? If I can find you, then it's only a matter of time before the police will. And when- not if, when- they do, it will all go downhill from there."
"S-Shut up…" 'Mibu' snarled, twitching irritatingly as patches of deletion formed upon her body.
"You think the Weeds you've been 'protecting' will praise you as a hero? Do you think they'll even like what you did? No! They'll be horrified by your efforts to 'protect' them."
"Shut up…" The corrosion grew, spreading to her arms and chest.
"The Blooms you didn't kill will now be more justified in hating the Weeds, leading to more bullying than there was before."
"Shut up!" The corrosion engulfed her face, becoming a mask that left her reddened, bloodshot eyes untouched.
"As for any civilians, they will see magicians as a whole as irredeemable monsters willing to kill to get what they want. All your 'noble' efforts will ultimately culminate in nothing more than the advancement of hate and nihilism."
"SHUT UP! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!"
'Mibu' snapped, slamming her wholly corroded body against the firewall in an enraged frenzy, to no avail. All the resentment and rage that permeated Mibu's soul, long before she even met Prelati, has made itself bare before him.
Making it all too easy to purify all at once.
"You're still blinding yourself to the truth!" Hakuno's magic circuits ignited to life, his spiritrons surrounding the Sovereign's Regalia while his left hand aimed upon the rampaging soul before him "Open your mind!"
[IMPURITIES_CLEANSED]
[HOSTILE_COMBATANT_PACIFIED]
[HOSTILE_COMBATANTS_REMAINING:_0]
[CONFLICT_RESOLVED]
[ALL_HOSTILE_COMBATANTS_PACIFIED]
The firewall dissipated, and all the corrosion and ruin within her soul vanished along with it. The dojo, once in complete disrepair, was now immaculate and proud. Even 'Mibu', once covered in blood, sweat, and tears, was just as pristine as the rest of her soul room.
"O-Oh God…"
Speaking of which, 'Mibu' collapsed on the ground, sobbing and uttering countless apologies at Hakuno's feet.
Hakuno sat down and crossed his legs, his brown eyes meeting Mibu's tear-stained orbs. The hatred that had long permeated her soul has all but vanished.
After a few minutes, Mibu's crying began to decline, until it eventually stopped. Once her sobbing subsided, she began to speak. "S-So… what am I supposed to do now?"
"Well, that depends," Hakuno told her, being absolutely sincere in helping her "You'll have to take responsibility for everything you've done, meaning you'll have to turn yourself in."
Mibu's heart fell. "I see… So I guess I ruined my life in my quest for revenge."
"Well, you were an accomplice in kidnapping with intent to murder, and some of your victims were part of the Hundred Families, so yeah…" Hakuno said hesitantly. "You will have a lot to answer for, but everything can be redeemed eventually. Just atone for your crimes, and sin no more."
"But what about the Blooms?" 'Mibu' asked, "They're not gonna stop, are they?"
"I thought that President Saegusa would be able to handle it, but between this and the stupid 'volunteer alliance' made in response to them, she clearly doesn't know how to rein them in." Hakuno shook his head in disappointment. "However, they're not all irredeemable. They just need a little... push in the right direction. As for those who won't change... things will likely go downhill for them very, very soon. They'll get their day. Just you wait."
'Mibu' sniffled. "I hope you're right."
[LUNAR_SOVEREIGN_IS_NOW_EXITING_TARGET'S_SOUL]
The next thing Hakuno knew, he was back in the real world, feeling like crap, slumped against the container with a worried Ruler hovering over his head.
"Did… it work?" Hakuno asked weakly.
Ruler smiled and gave it a brief thumbs-up. "See for yourself."
Hakuno feebly peeked behind the container corner, finding Prelati's three accomplices dropping their armaments onto the ground, with Mibu pulling her phone out and putting it against her ear, presumably calling the police.
Satisfied, Hakuno returned his attention to Ruler. "Our job's done. Let's get out of here."
"Ugh… what a day…" Hakuno groaned as he slumped onto his bed.
Hakuno and Laeticia returned home shortly afterwards. Naturally, Hakuno's parents pulled them to the side and grilled them for not contacting them; it was his parents' natural reaction when his school was involved in a bizarre incident and he was nowhere to be found. Thankfully, Laeticia covered for the both of them almost immediately, claiming that they were in church the whole time and they had to turn their phones off. He was fairly certain they didn't completely buy it, but Laeticia never gave them a reason to distrust her, so they let them go after a brief lecture.
Mibu and the other accomplices did not get off as easily. According to the newscast, the three were caught roughly ten minutes after he and Ruler left, having surrendered without a fight. Of the thirty-six people they kidnapped, eight people were found killed and five more were found horribly tortured and mutilated. The rest will probably be traumatized for the rest of their lives. The psychological trauma they endured would've been punishment enough, but the subsequent damage dealt to their own magical abilities due to said psychological trauma... well, he didn't even want to think about that. Hakuno was disappointed he couldn't have helped them sooner; there might have been unrepentant bullies among them, but there were a handful who really weren't. And nobody deserved to have that happen to them. Anyways, the investigation is still underway, but there's already speculation that several of the Hundred Families (mainly the Morisaki and the Watanabe families) are pushing for Mibu and Kinoe to be tried as adults for what they did to their kids (among many other things). Shishio, on the other hand, is being held by the military, in order to be court-marshaled for his previous crimes. Only time will tell how the 'official' story will turn out, since there were still some things that they can't possibly explain.
Sighing to himself, Hakuno changed out of his uniform, took off his gloves, and stared at his left hand, the Sovereign's Regalia revealing itself once again. He knew for sure the school incident wasn't the only plan Prelati had, only the one that required immediate intervention. He must've had other plans drawn up, ready to continue regardless if he was alive or not-
"You know, you'll drive yourself mad if you continue worrying over every little detail."
Hakuno sat up, finding Laeticia at the doorway, dressed in a turquoise t-shirt and black gym shorts.
"May I come in?" Laeticia asked, smiling calmingly.
"Sure." Hakuno nodded as she sat down next to him. "So, was I really that easy to read?"
Ruler nodded, gently taking his left hand in her right. "Of course you were, not that I'd blame you. In fact, I think using the Regalia to right Prelati's wrongs is quite noble of you." She paused, her amethyst eyes steeling with the passing seconds, before continuing. "However, while the Regalia is rightfully yours to use as you wish, I still suggest you consider using it wisely. Just because it grants you the powers of the Moon Cell, it doesn't mean you should rely on it for everything. Understand?"
Hakuno understood her completely viewpoint completely. "Alright. I understand."
He gave her a brief hug, and she returned it, gently embracing him before standing up to leave. "Good night, Master. We have a lot of work ahead of us." Ruler said softly before retiring to her room for the night.
Now that she mentioned it, Hakuno almost forgot how tired he was. All those Code Casts took quite a lot out of him. Stretching into a lawn, he fell back onto his bed, allowing himself the sweet comfort of sleep.
[{summon(Caster)}_AVAILABLE]
[SUMMON_CASTER_SERVANT?]
[_]
[INITIALIZING_SAINT_GRAPH_RESTORATION]
[UPDATING_BACKUP_DATA]
[0.00%_COMPLETE]
A/N: And done! Wow, is this chapter late! I am sorry about the delay, but I had a lot of work to do last semester, and those three back-to-back events in F/GO last month didn't help either. I'll try to update as soon as I can next time. Speaking of which, there was a lot of things I had to cut out and/or alter to fit in this chapter, but I'm still satisfied by the final product. Truth be told, I prefer it if authors try creating different interpretations of characters. It's one of those little things that makes fics much more interesting instead of virtually reading the same fic over and over again. Take 'Shishio' for example. He actually appeared as an unnamed antagonist in the first chapter of Mahouka Koukou no Yuutosei, but I felt his arc was sort of contrived to give Miyuki a reason to show off her superior magical abilities and never mentioned again, so I gave him a greater involvement in the backstory (if only implied, of course). Better, don't you think?
Anyways, until next time, please review!