Chapter Nineteen – Disruption
The month of June ended in disaster for Class VII. The Field Study that Group A undertook ended up being the stage the Imperial Liberation Front needed to properly introduce themselves to the world.
Fortunately for the students who went to Nord, they were able to stop the plan the Imperial Liberation Front had for starting a war between Erebonia and Calvard. A man who called himself 'Comrade G' was the one spearheading the operation, but he had managed to escape.
Group A, while successful in stopping a war between the two nations, didn't do it alone. It was only thanks to the help of Captain Lechter Arundel and another officer in the Intelligence Division, an Ironblood called Millium Orion, or 'White Rabbit', that Group A were able to find and stop G and his plans.
Group A's achievements, however, were overshadowed by the tragic events that befell Group B. Whilst investigating a shrine on Bryonia Island, Fie had been assassinated. It was Emma who had discovered her best friend's body, and she was beside herself with distress. Machias and Laura came across Emma, trying desperately to wake Fie up, but to no avail. The one who attacked her left absolutely no trace, only a small puncture wound in her stomach, which didn't appear fatal, but proved to be otherwise. There were no marks on Fie's body, and no footprints except her own on the sandy stone floor. There were no signs she had even put up a struggle. After what had happened, Group B abandoned their Field Study, and brought Fie home.
As for Cyrus, he returned to Trista and told Sara everything. Like Sophie, and Cyrus' mysterious ally before her, she had no words to offer him. The depravity of Chancellor Giliath Osborne seemed to know no bounds. For Sara, however, what infuriated her more than Osborne's deception, was Claire's willingness to follow the Blood and Iron Chancellor's plan. For all her talk about justice and wanting to protect others, the fact she allowed Cyrus to slaughter innocent people and do nothing to warn him… To Sara, that was far more depraved and disgusting.
Group B had returned to Trista in the early afternoon after they abandoned their Field Study. They took Fie's body with them back to the mainland, where they were immediately apprehended by the Lamare Provincial Army, which was understandable, given Emma was carrying a body and the officer's had no context as to what had happened.
Fortunately for Group B, instead of being arrested and sent to Juno and Fie's body being taken somewhere else, Lieutenant General Alexios Dragonia, Aurelia's Second-in-Command, was present at the Port following up on a rumour that the Concierge of Crime was in town for a business meeting when the students returned from Bryonia. It was he who informed Aurelia what had happened, and she left the final decision up to him.
Alexios decided to send Group B on their way. He could tell they were not lying about what had happened, and he knew the pain in Emma's eyes was real. Since Emma refused to give up Fie's body, Alexios sent them back to Trista on board Aurelia's private airship, the Balclutha.
Sara was stunned when she saw Group B return, with Emma still clinging to Fie's body. Even when Sara tried, Emma still refused to give up Fie's body. Sara had no choice but to let Emma take Fie's body up to her room, and lie her down there, acting as if Fie was merely asleep.
When Group A returned that night, they were hit with the news of what happened to Fie. Alisa and Elliot both started to cry, and Gaius, Jusis, and Rean all remained silent. For the longest time, nobody said anything. What was there to say? Fie was dead, and there was nothing they could do or say that could change that. Suddenly, the door of the dorm opened and in popped a familiar face.
"Yoo-hoo! I'm baaaack! Did everyone miss me?!" Levana chirped as she entered the building before noticing the downcast looks on Class VII's faces. "Hey, what's with the long faces? Did something happen?"
"Lady Levana, allow me to explain…" Sharon spoke as she approached Levana and whispered in her ear.
"Oh, wow… I'm so sorry, you guys… I'll just get out of your hair and come back in the morning," Levana frowned as she turned to leave.
"Wait!" Emma cried, stopping Levana in her tracks. "Where is he?"
"Where is… Who?" Levana asked, turning to look at Emma.
"You know who I'm talking about, don't play dumb with me!" Emma shouted. It was obvious who she was talking about.
"I… I don't know, Emma. You know how secretive and reserved he is. I know nothing about what he does outside of what he chooses to tell me," Levana replied.
Without another word from Emma, Levana took the opportunity to leave. She knew Emma was grieving, and as much as Levana enjoyed making drama and stirring the pot, she at least knew that now would not be the appropriate time for her antics.
"Emma… Are… Are you sure it was Cyrus?" Elliot whispered.
"He's the Assassin who had orders to kill Fie. He's the only one who knew where she was!" Emma cried.
"I saw Cyrus this morning when he returned from Heimdallr. It wasn't him. How could he do it, if I saw him this morning? There's no way he'd have been able to get to Bryonia Island, kill Fie, and then come back before you," Sara stated.
Sara knew this was a lie, as she had experienced Cyrus' Flying Raijin ability for herself. She knew he would have been able to jump to Bryonia Island and back again in mere fractions of a second. It was very possible that he was responsible, but she couldn't be certain. Sara had of course seen Cyrus that morning, as he told her about what happened in Heimdallr the night before, but ever since then, he had left the building and hadn't returned. There was also something else that was bothering her about when Emma returned with Fie's body, but she wasn't prepared to say anything about it at that point.
After Group B had been permitted to return to Trista, Lieutenant General Alexios Dragonia returned to his duty of investigating the Port of Ordis for any information that might lead him and Aurelia to the whereabouts of the Concierge of Crime. An anonymous tip had reached Aurelia at Juno that the criminal was in Ordis for a business meeting, so she dispatched Lieutenant General Dragonia to investigate. If only Aurelia had taken the time to visit her Auntie Ophelia on that sunny afternoon…
"Just what the fuck is this?! How dare you summon me to this hovel!" a young boy screamed at one of the Florald Family attendants.
The young boy was quite short and had short blond hair and green eyes. He was dressed in a white outfit that closely resembled that of the Lamare Provincial Army, but was only a replica. The arrogance and superiority this boy exuded far outweighed his small stature. He was accompanied by five of his friends, all wearing similar outfits, and they had all been escorted to the Florald Manor by one of Ophelia's closest attendants.
"I apologise, Master Oscar, but Lady Florald asked me to bring you here. She wouldn't say why," the attendant bowed.
Oscar Dragonia. Youngest child of the Dragonia Family, who despised everyone around him because he deemed them all to be inferior to him. The five boys accompanying Oscar were little more than bootlicking, sycophantic yes-men. Oscar had picked them to surround himself with, as they were the ones who managed to inflate his ego so easily.
"That bitch has no right to summon Master Oscar anywhere, let alone this poor excuse for a home!" one of the boys spat.
"Is that so? Well, I am sorry my lowly station of a simple Countess is unacceptable to you, young Lord…" Ophelia stated as she descended the spiral staircase down to the foyer. "However, you are not here because I want you here."
"Then why the fuck have you wasted my time by bringing me here?! I have far more important things I could be doing, you know! I should have Father seize the goods you bring in for that stupid shopping complex of yours for this offence!" Oscar screamed, stamping his foot in anger.
"Please, indulge me for just a moment longer, Master Oscar… I have a feeling your perspective on the matter will change once you and your friends meet the person who wants to speak with you," Ophelia responded, bowing her head as she directed Oscar and his friends to her husband's office.
If there was one thing Ophelia hated more than working with a criminal, it was how she and all the other Nobles in Ordis had to bow and scrape to Oscar, and practically worship the ground he walked on. Alexios and Sophie were far different to Oscar; they were both kind and respectful of others, and while Sophie was much kinder to Commoners than Alexios was, at least Alexios still treated the Commoner population of Lamare as humans. Oscar treated everyone around him like garbage or playthings. Compared to Oscar, someone like Patrick Hyarms would have been classed as a saint.
"I swear to Aidios, if you've dragged me here because your idiot husband wants to speak to my father, I'm burning your fucking house to ashes!" Oscar yelled.
Ophelia let out a long, slow breath, in an attempt to control her emotions. She loved her husband dearly, and she absolutely would not tolerate anyone speaking ill of him. Yet, she knew that striking the boy, while satisfying, would only lead to trouble for her and her family, and she did not doubt that Oscar would follow through on his threat, considering he'd most certainly get away with it.
When Ophelia opened the door and beckoned for the boys to enter, she turned and looked inside to the figure who was currently occupying her husband's seat behind the large oak desk in his office. The curtains had been drawn in such a way that the light shone in through the window behind the desk, but created shadows that obscured the man's identity. The man raised his head and with a single amber eye, signalled to Ophelia that she may stay. With a nod, Ophelia entered the room and closed the door.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen… Or perhaps I should refer to you as children?" the Concierge spoke.
"Who the fuck are you?!" another of Oscar's friends shouted.
"How dare you waste Master Oscar's time like this!" a third boy shouted.
"How about you stop being a coward and show yourself!" a fourth yelled.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU SNIVELLING LITTLE CUNTS!" a man next to the Concierge roared, silencing any protests Oscar and his friends may have had.
"Thank you, Tengri… Children, let me just give you a friendly bit of advice," the Concierge began, raising a silhouetted hand towards the man next to him. "My man Tengri here absolutely abhors disrespect of any kind. Especially when it comes from entitled little brats who think they can steal from me and get away with it. If you wish to leave this room in the same condition in which you entered, I would highly suggest you speak to me like I was the Marquis Dragonia. Tengri is fiercely loyal to me, but even I cannot stop him when he decides to punish those who show blatant disrespect… I sincerely hope none of you are foolish to test him… Or me, for that matter."
At the end of the sentence, the boys all heard a slow clicking sound. While the boys couldn't figure out what it was, the sound was unmistakeable to Ophelia. It was the sound of a firearm being cocked. While she couldn't see it, Ophelia knew the Concierge had a gun pointed at one of the six boys standing before him.
"What makes you think I stole anything from you?" Oscar asked, not wanting to test the man sitting in the shadows.
"Tengri, would you be so kind?" the Concierge waved as the man next to him stood forward into the light.
When Tengri stepped forward, everyone could see the man clearly. He was massive. Standing at almost two meters in height, his muscular arms shone in the sunlight, revealing brown skin that was synonymous to someone who hailed from the Nord Highlands. The entirety of Tengri's left arm was covered in tattoos that reflected the nomadic culture of the Nords. His long brown hair was braided down one side, and his dark yellow eyes showed that this man was more than familiar with violence, and skilled at inflicting it.
In Tengri's hand was a folder. The same folder that Ophelia had been given just a few days before. In it was photographic evidence that Oscar and all the boys present had indeed stolen from the Concierge.
"Does that jog your memory, little boy?" the Concierge asked, his amber eyes watching Oscar closely.
"Hmph. So what if I did steal from you? No-one is going to care. My older brother is the General of the Provincial Army. He'd probably give me a medal for my work," Oscar scoffed arrogantly.
"Do you take me for a fool, boy? I know your brother is a Lieutenant General of the Lamare Provincial Army. He still serves under General Aurelia Le Guin. While it's true you will most likely escape punishment for meddling in one of General Le Guin's operations, don't think you'll escape punishment from me," the Concierge whispered, his voice cold as ice.
"You think that's going to scare Master Oscar?! You have no right to threaten him the way you–" one of Oscar's friends shouted, before a loud bang rang out in the office, followed by a thud.
The boys turned and looked in horror as they saw their friend on the floor, withing in agony, clutching his shoulder which had just had a bullet shot through it.
"Lucien!" one of the boys shouted, as the boys all started to shout and panic.
"ENOUGH!" Tengri roared, firing his own gun into the air, silencing the six boys. "Get on your fucking knees!"
Immediately, all six boys dropped to their knees and bowed their heads, even the boy who had been shot had managed to comply, despite him shivering and whimpering like a puppy. It really was as if the boys were being punished by Marquis Dragonia, which Ophelia took great satisfaction out of seeing.
"Now… You are all going to listen to me. That shipment you pathetic little parasites decided to pilfer contained some very, very valuable antiques… One of them being a small wooden box with ancient markings on it. Where is it?" the Concierge growled.
"What, that stupid old thing? All it had inside was a broken stick," Oscar snorted.
"Unless you wish to have your brains blown out, you little shit stain, you'll answer the man properly, and respectfully!" Tengri snapped, pointing his gun at Oscar.
"Now, now, Tengri, that's quite alright. Trust a child not to know the true value of ancient artefacts," the Concierge stated, waving Tengri back. "Tell me where the box is, boy, and I'll forgive your act of thievery."
"I didn't want some stupid ornament. So I gave it away," Oscar shrugged.
"To whom?" the Concierge asked.
"To some bitch I've been fucking. Her dad seems to like that shit," Oscar snorted, getting sniggers from his idiot friends.
"I suppose you think you're clever, don't you?" the Concierge muttered before firing his gun at the flagstone just in front of Oscar's feet, causing him to yelp and jump into the air. "Now… Since you've had your fun, answer me properly."
"The Gainsborough House! That's where it is!" Oscar cried.
"Gainsborough… Your fiancée's family home?" the Concierge queried.
"Tch, that bitch is lucky she can even be called that. I'm only marrying and fucking her because it will annoy someone I hate. There's someone else I'm much more interested in now anyway," Oscar scoffed.
For a moment, the Concierge sat in silence behind Count Florald's desk, before his amber eyes turned to Ophelia, who had a dark scowl on her face. It was obvious to her who Oscar had been referring to.
"Countess, please remove this waste of skin and his friends from my presence at once. If I have to look at that stupid expression on his face a moment longer, I'm afraid I'll be forced to shoot him," the Concierge muttered. "Tengri, we're done here."
As Ophelia was escorting the boys out, the Concierge stood up, his face still masked by the shadows.
"Is everything alright, sir?" Tengri asked.
"Yes… It just boils my blood when scum like that can so openly and flagrantly treat women like objects. I feel… Sorry for that poor girl," the Concierge sighed as he put his hat on.
"I understand, sir. If anyone treated my mother or sister in that way, I'd have killed them on the spot," Tengri nodded as he handed his employer his coat.
"You are a good man, Tengri. Heavens knows why you decided to align yourself with me and muddy your hands with my criminal dealings," the Concierge laughed mirthlessly.
"Simply because I own you my life, sir. When you found me in Liberl four years ago, you could have easily carried on walking. Yet, you chose to stop and help me. For that, I vowed to protect and serve you until my final breath," Tengri stated.
"Such honour is wasted on a man like me, Tengri… Yet, I will not stop you from doing what you desire. Come, we are going to pay the Gainsborough Family a visit…" the Concierge responded as he and Tengri left through the side entrance they had arrived through.
Meanwhile, back in Heimdallr, Cyrus had returned to the Heiyue Company to speak to Chairman Cao about the Sylphid contract.
"Ahh, Yang! How wonderful to see you again. What can I do for my favourite Assassin?" Cao cried as Cyrus entered his office.
"Fuck you, Cao, you coward!" Cyrus shouted.
"Oh, my… What could I, Cao Lee, possibly have done to deserve such barbed words?" Cao gasped.
"Don't pretend like you're innocent, you shit! You made the Sylphid contract open-ended! You sent Ibaraki-Dōji after her just so he could target me! How much did that little bitch pay for you to allow that?!" Cyrus raged.
"Ah, so you know about that, do you…? Oh, but Yang, you must understand, I had nothing to do with that. I wanted to keep the contract exclusively for you, but the Board of Directors were getting impatient. They wanted results. I said 'No, no… Yang is our best agent. He'll come through for us!' but the Board refused to listen. I'm afraid it was out of my hands," Cao explained.
"Shove your excuses up your arse! Also, you can stop calling me Yang. Yang no longer exists," Cyrus muttered.
"Oh? So you're giving up, are you? That's a shame… It really is. If you've given up, then I'm afraid you won't be allowed to leave… Gentlemen!" Cao called out as two men in suits swaggered in.
Cyrus sighed and shook his head as the two men ran towards him. Cyrus was in no mood for games, so he decided it was better to deal with these nuisances swiftly. One of the men swaggered forward ready to grab Cyrus, but he dodged out of the way and chopped him on the back of the head with his hand. The man staggered forward and hit his head on Cao's desk.
The second man tried to grab Cyrus from behind, but he was too slow. Cyrus used his own momentum of being lifted up to swing himself over onto the man's back and make him fall forward. As he was falling, Cyrus manoeuvred his way over the man's shoulder and caught him in a headlock with his right arm. When Cyrus' feet hit the floor, he pulled the man's head onto Cao's desk and used his free hand to summon Redemption before he fired a single bullet into the man's skull.
As he dropped the second man's corpse, Cyrus fired another bullet into the back of the first man's head, who was still on the floor, dazed from his impact with Cao's desk. With the two men dead at his feet, Cyrus raised Redemption at Cao, the white metal glistening in the late evening sunlight that was streaming through Cao's office.
"The deaths of these men are on you, Cao. Not that you'll lose any sleep over it. Now, had you let me finish speaking… Yang no longer exists, but Sylphid has been taken care of," Cyrus grunted.
"Ah… I see… One final act before you throw in the towel for good then?" Cao asked, his hands raised in the air.
"Yang no longer exists, which means I don't answer to you anymore. Now, a warning to you and your fucking Board… Send anyone else after me, or those I care about, and I'll make sure they're sent back to you in pieces. Do I make myself clear?" Cyrus growled, cocking Redemption to drive the point home.
"Crystal. Though, if Yang no longer exists, then I'm afraid this dossier on the Red Constellation must stay with me. If you are not Yang, then I cannot give Yang's reward to you. I'm sure you understand," Cao stated, a thin smile sneaking onto his face.
"Keep it; I don't need your help to find the Red Constellation," Cyrus snapped as he left Cao's office.
After leaving Heiyue behind him, Cyrus decided to go on a walk. His path wasn't random, however. He had a specific place in mind. It was starting to get late, which meant he knew where he needed to go. It had been about a month since that time, and now he was intent on putting his new persona to proper use… And the place he could do that was at Club Himinbjörg.
As the Crimson Yaksha, Cyrus decided that he would balance the scales of death by punishing those who were the most deserving of it. In his now warped and twisted mind, he reasoned that by killing criminals and other evil people, he could somehow mete out justice for the innocents he was forced to kill by Chancellor Osborne. While he had no idea what Osborne had hoped to gain by making him do that, Cyrus knew that he was bound to find out sooner or later.
"Well, I'll be a son of a bitch! Look who remembered the new season starts tonight!" Walter Kron laughed as Cyrus walked into the building.
"Walter… I assume that means I'm eligible to enter this time?" Cyrus asked.
"Of course, of course! I've heard a few things about you from my… Uhh, how shall I put them? My associates!" Walter grinned, his sunglasses hiding his eyes in the dimly lit room.
"Right… Just point me in the direction of the person who's going to die…" Cyrus muttered.
"I love that eagerness. But, uh, you know you don't actually have to kill your opponent, right? Our last Champion, Sylphid, managed to breeze the competition without killing anyone!" Walter responded. "Go on then, your first opponent awaits you."
"Well, your new Champion is going to put you out of business once this season is over," Cyrus growled as he walked past Walter.
"Ha! Man, you've got one hell of a fighting spirit! I can't wait for you to fight against Sylphid! The punters would pay top Mira to see that!" Walter laughed.
"Hmph, that won't be happening, I'm afraid," Cyrus muttered as he put the Yaksha mask on.
"Oh, and why is that?" Walter asked, looking at Cyrus from over his sunglasses.
"She is indisposed…" the Yaksha rasped.
"Holy shit! That! Was! BRUTAL, ladies and gentlemen!" Walter cried as the bell rang to end the fight. "This guy is here to make a statement, and by fuck did he make a statement! Your winner; THE CRIMSON YAKSHA!"
As the Yaksha left the arena, he removed the mask and Cyrus realised his hands were covered in blood. From the moment he put the mask on, Cyrus no longer existed; he was replaced by a bloodthirsty demon who's only desire was to kill.
"Here. Your prize money for tonight," Dante grunted as he throw a stack of cash at Cyrus.
Cyrus looked at the money. It was only fifty thousand Mira; even less than what Cyrus would consider to be 'loose change'. Cyrus looked at the money, then to Dante, then back at the money, before throwing it back at Dante.
"Keep it. I don't give a shit about the money," Cyrus grunted.
"You're saying that you're happy to do this for free?" Dante asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, 'happy' isn't the word I'd use, but I'm not doing this for the money," Cyrus responded.
"Well, well, well… Looks like you weren't kidding about putting me out of business by the end of this season!" Walter laughed as he entered the room. "How in the hell did you manage to rip a guy's heart out with your bare hands?!"
"You're asking the wrong person…" Cyrus muttered.
"Bah, like I care anyway! Well, you won tonight, and given how many competitors there are on opening night, I can only schedule you one fight tonight. Go home; you can come back to slake your bloodlust next Sunday if you'd like. However, given how your brutalised your opponent tonight, I might have trouble trying to find someone who's willing to die!" Walter cackled.
"It doesn't really matter if they're willing to die or not, Walter; the Yaksha will kill them all anyway," Cyrus sighed as he left the building.
After Cyrus left Club Himinbjörg, he realised it wasn't all that late. Given the amount of fighters on opening night of the new season, the matches started at an earlier time, meaning Cyrus was in and out of the club before too long. He had no more business to conduct in Heimdallr, so he decided to simply go back to Trista.
While he could have used his Flying Raijin, Cyrus elected to take the train back to Trista. He knew that everyone will have returned to the dorm by now, and that meant he'd have to deal with a very tricky situation when he returned. At times like this, he was fine with wasting time and delaying the inevitable.
When finally arrived in Trista, and left the train station, Cyrus found a bizarre sight greeting him. Outside of the train station, all the residents of Trista and the Thors' faculty and students had all gathered around Trista Park, forming a sort of 'Guard of Honour' around the residents of the Third Dormitory at they were walking from the dorm and in the direction of the school. In the middle, Gaius, Jusis, Machias, and Rean were all carrying a long wooden board, which had a white cloth draped over it. It didn't take a genius to realise what was happening.
Cyrus, using his abilities as an Assassin, masked his presence and followed behind everyone as the crowd came up behind Class VII and made their way up to the Main Campus. As he followed, he was expecting the group to make their way to the Auditorium, but when they carried on past the building, Cyrus started to grow confused. That confusion was removed when he saw the crowd starting to congregate on the Practice Field, all gathering around a pyre.
'They're not going to…? Damn it… No, wait… I can make this work for me,' Cyrus thought as he watched the boys from Class VII place the covered board on top of the pyre.
Once the board was placed atop the pyre, Principal Vandyck stood in front of it, ready to address the crowd.
"Citizens of Trista, Students and Faculty of Thors Military Academy… It is with sadness and despair that we gather here on this night. Earlier today, whilst fulfilling her duties as a student of Thors Military Academy, Miss Fie Claussell of Class VII was attacked and killed by an unknown assailant, robbing her of a life yet to fully flourish. In the wake of this abhorrent and craven attack, as we offer up a prayer to the Goddess, we are reminded that life is precious, and should be cherished by all. Memories, created with friends, family, and loved ones, that can be immortalised in the lives of those we touch. Now, in keeping with the family traditions of Miss Claussell, we will now commit her body to the earth, as we allow her soul to journey on to the next life."
With a nod, Principal Vandyck signalled to Instructors Neithardt and Thomas, who each picked up a wooden stick wrapped in a thin white cloth, and proceeded to ignite them. As the flames caught and started to burn brightly at the top of each torch, both men lowered each one, and placed the flaming tips at the base of the pyre.
'I'm only going to get one shot at this… I have to make it count,' Cyrus grimaced as he watched the pyre start to ignite. "Samadhi…'
As the flames started to grow, the sky above started to tremble as a cloud of rolling thunder ripped across the night sky, followed by a powerful lightning bolt that struck the pyre, completely engulfing it in flames. Everyone cried out in shock as the bolt of lightning crashed down onto the pyre and set it ablaze. Was the bolt of lightning a blessing sent by Aidios, a sign that She had accepted Fie's soul and returned it to the Cycle of Rebirth? Or, was it a curse sent by Thanatos, a sign that He had condemned Fie's soul to the very depths of Gehenna?
The pyre raged on, and as the flames licked the black sky above, those from the Wind Orchestra, directed by Instructor Mary at the request of Sara began to sing a hymn that Jägers would usually sing when they lost a comrade. Sara knew the hymn well from her time as a Jäger, and as Fie's Instructor, decided it was her duty to lead it.
The members of the Wind Orchestra hummed a deep, eerie note that, as the flames crackled in the night sky, sent chills down the spines of those present, and even managed to scare some of the younger children. As the spooky humming began to subside for a moment, Sara began to sing.
O' Death
O' Death
O' Death
Won't you spare me over another year?
Again, the Wind Orchestra, and some others in the crowd all started to hum the unnerving tune, and as they did so, Cyrus watched on, sitting on the rooftop of the Auditorium, overlooking the Practice Field, his ARCUS open in his hand. He too knew the hymn well, after observing several Jäger funerals during his time as an Assassin, and decided to quietly join Sara.
Now what is this that I can't see?
With ice-cold hands taking hold of me
When God is gone and the Devil takes hold
Who will have mercy on your soul?
"So, the deed is done?" the individual asked.
"It is… The Scales have been… Balanced," Cyrus muttered, looking on as the pyre started to collapse in on itself.
"Good… She would be pleased, you know," the individual stated quietly.
"We're not done yet though… Two of the Nine yet remain. There is still work to be done," Cyrus responded as he stood up and vanished from the rooftop.
After leaving the Practice Field, Cyrus decided it would be better to wait for everyone to return to the dorm before showing up himself. Given how the whole town just held a funeral for Fie, he knew it would be a bad look to simply be waiting at the Third Dormitory for everyone to return. If he gave the impression that he had returned and missed the whole affair, it would arguably look better.
So, wait he did. It didn't take long for everyone to slowly make their way back to the building. Emma and Alisa were first, holding onto one another, with Emma wiping tears away from her eyes. After them, Elliot, Gaius, Jusis, Machias, and Rean all returned. Elliot was the only boy out of the group who looked like he had been visibly crying, whilst the rest all had stony looks on their face.
Next to return was Sharon and Levana. It came as a surprise to everyone in the Third Dormitory when Levana had asked to come along for the proceedings, given that she hadn't been around very much and didn't know Fie all that well. Emma was greatly appreciative of the gesture, while the rest simply agreed that the sentiment was well received.
Sara and Laura were the last two to arrive. It seemed like they were in deep, intense discussion about something. Laura appeared bewildered, whilst Sara remained impassive, despite raising her voice a couple of times. Once those two had entered the Third Dormitory, Cyrus made his move.
Inside, everyone was sitting in the Common Area, on the couches and the arm chairs, whilst Gaius and Laura had elected to stand. Sharon had decided to make tea and coffee for those who wished to have it, and Sara was sitting on the stairs, deep in thought.
They were all engaging in quiet discussion when they heard the latch click and the front door slowly swing open, revealing an expressionless Cyrus. Everyone froze up when they saw him, unsure how to respond. The only one who reacted was Emma, who stood up and marched over to him.
"You bastard! You heartless monster! How could you do that to Fie?!" Emma screamed, hitting Cyrus' chest with her fists.
"Emma, I…" Cyrus began, looking at everyone with a raised eyebrow.
"Cyrus… Fie… She…" Elliot began, tearing up.
"Yes, I know…" Cyrus muttered, looking down at Emma, who had started sobbing again.
"Was it you?" Laura asked, looking at Cyrus with a hard stare.
"Be careful how you ask your next question, Laura," Cyrus warned, grabbing hold of Emma and hugging her, more to make her stop hitting him than anything.
"Did you murder Fie, Cyrus?" Laura asked, her expression remaining unchanged.
"Did I murder Fie? No, I did not," Cyrus responded.
"Liar! You said that you were an Assassin with orders to kill Fie! You said that you were going to kill her in order to stop more Assassins from killing her!" Emma cried, pushing Cyrus away from her.
"Well, Yang had orders to kill Fie. I did not," Cyrus replied coldly.
"I see what you meant…" Rean muttered. "So, then… Did Yang murder Fie, Cyrus?"
"No, it wasn't Yang either," Cyrus stated.
"So then who was it?" Machias growled.
"A monster known only as the Crimson Yaksha… A terrible creation that knows only how to kill the worst people… That is who is responsible for this," Cyrus responded.
For a moment, everyone in Class VII looked at one another. They knew Cyrus wouldn't lie to them, but that made them all share the same thought; who was the Crimson Yaksha?
"So, another Assassin got to her instead?" Gaius muttered, tapping his chin in thought.
"Did I not warn you this would happen?" Cyrus scowled, looking at everyone in the room. "Did I not say that if I didn't kill her, that you must watch her every hour of every day, for other Assassins would come for her?"
No-one dared to respond to what Cyrus had said. It was true; he did warn them of such an eventuality happening, but was he really blaming the rest of Class VII for failing to heed his warning?
"You're sick…" Emma whispered. "How can you possibly stand there and blame us for Fie dying?! It was you who brought this danger to us, and put Fie's life at risk! If you weren't here, none of this would have happened!"
"Get a hold of yourself, girl!" Cyrus shouted. "I wasn't the one who put the contract on Fie. I was simply the agent assigned the task by a broker. If you want someone to blame for all of this, find the one who issued the kill order."
He was right. Deep down, Emma knew that Cyrus was right. He wasn't the one who had put a bounty on Fie's head, he was simply the instrument that was used to complete the job. If Cyrus wasn't here, there was a chance he would have killed Fie sooner, due to not having any ties to her, or Ibaraki-Dōji would have killed her, and still been alive to kill more people in the future. How could he have known that there was another Assassin in Ordis that was going to kill Fie?
Of course, if everyone knew that Cyrus created the Crimson Yaksha, that would make these questions and scenarios moot. Yet, they did not know the entire truth, and since they didn't know the right questions to ask to get the whole truth, Cyrus was confident that his involvement would remain hidden.
"So, what do we do now, Instructor? Just carry on as normal?" Rean asked.
"As harsh as it sounds, yes. What else can we do? I'm not letting you guys delve into the dark underworld of Assassins and Jägers to find out who issued the hit on Fie; that's far too dangerous," Sara stated, speaking for the first time in a while.
"A sensible option, Sara… You and I both know none of them would survive that mission in their current state," Cyrus grunted.
"Our current state?" Alisa repeated.
"Yes… If you want to do this, I will not stop you. In fact, I will even help you find who wanted Fie dead, as I'd very much like to know this person's identity myself. But, at your current ability level, you wouldn't last a day in the underworld, and that's being generous," Cyrus stated.
"So, what now? Some kind of stupid training montage where we all work together, get strong, and become the best of friends in the process, realising that our true strength lies within the power of Friendship?" Machias snorted.
"Would you like me to sing you 'Eye of the Tiger' as you run up a very tall set of stairs as well?" Cyrus responded condescendingly.
"Heh, I reckon Fie would have found that hilarious," Elliot smiled.
"Hey, guys, I know it's late and all, but I hope you don't mind if I step out for a bit?" Levana asked, getting everyone's attention.
"Huh? What for?" Alisa asked.
"Oh, it's nothing sweetie; just a project I'm working on, that's all," Levana smiled, shooting Cyrus a knowing look.
"I'm going to my room to do stuff. Please don't disturb me," Cyrus muttered.
"Oh, that's me; I'm 'Stuff'," Levana chirped.
"Can you not? Honestly, you're such a pain sometimes," Cyrus groaned.
"Right, you have my attention; what is it?" Cyrus asked.
After leaving the rest of Class VII to go to his room, he made his way up to the roof of the Third Dormitory, where Levana had been waiting for him.
"The Spectres have found a lead," Levana stated, pushing her glasses up her nose.
"What do they have? Anything I can act on?" Cyrus questioned.
"See for yourself," Levana said as she handed Cyrus a folder. "These are surveillance images taken from Cauldron Alpha, from Project Blackstone."
"Wait, this is…" Cyrus whispered.
The individual in the images was someone Cyrus had seen before. Dressed in black with a full faced helmet and a black cloak. The images were crystal clear too, meaning the man's identity was unmistakable. It was C.
"You know who it is?" Levana asked.
"I do. The leader of the Imperial Liberation Front; C. But… How the hell did he find Cauldron Alpha? That thing was carved deep into the Osgiliath Basin… The only reason I know where it is, is because of…" Cyrus muttered.
"Because of the fact you picked the locations yourself?" Levana said, finishing Cyrus' sentence for him.
"Curious… If C knows where Cauldron Alpha is, then it stands to reason that… Hmm, so it wasn't just a coincidence," Cyrus sighed.
"What are you talking about?" Levana asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't worry about it. Who else knows about this?" Cyrus responded.
"Only you and me. I was going to circle these images to the other Cauldrons, but I wanted your approval first," Levana stated.
"Do it. Someone gave this man access to my Cauldrons, and I want to know who it was. Have the Spectres examine each person and check their facial structure for anything that might resemble familiarity with the man in the picture," Cyrus commanded. "We find anyone who knows C, we find our rat."
After leaving Trista a few days ago, Celine had spent her time scouting the layout of Arteria, and the complex that was the High Seat of the Septian Church. She knew she had to be careful, as the Church had a powerful branch of Templar Knights who were proficient in detecting magical resonance, and given the fact Celine was a familiar made of pure magical energy, if she wasn't careful, she could be detected and marked as an intruder who was here to upset the balance of the Church.
It took her some doing, but Celine had managed to sneak her way into the diocese of the Black Sect, and was now on her way to see the man in charge of the part of the Church who worshipped Thanatos. As she prowled along the rooftop, she got close enough to an open window where she was able to overhear a conversation between two people. Judging by their voices, one was a man, and another was a woman. Based on how the woman was speaking to the man, it was clear to Celine that she had found the Black Archbishop's chambers.
"I understand, Your Excellency, but she won't tell us anything more. Either she doesn't know, or she's protecting someone," the woman explained.
"Bah! Kids these days don't know the first thing about interrogation. When I was a young Squire under the previous Black Archbishop, I watched as she ripped the souls from our enemies in order to extract what information they were hiding!" the Black Archbishop snapped.
"Your Excellency, you know using the Reignbow Arbiter's Soul Extraction Technique has been strictly prohibited by His Holiness. Under no circumstances are we allowed to manipulate or damage a human's soul," the woman responded.
"Damn it all, Ein! The Gralsritter have the authority to act outside the rules of the Church when there is a risk to the Church's security! You might sit in the seat of the Grandmaster, but don't forget who it is you serve!" Keyes shouted, slamming his ancient hand down on the table.
"I haven't forgotten who I serve, Your Excellency. But, is the Chalice really that important? I was under the impression that the artefact was inert," Ein frowned.
"That is only because the Chalice of Beginnings needs a key to reawaken it. The Church isn't so stupid as to keep them both together, so we sent it away long ago. Four centuries have passed since then, and still we wait for their return," Keyes explained.
"Their return? The key is a person, Your Excellency?" Ein asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No… The key is merely a tool required for the final step of the Nemesis Project… It is the embodiment of Lord Thanatos' will that we await," Keyes stated.
"The embodiment of…" Ein whispered, before going wide-eyed. "Your Excellency, you can't mean…"
"I do… The Armatus," Keyes laughed darkly, before coughing and spluttering.
'Armatus? I've never heard of such a thing before…' Celine thought as she continued to eavesdrop.
"But I thought the Armatus was a myth; a fabrication the Black Sect used to keep the younger members of the Church in line?" Ein questioned. "Are you saying it's real, Your Excellency?"
"You still have much to learn, child… Lord Thanatos didn't just create one Armatus… He created five," Keyes laughed again.
"Five?! Why am I only just hearing of this now?!" Ein shouted.
"Don't forget your place, girl! You still speak to the Black Archbishop, not some upstart Squire!" Keyes snapped, lifting up a thin, bony hand and placing Ein under a paralysis spell.
"F-Forgive me, Your… Your Excellency," Ein rasped.
"Bah, fine. I'm too old for this nonsense anyway," Keyes sighed as he released Ein. "Go and find out where the child hid the Chalice. My patience wears thin; use the power of the Reignbow Arbiter if you must, otherwise I'll be forced to do it, and I'll make sure it hurts."
"I will let you know once we learn of its location, Your Excellency," Ein bowed as she left the room.
"You can come out now, Familiar," Keyes called out, taking Celine by surprise.
"You… You knew I was here?" Celine asked as she hopped down onto the windowsill of Keyes' office.
"From the second your fragile little paws touched the earth in Arteria," Keyes nodded, which made Celine uncomfortable.
"Then, do you know why I am here?" Celine asked.
"You want to find out more about the Weapons of the Balance-Keepers, don't you?" Keyes responded, a thin smile spreading across his wrinkly face.
"Emma has found someone who possesses the weapons of The Outlaw; Mercy and Redemption," Celine stated.
"Ah, I see… You need not worry, Familiar. Anyone can possess the weapons, but only The Outlaw can use them to their full potential," Keyes replied calmly.
"So, there's no cause for concern?" Celine questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"No… Unless this person is a Balance-Keeper, or the wielder of Gungnir, The Outlaw's weapons are nothing more than simple firearms," Keyes nodded.
"What of the other Balance-Keepers weapons? Do you know where they are?" Celine asked.
"The Executioner's Harvester… The Protector's Scorn… The Conqueror's Chaoseater… They were scattered all across Zemuria more than a thousand years ago. Some in the family went looking for them, but none of them were successful. However…" Keyes sighed, sitting up in his chair.
"However…?" Celine encouraged.
"I did hear that Roselia's prodigy went out and tried to search for them, but I have no idea if she succeeded," Keyes coughed.
"V-Vita went looking for them?! That's not good. I must let Emma know!" Celine gasped as she vanished in a flash of light.
"That recklessness of yours is going to spell your doom one day, Familiar…" Keyes muttered.
"Emma! Emma, where are you?!" Celine whispered, looking for Emma as she returned to Trista.
"Celine? Where have you been?! I've been so worried about you!" Emma gasped as she sat up in her bed.
"You knew I was going to Arteria… Are you ok? You look awful," Celine muttered, looking at Emma's dishevelled look.
Emma told Celine about what had happened to Fie on Bryonia Island, and the resulting aftermath. Needless to say, Celine was perturbed by what Emma had told her.
"That is rather… concerning. Yet, if he was supposed to be in Heimdallr when you were on the other side of the country, how could he kill Fie and still be seen by Sara at the same time?" Celine asked. "You say he has incredible speed, but even I don't think he could travel across a country as large as Erebonia so fast."
"I know that, but… Why was he in Heimdallr in the first place? Instructor Sara said he had some important business to take care of, and even Principal Vandyck signed off on it," Emma muttered.
"Well, why don't you – No, never mind that! We have a problem!" Celine cried, remembering what she had to tell Emma. "I think Vita's been looking for the Weapons of the Balance-Keepers!"
"What?! How does she know about them?" Emma gasped as she jumped out of bed.
"Tch, Vita always has been a sneaky little bitch. She probably eavesdropped on the Elder and heard her talking about them," Celine muttered. "Though, don't you think it makes sense? Why else would she betray the clan and abandon us? It makes sense if you consider she went to find the Balance-Keeper's Weapons."
"Yes, but… Aren't the weapons useless in the hands of mortals?" Emma asked.
"That is what Keyes said… I told him about Mercy and Redemption, and he didn't seem too bothered by it," Celine sighed.
"Hmm… If Vita is going after them, then there must be a reason," Emma frowned. "Either way, we need to find her!"
"I know, I know! But… Where do we start looking? She's an incredibly powerful Witch – she was even hailed as a prodigy as a child. She could be standing in this room right now, and we'd have no idea!" Celine exclaimed.
"Ugh, there's so much going on here! Fie's death, Cyrus' absence from the last Field Study, and now Vita searching for the Weapons of the Balance-Keepers… And on top of all that, we still have our original mission of searching for the Ashen Knight!" Emma groaned as she flopped back down onto her bed.
"Well, flopping down on your bed isn't going to get us anywhere! We need to be more proactive! You said that Cyrus would help you uncover the person who wanted to kill Fie, correct? So, you can simply wait until the time is right to check that off your list. As for his absence during the Field Study… I suppose if you want to know that badly, you could always get closer to him like you were trying to a couple of months ago," Celine suggested.
"I don't… I don't know if I can now. Even if he had something to do with killing Fie, there's no way I could get close to him now; after the way I've treated him, there's no way he'd open up to me," Emma sighed.
"Why not? He's a guy! All you have to do is flirt with him a little bit, and use those assets of yours, and he'll be like putty in your hand before you can say 'Wandering Witch'," Celine stated.
"I… I don't think that's going to work. Even if it did, I don't really want Alisa hounding me about it right now," Emma sighed.
"Eh, do it, or don't, it makes no difference to me. Our main focus should be finding Valimar. That's what the Elder sent us here to do, so that should be the mission we're prioritising," Celine said, waving her tail like she was shrugging. "Although, there is that other job we've been given by the Elder…"
"By Aidios! Celine, that's it!" Emma cried, jumping up off her bed and scaring Celine.
"What?! What is it?!" Celine screeched, her fur standing up on end.
"If we're at a crossroads, why don't we go and seek the advice of… Him?" Emma suggested.
"No, absolutely not! We will not bother the Reignbow Arbiter with such trivial matters!" Celine huffed.
"The only one who can find Vita is him, isn't it?" Emma asked.
"Hmmm… While that's true, I still don't think it's a smart idea. You know what he does to those who waste his time," Celine whined.
"If he asks for an offering, then I suppose we'll have to come up with one," Emma shrugged. "Alright, tomorrow morning, we head out for Fyxestroll Garden, and seek the aid of the Immortal Dragon!"
The following morning, Emma made good on her declaration to go seek out help from a being known as the Immortal Dragon. Once everyone had left for classes, Emma said to Sara that she wasn't feeling up to going to classes that day.
Sara, understanding that she had just lost her best friend and was still grieving, allowed Emma to take the day off from classes and take time to heal. Once everyone else in the Third Dormitory had left to go about their day, Emma and Celine teleported to Fyxestroll Garden, the domain of the Immortal Dragon.
When Emma and Celine arrived in the garden, they felt an ominous presence emanating from the cave they were standing in front of. They could feel the presence of the Immortal Dragon, and it was dominating. As they entered the cave, both started to feel weighed down by the presence within, and when they finally arrived at the deepest part of the cave, they had both been forced to their knees as they crawled into the depths.
"Who dares enter my domain?" a commanding voice whispered. "Ahh, child of Isola… I was wondering when you would come seeking my aid."
"My Lord… A thousand apologies for disturbing your rest, but we have come to ask for help," Emma whispered, as she continued to crawl under the crushing presence of the being before her.
When she looked up at the Immortal Lord, all she saw was a white apparition; a spectral outline of a humanoid being, hidden by a robe and mask. The large sleeves of the ghostly robe hid the being's hands, and long strips of fabric inscribed with ancient magical runes hung off the sleeves, with small ornaments tied to the end of each strip.
"You wish to seek out Vita, do you not?" the Immortal Dragon stated more than asked.
"We do… We have reason to believe she seeks the Weapons of the Balance-Keepers," Emma responded.
"Ahh, and you came to me because you're worried about your friend who possesses the weapons of The Outlaw," the Immortal Dragon declared, any expression worn on his face was hidden by the stone mask he had on. "You're afraid the Azure Child will try to take the weapons from him."
"N-No, My Lord… I wanted – Aaahh!" Emma cried as the spectral hand of the Immortal Dragon plunged through Emma's chest.
"E-Emma!" Celine gasped.
"You… Familiar. I believe you overheard Keyes speak of this to the Dominion Girl, did you not? My Soul Extraction Technique. I could feel your curiosity when it was mentioned… Allow me to give you a demonstration," the Immortal Dragon hissed.
The Immortal Dragon ripped his hand out of Emma's chest, pulling a pale blue, spectral version of Emma along with him. Celine watched in horror as Emma's body collapsed to the floor, as if she was dead.
"Celine! Help me!" Emma wailed, her voice echoing inside the cave, adding to the disembodied tone it was already possessed.
"The familiar cannot help you now, child of Isola… Did you forget that my power is to dominate souls? There is no need to panic, you will not die unless I will it," The Immortal Dragon whispered. "Now… I am going to read the truth that is etched into your soul for myself. I have no time for your pathetic attempts at feigning ignorance."
With a wave of a hand, purple magic runes appeared all over Emma's soul. The runes were so ancient that not even Celine could decipher them.
"Please… My Lord, I apologise for Emma's rashness. You must understand, she is still just a child," Celine mumbled, begging the Reignbow Arbiter for clemency.
"I understand completely, Familiar. However, I will not have my time wasted… Hmph, it's just as I thought… How disappointing," the Immortal Dragon scoffed before he threw Emma's soul back into her body. "Leave this place. Until you come to terms with what is branded into your soul, you are not worthy of being in my presence."
"Y-Yes, my Lord…" Emma bowed as she and Celine turned and crawled out of the cave and back into Fyxestroll Garden.
Once Emma and Celine had left, the Immortal Dragon stood alone, staring at the spot Emma had been forced down on.
"Isola… You served me dutifully your entire life… Yet, I am afraid that as she currently is, your daughter will not be able to serve me with as much devotion as you once did. It is a shame, letting you die, and having your heir be so… Mediocre…It would seem that I'll need to invoke an Awakener's Trial on her, if we wish to see the child grow…"
"Are you happy now, Emma? What a waste of time that was!" Celine snapped when they returned to Emma's room.
"I'm sorry! I didn't realise the Immortal Dragon had the power to tear souls out of bodies! I just thought he had the ability to guide souls to their next destination in the Cycle of Rebirth!" Emma cried, sitting down on her bed with her head in her hands.
"That was a foolish miscalculation… Then again, that was only the second time you've visited Fyxestroll Garden. The first time was when you were a child before Isola set out on her journey, wasn't it?" Celine asked, getting a nod from Emma. "That aside, what did the Immortal Lord mean by 'come to terms with what is branded into your soul'?"
"I don't know…" Emma mumbled.
"Emma…" Celine chided. "You should know what's buried in your own soul… What is it?"
"I honestly don't know! I couldn't read what was on my own soul like the Reignbow Arbiter could. Whatever he saw, it's obviously something I have no knowledge of yet!" Emma cried.
"This is a problem… If you don't know what's written in your own soul, then the Immortal Dragon will not help us," Celine sighed. "I'll have to sleep on this."
"Where are you going?!" Emma asked as she watched Celine hop up onto the windowsill.
"Are you deaf? I just said I'm going to go to sleep. Now, let me out," Celine demanded.
Sighing, Emma got up and opened the window for Celine, who strutted out and disappeared down the back of the building. After closing the window, Emma dropped back down onto her bed, letting out another heavy sigh.
The Immortal Dragon made it quite clear that Emma's soul was hiding something, but what was it? Did it have something to do with Vita? Or perhaps was it something to do with Cyrus? She knew her relationship with both individuals was rocky at best, but there was also a chance it had something to do with the Weapons of the Balance-Keepers.
If it was the weapons of Thanatos' Enforcers, what was it that her soul wanted with them? She knew they were powerful weapons, but no mere human could utilise them to their full potential. Just like with Mercy and Redemption; as Cyrus wasn't an Enforcer of Thanatos, they would only ever be mere firearms in his hands, not the chaos ripping weapons forged for The Outlaw.
Emma grabbed her pillow and shoved in into her face and let out a loud groan. She had no idea what the Immortal Dragon was talking about, but she knew that until she had figured it out, she would not be welcome in Fyxestroll Garden again. To go back there without an answer for the Reignbow Arbiter would most definitely result in her death.