EPISODE 2: THE WORLD'S HORROR

Summary: What was supposed to be the biggest and most magical celebration turned into a disastrous revelation to the world…

Note: This chapter was inspired by another Cross Ange fanfic, Exiled Princess by Corrupted Witch 666. Also, this chapter was a little late because I noticed that my browser might be wonky (having email issues; So I can't see if I have any PM in my account...) Not sure if something's wrong with the app...

Disclaimer: I don't own Cross Ange or any of its characters and original plot, excluding the original characters I created for this story. This is a spin-off series of the main 'Cross Ange: Living Hell' story. So please read that before here.

Cross Ange and all its rights belong to King Records (Japan), Sentai Filmworks (USA), and Sunrise/ Bandai Namco Entertainment (Japan). This fanfiction is meant for entertainment only and not for profit. This story contains heavy language, blood and violence, and mild sexual themes not for audiences under 16-18 years old.

"Hear this, my beloved subjects. I will now reveal the truth; Lady Angelise…is a Norma! To conceal this fact and that a Norma rule over us must be a plot to undo our nation! This act is the ultimate treason against our citizens! Our Empire will not be tainted by monsters! It is high time our people found out the truth! On this; the day of Angelise's baptism!"

BANG!

Angelise could not believe it. Today was supposed to be a grand celebration of her ascension as the Empress of the Misurugi Empire for her people. But to her horror, her brother suddenly announced that she was a Norma, a disgusting thing that shouldn't be human, when her baptism was interrupted, and a human officer shot her mother after saving her from the bullet herself right after Angelise accidentally breaking the Light of Mana like a Norma. Impossible. It is unbelievable that she is a Norma. It must be a trick to deceive everyone. She is a human, not a monster! But Angelise could only squirm and shout for her mother's body, even noticing a glimpse of a small blur of a child in white being interrogated by the same officer who accidentally shot her mother, until she was roughly thrown inside a large trailer by one of the officers apprehending her. As soon as she gasped from the harsh landing, she almost screamed her horror at the officer pulling her arms and making her sit on her knees just to lock her arms together by the manacles cuffing her wrists and neck together, treating her differently than how the other people treated her before today.

"Can't believe we wasted our lives following a Norma!" The same officer told his partner who sat on the trailer's seats, angrily kicked Angelise's stomach to send her falling onto the floor with a gasp of pain and away from the two officers. "How dare she and the Emperor and Empress betray us!?"

'Why?' Angelise wondered in fear and continuously coughed and wheezed for the pain she had inflicted, unaware that the transportation carrying her proceeded to move and take her somewhere. Why would they treat her like this? Everyone in her land adores her and hopes to see her ascension. But now, they are furious just because they saw her breaking the Light of Mana.

"Norma #1203-77. The Norma Majeure Force take it to where the other Norma is located, hopefully to their deaths." The second officer informed in disdain, looking away from the disgraced princess who froze in a frightened gasp but the brutish police just finished stuffing and wrapping a long cloth he forcefully tied around Angelise's mouth, rendering her pleas muffled into inaudible tears when she continuously struggles against her restraints during the unexpected ride to who knows where.

"You must live, Angelise. Live, no matter what." Was the last thing she heard of her mother.

"Please walk away. We got rid of the Norma." Even when the police officers have tried to dismiss them calmly but refused to drag the now-dead Empress Sophia Ikaruga Misurugi's body from the scene in front of them, the people remain furious for the truth that they were fooled by none other than Princess Angelise's true life as a Norma. Such deception like this would not stand and, despite being her eldest brother, they are glad that Prince Julio Asuka Misurugi saved them from almost being led astray with that Norma as their ruler. As soon as she and her friends followed the police officer captain who led two toddler children away, nearly shuddered their fright at seeing the albino boy and his younger sister for her dark skin, glowing blue hair and green eyes with black sclera, Akiho felt her eyes burning with tears of rage and betrayal. How could she? Angelise, who was once idolized by everyone including her, turns out to be a disgusting Norma. She felt that she lied to her and even thought that they were friends.

"Akiho?" One of her best friends, Maki, noticed in surprise that alarmed their other friends Leika, Rika, and Tomomi with the Mana police officer and the two children also spotting Akiho's tears when she rubbed them off with the back of her fisted right hand but she couldn't stop herself from crying.

"I'm sorry…it's just that we've been betrayed by a Norma all our lives!" Akiho confessed, feeling her heart aching badly as if it was about to burst like a bomb, with her other friends consoling her with soothing pats on her back and rests on her shoulders.

"We know how painful it is to learn of our deception." The Mana police officer assured with a sorrowful frown, alerting the students and toddler children to look up at the older man telling them like a parent or teacher console them. "But perhaps from Prince Julio fixing everything, we can have our lives back if he is our Emperor." Akiho and her friends began thinking about the idea and immediately hoped that would be the best solution.

Akiho and her friends then look up after noticing a flicker of red light and gasp in their astonishment that someone is using Red Light of Mana, a rare colour, to make a handkerchief float in front of Akiho who looks down and spots that the blue-haired toddler girl's glowing red hands raised with her glowing green eyes changing colour into a blood red, making her more terrifying than normal but thankfully human. But strangely, her Light of Mana looks weaker than a normal human's when the light flickers around the tissue as if it will go out in seconds and her albino older brother looks at his sister in shock when he realises what she is doing, alarming Akiho who hurriedly grabs the cloth before it could fall on her hands.

"O-Oh, thank you!" Akiho responded, her gratitude for the little human girl's kindness in cheering her up was replaced with worry shared by the group, officer, and boy who quickly caught his sister from falling in his arms, now looking fatigued with hoarse coughs and pants from using her Light of Mana with her eyes reverting into her original glowing green eyes, increasing their dread for her symptoms.

"Little girl, are you Manasthmatic?" The officer knelt at the children's side with a hand tenderly grasping the girl's scalp, mentioning her revealed Manasthma terrified Akiho's group of the deadly human disease. "Oh no. You shouldn't have tried to heal the Empress earlier. I'll call an ambulance to take you two to the hospital. I just need your parents' contacts to inform them about this." But just as no one noticed the boy frantically shook his head in dread at the officer summoning his Mana preparing to call the ambulance for his ill sister continuously coughing and panting…

"Aya, Khalifa!" The group and the children heard a male voice calling closer to their location they looked up and saw an unfamiliar, handsome man with long blonde hair and dressed in a green suit scurrying through the slowly shrinking path of angry citizens leaving with the man noticing them after turning his head to his left. By his horrified reaction to seeing the boy's sister almost fainting from her Manasthma before running towards them, Akiho's group and officer guessed in relief that he was the children's father although the girls blushed in awe and shock at his handsome face with his dimly glowing aquamarine eyes almost matching his daughter's.

"Aya, Khalifa!" The children's father hurriedly lifts and tenderly holds his daughter against his arms and chest with his right arm moving from under his left, still holding onto his girl, reaching for his son who quickly moved to his side and held his hands on his father's suit.

"Sir, are you the children's father?" The Mana officer asked the man, hoping for confirmation for seeing their unusual appearances mostly the daughter but could not help but be shocked for the possible father…surprisingly his cheeks flared red in embarrassment from out of nowhere just by seeing this man's handsome face.

"Yes, I'm their father." The man curtly affirmed with a nod, expressing concern to only his children with his daughter resting her body and head against his shoulder for support. "What happened to my daughter?"

"S-she tried to use her Light of Mana to heal the late Empress, but it didn't work." The Mana officer admitted apprehensively, hoping that the father would not be upset at his daughter trying to do a good deed. Everyone then watched the boy quickly move and stand in front of his father while waving his arms in gestures of speaking in sign language, further astonishing the girls and officer yet the children's father was first surprised and then sad once the boy finished signing.

"…Scusa…Padre." Unaware of the others, the girl's father heard her whisper after she finally calmed down from coughing and wheezing when she felt his hand gently patting her back.

"It's alright, Khalifa. I know you want to overcome your Manasthma but take it slowly. There's no rush." The father assured with a sad scowl, turning his attention towards the officer and girls. "I'm sorry for showing you this. Ever since a grown Norma murdered my wife and Manasthmatic infant daughter two years ago, I've been worried sick about my children's safety so their welfare is my highest priority. I'll make sure to watch over them carefully."

"What!?" Akiho's group and the Mana police officer gasped in dismay. A grown Norma?! 'How could there be an older Norma outside Arzenal two years ago? And dare kill an innocent man's wife and baby!?' The officer wondered in disbelief and disgust.

"That's horrible!" Rika remarked in anger.

"Is that monster dead after that?" Tomomi demanded, unable to calm herself from mentally squeaking her dreamy delight of the children's father.

"Thankfully, she died after attempting to torture me that night, so we are fine…I hope." The man reassured with an uncertain smile towards the group who sighed their relief and grief obliviously ignoring his lips twitching in anger, before they saw the father giving them a brief bow and about to leave. "I'm sorry, but we are in a hurry so please don't mind us leaving first and take care, everyone. Come, Aya."

The son Aya dashed and reached for his father's free hand once the group watched the family of three walking away and follow the remaining crowd, although Akiho's group noticed and smiled their surprise that the girl Khalifa tiredly but thoughtfully waved them goodbye with her left rose-marked hand, prompting the girls to wave her back until they see that they are gone. "Wow, what a handsome and kind father." Leika giggled to her friends who nodded their agreement.

"Even if his daughter looks scary, she and her brother are both cute and caring," Rika remarked with a smile once the group followed the almost-forgotten police officer away from the Dawn Pillar alongside everyone.

"I almost want to feel jealous of his lucky wife and mother, but now I feel bad because of her and their sister's unfair death," Tomomi admitted with guilt that hardened into anger that Maki also expressed when she added with a hiss. "And because of an older Norma! How did that thing live that long and without us knowing!?"

"We should meet up with Morita, Obara, Yasuhi, and Katsuro. Maybe a hangout with them will help us forget the filthy Norma." Akiho decided what her friends immediately agreed for their minds and lives.

From where Angelise was supposed to be baptised, Julio looked through the Mana screen he opened it and saw his mother's bleeding body laid and ignored at the Dawn Pillar's base, ignoring his traitorous father kneeling in regret for his actions and his uncles and aunt froze in gunpoint by the other soldiers. "My mother…rather, the Empress must be buried. And do restrain the Emperor." Julio informed his right-hand woman and Captain of the royal Misurugi guards Riza Randog who nodded her acceptance and immediately pulled his disgraced father onto his father with a guard forcefully dragging him away to the dungeon after Julio walked towards Sylvia's unconscious body when she fainted on her Mana wheelchair for their sister's revealed truth from his announcement.

"Prepare yourself, Sylvia. You and I must restore this disgraced household, for only we can do it." Julio assured with a chuckle, wiping the tears off his sister's eyes with a thumb that softly touched her bottom lip before he was about to leave not before informing Riza with a cruel smile. "Riza. I'll be assuming control of the Misurugi Empire, under the name Holy Emperor Julio."

"Right." Riza understood with no one spotting her smiling her amusement at the entire situation that happened under Julio's order.

"Julio!" Julio almost left when he heard one of his two uncles Akihide, his mother's brothers, calling him in dread and rage for everything and that THEY were about to be gunned down by the guards. Behind him, Aunt Sayuri also glared in bafflement and Uncle Shinji closed his eyes behind his brother in fear. "You're not planning to execute us, even if we're family, are you!? We didn't know that Angelise is a Norma this whole time!" Furrowing his blue eyes with a scowl, Julio closed them with his mouth curled into a cold smile.

"Rest assured, Uncle Akihide. I shall decide whether or not you three will be spared or join Father in the execution that will commence tomorrow night." Julio heartfully notified and immediately left the guards to handle his uncles and aunt while Riza helped lead Sylvia and Momoka back into the Misurugi Palace. Knowing that worthless maid's everlasting loyalty to her so-called mistress, even remembering that she KNEW that Angelise is a Norma but willingly keeps the secret under her parents' orders, Julio should think of executing Momoka but something else about this caught his attention to ponder his plans of what to do: his future as the rightful Holy Emperor of the Misurugi Empire, and his disgusting sister's deserved death.

'Even if she is a Norma, she should be instantly dead the second she sets foot in where those animals were locked up.' Julio thought. From what little knowledge he gathered from his father's conversations with the world leaders and a mysterious seventh person regarding the Norma under Rosenblum's jurisdiction, they were locked up in a strict facility where they were trained since born or arrested as soldiers to fight some kind of monsters and protect the humans. What these monsters are outside Julio's ears, but he can demand Rosenblum what he wants to know now that he is the rightful heir to the throne.

"Now there's just one last person I must acquire for our cleansing." Julio chuckled his callous delight, thinking about the only man capable of protecting their kind with his sadistic torture should the situation arise.

"Lady Angelise…" From her palace's living room accompanying her mother and eldest sister, Misty gasped her horror in a whisper behind her gloved hands when the large Mana screen finished recording the horrible sight of Prince Julio revealing Princess Angelise as a Norma and her mother's accidental death before the Mana screen dismiss at the princess's arrest. Misty couldn't believe it; her school and Iaria acquaintance and rival, an idol to every human of the other nations for her kindness and strong determination for their people, is a Norma, even the first royal Norma in the history of the world. But besides being saddened that Angelise was mistreated by the humans who view Norma as monsters, Misty does not bear their hatred but worried for Angelise, yet she must make her wishes private even when being with her family the second she hears her mother scoffing at her indignation and hold her head with her elbow resting on the armchair. "Unbelievable. Lady Angelise is a royal Norma. What a disastrous day today is."

"And we can't believe how she fooled the entire world from her dirty little secret for sixteen years. What a joke!" Misty's older sister Blair scoffed with a cruel chuckle from her smirk. "And worse of all, she dared make herself Misty's friend and Iaria rival for years!"

Misty lowered her hands off her mouth and whirled her head at her family in shock. She is baffled; they were just giving their wishes for Angelise's baptism to be a success. But now, just from the disaster, her family were quick to insult her arrest on the spot. Misty noticed from looking at the recording that Angelise didn't know that she was a Norma before she was dragged away, so she speculated that her parents kept that a secret from her and possibly Momoka. Other than Angelise, Misty is a close friend of Momoka other than her future love whom Misty hopes will call her as an excuse to leave the room from her family.

Misty felt a ping of a Mana call for her as if upon her private command and smiled in relief for sensing who it could be once she stood up from her seat.

"Misty?" Queen Rosenblum called, curious alongside Blair for seeing Misty standing up while thinking of her reaction to Angelise's true kind.

"Forgive me, Mother, Sister," Misty exclaimed with her eyes closed and her smile attempting to look sincere despite her hidden disappointment for their callousness towards her companion. "I believe Prince Seri Ranka Velda is calling me right now, possibly to talk about something unrelated to Angelise's exposure. Please excuse me." But Misty was about to leave when she stopped by hearing her mother calling her.

"Misty." Queen Rosenblum leisurely climbed off the couch and wrapped her arms around her daughter who froze for not expecting a hug but hurriedly accepted from feeling the warm embrace. "I understand you are trying to be strong from the outrageous revelation regarding Angelise. But since she is a Norma, it is for the best that she must act like one or die like those things. And I know that, once you become Queen, you will hold the highest power to control the Norma to further improve in protecting us from the two creatures that will destroy us."

Inside, Misty's blood churned in shock and anger at her mother's heartless wishes about the Norma's forced lives and deaths by their hands and the DRAGONs, but she found herself unable to speak her heart after she nodded her reluctance and both women broke the hug with Misty giving her mother a sad smile before she sluggishly leaves the room. With a flick of a hand and walking through the hallway leading to her quarters, Misty's Mana screen materialized with a video call showing the man she wished to see and happily converse with other than Angelise and Momoka. If not for his resemblance to his parents and the Velda Dynasty's royalty casual attire, no one would believe that Seri Ranka is from Velda by his fair skin unless they knew the story of the Velda Queen's late husband and king.

"Misty? I hope I'm calling you at a good time." Seri Ranka enquired with a timid scowl, easing Misty's sorrow to smile her sadness for his kind heart that made her happy to have a kind future official fiancé who also felt the same worries for the Norma as she is…if not for the person she believes the two of them are thinking about right now and showed them the truth.

"Yes, Seri Ranka. This is the perfect timing." Misty acknowledged occasionally checking in case any of the staff could hear their conversation. "I just can't believe it…my family spoke ill with my sister laughing just when Lady Angelise was exposed as a Norma, after praying for it to be a success earlier."

"I felt slightly the same as you. My mother didn't think as awful as your family, but still believed that it was a necessity for Misurugi's dilemma." Seri Ranka admitted with a concerned scowl. "But I still think that Angelise and the Norma don't deserve to die for the humans' false peace. We just need to help with whatever we can to prove that no one should have this fate."

'That's right.' Misty mentally agreed. This false peace of the humans bearing the Light of Mana and discarding the Norma to their doom should be stopped. And there's the only thing they can think and pray off that could work.

"Misty? Whatever Sir Rush and Arzenal will plan for Lady Angelise, it will not stop us from helping the Haven in saving the Norma." Seri Ranka declared quiet with the best determined scowl he could muster, so no one from both sides would hear them with Misty stopping in front of her door. Seeing her love attempting to cheer her up and be a strong boy for someone as sheltered as he is, Misty's heart blooms lighter with happiness, making her shed tears of joy. They will do it together with their allies.

"Yes. We shall, for Sir Rush and the Haven."

Away from the mainland but farther from the other islands, known to be a semi-classified nation called the Haven that only the world leaders are aware of its ruler who is also their soldier and its falsified stories and roles, the entire country including their leader and Human Killer, Rush is also happening to witness the baptism through their Mana screens made by their human citizens for their Norma and Ancient Human family and friends, and even their exotic pets all over the Haven. From inside the main base called the Haven Resort, Rush watched the events unfold from Julio spewing the true bullshit of Angelise being a Norma, her breaking a soldier's Light of Mana, and ends with Empress Sophia's accidental death and Emperor Jurai's arrest for the all the Mana footage to disappear out of sight, leaving the citizens reacting in mixed shock for what just happened.

Keeping his composure to be laidback with his bandaged and gloved hands in his coat's pockets, Rush silently muses about this new outcome of the Haven's plans. Since the humans have arrested the royal pain, it means she is heading to the Norma Majeure Force's harbours that will take her to Arzenal by possibly this evening or later. But being the first royal and even the oldest Norma to be sent instead of being a baby or before twelve, Rush can guess that Jill will have a lot on her plate.

'No matter.' Rush shrugged. 'Even if she is a royal Norma, her lack of combat for a spoiled bitch won't help anyone for Libertus.'

The important thing that should be on Rush's mind is waiting for Ammo and Moon from the mission he gave him. Knowing the former, Rush hopes that the little brat will keep his mouth shut and his brain working to spy for something interesting about the baptism worth noting. Even if it's the same as what they were shown, it should suffice…

"What is going to happen?" Rush heard a little girl ask in worry and looked at his side to see the people now murmuring to each other, possibly talking about Misurugi's royal Norma. Even from his position, Rush can see and guess that some of them, including those who originated from their former land in Misurugi look like they find the irony hilarious or unamusing as he feels. "Lady Angelise is a Norma?"

"I don't know what to think about all this?"

"I think Misurugi will leave a heavy blow after this."

"I guess serves her right."

"According to Doctor Voroton, the comatose patient he is taking care of almost had her baby taken away to Arzenal by the princess, calling the innocent child a 'monster'."

"How horrible!"

"But I'm worried about what will happen if the brother becomes Emperor."

"This will be a massive shitshow, huh?"

Not once joining in their conversation but agreeing with those that despise their former birth country for their heartless abusers, Rush's eye furrowed in irritation for something else he thought of that they are reminding him about…too much for him to quickly start his distraction that would surprise the entire Haven Resort's foyer and end their conversations.

BRRRRPPPT!

"C-Commander Rush!?" One of the people gasped in shock, as everyone was not expecting their leader to suddenly pull out a booming sound with his right, bandaged hand holding the air horn and scowl in anger about something, acting unlike what they normally know of the Human Killer who opened their eyes to the truth of their former homes and the Norma and gave them a better life than what they initially got.

"…. That's my 'Shut up and Listen' air horn alarm. See?" Rush casually spoke and showed everyone his hand holding the airhorn's body having the name Shut up and Listen, making almost everyone in the Haven Resort fall onto the floor in befuddlement for his serious reaction unmatching the childish-like trick to silence them. Still, they could see that Rush had an explanation when they gave their full attention. "Guys, and babies. So, what if Misurugi's spoiled princess turned out to be a Norma and the entire Misurugi Empire will go bat shit for how they were 'betrayed'. That won't change the fact that we are still planning to bring this entire world to hell, our way…" Some of the adults and teenage humans and Norma soldiers looked away or each other with mixed expressions but Rush saw that everyone immediately understood and agreed with him.

"C-Commander Rush?" Everyone looked down when the same little Norma girl who first spoke earlier timidly raised a hand and stood behind her human father's legs. "I'm sorry to ask; is the princess helping us?"

"Not sure, little lady." Rush shook his head. "I met her when saving the Norma baby and her mother from being separated, and she doesn't look like the type to help us at the moment."

"Pfft, bullshit. Bullshit." One of the male soldiers behind Rush ad-libbed his true thoughts with a few of the other men beside him hiding their sniggers from the innocent children although Rush glanced at them over his visible shoulder, startling the men who stopped laughing in dread…until Rush mouthed the one thing that almost made them pass out in shock and sigh their relief. 'Agreed.'

"…So, forget about Angelise in Arzenal and we'll work on our operations to give the human world hell…and make up some fun for the babies!" Rush declared to the adults and even improvised to give something towards the children when everyone immediately cheered up from their initial debates and raised their fists in confidence and determination for their future jobs and wrecking fun. "Yes, sir/ Commander!" First watching everyone leave Rush to go wherever they want to go, even waving the happy children goodbye which slowly cheers him up, Rush spots his team walking to the front entrance and back from the Misurugi Empire and the failed baptism.

"Rush, we're back." The Norma brawler of Rush's team, Cynical, greeted with a curt nod as the human medic Hyacinth gave their leader a faintly sad smile. But what Rush noticed the most from their arrival was their youngest Ancient Human member and animal trainer Moon looked distraught and crying tears of fear even when being consoled by his two snakes coiling around his body and neck, Ular the phyton and Hebi the albino snake, while Moon's best friend and technician Ammo expressed a guilty scowl for what must've happened to either Moon or the both of them, immediately worrying Rush without trying to show it.

'Oh fuck…I accidentally reminded Moon of his past.' Rush mentally hissed in regret.

"So far, she was given the first thing of hell of being a Norma." Once he knows that the Haven is sleeping except for him and the night guards in their shifts, Rush stays awake in his office with his attention focusing on his laptop showing the live video call of the person who thoughtfully called him tonight from the one place no humans will not dare visit the home of Norma, Arzenal. Jill, a slightly older Norma woman with long black hair tied in a high ponytail, steel purple eyes, and a right arm from her forearm is a prosthetic, was the youngest Commander of Arzenal ever since she was 17 but Rush knew the true story regarding her role due to their years of working together as long-distanced allies. During the report of ex-Princess Angelise, or now Ange's first minute in Arzenal, Rush noticed how Jill's prosthetic hand from the wrist looked strangely stiffer than the last time they chatted on video, but it doesn't take a genius to guess what happened.

"Can guess what you did to the spoiled bitch, if she almost broke your hand." Rush mused with a dull sneer and a subtle nod towards Jill's prosthetic, sitting improperly with his legs resting on one of the armchairs.

"This? Just giving her a taste of reality." Jill admitted with an irritated smirk. "But it's like wrestling a wild cat kicking like a horse."

"I would say something sexy if not for the context." Rush's joke almost made Jill snigger a cold scoff. "Anyway. Now that you have the royal bitch, does this mean…?"

"Yes." Jill curtly responded with a triumph smirk, as if anticipating a heavy victory in her hand. "With enough training, everything has been set for our retribution. I take it you have something on your end?"

"Not sure if it's good for you." Rush shrugged. "Even before this shitshow, Rosenblum ordered me to go to Arzenal in two days for a one-day inspection of both the facility AND the Inspector. "Jill sneered her indignation but allowed Rush to resume. "I'm planning to go to Rosenblum for further orders while I'll bring my team with me."

"Those damn humans are trying to get into our plans, almost ready to pounce on us if we're not careful." Jill pondered. "At least I'm confident to say that the Inspector will be an easy prey for you. She claims she controls us Norma, but she's nothing but a nuisance making a fool of herself even when she tries to be 'strict'."

"From Senator Bronson howling me like shit the first time, this Inspector's his daughter, right? Being the only human in a Norma death prison would make her more of a stickler in the mud." Rush muttered, finding himself bored about the mission he was unkindly given just because of an assumption by the King. "Knowing the both of us, we won't take too much of our time. I'll talk with you when me and my team will get to Arzenal. Hopefully, I'll get some good news to tell you then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rush," Jill responded with a nod and her smirk bore a faintly sincere tone before her screen ended once Rush slowly closed his laptop shut and stood from his seat with a stretch of his arms and back.

'I better have something good for a change.' Rush thought, heading to his bedroom from one of the doors. '…Even if Angel…Ange grew her brain out and act like a Norma, Libertus would be a go-ahead…. I'll get to destroy this fucking world and its bitch of its god for the hell of it.'

On that night, the entire Misurugi Empire was quarantined by the government to stay indoors due to their traumatised betrayal of who was once their beloved princess. Even the children were deeply affected by the terrible truth that they wouldn't go out of their rooms crying that the parents demanded, and approved, to have them not go to school until further notice once they had calmed down. But to the parents' worry, their children couldn't open themselves to cry for them and that made them furious to blame that monster for ruining their children's initial dreams of serving under her when they grew up. One of these children, trying to be brave despite feeling deceived, worryingly asks his parents if he can visit his best friend who he knows will be distraught out of the two. Knowing their reason for his proposition, his parents agreed to visit their friends with the boy confused about why the mother was gushing with a sad but excited smile for his wish.

"Ah! Thank you all for coming." The mother of the cherry-red-haired girl greeted in relief and allowed the bespectacled boy's family to enter before closing the door, with the girl's father bowing with a worried smile for both their visit and their daughter shutting herself in her room for the failure earlier. "I hope you can stay for dinner."

"Thank you. We love to join." The boy's father softly acknowledged with his frown twitching in concern. "I take it that your daughter is still traumatized?"

"Yes." The girl's father nodded solemnly, looking at the hallway leading to their bedrooms with their daughter's door at their left. "Ever since we witnessed the former princess breaking the Light of Mana, and revealing herself as a Norma, our baby girl ran out to her bedroom and shut herself for the whole day. She won't even leave when we made her favourite dishes for tonight's dinner."

"How could that thing hurt the children?" The girl's mother hissed in anger, shaking her right fist. "We've been loyal to it for so long without realising that it was never human this whole time, and this is how it repays us!? Shattering our children's dreams!"

"I agree with you, dear…" Leaving himself from his parents and his best friend's conversation, the bespectacled boy walked away and stood between the hallway and the living room to think of what to do. He understands that his innocent best friend wished to be like Angelise if not for her dirty little secret, and it affects her the most. And as his best friend, he must do something to cheer her up so that she can be the happy girl he knows and likes. But he has no clue of what to do…

'…Grow up to be your girl's hero…' The boy accidentally remembered what the Human Killer, who saved them from almost getting killed, told him the last time they saw him. Although initially surprised to recall that sentence, it also prompts him the idea he hopes it will work.

"…Excuse me?" The adults heard the boy speaking and looked in confusion at the child using his Light of Mana to raise the couches' pillows and cushions into the air. "I'll clean up later, but I think I have a plan…"

...

"…Hello. Sorry for calling now, but please come out to the living room! I have something to show you!" Underneath her sheets, the girl woke up from crying herself to sleep, after the nightmare she had to witness from her former idol's failed baptism when she opened her Mana screen to see her best friend calling for her from her living room. That may have surprised her to call back, but it also made her a bit better when she was always open to him for whatever problems they had, especially when the Human Killer saved them yesterday. 'I hope his family stays for dinner.' The girl hoped, already smelling her favourite dishes from inside the bedroom through the door when she sluggishly climbed off her bed while tiredly rubbing the sleep out of her red-stained eyes from the tears she shed before she nervously walked out of the bedroom.

It was when she went to the living room and kitchen that she saw the surprise, and it bewildered her.

"Welcome, Your Highness! Your loyal subjects and most trustworthy knight -slash Norma Killer - are awaiting your commands, for you are our true Empress of the Misurugi Empire!" The bespectacled boy, who removed his glasses and slick his hair back with one strand sticking out, announced like reading a script while kneeling to hold his arms wide and present her the pillow and cushion castle he must've made for her. From the background, their parents watch his creation and her reaction with mixed surprise and concern although their mothers are recording them from their Mana windows. The girl knows that she is silent from gawking her surprise towards her best friend's attempt to cheer her up, she doesn't know how to react…until now.

The first few sniffles alarmed the boy and their parents of seeing both their friend and daughter started crying again with her hands shielding her closed eyes, making the boy grit his teeth and stand on his feet about to run towards her when everyone heard her crying tears of joy than sorrow they initially thought. "…Thank you, my knight! As the Empress of Misurugi, I shall protect our dear homeland and our people with my Light of Mana from the Norma who will destroy what we hold dear!"

The boy and their parents immediately smile in their relief and happiness that the former's plan pays off although they watch her turning around and stand behind her best friend, pretending to be afraid while her hand shining the Light of Mana points a finger at the hallway and the opened bedroom door where everyone watches and record the sight of some of the girl's animal plush dolls moving and levitating out of the room in a line, as if the dolls are alive and marching towards them. "Ah, Norma Killer! The Norma is run loose! Please save us!"

"Fear not, Your Majesty! I shall protect you with my sword, my gun, and my life!" The boy happily acted, pulling out one of the rectangular cushions from the gun with the Empress also grabbing out before the adults laughed their happiness when their children playfully screamed their hearts out and lightly swung and whacked their weapons at the Mana-infused dolls flying and almost hitting themselves only to flew away and land painfully on the floor but the toys quickly float back on the air and resume to repeat their playing.

The parents beamed for both seeing one of their daughters now feeling better and how their children play their hearts out, especially when they switched roles for the boy acting as now Emperor Julio and the girl acting as the Royal Guards' Captain Riza Randog, with the mothers recording their plays to send them to the Misurugi Empire as a way to lift their spirits from the terrible event…and maybe convince both their future Emperor and the Human Killer to watch in case the former will use it as a reference for the future.