Yo, wassup, guys! Back at it again with another chapter for ya! We in The New Year, and I just gotta say, I'm lowkey kinda excited. I've got big plans for this year, and I'm hoping to get the first book finished before April. Whether or not I do is up to my lazy ass, so we'll see. Don't got much else to say, so ya'll know the drill: Response to review/comments at the end of the chapter. Let's get into it!
[-Opening Song: Gambling – By: Syudou-]
"My tribe, gone. Desecrated and splintered. I deemed that my existence was meaningless without them, but now I see the truth. I confess to thee, I know not what I have done to wrong you, O' Shadowed One, but my eyes, they are clearer than ever before. Please, I beg thee for forgiveness, and I alone shall give upon thee servitude. My tribe, with yours, we shall hunt this foe eternal, and in turn, my family shalt be spared. Please, I beg thee, allow me penance!" – A terrified bandit clan leader, pleading with The Whispering Shadow, Circa 1005 ABG, 6 months before The Great War.
[-Chapter 17: Dire Straits-]
"DOMAIN EXPANSION: BLACKENED DOMAIN!"
When those words exited Jolyne Brook's mouth, Chinatsu had no idea what it was she was supposed to expect—what could she have expected? That she would be immune to the effects of a Domain because of her Heavenly Restriction—something The Almighty himself went out of his way to ensure that she and anyone of her calibre could have?
For a brief second, she believed that would've been the case. But that belief was shattered the nanosecond complete and utter darkness subsumed her vision. Every building, every bit of rubble, every single bit of life that surrounded them previously was taken up by one immutable thing.
Darkness.
Complete and utter darkness smeared the entire area, encircling both Jolyne and Chinatsu. A miasma of utter abyss followed itself with a suffocatingly overwhelming amount of magic that it forced Chinatsu to cover her face out of pure repulsion. It tainted her very senses, bled into her very being, and assaulted her from within.
The walls, the ground, and the ceiling consisted of a liquid-esque shadow that Chinatsu could feel seeping into her very being. As if it was trying to bury its way into her body using the pores like little leeches. It stung just standing, and even as she tried to move, it was like trudging through snow that was up to her knees.
"What the hell?! I can barely move!" Chinatsu thought, desperation clawing at her very core as a wrathful, hate-filled glare was directed toward her. Then suddenly, without warning, the liquid abyss began to bubble in front of her, as it slowly began to shift, transform, and mould itself into what could only be described as a black tar-like monster.
Glowing red eyes pierced into her very being as the monster formed, arms dripping with abyss, reached up and over the creature's head as Chinatsu tried to jump backwards to avoid the downward swing, only to find that she couldn't jump as the tar-like darkness rooted her to the ground.
Having no choice but to take the hit directly, Chinatsu braced herself as the sludge hand slammed into her body. She could feel the cold, slime-like substance wash over her as she watched her health bar go from full down to half in one attack.
The propulsion from the blow ripped her out of the ground—but not her feet. She felt her skin tear as her legs tore off from the knee down. She screamed, pain tearing through her body like a tsunami ripping through the beach.
It was a maelstrom of pain. Like a never-ending whirlwind of anguish, made worse by the fact that a single blow from the void-made being had chunked her HP in half. She was stuck to the wall of the inky abyss as she desperately tried to pry herself off the wall, to no avail. It was only made worse when the abyssal beast slammed its fist into her stomach, knocking her HP down below half and dangerously in the red.
One more hit, and she'd be dead.
Jolyne was going to kill her.
Chinatsu was ten levels stronger than her, and Jolyne, with a single Domain Expansion, invalidated all of that.
"I know she's a member of The Seven, but I didn't expect her to be this strong!" The problem with being a Paladin was that you were weak to two elements. Void and Metal. Void, because both elements were weak to each other, and Metal, due to the folklore of how Fae and Magical creatures are weak to steel. Because Paladins are so closely linked to magic, more so than even Dreadknights, they were weak to it. The same went for Sorcerers, Wizards, and Warlocks.
Chinatsu prepared for her death. She closed her eyes, clenched her teeth, and made peace with her actions—after all, what could she do? She couldn't move, she couldn't heal properly because the Domain seemingly interfered with that, and the fact of the matter was that she had no allies that would willingly swoop in and save her.
A part of her considered that maybe she'd go to the afterlife with her brother, but she wasn't even assured that. For all she knew, she'd be dragged back into The Well of Souls and be reborn, wiped of her memories of this life, and start anew. Or, she'd simply cease to be. Those were her only options in a realistic sense.
And she dreaded every second of it.
It was at that moment, in the blink of an eye, that the sound of something cutting through sludge reverberated throughout the dark space that separated Jolyne and Chinatsu from the world. What appeared to be a lance pierced through the barrier that was created by the Domain, and not even a second later, the rest of it shattered like brittle glass. The Void Beast splattered into nothing, and the force of the impact blew both Jolyne and Chinatsu away in two separate directions.
Chinatsu slammed against a far-right wall of the cafe, reducing her down to just a single hit point, and as far as she could tell, despite the fact that Jolyne was slumped against the wall in the opposite building, she still was very much alive. Even with the blood trailing down her forehead and down her arms, clearly indicating that the force of the blow must've ruptured her scalp and her back.
If they were regular people, that would've killed them both. But they survived because they were System Users. The café itself looked just fine, minus the toppled tables and the completely eviscerated left wall and windows. Treats and food were scattered everywhere from the shattering of the displays, and she could smell something burning in the kitchen.
"Oh, my. It seems I used a little too much force there… How unfortunate," An eerily familiar, semi-taunting voice reverberated throughout the coffee shop as Chinatsu craned her head up to stare at someone whom she had never wished to see ever again.
Long, platinum white hair, haunting crimson red eyes, and a youthful complexion and appearance that betrayed the hundreds of years worth of knowledge that lurked behind those damnable eyes. They exuded power the likes of which that Chinatsu had only ever seen once, and it was due to the same person.
She was wearing a loose-fitting white dress, held together by a thin black string tied at the front like a kimono. Over her shoulders, however, was a black haori with skull motifs and a golden necklace with a diamond skull hanging off the end of the chain.
In one hand, she held a lance. In the other, she held what appeared to be a golden staff with a crimson jewel levitating atop it. Chinatsu's system recognized both of them as Mythic Tier weapons, and the only time that she had ever seen them was when the woman in question made a statement to The Japanese Government to leave her alone.
That statement had been the complete eradication of Jabberwock Island in one fell swoop. Subsequently, that was the day that Chinatsu had left The Dark Triad and swore that she would be the end of the woman before her.
But that was before she had been beaten within an inch of her life by said woman.
And now, that woman—the very woman who was capable of destroying clusters of islands with a single magic attack and the very woman who was nearly responsible for her first brush with death—was saving her life.
"My, my. Chinatsu Oma. How did I know you were the reason for this little spat?" The ear-grating, annoying, infuriating, but also somehow irresistible voice of Makaria Plutos rung throughout the small coffee shop—or what remained of it—as Makaria stared down at Chinatsu with that same condescending glare that she always gave to those who she viewed as lesser.
"Save me the bullshit," Chinatsu spat as her legs finally began to heal, and her HP finally began to refill. "What the hell do you want?"
"Why, isn't it obvious?" Makaria questioned, though it was more of a rhetorical question. She gestured over to Jolyne and smirked. "She has the power to free up the rest of my power—incrementally, of course, but I digress. If you kill her, how can either of us become stronger than our pre-destined limits?"
Suddenly, her expression became deathly serious. She grabbed Chinatsu by a tuft of hair and forced her to her knees, a scowl taking up her visage. In a rather heavy, seemingly Russian accent, she spoke, "I have awaited this moment for as long as I have dwelt in this pitiful realm, lamb. I shall tarry no longer. Be thankful I do not rend thy soul from its paltry little shell, thou ruinous pest."
Fear drenched Chinatsu's expression as tears began to well in her eyes. With a haphazard toss, Chinatsu found herself thrown into several tables and knocked over chairs, a sharp pang of pain thundering throughout her body as she groaned, all the while the seething, hateful glare that Makaria cast upon her was still ever present in her mind.
Makaria's eyes darted from her to the prone form of Jolyne's boy toy—Hajime—to which she frowned. Sato was pressing a cloth to his wound, and Hajime looked deathly pale, his breathing shallow. Without so much as a word, Makaria strode over to Hajime's body, knelt down next to him, and seemingly pulled something out of her inventory.
In her hand was a red vial. Without saying a word, Makaria opened the boy's mouth with her pointer and ring finger before popping the cork off of the vial with her thumb and pouring the red liquid down his throat. Hajime coughed and sputtered, but nonetheless, the colour seemed to return to his face rather quickly, and his wound patched itself up. Sato was left dumbfounded, her mouth opening and closing several times—frankly, that was appropriate, given how well they had kept magic a secret.
However, now that things have been ramping up, unless The Government says it's all nonsense and pushes that idea constantly, magic will eventually be outed. People who don't deserve it will try to find it. Maybe the Kuzuryu Clan will, too. Chinatsu refused to acknowledge this, though. They were already menaces, and the last thing she needed to think was that they would turn out to be even worse.
Hajime gasped as if brought back to life—even though he had still been alive. Though, she supposed she had brought him close enough to death to where it didn't really matter. "Tell me, Chinatsu. Was it you who attacked this innocent civilian?" Makaria questioned, not turning to face her but still facing the two NPCs.
"Why do you care? Besides, Hajime shot me, so I—"
"It was a yes or no question. I did not ask for specifics," Makaria cut her off, her tone of voice stern. Chinatsu's lips formed a line as she tensed, a sense of dread washing over her as she suddenly felt a hand grasp her shoulder. She hadn't been paying attention, but Jolyne had gotten up. In her right hand, 3F, and that glare in her eyes had not left.
Before Jolyne could do anything, though, Makaria, in the blink of an eye, snatched the weapon out of Jolyne's hands, causing her to stagger back in shock. "Hey!"
"Don't "hey" me, little lady. I came here to stop you both from killing each other. Besides, your boyfriend is alright. I gave him a little pick-me-up. Any wounds that he's had over the last ten years will have disappeared, as well as the resulting side effects of those wounds," Makaria stated rather plainly as Jolyne blinked, seemingly taken aback.
Makaria inspected the weapon, looking it up and down as she frowned. "A barely upgraded Epic Tier Weapon. Granted, it's a Multiversal Weapon, but still. Even if this one is about as strong as a Legendary standard weapon, that still doesn't change the fact that you've chosen to leave it hardly upgraded is rather foolish. Or, have you simply not found any Upgrade Stones?"
"I haven't been doing a lot of grinding, okay?" Jolyne muttered, annoyance painting her visage. Makaria frowned, her eyes gleaming with what could only be described as pity.
"I see. Well, it's not that important. What is important is that whatever stupid dispute that caused this is over. For as long as I live, I will not have two System Users fighting one another over a petty grievance that, had someone been more attentive, would not have happened in the first place." Makaria stated matter-of-factly as she shot a glare at Chinatsu.
Chinatsu, in response, scowled, slowly standing up as she did. "Are you seriously blaming me—"
"Was it not I who forewarned you of such a thing being possible with that vengeful brother of yours?" Makaria interrupted, one hand placed on her hip as the other laid slack at her waist, her lance vanishing into thin air. "Need I remind you that I have fought The Frenzy for over 1,000 years? I know its tricks; I have seen what it does to people. I warned you that if you did not get a handle on your brother, he would fall to the flame. If you are looking for anyone to blame for his fate, look only to yourself and not the person who put him out of his misery."
"What are you people?!" Sato screamed, staring at the group of three, panic and fear clearly apparent in her eyes. For her troubles, she was rewarded with Makaria casting a sideways glare, which made her freeze in place, all of the colour draining from her face.
Around the same time, Hajime slowly sat up, rubbing just underneath his chest as he groaned. Hajime glanced around the café, looked at Jolyne, Chinatsu, and Makaria, and let out a nervous chuckle. Makaria's eyes wandered to him and smiled.
"Ah, if it isn't the victim of this little predicament between two very stupid children. Hinata Hajime, correct? I heard you were being promoted to the main course at Hope's Peak! For what it is worth, congratulations," Makaria said as Hajime blinked a few times.
"Do I… know you?" Hajime asked as Makaria's smile turned into a toothy smirk that unnerved everyone else in the building.
"No. But I certainly know you, young man. In fact, I know just about everyone in this city—neigh, this country and beyond. Frankly, you should be honoured that I came out of hiding to rescue you and stop your girlfriend from going mad," Makaria said, glancing over back at Jolyne. "Speaking of you. We need to talk."
"We do?" Jolyne said, tilting her head ever-so-slightly to the left as Makaria snapped her fingers. As soon as she did, a pop-up appeared in front of Jolyne. Much like the time that the other Multiversal System User, Jamol Anderson, had sent her a friend request through whatever kind of strange network was bridging the systems together, the pop-up appeared different.
On each side of the pop-up were what appeared to be Roman-inspired pillar-esque designs, along with leaf rings at the tops and bottoms of the screen. Within the text box, it displayed a friend request and a request to join her "party," whatever that meant. However, if she had to guess, if it was like the game that "she" played, it was similar to that.
Without moving a muscle, she accepted the invite and friend request. The moment she did, she could see more information about the individual who had interrupted her one-sided beat down of the feckless little bitch who dared to ruin her date with Hajime.
[Makaria Plutos – Lvl: 150, Touched By Shadows and Death]
[Age: 500]
[Storyline Progression: 75%]
[Remembrance Bosses Killed: 5/7]
"Huh?" Jolyne thought, confusion taking up her visage, much like it had time and time again when it came to this person. How could she be further into the "storyline" of this world? She guessed that each person had their own story and plotline that they followed in whatever world they showed up in. It made sense, given that if that wasn't the case, then that would be rather stupid.
There was also the fact that Makaria had lived for over 500 years. That was both awesome and also terrifying. Not to mention her title… She probably had to do a lot of things in order to earn that title. Made worse by the fact that she had shattered her Domain in one blow. Granted, it was only a rare spell, and while it was powerful, it clearly didn't even come close to matching Makaria's level of power.
Which only made Jolyne more terrified of just how powerful this woman seemed to be. Her Blackened Domain was her strongest spell at the moment, and for it to be undone so quickly and without her so much as breaking a sweat gave her the impression that making her upset was a bad idea.
"Um… why are you two staring off into nothingness? Are you guys… psychically communicating?" Hajime's voice broke Jolyne out of her thoughts as she snapped her attention to Hajime, who was now fully standing. He looked both confused and also slightly annoyed. She didn't blame him. Being stabbed wasn't fun.
"Hm? Yes, we were. My apologies, Hinata-san. That was quite rude of me. I came here for two reasons. The first was to stop this little quarrel between these two women," Makaria said as she gestured to both Jolyne and Chinatsu, the latter of whom looked more than a little annoyed. "The second reason was that I need to borrow your girlfriend for something. I'm sure you two can pick up where you left off another time, can you not? This is a very urgent matter that needs to be dealt with now."
To that, Hajime sighed. "Not that I have much of a choice in the matter. That, and… whatever mood there was, is gone now. Sorry, Jolyne," Hajime said, his tone solemn. Jolyne went to say something, only for Hajime to walk out of the café. If she wasn't mad before, she was certainly mad now.
She glared at Chinatsu, fury still present in her eyes as she scowled. "You miserable little whore. I hope you're proud of yourself," Jolyne spat as Chinatsu snarled.
"The fuck did you just call me?"
"You heard me!" Jolyne yelled. "I don't know what your fucking problem is. I've done nothing to you, and neither has Hajime. You're lucky this random lady showed up, otherwise I would've had you dead to rights. Next time, you won't be so lucky."
"There will not be a next time," Makaria pointed out, crossing her arms, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Now, we must go. There are things that we must discuss." Before Jolyne could protest, she suddenly found herself in a room full of monitors and surrounded by darkness. There was a desk with several buttons labelled in what appeared to be some kind of foreign language that not even Mono could translate, as well as name certificates hanging on the walls.
From newest to oldest, some of those names were:
Hanako Maizono – 1977 – Present Day.
Charlie Winchester – 1963 – 1976.
Sarah O'Neil – 1955 - 1963.
Kaoru Hisakawa – 1910 - 1954.
Sandra Wilhelm – 1885 - 1909.
Brigitte Dieffenbach 1834 - 1884.
Clementine Agunsdei – 1789 - 1833.
Hye-Jin Yun – 1701 - 1708.
Anastasiya Nevermind 1634 - 1700.
And that was just the ones that hung up on the wall. Jolyne had no doubt in her mind that she was potentially older than what was displayed to her. Although, there was one name that she recognized on that list. One that had actually taken her aback. "Maizono…?"
"Yes, I am her mother. What of it?" Makaria said, sparing Jolyne a glance.
"Just curious, that's all. Your name is Makaria, but here it says you're Hanako. I take it you're trying to blend in?" Jolyne asked as Makaria hummed in acknowledgement. She didn't say anything else about the topic—not that there was much else that needed to be said.
"It goes without saying that you know about The Flame of Frenzy," Makaria began as she switched the topic of conversation. "However, what I'm sure you aren't aware of is the cult that is responsible for its presence. It was founded all the way back in 1819 by a man who went by the name of Kamakura Izuru, the very man who founded Hope's Peak Academy."
"So that's… Almost 300 years ago," Jolyne muttered, her eyes widening at the revelation. "But, if it's been here for so long, how come the world hasn't been "melted away" as Kokichi put it during my battle with him?"
"Because, in times past, I've been the one to stop it. However, in my last bout with the previous Lord of Frenzied Flame, I was overpowered and undermined by it. Something that I didn't think was possible. Had it not been for some last-second assistance afforded to me by one Jamol Anderson, I would've met my end."
"Jamol… He was here?"
"I take it you know Jamol?" Makaria asked as Jolyne blinked, taken out of her thoughts.
"We talked once at The Roundtable Hold. But aside from that, I know nothing about him."
"I see…" Makaria said, frowning. "Regardless. He was able to kill the last Lord of Frenzied Flame with that "Bankai" of his. However, if my observation is correct, with every successful Lord killed, the next one becomes stronger. Which, in part, leads me to my, and now your, current problem."
Immediately after Makaria spoke, she snapped her fingers. Several monitors lit up, displaying the image of a girl who seemed to be about Jolyne's age, possibly a year younger. She had strawberry-blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Her hair was styled in twin-side ponytails, held in place by two bear-shaped hair clips.
It was merely a portrait of the girl, but even then, Jolyne could tell just by looking at the blank-faced picture of the girl that she was clearly something to be wary of; if not for because her eyes reflected damn near nothing. Not even a hint of light shone within them. Almost like they were fake.
"This is Enoshima Junko. For the purposes of this conversation, she is our common enemy. And while it will be a long while before I believe she'll be relevant in your case, for me, she has been nothing but a thorn in my side. I tell you this information because I believe it is in our best interests if we work together to take her down," Makaria said before shrugging her shoulders. "Of course, you can decline, but—"
"That would be stupid, yeah, I figured," Jolyne said, sarcasm dripping from her words as Makaria smiled.
"Good. I was worried you'd be stupid. Most other System Users who I have met here were just that, and they wound up dead." As Makaria said that, Jolyne felt her pride and ego shatter at the snide remark. "But that aside, Junko is our enemy. She is the current Lord of Frenzied Flame and, by far, one of the most powerful ones. Second to only the first, that being Kamakura Izuru."
"And I take it that's a big deal? Mono, my system, has told me some stuff about what a Lord of Frenzied Flame is, but he refuses to elaborate," Jolyne said as Makaria raised an eyebrow.
"Your system is sentient? My, that's… rather interesting. I knew The Seven were an Elite Class due to their ability to gain infinite power, but I never would've suspected that their Systems are sentient beings," Makaria muttered to herself before dismissing the thought with a wave of a hand. "Regardless of that, albeit useful bit of information, we should remain focused on the topic at hand."
"Regarding Kamakura Izuru, from what my research has given me and from when he and I first battled, he told me his reasons for becoming The Lord of Frenzied Flame. In his own words: "Mine only aim is to uncover the truth. What our realm is and what it shall become. Shouldst thou seek to hinder my path, I shall have no choice but to lay thee low with the sword." What I find the most interesting was that, unlike those who came after him, he was completely sound of mind."
"He didn't sound like it," Jolyne quipped as Makaria frowned.
"You were not there when I saw him. Most Lords of The Frenzied Flame speak in rhymes, hymns, and mantras, and they babble about wanting to burn the world or have a general air of aloofness that purveys their every movement. But Kamakura? He was the true embodiment of someone who not only could control the flame but keep his sanity."
"Is that possible, Mono?"
[I will not lie to you, Jolyne. There are very few who have ever existed who were able to control the flame. One such individual, albeit barely, was named Vyke The Dragonspear. However, at the same time, he wasn't fully clasped and was still psychologically impaired. Some System Users have become The Lord of Frenzied Flame, and they retain some of their mental faculties, but they are still insane. Personally, I do not believe what Makaria is saying.]
"And you're sure he kept his sanity?" Jolyne questioned as Makaria crossed her arms under her chest, her expression uncertain.
"I cannot claim to know that for a fact. But, from our brief encounters, I am certain his mind did not give way to the flame. Not to mention that, out of all the other Lords of Frenzied Flame, I was not only unable to beat him when I was at my proverbial strongest both in power—of which that has not changed in the years since—and in technique, but he was, as I said, able to live long enough to found Hope's Peak Academy."
"Back in the early 1800s, when the academy was founded, it was not called Hope's Peak Academy. It was called The Kamakura Institute. It was founded on the principle that scholars came from around the world to study their fields of interest and expand their knowledge. At the certain of this, The Three Fingers and The Flame of Frenzy were the main reasons for the knowledge they had."
"Izuru had been able to probe the flame for as much knowledge as possible before his death. However, according to the cult that was built around him after the fact, he had made a deal with The Flame. That deal was that, so long as they were on this world, and so long as his bloodline remained, it would not destroy the world," as Makaria said that, she glanced back at the monitor with Junko's face on it. "As is obvious, that did not pan out."
As Jolyne stared at Junko's face on the monitor, the more she began to be creeped out by it. It was almost painful to look at. A scowl took up her expression as she glanced over at Makaria, avoiding looking at the picture of Junko. "So, Junko wants to end the world. But what does all of this have to do with me now? Like you said, this isn't relevant to me, and if I had to guess, it's because I'm too weak."
"Yes, you're right. You are too weak at the moment. However, what you aren't too weak for, is dealing with its spread," Makaria said as the screens behind her changed to that of a map labelled "Kuzuryu Clan Compound". Jolyne blinked, confusion taking up her visage as Makaria continued.
"One of the places that need to be cleaned, primarily due to it being fully compromised save a handful of people, is The Kuzuryu Clan. My informants on the inside have noted that the compound was infected with The Flame. They were as well, and as such, they committed suicide to prevent themselves from going mad, so I have no idea how bad it has gotten."
"That being said, while I would love to go in myself and deal with them, it would not be fair for me to steal away all the EXP for someone like yourself and Chinatsu. So, I propose a solution," Makaria paused briefly before snapping her fingers once again, only this time a pop-up appeared. The pop-up was labelled "Guild Join Request."
[Guild Join Request]
[Join "The Dark Triad" ?]
[Creed: We Serve The Dark, and Obey The Shadow]
[Minimum Level Requirement: 30]
[Join?]
[Y]/[N]
Jolyne stared at the pop-up, her expression becoming contemplative. She looked at the offer, then back to Makaria. Back to the offer, then back to Makaria. She did this a total of three times, and each time, her expression never changed.
Frankly, the idea of joining a Guild was never something she had even considered possible. Though, given just how many System Users there more than likely were, she'd have to assume that there had to have been a way to make sure they could communicate properly. This was more than likely that way.
Staring at the offer at hand, Jolyne found herself conflicted. On the one hand, being in a Guild meant she could have allies at her beck and call when need be—assuming they weren't busy. But, on the other hand, it would mean being subservient to someone else. And if there was one thing that Jolyne did not like, it was having to listen to someone else.
So, with that in mind, she pressed [N], which shocked Makaria. "You don't wish to join? Think of the upsides. You would have access to my information network, and you'd have access to me as an ally. Not to mention all of my other employees who are strong in their own right. Why turn it down?"
"Simple. I hate having to follow orders," Jolyne replied bluntly, crossing her arms as she tapped her right foot impatiently against the tile floor of wherever it was that she had found herself. Makaria's expression grew tight with frustration as Jolyne continued. "Don't get me wrong, you seem like a nice lady. But at the same time, if I can hardly get along with Mono, a being attached to my soul, what makes you think I'd get along with you if you suddenly became my boss?"
"And, suppose you're not being given a choice? What then?" Makaria asked as Jolyne's eyes narrowed.
"Then I don't care how powerful you are or what kind of influence you have. If you try and bind me to some kind of contract or deal, I'll kill you. The only person who I call my "boss" is Lucifer, and that's only due to circumstances beyond my control. But if I ever have the chance to, I'm breaking off whatever it was that made me become his servant," Jolyne stated matter-of-factly, which prompted Makaria to glare at her.
Tension quickly built in the air, and it became apparent that Jolyne had offended her. But even then, she was undeterred. Granted, she was scared. Undeterred but scared. She knew she'd stand no chance in battling her, but she couldn't give the impression that she was afraid of her. If she did, like a predator to prey, she'd probably see that as an opening and go in for the kill.
And given how her eyes were gleaming with some kind of dark blue energy….
Makaria sighed. The power that appeared in her eyes disappeared as she leaned back in her chair, placing her hands in her lap as her frown became more pronounced, bordering on a scowl. "Very well. I respect your decision. However, I must say, you've made a very foolish mistake, Jolyne Brooks. One that, in the distant future, I know you will pay for dearly." And then, with the snap of her fingers, Jolyne found herself back at the café, which was now swarming with police.
Upon noticing her presence, they all turned to face her, and if it hadn't been for the fact that she knew they were going to act as if she had always been there, she would've panicked. "Civilian, you need to get out of here. This is an active crime scene."
"R-Right away, officer!" Jolyne said, bowing, before sprinting out of the café. As she did, she passed by Sato, who was sitting with a white towel wrapped over her shoulders, staring dejectedly at the ground, shivering all the while. She was sitting on the curb, and to be honest, she looked kind of pathetic.
As she walked past, Sato chose to look up at that very moment, and as soon as she did, she glared at her. To say that there was vitriol in that glare was an understatement. Jolyne pretended to ignore the glare and kept moving past. That probably wouldn't lead to anything good in the future, but it wasn't as if Jolyne particularly viewed Sato or anyone who was a regular human as a threat.
As she continued further down the street and made her way to the train station, Jolyne was just a few seconds away from entering the terminal when suddenly her phone began to ring. She had kept it in her inventory, but she could still hear it ring for convenience's sake—something Mono did after she had asked her to.
Her ringtone had been set to one of Cherry Pop's new songs per Kotoko's request, though the name of the song illuded her. Regardless, she pulled the phone out of her inventory—and as she did, she noticed that her weapon was back in her inventory. How that happened, she didn't know but wasn't going to question it—and looked at the caller ID. If memory served her correctly, it was Komaru Naegi's number that was calling her.
"Did something happen?" Jolyne thought as she frowned. She guessed it was almost time for her to be home, so maybe that was what this was about. Answering the phone, Jolyne put it to her ear and just as she was about to speak, Komaru spoke.
"Ms. Brooks! Please come home! I don't know what's going on; people just barged into your house, claiming to be with the PSIA! They're saying that Kotoko is a trafficking victim and that you're the one who's behind it?! I don't believe it but I need help, please! I-I—I got shot, my shoulder feels numb, and I can't move my arm! They took Kotoko! She was screaming and crying, and I-I don't know where they went and I—"
"Calm down!" Jolyne hissed through the other end as she processed the information, though she was mostly telling that to herself. She didn't know what it was with today, but it was shaping up to be worse than the day that she dealt with those DICE people. First, Hajime nearly dies and her date gets ruined, and now this?
Her blood was already boiling, and she was already having a hard time controlling her anger. But this? This was it. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. It was one thing to mess with her, but it was another to take her little sister from her, even if that was a new arrangement.
Even though Kotoko had only recently entered her life, Jolyne quickly became attached to her. Something about her made Jolyne want to protect her with her life—after all, small children had that effect on people regardless of who they were.
What made this worse was that Kotoko had been, for all intents and purposes, home alone with a stranger. She knew Komaru wasn't at fault for this happening, and she knew that if she had just stayed home, there was a good chance that Kotoko wouldn't have been taken, but she digressed.
Sighing heavily as her frustration simmered, she narrowed her eyes, hung up the phone, and teleported back to her apartment without so much as hesitating. In a flash of light, she appeared at the doorway. As soon as she entered, her eyes fell upon Komaru, and as soon as she saw her, she felt a pang of guilt in her chest.
She had indeed been shot. Not once, but twice. Once in the shoulder and again just below her chest. How she was alive, Jolyne didn't know. Her best guess was that she was lucky, and both bullet wounds hadn't hit her anywhere vital. That didn't stop her from looking paler than a ghost, though.
"Mono, get me a healing potion. I don't care if it costs me money, just give it to me. Now."
[Understood. I will remove 5,000 Yen from your current wallet. One moment… Potion deposited.]
She had been banking on that being an option, and she was lucky it was. In the blink of an eye, a red vial appeared in her hand, and Komaru stared at her with a mix of confusion and awe. She didn't say a word after that; she simply knelt at Komaru's side, popped the cork, and forced the liquid down Komaru's throat.
She coughed and sputtered, but by the time it was all said and done, her wounds began to heal. Komaru sat up, wiping at her lips as she shuddered. "What the—"
"What did those guys look like," Jolyne interrupted, not giving her a chance to ask whatever question was on her mind as Komaru blinked, staring at her semi-incredulously.
"Hold on, I've got questions too!"
"And your questions don't matter at the moment," Jolyne bit out as Komaru flinched. "My sister just got kidnapped by a bunch of people. What did they look like?" As she said that, Komaru shot her an accusatory glare.
"How am I supposed to believe you?! I mean, they looked official—"
"I will not ask again. What did they look like," Jolyne all but snarled, flashing her fangs for a brief second, and that finally made Komaru back down. She hated the scared look on Komaru's face, but she really didn't care about morals or anything akin to that right now. Komaru was just as confused and scared as she was, but she wasn't nearly as furious.
And right now, the only people who deserved that fury were the people who kidnapped Kotoko. Komaru just so happened to get caught in the crossfire, and that wasn't fair to her.
"T-They left an hour ago. T-They knocked me out, so I-I—I don't remember," Komaru said as Jolyne surged up to her feet and spun to face the counter to hide her ever-increasing expression of anger. In a fit of blind rage, she slammed her fist down on the marble countertop and shattered it into pieces, smashing through the counter and destroying the wooden part that kept it standing.
That was when she saw the state of her apartment. The loveseat was overturned, and her TV was on the floor—and if she had to guess, it was probably broken, too. Her PlayStation didn't look any better, either, sparking and with what appeared to be a dent in the machine. Her bedroom door was kicked down and lying off its hinges. She could only imagine the fear that Kotoko must've felt….
And that made her even more furious.
"Mono. Track them. Now."
[Jolyne. I cannot track someone without a description.]
"Then track Kotoko. I don't give a fuck how long it'll take. I want information, and I want it now. Those people are going to die, and I don't care who they are or who their allies are."
[Very well… Tracking Kotoko Utsugi…] As Mono did that, Jolyne pulled money out of her inventory and threw it at Komaru, who barely caught it before it fell all over the place. She stared at Jolyne, but Jolyne paid her no mind. She was more focused on what she was about to do.
"M-Ms. Brooks—"
"Go home," Jolyne said curtly, as once again, Komaru flinched. "I don't blame you for what happened if that's what you're wondering. I'm sorry you went through this. I should've known that something like this was going to happen the moment I left. If anything, I'm mad at myself for not seeing this coming."
And that was what was most frustrating about this whole thing. All she wanted to do was have a simple, fun day with Hajime. That was it. That was all that she had asked for. But she guessed that she wasn't allowed to have a break. Any time that she wanted to do something, the world seemed like it was going to crash down on her.
She felt a sense of déjà vu, not because this current scenario had happened before but because it was familiar in itself. She finally had some downtime and was able to do one thing for herself, and then suddenly, without warning, life came to slap her in the face and remind her that she wasn't allowed to have nice things.
Though to be fair, she did have two weeks of freedom. So maybe the world was being nice to her. After all, the human mind has a tendency to only focus on the bad rather than the good. But that was neither here nor there.
"H-How did you get that… that… thing that healed me? A-And you have fangs! T-Those are not normal!" Komaru stammered as Jolyne frowned, her eyebrows knitting. She hadn't thought of that. She couldn't just say that she had used her blood to heal her because, for one, that wasn't how being a vampire worked. And two, it had manifested in her hands without having existed prior.
So, she'd have to expand on her lie.
"I'm a magical vampire. I can convert my blood into vials that heal people, on top of other things," Jolyne said, her tone of voice firm. She cast a glance back at Komaru, whose eyes were the size of saucers.
"M-Magic is real?!" Komaru exclaimed as Jolyne sighed.
"Yes, it is. I—"
"Can you teach me!?" Komaru dropped down to her knees, hands clasped together as she bowed her head. Jolyne was taken aback, and had she not reeled herself in before blurting out something stupid, she more than likely would've snapped at Komaru. She had more pressing matters to deal with than this.
Her frown returned, though it was far less resolved than before. "I'll think about it. Now, go home. Leave. I'll…" she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'll let you know if I decide to teach you or not." "Assuming I even can."
"O-Okay!" Komaru said, standing up as she swallowed down something. Maybe nerves. She was probably terrified right now and had been more than likely looking for something to distract herself from what had to have been a rather traumatizing moment for her. Imagine being called to do a babysitting job and then suddenly, without warning, being attacked by a bunch of randoms claiming to be with the PSIA.
Mind you, Jolyne didn't believe that. Not even for a second.
Without so much as another word, Komaru left Jolyne's apartment, and as soon as she did, Mono finally came back with the results of his search. [Kotoko Utsugi found. Location: Utsugi Estate, 1 hour away from current location. Vitals: Nominal. Status: Terrified. WARNING: Location is designated as Challenging Tier Dungeon for Story Progression. Enemies include: Kuzuryu Clan Hired Help and 1 Mini-Boss. Proceed with teleport to the entrance of the Dungeon?]
"Do you even have to ask?" Jolyne growled, and as soon as those words left her mouth, she found herself standing outside of the gates of a massive off-white mansion with what appeared to be two floors, maybe three if the three windows at the top of the floor were anything to go off of. With the flick of her wrist, 3F was in her hands, which she switched into its halberd form, and as soon as she did, she slammed the sharp end of the weapon into the gate in front of her.
Metal screeched as 3F ripped the gate from its hinges, her armour now replacing the dress she previously wore. With 3F slung over her shoulder, she advanced toward the Utsugi estate's front entrance, fixated solely on the thought of murder.
Oh, the things that she'd do to these people; she should've killed Kotoko's mother when she had the chance. This was clearly her doing. There was also the fact that the Kuzuryu Clan was aiding the bitch, which only made her more furious. Though she couldn't say, she was surprised.
Assuming what Makaria said was right, these people were compromised with The Flame of Frenzy. That more than likely meant that they weren't thinking straight. And as much as she didn't like using The Flame of Frenzy as an excuse to mow down hordes of people, what with DICE being a perfect example of that, this was a lot more personal than what DICE had done.
While DICE were a bunch of maniacs who attacked Hope's Peak, and while she still had a hard time sleeping knowing that Himiko Yumeno's death was completely unnecessary, she knew that she wouldn't feel that way toward these people.
For a split second, she saw out of the corner of her eye that the dungeon was recommended for those level 30 or higher. Considering she was level 42, she knew she was going to be fine. She was a whole 12 levels higher than the recommended level.
As she approached the front door, while she was overlooking her spells to make sure she wasn't screwing herself over, she noticed Blackened Domain had a cooldown of three hours. As annoying as that was, it made sense. If she could spam it, it more than likely would be higher than Rare. She swapped it out with Void Snatch and put Blackened Domain into her extra spells slots.
Once that was done, she placed her foot on the center mass of the double door that was in front of her. Her eyes narrowed, and as soon as she lifted her foot an inch away from the door, she slammed it down with all the strength that she could muster, throwing the doors off their hinges and turning them into nothing but wooden fragments and bits of metal from the doorknob and locking mechanism.
She was greeted with a wide open foyer, easily about the size of twenty-five of her apartments stacked side-by-side. The floors were tile, and the center of the floor had a flower pattern etched into the floor. There were several chandeliers dangling from the ceilings, all of which were made of glass, and there were two staircases on the opposite ends of the foyer, along with a massive door in the center of the elevated section of the foyer.
Two more doors flanked the lower section of the foyer, and the same was true about the elevated section. The walls of the foyer were an ugly shade of pink and white, and there were several posters hung up with what appeared to be plays that she had to assume that Kotoko was a part of, given that she was staged front and center.
She was a child actress.
In an instant, everything clicked into place. Although it didn't improve the situation, it clarified things. It shed light on Kotoko's mother's desperation to reclaim her. Additionally, it revealed how she could afford not just this mansion but also a security detail as costly as the Kuzuryu Clan's.
And speaking of them….
Men and women dressed in all sorts of attire, ranging from professional to casual, alongside strange dragon badges on the left sides of their clothes, turned to face her. All of them reached for their weapons upon seeing hers, as a sadistic smirk took up Jolyne's visage, her eyes glowing a sinister shade of green as a black aura began to waft around her body.
She gestured toward the group with a "come on" motion, as, with her words dripping with venom, she spat out the words, "Bring it, bastards!" Without hesitation from either party, Jolyne rushed forward and met the army of Kuzuryu Clan members halfway.
No one was going to come out of this building alive.
No one but Kotoko and herself.
She'd make sure of it .
[-To Be Continued-]
[-Outro Song: Paradisus Paradoxum – By: Myth & Roid-]
And that's about it. Don't have much to really say other than the obvious. So let's get to that, shall we?
[Response to Reviews/Comments]
(Qoutev) Sunky Addict: You're welcome! Also have another cliffhanger :)
(FF) Aiden: Neigh, I say. I will prove you wrong! Or not… It's already halfway through January. Who knows. We'll see!
(Ao3) void_boi1: Well, you weren't wrong. It was more of a one-sided stomp. Though, that's to be expected. It was a Domain Expansion.
(Ao3) Shine375: Well, she did shatter her pride and ego, so I guess that counts.
(Ao3) JustSomeoneCooler: Hope you liked it!
(Ao3) WilburDrake: It still kills me that I'm being compared to Gege Akutami. That's wild. Also, to be fair, Chinatsu didn't really have anything to counter Blackened Domain. Like, yeah, Chinatsu is stronger than Jolyne, but due to how Blackened Domain functions (basically a more perfected version of Chimera Shadow Garden, minus the Shikigami) she didn't stand much of a chance. Now, had Jolyne done anything else, it would've been a much fairer fight.
(Ao3) Kolt: LMAO. That's all I really gotta say. I guess you really are cursed. I wonder if it'll be the same this time? Hopefully not. Have a wonderful day, Kolt!
Happy late Holidays to everyone. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas or what-have-you, and I'll see you all in the next update! Peace!