Grimoire of Evangelion

by Traitor of All Traitors

Five years before the rise of the first Wizard King, there existed a royal family of the most unlikely sort. A family of nobles that believed all were capable of greatness, no matter who they were. They were hunted down and driven away from the kingdom, forced to await the day when they could return. That day...is now. The noble House of Ikari...rises once more.

44. Make It Hurt

Creation began on 03-15-22

Creation ended on 09-20-22

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Grimoire of Evangelion: Make It Hurt

A/N: It can mean many things to many people.

Asta was learning new things about Anti Magic that he didn't know before due to its lack of knowledge from the Clover Kingdom. There was also a different connection between Anti Magic and anti-birds that he didn't realize would be a boon in his training. The fact that Guardian knew and revealed it to him made Asta look at these birds with different eyes.

"Anti Magic can attract anti-birds in a manner that is similar to a trained animal," Guardian expressed to Asta after asking him to try and extend his Anti Magic out as far as he could. "The more anti-birds you can attract, the more you can influence them with Anti Magic. Think of them as an extension of yourself. Your arms, your eyes, your ears."

It wasn't just that level of Anti Magic that was another advanced form that he was learning, but also how to imbue other objects with Anti Magic in order to assimilate them into his grimoire, effectively creating Anti Magic versions of them for his own use without having to rely on the original source for later on. He had tried this form of Anti Magic on several smaller objects, such as a broomstick and a set of chains, eventually graduating to a larger object to imbue with Anti Magic, like, despite Guardian's insistence that he start smaller since he was still learning, one of Charmy's Sheep Cooks.

"I can't believe he was able to do that to one of Charmy's spells," Noelle expressed, surprised that Asta now had a Sheep Cook of his own comprised of Anti Magic.

"Not exactly what I meant by having him start small…but impressive," Guardian stated.

"My Sheep Cook," Charmy uttered, surprised by this turn of events.

"Give it three days, and his grimoire will regurgitate your Sheep Cook after it has been fully assimilated with Anti Magic."

Soon enough, in the middle of the woods, Asta was attracting several anti-birds that came flocking towards him.

"Oh…" He shuddered as he realized something; Guardian had neglected on telling him how to influence these birds with Anti Magic. "Oh, no!"

But it was already too late. They had surrounded him. In less than ten seconds, he was reminded of the day of his entrance exam into the Magic Knights over a year ago.

"Aaaah!" He screamed as one of the anti-birds pulled hard at his left cheek.

-x-

"Did any of you hear a scream just now?" Shinji asked as he held his pole arm defensively in front of Suki, Noelle, Grey and Gordon.

"Nope," Suki replied, holding up a pair of daggers with rope tied at their ends. "No, wait… Yeah, I do now. Hey, Guardian, are you sure Asta will learn to control anti-birds without your guidance out here?"

Guardian, who was standing behind Shinji, responded, "No, but he'll find his way if he stops trying to do so and just does so."

"But what's to keep Yui Ikari from targeting him if she decides to target other Magic Knights that she decides are a potential threat to her?" Noelle asks.

"First of all, Asta, like the rest of you, aren't high enough in the Magic Knight ranking system to be an actual threat yet, despite your impressive rise in both spells and magic power," Guardian explained what he believed to be an adequate reason for Yui to ignore Asta, "and second of all, Yui Ikari, no matter how twisted she has exhibited her lack of morality and respect for other people's personal space…isn't a threat without Harbinger acting as her enforcer, and he's still vulnerable to Anti Magic, which gives Asta the advantage; so long as there's even a small assumption that Asta has risen up by even a small margin of what he's capable of, not just the fact that he, like the majority of you, is an Intermediate-level Magic Knight, those two will keep their distance. And thirdly…probably the worst thing to assume on any level…is that Yui may not even target Asta out of the belief that he's a threat to herself."

"Why wouldn't she target Asta if he's a threat?" Gordon questions.

"Humans have demonstrated something they refer to as spheres of influence, where, even in small gatherings, a few within the many are affected by whoever is the one with the ability to influence their behavior in ways that can be both a bane and boon to others within the many."

"Okay, you've lost me," went Noelle. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"It means that my mother may not even have it out for Asta," Shinji states, "just like how she may not have it out for you, or Grey, or even Captain Yami. The person she'll actually want to go after…is me…but not directly."

"You mean, she'll target anyone and everyone associated with you," Grey realized. "But that's insane. If she wants to come after you, there are other ways to do so. Why…why come after those you know?"

"To tear me down. To bring me down to her level. Ever since she was revealed to be the one responsible for the decimation of the Spade Kingdom and the massacre of the majority of its population, she's only got Harbinger as an ally; nobody else wants anything to do with her, not that it matters to her when she wants nothing to do with them. And…probably…yeah, probably…I wouldn't be much of a threat to her twisted goal for the rest of this world if my entire squad was affected by her actions."

None of the Black Bull members were the slightest bit pleased to know what Yui had aimed to do against them when she became able to. The removal of all magic in existence, forcing people to do things without any form of magical assistance, to be unable to do anything that was woven into their very culture, their very existence, not a single member could imagine a future where they would want to live like that when it was all they knew and were passionate about. And to know that the enemy was the mother and younger sister of two of their own members, it didn't help to know that they were bothered by this turn of events, either, as they were upset the most by her twisted behavior.

"And she made a conscious decision to do all of this?" Gordon asks, making sure he understood. "Nobody forced her to go down this path she's on?"

"Harbinger didn't need to influence her at all," Shinji told them. "He can only side with someone that's dead set on doing what they know they shouldn't…and are willing to go to extremes to do so. Then again, this is who my mother is. This is…who she's always been. It's no wonder she's such a stranger."

-x-

Clash! Tenshi locked swords with Excalibur as they trained in the woods just outside the Golden Dawn HQ.

"You're angry," Excalibur told him.

"Of course, I'm angry," Tenshi replied. "Who wouldn't be angry. My sister's a monster."

They both jumped back from each other and raised their swords at each other's head.

"She wants to get rid of magic, to make people conform to her perception of how the world needs to operate. She refuses to walk away, even though that would be the better choice to do, simply because she thinks this is something she has to do to help people. Except she's not helping anyone. And worse, much worse, she threatened Suki and I with death. In front of Shinji! She crossed a line there! She blames us for her assumption that Shinji has turned against her, which is utter bull! We never poisoned him against her. I mean, there's no way we'd do that. He didn't know anything about her, even from people that associated with her, and we told him what we knew about her. Even his own father wouldn't say anything meaningful about her to him, and he's the bastard that married her."

"And you're wondering what you must do to stop her if she manages to succeed?"

"I know what I gotta do. I just don't like the possibility of having to do it if she doesn't stop her agenda. Do I hate Yui? Yes. Do I want her to stop? Totally. But do I want to kill her? No. Even if there was a small part of me that wanted to do her in, that would be only as an absolute last resort when reasoning fails. And I don't want to have to do so in front of Shinji…or even have him know that it was I that did so."

They ran towards each other again and blocked each other's swords.

"Then, what will you do?" Excalibur asks him.

"Whatever I have to in order to help stop Yui," he explains. "Capture her, cripple her, lock her away, send her away, whatever it takes to defeat her."

"But if it came down to it…could you really kill her?"

Tenshi sighs and pushes Excalibur back, disarming him.

"If she refuses to stop and walk away, and if she kills more people…then I won't have any choice to put her down like a rabid dog," he confesses. "It wouldn't even be a mercy killing. It'd be to protect the people from her and Harbinger."

Excalibur then accepted his defeat and knelt before Tenshi.

"Remember what your mother told you about dealing with people that cross lines," he told him before fading away.

"Yeah," he agreed with Excalibur. "But even that is brutal."

-x-

Rika wasn't one for invading her children's privacy, but when she looked inside Yui's bedroom, she didn't expect much of anything to be found in there. Within the room, there was nothing to be found…because it was empty, devoid of anything specifically relating to the woman that had once lived in the house. With the exception of the meager furniture (bed, desk, chair, dresser, etc.), Yui had nothing to indicate that she was ever here in Hage. Even if Rika were to look under her daughter's bed or inside her closet space, she doubt she would find anything that would say something about Yui.

Then again, I never really knew Yui to begin with, she thought as she stood by the windows in the room. She's like her father, choosing to keep things from me. Now, she's making me think terrible things of which to do with her because she's crossed the line where she either has banishment or execution as her only options. All she had to do was say something. Even if nothing worked out for her here, she still had a life back in that country she helped maim that she could resume.

Sighing, she turned away from the window and back to the door, walking around the furniture…that she had tossed around in a minor fit of rage towards Yui…and closed it as she left out of the room. If Yui had abandoned most of them in favor of her own ambitions that were poisonous to the rest of the world, there was a flat chance of her ever coming back to this house.

Dammit, Yui, she thought as she sat back in the living room, out of everyone, you're the only one that has to be problematic. It's like you have a defect in your life and you can't tell anyone that can help you to fix it so you can move past it. And you threatened us in front of Shinji. What, do you have to do terrible things just to feel like you have our attention? Do you have to hurt people just to get some sort of satisfaction out of life? What is wrong with you? What the Hell is wrong with you?"

-x-

Even if people were looking for her, there was little they could do to stop her. All that was missing was Shinji and Unit-01, and she would acquire them in due time. As she monitored the kingdom from the safety of her Steel Sanctuary, Yui pondered how to lure her son to her after she removed all of his…unhealthy attachments in this despicable world. Unfortunately, her ability to track people within the kingdom was limited to parts she had already been to, as she didn't know where Shinji resided in the Black Bull brigade…and she wasn't going to waste her time looking for him; while Harbinger knew where to find him, Yui didn't want to bother with something that was likely to end in an echo of what happened when he decided to taunt Guardian with his new form and augmented abilities derived from the Dark Triad and the devils they were contracted with. Not to mention that Harbinger was ticked about something devil-related so Yui had him go vent his frustration over the issue by going over to the Diamond Kingdom…and straightening things over there…while, hopefully, bringing back some new material for herself.

A devil that can manipulate temporal phenomena, she thought as she saw several people walking down the streets of a village in the Noble Realm. The strongest member of this group of devils that used to run the underworld. And yet, they are prohibited from entering this world of mortality unless contracted with a human or are able to open these doorways between the two realms. Rules and restrictions that keep them in check…but even they're a threat to what I'm trying to do here. To ensure a brighter future for all of mankind, anyone and everyone that is a threat must be removed from the equation. Devil, magical spirit…and even another person that simply doesn't get that this isn't how people were meant to live. In the end, this will all work out.

One of her displays of the Golden Dawn HQ, she saw several of the brigade's members speaking to her brother, who looked like he had gone through another intense training session that might've been overdoing it because his face looked worn out.

"…Any idea how long Vermillion will be in the hospital until she's fit to return to duty?" She heard Klaus ask her brother; it must've been assumed that Tenshi would likely know of Mimosa's current status.

"I don't know when she'll be back, or even if she'll come back," he responded. "My sister put a curse on her that we don't know what will do to her, and we can't remove it if we don't know what it'll do…and I wouldn't blame Ms. Vermillion if she didn't feel safe coming back here after Yui was here. She has a tendency to take the safety out of certain places. Makes me want to smack her across her head for doing what she did to her. It doesn't matter how smart she thinks she is; she won't escape the consequences for kidnapping and exploitation. They still like to hang people for capturing nobles, don't they?"

"The Magic Parliament prefers to execute people by firing squad," Yui heard the only peasant member utter, his face inexpressive. "But will Yui Ikari live long enough to face the consequences of her actions?"

"Either she walks away if banished by the people, as she's not safe for anyone to be around if she hates magic…and anyone and anything that doesn't meet her preferences…or she faces a fate worse than whatever she can imagine. I can see that some of you aren't considering letting her live to see old age…and I don't blame you; I wouldn't let her live to see her fiftieth birthday if I wanted her out of the picture here."

"But can you kill her?" She heard Siren. "You're your family's current patriarch. Can you do it if she persists and endangers more people. I get that she's your sister and your nephew's mother, but after the Spade Kingdom decimation… I have my doubts that she's the type of person that will even be talked out of doing whatever it is she aims on doing."

"Exile or death," Tenshi told him. "Those are her only choices if apprehended. Still, I'm not the only one that wants to decide her fate. If any of you find her before I do, what happens is up to you…but there's no shame in fleeing if she's with Harbinger."

"Are you that fearful of this Harbinger?" She heard a different female member of the brigade ask her brother.

"I haven't fought him on my own personally, but Guardian of the Void is right about not facing him alone. He's taken the power of three devils belonging to the highest tier in the underworld, along with the power of the Dark Triad; whatever they were all capable of doing, he's now capable of doing, but to a greater extent…and he's not gonna fight fairly with anyone. Worse if you possess a power that he decides that he wants for himself. He'll just kill you and take it."

"Yeah, you go ahead and tell them whatever lies you want to about me and Harbinger," Yui uttered, and then looked at a different monitor displaying Hage; just because she didn't go there, anymore, she wanted to keep tabs on where her mother resided in the village known more for three things (four, if she included her family): The giant demon skull, the peasant boy with the four-leaf clover grimoire…and the other peasant boy with the five-leaf clover grimoire referred to as the Black Clover or whatever it was that her mother and brother were so knowledgeable about. "It doesn't look like anything has changed in that backwards village. Hmm? What's Mother up to?"

She looked and saw Rika walking down a road to where some men were working on some farmland…and was offered a rake by one of them…and started helping them on the ground.

"Why do you come here every week to help around the village, Ms. Ikari?" One of the men asked her. "It just seems…unnecessary of you, being a noble and all."

"Because I choose to," her mother responded. "I'm not someone with the kind of life that requires people to wait on me, hand and foot when I can do something on my own or offer my assistance to those that appreciate an offer of more assistance. Yes, I am a noble. I can't change that part of my life…but I'm not a selfish person; I don't walk around in dangerous situations like they don't affect me…or when something goes wrong and I have someone take the blame for me instead of owning up to it. And…why be seen as only a noble when I can be seen…for what I do instead of what I am?"

"It's only one of your daughters that is guilty of what happened, in this kingdom and the Spade Kingdom," another farmer said, "but nobody's really at fault, except for the one that chose to harm others and act like they're untouchable. And I wouldn't refuse an offer of assistance from anyone that wishes to help. And to be honest, ever since your family returned from exile and chose to relocate here instead of residing in the Noble Realm, things here have been livelier. Before, we were only known for the demon skull and Yuno receiving the four-leaf clover grimoire. But now, there's that and Asta being revealed to have a form of magic that existed for centuries that nobody alive today really understood until after you returned and revealed it us. And then, there's your daughter that looks around your grandson's age and your grandson himself; they joined the same squad of Magic Knights as Asta…and the whole lot of them seem like they're stronger than the other brigades in the kingdom, and they were known only being troublemakers. Why would they choose the Black Bull when they could've chosen the Golden Dawn or the Crimson Lion or even the Blue Rose brigade?"

"Suki, the eldest out of my two daughters that looks like a teenager as a consequence of my rejuvenation spell, chose the Black Bull because she made a choice to stick with Shinji, and Shinji chose the Black Bull because he's not looking for an easy way to his own path to greatness. He wants to work his way up the mountain at his own pace instead of just getting to the top or middle without actually putting in the effort. Why start at the top when it's easier to begin at the bottom and work your way up? And he confessed to me, as he did to Suki and Tenshi…that being a Magic Knight was the first time he ever really enjoyed something that he did. Before, he was doing something that he didn't want to do, that made no sense to him because he was being kept in the dark by both of his parents, who were both of them hiding things, from him and everyone else. Now, Shinji's afraid that, because of where he found his mother hiding from everyone else, she's trying to pick up where she was made to stop when we all got here last year. And if so, then Yui really is trouble."

It was the first time Yui heard her mother refer to her as being trouble. How could she say that about her? This was who she was, plain and simple, just as she and her siblings were who they were. To hear her mother consider her to be trouble…was just an insult to her pride. It made her want to remove her from the equation…like everyone else that endangered her plans for the human race here.

"Why is she really doing all of this?" Another farmer asked Rika. "Why did she attack a kingdom that had innocent people being harmed by tyrants…only to kill them with most of everyone else with some monster?"

"According to what was discovered by Ms. Vermillion and my children and grandson, Yui doesn't believe that anyone should be capable of magic, that it's a fantasy we need to cast aside in order to embrace the future."

"But that's not up to her! She can't just come here, into our lives, into our homes, and tell us what to do, how to live! If she hates magic, then she should just leave!"

"Yeah…she should…except she won't. Not unless she's forced to."

"I'd sooner see her cast out of the kingdom than to see it stripped of all magic! This is a world where magic is everything. A woman…or anyone that hates magic…shouldn't be here if they have a problem with the way things are done. When the people come of age and receive their grimoires, they can't wait to do great things in their lives. Some want to travel around while some aim to be Magic Knights in the hope that they may one day become the Wizard King. That's a great ambition for any person to have."

But Yui found this to be a waste of time and potential for anyone. It was nothing but a fantasy that needed to be put out to pasture in order to pursue realistic goals.

These are nothing but empty dreams, she believed.

"I don't support any of what Yui has done," Rika told the farmers. "If I have to choose between my youngest child's ambitions that endanger the people of the Clover Kingdom and the Clover Kingdom itself, the land of my birth and where I made friends, found the love of my life, suffered through three childbirths, had four children, lost family and friends, had to endure the hardships of leaving and spending over fifty years in another world where magic didn't exist and where mana felt like it was being devoured in excess by what was done over there…while over fifteen-hundred years passed here…but called out to my family and I, yearning for our return like a lost piece to a puzzle…then I choose the latter over the former. I choose the Clover Kingdom."

"Then you'll pay for your lowly fantasy, Mother!" Yui yelled, upset that her mother would hold onto a senseless fiction that served no purpose for the future.

-x-

"…Everyone, get up!" Shinji heard Yami yell outside his quarters. "Whatever you're doing, drop it!"

Shinji yawned as he got out of bed and went over to his desk and picked up his grimoire before opening the door.

"What's going on?" He heard Luck ask as he came out into the hallway, followed by Gordon.

"We just received a call from the Diamond Kingdom," Yami informed them all as they gathered in the parlor area. "Harbinger showed up and began attacking the people there, and they called for aid."

"We need to go, then," Shinji stated, trying to shake the last bits of sleep out of his eyes.

"Shouldn't we change first?" Suki asked them; most of them were not in their daywear right this moment to be out due to it being nighttime.

"A Magic Knight should be able to protect and serve the people, no matter what their current state of dress is," went Guardian to them, "even in pajamas."

Finral opened a portal that would take them to the northernmost town in the Clover Kingdom: Kiten; as of late, since his squad's victory over Vetto prior to the Seabed Temple and its aftermath, Finral decided to expand upon his ability to get to and from places in addition to boosting his mana reserves and eventually developing some offensive spells. But to get to the Diamond Kingdom, they would have to travel across the neutral territory where the natural mana was intense.

"Let's go save who we can save," he told them.

-x-

Watching the devastation through Harbinger's eyes as he caused people trying to run away from him to burn to ashes or be buried under rubble, Yui sighed as she thought the same way about these people from the Diamond Kingdom as she had about the ones from the Spade Kingdom: She viewed their deaths as a necessity for the future.

I'm only letting Harbinger do this because I care about mankind's future, she thought as she saw Harbinger rip a man in half. In the end, this is all necessary for the people's benefit. We'll be better off without any of these ridiculous beliefs.

Suddenly, Harbinger was hit in the side by something that exploded on his right.

"Ah-ha-ha!" He chuckled. "I was wondering when someone would try to fight back."

Yui, through Harbinger, saw a young man with light purple hair, a muscular body, dressed in black and white clothes, and wearing pieces of crystal like a suit of armor.

"Get out of our country, you wretched beast!" The man told Harbinger.

Harbinger jutted out a spear of bone from his back and aimed it at the man.

"Make me, human," he responded.

-x-

"…What is that thing?!" The Diamond Kingdom monarch demanded from his advisors as one of the Communication Magic mages broadcasted the scene of the onslaught taking place to one of the few villages within the country.

"We don't know, sir," one of them replied. "We have never seen such a creature as that before."

"But it's about to face one of the Eight Shining Generals," a scholar stated, pointing out to the young man standing up to the beast. "We'll have it disposed of in due time."

They all watched as the man charged towards the creature that was Harbinger, who merely knocked him aside with the spear of bone it had.

"What in the name of…" The scholar questioned, seeing the man get back up and summon a large blade of crystal to attack the creature, only for it to block with the spear of bone like it was barely strong enough to move it back by two feet. "That's…not possible."

"You're strong for a human," the creature uttered, surprising them by being capable of speech. "Unfortunately, I've fought better."

Pierce! The young man was then skewed by seven spears of bone that protruded from the creature's back.

"Aaaurgh!" He groaned.

"You should just die now," the creature told him, and then tossed him aside over some burning rubble. "Who is next?"

"Where are the other generals?" The monarch asked.

"On their way to the creature," the scholar revealed.

-x-

Flying towards the scorching lands of the Diamond Kingdom, seeing several other Magic Knight squads heading there, Shinji, atop Guardian with Suki sitting behind him, could see the devastation that looked as though it was spreading for miles in all directions.

"I can't believe Harbinger is capable of all this," he expressed.

"This is insane," shouted Magna on his Crazy Cyclone with Asta and Noelle. "This is utter madness! What is there to gain from this slaughter?!"

"Absolutely nothing," answered Guardian.

From afar, the Black Bulls present could see only flames and people either fleeing or dying.

"Guardian," went Yami, hovering on a dark cloud of magic, "where do we find Harbinger in all of this destruction?"

"He starts in the center of anyplace he unleashes chaos, but then advances toward wherever those with strong levels of magic can be found, killing and destroying whatever is in his way."

"Meaning he's likely heading towards this kingdom's monarch?" A female Magic Knight from the Blue Rose asked as she came by.

"Yes…and no."

"What do you mean?"

"Harbinger attacked the Dark Triad, a bunch of people that have no ties to royalty, whose magic was augmented due to contracting devils. If there was a monarch in Spade, and they had more magic than those around them, he would've went after them."

"But if it's just a bunch of nobodies with augmented magic…" Noelle went.

"That's right," Guardian said. "He'll make do with their magic."

"Is there…any way to…draw his attention away from the people here?" A male Magic Knight from the Crimson Lion asked.

Guardian thought about it for a good three seconds…and then asked, "How many Magic Knights that came tonight are good at ramping up their mana?"

"What?" None other than Nozel Silva questioned, confused by what Guardian had asked.

"A mana lure? Heightened mana attraction?"

These were words that made no sense to those that didn't understand them.

"You mean, a mana beacon, don't you?" Charlotte Roselei asked.

"Yes."

"What is that?" Asta wanted to know.

"Mages gather together and then raise up their mana from their reserves, letting it all out like a geyser of magic," Magna stated.

-x-

Harbinger stood before a large building that resembled a castle, but had seen better days on account of the disrepair of its entire structure. But since it was going to burn down with the rest of the Diamond Kingdom, anyway, he wasn't the least bit put off by its appearance. Not when he could sense the presence of magic within it from the handful of mages and a ruler that felt like they were in poor condition. Once he had done away with the minions that protected the ruler, along with the ruler themselves, the entire kingdom would be as good as useless without any structure. Nothing breeds chaos like a loss of order.

"Diamond Kingdom!" He bellowed. "I am Harbinger! I am here to cast your end! The worst is yet to come!"

Inside the castle, the monarch ordered his personal guards to go out and deal with this creature. All he had were thirty men that were capable of varying degrees of Steel, Stone and Crystal Magic…but there was doubt that they could stand up to this Harbinger when a Shining General barely stood a chance. But they were better than nothing when he was in declining health.

Harbinger was about to shatter the front gate with his Gravity Magic when he suddenly felt the presence of mana far greater than what was in front of him from afar in this country.

"Oh?" He went as he raised his head up, sniffing the air, sampling the measures of magical attributes they were responsible for. "Ohh…how delicious. I haven't tasted mana of this magnitude since the day I was summoned into this world. And it's stronger than the wretched fools in this building. Oh, well. I can always come back for desert if there's anything worth taking from here."

Using his Gravity Magic, he levitated off the ground and into the air, going to this source of mana that got his attention.

"Harbinger, what are you doing?" He heard Yui ask him.

"My attention has been redirected," he answers her. "Perhaps Guardian is trying to get my attention. We got history, he and I, and something like that…with an old wound like the one he gave me…that takes precedence over all else right now."

Even if he and this woman were after the same thing here, Harbinger couldn't let go of his hatred towards Guardian; their rivalry, their bitterness…was a fog of war between salvation and damnation that neither wanted to have sway in the favor of the other. And he was stronger now than he had been before. Even if Guardian had a hundred people helping him, these Magic Knights from the Clover Kingdom were divided, scattered in what they did what they believed to be the right reasons. None of them were likely able to work together without some sort of issue getting in their way of cooperation. It was another reason he found that made him look down upon humans as one of the worst races he ever encountered; they were so divided, so desperate to control what couldn't be, and were unlikely to let go of their pettiness for the sake of those that depend on them.

Yui had to take that into consideration with Harbinger; she was predominately the brains of their venture while he was the muscle necessary to make their goals a reality, but he was also independent of her when it came to making personal decisions. They worked together, but neither could take control of the other. It had to be, as much as Harbinger could resent it for being such, a symbiotic relationship; they both had to benefit from this pact. If neither couldn't, then it was just a parasitic relationship; one of them trying to control the other more than necessary.

"Just don't let your feud overtake our goal," Yui told him. "Get rid of the Magic Knights if they're with Guardian, but make sure Shinji's spared."

"Understood."

He didn't need to ask what would happen if her son persisted in trying to stop him. It was expected of the boy to fight back and protect these lives that had no value. But so long as Yui needed her son to achieve her goal, he was off limits…but so long as he was partnered with Guardian, he was an enemy…and he hated not being able to get rid of someone that was paired with Guardian.

Where are you hiding, Astaroth? He wondered as levitated towards the mana source. Lucifero and Beelzebub were one thing, but without the devil associated with Time Magic, my hold on the other forms of magic will begin to falter. Gravity Magic keeps them within my body while Spatial Magic slows down their diminishment as they try to seep out. Time Magic will make it so that they'll remain a part of me indefinitely…and I'll be strong enough to take out Guardian and his allies permanently.

From afar, he could see the glowing forms of several humans. A rather impressive display. And as he got closer, he could tell their attributes were mostly elemental with just a handful of non-elemental attributes. The closer he got to their location, the more he suspected that the mages present were just a desperate attempt to get his attention.

Slam! He was on the ground in front of several Magic Knights, but only a handful of them were actually of any degree of impressive to him.

"Ha!" He laughed at them. "Ah-ha-ha! Ha! You're the ones that drew my attention away from the decrepit monarch of this tarnished land?! I commend you for doing so, but what good does it amount for you?! My storm of flames has claimed over forty-thousand and I'm still counting the sick and elderly that are too weak to raise a finger!"

"We'll stop you before you kill any further," said a man with silver hair in a style that made him stood out, and Harbinger saw two others behind him, a younger man and a woman, both with silver hair in odd styles that made them stand out.

"Heh! Silver hair, haughty expressions, magic potent enough that it feels like a knife going through one's flesh," Harbinger spoke, just as several tentacles made of bone protruded from his back. "The descendants of the man that initially summoned me. The House of Silva, the so-called sworn enemy of House Ikari. Even to this very day, you hold onto a hatred that is its own curse upon you and the land you protect. And yet… Oh, my. There's only three of you that possess this hatred. I thought there was another. Maybe they died from your own disgust."

"What are you doing here?" A man in red robes with a mark on his head demanded of him.

"Why, I'm cleansing the world of its impurities, and humans are a part of those impurities," he answers. "All of existence in a land of tangibility is chaos in and of itself. Everything from weeds to people are a plague of discord that festers unchecked…and I am the solution to this madness. I am the cleansing to your wretched existence."

A young boy stepped out from the horde of humans and brandished a pole arm in front of him.

"So, you hate anything and anyone that thinks and moves for itself," they spoke, "and your final solution is to kill us all? That's just pathetic."

It was Yui's son, meaning that Guardian was also present among them.

"If only killing you would be easy," Harbinger expressed. "Unfortunately, you're off limits."

Suddenly, a stream of spiraling flames came from out the distance at Harbinger, setting him ablaze in front of the Magic Knights!

"He ain't so tough!" Someone expressed, and then the flames around Harbinger died out, revealing said creature, still standing, unscathed.

"Fire Magic from a member of one of the royal families," he sighs. "How pathetic! And fire is one of the four elements that you humans have used since time immemorial, but you wield it the same way that you wield the darkest of powers; you have no respect for it, thinking that as long as you possess it, you're above reproach. But none of you are above reproach."

Then, one of the Silva siblings from the Silver Eagles conjured up a serpent of water and assaulted Harbinger with it! But Harbinger's Gravity Magic dispersed the serpent into droplets.

"Is this really the best any of you can do?" He asked them, and then pushed his gravity upon them a little, forcing them to fight back from collapsing onto the ground as they each felt like a tremendous weight was upon them. "I gotta be honest, I expected better. You might be strong enough to attract me, but when it comes to organization and strategy, you people are far from impressive! And Yui Ikari's the ones that sees y'all as a threat because of what you can do?! Sometimes, I think what scares her about any of you is your devotion to what she calls a fantasy that you can't give up! I don't blame her, though; if I had met you foolish mortals the first time I got here, I'd hate you just as much then as I do right now."

He watched as Shinji slowly got back up to his full height, albeit with difficulty due to the increased gravity, and started to walk towards him.

"It's hard to believe," he spoke, "that my mother's afraid of people…simply because of what they've done for lifetimes. Of course, hearing it from someone that works with her…is up to interpretation…since I don't believe a word you're saying about her… Anything either of you say…could be anything…but the truth."

Harbinger raised the gravity further upon Shinji, trying to slow him down, and was met with persistence. Whether it was because, as Yui had informed him, he was trained by his uncle, or because he dealt with some other threats and got stronger as a consequence, Harbinger wasn't sure…but it impressed him enough to see someone with very little association with his own family's nobility, probably due to his lack of parental bonds, was able to fight against the gravitational force he gave off when he had expected him to give up. He was starting to suspect that Yui, despite her own reasoning that her son was likely to back down if shown enough authority held by someone much greater than himself, like one of his parents and Harbinger himself, didn't really know what to expect from her own kid if he refused to help her carry out her agenda. As much as he accepted her goal to save these humans because it coincided with his own goal to destroy all tangible forms of life, he didn't enjoy the opposition too much.

"Oh, would you just drop to the ground already?!" He demanded of Shinji. "Your bones should be fracturing under the pressure!"

Shinji, no doubt feeling like his bones were breaking under the gravity, raised his pole arm up as high as he could, aiming at Harbinger. Since it was also capable of Anti Magic, it could inflict some damage to Harbinger, but Harbinger refused to be harmed by any Anti Magic tools or weapons, especially Guardian, who was like a living weapon.

"You Magic Knights are a major pain in my… Aaaurgh!"

Pierce! Something sharp and heavy stabbed him in the back, and he used his Body Magic to generate an eye on the back of his head to see.

-x-

"I'm guessing this creature doesn't understand the concept of someone being a decoy," went Asuka as she and the others looked at the picture of Shinji standing up to Harbinger, who was distracted from the presence of Tenshi and Asta, who got behind him and stabbed him with their swords.

"If only he could show such persistence when facing an Angel," said Ritsuko as she looked at another photo of Harbinger being free of the swords and in the air.

Rei then turned the page and revealed a new photo depicting Yui in her hideaway, standing in front of a large Evangelion that resembled Unit-01, but with different aesthetics and a crooked horn (A/N: Basically, Unit-13 from the Rebuild of Evangelion film series) that gave off a sense of dread to her.

"Shiest, she's really committed to her agenda," Asuka stated, not liking that Shinji's mother seemed more focus on building Evas than trying to have a relationship with him.

"It's sickening," added Kaji, unsure of whether to pity Shinji or the people his mother openly despised simply for existing.

In another picture, they could see Yui standing before a series of pit-like indents in the ground, filled with an orange, fluid-like substance.

Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki's eyes widened in awe of the woman's detail to memory in recreating and expanding upon her hideaway to include specific locations that were identical to the actual ones.

"Unbelievable," Kaji uttered.

"Totally," added Asuka.

"Monstrous," Rei expressed.

"I hate it," Misato stated, and then turned the page.

-x-

Make it hurt

Gravity Magic seemed powerful and beyond what people could do, but once they learned of how Harbinger was using it, it was simple enough to employ a strategy that may have only worked once against him. That was where Tenshi and Asta came into play; while the other Magic Knights were raising their mana up to lure Harbinger to their location, the two would stay out of hiding and wait until the moment presented itself to sneak up on Harbinger and stab him with their swords.

"…So…Shinji says you give good advice when you trained him for the entrance exam," Asta told Tenshi as they hid under a rock. "You're…really amazing."

"Thank you," he replied. "Shinji told me how you want to be the Wizard King someday."

"Yeah. I want to be the greatest Wizard King and help my family back in Hage."

"Your family?"

"The other orphans I grew up with, Father Orsi Orfai and Sister Lily."

"Along with your rival, Yuno?"

"Yes."

"Heh-heh. To become the Wizard King…is to truly become greater than you believe yourself to be capable of becoming. You have a long and challenging road ahead of you if we all survive this issue with my sister and Harbinger. I hope you reach that goal."

"Your sister, Shinji's mother… Does she really hate magic?"

"That's what we were told by Ms. Vermillion…and what Yui herself told us sparingly when we came to get her away from her…along with making it known how little she cares about us."

"But that's crazy. How can she hate magic…but seems willing to use it to hurt others? That makes no sense at all. And if she can return to wherever it is you were all living at for hundreds of years, why won't she just leave?"

"Commitment. Once she has her mind set on something, she won't stop until she finishes. Tenacity…but in her case, it's worse because…whatever she sees that she feels is what's wrong with everything…she won't stop until it's been resolved however she feels is the right way to deal with it. In this case, a world where magic is everything…is a world that she views as being wrong…and removing the magic from everything…is a world made right."

"But that's horrible. Everyone thought I couldn't do magic, but I never once thought of taking magic from anyone. And then, your family came along…and I found out that I could do magic. It was the happiest day of my life to hear that revelation. The day I got my grimoire, the day I became a Magic Knight…and the day I learned of what I could do…those were all my happiest days because I…I knew that I could get closer to my goal."

"I can't predict the future, Asta, but I look forward to seeing a Wizard King that specializes in Anti Magic someday. Let's deal with Harbinger first…and see how far you can go to reach your dream in a world we want to protect."

They started feeling like the hole they were hiding in was heavy in the air; that was a sign that Harbinger was close by.

"Wait for it," Tenshi told Asta as they reached for their sword hilts. Damn, this mana is twisted.

"This creature is giving off some awful ki," Asta whispered.

"Yeah." Tenshi quietly looked out from under the rock, seeing Harbinger's back with the tentacles of bone protruding from the sides. "Three words, Asta: Make it hurt."

Asta nodded as Tenshi slid the rock out of the way. They leapt out of the hole, pulled out their swords, Tenshi with his Katana of the Void and Asta with his Demon-Slayer and Demon-Dweller Swords, and stabbed them as deep into Harbinger as they could.

"Aaaaurgh!" Harbinger groaned as an eye protruded from his back to see their faces. "Rrrraaurgh!"

Asta wedged his Demon-Dweller Sword as deep as he could before he was forced to back away from Harbinger, hoping that it would cause the most harm due to its ability to absorb magic.

"You…fools!" Harbinger roared as he tried to reach for the closet sword, which was Tenshi's katana. "You think you can kill me with some swords?!"

He grabbed the hilt, but received a surprise from doing so.

Tenshi, not leaving anything to chance, had installed a Trap Magic spell on his sword.

Flash! A streak of poison spread across the arm and to Harbinger's neck.

"Haaurgh! Haaaurgh!" He felt like his throat had been set ablaze.

"Fire Poison Trap Magic," Tenshi told him. "Unmerciful Grace."

"You really think your cheap parlor tricks will impede me?! I am older than humanity! I have laid waste to civilizations far more advanced than your outdated cultures! And every time, it was done with one notion above all else: To restore balance by removing the arrogance of all tangible existence. You won't be able to defeat me. I will slaughter all that oppose me!"

Harbinger grabbed the hilt of the Demon-Slayer Sword and pulled it out and tossed it aside.

Asta raised his left hand up…and the discarded sword flew right into his grip.

"Anti Magic, the one thing that has always given me a hindrance and the people that can use it," Harbinger continued, using his Body Magic to generate three more arms that grabbed the hilts of Tenshi's katana and Asta's Demon-Dweller Sword. "Every other form of magic is useless against me. It wouldn't matter if you had a thousand mages that can perform magic associated with the elements. I am beyond any of you. Aaaurgh!"

Extracting the swords, he cast them aside and levitated off the ground again.

Asta recalled his Demon-Dweller Sword and could feel it had siphoned off a measure of the magic power Harbinger possessed, but it was all twisted up.

"I don't think he's weak enough to take on," he told Tenshi.

Suddenly, Harbinger's body began to glow, looking like it was being covered in some sort of armor. The glow lasted for ten seconds…and when it ended, he was covered from head-to-hoof in dark blue armor.

Shinji's eyes widened as he recognized the way the armor looked. There was no way to deny that his mother was in league with this heartless creature, not when he had seen armor like this enough times to dislike it. The armor, despite looking like it was tailored to Harbinger's form, was modeled after the armor designed for the Evas.

It's like her work is all she cares about and wants everyone to see it, he thought. The only thing missing are the ugly shoulder pylons.

"Now, try to impede me again," Harbinger dared them.

"Attack!" Someone from the horde of knights yelled, and all of them took charge.

Well, most of them; the ones that could see that a head-on approach wouldn't suffice stayed on the ground. These included Yuno, Klaus, Rades, Langris, Nacht and Luck, who, despite wanting to fight Harbinger, was showing signs of hesitation due to just watching the creature and how it behaved, no doubt making him worry about something other than combat.

Harbinger was stabbed by Nozel with a spear made of Mercury Magic, hit in the face by a sword made of Briar Magic, even caught by a golem made of Sandstone Magic…but even with these and other methods employed by the Magic Knights that were attacking…he smiled a wicked smile. Not even an ounce of his own magic was being used to ensure his protection, and he found this assault on himself to be pathetic. None of them had Anti Magic or Anti Magic tools, so they were wasting their time trying to harm him. Even as one of them tried to freeze him, he knew it was all for naught.

"Curse-Warding Blood Magic," he uttered, sections of his armor opening up, releasing a red mist from his body. "No Mercy Tonight."

It was a blood mist! He put a curse on his own blood and was now using it! The Magic Knights close to him breathed in his blood, becoming afflicted. They choked and coughed As red markings started appearing on their faces.

"Don't worry," he told them as they all fell to the ground. "It's not going to kill you. But I can't have you interfere with our plans. No Mercy Tonight simply degrades your organs for eighteen hours, making you feel like you're going to die, only to have it all be agonizing by the second. I'd take your magic powers and add them to my own, but after what I've seen tonight, none of you, not even those of royal blood, are worth the insult you've given me. House Silva, House Vermilion, the nobility… I am…very disappointed in your performance. And yet…the magic that drew me here…well, some of it that attracted me wasn't even that of the royals and nobles. There were some people you address as commoners and peasants…and two of them were quite potent. I think Yui referred to one of them as Yuno…and the other was Rades Spirito, a former Magic Knight that one of your groups cast out of your kingdom…simply because he didn't meet your standards. Heh! Favoritism. Highly despicable."

They all hit the ground hard while he landed gracefully onto his feet. He walked over to where Solid Silva had fallen…and grabbed him by his head.

"Aah!" Solid gasped.

"Tell me, is there a fourth Silva?" He asked the boy. "There was another Water Magic mage I felt here tonight, but their magic felt different from the three of you; it was…slightly less hateful of most than yours are. So, tell me…is there another Silva here?"

"Go to Hell!" Solid told him, and Harbinger chuckled.

"Look around you. Where do you think we are? This is Hell." Harbinger then threw Solid against a tree, hard, injuring him further than the curse already had, and walked away from the fallen mages that felt like they were dying but weren't. "Eradication Magic: Purge the Sky!"

He shot streams of fiery energy from his claws and chest sent them up into the sky above, setting it ablaze before he turned his attention on Nozel, who was laying ten feet away from him!

Nozel tried to get up, to fight, but the curse he was afflicted with was causing him intense pain in his abdomen.

"The leader of the Silver Eagles," he addressed Nozel as he bent down to relieve him of his grimoire. "Honestly, I'd tell Yui Ikari that she's wasting her time doing this…cherry-picking of people's grimoires when there are only twelve she could take from anyone convenient, but she wants those belonging to only the strongest of mages from the Clover Kingdom, which makes it difficult a little because not that many of you are actually that strong right now. Of course, none of this really matters. In the end, we both get what we desire; she gets her ideal world for everyone…and I get to remove all of you from your physical existence."

Then, he walked away from Nozel, leaving him wounded in his pride. But then, he turned back and added something.

"A memory belonging to one of the devils I disposed of just came into my mind," he went, "and now I know something that makes me look down upon House Silva. Megicula, the devil of Curse-Warding Magic…was responsible for putting down your mother, this…Acier Silva. I devoured that devil and its human host for their powers…but I saw no reason to hold onto a woman's soul when I care nothing for someone that is dead, so she was released from her discorporate bondage. Her only single regret…was what befell this Noelle person. Now, I don't know who that is, but whoever they are…they're living on borrowed time now. When all else is said and done, I hope to find this person…and relieve them of their life with my own claws."

Nozel gave a small frown towards Harbinger, who simply scoffed him off as he turned away again. He had been threatened before, even disrespected, but not like this. Not like this, by some creature that one of his ancestors had an involvement with in the past over a millennia ago. And worse, his family had been disrespected by this creature!

House Silva… House Ikari… It's moot to try to see these two families as two sides of a coin that isn't even currency, Harbinger thought as he walked over a member of the Blue Rose that had been afflicted with a curse. And yet, the hatred is only one-sided in the past. The new feud…is only because of someone from the here and now, driven by what they believe to be the only reason worth having in an unsteady world. The only thing unsteady with this world, like all other worlds, is the bane of all of these creatures that run around a lot, that spread like a disease.

He looked around and decided not to wander into the woods that the remaining Magic Knights had hid in. Instead, he levitated above the woods, looking down at the trees while erecting a barrier of Spatial Magic around his body.

-x-

"…He can set the sky ablaze," went Klaus to some of the remaining Magic Knights in the woods, "he can curse a large number of our strongest Magic Knights, summon tentacles of bone, manipulate gravity…"

"…And Anti Magic weapons impede him, but only so long as they're wedged inside him for longer than they were moments ago," said Asta, and looked at Shinji and Suki. "This creature's perverting your family in all the harshest ways."

"Oh, when he decided to consume devils and the people they were contracted out to, he only got a taste of what they're capable of," Suki responded. "It doesn't matter how much stronger he's gotten or how Yui has helped him, he's still with his limitations. He's still a cup with cracks and holes in it."

"What does that mean?" Yuno questioned, his Wind Spirit, Sylph, beside him.

"It means that Harbinger can't hold or use that much mana to do anything for too long," explained Guardian. "His body, the cup if you will, is unable to hold much power, and therefore can't use that much due to having holes and cracks in it, causing the power to seep out. Gravity Magic, though… He's trying to remedy his situation by any means he believes will restore his body's ability to hold mana."

"But he already seems powerful already," Vanessa stated.

"Yes, but this is likely temporary. If he's using the magic of his victims, he'd be specific on which attributes he believes would aid him in recovering from previous injuries that didn't heal, even in the Void. Gravity Magic, if he's using it on himself and not just on his adversaries, would be like trying to plug up a leak, except it's not doing much."

"And he would be forced to use other forms of magic like some sort of patchwork until he finds the right solution," Tenshi realizes. "Since three of the devils from the Tree of Qliphoth are associated with time, space and gravity, if he got all of three, he'd likely be unstoppable than he seems right now."

"Then…he hasn't acquired the devil of Time Magic yet," Nacht told them.

"But it's only a matter of time before he finds this devil," Suki expressed. "He doesn't seem like the type to just let anyone get away from him if he's after them personally."

"Harbinger doesn't have scruples about personal subjects," Guardian stated. "I mean, he doesn't consider going after someone a personal matter, just an…objective for him to accomplish, either primarily or secondary."

"Except, perhaps you, Guardian," Shinji told him. "You two have history and been at each other's throats for a long time, but he's clearly the one that does evil and has no redeeming qualities, so once he goes back into the Void, that's that."

-x-

The border between the Clover Kingdom and Diamond Kingdom was full of stagnant magical energies due to the unease Harbinger was causing towards the latter kingdom. Even as she stood at the edge of the border of Clover Kingdom territory, Rika could feel the mana like a tangled thread around one's own heart in a haystack of wet hay; she was simply there in case of refugees coming from the Diamond Kingdom to get away from the devastation being caused by Harbinger, prepared to lend a hand to those that were either injured or just scared.

"This is a nightmare," she heard Sister Lily say behind her; she and several other people were present to lend a hand in case refugees came. "The people of the Diamond Kingdom were reclaiming their land from the Spade Kingdom. Why is your daughter letting this Harbinger do this to them? They've done nothing to us after several failed invasions."

"Why does Yui, someone that has openly revealed herself to despise magic and a world where magic is everything, do any of the insane things that she does to anyone?" Rika responds. "She's not willing to settle for anything less than what she's after, and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it."

"Except…to do this is…it's just…evil."

Rika sighs as she agrees with Lily. What Yui was doing…and maybe has been doing ever since before she became aware of her youngest daughter's animosity towards other people…was nothing but evil. Evil, insane, devoid of any sense of remorse…and without a shred of sympathy for the people she harms, directly or indirectly. And it wasn't like she could just talk to Yui about any of this; Yui wasn't willing to explain any of her reasons beyond what she already had stated to Shinji, who explained what she told him to Rika, keeping her in the loop.

Yui…there are some things you can't understand…simply because you choose not to understand them, she thought, looking out across the unclaimed land that separated the two kingdoms, seeing someone traveling through the uneasy mana. One of these days, you're going to experience hurt the likes of which you cannot fathom…and it'll be deserved.

A man, looking like he had been burnt on his right arm and back, dropped to his knees and raised his left hand up.

"Please," he begged, "please, help."

-x-

Needing to excuse himself from the room where they had been looking at the photo album, Fuyutsuki, after seeing the picture of Yui's mother providing aid to a refugee that had been burned by Harbinger's fire, went to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee, trying to wrap his head around the inescapable likelihood that Yui was going for Human Instrumentality in a world that was not hers…simply because she wanted to remake that world into one that was all hers.

"How are things progressing?" He heard Gendo ask him, turning to see him looking down at him, his facial expression unchanged since they first met.

"What do you think?" Fuyutsuki replied. "Even though it's being shown like a story with only bits and pieces shown, I can't see Yui as being anything moral. She attacks everyone. There's no reason to go as far as she has."

"The goal was never going to be easy."

"Except this isn't a goal. It's more like a vendetta, like she has it out for everyone. Everyone except for your son, that is, and he's against her, too."

"In the end, she knows what's best for everyone."

"Not in this case, no, she doesn't. She should just walk away, leave them alone…except she refuses to."

"When she sets her mind on something, she doesn't relent."

"And that is making a lot of people upset with her, including her family."

"They were always unable to see the big picture due to being uneasy to be around."

"More like dedicated to returning home someday. Except now that they have returned to where they used to reside, it's Yui who's causing the problems because she can't stand what anyone there does."

"You're defending those nutcases?"

"Your son loves those nutcases. He probably cares about them more than he ever could for the both of you, and he doesn't know anything about you aside from what he's had to hear from them, which is mostly personal opinions. And you shot his uncle, so there's not going to be any forgiveness towards you on that fact."

"He didn't divulge on the whereabouts of the pilot."

"He's not a pilot, anymore, Ikari. There's no Eva for him to pilot. Even if he came back, there's doubt that he'll ever want to do so again. He's walking a different path now, and it sets him apart from you two."

"But in the end, he'll come back."

"And what if he doesn't? What if…because of what you did to him…or because of what Yui has done…he'll choose this life he has over there as opposed to the one here?"

All Gendo could say was what he believed to be the end conclusion to such a trying situation.

"He won't have a choice in the matter," he says to Fuyutsuki.

"Hard to believe that when there's always a choice," Fuyutsuki responded, "even if others don't see it that way."

-x-

"…Urgh!" A female member of the Blue Rose was knocked back by Harbinger after he showed a male member of the Coral Peacock that he was immune to the form of magic they used. "Aaugh!"

"Useless!" Harbinger called them, seeing that, despite their numbers, he didn't see any other Magic Knight captains aside from those of the Black Bull, Silver Eagle and Crimson Lion squads, so there were no other grimoires belonging to exceptional mages for him to acquire for Yui. "Useless, useless, useless!"

He grabbed the Blue Rose knight by her left leg and slammed her against a tree before stepping on the back of the Coral Peacock knight.

"Aaaaurgh!" He groaned as he felt a bone in his spine crack under his hoof.

"Where are your leaders at a time like this?! Where are the exceptional men and women that you look up to?! I don't see them coming to save you! Where are you cowards when your lessers are in need of your protection?! Come out and face me! Rescue your weaklings!"

All around him was scorched earth, fallen Magic Knights and dead or dying civilians. He could sense some Magic Knights that hadn't been affected by his curse or had been dealt serious blows by his claws or bone spears, but they were keeping their distance.

"I had expected better from the so-called elite forces of the Clover Kingdom!" He yelled out so they could hear his voice. "Eh-heh-heh! But even after dealing with the pathetic lackeys of the Purple Orca and Green Mantis, I should know when not to get my expectations up! Of course, even Yui doesn't expect much from any of you faux-people! Humans! Capable of anything, but so weak, so wretched, you're incapable of much!"

If this was supposed to be some form of psychological attempt of Harbinger's to entice those that remained to stand up to him, it wasn't having the effect he desired. Anyone that heard his voice wasn't showing themselves to face him. Soon after, Harbinger staggered a little.

"Urgh!" He grunted, nearly keeling over and holding his right side. "Damn it! I've exerted too much of myself again."

Suddenly, mana was seeping out through his old neck wound, causing him to feel like he needed to rest for a while. He tried using his Body Magic to patch up the wound again with a Bone Magic brace to keep it sealed, but it wasn't working. If he was to keep the mana from leaking out any further, he would need to recoup…and find Astaroth in order to keep this power indefinitely. For now, he would have to back off.

This isn't over, he thought as he summoned a spatial rift under himself, sinking into it. It's only a matter of time. It's always a matter of time. Megicula became a member of the Tree of Qliphoth because Astaroth was somehow able to escape the underworld, but he can't hide forever. All he has is a reprieve from me. When I find him, not even Time Magic will protect him from his fate. Nothing will protect anyone from me, not when they have something I need.

When the rift closed, he was no longer in the Diamond Kingdom. Whatever magic he left over there would begin to fade. Dropping to his knees and palms, he panted as he fell to his right side.

"Guardian of the Void," he muttered as he drifted into unconsciousness, "I will enjoy making you suffer for this old wound you've given me."

-x-

In the end, they only survived because Harbinger chose to leave, not because of a disadvantage or difference in the number of mages. But even so, the Diamond Kingdom suffered casualties. Nearly fifty-thousand lives had been claimed, with less than three-thousand critically injured by Harbinger, including several of Diamond's Eight Shining Generals.

"What was that thing?" The ruler of the kingdom asked the Magic Knights still in one piece when they arrived to give the results of the new massacre.

"Harbinger," said Guardian to him.

"I've heard stories of such a creature, but I never expected any of them to be true. It was locked up, sealed away, never to be encountered by people again. How is this possible?"

"Someone with a problem," went Tenshi, "a prejudice against everyone in this world decided to enter into a pact with him, reigniting old wounds and making new ones."

"And we're to understand that the person responsible is somehow associated with the Clover Kingdom?" A man in a white coat and wearing glasses questioned.

"Associated to the Clover Kingdom loosely, but has no allegiance to anyone there," went Klaus.

"Why hasn't this person been dealt with?" The general that was fortunate enough to survive Harbinger's bone spears questioned. "If it's because they choose to hide instead of facing you, then they're a coward."

"Nothing but," muttered Shinji, and Suki placed a sympathetic hand on his left shoulder.

"When we heard that Spade was razed to the ground, we wouldn't have to continue attacking Clover when we could take back our lands from the surviving enemies from Spade," the king expressed. "But this person lets this monster onto our lands and attacks us without any warning… Who does this?"

"Anyone that feels they have nothing left to lose…and everything else to gain."

"This is a nightmare. This culprit, whoever this Yui Ikari is, she's not going to stop, is she?"

The silence from the Magic Knights alone was a clear indication that the question needed no response from them.

"You…you have to stop her," the king told them, pleading. "Whatever you have to do, even if it means killing her, just make her stop."

Shinji nodded his head in the positive, but getting his mother to stop was like…trying to talk to a wall; there was nothing to be discussed with Yui further than what she wanted. But now the Diamond Kingdom was begging for her to be stopped, even if it meant sentencing her to death, and he had to do all that he could to stop her. Too many people were now dead or dying because of her ambitions.

Walking out the palace of the Diamond Kingdom, the scarcity of Magic Knights silently fumed over this insanity.

"No reason," a woman from the Blue Rose utters. "All of those people, women and children, killed by a monster released by a lunatic…for no reason."

"No," said Tenshi to her, "for one reason; she just hates this world and everything in it."

"And you brought her here," said a member of the Silver Eagles. "You brought her here, and now she's killing us."

"Hey," went Noelle to the guy, "they didn't know. She refused to admit that she hates being here, and even when the option of leaving is presented to her, she's the one who refuses to accept it. In the end, she's the one at fault and will answer for her crimes."

"And if your brothers and sister die because of her?"

Shinji sped up as he didn't need to know what Noelle would do; if he couldn't get his mother to leave this world willingly, she would either be made to leave…or left to occupy a plot in the cemetery someplace.

"They're the strongest in my family," Noelle told the guy. "There's no reason to think they won't live to see another year."

She just didn't want to think of what she'd do if none of her siblings survived being cursed or tortured by Yui. There was no hatred directed towards the rest of House Ikari because of Yui's disassociation and apparent disgust towards all things relating to magic and its ties with the culture of the Clover Kingdom, but with the way things currently were, Noelle felt like Shinji, one of the main reasons she had gotten better control over her magic and developed new spells, was getting conflicted about having to deal with his mother, despite hating her for doing all of what she has done. Even if her family despised his family for something that one of their Silva ancestors did out of spite, the ancient hatred had nothing to do with any of them currently if they refused to be subject to it. And truth be told, Noelle didn't care about the ancient rivalry between the two families because she didn't hate Shinji, Suki or Tenshi. Just taking a guess off of how strong Shinji and his aunt currently were, the uncle, the current patriarch, was likely stronger than they were, which could've also made him stronger than her siblings, but this was only a guess, nothing more, nothing less.

"…I want to fight him," Luck uttered. "I want to fight Harbinger."

"Luck, you were tense the second we saw Harbinger, and you were among the people that raised up their mana to lure him to where we were," said Magna to him. "There's no way you're fighting that creature on your own."

"Can Anti Magic be combined with other forms of magic?" Vanessa questioned Guardian. "Without being being negated or something?"

"Some forms of magic," he answered, "but Anti Magic can't be copied."

"What about mirrored?" Gauche asked him.

"Are you looking to volunteer?"

"Anti Magic is the only effective method that harms Harbinger, then we need Union and Compound Magic spells that incorporate Anti Magic."

"Very perceptive. If you can achieve such feats, you can fight Harbinger on better ground."

"I could be wrong, but it seems like everyone, in their own way, even if it's only current, is terrified of Harbinger," Rades pointed out, and Guardian looked at him.

"You wouldn't be wrong," he told him. "He is an agent of terror, an embodiment of dread. Still, you were impressive with the fact that you have a large mana reservoir that actually rivals those found in members of the nobility."

"Thank you."

Tenshi took out his grimoire and brought up different pages in small portals in front of himself as he walked down the path with the Black Bull members.

"How are you able to do that?" Grey asked him, curious because she had never seen anyone capable of looking at multiple pages from a grimoire like this.

"It's just reviewing previously-used spells," he told her. "I only have seventeen spells that include Anti Magic, and none of them seem sufficient."

"Seventeen spells that have Anti Magic?!" Asta gasped. "That's awesome!"

"I'm guessing that…you don't have seventeen spells yet?"

"Eight so far."

"That's impressive."

They reached the patch of land where Harbinger supposedly first appeared in the Diamond Kingdom and Guardian covered his nostrils in disgust.

"Ah!" Suki groaned as she covered her nose. "It smells like a dung heap right here!"

Shinji couldn't have said it better than his aunt as he covered his nose. The mana in this patch of land was just horribly twisted; it felt like a battle had taken place and many lives were lost, followed by a bomb going off and leaving radiation to linger or something.

"Ugh," groaned Yuno, who didn't cover his nose. "So…is this where he appeared before attacking the kingdom?"

"Yeah," Guardian confirmed. "Even without the additional magic he took from the Dark Triad, he leaves magic behind that's all…all…"

"Sick?" Rades suggested.

"Yeah."

Guardian then placed his left claw on the ground and gestured for Shinji to come over and use a spell from his grimoire.

"Compound Magic: Revisit the Calamity," he uttered, and the world around them all shifted into what had been several hours ago.

Standing before them was a memory of Harbinger, emerging from a portal that led directly to and from Yui's Steel Sanctuary, fuming over something. When the portal closed, he looked around himself and yawned.

"Astaroth, as the last of the three devils in charge of the Tree of Qliphoth, you try my patience with your evasion," they heard him say as he walked away from where he stood.

"Even when he looks like new," Kirsch expresses, "he is hideous. His horns, his eyes, his teeth… He's beauty's unrelated cousin gone off the deepest end of the darkest ocean."

"The Diamond Kingdom," they heard Harbinger say as his tentacles of bones protruded from his back. "After Spade, this is the second worst place to be due to its personal devastation. The resources of this once-great nation used to give the people here no reason to invade others, but then again, it was mostly Spade's fault for making things hard for the people here. Still, it's as humans would say, no point in crying over spilled milk, whatever that is. The sooner I vent, the sooner everyone here is nothing more than another footnote on a metaphorical piece of paper. Life. Human life. It's no different from any other race of tangible existence, just a messy mass of tiny, insignificant specks of light in an indifferent area of space in an indifferent universe. And Guardian of the Void… He views them all the same as he would those I killed in front of him…just to see how he'd react when he lost what mattered the most to his own existence. Two sides of a coin that can't even be spent; he that protects what is and can be…and I that ends what is and shouldn't be."

Shinji sighs and ends the memory; after hearing that, he didn't feel there was much of a need to see anything else.

"That's a stupid reason," uttered Magna.

"What is?" Noelle asks him.

"He couldn't find a devil he was looking for…so he attacked this kingdom…in order to vent. He killed those people…for a stupid reason."

It was stupid…but it was all they were able to make sense of because they were dealing with a creature that hadn't been seen for generations…and was summoned by a man that had nothing but hatred in his heart towards people that didn't do anything to seriously wrong him.

-x-

With the preparations for her next phase completed, Yui stepped out of her Steel Sanctuary…and onto the scorched grounds of the Spade Kingdom. Even after it had been abandoned for several days, the place was starting to look like it had been abandoned for over a year, except for no weeds or grime anywhere, and the former structures having fallen like they were made of brittle material. Since Harbinger was asleep due to exerting too much magic, Yui would have to perform the next phase on her own, not that it bothered her; this was to let the people of this world know that what she had planned was in their best interests, even if they didn't understand it.

"I'm sure Shinji can appreciate my intentions," she believed as she opened her grimoire to the new spell she required. "Compound Creation Magic: Tomorrow Today."

The spell glowed like an intense lightbulb…and the ground in front of her split open.

-x-

Asuka didn't want to say it, even in the testing plug, but she pitied Shinji's current predicament with his mother. The guy had been reunited with a woman he hadn't seen or heard from in over ten years…and she had become the enemy of his life in another world where magic was possible…simply because she hated magic and all of its possibilities. But not once did the mother stop to consider that she was hurting him by hurting others around them. While Asuka might've understood that there was such a thing as progress and how science and technology were the wave of the future, something that couldn't be stopped, she could accept that Yui was a woman that was simply progressing too fast, trying to get someplace in such a rush that she felt like she was cutting corners at every turn. The last picture she saw in the photo album depicting the world they were in before she needed to go do her synchronization testing…was of Yui standing before an expansive ruins…and making things emerge from the ground.

"Your ratio dropped by two percent, Asuka," Ritsuko informed her. "What do you think his mother is doing?"

"Whatever it is that hurts him personally while claiming it's to help people," she responded. "Is this really what certain scientists choose to do when they feel they can get away with it? They just hurt people and call it progress?"

"People always get hurt in the pursuit of progress, Asuka. You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs."

"Worst analogy there. If people were the eggs and breaking them is hurting them, there's nothing you can say or do to sugarcoat the reasons for hurting them. That idiot's mother is just as messed-up as his father, except she's trying to justify her crimes as something she has to do to help people. It must be tearing him up inside."

Outside the plug, Ritsuko couldn't fault the Second Child for assuming that belief. What Gendo's wife was doing, it was affecting the Third Child in a negative sense, hurting him to know that the person capable of such pain and suffering was his own mother, who refused to back down and leave the people of that world alone and return to this one. While that might've been the better choice for some, the only person that wasn't content with that choice…was the one that refused to admit that it was a choice, a lesser of two evils. But Ritsuko could sympathize a little with Shinji in one area: Neither knew their mother as a mother…and had differing views on who they were as scientists. Whereas she respected hers, Shinji couldn't see his as anything but a hindrance towards the people of where they lived.

Well, where he lived but where his mother preferred to be by herself.

"…He once mentioned something his grandmother had told him and his uncle last year about dealing with someone that has done things so awful, either towards you or someone else, but I didn't think much of it because I don't particularly like the guy. What do you think his grandmother means when she says that someone that has done something so awful to you won't accept that they've done wrong unless they have experienced what could be a greater wrong done to themselves?" Asuka revealed. "Just three words to get the point across: Make it hurt."

"Someone that can't or won't accept they've hurt someone will suffer when they don't expect to be hurt themselves," Ritsuko responded. "His mother is embracing the one aspect of her life that he can't accept because of what she has chosen to do to others…and it hurts him because she chose this. He can't accept her for doing this, doesn't want to accept her for doing this, and it puts him in a bad position to be the one that either does something to stop her…or to be stopped by her because she won't risk him getting in her way."

"Do you think he'd do it, though? Take her out, I mean."

Ritsuko didn't think Shinji would ever cross that line; he was such a delicate soul with a wounded psyche because of his parents, tempered only by the love and affection he received from his maternal relatives. But, like all other people with relatives that did questionable things, for and against the people they claimed to love…there were some parents that were willing to silence their own children if it meant achieving something.

But she didn't want to hurt her son, just her mother and siblings, she thought, even though it would hurt him because she wants them out of the way.

"She didn't say much about her mother or siblings," she remembered Fuyutsuki explain to her about Yui's family. "She and they just…don't seem to go together. She wouldn't take the holidays off to go see them. No phone calls, no letters, not even emails. She says it's better this way, but I think she…can't stand them. I don't really know why. It's impossible to know the full story when you don't have all the pieces."

And even more difficult to understand when the people that won't say why try to change the reasons behind the why.

Meanwhile, Fuyutsuki sighs at the photo in the album depicting Yui standing before what was likely to be something that would just create further tension between herself and Shinji. While it was an impressive display of creativity, it was also a place of dread for any that could not stand it for different reasons.

Yui…this isn't going to convince Shinji to side with you, he thought, fearful of how far she was willing to go. You're only pushing him further away. He has been pushed from being with you to the point where he probably can't see you two together.

Fuyutsuki touched the photo.

Flash! He saw Shinji and his aunt sitting against a tree. The young man seemed down by something that happened…and she was holding his left hand…and then he turned to face her.

"I don't know what I'd do without any of you in my life," he heard Shinji say to her.

"Hopefully, you won't ever have to," she replied to him.

And then…Fuyutsuki saw their heads lean in closely.

Flash! He was back in his office, no longer touching the photo, wondering what it was that he had just saw.

I've seen stranger things, but that was…was that even real? He wondered.

It seemed as though…the more Yui unintentionally pushed Shinji away with her attempts…the more he sought comfort and acceptance from the other members of his family…and the relationship he had with his aunt…seemed to progress differently from the one he had with his grandmother and uncle.

To be continued…

A/N: The "make it hurt" stems from what was said and expressed in SVU; the bad guys needed to face the consequences of their actions, but in this case, it was Yui causing trouble that was hurting everyone around her, including Shinji, and Harbinger demonstrating that, despite his augmented magic power, he isn't strong enough to perform extended performances of extreme magic, even with the combined attributes of the Dark Triad and their devils. What do you think will happen further? And what do you think Yui has done in the Spade Kingdom?