It was like glass shattering.
Magical shard of black and white came bursting off of the monster's neck, disappearing in the air in pieces. Everyone stared in horror, some unsure of what that meant, while others knew perfectly well. Madam Victoria and Avythen stepped back, both of them gazing up at the monster they had both welcomed into their realm. The demon released a breath of air, the red in its eyes seeming to narrow as it looked back behind him. His gaze locked right onto the two, both witches partially collapsed from exhaustion of releasing so much energy.
"How can this be…!?" Exclaimed Madame Victoria. "It should have worked…! Why did the binding not work…!?"
"We… must run…" Panted Avythen as she was gripping the older woman's arm.
"Damn you, Juniah! Damn—" Madame Victoria was screaming at the woman from afar.
But before she could complete that curse, the demon came baring down, jaws snapping right on top of the two.
Everyone who witnessed couldn't help but stop and stare in shock, watching the head of the demon come back up slowly. Blood was seeping through it's partially seen jaw and teeth. It was like watching red water seeping through gated bars, long drips pouring from its mouth. Cecelia could've sworn she saw a hand hanging from it's mouth, the gore pouring onto the ground and staining it red. The Demon gulped, then it snapped it's jaws again to officially swallow it's meal.
"Cece, you sure you want to get into that city…?" Dante asked her quietly as they were both eyeing the demon.
The woman gulped as she felt her hands turn cold. "We have to kill that thing before it reaches the gates… It could kill innocents…"
As the two briefly traded words, stomping was immediately heard. The demon looked to the left and saw another demon charging at him, both Summoner and Demon Eater riding on top of the mount. Suddenly the demon let out a screech, the noise piercing through the air like a blade. It faced against the mount and began stomping towards it.
As the witches got closer Judiah kept firing her bow, red arrows piercing into the skin of the demon, but it never seemed to fully react to the attack. Just as the two large demons were about to slam into each other Luin quickly grabbed onto Judiah and they jumped off of the mount. The two demons slammed into each other, horns locked into one another as they fought for dominance. They were kicking up dirt as they pushed against each other, neither seeming to yield to the other.
But before anybody could do another thing the larger demon was quick to overpower the mount, practically throwing it onto the ground. The mount fell to its side, legs kicking as it was trying to gain a foothold. But before it could, the red veined demon lunged it's horns into the gut of the beast. It released a howl of pain just as Judiah began shouting in despair at the sight. The mount's movements slowed until they halted all together, it's head lulling back as its limbs fell to the ground. The red veined demon stepped back, pulling its horns out of the mount just as red flickers of dust began to flout off of it. Judiah was shouting in anger and grief, leaving Luin no choice but to hold onto her so she didn't rush into the danger before them.
Just as the demon turned its dark eyes on them, Cecelia and Dante were rushing across the field as they knew what they had to do. Gripping onto Rebellion, Dante jumped up and slashed the back legs of the demon. It released a shout of surprise and pain, quickly moving it's lower body with a jump away from Dante. The white haired man gave it a taunting grin as he held his arm out, waving his four fingers in a "come on" motion. As it's sights were on Dante, Cecelia brought her guns up and began firing rapidly, ethereal bullets hitting the demon enough to cause it to shake its head and screech at her for it. The black haired witch stood beside Dante with her guns at the ready.
"Are you ready, Dante?" Cecelia asked the man as she kept her eyes on the demon.
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Dante said as he spun his word once, bringing the blade forwards to be pointing at the demon. "I'm not a huge fan of the whole veiny look. Reminds me too much of a weird di—"
"Dante," Cecelia spoke in a warning tone, effectively cutting him off.
"What? Can you blame me?" Dante shrugged at her.
"Let's just kill this thing," Cecelia groaned as she began firing more rounds.
The demon began jumping to the side, startling them with how fast such a large body can move. Cecelia began moving to the side, following the demon's movements as she continued firing. She separated herself from Dante as the man began rushing towards the monster. The demon kept roaring at them, the unnatural sound coming from it's bloodied mouth like sharp broken glass. It would make them cringe every now and then, the pitch of its sound being rather unkind. But the two did their best to keep fighting.
Dante kept getting up close and personal with it, slashing it with his blade enough that black ichor would fly out of each gash. Even though it was clear they were doing a number on it, the demon wasn't one to sit idly. It was able to move abnormally fast for such it's size, jumping back and forth to either dodge Dante or Cecelia. It was even able to grab Dante at one point, surprising the man before he found himself being thrown. Cecelia witnessed the flash of red blow right past her, causing her hair and clothed to flutter from the wind. Just as she fixed her eyes on the demon, it suddenly appeared before her in a flash. She gazed up at it, seeing it staring down at her with red dotted eyes.
She couldn't help but stare in shock, her blue eyes staring into the black voids of its own eyes, the only thing being seen was small red dots. A repulsive, rotten smell of eggs mixed with bloody iron and something she couldn't pinpoint washed over her. Sulfur, human blood, and hellish smells was what it was. It was so potent that she almost gagged. She could even see it still stained with blood of the beings it just ate, even witnessing sloppy drool mixed with blood dripping from its teeth and elongated face.
"You truly are hideous up close," Cecelia stated as a matter of fact.
Whether it be the small exhaustion from constant fighting or the toxic smell wafting right in her face, she just couldn't help herself. The demon before her was truly something hideous.
It then opened its mouth, screaming right in her face as blood and drool flew at her.
Right in the middle of its screaming she fired her gun right in its mouth, fighting off the urge to scrunch her neck in a cringe from the piercing sound. A strangled noise came from its throat as it quickly jumped back, finally giving Cecelia room as it tried to recover from the attack. The woman wiped her face of the disgusting moisture, cringing at the smell and sight of it. She then glared at the demon and gestured her hands up, the guns disappearing entirely in a blue flame.
"I'm not one for children with temper tantrums," Cecelia scoffed at it. "Now be a good boy and sit down. It's time for your punishment!"
The witch brought her knee up, a circle suddenly appearing around her leg as another appeared right above the demon. It gazed up as it sensed the strange magic above its head, only to miss Cecelia slamming her heeled foot down. As she did so a large almost transparent heeled foot came out of the circle and slammed down on the demon's head, making it release a yelp of pain.
As the foot disappeared the demon seemed to stumble in surprise. It shook its head as it regained its senses. It's eyes once more landed on Cecelia and seemed to growl, its upper body lowering as she could see its muscles rippling as it moved, just like a cat ready to pounce. As it seemed to be preparing to jump a flash of red appeared on its face. The demon halted its actions as if to register what happened. Cecelia squinted and even she could spot the familiar ethereal red of a magic arrow. The demon turned its head, gazing right at Judiah and Luin.
"That's for my summon, you bastard!" Judiah growled as she had another arrow prepared.
"Jude, we have to go…!" Urged Luin as he kept a grip on her waist.
The demon fixated its eyes on them, suddenly turning its body to face the two. Cecelia's eyes widened as she realized what that meant, her eyes going to the couple as well.
"Run, you two! Run!" She shouted from across the field.
Suddenly, the demon stormed at the two, it's clawed feet stomping the ground rapidly towards the couple.
"Shit shit shit!" Luin began muttering.
In response Judiah released her arrow. Luin quickly grabbed her arm before they could see if it hit or not and yelled at her to run. Judiah stumbled for a moment at the force he used, only to suddenly slip and make him fall to the ground as well.
Luin tried to scramble to his feet, grabbing Judiah's shoulders in an attempt of lifting her up as well. As he looked over his shoulder he saw the demon suddenly jumping into view, the sight of the sun completely blocked by its body as its shadow covered them. Seeing no other way out Luin quickly covered Judiah's body with his own, practically lying on top of her in a rather sloppy attempt of shielding her from harm. They both shut their eyes and prepared for pain.
"I love you!" Luin exclaimed with tightly closed eyes, practically shouting in her ear.
"I love you!" Judiah shouted in the middle of his sentence, her own eyes shut tightly.
They waited for the pain, preparing for a quick demise.
But, instead of pain there was a sound.
The two waited a moment. Then another. Where's the pain? The burning feeling of death coming upon them? Wasn't dying by a demon supposed to be painful and soul crushing? The two slowly began opening their eyes as a voice spoke to them from behind.
"You two truly are idiots," Stated the voice of Cecelia.
The two looked behind themselves to see Cecelia's back to them, her arms being held out in front of her as a transparent color of purple was wrapped around all three of them. It was a shield of magic. A barrier, just like the one the witch Avythen made earlier. The demon's mouth and claws were on the other side of the shield, showing a clear view of the inside of its mouth. The demon was trying to chomp down on the shield like it was a giant jawbreaker coated in thick glass.
"Why would you…?" Judiah whispered as the two couldn't help but stare in disbelief.
"If you're done gawking I'd suggest you both stand up!" Cecelia barked at the two behind her, her eyes focused on the magic coming from her hands. "You're witches of Demon powers, aren't you!? Start acting like the titles you hold and prevent this thing from killing the town!"
"B-but, we're running out of power! How can we…?" Luin was cut off by the demon's chomping.
It's jaw tightened down on the shield, almost pushing Cecelia to the ground. The woman kept her stance strong and pushed back, producing as much magic as she can to keep the demon back. Even she knew she had a time limit. She wasn't invincible. Even her energy was running out by the minute by keeping a constant shield up. But even in her chest did she feel a burning sensation of want. The want to protect. And she had to protect them.
"If you're still breathing even you can keep fighting," Cecelia stated as she pushed back the demon again. "The rules don't matter right now. This demon was a mess caused by members of the Charmer Sanction. It is up to us to clean up the mess before it makes it to the town! If you don't feel up to it, then you might as well dig into the ground and die in your own pitiful graves!"
She gazed over her shoulder and glared down at them. "I might be a traitor, but Néma is my home too! If you love each other so much to have a cor necto, then do it for each other instead. I refuse to die like this. I still have my memories to collect, damnit!
Just as she released those words the demon chomped down again, pushing Cecelia down. She almost buckled from the impact, but she kept pushing the demon back. What a dumb situation I put myself in, she couldn't help but think.
She straightened herself and put more energy into her magic, enforcing the shield more as she could even see some cracks beginning to form. If she didn't stop this now, she'll end up dead before she even blinks. Just as she feared more breaks in the shield, she suddenly felt a hand on her back, making her gaze over her shoulder in confusion. Behind her stood Luin, one hand on her back as the other was being held by Judiah. The woman was murmuring words quietly to her left hand, red symbols slowly forming on the ground with her chant.
"Demon Eaters just steal and eat off of their enemies, but we can be walking batteries, too!" Luin exclaimed as yellow streams began seeping off of his arms and into the two women. "Take my energy and kick that demon's ass! Buy Jude some time so she can make a summon!"
Cecelia could feel the energy seeping through her body, feeling a crackling sensation go through her as Luin was giving her his strength.
Just as she could feel new cracks in the shield beginning to form, the demon suddenly jumped back with a scream of pain. It began running wildly, it's body bucking back and forth like a bull to throw something off of it. As Cecelia released her barrier she spotted a familiar sight of bright red on the back of the demon.
Dante had jumped up and stabbed Rebellion into the back of the demon, causing it great pain as he was now hanging onto it's back for his life. Luin's hand left Cecelia's back as he fell to his knees, having released a lot of energy into the two women. The black haired witch stepped forwards and she gazed at her right hand, seeing a yellow energy swirling in her hands as it then turned to blue. She crushed the sphere in her hand, feeling almost rejuvenated again as she stared at the enemy before her.
Eventually the demon hunter flew off of the demon's back, Rebellion still in hand as he readied for the demon to attack. The beast growled, anger clear in it's dark eyes as the veins on its body seemed to glow. If the half demon knew anything, this was the sign that the demon was going to get stronger and act more violently towards them.
Just great.
Dante prepared his sword for another round. The demon faced Dante and brought it's claws down upon him. The man easily dodged by jumping back, having to do that a couple of times as the demon kept slamming its claws at him. Even Dante could see its attacks getting faster, forcing him to be just as fast if he wanted to dodge those attacks.
Suddenly the monster lunged at him, its skeletal jaw opened as it prepared to chomp down on Dante. At the last minute he jumped up into the air to dodge. The monster skidded across the ground, eating grass and dirt instead of the intended target. As Dante came falling to the ground he held his sword overhead as he released a shout. He swung his blade down and sliced the back of the demon, making it release a large amount of black ichor. Dante quickly jumped back as the beast made pained noises as it climbed to its feet. The grown man glanced down at the black liquid covering his arms, making him grimace as he waved his arms down to throw it off.
"Now this is just disgusting," Dante said as he looked back at the demon, seeing it on its feet and rearing its head towards him. "I just bought these clothes. I can't afford to get new ones, you know!"
The demon just screeched at him in reply. Dante just shrugged back.
"That's how you want to play it, huh?" The half-demon rotated his shoulders as he prepared Rebellion. "Then let's play!"
Just as the demon prepared to lunge, a familiar magical hand suddenly appeared from the air and slammed down on its face. The demon seemed to scramble under the hand, only for it to be lifted in the air by its head before getting thrown. Dante looked to the side to see Cecelia making her way to him, walking a steady pace as magic was playing in her hands. Dante couldn't help but laugh as he watched the big demon fall on it's back, legs and arms scrambling to get back up. The big fear and dread that had been felt before was really starting to simmer with each attack to it.
"I mean, that's one way to play," Dante chuckled as Cecelia got to his side.
"Thing fight is starting to take too long," Cecelia spoke as she glanced at the city walls. "If we stall for any longer, more witches will arrive. And to be frank, I'd rather not deal with the calvary just yet."
"I agree," Dante said as he looked back to the demon. "Got any plans on killing it fast?"
"Keep that thing in one place long enough for me to cast a spell, and it'll be out of our hairs," Cecelia stated.
"Don't take too long," Dante said and began walking towards it. "Being covered in it's black insides isn't as fun as it seems."
"Then quicken your pace, because this is gonna take a while." Cecelia warned.
The black haired woman began chanting softly under her breath, moving her hands slowly in different positions. Having no idea of what she was doing, Dante could only shake his head as he made his way to the demon. He watched the creature finally get its feet out from under it, now beginning to stand up to face those who attacked it. Immediately it's eyes landed on Dante, which only seemed to agitate it more. It didn't waste another moment in attacking the man.
Dante did his best of keeping the demon in one place, having to resort to a lot of dodging and running it in circles. To be honest, Dante was getting tired of this. After travelling for so long and fighting so many things and people, it was getting tiring. But he knew he had to keep going until this demon went down. As he skidded back after landing a strike on the demon, watching more black ichor fall from its body, even the demon seemed to be getting tired. The demon hunter fixed his stance and lifted his blade Rebellion up once more, pointing the blade directly at the creature before him.
"Alright, ugly, I think this is where we should end things," Dante said as he watched it carefully. "You're really starting to piss me off…"
Dante could see the demon shift, giving him the cue that the demon was going to lunge again. As he got prepared to dodge yet again, suddenly a blur of black came out of nowhere. After taking a step back he watched the large demon get knocked down again, only for a familiar steroid bull demon to be standing over it. It yanked its horns out and jumped back, letting out a roar at it as black ichor was dripping off of it's horns.
The bigger demon was on its back again, legs flailing as it was directly on its back with two large holes in its side. By this time the demon was screeching in pain, seeming to be on the verge of dying. Dante looked to his left as spotted Judiah and Luin standing afar, Judiah's hands glowing as Luin was resting on his knees, both seeming exhausted. Cecelia then gave a shout behind him.
She called, "Everyone close to the demon, you might want to step back!"
Dante briefly looked back at her before looking at the demon again. He began walking backwards, still facing the demon to make sure it didn't get back up again. Judiah gave a sharp whistle and the bull demon began retreating back to her.
As soon as everyone was away, Cecelia finished her spell. A rather malicious grin curled on her lips once more as she gave the final gesture—giving the red amulet on her chest one stroke of her hand, as if lifting a veil off of it. A red, transparent magic circle appeared before her, and suddenly coming right out of her amulet was a twisting cyclone of black right into the circle. In front of everybody's eyes, sights set on the red veined demon, a far larger circle of magic appeared in the air above the demon. Everyone watched in startled awe as the head of a bigger demon came out of the portal.
A large, gnarled maw emerged, followed by a head with six eyes, along with an elongated neck. Suddenly it clamped it's jaw down on the red veined demon, chomping on it multiple times. Then it finally tore it's body in two, finally killing the vein demon, and having a meal of its own. The six eyed creature released a final screech of satisfaction before emerging back into the portal, the magic circles disappearing along with it.
Everything came to an eerie silence.
Cecelia made her way to Dante, seeing him just standing there. Judiah and Luin came forwards, both of them being followed by Judiah's summon, as they stared at the spot the demon got killed. It's body began to disintegrate, all evidence of it being around began to disappear. Cecelia released a sigh and walked past Dante towards the disappearing corpse. She bent down and grabbed one of it's giant claws. Dante watched as she practically ripped it off and examined it. He couldn't help but release a heavy breath as he tried to shake his surprise off.
"I don't know what you did," Dante said as she stood up, "but why didn't you do it sooner?"
"The demon needed to be weakened before I could do that." Stated Cecelia as she made a brief hand motion over the claw and it disappeared from her hand. "Plus, that demon wasn't something to toy with. But, it's dead now, and that's all that matters." The woman couldn't help but shake her head. "Madam Victoria… What a bloody fool… For a member of The Charmer Sanction to try and break their own rules. Hypocrites…!"
Dante gave a quiet nod as he gazed at the dying demon. "So, tell me. I thought you said you were a Demon Eater. How come you can summon something up?"
"There's a difference between a summon and a pact," Cecelia explained. "Summoners can summon demons or angels. But, usually they need more than one person in order to make large summonings. A pact, however, is an agreement with a demon or angel. Anyone can have a pact. It's more of a helping hand, or even just that bit of edge needed in battle. Think of Summoners as puppeteers. They get to control the beings they summon as long as they have the power. A pact, however, is a very temporary gateway for the beings. An agreement. They will always go back from where they came from."
"So you've made deals with demons, huh?" Dante raised a brow at her. "How much did you sell to them?"
"The only thing they get is the enemies I offer to them," Cecelia stated as she didn't like how accusing he sounded. "The beings I make pacts with reflect my powers. Hunger. They are always hungry, and when I summon them, I always provide a decent meal to them in exchange for their assistance. It's hard to eat all the way down in hell, wouldn't you agree?"
"I wouldn't know," Dante gave a shrug. "It's not the greatest vacation spot. And frankly, I'm usually killing demons rather than deciding to sit down and eat with them. I'm not exactly into being their main meal, so I kill them."
Cecelia shrugged at him in response. "As long as you don't fuck me over I don't plan on getting you fed to anybody. You've been decent so far, so I don't think you have to worry about me sacrificing you to my demon companions."
"Ha ha," Dante said with dripping sarcasm, his face even showing how unamused he was by her words.
"E-excuse me, miss Cecelia…" Judiah spoke, grabbing the woman's attention.
She let out a hum, looking towards her with a raised brow. Her expression revealed annoyance, but her eyes were softening at the sight of her and Luin leaning against each other.
"Thank you for saving us earlier…" Judiah said quietly as she eyed the demon corpse. "It would've killed us if you hadn't jumped in the way. To think Madame Victoria would just recklessly summon something that big… It doesn't make any sense."
"Well, when we've been told to get rid of a traitor that keeps defeating everybody, it's not the biggest surprise…" Luin grumbled before getting elbowed by Judiah. "Ow!"
"Quiet!" Judiah hissed at him, clearly worried about insulting Cecelia.
Cecelia could only sigh in agreement. "He's got a point, though. Maybe I shouldn't be here…"
"That would be wise," a voice suddenly spoke.
Everyone turned in surprise, none of them noticing the new people standing in front of them. As soon as Cecelia saw the face of one of the people, her head began hurting badly. Standing before them was five people. Four of them all wore matching black suits, along with familiar hoods. Each was holding weapons pointed directly at the trespassers. But standing in the center was a woman. She was wearing a red dress, along with matching robes. Her hair was pale blonde and her skin seemed to be just as pale as her hair. The look she gave them was clearly that of disdain, her head held high as she gazed boarded into Cecelia. Cecelia couldn't look away from the pale blue color of her eyes. The overall feeling she had from the very sight of her was cold and icy.
The black haired woman couldn't help but step back as the pain in her head hurt too much. Dante reached his hand out to grab her arm to stable her, but the sound of a clicking gun caused him to stop and keep his hands where they were. Cecelia felt like she was seeing flashes yet again, but couldn't piece together what they were. Too many memories swarming her head all at once. But one thing did stay in her head as she finally released her temple. A name, and a feeling of icy anger.
"Amira…" Cecelia growled as she gazed back at the woman.
"Cecelia," coldly spoke the blonde woman, her tone flat as her eyes flickered down and up. It was clear she was examining her. "To think you would be creeping around Néma yet again. But I must thank you. It saves us the time and energy hunting you across the state."
"Well, I had to at least thank the source for all "gifts" you so kindly keep sending me," Remarked Cecelia as she wore a cold grin. "I must say, fighting demons constantly and watching innocents die on the streets is something else…"
"If you didn't keep running away we wouldn't have to send them after you," Amira shook her head at Cecelia, as if scolding a child. "You are a traitor of Néma who must pay for your crimes. Because of your actions you have caused disruption and chaos in Néma, and for that I cannot forgive you for it. If it wasn't for you we would still have our beloved Baila. But you just couldn't keep your hunger in, could you?"
Cecelia could only glare, unable to say anything. There was a pit in her gut from Amira's words, making it hard for her to figure out just what really did happen that day. Did I… Did I actually eat somebody…?
"You know," Dante spoke up, attention now on him, "I don't get this whole situation, but don't you think that sending demons after somebody called a "Demon Eater" is really the brightest thing?"
"Excuse me…?" Amira glared at him, a look so sharp that it seemed like it could truly kill.
"I'm just being honest here," Dante said with a nonchalant shrug. He just gave the woman a smile before her continued. "You shame her for supposedly "eating" somebody, but you constantly send demons after her killing innocents each time. No offense, but from what I've seen so far, your kill count seems to be larger than hers. Pretty hypocritical, don't you think?"
"You have no right to criticize me, Demon Hunter!" Exclaimed Amira as she glared at the man. "You have no place in this affair. You have poked your nose around far enough! This is your last warning. Leave here, and never return. If I see you meddling in our affairs once more, I will have you slain on sight!"
"Sorry, sweetheart, but Cece here still has to pay me," Dante smirked as he saw the woman's growing anger. "Plus, it's a bit unfair to try and kill somebody who has amnesia. How do you know she killed that person? She can't defend herself."
"Th-that's right, Enchantress!" Judiah spoke up, surprising Cecelia and Dante. "She's lost her memories completely! She couldn't even remember the basic rules of The Charmer Sanction!"
"She…" Luin spoke softly, his eyes darting anywhere but Amira's face. "She even saved us, Enchantress. Madame Victoria summoned a demon, and died from a failed control collar. We fought miss Cecelia before, and we've tried multiple times to kill her and the Demon Hunter, but they still went out of their way to protect us. There was no reason for them to do that, yet they did it anyway, and even killed Madame Victoria's mistake."
"She technically saved Néma, Enchantress," Judiah added as she held her hands together and in front of her, as if praying. "She's lost her memories, which makes it easier for her to adapt back into society, don't you think? Although the loss of Charmer Baila is unforgivable, perhaps we should stop sending demons…?"
The Enchantress Amira stared at the two with an infuriated look, making them nervous. Her blue eyes were sharp and cold, and it only seemed to heighten by their words.
"You dare question my orders?" She growled as her voice began to rise. "Underlings such as yourselves, not even classified as mere soldiers, questioning my authority?! None of you have the right to—"
One of the soldiers beside Amira leaned forwards and began whispering into her ear. Apparently what he was saying seemed to be rather important, having the Enchantress cut herself off just to hear his words. She listened carefully as they spoke for a while. After a brief pause in the tense air, the Enchantress sighed deeply as agitation was radiating from her. She lifted her head and glared at Cecelia.
"Looks like luck is on your side yet again, Cecelia." Amira stated as she shoved her hands into her robe sleeves, making sure her tone was calmed and leveled unlike before. "Although you have broken our rules and have made many wrongs to us, my men believe that you should have a chance. You will walk away from Néma and you will stay far away. No demons to be sent after you." Her tone darkened as she almost growled her words. "But mark my words. If you are ever in the sights of another witch, or if you even trespass on Néma property again, you will be hanged! You are still wanted as a traitor of The Charmer Sanction, and I will not stand to see you cause more problems for my people."
Cecelia scoffed at her in a dry laugh. "You forget that Néma was once my home, too, Amira. The only reason I'm here is to remember what I lost. But, from what I'm seeing, I think I remembered enough…"
The blonde simply glared, eyeing Cecelia for a moment. "...You are not welcomed here, Cecelia." Amira stated as she gave one last glare before turning her back to her. "And neither are you, Demon Hunter. Both of you will leave now, you've caused me enough trouble… You two—come at once. We're leaving."
"Yes, Enchantress!" Judiah and Luin exclaimed as they followed after her.
Enchantress Amira began walking away without another word, Judiah and Luin following after her. The soldiers that had stood beside her waited a moment before following one after another. They kept their eyes on Dante and Cecelia, all four of them traveling after the Enchantress. Even the big demon followed, knowing to stay with its master. The two watched them go back into the city, finally being left alone in the middle of the field.
"That certainly went a lot better than I thought," Dante admitted as he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at Cecelia and saw her staring at the Néma walls. "...You sure you don't want to try going in still?"
"I'm sure," Cecelia grumbled as she kept looking at the city. "Amira made it clear I'm not welcomed. If I get found inside of the city, I'm done for…"
"You seem to know her," Dante pointed out as he watched her, wondering what was going through her head.
"As soon as I saw her face a lot suddenly came at me all at once," Cecelia admitted as she could still feel a faint pain in her head. "It's… hard to process it right now. All that I can say is that I knew her for a long time. That "Enchantress" status means a lot in a place such as Néma. It's the equivalent to a king. She controls the Sanction. And frankly, she wants me dead…"
"I could tell by all the glaring," Dante said as he gave Néma one last look. "So… Did you kill somebody named Baila?"
"Baila…" Cecelia mumbled and grabbed her head again.
She felt a sting in her head, only seeing familiar flashes of memories. The blood, the witch, and then the same body on the ground. But something new did pop up. A brief singing of a melody rang in her head before disappearing. Cecelia's eyes opened wide, surprised that that was something she remembered. Unsure of how to piece it together, she released a deep sigh and looked at Dante finally.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this," Cecelia said with her hands resting on her hips. "I only wanted to figure out my memories, but even though I've gathered some pieces, I'm still just left with more questions… I don't know if I did kill Baila, but maybe I…" She paused and had to take a deep breath. "I don't like thinking about it…"
Dante watched her for a moment. "Do you remember her?"
Cecelia shook her head left to right with a quiet "Uh-uh."
"Well, don't worry about dragging me into this mess," Dante said and waved a dismissive hand. "The witches never liked me in the first place. Plus, it's been interesting being around you. If you didn't walk into my shop I'd probably still be lazing around until an actual job came in."
"Oh, right," Cecelia mumbled. She cleared her throat and spoke louder this time. "I did ask for your services, and I did promise to pay you. So, what is it that you want?"
Dante hummed, bringing a hand to his chin as he pretended to be in thought. He looked Cecelia up and down, making the woman resist crossing her arms over her chest. She did say whatever he wanted. She's fully willing to commit to her deal, but the hot feeling of bubbling nerves was there in her stomach. The white haired man put his hands behind his back and leaned towards her face so they were leveled with one another.
"What do you think about having a drink with me?" Dante asked.
Cecelia blinked her eyes in surprise. "A… a what?"
"Come on, let's go get a drink in Red Grave," Dante said and suddenly turned, waving his hand over his shoulder for her to follow.
The black haired woman couldn't help but watch him for a moment. She expected something more than just drinks. Maybe something even risqué if it came down to it. She especially expected money of some kind. But drinks? After she had been gawking at his back for the briefest of moments, she snapped herself out of it and quickly followed after him.
"Is there… anything else?" Cecelia asked with uncertainty.
"Maybe I'll think about it," Dante shrugged as he kept facing forwards. "For now just come have drinks with me. Think of it as a date."
"...A what?"